” H.E The Deputy Governor,
The County Commissioner,
The county Senator,
County Women Representative,
Honorable Members of Parliament,
Speaker of the County Assembly,
Members of the County Assembly,
CECMs, CCOs, and Officials present,
Distinguished guests,
Assalam Aleikum, Hamjambo
It’s another wonderful opportunity to come together to celebrate Madaraka Day, a day when we reflect on our nation’s journey to self-rule, prosperity, and resilience. This day symbolizes the beginning of our independence, the moment we seized control of our destiny.
There is no better time to honor our history than on this great day—a time to celebrate our present achievements and envision a future filled with abundance and opportunities for all.
Invited guests,
This year, our focus is on “Agriculture and Food Security”– a theme that deeply resonates with our national identity and collective goals. Agriculture has long been the cornerstone of Kenya’s economy, the lifeline of our rural areas, and the bedrock of our food security.
Agriculture is a noble venture that extends beyond mere farming; it is about planting the seeds of hope, nourishment, and economic progress. It is about ensuring every Kenyan has access to nutritious food, that our farmers prosper, and that our nation remains resilient against global challenges.
Today, we reaffirm our dedication to this crucial sector, recognizing its capacity to drive sustainable development and uplift our people. We acknowledge the hard work and dedication of our farmers, who toil day and night to feed our nation. Their efforts are the cornerstone of our food security, and we must support them with the resources, knowledge, and infrastructure they need to succeed.
Ladies and gentlemen,
To this end, our county government has implemented several key initiatives since we took over the administration in September 2022.In the realm of innovation and technology, the County Government is establishing large-scale farms to boost crop production and address food and nutritional security along priority value chains. This initiative targets at least four farms of approximately 5,000 acres each.
One such farm is in advanced development stages, with plans to excavate a mega pan to meet the farm’s water needs. Once established, these farms will have the potential to annually produce 54,000 metric tons of assorted cereals, valued at over Ksh 300 million.
The farms will also include fodder production and value addition investments. Additionally, the county government, in partnership with the national government, is recruiting 119 agripreneurs to strengthen extension service delivery at the ward level.
Distinguished guests,
My administration has made significant investments in agricultural infrastructure development. This includes enhanced water harvesting through the excavation of mega water pans, with four pans having a cumulative capacity of 240,000 m³ excavated this year to support approximately 60 acres of irrigated agriculture.
Additionally, the department has solarized 65 shallow wells to support small-scale irrigation in Wajir town and its environs, facilitating irrigation for approximately 150 acres of high-value crops. Furthermore, the drilling and solarization of two boreholes, completed in partnership with development partners, have also been undertaken to support irrigation efforts.
The Department of Agriculture has also made strides in agricultural mechanization by procuring four farm tractors and related implements to support mechanized land preparation, adding to an existing fleet of six older tractors. This initiative has enabled the department to assist farmers in preparing over 3,500 acres annually, with plans to double this figure.
Moreover, in terms of access to finance, the department has an increased budgetary allocation for the current year from Ksh 45 million in 2022/23 to ksh 300 million in 2023/24 financial year, complemented by substantial support from development partners.
Some of the sustainable practices we have implemented include a priority value chain approach to crop development, the creation of reliable access to farm inputs, and the strengthening of farmers’ producer cooperatives. Efforts have also been made to create markets and market linkages, align development partners’ activities with key thematic areas in the department, and strengthen the legal and regulatory framework.
An example of this is the development of the Smallholder Farmers Access to Public Institutional Markets Strategy, 2023-2033 which is at the final stage. Additionally, production activities are being concentrated in certain geographical regions based on their potential.
Furthermore, in terms of capacity building, the county has continued to train both extension officers and farmers. Over the past year, more than 120 officers and 7,000 farmers received training under various programs.
Fellow Wajirians,
Wajir county is predominantly a livestock production county practiced under pastoralism by approximately 75% of the population. Crop production is practiced by approximately 25% of the population under both rain-fed and irrigation. The county enjoys two rainfall seasons March, April and May rains and October, November and December rains.
