MP Disburses CDF cheques

By Dennis Kipkirui

Laikipia West MP Nderitu Mureithi  presented Constituency Development Fund (CDF) cheques worth Ksh.2.6 milion to various institutions in a low key public rally held in Sipili market. The rally held in the morning hours saw a poor turn out from the members of the public with many evidently engaging themselves in various activities within the centre and ignoring the much hyped rally.Earlier, a vehicle with government registration had gone round the centre announcing the coming of the MP.

Among the beneficiaries include Bondeni primary school which Laikipia Lural Voices(LRV) has over time highlighted the woes that has characterized the school. The school was given a cheque worth Ksh.500,000. Others are Sipili school for the Deaf which got a paltry Ksh.250,000.Wangwaci primary school went home with Ksh.500,000 while Kio day secondary school got Ksh. 400,000. Administration Police  got a lion share of Ksh.800,000.

Hon.Nderitu Mureithi addressing Sipili residents[Photo: Joseph Kanyi|LRV]

The area MP who is also an assistant minister for Industrilisation urged residents to be cautious of those questioning his development record. He pleaded with the residents to elect him to enable him complete the projects he had started in the area.The event was however, not short of drama when some youths jeered the MP and told him off.They shouted at him to desist from dishing handouts and instead address the perrenial road problem between Kinamba and Sipili. The 8km stretch has been a nightmare for residents travelling out of Sipili to Nyahururu. The MP promised to address the issue as soon as possible.

Those interviewed by LRV were wary of the frequent visits made by the MP to Sipili during the electioneering period. They were quick to point out that the minister  has been away for a long time and now has began to make forays to the area in a bid to convince residents to vote for him. Nderitu is vying for the post of Senator in Laikipia County. 

The MP later opened United Democratic Front office (UDF) in Sipili market. He was accompanied by various aspirants to different posts.

LRV Reporter joins KDF

By Sammy Kirumba

Kelvin Njuguna an apt reporter with Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV) has bade farewell to fellow reporters and readers after being recruited to join Kenya Defence Forces (KDF). He has been a dedicated reporter and promises to continue after the training. 

He was among the six recruited by KDF on 31^st July in Rumuruti  the seat of power for Laikipia West District. He attributes his success to the LRV team for encouraging him to go and try his lack during the recruitment exercise.

Some of the articles contributed by Kelvin include the resilience of council female employee and the potential of rabbit keeping in Laikipia

Kelvin admits that the exercise was fair. He jokingly praises the advantage of height he had over others. “Those who were recruiting had no choice but to take me since I have nowhere else to use my height in,” he says. He is exceptionally tall. An interview with his father revealed that Kelvin has always been passionate with what he does and his dedication could have earned him lack in the Forces. Amazingly, he is just a chip off an old block since his father is also tall. The father is currently a primary school teacher. 

The 23 year old member of the fourth estate who hails from Naibrom in Sipili Division will be missed by many. His numerous contributions during LRV brainstorming sessions were valuable He was a skillful reporter who possessed sharp interviewing skills envied by many. Most of his articles were thorough and did not leave readers with unanswered questions. 

LRV wishes him all the best as he starts his training and looks forward to have him as a correspondent after the training.

Kelvin reported to the training camp yesterday 3^rd of September.

Ban on holiday tuition sends mixed signals

By James Mwai

The ban on the August holiday tuition in Kenya in all primary and secondary schools by Education Minister Mutula Kilonzo has thrown the spanner to the works in the country. Learners have been left under a lead-heavy cloud of confusion after being turned away from schools when they went to open for tuition while the rest were forced to close their books after beginning the remedial classes. 

The performance on the up-coming KCPE and KCSE national examinations is hanging in the balance since it mostly rely on the August holiday tuition. The worst is even in the offing after a recent announcement by the giant Kenya National Teachers Union (KNUT) that there will be a nationwide teacher’s strike on 3^rd September when schools are expected to resume for third term.

The declaration by the minister that the August remedial teaching famously referred to as tuition be terminated countrywide like any other illegal activity was received with mixed signals. It came as a hard blow to students and some parents who had been funding the exercise in the past. KNUT also did not welcome the move.

