Siaya: Promotion of Staff is Long overdue — CS Ogutu

By Eric Omwombo 

Siaya County Secretary Joseph Ogutu has advised the departments and agencies working on the 2024/2025 budget to focus on projects that aims at transforming lives of Siaya people economically.

“Small scale projects identified for execution by the devolved resources has not achieved much and so we believe if half of budget is put on flagship projects and the other half roll out such programs, it would be the best balancing,’ said Ogutu.

Ogutu made remarks during the Medium Term Budget Forum.

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“we have changed tack and resorted to key projects, including tarmacking Ugunja market ring road, Yala Hospital road and SDA –Hospital roads that support investors doing businesses in Siaya,”

While speaking at the same function Governor James Orengo said his admininistration had set up more than one thousand projects in the current financial year.

“the flagship projects will transform the county’s economy and benefit more residents adding that in the current financial year we have more than 1000 little projects which are difficult to procure and supervise.

 “the capital projects to be prioritized must be aligned to the Nyalore manifesto which is anchored on the 9 economic pillars,’ said Orengo adding that though departments are guided by ceilings, there must be adequate funding to execute the programs.

He proposed that half of the development budget be used to roll out flagship projects that would be visible and evidenced.

“It should be projects that can be counted over a period of time while the other half of the development budget to facilitate other services that are equally benefiting electorates at the Wards,’ he added.

Orengo said he was committed towards completing some of the flagship projects initiated by his predecessor including Siaya modern stadium.

“We also have in this financial year health projects such as Siaya funeral Parlour being done at Sh 17 million, Sh 150 million Urenga level four hospital, a Sh 35 million Yala maternity complex, Installed Sh 60 million rice mill at Siriwo, and Ugunja market ring road, Yala Hospital roads and Rabango-SDA roads are undergoing upgrade into bitumen standards,” said Orengo.

However, the CS also directed departments to put a reasonable amount on their respective dockets meant to facilitate allowances of staffs responding to government duties locally and internationally.

Ogutu regretted that funds previously prioritized in the budgets were so little hence facilitating few trips just in the first quarter yet it was meant for a full year.

“its true that staffs ought to be facilitated as they respond to governments duties so its upon the technical working groups doing the budget estimates to put huge resources that would handle the issue even up to the third quarter,” Ogutu said.

“it’s so unfortunate that few trips in the first quarter exhausts the DSA allowances of some departments, sometimes its consumed by just domestic trips and not international that means that the budget is not done properly.

“Let’s purpose with the ceilings, put adequate budget to sustain your activities in terms of local traveling’s and international where applicable,” he added.

Ogutu at the same time proposed for the training budget be handled by Human resource directorate for ease access of funds to the applicants.

The CS asked departments to allocate resources in the 2024/2025 budgets meant to promote staffs.

“the promotion of the staffs is long overdue and it’s their right for them to be promoted so as we do the budget, fix it,” said Ogutu.