A publication of the County Government of Vihiga No. 003 April, 2014Kshs. 40/=

VIHIGA Star

VIHIGA STAR REPORTER

Was it a miracle, or was it a result of painstaking preparations? Or was it sheer luck? What was i t that catapulted Chavakali High School into the ranks of Kenya's academic giants?

Having not made it to the top 100

schools nationally in the 2012 KCSE, Chavakali School surprised everyone when it pounced into the eighth position with a stunning mean grade of A minus in the 2013 national examinations, o u t fl a n k i n g p e r e n n i a l w i n n e r s nationally and toppling Nyang'ori High School to become the giant of the Vihiga County.

How�we�madeit�to�the�top-�Chavakali

No�more��ghts,MPs�tell�Akaranga

Taboo�sexon�the�riseShock�as�relativesimpregnate�girls�-�Pg�8

County�Assemblymakes�good�progress�-�Pg�14

The�mad�men�of�LuandaDoes�Luanda�have�more�crazy�people�than�other�towns?

Agoi Omulele

Akaranga

GimoseChanzuOttichiloKhaniri

Leaders�vow�to�back�governor�s�development�agenda�for�county�-�Page�4

Many other high flying schools like Friends School Kamusinga, Musingu, Lugulu, Kibabii, Kakamega High, Bunyore Girls, to name but a few, were overshadowed by Chavakali.

“We knew that when a school like Chavakali finally picks up and starts performing well, people are bound to turn their necks and wonder: 'how did it happen? Is the result genuine?', but they do not know that it has taken a lot of sacrifice,” the school's principal Indimuli Kahi says.

No one had expected the school to perform so well in the national examinations, having been in the comfort zone for quite some time, despite boasting of having produced some of Kenya's most prominent individuals .

At position eight and leading Western Kenya, Chavakali was the biggest shocker in this year's KCSE throwing individuals into doubts as tto whether it will stand the test of time to maintain its position.

Chavakali had their results graded as follows: A (81), A- (89), B+ (82), B (30) and B- (5), hitting a mean score of 10.735 up from the previous year's 8.7, and producing the top student (Benson Motanya Mokogi) in Western Kenya who ranked position six nationally.

According to the top performing principal, Indimuli Kahi, who joined Chavakali in 2010 when the school's mean score was at 7.5,with just ta single A, the pace has been set and nothing will make the schools lose focus .

“I had to sit down with my teachers and chart the way forward and other stakeholders to see how we could improve on the results. And the results are now being seen,” he told Vihiga Star.

One of the immediate steps Indimuli took in 2010 was to call for a crisis meeting where teachers, the Board of Governors and the Parents and Teachers Association officials converged for a whole week in a Busia hotel.

At the end of the meeting, directorates were put in place, which have helped the school to be on the performance map since then.

“Some of the directorates which were

established during the Busia meeting included: Discipline, Curriculum, Co-curriculum activities, Boarding, and Guidance and Counselling, which are subsequently headed by senior teachers,” Indimuli says.

The first bit was implemented in 2010, where he challenged the students to give the school only three As, in exchange for motorbikes. The students managed to give four As.

The following year, the improvement was drastic and he was forced to reward the top performing students with laptops because the school could not afford to buy motorbikes for everyone who performed well.

He then retreated to Nakuru with the teachers and reviewed what they had discussed in 2010, and consequently came up with a revision programme.

The revision programme spells out who does what and at what time in the school.

“The programme allows students to say what teachers have covered in their respective classes and what they have not covered,” Mr Indimuli says.

It also allows for allocating of days to specific subjects which are then taught the whole day, from 6 am to midnight.

Furthermore, the school has academic keshas, where students spend the whole night in classes without breaking off the following day

“Teachers have been very helpful in these academic keshas programme because they often buy coffee for the students, which is taken twice on a given night,” he said.

A n o t h e r f o r m u l a t h a t h a s s e e n underachievers uplifted in Chavakali School is the introduction of the Intensified Students' Discussions (Cohorts).

T h e s e c o h o r t s a r e b a s e d o n t h e performance of the students, who score below grade C, and they are allocated teachers who help them to study.

Indimuli says that last year's class was the first to complete the cycle of excellence which he has helped set at Chavakali, while expressing optimism that people should wait for more shockers in the coming years.

“The good results came to us here not as a surprise, because we have been improving steadily. The only surprise was that the improvement propelled us to the top ten in the country, a position that we may not let go soon,” he says.

He also attributes the success of the school to dedicated parents who have kept the

performance of their children their main agenda, often checking on their progress .

Another turning point in the school's performance is the helping hand the teachers have offered to bright but needy students through the Endowment Fund.

Every teacher contributes Sh100 per month, which is crowned by a one major harambee annually to help needy students.

“We thought that bright students are often sent away from schools, and decided that we were going to do it differently. That is how the fund came into existence, with forty two students having benefited in the last year,” Indimuli says.

Benchmarking with other performing schools and exams-partnership has made testing in the school done on a regular basis, where teachers are allowed to give the students exams any minute they wish.

The school has a regular exam exchange programme with schools like St Marys Yala, Kisumu Girls, and Homa Bay Boys, which has motivated and consequently pulled the boys up.

To cap the competition in the school, the boys are always awarded for any little effort that they make.

“A special dorm for the top 35 students has been set aside, where if one drops, he has to vacate it. No one likes losing his place in it, because it has such advantages as hot shower, it is spacious with cubicles, and cleaner washrooms. This acts as the greatest motivator for an individual to continue performing well,” Indimuli said.

Those students who got A minus and above in the last year's exams will be rewarded with laptops in appreciation of their good work.

Indimuli says Chavakali will remain on the national map , becoming a household name.

Mr Indimuli advices other schools in the county to emulate Chavakali, saying e he is willing to share experiences.

“Everybody would like to be on top. The efforts the different schools put in vary. Don't aim to beat u, just do what you have to do” he says.

BY ARTHUR ASAVA

second consignment of subsidised fertiliser has Aarrived at the Chavakali National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) depot to replenish

depleted stocks.According to the Vihiga Sub-county Agriculture Business

Officer, Ms Bridgid Cheloti, 1120 bags of NPK 2323 (Nitrogen Phosphorus-Potassium compound fertiliser) and 516 (50kg) bags of NPK 1717, are at the depot to augment the first delivery of DAP ( Diammonium Phosphate) that is now out of stock.

Both NPK 2323 and NPK 1717 will retail at a subsidised price of Sh2,000.

The first batch of 1670 bags of DAP and 1060 bags of CAN received earlier has sold out. 818 of the 1,067 bags of SSP (Single Sulphur Phosphate) retails at a non-subsidised price of Sh2,000 per 50kg bag.

DAP and CAN retailed at Sh2,000 and Sh1,500 respectively under the new subsidised rates before stocks ran out.

A survey on fertiliser prices at Mbale and Majengo towns indicate that most Agro-dealers sell DAP at Sh3,200, CAN at Sh2,700 and SSP at Sh2,300 on average. None of the outlets visited stock NPK 1717, NPK 2323 and urea.

Ms Cheloti advised farmers with limited financial means to purchase commercial DAP to buy NPK and SSP instead because of uncertainty of DAP supply before the onset of rains.

The officer recommends a ratio of one 50kg bag of DAP and for farmers who bought SSP, two bags of SSP per acre

respectively.However, she urges farmers in the county to undertake

soil testing to establish the soil Ph, which determines the type of fertiliser and quantity to use.

She says application forms for soil testing are available at the county and sub-county agriculture offices and farmers should seek assistance to collect soil samples from agricultural extension officers.

Soil Ph testing is done at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute's laboratories at Sh1,500 per soil sample.

Soil Cares Initiative (SCI), an organisation based in Kisumu, offers mobile soil Ph testing services at Sh1,300 and requires a minimum of 20 farmers to do the test on farmer's fields within a limited geographical area in Vihiga County.

Speaking at the county agriculture offices, Cheloti said: “Farmers with a long history of DAP use are particularly encouraged to use SSP because DAP overuse renders the soil acidic, hence negatively affecting maize yields.”

Ph scale is marked 1 to 14; 1 to 6 represents acidic status with number 1 representing the highest acidic levels. Number 7 represents neutral; 8 to 14 denote alkalinity with 14 indicating the highest alkaline status.

Ph 5 to 8 is considered acceptable acidity levels causing minimal negative effects on agricultural activity. Experts recommend application of lime on fields with a test result of 1 to 4 on the Ph scale and use of fertilisers with low nitrate concentrations like SSP. Soil with too high levels of alkaline levels and acidity is not suitable for farming activities.

Under the new subsidised fertiliser guidelines, farmers collect application forms from the county offices or agriculture extension officers who assist them fill in their

particulars. The forms are then taken to location vetting committees where the chief or his/her assistants sign and stamp them, indicating the accuracy of the information in the forms. The farmer presents the forms to the NCPB where they are once again vetted by an agricultural officer and finally the NCPB depot manager.

Farmers are then provided with an NCPB bank account number and advised on the amount to pay before presenting the bank-in slip to the depot manager before collecting the fertiliser.

“These guidelines have been put in place to discourage bulk purchases leading to commercial profiteering and to stop subsidised fertiliser finding its way into commercial agro-dealers outlets,” says the officer.

She adds that the Vihiga Sub-County agriculture office has also set a maximum of five bags of fertiliser per farmer considering that few land parcels in the sub-county exceed five acres. However, she says that farmers or groups of farmers applying for more than this limit are assessed on their own merit.

Farmers who have bought DAP or CAN from the depot in Vihiga County, have made a saving of Sh1,200 for every 50kg bag purchased.

Out of the initial delivery of 1,670 bags of DAP at the Chavakali depot, farmers have saved in excess of Sh2 million for DAP alone, which retails at Sh3,200 at commercial centres.

Savings for the 1,060 bags of CAN delivered at the same depot is in excess of Sh1.2 million Considering that private dealers are selling at an average of Sh2,700 per 50kg of this commodity.

How�Chavakali�made�it�to�the�top2 News Vihiga Star April, 2014

Cheap�fertilizer�now�available�at�depots

The Principal, Mr Indimuli addressing students following the good results

News 3

BY ARTHUR ASAVAHospitals and other health facilities will now have no reason to turn patients away for lack drugs after the Vihiga County Governor, Mr Moses Akaranga, flagged off trucks with drugs and other medical supplies worth Sh16 million for distribution last Thursday.This was the second batch of drugs and medical supplies from the Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (MEDS) after the first one worth Sh24 million from the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (KEMSA) to bolster provision of health services in the county was delivered two weeks ago.Speaking at the Vihiga County Headquarters during the flagging off ceremony, MEDS Marketing and Communication manager Mr Sam Hawala said his organisation was committed to provision of reliable, quality and affordable medical drugs and supplies based on professional values.“MEDS provides quality assured medical supplies based on a stringent quality assurance system and a World Health Organisation quality control laboratory,” he said.

He proposed a good working partnership with the County Government to enable it tap into MEDS capacity building services to build efficient systems to prevent drugs in public hospitals finding their way into private pharmacies.The partnership, he added, could benefit from the Health Workers Training Programme for improved quality of patient care and the rational use of medicines.The governor expressed his satisfaction with the fast delivery of the consignment, which included blood bags that have been in short supply.G o v e r n o r A k a r a n g a c a l l e d o n administrations of various hospitals and health facilities to exercise probity and prudence of the scarce public resources under their care for the benefit of members of the public.He proposed that hospitals post daily stocks of available drugs on notice boards to encourage openness and nurture trust between them and the residents.During the flagging off ceremony, the governor was flanked by his deputy, Mr

Caleb Amaswache, County Minister for Health, Ms Zilpah Kageha, County Director for Health, Mr Quido Ahinduka, County Government ministers and County Public Service officials.Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Amaswache challenged members of the County Assembly to emulate the governor by working more and talking less.He thanked the governor for the support he accorded bereaved families and the injured following a road accident in Emuhaya Sub-county, which claimed eight people on the spot and left several others seriously injured.Ms Kageha pledged co-operation with the governor's office and administrators of various hospitals to ensure quality health services for the residents.The minister clarified that out of the three trucks of drugs, two had been delivered directly to health facilities in the county.

