12 | NEWSFOCUS November 06, 2018 www.mygov.go.ke How veteran former agriculture officer is leading by example Jackson Muia Kusenga has transformed once idle ground into a model demonstration plot that has hosted big names such as former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto BY SAMUEL MAINA KNA- MACHAKOS A t his age, Jackson Muia Kusenga has perhaps attained much more than many of us will ever do in a lifetime. Born some 74 years in Upper Kiandani village, Mumbuni location, Machakos County, Kusenga’s story succinctly echoes the famous words of Roman ruler and war genius Julius Caesar; Veni, vidi, vici (“I came; I saw; I conquered”). The celebrated emperor is said to have used the phrase in a letter to the Roman Senate around 47 BC after a lightning victory against Pharnaces 11 of Pontus at the Battle of Zera. Today the Latin phrase is used when referring to a swift, conclusive victory. And like Julius, Kusenga’s success story is more of a long enduring journey of somebody who has vowed never to be cowed by prevailing circumstances in the pursuit for excellence. When we visited his 10acre fruit farm located in the wooded hills of Iveti, Mutitu village, Kathiani Sub County, we found the magnanimous old man together with two of his friends eagerly waiting for us. After the usual pleasantries, he began by explaining how he ventured into farming. “I first became interested in farming after joining the Agriculture ministry in 1956 under the then British government. My experience since then until I finally retired from the civil service in 1994 has shaped me to what I am today,” began the father of six children. According to him, it was during his 34 years stint in the civil service that Kusenga despite having no formal training in crop and animal husbandry decided to put into practice what he had learned upon his retirement. While working for the colonial government, he was trained to instruct others by doing, a methodology he still uses today while teaching the dozens of people who flock into his farm to tap into his skills. He told KNA that unlike the theoretical learning that modern institutions of learning major on, his education was born out of putting theoretical skills into practice. He similarly said he had from the beginning resolved never to beg for food or money throughout his lifetime but employ his hands to better not only his life but that of others in his locality. “After I left the civil service in 1994, I resolved to be self-employed and to produce enough food for my family. Without food, money is useless whether you have little or much. Those who work in offices must eventually go to those selling food since they can’t find it (food) in their offices,” explains Kusenaga. In 2007, and armed only with zeal to transform his life to the better, Kusenga went ahead and purchased several tracts of derelict land at Mutitu village whose owners had all but given up on them due to the poor nature of the soils. In fact the owners were more than willing to dispose of the pieces of land owing to the fact that they thought they were not worth the pieces of title deeds they were typed on. Unknowingly to the farmers, they were throwing away a priceless treasure which would soon become an admirable spectacle of singing wood of fruit trees. After consolidating the pieces of land, Kusenga immediately set out in reclaiming the farms by clearing the bushes, tilling the soils and adding farm manure. Due to the steep state of the farm, he set about building of terraces to plant his fruit terraces and to prevent soil being carried away during the rains. With the help of hired skilled men, he afterwards embarked on preparing giant water ducts for harvesting storm waters from the adjacent hills with the intention of using the harvested rain waters to water the farm during the dry spell. Today, any one visiting the farm is usually taken back with awe at 3 what Kusenga has managed to achieve after transforming the once idle ground into a model demonstration plot that has hosted big names such as former Bomet governor Isaac Ruto and Mohmoud Refaat, an Egyptian agricultural entrepreneur who visited the place last year. He has a total of 2,380 fruit trees ranging from apples, tree tomatoes, grapes, peaches, loquats, plums, mangoes, goose berries, avocadoes and mulberry. He also rears enough cows, goats and chicken to ensure his family is well supplied with milk, eggs and meat. As a group committed in promoting organic farming in Machakos in particular, we want to continue using this farm as our learning platform - Anthony Musili And in indeed these efforts have not been in vain. Apart from using his farm as a demonstration class for the various self-help groups in the area, Kusenga has travelled far and wide. His recent journey was in April this year when he joined members of the Machakos Farmers Ambassadors Group for an exchange programme on best farming practices in Uganda, a journey which eventually took him to the eastern side of the Democratic Republic of Congo. “My love for learning new things and getting acquainted with new crops has taken me all the 2,380 1 Total number of fruit trees on Jackson’s farm, ranging from apples, tree tomatoes, grapes, peaches, loquats, plums, mangoes, goose berries, avocadoes and mulberry 2 1. The former civil servant shows one of the many varieties of grape vines in his farm. 2. Kusenga with a friend at one of the seven apple varieties grown in his farm. 3. Kusenga shows one of the giant water canals that harvests rain water for use in his expansive fruit farm. way to Rift Valley, Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.In all these outings, my main objective is to put into practice whatever I learn in my farm. My clarion call is always to try until it succeeds,” he added while taking us through his expansive farm. Anthony Musili, a member of Biovison Africa Trust says the farm has become a critical place in promotion of farming and improved crop husbandry skills . He terms Kusenga’s sacrifice and zeal as astounding and worth emulating for any upcoming farmer in the Lower Eastern Region where water is a perennial challenge. “As a group committed in promoting organic farming in Africa and in Machakos in particular, we want to continue using this farm as our learning platform.
13 Publizr Home