March 1-15, 2012
ISSUE 057
A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service
Abandoned wife now wants Government to intervene By Paul Olale
Over the last three years, a woman with five children has been living under pathetic conditions after the husband and the children’s father abandoned them. Julia Itiku, 49, has been living in a dilapidated house with her five children after the husband allegedly abandoned them three years ago in Eshisitswi sub-location, Marama Central Location, Butere District. She is now asking that the Government grant her and the children their social rights as well as compel the husband to meet his obligations. “If my husband does not want me, the Government should ensure my right to a good house, food and education of the children,” she said. Itiku says she is aware that these rights are provided for in the new Constitution under the Bill of Rights. Their house was damaged by a thunderstorm, but the husband, Jackson Lubanga, an employee of Ministry of Public Works in Nairobi, has so far failed to repair it. Itiku said instead, the man took all the furniture and other items from the house, and gave them to another woman he is alleged to have married after the incident.
Rights
Itiku noted that the husband accused her of being unfaithful, but according to her, the man started being hostile when she demanded he pays dowry to her parents, which he has failed to fulfil in their 30 years of marriage. “The man has since stopped sup-
porting the family including the education of the children,” he lamented. Attempts to compel him to provide for the family by the provincial administration and Eshinamwenyuli Youth Group, a local community-based organisation, and orders from Butere Law Court have so far failed. It is alleged the man parts with bribes to block these moves and also enjoys the protection of a powerful politician.
Plea
The woman is now asking that the Government to ensure her and the children get their due rights. “I have struggled through well wishers to pay fees for a boy child who sat for last year’s Kenya Certificate of Secondary of Education examinations but he may fail to go further if no action is taken immediately,” Itiku explains. She is banking so much hope on the child, who according to school reports, performs well and hopes to be doctor in future. She wants the husband to be compelled to repair the house, pay the long overdue dowry and school fees for the children, three of whom have dropped out. Together they have nine children,
Julia Itiku at the dilapidated house she lives in with her five children in Eshisitwi, Butere District after her husband allegedly abandoned them three years ago. Below: Some of her children cutting firewood to cook food a the home. Picture: Paul Olale four of whom died in the last three years due to the abject conditions they live in.
Tough conditions
Lukas Matendechere, the secretary of the area elder’s council, says according to the Luhya culture, it is wrong for the husband and relatives to abandon their traditional obligation of taking care of a wife and children. “The woman and the children also belong to the local ‘abamarama’ community and not just to Lubanga. As we censure him we should also play
“If my husband does not want me, the Government should ensure my right to a good house, food and education of the children.” — Julia Itiku, abandoned woman in Butere
our role,” observed Matendechere. The council’s attempts to press upon the man to give support and care for the family have so far failed. The surviving children are aged between 15 and 25 years. Itiku said she and the children survive on food donations from well-wishers. The poor state of the house forces them to bear the brunt of sunshine, wind and much worse, rainfall. When contacted on telephone, Lubanga stated that he only wanted the woman to go back to her parents for good, but she should leave the children behind and he was ready to support them however possible.
“The obstacle is the woman, and nobody can force me to love her again, why should she stick at our home?” he posed. So far Itiku’s hope is in the implementation of the new Constitution by the government, which states under Bill of Rights that every person has the right to accessible and adequate housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation, and to be free from hunger. If other attempts to salvage the situation have failed, especially attaching the husband’s salary, then at least the Government is obliged to act under these provisions.
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Tribulation as orphaned children suffer in the hands of close relatives By OMONDI GWENGI Brushing off tears of sorrow from his wizened eyes, the distraught Paul Oudia, 17, turns his face to me as he mouths his potent curse. Three years ago in Nyangera Village of Bondo District, something happened to Oudia that dramatically marked an irreversible turn in his life. He had just returned home from school for lunch, but found nobody at home. There was no food but he found KSh20 on the table. “I thought the money was left for me to buy lunch. I therefore took the money,” Oudia explains. When he came back in the evening, his sister-in-law asked who had taken the money. “I told her that I bought my lunch with it. This brought out her wrath and she decided to lock me out of the house and told me to wait for my brother,” he recalls.
By Dido wa Dido
Punishment
When the brother (Michael Odhiambo) finally came, he tied Paul’s hands and burned them. Oudia was rushed to their grandmother’s home where he spent the night. Following pressure mounted on him by neighbours, Odhiambo took Oudia to hospital. Three years after the incident, Odhiambo walks Scott-free and keeps on boasting that nothing can be done to him because Oudia is not his child and he cannot demand any right from him. “I should not be forced to provide for this boy because he is not my child. Only my child can claim any right from me,” says Odhiambo. Oudia’s future now hangs in the balance going by what engulfs his life. He was a bright boy but his dream of a better future was nipped in the bud. He has to do odd jobs in the village in order to get something to eat or even pay money needed in school. By the time Reject visited their home, Oudia had been sent home for examination fee.
Cry for help
“I told my brother but he did not say anything,” he says. Now Oudia hopes that a well-wisher will emerge to weave a thread that shall hold his future together. Elsewhere in Pala Village of Bondo District, young Daniel Obanda, 12, ponders why he has to undergo all the suffering in the hands of his guardians at such a tender age. He is not a total orphan, but because he was
Children in their grass thatched hut in a camp in Tana Delta. Orphaned children are often vulnerable to suffering caused by relatives who take them in. Picture: Fibi David born out of wedlock, even his own siblings have disowned him. His mother who is now deceased left for Mombasa to work as a househelp. This is where Obanda was born. When she came back, her husband refused to take her back with her son (Obanda). However, Obanda has been moving from relative-to-relative trying to find a better place to stay. He was staying with his grandmother, but because of her drunkardness and irresponsibility, she could not take care of her grandson.
“I should not be forced to provide for this boy because he is not my child. Only my child can claim any right from me.” — Michael Odhiambo
Obanda opted to go and stay with an aunt, but it has not been a bed of roses here either. Regular beatings, performing house chores as his fellow cousins go to school have marked his daily routine. According to Pala Village elder Monica Sewe, she decided to rescue the boy from the hands of his guardians who were defying the rights of a boy who perhaps has a bright future. “I felt hurt when I saw this young boy suffering in the hands of his very relatives who are supposed to take care of him,” says Sewe.
Legal action
She also informed Bondo District Children Office about the issue and they promised to take a serious legal measure on the violators of children rights. Thanks to Vumilia Widows and Orphans Group who were touched by the boy’s plea. They have bought school uniform for Obanda and the head teacher at Chunga Primary School, Bondo District has told Sewe to take the boy back to school.
Child abuse and neglect reaches worrying levels in Embu By KARIUKI MWANGI Increased cases of child abuse and neglect have reached worrying proportions in Embu West District. The Children’s Department in the region decried increased cases of child abuse and neglect attributing this to the increased cost of living. According to Eliud Mutwiri, District Children Officer, the most affected areas are the slums where residents are struggling to make ends meet at the escalating costs. “Due to the economic constraints there are frustrations particularly among the single mothers
Land thieves warned that the space is getting too thin for their activities
in the slums who are now regarding their children as a burden as they cannot be able to feed them,” he observed. Mutwiri pointed out that due to the high rising cases of child abuse and neglect, there has been an increase in the number of street children in the town, a situation that is painting a negative image of the area. He called upon the members of the community to make witness statements against parents who abuse or neglect their children. He said that the office has been facing the challenges of prosecuting the parents and guardians who are
involved in child abuse since members of the public do not accept to come out as witnesses to pin down the perpetrators. “The office has on several occasions lost cases of child neglect and abuse, since the children officers cannot double up as investigating officers and witnesses at the same time,” he said. Mutwiri noted that for the fight against child abuse to be won, there is need for concerted effort from members of the public who should help in pin pointing incidences of child abuse and also provide required testimonies in court. He said that the office has gone
to court to seek an order to take three children who were assaulted by their mother under the custody of a children’s home to prevent further abuse. He also called for the support of the well wishers to the various children’s home in Embu saying that the available homes are not well equipped with the required equipments to support as many children as possible. “We have been facing difficulties in rescuing abused street children since there are limited children’s homes and the ones available are not equipped to cater for more children,” he noted.
Land remains a commodity that has seen Kenyans go against each other. It has also seen selfish people loot what is public land to construct their own buildings in many cases of impunity. However, according to Prime Minister Raila Odinga land speculators and grabbers have their days numbered with the modernisation and equipping of land registries under the flagship project Vision 2030. While issuing the warning, Odinga cautioned staff at the Land Ministry against colluding with individuals by helping them secure land so as to benefit from development projects earmarked by the Government. He said the ministry has put up new offices in several parts of the country in readiness for the inception of the county government where services will be taken closer to people. Odinga was speaking in Isiolo after opening Isiolo Ardhi House meant to serve the northern Kenya. He said the Government will open other land registries in Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot and Samburu among other counties. “The opening of the Isiolo Ardhi House could not have come at a better time since it will compliment the proposed Isiolo resort city as land administration services will be provided from the city’s offices,” reiterated Odinga.
History
Isiolo town dates back to 1909 when it was established as a base for the Kings African Rifles when the government declared it the headquarters for the Northern frontier district. In 1928, the colonial government recognised the strategic position of Isiolo as a gateway to Northern Kenya, Somali and Abyssinia. The town was gazetted in 1947 vide notice no 77. Due to its strategic position in the country, Odinga noted that the vision 2030 team identified Isiolo for the development of the resort city for tourism and leisure activities. “This vision was enhanced by the construction of the airport and tarmacking of A2 Nairobi-Addis Abba road upto Moyale,” he said. The Ministry of Lands has positively taken the challenge of being present in all the areas where there are no land registries. In working towards this, Odinga said the Government had set aside funds to construct new lands offices since 2008. “The aim of doing this is to have modern facilities where all services by the ministry are offered under one roof,” the Prime Minister explained. He said the ministry was working towards achieving this in line with the Millennium Development Goals and Vision 2030 in order to ensure that these plans thrive in an orderly and safe environment with residents experiencing a high quality of life.
ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
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Effects of post-election trauma that left Mwaura blind By KEN NDAMBU One week without food, medicine and knowledge of the whereabouts of his family members, turned round his life forever. After he was displaced from his posh home in Eldoret, four kilometres from the town during the 2007 post election violence, Jidrap Ndung’u Mwaura then enjoying a decent life has lived to tell the sad experience he underwent. He has found a new home in a Nakuru suburb after staying with other internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Eldoret, thanks to a friend who offered to exchange residence with him. Until 30th December 2007, Mwaura who suffered mild diabetes, led a normal life enjoying retirement from then Kenya Tanning Extracts Company where he worked as the manager.
