Reject Online Issue 2

ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

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Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

September 16-30, 2009

ISSUE 002

A bi-weekly on-line newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of AWC Features

Disaster looms as Kenya loses critical resources

By Musa Radoli A deadly catastrophe is knocking on Kenya’s doors with the continued destruction of forests, wetlands and water catchment areas.

There is need for urgent action to stop this and it must be contained if the government and all stakeholders stop politicking and shifting blame. It calls for a formulation of a national agenda right from the Cabinet to the grassroots to save the country’s critical natural resources.

In an interview with Reject, the UNEP Director General Dr Achim Steiner warns that the events in the much devastated Mau Forest Complex is only a tip of the catastrophe as rivers, lakes, wetlands, water catchments, forests and other critical environmental mass continue to disappear.

“The situation must be contained now and not tomorrow. The Sahel experience is not far from Kenya. Everybody must be involved to curtail the impending environmental disaster,” said the UNEP boss.

“For the past few years, UNEP has been documenting for the Kenyan government and people, the continued destruction and erosion of this vital ecosystem — the Mau Forest Complex. It has reached a point where if no measures are taken, Kenya will completely lose one of its fundamental assets,” reveals Steiner.

He says Kenya stands to lose a naturebased economic asset worth over US$300 million in the tea, tourism and energy sectors if the Mau Complex continues to be destroyed.

The situation is not being made any better by the onslaught from the global

climatic change phenomenon, whose consequences are already being felt right from the Indian Ocean to the top of Mt Kenya.

Similarly, parts of the Indian Ocean coastline have continued to disappear due to increased ocean water levels as glaciers melt in the North and South poles.

Initially, when powerful figures started decimating the Karura forest on the outskirts of Nairobi, it was the media in conjunction with Prof Wangari Maathai’s Greenbelt Movement that raised the alarm in the 1990s.

Further, the Mt Kenya forest whose massive vegetative cover is critical to huge areas of the country’s environmental and ecological stability has borne the brunt of reckless destruction. The snow on top of Africa’s second highest mountain has long disappeared.

The result has seen highly reduced water levels in some of the country’s major rivers. The Tana River on which the country is extremely dependent for hydro-electric power generation has been particularly affected. This has since led to the closure of Kindaruma Hydro-electric Dam, leading to nationwide power rationing.

According to the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC), the closure of power generation at the dam was due to dangerously low water levels.

The woes do not stop there as Nairobi continues to reel from ever worsening water rationing occasioned by insufficient water at the leading dam supplying water to the city — Ndakaini — that sources water from the slopes of Mt Kenya. The continued on page 2

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ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

Desertification threat as resources disappear from page 1

decline is estimated at 40 per cent.

The Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company Managing Director Mr Fred Mugo says: “We are not seeing any rosy outlook in the near future for the water levels to increase at the dam. This is because the long rains were not sufficient to fill this dam up to the expected levels.”

He warns of a tighter water-rationing programme in the city if the short rains expected in the current month do not materialise.

The situation at the Aberdare Forest is perhaps at its worst in history. Gone is the lush-green foliage on a mountain range that’s getting balder by the day. The rivers draining from the forest have mostly dwindled into dry riverbeds.

“This has seen the virtual drying up of Sasumwa Dam which was the second

leading water reservoir to Nairobi, South Kinangop, Nyahururu and Njambini towns,” says Mugo.

Desperate farmers have reportedly started encroaching on the dam to cultivate food crops. “We don’t know whether water will ever come back to this dam since the Sasumwa River dried up long ago,” explains Mugo.

The destruction of the Aberdare Forest and the drying up of rivers from the range has over the last five years led to an alarming shrinking of Lake Naivasha in the Rift Valley. This, coupled with the activities of flower firms on the lake’s banks spells doom for the future of this important source of fish that is also a leading tourist attraction.

A similar fate awaits Lake Nakuru that is famous with tourists for the flamingo and a wide of variety of wildlife, thanks to the

ongoing decimation of the Mau Forest.

The Mau Forest, the region’s most important water tower that is also the source of 12 of the country’s permanent rivers, is home to hundreds of settler families, many of whom illegally gained land ownership through political patronage.

Current efforts to evict and relocate “squatters” who include some of the top personalities in the previous government, have generated intense bickering, politicking and threats by a wide variety of stakeholders, all these as the destruction continues unabated.

The destruction is also threatening the multi-billion Sondu-Miriu Hydro-electric power station, whose water source, the Sondu Miriu River originates from the Mau Complex.

The impending death of the Mara River that’s gained the World’s Seventh Wonder

fame with the picturesque annual wildebeest immigration is perhaps the one incident that will provoke the greatest protest from the international community, especially of the tourist kind.

Further to the west is Lake Victoria, Africa’s largest fresh-water lake, and Lake Natron in northern Tanzania, both of which are experiencing the negative effects of the Mau Forest destruction. The Sondu River drains into the Lake Victoria.

The encroachment of the Embobut Forest in the larger Baringo District that has led to the recent eviction of illegal squatters may have come too late to save the shrinking Lake Komanarok and the hundreds of crocodiles that are perishing in large numbers. The lake is famous for its large crocodile population, Africa’s second largest.

Borehole drilling a dangerous option

By REJECT Correspondent The failed rains have led to a great water shortage all over the country. To overcome this problem, many people have gone the alternative route of drilling boreholes to help alleviate water shortage.

However, like with most things that arise out of such desperate measures, there are already problems being identified with drilling of boreholes. Experts are already raising concerns with the haphazard drilling of boreholes without proper study of the targeted sites. They say this could lead to wholesale collapse of highrise structures in Nairobi and other major urban areas.

Numerous boreholes that are currently being sunk in the wake of the ongoing severe water shortage will weaken the ground underneath, making it unable to bear all the weight above it.

Expressing alarm over the rate at which firms and individuals are drilling boreholes to tap underground water, Prof Eric Odada of the Pan African Global Change System Analysis says prior studies of the target sites are a must in determining ground pressure endurance capacity.

Prior approval by relevant authorities must also be sought to avoid adverse consequences that include destabilisation of hydrological systems. The most high risk areas are Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret, Nakuru and virtually all rapidly developing municipalities that carry highrise buildings.

Odada says that recent years have seen almost every plot in major Kenyan cities sink boreholes to supplement the usually unreliable or highly rationed piped water supplies without taking into consideration the impact on the sensitive systems.

