Reject Online Issue 72

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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November 1-15, 2012

ISSUE 072

A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service

With their IDs confiscated, IDPs will not vote

By ROBERT WANJALA

For Hannah Gakenia, life has never been the same since she voted in the 2007 General Election.

In the heavily disputed presidential poll, the mother of seven and her husband became victims of the post-elections violence which saw them flee and live in an Internally Displaced Persons Camp at Naka, near Eldoret town, in Uasin Gishu County.

Today the dreams that Gakenia had for her children remain shattered four years since all their worldly belongings were looted and others set ablaze.

“The memory of that fateful day remains etched in my mind like an incurable disease. Our lives were reduced to zero. Those that we voted for are now enjoying good life while ours

wastes away in this dilapidated camp,” Gakenia laments.

Her misery at the camp was worsened by her mother’s death three years ago. She attributes the loss of her mother to HIV and Aids related illness that was made worse by poor living conditions in the camp where they had taken refuge.

Her mother was taken to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret for treatment but she did not survive as the damage was too much to reverse.

Gakenia was left with the burden of a medical bill of over KSh36, 000 which remains unsettled to date.

Out of desperation and frustration, Gakenia successfully pleaded with the authorities to release her mother’s body for burial and hold on to her identity

card as well as that Top left: Children at the Naka IDP camps in Uasin Gishu County. They face serious of her husband and challenges that result to among others ,infections and diseases during the rain brother as surety. seasons. Top right: Children entertain visitors at Naka and Yamumbi IDP camps in Looking back, Gakenia says: “We Uasin Gishu County. Such innocent faces are often the victims of violence. Bottom: are now unable to Elderly men and children at the IDP camps are the most vulnerable to sickness due to harsh living conditions. Pictures: Robert Wanjala transact any business because we The mother of three says she is in a ernment had promised so that we can do not have our IDs and we will not be able to vote as engage on a meaningful source of live- fix because without an ID prospective well.” She adds: “We are appealing to lihood and also participate in the com- employers are not ready to recruit her, can’t transact business or own mobile the Government to help us get our IDs ing election in peace,” she says.

Gakenia is not the only one crying phone, while at the same time she may back.” foul for lack of ID and frustration by not participate in the coming polls.

Akinyi says her ID was held by officials at the referral hospital. Many Having no other source of income, other people who were displaced in the hospital after failing to settle a Gakenia knows that they may never be the post-election violence are suffering medical bill of her daughter who had contracted pneumonia due to adverse able to pay the unsettled hospital bill. similar tribulations.

Susan Akinyi also says her ID has climatic camp condition and admit“We are appealing to the authorities to help us get our IDs and also hasten been held at the same hospital over an ted at the hospital. our resettlement on the land the Gov- unsettled bill of KSh7,000.

Continued on page 5

Bill

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ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

AWC tops Children Rights Media Award

By HENRY OWINO Our bimonthly newspaper, ‘The Reject’ received an award in a colourful Gala Dinner at the fourth Children Rights Media Awards that saw seven media houses feted.

Jane Godia, the MDC Editor and writer Mwangi Ndirangu tied in the Courage Against Adversity category.

Jane’s story “No Longer Safe” about Kenyan children at threat within the four walls they call home and Mwangi Ndirangu’s “Beads of Sex Leaves Girls Enslaved to Moran” emerged winners.

The Reject newspaper is a publication of Media Diversity Centre (MDC), a project of African Woman and Child Feature Services (AWCFS).

The Reject battled it out with competitors from other media stations to emerge winners in two of the 14 categories that were hotly contested.

Jane Godia and Mwangi Ndirangu scopped the top prize in the two main categories. Nation Media Group (NMG) journalists won in five categories, with the remaining slots in other categories shared by Standard Media Group, Citizen TV, Kenya Broadcasting Cooperation television (KBC TV), and The People Daily Newspaper.

Winners

Joe Ombuor from Standard Media Group, Special Features writer, triumphed in the “Most Educative Award” by giving the children a role model with a deformity that pushed him hard in life to excel in education.

His piece, “deformity spurred boy to excel”, earned him the prize.

Editorial cartoonist Eric Jacob Ngamau (Gammz) topped the “Children Photography Award” with his “Wife Inheritance” cartoon, a vivid illustration that left nothing to the imaginative mind on the effect of this practice on the children.

The other three categories went to Royal Media Services, Citizen TV reporter, Chris Raburu and his cameraman Brian Mutua who took the “Children and IT Awards ” with his insightful “Journey of Resilience” a story that took him miles away to Rwanda to bring the insightful piece on technology in schools.

Sally Mbilu and her cameraman,

Mathege Goko from the same media house scooped “The News Article Awards” with her piece “Borstal Boys series” a series on legal justice against young offenders or children in conflict with the law.

Last year’s “Journalist of the year” Franklin Macharia, Citizen TV scooped the “Most Interactive Award” with “Mama ni mama” piece, a category that was contested by over 30 journalists. The camerawork was done by Nelson Muraya.

Joyce Mbogho Mkwawasi, from NTV with her heart-rending piece “Child Mothers” emerged as the best entry in the coverage of children issues in bold, comprehensive and articulate manner.

Health award

Joyce emerged the top against hundreds of entries in what judges agreed to be a well deserved and unmatched piece.

Irene Choge, scooped the “Children’s Environment award” with her hard-hitting, bold and comprehensive piece on the unhygienic situations that affect pupils performance, “Toilets and Grades” special report.

Joy Wanja scooped “Children’s Health Award” for the third time with “Guess how old I am” a story of a teenage boy trapped in a child’s body.

The “Features Article Award” was won by widely traveled Samora Mwaura for his masterpiece “A matter too weighty for school children”.

Business daily, Evelyn Situma “Teach your children how to save” scooped the Children in Economics and Finance Award.

The People Daily Newspapers’ Ann Wairimu, a sub editor, tied with NTV’s Irene Choge on the childrens’ environment award “my baby died in the hands of a nanny, how safe are your children with your house-help”.

Marie Yambo of KBC scooped The “Human Interest Award” health matters-“ Plastic anaemia and skin disease” a story about endurance.

According to Grace Muiruri, Director Bubble Nest International, the Children Rights Media Awards is an initiative which is expected to continue to inculcate and revitalize a professional commitment, for media houses to report on the once ‘swept under

Jane Godia (Right) Editor AWC together with other winners of the fourth Children Rights Media Award organised by Bubble Nest International, Nairobi.

Below: Mwangi Ndirangu displays his award.

Pictures: Henry Owino the carpet’ untold stories that touch on children positively and negatively.

“This year marks the fourth big and prestigious Children Rights Media Awards (CRMA 2012) emphasizing the best in Kenyan journalism, upholding professional and responsible reporting on issues pertaining children in all situations,” stated Muiruri.

Recognition

Muiruri added that the Children Rights Media Awards seeks to strengthen and increase the recognition and rewards for excellence in the profession of Journalism.

Edward Ouma, the Chief Executive Officer, Children Legal Action Network (CLAN) said society is not fair to children therefore, as an organization they are mandated to protect the children’s rights through the Courts of

Law. He said parents have a role to inculcate values in their children and not just blame other players in the society.

“Media is always accused of exposing children to ‘bad things’ on TV or over the radio station but parents also have their responsibilities of monitoring what their children watch and listen to,” said Ouma CLAN Executive Director added that children deserve protection from the state and urged the media to continue high-

lighting children’s issues. He said media does not just inform but shapes the opinion of the society.

Alarm sounded as trees remain endangered in Kiambu

By FELIX WANDERI Kiambu County is starting to feel the environmental impact of the booming building industry that is replacing former coffee plantations.

The red flag has been raised by James Rurigi, an aspiring Member of Parliament for Kiambaa, who is concerned that trees are also threatened by the many residential houses that are being built in the County that borders Nairobi.

He lamented that driving around the County, one will not fail to see how the number of trees has drastically reduced and have been replaced by concrete jungle in the name of massive ultra-modern real estate projects all along the Thika Superhighway between Nairobi and Thika town, 45 kilometres away.

Said Rurigi: “If you look around Kiambaa

Constituency trees are slowly vanishing since we cut down them down as well as the coffee bushes to pave way for the construction of real estates.”

Anniversary

He was addressing residents of Ndumberi during a tree-planting exercise in memory of the late Nobel laureate and environmentalist, Prof Wangari Maathai, to commemorate the first anniversary of her death.

Rurigi praised the late Assistant Minister for Environment for her campaign in starting the Greenbelt Movement and planting millions of trees across the country.

However, he regretted that in Kiambu trees were most endangered as developers cut them down to make room for residential houses. He appealed to the residents to plant

more trees on their farms to make up for the loss to protect the environment.

“We have nowhere to get a shade from the scorching sun other than from the buildings nearby because there are very few trees. As leaders, we should conserve our environment by educating people on the importance of environmental protection and beauty of nature,” noted Rurigi.

He challenged the youth in Kiambu to be involved in conserving the environment look after it. He observed: “During the 1960s and 1970s it was mandatory that young people plant trees and look after them. This is what we now want the youth to emulate.”

Rurigi explained: “I have travelled to other parts of Central Province where the culture of planting tress has not died like here in Kiambu.”

Ndumberi residents in Kiambu planting trees in commemoration of the late Prof Wangari Maathai. Picture: Felix Wanderi

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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Having fought for the independence, freedom fighter at risk of losing home

By LARRY KIMORI At 80 years old John Njenga, a Mau Mau war veteran reflects deeply that land conflict and resentment defined the colonial experience between the white settlers and Africans.

Njenga who fought the war that saw Kenya regain the land that was taken away by the colonial government, is now fighting another war that could see him lose his home.

The Octogenarian fears that if help does not come his way soon, he will die a miserable homeless man.

Threat

The freedom fighter is among 200 families who are facing another challenge. They are having sleepless nights because a neighbouring farmer has dug a huge dam for his flower farm which is a threat to their survival.

Njoro residents led by Molo MP Joseph Kiuna and Nakuru County Council Chairman Haze Kung’u have toured the site and requested Bliss Flora Company that owns the dam to line it with water proof linings to avert incidences of water seeping into neighbouring homes and farms.

So far, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has not come to their rescue and they are wondering where else to go for help.

Mzee Njenga is now among those who have lost their homes to the seeping water that has built a trench inside his bedroom.

He says that he settled in the area over 30 years ago having bought land that was enough to take care of his family.

A strong man in his youth, the old man has been reduced to a shell of his former self due to illness and old age. The freedom fighter vows that he is not ready to move out of his farmland that took him many years to develop.

“I do not have the energy to start rebuilding my life all over again,” he says in despair.

