Excavation Enterprise Emerges
by Karen Veverica
This year, William Kiama J. Njaremwe registered a new business--African Bulldozers: pond construction and consultants. He and his employees specialize in hand construction of ponds. They can do the work for the same or less than what it takes to hire a bulldozer for the job. At least on a small pond or on ponds to renovate, that is. He began working in this field about seven years ago when he contracted with a Belgian project to renovate ponds at Sagana Fish Farm. He was later contracted by the CRSP to renovate ponds for research. During his three years of working with CRSP researchers, he learned some surveying, choice of pond dimensions, choice and setting of inlets and drains, and many other pond construction techniques. One could say that he and his crew are the only specialists in pond construction in the whole of Kenya.
Kiama's group does all earth cutting and moving by hand; even wheelbarrows are a rarity. However, as pond size approaches 4,000 m2 or if soil has to be moved long distances, some machinery will be used. For example, an ox cart was used to ferry soil from about 300 meters to the levee construction site for ponds E12 through E15 at Sagana. Kiama's crew can cut a levee at a consistent 1:2 slope and they can follow pegs and line to make a pond bottom slope at any degree desired. They are accurate to about 5 millimeters. They have developed their own technique of compacting soil that has impressed many a visitor.
Kiama's secret comes from realizing the potential of each worker. For example, he has workers who are very good at fine work such as slope cutting but who may have trouble keeping up with the others when it comes to actual cubic meters excavated. He also has people whose strong point is non-stop digging, so they are given the tasks of digging out trenches for drain pipes, but they are not involved in the final stages of pond bottom digging or levee sloping. One of the frequently repeated observations of the government personnel, students, and visitors is that Kiama's crew seems to enjoy their work immensely.
In 1998, Kiama was elected to the town council of Sagana. He was subsequently elected as chair of the town council. This was due to his ability to find employment for his constituents. He is also a thoughtful leader and has ambitious plans for his constituents. Although he stepped down as town council chairman to set an example of voluntarily handing over power, he continues to be a major player in the development of his community.
His dream? To attend the pond construction course at Auburn University. Perhaps he could even teach part of it. Kiama, his foremen, and pond managers have become some of the best extensionists in the area. For my part, one thing is certain—we could really use his crew to renovate at least 100 of our research ponds here at the Fisheries Research Station at Auburn.
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