Nakuru leaders up in arms over the World Bank funding miss

Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika before the Senate Health Committee at Parliament on May 17, 2024. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Nakuru Senator Tabitha Karanja and a group of MCAs have accused Governor Susan Kihika after her administration failed to secure a Sh1.2 billion World Bank kitty aimed at improving deteriorated infrastructure in the county's municipalities.

The elected leaders noted that the county budget would face a major deficit as the donor funding had been catered in this year’s budget, targeting improvement of drainage and roads.

Under the Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP II), Nakuru City did not get any funding while Naivasha and Gilgil municipalities received reduced allocations for failing to meet key donor requirements.

The Senator accused the Governor of runaway corruption in managing earlier allocations, non-compliance with audit queries, and uncompleted projects.

Karanja said the withdrawal of the funding would stall the fixing of the city street lighting project, sewer lines, access roads, and drainage system.

"The Governor's failure to secure World Bank funding will affect fixing city clogged pathways, roads with potholes, and water rationing that has plagued city residents", said the Senator.

Addressing the press in Naivasha, Karanja said the funding squeeze would affect the operations of County municipalities while making the requisite boards technically insolvent.

The Senator accused the Governor of misappropriating funding of the Sh1.2 billion World Bank-backed Afraha Stadium, which was recently taken over by the National government under the military.

She called on the EACC to investigate the use of the allocated funding, adding that she will take a motion in the Senate to call for a full audit on the utilization of the World Bank-funded projects in Nakuru.

Karanja said the County's failure to automate its revenue collections had resulted in low collections, which had affected service delivery, leading to stalled and abandoned key projects, including hospitals.

On his part, Vuwandani MCA Mwangi Muraya, Naivasha, received an allocation of Sh194 million against last year's funding of Sh194 million received last year, while Gilgil received Sh40 million against last year's Sh133 million.

Muraya, who is Vice Chair of the County Budget Committee, said reduced funding would affect the town's street lighting project, the fixing of key links, and dilapidated sewer lines to accommodate the increased population.

He accused the Governor of failing to constitute municipal boards as required by the donor, noting that Naivasha's dream of becoming a resort city risked being achieved.

According to Naivasha East MCA Stanley Karanja, the County Assembly had already effected Sh282 million under the World Bank kitty for street lighting, fixing drainage, garbage, and sewage collections, noting that the County has lost the key development kitty.

He said the County budget will now have a funding deficit, adding that the funding gap would diminish the City's competitiveness.

"The Governor has filled municipal boards with quacks and political rejects, which have led to failure to secure key WB funds, and she should carry political responsibility and resign", said Karanja.

Efforts to get a comment from the devolved unit were futile.