This archive report was first published on 6 June 2020.
On June 6, 2020, the Nakuru County government launched a Ksh 16 million programme to improve breeding and multiplication of indigenous chicken, benefiting small-scale farmers in eleven sub-counties.
The project aims to empower farmers to produce 1.5 million eggs worth Sh 15 million monthly.
Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui said the second batch of 3,800 improved Kienyeji chicks had been distributed to 24 women and youth groups in Kiratina area of Menengai East Ward, within Nakuru East Sub-County.
Some 250 farmers in Kiratina received the first batch of 7,600 improved Kienyeji chicks, which the governor said require no special care and can be fed just like other indigenous chicken, hence low cost of production.
“The project has been fashioned to promote urban agriculture while ensuring the use of limited available space to feed the growing population in urban centers. Our ultimate goal is to achieve food security and nutrition as well as create employment,” said Mr Kinyanjui.
County Executive Committee Member for Agriculture Dr. Immaculate Maina said her department was also collaborating with Kenya Agricultural Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in ensuring that farmers got improved Kienyeji chicken breeds that were high yielding, fast maturing, easy to maintain and disease resistant.
Menengai East Member of County Assembly Wilson Mwangi said though the project was economically empowering women and youth, high cost of commercial feeds and low hatchability of eggs at farm level were major constraints in the adoption of the improved indigenous chicken.
