Civil Society Organizations, (CSOs) in Taita Taveta County have expressed strong dissatisfaction with development projects approved by Members of County Assembly for the 2025-2026 budget period, citing misaligned priorities that fail to address the real needs of vulnerable populations.
Speaking during a press briefing in Voi town on Friday, Mercy Mwakio, representing the CSOs caucus, criticized the county leadership for approving projects that do not benefit women, youth, people living with disabilities, and the wider community despite consuming large portions of the county budget.
“The approved development projects fail to address critical issues facing our vulnerable groups who continue to lack access to quality healthcare, clean and safe water, adequate road networks, and limited opportunities while gender-based violence cases continue rising,” Mwakio stated.
The CSOs cited the County Government Act 2012 and Public Finance Management Act 2012, which require development plans and resource allocation to be guided by public participation and equitable distribution of resources.
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They argued that genuine community involvement, especially of marginalized groups, is not optional but a legal and constitutional requirement for elected leaders.
“As a community, we strongly believe that development must be people centered and responsive to all the actual needs on the ground. When projects ignore the voices of women and community, youth and people living with disabilities, they become political tokens rather than genuine instruments of change,” the statement reads.
The statement adds that, “Therefore, we call upon the county governments to revisit the so-called empowerment projects and ensure they align to the CIDP 2022/2027 and the real needs of the communities. Respect constitutional provisions and public participation and create spaces where women, youth and people living with disabilities are heard and acted upon.”
Ridhiwani Mwakio, Secretary General of Taita Taveta CSOs Network and founder of Citizen Network for Rural Development, echoed the concerns, faulting MCAs and county leaders for not working in accordance with the law.
He criticized the growing practice of MCAs allocating funds to purchase chairs, tents, sufurias, and footballs as empowerment projects.
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“Leaders should prioritize things that will bring money into the pockets of women and youths instead of tents and other items. Youths are unable to plan for their lives due to lack of money, and if they get something to generate income, it will be more helpful than being given footballs,” Ridhiwani noted.
He urged the county to align their County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) with the Sustainable Development Goals to create development plans that truly help citizens.
The CSO leader warned that if their concerns are not addressed, they will establish a Governor-CSOs roundtable consultative forum to find better ways of developing the county.
By Michael Oduor
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