Don't give birth if you cannot engage in farming activities, Deputy Governor Magwanga tells Gen Zs

Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga. (James Omoro, Standard).

Homa Bay Deputy Governor Oyugi Magwanga has advised young men and women not to have children if they do not participate in agriculture.

Magwanga argues that every parent must participate actively in crop and livestock production to enable them to be food secure.

Food insecurity is a problem facing many people in the contemporary society. But the only remedy is agriculture which entails crop production and rearing of livestock.

As food security affects people in various parts of the world, Kenya and Homa Bay County are not exempted.

In some parts of Kenya, food insecurity exists due to adequate rainfall to support agriculture, making crop and livestock production nearly impossible.

Conversely, some areas in Kenya face food insecurity despite having sufficient rainfall for crop cultivation and livestock rearing.

Farmers in these regions can plant crops in either one or two seasons, depending on rainfall availability and the fertile land indicates a strong potential for high yields.

Favourable climate

According to Magwanga, Homa Bay is among the counties with reliable rainfall and fertile land. The Deputy Governor argues that the county’s land can support the cultivation of many crops and its climate and vegetation can sustain various livestock species.

Therefore, Mangwanga finds it hard to accept that a resident of Homa Bay goes to bed hungry due to a lack of food.

Speaking at an agricultural promotion event at Lwanda Nyamasare village in Mbita Sub-county, the Deputy Governor attributed the inability of many people to maintain balanced diet to laziness. He emphasised that food is a necessity, and anyone who cannot effectively participate in crop or livestock production effectively should reconsider having children.

“Any parent must recognize that a child will need food. If you’re unwilling to grow crops or rear livestock, what will your child eat? It’s better to refrain from having children if you won’t participate in food production, as your child will go hungry,” he emphasized.

He argued that every child needs nutritious food for healthy growth, which can only come from crop production.

The CECM for Water, Joash Aloo, expressed concerns about the large tracts of fallow land in the county and urged residents to utilize it effectively for food production. “I still see large areas of unused land. Let’s make better use of it by growing crops,” Dr Aloo said.

Martin Opere, the CEM for Education, encouraged residents to protect their livestock from damaging crops.

“Let’s avoid conflicts in agriculture by ensuring livestock keepers don’t let their animals destroy crops. Crop producers should also avoid harming livestock to maintain harmony in our agricultural activities,” Opere said.

Some residents vowed to change their approach to agriculture.