Lodwar, 5th September, 2025
(Public Communication and Media Relations)
The Turkana County Assembly Committee on Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries has joined calls to end persistent food insecurity in the county, following an engagement with senior officials from the Department of Agriculture and Land Reclamation on the Draft Turkana County Agriculture Policy 2025.
Committee Chair, William Etubon, welcomed the draft policy, terming it long overdue and noting that it will provide solutions to challenges that have long bedeviled the agricultural sector, resulting in chronic food shortages.
“Once enacted, the policy will create structured engagement between the County Government and investors, ensuring full utilization of available agricultural land to make Turkana food sufficient,” Etubon said.
He added that investing in major food hubs within the county would gradually shift perceptions of Turkana as a food-deficient region, reducing reliance on supplies from Kitale, West Pokot, and across the border in Uganda.
Leader of Majority, Stephen Edukon, also a member of the committee, emphasized that the policy would attract funding locally and from development partners, positively impacting food security. He added that the policy would guide operations across the agricultural sector.
Lopur Ward MCA, Gilbert Topos, highlighted contract farming and leasing—provisions within the draft policy—as opportunities for farmers to directly connect with buyers. He urged deliberate adoption of climate-smart technologies, noting that drip irrigation is more effective than sprinklers in enhancing productivity.
County Executive for Agriculture, Livestock Development and Fisheries, Dr. Michael Eregae, assured members that the policy addresses challenges in the sector by providing clear guidelines for ensuring household food and nutrition security, food safety, and increased production.
He, however, noted that inadequate investment and low budget allocations had slowed efforts to rehabilitate irrigation infrastructure and adopt modern technologies that could boost food production. Dr. Eregae appealed to the committee to consider increasing annual budget allocations for food security initiatives in line with Governor Jeremiah Lomorukai’s transformative agenda.
Chief Officer for Agriculture and Land Reclamation, David Maraka, explained that the policy seeks to strengthen community resilience against drought and climate shocks. He thanked the MCAs, Seed Savers Network, and other stakeholders who contributed to its development.
He added that public participation forums, supported by the Alliance of Bioversity and CIAT under the Accelerating Impacts of CGIAR Climate Research for Africa (AICCRA) program, were held in Turkwel, Kakuma, Morulem, and Katilu, and that public views were integrated into the draft policy.
In attendance were MCAs Ruth Kuya (Township), Michael Apem (Kalokol), Alphonse Loteder (Katilia), and Jecinta Abenyo, alongside Directors Aron Nanok (Agriculture), Richard Lokoya (Land Reclamation), and Ekal Lokuruka (Litigation Services).
Others present included Joyce Ekai (Legal Officer), Policy Secretariat staff Vitalis Juma, Peter Lochwakwaan, and Boniface Okita, as well as members of the Assembly Committee Secretariat.
