Governor's State of the County Address.

ADDRESS BY H.E. WILLIAM KABOGO,
GOVERNOR, KIAMBU COUNTY
AT A SPECIAL SITTING OF THE KIAMBU COUNTY ASSEMBLY
JUNE 18
TH
2014.

THE SPEAKER OF THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY,
THE CLERK TO THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY,
HONOURABLE MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY,
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS,
ALL PROTOCOLS OBSERVED

I am honoured to stand with you today and address you at this special sitting of the
Kiambu County Assembly. This sitting provides an opportunity for me to share
with you the implementation status of the County’s policies and plans as well as
highlight our challenges and most importantly, our key success stories of which
there are many.

We have accomplished a lot in this first financial year and we should be very proud
of ourselves as the County Government of Kiambu. However, there remains a
staggering amount of work that lies ahead of us, but I am also conscious of the fact
that we have amongst us, a very capable Assembly serving the people of Kiambu
County, and I am certain that we shall continue to deliver on our promises as we
defend the Constitution and fulfill our development strategy for the County as
mandated to us over a year ago now.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members: I envision a Kiambu where our women
stand side by side with their men folk, in the workplace and in business. A Kiambu
where the dark days are brightened again by electricity, and water flows freely
once more for drinking, cooking and cleaning. I see a Kiambu where farmers earn
a sustainable living and their households flourish because they grow enough to
feed themselves, their community and have more than enough to competitively
trade.

In this new era of devolution, our commitment to self-reliance and prosperity
cannot, and should not, be compromised. We must develop values of honesty and
hard work that will make this County, not only a great county, but the envy of our
counterparts in the Nation. Our new values must include a devotion to law and
order and respect for the rule of law, human rights and good governance. We as
leaders need to make a commitment to positively influence the lives and welfare of
our people for this is the sole reason we are here as elected representatives of the
people of Kiambu.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members: I have on several occasions emphasized the
need to promote a new culture that is consistent with the norms and values
espoused by a modern democracy. In my government, effective management and
discipline has begun to become the standard ways of doing business, underpinned
by an appetite for law enforcement. With this guiding sense of purpose to provide
effective leadership for Kiambu County, I shall now give a broad outline of the
performance and achievements of my Government.

ON THE COUNTY PUBLIC SERVICE

The County Public Service Board has been fully engaged this last year in the
process of recruiting at all levels of government, both from existing staff and new
resources not within the public service. We have finalised recruitments of chief
officers, sub county administrators as well as several directors within various
departments. Prior to this, we initiated a human resource audit, and are co-
operating with the Ministry of Devolution in the staff rationalization program to
ensure a lean and efficient workforce.

Particular attention was given to the recruitment of workers in the Health Sector, in
order that prompt and efficient health services are available to patients in the
community in all corners of the county. This exercise entailed identifying qualified
and registered Nursing Officers, Clinical Officers, Laboratory Technologists,
Pharmaceutical Technologists, Nutritionists, among others.

In consideration of the critical need for enhancing revenue collection for the
County, we have approved the engagement of 72 Revenue Collection and 39
Enforcement Officers selected from the National Youth Service through
interviews, to provide additional support to our current officers and inject new
blood into the sector.

We had commenced the process of recruiting staff for our ECD centres but this
process has been put on hold pending the finalisation of the court process initiated
by the Kenya National Union of Teachers and we hope that we will receive a
ruling in favour of the County Governments for the sake of our young ones.

We have also reached out to Persons Living with Disabilities by holding
interactive sessions with this segment of the population that has traditionally not
been actively included in the workforce. This outreach is to complement the
continuous sensitization of the community about their rights enshrined in the
Constitution and the National Disability Act, which obliges us to have 5% of our
workforce being representative of persons living with disabilities.

Further, we have managed to visit all sub-counties to advocate the provisions of
Article 10 and 232 of the Constitution. These sessions have been used to address
issues relating to integrity, accountability and efficiency, whilst espousing the
ethos of delivering instant quality service to the public. The Board has also used
these fora to motivate staff and to allay fears emanating from uncertainty of job
security. Action has further been taken to provide civic education on the tenets of
devolution and to preach zero tolerance on corruption.

