Nakuru

aced with recurrent political and inter-communal violence since 1992, the Catholic Diocese of Eldoret in Kenya has responded in numerous ways to alleviate, contain and end the conflicts that have divided local communities. In a new book co-published by the Diocese and Pace University’s International Disarmament Institute, Bishop Cornelius Korir follows up on the success of his 2009 book Amani Mashinani (Peace at the Grassroots), by turning his attention to reconciliation. With co-authors from the Diocese and beyond, Korir shows how reconciliation after violent conflict is a subtle, slow and often difficult process that is not just about ending observable fighting. Drawing on almost 25 years of experience with peacebuilding at the community level, Korir argues that reconciliation requires communities to recognize the worth of other, atone for injustice, heal wounds of the spirit and commit to building a non-violent, equitable and just society. While external actors can support it, sustainable reconciliation requires an intensive focus at the grassroots – maridhiano mashinani – by faith institutions and local civil society to build relationships of interdependence.
The book also offers insight into processes of disarmament at the very local level, often overlooked in global and national policymaking processes on arms control, nonproliferation and disarmament.

Practices used by smallholder dairy farmers for handling of feeds at the farm pose a risk of mycotoxins to dairy animals and dairy products, hence a public health concern. The aim of the study was to document the on-farm practices of handling feeds used by these farmers and how they influence the growth of mycotoxin producing fungi together with prevailing extrinsic conditions. Study involved the use of structured questionnaire for interview of smallholder dairy farmers (n=120) for on-farm feed handling practices and collection of feed samples (n=97) for microbial analysis of the mycotoxin producing molds. The fungi counts were interrelated with the feed handling practice and therefore a measure of its impact. Results found out that rural dairy system was characterized by practice of free range grazing unlike peri-urban system practice that had semi-intensive stall feeding. At the farm level, the type feeds storage facility and the type and condition of feeds were found to be significant risk factors (p<0.05) for infestation of mycotoxic fungi. Feed contamination on farm at the sub-value chains with mycotoxic fungi is primarily due to poor storage facilities exposing feed to environmental conditions that favors fungi growth.