President Uhuru Kenyatta will launch a number of development projects when he visits Kisii for Mashujaa Day celebrations on Tuesday, Interior CS Fred Matiang’i has said.
“We don’t have a clear programme as at now but we expect him to launch some projects including a Central Bank branch in Kisii, which cuts the costs of transporting money to and from Kisumu. Nowadays we have a passport control centre in Kisii,” the CS said.
Another project the CS said the President is expected to flag off in Nyamira is the Chebilat –Ikonge-Chabera road. The road starts at the junction with the Sotik- Kisii road near Sotik to Chabera, the border between Homa Bay and Nyamira counties.
“The road is now complete and will be inaugurated by the President when he visits Kisii for Mashujaa Day,” Matiang’i said on vernacular radio station Egesa FM.
Matiang’i said the national government spent more than Sh200 million to improve infrastructure in Kisii town ahead of the celebrations.
“Several roads have been done in Kisii, streetlights installed and the stadium upgraded. A state lodge has also been completed, which means the President can spend a night in Kisii wherever he visits Kisii or neighbouring counties. There are several advantages of having this facility in your county,” the CS said.
He noted holding national celebrations in counties helps boost local economies.
“A county which hosts a national celebration rakes more than Sh100 million in terms of business. People started getting to Kisii town from last week and this has helped boost the local economy and the people who will come for the celebrations will do a lot of business in the town,” the CS added.
Matiang’i said Uhuru is keen to honour his promises to the people of Kisii and Nyamira counties.
“When we met him two weeks ago, he asked about the progress of some projects which include roads. Some contractors doing two roads have been kicked out due to slow progress and new contractors awarded the tenders. When we met the President, MPs raised concern over some stalled projects which the President asked us to look into,” Matiang’i said.
The CS added that only 3, 000 people will be allowed into Gusii stadium due to the Covid-19 pandemic, while others will watch from big screens in Kisii town and Kisii golf course.
The leaders among them MPs and governors from Nyamira and Kisii will meet Uhuru Monday at Kisii state lodge ahead of Mashujaa Day on Tuesday.
“As leaders we remain grateful to what he has done to the Kisii nation so far in terms of the projects he has launched. Our concern is that not many of them are complete and we want to tell him to fast track them,” Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka said.
North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko said as a political leader he would push for all promises the President made during the campaigns, adding that those were solid commitments to the voters and should be implemented.
“As leaders we would definitely want to follow up with him to ensure they are done,” he said.
Among the projects the President promised include Nyamaiya and Nyansiongo markets.
“The President had made separate pledges of committing Sh200 million each to help their construction,’’ Nyamoko said.
“So far none of the two markets have taken off the ground and we would wish that he speaks about them when we meet him,” he said.
He said Gusii region still needs more tarmacked roads to help farmers deliver products to markets on time.
In Kisii, the MPs want the President to speak about the Sh1.4 billion stalled Keboko-Nyacheki road and the Omoringamu-Nyakoiba road.
Gusii elders council secretary Angwenyi Bosire called for the expansion of the Kisii-Sotik road, saying the highway is narrow.