Pandemonium
Narrating his ordeal to the Reject in Kitale recently, Mwaura recalls that fateful day when he was at home with his wife Wairimu, daughterin-law Joyce Njuguna and a grandchild when hundreds of villagers unhappy with the presidential election results descended on his home baying for his blood. A day before the politically instigated attack, he suspected all was not well and told his family to prepare to leave the area to a safer place. “We then packed all our belongings and locked them in one of the houses ready to move should things work against us,” remembers Mwaura adding that on December 30th after the results were an-
nounced, their lives were in great danger and had to run away. He and the family ran for safety to an adjacent village occupied by his community. Hundreds of irate protesters invaded the home, set it on fire and looted property worth millions of shillings as he watched from a distance. “I lost strength and could not run anymore, sat down where I was and lost track with the rest of the family members,” recalls a traumatised Mwaura.
Refuge
When Mwaura gained consciousness, he found himself in the homestead of a member of the warring community oblivious that it was where the warriors met to lay strategy on where, how and who to attack. Thanks to a woman who helped to hide him under the bed whenever the executors of the attack met to lay strategy. “Sometimes I could stay under the bed for long hours waiting for the meeting to end,” recalls Mwaura adding he has a lot of respect for the woman for she not only betrayed the warring community but also feared her husband who worked in Nairobi. “After a week holed up under one’s bed, the head of the household came and to my surprise he was very sympathetic and helped to track my family from wherever they were,” says Mwaura. The man went and arranged how Mwaura could get to Eldoret town to unite with the family. “The situation was tense and movement was restricted prompting the family to stay in their son’s single room for a week,” he notes.
Mwaura thought of relocating to Kiambaa Church but a day before we moved to the church, it was set on fire killing scores of people who had sought refuge there. “Thanks to a good Samaritan and a relative who came to our rescue by organising a chopper to airlift us to Nairobi. The assistance came at the hour of need,” asserts Mwaura. He notes that his diabetic condition was getting worse as he was not taking drugs as prescribed by doctors and was also not eating the recommended diet. “I developed an eye problem and when I visited the doctor, I was told that the veins had been blocked for failure to take the drugs and special diet as required and that the anomaly was too severe to be corrected,” says Mwaura. Though he was again put on drugs and proper diet, he became blind two weeks later and is now living with the disability. His doctor says this was caused by excessive stress and trauma in addition to failing to take medication as directed. Mwaura who turned up for the graduation cerebration of his nephew Job Mwaniki at Kirita Village in Trans Nzoia District, could only feel the attire with bare hands as he is totally blind. His brother Fred Njuguna wept as he recalls the predicament that befell Mwaura. “I do not know what I can say if my brother cannot not read this Bible which he gave me when I was baptised,” says Njuguna. Mwaura would like to forget what he saw during the post election violence and hopes that the Government will devise stringent measures
to protect lives and property of its citizens during electioneering time. “What I lost and the resultant trauma cannot be measured,” says Mwaura adding that though he is not 100 percent sure his blindness was out of the violence, stress and trauma in addition to lack of drugs could have contributed to the disability.
New abode
He thanks God for getting a new home in Nakuru which he exchanged with somebody else from Eldoret although he still misses his initial home. According to Dr Ignatius Kibe of City Nursing Home, diabetic patients are usually put on special diet which if not taken as directed can have far reaching consequences to the health of the patient. “Depending on the level of the disease, stress, trauma and prolonged failure to take drugs and proper nutrition can lead to blindness and other related disabilities,” explains Kibe.
Blind Jidrap Mwaura supported by his brother Njuguna and sister in-law Susan Njoki during a past graduation ceremony in Kitale. Below: Mwaura being comforted by his friends and age mates when he turned up at Kirita Village in Trans-Nzoia District. Pictures: Ken Ndambu
Widow on the brink of despair as nephew sells family land By OMONDI GWENGI Seated on a mat outside her house in Got-Agulu sub-location, Bondo District, Siaya County as she enjoys the morning sun, the woman observes pensively as her grandchildren play. She smiles as a neighbour cracks a joke jolting her from her reflective mood, but the smile hardly betrays the agony hidden deep in her heart. The tale of Margaret Ombere, widowed mother of five, is like the story of offering the camel room for its head then it enters with the whole body including the hump to take all the available space. According to Ombere’s brotherin-law Stephen Onyango Migudi who spoke on her behalf, it all started when his late brother Alex Ombere who was then not at home decided to send money to his elder brother to buy him a piece of land in the village.
“We had no land and, therefore, my brother decided to look for land where he could build. He did send money to our elder brother who then bought a piece of land for him,” explains Migudi. When Ombere came back home, he decided to give a portion of the land to his elder brother oblivious of what would happen to him. Migudi says that the elder brother who bought registered the land under his name, this, therefore, meant he was the owner of the land. Ombere only realised that things were getting out of hand when his elder brother sold his portion and decided to call elders to intervene. During this meeting, Migudi says that the elders decided to create a boundary to end the wrangle. Unfortunately, Ombere fell sick and passed on. The elder brother now thought that the land would all
belong to him. However, for Margaret, things started going from bad to worse. “Margaret knew that she was supposed to inherit the land from her late husband,” says Migudi. Three years later, the elder brother also passed on. The widow breathed a sigh of relief hoping that she would inherit the land from her late brother-in-law. However, this relief did not last long as her nephew started selling the land. “We only heard rumours that the land has been sold,” says Migudi. However, when he was asked if the allegation was true, the man denied. At one time, the area assistant chief also tried to convince the widow to sell the land but she declined. They later on saw people clearing the land in preparation to fence the plot. They decided to seek the intervention of SCODA (what is the full
name???) — a non-governmental organisation fighting against the violation of women and children’s rights. “When we went to SCODA to assist us over this issue, the accused was called and he refused to address the matter,” explains Migudi. The matter was taken to land tribunal in Bondo but he still denied the allegation. All he did was try and disrupt the whole process. He later on decided to talk to the family members and the widow in case they could solve it within the family. “He accused the tribunal to be biased. He also attempted to bribe the tribunal at one point,” observes Migudi. On Margaret’s side, justice was finally done. The tribunal recognised the widow as the legal owner of the land. Since then, the relationship has not been good between the nephew and the widow and he has
also appealed. “The issue of land has brought division in the family,” he says. Through all this process, Migudi says that a man by the name of Humphrey Ouma, who is alleged to have bought the land never appeared. “Ouma who is believed to have bought the land did not appear during the tribunal but he has gone further to fence the land,” says Migudi. Margaret’s father-in-law, Joseph Opiyo Akuta is optimistic that justice will be done to his daughter-inlaw as he stands strong to see that she gets the land back. “I am not afraid of fighting for the right of my daughter since I know how my son acquired the land. The land should remain hers and no one should try to snatch it from her,” reiterates Akuta.
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Call for a paradigm shift in media coverage By HENRY OWINO
Media has been repeatedly accused of having polarised the 2007-2008 post-election violence in the country by either taking sides or exaggerating the extent of the clashes in the country. Many organisations have since then blamed the media for having played a role in skirmishes as most reporting was focused on areas where there was turmoil ignoring peaceful regions like in Turkana. Addressing the public forum during a monthly media round table held at Alliance Françoise in Nairobi, Macharia Gaitho, Managing Editor (Special projects) at the Nation and chairman of Kenya Editors Guild said the chaos that took place in the country were heightened and the media were not prepared for such coverage.
Accusing the press
Gaitho said people have blamed media for reporting the violence yet media was just informing people on what was taking place in the country and they could not run away from the reality. He reiterated that today people can stand tall and point their fingers at media for being responsible for the violence that occurred countrywide yet the same people wanted to read, listen and watch exactly the same. Gaitho explained: “First media houses were not prepared for the type of violence that took place in 2007-2008. Second, the chaos had to be reported because after all it was news that everybody wanted to know about.” However, covering the election left most journalists traumatised, confused, stressed and without hope and no one comforted them. He explained that it became imperative for media houses to seek guidance and counselling to help the traumatised journalists overcome the situation. He pointed out that those who accuse media of promoting violence through hate speech, uncensored pictures, use of alarming statements in newspapers, being biased on coverage and deduced excitements should also ask themselves what part did they play to calm down the situation as individuals and society. He also challenged the public to consider what would happen if people making alarming hate speeches for example were not reported by the media. Gaitho reiterated that role of the media is to report faithfully, correctly, accurately, timely and objectively. He reminded the audience that that things happened very fast and news being perishable, they did not have time to make a decision from a panel made up of the whole editorial team as decisions had to be taken swiftly in the newsroom. According to Rosemary Okello, Executive
The panelists at the media round table discussions. From left, Dr Karambu Ringera, Macharia Gaitho and Rosemary Okello. The media is reviewing coverage of the last election as we await to go to the ballot. Picture: Courtesy of Media Focus on Africa Director African Woman and Child Feature Service (AWC) and the secretary of Kenya Editors’ Guild, media played a critical role to inform the public of what was going on in different parts of the country in relation to the disputed presidential results.
Impact
She said the reporting was done like any other news story not knowing impact it was having on the ground and, therefore, they need not to be accused but every individual should blame themselves.
“In 1982, I was doing my internship at Nation Media Group and there was coup attempt in Kenya and media reported it. It was reported by a brave female journalist who walked in the streets of Nairobi to film the events through a hidden camera in her kiondo basket and today every media house uses the footage and even the current generation reflects about,” noted Okello. She reiterated that after the 1997 General Elections there was violence experienced in the country but the magnitude was not as in 2007-2008. These incidences were all reported by the media, but no one blamed the them.
