ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
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November 16-30, 2012
ISSUE 073
A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service
One woman at a time can bring change to society By Joyce Chimbi Although a majority of Kenyan women continue to grapple with sexuality and reproductive health issues (SRH). It is worse for the abused woman. Addressing the SRH needs of every woman demands an understanding of whether or not she may have suffered, or is suffering any form of abuse. Since it is within health facilities where women share the most intimate details regarding their sexuality, health care providers are in a strategic position to identify the abused woman as well as the
woman at risk of GBV. Consequently, addressing GBV should be part of comprehensive SRH care. With only a few days to go before the world begins another journey through the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the country must take stock regarding just how far the society has come towards protecting its own. Although gender based violence is not an exclusive women issue, statistics still show that women are much more likely to suffer violence than men. “GBV is still about that woman who has had her face disfigured, or the girl who has been raped, but it is also about
A mother being registered for health care services during an FHOK outreach thousands of women who program in Laini Saba, Kibera. Representatives of the International Planned are denied the opportunity Parenthood Federation and Family Health Options Kenya in an outreach to make choices just beevent, at the heart of the sprawling Kibera Slums. Pictures: Courtesy FHOK cause they are women. “It is also about the While GBV has become increas- (KDHS) Among Kenyan women, women who deliver at home, just because it is considered ingly recognized as a public health “Force at first sexual intercourse is ‘taboo’ in some communities for and human rights issue, statistics are not uncommon.” Further, the study indicated that a man who isn’t their husband, to yet to show real decline regarding the see their nakedness,” explains Mary extent and degree of violence meted the likelihood of suffering physical violence increased with age. Kung’u, a reproductive health expert. against women. The study further reveals that More so, not enough attention is Kung’u further says that it is about that woman who is not allowed to being paid to the health and econom- “Analysis across provinces indicates that the two provinces with the highuse one form of contraceptive or the ic burden that abused women bear. According to the most recent Ke- est proportions of women experiencother by her husband, or even any nya Demographic and Health Survey contraceptive at all. Continued on page 2
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Kilifi leading in child marriage By YUSUF AMIN
Kilifi County is in the news for the wrong reasons. A new research done by an international NGO has reveals that Kilifi has the highest number of child marriages compared to other 46 Counties t in the country. Presenting the research report to stakeholders from different government departments and organisations working in the district during the International Girl Child Day celebration at Mnaran Club in Kilifi town, the Plan International Area Development Manager, Ms Maragret Kahiga, noted that the number of children married to old men was increasing because of breakdown in family values, and high poverty level in the region. She said that the research which was done in various districts in the country involving interviewing of provincial administration officials, police officers, and the judiciary officials among others who gave out information about the number of cases reported in their offices yearly showed that there was an alarming increase.
Prevalence
Kahiga said Kilifi has the highest rate of child marriage prevalence of 47 per cent followed by Homa Bay with 38 per cent, Kwale County t 37 per cent among other districts and asked the provincial administration to intervene and curb the vice. The manager also says that the study established that child marriages among girls was very prevalent and wide spread and the girls were married off as early as from 13 years to 16 years of age. The official said that the research also revealed that child marriage leads to early child-
bearing which posed a great health risk. ‘The children can become pregnant and/or be affected with sexual transmitted diseases like HIV among many STD diseases. So I urge parents to be more careful and guide and counsel their children on how they can avoid the vice and invest in education,” Kahiga says. The research further reveals that child marriages lead to early childbearing hence posing great health risks to the young girl who could even die in the process.
Poverty
Those risks were exacerbated by poverty and inadequate access to maternal and child health services which were common to cases of child marriage. On his part, the Ganze District Children’s Officer, Daniel Mbogo, says that his offices were working closely with Plan International to fight the vice in the area. Mbogo said many underage girls were married due to the high poverty levels. He appealed to the local leaders to come up with new strategies to curb the vice. He proposed that more campaigns be focused on how to boost the agricultural sector to engage more youth in food production and to boost the economy and reduce cases of parents being forced to marry off their daughters to older men due to poverty. Meanwhile, Teddy Mwambire, who attended the function during the handing of the research to the stakeholders, asked the police department to be very keen on their investigations concerning sexual harassment of young girls so that those involved could be identified and action taken on them by the authorities. But Mwambire expressed concern that most
Girls performing a traditional dance to convey a message on early marriages. Kilifi has the highest prevalence rate of child marriages. Picture: Yusuf Amin cases of sexually harassment in Kilifi were not taken seriously because the police were reluctant to collect and preserve evidence from the victims and witnesses. ‘Some of the police officers are compromised and/or are incompetent in their duties and I urge them to cooperate with us so that we can fight the vice in the society,’ Mwambire said.
On his part, the Kilifi District Medical Officer of Health, Dr David Mulewa, promised to cooperate with the leaders in fighting the voce saying he would assist them in conducting medical check up for the girls who were sexually harassed and abused. And then record a statement on the P3 form to be used in a court of law to prosecute the suspects.
Bringing change to the society one woman at a time Continued from page 1 ing physical violence: Nyanza and Western provinces, also have the highest proportions of women experiencing sexual violence.” A significantly high number of these women are more likely to be or to have been abused by their husbands. According to the study “Women in Nyanza province are most likely to have experienced emotional, physical, or sexual violence by their husbands (60 percent), followed by women in Western province (56 percent).” Further, women in a polygamy, or what is often referred to as polygamy, are much more likely to suffer from GBV and the consequent health complications that arise from such violence. Nyanza has some of the highest statistics on polygamy and wife inheritance, both cultural practices that predispose women to abuse, as well as the violation of their sexual and reproductive health rights.
Health
According to the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) “In the context of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), GBV has been linked to an increased risk of unwanted pregnancies, pregnancy complications, gynecological disorders, unsafe abortions, miscarriages, and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including HIV and AIDS. Fear of violence may also hinder women’s ability to seek and access treatment and care.” While statistics have shown that women are four times more likely to suffer increased abuse as a consequence of an unwanted pregnancy, ac-
cording to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC) “What this data ignores is that the pregnancy itself can also be a result of domestic violence, in the form of sexual abuse, marital rape or denial of access to birth control.” Even as violence against women prevail, it is important to note that it affects a woman’s ability to make healthy choices, she may not be able to negotiate for safe sex, or determine the number of children she would like to have and even the spacing.
Options
It is against this backdrop that Family Health Options of Kenya (FHOK) has purposed to take SRH services at the doorstep of women in Nyanza and Western Kenya, both hotspots for violence against women, in a bid to respond to the reproductive health challenges facing these women. At their Static Clinics and Community Based Reproductive Health Services in Kisumu, FHOK through the Family Care Medical Centre based in Kisumu town “ provides outpatient services such as Family planning (Permanent, Short term and Long-term), antenatal and Post natal care, Curative services, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STI), post abortion care among others ” explains Sister Dinah Odoyo a nursing Officer and health care service provider in charge of Maternal, Child Health and Family Planning at the centre. Antenatal care is critical as it can prevent pregnancy related complications. It should be sought early in the pregnancy and continued through delivery. When problems such as infections in a pregnant mother are detected ear-
ly, treatment and any other intervention can be administered in good time, particularly among women who may already be struggling with other health complications. According to KDHS “Pregnancy complications are a primary source of maternal and child morbidity and mortality. Therefore, pregnant women should routinely receive information on the signs of complications and be tested for them at all antenatal care visits.” Yet, this study indicates that “most women do not receive antenatal care early in the pregnancy. Less than half (47 percent) of pregnant women make four or more antenatal visits. Sixty percent of urban women make four or more antenatal care visits, compared with less than half of rural women (44 percent).” In Kenya, where three-quarters of the population lives in rural areas, barriers to accessing antenatal care remain a reality. Further, the number of Kenyan women under siege by cancers that relates to the reproductive health going up by the day, at these clinics, women are also screened for both cervical and breast cancer.
Experiences
With Nyanza region posting the highest prevalence for HIV/Aids in the whole country at about 15 per cent which is twice the national prevalence level as was revealed by the most recent Kenya Aids and Indicator Survey 2007, voluntary counseling and testing for HIV is also a big part of the services offered. Studies by IPPF have shown that in cases where a woman’s experience
of sexual violence is not known to a health service provider, it could lead to inappropriate and ineffective provision of quality health care services “it can be difficult for service providers to accurately diagnose and treat conditions such as re-occurring STIs and chronic lower abdominal pains, or even provide effective and appropriate counseling.”
Other services
Sister Dinah concurs, saying that addressing GBV issues and the resulting health implications is an integral part of the sexual and reproductive health services they offer at (FHOK-Kisumu). And it is not all about the mother, these clinics also have immunizations services as well as male circumcision which has been known to lower chances of HIV infection by up to 60 per cent. The processes of reaching out to these women with the SRH services has been long and winding particularly due to the fact that a significantly high number of these women are in the rural areas where myths and misconceptions regarding SRH prevail. “We access the women through the already satisfied clients, we also reach out to them through Community Health workers, service providers from other health facilities and we also network with other NGO’s. “These Community Health Workers move from door to door giving the relevant information thereafter, we schedule and take services to the women by conducting outreaches .This is done daily.The project only targets economically disadvantaged women in the Kisumu East, Kisumu
North and Kisumu West Districts,” Sister Odoyo explains Notably, these clinics have been able to draw more married than unmarried women, since the unmarried are youths. Consequently, youth exposure to family planning and other SRH services remains low. Sister Odoyo alludes to some of the misconceptions “Many believe that when a young woman is exposed to Family Planning, they will not give birth. According to the community, ‘inaua mayai’ or rather with time, it can cause infertility in the user by ‘killing the eggs’.” Since child birth is still one of the most cherished reproductive health roles, most unmarried, but sexually active young women shy away from SRH services. Working with and through communities to improve access to SRH services has not been easy.
Challenges
Some of the challenges include “the lack of support for family planning by men. Further, the law does not protect the service provider, for instance, according to children’s Act,” you should not introduce a chemical substance to a child”. In this case the Nurse cannot separate Reproductive age (15-49) and the age of a child (below 18). This raises some legal issues.” In deed the law explicitly states that individuals under the age of 18 are children. Yet, the age of sexual debut has fallen to 12 years, studies by certain experts such as the Center for the Study of Adolescents shows that the age of sexual debut falls somewhere between the age of 8 and 12 years.
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
IDPs cry foul over hospital discrimination By ROBERT WANJALA Life has never been the same for Hanna Gakunia for the past four years. She fell a victim of post election violence and remains one since 2007/08. Before the violence broke out, Hannah Gakenia lived at Nandi County with her husband and their seven children doing casual jobs for survival. Today her dream and that of her children remains shattered since all their belongings went up in flames and political goons looted others. “The memories of that fateful day remain my incurable disease. Our lives were reduced to nothing. Those who we voted for are enjoying good life while ours waste away in dilapidated camps,” Gakenia says with bitterness. Gakenia’s misery in the camp was made worse following the loss of her mother three years ago. She says her mother fell sick because of the adverse weather and environment after being taken and admitted at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, for medication.
Hospital bill
But her mother succumbed to her illness and passed away and left behind a bill of over Sh. 36,000 which remains unsettled to date. The hospital withheld her national identity card and that of the husband and her brother before releasing the remains of her mother for burial. “We are unable to transact any business because of lack of IDs. Most of us will not vote because we don’t have the national Identity card. If the Government can facilitate to have back our IDs and resettle us in the land the government promised us we will participate in the coming election,” Gakenia says. Gakenia is not the only one crying foul for lack of ID and discrimination against by the referral hospital. Susan Akinyi says her ID remained at the same hospital over a bill amounting to Ksh. 7,000. The mother of three says
she is unable to be employed either because of the missing ID. Akinyi’s script is no different from that of Esther Wangui, a mother of six children in Naka IDP camp in Uasin Gishu County. The camp has 242 displaced families mainly from Nandi Hills at the height of post election violence that claimed over 1,300 lives and displaced over 600,000 families.
Harsh life
Wangui and her children have remained sickly because of harsh camp life. Her ID was retained at MTRH following her child’s admission at the facility. She risks missing out on resettlement plan by the Government as the national identity card would be needed before allocating her a piece of land and other benefits that may come with relocation exercise. Daniel Chege, a father of three, also accuses the referral hospital of discriminating against them due to their poverty. “Today in our country one cannot transact any business without ID. It’s appalling when you visit some hospitals and they refuse to treat you because you are an IDP – poor to pay your bills. Without IDs we are unable to even receive money through mobile phones, own phones, open bank accounts or even settle bills,” Chege laments, and pleads to the Government to assist them to retrieve their IDs to enable
Mothers and their children at the Naka IDP camp in Uasin Gishu County. Picture: Robert Wanjala them engage in business, seek employment and even participate in the coming General election. But Richard Mogen, a doctor at the hospital, blames the Government for failing to take healthcare in the country seriously. Such cases are on the rise because the Government’s healthcare financing is hardly enough to meet the hospital’s daily budget. “MTRH for instance, lose about 60 million a month in patients’ bills waiver because the Government’s healthcare financing is very low. The
“We are unable to transact any business because of lack of IDs. Most of us will not vote because we don’t have the national Identity card. If the Government can facilitate to have back our IDs and resettle us in the land the government promised us we will participate in the coming election.” — Hanna Gakenia
hospital has no option but to look for alternative ways of raising money to meet the incidentals and other simple necessities that are needed to be provided by the relevant ministry,” Mogen says. Naka IDP camp assistant chairman, Biden Karanja, says many IDPs national identification cards are being withheld at the hospital for failing to settle their bills.
Allegations
Karanja also claims the internally displaced people are discrimination against when seeking medical services at the facility, but these allegations have been refuted. He also says lack of IDs has denied some the opportunity to benefit from cash compensation by the Government and they are likely to be left out in whole resettlement exercise for lack of national cards. “We are urging the Government to waiver the bills and because most of this people cannot raise the said amounts. Withholding their IDs is only punitive to them because it has made the bad situation worse. They are un-
able to engage in any gainful venture to support their families who are already suffering in the camps,” Karanja observes adding that they may not participate in the forthcoming general elections due lack of IDs and if they will not be resettled soon.
