Projects

ZILALA residents desire and will strive to have a lasting solution to the human/animal conflict in Ziwani, Lake Amu and Lakeside areas as proposed below:

Wild Animals

Wild animals have their natural habitat in the Kipini Conservancy. It is most unfortunate that the Management of Kipini Conservancy have never thought of keeping their animals within the conservancy, as is necessarily expected of them. They let the wild animals roam around in the farms of Lake Amu, Ziwani and Lakeside areas, thereby causing incessant losses to ZILALA Residents.  

The ZILALA Residents Initiative C.B.O demand that the Management of Kipini Conservancy put an electric fence around their Conservancy to keep all their animals within the Conservancy.

Our members are not interested in seeking compensation in the wake of  wild animals‘  destroying crops in farms and/or killing  domestic animals.

Putting up an electric fence around the Conservancy is the only plausible lasting solution to the ever recurring human/wild animal conflicts in the ZILALA areas.

Domestic Animals

In ZILALA areas, and in other areas in Mpeketoni, there exists human/domestic animals conflicts.

There are cattle herders who bought small pieces of land but keep many animals. Consequently, they do not have  big enough lands for grazing them.This results in cattle straying into farms  in search of pastures.

During long drought seasons, herders from outside Lamu County come to seek pastures  for their large herds of cattle, resulting in those cattle straying into farms.

The outcome of both the two situation referred to above is the unfortunate recurrent conflicts between herders ad farmers.

It is imperative that proactive action be taken by the Government in good time to pre-empt fighting between farmers and herders.

In our view, a lasting solution  is for the government to set aside an enclosed range land for the herders for grazing their cattle, so that their cattle will not be able to encroach into farms.

 We also deem it necessary, as another lasting solution, that the Government advise the herders  not to keep excessive numbers of cattle, while they do not have adequate grazing land.

Tree Nursery

We have prioritized establishing a Tree Nursery, to produce seedlings to enable us to conserve the environment  of Lake Kenyatta and its feeding streams, to forestall the drying of the lake, and also to improve the environmental conservation of ZILALA areas, Mpeketoni Sub-county and Lamu County at large.

 Therefore, the seedlings we shall produce will  not only be for the residents of Ziwani, Lake Amu and Lakeside, but also for environmental conservation projects and activities of other areas and Institutions.  

We desire to undertake continuous large scale environmental conservation projects, for the benefit for posterity.  

Community Management & Forest Landscaping

For decades, this Forest has been a curse to Zilala Residents  because it has been and still has hundreds of baboons who come to invade our farms. Secondly, it has been a hiding  ground for those who steal chicken, goats or cows and slaughter them  in this forest, before going to sell the meat elsewhere. Thirdly, it is a potential security risk, because bandits could hide there and stage attacks on residents.

We desire and  intend to make the forest a blessing to the residents by managing it in a way that will benefit not only the ZILALA residents but  also all the residents of Lamu County, and humanity at large.

 ZILALA Residents Initiative is formally  seeking official permission from the Government   to manage the mentioned  forest, with the vision to establish:

           (1)LAKE KENYATTA GREEN PARK.

The envisaged Green Park will be a Community Managed Project, which will change for the better and forever, the environment of Lake Kenyatta and create a beautiful scenery.

The envisioned Lake Kenyatta Green Park will have Picnic Sites, Flower Gardens, Meeting Venues, Entertainment  Sites, Wedding Reception Sites and Restaurants.

ZILALA Residents Initiative needs the expertise of organization like KEFRI, Kenya  Forest Service and N.G.O’S, especially those dealing in conservation of the environment. This is therefore an appeal for assistance directed to Local and International Organizations.

(2) SNAKE PARK

We envisage setting up a Snake Park within the Lake Kenyatta Greed Park where all species of snakes that exist in Lamu County will be kept. The objectives of this park are :-

  1. A learning facility for students, researchers and the public at large. People will be able to know the different types of snakes, both the poisonous and non-poisonous ones, that are found in Lamu county.
  2. Keep the snakes for venom extraction and sale.
  • Eventually, with proper know how, we intend to process the venom extracted to make antidotes for snake bites.
  1. We are seeking capacity building from Organizations that have the knowhow to process snake venom.

