Hard-working Nyeri officials who put people first are why the county was ranked second best by the World Bank, Governor Mutahi Kahiga has said.
Nyeri was ranked second after Nyandarua in public funds expenditure and involving residents in decision-making.
Nyandarua scored 86 per cent followed by Nyeri with 84 per cent.
“Being position two is as a product of concerted efforts that we have had between ourselves and the staff," Kahiga said on Tuesday.
"We must also not forget that key among the others is the county assembly of Nyeri that has been able to approve and pass the budget in time.”
He said the assembly passes bills in a timely manner and has created an atmosphere where the county is able to set goals and achieve them.
Kahiga said he gets to the office at 7am and holds executive committee meetings every Monday. Since he assumed office, he has held 47 executive committee meetings.
“This tells you that we are keeping in touch. Further to that, I get a report from every department sent to me online every Friday, which I go through over the weekend and comment,” he said.
Speaking to the media outside his office, Kahiga said to perform well, one must be in touch with what is happening in the county.
The governor said he carried out a staff audit when he took office and rooted out ghost workers.
The county has also invested in its staff, some of whom have been trained at the Kenya School of Government.
A county is rated on five key areas, one being public finance management which includes how it makes its budget and the ability to operate within it.
The budget expenditure is evaluated on whether it has linkages from the County Integrated Development Plan to the Annual Development Plan, how procurement is done and how payments are made.
One project is picked and assessed on how it was decided and whether it is in the CIDP, ADP and was budgeted for.
“Then assessors go right in the field and find out whether it was done, how it was done, and ensure that every process was followed and everything was done in the right way,” Kahiga said.
He said their target is to emerge the best in the country in the next rating.
Treasury announced the release of a Sh4 billion grant from the World Bank to 22 counties this financial year.
Makueni will receive Sh296 million, followed by Kiambu at Sh289 million and Sh262 for Kakamega, while Nyeri will get Sh230 million.
Edited by Eliud Kibii