Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia has called on Kenyans to embrace patriotism and demonstrate confidence in the government’s ability to deliver on its mandate. Speaking at Masinde Muliro University during a citizen engagement forum, Macharia emphasized the importance of loyalty and trust as key ingredients for national development.
He urged residents to verify the credibility of information before sharing or acting on it, warning against the dangers of misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda.
“Have you ever taken time to verify whether a source of information is credible?” Macharia asked. “When you feed into misinformation and disinformation, you may end up resenting your own government, not because of facts, but because of falsehoods you’ve consumed unknowingly.”
Citing the Kazi Mtaani programme, he noted that misleading narratives were spread even before the initiative was rolled out, undermining public trust and causing unnecessary confusion.
The forum, spearheaded by the State Department for National Government Administration, aimed to enhance transparency and citizen awareness of government projects and their implementation.
“This engagement is about moving forward together—as citizens and government—because this is our country, and this is our government,” Macharia stated.
He further stressed that patriotism must go hand-in-hand with loyalty to the government, irrespective of individual political leanings.
“You cannot claim to be patriotic while disrespecting your government. Leadership is a constant in any country, and it must be respected,” he said.
Macharia assured the public that government development projects are being implemented equitably across the country, with no room for marginalisation or favoritism.
