Ndaragwa: Tourism and Wildlife CS Rebecca Miano has called for classification of arid parts of Ndaragwa constituency in Nyandarua County as hardship areas during the current revision of zones in that status. Miano highlighted her previous efforts, when she served as CS for Arid and Semi-Arid, to advocate for some parts of Ndaragwa to be classified as arid, semi-arid, and hardship zones.
According to Kenya News Agency, there has long been a push for Ndaragwa’s arid and semi-arid areas to be recognized as hardship zones to prevent teachers and other civil servants from migrating to neighboring Laikipia County, where they benefit from hardship allowances. The appeal is due to the climatic conditions in large parts of Nyandarua North sub-county, which are similar to those in Laikipia County, where government employees receive such allowances.
On the issue of security, CS Miano noted that Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja had committed to deploying officers to a police post nearing completion in Kihara location. Miano emphasized the necessity of the post due to residents’ long travel distances for police services, despite Kihara’s general safety.
Miano spoke during a Mother’s Day celebration at her parents’ rural home in Kihara village, Ndaragwa constituency, where she empowered youth and women groups. Residents seized the opportunity to highlight needs in education, water, and roads.
The CS announced upcoming infrastructure projects, stating that the network of tarmacked roads in the Constituency will expand, with contractors set to begin work on identified roads. She was joined by KWS officers, including Assistant Director for Mountain Conservation Area Lucy Muita and Nyandarua KWS Warden Paul Wambugu, along with MCAs Mwangi Kagwe, Cate Nyawira, and Naomi Muthoni.
Nyawira acknowledged the efforts of village elders in coordinating security without salaries, calling for their facilitation. Kagwe urged Miano to advocate for the upgrading of the Kiamaiko-Kihara-81-Subuko road to bitumen to open up more rural areas of Ndaragwa. He also noted that, with Miano’s assistance, a maternity wing has been constructed at the Ndaragwa health center at a cost of Sh150 million.