Avail public records, Nyandarua officials told

The County Government of Nyandarua wants its officials to freely avail public records.

Speaking at a forum on media and public participation held at the Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) in Ol’Kalou, County Secretary Mr. Frank Muchina said the government is keen on informing, consulting and involving citizens in all county affairs.

“For us, an interested party may be any person or group of people with an interest to protect, a stake in an issue, or knowledge to contribute, and whose participation is critical to ensure wide acceptability of the Government’s undertakings,” he said.

County officials, he said, must ensure that citizens can access public records and are continuously updated on county activities, to increase their understanding about proposed projects and services.

“If a member of the public requests a record, a responsible authority must provide a copy of the record in a timely manner,” he said.

And while the county is committed to engaging its residents across various platforms, Mr. Muchina warned that 2017 campaigns were fast interfering with sober discussions.

“How we can avoid politics in public participation is a serious business for us all,” he said.

Journalists in Nyandarua, he said, must give voice to residents and push their interests into the county’s agenda.

“Beyond looking at the failures of the Government, journalists can publish and broadcast success stories that bring out its efforts and struggles to ensure that the public gets value for its money and there is fairness in sharing and utilization of resources,” he said.

Members of the public called on the county government to increase its financial support for women, sportspeople, environmentalists, small scale traders, the disabled and people living with HIV/Aids and include them in its activities.

The County Executive Committee member in charge of Finance and Economic Planning, Mr. Nderi Ndiani, assured participants at the forum that the county will continue using Churches, public barazas and bodabodas to deliver public notices even as it invests in modern tools of communication.

He said the government has increased its allocation for HIV/Aids this year to Kshs. 4 million, and bought medicine worth Kshs. 100 million for the JM Kariuki Memorial Hospital in Ol’Kalou.

“We will buy required equipment at the hospital, as we wait for the national government to act on its obligations,” he said.

The forum was organized by Media Focus in Africa.

“It is our last after similar engagements in Narok and Taita Taveta counties, but the first time high-level officials of a county have attended any of our fora and also remained to respond to public queries,” said Mr. Harrison Manga, the organisation’s project co-ordinator.

Israel To Partner With Nyandarua County In Pediatric Hospital

Israeli’s largest children hospital has agreed to partner with Nyandarua County in putting up the first ever paediatric hospital in this region to be located in Ol’Kalou town.
This emerged yesterday after the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Nyandarua Governor H.E. Daniel Waithaka Mwangi and the President of Shneider Children Hospital Prof. Joseph Press.
The event in Ol’Kalou town was witnessed by Israeli ambassador to Kenya H.E. Yahel Vilan, the Speaker of Nyandarua County Assembly Hon. Wahome Ndegwa, several Members of the County Assembly, officials from the county government and key members of the Israeli delegation led by the Ambassador.
The MoU “concerns the collaboration in the area of technical support and human resource development in the health sector in the proposed development of the Nyandarua County Children’s Hospital.”
Schneider, one of the largest children hospitals in the world, undertakes over 8,000 open-heart surgeries per year and has some of the most experienced doctors in dealing with ailments that affect children.
Speaking outside his office, before he conducted the delegation on a tour of the proposed site for the construction of the hospital, the governor said the events leading to the signing of the MoU was a “dream come true.”
“We have travelled a long journey with our partners from Israel and have exchanged visits, but the events today mark a major development in the economic partnership between us,” he said.
Ambassador Vilan was equally pleased with the new development, declaring that Israelis were in “Nyandarua to stay.”
He said Israeli professionals will work with the leadership of Nyandarua in carrying out major projects in the areas of water, agriculture, health and infrastructure.”
“We have resolved to work with Nyandarua and we expect this will be a model county in the development of water, health and agriculture,” declared the ambassador.
While touring the site for the proposed hospital, the ambassador declared that Israelis had major experience in harnessing water which they hoped to use for the benefit of the people of Nyandarua.
“I hear some people talk of dry areas in Kenya; I have not seen any such areas unless one has not visited our country and see what we have done to generate water from the desert,” he said.
Speaker of County Assembly Hon. Ndegwa Wahome declared the Assembly was solidly behind the executive in the implementation of de development projects by partners from Israel.
“There are some people who don’t appreciate anything that is being done by others but we shall not allow them to derail these projects which are for public good,” declared the Speaker.
Mr. Wahome said it was the height of hypocrisy for individuals serving in the government to antagonize the leadership of the county for selfish reasons.
The delegation was later conducted on a tour of tourist sites and overflew Lake Ol’bolosat before visiting Thomson’s Falls in Nyahururu town.
The event was attended by executive committee members who included Dr. Peter Kung’u (Health), Grace Gitonga (Water and energy), Agatha Thuo (Agriculture), Peter Gathimba (Tourism and Sports), Gitau Thabanja (Lands), Judy Mwangi (Co-operatives) and Peter Macharia (Education, Youth and culture).