Thirty women in Namakat village, Township Ward, Turkana Central sub-county, are earning an income from irrigated vegetable plots established on land once overrun by prosopis.

The farms are the result of a partnership between the County Government of Turkana, Building Livelihoods and Empowering Communities (BLEC) and South North Nexus (SNN).

Since 2024, the partners have supported the drilling of a borehole and the setting up of an irrigation facility for small vegetable plots. The women previously bought vegetables from as far as Kitale.

Deputy Governor Dr John Erus said the county will keep working with partners in food security and financial inclusion to improve livelihoods and lift communities out of poverty.

“Our focus in the next few years is to create a conducive environment for the local population to build wealth and move out of poverty. Looking at projects in Namakat, this is an intervention that perfectly aligns with that goal and the County Government will expand similar support,”  Dr. Erus said.

He said interventions that help communities farm and manage their finances enable them to create value and multiply their resources.

SNN Director Deborah Hines said combining water access, farming and village savings has paid off. “Namakat has gone from barren land colonised by prosopis trees to an area where women grow spinach, cabbage and other indigenous vegetables. Families can now afford three meals a day and their children are no longer malnourished,” she said.

BLEC Programme Manager Steven Ngetich said food insecurity remains a major challenge in Turkana and that BLEC is committed to working with the County on lasting solutions.

The delegation visited the Namakat farm after paying a courtesy call to the deputy governor, where women were cultivating vegetables and taking part in village savings and loaning activities.

BLEC also works with the Turkana Chapter of the Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KNCCI) to equip farmers with entrepreneurial skills, link them to markets and help them access financial assistance.

Also present were Deputy County Secretary in charge of Administration Joseph Nyang’a, Chief Officer for Partnerships and Resource Mobilization Janerose Tioko, and Director of Protocol Peter Lomauge.

 by Peter Gitonga