Trans Nzoia County governor Patrick Khaemba has explained in depth his 10 years of the developmental journey since he took over the county leadership in 2013.
Addressing residents at the Kitale National Museum, Khaemba said despite a war of words from his opponents and court orders to frustrate his developments, he has managed to deliver several projects, such as the Trans Nzoia Teaching County and Referral Hospital that will begin its operation on August 1st, 2022.
Governor Khaemba said the hospital, with a 400-bed capacity, is fully equipped with a non-medical facility. He said the hospital will serve patients from other counties and even the neighboring country of Uganda once fully equipped.
He said the number of health facilities has also increased from 100 in 2013 to 186 in 2021. He said that 10 other health centers and dispensaries have undergone infrastructural development through the construction of outpatient wings, with the new addition of 75 health personnel in different departments.
In agriculture, the governor said since he took over the leadership, his administration tested soil acidity, which led to the introduction of Mavuno fertilizer that improved the productivity from 15 bags of maize per acre to about 25 bags in 2013 through 2020.
He said crop diversification was not left behind whereby tissue culture banana plantlets were introduced to farmers and tea seedlings at a subsidy price. Other seedlings include avocado, macadamia, and apples.
The county also installed six warehouses in all wards that store between 5,000 and 30,000 bags of maize. He also installed 16 milk coolers for dairy farming through 354 cooperative societies.
Khaemba said his government, in collaboration with the Kenya Roads Board, has tarmacked 16.8 kilometers of the road network within Kitale Municipality and Kiminini Market after the county purchased road machines.
In a move to enhance security and boost business, Khaemba said his administration increased electricity connection from 8.9% to 37.9% through the installation of high-mast security lights as 367 street lights were erected within the municipality and markets to allow 24-hour business operation. The county also constructed over 4,000 stalls at Kitale Business Center that will host 6,000 traders once completed.
In education, the county government introduced Vocational Training Centers in every ward where 1,600 students have been supported to take skills in plumbing, masonry, woodwork, tailoring, veterinary services, and medical fields. The county has also constructed 244 Early Child Development Education (ECDE) classrooms with 766 ECDE caregivers.
Khaemba lamented opponents who hijacked the titling projects that he began, sometimes failing to involve him at the last minute.
“I am the one who started this titling program in collaboration with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Later, some leaders interfered with the program. During the 2017 general election, the same leader came and issued about 20,000 title deeds. This time again, they are issuing the same documents without involving me. That’s not good at all, ’’ said Khaemba.
He challenged the successor to complete what he started and make Trans Nzoia a better place and asked residents to support the next governor so that he can achieve his goals rather than fight him throughout like opponents did to him in the last ten years.
Mike Musungu is a reporter at Radio Simba in Bungoma and a correspondent of Trans Nzoia County for the Western Kenya Times.
