Defence Principal Secretary Patrick Mariru has assured Kenyans that the government has put in place the right strategies to improve the country’s economy.
Consequently, Mariru has called on Wananchi to continue having hope in the government, saying most of the things affecting the economy at the moment were global issues over which the state has no control.
Noting that the darkest hour comes before dawn, the PS said whatever the country is going through will come to pass, while expressing optimism that the economy will have made great strides by the time the next general election is held.
Mariru, accompanied by Elgeyo Marakwet County Commissioner John Korir, was speaking at the Iten KMTC hall during the countrywide public participation in the medium-term budget-making process.
The residents called on the national government to prioritise the construction of the Arror, Kimwarer, and Embobut dams to promote irrigation and power generation in the county.
They noted that the construction of the dams will ensure increased food production in the larger Kerio Valley.
They further called for the adjudication of land, especially in Marakwet East and parts of Marakwet West sub-counties, saying this will help in addressing conflicts among clans in the area.
In a bid to address the water shortage in the area, the residents called on the government to sensitise wananchi on the need for harvesting and storage of water, adding that measures should be put in place to ensure that residents seek approval before sinking boreholes so as to guard against depletion of the underground water sources.
They also called for the equipping of health centres, saying most of the residents are forced to travel all the way to Iten County Referral Hospital and, at times, to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret.
The government should also consider the establishment of a cancer centre to deal with the increasing cases of the disease in the area.
In sports, the residents said the government should prioritise the completion of Kamariny Stadium in addition to the rehabilitation of all existing sports facilities in the county.
In social protection, the residents called for the establishment of a rescue centre for victims of gender-based violence and also the equipping of the rehabilitation centre in Iten to deal with the increased number of mental health issues, especially due to drug abuse.
Additionally, the residents called for the upgrading of roads in the county, especially those connecting the highlands to the Kerio Valley and the major roads cutting across the Kerio Valley.
By Alice Wanjiru
