Energy Minister Opiyo Wandai was in Murang’a on Friday for his first official engagement since assuming office.
Wandai was sworn in on Thursday along with 18 other state governors and was among the senior state government officials who accompanied President William Ruto on his county inspection tour.
Root was in the county to launch several development projects including the last mile connectivity project.
At the launch of the project, Wandai was seen welcoming Ruto at his farmhouse in Kirungu village.
“Waziri, Uko district?… Your first mission here?” Ruto said as he shook hands with the CS happily.
Kilung expects to connect about 50 new customers.
Addressing residents of Kiliani town, Ruto said the government aims to provide electricity to 15,000 new households with electricity through an investment of Sh1 billion.
“Nimekuja hapa na waziri anaitowa opiyo wandai, ataanza kusukuma hiyo kazi (I am here with the new CS Opiyo wandai and he will help me drive the work),” he said.
Also in attendance were Vice President Rigaty Gachagua, Minister of State for Roads Davis Chirchir, Governor Irungu Kang’ata and several other leaders.
The President, who also addressed residents at Kambirwa in Kiharu, revealed that further reforms would be made in the new KCC to cater to the needs of farmers and form a new team to address challenges in the sector.
Ruto pledged to ensure higher milk prices for all farmers across the country and said he had already appointed new directors.
“The previous directors were causing problems so we’ve brought in new directors and we’re also going to change the management team,” he said.
“We pay milk farmers 50 shillings per litre and we want middlemen, transporters, cooperatives and other stakeholders to share three shillings,” he said.
On tea prices, Ruto called for continuing to push for reforms in the tea sector for the benefit of smallholder farmers.
He said farmers will receive a total of Sh210 billion in compensation this year from KTDA, up from Sh170 billion they received last year.
On the Mau Mau Road, Ruto said government had allocated Sh1 billion for its completion.