Once a fighter, Njenga also does not have the

energy to fight this big corporate that has eaten into his land and home.

All this is doing is reminding him of the war against the colonial government that saw him and other Kenyans take to the bush.

Njenga recalls that the colonialists settled in the fertile highlands outside Nairobi, an area which means ‘a place of cool waters’ in the Maasai language.

He fondly remembers how both the Maasai and the Kikuyu communities lost large parcels of prime land to the European settlers.

“The Africans’ resentment grew deeper with each acre lost and the inevitable conflicts were not addressed until independence in 1963,” he says.

Speaking to the Reject at his home in Njoro District, in the Rift Valley Province, Njenga notes that the foreign settlers slowly migrated to the countryside where they were lured by the prospect of acquiring virgin land.

Labour “Successful large-scale farming depended to a great extent on an adequate labour force, namely Africans. They, however, did not see any advantage or gain in working for the European encroachers,” says Njenga. He adds: “In response, the colonial authorities introduced hut taxes and other laws that forced the Africans into low-paying wage employment. This marked the introduction of a cash economy into a land dominated by the barter system.”

Incentive

He recounts that World War I provided a hiatus in white settlement but after the war Britain gained possession of this region under the Treaty of Versailles and began a policy of inequitable land distribution that further fuelled growing African resentment. ”The colonial Government offered land in the Kenyan highlands to war veterans as a reward but only white veterans, not African veterans received this gift,” recalls Njenga.

He says: “That incentive saw hundreds of settlers streaming into the country while on the other hand the number of Kenyans, led by the bitter Kikuyu, who were displaced, formed political groups that would fight for their ‘stolen’ land.”

The Mau Mau Movement began among the Gikuyu who shared the same grievances with fellow compatriots from other parts of the country.

“The pressure on the land increased and led to shortages of land among the Gikuyu. There were many settler farms in Gikuyuland taken up for European settlement,” Njenga recalls with bitterness. “World War II only increased African discontent as Kenyans fought side by side with their colonial masters. During the five year conflict Africans were exposed to many new influences and developed awareness about their rights,” the freedom fighter recalls.

John Njenga at his home in Njoro outside his “In 1952 the Mau Mau began damaged house after water seeping through from advocating violence against the colonial Government and white settlers. a nearby dam flouted NEMA regulation during its Jomo Kenyatta did not advocate for construction. Picture: Larry Kimori violence, but the colonial authorities farms. As British troops fought the Mau Mau in arrested him and five other Kenya the forests, the colonial Government took strict African Union (KAU) leaders in October 1952 measures against civilians. Many people were for allegedly being part of Mau Mau. The six leaddetained in concentration camps while others ers were tried and, in April 1953, convicted and were forced to live in ‘protected’ villages,” says sent to detention in Kapenguria,” recounts Mzee the veteran.

Njenga.

A shujaa or hero who should be respected an While Kenyatta was confined, the Mau Mau d accorded celebrity status, this is not the case for freedom fighters waged a serious guerrilla warthe veteran. The sleepless cold nights are slowly fare. Most of the fighting took place in the soeating into his life and heart and he knows that called white highlands in Aberdares (Nyandaif he does not die from a disease brought about rua), around Mt Kenya and in Nakuru District. by the water in his home, he will die from stress “There were attacks on police stations and brought about by the invasion. other Government offices as well as on settler

War veterans want Commission to prioritise resettlement

By WAIKWA MAINA Over half a decade later, surviving Mau Mau freedom fighters and their families still have hope that the land question, which made them go to the bush, would be resolved in their interests.

They are now looking up to the National Land Commission to start implementing the much awaited Lands Reform Policy.

Most of the surviving veterans have lived in squalor as squatters for the decades that have passed since Kenya attained independence. The war veterans had lost hope of ever getting land they could call their own after the Ndung’u Commission Land Report in 2003 was ignored by the Kibaki Government.

“Land is a major historical injustice in Mt Kenya region,” says Baragu Mutahi Human Rights Watch Coordinator Mt Kenya region.

He recalls how the colonial Government rounded up the Gikuyu community and forced them to settle in concentration camps to stop them from supplying food or other goods to Mau Mau fighters.

“They wanted to control the community’s movement not to associate with Mau Mau and tame those who wanted to join in the fight for freedom,” Mutahi explains.

After independence, Mau Mau fighters joined their families in the concentration camps, as their land was already taken away during land consolidation done in 1958.

“The justice system was not favour-

able for the Mau Mau fighters, their families and supporters, thus, those in villages watched as colonial supporters, the chiefs and home-guards took away their lands. Women who complained were raped or subjected to other forms of dehumanising punishment including digging of trenches and working on the chiefs’ and home guards’ homes for free.

“The situation was very tense after the fighters left the bushes only to find their wives had gotten children out of rape. It took a lot of effort to reconcile the families but the wounds are still there,” says Mutahi.

The freedom fighters had hoped that Kenya’s first president Jomo Kenyatta and his Government would address the injustice but this was never to be.

Efforts to get their land back have been fruitless forcing most of the veterans and their families to camp along the roadsides outside their previous farms, especially along Mathari and Nyeri township areas.

A former Catholic priest, Father Joachim Gitonga, says that the church was involved in the controversial land ownership in Nyeri County after it was unable to get land in Murang’a County, where it had first arrived.

Mutahi laments that his organisation and a cross section of residents had submitted these issues to the Ndung’u Land Commission but nothing came out of it.

According to Mutahi, the controversial report has now been overtaken

by events. However, he is still hopeful that the National Land Commission will finally address the issue.

“The Land Commission must be guided by our Constitution which is very clear on equality,” says Mutahi. He adds: “We cannot have some people who own land that they can only go round in a chopper while others are congested together in small colonialtype villages.”

Mutahi notes that the commission must ensure that justice is done and these people are settled once and for all.

“There was a tug of war as the churches fought for land and one of the mainstream churches moved to Nyeri on realising that all potential land was already occupied by the colonialist or their associates as well as other churches,” says Gitonga.

According to Field Marshal Muthoni Kirima: “We never got what we were fighting for, we wanted the white colonialists to give us back our land but it was taken away by their cronies as fighters took nothing home.” She notes: “We expected post-independence governments to address the issue but nothing has happened and families still live in shanties along the roadsides.”

Some of the squatters had moved to forests under the shamba system but the Government later evicted them in its efforts to conserve the forests and reduce human-wildlife conflict.

Mutahi says the squatters should have been considered for relocation just as other internally displaced Peo-

Filed marshal Muthoni Kirima in her house. She says we never got what we were fighting for from the colonialists.

Picture: Waikwa Maina ple (IDPs) and those evicted from Mau Forest.

“They are all Kenyans, I am shocked no one talks of these people while others are being compensated and reallocated lands,” says Mutahi.

He adds: “They should be considered along other evictees, they should not be discriminated, we have many Mau Mau squatter villages in Nyeri

county including Kiganjo, Kirichu which have more than 200 families within Nyeri township and Karatina among other areas. The Lands Commission must act on it and end the injustice,” he says.

The concentration camps were a colonial strategy of divide and rule to seclude and ensure they were in control of all movements.

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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Political realignment fuelling small arms proliferation

By HUSSEIN DIDO For close to half a decade of his life, Hassan Ali has witnessed the worst forms of clan wars and high handedness by security forces in North Eastern Province.

The 70-year-old pastoralist says in many most raids police and militia groups join forces to repulse back the attackers.

Ali is in charge of internally displaced persons at the sprawling Somare Camp in Moyale -Marsabit County that is hosting thousands of people who fled ethnic bloodbath that saw hundreds of people killed and their homes razed.

Ali and the IDPs are wallowing in abject poverty in Northern Kenya after the Government neglected them without offering shelter, food and medication.

“However, whenever the two forces succeed in recovering the livestock, credit is only given to the police,” says Ali. He says that unlike in other regions, security forces in his area cooperate with the locals and provide the community militias with food, water, transport and arms especially when they are pursuing raiders from rival communities.

Loot

A reliable source in Marsabit who declined to be identified for his own safety also revealed that some of the firearms causing mayhem in the region were from local Kenya Police Reservists, regular police officers or those illegally acquired and hired to bandits.

He further claimed that some officers have been hiring out their firearms to armed bandits at a fee and in return get a share of the loot.

Two months ago, armed bandits waylaid a fully-loaded truck transporting animals to Nairobi at Kamboi in Karare area, in Marsabit County and emptied it at gun point. Fortunately the driver and loaders sounded an alarm that was heard by the locals and area Administration Police who gave chase and caught up with the bandits. They were able to recover all the animals.

Two G-3 rifles were recovered from the suspects and taken to the police station where they were confirmed to have been registered and issued by the Government to Kenya Police Reservist officers in the area.

However, as of today, the suspects and owners of the rifle who are known by name have neither been arrested nor prosecuted because they are said to be well connected in the system.

Allegations

Last year, district peace committee members and the community were shocked to discover that some of the ammunitions used by the bandits to cause terror in the region were from the police officers who secretly supplied the suspects through brokers at a fee.

Some of the ammunitions supplied were the ones for the G3 and AK-47 rifles which were allegedly being sold at between KSh100,000 and KSh70,000 respectively.

When one visits the region, it is not odd to see police officers and bandits or Kenya Police Reservists dressed in police jungle gear. Some of them claim to have hired the uniforms at between KSh1,000 and KSh3,000.

The presence of illegal arms in the region has been an issue of concern and has fuelled deadly conflict between the pastoralist communities in the region.

Concern

The end result is the massacres, displacement, destruction of property and change in way of life forcing the victims to depend on relief food.

Critics have accused the Government of failing to come up with a clear policy on proliferation and misuse of small arms and light weapons which have contributed to escalation of violence in Northern Kenya.

So far, the most reliable information about that region is by officials of the Conflict Early Warning Response Mechanism stationed in Isiolo, Marsabit and Moyale.

Their latest tip to the Government was that communities and clans in the area had started restocking their firearms ready for cattle rustling and raiding neighbours.

According to Tumal Outa, officer in-charge of Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism Marsabit North conflict in the region was shifting from the normal raids into county politics where there are mysterious killings, raids and general insecurity.

“We are seeing chances of postelection violence likely to come up in this region as the communities’ realign and politicians take advantage of the situation,” says Outa.

In Marsabit, tension is rising ahead of the March 4, General Election as politicians are forming alliances and seeking to secure formidable voting blocs like was the case in the last polls.

In 2007 a faction of the minority groups formed an alliance called REGABU, an acronym for Rendille, Gabra and Burji that stood against the Borana.

were smuggled into the area through undesignated routes from Somalia through Elwak, Takab and Qadaduma and then to Moyale through the Ethiopian border during the night.

