• This follows the launch of the National Irrigation Services Strategy, aimed at expanding irrigated agriculture in the country, by Water CS Alice Wahome on Thursday.
• Tana River county hosts at least three major irrigation schemes in the country, including the country’s second largest one, Bura irrigation scheme.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO
Tana River county leaders have accused the government of continuing the marginalisation of the county.
This follows the launch of the National Irrigation Services Strategy, aimed at expanding irrigated agriculture in the country, by Water CS Alice Wahome on Thursday.
Wahome said the strategy will also be key in identifying investment opportunities in the agricultural sector.
However, the Tana leaders, led by Senator Danson Mungatana, lamented that they were not involved in the strategic planning and launch, yet Tana River hosts at least three major irrigation schemes in the country, including the country’s second largest one.
“We take objection at the exclusion of Tana River county because the county has three major irrigation schemes. Our MPs and county government was not involved in this process,” said Mungatana.
He spoke in Mombasa in the company of Woman Representative Amina Dika, and MPs Said Hiribae (Galole), Ali Wario (Garsen) and Yakub Kuno (Bura).
Tana River county hosts Bura irrigation scheme, Hola irrigation scheme, Tana and Athi River Development Authority irrigation scheme and 80 per cent of the Galana Kulalu irrigation scheme.
“How can you have meetings such as that, dealing with matters irrigation without involving the county of Tana River?” Mungatana questioned the government.
“We want to reject and refuse the exclusion of Tana River county from national programmes as has been in the past.”
The leaders said the way the national government is conducting itself excludes the county to the disadvantage of the Tana River people.
They said the county has continually suffered lack of budgetary allocation since Independence.
“Today, if we go to the county, other than the connecting tarmac roads, there is no proper tarmac road since Independence,” they said.
The Senate has passed a motion stating that Tana River county should be involved in all matters to do with irrigation and the Tana River.
“We are hoping that the various departments concerned will listen to us,” Mungatana said.
Wario said the Bura irrigation scheme has been producing rice, which has then been repackaged and branded as if it has been coming from Mwea.
The MP said President William Ruto recently visited the Galana Kulalu irrigation project accompanied by leaders from areas where there is no irrigation like Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Lamu.
“This is not Blue Economy. This is irrigation. We wondered why the President is going with other leaders and excluded Tana River,” Wario said.
He urged the government to include Tana River more so as to ensure lasting solutions to perennial problems affecting the county, including security issues.
In security, Wario said Tana River has a shortage of 1,000 police officers. There are also inadequate National Police Reservists.
He asked the government to increase the number of NPRs in the county and arm them with automatic weapons, arguing enemies are using sophisticated weapons.
The MP highlighted issues like title deeds, saying Tana River people have no title deeds like other counties such as Kwale, Kilifi and Mombasa.
“The titles given are being given to people from outside. That is why we said we as leaders should unite so we can speak for our people as a united front,” Wario said.
Hiribae said the government has invested a lot of money in neighbouring Kilifi county to buy off land and distribute to the Kilifi people.
“Now the process is almost at its tail end. This is also happening in Lamu. These are our neighbours. Why not us in Tana River? Our people are now asking us difficult questions. The government should tell us the truth. Are we Kenyans or not?” posed Hiribae.
On security, Hiribae said NPRs in Garissa county have automatic weapons and can adequately deal with threats like those from Al Shabaab, while those in Galole walk with wooden guns.
“How can they respond to attacks from people with automatic weapons?” the Galole MP said.
Bura’s Kuno said in Madogo area in his constituency, an outbreak of cholera has so far claimed about five lives but there has been no response from the government.
“Because of the influx of animals and movement of people as pastoralists, the disease has spread to Bura where we also lost two people last week. We urge the government to come in handy and help save the situation,” Kuno said.
He said the education sector in Tana River has also been neglected.
For instance, he said, out of the government’s 12,000 Elimu scholarships, Tana River county only got 10 slots.
“Even if you are poor in mathematics, if you divide 12,000 by 47, you can have the figure by yourself. That is the rate of marginalisation that we are witnessing in this county,” Kuno said.
He said Tana River residents are also Kenyans and deserve government services.
Dika said Tana River people still struggle to get basic services like issuance of national identity cards.
“Right now the government is talking about youth empowerment. Can you empower a youth who does not even have an ID card?” posed Dika.
She said the highest performing school in Tana River got a mean grade of 4.8 in the 2022 KCSE because of marginalisation.
Image: BRIAN OTIENO