Reject Online Issue 68

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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September 1-15, 2012

ISSUE 068

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

Health care remains out of reach

Lack of local specialised facilities places challenges on medical services

By WAIKWA MAINA

Health care is one of the most fundamental human rights. It is a major prerequisite to the general well being of a people. However, accessing and enjoying this primary and significant right remains a dream for many Kenyans.

Take Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) for instance, which is the largest referral hospital in East and Central Africa. KNH has largely remained the same although Kenya’s population has continued to grow in leaps and bounds. Every day, droves of people turn up at the referral hospital in the hope of receiving treatment that they can afford.

Corridors along Kenya’s largest national and referral hospital are congested as the patient versus trained health personnel ratio remains far from the World Health

Organisation’s recommended standards.

Nonetheless, congestion at KNH can drastically reduce with proper management of health services, especially through allocation and distribution of necessary medical equipment and personnel as per rate of disease prevalent per region.

Challenge

Each region in the country has a certain disease prevalence rate but lack the capacity to handle them poses a big challenge to patients and medical staff. The hospitals are compelled to refer patients to Kenyatta National Hospital for diagnosis in suspected cases or comprehensive treatments.

For example, over 60 percent of kidney related infections referred to KNH are from Central Province, which has no single public hospi-

tal equipped for such ailments.

“This makes the cost of seeking medical treatment unaffordable to many people. Transport and other logistics are exploitative to poor Kenyans. They also have to camp in lodgings due to long queues at KNH, most of the times, the patients are accompanied by relatives or friends since some of them have never been to Nairobi or for their health conditions,” says Dr Julius Mwago, Nyeri Provincial General Hospital Medical Superintendent.

Old buildings

Most of the district and provincial referral hospitals were built by colonialist or around 1960s and have never had a facelift.

The buildings are, therefore, not compatible or lack the capacity to hold modern health equipment. In Continued on page 6

From top: Infants sharing an incubator at the Embu District Hospital.

Patients inside the Kenyatta National Hospital await treatment. Others wait outside the hospital. Pictures: Waikwa Maina and Reject Correspondent

Read more Reject stories online at w w w. m d c a f r i c a . o r g

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Private land ownership poses challenge for planners in Busia

By JANE CHEROTICH Residents of Busia town are not sitting pretty as planners demand that the strategically placed gateway to Kenya from other East African community countries gets a face lift.

The planning crisis is because the town is situated on a freehold land making it difficult for physical planners to plan for it.

This emerged during a stakeholders’ workshop where experts painted a gloomy picture of the border town which they described as a massive slum with haphazardly put structures.

According to Dr Grephus Opata an expert from Siaga and Associates Consultants firm, Busia’s future is bright thanks to the ultra modern upcoming buildings. Opata is part of a team of about eight experts tasked with bringing sanity into Busia, which for a long time has had to do without basic infrastructure and other social amenities because of poor planning.

Initiative

“Every municipality is supposed to have an approved plan and it is the initiative of the Ministry of Local Government to plan the towns, according to the project which was initiated midlast year and is expected to complete before end of this year,” explained Opata, who is also a lecturer at Moi University.

He noted: “The planning is supposed to be forwarded to the ministries of Local Government and Lands. This will later to be gazetted as a legal document.”

The team which has been assigned to carry feasibility study of the future of the town will write a recommendation which they will then forwarded to the Local Authorities’ Ministry for approval after they are through with their study work.

If approved, the experts warned that land owners in the town would be forced to surrender

their parcels in order to pave way for adequate planning for the town to an acceptable standard.

Currently the town lacks amenities such as playing grounds and other recreational facilities because most of the land is owned by individuals who are not ready to surrender them to the municipality for planning purposes.

The problem is compounded by the fact that some residents have been burying the dead relatives within their compounds in the town although this is prohibited by the governing by-laws urban settlement.

According to Busia mayor Imelda Obwana the town’s planning department has been crippled because it cannot carry out basic planning because the whole town is located on freehold land.

“This is why we are appealing to the town residents to heed and cooperate with whatever recommendations the experts are going to come up with to make our town a better place which is well planned for everybody,” noted Obwana.

The team has been collecting data and has shared it with the locals of Busia County. Some of the challenges faced is lack of public and community land if the town is to be expanded.

Disaster

“Busia could be the capital city of Busia County and there is need to create a parking lot especially for the trailers since most of them are park by the roadside, and in case of any fires the nearest fire engine is in Tororo, Uganda. This is a disaster and needs to be dealt with,” Opata lamented.

He noted that Busia has no town centre and the roads are horrible. Plans are underway to create social facilities and to utilise the sewage plant which is underutilised. Opata termed the

A view of the unplanned infrastructure in Busia town. Below: The Busia Town hall.

Pictures: Michael Oongo situation as pathetic. The land in Busia town is private, neither the government nor the council had taken land to be used for public purposes, therefore all this plans are going to happen on someone’s land. The roads which are

currently four metres wide are supposed to be expanded to a width of nine metres.

The idea behind this is to have a strategic development plan that will make the town attractive and provide for investment.

Fraudsters target Hope that paper mill could be reopened soon vulnerable groups in Embu

By TITUS MAERO The Webuye based Pan African Paper Mills Limited which was shut down in 2009 due to massive debts amounting to billions of shillings will soon be re-opened.

In a meeting at the factory recently, acting Managing Director Muliaro Wafula and the Receiver Manager Ian Smith said the government had pledged to release KSh8 billion to jump start the revival process of the factory.

The officials said as soon as the funds are released the first task would be to clear billions of shillings owed to financial institutions that had threatened to auction the factory machines if the debts are not paid to them.

Hundreds of permanent and casual employees at the factory lost employment when the largest paper manufacturer in East Africa was pushed out of business as it was declared insolvent by shareholders after it failed to service debts owed to Kenya Power and Lighting company (KPLC) and other financial institutions.

Muliaro and Smith pointed out that with the Government having a majority shareholding in the multi-billion firm, it is certain that the factory would be re-opened to revive economic activities in Bungoma County.

Early this year, the government in an effort

to revive the company released KSh500 million to KPLC after it disconnected electricity supply to the factory following accumulated unpaid power bills amounting to millions of shillings.

However, the factory could not start production works as it also owed local banks and multinational companies billions of shillings which had also accumulated over years.

Among the financial institutions owed colossal amount of money include Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB), Barclays Bank, Bank of Baroda, Equatorial Commercial Bank (ECB) and Development Bank of Kenya.

The Paper Company, which is situated in Bungoma County, is among factories in the area that have played a leading role in enhancing economic development in the region. The other one is Nzoia Sugar Company (NSC) Limited.

Last month, Trade Minister Moses Wetangula assured local residents in Webuye that the government is committed in ensuring that the paper manufacturing firm is re-opened after it clears KSh8 billion owed to various institutions for services rendered.

Local leaders led by the Webuye Member of Parliament (MP) Alfred Sambu have been at the forefront in pressing for the re-opening of the factory to promote employment and reduce increased cases of insecurity.

By ALLAN MURIMI Women groups in Embu West District have been cautioned against conmen seeking to defraud them.

The warning comes in the wake of an incident where a self help group in Gatituri area lost KSh4,000 to fraudsters.

Area acting DC Daniel Obudo said several women’s groups and children’s homes in the area have been conned of unknown amounts of cash.

“We have received reports that a gang has been going round asking for money to register women’s groups and orphans,” he said.

He noted that the group is swindling the women and orphans under the pretext that it has valid registration documents.

The gang said to be from Thika has been visiting women’s groups and children’s homes to solicit for registration fee which will enable them get sponsorship from donors.

The administrator said the fraudsters are led by a woman adding that there could be more similar gangs in the area.

“These are purely fraudsters and the district intelligence committee has launched a manhunt for the culprits,” said Obudo.

The gang is demanding between KSh3,000 and KSh4,000 depending on the nature of help the women and orphans say they need.

A children’s home group in Kangaru, Embu central division was conned KSh3,000 .

“Why should they ask for money if they are genuinely trying to help the women and vulnerable children? posed Obudo. He added: “We will trap and arrest them soon.”

Caution

He asked the residents to report the gangs’ activities to relevant authorities to curb such cases saying that the area has recently been invaded by conmen.

Obudo also cautioned residents to be wary of bogus non-governmental organisations which purport to have capacity to secure them lucrative jobs adding that majority are illegal outfits which do not have valid registration documents.

In September, last year two women and a man were arrested at Gakwegori market after they allegedly obtained money from 22 youths on the pretext that they could recruit them.

They were demanding for between KSh3,500 and KSh18,000 pretending they were in a position to secure jobs for the youths with an international NGO. They were arrested by detectives after they allegedly conned seven job seekers at Gakwegori market following reports from the residents of the group’s activities.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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IDPs say there is no turning back as they face elections

By LARRY KIMORI Mary Wanjiku Karanja is among the 3,600 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) at Giwa Farm in Rongai who are looking forward to their first bumper maize harvest since they were displaced from Kericho four years ago.

Wanjiku had to flee with her husband during the height of the post elections violence to save their lives and property.

However, just as she was recovering from the trauma of the PEV, her husband took off. This was at the time when her eyesight started failing while they were living in the transit camp at Nakuru Agriculture Show Ground in 2009.

Like the other IDPs, Wanjiku depends on the 20 tonnes of maize donated to assist them feed their families.

Prior to the post election violence that rocked the country in 2007-2008, Wanjiku was an astute businesswoman based in Kericho. “However, all this came to an end when we had to flee the town because we belonged to the ‘wrong’ community,” she says.

Challenge

Despite the challenges she has faced since then, Wanjiku has not in any single day given a thought of giving up. And that is why, even with her failing eyesight, she can afford to cast beaming glances at her thriving maize crop planted with the support of her neighbours. Her joy is seen when she cuddles the maize cobs with her hands to get a feel of the crop.

Wanjiku has seen several ophthalmologists to no avail, though resigned to her current fate, she is thankful to the Government for resettling her at Giwa Farm and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for their psycho-social support during the traumatising moments in her life.

“Kenyans learnt their lessons since 2007 and I am optimistic that electoral violence is outdated in this country,” Wanjiku notes.

According to Rongai Division Crops Officer Nelson Mwangi Giwa Farm residents require 48 tonnes of food annu-

ally. However, to bridge the deficit of 18 tonnes and attain food security for the locals, he offers extension services to the farmers and has also introduced high value crops like sorghum, sweet potatoes and pigeon peas among others.

“Improved rain patterns is an incentive for the locals to open up their lands, increase acreage under farming and rope in agricultural extension officers for increased output,” observes Mwangi.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has supported Giwa Farm IDPs in various donor funded components under Post Election Livelihoods Recovery Project in a bid aimed at helping them recover from their loss of property and lives during the post poll chaos.

According to Beatrice Teya, team leader UNDP Disaster Risk Reduction and Recovery under the agricultural component UNDP ploughed an acre for each of the 444 households and provided the initial farm inputs for a start to food recovery.

“To supplement the families’ first harvest, we started vegetable gardens and green-house farming to enable them stop relying on government relief aid for their upkeep,” says Teya.

She notes that the residents ably bought farm inputs for the second season and ploughed the remaining acreage on their own.

“The fate of the communities living on the vast farm of over 1,070 acres is in their own hands and nobody can circumvent and leave them destitute again,” notes Teya.

Over 3,000 benefitted from UNDP’s psycho-social support through one-toone counselling sessions, HIV awareness and conflict resolution. They were also trained on entrepreneurial training and how to access loan facilities to jump start lost business opportunities among others.

“The UNDP spent an estimated cost of KSh8 million in putting back on track the lives of the communities settled at Giwa Farm,” explains Teya.

She lauded the fish farming project that UNDP initiated in collaboration with the Ministry of Fisheries that gave

Counties throw their weight behind peace forums

By JOSEPH MUKUBWA A majority of counties across the country recently held peaceful forums countrywide.

The forums will were attended by delegates who include, local leaders and members of the public in the 47 counties according to the National Cohesion secretary Michael Maina Ndung’u. Speaking during a training workshop at a Nyeri hotel recently, Ndung’u said the peace forums will ensure there will be no violence, before, during and after elections.

The secretary who was accompanied by a member of the National Steering committee on peaceful elections Hassan Noor Hassan said some committees were trained on how to run the committees in every county.

About 30 delegates later attended the conference from each constituency which was held in Nairobi. “Every Kenyan is united to ensure peaceful polls during the forthcoming elections,” said Noor.

He added: “We should agree that Kenyans will never turn against Kenyans in the name of elections.”

He assured investors that the country will remain peaceful all through.

rise to three fish ponds and a supply of the initial 4,500 fingerlings.

According to Raymond Mwangata, a fisheries officer based in Nakuru the IDPs were assisted with technical support and capacity building. They were trained in groups they had formed groups for proper management of the ponds,” noted Mwangata.

