By A, KNA
Leaders from Nyandarua County have renewed calls for equitable sharing of economic returns arguing that the county’s vast natural resources were inadequately compensated despite sharing the same with needy neighbours.
The leaders decried that despite being a key supplier of water and environmental services to neighbouring regions, the county had for decades gotten a raw deal for the revenue allocation.
Speakers including Nyandarua Governor Dr. Moses Kiarie Badilisha, Senator John Methu, and County Assembly Speaker Wachira Waiganjo told the 9th Annual County Assembly Prayer Breakfast in Ol Kalou, that the county remained economically sidelined even as it sustains major water-dependent economies
They cited the exploitation of Sasumwa Dam and the Aberdare Ranges, resources that have supported Nairobi and surrounding areas for decades but there was nothing tangible in return to show for it.
“The county continues to bear environmental management costs without receiving proportional economic benefits,” Badilisha said.
Governor Badilisha emphasized the urgent need to correct this historical imbalance, announcing that his administration is finalizing a Natural Resource Management Bill to be tabled before the County Assembly.
The proposed law aims to ensure that residents benefit directly from the resources they conserve and protect.
Senator Methu said he will push for the fast-tracking of the long-delayed national Water Resources Management Bill, arguing that its passage will pave the way for Nyandarua to finally claim its rightful share from water resources that serve other counties.
He also called for an intensified fight against corruption across all levels of government, insisting that every public shilling must be safeguarded.
Speaker Waiganjo called on residents to actively participate in the county’s development agenda, reminding them that an informed and engaged electorate plays a central role in guiding leaders and shaping progress.