West Pokot county commissioner Abdullai Khalif has emphasized the importance of collaboration between the county government and the national government in supporting farmers.
He mentioned that a significant number of farmers in the county, totaling 90264, have already benefited from the undersized fertilizer government program.
Speaking during the Madaraka day celebration at Makutano primary school at Kapenguria constituency in West Pokot County, the region’s county commissioner Khalif said there need to ensure that farmers remain active and that the subsidized fertilizer they receive from the government is utilized for its intended purpose.
He further disclosed that government has so far distributed subsidized fertilizer to farmers and 64,178 bags of top-dressing fertilizer and 115,087 bags of planting fertilizer have already been issued to farmers.
He noted that a recent visit to the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) alongside the county security team and other officers, they discovered that there are cartels involved in purchasing of subsidized fertilizer in bulk from the NCCP depot offices and who later go sale the fertilizer to the farmers at an increase the price.
He stated that cartels who sale the government fertilizer have been identified, and investigations are ongoing to address this issue.
Khalif assured that the government is committed to preventing farmers from facing fertilizer shortages due to the actions of those seeking to profit unfairly from the program.
He inquired the residents if they were aware of the national campaign to plant 15 billion trees, specifically mentioning that the county of West Pokot has already planted 902 tree seedlings.
He emphasized that the tree planting initiative is ongoing and that the county is collaborating with both state and non-state actors.
He stated that the Dr. Susan Nakhumicha, the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Health has been appointed by the government as the lead in the exercise of tree planting initiative in West Pokot County.
He revealed that CS will visit the region every month to promote the exercise of tree planting so as to help the county achieve its target in support of the presidential directive.
He urged the county government and other stakeholders in environmental conservation to partner with the county forester conservator.
‘‘In cases where they lack tree seedlings for planting, they should approach the county forester for a donation to ensure the success of the tree planting exercise,’’ CC Khalif said.
He also urged all state actors involved in the tree planting initiative to ensure that the county’s allocated target is met.
Under the Inua Jamii program, he mentioned that the county has 560 beneficiaries under the Inua Jamii program for old age cash transfers, 790 beneficiaries for orphans and vulnerable children, and 860 beneficiaries for persons with severe disabilities.
He stated that the government will ensure all beneficiaries receive their support funds through bank accounts, which will be set up for them to receive direct transfers from the government.
On the matter of Personal Identification (ID) numbers, he revealed that the government has completely eliminated the process of vetting individuals in order for them to obtain personal identification cards.
‘‘The requirement for vetting IDs for all Kenyans has been abolished,’’ he stated.
He mentioned that the Pokot community resides on the border with Uganda, and there are also Luhyas and Somalis in the area emphasizing that there will no longer be any vetting of IDs in the region.
He disclosed that if one loses their identity card, the government will easily replace it.
In disbursement of government funds, he said that in West Pokot county through the Hustler Fund, a total of Sh190 million have been distributed to the region.
He said unfortunately, the repayment rate of hustle funds within 30 days is only 67%.
He urged all residents of West Pokot to promptly repay their loans from the government.
He urged the residents to repay their Hustler Fund loans to avoid having their property seized as repayment for defaulting on their loans.
‘‘Some people believe that once they receive funds from the Hustler Fund, they can disappear with it,’’ he stated, noting that those who received hustler funds should repay the loan.
He informed the residents that when starting a small business, one usually begins with a small amount of capital noting that there are individuals in the country who have become very wealthy by starting their hustle with a small amount of capital.
He highlighted that the Hustler Fund provides an opportunity for those in Sacco to borrow up to Sh1 million,urging the residents to consider forming the Sacco to benefit more from the hustle fund program.
He urged the residents to understand that borrowing a loan is not necessarily a bad thing, but what is crucial is the repayment of the loan.
In matters of fighting illicit brews in the county, he pointed out that the crackdown on Chang’aa and illicit brews has been ineffective, resulting in a decline in accessibility.
He warned that area chiefs who are not fulfilling their responsibilities in cracking down on illicit brews and Chang’aa will face consequences from the government.
‘‘The government has emphasized that both the area assistant chief and the chief in a particular location must eliminate illegal alcoholic beverages, and there is no room for negotiation on this matter,’’ he mentioned.
According to the county commissioner, there are more than 266 sub-locations in the county that have been ranked based on their effectiveness in combating illicit brews.
‘‘However, there are some sub-counties that are not actively involved in addressing this issue,’’ he warned the area assistant chief and chief of noting taking a lead in the fight against illicit brews in their locations.
He urged the residents to report individuals involved in the production and sale of illicit brews, as well as those brewing chang’aa or operating a place where chang’aa is being produced, to the relevant authorities for appropriate action to be taken against them.
Additionally, he encouraged the residents to share any information regarding cases of insecurity or individuals violating the rule of law.
