This archive report was first published on 14 August 2019.
On a sunny day in Wajir, Abdi Amin is busy harvesting tomatoes on his farm, one of over 200 farmers benefiting from the county's drip irrigation project. The initiative, launched by the Agriculture Ministry, has transformed the lives of farmers in this semi-arid region of Kenya.
“Before the irrigation project, we had major challenges drawing water from wells using buckets and jerry cans,” says Abdi, whose fortunes have changed since the pilot project started a few years ago.
Aside from tomatoes, the farmers are growing a variety of vegetables, including onions, watermelons, pepper, kales, and cabbages. The county has also embarked on dairy farming, with 20 graded cattle providing milk to residents, and poultry farming.
“Many people in Wajir do not trust packet milk, so our milk is in high demand,” says Omar Shuria, a resident of Wajir. The county government is expanding the irrigation project to ensure food security for its people.
Wajir Governor Mohammed Abdi Mohamud has also announced plans to embark on an ambitious water and sewerage project, which will draw water from the Oaso Ngi’ro basin of Merti and Habasweni belt through the Wajir Water and Sewerage Company (WajWASCO).
However, the county is facing health challenges due to contaminated water drawn from shallow wells, which has led to the spread of water-borne diseases. The county government has installed an ultra-modern renal equipment at the County hospital to mitigate the cases of renal diseases reported.
Recent reports of cancer and renal diseases suspected to be caused by nuclear waste dumping in the area of Ademasajida and Arbijan have also raised concerns. The county government has petitioned the National Environment Management Authority to investigate the allegations.
Despite these challenges, the county government is prioritizing health programs, allocating 20 per cent of its annual budget to health initiatives. A Sh350 million health complex is being established in Wajir, which will include a C.T scan, Intensive care unit, and Pediatric nursery, maternity as well as mother and child unit.
