Kilifi County is ready for business: ‘Karibuni’

By Gideon Mung’aro, Kilifi Governor

As Kenya marks 10 years under a devolved system of government, Kilifi County is among regions that are recording some life-changing socio-economic progress.

Since taking oath of office, I have been deliberate in seeking partnerships and collaborations to improve service delivery and ensure the people of Kilifi are able to access quality services and maximise fully on the fruits of devolution.

Kilifi County Mashinani

Devolution came to bring decision-making and resources closer to the people. As the County Government of Kilifi, we took an extra step to take county services down to the grassroots level. Indeed, this year, I launched Kilifi County Mashinani, a programme for deliberately taking county government services closer to people, while at the same time giving them an opportunity to participate in decision-making and consult their leaders and the county cabinet regarding the issues affecting them. This has enabled us to budget for and implement initiatives that target the needs of our people.

For the 11 months I have been in office, I have dedicated myself and my administration to diligently work towards achieving the comprehensive 10-point campaign pledge contained in my manifesto to address critical areas, including leadership, healthcare, education, water accessibility, agriculture, infrastructure, tourism, sports, trade, employment, entrepreneurship, conservation, environment, and resource management.

To achieve this, I appointed my cabinet of County Executive Committee Members (CECMs) to drive my administration’s development agenda in the 10 departments they serve. These departments are:

• Department of Gender, Culture, Social Services, Youth and Sports

• Department of Public Works, Roads, and Transport

• Department of Water, Environment, Natural Resources, and Climate Change

• Department of Tourism, Trade, and Co-operative Development

• Department of Finance and Economic Planning

• Department of Public Services, Special Programmes, and Disaster Management

• Department of Health Services and Sanitation

• Department of Lands, Energy, Housing, Physical Planning, and Urban Development

• Department of Education and ICT

• Department of Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Blue Economy

• County Attorney.

Kilifi County Integrated Development Plan 2023-2027

In collaboration with the Department of Finance and Economic Planning, and a team of economists, we laid out our development plan for the next five years – Kilifi County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP III) 2023/2027. We were the second county in the country to do so.

To achieve this plan, we have been engaging stakeholders, partners, and investors, and signing strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs). For instance, we are collaborating with VZW Kitanda to supply clean water to the arid and semi-arid lands (ASAL) in Kilifi. With support from the National Government, we have secured a significant water project worth Ksh1.9 billion in Kayafungo. This and other valuable partnerships are enabling us to achieve our goal of reducing the distance of water points to households to less than 5Km.

Effective revenue collection is crucial to the sustainability and achievement of our development goals. We are digitising revenue collection and implementing programmes where investors, via MOUs, can contribute to the county’s development.

We have partnered with Safaricom to install “My County App”, that will enable one to pay for services remotely, thus reducing bureaucracy, and get updated on progress in the county. 

My administration is committed to creating an enabling environment for investors and partners to thrive and invest in our communities. This will go a long way to improve and transform the livelihoods of our people, one household at a time.

We are collaborating with the Chinese Chambers of Commerce to establish a special economic zone, which will create thousands of jobs.

Technology is key in our development agenda. I believe we can solve some of the solutions and challenges we face, using technology. We are collaborating with Power Learn Project to equip our young people with the necessary employability and innovation skills.

We continue to invest in our healthcare facilities and ensure they are well-supplied. We have partnered with the Iranian government to skill our health professionals.

Food security

Food security is key in my development agenda, to ensure that Kilifi is food secure. Since taking office, we have provided our farmers with extension services and farm inputs. We have been running trainings and exhibitions to give farmers an opportunity to increase their knowledge and expertise, so that they may boost their productivity, venture into agribusiness, and embrace climate-smart agriculture for sustainable food production all year round.

Devolution has given Kilifi County an opportunity to unlock its economic potential and realise its development goals by reducing inequalities and discrimination, promoting gender equality and increased access to quality services, addressing youth unemployment, and championing inclusivity.

As we reflect on the future, we will continue to collaborate with the National Government, investors, partners, and other stakeholders, to ensure all residents of Kilifi enjoy the fruits of devolution. Kilifi is ready for business. We bring you the details here.