Treatment
Refuting the claims, the Director, Dr. John Kibosia, says the allegations were baseless as the health facility treats even the street children for free and does not discriminate against IDPs. “They must understand that MTRH does not offer medical services for free. We treat the street families for free and why should we discriminate against the IDPs? They should first seek medical services from the district hospitals before being referred here,” Dr. Kibosia says. Meanwhile the Government says all the IDPs in Uasin Gishu County would be resettled before the General election. Eldoret East District Commissioner Onesmus Chatha says plans were underway to ensure the resettlement chapter was closed once and for all.
The right to toilets:
Kenyan women demand By CAROLYNE OYUGI Despite knowing all the risks that involve walking out of the house at 4 am in Katwekera, Kibera slum in Nairobi, Eunice has to make sure that she does so every day. If she fails then that means she will have to stay with an empty 2kilogramme cooking fat container full of human waste in her one-roomed house until darkness falls in the evening. The 34-year-old mother of three has had to share a container for short calls at night and at times even long call with her children because their shack has no toilet. During the day they pay KSh10 every time they visit a public toilet nearby, which is usually locked by 9pm. “We had a toilet here,” she says pointing at a cemented surface with two stones on the side and a hole an indication that it was once a pit latrine “but since it collapsed three years ago my
landlord has never bothered to build another one.” Eunice’s story is replicated all over the slums with sites of public toilets conspicuously arranged along the narrow paths indicating the price written on the doors. As the world marked World Toilet Day on November 19, Eunice’s’ plight is where to ease her self at night. Being a single mother and her children being less than ten years she has no one to accompany her to the toilet at night. “My house is very small and so I am afraid to walk out of the house that early it is unhygienic to stay with the waste in the house till at night so that people don’t see me emptying the container.” She lamented.
Access
As much as there have been many developments in the world it is unfortunate that approximately 2.5 billion people do not have access to a clean
toilet. This translates to one in every three people. According to World Toilet Organization, 1.1 billion people defecate in the open. However, it is the women who suffer more especially when they are on their menstrual cycle. Lack of a proper toilet to dispose the sanitary towels and other materials that they use during that period makes them to dispose them the wrong way.
Cases
“The problem is worse in rural and slum areas because most women are poor and so they use unsanitary material every month to try and contain the flow of menstrual blood, because they don’t have access to essential sanitary products and facilities during this time,” says Tom Ouma a community worker in Mathare slum. Ouma also adds that there are many reported cases of women who are harassed in the process of visiting the public
A woman outside a communal toilet in Kibera slum. Women suffer more in the slum especially at night. Picture: Reject Correspondent toilets. “Some are even sexually abused and exploited because they can not afford to KSh30 on a daily basis to visit the toilet.” The toilets in many Kenyan schools are also not made in a way that is user-friendly. They are either far from the classes or are dirty and produce very strong stench. It is a common scene in some schools to see boys removing their sweaters and shirts to
avoid smelling bad once they come out of the toilet. It is however the girls who are more affected because they need a private place to change their sanitary pads and clean themselves after that. Unlike the boys who can go for their short calls in the open, girls must visit the toilets exposing them to diseases diarrhea, which is estimated to cause 1.5 million child deaths per year,
constituting about 15 percent of total child deaths under five in developing countries. This year as the world marked this important day in 19 countries with over 51 events being hosted by various water and sanitation advocates, Kenyan women and many other women in the world demanded for access to clean toilets for the sake of their pride, health and security.
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unmasking the reed dance
It is all about young people’s sexuality and keeping chaste
By Jane Godia It was a conversation that started with the King and the reed dance, and I was curious to understand from the Swazi people what actually takes place during this great event that captures world headlines. While many people have come to understand the Reed Dance as the time for King Mswati III of Swaziland, Senator Thandi Shongwe took it upon herself to explain about this event. “The Reed Dance is not as many people tend to think,” said Shongwe. She explained: “The Reed Dance is used to forestall pregnancy. It is about showing off your body as a girl, it is a show of girlhood.” According to Shongwe, these are cultural practices that enable girls who have not gotten pregnant out of wedlock to show off their girlhood. The boys who have not married also have their dance although this does not receive as much publicity as the girl’s dance. “The boys who have not married or had children also cut a sacred shrub known as Luse Kwane that is sued for building the kraal. They are accompanied to the bush by men who include King Mswati to cut this reed. However the men do not cut it
From top: Girls performing the Swazilandumhlanga-reed dance. King-Mswati-III follows the reed dance ceremony. Girls marching while doing the dance. Pictures: Courtesy
as they are already married and have had children,” Shongwe explains.
Belief
All these dances are done for maintaining youth. The boys are encouraged to go for cutting of the sacred shrub as many times as possible but they also belief in doing it as many times as pos-
sible but with an odd number. “There is a traditional belief about the odd number. Many young men will go only the odd times. It is the same thing with the reed dance,” says the Senator. Senator Shongwe was speaking during the African Women Leaders’ Network Forum that was held in Nairobi recently.
Girls enjoy going for the dance because they must blossom, like flowers. They dance, knowing that once you have had a chance, things change. According to Shongwe falling pregnant before wedlock among the Swazi is a shame. “Those girls who have fallen pregnant cannot go for the dance and it will be known that they have brought shame upon themselves
and their families. In the communities it sensitive to the girl if she has brought shame to her family,” she says. They say a girl must remain an Imbali (flower). The reed is used for making wind breakers for the royal household and the purpose of cutting the reed and coming out in public to keep the girls young and pure. “For you to remain an Imbali you must keep your legs together,” explains Shongwe. Continued on page 5
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
The reed dance is all about young people’s sexuality and keeping chaste Continued from page 4 Among the Swazi the culture of the dance runs across generations. Even the married older women have their own reed dance and this also has failed to attract as much publicity. The reed is used to protect the homestead and when they cut it means that they are protecting their own home.
Segment leaders
Each segment has a leader including the older women. The old men also have a regiment. Among the Swazi you must belong somewhere among the age groups. According to Shongwe there is a misconception that the King holds the Reed Dance to get wives for himself. “This is the best culture that we have. If it is a question of polygamy then we must understand that it runs among cultures and religions. “I grew up in a naïve environment and never thought that one would find affairs in the church but they are there,” Shongwe says. “No one is perfect but that does not give them a ticket to go sleeping around. Trusted pastors are there but we cannot judge them because they may be doing better.” According to Shongwe culture reigns high in Swazi. There is the umcwasho (woollen tassel) that shows a girl is a virgin. This is special and comes in two colours. Red and black for one in a relationship. Green and yellow for one not in a relationship. This call is made every two years by the queen mother who sanctions this to stop teenage pregnancies. “It is time we look back and harness cultures that are positive to the problems we are having now including HIV and early pregnancies. “The boys also go for their dance because they want to maintain their boyhood and do not want to be fathers. It is not easy to identify a boy who has had sex or impregnated a girl, but the boys still respect that dance that is for them,” says the Senator. “The boys walk long distance and the king walks with them to the forest. After cutting the sacred shrub they walk back on their own even if it is at night,” says Shongwe. She notes that there is nothing as bad as losing culture and that we should try our level best to maintain culture. “We must use culture for helping young people to prevent teenage pregnancies. Over 80,000 girls attend the reed dance. They are also taken through life’s lessons,” says Shongwe. On day one the girls register. Once they cut the reed. The second day they get into an educational programme once they get the reed.
Counselling tents
“Tents are put for educational talks that include lessons on sexuality and counselling,” says Shongwe. Last year there was a mentorship programme arranged by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). “They asked women leaders to write a letter to the girl child telling them that it is never too late and they can take care of themselves,” says Shongwe. “It was meant to inspire them that they can be mothers and leaders.” The message being passed out to the girls is that all it takes is for one to take care of themselves. “Look after yourself, be firm and assertive and with this message the girls will come out and talk,” says Shongwe. She adds: “Our children are lacking role models. This mentoring programme is one way of keeping the girl child’s dream alive.
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Senator Thandi Shongwe Leading the way in institutionalising reproductive health into various sectors By Jane Godia When Thandi Shongwe was growing up in the small country of Swaziland, she did not have expectations of going into politics. Shongwe had grown up at a time when many girls lacked role models that they could look up to. However, through her work of interacting and networking with people, Shongwe would find herself thrown into the pits of politics. “After my high school, I trained as a nurse and midwife. I was working in a hospital environment and worked in a health setting for 13 years,” says Shongwe. It was shortly after that she moved to civil society. It was so different from nursing because I enjoyed giving a bath to patients in the morning,” she says. “I was usually overjoyed by the power the bath would have on the patient because the experience was almost like a healing.” After leaving the hospital set-up, Shongwe began working in the field of HIV and Aids with young people in schools. “I came to understand sexuality of young people and the problems that the encounter from lack of information,” she notes. “My mother had warned me not to have a boyfriend as I would get pregnant. She told me to run away from boys because once I get close to them I will get pregnant,” recalls Shongwe. She says: “This then stopped me from thinking of starting a relationship because even when I was working at the mission hospital I was scared of being sacked though my first relationship began when I was 18 years old.”
Restricted
The situation was made worse by her mother who did not want to meet any of her boyfriends and said she would only meet one when Shongwe was ready for marriage. Ironically Shongwe is practising the same maxim on her sons. A mother of two boys, she has told them not to bring every new found girlfriend to her. “I have seen them changing girlfriends very often and I cannot be introduced to all the girls,” she says. A great advocate of reproductive health and a supporter of the fight against HIV infection, Shongwe believes that life skills must be imparted in young people for them to make a difference. “Talking to young people about sexuality and HIV will not help much unless girls also get life skills,” she says. “As parents we do not empower them but we need to inspire them with decision making skills.” According to Shongwe life is like a coded padlock. “One must have goals with a combination that includes high self-esteem, assertiveness, decision making and a set of goals for themselves,” she observes. “This will then enable one to be able to open the door which is the future. To get there one must be sober and know where they are going.” Speaking at the African Women Leaders Network Forum, Shongwe says it was from working with young people that many realised that she had the qualities of a politician. Shongwe worked with the National Emergency Council for HIV and Aids as a coordinator for mitigation working with communities. The members of Parliament noticed her abilities and elected her to be a member of the Senate. “They felt I would be an asset because I had been working building houses for orphans and giving them food. Little did they know that she would be appointed Minister for Tourism, Environment and Communications which she served in this docket for five years between 2003 and 2008. However, after this when governments were changed she campaigned among MPs and was nominated to the Senate once again.
Shongwe’s only regret is that her mother never lived to see her work as a politician. “By the time I was made minister my mother had died and never lived to see me in Parliament,” she says. Born from a low family, Shongwe’s father was a policeman while her mother never went beyond primary education. However, she ensured that Shongwe and her siblings went to school. Her father has been her greatest fan who always keenly follows her contributions in Parliament. At times he fears when she receives a lot of opposition but Shongwe always reassures him that it is how politics is played. “My father always praises me for my contributions,” she says. As a Senator, she still does a lot of work with professionals. She led the development of the Strategic Plan for HIV and Aids and Reproductive Health within the work place. “Every ministry should have a strategic plan on sexual and reproductive health,” says Shongwe who moved a motion on Sexual and Reproductive Health based on the Maputo Plan of Action. According to Shongwe policy is a tool of engaging all stakeholders including the Ministry of Education which addresses learning issues. The Ministry of ICT should see to it that all sectors are connected with technology. The Ministry of Public works should ensure that all roads are good enough for ambulances to get through. The Ministry of Agriculture should address the issue of stunted growth due to food insecurity. Ministry of Youth and Sports should educate young people on sexuality issues and avail family planning services to them. “Ministry of Health alone cannot succeed alone. It is good to work with all the ministries,” observes Shongwe. “As the Minister for Environment, one must pay attention to the way the reed is cut for dance. For instance it is cut once year and this does not affect the environment and enables it to regenerate.” Even in her work as a politician the issue of young people’s sexual health is never far from her. “I worry a lot about young girls growing by themselves because nobody is talking to them about sexuality,” observes Shongwe. She notes: “I would like to see a situation where motivating organisations work with mothers to talk to the girls when they come for meals at the centres.” Family planning for youth is an equally touching subject for her. In Swaziland there is family planning for youth at the youth friendly clinics that are manned by government. However, these are not popular among young people because the nurses there are elderly. “The clinic managed by non-governmental organisations are more active. The Family Planning association has young nurses working in them and they have included other activities that attract the youth,” explains Shongwe. She reiterates the need for the government to review the set-up of youth friendly services because the youth do nothing there. “They still get pregnant and carry out unsafe abortion,” says Shongwe while noting that unsafe abortion is a big problem in the whole of Africa. She observes: “Those who go for unsafe abortion are not even first time mothers.” In Swaziland abortion is illegal except for special cases where the mother is sick and could die if allowed to carry the pregnancy to full term. “Abortion is only allowed if it is going to ben-
“Every ministry should have a strategic plan on sexual and reproductive health,” — Thandi Shongwe
efit the mother and child. It is unfortunate that some young people use abortion as a method of family planning,” observes Shongwe. In Swaziland, she notes that family planning is no longer a big issue and many men ask women to prevent a pregnancy from taking place. However, Shongwe notes that most family planning clinics are out of reach for most women. “They are beyond eight kilometres . The nearest clinics are run by the Catholic Church and these do not offer family planning services,” she says.
Unmet need
Most areas that are dominated by the Catholic Church therefore have an unmet need for family planning. Shongwe has lobbied with the Ministry of Health to provide mobile clinics for areas that are far from hospitals. Another challenge she notes, are the myths and misconceptions surrounding contraceptives. “Like the rest of Africa, this then poses a big challenge,” she says. However, as a Senator, Shongwe is proud that King Mswati III, who is the ruler of Swaziland has been supportive of affirmative action to ensure gender equality. “I Swaziland the gender parity is at 30 per cent and the King makes sure that women are elected or nominated to meet the numbers. If it is not met then he puts in an extra number of women to ensure that the quota is arrived at,” explains Shongwe. She adds: “Out of 30 members, he puts 11 women. This is almost a 50-50 quota.” According to Shongwe, if the quota is not enough, Parliament has to constitute itself and call on other women to come in and join. While political goodwill on affirmative action has been a challenge in many African countries, Shongwe notes that the men in Swaziland are beginning to understand. “For instance, in the Senate there are more traditional chiefs and they show a lot of respect to women,” says Shongwe. It is this respect that African women leaders need to propel them to greater heights and also encourage other women to take up leadership roles in politics and public service.
