President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday warned against misuse of public resources and challenged wananchi to hold elected leaders to account for funds entrusted to them.
The President said his administration is keen on ensuring infrastructure projects are implemented across the country so as to create an enabling environment for investment, wealth and employment creation.
“We want money allocated for development to go the right projects but not the pockets of a few people. You the people are our employers and you have the right to hold us as leaders to account to make sure your money is used properly,” said the President.
The President spoke in Mbalambala, Garissa County, when he commissioned the 50MW Garissa solar power plant constructed at a cost Shs13 billion.
The facility which was developed by the Rural Energy Authority (REA) is the largest in East and Central Africa and adds to Kenya's profile as a leader in renewal energy generation in Africa.
President Kenyatta said the power plant is part of a broad government renewable energy strategy to harvest 400MW of electricity from the country's vast solar resource.
He announced that Garissa which was previously depended on unstable thermal power is now fully connected to the national power grid.
The Head of State said the government is keen on narrowing the development gap between regions of the country adding that every Kenyan is part of his administration's development agenda.
“I see that the gap that existed is being reduced. We are developing our country uniformly from Moyale to Namanga from Mombasa to Lake Victoria,” said the President.
President Kenyatta, who was accompanied by opposition leader Musalia Mudavadi, announced government plans to construct water pans in the region for rain water harvesting.
He said he will be back in the region soon to officially open the Garissa to Modogashe road which is almost complete and launch the construction of the Mbalambala to Garissa road.
Energy CS Charles Keter thanked the leadership of Garissa for their cooperation during the construction of the power plant and announced plans to compensate locals on whose land the facility was developed.
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Garissa Governor Ali Korane, National Assembly Majority Leader who is also Garissa Town MP Aden Duale and Mbalambala MP Omar Shurie also spoke at the event attended by several leaders from the region among them area Senator Yusuf Haji.
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