“The media should sign a national accord that states, not again will they expose any form of violence but report on development issues done by the common man or middle class people in the society.” — Rosemary Okello
Cancer patient’s family in plea for assistance By OKWEMBAH NEHEMIAH A teenager suffering from cancer has sent a passionate appeal to the Government and well wishers to urgently come to his aid and save his leg from amputation. Cyrus Sifa Kitsao appealed to Medical Services Minister Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o, to look for ways of helping him walk again. He told journalists at his father’s home in Kibokoni Village in Malindi town that doctors at the Malindi District and the Coast General hospitals had told him that the leg will have to be amputated to ease pain. “I want to walk again. I do not want my leg to be amputated,” said Kitsao tearfully. The teenager, who was forced to drop out of Standard Seven at
the Kibokoni Primary School, just about one kilometre from his father’s home, said his parents could no longer afford his medication, and that was why he had to be discharged so they could go “look for money so that my leg can be cut”. He said the problem started as a scratch on his knee. When it became persistent, he decided to seek medical attention at the Malindi District Hospital where samples were extracted from the wound and taken for tests at the Coast General Hospital. “I was taken aback when the results came and I was told it was cancer,” explained Kitsao. He added: “I feel that my future has been destroyed. I appeal for help from anybody who cares.” His father, Samuel Kitsao Katana said he had spent everything he had
to save his third born son’s life and called on the Government and other donor agencies to come to the family’s aid. Katana said his salary at the Municipal Council of Malindi where he works cannot sustain the family as well as take care of the huge hospital bills. From top: Cyrus Sifa Kitsao “I have tried everything with his father Samuel Kitsao but I am about to give up Katana at their home in because the meagre salary I Kibokoni village, Malindi town get is not adequate to handle within the Kilifi County. The both Kitsao’s medication and cancerous wound on Cyrus. the family’s daily needs,” he The wound has rendered him said. incapable of free movement. Any form of assistance Pictures: Okwembah Nehemiah could be channelled through the Head Teacher, Kibokoni Kitsao Katana, Account NumPrimary School, P. O. Box 30 - ber 2467162 at the Lengo Sac80200, Malindi or though Samuel co Limited, Malindi.
Okello proposed that the media should sign a national accord that states, ‘not again will they expose any form of violence but report on development issues done by common man or middle class people in the society’. On the other hand, she reiterated, when voiceless people are given voice to be heard, it will be the beginning of co-existence, peace and hope to the country. According to Dr Karambu Ringera, founder and president, International Peace Initiatives (IPI) there is need for dominant paradigm media that will think out of the box and highlight positive issues and events countrywide. Ringera noted that as per the current scenario, a new kind of media would be preferred that will look at issues from a different perspective, not only with regards to the context but also context. She added that media must be objective in their reporting as much as possible because most people entrust and believe in media news. Ringera warned that caution must be taken at all levels and anything that might seen to be alarming, restrain is the better option.
ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
‘It is illegal to buy sand in Machakos’ Harvesters risk having their vehicles burned By HENRY KAHARA Machakos county residents have vowed to tame away the people who harvest sand in the area. According to Masii location Chief Salome Mutisya the main reason why rivers in the area are drying up is because of harvesting sand which has affected water flow. “Strangers come here, they harvest sand which keeps water then they go leaving us with little money and many problems; when the dry season comes you cannot get water in any of our rivers. We have known that our rivers are able to keep water were it not for the sand harvesting because water is kept in the sand,” explained Mutisya. She noted that that since she entered office three years ago, she has mobilised her people against sand harvesting. Mutisya noted that she has also conducted civic education on protecting the environment. “I usually hold barazas every month with my people and in each of these meetings I have been preaching about the harm we are causing ourselves and our generation when we harvest sand from the rivers,” Mutisya explained showing the minutes of all the meetings they have been holding. Mutisya who is commonly referred to regrets that women have to walk for long distances looking for water simply because the residents interfered with the changarawe (sand) which helps retain water.
Agreement
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
“A good example is River Thwake. This is a big river and it never used to dry up but because people interfered with it today they are suffering,” she says. Although in some areas people have not come to agreement that they do not want sand harvesting, she points out her area as place where people have unanimously agreed to fight this trend. “Today in Masii if residents happen to know that there is a lorry in the river collecting sand they will automatically burn it,” Mutisya stresses. The residents have said better not to get the few shillings instead of suffering for life. “We have said that if the Government cannot look for the way which this sand can help us just like the way it is done with cement, then let us live without it,” notes Mutisya adding that if the Government can look for better ways of that sand helping them, then they can accept the deal. Other than the effects of Mother Nature, the chief observes that there has been a trend of their girls being infected with HIV as some drivers sleep with them. “In this area we have witnessed our daughters dropping out of school and some being infected with HIV as drivers who come to buy sand have a lot of money and they are able to entice them,” Mutisya says blaming all these on the high levels of poverty in the area. “Many families here are not well up financially and this makes some do anything to earn a livelihood,” she says.
Interventions must be set to enhance schooling transition for poor children By AYOKI ONYANGO Education was one of the key issues addressed by experts at the African Population Conference in Arusha, Tanzania. Experts discussed interventions that can be put in place to enhance the transition from primary to secondary education in subSaharan Africa. While much of the current effort by many countries in sub-Saharan Africa is geared towards realising Universal Primary Education (UPE), not much is being done to expand access to secondary education, especially by the poor who form the majority in Africa. As such, secondary education remains a dream to many children in sub-Saharan Africa.
Cost
The current secondary education system in these countries is skewed in favour of the small Children reading in a dimly lit room. Poverty acts as a barrier to access to proper education. Picture: Reject Correspondent minority of better-off members of the society. only the initiation of supply-side policies sub-Saharan Africa. “The biggest hindrance to secsuch as free primary education, but also deEducation experts note that policymakers ondary education in the region is cost, which mand-side interventions which remove barin Africa will find implementation of such inlocks out many children from poor families. riers on the side of the household that may terventions challenging given the widespread As a result, only 12 percent of age cohorts hinder poor and disadvantaged children inequalities that exist between rural and urban complete full secondary education in the from attending school,” reiterates Oketch. as well as within urban, between poor slum sub-Saharan Africa region,” notes Dr Moses Such barriers include the need for children dwellers and the well-off sub-urban areas. Oketch of Institute Education at the Univerto work to support their families. Demandsity of London. side interventions have been implemented According to Oketch, unlike in the 1980s in relatively similar underdeveloped regions Experimentation is, however, necessary when primary education was seen to be inof Latin America and some Asian countries. since ultimately, demand-side interventions strumental in facilitating development, today, This could be modified to suit the situation in will be needed to ensure that the very poor get secondary education is seen as being secondary education. The evaluations sugmore critical to development and poverty gest these interventions are beneficial in reduction in sub-Saharan Africa. addressing the issue of inequality, but they Indeed, according to the World Bank, will need to be adjusted for the African access to quality secondary education context and targeted in ways that maximise is now considered the most important the benefits in sub-Saharan Africa. strategy for creating economic opporA starting point is acceptance by politunities and social development for incymakers in sub-Saharan Africa as hapdividuals and nations alike. Secondary pened in Latin America that interveneducation has several benefits which, if tions have to be targeted at the poorest realised, can create the foundation for of the poor. A document presented at the development and prosperity in sub-SaConference by African Population and haran Africa. Health Research Centre says mechanisms The biggest challenge lies in transused in developed countries to expand forming the secondary education systhe enrolment from primary to secondary tem in African countries to ensure that education should be borrowed by African it benefits the poor, who form the manations to expand access to secondary jority in these countries. education to meet the development needs “For the poor to fully participate in of sub-Saharan Africa. secondary schooling, they require not Dr Moses Oketch
Suggestions
“The biggest hindrance to secondary education in the region is cost, which locks out many children from poor families. As a result, only 12 percent of age cohorts complete full secondary education in the sub-Saharan Africa regionh,” —
Retrogressive culture makes women automatic victims of disqualification By Kabia Matega While the political space has been opened for women, the Narok County is at risk of being among the regions going to experience the lowest political participation by women. The reason for this is the set minimum academic qualification requirement for one to qualify to vie. For this reason, very few women have come out to declare their interest in the various political seats leaving men to dominate the field. Some elective seats created in line with the new Constitution are unattainable for women because other than education, the deeply rooted cultural practices among the Maasai community may be another stumbling block for the women. Girls in the Maasai community
have for many years been discriminated against. Majority of them did not get an opportunity to get formal higher education. According to the data held at the District Education Office, more than 90 percent of adult Maasai women cannot read and write. This is a major reason that will see most women disqualified from participating in the coming General Elections. “The minimum education requirement makes a good number of Maasai women automatic victims for disqualification despite the fact that some can demonstrate ability to lead,” says Mrs Lucy Sadera, chairperson Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation, Narok District branch. Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and early marriage of underage girls has impacted negatively on girl-child’s
education in the County, a situation that has resulted to only a handful of girls from the Maasai community being able to get secondary level of education, a crucial qualification for many elective political seats. Cultural dictates of the Maasai have also locked women from actively participating in open public debates through which they can voice their concerns. For many years, Maasai women have been treated as objects who can only hear but not talk in any public gatherings. Traversing the new political space remains an uphill task for the women who have to break the cultural cocoon and engage in active political public engagements. “Maasai women in the past attended many public gatherings as entertainment objects and only sneaked
their concerns to the targeted recipient through song and dance,” observes Sadera. According to nominated councillor Pauline Kinyarkwo, when women are invited to attend public gatherings, their role has always been to entertain the guests with song and dances before they sit on the grass to listen to men speakers of the day. Most elective positions ushered in by the new Constitution like the Senator and the Governor seats will definitely remain a reserve for men in the Narok County. Only few women from the County have managed to get higher levels of education that meet the required minimum education for one to participate in the race for seats. Even after some acquired the necessary education requirement only
few have guts to stand up and declare willingness to oppose men in public despite the democratic space created by the new Constitution. Maasai women who dare join in the race for the elective seats are promptly branded outcasts who should be punished by cultural curses. As at now although the field is open to men and women. No woman wants to be associated with some seats in the County like that of Governor or the Senator. The seat for County women’s representative has so far attracted only three women namely Agnes Pareiyo, Lydia Naneu Ntimama and Patricia Parsitau. The three want to break the Maasai cultural cocoons that kept women away from participating in decision making in the area.
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Rampant violence threatens family unit in Taveta By BENSON MWANGA As Kenyans look forward to celebrating International Women’s Day, tables have turned as women have proved to be no longer regarded as the weaker sex literally. In some areas women have responded to domestic violence against them with equal measure. Reports have indicated that most women in other parts of the country no longer tolerate wife beating. It is not only in Nyeri district that men are victims of gender-based violence (GBV) but other areas have also affected. “The larger Taita District, Taita-Taveta County is also facing GBV cases,” said Daniel Mulonzi, area Gender and Social Development Officer.
Reports
Recently, an assistant chief surprised many of her subjects when she beat up her drunken husband. An eyewitness said the man came home drunk and started harassing the administrator as usual. “The administrator turned on him and taught him a lesson,” said a primary school teacher who witnessed the incident in Wundanyi division. Many of the cases of wives beating their husbands go unreported owing to stigma attached to such actions while village elders resolve others.
