Turkana central: Over 100 farmers in Lokipetot and Naurenpuu villages in Turkana Central received 53 acres of land on Thursday in a deliberate move to enhance food self-sufficiency. The farmers beamed with excitement, each getting half an acre, and showed readiness to farm, owing to the current rainy season.
According to Kenya News Agency, Charles Ayanae Namus, Lokipetot Irrigation Management Committee Chairperson, emphasized the need to utilize farm mechanization to tap water flowing in River Turkwel. Rael Amase, a farmer, requested county officials for support with seeds and farm tools, noting that most farm beneficiaries are female-headed households.
Isaya Emanikor, a committee member, praised the county government’s initiative as self-sustaining and addressing household food insecurity. He urged the government and the KfW to consider increasing the land under crop production to 100 acres to accommodate more farmers, highlighting the availability of land for expansion.
David Maraka, Chief Officer for Agriculture and Land Reclamation, addressed farmers, stating the project’s goal to make farming a complement to pastoralism. He expressed optimism for a bumper harvest in the next three months, encouraging farmers to be proactive to avoid relying on relief food.
Michael Ekwanga, County Project Coordinator for the drought resilience program on northern Kenya DRNPK, thanked farmers for starting the project despite delays. He emphasized the project’s significance in achieving food security and the role of stakeholders in realizing this goal.
Richard Lokoyan, Director of Irrigation and Land Reclamation, deployed two irrigation engineers to the project and pledged to address challenges related to canals. Aaron Nanok, Director of Agriculture, assured farmers of seeds and farm mechanization support, deploying agronomists and officers for extension services.
Kibet Chepkwony, the Technical Consultant in DRPNK, stated that expanding the land to 100 acres depends on current land utilization. He advised farmers to maximize the 12-month defects liability period for full farm benefits and assured them of a trained project team for operations and maintenance.
