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About

 

Marsabit County which borders Ethiopia to the North and North East, Wajir County to the East, Isiolo County to the South East, Samburu County to the South and South West and Lake Turkana to the West and North West in the former Eastern Province is vast, with an area spawning 70,961.3Km2. It has a current estimated population of 310, 000, while the 2009 Census recorded a population of 291,166 (52% Male & 48% Female). The county comprises four constituencies (Saku, North Horr, Laisamis and Moyale). Administratively it has seven districts.

Marsabit County which borders Ethiopia to the North and North East, Wajir County to the East, Isiolo County to the South East, Samburu County to the South and South West and Lake Turkana to the West and North West in the former Eastern Province is vast, with an area spawning 70,961.3Km2. It has a current estimated population of 310, 000, while the 2009 Census recorded a population of 291,166 (52% Male & 48% Female). The county comprises four constituencies (Saku, North Horr, Laisamis and Moyale). Administratively it has seven districts.

We are driven by the following pillars will guide us as we strive to deliver services to the people of Marsabit
 

Vision

To be a cohesive and prosperous County of choice

 

Mission

To spearhead transformative and sustainable development towards achieving quality life for all. In achieving these, we are guided by a set of core values that spell the word PEACE and reiterating our strong desire to see a peaceful county. The values are as follows:

• Prosperity
• Excellence
• Accountability
• Cohesion
• Equity

 
Marsabit Town County Headquarters

The seat of the County Government – Marsabit town, is situated 270Kms north of Isiolo town, with most trading and urban centers within the county ranging from 60Kms to over 300Kms from Marsabit town. Marsabit town sits at an altitude of 1,500m above sea level. Marsabit town is situated on the Nairobi-Addis Ababa highway, hosting the county headquarters and bordering the Marsabit National Park. In order to attract skilled workers, potential entrepreneurs, and also tap into the immense benefits of the LAPSSET project, Marsabit town requires urgent attention in holistic planning which the county government is committed to providing.
 

Marsabit County’s Potential

Marsabit County is blessed with immense potential for growth. The potential strengths of Marsabit County are;

• Livestock rearing: The county economy almost entirely revolves around livestock rearing. Almost each household keeps livestock and facets of the livestock industry impact on all other economic and social segments.
• Land: Marsabit County covers an area of 70,961.9 sq km which offers abundant land for real estate development, ranches, industries, stadia, hotels, learning institutions e.t.c.
• Marsabit National Park: This national park is the home of Ahmed and Abdulahi the largest pair of elephants in Kenya, until their deaths in the early 1980’s. The park is also home to countless wildlife species ranging from tens of bird species, elephants, leopards, buffaloes, baboons, antelopes, spotted hyenas and many others. The park also hosts tens of craters teaming with hundreds of lives.
• Mount Marsabit Tropical Rainforest: A rare scenic feature, this rain forest is surrounded by semi desert and desert conditions. It houses two crater lakes; Lake Paradise and Lake Sokorte. It is the only source of drinking water for Marsabit town residents and the main source of replenishment for other aquifers in the lowlands.
• Natural resources: Lake Turkana (about 85% of this lake is within Marsabit County); South Lake National Reserve which also borders Sibiloi National Park. Sibiloi is the home of Koobi Fora which is the world renowned cradle of mankind; wind energy which can be tapped from the region stretching from Arbjahan to the east, all the way through Bubisa, North Horr and Loiyangalani to the west. Reports abound that the energy potential of the county can power the entire East African Community region if harnessed well; Solar energy which the county has a lot of potential on; International border where the county shares over 500 Kms of border with Ethiopia, a nation of 84 million people; mineral potential in minerals such as copper, beryl, nepheline, nickel, asbestos, graphite, tourmaline, garnet, iron ore, magnetite, rare earth, talc, chromite, gold and salt among others.
• Cultural diversity: Marsabit County is home to over 14 different communities. These culturally different communities largely co-exist peacefully and each has its comparative advantage. Cultural tourism has a huge potential in the county. To date two annual features underline the county calendar; Lake Turkana Cultural Festival held in Loiyangalani and Kalacha Cultural festival.
• Human resource capacity: The County has a modest but well trained human resource base.
• Sectoral planning: Livestock, Trade, Energy, Education, Health, human resource, Tourism, Water and Mineral mining sectors require urgent study and planning.
• Business planning: All the economic potentials of the county will count for nothing, if well studied and empirically supported business planning is not commissioned.

