SPEECH BY H.E. GOVERNOR ALFRED N.

MUTUA, EBS
OPENING OF THE 2015 SOUTH EASTERN BRANCH ASK SHOW
ON FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Today is another great day as we celebrate the development of our
Agricultural Sector. I have been very impressed by the stands I
have seen and the creativity exhibited.
I bring you greeting from my brother Governor of Makueni,
Professor Kivutha Kibwana the one o kila nyumba kalila. He
wanted to be with us today but because his County Assembly is
debating his budget, he has to be in Wote. I thank him and his
people of Makueni and those of Kitui for participating in this event.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our Community has for many years been shamed by being given
relief food mulwo.
It is the high time this shame was permanently removed. To do
this, we have to be clear on what we want to achieve as a
Community. Empty words and cries of tribal chest thumping will
not do it.
We, as a people, are tired of being poor and being given food relief
enough is enough. Action is what we want.
Here in Machakos, we have a philosophical action paradigm
called MAENDELEO CHAP CHAP. This is based on the principle of
politics of development.
To achieve this, we plan and act, for the benefits of Mwananchi not
of the self.

I wish to thank the Machakos County Assembly for passing our

2015 2016 budget yesterday.
In the budget, under the principle of Maendeleo Chap Chap, we
have allocated nearly 2.5 billion Shillings to Water. Lazima tumalize
aibu hii ndogo ndogo ya maji.
In the Agriculture Sector, we have committed money to expand our
output. We will provide free seeds to some farmers. We will
distribute chicks kuku.
We have planned to provide subsidised fertilizers and we are going
to construct coolers for proper storage of fish.
We have a program to encourage the growing of green grams
ndengu, which requires little rainfall. We have already identified a
market for them in India.
Our tractor program will continue but this time in a better way
under the closely supervision of the new Minister for Agriculture,
Hon. Ruth Mutua and her Chief Officer, Nimrod Mbai.
To ensure we revitalize the Agriculture sector, I direct the Ministry
of Agriculture to organize a County Agriculture Conference and also
have planning sessions for the sector in every sub-county.

The Ministry in charge of Co-operatives has been doing a good job

and we have to make sure that this is a year of making our Cooperatives money makers.
Let us do things well.

We also have major projects in many other sectors but today is a

day for Agriculture. I call upon the youth to be innovative and to
view agriculture as an opportunity. Demand for food is very high in
the world. Be part of the producers and marketers and make your
money.
My people of Machakos and Ukambani, I thank you for making me
and my Government the number one County in Kenya. We are
honoured and thank God for His blessings and guidance.
We promise to work even harder for you.
To ensure that the little monies are spent well and that every
shilling is squeezed to provide more, my Government will from July
1st, this year, all Machakos Government procurement will be done
electronically.
In conclusion, Ladies and Gentlemen, I congratulate the ASK Board
and to all planners and participants for a wonderful ASK Show. We
need to plan to make this show the most exciting, best organized
and innovative in Kenya.
Finally, we have an opportunity to transform our lives or continue
wallowing in negative and regressive politics. Here, we have no time
to engage in empty rhetoric while our people are suffering. We will
stay focussed by doing Gods work.
Tuendelee na Maendeleo Chap Chap.
I now declare this 2015 South Eastern Branch Show officially open.
June 26th, 2015