In this regard, posters condemning the vice are in design stages to be mounted
prominently throughout the county, depicting Kiambu as a County that is free of
corruption. The County Executive member for Finance has also articulated
proposed measures to combat corruption within the County Government. We have
also had the occasion to sit with the ethics and anti-corruption commission to
assess various avenues for cooperation in combating this vice with our County
Public Service.

We are keen to provide the County, with an efficient and effective workforce that
contributes towards realizing the County's Vision to be the leading County in the
Nation. This is only possible through steering clear of all interference by individual
interests. This has further been enhanced by the Board's deliberate, and concerted
effort to cultivate, inculcate and maintain all round cordial relations with the
Executive, the staff members and the public, both within and outside the county.


FINANCE AND ECONOMIC PLANNING

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members: I now move on to our Economy,

This Assembly timeously reviewed and considered the Annual Budget Estimates
for the current fiscal year, which were submitted in accordance with the public
Finance Management Act. With your approval of these Estimates together with
the Appropriations Act, you set in place a framework for the necessary expenditure
needed for service delivery within the County. A first revision of the budget was
undertaken and approved in the month of December 2013. The second revision of
the budget has been submitted to the County Assembly, the purpose of which is to
align prioritized expenditure to available resources.

Honourable Members, as you are aware, the Budget process for the 2014/2015
financial year is on track, with the County Fiscal Strategy Paper having been
submitted to this Assembly at the end of February, 2014. The County Treasury also
submitted the Budget Estimates on 30
th
April 2014, and I am pleased to note that
consultative sessions have been ongoing between the Executive and the Assembly
on these. I also note, with satisfaction, the effort taken by the County Assembly
Budget & Appropriations Committee in conducting the public participation
forums, which you attended and worked hard at mobilizing members of the public
to come forward and share their feedback. I wish to thank the Honourable
Members of this assembly for your cooperation and hard work in ensuring that we
meet the strict timelines that have kept the budget process on course.

As we move to finalize the 2014/15 financial year budget, I wish to mention some
of the areas which are likely to pose some fiscal risks as we move forward. The
most important risks to be mitigated are those that threaten service delivery in key
sectors like water, health and roads. Other key risks include the impact of the high
wage bill as a result of inherited and devolved staff, the cost of restructuring and
right sizing of staff, funding shortfalls for County entities that largely depend on
the exchequer, pending bills arising from inherited liabilities, and the increasing
number of court cases.

The consolidated list of assets and liabilities inherited from the defunct Municipal
and town councils recently forwarded to you is currently being authenticated. The
final outcome will be communicated to you as soon as the process is complete. We
shall, nonetheless, work towards mitigating the above risks. Additionally, efforts
are being made to ensure we optimize our revenue collection measures and
enhance governance in public spending.

On the revenue side, the public participation process for the 2014/15 financial
year’s Finance Bill commenced on May 19
th
and ended on May 26
th
with
substantive input from residents, various stakeholders and interest groups. The
Finance Department is now consolidating the views of the County residents and
will soon present to you a proposal for your consideration.

Honourable Members: The planning framework is now in place since the County
Government successfully coordinated the development and submission of the
County Integrated Development Plan to this County Assembly for consideration
and approval. Your adoption of this important planning tool is set to keep to our
future budgeting process on track with the development needs of the People. The
County Budget Review and Outlook Paper was also developed in a timely manner
and submitted for approval in line with provisions of the Public Finance
Management Act.

Regarding the status of implementation of this year's budget, you will note that for
most part of the first half of the financial year, the County was only accessing half
of its allocations from the National Government, hence the lower than expected
absorption rates that have occasionally been the subject of discussion by the media.
Compared to other Counties, Kiambu County’s performance has indeed been
commendable considering that most of the other counties were already accessing
their full allocation from a much earlier period. The Department’s absorption has
since picked, the main challenge currently being the delayed release of funds by
the National Government.

