KIRINYAGA

COUNTY
GOVERNMENT
MESSAGE FROM THE GOVERNOR

We have a lot to be proud of in Kirinyaga

ver the last three years, Kirinyaga

County has made great strides in
economic and social development.
We have laid a strong foundation for
sustained growth as we embark on our
mission to transform Kirinyaga as the best
county to invest and live in.
While thanking the residents of
Kirinyaga for continued support, I am
happy to report that, all our sectors are

reporting growth. We have a lot to be

proud of.
In agriculture, for instance, we have
seen production and market price almost
double in certain crops like bananas due
to the sound technical support we have
accorded our farmers, such as distributing
high yield hybrid seeds free of charge.
In education, we have seen enrolment
in our ECDE centres grow dramatically as

well as in our polytechnics.

In health, the problem of lack of
drugs is a thing of the past. We have
invested heavily in human resource
and infrastructure. Once all the projects
are complete, there will be a dramatic
turnaround on provision of health
services.
Below are highlights of our successes
in various sectors.

In education, we have
seen enrolment in our
ECDE centres grow
dramatically as well as
in our polytechnics.

The Agriculture, Livestock, and

Fisheries Department

The Health Department

About 80 per cent of our people derive their

livelihoods directly or indirectly from agricultural
activities. This makes agriculture a top priority.
The highlights are:
1. To support Agriculture extension, advisory and
technology Transfer Services, the department
has strengthened its extension service delivery
system and has encouraged private sector
participation. Farmer groups and organisations
have been empowered.
2. In support of food security programmes,
the department has increased availability of
seed for traditional high value crop and has
supported water harvesting projects.
The department has enabled access of
affordable and quality inputs such as fertilizer
and seed.
3. The department has initiated crop specic
development programmes using the value
chain approach. We have identied strategic
food crops such as rice, maize and beans;
horticultural crops such as bananas, sweet
yellow passion, French beans, tomatoes,
avocado and owers; and industrial crops
such as coffee, tea and macadamia. There is
tremendous achievement in this development
programme.
4. To reduce pre and post-harvest losses, the
department has intensied training and
dissemination of appropriate technologies.
We have enhanced surveillance and control of
migratory and other pests.
5. Market access is prerequisite to the development
of agriculture.
The department continues to collate and
disseminate information on the domestic and
export markets for dissemination to producers,
exporters and service providers.
Other strategies are:
1. The County has been building capacity of
farmers on quality assurance for them to meet
local and export market standards.
2. The county has also undertaken to facilitate
formation and organisation of vulnerable farmer

1. We have employed 476 new Health workers,

including nurses, clinical officers, medical
laboratory
technologists,
pharmaceutical
technologists, physiotherapists among other
cadres.
2. We have more than 98 development projects,
both complete and ongoing. These projects
include construction of new dispensaries,
upgrading of existing health facilities,
construction of laboratories, morgues, radiology
departments, purchase of ambulances and
equipping of health facilities among others.

Key highlights:

Immunisation of livestock.

groups to form County associations within the

value chain. These will facilitate negotiation for
better prices.
Examples include:
1. Banana industry has a County umbrella body
that has worked to raise the average price per
kilo from Ksh5 in 2012 to Ksh10 in 2015 to the
benet of farmers.
2. Dairy industry now has an umbrella County
body leading to a rise in average price per litre
of milk from below Ksh20 in 2012 to over Ksh30
in 2015.
3. Formation of dairy goat groups has culminated
in a joint export of the goats to other counties
and the country at large.
4. To enhance production and marketing of high
quality fresh produce a County Horticulture
Producers Association has been formed.
5. The County has organised cassava and sorghum
production groups and linked them to reliable
buyers of the products
6. The County has mobilised its extensive
workforce to provide improved technical
services support to groups.
7. An interactive digital extension service is
in place to provide a dedicated phone SMS
extension service at subsidised cost.
8. Plant clinic service has been set up and is
available to the farmers in the county.
9. The County has supported forums, such as
shows, exhibitions and eld days where other
service providers can contribute to create
awareness on technical issues.

1. Completion of six dispensaries, namely,

Gathuthuma,
Nguguini,
Kiamuthambi,
Kiarukungu, South Ngariama, Kamuiru and
Kiaga dispensaries.
2. Construction of laboratories at Kirogo and
Karimaini dispensaries.
3. Construction of nine new dispensaries in
underserved areas.
4. Construction of X-ray Department at Kianyaga
Hospital, a morgue at Sagana hospital, a modern
maternity block at Kimbimbi Hospital, an X-ray
department at Sagana Hospital, a maternity/
MCH block at Kianyaga Hospital and inpatient
wards at Baricho and Njegas Health Centres.

