16 markets worth Sh2.5 billion, what Ruto promised Siaya delegation

President William Ruto has today affirmed the government’s commitment to establish about 16 modern markets in Siaya County.

While meeting leaders and business people from the county at State House, Nairobi, led by Governor James Orengo, Ruto assured the delegation of the government's commitment to development projects in the county and the country.

Ruto said the government will build 16 markets in the county at a cost of Sh2.5 billion, while Sh1.6 billion has been set aside for the last-mile electricity programme to connect 16,000 households.

He announced that the government will further invest Sh1 billion to develop blue economy infrastructure, including Usenge Pier and attendant port facilities at KSh600 million and a fish market at Sh400 million.

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"We are looking for another Sh500 million to enable us to connect another 5,000 households to electricity," Ruto said in a statement to Newsrooms.

In agriculture, the President explained that Siaya, among other counties, would benefit from the government's revival programme of cotton farming, a sector that holds great potential to create thousands of jobs and incomes for farmers.

"We export $500 million (KSh65 billion) worth of textile products to the United States annually, but we import most of the textiles used to make the garments. This must change," he said.

The President disclosed that the African Export-Import Bank (Afriexim) would inject an initial KSh20 billion to revive the cotton industry.

He added that a strategic private investor had been identified to revive operations at the Eldoret-based Rivatex East Africa Ltd.

On the expansion of Odera Akang'o University, President Ruto said the government would finalise the plan to acquire more land for the institution, and at the same time, complete stalled infrastructure projects at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga University of Science and Technology.

He expressed his gratitude to former Prime Minister Raila Odinga for agreeing to work with him in the broad-based government.

"Whenever we have found ourselves at a crossroads as a country, Baba, being the great statesman that he is, has always taken bold decisions in the best interest of this nation," Ruto said, adding, "Our transformative programs, including the leasing of public sugar factories to make them profitable, would not have been possible without the broad-based government," he said.

Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi, Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, MPs, MCAs, clergy and other leaders were among those present. worth

The meeting comes a month after Orengo wrote a letter to President Ruto seeking an audience to discuss what he said developments for the Siaya people.

This followed several months of intense criticism against Ruto's Kenya Kwanza government.

"The purpose of the meeting is to engage you on key development matters affecting the county and to explore collaborative pathways through which the national government and county government can work together to accelerate socio-economic growth of the people," noted Orengo in the letter.

During the burial ceremony of ODM leader Raila Odinga's bodyguard, which was attended by President Ruto, Orengo boldly told ODM supporters that they should stand up and fight for their rights.

Orengo said he cannot be a praise singer, yet they fought for a democratic constitution where people are supposed to speak freely.