Low turnout mark Jamhuri Celebration in Sipili

By Bob Aston

The Jamhuri day celebrations in Sipili turned out to be a low key affair devoid of the pomp witnessed in Nairobi. The event which was celebrated at Sipili Grounds on December 12, 2013 was attended by only a handful of people with most of them being government employees.

The highly anticipated day was celebrated across the county as it marked the most important date in the county’s history. Jamhuri day, also called Independence day is the date when Kenya obtained its independence from Great Britain in 1963. The event was celebrated to mark 50 years since Kenya gained independence.

On Thursday night, President Uhuru graced the hoisting of the Kenyan flag at Uhuru gardens, an occasion akin to another one on December 12, 1963, which was presided over by his father and founding President Jomo Kenyatta. The president also planted a commemorative tree to mark the occasion.

The day was characterized by a heavy downpour in Sipili. Most residents continued with their usual day to day activities while others remained indoors due to the bad weather. Most shops opened as usual with business running normally.

‘‘It is good to honour all those whose labour and sacrifice made it happen. We are celebrating in our own unique way by working hard,” said Victor Gichangi.

Most Sipili residents said that they had to work to feed their families. No business around Sipili had a national flag drapped on its wall or any sign that the day marked an important event in the county’s history.

“The celebrations was meant to help Kenya reflect on the gains and challenges it faced through independence so that it can plan for the future. I am glad that I attended the function even though the turnout was not encouraging,” said Peter Wanjohi.

Most public holiday’s in Sipili are always low key with few people showing interest in the celebration.

Ng’arua Maarifa Centre relocates to a new site

By Bob Aston and Jane Kariuki

The Ng’arua Maarifa Centre has finally relocated to its new premise near the Sipili District Officer’s compound. The centre was allocated a temporary land by the provincial administration and has now placed a fabricated container at the site. Relocation which started on Monday is now complete and normal work has now resumed at the centre.

The old Maarifa premise

Ng’arua Maarifa Centre was founded in 2006 by Arid Lands Information Network. The centre started as an access point for disseminating information and was run by the Ng’arua Focal group comprising of community development workers from the public and private sector.

The centre was found to be very helpful to the communities and other development workers and it was improved to become a Community Knowledge Centre.

“The land provided by the provincial administration will enable Arid Lands Information Network to start demo-gardens. The new site has a big compound hence enough space for expansion if need arises,” said Kibe Muthiora, ALIN representative during the relocation.

The centre serves more than 26,000 community members yearly on various services. More than 7200 have accessed E-government services; more than 1200 have been trained on ICT skills while 31 groups have been reached with technical farming information.

The Maarifa has shared more than 160 best practices on agriculture and climate change adaptation as well as increasing partnerships with government, local CBO’s and NGO’s.

“We are glad to host the Maarifa Centre. The centre has been instrumental in improving the livelihoods of communities living in Sipili through delivery of practical information using modern technologies. This is an initiative which we fully support,” said Paul Nasky, Senior chief Wangwaci.

The new Maarifa Premise

The centre also oversaw the successful launch of Sokopepe where over 500 people attended and trained on Sokopepe SMS services. Six (6) champion farmers from other Maarifa Centres also participated.

Sokopepe has so far more than 2136 registered and active users. Ng’arua Maarifa centre alone has so far done more than 18 transactions. Tangaza money, a mobile payment solution has also been incorporated in Sokopepe as a means of payment.

“This new location is good. It is quite here thus it will provide a good place for studying,” said Reuben, one of the Maarifa users.

The centre has overseen the formation of Laikipia Produce and Marketing Cooperative Society which now has more than 200 registered members as well as training over 600 farmers and groups on value chain, farming practices and markets.

The Maarifa centre has also been offering free training on basic journalism skills. More than 80 youths have been trained. Through their blog Laikipia Rural Voices the citizen journalists from the Maarifa Centre have posted more than 190 articles.

Laikipia Rural Voices wishes Ng’arua Maarifa Centre and the ALIN family all the best as they start a new journey.

Maize production declines in Sipili

By Bob Aston

Maize production in Sipili division, Laikipia County is said to have decreased in 2013. The ministry of Agriculture said that maize production is slightly lower than earlier anticipated.

The Ministry had projected that Sipili division would be able to harvest around 22,500 bags of maize at the end of the year. This figure has since been revised and the ministry now says that they expect slightly around 14,500 bags. This means that there has been a shortage of over 8,000 bags of maize.

Maize set to be loaded in a trailer

Noah Koinett, an extension officer with the Ministry of Agriculture said that most farmers in Sipili did not follow proper farming methods. Use of wrong fertilizer was also cited as the main cause of low maize production. Most farmers in Sipili are said to be using DAP and CAN.

“Soils are exhausted in Sipili. Farmers are supposed to test their soil to know the elements that are required. Most farmers hardly do this. When you use DAP for eight (8) years the soil automatically turn acidic,” said Noah.

“Soil has to be neutralized using Single Super Phosphate like 17170, 20200 and 23230,” added Noah.

Noah also said that other factors contributing to low maize harvest included: leaching, poor management (incorrect spacing), poor seeds, ill-timed weeding and poor control of pests and diseases.

“This year, maize production has been very low in Kaharati. We were sold fake seeds and fertilizer,” said Alice Waigura, a local maize farmer.

Maize being dried

Despite the decline in production, maize prices have been gradually falling in Sipili. Most farmers are now selling their produce between Ksh 2,100 – Ksh 2,200.

