The National Government has allocated Sh176, 776, 169 for various development projects in Kakamega County in the 2024/2025 financial year.
The funds will be used to rehabilitate the Kakamega-Webuye road through the State Department for roads to the tune of Sh. 85Million.
The State Department for Roads will also undertake the Phase 2 of Construction of the Kakamega-Navakholo-Musikoma road(C41/C777), under the Kenya Transport Sector Support Project (KTSSP) at a cost of Sh35, 070, 009 as captured in the budget estimates.
In the estimates, the government will use Sh. 15million for land compensation and rehabilitation of the Kisumu-Kakamega road through KTSSP.
The National Government will also undertake rehabilitation works at Kakamega State Lodge, which has been allocated Sh15million, completion of a store at the Kakamega prisons at a cost of Sh6million, Construction of office blocks for the probation offices at a cost of Sh. 15million and improvement of the Kakamega Multipurpose Development Training Institute (MDTI) through the State Department for Basic Education at a Cost of Sh3million.
Speaking during a Public Participation Forum on the Budget Estimates for the 2024/2025 financial year, the National Assembly Budget and Appropriation Committee Vice Chair Mary Emase said Kakamega will receive an additional Sh100Million allocation to go towards other projects proposed by residents during the public participation.
Additionally, she said, the county government will receive Sh13billion on equitable share with Sh250million allocated to the County Aggregation and Industrial Parks programme and a further allocation of over Sh235million for roads maintenance Fuel Levy and over Sh99Million for the Community Health Promoters.
Primary Healthcare will receive over Sh16Million, the Kenya Informal Settlement Improvement Project (KISIP-2) Sh110million, the National Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP) Sh151. 5million and Kenya Devolution Support Programme (KDSP-2) Sh37.5million.
In the Budget estimates, Sh35Million has been allocated to the Kenya Urban Support Project (KUSP)-Urban Institutional Grant (UIG) and Sh24.4Million to the Agricultural Development (IFAD) Loan for the Aquaculture Business Development Programme (ABDP).
Emase, who is also the Teso South MP assured residents of Kakamega that their proposals will be factored in the Budget.
She said in the Budget the total equitable share from shareable revenue to counties is Sh. 391.1billion representing an increase of Sh. 5.7billion from the allocations of 2023/2024 financial year, which was Sh. 385million.
Khwisero MP, Christopher Aseka noted that the Committee will be keen enough to appropriate resources to facilitate and operationalize Kakamega Level 6 hospital which Governor Fernandes Barasa indicated that he has handed it over to the National Government.
“We are also careful to ensure we appropriate enough resources to complete Bukhungu Stadium, which is our landmark sporting ground and as a committee we want to agree with participants that Bukhungu Stadium should be given consideration in this budget,” he added.
Aseka also noted that due to enhanced rains, which have affected most of the region’s road network and school infrastructure, the committee will carefully consider appropriating some money so that the road networks and school infrastructure are rehabilitated to create a conducive environment.
By Moses Wekesa
