ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
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December 1-15, 2009
ISSUE 007
A bimonthly on-line newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service
Poverty driving children from school to fishing in lake region
Boys fishing by Lake Victoria. Many young boys of primary school age have dropped out of school to go into fishing to supplement family income. Picture: Nicholas Odhiambo
By Nicholas Odhiambo Jeremy Ochieng’ is not a happy father. His only son, George Ochieng’ left school to go into fishing three years ago. The young man had just enrolled in Form One then. “Though I could pay his school fees, the boy, just like many others in this area, decided to leave school,” laments Ochieng. But George, who now considers himself a grown up, has even gone ahead and gotten married. The young man looks at the situation differently. He says his decision was driven purely by the need to support himself as his father was too poor to do so. “Imagine sometimes we had no food at home and it was mother who would, occasionally, ensure we got at least one meal in a day,” says the young man. George’s case is not unique. Many of his peers in the vicinity of the Lake Victoria have taken the same route in their desperate attempt at escaping poverty and destitution. Unfortunately, it has turned out to be the familiar story of jumping from the frying pan into a fire as the old lure of fishing has long lost its glow, turning the trade into a worthless undertaking for majority
of fishermen. According to 76-year-old Peter Mang’ira, a resident of Luanda-Konyango beach in Nyatike District, the lake, which is now shrinking, has lost its glory. During its heyday, no child would go to the lake because there was enough food for every family. “The quantity of fish that we used to get from the lake for food and sale was great and we could not allow children to go fishing ,” he says, adding that the children’s main chore was schoolwork. Now that fish quantities have declined, many families living by the shores of the lake have been rendered poor. Many children are dropping out of school as they try to help supplement family income. The population of the common fish species such as the highly prized Nile Perch have reduced drastically while other species like the Salmon have disappeared completely aggravating the problem further. “Nile perch, Salmon and other species that used to fetch a lot of money for fishmongers have moved to River Nile (that partly has sources from Lake Victoria).” Mang’ira says it’s partly due to this
phenomenon that an increasing number of fishermen have resorted to using small nets to catch under-age fish. “There is no fish in the lake. This is why we even use mosquito nets to trap any kind of fish swimming in the lake,” says Willis Okoth, a fisherman in Suba District. Other factors that have contributed to school-drop outs in the area include the long drought and famine that have afflicted most of the country. “Rains here are not promising and this is why we cannot farm. The only solution is going to the lake, though we get little from there. However, it is still better than nothing,” says Joel Omondi, a young man who dropped out of school last year at Standard Six following his father’s death. The scenario plays out in Mbita, Nyatike, Rachuonyo and Homa Bay districts. “The boys think they have matured. You cannot even punish them for wrong doing because they will not allow you. Some are our age-mates and are hard to deal with,” says Ms Caroline Achieng’, a teacher in one of the schools in Homa Bay District. Mrs Mary Bunde, a human rights activist in Mbita District, who is attached to
DEVLINK, an NGO fighting for the rights of women in the fishing community, is worried about the rate at which pupils are dropping out of school to go into fishing. “The Government should do something about this. It is becoming serious around the lake region. Most of them have even decided to smoke hard drugs,” warns Bunde. The Homa Bay District Children’s officer Mr Joseph Ng’eno echoes the same sentiments adding that early marriages for school girls in the region is another consequence of the poverty and destitution. “Poverty in families gets aggravated especially where a father has died. It is the sons who are forced to help their jobless mothers in supplementing family income,” he says. Lack of fish in the lake has also made many women resort to sale of dried fish skeletons from local fish processing factories in Homa Bay and Midas in Migori District. “We go for the skeleton which we grind into powder that is sold to chicken farmers. Some people also eat the skeleton because they are cheap,” says Ms Joyce Aloo a fish skeleton trader in Homa Bay town.
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ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
The Lake Victoria has been polluted by residents living within the surrounding area. This has made the lake lose much of its goodness as people can no longer access fresh water. Picture: Carolyne Oyugi.
Human activity destroying world’s second largest fresh water body By Carolyne Oyugi What was once the pride of the East Africa has become an eyesore and a bad story especially to the people who live around the lake basin and depend on Lake Victoria for their livelihood. Gone are the days when the lake was a source of fresh water with people drinking its crystal-clear water without concerns over contamination and diseases. For the fisher-folk and their customers, fish of all types was abundant just about everywhere in the waters of the lake that sits in the three East African countries. To both foreign and domestic tourists, boat or ferry rides on the lake were events to behold, given the cool and relaxing breeze, classic beauty of some of its picturesque beaches, islands and fauna, and the traditional fishing activities by local people. As fate would have it, human activity has steadily come to harm and compromise both the natural beauty and economic viability of this premier natural resource with regional and international ramifications. These activities have left Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest fresh-water expanse in a situation where it is slowly and but dangerously losing its glory as millions of Kenyans, Ugandans and Tanzanians watch helplessly. The lake is not only a source of livelihood for an estimated 40 million people in the lake basin, it is also
the source of the Nile River that’s the lifeline for both Sudan and Egypt in the north. The unabated pollution on the lake through human activity has now become the order of day, as relevant authorities in the three sister states watch with little concern for the future. Local authorities from urban centres in the vicinity of the lake shamelessly discharge raw sewerage in the waters, as do industries with their toxic and other harmful waste. In both Kisumu and Homa Bay towns, for example, motor vehicles, including oil tankers, are driven into the waters for a wash. The local authorities and other institutions such as National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) have done nothing to stop the illegal activity. Due to pollution and the silt from rivers, the lake hyacinth has developed and spread over the years, seriously compromising both fishing and travel, aside from
Gone are the days when the lake was a source of fresh water with people drinking its crystal-clear water without concerns over contamination and diseases.
