Day: June 18, 2023

The national government has distributed BT cotton seeds worth Sh3 million to crop farmers in Homa Bay County.

The seeds, donated by Rivatex, were distributed to 71 farmer groups across the county.

Speaking when he launched the seed distribution exercise at Magare village in Homa Bay Town constituency Saturday, Industry PS Dr. Juma Mukhwana said the government is partnering with 14 counties, including Homa Bay, to promote cotton crops.

Dr. Mukhwana said the national government has allocated Sh250 million to each of these counties, while the recipients will also allocate a similar amount for the project.

‘We intend to supply cooperative societies in the localities with inputs, which farmers can get during planting and pay for the same later,’ he said.

‘Plans are underway to install ginneries for processing the cotton to be produced. The government is providing this kind of support to promote cotton production across the country,’ said the PS, adding that farmers will also be provided with pesticides to aid in the production of the crop.

At the same time, the government will also establish industrial parks in the identified counties.

The PS said the government had identified Riwa in Karachuonyo constituency for the establishment of the special economic zone.

Dr. Mukhwana said they want to establish the park and a cotton factory in Homa Bay to create job opportunities for the youth.

The PS was hosted by Governor Gladys Wanga, her Deputy Oyugi Magwanga, and Homa Bay Deputy County Commissioner Jude Wasonga.

Others present were Rivatex Managing Director Thomas Kurgat, his counterparts at Rift Valley Products Ltd. (Salawa Ginnery), Sital Panara, and Thika Cotton Mill Ltd. Managing Director Tesal Dodiyia.

Cotton used to be one of the main cash crops in Nyanza in the 1980s and 1990s before it collapsed due to the mismanagement of cooperative societies.

Wanga said Homa Bay is partnering with Kisumu and Migori counties to revive cotton production.

The model will ensure the crop is produced in large quantities and farmers are paid on time.

Wanga said the collapse of the ginneries adversely affected the local economy.

‘The establishment of new ginneries will bring back the lost glory of cotton farming. Our partnership with other counties will ensure more production of the crop,’ she said.

Homa Bay has been one of the major suppliers of the crop to ginneries at the Salawa processing industry in Baringo County.

Last year alone, the county supplied 435,000 kilograms of cotton to ginneries across the country.

Wanga challenged youths to join cotton farming for economic empowerment, noting that the current aging farmers needed support.

The governor expressed concern that agricultural production in the county will decline if youths shun agriculture.

‘There is a need for proper management of the cooperative societies. Youths should now develop and invest in cotton farming and support the county,’ she said.

Kurgat and Panara said they are ready to support Homa Bay farmers to produce good-quality cotton.

‘The buy Kenya-build Kenya clarion call will only be realized if we embark on serious production of cotton,’ Kurgat said.

Stakeholders in the cotton sector lauded the government for raising taxes on imported garments in the just-released budget, saying the move will protect local textile industries.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Dairy farmers from Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union have promised to increase milk production capacity from the current 406,000 to 1 million liters per day following various interventions by the government.

The union, which has a membership of more than 30,000 farmers drawn from the Mount Kenya East region, held their eighth annual dairy farmers field day Friday, which was presided over by President Dr. William Ruto, who promised to ensure a reduction of sex semen from the current Sh 8,000 to Sh 1,500.

This will be enhanced by the acquisition of a machine that will produce 500,000 doses of sex semen as opposed to the current status, where the semen is usually imported.

Led by the union’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Kenneth Gitonga, the farmers said the move is a major milestone for milk production as the number of heifers will increase among the dairy farmers.

‘Our main aim for holding this field day is to see how we can increase our milk production both for local consumption and export in order to increase our earnings. We have cows, but the average production of milk is still low, with an average production per farmer standing at five litres.

‘Our agenda is how to increase the productivity of our cows from five to ten litres and this will now be a dream come true following interventions by the President,’ said Gitonga.

Gitonga added that the union had already acquired a piece of land where they were set to establish a factory for the manufacturing of animal feeds in order to ensure that farmers have access to cheap and standard animal feeds.

‘We are grateful that the government has also promised to give us Sh100 million out of the Sh200 million we require to set up the industry, and this will go a long way in boosting our milk production as a dairy union,’ said Gitonga.

He also lauded the government for promising to zero-rate the prices of animal feeds’ raw materials in the proposed Finance Bill 2023, adding that this will automatically lower the prices of animal feeds.

Nicholas Kirimi, a farmer who attended the field day, called on the farmers to consider rearing more dairy cows to create employment as well as improve their living standards.

‘It is very clear that dairy farming is set to be the next gold mine, and we need to grab this chance at the earliest opportunity in order to reap the benefits emanating from the ongoing government efforts,’ said Kirimi.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The National Heroes Council has commenced preparations for the strategic plan that will go a long way in coming up with an elaborate framework for the identification of the country’s heroes for recognition.

Not much has been heard of the council in the public discourse since its inception in 2014, following the enactment of the Kenya Heroes Act in the same year.

The Council CEO, Charles Wambia, said the move, which will go a long way in revitalizing them, was also in line with the fulfillment of the constitutional requirement for public organizations to implement strategic planning to guide their activities.

Speaking in Embu Town Friday, during the first public participation forum with grassroots leaders and heroes from eight counties in the Central and Eastern Region, Wambia said among the key areas under review were identification and honouring processes.

‘We are in the process of gathering views from the public to guide our activities as we seek to operationalize the strategic plan in July in preparation for Mashujaa Day celebrations later in the year,’ he said.

He said many questions abound with regard to many Kenyans who have not been recognized despite their immense contribution and sacrifice for the country in different fields, saying these are some of the gray areas that the plan will seek to address.

