TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................................................... i

FOREWORD .............................................................................................................................................................. ii

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................................. iv

UGUNJA CONSTITUENCY ................................................................................................................................... vi

STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................... vii

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................ 1

1.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................................... 1

CHAPTER TWO: INSTITUTION REVIEW ............................................................................................................ 5

2.1 Vision ............................................................................................................................................................ 5

2.2 Mission ......................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.3 Main Strategy ................................................................................................................................................ 5

2.4 Objectives ...................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.5 Core Values ................................................................................................................................................... 5

2.6 Goal of Ugunja Strategic Planning ................................................................................................................ 6

CHAPTER THREE: DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES BY THE GOVERNMENT ............................................... 7

3.1 Vision 2030 ................................................................................................................................................... 7

3.2 Millennium Development Goals 2000–2015 ................................................................................................ 7

3.3 Economic Stimulus Programme .................................................................................................................... 8

3.4 Public Private Partnership (PPP) ................................................................................................................... 9

CHAPTER FOUR: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS ................................................................................................... 11

4.1 Youth Agenda .............................................................................................................................................. 11

4.2 Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................... 13

4.3 Women Empowerment ................................................................................................................................ 18

4.4 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................... 20

4.5 Education ..................................................................................................................................................... 22

4.6 Persons with Disability ................................................................................................................................ 28

4.7 Healthcare .................................................................................................................................................... 29

4.8 Environment ................................................................................................................................................ 32

CHAPTER FIVE: SWOT AND PESTEL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................... 35

SWOT ANALAYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 35

PESTEL ANALYSIS ............................................................................................................................................... 37

CHAPTER SIX: SECTOR ISSUES, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES ................................................................. 41

6.1 Youth Agenda .............................................................................................................................................. 43

6.2 Agriculture ................................................................................................................................................... 44

6.3 Women Empowerment ................................................................................................................................ 44

6.4 Infrastructure ............................................................................................................................................... 45

6.5 Education ..................................................................................................................................................... 47

6.6 Persons with Disability ................................................................................................................................ 49

6.7 Healthcare .................................................................................................................................................... 49

6.8 Environment ................................................................................................................................................ 50

CHAPTER SEVEN: IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX ................................................................................................ 51

CHAPTER EIGHT: CO-ORDINATION OF IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION .......... 59

8.1 Coordination of Implementation ................................................................................................................. 59

8.2 Monitoring and Evaluation .......................................................................................................................... 59

8.3 Communication ........................................................................................................................................... 60

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................................................. 62

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The crafting of Ugunja Constituency Strategic Plan 2013-2018 would not have been conceivable without

the support of many people. I consequently wish to express my sincere gratitude, first to the zealous

committee that burned the mid night oil to come up with this wonderful document, and second to the

many individuals and volunteers who contributed to this plan, including scores of public participants.

The project team included the following individuals: Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi; Dr. Charles Owino; Mr.

Beneah Ochieng; Mr. C.J. Ogolla; Mr. Jacob Omondi; Mr. Bernard Oluma; Mr. Hawi Rapudo; Mr.

Charles Ouma and Mr. Ben Ogolla. These are volunteers who sincerely devoted their time and service for

every activity and task. The group was passionately involved in an on-going basis. The technical team

members come from a variety of backgrounds - business, public service, the voluntary and community

sector, as well as the academia ― and therefore represented the interests and concerns of the full diversity

of Ugunja Constituency. All of them are engaged in the day-to-day work of advancing development in

their individual capacities. I cannot overstate the debt owed to them for working on the frontline ― both

for that daily work, and for bringing their expertise to bear.

Special thanks also to Mr. Charles Ogada, Chairman of Ugunja Constituency Development Fund (CDF)

and the CDF Committee members: Mr. Jackson Omari (Manager), Mr. Patrick Ooko Opata, Mr. Erick V.

Ochieng Oyeho, Mr. Kevin Omondi Lubalo, Dr. Margaret Akinyi Oloo, Ms. Jane Atieno Okoth, Ms.

Jackline M. Anyanje Omondi, Mr. Clement Lutta Owino, and the Ugunja Constituency Office led by the

manager Mr. Moses Omondi Okoth for sharing the literature and invaluable resources.

There are other personalities who shared their knowledge, ideas, and numerous tips, all of which

culminated in the accomplishment of this plan. Prof. Owuor Olunga, Dr. Mildred Mudany, Dr. Orodi

Odhiambo, Amb. Elkanah Odembo, Dr. Okoth Ongore, Prof. Francis Onyango, Prof. Walter Jaoko, Eng.

Edwin Oduor, Mr. Nick Oture, Mr. Edward Ouko, Prof. Henry Adalla, Eng. Jasper Oduor, Dr. FXO

Odawa, Dr. Bell Okello, Dr. Debrah Otieno, Dr. Charles Opondo, Dr. David Soti, Dr. Bernhard Ogutu,

Dr. Dismas Ongore, Mrs. Gladys Koyengo, Mr. John Mudany, Mr. Paul Nyambala, Mr. Collins Oduor,

Mr. Charles Rading, Eng. Vincent Oduor, Mr. Aggrey Omondi, Mr. Odera Oteng, Mr. George Oyeho,

Mr. Paul Orengo among others were abundantly helpful, and offered invaluable insights, and support

during meetings we had with Ugunja professionals and other smaller summits. These individuals, and

others not listed here gave us valuable comments on a regular basis throughout the evolution of this

strategic plan.

I would also like to convey many thanks to the numerous ministry officials and individuals based in

government and non-governmental organizations in Ugunja for providing the much needed data. The

District Social Development Office, District Education Office, District Development Office, District

Cooperative Office, and the District Medical Office provided us treasured information and helpful facts.

Deepest gratitude is also due to Ugunja local leaders who participated in a brainstorming session held in

the constituency at the formative stages of the development of this strategic plan. Without your

knowledge and assistance, the drawing of this plan would not have been successful. Lotiatia Kipkech,

Deputy County Commissioner, Ugunja, and his assistant Ms. Faith Kendagor, Mr. Kosgey, the Officer

Commanding Police Division (OCPD), Mr. Mutungi, the Officer Commanding Police Station (OCS)

Ugunja, and the District Intelligence Officers were all very instrumental, and proved that indeed the

success of any project depends largely on the inspiration and assistance of many others.

I wish to also express my sincere gratitude to the County Assembly Ward Representatives: Mr. Andrew

Omwende - Sigomere Ward; Mr. Joseph Agoko - Sidindi Ward; Mr. Edwin Otieno Lord - Ugunja Ward

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and Ms. Mary C. Ajwang – Nominated. They were key pillars in the development of this strategy. The

Chiefs and Assistant Chiefs, Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Officials, Orange Young

Democrats, Orange Women Democrats, representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) and

Community Based Organizations (CBOs) as well as Faith-based organizations did a wonderful job. I

likewise take immense pleasure in thanking the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT), Kenya

Union of Post Primary Education Teachers (KUPPET) leadership in Ugunja, and the entire teaching

fraternity for their support.

I cannot express enough thanks to Hon. J.Opiyo Wandayi, MP Ugunja Constituency for his continued

support and encouragement. He incessantly and persuasively conveyed a spirit of adventure in regard to

exploring new areas, and enthusiasm in regard to articulating issues he thought were pertinent to Ugunja

Constituency, and needed to be built into the strategic plan. I offer my sincere appreciation for the

learning opportunities he provided.

As a show appreciation to all those who contributed to this project, I remind them of Voltaire (1694 –

1778) who once said: “Appreciation is a wonderful thing. It makes what is excellent in others belong to us

as well.”

Charles Owino (PhD)

Chairman, Project Team

Ugunja Strategic Plan 2013-2018

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FOREWORD

The Ugunja Constituency Strategic Plan 2013-18 clearly articulates a multi-year vision, along with a

winning strategy that was translated by a technical team into specific, well-defined strategic objectives.

These objectives were arrived at through a collaborative process, and helped to define the key imperatives

in the short-term, medium-term and long-term. The objectives then drove the development of clear

metrics and accountability. Thus, this strategic period that beckons us seems particularly meaningful as it

sets out what needs to be done within a specific period of time.

This strategic plan summarizes our priorities and sets out a series of programmes and projects that we

believe will help to make Ugunja Constituency fairer, more equal place, with fewer of us likely to face

discrimination and many of us able to realize our potential to the full. In particular, this plan addresses the

question of how the eight pillars we shared during our campaign period will address a cross-section of

issues that affect us with a vision of transforming Ugunja into a model constituency in Kenya. These

socio-economic pillars include Youth Agenda, Agriculture, Women Empowerment, Infrastructure,

Education, People with Disability, Health Care and Environment.

But the heart of our mission is to build effective structures that promote sustainable development within

the constituency. Our integrated mandate means that we will act across all the areas for which we are

responsible, promoting fairness through structural change that would benefit the nearly 100,000

inhabitants of Ugunja Constituency. We will always be ready to tackle the specific issues of

empowerment, inequality and basic rights failings that matter to each and every one of us in the society.

There can be no fair society if poverty, age, disability, gender, and health issues remain as markers of

disadvantage; and there can be no lasting or deep-rooted progress for disadvantaged groups unless we

make a robust case for fairness which involves everyone. This makes our strategic plan comparable with

the Kenya Vision 2030 and the Millennium Development Goals. In these strategies, the key areas of

concern for address entail the sectors of; agriculture, education, security, healthcare, infrastructural

development, environment management, development of the cooperative movement, culture variations

and good governance. We take concrete commitment to respect these observations, and I shall oversee the

delivery of this Strategic Plan to the best of my ability.

In delivering this plan we will not be working alone. We already have dozens of partners who share our

vision and dedication to equality. We will keep the good relations, and we consider it vital to work in

close collaboration with them because the hard work of delivering this strategy can only succeed with the

involvement of the widest possible coalition. I hope and believe that our plans match that ambition.

Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi

Member of Parliament

Ugunja Constituency

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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

ARV Anti-Retro Viral

CACC Constituency Aids Control Committee

CBO Community Based Organizations

CBR Community Bases Rehabilitation

CCC Constituency Communication Centre

CDC Constituency Development Committee

CDF Constituency Development Fund

CDFC Constituency Development Fund Committee

CEAC Constituency Environment Awareness Campaign

CED Constituency Education Day

CYEF Constituency Youth Endowment Fund

CRC Community Resource Centre

DEB District Education Board

DDC District Development Committee

DFSR District Food Security and Relief

EACP East African Common Market Protocol

ESP Economic Recovery Programme

ERSWEC Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation

GAR Gross Attendance Ratio

GoK Government of Kenya

HIV/AIDS Human Immuno Deficiency Virus/ Acquired Immuno Deficiency Syndrome

ICT Information & Communication Technology

IEC Information, Education and Communication

IGA Income Generating Activities

KCPE Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

KCSE Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education

KDHS Kenya Demographic Household Survey

KEFINCO Kenya Finland Cooperation

KICOMI Kisumu Cotton Mills

KIBHS Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey

KNHA Kenya National Highway Authority

KKK Kazi Kwa Vijana

KURA Kenya Rural Roads Authority

MDGs Millennium Development Goals

MoALF Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries

MoCSA Ministry of Culture, Sport and the Art

MoDP Ministry of Devolution and Planning

MoE Ministry of Education

MoEACT Ministry of East African Affairs, Commerce & Tourism

MoEP Ministry of Energy & Petroleum

MoEWM Ministry of Environment, Water & Mineral

MoICT Ministry of Information, Communication & Technology

MoIED Ministry of Industrialization & Enterprise Development

MoLHUD Ministry of Lands, Housing & Urban Development

MoH Ministry of Health

MoM Ministry of Mining

MoLI Ministry of Labour, Social Security & Services

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MoIS Ministry of Internal Security

MoTI Ministry of Transport & Infrastructure

MTEF Medium Term Expenditure Framework

MTP Medium Term Plan

NACC National Aids Control Council

NALEP National Agricultural and Livestock Expansion Programme

NDF National Development Fund

NGO Non-Governmental Organization

NHIF National Hospital Insurance Fund

PPP Public Private Partnership

PSDA Private Sector Development in Agriculture

PWD People With Disability

TNT The National Treasury

PESTEL Politics, Economic, Social, Technological, Ecological and Legal

PRSP Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper

SAGA Semi-Autonomous Government Agency

SDDP Service Development & Delivery Process

STD Sexually Transmitted Diseases

SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

UNDP United Nations Development Programme

UN United Nations

UPWDC Ugunja Persons with Disability Council

URTI Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

VCT Voluntary Counseling and Testing

V2030 Vision 2030

WVSLA Women Village Savings and Loan Association

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UGUNJA CONSTITUENCY

Source: IEBC Boundaries Report Vol. III (2012)

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STRATEGIC PLAN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Ugunja Constituency is at an exciting stage of development, and to guide this to the next stage of growth,

we conducted a major planning process. We solicited input from a broad range of interested parties

including local leaders, elders, women, the youth, professionals and external stakeholders, by gathering

data and then went ahead to review the constituency’s performance. Based on this process, we developed

a disciplined long-term approach to expanding the scope and impact of our work in the constituency. This

Strategic Plan 2013-2018 provides a clear blueprint for Ugunja Constituency’s future. At its core, the plan

shows the way toward building on our strengths to change the lives of the people and outlines a focused

direction for maximizing our effectiveness.

The object of this strategic plan is to be a guiding tool in Ugunja Constituency for the next five years.

This will facilitate implementation of development projects that are relevant to the needs of the people.

This plan aims to empower residents of Ugunja constituency through; value addition of their agricultural

produce; improve access to education and health care; promote entrepreneurial activities that will increase

job opportunities, particularly to the youth; empower women and provide people with disabilities access

to basic services as well as check environmental degradation among other germane problems. The vision

is to transform Ugunja into a model constituency in Kenya by building effective structures that promote

sustainable development within the constituency.

So as to understand the current situation, this plan identified key challenges and has established

interventions to mitigate them. Eight sectors have been identified as the centre of focus. These sectors

include Youth Agenda, Agriculture, Women Empowerment, Infrastructure, Education, People with

Disability, Health Care, and Environment. Other prioritized sub-sectors are water and sanitation; roads,

electricity; Information Communication Technology (ICT), security; fisheries; sports; socio-economic

empowerment; gender and children; physical planning and housing; communication and governance.

Ugunja Constituency has a lot of strengths and opportunities, although it is facing many weaknesses and

threats. The critical thing in achieving the vision of the constituency is to reduce the weaknesses, mitigate

the threats and harness the strengths as we exploit the opportunities at hand.

The implementation of the strategies outlined in this strategic plan will be done by various stakeholder

groups within the constituency, some of which include; Constituency Development Fund Committee

(CDFC), constituency office in Ugunja and Nairobi; County Administration; Government departments;

Town council; Development committees; Community; Churches; Schools; Investors; and Ugunja

Professionals. A lot of communication within the stakeholder groups will be done to avoid duplication of

efforts and resources.