Skills

He notes that most communities residing on the farm embraced fish farming which many initially viewed as an alien activity. “Fish farming will enable them generate income as well as get quality protein and offer food security,” observes Mwangata.

Nakuru District Trade Officer Kennedy Nyokwoyo says that they conducted intense entrepreneurial trainings to equip the IDPs with necessary skills on handling customers as well as

Residents of the Huruma village inside Kieni forest in Gatundu north. Since the post election violence, hundreds of families are yet to be relocated. Picture: Wanderi Njenga how they could develop business plans and access funds to expand their businesses.

“We have advised them to form groups to reduce overhead production costs,” says Nyokwoyo. He adds: We have also provided the farmers with market linkages and some are already exporting rabbit meat to China.” The Trade Ministry will offer the IDPs business advisory, counselling and loans ranging from KSh20,000 to KSh100,000 for those already in business for expansion.

The Giwa Farm IDPs chairperson Moses Chege notes that cohesion among communities in the settlement is cementing itself through interac-

tions, sharing community amenities and farming together.

“We are appealing to politicians aspiring for elective positions to preach peace, unity and harmonious co-existence among Kenyans as they go about selling their manifestos to the electorate,” Chege urges.

His sentiments were echoed by Wanjiku, who urged Kenyans to maintain peace ahead of the polls citing that violence disrupts lives, derailing the economy’s growth and wanes investor confidence.

To bolster and marshal support ahead of free and fair elections, Giwa Farm communities are ready to cast their votes peacefully.

14 towns to benefit from international urban torch campaign

By JOSEPH MUKUBWA A historic campaign kicked off in Nyeri town in August and is expected to end in Naples in Italy.

The peace campaign, with an international touch will include 14 towns locally. These are Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret, Thika, Embu, Nyeri, Malindi, Naivasha, Kakamega, Machakos, Garissa and Kitui.

The campaign was launched by Nyeri Mayor Edward Muteru who lit the peace torch before the procession started to major streets in the town.

The campaign aims at promoting the concept of dialogue on liveable cities and quality of life.

“Through this dialogue, the campaign event will demonstrate that the people are the centre of urban development and any progressive development course must take into account the need for balance between economic pursuits of the town as the engine for development and livelihood status of the residents,” noted Muteru.

The Nyeri Local Urban Forum was established in July, last year as an initiative of the Civil Society Urban Development Programme (CSUDP).

“This is an initiative taking place in 14 towns in collaboration with the municipalities,” said David Ngige, coordinator of the forum.

He said the local urban campaign under the banner ‘Whose Town Is It Anyway?’ seeks to stimulate community passion to participate in shaping the form of urban areas in the new Constitutional dispensation.

“In order to elicit wider public attention to the local urban campaign, a series of public events dubbed the ‘local urban torch campaign’ are planned to take place in all the 14 towns with the

Nyeri residents in a procession in town during the launch of Urban torch campaign. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa national event taking place in Kakamega.

These events are expected to raise attention and send a strong message on the urban future of Kenya as the country prepares to take part in the sixth World Urban Forum (WUF VI) schedule for September 1-7, 2012 in Naples, Italy.

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

In the line of fire: Journalist shares his post election violence experiences

By JOHN MAINA Journalists rarely tell their own story, but a recent forum in Nakuru was dedicated to hearing it direct from the horse’s mouth.

Indeed, as elections near, there is a dire need for every Kenyan to not only preach peace but also practice it and set an example of peace itself.

This is one of the lessons put across during a peace journalism workshop for all Nakuru County journalists organised by the African Woman and Child Features in collaboration with the Kenya Correspondents Association.

According to a veteran journalist Simon Ben currently working with Kenya Broadcasting Corporation

(KBC) as a cameraman, the repeat of 2007-2008 skirmishes is the last thing Kenyans should even dream of.

“What Kenya experienced at the end 2007 and beginning of 2008 is one incident that all of us should

work hard and ensure that there is no repeat,” Ben says.

Ben narrated how he had travelled to Njoro area to cover the skirmishes, but unfortunately he became a victim of circumstances and for a while he

What Kenya experienced at the end 2007 and beginning of 2008 is one incident that all of us should work hard and ensure that there is no repeat.”

— Simon Ben

thought that he would be killed together with the people who were in the fight.

He said that together with a colleague from Royal Media Service in Nakuru county, reporter Simon Ngure, were it not for the police who had come to the area to maintain peace, the two would have been history.

Even if they were rescued after police repulsed the attacking group, Ben said that whatever he saw would remain etched in his mind forever.

“I remember an incidence where a woman carrying a child on her back was stung with an arrow from behind and was attached to the child and she was crying for help, the memories are as fresh as

if the incident just happened an hour before,” Ben told a group on journalists who were being trained on peace and conflict sensitive reporting.

Embrace one another

Ben reiterated that no one chose to be born in the community that they are born and for that reason, peaceful co-existence between different communities is what every one of us should embrace.

Echoing the words of Simon Ben, the Kenya Correspondents Association chairman William Janak urged journalists to ”forget their tribes” especially while covering conflicts and maintain their professional “tribe” which is journalism. It is only then that they can be impartial.

Policeman’s PEV experience leaves him championing peace

By MARY WANJIRU

After completing his studies at Mumui Secondary School Joseph Mwangi* joined the National Youth Service in 1992. He was then employed as a security guard in Nairobi and Kiambu districts.

He would later leave this job after being recruited into the police force in 1998.

Mwangi, 42, is among a group of police officers who hope that events in 2007-2008 will not recur. For him and his colleagues, these were evil days that evoke fear.

“As a police officer you never have a permanent residence. That is how I found myself in Naivasha in 2007. My aim there was to serve the citizens,” he explains.

Expectations

The last election period is a year many expected the police would ensure that all citizens live peacefully for the country and their own good. However, this was not to be.

“In 2007 all hell broke loose and Naivasha was hell. I do not know what got into the minds of citizens but I blame our leaders,” he says.

Mwangi recalls with pain how Naivasha Maximum Prison was transformed into a refugee camp instead of a detention camp. He also notes that in the police force divisions emerged.

“I remember students from Njoro Girls’ were heading to school, their driver left them for a drink. Then flocks of people with determination to kill came with rungus chanting slogans toward the Nissan mini bus. Thank God for my driving skills I was able to save the students who would have been hurt or killed,” he explains.

Mwangi had double responsibility during this period. To protect the public and also as husband and father defend his family that had settled in Naivasha. He had to act as a husband and as a public servant to the nation. The crisis was compounded by the fact that his wife was pregnant during this period.

Things would not go well for him as his wife died before bearing him the child. He recalls how he would rush home after duty to feel the baby move in her belly.

Concerned wife

Whenever he left for night duty his loving wife would protest that he was leaving her. Then on the seventh month of the pregnancy his duties increased. He was always at the station and had little time to spend at home. The wrangles between PNU and ODM were more intense.

Frequently his wife would call and beg that he should return home.

“Her disturbing voice was always in my ears.

Where are you Baba Ng’ang’a? Randomly I was

A man carries a panga during the last post election violence. Policemen had a hard time quelling the violence.

Picture: Reject Correspondent forced to send her messages to assure her that I was safe.”

However, one cold Sunday evening when on duty strolling near the Naivas Supermarket, Mwangi received a call that his wife had been rushed to hospital, after collapsing with blood oozing from her ears and nose.

“High blood pressure had caused all this, according to the doctors my wife was depressed and tensed. I hoped that she would get back to me but she never did. At first bitterness filled and consumed my heart and the thought that I am obliged to serve the nation also disturbed me.”

According to Mwangi, during this period he had little time to mourn the death of his wife. His boss only gave him one weekend and reminded him of his calling.

“I believe the uncertainty of whether I would be back in the evening or her safety accelerated her blood pressure.”

Kenyans were slaughtering each other. He even found himself planning to flee. Then the town was deserted and the smell of death in the town was felt. Food was not available .Shops were closed.

Fear

“This broke my heart, the citizens silently sat in their homesteads while others packed ready to leave. The post elections violence of 2007-2008 did produce a culture in this town of fear and violence.”

According to Mwangi, this is what led many people to refuse to settle in Naivasha.

“As a police officer you never have a permanent residence.

That is how I found myself in Naivasha in 2007. My aim there was to serve the citizens.”

— Joseph Mwangi

Today he harbours fears that there could be those who had stored weapons in case of violence. He says this culture has generated hatred and negative ethnicity. It is clearly a reaction to the post election violence.

Mwangi advises that we have already learnt from our past experiences and share a common feeling, something beautiful and precious like the promise of revived peace.

“We have seen our leaders meeting precisely to discuss peace.”

According to him, the only way out this is for individuals to have mass peace meetings. The self in you must resuscitate the betrayed love for this country. The self must go back to the culture of ‘mimi ni Mkenya’.

“Persons versus self must work in unity and by having unity we shall be positioned to put a stronger protest against violence and tribalism,” he said.

“I know that Kenya has a record of very many churches per square kilometre. Then we also must have another for righteousness.

‘Love your neighbour as you love yourself ’,” he urges.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

5

Negligence poses risk on health delivery

By WAIKWA MAINA On the night of June 27, 2012, nurses at the Nyeri Provincial Hospital refused to assist Susan Wanjira Thiga deliver her baby. They told her to go give birth on her own.

“I called them but they dismissed me telling me to go deliver on my own if I could not wait until the following morning. The baby came a few minutes later and I was assisted by other mothers,” says Thiga.

She was discharged from hospital the following day. Three days later, the infant Jane Wanjiru developed complications.

At the same hospital, it was established that young Wanjiru was suffering from Neonatal Sepsis, a bacterial infection caused by organisms prevalent in the maternal genital tract or in the delivery area. The baby come into contact with and inhaled the afterbirths due to improper handling.

Report

Doctors placed her in a nursery for specialised treatment. Her medical report shows that she also suffered pneumonia and severe dehydration.

Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr Julius Mwago confirmed the incident, which he termed as an isolated case.

“The mother’s cervix opened unexpectedly due to her advanced age. We do not advocate for women giving birth when they are past 35 years of age, but it’s true she gave birth on her own,” says Mwago.

Thiga, 46, says that she was harassed and intimidated when she aired her complaints with senior hospital staff threatening to kick her out of hospital and hand over the infant to the children’s office.

Thiga and her baby spent two months in the maternity ward due to negligence by the nurses.

Thiga’s case is not isolated. Maternal and child health remains a challenge for many Kenyans and hospital negligence compounds an already delicate issue.

Where medical facilities are easily accessible, cases of negligence, harassing of expectant mothers by medics is very high.

Accumulating hospital bills and other costs incurred in due course were a big worry to Thiga, besides the psychological experience she underwent for a mistake that was not hers and a situation that could have been prevented in good time.

In Embu County, which is considered among the richest in the country, poverty raises a big challenge because some marginalised areas cannot access health services.

Mortality

In Mbeere and Gachoka within this county, mortality rate is high. Since most births are by traditional birth attendants, government data on mortality rate in this area is far from accurate, which could affect policy formulation in those areas.

Records are only available for hospital deaths but area residents concede that most mortality cases are not reported as required by the law.

While hospitals are located within major towns where patients can easily access alternative but comfortable means of transport, those in marginalised areas are ill equipped, with very poor road network and one un-road-worthy ambulance which lacks the necessary equipment or none at all.

There are areas where safe delivery does not count where mothers give birth under the care of unskilled ill-equipped traditional birth attendant volunteers, who use polythene paper for lack of gloves, kitchen knives and other unhygienic items.

The sight of expectant mothers camping at hospitals for days or weeks waiting for labor pains so that the trip to the maternity ward is shortened is very common.

Since they are officially not admitted as inpatients, they spend their time sleeping on cold floors at the outpatient wing and benches.

A good case is the Murang’a District Hospital where the management bought a television set to keep the mothers entertained as they wait for

their delivery time.

In marginalised parts of Eastern Kenya, traditional midwives perform most births.

“We normally monitor expectant mothers and advise them to ensure they have the necessary delivery kit which includes gloves, razor blade and a string. However, when the labour pain comes, and the mother does not have them, we use polythene papers, kitchen knife and clean available strings,” says Muthoni Muriuki from Itiira village, Siakago Constituency, Embu County. She adds: “It’s better this way than to leave the mother and child unattended.”

Traditional birth attendants Lucy Ndegi from Kagumori village and Loise Nthua from Thura village share similar experiences.

The three villages are between 40 kilometres and 50 kilometres from the Siakago District Hospital. With poor roads, no public transport vehicle plies along these routes and patients depend on donkey pulled carts for transportation.

“We have homes located more than 30 kilometres from a road that is accessible by car, when they develop complications, the journey to the hospital takes up to six hours,” says Ndegi.

