Hailstones destroy maize fields

By Osinde Obare

Over 4,000 acres of maize and beans have been destroyed by hailstones in Trans-Nzoia County.

Farmers in Kapomboi, Kapkoi and Marinda areas in Kwanza are counting their losses after the Sunday destruction.

During the rains, which lasted for several hours, heavy hailstones shattered the fast maturing crops on the local fields.

Many farmers said the beans ruined by the hailstones were flowering.

“This is a disaster. I have never seen something like this. My toiling has gone to waste and I don’t hope to harvest what I expected,” complained Dismus Wanyonyi.

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Jacqueline Busuru, a farmer at Kapomboi said she had lost 100 acres under maize and beans.

“I was expecting to harvest 3,000 bags of maize and over 50 bags of beans but the hailstones have ruined my expectations,” said Busuru.

She added, “I have invested a lot of money which has gone to waste.”

The farmers, most of them small scale, urged the Government to assess the damage and help them out, saying farming is their only source of income.

“We are appealing to ministries of Special Programmes and Agriculture to visit the affected area and assess losses incurred in a bid to support us,” said Wanyonyi.

raging floods

Some farmers in the district were forced to replant after raging floods swept away germinating crops in March after River Sabwani burst its banks.

Local leaders, Kwanza parliamentary aspirant Richard Chesebe and nominated councillor Kefa Were warned of low harvest.

“The region was affected by floods and now hailstones. Many farmers are frustrated and there will be poor harvest,” lamented Chesebe.