A monitoring and evaluation subcommittee will be set up. The M&E will be done periodically, at least on

a quarterly basis to check progress against plans. This will allow results, processes and experiences to be

documented and used as a basis to steer decision-making and learning processes. The data acquired

through monitoring will be used for evaluation as systematically and objectively as possible. The

evaluations will appraise data and provide information that will guide future strategic decisions. Each

sectoral committee shall have a monitoring and evaluation sub-committee. Dates for the submission of the

progress report and the completion of projects deadline shall be fixed. Regular meetings and field

assessment at development sites will be carried out to ensure successful implementation.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

1.1 Overview

Location

Ugunja Constituency is in Siaya County, Nyanza Province. Ugunja is located on the Kisumu-Busia

highway, which links Kenya and Uganda and lies between latitude 00 23‟ North and longitude 34

012‟

East and 34021‟ East. The town is 72 km north of the nearest city, Kisumu, which sits on the shores of

Lake Victoria. The equator is 40 km south of Ugunja town. The Constituency, whose area is

approximately 213 square kilometers, has a population of 93,372 and is bordered by Gem

Constituency to the South East, Ugenya to the North and West, and Alego to the South. There are

three county assembly wards in Ugunja Constituency namely: Sidindi, Sigomere and Ugunja. Sidindi

comprises of Simenya, Rangala, Yiro East, Yiro West, Ruwe and Uhuyi sub-locations of Siaya

County and has a population of 24,527. Sigomere with a population of 29,632 encompasses of Got

Osimbo, Mung‟ao, Madungu, Sigomere, Asango East, Asango West, Tingare East and Tingare West

sub-locations, while Ugunja, which has a population of 39,213 comprises of Ligega, Umala, Ambira,

Ngunya, Ugunja, Rambula South, Rambula North and Magoya sub–Location of Siaya County.(GoK,

2012)

Terrain

The Constituency has two major geomorphologic areas; the dissected Uplands and moderate

Lowlands. These have different relief, soils and land use patterns. River Nzoia traverses the

constituency and enters Lake Victoria through the Yala Swamp. The river is able to facilitate large

scale irrigation and power generation. The physical features have a bearing on the overall

development potential of the area. High altitude areas have higher rainfall hence suitable for

agriculture and livestock keeping.

Soils:

The geology of the area is composed of the old Nyanzian system forming exposed rocks. These rocks

include basalts, desites and rylites. They are the bearers of course and fine aggregates used in the

construction industry. The main soil type is ferrasols and its fertility ranges from moderate to low

with most soils being unable to produce without the use of either organic, inorganic or in most cases

both type of fertilizers. Most of the areas have underlying murram with poor moisture retention.

Ecologically, the area spreads across agro ecological zones LM1. (GoK, 2012)

Rainfall

Ugunja constituency experiences a bimodal rainfall. The relief and the altitude influence its

distribution and amount. It is relatively wet, and is wetter towards the higher altitudes in the eastern

part, which borders western province. The long rains occur between March and June while the short

rains occur between August and November.

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Culture

The inhabitants of Ugunja Constituency are largely Luo, and have a deep sense of pride for their rich

Luo culture. The community has a profound sense of communal life and support for each other. The

people have a subterranean appreciation of life and express it through their lifestyle. There are also

peoples of other cultures, especially in the town centres and market places. This has contributed to a

rich blending of different the cultures. The settlement patterns in Ugunja Constituency follow agro-

ecological and business zones with the high potential areas having the highest population density.

Resources

Resources within the community include agricultural land, rives, timber, indigenous forests and

fisheries. Residents of Ugunja Constituency mainly depend on agriculture as their main source of

food and income. The farming is mostly subsistence, and major crops grown are sorghum, potatoes,

cassava, beans and maize. When farmers have surplus crops, they sell in local markets for income. In

the past, some farmer haves grown cotton and coffee as cash crops, but due to market unreliability,

most farmers now prefer to jus grow food crops for their own families and local markets.

The Constituency is about 80% arable with small land sizes of less than one hectare per household.

Most of the population is concentrated in the major trading centers such as Ugunja, Sigomere and

Sidindi due to availability of business opportunities and social infrastructures such as schools, roads

health centers among others. Ugunja town is a major business centre and serves as a trading center for

the community around it and the nearby urban centers. In the town most people work in small

businesses and offices. There are a number of retail shops, bars, hotels, cafes, and residential houses.

There are also banks, a post office, transport service companies, supermarkets, chemists, a health

centre and some private clinics.

Poverty

The rural poverty in the constituency is estimates at 60%, while urban poverty is at 89%. In the rural

areas, households headed by illiterate people are 63% poor, those headed by primary school leavers

are about 61% poor and those headed by secondary school leavers are 48% poor. In urban areas,

households headed by illiterate people are 94% poor, those headed by primary school leavers are 92%

poor and those headed by secondary school leavers are 84% poor. Generally, male headed households

are 61% poor while female headed households are 58% poor.(GoK 2012)

The causes of increased poverty in the constituency are diverse, but mainly attributed to various

factors such as; poor soils, which has led to perpetually low agricultural yields; over-reliance on

traditional methods of agriculture due to lack of extension services; unpredictable rainfall patterns;

high rate of deaths due to HIV/AIDS; limited economic empowerment initiatives; inability to access

finance; attitude by the current generation of farmers who have not developed beyond subsistence

farming; employment opportunities are extremely scarce and therefore little wealth being created;

infrastructure (roads, electricity, communication) is in a poor state, only about 5% of population has

access to electricity; few institutions offering microfinance and extension facilities; culture of saving

is lacking, especially among youth; poor farming techniques; and insecurity among others. (SDDP

2008)

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Health

The current estimated HIV prevalence in Ugunja is 15%. To note is that Kenya‟s HIV prevalence,

among adults 15-64 years old, is estimated to be 6.3%. Studies have shown that women are more

likely to be infected (8.0%) than men (4.3%), and young women aged 15-24 are four times more

likely to be infected (6.4%) than young men of the same age group (1.5%). Additionally, there are

significant regional variations in HIV prevalence. Over half of all HIV-infected adults live in Nyanza

and Rift Valley provinces. Immunization is at 72 %., 42.7 per 1000 are crude births and the fertility

rate is at 5.7 children per woman. The Mean age of 1st birth is 19 years while the mean age of first

marriage is 26 years for the boys and 21 years for the girls. Infant mortality rate is at 135.6 per 1000

while under five mortality rate is at 234 per 1000. Life expectancy at birth for men is 37 years and

that of women is 43 years. HIV/AIDS has had a significant impact on the community with the highest

rates of infection being recorded in this region. (KDHHS 2008 – 09)

Education

Gross Primary school enrolment in Ugunja is more than 100% for the boys and girls. In 2005 the

Gross Attendance Ratio1 for primary school was 131.7 % for boys and 119.0 for girls (KIBHS2). The

dropout rates of 10 - 14 years old‟s is at 9%. There is high primary school enrollment, but rather high

illiteracy rate amongst adults. (KIBHS 2005/6)

Stakeholders

There are many stakeholders within the constituency who are working closely with the constituency

office including; the District Administration headed by the Deputy County Commissioner; Ugunja

town council headed by the town clerk; and other government departments such as Ministry of

Education, Agriculture, Livestock & Fisheries, Ministry of Health, and Ministry of Culture, Sport and

the Art among many others, all of whom are headed by the district heads. The larger Ugunja

community, the business community and the professionals are other key stakeholders. At the heart of

development initiatives in the constituency is the District Development Committee (DDC) composed

of all departmental heads, Member of Parliament, NGOs, District Officers, Religious leaders,

Chairmen of local authorities, parastatals and business community representatives.

1 Gross Attendance Ratio (GAR) is the total number of school pupils/students expressed as a percentage of the

official school age population, (6-13) years for primary and (14-17 years) for secondary. 2 Basic Report of the Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey 2005/2006 p.55

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CHAPTER TWO: INSTITUTION REVIEW

The grounding of this strategic plan involved strategic workshops with Ugunja professionals and

gathering of information from relevant literature and key stakeholders. This chapter highlights the vision,

mission, core values, goals and objectives that will facilitate the implementation of the development

agenda in the constituency.

2.1 Vision

A model constituency in Kenya

2.2 Mission

To build effective structures that promote sustainable development within the constituency

2.3 Main Strategy

To empower residents of Ugunja constituency through; value addition of their agricultural produce; check

environmental degradation; improve access to education and health care; promote entrepreneurial

activities that will increase job opportunities, particularly to the youth; empower women and provide

access to basic services.

2.4 Objectives

To promote value addition of farm produce and livestock

To increase productivity and employment opportunities through entrepreneurial activities

To avail basic social amenities to all constituents through development of infrastructure

To mobilize and strengthen effective participation and involvement of the community through

capacity building

To promote transparency and accountability through project impact analysis and proper

monitoring and evaluation of projects

2.5 Core Values

Value of life by making every effort to ensure everyone is able to access basic needs

Visionary leadership - possession of a vision and ability to lead and articulate issues

Teamwork - working together towards a common goal

Hard work by employing every effort in pursuit of results

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Participation through networking with all stakeholder groups to get their opinion

Transparency, accountability and public mindedness where all leaders are accountable and

transparent in the use of resources for development projects

Commitment to serve with dedication for the benefit of everyone

2.6 Goal of Ugunja Strategic Planning

This strategic plan will be a guiding tool in Ugunja constituency for the next five years so as to facilitate

implementation of development projects that are relevant to the needs of the people. It will be useful in

enabling prioritization of development projects; and enable the implementers to have a reference point in

creation of sub-objectives and action plans. It will be used in monitoring and evaluation of projects on

progress to ensure that deviations are corrected in good time. Some of the limitations foreseen during

implementation include; lack of enough funds; delayed procurement processes, and challenges in

coordination.

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CHAPTER THREE: DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES BY THE GOVERNMENT

As we seek to make Ugunja Constituency a model, the implementers of this strategy will continue to be

guided by other development initiatives by the government, especially the vision 2030 and the

millennium development goals, which are highlighted below. Others include the Economic Stimulus

Programme (ESP) and the Public Private Partnership (PPP).

3.1 Vision 2030

The Kenya Vision 2030 is the development blue print for the period 2008-2030, which aims at making

Kenya an industrializing middle income country providing quality life for all citizens. The vision is based

on three pillars (Economic, Social and political) each of which has key sectors containing flagship

projects to be implemented in successive five year medium term plans.

Economic pillar

In pursuit of the vision, the constituency is aiming at boosting agribusiness, improve the roads, and

empower its people through creation of employment. The constituency is also looking forward towards

identifying some tourist attractions, adding value to the existing agricultural and livestock produce as well

as boosting the cottage industries.

Social pillar Boosting the education standards is a major priority in the constituency and plans are underway to

construct model schools, reward student and teacher performer as well as offer bursaries and sponsorships

to bright students. Other areas that are being improved include access to water supply. Health centres will

be equipped with better facilities and construction or up grading an existing health facility to a District

Hospital Level 5 has been proposed. Other proposals include improvement of infrastructure and

dispensaries in the area to boost health standards. People with special needs have been given priority in

the constituency, and plans are underway to identify their needs so as to facilitate a decent living

environment.

Political pillar

Communication and governance is envisioned as a major step towards achievement of transparency and

accountability. To this extent the Member of Parliament Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi through the

communication and governance committee has planned to produce the first issue of the Ugunja

constituency newsletter and there will also be a website for the constituency. Already the members of the

constituency are interacting through Ugunja Constituency Face book. The constituency is generally

peaceful, witnessed by its purely common culture. Peace building and conflict management among the

constituents is facilitated by the Provincial Administration. Security is a great concern, and measures to

curb criminal activities will be implemented.

3.2 Millennium Development Goals 2000–2015 Ugunja constituency is at the forefront in the implementation of government initiatives for achieving

some of the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015 as declared in 2000 during the UN

Millennium Summit in order to address the world‟s main development challenges.

Eradication of extreme poverty and hunger

The District Food Security and Relief (DFSR) committee is working to ensure that the constituents are

able to put food on the table. The department of agriculture has several projects that can be implemented

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to see this through. In particular National Agricultural and Livestock Extension Programme (NALEP) and

Private Sector Development in Agriculture (PSDA) will be training farmers on soil conservation, farming

methods, biogas production and agribusiness.

Universal primary education

Generally, the constituency has a moderate level of literacy now because of free primary education, but a

majority of the older generation are still illiterate because they did not have access to basic education. The

government initiative of free primary education, which is currently under implementation, has harnessed

the achievement of this goal.

Gender equality and empowerment of women

Nearly all committees including the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the development committee,

among others in the constituency have at least a third of women in tandem with the requirement of the

current constitution.

Reduction of child mortality

The constituency has at least one public health office and more than 80% immunization coverage. There

are plans to have school health programmes, where nursery schools and primary schools are visited by

health officials.

Maternal health improvement

A lot of awareness on maternal health among the communities will be carried out by health officials

during the strategic period. There is access to maternal health throughout the constituency, with at least

four public health centres and numerous private and faith based health facilities.

Fighting HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases

Ugunja constituency will propose to have a functional HIV/AIDS branch office of National Aids Control

Council (NACC) namely the Constituency Aids Control Committee (CACC), headed by a coordinator.

This will facilitate community mobilization and advocacy through Information, Education and

Communication (IEC), Orphan management, VCT centres, ARV access and PMTCT sites through-out

the constituency. Initiatives by the Government include Beyond Zero campaign, and free treatment for

children under five

Environmental sustainability

Ugunja constituency, through District Environment committee and the town council has been working

together to ensure a clean environment for its constituents. The forest and wildlife department is working

on forest protection management and extension to ensure that wildlife is safe. Re-forestation, forestation

and agro-forestry are highly encouraged. It is recommended that at least 10% of the agricultural land

should have trees.

Global Partnership for Development

Several international partners such Care Kenya from Canada, Help Age International, Heifer

International, HACI – Plan International, FAULU Kenya, Christian Children‟s Fund, Inter Diocesan

Christian Community Services, Association For Education Development, and Kenya Women Finance

Trust, are implementing development projects in the constituency. Others include KEFINCO who have in

the past successfully funded water projects like bore holes. (UNDP, 2000)

3.3 Economic Stimulus Programme

The Economic Stimulus Programme (ESP) was a turnaround strategy by the government for the period

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2009/2010 to combating the global economic downturn that brought social economic challenges in

Kenya. It was a high intensive programme that was expected to stimulate economic activity at the local

level by creating employment opportunities, spurring entrepreneurial activities and supporting building

blocks that anchor a healthy, educated populace.

Key activities included; building fresh produce markets country wide; delivery of education; delivery of

holistic healthcare; rehabilitation and expansion of irrigable land; establishing fish farming enterprises in

140 constituencies; and purchase of mobile computers and setting up of constituency industrialization

centres.

Ugunja constituency already has land for the construction of a modern retail market, will look at having

model schools and a district hospital. Implementation of fish farming will also come to fruition. There is

also a proposal for the construction of water pans for rain water harvesting for irrigation purposes.

3.4 Public Private Partnership (PPP)

The constituency enjoys a healthy Public-private partnership (PPP) with the private business operators as

well as from its professionals and the communities. Implementation of development projects can only be

successful if there is collaboration of the communities. The professionals from the constituency will be

encouraged to be very generous with their time and expert advice in sectoral committees. Further the

private sector from the constituency is encouraged to directly invest in public projects in partnership with

the government.

