The residents feel the county has lagged behind in development in nearly all sectors and have high hopes the inaugural county governor and his team hold the key to end this trend.
Aware of the challenge ahead, those seeking election to the position have all sworn to the voters their first priority, if elected, will be to make the county food secure. They also share almost a common formula of achieving that goal and that is, putting as large as possible piece of agricultural land on irrigation.
Agricultural experts have rated Machakos among regions whose moderate warm climate and fairly good soil could make it a net exporter of horticultural produce.
Water for agriculture
Aspirant Titus Ndundu says, by making use of two major rivers that traverse the county - Athi and Tana, the region’s perennial dependency on relief food popularly referred to as mwolyo could become history.
“I am telling you as an engineer, it is possible to mount a tank atop Mt Kilimambogo, fill it with water from nearby river Athi, and water the rest of Ukambani one touch,” he says in a recent campaign tour of Matungulu.
According to a strategic policy paper drafted by the Machakos County Development Forum and presented to local leaders by Mike Mutungi, the Executive Director of I Choose Life-Africa, the county government must increase acreage under irrigation by at least 20 per cent and establish community-managed food banks in every constituency. The policy paper further proposes establishment of at least one horticultural crop in every constituency and facilitation of value addition.
Education background
Improvement and expansion of the county’s infrastructural network, which has suffered severe neglect and near collapse, will form the other big assignment for whoever is elected governor.
On education, voters have raised serious concerns over the county’s sharp decline in education standards, and they are now looking forward to a complete transformation of the county into a leading educational hub.
As for who may clinch the governor’s position when the votes are finally cast on March 4, it is very unlikely that academic credentials may be a determining factor, considering the fact that all the aspirants have very impressive academic and professional CVs. As such, only politics will tell, and who plays it best will emerge the peoples’ governor.
-Standard Digital
