County to Enlist Professionals in Kiambu Legacy Projects

He told stakeholders while chairing a Kazi Mtaani meeting on Zoom that “we cannot compromise the quality of such projects as the citizens will look back and give credit to the Government. If we are not careful to choose the right team, we shall be held responsible and it will be too late”

The administrator made the remarks in his introductory remarks in which he emphasized the importance of engaging professionals to handle the technical part of the projects. He reckoned that all workers engaged at the onset of the program could not produce skills like masonry, carpentry, reinforcing concrete and walling of a building to the required standards since most of them are those who were laid off in other areas when COVID 19 struck the country.

He therefore clarified that “Feeling the harsh economic effects of COVID-19 is not a ticket to be considered continuously for the job especially on the legacy projects and that the opportunity should only be left to the professionals.

When the second phase of the NHP began in July, the workers were divided into two who are scheduled to work for 11 days after which they take a break to give the second team to work for another 11 days. Only supervisors have been given an opportunity to work continuously in the program which has taken on board 23,075 workers. Kiambu is second to Nairobi and the workers are mainly being engaged in non-formal settlement areas.

He advised the 12 deputy county commissioners that their leadership and integrity shall be judged from the standard of the projects conceived and implemented to completion. “These projects must be seen to be useful to the people in their locality so that they own and protect them as a heritage for remembrance.”

He lauded the chiefs and their assistants in areas where such projects were being constructed for their input saying their knowledge and intelligence in knowing their people had come at the right time.

Mr. Wanyanga observed that it was through chiefs that the administrators of the NHP were able to work with people who could perform by offering appropriate skills, those who were technical, experienced and those who were ready to work the government’s pace without engaging politics of destruction in the rolling out of the legacy projects.

This is not a time for bringing activism in these projects and I instruct you to be firm and diligent in all your areas of jurisdiction to ensure that Kiambu County comes up with projects that will remind the future generation of the Jubilee leadership, he noted.

He reiterated that the legacy projects were flagship in nature and that President Uhuru Kenyatta holds them dearly to his heart therefore making them a priority in all programmes currently being implemented.

There have been demonstrations by some workers especially from Kikuyu sub-county picketing for late payment which the administrator said was a minor issue which was being handled by the National office.

He also cautioned he media against opting for negative publicity on projects that were meant to change the lives of the people saying they should be thinking development unless it was a critical issue that was life threatening.

By Lydia Shiloya