With the coming County Integrated Development Plan public participation forum meant to happen on 18th November 2022 at the Mukuru Health Centre in Imara Daima, our Coffee Bar Tuesday focused on how we can package ourselves together with like minded people and have a 1 voice that shall propose projects to the county to be implement within our wards and constituency. 

The County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) is a plan prepared by counties to guide development over a five-year period.The CIDP contains information on development priorities that inform the annual budget process for 5 years. The formulation of the CIDP is usually the first major task of a new county administration.

With participants coming from Kwa Reuben, Viwandani, Kwa Njenga and Kware wards, we got to share some of the challenges that should be addressed by the 2023-2027 County Integrated Development Plan. Through the discussion, we got to understand that the majority of the challenges we face cut almost across in all areas represented during the discussions. Some of the proposed projects raised during the discussion were street lights installation, inadequate drainage system, youth resource centre, creation of ECDE and TVETs, secure land tenure, markets, 24 hour running water, more personnel and medication in our hospitals, access roads, empowerment on groups that are working on environment sector, more empowerment on urban farming, relocation of ward admin office among others. 

We also shared some of the legal frameworks such as Constitution Of Kenya, County Governments Act 2012, Public Finance Management Act 2012 and Nairobi County Public Participation Act 2016 that promote and support the realization of public participation and communities being at the center of decision making. Article 1 of the constitution states that the power belongs to the people meaning, we the people have all the mandate to choose, propose and give priorities on what we feel would change our lives positively. Sections 87 to 92 and 115 of the County Governments Act, 2012 outline the principles of public participation.

We also emphasized that all these projects will not be implemented by us saying at the discussion. We must turn out in numbers and propose them during the formulation of the CIDP that shall be held on 19th November 2022. It’s only through public participation, communities are able to share their proposals on some of the projects that should be implemented in the communities. Through this, they are able to scrutinize every project and give their priorities. At no point should we have projects being imposed onto us. Keeping that in mind, if they are existing projects that need to be completed then they should be on the list of our priorities.

“Pia sisi kama communities lazima tukam pamoja and tuseme zile vitu zinatuaffect collectively unlike proposing vitu zinaaffect few of us. Pia lazima tukeep the government on toes in order to implement them.” Participants said

As communities, we must understand that public participation is a process and doesn’t end with you only proposing. There should be a series of follow ups from both parties especially from the community. This helps in tracking progress of the projects. As we all wake up on the 19th, we must keep in mind that the change we need has to be proposed during this formulation stage. Let’s propose first and wait for the next process which shall inform the implementation of the projects. As young people from Embakasi South, we shall be dropping memoranda on some of the projects that should be included in the CIDP for the betterment of our communities. Young people have always and will always be the change makers. 

We are also calling young people from other counties to make sure they are part of the process. As young people, we have to show that we have improved and bring forgotten young people’s voices to the table. See you on Friday 19th at the Mukuru Health Center hall.