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
To be a cohesive and prosperous County of choice
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:
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 is blessed with immense potential for growth. The potential strengths of Marsabit County are;
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:
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:
The Fisheries Sector provides employment and income to over 600,000 Kenyans engaged in fish trade and production. With the new investment opportunities coming up courtesy of the devolved administration, our dream is to ensure a vibrant fisheries sector. Kenya earns over Sh7 billion annually from the fishing industry alone, making the fisheries sector one of the major contributors to the gross domestic product (GDP). Opportunities Fish processing industry Sport fishing Construction of fish ponds Fishing gear producing plant Distillers of water reservoirs Construction of demonstration farms Fish feeds processing Fisheries research institutes Ornamental...
H. E. Ukur Kanacho Yatani is currently the first governor of Marsabit County.
H.E Yatani is an extraordinary Kenyan who has dedicated his life to the service of people. In his various capacities through life, he has establish a good rapport with local and international partners to advance relations and build networks. The erudite leader continues to mold and shape economically viable prospects to facelift Marsabit county where he is serving currently.
A native of Marsabit , Yatani was born on 12th March 1967. Amb. Yatani is a Career civil servant. His hardwork and fascinating work ethic saw him rise through the ranks .He first joined on 22nd October, 1992 as a district officer in the Department of provincial Administration, office of the President and steadily rose through the ranks to the position of a District commissioner one. While serving as a public Administrator he served in 7 regions of Kenya. In July 2006, he ran for a parliamentary seat in a by election and was elected Member of Parliament for North Horr constituency. During this period he also served as an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Science and Technology.
H.E Yatani served as Ambassador Designate to Austria, Hungary and Slovakia and as Permanent Representative to the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO).
Amb. Yatani presented his credentials as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the republic of Kenya to the Republic of Austria, ON 18TH November 2009 to H.E. Dr. Heinz Fischer in Vienna; to the Republic of Hungary, on 31st May 2011 to H.E. Pal Schmitt in Budapest and to the Slovak Republic, on 14th June 2011 to H.E. Ivan Gasparovic in Bratislava.
The Governor promises that the County Government will soon embark on Resources Endowment Mapping for consideration by the government and potential investors. We have a huge untapped potential in sectors such as Livestock, Tourism, Minerals, Energy, Fishing on Lake Turkana (did you know that over 50% of the Lake is in Marsabit County?). There are also good petroleum prospects with on-going exploration in two sites
He is a well-rounded individual with an expertise in trade, and foreign policy, with a vast knowledge of international affairs having attended several seminars.He is also a founder director of Diyara Ltd. (2008) and Kanacho Foundation (2008)
He holds a masters of Arts Degree in Public Administration and Public policy from the University of York, United Kingdom and a Bachelor of Arts in economics from Egerton University, Kenya (1991). He is married to Gumato Yatani and they have children.