The Equalisation Fund has seen tremendous improvement of essential services in West Pokot despite the various projects still incomplete and others waiting official handing over to the county government.
The Fund, established under Article 204 of the Constitution 2010 provides that the National government shall use the fund only to provide the basic services including water, roads, health facilities and electricity to marginalised areas to the extent necessary to the levels generally enjoyed by the rest of the nation.
Accompanied by a team from the Equalisation Fund during a review of the various projects undertaken in the region, West Pokot County Commissioner Abdullahi Khalif said that so far, the value of the money allocated to the county under the Equalisation Fund has borne fruit and the impacts are already being felt in the earmarked areas.
Khalif said the county under the first marginalisation policy has a total of 70 projects being implemented.
“Significant impacts have been realised under the 31 roads (Sh417million), 24 water (Sh184million), 14 health (Sh164million) and one education projects that were identified as priorities through comprehensive public participation across various wards within the county,” stated the CC who is the chair of the county technical committee.
Khalif disclosed that so far, a total of Sh357million had been paid with a variance of Sh468 million due for payment for completion of the projects which are at an average of 80 percent completion with a total approved budget of Sh726 million.
He singled out that the one education project that encompassed the construction a school dormitory at a tune of Sh10million had seen increased enrolment and salvaged girls from retrogressive cultural practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and early marriage that were rife at Nakuyen Ward.
Khalif acknowledged that the fund has also seen some remote areas such as Sarmach in Endough Ward that had been dubbed as County 048 due to its inaccessibility and absence of essential services opened up and now economic activities are thriving.
“The implementation of the 24 water projects has ensured supply of clean and safe water for domestic use which has also seen increased livestock production unlike before when beneficiaries used to trek long distances in search of the basic commodity,” reiterated the CC.
Khalif however regretted that unfortunately, a ward within the county that plays host to the minority Sengwer and Cherangany communities had been excluded from the fund hence the need for consideration during the next mapping reiterating the need for a more comprehensive public participation.
County Chief Officer for Finance Priscilla Chebet noted that the success realised under the Equalisation Fund showed how the National and the County Governments could collaborate towards any meaningful development.
Chebet called on the National Treasury to expedite payments for timely implementation of the projects since delays in cash flow has been identified as one of the impediments towards fast-tracking completion of the projects on time.
She expounded that West Pokot County would be one of the notable counties’ worth admirations once the projects courtesy of the fund since the region had experienced prolonged marginalisation.
“The fund has seen a robust improvement in the health sector and once all projects are fully implementation, we shall see a decongestion at the Kapenguria County Referral Hospital,” she mentioned.
West Pokot County is amongst the 14 counties identified to benefit from the fund in the first marginalisation policy and a total of 149 marginalised areas have been identified within sub counties with Sh1.69billion being projected under the second equalisation.
By Richard Muhambe
