Bungoma County Natural Resources Policy 2020

Abstract

The advent of devolved units in Kenya should be viewed as engines that drive economic growth in the country. To achieve this, counties need to build strong governance structures that will effectively provide efficient services towards wealth creation by sustainably exploiting natural resources in their backyards. Counties should develop and implement natural resources frameworks that seek to improve the quality of life for every citizen. Further, counties should strive to tame natural resources conflicts in the country borne out of and made worse by continuing socio-economic inequalities; by create equitable and consequently equality in each of the devolved units. Time is now for our county to harness the potential of the diverse natural resources in order to create ecological, environmental and sustainable economic solutions. The concept and spirit of devolution is to distribute wealth and resources to each and every citizen, whilst imparting a sense of belonging and ownership. To achieve this a sustainably managed natural resource base is to be built in every county. Yet, many counties are yet to give much credence to the natural resources’ management agenda in their development plans. This agenda is not conceptualized or mapped out in their development priorities, neither is it clearly articulated in their sectoral plans. It is no wonder that the annual budgets for development allocated to natural resources management by county governments is next to nil.