Dark cloud hangs over maize farmers’ fortunes in Kitale

On a warm and dry morning, a group of labourers gather at the home of Neddy Khalayi in Waitaluk, Trans Nzoia district. The women enter the maize store to stuff maize cobs into gunny sacks. Young, muscular men carry the filled sacks out to a waiting tractor. They pour the maize into the shelling machine and then carry the grain to dry on large canvas mats laid out under the open blue sky. For the better part of the morning, the compound is a hive of activity, and Neddy is convinced that they are making good progress. That is until the sky starts to darken...