Somalia conflict

Some of these arms were the ones used in the conflict in Somalia while others were smuggled into the country through the Ethiopian side.

“A dealer who sought anonymity wanted to be mentioned said“ “It is difficult for the police to catch up with them because the routes are far from the border and it’s According to the data provided always but when they are arby the Marsabit Peace and Conflict rested the police demand for Resolution Committee, 45 people hefty bribes.”

From top: IDPs scramble for water after the Kenya Red Cross provided He said transporters use have been killed since January with collapsible water tank. Children playing at the Somare IDP camp. Some of 800 goats, 600 cattle and 140 camels several routes from to Moyale the neglected IDPs in their makeshift camps in Northern Kenya. where other dealers then transstolen.

Pictures: Hussein Dido Meanwhile, politicians in the port them using lorries that carry foodstuff as well as buses area have been trying to counter them. There were 8,289 assorted Isiolo and Moyale as a hotspot in the that alignment in order to survive and land cruisers.

The arms are dismantled and arms in2005 and the government de- coming General Election. in the devolved system of GovernAccording to data from Isiolo ment where the elected leaders will wrapped in polythene bags or kept in stroyed 3,859 while in 2007 and 2009 it destroyed 8,008 and 2,498 assorted Peace and Conflict Resolution Comhave control over resources and have bags. mittee the number of incidents and The dealers cross police barriers firearms respectively. a lot of influence at the County level.

The total number of arms de- killings reduced this year, with the The Reject also found out that re- by parting with KSh500 each and gional politics was a thorny issue in then smuggle the arms into Isiolo and stroyed so far in the past three events months of February and March recording 16 and 19 deaths respectively. the area which had led to conflicts later Nairobi and beyond for criminal stands at 22,634.

The total number of death since When contacted, Marsabit County in Marsabit and Moyale before with activities.

Some other small arms like the Commissioner Isaiah Nakoru said January was 54. claims that some politicians and communities were aligned to factions M-16 rifle are also being smuggled proliferation and misuse of small arms into the area from Uganda and used and light weapons contribute to the esin Ethiopia.

The data also indicated that 37 Regional monitors on conflict by the Samburu, Turkana and Pokot calation of violence in the region and raised concern that arms might cause people have been injured since Januearly warning in the area reveal in cattle raids and robberies. ary this year with 1,721 animals havmore conflicts. that when the demand for fire“Conflict in the region was chang- ing been stolen. arms is high in the area then prices In 2011, the committee recorded In 2003, the Kenya Government ing from normal banditry into county also shoot up with many arm dealers cashing in to make a quick kill. in its effort to eradicate misuse of politics. This has raised fears that the 61 people died, 56 others were injured In its investigation, the Reject also arms in the region carried out dis- communities might clash if politi- and 9,878 animals stolen while 7,105 established that some of the arms armament exercise and destroyed cians continue to polarise the situa- animals were recovered.

The communities are under threat the mopped up arms by burning tion,” noted Nakoru.

He added: “Ethnicity has been a from such factors as inadequate pochallenge where communities have licing, pressures on land and water deep rooted hatred for each other supplies and increasing insecurity particularly the Borana, Gabra and from proliferation of small arms and light weapon. Most of the pastoralist Rendille.”

He said hundreds of security offi- community’s value livestock than any cers will be deployed to the region be- other thing in the world and they alfore, during and after election to en- ways cherish big chunk of land where they graze and keep large number sure smooth and peaceful elections.

Already the National Cohesion and of animals for prestige and sense of — Tumal Outa.

Integration Commission has identified ownership.

Politics

Data

Mop-up

“We are seeing chances of post-election violence likely to come up in this region as the communities’ realign and politicians take advantage of the situation.”

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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Over 50 years in an IDP camp

Hassan Ali has lived to tell the tale of armed raids in Northern Kenya

By HUSSEIN DIDO At the age of 70, when he should be enjoying his sunset years, Hassan Ali remains an internally displaced person living in sprawling Somare Camp in Moyale-Marsabit County that is home to thousands of IDPs who fled ethnic bloodbath that saw hundreds of people killed and homes razed.

Ali says he has never known peace since he was born due to ethnic conflict where clans fight over land, pasture and water as well as cattle rustling that has been recurrent due to easy accessibility of small arms and light weapons through Kenya’s porous borders with Ethiopia and Somalia. He maintains that internal displacement has forced thousands of pastoralists from Northern Kenya to flee their homes for close to half a century.

The displacements have been as a result of ethnic conflict, drought, flood and resources as well as development.

It is estimated that there are between 200,000 and 400,000 people who have been displaced so far in the region according to an international organisation that deals with displacements.

Some of the IDPs have been integrated within the communities, while others continue to suffer in makeshift structures and camps in the region. He says the Government has failed to recognise them nor intervened to alleviate their suffering.

Challenges

The situation at the Somare IDP Camp is worrying and the latest records by Kenya Red Cross Society describing it as a “humanitarian crisis”.

The number of the displaced in one camp stood at 30,000 people. “I have never known peace since I was young and I have grown and dedicated my energy to protect my community within this camp,” “says Ali from the makeshift that serves as his home.

He says because of the poor living condition, they are also living in fear of marauding wild animals not to mention the chilling cold nights, lack of basic needs, shelter and clothing.

“The communities own the firearms as protection against attack and stealing of animals,” says Ali. Daaba constitutes perhaps one of the greatest single transformations of people from prosperity to penury that

is ever recorded in the post-colonial Kenya leading to mass displacement and destruction of property.

Arms trade in Northern part of Kenya has been an issue that the Government had failed to contain for years with the region inundated with a sea of arms.

The situation has been made worse by the increasing demand, supply and use of arms by the pastoralist communities with wealthy businessmen providing ready market and logistics in order to ensure that the gangs are trained in combat and use of sophisticated firearms. Wealthy businessmen in Isiolo, Moyale and Marsabit who have political influence commercialise cattle rustling business with the animals driven away and ending up in remote areas, across the borders and/or sold in neighbouring counties for slaughter in.

Arms

“We started owning guns a long time ago, it’s only that we started replenishing what we had with the new modern ones in order to protect and safeguard the interest of the communities through retaliations and restocking of the animals,” says Ali. He says the communities have gone through recurrent conflicts either as result of land, cattle theft or fight over water and pasture.

“The unique and beautiful thing about this region is that almost five out of ten in every village are armed with either an AK 47, G-3 and M16 rifle,’’ says Ali. He recalls one of the worst massacres in the region that occurred in Turbi, in North Hor whose former MP was the late Cabinet minister Dr Bonaya Godana. During the raid by an estimated 200 armed bandits, over 100 men, women and children were killed. “We will continue to fight and own guns unless the Government

A view of the Somare IDP camp.

Below: 70-year old Hassan Ali, an IDP Elder during the interview at the sprawling IDP camp.

Pictures: Hussein Dido comes up with favourable policies and disarms the communities once and for all to avert further killings,’’ notes Ali. In the past the communities had perfected tendency of revenge and counter revenge with endless killings and cattle raids.

“Last month heavily armed Garre militias were reported to have attacked and burnt down houses after overpowering their neighbours in an eight-hour gun battle that left four people dead and 12 others injured making us flee for safety,” he says.

In the dawn raid, the armed bandits struck and sprayed the village

“The unique and beautiful thing about this region is that almost five out of ten in every village are armed with either an AK 47, G-3 and M16 rifle.’’

— Ali Hassan.

with bullets and local armed vigilantes were overpowered by the attackers numbering 400 wielding sophisticated weaponry.

Safety

Ali and fellow villagers were forced to flee the area for safety as the youth were left behind to battle it out with the militias in a bruising battle which left both sides with causalities.

Indeed, the issue of conflict over water, pasture and land has been a historical problem inherited from generations gone by.

Dressed in traditional attire, the old man laughed at the thought that their children had to learn to use firearms while still in primary

schools in order to take up the challenge of protecting their loved ones.

“We cannot compare our militias to police because they own sophisticated arms but when it comes to real battle the police have no choice other than to cooperate or collude with brokers to supply them with arms for protection,” the old man reveals. Ali says in many instances when there are raids in a village, the police and the militia are on one side in the fight to repulse attackers. He says unlike other regions, police here collude with the locals and provide the community militias with food, water, transport and arms especially when they pursue raiders from rival communities.

With their IDs confiscated, IDPs will not vote Continued from page 1 Another victim of the ID problem is Esther Wangui, a mother of six who lives in Naka IDP camp in Uasin Gishu County.

Wangui and her children have been victims of various sicknesses because of harsh life at the camp and environment.

Her ID was retained at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital following her child’s admission at the facility. She risks missing out on the planned resettlement plan by the Government as an ID is mandatory before anyone can be allocated a piece of land and other benefits associated with the resettlement exercise.

Daniel Chege, a father of three, who also lives in the IDP camp, says his ID is among hundreds of others that are being held at the hospital due to unpaid medical bills.

“Today one cannot transact any business without an ID. It’s appalling when you visit some hospi-

tals and they refuse to treat you because you are an IDP, too poor to pay your bills. Without IDs we are unable to even receive money though our phones, own phones, open bank accounts or even settle bills,” says Chege.

He is pleading with the Government to assist them recover their IDs, which are vital documents by having the medical bills waived on humanitarian grounds.

The camp is holding 242 displaced families, mainly from Nandi Hills, who fled there at the height of the post-election violence that claimed over 1,200 lives and displaced over 300,000people.

However, contacted for comments, Dr Richard Mogeni, who is the North Rift Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacist and Dentists Union, (KMPPDU) secretary blamed the Government for not taking healthcare in the country seriously.

“Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital loses about KSh60 million a month in patients’ bills waiver because the Government’s healthcare fi-

nancing is very low,” notes Mogeni.

He observes: “The hospital has no option but to look for alternative ways of raising money to buy supplies such as cotton wool and other simple necessities that are supposed to be provided by the relevant ministry.”

According to Biden Karanja, assistant chairman at Naka IDP Camp a number of IDPs at the camp do not have their IDs because they deposited them as sureties with the hospital because they were unable failing to settle their bills.

“We are asking the Government to waive, r the bills and stop withholding IDs as this is punitive and making worse an already bad situation,” Karanja says.

The director of Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Dr John Kibosia says the allegations are baseless as the health facility treats even the street children for free saying they have no reason to discriminate against IDPs. “There is need to understand that Moi Teach-

ing and Referral Hospital does not offer medical services for free. Many people bring their relatives for medication here and we do not ask who they are before admitting them,” says Kibosia. He poses: “We treat even street families for free and why should we discriminate against IDPs?” Kibosia advised that the IDPs should first seek services from the district hospitals from where they would then be referred to Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital.