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Major boost for fight against HIV in Mbita By BEN ONYANGO The fight against HIV and AIDS in Mbita district has received a major boost after the commissioning of a drop-in center for the fisher folk at Tom Mboya Health center in Rusinga Island. The centre is tailored-made for fisher community where its members get tested, counselled and receive drugs within the workplace. The Ministry of Public health, DEVLINKAFRICA, an International NGO and the local community have sponsored the facility. This is due to the need for the effective approach to the disease among fisher folks, a group considered Most At Risk Population of HIV/Aids infection. The facility will also provide services such as VCT, VMMC, TB testing, guidance and counselling and will also issue ARV drugs.
Prevention strategy
Speaking during the commissioning, the director Esther Soti said the facility will help reduce the HIV prevalence rate in the region. She said partners came up with the integrated HIV prevention strategy which is to include biomedical, behavioural and structural approach to support in minimizing the gaps that lead to new infections among the fisher folks. She said the facility is meant for the fisher folk and their families who hardly get enough time to access the public health facilities. “A fisherman goes to the lake at night, comes back in the morning, he needs to prepare the catch, sleep, sell the fish, when he goes to the hospital for treatment or testing he finds a long queue, he loses hope,” said the director. Soti said the facility will be a free-standing and independently operated facility where fishermen voluntarily visit for peer support, treat-
ment, testing and counseling services. Soti said they came up with the project after a case study in two locations within Mbita district within Homa Bay County. “The survey helped us to get the data on the characteristics, sexual behaviour, other risk factors and estimates of population sizes of the fisher folk within the beaches of Rusinga Island,” the director said.
Women drying omena fish along the beach. HIV infections are reportedly increasing among the fisher folk. Picture: Ben Onyango She added “this will guide the development and implementation of the effective intervention and address the critical information gaps that are contributing on the new HIV infections.”
She advised them to adequately use the facility where services are provided free of charge. The HIV prevalence rate in Mbita currently stands at 26 percent against the national’s average of 7 percent.
Second AIDS survey to roll Juba’s hostility undermines EAC integration out in two weeks time By David Njagi The 2012/13 Kenya AIDS Indicator Survey (KAIS) will be carried out throughout the country without fail as had been planned. Samuel Ogola, the population and social statistics senior manager at Kenya National Bureau of Statistics has assured Coast residents of that they would participate in exercise like other Kenyans despite the tension that had recently plagued the region. Reports coming from the region had earlier indicated that some activities had stalled following threats by the separatist group, Mombasa Republican Council (MRC) to paralyze operations along the coastal strip. The recent clashed in Tana Delta, which left more than 100 people dead and thousands displaced from their homes, have chilled activities, with fears of renewed conflict seen as possible as Kenya edges closer to the March 2013 polls.
Nation-wide survey
But the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) is certain that the nation-wide survey will take off despite tension in some parts of the country. “The security apparatus are in place to protect the survey exercise,” says the official. “This is a Government exercise and we expect it to go on as scheduled.” Kenya National AIDS and STI Control Programme (NASCOP) announced plans to roll out the second KAIS at a cost of US$ 7.5 million (about KSh30 million). The survey will provide details for technocrats to be able to establish whether HIV and AIDS was still a national disaster although medics rank it as a chronic disease. “The evidence that we will gather through this survey will inform the production of the next HIV
and AIDS strategic plan,” says Dr Patrick Mureithi of the National AIDS Control Council (NACC). All Kenyans are expected to participate in the survey, which will culminate in a report in September 2013, according to NASCOP officials. In the 2008/09 KAIS, the national prevalence was placed at 6.3 per cent, with women accounting for the highest prevalence at eight per cent. But it is the use of technology in the coming survey that is expected to raise interest since it will be the first time for a population based survey in Kenya.
Training
Researchers involved in the survey say 40-field teams would be equipped with a net book for data collection and transmission. “They will be used in household based surveys,” says Dr Davies Kananga, the strategic information, surveillance and research manager, NASCOP. “Data will be collected directly though the gadgets and then transmitted to the national server for analysis.” According to Kananga, a team has been trained on how to use the portable gadget, which functions like any other computer, only that it is smaller. For regions that are not connected to the electricity grid, batteries that will last for at least 12 hours would be supplied while a back up pack would l ensure that the process covered the full 24 hours,. “We are going to use about 280 net books,” says Dr Kananga. “We will also use social media for mobilization to let people know about KAIS and ensure this information is passed on to the entire country.” Among the institutions funding the survey include, the Kenya and US governments, the World Bank, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the joint UN family.
By David Njagi Prospects of South Sudan joining the East African Community (EAC) looks promising, but continued hostility towards civilians from the region is rasing eye brows on the progress made so far. Lately, there have been reports of alleged xenophobia linked murders where Kenyans have been targeted in the region, according to the African Research and Resource Forum (ARRF). An EAC observation committee sent to Juba recently to assess its preparedness to join the regional bloc raised concerns over some details that the youngest nation on the planet needs to straighten out. Among them includes, limited women representation in Government, failure to be a signatory to international human rights conventions, lack of a permanent electoral commission, and the fact that South Sudan is a highly militarized society.
Priorities
“Provision of basic social services is still on an all time low in South Sudan,” says George Omondi, the executive secretary, ARRF. “To be on the same footing with EAC members there is need for leaders to set fresh priorities that address these concerns.” For instance, says Omondi, formal education is a far cry for many families and school age children, in a society that has more than 60 ethnic groups. While there is one teacher for about
117 students, he says, only about 25 per cent of the population is literate. Sixty per cent of the population cannot access healthcare, he says. But the cloud should not obscure the silver lining. In a new book launched in Nairobi recently, the authors bring out the strong foundations in South Sudan, including its rich oil reserves, agricultural potential, and its strategic position among the Nile Basin states. According to the book, Sudan after separation: New approaches to a new region, the challenges of the post separation era with Khartoum should not cloud the country’s potential of being a major economic player and power house in the region.
Negotiations
The book gives insights on how Juba can capitalise on new approaches to provide guidance and understanding of the regional socio-economic and political trends, which could be used in constructive international engagement. “Negotiations are ongoing to push for fresh cross border cooperation by ensuring that the disarmament exercise goes on before the 2015 General Elections,” says Amb. Majok Guandong. The diplomat says his country is keen to join the EAC, and will demonstrate this commitment by cracking down on rogue civilians who have been hostile to the bloc’s other members. “The violence that is being reported is not government policy but individual acts,” says Guandong. “South Sudan has no intention to harm any Kenyan.”
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
Taking health care to the doorstep of the marginalized By Joyce Chimbi While the sexual and reproductive health needs of sex workers has been largely unacknowledged, the health implication of the choices they make is a reality that can no longer be ignored. When the Drop in Center was established in Laini Saba at the heart of the sprawling Kibera slums, it was the objective of this health facility that the needs of this largely ignored group be met, for their won sake, as well as others in the society. “Family Health Option Kenya (FHOK), through this Center, has changed our lives. FHOK started reaching out to us three years ago, many sex workers have been encouraged to consider and explore other commercial options,” explains Susan Mwangi, a sex worker.
Infection
Mwangi explains that although she is still in the sex business, were it not for the persistent counsel of the health care providers at the Laini Saba Center, she may have died a long time ago, or at least infected with one sexually transmitted infection or other. Leaving her child orphaned. Her friend Asha Hassan, a mother of two, concurs “We have learnt how to protect ourselves. Of course the ideal outcome would be for us to leave ‘sex work’ behind, but for as long as we are still in it, we must protect our health,” she says. Of course this clinic provides services to many other people besides the sex workers as was made evident during an outreach event, as the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) takes stock of the milestones it has traveled in the last 60 years, towards improving the sexual and reproductive health of millions of people the world over. While speaking at the event, the Assistant Chief of Laini Saba area, Clement Ombati explained that the health Center has also kept it doors open for those who have suffered vari-
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Regional Director of IPPF Africa Lucien Kouassi Kouakou leads participants during the Laini Saba outreach program. Pictures: Courtesy ous forms of gender based violence (GBV). “There is no day that passes without a case of GBV being reported at my office. Since the health Center is just next to the office, we are able to refer the abused to the clinic, even as we deal with the cases as the government’s representative in this region,” he expounds. Rophus Mwamburi, Chairperson of FHOK said that “FHOK remains committed to providing integrated health services by reaching out to communities and taking the much needed services to their doorstep. “In partnership with other like minded organizations such as IPPF, we are committed to achieving the Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5 which seek to improve the health of children and mothers across the world,” he said. Mwamburi further explained that FHOK was committed to providing preventive medicine which he termed significantly ‘life saving’. In deed, even the government has come
to the realization that prevention is better than cure. In the last two years, the National Budget has had a paradigm shift where more money has been set aside for preventive rather than curative medicine.
Efforts
Ombati heralded efforts by non-government organizations to improve the health of many Kenyans living in low income and informal settlements, and may not afford proper health care. “Health challenges among many Kenyans is a task that the government cannot handle alone. We are therefore encouraging others to help firm up government’s commitment to health care,” Ombati explained. Even as FHOK continues to reach the minority and marginalized communities, there is need for the government to review the health budget upwards, in order to meet the shortfall.
Moving forward By FUNMI BALOGUN-ALEXANDER The way to improve the lives of rural women is to first change policies in terms of marriage - girls and boys must have minimum education and skills that responds to the needs of transforming agriculture and minimum age of marriage. There must be policies that ensure that women are able to access land, use land for other sources of capital and income such as owning and disposing of land. Specific training must be given to women on new innovations in agriculture, including priority access to fertilizers for them to be able to run their farms as businesses and not just for feeding households. Maternal mortality is high in rural areas because of a multiplicity of challenges and issues - girls have little education and that is the most single factor on maternal mortality and reproductive health. The more young women have education, the less likely they are to marry young, have too many pregnancies and improves their economic livelihoods. So longer term issues to address are access to education through provision of schools, age limit for marriage, minimum educational requirement, skills training and transforming rural economies.
Health
Short term interventions include providing rural women with access to family planning services and contraception, as well as to information about reproductive health, integrating health systems that deal with child and maternal health, policies to support involvement of men, gender sensitization and programmes for rural men to understand that women’s lack of control over their sexuality often results in their deaths through maternal deaths. The key way is to introduce sexuality education in schools for young boys and young men to make them understand sexuality issues, women’s bodies and have respect for women’s choices, including women’s right to decide when and how to have children. And to have policies for men to be engaged with sexual and reproductive health - information and provision of services for men in clinics and rural health services. The writer (Pictured) is the Director, External Relations and Advocacy, The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) Africa Regional Office, Nairobi.
Addressing the needs of the HIV positive adolescent By Joyce Chimbi Although the age of sexual debut has gone down to somewhere between 8 to 12 years, the society is still reluctant to accept that adolescents are sexually active. Accepting that we are living in a society where the young ones are sexually active might go against traditions and or religious beliefs, but if the society continues to burry its head in the sand in stark denial, its most significant resource, the youth, are headed for self destruction. “According to the Kenya Data sheet 2011, 36 percent of adolescents indicated that they received information about Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) from friends and this posed a challenge with the accuracy of information. Only 45 percent of adolescents were able to mention two correct ways of STI transmission,” Explains Esther Muketo, program manager at the Family Health Options Kenya (FHOK).
Numbers
Muketo further explains that “Despite 22 percent of boys and 11 percent of girls having had sex by age 15, 60 percent of adolescents considered themselves not at risk of HIV infection.”
And this could not be further from the truth. The most recent Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (KAIS) indicates “Of adults aged 15-64 years, an estimated 7.1 percent, or 1.42 million people, were living with HIV infection in 2007. Prevalence among adults aged 1549 years was 7.4 percent, and was not statistically different from the 2003 KDHS estimate 6.7 percent.” Further, the study shows that “Prevalence among youth aged 15-24 years was 3.8 percent. Among older adults aged 50-64, 5.0 percent were infected with HIV. In particular, young women aged 15-24 years were four times more likely to be infected than young men of the same age group.” In anticipation of the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, the impact of violence on HIV prevalence, particularly among adolescents girls, who are four times more likely to be infected with HIV, compared to their male counterpart cannot be overruled. Statistics by the most recent Kenya Demographic and Health Survey indicate that “women whose age at first sexual encounter was before age 15 are more likely to report that their first intercourse was forced than those who initiated sex at an older age.” While it is clear that adolescents
are becoming more and more aware of their sexuality at an early age, not only is the society not keen to address this issue, but also the fact that a good number of children born HIV positive are also venturing into the murky waters of adolescence and or teenage hood.
ACT
To address the challenges facing adolescents living with HIV, FHOK begun a project dubbed Adolescents Count Today (ACT). According to FHOK, the project’s main objective is to “Meet the sexual and reproductive health and rights needs of adolescents living with and affected by HIV in Kenya.” However, ACT is not just about those infected, but also about those affected, in a bid to strengthen the care and support for adolescents aged 10 to 19 years, and also their families, living with or affected by HIV.
According to Ann Mburu, a nurse by profession who is also involved in the ACT project based in Thika “We do testing and counseling for HIV/ AIDS and screening for STIs. We also provide Antiretroviral drugs, care and support which in this case means nutrition, treatments, information as well as psychosocial counseling.” Mburu explains that accessing the targeted adolescents aged 10 to 19 takes concerted efforts. “We access our target group through home visits and also going to schools. This demands that we work closely with community leaders for easy access to the community,” Mburu says. Although ACT continues to make inroads in the lives of adolescents who may have others remained ignored, challenges abound. “Disclosure is an issue. Most adolescents are on treatment but do not know their status. Parents and or guardians fear disclosing to the adoles-
“Despite 22 percent of boys and 11 percent of girls having had sex by age 15, 60 percent of adolescents considered themselves not at risk of HIV infection.” — Esther Muketo, FHOK
cent. “Some have never been tested despite the parents HIV status, therefore their status remain unknown,” Mburu explains.
