By Perez Karisa, July 1, 2026
The Garissa Farmers Network (GFN) has petitioned the Garissa County Assembly, calling for urgent legislative and financial action to rescue the county’s struggling agricultural sector from what it describes as years of neglect, inadequate funding and worsening climate-related disasters.
The petition, presented on behalf of about 1,700 farmers from across Garissa County, was formally received by County Assembly Speaker Abdi Idle Gure, who committed to forwarding it through the Assembly’s legislative process for consideration.
The farmers argue that agriculture—the backbone of livelihoods for thousands of households in Garissa—has suffered from persistent underinvestment despite its critical role in ensuring food security, creating employment and supporting the county’s economy.
In their submission, the farmers say recurring floods along the Tana River have become one of the biggest threats to agricultural production. Seasonal overflows have repeatedly destroyed irrigation infrastructure, submerged farms, swept away crops ready for harvest and damaged rural access roads, making it difficult for farmers to transport produce to markets or access essential farm inputs.
According to the petitioners, each flooding season leaves many families counting significant losses, with some farmers forced to abandon production altogether due to the high cost of rebuilding damaged irrigation canals and replacing lost crops.
The group is also raising concern over what it terms chronic underfunding of the agriculture sector in successive county budgets. They argue that although agriculture remains one of Garissa’s most important economic activities, budgetary allocations have consistently fallen short of the resources required to improve productivity and strengthen resilience against climate change.
The farmers want the County Assembly to increase funding for irrigation development, water harvesting projects, seed distribution programmes, livestock support services and climate adaptation initiatives in the upcoming financial year.
Another major issue highlighted in the petition is the severe shortage of agricultural extension officers.
The farmers say many communities rarely receive visits from government agricultural experts, leaving them without guidance on modern farming techniques, pest and disease management, irrigation technologies, soil conservation methods and climate-smart agriculture.
Without regular technical support, they argue, farmers continue relying on outdated production methods that limit yields and increase vulnerability to changing weather patterns.
The petition further points to the collapse of county-owned farm machinery services.
According to GFN, tractors, ploughs and other mechanised equipment purchased using public funds have become unusable after years of neglect, vandalism and lack of maintenance.
The farmers say many of the machines remain grounded in storage yards while producers are forced to hire expensive private equipment or cultivate their land manually, increasing production costs and reducing profitability.
They are asking the county government to repair the machinery, establish proper maintenance schedules and expand mechanisation services to make farming more efficient and affordable.
Beyond infrastructure and equipment, the petition also calls for stronger investment in agricultural research, farmer training programmes, access to quality inputs, affordable credit facilities and better market linkages to help farmers increase production and improve household incomes.
The petitioners argue that these interventions would not only strengthen food production but also reduce poverty and improve resilience among farming communities facing increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.
Responding to the petition, Deputy Speaker Mustafa Abdirashid directed the Finance, Budget and Appropriations Committee to immediately examine the issues raised as part of its review of the county’s budget estimates.
He said the Assembly would consider opportunities to realign funding priorities to accommodate some of the farmers’ urgent needs before the final budget is approved.
The petition has also been referred to the relevant sectoral committee for detailed scrutiny in accordance with the County Assembly’s Standing Orders.
As part of the process, committee members are expected to invite officials from the Garissa Farmers Network, the County Executive Department of Agriculture and other stakeholders to provide further evidence and recommendations before compiling a report for debate in the Assembly.
If adopted, the committee’s recommendations could influence future county spending on irrigation infrastructure, extension services, farm mechanisation, flood mitigation projects and broader agricultural development programmes.
The petition underscores growing concerns among farmers across Kenya’s arid and semi-arid counties over the combined impact of climate change, inadequate public investment and declining support services, with agricultural organisations increasingly turning to county assemblies to push for policy reforms and greater accountability in the allocation of public resources.