Students going home after Education Minister  banned holiday tuition

In Sipili area of Laikipia West District, students have arranged for private tuitions in several locations. Some gather in churches while others in homesteads. They have also hired tutors to facilitate the exercise. Currently, parents are willing to cater for these tuitions after noting that their children spend most of the time idling around. This has been instigated by lack of heavy manual work this season. 

Ng’arua Maarifa Centre has witnessed an influx of student population visiting the Centre to utilize its library services. Both primary and secondary school students come to the centre to study and borrow books. 

A vox pop conducted by Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV) in the area revealed that many teachers are ready to distance themselves from any liability should the KCPE and KCSE performance be dismal. However, some students are expressing deep regret for registering for the national exams since they are not adequately prepared to undertake it. They were concerned that 3^rd term is the shortest learning season in the Kenya schools calendar and they may not clear the syllabus which had been scheduled to be taken care of by the August holiday tuition.

Part of the reasons advanced by the minister for prohibiting the tuition is its use by teachers to cash on poor parents. He also argued that the recent unrest witnessed in schools are contributed by these tuition since students do not get enough time to rest after studying.

Schools are scheduled to open for third term on 3^rd September, 2012.

Bumper bean harvest in Laikipia

By Patrick Wachiuri

Farmers in Laikipia are having a bumper bean harvest after waiting tirelessly for the last three months. Many families are busy harvesting, threshing and drying the legumes since the heavy rains subsided. However, the tragic part is the intervention of the brokers who are ready to milk farmers of their hard labour. Many are going all the way to the farms to buy produce from them at a relatively low price.

Currently, a kilogram of beans is retailing at Ksh.30 down from Ksh.70 three months ago. In spite of a good harvest this season, many farmers are pessimistic because of the prevailing market prices. Some have expressed their reservations and are contemplating storing them until prices stabilize. 

Most farmers had a good harvest this season compared to the last season. Peter Kimani 26 is a farmer who hails from Muhotetu Division. He had intercropped his 1acre maize farm with beans and realized 450kg of beans. Apparently he does not have immediate plans to dispose them but prefers to store until the next planting season when he will replant them to multiply his harvest. “It will be prudent for me to store my beans rather than sell them at throw away price to brokers. In any case I will need them in the next planting season and therefore do not see any need to sell them cheaply and buy them later expensively,” quipped Peter.

Noah Tarayia an Agro-economist Officer in Sipili Division is leading from the front. Having been posted to the area two years ago, he realized the need to establish farming as a business in the area to match his skills and be a good example to his subjects. He is among the proud farmers who are reaping the fruits of their labour this season. 

He leased a 2are farm and inter-cropped maize and beans and has managed to reap 8 bags of beans. According to him the favourable climatic conditions coupled with good farming practices has earned him the benefits. “I’m very happy with what I have harvested. This being the first time for me to cultivate in this place, I have indeed had a morale booster. I’m encouraged to continue with the activity and looking forward profoundly for bumper maize harvest. I will always farm as long as I work in this place,” said Taraiya. 

He encourages farmers to use modern farming methods to enable them get value for their money. He also notes that farmers need to understand the soil PH of their farms because the soil in the area has turned acidic and they still insist on using DAP fertilizers. There is need therefore to sensitise farmers on the importance of getting knowledge of the minerals present or lacking in their soil. Tarayia has been working closely with Ng’arua Maarifa Centre and urges farmers to visit the centre regularly to get the necessary information needed to improve their skills in farming.

CDF and well wishers come to the aid of Bondeni

By Dennis Kipkirui

After Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV) highlighted the plight of pupils in Bondeni Primary School in Laikipia West District on 24^th May2012, help trickled in quickly for the school. Leaders from different walks of life converged three weeks later to raise funds for the school which is located in the semi-arid areas of Kenya. On 15^th June the old pupils raised Ksh.250,000 and later the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) donated a further Ksh.250,000. This saw the construction of two new permanent classrooms which are now complete.

On 26^th July a further 1,050,000 was given to the school by the CDF to build more classrooms after they realized that the first donation built only two.

