Kirinyaga ready to host devolution conference

Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru at Gitwe Primary School in Kirinyaga Central on January 23, 2019. [Mose Sammy, Standard]

The Kirinyaga County Government has embarked on major works geared towards the improvement of infrastructure ahead of the Devolution Conference scheduled for early March.

Lighting of the Sagana-Kagio –Kutus, Samson’s corner road is underway while modernisation of various bus parks is also underway.

Governor Anne Waiguru said the National Government is fully involved in the organisation of the five-day event which will take place at the Kirinyaga University grounds.

“As we get closer to the March 4 to 8 conference which  will be attended by an estimated  6000 delegates from across the country daily  we have started putting various measures in place including security  to ensure  the safety of everyone , “she said.

The governor said bus parks at Kagio and Kutus towns were being improved to the required standards since the two towns are unique in that the latter is the gateway to the county while the former is the venue of the conference.

As for hospitality  services, Waiguru said she has since held consultative meetings with the various hotel operators and briefed them appropriately on what they will be expected of during the five day conference.

The hotel operators, she added have been provided with the necessary information as to the kind ofv meals they wil be providing the guests with.

“Since we do not have adequate accommodation facilities here some delegates will be provided with the services in the facilities within the neighboring counties of Embu, Muranga and Nyeri’’she said.

Waiguru also said due to the close proximity of the conference with Nairobi, some delegates could still make it to and fro daily.

The governor who was accompanied by her Deputy Peter Ndambiri were at Gitwe primary school in Kirinyaga Central Sub-County where she distributed about 700 pairs of shoes to the children   at the institution.

She called upon area residents to start preparing their farm produce like tomatoes, cabbages, eggs and milk and make a monetary capital during the conference.

“Farmers should ensure there will be constant supply of fresh farm produce to feed the delegates out of which their financial status will improve upwards, “she said.

This will be the first time the conference will be held in a rural county.

It will be held in the county under a new Council of Governor’s Chair, Wycliffe Oparanya.

Oparanya took over the CoG mantle from his Turkana counterpart Josphat Nanok.

Waiguru was Nanok’s Vice Chair but the position went to Mwangi wa Iria of Murang'a.