Reject Online Issue 13

1U n f i l t e r e d , u n i n h i b i t e d … . j u s t t h e g r u e s o m e t r u t hISSUE 013, March 1-15, 2010

A bimonthly on-line newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service

March 1-15, 2010ISSUE 013

Continued on page 3

By OlOO Janak and OdhiambO OdhiambO

The Western Kenya tourist circuit boasts of a number of attractions but perhaps the most enthralling and awesome is locally known

as Thim Lich Ohinga, a stone fortress in North Kadem location, Nyatike District in southern Nyanza.

Thim Lich Ohinga, which has been gazetted as part of the National Museums of Kenya lies about 45 km West of Migori town and 69 km from Homa Bay.

Nothing captures the architectural mar-vel of this ancient feature than a descrip-tion on the walls of the Kisumu Museum complete with pictures:

“Thim Lich Ohinga is a spectacular rare military architecture of completely dry stone walling with massive stones piled on top of one another....this stone complex, consisting of six skillfully joined enclosures was built some five centuries ago when the first communities settled around Lake Vic-toria region.”

Documents on the site in brochures and posters made by the National Museums of Kenya indicate that apparently the Luos settled in the region after the stone fortress was already build by some early settlers.

Ethusiastic buildersAccording to the National Museums,

the Luo who later moved into the area also became “equally enthusiastic stone build-ers” noting that all the later occupations and repair did not interfere with the archi-tecture and preservation of the cultures.

The National Museums has been ag-gressively marketing the site as part of the Western Kenya Tourist circuit and describes it in their documentation as “a symbol of glorious architectural achieve-ment that is unequal to none in the entire East African region North of the Great Zimbabwe”.

National Museums of Kenya has made video documentaries of the site, capturing and revealing the breath taking beauty of the stone walls, the mud huts reflecting the

traditional Luo homestead and the fecund natural vegetation cover.

However local Luo folklore says that the stone walls were built by Kachieng’, one of the early Luo clans to settle in the area and which is famed for having occupied large swaths of what is now South Nyanza.

They fought with the Maasai commu-nity who were then roaming many parts of

the area around Lake Victoria in search of pasture.

To gain entry into the fort, one goes through small gates curved neatly through a skillful arrangement of different sizes of stone.

“The entrances were deliberately made small for strategic reasons so that enemies would not get in easily,” says Mr

Silas Nyagweth, an employee of the Na-tional Museums of Kenya, and curator at the site.

There is a control tower made of raised rocks, rising several feet above the walls, to monitor intruders.

“Jo Kachieng’ was a large group of peo-ple who lived here before the Kadem, Kan-yamkago and Karungu came to settle here,” says Mzee Jackton Ojwang’, 76, who lives at Masoge Village at the edge of Thim Lich Ohinga.

“We were told by our parents and grandparents that it was them who built these stone walls. I don’t know but it is

architectural marvel Skillful design makes traditional fortress a world site

To gain entry into the fort, one goes through small gates curved neatly through a skilful arrangement of different sizes

of stone.

The marvellous architecture of the Thim Lich Ohinga, Inset is the entrance to the fotress. The site is part of the National Museums of

Kenya. Pictures: Oloo Janak

2 U n f i l t e r e d , u n i n h i b i t e d … . j u s t t h e g r u e s o m e t r u t h ISSUE 013, March 1-15, 2010

Frustrated coffeefarmers root for their own mill By JOsEph mukubwa

Over 10,000 coffee farmers in Othaya Di-vision have resolved to build their own milling factory to end years of oppression and frustration by local commercial mill-ers.

The farmers, members of the Othaya Farmers’ Cooperative Society, have man-dated an expenditure of KSh15 million on the project set for completion by the end of the year.

“The frustrations we have encountered from the coffee millers in our bid to get just coffee dues demand that we own a coffee mill to overcome such hurdles,” said Mr Newton Mwangi Ndiritu, chairman of the society.

budget approved He was addressing the society’s annual

general meeting held at Approved School grounds in Othaya town recently. The previous AGM approved a KSh20 million budget for the construction.

The management committee has since established that the mill will cost KSh5 million less.

“In our calculation, if every active mem-ber contributes KSh600 each month for three years, assuming that 10,000 members make the contribution, we shall be able to pay off the loan plus interest within three years”, said Ndiritu.

The Cooperative Bank of Kenya will fund the project. “Those who subscribe to the shares will be earning dividends from the milling business. It is our expectation that members will support this noble ini-tiative and buy shares,” Ndiritu pleaded.

The mill is anticipated to become a major employer and also enhance income for the society in view of the expected volume of coffee beans from within and beyond.

The society with over 10,000 farmers from 19 factories vowed to ensure a savings of about KSh4,000 per tonne of cherries once the new mill becomes operational.

“This will also lock out over five com-mercial millers who have disorganised, destabilised farmers and spread falsehoods within the society. Our farmers will benefit much once the mill is established,” says the upbeat chairman.

The 19 factories are Thuti, Chinga, Mahi-ga, Kagere, Gatuya-ini, Kamoko, Ichamama,

Kiaguthu, Kiruga and Gichichi. Others in-clude Iria-ini, Gatugi, Rukira, Kiaga, Gura, Kagonye, Kamoini, Karuthi and Gitundu.

Ndiritu said the committee plans for a marketing licence that will enable the so-ciety sell its products directly to the market or by auction.

The millers who buy coffee cherries from the society include the troubled Ken-ya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU), Sasini Limited, Nyambene Coffee Mills, Thika Mills and Socfinaf.

The society resolved it would also brand its coffee before it is exported to add value to the product for the benefit of members.

Farmers’ support“In 2007-2008 production was 1.9 mil-

lion kilogrammes, while in 2008-2009 production increased to 3.2 million kilo-grammes. Our target is to hit the 10 mil-lion kilogrammes, a target which is achiev-able with the full support of farmers,” said Ndiritu.

