Meru wards get Sh910m for vital projects

Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi with County Assembly Majority Leader Victor Karithi. (Olivia Murithi, Standard)

The 45 wards in Meru County will get Sh910 million for development in the 2019/20 fiscal year.

Ward reps, who act as patrons of the Sh20 million kitty, will sit down in a committee comprising interest group representatives to decide on priority areas.

The MCAs, who also sit in the committee with national and county administrators, youth, women and persons living with disabilities reps, say the amount is not sufficient to meet the needs of rural area residents.

Assembly Majority Leader Victor Kariithi and Mwanganthia rep Julius Mbijjiwe, both who hail from semi-arid areas, said water and roads would be given priority when the amount is allocated.

Mr Kariithi, who represents the expansive Athwana ward, which stretches up to the border with Isiolo, said Sh10 million was allocated to community water projects in the current financial year.  “That was used to rehabilitate boreholes and construct community water projects. The development committee will sit down and decide how to allocate funds for projects for the next financial year,” he said.

Funds not enough

Mr Mbijjiwe said roads in the Mwanganthia area needed to be prioritised, but water and education were the other areas that required funding.

Accepting that the Sh20 million fund was not enough to solve residents’ needs, Mbijjiwe said the committee was charged with the mandate of using the money according to residents’ wishes.

“Water is a problem, but Sh20 million is not enough. We also appreciate that funds can never be enough to fulfill all needs,” Mbijjiwe said.

Kiguchwa Ward in Tigania East is also a dry area and its MCA Linus Athinya said the committee members would work to spread the fund to water and other sectors.

Residents in Municipality and others around Meru town said Sh20 million was a drop in the ocean.