Leaders Discuss Management of Natural resources

By Dennis Kipkirui
 

Laikipia County leaders converged on Wednesday to discuss the management of natural resources in the county. In a forum attended by aspirants for the posts of senator, governor Member of Parliament and county assembly representative, the leaders were in agreement that natural resources in Laikipia County was an essential requirement to realize economic success of the county They acknowledged that the resource was indeed the  pillar of county economy.

Joshua Irungu of TNA addressing participants in the forum

Those who attended include The National Alliance Party (TNA) flag bearer for the gubernatorial seat Mr. Joshua Irungu, United Democratic Front (UDF) party gubernatorial running mate Ms Jane Ptunoi and Mr. Munene vying for the Senatorial seat in Agano Party, among a host of aspirants for both MP and MCA posts. Other leaders who could not attend sent their apologies. The forum was organized by East African Wildlife Society.

 The meeting held in the Catholic hall in Rumuruti explored different ways of enabling good resource management so that the residents can realize full benefit. It was noted that The Commission on Revenue Allocation had placed Laikipia County at Number five nationally on economic potential. Ironically 46% of the residents live below poverty line. Leadership was attributed as the biggest contributor to mismanagement of County resources and therefore the need to elect leaders that have integrity and are beyond reproach.

TNA’s Joshua Irungu stressed his competence in managing natural resources since he had a first degree in Natural Resource Management and has been working for ACT organization for many years.

Participants put the aspirants to task to explain ways in which they will ensure that natural resources in the area were protected. The minority group expressed dissatisfaction on past leadership in the county which propagated their marginalization. Mr Koskei from the Endoroiis community asked the aspirants to ensure equitable distribution of resources and positions in the county. The leaders committed themselves to serve the people with particular emphasis on proper management of natural resources.

Blown roof cuts electricity line

By Dennis Kipkirui

Blown roof cut electric power line on Thursday afternoon in Kahuruko village Laikipia West District. This occurred after raging winds blew off the roof of an old wooden building incidentally slashing electricity line. The incident saw the whole of Sipili trading centre and neighborhoods stay without electricity for the rest of the day. Kenya Power technicians visited the scene and reconnected the power at 9pm. No casualties were reported when the tragedy occurred

Earlier in the day the centre had witnessed power outage only to be cut off again after resuming in the afternoon. This has been happening for the past one week.

Laikipia is currently experiencing a dry spell with strong winds. This is what largely contributed to the incident coupled with caving and deteriorating buildings. It was only recently when the electric power line was connected to the area. The people of Kahuruko attribute this development project to one of their sons who is a senior government official.

Age-old wooden buildings characterize Kahuruko centre. Silence and horror engulfs the centre after it was deserted due to security concerns. Residents have in the passed witnessed a series of robberies and break-ins. This made most of them close their premises and move to the neighboring Sipili. The government has been forced to place an Administration Police post in the centre to curb the menace. 

Youths flock Maarifa to acquire skills

By BettKipsang'

One hundred and twelve (112) community members, majority of them youths, have been recruited to start computer lessons and Journalism skills training at Ng’arua Maarifa Centre.  The trainees converged last Friday for orientation to familiarize them with the training and some other responsibilities. A timetable was developed and shared with the students. Both lessons commenced Monday. 

One of the youths acquiring skills in Maarifa Centre

 A team of 18 youths, 11 males and 7 females interested in Community Journalism were recruited. RisperMukamiKiguru 18, a form four leaver is a happy girl; she is awaiting her KCSE results but has commenced ICT trainings and Community Journalism at the Ng’arua Maarifa centre. ‘‘I had not touched a computer before, but the lessons are presented well by the teacher’’, said Risper adding that she understood the introduction to computer and hoped the preceding topics would be good.

The young lady is aspiring to pursue accounting as a career, because she liked mathematics and business education in school. ''I want to acquire the skills so that I can access and store my personal and professional data in future” she said.  Risper observed that fewer women than men could use computers in the locality, and according to her the reason is that most women lacked computer skill.  

