Creating new administrative units in West Pokot to foster peace, stability, and development

Kapenguria, Tuesday, July 4, 2023

by Anthony Melly / Maurice Osore

Leaders in West Pokot Pokot County have stated that creating new administrative units, sub locations, divisions, and sub counties in the region would help to promote economic growth, development, promote peace and security, create jobs and attract investors,

The leaders said the current administrative units, sub locations, divisions, and sub counties were created through a gazette notice for the years 2017 and 2020.

They said there was need to create new administrative units because the current units have become ungovernable due to the fast-growing population and the need to ensure residents do not have to travel long distances in order to access government services.

They further stated that they had unanimously agreed to have the gazetted administrative units operationalized to bring government service delivery closer to the people.

Speaking at Mtelo Hall in Kapenguria Town during a public participation with the county leaders and residents on the creation of new administrative units, West Pokot County Commissioner Apollo Okello affirmed that the creation of new administrative units in the region would enhance government service delivery to the citizens, unlock the potential of the region, and help deepen social cohesion in order to spur local economic growth.

"Having new administrative units closer to the people is good in terms of improving access to government service delivery as well as facilitating growth in rural and undeveloped parts of the county," Okello said.

He urged the local leaders to cooperate and work with the national government in propagating the programme to have more units created.

CC Okello urged the county government to mobilize resources, for example, land, for the creation of the new administrative units.

According to Kapenguria Constituency Member of Parliament Samuel Moroto, the creation of new administrative units in the region would help foster peace and stability.

He said having new administrative units in the far-flung areas of the county would help curb delays and promote quicker responses by the security agencies whenever there is an insecurity challenge in the county areas.

He said residents of Sook ward were largely disadvantaged by the rugged land terrain, to the extent that accessing various government services and opportunities such as employment during recruitment of national government security officers, teachers’ employment, birth certificate registrations, national identification cards application, road and housing infrastructures, health referrals, and more has been a challenge for them.

"Access to government services has been costly due to the vast nature of the difficult terrains of the region, and there is a need to have government services delivered closer to the residents," MP Moroto stated.

Kacheliba constituency Member of Parliament Titus Lotee reiterated that having new administrative units in the region would help to resolve the border insecurity problems affecting the county.

On June 15, 2023, because of a lack of security at the borders of Turkana, Marakwet, and West Pokot, the minister of interior visited us.

"We proposed that the means of solving the problems affecting the two counties is to ensure that the areas that were gazetted in 2017 should be operationalized," MP Lotee noted.

MP Lotee said that with more assistant chiefs, chiefs, and assistant county commissioners, the issues of insecurity in border areas would reduce since the local administrators would play a role in fostering peace and stability through security measures programs.

Sigor constituency Member of Parliament Peter Lochakapong pointed out that people need to easily access government’s critical documents such as title deeds, identity cards, birth certificates, and police abstracts, among other services, without having to travel long distances at a higher cost.

He thanked the government for supporting to have the new administrative created and operationalized.

On his part, West Pokot Deputy Governor (DG) Robert Komolle disclosed that with the creation of new administrative units, the region would have two divisions in Kapenguria constituency, two divisions in Sigor constituency, one division in Pokot South sub county, one division in Kacheliba constituency, and two in Pokot North.

DG Komolle said the creation of new administrative units would help to reduce the issues of insecurity in West Pokot County.

He thanked President Dr. William Samoei Ruto, and the Cabinet Secretary for Interior for their willingness to have the gazetted units operationalized.

He further said the administrative units have targeted those areas along the boundaries of West Pokot, Marakwet and Turkana for government service delivery to be closer to the people.

The DG said that the county has presented a memorandum to the national government by the people of Sook and Endugh wards requesting the creation of new administrative units to enhance government service delivery to the residents as provided for by the Constitution.

Courtesy ; K. N. A