“In fact men do not want such cases to go public for fear of embarrassment,” added the teacher who declined to be named. Mulonzi said gender-based violence is rampant in the region and something urgent must be done to address the worrying situation. Speaking to The Reject at his Wundanyi office yesterday, the gender officer said several men had complained to his office that they were being battered and denied their conjugal rights by their wives. “Some women are mistreating their husbands to the extent of sexually starving them and denying them food among other needs,” said Mulonzi . He added: “We have received serious complaints from several men who are being subjected to psychological torture by their wives.” Mulonzi added: “When it comes to sex matters there is a lot of mistreatment and in some cases couples sleep separately in their homes.” He cited the worst hit areas as Werugha, Mbale, Mgange, Mwanda, Wumingu and Kishushe locations. “Some women especially those in their 40s
have become so powerful that their husbands have no say in their families,” he noted. Mulonzi’s remarks come in the wake of increased cases of suicide among men in the region which police linked to domestic violence. He said his department in conjunction with provincial administration and other relevant stakeholders have embarked on sensitisation meetings to educate couples on the need to respect one another and manage their family issues amicably. “Out of our sensitisation in public meetings, men have been provoked and have come out to expose serious problems they are facing with their wives,” he said. Mulonzi at the same time said women have complained to his office that widespread alcohol and drug abuse had rendered their men sexually impotent and economically unproductive hence perpetrating poverty and unfaithfulness among couples. “Some women have also complained in the meetings that when their husbands come home drunk in the evening they just sleep,” he added. He said rampant alcoholism has not only
“Out of our sensitisation in public meetings, men have been provoked and have come out to expose serious problems they are facing with their wives.” — Daniel Mulonzi
adversely affected education and income generating activities but also promoted poverty and breakdown in marriages in the region. “The trend has led to the collapse of women’s groups and enhanced poverty index in the region,” observed Mulonzi. Two District Commissioners, Raphael Lemaletian (Voi) and his Mwatate counterpart Shufaa Mwijuma say such cases could be rampant in the region. “The problem with men is that they do not want to disclose information whenever they are physically abused by their wives,” noted Lemaletian.
Research
It is intuitive that academic institutions are undertaking research on issues of gender and sexuality. Maseno University is one such institution that has launched a Gender Institute as part of its diversification programme to boost human resource capital and provide a springboard for research on such issues, as well as act as a catalyst to develop and deepen women’s role in gender affairs. The institute will offer wide range training on gender homogeneity as well as induct women on their strengths and opportunities open to them. Women will also be taught moral principles and how to cope in a predominantly patriarchal society without conflict.
Where kangaroo courts perpetrate gender based violence By KARANI KELVIN Village elders, police, chiefs and their assistants have been blamed for casually dealing with cases of violence against women in Western Kenya region. Speaking in his office, Job Bwonya, Western Kenya Human Rights Watch director, said that women lack confidence in the police, elders and members of the provincial administration in their villages. According to Bwonya, village heads, chiefs and their assistants are notorious for delaying cases and, therefore, creating space for their dismissal in courts on issues of technicality. He says that although chiefs and their assistants have been trained on such matters and the law, they use their knowledge to manipulate circumstances to weaken cases. “They know that victims need to go to hospital within 72 hours but will delay them for longer and sometimes wait until clothes that could be used as evidence have been washed,” observes Bwonya.
Partnership
He adds: “At other times, they work hand in hand with the perpetrators and set up kangaroo courts to dispense their kind of justice.” Bwonya says that perpetrators are eventually let to walk free after paying a
small fine whether in monetary form or by presenting a few goats or cows. The setting up of Kangaroo courts makes it possible for the administrators Women dancing during last year’s International Women’s Day celebrations at Eldoret Teachers Advisory to be bribed and therefore Centre. Perpetrators of gender based violence are set free after parting with a small fine. Pictures: Karani Kelvin compromise their decisions much to the disadvantage of the victims. the ones doing the farming and yet is not only limited to sexual violence Violence against women can ei“One does not understand why men want to be the ones in charge of and bartering but also involves the ther be physical which might be in chiefs and village heads insist on the produce,” he says. use of small arms. “People have been form of bartering or sexual violence having their kangaroo courts and using rungus, knives and pangas but or psychological. “Whatever the nayet they know very well that some in places like Mt Elgon where some ture of the violence, the consequenccases have to go to court,” wonders While other constituencies like people have guns, they have also es are dire not only for women but Bwonya. Kimilili, Webuye and Kanduyi also been using them,” says Bwonya. also for the whole society especially He says some victims are afraid of have cases of gender based violence, for the children,” he says. reporting their cases to the police bethe rate is a little bit lower than in the Children are sometimes hurt cause they are discourteous and take others. physically but are mostly affected While some women report their the matters lightly. According to Western Kenya Hupsychologically. “At times they cancases directly to the police or pro“Victims are sometimes asked inman Rights Watch, violence against not bear the pain and run away from vincial administration, many others appropriate questions or asked to do women in the region has a lot to do their homes. Most of the street chilprefer not to because they lack confisome things like remove their clothes with negative cultural attitudes todren in Bungoma town for instance dence in them when it comes to dealwhich further adds to the indignity ward women, high levels of poverty come from homes where violence is ing with such matters. they have already suffered,” he says. and illiteracy as well as a general lack common,” he says. Western Kenya Human Rights According to Western Kenya Huof knowledge on human rights. Physical violence against women Watch gathers its information in the man Rights Watch Bumula, Mt Elgon villages through its representatives in and Amagoro constituencies lead in almost every ward. They then look cases of gender based violence in at the cases and decide which will go Western Kenya. to court and which will be settled out Bwonya, observes that violence of court through alternative dispute against women were rampant in Bumanagement. mula Constituency during the months Bumula, Mt Elgon and Amagoro of August and September, last year. “This is the harvesting season and constituencies lead in cases of gender perhaps the conflicts have been as a based violence in Western Kenya acresult of misunderstandings over the cording to Western Kenya Human harvest given that women are usually — Job Bwonya Rights Watch.
Cases
No confidence
“Whatever the nature of the violence, the consequences are dire not only for women but also for the whole society especially for the children.”
ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Ministry ready to control birth rate By HENRY KAHARA The Ministry of Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 has relaunched a national family planning campaign. The campaign, known as Tujipange is aimed at facilitating attainment of Kenya Vision 2030 aspirations. Speaking during the launch, Planning and Development Minister Wycliffe Oparanya said that more than one million people are being added into Kenya annually. “The population growth has stagnated at three per cent in the period of ten years (1999-2009) as it was revealed by the 2009 population census,” he said.
Unplanned birth
Oparanya said that prevention of unplanned births through family planning process services can address high population growth and solve the problems of a high dependency burden, which includes high unemployment levels and increasing pressure on Government, communities and individual families to provide for basic needs services. “It will also contribute to the realisation of Vision 2030 and international development goals,” he observed. Among the targets by Government
Capacity building helps bring out more women By Ryan Mathenge
Lack of courage to face male contestants and lack of resources have been identified as the reasons blocking females from seeking elective position. With the new Constitution, many institutions are building women’s capacity educating them on why they should seek for elective position. According to Jencita Wangari Ng’ang’a, incidents of violence and heckling have been a stumbling block forcing many to shy off. “Civic educations being conducted at the grassroots have changed the situation as we mothers can’t withstand some of the incidents being plotted to humiliate us,” says Ng’ang’a who is the Kiharu Maendeleo ya Wanawake leader. This time around, many of the women led by Alice Wambui Ng’ang’a are preparing to offer themselves for campaigns seeking women representative, Members of Parliament and county representative. Ng’ang’a, who is the Secretary General of Kenyan National Congress (KNC) says women should not shy away but be encouraged to contest elective slots. “No turning back as hundreds of women are preparing to be on the ballot paper,” observes Ng’ang’a. According to lawyer Alice Wahome, with the current Constitution a lot has changed with a number of women seeking information regarding how they can get into leadership positions. “It is time women turn out in large numbers and seek elective positions,” says Wahome who is also eying the Kandara parliamentary seat.
is to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate from the current 46 per cent to 56 per cent in the next three years. “About a quarter of married women of reproductive age in Kenya today have unmet needs for family planning, a major factor contributing to the rapid population growth rate,” noted Oparanya.
Challenges
He reiterated that the situation is even worse for young people, many of whom start having unprotected sex early. It is blamed that high level of sexual activity has been contributed by lack of access to information on sexuality and poverty which in turn opens doors to risks such as HIV infections, unwanted pregnancy, unsafe abortion, economic hardships and school drop outs. “In a recent study carried out in Kenya, 18 per cent of adolescents aged 15 to 19 years have already began child bearing,” said Oparanya. He added that such worrying statistics regarding the high rate of sexual activity among the youth, coupled with low access to modern contraceptives among the married, have resulted in the need to re-launch an aggressive family planning campaign carried out in Kenya two decades ago. Oparanya said that although the
A display of various contraceptives. The government plans to increase the contraceptive prevalence rate from the current 46 percent to 56 percent in the next three years. Picture: Reject Correspondent Government will not decide the numbers of children a person is expected to have, they are looking forward to emulating successful countries like China in order to control the situation. “If we will not control the trend for now I doubt whether the Government will be able to fulfil its obligations by 2030,” said the minister who added that it will be ironical as the current Constitution has guaranteed Kenyans basic rights where the provision of reproductive health and family planning services are enshrined. The Minister said that Kenyan
leadership has already demonstrated commitment to supporting population and family planning programmes. “Leaders are all in agreement that repositioning family planning is the best option especially during this period when there is worldwide economic recession. I, therefore, urge Kenyans and development partners to support its implementation once it is approved by parliament,” said the minister. Oparanya said that family planning battle will be spearheaded by his Ministry (Planning) and National Council for Population and Development
(NCPD). Kenya was the first sub-Saharan country to initiate a national family planning programme back in 1967. The programme was at its peak in 1980s when it had strong advocacy component and extensive public awareness creation up to the grassroots level covering the entire country. It is said that the support started to go down in early 1990s due to emergence of other competing issues that were highly prioritised in the global and national agenda among them were HIV and Aids.
Government urged to adopt comprehensive abortion care services By HENRY OWINO The question on whether abortion should be legalised or not emerged again during the 36th annual scientific conference of medical practitioners held in Nairobi recently. The conference was organised to strategise on how health workers could offer the best reproductive health services to the women in Kenya without breaching the medical oath. The meeting sought to chart a way forward of delivering health services to people in accordance with the Constitution and how to offer better services. In putting their arguments forward, the medics are of the opinion that such discussions will improve the medical sector to benefit all patients regardless of their status or background but more so to women.