Mr Ahinduka directed hospitals not to receive drugs and medical supplies after 5pm and on weekends in the absence of senior authorised personnel.The governor is scheduled to have an interactive meeting with health workers from public institutions in the county on March 13 on how best to improve service delivery to the residents.MEDS is a Christian non-profit organisation registered as a trust of the Ecumenical Partnership of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB) and Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK). MEDS supplies public and private hospitals and health facilities in Kenya and East and Central Africa.MEDS has a working relationship with other counties like Kilifi, Narok, Homa Bay and Taita Taveta, among others.

BY ARTHUR ASAVA

Panic and an eerie atmosphere swept through the corridors of Vihiga County Headquarters on March 6

when word filtered through of an imminent impromptu visit by the Chief Executive of t h e E t h i c s a n d A n t i - C o r r u p t i o n Commission (EACC).Frantic phone calls were made by staff at the headquarters relaying the “disturbing news” and seeking information about the targets of a perceived investigation.It took an introduction by the Governor and the anti-graft team and a brief address about the friendly visit for normalcy to return to the otherwise tense staffers at a medical drugs flag-off ceremony.Mr Halakhe Dida Waqo, the CEO of the anti-graft body, who was accompanied by officers from the Kisumu regional office, later addressed the Governor's team including the Deputy Governor, county Cabinet ministers and County Public Service officers.In his address, the CEO emphasised the friendly nature of his visit, especially at a time when the EACC was decentralising its operations to regional offices, bringing services to the counties.He introduced officers in his entourage based at the new Kisumu regional office, which administratively covers Vihiga County among them the legal officer, Mr David Nyagah; the education officer, Mr John O. Agar and Mr

Charles Rasugu.The CEO discounted rumours doing the rounds about an impending probe and purge of officers suspected of financial impropriety. Mr Waqo said he recognised that most counties lacked effective systems to check financial impropriety in the management of public affairs and his visit would serve to understand the challenges and how best to surmount them.“The EACC has put a pro-active strategy in place to train, advice, create awareness and establish working partnerships with county governments for sound management of public affairs,” said Mr Wako. He added that his institution would help counties strengthen existing systems and identify areas where professional assistance was required and assist counties outsource expert personnel.Mr Wako lauded the governor for managing the county staff recruitment well and saving the county the acrimony witnessed in other devolved jurisdictions in the country.He challenged Vihiga County leadership to work together in fighting corruption saying, “The counties are an amalgamation of former local authorities, which were known for their corrupt tendencies. I urge all county officers to be vigilant and nip the old corruption networks before they regroup to fight back.”The CEO decried ineffective management systems in hospitals countrywide, blaming them for wastage and pilferage of public resources. He outlined the EACC mandate to investigate

and prosecute, adding that litigation was an action of last resort where sound management lacked.The Governor urged his team to engage sound management practices in their work, adding that it was only the guilty that run scared during such visits by the EACC officers. He assured the anti-graft team of co-operation and said that land would be identified for the construction of ethics and anti-corruption offices when the need arose.The Governor said similar arrangements were being made for the office of the Chief Justice, Mt Kenya and Masinde Muliro universitiesThe County Minister for transport and infrastructure, Mr Silas Kipkemboi, urged leaders in the county to work towards making Vihiga County a role model in the management of public affairs in the country, citing the National Auditor- General's report listing Vihiga County as one of the least corrupt in the country.Present during the courtesy call were the Deputy Governor, Mr Caleb Amaswache, members of the County Cabinet and County Public Service officers.

BY KINGI VISHA

There was drama at Sabatia District Hospital when two patients complained to Governor Moses Akaranga that a nurse had sold them a medical report

This was after the patients realised that the book was not for sale

Mr Akaranga ordered the arrest of the nurse for violating his directive that no medical equipment and material should be sold to patients.

And as he was calling the police, the trembling nurse begged for mercy saying she was sorry and would not do it again.

The residents who had accompanied the governor pleaded with Akaranga to forgive her as she had accepted her mistake.

“Forgive her. She has accepted and apologised,” they shouted out as the governor insisted on having her arrested.

He said: “It is unfortunate that medical equipment and materials including drugs are being sold yet we have given a directive that patients should be attended to for free.”

With continued pleading from the public, Akaranga gave in but insisted that she be relieved of her duties, but the same was received with opposition from the public.

“Now that you don't want her arrested, I believe I should forgive her by sending her home,” he said.

He however let her keep her job with a strong warning.

Mr Akaranga had paid an impromptu visit to the health facili ty on receiving complaints from the public that there were no drugs at the facility, weeks after he had flagged off drugs worth Ksh 40 million.

When he flagged off the drugs t, Mr Akaranga said his administration was aware of the medics colluding with local chemists to sell government drugs.

He also noted that patients should not be made to buy drugs in the government health facilities.

Panic�as�anti-graftteam�pays�a�visitContinued from page 3

Good�news�asSh40m�drugsreach�hospitals

Kaimosi University

Mumo Matemu - Chairman EACC

Vihiga Star April 2014

The Governor flagging off the first consignment of the drugs.

Drama as Akarangaconfronts nurse

4 News

By Vihiga Star Reporter Hundreds of live s at

Ekwanda shopping centre are exposed to a fire danger as pe t ro leum bus iness booms in the area despite safety measures to curb disaster such as fire outbreak not being put in place. A handful of business persons

in the shopping centre have resolved to engage in the risky illegal business , with some even operating it a few metres from electricity transformer, oblivious of the danger they are exposing t h e m s e l v e s t o . Wo r s e e n o u g h i s t h a t t h o s e engag ing in t he r i sky business are storing the

highly flammable fuel in jerry cans, ignoring the law that requires such a fuel to be stored in underground wells to minimise the risk of an outbreak of fire.

Barely two weeks after the launch of a Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) in Emuhaya district by DO 1 Moses Barkutwa, which aimed to

achieve results in 100 days and disaster management and response being among the major topics that were discussed during the launch that was attended by all chiefs and their assistants in the district, no stern action has been taken so far by the provincial administrators, moreso Maseno location

chief Irene Ombima and Musikomoli sub-location ass is tant chief Hezron Onyino, who the dangerous business is being carried out in their jurisdiction without showing any concern or being bothered to stop it before several lives are lost in case of a fire outbreak.

O u r i n v e s t i g a t i o n s

revealed that the illegal b u s i n e s s o w n e r s a r e t a r g e t i n g m o t o r b i k e operators as the consumers of the fuel, especially those who find it difficult to access Maseno and Luanda towns, where filling stations are situated.

Ekwanda�residents�in�danger�as�fuel�hawkers�make�a�kill

Vihiga Star April, 2014

BY STAR WRITER

For a while, the politics of Vihiga has been characterised by differences and divisions occasioned by the fact

that unlike most counties in Kenya, elected leaders here belong to different political parities.While the Senator, George Khaniri and three MPs were elected on a UDF ticket as is the case with majority of the MCAs, the Governor Moses Akaranga was elected on the smaller Progressive Party of Kenya (PPK) which has just one MCA in the County Assembly. The two other MPs belong to ODM.This has somehow made it difficult for the leaders to speak with one voice, a fact that has at times interfered with the pace of development, as the county prepares to benefit from devolution.The good news is that this is going to be a thing of the past as the political leaders have now put aside their differences aside and resolved to forge a united front for the sake of delivering what they promised the f the people.Most importantly, they have resolved to support Governor Akaranga in his efforts to deliver quick economic results.A fortnight ago, the MPs held a highly successful day-long parley with the governor in his office. At the end of the meeting, they were all convinced that unless they united, the county would lag behind in development.The meeting, the first of its kind since the leaders were elected early last year, was mooted and led by Vihiga MP Yusuf Chanzu, who noted that such a meeting was long overdue. The leader resolved to hold such meetings on a regular basis.“We appreciate the work the governor is doing to develop the county and we will work with him to make sure that we are not left behind in anything. The meeting has been insightful and we will continue meeting to discuss pertinent issues affecting the county,” said Chanzu.The other MPs involved were Charles Gimose (Hamisi), Alfred Agoi (Sabatia) and Wilbur Ottichilo (Emuhaya). Luanda MP Wycliffe Omulele could not attend as he was engaged in other activities, but he is part of the initiative.The meeting brings a sigh of relief to Vihiga residents who have been worried about the relationship between the governor and the legislators, as they had hardly consulted on the development agenda.Some expressed optimism to the Vihiga Star that the county's politics had come of age and that they now expect to see the fruits of the unity.“Most people on the ground would want to emulate what the leaders are doing. And if the leaders are not coexisting, it becomes difficult for the region to go ahead,” Stephen Bulemi said.

The meeting was intended to harmonise the working relationship between the county executive and the members of the county assembly and further to discuss the welfare of the county.Akaranga pointed out that the objective of the meeting was to find ways of working as team which is key to forging ahead in the development agenda of the county.Chanzu, who is the spokesman of the forum of Vihiga MPs, said that they had prepared a document that spell out how the MPs and the county government would relate, and that they will all look for ways of bettering the region.“The governor is doing very good work, especially in the infrastructure and the agriculture sectors and we encourage him to put in even more efforts. He should utilise all he money allocated to development,” he said.Gimose noted that it is only by supporting the Governor and working cordially would the region move forward at a quicker pace.He said all MPs will accord the governors support and will also mobilise their constituents to rally behind his development agenda “We have time for politics because that will be doing a disservice to the people of Vihiga. We want to move forward and thus the need for frequent meetings with the governor,” he

said.The Hamisi MP noted that the people of the region will judge the leaders harshly if they do not work together for a common goal and instead. Ottichillo and Agoi expressed similar sentiments, vowing to help stimulate grassroots support for the county vision Vihiga has five constituencies: Emuhaya, Luanda, Hamisi, Vihiga and Sabatia. With an estimated population of 554,622 people (as per the 2009 census) and an annual growth rate of 3.3 percent, Vihiga County faces high poverty levels which are currently at 62%. This is greatly attributed to the fact that there has been minimal economic activity practiced in the region within the past recent years, a situation that can only be addressed a united effort.

The governor has been coming with programmes aimed at alleviating poverty.

T h i s i s t h r o u g h t h e c r e a t i o n a n d implementation of various development oriented projects. Farmers are being encouraged to not only practise subsistence farming but to also incorporate cash crops into their line of production.

The County Government is encouraging them to plant more tea to seize the readily available market that is Mudete Tea Factory.

This will not only increase the factory's production capacity level that's currently below 40 percent capacity, but will also earn the farmers income consequently improving their living standards.The County Government is also introducing new products such as horticulture, tissue culture bananas and the rearing of rabbits for commercial purposes in a bid to widen it's agricultural scope and to take advantage of the available market both locally and internationally. Advantage has been taken of the vast tourist attraction resources to attract more tourists as well as investors who are expected to set up projects benefiting the county residents and steering economic development.These are therefore just a few of the projects being put in place to alleviate the poverty levels since poverty alleviation is among Vihiga County's strategies.

Akaranga,�MPs�agreeto�work�together

We appreciate the work the

governor is doing to develop

the county and we will work

with him “

”

Opinion 5

There is no doubt that Vihiga County is among the few in Kenya that

have been favoured by nature. With the good soils and rain almost throughout the year, it is curious that the county suffers perennial hunger.

So what is the trouble with our beloved county? Your answer could be as good as mine, but that does not lessen the fact that this is a county that has underperformed .

Vihiga lies on goldmine which the residents have refused to harness. The sufficient amount of rains received in this region could transform the county into one of the riches in the country.

