SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR OF KIRINYAGA COUNTY HON

JOSEPH K NDATHI DURING THE GROUNDBREAKING CEREMONY FOR THE

TH
CONSTRUCTION OF THE COUNTY HEADQUATERS AT KUTUS TOWN ON 30
OCTOBER, 2014.
THE COUNTY COMMISSIONER,
THE SENATOR, KIRINYAGA COUNTY
HON SPEAKER, KIRINYAGA COUNTY ASSEMBLY
MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT
WOMAN REP
MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY ASSEMBLY
MAJORITY LEADER
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
FELLOW CITIZENS OF KIRINYAGA COUNTY
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN
Let me begin by saying how happy I am to preside over this occasion which is the
beginning of a new dawn for our county. Today, we mark an important milestone
in the development of our county as we launch the construction of an ultra-
modern County Headquarters. It is also an important milestone for me because
construction of a new headquarters at Kutus Town was one of my key campaign
pledges. It is one of the reason that you elected me and I am happy that today, we
are gathered here to witness the fulllment of that promise.
Once completed this will be a game-changer in terms of service delivery to the
people. Currently, our staff are scattered around the county due to lack of ofce
space. This has had undesirable impact on service delivery as locating relevant
staff has been a difcult task for residents.
The HQs will bring all key decision makers under one roof making coordination of
development activities faster and more efcient. It will be a one-stop shop.
As you have seen in the plans, the building is an architectural masterpiece that
will alter the skyline of Kutus Town and spark a raft of economic activities. Kutus
Town will never be the same again once this headquarters is built.
The building consists of ground and four other oors. It will accommodate The
Finance Ministry, on the ground oor, The Governor and the Deputy Governor's
ofce will be on the second oor while County Public Service Board and Land
Management Board will be on the Fourth Floor. The other ofces are shared
equitably to other ministries. The building has one main staircase, two re
escapes, two lifts and ramp for our physically challenged brothers and sisters.
The building has been designed with two wings both facing North South Direction
to prevent direct sunlight, big windows to allow view and ventilation. It will allow
good working environment for the ofcers. The layout follows the modern open
ofce plan which creates a conducive working environment.
The design and material use is enviromentary friendly and we have made it as a
condition of the contract to ensure there is no environmental degradation.
I am encouraging the contractors to use local labour as much as possible unless
they lack the capacity they require. This will ensure the people of this town and
the Ccounty in general benet by providing labour and building materials where
necessary.
Externally they will be well manicured lawns and indigenous trees to allow for
relaxation and beauty. Parking will be cabro works.
It's the best designed building in the county and once completed will give Kutus
town a new skyline. It is expected it will spark development in this town. The road
to the new headquarters will be tarmacked and help improve the town and open
up new business opportunities for. A street lighting project for the town is also
underway and will be announced as soon the plans are complete.
Ladies and gentlemen
The decision to make Kutus the Headquarters of this county was made long before
I even became Governor in a process steered by among others the professionals
from this county. During my campaigns I promised to ensure that the will of the
Kirinyaga People will be respected and I undertook to build the headquarters
within this term.
One reason was distribute development more evenly in the spirit of devolution of
services and give all our towns a chance to grow. It was also meant to decongest
Kerugoya Town which was already facing challenges in getting land for expansion.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Our county has recently expirienced rapid urbanization within our major towns like
Kutus, Wang'uru, Kianyaga, Kagio, Sagana and Kerugoya. This however has been
happening without requisite tools to guide such urban development. The result has
been mushrooming of incompatible land uses and developments, lack of space to
provided for critical public utilities like storm water and sewerage among others.
My Government recognises the important role played by urban planning in
countering these challenges so as to enhance livelihoods and service delivery to our
people. It is from this cognisance that, through the Ministry of Land, Housing and
Urban Development, we have embarked on the preparation of the county spatial plan
whose implementation will create a more rational organisation of land uses and the
linkages between them, to balance demands for development with the need to protect
the environment, and to achieve social and economic objectives for the county. The
process will embrace measures to coordinate the spatial impacts of other sectoral
policies, to achieve a more even distribution of economic development between the sub
counties, and to regulate the conversion of land and property uses.
Ladies and gentlemen
We have also begun the preparation of Development and zoning Plans, with priority
being given to Kutus as the county headquartes. Other towns to be planned within this
nancial year are Wang'uru, Kianyaga, Kagio, Sagana and Kerugoya. These were
identied as the fastest growing urban centres that call for urgent development
control. The plans will also avert the many boundary disputes being expirienced in our
towns, improve county revenue through property rating and ensure controlled urban
development.
Kutus as the county's headquarters offers a great opportunity for the growth of the
county due to its strategic central location, accessibility in and out of the county,
ample land for planning, zoning and expansion of the town and the great investment
potentials in from the demands that will created by the exisitence of Kirinyaga
University College. My Government is working with the Housing department in
developing incentives that will attract private investors to the housing sector to
adequately meet the high demand for this service that is expected to tripple in the next
ve years.
Thank you and God
bless You