Uasin Gishu County has embarked on an ambitious program of improving infrastructure projects as it prepares for the devolution conference that will take place in Eldoret in August this year.
Governor Jonathan Bii has also urged business people to start preparing early for the big event that will attract many visitors and investors to the town.
“As locals, plan to receive many visitors. Those with hotels and other related businesses also plan to benefit from this conference,” said the county boss.
Aside from an anticipated boom in the hotel business, the 2023 devolution conference is also expected to come as a blessing to the town’s infrastructure.
The program to improve the infrastructure will involve drainage and paving of the roads within the town.
Bii said the County is working in partnership with Kenya Urban Roads Authority on the program to upgrade roads and open drainages to control storm waters.
After two years
Already his administration has made major strides by completing over 500 kilometres of roads under the ongoing grading program in all wards.
The Council of Governors (CoG) last week agreed that the 2023 devolution conference be hosted in the city of champions.
This will be the first conference that will be held after every two years – a change from the previous tradition where it was an annual event.
“The conference will adopt a break-away session format. Proposed sessions include urban development, affirmative action, natural resources management, health, agriculture and trade,” the CoG said in a statement on February 2, 2023.
A decision to move the conference to after two years was agreed upon in 2021.
Governors that were serving at the time said a year was too short to gauge the progress of resolutions usually reached during the conference.
“One year is quite short to implement all the recommendations proposed. To allow governors fully implement the recommendations, starting next year, the Devolution Conference will be held once every two years,” said former Kisii Governor James Ongwae, then the CoG vice chairperson.
Eldoret City status
Meanwhile, the conference scheduled for August 16-19 is themed “10 years of Devolution: The Present and Future”. It also comes at a time Eldoret is pushing for the city status – hosting the national event successfully might just be an affirmation that the town is ready for an elevation.
Past devolution conferences have been graced by not only the President and his deputy but also other high-ranking leaders – from Speakers of the National Assembly and Senate to Cabinet Secretaries.
The 2022 devolution conference was held in Narok County