Meanwhile the Government says all the IDPs in Uasin Gishu will be resettled before the General Election.

According to the Eldoret East District Commissioner Onesmus Chatha plans are underway to ensure the resettlement chapter was closed.

Chatha says he was unaware of any IDP being discriminated against noting that if there were any it was purely between the hospital management and the displaced families.

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ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Land fraudsters in Kirinyaga target widows and the poor

By CAROLINE WANGECHI

By LINCOLN MWALE

Two widows recently entrusted a broker with the succession of their five-acre piece of land that belonged to their late husband.

According to Sarafina Karimi, the second wife, aged 64, the broker went ahead with facilitating the succession without their knowledge and had the property transferred to his name before he sold it to another party.

Documents available at the Land Registry indicate that the land was transferred on September 13, 2012 to one Peter Karani Kariru and its registration number is Kiine/Rukanga 1470 measuring five acres.

The senior widow Grace Wamaitha, aged 84, says their late husband Jacob Mbucho would have preferred to die again if he were to resurrect and find his family had been rendered landless by conmen.

The Reject caught up with the aged widows while reporting the matter to the Kerugoya CID offices.

The two widows are not the only victims who have fallen prey to fraudsters over land deals. As many Kenyans wait for the new land laws to be enacted.

Victims

More and more people are falling victim to fraudsters especially in Kirinyaga County where they have left many families destitute.

Following the increase in such incidents, Kirinyaga Central District Criminal department Investigation Officer Jeremiah Ikiao has raised a red flag over the incidents.

He said the tricksters were targeting the rich some of who were gullible and ready to do anything to acquire apiece of prime land.

“Hardly a day passes without people coming here crying for help after they have been conned of millions of shillings for non-existent land,” noted Ikiao.

The CID who launched investigations have arrested several suspects who have been arraigned in court.

“Unfortunately, it is these same criminals even after being charged in court , immediately return to con the public while others have about four pending cases of the same nature,” said Ikiao.

At the Kerugoya District lands registry, where it all starts and ends, the District Land Registrar, J. K. Muthee, confirmed fraudsters were on the increase.

He noted that every time a family reports an incident of conning to his office, he advised them to record a statement with the police because such events are criminal in nature.

Muthee expressed frustration noting that no matter how hard his office tries to educate the

public to keep off brokers but to deal with his office directly, most of them ignore only to get into trouble later.

While expressing concern over the high incidents involving land fraud, Ikiao said the conmen normally target farms which are idle or those whose owners have not settled on them.

“Since demand for land in this County is very high, would-be buyers are easily tempted and quickly fall prey to the fraudsters,” explained Ikiao.

As one drives from Kerugoya to Embu, one comes across sign boards erected strategically on farms along the highway with warnings: “Land not for sale beware of fraudsters and conmen.”

Target

Despite the enactment of the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (2010), popularly referred to as the Mututho Laws, brewing and consumption of illicit drinks in Taita-Taveta County remains a major challenge.

Many families are facing challenges because of alcoholism especially among men who are supposed to the breadwinners.

A recent survey in the country shows that introduction of stringent laws that regulate the selling and drinking of alcohol had contributed to an increase in the consumption of cheap illicit brews after the price of bottled drinks were increased by the Minister for Finance, Robinson Githae.

Traders in Taita Taveta County say the increase in beer prices had been brought about by the increase in license fees imposed on beer sellers and this has forced low end drinkers to seek alcoholic drinks from illicit brew dens.

However, regular raids at the dens in the outskirts of Voi, especially in Mabomani, Sofia, Mwakingali, Tanzania, Karaoke Mazeras and Bondeni slums, have been carried out in the recent past.

However, according to Voi chief Habel Mwangemi most of those brewers serve time or pay the fines and then return to brewing and selling the drinks.

Suspicion

A signboard indicating that the piece of land is not for sale. Sarafina Karimi and Grace Wamaitha the two widows whose land was sold by a surveyor who had promised to help them subdivide the land after their husband died. Pictures: Caroline Wangechi

Ikiao noted that the tricksters were also targeting motor vehicle owners who fall prey after being told they could use the cars as collateral to secure loans to buy prime land.

“It appears there is a syndicate involving land and motor vehicle fraudsters in this County but I am warning the gang that its days are numbered,” warned Ikiao.

Recently an area parliamentary aspirant was swindled off his hard earned money by the fraudsters claiming that they would get him a piece of land within Kerugoya-Kutus municipality. The matter was reported to the DCIO and it is under investigations.

However, the Land Registry was blamed for allowing brokers to operate with tacit sup-

port from some senior officers at the Ministry of Lands.

Some residents, who did not wish to be identified, claimed the registry was controlled by a powerful cartel of brokers who bribed the officers to use shortcuts and to defraud the public.

“Unless the entire Kerugoya Land Registry is cleaned up, more poor families are likely to be thrown out of their shambas into the cold,” said one resident.

Ikiao observed that the most vulnerable were widows and the poor in the County.

However, he has vowed to crash the gang once and for all and urged families whose land may have been lost through such tricks to report to his office immediately.

Western Province tops in alcohol abuse licit brew compared to the national

By TITUS MAERO Western Province has registered increased usage of illicit brew in the recent past.

According to John Muturi, Senior Programme Officer at the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA) Authority consumption of chang’aa tops at 76.7 per cent, wines and spirits 39.5 per cent, bhang 22.9 per cent, heroine 6.1 per cent and cocaine 4.8 per cent.

“The age bracket of those using the drugs ranged from 15-65 years depending on the substance noting that 13.9 per cent of people use il-

Illicit brewers on the rise as police turn a blind eye

statistics of 19.8 per cent,” Muturi said.

Addressing a NACADA stakeholder’s forum at the Kakamega Golf Hotel, Muturi noted that the objective of the two-day event was to provide statistics on the magnitude of alcohol and drug abuse in Western Province.

He said: “In addition to getting data it was imperative to highlight the predisposing factors and protective factors to alcohol and drug abuse in the society.”

He noted that drug consumption is a global problem that needed to be confronted from all sides.

According to Muturi, their records show that consumption of illegal brews had severe consequences which affect every sector of the society, including health care, agriculture, education, transport and the criminal justice system.

He noted that Western Province was leading in the devastating impact of alcohol and drug abuse.

At the national level with regards to consumption of drugs Nairobi was leading in chang’aa consumption having 7.2 per cent, Western (7.1 per cent), Nyanza (6.2 per cent), Rift Valley (5.5 per cent), Eastern (2.1 per cent), Coast (1.3

per cent), Central (0.1 per cent) and North Eastern (0 per cent).

Nacada noted that individual level of predisposition to alcohol and drug abuse is due to pressure from peers, lack of guidance and counselling, curiosity, unemployment leading to idleness, lack of self-control and poor coping skills as well as frustration and stress.

He said protective factors include engaging the youth in income generating activities, creating awareness on the effects of drugs, self-discipline, and use of recreational facilities to reduce idleness and adhering to religious teachings.

“Some of the brewers go back to the practice even after being fined in court which makes me suspicious that they could have other ways of meeting the loss incurred,” Mwangemi.

According to Eileen Mwaita, Voi educationist and counsellor alcoholism was quietly and slowly wrecking the social fabric of the society. She called for serious interventions to be taken before it becomes too late.

“We cannot bury our heads in the sand and assume that the menace of alcohol abuse will just go away. Concerted efforts by the Government, churches, civil society and youth groups is needed to stem the problem,” noted Mwaita.

She observed that there was an urgent need to build a rehabilitation centre in the County that would help in assisting alcohol addicts abandon the habit.

According to Peter Kwaze, chairman of Voi Community Policing Initiative, which has been working hand in hand with Government officials in fighting the menace, the war against illicit brews must be sustained as it poses a health risk to the consumers.

“Even though no one has died from consuming the brews in Voi so far, this has happened in other parts of the country we cannot assume all is well,” said Kwaze. He added: “The war against illicit brew must be sustained.” said he noted that in some homes especially those being run by single mothers, schoolgoing girls were being used by their mothers as baits for drunken patrons who abuse them sexually.

Distinction

However, according to an elder in Voi, the Government must draw the line between illicit brews and traditional liquor such as m’bangara.

“M’bangara is a local traditional drink brewed in line with local Taita culture and must not be criminalised,” noted the elder.

Some leaders in Taita-Taveta County feel that the war against the illicit brews cannot be won because of corruption within security enforcement agencies who take “protection fees” to shield brewers and sellers from the long arm of the law. The most common illicit brews in Taita-Taveta County are chang’aa, m’bangara and miti ni dawa.

In Voi, raids are regularly conducted in the outskirts of the town where the drinkers flock to quench their thirst and beat the law after the introduction of the stringent Mututho Laws. Those taken to court are fined up to KSh30,000 each as a deterrent.

A mother of four who is a brewer at Mabomani Village in Voi said she was forced to brew and sell the drinks due to lack of an alternative means of earning a living.

“The Government has been denying me relief food even though I have no source of livelihood. This has forced me to sell m’bangara,” she lamented.

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

7

Drug addicts urged to register to combat stigma

By CAROLYNE OYUGI More women are expected to come out and get free syringes that will be provided by the Government through National Agency for the Campaign Against Drugs (NACADA) any time from now.

The syringes are to be distributed to approximately 46,000 drug users at the Coast and in Nairobi in order to reduce the spread of HIV and other blood-borne illnesses through sharing of needles.

According to Coast Provincial Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Anisa Omar, about 40 per cent of intravenous drug users are women.

Omar links this to the fact that most women are shy about revealing that they are drug addicts because of fear of stigma.

“That attitude has made many of them not seek counselling services or go to the rehabilitation centres even when they know that they need the professional services,” noted Omar.

She said all is not well and regretted that the programme to offer syringes to drug users has been with a lot of opposition from religious leaders and anti-drug campaign activists.

Efforts

According to Famau Mohammed, one of the activists, the programme will water down their efforts to reduce or even eradicate drug use in Coast Province.

“I wonder what message these people will pick if one day you tell them to stop drug use and the next one you give them free syringes to inject themselves,” observed Mohammed.

Indeed, drug use and trafficking is a big problem at the Coast and a cross section of leaders and residents have been holding demonstrations against the drug dealers who are accused of working closely with some powerful leaders in the country.

Mohamed noted that what is needed is not free supply of syringes to the addicts but a proactive action to reduce the number of new people being addicted.

He expressed fears that the new programme might attract non-users instead of discouraging them.

