Geography

Migori County is one of the six counties in Nyanza Province. The county has resources ranging from agricultural lands, precious stones e.g. gold, power generation facilities, fisheries, and tourism potential. These eminent resources can be put to productive use through sustained utilization to eradicate poverty and diseases that are currently mesmerizing the people in the region.

As societies become increasingly individualistic, people who live within the same locality can be highly isolated from one another such that it becomes practically impossible to help one another even when life-saving help is within rich (Daenekindt, 2017). To bring an isolated community in California together through social welfare, I developed a social networking platform, eShare, where community members could offer life-saving assistance to one another at times of need. Using the platform, community members could donate various items such as food, clothing, and even raise funds in support of other members at times of need. The platform thus offered the neighbors a safe and discrete way of assisting other members on time while maintaining anonymity.

The paper analyses the trend of rainfall and its effects on potato yields in Oljoro-orok Division, Nyandarua County. The objective of the study was, to analyse seasonal and annual rainfall characteristics and correlate them with potato yields in Oljoro-orok division. Secondary data on rainfall and potato yields was collected from Nyahururu Meteorological Station and District Agriculture Office respectively for the period of eleven years. The data collected was analyzed using descriptive statistics namely frequencies, percentages and means with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17.0. The results were presented using line and bar graphs, tables and circles. The findings were that annual rainfall and potato yield shows an increasing trend between 1999 and 2009. Rainfall has shown a decreasing trend during the long rain season and an increasing trend during short rain season. Rainfall variability is significant in both seasonal and annual trends ranging from +464.97 in 2007 to-239.63 in 2009 on the annual trend, +624 in 2007 to-360 in 2008 during the long rain season and +152 in 2006 to-171.6 in 2007 during the short rain season. From the findings, the researchers recommend that Soil and water management practices should be enhanced to reduce loss of moisture from the soil and increase soil water retention capacity during dry spell in the upper sides of the division. Sustainable management practices such as mulching, digging of trenches and earth dams and use of irrigation during the dry spell as an adaptation measure should be applied to cope with rainfall variation. Keyword-rainfall variability, rainfall characteristics and potato production _________________________________________________________________________________________________

Severe drought has affected Kenya in the past decades reducing crop yields leaving millions of people in dire need of food. Drought cycle in Kenya has reduced increasing drought frequency in the recent decades. This study assessed drought characteristics in Laikipia West sub-County which lies in a region classified as arid and semi arid. The specific objective of the study was to analyze seasonal and annual drought characteristics in Laikipia West sub-County between 1984 and 2014. The study adopted documentary review design in the data collection. Standard Precipitation Index was used during the data analysis process. The drought years identified in Laikipia West sub

The objective of this study was to evaluate the key challenges facing potato production in Oljoro-Orok division. Primary data were obtained from randomly selected farmers through questionnaires. Purposive sampling was used to select 300 farmers in the division. Proportionate sampling was used to select the sample of farmers in each of the four locations. The data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics namely frequencies, percentages and means with the aid of Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 17.0 and a SWOT matrix computed. Rainfall variations, lack of clean seeds and crop diseases have been found to be the major challenges facing potato production in the division. 45% of the respondents see rainfall variation as the main cause of decreased potato yields, 33% lack of clean seeds and 6% crop diseases. The study found that farmers use crop diversification and off season approaches to adapt to rainfall variability. The study recommends adaptation measure to be applied to cope with rainfall variation. Such measures include irrigation using water available in Jacob, Terracin and Kivindo dams during dry spelt. A lot of emphases on the use of certified seeds should be done by the agriculture field officers to caution farmers from planting the same potatoes they harvested in the previous harvest.

