Kisumu Governor: We have given loans to traders to cushion them against Covid-19 Pandemic

Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong'o during today's Fourth State of County Address at Tom Mboya Labour College-Photo Courtesy
 

By Dickson Odhiambo

December 2, 2021

Kisumu Governor: We have given  loans to traders to cushion them against Covid-19 Pandemic

Kisumu Governor Prof Anyang Nyong’o has said his Government gave advance loans to traders with a one-year grace repayment period to cushion them from the effects of the containment measures of the pandemic and reinvigorate the trading environment.

Nyong’o says this followed the debilitating effects of the Covid-19 pandemic that adversely affected the business environment across the country and the world in general.

Speaking today in Kisumu during his Fourth State of the County Address at Tom Mboya Labour College, Nyong’o says this fund was able to impact vulnerable households enabling them to pick up their shattered livelihoods.

 He says the results have been quiet impressive, adding that the revitalization of the business sector has come with improved own source revenue generation.

This has translated to an increase of revenue collection by over 100 million shillings in the just concluded financial year, the biggest effect of the loan is seeing people whose livelihoods were shattered back on their feet and able to meet their obligations and take care of their families. I hope that when we come to this August House with a proposal to enhance this fund so as to touch more lives, we shall be heard favourably,” Nyong’o says.

He says as his Government support the business community to pick themselves from the debilitating effects of the pandemic, it is not lost that Micro, Medium and Small Enterprises have in the recent past become the engine of growth for the cooperative movement.

Nyong’o says that it has become an eye opener on how best to mitigate on the flooding issue, adding that they have been able to turn that disaster into an opportunity.

“To this end, we have focused on in-house roads construction and maintenance that will cut out the bureaucratic tapes attached to construction processes while at the same time giving an opportunity to own people at the grassroots to be part of managing their own resources. It is for this reason that we are championing the Roads Maintenance Teams and Machine Based Roads Construction,” Nyong’o adds.

Nyong’o adds that to ensure that these two deliver effectively, the County Government of Kisumu have invested in construction equipment and recruited young people from across the county to be part of this innovative journey of managing the roads infrastructure through the Roads Maintenance Teams.

“Using the machine based strategy for roads management, we were able to open and maintain 160 kilometers of roads across the County. Some of the roads that have benefitted through the program; Riat-Awach Road, Manason - Ogendo road and Kondik – Lunga road to name but just a few. The success could be small against our set targets but it has enabled us to learn areas to tighten to improve efficiency going forward,” he says

The Governor further adds that to ensure longevity of the roads, they have put strong emphasis on holistic roads construction, encompassing run-off water management and protection of road reserves.

“In this regard, roads that are crossed by rivers were mapped and commensurate culverts and water drainages built on those crossing. In the concluded financial year, 10 Box culverts were built to completion.As a measure to roads sustainability, we have adapted use of new technology in road maintenance, “the Clayerete Technology”. Claycrete offers new technology in road maintenance which can sustain roads conditions between 5 to 10 years,” he further adds

 He says the technology has been pioneered in maintaining of Guba-Gita Number Kabongo filter road in Kisumu East constituency.

“This roads stabilization method “Claycrete” has been proven to be environmentally safe and protects roads from erosion caused by run-off water. We have also made a strategic decision to improve our major link roads to bitumen standards. Currently, we contracted the National Youth Service, a government agency, to construct lot one of Namba kapiyo-Bodi-Asat road at cost of 222,182,469 shillings. The 15 kilometre road will open up Ndere Island, a major tourist destination and also help the fisherfolk access markets easily,”