Ruto pledges over Sh3 billion projects after Siaya leaders meet

President William Ruto has announced that the government will invest Sh1 billion to develop blue economy infrastrucutre in Siaya county.

The infrastructure includes Usenge Pier and attendant port facilities at Sh600 million and a fish market at Sh400 million.

He said the government will build 16 markets in the county at a cost of Sh2.5 billion, while Sh1.6 billion has been set aside for the last-mile electricity programme to connect 16,000 households.

The President spoke when he hosted leaders and businesspeople from Siaya county at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday.

"We are looking for another Sh500 million to enable us to connect another 5,000 households to electricity," Ruto said.

In agriculture, Siaya, among other counties, would benefit from the government's revival programme of cotton farming, a sector that holds great potential to create thousands of jobs and incomes for farmers.

"We export $500 million (Sh65 billion) worth of textile products to the US annually, but we import most of the textiles used to make the garments. This must change," he said.

The President said the African Export-Import Bank (Afriexim) would inject an initial Sh20 billion to revive the cotton industry.

Ruto said a strategic private investor had been identified to revive operations at the Eldoret-based Rivatex East Africa Ltd.

On the expansion of Odera Akang'o University, President Ruto said

The government will also acquire more land for the institution of the Odera Akang'o University and also complete stalled infrastructure projects at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.

Ruto expressed gratitude to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with him in the broad-based government.

"Whenever we have found ourselves at a crossroads as a country, Baba, being the great statesman that he is, has always taken bold decisions in the best interest of this nation," the President said.

"Our transformative programmes, including the leasing of public sugar factories to make them profitable, would not have been possible without the broad-based government," he said.

Also present were Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, MPs, MCAs, clergy and other leaders.