Maracha locals roast MP Driwaru over poor performance

By Andrew Cohen Amvesi May 30, 2022

ARUA. The locals of Maracha district have come out publicly to castigate their Woman Member of Parliament (MP), Jennifer Driwaru over the recent media reports that ranked her among the worst performing MPs in the country.

The report that followed the Red Pepper publication on the performance of West Nile MPs early this year, shows how each MP performed in the last one year, based on the number of times the MP has spoken on the floor of Parliament.

It is in this report that Driwaru featured among the worst MPs who never dared to open their mouth to say anything in the whole year of the 11th Parliament – not even eulogizing the former Speaker, Late Jacob Oulanyah on the floor of Parliament.

However, when the news reached the locals in Maracha, many wondered why Driwaru shamed them to this level yet they thought she would be the voice to the numerous challenges they are facing on ground.

Hellen Onziru, a resident of Winyako cell in Oleba Town Council who was one of Driwaru’s top mobilizers during campaigns told journalists on Monday that she is not surprised by the report because the woman MP abandoned them right from the time she joined Parliament.

“We voted Driwaru out of love, but after sending her to Parliament, she abandoned us. During campaigns she promised to do a lot for us, but to date nothing has been done. Maybe elsewhere but in my village here, she has done nothing. The only thing she did was to bring Ambulances which I hear are grounded now. I didn’t even have the chance to see the said Ambulances,” Onziru said.

According to Onziru, the women in her village are suffering from inadequate drugs in health units, poverty and inadequate sources of clean water, forcing many to move many kilometers in search of clean water among other challenges which she expected her MPs to raise in Parliament.

She, however, said it is sad that Driwaru decided to keep quiet over all the problems they are facing in Maracha for the whole year.

Rose Driciru, also formerly Driwaru’s supporter in Kijomoro village, Pabura Parish, Nyadri sub-county equally said from the time they elected the woman MP, she has not come back to sit with them over the promises she made.

“Driwaru got her votes from us, the women especially in my village, but she has not returned to us up to now. She promised to empower women through their village SACCOs but no single group has received any coin from her to that effect. As of now, we have lost hope in her because if she was sent to work on our behalf and fails for the whole year, what do you expect from us apart from voting her out next time?” Driciru asked.

Meanwhile Martine Asega, a resident of Nyadule village, Robu Parish in Kijomoro sub-county complained that every time he tries to reach out to Driwaru, her husband is the one who picks her calls and she doesn’t bother to call back.

“Out of the three MPs we elected, we haven’t seen the woman MP and her work reports haven’t been okay. The performance of our Woman MP since she went to Parliament, I have been following her. She has not been picking the phone calls of the voters. When you call her, she always gives the phone to the husband and the husband just tells you that she is not around, she will talk to you and that is the end. Now I don’t know what she is even doing there in Parliament,” Asega stressed.

But Alice Onziru, a resident of Alivu village, Ombia Parish, Yivu Sub-County said Driwaru contributes towards funeral rites in her village, and instead requested her to start thinking about the general plight of women in the whole district.

“Women are suffering in all aspects; poverty and hunger are the worst! Let her think about us as she earlier promised during campaigns. She promised to take our voices up there. Other people are now in groups which she should support financially as promised during campaigns,” Onziru stressed.

Unfortunately, all the effort made by the Red Pepper to find out why Driwaru didn’t speak on the floor of Parliament including other allegations hit a snag as her known telephone number couldn’t be reached by press time.

Her personal assistant (PA) whom we contacted on phone equally wondered why the phone was switched off, adding that it is the only number she is using. The PA also said he has not yet shared anything with the MP concerning her failure to talk in Parliament.

Ends