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Africa23 May 2024 - 10:22

Kakamega residents urged to support Matawa organic fertiliser project

The plant aims at manufacturing nitrogen-rich manure to benefit the region and other counties at a low cost.

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by The Star
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Kakamega Governor Fernandes Barasa and US Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman during the launch of an organic fertilizer manufacturing plant in Kakamega County on May 31

Kakamega residents have been urged to support the Matawa organic fertiliser plant project in Mumias West.

The plant aims at manufacturing nitrogen-rich manure to benefit the region and other counties at a low cost.

Water, environment, natural resources and climate change executive Peninah Mukabane asked the community to embrace the project for its sustainability.

She said the county in partnership with Practical Action would involve the youth in sensitising residents on the need to segregate waste at source before it is transported to the factory for processing.  

Mukabane was accompanied by her counterparts Godfrey Owori (agriculture, livestock, fisheries, co-operatives and irrigation) and Rachel Atamba (trade, industrialisation and tourism).

Owori and Atamba assured residents the factory would benefit the farmers.

The three spoke when they visited the factory Wednesday to check on its progress and any challenges it might have experienced before receiving the first batch of fertiliser production equipment this week.

The factory uses sanitation and organic waste to produce organic fertiliser, animal feeds and biomass briquettes.

The project will be implemented in three phases.

Phase one and two will involve fertiliser production while phase three will see the introduction of the briquettes and black soldier fly, which breaks down the organic material into nitrogen-rich manure.

The company targets to collect waste from the entire Lake Region Economic Bloc, with a population of more than 14 million people.

Kakamega County Investment Development Agency (KCIDA) CEO Elizabeth Asichi said waste collection from the municipal markets and other neighbouring counties would begin next month.

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