Migori County, Kenya – In a significant move towards enhancing legislative efficiency and transparency, Migori County has launched a Sh34 million project for the construction of an executive County Assembly plaza. The groundbreaking ceremony, held at the Migori County Assembly grounds, marks the beginning of the construction of a five-story building. This new structure is poised to serve as a central hub for legislative activities and public engagement.

According to Kenya News Agency, who spoke at the event, the plaza is designed to be a people-centric facility. It will offer spaces where Members of the County Assembly can interact with their constituents, addressing the need for accessible and open governance. The building, costing Sh34.7 million, will encompass the County Assembly Committee and staff rooms, a public area for constituent meetings, a library, and a recreational facility.

Governor Ayacko highlighted that the plaza is set to be completed before the end of 2024. The design incorporates features to accommodate disabled individuals, including installed lifts to facilitate movement throughout the building. Additionally, the plaza is expected to adhere to climate change mitigation measures, making it an environmentally friendly structure with the utilization of natural light and renewable energy sources.

The construction of this plaza represents a transition for the County Assembly. It aims to provide representatives with adequate facilities to address the issues impacting their constituents effectively. Ochilo disclosed the challenges faced with the current arrangement, where most County Assembly committee meetings take place in hotels, posing security risks to documents, staff, and members.

This new development is anticipated to reduce costs associated with hiring hotels for committee meetings and provide a secure environment for legislative activities. “This infrastructure will go a long way to capacity build our assembly, improving the work environment and impact positively on the quality of legislation, representation, and performance of the Assembly,” Ochilo noted.

Graham Kagali, the Chairperson of the Budget and Appropriation Committee and MCA for South Kanyamkago Ward, also acknowledged the financial benefits of the plaza. He explained that the assembly had been incurring significant expenses by holding committee meetings in hotels. The new building will enable the County Assembly to reduce these costs and redirect funds to more critical needs.