Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday launched a three-year post-COVID-19 socio-economic recovery strategy for county governments. The 132 billion shillings (1.19 billion U.S. dollars) recovery plan prioritizes agriculture, water and sanitization, urban development and housing, transport, tourism, health, education, social protection, and gender and youth as anchor sectors that will help counties to recover from the effects of COVID-19. Kenyatta rallied governors to focus their collective efforts in implementing the strategy saying Kenyans are counting on them to deliver the country from socioeconomic disruption brought about by COVID-19. The president pointed out that the strategy is expected to drive real growth and economic rebound in the counties as the national government rolls out similar initiatives aimed at reviving the economy. Kenyatta said the close working relationship between counties and the national government had helped the country deal with COVID-19 better. He noted that one of the positive returns from the fight against COVID-19 in the country is the strengthening of relations between the two levels of government. Together we have expanded our physical healthcare infrastructure, installed new and more medical equipment, recruited additional healthcare workers, upskilled our health services labor force, and deployed a testing and contact-tracing system that has been a role model for other African nations, the president said. He told governors to exercise financial prudence when implementing the strategy and called on oversight institutions to apply heightened vigilance to ensure funds are used appropriately. These limited resources must be utilized strictly for the purposes of elevating our nation. They must be used faithfully, and with the utmost transparency and accountability. If we waste this chance, we will certainly consign our motherland to many years of being mired in economic slowdown and social injustice, Kenyatta said. Wycliffe Oparanya, Chairman of the Council of Governors said the financing of the 1.19 billion dollar strategy will largely be drawn from budgets of the County Government over the next three financial years, supplemented by resources from development partners.