Due to the high wage bill, the County inherited high historical costs with little
fiscal room for development spending, at least until we raise more revenues, or
downsize inherited costs through staff rationalization, an exercise that is currently
ongoing. The law places great emphasis on fiscal room for development spending
by providing that spending on recurrent cannot exceed 70 percent of the budget.
The actual fiscal room available to the County is an important determinant for the
county planning process and service delivery.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members: revenue collection has had numerous
challenges on account of the litigation relating to the Finance Act, 2013 that
commenced in November 2013 and the resultant Court ruling which is currently
before the Court of Appeal. In addition, the ongoing reforms and restructuring, and
the unclear unbundling of functions by the devolved staff, have posed a challenge
to revenue collection. The County Government is currently piloting an automated
receipting system that will make payments by citizens convenient and a relatively
trouble free process.

To address the existing gaps, the County Government is also investing more
through recruiting skilled staff that will help in revenue collection as well helping
in the detection and enforcement processes to rein in defaulters. It is important to
point out that the Department of Finance and Economic Planning is in the final
process of updating the valuation roll and the public will soon be invited to give
their views once the draft is ready, before tabling it to the County Assembly for
adoption.

The Kiambu County Government was the first to develop a policy on disaster
management and enact a law that saw the establishment of the "The Kiambu
County Emergency Fund". This essentially means that the County is well prepared
for unexpected and unforeseen emergencies that may arise, and require urgent
immediate action.

To enable you access affordable loans for the purchase of vehicles and homes, the
Finance Department finalized the necessary policy and legal framework for
establishing a loan facility to promote your welfare, in line with the Salaries &
Remuneration Commission’s recommendations. The loans will be accessed as
soon as you approve the Supplementary Budget which is the legislative authority
needed to make the expenditures, and these proposals, have already been submitted
to you, for your approval.



ON TRADE AND INDUSTRY:

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members

The Department of Trade, Industry, Tourism and Cooperatives, is a Department
which is mandated to facilitate the creation of a favourable environment for
investments. As part of its mandate, the department has developed Draft Bills for
the Department’s sectors, including, the Kiambu County Trade and Markets Bill,
the Kiambu County Cooperatives Bill and Kiambu County Tourism Bill. These
will soon be the subject of public comment and discourse prior to submission to
this Assembly.

We have identified markets such as Githunguri Market, Dagoretti Market, Gitaru
Market, and Muthure Market that are in dire need of renovation. Together with the
Department of Public Works, in we are currently preparing Plans and Bill of
Quantities to enable work to commence.

In order to ensure our public transport providers are adequately sheltered from the
vagaries of the weather, construction of Boda Boda Sheds is set to commence
shortly and the procurement process, costing and identification of sites is already in
progress.

To enhance the capacity of our local small businesses to improve their
performance and business acumen when engaging with the larger local and
international corporations, and several workshops have been hosted in the course
of this year with the assistance of various institutions including Japan International
Co-operation Agency.

One of their key projects that targets grass root economic development is the One
Village, One Product project which provides a successful platform incorporating
the informal artisans into the mainstream. Your commitment, as Members of the
County Assembly, in ensuring that the members of your Wards participate in these
initiatives will be necessary to ensure the successful replication of this initiative
across the County.

The Department has further, linked business development service providers such as
banks, within Kiambu County with Producer Business Groups. We have also
carried out inspection of several Cooperative Societies within the County to ensure
they are well managed and operated optimally. Auditing of Cooperative Societies
was undertaken with over Kshs1.5 million raised from the audit of these
Cooperative Societies within the County. The trade and industry department
witnessed the registration of 21 New Cooperative Societies, and a total of 14
Cooperative Societies, which had been become dormant or inactive, were revived.

Honourable Members: the “Kiambu County Business Agenda” was published
and launched in conjunction with the Kenya Association of Manufacturers last
month. This document provides a clear guide on business relations between the
County Government and the business community, and it is my hope that it will
form the basis for spurring investment and creation of new industries within our
County.

