CS Fred Matiang’i, the new development czar, has held his first major meeting in Nyanza, which has complained of being sidelined by the state.
The region’s leaders called for reviving Kisumu port and rejuvenating the collapsed sugar sector and the cotton and fish industries.
In the Monday meeting, they urged swift removal of water hyacinth clogging Lake Victoria and pushed for updates on extension of the standard gauge railway to the port. The aim is reviving the Lake region’s economy in agriculture, transport, water supply and trade.
The legislators asked the government to speed up payment of cane farmers.
Matiang’i, the Interior CS, tweeted afterward, “With colleagues from other ministries, we engaged legislators from Nyanza on implementation of national projects and programmes in the region as directed by H.E. President UKenyatta following his recent tour.”
Awendo MP Walter Owino said these meetings, and their outcome, will help position Nyanza, specifically Kisumu, as the trading hub of the East Africa Community.
“There has been slumber for a long time. Our party leader [ODM chief Raila Odinga] asked us to shelve politics for now and concentrate on development,” Owino said. He has laid the groundwork for a Kenya Medical Training College and a rural electrification project.
The meeting followed up the leaders’ meeting in Kisumu with Uhuru Kenyatta in December last year.
In attendance were Cabinet Secretaries Mwangi Kiunjuri (Agriculture), Simon Chelugui (Water), Joe Mucheru (ICT), and James Macharia (Transport).
Legislators present included MPs John Mbadi (Suba South), James Nyikal (Seme), Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Gladys Wanga (Homa Bay) and Senators Rose Nyamunga (nominated), Ochillo Ayacko (Migori), Sam Atandi (Alego Usonga) and Anthony Oluoch (Mathare).
Completing the Sh20 billion Koru-Soin dam will be prioritised, sources told the Star. The implementation timeline is yet to be drawn up.
“We agreed to come up with a master plan to revitalise the sugar, cotton, and fish industries,” a participant told the Star on the phone yesterday.
Nyanza, a perceived opposition tronghold, has not had a fair share of development from the national government, especially during Uhuru’s first term. ODM leader Raila Odinga complained of marginalisation during his campaign for president in 2017.
However, the situation s changed after the two leaders’ March 9, 2018, truce. They promised to spur development countrywide.
During their tour of the port on January 19, Raila and Uhuru urged leaders to speed up implementation of development projects. The tour followed the Kenya Ports Authority resumption of work to revive the facility.
State agencies will be involved in implementation. “We urge residents to keep watching. Not all that we are planning can be revealed now. This time, there will be more than just talk,” another legislator told the Star.
President Kenyatta last week elevated the tough, results-oriented Matiang’i to be a ‘super minister’. He will oversight development countrywide.The focus is Uhuru’s Big Four development agenda.
Deputy President William Ruto had been travelling around the country campaigning and commissioning development projects.