Agriculture was and still is the backbone of the most advanced economies in the world. A greater percentage of Kenyan agricultural p r o d u c e r e l i e s o n r a i n - f e d p r o d u c t i o n w h e r e r a i n fundamentally replenishes the soil.

Vihiga receives much of the rain and has two rain seasons that highlights the country's seasons; the long rain and short rain seasons. The rains are underutilized and the water left to go to waste. Instead of this rains being a key ingredients in agricultural development; they have become a tool of agricultural degradation with much of the top soil being washed away into Lake Victoria and on to Egypt.

What remains are useless soils with no nutrients. Thereafter, what the farms produce cannot feed the families even for two months after harvest. To add insult to injury, much of the able-bodied population

is redundant waiting for gainful employment or struggling in the cities where they work long hours for little pay, that leaves them with nothing to remit to the county.

With surging population, much of the land is being subdivided into units, which are not viable for even small scale farming. This leaves the county looking like a big slum village.

W h a t i s m o r e , p o o r a n d uninformed use of fertilizers is adding to the degradation of the soils. It hurts to see someone use fertilizer meant for tea to plant maize and beans. What is more devastating is, the generous use of the fertilizer in belief that, the more

the fertilizer, the better the produce. In short Vihiga has failed to nurture her resources for sustainable growth.

T h e c o u n t y h a s fi v e constituencies; Emuhaya, Sabatia, Vihiga and Hamisi and Luanda. Without being judgmental, the pol i t ical leaders f rom these constituencies have done little to mobiles the people to improve their lives. What we see is each leader trying to particularly distance him/her from the other leader as if there is a rivalry. I guess this has c o n t r i b u t e d m u c h t o t h e underdevelopment.

Vihiga is an otherwise fertile ground for progress. What is needed

is the cultivation of unity between the different leaders and clans that inhabit the county. Unity would cultivate peace, love and harmony, which are important for a common, sus ta inable approach to the problems facing us.

Leaders, political or otherwise, must lead from the front and show people the way of progress. They should know that the reason why they are elected is to help improve people's welfare, not to benefit themselves.

What has been experienced in the county in the past where a large chunk of money allocated for development is either returned to the central government or ends up in

peoples pockets must be stopped by the hungry community that needs to see action, a community that needs t o s e e i t s p r o j e c t s b e i n g implemented and wealth being created.

Secondly, the county should be steadfast in boosting school attendance. Their must be a board of dedicated members who ensure that students and pupils attend school. The government provides a lot of money that goes down the drain as able students from poor families fail to reach or go secondary school. What in most occasions has been observed is the money, from CDF and bursary only end up paying fees for able parents while majority of poor families children languish in hopelessness.

It is that point in time that Vihiga County woke up from the deep slumber and planted herself on this country's map where it rightfully belongs. We can have a county that is successful and an example to the others.

VIHIGA Star

COMMENTARY

Vihiga Star April 2014

This�county�must�exploit�its�potentialBy Omutelema Imende

The government provides a lot ofmoney that goesdown the drain asable students from poor families fail to go to secondary school.

“

”

6 Education Vihiga Star April, 2014

BY STAR REPORTER

Th e C o m m i s s i o n f o r University Education (CUE) has approved the

elevation of Kaimosi Teachers Training College in Vihiga County into a university.

The Prof David Some-led C o m m i s s i o n c o n d u c t e d a n inspection of the facility a few weeks ago and approved i ts elevation into Kaimosi Friends University College.

The new university will be a constituent college of Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology.

“After the inspection, the commission is satisfied that the facility meets the required standards to be upgraded into a university. We w i l l , h o w e v e r , g i v e t h e recommendations to the Cabinet Secretary for Educat ion for approval,” Some told the Press.

Vi h i g a G o v e r n o r M o s e s

Akaranga has been pushing for the establishment of the university, the first one in the county.

The Governor's bid got a boost after the Friends Church donated 180 acres of land and the training college for the establishment of the university.

The commission arrived at the recommendation after a thorough technical inspection of the Kaimosi Teachers College, which is to be taken over by the new university.

“What we only need now is the documentation evidence for the transfer of property from the teachers' college to the university. Otherwise we have nothing to hold us back from giving Vihiga County this institution to offer higher learning,” said Prof David Some, the commission secretary, who led the team of 13 others.

Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology will in turn mentor the university college.

“The university college will have its governing council and thus it will

need adequate planning that needs to be put in p lace . The County Government and the Friends Church should help in working on the modalities,” said Prof Some.

Prof Some said the fact that Vihiga County has no university, and bearing in mind the rules of the devolved system of governance that requires each county to have a university, they had no option but to recommend it.

“As the representatives from the commission, we don't see anything that holds us back in giving the institution the mandate to offer higher education,” he said.

Friends Church Presiding Clerk in Kenya, Mr Zablon Malenge, said the church had agreed to offer the teachers' college and an additional 1 0 0 a c r e s o f l a n d f o r t h e establishment of the university.

“We as the church and sponsors of the institution have made the decision that the teachers' college be made a university. We are putting on the table the 80 acres of the college plus an additional 100 acres of free land for the university,” he said.

Hamisi MP Charles Gimose and representatives from the office of the governor, Mr Gaylord Avedi (Chief of Staff) , Mr Aggrey Musiega (Legal Advisor) and Ms Fridah Chahale (Political Advisor), who were in attendance, said the

County Government will facilitate the transition.

“The governor, Mr Moses Akaranga, is very ready to facilitate the transition and he has promised to chip in even financial assistance to oversee a smooth transition and accessibility of education to the people,” said Mr Avedi.

The visit and the technical inspection of the facility was the third, with the initial two having taken place in 2008 and 2010. Provincial Rural Health Training

Kaimosi�TCelevated�touniversityCommission okays upgrading of former

TTC to become college of Masinde Muliro

By Vihiga Star Reporter

Emuhaya M P Wilbur Ottichilo has asked the county government of

Vihiga to invest more money in education to produce human resource as the county does not have adequate has potential for investment in industries.

He said that the county could o n l y g e n e r a t e r e v e n u e b y exporting human resource if it cannot create avenues for reducing the level of unemployment that

stands at an average of 67 percent.

“More cash should be set aside for education. The county has the greatest potential for human resource and should therefore invest in that opportunity by sponsoring our many children who are disadvantaged,” Ottichilo said.

He said that the county's population of over 500 000 people can be utilised like in Malaysia, because the available land is inadequate to accommodate factories.

He spoke in a recent function at

Mbale, where he noted that many children from the county cannot

access education due to their poor backgrounds.

Ottichilo said that it was high time the county created a revolving fund in the next budget to benefit students who are in need of money.

“Many children find themselves not attending school because they have no one to help them, and acquiring help from the national government is a difficult task,” he said.

He added that now that county governments are near to the people, no students should be

chased for school fees.

The county was supportive only of students who were joining national schools, where over twenty of them were sponsored t h r o u g h t h e J o h n M a d e t e Foundation, Cooperative Bank, Kenya Commercial Bank and the county government.

Governor Moses Akaranga said his government would start a fund to sponsor students in institutions of higher learning and bursaries for students in the lower institutions.

Ottichilo�wants�more�money�put�in�education

Hamisi MP Charles Gimose, Commission for University Education, staff from

governor's office and Kaimosi TTC officials pose for a photo

group of high school Ateachers in Vihiga want the Kenya Union of Post

Primary Education (Kuppet) to support the new funding scheme initiated to pay teachers during strike.

The teachers have joined their Knut colleagues in condemning the leadership of their union for criticising the scheme.

The teachers, who wished not to be named at this stage , supported the Knut secretary General William Sossion said Kenya Union of Post

Primary Education (Kuppet) who h has criticized the Kuppet officials for their stand

Sossion recently hit out at Knut, saying the new scheme has taken off and cannot be reversed since it was a declaration from the Annual delegate conference which makes the final decision for the union.

“We have our own rules and constitution and we are acting on it we are not going to be shaken by the views of some officials who are being used to become hindrance of what we want to achieve,” he said.

Mr Sossion had predicated more

teachers will decamp from Kuppet to join Knut because of such progressive moves..

“When the government retained the salary of 210, 000 teachers in June and July last year because of strike they termed illegal, where were they to fight for the teachers?," he was reported asking.

“We lead as they follow, the new s c h e m e w i l l o u t s h i n e t h e propagandas put forward by Kuppet and we are looking forward in a situation that they will face us with a debatable idea not critics,” Sossion

said.Knut chairman Mudzo Nzili

rubbed in and said: “This is our Programme, let them come up with an action Programme to fight for their members, there is no single day we have critised what Kuppet does why would they make it a habit," he posed.

He confirmed that the scheme will only assist members of Union a n d n o t n o n - m e m b e r s a n d wondered why Kuppet had to comment on the issue if they are not affected.

“We are only dealing with our

members but the doors are opened to any member who would want to join,” he said.

“Knut and Kuppet are two different Unions, they have their own programmes and we have our own we do not need to consult them on what we do and neither do they, so we wonder why they should always fight us,” he said.

Mr Nzili added that they have nothing against Kuppet and should they table any agenda that they feel will benefit the teachers, they would be eager to support them

High�School�teachers�back�Knut�s�new�funding�scheme

Feature 7

BY MAVERICK ERIC

It is exactly 3:30 in the evening at a building in Luanda town. A middle-

aged man suddenly appears. H e c a r r i e s a h u g e , embellished club. He removes his tattered cap, tucks the club in his armpits and bows before the building two times b e f o r e m a r c h i n g aw ay nonchalantly.

He looks normal in all respects despite the old cloths and akala shoes he is wearing.

Asked to explain the man's queer behaviour, a shopkeeper in the building says: “It is his routine to come to this place every day at exactly 3:30 pm to perform his ritual. He says that he respects the building very much because it is the oldest building here.

This is just one case. Although it is said that every market has its own mad man, Luanda, the busiest market in Vihiga because of its location on the busy Kisumu-Busia Highway, seems to have more than its fair share.

A few months ago, a local television reported the story of one Daud i Ot ieno, a se l f -proclaimed mad man. It turned out that the man is normal but acts mad during market days to solicit food from traders to feed family.

He often comes to the market on Mondays and Thursdays. On any other day, he is a very normal man, tending to his family by doing some manual work.

He is not alone. There are many such people in the town who pretend to be mad so as to get help from gullible traders and shoppers.

A few weeks ago, a woman caused a scene when she camped at Equity Bank's in the town and demanded money from everyone

who withdrew from the bank.. Even the police, who man the building, were rendered useless as the woman refused to budge, making funny noises. She later left, after collecting quite a substantial amount

Residents are used to such “mad men”, as they have been there for many years. In fact the expression abalalu be eluanda (the mad people of Luanda) is now one of the local idioms

Many think that this queer behaviour is a result of drug abuse, particularly bhang .

“Drug abuse is very high in this region with the drugs coming from Busia and Uganda. We are trying to control it, but it has not been an easy ride,” one police officer confided to this writer.

The other officers whom we ta lked to and who sought anonymity claimed that there are many loopholes, which lead to the drugs being brought into the area, and they have been working on curbing the menace without success.

“Bhang smoking in the region is something that is known all over the country. It is not a new thing. It is one of the most consumed drugs in the area,” the officer confirmed.

Walking in Luanda, you meet groups of people smoking the weed without a care, some wearing Rastafarian colours.

“This is a small Jamaica in Kenya. This is where all those Jamaican reggae musicians originated from, and they have taken long to come back home,” one youth said, puffing out smoke like a chimney.

For the last two years, officers at the Luanda Police Station have h ad a n ope r a t i on dubbed Operesheni Wazimu Rudi Nyumbani which to some extent has tried to bring sanity to the town.

As the situation stands now, the number of mad people has greatly reduced and most of them just appear technically and go back home.

