It’s a Grand League for
Kitui’s Ndengu Revolution
By Martin Masai
KITUI, Sunday March 31, 2019
Governor Kaluki Ngilu’s
flagship programme- The Ndengu Revolution this week made another milestone when
it brought together high profile national and global participants to a roundtable
to underwrite its sustainability.
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| Governor Ngilu |
The meeting, held on Wednesday
March 27 at KEFRI, Kitui also brought agriculture ministers from the counties
of Kwale, Kilifi, Makueni, Muranga and Samburu which is seen as recognition of
Kitui’s leadership in the production of green gram (Ndengu).
The main objective of
the conference is “to bring under one roof all the Key Actors in the Ndengu
Value Chain with the aim of creating synergy for sustainable wealth creation”
Governor Ngilu was
represented at the event by her deputy Dr. Wathe Nzau.
A new joint initiative
known as the National Agricultural and Rural Improvement Programme (NARIGIP),
supported by the World Bank, in partnership with the National and County
Governments is investing a whopping Kshs.21 Billion in 20 counties, to among
others, improve productivity and profitability of grassroots agricultural
activities through a Value Chain / Value Addition approach, over a 5 year
period.
The initiative
resonates with Mrs. Ngilu’s Five Pillar Manifesto of Food and Water,
Healthcare, Education and Youth Development, Women Empowerment and Wealth
Creation. The Ndengu Revolution cuts through all the pillars as it provides
food, boosts health, engages youth, empowers women and creates wealth for
residents.
The conference comes
as Kitui, for the first time in history, is missing from the list of famine
struck counties. The governor launched The Ndengu Revolution days of her
inauguration in 2017 and is now on its 4th season, Two weeks ago,
the governor launched a new set of tractors to plough for 20 days at least two
acres each for the most vulnerable farmers, targeting 5,061 acres for this
subsidy.
The high profile organizations
at the meeting included the World Bank. SNV Netherlands. The universities-South
Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), Kenyatta University(KU) and Egerton University
and Research Institutions ( KALRO and Katumani.
Others were top
officials of the newly formed Kitui Business Community Group comprising of
hawkers; Mali kwa Mali, Bodaboda operators, Retailers. Wholesalers,
Hoteliers and Manufacturers. Other players included several leading Agro-
Chemical Companies and dealers, Kitui based Co-operatives, the media, several
banks and financial institutions based in Kitui and farmer’s representatives
drawn from farmers’ common interest groups from each of the 8 Counties
A notable personality
at the conference was Mr. Dushyant from Capital Reef Hotel, Mombasa who took
the first flight from the coastal city to Nairobi, then hired a car and drove
all the way to the forum, drove back to Nairobi. the same day to catch the 8.00
pm flight back home
KItui County has lined
up four value chains for support under NARIGIP which include the Ndengu
Revolution Value Chain, the Honey / Hive products Value Chain, the Local
Poultry Value Chain and the Mango Value Chain;
The Governor’s Manifesto
targets in the end to move an array of Value added products from the
farmlands of KItui to the plate in nearly every household for Kenya, regional
and Global customers in carefully selected Countries throughout the world.
According to Dr. Temi
Mutia, the Value Chain / Value Addition Specialist in the office of the
Governor, the Ndengu Revolution Programme’s first phase targets major
investments in critical areas along the Ndengu Value Chain, including Marketing
and Market Access, establishment of aggregation, Warehousing centers, a
transport logistics plan, Ndengu threshing, Winnowing facilities a trade
and Financing Plan, an Applied Skills Development Programme and the Ndengu Post Harvest
Management.
Other speakers at the
conference included Kitui’s Agriculture Minister Mr. Emmanuel Kisangau, World
Bank’s Dr. Micheal Njuguna, Mr. Gerald Masila- CEO- East African Grain Council,
Dr Grace Mutua- The Chairperson of the Agriculture Committee in the County
Assembly and Mr. Dushyant - A director of Capital Reef - Mombasa and one of the
Leading Ndengu exporters from Kenya.
