Day: June 10, 2024

The Department of Agriculture in Turkana County has endeavoured to sensitise the County Assembly Committee on Agriculture on the new agri-preneur model and the Food Systems and Resilience Project (FSRP) in its mandate to make Turkana County sustainably food secure.

The model is an extension initiative designed by the national government to be implemented by the county government and supported by the FSRP.

The County Executive for Agriculture, Livestock Development, and Fisheries, Dr. Anthony Apalia, stated that the training aims to build the capacity of Members of the County Assembly (MCA) to aid in the implementation of the model and the FSR Project.

He noted that the agri-preneur model is a strategy to create employment opportunities for young people in agriculture through sustainable practices.

The coordinator for the new FSRP, Victor Lochee, observed that the model is a transformative approach where individuals, particularly youth, are trained and developed into agricultural entrepreneurs. He also pro
vided a brief on the FSR Project.

‘The agri-preneurs were competitively selected and will guide farmers on the best agricultural practices and irrigation techniques. They will also connect farmers with suppliers for quality input and link them to markets for fair prices,’ said Lochee.

The Chair of the Agriculture Committee, Etubon Samal, emphasised the importance of the Committee’s involvement, and praised the inclusivity of youth across all Wards. He also called for close collaboration with partners in all activities to boost food security.

‘The model will greatly enhance agriculture in the county. However, there is also a need to support farmers with certified seeds,’ he said.

In the first phase of its implementation, seven agri-preneurs from each Ward have been selected across the 18 in the county. The remaining 12 Wards will benefit from the second phase.

The presentation of the agri-preneur model underscored its critical role in enabling efficient investment in boosting food security, nutrition, and
livelihoods in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

At the tender age of 11 years, Winsum Jebiwott underwent the cut.

Jebiwott says she had gone to visit her uncle during the circumcision period and unfortunately found herself becoming a victim.

However, at the time, she never quite understood what had happened to her and continued with her life like any other girl who had undergone the same procedure.

At the age of 15, when she joined Form 1, Jebiwott suffered another setback in her life after she became another statistic in the rising cases of teenage mothers in the country.

The 22-year-old said she was forced to drop out of school to take care of her baby. Being the only girl in a family of five, she was lucky because her two older brothers were willing to take her back to school.

After rejoining school, she was narrating to one of her friends the excruciating pain she went through when she was giving birth to her baby.

‘My friend asked me whether I had undergone through Female Genital Mutilation and when I answered in the affirmative, she told me tha
t was the reason why I underwent through so much pain when giving birth,’ she said.

It was then that she was able to relate what happened to her at the age of 11 and its repercussions during childbirth. ‘There and then I resolved to do what I can to save other girls from what I went through. I may not save many, but even if I save only one, I will have done my part in the fight against FGM,’ she told KNA.

Jebiwott said her church, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Embobut, provided her with the platform she needed. According to the young girl, she was a Sunday school teacher, and therefore every Sunday when schools close, apart from other church activities, she made it her duty to teach the young ones the dangers of FGM.

Her efforts were noticed by her parish priest, Fr. Amos Kimutai, who proposed to have her assist in the activities of an NGO started within the church when she did her Form 4.

‘After sitting my Form 4 exams, my brothers told me to give them time to educate my younger siblings first, then the
y would take me to college.

Meanwhile, I continued assisting at the church where I go every Monday and Friday,’ she said.

Last year was one year that all who have been fighting against FGM would like to forget. Hundreds of girls were forced to undergo the rite in Marakwet East, with young men hell-bent on ensuring that the girls were circumcised and attacking anyone fighting the vice.

In the process, a police officer was killed, and the priest, Fr. Kimutai, and a chief were attacked by gangs of youths. But even in that dark phase of the fight against FGM, a light shone as hundreds of girls, having been sensitised to the dangers of the outdated culture, ran away from home to escape the rite.

Despite the prevalence of FGM in the area, there is no rescue centre where girls can find refuge, despite calls by the County Gender Sector Working Group (CGSWG) for the establishment of one. Therefore, for girls running away from FGM, their first stop is either in churches or with any individual who is known for campa
igning against the rite, which is risky given the attacks that took place.

Initially, she received a total of 13 girls who went to the church, and when they didn’t find her, they all went to her home.

‘When they didn’t find me at the church, they came home, and the following day another group of 20 girls followed. I had to accommodate them, and fortunately we had just harvested, so getting food was not a problem,’ she said.

She accommodated them for two days, during which they slept on seats and maize drying mats. However, on the third day, more girls flocked to her home, and that was when she sought assistance from the area chief, who sought accommodation from the nearby AIC church, and a temporary rescue centre was established.

Jebiwott was overjoyed that her efforts had paid off, saying over 500 girls were saved from the cut. This gave her the impetus to continue with the fight against FGM, and with the support she gets from her church, she says she is making a difference in many girls lives.