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CHAPTER FOUR: SITUATIONAL ANALYSIS

This chapter highlights the situation in eight key priority sectors namely, Youth Agenda, Agriculture,

Women Empowerment, Infrastructure, Education, Persons with Disability, Healthcare and Environment.

Other areas of concern have also been highlighted.

4.1 Youth Agenda

Ugunja constituency prides itself in having more than 60% of its population below 50 years. It has a very

vibrant youth that engage itself in various sporting activities such as football, and athletics. To date there

are a few football clubs in the constituency that compete against each other. Plans are underway to

support existing clubs so that they can be able to produce national players. Almost all the youths have

undertaken the basic primary education and indeed quite a few are „O‟ level graduates.

Others have undertaken tertiary education in various fields of trainings. Majority of the youths, however,

are unemployed and this has in turn led to their engagement in drug abuse and criminal activities such as

petty theft and mugging. Of concern also is the increase in HIV, Aids and Sexually Transmitted Diseases

(STD) infections among the youth. There is need for practical and deliberate programmes that can change

youth attitude towards self-employment and HIV and Aids.

The proposed revival of the village polytechnics will engage the youth in development and increase job

opportunities. Moreover the creation of the Ugunja District has ensured that the employment centre for all

government agencies now is within Ugunja constituency. If and when resources will be available, there

are plans for construction of a youth empowerment centre. The centre will provide a library and training

facilities that will empower the youth and offer sports and recreation facilities.

Limited youth participation in political process and leadership has largely been fueled by lack of

democratic space for able and talented youth, high level of political patronage by the wealthy class,

handout syndrome among the youth as a result of unemployment and adverse poverty. Lack of affirmative

action to promote the vulnerable group in participating in the development processes has also been a

challenge. These have resulted into limited or no engagement of youth in civic or electoral process,

economic drawback due to lack of investor confidence, high voter apathy, nepotism, massive corruption

and insecurity. The new system of devolved government decentralizes power and resource to counties for

equitable distribution; however, this change process may experience various hitches related to limited

experience and capacity to the youth and other local leaders to manage their own affairs. At present, the

capacity of local development committees is relatively weak while majority of youth are neither aware

nor involved in the prudent management of devolved resources. There is limited participation and

awareness of the youth and local communities in these reform processes hence the need for intensive civic

education and engagement. This plan aims to create a robust forum that inspires, informs and empowers

youth socio-economically for improved livelihood and civic engagement.

The economic situation of Ugunja Constituency has suffered from high un-employment amongst the

youth, partly due to lack of economic goodwill which saw the collapse or closure of various factories in

the Western region including Kisumu Cotton Mills (KICOMI), Kenya Breweries, cotton ginneries,

tobacco industries, Miwani Sugar Factory etc. There is also gross underutilization of existing natural

resources such as Lake Victoria, and the agricultural potential for crops such sugarcane, cotton, rice,

sorghum, and millet. There is a high cost of doing business in Ugunja due to poor infrastructure. Other

related challenges among the youth include increasing crime rate, drug and substance abuse, prostitution,

HIV/Aids, lack of saving culture and limited innovative capacity.

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This strategic plan aims to sensitize community members on comprehensive civic education, encourage

youth to be involved in leadership through civic engagement, play their democratic right of electing

visionary leaders by registering as voters and play key role in business opportunities brought about by the

East African Common Market Protocol (EACP).

Ugunja is a patriarchal society and key assets and resources such as land, trees, and domestic animals are

owned and controlled by older men rather than the youth. The new constitution has recognized the need

for gender equality in all aspects of social life and leadership. The national employment policy advocates

for opportunity for all. However, lucrative and well-paying opportunities are dominated by the wealthy

and senior elites that accounts for below 20% of national population due to unequal opportunity for

learning in the past. This plan underscores the challenges and hopes to tighten Ugunja‟s economic

empowerment policy for job and wealth creation among the youth.

Elite Entertainers Youth group entertain the public in one of their outreach programs at Ugunja market.

On the right, volunteer youth from Canada join hands with Ugunja youth in a clean up exercise of the amrket

The transport network is thin, disjointed, and in some areas non-existent. However construction of feeder

roads is currently being undertaken by Constituency Development Fund (CDF) and Kenya Rural Roads

Authority (KURA). The ICT infrastructure is equally rudimentary; there is for instance inadequate or no

access to computers in most rural based learning institutions. Majority of youth and local leaders are still

computer illiterate and resort to manual ways of conducting their operations. Improvement of

infrastructure has the potential to stabilize the region, improve security, and strengthen its integration

within the region and with the rest of the country.

Internet and mobile phones are becoming relatively common in townships within the region together with

the related services such as telephone banking (M-PESA, ZAP). However, other than M-PESA and ZAP,

exploitation of ICT facilities for doing business is more or less absent. Rural electrification project has

extended power up to the villages, but residents do not currently use the resource optimally for socio-

economic benefits. It is nonetheless expected that with the formation of the county governments, this will

most likely improve the situation in the region and ultimately lower costs of doing business and other

development work.

The natural resource potential in the area range from fish, rice, sugarcane, solar, wind and bricks, but

these are largely untapped. Tourist attraction sites (in and around River Nzoia, Kit Lwiyo etc) and pasture

are all critical resources upon which the people of the region can depend. Access to and control over these

resources is differentiated by gender and age, with youth playing key roles in natural resource

management, but with control over most resources primarily in the hands of older men.

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There is also an industry for young people in marrum and sand harvesting along River Nzoia for

construction/grading with no attempts to reclaim areas where the mining/harvesting has taken place.

Ugunja Constituency forest cover still fall below nationally acceptable limits due to rampant deforestation

by charcoal burning for domestic fuel and for sale. Further, forest resources are also destroyed by frequent

charcoal burning and firewood vendors who are mostly youth. This has significantly disrupted the rain

patterns and resulted in the negative effects of climate change, hence persistent drought and floods

leading to food insecurity. There is minimal exploration and/or exploitation of alternative energy sources such

as biogas amongst others due to un-affordability and limited technological know-how.

4.2 Agriculture

Agro eco-zones, topography and altitude

The Ugunja Constituency lies in the highland equatorial zone with lower midland as the main Agro-Eco –

Zones LM1 and LM2. The Constituency has an undulating topography with slopes ranging 1% to 20%.

The altitude range is 1,200m ASL and 1,500m ASL.

Rainfall and temperatures

Rainfall ranges between 1,200mm to 1,500mm annually. This is bimodal in nature, reliable and well

distributed. Long rains are in March-June and short rains in September- November. The dry spell is

experienced in the months of January, February, August and December. The mean temperature ranges

between 30oC maximum and 16oC mean minimum. The variations are minimal and favour 99% of

agricultural activities undertaken in the area.

Above: A banana farm at Ugolwe Primary School.

Right: A demo farm in a green house. Agriculture

is the backbone of the local economy and requires

priority attention

Soils

The area comprises of Ul D 1 type of soils, which are well drained, moderately deep to very deep, dark

red to strong brown, friable clay; in many places shallow over petroplinthite: chromic and orthicacrisols

and rhodicferralsols, partly petroferric phases, and dystric phases, with dystricnitisols.

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Source: Ministry of Agricuture (2012)

Agricultural activities

Subsistence mixed farming predominate the area except sugarcane that forms major cash crop. Maize and

beans for both cash and food crop. Millet and sorghum-both food crops are also major crops in the

Constituency. Local and exotic vegetables such as kales, tomatoes are produced in small scale for local

markets. Pineapple and bananas form the bulk of the fruits. Main roots and tuber crops are cassava and

sweet potatoes. Groundnuts and bananas are becoming major enterprises with a high potential for

growth. A few farmers are producing passion fruits targeting local market and other markets outside the

district.

In the livestock sub-sector, the majority of the farmers as well as groups are involved in dairy cow, goat

production and poultry production especially local poultry. Local zebu predominates in the area. The

interest for sugarcane is steadily increasing because agro-ecologically the large zones LM 1 and 2 are

suited. Generally, the climatic potential is high (Zones LM 1 and 2 mainly) and the soils are good for

sugarcane.

Table 1: Arable land and Agro Ecological zones suitable for cane growing in Ugunja District

District Division Arable land(KM2) Annual Rainfall range (mm)

Population No. of farm families

Average Farm size (Ha) LM1 LM2 Total

Ugunja Ugunja 121.3 41.6 162.9 1200-1500 88,450 16,254 0.8

Source: Authors

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Remarks:

The area is predominantly LM1 with a few parts LM2. LM1 comprises of Southern Ugunja, North Uholo,

East Uholo and parts of West Uholo Locations while LM2 comprises of Central Ugunja and parts of West

Uholo Locations.

Table 2: Crop Statistics 2013

Crop Targets Achievements

Hectares Total Production (MT/Bags) Area in Ha Total

Tons/bags production

LR SR TOTAL LR SR Total LR SR Total LR SR Total

Maize 4,500 4,000 8,500 90,000 80,000 170,000 4550 91,000 bags

Sorghum 1,000 0 1,000 10,000 0 10,000 1010 10,100 bags

Finger millet 10 10 50 0 50 8 40 bags

Beans 3,600 3,400 7,000 18,000 17,000 35,000 3,500 17,500 bags

Green grams 35 36 71 70 72 142 25 50 bags

Cow peas 35 42 77 70 84 154 30 60 bags

Groundnuts 150 140 290 750 630 1380 155 775 bags

Sweet potatoes

120 145 145 1,000t 1,250t 2250 105 875 Tons

Cassava 310 350 350 3100t 3500t 3500 300 3,000 Tons

Tomatoes 30 45 65 300t 350t 650 5 50 Tons

Kales 30 35 65 30 35 65 20 20 Tons

Local vegetables

5 5 10 5 5 10 1 1 Ton

Pineapple 5 5 5 350 350 350 4 280 Tons

Bananas 250 260 260 750 750 750 240 720 Tons

Avocado 5 5 5 15 15 15 4 12 Tons

Sugar Cane 1,078 10,100 10,100 64,680 66,000 130,680 1,078 64,680 tons

Soybean 25 34 45 25 20 45 20 20 Bags

Oil Palm 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 Tons

Amaranth 6 3 9 6 3 9 .1 1 Ton

Source: Authors

LR= Long Rains SR=Short Rains

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1. Gross Margin Analysis and Enterprise Ranking

a) Gross Margin Analysis

Table 3: Gross Margin Analysis

Enterprise Gross Output

Variable Costs Gross Margin Return to a Shilling

Rank

Food crops (Per Acre)

Sweet potatoes 46,000 19,000 21,000 2.4 4

Beans 28,800 18,750 10,050 1.5 9

Finger millet 32,000 20,340 11,660 1.57 8

Sorghum 19,600 16,100 3,500 1.2 10

Maize 28,000 23,565 4,435 1.2 10

Horticultural crops

Bananas (Acre) 330,000 47,966 282,034 4.0 1

Pineapples (Ha) 1,020,000 29,870 990,130 3.87 2

Passion fruits (Acre) 256,000 28,720 227,280 1.7 7

Kales (Acre) 60,000 29,650 30,350 2.0 5

Groundnuts (Acre) 50,000 25,400 24,600 1.96 6

Industrial crops

Sugarcane (Acre) 418,585 224,808 193,777 1.7 7

Livestock enterprise

Local Chicken (100birds) 1,504,250 379,050 1,125,200 3.0 3

Dairy Cow (1head) 148,193 65,800 47,037 0.7 11

Source: Authors

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b) Enterprise ranking: Based on returns to a shilling

Table 4: Enterprise Rankling

Crop enterprise Returns to a shilling Rank

Bananas 4.0 1

Pineapples 3.87 2

Local Chicken 3.0 3

Sweet potatoes 2.4 4

Kales 2.0 5

Ground nuts 1.96 6

Passion Fruits 1.7 7

Sugarcane 1.7 7

Finger Millet 1.57 8

Beans 1.5 9

Sorghum 1.2 10

Maize 1.2 10

Dairy cow 0.7 11

Source: Authors

Evidently, the people of Ugunja constituency are largely dependent on agriculture for food and income,

majority of them have very small pieces of land. Most people are poor and depend on subsistence

agriculture as their mainstay. Food security and nutrition projects focusing on agriculture should form the

key driver to poverty eradication, economic empowerment and growth. These should therefore be the

spotlight of the community development. Food insecurity is common for most households, caused by

poor agricultural production systems. The main food crops grown are maize, sorghum, beans, cassava,

sweet potatoes and vegetables; while the main cash crops grown are sugar cane, cotton, Robusta and

Arabica coffee.

The causes of increased poor agricultural productivity in the Constituency are diverse, they include:

Poor soils as a result of soil exhaustion, which has often led to low agricultural yields;

Due to limited extension services, most of the farmers are over-relying on traditional methods of

agriculture, which has tended to lower food production, thus creating food insecurity;

Unpredictable rainfall patterns that is attributed to environmental degradation and climate change

have tended to make planning by the local farmers impossible;

High rate of death due to HIV/AIDS takes away the strong workforce, consequently leaving only

the very young and the very old to fend for themselves. The scourge erodes all the resources that

the affected families have, as a result of paying for medical bills.

Poor road network, the roads are in a sorry state and usually impassable during the rainy seasons,

making it hard for farmers to access markets with their produce.

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The Constituency has a fully-fledged department of Agriculture and department of Livestock and

fisheries, even though this should be supporting the farmers, especially by training farmers on crop

management, soil conservation, animal husbandry and agribusiness, very little is done.

The constituents are not involved in processing of their produce. There is a plan to in future, bring about

mini factories for processing fruits and other agricultural produce. Fish farming will also become a reality

with the implementation of the government initiative of improving food security by rearing fish. Farmers

will be encouraged to plant some cash crops as well, so as to increase their incomes. Working together

with the department of agriculture, livestock and fisheries are development partners such as Care Kenya,

by training farmers on soil conservation, farming methods and agri-business. Private Sector Development

in Agriculture (PSDA) will also empower farmers by training them on how to make biogas and jikos in a

bid to complete the value chain.

4.3 Women Empowerment

In virtually all developing countries in Africa, women bear the burden of catering for their family needs at every

level, despite their disposition. As rightly articulated in the Beijing plan of Action, women in the third world still

grapple with all forms of humiliation as they seek to provide for their families and improve their social and

economic status. Despite the prevalence of various forms of afflictions and diseases, including HIV/Aids, which has

devastated the continent, the women, who, because of their vulnerability have been hard hit, are still expected to be

the major bread winners especially in the rural areas.

In Ugunja Constituency, women have had to withstand the worst in developing their own families, as men tend to

leave the running of household to them, in favour of more manly duties that rarely put food on the table. Population

explosion, unemployment, over tiled farms, insufficient skills, diverse and numerous roles that leave women with

limited time have dealt a blow to their attempts at raising their social and economic status within their communities.

Negative gender stereotyping and poor health, occasioned by the ravages of HIV/AIDS, among other diseases, has

seriously affected the women within the area.

