By Our correspondent
Wajir county on monday unveiled county integrated development plan (CIDP), a blueprint which governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud envisions will go a long way in improving livelihoods of its residents within the next five years.
In his speech during the launch at ICT hall, governor Mohamud said the five-year integrated plan dubbed Wajir County CIDP 2018-2022 will give first priority to projects and programmes with the highest and direct impacts to communities suffering in quagmire of poverty.
“The CIDP preparation process will strive to mainstream key cross cutting areas affecting county development which inter alia include: Climate Change; Disaster Risk Reduction, Ending Drought Emergencies; Gender, Youth and people abled differently; Environmental degradation and HIV/AIDS among others,” the county boss stated “There is need for all departments to mainstream these key areas in their priority programmes and projects.”
More focus, governor Mohamud said will be leaned towards areas of food security, social economic infrastructure including health, water, education and roads projects, empowerment of youth and women where he said there will be “increased investment.”
While indicating the economic blue-print will pay special attention in environmentally sustainable solutions with more emphasis on renewable energy and afforestation programmes, Wajir CEO hinted the idea will not work in isolation but linked strongly to other national developments plans as well as regional and international plans.
“Specifically our CIDP will have linkages with Vision 2030, Agenda 2063 and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This will ensure that our priorities are linked with national, regional and international development priorities,” the governor noted in his speech.
Under the strategic plan he described as in line with the Constitution of Kenya 2010 and county government act 2012 the governor pointed out the process will be highly participatory.
“Article 220(2) (a) of the Constitution states that ‘national legislation shall prescribe the structure of development plans and budgets’. The County Government Act 2012 (Part XI) stipulates that ‘county planners should prepare 5-year integrated county development plans and annual county budgets to implement them” said Mahmud adding “CIDP process will actively start today December 11, 2017 and continue for the next three months up to end of February 2018. It will involve the communities, county and national departments; development partners; NGO’s and all other stakeholders.”
He therefore urged sector working groups (SWGs) to strive in coming up with comprehensive priorities for the five years plan period.
He said his government has planned a series of public participation forums from december13, 2017 to seek community’s views and ensure citizens’ participation.
In addition the governor said contribution of elected leaders, partners and stakeholders are sought and taken on board during various validation and stakeholders’ consultation forums.
“I urge the CECs to take charge of their departments and ensure that there is high level participation from their respective departments in order to ensure successful programmes and projects.”
The whole process, he said will be engineered by the department of finance and economic planning.
“My government welcomes the development partners and NGO’s support towards the CIDP preparation process through technical and financial assistance. I wish to reiterate that we will establish a policy and institutional framework to help us in the implementation of the County Integrated Development Plan 2018-2022.”