He observed: “Speciality coffee pro-duction is now being embraced by many farmers and is indeed a success story.”

He pointed out that this would assist the organisation achieve its mission to become a producer of top quality cof-fee.

Workers in a coffee facory in Othaya preparing the coffee beans. Cofffee farmers in the district now want to buld their own factory to avoid being exploited by middlemen.

Picture: Joseph Mukubwa

Students up in arms over extension date

By bOniFacE mulu

Nursing students at the Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) Kitui Campus are unhappy with the extension of their training stint by six months.

In a statement to the press in Kitui, 40 student representatives said the admin-istration has moved the final examina-tion dated from March to July 2010. The course normally runs for three and a half years, and not four.

The student representatives who re-quested anonymity said if they take the examination in July 2010, the course will have taken four years, the same duration as a degree course programme.

The extension of the examination has been implemented by the Nursing Coun-cil of Kenya that prepares the final licens-ing examinations.

They are asking the Medical Services Minister, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o and the Nursing Council of Kenya to reconsider the decision. There are 1,400 nursing stu-dents countrywide.

“If the nurses are released to the field, it poses a danger of malpractice because they will stay unlicensed for six months after the supposed time,” the medical stu-dents warned.

A window of opportunity for KCSE graduatesBy GilbErt OchiEnG

The Kenya Certificate of Secondary Edu-cation students in Busia and its environs who had failed to attain the B+ university entry point, now have a reason to smile.

The University of Nairobi has opened a sub-centre at the Busia Teachers’ Re-source Centre for extra mural studies, a move that will enable them to achieve their academic dreams.

The Centre was started in the 1970s, is managed by the District Education Office and Busia Secondary School Heads’ Asso-ciation (SSHA).

It was founded through a joint initia-tive of the District Education Board, Brit-ish Council, Kenya National Union of Teachers (Busia Branch), SSHA and other stakeholders to boost academic perform-ance in the region.

Tutor in charge, Mr Patrick Barasa, took over the management of the Centre in 2004 after a long spell of poor manage-ment and inactivity. Since then the Centre has changed significantly with the activa-tion of its initial activities and incorpora-tion of additional ones. The Centre has become a focal point for in-service and induction courses as well as syllabus ori-entation for teachers.

“It is a link between schools and insti-tutions such as Kenya Institute of Educa-

tion, Kenya National Examination Coun-cil, Kenya Education Staff Training Insti-tute, the Inspectorate as well as colleges and universities among others,” explains Barasa.

He adds: “It also provides a social base for developing links between teachers and other sections of the community in-cluding parents, leaders and profession-als.”

The University of Nairobi’s Depart-ment of Extra Mural Studies, Western Region, under the resident lecturer, Mr John Mbugua, identified the Centre as its meeting point for students from Busia, Teso, Samia and Bunyala districts.

The students are undertaking Bach-elor of Education degrees and so far over 150 students have used the centre as their

meeting and coordination point for refer-ence books and other information.

The Centre has grown in popularity and stature leading to the introduction of weekend and evening classes and the introduction of certificate and diploma courses in September 2008.

The courses included Human Resource Management, Marketing and Supplies, Guidance and Counselling and Business Management among others.

The current student population stands at 30 with 10 lecturers who are sourced from Masinde Muliro University of Sci-ence and Technology.

Barasa said there were plans to rent a building in Busia town to cope with the growing demand.

The Centre faces serious financial con-straints as the KSh25 Teachers Resource Levy is inadequate to cater for mainte-nance.

Barasa appealed to those in charge of sec-ondary schools to remit the levy promptly as it is meant to assist in the management of the Centre, adding plans are underway to introduce a Masters programme in Project Planning and Management.

“Stakeholders in the education sector, including the area Constituency Develop-ment Fund committees in the three dis-tricts should support the Centre,” urged Barasa.

“It also provides a social base for developing links

between teachers and other sections of the

community including parents, leaders and

professionals.”


Continued from page 1

possible other people might have been here earlier than them,” he says.

The Kachieng’ clan, who have now been reduced to a location in Riana Division, Ndhiwa Constituency are famous in Luo folklore in relation to their numbers then.

Stories are told of how after they occu-pied large parts of South Nyanza and built the stone walls of Thim Lich Ohinga, new Luo clans arriving from Imbo or the Siaya area and crossing to settle in the area they occupied plotted, using magic, to reduce their numbers.

bewitched to die“Nohon negi tho nindo mondo oneg gi

(they were bewitched to die from sleep-ing sickness),” says Mzee Petro Otieno of Nyatike.

The new arrivals, Otieno claims, used powerful magic to introduce sleeping sick-ness on Jokachieng’ to reduce their number, seen as intimidating to other clans.

However, some people say they just bore the brunt of the sleeping sickness then rampant in the area along the banks of River Sari, Kuna and Bung Manure area in Ndhiwa District, which was part of the wild animal migratory corridor from the Mara Game Reserve to Lambwe National Park where tsetse flies have remained a menace.

A former Migori County Council civic leader, Mr John Odhiambo Mango concurs

with Mzee Ojwang’. “Most of the people now living around Thim Lich and God Kwach in Nyatike were from Kanyamwa and Seme. This place had wild animals and it was mys-terious. For a long time few people wanted to move close to the site,” he says.

“We are told Jokachieng’ built the stone fortress to hide from Maasai attacks. Other Luo clans such as Kadem and Karungu, who came later still used the fortress to hide during attacks,” says Mango.

For a long time, this historical site was managed by the South Nyanza County council and later Migori County Council before the National Museums of Kenya took over its management and gazetted it as a historical site.

Thim Lich Ohinga (loosely translating as “the terrifying jungle of a stone fortress) is held in awe by the local people.

It is next to the equally breathtaking Gogo Falls which has a hydro-electric power plant built by the colonial govern-ment in the 1930s to serve the nearby Ma-clader Gold Mines.