Muriuki could not hold back her tears as she narrated one of her most frustrating moments was when both mother and child nearly lost their lives in her hands.

“I realized the unborn child was dead, the young mother was bleeding a lot. I knew it was just a matter of time, I did not want to watch her die, yet, I could not walk away and abandon her. We finally managed to take her to Mbeere Hospital more than four hours after the labour pains,” explains Muriuki. She adds: “She had lost a lot of blood and was unconscious by the time we arrived to hospital. The doctors managed to save her life.”

Another young mother Sharon Wanjiru narrates the long, painful journey to delivery where she nearly lost her life, after her case became complicated for the traditional birth attendant.

“I developed labour pains at around midday.

The midwife was unable to assist me by 3pm.

I was carried on a stretcher about 10 kilometres to the main road, I made it to hospital but, I had to wait for an ambulance to take me to

Patients waiting to be attended at a condemned building at Kiritiri Health Centre in Gachoka constituency. Below: Patients at a medical camp in Othaya.

Pictures: Waikwa Maina Embu Provincial Hospital for caesarean delivery as Mbeere Hospital does not have a theatre,” explains Wanjiru. She adds: “There was a long queue at the provincial hospital where I arrived past midnight. I was attended to the following day at around midday, 24 hours after the initial labour pains.”

The distance from Mbeere District Hospital to Embu Provincial General Hospital is about 70 kilometres. According to Flora Kariuki, the area chief delivery related deaths are very common in the region.

Infants

“The most affected are infants aged between one day and six months. Last month I recorded two such deaths, there are some areas where these cases are not reported for documentary purposes especially in cases of stillbirths,” explains Kariuki.

“I called them but they dismissed me telling me to go deliver on my own if I could not wait until the following morning. The baby came a few minutes later and I was assisted by other mothers.”

—Susan Wanjiru Thiga

She adds: “A number of them have died at birth or soon after birth this year alone. Traditional midwives do a very good job, though they are ill equipped and with no facilitation or support from the Government.”

Kariuki notes: “We need a hospital closer to us, but for now, I wish the Ggovernment could appreciatthe role played by the traditional birth attendants and supply them with necessary kitty for emergencies, in addition to some facilitation in terms of money.”

According to the chief, “there are times when the TBAs stay with the patients for days abandoning their families and jobs”.

The situation is worse for mothers seeking maternity related services at Kiritiri Health Centre located more than 90 kilometres from Embu.

The hospital has no ambulance as the one it had stalled more than three years ago.

Besides dilapidated buildings the road network is poor and patients here mainly rely on traditional birth attendants.

The question of equal distribution of resources especially in health sector has never received the attention it deserves.

According to the Kariuki, some Community Health Workers were trained by a donor more than 15 years ago but they all gave up and stopped assisting the mothers due to lack of facilitation by the Government.

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Community participation key in achieving quality medical services

By WAIKWA MAINA

The right to health is still not a reality for many Kenyans. This goes against the Bill of Rights as stipulated in the Constitution and the line ministry policies.

Though lack of resource mobilization continues to be a big hindrance to the provision of quality, affordable, accessible and timely health services, most health facilities have not complied with ministerial directive on provision of some free health services such as free maternity services and emergency medical care.

“That was a roadside declaration, there was no official communication from the Ministry of Health. It was just a public relation utterance and hospitals are guided by official communication,” says Dr Julius Mwago. “To have such services offered for free, the minister in-charge should have tabled the bill in parliament to make it a law that has never been done.”

Declaration

The issue of free maternity services was declared by Charity Ngilu when she was the Minister for Health.

Health facilities most of the time run out of essential drugs supposed to be given free of charge such as those that can treat tuberculosis and vaccines as well as contraceptives.

Early this year, children in Nyeri had to go for months without immunization and those who could not afford to get their children immunized at private clinics had to skip the procedure.

According to a research by Health Rights Advocacy Forum (Heraf), women are forced to go for available family planning since most hospitals stock selected methods such as pills and the injection among others.

The other commonly abused right at health facilities is the right to privacy. Medics in some health facilities said that in some cases, even cancer patients are given pain killers and later

Continued from page 1

die in a lot of pain.

According to a Public health officer Dr Patrick Mbugua of Karatina, the hospitals are poorly equipped and structured to guarantee such rights.

Though the constitution guarantees emergency treatments and no one should be denied medical services, the procedure to reach the person incharge of the hospital to authorize such fee waiver is cumbersome.

Confidentiality

“We have consultation rooms which are just partitioned using a piece of cloth and it’s easy for the other doctors and patients to listen to a conversation in the other room. This affects the doctor-patient confidentiality,” says Mbugua.

Abuse of rights to health can also largely be attributed to ignorance by the community on how health facilities are run, where most of them do not know about Health Sector Service Fund (HSSF), lack of access to clear channels on where to get that information or where to channel their grievances.

Lack of such knowledge to the community opens the danger of unaccountability of the funds by the committees running the health facilities.

“Lack of information by the community has led to poor management of the health services such compromising provision of quality services,” says Edward Miano, Chief Executive Officer Health Rights Advocacy Forum. He notes: “There is lack of accountability from committees running health fa-

A nurse attending to infants in an incubator at the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.

Picture: Waikwa Maina cilities to the community members, its crucial that community has this information.”

Miano reiterates that if the community is informed of Health Sector Service Fund and hospital budget, they will be more cooperative when called upon to support income generating activities organised by the health facility.

Health Sector Service Fund is a government fund set aside to be used in facilities involved in primary health care namely dispensaries and health centers.

According to Joseph Mbogo, a public health officer in Mbeere, each primary health care facility is allocated KSh300,000 annually disbursed quarterly from the Health Sector Service Fund. Although this money is inadequate, its disbursement by government is sometimes delayed for to up to six months.

“Each health facility should have a clear redress system on violations of human rights. These redress mechanisms must be communicated to the public,” says Winnie Lichuma, chairman National Commission on Gender and Equality.

Lichuma notes that hospital management committees are not empowered to monitor how government resources in

“Each health facility should have a clear redress system on violations of human rights. These redress mechanisms must be communicated to the public.”

— Winnie Lichuma

health provision are managed.

“Members of the public must also be informed on how much money is raised through cost sharing and how it was spent for the sake of transparency,” observes Lichuma. She reiterates: “People’s participation is very important in sustainability, development and improvement of health sector. Vulnerable groups must also not be left out in the management of the hospitals to avoid discrimination.”

She notes that health is not limited to diseases, but emotional, spiritual and physical well being and that it includes “housing, food and nutrition, and comprehensive access to health services.”

Again, these health management committees are politically appointed and are, therefore, not answerable to the community. The hospitals have no strategic plan and rely on what has been prepared by the Ministry of Health.

Requirement

Though it is a government requirement that health facilities have notice boards and service charters displayed for the public, few hospitals have complied. Most of them either use languages not understandable by the common man, while some charges are not indicated on the service charters.

Ambulance charges are among those not indicated in the charters, and most patients are not given a receipt after paying for the ‘ambulance fuel’ and such payments are not entered anywhere in the hospitals book of accounts.

“The hospitals must make the services friendly, that way, community feedback can assist in measuring achievements and weaknesses and then forge the way forward,” says Lichuma.

According to Mita Manek, Manager Social and Environment Section European Union Program community involvement is key to improving provision of health services and promoting rights to health.

She gives an example of Ngorano Health Centre in Nyeri county which was collapsing a few years due to lack of confidence and trust by the community.

“Patients had stopped seeking treatment at Ngorano Hospital, the maternity ward was closing down but now it is active and registering more than eight births every week,” explains Manek.

Attendance

According to the area public health officer, the maternity ward was attending to one or none, while out patients travelled more than 20 kilometres to Karatina to seek services in private hospitals or at the district public hospital.

Through support of the European Union, Heraf supported Ngorano Hospital in improving provision of health services through community participation and empowerment programmes.

Other health facilities that benefited from the programme include Kiamabara Health Centre, Ruguru Dispensary, Karatina District Hospital, Muchonoke Dispensary, Kanyua Mbora Dispensary, Kiritiri Health Centre and Gategi Health Centre.

Unfortunately, according to European Union Delegation Head of Social and Environment Section Mr Daniel PLAS, the three year community and health management committee officials empowerment programme ended early this year and will not be renewed.

Health care remains out of reach

some hospitals, patients queue to be treated or are admitted in condemned buildings that can collapse anytime.

They were also designed for smaller population, which explains why congestion is the order of the day in all public hospitals.

This congestion is not only in outpatient, maternity and other general wings, but also in the nurseries where infants share incubators.

In Embu County, Kiritiri Hospital in Gachoka Constituency was constructed in 1968 and the dilapidated buildings have been condemned.

“The hospital was started as a Level Two but it’s now Level Three. Though there is a need to further upgrade it, its structures do not allow, it has never received any money for renovations from either the Government or the Constituency Development Fund despite much lobbying. The nearest referral hospital, Embu Provincial Gen-

eral Hospital is 80 kilometres away,” says Joseph Mbogo, Public Health Officer.

He notes that being a dry and marginalized area, low literacy levels have compromised provision of health services.

“People assume that all parts of Embu County are rich and developed but we have areas that have been neglected for decades. Most homes do not have toilets and we rely on Community Health Workers to reach the communities,” explains Mbogo. He notes: “Though they are trained and can play a big role in educating our community on health issues, they are not facilitated and this has been a major challenge since most of them abandon the job soon after the training.”

Mbogo says the community health workers are required to “report to us once per month but most of them don’t as they cannot afford transport and other logistics to the health centre”.

If Kenya’s colonial governor His Excellency

Sir Philip Mitchell visited Nyeri Provincial General Hospital today, he would definitely conclude that the world stopped revolving a few hours after he officially opened the hospital’s maternity ward in July 5th, 1945.

Apart from repainting, the hospital buildings are as they were at that time. At the nursery, babies share the only nine available incubators. According Mwago, no any other hospital is equipped with incubators, and the provincial hospital gets more than 12 incubator cases every day.

Only one nurse manages the nursery due to acute shortage of nursing staff. Mwago says nurses in this wing where delicate lives are placed for a ray of hope are always overwhelmed and over worked.

“It’s not in this wing alone, the World Health Organization ratio of patient to nurse at casualty and emergency room is 1.1, but here its more than 5.1. In the wards, the WHO ratio is five pa-

tients to one nurse but we are far from that, I can’t even mention where we are, we have a shortage of 237 staff,” observes Mwago.

On kidney ailments, the hospital has rehabilitated one of the old buildings and is waiting for equipment by the end of the year. On this project, the hospital is working in partnership with Kenyatta National Hospital and some donors.

However, the cost of kidney treatment could be exploitative to many poor people in the rural areas. According to Mwago, the hospital will be charging KSh5, 000 for a scan. It will be the first and only hospital offering the services in Mt Kenya region.

The medic says the cost is reasonable considering maintenance and other logistics involved, and that it will as well save patients money and time they would otherwise have spent travelling to Kenyatta National Hospital.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

7

CDF projects prioritise education as demand rises

By HUSSEIN DIDO Upper Eastern and North Eastern regions formerly known as the Northern Frontier districts are faced with myriad of challenges in putting up infrastructure to meet the increasing demand for school-going children since the introduction of the free primary education.

Poverty and cultural practices give least priority to education and this has seen the region lag behind in the sector. One is not surprised to see primary school pupils especially at lower levels learning under trees or make-shift classrooms.

Motivated by the quest for education and demand for free primary education, the number of children going to school and abandoning nomadic lifestyle has doubled in the last five years putting a strain on the existing infrastructure.

Infrastructure

However, the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) has channelled over 50 per cent of its funds towards development of infrastructure and bursaries in the constituencies of Dujis, Lagdera, Fafi, Isiolo South, North and Ijara. Things seem to have improved for the better.

According to Xavier Nyamu, director of the CDF board , the Government should allocate funds during next financial year to address teacher shortage in both primary and secondary schools.

He said gains made since the introduction of the free primary education could be lost if teacher shortage issue is not urgently addressed.

Speaking at Iftin and Boys Town Day secondary schools when he led senior CDF board committee members on a tour of the two institutions, Nyamu said CDF has helped uplift the standard of education in Garissa County.

He was impressed that it is the wananchi who prioritise the projects to be undertaken by CDF contrary to the general belief that it is MPs who dictate such projects. He asked parents to enrol both boys and girls in schools in order to give them equal opportunities.

Iftin Girls Secondary School has a population of over 400 girls majority of who are orphans and from poor family background and was built from the scratch by Dujis CDF kitty.

The school with double streams cost over KSh57 million to put up infrastructure which included classrooms, perimeter wall fence and the gate among others. The CDF spends over KSh600,000 on bursary for about 50 students at the school. The CDF also contributed the bulk of KSh7 million towards the purchase of the school bus.

