Ojaamong outlines plan to use Sh553m World Bank grant

Busia County will spend Sh300 million on health, from the Sh553 million grant it received from the World Bank.

The scheme is part of the Kenya Devolution Support Programme. Governor Sospeter Ojaamong said the rest of the money will go to agriculture.

“The completion of the modern intensive care and emergency unit centre by February next year will be a big step towards elevating the status of the referral hospital from level four to five,” Governor Ojaamong told the Nation.

"The costs incurred by residents in emergency evacuation will reduce drastically while deaths arising from delayed specialised treatment will also go down."

AGRICULTURE

He added that Sh253 million would go towards mechanisation of agriculture in various parts of the county.

According to Mr Ojaamong, buying walking tractors would create employment and make farming more attractive, especially to young people.

“We want to improve farming, especially through the purchase of walking tractors. If bought through the Agricultural Finance Corporation, the price of a unit drops to Sh75,000, from Sh200,000,” the governor said.

The county government won the grant after being ranked high by the World Bank in services and prudent management of public funds.

It was top after meeting five key result areas.

They are public finance management, planning, monitoring and evaluation, human resource and performance management, civic education and public participation and environmental and social safeguards.

REQUIREMENTS

The money was part of the Sh1.9 billion performance-based conditional grant distributed to 13 counties under the Kenya Devolution Support Programme.

The launch of the Level II disbursement of the money was in Nairobi last Wednesday.

The event was presided over by Devolution Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa and Council of Governors' deputy chairperson Anne Waiguru, the Kirinyaga County boss.

All 47 counties qualified in the Level one disbursement and received Sh2.1 billion for various projects.

County governments only get the funds after meeting the targets set by the World Bank.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT

After getting the money, the devolved governments are expected to improve their human resource and performance management, intergovernmental relations as well as civic education and public participation.

Other top beneficiaries include Nyandarua County (Sh282 million), Kiambu (Sh238 million), Baringo (Sh173 million), Makueni (Sh168 million), Kisii (Sh126 million), Laikipia (Sh111 million) and Siaya (Sh103 million).

Garissa County received (Sh11 million), Kajiado (Sh18 million), Kirinyaga (Sh74 million) and Narok (Sh81 million).

The programme is aimed at helping county governments improve their ability to plan and monitor services and strengthen their public financial management systems.