Kirinyaga County’s economy has grown by 66 per cent over the last nine years, driven by investments in agriculture, healthcare, water, road infrastructure and industrial development, Governor Anne Waiguru has said.

Waiguru said the county’s Gross County Product had increased from Sh114.9 billion in 2017 to Sh190.79 billion in 2025, with the economy recording a growth rate of 8.7 per cent last year against the national average of 6 per cent.

Speaking during her State of the County Address to the Kirinyaga County Assembly in Kerugoya, the governor said the economic expansion had contributed to improved livelihoods, with an estimated 52,000 households lifted out of poverty.

She noted that the county’s poverty rate had dropped from 23 per cent to 21 per cent, attributing the progress to sustained investments in productive sectors and social services.

“Over the last nine years, the County Government of Kirinyaga has turned a vision of sustainable growth into tangible reality,” said Waiguru.

The governor said agriculture, which supports approximately 87 per cent of the county’s population, remained central to the administration’s development agenda.

She said through the Wezesha Kirinyaga programme, the county had supported 804 farmer groups with Sh253.28 million and 19 Farmers’ Producer Organisations with Sh266.6 million.

Waiguru added that the administration had established 20 multi-value-chain farmers’ SACCOs, one in each ward, supported by a Sh20 million revolving fund to strengthen farmers’ access to financing.

She said the interventions had contributed to increased agricultural production, with annual rice output rising from 65,000 metric tonnes to 210,000 metric tonnes, generating an estimated Sh16 billion.

The governor further noted that coffee production had reached 49,100 metric tonnes, with farmers earning between Sh139 and Sh157 per kilogramme of cherry.

She said dairy production per cow had also increased from 2.5 litres to eight litres daily, boosting the potential earnings of livestock farmers.

On industrialisation, Waiguru said the county was positioning itself as an agro-processing and investment destination through the development of Sagana Industrial City.

She said the County Aggregation and Industrial Park (CAIP) was 98 per cent complete, comprising eight value-addition warehouses and two modern cold-storage facilities aimed at reducing post-harvest losses.

The governor said the Kirinyaga Investment and Development Authority had attracted more than 68 expressions of interest from potential investors, with machinery for initial tomato and avocado processing plants already delivered.

She added that the Special Economic Zone had been gazetted as a customs-controlled area, paving the way for export-oriented manufacturing and employment opportunities.

In the health sector, Waiguru said the operationalisation of the 450-bed Kerugoya County Referral Hospital Complex had expanded access to specialised services, including renal dialysis and CT scans.

She noted that 14 new dispensaries had been established, while all 76 public health facilities had been digitised through electronic medical records and improved claims management systems.

The governor also said the county had achieved the World Health Organisation’s 95-95-95 HIV epidemic control targets, while maternal mortality had declined to 49 deaths per 100,000 live births.

She added that neonatal mortality had reduced by more than 50 per cent, attributing the improvements to investments in healthcare infrastructure and service delivery.

On water provision, Waiguru said the number of active water projects had increased from 170 to approximately 420, raising household access to drinking and irrigation water from 48 per cent in 2017 to 74 per cent.

She cited the eWATER initiative in Gathigiriri Ward, where digitally operated community taps supply treated water at Sh5 per 20-litre jerrycan.

Waiguru said the model had attracted international interest, with delegations from the World Bank and Mozambique visiting to learn about the technology-driven water distribution system.

On road infrastructure, the governor said the county had graded 7,616.5 kilometres and graveled 2,730.5 kilometres of roads under the Nyorosha Barabara Mashinani programme.

She said the improvements were aimed at connecting rural communities to markets, easing transportation of agricultural produce and improving access to essential services.

Waiguru said the county’s second-term development agenda, anchored on the slogan Kazi Iongee, Wira Warie (Let Work Speak), was focused on upgrading infrastructure, strengthening agriculture and improving the living standards of residents across the county.

by David Wandeto