The largely unspoilt vegetation pro-vides a rich source of herbal medicine for the local people and fire wood from the

where the men are believed to have played ajua (board) games, grinding stones and places where women would prepare meals are still intact.

Monkeys jump over the stone wall and disappear into the surrounding vegetation as antelopes graze in the open sections but alert to any possible danger.

The curator leads visitors from one section to another, the picnic section. The official explains that during the pic-nics, the ancient people mostly played games such as ajua, wrestling among other sport.

A section not far away appears to have been a busy industrial site. Here, unused ores lie but now heavily rusted.

Nyagweth explains that welding and hunting were the main economic activities of the residents of the fort. Among the in-struments they made were jembes, pangas and arrows among other metallic instru-ments.

In the year 2002, Thim Lich Ohinga was listed among the 48 most endangered sites in the world.

Nyagweth attributes this to the fact that the place had been ignored for a long time by the County Councils and the central government before it was taken over by the National Museums of Kenya.

intrigued expertsAt one of the two exits available, which

are even smaller than the entrance, there are some writings which have intrigued experts.

“There are four forts in here,” explains Nyagweth. The four homes, known as Kochieng, Kakuku, Kokech and Koluoch combine to make the Thim Lich Ohinga.

Another small stone fortress, about three kilometres away at Nyora next to Ndiwa Market has unfortunately been dismantled by villagers and the stones used for construction of schools and churches.

Research goes on at Thim Lich and it is not uncommon to find a freshly excavated site. During our visit, we came across one such site.

“At this excavation site, researchers found a number of things as recently as 2007. Among them were fish bones and three stones which were arranged in a way suggesting that they were used for cook-ing,” explains the Museums’ official.

The traditional Luo huts in the fortress offer perfect study and glimpse into what a typical Luo homestead looked like.

Local leaders are beginning to see the importance of this historical site. The area MP Edick Anyanga appeals to the govern-ment to fix the dilapidated road network in the constituency to enable both local and foreign tourists to access to the site.

The onus is on the MP and other leaders to also do more with the devolved resourc-es to improve not only the physical infra-structure but to also build other facilities including hotels for the increasing number of visitors to the site.

From the top of the hills at the site and the nearby Macalder hills, one can see Lake Victoria waters and the famous Migingo Island which has been the bone of conten-tion between Kenya and Uganda.

acacia trees which spread to the Kadem plains. It has a rich flora and fauna which supports a number of birds, animals, rep-tile and insects.

It is gratifying that despite the increas-ing trend of environmental degradation, the local people have not interfered with the site. Perhaps it has survived because they hold it as a sacred site.

Its placement under the National Muse-ums of Kenya has only enhanced its con-servation for future generations.

Apart from tourists, local people, in-cluding school parties, have started visiting regularly, promoting local tourism.

The site, however, suffers very poor ac-cess roads from both Migori and Homa Bay. From Migori, one goes through Ma-sara and Macalder Mines on a rough road.

Visitors from Homa Bay either ap-proach it from Miranga on the Rodi Kopany Sori road or go to Sori Karungu township before turning eastwards to ac-cess it.

The fortress offers more once you get inside.

A place believed to have been a cattle pen is visible and is clearly marked. Stones

It is gratifying that despite the increasing trend of environmental degradation, the local people have not

interfered with the site. Perhaps it has survived because they hold it as a sacred site.

Skillful design makes traditional fortress a world site

A traditional Luo homestead as was built by the can that lived at Thim Lich Ohinga. Picture: Oloo Janak


Group tackles Mungiki menace

through job creation By david kiariE

Jobless youths in Embu and Kirinyaga districts who have been a target for the Mungiki may have just gotten salvation from a Christian organisation committed to providing them with employment.

The Christian Community Services (CCS) of the Anglican Church of Kenya has established an employment bureau for the unemployed youth under the “Support Our Youth to Work” programme estab-lished last June.

The programme, driven by the alarming increase of extortion and other criminal act by youths of the banned Mungiki sect in the two districts, was mooted after con-sultations within the ACK.

The CCS Executive Director Mt Kenya East, Rev Ben Kanina, said they have reg-istered about 1,000 youth from Kirinyaga and 100 of them are already engaged in carpentry, masonry and tree planting ac-tivities.

He said such social problems are as a re-sult of unemployment and could easily be addressed by engaging the idle youth.

“As a church, we thought it is good to help in addressing the problem which is brought about by idleness and lack of money. That is why we started mobilising the youth,” explained Kanina.

Job opportunitiesPersons aged between 18 and 35 who

have no jobs are registered and then re-grouped depending on the various skills and talents they possess. They are then trained to acquaint themselves with their new occupations before being provided with equipment.

Those who have been appointed lead-ers have also undergone training to help in leading their respective groups.

“We are in the process of sourcing for funds to buy tools of trade and we have the public support since they too want to address the problem of unemployment among the youth,” explained Kanina.

The skilled youth will be engaged in dress making, masonry, carpentry, talent shows and other skilled labour, while their unskilled colleagues will do manual work, including cleaning, sweeping and collect-ing garbage.

“We shall source for tenders and orders for the youth, and their work will be to sup-ply goods or offer services,” he said, adding that already a number of local authorities have been approached and have agreed to offer the youths jobs in urban centres.

“The general culture of our people is de-pendency, and we want to promote the cul-ture of giving in order to solve social and economic problems,” Kanina said.

He urged the public to support the ef-fort by contributing funds for purchase of necessary equipment.

The CCS workers have, in the meantime, committed part of their monthly salaries to support the project that has so far received KSh70,000 from the Gema Cultural group.

The CCS also plans to engage the youth in wind and solar electric power genera-tion as well as food processing.

Poisonous snakes claim many lives By musEmbi nzEnGu

Snakes have been wreaking havoc in the larger Mwingi District and many people have been bitten.

