Elmi: My plans to cut drought effects in Wajir
Wajir gubernatorial candidate Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi (centre) inspects a private fodder growing programme in the county. He has promised to start co-operative to grow and provide affordable fodder to cut drought effects.
A former Cabinet minister eyeing the Wajir governor’s seat says he will establish a fodder bank in each ward in the county to mitigate the effects of perennial drought.
Mr Mohamed Ibrahim Elmi, a Kibaki-era minister for development of northern Kenya and arid lands, said it is wrong for drought to always be treated as an emergency ‘yet it is a recurrent thing’.
Speaking to the Nation, Mr Elmi, an independent candidate, regretted that many locals suffer due to drought in the vast county every year due to poor planning resulting in food insecurity and loss of livestock.
“Once elected governor, I will start a cooperative for livestock keepers and herders where every family will have a card to be accessing fodder grown on at least 10 acres of land in every ward at affordable rates,” Mr Elmi said.
Mr Elmi, who resigned as Environment chief administrative secretary to jump into politics, said the fodder will be stored in every ward and sold to locals during drought.
Locals now rely on fodder from as far away as the Mt Kenya region, which sells for Sh500 per bale.
But Mr Elmi said his administration would sell fodder for between Sh60 and Sh100 per bale “as we will be using our own land and water to grow it when it rains”.
Fodder production, he said, would create jobs for local youths and boost their income.
The venture would also reduce conflicts over pasture and water, he said.
“We want to address the issue of drought that has adverse effects on human lives and livestock once and for all. The surplus feed will be exported to neighbouring counties. We don’t want drought to be an emergency anymore,” Mr Elmi said, adding that more boreholes will also be dug in the semi-arid county.
Mr Elmi, who also served as a regional manager for Oxfam for 10 years and as a health worker in Wajir, is a graduate of Liverpool University in the UK and enjoys the support of the Eldas community in his bid for governor.
Mr Elmi, a former Tarbaj MP, is among nine candidates seeking the seat in the August 9 polls.
Others are Governor Mohamed Abdi Mohamud, who was impeached by MCAs before the court reinstated him, Mr Ahmed Ali Muktar, Dr Hassan Mohamed, Mr Ahmed Abdullahi (ODM) Dr Abdullahi Ibrahim Ali (UDM), Prof Osman Warfa (NARK), Dr Siyat Abdullahi (Wiper), and Ugas Sheikh Mohamed (ANC).
The county has 164,200 registered voters.