Women in the constituency are generally not empowered in any way, therefore, making them vulnerable to the

machinations of others. The most affected women in this area are those either living with HIV, have AIDS or are

affected in one way or the other within their families. Because of their status and stigmatization within the

communities, these women have the disadvantage of having to look for upkeep for their families and themselves,

and yet they don‟t get enough resources and support from any quarter.

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Guard of honour by Girl Guides from Ng’op Musengni Primary ready for inspection sir: Ugunja MP graced this

occasion. Right, Girls from Uref Primary School receive sanitary pads

Ugunja Constituency has been on the forefront in promotion of gender equality and empowerment of women by

ensuring women representation in virtually all committees including the CDF, the development committee, among

others. Despite this, women in the constituency still face numerous challenges among them; unemployment,

physical abuse, gender discrimination, HIV and Aids infection, drug and alcohol abuse and poverty. Other

challenges facing women in the constituency include early pregnancies. This has pushed many young women to

engage in prostitution to be able to feed themselves and their babies.

Empowerment of these women in terms of increasing their spiritual, political or economic strength as

individuals and communities is crucial. Women empowerment often involves developing confidence in

their own capacities to enable them have these capabilities: Have decision making power of their own;

access to information and resources for taking proper decision; have a range of options from which you

can make choices; ability to exercise assertiveness in collective decision making; have positive thinking

on the ability to make change; ability to learn skills for improving one‟s personal or group power; ability

to change others perception through democratic means, growth process and change that is never ending

and self-initiated as well as increase ones positive self-image and overcoming stigma.

Women have been marginalization for years in the constituency. This is manifested in the overt or covert

trends within the society whereby sometimes women are perceived as lacking desirable traits or deviating

from the group norms and therefore tend to be excluded by men and ostracized. This being one of the

main problems that women face in defiant societies, various solutions are being designed to try and curb

marginalization including: encouraging women to create their own women groups and using the rationale

that only the marginalized know what their fellow women need the most. Women empowerment within

Ugunja Constituency will also be looked at exhaustively by examining problems such as violence against

women, sexual assault on women and trying to encourage and promote healthy relationships. Others

critical areas include economic security and financial literacy, self-esteem, female leadership and

women‟s health.

Whilst the girl child has been highly supported, thanks to the nationwide campaigns, the boy child in Ugunja

constituency is facing neglect. The boy child who is cared for by the mother may not receive proper education, thus

getting involved in alcohol and drug abuse as well as criminal activities. Urgent measures are required to address the

plight of the boy child. Not many children in the constituency have access to basic needs, including food, shelter

clothing and health facilities. The constituency is also faced with the plight of orphaned children who are now under

the care of grandparents. But these grandparents lack income or the energy to do work and earn a living due to old

age. Data will be collected on orphaned children so as to make decisions that are informed in enabling these children

access basic needs.

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Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi, Ugunja MP (centre in a blue shirt), poses for a group photo with members of

Dendiyo Moyie Women Group. Women are a cornerstone of our economy and require deliberate

affirmative action

4.4 Infrastructure

It is common knowledge that a good working infrastructure is a key pillar to social economic growth of

an area. This includes good navigable roads and water ways. Proper roads promote trade as producers can

easily access market areas. Proper roads are needed in Ugunja Constituency for the transportation of cane

to factories with little spillage, transportation of crops to the markets and basic mobility. This sector of

infrastructure also includes energy, where rural electrification is emphasized, ICT, water and sanitation.

Indeed all socio-economic variables are dependent on proper physical infrastructure.

Generally, infrastructure is poor in Ugunja Constituency. Less than 25% of roads are accessible

throughout the year. Only 2.4% of the population has access to electricity and fewer than 20% of the

constituents have access to clean drinkable water. More than 92.2% household use firewood for cooking.

Basic services are not adequately provided nor adapted to the population, which means that the

inhabitants have poorer health and lower levels of education than majority of the people in other parts of

the country.

The fact that roads are important for ease in communication and transport means that bad roads hinder

development; increase the level of insecurity for motorists as well as poverty level. Ugunja constituency

has a large network of roads, most of which are dry weather roads. Some of the roads in class C and

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above include: Kisumu-Busia, Ugunja-Ukwala, and Ugunja-Butere roads. Particular roads fall within the

Ministry of Infrastructure, while others are now under the County government.

This is how we want projects rolled out: Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi, Ugunja MP, seem to be explaining a point to the

CDF committee members who were inspecting a water project at Siror Primary School in Ligega

The main Kisumu-Busia highway transverses the constituency and falls under the Kenya National

Highway Authority (KNHA). Majority of the roads that connect to homes and farms are murram and

earth roads, thus hindering access of produce to markets during rainy seasons. Some residents have

encroached public access roads for settlement and agricultural activities, making infrastructure

development very difficult. To mitigate this, an initiative that is supported by majority of residents will be

launched to create space for development of infrastructure and other related developments.

The road sector is a key priority of the Government of Kenya and it developed roads 2000 maintenance

strategy through the ministry of infrastructure. The strategy involves usage of labour and equipment in

repairing constituency access roads. The programme emphasizes on usage of labour, utilization of local

resources, and engagement of the private sector. The key objectives of the Roads 2000 strategy are cost

effective maintenance of the classified road network of the country to an economic level of serviceability

using local resources and labour-based methods wherever these are cost effective. This strategy supports

the Kazi Kwa Vijana (KKV) programme initiated by the government to create 300,000 jobs for the youth.

Upgrading murram roads to soil stabilized roads using the method of chip and seal may be explored in the

near future. Chip and seal is a thin surface treatment consisting of an application of liquid asphalt or

emulsion binder covered with an aggregate. It is a method that spreads a layer of low-grade asphalt

emulsion/bitumen and compact stone chips on top of it. Its advantages are that it is less expensive,

excellent skid resistance and fast setting, that is least amount of traffic disruption.

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The CDF committee will continuously hold regular consultations with the relevant authorities especially

on the road sector, in particular the Kenya National Highway Authority based, in Nairobi to obtain reports

on the progress of the state of the tender processes for tarmacking roads. Some of these roads include

Butere-Sidindi road, whose construction should be on going, and the tender progress of the Ukwala-

Ugunja-Sigomre-Mumias highway whose construction as a major tarmack Trunk Road had been

budgeted for during the previous financial years. The construction of these roads will open up our

constituency and indeed county for faster socio economic development for the people of Ugunja as

promised in our development agenda

The energy sector in the constituency is in deplorable condition. The major sources of energy in the

constituency are firewood, kerosene, electricity and to some extent solar energy. Rural Electrification

Program is underway targeting public institutions like schools, health facilities and market centres.

While it is true that a vibrant ICT set- up is key to development in contemporary society that has to keep

adherent to the dynamism in socioeconomic development, there is very limited access to ICT in Ugunja

Constituency. Various constraints in terms of ICT uptake have been cited in Ugunja Constituency. Some

of the factors have led to low penetration of ICT in Ugunja include: Low computer literacy levels among

the population; lack of equipment; lack of telecommunication services in some area and low awareness on

the advantages of computer technology among others. Use of ICT will see fast accurate information to

plan and right service delivery results. More services can be made practicable by the mobile providers to

complement the current success story where farmers are paid through the popular M-Pesa and Zap

services.

ICT creates employment opportunities for local residents through sale of ICT products like Mobile

Phones, Computer accessories and services like maintenance and repair. ICT also ensures an improved

cost effective way of doing things starting with communication, and e-learning among such programs

encourage dissemination of various information on environment, HIV/AIDS, Gender and tourism,

commerce, trade and industry. The constituency will support all initiatives aimed at promoting ICT and

this will include facilitating private investors to acquire necessary local licenses to put up ICT

infrastructure like cyber cafes, phone accessory shops, information resource centres, as well as digital

libraries.

The constituency will also encourage public institutions of learning to embrace ICT so as to improve

information flow, storage and processing. This would be done through Rural Electrification Program to

various Public institutions that don‟t have electricity. By doing so, it would be improving the capacity of

ICT in the area in order to expand the ability to respond to demands for information by users in the

community. This can only be achieved through the development and implementation of sound ICT

infrastructure in the constituency. The current business world is technology based and therefore a strong

ICT base will give the area comparative advantage over other regions in doing business by improving on

the quality of the work, reducing the time taken to process information and pass the same to consumers,

suppliers and retailers.

4.5 Education

The education department has divided Ugunja Constituency into three zones. These include Sikalame

zone; Ambira zone and Sigomere zone. Each zone has approximately 22 schools. Sikalame zone has

schools from Yiro, Sidindi up to Simero area. Ambira zone has schools from Rang‟ala, Ugunja, Umina

and Ligega areas. Sigomere zone has schools from the larger Uholo.

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Past studies show education is a crucial predictor of professional success and future income levels. But

children who have completed primary education can only have a shot at higher education if they get to

join secondary schools, stay and complete their studies. Quality education is paramount in steering

development, and thus education is a top priority in Ugunja constituency. Education is critical in creating

alternatives for the Ugunja population, for it is the only tool that can enable most of the young people to

at least have the opportunity to progress further, and take jobs in other sectors.

The total number of schools in the constituency is 79 pre-primary schools, 71 primary schools and 20

secondary schools. These have a total enrolment of 3,793 at preprimary, 24,309 at primary and 5,190 at

secondary schools. On the backdrop of this, the teaching staff at all levels is lower than the recommended

number. At the preprimary level, it has only 72 teachers and more than half of them are untrained. At the

primary level teachers there are 579, while at the secondary level they are 173. The emerging issues in

this sector that pose a challenge is that of orphans whose numbers are on the increase. HIV/AIDS has

affected teaching population and the pupil/student population raising the number of orphans. Most

teaching staff succumbing to HIV/AIDS are hardly replaced, thereby straining teaching pupil ratio in

schools.

The gross primary school enrollment in Ugunja Constituency is quite high though, estimated at almost

100% for both boys and girls. Close to 10% of children drop out of school during the 6th, 7th and 8th years

of primary schooling. The dropout rate for girls is of course higher, estimated at approximately 25%. In

this respect there will be regular stakeholder forums to discuss ways of improving education standards in

the constituency.

Left, Students and teachers of Rang’ala Girs High School are joined by the Hon. J.Opiyo Wandayi area MP, as

they celebrate the 2013 KCSE results. The school topped in Chemistry nationally. On the right, girls from schools

around Ugunja, taking part in intergrated health and talent talk program in one of the forums

Ugunja constituency has 19 public secondary schools, none of which is a national school, two are

provincial, and at least four are District schools. In addition there is only one private secondary school in

the constituency. There are 67 public primary schools and at least three private primary schools. There are

no middle level colleges and less than ten known pre – primary schools in the constituency

By end of 2012 the enrolment to primary school was impressive at almost 100% in public schools, out of

which there were slightly more boys than girls. In the private primary schools, fewer pupils had been

enrolled. On the other hand the enrolment of students to public secondary schools by end of 2012 was not

great because many parents lacked school fees. The table below shows the number of schools and

students in the district:

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Table 4: Number of schools in Ugunja (2012)

Primary Secondary Total

Public day 67 14

81

Public boarding 0 5

5

Private day 3 1

4

Private boarding 0 0 0

Total 71 20 90

Source: Authors

The primary schools constitute 78% of the schools, while the secondary schools are only 22% of all the schools in

the constituency. While private schools constitute 4.5% of the schools, the public schools make 95.5%. The ideal

conclusion would be that the number of students who do not join secondary schools is high within the constituency.

The enrolment in Ugunja Constituency stands at about 100% in primary school going children and 55% at secondary

school level. The transition from primary school to secondary school is ratio is 2:1. For every two children that

graduate from primary school, only 1 proceeds to high school.

Table 5: Students roll in Ugunja (2012)

Boys 13,154 3,718

Girls 13,102 3,318

TOTAL 26,256 7,036 33,292

Source: Authors

The ratio of boys to girls enrolled in schools within the district is approximately 1:1 in both primary and

secondary schools. Given that there are approximately 26,000 pupils of primary school going age, there

are about 450 children who are not in primary school. This constitutes about 1.7%. It is estimated that of

the secondary school going students in the entire constituency, 50% are young men and women who do

not join secondary schools each year. The secondary schools dropout rate per school per year is more than

30 students, which translates to about 600 students dropping out of school annually. This is due to various

reasons that include general poverty and lack of school fees, and girls dropping out due to pregnancies.

The average school fees per student for day schools is estimated at Ksh. 20,000 per year, while that of

Provincial is estimated at ksh.40,000 per student per year, this excludes a minimum upkeep of up to

ksh.10,000 for boarding schools and 5000 for day schools.

Number of places available in form one vis-à-vis the number students from primary schools proceeding to

form one, that secondary schools can admit has always been a challenge. This is because only a few

students get places available in form one per year, while the number of pupils who sit for KCPE per year

continues to grow. The teacher: student ratio is very low in many of the schools, as low as 4 teachers for 8

classes, and the number of secondary schools with a science laboratory, water, electricity, computer and

internet services is very low.

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The performance rating below is based on the results of the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education

(KCPE) and Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) of 2012.

Primary schools

As mentioned earlier, there are three educational zones in Ugunja Constituency. Below is how they were

ranked in performance in 2012 KCPE results

1. Ambira

2. Sigomere

3. Sikalame

There are 67 primary schools in the constituency that presented candidates in the 2012 KCPE. These

schools scored a mean of 268.19 out of a possible 500, an aggregate of 53.6% (grade C- minus). Out of

the 67 schools, 37 of them scored below the constituency mean score. Thus, 55% of the primary schools

performed below a C- (minus) grade.

The tables below show the top three and the bottom three schools in the 2012 KCPE performance.

Table 6: Top 3 primary schools in the Constituency (2012 Results)

School Roll Category Mean score Aggregate

Pattand Academy 14 Private 328.21 65.6 (B-)

Uref Primary 33 Public 321.15 64.2 (C+)

Kid Star Academy 12 Private 307.75 61.5 (C+)

Source: Authors

Table 7: Bottom three primary schools in the Constituency (2012 Results)

School Roll Category Mean score Aggregate

Musiko 20 Public 216.9 43 (D)

Tihinga 15 Public 234.5 46 (D+)

Luru 36 Public 237.5 47 (D+)

Source: Authors

Best performed subject in the district was English, while the worst was Kiswahili. The figures tell much.

The class enrolment is small in all the schools, (below the national recommended of 40 pupils in a class),

yet the performance is wanting, with the best schools scoring an aggregate of B – (minus). The average

cut off mark for form one entry to national schools is 400 marks. These results therefore indicate that

Ugunja district did not send anybody to a national school in 2013. Still, very few attained the provincial

school admission marks of 380 marks. It is worth mentioning that students from other districts form a

good population in the good provincial schools within the district.

Secondary schools

The secondary schools in the district had a means score of 5.43 (C-) out of a possible 12.

