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The government yesterday embarked on verification and validation of  status of  various projects and programmes in the country’s Western region.

Inspection of the projects will run until Thursday this week. The main aim of the exercise is to assess the status of high-impact projects and programs for the Financial Year 2023/2024 based on information provided by Ministries, Departments, and State Agencies (MDAs).

Led by the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary (OPCS) in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and National Administration (MINA),the initiative  is supported by the Public Finance Management Reforms Secretariat (PFMRS).

Director of Communication, National Government Communication Secretariat Andrew Teyie disclosed that the verification team, which includes representatives from OPCS, MINA, and the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), will focus on selected projects in the Nyanza and Western Regions during this phase.

Among the projects under review is the Edible Oil Value Chain Project, aimed at enhancing production and processing. The government is also prioritizing the expansion of cotton production, which includes increasing acreage and providing BT cotton seeds to farmers.

In addition, the verification will cover the ongoing construction of affordable housing units and transportation infrastructure improvements, including road development initiatives.

Other projects include the transformation and digitisation of the Attorney General’s office in Siaya, mineral resource development and commercialisation in Vihiga and Migori, agricultural crop insurance for farmers, and civil aviation development and management at Kisumu Airport.

“The OPCS, through the National Government Coordination Secretariat (NGCS), will coordinate the exercise, documenting issues and identifying bottlenecks that will be presented to the National Development Implementation Committee (NDIC),” Teyie said.

He noted that this high-level committee, chaired by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, is scheduled to meet on November 5 to discuss the findings from this verification exercise and ensure effective co-ordination of service delivery to the people of Kenya.

The exercise follows an initial phase conducted last month in the Eastern and Coastal Regions, with further phases planned for the Rift Valley, Nairobi, Central, and North Eastern Regions.

 This comes amid concerns that President William Ruto has  literally done nothing since he took office with others also accusing him of relaunching  projects done by the previous administration.