The CEO said they are also projecting in the near future to open regional offices to aid in decision making in the identification and selection process.

He at the same time called on those accorded the status to hold their images high in the public eye lest they attract sanctions that may include the withdrawal of the awards.

Participants present expressed divergent views, with some citing the neglect of renowned heroes while others commended the government for recognizing their efforts and sacrifices.

Local leader Daudi Tari Abukula from Isiolo said the northern part of Kenya had been marginalized in terms of proper recognition of their heroic acts and sacrifices for the nation.

For instance, he singled out the Shifta War, in which ethnic Somalis in the Northern Frontier District attempted to take over northern Kenya from Isiolo upwards.

Abukula said there were people who died protecting Kenyan territory against the secession attempt, alongside Daudi Wabaso Wabera, who was the first African DC in Isiolo, but have never been recognized.

Two-time world champion marathon winner Catherine Ndereba said a number of athletes had been recognized, including herself, but called for more efforts to be made to identify and reward many more who have gone unnoticed.

Embu North Deputy County Commissioner William Owino said the heroes of today will be among those who spearhead the war on the drug and illicit liquor menace, especially among the young people.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Turkana county governor Jeremiah Lomorukai has assured Turkana pastoralists that the government is working to address the challenges they face following their return from Uganda.

Speaking during a visit to the communities in Loya and Lokiriama, the Governor urged the residents to remain in Turkana and graze their livestock in Kenya to avoid persecution, which had forced them out of Uganda.

‘We have not abandoned our brothers in Karamoja, but we are saying you come back to Kenya. It is easier to address your issues in our own land than in Uganda, where we have no voice whenever there are issues,’ he said.

Lomorukai revealed that he and a host of Turkana MPs had visited President Dr. William Ruto to discuss the plight of Turkana residents imprisoned in Uganda.

The president had written to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, appealing for the release of the Kenyans.

‘While we await a response to the President’s letter, we have sponsored a court case in Uganda to secure the release of our people,’ he added.

The governor also stated that the leaders had asked the president to undertake mega water projects in the county to support pastoralists.

‘I have informed the President that our people have returned from Uganda, and we have agreed that there is a need to invest in water infrastructure, including mega dams. I want to assure you that we will support you wherever you are in the county,’ the governor said.

He urged the National Government to provide security to the pastoralists as they move into the region to graze their livestock.

The Governor stated that the County Government was pursuing peace in the region to enable Turkana pastoralists to graze their livestock in parts of the North Rift rich in pasture and water.

‘We have kept peace in this region; the Turkana, Pokot of Kenya, and Tepes of Uganda are living in peace. We want this peace to be emulated in other regions, including Baringo and parts of West Pokot. It will be shameful if conflicts continue to deny the region development,’ he said.

On drought relief, Lomorukai assured residents that he was committed to protecting them against the effects of drought and promised to ensure all residents in need received enough food.

Community representatives who spoke called for peaceful coexistence and the sharing of resources among the pastoralist communities living along the border.

Leader of Majority Stephen Edukon (Turkwel) informed residents that the County Government was working to invest in social infrastructure to benefit Turkana pastoralists and end the need for them to migrate to Uganda in search of water and pasture.

Lokiriama/Lorengippi MCA Lawrence Lopayo reiterated the Governor’s call for Turkana pastoralists to return home and avoid the challenges they had faced in Uganda.

He commended the Governor for the fair distribution of senior positions in the county government and for giving the ward Chief Officer’s position.

Other MCAs who spoke were Anarclet Lemuya (Lobei/Kotaruk), Mark Amojong (Loima), and Ruth Kuya (Lodwar Township).

Senior County Government officials accompanying the Governor included County Executive for Public Service, Administration, and Disaster Management James Wangiros, Chief Officer for Water Simon Etom, Chief of Staff Peter Yoromoe, Loima Sub-County Administrator Lokorikeju Titus, Director for Veterinary Services Dr Benson Long’or, and Advisors Malachy Ekal (Political), Amb. Ekai Richard (Economic), and Ekiru Tulele (Legal).

Source: Kenya News Agency

Addis Ababa City Mayor Adanech Abiebie has launched today the fifth-round tree plantation program where 17 million seedlings will be planted as part of the Green Legacy.

Addis Ababa City Mayor Adanech Abiebie on the occasion said the intensive plantation will continue and 17 million saplings will be planted in this round.

The mayor recalled that in the first phase of the Green Legacy Initiative, 41 million saplings were planted in the city administration and 25 billion nationwide over the past four consecutive years.

Besides increasing Ethiopia’s forest cover, the mayor noted that multipurpose seedlings have been planted for the beauty of the city and ensure food security.

According to her, tree plantation will be indispensable to respond to sever drought and flooding consequences arising from the impacts of climate change and affect the country and the world.

Therefore, the mayor called on every citizen to actively participate in the second phase of the green legacy intiative as usual.

Agriculture Minister, Girma Amente noted that Ethiopia’s Green Legacy Initiative has taken the economic viability, social responsibility and environmental friedliness into consideration.

Noting that the country’s forest coverage dwindled from 40 to 3 percent at some period in the past, he said that everyone has to give attention to tree plantation and participate in it to further increase the forest cover.

Some 6.5 billion tree seedlings are expected to be planted nationwide in the second phase of the Green Legacy initiative.

It is to be remembered that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed launched the second phase of the Green Legacy plantation program in the Afar region on June 8, 2023.

Similar to the first phase of green legacy initiative, additional 25 billion saplings are expected to be planted nationwide in the second phase of the initiative.

Source: Ethiopian News Agency