Kiambu County Government is working on establishing a Sh.600 million Ward Development Fund where each of the 60 wards within the region will get Sh.10 million to exclusively assist in cascading development to the grassroots.
Governor Kimani Wamatangi said his government was working with the County Assembly to set up the fund meant to change the model of development at the ward level and the legislation is already before the County Assembly for consideration.
Once the law is approved, the county administration has pledged to commit Sh.600 million to the Ward Development Fund, and the intention is to expand the fund progressively to meet the growing needs of the residents.
Speaking on Wednesday at the County Headquarters when he assented to the Kiambu County Finance Bill, 2023, Governor Wamatangi called on the Members of the County Assembly to expedite the passing of the Ward Fund Bill.
“The legislation allows the County Government to collect Sh.7.9 billion in its own source revenue to supplement our Sh.22 billion for 2023/2024,” he said.
To safeguard the welfare of the people, the Governor said that the law passed unanimously by the County Assembly, will not interfere with the existing levies.
“Rather than resorting to higher taxes, my administration is strategically leveraging the sealing of financial loopholes and embracing technology to shore up our own source revenue to support our development agenda”, he said.
He thanked the County Assembly for approving the bill and appealed to members to expedite other pending legislations, with a special emphasis on the Ward Development Fund—an initiative poised to establish an effective framework for grassroots development.
The unanimous approval of the Finance Bill, Governor Wamatangi said, strongly signals a unified commitment from both the Executive and the County Assembly to chart a new path of collaboration.
In September, the Kiambu County Assembly failed to pass the Finance Bill 2023/24 due to some dispute between the Governor and the ward representatives.
The MCAs had criticized Governor Wamatangi’s leadership, expressing their dissatisfaction with the way public money was being used and demanding integrity and transparency.
On his part, Governor Wamatangi however maintained that he has been running the county with integrity.
By Wangari Ndirangu
