Kirinyaga County is on an upward development trajectory, having accomplished massive projects.
Presenting the annual state of the county address before the county assembly, the County Governor Anne Waiguru, said Kirinyaga had experienced remarkable growth in all sectors.
Waiguru said their recent recognition by the Office of the Controller of Budget for topping the counties with the highest development budget absorption was out of a deliberate effort to prioritise progress in management of the county.
At the same time, the county had grown its own source revenue steadily from Sh374.7 million in the financial year 2019/2020 to Sh619 million in the fiscal year 2023/2024.
“This achievement is attributed to deliberate reforms that we have undertaken in the revenue directorate, including digitisation of revenue collection, which has secured our revenue and made it easier for citizens to pay for single permits and licenses and cess fees,” she said.
To enhance service delivery in hospitals, the governor said the county government has recruited an additional 48 health workers across different cadres.
Waiguru further emphasised her commitment to addressing welfare issues of the medics.
She also enumerated the dispensaries that the county has constructed and operationalised to strengthen its primary healthcare, as well as the onboarding of 1205 community health promoters, which has gone a long way in enhancing healthcare at the grassroots level.
The governor also urged residents to register with the Social Health Insurance Fund (SHIF) to enhance access to quality healthcare.
On agriculture, Waiguru said that over the years, her administration had invested heavily through the Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, which enables farmers to increase production and has now moved into supporting them in value addition and marketing.
She noted that as a result of various interventions, production of value chains such as tomatoes, avocados, macadamia, dairy, poultry, fish farming, beekeeping, dairy goats and pig farming, rice, tea, and coffee has tremendously increased.
Additionally, the upcoming Sagana agro-industrial city would be the breakthrough in the county’s agricultural sector, since it would address the farmers’ challenges in terms of post-harvest losses as well as low prices during high production seasons.
The major agro-processing factories being set up at the industrial park include tomato processing, avocado and macadamia oil processing, coffee warehousing and processing, and dairy value addition for both local and export markets.
“Having an agro-industrial city in our county is no longer a dream but a reality that is unfolding during our time in office. It has taken a lot of collaborative efforts to achieve this great milestone, and I would like to thank this assembly for their cooperation in laying the foundation for this project,” she said.
The County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) is 37% complete, while development at the export processing zone (EPZ) and special economic zone (SEZ) is also ongoing.
Waiguru added that the projects at the industrial park are currently a source of income for many young people, who are involved in construction work, and once completed, the park is expected to provide over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The governor noted that the network of markets and aggregation centres across the county will support the EPZ and CAIPs by easing the aggregation of agricultural produce, noting that her administration had so far constructed 18 markets.
Waiguru added that through collaboration with the national government, an additional 10 markets were under construction.
She thanked the Kirinyaga County Assembly for their unwavering contribution towards the achievements made.
“As a result of your commitment and cooperation, we have continued to make significant strides towards the achievement of our county’s socio-economic goals. You have played a critical role in enabling us to pass new laws, policies, and regulations, which enables the executive to effectively execute their mandate,” said the governor.
By Mutai Kipngetich