Opinion
The issue of abortion was a hot debate as doctors offered different opinions on how best it could be done to avoid phony health workers from taking advantage of the ignorant clients and assisting procuring abortion. According to Dr Carol Odula of Kenya Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society (KOGS), research indicates that every eight minutes a woman dies from abortion related complications from operations that has been procured by an untrained or unqualified health professionals. “This happens because many women would not want to carry unplanned pregnancies for nine months or the man responsible refuses to take his responsibility,” observed Odula. She added: “Lack
of family planning information in many households or health centres has helped make abortion become increasingly rampant, costing the lives of many young women.”
Lack of information
She noted that many women especially those in school/college do not have proper information and would therefore, procure an abortion from any ‘health worker’ whom in their own judgment, can perform the abortion. “This has led to many women not to access safe and legal abortion services leaving many women to continue to die from such unscrupulous quarks who operate at back streets.” Odula explained: “A woman dies somewhere in a developing country due to complications from an unsafe abortion. She was likely to have had little or no money to procure safe services, was young, living in rural areas and with little social support. She probably first attempted to selfinduce the termination and after that failed, she turned to an unskilled, but relatively inexpensive, provider.” Her sentiments were echoed by Prof Joseph Karanja, also of KOGs noted that maternal death remains high as only 42 percent of births recorded are delivered in hospital.
However, the high numbers of women dying are also realised from other consequences that include unsafe abortion. Karanja said a team of doctors and nurses have come up with safe abortion standard guidelines for use by health care givers that if implemented, will give direction in four major areas of focus when advocating for abortion. The renowned gynaecologist said these will range from abstinence to post-abortion counselling and emergency care. However, according to Dr John Nyamu of Reproductive Health Services, stiff laws imposed on abortion have worsened the situation and that is compounded by cultural practices and religious beliefs. Nyamu, therefore, called for amendment on the abortion clause with the Article on Reproductive Health Rights to prevent further deaths of innocent women and girls. He regretted that the suppression of health workers, the harassment by authorities has contributed to the high statistics of unsafe abortion across the country. I think we need to be realistic, reform the law and then create public awareness,” Nyamu reiterated. He observed that training health
“Lack of family planning information in many households or health centres has helped make abortion become increasingly rampant, costing the lives of many young women.” — Dr Carol Odula, Gynaecologist
workers to know their legal rights was paramount saying their core role is to improve life and refine it. According to Dr. Boaz OtienoNyunya, the chairman of Kenya Medical Association (KMA), there is need to make the right to health a wholesome package as provided for in the Constitution than separating it into bits as reproductive health, family planning, maternal health, paternal and other forms which are off course treatments.
Legal provision
Nyunya said Article (43) (1) (a) of the Constitution affirms that every person has the right to the highest attainable standard of health which includes the right to health care services, including reproductive health care. He reiterated that the right to health care is explicitly guaranteed, content to the right to health and placing clear obligations upon the government to provide health care services. “Reproductive health care is included in the definition of the right to health and health care services, affirming that reproductive health care is essential to the right to health and forms part of the health care services to which people are entitled,” stressed Nyunya. The Reproductive Health and Rights Alliance (RHRA), Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society (KOGS), National Nurses Association of Kenya (NNAK) and Reproductive Health Services (RHS) were leading the discussing on how unsafe abortion is claiming women and girls lives because there are no proper laws in place.
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Man mourns wife’s forceful sterilisation By CAROLYNE OYUGI It is noon and the sun is very hot at Luanda Rombo Beach in Suba District, Homa Bay County. The proximity to the lake does not make things easier but the fishermen and the fish mongers have to bear with the heat in order to earn a living. I get a chance to talk to Wendo Pesa, a fisherman at the beach in between his work. Pesa is a father of two daughters aged three and five years. He loves the daughter but wishes they could have a son. Something he knows too well that is impossible and so it just remains a wish unless he marries another wife which he also does not want. “My wife was not born barren but those who claimed to be health experts have made her one,” he says. Pesa had a happy marriage for two years until his wife was pregnant with their second child. As any other father, he was excited. He has always wanted a big family so they had agreed with his wife that they would have five children as early as they could so they can take care of them when they are still young. One day his wife, Teresa Pesa attended antenatal care at Mbita District Hospital and as expected she underwent the compulsory HIV test for pregnant women. Unfortunately she tested positive. She went back home and gave
him the sad news which took him by surprise. “I was shocked and depressed for many days. I did not go to work for three weeks because I was embarrassed. I knew I would die soon and did not imagine discussing it with anyone. My wife talked to our church pastor who encouraged me to go for testing because there are cases of discordant couples,” he said. “I decided to go for testing and as I expected I was positive too.” However, Pesa decided to accept his status and live positively after counselling from his pastor. They went through couple’s counselling sessions. The wife would go to Homa Bay town every Saturday to supply fish to some hotels and would also use this opportunity to visit her sister who lives there.
Advise
According to Pesa, his wife was advised by the sister who is a nurse at Homa Bay District Hospital to use a long term family planning method because a HIV positive woman has a weak reproductive system. They (Pesa and the wife) had, however, not decided on which method they would use and as they had time of deciding after she had delivered. “When her day of delivery came closer, I advised her to go stay with
the sister because at times I take many days in the lake and I may not be around when labour sets in. My daughter went o stay with my mother,” he recalls. Little did he Wendo Pesa preparing his net for fishing at Luanda Rombo beach in Suba District. know that this was a His wife was forcefully sterilised because of being HIV positive. decision that would Picture: Carolyne Oyugi change their lives forever. Teresa remembers very well the day at less than ten years after their parents’ case to answer because the close famshe went to deliver. It is a day she will death. ily had given consent when she was never forget in her life. “My mother was not even apolo- unconscious. “I went into labour at midnight and getic and she together with my sister “After some time I decided not to my sister had gone to work as usual. told me that they expected me to be take any legal action. My wife perA neighbour offered to take me to the grateful because they did the operation suaded me not to put her old mother hospital because he had a taxi. I was in during Caesarean Section so I would behind bars. We decided to forgive too much pain and I lost consciousness not undergo two separate operations them but have no ties with them,” he on the way. When I gained conscious- and avoid double pain,” Teresa narrates. says while stitching his fishing net preness I was on a hospital bed and my In order to avoid complications, Te- paring for the next fishing trip. husband was arguing with a doctor at resa’s sister gave false information that Teresa is just one of the many the door,” she narrates, wiping tears she was not married so they would not women who have experienced reprofrom her face. ask for the husband’s consent. ductive health injustices because of “At first I did not understand what “What has been done has been done their HIV status and all that the couple they were talking about but I kept and I cannot reverse it but I am very bit- want is for the Government to inform hearing the word consent repeated ter. When I told my other siblings what the women living with HIV of their reover and over,” she said. had happened, no one was interested. productive rights. Teresa later found out that her From their reactions, I noticed that “Even if I take legal action now, the mother and sister had given consent they were all in agreement and they had most that can be done is putting the for her to undergo tubal ligation. The planned it together,” she says. perpetrators behind bars, but that will two believed that the children born by Pesa wanted to take legal action not help me in any way because my Teresa would not survive just like the against the hospital but a lawyer ad- wife will still not be able to conceive,” brother’s three children who had died vised him that the hospital had no says Pesa.
Blind and forcefully sterilised, Nduku’s cries echo for justice By FAITH MUIRURI She deftly uses her walking stick to approach the podium. Moments later she recounts a gruelling experience that moves the visibly attentive audience into tears. The sad and gloomy faces at the Mchanganyiko Hall in Kibera share in her experience. Majority are women living with HIV who have lost their fertility, thanks to forced sterilisation by medical personnel in government facilities. But for Agnes Nduku (not real name), the story resonates with pain. She lost her eye sight to HIV related complications and later her fertility after doctors sterilised her citing her HIV status. Nduku, was only 19 years old when she was diagnosed with HIV in 2001. She recalls accompanying her ailing cousin to hospital for an HIV test. However, counsellors at the facility prevailed upon her to undertake the test to establish her status too.
Dampened hope
“I tested positive and down went my passion for life. A blanket of hopelessness descended on me, despair and apathy replacing the once vibrant girl. I remained in denial and so did my husband because HIV and Aids related stigma was still very high in society. I refused to take the antiretroviral drugs and at times contemplated suicide,” Nduku told the Reject during an interview. Her immune system weakened to pathetic levels leaving her CD4 count at 165 against the normal standard of 350 to 1,900. She went through a prolonged period of physical stress and mental anguish as everything around her withered or collapsed. “The turning point came in 2005
when I suffered a serious bout of meningitis. I lost my eyesight and was put on antiretroviral therapy by force,” she recalls. She says that her husband rejected and abandoned her and she now had to fend for herself. “By the time my husband was leaving, I was pregnant with my second child. I refused to relent to pressure around and joined Machakos School for the Blind where I gained skills to support my status as a blind person living with HIV,” she recounts. She also decided to enrol in a clinic on Prevention from Mother to Child Transmission (PMTCT) established by AMREF in Kibera and routinely followed instructions by the doctors. Her CD4 count registered remarkable progress and stood at 841. Nduku was, however, unlucky because her labour pains came when she had travelled to her rural home to attend the funeral of a close relative. “I was rushed to the hospital by my mother who all this time did not know of my HIV status. Nurses at the Makueni District Hospital refused to attend to me immediately after they discovered I was HIV positive,” she explains. “They hurled insults at me and wondered how I could pregnant when I had already lost my eyesight to HIV and Aids. This attracted the attention of other patients. To my shock, the nurses also went ahead to inform my mother that I was HIV positive,” she recalls. “All this time I was in a lot of pain and my pleas for help were in vain. I later went into a coma and when I woke up I had lost the baby due to the prolonged labour.” However, not only did Nduku lose her baby but she also lost her womanhood as the doctor had also sterilised
her while performing the caesarean section without her consent. Since then her life has been a solemn recollection of the never ending painful struggle to rebuild her shattered life and lift the veil of despair.
Volunteer
Nduku has joined AMREF as a voluntary HIV counsellor determined to support people living with HIV/Aids. Nduku is not alone in her predicament. Sarah Omolo Otondo,46, also suffered a similar predicament. Sarah had just lost her husband to HIV related complications when she went to deliver her twins at Kenyatta National Hospital in 2001. Otondo was mistreated by the medical personnel after they discovered that she was HIV positive. They demanded that I pay KSh4,000 upfront but I only manage to raise KSh1,600. When they finally agreed to admit me, I was rushed to the operating theatre where a nurse came to her and said she must sign a form. Otondo complied with the directive that saw the doctor sterilise her. She recalls being conscious during the painful operation as the doctor did not administer any anaesthesia to minimise the pain but she could not resist in her frail state. Only one of the twins survived the operation. She painstakingly crawled back to the ward and had to nurse her baby since the medics reiterated she did not qualify for the government programme that targets HIV mothers. Her child was denied powdered milk at the facility and survived by the grace of God. However, this apparent setback has not dampened her gusto and energy for life which is seen in her emotive speeches. Her agility to conjure
up words of hope is enviable and she is a leading community counsellor on HIV/Aids with Aphia Plus programme. She is also among women planning to seek redress against medical officials who sterilised them without their consent.
