Shamba system won't mitigate food shortages
A man arrives with tree seedlings at Ontulili forest on March 21 2018. Members of the Ontulili/Karuri CFA plant crops under the shamba system as they grow trees.
Shamba system • The hint at the government reintroducing the shamba system, which allowed villagers to grow crops in forests, is one Godfrey Mulwa is uneasy about. Says he: “It will not help to mitigate food shortages. Just increase the supply of tree seedlings and encourage people to plant more trees. They should not encroach on forests, which have been dwindling.” His contact is [email protected].
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Banditry • Where else are police officers killed in large numbers by bandits like in Kenya, asks Evans Macharia. He wonders why the government can’t deal with the bandits just like terrorists. “In other countries, killing a police officer is taken very seriously. It’s interesting that thousands of cattle are stolen and can’t be traced. Some things just don’t add up.” His contact is [email protected].
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Black spot • A section of the Nairobi railway line near the Kisumu-Kakamega highway, where a passenger train derailed on Friday night, “has been an accident scene-in-waiting for far too long”, says Opiyo Oduwo. “The workmanship was wanting. The railway is not straight and it’s always covered in a thick layer of soil. It should be repaired and railway crossing signs erected.” His contact is [email protected].
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Greedy MPs • The more things change, the more they remain the same, remarks Ruth Gituma. Like in the past, she adds, the most urgent agenda of the new Parliament is to increase allowances and other perks. To justify this, Speaker Moses Wetang’ula says “MPs are village ATMs”. Here, Ruth explains, there will be no difference between opposition and ruling coalition MPs.” Her contact is [email protected].
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Burial bias • The funeral of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II confirmed “that presidents are not equal”, says Naftaly Kinuthia. “US President Joe Biden and other Western leaders had posh transport but not the Africans! I was amused to see President William Ruto and others in a London bus. It was like a funeral in a Kenyan village, where Nairobi residents are given preferential treatment.” His contact is [email protected].
Have a respectful day, won’t you!
