A concern has been raised over the low number of people seeking services at the Kamwangi Huduma Centre, with officials calling on residents of Gatundu North and Gatundu South to take greater advantage of the facility.
Data from the centre shows that about 44,578 people have accessed services since its launch in January, a figure officials say remains low compared with the population in the two sub-counties and the demand for government services.
Kamwangi Huduma Centre manager Susan Ndisya said the low turnout was worrying given that the facility was established to bring essential government services closer to residents who previously had to travel several kilometres to the Huduma Centre in Thika town.
The centre, located in Chania Ward, Gatundu North, serves residents from both Gatundu North and Gatundu South and offers services from various government agencies.
Before its establishment, residents seeking services such as civil registration, national identification documents, police clearance, National Social Security Fund (NSSF) services and other government services had to travel to Thika, incurring additional transport costs and spending more time on the journey.
Ndisya said residents should make greater use of the centre instead of travelling to Thika for services that are now available locally.
She further urged residents who had applied for national identity cards to collect them, saying 91 uncollected IDs were currently at the centre.
She said increased use of the facility would help residents save time and money spent travelling to Thika while also ensuring that the government services brought closer to the people were fully utilised.
By Charles Muoki