Table 8: Top 3 secondary schools in the Constituency (2012 Results)

School Category Aggregate

Rangala Girls Public 8.367 (B-)

Ambira Public 7.432 (C+)

Rangala Boys Public 7.248 (C+)

Source: Authors

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Table 9: Bottom three secondary schools in the Constituency (2012 Results)

School Category Aggregate

Sidindi Public 4.814 (D+)

Got Osimbo Girls Public 4.659 (D+)

St. Augustine Ogeda Public 2.5 (D-)

Source: Authors

With an average mean of 5.43 (C-), most of the secondary school leavers did not even qualify for

admission into middle colleges, leave alone the universities. And a good number of them did not even

qualify for recruitment into the police force or any other meaningful jobs. This definitely leads into high

rate of unemployment cases.

Workers fixing windows on a classroom sponsored by Ugunja Constituency

Development Fund (CDF) at Ulhoye Primary School in South Ugenya

There has been a decline in academic performance in both primary and secondary schools over the years. Some of

the factors attributed to this include; lack of community ownership; inadequate number of teachers; lack of role

models; low transition rates; drug abuse and the consumption of cheap illicit brews; inadequate infrastructure and

lack of motivation among teachers.

Positively

Easy access: - schools that are along the major roads and near towns perform better. Such schools

are well staffed, with some being overstaffed. For example, the Rangala schools, Ambira and

Uref schools, which performed well are near towns and are easily accessible.

Best performing teachers also end up being posted to such schools. These schools are also

inspected frequently by the education officers.

Cooperative parents and communities have positive impact in learning as they support the

educators with incentives.

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Good and dedicated teachers inspire their students to better performances.

Committed education inspectors ensure the syllabus coverage is adequately done.

Negatively

Interior or far flung schools are used as punishment posts to place lazy and difficult teachers, for

instance Musiko and St. Augustine Ogeda. Such schools are mostly understaffed as many

teachers avoid or protest when posted to them.

Parents‟ apathy: Most parents in the constituency do not take education seriously. They treat

education with indifference, with many parents not bothering to find out how their children are

performing in school. Many parents do not attend school meetings. Instead of using poverty as

motivation to educate their children, they use it as an excuse not to care about education.

Teachers‟ apathy: Many teachers are not serious in expediting their duties. Lessons attendance is

at an average of 40% according to the UN survey of 2011. Most teachers believe that they should

be paid extra money by the community to perform well.

No refresher courses are available to empower the teachers to be abreast with the prevailing

trends in teaching.

Completion of syllabus stands at an average of 60% in primary schools while 70% in secondary

schools.

Politics play a big role in Ugunja education sector. This is seen in staffing of teachers to particular

schools. Politically or otherwise connected teachers who do not perform cannot be reprimanded

by the education officers.

Bursaries, scholarships, motivation of teachers and students, construction of schools and addition of

teachers would go a long way in alleviating these problems. Also frequent testing of students help expose

their weaknesses, thus enabling the teachers and pupils to remedy such, as early as possible.

A community will develop as much as it is educated. It is apparent that the education sector in Ugunja is

wanting. The leadership in the constituency will steer the populace in the right direction as far as

education is concerned. The primary factor to consider is the quality of education. Pertinent to this is the

quality of the teachers. Refresher courses and seminars should be held for teachers to equip them with

better skills to impart knowledge. The provincial administration will be used to sensitize the people about

the importance of education.

Ugunja Constituency will request for funds under the Economic Stimulus Programme for construction of

a model primary and secondary schools. The primary school will require at least three acres, while the

secondary required at least five acres. Proposals will be made to the people of Ugunja and other

institutions to donate land or funds to buy land for construction of these facilities.

The constituency will have an active and vibrant District Education Board (DEB), which will also be

required to prepare their own strategic plan to guide actions. Its mission will be focused on leading,

developing and implementing dynamic education policies and practices, by bringing together all

stakeholders (community, parents, teachers, students, government, investors, and sponsors) to inspire the

achievement of academic excellence in Ugunja Constituency. It will achieve its mission through:

provision of leadership and direction in education; setting of education standards; harmonization of the

private and public education sectors; addressing challenges facing education in the constituency;

monitoring resources provided by the government and the public; providing motivation to the

stakeholders; and encouragement of good performance in education.

4.6 Persons with Disability

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Stigmatization and discrimination has cultivated the negative perception by society towards persons with

disabilities. This may be due the nature and extent of their disability, thus making them vulnerable to

negligence, ignorance, lack of recognition and all other forms of abuse and misuse by able bodied persons

within the society. In essence, the physically able people have benefited a lot, and even taken more than

their fair share of resources at the expense of the persons with disabilities. This has further been fuelled

by the persons with disabilities‟ lack of a common voice of reason and a common avenue through which

this ill treatment could be addressed and countered, and other necessary measures towards achieving

meaningful socio-economic interventions taken.

The Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) Act stipulates the rights and privileges for people with disabilities

as follows:

1) Right to education: The PWDs have a right to special education and special attention while in public

schools. They are also entitled to receive bursaries from the relevant authorities to help in facilitating

education costs.

2) Economic planning: The PWDs being an integral part of the society must be involved in policy

making in matters pertaining to economic planning.

3) Housing: Public buildings and social amenities must be constructed in a manner friendly to the access

of the PWDs. For example the construction of toilets that more often than not favour the normal at the

expense of the PWDs.

4) Transport: Public transport vehicles have to be designed in a way accommodative to the use of the

PWDs

5) Labour: About 30% of all civil servants must be persons with disabilities

6) Freedom of speech: All the persons living disabilities have a right to talk and to converse, as do the

other members of the society

7) Freedom of worship: All the persons with disabilities have a right to choose their religions and the

faith they profess.

8) Right to health and medication: The persons with disabilities have the right to seek health

interventions like other members of the community.

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A national sitting volleyball championship at Ambira High School for Persons with Disability. The

Ugunja Constituency Strategic plan aims at cultivating a positive perception by society towards Persons

with Disabilities

The most serious challenges facing persons with disabilities revolve around: Economic, Health,

Exploitation, Non-inclusion, Education, Human rights abuse, Social stigma and HIV/AIDS. There is thus

a need for the formation of a strong body to arbitrate and advocate for the rightful position of the persons

with disabilities in Ugunja Constituency. There was one such body, the first one ever formed for this

special group of people in Kenya in the original larger Ugenya Constituency. However, there is need for

one in Ugunja Constituency, and its subsequent buttressing to enable it take more responsibilities.

Ugunja Persons with Disabilities Council will be a body that incorporates the interests of all persons with

disability in the constituency. The formation of the council will involve, first the formation of location

councils in all the locations in the constituency with office representation from all the sub-locations. For

ease of governance and administration in this expansive area under its jurisdiction, an executive

committee will be formed from the representatives of location Persons with Disabilities Councils to

spearhead the running of the council. Ugunja Persons with Disabilities Council (UPWDC) will be

exceptional in its structure and composition in that the executive committee and secretariat of the council

will be made up of persons with disabilities with a fair and equitable representation from all the locations

in the constituency.

4.7 Healthcare

Health status indicators for Ugunja are poor, for there are only 13 health facilities serving a total

population of 93,372, of which 10 are government facilities with only one at Sub District Status and 3 are

private health facilities. These health facilities are poorly staffed and ill equipped to effectively cater for

the needs of the people of Ugunja. These facilities both government and private do include Ambira Sub

District Hospital; Sigomere Health Centre; Rang‟ala Health Centre; Simenya Dispensary; Sikalame

Dispensary; Tingare Dispensary; Rambula Dispensary; Matibabu Foundation Kenya Nzoia Clinic; Uluthe

Dispensary and Uzima Clinic; Ligega Health Centre; Uhuyi and Got Osimbo Dispensaries.

The constituency has an established public health department in Ugunja district, which aims at provision

of efficient, high quality health care system that is – accessible, equitable, and affordable to every house

hold. Meanwhile the existing health facilities will be equipped and upgraded. The public health

department will be requested to establish community units, each with a capacity to serve at least 5,000

individuals. In each of these units community health workers will be assigned to train 20 households on

treatment of minor ailments, homecare for patients, referral cases, and use of first aid kits. Among the top

ten causes of illnesses are the upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), eye infections, typhoid, malaria,

wounds and cholera. HIV/ AIDS is equally prevalent, although this is not classified as an ailment, but as a

situation that provides for other opportunistic ailments.

The constituency has a high prevalence rate of HIV/AIDS estimated to be about 15%, in tandem with the

Nyanza province rates and life expectancy at birth is 37 years for men and 43 years for women. The

negative impacts of it are also high such as orphans; opportunistic infections, and deaths are very high. It

is on record that the high mortality rate in Ugunja Constituency is as a result of the increasing deaths from

HIV/ AIDS, which has led to low population growth rate, and the composition of the population shows

that young people make up to 60 per cent of the population (KIBH, 2010/11).

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Immunization levels are estimated at 72%. The constituency has 42.7 per 1000 crude births and the

fertility rate is about 5.7 children per woman. Infant mortality rate is estimated at 135.6 per 1000, while

under five mortality rate stands at 234 per 1000. Also, basic services are not adequately provided, nor

adapted to the population of this constituency, which means that the inhabitants have poorer health and

lower levels of education than majority of the people in other parts of the country. The implications of

the high mortality rate surpassing the population growth rate could be disastrous to the constituency‟s

future development goals (KIBH, 2005/6).

Left, Members of Ugunja Healthcare Pillar, spearheaded by health professionals from the Constituency in one of

their meetings. On the right, the new wards under construction at Ambira Sub-District Hospital. The facility is

earmarked for upgrade to a level 5 referral hospital

Table 10: Health Indicators

Ugunja National

Health Mortality Ratio/1000 live births (KDHS 2009) >488

488

Under five mortality/1000 live births (KDHS 2009) 234 74

Infant mortality/1000 live births (KDHS 2009) 136 53

Fully immunized infants (%) DHIS 2013 72 78

Source: Ugunja Professionals Health Committee – (Doctors’ Survey, 2014)

Health Institutions

Ugunja Constituency had the following number of hospitals per type/ category in 2013:

a) Mission Hospitals- (1)

Rang‟ala Mission Hospital

b) Health Centers:

Public- (4)

Sigomere

Sikalame

Simenya

St. Paul‟s Methodist- Ugunja

Private- (1)

c) Dispensaries- (7)

Nzoia

Got Osimbo

Rambula

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Uluthe

Tingare

d) Private Clinics- (5)

Uzima

Child Family Welfare Clinic

Inuka* (Yet get full registration)

Health Workers in the constituency

a) Doctors- (2)

b) Clinical Officers- (15)

c) Nurses- (36)

The above numbers of health workers are now looked at in comparison with the World Health

Organization (WHO) recommended number of people to be served by each health worker as well as the

Kenya‟s existing ratio for appreciation, and taking corrective measures aimed at improving health

services to the people of Ugunja Constituency. The information will be used in formulating the preventive

measures as opposed to treatment. Ugunja today has (15) Health Facilities in total, five (5) of these are

private and 10 are public, of which Seven (7) are Dispensaries, Two (2) are Health Centers and One (1)

Sub-District Hospital (Ambira). None of the above health facilities meets norms and standards –

Infrastructural, Equipment and Human Resource for health (HRH).

Table 11: Brief Health status: Human Resources for Ugunja Constituency

Cadre Ideal Number Available

Doctors 6 2

Pharmacists 4 1 (shared with Ugenya)

Clinical Officers 36 15

Nurses 90 36

Source: Ugunja Professionals Health Committee – (Doctors’ Survey, 2014)

Details No. of Health

Institutions No. of Doctors

No. of Clinical Officers

No. of Nurses

Population 93,372 93,372 93,372 93,372

Capacity available 15 2 15 36

Ratio for Ugunja Constituency 1:6,225 1:46,686 1:6,225 1:2,594

Current ratio for Kenya 1:4,962 1:5,334 - -

WHO recommended ratio - 1:435 - -

Source: Computed by authors 2013

Summary of requirements

Ideally each health facility should be on a 5 acre land at the minimum. None of these facilities has that

size of land. There should thus, be consultation with relevant communities, to get more land to facilitate

future developments. Five (5) facilities do not have a fence: Sikalame, Uhuyi, Uluthe, Rambula, and

Tingare and six (6) do not have a gate: Sikalame, Uhuyi, Uluthe, Rambula, Tingare, Got Osimbo. Each

facility should have a minimum of two (2) staff houses. Only Ligega Health Center has one house and

therefore seventeen (17) staff houses are needed. None of the facilities has the recommended standard Out

Patient Department (OPD). However, spaces have been converted to provide varying critical services, and

this varies from one facility to another. In the meantime these should be strengthened. Again none of the

facilities has the recommended standard Maternal and Child Health/Family Planning (MCH/FP), this

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needs urgent action to address the high maternal and child indicators. Another serious matter is that no

facility in the constituency has the recommended standard Maternity; this too needs to be addressed.

Each facility should have at least three (3) Clinical Officers, thus a total of 27 would be ideal. The six (6)

who are now available are all on contracts supported by development partners and the county should

absorb them at end of contracts and then recruit the balance, which is 21. Each facility should have at

least three (3) Registered Nurses, thus the ideal total would be 27. Right now 13 are available and

therefore 14 should be recruited. Each facility should have at least three (3) Enrolled Nurses and the

number available now is 11, the balance needed is 16. None of the facilities has running water and there

are frequent power interruptions. The County Government has provided one Ambulance to each Sub-

County, this comes with a driver and maintenance; however, in future each ward should have an

Ambulance.

Table 12: Ugunja Health Facility equity data

Requirements Ideal Available Balance Comments

Water Supply Rain water 9 4 5 This should be given priority. Almost all health facilities have a bore hole close by, and is shared by the community. None has running water and therefore rain catchment should be mandatory

Bore hole 9 8 1

Main line 9 2 7

Waste Disposal Protected Composite pit

9 7 2

Incinerator 9 0 9

Placenta pit 9 3 6

Energy Supply Electricity main 9 6 3 Frequent outages

Solar 9 2 7

Transport Ambulance 9 0 9 County Government is providing an Ambulance for each sub location

Motorcycle 9 3 6

Source: Ugunja Professionals Health Committee – (Doctors’ Survey, 2014)

4.8 Environment

Ugunja Constituency is endowed with vital natural resources and related ecosystems, which are major

environmental resources of great importance. The constituency falls under North Victoria catchments

basin, with the main river being River Nzoia, which traverses the constituency as it drains into Lake

Victoria. There are other numerous streams namely; Rana, Wuoroya, and Gaula, which have great

potential of enhancing access of clean piped water to locals. The water can also be used to increase

agricultural productivity of the area through irrigation to produce vegetables, fruits and other horticultural

crops. Wuoroya and Gaula steams can be harnessed to produce paddy rice in areas like Raombo in North

East Ugenya.

Two Dams namely Lifunga Dam and Mauna Dam, were constructed way back with the aim of producing

clean water sources for use by the local populace. The other intension was to also help in the production

of horticulture, vegetables and even fish farming. To date these dams have not been exploited fully, for

they supply just a few cubic litres of piped water to the local residents and they experience intermittent

breakdowns. The other water resources are water pumps, which are spread across the constituency, most

of which have since broken down, there are also a number of natural springs and unprotected wells that

need to be protected and harnessed in a more hygienic manner. River Nzoia has partially been harnessed

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for a few uses like sand harvesting, washing and bathing as well as small scale fishing, but not much has

been done to harness the water for farming.