The proliferation of boreholes up-country is equally serious since the practice is haphazardly conducted without due regard to the traditional communal water supply ownership.

Residents queue for water from a borehold drilled by a water company. Many do not understand the dangers that come with sinking of boreholes.

“The danger to the country’s underground hydrological systems is great and increasing everyday because boreholes are being sunk haphazardly and reckless-

ly without studying the hydrological systems of the specific areas where the boreholes are being sunk,” laments Odada. He faults the absence of studies on the nature

and sizes of the water aquifers and water recharge systems before sinking the wells in an informed and controlled manner.

Such study would help limit or stem any damage to the underground hydrological systems.

“Sinking boreholes to tap underground water without knowing the size of the aquifers’ capacities or recharge systems, will destroy the underground hydrological systems, resulting in devastating consequences, both to the environment and human population — particularly building structures,” warns the professor, who is also a member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.

He says that it’s extremely important to know how much aquifers are found underground, and exactly how much water can be drawn during any specific period without disrupting the underground water, and their recharge systems that could lead to disastrous results.

Water and Irrigation minister Mrs Charity Ngilu recently urged Nairobi residents to sink boreholes to provide an alternative to the failing Nairobi Water Company supplies. Nairobi, with a population of nearly four million is suffering severe water rationing.

Odada warns of the dangerous assumption by many Kenyans that underground water supplies are inexhaustible and can be exploited recklessly without any negative consequences.

“These are dangerously wrong and negative assumptions that can lead this country to a catastrophe, especially since the government has not put in place any stringent measures to control these activities.”

To this the professor said: “It does not matter how tall, strong, magnificent, how much costs or engineering that goes into the building. So long as the underground hydrological systems are destabilised, whole structures will collapse because the destabilised ground cannot sustain them.”

ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

Kenya trails

as mineral strikes a boon for EA region

By Musa Radoli The East African region is set for a major economic take-off following the recent discoveries of huge deposits of uranium, oil and gas in Uganda, Tanzania and Rwanda.

However, with these discoveries, Kenya, the region’s leading economic power, trails her less illustrious neighbours in mineral and oil exploitation.

This is in addition to earlier discoveries of coal in both Uganda and Tanzania, and gold and diamonds in the latter country. Miniscule gold deposits are also to be found in parts of western, south-western and North Rift regions of Kenya.

Deposits of Uranium, a strategic mineral that’s enriched for use in production of both nuclear power and weapons, have been struck in both Uganda and Tanzania.

Large deposits of oil have also been discovered in Uganda’s Lake Albert region that straddles the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) border, while Rwanda’s Lake Kivu region is home to methane gas.

In the long term, the new development is bound to radically change the regional economic equation that currently places Kenya in the driving seat.

Fortunately Kenya — currently experiencing its worst economic performance in 46 years — has the short-term advantage of being transit nation over Uganda, Rwanda and the DRC, all of whom are land-locked. The Port of Mombasa will, for the foreseeable future, remain the region’s leading port for both imports and exports.

Top multinationals have over the past 30 years unsuccessfully prospected for crude oil and gas in the north-eastern and coastal regions respectively. The recent amendment to the Mining Act to provide more incentives to both foreign and local prospectors are yet to translate into results.

The only mineral that has so far been discovered in large deposits with a high value estimated at between US$132 million to US$10 billion in recent times, is titanium in Kenya’s Kwale District, Coast Province.

Mining and marketing of the mineral has yet to commence ten years after discovery. This is due to persistent wrangles between the Canadian prospectors, lo-

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Uranium, a highly radioactive element used in atomic/nuclear energy production, is considered the most expensive and sought after mineral in the world. It’s particularly highly prized in the industrialised nations with ambitious nuclear programmes for military and industrial use.

Raw uranium is in great demand by developed countries for industrial and military use.

(Photo from internet)

cal communities, environmental lobby groups and the Government.

The economic fortunes of the four East African nations are set to change dramatically with Uganda in the lead, Rwanda next with Tanzania in third place. Kenya is expected to come in fifth after Burundi whose mineral potential is rated high alongside Rwanda.

Some of the major mineral deposits that have so far been discovered in huge deposits within the leading countries compared to Kenya are uranium, crude oil deposits, coltan, methane gas, diamonds and gold.

Uranium, a highly radio-active element used in atomic/nuclear energy production, is considered the most expensive and sought after mineral in the world. It’s particularly highly prized in the industrialised nations with ambitious nuclear programmes for military and industrial use.

Huge deposits of the mineral have been discovered in south-western Uganda’s Kibaale District as well as south western parts of Tanzania’s Karoo and Ruhuhu districts. Aerial mapping of the area has gone beyond exploration to drilling, in preparation for mining and marketing operations

by Australian and Canadian companies.

According to the latest statistics from the United States based Global Geological Survey Minerals Year Book, Kenya’s mining industry is dominated by production

of non-metallic minerals comprising industrial minerals such as soda ash, flourspar, kaolin and gemstones.

“Mining accounts for less than one per cent of Kenya’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Gold is produced primarily by artisanal workers in the west and south-western parts of the country, on several small greenstone belts, and some part of the Lake Victoria greenstone belt (responsible for most of the gold mining ventures in neighbouring Tanzania).

“Iron ore is mined from small-localised deposits for use in the domestic manufacture of cement,” said Mr John Michuki, Environment and Natural Resources Minister. He adds that since its formation in 2001-2002, the Kenya Chamber of Mines (KCM) has become an active player in the mining sector.

He notes that although oil and other mineral prospecting in the country has not borne any promising results over the years, the government is confident this will soon change especially in oil prospecting to keep Kenya abreast with other EAC states.

Some of the minerals found in the country whose production has never attained commercial value include aluminum (secondary), gold, a variety of some gemstones, precious and semi-precious metals, barite, diatomite, gypsum, lead, coal, lime, iron ore and carbon dioxide gas among others.

Todate, the Rwandan government has challenged the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen) to invest in the enormous deposits of methane gas in Lake Kivu to generate electricity since she has more experience in generating electricity from natural (geothermal) sources and is leader in Africa.

Currently, the larger mining companies in the country are still financing the Chamber’s activities, but it is hoped that it will become self-sustaining in the near future. The KCM, in conjunction with the Kenya Geological Society, have been promoting mining activities in Kenya.

