Machakos
Friday March 29,2024
KNA by Roselyne Kavoo
Machakos Governor Wavinya Ndeti is the new chair for the South Eastern Kenya Economic Bloc (SEKEB).
Governor Wavinya took over the leadership of the regional bloc from her Kitui Counterpart Julius Malombe during a summit meeting held on Thursday at Wote,in Makueni county.
Wavinya will lead SEKEB for the next one year after which Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior will hold the mantle for the same period.
The chairmanship is held on a rotational basis among the three counties.SEKEB was established in 2016 by governors Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Julius Malombe (Kitui) to spur economic development in the region.
Addressing the media after the summit,the three governors pledged to work together for prosperity and sustainable development.
“We have resolved to remain united and work together towards a common cause to improve the livelihoods of our people. Unity is key to our collective progress and we should all pull in the same direction,” said governor Wavinya.
She disclosed that the bloc was in the final stages of developing a vision strategy which will guide in leveraging on economies of scale and concerted efforts to achieve sustainable development for the region.
“We are one united for a worthy and common cause for the benefit of the people,”added the governor.
Governor Mutula Junior called on the national government to fast track the construction of the Thwake dam to alleviate the the perennial water shortage in the region.
“Water is a valuable yet a scarce resource in the region we ask the national government to expedite the construction of the dam which is already behind schedule,” noted Mutula Junior.
He also called for the cleaning of river Athi, which is the main source of water for the dam to ensure that the water is fit for human consumption.
“Pollution of Athi river is a major concern and we appeal for the thorough cleaning of the river before completion of the dam,” added governor Mutula Junior.
Governor Malombe hailed SEKEB as one of the most progressive economic blocs in the country due to the major strides it has made in achieving development in the region.
“Firstly, the three county assemblies passed a law that guides the operation of the bloc which is a very great achievement,” said the governor.
He noted that SEKEB through its leadership had lobbied for several projects from the national government among the Wote-Mavindini-Kanyangi-Wikiliye road that will connect Makueni and Kitui counties to ease movement of goods and people.
“We have also established county aggregation and industrial parks which will be used to add value to agricultural produce through processing and packaging hence increasing the returns for our farmers,” added governor Malombe.
On health, the governor said the bloc has resolved to have each county specialize in different medical field to ease the burden of health care in the region.
“We agreed that Machakos will invest in cancer treatment while Makueni will specialize in trauma services. Kitui will establish and invest in renal services,”he added.
Courtesy; KNA