spurring the receding lake shore, and turning what was water into farm and grazing land. A perfect example is the Homa Bay Pier that is now closed because the waters have receded. Steamers, ferries and ships that previously docked at the pier are no longer there since the facility no longer operates. People who live along the lake have resorted to do all their washing in the lake. “I usually start by washing clothes and hanging them around here as I wash utensils then take a bath before finally carry some water home,” says Margaret Awino. People like Awino do not understand the short and long term effects of their activities on the lake. The worst category comprises knowledgeable people, industries and institutions that deliberately pollute the lake to cut costs. Such is the pollution that water by the shores is almost black. Polythene papers and other waste flow in the sewer channels into the lake, dangerously compromising safety of the water, turning it into a near-toxic smelly liquid. Boat owners as a consequence are increasingly abandoning the business of leisure trips. “This business is very discouraging,” says Robert Odero. “I used to make a profit of KSh500 daily. Now I only make KSh400 per week. But I think I’m better off because unlike my colleagues here, I own this boat.” The scenario gets worse for people in the nearby urban centres such as Kisumu
and Homa Bay who depend on the lake for their water supply yet it does not get proper water treatment plants. “There has always been a big problem with the water department in Homa Bay town. Our taps usually go dry for a very long time and we are occasionally forced to fetch water from the lake,” says John Okuthe, a resident of Homa Bay town. He adds: “But the lake water is so dirty. The sewer has been draining in the lake for over one.” The Homa Bay District Environment Officer who also heads the local NEMA office, Mr. Valentine Lala is not aware of the problem, and expresses “shock” when escorted to the point of discharge into the lake. The officer, however, defends himself, saying NEMA’s work is only to inform the municipal council but not to unblock the sewers. The Homa Bay Town Clerk Mr. Felix Olwero has all manner of unconvincing reasons to explain the dangerous failure. “The sewer system in this town has been having problems for decades, some parts of the sewer system were made of asbestos which cannot help right now because they are worn out,” explains Olwero. The clerk says some of the town residents have become careless with the manholes. “People just dump domestic waste in the manholes, hence blocking them,” he says, pointing out that in any case, most of the covers have been stolen.
ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
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Mushroom, a lucrative product awaiting local exploitation By Rahma Maingi Mushroom farming in the country is yet to gain wide recognition unlike other cash crops that dominate the agricultural sector. Though the crop is widely perceived to be expensive at planting, the misconception has greatly affected its production with only a few individuals and institutions like the Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) venturing into its production. This, however, has not deterred Mr Fredrick Muya a farmer from in Gikoe Village, Mathioya Division, Murang’a North District from trying his hand on the same. The 42 year old takes pride in his decision to shift from passion fruit cultivation to mushroom production late last year. Proceeds from the mushroom have not only provided daily bread for his family, the crop has also become a viable source of income. Speaking during an interview at his farm recently, Muya explains that though he has faced many challenges, the benefits are something every farmer would crave for. “Which farmer would not want to be paid KSh300 per kg for his crop?” Muya poses, adding, “One feels on top of the world once his crop has been sold.” He also advises farmers that they must be patient enough to reap the benefits. While outlining the mushroom growing process, Muya says that first thing a farmer must have is fodder that’s harvested from wheat. The farmer must ensure that it contains 1.5 percent of nitrogen to facilitate the growth of the mushroom. Bran is added to enhance nutrients. The fodder is then chopped into small pieces and put in lime to neutralise the mixture before pasteurisation. “Before one starts the process of pasteurisation, one must measure to know the weight. The mixture must be in a ratio of 80 kgs of straw, 15kgs of bran/wheat and two kilogrammes of lime. The mixture is then pasteurised for four and half hours at 98 degrees centigrade,” he says. He explains that the pasteurisation is done to destroy the micro organisms that are found in the straw. The drums that are used to pasteurise the mixture must be insulated in such a way that they have a wooden rack at the bottom. A nylon bag is put inside the drum (to prevent the straw from burning up during the process) and then 20-30 litres of water is put inside. Another nylon bag is then used to cover the drum and a rope tied around it. This is done to contain the steam emanating from the boiling water. After cooling down, a farmer uses sufurias (aluminum pans) which must be disinfected to carry the mixture into the green house that must be at room tem-
Mushroom that has been grown in a green house. This is a crop that can bring in good income to farmers if they are patient enough.
