Western kenya: The Government is committed to completing the ongoing key infrastructural development projects in Western Kenya. Western Regional Commissioner, Macharia Irungu, reported steady progress in a number of flagship projects being undertaken in the region, including roads, housing, agricultural enhancement, and last mile connectivity, among other programmes.
According to Kenya News Agency, Irungu led a three-day multi-agency team drawn from the Executive Office of the President (EOP), Government Delivery Unit (GDU), and technical officers from various implementing agencies across Kakamega, Vihiga, Busia, and Bungoma counties. The purpose of the verification visits was to address challenges facing some of the projects.
In Busia, the team toured projects such as the County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Nasewa in Matayos sub-county. The project, with a budget of 500 million shillings, is 85 percent complete and includes godowns, cold storage facilities and value addition units. They also visited the Nasewa Export Processing Zone (EPZ), which is 80 percent complete and focuses on textile, edible oil, and agricultural value addition, aiming to create thousands of jobs.
The government is also implementing a 2,000-unit affordable housing program at Nasewa and constructing student hostels at Alupe University, among other housing projects in the county. In Vihiga County, infrastructure upgrades are underway with the construction of several multi-storey markets, including Mbale and Luanda, costing 350 million and 365 million shillings, respectively.
In Sabatia constituency, the team toured the Sabatia Technical and Vocational College (TVC), where a new 340-bed hostel is being built, and the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) at Mbihi. In Bungoma County, the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) is nearing completion, with the remaining work expected to be completed in the next two months.
The Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation (REREC) is implementing multiple rural electrification projects across all constituencies in the county. Under this financial year, the county has received a total of 296 million shillings for the program, connecting 3,051 families in Sirisia.
During the verification visit, the team visited 25 ongoing projects, with the regional commissioner urging lead agencies to adhere to agreed timelines to ensure successful project completion. The GDU regional lead, Onguso Ochiengo, emphasized a whole-government approach to ensure all projects are implemented for timely delivery to support the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA).
