A) Education
Nachu ward has grown both in the number of learning institutions and number of learners in the institutions, helping to reduce illiteracy levels that have been high in Nachu ward in the last many decades.
Institutions of higher learning are being set up through Community Development Fund (CDF) kitty. Technical schools are coming up too, absorbing the high number of people who would otherwise be wandering aimlessly or engaging in drug abuse and alcoholism. Government schools have the highest number of students and pupils, owing to the fact that majority of the people cannot afford education in private institutions.
The western side of Nachu ward, comprising of Gatune, Rwanyaga and Kiahiti, is way behind in terms of education compared to the eastern side of the ward. There are few public primary schools and secondary schools, and no university or college. There is, however, chances of development as people are migrating for settlement in these marginal areas. With increasing population due to migration, the marginal areas are increasing their manpower. Owing to the need for new schools to cater for the increasing population, the place will
definitely grow and develop. The stats are projecting that the western side of the ward will grow steadily, and overtake the eastern side in the next decade. There are proposed universities and industrial parks in the western side, and these will definitely spur development. However, there is dire need for well wishers and donors to tag along and help the needy children to acquire formal education, and the elders to acquire informal education. These developments would see Nachuans become self reliant because they would at least stand a chance to earn daily bread through wage systems.
B) Electricity
The western side of Nachu ward only got electricity during the last mile connectivity, a government initiative that saw many people connected to the national grid. Kiahiti and Gatune are two areas that have been worst hit. Many homesteads are still not connected, but the work is in progress. Lantern lamps and solar are common light sources in this side. Pupils in the western side of Nachu ward have been performing poorly in school, owing to the fact that they can’t do their studies once dusk sets in. So provision of electricity to the villagers would be of greater value besides lighting up the villages.
Nachu ward has a very huge potential for wind power. Places like “Mwanya wa ruhuho” have strong winds that can be utilized to generate energy for lighting and heating in Nachu and beyond. With the right approach, Nachu can be self sufficient in terms of electricity.
C) Talents
Nachu ward is not without talents. There is so much to behold in Nachu ward when talents are concerned. From stage to grounds; from entertainment to sports, there is everything to gaze at and admSire. As a struggling ward, struggling to develop, talents are stunted and decimated by myriads of problems. Under talents, we will deal with sports and arts.
1. Sports
Sports form the political agenda for Nachu ward. Many things revolve around sports, the darling of many. You can hardly impress a youth in this ward without mentioning sports. As you may guess, sports here exclusively refer to football. But athletics will be included in this document because it’s a big part of sports in Nachu Ward.
1.1. Football
Football is a religion here. Many youths are players, good players with all respect. As a youth, you either play, wsatch or play bets. Among the youths, any discussion that doesn’t have football is meaningless and irrelevant. The darling league of discussion is ultimately the English Premier League. Most of the youths have an idol to emulate in their style of play.
Nachu ward has many football teams that compete for various prizes, seasonally. There are bonanzas and leagues organized by political leaders and aspiring leaders. Others are organized by well wishers and those who solely motivated by giving to the society.
Nachu ward, in my humble opinion, would more well wishers to support youths through sports. Sports are a magical way to keep youths away from drugs and substance abuse, a vice they indulge in due to lack of employment and rare mentorship.
These teams include;
1. Gatune FC
2. Red Vultures FC
3. Rymond FC
4. Wazee FC
5. Nachu All Stars FC
6. Lipualipua FC
7. Umoja FC
8. Kamangu Youth FC
9. Barcelona FC
10. Karie FC.
Both bonanzas and leagues are played in two main stadia, which are poorly maintained. The two stadia are Lussigeti stadium and Kamangu stadium which is school’s pitch but the public is allowed in for the games. The tragedy of these stadia is that they are weather stadia. During rainy seasons, players experience hard times playing in the mud, not to mention the risks they are exposed to because of floods.
The players also have issues affecting their performance, negatively. They lack the necessary sportswear like uniforms and boots, balls and the financial ability to travel to the said stadia. The fees are also an issue, and rely on the fans to pay the referees.
The players have the will, the energy and love for the game, but the disabling enabling environments keep them on the struggles. These are players who can do so well in the game, given the right atmosphere to do what they love most. It is very right to say that players would give their best even if they only had the boots and uniforms minus the awards. The situation is in that desperate point!
Football in Nachu ward has earned the hearts of many residents. On Sundays, men and women gather to watch the local payers play their game, while those who play bets fix their eyes onto the screens watching European football. Many have been fans since time immemorial. One such character is Baba Njoroge alias Mzee Kigombe. He is a favours personality in the field of football. Whoever has been concerned about football in Nachu ward for the last 3 decades is not new to the name Mzee Kigombe.
Mzee Kigombe has been both a player and an ardent supporter of Rymond football club, but it’s normal to find him around the pitch as long as there is a game to watch. In his early days, he played for Rymond football club, a time when the team was known as Karunguru. He has been a big name in the world of football in Nachu ward.
Mzee Kigombe is now frail, and he is normally at his home. Age, which is indiscriminative, has caught up with him. Mzee should be in the history books for Nachu ward, but unfortunately records are kept in memories here. No documentation.