The process of mapping tourism sites, activities and amenities within the County is
about to commence. The objective is to create awareness of these sites for
attraction and marketing of the County’s tourist potential and to promote local
tourism activities within the County this in turn will enable residents of Kiambu
County, to earn income, create employment and develop the sites for both
domestic and foreign Tourism.

We have recently started the process of re-structuring the Kiambu Joint Trade
Development Loans Board and Thika Joint Trade Development Loans Boards by
involving stakeholders to provide their input on the draft Trade Development Joint
Loans Board proposal which, has been drafted by the Ministry of East African
Affairs, Commerce and Tourism together with the State Department of Trade.

The Department is recovering previously issued loans to entrepreneurs within
Kiambu County amounting to Kshs. 6 Million through the Kiambu Trade
Development Joint Loans Board and Thika Trade Joint Loans Board and receiving
new applications from 120 applicants. Records of all loan recipients are currently
being digitized.

Finally, in regard to Constituency Industrial Development Centres, this
government has, reviewed the existing development centres at Soko Mjinga
Market, Kwambira, Mariga Market, Murera, and Githongocho.

ON AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK AND FISHERIES

Honourable Members: I now turn to Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries.
Kiambu County’s strategy for reducing poverty and hunger has always placed a
great deal of importance on the agricultural sector, which is reflective of the fact
that majority of the population live in rural areas and the overwhelming percentage
of them depend upon agriculture as their primary source of income.

My Government has undertaken a comprehensive review of the strategy for the
agricultural sector in order to come up with a new agenda for agriculture and the
rural economy in general. Corrective action will be needed on several fronts
including increased public investment in irrigation, better management of existing
irrigation systems and of water resources in dry land areas, a strengthened
agricultural research system and more effective extension services. We also
envisage improvements in the production and distribution of certified seeds,
improvements in the credit delivery system, and innovative steps in marketing to
support the diversification of Agriculture in Kiambu.

We have identified specific sectors where there is need for farmer empowerment,
These areas include, greenhouse farming, macadamia and avocado grafting, fish
farming, honey production and bee keeping, tissue culture, banana production,
quail production and rabbit production.

Honourable Members: despite being the mainstay of our economy in this County,
agriculture in Kiambu faces challenges. These include diminishing agricultural
land sizes due to increased population pressure and real estate developments, high
costs and low quality agricultural inputs, inadequate organized marketing
structures for agricultural produce, as well as low value addition investment. There
is also a very negative attitude towards some enterprises, low technology transfer,
erratic and inadequate rainfall or irrigation, limited use of modern irrigation
technology, overreliance on rain fed agriculture and low adoption of modern
technology in the agricultural sector in general.

However, I am pleased to report that there are projects that are complete and others
on-going that will benefit families in the affected areas or improve agricultural
production in spite of these challenges. Some of these initiatives include the repair
of collapsed Githoito Muiri irrigation project, rehabilitation of cattle dips,
establishment of a slaughterhouse at Gatundu South and rehabilitation of the Thika
sub county abattoir. We have also effectively taken over aquaculture development
and trained several farmers on best practices in order to increase the County’s
yield. The construction of 60 green houses, one in each ward, is about commence
and we believe our farmers will greatly benefit from this initiative. These projects,
when complete, will be complemented by proposed projects, for the year
2014/2015 financial year, that seek to improve Agricultural production in the
County.

LAND, HOUSING AND PHYSICAL PLANNING

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members:

The Department of Land, Housing and Physical planning has deployed a planner
and a surveyor in every sub county office. Each of these offices now has the
relevant equipment, including desktop computers and printers to facilitate the work
process. We are also in the process of acquiring digital map printers, digital map
scanners, and a real time kinematic GPS. These will go a long way in ensuring
timely data collection as well as implementation of the department’s plans, not to
mention efficiency in the production of maps.

