Mixed fortunes brought by last rains

 By Kelvin Njuguna

The second rains are on in Laikipia County. Like the rest of the country heavy rains have ceaselessly pounded the area. In this last leg of the annual seasonal rains school children from Kaharati, Naibrom and Ngomongo are now doing their usual jig of hop, step and jump in an effort to reach the learning institutions albeit without their wish.

The rains have brought fortunes to some while it is wrath to other sections of the populace. For instance, farmers are full of joy because majority of them are now through with weeding. They can now rest and wait for the harvest season.

Section of Sipili-Kinamba road rendered impassable by on-going rains

Poor state of road in Ng’arua particularly Sipili and Ol Moran Divisions are bringing good tidings to mechanics. Vehicle mechanics and cycle repairers are filling their pockets as a result of the poor road network. Roads are gaping with deep potholes. Political aspirants are all over dishing out promises if elected in the up-coming general elections. At the moment all manner of contestants are running all over pleading with voters to be given a chance to improve the social amenities in the area.

Farmers do their best in farming and get huge harvest. In spite of bumper harvest they are however faced with a myriad of problems. Farm inputs reach the farm late or even miss. Like everybody else in the area roads have hampered transportation of their produce. They make losses from their perishable goods which cannot reach the available market in time. This gives a field day to brokers who invade the helpless society and offer them their services at a high cost. In the long run farmers get low profits or even none at all.

For the business men the game is played in the same field but the goal posts are shifted. They face hard times in transporting fragile goods in and out of the area .During this period vehicles end up destroying their merchandise while struggling to get through the rough and slippery terrain of Ng’arua. Essentially they are equally not spared by the wrath brought by the raging rains. The dreaded brokers usually come in hand ready to negotiate in the difficult circumstances and end up fleecing the businessmen. Harvesting the fruits of rainy season, different ways.