Suba North MP Millie Mabona has renewed calls for increased government investment in the region, saying the condition of roads witnessed during the Linda Mwananchi convoy to Homa Bay County offered a clear picture of years of marginalisation.
Mabona made the remarks after videos circulating on social media showed sections of poorly maintained and untarmacked roads encountered during the convoy, sparking debate among Kenyans over the state of infrastructure in parts of the county.
The legislator said the situation demonstrated why residents in historically marginalised areas require increased government support to accelerate development.
“If there is one thing this trip to Suba has shown, is that when we talk of years of marginalization, it is true,” Mabona said.
She argued that allocations through the Equalisation Fund remain insufficient to address the development challenges facing marginalised communities, particularly in areas where infrastructure deficits have persisted for years.
“The amount allocated in the equalization fund is too little,” she said, calling for additional resources to be directed towards regions that continue to lag behind in infrastructure development.
Mabona also addressed concerns that increased allocations to the region could attract criticism, particularly amid the ongoing debate over government spending and distribution of resources across the country.
“If the CS Finance, Hon Mbadi allocates funds here, you will start complaining yet you have seen with your own eyes, not borrowed from the neighbour's,” she said.
Her remarks appeared to respond to the online reactions generated by the videos from the convoy, with some Kenyans questioning why communities in parts of Homa Bay continue to grapple with roads that remain largely untarmacked.
The debate has also renewed attention on the broader question of equitable development and whether existing government funding mechanisms are sufficient to bridge infrastructure gaps in marginalised areas.
Mabona said the situation requires more than incremental interventions, stressing the need for faster investment in the region.
“Accelerated growth is needed,” she added.
The Linda Mwananchi convoy's journey through parts of Homa Bay has therefore placed the condition of local roads at the centre of a wider national conversation on marginalisation, public investment and equitable distribution of development resources.