By Anderson Ojwang
Siaya County, the heart of opposition politics, is set to discard the hard ball politics for development projects, as the fiery governor, James Orengo moves from one government office to another to consolidate the emerging gains.
After the recent visit to State House to meet President William Ruto, where Orengo led delegation from the county and taking a cue from former Minister Raphael Tuju, who asked the local leaders to focus on the emerging opportunity, the governor is proving to be up to the task.
During the consultative meeting, Orengo requested President Ruto to help him to develop the county and from the visit, he went back to Siaya with basket full of goodies.
On Wednesday, Orengo was at the office of cabinet secretary for Defence Soipan Tuya where they discussed opportunities for collaboration between the Ministry of Defence and Siaya County Government in infrastructure development and maritime security.
Orengo wrote in his X handle “I had a successful meeting with the CS Ministry of Defence to discuss implementation of the presidential directive on development projects in Siaya County.”
The discussions which brought together the Governor and his relevant technical teams on the one hand and the CS with her technical team including her PS were specifically on Health, Sports and Maritime.
On health, the Ministry will partner with the County Government to design and construct a new block towards elevating the hospital to Level 5.
On Sports, the CS expressed the President’s commitment to promoting sports and an important driver of the economy hence the partnership to upgrade the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Stadium to a 20000-sitting capacity in effort to make it an international Stadium.
On maritime issues, a ship yard will be constructed. A technical TEAM led by PS will bring together the officers from DoD and CECMs, COs and Directors relevantly appointed will be meeting in Siaya between 17th and 19th June to survey the grounds, do master plans, do designs and generate estimates and work plans that will see significant progress by September.
The CS also wrote on her X handle “discussed opportunities for collaboration between the ministry of defense and Siaya county government in infrastructure development and maritime security with the governor James Orengo at Defence Headquarters.”
Mod, through defense forces will oversee the upgrading of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga stadium to a 20,000 sitter, ultra-modern multi -sport facility and modernization of the Siaya level 5 hospital.
Ahead of the State House visit, Orengo also met with cabinet Secretary for Treasury and Economic Planning and wrote on his X handle “held discussions with Hon Mbadi on development priorities in Siaya ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with the president William Ruto together with a delegation of Siaya leaders.”
During the Statehouse visit, President Ruto promised to invest Sh 1 billion to develop the Usenge pier and the attendant port infrastructure to stimulate blue economy.
President also promised to construct 16 markets in the county at a cost of Sh 2.5 billion and allocated Sh 1.6 billion in the connection of more than 16,000 households to power to drive entrepreneurship.
Orengo in his speech said “Please come to our aide in transforming Siaya, because where Agriculture is having impact on society, what national government invests in infrastructure and direct investment in enterprise, you can change the life positively on the communities.
We believe that if in the agricultural sector, in Siaya like you have said there are interventions in terms of infrastructure and investment, like in cotton, I think Siaya would be doing very well.
When you are talking about agriculture, we are excited and blue economy, because for impactful and positive transformation, we think that agriculture and blue economy is key to Siaya.
By the way, Siaya used to grow coffee, and we were happy to have received your cabinet secretary Mr. Wycliff Oparanya, he came and had a session with the farmers.”
Tuju said “I want to request the people of Siaya that there is something we should not take for granted, in this country.
That is peace and stability that enables us to even talk about the development agenda that we have here today.
And I like to congratulate his Excellency, the President and of course congratulate Prime Minister Raila Odinga for the very possible positive step that the two of them have taken to make us be where we are today.
I don’t take it for granted because, because I know out of the 10 failed states in the whole world, six are in our region.
So, it is very easy for us to make a lot of noise and to say a lot of things in funerals. Please this is a window of opportunity.
Let’s focus,” he said.
Siaya senator Dr Oburu Oginga said Siaya people are united and visited the state house as team and that the Siaya people want development.
“We are in broad-based government.
This is not time for us to be talking too much.
Let us work and work together, because development fears noise,” he said.
Edited by: Hope Barbra
