STOVE JIKO IN KIRINYAGA. JANE MUGAMBI 9TH AUGUST 2013. A prominent businessman from Kirinyaga County has been awarded a certificate by an Italian university after introducing a cooker stove jiko as a way of conserving the environment. Charles Njiru Nice rice millers director better known as Mkombozi was given the certificate by Luigi Polonini a student who was doing a research on a modern cooker (jiko) that used rice husks on behalf of his university. “I am presenting a recognition certificate to Charles for allowing me to use my skills and developed a modern cooker that uses Rice husks” said Luigi. The award is to recognize his effort to recycle rice husk which has been an environmental hazard in the expansive Mwea rice irrigation scheme. Luigi said that Nice Rice miller has become a research centre and also a learning center for many people from different countries serving in different ministries on the appropriate technology for environmental management in developing countries in Africa. Nice Rice Millers management has managed to help the farmers in the rice irrigation area to recycle the husk which is going to be a source of fire to them. “We came up with such cookers to show people that rice husk is also an alternative a source of fire like firewood, gas” revealed Luigi. Speaking to press in his premises in Mwea after receiving an award Njiru termed the certificate as a motivator for him and also a recognition which is going to help farmers and other people use husk. Njiru pointed out that rice waste management which has been a problem will now be a thing of the past in Mwea and farmers will be able to use the waste for their domestic use. “Rice husk disposal was a problem for a very long for rice farmers, now we have a solution” he added. He revealed that he has also received government commendation on food and agriculture organization from the United Nation world food day 2012, Head of State commendation in line with vision 2030. The director said that with the new technology environmental conservation will be enhanced since many people will not use firewood for domestic use thus felling of trees is going to be minimal. The cook jiko will manage pollution as farmers, adding that the Jiko is available to farmers at 1,500/- a price he said is affordable to most of the farmers in the area per piece. ENDS............................................... 0723321326