Kajiado, County, one of Kenya’s most troubled regions, is set to benefit from a Ksh1.2 billion ($11.8 million) grant from the East African country’s national government.
The County, which has been prone to acute water shortages and lacks adequate infrastructure to supply its residents with electricity, is finally getting the boost it needs to drive its economic development.
Kajiado County Governor, Joseph Ole Lenku, recently commissioned a newly built dam with a capacity of 37,000 cubic metre at Iyarat Village, Loodokilani ward in Kajiado.
“I urge the pastoralists in Kajiado to diversify their sources of livelihood,” he said at an event to commemorate the launch.
The announcement comes barely a week after the Governor commissioned a game-changing borehole in Ildamat Ward in the country’s Kajiado Central area.
The move was part of a partnership with Kenya’s Devolution Ministry. At the time, Ole Lenku welcomed Devolution Ministry Cabinet Secretary, Eugene Wamalwa to Kajiado for the equipping of 50 boreholes which are part of the grant from the national government.
The boreholes are aimed at benefiting approximately 450,000 residents.
Governor Ole lenku had previously joined Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta, Industrilazation Cabinet Secretary Aden Mohammed and other leaders in the commissioning of a cement plant and a 15 Mega Watt power plant in the region.
The two facilities are aimed at making Kajiado a major player in Kenya’s industrialization industry.
The County has long been seen as a somewhat backwater region with little to offer the rest of the country in terms of revenue and gross domestic product (GDP) growth.
However, recent investments have helped the County prove its worth and redefine its potential.
Ole Lenku said he is hopeful that the new initiatives will help drive his County’s economic development.
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