Nyandarua residents table their views on budget

May 18, 2023 - 15:28

Ol Joro rok constituency Member of National Assembly Michael Muchira moderating a public participation forum organized by the Parliamentary Budget Committee at the Ol Joro rok CDF hall. The residents want health, roads, water and electricity in the 2023/2024 budget allocation for the county. Photo by Antony Mwangi

Nyandarua, Thursday May 18, 2023

KNA by Antony Mwangi

Nyandarua county residents have told the Parliamentary Budget Committee to prioritize health, roads, water and electricity in the 2023/2024 budget estimates.

Speaking at the Ol Joro Orok CDF hall, during a public participation forum moderated by the area MP Michael Muchira, the residents agreed to have existing health facilities improved before anything else in the next budget.

Muchira said that the committee will forward all the recommendations the residents have raised and will follow it up to ensure at least some recommendations have been actualized.

The MP, who is also a member of the budget and appropriation committee in the National Parliament, said that Nyandarua being one of the counties sampled to give their views showed the government’s commitment to ensure Nyandarua catches up with other counties in matters of development.

“Initially, such forums would bypass Nyandarua county and be held in other counties. That means that Nyandarua had very minimal say when the budget was being allocated.

“But now, we have seen the government’s commitment in seeing Nyandarua catches up with other regions. We are going to push the recommendations we have collected from the residents and we promise to ensure at least a bigger number of it is actualized,” said Muchira.

Representatives from all the five constituencies in the county were present with leaders from the County Assembly also present and had a chance to air their views.

The Members of County Assembly proposed for more roads to be graded arguing that Nyandarua being an agricultural and a food basket needed good roads for the farm produce to reach the market on time.

However, the majority of the residents present complained of Kinangop constituency getting the lion’s share of Nyandarua’s budget arguing that they are equally in need of services and especially agricultural budgets.

The committee is keen on incorporating views, and thoughts of the public in the 2023/24 Budget to assist in the improvement of service delivery to the people of Kenya, and in enacting policies that will keep the government accountable.

Courtesy; K.N.A