LRV posted a story indicating a looming disaster after heavy rains pounded the area and ripped off the roof and part of the wall. Since there was no other place where the pupils would learn, they had to learn under the precariously dangling roof supported by poles. Even with that state of affairs the pupils were expected to compete equally with their colleagues who come from the affluent society.

CDF officials became proactive after reading the story from the LRV blog which had drawn attention to many people especially political aspirants from the area. The general election being round the corner, the political class could not leave anything to chances. LRV had explicitly written that many pleas had been forwarded to CDF office to help the school but only turned a deaf ear on them.  The office has however given much attention has provided full support to the school.

On their part, the old pupils gathered and raised funds to have the school build permanent classrooms. From the onset it was evident that the school had produced prominent personalities working in different sectors. Priests came together with teachers, doctors, security officers and business merchants. Although the notice of raising funds was short, all of them spared time out of their busy schedules to come and aid their former learning hub out of the present woes. Most of them pitied the state of the school and said that despite their successes they have never had a forum which brings them together to facilitate the progress of their former school. They confessed that it was a big shame for them to enjoy the fruits of their success earned through the school and turn their backs on it. They said that they would not wish to have their friends and associates know the state of their former learning institution.

They were grateful to LRV for drawing to their attention on the plight of the school. “We are thankful to Laikipia Rural Voices for informing us on this issue. I was going through the blog and saw the story. I contacted one of my former school mates, and we began calling one another and the attention grew. We then saw the need to meet in the school and see what we can do to alleviate the calamity,” said Mr. Muya, a police officer who attended the school in the 80’s.

The school was started in 1979 with 265 pupils and 6 teachers and sits in an 8 acre piece of land.  After its inception it has had its fair share of problems. It took the intervention of the then area MP Godfrey Gitahi Kariuki (famously known as GG) to have eight semi-permanent classrooms constructed which have been in use until the recent calamity hit the school.

Bondeni stakeholders have had a myriad of challenges in their quest for better education.The hostile environmental conditions in this part of the country could not allow parents to have better learning facilities for their children. They had to go through thick and thin to fend for them and had nothing to spare for the school infrastructure. Poverty has taken toll of most homesteads. As fate would have it, wild animals in the neighbouring conservancies has scared off the pupils and would not turn up early enough for their lessons.

LRV acknowledges the contribution of all and sundry towards making the lives of pupils in Bondeni Primary School better.

Six recruits join KDF in Laikipia West

By Dennis Kipkirui 

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) conducted a recruitment exercise throughout the country from Monday. They expect to recruit 2200 servicemen. In the past the exercise had been marred by allegations of corruption and general discrimination. Conmen have often made a killing promising to secure vacancies in exchange for cash, a cycle the military is determined to break this time round. Last week KDF issued a warning against fraudsters ahead of the military’s national recruitment exercise that has kicked off. The exercise that is expected to run for 28 days will see 150 cadets, 25 specialists and 2200 military service men and women joining the country’s armed forces. 

Recruitment in Laikipia West District began early morning in Rumuruti town  led by Lt-Col Wafula. Over 2000 candidates turned up to be screened in the exercise that saw some of them recruited to join Kenya Armed Forces, Kenya Air Force and Kenya Navy. Frustrations, fatigue, tension and surprises characterized the exercise. Part of the screening involved physical fitness where candidates ran for 5km and thereafter underwent other tests that include medical check-up height and academic qualification. The selection was done based on the five divisions in the area. 

Kenya Defence Forces recruitment exercise

An interview with the candidates revealed that they had traveled a day earlier to the town to enable them turn up on time for the exercise. Most of them were optimistic that they were going to be selected to the country’s top security service. However, some expressed their reservations on the recruitment criteria with great contempt particularly on the age and height factor. KDF expects a new recruit to be 5ft tall and not more than 28 years. Candidates interviewed asked KDF to emulate the US which produces the best forces in the world yet they recruit short people who are up to 32 years of age. 

At the end of the exercise, a total of 6 candidates were recruited from the district. Five gentlemen and a lady were recruited from the three divisions of Sipili, Ol Moran and Rumuruti.

The country is engaged in military battle with Al-shabaab a dreaded militia in Somalia. This has seen the influx of recruits required by the forces this year. KDF has been in Somalia for over year in an operation dubbed operation linda nchi which has seen it drive away militia groups from their strongholds.