“I joined Laikipia Produce and Marketing Society to see whether it will help us access fertilizer and seeds. The cooperative is our only hope in our quest to avoid exploitation by middlemen,” said David Waita, a maize farmer from Kaharati.

“I checked through Sokopepe for the price of maize in Nairobi and Kisumu. In Nairobi a 90 Kg bag is currently retailing at3,100 while in Kisumu it is retailing at 3,600.This shows that we are being exploited here,” said David.

Laikipia County government had initially planned to start a warehouse receipting system for maize farmers but so far this initiative has not materialized. The county government had planned that farmers would deliver their produce at designated warehouses; they would then be given receipts for redemption at specific banks.

Some basic life principles

By Murigi Ndung’u

Life is a complex quagmire that functions through fate. Debilitating the future of the ignorantly oblivious subjects of life and in entirely different situations bedecking the future of the same. Very unpredictable is fate.

Albeit it’s a totalitarian sort of actor, autocratic in nature and influential, we may get some beautiful tactics to cheat out our course from the blind side of fate, and at least have a say into our destination. These tactics include:

Committing to no one and nothing. This keeps you out of the risk of having to be exploited and having to fulfill promises that could be expensive for you. Avoid giving promises that you could not fulfill.

Despise the free lunch. The act of giving in some circumstances is followed by the give before you take precept. Getting of free gifts has led to the suffering of many. Nations have continued to waddle in abject poverty after getting grants from the international monetary institutions which they have to pay later in triples and quadruples.

Always say less than necessary. The more you talk the less you listen, and otherwise. The less you talk the best chance you get of avoiding the garland of fools that is their babble.

Never put too much trust in friends, learn how to use enemies. Peer relations are extremely subtle but lethal, their effects that come masquerading in ‘friendship’ could haunt their lives forever. On the other hand, enemies will be true to your fault, when your friends colour them, whitewashed sepulchers will your final grand fall.

Once a king on a diamond celebrations festival, in his joy spot an enemy and decided to say hi to him instead of spoiling his happiness with anger and animosity.

“Hello, it’s good to see you here!” the enemy veered his face away and told him coolly, “It’s not good when your mouth is reeking buddy.”

That evening, the king asked the queen in profound fury, “Why didn’t you tell me that my breath is foul?” the wife looked at him and like an infidel caught cheating snorted, “I thought all men have foul breath.” The king was ready to kill!

A catastrophic dispensation

By Murigi Ndung’u

After the 2008 economic meltdown, a loathsome chronological string of recurrent events have followed. Their effects have been felt nationally, internationally and even in the grassroots level.

In 2009 a severe famine paired with the soaring prices rocked the country’s stability and any prospect of future remedy of the same.

These are the times communities get reasons to be suspicious of their neighbours and decide to get ‘peace’ through blades.

Only it’s very unfortunate that the blades get sated with human blood and fat that nothing remains of humanity to experience ‘peace’.

A hungry stomach is susceptible to give furious commands to the units of the rest of the body. And a battle of hungry people is not easily halted taking into account that it is out of despair.

Most recent is the Maralal ethnical squabble, a real war that claimed lots of lives that even describing the human sadism in its gruesome drape is only inappropriate given the true colours it has continued to display in our nation.

“We are tough, we gunned them out of our sight!” a ‘real’ human being from either of the warring communities would boast. A beastly boast, really inhumane. Killing for satisfaction and pride can never be justified under any circumstances. 

A mother wailing her fallen sons called upon the church to pray for her in her sorrow and grief.

“I need the comfort of the lord and please pray for me.” She said. Though the major 2007 clash Kenyans are far from having learnt a lesson. Communities have continued to harbor unaccounted for animosity that has been a trait of Kenya for some time now.

It is alleged that it starts with a misconstrue among those in power and later gets innocent citizens into the muddle. Those bathed and covered in influence are said instigates the mass bloodshed that doesn’t appear to be obliterated out of Kenya in the near future.

The times are evil and tyranny of men is super multiplied, its time we invite God into our very livelihoods.

The end of the past and the beginning of the future for boys

By Murigi Ndung’u

December comes, ushering hefty bumpers of goodies: glamorous galas in a mélange of blitheness and satisfaction. This is the time many get into astronomically priced vacations, family reunions, holidays and meet-again with the long lost friends.

For boys it’s different. This is the season of breeding men from boys, the for good migration from boyhood.

Forming a new age-set, the way some communities like putting it. Boys eager to be ushered into the new life of manhood shun their lackadaisical past and try to drape themselves with a more mature temperament, lest they appear to be mannequins, enormous in stature but lacking in demeanor.

As the knife gets a real slaughter, it could be worthwhile checking some tidbits of the seclusion period. To parents: This period may give them a wonderfully finished product that they will live to be proud of, if and only if they manage who and what gets to their son. Very unfortunately, induction to illicit like beer, bhang and other units of the endless list of abominations may get into your sons head.

It is also imperative that they get a mentor for their son, lest he becomes a silhouette of humanity and lost dignity, instead of getting back a man from a boy, you lose everything.

You could get a smoking young man and trying to find what benefits they get from it they will brusquely tell you “everybody does it!”

But it is nothing to do with everybody.It has got everything to do with 'yourself'. Apart from ushering boys into manhood,the festivals of this era are equally fatal if not well handled.Throwing caution to the air coupled with a labyrinth of foolish peer credo that lacquers their functioning may well come to be a fatally good jeopardy to their future.Remember the actions of your privacy of freedom dictates the level of maturity.