At the 2025–2026 budget public participation forum in Lokichar, area residents voiced strong support for deeper community engagement, oversight mechanisms, and urgent investment in education, water, and health services.
Maclewis Erukudi, a village administrator from Kalapata Ward, called for institutionalization of ward and village level accountability structures where the respective administrators are fully involved in project execution.
“Many times contractors come on site and leave out the area administrator, some even fail to offer information to the office. This budget can help us address the issue by allocating funds for such inclusion,” he said.
Noting that the move would ensure transparency, the village administrator added that it would provide a platform for involvement of the public as the watchdog of public expenditure.
“We need proper project implementation committees on the ground. Without local oversight, it becomes difficult to track what is done and what is left pending,” he added.
Residents also highlighted the need for more Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres, functional health facilities, and reliable water sources, with several speakers emphasizing the need for action following their input to the document.
“We even want the budget to have timelines for the proposed projects. In this way, the community will be able to report cases of delay or abandonment of projects by rogue contractors,” said a participant from Katilu.
The inclusion of priority projects in the County Fiscal Strategy Paper (CFSP) was acknowledged, but community members said they would be closely following up to ensure the final budget reflects what was discussed.
By Peter Gitonga
