Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma has insisted that the ongoing lighting of the city is a World Bank funded project.
Ranguma said the Sh800 million street electrification project has generated a fair share of political discourse, with politicians angling to claim credit for the same.
He said full public disclosure is critical since the project has both significant benefits and costs to the tax payer.
He said the initiative is unprecedented in depth and spread and is targeting urban and peri-urban areas throughout the county.
“To begin with, provision of clean and affordable energy for industry and homes; and creation of a conducive environment to business ventures, sports and tourism activities was and still remains a key pillar to my government,” he said.
In a press release to the media on Tuesday, just two days after Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura took credit for the project, Ranguma says upon his swearing into office, he actively engaged the national government, Kenya Power and World Bank over the project.
“It is important to appreciate that ever since our first engagement with the National Government, KPLC and the World Bank in 2003, a lot of work has been jointly done by all the parties,” he said.
He said Kisumu County was included among other eight counties who were chosen to benefit from the Electricity Modernisation Project, financed through a credit of USD762 million from the World Bank.
Other counties in the project include Nairobi, Mombasa, Nyeri, Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Kakamega and Garissa.
Ranguma says the component under implementation in Kisumu costs Sh. 800 million noting that Sh. 200 million will be repaid by the national government.
He said the remaining Sh600 million will be repaid by the county government of Kisumu through deduction of the county revenue from the national treasury.