The process of developing the 10-year County Spatial Plan was started in October
2013 and has now been completed and this draft document will be presented to this
Assembly for adoption, and consequently approval by the CEC Land, Housing and
Physical Planning. We look forward to your cooperation as we strive to ensure a
more consistent and systematic approach to planning and development in our
County.

The Department has also begun securing land for its various development projects
through the preparation of public development plans for all public within our
boundaries. They have been granted authority by the National land Commission to
plan for facilities such as markets, education centres, abattoirs and sports grounds,
amongst others.

Honourable Members: because the surveying function is only partially devolved,
with the matters of authentication and issuance of new numbers still being held at
the national government level, we are in discussions with the Director of Survey so
that we can have mutations and other survey forms released to our sub county
offices, for ease and convenience in service delivery.

The county government is seeking ways to redevelop the dilapidated former local
authority houses, through its own resources and strategic partnership with third
party investors as we embark on an urban regeneration programme. The
department has embarked on the exercise of establishing affected estates that will
fall within this program, and the renewal and development process will start from
Ruiru-Majengo estate, once talks and modalities are finalised.

Various bills are currently being drafted in order to effectively implement the
department initiatives. These include the County Physical Planning Bill, the
County Survey Bill, County Valuation Bill and County Rating Bill. It is hoped that
this institutional and regulatory framework will provide better structure to the
sector.

Finally, the Ministry of Lands, Housing and Physical Planning has recently
launched the first Land Clinic in Thika to assist our residents in better
understanding the of new land law regime and their rights. It will be a resource
centre on the processes introduced in land alienation, acquisition and transfer of
land and most importantly, the process of undertaking new construction activities.
We aim to demystify the process of effecting a change of user, approval for plans
and proposed developments and we welcome you to visit and rate your experience
there.

ON ROADS, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC WORKS

Mr Speaker, Honourable Members:

As you know, rural road infrastructure plays a great important role in
transportation, socio-economic and cultural development and poverty alleviation as
well as the, reduction of economic and cultural gaps between different areas. The
department of roads, transport and public utilities has embarked on several
initiatives and key among these, is the periodic maintenance of rural access roads,
which involves heavy grading, graveling, watering and compaction as well as
construction of storm drains. We plan to construct gravel roads that will last for a
minimum of five years with minimal routine maintenance requirements. Our
guiding principal is “to build top quality roads at minimum possible cost.”


We have completed the periodic maintenance of approximately 342 Km of rural
roads. Periodic maintenance involves heavy grading to shape the road and provide
drainage, gravelling, watering and compaction. An additional 15 Km of roadworks
was done by Spinners and Spinners Company in Ruiru where the County
Government supplied them with diameter culverts and some of the gravel used.
The Department’s target was to undertake periodic maintenance on 480 Km of
rural roads by the end of this Financial Year, but was challenged but the reduced
financial resources as a result of lower than expected revenue collection in this last
six months.

The Department further targets to complete 2000Km of rural access roads by
2017/18.We also target to construct, to gravel standards, roads and storm water
drainage within Rural Shopping Centres to facilitate business activities and
revenue collection.

The department is also undertaking routine maintenance of rural access roads
through the continuous grading of rural access roads throughout the County. We
have so far graded approximately 630 Km of rural roads throughout the County.
We have also undertaken on routine basis, spot gravelling and emergency works
totalling 102 Km.

To ensure that storms drains are clear and to mitigate against flooding during this
rainy season, the department intends to continuously engage youth in the cleaning,
de-silting and flushing storm drainage. This will also keep them meaningfully
engaged and earning a living.

Honourable Members: Our Urban areas and trading Centres are densely populate
and are a major revenue basis for the County. To improve living standards,
facilitate a vibrant business environment and enhanced revenue collection, the
Department will invest a significant proportion of its budget to urban Centres in
Kiambu. We target to upgrade a minimum of 50Km of gravel roads in the urban
areas to bitumen standards by 2017/18 across the County. In collaboration with
the Nairobi Metropolitan Directorate, the upgrading to bitumen standards of the
Hospital Road in Ruiru at a cost of Ksh 170 million and the road in Kikuyu at the
proposed railway station at a cost of Ksh 136 million. The evaluation of these
tenders is currently on-going. Procurement for the design and tender
documentation of a 2.5 Km access road in Juja and a 2 Km road in Limuru is also
currently underway.