According to Adam Cegielski, Chief Executive Uranium Hunters Corporation, a Canadian multinational corporation involved in the Uganda and Tanzania uranium explorations, the deposits so far discovered in Uganda’s Kibaale District cover 4,200 km2, while those of Tanzania are on a 3,600 square km2.

Mr Cegielski says his company had moved to phase one to start drilling in preparation for commercial mining.

Uganda’s Ministry of Energy says only a few uranium sites have so far been awarded to local and foreign companies.

“The drive for uranium has only started now,” says Mr Sam Byamugisha, Deputy Commissioner of the Department of Geology and Mines.

That country’s Minister of State for Mineral Development Mr Kamanda Batalingaya says that in order to establish the quantities of uranium and other minerals, the government would soon embark on an aerial geophysical survey.

The exercise is part of the US$42m World Bank, African Development Bank and the Nordic Development Agency fiveyear plan on sustainable management of mineral development.

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ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

Death knell sounded on Ukambani’s black gold

By Musembi Nzengu A visit to the Mwingi Police Divisional headquarters reveals stacks of 50 kg bags of charcoal that have been impounded.

These the police took from residents involved in illegal production and selling of charcoal. The owners were arraigned in court and jailed or fined for engaging in environmental degradation.

However, jail or fine does not deter charcoal dealers. Charcoal burning and trading may be illegal but to the residents of Ukambani it’s regarded as black gold due to its high demand and profitable returns.

The alert and nimble-footed among them will usually abandon the booty and disappear into the bush whenever they run into the police.

According to Ms Tabitha Kivya, a former charcoal dealer, a sack will go for as much as KSh800 (about US$10) in Nairobi after being sourced from Mwingi charcoal producers at KSh200 (US$3) or less, making it a good business.

Kivya said the business is a haven for corruption as crews of lorries ferrying the commodity from Kitui to Nairobi — a distance of 100 kilometres — must part with at least KSh500 (US$6) at each of the 11 traffic police check points.

She said it was hard for charcoal traders to quit the business in the wake of a recent government ban. Both the traders and the traffic policemen would rather defy the law than abandon the lucrative business.

Mwingi District Commissioner, Mr Peter Kinuthia banned the trade last June.

Since then die-hard merchants have variously engaged police offices and district administration in a cat and mouse game.

On June 4, this year, Kinuthia issued a decree effectively banning the burning, selling and transportation of charcoal

within the larger Mwingi District that has since been split to create five more districts.

During an interview in his office, the DC told Reject the ban would save forest cover that was fast dwindling due to wanton felling of indigenous trees for charcoal burning. “I took the stern action to protect our forests….I cannot quantify the extent of destruction now, but it is clear that the loss incurred due to charcoal burning is enormous. Our forest cover has disappeared very fast,” explained Kinuthia.

He said an environmental assessment carried out by the Mwingi District Forest office headed by Mr Elijah Muteto, established that over the years acres upon acres of forest had been ruined through unchecked massive charcoal production throughout the region, leading to the current drought, famine and water scarcity.“Our people in the greater Mwingi District which included the newly created districts have seriously destroyed the environment, making it less hospitable due to the prevailing drought, famine and water shortage,” lamented the DC. He expressed concern over the massive destruction of forests, saying if allowed to continue, Mwingi District would soon turn into desert. The DC said they had moved to ensure that the ban was effective. “We have teamed up with all other neighbouring DCs to protect this important resource by sealing all illegal routes used by those involved in the trade.

He identified the routes as the MwingiKitui, Mwingi-Kiritiri, Mwingi-Mutonguni and Mwingi-Thika roads pointing out that the police were in constant surveillance along the routes.

The DC’s sentiments were echoed by the Mwingi District Forester, Mr Elijah Muteto who painted a gloomier picture of the amount of charcoal that was being ex-

ported from Mwingi to Nairobi, Mombasa and other major urban centres.

According to Muteto about 10 lorries loaded with upto 150 bags of charcoals left Mwingi every week until the DC slammed the ban on the trade last June.

Since an ordinary sack of charcoal is estimated to weigh 50kgs, a total of 75 tonnes of charcoal are feared to have left the district every week, leaving the region seriously depleted of tree cover.

“As the demand for charcoal rose, the producers went high-tech and took to using power saws to fell more trees for charcoal production,” explained Muteto, adding, “not even those along river beds and hill-tops were spared the saw”.

He said cutting of trees along the river lines and hilltops affected water catchment areas leading to drying up of rivers Muteto said the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Act 1999 criminalised logging and felling of trees on hilltops and along river banks as they were regarded as secured water catchment areas.

The current food shortage being experienced in Mwingi and the rest of the country, had forced most families to take up charcoal burning for survival.

Elijah Muteto, Mwingi District Forester.

“Many families faced with food shortages throughout the district are engaged in charcoal production under the guise of raising funds to buy food in the face of the current debilitating famine. It has been a difficult task for us to control charcoal production,” said Muteto.

Before the ban, Mwingi charcoal traders were raking in upto KSh1.4 million (US$17,500) from the export of the commodity from the district every month.

He estimated that 7,000 bags of charcoal were leaving the district on a monthly basis at that time.

To curb the destructive practice, both the DC and Muteto announced plans to introduce an afforestation project to mitigate the massive destruction caused to forests.

“We have established a community based initiative to encourage the residents start extensive tree planting once the short October-December rains start,” Muteto said.

In the initiative, every village in Mwingi Central District will develop tree nurseries. Later the seedlings would be transplanted in the fields and nurtured to maturity through water from the dams in an effort to reclaim the already badly decimated forest cover.

“Since majority of the residents of Mwingi engage in shifting cultivation, we are encouraging them to broadcast (plant indiscriminately) Acacia tree seeds in their abandoned shambas as well as treat and care for them after germination until maturity,” explained the forester.

He said if the project, which is being developed in line with the Forest Act 2005 succeeds, the residents will have lush forest cover in their farms. This is a pilot project in Kenya that has been borrowed from the neighbouring Sudan where there are extensive plantations of Acacia trees — the charcoal burners’ favourite tree.

ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

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George Adamson

immortaliSed

Museum to be built in honour of famous wildlife conservationist

By Musembi Nzengu

Plans are at an advanced stage to build a museum in memory of internationally acclaimed wildlife conservationist George Adamson, 20 years after his gruesome murder.

