Kiambu’s economy generates billions of shillings every day, but the county is yet to turn that wealth into enough jobs, investment and development for its residents, gubernatorial aspirant Muita Ndungu has said.
Ndungu said the county’s strong economic base gives it the capacity to become a major engine of employment and investment if its leaders change how they approach development and revenue collection.
Speaking during a Radio Generation interview on Wednesday, Ndungu pointed to Kiambu’s position among Kenya’s leading county economies, saying its economic strength should be reflected in better opportunities and improved services for residents.
The latest Kenya National Bureau of Statistics Gross County Product report shows that Kiambu contributed 5.5 per cent of Kenya’s Gross Value Added in 2024, making it the country’s second-largest county economy after Nairobi. Nairobi, Kiambu, Nakuru and Mombasa together accounted for about 42.9 per cent of the national GVA.
Ndungu said the figures show the scale of economic activity taking place in the county and should push leaders to rethink how that wealth can be used to create opportunities.
“I realized that, for example, in terms of economic output, Kiambu produces 2.24 billion shillings a day. In one hour, Sh93.3 million. As we are sitting here, the economic output of Kiambu every minute is 1,560,000.”
Earlier KNBS figures cited in parliamentary county fact sheets put Kiambu’s Gross County Product at Sh721.205 billion in 2022, compared with Sh622.560 billion in 2021 and Sh554.515 billion in 2020.
For Ndungu, the figures also raise a wider question about the purpose of devolution and whether counties are doing enough to build local economies.
He said devolution should not only be viewed as a way of moving government services from Nairobi to counties but also as a tool for creating economic growth and supporting national development.
“The purpose of devolution was to bring not only services but to bring development and to contribute to national development.”
Article 174 of the Constitution lists social and economic development, public participation, equitable sharing of resources and accountable exercise of power among the main objectives of devolution. It also calls for checks and balances in county governments.
Ndungu said counties should therefore be developed into centres of production capable of creating jobs and contributing directly to the national economy.
“We need transparency and accountability, we need leadership. We need to start looking at counties as production zones that contribute to employment, that our counties are not just places where we relax and wait for national government.”
He also questioned why Kiambu’s own-source revenue remains heavily tied to healthcare-related collections despite the county having a strong industrial, agricultural and commercial base.
According to Ndungu, the county has a long history of industries and farming, including coffee production, while Ruiru has grown into an important logistics hub. He said these sectors should be playing a bigger role in generating revenue and supporting economic growth.
He argued that the continued presence of these productive activities raises questions about why they have not translated into stronger revenue streams for the county.
Kiambu’s own-source revenue comes from several sources, including hospital fees, land rates, parking charges, business permits and physical planning fees.
The county collected Sh3.3 billion in own-source revenue between July 2024 and March 2025, ranking third nationally after Nairobi and Narok during the period. Across the country, counties collected Sh45.91 billion against a combined annual target of Sh87.11 billion.
County documents show that Kiambu collected Sh1.96 billion in own-source revenue during the first seven months of the 2024/25 financial year. The collections came from streams such as land rates, parking, business permits and hospital fees.
Ndungu said Kiambu must also become more attractive to investors, arguing that the presence of major consumer businesses can offer a basic indication of the level of commercial activity in an area.
“One of the most basic indicators needs order. So that your county headquarters could have KFC at a very basic level, and I'm not saying that that is the benchmark. That is just the starter.”
He said the county should aim beyond such basic indicators and work towards attracting larger investments, particularly in industries and pharmaceuticals.
Ndungu also raised concerns about the implementation of development budgets, questioning whether allocations approved by the county are being fully converted into actual projects.
He criticised the level of oversight by the county assembly and claimed Kiambu has at times set aside money for development without spending the allocated funds.
“If you go to the Controller of Budget and examine the expenditure and absorption, you find that Kiambu consistently does not invest 30% in development. They budget it, it goes and it passes, and there is an allocation. But in terms of the actual spending, it doesn't.”
The gubernatorial aspirant further called for more civic education and greater involvement of professionals and young people in county politics.
He said effective devolution depends on citizens who understand how county governments work and are able to question leaders on the use of public funds.
Ndungu said stronger public participation, accountable leadership and deliberate efforts to attract investment would be key to ensuring Kiambu’s large economic base translates into jobs, higher local revenue and wider development for residents.