Residents of Mogotio sub-county, Baringo County, will now access government services conveniently after the government established a new Huduma Centre in Mogotio town.
Residents who initially had to travel as far as Nakuru County or over 100 kilometres to access important services have a reason to smile with the opening of the country’s 59th Huduma centre in their sub-county.
Highlighting the services to be offered at the Centre, Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, who officiated the opening, said the centre will be a relief to the residents who were covering long distances to access critical government services.
“That tedious journey to Nakuru and Eldama Ravine has come to an end, the services you will get, courtesy of the government, include driving licences, Uwezo fund services, Adult Education, KRA services, Company registration, police clearance, group registration, SHA registration, among others,” proclaimed the CS.
Ruku also remarked on the new SHA directive which requires members to pay premiums annually, advising Kenyans to use the Hustler Fund Website and select ‘lipa SHA pole pole’, saying if they do so, they will be able to pay SHA in instalments.
He exuded confidence in the government development track record, saying president Dr. William Ruto has achieved more than his predecessors and cannot even be a match to the current opposition outfit.
The CS highlighted the many government development projects currently being undertaken in Mogotio, including the Sh55 million sports academy, the Sh1.5 billion Affordable Housing Project, which has already been tendered, the Sh300 million Emining TVET hostel and the Sh3 billion Kipkitur-Kisanana road.
Ruku also stated that Sh3.2 billion has been allocated in this new financial year for the tarmacking of the new Poro-Sirwa-Ochii road as well as Sh100 million for the new Mogotio Livestock Training Institute.
The CS was accompanied by area member of parliament Reuben Kiborek and his Keiyo North and Eldama Ravine counterparts Adams Kipsanai and Musa Sirma, respectively, who applauded the Huduma Centre initiative, saying they have witnessed the transformation in service delivery courtesy of the initiative.
According to Huduma Centre CEO Mr. Benjamin Kai Chilumo, the new centre will offer 52 government services as well as 22,000 digitised government services to the residents as it eases the cost of accessing the services to the residents.
“The centre is a first of its kind, as it is fully powered by solar energy; thus, there will be no service interruptions occasioned by power outages, we are also going to do the same to all the other 58 centres across the country,” said Chilumo.
He assured the residents that in line with the government’s Bottom-up Economic Transformation Agenda (BETA), the institution will strive to offer excellent services to Kenyans.
Area residents could not hide their joy on the auspicious occasion, narrating how they travelled long distances to access government services.
A local youth, Alfred Sergon, said they will leverage on the free and fast internet at the centre to access job opportunities.
“We used to travel to access government services in Kabarnet or Nakuru, thus incurring a lot of transport expenses, but thanks to this new huduma centre, all that will be in the past, as we will now be accessing the services here,” said Selly Kipsang, another happy resident.
By Christopher Kiprop
