Othaya is a Kenyan town in Nyeri County about 150 kilometres north of Nairobi, the capital. The majority of the residents are of the Kikuyu tribe. Othaya is part of the Nyeri District. It is an agricultural area with coffee and tea as the main cash crops. Main crop grown in the area are Tea and coffee, while most farmers are subsistence. Othaya is home to Chinga dam, the largest water reservoir in the Nyeri District.

Mwai Kibaki, the third President of Kenya, was born in Gatuyaini, a village in Othaya.

Othaya forms a town council, which has five wards: Kanyange, Kianganda, Nduye River, Nyamari and Thuti. All of them are part of Othaya Constituency. Othaya is also the headquarters of Othaya administrative division, which has four locations: Chinga, Iria-Ini, Karima and Mahiga.  Othaya division has common borders with Othaya constituency, which Mwai Kibaki represents in parliament.

Ol Kalou town has five wards: Gichungo, Kaimbaga, Ol Kalou, Ol Kalou Central and Rurii. All of them are located within Ol Kalou Constituency. Ol Kalou is also headquarters of Ol Kalou division of Nyandarua District.

Population

Ol Kalou constituency has a population of 216,000. There are 83,800 registered voters spread over 12 elective wards. It is a high potential agricultural area.

Physical features

Ol Kalou is a high altitude area lying to the west of Aberdare Mountains. It has a cool climate and good rainfall. There are a few large rivers such as River Malewa while the rest are is small and seasonal. Lake Ol Bollosat is the largest water mass in Ol Kalou and Central province at large. It is supplied with water from the Aberdares by Wanjohi River and some numerous small streams. The lake forms the boundary between Ol Kalou and Ndaragwa Constituencies.

Economic Activities

Ol Kalou has immense potential to produce food and cash crops for its people and the country at large. Farming is a major economic engagement with dairy and food crop production as the mainstay of the local economy. In the last ten years, flower farming has made an entry in the form of large farms.

Pyrethrum

In the 1970’s and 1980’s, pyrethrum was an important cash crop. Its importance has declined drastically due to marketing challenges and poor handling by the Pyrethrum Board. Non payment for delivered produce and late payment has demoralized farmer’s morale resulting in uprooting of the crop and venturing into alternative investments.

Potato production

The potato is currently the important crop in the Ol Kalou. It is produced for income and domestic consumption. In the past it was quite frustrating for the potato farmers on account of middlemen who used exploit farmers. The middlemen made a kill from the farmers by demanding that the bags be extended at the top to almost double their normal or standard gunny bag. With an improved road network, buyers now come from far and wide allowing farmers to get a better return. With access to farmlands increasing, the farmer’s dues from the crop have shot up.

As mentioned elsewhere the area has contributed to the betterment of the potato prices by initiating the move that led to the standardization of the gunny bag used for packaging harvested potatoes.

Dairy farming

Most farmers keep dairy cattle in addition to whatever else they do. Milk prices have fluctuated over the years. The most frustrating times were in the late nineties when the Kenya Co-operative Creameries collapsed. Many small volume buyers and brokers mushroomed and many farmers lost money to bogus middlemen.

It was during this period that Ol Kalou dairy was initiated as a farmers’ enterprise to collect, cool and sell the milk in bulk. This dairy plant is now operational. The market has since stabilized with the re-opening of the KCC and the entry of other established milk processors in to the area.

Flower farming

In the last ten years, flower farming has made an entry in the form of large farms. There are about 5 large farms in the constituency. The industry is noted for larger number of people employed in the sector. Floriculture is yet to permeate the small scale production sector.

Sheep rearing

Farmers also rear sheep for wool. These animals do well the cool climate and are handy for quick cash as they are sold for mutton.

Wheat farming

Wheat does especially well in some seasons. This more so in the less wet seasons and if the timing of the planting season is accurate. The main challenge is the rain that comes unpredictably in sudden and large quantities destroying the crop just before harvest. The remedy for wheat lies in the new practice where it is harvested when still green and this may be the way out for the farmers who wish to engage in wheat farming.

