President William Ruto hosted leaders and businesspeople from Siaya County at State House, Nairobi, on Thursday.
The President assured the delegation, led by Governor James Orengo, of the government’s commitment to development projects in the county and the country.
He announced that the government will invest KSh1 billion to develop blue economy infrastructure, including Usenge Pier and attendant port facilities at KSh600 million and a fish market at KSh400 million.
Further, he said the government will build 16 markets in the county at a cost of KSh2.5 billion, while KSh1.6 billion has been set aside for the last mile electricity programme to connect 16,000 households.
“We are looking for another KSh500 million ti enable us to connect another 5,000 households to electricity,” President Ruto said.
In agriculture, the President explained that Siaya, among other counties, would benefit from the government’s revival programme of cotton farming, a sector that holds the great potential to create thousands of jobs and incomes for farmers.
“We export $500 million (KSh65 billion) worth of textile products to the United States annually, but we import most the of textiles used to make the garments. This must change,” he said.
The President disclosed that the African Export-Import Bank (Afriexim) would inject an initial KSh20 billion to revive the cotton industry.
He added that a strategic private investor had been identified to revive operations at the Eldoret-based Rivatex East Africa Ltd.
On the expansion of Odera Akang’o University, President Ruto said the government would finalise the plan to acquire more land for the institution, and at the same time complete stalled infrastructure projects at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.
He expressed his gratitude to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with him in the broad-based government.
“Whenever we have found ourselves at a crossroads as a country, Baba, being the great statesman that he is, has always taken bold decisions in the best interest of this nation,” President Ruto pointed out.
“Our transformative programs, including the leasing of public sugar factories to make them profitable, would not have been possible without the broad-based government,” he said.
Also present were Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, MPs, MCAs, clergy and other leaders.