National Youth Service (NYS) will recruit youths to join it on Wednesday.

Patas Monkeys: the pride of Laikipia

By Dennis Kipkirui    

Patas population in Laikipia is not declining as is appears to be the case elsewhere in Kenya. Its numbers has largely remained stable. Countrywide the population has declined by almost 54%.

This has largely been attributed to the low density at which they occur in East Africa making them prone to local extinction.

 

Patas Monkey found in Laikipia

Patas are semi-terrestrial types of monkeys. They are usually large and shy and readily recognized by the brick-red upper parts and long, white limbs. Unlike the western or southern patas which have an all black face they have a blackish face, with a white nose and moustache. They have large home ranges and live in groups of 2 to 74 individuals. The adult male, which is approximately the size of an adult goat, is about twice the size of the adult female.  

Conservationists attribute the high survival rate of patas in Kenya and Laikipia in particular to livestock ranching, which is an important economic activity in Laikipia. Well managed range-lands have also boosted their numbers. Laikipia has perennial availability of food and water with extensive lands dominated by acacia woodlands. This has made it possible for patas to thrive. Large ranches provide well maintained all-year round sources of water that continue to provide good habitat for patas.

However, in some parts of Laikipia, elephants, giraffes and rhinos over-browse the acacia to such an extent that adequate food and sleeping sites for patas are not available. In addition, as for much of Kenya, large areas of Laikipia are being unsustainably used by livestock keepers and charcoal makers, or transformed to cropland. The resultant loss of natural habitat increasingly threatens patas and, of course, many other species.

The eastern patas are mainly found in western Ethiopia, southern Sudan, northern Democratic Republic of Congo, northern and western Uganda, and central and southern Kenya.

To conserve the population of patas in Laikipia, it is important to monitor changes in its distribution and size. The last survey of patas in Laikipia was conducted 12 years ago. Its approximate population was between 300 to 500.There is therefore need to conduct fresh census to have adequate information on how to protect this rare monkey species. However, it must be noted that the local community must realize real benefits from this rare primate because it will be a futile exercise if not relevant to the realities of the people who control and use the resources that need to be conserved.

County Council worker with a rare resilience

By Kelvin Njuguna

She wakes up to do the same thing she has been doing for the last 27 years. She has mastered the schedule well until the body is well accustomed to it. From 6.am to 10.am clean the market, from 10am to 1.30pm tidy the environment behind the shops and go for a 30-minute lunch break. Burn the garbage from 2.pm. and finally empty large bins at 4pm. This has been the life of Jane Wambui since 1985 when she joined Laikipia County Council as a permanent employee serving as a cleaner.

Wambui 49 was first posted to work in Sipili shopping centre in Laikipia west but has had numerous transfers only to be redeployed to Sipili. She attributes this to inability of many council employees to cope with the demanding work environment in the area. Typically one person cannot manage to clean the 200 acres shopping centre. She remembers being assigned her work with six others only for them to be transferred later and left alone to tend the area. However, she acknowledges the work done by different organizations to ensure clean environment in the shopping centre.

Jane Wambui, Council worker collecting litter.
  (PHOTO:Dennis Kipkirui|LRV)

Work has not come in a silver platter for Wambui. The mother of six children has been struggling to fend for her family. She admits that it is family needs that drove her to work for the council. She however complains of the past regime which allowed the council to oppress them. Wambui praises the current administration for ensuring that they their payments arrive on time and not letting arrears to accrue. As expected she only get peanuts compared to work demand, thanks to her low cadre in the organization.

Her working condition has been her great concern. The environment poses a lot of risks to her life and the council has been turning on a deaf ear to her pleas. Most of her colleagues have succumbed to poor health occasioned by the fateful working environment. Despite the good work done by these employees by ensuring a clean environment for human habitation, they usually cater for their treatment. The council can only afford to send them to cheap dispensaries without adequate facilities which can help them get better medical attention because of the risks involved with their duties.