perature. The mixture which occurs during the A farmer must have is then left there for at incubation process is the least four days before fodder that’s harvested biggest challenge that sponging (putting of farmers face, as most seeds) takes place. This from wheat. The tend to lose their crop is widely done to help at this stage. Among farmer must ensure develop bacteria comthe bacterium that monly known as theraffects the crop include that it contains 1.5 mfiles. myceria, mysophiles, percent of nitrogen to thermophiles On the day of spongand ing, the mixture is actinomycete which facilitate the growth of spread on a mat, and cause discoloration. the mushroom. Bran then the farmer uses Marketing is anbroadcast method to other problem to most is added to enhance throw the seeds. In the mushroom farmers. last process, the mixWith disappointment nutrients. ture is put in polythene written all over his face, bags measuring 16 cms Muya recalls that it was by 24 cms and then compressed to get rid the then JKUAT vice chancellor Mr Nick of the air inside. ”Make some holes in the Wanjohi who introduced him and another bag after tying it with a rubber band to pre- 44 people to the mushroom concept at the vent water vapour,” advises Muya. beginning of last year with promises of enThe bags are then taken to the incuba- suring they would get a readily available tion room, which Muya stresses must have market once the crop was harvested. a carbon concentration of 3000-5000 ppm With a lot of vigour, the group formed (parts per million molecules) and a relative Gakoe Mushroom Group and each person humidity of 80 percent and a temperature was expected to contribute KSh10,000 toof 23-30 centigrade. wards the initiation of the project. HowMuya emphasises that no light should ever, after injecting more than KSh500,000 be allowed in the incubation room and it in the project, the mushroom that was harmust remain dark for at least four weeks vested went to waste as there was no marbefore light is reintroduced. The harvest- ket readily available. ing usually occurs when the mushrooms “We lost KSh280,000 in the first batch are 3-4 inches long. and a similar amount in the second batch The process may seem easy, but Muya as the market we had been assured of was is quick to point out that green moulding not there,” explains Muya, adding that
this demoralised the group and its members parted ways to venture into other businesses after selling the remaining crop at a throwaway price of KSh50 per kilogramme instead KSh400. The break up did not kill Muya’s morale as he later enrolled for classes to acquire knowledge on how to plant the mushrooms. This has in return paid off as he has now joined the JUKA (Juja-Thika) Self-help Group who collect his crop for marketing at various outlets including the hotels and supermarkets after the crop has dried. Various education groups from all over the country have been streaming to his farm to learn the farming concept, and this has greatly boosted his skills. Muya specialises in Oyster mushroom farming which he notes is easy to manage compared to other types. Among the mushrooms planted in the country include Reishi which is a medicinal plant, Button which is very expensive to plant and only a few individuals are known to have planted it and Shitaike type which is a Chinese type. Reishi mushroom is widely known as it was reserved for emperors and the royalty in the ancient times. It has been used in Japan and China for over 2,000 years, thus making it the oldest mushroom known to have been used as medicine. Muya urges the government to help in opening up markets for the crop as farmers suffer greatly in their search for buyers.
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ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
New provinces to bring services closer to the people By Nicholas Odhiambo Civil servants in the new administrative units have been urged to work hard so that the public can see the value of having the new provinces. The Regional Commissioner for South Nyanza Province Mr Erastus Ekidor has said the newly-created provinces are important as they will bring services closer to the people. “Having the province is one thing, and making it operational is another. You have to work for the public to see the value of the provinces,” said Ekidor. He challenged civil servants to stop being idle and instead work strategically to shape up and keep pace with their performance contracts where the focus is on results. The Regional Commissioner advised the officials to display service charters to members of the public to familiarise themselves. “Show the public the service charters so that they know you and the role you are playing to the government,” he said. Speaking on security, the Commissioner stated it was a collective responsibility for both the public and police. The public has a role to provide information that could lead to the arrest of suspected criminals. Ekidor was addressing heads of departments from all the 12 districts in the new South Nyanza Province in Homa Bay town. Controversy, however, surrounds the new districts after the Kisii High Court judge declared them null and void as their creation by both former President Moi and his predecessor Mwai Kibaki, was unprocedural.