Demands on the natural resources and related ecosystem have increased, especially with proportional

increase in population and the need for survival for livelihood. Coupled with low environmental

awareness and inadequate enforcement of environmental regulations, the increased demands have resulted

in the proliferation of unplanned developments, increased pollution of the water sources, increased brick

making and restricted access to the resources, especially for those who depend on these natural resources

for livelihoods support. This has in turn created land use conflicts that threaten the continued integrity of

the ecosystem.

Subsistence farming could be a viable economic activity in the short term, but there is need to find ways

of alleviating the growing population on land and other available resources, as well as increasing the

range of cash sources available to families, many of whom rely on remittances sent from family members

working elsewhere. This sad state of affairs has led to the population encroaching into the protected

regions, which act as the rain catchment for the area. This has resulted in serious climatic change, thus

reduction in rainfall due to deforestation. The other result has been the drying of water points down

stream and reduced food production in the region. Equally the massive moulding of bricks has intensely

degraded the environment because lots of trees have been cut to generate firewood for curing the bricks

and at the same time the process has degraded the soils as brick makers have continually dug the fertile

top soils to mould the bricks. This has led to enormous soil degradation due to erosion of the top soils

hence low agricultural productivity in most parts of Ugunja Constituency.

Planting of indigenous trees and managing soil erosion is, therefore, a key concern for soil conservation.

Planting of eucalyptus trees near water catchment areas is highly discouraged. The District Environment

committee and the town council have been working together to ensure a clean environment. Environment

conservation has been of concern in the constituency in terms of how to keep Ugunja town and shopping

centre free of waste materials. Plans are underway to further sensitize the constituents on how to manage

and keep the environment attractive and clean.

Ugunja Constituency is privileged to have the Sidindi-Malanga Water project, which used to work closely

with the community to manage water supply challenges. This project needs to be revived. The sources of

the current water supply in the constituency include bore holes, streams and springs. Generally: the

constituency lacks sufficient water storage facilities; wetlands have been encroached by farmers; poor

distribution systems and non-functional pumps in the boreholes. Conservation of water catchments areas

is paramount as well as building of dams and directing water into those dams.

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CHAPTER FIVE: SWOT AND PESTEL ANALYSIS

This chapter gives a summary of the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external

opportunities and threats. Ugunja Constituency, as shown below has a lot of strengths and opportunities,

although it is facing many weaknesses and threats. The critical thing in achieving the vision of the

constituency is to reduce the weaknesses, mitigate the threats, harness the strengths and exploit the

opportunities at hand.

5.1 SWOT ANALAYSIS

STRENGTHS -Availability of small scale industries within the constituency -Large network of major banks within Ugunja town & availability of credit from these financial institutions -Cosmopolitan town (Ugunja)– attracts people from different backgrounds who come with new ideas and investments. -Existence of cooperative societies. -Availability of many professionals and diverse expertise in different fields of interest including teachers. -Presence of properly trained police service men and women committed to ensure peace & security -Wide road network including the Kisumu/Busia highway -Social groupings & activities still prominent in some villages -Presence of missionary churches, schools & hospitals -Constituency within easy reach of Kisumu (airport) -Capacitated school supervisory structures -Learning zest for those who take a keen interest. -Availability of rich soil profiles & good soil textures -Presence of water catchment areas & existence of high number of natural springs. -Existence of rivers & streams that can be used generally & for fishing. -Availability of varied land topography with hills, valleys & balanced seasons that would nourish both flora and fauna. -Presence of murram & quarry for access to raw materials. -Availability of 12 hour sunrise for solar power, thus potential growth of local industries that can use solar energy -Willingness of people to participate in trade activities -Available of ready labour in the constituency because of high youth population. -Availability of electricity. -Devolved funds targeting the youth. -Existence of cultural sites & rich cultural history -Agri-tourism in some areas

WEAKNESSES -Poor performances in the schools for the last several years -Poor attitudes of parents, children & the community in general, thus hampering progress in education. -High dropout rates from schools & poor management of schools -Inadequate school development funds, thus poor school infrastructure -Passive school management committees -Apathy amongst parents & learners -Lack of tertiary and university-level Institutions. -High rate of unemployment resulting to increase in criminal activities & insecurity -Environmental degradation due to lack of a waste management culture & conservation of natural resources -Individualism leading to lack of collective responsibility/action -Lack of adequate resources for implementation of interventions - Extensive land sub-division, thus lowering the benefits of economies of scale -Land depletion -Inadequate uptake of Appropriate Agricultural Technologies (AATs). -Inadequate land for cultivation. -Inadequate water for farming & domestic uses in some areas as agriculture is rain-fed -Unreliable rainfall -Extreme poverty in some areas -Drug, substances & alcohol abuse among the community - No access to local market for green produce & value added products -Limited presence of health facilities, professional medical & public health personnel -Inadequacy of essential drugs & relevant equipment -Poor management of health facilities -Insufficient ambulance services -Limited presence of CBOs & other groups committed to environmental projects -Limited implementation of the community policing program & lack of adequate personnel to implement policing to every corner in the constituency -Inadequate equipment like vehicles to reach & every end of the constituency -Corruption & public apathy towards security -Continued deterioration of road networks -Poor transport modalities & bad road networks that inhibits movements of goods and services

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-Non availability of water reservoir -Lack of adequate knowledge in environmental management & non-appreciation of environmental degradation -Poor road works by crooked contractors, poor road maintenance culture & road encroachment by farmers -High cost of energy -Lack of infrastructure to tap into solar power -Lack of incentives to businesses to set up energy solutions -Vandalism of power equipment -Lack of a saving culture & retrogressive cultural practices affecting trade -Poor market infrastructure with high fees for licenses -Lack of local investments -Inadequate land for investment in some areas -Low heavy capital investments -Inactive cooperative Societies, which lack of commitment and discipline -Poor knowledge on ICT & limited ICT facilities -High unemployment rates for youth -Lack of equipment & balls, with few resource centres for the youth -Limited recreation facilities for the youth, hence idle & indulge in vices -Youth lack collateral to take up loans from financial institutions -Laziness/idleness among some constituents -Misuse of youths by leaders -Some youth have very limited knowledge on farming -Lack of sustainable development programs & training policy – which affects service delivery to the constituents. -Lack of effective communication channels within the constituency, thus a lot of developments agenda do not reach locals. -Complacency because of ready market has killed initiative & creativity -Mechanized farming is lacking -Destruction of water catchment areas -Pollution of water points -Poor waste disposal methods

OPPORTUNITIES -A favourable climatic, topographical & soil conditions for agricultural purposes as well as other land uses -Ready market for farms produce due to proximity to Kisumu airport -Working Economic Stimulus Programs (ESP) in other constituencies that can be taken advantage of -Cooperation & commitment from agricultural extension offices. -Average access to farm inputs -Availability of devolved funds. -Availability of collaborative partners, licensed medical practitioners & health facilities. -Structures committed to environment conservation. -Presence of unlimited sunshine for solar energy -River Yala & its tributaries like Wuoroya can be tapped for Hydro-electric power. -Presence of microfinance institutions -Existence of banks & various micro finance institutions

THREATS -High prevalence of HIV and AIDS & other life threatening conditions/diseases, with devastating impacts such as increased orphans -Negative influences such as criminal gangs, prostitution & drug abuse in Ugunja town -Cultural decay emanating from the spillover of urban culture -Rural urban Migration that has motivated people to sell their native land to outsiders -Unrests in schools -Substance & drug abuse mainly by the youth -Teachers commitment to demonstrations for pay hikes. -Negative peer pressure -Natural disasters -Impacts of negative climate change & changing weather patterns -Security insensitive to development processes -Fluctuations in pricing agricultural products

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ready to give loans - Economic stability: borrowing from strategic partners at lowered interest rates/risks is a possibility - Political stability -Training course available from credit financing organizations -MDGs & vision 2030’s to guide the implementation of the strategy -Presence of bilateral, multilateral & development partners, plus other stakeholders -Ready investment opportunity for ICT -Kazi Kwa Vijana programs -Line ministries mainstreaming youth issues - Improved infrastructure in general, for example fiber optics penetrating various areas in the country - Enlightened society as catchments area: professional advice/services easily accessible - Strategic position in the county: easily accessible from Kisumu, Busia, Kakamega, Mumias, Sio Port, Bondo, etc

-Terminal & communicable diseases -Explosion & prevalence of endemic & pandemic diseases -Inadequate funds for health facility expansion -Limited number of professional health personnel -Abuse of the Clean Development Mechanism by Investors practicing industrial commerce -The impacts of global warming -Deforestation -Unemployment among youths a time bomb -New techniques employed by criminals -Infiltration of illegal small arms & light weapons -Unqualified road contractors -Increased cost of road construction -Climatic conditions like unreliable rainfall -Prohibitive cost of putting up energy projects -Limited local consumption of clean energy with emphasis on oil & charcoal -Insecurity -High cost of fuel and transport cost -High inflation rates eroding the saving power -Low returns on farm produce -Poor management of activities -Destruction of water catchment areas -Poor farming methods -High cost of electricity -Vandalism of electricity cables/theft of transformers -High equipment cost -Drug & alcohol abuse -Lack of active sports clubs -High crime -Poor repayment of borrowed funds -Youth apathy -High illiteracy rates -Poor external infrastructure/utility: (water, power and roads) -Rent seeking tendencies of some leaders in strategic positions - High cost of living - Ever expanding tax regime

WEAKNESSES STRENGTHS

5.2 PESTEL ANALYSIS

Politics/legal

Constituency being within Kisumu Metropolis is a major strength as it is likely to benefit from

regional development programmes

Hiring of the unemployed persons is an opportunity

Resources and services brought closer to the people is an opportunity

Political interference by local leaders could be a major a threat

Economic

Agribusiness in horticultural crops, livestock practiced within the constituency is a key strength

Increased entrepreneurial activities in Ugunja town and other shopping centres is a strength

Presence of natural resources like water/good soil is another major strength

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Value addition of the produce within the constituency is an opportunity that would increase

employment

Rehabilitation of some natural resources to tourism attraction sites is another good opportunity

High financial requirements for any kind of investment is a threat to potential investors

Poor bargaining skills has to be dealt with

Improved retail market would be an opportunity

Increased rental income from those who have invested in real estate is a great opportunity

Social

Ugunja town being a cosmopolitan community within town centre is a key strength

Human resource management demands is snowballing posing a real threat

Society integration is an opportunity that will leave the society well-knit as the people will be

firmly bound together by close relationships and ties

Loss of indigenous property to newcomers if local people do not take investment opportunities

seriously would be real, and this can be a major threat to local people

Loss of cultural practices because of infiltration by and aping western cultural activities is a real

threat

Technological

Creation of an ICT hub within Ugunja constituency would present a major opportunity to the

youth

Access to online buying and selling locally and worldwide would also be a big opportunity

Low computer literacy in the area poses a genuine threat

High costs of installation of equipment is one issue that has got to be dealt with because of its

ramification given the level of poverty in the area

Negative attitude by the older generation to take up ICT is a threat as they will not hid to

generational change

Ecological

Majorly red soil, good terrain and two rainy seasons in the area are obvious strengths

Increased food security as a result of bumper agricultural produce every season is an indisputable

opportunity

High value of land for agriculture or construction is an obvious opportunity to those willing to

invest in agriculture or real estate

Impassable weather roads is one of the most disturbing things in the constituency

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Table 13: Stakeholders Analysis

Stakeholder

Functional Relationships

Role of Stakeholder Expectations of Stakeholders

Constituents Owners of the

constituency

1. Harmonious and fruitful co-existence

1. Good service & support. 2. Economic stability

Leaders Elected by the

constituents to lead

1. Identifying areas of need 2. Help finance operations 3. Give policy direction 4. Quality & timely

implementation

1. Efficient implementation of policies 2. Quality leadership & service all

the time

Relevant public & private institutions

1. Existence within the legal framework

2. Payment of rates taxes

1. Provide security & enabling environment for economic growth.

1. Ethical practice

2. Prompt payment of taxes & rates

3. Promote sports.

4. Operate within the laws of the land.

National Government

1. External customers & neighbours

2. Equitable distribution of the national resources.

1. Proper use of the allocated resources. 2. Improved livelihood of the people.

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CHAPTER SIX: SECTOR ISSUES, OBJECTIVES AND STRATEGIES

This chapter gives a summary of the issues at hand in the constituency sector by sector. It further

highlights the objectives and the strategies to implement in mitigating the challenges within the next five

years. Some of the challenges cut across different sectors while others have a spiral effect on others.

6.0 Priority sectors

6.1 Youth Agenda

Considering the caseload of the youth problems to be handled, the interventions of other stakeholders as

well as the appreciation that CDF cannot do everything is of the essence. The following section elaborates

the specific program and other focus areas chosen and the basis of the same.The choices include:

1. Youth in leadership and Governance: This program area shall focus on peace, youth civic

education and engagement, as well as nurturing good/focused leadership. The program although

focusing on the entire community shall center on the youth, women and (local) leaders including

elders, religious and political leaders.

2. Quality healthcare and Environmental Protection: This program shall address issues related to

quality healthcare; environmental conservation and protection; HIV/AIDs scourge; child motility;

lack of health information among the youth; drug and substance abuse among the youth. This will be

implemented through county youth bunges.

3. Livelihood Enhancement: The program focus area shall address issues related to youth

unemployment and poverty; lack of business and technical skills; poor health care services and other

social amenities, HIV/AIDs scourge; insecurity; poor infrastructure; lack of safe water and sanitation

and lack of information among the youth; The program will focus on vulnerable youth through county

youth bunges. The Forum plans to support the youth socio-economically to reduce poverty index in

the region.

4. Partnership and Organizational Development: KCYDF appreciates the need to continue with its

own internal capacity development processes in order to effectively realize its mandates. This focus

area will address internal capacity development.

Overall Strategies

1. Policy lobbying and advocacy

2. Social media engagement for mobilization and activism for social change

3. Work with key stakeholders in resolving conflicts and enforce relevant laws and regulation

4. Cooperation/collaboration with the local administration and other stakeholders.

5. Use local structures e.g. elders, religious leaders etc in conflict resolution and management

6. Use sports as an avenue for enabling community cohesion/trust building

7. Facilitate/promote interaction between youths and key community leaders

8. Facilitate identification and resolution of grievances which trigger inter-communal conflict, such as

political representation, access to resources etc

9. Embracing modern technology to reduce poverty and vulnerability amongst youth in Ugunja

Constituency while promoting peace

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10. Promoting networks and collaborations with relevant development partners in areas like

environmental clean ups, community policing, peace building and HIV awareness creation.

Key Challenges

High level of unemployment and youth idleness, especially in the shopping centres

Lack of recreation facilities within the constituency

Drug and substance abuse among the youth

Objective 1:

To empower the youth socially, politically and economically

Interventions/Strategies

Work closely with Orange Youth Democrats, Ugunja Chapter, to drive the youth agenda in the

constituency.

