Residents of Nyeri have been advised to evaluate track records of persons who they wish to vote into various elective offices in the forthcoming General poll.
Nyeri Governor, Dr Mutahi Kahiga, said any person who presents himself or herself for election should be evaluated on the basis of what he has done and not what he had promised to do.
Dr Kahiga was speaking at Karuthi village in Chinga Ward in Othaya Sub-county, during the distribution of free certified maize and bean seeds to area residents.
“We have seen what has taken place in the recently concluded by-elections in Ol-Kalou, Mbeere and Malava and taken vital lessons from them. Among the lessons learnt from these mini-polls is that your vote is an important asset that decides who will govern or represent you for the next five years. In the event you get carried away by political euphoria and end-up electing the wrong person, you will have to live with your consequences for the next five years,” he said.
He also defended the cordial working relationship between his office and the National government, which he termed critical for achieving meaningful development.
Dr Kahiga said Kenyans are less interested in the ongoing political infightings among leaders and more keen on what is being done now to improve their livelihoods.
“The local person is not interested in whether development in his area will come from the National or County government. They are equally not interested in whether the road being tarmacked in their area is being funded by the National government or the County government. What our people need are leaders who will serve them with no strings attached regardless of which level of government they ascribe to,” pointed out Dr Kahiga who was accompanied by area Member of the County Assembly (MCA), Kiruga Thuku, and Agriculture CECM, James Wachihi .
The County boss also encouraged farmers to register for the National Maize and Fertilizer Subsidy Programmes, to enable them receive notifications and updates on the ongoing distribution exercise.
The County boss also urged farmers to liaise with relevant agriculture extension officers and meteorological officials in order to get updated information on the much anticipated El Nino rains later in the year.
He said the information is critical in enabling farmers to make informed decisions on when to plant the seeds and in the process avert possible crop failure through heavy downpour.
“I also urged residents to make good use of the seedlings distributed by planting them in time and taking full advantage of the upcoming rains. As a County, we will continue investing in agriculture and supporting our farmers with the resources, knowledge and partnerships they need to boost productivity, strengthen food security and improve household incomes.” said the County boss.
Meanwhile, Coffee farmers at Kiamwangi Coffee Factory in Iria-ini Ward, Mathira East Sub-County, are set to benefit from a modern solar coffee dryer, whose construction now nearing completion.
The project is being spearheaded by the County Government in partnership with the National Government through the Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Programme.
FLLoca is a five-year program funded by the Government of Kenya, the World Bank and other donors with the sole aim of delivering locally-led climate resilience actions and strengthening County and National government’s capacity to manage climate risk.
The facility features four modern metallic drying beds with a capacity of 16 tonnes of coffee beans per drying cycle.
The technology is expected to cut drying time from approximately 14 days to just 7 days, while improving bean quality, reducing contamination, and increasing the competitiveness of Nyeri coffee in both local and international markets.
The project also includes a tree-planting component geared towards enhancing environmental conservation efforts and mitigating vagaries of climate change.
Mutahi said the project is part of efforts to promote climate-smart agriculture and strengthen value addition in the coffee sector which has been making a steady recovery after years of neglect due to poor cherry prices.
“This investment reflects Nyeri County’s continued commitment to climate resilience, value addition, and empowering coffee farmers to produce premium-quality coffee that attracts better prices and improves livelihoods,” posted the Governor on his Facebook page.
“Once operational, the state-of-the-art solar dryer will improve coffee quality, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance farmers’ earnings by providing a faster, cleaner, and more efficient drying process.”
Kiamwangi is among nine other coffee factories benefiting from the FLLoCA programme, alongside Chorong’i, Njuriga, Thage-ini, Kiamariga, Gachuiro, Ichamara, and Rwarai Coffee Factories.
By Samuel Maina
