His Excellency Paul Simba Arati takes the reins in Kisii County
Kisii County Governor Paul Simba Arati and his deputy Dr. Robert Onsare Monda were sworn in,on 25th August 2022 at the Gusii stadium in an historic smooth transition witnessed by over 20,000 county residents.
Several leaders were in attendance including the outgoing Governor James Ongwae who handed over power to the new Governor in a colourful swearing in ceremony presided over by Lady Justice Teresia Matheka.
Governor Arati pledged to fulfill pledges he made with the electorate during the campaign period.
The pledges revolve around enhanced devolution and governance, wealth creation, enablers and ICT, sustainable environmental conservation and social economic development.
“Today, we are embarking on the journey of not only actualizing the covenant we made with you but also asking you to walk with us as we implement our social-economic development plan for our county,” Arati told a mammoth of his supporters who filled the stadium to its capacity.
Ongwae said that during his 10 years in office, his government initiated benchmark and an institutional framework,saying the county was ready to surge forward.
"I have the confidence that you will take us to the next level based on your zeal during your campaign period. I sincerely wish you well, Your Excellency," Ongwae said in his speech.
The outgoing Governor thanked the people of Kisii County and all stakeholders for working closely with his government during his two term tenure and asked them to fully support the incoming governor.
Ongwae asked his successor to do a follow up on the projects he initiated like the Nyangweta Sugar Complex, the Cancer Center, the upgrading of Suneka Airstrip, the Mother Child Hospital, Doctors Plaza and ensure that the Gusii stadium is completed to meet international standards.
Governor Arati who was sworn into office by Lady Justice Teresia Matheka vowed to be an accountable administrator who address the plight of Kisii residents adding that he will equip, train and upgrade all sub county hospitals to level five hospitals to attend to emerging medical conditions afflicting residents and improve the quality medical care they receive.
“It is possible,for example,for the Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital (KTRH) to be in a position to generate its revenue and pay its staff without necessarily relying on the county government. This is the accountability doctrine my government will pursue," he said.
The Governor, in his inaugural speech, said he will endeavor on delivering his promise to offer a universal healthcare and affordable housing program christened ‘The Simba Shelter Scheme’ that aims at providing a relief to thousands of vulnerable families from ballooning medical bills and lack of decent housing.
He said his government will construct and equip all ECDE centres across the 45 wards with state-of-the-art facilities with an enhanced school feeding program,besides providing bursary to bright and needy students.
Deputy Governor Dr. Monda thanked all who contributed towards their victory and promised that working closely with his Governor, the county will witness tremendous transformation in all sectors.
“We now put behind us, all campaign period and refocus our energies on uniting our people and fulfilling the promises we made. We extend an olive branch to all our competitors and their supporters and invite them to join hands with us to build our county,” said Dr. Monda.
The function was attended by all the elected MPs and MCAS in Kisii County, Senator Richard Onyonka and former Kisii senator Sam Ongeri, among others.
Representatives from a number of local and international agencies also graced the occasion.
