PROJECT > BUTERE/MUMIAS > LOCATION

Description of the project location

Butere Mumias District

The yellow area shows approximately the project area.

Description of the location

Size

Butere Mumias WatSan Project is located in Butere Mumias District of Western Province. It covers 939 km² and all the 5 divistions of the district, namely:
  1. Matungu
  2. Mumias
  3. South Wanza
  4. Butere
  5. Khwisero

The district lies at an altitudes of between 1240 m and 1641 m above sea level. The district has 7 streams which serve as the main sources of water for the residents..

Socio-Economic factors

According to the Kenya’s economic survey of 2003, the per capita income in the area is Ksh. 50 per person per day (below the UN level of US $ 1/d). 60 % of the population therefore live below poverty line and adult dependency which is characterised by communal way of living is very high as a result of high level of unemployment thus poverty in the area.

The major cash crop in the area is sugar cane which is milled at the nearby Mumias Sugar Company. Most of the inhabitants of the project area have turned their farms into small plantations of sugar cane with the average size of plot holdings of 4 acres in an effort to earn cash from the company. The sugar cane is harvested after 18-24 months, in the meantime therefore, farmers are left without a viable source of income till the next harvesting season. This type of farming has left many families with very small pieces of land that are used for food crops resulting into increased malnutrition in the area especially among children - hence increased family expenditure on health.

Climatic conditions

The project area has good climate, with rainfall occurring twice a year. The rainfall pattern is 1947 mm with the long rains experienced between March and June and short rains in October-November. The temperature varies between 23°C and 28°C.

Agricultural activities

Agricultural activities in the district are both for cash crop and subsistence farming. The main cash crop is sugar cane while subsistence crops are maize, millet, cassava, sweet potatoes, beans and bananas. There is very little livestock farming (dairy cattle) in the area. As more farms have been placed under sugar cane, there is no grass available for livestock.

Infrastructure

Butere/Mumias district is served by only one all weather road connecting Kakamega and Mumias town. The rest of the roads are not tarmac.

Population size

The area has an approximate population of 512,686 people. The growth rate is 2.4 %.( DHS 2004). Most of the inhabitants of Butere Mumias district are Luhyas with few other tribes inhabiting the area especially around the urban centre that houses the Mumias Sugar Company. The urban areas of the district are cosmopolitan.