Provide the youth with a strong voice in decisions that affects them, the opportunity to pursue

their dreams and a chance to join a new generation of leadership to shape the future of Ugunja.

Initiate a Constituency Youth Endowment Fund (CYEF) to disburse soft loans and grants to the

youth for Income Generating Activities (IGAs) and facilitate the formation of youth Investment

Clubs as vehicles of resource mobilization and easy access to the funds from the CYEF.

Promote the establishments of relevant agro-based light industries to realize value-addition on

farm produce and create employment opportunities for the youth

Establish a constituency talent and Cultural Centre for the identification and nurturing of youth

talent in areas such as ball games, athletics, martial arts, drama and music, as well as to create

cultural awareness and promote social cohesion.

Organize periodic investment workshops for the youth in order to instill financial discipline and

inculcate entrepreneurship spirit.

Advocate for the allocation of at least 20% of all government contracts in the constituency to the

youth and youth groups.

Advocate for the establishment of a well-equipped middle-level Technical Training Institute in

the constituency to absorb school leavers and enable them acquire essential skills for sustainable

livelihood. These can be youth empowerment or vocational centres with adequate staff centres

complete with libraries, ICT and gym.

Plan to establish and equip an industrial park so that trained youth can be financially empowered

by various funds

Objective 2:

To minimize the social factors that affect the youth such as drug and alcohol abuse

Interventions/Strategies

Plan to set up a rehabilitation and counseling centre that is affordable

Development of guidelines on alcohol consumption and their implementation

Plan to build a sporting stadium and have a yearly calendar of various sporting activities to

engage the youth

Initiate and support youth peer clubs to tackle socio-economic issues related to reproductive

health, HIV/Aids, education, life sustaining skills and Income Generating Activities

Encourage the youths within the constituency to start various common and atypical income

generating activities like poultry – eggs and chicken; Cow – beef and milk; pig products – pork;

bee keeping – honey; Vegetables, and Jua Kali – cottage industries

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6.2 Agriculture

Key Challenges

Lack of high level skills for production among the farmers

Limited access to markets

Little benefits of synergy among farmers

Objective 1:

To empower the farmers with high level skills for production of products

Interventions/Strategies

Train farmers on various methods of farming

Plan to introduce and train farmers on greenhouse farming

Introduce farms to rearing less demanding high value animals such as rabbits, ducks, turkey, fish

etc

Promote diversification in farming by encouraging and supporting viable options such as

horticulture, dairy farming, bee-keeping and mushroom farming to enhance food security and

boost household income.

Minimize the dependency of rain-fed agriculture in the constituency by advocating for the

sustainable use of the existing water sources such as Rivers Nzoia and Wuoroya for irrigation in

greater Magoya, Madungu, Mungao, Rangala, Ngunya, Lower Ambira, Asere, Ginga, Ligega

areas among others.

Objective 2:

To create marketing agents such as Saccos to facilitate creation of demand for farm produce

Interventions/Strategies

Link the farmer to the market

Plan to building of cold rooms and grain silos for storage in the constituency

Create industries for processing local produce

Objective 3:

To find strengths in each target area of Ugunja constituency and build on them

Interventions/Strategies

Establishment of farmers Sacco‟s where they don‟t exist and expand existing ones to facilitate

marketing and encourage savings

Fast-track the issuance of land title deeds to the people in order to guarantee security of

ownership and facilitate access to credit facilities.

Proactively address, in collaboration with relevant partners the twin issues that affect agricultural

productivity in Ugunja, namely farm inputs accessibility and affordability.

Encourage private sector players to invest in agricultural extension services to augment

government efforts so as to accelerate new technology adoption.

Mobilize the people to keep pace with changing times and embrace new technology in farming in

order to ensure profitability and promote advancement in agricultural-based development.

Identify the strength in each area and seek ways of building it further

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Table 14: Summary of Challenges and Suggested Copping Strategies

Constraints Interventions

1. Inadequate sourcing for certified hybrids seeds

- Encourage stockists to stock certified seeds - Demonstration on the use of certified seed. - Enhance extension, research and seed companies’ linkage.

2. Limited use of base and top dressing fertilizers

- Demonstration and training of farmers on use of fertilizer on high value crops.

- Promote group purchasing of fertilizer from distributors in order to reduce costs.

3. Poor agronomic practices - Demonstration - Trainings - Field days and shows - Exchange visits

4. High cost of inputs especially pesticides and fungicides

- Bulk buying - Encourage group purchasing of inputs - Encourage micro-finance institutions to introduce loaning facilities for

purchase of farm inputs - Link farmers with micro-finance institutions

5. Inadequate pre and post-harvest handling skills of produce

- Trainings - Demonstration on post harvesting and storage - Encourage building of storage facilities at farm level

6. Lack of organized marketing groups at the farm level

- Training on group formation - Formation of marketing associations/groups. - Encourage linkages with ministry of Cooperative, Social Service and buyers - Contracted farming

7. Inadequate market information dissemination

- Link farmers with market information sources - Training farmers on market information sourcing - Strengthen agricultural information desks at Locations - Establishment of community information resource centers

8. Impassable feeder roads - Maintenance of local feeder roads by the community and relevant stakeholders.

- Discourage road encroachment - Encourage proper road run off harvest

9. Seasonal over supply of produce - Encourage agro-processing to improve on storage - Encourage off-season production through irrigation - Introduction of cereal banking

10. Lack of incentives that promote production for export

- Introduce contracted farming of exportable commodities. - Facilitate farmers access to credit for high value enterprises such as fruits,

Greenhouse farming and value addition - Training on good agricultural practices

11. Irregular rainfall patterns - Promoting micro irrigations - Construction of water pans

12. Selling produce immediately after harvesting

- Promoting value addition technologies

6.3 Women Empowerment

Key Challenges/Issues

Lack of adequate resources to sustain livelihoods

A large number of orphaned children under the care of elderly grandmothers

Neglect of the girl child and senior women in the community

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Objective:

To propel the women to the next level of development socially and economically, and to empower them

so as not to remain vulnerable groups in the community

Interventions/Strategies

Work closely with Orange Women Democrats, Ugunja Chapter in identifying and prioritizing

issues affecting women in the constituency.

Support the establishment of Women Village Savings and Loan Associations (WVSLAs) at the

sub location level to promote income generating activities and apportion some of the constituency

revenue allocation for grants to the WVSLAs.

Mobilize women to form producer/income generating activities groups in the constituency and

facilitate their training on basic business and financial management skills.

Initiate a robust program in the constituency to advocate for, and create awareness on the rights of

the girl-child and promote access to formal education at all levels.

Advocate for the establishment of a girl‟s secondary school in each location in the constituency.

Introduce special incentives to minimize school drop-out rates among girls (currently estimated at

25%) and facilitate the re-admission of girls who may have dropped out due to early pregnancies

among other reasons.

Prioritize widows and old women in initiatives that seek to expand electricity and water supply.

Identify and develop tourist attraction sites where women would sell their wares once tourists

start trickling into these attractions.

Women especially young ones can enhance leadership‟s though a number of tips including:

joining professional association or community organization to find a role model; enlisting of

mentors; and soliciting feedback on leadership techniques.

Women will also be encouraged to take charge of their own image by showcasing any activities

with leadership role in thoughtful ways such as leading presentations at meetings.

Campaign to sensitize women on: Immunization awareness; women‟s equality; women‟s health;

health insurance; and affordable care.

Creating forums and platforms to address women issues, through opening support and

counseling, encouraging talking to healthcare providers especially if a woman or girl child has

been hurt.

Increasing awareness among policy makers, opinion leaders and the public on how policy

affects women's economic security.

Creating, strengthening and protecting policies and practices that support the ability of women

and their children to achieve economic security.

Demonstrating the value of women‟s funds in effort to reduce poverty.

6.4 Infrastructure

Key Challenges

High number of impassable and unmaintained all weather roads and encroached roads by the

public

Low penetration of rural electrification

Low ICT awareness

Objective 1:

To upgrade and rehabilitate all existing dilapidated roads

Interventions/Strategies

Upgrade and repair damaged roads including; Kisumu-Busia road, as well as murram roads like

Ukwala-Butere, Sidindi-Sigomere am,ong others.

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Advocate for the tarmacking of the Ungas-Ukwala and Mudhiero-Sidindi roads to facilitate

transportation and expand business opportunities for the people.

Procure an earth-mover to be on stand-by for regular grading of all feeder roads within the

Constituency.

Implement Kazi Kwa Vijana (KKV) government initiative by hiring the youths in maintenance of

roads

Push for the upgrade and repair of all the roads that fall under the Kenya National Highway

Authority (KeNHA).

Push for the upgrading of Ugunja town to a metropolis, and then involve the local community to

lobby through the Principal Secretary of Ministry of Infrastructure for funding.

Facilitate the construction and/or rehabilitation of modern bridges like the one linking Rangala

and Got Osimbo among others, and culvert placements across all streams within the constituency

to address transport challenges during rainy seasons.

Shift from murram to soil stabilized chip seal road - pilot projects can be done on Sidindi-

Sigomere, Got Osimbo-Rangala roads.

Widen encroached roads within the constituency

Objective 2:

To facilitate implementation of rural electrification and other infrastructure

Interventions/Strategies

Fast-track Rural Electrification Programme to cover at least 70% of the villages by

operationalizing “Stima e Dala” concept (Mobilizing local professionals to light their mothers‟

and grandmothers‟ homes).

Advocate for the expansion of police installations and promote community policing as well as

optimal deployment of security personnel in the Constituency. In particular, establish a fully-

fledged Police Posts at Sidindi and Rangala Wards to add onto the existing Sigomere and Ugunja

Police Stations. Additionally, establish Police Posts in the major trading centres.

Expand clean water infrastructure to ensure at least 60% access in the villages through

rehabilitation and increase in capacity of the established water supply channels in Sigomere,

Sidindi and Ambira as well as modernization of the local water springs and wells by introducing

treatment and pumping elements. Extend the water supply channels to cover Ligega and

surrounding areas.

Sink boreholes in designated areas starting with Ambira, then Rangala, Sidindi and other areas

where water supply is a problem.

Objective 3:

To enhance the use of ICT in the constituency

Interventions/Strategies

Partner with corporate institutions to establish Constituency ICT Centers in order to facilitate free

information exchange for purposes of marketing agricultural produce, education, job placements

and other advertisements.

Expansion of telecommunication services to all areas of the constituency

Enhance computer literacy among the population, especially youth

Encourage use of ICT in public and private offices

Establish a satellite Telecenter in each of the 3 wards of Ugunja Constituency

Disseminate Civic Education on the importance of Computer Literacy in the entire Constituency.

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6.5 Education

Key Challenges

Poor academic performance

Negative attitudes (by some teachers, parents & children)

Low enrolment in public schools and low transition from primary to secondary schools

Poor syllabus coverage – syllabus not completed within the year, therefore students ill prepared

for national examinations

Lack of adequate lesson preparation by teachers – resulting in poorly prepared students

Social Issues Affecting Education

Poverty tops since most parents are peasants and this may cause irregular class attendance

Rampant alcohol and drug abuse, especially among the boy child, thus plummeting his transition

to the next level of learning

HIV /AIDS and other health related issues affecting teachers and students attendance

Lack of role models for the children since those who do well rarely interact with the students

back in the villages

Proximity to the Ugunja town leading to moral degradation

Objective 1:

Increase transition rates from primary to secondary schools by 15% in 3years (5% per year) in both

private & public schools

Interventions/Strategies

Each school to have an early childhood development (ECD) center

Expand existing secondary school streams from one to at least two

Each location to have at least one boys & girls boarding school

Establish two mixed Primary boarding schools, which will be centres of excellence.

Objective 2:

Increase the mean grade to C+ and above in secondary schools by 20% every year in the next three years

and improve Primary Schools‟ mean score by 15% annually:

Interventions/Strategies

Every end of term to have a prize giving day on closing days in boarding schools and parents to

attend at least twice in a year

Have a book harvesting day for capacity building

Support head teachers though capacity build in leadership to motivate them

Develop a standardized award system for all stakeholders

Objective 3:

Increase the ability to read by: 100% at Standard 5 in year 1; 100% at standard 4 – year2; 100% at

standard 3 – by year 3

Interventions/Strategies

Establish a fully-fledged Community Library in the constituency

Provide guidelines for a well-stocked library

Engage the stakeholders in a process of stocking libraries

Mobilize the community to donate reading materials to schools

Set up spelling-bees/reading competitions – encourage a reading culture

Establish reading clubs in every school

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Encourage use of English & Kiswahili as the official language

Objective 4:

Complete Syllabus for every class by the end of the second term every year

Interventions/Strategies

Capacity building of the District Education office so as to effectively monitor and supervise

operations

Field monitoring by officers to all public school

Objective 5:

Set and administer standardized exams (one every term) from standard 5 and above

Interventions/Strategies

Develop guidelines and mobilize resources for setting and implementing standardized exams

Administration of standardized exams to standard five and above

District Education Office to set a programme for Monitoring & Evaluation.

General Interventions/Strategies

Lobby for a minimum of 10% of the constituency revenue allocation to be dedicated for the

expansion of education infrastructure at all basic levels in the Constituency to boost school

enrolment rates and foster conducive learning environment

Support the establishment of ICT Infrastructure in a least 2 schools per sub location per year

Initiate an education fund to provide scholarships and bursaries to bright, but needy students

Initiative and support an annual Constituency Education Day (CED) as a platform for self-

appraisal and celebration of successes in order to promote academic excellence

Advocate for the rights of all teachers and actively support locally and nationally all initiatives

aimed at improving their welfare and preserving their dignity in the discharge of their noble

responsibilities.

Advocate for the establishment of a Community Resource Centre (CRC) in every location,

complete with ICT infrastructure in order to enhance literacy levels and facilitate information

exchange

Promote Functional adult literacy by establishing Community Learning Resource Centres

(CLRC)

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6.6 Persons with Disability

Key Challenges/Issues

Many handicapped persons are neglected in the community

Lack of adequate resources to sustain their livelihoods

Objective:

1. To empower the vulnerable groups in the community including, the handicapped and elderly

persons to enable them to also participate in propelling the constituency to the next level of

development, that is socially and economically.

Interventions/Strategies

Carry out a survey of people with disability, the orphaned children and the elderly

Advocate for the establishment of a well-equipped special school for persons with disabilities in

the constituency.

Establish a special fund to cater for subsidized training and empowerment of persons with

disabilities in various arts and crafts.

Provide special consideration to people with various disabilities who have excelled in academics

in accessing scholarships and/or bursaries.

Advocate for the establishment of Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) Programme for

people with various disabilities, orphans, the elderly, widows and people living with HIV/AIDS.

Facilitate the enrolment of all the elderly into the government Social Fund Programme for the

Elderly.

6.7 Healthcare

Key Challenges/Issues

Very few health facilities, thus limiting accessibility

Lack of affordable inpatient healthcare

Lack of adequate facilities of the existing health centres

Objective 1:

To ensure that everyone is 20 minutes or less from a health facility to enable people to access health care.

Interventions/Strategies

Carry out a situation analysis on population density and health facility available so as to

rationalize the health facility with catchment area.