According to Habiba Ali Noor, a parent at the school and a board member the CDF has done a lot to uplift the standards of education particularly for

girls from poor family background. “I would like the Government to increase funds to the kitty in future,” urged Noor.

Boys Town Day Secondary School which was also built to cater for students from poor family backgrounds is also 100 per cent funded by Dujis CDF. The kitty put up all the classrooms, administration block, laboratory and library at the institution. The CDF also pays fees for all students who cannot afford to make remittances at the school.

The board also visited Utawala Dispensary at Chief’s camp in Garissa town where the CDF constructed the health centre at a cost of KSh1.8 million.

The dispensary was built with an aim of de-congesting the Garissa Provincial General Hospital that serves as a referral facility for North Eastern Province residents and neighbouring districts in Coast and Eastern provinces.

Population

Apart from serving Administration Police officers at the camp, the facility also provides out-patient, creative health care, family planning, ante-natal, TB clinics and other health services to neighbouring population.

Dujis CDF secretary Hassan Shurie said the committee gave priority to Boys Town and Bulla Iftin day secondary schools to reduce the high cost of boarding schools.

Hassan said the kitty wanted to promote access to education “for our girls who have lagged behind for many years” He said CDF has also invested in environment, agriculture where it has bought Gen Sets for irrigation farmer, de-silted water pans among other projects as requested by the community.

He noted that CDF has implemented over 110 projects in the area since its inception and 15 are on going in an effort to uplift the standards of its constituents.

The CDF official said that many projects have succeeded because of improved monitoring systems and implementation mechanisms.

The CDF chief executive officer Yussuf Mbuno who led the team in touring education and water projects in Lagdera said he was impressed by the way the CDF has spent its allocation.

Speaking in Shantabaq where CDF has put up a public library, Mbuno said that the turn up by wananchi was a clear indication that they associate themselves with the CDF projects.

He said that CDF has invested heavily in education and water sector in the area because it is an important sector for area residents.

“I am impressed by the quality of work in all the projects we visited,” Mbuno noted.

Various projects

He observed that CDF projects are among the many projects undertaken by the Government and when put together, it will go a long way in uplifting the quality of life for many Kenyans.

Lagdera CDF manager Abdi Kedi said out of KSh84 million allocated to the kitty this financial year, KSh52 million went to the education sector. The rest went to health, water, emergency and operational services. ”Water remains a big problem to the contractors who have to get the

From top: Ijara Primary School in Garissa County which was built using CDF funds. National CDF Officials and board members sitting on desks in North Eastern on a fact-finding mission on the use of CDF Funds in the area. Yusuf Mbuno, CEO National CDF board during the interview. Pictures: Hussein Dido commodity from as far as 100 kilometres away making the cost of the projects relatively high,” noted Kedi.

Leaders who spoke among others was the area chief Mohammed Nunow who said that the era where chiefs used to forcefully mop up livestock towards harambees for construction of public institutions that never took off are long

gone.

Said Nunow: “CDF has changed the embarrassment we used to go through and the bad image it gave us when executing orders towards raising harambee funds.”

The leaders not only urged the Government to allocate more funds to the CDF kitty but retain it.

Varsities should encourage open distance learning robi universities have implemented

By Titus Maero Most universities in the country have not effectively implemented their Open Distance Learning (ODL) policies that aim to improve access to higher education through modular flexible degree programmes.

According to Dr Paul Opondo, a lecturer at Moi University only Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Maseno, Jomo Kenyatta and Nai-

their open distance learning programmes.

He noted that other public universities in the country have not implemented the open distance learning in the future of academic expansion.

Open said said open learning as a new approach to access education has become very popular especially in South Africa where University of South Africa is the world’s leading

provider of distance learning programmes for students.

“Our universities should embark on developing modular programmes to widen choice for students and provide a more efficient and cost effective approach to education,” he said in a research paper presented at a conference held at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega.

He noted that Maseno University, which launched e-learning has it primarily delivered online through

its Kisumu City Campus which has a large student population thirsting for education.

He observed that the university’s certificate courses are offered jointly by the statistical service centre of University of Reading in Britain.

“Open distance learning is defined as an education programme in which the learners are separated from the infraction phase,” he explained adding that accredited institutions use print, video and audio

cassette or computer based.

Opondo also said the significant nature of open distance learning is that there is teacher/learner interaction and a possibility of face to face meetings for consultations.

“The basic principle of distance learning education includes flexibility in accessing equity education,” Opondo noted adding that the methods used encourage learning as a resource in itself that also fosters continuous learning.

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Technical institute upgraded to University College

By CAROLINE WANGECHI Kirinyaga Technical Institute has been upgraded to a University College. This was said by the senior principal Peter Munyi who noted that the institution will be known as Kirinyaga University College from this month.

According to the chairperson of Kirinyaga University council Judith Bahemuka, the core mandate of the university college is to give quality education. She said that the existing buildings that are under construction will be completed to enable students get place to learn.

Library

She commended the outgoing senior principal Munyi for the step he had taken of making sure that there is a spacious library which will be holding books worth KSh50 million.

There is also a twin mechanical workshop which will hold 360 students, 12 classrooms to hold 300 students each. “Dormitories have also been added so as to make it possible for students to get places,” noted Bahemuka.

She said that the institute will not scrap the existing certificate and diploma courses which have been offered for the past 38 years, even if there was change in the running of the institution.

She said that in September 250 students are expected to report to take courses in commerce, Information Technology, mathematics

and science as they try to find other courses that will favour other students.

The former Kenyan ambassador to Burundi added that Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology which has taken over Kirinyaga Technical Institute will also continue with the research of how they can improve rice issues that have been affecting the rice for some years now.

Research

“We are very pleased to tell Kirinyaga people that as an institution that is well known for research, we are determined to make sure that rice issues are solved,” Bahemuka reiterated.

According to Dr Salome Gichure from the Ministry of Higher Learning, employees in the institution will be incorporated to work hand in hand with the lecturers who will be reporting in September before the government can think about them later.

Gichure noted that the principal’s

“We are very pleased to tell Kirinyaga people that as an institution that is well known for research, we are determined to make sure that rice issues are solved.”

— Judith Bahemuka

The KSh27million shillings economic stimulus programme library that will accommodate over 300 students. Pictures: Caroline Wangechi position will be advertised for competitive recruitment as per the Education Act.

Mentor

JKUAT vice chancellor Mabel Imbuga said Kirinyaga residents should not see as if their institution has been stolen but know that they have come to mentor and educate their own children.

Kirinyaga University College is the

sixth to be upgraded from a technical institution to a university after Muranga, Taita Taveta, Nyandarua and Karatina.

In attendance during the inauguration ceremony was Industrial Permanent Secretary Karanja Kibicho, Provincial Technical Director Steven Tei, Kirinyaga County Commissioner Joseph Keter and JKUAT teaching fraternity.

Day schools send village elders back in class

By JEFF MWANGI In this sand washed drought area of Drip Gombo in Marsabit central, the sleeping village awakes with school bags all ready. It’s time for the children here to prepare for their usual routine, a time to sharpen their knowledge at the nearby Drip Gombo Primary School.

Inside this home, Pastor Wako Huka Guyo prepares to join them but this time round as a Form One student at the Drip Gombo Day Mixed Secondary School which is in the same compound with Drip Gombo Primary School.

Pastor Wako aged 37 years, a married family man with one child, wakes up early enough and takes his breakfast before leaving his wife and child for school.

Benefit

He is among the 50 students who have benefited from the nearby facility. Drip Gombo Day Mixed Secondary School stands as one of the most modern structures in the district.

The enrolment in both Drip Gombo Primary and Drip Gombo Day Mixed Secondary schools is a picture of a generation keen to better their lives. Previously, the students were caught-up in the tradition of poor performance for decades.

Today, the schools are an outstanding feature in the northern Kenya.

Wako who is a preacher with African Inland Church in Marsabit says he decided to join the day secondary school because during his youthful time the economy was bad making education not affordable. Wako says currently with the government introducing day secondary schools in the area getting education is not as hard as it was before.

“Many people have now benefited from the day secondary schools as the schools are not expensive since a student just needs to pay KSh4,700 per term.

Pastor Wako says he intends to advance his education up to the highest level so as to enable him serve his followers better.

Five kilometres from Wako’s home we find yet another man of God, this time it is a Muslim Sheikh. We meet Sheikh Ibrahim Wako Sasure aged 30 years also preparing himself for Drip Gombo Day Mixed Secondary School.

Sasure says after completing his primary school education he was unable to join high school due to lack of money and that is why he joined Madrassa classes where he studied Muslim religion for four years before advancing on the same for another four years in Mombasa.

Cheap

He says: “With the day secondary schooling getting high school education is cheap and that is why I decided to go back to school.”

Goddana Fola, a teacher at Drip Gombo Day Mixed Secondary School is very much impressed by the performance of the two. “ Pastor Wako and Sheikh Ibrahim act as role

Pastor Wako and Sheikh Ibrahim on their way to Drip Gombo Mixed Day Secondary School. Their age does not deter them in their quest for education.

Pictures: Jeff Mwangi models to other students and parents in this region where most of the people do not value education,” says Fola.

He says that Pastor Wako acts as a counsellor to other pupils and students in the school as he is a clergy. “He has taken up a role which is supposed to be carried out by the teachers but now

“With the day secondary schooling getting high school education is cheap and that is why I decided to go back to school.”

—Sheikh Ibrahim Wako

with him (Pastor Wako) being there, he is better placed to carry out the job,” Fola notes.

According to Fatuma Abdi, a resident and parent from Marsabit, day secondary schools in the area are good because their children can now get high school education cheaply.

Abdi says before parents never used to see the value of education because they could not raise the tuition and boarding fees that was needed and most parents who value education found it difficult to take their children to schools that were far away due to expenses they had to incur.

School enrolment numbers in Marsabit county are on the rise for the first time and now education officials have to deal with a whole new problem. Parents need to be sensitised on their role in the development of their children.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

9

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Hope for physically challenged children as Bill is drawn

By Henry Kahara Special needs children can now afford a smile. This is after the signing of the new 2012 Education Bill by the president of Republic of Kenya early this month.

Currently a good number of children with disability don’t access to education due to their status as they are not favoured by the environment in their immediate learning institutions.

Many learning institutions have not considered the welfare of the physically challenged. Others which fit their status are located miles away making it hard for those who live in interior to know about their existence.

According to the school mapping data set, there are 3,464 special needs institutions (54.1 per cent primary and 4.3 per cent secondary) in the country with 2,713 integrated institutions and 751 special schools.

Eastern region recorded the most number of physically challenged with 734, while North Eastern had the fewest with 56.

Among these, there are 10 public secondary schools for learners with hearing impairments, three for learners with physical handicaps, and four for learners with visual impairments, making a total of 17 secondary schools for learners with disabilities throughout Kenya.

Poor access

These figures show that access and participation of children with special needs is relatively low across the country.

Currently financing of special education still remains a major challenge to the Government. The Government spends 0.2 per cent of the total education budget on special education, which is inadequate. Consequently,

most of the financing comes from civil society, particularly local and international NGOs. There is a shortage of specialized teachers and other support staff.

Children and youth with severe special needs continue to be excluded from school due to the inability of regular schools to meet their physical and educational needs.

Identification of children with special needs remains problematic, whilst the Education Assessment Resource Centres (EARCs) have inadequate specialized equipment and human resource to discharge their services effectively.

Additional costs associated with children with disabilities, such as medical treatment, special diets and assistive devices raise the unit cost of special education.

Policies

To address these challenges, the Government shall implement the following policy: 1. Provide instructional materials and equipment and offer incentives for local production of such materials and equipment.

2. Rehabilitate and strengthen Education Assessment Resources Centres (EARCs) as well as Assessment programme in order to facilitate identification and placement of learners with special needs.

And as the bill intends, to provide education for all, failure for one to access education due to her status may be a thing of the past. According to the education bill, it will be the duty of the cabinet secretary to establish and maintain special needs schools.

“The Cabinet Secretary shall provide special needs education in special schools established under subsection (1) or in primary and secondary schools suitable to the needs

of a pupil requiring special education.”

The bill recognises children with special needs as those who are intellectually, mentally, physically, visually, emotionally challenged or hearing impaired learners; plus those with multiple disabilities and specially gifted and talented pupils.

And as it has been the case before where students with special needs were not fully taken care of, the bill demands the Cabinet Secretary to make regulations for the establishment and management of special schools and institutions.

Provisions

The bill further says that the Cabinet Secretary shall ensure that every special school or educational institution provides its student with appropriate trained teacher, non-teaching staff, infrastructure, learning materials and equipment suitable for them.

The bill which is in line with the current constitution comes at a time when each and every child is guaranteed to free and compulsory basic education despite his status.

According to Article 53 (1) of the Constitution: “Every child has the right (b) to free and compulsory basic education.”