Thirteen people out of 61 bitten by snakes in the greater Mwingi District last year died, a report by a local NGO has re-vealed. The report based on a study of snake bites over the past 20 years — be-tween 1990 and 2009 — carried by the local Visionary Advocacy for Desperate Cases (VADECA), a local NGO, also in-dicates that during the period in review, a total 256 people suffered snakes bites.

Unveiling the report to the media in Mwingi recently, VADECA coordinator Mr Peter Musyoka said a total 85 people died of snake bites during the period of study. He noted that the area covered in the study includes the larger Mwingi and Kyuso districts along with the newly cre-ated districts of Mwingi East and West, Tseikuru and Mumoni.

The study reveals that most people died due to lack of transport to medi-cal facilities, late arrivals to hospitals or medical staff lethargy.

Musyoka said majority of the victims who were mainly attacked by the black

necked cobra, puff-adder and African Mamba species, included a trained P1 teacher and a four month old child.

The report also states that due to lack of immediate medical attention, a number of snake-bite victims were left with permanent deformities while others had their limbs amputated.

The VADECA boss noted that since at-tacks by snakes have devastating effects on communities by both killing people and in-stilling fear, the organisation was sourcing for funds to educate local residents on how to avoid attacks or deal with cases of snake bites to minimise fatalities.

He said: “Our organisation wants to sensitise the community and train them on how they can offer first aid or treat a snake bite victim at village level.”

The Mwingi District Hospital Medical Superintendent, Dr Daisy Ruto admitted to not having reliable information on the number of snake bites during the period un-der review but says all cases referred to the hospital were attended to promptly.

“We have enough stocks of anti-snake venom drugs in our hospital and all vic-tims who manage to get to the hospital alive have been attended to,” Ruto af-firmed. She said in most cases their lives are saved.

However, she pointed out that due to lack of refrigeration facilities in most ru-ral dispensaries, the snake bite antidotes are only available at the district hospitals, and all victims should, therefore, be re-ferred to the hospital after being attacked.

For the actual official data on the number of people who could have been attacked by snakes, Ruto referred the Re-ject to the District Public Health Officer, Mr J. Munyoki, who said he did not have the data ready.

“If you give me some time, I will be able to confirm whether or not the in-formation being peddled by VADECA is true or not. I need time to consult with the staff in the field before I can give anything authoritative,” said Munyoki.

By bEn OrOkO

A series of campaigns to rid schools and homes of jiggers recently kicked off in Nyaura, Gekomu and Nyamage within the Kisii Municipality following confir-mation that jiggers had infested parts of Kisii Central District.

The menace has forced many children in the area to abandon school leading to low enrolment of pupils at Kianyabinge Primary School, Mosocho Division.

According to Mr Joshua Moseti, the school’s headteacher, over 50 pupils in-fested with the parasites in the school have been sprayed and treated with chemicals.

The campaign was conducted by social workers from Japan International Co-op-eration Agency (JICA) to scale down the number of jigger-infested children who drop out of school.

JICA has intensified the anti-jiggers campaign in the school to address the ris-ing cases of pupils dropping out of school due to stigmatisation from their peers and local communities.

Moseti expressed concern that if not controlled, the menace which has affected children from pre-primary to Standard Eight would ruin the future of the infect-ed children.

The headteacher regretted that the school’s motto: Hard Work Pays, was be-ing undermined by the jiggers as the af-fected children hardly concentrate on their lessons in line with the dictum.

He expressed fears that the infestation threatened to lower the school’s improved

Jigger infestation driving children out of school

mean score grade of 218 as in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examination results. The results were an improvement up from 200 points achieved after angry parents had ejected teachers and closed the school.

Moseti attributed the jigger infesta-tion to abject poverty ravaging homes in the area, subjecting the children to unhy-gienic conditions and lack of cemented classroom floors.

To fight the jigger menace, the headteacher appealed to the government and non-government organisations to in-tervene through various channels to save the children from the menace.

He said the school has currently teamed up with some NGOs to visit the children at their homes, spray chemicals and edu-cate parents on the need to protect the

earthen floors, which he said more often than not, provided a conducive breeding ground.

Ms Risa Manaka, a community devel-opment officer with JICA, who attended to the children, said the organisation worked closely with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to control further spread of the jiggers.

The school committee chairman, Mr Fidelis Ongiri said plans were in place to approach area Constituency Devel-opment Fund management committee for financial assistance to help complete six classrooms under construction. This would reduce the spread of the jiggers.

Kisii Central District Public Health Officer Francis Makau said surveys were being conducted to identify and spray the four affected schools in the division.

Majority of the victims who were mainly attacked by the

black necked cobra, puff-adder and African Mamba species, included a trained

P1 teacher and a four month old child.

A health worker removes jiggers from pupils’ feet at Kianyabinge Primary School, Mosocho Division. Picture: Ben Oroko


Dig pit-latrines or face arrest,

warns DC By bOniFacE mulu

Hygiene remains a challenge as cer-tain communities live without toilets. To ensure that hygienic standard are maintained, chiefs in Mutitu District have been directed to ensure that every homestead in the district has a pit-latrine to ensure hygiene.

The area District Commissioner, Mr James Kamau, has warned people who fail to heed the directive with arrest and prosecution.

The DC’s warning came following an outbreak of cholera and dysentery among other water-borne diseases that have been ravaging several parts of the country.

He advised the locals to maintain general hygiene beginning with thor-ough washing of hands before eating and that they should also be drinking boiled water.

The absence of pit latrines in vast regions of the country has left millions of Kenyans in the affected areas as tar-gets for cholera and other water-borne epidemics.

The issue came to the limelight when the DC addressed area residents at the Sombe Sports Grounds.

