HORTICULTURE

HORTICULTURE . JANE MUGAMBI 31st JULY 2012. Horticulture farmers from Kirinyaga County are set to benefit from a food processing factory that is set to be constructed in Kagio town at a cost of 200 million shillings. The factory is expected to boost the production of tomatoes in the region as well as create employment to thousands of farmers in the Mt. Kenya region. Speaking at Kagio during a tour of the site yesterday, industrialization permanent secretary Dr. Karanja Kibicho said that area residents will benefit as the prices of their produce are set to improve after value addition of their products in the factory. The Ps added that the town council of Sagana/Kagio has already provided the land where the factory will be constructed. According to the ministry of agriculture, farmers in Kirinyaga County raked in a total of sh 13 billion from horticulture production between 2009 and 2011. This marked a two percent contribution to the total national horticultural production within the same period. According to a validated report availed to The people by Kirinyaga Central District Crops Officer Julius Komunga, the county also recorded the highest output in French beans production for three years countrywide. French beans production rose from 24,540 in 2009 to 27,325 metric tonnes in 2011 translating to 66.6 percent towards the country’s total production fetching farmers sh 3.099 billion. Komunga added that the Ministry of Agriculture has been sensitizing horticulture farmers on the importance to access market information in order to sell their produce in line with prevailing prices. He noted that under the now defunct National Agriculture and Livestock Programme (NALEP), hundreds of farmers have formed various common interest groups that will help advance on best crop husbandry practices. “Under NALEP we managed to train farmers on best farm practices based on selected crops such as tissue culture bananas and grafted mangoes. This has in turn assisted them in identifying a common market where they can reap maximum benefits from their produce,” said the crops officer. Komunga said that the ministry has also been conducting routine disease and pest surveillance within the County and forwarding any complaints from farmers to the Kenya Agriculture Research Institute (KARI) for necessary action. He said such information will help farmers make informed decisions early in time and cushion them against any unforeseen loss in case of a disease outbreak. Meanwhile, the ministry of Agriculture is set to launch a website which will aid farmers identify potential clients and markets for their produce The center to be known as the Farmers Information Center (FIS) will contain data entries for all producers, consumers and buyers will also cushion farmers against rogue brokers as it will link them directly to available marketing outlets. “The FIS will not only link farmers with their counterparts in other parts of the country but also enable them sell their produce in line with the prevailing prices. It will also help one identify the actual location of the producers as it will employ the use of the Geographical Information System (GIS),”added Komunga. Ends…… 0723321326

UPGRADING OF KIRINYAGA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE

UPGRADING OF KIRINYAGA TECHNICAL INSTITUTE. Kirinyaga Technical Institute has been upgraded to a university college. The senior principal Peter Munyi said that the institution will be known as Kirinyaga University college from September. According to the chairperson of Kirinyaga University council Judith Bahemuka, the core mandate is to give quality education saying that the existing buildings that are under construction will be completed to enable students get place to learn. She commended the outgoing senior principal Munyi for the step he had taken of making sure that there is a spacious library which will be holding books worth 50Million shillings, twin mechanical workshop which will hold 360 students,12 classroom to hold 300 students each, dormitories have also been added so as to make it possible for students to get places. Bahemuka also said that the institute, will not scrap the existing certificate and diploma courses which have been offered for the past38 years, even if there was change in the running of the institution. She said that in September 250 students are expected to report to take courses in commerce, Information Technology, Mathematics, science as they try to find other courses that will favour other students. The former Kenyan ambassador to Burundi added that Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology which has taken over Kirinyaga Technical Institute will also continue with the research of how they can improve rice issues that have been affecting the rice for some years now. “We are very pleased to tell Kirinyaga people that as an institution that is well known for research, we are determined to make sure that rice issues are solved” she said. Dr. Salome Gichure from the ministry of higher learning said that the employees in the institution will be incorporated top work hand in hand with the lecturers who will be reporting in September before the government can thing about them after. Dr. Salome went on to say that the principal’s position will be competitively advertised per the education Act. She said that they are going to be ICT integration to enable the students fit in the competitive world after the 27million Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) tuition block is completed. JKUAT vice chancellor Mabel Imbuga said that Kirinyaga people should not see as if their institution has been stolen but know that they have come to mentor, educate their own children. Kirinyaga University is the sixth to be upgraded from a technical institution to universities after Muranga, Taita Taveta, Nyandarua, Karatina. Ends.. 0723321326

A RETIRED TEACHER TRANSFORMING EDUCATION SECTOR.

