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In the books of Kenya’s history, December 18 will forever be remembered as yet another time devolution suffered unfathomable loss; Nyamira county lost her first governor as well as the institutional memory he had accumulated.

The demise of John Nyagarama is not only devastating to his family but also to the residents of the county. 

Much has been said about the towering figure, but his stance on agriculture development stands out.

Large part of his life was dedicated towards ensuring agriculture became a key contributor to the economic development of his county.

To honour him, his successors must never abandon his policies; they should enhance them.

First, despite the shrinking size of land in Nyamira, the governor sought to lead by example, operating small-scale farming projects in his various farms within the county.

His livestock insemination policy that reduced the cost to around Sh500 was meant to encourage sustainable and profitable agricultural intensification.

He took global call to promote smallholder farming, the key to food security in Africa.

During this Covid-19 pandemic, the amount of food sent from Nyamira to Nairobi residents amazed many.

Were it not for rural folks’ support, life under lockdown for those in the city would have been unbearable!

This phenomenon revealed intricate link between town and rural life. Being an Elder, a father, I know the governor was always concerned with the food security situation in his county.

No wonder he chose to join the agriculture committee in the Council of Governors to further his ideas nationally.

Secondly, the late Nyagarama and his administration took drastic and unpopular decisions to initiate conservation of water catchment areas by cutting down eucalyptus trees planted on riparian zones.

This decision was informed by research indicating that residents had insufficient water at 500 cubic metres instead of 1,000 cubic metres.

Given that Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2019 report puts water used in agriculture activities at 70 per cent, and since the county is predominantly agricultural, inaccessibility to safe drinking water and food insecurity will be prevalent. 

This possibility of insufficient water and deteriorating agricultural productivity compelled the county government to initiate the integrated strategic plan 2018-22.

This plan sought to restore Nyamira natural resources. True to global call to achieve Agenda 2030 on Sustainable Development Goals, Water and Soil conservation were given preeminence in the Plan.

Towards this goal, the government sought to increase strategic tree coverage from 35 per cent to 45 per cent, indicating the governor’s intention to avert the double calamity of water shortage and food insecurity.

Establishing and running a successful school enterprise before he became the county chief depicts the late governor as a man who valued education.

Beyond his personal effort, his administration was involved in supporting needy students with the county bursary fund.

No doubt, he understood the importance of building human capacity through better and quality education.

As the family and leaders prepare for his burial, the greatest honor to Nyagarama would be for his successors to enhance and implement the policies he held dear.

Among those policies must be curbing further sub-division of land. With changing times and increasing population, new settlement plans must be developed.

All leaders in Nyamira must therefore set out to engage in civic education programmes discouraging residents from over subdividing agricultural land.

Establishing an agriculture research foundation in the late governor’s name will be the best way to celebrate his effort to transform the agriculture sector.  

Most importantly, residents must heed to the call for conservation of water and soil in his memory.

Ensuring sustainable agriculture systems are adopted will enhance the late governor’s legacy.  Fair thee, well Governor John Nyagarama.

— The writer is Communication & Political Advisor to MP West Mugirango Constituency  — [email protected]