       (3)CROCODILE FARM–

We intend to establish a Crocodile Farm within the Lake Kenyatta Green Park. Crocodile

keeping is an economically viable project. Crocodiles are kept both for their meat and for

their bile which is extracted and sold, when a crocodile is slaughtered.

With this facility and others mentioned above, many employment opportunities will be

created  for our youth.

              (4) SWIMMING POOL

We deem it important that we construct a Swimming Pool in the Lake Kenyatta Green Park.

This will serve two purposes:

      (i) Recreation for Mpeketoni residents and other visitors who may wish to go swimming.

     (ii) Training place for school children and even adults who may wish to be trained on how

          to swim.

              (5) CHILDREN PLAY GROUND

We intend to set aside a place where children may come to play during weekends or public

holidays. The play ground will have Seesaws, Merry-go-round, etc

Landscaping the shores of Lake Kenyatta

The current situation is that the shores of Lake Kenyatta are covered with bushes which make them unattractive. We intend to clear those bushes and plant grass to cover the ground above the highest water level, to prevent soil erosion and silting of the lake. We shall seek expertise to landscape the shores and make
them attractive for visitors. 

Lake Viewing Platform and FootBridge

We deem it important to construct a platform in the lake connected by a footbridge to the shore. This will  enable visitors and tourists to view the beautiful landscape and hippos below the water from the platform. 

Bee Keeping, honey refining & packaging plant

Bee keeping is an industry whose potential  lies untapped in Mpeketoni. Zilala Residents Initiative has taken serious note of this and decided to take it on, for the benefits of Zilala Residents.

Many economic  activities fail because of lack of market for the products. Zilala Residents Initiative intends to provide a ready market for the honey that its members and other interested bee keepers will produce.

To achieve this, it is necessary to acquire a honey refining and packaging plant  that will produce a branded product, from ZILALA Residents Initiative.

We intend, if technically empowered, to process further the wax byproduct to make candles.

We are currently seeking the cost of the honey refining and packaging plant.

Aloe Vera Farming and a Juice Extracting and a packaging plant

ZILALA Residents Initiative is seeking seedlings for the best Aloe Vera species. We believe the animals that invade  our shambas(farms) will not be able to destroy  Aloe Vera plants.

The C.B.O seeks to establish a processing facility that will extract and package  Aloe Vera juice for marketing.

Tomato Processing & Packaging Plant

ZILALA and Mpeketoni residents never get value for the effort they put in planting tomatoes. Prices do go to as low as Ksh. 10/= per kilo when many farmers harvest at the same time.

In order to eradicate poverty, we envisage a situation where ZILALA Residents Initiative will have a Tomato Processing and Packaging plant from which we shall produce for  sell tomato juice, tomato paste etc.

Guinea Fowl Keeping

The Residents of Zilala areas are interested in the project of Guinea Fowl keeping with  the hope, desire and expectation that, if and when fully operational, it will enable them to generate sustainable income.

The participating residents will of necessity  have to apply for licenses or permits from the Kenya Wildlife Service before embarking on the project. It is envisaged that members participating in the project will keep their Guinea Fowls on their farms, as will be advised by the Kenya Wildlife Service  personnel.

The C.B.O will have to set up a facility for buying the Guinea Fowls from the residents, slaughtering and selling the meat to consumers locally, other parts of Kenya and for export. It will be necessary to also acquire a refrigerated van for transporting the meat to the market.

With the above facility in place, and a ready market for the Guinea Fowl meat, it is envisaged that more farmers from outside Zilala areas will also engage in Guinea Fowl keeping. The project will therefore uplift the livelihood of thousands of Mpeketoni Residents far beyond the ones that the Zilala Residents Initiative initially envisaged.

Zilala Residents Initiative may need Financial donor assistance for constructing a modern slaughter house with a refrigerating and packaging facility for the meat, and also a refrigerated van for transporting the meat to the markets.