A RETIRED TEACHER TRANSFORMING EDUCATION SECTOR. CAROLINE WANGECHI. John Ndungo a retired lecturer and a teacher has come up with a new method of curbing cheating during the national examination. A former St.Agustin lecturer in Embu took the initiative and made a programming that he has used in several schools in Kirinyaga County as a test. He said that he was motivated when he saw the education ministry’s circular that made it clear that all teachers have to learn computers without specifying what they needed to equip themselves with but they all rushed to computer schools to fulfill the ministry’s mandate without consulting. Ndungo got a scholarship to study computer science at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT)where he got his degree. He says that after the four years at JKUAT he went back to his former school St.Agustin where he was given his position as the director of studies and with the position, he was able to put his computer skills into practice where a computer class was also started to make sure that whatever the training teacher planned in their lesson plan, it was converted into computer training habit. Ndungo went on to say that during his teaching times, he came up with formulae 2010 learning habits, synergic simulations in schools, simulations in computer method, simulations in synergic thinking, syllabus instructions to computer technology habits books that he says has taken him 13 years while doing a research on computer skills in primary and secondary schools in Kenya. “After teaching for years and saw that computer learning was being done unprofessionally, I came up with several guideline books that I have used in my teaching where it has turned up to be very right for the learners” he said. HE says that the ministry of Education is failing teachers in the country for not giving them the specific learning that they should undertake saying that telling a teacher to be computer literate is not enough as whatever they are going to learn will only be the packages which everybody else has done citing that the Permanent secretary needs to come with a system on how teachers are supposed to undertake computer technology seriously. With the failure of the Ministry of Education to establish a way of teaching teachers, he was able to put up several learning institutions that offer computer lessons saying that very many people from different disciplines have been able to benefit from his teaching establishing centers in Ishiara, Embu, and Kianyaga. He says that teaching is supposed to be beyond the chalk board learning habit and be converted to computer technology if at all the vision 2030 has to be reached where everybody is supposed to be literate. He said that computer learning through the programmes that he has invented will ensure that cheating in schools will be of the past as there is no written material all tools are in a computer. “I have been able to invent a programme that I have assessed students during the mock examinations with and have seen that if it is absorbed by the ministry of education where no printing of papers is done, then there will be no exam cheating” he said. HE says the new technology will integrate their work, skills where teachers will also be able to have cordial relationship with their pupils and students. HE says that several teachers who were training in his university have established their places in different schools after they got the training in computer skills urging other teachers who are in training schools to take the advantage of learning computer science. Ndungo said that his system is not 8-4-4 or 6-3-3-2 but 6-4-4-4 where before the students get out of school, they have the knowledge of computer technology right from standard one to university level. His university has been able to training over 300 teachers and over 100 nurses since it was established in 1999. Ends…. 0723321326

BARICHO BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE.

BARICHO BOYS HIGH SCHOOL PROFILE. CAROLINE WANGECHI. Many ask why Baricho High school has always been rated the second best but the best boys secondary schools. Baricho’s principal Kamau Githaka, the school’s programme has been introduced to make sure that students-teachers relationship is tightened and also as a way to encourage students in subject promoters programme. Mr. Kamau said that the new school’s programme which starts at 6.45 am to 11.30 pm was introduced to make sure that the school fraternity works as a team to improve the education level and grades of the school. He said that teachers have embraced the new programme that has been running now for six years by helping the “weak” students to understand by having private tuition. Kamau said that the teachers reach to the students depending on the performance in various subjects to make sure that they understand where a lunch Continuous Assessment Test (CAT) is given to the students so test their understanding. The principal said that the lunch CAT is done with the help of the dean of studies, where short exams are done to engage the form one to three’s in testing their understanding in all the subjects that are in the ministry of education curriculum. “We made sure that new programmes were introduced in the school so as to change the schools grades by making sure that the students are assembled in class at 6.45am where a teacher goes to teach and they sleep at their own time but by midnight no student is supposed to be in class reading” added Kamau. HE said that with the population of 1160 students, there are four teachers manning the school making sure that the students do not misbehave at night and during the day. Kamau added that teachers use 7.30pm -8.30pm evening classes as time to continue with the syllabus which is supposed to be cleared by third term making sure that student understand. The principal said that when the programme was started, it seemed hard for some students but for now, the school administration has tried to abolish the programme to no avail. “we have tried to abolish the new programme so that students can learn on their own to no avail instead the students have requested for more learning time which to us is very taxing for them” he added. Kamau said that the school has grown from a single stream to six streams where the mean score has also grown with the rising number. HE said that students are also motivated using different methods where they are also encouraged to participate in different curriculum activities where they performed to their level best by taking a solo verse and oral narrative to the national level and emerging position three and four respectively. “As the school administration, we said that the students have to get engaged in extra curriculum activities so that they can also showcase their talents” said the principal. The school is on a 24 acre piece of land where the landscape has always stood as a challenge for development making a small potion very congested where there are 2 science laboratories, dormitories built with the assistance of the constituency development fund.