1.2. Athletics
Athletics form a very important aspect of sports in Nachu ward. Athletics in Nachu ward are majorly track events. The ward has had big name athletes, athletes whose fame stays in the memory of those who watched them run. There is no documentation on their past events but new crops of athletes keep entering the stage. There have been big names such as Muriuki, whose memory in the track remains indelibly etched in the hearts of the locals. Muriuki was born and raised in Nachu ward, spent his adult life in Nachu but has nothing to be proud of as an athlete. Time has far much gone, age catching up with him so fast. He still runs, as a hobby and stress reliever. Sad, right? He is an example of many here who were talented in track events but got no support to climb up the ladder of their career. These people lacked running gears, and some did quit because of injuring themselves running on gears that are not fit for such. No gears, no motivation, no visible horizon!
In present times, there are promising individuals, running on their own account. This has reduced many athletes to body toners and builders, hoping to get some boost one day, the tomorrow that hardly comes. If their tomorrow could be made a reality, the future of many residents would have their lives changed for good. And if the local authorities would purpose to document these individuals and at least organize competitions for them, future generations would have idols to emulate!
2. Arts
Written and spoken arts are intrinsic ways of expression. Talents in arts beautify communication and help spread the message faster, and in the form of entertainment. Herein, music and drawing will be discussed, representing both spoken and written art respectively.
2.1. Music
Nachu ward has huge talents in the music industry. Music is a spoken art. From gospel to the contemporary music, these talents are deeply rooted in the ward. Some of the names that have found their way near to the top are Sammy Wa Kiambo and the Late Nduru. There is an upcoming gospel artist by the name Mary Benson, one who could do wonders given the right atmosphere and environment. These upcoming artists are still struggling with production costs and the huge crowd violating the copyrights, remaining at the lowest step of the ladder.
Music industry is one with controversies. Controversies and discrimination. Collaborations are based on business terms, business because it’s about the monetary gain as opposed to the artist’s development. Considering the prevailing conditions mentioned above, and the dynamic nature of the industry, it’s only sponsorship that can resurrect the struggling artists. Sponsored events are one way of boosting the artists in the ward. Another way to help the upcoming artists is to sign them under big labels. Another way would be helping them to pay for the video productions. Helping these upcoming artists would be a great way to ensure financial stability for them, and the people working for them.
2.2. Drawing
Drawing is a beautiful way of expressing oneself without words. There is a special population in Nachu ward that has earned its name through drawing. One of such characters is the legendary Wanduta, who has done many of the customized drawings in Lussigetti location. He is a well known drawing artist and painter. He lives on it. His economic activities revolve around the brush and paint. His drawing and painting business has faced healthy competition from incoming artists, and he has diversified his art through shoe shining. He is normally at Lussigetti town, transacting his art.
There are other drawing artists that have not penetrated into the market because of the competition, nature of the job, and lack of finances to buy the necessary tools. These people can be given necessary support to realize their dreams.
For the drawing artists, there should be organized competitions where these artists should be awarded on the criteria of creativity.
D) Water
Water is a common word in the dictionary of problems, the dictionary used in Nachu ward. Since time immemorial, water shortage has been a resident in Nachu ward. People have been walking for very long distances in search of safe drinking water. Nachu ward borders the Great Riftvalley on the western side of it. As such, no boreholes can be drilled. This makes the western side of Nachu ward dependent on the eastern side of Nachu ward, which has a lot of underground water. For instance, Lussigeti has a lot of boreholes, both public and private.
It’s not a rare phenomenon to see children and women with jerricans going to fetch water. An example of such area is Gatune. It is only recently that Gatune got piped water, a project that was funded by AMREF international. First was the revival of a pump that was used during the colonial times, then trenches were dug and piping was done. Digging of trenches was done by the locals, to contribute towards that noble course. There is a tank erected at Gatune, bought by AMREF international. This tank is serving over a thousand residents, and the maasai people who live in the border. There are also herders who live far from the water kiosk, but at least they don’t struggle in the search of water like they used to.
It is important to note that there are tanks and piping that was done during the colonial times. There is one tank erected at the heart of Gatune, and another at Thinyai, a hill overlooking Rwanyaga. These are big tanks with capacity to quench the locals adequatelty and serve those living along the border. Funding and management of such an ambitious project would help Nachuans quench their perennial thirst, and also enable the pastoralists save their animals during droughts.
E. Poor Leadership
Nachu ward has had issues of bad governance, poor leadership that has seen many people experience difficult times seeking for government services, a right they are supposed to enjoy constitutionally.
Nachu ward is in the large Kiambu county led by Hon. James Nyoro, women representative Hon. Gathoni Wamuchomba, Kikuyu constituency led by Hon. Anthony Kimani Ichung’wa, the Nachu ward led by MCA Peter Muhindi Kioi, Nachu Location led by Senior chief David Mungai Mwaura, assisted by Kiuna and Paul Karau, Lussigeti
It’s fair to say that these people largely contribute to the daily challenges facing Nachu ward residents. They are the government representatives, a government that ideally should make life easier for the common mwananchi by bringing services closer to the people, services that people pay for through taxes. Nachu ward MCA is particularly inaccessible almost always. And when he is accessible, he is of no help to the common mwananchi. Every infrastructure is in bad shape in the ward. The amenities are in poor condition. The national government projects and facilities are in a mess because the people entrusted with monitoring and supervision are always in for their pockets to enrich themselves. Most public schools are chaotically managed; no desks, no chairs, no tables, no safe washrooms. Members of the public enter freely to vandalize.
Unfortunately, these national government authority officers are appointed by the government, and the citizens are lured into voting for the MCA, the women representative, the Member of Parliament and the governor. Many citizens are bought into voting for certain people. Poor leadership and rogue citizens are to blame for poor government services for the mwananchi.