Kisumu County government is on the spot for allegedly not creating public forum participation by engaging the locals on development agendas.
This is according to Kisumu County gender sociologist Florence Atera, who was speaking on Thursday morning at Tom-Mboya to the press on public participation on development agendas organized by Kisumu publics’ participation board.
The sociologist notably urged the county leaders to embrace public participation on development agenda, as it would have the residents embracing the projects, making them communal.
“Through public participation, the locals would help in monitoring the performance of the initiated projects leading to developments transparency and accountability. This would curb the huge corrupt deals happening,” she said.
“By engaging the locals to participate in development agenda, it would foster democracy, transparency and accountability, through a transparent and accountable leadership, projects initiated would have been accomplished,” she added.
She further asked the county government to be engaging the locals in participation on the projects for the community ventures’ sustainability, as it would be viewed as a community felt need project hence community owned.
Kisumu development agendas analyst Tom Onyuka speaking also echoed same sentiments, urging the county government to involve the locals on their development agendas by encouraging public participation forums.
The analyst emphasized that for democracy and transparency to be fostered, the locals have to be involved in steps of development agenda.