Teachers asked to nominate beneficiaries

Disabled Fund to build extra rental property

Rice blast devastating harvests in Mwea

He further advised farmers to use only DAP fertiliser and that they should not mix it with any other fertiliser that contains nitrogen. He said potassium and phos-phate should be introduced to the rice for strength and protection against infection.

reduced yieldRice blast is one of the most destruc-

tive diseases that afflicts rice worldwide. It is caused by a fungus that can attack the aerial parts of the rice plant at any stage of growth. The disease is characterised by the appearance of lesions on the leaves, nodes, and panicles.

By rEJEct rEpOrtEr

Rice farmers in Mwea are staring at dev-astation as the blast reins terror on their fields. A re-occurrence of the rice blast in the region is sending shivers down the local farmers’ spine as they cannot dare think of its impact.

Those who are not patient have already uprooted their crop. A farmer in the region blames his colleagues for ignoring advice from the Ministry of Agriculture officials by failing to use herbicides, especially gol-dazim and topsin in combating the spread of rice blast.

The blast was detected early this month, unlike last year when it broke out in Feb-ruary and March. Mwea Irrigation Agri-cultural Development Centre Principal Research Officer, Mr Raphael Wanjogu, said the popular pishori rice was the most affected, pointing out that it was more susceptible to blast than other strains.

He noted the rice blast has afflicted the crop for the past three years, adding that the farmers’ failure to heed to advice on how to eliminate the outbreak and their refusal to abandon archaic farming prac-tices had not helped matters.

The researcher discouraged the sale of rice straw as fodder for cows, saying it should instead be spread in the plantations to enable its nitrogenous elements protect rice plants from blast.

a node is infected all parts above the in-fected part may die. When this occurs, yield losses may be large because few seeds in the panicle develop. Preven-tive measures include use of disease-free seeds, resistant cultivars, proper plant spacing, transplanting, applications of nitrogenous fertilizer, use of compost, avoidance of farm activities when plants are wet, burning of diseased straw and stubble, among others.

Mr George Chomba, a farmer from the region, partly attributed the outbreak to climate change, noting that an acre yielded less than five bags in the last season. Nor-mally, an acre would yield 25 bags of rice. He asked his colleagues to take greater care of their farms.

His views are supported by Mr Moses Kareithi, a farmer and an official of Mwea Water Resource who blamed the poor harvests and the blast on global climate change which led to withering and drying up of rice leaves.

Kirinyaga West District Commissioner, Ms Klula Hache suggested that farmers who cannot afford herbicides should liaise with the Mwea Irrigation Agricultural De-velopment Centre for assistance and ad-vice.

She said the herbicide goes for KSh600 and KSh200 for labour. The latter can, however, be avoided if farmers opt to per-sonally apply the herbicide.

On the leaves, lesions are typically spin-dle-shaped, wide in the centre and pointed toward either end. Large lesions usually de-velop a greyish centre, with a brown margin on older lesions. Under conducive condi-tions, lesions on the leaves of susceptible lines expand rapidly and tend to coalesce, leading to complete drying of infected leaves.

Resistant plants may develop minute brown specks, indicative of a hypersen-sitive reaction. Besides attacking the leaves, the fungus may also attack the stem at the nodes, causing neck rot, or at the panicle, causing panicle blast. When

By david kiariE

Over 30 institutions of persons with dis-abilities from Eastern Province have re-ceived grants of over KSh2.8 million to fund various projects.

The grants have been given by the Na-tional Fund for the Disabled of Kenya and will be used in among other things, reha-bilitation or construction of classrooms and workshops, buying learning materials and working tools.

The beneficiaries of the grants include disabled persons, self-help groups, chil-dren’s homes and schools.

The grant has also benefited individuals who got carpentry tool kits, sewing ma-

chines and mobility aid tools like wheel-chairs and crutches worth KSh102,000.

Speaking after issuing cheques to ben-eficiaries at the Eastern Provincial head-quarters in Embu, Vice-Chairman Na-tional Fund for the Disabled of Kenya, Mr Peter Nyakiamo, hailed the government for setting aside KSh100 million to boost the institution in the next financial year. Nyakiamo said the money will boost the or-ganisation’s KSh40 million earned annually through renting of its two buildings — Re-hema and New Rehema — both in Nairobi.

He said they are planning to build repli-cas of the Rehema buildings in other prov-inces to help them raise more money. Since its establishment in 1980, the organisation

has disbursed KSh256 million.A trustee of the fund, Mr Mike Kisilwi,

invited groups of persons with disabilities and individuals to apply for the funds to enable them start or expand income gen-erating projects.

The funds application forms are avail-able at the various provincial administra-tion offices.

Eastern Provincial Commissioner, Ms Claire Omollo, called on parents of children with disabilities to enrol them in schools to help them acquire the necessary education.

Omollo said this would help them gain a competitive edge in the job market and get them to become economically inde-pendent.

By aGGrEY buchunJu

MEMBERS of the Kakamega Teachers’ Savings and Credit Co-operative Society (KATECCO) who are reluctant to identify their preferred nominees may in future be denied loans by the society.

Speaking to the press in Kakamega re-cently, the Society chairman, Mr Tom In-golo, said the Sacco will soon amend its by-laws to make it mandatory for mem-bers to have nominees indicated in their files.

“Let me state here that this is going to be one of the conditions to be met by a mem-ber before he/she is granted a loan,” reiter-ated Ingolo.

He said the Society was forced to take drastic measures because it was finding it had to pay benefits especially when a mem-ber who has a chain of beneficiaries dies be-fore indicating who should be paid his/her dues.

“Failure to nominate beneficiaries not only delays payment of the deceased per-son’s dues but also leads to some legal tussles

among family members,” observed Ingolo. He claimed that the proposed amend-

ment to the society by-laws would minimise delays in releasing the member’s benefits as there would be no tussle over who should be paid.

He appealed to the Sacco members to support the proposed new rule as it was for their own benefit and that of their kin.