Cry for justice
Scores of women living with HIV and Aids have been sterilised in the same government facilities they are supposed to receive utmost protection. Theirs today is a cry for justice as doctors continue to subject more pregnant mothers who are HIV positive to forced sterilisation. They spoke during a forum organised by the African Gender and Media Initiative which has completed a study on forced and coerced sterilisation of Women Living with HIV/Aids in Kenya. During the forum, Dr Carol Odula said that it was illegal to ster-
ilise women without their consent and counselling. She said aggrieved women can file their complaints before the Kenya Medical Practitioners and Dentist Board and must be able to identify respective doctors who performed the surgery. According to Faith Kasiva, Executive Director African Gender and Media Initiative, she will file the complaint on behalf of the women to ensure that justice is realised. During the study that covered different parts of the country, the organisation established that most women lacked information on their reproductive rights. “We need to educate women that they have rights to control and decide on matters of their own sexuality and reproductive health, free from coercion, discrimination and violence. This includes the right to decide whether and when to have children and the means to exercise this right,” affirms Kasiva.
ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Poverty pushes women to accept miserable money for long term contraceptives By CAROLYNE OYUGI The sky is very clear and colour blue dominates it with no sign of cloud above Lake Victoria. It is very quiet except for the sound of the waves of water hitting the rocks at the shores of Ngodhe Island, in Lake Victoria. After waiting for half an hour I finally meet Margaret Atieno. She comes with a group of women carrying sardines in a basket made from papyrus reeds and she spreads them on some rocks to dry before finally sitting down to talk to me. Today being a market day, everyone seems to be busy and most people have crossed over to the mainland to trade. They will be coming back in the evening with the same engine boat. Atieno found out that she was HIV positive in 2004 and since then life has never been the same. “I am the sole bread winner of my young family. It even gets tougher because the only thing we do here is selling fish and at times sardines,” she said.
Challenges
Trading in this island is very tiresome and expensive because if you do not own a boat then you must always pay a fee of KSh100 to KSh120 for a trip to the main land and the same when coming back. That can be very expensive for someone who does not have a stable means of income. Atieno just received KSh3,200 ($40) for accepting to a long term contraceptive method. This young mother of two is among the women
who were recruited by Project Prevention and had Intra Uterine Devices (IUDs) inserted in their reproductive organs so as to take time and establish themselves financially. “I invested the money in a fish pond because fish farming and selling is what I am familiar with. The money was, however, not enough and I still need more money to fence the fish pond and for buying the food,” explains Atieno.
Stigma
She believes that the IUD method is the right one for her because she had tried other methods that failed. “I would forget to take pills and when I was using injections I could bleed abnormally even when I was not on my menstrual period so I think this will work for me because apart from the pain that I could feel in the beginning when I lift heavy objects, I am very fine now,” she narrates. Atieno knew about Project Prevention from a neighbour called Philip Leonard who told them that a white woman was offering to pay them KSh3,200 ($40) to start a business if they form a group and accept to have IUD as a family planning method. “I was very down financially and I needed a financial boost. Since I am a widow, I decided very fast because there is no one to stop me,” she says. However, Atieno does not remember being given the option of other contraceptive method to choose from. She has not harvested her first bunch of fish and so she does not know how much she will make from the sale.
However, area Chief Dan Okumbe has mixed feelings about the controversial project that used to pay drug users and alcoholics to undergo sterilisation or long-term contraception. He believes that the organisation should have done more to show concern for the children and the mothers. “They should go a step further and offer them treatment and follow ups for medication after inserting the IUDs. We are also not sure if the projects they invested in will be successful, so what happens if it fails yet they are only paid once?” Okumbe poses. The chief also feels that the selection system is discriminatory. He believes there are HIV negative women who for some reason or another would like to use that method of contraceptive but are left out. “I think this will increase stigma which already exists, it exposes someone’s status even without being ready to go public because people will see what you have done with your money and conclude your HIV status,” he observes. Project Prevention has faced opposition in other African countries like South Africa where the health practitioners approached the Human Rights Commission to stop their operations or mere entry into their country. They even warned that doctors found cooperating with the organisation in any medical
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Philip Leonard, Nyanza Coordinator of Project Prevention, Alice Akudo and Margaret Atieno. Below: Margaret with her son at home. Pictures: Carolyne Oyugi interventions would be reported to the Health Professions Council of South Africa. When I asked Atieno if she would have agreed to undergo that process had there been no money involved and she is reluctant to answer. It is obvious to me that it is the money that attracted her. Project Prevention coordinator in Kenya Willice Okoth confirmed that they have been doing their operations in Nyanza and Western Kenya. While it is not wrong to have a long term family planning, targeting HIV positive women is discriminatory and paying them to accept the offer also raises eyebrows. It is unethical because it bends one’s reasoning and deciding about an important health issue.
Project Prevention capitalises on women’s desperation By CAROLYNE OYUGI Even as we celebrate women’s empowerment and advancement, a certain category of women still suffer. This is the group that has been unable to make choices over what form of contraceptive to use as other people take advantage of their status. These are the women who are living with HIV and below the poverty line. They remain captives of one Barbara Harris who has finally arrived in Africa and pitched camp in Ngodhe Island, Homa Bay County. Through an organisation known as Project Prevention, Harris has already convinced 15 women who are living with HIV that for them to be given a small amount of money to start a small business, they must agree to long term contraceptive methods.
Procedure
Project Prevention hired a doctor who inserted intrauterine devices (IUD) devices into HIV positive women for a fee of $7 (KSh560) per client and paid $40 (KSh3,200) to all the women who accepted to undergo the process. Ngodhe Island is a remote village that has many economic problems coupled with high prevalence of HIV and AIDs just like the larger Nyanza province. The only source of income in the island is fishing and all the other businesses revolve around fish. Young fishermen here catch thousands of fish worth a lot of money but they end up spending all their hard earned cash on women and leisure at the shoreline. Many women in this region are
widows and the sole bread winners for their families. They depend on fish to finance their day to day needs and so when the demand for fish is high, to beat the scramble they end up engaging in sex for fish. Today, the HIV infection rate in Suba averages a stunning 35 to 40 per cent, one of the worst in the world.
Mixed feelings
The inhabitants of this island have mixed feelings towards this Project Prevention. Kennedy Odhiambo, a fisherman at the Luanda Rombo beach, thinks Project Prevention has good intentions but he does not like the way it is implemented. “If Harris cares about our welfare then she should empower women financially so they do not engage in fish for sex so as to earn a living. Instead of making them stop giving birth she should just empower them and let them decide the contraceptive they prefer to use,” observes Odhiambo. However, Harris is not new to controversy. She has been accused of effectively promoting eugenics unconventionally by paying for drug addicts to be sterilised. According to one man who calls himself Willis, and is the country coordinator, the same project has been in existence in Kakamega and Bureti. However, Willis is not willing to give information of the women who have benefited from the project in those areas and exactly where they can be reached. John Omwando, a pastor at a local church is however suspicious of Project Prevention’s activities in the island. “Why should someone pay you in order to offer you something that
benefits you?” poses Omwando. He adds: “I think it is not right to use cash incentives to introduce a project. These women are poor and vulnerable and they may not think straight because of the money involved. According to Omwando, some of these women are also still very young and do not have the ability to make informed decisions. “For many women with drug problems, the chance to become a mother can be life-changing and a powerful motivation to seek help for their addiction and other problems in their lives,” observes Omwando. According to Mary Owino, a mother of two who declined the offer of a long term contraceptive, all she needs is an end to the poverty so that her children, however many, can live comfortably. She says Project Prevention is discriminating against HIV positive women and subjecting them to stigma. “My husband did not agree with the deal. He kept saying that if we accept the money then everyone will know that we are living with the virus which is not a laughing matter,” she says smiling. A community health worker at Tom Mboya Dispensary who spoke anonymously said that after working at the health centre for more than a year and interacting with the women, she has known them to be against long term contraceptives. “Something does not add up here. We once called the Marie Stopes people at the dispensary and offered free long term contraceptives and yet only one woman turned up and she was HIV negative,” explains the health worker. She questions why the project does
not offer Prevention of Mother to Child (PMTCT) services to the women who are already pregnant if they really want to help the children. Most people interviewed believe that Project Prevention carefully chose Ngodhe Island, first because the population is poor and second because its geographical position and poor infrastructure makes it a perfect target. It is far, isolated and hard to reach. Harris has also been known to target black and poor women. From my discussion with the women who have benefited from the exercise, I realise that there is not much care given to the women after the planting of the IUD.
ARV support
They are not offered ARVs or other medical services after the insertion of the IUDs. They are also not offered money to remove them should they decide to conceive and so they are expected to make profits from the money they were given to start business. On the surface, offering HIV positive women money to accept longterm contraception may not seem quite as bad as coercive or forced sterilisation. However, both practices stem from the same root — the belief that certain women, including those with HIV, have no right to have children. Anne Gathumbi, the Programme Manager Health and Rights, Eastern Africa Initiative at the Open Society Foundations and a founding member of the Coalition on Violence against Women in Kenya (COVAW), has ex-
pressed concern over the existence of Project Prevention in Kenya. She urges reproductive rights, HIV/Aids advocates, and public health organisations to do all they can now to make sure the organisation does not take root in the country. “We are mostly disturbed by the fact that the organisation is using money to persuade women into longterm birth control. Interventions for addressing the needs of women with HIV need to be holistic, integrated, respectful and responsive to the needs of both women and children and must be based on evidence,” observes Gathumbi. “Offering money as an incentive to sign up for birth control is coercive and not based on any evidence that it works. What we need are programmes that support prevention of mother-tochild transmission.”