Currently, there are approximately 7,000 active small-scale farm holders in the county, each managing an average of 3 acres under rain-fed conditions. Priority value chains include cereals, pulses, sesame (sim sim), and various horticultural crops. Irrigated crop production is supported by water from boreholes, shallow wells, and water pans. Cumulatively, the county has 11 boreholes and 20 water pans dedicated to irrigation.
The county also boasts approximately 1,700,500 hectares of arable land out of which only 15,000 ha is under production. Crop production in Wajir is primarily managed by small-scale holders dispersed across the region. These farms typically grow an average of four major crops, mainly for subsistence, with any surplus sold locally. A few farmers are adopting large-scale monoculture, especially in Wajir North, where significant farms of sorghum and maize exist.
In the year 2023, cumulatively the county produced assorted farm produce worth approximately 1.6B shillings of which between 60 to 70 percent was consumed at household level. The county loses 20 to 30 percent of achieved yields to post harvest management related issues annually which calls for immediate attention
Fodder production is also gaining prominence, with acreage increasing each year, including crops such as foxtail buffalo grass, Para grass, saw-tooth love grass, and Napier grass. Large-scale crop production is on the rise, with the County government supporting these initiatives.
Value addition remains limited, with most farmers selling crop surpluses in unprocessed form. Activities related to value addition mainly involve sorting and grading. The county has two maize processing plants: Korondille Sorghum Marketing Cooperative maize mill, which is awaiting power connection and has a capacity of 20 metric tonnes in 24 hours, and Bute Millers, a privately owned small-scale plant with a capacity of 500 kg per day.
The County government is working to strengthen cooperatives for aggregation and marketing. Available markets include farm gates, local urban centers, and neighboring towns like Moyale and Dadaab, primarily for watermelon.
Ladies and gentlemen,
Agriculture in our county faces several challenges, including the inability to enjoy economies of scale due to low and unsynchronized production. Farmers are also dealing with high incidences of pests and diseases, and there is inadequate adoption of climate-resilient and adaptive agricultural practices.
The impacts of climate change, such as extreme droughts and floods, further exacerbate these issues. Additionally, there is a weak capacity to adopt good agricultural practices. The demand for locally produced goods is insufficient, both at the household level and in public institutions.
Moreover, high transportation costs to other markets limit access to better market outlets, (eg Sorghum in Tharaka-Nthi in the last season was going at Ksh 48 farm gate price while in Wajir it was going at Ksh 60) making ours’ less competitive in the outer markets.
The County Government is making several strategic inputs to boost agriculture, including increasing budgetary allocations to support investments in water harvesting and abstraction for irrigation. Efforts are being made to revamp extension service delivery through timely vehicle servicing, employment of extension officers, and capacity building.
We are also encouraging partners and NGOs to support resilience building and we are working on strengthening the legal framework with better policies and strategies.
Additionally, we are mobilizing farmers along priority value chains into marketing cooperatives, addressing inadequate resources for crop production, and establishing a local research center and an agricultural training and innovation incubation center.
To further support farmers, my administration is providing robust irrigation materials to withstand local weather conditions and addressing the rapid silting of water pans due to the local soil structure.
Esteemed guests,
Wajir County is in the process of recovering from the impact of a prolonged drought, which led to significant livestock losses. As part of efforts to rehabilitate the rangeland ecosystem, the county has conducted training sessions for 220 rangeland management committee members hailing from Bute, Hadado/Athibohol, Arbajahan, Habaswein, Laqboqol, Khorof Harar, Diff, and Burdher wards, focusing on Participatory Rangeland Management.
Moreover, the county has provided support to communities by distributing 800 kg of grass seeds for reseeding, while also assisting fodder farmers with 4,000 Napier grass cuttings and 700 kg of fodder grass seeds to enhance livestock feed reserves.
In addition, the County distributed 20 plastic and 17 collapsible water tanks to pastoral communities, benefiting a total of 12,300 households. Furthermore, 34 technical staff members have received training in various areas such as livestock market co-management and fodder management.
