By Betty Luke
Isiolo county government has committed Sh10 million revenue from carbon trading by local conservancies to supporting development of bills and policies on conservation pending at the County Assembly.
The funds are five percent revenue share that is usually issued to community conservancies in Isiolo, Samburu, Laikipia and Marsabit counties.
County Secretary Dadhe Boru said the funds will help expedite the Trade and Marketing Bill, Community Conservation Bill and Wildlife Conservancy Bill so that they are enacted in three months’ time.
“The bills will after enactment by Governor Abdi Ibrahim Guyo immensely improve the lives of Isiolo residents by enabling allocation of resources for various activities,” he told journalists.
The Trade and Marketing Bill will pave way for the operationalization of the Biashara Fund aimed at supporting new and existing businesses through provision of loans.
Northern Kenya Rangelands Carbon Project Director Mohammed Shibia said once passed, the Bills will go a long way in providing solutions to climate change menace that had adversely affected local communities.
“The carbon project seeks to offer nature-based solutions to climate change and the existence of conservation bills will boost our efforts,” Mr Shibia said.
The carbon project has for the last two years supported communities living within the conservancies through different programs including provision of bursaries to needy learners and sinking of boreholes among others.
Nasuulu Conservancy Chairperson Sadia Mohammed termed the project transformative and rallied local communities to support it.
“It is unfortunate that some of our people are against the carbon project whose benefits to the community are immense. We initially used to beg politicians to help us move patients to town for treatment due to lack of means of transport. We have since purchased a community vehicle using funds from the project,” said Ms Sadia.
