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Facing the Mountain: Lusaka and his love for Mt Elgon

It is no secret, now, that Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka has a soft spot for Mt Elgon region, a once marginalised region in the former western province.

Since assuming power as Governor of the border county, Lusaka made his intentions clear that no region within the county will ever be neglected or marginalised under his watch.

For a long time, before the advent of devolution, the Mt Elgon area was seen as insignificant, leave for the poor tourist activities associated with the volcanic mountain.

Nothing of great value was ever associated with the mountain, what with the negative reports of lawlessness aggravated by the murderous Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) rag-tag that was responsible for the killing, maiming and displacement of thousands of locals in the area.

So vicious was the militia that the whole Kenyan Government, under the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF,) landed on the region with such force never witnessed before for normalcy to prevail.

However, today, in 2025, Mt Elgon has positioned itself as the beacon of hope for the larger Bungoma county what with the deliberate, or seemingly so, decision by Governor Ken Lusaka to face that mountain.

Governor Ken Lusaka flanked by his deputy Pst Janepher Chemtai Mbatiany.

Did you also know that Mt Elgon is the largest Sub-County in the whole of Bungoma in terms of size at 963.3 km2 and has great potential in tourism, agriculture and even trade as well as leadership?

Well, the first woman deputy governor of Bungoma, Her Excellency Pst Janepher Chemtai Mbatiany is the daughter of Mt Elgon constituency and from the minority Sabaot community. How’s that?         

And the first deputy governor, do you know, also hailed from Mt Elgon? Well, Lusaka, in his first stint as Governor of Bungoma, picked Hillary Chongwony as his first deputy.

This, from the onset, proves that Lusaka has had a soft spot for the Mountain, leave alone the political arithmetic.

This, he has demonstrated by the various development projects he has initiated in the region and the number of visits he has made to the area in his two terms as the conty chief.

Previously, she served as the Gender advisor in the office of the Governor during Lusaka’s term as county chief.

Put in mind that he appointed DG Mbatiany to be in charge of the county development agenda through the Department of Partnerships and Resource Mobilisation.

This position, is solely responsible for steering the county’s development agenda and its sustainability.  

And indeed, the Lusaka administration has lived to its promise of prioritising development projects in the Mount Elgon region.

Governor Ken Lusaka with with Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Aden Duale.

Since assuming office, Lusaka has been touring the region, almost on a monthly basis, on different assignments, whether social, developmental, environmental or educational just to name a few.

For instance, on Friday, June 28, 2024, he was at Kibuk Girls in Mt. Elgon during a fundraiser for the school’s infrastructural development.

On November 7, 2024, Lusaka together with Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change, and Forestry Aden Duale launched a Ksh620 million Integrated Landscape Management project aimed at conserving and restoring Mt Elgon ecosystem.

The Kaberwa Tree Nursery is set to expand from 1 to 2 acres, increasing its annual seedling production from 500,000 to 1 million.

In December 2024, Lusaka was back in Mt Elgon for the Kapkugo Festival celebrations, an event graced by the then Sports Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen where the county chief praised the festival’s role in fostering unity and enhancing eco-tourism.

Governor Ken Lusaka welcoming then Sports CS Kipchumba Murkomen and Head of Public Service Felix Kiskei in Mt Elgon for the Kapkugo Festival celebrations.

Most recently, on January 19, Lusaka was in Cheptais, this time tagging along President William Ruto for an interdenominational prayer service where he seized the moment and urged the Head of State not to turn a blind eye on the region in terms of development.

In his plea, Lusaka pleaded for key investments in critical projects in the area and the larger Bungoma county.

“Your Excellency, we stand firmly behind your leadership. I urge you to prioritise the development of modern markets in Chwele and Kipsigon. These facilities will not only enhance trade but also transform the livelihoods of our people,” the governor told Ruto.

At the same time, he unveiled plans to establish a tea factory in the area a move he said would significantly boost agricultural productivity.

Governor Ken Lusaka shares a word with President William Ruto during a church function in Cheptais, Mt Elgon.

Already, he revealed, his administration has set aside Ksh. 10 million in the 2024/2025 budget for free distribution of tea seedlings to farmers as part of a broader initiative to uplift local agriculture.

Consequently, he said he supports proposals to introduce the shamba system in the Mt. Elgon forest, allowing residents to cultivate designated land while maintaining environmental conservation efforts.

And so far, Bungoma County has earned the prestigious Gold Award for its exemplary performance in implementation of the National Value Chain Development Project (NAVCDP). This fete, would not have come easy were it not for the part played by Mt Elgon through agriculture a department that Lusaka chairs at the Council of Governors (CoG).

Check out for Facing the Mountain (Part 2) for projects initiated in Mt Elgon.

Simiyu

Simiyu

About Author

O. M Simiyu is the Editor-in-Chief of Mulembe News. He is a professional, accredited Kenyan journalist with over 15 years of experience in Print, Broadcast and Digital journalism.

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