Women Groups in Uasin Gishu County have received hatch incubators from the county government through Inua Mama na Kuku Initiative to help boost their chicken rearing business by facilitating high rate of hatching through temperature and humidity regulation, egg selection and reduced hatching period.
The Inua Mama na Kuku Initiative which was established in 2014 was aimed at improving women’s livelihoods by finding ways of income generation to enable them to fend for their family daily needs.
Speaking to KNA when she flagged off the Incubators outside the County Headquarters, the Chief guest to the event who is the CEC of ICT, Trade and Industrialization, Dr. Emily Kogos, commended the collaborative effort between the county executive and the county assembly for making the Inua Mama na Kuku initiative successful to better the livelihood of women in the society through giving them room to venture into agribusiness activities to earn income.
“Our work as the Administration of the county is to ensure that citizens get services through sectors like agriculture, business and others, rearing chicken which is both business and source of food to the family,” said Kogos.
Kogos urged the women groups drawn from all the six sub counties of Uasin Gishu County to utilize the equipment to boost their businesses by ensuring each produces exactly at its specified rating, while at the same time finding ways to market the products.
“We will be the highest producers of chicken in Kenya. We will supply up to the great East African Community market,” she added.
She lauded Uasin Gishu Governor Jackson Mandago, for introducing the initiative which had so far benefited up to 40,000 since its inception in 2014. “The government has taught to fish instead of giving you fish. This is to make you independent. This incubator will transform your lives,” she said.
In his remarks, Uasin Gishu County Chief Officer of Agriculture, Julius Rotich, assured the groups of the County Government’s commitment to support them through offering extension services up to the grassroots level.
On his part, The Director of agriculture and livestock, Robert Seroney, warned the farmers from purchasing drugs not recommended to treat their chicken which he warned was the cause of the high number of the reported chicken deaths which led to great losses. He added that consumption of chicken treated with such drugs could make consumers vulnerable to other infections.
He urged farmers to take caution and seek advice when they need to have their chicken treated.
By Ekuwam Sylvester
