Despite challenges in farming the sector employs the majority in Laikipia

The Mountain Journal team

The agriculture sector has been rated the leading employer in Laikipia, contributing 44.2 percent of the local income annually.

The Laikipia County Labour Report 2021 outlined that the agricultural sector dominated by small-scale farmers has employed 66 percent being the youth.

It outlined the sector to be leading with Laikipia West with an estimated employment rate of  38 percent, followed Laikipia Central (22 percent), Laikipia East 17 percent, Nyahururu (12 percent),  Lakipia North (11 percent).

 The sector generates millions of shillings from the sale of wheat, cereals, livestock, flowers, horticulture among other crops.

The report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics and Laikipia county government released last week established that there is a labour force of 250,297 workings in various categories out of which 237, 772 are engaged in economic enterprises including agriculture.

Those in the labour force are aged between 15 and 64.

 In the document launched by Governor Ndiritu Muriithi, 158,361 are directly in the agriculture sector, where there are 88,753 females and 96,606 men.

Muriithi in a virtual meeting said the report will help in addressing employment through the identification of areas that can accelerate growth and enterprise development.

 Fielding questions, the governor said the county government was investing in establishing free Wi fi hotspots to help the youth engaged in IT.

“We are starting with Rumuruti where we have a request from the stakeholders who wish to venture into information technology,” said Muriithi.

The details from the county labour office indicate that 158,361 engaged in the agriculture sector, while approximately 448 in quarry and mining activity.

Another 4,180 the report detailed are in accommodation and food distribution services.

The governor said the accelerated growth of the county government was earmarking the opening of more markets and rehabilitating roads leading to the farms.

The release of the report residents came at the time the residents parts of Nginyii in Laikipia East recount their suffering following the destruction of the food crops by the marauding elephants in the past three months.

In the county, the main employer is the national government accounting for 7,441 employees, state-owned enterprises 2,300, TSC 2,516, Laikipia County Government 2,683, CBO/ NGO 841, school boards of management 944 among others.

Another 480 people are in the water supply and sewerage business, as Economic and planning experts indicate that the growth in the entertainment sector has been affected by the spread of Covid 19.

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