Nairobi: The National Government has invested more than Sh57 billion in various development projects in Makueni County, Eastern Regional Commissioner Jacob Ouma Muganda has said. Muganda spoke while addressing the media in Wote town, Makueni Sub-County, where he began a tour to inspect various government programmes being implemented across the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, the projects include affordable housing, modern markets, and road construction. Muganda’s inspection sought to establish whether they were being implemented within the specified timelines. Among the projects are the Wote Affordable Housing project, valued at Sh2 billion; stalled civil servants’ housing, Sh556 million; Makindu Affordable Housing, Sh2.1 billion; and modern markets in Wote and Makindu, valued at Sh347 million and more than Sh119 million, respectively.
Other projects include the construction of Thwake Multipurpose Dam at more than Sh42 billion, tarmacking of Emali-Ukia Road at Sh2.1 billion, and Itangini-Tawa Road at Sh2.4 billion. The Government is also constructing hostels at Wote Technical Training Institute (WTTI) at a cost of more than Sh143 million and at Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC), Makindu, at Sh220 million. A further Sh2.7 billion has been allocated to connect households in the county to electricity.
Muganda stated that the exercise was intended to ensure that public funds were properly utilised and projects delivered to residents as planned. ‘We have come here in Makueni County to establish whether the various projects being undertaken by contractors are being implemented within the specified time. These projects are supposed to be completed early next year to pave the way for President William Ruto to come and commission them,’ he said while addressing the media at the Wote Affordable Housing project, which is more than 55 per cent complete.
He noted that more than 500 people had already expressed interest in purchasing the houses, adding that the project would benefit residents. The Regional Commissioner urged contractors to work day and night and increase their workforce to ensure the projects are completed within the timelines specified in their contracts.
During the inspection tour, Muganda dismissed claims by some politicians that the Government was doing nothing in the county, saying leaders should tell the truth instead of misleading residents. He inspected ongoing projects at the Wote and Makindu Affordable Housing sites, hostels at KMTC Makindu and WTTI, Emali-Ukia Road in Nzaui Sub-County, and Mikiyu Bridge in Mukaa Sub-County.
Muganda was accompanied by Eastern Region security officials, Eastern Region Presidential Delivery Unit (PDU) officials Duncan Mwariri and his Lower Eastern counterpart Loice Shuma, Makueni County Commissioner Khalif Abdullahi, members of his security team, and other national government departmental heads.