And as it used to happen before where parents used to hide their children who are physically challenged, while others attend school, this will not be the case as the bill stresses that those who violate the law will face the consequences as prescribed.

“A parent who fails to take his or her child to school as required under sub-section (1) commits an offence. A person who contravenes this section shall be liable of conviction to a fine not exceeding KSh5,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding one

Children with disability during a procession. Below: A teacher uses sign language with her pupils in class.

Pictures: Reject Correspondent year, or both,” states part of the bill.

The bill further says that it shall be the responsibility of every parent or guardian to admit or cause his or her child to be admitted to a basic education institution.

The bill elaborates that it will be the duty of County to (a) prescribe the duration of primary and secondary education suitable to the needs of a pupil pursuing special needs education and prescribe the curriculum to be used in respect of special needs education.

It is also the duty of a County to prescribe the categories of pupils requiring special needs education and methods appropriate for the education of pupils in each category of special school or educational institutions.

If the document is implemented it may see Kenyan streets getting rid of beggars who mostly never access education due to their status.

The County Education Board is also mandated to consider in relation to each child with special needs belonging to schools in their area, what provision would benefit him or her after he or she completes basic education and to make a report to the Director-General or relevant Director.

“The County Education Board’s

report under subsection, shall include recommendations as to whether the child would benefit from school education after he or she completes basic education; summary of the child’s impairments or talent, a statement of the special educational needs arising from those impairments or talents,” states the bill in part.

Arrangements

In case that a disabled child needs to attend a school outside Kenya, the County Education Board shall in consultation with the Cabinet Secretary make such arrangements. This will also be an advantage to the pupil and his family for one or both of his or her parents will accompany him or her courtesy of the sponsor or Government.

If the bill will be enacted into law, it will see Article 54 of the Constitution fulfilled where it states in (1) (a) that “a person with any disability is entitled to be treated with dignity and respect and to be addressed and referred to in a manner that is not demeaning. (b) To access educational institutions and facilities for persons with disabilities who are integrated into society to the extent compatible with the interests of the person.”

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Women seek to make honey from beehive

By OMONDI GWENGI Poverty remains a challenge for many communities across the country. It is only through self reliance and bottom-up approach that Kenyans can attain food security to help alleviate poverty.

A fact that a group of women in Nyangera Village, Bondo District in Siaya County have realised, consequently forming several selfhelp groups to fend for their families. This has effectively shed off the myth in the community that women are dependents.

Started in 2007 through the initiative of five women, Nyangera Daho Women’s Group brings together like minded women who are determined to make a living for their families and the community at large. The group is currently involved in commercial horticultural farming, outside catering and event organising.

According to Janet Apudo, the group’s chairperson, the idea of self empowerment came up after they realised that women could also play a very important role in development matters in the society.

“As the world advances, we realised that we had all the resources and could also make a contribution in terms of development,” explains Apudo.

Bee project

It is then that they decided to embark on a bee keeping project.

According to Wilfrida Adhiambo, the idea of bee keeping came to them after they visited Kamiti Maximum Prison and this dramatically made an irreversible turn on their lives.

“When we toured the correctional facility, we realised that they were doing well in bee keeping and we decided to borrow the idea from there,” explains Adhiambo.

After the visit they talked to Usigu West Ward Councillor Dimo Ogolla who upon realisation of the importance of the project assisted them in acquiring the bee hives with help from Equity Bank to help them start off the project.

Being new to the project, Apudo says that the earnings are good but lack of market and exploitation by middlemen has had a great setback in managing the project.

“We are still inexperienced and, therefore,

The community has been asked to take a lead role in policing the government and ensuring efficiency in spending public funds.

This they will do by being whistleblowers in an effort to ensure public fund is properly utilised.

Speaking during the launch of the Health Sector programme Support Phase III at a Nairobi hotel, Geert Andersen, Danish Ambassador, said inclusion of social accountability will contribute to improved governance and increased development effectiveness through better service delivery.

“The advantage with the community lies with the fact that it is everywhere. This gives the community its powerful potential force for strengthening government accountability. The mere threat that the community might sound the alarm is often enough to control public servants,” said Andersen.

He noted that inclusion of social

By ALLAN MURIMI Crop prices are increasing due to poor harvest after the rains failed in Mbeere north and Mbeere south districts.

On the other hand, livestock prices are on the decline due to influx of cattle from neighbouring districts with the price of a threeyear old bull selling at KSh9,000 compared to KSh10,300 in June.

Cattle prices within mixed farming zones are highest with an average of KSh11,500 while marginal mixed livelihood zones have the lowest prices of KSh7,500.

The District Steering Group (DSG) attributes the high prices in mixed livelihood zones to the good body condition of cattle in the regions.

Goat prices at the Ishiara and Siakago markets have remained constant since June with a medium size goat being sold for KSh2,900.

An assessment done by the DSG shows that food crop prices are increasing by a shilling each month and that the prices might escalate to unmanageable levels.

Some members of the Daho Women Group inspecting their beehives.

Picture: Omondi Gwengi lack the skills that are required in managing the bee project, but we are working hard at getting exposure,” explains Apudo.

Since the inception of the project, the women have harvested four times and they currently have 10 hives.

“We have harvested four times and sold a litre of honey at KSh400, however, due to lack of market, we sometimes sell at a throw-away price,” says Adhiambo.

As they work towards improving the project, Adhiambo says that there are few obstacles that still stand on their way. A market for their product is one of the challenges.

“We would be making good money if we could access a good market but at least with the little that we get, we are able to repay our loans,” she reiterates

Loan

Apudo says that they acquired a KSh100,000 loan from a micro-finance organisation and invested it on farming. Unfortunately their crops were attacked by blight.

“We had planted potatoes and tomatoes

but they were attacked by serious blight. We wanted to engage in activities that would enable us get money to pay back the loan,” explains Adhiambo.

Another challenge that the group cites is lack adequate equipment and skills required in the trade. The hives are located in a farm that is not fenced and can therefore be accessed by anybody.

“We don’t want this place to be open for anybody as it is also dangerous and that’s why we would like to fence it,” suggest another member.

When it comes to harvesting, the group has to outsource personnel who do the work on their behalf. In order to hire personnel, the group says that they always spend a minimum of KSh1,500 for every harvesting.

“Delays in harvesting occasioned by lack of finances have resulted in huge losses as at times the honey expires,” says Apudo.

However, the group is optimistic that when they get the necessary equipment and skills for the trade, they are likely to produce honey that can be sold locally and the surplus exported.

Kenyans called upon to act as whistleblowers

By EVELYNE OGUTU

Vagaries of weather affecting farmer’s returns

accountability is much more effective because it relies on civic engagement, where ordinary citizens participate directly in exacting accountability thus giving ordinary citizens a central role in contributing actively to decision making on services that affect their lives directly.

Support

The Danish Government through its development arm, Danish International Development agency (DANIDA), has given KSh6.27 billion towards financing the health sector in Kenya. This funding is aimed at supporting the sector objectives that include improved equitable access to and provision of quality health care to Kenyans. The programme has special focus on reduction of child and maternal mortality and improved sexual and reproductive health and rights of Kenyans as the key outcomes.

“The Health Sector programme Support Phase III covers a period

of five years starting 2012-2016 with a total funding of KSh6.27 billion.

This is the largest amount of funding Danida has provided to Kenya’s health sector so far,” noted Andersen.

Cooperation between the Danish and Kenya government goes back to 1963 immediately after Kenya attained independence. In 1989 Kenya was among the first countries to be selected as a Danish programme country meaning Kenya would receive programme Aid on specific sectors agreed between the two governments. For many years Danish assistance was geographically concentrated in the arid and semi-arid lands of Kenya.

During the last decade (20002010), Danish support to Kenya totalled KSh18.25 billion. Sectors supported were agriculture, focusing on human rights, democratisation and good governance, infrastructure, education, water and sanitation and health.

The envoy noted that improved cooperation and reform process in

the public sector have resulted in Denmark increasing the level of assistance to Kenya and seeking to work more closely at strategic and policy level.

The Kenya government has undertaken to improve on accountability by strengthening top-down oversight, professionalising staff through civil service reform, empowering internal controls, establishing performance contracts, and creating new independent public oversight agencies like the Efficiency Monitoring Agency under the Prime Minister’s office.

However, noted Andersen, there is a need to complement such top-down “police patrol” oversight strategies with bottom-up, what I call,“fire alarm” mechanisms.

The “fire alarm” oversight occurs when an agency relies on external actors to detect when there are problems and then focuses its attention particularly on those areas on which alarm has been raised and this is the role of the community or Kenyans.

High prices

A kilogram of maize has increased from KSh40.50 last month and is now selling to KSh41.50 as the demand for the grain increases after the harvest failed.

The highest prices are being experienced in Gachoka and Siakago divisions where a kilogram is selling at KSh43 while in Mwea division has the lowest price at KSh38 per kilogram.

The DSG says that a kilogram of maize normally sells at KSh28 in August after the farmers have harvested their crops.

Gachoka division has the highest prices with a kilogram selling at KSh76 while the same is selling at KSh65 at Evurore division.

Beans sell at KSh63 after harvest during normal years.

Green grams are fetching the highest price of KSh60 per kilogram in Gachoka division and the lowest at KSh30 in Evurore.

Sorghum prices have gone up by two shilling retailing at KSh40 from KSh38 per kilogram last month.

“The increase in sorghum prices is attributed to poor harvest of the crop experienced within the district. Gachoka and Mwea divisions have the highest prices selling at KSh41 per kilogram,” reads part of the report. It was lowest in Evurore where it was selling KSh36.

Increased income

Income from crop sales, however, increased by two per cent from 11 to 13 per cent which is being attributed to the selling of green grams which is a major cash crop in the area.

However, the income is lower than in normal years where it accounts to 25 per cent of the total household income.

Livestock income has not varied in two months and it is accounting for two per cent of household income.

Casual labour, which has been the main source of income in the two districts fell to 58 per cent of all household incomes compared to last month when it stood at 68 per cent.

“The decline in casual labour income is attributed to the poor or low harvest experienced with the districts. In a normal year the income accounts for 70 per cent,” says the group.

There is also a decline in milk consumption in the region where a household is consuming 10 bottles of 750ml due to low production.

The decreased production has seen an inflow of milk from neighbouring districts of Embu and Kirinyaga and is selling at KSh60 per litre. On average a household consumes 40 bottles of the 750ml when the rains do not fail.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

11

Centre appeals for support to keep smiles on orphans faces

By GILBERT OCHIENG Life has literally been turned around for 12 year old Yvonne Sarah Juma, an orphaned vulnerable child from Sibina village. She no longer has live in the fear and embarrassment of being kicked out of school due to lack of fees.

Her hope and that of other orphans and vulnerable children has been raised by Uzima Children Orphan Centre, located in Nanderema Sub-location, in Samia district.

Improving lives

The centre which has been in operation since 2006 has a major objective of enhancing and improving on the welfare of vulnerable children and widows in the district.

According to Evans Bwire, Director of Uzima Children Orphan Centre their main objective is to mobilise resources that will support and protect the rights and privileges of orphans and widows with the aim of improving their status of livelihood.

“The idea behind the establishment of the centre was to help improve the lives of the orphaned vulnerable children and widows having noted that most civil society organizations, non-governmental organizations and the government only provide support in the form of relief which is always inadequate as the current number of orphans and vulnerable children in the district continue to grow,” explains Bwire.

He says the centre is supporting 276 children, out of which 50 are total orphans, 76 halforphans with 150 orphaned vulnerable children affected by HIV drawn from Nanderema, Rumbiye and Bujwang’a sub-locations.

“The centre runs from baby class, nursery and pre-unit as well as class one to three,” explains Bwire. He adds: “We are planning to introduce class four next year as soon as funds will be available.”

Bwire notes: “With time, we even intend to have a secondary school as the centre continues to grow.”

The centre is also catering for the needs of the children while at school and at home providing them with education, nutrition, medicine, learning materials and psycho-social services.

“In general, the school has a total of 40 boys and 49 girls plus 186 who receive education bursaries and other support in secondary schools,” he said, adding that the centre envisions becoming a recognised and respected institution designed to improve on the living standards of the orphaned vulnerable children and widows through community support programmes and mitigate the socio-economic impact of HIV in the community through the provision of care and support.

Activities

Apart from conducting community outreaches on behaviour change communication on HIV and human rights targeting widows and orphans as well as the community at large, the centre has also been organising capacity building workshops and initiating income generating activities which include dairy farming, bee-keeping, Soya beans and maize.

“The organisation’s experience in partnership with other stakeholders on similar programmes has encouraged household centred approaches that has been linking the orphaned and vulnerable children’s services with HIV affected house-

hold.

