Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo has attributed the success of government projects to National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) who have played a crucial role in implementation.
Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, December 11, the PS said NGAOs have been pivotal in driving government policies in sectors such as agriculture.
"In agriculture, they have spearheaded the registration of farmers under the Subsidized Fertilizer Program, guaranteeing equitable access to essential farming inputs to boost productivity and food security," he said.
In the education sector, Omollo noted that NGAO has been overseeing the progression of learners, making sure every school-going child remains in school.
"In education, they have played a crucial role in overseeing the progression of learners through various stages, ensuring that every child of school-going age remains in school," he added.
Read More
NGAO officers are responsible for coordinating national government functions at the county and national levels.
They also play a vital role in implementing government programs and policies and are often the first point of contact between the government and local communities.
Additionally, Omollo also discussed the issue of banditry in the larger North Rift region, noting that the government has been able to restore peace with the help of the local community.
"At the beginning of last year and as we are progressing in the year, we were having unprecedented cases of banditry, cattle wrestling, particularly in the North Rift. We ended up with a situation where schools were closed, people were displaced and we lost lives beyond the herds of cattle, goat,s and sheep.
"Progressively working with players, including the communities, we have been able to pacify the North Rift. We have essentially been able to silence the guns. We have a few isolated cases but they are far and in between," he stated.
Omollo attributed the success to the involvement of key security players including the National Police Service (NPS), the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF), and the National Police Reservists (NPR), Chiefs, and village elders.
"Our success has largely been attributed to our ability to bring together all the different actors, particularly the security players. All these have really played out to help stem the situation that was getting out of hand," he added.
Omollo mentioned that intensified security operations have been conducted in the affected areas, and most schools that had been closed due to insecurity have been reopened.
"Today we have half of the schools that were initially closed reopening with the half that we haven't been able to reopen being primarily in parts of West Pokot and Turkana. We have also been able to rebuild the infrastructure in 21 out of the 26 schools that were worst affected by banditry," he stated.
Meanwhile, Omollo expressed regret over the handling of protesters during the End Femicide march on Tuesday, December 10.
The PS termed the violent displacement and arrests during the match as unfortunate, noting it should not have happened especially because the world was observing International Human Rights Day.
"Yesterday’s events were pretty much unfortunate. We've had a series of concerns across the country on issues around femicide. For me it’s a question where you are saying things didn’t go right, it’s not something you would want to say is acceptable. It is regrettable, it is something that should not have happened in the first place," the PS said.
