A board unveiled last year to oversee the transformation of Busia town has been sworn in.
The members of the Busia Municipality Board will manage the sprucing up of the border town supported by an annual Sh100 million World Bank fund for the next five years.
The board will also ensure during its tenure that owners of buildings in Busia town repaint their investments in a bid to beautify the town.
The members sworn in include lawyer Wangalwa Oundo, who is the chairman, Maurice Odundo (Chief Officer, Lands), Peter Omeri, Chris Nambanga and Kenneth Nabulindo (Municipality Manager).
Governor Sospeter Ojaamong oversaw the board’s swearing-in ceremony presided over by Busia Senior Principal Magistrate Patrick Olengu on Friday last week.
“Let us have viable plans for the county to help solve problems afflicting the town residents. The town’s drainage system is the oldest and yet it has not been changed. The sewerage system has not been designed for a long time, thus the need for its overhaul and have one that can last over 500 years,” the county chief said.
“Work as a team for the good of the people of the county and address challenges facing residents of the municipality including garbage and drainage.”
Social media has continuously been awash with pictures of a potholed and dirty town with majority complainants blaming Ojaamong for doing little to beautify the town that hosts one of Kenya’s entry and exit points to East and Central Africa.
But the former two-term Amagoro MP said with the constitution of the team, residents now know where to channel their grievances with regard to Busia town’s cleanliness status.
On January 28, the governor directed Lands and Housing executive Grephas Opata and chief officer Maurice Odundo to utilise the available resources to change the status of the town, which residents have continuously said is neglected.
“We must just work. There is no shortcut. The department should not be taking two years to pay cleaners’ wages until they dump garbage on the streets,” he said.
Busia is the largest town in the county with a population of more than 50,000 people.
Meanwhile, Ojaamong has promised to institute disciplinary measures to discourage county employees from reporting to work late.
“This Morning (Friday) I did visit a number of county offices unannounced, what I found out is that most county officers do not come early as expected of them. I will soon announce a raft of measures to mitigate absenteeism and lateness in various work stations. I want a working government with officers delivering their mandate to the electorates,” he said after the surprise tour of departments.
