Laikipia has unveiled its third-generation County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) for the year 2023–2027, aimed at seamless service delivery to residents.
Area Governor Joshua Irungu, speaking in Rumuruti, said the five-year’s compressive plan, with a budget of Sh120 billion, was anchored in the five pillars of Governance, Resources, People, Competitiveness and Harmony.
“The five-year CIDP is compressive and addresses all the issues raised by residents and partners, since we traversed the entire county collecting views on how they would wish to be governed,” he revealed.
Irungu noted that to successfully achieve the plan, the resources would be raised from the county’s own source revenue, the equitable share, conditional grants, and partnerships with the national government, the private sector, and donors.
They said that the ambitious CIDP plan would prioritise the provision of clean water, health services, roads, agriculture, and employment opportunities through the ongoing industrial park and special economic zones.
“In 2027, there should be no resident walking more than a kilometre to search for water, and we have a plan to achieve that pledge, and health is also top on our agenda. We are committed to transforming the health sector,” Irungu pledged.
He noted that the plan seeks to make Laikipia a transformative county, delivering exceptional service and unmatched socio-economic development.
At the same time, the governor officially opened the Laikipia County headquarter offices in Rumuruti, where residents and local leaders applauded the move by noting it would bring services closer to people.
Laikipia County Commissioner (CC) Joseph Kanyiri said that they had sensitised residents on the need to give their views on the CIDP, aimed at making it a people-centric plan.
He revealed that plans were also underway to move national government county offices to Rumuruti to spur economic growth in the area.
He further put cattle rustlers on notice that the government was on alert and they would be arrested.
At the same time, the CC called on residents in possession of illegal firearms to surrender to the authorities or risk force disarmament.
By Muturi Mwangi