Earlier this year, 10,000 bags of livestock feed were distributed to farmers, thanks to the support from partners such as WASDA and Save the Children.
Fellow Wajirians,
The rise in drug and substance abuse in our county has become a significant concern, particularly affecting our youth. This alarming trend has been exacerbated by our geographical proximity and shared borders with Ethiopia, Isiolo, and Marsabit County, making Wajir increasingly susceptible to drug trafficking over the years.
The ease of cross-border movement and the presence of established trafficking routes have facilitated the influx of illegal substances into our communities.
Consequently, this has led to a range of social, economic, and health issues that disproportionately impact our young population. Addressing this challenge requires a coordinated effort from all stakeholders, including law enforcement, community leaders, and residents, to curb the spread of drug abuse and ensure a healthier future for our youth.
Early this year, Wajir County deployed a multi-faceted approach to curb drugs and substance abuse. The Anti-Drug and Hard Substance Task Force was formed to outline a comprehensive strategy targeting the eradication of local brew (changaa), alcohol, bhang, muguka, miraa, and other drugs.
To counter the menace of drug and substance abuse, the county supported various youth engagement activities through sports, such as the Governor’s Super Cup football tournament, the Kenya Youth Intercounty Sports Tournament held in Malindi early this year where the county emerged as runners-up, and the Safaricom Chapa Dimba football tournament where our county emerged as winners.
In March 2024, through the Department of Education, we held the second annual Quran competition with participants drawn from across the county, where our youth showcased their mastery of the Holy Quran.
To tackle the rising challenges of drug abuse and radicalization, the county government launched the “Kazi Mtaan” program, engaging over 500 youth to clean the Wajir Town Municipality, clear bushes, and unclog drainage systems following the El Niño rains for a period of 30 days.
To deter our youth from these vices, the county further sponsored sports activities, providing uniforms, equipment, and prize money. These initiatives aim to keep our youth engaged.
Ladies and gentlemen,
The entry, transportation, distribution, sale, and use of muguka and miraa within the county need to be regulated. As such, every miraa and muguka seller needs to obtain a permit or sale license, which allows them to sell the product in specific, labeled locations.
Any food store that uses its single permit to sell drugs, alcohol, unprocessed tobacco, or other items like miraa will have their business shut down and their permit revoked.
Additionally, miraa is not allowed to be sold in close proximity to educational and religious establishments, requiring at least 500 meters of separation. Food kiosks that sell or permit the use of miraa and Muguka within or around their property will likewise forfeit their permit and be forced to close permanently.
Therefore, we call upon miraa and Muguka traders to comply with the existing laws and regulations of the county. Moreover, plans are underway to map out hotspots and identify individuals who are selling harmful substances to our youth.
Additionally,
The County has also taken significant steps to address the issue of ghost workers and streamline its payroll system. Among the measures taken are the recovery of hardship allowances from officers on study leave between 2017 and 2022, amounting to Ksh 7,851,860.
Additionally, a document verification process has been conducted, resulting in the removal of 25 officers from the payroll.
The county has also identified and removed 48 overage officers from the payroll.
Furthermore, 14 officers classified as ghost workers, who did not turn up for the HR audit, have been removed from the payroll.
These actions reflect our commitment to ensuring a transparent and efficient payroll system, ultimately contributing to better governance and resource management.
Finally,
As we come to the end of our Madaraka Day celebrations, let us take a moment to reflect on the importance of this day and the journey we have undertaken as a nation. Today, we have honored our rich history, collective achievements, and shared dreams for the future. We have celebrated the resilience and unity that have driven us forward and remembered the sacrifices of those who fought for this day.
As we depart for our respective engagements, let us embrace the spirit of Madaraka. Let us continue to pursue excellence in all our endeavors, working together to build a prosperous, inclusive, and just nation. Let us dedicate ourselves to fostering unity, understanding, and cooperation among all Kenyans, acknowledging that our diversity is our strength.
HAPPY MADARAKA DAY.
MAY GOD BLESS KENYA,
MAY GOD BLESS WAJIR COUNTY.
THANK YOU!“