On his part, Dr Frank Njenga, chairman NACADA defended the programme saying it will be implemented through rehabilitation centres where clear records would be kept of anyone receiving the free syringes.

“This will ensure that we have detailed health records of the recipients.

We will also do a formal evaluation and assessment,” said Njenga. He added: “It will also give us a clear picture of the trends. In case there are new intravenous drug users we will know them and they will be helped at the rehabilitation centres through counselling and advice.”

Omar accused critics of the programme of misleading the public about its merits and demerits.

Rehabilitation

“It is a comprehensive counselling programme that includes provision of antiretroviral drugs to HIV positive clients, condoms and medication for tuberculosis.

We have these people’s interest at heart,” noted Njenga.

Omar concurred saying that those involved in the intravenous drug users programme will be put in rehabilitation centres and replacement therapy.

“To avoid withdrawal symptoms they will also be put on Methadone injection,” said Omar.

Some of the intravenous drug users are also against the programme. Susan*, a 27-year old confessed drug-user fears that it will lead to an increase in the number of intravenous drug users in the country.

“I know people who are not using drugs because they do not have the needles and syringes and I fear that they might start using them,” said Susan.

She believes that the three needles and syringes given per day might be too much for them. “My three friends and I are sharing one needle and syringe and yet we get the satisfaction.

Since most of us are unemployed we might be tempted to sell them,” she added.

Positive change

Another addict, Joshua Mokazi 45year old resident of Malindi, says he has been an intravenous drug user for the past 15 years. He sees the situation as complicated and hopes the initiative will bring positive change.

“We are hated in the society and some people have even started drawing and painting graphics that stigmatise us,” Mokazi said giving an example of graphics that are written under a pier at Baobab area in Malindi.

Mokazi noted that some of the intravenous drug users will not be willing to be recruited into the programme because they think it is a trial programme since Coast Province has the highest number of drug addicts in the country.

“They do not want to be the guinea pigs,” he said.

Council’s-opinion

Some intravenous drug users interviewed said they support the programme but fear that drug barons will have a field day because they are assured of having customers.

Susan selling ornaments in Malindi at the pier. She is among thousands Others who are opposed to of drug users who will benefit from free syringes and needles to be the programme include Archdistributed by the government. Below: bishop Boniface Lele of the Mombasa Catholic Diocese and the an artwok on drug abuse under the pier. Pictures: Carolyne Oyugi Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya. public health issue rather than a crimisaid Khalifa.

The council, through the National According to the Government nal matter. Some critics even argue Organising Secretary Sheikh Moham- records, Mombasa has over 26,000 that the programme is illegal because med Khalifa, issued a statement say- youth who inject drugs, with one out it encourages support of acts defined ing: “The programme is against the of every four being found to be HIV as criminal under the Penal Code inspirit of Kenya’s anti-narcotics laws be- positive. In Nairobi, there are 20,000 cluding taking drugs and trading in cause distribution of free needles and youths who are intravenous drug us- narcotics. syringes will encourage drug abuse.”

So far, the Government has chosen ers.

The council maintained that drug Injecting drugs has been linked to to ignore the critics and will proceed abuse was an issue of morals which four per cent of national HIV infec- and distribute the eight million syringcould not be instilled through legisla- tions, and 17 per cent of new infections es and needles in a bid to reduce the tion. in Coast Province annually. Mean- transmission of diseases and discour“We can only eradicate the evil of while, the Ministry of Public Health age more people using drugs and makdrugs through religious conviction,” maintains that drug addiction is a ing drug barons richer.

Diabetes campaign takes up mobile phones

By NICOLE WAITHERA People who are diabetic can now receive alerts on the disease through Short Message Services (SMS).

This is through a campaign dubbed “tuzungumuze kisukari” aimed at improving public access to information on diabetes in Kenya.

This, according to experts, is because many people are unaware of the general information on the disease.

The three-month massive campaign will run from October to December this year.

The campaign is an initiative of the International Media Support (IMS) and will target about 20 million people.

“Patients will now be receiving SMS alerts, reminders from clinics, polls and surveys on issues like treatment and drugs. This aims at educating people more about the condition,” said IMS project assistant Tonnie Mwangi.

He added that they intend to create a resource page which comprises of downloads, links, documents relevant and of interest to diabetes patients.

According to Dr Gaman Mohammed, a diabetologist, three out of 100 hundred people in rural Kenya have the disease.

The number is higher in urban areas as one out of every 100 in urban area is living with the condition.

Dr Gaman says the number could be higher as many people have not undergone tests for the

disease.

He attributed this to being overweight, over indulgence in alcohol and tobacco use and the lack of exercise especially in the urban areas.

“Many people allow stress to bring them down. Coupled with an unhealthy diet, diabetes becomes a very serious disease,” he added.

According to Dr Patrick Waihenya of the Ministry of Public Health, the disease can live in your body for more than ten years before one realises that they are suffering from it.

He called on people to go for testing; arguing that it is the only way people can know their status.

“Many people believe that this is the disease of the rich. They fail to go to hospital and when they do it is already too late. We hope that peo-

ple can take precaution measures before it is too late,” he added.

A beneficiary of the project, Godfrey Kimani who has been living with the disease for 12 years welcomed the move. He said that it was important for diabetes patients to be informed of the progress in the disease.

“Sometimes, what is more important is just hearing someone come and ask you how your day was. I am glad that I get this through the SMS daily. It gives me a reason to hold on and hope to live longer,” he added.

The Campaign has been sponsored by the World Diabetes Foundation, The Kenya Diabetes Management and Information Centre, The Ministry of Public Health And The Kenya Correspondents Association.

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ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Envoy roots for a peaceful poll

By OCHIENG JUMA The Japanese Ambassador to Kenya Toshihisa Takata has called on politicians to preach peace as they continue to campaign for elective positions in the forthcoming General Election.

Speaking during the ground breaking ceremony of Rural Water Supply Phase II project in Yatta Constituency, Machakos County, Takata noted that political temperatures in the country were on the rise and that Kenyans should ensure peace prevails.

He urged Kenyans to work together to ensure the country develops politically and economically. “As the general election scheduled for March draw nearer, political temperature will inevitably rise. By working together, Kenyans will achieve a lot. By being hostile towards yourselves, Kenyans will lose a

lot,” said Takata. He added: “Kenya is capable of rising high and moving forward if all exercise peace.”

He reiterated that the international community will continue to work closely with the country to ensure peaceful elections come 2013.

“The international community, including Japan, is looking forward to free, fair and Water and irrigation minister Charity Ngilu chats with Japan peaceful elections Ambassador Toshihisa Takata during the groundbreaking and will continue ceremony at Yumbuni Secondary in Yatta Constituency, to work closely with Machakos County. Picture: Ochieng Juma Kenya to make this possible,” he stressed.

Takata, who was Delta and Northern Kenya ensure peace and security for accompanied by Water min- was because of scarcity of Kenyans in arid and semiister Charity Ngilu, noted water resources. He said Ja- arid areas through provision that the clashes that were re- pan was working closely with of clean and safe water to the cently experienced in Tana the Government of Kenya to residents.

Sports used to promote peace and security in Marakwet

By KAKAI MASEGA Football is being used as a tool to fight insecurity which is rampant in the area. Many youths are kept busy during the school holidays and there has been a decrease in crime.

It is for this reason that donors, leaders and well-wishers in Elgeyo Marakwet County are being called upon to support teams from the county participating in sports. According to Ezekiel Sakwa, networking partnership and liaison officer for Kerip, a local non-governmental organisation donors and leaders should support the football teams financially so they can rise to play at the national level.

Sakwa noted that Kerip has trained youth on alternative livelihood and will link active football teams to get assistance.

“Football has changed our

boys for the better. We want to make sure that we uplift the football standard of the teams,” he said. The coordinator of Kapcherop Youth Peace Initiative Nicholas Kirwa thanked Anderson Chirchir, an athlete for sponsoring the last December tournaments.

He said: “The event will be conducted annually with the aim of bringing the youth together to promote and maintain peace through sports.”

Kirwa praised Kipteber, Kiplaketet, Kapkanyar and Tembu football teams for shinning during the recent holiday tournaments.

According to Sakwa many people have benefited from sports because of their talent.

The Manager for the Great Rift Valley Development Initiative David Krop promised to support local teams.

Ghost of MRC threatens to disrupt peaceful Taita Taveta

By ROBBY NGOJHI Residents of Taita Taveta County are proud of saying it has made a name for being a haven for peace and tranquillity in the country.

It was because of this welcoming heart from the locals, the County is home to thousands of other Kenyans who have relocated and settled down on their farms, while others have ventured into business and mining sectors.

The County is one of the few places where various communities are known to coexist peacefully with the locals.

Most of the businesses in the hospitality industry as well as mining and property in Mwatate, Wundanyi, Voi and Taveta are owned by none locals. However, following the post-election violence of 2007 that took ethnic line no one seems ready to leave anything to chance, not even in Taita Taveta County.

In the post-election violence about 1,200 Kenyans were killed, thousands more injured, over 300,000 people displaced. There were also reported and unreported cases of sexual violence.

Today as political temperatures mount some people are wondering whether the country will hold peaceful elections in March next year.

A cross section of residents interviewed in Taita gave different views over the forthcoming elections saying they were not sure if polls will be peaceful.

Business

“I have known Taita as a peaceful place but nonetheless I am planning to close down my business and travel back to Kitui before the political campaigns reach a climax. I cannot take chances,” says Anthony Kioko, a middle-aged man who sells a mitumba (second hand) clothes in Voi town.

Apart from the tension resulting from the past experience, the emergence of the controversial Mombasa Republican Council (MRC), which is urging Coastal residents to boycott then the forthcoming elections is adding more anxiety as the election date draws nearer.

In the past month, thousands of

leaflets are alleged to have been distributed in Kwale, Mombasa and parts of Taita Taveta warning of bloodshed if elections were held there.

There is also a growing concern over boundary issues where leaders in Taita Taveta are raising eyebrows about the alleged hiving off of Mtito Andei and parts of Tsavo East National Park to Mtito Andei Ward of Kibwezi East Constituency in Makueni County as well as hiving off of Mackinon Road town to Mackinon Road Ward of Kinango Constituency in Kwale County.

Despite the tension and anxiety, a youth group in Wundanyi is on a mission to promote and maintain peace during the campaigns and after the elections.

