• Rollout in Isiolo, Baringo, Marsabit, Samburu, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet encouraged by successful pilot in Turkana
• In Turkana, GoogleEarth was used to locate water sources, demonstration plots cultivated and farmers given seeds
Image: File
Six arid counties will benefit from a programme set to shield pastoral communities from the ravaging effects of drought, Arid and Semi-Arid Lands PS Micah Pkopus Powon has said.
The planned rollout in Isiolo, Baringo, Marsabit, Samburu, West Pokot and Elgeyo Marakwet comes following a successful pilot project in Turkana since 2016.
"The five-year trial in Turkana ends in 2021 but a recent mid-term review shall inform best practices to be replicated in the six counties. The communities showed a strong inclination for long-term projects for self-help rather than a periodic handout of relief food," Powon said.
In the programme titled Empowering Community Resilience against Drought (Ecorad), the Japanese International Cooperation Agency will offer technical support and funding.
The PS was accompanied by Ecorad programme head Monica Kinuthia to sample the activities in Turkana geared towards resilience.
The Turkana Water Resources was involved in the mapping of water sources and development of a database through geographical information systems. The agency sued used GoogleEarth to verify the location of water sources.
Ten boreholes were drilled; nine had water but one turned out dry. Boreholes were also equipped with hand pumps.
Demonstration plots with 40 acres of pasture and fodder were cultivated and seeds provided whereas farmers on small holds were trained using basic agricultural machinery and irrigation.
In addition, there was small scale vegetable cultivation through manual irrigation then linked to markets for produce.
Farmers underwent training on control or charcoal production from the invasive and harmful Mathenge weed.
Powon added that apart from the forbidding climate in Asal, border counties such as Mandera, Turkana, Garissa and West Pokot bear the burden of intermittent cross-border communal violence, hence the importance of peacebuilding programmes between Kenya and neighbouring nations.
Speaking at the start of four-day public and stakeholder consultations in Kabarnet, Baringo, Powon said public views gathered would be integral to feasibility studies on project selection. The fora were organised by the government and Jica in the six counties.
Powon added that the public consultative fora will take adequate regard of the respective County Integrated Development Plan.
The PS said an MoU for integrated peace and development was signed with Ethiopia.
Before July, another MoU will be signed with Uganda to cover the Karamojong, West Pokot and Turkana cluster.
Food and Agricultural Organization representative to Kenya, Gabriel Rugalema, said that the UN body will also fund Asal projects under the slogan 'From Relief Food to Resilience'.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)