He also reminded the members that the Sacco will not release benefits to their si-lently preferred beneficiaries if they are not nominated officially.

An agricultural officer spraying herbicides in the rice fields in Mwea after the crop was attacked by the blast. Picture: Reject Photographer


Disabled by crazed ex-boyfriendBy Eliud waithaka

An old African saying goes that one can-not outrun disability. This can be testi-fied by Tabitha Nyambura Mwangi, 27, who almost five years ago on March 9, 2005, found herself suffering from sec-ondary disability after being attacked by her former boyfriend and father of her daughter.

As we mark international Women’s Day on March 8, Nyambura can only look at this day with painful memories. The five years have failed to heal her pain as she suffered life threatening violence that left her with everlasting wounds.

It all began one morning when Nyam-bura’s husband visited her place of work, the office of the Nanyuki town Mayor, Councillor James Wamae Murathimi, where she worked as an office messenger.

“On the fateful day, I woke up as usual and performed household chores before waking up my daughter, who was then four years old to prepare her for kinder-garten,” recalls Nyambura.

After performing her household chore, Nyambura set out for work accompanied by her daughter who attended school op-posite her place of work. The journey took them about 25 minutes and by 7:30 am she had taken Chiru to school.

Immediately after reporting to work, Nyambura checked on her colleague and friend, Agnes Nyambura who worked in the town clerk’s office.

After a brief chat she got down to her cleaning chores.

Former boyfriend“As always I looked forward to having

a fulfilling day. On reaching the mayor parlour, I found my colleague and former boyfriend Charles Njoroge Thece at the door of the Mayor’s office,” she recalls, adding that they had co-habited for two years before separating.

“Thece said he wanted us to discuss something but since I was late I told him to arrange for some other time preferably after work when we could talk freely with-out constraints.”

She then proceeded to open the mayor’s office as Thece moved away. She joined another colleague, a Mr Gicheru, to clean window panes in the mayor’s parlour. Given her short stature, Nyambura had to use a chair to reach the upper window panes.

“As I held myself firmly on the window grills with my left hand and cleaned with the right, I heard the office being opened,” she remembers. “Assuming it was the may-or’s bodyguard, I continued doing my work unaware that I was about to be attacked. “The next thing I felt was a sharp pain on my back. Someone was attacking me. I turned immediately, but without falling off the chair I was standing on.

“My eyes met Thece’s furious face as he wielded a long panga. I climbed down the chair and attempted to run away as he slashed me demanding to know of his daughter’s whereabouts, and screaming that he would kill me.”

room tried to think of how he could help Nyambura without himself being harmed.

“I remember seeing her trying to enter the parlour but was scared off by Thece’s panga. However, I raised a distress call with the hope that it would attract anybody within the vicinity of the Town Hall.”

It was at this time that the panga slipped off Thece’s hand and as he went for it on the floor, Nyambura in her pain managed to jump over the mayor’s table and run out the office towards the main door as she continued screaming.

The commotion attracted another col-league, Mr Lazaro Maina, who intercepted the crazed man and snatched the blood-ied weapon from him with help from the other workers.

Luckily for Nyambura, as she was run-ning away she met another colleague, Mr Daniel Gichohi, who worked in the Water Department. He held her as the mayor’s driver, Mr George Gitonga, was just driv-ing into the compound.

Gichohi immediately carried me into the vehicle and I was rushed to the Nanyu-ki Cottage Hospital, where I was admitted.

Despite the damage inflicted on her, Nyambura was still conscious and could comprehend everything that was hap-pening. On arriving at the hospital, it was realised that her severed palm had been left at the mayor’s parlour. The driver then rushed back to the office to pick it.

amputated hand“Sadly, doctors said that the palm could

not be reattached since the nerves had died. I was taken to theatre where I was attended to for eight hours. They stitched my head, shoulder and the amputated hand.”

Nyambura stayed at the hospital for seven days before being discharged. As she recuperated at the hospital, her as-sailant who had been taken into custody on the day of attack was detained at the Nanyuki Government Prison. He was lat-er to be charged with attempted murder and was sentenced to a 15 year-jail term by Senior Resident Magistrate, Ms Regina Muriuki.

“I believe it was God who saved me since nobody could have stopped him from killing me,” says Nyambura as she recalls the countless nightmares she has experienced since the attack. “I believe my colleagues were sent by God and given the powers to disarm my assailant whom they all knew as a former boyfriend, and a person they did not expect to harm me.”

Ever since the incident Nyambura, who is still an employee of the council has been able to do some chores while others she has asked to be assisted.

She has also employed a househelp who assists in domestic chores.

Although the daughter might not un-derstand what happened to her mother’s hand, Nyambura says she will tell her about it when the girl is old enough, may be when she is 18 years old and can un-derstand.

With blood gushing from her left hand side, Nyambura managed to escape cer-tain death by swiftly running around the expansive mayor’s parlour.

“Suddenly, the toilet door flung open and Gicheru made as if to enter the room but on spotting Thece holding a panga, and my blood soaked body he quickly pulled the toilet door shut and locked himself inside.”

She tried to escape to the main door

but he hit her on the head with a stool and she fell down. The crazed Thece immedi-ately lowered the weapon and slashed off her left palm. She lay helpless on the floor as the man seemed to be agonising on what to do next.

He was not done with her yet. He then proceeded to slash her head, further bloodying the floor and furniture includ-ing the mayor’s chair.

Gicheru who was locked in the other

Tabitha Nyambura whose hand was cut off after the grisly attack by a former boyfriend. The man was jailed after the attack. Picture: Eliud Waithaka

It was at this time that the panga slipped off Thece’s hand and as he went for it on the floor, Nyambura

in her pain managed to jump over the mayor’s table and run out the office towards the main door

as she continued screaming.


