The government will allocate Sh500 million in the next financial year to correct illegal power connections in Nairobi’s informal settlements, President William Ruto has announced.
The poorly installed connections have been blamed for fire incidents that have razed houses in informal settlements, destroying property and claiming lives.
“I have requested Parliament’s Budget and Appropriations Committee to set aside Sh500 to correct illegal electricity connections that occasionally result in Nairobi,” he said.
He spoke on Sunday when he condoled with the victims of a recent fire incident in Kibera, which resulted in three deaths.
He donated food and mattresses to the residents affected by the fire, and added that the government would foot the medical bills of the victims.
Earlier, Ruto had attended a church service at the Africa Inland Church in Kibera, accompanied by Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja.
He said the government will donate a piece of land for the Nairobi County Government to put up a fire station in Kibera.
He said his administration is on track to improve the living conditions in the capital city, noting that its current state is no longer tenable.
Through the Affordable Housing Programme, he said, 60,000 units are under construction in Nairobi County, 25,000 of them in Kibra and Lang’ata constituencies.
Last week, Ruto handed over keys to 1,080 new homeowners of the New Mukuru Housing Estate. More than 13,200 such houses are under construction in Mukuru.
Furthermore, he said the National Government has allocated Sh2.1 billion to improve city roads.
On education, Ruto said the government is upgrading school facilities in Nairobi, including the construction of thousands of new classrooms.
“I am personally sponsoring the construction of 240 classrooms in Nairobi County because I believe all children deserve to learn in decent conditions,” he said.
Ruto said another 24,000 teachers would be employed in the next financial year, adding to the 76,000 ones that have been employed in the past two years.
On environmental conservation, he said the Nairobi River Basin Regeneration programme, which is employing 20,000 young people to clean the three rivers in the city, would be expanded soon to accommodate more than 50,000.
He urged Kenyans to register for the Social Health Authority, saying access to quality healthcare is no longer a preserve of the rich, but a constitutional right for all citizens.
“Lifting those who are down so that we achieve equity is not an injustice to those who are up,” he said.
Ruto said he will continue championing national unity, adding that the broad-based government will accelerate national development.
Others present were Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, MPs, MCAs and other leaders.
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