DCs put on notice over ‘witches’ lynching By Ben Oroko The fate of witchcraft suspects in the Kisii region of south-western Kenya is in the hands of the area’s district commissioners. The DCs are also head of local security committees. The Eastern Nyanza Regional Commissioner, Ms Lydiah Muriuki, challenged the DCs to collaborate with the local communities in finding home-grown solutions to rampant cases of lynching people suspected to be practicing witchcraft in the region. She reminded them that all human life was precious and it was the duty of the Government, through the law enforcement machinery, to protect all citizens, whatever the circumstances. Muriuki was addressing DCs from the 13 districts in the Eastern Nyanza Region after presiding over the signing of performance contracts at her office in Kisii town. She warned that no person or group had the authority to terminate another’s life over witchcraft suspicions. “It is illegal for another person to take someone’s life under the pretext of eradicating witchcraft in the society. I am challenging the DCs to exhaustively use the performance contracts they have signed today to find home-grown solutions to lynching of members of the public under the cover of eradicating witchcraft in the region,” stated Muriuki. The Commissioner’s intervention comes in the wake of widespread lynching of suspected witches, with their houses being set ablaze and property worth millions of shillings razed as their children and other relatives are rendered homeless. Most of the victims are usually in their 70s and 80s, raising questions as to why the aged and helpless are targeted. An official of Helpage Kenya (a non-government organisation devoted to the welfare of senior citizens), Kisii Region, Mr Douglas Arege, blames the abhorrent practice on land disputes, with majority of the aged being framed with alleged witchcraft practices to “justify” the lynching to make the land in dispute available to their accusers. He attributes the rising cases of the arbitrary killings to the long-held perception especially among the youth that any aged and wrinkled man or woman is a witch and should be lynched.
Ugly scenes as councillors tussle over Bungoma Council treasurer By Aggrey Buchunju There was drama recently at the Bungoma County Hall when three civic leaders tried to block the County Council treasurer, Mr Isaac Khalisia from entering his office. Led by the vice-chairman Cllr. Meshack Museveni, the civic leaders entered the offices early in the morning and nailed logs of wood to the treasurer’s door. Mr Museveni and councillors Busuru Mumbwani of Kamukuywa Ward and Joseph Bititi of Soy Sambu ward subsequently declared the treasurer persona non granta in the council premises. Armed with hammers and machetes, the three civic leaders then positioned themselves at the council’s main gate, baying for the treasurer’s blood. They accused the civic authority’s chief accounting officer of failing to account for KSh13 million and vowed to remove him from office to pave way for a fair audit by external auditors. The three claimed Khalisia had in the last financial year, allocated Local
Authority Transfer Fund (LATF) to the civic authority’s 41 wards for development purposes and has since not released the money to some of the wards. As the three manned the gate, another group of about 15 councillors led by the council’s chairman, Mr Julius Bakasa and Finance and General Purposes Committee chairman, Mr John Weyusia, forcefully reinstalled the treasurer back to his office after removing the barricades. Cllrs. Athanas Mang’ura of Kabula Ward, Patroba Soita of Milo Ward and nominated councillor Chrisantus Sifuna, condemned the incident and told Museveni and his friends to behave soberly and maturely. Mang’ura defended the treasurer, saying he was the best accounting officer the civic authority has ever had in the last 10 years. He said it was illegal and barbaric for the civic leaders to shut out the treasurer, pointing out that problems should be resolved amicably. The ugly incident came barely two days after the then County Council Clerk Mr Ndurumo Wagakui was transferred to Mbeere Municipal Council in the same capacity.
Ghost coffee farmers warned over dealings By Reject Writer Ghost coffee farmers and inflated weight of cherry coffee delivered to primary coffee producer co-operative societies in Gusiiland continue eating into the coffee sales proceeds, leading to poor coffee payments. Mr Robert Mainya of the Kisii Farmers Co-operative Union (KFCU) advises the co-operative societies’ management committee to fight the vice through periodical census of coffee tree bushes as well as identify active farmers and their productive coffee trees. Mainya regrets that Gusii region, which was formerly the cradle of the “black gold”, as coffee is commonly referred to, is currently a pale shadow of its former self since majority of farmers have abandoned the crop for other alternatives. “Though the widespread effects of the global economic crunch have taken a toll on the local coffee industry, ghost farmers and non-existent coffee kilogrammes continue compounding the problem in the region,” observes Mainya. Ghost farmers and non-existent coffee kilogrammes eat into other farmers’ sweat and strain the payments which are equal-
ly shared out among genuine and ghost farmers, leading to poor payments, hence forcing active farmers to abandon the crop for other alternatives. Consequently, the management committee of Nyamonya Farmers Co-operative Society in Gucha District, an affiliate of KFCU, has embarked on the fight against ghost coffee kilogrammes which, they say, have for a long time eaten into the genuine farmers’ deliveries. The Chairman of the Sacco, Mr Julius Maganga, concedes that in the past, the society had recorded poor coffee payments due to corrupt recorders who gave nonexistent farmers “ghost kilos” in exchange for cash, leading to meagre payments to farmers. “We have now reshuffled all those who were involved in the costly syndicate that saw many active coffee farmers either abandon the crop or sell their produce to the black market coffee dealers, threatening the survival of the local co-operative societies. Moses Oroko, a treasurer in the committee concurs. He says farmers will only earn good returns from coffee farming if there is a conducive environment devoid of graft and underhand dealings.
ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
Webuye loses most businesses By Aggrey Buchunju The revival of Pan African Paper Mills in Webuye town of Bungoma East District may not be happening anytime soon. Despite local political leaders’ assurances, the re-opening of the giant factory remains a mystery to former factory workers, the business community and residents. The closure of the factory has not only affected the lives of 1,500 direct employees and 30,000 indirect employees, but also the business community and residents of Webuye town and its environs. Both wholesale and retail businesses have reportedly dropped by almost 65 per cent in the town and adjacent shopping centres. “The town looked like it was collapsing during the initial months of the closure”, says Mr Davis Wanyonyia retail shopkeeper. Another businessman, Mr Erik Wapang’ana, director of Rosenary Machinery, says he used to sell 10 motorbikes and 10 posho mills daily. However, things changed with the closure of the factory and his sales dropped to one motorbike and one posho (maize flour) mill per month. The proprietor of Khetia’s Supermarket, Mr Ashok Khetia says he has since shut down the Webuye outlet due to diminishing returns. A vegetable seller, Mrs. Elizabeth Wambani, claims she used to sell at least 10 crates of onions and four crates of tomatoes per day. Her customers were mainly factory workers, lorry drivers and loaders who came
During a spot check, Reject established that most residential houses had been vacated and pubs lacked patrons for the better part of the day. from as far as Mombasa, Nairobi, Kisumu and other major towns for rolls of paper to destined to various parts of the country. She lamented the closure of the factory and the drastic loss of business. “I now only sell one crate of onion and one crate of tomato per week because the lorries no longer come here,” she said. During a spot check, Reject established that most residential houses had been vacated and pubs lacked patrons for the better part of the day. The factory which started operating in early 1970s has been a source of livelihood to thousands of area residents. When Reject visited the factory last week, guards refused to let in the journalists, saying there was no one in the offices they would talk to. They asked Reject to go back after a week when the receiver managers would be around. A former top manager at the factory is accusing local political leaders’ of making false public pronouncements on the government’s commitment to revive the factory soon.
The former manager who spoke to Reject on condition of anonymity, took issue with the political pronouncements about the reopening of the factory. He accused some of the local leaders of raising people’s hopes unnecessarily, instead of telling them the true status of the government’s position concerning the reviving of the factory. The former manager accused political leaders of issuing public statements over a Cabinet meeting in October which conclusively resolved the factory’s problems. He said the meeting could not have taken place, as the President who normally chairs such meetings was away on official visit to Nigeria. The former manager disclosed the factory was indebted to the tune of KSh8 billion, with KSh6 billion owed to longterm lenders, while short-term lenders and other creditors were demanding KSh1 billion each. Saying that the receiver managers were serving the interests of short term lenders, he wondered how the revival of the factory could be effected without taking into consideration the long term lenders who are owed a colossal sum of money. He further alleged that the security firm hired by the receiver managers was unable to stop “looting” of property. “Some important factory equipment, including computers have been smuggled out of the factory with the assistance of security guards,” he alleged.
Teso District set for better times By John Oroni Teso District, one of the poorest regions in the country, could be in for better times if Global with Hope, a rural based nongovernmental organization has its way. The district that straddles the Ugandan border in western Kenya, is afflicted by high levels of poverty, illiteracy and disease, especially HIV/Aids that has devastated hundreds of families. The district is home to over 3,000 HIV/ Aids widows and widowers, with many more children orphaned by the pandemic. In 2003, a team of consultants from Global with Hope visited the area to assess the state of deprivation and magnitude of the HIV/Aids. The team also conducted interviews with a cross-section of the community and stake-holders in many fields. The NGO subsequently established a presence in the district with its head offices at Amagoro, the district headquarters under the leadership of Mr James P. Etyang. The organisation’s vision for the fairly new district that was carved out of the larger Busia District includes eradication of poverty, illiteracy, disease and injustices that have contributed to the region’s underdevelopment. In so doing, the NGO aims at developing a self reliant and sustainable com-
A resident of Teso District is happy that the region is set to see better development with the projects an NGO is going to start in the area. Picture: John Oroni.
munity. “The mission is to provide support for the women, especially widows, orphans and destitute through health care, education and rehabilitation with the hope of empowering them,” Etyang told the Reject recently. Besides the attainment of the vision, Etyang says the NGO also aims at tackling all areas of
concern as identified in the reports gathered, especially aspects that impact negatively on the welfare of the people of Teso District. He identified the pilot areas as Malaba. Kocholia, Ikapolok, and Amagoro that comprise nine locations and 23 sublocations
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Mt Kenya region set to become major tourist destination By Rahma Maingi The Mt Kenya region has been a stopover for tourists destined for sites beyond the cold mountainous region. However, this is about to change as plans are underway to turn the region into a tourist destination. According to the chairman of the Mt Kenya Tourism Circuit, Mr Simon Wachira, the move was reached at after the organisation conducted research on ways that could improve tourism within the region. A committee is already looking into ways of diversifying the current tourist attractions and discovering new sites. Wachira told Reject that though the August month was a high tourist season, only a few visitors passed through the region enroute other sites such as the Samburu Game Reserve. The organisation is focusing on marketing eco-tourism products like visits to rural farms that offer unique attractions. Aside from promoting tourism, the tourists’ integration with the local community will be of mutual benefit. “We have identified several families in Warazo Jet, Gathiru and Embu who will help in hosting the visiting tourists,” revealed Wachira. In an effort to help preserve the region’s eco-system, the organisation is also introducing primate tracking in collaboration with the Kenya Wildlife Services. This way, tourists will have the opportunity to view rare animal species such as the Colubus monkey that have cultural significance in the region. In the meantime, the organisation is training porters and guides in both nature interpretation and tourism-based entrepreneurship. The project aims at enhancing the financial capacity of guides and porters on the slopes of the mountain, through the establishment of saving and credit schemes.
