Kenya has recently been affected by the recent droughts, unseasonably hot weather, and the elimination of electricity and other subsidies by a government and all this resulted in high cost of living especially in matters of food. Other Eastern African nations have also been affected by the dry season, but their food costs are not yet as high as Kenya’s.
It’s possible that some of Kenya’s East African Community allies can train it how to handle the many issues it faces in the long run. The events in Rwanda are one example. Today’s food baskets are located in areas of the nation that were historically severely affected by drought seasons, where people would often starve to death.
Lessons from Rwanda
In an effort to safeguard its water resources, Rwanda outlawed habitation or even grazing 50 metres from a lake, river, or marsh and steadfastly upheld the prohibition. To revive them, more steps have to be taken.
Almost 12.6 million people call Rwanda home, occupying a space of 26,338 square kilometres. Moreover, it has the highest population density on the continent. One of the reasons why the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was so brutal is frequently attributed to the pressure on land and the competition between farmers and herders for it.
Rwandans grow the same crop that the cooperative decides upon, yet despite the fact that a 100-acre maize plantation may be visible from the road, different people own various portions of it. The majority of it is sold for them by the cooperative after the harvest, when each farmer receives a share from their portion.
Zones specifically designated for cultivating crops or raising cattle were also created inside districts. A single location cannot support both medium- to large-scale crop and dairy operations. The pasture and other dairy rites are organised in the regions designated for keeping cattle in a similarly collectivized manner, with the farmer who, let’s say, owns 20 cows doing his thing next door to the one with two.

Because large volumes can be transported at once in a massive truck, the farmers’ immediate benefit is a significant reduction in the cost of produce, extension services, and transportation to markets.
This extreme cooperative structure enables the government to intervene effectively in times of drought and dry periods, like this one, by supplying enormous water bowsers to a cooperative for cattle, and 500 farmers are all able to acquire water for their animals in that one shot.
The solar powered infrastructer
It has a $54 million solar-powered infrastructure with 65 large irrigation pivots that can irrigate the entire sizable field. The farmers effectively own—or are important partners in—the irrigation system since, depending on their acreage, they pay a tiny portion of their income to maintain it operational.
The Rwandan government keeps a sizable food store for strategic purposes. As a result, the cooperatives have a reliable market for a portion of the produce they purchase for the food bank.

The outcome has been striking. For farmers, water scarcity is a thing of the past. Farmers who previously made $1,000 per month are now able to make $5,000 in a good month thanks to the efficiencies and economies of scale that this hybrid system has brought about.
Also read Rwanda Bans Imports of Kenyan-Made chicken flavoured Indomie
Naturally, Rwanda is considerably different from Kenya or Tanzania, but it demonstrates that the susceptibility of agriculture to harsh weather patterns can be significantly reduced.
Courtesy Mr Onyango-Obbo, journalist, writer and curator of the “Wall of Great Africans.
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