The need for perception studies to drought is informed by the fact that different people perceive drought differently and derive local adaptation measures based on their individual perception. The objective of the study was to establish the household perceptions to drought and the factors that influence formation of such perceptions in Laikipia West sub-County, Kenya. The study adopted a household survey research design. The study utilized household surveys (N = 180). Logistic regression was used to identify the factors influencing drought perception in Laikipia West sub-County. The study found that 52.8% of the households felt that the 2009 drought was moderate and 47.2% the drought was severe. Drought perception was significantly related to age, source of income, and type of land ownership and the length of engagement in farming. The study recommends that formulation of the future policies on drought adaptation strategies in Laikipia West sub-County should take into consideration the household drought perception for effective implementation.

This study analysed the effect of rainfall variability on potato yields in Oljoro-orok Division, Nyandarua County. The objective was to investigate the relationship between rainfall variability and Irish potato production in Oljoro-orok division. Specific objectives were: to assess the seasonal and annual rainfall and potato production trends and variability between 1999 and 2009, to analyse seasonal and annual rainfall characteristics and correlate them with potato production, to evaluate farmers’ adaptation measures to rainfall variability in potato production. Primary data were obtained from randomly selected farmers through questionnaires. Secondary data on rainfall and potato production were collected from Nyahururu Meteorological Station and District Agriculture Office respectively for the period of eleven years. Purposive sampling was used to select 300 farmers in the division. Proportionate sampling was used to select the sample of farmers in each of the three locations. The...

Aims: This study sought to analyze the effects of adoption of Climate Smart Agriculture practices on farmers’ livelihoods in Soy sub County Kenya. Study Design: The study adopted a cross-sectional descriptive survey research design, specifically use of household questionnaires, and interviewing key informants were used to come up with both quantitative and qualitative data. Place and Duration of Study: the study was conducted in two sites in Soy sub-County Kenya: Soy and Kipsomba ward. The study was conducted in the period October –December 2019.    Methodology: Structured household questionnaires (N-196) and interviews with Key informant (N-6) were conducted in two agro-ecological zones. Descriptive statistical analysis was used .while results from key informants were used to collect valuable data that was useful in checking the validity of responses obtained through the use of questionnaires.     Results: The study found that 88.7% of the farming households that had adopted CSA pr...

Increase in drought frequency, magnitude and duration affect crop production in Kenya. The limited food production resulting from drought leads to food insecurity in Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (ASALs) in the Kenya. This study reviewed literature on drought trends and its effects on crop yields in Kenya from 1950 to 2020. The systematic review was conducted in order to establish the drought trends and the effects of droughts on crop yields in the country. Content analysis was used for literature review on drought trends and its effects on maize, sorghum and wheat production in Kenya. From the study, a high uncertainty in global-scale drought trends in the last 60 years was established. However, an increase in drought frequency was observed from 1950 to 2002 in Africa. Few drought events were experienced in 1950s with a notable positive trend in drought frequency observed in 1960s in Kenya. In 1970s, an increased frequency and severity of droughts were observed while a decline in drought frequency was noted in 1980s. More frequent and severe droughts in Kenya were also established to have occurred in 1990s and 2000s. However, a decline in drought frequency and severity was reported in 2010s. The severity of the droughts negatively affected crop production where food insecurity was experienced in different regions of the country. The study also found that drought leads to famine and loss of human lives. Loss of livelihood such as livestock was also identified. The study identified limited information on decadal causes and recurrence of droughts and inadequate explanation on why 1950 to 2020 experienced global uncertainty in drought occurrence.

Aims: This study tried to investigate the extent of knowledge co-production between indigenous farmers and agricultural extension in dry lands. Study Design: The study adopted survey research design where both qualitative and quantitative approaches were used. Place and Duration of Study: The study was carried out in Kitui South sub-County in the semi-arid Southeastern Kenya. Data was collected between June 2019 and August 2019. Methodology: An enumerator-administered questionnaire was used to collect data from 311 household heads. Purposive and proportional sampling techniques were used to select households which participated in the study. Data was analyzed with the aid of SPSS Version 20. Percentages and proportions were used to establish instances of knowledge co-production between indigenous and modern scientific methods of farming. Results: The study established that all households used both indigenous and scientific methods of farming except in irrigation and crop harvesting m...