“It has also been strengthening the capacity of the family unit along and that of community structure which protects and promote healthy child development by investing in monitoring and tracking children’s well-being through partnership with caregivers, government and other stakeholders,” says Bwire.

Partners

One of the development partners that has played a leading role in assisting the orphans is American Research Foundation under a six-month proOrphaned children during parade and the gramme that began in January and centre. Below: A section of children in class at a ended in June 2012 dubbed “AMREF local children home in Kisumu.

Maanisha” that pumped in a total of Pictures: Gilbert Ochieng and Maurice Alal KSh500,000 with a community contribution of KSh70,000. especially those in classes one to three have “AMREF has also provided the orbrought their children here because they are phans in secondary school with fees, vocational frequently sent out of school due to non-paytraining, provision of primary school pupils with ment of tuition fees,” says Bwire. He notes that uniforms, establishment of 12 outreaches on the issue of tuition fees has caused majority of behaviour change communication and human the children to drop out of school as most parrights and income generating activities such as ents cannot afford to pay due to poverty. cow project and bee-keeping among others,” exBwire is appealing to any willing donor to plains Bwire. chip in and assist the organisation in kind now He says the centre and its partners have sucthat the duration of partnership with American cessfully placed a smile on the faces of the vulnerResearch Foundation [AMREF] has elapsed. able children by keeping them in school as well as “We are appealing to well-wishers to come up sending some of them to various universities in and assist us in kind so we can continue to help the country. the orphaned vulnerable children who are in dire Despite the introduction of free primary need of care,” says Bwire. He reiterates that more school parents with children in lower classes resources are needed to improve on the existing in most public primary schools in the district classes and also construct more.

Granny’s oasis of hope for mothers and children

By ERNEST MUSALIKU It is a sprawling slum with thousands of flower farm workers residing in the low cost houses.

Amid the congested housing units includes a day care centre that is home to 15 children aged between ten months and two-years.

There is nothing remarkable in the building as it resembles any other dwelling place. However, it is in this block that 56–year-old, Mama Mwangi, as she is commonly referred to, ekes a living.

During the interview the caretaker refuses to divulge her full names, saying she would only want to be referred to as Mama Mwangi. Seated on a low stool holding a baby with several other children surrounding her, Mama Mwangi appears to have been exhausted from singing a lullaby to young Mbugua who eventually fell asleep in her arms.

Mama Mwangi’s day starts at 5 am when the first child is brought to her care by young women working in the flower farms. In quick succession, others are brought in and the hectic work begins for the aging woman as she struggles to feed and change diapers for the wailing minors.

“Some cry almost simultaneously making it difficult for me to give each child the much needed attention,” explains Mama Mwangi wiping her face with the back of her hands.

There are times when the cries persist and get intense in the case of children who could be suffering from an ailment which the mothers may have failed to notice in good time.

“It becomes tricky and at times I am forced to recall some mother and inform them accordingly,” she says.

However, having done the job for close to six years, Mama Mwangi is able to pick the problems afflicting the minors with ease and where possible administer the necessary first aid.

For her efforts, she takes home KSh500 a month from the parent of every child for those above two years and for those below two-years she charges KSh700 a month, quite a tidy sum given that she does not have children of her own.

“The parents provide food, changing clothes and nappies for the children. They pick them later after leaving their places of work,” explains Mama Mwangi.

Communicate

Education is not offered in the centre as opposed to the early childhood education units. Children learn to communicate at an early stage and to relate with others well, which prepares them to join a nursery school.

Mama Mwangi treats these children as if they are her grandchildren and she is most happy seeing them play while others gather around to listen to her tales.

“They call me shosho (granny), just like my grandchildren, and are largely at home except when they misbehave or cry, but they are children I understand and calm them,” she says.

Before starting the day care centre, Mama Mwangi used to work in one of the leading flower farms on the shores of Lake Naivasha. Unfortunately she fell down and experienced complications forcing her to quit the job on medical grounds. “Life became unbearable, and I decided to open the centre to help the women with chil-

Mama Mwangi with some of her children at her day care centre located in Karagita in Naivasha. Picture: Ernest Musaliku

dren who needed to fend for themselves and this would allow me earn something for myself,” she says.

Though mama Mwangi is a mother of six, none of them depends on her income as majority of them are adults and earn work elsewhere. “I hope to overcome the challenges I am currently facing and secure a bigger place with a play ground sufficient for this kind of work,” she notes.

Mama Mwangi says dealing with children is not easy, but because they are “God’s angels” they need to be cared for and protected.

However, all that glitters is not gold. At times she is faced with hard task in the course of her duty but her self esteem remains high all time high. She is an inspiring and dedicated mother who earns a living through helping the lowly paid but hardworking women in the area.

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Fish for sex fails to stall HIV infections

By MAURICE ALAL Fish for sex in Nyandiwa trading centre along the shores of Lake Victoria has contributed to a higher rate of HIV infections in Suba District which leads in Nyanza region. Here, fish is a lot more than, it is “sex and money” and men and women trade this nutritious commodity for sex, often, unprotected.

“We have to sleep with these fishermen to get fish”, says Jane Adhiambo, a widow and a mother of three who earns a living by selling fish.

It has, therefore, come as little wonder as statistics continue to reveal that Nyanza region leads in HIV prevalence in the country with 13 per cent against 6.1 percent nationally.

Gwassi division alone leads by 35 per cent meaning out of every 100 people, 35 are infected. “The latest records from the Ministry of Health have shown that Nyandiwa is leading with over 35 per cent,” says Fabian Kicha, Secretary of Nyakonya, a community based organisation that is working hand in hand with the government and other organisations to create awareness on HIV in the district.

According to Kicha who has lived in Nyandiwa for over 30 years, the trading centre attracts people from different areas who do not reveal their background and because of the booming fishing business, sexual activity is very high.

According to Adhiambo, it is very difficult for a woman to get fish if she does not have a “Jaboya”. Jaboya is a Luo word meaning the owner of the boat. When the Jaboya brings fish to the shore, there is always a group of buyers waiting. However, for one to get the fish there must be extra attention which is always a sexual favour. Most of the buyers are women.

“Imagine my customers are waiting

and my children need to eat. If I keep on waiting and I may end up not getting fish, so I have to quickly negotiate a deal and go my way,” says Adhiambo, 38.

High HIV prevalence in Gwassi has led to increased numbers of orphans and widows as well as teenage pregnancies and child headed families.

Young girls also have fallen prey to the fishermen who lure them with gifts his has led to high school dropout rates in the area.

“There are over 52 schools in Gwassi and in every school you find that about 40 per cent are orphans. Take the case of Godbura Primary School with a population of about 400 students, almost 200 are orphans,” says Kicha.

Young boys have fallen victim of the risks going on at the lake shores. Most of these boys are orphans and others help their fathers to do fishing on weekends.

Measures

According to the Family Support Community Based Initiative (FASCOBI) which deals with the rights of children in Suba District, the boys get a lot of money which they spend in buying sex from night clubs.

“These boys earn more than their teachers. Imagine a 13 year old boy in class eight earning as much as KSh10,000. What can a teacher tell him?” poses Nicholas Omumbo, a field officer of FASCOBI. However, authorities in the area have put strict measures to reduce cases of defilement while boys are left

Women selling fish in Nyandiwa market along Lake Victoria. HIV prevalence in the region is high due to the fishing trade. Picture: Maurice Alal to go to older women for sex.

According to Omumbo, over 100 case of defilement have been handled in courts of law where some of the perpetrators have been jailed for up to 20 years.

According to area Chief Charles Akondo Tubare sensitization programmes have been put in place to

“The latest records from the Ministry of Health have shown that Nyandiwa is leading with over 35 per cent.”

— Fabian Kicha

encourage communities to go for HIV counselling and testing. “We don’t encourage wife inheritance as it is a major factor to HIV infection. We are urging people to go for testing so that they can know their status,” says Tubare.

Other risks

Despite these efforts, there is still another major risk in the form of abila, a hut where fishermen have their meals and rest. In every abila there is a woman who prepares food for up to six men who operate a single boat. The woman is supposed to sleep with each man in turn every night to maintain the business.

Chief Akondo says abila is not allowed and measures have been put in place to stop it. Voluntary Medical Male Circumcisions (VMMC) as a measure to cut down on the infections has been embraced especially by young boys who think they are immune from infection.

Studies have shown that, male circumcision reduces HIV infection by 60 percent. It also prevents women from getting cervical cancer and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).

However, circumcision is not a preventive measure but one should use condom to avoid contracting sexually transmitted diseases.

Male circumcision no longer about culture

By HENRY KAHARA Days are gone when circumcision was practiced as a rite of passage. Today the removal of foreskin is not only done as culture but mainly as an health issue.

Contrary to how it used to be carried out only by certain communities and to male children of a certain age, today both young and old men are rushing for the cut.

“I think this is not loss of custom because we even don’t do it as a ritual. We do not have celebrations which always characterise the traditional circumcisions and it is optional.”

— Abade Omire

According to reliable scientific research, male circumcision can reduce a man’s risk of becoming infected with HIV during heterosexual intercourse by up to 60 per cent.

Abande Omire, 75 is one such a man. Omire a former Telkom Kenya employee says he decided to take this bold step after he learnt of the health benefits which come with it.

“Before, I never attached any value on it especially to a person like me who hails from a community where we do not practice it,” says Omire, a polygamist.

“I thought of it as a loss of culture. I was one of the who were adamant people and had vowed not to bow to the pressures of getting circumcised,” explains Omire.

He adds: “I decided to take this step when I heard that circumcision can prevent me from being infected with HIV.” He says that in the current times, it is hard for one to trust their partners and male circumcision was one way one could take measures which can protect them from being victim of any misfortune.

Although his families, especially wives were not happy with his move, Omire insists he made the right decision. Despite this, he is still not in a position to convince his sons to go for the ‘cut’.

“In my tribe it is a taboo for a man of my age to discuss such issues with their sons or even grandsons,” reiterates the old man.

According to Omire, although there is stigma which is associated with circumcision especially in the Luo community, this is the way to go.

“I think this is not loss of custom because we even don’t do it as a ritual. We do not have celebrations which always characterise the traditional circumcisions and it is optional,” he explains.

Barrack Otieno, a Luo elder echoes Omire’s

sentiments that culture is dynamic and people are only supposed to uphold positive ones.

“This is just like technology, ‘circumcision’ where people have to embrace it whenever it comes and it is optional,” says Otieno.

The Luo Council of Elders is at the forefront in encouraging men from all communities to go for the cut.

“As a Council of Elders we are encouraging our people to go for voluntary medical male circumcision as it minimises risks of one being affected with HIV. It is about our health and not

“I am Luhya but I failed to go for the ritual because I feared. I also happened to have been brought up in an area where it is not a rite.”

— Harrison Wagga

our culture,” reiterates Otieno.

Harrison Wagga, 65, a retired teacher says it is stigma which had been associated with circumcision plus the negative view which the people whom he was brought up with which made him refrain from being circumcised while still young.

“I am Luhya but I failed to go for the ritual because I feared. I also happened to have been brought up in an area where it is not a rite,” says Wagga.

According to experts, days are gone when circumcision was viewed as a cultural subject. Today it is more of a health issue.

According to VMMC programme manger Dr Athanasius Ochieng, it is no longer about culture but health. “It is about having a more immediate impact in reducing new HIV infections,” he notes.

Ochieng urges the youth to visit VMMC centres for the services which are offered for free.

“We urge those who have not visited us to come and we will counsel them.”

Statistics from Voluntary Male Medical Circumcision (VMMC) shows that more than 430,000 males have received the service.

Although Kenyan VMMC is said to be one of the most successful in the world, the uptake among men above 25 years remains below target.

The Government of Kenya in collaboration with partners has planned to circumcise more than one million men by 2013.

Scientific trials have shown that male circumcision can reduce a man’s risk of becoming infected with HIV during heterosexual intercourse by up to 60 percent.

These findings have led to the decision by UNAIDS and the World Health Organization (WHO) to recommended circumcision as an important new element of HIV prevention.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Hobby turns into a source of livelihood

By OMONDI GWENGI At his ancestral home in Randago sub-location in Siaya District, he has transformed his hobby into a money making venture by knitting caps and head scarves among other products.

His father had it all but Maurice Ouma decided to make his own. “My father had all the wealth but I told myself that I needed to make it on my own. I ventured into farming of which many people in my village despised considering my father’s social status,” he says.

Ouma’s journey to this trade started when he had a girlfriend who was knitting. He would watch keenly as the she went about her work. It was from here that he decided to walk the path.

“My girlfriend was good at knitting and I would assist her do some of the work as I also learnt.

However, when she was not there one day, I couldn’t wait and I decided to try my hand in knitting and that’s how I nurtured my skills,” he explains.