She blames weak environmental policies for escalating poor waste management. She notes that policy executors are also relaxed in ensuring that people adhere to prescribed mode of waste disposal. Sipili market for example, dumps all manner of wastes in one bin ranging from needles to papers and it is expected that the collector ensures her safety.  Some people even go ahead and relieve themselves on bins located in the toilets. She alleges that most business premises in the area lack bins which make customers drop litter all over the place. This strains her a lot as she has to spend much time and energy collecting them. On a typical day she ends up with a headache and stomach upset. The worst usually happens when she has to dispose off a dead dog within the vicinity or along the road that leads to the centre. She will have to locate a place and dig a hole to bury it.

Wambui nostalgically recalls the day they were employed and were provided with full working kit. This was made up of gloves, mask, gumboots and uniform together with six bars of soap every month. This made her like her working environment. Today the supply is not stable. This has further compromised their health. The only item she has today issued by the council is a 10-year old rake and a five litre container shaped like a spade used for shoveling garbage. Surprisingly, if she was to get a transfer, the council expects her to move with these meager tools to the new station. But to her a bird in hand is worth two in the bush.  She is not discouraged by lack of facilities to do her chores. She reports to her work place hopping that someday someone will intervene and change the situation for the better.

The middle aged woman scorns at the way the council is ran. She is particularly disturbed by the circus involved in the issuance of uniform. She complains that her seniors ask her to send cloth measurements and preferred color only for tenders awarded to take ages to deliver the uniform. They only arrive at a time when they are too small to fit the owner. This deals the owner double blow because they don’t use the clothes and have their wages deducted since the council stopped buying them uniform. The Laikipia County Council employee can only be differentiated from the civilians by an aging job card, placed precariously at the left side of her chest.

Buffaloes invade maize farms

By Dennis Kipkirui

Buffaloes from Laikipia Ranching Company invaded maize farms in Nyakinyua village on Monday night. They destroyed about seven acres of maize which belongs to Mr. Bernard Ndongai. Only three acres were left untouched by the buffaloes. The ranching company is approximately one kilometre from the farms.

Section of a maize field destroyed by buffaloes

Ndongai who was visibly angry blamed the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) for not doing enough to arrest the situation which has been persistent for close to a decade. He claims that one prominent farmer in the area is the only one who is being compensated whenever wild animals invade farms. He believes it is because of his connection with government officials that gives him an edge over the rest of the farmers in the area since he plants every year without fear of animal invasion. The farmer in question owns over one hundred acres of land and borders the conservancy. He is a brother to a former powerful cabinet minister.

Laikipia County is synonymous with ranches. Three quarter of the county is occupied by ranches while only a quarter is inhabited by human. Human-wildlife conflict is a frequent occurrence. It is only recently when lions killed donkeys in the area. Human life has not been spared either by the wildlife.

Elephants are a common eyesore to the residents during rainy seasons because they come out and destroy crops. Despite the buffalo invasion in Ndongai’s farm, residents see it as a rare invasion since elephants are the only one known to invade crop farms. Ndongai alleges that he lost two and half acres of maize to elephants in 2011 but was never compensated.

Residents have stepped up measures to curb this perennial problem. They have hired reservists to guard their crops four months to harvest time. Each farmer contributes Ksh. 4000 every month from July to November. The guards use torches and thunder brushes to ward off invading animals. However, a new challenge has emerged. Lions and cheetahs have been roaming in the area of late. This has become a threat to the guards who are now not willing to come out in the night to scare away the herbivorous for fear of attack by the ravaging canines.

Ndongai has initiated a process towards compensation for the losses incurred through the wild animals. When Laikipia Rural Voices (LRV) visited his farm, he was planning to visit Rumuruti town the seat of Laikipia West District to launch his complain in the KWS offices.

Lately,KWS has witnessed a proliferation of human-wildlife conflict. Six lions were killed a month ago in Kitengela by Maasai morans after killing their livestock. This week Maasai elders from Amboseli swore to kill the animals if they found their way to their farms.This is after the KWS Director Dr.Julius Kipng'etich failed to turn up in a meeting expected to discuss how to deal with the problem in the area.He instead sent a warden asking the elders to send representatives to Nairobi for discussions. 

Only two days ago elephants were found straying in Kajiado area. It took the intervention of KWS chopper to drive them back to a nearby conservancy and save them from the furious mob baying for their blood.