She says
that, for her, the fight against FGM is a continuous process that should be sustained all year.

She still continues to use the church, saying members are very supportive and will assist the girls from all over the parish whenever she asks for them.

Jebiwott said she was saddened by the events that took place in her home area, especially the killing of the police officer. She said they consulted with the priest, and through the provincial administration, they managed to trace the family of the officer.

‘As part of our apology to the family, we decided to educate one of the daughters of the police officer through our NGO. ‘It’s the least we could do; while we cannot compensate for the loss of their dad, at least we can lessen their pain by assisting the young girl by paying her school fees,’ she said.

Jebiwott called on all those dedicated to the fight against FGM to sustain the campaign, saying that while funds are scarce, the individual efforts of all concerned can go a long way in winning the war against
FGM.

While FGM cases have been on the rise in the county, the in-charge Office of Public Prosecution, Judith Ayuma, told the CGSWG that for the three years she has been in the county, she has never prosecuted an FGM case, wondering why such cases are never reported.

The CGSWG said the lack of conviction of perpetrators of FGM has emboldened them, which indirectly abets the vice.

Given the risks involved, the establishment of a shelter in the area, which girls are aware of in advance and from which they can seek refuge against FGM, cannot be gainsaid.

According to a performance audit on prevention and response to Gender Based Violence, the Auditor General, Nancy Gathungu, called on the national government to work with the county governor to establish safe shelters for victims of GBV.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Deputy President’s spouse, Pastor Dorcas Rigathi, has asked parents within the gold mining areas to restrain their children from working in the mines to help combat child labour within the country.

Speaking at Osiri Primary School in Nyatike Sub County of Migori County, where she issued certificates to registered miners, Pastor Dorcas said children must be taken to school for the sake of their future lives.

She also handed over various working gears to selected miners, including helmets, reflector jackets, and a brand new vehicle, to the department of mining in Migori County.

The deputy president’s spouse pointed out that education is the best investment parents can offer their children, instead of sending them to do menial jobs, some of which are dangerous to their lives.

Pastor Dorcas said the boy-child must be protected and jealously guarded well like the Girl-Child, saying the Kenyan boy-child faces a lot of challenges that must be addressed urgently.

‘The boy child must be protected from peer pr
essure, drugs, and other hard substances that spoil their life,’ she told the gathering.

She said that apart from the boy-child, she was also looking forward to promoting the lives of orphans, widows, and physically challenged people by giving them the necessary assistance.

Concerning artisanal mining, she noted the Kenya Kwanza government’s effort to ensure that the mining sector is growing and that artisanal miners are offered good prices for their minerals and supplied with protective gears to save them from the dangers that they are always exposed to while prospecting for the precious minerals.

The government, she said, has constructed the gold refinery plant in Kakamega, a facility that would ensure that artisanal miners reap well from their work.

Mining Permanent Secretary (PS) Elijah Mwangi, who accompanied Pastor Dorcas, said mining is a business venture that needs to be promoted at all costs.

Mwangi said artisanal miners would be allowed to work in a conducive environment by issuing them with pe
rmits and licenses to enable them to do their work freely.

The PS said in Migori alone, some 23 mining groups have already been formalised to operate legally, adding that the government has initiated a programme that is geared to bring registration and issuing of permits and licenses closer to the miners.

‘The state has also acquired gadgets worth over Sh600 million to help determine the correct amount of money they would get from buyers of their minerals,’ he announced.

He regretted that currently, gold and copper miners are losing a lot at the hands of middlemen who underpay them for their minerals.

At the same time, the state wants to delve into a programme to collect data on all places where gold is extracted and how much is extracted per day for the sake of developing the region.

Migori County Executive Committee (CEC) Member in Charge of Environment Caleb Opondi asked the government to assist the local miners in modernising their activities by giving them the right tools.

He also urged that the co
ntroversial 6,000-acre land in Nyatike, gazetted as forest land, be returned to the local community.

The chairman of the county artisanal miners and small business groups, Kepha Ojuka, appealed to the government to gazette the Migori artisanal Committee that has taken years to be in place to enable it to start work to promote mining in the region.

He said there are over 20,000 artisanal miners in Migori who make their living from extracting gold and copper.

Earlier on, the Mining PS paid a courtesy call to Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko, where he announced that the government has vigorously started registration and licensing artisanal miners in the county.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Prof. Kithure Kindiki plants a tree to mark the dissemination of Medium Term Plan IV (MTP-IV) 2023-2027 for Marsabit County at the Catholic Conference Hall in Marsabit.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The government has been collaborating in a public-private sector partnership with the support of development partners to revive irrigation schemes and enhance upland rice products.

Rice is the third most important staple crop in Kenya after maize and wheat and is grown in 23 counties in the country, with the government’s National Rice Development Strategy of 2019-2030 gearing towards self-sufficiency and increasing paddy rice from 156,000 MT in 2018 to 1,301,000 MT by 2030.