Practice

Thereafter, Ouma started to perfect the trade through practice and today he is an accomplished knitter whose products are on high demand. “Were it not for the regular practice, determination and creativity, I wouldn’t be sitting here today with the expectation of earning a livelihood,” he says.

When he started the trade, as usual, there were mixed reactions from both his parents and peers.

He says that his parents were surprised while his peers encouraged him to continue.

“Knitting was for a long time

Persons with disabilities launch website

By HENRY OWINO The Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK) and the National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWDs) have officially launched the Kenya Disability Website Portal, (www.http://kenyadisability.or.ke) which enables persons with disabilities to access web services with minimal strain.

Persons with disabilities are now able to access and view web-based content much more easily thanks to the launch of a website tailored for them.

The launch was held at a recent workshop on eaccessibility for PWDs where over 300 participants attended. According to Census report conducted in 2009, it is estimated that 3.46 per cent of Kenya’s population have some form of disabilities, majority of whom do not have access to information technologies.

According to Francis Wangusi, Director General of CCK, the website is a means to provide and enhance information access, create awareness about disability as a human right issue for persons with disabilities, as well as keep them information available services for their needs.

He noted that the website will also let people living with disabilities know of available job opportunities, have an event calendar and a resource centre.

“As the sector regulator, the Commission will continue supporting mechanisms that ensure persons with disabilities are able to benefit from the opportunities provided by ICT,” Wangusi said.

He noted: “The Commission will ensure all citizens can access communication services irrespective of social status. The world is becoming more and more ICT-centred and person with disabilities are keeping up with the change.”

For instance; Kenyatta University in Nairobi introduced computers for people who are blind several years ago, which can be fitted with applications that read out loud to help the person know the contents of a web page. Permanent secretary in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Special Development, Dr James Nyikal urged web professionals to consider the needs of persons with disabilities when developing web pages. He noted the progress that CCK has made in addressing access barriers for the special community.

related to womenfolk and not any man was expected to master the activity. This, therefore, surprised my parents who thought that I was crazy. But my peers encouraged me saying that this was a rare gift from God,” he recalls.

Ouma adds: “Many of us take hobbies and pastime activities for granted. Turning your hobbies into serious business will not only open your mind to new experience, they will also take up the time that otherwise would have been engaged in non-productive activities like drinking and crime.”

Consideration

Products

He charges between KSh200 and KSh300 for a piece of knitted cap or headscarf. “The caps and scarves especially the ones done with Rasta colours are on high demand and this has made me work extra hard to meet the demands of my clients,” he says.

Averagely, Ouma is able to knit four pieces of caps or scarves depending on the order he receives.

This, therefore, adds up to about KSh800 per day, when the business is good. However, he sometimes does more than that in a day.

“I sometimes get more than that amount per day because I also have other products such as belts, torches and clothes which I also sell in my stall,” he explains.

Hand knit scarves, slippers, socks and blankets are useful and usually preferred as gifts to friends and relatives. For those individuals who do not have the time or the skills to create these items, they can be a very treasured possession.

Even though he does his work perfectly, Ouma says that he

13

Maurice Ouma displaying some of the products he has knitted at his stall in Usenge town, Bondo District. Below: He knits a cap for a client. Pictures: Omondi Gwengi never had formal training on the trade. He says that his education was cut short due to what he attributes as jealousy in the polygamous family.

“My father had 13 wives and my mother was the second wife.

I, therefore, went up to Form Two and dropped out of school after some of my father’s wives piled pressure on him not to pay for my education,” says the seventh born in a family of ten.

However, this did not affect him so much as he has turned his hobby into a moneymaking enterprise that has helped him get cash he needs to pay his bills and meet other expenses. In the long run, he is also getting money to save and consequently create wealth like

his father’s. Since he likes what he does, chances of success are high as he is driven by passion.

“Although most people would perceive hobbies as a drain on resources, they actually generate some income. They are also a great way to build your skills, spend your free time profitably, and save you money,” he advises.

And for youths who have for a long time been relying on formal employment, Ouma warns that there is likelihood for this group to engage in crime and other antisocial behaviours.

“We should not wait for white collar jobs, but should instead sharpen our skills and turn our hobbies into serious business,” he says.

“The portal has taken into account the different forms of disability and it is with this mind-set that it has been created. It should also consider bold captioning of television programmes and more so to news bulletins for partial blind groups,” Nyikal noted.

He emphasised the objective of the website is to ensure that people with low vision, blind, hearing impairment, intellectual disabilities among others access various information technology (IT) related services with lots of ease as per the constitutional requirements.

The Constitution (Article 7 (3) (b) provides that: The State shall …promote the development and use of …other communication formats and technologies to persons with disabilities.

Article 54 (1) states that: A person with any disability is entitled; (c) to reasonable access to all places, public transport and information; (d) to use Sign language, Braille or other appropriate means of communication; and (e) to access materials and devices to overcome constraints arising from the person’s disability.

According to Phoebe Nyagudi, chairperson of National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWDs), today African Union specialised agency for disability prevention and research in the continent is serving in 12 countries. These include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda, Burundi, Sudan, Djibouti, Ethiopia, the Comoros, Somalia Seychelles and Eritrea.

She stated the Persons with Disabilities Act of 2003 was enacted in December 2003 and came into effect on June 16th, 2004. She said the Act outlines some of the requirements for Persons with Disabilities in Communication services and CCK has moved a step ahead in facilitate. “Kenya was the 27th country to ratify the convention on the rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) on the 19th May, 2008,” Nyagudi recalled.

She said the constitution provides a firm foundation for policy and legislation on disability, which is in accordance with the universal standards for the promotion and protection of fundamental human rights and freedom for Persons with Disabilities.

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ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Monitoring early warning signs for possible violence must begin now

By HENRY OWINO The Constitution and Reform Education Consortium (CRECO), a coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) working on democracy, governance, legal and human rights issues wants the Government to keep an eye on regions prone to violence during general elections.

CRECO revealed that there are still high incidences of violence in a majority of the Counties across the country that needs to be addressed sooner rather than later. The organizations charged with monitoring election violence must now pitch-tent in the regions to avert any possible aggression.

By Henry Owino

Causes

CRECO established that violence is likely to be caused by ethnic intolerance, border conflicts, political party zoning, competition over land and other resources, proliferation of small arms, weak security and poverty.

Some of the listed factors were found to be more significant in certain areas CRECO and ELOG members at the launch of the report on areas prone to election violence. than in others which cannot be treatPicture: Henry Owino ed separately.

The study was carried out in the 47 Counties they could be eliminated if not reduced.

Regina Opondo, the acting Proin Kenya with an aim of identifying hotspots of Political exploitation of ethnic differences for gramme Coordinator, CRECO made the remarks violence with analyses of varied risk factors. Repolitical purposes (politicization of ethnicity), during the launch of the Baseline Report Findings viewing the legal reforms in the security sectors weak state institutions or manipulation of these On Conflict Mapping held in a hotel in Nairobi. since 2008 and how these will impact on peace institutions for political purposes, disenfranchiseShe urged the state organs and civil society orbuilding and conflict prevention strategies for ment, marginalization of minorities and peripherganisations monitoring conflict to actively engage the upcoming elections. Identifying trigger facal groups and use of organized violence (gangs) to communities and persons in peace mitigation tors that is likely to cause violence in the country achieve political ends are some causes of hostility. activities. and identify measures to be put in place to pre“Our conclusion from the baseline survey is vent and mitigate occurrence and recurrence of that a lot more needs to be done to ensure that Further, security proliferation of arms and violence in the identified hotspots. the things that divide us are reduced and evenlight weapons, commercialization of cattle rustually eliminated. The state agencies responsible tling and weak security arrangements opens avefor peace, reconciliation, security and election nues for chaos. Economically; poverty, inequality, Recommendations for areas that were worseprocesses should work hand in hand to closely corruption, class conflict and underdevelopment affected by post election violence require closer monitor areas known for chaos to avert any posare opportunities for the same. Legally; failure by scrutiny during the pre-election period largely sibility for violence in the next general elections,” legal system to resolve disputes justly and compredue to the unsettled or unresolved deep-seated Opondo urges. hensively, manipulation of legal system to perpegrievances. The communities in Kenya should trate injustices leads to hostility within regions. and must acknowledge that Kenya does not beUse of exploitation of cultural differences and long to any particular ethnic group or a combiOpondo stated that CRECO undertook the identities with negative consequences, cultural nation of any. study to map out the incidents of violence as tools such as songs, poetry, narratives etc propa“Having bequeathed ourselves and our future has been witnessed in the recent past in order to gate and perpetuate conflicts. Environmental generations a new Constitution, it is very impordevelop a basis for monitoring and carrying out scarcity or inequitable access to and distribution tant that all communities respect all human rights other actions. Different actors are hoped to join of environmental goods like land, water, forests for all persons, respect values of that Constitution, the initiative to inculcate peace in the country. etc. It leads to environmental degradation causing promote its principle of governance and also deThis study adopted a conceptual framework environmental harm to other regions hence anger. fend and protect it,” Opondo recommended. for mapping and analyzing conflicts and how

Hostility

Scrutiny

Mapping out

Media urged to report wisely during electoral process

By Robert Wanjala Journalists and media houses have been challenged to be more responsible while executing their duty for national building and reconciliation in the upcoming electoral process.

Media personalities have been asked to be more aware that, by the stroke of their pen, the country could go up in flames again.

Speaking during a media training workshop in Eldoret, Steve Youngblood, a communications professor at Park University, USA, challenged media practitioners to reflect on their failures during and after the last general election. He asked them to draw key lessons that would help forestall a repeat of the last post election violence.

The post election violence claimed more than 1,200 lives, over

Kenyans must dance to the spirit and letter of the Constitution

300,000 people were displaced, and thousands wounded. Property worth millions was destroyed following the acrimonious presidential result.

Youngblood said that journalists’ role, both locally and globally, remains critical in determining the existence and survival of a peaceful and developed society; one free and fair for all.

Vigilance

He urged the media to remain vigilant against hate speech during electoral campaigns in order to ensure those involved in spewing hatred are accountable.

“Kenya’s social media usage is rapidly growing. The platform is increasingly the latest catch for politicians to market their issues. Lest you forget, they may try to pass-by you and spread hate words using the so-

cial media,” Youngblood reminded the journalists.

The training was organised by Peace Journalism Foundation, East Africa, and sponsored by the United States of America Embassy in Nairobi. It saw reporters gain practical skills on how to package and deliver conflict sensitive stories.

Gloria Laker, director of Peace Journalism Foundation and a former BBC reporter, said that journalists had the power to impact society either positively or negatively. She shared her experiences as a reporter in the once war ravaged Northern Uganda.

“As journalist we have the power to reduce violence by attempting possibilities that are beneficial for the aggrieved parties or fuel the conflict to violence. The choice lies in us and our pens,” she affirmed.

Youngblood challenged the

participants to spread the gospel of responsible peace and electoral journalism among their colleagues in order to prevent a revisit to violence before and after elections early next year.

Guidelines

The principles that were reflected included being careful to avoid inflammatory, emotive, and using divisive language; balancing stories by including information from all relevant parties; framing stories in such a way to avoid “pouring petrol on the fire”; and telling stories that give a “voice to the voiceless”.

Others guidelines included not letting politicians use media to spread hate speech or propaganda and taking charge of radio callers and in-studio guests so that they are not allowed to incite violence or spread hatred.

Kenyans having been urged to resist and reject all backward, corrupt, radarless and myopic politicians. The Chapter Six of the Constitution is clear on Leadership and Integrity which must be read to mean something for all the electorates. It cannot be ‘business as usual’.

Further, Kenyans must learn how to solve political and social differences amicably. The Baseline Report Findings on Conflict Mapping focused on responsibility of the political class and the public must be responsible for preventing violent conflicts.

This will largely be achieved by banishing impunity at local levels, especially at County levels. All communities belong to all counties, no one County was established exclusively for any particular community. Therefore, Kenyans must learn to accommodate the minorities within Counties where they are the majority.

To the State institutions, it is recommended that they undertake their respective mandates and ensure there are pro-active approaches such as early warning systems to ensure that conflicts are avoided. These counties are managed and are not allowed to escalate differences of elections results as it happened in the post election violence.

Civil Society Organisations also need to put in place the necessary infrastructure to closely monitor the known counties known and identified as election-related conflict hotspots. A few constituencies in the counties that present moderate to low conflict risk, however, merit monitoring though at a far lower scale. There is need to operationalise a national peace platform similar to the one that existed prior to the 2010 referendum under the banner of Uwiano (cohesion).

Common cause

The platform should promote synergy between CSOs and undertake advocacy on national issues that have implications on conflict at the local level. It will have to continually monitor the application of international, regional and local human rights and governance mechanisms. All these must act in concert and common cause to ensure that all political and democratic rights and governance processes during the upcoming elections are respected, protected and promoted.