 
With its numerous types of wildlife and birds and attractions such as. Lake Paradise (inside Marsabit National Park and Reserve) and Bongole Crater. The county has a huge untapped potential as a tourist destination. Others include volcanoes and crater lakes. Mount Marsabit Mountain peak and the singing wells. Marsabit is also a popular trading point between Kenya and Ethiopia facilitating supply and movement of goods and services through Moyale town

 

MARSABIT COUNTY THREE VISION 2030 FLAGSHIP PROJECTS

1) LAPSSET Infrastructure Project

Marsabit County is now at the threshold of a major infrastructure development, thanks to the potential of the Lamu Port South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) Corridor infrastructure project expected to open up the northern Kenya counties. The corridor, when complete, will link major urban centres in northern Kenya to other parts of the country and neighbouring Ethiopia and Southern Sudan, boosting transport and trade.

With a modern road network, Marsabit County which boasts of huge tourism and natural resource endowments could finally reap big from the hitherto untapped economic potentials. The Marsabit county government is positioning itself to take advantage of the LAPSSET projects to improve the roads network into the hinterland and the rest of Kenya and the region. Upon completion, the project is expected to create unlimited economic boom through both domestic and FDI in abundant natural resources.

2) Lake Turkana Wind Power [LTWP] Project

Kenya is East Africa’s largest economy, yet it faces a power supply crisis. Only 18% of the population has access to electricity and, even for this fortunate minority, rationing and blackouts remain a daily reality. The Kenyan Government has ambitious development goals for the country, seeking to achieve annual double-digit growth and to ‘create a prosperous and globally competitive nation with a high quality of life by the year 2030’.

When complete, LTWP will provide 310 megawatts of reliable, low-cost, onshore wind power to the Kenyan national grid, equivalent to 20% of the current installed capacity. The capital cost of Ksh70 billion (€600 million) represents the single largest private investment in Kenya’s history. The Lake Turkana Wind Power Project (LTWP) aims to provide 310MW of reliable, low cost wind power to the Kenya national grid, equivalent to approximately 20% of the current installed electricity generating capacity.  The Project is of significant strategic benefit to Kenya, and at Ksh76 billion (€623 million) will be the largest single private investment in Kenya’s history.  The wind farm site, covering 40,000 acres (162km2), is located in Loyangalani District, in the West of Marsabit County.

Its benefits will be:

• Replacing need for Kenya to spend approximately Ksh15.6 billion per year on importing fuel.
• The LTWP tax contribution to Kenya will be approximately Ksh3 billion (€22.7 million) per year and Ksh58.6 billion (€450 million) over the life of the investment
• During the 32-month construction period, up to approximately 2,500 jobs will be created followed by over 200 full time jobs throughout the period of operations.
• Benefits to Marsabit County will include access to an affordable and unlimited source of energy power vital for investments attraction needed to industrialize the county.

 

3) Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement with Ethiopia

In November 2012, H.E. President Mwai Kibaki of the Republic of Kenya and H.E. Prime Minister, Ato Hailemariam Desalegn of Ethiopia signed a Special Status Agreement to open an Economic Development Corridor between the two Nations.

 

Areas of Co-operation

The sectors identified for granting of Special Status in accordance with the Agreement for the creation of a new economic frontier between the two countries include:

• Trade: Co-operate in bilateral trade, promote mutual trade and economic co-operation, progressive development of tariff concessions, free movement of commercial vehicles and transit cargo and establish trading facilities such as warehouses and One-Stop Border Posts (OSBP)to facilitate seamless movement of persons, goods and services across the border.
• Investment: Jointly enable investors to access both markets through promotion and protection of investments and agreement on avoidance of double taxation, establish Joint Private Investment Council (JPIC, Develop a joint investment Programme and collaborate in Research and Innovation On investments.
• Infrastructure: Enhance co-operation in Energy Sector/promote electricity trade in accordance with Power Purchase Agreement of 2011
• Food Security and Sustainable Livelihood

 

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