Grassroots Data Management Phase II Capacity Building and Systems Management  in  Vihiga County

The Principal Secretary for the State Department for Economic Planning, Dr. Bonface Makokha, graced the final session of the Grassroots Data Management Phase II Capacity Building and Systems Management in Vihiga County, bringing together  a close  transformative nationwide exercise that has covered 25 counties.

The three-day exercise  in Majengo,Vihiga County brought together over 250 National Government Administration Officers (NGAOs) - Chiefs, Assistant Chiefs - and other data relevant stakeholders from all the 5 sub counties  in Vihiga namely; Hamisi, Emuhaya, Luanda, Sabatia and Vihiga. 

This  was the final leg of Grassroots Data Management Phase II Capacity Building and Systems Management.

Addressing the participants, Dr. Makokha delivered a clear directive that will redefine public planning and development  in Kenya,he said that "There must be a single source of primary  credible data that informs budgeting and resource allocation to different sectors of the economy."

He emphasized that "Going forward, all national government data will be sourced from a single, verifiable point,which is  "National Central Data Repository  generated from the NGAOs,County Planning and Statisticians,Kenya  National Bureau of  Standards (KNBS) and other relevant stakeholders mandated to collect primary data.This data will be managed by The Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS).

Additionally  the PS said "Planning is about data and without data knowledge and management skills, erroneous data can be dangerously misleading".

The PS hailed NGAOs as the most critical link in Kenya's new planning architecture, noting that their daily presence at the grassroots makes them the most credible custodians of truth.

This exercise is critical as it comes at the time when the Government is writing its next Development Blue Print ,Beyond Vision 2030.