BUDGET

BUDGET. Kirinyaga County Council has set aside sh 80 million for the completion of projects in its sh 332,879,206 budget for the 2012/2013 financial year. During its last budget presented by the Chairman for Finance Geoffrey Githinji before the public as the country moves to devolved governments, the local authority also projects to raise its revenue base by more than sh 22 million compared to the 2011/2012 one which stood at sh 300,919,078. Clerk to the county council Ariithi Johnston said that the council expects to receive sh 180 million from the Government to enhance servicing of capital projects like rehabilitation of access roads and construction of bridges and drainage systems. He said this will greatly help farmers in ferrying of agricultural produce to markets something which has cost them incur losses from their crops during the rainy season. “The council has set enough money in its budgetary estimates for infrastructural improvement especially on link roads and putting up more culverts to eases drainage during the rains. This being our last budget as a council, we do believe all the earmarked projects will be completed by March next year in time for the county governments,” said Ariithi. Out of the 33 projects to be completed at a cost of sh 41 million include stalled ones which will eat in a total of sh 6.8 million from the council’s budget. The budget session which lasted for a record one hour, comes at a time when the local authority is faced with numerous challenges including a low revenue collection that saw the council overshoot its 2011/2012 budget estimates by over sh78 million. This has been attributed to the failure by the council to net a whooping sh 81.8 million from local sources as revenue like rents, debts and land rates. The council managed to collect a paltry sh 35.5 million and plans to raise this amount to sh 110,833,331 in its 2012/2013 budget. “We shall ensure that new revenue sources are identified to widen our revenue base during the next financial year. We also hope the Government will disburse more than sh 19 million it owes the council during the current year together with an accumulated balance of sh 80 million accrued over the years,” said the council Finance Chairman.

TEA-PS KIOME.

TEA-PS KIOME. The recently introduced new valerem tax will revamp the tea industry, Agriculture permanent secretary Romano Kiome has said. HE said that the tax would be utilized to help farmers replace their old bushes with new clones developed by the Tea research foundation to improve the quality of tea. “The tax introduced should not be seen as if the money is going to waste, the money is going to be used to improve the quality of tea by replacing the old tea bushes with new clones” said Kiome. HE said that the levy is going to be used for research, marketing and value addition to help farmers upgrade their tea so that tea production can increase. Kiome said that the government has plans to help over 600,000 small scale tea farmers in the country to uproot old tea bushes and replace them with improved varieties. Dr. Romano Kiome said that farmers have to know what the research centre is doing to improve the tea quality ordering the factories manager have to be printing copies to the farmers showing them what they are supposed to do. He said that the state will set up a fund to mitigate farmers from losses during the exercise expected to take around five years. Dr. Kiome noted that most of the tea bushes in the country were planted between 1960 and 1970 saying that they were no longer giving maximum production to farmers. He was speaking at the Kangaita Tea Research Foundation of Kenya centre (TRFK) in Kirinyaga County during “leveraging innovative technology in Tea Agribusiness for attainment of vision 2030” organized to educate tea farmers on new production techniques that have been developed by TRFK in tea production. The PS said that multinational large scale farmers have already begun the process of replacing their tea bushes and the programme will be initiated by government to support individual farmers saying that small scale farmers have to get the share of replacing their tea bushes. He said currently most tea bushes produced an average of two kilogrammes of leaves yet there were better varieties which would triple the same under similar conditions. Continued subdivision of land, Dr. Kiome noted, has exerted pressure on production and said unless the farmers planted the high yielding varieties the sector will be hurt by reduced returns. Tea sector earned the country sh107 billion last year after global prices where Kirinyaga County will get 6 billion shillings being the highest earner in the country saying that the prices have short from 50/- a kilo from 17/-. Dr. Kiome however advised farmers to stop indulging in politics at the expense of taking care of their farms adding that what counts at the end of the day is the income to an individual. “Tea was the number one foreign exchange earner last year and we do not want politics to interfere with the production,” said the official. HE said that he was astonished to learn that there was purple tea that has medicinal value urging Kenyans to take the advantage of it to curb the increased diseases like diabetes, arthritis, fluoride is also found in tea and also has classical anti-inflammatory agents that are fighting some disease agents. ENDS……… 0723321326

