CS Malonza cites Kitui as unexploited economic powerhouse

EAC, ASALs and Regional Development cabinet secretary Peninah Malonza and the Kitui County deputy governor Augustine Kanani during a public sensitization forum on the Fourth medium term plan in Kitui town on Thursday on Thursday June 14, 2024. Photos by Rose Paul.

MTPIV

Kitui County is an economic sleeping giant that can be utilised to eliminate poverty amongst local communities.

East African Community, ASALs and Regional Development CS Peninah Malonza, while speaking at Kefri Hall in Kitui town, during a public sensitization forum on the Fourth Medium Term Plan, underscored that Kitui is endowed with diverse and massive resources that can be harnessed to lift up thousands of the area residents from poverty and deprivation.

According to Malonza, leveraging on the programmes and projects outlined in the national government’s Bottom Up Economic Transformation blueprint, local people could easily turn around the fortunes of the county and as such better their livelihoods.

“Despite being semi-arid, Kitui County is blessed with adequate dryland, which can be used for cash crop farming and livestock keeping, mineral deposits and wildlife parks suitable for tourism. If we exploit all these opportunities Kitui can be Kenya’s economic powerhouse,” she said.

In addition, the CS noted that a combination of the County Integrated Development Plan and the Fourth Medium Term Plan, that were both anchored in Kenya Vision 2030, would spur faster socio-economic growth for the county and Kenya at large.

Malonza reiterated that the Kenya Kwanza government has delivered numerous projects across Kitui County towards improvement of citizens’ livelihoods and enhancement of resilience and adaptation to persistent droughts in the county and the larger Lower Eastern Region.

Amongst the key development projects initiated by the national government in the county include injection of Sh250 million for completion of Umaa Dam in Kitui Central sub county, Sh80 billion for Thwake Dam and the Sh1 billion for extension of water from Kiambere Dam to Kyuso Sub County.

Other projects include the Sh1.5 billion water supply extension project from Kindaruma Dam to Mwingi West, the construction of the Sh487 billion High Grand Falls Dam, which will cut across three counties Kitui, Tharaka Nithi and Tana-river and Sh1 billion electricity extension project to all public schools.

In her speech, the Cs hailed Governor Dr. Julius Malombe’s administration for its unwavering commitment to deliver development projects in all sectors of economy across the county, noting that cooperation between both the county and national government, is key in the implementation of the Fourth Medium Term Plan of 2023-2027.

Kitui County Deputy Governor Augustus Kanani who spoke on behalf of the county governor, underscored that Kitui County Government will deepen and build strong collaborations with National government and all other stakeholders towards the realization of the MTP IV outcomes.

“We appreciate this gesture as the constitution envisages collaboration between the two levels of Government. A stable macroeconomic environment is a prerequisite for successful implementation of MTP IV priorities,” the deputy governor said. He said that Kitui County will partner with the National Government to ensure achievement of the above priority areas.

“Our CIDP is aligned with MTV IV as demonstrated by Kitui County CIDP Conceptual framework, where we have prioritized six key pillars, that is Food security, Water access, Health Care, aggregation of our local Industrial Parks appropriately nurtured & skilled human capital planned urban development,” Kanani added.

He noted that water is scarce across the county and the county government will continue to explore possible ways of providing clean water to residents as well as water for irrigation. Kanani urge the National Government to expedite completion of the Thwake Multipurpose Dam, whose realization is behind schedule.

He disclosed that the Kitui County Government is in the process of securing land for the camp to be used by the National Government contractor to construct the High Grand Falls Dam, located on River Tana between Kitui and Tharaka Nithi Counties.

“We appreciate that the National Government has allocated finances to revive Umaa Dam in Kitui Central. A contractor has already been procured to complete the dam which had stalled some years back,” the deputy governor added.

Kanani further said the Sh 8.5 billion Yatta dam has been identified by the National Government among the dams to be constructed. The investment will spur agricultural activities along the 58-Kolometere Yatta Canal leading to substantial increase the acreage under irrigation. Its completion will transform the regions food security.

On road infrastructure, he said the county government will continue to lobby the National Government to support our priority infrastructure projects. Kanani observed that the three Counties that is Kitui, Machakos and Makueni through the Southeastern Kenya Economic Block (SEKEB) Bloc are interconnected with key road networks, which include the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway, Kibwezi-Kitui Road, Makindu-Wote-Machakos Road, Machakos-Kitui Road and Wote-Kanyangi-Wikililye Road in Kitui.

However, he lamented that most regions within the three counties are not interlinked, thus hampering socio-economic development across the bloc. “Movement of goods and services between Makueni and Kitui for instance has been greatly affected by underdeveloped road infrastructure, leading to under tapped potential in agriculture, trade and other important sectors of the economy,” he decried.

He appreciated that the Standard Gauge rail and meter gauge rail connecting Makueni and Machakos Counties. However, Kitui is not connected with rail transport and there is a need to explore connectivity from Kibwezi-Kitui-Thika.

On health, the deputy governor observed that as part of county government commitment towards the promotion of healthcare, “We can today confirm that specialized health services in our main hospitals are currently operational. Kitui has established a Renal Centre, while Cancer and Trauma Centres have been built in Machakos and Makueni Counties, respectively.”

He further observed that the Trauma Centre will help alleviate the suffering of the road accident victims along the busy Nairobi-Mombasa Highway. Kanani called upon the National Government to take the necessary steps to address the high road carnage in the country.

He welcomed the move by SEKEB to set up specialized units in our county hospitals to enable the people access specialized services within the vicinity of the Bloc. The deputy governor appealed for the quick resolution of the doctors’ strike so that patients can access essential services.

On security, Kanani noted that Kitui County, in collaboration with the National Police Service, is currently constructing eight police stations along its historically troubled eastern border, adding that issues of border disputes are being amicably addressed through dialogue and peace forums.

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