The Government intends to revitalize the Coast Development Authority (CDA), by strengthening partnerships through collaborations with various institutions, agencies, ministries and County Governments.
Speaking during a familiarization tour in Mombasa County CDA Headquarters, Cabinet Secretary for East Africa Arid and Semi-Arid Lands and Regional Development, Peninah Malonza, said that there is need to find out the impact of CDA in the coast region, as per their mandate that they were envisioned.
Malonza said CDA was started by an Act of Parliament No. 2 of 1990, purposely to initiate, coordinate and implement integrated programmes along the basins of the Coast region.
She said the Ministry is working to harmonize and bring along the whole agenda of the participation of the counties because CDAs operate within particular segments that are intertwined with the devolved units.
In promoting collaboration, the CS stated that the Ministry is working on policies to try and harmonize and recognize the participation of not only the counties but also development partners in the whole CDA agenda since they initiate programmes that run across the coastal counties.
“On social economic programmes that are geared towards lifting the economy and the livelihoods of the communities, we are working on the post-drought mitigation programmes, that are geared towards livelihoods, such as farming and irrigation programmes,” she said.
Malonza confirmed the challenge of low funding the Authority is facing, adding that the Ministry is working on a Bill that will ensure harmonization and bringing in all participatory spaces of both the governments and development partners.
“Not forgetting resource mobilization strategies, so that the CDA will not only wait for the government but will have their own ways of working collaboratively in partnership with other stakeholders to be able to raise resources to manage some of the programmes that are happening within their space,” she added.
She further advised on formulating a policy that will communicate strategies that will require CDA, to expound their mandate for the people to understand what gaps they are filling.
She noted that CDA is tailored to interacting with people at the grassroots and coming up with projects that will directly benefit the residents.
The CS said, through CDA the government is looking at projects emanating from the basin that include: water projects, irrigation projects, value addition projects that are being carried in the region and ideally support the livelihood of the local communities.
“CDA looks at the sustainability aspect in terms of the projects implemented in the coastal region,” she said.
She noted that CDA has been carrying out programmes in six coastal counties and Garissa County in North Eastern.
CS added that CDA is overseeing the Mwache Dam catchment management area in Kwale, where they initiated the programme and did the feasibility study, before it was passed down to the Ministry of Water.
“Being in the project management unit, they are managing the catchment area in terms of planting trees and terraces,” she added.
During the tour, Malonza said among the places she will visit at the Coast during her inspection tour of government projects include, the Mwanainchi Cottage in Kilifi and an Intensive Care Unit (ICU) project in Malindi.
By Chari Suche