Our bus parks are scheduled for rehabilitation, with the tender process already
underway. With regard to the Kikuyu Bus Park specifically, the department has
negotiated with the Kenya National Highways Authority to authorise the contractor
for the southern by-pass to construct a new by-pass in Kikuyu. Various market
centres and bus-parks will also be built in seven urban areas across the County
through funding that has been allocated by the World Bank and the procurement
process for the design and supervision of construction works is well underway.

ENVIRONMENT WATER AND NATURAL RESOURCES

Honourable Members: I find it necessary to say a few words about the
importance of water in our lives and its multi-faceted nature. Water is the basis of
all life and a resource that is indispensable, not only for the maintenance of human
life and health, but also for the conservation of the ecosystem and all economic
activities. Today, in the twenty-first century, water has become even more
important than it was in the past due to urbanization and the rapid population
growth that is taking place in developing countries, combined with the effects of
climate change.

Protecting our environment does not have to come at the expense of careful
practical development. A healthy economy will ultimately be the basis for a well-
managed environment and will provide the financial resources to protect and
manage our environmental icons and scarce natural resources.

Water and Sanitation, allows our department to undertake significant reforms in
the sector. Being a fully devolved function, the Department targets to improve
water and sanitation coverage from the current 35% to 60% or more in the next 4
years. We also aim to reduce unaccounted for water that negatively affects water
provision from the current average of 50% to an average 30% in the next 4 years.
Finally, we have targeted to reduce the rationing programs from the current
average of 2 days in a week to 4 days so residents have more water flowing
through their taps on more days of the week.

Within the last quarter, we have overseen completion of projects such as the
Kimunyu – Kenyatta Road Water project. This was through extension of 7 Km
pipeline, installation of 24 and 10 cubic meter tanks and improvement of the
distribution pipe network. We have also completed the Kiahuria Water Project in
Juja Sub- County to benefit 3000 residents, the extension of Kianganga Water
Project in Gatundu North Sub- County, as well as equipping of Gathanga,
Boreholes in Kiambaa Sub County. Other completed projects include the
extension pipeline at Ikinu to benefit 1500 residents, and the completion of the
4km Kigumo- Kibichoi pipeline.

Other water projects that are currently ongoing include the Kanunga Water Project
aimed at improving the water supply to Kiambu Town residents, Ondiri Water
Project, Gitangu Springs Water Project, Kaimba Dam Water Project, drilling and
equipping of Langata Dispensary, operationalization of Mwiki Primary School
Borehole and equipping of Thakwa Borehole in Githunguri Town, amongst others.

Water and sanitation are closely related to other issues, such as poverty, health,
education, and gender, on which progress is needed in order to achieve sustainable
development. When water supply and irrigation facilities stabilize agricultural
production, a meaningful and positive effect can also be expected on poverty
alleviation initiatives. Behavioral change and developing clean and safe sanitation
facilities are crucial for maternal and child health. Installing simple water supply
facilities in local communities will free children from the heavy burden of walking
to a distant water source to get water for their families and allows them enough
time to go to school and get an education.

As these examples indicate, the resolution of issues relating to water and sanitation
will significantly contribute to the achievement of other goals as well. The
department responsible for water and sanitation has embarked on construction of
public toilets in Githurai, Kangangi Market, Githunguri Market Public Toilet and
Lari- Kimende and targets the completion of more over the next financial year.




To safeguard Kiambu’s green spaces and water catchment capacity, the department
has coordinated the planting of over 50,000 tree seedlings in schools and public
places. We are encouraging our residents to be part of the process of keeping
Kiambu County green and these tree planting initiatives will be ongoing.

