This archive report was first published on 13 December 2019.
On December 13, 2019, President Uhuru Kenyatta cautioned Kenyans against the misuse of public resources, emphasizing the importance of holding elected leaders accountable.
Speaking in Mbalambala, Garissa County, where he commissioned the 54MW Garissa solar power plant, President Kenyatta noted that his administration is committed to implementing infrastructure projects across the country to create an enabling environment for investment, wealth, and employment creation.
"We want money allocated for development to go to the right projects, not the pockets of a few people," he said, highlighting the need for transparency and accountability in the use of public funds.
President Kenyatta further emphasized that the government is keen on narrowing development gaps among regions, ensuring that every Kenyan is part of his administration's development agenda.
The Garissa solar power plant, developed by the Rural Energy Authority (REA), is the largest in East and Central Africa, and is part of the government's broad renewable energy strategy to harvest 400MW of electricity from the country's vast solar resource.
With the plant now fully connected to the national power grid, Garissa, which previously depended on unstable thermal power, is set to benefit from a more reliable and sustainable source of energy.
President Kenyatta also announced plans to construct water pans in the region for rain water harvesting, and to return soon to officially open the Garissa-Modogashe road and launch the construction of the Mbalambala-Garissa road.