MCA dazzles village as he juggles legislative duties with French beans fanning
For the last three years Gitari, 52, has produced the French beans on his 30 acres of land on Mwea Tras Land
Kangai ward representative John Gitari (in a striped shirt) speaking to the media in his french-bean farni. Gitari has engaged over a hundred women, who directly earn their living from the farming activities.
John Gitari is an easy going man, difficult to pick from the crowd, despite being the representative for Kangai ward in Kirinyaga County.
Gitari, who is affectionately refered to and addressed by his constituents as Wa Milka is so popular with his people, perhaps out of his close interaction with them B Besides his demanding legislative duties, Gitari has gone out of his way to become one of the best French bean farmers in the area.
For the last three years Gitari, 52, has continuously produced the French beans on his 30 acres of land straddling the vast Mwea Trust Land, and within his Ward.
The MCA, born of a single mother says it was after going through a turbulent childhood that he developed some interests in farming.
“My mother would wake up early in the morning to look for casual employment, and that way she was able to eke a living for us and after I became of age, I would accompany her to the fields where we toiled for many hours, “he said.
Gitari said that way, he became used to hard labour and started working extra hours to earn his family some daily bread as age and ailments caught up his mother.
“We were five children raised by a single mother, and being the first born, I could see the suffering other children born in such families went through and hoped one day God would bless me to to assist them," he said.
He said life was hard until 2013 when luck came calling. He got elected as a Member of County Assembly on a TNA ticket, after gruelling campaigns at a highly competitive election.
"My people thought my elevation to an elective position would change me and would eventually abandon farming. But hew mistaken they were, ” Gitari told MYGOV.
He said he first attempted to get into politics in 2007 and vied for a civic seat on a PNU ticket, but came second for the then Kangai location Gitari said Peter Gitau who was elected at the time as the Mwea MP co-opted him into his CDF office where he was tasked with identifying the needy, but bright children.
Tactics of politics "It was while serving at the CDF office that I learnt the skills and tactics of politics, and come the 2013 general elections, I trounced five other contenders to become the first MCA under the new constitution for Kangai Ward.
Added the MCA,’’ due to my sterling performance during my first term, the voters elected me once again in 2017, where I floored four other candidates He said after winning the election, he started laying out strategies on how he would lease some agricultural land to start a flourishing French bean farming.
"My mother was an expert in picking French beans, and since I always worked hand in hand with her to ensure we took back home enough money to feed the family, I co-opted her,” he said.
He said three years ago, he went back to the old farming business after he realized that there were many jobless and single mothers suffering out there without anywhere to earn a living.
Gitari however said this time he was cleverer and sought for the indulgence of French bean exporters to ensure his efforts did not go down the drain through brokers and middlemen.
“I consulted the Kenya Horticultural Exporters who entered into a contract with me for the delivery of at least five tons daily of fresh French beans for a whole year at Shs60 per kilogram of the commodity,” he said.
The Exporters he added assigned an agronomist to his Shamba, one Daniel Wambua, who oversees the entire production chain right from land preparation to planting, weeding, spraying up to the harvesting stage.
He said through this arrangement, he has for the last three years supplied for five days in a week the required five tons to the exporter without any hitch.
He however cited labour as among major challenges to his business, saying its mostly elderly women who seek manual jobs for French bean picking.
“You find only women in their middle ages who come seeking for the picking jobs, while youthful ones opt to idle around the urban Centres,” he regretted.
He challenged the youth to get into such areas, saying the french bean sector had the capacity to offer the elusive employment they were seeking.
According to Wambua, he pays out Shs1,200 per day as labour for the picking of fresh french beans, which translates to Shs6,000 for an individual.
Among other challenges in the sector, he adds is the shortage of water for irrigation, especially during dry spells, as the crop requires plenty of water.
You find only women in their middle ages who come seeking for the picking jobs, while youthful ones opt to idle around the urban Centres,” Gitari
Gitari, who is affectionately refered to and addressed by his constituents as Wa Milka is so popular with his people, perhaps out of his close interaction with them B Besides his demanding legislative duties, Gitari has gone out of his way to become one of the best French bean farmers in the area.
For the last three years Gitari, 52, has continuously produced the French beans on his 30 acres of land straddling the vast Mwea Trust Land, and within his Ward.
The MCA, born of a single mother says it was after going through a turbulent childhood that he developed some interests in farming.
“My mother would wake up early in the morning to look for casual employment, and that way she was able to eke a living for us and after I became of age, I would accompany her to the fields where we toiled for many hours, “he said.
Gitari said that way, he became used to hard labour and started working extra hours to earn his family some daily bread as age and ailments caught up his mother.
“We were five children raised by a single mother, and being the first born, I could see the suffering other children born in such families went through and hoped one day God would bless me to to assist them," he said.
He said life was hard until 2013 when luck came calling. He got elected as a Member of County Assembly on a TNA ticket, after gruelling campaigns at a highly competitive election.
"My people thought my elevation to an elective position would change me and would eventually abandon farming. But hew mistaken they were, ” Gitari told MYGOV.
He said he first attempted to get into politics in 2007 and vied for a civic seat on a PNU ticket, but came second for the then Kangai location Gitari said Peter Gitau who was elected at the time as the Mwea MP co-opted him into his CDF office where he was tasked with identifying the needy, but bright children.
Tactics of politics "It was while serving at the CDF office that I learnt the skills and tactics of politics, and come the 2013 general elections, I trounced five other contenders to become the first MCA under the new constitution for Kangai Ward.
Added the MCA,’’ due to my sterling performance during my first term, the voters elected me once again in 2017, where I floored four other candidates He said after winning the election, he started laying out strategies on how he would lease some agricultural land to start a flourishing French bean farming.
"My mother was an expert in picking French beans, and since I always worked hand in hand with her to ensure we took back home enough money to feed the family, I co-opted her,” he said.
He said three years ago, he went back to the old farming business after he realized that there were many jobless and single mothers suffering out there without anywhere to earn a living.
Gitari however said this time he was cleverer and sought for the indulgence of French bean exporters to ensure his efforts did not go down the drain through brokers and middlemen.
“I consulted the Kenya Horticultural Exporters who entered into a contract with me for the delivery of at least five tons daily of fresh French beans for a whole year at Shs60 per kilogram of the commodity,” he said.
The Exporters he added assigned an agronomist to his Shamba, one Daniel Wambua, who oversees the entire production chain right from land preparation to planting, weeding, spraying up to the harvesting stage.
He said through this arrangement, he has for the last three years supplied for five days in a week the required five tons to the exporter without any hitch.
He however cited labour as among major challenges to his business, saying its mostly elderly women who seek manual jobs for French bean picking.
“You find only women in their middle ages who come seeking for the picking jobs, while youthful ones opt to idle around the urban Centres,” he regretted.
He challenged the youth to get into such areas, saying the french bean sector had the capacity to offer the elusive employment they were seeking.
According to Wambua, he pays out Shs1,200 per day as labour for the picking of fresh french beans, which translates to Shs6,000 for an individual.
Among other challenges in the sector, he adds is the shortage of water for irrigation, especially during dry spells, as the crop requires plenty of water.
You find only women in their middle ages who come seeking for the picking jobs, while youthful ones opt to idle around the urban Centres,” Gitari