The officers allege that people in the region are not making any efforts to take their relatives to t r e a t m e n t c e n t r e s f o r rehabilitation. The area also lacks such treatment centres for mental illness, with calls being made for the establ ishments of such facilities

Res idents in the reg ion , however, hold divergent views regarding the state of mental illness in the town. Some claim that those people found roaming aimlessly in the town come from the neighbouring towns.

“The rate of poverty and the fact that Luanda is a small town with a lot of people is likely the chief reason why some act mad, to earn a living by soliciting for food,” says Mr Japheth Omonde, who operates a clinic.

Omonde notes that bhang is not grown in the area because of the high population and the small farms, but it is imported from the neighbouring regions.

He further says this menace has been of concern to him as a medical practitioner because it portrays the town negatively w. However, he is quick to point out that most of the crazy people come from Kisumu.

“We are very near to Kisumu city and thus we accommodate the bulk of those people who cannot be accommodated in that city because of their state of mind,” he says.

Victoria Angeyo (20), a hotelier, notes that there are many cases of people who walk around in the town who are apparently mad.

For some people however, Luanda town is just like any other, but because of its small size, it appears that it has more mad people than others.

“Luanda market is just like Kisumu, that has many mad people although Kisumu is larger and thus they cannot be seen everywhere,” says Josphat Matindi a sports organiser in the area.

A l t h o u g h M a t i n d i acknowledges that some cases are hereditary, he notes that bhang and the illicit brews in the region are largely to blame.

He is encouraging the youth to take up sports as a way of avoiding

drugs, otherwise the situation could get worse.

“Most of our youths have been growing up in a culture where drug usage is just as normal as any other t h i n g . I t i s v e r y d i f fi c u l t rehabilitating them now, through things like sports,” says Matindi.

Prof Inonda Mwanje, the Principal Policy Analyst at Africa Public Policy Institute (APPI), who is also a local opinion leader , says

the claim that Luanda has more mad people than others is false, all active towns have such people.

However, the academician says that the government has neglected people with mental silliness in the area

“The Government should build a rehabilitation centre in the Western region to cater for the people who are mentally disturbed because they are human and need to be incorporated back into the society ,” says Mwanje.

Prof Mwanje observes that if the government can provide free maternity care for the women, it can also rehabilitate such people.

“ W h a t p e o p l e d o n ' t understand is that people who are mentally disturbed fall under the category of the vulnerable and thus should be taken care of. Mathari Hospital is too far to do this,” he says.

Mwanje further notes that drug abuse can be tamed only if there are concerted efforts from all quarters concerned.

Area commissioner, Wambua Muthama, says drug abuse is being managed, and is not as bad as it used to be.

“Situation is not as bad as people from other parts portray. Proposal is in place to equip the region with a police sniff dog so that it can help in tracking down those selling drugs,” he said.

The administration has also been sens i t i s ing peop le in seminars and public barazas.

They are also trying their best to cut down on the supply chain

Luanda Mission Refuge Centre is the only facility around that helps in rehabilitating some of the children but its contribution is a drop in the sea.

Most of the 'mad' people that roam the streets of Luanda are normal people who have lost it to bhang

The crazy people of Luanda

the claim that Luanda has

more mad people than others

is false, all active towns have

such people

“”

Vihiga Star April 2014

8 Feature Vihiga Star April, 2014

A youth group in Emuhaya village in Vihiga county is m a k i n g m o n e y f r o m rainwater harvesting, a clear indication of how local solutions can solve one of the most pressing issues in Kenya.

The youth investment and welfare group has invested in water tanks that store rainwater which is then distributed to households in the area using pipes at a small fee.

"We have piped water to 25 homesteads and about 125 people are benefitting from it," said Wycliffe Odongo, the leader of the Emuhuya Youth Vi l l age Bunge group.

Villagers who used to walk up to five kilometres to fetch water from the river are now able to get water right from their doorsteps. T h e w a t e r i s t r e a t e d meaning that they are not exposed to waterborne diseases prevalent in the area.

Access to clean water in Kenya is a major challenge. According to government statistics of 2012, access to s a f e w a t e r s u p p l i e s throughout Kenya is 59 per cent.

"Our initial ideas included s t a r t i n g p o u l t r y a n d horticulture activities. But this area has a challenge of w a t e r a n d t o d o o u r p r o j e c t s , w e n e e d e d adequate water and this is how we decided to start with the water project," Odongo said.

The water is distributed to the households us ing gravity -- thanks to the hilly terrain in the area, there is no need to power the distribution system.

"Those connected to the water pay Sh50 per month. We have been working closely with the Ministry of Water. The connection fee is cheaper because we do not pay taxes and the cost was arrived at in liaison with the ministry," he said.

The group was started in 2011 and has 26 members. The group is part of the initiative known as Yes Youth Can, sponsored by the United States Agency f o r I n t e r n a t i o n a l D e v e l o p m e n t . T h e i n i t i a t i v e w o r k s t o

e m p o w e r y o u t h e c o n o m i c a l l y a n d politically especially in a reas tha t were most affected during the 2007-08 post election violence.

Every month, the group col lects Sh12,500, of which Sh5,000 is invested in other projects that the group has started using the revenue from water.

Odongo added that the benefits a re no t on ly financial as waterborne diseases have reduced in the area. Villagers are now able to use some water to undertake micro-irrigation projects -- they grow vegetables for household use saving them money they would have used to buy from the market.

"From the savings, we have started a tree-planting project. We plan to start building greenhouses for o u r m e m b e r s . T h e challenge is some members do not pay in time. The tanks sometimes burst and this affects the flow of water and increases the maintenance cost," said Odongo.

But the group is not giving up as it plans to start a water bottling project which they hope will bring in even m o r e i n c o m e a n d employment opportunities.

"We are also installing e ffic ien t j ikos in the community. We have also started our tree nursery project that is currently doing very well," he said.

Ann Ambasa, one of the beneficiaries, says the project has been very helpful because they used to fetch water from the river about four kilometres away.

"This project has however cut all that distance as I now fetch water only a few steps from my house. The water is cleaner than that of the river. I also don't get tired from fetching water. We want the project to be expanded so that it can be used for larger irrigation projects," she said.

Adopted from The Star

Emuhayayouth�mintcash�fromrain�water

By VIHIGA STAR REPORTER

I am 17 years old and a student “in one of the schools in Vihiga County. I cannot take care of

my baby boy. I messed with a close relative, and as such I hand the baby to the government and would never want it again. I apologize because I messed up ”, cries Josephine.

As tears rolled down her cheeks, she handed over a five-day old baby to Lillian Onsarigo, the administrator of Children Welfare Society of Kenya. She said the baby was born out of a relationship with a close relative who could not be revealed because tradition has it that incase she does , she will be cursed. .

The administrator of PEFA Rehema Children's Home in Kakamega was subsequently requested by the Vihiga District Children's Office to accept the five-day old baby who is a product of incest.

Rev Samuel Muhindi, Secretary Maragoli Council of elders, who are the custodians of culture, says children born out of incestuous relationships cannot be allowed to grow up in the community.

Muhindi said in the past , such children were placed on a rock and left to die in the sun. .

Then the two become an outcast in the society the woman was taken away to be married away from the village.

But with current change such children are often given out before the mother leaves maternity ward.. The mothers of such children usually fear the grave responsibility and repercussions they may face. This includes the task of revealing the father of the child.

A local elder said that when a girl refuses to name the man responsible for her pregnancy, relatives wait for the time of delivery when certain rituals are performed to make it hard for the girl to deliver until she reveals the culprit.

This is followed by punitive action against the accomplices in the incestuous liaison. It is the child that suffers most. Once delivered it is declared a taboo child!

For instance when a man impregnates a close relative such as a daughter, sister or niece, the duo is declared outcasts. They are therefore expelled from the society and considered dead. As such no member of the family or clan is supposed to associate with them, share a meal or even give any of them a handshake!

This is the seriousness with which the local culture attaches to incest. It is so entrenched in the culture that the taboo children have almost no chance of s u r v i v a l s a v e f o r g o v e r n m e n t intervention. Vihiga County is the most n o t o r i o u s s t r o n g h o l d s o f t h i s retrogressive culture.

According to Melvin Agoi from the Children Welfare Society of Kenya in most of these cases, parent is the ones to be blamed.

Since most of them do not introduce their children to extended families hence lead to such behaviors' in the society.

Agoi said most of the cases reported o involves girls of below18 years and men of above the age of 50 years.

Most of the affected girls are those born out of wedlock and raised by grandparents after their mothers abandon .

Such cases have led to another of child trafficking where one case has been reported however there are several cases tha t have not been repor ted the government through the Children's Department has made tremendous progress, in trying to convince the locals to change their heartless attitude towards the innocent taboo children. In most areas of western Kenya, such children were traditionally strangled at birth or put on rooftops to scorch and die.

They would then be buried secretly. In modern times most of the pregnancies are secretly terminated through abortions. The lives of these children are often saved by the authorities only when their mothers are brave enough to declare their taboo pregnancies early. This enables the Children's Department to follow up and organize for the adoptions at the time of delivery.

Hospital deliveries are therefore encouraged in this case for easy follow up, as opposed to home deliveries, according to Michael Nanjiri,Vihiga sChildren's Officer based at Mbale District Headquarters.

Nanjiri was ,however, quick to point out the fact that there was still the challenge of possible abandonment of such a child at the hospital. However with the help of social workers the bearer of an already declared taboo pregnancy is advised to wait until she delivers, before the process of adoption can start.

According to the records in the children's offices, approximately 28 cases have been reported in the county from late

last year.Adding that because several cases are

not reported because of shame, the figure could be high

The process thus entails filling the surrender forms from the Children's Department by the mother if she is over 18 years of age. In case the mother is underage, the parents are requested to stand in on her behalf. The surrender forms must be endorsed by a letter from the Chief proving and confirming that it is a taboo case.

The young mother may be retained for between four and six weeks, or at her own discretion, to breastfeed the taboo baby.

The social workers who are usually stationed at government hospitals may also persuade the young mother to go with the child. After six weeks the girl or her parents are required to commit in writing that they have surrendered the child. The social workers act as the link between the child's family and other stakeholders especially the Children's Department and the Judiciary (Children's Court).

It has been noted that the problem of taboo children in Vihiga County is rampant during the months of August and December when there is a heavy presence of idle school girls.

The county commissioner Boaz Cherutich has condemned such practice and challenged the local and elected leader to address this issue and appealed to the community to report such incident since failing to report will make it difficult for action to be taken.

The social workers in conjunction with other stakeholders such as the churches, schools and parents are charged with the responsibility of ending the culture of taboo chi ldren . Gir ls have been encouraged to be morally upright and to avoid being careless during school holidays.

Mr. Muhindi noted that the council will be calling for a special session due to the high number of incest cases so that they can deliberate on the remedies among them defending the innocent newborn baby, the need for the parent to educate their children and to encourage parents to introduce their children to their relatives

He added that there is also a need to de l ibera te on the impor tance of establishing a children home within the county since most of the children born out of incest cases disappear of are taken to children home in other counties hence the trend continues.

Taboo�sex�on�the�riseAlarm as number of girls impregnated by close relatives increases

THE BIZZARE

Feature 9

BY BRYAN TIMONE

Although he emerged position 25 nationally in l a s t y e a r ' s K C S E

examinations, a former student of Chavakali High School fears he may not be able to proceed with his education because he is an orphan and comes from a humble background.

18 year-old Ian Nyboma is the first born in

a family of four and is unable to fend for

himself or his siblings without support from

family and other well-wishers.

Despite this, Nyboma scored straight As

in all the subjects that he took with a

performance index of 86.814. Consequently

he became the second best candidate in

Vihiga County and position 25 nationally.

However, achieving this feat was an

arduous task for him considering the fact

that he faced a myriad challenges on the

family front.

