Makueni County governor Prof Kivutha Kibwana on Friday signed a five year contract with residents undertaking to deliver on a multi-billion county development plan endorsed by over 3,000 villages.
The County Integrated Development Plan (CIDP) delivered through the participation of about 120,000 residents since November last year contains fine-tuned village to village projects selected by locals, their leaders and the government.
While receiving copies of the development plans from all the wards over weekend at Kwa-Kathoka Agricultural Training Center in Makueni Prof Kibwana said that the participatory approach has given the county an opportunity to settle on projects to fund following consensus among the residents on the development plan.
This process witnessed the highest turn up since 2013 of close to 120,000 people out of our population of about one million. This is a good indicator that our people now understand their role in development,” said Prof Kibwana at the validation ceremony of the CIDP document.
He further added: “ I am informed that in some sub-wards, the people turned out in large numbers, close to 600 in some cases, this is extremely commendable.”
He said the exercise which is a legal requirement but which many counties have not succeeded in now provides confidence and legitimacy on CIDP priorities. 
Prof Kibwana said his government will stick to the agreement in order to ensure equity and accountability in delivery of projects.
The plan has put emphasis on poverty reduction agenda with water and agriculture as key as well as infrastructural development.
Deputy governor Adelina Mwau said that with the plan already agreed on the government will ensure implementation is done as per the CIDP.
“The development of the document was done through a consultative process as provided for in the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The planning process should be done in an inclusive manner,” she said.
She said that all residents should play their roles to support the government to deliver on its agenda and thanked locals and professionals from Mombasa and Nairobi for turning out in various forums to ensure their views are captured in the plan.
“During the plan period, the government will support organised groups through well-structured programmes to empower them socially and economically,”Mwau said.
The event was attended by several local leaders led by Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, MPs Dan Maanzo (Makueni), Eratus Kivasu (Mbooni) and Jessica Mbalu(Kibwezi East),
Mr Mutula said that the county’s public participatory approach has put it on the first lane on implementation of devolution as compared to other counties struggling with fulfilling promises made to the people.
“We are happy that Makueni county is leading when it comes to the issue of public participation and as local leaders we will support the governor to deliver,”Mr Mutula said.
Under the first CIDP implemented between 2013-2017 the county made great strides establishing a fruit processing plant at Kalamba and a milk processing plant at Kikima over and above several projects in other sectors.
The county government also delivered on a promise to ensure universal healthcare with registered members only paying Sh 500 to access medical services in all public hospitals.