The County Assembly of Embu has set aside Sh100 million for the construction of an industrial park that will also double as an agricultural aggregation center.
The money that was allocated in a supplementary budget passed during a special sitting on Wednesday will be upped to Sh250 million as a counter fund for a similar amount by the Ministry of Trade to bring the total to Sh500 million.
The legislators lauded the move to set up the industrial park cum aggregation center at Machang’a Agricultural Mechanization Services (AMS) center as a milestone in promoting devolution.
Mavuria MCA Ngari Mbaka who is the minority leader stated that completion of the project will boost agriculture in the entire county.
In the supplementary budget, the assembly also approved allocation of Sh50 million counter fund to the National Agricultural and Rural Inclusive Growth Project (NARIGP) for coffee revitalization program in eight factories in a bid to get them back to profitability.
Meanwhile, the assembly sought to address the problem of pending bills within the County Government.
Governor Cecily Mbarire’s administration inherited bills worth over Sh2 billion from the former regime which eats into development funds.
The Ward representatives demanded to be supplied with a list of valid and ineligible pending bills as well as the ongoing projects following verification by a committee that looked into the matter.
They argued that some of the bills dismissed as ineligible for payment may be genuine calling for a thorough scrutiny by the house.
The budget also factored in a new official vehicle for the governor, as the one she inherited from her predecessor has been suffering embarrassing breakdowns, forcing her to hike lifts.
The motion of Sh5, 109, 351, 387 supplementary budget was moved by the Chairman of the County Assembly Budget and Appropriations Committee Johnson Mwariama of Kagaari North Ward.
Source: Kenya News Agency