Governors meet in Turkana on food scarcity

Governors from the Frontier Counties Development Council want the state to invest in irrigation to improve food security in Asal counties.

The county chiefs toured Turkana on Thursday and said irrigation is the answer to food security in Northern Kenya.

They were governors Ali Roba of Mandera, the council chairman, Ali Korane of Garissa, Mohamed Abdi of Wajir, Mohamud Ali of Marsabit and John Lonyangapuo of West Pokot.

The counties will ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to have the government invest in small irrigation schemes of 500 to 1,000 acres instead of larger investments like the Galana-Kulalu project.

The governors inspected Kaitese-Kolioro Irrigation Scheme in Turkwel Ward, Loima subcounty.

Roba also said the government needs to come up with programmes to harvest floodwaters to put more land under irrigation.

Nanok said water harvesting will support efforts by the counties to achieve food security. "We need many dams that cost between Sh500 million to Sh1 billion to achieve food security."

He cited the success of irrigation projects such as Kolioro, whose yield in one season on 546 acres is 191,000kg  sorghum, 63,000kg  maize and 30,000kg of cow peas. Nanok said similar investments across the county would end dependence on relief food.

The governors met representatives of the donor community supporting the FCDC counties and discussed ongoing projects and strengthening of the partnership.

The discussion focussed on community land management and viable measures to cushion vulnerable communities against extreme effects of drought.