Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has set the record straight on demolishing a Ksh100 million factory to set up an office block.

In a statement on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, Wanga explained that the factory in question was meant to produce animal feeds.

The first-time governor highlighted that the project at Arujo Ward was initiated in 2014 but stalled for long for failing to meet the mandatory construction standards.

She explained that the project did not receive a nod from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya Airports Authority (KAA), and Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) due to its proximity of about 300 metres to the Kabunde airstrip.

The factory posed the risk of bird strikes, forcing the county to repurpose the project.

“The animal feeds project was moved to the County Aggregation and Industrial Park at Riwa Special Economic Zone. The project’s unfinished structure became a ‘ghost project, and the building deteriorated over the years,” a statement from the governor read in part.

Cost

Further, Wanga debunked claims that the factory cost Ksh100 million. The factory has been repurposed to serve as a Huduma Centre.

“The condemned buildings could have not cost Ksh100 million. The project was later decommissioned. Under Governor Wanga’s leadership, projects left unfinished by previous administrations, such as this one, continue to be repurposed or completed to maximize public funds’ value.

“Governor Wanga’s administration has therefore redesigned and repurposed the existing buildings to serve as a Huduma Centre for service delivery as part of the County Headquarters,” she added.

“All the necessary approvals have been obtained, including from the National Land Land Commission (NLC) and NEMA, for the development of the county headquarters, including the repurposed Huduma Centre. We would like to urge the media to strive to report objectively and seek all sides of the story before publishing, If our input had been sought, this additional information would have been readily available.

“We want to assure the public that we are committed to responsible, accountable, and transparent development in our county. We dedicated to serving and transforming Homa Bay County,” the statement.