Wajir South MP Adow’s Vision: Northern Kenya has potena Hub for Impactful Investments
Nairobi – Wajir South Member of Parliament Mohamed Adow was the sole legislator representing Wajir County at the 2023 Northern Kenya Impact Investment Conference.
He engaged with financiers and investors who pledged their unwavering support for impact investments aimed at bolstering the region’s sustainable development.
Mr. Adow has maintained a consistent advocacy for tailored measures to uplift Northern Kenya emphasizing the necessity for focused and strategic interventions.
The legislature who is just serving his first term has been a consistent advocate of the socio-economic transformation of the region, with a believe that growth in Northern Kenya and Wajir can be realized if all priorities are given to local interventions.
“Funding of about USD14 million will be disbursed to over 9000 small and micro enterprises in the Northern Kenya region through the Impact for Northern Kenya Fund targeting various sectors such as agriculture, livestock, energy, climate and tourism,” said Adow.
With the support of the USAID Kuza project the Mp is optimistic over 16,500 jobs will be created in the arid and semi-arid counties of Garissa, Isiolo, Lamu, Mandera, Marsabit, Samburu, Tana River, Turkana, Wajir and West Pokot.
Speaking at the Northern Kenya Impact Investment conference on Thursday, Adow said if this is done right, the region could feed the whole country.
“The most debilitating thing on earth is to wait for food handouts. We need these people to stand on their feet. We need these people to be given the chance to prove themselves once again. They were once hardworking pastoralists who are taking care of their livestock, hard working against all the vagaries of nature, he said.
While efforts from various sectors are already underway to bolster the number of enterprises operating in Northern Kenya, Adow made a poignant observation about the need to align financing with the actual demand. Notably, 59 percent of lending in the region has been directed towards women-owned enterprises and women’s groups, emphasizing inclusivity and economic empowerment.
Farhiya Saman, a beneficiary of the Northern Kenya Impact Investment said locals leaders involvement in key matters to significantly boost employment as a crucial step towards economic prosperity in Northern Kenya.
Ms. Farhiya commended leaders like Adow who firmly voice their belief that, if approached correctly, the Northern region could play a pivotal role in feeding the entire nation.
“Throughout his career, Adow has maintained a consistent advocacy for tailored measures to uplift Somalis. Such focused and strategic interventions will eventually work.”
His (Adow) involvement in the conference signifies a significant step towards realizing these ambitions,” she said.
Stakeholder at summit discussed efforts in greening the north, considering the vital connection between environmental factors and the agricultural sector in Northern Kenya, as well as sustainable job creation in counties where the dominant economic activity is pastoralism providing between 90 percent of jobs and 95 percent of household income.
The region boasts a diverse range of landscapes, wildlife, and cultural heritage, which offer significant potential for tourism development and the stakeholders discussed ways of promoting a thriving tourism industry to create jobs, preserve local culture, and contribute to sustainable development.
The 2023 Northern Kenya Impact Investment Conference was supported by USAID Feed the Future, ACDI/VOCA, USAID Kuza, USAID Livestock Market Systems, AV Ventures, Impact for Northern Kenya Fund, GIZ, KCB Foundation, East Africa Seed, Middle East Bank, Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Co-Operatives Ltd. (KUSCCO) and Kenya Climate Innovation Centre (KCIC).