Full Speech; Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika Launches Bold Development Plan for Shared Prosperity
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It is my singular honour and privilege to welcome you all to this auspicious occasion as we launch the County Integrated Development Plan for the Great County of Nakuru today here at the Nyayo Gardens. Alongside the CIDP 2023-27, we are also launching the County Statistics Abstract that will form the basis for future projections.
I most sincerely thank my colleague Governors present here for shelving their busy schedules to join us today. I am humbled by your support.
To the MPs, the business community, MCAs and other distinguished guests, we are grateful that you’re here with us as we launch this development and service delivery blue print for my government.
To the great people of Nakuru here with us today; we are honoured by your presence because the document we are launching belongs to you—it’s a product of your views on how you want us to serve you.
When we sat down as a team to prepare the County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) 2023-27, we were in askance of several questions—what are the development outcomes of the last 10 years of devolution here in Nakuru County? How did our people benefit from the interventions? What success stories do we have? What challenges did we face? What gaps did we have in policy interventions? What lessons did we learn? And how do we move forward?
By dint of these questions, we reviewed in detail the CIDP of the previous implementation period, the baseline survey, dissemination of guidelines for preparation of the 3 rd CIDP 2023-2027, submission of inputs of Sector Working Groups (SWGs), public participation, consultation of stakeholder inputs, submission of public memoranda, harmonization of inputs internal adoption and approval by CountyExecutive and County Assembly to arrive at the document we have today. This is the people’s document and represents the aspirations of our county.
The 2023–2027 CIDP is the melting pot of our dreams, my Manifesto, is aligned to the national development framework, the Kenya Vision 2030, and its fourth medium-term plan, the Bottom-Up Economic Agenda (BETA), together with international commitments and obligations such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
This event therefore isn’t just another ritual but the solemnization of our commitments to the people.
Your Excellencies, Ladies and gentlemen
The CIDP 2023-27 is premised under the theme “Sustained Economic growth for a shared prosperity”.
To fortify this theme, this CIDP further integrates my Manifesto which aims to build a society of “inclusive leadership and socio-economic empowerment for all”. Guided by these key underpinnings, we prioritized eight thematic areas in setting the County development agenda for the medium term namely:
Carrying forward ongoing projects/programs into the third CIDP 2023-27
Post Covid-19 social economic recovery and provision of social safety nets
Leveraging on growth in productive sectors of our economy
Mainstreaming of cross cutting issues in development planning including green economy, climate change adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction , SDGs and special interest groups
Promotion of access to quality and affordable healthcare services
Enhancing governance, transparency and accountability in County Public service
Creating enabling environment for promoting private sector growth and faster growth of MSMEs
Expansion and operationalisation of County physical and social infrastructure.
Firstly, the theme of carrying forward ongoing projects and programs finds its grounds in the doctrine of continuity as espoused on international law to require that changes in forms of government should affect the existence of a country—in our case a county.
Guided by the notion of continuity in government, we chose to complete the stalled projects during the first year in office It is meaningless—and a waste of taxpayers’ money at that—to fail to complete stalled projects just because you didn’t initiate them.
To this end, we have and are upgrading and operationalizing eight Sub County health facilities to Level-4 hospitals; recruited and placed health workers and sustainably increased the budget for preventive curative medical services; completed ongoing ECDE projects by equipping 500 ECDEs, constructing nine model ECDE centres and annually hiring 350 ECDE teachers; recruiting and placing 300 instructors to our Vocational Training Centres; Grading and gravelling 2000kms of road under the Imarisha Barabara program as we tarmac 66 kms of roads in selected urban centres; renovating 23 markets and constructing 25 new ones, increasing households with potable water from 66.3 per cent to 83.4 per cent by 2027; fast tracking the completion of the Afraha Stadium and construction of Keringet high altitude Sports Academy; and finally conduct feasibility study and facilitate construction of 6,000 affordable houses under the Public Private Partnership (PPP).
Secondly, under the Post Covid-19 social economic recovery and provision of social safety nets, we will focus on sports, recreation, culture, youth, gender and social services.
This will be achieved through enhancing social welfare of the vulnerable groups implementing the County Disability Fund through a Kshs1.375 billion kitty to support 550 people with disabilities and 60 other groups, by operationalizing the Njoro OVC centre and improving the capacity of the Alms House for the elderly, operationalizing the County gender-based violence centre, supporting 54,880 poor households with insurance cover control of drug and substance abuse through campaigns, allocating of Kshs350 million towards the County Emergency Fund by 2027, development of community empowerment services, development of sports infrastructure and nurturing of sports talents, promotion of gender equality and social-economic empowerment, promotion and preservation of culture and heritage and promotion of youth empowerment and development initiatives by allocating Kshs774 million for VTC capitation program to support 7,600 students, and allocating Kshs600 million to the County Bursary Program to support 80,000 students. Each sector has also identified key flagship projects that will spur transformation to the institutional and societal development needs.