The Kenya Wildlife Service has resolved to immortalise the father of the lions and his works by building a museum at the makeshift Kampi ya Simba site where he lived, died and was buried in August 1989.

The late conservationist is best remembered for inheriting and domesticating a pack of orphaned lions in the wilderness of the then expansive game reserve that has since been renamed the Kora National Park.

He was, according to evidence by KWS personnel, murdered by people who were unhappy with his conservation efforts.

His life in a game reserve that served as a hideout for cattle rustlers and poachers, earned him many enemies among bandits who roamed the region. They wanted him out of the way, hence the dastard murder on August 20, 1989.

In a quick recognition of Adamson’s conservation efforts hardly two months after, the government gazetted the game reserve as a National Park in October 1989.

Even as the KWS work towards preserving the late Adamson’s works in a Museum, it is worth noting that his contribution has already been recognised by other people and initially immortalised in the best selling book, Born Free and a movie that goes by the same name.

Other movies in remembrance of the late Adamson also include Living Free, and To Walk With the Lions among others.

The late Adamson who died aged 83, had in his earlier days served as a senior game warden of the Northern Frontier District, now the North-Eastern Province, and also tried his hand at writing books.

He was married to the equally famous animal conservationist, the late Joy Adamson who too had died violently.

It was only after he retired as a game warden in 1961 that Adamson devoted himself to the rehabilitation of orphaned lions at the Kora Game Reserve before releasing them back into the wild.

According to the senior warden in charge of the Meru Conservation Area, Mr Mark Cheruiyot, the establishment of the Museum aimed at immortalising the late Adamson, whose endeavours to preserve the now endangered lion species is unmatched.

Cheruiyot under whose jurisdiction the Kora National Park falls, announced on August 20, 2009 that it had been resolved the best way to honour the fallen conservationist was to build the museum

KWS Deputy Director Joachim Kagiri (right), Meru Conservation Area Officer in-charge Mark Cheruiyot (centre) and his Tsavo West National park counterpart Daniel Woodley at George Adamson’s grave in Kampi ya Simba in Mwingi District.

(Photo by Musembi Nzengu)

in memory of his selfless wildlife conservation work.

The KWS official was speaking during the commemoration of the 20th Anniversary of George Adamson’s murder at his lion camp (Kambi ya Simba) within the Kora National Park. The ceremony was held next to his tomb close to two others of his brother Terrace Adamson and a lion friend named Boy. The ceremony that was attended by the KWS Deputy Director Dr Joachim Kagiri, the Lower Yatta District Commissioner Mr Gideon Sirai and a multitude of Boranas community members who neighbour the

national park.

Others at the celebration included a prominent Mwingi businessman Mr Paul Nzengu and the KWS senior wardens Daniel Woodley (Tsavo West) and Bakari Chongwa (Aberdare Park).

Cheruiyot further noted that Mr Adamson’s lions preservation works and his life with the animals had been world acclaimed and documented in a number of movies including The Christian Lion that was watched by over 50 million people throughout the world.

He appealed for moral, material and financial support from wellwishers to make

the multi-million George Adamson Museum venture a success. He disclosed that international designers for the project were expected at the proposed site this month.

He paid glowing tribute to the slain wildlife conservationist, noting that his work was visionary and meant for the good of the entire Kenyan society.

“His vision to conserve the big cat was not in vain, and has been realised even in his absence,” said the KWS boss.

Besides setting up a museum, plans were also underway to make the park a great wildlife conservation area and ensure the late Adamson’s efforts were not in vain but appropriately rewarded.

“We need to keep his vision alive and ensure that his objective is realised in the long run,” observed Kagiri. He further called on the communities neighbouring the Kora National Park to cooperate with KWS personnel towards that goal.

He urged local residents to emulate the late Adamson by playing a positive role in wildlife and environmental conservation.

The KWS deputy director lamented the widespread deforestation that had contributed to the current prolonged drought, famine and water scarcity after many rivers dried up. He noted that many wild animals had perished due to lack of food and water.

Sirai described the late Adamson as a courageous man who died for the sake of posterity.

“He marked his boundaries well and died within them,” he said.

Chongwa stressed the need to carry on the late Adamson’s lion conservation work saying that his foresightedness in saving the big cat was prophetic, as the species numbers were dwindling fast in the country, with only a paltry 2,000 animals now remaining.

George Adamson was born in 1906 in Dholpur, Rajasthan in the then British India and first visited Kenya in 1924.

He initially undertook a number of jobs including gold prospecting, goat trading and safari hunting before joining the Kenya Game Department in 1938. He became a Senior Game Warden of the then Northern Frontier District and married Joy six years later.

In 1956 he raised the lioness cub, Elsa, who became the subject of the 1966 film Born Free.

The late Adamson retired from the Kenya Game Service in 1961 and devoted himself to caring for lions. By 1970 he had set camp in the Kora Game Reserve where he continued his rehabilitation of captive and orphaned big cats until he met his death on August 20,1989 through a bandit’s bullet.

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ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

New generation puts Somali culture to test

Parents losing authority over decisions in their children’s marriage plans

A bride has her hands decorated with heena ahead of the wedding ceremony.

(Photo courtesy)

BY ADOW JUBAT In the Somali culture, the institution of elders and parents has always reigned supreme. They are the ones who determine whether one will have a bright or bleak future. These institutions have for a long time been the movers and shakers of relationships in North-Eastern Province of Kenya.

The age-old tradition has withstood influence from all fronts especially the West.

In this tail-end part of Kenya, a man does not just rush to a woman to declare his undying love. Parents hold the ultimate say over marriage rights. A man only needs to sweet-talk the girl’s parents to have his wish fulfilled.

The custom revolves around an age old African traditional practice much alive among the Somali community but appears to be extinct in other areas. This is a case where parents have to be consulted over any moves their children are about to make with regards to marriage and relationships, and specifically the daughters.

But with the rise of an enlightened generation, parents’ influence over their children’s marriage is being put to the test now more than ever before.

Those who are going against the tide argue that the day of parents dictating their children’s relationship was effectively over at the turn of the 20th Century. The youth now argue that they are

under no obligation to pay heed to the elders’ words.

“This should not be misconstrued as disrespect to parents,” says Ms Hasan Osman, 25, who is from Mandera town on the border of Kenya and Somalia.

