Four counties are in talks to establish a joint fertiliser plant.

By OSINDE OBARE and FRANCIS ONTOMWA

Uasin Gishu and West Pokot,Kenya:Four counties are in talks to establish a joint fertiliser plant.

Trans-Nzoia, Bungoma, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot counties are planning to raise funds for the project expected to ease the burden of farmers in the agriculture-rich regions.

“We are brainstorming with my colleagues to look for an investor who can establish fertiliser factory and save our farmers from unaffordable cost of the commodity,” said Trans-Nzoia Governor Patrick Khaemba.

He spoke yesterday when he hosted a delegation from The Standard Group led by directors Mr Francis Munywoki (Business Development and Innovation) and Irene Kimani (Commercial) who paid him a courtesy call.

However, Khaemba is optimistic the governors will settle on the construction of the plant arguing the farming activity had been hurt by high cost of farm inputs such as fertiliser.

“Our farmers have been frustrated by the high cost of fertilisers. They cannot access the subsidised fertilisers and the establishment of the plant will end their suffering,” he said.

Many farmers have been pushed out of the farming due to lack of incentives from the Government.

“It is discouraging the subsidised fertilisers are delivered to farmers when the crop have passed the topdressing period. We need to ensure fertiliser is available to farmers on time,” he said.

Avenues for More revenue

Meanwhile, Kakamega County plans to raise revenue collection from the current Sh300 million to Sh5 billion in the next three years.

Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said plans have been put in place to ensure the county meets its recurrent expenditures while at the same time expand its development plans.

Speaking at his office when he met The Standard group’s management team that paid him a courtesy call, Oparanya said the county had roadmapped avenues to increase revenue collection.

“We want to build a self-sufficient county, one that can meet own budget, the first step would be to maximise revenue collection and direct these funds to development and meeting recurrent expenditures,” he said.

Oparanya singled out agriculture and health sectors as areas that needed dire interventions if the county was to up its economic standing. He said the county would allocate 10 per cent of its budget to Agriculture in the next financial year to improve the sector.

“Agriculture and health are priority areas for my government and we plan to direct more funds to these two areas, agriculture is the backbone of our economy and we have a vision to ensure we reap maximum her,” he said.

The Standard Group’s Managing Director in charge of Print Operations Neema Wamai, who was accompanied by Chief Editor John Bundotich challenged the county administration to engage media to ensure devolution succeeds. “We are committed to ensuring that counties realises the fruits of devolution and we shall engage all key players in the county to achieve this through working closely together,” said Wamai.