Thirdly, leveraging on growth in productive sectors of our economy namely agriculture, trade, manufacturing and service industries. Under Agriculture we will increase crop production namely maize production from 3.8 tons to 4.1 tons per hectare, pyrethrum ( from 1,260 acres to 1,560 acres), macadamia (213 hectares to 255 hectares); improve livestock production by increasing annual milk production from 322 million litres to 375 million, enhancing livestock value chain and adoption of modern technologies, increase annual meat yields from 5.2 million kgs to 5.6 million kgs ; annual honey yields from 520 tons to 630 tons and annual poultry eggs from Kshs1.2 billion to Kshs1.5 billion at the same time as we increase fisheries productivity from 1.811 tons to 2.19 tons annually.
We will also seek to create a conducive environment for the development and growth of trade and targeted industrialization, by improving profitability, competitiveness and sustainability of businesses, development of County Aggregation Industrial Parks in Njoro; consumer protection; improving service delivery in County markets; increasing local tourism; regulating production, sale and distribution of liquor and streamline the proper management of County bus terminuses.
Fourthly, to mainstream cross cutting issues in development planning including green economy, climate change adaptation, Disaster Risk Reduction, SDGs and special interest groups, we have prioritized conservation and protection of the environment and to improve access to potable water for sustainable development.
We will increase forest cover from 10 percent to 12 per cent, implement the Financing Local Led Climate Change Action (FLoCCA) program at Ward level, and increase proportion of solar powered boreholes from 31 per cent to 65 per cent, Additionally, we will seek to enhance effective solid waste management and pollution control; mitigate climate change and enhance sustainable clean energy development and increase provision of potable water and sanitation services by the water service companies.
In increasing our capacity to respond and deal with disaster, we will operationalize the County emergency centre, establish five functional disaster manag ement centres, procure 10 fire engines, three Rapid Response Vehicles, and recruit 60 firefighters.
Your Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen
Fifthly, the County targets to improve access to quality health care services for its citizens, while reducing disease burden under the health by constructing & operationalize new Level IV health facilities and renovate the existing health facilities in order.
Intensification of services in health facilities to the right standards of care and enhancing the primary health networks will also take centre stage. The sector also aims to improve quality of curative healthcare through provision of essential services in all levels and elimination of communicable and non- communicable diseases.
Under the Education sector, the County Government has prioritised to improve access and retention to quality early childhood development education through upgrading and equipping of ECDE facilities, provide capitation grant for ECDE pupils, school feeding programme and recruitment of more ECDE teachers.
The sector also plans to recruit VTC instructors and construct vocational training centres of excellence in all the sub-counties for improved quality of vocational education.
Sixthly, to enhance governance, transparency and accountability in County Public service, the County aim to provide overall leadership and policy direction, promote prudent economic, financial and fiscal management for growth, resource mobilization and provide efficient public services.
The overall goal will be achievement through: provision of quality, efficient, effective public services to its citizens; institutionalising performance management systems; strengthening of the legislation and oversight roles over public agencies; promoting good governance; improved revenue administration through mapping of revenue sources and automation of revenue streams; enhance external resource mobilization and disaster mitigation and preparedness, and other public sector reforms.
Seventhly, to create an enabling environment for promoting private sector growth and faster growth of MSMEs, we intend to finance 5,000 MSMEs annually through the County Enterprise Fund and 400 cooperatives through the Cooperatives Revolving Fund. We are setting up the management boards of these funds and soon they will be operationalized.
We will also facilitate the formation of business producer groups and create market linkages, and establish a County business incubation centre to nurture and grow MSMEs.
Finally, we will support cooperatives by improving profitability, competitiveness and their sustainability
Lastly, to expand and operationalize and County physical and social infrastructure, we intend to develop, maintain and rehabilitate road network under the Imarisha Barabara program contractors and other national agencies; grade 4,100kms of road and gravel 1,540 kms of road; connect new 5,000 households to the main sewer, complete flagship projects such as Chemasusu and Itare Dams, improve transport facilities and government buildings; Improve digital literary in the County and improve ICT infrastructure and automation of County government services.
The CIDP 2023-27 institutional framework is organised in accordance with the mandate of each unit and interface with external stakeholders and their roles.
During the period 2023-2027, the County government will require Ksh117 billion in order to fund the prioritized sectoral strategic initiatives excluding the flagships worth Kshs99 billion which will be financed by development partners and National Government agencies.
Forecasted County receipts during the plan period amounts to Ksh103.9 billion depicting an estimated resource gap of Ksh15 billion.
In order to bridge the resource gaps, the County will focus on capital and operational financing strategies which are informed by past revenue performance reviews, expected policy changes, favourable macro-economic environment and outcomes of the planned County investments in the medium-term period.
A robust External resource mobilisation approach will be explored to bridge the funding gap and financing of flagship projects. Proper asset management and risk management strategies have also been identified for the focus period.
In conclusion, I call upon my team to ensure that they are in sync with the sectoral priorities as set in the CIDP2023-27. We are not just here to slogan but this blue print is a call to action by those I have bestowed the task of heading respective departments in my government. I commit to the people of Nakuru that we will pursue progressive governance as we seek to monetize our productive sectors to create jobs, increase income among farmers, improve profitability of business enterprises, transition to manufacturing, embrace technology and restore agriculture as our primary source of income.
Thank you
H E SUSAN KIHIKA. EGH
GOVERNOR, NAKURU COUNTY
With a knack for captivating storytelling, Amos Lumbasi has a talent for crafting narratives that resonate with readers. He combines meticulous research with a captivating writing style to create articles that are both informative and enjoyable to read.
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