Nairobi: Principal Secretary for ASALs and Regional Development Dr. Caroline Karugu Kiragu has intensified efforts to fast-track the completion of Coast Development Authority (CDA) projects in Kilifi County. The PS emphasized the urgency of completing major health and road infrastructure works under the Malindi Integrated Social and Health Development Programme Phase II (MISHDP II), including the Mjanaheri-Ngomeni Road, which was launched by President William Ruto in May this year.
According to Kenya News Agency, the government is committed to ensuring that public investments are completed within stipulated timelines to enhance service delivery and improve livelihoods. Speaking during the Seventh National Programme Steering Committee meeting for MISHDP II, Karugu noted that while significant progress had been made, focus must now shift to completing the remaining works through enhanced coordination among implementing agencies, development partners, and government institutions. “While we celebrate these achievements, we must remain focused on addressing the outstanding challenges that could affect the timely implementation and completion of the programme,” she said.
The programme, jointly funded by the Governments of Kenya and Italy, has become one of the flagship development initiatives in the Coast region. It supports investments in healthcare, education, transport infrastructure, and social development. The projects are being implemented by the Coast Development Authority (CDA), whose Acting Managing Director Mwanasiti Bendera stated that the programme has entered its final implementation phase, with only two major components remaining before completion next year.
Bendera highlighted that the Sh594 million Mjanaheri-Ngomeni Road project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed by December 2026. “The programme is now in its final phase. As we enter the new financial year, our focus is on completing the ongoing road project and operationalising the new intensive care facilities at Malindi Sub-County Hospital,” she said. She further added that CDA will equip the newly constructed 80-bed Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and High Dependency Unit (HDU) block at Malindi Sub-County Hospital, which will include four ICU beds expected to be fully operational in the next phase of implementation.
According to updates from the Coast Development Authority, most of the programme’s education, health, and institutional development projects have already been completed and handed over to beneficiaries. These include the construction and equipping of classrooms in schools across Malindi and Magarini sub-counties, renovation of health facilities, and capacity-building programmes targeting teachers, parents, students, and local communities.
With only the Mjanaheri-Ngomeni Road and the operationalisation of the ICU and HDU at Malindi Sub-County Hospital remaining, officials expressed confidence that the programme’s completion will significantly improve access to healthcare and transport infrastructure in Kilifi County.
