President William Ruto has emphasized the need for governors to rethink how to grow their own sources of revenue to help spur development in their counties....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
President William Ruto has emphasised the need for governors to rethink how to grow their own sources of revenue to help spur development in their counties.
Speaking Tuesday when he launched the second phase of the Kenya Urban Support Program (KUSPs), Ruto reminded the county bosses that money being offered by the World Bank for the project is a loan that must be repaid.
World Bank is releasing $300 million which is about Sh40 billion to 45 counties excluding Nairobi and Mombasa for various urban development projects.
“That Sh40 billion is a loan, it is not free money and it is money that has been contributed by other countries, and those countries have had to collect money from citizens to give to the World Bank so that they can loan to us,” he said.
“It’s just as simple as that,” he remarked.
He said even as the countries use other people’s savings, there was need of an urgent need to focus on growing own savings.
“This loan, we have to pay, there is no free lunch anywhere in the world. We must begin to internalize our own source revenue,” Ruto said.
He noted that as the national government, they are currently exploring ways to raise its taxes to finance projects and avoid overreliance on foreign loans.
The head of state also acknowledged the conditions set by the body for the counties to assess the money.
He said this being a loan, World Bank is in order to tighten the rules to safeguard it from getting lost.
Ruto at the same time, urged the governors to consider giving full autonomy to the municipal boards in their counties so that it can deliver on their mandate.
“It is a mark of very strong leadership if you can delegate and make sure that these municipalities have some measure of autonomy for them under your supervision to deliver on the program that you give to them,” he stated.
The KUPS2, he noted, will also be crucial in terms of governance relations between municipalities, cities, counties and national government on how they relate for the better delivery of program.
The program is spearheaded by the government with support from the World Bank.
It the project is strategically designed to fortify urban institutions’ capacities, thereby enhancing the delivery and resilience of urban infrastructure and services.
It also aims to catalyze greater private sector engagement in urban planning processes, amplifying the program’s impact on sustainable urban growth.
One of the key focal points of KUSP2 is its commitment to supporting the transition of refugee camps into integrated host communities and refugee settlements.
Aligned with this encompassing objective, the project will support reforms, interventions, and actions in five Results Areas (RAs).
These are strengthened institutions for urban service delivery and integrated planning for inclusive and resilient urban areas.
Other RAs are more inclusive and resilient urban services and infrastructure, improved private sector engagement and improved integrated development for refugees and host communities.
The program for results (PforR) will support some elements of the government program.
Expanding on the groundwork established by KUSP1, this second phase represents a continuation of efforts to bolster Kenya’s urban landscape.
KUSP1 focused on providing capacity building and institutional support to 45 counties.
This targeted approach aim to address the lack of dedicated institutions for urban management, which poses significant challenges to effective urban development..CONTINUE READING>>