Disclosure
Muketo concurs, adding that although disclosure of HIV status by parents to their adolescents remains low, she explains that through the ACT initiative to access the affected adolescents, as well as talking to parents and guardians about the need for the young ones to be aware of their status, more and more adolescents are now in the know. Although ACT is clearly making inroads in the lives of many adolescents who may have otherwise remained ignored during the national dissemination of sexual and reproductive health services, there are glaring gaps that need addressing. ACT is working with adolescents in Thika, Nakuru and Eldoret, while thousands of other adolescents remain out of reach and unable to access such life saving and or life sustaining services. In this regard, Mburu, who interacts extensively with these adolescents as part of her duties, cautions “More adolescents will succumb to HIV/AIDS due to untreated opportunistic infections and lack of proper care and support.”
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Muite wants British Government to establish a wall at Uhuru Gardens By JOSEPH MUKUBWA
Senior counsel Paul Muite wants the British Government has been asked to erect a special concrete wall at Uhuru Gardens with names of the hundreds of freedom fighters who were killed or maimed during the liberation struggle. Muite, who is representing the thousands of the Mau Mau freedom fighters in the historic case they have filed in London against the colonial power, also says the wall should have all the names of those who were detained and maimed during the war of independence in the 1950s inscribed on it in their honour.
Importance
The significance of the venue along Nairobi’s Langata Road is that it was used to celebrate independence day 49 years ago, with Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, being sworn in as the country’s first Prime Minister, and the Kenyan national fag raised and new national anthem sang for the first time as the union jack (British flag) was lowered at a colourful ceremony witnessed by hundreds of dignitaries from across the world
and millions of Kenyans. Speaking at Gataragwa area in Kieni West district in Nyeri County recently where he visited the ailing Mau Mau War Veterans Association chairman Ndungu wa Gicheru, the former Kabete MP said the wall should be at Uhuru Gardens where Kenyans gathered to welcome the new nation clone to half a century ago.. “Such a wall will be important in order for our children to learn and appreciate the history of this country in future,” says the senior counsel.
Secret
The Safina party leader also demanded that the British Government should be forced to reveal where they took the body of ex freedom fighter field Marshall Dedan Kimathi and buried it in secret. Over 500 freedom fighters attended the meeting which was used to brief them about the ongoing landmark case in London filed by the Mau Mau War Veterans Association. Muite was accompanied by exfreedom fighter Gitu wa Kahengeri, who is a former Juja MP. They appealed to the Government to start a
Judiciary pledges more courts to fast track land reforms By DAVID NJAGI The judiciary is planning to raise the number of courts in rural areas to fast track access to justice. By widening its reach in rural areas, the law institution is keen to reduce cases of asset stripping, especially among women. According to the Registrar of the High Court, Judith Omange, there are more than 4,000 succession cases every year, but the figure is expected to grow higher as implementation of the Constitution finds its place in the corridors of justice.
Priority
“We are also simplifying laws and procedures as well as establishing a pro poor justice system which will give priority to women and children,” says Omange. The fresh push to diversify the reach of justice will for instance, replace the informal system of justice which at the moment is used to solve inheritance cases at the community level, says Omange. It comes at a time when the weighty side of land, property and inheritance rights has been made known through the
launch of a documentary and community guidebook on access to informal justice for grassroots women. “We are asking the Attorney General’s office to make it possible for us to train paralegals to serve within the community to make the gender agenda possible,” says Winnie Lichuma, the Chairperson National Gender and Equality Commission.
Reforms
While gracing the event during the launch by the Grassroots Organization Operating Together in Sisterhood (GROOTS) Kenya, European Union Head of Delegation, Lodewijk Briet, said the Union supports judicial reforms in Kenya especially at this time when the country is headed to the polls. According to Briet, a stable judiciary will be well positioned to implement land reforms and pull Kenyans from the poverty trap through Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). “Women’s rights to land is closely intertwined with the process of gender mainstreaming,” said Briet. “Cases of asset stripping are delicate and should be handled through consensus.”
Senior counsel Paul Muite and Mau Mau War Veterans Association chairman Ndungu wa Gicheru at Gataragwa in Kieni West district recently. Below: Some of the Mau Mau freedom fighters who attended a meeting at the chairman’s home. Pictures: Joseph Wambugu special medical scheme for the Mau Mau survivors as an appreciation for their sacrifice saying they deserved to have quality health care. Kahengeri was part of the Mau Mau freedom movement and took the oath to support that cause. He was arrested with his father and they
later spent seven years in prison on Manda Island, off East coast. Says the former freedom fighter: “It was a terrible time for us because they made us do hard labour.” Turning to the Kibaki Govern-
ment, Kahengeri thanked it for setting aside funds for the case until it is finalised. “At the same time, we are demanding compensation for all those who were affected by the British Government,” Kahengeri says.
Gusii freedom fighters seek to have Otenyo’s skull By BEN OROKO A cultural group from the Gusii community has petitioned the Government to consider honouring deceased and surviving pre-independence freedom fighters and their families from the Gusii community, for the role they played during the struggle for the country’s independence from the British colonial administration. The Group identified as Abagusii Otenyo Freedom Fighters of Kenya, registered under the Societies Act Cap 108, with its headquarters in Keroka town, Masaba South District in Kisii County has vowed to continue pressing for the release of the Gusii warrior Otenyo’s skull from Britain for burial in Kenya and have the Government construct a mausoleum in honour of the executed ex-freedom. The group’s Secretary, James Namu expressed concern that though the Gusii community and its pre-independence freedom fighters suffered alot during the struggle for the country’s independence, hardly has the Government recognized them and their families.
Constitution
“As members of Abagusii Otenyo Freedom Fighters of Kenya salute all those Kenyans of goodwill who endorsed the new Constitution, paving way for the changing of Kenyatta Day to Mashujaa Day to commemorate all those heroes and heroines who struggled for the country’s independence. We take this new
constitutional gain to appeal to the Government to consider remembering all exfreedom fighters and their families from the Gusii community for the role they played while struggling for the country’s freedom from the colonial rule,” appeals Namu. Singling out the group’s Chairman, Major General Joash Babu Ondari who passed on last year after a long illness, Namu decried the misery and poverty that the ex-freedom fighters and their families from the Gusii community were subjected to, while their counterparts in other parts of the country were being honoured by the Government.
Slavery
The late Ondari was born in 1923 at Bosansa Sub-location, Bobasi Constituency in Kisii County, during the war against the British colonial rule in Gusiiland. Many of the Gusii community members were captured by the British and taken for slavery at Kismayu, while others were killed and buried upside down at Getembe, now Kisii town. Namu discloses that Ondari’s both parents were killed alongside others, while he was still young and breastfeeding during the 1914 First World War, before he was rescued by the first missionaries to Kenya who taught him how to write his name, signature and read the Bible. “Between 1940-1945, Ondari then between 18 and 20 years old went to Naivasha and was employed as a blacksmith, during which he joined Kikuyu
Central Association (KCA) and was arrested in 1950,September for joining an illegal group. He later transferred from Naivasha to Nyandarua where he met the ex-freedom fighters Dedan Kimathi, Stanley Mathenge and Kimathi’s wife Mukami in the late 1950s,”discloses Namu.
Struggle
While he was with Kimathi and Mathenge in Nyandarua, Ondari joined them in the bush under Mau Mau to fight against the British colonial rule, before he was arrested alongside others in 19531954 by the colonial administration. Before his death, Namu discloses that Ondari was a champion for the compensation and recognition of ex-freedom fighters and their families from the Gusii community, for the role they played during the struggle for the country’s freedom from the British colonial rule. Speaking to the Reject in the Group’s offices in Keroka town, Namu also challenges the Government to assist the Gusii community members recover a skull of one of the community’s renowned heroes from Britain, to enable the community members burry their hero as per their customs. He discloses that, Otenyo was captured and executed in 1908 when he attempted to spear a British Assistant District Commissioner, North Cote at Getembe, the present day Kisii town and his head was allegedly ferried to Britain by the British colonial administration.
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
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Women coverage in media is wanting By HENRY OWINO
Media has been called upon to practice objective reporting on various issues affecting the society other than dwelling on politics. There are only a handful of positive stories about women and the success stories. Majority of media houses have been accused of sideling women’s development agenda and instead hyping on depressing issues. Critics have cited the recent saga of the former deputy chief justice, Nancy Baraza, saying it was overblown and was a negative about her character and integrity. These sentiments were made by Catherine Mumma, Commissioner with the Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC) during the monthly media roundtable organised by Media Focus on Africa. The commissioner appealed to women politicians to step out and take up political leadership mantle as stipulated in the Constitution. She said most people and the media view women as back-sitters s and not front-runners. Ms Mumma lamented that most public elective seats women were advised to deputise men as if they could not head those offices.
Appeal
“I am appealing to women to come out and vie for the many seats in the forthcoming general Elections in line with the new Constitution and stop relying on affirmative action alone,” she said. Turning to the media, Commissioner Mumma regretted that for a long time, women had not been given enough airtime or space in terms of coverage both in print and electronic media compared to their male counterparts. The commissioner noted that most media houses highlight controversy involving women so that they get their (women’s) reactions. She however clarified that since women never react or respond to such allegations; media assumes women have no agenda for this country. Says Ms Mumma: “Media has not done much to women in terms of coverage, time and space allocations compared to what men are provided to.’’
She accused the media of suppressing women instead of promoting their political ambitions. On his part, Alex Chamwada, Senior Political Editor with Citizen TV, differed with the Commissioner saying that from his own experience most women do not understand how the media works. Men have exploited that weakness to their advantage.
Competition
Chamwada explained that time and space is of essence in the media saying media and especially electronic media are very limited in terms of time allocation due to various programmes that run concurrently with news bulletins. He expressed his fear that the media is also about competition apart from profit making business. He clarified to the audience that most journalists work on deadlines and timeframe set for them to make news which will sell, fresh to make the station stay at the top. The political editor said because of such tight schedules and regulations for different media houses, only editors pick the best sources that make news. He regretted that only those news sources that withstand such pressure and are ready to be publicised for public consumption get the opportunities. Chamwada advised women leaders that such chances are usually rare and if found must be utilised effectively and well especially during electioneering period. “You will find that those who are always featured in media are the same people throughout the week simply because they have understood how media works and what makes a good news story.”
Njeri Rugene, Catherine Mumma and Alex Chamwada giving their views on how media has done in mobilizing women in political platform. Pictures: Henry Owino So, they would read widely to keep themselves updated just in case media asks them to comment on certain topical issues, they are not caught off guard,” Chamwada said.
Understanding
He urged all women aspirants to read and understand the Constitution, familiarise with various issues in the political arena, governance and acquaint themselves with the role of media. Chamwada also challenged women to go for top political offices rather than all target the women representatives’ seat. The others are that of the President, the Governor and of the Senator. According Njeri Rugene, Parliamentary Editor with Nation Media Group, most women need to be pushed for views/opinion even if it is something affecting women directly or the public in general. She said women were not well in-
formed on many issues so getting them to comment on breaking news or something that had been on public domain for long, they still shy away. The journalist reiterated that majority of women she had dealt with, she had to plead with them for interviews. She reminded women aspirants to make use of media if at all they want to step in their political ambitions. The Parliamentary Editor said media plays an important role especially for women aspirants who were first timers and new in the political arena. In addition, she advised women to be ready for political propaganda and for that reason need to develop thick skin to absorb all misinformation painted at them. “Once you have declared your candidature for any post, your opponents give you all nick names. You will have many names, fabricated stories about your families, relatives and all manner of intimidating news about you,” Ru-
“You will find that those who are always featured in media are the same people throughout the week simply because they have understood how media works and what makes a good news story. — Alex Chamwada, Senior Political Editor with Citizen TV
gen cautioned. She added that those who were elected to the august House like Elizabeth Ongoro (Kasarani), Margaret Wanjiru (Starehe), Martha Karua (Gichugu), Charity Ngilu (Kitui Central) among others went through the same hurdles. “I spend much of my time in Parliament and almost every Member of Parliament knows me but women never come to me for publicity instead it is the opposite. Even after I have gone to them for story ideas and agree, a few have come back demanding not to publish the story because their spouses have refused,’’ the editor revealed. She encouraged women to be independent in political decision-making and only seek advice where necessary Politics is competition based on policies and one’s popularity. Commissioner Mumma however regretted that society had made women fear the media and to believe that it belonged to men and the ruling class. She gave an example in the home set up where the man would read the newspaper, children watch cartoons to keep them busy while the woman spent most of her time in the kitchen or watching soap operas. “When I was growing up, newspaper was for the father, TV for children so that they do not go to neighborhoods and my mother was always busy in the kitchen preparing supper and only came out at primetime news to watch briefly,” Mumma observed.
Media urged to report wisely during electoral process By ROBERT WANJALA Kenyans are looking up to the media to promote peace, reconciliation and nation-building during the forthcoming General Elections. A visiting don, Prof Steve Youngblood, from Park University, USA, also challenged journalists and media houses to be more responsible in covering the campaigns and the polls, which will be the first under the new Constitution. Prof Youngblood reminded the media of its cardinal duty, that is to inform, educate and entertain responsibly, saying that at the stroke of their pen, the country could blow up into as happened in 2007/08 post elections violence which claimed over 1,300 people and left over 300,000 displaced. Speaking during a three-day media training workshop at an Eldoret hotel, the appealed to media practitioners to reflect on their failures during and after the last general election and draw key lessons that would help forestall a
repeat of the chaos. In the 2007 polls, the media was blame for playing some role in exacerbating the inter-tribal violence through their reportage. The violence left thousands of men, women and children wounded and property worth billions looted and others destroyed following the controversial presidential results. The don noted that journalists’ role was crucial in the electoral process saying it remained critical to determining the existence and survival of a peaceful and developed society that was free and fair for all. Prof Youngblood told members of the Fourth estate that without checks and balances, their work could erode or undermine peace and reconciliation efforts as the country prepares for another general election slated for March next year. “You must always remain vigilant against hate speech during electoral campaigns in order to ensure those in-
volved in spewing hatred are accountable.” He praised the Kenyan social media saying it was rapidly growing and was being used by the youth and politicians who are wooing them to elect them next year.
