It was double win for Nandi governor Cleophas Lagat after outlining his vision for the county in his Mashujaa Day message, days after staging an agricultural trade fair that was attended by the high and the mighty.
Observers had pointed out that the trade fair and the Mashujaa celebrations would flop after he took opposite stance from that of his sponsoring party in referendum controversy but later retreated.
Despite these odds, the exhibition which had stalled for over six years and the two-day Mashujaa fanfare in the county was also a success. The governor, who led members of his county team and heads of departments in the county in celebrating the 51st anniversary at Kipchoge Stadium said he was committed to creating a stable and self-sustaining economy through the county integrated development plan.
The county blueprint provides the roadmap to self-sustenance and sustainable economic growth by highlighting priorities suggesting on way forward. The event came a day after the governor also led MPs and Senator Stephen Sang in celebrating the 106th anniversary of Nandi legendary leader Koitalel Samoei in Nandi Hills town who was shot by a British consul at close range while extending his arm for a handshake when seeking truce for ceasefire.
During the agricultural trade fair, government dignitaries pledged to resettle squatters in the county, continue supporting development projects and sponsor a delegation from the county to a Unesco conference in Paris.
In his message, the governor said: “At the dawn of our independence, our founding leaders vowed to fight in unison against poverty, ignorance and diseases. The war is not yet won. Our resolve to create socio-economic change remains at the apex of our priorities and has been captured in our county integrated development plan”. He announced that the county will promulgate laws to name streets in leading towns in the county after outstanding heroes and that the county will start financing future anniversaries of heroes in the county.
He announced that he will spearhead compensation and apology from the British government over the death of Koitalel Samoei and his few subjects who were also sprayed with bullets after they were cheated by the colonialists into signing a peace accord.
The governor also announced his commitment to provision of affordable and accessible healthcare, continuous upgrading of the infrastructure to create enabling environment for business to flourish and massive street lighting drive in the county to boost security and investor confidence. As the governor was outlining all these, the applauding audience seemed to have forgotten his recent support for Pesa Mashinani, which he shunned throughout his speech. His earlier support for Pesa Mashinani crusade almost threw him in trouble as a contingent of Jubilee leaders had made the county a must-stop weekend destination for fundraisers organised to discredit him. Emgwen MP Elijah Lagat said that the standard gauge railway should pass through Nandi adding that although Koitalel Samoei was killed for resisting the rail, people at those times did not understand the importance of the rail carriage. Over 20 heroes from the county who included athletes and people who have excelled in various spheres were recognised in the well-attended fete.
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