Lokichar, 26 June 2025 (Public Communications and Media Relations)

Turkana County Government has embarked on developing its first comprehensive Agricultural Policy in collaboration with the Alliance of Bioversity International and the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT).

The policy framework will establish clear investment guidelines for the agriculture sector while coordinating efforts among all stakeholders. 

A technical team from the Department of Agriculture and Land Reclamation is currently conducting a three-day workshop to produce an accessible version of the policy document. County Chief Officer David Maraka stressed the policy’s transformative potential, stating, “This framework will standardise our agricultural interventions and significantly improve our resource mobilisation capabilities to modernise the sector.” 

The workshop brings together key agricultural experts including Aaron Nanok, Director of Agriculture; Richard Lokoyan, Director of Irrigation and Land Reclamation; and Emmanuel Esau, Deputy Director of Agriculture. The technical team further comprises Eli Karani, the County Agribusiness and Marketing Officer; Juma Vitalis, the County Mechanisation Officer; along with specialists Okita Boniface and Peter Lochakwaan. 

This policy development initiative, facilitated through the partnership with Bioversity International and CIAT, represents a strategic move to align Turkana’s agricultural development with international best practices and evidence-based planning approaches.

The resulting document will serve as the county’s blueprint for sustainable agricultural growth and food security enhancement.