Johnson Njoroge, an organic subsistence farmer in the semi-arid Gilgil Sub-county of Nakuru County has spent thousands of shillings in medical treatment following an agro-chemical spraying exercise that went wrong.
His face, neck, hands and feet were damaged four years ago when his skin mistakenly came into contact with the herbicides he was spraying on his two-acre farm.
A two-day exercise that was meant to ease the workload at his farm turned into a long painful experience for the 72-year-old man who has not known peace for the past four years.
He is on daily medication to manage pain and soothe his swollen lymph nodes and itchy skin.
Njoroge says the trips to the hospital and the cost of medicines which include expensive ointments for the skin have eaten into his savings.
He said sometimes he depends on well-wishers to continue the medications.
He claims that the prolonged use of prescription drugs coupled with age has started affecting other body organs.
Trouble started when Njoroge wanted to weed his farm but had a hard time getting people to do the menial work and only opted for the herbicides on the advice of his friend.
“It was the first time for me to use herbicides so I did not have the required knowledge or protective equipment to properly shield my skin and eyes from the chemicals and I live to regret that decision,” says Njoroge.
He says the neighbour told him to mix two types of herbicides in twenty litres of water to effectively kill the weeds, which he did and adds that the trench coat he wore when spraying did not offer sufficient protection.
Njoroge was treated and discharged at the Gilgil Sub-County Hospital for the effects of the chemicals on his skin and was hopeful that the condition would completely heal with the prescription he received at the initial hospital visit.
“My hopes were short-lived, I was taken back to the hospital a month later after my situation worsened, the burning and itching sensation got worse and the skin peeled off. It also spread to the eyes and could not see,” he said.
The farmer who has since joined an agro-ecology farmers group in Gema Farm of Gilgil Sub-County swears that he will never use farm chemicals on his land following the nasty experience that has caused immeasurable pain and loss.
“I used to work on the farm, but I can no longer work smoothly because my skin is highly sensitive besides the time lost in between by many visits to the hospital,” he says.
In recent years, the European Union (EU)- funded Markup Access Upgrade Program (MARKUP) in Kenya has been aggressively raising awareness on the proper use of pesticides.
MARKUP Kenya is implemented by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in partnership with the government and private sector.
Through a campaign dubbed ‘Dawa bora mazao bora’ which loosely translates to ‘proper pesticides for better yields’, the campaign mainly targeted farmers and agro-dealers.
It aimed to sensitise them on issues on where to buy pesticides, the need to use proper protective gear while using pesticides, proper disposal of used containers and the right transport of the chemicals among other key aspects.
Organisations that support agroecological agriculture however want farmers to totally shun from using synthetic pesticides and instead apply only those that are environmental-friendly.
“Farmers need to fully adopt organic farming and stop using harmful chemicals as they are a threat to their health as well as the environment,” said Daniel Wanjama, the Director, of Seed Savers Network (SSN).
Based near Gilgil at the shores of Lake Elementaita, SSN is a grassroots organization which promotes the saving and use of indigenous seeds as well as sustainable agriculture.