Nyboma's mother passed away in 2008

when he was in Class 7 at Nzoia Primary

School and his father who was a member of

the Kenya Defense Forces passed on the

following year.

After the ordeal of losing both his parents

within a span of two years, Nyboma sat his

KCSE and only managed to score 364 marks

in his Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

(KCPE) examination.

“It was a difficult time for me and my

siblings especially since I was a candidate in

2009 sitting for KCPE. I knew I could have

done better if the situation at home had not

deteriorated that much,” said Nyboma.

At the same time, the house where he

lived with his parents in Emulakha Village ,

Navakholo Constituency was destroyed in

the confusion that followed the inheritance

of his father's property. Since then, he and his

sister have never had a permanent address to

call home. He spends most of his time at his

maternal grandmother's Rose Kitiavi's

home.

He was admitted to Chavakali High

School despite coming close to losing his

place due to lack of school fees. It is after his

narrow passage into secondary school that

he resolved to work extra hard to rebuild his

life.

“On the date for reporting to school, I

arrived without any shopping or school fees

hoping I would somehow get in and start

learning. However, I was sent home to

collect the Sh. 30, 000 required and some

shopping. After I failed to raise the amount

and the shopping needed, I was allowed to

join because the school authorities saw my

case was genuine,” Nyboma.

The School Principal Kahi Indimuli said

Nyboma is discipl ined, humble and

performed consistently well. He said

teachers at the school contributed towards

the boy's school fees through an endowment

fund.

“Nyboma was hardworking and very

humble at the same time. He respected his

teachers and his peers . Because of his

humility, if he came to school today, very few

people would recognize him. They only

heard his name when the list of the top

performers was read during the continuous

assessment tests. I would recommend that

someone assist him to pursue his university

education,” said Indimuli.

He thanked teachers at the school who he

said contributed Sh. 100 from their salaries

every month to go towards the endowment

fund meant to sponsor bright and needy

students at the school.

His 63 year- old grandmother Ms. Kitiavi

said Nyboma was a bright and disciplined

student who worked consistently hard to

ensure that he passed his examinations. She

said although she did not have any source of

income, she helped nurture him and his four

other siblings the best way she could.

“Nyboma still has a balance of Sh. 1, 600

out of the Sh. 65, 000 school fees that he was

required to pay last year. Relatives chipped in

once in a while, he sometimes got bursaries

and the school's endowment fund also

catered for some of his school fees,” she said.

His Aunt Judith Mandila said Nyboma's

other siblings also needed support since they

were in a vulnerable position.

“Financial difficulty was a hindrance all

along since the children do not have anyone

to support them. His younger sister is in

Form 3 at Samitsi Girls while his step brother

is still in primary school. Two of his step

sisters are living with his step mother,” said

Ms. Mandila.

Nyboma wishes to study Law at Moi

University should he be able to find a

sponsor to help him get admitted.

“I have witnessed a lot of injustices meted

on so many people around me. My uncle

Sabala Inyeni has also mentored me and

encouraged me to do the course. I would like

to thank my school, class teacher Mutanya

Solomon, my four grandparents, other

relatives and friends for their support and

wishing me well genuinely,” said Nyboma.

Troubles oftop student

County's second best performer fears he may not pursue his dreams

Vihiga Star April 2014

The devil seemed to have won the battle r e c e n t l y w h e n

c h a o s e r u p t e d a t t h e African Israel Nineveh Church headquarters as two factions exchanged blows and kicks in battle for supremacy.

The incident left dozens of worshipers injured and property destroyed, putting to an end a three day seminar meant to choose a new leader after a ninety day ultimatum ended.

Two factions, one led by the out going Archbishop John Mweresa and the other led by his brother Dan Kivuli engaged each other in an ugly contest that the faithful termed as the worst incident they have ever witnessed in the recent past.

The Dan Kivuli faction blames their opponents, claiming that the outgoing A r c h b i s h o p h a s b e e n misleading the worshipers and has been going against the church's` constitution.

The controversy centres around the emotive issue of m a r r i a g e , w h e r e t h e archbishop seems to have breached the constitution by marrying a second wife while in service. The church's law allows a does not allow an archbishop to take a second wife while in office, although

he could keep his second, third or fourth wife if he is e l e c t e d w h i l e i n t h e polygamous relationship.

The war many not end anytime soon with the two brothers vowing to continue with the battle, leaving worshipers curious and

questioning their integrity.

Dan was shown the doors a couple of days ago by PAG Church whilst John has been up with the management of the church in which he has served as the top most cleric for over two decades.

The Jebrock Headquarters

of the church, in Hamisi district , has been making headlines for the wrong reasons in the recent past w h i c h h a s l e d t o i t s disintegration.

African Israel Nineveh, one of the leading African independent churches in

western Kenya, was founded by David Zakayo Kivuli in 1942 after he broke up from Pentecostal Assembly of G o d . H e b e c a m e t h e archbishop.

The church started as Huru Salvation Nineveh, then Free Salvation Nineveh and later on African Israel Church Nineveh. Fridays and Sundays are their days of worship.

The church drew most of its support from the Luo and Luhya communities after its formation and later gained prominence across the country.

After the death of David Kivuli in 1974, his wife Rebeca Kivuli was handed the mantel of the church and upon retiring her grandson John Kivuli Mweresa took over leadership to date.

M e m b e r s w e a r l o n g gowns and they March and dance in rhythm to animated drum beats.

An elderly man in Womulalu village has been fined by

the v i l lage e lders for drinking from another man's well.

The alleged thief of goods of passion is a watchman at one of the primary schools in the area. The man is said to have been dodging work at night for quite some time so as to spend some “sweet moments “with a woman who lives next to the school compound.

The woman's husband works Nairobi, but has been making impromptu visits to h i s f a m i l y d u r i n g t h e weekend after learning from neighbours that the woman that promised to be faithful only to him was sharing the honey pot with a stranger to their union

It was during one such visit that he got the two red-handed enjoying a moment of illegal bliss.

“The watchman has been

reporting at work as early as 6:30pm so as to win his employer's trust. By 9:00pm every night, you will see him walk through the panya route behind the boys' toilets smiling in anticipation of good times in another man's house, only to be seen again walks back at dawn”, said one of the villagers.

A baraza was organized urgently the following day .The woman in question was expected to a t tend the meeting but instead decided run away ashamed and fearful a harsh verdict.

The village elders fined the watchman six chickens and gave him a stern warning against harvesting where he did not sow.

Rumor has it that the woman has terminated three pregnancies said to have s u p p o s e d l y b e e n t h e watchman's 'work'.

Chairs fly at Isreal Nineveh Church MAN FINED FOR DRINKINGFROM ANOTHER MAN'S WELL

10 Feature

BY ARTHUR ASAVA

Sporting a jungle green uniform, well-polished boots with a black beret bearing the county insignia on his head, he is every inch an askari.

What many do not know is that the 39 years-old , stout, 5.7” feet tall Alister Kirabondo Kangwana, a security guard manning the entrance to the Governor's Office on the first floor of Vihiga County Headquarters is also a student at the Jomo Kenyatta college of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT), Kakamega Campus.

He is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration and Leadership degree, perhaps with ambitions to occupy one of the offices he guides people to..

For Alister the journey to a better education began when he attended school at Madzuu Primary between 1983 to1990 and later Chavavo Secondary School in 1991 before being transferred to Vihiga Academy in1993 where he sat and passed the Kenya Secondary Certificate of Education (KCSE) the following year.

To pursue a degree course, the father of five (four b boys and a girl0 enrolled for bridging courses sitting for a certificate and later graduating for a diploma at the same institution in November 2013.

The dark, affable security officer is keen to exchange the security desk for the boardroom. He is in his first semester at the Jomo Kenyatta University Agriculture and Technology at the Kakamega campus.

Sitting under a shade on the well- manicured lawns at the Vihiga County headquarters, Alister cuts an image of a humble, pleasant and determined person bent on achieving his ambition.

His darting eyes, sweeping across the lawns taking in everything in the surrounding without losing trail of the interview, attest to a keen and alert disposition of a man in charge of security.

He receives calls from his security colleagues and calmly assures them of being nearby and at service, should need arise.

On how he juggles roles as an employee, student, father and husband, Alister attributes this to the support of his colleagues at the county offices,” I have a mutual arrangement with my workmates that allows me to attend to my study assignments and family matters in the morning hours and report to work in the afternoon” he says.

He also appreciates the support his wife .Night Kagonya Arabu accords him by looking after the family in his absence while at work or attending classes on weekends.

Alister was previously employed by the now disbanded Vihiga County Council (VCC) in 2007 after attending a coursei at the City Inspectorate College. He was deployed at various work stations including markets and bus parks.

He has kind words for the county council for the sponsorship programme that has facilitated completion of his certificate and diploma courses before his redeployment to the County Headquarters after devolution .

“The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) at the VCC had provision for sponsorship for those wishing to study and the County Government has so far honoured the pre-existing terms on my redeployment” he says.

He however expresses uncertainty over the County Education Bill on whether it has similar provisions for sponsorship which if lacking, could stall his studies midstream.

“ I n t h e absence of a s p o n s o r s h i p programme in the up-coming b i l l , m y u n i v e r s i t y education will just be a pipe d r e a m ,” h e laments.

“ W i t h my salary, I will not be able to pay for my tuition f e e s f o r s i x s e m e s t e r s which stands at KShs 402,000 at KShs 67 ,000 per semester,” he continues.

He urges the government to continue with the programme to assist him realise his life time goal of a u n i v e r s i t y education.

A l i s t e r d r a w s h i s m o t i v a t i o n from the desire for a better life, ability to cater for his family's needs and to make a positive contribution to the community around him. He realises that a good education holds the key to success.

He also hopes for redeployment and good career progression in recognition for his efforts at career development.

After the brief interview, Alister continues to attend to visitors at the first floor with a humble mien, displaying people skills not many in his career posses..

Security guardwith a burningambition

He will not rest until he acquires the status of some of the people he guards

Vihiga Star April, 2014

job catching thieves and you

Ado not have to be a police officer. Welcome to the life of a

security guard. It is more than just s i t t ing around and wait ing for something to happen with a cup of coffee in your hand and a donut in the other. You might be surprised to learn that security guards are hired by casinos, hospitals, businesses, banks, etc, and yes, any and all businesses. You never know, you might be a business owner one day and may need a security guard.

Security Guards are NeededSecurity guards help deter illegal

activities. Being on watch is just as important as the actual reality of catching a thief. Maintaining alertness with a ready can-do attitude is a must for any security guard. Did you know nuclear power plants

also have guards? ! Of course! They are needed anywhere and everywhere because suspicious activities can literally occur at any given spot at any given time. Security guards must know the law, their employer's handbook and be able to enforce both simultaneously.

Many law enforcement officers work as security guards during their time off because the position usually offers great part-time flexible hours. Security guards sometimes have to interact with police officers, interview witnesses and actually testify in court. Therefore the work can be dangerous especially for an armed guard. Thus, many security guards train to have a firearm and also emergency response training.

Visibility Decreases Dangerous Situations

It is important for a security guard to remain visible. Security guards do help

decrease the rate of theft when they remain visible. Not only do thefts decrease but also damages and injuries. The security guard should remain visible as well as alert on the shift. Watching out for abnormal activity or unusual sounds needs an alert guard. In dangerous situations such as theft or possible threats, security guards are required to record such events. Taking down license plate numbers is a great way to show alertness on the job as a security guard if the car is visible. Reporting suspicious activity derives from being alert the entire shift.

Additional Security DutiesSecurity guards must prevent and

detect signs of intrusion and this requires securing all doors, windows, and gates of the premises. When an alarm goes off security guards must investigate the reason and continue to monitor the

premises. Reports are written of daily activities and irregularities such as property damage. To preserve order, security guards will monitor and authorize entrance and departure of employees and visitors. Security guards will have to call police or the fire department in case of an emergency. Inspecting security systems, escorting individuals to a specific location for protection are additional tasks of security guards. In some cases security guards must transport money and valuables to prevent theft.

