I’ll never neglect you, Kaziya assures voters

By SIMON MUNTEMBA MATERO constituency Member of Parliament (MP), Lloyd Kaziya has assured electorates in the area that he will never neglect them.

Mr Kaziya said he was aware of the problems the residents were faced with and that he they would soon be sorted out.

And Mr Kaziya who was recently sacked as Minister of Water and Sanitation has urged the grassroot members to feel free to visit either his office or home to share their challenges as he was no longer busy.

Mr Kaziya’s remarks come in the wake of persistent complaints by residents who have since accused him of neglecting the constituency.

The residents who vented their anger on Mr Kaziya over numerous challenges, among them bad state and poor drainage systems, have alleged that their law maker was hibernating as he had lost touch with the grassroots from the time he was elected as an MP.

The residents told the Daily Nation that their numerous cries over the problems they were facing in the area had fallen on deaf ears as the last time they laid their eyes on their MP was during his campaigns.

One of the community members talked to, Morris Lukwesa accused the legislator of neglecting the constituency.

Mr Lukwesa alleged that Mr Kaziya rarely visited the electorate despite being a resident in the area to appreciate the problems the people of Matero were facing.

“We have bad roads in Matero. Houses are submerged in water coupled with bad road networks and poor drainage system.

“We are living like orphans and this isn’t fair at all. The MP has completely neglected our area and I would like to challenge him to rectify the problems like he promised us during campaigns,” Mr Lukwesa charged

He added: “Since he was elected, the bad roads and poor drainage system in Matero have not been worked on contrary to his campaign promise that he was going to fix these problems.”

He said just after the 2016 general elections Mr Kaziya had stopped visiting the electorates to check and listen to the cries of the people who had put him in power.

But Mr Kaziya said he was genuinely concerned and disturbed with the problems that the people of Matero constituency were going through, saying he will never neglect them.

Mr Kaziya explained that he understood the negative impact of the bad roads in the lives of the people of Matero adding that he was working with other people in government to find a quick solution to the problem.

“I’m aware of the challenges of roads that are in Matero because I’m not spared. I’m also a motorist who uses those same roads and my house is just where the tarred road ends, so I have not neglected and will not neglect my fellow Matero residents.

“People chose to complain but don’t visit my office in the constituency. I don’t know what kind of an interaction they want from me because I’m visible in Matero. I would like to invite them to come either to my home or my office in Matero (Muchinga area) because I’m not busy anymore,” Mr Kaziya said.

He said there was need for constituents with queries to visit him at his constituency office because it was not possible for him to be at every corner of Matero which he said was too big.

He added, “Just on Sunday, I was in George compound where I followed up that case of flood victims whose house collapsed due to heavy rains so that we rebuild their houses.”

While calling for patience and understanding from the people, he said the current situation will be worked on once the rain season is over.

Mr Kaziya disclosed that the road engineers advised that this is not the best time to work on the road not until the rain season is over.