The Principal Secretary in the State Department for Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Development, Susan Mang’eni has called for collaborations between the Kenya Industrial Estate (KIE), Kenya Forest Service (KFS), and the county government of Uasin Gishu to begin a campaign of establishing of tree nurseries in all primary schools across the county that will enable them to grow fruit trees for consumption to boost their health.
Speaking when she toured Timboroa forest, Kesses Sub County in Uasin Gishu, PS Mang’eni reiterated the need to grow fruit trees in each school so that the learners may derive health benefits from that.
“We want to bring fruit trees to be planted in each primary school so that our children may eat fruits for good health. We want atleast each primary school to have a 4K environmental club who will be planting and taking care of the tree seedlings,” she said.
She directed the KIE to work together with the primary schools’ administrations and give money to the environmental clubs to plant trees which the KIE will buy from them later.
“Next year when we come here to plant trees we will buy those trees from our schools,” added PS Mang’eni.
PS Mang’eni instructed the school heads to open saving accounts for all the members of the 4K clubs where the money generated from the sale of the seedlings will be invested, noting that the money will help fund higher education for the learners when they complete the primary level.
“That child who is a member of the club, has grown trees and we have bought as government and agencies, that money, the teachers will open its savings account at Hustler fund, we begin saving slowly and when the child reaches 20 years and is joining the university, we would not want that child to experience any fees challenge again,” explained the PS.
She further lauded the residents of Uasin Gishu for utilizing the hustler fund by the government through borrowing to carry out their various businesses and repaying on time adding that the county generally has borrowed a total of Sh 1.26 billion and repaying at a 77.5 percent rate which she said was good.
“I am impressed, the top borrower from Hustler fund comes from Uasin Gishu, Kesses County with a loan of Sh 4.5 million followed by one from Kisii County with Sh 1.7 million. Turbo sub county here in Uasin Gishu tops the list with a total of Sh 240 million borrowed by different people, it is followed by Ainabkoi with Sh 140 million then Kesses with Sh 120 million,” alluded PS Mang’eni.
She further called on residents to come together and consider borrowing as groups, noting that the fund has unveiled group loans for businesses and other forms of investment where one can borrow from Sh 20,000 to Sh 1 million.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
