Seasonal river management will solve all our problems

Dust road

The sun burns scathingly, dry earth stretches for kilometers along the meandering dirt roads in Kiboko, Kenya. A thick red cloud bellows behind a moving car, leaving frustrated pedestrians chocked and puffed with thick, red dirt. This is the reality in Kiboko, the land that predicts paradise in the rain season and swiftly and unbelievably turns to a dry/hot nightmare after the rains.

Muooni River in April 2014

Seasonal River Management is a pertinent issue that has forever evaded us, the residents of the wider Ukambani community. The Muuoni River carries unbelievable amounts of water in the rain season that, more often than not, overflows into farm area. During the most recent April (2014) rains, I could not walk close to the river edge as it had become extremely marshy short of collapsing. 

Believe it or not, the Muooni’s river bed resembles a sandy super highway today, in the dry season. I take long walks in it, enjoying the subtle, sweet friction between the moist sand and my feet: Free pedicure! :) . At this time, both farmlands and pastures dry up, residents struggle to access water and they turn to sand harvesting as an economic activity in desperation.

Muooni River in
Aug 2014

It is utterly inconceivable that all this water ends up in the Indian Ocean whereas it can be harvested or trapped at strategic points. An average sand dam can store millions of gallons of water per year. Building sand dams is the most economical approach to rehabilitating arid and semi-arid areas as well as improving livelihoods. With labor assistance from the community, a concrete dam can be built across the river. During the rainy season, water collects behind the dam, and brings with it tonnes of sand and silt. Over the course of around three such wet periods, the sand builds up behind the dam. And here is where the beauty of the technology lies, because as well as the sand behind the dam there is also water. In between every grain of sand there is a space, and that space is filled with water.In times of rain and flash flooding, and once the dam is backfilled with sand, the river continues its course over the top of the dam, ensuring that  people living downstream of the dam are still able to use the river, as before. Running through the bottom of the dam is a plastic pipe, with a tap on the end. Community members need only turn the tap on to get clean sand filtered water, year round, on demand. 

Many such projects have been undertaken courtesy of NGOs. It is high time the government incorporated this system in its projects to accelerate the process. This will not only improve livelihoods, but will save lives and the environment as well. Sand dams also have the effect of raising the local water table. This can have miraculous impacts on the potential for local agriculture.

Me on river bed

April 2014 rains

August 2014

If you eat, you should care about how your food is raised and who raises it!

Sewer irrigating farmer in Nairobi

The Nairobi commercial vegetable sector has developed immensely, taking advantage of the availability of waste and sewer water generated from residential areas and the rapid access to city markets. A lot of farmers within a 20km radius of Nairobi Center practice irrigation utilizing raw sewage water suspected to contain the full spectrum of pathogens, many of which can survive for several weeks when discharged onto fields (Amoha et al., 2006). Use of sewage water for farming also results in excessive accumulation of heavy metals in soils which in turn leads to elevated levels of heavy metal uptake by crops, which in turn affects food safety.

Obsession with aesthetic attributes like spotlessness, color, shape and size as opposed to health-wise attributes by consumers has encouraged excessive use of pesticides, chemical fertilizers as well as raw sewage water irrigation. This is in fact impacting negatively on our health in the long term!

Source your vegetables from a clean, crisp, non-polluted farm

I have had my own share of frustrations with the Nairobi up market grocers with their obsession with size and shine on eggplants. A lot of fruits and vegies are getting waxed to prevent moisture loss, protect them from bruising during transportation, and increase their shelf life. Ask your grocer about the kind of wax used on their surface even if you are going to peel it. (Good luck!).
Petroleum-based waxes contain solvent residues or wood rosins. It is not just the wax itself that may be of concern but the other compounds often added to it - ethyl alcohol or ethanol for consistency, milk casein (a protein linked to milk allergy) as a film former or soap as a flowing agent.

Cowpea plants at a farm in Makindu

Fresh Okra in Makindu

Eggplants in Makindu

Next time you buy your veggies, consider how they were nurtured and the source's credibility. Remember, your greatest wealth is your health!

My Love Affair with the Farm

When one wakes up to the whistle of birds, the buzz of bees, the crow of chicken, the scream of eagles, the croak of frogs, the bleat of goats and the chatter of squirrels then they know they slept in Paradise. On the serene, grasslands of Kiboko, on the peripheries of the Tsavo East National park, lies my farm, my haven. It is here that I get intimate with nature, nurturing it and bonding with it in more ways than one.

My love affair with the farm began many years ago as a child. I grew up in the metropolitan city of Nairobi and every weekend, Dad & I would drive down to the country side. I recall the wild and remote nature of those trips where we would get jammed in the mud on rainy days; sometimes the car’s radiator would soak in water rendering it immobile. I recall vividly one night we spent in the car in the wild due to radiator issues (Thank God for automobile technology, it does not happen today  J ) I boldly recall the buffaloes hovering around in complete disregard of the motor car. Despite all, I still looked forward to those weekend farm visits.

Fast tracked to date: The proactive Merit Farm in Makindu, Kiboko is the actualization of my passion for gardening, environmental conservation and healthy living. The farm is energized by solar power in both water pumping as well as lighting. My awe with farming is derived from the self-fulfillment of seeding that progresses to budding and into an elegant tree or plant. The fact that I plant a neem tree that will  for shade us on sunny days as well as provide a key ingredient for homemade organic pesticides. The lovely multi-colored flowers that sprout & monopolize, reaffirming that there is a heaven on earth. The bees that buzz into the farm, diligently pollinating my plants, letting nature take its course. The bountiful harvest that emanates from the bees love affair with the flowers. The pure natural honey that drips out of the traditional hives on harvest day. The evident smile on the consumers’ face on receiving the farm produce…. My love, my passion, my life.

I have had absurd experiences as well. Life at the farm is quite makeshift, if I may say. Bath water is fetched from a water tank into a bucket which one carries to the bath rooms delinked from the main house. On dry seasons, the bees usually hover around the tank tap to uptake the much needed water. On one evening I fetched water as usual and scurried to the bathroom. I did not notice that a bee had fallen into the bath water. In the bath room, I filled my cupped hands with bath water and swiftly wet my back. Sorry, bath water and an agitated bee! Wasn’t I stung on my back! I emerged from the bath running like a wildebeest. The rest is history. J

Our love affair is well informed, rational and balanced. What I give is what I get. Hard work at the farm begets a bountiful harvest. I have returned from another of the frequent stays at the farm and had my usual excellent time. Typical breakfast includes fresh butternuts, organic milk and indigenous chicken eggs.  The stars at night are sensational & spectacular, perfect to lull one to sleep.