Widow defies traditionWoman fighting retrogressive culture loses home

By GilbErt OchiEnG’

It’s a story that sadly plays out with alarming monotony in all communities that practise wife inheritance. However, this a case that depicts the sad situation many women have had to endure of being stigmatised and dis-inherited by primitive, uncaring and greedy relatives who prey on widows.

The story of Beatrice Adhiambo is a tale of an unending battle against retro-gressive traditions that range from wife inheritance to disinheritance, destitution and ostracism.

The 39 year old mother of three from Nyamwanga Village, Butula District in Western Province, recalls the good old days when she enjoyed the security of a loving husband who provided for her ba-sic needs.

tragic deathThis was to tragically change in 2003

when her husband, a former employee of the defunct ‘82 Air Force succumbed to illness.

Narrating her heart rendering ordeal to The Reject at her rental house in Bumala Trading Centre in Busia District recently, Adhiambo confesses that her husband’s death was a big blow. “I wish death was a human being. I would have bribed it to bring back to life the father of my children,” she says.

At the time of her husband’s death, the family land had not been sub-divided by her father-in-law according to custom. However, the old man had pointed out to her husband his piece of land that was yet to be divided.

“I used to cultivate a different section of the family land close to my hut, pend-ing the expiry of an agreement that my father-in-law had earlier entered into with a senior chief from the area in 1995. The chief was to cultivate sugarcane on my late husband’s portion of land,” she says.

The agreement was set to expire in 2000. When the father-in-law realised that her

husband’s condition had seriously dete-riorated, he moved with speed and secretly sold off the portion of land to the chief.

land sold off“When my husband finally died, my

father-in-law told me that he had actu-ally sold off his son’s portion of land to the chief,” she says.

He then directed that she either gets inherited or quits his home immediately. And to press the point home, he immedi-ately sent a man to her house that evening.

Adhiambo was, however, not ready to be inherited. She decided to stand her ground, and with the support of her stone-throwing son, chased away the man.

“They did not stop there. They brought him again and again but I managed to outwit him,” she says, adding that she gathered courage and questioned her

The efforts initially won her three acres after but her celebration was, however, short lived.

“In 2007, half of the three-acre por-tion of land was secretly sold off by my father-in-law, leaving me with only half the land. I was not in a position to en-gage a land surveyor who could confirm for me the size of my children’s land,” she says.

When Adhiambo reported the matter to the area chief, he told her to be satisfied with what she had been given.

Her resolve to fight could not go on as all forces were against her. In the end she decided to move out of the home to enable her have peace of mind.

Adhiambo decided to look for a job and is currently employed at the Mercy Children’s Orphanage Centre as an Early Childhood Development teacher.

“I earn KSh2,500 per month which I feel is adequate to pay rent, school fees, buy food and healthcare,” she says.

However, she is praying that a volunteer will come up and help her have the land surveyed and fenced off to bar any intrud-ers from interfering with it. She would also like to have a title deed drawn in her chil-dren’s name.

Fortunately for all women, the dis-crimination and oppression is set to be a thing of the past, thanks to ongoing legal and constitutional reforms that aim at le-galising property and land inheritance.

father-in-law over why he had decided to treat her so badly.

The old man instead rudely retorted; “Do you want me to have an affair with you to fulfil the cultural rites of my dead son?”

It did not take long before he ordered her out of the home but she remained steadfast because that is where she could stay with her children. Everybody includ-ing the village elders turned against her, arguing she had to be inherited as is de-manded by the Luhya culture.

“I pleaded with my father-in-law to show me where I would build my new home now that members of my church had agreed to assist me, but he declined, saying I would only do so over his dead body.”

However, he reiterated that he would only relent his decision if she accepted to be inherited.Adhiambo then knew life was not going to be easy for her in that home. One afternoon she was surprised to find all paths leading to her home had been

fenced off, apparently to bar her from ac-cessing her hut.

“I knew it was my father-in-law be-hind the inhuman act aimed at punish-ing me over my refusal to be inherited.”

This action did not break her spirit. “I had no alternative but to pass through a barbed wire mesh to reach my hut,” she says.

That was not the end of her troubles. When she finally managed to reach the hut, she found that the door and windows on her house had been destroyed. She went to her father-in-law in tears but he ignored her.

“In an effort to ensure my children re-ceived all that belonged to them, I visited a number of officers that I thought could assist including the Busia District Com-missioner and Busia Children’s Officer,” she says. The children’s officer summoned her father-in-law on several occasions and ordered that he allocates part of the land to her children.

Beatrice Adhiambo at Mercy School in Bumala where she works as a teacher. Picture: Gilbert Ochieng

It did not take long before he ordered her out of the home but she remained steadfast because that is

where she could stay with her children. Everybody including the village elders turned against her,

arguing she had to be inherited as is demanded by the Luhya culture.


Executive Director: Rosemary Okello-Orlale Programme Coordinator: Wilson Ugangu Programme Assistant: Mercy Mumo Project Editor: Jane Godia Project Designer: Noel Lumbama Copy Editor: Frank Ojiambo Contibutors: Oloo Janak, Odhiambo Odhiambo, Joseph Mukubwa, Musembi Nzengu,

Boniface Mulu, Ben Oroko, David Kiarie, Aggrey Buchunju, Eliud Waithaka, Gilbert Ochieng’ and Joseph Mukubwa

www.mediadiversityafrica.org

Write to: [email protected]

The paper is produced with funds from Ford Foundation

By JOsEph mukubwa

Jane Maina enthusiastically goes about her chores of dairy farming. All her worries have been taken away. She is now able to access farmers’ credit at a low interest rate and from a facility that has been brought right to her doorstep.

“We used to travel 25 kilometres to Ny-eri town for loans. The journey was long, tiresome and time wasting,” says Maina, a farmer from Magutu.

Maina is not alone in her excitement. She is among many other farmers who are enthusiastic with the entry of the Ag-ricultural Finance Corporation (AFC) into the Mathira East and Mathira West dis-tricts. The finance corporation has brought smiles to small-scale farmers in the region and it is hoped agricultural production will also improve.