Finally, in order to combat the menace of garbage in our communities, we have
begun the process of developing the institutional framework for the establishment
of a Solid Waste Management Authority that will be charged with the mandate of
ensuring a clean and garbage free County, development of norms and standards for
participants in the sector as well as the mechanisms for engaging and licensing
third parties and the private sector in the management of solid waste within the
County.

HEALTH SERVICES

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members: Our vision for the health sector is the
provision of accessible, affordable and quality health care for all residents within
the County. The staff rationalization process in this sector is now complete and the
health department is set to benefit from new Medical Officers, Pharmacists and
Dentists who have been posted from the National Government.

The health department is in the process of purchasing drugs for all health facilities
ranging from dispensaries and the Level 5 Hospital. These facilities are also set to
be equipped with surgical and medical equipment currently being procured.

Work has also commenced for the construction of 5 new theatres in the newly
promoted Level 4 hospitals. We are expecting these facilities to start to change to
the Facility Improvement Fund, as they will no longer receive funding from the
Health Sector Services Fund of the National Government.

Thika Level 5 Hospital has a wide catchment area, catering for the needs of our
residents and the neighboring Counties. It is for this reason that we want to expand
our dental and laboratory departments, the reproductive unit, ICU, and the New
Born Unit among others within this establishment to better serve our People. Our
theater and surgical techniques will improve after we acquire a Laparoscopic and
Surgical unit and personnel have already undergone an intensive training on the
same. Our X-ray machines will soon be computerized, and will help to minimize
wastage and improve on the quality of films.

Honourable Members: Thika is a Vaccination Centre for Yellow Fever and Polio
and therefore, the purchase of these vaccines needs to be prompt. With the hospital
collections being banked in the County Revenue Account, access of the necessary
funds is not always timely due to procedures that need to be complied with at the
National Treasury. Discussions are underway to ease this processes to ensure
smoother running of our health facilities.

Despite the recent distribution of medicines to our facilities they are still running
under a severe drug shortage, of both the emergency and the non-essential drugs.
We are in the process of streamlining our procurement process and structures to
ensure we are not faced with a similar situation.


The department needs has recently recruited paramedics to start working as from
1
st
July, 2014. Their presence will greatly increase our capacity to respond to
emergency medical situations within the County.

Finally the draft County Health Strategic Plan is ready for publication and public
review and we welcome feedback on the same. The Health Services Bill has been
presented to the County Assembly Committee for health ready for discussion.
The Thika Level 5 Hospital Bill, The Ambulance Services Bill and the Food
Control Bill are in final drafting stages for submission to this Assembly for
consideration.

EDUCATION, CULTURE & SOCIAL SERVICES

Honourable Members: this government had allocated Ksh 30 million for the
renovation of ECD centres. 4 ECD centers have already been refurbished while
work on 16 ECD centers is expected to start very soon. We target to refurbish one
ECD center per ward. Most of our 476 public ECD centers are dilapidated and it is
imperative that we ensure children enjoy learning in a conducive and healthy
environment.

Ksh 10 million was set aside for feeding children in vulnerable areas. In
consultation with the ECD Program Officers and Honorable Members of this
County Assembly, we have identified 120 ECD Centres - two per Ward- and we
are providing nutritious porridge for the children at ten o'clock on a daily basis.
This however leaves out 356 centers due to budgetary constraints we have made an
allocation for further centers in the 2014/2015 Financial Budget.

We have signed a Memorandum of Understanding with IBM EA Limited under
which they are donating 60 sets of children’s ICT learning equipment to be used in
teaching at our ECD centers. One centre per ward has been identified that will
benefit from this initiative and we look forward to expanding this programme in
the next financial year.

The process of equipping polytechnics has started with Ksh 40 million, which was
set aside in the 2013/2014 budget. We need to have at least one polytechnic in each
of our 60 wards but this is not possible with the current budgetary constraints and
allocations will have to be staggered over the next few financial years as
approximately Ksh 300 million is needed to set up polytechnics in the remaining
wards. This is a significant investments towards the upskilling of our youths’ skills
and technical training.