She recalls her case when at first she was delighted when her parents arranged a marriage for her. So excited was she that she told anyone who cared to listen that her prospective husband was a pilot.

However, this excitement was shortlived. After the couple met for the first time, Ms Osman told a close friend that the man had not impressed her, and she would not marry him.

On the eve of the wedding day she went into hiding, much to the chagrin of her parents, who had reportedly pocketed Sh500,000 as dowry.

The suitor only got wind of what was going on after his fiancée fled the country with the man of her choice.

The man, only identified as Yussuf got the shock of a lifetime when he received a short message text on his phone, which read: “I’m sorry but I had warned you that I am into someone else. You just forced yourself on me.”

Ms Osman’s case is not an isolated one. It’s just one of the many examples of the growing defiance sweeping across the region. However, these actions are not in any way proof that the old men’s influence has been consigned to the dustbin.

Despite relationship experts stressing the need for the youth to be allowed to make decisions over their future, many conservative Somali parents continue to dictate who their sons and daughters should marry.

The Somalis are perhaps the only remaining society in the world that has managed to maintain their age old marriage customs. They often discourage marrying from outside the community to protect identity and put a check on unions.

This could explain why the community performs dismally in integrating with other communities wherever they settle.

Legend has it that Somali forefathers took an undertaking to protect the community from extinction and that is perhaps why people prefer marrying from within the same clan.

“The parents can make or break one’s dream of living with the partner of their choice by whipping clan emotions to endorse or reject a potential partner,” says Mr Khassim Adan, a resident of Garissa town, which is the headquarters of this semi-arid region. “These are key factors that anyone planning to marry cannot ignore.”

For the Somalis, marriage is a communal exercise and the parents, often with the whole clan have to give direction. “It is in keeping with tradition that I want my daughter to be married to whoever I decide for her. So, if she says that she has a man in her life, I will have to decide whether or not he is the right one,” says a parent in Garissa.

However, these decisions are only restricted to their child. If, for instance, the parents of the man identify a girl, the final decision still lies with the girl’s parents who will have to agree to or reject the proposal.

In many instances, a girl’s parents have rejected a marriage proposal on grounds clan rivalry.

Woe unto one whose clan has been involved in internecine clan wars with the one they intend to marry from. For instance, in Mandera District where the Murulle and Garre clans are part of the larger Somali community, marriages between people from the two groups are very rare. They have had protracted feuds with hundreds of deaths being recorded on both sides. They hold each other in mutual contempt.

Both clans have on numerous occasions dragged their women into marriage by the perceived rival during the intermittent bloodshed. In the meantime, the girl would rarely be involved in the decision making. She will only be told about it at a later stage, perhaps just a few months before the intended marriage.

A panel of clan elders is often involved in the arrangement of the marriage. They are to ensure that some of the nitty-gritty details mentioned above are addressed.

Later, the rival clans will meet in an effort to convince the other to give their daughter away as a way of seeking peace.

If an agreement is not reached at this stage, the deal is as good as dead. However, parents have usually tended to prefer that their children marry from a close and well known family, in the hope that this translates into preserving the lineage. Even cousins have had to marry at times.

However, with the vigorous exposure in recent decades and other factors like affirmative action, parents’ control is waning.

Young people, mostly the elite and urbane, think that this tradition is outdated. This has left them branded rebels and a disgrace to the community. Some parents have even gone to the extent of disowning those who are rebellious and cut off any association.

However, many young women say parents have on many occasions made wrong decisions in choosing husbands for them.

Incidents abound where those who defy their parents’ wish have been beaten and held hostage before being forced to submit to their parents’ wishes. Some who have attempted to escape have been forced back into the marriage. However, there are others who have mysteriously gone missing with families taking oath of silence as to their whereabouts.

Parents, however, have acknowledged the dilemma the new trend poses. “Imagine a situation where you are forced to refund the dowry because your daughter has gone missing! It can be embarrassing,” says Mrs Ambia Abdi of Wajir.

She explains: “We have their best interests at heart. No parent would want to see their children suffer because of a bungled marriage. Before we decide, we often place all possibilities into consideration.”

All in all there are some modern young men and women who still seek their parents’ advice.

- MDC/AWC Features

ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

7

And soon the girls found themselves without a roof over their head, yet no explanation has been given to them as to why they are unwanted. Since then they have been moving from one homestead to another seeking to be accommodation from well-wishers.

Nekura Mayin who has taken in one of the girls condemned to suffer.

Little girls condemned to suffer for granny’s ‘sin’

By Paul Mwaniki They have become outcasts and neither the immediate family nor the community wants to be associated with them.

The three siblings, aged between seven and 14, are victims of conservative traditional practices they hardly comprehend.

For four years the little girls have suffered for a ‘sin’ committed by their grandmother long before they were born.

Their problem dates back to 1981 when the girls’ grandmother did the “unforgivable” by getting pregnant before passing through the rite of passage as per the community’s traditions.

Now, many years later, her grandchildren are suffering because of her deed and are now all victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) but under unfortunate circumstances.

Among the Maasai community, it is taboo for a woman to get pregnant before she is circumcised.

The girls’ grandmother committed the ‘sin’ and for this, the curse has continued to haunt her offspring.

Narrating the circumstances behind what has now befallen the three girls at Aljijo village, Laikipia North District, one of the local residents, Peter Kilesi, said the local community believes a bad omen will befall anyone who volunteers to accommodate the orphans.

He explained that the girls’ grandmother Grace Naiserian*, failed to disclose that she was pregnant when she

underwent the rites of passage.

“Naiserian’s mother knew that her daughter was pregnant but refused to reveal this to her husband or those who were organising the circumcision ceremony. With this community, it is a taboo for girls to undergo the rite while pregnant,” Kilesi explained.

The exercise was performed in a hurry and the next immediate thing was to find a suitor who would then marry her at the earliest opportunity before the pregnancy became noticeable.

Kilesi explained that the family wanted to hide the issue from the community, as this would have earned them scrutiny and isolation.

Immediately after the initiation, Naiserian was presented to a young man as his bride. But two weeks later, the husband discovered that his new bride was pregnant. He had no choice but to send her back to her parents.

At her parents’ home, Naiserian gave birth to a baby boy Sanoe Timama* but she died a few weeks later of undisclosed illness.

