WINKER

In early August this year, a Machakos woman is said to have been chopped off her hands and slashed on the head by her husband for allegedly being infertile. Jackline Mwende had been married to her husband for seven years without a child, something that is said to have angered the husband. However, in a twist of events, Jackline during an interview with some local dailies, she confessed that it was actually the husband who was infertile. She said tests done on them three years back had showed that she was able to conceive unlike her husband. This she claimed was the cause of their first rising problems in their marriage, until the attack happened. So the question is who is to blame for infertility in a marriage? Is it a problem of the man, woman or the society? Do we have enough information about infertility? Google defines infertility as the inability to conceive after 12 months of having unprotected sexual intercourse. According to World Health Organization (WHO), one in ev...

As the 22nd Conference of Parties (COP 22) to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change opens in Marrakesh, Morocco, on November 8, in far away Kenya some school pupils are making an impact by planting trees – one tree at a time -- away from the pomp and glamor. The pupils of Kiserian Primary School, located in a poor neighborhood outside the bustling Kenyan capital Nairobi, are making a difference while providing a sustainable solution to a global problem. The active members of the school’s environment club initiated an innovative environmental program some years ago, aimed at curbing the adverse effects of climate change. They are actively involved in planting trees, while also tending a community tree nursery, where hundreds of tree seedlings are grown and shared with the local community. “The journey has been long, with some successes and challenges along the way,” said Ms. Grace Muchai, a patron of the school’s environment club, adding that Kajiado – the plain plateau of s...

Culture is part and parcel of the African society. It is always attached to a certain meaning of a particular society. For example, in the Maasai community, for one to be acknowledged as a man you must attained the title “Moran” which is given to one after killing a lion. Bull fighting has been more famous in Mexico and Spain. However, it is gaining ground in Africa, more specifically in Kenya’s Western region. In Kakamega County, the tradition has been in existence for quite some time and it seems most generation came and found it. It is considered a sport among the Luhyia, with an annual competition that always attracts many people including Dr. Bony Khalwale, the senator for Kakamega County. Quite a number of men in the region preserve their bulls for this particular sport. It takes quite some time to ensure the bulls are ready, caring for them psychologically and grooming them. However, bull fighting is taking a different direction as a ritual to be undertaken when an owne...

The celebrated Kenya’s new constitution was promulgated in 2010, giving women high hopes of being elected in various posts to attain the two-thirds gender rule as provided in the constitution. Unfortunately, compared to her fellow East African countries, Kenya has the lowest number of women representation, despite them playing important roles in various positions. It is therefore very clear that the forth coming elections will see a good number of women turn up for elective posts to achieve the two-thirds rule. Article 81b of the constitution states that not more than 2/3 of members of elective public bodies shall be of same gender, the dilemma of achieving these in the next assemblies hung in the balance as leaders still raise varied opinions. “We will face a constitutional crisis if this doesn’t happen. That is why we are working hard to ensure we have atleast 4,000 women aspirants on ballot papers,” says Dr. Jennifer Riria, chair of Tuvuke Initiative. Dr. Riria who is ...

Seed can be an important entry point for promoting productivity, nutrition and resilience among smallholder farmers. While investments have primarily focused on strengthening the formal sector, the informal sector remains the core for seed acquisition, especially in Africa. Conclusions drawn from a uniquely comprehensive data set, 9660 observations across six countries and covering 40 crops, show that farmers access 90.2 % of their seed from informal systems with 50.9 % of that deriving from local markets. Further, 55 % of seed is paid for by cash, indicating that smallholders are already making important investments in this arena. Targeted interventions are proposed for rendering formal and informal seed sector more smallholder-responsive and for scaling up positive impacts. Upto 55 percent of seeds planted by small farmers in Africa are purchased from local markets or from friends and fellow farmers. This accounts for more than half of their seeds every year which is most...