In an effort to engage area residents in her development agenda, Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has initiated a citizen’s engagement forum dubbed City Governor’s Neighbourhood Engagement Initiative.
The initiative aims to gather the views of residents on priority projects within their wards and their concerns on urban development and decision making processes.
City Manager Mr Gitau Thabanja who launched the initiative on behalf of the Governor, engaged residents of Rhonda Ward to gather their input on their priority projects.
The discussions highlighted several key areas for prioritization, including the need for a modern market, tarmacking of a 3 km road, addressing blocked drains, provision of Jua Kali sheds and installation of street lights among other issues.
Thabanja told the residents that the County government was committed to building partnerships with its residents to ensure that planned projects were aligned to the critical needs of residents.
Thabanja told the residents that the management is devising a schedule to engage all city wards, as their input would be crucial during budgeting and decision-making phases. This approach aligns with H.E Governor Susan Kihika’s vision for the City.
Since its establishment in 2019, the Nakuru City Board has adopted an open governance and management system where regular reports are made to various interest groups on the performance of the board and opinion is sought on ways to improve service delivery.
Some of the catalytic projects that Nakuru has embarked upon since its elevation include redesigning public transport routes and construction of non-motorised transport (NMT) corridors on Kenyatta Avenue, the city’s main road.
Through these and other ongoing initiatives, Nakuru hopes to capture more public views on how the city should be developed.
Nakuru leadership is geared towards making the city a model city for other cities and towns that are struggling to deliver services to residents.
Thabanja indicated the board’s intention to play a proactive role in identifying catalytic projects that will be instrumental in carrying forward the city’s vision.
Area MCA John Macharia emphasized the importance of these engagements in building trust and collaboration between the County Government, City Management and residents. He expressed gratitude to Governor Kihika for her commitment to this cause.
By Jane Ngugi
