On Monday Kitui County Governor Dr. Julius Malombe led a briefing session for County Administrators in preparation for Wednesday’s countywide public participation forums on the Final Year 2025/2026 Community Level Infrastructure Development Programme (CLIDP) and the Sand Dams Programme.

Speaking during the meeting held at KEFRI in Kitui town, Governor Malombe emphasized the critical role administrators play in guiding communities across the county’s 40 wards and 247 villages to identify and express their development priorities.

He highlighted key development milestones recorded under his leadership, noting that since August 2022, 2,244 projects have been implemented across the 16 sectors of ‘the Kitui Promise’.

The Governor also reflected on major achievements realized this year, including the commissioning of the flagship Kangu Kangu Water Project and the launch of the Kitui Tourism Circuit.

Providing updates on CLIDP, Dr. Malombe reported that the programme has delivered 1,147 projects since 2022, supported by close to Ksh. 2 billion in cumulative investment. For FY2025/2026, CLIDP has been allocated Ksh. 750 million, with Ksh. 540 million (72%) shared equally across all wards. “Village-level projects will absorb 70% of these allocations, while ward-level priorities will take 30%. The remainder will cater for major sub-county infrastructure needs and administrative expenses,” he said.

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Governor Malombe also reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to enhancing water security through the Sand Dams Programme. He noted that since 2013, the county has constructed 652 sand dams, including 320 built between 2022 and 2025. “An additional 200 sand dams are planned for the next two years, reinforcing water access, improving food production, and rehabilitating river ecosystems,” he added.

Turning to the Pro-Poor Support Programme, the Governor expressed regret that no bursaries will be issued this year for learners in secondary schools, universities, and other tertiary institutions. This follows advisories from the Controller of Budget, the Senate, and the Auditor-General barring county governments from funding functions assigned to the National Government under the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution.

He clarified, however, that the County Government will continue supporting Vocational Training Centre (VTC) trainees through payment of national examination fees, with Ksh. 18,995,000 already disbursed for this purpose in the current financial year.

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During the briefing, administrators were also taken through the guidelines for the upcoming public participation exercises. Village-level barazas scheduled for 10th December 2025 will identify and rank CLIDP and sand dam priorities, while ward validation meetings on 11th December 2025 will confirm selected projects and harmonize cross-village initiatives.

Kitui Deputy Governor H.E Augustine Kanani, County Executive Committee Members (CECMs), Chief Officers, Advisors, and other county officials were also in attendance.

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