TNA NOMINATION

TNA NOMINATION JANE MUGAMBI 12/07/12 Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari today has supported TNA position that no candidate would be issued with direct nominations during the party nomination. The MP maintained that they should be no sacred cows during the The National Alliance party (TNA) Nomination for the next year General Elections saying that all candidates must be treated equally. The MP supported Deputy Prime Minister’s Uhuru Kenyatta assertion that he would not support any candidate during the party nominations. “I am very happy that the DPM said that there will be no favourism on party nomination” added Gitari. Uhuru has warned various political aspirants in central Kenya against using his name to get votes in the General Election or win party nominations. Uhuru was also reported disowning aspirants vying for various county seats claiming that he favored them over the rest. Some candidates have been making frantic effort to catch Uhuru’s attention even some putting up posters and banners comprising of their pictures and that of Uhuru. But the DPM have categorically cautioned the aspirants from using his name to win party nominations and said that all candidates should be subjected to rigorous nominations devoid of any manipulation. Speaking at Kiaritha village in his constituency the MP said that everywhere Uhuru goes, the rallies outcomes have made TNA a popular party and would give Kenyans a free hand to elect the leaders and those that are allied to the DPM. He said that the party must be seen to carry free and fair nominations with its members fully involved in the nominations process. “We have been in very many parties where there was no fairness when it came to nominations, what we want is that the nominations will be free and fair to avoid confrontations” he added. The PNU legislator revealed that many candidates especially current Members of Parliament wanted to use their position to solidify their position in TNA a move he pointed would have eroded the party popularity and creates un necessary tension and conflict within the party. He said that the party officials should resist any pressure of issuing direct nomination to selected few in the party irrespective of their position but said that all candidates should be allowed to compete fairly for the best candidate to emerge. Gitari also revealed that consultations are still going on between Alliance Party of Kenya (Bus) led by energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta. He said that the two leaders would soon issue a joint communiqué where they announce the formation of coalition between the two parties. The Kirinyaga legislator said that party with similar ideologies should come together and form a coalition in order to face election as single entity. He said that Uhuru Kenyatta presidential quest continue to receive more support and urged the local residents to support him. Ends…………………………………………………………………… 0723321326

UHURU.

UHURU. JANE MUGAMBI Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta has urged politicians to unite and work together. Speaking at Mugumo secondary school during the burial ceremony of Geoffrey Kariithi, he said that people are not supposed to be gauged with their parents faults saying that his father’s woos are not supposed to be weighed on him. Uhuru added that those that fought for Kenya’s independence have tried to shape it and that they destined it to whatever it is today. “we as leaders, we are not supposed to be judged with our parents mistakes, whatever they did was to make Kenya what it is today” he said. HE added that if Kenya leaders and politicians emulate Kariithi’s efforts in working, he has shown that they were visionary leaders who were having a vision for the future of the country with no propaganda. Uhuru said that he is ready to work with any politician pointing out that he is ready to work with Martha Karua. “Mwari wa maitu andu a Kenya nio makoiga nuu agatuika mutongoria wao wona dashindwo nii ngurutithania wira nawe na wona washindwo nii nitukurutithania wira nwae(My sister Kenyans are the ones who will decide who will be their president. I am ready to work with you depending on the outcomes)”said Uhuru. Ends… 0723321326

CLERIC CLERIC CONCERNED OVER SUICIDE CASES IN KIRINYAGA.

CLERIC CONCERNED OVER SUICIDE CASES IN KIRINYAGA. JANE MUGAMBI Clerics from Kirinyaga County have expressed fears over the rising suicide cases. According to Anglican Church of Kenya vicar Maina Thungururu, the rate at which the young people are committing suicide is rising by day. He said that the most affected age is between 23-35 and 50-80 rating men as the ones who are committing suicide at a very high rate. “We are getting cases of men between 23-35 and from 40-80 who are killing themselves sending fears” added cleric Maina. Maina said that the reasons as to why there is an increase in suicide cases is because of land, illicit brew taking as the highest contributors. He said that the land and illicit beer taking issues needs to be addressed with seriousness citing that the number of the boy child is decreasing by day due to the deaths. A 24 year old man was found dead in his house after committing suicide in Kirinyaga County. According to the area Chief Jamleck Kabui, Muriithi Kabuci was found unconscious in his bedroom on Tuesday morning. He said that the mother suspected something was amiss when she saw her son’s house locked on Monday and on Tuesday. Kabui went on to say that the mother decided to check on what had happened on the son and since the door had been locked from inside, through an opening, that is when she saw the body of the son lying on his bed and informed a neighbor who joined her. They later informed the chief who assisted them in breaking the door of the deceased. Kabui said that the deceased took a rat poison citing that he had tried committing suicide thrice adding that the fourth time succeeded according to his plans. The administrator said that the reason for him to commit suicide is not known citing that it could have been a family problem where his cousin killed himself three months ago.