Like Maina, many farmers are now ven-turing into the dairy, horticulture, tea and coffee improvement as a result of loans from the AFC. Currently 70 percent of the region’s farming community has benefitted from the facility. The farmers have been going for the loans either as individuals or in groups.

“Farmers have been coming for loans amounting to millions of shillings every month. There are many farmers who have taken loans amounting to KSh1 million each,” explains Ms Irene Munyiri, Kara-tina AFC branch manager.

She says: “They have realised the ben-efits of AFC and the low interest rates charged are also attractive. They now have all reasons to expand whatever they are doing.”

Flexible repaymentMostly farmers visit the AFC offices

on market days, especially Thursdays and Mondays when Karatina market, which is one of the largest in East Africa, is open.

“The presence of the AFC at our door-step will benefit us greatly. I do not have to struggle repaying the loan since it is near me and I don’t have to worry about trans-port,” says Maina.

Dairy farmers have particularly benefit-ted from the loans, with milk now fetch-ing between KSh25 to KSh30 per litre, the highest price levels ever. The farmers have mostly invested in zero grazing since the project requires less land. They have also constructed cowsheds and water tanks, and as a consequence doubled the number of animals.

“My loan was for planting napier grass for my cows. This is because the fodder be-comes very expensive particularly during the dry season,” says Ndung’u Macharia, a 58-year old small-scale dairy farmer from Kiamabara. He adds: “I want to have more feeds for my animals especially during the dry season.”

The AFC manager expresses satisfac-tion at the prompt loan repayment. “We have served more than 300 farmers since we shifted from Nyeri to Karatina,” she says, adding that most loans are repaid over a two to three year period.

The AFC is also offering loans for agri-business, including agro-vet and purchase of produce by traders. The lowest loans are limited to KSh50,000 with the highest scal-ing the KSh1 million mark.

The government says it was necessary they opened the branch saying it is crucial for developing rural areas which have been shunned by many financial institutions.

Karatina is home to approximately 35,000 farm houses covering vast areas that border the larger Mathira and Muku-rwe-ini districts. The area is recognised for its high horticulture, cereals and live-stock potential. Dairy and horticultural farming have given rise to agri-business which in turn has created employment for many people in the region.

The Karatina branch has brought the AFC network to 37 service points spread across the country. The service includes the recently launched micro-credit products — Stawisha and Vuna accounts — that are in line with the current Strategic 2008-2010 Plan, whose theme is “Reposition AFC for Accelerated Growth”.

The plan reflects AFC’s aspiration that include to rapidly expand business through implementation of projects related to prod-uct development and repositioning, more focused marketing, computerisation and automation of operations and re-engineer-ing of business processes and procedures.

In launching the office last June, Agricul-ture Minister Mr William Ruto said: “This is a move in the right direction because ag-riculture is rural-based and AFC as an agri-cultural bank must also be rural-based.”

competitionThe Corporation has over 44 years ex-

perience and has continued to play a ma-jor role in supporting farmers’ activities in the country.

For a long time this has been its exclu-sive role, particularly because many finan-cial institutions did not see an attractive risk-return ratio and, therefore, shield away from rural areas and agricultural lending.

In Central Province, the AFC through its seven branches by June 2009 had dis-bursed KSh1.2 billion out of the KSh4 bil-lion advanced since year 2003.

“I believe that through the increased computerisation and automation, AFC will be able to offer on-line real time front

office services that are more competitive in the financial market,” said Ruto.

Indeed, commercial banks and micro-credit institutions have proven expensive and most of their financial products are not tailor-made to meet the needs of the small-scale farmers.

Perhaps the ongoing Development Fi-nance Institutions reform initiatives, tar-geted to transform the corporation into an agricultural bank would be the most feasible and ideal solution to Kenya’s agri-cultural funding challenges. AFC is oper-ating in the same financial market target-ed by over 40 banks and several financial institutions that are offering a wide range of products and services.

It has also put in place strategies to ex-pand its outreach by developing products that are market oriented targeting rural areas.

“Given this competitive pressure from these players in the financial sector, the corporation has been forced to rethink its business strategies,” says Mr Lawrence Bokoro, acting Managing Director.

He explains: “We have redefined our strategic direction and plan to introduce products and services that will take ad-vantage of the competitive dimensions of low cost and high quality.”

Bokoro adds: “The Corporation will work to improve its operational capabili-ties which will include capacity develop-ment as a critical platform of delivering its products and services.”

The Corporation will work on its system-based capabilities with such competitive advantages as short turn-a-round-time, (to be achieved through ICT applications) and a broad range of products and services.

This will also involve repackaging and repositioning the existing products to create new demand and broaden the cus-tomer base.

The structure of Kenya’s population shows that 80 per cent of the population is rural-based, deriving their livelihood mainly from agriculture.

The rural finance market has shown considerable demand for credit and oth-er financial services. Savings and credit cooperative societies as well as micro-fi-nance institutions and building societies are increasingly targeting this expanding rural market.

The AFC board chairman, Mr Patrick Kinyori says the Corporation has main-tained a comparatively low tariff structure as a means of facilitating access to credit as a fundamental engine for economic growth.

“AFC still remains highly under-cap-italised. Although the loan portfolio has grown to about KSh4 billion this year, from KSh2 billion in 2003, we have not been able to meet the demand for loans which now stands at KSh15 billion,” ex-plains Kinyori.

Credit facilities at farmers doorstep

Agriculture minister William Ruto (left)is joined by Mathira MP Ephraim Maina (second left) during a cake cutting session to mark the official opening of the

Agricultural Finanace Corporatoion offices in Karatina.

The rural finance market has shown considerable demand for credit and other financial services. Savings and credit

cooperative societies as well as micro-finance institutions and building societies are increasingly targeting this expanding

rural market.

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