•Nyong’o in his manifesto ‘dubbed building the future on the foundation we have laid’ pledged to revitalise agriculture for food security and agribusiness.
•He will revamp rice production, processing and marketing if elected for a second term.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
Kisumu governor Anyang Nyong’o has launched a manifesto with agriculture and health and sanitation top on his development agenda as he seeks re-election.
Nyong’o in his manifesto ‘dubbed building the future on the foundation we have laid’ pledged to revitalise agriculture for food security and agribusiness.
He plans to provide resources to put more land under production in Nyando, Kisumu East, Muhoroni, Nyakach, Kisumu West and Seme sub-counties.
Nyong'o will face former governor Jack Ranguma of MDG party who seeks to recapture the seat.
While launching his manifesto at Citam Church on Thursday, Nyong’o said he will revamp rice production, processing and marketing if elected for a second term.
Present were deputy governor Mathews Owili, Nyong’o’s wife Dorothy, speaker Elisha Oraro and a host of county executive members and Kisumu Central ODM candidate Joshua Oron.
He said his administration will focus on building the future by consolidating the gains made and initiating new programs and projects.
“My government will install a rice mill with the capacity to mill, grade and package rice in Ahero, Nyando sub-county,” he said.
He promised to also invest in horticulture and floriculture in Nyamthoe, Mboha Valley and Kano plains.
“We want to build farmers’ capacity by providing farm inputs such as seeds, equipment, fertilizer, credit and technical advice,” Nyong’o said.
He also committed to enhancing the capacity of the Agricultural Call Centre to support the farmers with the right information on the right farming science.
Nyong’o said he will finalise the partnership with United Greens (UK) for production and value-addition in the cotton and rice value-chains in a mega project.
Already, he said they have agreed upon and signed between the county government of Kisumu and United Greens.
Nyong’o will also accelerate the growth of the dairy industry by operationalising the Sh 132 million Kisumu dairy development centre (KDDC) at Nyangore in the Muhoroni sub-county.
He looks towards the importation of 488 quality high yielding animals and enhanced artificial insemination.
Nyong’o pledged to harness fish production initiatives and catalyze private investment in cage fish production by ensuring the sustainability of the 2,315 earthen ponds with an investment of Sh 260 million.
Image: MAURICE ALAL
This, he said, will be in addition to the three tonnes fish cooling facility at Jubilee fish market for fish aggregation and storage.
Apart from fish, he said they will support the growth of 150 women and youth groups that have been provided with grants worth Sh 75 million and entrepreneurial skills to boost the annual chicken production.
Nyong’o outlined his achievements in the first term on health, roads, agriculture and education, especially ECD amongst others which he said speaks volumes.
On health, he assured residents that they will ensure a healthy population living in a clean environment.
Nyong’o noted that he will optimise community health services by introducing performance-based incentives to community health workers and establishing programmes to address rising cases of non-communicable diseases in the county.
“My administration will strengthen primary healthcare by establishing primary care networks and creating multidisciplinary family health teams in all sub-counties following the successful pilot in Nyando sub-county,” he said.
He will further decentralise medical services by improving seven sub-county hospitals to receive referrals from lower-level facilities as well as increase health insurance coverage for the population in Kisumu to above 70 per cent.
Nyong’o targets to regularise all the outstanding human resource gaps including confirmation of contracted health workers, adding that no county health worker will be engaged on a term contract of less than three years.
He also wants to increase access to adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene in households, increasing households with improved latrines from the current 25 per cent to 70 per cent.
Nyong’o promised to complete Kisumu Comprehensive Cancer Centre at JOOTRH and finalise autonomisation of JOOTRH to a semi-autonomous level 6 hospital.
He said he will upgrade Kisumu county's referral hospital to a modern level 5 hospital.
He will actualise the construction of the pharmaceutical industry as per the agreement signed between the county government, MedAditus from the USA and Great Lakes University to produce pharmaceutical commodities locally while training the human resource at Great Lakes University. Build modern physical infrastructure
On roads, Nyong’o said he will complete the 15.2 Kilometres Namba Kapiyo – Assat beach tarmac road in Seme Sub-county.
He will also open and maintain 200 kilometres of roads in the rural areas using the Kisumu county roads maintenance teams, and maintain 210 Kilometres of road network in the rural areas.
“We will use the machine-based Road construction program to improve the infrastructure across the county. Want to improve the 10km Kadinda – Soko road in Nyakach using the Claycrete roads technology,” Nyong’o said.
He has earmarked to improve Rabuor – Nyande road in Nyando Sub-county using the claycrete technology and Ahero Ombaka road in Nyando to bitumen standards.
To restore sanity and order in the transport sector, he plans to digitally register all the bodaboda operators within the county.
Nyong’o also pledged to invest in water, environment and education by promoting skills development and innovation.