BINGWA SACCO. Shareholders of the giant Bingwa Sacco in Kirinyaga County are smiling all the way to the bank after the financial institution board of directors announced a 14% divided following what they termed remarkable growth. According to the Sacco Chairman Cyrus Kabira Njine the Sacco has grown tremendously in the last one year following what he attributed on aggressive marketing strategy and favorable climatic condition prevailing in the country. The Sacco which target mostly tea farmers also revealed that the institution assets have grown with 400 million from initial 1.5 billion in 2012 to 1.9 billion by 31st December 2012. The Sacco mobilized funds have also grew with over 143 million shillings from 554,708,000 in 2011 to 697,883,000 last year with member’s deposits standing on 730,417,000 shillings. Mr Kabira revealed that he’s satisfied by the way the shareholders have been repaying their loans saying that the society loan balance has grown from 790 million by 31 December 2011 to 961 million 31 December 2012. The cumulative loan disbursed by the society since inception now stands at 7.1 billion. The Sacco according to the chairman” plans to diversify further in level with its growth of membership development of potential areas of business in our County and Country at large”. He said that the society plan to open two new branches in order to reach more customers in the country saying that the Sacco plan to reach all parts of the country. Franked by other senior bank officials the chairman said that they will review the strategic plan this year pointing that he’s optimistic the new strategic will propel the Sacco to a greater height. Said he “We have achieved most of its set targets in the year 2012 and now we plan review the strategic plan this year and we are optimistic that we will accomplish all the goals projected”. He noted. Ends..............................................................................................................................

A JIKO THAT USES RICE HUSKS IN MWEA. JANE MUGAMBI 3RD MAY 2013. An Italian student has come up with a cooking stove Jiko which will use rice husks. In His thesis on appropriate technology for an emancipating cooperation,the development of an effective improve cook-stove, Luigi Polonini, a student of Brescia University has come up with a cooking stove that will use rice husk as a source of cooking material without cutting down trees. He said that the first place for the experiment was at Nice rice milers which is the biggest rice haulers in Kirinyaga county, Luigi a fourth year student at University of Brescia said that the decision to take Mwea as a case study is because of it’s a rice growing area where the waste product(husk) is thrown away and wanted to show that it can be a source of fuel for many people in the area. The cooking stove he said is very cheap to make it as it requires bricks and cement only will go for 1,000/- at the market. Luigi said that the innovation is to reduce the use of firewood which is the main source of fuel in sub-Saharan countries, saying that the technology is a way of addressing the energy access challenge in low income countries. “This cooking stove can be found in the market soonest possible at only 1000/-,the reason is to address the energy challenges that is affecting sub-Saharan countries and low income countries” said Luigi. He cited that the three stone fires is still being used largely by many families posing a health challenge saying that the introduction of this cook stove will reduce the health impact that is caused by smoke and other impurities. Luigi also cited that use of husks will keep many from cutting down trees so as to get firewood as a source of energy. He said that bridging the gap with alternative to conventional fossils fuels is necessary to avoid wars over resources. Cyrus Njiru aka Mkombozi said that the stove has come to save Mwea people who saw rice husks as dirt, now they have practically seen that rice husk is fuel. “It takes hours to cook Githeri, when the food stuff is placed on the stove it took three hours to be ready” said Mkombozi the CEO of Nice rice millers. Ends.. 0723321326