Governor wants Siaya markets upgraded

Bondo, Thursday, May 18, 2023

KNA by Anita Georgeous  

Siaya county Governor James Orengo has recommended the creation of more towns in the county to stimulate development in the region.

The Governor said that it is high time Usenge, Yala and Akala market centres be elevated to town status just like Bondo, Siaya and Ugunja centres were recently elevated for meaningful growth to be realized.

Speaking during a visit to Usenge town Orengo said that it is only through creation of the urban centers that the region would be able to attract adequate infrastructural development funds from Treasury and other development partners.

He cited that other counties like Machakos and Kiambu benefit from huge infrastructure development funds and are therefore able to collect significant amount of taxes because they have been able to turn most of their centers to towns.

"We have stiff competition and have to look at factors like Siaya has how many municipalities and how many urban areas are there to attract private investors in the area," he said.

The county boss said that with meaningful infrastructural development, the county will be able to attract both local and international investors and thereby improving its revenue collection.

"Over the past 3 months Machakos was able to collect revenue of Sh 1 billion while Siaya could only manage less than Sh 100 million," Orengo disclosed.

He attributed the disparity between Siaya and Machakos counties to lack of infrastructural growth and few number of municipalities adding that the same predicament has befallen Kisumu town where the Central Bank in Kisumu is less busy compared to its Kisii branch because Kisii town is surrounded by a number of municipalities.

He revealed that he has had difficult time convincing investors to invest in Siaya county due to the dismal infrastructure a situation he says the county government must work overtime to change

"If you want to put up a bank in this region you have to justify why you want to put up a bank to the investor, it took me a long time to convince Diamond Trust Bank to come to Bondo and there was a reason they came to Bondo and they did not go to Siaya," he concluded.

Courtesy; K.N.A