Kisumu County earmarks Sh1.3b for food

The county government will now be forced to allocate 10 per cent of its budget to fighting food security.

This follows the MCAs adoption of a committee report calling for the allocation.

The report by the Committee of Livestock, Fisheries and Natural Resources is in line with the recommendations of the sixth All Africa Conference on Annual Agriculture (AACAA) held in Nairobi in October, this year.

The AACAA assembly provides a forum for researchers, policy makers, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to share findings and experiences in agricultural practices in Africa and beyond.

The report was unanimously approved by the MCAs ahead of the December holiday recess expected to commence this week.

The recommendation is expected to be presented to the executive for immediate implementation. Food security is one of the eight main pillars of Governor Jack Ranguma's government.

Food security

Speaking during the presentation of the report, committee Chairman Fanuel Aim said the conference, which brought together experts from all over the world exposed the loopholes in the county's food security strategies.

He noted that the county has been importing a bigger percentage of food from the neighbouring counties, a situation, which not only denies the county revenue but also poses a great challenge to the bulging population due to unemployment.

"The county has a lot of arable land, which can be put to use. Residents can also venture in rearing domestic animals like poultry, which do not require a lot of space," said Mr Aim.

The county's annual budget stands at Sh11.3 billion. This means the agriculture docket is expected to consume slightly over Sh1.3 billion.