Bid to renew interest in agriculture through secondary school contests

Just a handful of people might remember the 4-K Clubs of secondary school days gone by. A few more might know even about them.

Once upon a time, we had a philosophy that Kenya’s backbone was agriculture. Back then, schools emphasised on the importance of agriculture as a subject, and students took part in competitions at agricultural shows.

Then things changed. The subject would no longer be examined in primary school, and secondary schools made it optional. In turn, fewer students took it up as poor attitudes continued to degrade it.

It went to its death bed as students chose to pursue “worthy subjects” instead.

The situation has annoyed experts in the sector including the Higher Education minister Sally Kosgei who went to the extent of calling it “pathetic.”

The recently constituted Education task force, led by first Moi University vice chancellor Douglas Odhiambo has two months to table its report, but it is not clear whether the team will recommend that agriculture be compulsory.

Dr Kosgei claims that all her 24 years she spent in the classroom were financed through agricultural produce, hence she says she is an example of how invaluable the sector is to the Kenyan economy.

But at a time where Agriculture, both as a subject and sector of economy, appears beaten with irregular weather patterns and new jobs like the Information Communication and Technology, is it feasible to concentrate on agriculture any more?

“We experience food shortage because our people don’t realise that they are putting into (farming) more than they are getting from it,” said Dr Kosgei.

“What we need to do is to change our farming from subsistence to something we consider a business.”

On Tuesday, her ministry and the Agricultural Development Corporation chose to save the situation at the Kenya High School in Nairobi.

In programmes meant to encourage young people to re-adopt agriculture as a source of livelihood, ADC donated five steers (young castrated bulls) to five schools in Nairobi. The programme will be called ADC Mkulima Junior Steer Competition.

The Corporation will also train several students in these schools in the latest technologies in Agriculture. This one will be called the Mkulima Junior Mentorship Programme.

The schools include Lenana High School, State House Girls, Starehe Boys Centre, Sunshine Secondary School and Kenya High School.

The steers are in similar condition: two year-olds bred at the Mutara Ranch in Laikipia, 270 kilogrammes on average.

According to ADC managing director William Kirwa, the schools have a challenge of fattening the animals up to the time the Ministry holds the Nairobi International Trade Fair later in the year. The school that raises the steer with the highest number of kilos will get a trophy.

The animals are estimated to cost Sh30,000 each but ADC declined to reveal the cash award to be given to winners.

In the programme, 20 students have been selected for attachment at ADC. During the school holidays they will spend three weeks with ADC managers and will be taught how to cultivate various crops without depending on weather patterns. They will also learn proper animal husbandry.

“Through this project, we aim to seek partnerships with schools to encourage students to embrace agriculture,” said Mr Kirwa at the Kenya High School where the programmes were launched.

Schools nominated the students some of who have never studied agriculture. ADC plans to roll out the project to others schools later.