According to George Owuor, chairman, CRECO Management Committee, the organisation began its work with country wide civic education targeted at citizens’ participation in the process of reviewing Kenya’s constitution.

The climax was the design and implementation of the National Civic Education Program (NCEP I) in the period 2000-2002.

Between 2006-2007, CRECO was involved in NCEP 2, as a follow up programme of NCEP I. The purpose of the programme was to champion comprehensive governance reforms ahead of the 2007 elections.

Through this program, CRECO championed advocacy initiatives aimed at strengthening institutions that would guarantee free and fair elections come 2007.

Owuor regretted that the reforms envisaged were not successful and this culminated in the chaos experienced during the 2007 elections. In the 2007 post-election period, CRECO among other CSOs campaigned for the inclusion of the Agenda Four reforms in the political negotiations. A key output of this advocacy was that the coalition partners agreed on comprehensive reforms and set up several commissions and timelines for the realization of the same.

Subsequently the Independent Review Commission (IREC), the Commission for the Investigation of the Post-Election Violence (CIPEV) were set up. These commissions emphasised that the country had to have a new constitution to be the basis for comprehensive reforms.

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

15

Prisons embark on a successful correctional route

By MAURICE ALAL When Samson Ogeka* was ordered by a law court to serve his sentence, it never occurred to him that it was the first step towards becoming a renowned lawyer. Ogeka pursued university education while at the correctional institution to become a practicing lawyer, who traverses the globe like a colossus using the legal expertise to better the lives of those in conflict with the law.

The interesting but real life story unravelled by Nyanza Provincial Probation Officer (PPO), Johnstone Koech confirms that every offender who is in conflict with the law still has a chance to pick themselves up after going through the various processes stipulated in the law.

Mandate

It’s through such a programme that Ogeka, whose thirst for education never waned emerged to become a globe-trotting lawyer whose performance has never portrayed him as one who has ever been in conflict with the law, as he continues helping others get professional legal support with admirable ease.

Koech states that the Probation Department has a mandate of being a sole provider of social inquiry reports to courts and Penal Institutions for quick dispensation of justice.

“Our Vision is to excel in the management of Community Correctional Services,” Koech explains. He notes: “Currently, the department runs many programmes including probation, community service order, after care and bail information systems.”

The Probation Department has close to 1,650 offenders serving sentences in the community. Under this intervention, the person is allowed to reside in the community while serving the sentence but closely supervised by a Probation Officer during the whole period.

According to Koech the maximum sentence under this programme is three years and six months on the minimum and in accordance with the Probation Offenders Act Cap 64 Laws of Kenya.

Sentence

“Apart from serving these sentences, we also came up with programmes to impart various skills, through established tree nurseries in all the districts across Nyanza like in Maseno, Bondo, Ukwala, Awasi, Ahero and Ndhiwa where such activities thrive just like the fish ponds,” Koech explains.

He adds: “A rehabilitation plan is drawn for each person serving under this programme, according to criminology needs of the offender.”

Such persons are led through counselling support by being exposed to various institutions to enable them start a business, go back to school, college or other tertiary institutions as well as farming activities in an attempt to enhance their social lives and status in society.

“The person’s social behaviour will have been improved tremendously,” he states. The community service order programme is a sentence where the offender provides free labour to the community in public institutions, roads, government premises, forest stations, health facilities and water

Inmates at the Kodiaga Prison in Kisumu. They have come out reformed from prison as a result of the numerous rehabilitation programmes provided at the facility. Pictures: Maurice Alal serving under the CSO in Nyanza wells among others.

“The aim of this programme is to alone with the public quite appreciareduce the number of people taken tive of their role,” he discloses. to prisons for petty offences reduce congestion in such facilities,” explains The Aftercare Programme is mainKoech.

In the international set up offend- ly for offenders who have been released ers with lesser crimes are envisaged from penal facilities like the Borstal into be people who should be given a stitutions or long term prisoners.

“These ones are normally released chance to reform, therefore, Kenya as a member of the global community by the Prisons Review Boards (PRB) must conform to this through devel- on confirmation that they demonstrated that they have actually transformed oping such programmes.

He cites the Geneva Convention for the better,” Koech points out.

Reintegration of these offenders and Tokyo Rules as among the global documents which give an offender a back into society or the community chance to be handled within the com- from which they hailed is also done.

“The process is meant to resettle munity first before being subjected to them (rehabilitated offenders) back any other disciplinary steps outside.

“These activities helps them estab- into their respective communities lish their own fish ponds, breeds and after serving their time,” he explains.

Koech discloses that the departsells the same for a reliable Income Generating Activities (IGAs) a part ment has 112 offenders serving under from supporting environmental con- this programme in Nyanza Provservation initiatives,” explains Koech. ince. The Aftercare docket covers the Such offenders are equally trained Borstal Institutions which caters for on brick-baking at strategic sites where school age offenders.

“Our department occasionally pays the machines have been installed under the guidance of an expert in en- for their fees, especially those from vironment friendly circumstances as poor families. Currently, we have one student in the University (Kenya) after opposed to burning bricks.

Koech states that brick-making ma- he passed well in the Kenya Certificate chines have also been set up for similar purposes in Migori and Ndhiwa.

“The offenders later either get employed or acquire the skills and finally purchase their own machine as a permanent source of income for themselves in their personal enterprise,” he notes.

A part from providing the much needed free labour in society, the community service order programme has enabled thousands of people acquire lifelong skills that have com— Johnstone Koech, Nyanza pletely transformed their status.

Provincial Probation Officer “We have 1,366 people

Programme

“A rehabilitation plan is drawn for each person serving under this programme, according to criminology needs of the offender.”

of Secondary (KCSE) having attained Grade B+ and is now a second year student,” he reveals.

According to Koech, so many others have finished Form Four under their supervision with some ending up working in reputable organisations across the country.

Under the Bail Information and Supervision System, Koech explains, the programme is run by the department in collaboration with the courts.

Probation reports on offenders over the possibility of the offender being able to adhere to bond or bail conditions as set out explicitly by the courts.

This, he notes, is one of the newest programmes made operational by the Ministry in Maseno, Nyando and other high courts in the region like Kisii.

Here, a probation officer makes inquiries about the offender from where he or she hails (home) before presenting a report on their suitability to be released on bail or bond.

Koech admits that some people could be languishing in jail for lack of this kind of information to facilitate their release on bail pending the hearing of their cases. Others, he adds, cannot raise sureties required by courts.

The probation officer acts as the link

between courts and the community (families) of the offenders before they can finally avail them to the same to courts for a final decision as to whether they can adhere to set conditions.

Koech argues that this is one way of improving on the rights of the person detained, imprisoned or held in custody.

It emerged that challenges for the numerous programmes abound. These include the communities being nonreceptive or appearing hostile to people associated prisons when they get released after serving their sentences.

There is also the belief that somebody may feel the punishment while serving in the community much more effectively and achieve the intended impact.

“This includes the old version and warped thinking that such people should be locked up in order to reform yet it is not the best solution,” notes Koech.

Community service

“Probation sentences are actually meant to reform the offenders in totality by ensuring that they get empowered in skills and social behaviour change through counselling to finally become somebody attached to family without disintegration,” Koech emphasizes.

“Those serving under the community service order programme ensure the community benefit from work they perform,” he notes, adding “resources to undertake the programmes are usually never enough and so the need to enhance the allocations to improve Community Correctional Services”.

However, the media has also been challenged to highlight clearly the body in-charge of the Community Correctional Services as the Probation Department. “It’s not enough to say one has been released but state that it was done through recommendation by Probation officer,” he states.

16

ISSUE 068, September 1-15, 2012

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Hate speech and the media, which way forward?

By ODHIAMBO ORLALE Experts and the public are split on whether the media is ready to cover the forthcoming general elections better than it did in 2007, whose Presidential poll results led to the post-elections violence.

The strong view, six months to the polls, is that the media has not learnt from the mistakes that led to the PEV and the indicting of one of their own, KASS FM journalist, Joshua arap Sang, and three other suspects at the International Criminal Court at The Hague, in The Netherlands.

The others are Deputy Prime Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta, and Eldoret North MP, William Ruto, and former Head of the Public Service, Francis Muthaura.

Panelists and participants to a recent public forum at Alliance Francaise in Nairobi singled out vernacular radio stations as the most notorious for spewing hate speech and negative ethnicity in disguise of news, entertainment and civic education.

Accusations

The print and TV stations were not spared either, and were accused of failing in their duty of social responsibility by not interrogating what politicians say during their public rallies about their agenda for the country as a whole and instead turning parochial and tribal.

The forum organised by Media Focus in Africa Foundation included Mary Ombara who is the Director of Information, Millie Lwanga, a commissioner with the National Cohesion and Integration Commissioner, Wanjiku Mbugua of the Front-Page and Mutegi Njau, a senior editor at Citizen TV. The general concession was that the media must pull up its socks and save Kenya from a repeat of

PEV through their responsible and unbiased coverage of political issues throughout the campaigns.

They cited the recent “undue” coverage by the media of the controversial Mombasa Republican Council, which seeks to secede saying: “Pwani Si Kenya”.

Concern was raised that whereas the NCIC Act empowers the Mzalendo Kibunjia and his team to prosecute hate-mongers, not much has been seen with exception of a handful of politicians and musicians being forced to face the full force of the law.

However, in order to avoid being arrested, politicians are now changing the faces of hate speech by camouflaging and/or using coded language to disguise their hate messages.

Ombara believes that the media is not ready to cover the 2013 polls and cites two pending Bills in Parliament — the Media and the Freedom of Information — that will be required to be in place in order for it to work effectively.

At the same time she disclosed that the Ministry of Information has had a protracted problem with media owners over cross-ownership and the vernacular FM stations which are owned by politicians, who have their own agenda.

Another area of concern by the ministry is the social media especially blogs in addressing hate speech concerns mostly by the youth, who are the major user of the new technology to ex-

Panelists at a recent public forum on the role of the media. (Left to right) Mary Ombara, Millie Lwanga, Wanjiku Mbugua, and Mutegi Njau.

Picture: Odhiambo Orlale press their views.

On her part, Wanjiku expressed fears that there is likely to be a double tragedy for women as far as media coverage and hate speech is concerned because of bias and lack of knowledge of how to use the media effectively as a leader.

She appealed to the media to start wearing gender a sensitive lens as they cover the campaigns and polls saying: “Every day we wake up to a cocktail of ethnicity and hate speech in the media which is not in the interest of women eying political seats, especially for the first time.”

Concerns were raised that most journalists working for vernacular FM stations have been “embedded in ethnicity” and are no longer balanced, fair and ethical.

Njau concurred saying action must be taken to tone down the hate speech and ethnicity being propagated by most vernacular stations for the sake of national unity and peaceful elections next year.

The veteran editor lamented that most media houses do not have specialised gadgets to delay and edit live call-ins by listeners and viewers who are out to spew hate speech and ethnicity.

The participants said there was a need for media owners to promote a national and not an

“Every day we wake up to a cocktail of ethnicity and hate speech in the media which is not in the interest of women eying political seats, especially for the first time.”

— Wanjiku Mbugua, Front- Page

Executive Director: Rosemary Okello Editor: Jane Godia

ethnic agenda through their FM stations saying it was very dangerous to link a tribe to an FM station.

Another challenge being faced by media houses is that most TV and radio presenters are not trained journalists and there was a call to have the Media Council and media owners address the concern through capacity-building programmes and scholarships.

Mburugu Gikunda of Media Focus, expressed fear that giving a politician a blackout for promoting hate speech might force him/her to go underground, and cause more chaos.

Way forward

On her part, Lwanga pointed out that ethnicity in Kenyan matters and it cannot be wished away going by their various studies and reports.

She said the way forward should be for the media to emphasise on inclusion and not exclusion of news sources and/or local and national issues.

“Indeed, hate speech in the social media, that includes sms, blogs, Facebook and Twitter, is a challenge to NCIC which is grappling with whether to prosecute or deal with the issues raised?” Lwanga maintained.

She blamed lack of professionalism in the media leading to ethnicity and hate speech.

However, a political science student blamed the vice and trend on failure by NCIC and the police to discharge their duties effectively.

Indeed, the role of the media will be more daunting and under the microscope this time around on the eve of the General Elections more than ever before.

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

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Designer: Noel Lumbama Contributors: Waikwa Maina, Jane Cherotich, Titus Maero, Allan Murimi, Larry Kimori, John Maina, Mary Wanjiru, Michael Oongo, Joseph Mukubwa, Waikwa Maina, Hussein Dido, Caroline Wangechi, Jeff Mwangi, Henry Kahara, Evelyne Ogutu, Omondi Gwengi, Robert Wanjala, Gilbert Ochieng, Maurice Alal, Ernest Musaliku, Henry Owino and Odhiambo Orlale.

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