Kirinyaga County Governor Anne Waiguru has said that her administration is on course in delivering election campaign pledges as her major flagship projects are almost complete.
Speaking after chairing the county executive meeting on Tuesday, governor Waiguru said that her administration is committed to delivering the pledges she made before elections.
She said that among the issues discussed, was the county’s development financing options that would ensure that all the major projects were completed.
The sentiments echo her address at St. Thomas ACK Church, Kerugoya, where she enumerated some of the life-changing projects that her government has implemented within the three years that she has been in office.
Waiguru said that the transformational development projects that have been implemented at Kerugoya, which is considered as the major town of Kirinyaga County, are geared towards raising its economic and social standards.
She said one of the flagship projects includes the upgrading of Kerugoya County Hospital from a Level Four to a Level five. This, she said, is about to be achieved through construction of a five storey modern medical complex, expected to be complete by July this year.
The governor said that upon completion, the hospital will have a fully equipped ICU and a HDU with a capacity of at least 15 beds, among other amenities available in any high-end medical facility.
“This will enable us to offer the required medical services to our residents and we will no longer have to refer them to neighbouring counties such as Embu and Nyeri.
In the County’s development blueprint that is dubbed the “The Mountain Cities”, Kirinyaga Central Constituency in which Kerugoya hospital lies, has been captured as the county’s ‘Wellness City’ in which residents can access the highest level of medical care services.
Governor Waiguru also thanked President Uhuru Kenyatta and the National Government for the support given to the county’s health sector. She said that the money given for Covid-19 management has accelerated the completion of the medical complex in which one wing will be set aside as an isolation centre.
“Instead of putting up temporary isolation centres such as tents, we decided to invest in a more comprehensive and sustainable arrangement, that includes equipping the new upcoming hospital. We already have 300 beds and ventilator machines ready for the complex,” said the governor, adding that the hospital will be a game changer in the level of medical services offered in the county.
She added that the complex will also have a special mother’s unit which will enhance mother and childcare services.
The governor also said that the ongoing facelift projects witnessed in Kerugoya Town which include construction of modern car parks, pedestrian walkways and cabro paving of town’s streets and beautification projects were meant to provide a conducive environment to the town residents and traders and attract investors as well.
At the same time, the governor said that through ‘Wezesha Kirinyaga’ economic empowerment program, her government is working towards improved livelihoods among residents by way of increasing their agricultural productivity.
To achieve that, Sh. 300 million has been set aside that will go into construction of value addition factories which include an avocado pack house and a tomato processing factory.
The tomato factory, she said, will cushion farmers from losses incurred whenever there is a glut, adding that Kirinyaga is the leading tomato producer with an annual production of about 50,000 tons.
She added that the pack house will enable avocado farmers to process their fruit for the export market, further reiterating her administration’s commitment in implementing equitable development in all the regions in the county.
by Irungu Mwangi
