The sight and sounds of Kenya’s Laikipia: Laikipia, on slopes of Mount Kenya, is one of the largest counties in the East African largest economy. It is a cosmopolitan county, home to over 18 tribes, of which the Kikuyu account for over 60 per cent. The Maasai, Turkana, Samburu, Pokot and Meru are some of the tribes living in the county. It is 9,462 km2, with a population of about 400,000. It borders Samburu County to the North, Isiolo County to the Northeast, Meru County to the South, Nyeri to the South, Nyandarua and Nakuru Counties to the Southwest, and Baringo County to the west. The county has three four towns – Nanyuki, Nyahururu, Rumuruti, Kinamba and Doldol. Nanyuki hosts the British military training centre, and European ranchers occupy about 50 per cent of the county. Some of tourism attractions include the Ole Pejeta Conservancy, Laikipia Plateau Reserve and the Thompson Falls. Wildlife, Sior view point at Mugokodo forest, scenery and cultural features of Maasai, Pokot and Sumburu dancers are some of the attractions. The remnants of Yaaku tribe are also an attraction to tourists, researchers and historians who what to lean more about the extinct tribe. The Yaaku were hunter-gatherer and beekeepers that lived in caves, but they later lost their identity to the Maasai tribe. The tribe is now extinct and about 10 people speak the language. The Il Polei women cultural village and the Maasai Warriors’ Cricket team, make the visitor of the northern part of the county wanting to remain there to see and enjoy. The county has the largest population of elephants, second after the Tsavo National Park. The “Big 5” animals which are also found in the county rank high in the list of attractions. The Kenya Commission for Revenue Allocation ranked Laikipia number five of the counties that can economically sustain themselves. The County government welcomes national and foreign investors to explore the potential of the county in tourism, energy, health, dairy and agro industries, education and sports projects. I am determined to making Laikipia a model county in the country. We have been in contact with several diplomatic missions and development agencies to market our county. We want to make Laikipia a model county in Kenya, where other counties can come to learn from our achievements. We are ready to provide land and other support to the willing investors. We have requested the British ambassador to market Laikipia in the UK and we are grateful that the British military training centre in Nanyuki supports community projects in the county, and we welcome local and foreign investors and donors. The British government is committed to supporting devolution in Kenya, and we shall support Laikipia development agenda to make it a model county. The county government is determined to achieve the vision 2030 in 2017. It is drafting 39 bills that will, among other things, guide development agenda to achieving its plan. Chinese have shown interest to invest in biogas, while local athletes and their partners are to set up a sports academy, and Israel investors are also expected to visit the county very soon. We welcome foreign investors to partner with the local people in all business sectors in our county. The government is working on laws that will guarantee foreign investments, and we shall provide all the necessary support and incentives to make our county attractive. The government is mapping out all the resources in the county to present them in the Laikipia investment conference to be held in November this year. Poverty, lack of access to education, water, bad roads and insecurity are some of the challenges the county government is expected to address. Castle rustling among the pastoralist communities contributes to the insecurity in Laikipia and other neighbouring counties, such as Samburu and Baringo. The police have intensified patrols and we are working closely with counties government with which we share borders to bring to an end castle rustling in our county. Our county government is all inclusive and has eight ministers, including four women. The Maasai, Samburu, Kalenjin, Turkana and Kikuyu are represented in the cabinet. We have gender balance in our cabinet, and it also includes those who opposed him during the March 4, 2013 general elections. The county government is establishing women empowerment fund, youth empowerment fund to support enterprises development. It is also to set up education fund to support students in universities and colleges. They will also benefit from paid internship programme to teach in schools, to alleviate the shortage of teachers. I am also planning to set up agro-industries for fruits, beef, cereals and dairy products, in addition to buying maize direct from the farmers at Kshs.2,500 per 90-Kg bag. On water problem, ourplans are to build a dam in every village, and pans for 100 households annually. The goal is to ensure to ensure that no woman will go for more that 500 metres to fetch water in the next five years. I believe the measures will bring down poverty level now estimated at 46 per cent of the county’s population.
Posted on: Tue, 06 Aug 2013 09:34:32 +0000