Last year, the country spent Sh54.7 billion to import 937,098.5 metric tonnes of rice in order to plug the rice deficit.

In view of this, a joint initiative between Kilimo Trust, the Kenya Agriculture and Livestock Research Organisation (KALRO), and Egerton University has seen the adoption of high-yielding upland rice varieties quickly take root in Meru, Embu, and Tharaka Nithi Counties.

Designed to thrive under rain-fed conditions, the adoption of the rice varieties has helped increase the incomes of small-scale farmers and promote su
stainable agricultural practices.

Dr. Birungi Korutaro Kilimo Trust Chief Executive Officer says that upland rice farming is an important initiative in attaining the goal of rice sufficiency not only in Kenya but across Africa.

‘The adoption of upland rice farming in East Africa marks a significant step towards achieving food security and mitigating the effects of climate change in the region,’ Dr. Korutaro said.

He explained that by reducing dependence on imported rice, countries can lower their food import costs and strengthen their local economies.

‘Our commitment to promoting upland rice farming aligns with our vision for a food-secure East Africa that is economically and environmentally sustainable,’ Dr. Korutaro added

In the past two years, over 3,800 small-scale farmers in the region have received training, with more than 800 successfully adopting the drought-tolerant upland rice varieties, which are regarded as a potential solution to Kenya’s food security problem.

Grown on well-drained soils ra
ther than flooded rice paddies, upland rice takes between three and four months to mature, and the cost of production is slightly lower when compared to lowland rice.

Prof. Paul Kimurto of Egerton University said that unlike paddy rice, upland rice also plays a crucial role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as improving soil health by allowing easy incorporation of legumes as rotational crops by the farmers during the subsequent seasons.

‘The upland rice can also be intercropped with other plants, making it suitable for small-scale rice farming,’ Prof. Kimurto added.

Experts in the sector have said that intercropping upland rice, especially with forage grasses, is a potential strategy for enhancing the sustainability of agriculture in the tropical region by increasing food production as well as land use per unit area.

Simon Mbai, a farmer in the Nkui area of Meru County, says the introduction of new varieties has been a game-changer for them, as most of them have switched from maize to rice far
ming.

‘My income has nearly doubled, and every day more farmers are coming to ask me to teach them about these rice varieties,’ he added.

Beyond the economic benefits, the adoption of the crop has also ensured a stable food supply for their families and improved overall nutrition.

‘Our daily diet has always revolved around maize because rice is expensive in the market. With rice, we have both an alternative staple and a cash crop,’ Adelina Munyua, another farmer in Meru, added.

The upland rice initiative is part of Kilimo Trust’s Reduce, Reuse, Recycle Rice Initiative for Climate Smart Agriculture (R4iCSA), which aims to increase production and promote sustainable rice production practices among 10,000 smallholder rice farmers in Kenya and Uganda in order to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Funded by the IKEA Foundation, the R4iCSA project is in line with both the Kenya National Rice Development Strategy (KNRDS 2019-2030) and the East African Community’s (EAC) partner states’ EAC Rice Development
Strategy (ERDS), which seeks to boost rice production and reduce reliance on imports, all while tackling climate change.

Last year, KALRO released a total of nine improved rice varieties for both upland and lowland agro-ecologies.

Rice consumption in Kenya is increasing rapidly, driven by changing consumer habits, especially by the growing urban population in the country. According to the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS), annual rice consumption in Kenya is estimated to be over one million metric tonnes, while the production capacity is approximately 230,000 metric tonnes.

Source: Kenya News Agency

First Lady Rachael Ruto has underscored the need to equip students with relevant computer skills to prepare them for the digital Kenya they will encounter after finishing school.

Mrs. Ruto spoke while launching a digital hub at Butere Girls National School, Kakamega County, that will enhance students’ skills to enable them to access the digital job market in the future.

She lauded Information, Communications, and the Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo for the implementation of the Jitume Digital Hub in the school.

‘The full implementation of the government’s digital plan will eventually spur a wave of jobs across the country,’ she noted.

The First Lady said the Kenyan government is digitising the country with a view to creating job opportunities for the youth.

She noted that the Butere Girls Hub will encourage the students to be diligent in pursuant to their education, especially those focusing on Science, Engineering, Mathematics and all other courses.

On his part, Information, Communication
s, and The Digital Economy Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo said the government plans to establish and connect 1,450 wards in the country as envisaged in their agenda to create more opportunities for the youth.

Owalo added that the Ministry has created a blueprint for the project to see all parts of the Country connected to the internet. ‘Our youth can now work remotely for different clients abroad to get paid in dollars and increase their earnings,’ he said.

The CS pointed out that the government has installed 100,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables across the country for easy access to information through the internet.

He said the government has increased government services in the e-citizen portal from the initial 350 to over 16,000 services that can be accessed through the platform.

Source: Kenya News Agency