By Francis Ontomwa and Jackson Okoth

Kakamega is considered the second largest county after Nairobi with a population of 1.6 million. This is something that should keep Governor Wycliffe Oparanya on the devolution radar screens for a while.

Top on his agenda will be how to satisfy demands from volatile sugarcane farmers, deal with pressure of high population growth and housing shortage. He will also have to tap the county’s mouth-watering tourist sites such as birds in Kakamega forest.

The area covered by Kakamega County includes 12 constituencies in total namely Butere, Mumias East, Mumias West, Matungu, Khwisero, Shinyalu, Lurambi, Ikolomani, Lugari, Malava, Navakholo and Likuyani. It is how to harness the county’s available resources against a high population growth rate that the county government here must be able to deal with. Sugarcane farming is at the centre of Kakamega economic cogwheel, an activity that is presently hit by low returns. All the sugar companies located here including Mumias, West Kenya and Butali have been embroiled in bitter price wars, leaving sugarcane farmers more miserable and helpless.

Peterson Otiende is a sugarcane farmer in Mumias and just like many others; he is suffering from the low returns this business generates. Otiende is among a group of farmers who are anxiously waiting to see whether the county government will solve their problems.

“Sugar companies will cripple this sector. While sugar millers are making profits, cane farmers still earn the same pay as what they used to earn several years ago,” said Otiende. He adds that although many millers are in value addition, farmers are yet to experience any improvements in what they are paid for the cane. It is upon the county government here to devise a way to ensure all stakeholders are brought on board and solutions found that will benefit cane farmers.

24-hour economy

Apart from sugarcane processing, farmers here are also looking at emerging opportunities in the dairy industry and fishing.  Tourism is another unpolished gem that the county government must harness. This is because of its income generating capabilities. For instance, Kakamega is home to the spectacular crying stone of Ilesi, the Equatorial rainforest of Kakamega (the only one of its kind in East and Central Africa) and the Kakamega Game Reserve.  The business community here has singled out unemployment, housing and insecurity as the biggest challenges facing them in Kakamega County. There is consensus that these three issues should be dealt with urgently for business to thrive.

Jackson Werunga, a taxi operator in Kakamega town, expresses his concern that insecurity in the area is hindering business from flourishing. “I have been in this trade for a while and operating at night is a challenge for us. While all are striving to build a 24-hour economy, insecurity is slowing down this initiative here in Kakamega,” said Werunga.  In the recent past, Kakamega and parts of Mumias have witnessed several criminal activities with people losing lives and property. 

“I am aware that we have had problems in the past over insecurity and housing. For us to create an environment where everyone can thrive and do business well, this problem has to be dealt,” said Oparanya. Kakamega’s recent housing problem has been associated with the establishment of several institutions of higher learning such as Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST) and Mt Kenya University. “The institutions have increased demand for accommodation as people to scramble for all available spaces especially within Kakamega town. There is an urgent need for the county government to deal with this problem,” said Dr Veronica Kiluva, a Kakamega based Disaster Management expert.

Egara Kabaji, a communications expert at MMUST says Kakamega County requires a manager for a governor, one knowledgeable in resource management and ideologically connected to a course.

“This office can be equated to a mini presidency, therefore any county would require a sharp mind that can mobilise resources and plan very well”, said Kabaji. It will be up to Oparanya to create a brand in Kakamega County that can be copied by the rest in Western province and the country at large.