Security guards may not be police officers but their job is important as well to secure the safety of the people and property he is stationed at. As you can see, security guards have a lot on their plate and a good security guard will be alert at all times because you never know when and what can happen.

A day in the life of a security guard

Business 11

By Ray Adika

Food security has b e e n a m a j o r problem in Vihiga

County considering that its population is growing each year.

The county has been left behind in food security b e c a u s e t h e s m a l l , unproductive parcels of land that locals own cannot produce enough due to poor farming methods.

Locals are forced to buy food from traders in the neighbouring Nandi and Kakamega count ies to supplement their harvests.

To curb this scenario, there is need for farmers to be taught new farming methods and be provided with quality seeds.

The County Agricultural Officer, Mrs Alice Kafwa, s a i d t h e y h a v e s e n t agr icu l tura l ex tens ion officers to every ward in the

county to teach farmers how to use modern farming methods to improve their yields.

“We have plans to make sure farmers in every ward get skills on the best farming methods and this can only be achieved if agricultural officers make frequent visits in the wards to assess the progress the farmers are making,” said Mrs Kafwa.

Kenya Commercial Bank has partnered with Rural Outreach Programme Africa to promote food security in Western Kenya and Vih iga County in particular.

The region is set to benefit from an increase in food supply following the l a u n c h o f s o y a b e a n agriculture business project by the Kenya Commercial B a n k F o u n d a t i o n i n partnership with Rural O u t r e a c h P r o g r a m m e (ROP).

The project will see s m a l l - s c a l e f a r m e r s intercrop maize with soya beans, not only as means of replenishing the soil, but also proving an extra source of affordable protein needed for a healthy diet.

“Through this initiative, these specific groups of farmers will receive high quality seeds from agro dealers training on the best farming methods to use as well as product diversify within the value chain of promoting uptake of soya beans by the locals and for the export market as well,” said ROP founder Prof Ruth O n i a n ' g o d u r i n g t h e commissioning of a soya processing plant in the county.

Speaking at the launch, KCB Foundation director Grace Akumu noted that finding a market for their p r o d u c e i s t h e m a j o r challenge facing the small-scale farmers.

“ T h a t ' s w h y t h e Foundation has partnered with ROP to provide a platform where the small-holder farmers can negotiate for better prices and access better paying markets for their high quality, diverse and nutritious products,” she said.

“The partnership has seen the smal l -ho lder farmers registered with ROP from Vihiga County, Lurambi and Butere receive three flour mixing machines valued at Sh1.5 million as well as grants for the raw and auxiliary material to enhance processing of various soya bean products within the value chain,'' added Ms Akumu.

S h e a d d e d t h a t t h e Foundation will continue support ing community programmes in the towns where the bank operates in Kenya, Uganda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

I t wi l l a lso suppor t c o m m u n i t i e s i n environment protection, e d u c a t i o n , e n t e r p r i s e development, health and humanitarian interventions, she said.

Ms Akumu said that since its inception in 2007, the KCB Foundation has spent more than Sh600 million in s u p p o r t i n g v a r i o u s community initiatives.

KCB�joins�foodsecurity�campaign

Rep�begins�to�empower�youthChavakali Ward MCA Stephen Mugalitsi has started empowering the youth by promoting dairy farming in his region.

Mugalitsi said that poverty reduction is his major concern as most if the residents are living below the poverty line.

“There is no time to wast playing dirty politics. People need to embark on service delivery” Mugalitsi told Vihiga Star.

He said that so far, he had handed over 26 dairy cows to the youths as a way of helping them earn income.

“The youths will start by selling milk from the 26 cows first. There are many other projects that I will start as time goes by,” he said.

He further asked the people from his region to embrace commercial agriculture to improve food security and also boost the standards of living.

“Most of our people depend on the neighbouring counties for the supply of even the basics such as vegetables. This should stop as we have good soils and enough rain to grow our vegetables throughout the year,” he said.

The Chavakali Ward rep further encouraged the youths to form groups so that they can benefit from money that is available to the youth groups.

BY KINGI FISHA

Boda boda operators, matatu crews and green grocers could soon be covered for

accidents after an insurance company rolled out a package for small-scale businesses.

Addressing small-scale business operators at Chavakali market in Sabatia district, the Co-operative Insurance Company of Kenya western region manager, Mr Vincent Kaduki, said the product dubbed Jilinde Personal Accident Cover, targets the neglected groups in the society at a Sh365 annual premium.

Mr Kaduki added that the cover aimed at brushing away the notion that insurance is only for the rich, by providing services to those who are underprivileged in the society.

He said the programme would run in the four counties in the former We s t e r n P r o v i n c e : Vi h i g a , Kakamega, Bungoma and Busia.

“Most of our people perish due to lack of knowledge. CIC Insurance will offer training on the new Jilinde Personal Accident Cover,” said Mr Kaduki.

He urged small-scale business operators to embrace the new scheme rolled out by CIC and challenged them to form Savings and Credit Societies (Saccos) to boost their incomes.

Motor cyclists and small-scale business operators expressed their gratitude at the cover and said they

were willing to learn more about it."As a boda boda operator, I feel

somebody is finally talking to me. Many of us are not covered and when we get injured in accidents, we are forced to suffer in silence," said Mr Patrick Khayanje, an operator on the Serem-Shamakhokho Road.

He noted that although the bike he operates belongs to him, he has not insured it, thus putting him at a greater risk.

Another operator, Mr James Mulavu, was upbeat that the insurance provider would move with speed to

sensitise them about the cover as it is long overdue.

Mr Mulavu lamented that many youths were faced with difficulties in insuring themselves and their motorbikes for safety.

"My worry is that many of us are just employed and lack licenses for the motorbike. I don't know whether the insurers will accept to insure us without the documents," he said.

Green grocers at various markets seemed unaware of the importance of insurance and what it meant for their businesses.

A green grocer at Esibuye market, who sought anonymity, said he was not aware of insurance and what it would do to help her business to grow.

The green grocer's sentiments are an indicator that insurance companies had not done much to sensitise the public on their services.

It remains unclear how CIC would insure matatu and bus crews as they operate under public service vehicles that must be insured before being allowed to operate.

CIC�comes�to�the�rescue�of�matatu�crews,�vegetable�sellers

Matatu crew calling for passengers - CIC introduces a cover for them

Vihiga Star April 2014

Soya beans grinding machine

12 Feature

By Maverick Eric

An initial 20, 000 farmers in Vihiga County are expected to benefit from suckers of tissue culture banana variety starting next month.

The farmers will be taken through various trainings on how to benefit from tissue culture farming before they are given the suckers.

Revealing the information to Vihiga Star, the County Executive Committee Member in charge of Agriculture, Mr Sande Mukuna, said that they prepared the suckers in the dry spell for planting during the rain season..

“We are slowly inculcating our farmers into a culture of creating food for sustainable development of the county. We don't want to be over reliant on other counties for food every year,” Mr Mukuna said.

He said that the county was partnering with the Jomo Kenyatta Un i ve r s i t y o f S c i ence and Technology (JKUAT), which is going to provide the suckers.

So far, 40 000 suckers have been brought to Kaimosi where they are being treated before they are officially given to the farmers.

“As banana farmers are faced with devastating pests and diseases that a f fec t the i r crop, the alternative option is disease-free plantlets developed through tissue culture. Tissue culture is a biotechnology technique used to breed planting material, which are free of pests and diseases,” said Mukuna.

He fur ther said that the technique is a tool that can be used to multiply seedlings at a faster rate and in a less bulky package. “Tissue culture has been shown to bring down the cost of controlling foliar diseases by half. Once the new banana plantlets sprout, they are nurtured in the laboratory for a couple of weeks or so before being taken to a greenhouse for further growth,” he said.

He noted that after two months and at 30cm high, the plantlets will be ready for planting on-farm.

M u k u n a n o t e d t h a t t h e advantage is that from a single piece of a sucker, one is able to generate 300 plantlets and it is clean planting material, where the d i sea se s wou ld have been eliminated through the entire process of breeding.

He said that the farmers will thus be given two suckers each for a start as plans are underway to increase the number in the future.

Prior to tissue culture banana, farmers used suckers from the mother-plant to propagate their crop, which i s increas ing ly becoming outdated with the modern technology.

Farmers who venture into banana farming may finally begin reaping in more compared to other fruit farmers since banana production is year round.

It is scientifically proven that the average hectare yield for tissue culture bananas is 30 to 40 tonnes per year, earning more than Sh1 million, almost twice the yield from normal breeds.

The area deputy governor Mr Caleb Amaswache added that the county was in the process of initiating agribusiness in the county, where the youths are supposed to be involved fully.

He said that several youth groups are set to benefit from pig farming , where the county government will give them piglets for free.

M u k u n a s a i d t h a t t h e introduction of bananas in the county was in a bid to urge the residents to change their eating habits from overdependence on maize and shift to other foods for food security reasons.

The region is highly dependent on maize, but lack of land due to high population means maize farming is not sustainable as the farms can hardly produce enough throughout the year.

“The small land sizes in the area hinder production of maize on a large scale and thus if individuals can venture into alternative means of food production, like planting bananas, it help curb the recurrent hunger,” said Mukuna.

According to the agriculture executive, the area experiences adequate rainfall which if well utilised, can lead to bumper harvests to feed the residents without relying on other counties.

He now advocates for the planting of certified seeds as an option which if the residents will embrace cumulatively, may see the problem of food insecurity being a thing of the past.

The officer noted that bananas are good crops for food but are not well maintained because people view then negatively.

He further said that the lack of a market-link has been scaring farmers from participating in other farming activities.

“Market linkage is what we lack in the county because contract farming has not been in this area, w i t h t h e o p e n i n g o f t h e international airport at Kisumu, we hope that markets will now open up for farmers to engage in alternative farming activities,” he noted.

Vihiga relies on neighbouring c o u n t i e s l i k e K a k a m e g a , Transnzioa , Uasin Gishu and Nandi for food.

How Vihiga Farmers can benefit from Banana Tissue Culture

Agriculture is the backbone of any given country's economy. Fruit farming is slowly gaining ground as it is seen as a better economic activity due to demand and high profits it wrecks in.

Bananas are one of the most common fruits in the country and are extensively cultivated as an income generating activity by many local communities.

However the main problem with banana farming is that they are easily prone to diseases that affect the yield and lead to profit loss and sustenance for the farmer.

The pests and diseases that affect banana farming are such as nematodes and weevils, fungal diseases like Sigatoka and Fusarium Wilt, and bacterial diseases such as the Bacterial Xanthomonas Wilt (BXW).

Banana farming is also affected by viruses that cause diseases such as the banana bunchy top disease and banana streak.

One way of giving farmers an advantage is by providing planting materials free of disease, which mature fast, have better yields and are safe for human consumption.

Tissue culture bananas offers this solution as they grow faster a n d g i ve i n c re a s e d y i e l d s compared to the traditional species of bananas.

Tissue culture is a technique of generating plants from roots, leaves or stems in sterilized conditions and can be produced in abundant numbers.

It is available for distribution to farmers in Kenya at household and commercial level and is beneficial in helping plants such as bananas which do not produce seeds to reproduce.

Due to prevalent viral diseases

affecting farming, tissue culture has been used by researchers to yield d i s e a s e re s i s t a n t g row i n g materials.

The cultured plants in Kenya are uniform genetically, free from disease and high yielding and thus contribute to improved economic benefits per unit area of land.

How Tissue Culture bananas are produced

After generating under sterile conditions, new banana plantlets shoot; they are reared in a laboratory for some weeks before being transferred hardening in a green house.