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
More children enrol in school as calm settles in North Rift
The famous Dandora dumpsite in Nairobi. Failure to properly dispose off waste from health facilities poses serious health hazards to the public. Picture: Reject Correspondent
By JOY MONDAY Incidents of cattle rustling and banditry in North Rift have dropped by over 80 per cent since last year, statistics show. Sampled reports by the local provincial administration and Catholic Church Justice and Peace Commission (CJPC) indicate that the rustling menace in the region has reduced significantly. Transformation of youths and establishment of security units in Turkana and West Pokot counties to check rustling has curbed the vice and restored peace. Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner Hassan Warfa said that after the Government directed forceful enrolment of children, the pastoralists have now realised the importance of education. The human face disarmament programme in the region has also aided the eradication of rustling and insecurity related practices in the area. “The transformation and education among the pastoralists is bearing fruit to the fight against the rustling menace. There are isolated cases of rustling as well as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and forced marriages,” said Warfa who has been instrumental in bringing together warring communities in the region. Warfa noted that the Government has prioritised education as a transformation agent and in collaboration with organisations has supported boarding facilities to help retention and check on early marriages. “We appreciate contributions from NonGovernmental organisations to supplement government efforts to improve infrastructure in schools to enable pastoralist children access education,” Warfa said. Security units haves been established in Kainuk, Loyapata, Lokori, Nakwamuro, Ombolion and Lochakula areas along the Turkana-West Pokot border. “The opening up of these units has made reporting of the incident easy and hastened pursuance of the stolen cattle by the police officers,” he explained. He said the Government has issued directive to parents to ensure their children are in school or face arrest and prosecution. There is surveillance on outdated cultural practices such FGM and forced marriages that have been hampering education and development in the area. “Provincial administration closely monitors that no child is subjected to primitive and harmful practices and culprits are dealt with accordingly and we laud the role of the NGO’s to sensitise the community and the support of child-girl education,” observed Warfa. He acknowledged the active participation of various peace actors to sustained calm singling out Kenya’s track ace Tegla Loroupe’s commitment to restore peace among the local communities. The peace incentive by Loroupe has helped bring together the warring communities and over 700 warriors abandoning rustling and turned to economic activities. Kapenguria Catholic Justice and Peace Commission programme Officer Samuel Lemale admits that frequent loss of lives and destruction of property has been stamped out. Lemale says the opening up of common border markets and schools has enhanced integration and supported fruitful dialogue of the communities. “The establishment of common market and schools in areas like Kanyeris, Chesogon, Kainuk and Sigor has been a healthy step towards bringing harmony among the fighting communities,” he observes. The Catholic Church Diocese of Kitale headed by Bishop Maurice Crowley has also been credited to improving the education standards in West Pokot County. The Commission induced the transformation of 20 cattle rustling collaborators at Kabolet forest, the hide out of the rustlers. Bishop Crowley provided the warriors with seed maize to help them engage in farming to eke a living.
Disposal of medical waste poses hazards By CAROLYNE OYUGI Charles Njuguna is a street boy who has been supporting himself financially by going through the garbage and picking things that he thinks are useful. He then repairs and sells them. He has been doing this all his life. Though he does not live a luxurious life, at least he is able to pay for his basic needs like food and security in the streets at night. Apart from having to bear with the foul smell and seeing unpleasant things, this job has many challenges. Njuguna has suffered cuts from broken glass, metals, and other sharp objects. The worst of them, however, is used syringes and other medical wastes. “I have been pricked by a used syringe once, it was very painful and I had to nurse a swollen leg for almost a week,” he explains. When asked whether he went for an HIV test, Njuguna is quick to say that he has not and will not. “At first I wanted to go but I have realised that everyone I tell this story is advising me to do so. I am now scared of the results,” he says adding that he hopes that all is well.
Body parts
Njuguna has also found body parts like a finger and umbilical cord, in a plastic bag. “I am just doing this work because it is the only thing I know how to do. My mother gave birth to me in the streets and she does not even know who my father is. She brought me up with this business and I was trained when I was very young,” he said. According to Njuguna, a number of times he and his colleagues have found used cotton wools with blood and other wastes. “The worst I have met is an aborted foetus,” he notes. However, he did not inform the police because he feared being interrogated. “A friend of mine once reported finding a baby in a plastic bag and he ended up being held at the police station for the whole day helping with investigations,” he says. Njuguna has never been to school and cannot get any good job due to lack of basic skills. Have you ever asked your doctor where the
syringe goes to after giving you a shot? Who handles used syringes, and how are they — and other potentially infectious medical waste destroyed? In the developing countries, staff may not have the necessary training to handle medical waste. In cases where they are properly trained, they may still lack adequate health care facilities and adequate supplies of clean syringes or reliable systems for disposal.
Hospital waste
In industrialised nations, doctors and nurses are trained to handle used needles properly, and there are elaborate systems for safe disposal. As a result, syringes are often reused, mixed in with everyday garbage, or even abandoned in public areas, exposing health workers, patients, and communities to unnecessary risk — and contributing to the estimated 23.5 million new HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C infections transmitted every year through needle reuse and accidental needle stick injuries. It is also traumatising to know that as developing-world health systems grow stronger and better care reaches more people, castoff medical waste is increasing. According to Kepha Ombacho, Chief Public Health Officer, Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Kenya alone generates 10,000 tonnes of medical wastes per year. Some health facilities have the De Mont Fort type of incinerators, which are operational. An additional 32 are being constructed across the country. “Most people prefer it because it has low cost and simple to build with local materials. It also has compact solution that can be rapidly set up,” he said adding that it is also recommended by the World Health Organisation. Many of the hospitals use open burning as a means of reducing volumes. Disposal of radioactive contaminated waste poses a great challenge to both the environment and the people living around the burning area. Kenya National Policy on Injection Safety and Health Care Waste Management 2007
quotes in part that, “The practice of indiscriminate dumping of Medical Waste is prevalent in majority of health facilities. Incineration facilities are limited and where available, they are either broken down or improperly used. The limiting factors in proper management of waste include; inadequate training, supplies, and lack of standards and guidelines…”
Injection shortage
According to Dr Linus Ndigwa, the programme manager Infection Control, Centre for Disease Control, majority of the health facilities have reported having experienced a shortage of disposable injection supplies particularly in the curative services. Analysis of the current status of injection supply logistics reveals that there are no data on the number of injections given making it difficult to carry out forecasting and procurement. Adverse events associated with injections are caused by unsafe injection practices. These are a consequence of attitudes of health providers, patients and the community on the preference of injections. Some patients demand for injections because they believe that they are more efficacious than orals. On the other hand, some prescribers have the perception that patients prefer injections and they also find injections easier to administer.
“The Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation, Kenya alone generates 10,000 tonnes of medical wastes per year. Some health facilities have the De Mont Fort type of incinerators, which are operational. Most people prefer it because it has low cost and simple to build with local materials. It also has compact solution that can be rapidly set up.” — Kepha Ombacho, Chief Public Health Officer
Regulation
There should therefore be some sort of sensitisation and behaviour change communication to make both patients and health providers use injections only when necessary. This problem is, however, not restricted to developing countries alone. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), medical facilities generate between 600, 000 to one million tons of medical waste annually in the US alone. Up to 15 percent poses environmental risks. Sources include sharps, which are needles, scalpels and other pointed instruments. Laboratory cultures from diagnostics, blood and blood products and pathological waste are further sources. Chemicals used in x-rays represent another environmental risk. Stronger regulation is needed if water resources are to be protected. Oftentimes, unnatural substances are being introduced into the environment, which may not be able to adapt to its presence. Likewise, some medical waste can introduce disease to humans. The environmental impact of medical waste is a global issue. As our medical and prescription needs rise, so does the risk to the environment.
ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
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Kenyan Somali youth complain of discrimination By HAMDI MOHAMED and HENRY KAHARA As the fight against Al-Shabaab insurgents gains momentum, Kenyans of Somali origin are calling on the Government to help them from being mistaken as being part of the illegal group ‘AlShabaab’. According to Muhammed Ibrahim, a resident in Eastleigh “the Government should read between the lines and see that the Al-Shabaab is not only Muslim hence stop targeting one religious group on this matter”. Many innocent Kenyan Somalis in different parts of the country, and especially in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate have been affected by the ongoing “operation Linda Nchi” which was launched by the Kenya and Somalia governments to fight the insurgents.
Security
Muhammed notes that it is the responsibility of the Kenyan police to maintain internal security but they were instead are arresting people for no apparent reason, other than the fact that they were of Somali origin and, therefore, making it hard for them to transact business. “I was in town on Monday and we were just arrested for nothing. It is worse if do not have an identity card on you and especially if your name sounds Somali,” he said. Muhammed, a student at Mt Kenya University says that he was forced to miss class as he spent a good part of the day at the Central Police Station. “We Kenyan Somalis are in trouble for we have to be vetted before we start the process to acquiring identity cards. Now I am wondering what we can do so that they can stop harassing us,” he says. Muhammed’s sentiments are echoed by Abdi Jamaa who says that acquiring an identity card has become difficult for him. Jamaa started the process of acquiring an identification card in 2008 at Kajiado County but up to date has not secured one. Despite that Jamaa had all the needed documentation, he was forced to sit for more than six
A section of Eastleigh, the trading hub where many Kenyan Somalis reside in Nairobi. Kenyan Somali youth are often discriminated by the police as they crackdown on Al Shaabab insurgents. Picture: Reject Correspondent vetting sessions and not a single one has borne fruit. “We normally go through the vetting process and our documents sent to National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) but they have either been rejected with no valid reasons or the documents have been lost in the process,” explained Jamaa. He added: “If you are unlucky and your documents get lost while undergoing those stages you have no alternative but to start afresh.” Mohamed Adan started the process in 2009 in Gilgil and up to date he has not been given an ID. He cites corruption with the vetting committee in the area.
Contractors warned over environmental destruction By KARIUKI MWANGI Contractors who fail to submit environment impact assessment reports may have their work discontinued. According to Embu West District Commissioner Maalim Mohamed contractors undertaking development projects in the area will have their work discontinued for failing to obtain the said reports. Mohamed said that various development projects in the area have been impacting negatively on the environment. He noted that any developer must ensure that all the negative and positive impacts on the environment must be assessed before any work begins.
Upgrade
He cited the KSh700 million project to upgrade the Embu Provincial General Hospital into a referral hospital which has since been stopped by the National Environment Management Authority for failing to assess the impact on the environment. “Failure by the contractors to follow the required laws has continued to cost Embu residents proper medical services since the fast completion of the hospital would save them from travelling to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment adding that the laid down regulations must be followed,” observed Mohamed. He was speaking during a tree
planting exercise. He pointed out that a special environment committee has been formed to evaluate and approve the cutting down of trees that pose a threat of falling on houses and other properties.
Cutting trees
“Many people have taken advantage to cut down trees when they fall. Everyone who wants to cut down a tree should first get permission from the committee so as to avoid illegal cutting down of trees,” reiterated Mohamed. He added: “We will not allow massive destruction of trees in this town all in the name of getting rid of old and dangerous trees.” He also called upon the Embu Municipal Council to consider developing other ways of disposing waste saying that the current ways of disposal continue to pose a threat to the environment and health of the residents. Maalim noted that the current dumpsite which is close to the Embu airstrip will poses a threat to planes that are either landing or taking off. He urged the council to work on relocating it before the airstrip starts functioning. “Some of the irresponsibility by the council will continue to portray Embu in a bad image and will scare away investors,” he said adding that lack of investors is the major cause of poor development in the town.
