The Treasury and Economic Planning, Cabinet Secretary (CS), John Mbadi, has launched a Sh287 million water project in Seme Sub-County.
Once completed, the Awach Water Project, a partnership between the National Treasury’s Department of Financing Locally Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) and the County government of Kisumu, will benefit over 100,000 people.
The CS said the project aims to provide a reliable water supply to the area, addressing long-standing challenges of water scarcity.
Speaking on Saturday during the launch, Mbadi emphasized the importance of the initiative in improving the livelihoods of locals, lauding the partnership between the national government and the county government of Kisumu in implementing the project.
He asked the contractor to stick to the 15-month’ timeline to deliver the project to address the long-standing water problem in the area.
“We want to see value for money. Therefore, the contractor has only 15 months to complete and hand over this project. We are not going to entertain any delays or variations,” he said.
Delays and variations in completion of projects, he added, have cost the taxpayer billions of shillings, adding that any contractor using the tactics to steal public funds risks being blacklisted.
Mbadi called on Kenyans to support the administration of President Dr. William Ruto, saying his commitment to developing the country was unwavering.
The president, he added, has rolled out a number of initiatives which have placed the country’s economy back on a growth trajectory.
He highlighted the strengthening of the Kenyan shilling, which has shown resilience against external pressures, as a key economic success.
“The US dollar was exchanging at Sh160 early this year, but this has since dropped to Sh129, which is a significant improvement,” he said.
He also pointed out the reduction in the budget deficit to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio, which has improved the country’s fiscal health.
Mbadi further noted that the interest on the 91-day Treasury bills, which was at 17.5 per cent in 2022, has dropped to below 10 per cent, reflecting effective fiscal management and a stable macroeconomic environment.
He emphasised that the achievements were part of the government’s broader efforts to stabilise and grow the economy while ensuring that resources are efficiently allocated to national development projects.
Speaking during the same occasion, Seme Member of Parliament (MP) James Nyikal said the positive indicators coming after the establishment of a broad-based government were encouraging.
“Our ODM colleagues are doing an excellent job. Their involvement in government has been a great asset, and we are seeing the results in tangible projects that directly improve the lives of our people. We can only ask for more,” Nyikal said.
By Chris Mahandara
