By:Betty Luke
County governments have been urged to accelerate the completion of County Aggregation and Industrial Parks (CAIPs), with Deputy President Kithure Kindiki describing the facilities as an important first step towards Kenya’s industrialisation.
Kindiki said at least five CAIPs should be commissioned in the coming weeks, with Meru, Embu, Kirinyaga, Kisii, Wajir and Garissa among counties at advanced stages of completing their projects. He said the centres would promote aggregation and value addition while creating a foundation for industrial growth.
Speaking during the 30th Ordinary Session of the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council in Karen, Kindiki said the Government was focused on ensuring that devolution delivers tangible benefits to citizens.
He urged counties to remain focused on efficient use of public resources and implementation of agreed programmes.
The exchequer requests approved by the Controller of Budget for pending-bill payments have reached Sh34.46 billion, with Kindiki warning that accumulated debts were hurting service delivery and businesses dependent on government contracts.
The Deputy President said counties must verify, prioritise and settle legitimate outstanding bills. By March 31, 2026, 35 county executives and assemblies had submitted their pending-bills universe, while 29 had submitted action plans.
He also highlighted food-security concerns following depressed harvests in key cereal-producing areas noting the Government was taking measures to protect the country from hunger and famine, with the Agriculture Ministry and National Treasury involved in the response.
The Council of Governors Chairperson Ahmed Abdullahi raised concerns over technical problems affecting county financial systems. He cited challenges involving IFMIS loading, e-GP and the integration of IFMIS with Kenya Revenue Authority systems.
Ahmed said governors would engage the Treasury to find solutions, warning that counties could reach the end of the first quarter without spending funds that had already been made available.