Cautioned
The don, however, cautioned journalists to be more aware of the advances by politicians who, during any electoral process, want to become darlings yet have only two agendas: more and good coverage for themselves, and less and bad coverage for their opponents. The training was organized by Peace Journalism Foundation (PJF), East Africa, and sponsored by Nairobi’s U.S. Embassy. It saw reporters gain practical skills on how to package and deliver conflict sensitive stories. Gloria Laker, PJF director, shared her experiences as a reporter in the once war ravaged Northern Uganda. Laker, a former BBC reporter, said that journalists had the power to impact
society either positively or negatively. “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,” the PJF founder affirmed. While recognising that making a big impact needed more journalists on board, Prof. Youngblood challenged the participants to spread the gospel of responsible peace and electoral journalism among their colleagues in order to promote peace during the polls. “If these new peace journalists can successfully engage their colleagues and their station’s management, and if they continue producing peacethemed stories while systematically considering the consequences of what they report and how they report it, I am optimistic that media induced or exacerbated violence would not reappear next year in Kenya,” said the communications professor. Prof Youngblood is also the director
of Center for Global Peace Journalism, Park University The guidelines 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 ‘adding fuel to the fire’; and telling stories that give a ‘voice to the voiceless’. Others were 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 hate speech via the media. The don asked the management of the various media house to consider peace journalism, saying: “All the wellintentioned peace journalists in the world cannot effectively eschew inflammatory reporting without the support of their editors and managers, who must realise that peace and development are desirable, profitable business models for their media houses.”
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Farmers getting sweet gains from the sweetener By NICOLE WAITHERA
Farmers in the Rift Valley have ditched planting cash crops in preference to stevia, a crop used as a substitute sweetener to sugar. Demand for the sweeteners, preferred mostly by people living with diabetes, has become a favorite and big hit for many. It is estimated that at least 1,000 farmers in Bahati have reduced their acreage under maize and beans in preference for stevia owing to its growing popularity and good price. In December 2008, the giant soft drinks-
frim, Pepsi and Coca-Cola received US regulatory clearances to produce soft drinks from the natural sweetener, an extract from Stevia Plant. Peninah Macharia, a farmer in Bahati says that the cash crop has been giving her maximum profits since she started cultivating it earlier this year.
Profit
She added that she sold her first batch of the herb to a local manufacturing company and earned KSh80,000 from her one acre farm after
three months. “I harvest every six weeks. I get 800 kilograms per harvest,” she says. The crop has attracted investors’ interest in Kenya because of its high demand for its products in the international market.The high demand is driven by the emerging switch to a healthy lifestyle. Another farmer, Jeddah Wangari, is happy with the switch saying residents are also enjoying because it’s a substuttet for sugara which they could not afford to buy in the past. “We have seen many people say that they
can no longer buy sugar, especially in the rural areas. Going to the farm and picking up a sweetener is an easy substitute as your tea will taste the same,” she adds. Residents view the herb as a healthy, caloriefree flavoring by some, though scientists’ opinions on the side effects of the crop are varied and inconclusive. The crop had been received well in Nakuru, Baringo and Bomet Counties, in the following areas: Molo, Bahati, subukia Olenguruone, Kuresoi, Londiani, Bomet, Bureti, and Sotik.
Diabetes might be the next world health calamity By HENRY OWINO Diabetes is a silent killer caused by high or low sugar levels in the blood stream. It is a medical condition that one can live with comfortably for years as long as it is properly management through diet, lifestyle and exercise. Diabetes used to be known as the disease of the rich due to their lifestyle and old age, but no so today. It attacks all categories of people irrespective of gender, age and social standing Medics would define diabetes as a chronic metabolic disorder (diabetes mellitus) characteried by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action or both. When pancreas fails to produce insulin, the hormone responsible for converting sugar into glucose (simple sugar) for body use then one develops diabetes. There are two main categories of diabetes namely; type I and type II but pregnant women also suffer from gestational diabetes that disappears soon after delivery among other types.
Causes
Predisposing factors for diabetes would be; advancing age, family history of diabetes, overweight or obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, physical inability (lack of exercise), stress, unhealthy diet, gestational diet, chronic use of steroids among other factors. Diabetes usually shows signs and symptoms before a person is even diagnosed to be suffering from it. Some common symptoms would be; frequent urination, excessive thirst, extreme hunger, unexplained weight loss, increased fatigue, irritability, blurry vision, impotence, numbness or tingling sensation of feet and fingers among others. Dr Patrick Waihenya Mwangi, who is a specialist in diabetes management, is the Head of Non- Communicable Diseases in the Ministry of Public Health Sanitation. The expert says, most patients often go undiagnosed by nursesand doctors, but would test for other diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDs and Tuberculosis (TB).
Complications
Dr Mwangi says early detection of diabetes symptoms followed by physician diagnosis as approval for treatment could decrease the chances of developing the complications of the disease. Some long-term complications include stroke, heart failure, kidney failure, impotence and amputation are the current leading killer diseases. He also stated that diabetes is often associated with high blood pressure and such patients apart from observing their nutrition or diet, they must visit health facilities regularly for checkup, which is very costly. Its management requires money
because the drugs are very expensive for poor people to purchase. “This is why many poor people with diabetes die prematurely compared to the rich. The Government should at least support such poor individuals as long as they have doctors’ approval letters,” added the doctor. He outlined that in Kenya, at least 5-10 percent of all diabetes constitutes type I while 85-95 percent constitutes type II diabetes with gestational diabetes not accounted for since it rarely occurs. He said globally, every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes and related conditions in the world. The increase is associated with demographic and social change such as an aging population, urbanisation, globali-
sation, consumption of unhealthy diets and physical inactivity,’’ the doctor says. According to International Diabetes Federation (IDF) statistics, prevalence of diabetes is at 3.3% equivalent to 1.3 million people suffering from it. Most affected are in the age brackets of 34-64 years old the productive age sectors of any population.
Priority
World Diabetes Day is marked November 14 annually but few countries recognize the day. Priority is given to HIV and Aids, TB among other communicable diseases which governments and donors fully sponsor. Joseph Kariuki Karanja, 65 years, is a retired education officer in Nakuru and has
A client being tested his blood sugar levels to determine diabetes ahead of World Diabetes Day. Picture: Henry Owino lived with diabetes for a decade. He said the condition began in 2002 as a small wound immediately after retirement but never took it seriously. Two years later, the wound had become bigger prompting him to visit Rift Valley Provincial Hospital where the doctors diagnosed him with diabetes type II. Karanja was shocked with the results and to make matters worse, he had to be admitted in the diabetic ward for two weeks for immediate healthcare and management. Had it not been for the diagnosis, Karanja said he could have used a lot of money treating an incurable wound.
“Diabetes is a painless disease yet very expensive in management. The Government should come in and support us just the way they are doing with the communicable diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS.” — Dr Patrick Waihenya Mwangi,
“Diabetes is a painless disease yet very expensive in management. The Government should come in and support us just the way they are doing with the communicable diseases like TB and HIV/AIDS,” Karanja pleads. Due to the rising number of people suffering from the disease in Nakuru County, they have formed diabetes support group where they encourage, support and educate each other on the precautions and measures on the condition. Geoffrey Oridi Barasa who pleaded with the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation to create awareness and management of diabetes chairs the group. Barasa says many people were not aware of the disease and some had been conned by herbalists to use herbal medicine and other concoctions due to lack of information. The Nakuru County diabetic Support group chairman is appealing to the Government to support them with diabetes equipment such as blood sugar level and blood pressure machines.
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
11
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Malnutrition linked to high infant mortality in Coast region By DIANA WANYONYI For Hadija Ponda, the passed decade has seen her visit the maternity ward six times for reasons beyond her control. At 24 years, Ponda is a young mother of six who lives in a drought prone area in Ganze district in the North Coast. Her haggard looks deceive before you get to know her better because of the struggles she has been forced undergo at the prime of her youth. Dressed in tattered flowered colourful dress, Ponda’s malnourished body is quite a sight picture that makes her look much older than her age. She has strapped on her back her threemonth old malnourished baby whom she is taking to a dispensary some eight kilometres away from her village home in Vitengeni., Madamani dispensary run and managed by the Government.
Supplements
She says she has been frequenting the facility for her baby to be weighed and supplemented with two Kilogrammes of flour rich in nutrient a blend of soya and corn. Ponda is not happy when she recalls how she lost her first-born in 2010 when she was barely one month old due to malnutrition and diarrhoea. Her second born did not do any better as she stillbirth late last year. “Due to the climate of this area we have not received any meaningful rainfall for the last three years, a problem that has robbed us food. We mostly depend on our traditional foods such as cassava, sorghum and cowpeas for survival. My two children died due to poor dietary intake and my husband was unable to provide sufficient meals,” she says. On his part, Hamisi Marua, is a farmer who
and rears goats and grows maize from his three-acre farm. “I rely mostly on traditional weather forecast, a swarm of butterflies in the sky symbolises rainfall,” said Marua. According to Kenya Demographic and Health survey 2008/09 statistics, 71 out of 1,000 live births die before the age of one. In Coast Province 87, infants under the age of five per 1,000 die, an indicator which is almost equal to the nationA baby getting weighed at a dispensary in Mombasa County. Most infants in the region suffer al rate of 84. Edward Mwambire a villager from malnutrition and stunted growth. Picture: Diana Wanyonyi blames tradition saying that it has contributed to the deaths of the Hospital. She has been forced by circumstances officer in Madamani dispensary, says that 50 infants because some men bar their wives from to use her baby’s nutrient flour for her family per cent of the 3,000 infants attending the facilivisiting health facilities. meals due to the increased famine and poverty ty in a year are under-weight, a problem blamed “Tradition still plays a major role in this area that has hit the area. on poor nutrition and lack of a balanced diet. as most households prefer to seek the services But the District Public Health Nurse in Last October, the Ministry of Public of the witchdoctors, when they are sick, and Kinango Jacob Ngala blames taboos inflicted in Health and Sanitation opened two community traditional birth attendants to take care of pregwomen by their spouses. units that comprise of 100 trained community nant mothers. The saddest part is that after the Most pregnant mothers are escorted by their health workers to be used to educate the vilmother has delivered, the baby is not allowed to spouses to give birth through traditional birth atlagers on the importance of a balanced diet breastfeed until some traditional rituals are pertendants or herbalist while others aid their wives and sanitation. formed such as cleansing of the breast milk,” Says to give birth without knowing the disadvantages Provincial nutritionist in the Ministry of Mwambire. of it. Public Health and sanitation Rachael Kahindi Since late last year, he says, they started confirmed that many families in Kinango and a programme where they engage in dialogue Ganze are victims of malnutrition caused by lack On her part, Serah Kiwanda, a traditional with the men urging them to be traditional of a balanced diet. birth attendant (TBA) for 17 years says many excustodians. “According to the reports that we have gathpectant mothers rely on her services because it is In the process, they have been able to eduered from several hospitals in the region, we cheap compared to the health facilities. cate them on the need of permitting their wives have found out that 20 per cent of infants un“Many expectant mothers are not able to to seek medical attention in health facilities and der the age of five suffer from malnutrition and meet hospital expenses. Another challenge is how to keep off taboos and traditional belief.” more than 40 per cent of the infants suffer from some of the medical facilities are very far from stunted growth. We have more than 800 comthem. My charges are very low and sometimes munity health units in the Coast region with I am forced to provide my services for free,” she The latest statistics at the Kinango District more than 300 health workers that are providrecalls. hospital reveals that 36 infants died last year out ing basic education to villages on the need of Even in neighbouring Kinango, a similar stoof 518 live births. having a balanced diet and nutrition through ry is told by Fatuma Nyanje at Kinango District On her part, Gideon Nyaringita, a nursing community strategy,” she noted.
Preference
Stunted growth
Youth to embrace tenders Recyclers eye the mobile phone waste bounty By BONIFACE MULU The Public Procurement Director, Regina Kanyi, has said that there are so many youths in Kenya who are already in the business. She said that winning a tender depends on what type of tender the one is applying for. “The tenders are very clear. There are some conditions to win the tender.” “You must meet the technical part of it. You cannot win it if you do not qualify for it,” she said. The director was speaking to youths from the Kitui County during the Finance Ministry’s official launch of the Youth Access to Government Procurement Opportunities Programme (YAGPOP) at the Kitui Multi-purpose Development Training Institute. The Kitui County Commissioner, Moffat Kanyi was represented as the chief guest by the Kitui District Officer One, Emmanuel Mwachiro. The Public Procurement Director said that when they talk of the 10 per cent procurement, they talk of KSh50 billion. The finance ministry’s official said that the un-experienced can apply for tenders that have no technical requirements. She disclosed that they have invited several firms to support the youths in the country as their (the finance ministry) partners. Ecobank is one the firms. “The support includes funding some youth projects in the country. “We have also the Youth Enterprise Development Fund in the country for the benefit of the youths,” Kanyi said. The District Officer One read the County Commissioner’s speech. Kanyi said that in their office there are some service categories that have already been reserved by the government for the youths.
By DAVID NJAGI After causing a financial stir in the local scrap metal market, the Far East appears to be eyeing Africa’s electronic waste, and Kenya is now being targeted Scramble for what is now internationally referred to as ‘urban mining’, or scavenging for precious metals, such as iridium and gold is already causing a stink among the two leading destinations, Japan and China, as their traditional source markets continue continues to shrink. Local dealers have not missed this emerging market, and some like mobile phone service provider, Safaricom, are reaching out with an electronic wasterecycling programme.
Directive
This follows the recent mobile phone switch off directive by the Government, which rendered hundreds of handsets dysfunctional and subscribers frustrated. Safaricom is cleaning the environment of the gadgets through a new initiative which provides disposal bins for waste such as old phones, chargers, batteries, toys, laptops and music players. “The project will dis-assemble the gadgets and use what can be recycled locally to make plastic chairs and poles,” says Sanda Ojiambo, the head of corporate responsi-
bility at the company. What could be recycled locally would be shipped out of the country to other partners to be disposed off in an environmentally friendly way. According to a 2009 United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), electronic waste in Kenya accounts for 17,000 tonnes, out of which 150 tonnes is made up of disposed mobile phones. Europe too appears to be growing claiming its turf with China increasing also appetite for electronic waste as the world metal prices skyrocket.
