The Governor said this during a meeting organized by the Kenyan Community in South Korea and addressed by Rt. Hon. Raila Odinga at Hamilton Hotel in Seoul.

In his address, Governor Ongwae gave an account of how devolution was working in Kenya saying the diaspora could play an important role in socio-economic development of Counties.

Responding to a question on reported mismanagement of funds by counties, the Governor said that all counties had to go through a learning curve which could explain some of the pitfalls that have been reported, but which are being addressed through the Council of Governors forums However, “under the devolved governance system in Kenya, we have witnessed tremendous improvement in service delivery especially at the grassroots. Citizens can now enjoy better services in healthcare, road infrastructure, water supply, agriculture, waste management among others, which had been neglected since independence,” said Ongwae.

He said Counties especially Kisii were committed to creating an environment conducive to investment for the diaspora noting that for long, much of the diaspora remittances were for consumption as opposed to investment, a situation that needs to change.

“In Kisii, we have opportunities in real estate development, agro processing, mining, value addition, waste management and infrastructure. We need to help of the diaspora to transform our economy,” he added.

Later, the delegation met with Won-Suk Yun, the Executive Vice-President of Korea Trade Promotion Corporation (KOTRA). During their discussions, Mr. Yun indicated his interest in investing in Kisii County in agro-processing, reticulated water supply, and infrastructural developments and confirmed that they would study the project proposals submitted and advice on the way forward.