GOVERNOR WAMBORA CATCHES 'The mole' By Offering What It Needs Most - Economic empowerment

Deputy President William Ruto with Igembe Central MP, Mithika Linturi chew miraa during a meeting with miraa growers. PHOTO: Courtesy/DPPS/the-star.co.ke

'The mole' in this article represents the Mbeere (Lower Embu) electorate

Earlier this year, The National Miraa Taskforce kicked off the registration process for Khat (Muguka) farmers in Embu County, in a bid to put up projects from the Sh1billion miraa kitty set aside last year. 

Embu governor Martin Wambora's ingenuity has worked for him again; he prioritized the project, to the joy of Mbeere people, whose main economic activity is Muguka farming. Working hand in hand with the office of the incumbent governor, the task force formed an implementation committee led by Embu Team Leader, Rufus Miriti. The Committee has done a 10-day recruitment drive in Mbeere North and South Sub-counties, to establish the number of miraa farmers in the area and their location. Once the number is established they will recommend on the type of projects apt to counter the farmers' challenges, depending on their priority areas and diverse needs.

Members of the committee when they paid a courtesy call to the Deputy Clerk, County Assembly of Embu

While praising the (County) leadership, Mr. Miriti said that government will now be dealing directly with the farmers through their various savings and cooperative societies, so that those cartels and middlemen who have been exploiting miraa farmers are eliminated. He spoke at the County Assembly of Embu during a courtesy call on the Deputy Clerk Roslyn Miano recently.

The funds will be used to construct dams, water pans and boreholes for irrigation in the semi-arid region that predominantly depends on the herb for their livelihood.

A prominent muguka farmer at his farm in Mbeere, Embu County

THE POLITICAL IMPACT

Politically, governor Wambora's government has endeared itself to the residents of the lower Embu (Mbeere), which has been considered hostile to him hitherto. The effect of this exercise is likely to be that more  people from the region will be happy with the current government and would therefore vote in it's  favor come 8/8/2017, as the projects can only be fully implemented in the second term (2017 - 2022). It's a win-win situation.