By Yoga David
The County Government of Kisumu seeks to partner with financial institutions to facilitate the payment of Ksh 1.6 billion owed to contractors.The objective is to speed up payments and improve the county financial management
Representing Governor Prof. Anyang Nyong’o, County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Finance, George Okong’o, held a courtesy meeting with Sidian Bank CEO, Chege Thumbi, in the Governor’s office boardroom on Monday.
The discussion addressed various aspects of possible collaborations. These encompassed the offering of banking services, with the administration of essential county accounts for development and donor funding, innovative and creative revenue collection, payroll support assistance and financial services for small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) and county contractors
They also talked about partnering on corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives that match the county’s goals.
While addressing the team, Mr Okong’o stated, “We want to consolidate most of our bank accounts and we are looking for financial institutions that provide value to the county,”
Mr Okong’o also mentioned “Given the 1.6 billion owed to our contractors, we are seeking for financial institutions that can assist in providing credit to ensure we can settle our contractors within the next three months”
The County Government intends to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sidian Bank to outline the partnership and support shared goals in key sectors like finance, agriculture, health, and sanitation.
Kisumu County is focusing on improving how it handles public funds and wants to build stronger relationships with institutions that can support better services for residents.
Also, in attendance at the meeting were County Attorney Otieno Aluoka, Chief of Staff Aloice Ager and Director of Protocol Patrick Madanji.