BY MURITHI KINYUA

Visionary leadership and all-inclusive system, provision of water, improved agriculture and food production, improved tourism sector, first class education for all children, Rural roads accessibility, universal health care, urban development, promoting entrepreneurship and attracting Private investors, youth and women empowerment, promoting culture and traditions and improved environmental conservation are promises that Governor Kiraitu give to Meru residents in his manifesto.

On all- inclusive Government, Governor Kiraitu leadership has been accessible to all, consultative and it has involved the people and their leaders in decision Making from the Ward to the County level.

County Government has formed Meru Economic and Social Council (MESC) which is a high-level advisory body comprising of eminent domain person, the body has presented the proposal of the vision 2040 to the Governor and they are expected to present the final copy of the draft after public participation by the end of the year.

Meru county was the first county to pilot youth services program in the country, where 1000 young people were recruited to the meru youth services {MYS) program. So far 400 of them have graduated with health skill and have been deployed to all wards as volunteers to assist health workers to achieve universal health care. The other 600 are being trained at meru national polytechnic and will graduate with various technical and professional skill

Governor murungi had also promised to make rural areas accessible by opening more roads and to decongest meru town by reducing traffic jam. True to this, the governor has formed County Roads Board which comprises of all road’s agencies from the county and national government.

The governors good working relationship with the national government has made meru county to be the second beneficiary of the buy-pass in funding after Nairobi county. National government has invested approximately ksh 3.2 billion in the construction of the eastern and western bypasses in meru town.

The county government is also working with Kenya Roads Board to open more roads in rural areas. The introduction of ward Development fund where MCAs contribute a certain percentage towards roads construction has enabled the county government to open, gravel and maintain several roads in all wards across the county.

On education, Governor Kiraitu Murungi has started free nursery school milk program targeting children in public schools across the county an initiative that has seen an increased school enrolment. The county government has done a supplementary budget estimate to cater for the wellbeing of the ECDE teachers. Additionally, governor murungis administration absorbed 489 ECDE teachers to permanent and pensionable basis alongside paying their arrears from the last regime. The county government is also in a process of constructing more ECDE classrooms across the county to cater for the increased enrolment.

Further, Meru Governor set out to drill 100 boreholes every year, so far 92 boreholes have been drilled with others in progress. The process of piping and distributing water to the residences is ongoing. The county government in collaboration with Davis& Shurtleff ltd has trained borehole users on the operationalization and maintenance of the solar powered borehole water supply.

The water effect has been felt across the county, with residence in several places where water has been sank expressing their gratitude to governor murungis administration for ending their water perineal problems. The cordial relationship with the national government has also enabled the county to benefit with 600 water pans with each targeted to hold capacity of 1000m3

To achieve universal health care, the county government has formed Hospital Management Boards to ensure smooth running and effective operations. At meru level 5, a ward block is under construction to reduce congestion and increase bed capacity. MRI machines have been operationalized and they are even serving other neighboring counties.

Over 40 health workers have been trained on customer care to ensure good relationship with their clients. The county government is also employed 50 nurses alongside 10 doctors to address the issue of understaffing in public hospitals.

On food production, Meru County has partnered with the Kenya Red Cross to distribute free green grams to famers in a program dubbed’Ndengu pesa poa’ where over 30,000 famers have already benefited. Meru county government is also working to promote avocado, bamboo, macadamia and green grams farming to boost farmers earning. So far the county government has distributed macadamia and avocado seedlings worthy Ksh 90 million to farmers across the County.

Governor Kiraitu Government is working tireless to improve the tourism sector in the County, so far several delegation from different countries and private sector have visited different tourists site with a view of putting hospitality industry, in his recent visit to Lake NKunga and King Muuru, Governor Kiraitu promised to to put more resources in order to improve those sites for both local and international tourists. The county government has plan to establish 5star hotel at Meru National Park.