Propose the construction of a fully-fledged district hospital (Level 5) in Ugunja.

Increase the coverage of National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) through awareness and

outreach registration role out program.

Objective 2:

To upgrade and improve existing health facilities

Interventions/Strategies

Advocate for the elevation of Ambira Sub-district Hospital to a fully-fledged District Hospital

(Level 5) and equip it with modern X-Ray, ultra-sound, CT Scan and MRI facilities

Advocate for the upgrading of Sigomere, Rambula and Simenya Health Centres to Sub-district

Hospital category (Level 4) with commensurate capacity and equipment.

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Facilitate the deployment of qualified medical personnel to the existing health facilities in the

constituency to minimize child mortality rates as well as offer broad-based preventive and

curative healthcare services to the wider community.

Advocate for the allocation of an ambulance to each primary healthcare facility in the

constituency to facilitate referral of complicated medical cases and save lives.

Establish partnerships with churches and other not for profit organizations to supplement the

provision of affordable healthcare at the village level.

6.8 Environment

Key Challenges/Issues

Cutting down of trees without replacing them

Cultivation on water catchment areas

Careless disposal of solid waste

Objectives: 1

To preserve and improve the natural environment

Interventions/Strategies

Raise awareness and understanding in the constituency on the link between environment and

development, and promote individual and community participation in environmental

conservation.

Encourage tree planting and conservation of native tree species, particularly along water bodies

and rainfall catchment areas.

Conserve and enhance natural and man-made heritage of Ugunja Constituency, including the

biological diversity of unique ecosystems.

Improve conditions and productivity of degraded areas, including the quality and supply of fresh

water, and promote local and international cooperation in the management of the ecosystem.

Promote efforts to meet the minimum 10% land use under forest vegetation cover around Ugunja.

Guide the mitigation of negative impacts of human activities on the environment and promote its

rehabilitation.

Facilitate the reduction of environmental pollutants, re-use and re-cycling of products to

minimize amounts that end up in the surroundings.

Organize annual Constituency Environmental Awareness Campaign (CEAC) events.

Develop a comprehensive environment policy against dumping and littering.

Sensitize community on environment conservation.

To start tree planting activity for the youths for the rehabilitation of the catchment areas that has

been destroyed.

To start a water harvesting programme to reduce siltation, pollution and reduce nutrients levels

deposited in the rivers and water points.

Initiate land rehabilitation programmes where there are brick making and sand harvesting.

Strengthen soil and water conversation initiative.

To mobilize partnership and resources for the establishment of a waste management programme,

proper planning and drainage systems for the urban centres in the constituency.

Initiate energy saving technologies especially for cooking – such as biogas from dairy animals.

Establish solid waste recycling plant

To have litter bins in strategic places in the various shopping centres within the constituency.

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CHAPTER SEVEN: IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX

Appropriate Implementation of strategies will be crucial if the vision of Ugunja Constituency being a

model constituency has to be achieved. The achievement of the vision will involve proper coordination

and utilization of resources in terms of labour, time and finances. The objectives, the action plans and the

expected outputs of the strategies to be implemented will be made clear to all those involved in the

implementation. The eight pillars that will be the focus of attention are listed below.

7.1 Youth Agenda

7.2 Agriculture

7.3 Women Empowerment

7.4 Infrastructure

7.5 Education

7.6 Persons with Disability

7.7 Healthcare

7.8 Environment

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Table 15: Sector Based Implementation Matrix

Sectors Objectives &

Activities

Expected

Results/output

Time

Frame

Budget

(Ksh)

Responsible

Persons/Bodies

7.1 Youth

Agenda

To reduce cases of youth un- employment in the constituency To reduce cases of misuse of youths by leaders

More productivity & reduction in crime rates among the youth Reduced idleness & dependency Reduction in drug & alcohol abuse

4 years 30,000,000

GoK LINE MINISTRIES LATF CSOs CDF OTHER DEVOLVED FUNDS PARTNERS

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Sectors Objectives &

Activities

Expected

Results/output

Time

Frame

Budget

(Ksh)

Responsible

Persons/Bodies

7.2 Agriculture To achieve optimal food security in Ugunja Constituency Improve farming for higher yields Enhance Livestock production Scale up Fish farming Farmers should dedicate at least 50% of available arable land to food production Modernize farming methods Promotion of horticultural farming Establish demonstration farms in the constituency coupled with extension services Introduce dairy farming Construct a fresh produce market in the constituency Tackle declining soil fertility through use of organic fertilizer Encourage farmers to take up credit facilities Establish indigenous poultry incubators Capacity building for livestock farmers Rehabilitation & construction of cattle dips

Ensure food security Improve nutrition & reduce malnutrition in the constituency Create employment opportunities for farmers, especially youth Reduced poverty levels through increased disposable income Increased output per acre of land Sustained land fertility leading to sustained increased yields Easier access to farm inputs at market prices. Increased income from farming

4 years 75,000,000

MOA CDF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS COMMUNITY LOCAL AUTHORITIES FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

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Sectors Objectives &

Activities

Expected

Results/output

Time

Frame

Budget

(Ksh)

Responsible

Persons/Bodies

7.3 Women

Empowerment

To hasten women integration in the constituency development initiatives To reduce cases of women marginalization Empower women economically, socially & politically

Reduce unemployment among women

4 years 20,000,000

CDF DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS COMMUNITY LOCAL AUTHORITIES FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

7.4

Infrastructure

To increase road & electricity access in the constituency To open up remote areas to business & commerce To construct bridges to link up remote areas & ease transport & communication Grading& gravelling of all constituency roads Regular maintenance of existing road networks to make them motorable Construction of bridges Coordinating all road funds at the constituency level for better results & open up of new roads to ease transportation

Improved road network for ease of transportation Improve security in the rural areas Connection to the national grid in terms of electricity Improved on ICT connectivity

4 years 500,000,000

KNHA MOI RMLF LATF COUNTY AUTHORITY CDF COMMUNITY PRIVATE SECTOR

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Sectors Objectives &

Activities

Expected

Results/output

Time

Frame

Budget

(Ksh)

Responsible

Persons/Bodies

7.5 Education To improve the education infrastructure in the constituency To restructure the bursary scheme to benefit as many needy students as possible To motivate better performing schools. To increase the enrolment & retention levels in schools Promote ICT in schools To have a pool of resourceful men & women to serve the community

Reduced distance it takes for students to reach schools Improved performance of students Reduced drop out cases among students due to lack of fees Empowered youths Improved computer literacy in the constituency & uptake of ICT Efficiency in utilization of Resources

4 years 300,000,000

MOE CDF FINANCIALINSTITUTIONS COMMUNTY LOCAL LEADERS DONORS OTHER DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS FPE/FSE LATF

7.6 Persons

with Disability

To improve PWD

rights to education

To enhance social

amenities

To push for at

least 30%

employment as

civil servants

To ensure PWD

have freedom of

speech

To improve health

and medical

facilities to benefit

PWD

Enhanced

public schools

to take care of

PWD

Construction of

buildings to

take care of

rights of PWD

PWD doing

business like

any other

persons

4 years 20,000,000

GoK LINE MINISTRIES LATF CSOs CDF OTHER DEVOLVED FUNDS

DEVELOPMENT

PARTNERS

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Sectors Objectives &

Activities

Expected

Results/output

Time

Frame

Budget

(Ksh)

Responsible

Persons/Bodies

7.7 Healthcare To improve on existing health care facilities in the area To push for the provision medical personnel to health facilities To provide essential drugs & equipment to health facilities To reduce the HIV/AIDS incidences in the constituency

A healthy & productive population Reduced infant & mother mortality rates Have a 24 hour response to emergencies in the constituency Reduced the HIV/AIDS prevalence in the constituency Reduced cases of malaria in the district Create employment opportunities in the constituency

4 years 280,000,000

MOH CDF LATF LOCAL LEADERS NGOs DONORS FBO COMMUNITY PRIVATE INVESTOR DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS

7.8

Environment

To strengthen the conservation of natural resources

To reverse the environmental & reduce degradation

To ensure proper waste management & disposal

Increased in forest cover A clean& green environment

Reduced water

borne diseases

Trees planted to act as windbreakers

4 years 90,000,000

MOE NEMA CDF COMMUNITY LATF LOCAL LEADERS DONORS PRIVATE SECTOR

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Table 16: Risk Management Matrix

Sector/ Strategic Objectives

Risk/Assumptions Level of Risk Mitigation Factors

Youth Agenda

Objective: To empower the youth socially, politically and economically

Unemployment

Political stability

Availability of resources

Cooperation from youth

Involvement with drugs

Medium Good will

Core and complementary activities need to be compatible.

Planning

Watch list

Agriculture

Objective: To empower the farmers with high level skills for production of products

Unpredictable rainfall

Political stability

Availability of resources

Stakeholder participation

Medium Structural mechanisms to deal with major new initiatives

M&E Planning Trigger mechanisms

Women Empowerment

Objective: To empower them so as not to remain vulnerable groups in the community

Political stability

Availability of resources

Local politics

Low Programmatic efforts

Analyzing and planning

Constant reviews

Infrastructure

Objective1: To upgrade and rehabilitate all existing dilapidated roads Objective 2: To facilitate implementation of rural electrification and other infrastructure

Political stability

Availability of resources

Procurement delays

Local politics

Low Keep people informed of delays

Communication Link performance to contract Intensify oversight Planning Continuous reviews

Education

Objective 1: Increase transition rates from primary to secondary schools Objective 2: Increase the mean grade to C+ and above in secondary schools

Transfer of teachers

Untimely deaths

Teacher strikes

Political stability

Availability of resources

Medium Push for specialized teacher training

M&E Analyzing and planning Perpetual reviews

Persons with Disability Objective: To empower the vulnerable groups in the community.

Political stability

Availability of resources

Low Analyzing and planning

M&E

Continual reviews

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Healthcare

Objective 1: To ensure that everyone is 20 minutes or less from a health facility to enable people to access health care Objective 2: To upgrade and improve existing health facilities

Adequate funding

Political stability

Availability of resources

Local politics

High Enhance institutional capacity building

Have trigger tools Persistent reviews M&E

Environment Objectives: 1

To preserve & improve the natural environment

Climate change

Soil erosion

Political stability

Availability of resources

Environment degradation

Local politics

Low Coordinated activities

Install trigger gears

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CHAPTER EIGHT: CO-ORDINATION OF IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING

AND EVALUATION

8.1 Coordination of Implementation

The implementation of the strategies outlined in this strategic plan will be executed by various

stakeholder groups within the constituency, some of which include; Constituency Development Fund

Committee (CDFC), constituency office in Ugunja and Nairobi; District Administration; Government

departments; Town council; Development committees; Community; Churches; Schools; Investors; and

Ugunja Professionals. A lot of communication within the stakeholder groups will be required to avoid

duplication of efforts and resources. Coordination of implementation will be carried out by various

committees namely the District Development Committee (DDC), the Constituency Development Fund

Committee (CDFC) and the sector committee. The committees will be composed of representatives from

the various stakeholder groups to ensure smooth flow of communication. The committees will be

responsible for breaking down the objectives and strategies into sub-objectives and activities that are

actionable. There shall also be a monitoring and evaluation subcommittee.

The Constituency Development Fund Committee and the District Development Committee will be the

overall coordinators of development projects in the constituency under the leadership of the Ugunja

Member of Parliament (Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi). They will work hand in hand in sourcing for funds

from funding agencies such as the Government of Kenya (GoK), Constituency Development Fund (CDF)

and other development partners including the private sector. They will also oversee the application of the

funds in the respective projects in the Constituency.

8.2 Monitoring and Evaluation

The DDC and the CDC shall each have a monitoring and evaluation subcommittee reporting to them after

which they shall both meet and synchronize the reported information and agree on the course of action.

Each sector committee shall have a monitoring and evaluation sub-committee that shall report to the

subcommittee in the DDC. Monitoring and evaluation will be done on a quarterly basis by the monitoring

and evaluation committees and representatives. Dates for the submission of the progress report and the

completion of projects deadline shall be fixed. Regular meetings and field assessment at development

sites will be carried out to ensure successful implementation.

The Proposed Ugunja Constituency Monitoring and Evaluation Team

The relevant Ministries situated at the District level will consolidate all Monitoring and Evaluation

activities stating roles and respective actors‟ activities to check duplication.

1. The Patron-Member of Parliament

2. The Chairperson- Deputy County Commissioner

3. The Principal Secretary-District Development Officer

4. The Deputy Principal Secretary-CDF Manager

5. CDF Chairperson

6. Ward Representatives

7. Town Clerk

8. Women Leader

9. NGO/CBOs/CSO Representatives

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10. Persons with Disability Representative

The progress reports by the various monitoring teams where applicable shall contain the following:

Project name/title and Geographical location

Objectives and expected benefits

The person/persons/company/s in charge at the site

The resources applied to date – money, human resource, materials

Verifiable indicators to date/output % of work done and work remaining

Expected date of completion

Challenges encountered/ how mitigated

Remarks

8.3 Communication

Communication will be paramount prior, during and after the implementation period. The Constituency

Communication Centre (CCC) at the constituency office and the Constituency office in Nairobi will be in

charge of relaying information to the constituents. The affected communities will be informed of the

intention to commence a certain project and how it will benefit them. They will also be informed of what

is expected of them during the implementation period. During implementation, wherever possible needed

resources will be sourced from the community first. After completion of the project the community will

be informed of its completion and how they will use the products/services to improve their lives.

Key channels of communication will mainly be the constituency website, Face book, a newsletter that

will be distributed across the villages and face to face meetings. Other people will be reached through

other means like brochures, leaflets, posters and banners. Billboards will also be raised in strategic places

within the constituency if need be. The existing notice boards in all government establishments within the

constituency shall also be utilized to relay the information. The constituents will be expected to channel

their complaints and compliments to CDF committee or their chiefs and sub-chiefs who shall then

forward them to the constituency office. Others will send through the constituency email or through visits

to the constituency office.

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Implementation of this strategic plan will require multi-stakeholder collaboration approach as seen in this photo

in which Hon. J. Opiyo Wandayi, Ugunja MP (Centre), chatting with Lotiatia Kipkech, Ugunja Deputy County

Commissioner, (far left) and Ugunja ODM Party Chairman, Otieno Awange (right) as they lead residents of

Sigomere to discuss security matters in the area

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REFERENCES

1. Government of Kenya (GoK), Siaya County Facts and Details, 2012.

2. Government of Kenya (GoK), Vision 2030 and MTP (2008-2012), 2012.

3. Kenya Demographic and Health Survey: KDHS, 2008-09.

4. Kenya District Primary Education Profile, 2007.

5. Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS), 2005/06.

6. Kenya Integrated Household Budget Survey (KIHBS), 2010/11.

7. Siaya District Development Plan, 2008.

8. Ugunja Constituency Blue Print, 2012…………. (Unpublished).

9. Ugunja Constituency Health Survey, 2014…………. (Unpublished).

10. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP): The 2015 Millennium Development Goals

(MDGs), 2000.

11. IEBC Boundaries Report Volume 3, 2012.