Anglican Church of Kenya Diocese of Kitale > Projects

Projects

The Diocese has the following two key projects that it owns and manages for its financial self-sustainability and for outreach to their immediate local communities.

1. BISHOP MUGE GUEST HOUSE AND CONFERENCE CENTRE
Overview
Bishop Muge Guest House and Conference Centre (BMGHCC) is a Christian institution owned by the Anglican Church of Kenya, Kitale Diocese. It is the place of choice away from the hustle bustle of life to a quiet and safe countryside environment.
Bishop Muge GHCC is located at Kibagenge village, 7.5 km from Kitale town, along the Kitale – Eldoret highway. The institution is seated on a 43 (forty-three) acre piece of land adorned with beautiful gardens and flowers as well as natural vegetation that gives you a soothing aroma making it ideal for all kinds of outdoor events.
The key activities and services provided at the Centre include, farming (dairy and horticulture) and Guest House; Conference Services. The Centre is ideal for seminars, workshops, research, holiday makers, honeymooners, retreat for groups and individuals, tourists and those who would like to rest in a godly environment.

Facilities at BMGHCC

  • Modern accommodation rooms with enough space to suit guest needs.
  • Conference Hall for comfortable seating of up to 400 delegates and ideal for all types of occasions including parties, NGO, Government functions and meetings.
  • A large Dinning Hall with watering meals combined with fresh ingredients straight from our own gardens and prepared by professionally trained staff. The meals offered on either ala carte or table de horte and buffet in either the dinning hall or around the beautiful
    gardens in the compound at the guest’s convenience.
  • Outdoor Grounds large enough ground to host events of up to 5,000 people seated. This is ideal for launches, weddings, parties, school retreats, exhibitions etc. Clients chose to bring their tents or we can provide for them.
  • Camp Site with well-manicured lawn for holiday campers. There is an option of either bringing their tents or are provided for by the guesthouse.Affordable rates for all types of events that are taken up in the compound.

Activities

  1. Poultry farming: We have poultry project that breeds indigenous (Kienyeji) chicken and eggs. Our guests are assured of getting meat and eggs free of chemical additives.
  2. Dairy farming: With our dairy unit we produce enough milk for our guests as well as selling the surplus to the market around and to processing plants.
  3. Rabbit farming: Rabbits are a delicious and good white meat that gives good and deserved health. We have a rabbit farm that gives enough both for business and good meals to our clients.
  4. Horticulture: The beautiful horticultural produce that is organically grown gives every client the urge to always come back again and taste the fresh vegetables and fruits from our farm. We also sell to the outside market.
  5. Maize Farm: We plant maize that we sell to local farmers and other companies that process maize products.
    Main Gate

    Dining Hall with Modern Kitchen

    Guest House -Bungalow

    Dairy Animals

    Cottages With Self Contain Rooms

    overview of Offices,Hostel,Conference hall & Kitchen/Dining

    Dining Hall

    Guests Eating

2. KAPOMBOI FARM PROJECT
The Anglican diocese of Kitale owns and runs part of its 100-acre farm utilized for farming. Kapomboi Farm is located 28kms from Kitale town in Kapomboi village, Kwanza Sub-County, Trans Nzoia County.
In addition to earning the diocese income to fund mission work, this Farm has also impacted the local community through sustainable farming techniques that have seen high yields for its small-scale farmers.
Services and Activities at the Farm
In the region that faces food insecurity, despite having great agricultural potential, this project has impacted both the diocese and the local community.
Thus in 2014, a test of the Kapomboi community’s soil conducted by a third party revealed a PH level of less than 5, which indicates highly acidic soil. Community members are being made aware of the implications of having acidic soil, and the Kenyan government is encouraging local leaders to conduct soil reclamation work.
Kapomboi Farm offered solution by using Bible-based study materials titled “Farming God’s Way”. The Anglican Diocese of Kitale through its development arm, the Anglican Development Services (ADS) North Rift Region, taught participants to improve the soil quality at a Kapomboi
community’s demonstration farm. Community members volunteered at the demonstration farm to learn sustainable farming techniques and then employ them on their own farms. As a result, they improved their households’ food security and then go on to teach these techniques to others.
Participants grew spiritually through guided reflections that depict God as the first farmer. The community benefited from a borehole well that was drilled on the demonstration farm, which is accessible to the public.

Testimonies and Stories of Those Impacted by the Project

Testimonies of 2 beneficiaries of the project reflecting on their experience in the project, focusing on the impact the project has had on their lives.

1. Joseph Kipkeu

Joseph Kipkeu is a retired electrical engineer. After retirement, he started farming as a business in mifungu, a village of Kapomboi Location. Throughout his farming business, he faced the same challenges of low soil fertility, high soil acidity, increased high cost of farm inputs and
increasingly decreasing crop yields. He joined and attended all training sessions conducted at the demonstration farm. He tested his farm soil, followed up the recommendations and applied good
farming practices in a 5-acre plot under maize and beans. He was amazed by the low farm inputs that were recommended and the wonderful maize crops in the farm. After harvesting, the yield was 60% more than previous years.
Farming God’s way practices has given him hope in farming, improved the farm organic matter level, decreased the soil acidity, decreased overall farm input cost, improved the farm production
and yield. He is committed and happy with our trainings and follow up. He is now the chairperson of a newly formed farmers association that promotes best farming practices.

2. Miriam Chebet

Miriam Chebet is a peasant farmer in Mitua village in Kapomboi location. She has 0.25-acre plot. Before, she used to grow maize only. She followed practices done by other farmers to the latter without giving reason why. They used to burn crops residues before ploughing their plots and carried out all the conventional farming practices. During crop failure due to bad weather,
she suffered heavily and had nothing to rely on. She then joined Farming God’s Way classes.
She realized that all what she used to do in the farm was wasteful, contributed to the soil degradation and food insecurity. She immediately started applying the best farming practices she learnt during training sessions in her small farm. The impact of her training is great! She trained her husband, other family members, relatives and neighbours. She has so far formed a common interest group in her village and offered herself as a trainer. By the end of growing season, she
had surplus farm produce that she sold in the local market. From the sales, she bought a sheep.

Her husband has resigned from casual laborer in the war-torn Southern Sudan to join her in farming. The whole village is happy with her efforts.