Siaya county government requires Sh200 billion to fund its five-year County Integrated Development Plan, an official has disclosed.
According to County Economist Moses Otieno, the county would raise Sh50.2 billion from its allocation from the National Treasury and seek development partners to fund the deficit.
“The county is sure of equitable share of Sh44.2 billion, conditional grant amounting to Sh1.6 billion and own source revenue totalling Sh4.6 billion,” Otieno said.
He added that the huge deficit can only be financed through private public partnerships.
Speaking in Nairobi at the weekend during a validation forum of the CIDP 2023/2027, Otieno said the reason why the plan is ambitious is because they have partners who will knock on their doors to offer support.
The administration is seeking to attract more funding from the development partners.
Siaya Governor James Orengo termed the CIDP a suitable document that holds the aspirations of the county.
“I want to thank those who have dedicated their time to realise the CIDP document. The document is superb for it has a nine-point agenda entrenched in My Nayalore manifesto,” Orengo said.
Present at the validation event were Rarieda MP Otiende Amoll, Siaya Senator Oburu Odinga, former Auditor General Edward Ouko, professionals and prominent business people from the county.
The CIDP focuses on five key areas namely water development, food security, health, education, trade and industrialisation and tourism.
CIDP is yet to be launched to the public, as it is currently going through a validation process.
“The plan will also be presented to diaspora community for validation to ensure the document gets enriched,” Otieno said.
He added that the plan will be tabled before the cabinet and then presented to the Siaya County Assembly approval.
The diaspora will interact with the document through zoom meetings.
“Once the assembly has done their part, members of the public and key stakeholders would be invited for the launch,” Otieno said.
In agriculture sector, the county seeks to strengthen extension services, promote irrigated agriculture, provide farmers with inputs and enhance the market linkages.
“We intent to invest on social and food security crops such as sunflower, fruits and horticulture. We shall also promote culture and capture fisheries," said Otieno, adding that more emphasis has been put to address post-harvest loses that stands at 30 per cent.
Siaya is rated among counties whose access to healthcare services is poor and to remedy the situation, the administration intends to improve the physical infrastructures across the health service provision spectrum from Levels 1 to 4.
"We shall recruit and capacity build general practitioners and specialised healthcare providers. We will enrol the public on NHIF and see to it that all health facilities get automated,” Otieno said.
He added that the county also intends to strengthen primary healthcare services since prevention is better than cure.
In education, the county plans to construct more ECDE centres, recruit and capacity build ECDE teachers, provide playing equipment for children.
“We shall also establish modern ECDE centres in Siaya, Bondo and Ugunja and start school feeding programme in all ECDE schools,” Otieno added.
Siaya has a big chunk of vocational training centres with minimal population.
“More instructors will be recruited. We shall construct, renovate and equip the VTC's , provide digital literacy materials and capitation,” Otieno said.
-Edited by SKanyara