Nyanza Region’s Development Implementation and Coordination Committee (RDICC) has assured of the national government’s commitment to completing development programmes initiated in Migori County.
Among them are road networks, educational, water and sanitation programmes worth over Sh 17 billion.
On Tuesday, while briefing the press at Rongo University after making a two-day inspection tour of development projects in Nyatike, Kuria, Rongo and Awendo sub counties, Nyanza Regional Commissioner (RC) Magu Mutindika said the state was keen to complete the Sh 8.5 billion Isebania-Ahero road which is now 65 per cent complete.
He said other roads lined up for completion anytime this year were Masala-Sori road in Nyatike and Isebania-Ntmaru-Lolgorian road.
However, Mutindika stated that the major problem that has slowed down-implementation of the multi-billion Kisii –Isebania road corridor are issues of compensation especially in Kisii County but which are being addressed at the moment.
The administrator said a weigh-bridge along the road in Rongo town would be relocated to Awendo town once plans to procure spacious land would be over.
Mutindika also directed the contractor working on the road to start placing road furniture including signage and bumps along the stretch of the road to curb accidents that are daily happening along the road.
During the tour, the team that included officials from various government agencies among them Kenya Highways Authority (KenHA) and Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) also inspected the progress of ongoing works at the Kuja Irrigarion Scheme, Sony Sugar Company and at Rongo University.
Mutindika explained that Lower Kucha Irrigation Project had a total of 3,500 acres of which 3,000 acres had already been placed for rice irrigation.
He said that the initial total cost of the project was 5 billion. ‘‘So far a total of 1.2 billion has been used in the scheme,” said Mutindika.
Currently, the rice farmers in the scheme have been having issues with marketing of their rice. However, the National Irrigation Authority (NIA) alongside with the National Trading Corporation (NTC) are working together to sort out the marketing issues in order to help farmers sell their rice, he explained.
He said the Migori-Isebania last mile water connectivity project is a World Bank initiative that will serve about 4,000 consumers. The project will kick start in 2 weeks’ time after Sh 275 million allocation.
On Sony Sugar Company that is currently under receivership, the RC hailed the management for reviving the plant through their own initiative.
Mutindika revealed that in September 2020 a group of managers from within the company organised themselves and since then they have managed to pay sugar cane farmers between Sh 40 million and Sh70 Million per week.
“The government is now looking for ways to assist the factory financially to help it come back to its former status,” he announced.
“Rongo University is implementing a national government sponsored project in library and tuition block of which the tuition block is about 95% complete, while the Sh1,37 billion library complex is awaiting funds to complete,” he added.
By George Agimba and Geoffrey Makokha