Shortage
It is emerging that damaged cell phones are artificial deposits for precious metals such as gold, silver, copper, iridium, indium and a host of other metals that are reportedly in short supply at the world market. Cell phone vendors say that that type of investment remains highly untapped, as most damaged mobile phones end up in popular waste dumping sites such as the Dandora landfill in Nairobi’s East side. Safaricom chief executive officer Bob Collymore confirmed that the Nokia brand vendors are engaged in mobile phone waste recycling. But the country office for the Erickson Company could not comment about the
emerging market for cell phones, although officials confirmed that the damaged products are ferried back to Sweden. Experts however point out that aircraft and ship-building firms consume most of the world metals in supply, although space and nuclear science too are reportedly eating into the world’s metal deposits.
Prices
Studies of the current world prices for some of the precious metals revealed that they have in the past few years been on the rise, with gold scoring as one of the most demanded, yet undersupplied metal. Another study conducted by a Japanese based recycling firm, Yokohama Metal Co Ltd, reveals that a tonne of ore from a goldmine produces just five grams (about 0.18 ounce) of gold, while a tonne of discarded mobile phones can yield 150 grams (about 5.3 ounces) or more. The same volume of discarded mobile phones, says the study, also contains around 100 Kg. (about 220 lb) of copper and 3 Kg (about 6.6 lb) of silver, among other metals. Although the push for electronic waste recycling by environmentalists was at first met with a lot of protest by corporate organizations, it is now emerging that this type of investment could attract lots of potential from both the low and high-end markets.
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Beacon of hope for Mombasa sex workers opens its doors to victims By DIANA WANYONYI Seated on a three - legged stool outside her one roomed shack, she reached for a cigarette from her Tshirt pocket and a lighter from her pair of trousers. Benta Mwikali* has been on the street for all the wrong reasons eking a living. Says Mwikali: ,” I am waiting for a call from a male client. I am very broke and I need money for my upkeep. This is what I do for survival.” The mother of two is a Sex Worker in Kisauni, in Mombasa County. She says she found herself hooked to it six years ago when she went to Mombasa from her rural home in Kitui in search of an elusive job. “My close friend insisted that I should come here because she had secured a job for me but to my surprise there was none, she was a sex worker. Because I have two children at my parent’s home I had no alternative because if I would have gone back home, I would have disappointed my parents,” she said.
Slavery
This work is tiresome and risky. As much as I know that there is HIV/ AIDs, sometimes I have sex without a condom with my client in order to get more money for my upkeep and my family’s. I don’t know how I will get out of this slavery,” she said. Solidarity with Women in Distress is an organization that was founded in 1985 in Mombasa to support female sex workers who are at risk population the . SOLWODI has several counseling centers in Kwale, Mombasa, Malindi and Kilifi with an aim of identifying and providing support and rehabilitation for female sex workers. It also empowers them to improve their lives through peer education, health services, counseling, and alternative livelihood support. Ruth Lewa, a programmes officer in SOLWODI based in Mombasa says that poverty, unemployment, lose morals and the vibrant tourism industry have led many youth, both boys and girls to in-
dulge in the vice. Lewa noted that since SOLWODI was founded, to date they have been able to educate and train over 10,000 children whose mothers are sex workers as a way of encouraging them not to be influenced them with their behavior.
Exposure
“We mostly concentrate on children of female sex workers because they are at risk of getting exposed by seeing what their mothers are doing so, we encourage them by taking them back to school and providing life skill training,” the official says.. SOLWODI has been able to train 450 reformed workers as peer educators in Coast region who educate the former colleagues in the community on the need of using preventive measures such as condoms with their clients and also providing guidance and counseling to them. “Peer educators’ network has helped us get and give information to them. They know where they will find them because they were once there. They helps us in planning several events, programmes and distributing condoms. Clemence Kenga is a peer educator based in Mtwapa, also a former sex worker since 2007, who uses football to educate her peers and female sex workers on the need of chang-
A signboard outside the Solidarity With Women In Distress office in Mombasa. The organisation has been able to train 450 reformed sex workers. Picture: Diana Wanyonyi
“We mostly concentrate on children of female sex workers because they are at risk of getting exposed by seeing what their mothers are doing so, we encourage them by taking them back to school and providing life skill training.” — Ruth Lewa, Programme Officer SOLWODI
ing their livelihoods and fighting the spread of HIV/AIDs. “It all started in 1997 when I was in secondary school after my friends introduced me to it. I almost lost my family and education thanks to a neighbor who introduced me to SOLWODI, which came to my rescue. I underwent several trainings and now I am able to give back to the community in a positive manner. I have been able to recruit several young girls since I became a peer educator. I managed to form a football team that consists of 15 girls that has enabled some of the players to be taken to different vocational training by different charity organisations and some have joined other football teams,” Kenga says. “We have been able also to form Mtwapa Youth Association, a group that educates youths in Mtwapa and its environs on the need on having safe sex by using condoms and abstinence in order to reduce the spread of HIV/AIDs,” she added. According to the Kenya Demographic and Health Survey 2008-09, 6.3 percent of adults are HIV positive while 2.9 percent of young people age 15-24 are HIV positive. Prevalence is highest among women in urban areas (10.4 percent). 5.7 percent of couples are discordant.
SOLWODI works hand in hand with the Ministry of Health that provides ARVs to female sex workers who are living with HIV; in addition to also counseling them.
Statistics
Provincial AIDS and STIs Coordinator Coast Province Dr. Consolata Ogot said that women are most infected with HIV with 8.0 percent than men 4.3 percent who are infected. “Prevalence of HIV infections among female sex workers stands at 50 percent, men having sex with men is 25 percent and IDUs the prevalence is 25 percent nationally according to the latest data,” the officials says.. In Coast Province there are 6,500 new infections every year, 40 per cent of infections are accounted for MARPs, 38 per cent for those who engage in heterosexual sex with regular partners, 15 per cent are those who engage in casual sex and 2 percent from the health facility related infections. It is estimated that there are 100,000 sex workers in the country, close to half of them in Coast province The Government should face reality and recognise female sex workers by starting programmes for them that might be of help to Mwikali and others who remain in the dark and feel like prisoners chained to the vice by circumstances beyond their control.
HIV positive IDPs demand for special treatment by the government By NICOLE WAITHERA A group of internally displaced persons living with HIV are accusing the Government of neglecting them. The more than 300 people living in Shalom camp in Olkalau area appealing to the authorities and well-wishers to supply them with the basic necessities of life. About ten people in the camp have died in the past year as they do not have the necessary requirements to fight for their health. The chairlady of Team Leaf Support Group,
Margaret Gathoni says accessing health facilities is a major challenge. “We have to walk for a long distance in order to get antiretroviral drugs, and by the time we reach there we are already exhausted,” Gathoni says. She says they have to undergo blood tests after every six months to gauge their CD4 count, and often, the local dispensary they rely on has faulty machines. They are forced to give blood about three times before the blood is taken to Nyahururu town for testing.
She says that in the past six months, they have lost ten people due to HIV related complications as the immune system had gone down due to stress related complications. “In the camps, even getting a cold or malaria is enough to finish you and this has caused a lot of death here,” added Gathoni. She appealed to Non governmental Organizations to intervene and assist them to access proper food, saying that the ration of beans and maize that they get once per month is not enough to sustain them. ‘We get one kilogramme of maize and a half
of beans once per month yet as positive HIV persons, we should at least eat four times in a day,” she says. She took issue with the authorities saying they should train more people in the camp to assist them in counseling and testing one’s status. Ann Rose wa Kanyi, who is also living positively with the virus, appealed to the Government to supply them with the special flour that is set aside for such people. She challenged men living with HIV to speak up, saying that the only way that they could access help was when they speak up.
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
13
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Leadership and leaders are the major cause of war in slums By HENRY KAHARA Its a Sunday afternoon in the sprawling Mathare slums. All seems to be okay but for a visitor fear takes centre stage despite the fact that it is midday. In this place, war between communities is common occurrence. Felix Maina a peace ambassador and the former chairman of Mabatini area is my tour guide. “This area is called Mabatini. it was one of the worst affected area during the 2007 general election skirmishes,” says Maina. Maina a resident in Mathare since 1980 has a lot to share about the area. I was among the first people to reside in these houses. At that time I was a young man, I was new from the rural areas,” says Maina.
Control
“At that time there was nothing like tribalism here. It was a good place to reside although houses were not better but it was not overcrowded as it is today.” “Things took a new twist in 1990s when different communities especially Kikuyu’s and Luo’s started fighting one another although it was not worse like the way we witnessed in 2007,” says Maina. At that time it was as a result of Kikuyu domination in every area. “Kikuyu’s controlled everthing here, they are the ones who owned kiosks, selling cabbages, water points they were everywhere,” says Maina. According to him, leaders and leadership are
the key reason why people fight in the slums, but they disguise themselves with politics. I remember very well during the 2007 general election I was the Party of National Unity (PNU) residing officer here at Kiboro primary school. We voted peacefully, everything was okay even the time we were taking the votes to the main polling station. Actually I came to know that the situation was not well while coming back from the main polling station. According to Maina, slums wars are mostly conducted by the local leaders and people in the grass roots. “Yes, many of the times you find that many leaders in the slums are self appointed. They are not chosen by the people so whenever there are some people who are not supporting them, they look for ways to evict them,” he notes. The scenario goes on up to the leadership outside the slums. For instance, my family and hundreds of others were evicted from Mathare slums in 2007 many of us lost properties as our houses were razed down.
Exodus
Due to this some people decided to vacate Mathare for good but some who were not able went back. “When we went back, after being in the camp for eight months, we found out that our area has new leadership of which comprised of the people who were evicting us,” says Maina. Today many of the people who are recognised by authority as our leaders are not our
Felix Maina former mabatini chairman of Mathare slum. It is alleged that leaders are the major causes of slum wars. Picture: Henry Kahara. Picture: Henry Kahara real leaders for they self appointed themselves. According to Maina, although there is no monthly payment for the area leaders, there is a lot of good things which accompanies the post. “As a village elder, you will get recognition from the chief and District Officer and to add on that you get the first priority when there are donations,” he asserts.
Interventions
The scenario has made things worse for if leaders do not have a voice at the grassroot he is powerless; he is just but a ceremonial leader. “Now such a leader cannot even put out the fire when it breaks, few will give him their ears,” says Maina. Currently there has been a peace meeting
which has been attended by leaders who are supposed to disseminate the information to the people in grass roots but in Mathare such has not happened. “Who will come to give the information if they do not recognise your leadership,” wonders Maina. The fight may even continue in the slums because we have never had a formal meeting where elders from one community speak to elders from other communities. “Peace meetings are yet to be experienced by the real people who were involved in the fight,” he says. “Even if you hear that the fight is about leadership it takes a tribal angle; as you know Kenyan politics are tribal,” says Maina.
Men urged to support women get leadership Aspirant positions in the coming elections promises to By KAKAI MASEGA Men in West Pokot County have been urged to support women in leadership and allow them to exercise their democratic rights in the coming general elections. For a long time, women in the Pokot Community have not been given the opportunity to become leaders. This is because of the bad culture and barbaric behavior of men denying women their rights. Speaking during the Women and media workshop in Kapenguria, women said that they ought to be taught about their rights during the forth coming elections. They said that they do not understand their rights. They said that men command women to vote for a person of their choice and not allowing them to register as voters while other men want to give women permission. They added that men keep their women’s documents like voting cards and identity cards. They said that their husbands have denied them their freedom in voting. Women said that their men fear women being free to join politics saying it can lead
to prostitution. The women said that women in the Pokot Community are the ones taking care of every thing in the homes including building houses thus hard to join politics. They further complained about lack of exposure thus women being taken as slaves. They added that boys are being given the first priority than girls. The Women said that they fear competing with men in the society thus men do sell property owned by women. They complained about men leaving their families and staying outside for a long time without coming home. They also complained about defilement by men and women denied their conjugal rights. Led by the West Pokot Women Representative aspirant Teresa Lokichu, they complained about men controlling wealth in homes thus not able to do politics because it needs money. “We want men to respect women rights. We have suffered for a long time but the Constitution will save us,” she said. Lokichu said that girls in the Pokot Community have been denied education taking
tackle GBV By KAKAI MASEGA
them as the wealth of parents. She said that traditions and culture have affected women being given their rights citing that men call them children.
Teresa Lokichu,West Pokot women representative aspirant says that tradition and culture have affected women being given their rights citing that men call them children. Picture: Kakai Masega
The Saboti Parliamentary aspirant Wafula Mutacho has promised to tackle issues concerning gender Based violence in the area if elected as the Member of Parliament. Speaking to the press in Kitale town, Mutacho vowed to tackle the issue citing that it is rampant in the area. “Many people here have been victims of gender based violence. He gave an example of a woman in the area whose uterus was tampered with by doctors in one of the hospitals without her consent. Wafula said that ignorance has greatly contributed to many people suffering because of violence. He added many women have been victims of the violence brought about by their husbands. Wafula who is also a businessman said that many girls and women have been victims of rape and defilement. “Rape is ever happening and there is no one standing for the victims rights,” he said. He also said that male and female genital mutilation has been a common practice in the area. He cautioned people to be careful during the coming general elections. “We shall talk to security personnel and authorities in general to get prepared and respond to any sexual violence.”
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Burkina Faso farmers embrace Bt cotton farming By CAROLYNE OYUGI
There have been mixed reactions around the world and especially in Africa regarding Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). In Kenya there have been divided opinions among politicians and other leaders on the same topic. Scientists are however having discussions with the relevant bodies in order to understand that Kenya needs GMO products in order to curb food insecurity and to improve its economy. It is therefore expected that by next year the country will be ready to produce and commercialize Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton in order to rescue the endangered cotton industry. On the other hand cotton farmers in Burkina Faso have embraced a technology that is slowly but surely making their lives better. In 2009 most farmers resolved to planting Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) cotton which requires less spraying and they have never looked back.