Naiserian’s parents also died and the deaths were attributed to their action of marrying off their “unclean” daughter and accepting the bride price.

The baby boy was left with no guardian and was adopted by a relative who took care of him until he was initiated into being a moran (manhood).

After initiation, one is considered a grown up and ready to marry among

other adult chores.

Timama married Mary Sanaipei* and the couple was blessed with three daughters.

However, in a strange turn of events, Sanaipei died in 2004 when her last born daughter was only two years.

Her husband also succumbed to an illness the following year and the young girls were left at the mercy of relatives.

The deaths shocked relatives and fingers are now pointing at Naiserian for the misfortunes.

By conceiving before marriage and accepting to be taken through the circumcision rituals without disclosing that she was pregnant, Naiserian had brought a bad omen to the family.

Kisneke Timorit, a widow who has offered accommodation to one of the girls.

“To avoid future deaths among the family members, her off-springs (the three sisters) had to be kept at an arms length by those who did not want to die prematurely,” explained Kilesi.

A clan meeting was convened near where Timama’s house stood, and it was resolved that none of the family members would accommodate the orphaned girls.

And soon the girls found themselves without a roof over their head, yet no explanation has been given to them as to why they are unwanted.

Since then they have been moving from one homestead to another seeking accommodation from well-wishers.

Kilesi, who is the founder of HOME (Help Orphans Meet Education), said many orphans who had been branded social outcasts have been suffering in silence.

“I am currently educating 47 orphans though not all of them are victims of FGM. But while I pay their fees in boarding schools, I have nowhere to keep them when schools close for holidays,” said Kilesi.

He has been paying school fees for the girls but has to seek accommodation from the few widows he can trace.

“Only widows can accommodate them because normally it is the men who chase away “undesirable” people in the family,” said Francis Merinyi who runs a local CBO. Child rights activists have blamed the continued on page 9

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ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

By Adow Jubat A strange ailment that features nowhere in the World Health Organisation list of diseases is stealthily ravaging the three refugee camps of Ifo, Hagardera and Dagahaley in Daadab on the Kenya Somali border.

The mostly Somali refugee community call it “Bufis” — a loose description of a ravaging desire for relocation abroad. Local aid workers simply refer to it as Euro fever. Its victims hail from among the refugees who have not secured papers that would enable them travel to Europe or other western countries through United Nations Human Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). It reveals there are about 30,000 victims of the queer disease that was diagnosed in the late 1990s.

Mohammed Cadow, 45, had his relocation to Minneapolis, United States deferred at the last minute in 2001 following the terrorist bomb attack on the World Trade Centre in New York. He fled the war Somalia in 1991. At first sight, one would be forgiven for assuming Cadow is hysteria case. He repeatedly laughs amid utterances of Minneapolis!

His close friend Zeina Abdi Adan says she was inconsolable when news of his resettlement suspension was relayed.

“Some take the news to the extreme,” says Shabara Xassan, a resident of Hagardera Refugee Camp, adding that scores have committed suicide after failing to secure papers.

People committing suicide after failing to get papers for travelling abroad is not news in these camps. After failing to relocate, victims of “Bufis” regard themselves as failures, useless at best and outcasts at worst. Several drown their worries in drug abuse, particularly chewing of miraa (khat) — a mild hallucinating leaf that’s popular in Somalia and the Middle East among other substances that are readily available in the camps.

The victims are not entirely to blame. It is the general belief among most refugees that those who fail to travel after nomination are a disgrace.

“When someone is short-listed for relocation they acquire a lot of friends.

They rehearse their dressing code and attempt to speak like Americans,” says Sheikh Sugule as he furiously chews a bunch of twigs popularly known at the camps as “holy herb”.

“Sworn enemies mend fences. Everyone wants to be associated with the one shortlisted for transfer. If the one going is a man, he gets advances from potential wives,” says Sugule. But when the trip is cancelled for whatever reasons, they are left on their own as the new found friends seek others.

According to international guidelines for refugees to be resettled, the UNHCR identifies deserving cases through vigorous and bureaucratic screening. At the start of the relocation process, the UNHCR initially targeted minority and vulnerable groups from the refugees who are derogatorily referred to as “Jarir” or Somali bantus.

‘Euro fever’ takes its toll on refugees

Refugees at the Dadaab camp. Many of them chase the dream of leaving the miserable lives in the camps for a better one abroad.

This has now changed and possible candidates are currently short-listed from among those with long stint at the camps.

Preference is, however, extended to refugees who entered the camps in 1991 following the collapse of Siad Barre’s regime.

Next in line are asylum seekers, those requiring specialised medical attention abroad and others fleeing retrogressive practices such as female genital mutilation.

The UNHCR then interviews the shortlisted people to ensure only genuine cases proceed to the next stage.

As is the case in processes that involve large numbers of people, the UNHCR vetting exercise has not been without blemish. Somalis of Kenyan origin who want to travel abroad have infiltrated the camps and studied the minute details of towns and villages in Somalia for purposes of hoodwinking the vetting exercise. Many have succeeded.

Most refugees became obsessed with the prospect of going to Europe and America because of the success stories regaled in the camps. Those who don’t get to the shortlisting stage are often shattered. Kenyan Somalis who have spent fortunes in terms of time and money masquerading as refugees are usually the worst hit.

In the process they lose valuable time chasing the American dream and end up contracting Bufis fever, says Hoyoo Batula

Sheikh, a Kenyan Somali who has on several occasions tried to secure resettlement to the West without success.

He left his home in Ijara District to squat at the camps in 1992. By the time he realised that he was chasing a wild dream, agemates he left behind had finished school and made strides in development.

“I cannot compensate for the lost time so I will forge on. I will not rest until I find myself in the US or Europe,” Sheikh vowed during an interview at Ifo camp.

His determination is inspired by some of the Kenyan Somalis who have been resettled after sneaking past the UNHCR as refugees.

Kenyans use all means to go to their preferred destinations. For instance, the refugees practice what they call here Dulsar. If an opportunity is created by a candidate’s failure to travel, his or her family will charge upwards of Sh100,000 to the outsider willing to fill the slot.

Other gimmicks involve staging of mock marriages between sisters and brothers which are then recorded on video for use during the vetting exercise. Religious leaders will ignorantly officiate mock marriages and issue marriage certificates. Assuming the candidate(s) succeed in fooling both the UNHCR and the host nation, they will go their separate ways upon reaching the promised land.

