•The port is meant to foster Kenya-Uganda relations.
•President Kenyatta offered the land to Uganda during President Museveni's visit to Mombasa a fortnight ago.
Governor Sospeter Ojaamong has asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to let Uganda build a dry port in Busia instead of Naivasha.
Ojaamong said Busia was ideal to host the dry port due to its proximity to Uganda, Rwanda and Southern Sudan.
He urged President Kenyatta to withdraw the offer he made during Uganda President Yoweri Museveni’s visit to Mombasa two weeks ago.
Kenyatta had said the land offer is meant to foster Kenya-Uganda relations.
The dry port, according to Museveni, will act as a base for Uganda's cargo that ends up at Mombasa for export.
“We have enough land to have the dry port constructed here; building the port in Naivasha will not help but will hurt the economy of Busia,” the governor said.
He said his 53 MCAs have agreed to improve revenue collection which has been on the decline since the 2013-2014 financial year.
“We want to give villages, wards and subcounties the authority to supervise and collect revenue as we embark on meeting the target of Sh452 million for the financial year 2018-2019.”
The governor disclosed that the World Bank has provided Sh47 million for capacity building and public participation.
He lamented the poor absorption rate for development projects in the county. It is a paltry nine per cent. He said that future contracts will be handled by contractors who have the financial resources to execute them before asking for down payment.
Ojaamong said ward projects will henceforth be those which affect residents directly like provision of safe and clean water, roads and affordable healthcare.
Edited by Rosemary Wamochie