Rights

Taita Taveta Youth Forum for County Aid and Development (TYFCAD) is made up of 25 members, aged between 18 and 30 years. According to Nelly Ilaoh, the group’s chairperson and spokesperson top on their agenda is a component they term as “Supporting Active Participation in Peaceful and Fair Elections at the Coast (SAFE Coast) project”. ”In the project we reach out to residents at the grassroots and educate them about their right to participate in elections and we also stress on the importance of peace during elections,” explains Ilaoh.

She says that most of the peace programmes target the youth because they are vital players in the electoral cycle and programmes.

Through outreach programmes in the villages, the group is equipping

youth with entrepreneurial skills to enable them create self-employment and become self-reliant. She observes that this has gradually helped to eradicate poverty among jobless youth and set them free from manipulation by politicians during the electioneering period.

“The youth constitute two-thirds of the Kenyan population and most of them are jobless. The same youth Participants get entertained are also misused when poliduring the Supporting Active ticians want to push for their Participation in Peaceful and Fair agenda. We seek to stop this by empowering them with Elections at the Coast (SAFE Coast) knowledge to earn a decent project. Below: National Cohesion and Integration Commission living,” says Ilaoh.

(NCIC) commissioner in charge The group was estabof Coast Halakhe Waqo who says lished in 2008 and has been dialogue is the only solution to working in conjunction with resolve MRC issues.

Voi Youth Forum with supPictures: Robby Ngojhi port from USAID. Tyfcad also carries out projects like education has been a challenge. However, through listening where they educate they have overcome this by the public, mostly the youth, on how ensuring the programmes are they can keep off from the drug and lively through drama, entersubstance abuse. tainment, road shows and live music.

Tyfcad has many members According to Adalla Dulla, coordi- who are creative and come up nator education through learning pro- with themes focusing on drug gramme they also speak openly to the abuse, constitutional issues and youth how to prevent and or manage peaceful elections. They also HIV and Aids have a component for shows where tal“We encourage the youth to keep off ented youth are given a chance to show drugs because in most cases the youth case their flair in comedy, singing and are easily manipulated while they are dancing while sticking to the agreed on under influence of drugs,” notes Dulla. themes.

He admits that attracting crowds of Meanwhile, a National Cohesion youth to listen and attend their forums and Integration Commission (NCIC)

HIV and AID

”In the project we reach out to residents at the grassroots and educate them about their right to participate in elections and we also stress on the importance of peace during elections.”

— Nelly Ilaoh

commissioner in charge of Coast Halakhe Waqo, says engaging groups like MRC in dialogue is the only sure way to finding a lasting to the problem.

According to Waqo the historical injustices at the Coast that MRC wants addressed cut across the whole country and the Government needs to act with speed to have them resolved amicably before the situation gets out of hand.

“Dialogue is the only way to have these crisis resolved and the Government must act with speed before the situation gets out of hand,” says Waqo.

He said the NCIC is engaging the group in dialogue and expressed hope that their discussions will bear fruit soon for the good of the region and the country as a whole.

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

9

Africa gets another Greening ambassador Hajjat Sebyala recognised for her efforts to protect the environment

By HENRY OWINO Soft-spoken Hajjat Aphwa Kaawase Sebyala is a leader, mentor and a perfectionist businesswoman who leads from the front. Sebyala is a household name thanks to her being an environmental champion in Uganda.

She ensures trees and other forests are protected from destruction by human activities. Sebyala was recently among 200 delegates from 30 African countries who attended a conference on environmental conservation in Nairobi The meeting was organised by the Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC) and held at the Desmond Tutu Conference Centre, All African Conference of Churches (AACC).

Sebyala represented Uganda at the forum which brought together religious leaders and their organisations as well as environmental activists.

Conservation

In her speech, she encouraged African countries to conserve the environment by planting more trees and urged the use of modern conservation jikos. She also called for the youths to be educated on the fundamentals of having green vegetation.

Sebyala urged politicians to support efforts by faith-based organisations in promoting environmental issues saying: “If there is political will in Africa then the continent will move from where it is now to be the promised land.’’

During the regional conference, the environmentalist was among the delegates feted with a certificate of environmental conservation in Africa.

Indeed, Sebyala is passionate about the environment, something that has made her a darling among donors and conservationists just like Kenya’s Nobel Peace Prize winner the late Prof Wangari Maathai was.

As the African Climate Change ambassador, Sebyala is not only a climate change advocate in her own country but has extended her jurisdiction to cover Ethiopia, Nigeria, Sudan and Kenya.

In an interview, the environment ambassador notes that the recent increase in industrialization and deforestation has accelerated the rate of global warming in Africa. “Climate change is a great threat to humanity

today with many adverse effects on lives and property through the shift in rainfall patterns, drought, flooding, and landslides that have also accelerated the spread of diseases like Malaria,” says Sebyala.

She has planted close to one million trees since February 2010 when she officially began the work in Uganda. Due to her considerable efforts, she was identified by the British Council who confirmed her as the African Climate Change Ambassador.

To ensure that the good work does not fade away but is sustained even after the British Council leaves, she has set aside a tree planting day dubbed “Greening-Friday”.

“Greening Friday is a special sermon in particular mosques in Uganda on Fridays dedicated to environment teachings where the Muslim community are taught about importance of environment conservation after which every believer is given seedlings to plant as part of their prayer routine and is ceremonial,” explains Sebyala.

The environmental ambassador says that in Uganda the project is popular and for this she has earned herself another name ‘Hajjat of the Trees’.

She is not working alone but has also involved various religious leaders — Muslims and Christians — to ensure the project expands in the whole of Uganda.

“If there is a disaster such as climate change everybody is affected equally, this is why we must work in harmony to prevent it,” Sebyala emphasises. She adds: “I involve everybody including those from Christian families in the project and we are getting to learn even more about the teachings of other religions.”

Initiative

Sebyala initiated and encouraged the Mufti (Islamic scholars) of Uganda to institute ‘Greening Fridays’ which are dedicated to honouring the environment. These have been a success since they were started three years ago. As a recognised Climate Change Ambassador in Africa for the British Council, Sebyala was in Nairobi last year to attend an important Alliance of Religions and Conservation organized conference on long term environmental planning for 2011.

Meanwhile, she has since established the Gomba Women Greening Project in Uganda in partnership with Alliance of Religions and Conservation.

The project trains women leaders from local mosques and churches to plant trees and engage in environmentally friendly income generating activities, such as agro-forestry and bee-keeping.

Hajjat A. K. Sebyala, Ugandan Environmentalist Champion receives her certificate of award for being at the forefront in protecting the environment and creating awareness around it.

Picture: Henry Owino This has seen one of the mosques in Kampala distribute over 30,000 seedlings to community based groups. In other countries she has managed to tour for instance such as Mecca in Saudi Arabia, it is a

criminal offence to even pluck out a leaf from any tree.

“African countries are still far from reality in implementing such rules but could counter it by planting several trees,” she says.

Conflicts pose biggest threat to development

By TITUS MAERO Whenever disasters and conflicts strike, the Government is forced to divert resources meant for development to address the challenges posed.

According to the national chairman Association of Disaster Management and Conflict Resolution of Kenya, Prof Sibilike Makhanu, in times of disaster and conflict the Treasury is forced to divert funds from the development kitty to mitigate against them such as was the case in the post-election violence of 2007.

“Under such circumstances, the Government has continued to divert resources from development pri-

orities in order to address challenges caused by disasters and conflict,” noted Makhanu.

He pointed out fire outbreaks, road accidents, landslides, floods, collapsed buildings, earthquakes and tremors and drought as matters of concern.

Speaking at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology), in Kakamega County, Makhanu observed that human beings cannot avoid natural disasters but are able to reduce them through planning and being prepared.

Makhanu who is also the Deputy Vice Chancellor in Charge of Administration and Finance said it was in the best interest of the Government

to have a strategy and programmes to address disaster management in order to achieve sustainable development.

He said the association was designing short-term courses on disaster management such as peace-building, conflict resolution, risk reduction, vulnerability assessment and disaster preparedness.

The Association is also currently lobbying to have the Disaster Management Bill debated and legislated

by Parliament before the next General Elections.

It is also partnering with other civil society organisations to apply pressure on the law-makers to expedite debate on the Bill.

Makhanu expressed concern that disasters were on the rise and were causing damages worth billions of shillings in addition to loss of lives and maiming of victims.

“There is an urgent need to address the challenges through legislation and sound programmes,” Makhanu reiterated.

He noted the relationship between disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation as being a symbiotic one, and if adaptation of climate change could be developed, then climate related disasters could be reduced. ”Conflict resolution is another important part of managing natural

challenges,” said Makhanu. He added: “Most other human conflict could be attributed to water and pasture related issues in the arid and semi-arid areas of the country.”

The Association will continue to work closely with the Office of the Prime Minister’s Environment and Climate Change Unit to raise the profile of climate change as a national challenge and also educate Kenyans about it.

Currently, the Association is facing financial challenges and Makhanu appealed to the Government and donors to support them so that their activities and programmes are neither frustrated nor suspended.

10

ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Ombudsman meets with rot in public offices in Nyeri

By JOSEPH MUKUBWA A team from the office of the Commission on Administrative Justice, also known as the Ombudsman were shocked when they visited a Government office in Nyeri town only to wait for an hour before its doors could be opened to the public at 9 am.

The Commission led by the Chairman Otiende Amollo, said after a spot check in several offices in the morning, they realised that many Government offices do not open on time at the specified 8 am.

Negligence

They also visited the Lands office in the town which was not any better as they opened it at 9.30 am. The team also heard most of the officers using vernacular language during official communications in their respective offices which is discourteous. Amollo was accompanied by fellow commissioners including vice chairperson commissioner Saadia Mohamed.

“There was a misleading notice which was pinned there two years ago which stated that the office operates

from 10 am to 1 pm. We were very shocked when the staff told us that they forgot to remove it although it is two years old,” Amollo noted.

He said some public institutions are characterised by undue delays, abuse of authority, discourtesy, inefficiency, corruption, ineptitude, manifest injustice and misbehaviour among other vices. He added that the gate of the Nyeri law courts opens late yet those going there must know which court to go to by 9 am. He noted: “The courts should be opened by 8 am in order to give time for preparations.”

The Commission has since rolled out the first phase of its nationwide campaign that will see it visit 11 counties including Garrisa, Nyeri, Lodwar, Eldoret, Kisii, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nakuru, Machakos, Mombasa and Kilifi.

The Commission was, however, happy that the provincial police headquarters was acting efficiently and on time.

The county visits are aimed at enabling Kenyans to actively participate in democratic and good governance in pursuit of social goods and services.

“Kenyans at the grassroots should demand integrity, responsiveness, trans-

parency, accountability and efficiency from people who have been given an opportunity to serve,” said Amollo.