He advised them to capture photographs of suspected criminals or individuals planning to commit a crime, noting that the photographs serve as valuable evidence in court.
‘‘Stating that without it, the case may be dismissed,’’ CC Khalif emphasized the importance of photographic evidence.
He reassured residents that the funds allocated for the infrastructure development of Kapenguria Six Museum will be closely monitored.
He emphasized the importance of safeguarding the country’s resources, stating that he will investigate the whereabouts of the money sent to Kapenguria Six Museum by the government which is alleged it has not been used for intended purpose.
‘‘The need to track the funds allocated for the development of Kapenguria Six Museum which is historically important site
‘‘I plan to collaborate with the governor to ensure the recovery of our funds,’’ he said.
When addressing on matter of minerals in the county, he said that West Pokot County is renowned as the county of hidden treasures due to its abundance of minerals such as gold, copper, cement, and chromite.
He unfortunately decried minors in the county are risking their lives in search of small amounts of gold, hoping to hit the jackpot.
‘‘Everyone desires to strike it rich, but the reality is that there is a significant amount of illegal mining activities occurring, leading to young individuals dropping out of school and young girls getting married,’’ he decried.
He highlighted that the illegal mining activities have also resulted in environmental pollution in the region.
He mentioned that lives are at risk due to illegal mining activities, as well as the occurrence of landslides.
He also pointed out that farmers have abandoned their farming practices to engage in illegal mining, which could pose a threat to food security if left uncontrolled.
He warned that water bodies and forests in the county could be lost due to illegal mining.
He emphasized that those involved in illegal exploration, exploitation, and trading of minerals could face penalties under the mining act, including fines of up to Sh10 million or two years of imprisonment.
He urged illegal miners to consider leaving the illegal activities or face legal consequences.
Additionally, he highlighted that smuggling mineral is considered an economic crime, punishable by a fine of Sh1 million and up to ten years of imprisonment.
He clarified that the government does not prohibit mineral exploration in West Pokot County, but there are cartels exploiting minerals without proper authorization from the county government.
He expressed concern over the suffering of the people and the lack of revenue being remitted to the county government.
He prohibited the illegal mining activities in the region until the miners obtain approval from the relevant government authorities to exploit the minerals in the county.
He revealed that mining is taking place in Pokot North, Pokot Central, and a location referred to as County 48, where entry is strictly prohibited due to the presence of cartels engaged in illegal mining activities.
‘‘In Tapach Ward, specifically at River Suguta, we are well aware of the distressing situation,’’ he stated the illegal mining and how it poses a danger to the lives of residents and environment.
‘‘We intend to hold discussions with the appropriate authorities to address this issue and take necessary action against those holding illegal licenses and involved in cartel activities,’’ he said.
He stated that the national government serves as the regulatory body for individuals engaged in illegal mining within the county.
ICC Khalif emphasized the importance of addressing security concerns in the county by stating that peace has begun to prevail.
He urged residents to support peace initiatives by providing intelligence to the government on any suspected criminal activities.
Additionally, he reassured the community that schools which had been closed due to insecurity will soon reopen with adequate security measures in place to ensure the safety of both students and teachers.
He emphasized the significance of the affordable housing program as a crucial initiative of the national government and a fundamental aspect of the national agenda.
“Numerous measures have been undertaken in the county, including public participation in the affordable housing act and the identification of suitable sites for the program,’’ he highlighted.
He urged those occupying the illegal land designated for affordable housing to relocate before the government takes action to evict them, thereby enabling the implementation of the affordable housing program.
He declared that he will not tolerate any hindrance to the affordable housing program’s progress and affirmed his commitment to ensuring the fulfillment of the government’s agenda in the county.
“We cannot allow the funds allocated by the government for affordable housing to go unused and prevent the execution of this project,” he asserted.
The West Pokot County governor Simon Kachapin emphasized the importance of agriculture in the region’s economy, urging farmers to utilize their land for agricultural activities to ensure food security for their households.
He assured the farmers of the county government’s support, including the provision of modern agricultural tools, quality seeds, fertilizers, and improved irrigation projects.
The governor also called on politicians to refrain from premature campaigning and concentrate on serving the electorate.
He noted that some leaders in the county were already strategizing for the 2027 county leadership transition.
In her remarks, Kenya’s high commissioner to Zambia, Lilian Tomitom, emphasized the importance of leaders working together to serve the people.
She advised the leaders to steer clear of divisive attitudes, emphasizing that their primary objective should be the well-being of the electorate.
West Pokot County commander Peter Kattam advised the residents in the region participating in the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) grassroots election in the county to refrain from turning politics into a life-or-death situation.
He emphasized the importance of avoiding conflicts in the community due to the election process.
Kattam also mentioned that police will be closely monitoring the UDA grassroots elections to guarantee a peaceful environment, cautioning those intending to disrupt the process that appropriate measures will be taken against them.
By Anthony Melly and Erickson Kiprotich
