One Year on Orengo highlights achievements during county address
Governor James Orengo on Friday listed several successes his administration has achieved during his inaugural State of the County address at the county assembly of Siaya.Â
The achievements the governor enumerated cut across the health sector, education, agriculture, and infrastructure amongst others.Â
To promote health services, Orengo said his administration had 119 rural health facilities operationalized across the six sub-counties of Siaya.
He said his administration recently made an emergency procurement of drugs worth Sh40 million to ensure regular availability of the same.
Additionally, the governor said the county government of Siaya hired 156 new health workers of all cadres to address staff shortages in the health department.
“We have also ensured that the monthly stipend for Community Health Services Promoters is enhanced. The health promoters have also been enrolled in NHIF,” he said.
“They have also received the requisite equipment to help them operate. Further, the administration has ensured that their operation is digitized to make them more effective and efficient.”
He said that the county achieved 95 percent hospital deliveries within the period under review.
“Our strategic plan, which we appeal to the assembly to support is to equip the rural health facilities and not build new ones,” he said.
The maternity wings of our Sub County hospitals at Sigomere and Ukwala have been renovated .”
Orengo noted that X-rays and ultrasound services have been improved adding that the
He also said the installation of ultra-modern ultra-sound facilities at Ambira and Got Agulu will be completed soon.
To boost emergency referral response, Orengo said emergency referral services have been improved after the county government procured 11 additional ambulances.
He said the administration also procured five Motor boat ambulances to improve referrals in the Islands.
“The county government of Siaya has also passed 10 Health-related laws which have been operationalized,” he said.
On Water and Sanitation, the governor noted that nearly 40 percent of Siaya residents still lack potable water.
This, he noted, was despite Siaya having water resources such as Lake Victoria, Lake Kanyaboli, River Nzoia, and Yala.
To address the water supply challenges, the governor disclosed that his administration has invested in Water schemes at the Ahono, Got Matar, and Abura dams which are now fully developed.
He said the rehabilitation of the Abura dam has effectively eased the problem of water supply to the residents of Siaya and Bondo towns.
“We have also drilled, equipped, and solarized 13 boreholes across the county,” he added.
According to the governor, the county government in partnership with the national government is also implementing the Ugunja-Ukwala water project which will serve 57,000 residents of the two towns.
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“The Last mile connectivity will be prioritized and will extend it to cover areas that were not initially targeted,” Orengo said.
He said that Sh260 million is needed to ensure the piped water under the last mile connectivity initiative reaches the target areas which were left out by the Rift Valley Water Works Development Agency that is implementing the project
He noted that the water provision initiatives continue to face challenges such as reduction in water yields, and problems of management of the water schemes amongst others.
“Sustainable management of the boreholes in terms of maintenance and management is still a problem,” he said.
He noted that his administration was focusing on fish farming, rice production, and other agricultural activities to boost food security in the rural county.
“The agricultural sector and blue economy is our guaranteed pathway to a food secure county and social and economic transformation,” he added.
“We focus on carefully selected development projects and activities that are channeled through robust value chains .”
As part of the efforts to boost farming, the Governor noted that his government has hired 71 extension officers.
Following the development, 78,000 farmers were reached by the extension services against a target of 56,000 according to the governor.
“We have also made significant investments to boost fish production in the county,” he said.
Orengo disclosed that 219 new fish ponds have been constructed in Siaya since he assumed office.
Additionally, he said, 300 fish ponds were also rehabilitated and stocked with fingerlings across Siaya according to the county boss.
The investments saw Siaya producing 30,000metric tonnes of fish in the same period while Sh3 billion in earnings was also obtained from the fishing industry
“We purchased five engine boats and two patrol boats to help boost security in the Lake Victoria waters,” he said.
The administration also constructed Siriwo rice mill at Sh120 million according to the governor.
The mill, according to him will be installed next month.
Orengo also said 10,000 chicks were procured and distributed and an additional 10 hatching incubators were bought and given to poultry farmers in Yala.
This, the governor noted is targeting to boost food production at the household level.
“Drainage system and fencing of the facilities was also done in ten markets. 90 high mast floodlights were also erected in the markets to extend trading hours and boost security,” Orengo said.
“The county is also constructing a Sh500 million industrial Park in partnership with the national government at Kara area .”
To promote trade, movement of people and facilitate emergency services Orengo said the county government has opened up over 72 kilometres of access roads and carried out maintenance of over 400 kilometres of roads across Siaya.
“We have facilitated the elevation of Usenge, Bondo, Ugunja and Yala to Municipality status,” he said.
The governor thanked the county assembly for having passed the Spatial Plans and the Evaluation and Rateable Property Bills which are now laws.
The following bills were also processed; the Widows Protection Bill, Gender Mainstreaming Bill, Youth Development Bill, and People with disabilities bill.
One Year on Orengo highlights achievements during county address