 ‘‘I want to learn Community Journalism so that I can report issues happening within my home area’’ Said Risper, who is bothered by human-wildlife conflict where elephants frequently invade their farms.  Risper likes reading novels, newspapers and playing volleyball. 

 Samuel Njoroge 20, who hails from Mithuri in Olmoran Division, is also awaiting his KCSE results due in the next two months. Meanwhile, he has heard a lot of stories about Ngarua Maarifa Centre and its services like free access to information, book library, Internet and free ICT trainings. One day he came to the Maarifa Centre to inquire and that is when he got a chance to commence the training.

 ‘‘I want to start and run a business in future and I hope the computer skills will enable me to keep and manage my data’’,he said. Samuel heard about Community Journalism training for the first time during the orientation and developed a lot of interest.  He also enrolled for the lessons that will run concurrently with ICT lessons. His expectation is to acquire skills in both fields in order to enable him create employment for himself and help people in the process. ‘‘I want to use my reporting skills to voice up community issues like land disputes, insecurity, poor infrastructure among others’’, said Samuel. 

Like many others who have commenced the trainings, Samuel is very grateful for ALIN for according him the learning opportunity.  ALIN is implementing the free ICT training courtesy of a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Community Journalism and market access programs are made possible with the support of the Ford Foundation.

Rustlers arrested with stolen sheep

By William Gibore
 

Two rustlers were arrested in Kaptagat area in Laikipia County on Wednesday morning by Anti-Stock Theft Unit (ASTU) officers based in Ol Mutunyi. The two men in their late twenties suspected to be serial animal thieves known to have been terrorizing the residents were caught with 15 sheep. The animals are suspected to have been stolen from Kahuruko area in Sipili Division. 

Photo of recovered sheep (Photo By: Dennis Kipkirui/LRV)

The officers succeeded in nabbing them through intelligence reports. It said that the sheep were stolen on December last year with a calf while others date as late as April. They were found having slaughtered one and another is reported to have died. They were also caught in possession of bows and arrows which is suspected to have been used in the raid. One of the owners produced an arrow which was shot at him but missed during the raid .The arrow was similar to the one the rustlers were caught with.

Some of the owners have positively identified their stock while the rest are yet to. The suspects were taken to Kinamba police station waiting to be arraigned in Nyahururu law courts.

Animal theft is rampant in Laikipia County. It is only in October last year when some rustlers raided Marigat area in the neighboring Baringo County and stole a huge herd of cattle and shot one person. The same problem recently occurred where three Administration Police (AP) officers were fatally shot.

Woman commits suicide in Mwireri

By Esther Mutheu

A forty year old woman committed suicide in Mwireri Village in Sipili Division, Laikipia County on Sunday night. The woman is said to have killed herself while the rest of the family members were asleep. It is not known what made her to commit the heinous act except for the note she left which only indicated that she ‘was tired of living’.

The mother of five was found dangling on the roof of the house when the family members woke up on Monday morning. Family members reported to have lived in harmony and no recent tension had been reported in the family to suspect as the cause of the act. The middle aged woman is a wife of a famous milk vendor in Sipili trading centre

The police collected her body and took it to Nyahururu District Hospital mortuary.

Hippo kills KWS warden

By Peter Kamau

A stray hippo killed a Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) warden in Laikipia over the weekend. The officer met his death after an attempt to thwart the threats of the charging hippo. Eye witnesses said that the hippo had strayed from Ngare Nyiro river.

Photo of man being chased by hippo

The dry spell that has hit the area is believed to have made the hippo to come out of the river. It took the intervention of other rangers to drive back the hippo to the river. It was difficult in the first instance to drive back the hippo after it became furious and charged at the rangers. When it was later driven, it unfortunately got stuck in a muddy swamp. A crater was called to the scene to help the hippo. To show its fury, it continued to bite at the teeth of the crater while being shoved. The crater assisted the animal and was later taken back to the river.