“Since 2009, we have sat or postponed the vetting process due to petty issues like the chairman having misplaced some documents,” explained Adan, 24. He urged the Government to intervene because for more than three years many people from his community are yet to obtain the ID in the area. “Now Muslim youth in this area are wondering why the Government is depriving them their constitutional rights,” he observed. According to Adan, this does not reflect a nation ready to meet its constitutional obligation of providing equality to its entire citizen. “This reflects an action that the government
does not want to Somali youth enjoy their constitutional right in their own country,” observed Adan. Now the youths are urging Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang’ to give them an explanation or a better option. “We are suffering because some of us we are learned but do not have IDs to enable us look for jobs,” he added. “Many Kenyan Somali youth with all the correct supporting documents such as original birth certificates, original clinic cards, both Standard Eight and Form Four original leaving certificates, both parents’ original identification cards, a parent working document are not given due consideration,” noted Adan.
Call for workers to join Women and youth urged to trade unions engage in small businesses By NEHEMIAH OKWEMBAH
By TITUS MAERO
Residents of Malindi District, Kilifi County have been urged to join trade unions in order for them to benefit from Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), which states terms and conditions for workers and their minimum wage. According to Timothy Chogo chairman Kenya Food and Allied Workers Union (KFAWU), Malindi branch, majority of workers in the region had not registered in any union. This makes it challenging to help them in cases of unfair termination of service. Speaking to Press in his office, Chogo noted that many workers in Malindi risked being laid off without proper terminal benefits as majority of them were ignorant of their rights and did not understand labour laws. “Employers in this region have for a long time mistreated their employees and almost turned them to slaves,” he observed. Chogo also accused employers of failing to respect the new labour laws which allowed workers to engage in union activities including vying for positions. “Employers in this region are very cruel to their servants. They will sack them immediately they get information that a worker is a member of a trade union,” he said. He advised workers not to shy away from unions because by joining them they will have the strength to collectively demand for their rights as opposed to individual struggles. Chogo also warned workers against joining unions that were not recognised and which were run by labour brokers who benefited from bribes at the expense of service delivery. He urged for cooperation among all stakeholders which will eventually lead to proper terms and conditions for workers and an improved lifestyle which many still did not enjoy.
The Government is keen to see entrepreneurship take root in the country especially among the youth and women. According to Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, the Government has taken deliberate steps to create the Youth Enterprise Fund, Women Enterprise Fund and the MSE Fund for Micro and Small Enterprises to benefit youth and women. “We know that the future of this country lies in the micro, small and medium enterprises. Some of the biggest businesses and institutions in the country were started by individuals as small businesses,” he said.
Inspiration
Speaking at the Kakamega Golf Hotel during the graduation of 6,000 women and youths who attended the Financial Literacy Programme (FIKA) sponsored by the Equity Bank, Mudavadi said the small to big business syndrome should inspire the graduands. Mudavadi who is also the Local Government Minister said the Luhya communities are still faced with challenges of taking loans from financial institutions. He noted that
training is vital to overcome the problem faced by the said ethnic community. “Fear and lack of sustainable collateral are factors that hinder securing of loans,” said Mudavadi. He also noted that the community fear that their land will be taken away easily by the lending institutions not knowing that many things are looked into before such an action is taken.
Capacity building
“Lack of skills is affecting government youth and women enterprise funds allocation as they fear taking it on loan,” he said. “For Kenyans to overcome capacity problems and utilise such funds effectively, they need to be equipped with financial entrepreneurship skills,” Mudavadi said adding that the Equity Bank FIKA programme is very well aligned with the Government policy on entrepreneurship and financial access. He said there is much potential in commercial farming in the area with trade in cereals adding that Equity Bank has agriculture loans that can help people to carry out farming as a business venture with a clear vision of earning profit.
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ISSUE 057, March 1-15, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Technology to destroy contaminated maize By KARIUKI MWANGI A solution may have been found for the mode of destruction of over 31,000 bags of maize contaminated with aflatoxin that is still locked at the Ishiara National Cereals and Produce Board depot in Mbeere South District, Embu County. According to John Thiong’o, Eastern Provincial Public Health Officer, the ministry and the National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) are considering the use of the effective micro-organisms technology to destroy the maize whose mode of destruction is still under contention. Thiong’o explained the maize would be destroyed by being placed in one secluded pit with micro-organisms which will decompose all the cereal killing all the poisonous substances. The technology has already been tried in destroying other waste products where it successfully decomposed the wastes into manure. The method could also be successful in destroying the aflatoxin contaminated maize.
Manure
“The method is environment friendly and ensures that there are no toxic organisms that are left on the soil,” explained Thiong’o. He added: “The residue can be used as manure for growing other crops.” Initially the method was used in the destruction of the over 139 bags of maize contaminated with aflatoxin that was nabbed at the St Mark’s Kigari Teachers College. Thiong’o noted that if the maize will be successfully destroyed, it will be the best way to go. He noted if success is reported, they are going to propose that it be used to destroy the 31,000 bags of maize at the Ishiara depot. This will free storage for other produce that the farmers are harvesting to prevent further contamination. Thiong’o pointed out that the issue of aflatoxin contaminated maize has been a thorny one in Eastern Province. He reiterated that all the officers on the ground have been supplied with testing kits to ensure no contaminated maize gets to the market. “Public health officers are carrying out routine surveillance in various markets to ensure that there is no circulation of aflatoxin maize that can be a threat to the health of the public,” he observed. Thiong’o called upon the farmers in the province to adopt the required modes of harvesting and the preservation noting that the aflatoxin menace is mostly as a result of lack of proper drying of produce and poor storage.
Project saves women from long treks By Dido wa Dido Water is life, so the old adage goes in Africa. Without water, we cannot cook, kill thirst, provide the precious drink for their animals among many other things that include keeping clean. The worst hit victims when there is no water are women. They have to walk for long distances, spending many hours every day in search of the precious commodity. The only problem is that usually when they get it, it is not clean. In most instances, it will be labelled as unfit for human consumption. The story of Agnes Hargura, 29, tells it all. She has crossed the valleys and hills to get to the top of Mount Kulal in Marsabit County. This she has done carrying a 20-litre jerry can with the baby strapped on her back in the search for the precious commodity.
Routine
Women sing in jubilation at the launch of the mount Kulal water project. A woman carries 20-litres jerry can on her back. Hundreds of women in pastoral region struggle to access the commodities for their families. Picture: Dido wa Dido
This is the daily routine Hargura has had to do covering 22 kilometres passing through mountains of the rocks. She also uses donkeys to help fetch the water that will help perform other domestic duties. The only problem is that the trip takes so much of her time, leaving her with little option for doing other things. Water has been a scarce and rare especially during the dry spell. The women in this region commit their time and energy to ensuring that the families have water for their upkeep. When the International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) came and constructed water tanks and harnessed springs water for the communities of the Mount Kulal area in Marsabit County, it was a blessing, not only for Hargura but all the women in the village. They converged and danced in style to mark and appreciate ICRC for commissioning a pressed steel tank of 108, 000 litre capacity. This tank will enable the community to secure good amount of water during the rainy season. This will ease the water shortage during the dry spell. It targets 3, 000 people living at the foot of Mount Kulal.
Time wasted
For Hargura, this is a dream come true. She says half of the women in the rural areas in Isiolo and Marsabit County waste much of their time fetching water for domestic use. This is time they could have used in income generating activities. “We always trek every morning, walking kilometres and kilometres with our donkeys in search of water especially at this time when drought is worse,” observes Hargura. She was speaking during handing over of the water project to the com-
munities at Mount Kulal, a project financed by the ICRC in conjunction with the Kenya Red Cross. The women said the water project worth KSh2.8 million will benefit more than 6,000 families living in the area especially during drought when herders migrate into the area in search of pasture and water.
Beneficiary
The project comes amid myriad of challenges faced by women in the rural areas and especially at a time when the drought is biting hard. The village water committees observe that the project is aimed at alleviating suffering among the communities and cushion them against the ravaging effect of drought in the region. They said unlike before where communities fetch water from contaminated water pans which are situated more than 20 kilometres from their homes, they can now easily access clean water for their families. The community committees have been trained on how to manage and go about water rationing when there has been persistent drought. According to the ICRC water engineer Joel Ochieng, the project aims at cushioning the communities against severe water shortage especially during the dry season. Ochieng said ICRC has installed
a 108,000-litre pressed steel tank to collect water from the natural springs on Mount Kulal, which will naturally drain their water into the tank to be reserved for use by communities during the dry spell. Loiyangalani DC Philip Koime who presided over the commissioning of the project said it will help to reduce water conflict between the warring communities during the dry season.
Migration
Koime said thousands of families from other parts of the districts in the larger Marsabit County move in to Mount Kulal with their animals during the dry spell in search of water and pasture leading to conflict over the scarce commodity. “We are very grateful to ICRC for the project. This will go a long way in alleviating suffering and severe water shortage faced by the communities in this region,” observed Koime. Last year, ICRC launched a similar water project worth millions of shillings at Kawalash in Isiolo, with two
“We always trek every morning, walking kilometres and kilometres with our donkeys in search of water especially at this time when drought is worse.” — Agnes Hargura
Executive Director: Rosemary Okello
Editor: Jane Godia
water tanks with the capacity to hold 200,000 litres. Gutters were placed 200 metres away with additional water troughs and taps fitted to ensure people and livestock both get access to clean water.
Assessment
The Kenya Red Cross in partnership with ICRC had carried out an assessment to determine how to collect water from the springs and store it for use during the dry season. The village water committee said women trek for more than 20 kilometres in search of water for domestic use while several hours that could be spent for development is lost in the process. They said the provision of water to the community will go a long way in alleviating human suffering and help women to engage in other income generating activities other than concentrating all their efforts in travelling long distance in search of the commodity.
Write to:
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Sub-Editors: Florence Sipalla and Mercy Mumo Designer: Noel Lumbama
www.mediadiversityafrica.org
Contributors: Paul Olale, Omondi Gwengi, Kariuki Mwangi, Ayoki Onyango, Ken Ndambu, Okwembah Nehemiah, Hamdi Mohamed, Henry Kahara, Titus Maero, Kabia Matega, Ryan Mathenge, Carolyne Oyugi, Henry Owino, Faith Muiruri, Dido wa Dido.
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