Nakuru MCAs poke holes in 2020/2021 development report

Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja speaks at Nakuru County Assembly on August 10, 2019. PHOTO | FRANCIS MUREITHI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In his report, Mr Karuri had told the House that beautification of urban area spaces was implemented in Nakuru and Naivasha.

  • At the same time, Mr Karuri said the county had installed free Wi-Fi in Naivasha, Kabazi, Rongai and Gilgil.

Nakuru MCAs have poked holes in the Annual Development Plan status report for 2020/2021 claiming it has been doctored by the executive.

The chairperson of Budget and Appropriation Committee, Joel Karuri Maina had a hectic time trying to convince the House to adopt the report. The MCAs were angered by the slow pace of development projects in the 55 wards. They claimed that  most of the projects had stalled.

PREVIOUS DOCUMENT

During the debate on Thursday, Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja said it was a pity that the document was a photocopy of a previous document.

“During the year under review, it is shocking that the office of the governor and his deputy held only eight Cabinet meetings. The office of the governor purchased two courtesy buses but it is not indicated when they were bought,” said Mr Karanja.

He claimed that there were discrepancies in the report which indicated that 10 executives and nine chief officers were in office during the year under review.

“We neither have 10 executives nor nine chief officers as the report indicates, yet we are told they were trained in performance contracting,” said Mr Karanja.

In his report, Mr Karuri had told the House that beautification of urban area spaces was implemented in Nakuru and Naivasha.

BEAUTIFICATION

 “The so called beautification in Naivasha has never been done as the report indicates,” said Mr Karanja.

In his report Mr Karuri also said that during the Annual Development Plan for period 2018 / 2019, two Information Communication Technology (ICT) hubs had been established in Kuresoi South and Subukia sub-counties.

He said at least 500 youth had been trained on how to access online jobs and e-government services.

At the same time, Mr Karuri said the county had installed free Wi-Fi in Naivasha, Kabazi, Rongai and Gilgil.

However, Mr Karanja disputed the report saying it was the same document read in the House in the last financial year.

He added: “When was the Wi-Fi installed in Naivasha? I note with a lot of concern that the executive has misled Mr Karuri to present an erroneous document that is full of anomalies.”

MISLEADING REPORT

Lanet /Umoja MCA Josephat Waweru also contested the report saying it was misleading the House.

“I am the vice-chairperson of ICT committee and the free Wi-Fi at Naivasha, Gilgil, Kabazi market and Rongai polytechnic do not exist. Give us the right document and we shall pass it,” said Mr Waweru.

The vice chairperson of committee on Agriculture Wilson Mwangi disputed the report which indicated that the Agriculture directorate had achieved a 50 per cent success rate in aquaculture development.

“There were plans to buy land to start a fish processing in Naivasha but that has not been done and I am worried where this success rate in aquaculture is coming from yet we see youth selling fish along the Naivasha – Nairobi highway,” said Mr Mwangi.

Mr Mwangi said there was no value addition of produce as the report indicates.

FOOT AND MOUTH DISEASE

“Last year, we had a serious foot and mouth disease yet the report paints a rosy picture in the livestock subsector,” said the Menengai East MCA.

Lake View MCA Karanja Mburu, who is also a member of the Budget committee, faulted the MCAs for failing to scrutinise the document before poking holes on it.

“The role of Budget of Committee is not to go to the ground to confirm whether the projects have been implemented or not. That is the work of the ward reps,” said Mr Mburu.

Morendat MCA Peter Njoroge Maina and his Maiela counterpart Kamanu Gathariki praised the report and urged the House to adopt it.

ANOMALIES

Responding to the anomalies, Mr Karuri said the document was supposed to look in the past, present and the future.

He observed that there were many value addition projects in the ward in the dairy sector that farmers were enjoying.

He denied claims that no Wi-Fi had been installed in the selected areas in the county.

He said that the county will require about Sh20 billion to realise its development priorities in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

However, he said this is a tall order as it is against an estimated revenue projection of approximately Sh17 billion.