We'll fix challenges holding Wajir back, Abdullahi promises

Wajir Governor Ahmed Abdullahi has promised to fix the challenges facing the county blaming them on poor governance.

Abdullahi said the county was grappling with a struggling healthcare system, lack of water, poor sanitation and pending bills among other challenges.

“To achieve the service delivery we have set in five years, we must take bold and at times unpopular decisions. We must fix our financial management and human resources management,” he said.

“We have clear choices to make, either to continue with this business of impunity as usual or to remedy the situation and get the county back on track. We must choose to save the county for posterity.”

The governor spoke Wednesday when he addressed MCAs during the inaugural session of the third assembly.

Abdullahi regretted that Wajir comes third in pending bills and there are no corresponding resources in the county revenue account inherited from the other government.

He said unremitted statutory deductions account for over a billion shillings.

The county’s payroll costs also account for over 40 per cent of the budget against the statutory limit of 35 per cent.

Wajir has no permanent lakes and rivers and depends almost entirely on boreholes and water pans.

However, they constantly break down something that has been blamed on management and the governance challenges that the Wajir Water Sewerage Company faces.

The governor said his administration will find a permanent solution to water problems saying, the four miles radius of the county headquarters remains a major developmental objective for this administration.

He said he was already in discussions with their development partners, notably the World Bank on how to salvage the Wajir water and sanitation project.

The governor also promised to fully equip the 45 health facilities spread across the county, which were constructed but never equipped something he said will ease service delivery.

He promised to upgrade the Wajir Level 4 Hospital to Level 5 in the shortest period. 

On the current drought, the governor said his administration will work closely with the national government and development partners, to address the challenges people were currently facing to find short and long-term solutions.

“Amidst these challenges of empty coffers, unreasonable and unverifiable pending bills the county faces a severe drought. Development can wait, saving lives cannot,” he said.

“Using our county budget, we will continue to truck water to those in distress, and purchase food rations for families in need.”

He urged the MCAs to walk with him to restore hope to the residents, as they carry out their legislation, representation and oversight roles.

The governor said his campaign ticket was given a chance on the promise of restoring hope.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris