KAKDET is a Local Development Organization (LDO) registered by CSOs to support communities in Kakamega County and to contribute to the development of the county, taking a central role in the development agenda in line with USAID’s Kaunti Kuimarisha Uendelevu Annual Program Statement (APS) 2019. Chinua Achebe, the great African writer in his book “Things Fall Apart” stated “When we gather together in the moonlight at the village ground, it is not because of the moon. Every man can see the moon in his own compound. We come together because it is good for kinsmen to gather together.” KAKDET comprises members who have their own purpose, mission, and objectives but who have come together for a greater good and mission for the people of Kakamega County. KAKDET’s unique strategic position or niche is that it is community-owned, works with the government and different levels and types of institutions for the benefit of the people of Kakamega.

Located in the Western part of Kenya, Kakamega County is comprised of 12 sub-counties, namely: Likuyani, Lugari, Malava, Navakholo, Lurambi, Ikolomani, Shinyalu, Mumias East, Mumias West, Matungu, Butere, and Khwisero, and is divided into 60 wards. According to the 2019 Kenya Population and Housing Census, the county has a total population of 1,867,579, of which 897,133 are male, 970,406 are female, and 40 are intersex.1 Kakamega County is the third largest county after Nairobi and Nakuru, but is the county with the largest rural population. The main economic activity for Kakamega County is agriculture.2 The county ranked 9th out of 47 counties in agricultural production, but has even greater potential for production considering its abundant rainfall, general climate and weather patterns, rich soil, and a young and vibrant population. The Kakamega County Integrated Development Plan, 23018–2022 notes a significant unexploited mining potential including gold in Ikolomani, Lurambi, Khwisero, and Shinyalu. The Mutaho/Bukura and Ikwirenyi areas have massive deposits of sulfide (pyrite, which is an important industrial mineral from which iron and sulphur can be extracted), with Bukura holding an estimated 17 million tons. Iron also occurs in the form of hematite in the Maturu area of Lugari sub-county, with copper and silver reportedly associated with gold in Lurambi, Ikolomani, Khwisero, and Shinyalu sub-counties. The extensive Kakamega and Mumias granite presents immense potential for production of dimension stones (slabs).