Maize farming

Maize is staple food as well as income earner for the people of Ol Kalou. The crop does extremely well most seasons. The varieties that grow here are the long, high yielding high breeds that do well in the high altitude areas. Due to the low average temperatures maize takes a rather long period of time to mature. It takes upwards of ten months for the crop to be harvested. Despite this it is useful as food and income for farmers.

Vegetables

A variety of vegetables do well in this locality including Carrots, Cabbages and Sukumawiki among others. Peas, beans and soya do extremely well in Ol Kalou. Cabbages are second to potatoes as a cash crop. Cabbages are good for farmers who are able to do proper timing in planting and market demand. Processing for value addition is important goal that framers struggle with every season.

Health

Ol Kalou town has one major hospital, the Ol Kalou District Hospital situated close to Ol Kalou town. The Nyahururu town District Hospital is also useful to many people from Ol Kalou.

Ogembo region has a high potential for agriculture with most areas fertile, densely populated and compromising of fairy small plots. There is also potential for tourism, business and fish farming although these two remain largely unexploited.
The area boasts for tea and coffee farming as the leading economic activity of the residents.
The presence of rainfall in most times of the year makes the area evergreen with most rivers permanent and thus making the region produce virtually all agricultural products for both subsistence and cash crop farming.
The economics activities of the towns residents includes cash crop and subsistence farming, livestock and business. Tea and coffee are the predominant cash crop of the area residents.

Schools near Nyansiongo town

• Menyenya (3.7km)
• Nyabiosi (8.3km)
• Mochenwa (11.8km)
• Riaboore (11.8km)
• Nyakongo (13.4km)
• Riamoni (13.4km)
• Motamanywa (13.4km)
• Matutu (15.7km)
• Nyamakoroto (18.6km)
• Nyanturago (18.6km)
• Rikenye (18.6km)

These are the closest towns to Nyamarambe town.

1. Rongo (3.1 miles / 5.0 km N/NW)
2. Tabaka (5.4 miles / 8.7 km NE)
3. Ogembo (6.9 miles / 11.2 km E)
4. Kimilili (7.0 miles / 11.3 km E/NE)
5. Nyamache (11.4 miles / 18.3 km E/SE)
6. Suneka (13.3 miles / 21.3 km NE)
7. Kisii (13.7 miles / 22.0 km NE)
8. Awendo (16.3 miles / 26.2 km SW)
9. Migori (20.7 miles / 33.4 km S/SW)
10. Masimba (21.8 miles / 35.1 km E)

1. Ogembo (5.4 miles / 8.7 km NW)
2. Kimilili (5.9 miles / 9.4 km NW)
3. Tabaka (10.3 miles / 16.5 km NW)
4. Masimba (10.4 miles / 16.8 km E)
5. Nyamarambe (11.4 miles / 18.3 km W/NW)
6. Keroka (12.4 miles / 20.0 km E/NE)
7. Kisii (12.5 miles / 20.1 km N)
8. Suneka (13.4 miles / 21.6 km N/NW)
9. Rongo (13.6 miles / 21.9 km W/NW)
10. Nyansiongo (17.9 miles / 28.9 km E/NE)

Kandara town council has four civic wards: Gakui/Karimamwaro, Gathugu/Ruchu/Gakarara, Gatundu/Kiiri/Kandara and Kaguthi/Githuya. All of them are part of the Kandara Constituency.

Kandara is the headquarters of Kandara division, an administrative division in the newly created Kandara district.  Kandara division has the following locations: Gaichanjiru, Ithiru, Kagunduini, Muruka and Ruchu

Kandara town is one of the oldest town in Kenya as it was built during colonial era. Kandara  is endowed with coffee and tea plantations. Most of the residents engage in small scale horticultural farming. The horticular farming is conducted along the numerous river banks in the area.

Kandara town which is the headquarters of Kandara Division, has a history of being oldest. Even there is a saying commonly used “old like Kandara Shops on behide”.

Despite agricultural activities Kandara has numerous secondary schools including famous Njiris High School, Ruchu Girls, Ngararia Secondary school. The market day is on Monday and Thursday every week. These are the days when the small scale farmers get an opportunity to sell their produce.

One of the biggest economic challenges facing Kandara, is unproductivity of young generation as they engages in cheap illegal brews.