Learning
Scientists, researchers, government officials and journalists had a chance to visit the farms in Burkina Faso so as to learn more about the new technology. ISAA and other biotechnology stakeholders sponsored the tour dubbed Seeing is Believing. It took place between 23 and 26 October 2012. The participants were drawn from potential Bt cotton growing countries like Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Malawi, Uganda, Zambia, Ghana South Africa and Zimbabwe. They learnt how Burkina Faso is working with selected farmers to produce quality seeds for cotton growers though a closely monitored seed multiplication system. The objective of the tour was to learn from the Burkina experience in commercialising their first biotech crops, and thus allow participants to make informed decisions while developing their agricultural sector in their own countries. The country whose name translates to ‘The land of upright people’ gets 35 percent of its GDP from cotton followed
by animals, animals feed and gold. Of 25 biotech crops producing countries worldwide, only three African countries like South Africa, Burkina Faso and Egypt are producing commercial biotech crops. Bt cotton has already been commercialized in other countries: the United States (1996), Australia (1997), South Africa (1997), Argentina (1998), Mexico (1996), China (1998), and Indonesia (2000). Kakuy Juan, one of the cotton farmers in Dankari is all smiles when sharing his experience with Bt cotton. “Before when I used to plant conventional cotton I would do six to twelve sprays depending on the season,” he said adding that it was more stressful during the rainy season because he would have to repeat the process if it rained immediately after spraying. He says that the process was expensive because he would have to buy more pesticides once the rain has washed the ones he and his sons have already sprayed. “We cannot control the rains and we also wanted good harvests so we had to repeat the process so that our crops are not attacked by pests,” said Juan. Juan has 47 hectares of cotton and it is evident that the spraying was a lot of work straining both physically and financially. The Genetically Modified (GM) cotton was developed to reduce the heavy reliance on pesticides. The plant naturally produces a chemical harmful only to a small fraction of insects, most notably the larvae of moths and butterflies, beetles, and flies, and harmless to other forms of life.
Benefits
This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill lepidopteran pests (some of which have developed pyrethroid resistance). This spares natural insect predators in the farm ecology and further contributes to non-insecticide pest management. Juan is also happy that the reduced use of insecticides has reduced the pol-
Some of the participants drawn from seven African countries in one of the Bt cotton farms in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina Faso. Picture: Carolyne Oyugi lution of water. “When the pesticides are washed by the rains they end up in the rivers which we depend on as a source of drinking water and all our domestic uses.” He said. He further explains that heavy presence of chemicals in the water used to make them diarrhoea resulting to expensive medical bills which is now a thing of the past. Michel Traure Magafesso is another happy farmer who is pleased by the fact that he now has more time to attend to other important businesses because the time he spends in the farm has been reduced. “Spraying a cotton farm is not an easy task. You have to carry a 20 kilogramme knapsack on your back and make sure that all the plants are sprayed,” he said. “So when I was introduced to Bt cotton I embraced it fully.” Michelle also confesses that spraying of insecticides has also led to issues between couples. “When someone is from doing the heavy work they smell and this puts off their wives,” he said making everyone
break into laughter. Michelle’s wife was not at the farm and his explanation for that was that his wife was attending to their peanut farm. That might have been true but the women were conspicuously absent during the visits to the farms. Not even one woman was seen and yet they provide labour during sowing and harvesting which is referred to as women’s work.
Challenges
Mitchelle however complains that the rains have been unpredictable. His five hectares did not do well this time because the rains stopped during flowering and so some of the cotton did not mature. He also says that the seeds are more expensive than the conventional ones but the reduced number of spraying makes it better than conventional cotton. Cotton benefits women and children as it saves them time and effort that otherwise would be needed to invest in collecting water for spraying insecticides. TAs and other stakeholders have
their own hypothesis to explain this high proportion of registered but not actual female cotton farmers. According to them, it is common practice for women to register plots under their names even though their husbands or other male family members will manage the plot. This is done for several reasons, but it seems the predominant one is that men have defaulted in their payments with the association in previous seasons, so they are unable to access the credit lines offered due to their bad credit standing. Since women usually have good credit standing, the men who had previously defaulted are able to gain access to these resources. Another reason for registering a male-headed plot under a woman’s name is that it is easier for men to have their wives’ names in the credit paperwork, since the only person authorized to request and receive inputs and services offered by the association is the credit signatory. That person has to physically go to the association and sign for those inputs, thus losing hours or even a day’s work on the farm.
Burkinabé women invisible in the Bt cotton development By CAROLYNE OYUGI For many years Burkina Faso has relied on agriculture to develop its economy. This sector however got a big boost in 2008 with the introduction of Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt) cotton. The main pests in commercial cotton are lepidopteran larvae, which are killed by the Bt protein in the transgenic cotton they eat. This eliminates the need to use large amounts of broad-spectrum insecticides to kill lepidopteran pests (some of which have developed pyrethroid resistance). This spares natural insect predators in the farm ecology and further contributes to non-insecticide pest management.
Proceeds
The country whose name translates to ‘The land of upright people’ gets 35 percent of its GDP from cotton followed by animals, animals feed and gold. Out of a total of 424,810 hectares planted with cotton in the country, 247,000 hectares or 58 percent is planted to Bt cotton. Burkina Faso is the first country in West Africa to enact a bio-safety
law and start confined field trials of Bt cotton. It also participates in efforts to bring regional bio-safety legislation in West Africa. Despite all these gains, women are conspicuously absent in the production of this white gold. As much as agriculture provides 93 percent of employment in Burkina Faso, women have taken the back banner.
Roles
Women’s roles are either defined by culture or religion. Approximately 61 percent of the population practices Islam, with the majority being Sunni. According to Traoure Seydou Kambadugu a Bt cotton farmer in Bobo Dioulasso, women’s roles are clearly defined in the farms. “They bring us food in the farms, do the sowing and harvesting,” he said adding that they cannot spray because the knapsack is too heavy for them to carry. Dr Doulaye Traore, Corporate and regulatory Affairs Manager West Africa Monsanto also shares that some men use their wives names when taking credit, queue to pay the credit but it is the men who receive the payments for the sale of the cotton. “Men are bad creditors and they
have other debts so they can not be allowed to get credit. They therefore use this as a short cut,” he said. The farmers also claim that they are too busy to go pay the debt so the women can queue for them. Interestingly they do not trust the same women enough to collect the payment. When asked why women are not visible in the farms yet they provide labour, Dr. Traore explains that in one way or another, they are represented by the men. And when further asked what happens to single mothers and widows he is quick to clarify that in Burkina Faso there is nothing like single motherhood. “Men marry even up to five wives why should a woman stay without a husband?” he lamented.
Illiteracy
Djènèba Abdoulaye a 17-year old girl who sells drinking water in Bobo Dioulasso is not happy with what she does. Her wish is to own and manage a cotton farm but that is very far from reality considering that his father has already shared their land among her six brothers. “I missed out on inheritance and my hopes of buying land in future are narrowing day by day. I’m also illiterate and
may end up not getting good employment,” said Djènèba. Djènèba’s case is just a representation of millions of Bukinabé women in a country with 21.8 percent literacy level according to CIA World Book. Fatimata Boureima a casual worker in one of the cotton farms in Boni location, Bobo Dioulasso has been working very hard the whole day and has also been walking for a long distance to get to her home. ”The farm where I work is very far from my home but I still have to do this in order to feed my family,” said the 47-year old widow while wiping her sweat under the scotching sun that has generously raised the temperatures to 43 °C. Most women interviewed blame the poor representation in the agricultural decision making bodies on poor education. Though this country is ranked by the UN as one of the poorest countries in the world; ranked 177 out of 182 countries there is hope that this will soon change with the growth of cotton growing. However in order to achieve this, gender issues like working conditions and general improvement in women’s lives need to be addressed.
“I missed out on inheritance and my hopes of buying land in future are narrowing day by day. I’m also illiterate and may end up not getting good employment.” — Djènèba Abdoulaye
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Life of drudgery as women and children use ‘turonik’ to place a meal on their family tables By CHARLES N’GENO Juliana Sigilai stares at her empty maize granary with bitterness in her heart. She has had the worst maize harvest in her life. This mother of four’s dreams of a bumper harvest this past season was shattered by the shock that of the maize disease that ravaged the South Rift. Sigilai had started the year optimistic that her farm at Kuto area of Mulot Division, Narok County, would produce enough crops to sell and take her children to school in addition to taking care of the whole family last year. Today, her future and that of her neighbours seems bleak as they stare at hunger in the face. Families are no longer worried about taking their children to school but rather how to place a meal on their tables even if it is once in a day. Every morning women and children trek for over 20 kilometres to forage for wheat in farms near Ololunga town. They wake up as early as 5 am so as to be at the farms at 8am when harvesting begins. As the machine moves, it cannot harvest wheat that falls on its wheel and that which is short. It is this that the women and children harvest and thresh. Every day over 2,000 women and children go for this harvesting that is commonly revered to as turonik
in the local dialect. From a distance one would imagine that the bent women and children are a herd of cattle grazing.
Hopes
With a three-month old baby strapped on her back, Margaret Korir from Kilanda forages for what has remained after the owner has finished harvesting, “We have done this for the past two months since harvesting began. We get at least three tins of wheat at the end of the day,” she says. Terming the whole search as tedious, Korir laments that they have no option. She sells two tins and saves a tin to be used at home. A tin of wheat goes for KSh80. For Grace Tapsabei of Kutete area, life has been one drudgery one since their maize was ravaged by the disease. Accompanied by her three children, Tapsabei manages at least 6 tins of wheat every day. “My children may not to go back to school for term three. We shall be doing this until the harvesting season ends,” says Tapsabei. Most of these women and children go without lunch. Some feed on dry wheat and take water. Those lucky can purchase mandazi (buns) and over diluted juice that Dominic Kipkirui from Kuto primary School is selling at the farms. Dominic who is a standard eight pupil fears that he might fail in the KCPE exam due in December since
he has no time to revise. “I would rather what I’m doing than go hungry,” said Dominic. Tom Omondi, a manager in RM Patel wheat Farm says cases of theft from the hungry residents have been reported in the farm. On being interrogated the culprits say they are doing so in an attempt to provide for their children who have been going hungry for several days. “There is nothing much we can do. Listening to these women one is moved by their attempts to provide for their families,” said Omondi. The season also comes with blessings for pastoralists. Joseph Koriata a cattle farmer from Melelo area says the harvested farms are good grazing grounds for his cattle. But at the same time he is worried that water was becoming scarce because of the increased number of cows that have trooped to the area.
“Farmers from as far as Loita and Transmara are here. Watering points are quickly being depleted. Cattle diseases are on the rise,” said Koriata.
Dominic Kirui serves his customers juice and mandazi that he sells at the farm. Below: A woman with her child strapped on her back moves about in search of wheat. Pictures: Charles Kiprotich
Kitui farmers embrace fish farming to compliment agriculture By KEN NDAMBU When an indigenous Non Governmental Organization moved to a remote village in Kitui County with a plan of establishing a water project, little did it know that the project would become the lifeline of the residents a decade later. Through the support of Kindernoff organisation, the NGO, Kitui Development Centre vision was to provide water to the community, reduce the adverse impact of unreliable and unsafe water sources in Wikiliye village.
Relief
The Kithambangii Water Project’s initial aim was to provide clean and safe water supply to the community but with time, it has also enabled the residents to engage in small scale agricultural projects like green house farming, dairy goats and cows and a new entrant - fish farming. The residents can now sigh in relief as they have full potential of the project to reap maximum benefits from fish farming as the fish from the project are of high quality and
have a ready market in Nairobi and other urban centres. A visit to Kyanzou AIC fishpond site recently is a site to behold. Fish rearing is the household name in the village with youth, women and men bracing to engage in the industry to literally smile all the way to the banks after a hard days work feeding them. On his part, Titus Kakuthu, a fish farmer in the area says, “Fish farming is a great venture and brings a lot of returns economically. The fish are in high demand in the community and also outside, with dependable markets as far as Nairobi.” He is confident saying it was a worthwhile venture, and was not hard to maintain.
Skills
Once skilled and empowered, farmer is guaranteed of always putting food on the table for his family in contrast to the unreliable conventional farming of beans and maize. A member of the AIC church says the church sponsored one of the youth for training offered by the
Ministry of Fisheries and acquired the needed skills to train others on fish farming. Since then, those who were trained have adopted fish farming which has improved their living standards economically. “At first, the NGO used the church as an entry point before reaching out to self help-groups to reach out to many farmers especially women,” says Denis Katua, the fishfarming trainer. He says Tilapia does well in the area and 90 percent of fish consumers in the area prefer Tilapia. “The breed is the most preferred and fingerlings are obtained from the Ministry of Fisheries,” says Katua. The KDC Monitoring and Evaluation Officer Mutetei Mutisya says 1,000 fish were stocked in November 2011 and the first harvesting is
done after 8 months where 200 mature fish weighing 52 Kilogrammes were harvested. “The factors that determined the harvesting period included the quality and market survey,” Mutisya says adding that the market was readily available where the fish sold at KSs120 per Kilogramme with Nairobi traders being the common buyers. “The only challenges during the project’s implementation was inconsistency of feeding leading to stress and retarded growth, but the problem was dealt with as it was caused by poor quality polythene bags,” says Mutisya. He says the project is a component of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) support whose goal is to empower the community economically to support the high
“The breed is the most preferred and fingerlings are obtained from the Ministry of Fisheries.” Denis Katua.
number of orphans and vulnerable children in the area.
Drought
“While conducting a participatory project appraisal (PPA) in January 2006, KDC saw the great challenge of prolonged drought in the sub-location. The effects were acute shortage of food and water and were convinced that a borehole at Kithambangii was the lasting solution,” says Mutisya. To sustain the project, water points and sub-service dams were constructed along the nearby seasonal rivers to raise the water table. Today, Kithambangii water project is made up of one borehole with a depth of 108 meters yielding 2.7 cubic metres per hour, 8 water kiosks, 2 reservoir tanks each 50,000 cubic metres and 10 sub-surface dams benefiting 2,500 people in 60 families. “The aim of the project is to reduce the distance covered by the community in search of water and to also de-congest the available water sources in addition to providing clean drinking water to the institutions along the Kithambangii – Mulango Line,” Mutisya says.
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ISSUE 073, November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Grocer aspires for leadership at county assembly By DAVID KIMANI
The promulgation of the new Constitution shed light in the dynamism of future leadership in the country with its genesis being the onset of the next general election slated for March 4 next year. Among other provisions in the Constitution that will kick off the dynamism is the one-third compulsory representation of women in positions of leadership and also the leeway by any potential aspirant who meets the set requirements to vie for the various seats. That is why Eunice Wambui Mureithi who runs a grocery stall at Naivasha market would stop at nothing to fulfill her aspirations to joining the county assembly of Nakuru come next year. Mureithi, a mother of two girls, has joined the race for the county assembly seat which is currently predominated by male aspirants, her being the only lady. “I believe it is a moment that has dawned on Kenya for women and the youth who have been suppressed for long as far as Kenya’s leadership is concerned to take up leadership roles,” said Mureithi.
