By Albert Nyakundi Amenya
When you look around constituencies in Nairobi County, it’s quite apparent that there is nothing to smile about. Out of the 19 Members of Parliament, only a few have managed to direct public funds at the right course. One of the MPs, who have set quite an outstanding development record for the period he has been in charge at the helm, is Dagoretti North MP Hon Paul Simba Arati.
There is no contention that Hon Arati is one of the most popular personalities among Kenya’s legislatures. Love him or hate him, he remains Simba. Haters who dislike Arati’s determination, sterling discipline, doggedness and incorruptibility, may be quick to infuse his reputation with muck, something which they enjoy raking up so as to make others view him unwarrantedly from a myopic and selfish prism.
For the few days he has been at the driver’s seat, hon. Arati’s track record has already spoken volumes. Dagoretti North is now one of Nairobi’s most improving constituencies and the people in grassroots are saying “Thank goodness! At last God has sent Moses to get us out of Egypt.†As far as development is concerned, it is a beehive of activity in all constituency wards. Arati’s record represents both personal and national gains.
The fact that the people of Dagoretti North have been having the perception of how they are permanently sentenced to the shackles of poverty, hon. Arati’s mission to salvage Dagoretti North today is a déjà vu following the rampant corruption, ineptness, serious economic predicament, and crisis of confidence that pervaded the previous leadership.
The ‘Lion’ is in a serious rescue mission. He is determinedly out to ensure that the people are afforded the economical stability and management. Arati’s past has prepared him for the future. Although ever smiling and soft spoken, he is a highly principled and firm bloke. Remarkably, he is not given to vainglory and greed. Unlike many of his colleagues, Arati possesses no doubtful wealth. He owns no big suspicious mansions and flats in Nairobi. He owes no bank in Kenya and he has no score to settle with the taxman.
His heroic finger biting moment in parliament when fighting for his people has tapered him into an exceptional firebrand that the people of Dagoretti North cannot afford to ignore if they truly look forward to real change and economic progress. Haters who judge him with his past life are at best engaging in arrogant ignorance given the fact that no matter how sordid a person’s yesterday is, his tomorrow is squeakily clean. Important to note, tomorrow is always a new page and what matters is what we write on it.
Traducers know well that Hon. Arati is the man of the moment and they are doing everything outside the books to stop him completely.