The County Government aims at promoting literacy and a culture of reading
among its residents. Ksh 5million was set aside for refurbishing public libraries.
We have 6 youth empowerment centers, which were constructed by the Ministry of
Youth affairs, each with a big library section that is not equipped. We plan to use
this money for equipping the existing libraries, which will be used as mobile
library services. We are also working closely with Child International, who
supplied over 25,000 books for distribution to our ECD Centres and primary
schools for use by students up to standard 8.

It was our pledge to support our children who are denied education as a result of
poverty. Ignorance is the biggest obstacle to the fight against poverty and a person
without education is not empowered to take advantage of life's opportunities. To
this end, Ksh 105 million was set aside for bursaries in the County for these
children. The Draft Bursary Fund Bill was prepared and subjected to public
consultation and approved by this Assembly.

Honourable Members: Drug abuse and alcoholism has been a menace to the
youth in our County. To arrest the situation, we were the first County to have the
Alcoholic Drinks Control Act and Regulations in place. We are now in the
implementation stage, and licenses have been issued under this new regime. With
proper enforcement measures together with education and creation of new
opportunities to conduct business for our youth, we anticipate that we shall
gradually have a positive impact on this problem within our community.


The Department had also budgeted Ksh 20 million to renovate social halls within
the County. As we have been holding most of our activities in Kiambu Community
Hall, we have started the process of refurbishing this one. We held a very
successful Kiambu County Music and Cultural festival and the winners proceeded
to the Kenya Music & Cultural Festivals held at the Cultural Center. The groups
excelled and I am proud to report that, Kiambu County emerged number one and
will be representing the country in the US later this year. We hope to start the
cultural festivals from sub county level this coming year, so that more people can
participate in the coming years.

YOUTH & SPORTS AFFAIRS

Honourable Members: The Department of Youth & Sports Affairs conducted
successful forums with our youth to inform the County Government on various
initiatives that they anticipated from us. We have since passed, through this
Honourable Assembly, The Kiambu County Youth, Women and Persons with
Disability Enterprise Fund, which has been lauded as a noble and innovative
initiative for our people and your passage of this Bill has established Kiambu
County as the pioneer.

In the next coming months, we expect to fund several businesses through the Fund
created under the Act, and shall be formally launching this initiative before the end
of this financial year.

With the upgrading of Thika and Kirigiti stadiums, we will ensure that, we, as a
County, have world-class facilities for our sports men and women. We shall be
introducing various sporting tournaments at ward level within the County that will
include multiple disciplines. We expect that these will be an excellent way for the
sports men and women of this County to showcase their talent, as well as foster
healthy competition within the County.

Finally, this Department is also working, in collaboration with the Department of
Finance and Economic Planning, to ensure that we allocate 30% of the government
procurement to youth and women based enterprises, in line with national policy. A
draft County Policy is being prepared in this regard to ensure that we can
effectively implement this procurement threshold for our youth and women owned
businesses.

Mr. Speaker, Honourable Members of the County Assembly: I have an abiding
faith in the desire of every resident of Kiambu County to see our county progress. I
believe that we are all collectively working to ensure the efficient running of our
County Government and our continued collaboration will be key to ensuring our
success.

We must make nation building our priority as we provide this County the best
legislative compass to guide and regulate our activities and those of residents
within the county. We must rise above the petty divides of politics and join hands
together to nurture the birth of one indivisible Kiambu. To achieve this, we must
overcome all our differences in the best way known to man, through dialogue and
adherence to democratic norms. May I therefore seize this opportunity to commend
you for the high sense of patriotism, maturity and unparalleled commitment to
service that is exhibited throughout your sessions.

It is Kiambu that wins when we progress on creating jobs for the youths; it is
Kiambu that wins when we promote gender equity; it is Kiambu that wins when
we collectively bring home the fruits of Prosperity. Let us work together to ensure
that Kiambu County does indeed prosper. The time is now.

THANK YOU AND GOD BLESS KIAMBU.