The highlight of public participation occurred in Mandera East, where the team visited the Border Point One (BP1) irrigation scheme. They engaged with the scheme management committee and the ward climate change planning committee.
The team assessed the damage to the concrete-lined canal in need of rehabilitation. The community expressed the necessity for rehabilitating the canal, existing pumphouse, and installing a solar-powered water pumping system, including a floating water intake pontoon, electric pump, and solar photovoltaic system. Implementing the proposed project will not only increase agricultural production and productivity for the 250 households directly benefiting from the scheme but also enhance food security and promote resilient, sustainable livelihoods in Township Ward and the larger Mandera County.
Later in the afternoon, the team visited the Mandera town slaughterhouse, engaging with the Mandera Butchers Association, livestock department staff, and the ward climate change committee. They discussed the need to improve productivity in the slaughterhouse, noting that the slaughter slab urgently required reconstruction to facilitate smooth slaughter activities.
Additionally, the hot-water system needed repairs and maintenance, as did the wastewater lagoons. The blood soak pit was heavily silted and needed expansion for increased storage capacity. Furthermore, the animal holding yard needed to be fully operational to optimize the facility’s use.