To curb the trend, the US started screening blood for DNA matching in 2008. This according to the refugees has created a lot of fear, forcing the con men and women to devise new ways they hope to use to beat the screening.

Bufis also afflicts those seeking scholarships abroad. Ahmed Farder, 24, a Somali national, sat for Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education examination at Hagardera Secondary School in 2006. He scored B- (MINUS) and sought to study medicine at World University, Canada through a Windley Trust Kenya Scholarship.

“I sat for the interview in 2007 and 2008 but failed the TOEFL. I’m devastated,” he says. He wants the UNHCR to help minimise trauma for people in his situation through counselling “Some of us are not prepared for bad news. The interviewing panel should give hope by preparing us for eventualities just like they do at the Voluntary Counseling and Testing centres for HIV.” It is not all that gloomy though. Ali Abdi Hussein, 30, came to the camp in 2002. He has a diploma in Community Development from correspondence studies with Kenya Institute of Social Work and Community Development.

He completed the course in 2004, successfully went through the UNHCR continued on page 10

ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

Tradition, taboos and male attitudes blamed for high maternal death ratios

By Jane Godia Despite advancements in medical care the number of women dying as a result of pregnancies continues to rise everyday especially in sub-Sahara Africa.

This is happening even though Millennium Development Goal (MDG) number five calls for a reduction by three quarters maternal mortality ratio by 2015. According to Millennium Development Goals Report 2008 in 2005 500,000 women died during pregnancy, in childbirth or within six weeks after delivery. Ninety per cent of these deaths occurred in developing regions with sub-Sahara Africa and Southern Asia accounting for 86 per cent of them.

In Kenya the issue of maternal deaths remains an area of concern. While the country is yet to enact the Reproductive Health Bill, women are dying in childbirth in unprecedented numbers. In sub-Sahara Africa, a woman’s risk of dying from treatable or preventable complications of pregnancy and childbirth over the course of her lifetime is one in 22 compared to the developing world where it stands at one in 7300.

These numbers could go down if some of the issues that foster this tragedy are ad-

dressed and this includes putting in place policies that could help curb maternal death ratios.

According to the Director of Medical Services Dr Francis Kimani, when the law fails, health becomes a medical issue.

This is the case with maternal health care where the law has failed to act to stall maternal deaths.

Out of every 100,000 births there are 414 deaths of mothers giving birth. “In some places in Kenya there could be as many as 1000 deaths per 100,000 births,” Kimani said.

Speaking during a media orientation workshop on public policy making Nairobi recently, Dr Kimani said that at a meeting in Ethiopia recently, African countries came up with a resolution that mothers should not die at child birth.

He noted the irony of these deaths occurring despite an increase in the number of women attending antenatal clinic.

However, he lamented the fact that most of these women failed to get to hospital for delivery and this was why maternal mortality ratios continued to soar.

The Director of Medical Services blamed the high rate of maternal deaths on traditions and taboos.

“Women are dying at child birth due to

A woman with her child. Many African women are unable to make decisions over the number of children they can have. (Photo AWC)

lack of male involvement in their lives at pregnancy and at child birth,” Kimani said.

“Men must realize that as they make babies they must also ensure that the babies are safely delivered.”

Many African men follow the demands of patriarchy, staying away from their pregnant wives as tradition demands and therefore being inattentive to the women’s state of health.

Some of these traditions discourage women from undergoing surgery hence the cause of death for mothers who could have been saved in case of complications.

“In most areas women fear going to hospital for fear of being operated on and most women choose to give birth at home,” Kimani said.

Women’s economic dependence on male partners and the extended family further aggravates the situation especially when resources that could have been used to rush a woman in an emergency situation to the hospital are delayed or denied to her.

Policy must be changed to ensure that women do not die giving birth. However, this entails government action to encourage men to take a proactive role in reproductive health issues. Medical service providers should also be encouraged to involve men in their partners’ pregnancies and deliveries.

However, the prevailing attitude among health care providers is to exclude men in the issues of their partners’ pregnancies.

Dr Kimani admitted that the negative attitudes of medical personnel were also to blame for maternal deaths. However, he said the Ministry of Medical Services was visiting hospitals and asking health managers to change their attitude and approach towards pregnant women to reduce maternal death ratios.

However, as the Medical Services ministry works at changing the attitude of their personnel in health facilities, there is also need to ensure that there are skilled workers at every delivery because they hold the key to improving outcomes for women and newborn infants.

And lastly, family planning services must be easily available and accessible to mothers who wish to stop child-bearing or those who want to space the birth intervals. This will help in reducing unwanted and unplanned for pregnancies that lead to unsafe abortions – another direct cause of high maternal deaths.

According to MDGs Report 2008 the unmet need for family planning in sub-Sahara Africa is the reason for high fertility rates and has barely kept pace with women’s desire to delay or limit births.

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Girls pay for granny’s ‘sin’ from page 7

provincial administration for not doing enough to eradicate the repugnant practice of female circumcision and early child marriages in the area.

“Some chiefs are known to participate in these ceremonies, knowing very well it is outlawed by the Government,” said Ms Helen Gathogo, the national coordinator of One More Day for Children. The organisation has been carrying out a nation-wide campaign to promote children’s rights. She argues that chiefs who condone the practice should be prosecuted.

Laikipia North District Commissioner Amos Marimba admits that the culture is deep-rooted in the community and requires concerted efforts to eradicate.

Deeply-rooted cultural beliefs have remained the major impediment in the fight against the FGM. Despite vigorous efforts by Government and nongovernment organisations, the practice is still rife in the country with some communities recording over 90 per cent prevalence.

A report from the Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs indicates that only four communities in the country do not practice FGM. Gender minister, Ms Esther Murugi proposes that culprits of FGM be jailed for life since the current laws do not seem to deter them. These, she says, are mostly conservative middle-aged men and women.

In Laikipia North District about 98 per cent of girls are subjected to this obnoxious rite of passage.

“Imposing heavy penalties on the offenders will definitely deter the offenders. But it is unlikely to take time before the affected communities realise the seriousness of this crime,” said Ms Jennifer Koinante, who has so far taken 264 young girls through alternative rites of passage.