Opening Gathuthuma Dispensary.

Health equipment and machinery

1. Purchase of Assorted Medical Equipment for 18

health facilities.
2. Four ambulances to supplement the existing
ve.
3. Stand by Generators, Oxygen plants, Morgue
Coolers to be procured this nancial year.
Key Indicators for Health
Indicator
Doctor:
Population Ratio

Immunizing Centers
Fully Immunized
Children
ANC attendance
Skilled Delivery
Rice value addtion.

Immunization of kids.

Notable Completed Infrastructural Projects:

Nurse: Population
Ration

Banana farming.

H.E. Joseph K. Ndathi

Hospital Beds/
100,000

2013

2014

2015

1:21,652 1:18,452 1:13,518

1:1383

1:1246

1:1226

56

69

66

87%

85.2%

88.5%

92.4/48 96.4/60

73 %

92.5 %

92.5 %

75

79

82

Flagging ambulances and garbage collection

trucks.

The Trade Department

To promote investments, the department has
participated in many trade expos, key among them
the Kenya International Investors Conference
(KICCO) at KICC on November 19-20, 2014, where
it showcased over 60 investment opportunities in
the county, ranging from agro-processing, tourism,
infrastructure development, medical and cultural
and educational opportunities.

Value addition;

1. We have provided value addition equipment

to cooperative societies eg milk, coolers,
pasteurizers and freezers. This has increased
milk collection and therefore more earnings to
the small scale farmers.
CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

KIRINYAGA
COUNTY
GOVERNMENT

Highlights of our successes in various sectors

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE
2. Development of open air markets like Kagumo,
Kerugoya and Kagio by laying cabros and market
sheds where small scale traders now operate in
a conducive and clean environment. This in
turn attracts more buyers from far and wide.
Farmers then get encouraged to grow more
fresh produce since there is a ready market for
the same.
3. Installation of ood lights in order to enhance
security and increase trading hours in market
centres
4. Capacity
building
for
Small
scale
traders through trainings, particularly on
entrepreneurial skills. This empowers them to
run and operate business protably.
5. Promoted formation of cooperative societies
in various sectors and improved their corporate
governance. Some of these include Saccos
for savings mobilisation (Boda Boda Saccos
etc), housing saccos for provision of shelter,
agricultural coops for collective marketing,
among others
6. In collaboration with KIE, we have partly
operationalised the incubation centre at
Sagana. These incubatees have created a market
for local produce as well as employment.

Director of Veterinary Services Dr. Gichangi when

he paid a visit at Podago Milk cooling centre.

Children facilities (Day Care Centres).

2. Directorate of Vocational Education and
Training (DVET), under which all the Devolved
polytechnics fall. The Function of Home Craft
Centres is also managed under this directorate.

We have 198 ECDE Centres, and enrolment has

grown from 10,000 before devolution to the
current 15,824: an increase of 5,824 in three years.
We expect this gure to go even higher as we
continue to improve our institutions.

Under the Pre-primary Sub-sector (ECDE), we

did the following:
1. Recruited 403 Caregivers (ECDE-Teachers).
2. Increased levels of enrolments in public ECDE
centres from 10,000 pupils to 15,824 pupils.
3. Increased ECDE Centres to 198.
4. Construction of Exhaustible toilets in 67 ECDE
Centres.
5. Provision of Teaching Learning resources worth
approximately 6M to ECDE Centres.
6. Trained 403 ECDE teachers on Child Counselling
and development of Teaching/ Learning
Materials
7. Provided 5 ECDE centres with appropriate
furniture for pupils & teachers.
8. Provided 20 ECDE Centres with Fixed play
facilities.

Polytechnics

Under the Polytechnics & Home Crafts (DVET),

we have done the following:
1. Absorbed 102 instructors previously under
national governments contracts.
2. Recruited 5 graduates to manage County
Polytechnics.
3. Increased enrolment in Polytechnics from 350
trainees to current 1350 trainees.
4. Establish ICT laboratories in 5 County
Polytechnics.
5. Funded minor varied refurbishment works in 11
polytechnics.
6. Provided initial basic facilities to 6 Home-craft
centres.
7. Provided varied essential tools to 11
polytechnics.
8. Initiated the establishment of production units
in 4 polytechnics.
We also established The Kirinyaga Bursary Fund.
In the rst two years, we have disbursed Ksh110
milion as bursary to needy students, beneting
13,000 of them from all our 20 wards. An additional
Ksh75 million will be disbursed this year.