The body of the warden was taken to Nyahururu District Hospital mortuary.

Cases of wild animals attacking human beings in Laikipia and destroying property are rampant. Last year, a lion mauled a woman and a case of buffaloes destroying maize farms were reported. The presence of wild life conservancies and human encroachment to animal paths have strained relations in the area.KWS has started a fencing exercise to tame the animals within the conservancies. Lack of compensation has also heightened tension causing residents to bay for animal blood.

Laikipia Elections: Focus on Gubernatorial Race

By Dennis Kipkirui
 Laikipia County is one of the counties that will heavily influence the political landscape in the upcoming General Election. The county borders Samburu County to the North, Isiolo County to the Northeast, Meru County to the South, Nyeri to the South, Nyandarua County to the Southwest, and Baringo County to the west. It has a population of 400,000 people and 153,274 registered voters. 

Poster of Mwangi Kiunjuri

Poster of Nderitu Muriithi

Being the only ‘white man’s county’ in the country due to the heavy presence of white ranchers, Laikipia boasts of unique economic prowess. Over half of all Kenyan-registered planes are owned by ranch owners from this county. Giant dairy, wheat and horticultural farms call this area home, as does the biggest military air base in the country. The British still use this county for their tropical armed forces training. However, the poverty level in the county stands at 46%. This has been attributed to poor leadership.

Although the county is cosmopolitan it has traditionally been influenced by the trends of political happenings in Central Kenya where majority of its occupants came from. In the past four elections for example, the county voted overwhelmingly in favour DP, NARC and later PNU. These parties reflected the influence it had in Central Kenya and subsequently spilled over to Eastern Rift Valley.

Poster of Joshua Irungu and running mate

The National Alliance party (TNA), United Democratic Front (UDF) party and Grand National Union (GNU) are seen as the major contenders in the county and are already on the ground ready for a bruising battle. 

The gubernatorial seat has attracted a lot of attention in the county owing to the presence of political giants in the race. GNU’s boss and fiery politician Mwangi Kiunjuri (immediate former Laikipia East Constituency MP and Public Works assistant minister ) is running for the seat against his immediate counterpart in Laikipia West UDF’s Nderitu Muriithi. TNA has also field little known Joshua Irungu. 

Mr. Kiunjuri is seen to have an upper hand owing to his development record while the voters may have a bone to pick with Mr. Nderitu. The Industrialization assistant minister who is the UDF’s candidate and point man in the region is hard pressed to explain to the constituents the reasons for the rising insecurity and low development in the area. Poor road network in Laikipia West constituency has sent him scratching his head. Nderitu who is the nephew to the out-going president Mwai Kibaki is largely blamed for luck-luster leadership despite the cosy relationship he has with the head of state.  Although Kiunjuri’s bid may have an edge over the rest, the recent remarks by Jubilee presidential candidate Uhuru Kenyatta urging the residents to vote ‘six-piece’ may send the 3-time Laikipia East MP to political oblivion.

All aspirants are in agreement that Laikipia is enriched with resources and need good leadership to benefit the residents. Three-quarter of Laikipia people occupy a quarter of land and vice-versa. This is also one of the challenges that need to be addressed. The presence of absentee landlords has over time plagued development agenda in the region. Most of the lands remain unoccupied. Human-wildlife conflict has in the past stood in the path of harmony between the ranchers and the farming communities. The in-coming governor will have to strike a delicate balance between these two groups who contribute to the economic development in the county.

Road network remains the determinant factor in the race. This is a critical economic vehicle in the region. Only 139.3 Km of the roads in the county is under tarmac while 353.7 Km is gravel surface. The rest is earth surface. The governor will have an uphill task in developing meaningful road network that will serve the residents as most roads are impassible during rainy seasons.