By Yoga David
Kisumu Governor Prof. Peter Anyang Nyong’o today hosted members of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries for a courtesy call at his City Hall office.
The delegation was led by Chairperson Sen. Wakoli Wafula and Vice Chairperson Sen. Alexander Mundigi. The members included Sen. Catherine Muyeka Mumma and Sen. Mwenda Gataya.
The meeting was insightful and pro-active with discussions focused on key sectors that drive Kisumu’s economy, agriculture, livestock, and fisheries.
The discussions also centered around strengthening the blue economy, assessing the use of rice and sugarcane farming, promoting cage culture and fish marketing, and expanding horticulture for small-scale farmers.
Governor Nyong’o talked of his commitment to transforming Kisumu Agricultural landscape. He emphasized that agriculture, being a devolved function, requires strategic collaboration between county and national institutions.
He called on senate and county officials to invest in creative financing and allocation of funds in agriculture, food security, and blue economy and encouraged for reduced dependency on donor funding through careful budget planning.
The team also reviewed the intergovernmental agreement between Kisumu County and the National Government on agriculture and food security.
CECM Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation, Mr Ken Onyango briefed the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries on Kisumu’s progress, noting increased agricultural productivity aligned with the Governor’s development manifesto.
The county has achieved key agricultural milestones, including the deployment of agricultural extension officers, to boost staple food production and the revival of the Ahero Rice mill through private investment. He said rice farming has also grown from 15,000 to over 19,000 acres since 2017.
A new Tomato Processing Plant has been established to enhance value addition, while the West Kano irrigation scheme has expanded, increasing horticultural output. Over 10,000 coffee seedlings have been distributed in Nyakach to promote coffee farming in the county.
Governor Nyong’o stressed the importance of agriculture and food security for rural communities, urging continued collaboration, statistics and data sharing between the national government and county government to ensure accurate allocation and utilization of public funds.
Also present at the meeting were Chief of Staff Mr. Aloice Ager, Chief Officer Agriculture, Fisheries, Livestock Development and Irrigation Mr. Daniel Okia, as well as other officials from the senate committee and county government of Kisumu.
