Anxiety has gripped residents of the North Rift over plans to dissolve and restructure the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) following a Cabinet decision to consolidate 42 agencies that duplicate functions performed by devolved units.
KVDA is one of the regional development authorities and parastatals identified by the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee (IGRTC) as having mandates that overlap or interfere with county functions.
It follows an audit by National Treasury that recommended the merger, collapse and restructuring of more than 70 Semi-Autonomous Government Agencies (SAGAs) to improve operational efficiency and eliminate redundancies.
For many years, residents of the marginalised counties in the North Rift region have linked the implementation of development projects and the peace process to KVDA, a state corporation tasked with conserving and managing the Kerio River basin.
The authority is the main source of support for five counties – West Pokot, Turkana, Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo and Samburu – and parts of Nakuru and Marsabit counties in planning, coordinating and implementing integrated development programmes that have improved livelihoods and promoted peaceful coexistence.
“The state agency has been instrumental in socio-economic development and peace initiatives that have transformed the region once branded Kosovo of Kenya due to the retaliatory attacks that have claimed many lives to the economic hub,” said Richard Chepting’ of Embobut on the border of Elgeyo Marakwet and West Pokot counties.
The North Rift governors, who operate under the umbrella of the North Rift Economic Bloc (NOREB), have been pushing for the dissolution of the regional authority, claiming that it has failed to implement strategic projects that benefit the locals and has been a stumbling block to development initiatives in the devolved units.
They claim that the state corporation has been operating for many years with little to show in terms of development.
“The agency has failed to initiate meaningful projects despite receiving immense funding from the government,” the administrators said during a recent peace meeting at Kainuk on the border of West Pokot and Turkana counties.
But leaders from the region now say they do not want it dissolved, but want the government to streamline KVDA's operations as part of the restructuring process. They now argue that dissolving it would be a major blow to development and the peace process in the region's marginalised counties.
West Pokot Senator Julius Murgor said the move needed public participation, arguing that the authority had been instrumental in initiating development projects and the peace process in the region.
“The state agency has promoted peaceful coexistence among warring pastoral communities and we petition the President to rescind the decision to dissolve its operations,” said Senator Murgor.
These sentiments were echoed by Sigor MP Peter Lochakapong, who said the KVDA had played a pivotal role in promoting development initiatives in the region.
“An Act of Parliament should be initiated to have a unified framework that governs all authorities,” suggested the MP.
Mark Meut, chairperson of the Wei Wei Farmers Association, said the dissolution of the KVDA would have a negative impact on pastoralists who have diversified into agriculture as an alternative source of income.
“The authority has been instrumental in the initiation of mega projects in water, agriculture, and the peace process and its dissolution will reverse gains made in socio-economic development and peace,” said Mr Meut.
The regional parastatal has revived stalled projects and initiated new ones to motivate pastoralists in the region to diversify into crop production as an alternative source of food and income.
Three years ago, the government allocated more than Sh60 million for irrigation projects in Turkana County.
Among the projects that have benefited from the funds is the Katilu Irrigation Project, which received Sh45 million and has brought 650 hectares of land under agricultural production to improve food security for the local people.
Another Sh20 million was allocated for the establishment of the Lotubae Irrigation Scheme in Turkana East, which serves East Baringo Sub-county.
A further Sh38 million was allocated to the Nakwomoru Irrigation Project downstream of Turkwel Gorge.
The irrigation scheme acts as a buffer zone between members of the Pokot and Turkana communities, but has stalled due to recurrent cattle rustling and banditry.
“More than 1,200 families will benefit from the project by providing food security and sustainable income generation to communities that have experienced recurrent food shortages,” said Sammy Naporos, KVDA's managing director.
Residents have expressed fears of mismanagement of the irrigation schemes should they be handed over to devolved units.
“What we have been witnessing is proper management of the irrigation schemes by KVDA by offering technical skills and farm inputs to empower local pastoral communities to diversify crop production as an alternative source of livelihood. This might change once the mandate is handed over from KVDA to the county governments,” said Ekuam Akoru from Katilu.
The regional authority has served as the main market for honey production in the region, offering attractive prices after securing the American market and exporting five tonnes of the commodity worth Sh3.5 million each month.
Beekeepers fear losing the international market in the absence of KVDA, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation by middlemen.
“The middlemen will take advantage of the market vacuum and offer prices below the Sh450 per kilogramme by KVDA, which will discourage many farmers from investing in honey production,” said Lucy Maira of Kodich, Pokot North Sub-county.
The North Rift region has the potential to produce 700 tonnes of honey annually, and the dissolution of KVDA is likely to affect production.
The authority earns Sh50 million monthly from honey after it established a Sh17 million training and honey production centre in Kabarnet, Baringo County.
Report by Barnabas Bii, Oscar Kakai, and Titus Ominde