Two months after and at a height of several centimetres, the banana plantlets are ready for the farm. In comparison with the predictable use of banana suckers, tissue culture speeds up the m u l t i p l i c a t i o n p r o c e s s dramatically.

About 2000 healthy banana plantlets are produced from a single shoot of tissue culture practice compared to ten suckers from a single banana plant within six months.

Tissue culture banana produces faster and fruits within 340 days compared to 420 days for conventional bananas.

Banana campaignto fight hunger

Tissue culture banana suckers to be given to farmers as county moves to stem perennial food shortages

Ensure your farm has the right climatic conditions for growth of bananas. Bananas grow well in a wide range of climate conditions.

The soils for banana farming should be well drained and fertile, as they cannot withstand water logging.

Fifteen days before planting prepare pits measuring 1M× 1M× 1M then separate top and subsoil, then mix the top soil with a kilogramme of well-rotted manure per planting hole, 15 g of nematicide, and 200g fertilizer.

Fill the banana hole with the

mixture and plant the banana plantlets 30cm deep into the mixture then firm up the soil.

For irrigated crop at planting time, use 40 litres of water, thereafter 20 litres 3 times weekly. Use dry grass mulches for moisture retention during banana farming.

For stems with heavy banana bunches should be supported to avoid breakages. For good growth of bananas, one should de-leaf to ensure good growth and remove old diseased leaves.

Afterwards the first harvest begins 15-18 months after planting. When the banana fruit is light green in colour and has a shiny appearance, this means it's mature and ready for harvest.

For temporary storage of bananas, keep bunches in a cool dry place and when transporting them to local markets you should carefully wrap in grass or bananas leaves to avoid bruising.

-Adapted from www.zakenya.com

How tissue culture bananas are produced

Vihiga Star April, 2014Vihiga Star April, 2014

Q: I am looking to start a small business, but my main problem

is that I have not come up with a good idea. Right now, I am a

high school teacher. I live near Luanda Town, and I have about

KSh 150, 000 to start with. I want to start when schools close in

April to earn extra income and just see where it takes me. I am

planning on keeping my other job as well. Any help would be

greatly appreciated.

A: Just like starting in a big city, where there is a lot of

competition, starting in a small town presents unique

challenges. Though you might not find dozens of companies

selling similar products or services, you will encounter

customers who might be set in their ways and reluctant to

venture out into the unknown.

That shouldn't discourage you from starting a business,

however. You just need to be smart about it. Opening up a

corner grocery across the street from the corner grocery that's

been there for 30 years and is the primary source of groceries

for your town is probably not a wise move.

If you're not sure what kind of business to start, the best

approach is to find a need in your market and fill it. That goes

for any kind of business start-up, but it's particularly true in

your case. You might find that a service-oriented business is

the safest route, rather than a retail establishment. For

example, if there is nobody selling motorcycle spare parts in

Luanda, there's a niche for you.

Sit down and brainstorm. What do you, as a consumer, wish

for? What product or service would make life easier or more

enjoyable? Look through everywhere to see what kind of

businesses are or are not out there. Even if that type of business

exists, that shouldn't necessarily preclude you from starting

one like it--you would just need to do things better than the

competition. It's a fine line though--going back to that corner

grocery example, certain types of businesses will have loyal

customers, and trying to lure them away would probably be an

exercise in frustration.

If you can come up with a list of five to 10 possibilities, then

you can start narrowing down your list to the one business that

suits you best. Read: It's not enough just to start a business

because there's a need for it. You have to enjoy what you're

doing, too. After all, you are the one investing your own

money--and sweat--into the business.

Now I'm going to sound very cliched, but I have a point: Do

what you love, and the success will follow. There's a reason

you've heard that expression, or a variation of it, a million

times. It's true.

Your�Business�Questions�Answered

Business 13Vihiga Star April 2014

The Uwezo Fund in Kenya is a youth and women's fund which has its genesis in the pledge President Uhuru Kenyatta made to allocate the Kshs. 6 billion that was meant for the presidential run-off to youth and women groups. Its objectives are:

1. To expand access to finance through grants and credit to promote youth and women businesses and enterprises at the constituency level, thereby enhancing economic growth towards the realization of the goals of Vision 2030;

2. To generate gainful self-employment for Kenyan youth and women;

3. To model an alternative framework in funding community driven development.

The Uwezo Fund which provides youth and women access to grants and interest-free loans, as well as mentorship opportunities to enable them take advantage of the 30 percent government procurement preference for youth, women and persons with disabilities through its Capacity Building Programme.

The principles of Uwezo Fund are:

1. Representation: to ensure the inclusion of all Kenyans including women, youth, persons with disabilities, elected parliamentary representatives and respective government officials.

2. Accountability: to ensure government is held responsible to the citizenry for its decisions and actions.

3. Accessibility: guaranteeing accessibility at the lowest level of engagement and for the largest category of recipients using a simple, structured and least cost approach.

4. Economy: use of the best but least cost mechanism to achieve the desired objective.

How to Access Uwezo Fund

Step 1: Sign up for Capacity Building

Programme Step 2: Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteriaStep 3: Fill an application form (this form will be available at the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee office and on the Uwezo Fund website)Step 4: Submit the application form together with relevant documents to the Uwezo Fund Management Committee within your constituencyStep 5: Await notification of the Uwezo Fund Management committee

Frequently Asked Questions about Uwezo Fund

What is Uwezo Fund?

Uwezo Fund stems from the pledge His Excellency the President made to allocate the Kshs. 6 billion that was meant for the presidential run-off to youth and women groups.

Why Uwezo Fund?

The objectives of the Fund are:

1. To expand access to credit to promote youth and women business and enterprises at the constituency level and thereby enhance economic growth towards the realization of the goals of Vision 2030;

2. To generate gainful self-employment for the youth and women;

3. To model an alternative framework in funding community driven development.

Who qualifies as a beneficiary of Uwezo Fund?

Registered Youth and Women groups and Religious Organizations

What is the eligibility criterion for Uwezo Fund?

For women and youth groups to qualify, they must:

1. Be registered with the Department of Social Services or the Registrar of Societies with a membership of 5 – 15 members.

2. The youth group membership must be between 18 and 35 years of age. The women's

group must be made up of women.

3. Preference will be granted to groups that have been in existence for at least six (6) months.

4. Be based and operating within the Constituency it seeks to make an application for consideration.

5. Operate a table banking (chama) structure where members make monthly contributions according to the groups' internal guidelines (evidence of monthly contributions will be a requirement).

6. Hold a bank account in the name of the group.

7. Recommended by the Chief of the location.

For religious institutions to qualify, they must be:

1. Registered entities;

2. Recommended by the Inter-religious Council of Kenya;

3. Have listed youth and women groups.

An application to the Uwezo fund shall be accompanied by:

1. A signed guarantee form executed by each member of the women or youth group individually committing to repay the loan requested by the group.

2. Individual group member reference letters from recognized leaders in business, religious organizations, national or county government administration in the location validating the member's credibility.

How will youth and women access Uwezo Fund?

Step 1: Sign up for Capacity Building Programme once launchedStep 2: Ensure that you meet the eligibility criteriaStep 3: Fill an application form (this

form will be available at the Constituency Uwezo Fund Management Committee officeand on the Uwezo Fund website)Step 4: Submit the application form together with relevant documents to the Uwezo Fund Management Committeewithin your constituencyStep 5: Await notification of the Uwezo Fund Management committee

How much money is accessible though Uwezo Fund?

The monies will be payable only to a group, from a minimum of Kshs. 50,000 and not exceeding Kshs 500,000 at a time. The fund will be distributed on a first come first served basis, depending on eligibility of the application. In determining the total amount a group is eligible to receive, the following considerations will be made:

1. The length of time the group has been in existence;

2. The total amount contributed by the group;

3. The current status of contribution;

4. The proposed plan for the loan.

The repayment period for Uwezo loan will be determined by the following:

1. The amount of money borrowed;

2. The size of the group;

3. The proposed plan for the loan.

Groups will be allowed a six month grace period before commencement of repayment of the loan element.All loans will be payable within two years from the end date of the grace period.Is this the same as Youth Fund or the Women Fund?

No, this is a separate fund but will complement the other two existing Funds.

Is Uwezo loan interest payable?

No, but a percent administration fee will be charged.

How do Persons with Disabilities benefit?

How�to�access�Uwezo�Fund�money?�

14 News Vihiga Star April, 2014Vihiga Star April, 2014

By Star Reporter

Vihiga county assembly is m a k i n g a s t e a d y progress on matters

legislative since its inception a year ago.

Although there have been difficult moments for the assembly where it has faced tough opposition from the members of the public, due to varied reasons, all seems well at the legislative arm of the county government.

The a s sembly has so f a r approved five crucial bills on top of v e t t i n g C o u n t y E x e c u t i v e Committee members, County Public Service Board members, and ch ie f o fficers , among o ther positions in the county government.

Speaker Daniel Chitwa notes tha t the assembly has been overwhelmed within the first year, having to set up proper structures t h a t c a n s p u r t h e c o u n t y government ahead despite the many challenges abode.

“The first year has been a difficult one but we have managed to get on our feet, having approved various bills with many others pending, having been referred to

their various committees for scrutiny,” Chitwa said during a breakfast meeting at Sosa Cottages which was held by Christian Partners Development Agency (CPDA).

So far, some of the bills that have been approved by the county assembly include: Finance Bill 2013, which the speaker says that it had over twenty sub-laws that needed the MCAs to go through and approve.

He revealed further that the county assembly had approved the Appropriations Bill 2013, the Vihiga County Assembly Service Board Bill, Vihiga County Ward Bill and the Education Fund Bill.

The speaker says that the Assembly recognizes the need to implement the constitution up to the lowest possible level and thus the extra effort that it is putting in place.

“The constitution calls for a further decentralisation of services to the people by the county governments, so that people at the ward level can easily know what the government is doing,” he said.

He says that in as much as MCAs will not be directly involved in the development projects at their

respective regions, they have an oversight role which if not properly implemented; county governments may fail to click.

The speaker said that they have many other bills on their table which they are going through and may be approved soonest possible.

“We have the Vihiga County Alcoholic Control Bill, County Emblems and Symbols Bil l , Supplementary Estimates Bill among other documents,” he said.

The speaker observed that one of the key reasons the county assembly is making incessant progress is its belief in public participation that has seen members of the public freely get to know what the assembly is doing at any

particular time.

“We have not met hostility like in other counties because we believe that we have to legislate on issues that directly affect the people on the ground. They have to have to have a share of whatever that we are doing,” he told Vihiga Star.

He further said that the MCAs had undergone thorough studies in v a r i o u s i n s t i t u t i o n s , t h u s sharpening their legislative skills for effective service delivery.

“ T h e t r a i n i n g s o n t h e constitution, standing orders, County Governments' Act, Public Finance Act among others have been very impor tan t to the operation of the assembly,” he said.

The county assembly members recently made trips abroad to Uganda and Singapore for fact finding where they learnt many things, that they are bound to implement in the county for its continued growth.

Leader of Majority Andrew Ahuga, however expressed his concern that many MCAs may fall vict ims of circumstances as residents will judge them on the promises that they made during the campaigns to the General Elections.

Ahuga argues that they were elected on party manifestos which were promising many good things to the people, yet the constitution has tied them on the legislative role.

“There is need for civil society to come in and educate the people on the various duties that different organs of the county governments are tasked with. Otherwise, it will not go down well with the MCAs whom the people will judge as underperforming,” he said.

CPDA director Alice Kirambi said that the civil society will work to see to it that county government supports devolution and the people are well sensitised.

She said that the agency was working to make sure all was well b e t w e e n t h e t w o a r m s o f g o v e r n m e n t a n d t h a t t h e i r coordination is made effective.

“The county assembly should be in apole position to erase the cases o f c o r r u p t i o n w h i c h s t i fl e development agenda in any place. We should work for means of br inging down the leve l of corruption to almost zero in the counties,” Mrs Kirambi said.

