Lunza Primary School, Butere, Kakamega County - Lunza Primary School has 812 students, many of whom walk barefoot to and from school. Recently, the school produced the first pupil to go to a national school, Alliance High School. The school is also in an agriculturally rich area that has plenty of rain and fertile soils. Agricultural production is the main economic activity with maize and grass dotting many homesteads. What stands out is that there is a 4K club made up about 100 students that tend the fields where food such as maize and sweet potatoes are grown.
It is here that KEPHIS chose to conduct its Corporate Social Sustainability Initiative for the 2018-2019 financial year. We donated a greenhouse for growing tomatoes, a water tank that can hold up to 5,000 litres of water and capacity building for the school's agriculture patron Mr. Bernard Imbaye as well as the students. We also donated 10 avocado seedlings which if well managed well will start producing fruits after 3 years. The 4K Club has so far harvested one and half crates of tomatoes and sold them to clients. The proceeds have gone towards purchasing uniforms for needy students to go to secondary school. Going forward, KEPHIS aims to build capacity for the 4K Club on our mandate, i.e. seed certification and protection of plant varieties, management of pests such as white flies which are common in tomatoes as well as management and care of the certified seedlings.
While touring the demonstration plots planted by KEPHIS stakehoders, Kakamega County Women Representative Hon. Elsie Muhanda advised the students to take agriculture seriously. "If you practice agriculture well, there is no need for you to work in an office," she said. She added that people everywhere have to eat thus the importance of agriculture to a country's economy. We hope that our sustainability initiative will go a long way in uplifting the living standards of students at the school as well as their families.
Kakamega Women Rep Hon. Elsie Muhanda (centre) when she toured the rice demonstration plots during the Corporate Social Sustainability initiative at Lunza Primary School, Butere sub-county, Kakamega County
Greenhouse by KEPHIS to Lunza Primary School as part of the Corporation’s sustainability initiatives
Water tank donated by KEPHIS to Lunza Primary School as part of the Corporation’s sustainability initiatives
Constructed green House (6x 10 M) at Lunza Primary school for KEPHIS CSS Activity 2018/19FY
Installed Main storage water tank for the supply of water to the Green House.
Commercial Tomato crop in the established Green House at Lunza Pri. School
Commercial Tomato crop in the established Green House at Lunza Pri. School
CSS Activity within Kitale
KEPHIS Donated 40 bags of maize and 10 bags of beans to West Pokot County in December 2019 when the county was affected by Landslides.
