The Government will from this financial year redeploy planning officers in the eight regions and subsequently in all the 47 counties in order to strengthen national government development planning and reporting.
The Principal Secretary in the State Department for Planning Mr. Saitoti Torome said the move had become necessary following realization that the National government was investing a lot of resources in programs in counties that required monitoring and co-ordination.
He said previous planning officers, then known as District Development Officers, were all deployed to County Governments following the promulgation of the new Constitution ten years ago, because there was a notion that all development activities would be centered around the new governance units.
Mr. Torome said the Regional Directors of Planning will co-ordinate the preparation of region-specific annual National Government Plans which will enable more focused planning.
The Directors will also prepare quarterly and annual progress reports that will inform the nation Annual Progress Reports.
Mr. Torome added that they will provide technical planning support to National Government departments in the counties and regions and advise on the suitability of proposed public investment programs.
The PS was speaking in Embu Friday when he introduced the Eastern Regional Development Planning Director, Mr. Lawrence Nzioka, to the Embu County Commissioner Mr. Abdullahi Galgallo, who received him on behalf of the Regional Commissioner.
He added that the Planning officers will also co-ordinate public participation in all government programs.
He said among the projects to be monitored by the officers were those being implemented by the National Government Constituency Development Fund and the national government across multiple counties.
Welcoming the re-introduction of the officers, Mr. Galgallo said they will contribute valuable input to the Regional and County Development Implementation and Co-ordination Committees introduced last year to monitor National Government projects.
He added that the RDICCs and CDICCs had helped in speeding up the completion of government projects hence their strengthening will further improve the benefits the public get from public investments.
The PS also took time to tour the 220-unit Embu Housing Project which will be completed next month after which the houses will be sold to civil servants.
Mr. Torome also visited the Runyenjes Constituency Information and Documentation Center saying the centers will be revived to be centers for dissemination of development information.
He said the redeployment will be at a minimal cost since the affected officers and their support staff are already in service.
By Steve Gatheru