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ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
Recalling horrors of post-election Widow appeals to government to honour its pledge of compensation
A victim of post-election violence Mrs Jane Achieng (seated), with a relative outside the house she is renting in Busia town. She is appealing to the government to compensate victims of the poll violence equally. Picture: Gilbert Ochieng.
By Gilbert Ochieng For the family of 54-year-old Mrs Jane Achieng, December 31, 2007 shall remain etched in their minds for a very long time. Achieng’, her 20-year-old son William Ochieng, her brother’s wife Beatrice Atieno, 28, and her children Collins, Francisca and Vincent remember how they had lived a happy comfortable life in Naivasha. However, this happiness was to be cut short because two days after the election results were announced, leaflets warning members of a certain community to leave Naivasha had been circulated in the town and the surrounding areas. The leaflets were distributed following the arrival of displaced families who had been expelled from Eldoret over the disputed presidential election results. Come December 31, 2007 at about 12 noon, armed attackers struck in every corner of Naivasha, flashing out people from certain communities, clubbing them with rungus, metal bars and hacking them with machetes. Those who attempted to lock themselves inside had their homes set ablaze after the arsonists doused the houses with petrol. Achieng, a widow from Busia District, Western Kenya, says she had lived in Naivasha for over a decade, and was the proud owner of a residential estate that she
had inherited from her husband who had died in a road accident in 1994. Her late husband who worked with the Kenya Power and Lighting Company (KPLC) in Naivasha, had acquired a plot at Kabati area where he constructed rental houses. “The armed attackers entered every house and asked the occupants to identify themselves. Those who didn’t belong to the community that they came from were referred to as unwanted elements,” Achieng recalls. She adds: “The ‘unwanted elements’ were either clobbered with metal studded clubs or hacked to death.’’ Achieng narrowly escaped death when she pleaded with them to spare her life and that of her children as she was a widow. The attackers, however, took away her valuable household items including a television set, radio and a sewing machine after which they doused her 16 singleroomed rental houses in petrol and set them ablaze. She says at least 18 other “non-natives” were not lucky as they were burnt to death in their houses. “The plan to flash out ‘foreigners’ from Naivasha had been schemed in advance by prominent businessmen within the area,’’ Achieng claims, adding that the said business tycoons and area politicians had slaughtered goats to fete the attackers who were holed up in Muthori and Kihoto slums.
She alleges that prior to the attack, the business tycoons had allegedly purchased scores of pangas (machetes) from a nearby supermarket. The said pangas were then distributed to the attackers at night to avoid suspicion. When they sensed danger after being visited by the attackers, they sought refuge at the Naivasha Police Station. “We fled to Naivasha Police Station where we camped for one week. While at the police station the armed attackers followed us and threatened to invade the facility and burn us alive,” recalls Achieng. “However, before they could make good their evil threats they were spotted by the GSU (the paramilitary General Service Unit) personnel who were carrying out aerial surveillance.”
“The ‘unwanted elements’ were either clobbered with metal studded clubs or hacked to death.’’ Achieng narrowly escaped death when she pleaded with them to spare her life and that of her children as she was a widow.
The GSU landed at the police station and sprayed the attackers with teargas, forcing them to disperse. Life at the police station was not easy as help did not come in as fast. The displaced families had to stay without food for two consecutive days. “The Red Cross team came after two days and gave us food, clothes, blankets, mosquito nets and drugs but we slept in the open as there were no tents,’’ Achieng recalls. Beatrice Atieno, 28, also a victim of the post-election violence says she had lived at Naivasha’s Lakeview Estate with her late husband since 1997. “I locked myself in the house with my three children when the attackers invaded our estate. They broke the door with a huge stone and got in. They spotted us hurdled together at a corner, trembling with fear,” Atieno recalls. She adds: “They asked me where my husband was, but I told them he died a long time ago. The attackers then went away without harming us when one of them pleaded with his colleagues not to kill us.’’ Atieno attributes her family’s survival to the grace of God. She and other “natives” were later transferred to Kisumu in Nyanza Province, where they were given temporary refuge at a local church compound. The lorries that transported them from Naivasha had been hired by Members of Parliament from Nyanza Province and religious groups. Her last born sister Mary Adhiambo was left behind since the hired lorries could not accommodate an extra passenger and attempts to get in touch with her ever since have proved futile. Achieng and her brother’s wife opted to relocate to Busia town where they are now in the process of a long and difficult rehabilitation process. She says her life has totally been ruined and will never be the same again following the post election violence that saw her 16 rental houses razed by arsonists. “The houses had been my only source of livelihood following the death of my husband who was the sole breadwinner,’’ laments Achieng with tears flowing down her furrowed cheeks. She now lives in a single-room on the outskirts of Busia town together with her sister-in-law in the hope the Government and well-wishers will come to their aid and help them rediscover their lost lifestyle. Achieng nurses hopes of returning to Naivasha to reclaim what’s left of her property once normalcy returns. She would also like to acquire rental property in Busia once she settles down. Like all other victims of the post-election violence who’ve not been compensated, Achieng’ is appealing to the Government to honour its pledge by ensuring all other internally displaced people, are compensated and resettled to their former homes.
ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
Street boys rehabilitate through dumpsite restoration
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27 districts to benefit from tree planting project By Odhiambo Odhiambo
Former street by George Kanyi with a stack of hay. Kanyi is helping rehabilitate other street children in Nanyuki by getting them to work at the town’s dumpsite. Picture: Asha Muktar.
By Asha Muktar When he left Lodwar five years ago at the age of 14, he hoped Nanyuki town would offer a better life. He was an orphan with no one to turn to as he had lost both parents to HIV/Aids. However, when he landed in Nanyuki he didn’t find the comfort he was looking for. Instead, Patrick Maina, now 19, ended up on the streets where his food would only come from the dustbins. Within a year, the orphan had joined a group of over 100 destitute street boys at Nanyuki’s main dump site. Bleak as the situation looked, the youngster was at least assured of one meal in a day since all the leftovers from the town’s homes, hotels and restaurants are dumped there. “Competition for food has been stiff, and it is only the strong boys who are able to feed to their fill on the leftovers,” says Maina, adding the fight often gets tougher with hungry and fierce dogs jumping into the fray. That not being enough, Maina graduated into glue-sniffing, the street urchin’s favourite past-time, not to mention an array of other drugs that are readily available to youth with spare change. The drug habit keeps them high, “thus enabling them cope with the monumental hardships they face”. This was to be Maina’s lifestyle until early this year when luck arrived in the form of a former street boy who had seen the light and reformed in a manner most unique. The good fortune was also visited on 24 of Maina’s colleagues, thanks to
49-year-old George Kanyi who had successfully embarked on the noble but risky project to rehabilitate and restore 85 acres of the 100-acre dumpsite over a two-year period. What was once an eyesore to local residents and visitors, is now an expanse of lush-green fodder, a consequence of hard work by street boys who cleaned up the site and planted 14 acres of lucerne, nappier grass and trees. Lucerne is a nutritious cattle-fodder with capacity to boost milk production. “My dream is to have the whole area planted, but due to lack of money, we have only managed to plant a small portion,” says Kanyi who has so far spent over Sh200,000 from his earnings in the last two years. Aside from the reclamation of the dumpsite, the funds were also used in providing accommodation for the youngsters. Kanyi says his only source of income is through sale of hay which he gets from the nearby Laikipia Air Base. He is the only outsider allowed to harvest grass from the military base after he cultivated a rapport with the officer in charge. “I have invested all my income into this project with the hope that one time I will get returns and help reform these street children so they can earn a living from a decent lifestyle,” says Kanyi who is now married with four children. The Standard Three drop-out has signed a 10-year contract with Nanyuki Water and Sewerage Company to clean up the dumpsite and the sewage at no pay. In return, Kanyi is free to plant crops of his choice to earn a living.
“Like the famous ‘Michuki matatu rules’, I am determined to make this garbage site clean, knowing too well others have tried in the past and failed,” he says with a smile. Environment minister John Michuki, is remembered for bringing sanity to the public transport system by enforcing tough rules dubbed ‘Michuki matatu rules’ when he was minister in charge of transport. Standing in between Maina’s ambitions are big challenges that include inadequate finances to cater for the fairly large number of destitutes under his charge. He agonises over possible reversal of the gains so far made if assistance does not materialise in the very near future. The reformed boys no longer sniff glue nor take addictive drugs. Every morning they approach Kanyi for menial jobs and earn a daily income of KSh200. “We fear that all the lucerne we planted might not grow properly because the irrigation pipes are worn out and we do not have money to purchase others,” laments Kanyi. A roll of irrigation pipes goes for KSh18,000 and 40 rolls are needed to put the 85 acres under plantation. “The irrigating pipes are few and I am unable to buy others because the 14 acres of lucern we planted last time failed due to lack of water.” A single acre lucerne can produce 100 bales on a good harvest. A bale fetches KSh400 and Kanyi says with assistance he can be able to support all the street children who depend on the dumpsite. Lucerne is in high demand from dairy farmers within Laikipia and its environs.
