Turkana: At least 19 co-operatives in Turkana County have concluded a three-day training aimed at enhancing their ability to support agricultural activities by providing credit and savings services to farmers. The initiative, a collaboration between the County Government and local banks, is part of the Food Systems Resilience Project (FSRP) strategy to strengthen farmers’ resilience against food insecurity.
According to Kenya News Agency, the Chief Officer for Agriculture and Land Reclamation, David Maraka, described the initiative as a significant step towards improving financial inclusion for farmers. He stated, “I can confirm that the 57 Sacco leaders attending the training have been exposed to risk-based lending, credit rating of farmers, identification of high value crops, and farmers on contract production.”
David Naita, the Lead for Financial Inclusion and Creditworthiness of Crop and Livestock Farmers component, reiterated FSRP’s commitment to work closely with the 19 SACCOs to build capacity for effective implementation of developed credit and lending policies. James Echuchuka, Chairman of Lokori/Kochodin SACCO, expressed his enthusiasm about sharing the acquired skills in governance, financial management, and bookkeeping with his fellow SACCO members.
The training underscores a broader collaborative effort between the county and national governments to fortify financial systems that protect livelihoods and promote resilient food systems for Turkana’s population. The session culminated in the development of a draft policy tailored to meet the specific needs of farmers, thereby facilitating their access to credit facilities to enhance food security.
The training was attended by several officials, including Josephine Emase, the FSRP County Community Institutions Development Officer, and Deputy Director for Livestock Production, along with other FSRP and county officials. Representatives from the banking sector included Mark Gitau from Co-operative Bank and William Ouma from the Digital Literacy Corp, Equity Group Foundation. National government representatives were also present, with officials such as Njoroge Wanjiru, Ibrahim Gichuki, and Esther Kariuki from the State Department of Cooperatives contributing to the discussions.