Public bid
“That is why as a woman and a youth I announced my bid publicly and I hope that people’s mentality regarding leadership will change since most people believe in male leadership,” added Mureithi. She further said that what she does for a living will not stand in her way to deter her bid for the seat which will see her head Viwandani ward in Naivasha town. However the vehement stand to
battle it out with her male counterparts begs the question; what is the inner driving power that has seen her this far? “In my opinion we have been misrepresented for quite a long time and this is the time for real change in our country, change that will see Kenya accomplish vision 2030 smoothly,” said Mureithi adding that misrepresentation entails absence of the youth in leadership as well. “I would like to represent people like me since the leadership of this country has been predominated by wealthy people who have had little concern for the poor.” In a bid to help people understand the need to be represented by one who understands their tribulations, she has started an awareness campaign that she says will enlighten people and ‘extricate’ them from the mentality of money and leadership. “I am poor because I run a grocery at the market but I believe I have what it takes to lead a section of the county and bring forth the change the people of Kenya only get promised during campaign periods,” quipped Mureithi. “However there is little to worry about because my colleagues in the larger Naivasha market have endorsed me and gave me their blessings to battle it out so that I represent them,” she added. Mureithi who has been in the grocery business for close to seven years has a diploma certificate in hotel management and catering to her name adding that she worked in the hotel industry for a short while before quitting. “In the hotel industry, I used to serve the who is who in Kenya and also from far. I did not feel comfortable with
this though because all my life I have desired to work and serve people from lower level like myself.” “That is why I feel representing my people in the county assembly is part of the fulfilment of that urge in me to serve the neglected in the society,” she added.
Appeal
Eunice at her grocery during the interview. She is an aspirant for the Nakuru County assembly seat. Picture: David Kimani
She is also quick to note that ‘enemies of development’ have been sand witching her bid with dissuasions so that she quits the race and leave it to the male aspirants. “Some people have been wondering loudly what has gotten into this mama mboga who owns nothing in comparison to her counterparts for her to vie for the seat,” said Mureithi. “Material possessions do not matter since I believe that leadership is no longer for the elite and that is why I want to be among the first outside the elite circle to lead the people. Others feel I am a youth who should not compete with our ‘parents’ and should therefore step down for them,” she quipped. Regardless of the cold water thrown to her bid, she still stands firm and nothing will deter her aspiration to lead the less fortunate to the right direction so that they as well feel part and parcel of Kenya. She also appealed to women at large to join the race for the various seats in the next general election terming women as the backbone of development in the society. “There is one intrinsic quality with women that most men do not have; ability to spearhead development in the society and such I appeal to fellow women to join the race for leadership for a better Kenya,” concluded Mureithi.
Showcasing for peace at the trade fair In a bid to keep up the momentum on peace campaigns, a peace initiative dubbed ‘The Tuvuke Initiative’ left a mark at the recently held trade fair in a move to remind Kenyans that we are still in the business of maintaining peace and national cohesion. By ANNIE WAITE Hundreds of men, women and children flocked to the Nairobi International Trade Fair Show and visited a unique exhibition stand that had focused on spreading the message of peace. The Tuvuke Initiative stand was the first of its kind, and was used by its 18 partners as a useful platform to engage directly with public on the merits and demerits of conducting peaceful campaigns and elections on March 4, 2013.
Promote
The Tuvuke stand won an award for being the best that promoted national cohesion and integration development for the country. Similar peace campaigns are also being carried out countrywide by the National Cohesion and Integration Commission, chaired by Dr Mzalendo Kibunjia in a concerted effort to mitigate conflict. All the 18 partners of the Tuvuke Initiative actively participated dur-
ing the weeklong event at the Jamhuri Park, in Nairobi. Tuvuke’s slogan is “a better Kenya for all” is a systematic effort aimed at developing collaborative, pre-emptive actions and activities to forestall any pre-planned or spontaneous violence before, during and after elections. The initiative, supported by Ford Foundation, is a call for Kenyans to take individual and collective responsibility in ensuring that the nation makes a peaceful transition during the forthcoming elections. Indeed, since the 2007/2008 post elections violence that left over 1,300 people dead, and over 3000,000 displaced in the country, Kenyans’ thirst for peace has been on the rise every new day.
Peace
They are now yearning for peace, stability and unity more than ever before having seen and experienced the cost of violence and mayhem. Indeed, there is need for peace, a necessary condition for the development of the country as quoted by XYZ. He adds that our peace and welfare and prosperity depend on the peace we have. The Tuvuke stand was visited by women, men and children. Maggie Nekesa a CBO social worker at MAHFACTA (maximising facts in HIV/ AID) Soweto in Kayole works with youth groups. Nekesa and her colleague Monica Mumbi who are living with HIV have
taken up the peace initiative with the youth. They advocate for peace through drama, songs and counselling the youth. They also counsel women and men who are victims of gender based violence. Through their positive status, the two volunteers feel they have been stigmatised and pushed aside yet they are not less fortunate. “I collect my retroviral drugs at Soweto Clinic. What we want is peace because where we pick our ARV drugs from, we fear that if there is no peace there we will be displaced How will I fight the same person I will send for the drugs when I am down?” poses Nekesa
Partnership
The 18 Tuvuke Initiative partners are civil society organisations which came together early this year and decided to work together to ensure that the 2002/2008 PEV is not repeated next year. One of the partners is African Woman and Child Feature Service, whose mandate is to ensure that women’s gains, land rights and past injustices are addressed by creating linkages between land and electoral process and mounting a nationwide civic education campaign. According to Mumbi, “we are hungry for information” on the way forward to a peaceful election and education on how women can contest and win any of the six elective posts under the new Constitution. The seats are presidential, senato-
rial, gubernatorial, parliamentary, women’s representative and county representative. Mumbi appealed to partners of the Tuvuke Initiave to spread out to women in their neighbourhoods and conduct civic education on the new Constitution and the gains women have made and how it will help them personally ad collectively in promoting peace.
Awareness
The stand was also a big hit to the hundreds of pupils and students who toured the showground. Indeed, three Form Four prefects from different secondary schools took time to ask questions and then praised the Tuvuke Initiative team for a job well done saying they were empowered and would spread the peace message to their colleagues, teachers and their headmistresses. The youth engagement led by the MAVUNO Church has made a turn around. They have gathered youths in different institutions, churches in form of skits, poems; campus drives whereby the message is instilled to the students. A high percentage of the youth are today in the church where peace is being emphasised in the preaching. Fred Kiiru son to Wanjiru, a former class prefect at Weithaga Secondary School is today going into schools and institutions to give motivational speeches, especially in schools where there have been trends of students’ unrest.
The Tuvuke stand also attracted people from all walks of life, who have made it their vision, to promote peace. Take Hudson Liyal, for example, a librarian at the University of Nairobi disclosed that he was part of a team that was advocating for peace at the campus. He says they had established a department on Diplomacy and International Relations which addresses issues on conflict Resolution and peace building. Recently they have also established another department - Centre for Research and Human Rights and Peace to deal with emerging challenges and issues relative to conflict resolutions and peace in the country.
Appeal
There are also others who expressed a hunger for peace messages at the grassroots. Stephen Ng’an’ga, a farmer focusing on organic agriculture, supported the initiative and appealed to the partners to spread it to the grassroots citing Muranga town as a hub of activities that attracts crowds who can significantly benefit from the peace messages. Nonetheless, Ng’ang’a might have as well been speaking for the thousands of Kenyans who felt that the peace initiative is a solid blueprint to take Kenyans from the memories of 2007 violence, to a place where Kenyans stand up for Kenyans, where brotherhood prevails in line with the spirit and letter of the Constitution.
ISSUE 073 November 16-30, 2012
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
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Woman dreams big out of construction works By DAVID KIMANI For Doris Kageni a job is a job and she is ready to soil her hands in order to put food on the table for her and her family. Kageni who hails from Meru South has stood out against all odds to venture into the construction industry which has been a preserve of men. With sheer determination, the middle aged woman in terms construction work as a key to unlock all her life’s aspiration. “I have children to take to school and I also need to feed my family. Additionally my children and I live in a rented house making rent an additional item in my list of monetary needs,” said Kageni of her family adding that she solely looks after her four children ever since she separated with her husband. She turned the challenge into an opportunity and as an eye opener to take the bull by the horns and fend for herself and her children. Kageni has been working in the construction sites for the past four years.
Casual labour
“In the past,” said Kageni, “I used to do casual work on people’s farms but the pay was not enough to help me meet my household needs. My first two children dropped out of school for lack of school fees and that sadly marked the end of their education.” The mother of four says she was depressed because her children wanted to pursue education but poverty shattered their dreams and that marked her transition from casual laborer on people’s farms to working at construction sites in
the area. “I was the first woman to do this in this region and many termed it an absurd step arguing that it could be hard coping with what even some men dread doing,” she said adding that made her a spectacle. “I however gave their negative comments a cold shoulder and proceeded to lifting stones and metal bars just like the men did,” she reveals with pride.
Education
Since then, the job has enabled her to fully meet the education needs of her third and last children have never sent home over unpaid fees. “I vowed that my children must acquire the education that I never had even if the first ones dropped out due to the problems that I had to grapple with then,” said Kageni. Apart from seeing successful completion of her children’s education, Kageni aspires to save r enough funds from her tough job to buy her family a piece of land and build them a house to mark the end of their life as tenants. She also believes that for the four years she has worked at construction sites, she can now make a good mason with the basics she has already learnt in the course. “I have learnt a lot in the course of the job. I can come up with a perfect mix of concrete with the right proportions well done. Additionally I can lay the bricks and attach the right proportion of concrete, she says. Her efforts, she said, has attracted a lot of women who have now accepted what she does fully and have also decided to emulate her.
Doris Kageni at a construction site. She hopes to buy a piece of land in future for her family. Picture: David Kimani This was evident since metres away from her site were a group of ladies who were working on drainage system under construction. However Kageni is quick to reveal that her journey has not been free of hurdles though she adds that she has stood firm to surmount most of them. Her major challenges have included suffering from high blood pressure as a result of the pneumatic vibrations common with engine run concrete mixers.
“But I did not give up after recuperating, I requested the contractor I was working for to have me moved to a site that did not use the engine driven concrete mixers,” said Kageni, adding that it took a while before she got the support of her fellow women and men. Kageni is currently working at one of the construction sites at Chuka University College and calls on members of the public to have a positive attitude towards work and accept the new gender roles in the work place.
Partnership launched to reduce child mortality in Africa By Duncan Mboyah The Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG4) that aims at reducing child mortality by two – thirds by 2015 is unlikely to be achieved in Africa. At the moment, for every six children born, one dies before reaching age five in sub Saharan Africa yet the cause of all these deaths are preventable. “It is estimated that more than two million child deaths could be averted if national coverage of cost effective interventions for pneumonia and diarrhoea were raised to the level of 20 percent in the highest countries,” the Regional Health Advisor, MDG Centre Dr. James Wariero said. Speaking during the signing of a partnership between United Nations’ Millennium Villages Project and Unilever to fast track achievement of MDG 4 in 10 countries in Africa at a Nairobi hotel last evening, Wariero revealed that nearly 80 percent of deaths associated with pneumonia and diarrhoea occur in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. He noted that through low cost investment of at least $ 250 per person over five years as is the case at the villages, can help fight poverty, hunger,
pneumonia and diarrhoea through simple preventive means such as hand washing with soap. The Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Kepha Ombacho said that instilling health habits such as hand washing early in children is the key to preventing illnesses which keeps children out of school.
Proof
“It has been proven that healthy children enjoy a high concentration level in school and thus perform better in class work, “he added. Over 400,000 pupils in 567 schools in various parts of Kenya have learnt why and how to wash hands through the Lifebuoy School hand washing programme which started in 2011. Ombacho called on partners to upscale the coverage to all parts of the country adding that the fight against diseases can only be fought with the help of various partners. He revealed that although over 90 percent of households in Africa have access to soap, rates of hand washing with soap are low. He observed that a scientific study done in Kenya recently shows that only one out of 10 people use water and soap at critical times.
Consistent hand washing with soap before eating and after visiting toilet reduces diarrheal risk by 45 percent and acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia by 23 percent. Unilever’s President for Personal Care Business Mr Dave Lewis said that under the new partnership, the company will offer affordable science based education programmes to reduce the rate at which children die from diarrhoea and pneumonia in the millennium villages. “This is to help reduce infant mortality, school absenteeism and improve family health well being of citizens,” he said. Lewis revealed that the partnership through the Millennium Villages Project will bring hand washing with soap to nearly 500,000 people in 80 rural villages.
Children washing their hands during the Global Handwashing Day that was held last month. Washing hands with soap and water is known to reduce diseases affecting children. Picture: Reject Corresspondent
A Director at the Ministry of Education Margaret Thiongo said that the ministry has included the programme into the curriculum. “About 1,100 teachers from public and private schools have been trained on proper hand washing with soap and continue to pass the same knowledge
to their pupils,” she added. She called on the partners to consider expanding the programme to rural schools adding that they need the project more than schools in urban areas. The villages are based in Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Tanzania, Malawi, Mali, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal. Kenya has two millennium villages
Inclusion
Executive Director: Rosemary Okello Editor: Jane Godia
Project, a community initiative designed to achieve the MDGs by 2015 in Nyanza and North Eastern provinces. The Villages are supported by a global network of partners with the core science and policy leadership of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
Write to:
info@mdcafrica.org
Sub-Editors: Joyce Chimbi, Mercy Mumo, Carolyne Oyugi and Faith Muiruri Designer: Noel Lumbama
www.mdcafrica.org
Contributors: Yusuf Amin, Robert Wanjala, Duncan Mboyah, Ben Onyango, David Njagi, Funmi Balogun-Alexander, David Kimani, Kakai Masega, Joseph Mukubwa, David Njagi, Ben Oroko, Henry Owino, Robert Wanjala, Nicole Waithera, Diana Wanyonyi, Boniface Mulu, Henry Kahara, Charles Ng’eno, Ken Ndambu and Annie Waite.
The paper is produced with funds from