The Government has launched an ambitious afforestation programme in the 27 districts. The project under the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports is intended to reclaim depleted forest covers in most parts of the country. Dubbed “Tree for Job Programme”, the youths picked to plant the seedlings will each be paid KSh8 for every surviving plant per month. “This is meant to increase the survival rate of the seedlings since the beneficiaries are expected to take care of them and get motivation earning in exchange,” said Mr Alex Otieno, Migori District Youth Officer. He added: “They will earn on the seedlings for 18 months when the plants are expected to be strong.” Otieno, who spoke during the official opening of the five–day training for youth leaders in Migori, said the area has already received 10,000 seedlings for the pilot project. “We ask leaders to support this noble initiative because our water towers have been destroyed and Kenya risks becoming a desert in the near future if remedial measures are not taken urgently,” explained Otieno. He said the Government would mainly engage youth groups in the programme. “This is to enable them earn the money and inculcate the spirit of afforestation in them,” Otieno explained. He said the Government was trying to discourage an idle population which most often ends up engaging in criminal activities. The project launch comes in the wake of a politically charged debate over the Mau Forest Complex which has been invaded by squatters and in which leaders are divided on how to conserve the important water catchment.
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ISSUE 007, December 1-15, 2009
Unfiltered, uninhibited…. just the gruesome truth
New technology to reduce cost of construction
More trouble for farmers’ organisation By Ryan Mathenge
Technicians from the Ministry of Housing demonstrate to officials of Ewaso Nyiro North Development Authority how the Hydraform building technology works. Picture: Kamau wa Kamau
By Kamau
wa
Kamau
Ewaso-Nyiro North Development Authority (ENNDA) has, in collaboration with Ministry of Housing, initiated a new building technology that will cut building construction costs in the country. Appropriate Building Technology (ABT) is a new concept imported from South Africa, in which diesel or electric-powered machines are used to make stabilized blocks (SSB) by use of soil and cement. ENNDA Managing Director, Mr Rashid Amin, said people living in the Ewaso-Nyiro basin will, through the project, get affordable housing as the technology is cheap as it uses local materials — soil, little cement and little water. He added the buildings would be ideal for the dry region. For the project to succeed, Amin said ENNDA has through the Housing Min-
istry acquired four Hydraform machines from South Africa to make the improved bricks locally and sell them to residents at fair prices A three bedroomed house built through the new technology will cost as little as KSh200,000, with only the roofing material being purchased from the shops. The Hydraform machine-made bricks are designed for fitting without the use of cement or sand as is the common practice. Each of the machines has a capacity to make 1,500 bricks daily with a maximum intake of eight litres of diesel. They have been earmarked for distribution in Garissa, Wajir, Isiolo and North Horr areas that comprise the authority’s jurisdiction. Amin said this when he introduced ENNDA board members to the new technology during its launch at the authority’s
headquarters in Isiolo recently. Local artisans are being trained on how to apply the technology by Ministry of Housing technicians. People in the region keen to use the technology have been advised to contact the Provincial Housing offices in Embu. Aside from the new technology, ENNDA is in the process of sinking 100 boreholes in the basin’s region. ENNDA Chairman Dr Abdullahi Wako applauded the Ministry of Housing for the good partnership that will facilitate many cheap constituency development building projects and uplift people’s standards of living in the region. He said through the initiative, ENNDA would raise satisfactory revenue unlike before, and subsequently create employment opportunities for local people. He gave the example of the brickmaking machine that is manned by ten people.
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: Aggrey Buchunju, Asha Muktar, Kamau wa Kamau, John Oroni, Rahma Maingi, Nicholas Odhiambo, Odhiambo Odhiambo, Carolyne Oyugi, Ryan Mathenge, Gilbert Ochieng, Paul Mwaniki and Ben Oroko
Controversy surrounding property owned by shareholders of the giant Mbo-I-Kamiti Farmers Company has taken a new twist with four legislators from Central Province pointing an accusing finger at the management. The Members of Parliament led by Assistant Minister Peter Kenneth (Gatanga), Njoroge Baiya (Githunguri) Elias Mbau (Maragua) and nominate member Rachel Shebesh, decried the plunder of public assets at the heavily debt-ridden company. Residents of Githunguri, who are also shareholders of the company, detailed how the former directors had made a kill after disposing of property valued at KSh700 million for only KSh100 million. During a meeting with the MPs in Githunguri, shareholders accused the firm’s directors of selling some of the assets and pocketing the proceeds instead of servicing the bank loan that now stands at KSh1 billion. They vowed not to sit back and watch management plunder their assets. The Githunguri MP claimed some individuals with interests in the farm working with a bank magnate, were out to cripple the farmers’ organisation. He said the culprits would be punished. “We shall not allow an individual or a clique of some elements to cripple the company by disposing its assets at throw away prices at the expense of poor and helpless members,” said Baiya. The legislator further castigated the culprits for illegally disposing farm assets at a time when four groups were embroiled in a court tussle over its management. The MPs called for a probe to help disclose the true extent of the illegal disposal of assets at the farm.
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