Supporting
needy
students
with school
fees.

Citizens register for the Kirinyaga Investment

forum held at Kirinyaga University College.

Education Department
The education functions devolved under Schedule
Four Include:
1. Pre-primary education
2. Village polytechnics
3. Home craft centres
4. Childcare facilities
To undertake these functions, the County
Ministry/Department of Education was structured
into two Directorates, namely:
1. Directorate of Early Childhood Development
and Education (ECDE), which takes care of the
functions of Pre-Primary education as well as

In three short years, the enrolment in Polytechnics

has increased from 350 to 1,350. A total of 1,000
students have joined our polytechnics. This is
a massive increase directly attributed to our
interventions, including increased investment
in infrastructure and, absorption of qualied
instructors.

The County has continued to be committed

to ensuring clean and healthy environment and
prudent management of Natural Resources. As a
result, the following benets have been realised;
1. The County tree coverage stand at 21.5 per cent
against the National target of 10 per cent.
2. The lighting of urban centres through high mast
lighting has increased by 56.2 per cent.
3. The County electrication programmes have
seen the number of households connected to
national grid rise to 55,000 households.
4. Enhanced
solid
waste
management
programmes have increased employment
opportunities by two per cent.

Introducing ICT to polytechnics.

Home craft Centres

A farmer at Mwea rice irrigation scheme.

We have a total of six home craft centres based

in all the sub-counties. These centres are running
Programmes such as Brick making, Cookery and
Basic Weaving.

ECDE Classrooms

We have done a total of 24 ECDE classrooms, 77

toilets, provided 20 EDE play facilities, bought
ECDE instructional materials for 198 ECDE centres,
and procured ECDE furniture for 14 centres.

Department of Water, Environment

and Natural Resources
In ensuring the communities in both rural and
urban areas have access to clean and safe water for
domestic, irrigation and industrial use, the county
government has implemented 150 water projects.
So far, the projects have realised the following
benets:
1. 29,900 households have been connected to
piped water.
2. Access to irrigation water has increased by 35
per cent in rural areas.
3. 15,500 households have been provided with
water storage facilities.
4. 80 per cent of County bus parks, markets and
urban centres have access to modern public
sanitation facilities.

ECDE Centres

Governor Joseph Ndathi distributes water tanks to

residents of Nduini in Kanyekini Ward, Kirinyaga
Central. The Governor distributed 200 water tanks
valued at Kshs 3 million. The project Nduini B
Water Project sought to ensure that residents who
were affected by water rationing had storage tanks
to ensure they have a continous water supply.

The Lands Ministry

The key highlights of this department are as
follows:

1. Digital Mapping for Four Priority Towns

in Kirinyaga

a) The work, which is being undertaken by

the Technical University of Kenya, involves
digitalisation of all maps in the four priority
towns, Kerugoya, Kutus, Kianyaga and
Wanguru.
b) Collection of attribute data i.e information on
ownership and sizes through questionnaires.
This has been completed.
c) Aerial survey of the whole county to be done.
This will be transferred to spatial planning.

2. Spatial Planning

a) Consultancy for spatial planning has been

advertised and is in the nal procurement
stage.
b) This is expected to come up with policies on
zoning of towns, valuation rolls, which will

Governor Joseph Ndathi with ECDE kids.

Commissioning water projects at Nyangati.

CONTINUED NEXT PAGE

KIRINYAGA
COUNTY
GOVERNMENT

Highlights of our successes in various sectors

On the 30 per cent procurement rule, the county
has over 300 companies for the youth, women and
people with disabilities (PWDs), who continue to
benet through AGPO.
In empowering PWD a SACCO known as
Kipawa chetu was launched and will go a long
way in helping the vulnerable category. We have
continued to support the vulnerable members of
our society with food during drought. Recently
and in partnership with National Government, we
issued 100 wheelchairs.

FROM PREVIOUS PAGE

guide on how much to charge on rates and
rents. This will reveal all plots that have not
been rated and charged.
c) Policies and development controls and
registrations.

3. Storm Water Drainage

The consultancy of the above has been nalised

and the designs forwarded to the National
Ministry of Land, Housing and Urban Development
(the nanciers of the construction works) for
implementation. These works include storm water
drainages, street lighting and minor road works.

