By Anderson Ojwang
President William Ruto’s affirmative action in Nyanza is bearing fruits, with multi-billion-shilling projects coming to fruition.
The four counties of Nyanza, mainly Kisumu, Homa Bay, Siaya and Migori, have witnessed transformative development projects that have gone a long way in addressing ages of the region’s marginalisation.
Some of the sectors the President has invested in include the blue economy to unlock the immense potential of Lake Victoria.
Some of the projects have been completed, while others are at an advanced stage and will be completed soon.
He said the sector had been neglected for long, making it incapable of meaningfully contributing to the country’s economy.
“The blue economy is contributing between KSh 30 billion and KSh 40 billion, yet the potential is between KSh 300 billion and KSh 500 billion a year. We are very far from attaining the true potential of the blue economy,” he said.
Ruto, who spoke during last year’s Blue Economy Summit at Tom Mboya University in Homa Bay, said the government was taking decisive action to reverse this trend.
“Over the past three years, we have completed four fish landing sites along the Indian Ocean coast and three along Lake Victoria. In addition, we are building five more along the coast and nine along Lake Victoria,” he said.
In Migori County, Sibuoche Market in Uriri Constituency has been completed, while Sh 365 million in debts owed to Migori sugar farmers has been settled.
Similarly, the government has allocated KSh 1 billion to settle outstanding dues to workers in the sugar industry.
Road infrastructure
The Senta–Nyamtiro–Isebania Road (Phase 1) is 80 per cent complete, while the Nyabohanse–Kumumwamu Road is 90 per cent complete, and the improvement of the Stella–Sibuoche–Gogo–Oyani Road is at 80 per cent complete.
Uriri Technical and Vocational Training Institution is 70 per cent complete, while the construction of a Level 3 Hospital at Piny Owacho is underway at a cost of KSh 50 million.
The Mabera Affordable Housing Project has been completed, and the KETRACO 132 kV Awendo–Masaba Transmission Line and Masaba Substation have also been completed.
The construction of Migori Stadium, which stalled for years, is 50 per cent complete.
HOMA BAY COUNTY
The Homa Bay Affordable Housing Project, worth Sh 227 million, which targets 110 units upon completion, and the Mfangano Ring Road, which is 53 km long and worth KSh 299.87 million, have been completed.
The Mbita–Sindo–Kiabuya–Karungu–Agolomuok Road, which is 74 km long and worth Sh 2.9 billion, is ongoing, while the modern fish market at Koginga Beach, worth KSh 346 million, has been completed.
The government has constructed the Rangwe Sub-County Headquarters worth KSh 41.06 million and, in addition, constructed and rehabilitated the Homa Bay Pier worth KSh 600 million.
Similarly, the government constructed and rehabilitated Homa Bay town roads (urban area) at a cost of KSh 144.6 million and the phased administration and lecture hall (Phase 2) at Tom Mboya University at a cost of Sh 1.2 billion.
The government constructed the Oyugis Water Supply and Sanitation Project at a cost of KSh 706.3 million.
Projects near completion
The construction of the Homa Bay State Lodge is 70 per cent complete, while the renovation of Raila Odinga Stadium is 70 per cent complete.
The construction of the state-of-the-art administration and lecture hall block at Tom Mboya University is 90 per cent complete, while the expansion of Kabunde Airstrip is 90 per cent complete.
KISUMU COUNTY
Kisumu County has also gained from the broad-based projects, which include:
The construction of the Koru–Soin Dam, which is 50 per cent complete, while Kisumu Marine School has been completed.
The Kabonyo Fisheries and Aquaculture Research Centre of Excellence is 50 per cent complete (this is due to perennial Kano floods).
The Mamboleo–Miwani–Chemelil Road is 70 per cent complete, while the Kisumu Last-Mile Water Project has been completed.
The Kisumu Shipyard has been completed, while the Lumumba Affordable Housing Project is 70 per cent complete, and the Kisian ESP Market is 80 per cent complete.
The government has also undertaken the expansion of the 32 km Kisumu County sewer network, while the multi-million-shilling Kisumu Air Traffic Control Tower has been completed.
The construction of an ultra-modern one-storey ESP Market in Muhuroni is 80 per cent complete, and the multi-million-shilling West Kano–Kanyagwal Flood Control Project is 70 per cent complete.
SIAYA COUNTY
Siaya County has also witnessed a cocktail of projects, including the completion of the Ugunja–Ukwala–Sega Water Project at a cost of KSh 1.2 billion.
The construction of the Siaya–Bondo Water Project at a cost of KSh 280 million has been completed.
The Bondo–Nanga–Uyawi Road is 80 per cent complete, while the Pap Otere–Kalandin–Lwak–Ka Elijah Road is 70 per cent complete.
The Got Nanga–Jera–Bar Ober Road is 80 per cent complete, and President Ruto bought the Siaya County Government 20 tractors.
The construction of rice milling machines in both Alego and Ugenya constituencies is 80 per cent complete, while the Alego Usonga Affordable Housing Project is 80 per cent complete, and the multi-billion-shilling Ugunja Water Treatment Plant has been completed.
The Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr Raymond Omollo, has been instrumental in the implementation of the projects and has, on various occasions, led high-powered delegations to inspect the projects.
