Homa Bay Governor, Gladys Wanga has said that the county is capable of collecting up to Sh 1 billion annually from its own source revenue.
“Reports indicate that our county has the potential to collect 1 billion shillings yearly from our own source revenue. My government is keen on ensuring we collect enough revenue for ourselves to enable us initiate additional development programmes on top of what we get from the national government,” Wanga stated.
The governor who was addressing the county assembly Thursday was regretful that as a result of fraudulent activities, Homa Bay is now collecting less revenue as compared to the previous years.
She added that Homa Bay has been classified among the counties with poor revenue mobilisation.
“Our revenue mobilisation has been deteriorating over the years with our county rated among the poorest in our source revenue collection. Indeed, our county is now collecting negative 34 per cent of the revenue that was collected by our former. It is after these suspicious trend and fluctuations that triggered a reaction in my office,” said the governor.
She asked members of the county assembly to support her in saving the county’s resources as she moves to facilitate the hardworking staff by eliminating ghost workers whom she said reap where they did not sow.
Wanga said her administration has taken necessary steps to salvage the human resource systems from suspected violations that could jeopardize the integrity of the government.
“In the human resource section we have ordered a payroll and personnel census audit and we will shortly bring on board a qualified Human Resource firm to be able to support this initiative,” she notified.
On the proposed legislations tabled during the second assembly, she requested the house to support and reconsider them while at the same time insisted on the climate change bill saying it is critical in the formulation of policy.
“I am aware that we have some proposed legislations and policies that may have been tabled in the house sometime back for your deliberations that this house needs time to reconsider,” Wanga said.
“In focus is the climate change bill that will be very critical for the support of policy formulation and more so for the revival of friendlier ecosystem in our county,” she added.
The County boss informed that plans are underway to develop the lakefront through partnerships with neighbouring counties.
She said they have initiated engagements with partners towards the eventual creation of the Lakefront Development Authority to move them forward.
By Sitna Omar
