By Abdikadir Sugow
Garissa, Kenya: Determined to quickly adapt to the devolved system of governance, Garissa County Governor Nathif Jama Adam has set the ball rolling and unveiled an 11-point development plan.
Food security, a fundamental factor to peace and unity in the county which can be achieved through proper attention to agricultural production, tops Governor Nathif’s five-year blueprint proposed development agenda.
Enhancing the livestock development sector, education, infrastructure, water, sanitation and waste management, healthcare services, provision of emergency response services, provision of appropriate social services, unlocking the county’s tourism potential, development of entrepreneurship, trade and manufacturing and above all security, are what he has put in focus.
Ethical crisis
Speaking during the unveiling of the plan, Nathif said the agenda was put together in line with the provisions of the Kenya Vision 2030 blueprint and developed through consultations with different stakeholders in the county.
He told the guests during the first official opening of the Garissa County Assembly session that Garissa County is “caught up in a grave moral and ethical crisis, with the state of decline and decay self-evident.”
He said local institutions are poorly managed; the infrastructure dilapidated and the local economy weak “due to the result of myopia, greed and irresponsibility on the part of some but also of our collective failure to demand better from our leaders.”
The governor noted that most locals, especially the youth are jobless, healthcare is deficient, the education system is in shambles and the absence of power is hampering economic development. Lack of sustainable water supply in most parts of the county threatens the very existence of the society.
Plight of disabled
“Our confidence in our ability to face all these challenges is being tested and this may indeed give way to some kind of despair,” said the former CEO of the First Community Bank.
He said his administration will fulfill a wide range of other important development interventions, including enhancing human dignity for the disabled and those with special needs while protecting the county’s heritage especially the environment, land, forests and all natural resources.
Nathif added that he is too aware that the pursuit of the agenda for change will be a complex and grueling endeavor and urged the local leadership, particularly the County Representatives to work together for the sake of the county.
His plans for developing the agricultural sector include assisting to develop and beef up output from the small-scale farms currently existing along the Tana River through the provision of steady and sufficient water supply to them from the river.
Boost agriculture
“This will involve the use of modern desert-style irrigation techniques with the aim of transforming farming and enhancing food security in the county. Farmers will be supported with farm inputs such as seeds, fertilisers and through farm-disease control measures,” he said.
The governor noted that irrigation led agriculture is expected to expand land under irrigation and ensure more than one crop per year is planted by farmers, enhancing productivity and expanding wealth creation opportunities.
With livestock rearing being the most dominant livelihood and economic activity in the county, the governor observed that the county lacks proper livestock management and market information.
“Livestock disease control and surveillance systems will be strengthened to including mobile health workers. High-quality abattoirs will be built in main livestock rearing areas,” he said.
He is also aiming for a drastic improvement of education through improved pre-primary and early childhood development and education.
Roads infrastructure
To ensure infrastructure growth and development in Garissa County, the administration proposes to rehabilitate the tarmac roads within Garissa town and extend the tarmac to all arterial (major) routes.
He also intends to rehabilitate all existing weather roads and feeder roads and develop more of such roads.
“Water and sanitation infrastructure will be modernised to curb water wastages that impede economic development. Water harvesting and saving technologies will be encouraged. A county drought steering committee is being mooted to strengthen customary adaptive and response strategies,” he noted.
The governor also said that there are plans to rehabilitate all existing healthcare centers in the county to be able to provide quality, accessible health care for all and well-functioning mortuary services.
Nathif noted that a Garissa Fire Department is expected to have a full-time brigade to provide a fire and emergency response service to residents. The county further plans to establish much-needed social and leisure amenities, including a modern fruit and vegetable market as well as beautification of the roads and streets of Garissa town.
Tourism sector
“Garissa County will also exploit its rich cultural heritage and wildlife population which is central to the tourist industry. It will encourage entrepreneurship, trade and manufacturing,” said the Governor, adding: “We have great ambitions for development, but all these will not be possible without an atmosphere of peace and security. We shall work closely with the national government organs.”
The governor said that under the new dispensation and a pro-active development agenda, high returns can be achieved from untapped wealth and investment in roads, electricity, education and robust poverty reduction measures the marginal, rain-fed region.
Nathif also promised that his administration will encourage the investment of game reserves and national parks, including the Arawale Game Reserve, home to the endangered hirola - a rare antelope only found in Kenya – the white rhino, giraffe, gerenuk and the Waller’s gazelle.
He said this would give the county a comparative edge in tourism.