The establishment of the commission was borne out of endemic institutional and systematic failures in the Kenyan public sector.

Central deputy Provincial Commis-

sioner Francis Sila who accompanied the commissioners urged the Commission to decentralise its offices since there were land cases that needed arbitration.

“Lateness and insecurity should not be entertained in the public offices,” said Sila.

Government acts to ease burden of care for orphans

By EVANS KANINI The situation of orphans and vulnerable children is an issue of national concern and is bordering on being a national tragedy.

Currently, there are over 2.4 million orphans in the country, 47 per cent have been orphaned as a result of Aids, and many more remain vulnerable due to several other factors.

According to senior officials of the Department of Children’s Services in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, the world should extend a hand of hope to the orphans.

Children affected by HIV and Aids are vulnerable long before their parents die.

“Girls, in particular, assume caring responsibilities for their ailing parents besides caring for their siblings,” say the officials.

They note that the with the weakening extended family systems, most children find themselves without proper social support upon the death of their parents.

Needs

This then denies the children a chance to access basic needs such as proper health care, education, shelter and nutrition.

“Orphans suffer stigma, stress and trauma, in addition to loss of parental love, care and protection and are often disinherited,” they observe.

HIV and the Aids pandemic compounded with high poverty levels and the post-election violence of 2007-2008, have aggravated the situation of orphaned and vulnerable children in Kenya.

The above situation exposes the orphans and vulnerable children to different forms of abuse and exploitation; physical abuse,

defilement, sexual exploitation, child labour, and early marriages, while more flock to streets to fend for themselves.

That situation has diminished their capacity to participate in matters affecting their life. Indeed, cases of child abuse have become a common feature in the Kenyan society with only a few of these, being reported to the relevant authorities.

However, many remain unreachable and this is the reason for further appeal, for more concerted efforts from all and sundry, to squarely address the plight of orphans and vulnerable children.

Nyeri residents getting a raw deal from public servants

By ALLAN MURIMI

While civil servants are public servants who should be delivering service to the common man and woman, this is not the case in Nyeri.

A recent tour by the Commission on Administration of Justice discovered that civil servants in the region report to work late and have no courtesy. The Commission also noted that government offices displayed service charters which the workers do not follow.

Commission chairman Otiende Amollo regretted that most public offices in the region were opened late at the expense of members of the public.

“We have noted that public servants in Nyeri are operating like in the old times when getting services from a Government office was treated as a favour,” he said.

Amollo noted that the Nyeri courts open their gates at 9 am when court sessions are supposed to start.

Confusion

Family

The Government recognises that the institution of the family is the best for proper growth and socialisation of children, hence emphasis on interventions for orphaned and vulnerable children at the household level.

Through the National Plan of Action for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children the Government has identified several priority strategic areas as key for intervention.

The Government advises all stakeholders to ensure that the quality of services given to orphaned and vulnerable children dignifies and offers them hope for a bright future.

In this regard, the National Plan of Action for Orphaned and Vulnerable Children spells a minimum package for support that is age-oriented.

“This is in recognition that orphaned and vulnerable children are not a homogeneous population, but like other children, their needs change with their physical, emotional and mental growth.”

Through the advisory council, the Government has a responsibility to ensure that the plight of or-

From left Commission on Administrative Justice chairman Otiende Amollo, Central Deputy PC Francis Sila and vice chairperson commissioner Saadia Mohamed during the county visit in Nyeri town recently. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa

A group of orphaned children. They often suffer from stigma, trauma, abuse and lack of parental love and guidance.

Picture: Evans Kanini phans is not exploited by unscrupulous persons/ institutions that purport to be providing support to orphaned and vulnerable children but end up enriching themselves or abusing the orphans.

The community also has a primary role in safeguarding the rights of orphans in their midst.

Meanwhile, the Government through Department of Children Services with support from development partners has been implementing a Cash Transfer Programme for Orphans and Vulnerable Children to extremely poor households taking care of them.

The programme has been implemented in some locations of the 47 old administrative districts and is currently covering 45,815

households.

The existing Area Advisory Councils have been further strengthened to take up the responsibilities of this programme at the districts levels.

There are other government ministries that have services that target all children including the orphaned and vulnerable children such as in health and education.

This also calls for enhanced collaboration and networking among all stakeholders for meaningful impact and proper utilization of the available resources.

“As a nation, communities, families and individuals as well as divine intervention are necessary to provide appropriate care and protection to all the orphans and vulnerable children.”

Speaking to residents during the Nyeri County visit at the Information Hall, he lamented that the courts had only one course list which was shared by everyone. He said lack of course lists could make witnesses get to courtrooms late and offer injustice to the accused persons.

“The earliest court opened at 9.15 am which is a miscarriage of justice as witnesses did not know which court to attend and they could end up finding the cases dismissed due to lateness,” Amollo noted.

The commissioners were also dissatisfied with the Ministry of Lands offices which were opened at 8 am but there were no officers. Amollo said that the concerned officers arrived late and did not serve the commissioners because the relevant officers had not arrived by 9.30am.

“Even when they arrived they were discourteous and spoke in Kikuyu instead of English or Kiswahili as required,” he said.

The commissioners also noted there were contradicting notices at the offices where one indicated that the offices serve the public from 10 am while another said they open at 9 am. The commission boss asked public servants in the area to embrace change and adhere to the service charter to the letter.

“Some offices have embraced the changes envisioned in the Constitution but others are lagging behind like the Nyeri Police Station where we noted members of the public were mishandled,” Mr Amollo observed.

The commissioners had also visited the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital which they praised for good service despite the recent doctors’ strike.

The commission is on a nationwide campaign to create awareness, offer advisory services and receive reports of malpractice in public offices. It is empowering citizens to claim their rights from the state as it prepares to devolve its operations to the 47 counties.

ISSUE 072 November 1-15, 2012

Women evicted in polls violence, decided to bury the past and move ahead

By DAVID KIMANI The 2007-2008 post-election violence left scores homeless and brought untold suffering not only among the internally displaced persons but also to the entire nation.

Displacement and loss of property are the prime predicaments that the internally displaced persons grapple with hitherto.

That is how a group of IDPs in Mai Mahiu’s Governor Area originally from Eldoret found themselves at that place that they will always call home. Among these IDPs is a group of women who have decided to bury the past and focus on the future.

The 16-member group dubbed ‘Single Mother Unit’ engages in decorating pouches and handbags using beads of various colours and designs in a bid to put food on the table.

According to Rose Nyambura the chairperson the group was started a few months ago after they realised that looking upon the locals for assistance was an exercise in futility.

Income

“Lack of livelihood prompted us to organise ourselves into a group to come up with an income generating activity,” says Nyambura.

Income earned from working on locals’ farms as casual labourers was not enough to cater for their myriad needs.

“My family must eat every day and also dress. I must also educate my children,” says Tabitha Wangui, a member of the group.

Despite not having received any financial assistance for the project, they managed to start with the little savings they had made.

According to Nyambura, the major challenges facing them include lack of a ready market for their products and lack of sufficient capital to expand their business.

“The business is still very young and does not fully cater for the needs of the 16 members as it should,” says Nyambura citing this as the reason why they still depend on other means of earning a livelihood like working as casual labourers.

“Nevertheless we must forget all that and focus on the future because we still have a life to live and I know success lies waiting in the way of every industrious person,” Wangui says.

Talents

The group had presented the venture during a two day workshop in Naivasha organised by Disability Resource Information Centre (DRIC) to showcase the different talents among people living with disability. The women encouraged fellow IDPs to wipe clean memories of the post-election violence and do something that will earn them a livelihood.

“Once those memories are removed all those who were affected by the violence will manage to move forward and rebuild their lives,” Nyambura says.

“We request the Government and other well-wishers to assist us financially as a way of enabling us rebuild ourselves through this venture,” notes Wangui.

They are also calling upon anyone who can assist them in getting them a market for their products.

“With financial support, we will manage to work six days a week and operate outside our camp,” says Nyambura noting that most of the time they worked twice a week.

The women run their venture from the camp since they do not have the capital required to run it from a centralized place where many people can locate them easily. They have pledged to restore what they lost during the post-election violence.

“Women are believed to have the potential to rebuild an already torn apart setting and therefore we will stop at nothing in order to restore what we lost during the post-election violence,” Nyambura says with confidence.

11

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Government embraces support to solving water problems

By OCHIENG JUMA The Japanese Government has partnered with Kenya to ensure Kenyans living in rural arid and semi-arid areas access clean, safe and quality water through a project dubbed Rural Water Supply.

The project, which is funded by Japan under the Grant Aid Scheme, will be implemented by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in collaboration with the Ministry of Water and Irrigation Development.

The project for Rural Water Supply (Phase 2) is a ground water project that commenced in May and is being implemented in Machakos and Makueni counties.

In Machakos County, it covers 32 communities that are in Machakos, Masinga, Mwala, Yatta, Kangundo and Kathiani districts.

In Makueni County, it covers 26 communities in Makueni, Kathonzweni, Mbooni East, Nzaui, Mukaa and Kibwezi.

The Phase 1 of the project was successfully completed in Mwingi and Kitui districts in March 2008 with drilling and equipping 58 community boreholes in which Sh500 million was provided as grant aid by the Japanese Government.

Water minister Charity Ngilu, officiated at the launch thanked the Japanese Government for its efforts to eradicate poverty in Kenya through provision of water and irrigation projects.

Speaking at Yumbuni Secondary School in Yatta Constituency, Machakos County, Ngilusaid: “Kenya spends over KSh26 billion to treat people who are suffering from water borne diseases adding that through ensuring clean and safe water is supplied to rural areas, the country will save a lot of money to initiate other development projects.”

Empowerment

She urged the Government of Japan to help Kenya acquire modern farming equipment to empower local people produce more food.

“Majority of Kenyans have invested in farming but they cannot produce enough because of the rudimentary equipment that they use like jembes and hoes,” noted Ngilu. She added: “I want to call upon the Government of Japan through the Ambassador to see if Kenya can acquire modern farming equipment that will enhance food production especially in rural arid and semi-arid lands where rain is scarce.” Ngilu reiterated that women in the rural areas should be trained on water management skills because they are the ones

Water minister Charity Ngilu and Japan Ambassador Toshihisa Takata unveil the plaque during the groundbreaking of Rural Water Supply phase II at Yumbuni Secondary school in Yatta Constituency. Picture: Ochieng Juma who suffer most covering kilometres in search of the precious commodity.

Japanese Ambassador to Kenya, Toshihisa Takata, said his Government will continue to work closely with the Kenya Government to ensure the realisation of Vision 2030, especially on water supply to rural parts of the country.