Assembly�makes�good�progressSpeaker�Daniel�Chitwa�says�the�House�has�passed�several�signi�cant�laws�in�its��rst�year

Speaker�Daniel�Chitwa

The 2014 CFSP continues to advance the County's economic growth

strategy elaborated in the CIDP, while providing detailed plans to

enhance and promote competitive social growth in 2014 and beyond.

The main pillars of the paper are accelerating economic growth,

enhancing equity, poverty reduction and improving governance.

The expenditure policy framework aims in ensuring efficiency and

effectiveness in the implementation of development policies. As part of

efforts to link policy with budgeting, reforms in expenditure and

financial management will be deepened, and growth of non-priority

expenditures will be contained in order to create fiscal space for

financing priority areas such as the social sectors, agriculture and

physical infrastructure which are essential to sustainable economic

growth and development.

Significant progress is expected to be made in implementing the

medium term expenditure framework in terms of linking policies,

planning and budgeting and shifting budgetary resources to priority

areas. The county expects challenges which will be addressed as

follows:· Initiating an early comprehensive effort on costing all existing

policies, programs and projects.· Building links between recurrent and development budget.· Developing a more programmatic approach to the budget

process with a view to improving the linkage between

expenditure and results.

The CFSP focuses on:

· Pro-poor expenditures, in support of the CIDP, the Vision 2030

and the MDGs goals· Shifting resources towards capital expenditures.· Initiating structural reforms in areas such as public expenditure

management finance and governance to provide a conductive

framework that encourages and supports community

development.

The fiscal framework included in this 2014 CFSP outlines an

affordable and sustainable path of public spending aimed at achieving

the county medium term development priorities. Other objectives that

guide the preparation of the County Fiscal strategy paper include the

following:· Producing a budget that is affordable and sustainable· Ensuring budget predictability· Providing a suitable environment for social development.

Finally I would like to express my gratitude to all those who participated

in the preparation of the CFSP.

Evans KaigaCounty Executive Committee Member –Finance & Economic

Planning

FOREWORD�TO�THE�COUNTY�FISCAL�STRATEGY�PAPER�2014

As the County Governments take charge

of stadia and sports management in

g e n e r a l a l o t i s d e s i r e d o v e r

improvement of these facilities in the country.

There are only two stadiums in Vihiga County,

Hamisi which is located in Hamisi Sub County and

Kidundu stadium in Vihiga Sub County. Both

stadiums are in deplorable conditions and need to be

rehabilitated.

Sports is one of the Country's biggest earners so

far and if the National and County Government

cannot invest heavily in sports by building new

stadiums the dream of generating more revenue from

sports will never be achieved.

The executive member for sports culture gender

and youth in Vihiga County Nixon Amendi says the

County Government has set a side Sh 10 million for

rehabilitation of the two stadiums in the County.

He says Hamisi stadium is the biggest and they are

going to upgrade it by leveling the ground, planting

new grass and then erect perimeter wall around the

facility.

Amendi complained of residents grazing their

animals and creating pathways in the stadiums which

has adversely affected their efforts in rehabilitating

the facilities in the County.

The Stadiums management has always been

under the former Municipal Council of Vihiga which

tried much in rehabilitating this facilities and he says

the County Government has put in place proper

structures to improve from where they left.

“We are going to erect perimeter walls around this

facilities and this will help us keep of residents from

tempering with the stadiums considering that we

want to have the best stadiums in the region”, He

said.

There is land at Solongo in Sabatia Sub County

where the County Government has plans to relocate

some of the residents around the area to pave way for

the expansion of land to build a modern stadium in

the County.

He said the County plans building stadiums in

every Sub County to ease movement of youths

within the County seeking these facilities for training

and tournaments in their respective sub County.

“We are planning building another stadium in

Buyangu in Emuhaya sub County we are planning

having a stadium in every sub County and the

County government through my ministry has laid up

proper plans to achieve this”, Amendi said.

Sports 15Vihiga Star April 2014

Sports�stadia�cry�out�for�face-lift

Great�expectationsas��Ingwe��turns��fty

AFC Leopards 50 y e a r s G o l d e n J u b i l e e

celebrations were marked at a Nairobi hotel recently where future aspirations tailored at taking the club to the next level were outlined. A m o n g t h e d e l i b e r a t e programmes the team shall embark on is purchase of a 10-acre piece of land on which will be built the club's 30,000 Stadium, exactly the same size as Nyayo National Stadium, complete with a club house and hotel.

Leopards ac t ing chief

executive officer, Richard Ekhalie said the transaction on the acquisition of the land should be complete by the end o f J u n e a f t e r w h i c h construction will start. There will also be a documentary film to capture what is going on at the club for future reference as well as Ingwe Marathon on June 8 with the proceeds used to purchase the land on which the stadium shall sit. Also lined up before the turn of the year is the organisation of Ingwe Super Cup, featuring AFC Leopards, Gor Mahia, TP Mazembe of Democrat ic

Repub l i c o f Congo and Ghana's Asante Kotoko to raise funds towards the club's activities.

Leopards chairman Allan Kasavuli said the team is, rightly, one of those that had shaped Kenyan football, hence the need to revamp it especially t h i s t i m e w h e n i t i s commemorating an important era. “My administration will transform Leopards into a financially independent entity through the co-operation of stakeholders,” said Kasavuli during the gala graced by

Football Kenya Federaion ( F K F ) P r e i d e n t S a m Nyamweya, Mathare United chairman Bob Munro and FKF CEO Mike Esakwa.

Kasavuli said football was not only big business but also a unifying factor, saying his management will ensure its one of the leading in the country. “Soccer is one sport that has overwhelming global appeal which transcends national, cultural, religious and gender boundaries as well as s o c i o - e c o n o m i c c l a s s . “Soccer's appeal continues to grow with an ever-expanding audience throughout the world in both industrialised and developing countries”.

T h e A F C L e o p a r d s sup remo a l so desc r ibed professional football as a vital tool in the game. “Estimates suggest there are over 240 million registered players w o r l d w i d e w i t h f a n participation in billions. I stand here today as chair of a club so successful and respected among its peer in Africa having achieved what many can only dream of.” Among Leopards legends during the gala night were Joe Kadenge, Joe “JJ” Masiga, his sibling Bernard M a s i g a , P a t r i c k S h i m , Josephat Murila and George Sunguti. The only Member of P a r l i a m e n t p r e s e n t w a s Kisumu Town leg is la tor Shakeel Shabir.

Soccer great Joe Kadenge (second right) cuts the cake to commemorate

AFC Leopards’ Golden Jubilee celebrations.

A section of Hamisi Stadium

Kidundu Stadium

Stadia�cryfor�facelift

BY ARTHUR ASAVA

A fourteen member technical committee has been formed

c o n s i s t i n g o f m e d i c a l doctors, nurses among other cadres in the public medical sector to collect and collate challenges facing the public medical institutions and make recommendations to t h e C o u n t y C a b i n e t Secretary of Health and the Office of the Governor.

This follows a directive by the Vihiga County Governor, M o s e s A k a r a n g a a t a consultative meeting with representat ives from the Vihiga County Hospital, sub-county hospitals and other health facilities across the county.

At the meeting held at the Vih iga County Hosp i ta l meeting Hall, representatives of the health workers made presentations on lack of adequate equipment, staff welfare, hospital and health facility infrastructure, working procedures, inadequate drugs and kits, staffing and salaries.

Addressing the heal th workers, the Governor assured t h e m t h a t h i s o ffi c e i n conjunction with the County Ministry of Health would follow up on the findings and recommendat ions of the committee to improve health services delivery to the public.

The Governor expressed his dismay at delayed salaries on learning that some medical staff had not received the

January 2014 salary.“You cannot sit comfortably

when you have worked and received no pay”, said a visibly emotional Governor.

H e d i r e c t e d t h a t adjustments to the payroll be closed by 15 of every month to expedite processing of the salary to avoid delays.

The governor assured the workers of the availability of f u n d s t o m e e t s a l a r y obligations but was quick to add that there were some challenges his government faced on the change over from the national payroll to the county payroll.

“ M y g o v e r n m e n t i s importing medical equipment worth Ksh 150 million and three ambulance vehicles in the next two months to boost medical services to the public”, revealed the governor.

The medical institutions are s t eeped in d i re need o f e q u i p m e n t . L a c k o f

a m b u l a n c e s h a s f o r c e d relatives with patients in critical condition to hire motorbikes to effect referrals.

Obsolete dental chairs, sterilizers in constant need of r e p a i r a n d o t h e r v i t a l equipment have continued to expose pat ients to freak acc id en t s and hos p i t a l -acquired infections increasing the already high mortality rates.

T h e g o v e r n o r a l s o announced plans to install solar power equipment in medical facilities on a pilot basis to cut on rising electricity bills and as an alternative to the erratic supp ly f rom the hydro -electricity power grid.

He also pledged to pay the nurses uniform allowances, risk and extraneous allowances while expressing a desire to m e e t w i t h t h e n u r s e s exclusively on a date yet to be set.

The governor directed the

Health executive, Ms Zilpah Kageha to study section 116 of the Finance Management Act and come up with a bill to fund community health units.

M e d i c s o n E c o n o m i c Stimulus Programme (ESP) contracts have every reason to smile following consultations between the Public Service B o a r d a n d t h e H u m a n Resource Department with the a im o f ab s o r b in g t h o s e recommended for impressive performance on permanent basis.

Some Health facilities faced closure because the bulk of health workers including the Institution's Heads were on E S P contracts that were nearing expiry.

Mr. Akaranga decr ied romour-mongering saying that his open-door policy allowed everyone to walk in to give or receive information.

“We live in a county where people thrive on rumours, my office is open to everyone, come talk to me and I will listen”, said the Governor.

The health boss advised hospital heads to asses their drug requirements to avoid shortages in between drug purchases.

The newly formed technical committee has already had two sittings and met the Governor once for briefing.

The following are members of the Technical taskforce appointed to collect and collate views from the Vihiga County health workers to advise and make recommendations to the Governor.

The committee is chaired by Dr Q. B Ahindukha while Mr Polycarp Opiyo is the secretary�

By Ray Adika

heating in national examinations has

Cbecome a major problem considering efforts put in by the Kenya National

Examination Council (Knec) .

Just recently there were revelations of a man from Mumias in Kakamega County who impersonated the outgoing Knec CEO Paul Wasanga and solicited funds from school principals promising to rank their schools among the top in the country.

Exam cheating is a vice that has to eliminated by efforts from examination body, teachers, students and parents .

Lusengeli Secondary School administration has decided to do something tangible through the initiative of reporting the female student whose results were cancelled by the examination body, (KNEC).

The principal Mr Mathews Mageso said the female candidate was found with the CRE exam papers, prompting him to take the bold step of alerting KNEC of the irregularity in the school.

“We had prepared those candidates well by completing the syllabus on time and we made them aware of the exam regulations from January. I would be the most unhappy teacher if any candidate's results were cancelled”, he said.

He said he had to take that step as a corrective and protective measure as the girl's conduct could affect the more than 130 others who sat for the same exam with her.

He noted that the move to inform the national examiner has put him at an advantage ..

"We do not condone cheating in exams. Even now, we have sent home some students for cheating in a continuous assessment exam (CAT). They have to bring their parents before we can allow them back in school”, said Mageso.

He said the school had explained to the community about the cancelled results. "They have understood and agreed with the step the school took."

Surprisingly, the parents of the affected candidate have not visited the school to find out why the girl's results were cancelled .

Consequently, a form three students who was hiding a mobile phone belonging to the affected student has been expelled from the school in what the administration said is to eradicate cheating in exams.

Ethical�school�headwho�reported�own�cheating�candidate

VIHIGA StarA publication of the County Government of Vihiga April 1, 2014

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