By J, KNA
Baringo County Commissioner Stephen Kutwa has called on National Government Administration Officers (NGAO) in the county to familiarize themselves with their cross-cutting roles and responsibilities in order to effectively articulate, explain, and implement government policies and programmes at the grassroots level.
Kutwa said the national government has invested heavily in training and refresher courses for administrators, making it imperative for officers to apply the modern knowledge and skills acquired to address emerging issues and respond to concerns raised by communities.
“You are the eyes and ears of the government in the field and should be well placed to explain to wananchi what the government is doing, planned projects, and the status of their implementation,” he said.
The County Commissioner made the remarks on Friday while closing a two-day sensitization workshop on the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA) for National Government Administration Officers and county departmental implementing agencies, held at a Kabarnet resort.
Kutwa urged NGAO officers to work closely with line ministries implementing flagship programmes under BETA to ensure smooth and effective execution of government projects.
“These programmes cut across key pillars such as agricultural transformation, universal health coverage, affordable housing and markets, micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), the digital superhighway, and the creative economy,” he emphasized.
He further called on administrators to leverage modern administrative and leadership skills to address social challenges bedeviling communities, including drug and substance abuse as well as gender-based violence, which remain deeply rooted in some areas of the county.
During the forum, facilitated by Dr. Loise Rono, Advisor on Health (SHA) in the Executive Office of the President, Maureen Mutai, Communications Officer from the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, and Joel Sumaai, the Government Delivery Unit (GDU) Director in charge of Baringo and Elgeyo Marakwet counties, Kutwa urged departmental heads to take their mandates seriously.
He said effective coordination and accountability were critical for the President to realize his economic growth agenda and elevate the country’s development trajectory to levels achieved by Asian economic powerhouses such as Singapore.
Dr. Rono challenged NGAO officers to take a leading role in mobilizing residents to register with the Social Health Authority (SHA) to ensure access to quality healthcare services at the village level.
She revealed that so far, 316,000 out of an estimated population of 666,000 people in Baringo County have registered for SHA, a figure she said remains low for a county that heavily depends on government-supported health services.
The health expert noted that increased registration would enhance healthcare access and contribute to improved socio-economic outcomes across the county.