Deputy President Kithure Kindiki on Tuesday toured Taita Taveta County, where he inspected a raft of ongoing multi-billion-shilling government projects aimed at transforming the socio-economic landscape of the region.
The Deputy President said the Government has rolled out an ambitious development programme targeting infrastructure, housing, markets, electrification and healthcare, positioning Taita Taveta among counties benefiting from unprecedented national investment.
Speaking during a public sensitization forum at Mwatate Town after inspecting several projects in Mwatate Constituency, Prof. Kindiki noted that road projects worth Sh15.6 billion are currently underway across the county. In addition, affordable housing units, fresh produce markets and student accommodation projects valued at Sh9.8 billion are in various stages of implementation.
“This is the largest infrastructure investment this region has witnessed since Independence in 1963. These projects are designed to uplift livelihoods, open up markets, create jobs and spur economic growth,” he said.
The Deputy President announced that 5,700 households in Taita Taveta are being connected to electricity at a cost of Sh951 million, a move expected to accelerate rural electrification and boost small-scale enterprises.
On healthcare, he revealed that 215,000 residents out of the county’s total population of 340,000 have already been enrolled in Taifa Care, describing it as the most consequential public healthcare programme ever rolled out in Kenya since independence.
Prof. Kindiki urged residents to register for the health cover to ensure universal access to affordable medical services.
Earlier in Mwatunge, the Deputy President inspected the 99 per cent complete Mwatunge ESP Market in Mwatate Constituency. The facility is part of a nationwide programme that will see 400 modern fresh produce markets constructed across the country.
The markets are designed with modern amenities including cold storage rooms, meeting halls, lactating mothers’ rooms and ICT hubs to support e-commerce.
“These facilities will provide dignified trading spaces for grassroots businesses and eliminate the challenges traders face in muddy, dusty or unsafe environments,” he said.
In Taita Taveta County, the Government is constructing the Voi Modern Market at a cost of Sh278 million, alongside ESP markets in Kasigau, Mwatunge, Wundanyi and Taveta at an additional Sh400 million.
In Msau, Mwatate Constituency, the Deputy President assessed progress on the upgrading to bitumen standards of the 55-kilometre Mto Mwagodi–Msau–Mwangea–Mbale–Wundanyi–Werugha–Mgange–Bura Junction A23 road.
The Sh2.1 billion project, currently under construction between Msau and Mwangea, is expected to significantly enhance connectivity within Mwatate and parts of Wundanyi constituencies, easing the transportation of agricultural produce and improving access to markets and social services.
Prof. Kindiki emphasized that the Sh15.6 billion allocated for road construction across Taita Taveta represents the largest road investment in the county since independence.
He further disclosed that the Government will collaborate with local leaders and residents to identify additional priority roads under the soon-to-be operationalized National Infrastructure Fund.
The development tour was attended by Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime, Woman Representative Haika Mizighi, Mwatate MP Peter Shake, Taveta MP John Bwire, Wundanyi MP Danson Mwashako, former Governor John Mruttu, former Woman Representative Joyce Lay, Members of the County Assembly and other local leaders.
Leaders present lauded the national government for prioritizing development in the coastal county, expressing optimism that the projects will stimulate economic growth, create employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for residents.
The Deputy President reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to equitable development across all regions, noting that Taita Taveta’s strategic location and economic potential make it a key beneficiary of ongoing national transformation initiatives.
