Laikipia County Assembly Member for Githiga Ward, Gitahi Macharia, has questioned the utilisation of millions of shillings allocated to the Food Systems Resilience Programme, raising concerns over persistent hunger despite significant public investment in agriculture.
Macharia wants the Laikipia County Government to account for funds allocated to agricultural empowerment initiatives, arguing that residents continue to face food insecurity while farmers struggle with inadequate support to improve production.
In a statement ahead of the 2027 General Election, the MCA said food security should be among the central development priorities, given its connection to nutrition, public health, household incomes and economic opportunities.
He noted that the County Assembly had allocated hundreds of millions of shillings through the Food Systems Resilience Programme and Locally Led Climate Action initiatives, alongside other budgetary provisions targeting different agricultural activities.
“Aware of the centrality of food in mankind’s survival and livelihood sustainability, the County Assembly of Laikipia has allocated monies, hundreds of millions, through the food systems resilience programme, financing locally-led climate action, among other routine budget support for the various aspects of agriculture,” Gitahi said.
However, he questioned why such investments had not translated into meaningful improvements in food production and household livelihoods.
“Ironically, after periodic funding, the people of Laikipia are still vulnerable to hunger, and there is still heavy reliance on rainwater for agriculture; foreign aid and issues of malnutrition and undernutrition still plague the people of the cosmopolitan county. Investments justified under this vote head have been reduced to purely personal emoluments and office extravagance at the expense of the posterity of our people,” Gitahi noted.
Macharia argued that despite repeated funding, Laikipia residents remained vulnerable to hunger, with farmers continuing to depend heavily on rainfall rather than reliable irrigation systems.
He also raised concerns over continued reliance on foreign aid and the persistence of malnutrition and undernutrition, questioning whether agricultural programmes were achieving their intended objectives.
The MCA alleged that resources allocated to food security initiatives had increasingly been channelled towards personal emoluments and administrative expenditure at the expense of programmes intended to benefit ordinary farmers.
“What happened to the soya programme? Where are the annual fruit seedlings, to mention but a few?” Macharia posed.
His concerns come amid significant budgetary allocations to food security initiatives. Laikipia’s 2025/2026 supplementary budget estimates listed approximately Ksh246.2 million for the Kenya Food Systems Resilience Programme and another Ksh71 million under the Laikipia County Food Systems Resilience allocation.
The combined allocations of approximately Ksh317.2 million raise questions about project implementation, expenditure priorities and the tangible benefits reaching farmers.
Agricultural Exhibition Raises Questions Over Small-Scale Farmers
The MCA also questioned the priorities of the county government as it prepares to hold agricultural exhibitions alongside various stakeholders to showcase farming practices.
While acknowledging the importance of agricultural exhibitions, Macharia argued that similar energy should be directed towards reaching small-scale farmers, particularly those in rural communities.
He expressed concern that high-profile agricultural activities could overshadow the needs of ordinary farmers who require practical assistance, including seedlings, irrigation infrastructure, agricultural inputs and technical support.
According to Macharia, agricultural empowerment should extend beyond exhibitions and demonstrations to deliver measurable improvements in food production and household incomes.
World Food Day Celebrations Put Laikipia’s Food Security Record in Spotlight
The concerns emerge as Laikipia prepares to host the 2026 World Food Day national celebrations on November 3 and 4, 2026, under the theme “INNOVATE TODAY. NOURISH TOMORROW.”
Governor Joshua Irungu will host the national celebrations, with Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe expected to preside over the event.
The celebrations will bring attention to agricultural innovation, food production, nutrition and the need to strengthen resilient food systems, placing Laikipia’s agricultural programmes under greater public scrutiny.
The county’s hosting of the national event comes at a time when questions are being raised about whether investments in agricultural resilience are translating into improved livelihoods and reliable food supplies for residents.
The Food Systems Resilience Programme is a government initiative implemented with support from development partners, targeting improved agricultural productivity and resilience among small-scale farmers.
Macharia maintained that food security should remain a cornerstone of Laikipia’s development agenda as political leaders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 General Election.
He argued that agriculture supports more than food production, sustaining economic value chains through the trade of agricultural products while providing livelihoods for thousands of households.
The MCA invoked Luke 14:16, which tells the story of a man who prepared a great banquet and invited many guests, in what appeared to be a call for inclusive development that does not leave ordinary residents behind.
His concerns raise questions over accountability in agricultural expenditure, the implementation of food security programmes and whether public investments are reaching the farmers most vulnerable to hunger.
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