Kihika assures transparency in Nakuru operations in Senate grilling
By Isaac Mutia, August 4, 2025Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika has highlighted the improved efficiency achieved by Nakuru’s Water Service Providers. Kihika said that this is a very critical move given that only 58 per cent of Kenya’s rural population had access to safe water in the year 2023, according to UNICEF data, underscoring the urgency of innovative technologies and financial prudence.
While speaking during a Senate Committee on County Public Investments proceeding on Monday, August 4, 2025, the Nakuru Governor assured the committee of Nakuru County’s commitment to financial prudence in the management of its agencies, many of which operate with a high degree of autonomy, through sound management practices and the adoption of innovative technologies aimed at expanding and improving the quality of services to Nakuru residents.
“Our deliberations are centred on strategies to enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, improve service delivery, and support for the sustainable expansion of services for the people of Nakuru County,” she said in her post on X.
Chaired by Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, the meeting focused on reviewing the operations and management of the Nakuru City Board, the municipalities within Nakuru County, as well as the three Water Service Providers (WSPs), as highlighted in the Auditor General’s Report for the Financial Year 2023/4.
During the meeting held at Bunge Towers in Nairobi, Kihika was flanked by Finance CEC Stephen Njogu, Chief of Staff Peter Ketyenya, Nakuru City Manager Gitau Thabanja, the managing directors of the three WSPs, and municipal managers and board members.
Kihika’s statement highlights a strategic address towards the Auditor General’s 2023/4 report, which revealed widespread financial mismanagement in Kenyan counties, with 63 per cent of county funds misallocated according to a 2022 study by the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya.
Here, Kihika revealed her commitment to financial prudence and innovative technologies, aiming to counter such financial mismanagement trends.
Her strong emphasis on autonomy and transparency challenges the narrative of centralised control in Kenyan devolution, aligning with a 2021 World Bank report noting that decentralised governance can boost service delivery by 20 per cent when paired with strong oversight, as she demonstrates with her team’s involvement.