“Among the Maasai community, girls who conceive before they are circumcised automatically become social misfits and cannot find a man to marry them. They are called Ntaapai in the local language and are normally chased away by their families,” said Koinante.

For this reason, many girls were willing to face the knife rather than risk becoming the laughing stock in the community in case they accidentally fell pregnant.

“Girls who conceive before they are circumcised end up becoming commercial sex workers in towns, since they are unacceptable to their family or the community,” she said. * Names have been changed to protect identity of victims

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ISSUE 002, September 16-30, 2009

Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth

‘Euro fever’ takes its toll on refugees from page 8

interview and the interview with US Embassy. He is on the waiting list for a flight to America. He is little bothered by the two-year delay he has undergone, for he is a hero and the envy of most refugees at the camp.

Although the resettlement has caused a lot of families to breakdown, many believe it is a worthy sacrifice. For instance, Marian Ali Dahir’s husband moved abroad three years ago leaving her behind.

Although the Islamic faith limits a man’s absence from his wife to a maximum of four months, Marian believes her case is an exception.

“Our eight children miss the fatherly care but I am optimistic that I will join my husband one day,” she says.

Once they pass the UNHCR interview, names and particulars of the successful refugees are forwarded to the embassies of respective countries willing to host the refugees. The embassies then forward the lists to their countries and those accepted are short-listed for another interview conducted by embassy officials in the camps.

Embassy officials subsequently pose questions similar to those asked by the UNHCR in a bid to detect inconsistencies. Those who give contradicting answers are automatically disqualified and it is then that some become dejected and depressed.

Those who pass usually mark time for at least 12 months before they are relocated. However, there are cases that have taken much longer before execution.

When ready for relocation, the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) ferries the successful candidates in buses to Nairobi, where they are briefly detained to allow for the finalisation of their documentation, a process dubbed Gool. They are banned from close contact with other people for security reasons.

Finally, the refugees undergo orientation ahead of the life with new cultures and norms that await them in the new country.

Over cups of steaming tea, they discuss employment and scholarship opportunities. They also console and counsel each other. They exchange experience and how to overcome the hiccups.

But the thoughts become overbearing when they part the for their makeshift dwellings in the evenings. “No matter how we relieve stress, the only medicine is reaching the final destination. We hope to live the dream one day Insahllah (God willing)”, Abdiaziz said.

Rebirth in sports for reformed gangsters

By Musa Radoli Former members of criminal gangs in some of Nairobi’s notorious low-cost suburbs and slums are shedding their past to engage in competitive sports and other less dangerous gainful activities The St John’s Sports Society has adopted the use of a variety of sporting activities to channel the energies of former criminals into productive socio-economic and cultural initiatives.

At one of their events dubbed Safety and Security Sports Week last week, the youthful former gangsters were exposed to sports tournaments at Dandora, Korogocho, Kariobangi and Baba Dogo — all low cost residential areas that harbour some of the most dangerous gangs in the city.

“We have members of various teams in soccer, volleyball, netball, basketball, taekwondo, karate and boxing among

other sports who were deeply involved in crime,” says Father John Webootsa, the Society’s chairman.

He adds: “They have now changed their ways or are in the process of changing. We also take them to vocational training institutions to give them skills that can enable

them earn a living.”

Residents in the area are happy with this development and are encouraging the youth.

Korogocho Chief, Ms Rebecca Balongo says the security situation in the area was so bad a few months ago that people were living in constant fear of marauding criminal gangs that had taken control of the area.

She explains: “I can now say authoritatively that there is change here. It may be gradual but that is normal.

We are now on the right track through sporting activities that bring in people from all backgrounds and we know there will be no harrasment from criminals in the near future.”

Balongo says that previously the state of insecurity in the area was so bad that no victims of known criminals could dare pursue a case against them for fear of being eliminated.

New lobby to demand accountability from government, leaders

By Wilfred Muchire A lobby group that aims at sensitising Kenyans on the need for accountability by their leaders and government institutions has been established.

The group, ‘Movement for Political Accountability’ is seeking to launch assemblies in all constituencies at which residents will meet to evaluate various aspects of initiatives and projects being undertaken by leaders and government agencies.

“We are seeking to have an alternative way of governance. We want all and sundry to be aware and updated on what is going around us as far as governance and accountability of public resources is concerned,” said Mr George Mwaura Mburu, movement’s coordinator.

He disclosed that so far, “Citizens’ Assemblies” had been launched in 50 constituencies across the country.

“We have already opened the assemblies in 50 of the 210 constituencies across the country and we are moving on,” Mbu-

ru said. He spoke after presiding over the opening of such a forum at St Patrick’s ACK Hall, Nyeri Town Constituency. He added: “We want to have the citizens’ assemblies in all corners of this country by the end of the year.”

The assemblies, Mburu explained, will be expected to hold regular meetings where members of public will express their views on different issues.

Meetings, he said, will aim at evaluating development progress in their areas (constituencies) and will be modelled on the current Parliamentary setup, complete with a Speaker, Clerk and constituency representatives or members.

Where the group has launched assemblies, local people who attend will be charged the role of electing the members, Speaker and Clerk.

“We want to engage everyone who has a role in the management of public funds, be it Constituency Development Fund (CDF), the Road Levy, the Local Authority Transfer Fund (LATF), the ‘Kazi kwa

Executive Director: Rosemary Okello-Orlale Programme Coordinator: Wilson Ugangu Programme Officer: Susan Mwangi Project Editor: Jane Godia Project Designer: Noel Lumbama Copy Editor: Frank Wanyama Contributors: Musa Radoli, Paul Mwanike, Adow Jubat, Mesembi Nzengu, and Wilfred Mushire

Vijana’ programme, Women’s Fund and Youth Fund.

“It is a great entry point in the transformation of our society,” said Mburu.

The engagement, he added, will involve questioning the use of funds.

“They will be seeking to be told who approved use of funds on various projects as it has been known that leaders use funds without consulting the public as required by law.”

Mburu said the group is planning meetings in various parts of the country to sensitise the public on the new forum.

Citizens interviewed welcomed the move, saying it will create an opportunity that will enlighten Kenyans on what was happening around them.

“This is a very good move that will enable Kenyans force leaders and government officials to be accountable. Personally, I believe it will meet its objectives,” said Mr Julius Gaita Karimi who was elected Clerk for the Nyeri Town Constituency Citizens’ Assembly.

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