4. Headquarter Building

a) The department facilitated in acquiring land

for construction of the County Headquarter.
b) The construction works commenced on
November 30, 2014 and is expected to be
completed by July 30, 2016.
c) The building has a total of 4575 square metres,
accommodating the Governor, the Deputy
Governor, conference halls and 74 offices.

County HQs under construction.

5. Medical Research Centre

The County has reserved a 100-acre piece of

land within Wamumu area for development of a
Medical Research and Training Institute by KEMRI.
This is a joint project between the County and
National governments to the tune of Ksh12 billion.
It will see the construction of an ultra-modern
medical facility that will include a research centre,
medical school and a Level 6 hospital. This facility
will transform Mwea sub-county and the entire
county.

Signing of the County Budget.

Banking suite that has the following advantages:
(1) Real time settlement of supplier payments via
RTGS
(2) Access to real time bank account balances
(3) Real time inter bank account transfers.
Revenue collection is another important role
of this department. The agship project has been
the development of the Automated Revenue
Collection and Management System.
The development of the revenue management
system was completed in January 2016, and is
currently undergoing testing and approval from
the Commission of Revenue Allocation (CRA) and
National Treasury IFMIS Department.
The entire end-to-end Automated Revenue
Collection Management System is now operational
as well as the E-Procurement.
It is worth noting that Kirinyaga County has been
cited and commended for the award of tenders to
preference groups, namely Youth, Women and
Persons with Disability. The County Treasury
will
continue
to ensure that
the 30 per cent
threshold
is
maintained. The
County also won
an ICT Innovation
award.
ICT Award

Promoting the work of PWD.

2. Foot bridges

In many communities, a foot bridge is the only

access to medical clinics, schools and markets,
which would otherwise be unreachable when
rivers are too high to cross.
Connectivity of road network is a challenge to
Kirinyaga people due to many rivers and their
many tributaries. Transportation of agricultural
produce to the markets and buying centres is
difficulty without construction of many foot
bridges where people can use motorcycle, bicycles
and human traffic.
In the last three years, we have constructed 13
foot bridges initiated by the local community,
namely Ngucii, Kaguyu, Mugumoini, Gatarwa,
Migingo,Kiumbu/Gitoboto, Kimiiri/Karoki, Koroma,
Muratiri, Kangu and Gatundu.

We have had other actives like County Cancer

marathon held on campaign against Cancer in the
county. Thousands people were reached out.

Completed footbridge in Kariti ward.

3. Flood lights
Cancer Marathon.

Department of Youth, Sports

and Gender
Kirinyaga County Government is committed to
developing youth talents and has devoted time
and money for this. To this end, a talent academy
is in the pipeline, where these talents can be
nurtured. Last year, over 400 teams took part in a
countywide sports tournament sponsored by the
County Government.

ii. Kandongu-Ngothi-Rukanga road in Mutithi

Ward.
iii. Marura-Mairungi link road, Kibukure and
Gathanji roads done in Japanese technology
known as Do nou technology all in Kangai
Ward.
iv. Munganga bridge in Kangai.
v. Nguka bridge in Kariti, among others.

Honoring freedom ghters.

Kirinyaga County being an agricultural county,

has many open air markets and attracts business
people from Nairobi, Nakuru, Machakos, Muranga
and many more.
Recently, the county registered tremendous
growth of small towns to large urban centres
Security has been a challenge due to high
exchange of money and especially late at night,
with no adequate lighting. Business used to
close early due to darkness. We have installed
seven oodlights in Kagio, Kutus, Kibirwi, Baricho,
Kimbimbi and Sagana markets with a dramatic
positive impact. Businesses now operate as late as
11pm. Petty crimes have also gone down.

Intergovernmental relations

Transport and Infrastructure

This department is charged with the responsibility
of improvement of County roads, construction
of foot bridges, design and documentation of
construction and improvement of infrastructure,
such as markets, ECDE and health facilities, among
others.

Kemri Centre Master Plan.

The Finance Department

Improvement of service delivery is a key output of
this department. In collaboration with key stake
holders, such as the Central Bank of Kenya, the
County Treasury has successfully deployed an E-

1. Road works
Water Sports at Sagana River.

Among road works done or being worked on are:

i. Kerugoya prison to Kimandi Road in Kerugoya
Ward.

H.E. the Governor with Devolution CS Mwangi

Kiunjuri.