Journalist’s first visit to Nyanza for a fundraiser

By Joseph Karimi

Kenya: My news editor assigned me to cover an event on February 21 in Bondo town, Siaya District where the MP for Nyandarua Mr JM Kariuki was chief guest at a harambee.

It was to become my first trip to Nyanza and a great milestone in my career, being my longest single journey ever.

I started my journey in Nairobi a night before, staying overnight at JM’s Gilgil Farm House. JM who was then an assistant minister for Tourism and Wildlife had left earlier for some other engagement and I was to meet him in Bondo. I reached Nakuru and booked a Peugeot that cruised through Londiani, Lumbwa to Kericho. I booked another Peugeot matatu for my journey from Kericho to Kisumu arriving at 1pm.

All these places were strange. When I enquired how I could reach Bondo, I was informed that the buses left Bondo for Kisumu and returned late afternoon, and the alternative was to hire a taxi. The journey to Bondo was a 42-miles stretch of murram road and I paid Sh45.

During our drive to Bondo, I was excited to see the Kit Mikaye massive rock columns within the Ruma National Park. The spectacular rock formation is bound with myths, that a powerful man who lived here, used to abuse and mistreat his wife, who returned to haunt him after her death, eventually turning him and his property into stones.

By 2pm, I was already in Bondo and found the venue of the meeting which started at 3pm.

JM Kariuki was welcomed by his parliamentary colleagues who included James Nyamweya then Minister for Power and Communications, Odongo Omamo, Minister for Natural Resources who was then MP for Bondo, JD Akumu- MP for Nyakach and the Provincial Commissioner Isaya Cheluget.  

About 3,000 people from Siaya District had converged here for a special development meeting where leaders called on the people of Nyanza to embark on self-help projects and to co-operate with the Government towards its development plans on the province.

Bondo had its share of popularity. Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the doyen of Kenya opposition politics hailed from the town. By then, Luo Nyanza politics were in limbo with the   banning of Kenya People’s Union (KPU) by President Kenyatta’s government. The party was led by Odinga  who with several of his political lieutenants were in detention.

Odinga substitute

Kanu had propelled Odongo Omamo to prominence, substituting Odinga as the MP for Bondo.      

In his opening speech, Omamo said: “The Government is ready to help you.” He was cheered when he disclosed Uyoma Water Project, “which will be started by September and is being funded by the Government.”

The parliamentarian told his constituents that the project was to become the first action by the Government to show the people of Bondo that it was ready to help them. 

Nyakach MP Mr Akumu stressed the need for unity and co-operation with the Government in order to open Bondo Division to development, adding: “We have come here to boost your efforts but this will entirely be dependent on your response to establishing more self-help projects.”

PC Cheluget reminded locals how the Government had responded to their plight during a past tsetse fly epidemic in the area and during floods. “You cried to the Government and it did not hesitate to come to your aid.”

Minister Nyamweya was cheered when he disclosed that Sh60 million had been budgeted for construction of new roads, bridges and renovation of the old ones within Siaya District.

Tsetse flies

JM Kariuki urged the locals to put in effort and work hard on their farms to grow maize and other subsistence crops to stave off hunger. He said it was a shame for the Government to import maize while people could till the land and produce these food crops.

On tsetse flies, JM said Government programmes had reduced the menace through sprays and it was the obligation of the dairy farmers to improve their breeds substituting their indigenous stocks with grade cattle.

He called on rich people from Nyanza to regularly visit their rural communities and support them in development of their local economy. JM castigated those who traveled and spent their leaves luxuriously in Kisumu hotels instead of going to their rural homes.

When the fundraising kicked off, JM donated Sh2,500 as a personal donation in support of the Kamayuje and Kapiyo projects.

The fundraising was to support raring of grade cattle in Bondo Division.

The MP’s mission was to raise funds to set up the first cattle dip and launch a grade cattle project, an eye opener towards improved livestock industry then hampered by the tsetse fly. 

A tsetse fly annihilation programme was consequently launched by the Government in the Lambwe Valley, while the Uyoma Water Project was underway that September.

During the fund raising, Nyamweya handed over a Government donation of 50 packets of cement while Cheluget donated another 50 packets and 30 iron sheets on behalf of the Government. Omamo donated Sh100 and Akumu Sh200. A total of Sh2, 550 was raised.

These were the days that MPs received monthly salaries of Sh2,000. Out of this meagre salary, they frequently attended to harambee meetings and supported their constituents through hand-outs.

The harambee spirit was introduced by President Jomo Kenyatta to help pool resources.  The major event that popularised the harambees was a focus on the Gatundu Self Help project. It was heavily boosted by contributions by visiting groups to Kenyatta’s home ground as a gesture of goodwill.

 Kenyatta diversified the harambee spirit to spill over into other areas of development, first and foremost by identifying the areas of educational technology.

Since our 1970 visit to Bondo, I have not had an opportunity to revisit and appreciate JM’s initiative of challenging the people of Bondo to rare grade cattle. However, I appreciated the efforts of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who proudly opened a window to his cattle boma to show his prowess in raring Friesian dairy cows, depicted in a TV documentary not long time ago, proof that JM’s call was appreciated.

When the fundraiser ended, those present were welcomed to a luncheon where I saw for the first time an assorted brand of appetising ugali - both brown and white. My memorable visit to Bondo ended on a happy note as we said goodbye and hit the road back to the city.