“Water plays an important role in almost everything we do. The quality and availability of water is of paramount importance to the quality of life we lead,” noted Takata. He added: “We all know that safe water is not only the basis of life and good health but is also essential for economic growth, poverty alleviation and human dignity.”

According to Takata everyone on this planet has a right to access to clean water.

He said that in arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya many residents and livestock have suffered from an acute shortage of water and that drought has caused misery as well as created disturbances to societies and families.

“Tragic clashes over scarce water resources were recently witnessed in the Tana Delta and Northern Kenya. Anywhere in the world where water is scarce there seems to be no end to the struggle for it,” observed Takata. He added: “Therefore finding solutions to water resource management is directly linked to ensuring hu-

man security.” He urged Kenyans in rural areas to exercise water harvesting techniques during rainy seasons to curb water scarcity. He also noted that JICA was spreading such techniques in semi-arid areas within the country.

Torrential rains

“During the rainy seasons many parts of Kenya experience torrential rains. Most of the rain water flows into the sea. Kenya’s water problems could be made less serious by exploiting the vast potential of harvesting rainwater,” he noted. Takata advised: “The installation of roof water catchment devices and creation of water ponds will go a long way in improving the communities’ access to water.”

JICA’s chief representative in Kenya Hideo Eguchi said 58 boreholes will be drilled and equipped with 36 hand-pumps, 14 submersible pumps, as well as one windmill and seven solar driven pumps.

“The project will be implemented at a cost of KSh646 million from the Government of Japan with a contribution of KSh72.3 million from the Kenya government,” said Eguchi.

It is estimated that a population of 60,000 will benefit from the project in the two counties.

Herbalists to benefit from proposed Bill

By GILBERT OCHIENG Herbalists are optimistic that the august House will debate and pass the Herbal Medicine Bill.

According to Lydia Matoke, chairperson of the national Traditional Health Practitioners Association they will benefit a great deal should the proposed Bill be translated into law.

Addressing stakeholders at a sensitisation forum held at the Busia Cultural Centre, Matoke said that the Bill was seeking to empower herbalists so that they could regulate themselves.

“It will incorporate their agenda and allow them to operate side by side the main stream hospitals and health centres,” said Matoke.

However, she expressed concern that the Government had failed to recognise the major role played by herbalists as far as the health care of Kenyans was concerned.

“I am challenging both the Government of Kenya and the African continent to emulate China and India in their approach that has recognised and is promoting herbal medicine locally and abroad as a policy hence making herbal medicine part of their culture,” reiterated Matoke.

She recalled that in 1949 the former President of China, Mao Tse Tung, unanimously declared herbal medicine as part and parcel of China’s culture, adding that China has become the world’s leading nation rich in natural therapy discipline.

The World Health Organisation has also recog-

Lydia Matoke, the national chairperson, Traditional Herbalists Association addressing stakeholders at the Busia cultural centre recently.

Picture: Gilbert Ochieng nised traditional herbs as a key component in the health sector hence according the traditional herbs practitioners a lot of recognition considering the service they give to the society across the divide.

At the same time Matoke claimed that, contrary to conventional health, traditional herbs

have triumphed in the treatment of ailments such as prostate cancer among others.

The official said Kenya, through National Traditional Health Practitioners Association and National Council of Association for Alternative Medicine (NCAAM) had consented to put in place an umbrella body that would go a long way in addressing traditional health issues at the national level.

She urged all the traditional herbalists in the country to be focused, cooperative and stick to their profession.

Matoke at the same time said triumph can come only when discussions are pegged on honesty and logical coherence and blamed the difference of opinion as a setback in the herbal industry.

However, Matoke warned the association members against engaging in retrogressive ambitions which she said was likely to derail the success they have so far achieved.

“I am also encouraging you as county representatives to establish botanical gardens where you can plant medicinal trees as one of the conservation steps aimed at achieving the 10 per cent Government rule of 10 per cent forest cover,” says Matoke.

She was accompanied by the National Council of Association for Alternative Medicine Secretary General Isaac Misiko who called on traditional medicine practitioners to form a coalition for the sake of the prosperity of the herbal industry.

12

ISSUE 072, November 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

School drop outs worries officials

By ROBERT WANJALA Ministry of Education in Elgeyo Marakwet County has raised a red flag over the alarming rate of school drop-outs among the boys and girls at the primary level.

County Director of Education, Sabina Aroni, expressed concern over the low number of students enrolling into secondary schools which she attributed to retrogressive and outdated cultural practices.

In view of that, the officer announced that they had initiated a massive awareness campaigns with education stakeholders in areas that had been affected by the vice.

By TITUS MAERO

Challenges

She stated that some of the challenges the educaStudents at a past function. Retrogressive culture against girl child remains the biggest hindrance tion stakeholders are set to the success of her education. Picture: Robert Wanjala to address in order to arrest the situation relate to early marriages, retromade mistake as they were regarded as adults “There is no way the county will develop gressive cultural practices and child labour. by the community. when a majority of the children cannot get “We intend to go to areas which have been “Female teachers are finding it rough and basic education due retrogressive practices,” affected by the vice in our efforts to reverse hard to handle boys in primary schools who she maintained. the trend for the benefit of the children whose have undergone traditional circumcision Aroni noted that traditional circumcision future hangs in balance due to retrogressive since they regard themselves as adults and of boys and female genital mutilation for the cultural practices,” noted Aroni. therefore are not supposed to be punished by girls were hindering their efforts to advance Speaking in her Iten office, Aroni said they a woman teacher,” lamented Aroni. secondary education. want parents to enrol children in secondary She stated that the practice was rampant She stated that some of the boys, after unschools and discard outdated practices which among the pastoralist communities along the dergoing the rite would refuse to be punished she described as retrogressive.

Kerio Valley. by female teachers at school whenever they

Renewed calls for promotion of girl-child education

By KAKAI MASEGA Leaders in West Pokot County have been urged to support campaigns to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), early forced marriages and other traditional practices which retard development.

Lillian Plapan, chairperson African Coalition on African Practices warned the residents against practicing FGM among other retrogressive vices saying: “An anti-FGM law was passed in Parliament to criminalise the practice and anyone found breaching it will be arrested and prosecuted.”

Plapan appealed to leaders in Pokot County to promote girl-child education and also empower women for the sake of development in the region.

Vice

Speaking during the Old Men’s Day in Kacheliba, Plapan said: “It is time people were better informed to be aware that the vice cannot be tolerated. We need zero tolerance to the harmful practice.”

Plapan, who is also the Executive Director of Setat, a non-governmental organisation lamented that some parents were still living in the past by being reluctant to take

Teachers training to embrace new technologies

their daughters to school and preferring to give their sons the opportunity for education instead.

She took issue with parents in the area who still believed in marrying off their school-going daughters to older men so they could be given livestock as bride price.

Plapan did not spare traditional women circumcisers who were involved in FGM, saying they should abandon the practice and look for other alternative means of survival.

“My organisation is ready to give any circumciser a cow for giving up the practice,” she announced.

She appealed to the Pokot people to value girl-child education and abandon the practice of marrying them of early saying it disrupted their lives, education and future. She also challenged the Government to have a better strategy for dealing with retrogressive practices among the Pokot which hinders girls’ progress and development.

“The Government and other donor agencies should to intervene in the fight against harmful practices in the community that affect the girl-child,” Plapan noted. She added: “As an organisation, we are committed and

will campaign against all retrogressive practices that hinder girl-child education and development.”

The African Coalition on Traditional Practices which was launched two months ago will address all harmful practices.

Corporation

The organisation aims to address the six Millennium Development Goals and targets of the Vision 2030 on reproductive health, girl child education and environment among others.

Meanwhile, West Pokot County Commissioner Peter Okwanyo said the Government will support efforts to end bad traditional practices.

“We will cooperate with civil society organisations engaged in the fight against these practices,” Okwanyo said.

He reiterated that they will enforce the anti-FGM law and use chiefs to create awareness about it.

“We shall take decisive action on anyone found to be promoting retrogressive practices,” he said.

Okwanyo linked cattle rusting to FGM saying boys used the stolen livestock to get brides.

Executive Director: Rosemary Okello Editor: Jane Godia

Mount Kenya University Chancellor Prof George Eshiwani has said that high quality teaching staff is the corner stone to success in the education sector.

Addressing participants at a stakeholder’s forum in Kakamega, Eshiwani noted that Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) was the key to the development of children.

“For effective teaching and learning, teachers required specialize in Early Childhood Development Education training,” he observed.

According to Eshiwani, teaching as a profession had been approached from an abstract point involving formal disposition of sterile knowledge to students which in the end impacted negatively on the learners.

“Teachers have a major role to play, especially towards the realisation of the Vision 2030, which is the Government’s economic blue print, that aims to achieve industrial development,” Eshiwani emphasized.

He noted that although several reforms have been made in teacher training over years, programmes offered should change and take into account technological and scientific transformations.

Eshiwani pointed out that many studies conducted have associated motivational factors with enhanced job performance, positive work values, high level employee motivation and lower rate turn over and burn out.

Research

He reiterated the need for the Ministry of Education to improve the method of promotion in the teaching service and formulation policy to decrease work load for teachers involved in student discipline, guiding and counselling.

He said that at the higher education level there was need to align teacher education with cross-cutting research findings that would then be adapted into new realities that define the world of education in general.

“Harmonised and relevant teacher programmes will produce new generation of teachers who will address education needs in the society in a relevant, critical and creative way,” he noted.

Eshiwani observed that the education sector had expanded rapidly with the introduction of the Free Primary Education Programme and the Subsidized Secondary Education.

However, he said the objective of Quality Assurance and Standards is to ensure that relevant curricula as well as teaching and learning materials were made accessible to the learners from primary up to the university level.

“Teacher resource is the single most important input in the learning process,” said Eshiwani.

He added: “Free Primary Education programme had resulted to the increase in the transition rate which has substantially increased the shortage of teachers.”

Eshiwani further noted that shortage of scholars is anticipated to be higher with the expanded increase in the transition and transfer of students from private to the public schools due to the free and the subsidised education programmes.

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Sub-Editors: Joyce Chimbi, Mercy Mumo, Carolyne Oyugi and Faith Muiruri Designer: Noel Lumbama

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Contributors: Robert Wanjala, Nicole Waithera, Caroline Wangechi, Felix Wanderi, Hussein Dido, Henry Owino, Titus Maero, Lincoln Mwale, Robby Ngojhi, Ochieng Juma, Kakai Masega, Joseph Mukubwa, Allan Murimi, Evans Kanini, David Kimani and Gilbert Ochieng.

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