Nandi Central Deputy County Commissioner Saidi Shaban has said the government has identified ten acres in Kapsabet town which will be used to construct 220 house units. Shaban asked the residents near where the houses will be constructed to offer needed cooperation as the government rolls out the project in the next few months. The DCC said the technical meetings represented by the National Government Administration, housing department, health, environment and the County Government of Nandi have taken shape Peter Agenga, a resident in Kapsabet town however said the government should ensure corruption does not compromise progress and quality of the proposed houses. He said the housing project national and regional monitoring teams should ensure contractors strictly adhere to standards proposed by the construction experts to avoid hazardous scenarios. A section of Nandi County residents is optimistic that Kenya Kwanza government housing project will greatly transform the economic lives of the locals if it is well implemented. They said the housing projects being launched across the country will reduce the mushrooming of slums in many urban centres. According to them, proposed government subsidized houses should benefit the majority of lowest income earners residents who experience housing challenges in urban settings. The residents who were talking to KNA on the sidelines of the National Government public participation of 2023/2024 budget making process at Eliud Kipchoge Sports Complex Hall expressed confidence that the project will create job opportunities for them. ‘I didn’t know exactly the benefits that come with government housing projects but after proper scrutiny and gathered information, I now believe that this will be a big economic game changer,’ Evans Rotich a resident of Showground Estate, Kapsabet town said. Rotich said the government is succeeding in having many youths trained in vocational, technical colleges who will need technical skills and knowledge when the construction begins. He said the government move to increase capitation in vocational colleges has helped many students from poor backgrounds complete their technical courses and is now key in driving the economy forward. The residents however thanked the National Government treasury team for organizing the budget making process public participation forum which gives them an opportunity to propose development priorities in their respective areas which will be factored in the budget. During forum, the participants who included opinion leaders, youths, women, clergy and Community Based Organisation representatives from the six Nandi Sub-Counties of Mosop , Emgwen, Aldai, Tinderet Nandi Hills, Chesumei Sub counties were tasked by National Treasury budget team to give development priorities in areas of Agriculture, Energy, Infrastructure, ICT, General Economy, Education, Health, Governance, Social Protection and Environment. Masini Ichwara, the Director of Planning in the Central Planning and Programme Monitoring Unit at the Ministry of Energy part of the national consultation team lauded the Nandi residents for turning up in large numbers to participate in deciding priority development agenda for their people. He said by involving the people in making the 2023/2024 budget they are adhering to the Public Finance Management Act in line with the constitution which stresses the need for finance matters people driven.

Over 500 participants across Nandi attended the budget public participation process.

Source: Kenya News Agency