Governor Waiguru rallies support for BBI in state of the county address

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru on Wednesday pleaded with Members of the County Assembly to pass the Constitutional Amendment Bill which she said will increase the county allocation from the current Ksh.4 billion to Ksh.8 billion.

While addressing the County Assembly, she said the MCAs should lead by example and be the first to approve the Bill in the Mt Kenya region.

“As we all know, we are in a constitutional moment, a moment that calls on us leaders to amplify our voices and secure the interest of our people,” Waiguru told the MCAs.

She said Kirinyaga County stand to benefit in many ways from BBI proposals and therefore the need for the leaders to support it.

“The increase of Ksh.8 billion will enable us to realise enormous development for our people and reduce dependency on the national government,” she said.

The provision of a minimum of 5 percent allocation towards the ward development fund will guarantee at least Ksh.400 million to every ward for purpose of development according to Governor Waiguru.

She said the Bill has also provided for the inclusion of MCAs as part of the County Executive Committee greatly enhancing collaboration between the assembly and the executive culminating into a better delivery of development agenda.

“We must separate matters concerning BBI from 2022 elections politics and therefore urge you to put your personal and partisan political interest aside, and put Kirinyaga people first and unanimously pass the proposed constitutional amendment Bill,” Waiguru said.

Waiguru should have addressed the Assembly in November last year but the move was stopped by the outbreak of the Covid -19 pandemic in March 2020.

Amid applause from the MCAs the governor outlined the development projects her administration had accomplished in the area.

“Since we took over the leadership of this county, we encountered many challenges along the way but despite this we have been able to deliver especially on infrastructure,” she said.

Among the achievements she highlighted were modern markets at Kiamutugu, Ngurubani, Makutano, Kutus, Kagio, Kagumo, Kerugoya while many more were being built.

Waiguru said such markets were in deplorable conditions when she took over but have since been transformed into modern facilities with all the basic amenities available.

She also pointed out at the almost completed modern Kerugoya Referral Hospital which she sai will be ready for use by June this year.

“This facility upon completion will have state of the art theatres, ICU, HDU, X-ray, and piped oxygen supply to each of the 300 beds,” she said.

Upon completion, she added the facility will be equipped by the national government while some of such equipment will be provided by her administration, to make the facility go up to level five hospital.