Reject Online Issue 92

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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November 1- 30, 2013

ISSUE 092

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

Tobacco dilemma Education, health suffers as cash crop’s industry reaps big

By HENRY OWINO Tobacco farmers in Western Kenya are a very frustrated lot. The per capita cigarette consumption in Kenya is said to be KSh200 per annum but the farmers have little to show for it.

However, even though the money is good, tobacco remains a challenge as it has a negative impact on the economy of the individual, community and the country as a whole.

According to Dorcas Kiptui, an official with the Ministry of Health, Division of Public Health and Sanitation, the ministry spends three times the amount paid by the industry in taxation to treat diseases that are as a result of tobacco use.

Risks

“The health costs of tobacco growing and consumption far outweigh the economic benefits, if any, derived from the industry,” says Kiptui. She adds: “This is an exploitation of farmers by tobacco industries, increased poverty and malnutrition and ill health in tobacco growing areas and communities.”

The average cost of a cigarette in Kenya is KSh5. An individual smoking a pack per day spends KSh3,000 per month. This amount is enough to pay secondary school fees in a dayschool for a term, or National Hospital Insurance Fund (NHIF) contribution at KSh160 per month for 18 people or basic computer packages for students.

A visit to tobacco growing areas of Kuria in Migori County reveal a life of poverty where children are forced to work in family farms.

This has been necessitated by the labour intensive nature of tobacco production, an action that has seen the children forfeit their education.

Debt

In this way, tobacco farmers are trapped in a never ending cycle of debt to the industry due to unequal trading relationship.

It contributes to rural poverty and food insecurity. Tobacco farmers are also exposed to se-

rious health and other socioeconomic risks.

In reality, tobacco growing areas are awash with women and children workers who are forced to support the family by working on the tobacco fields.

This action contravenes the Children Act which in Section 10 stipulates that every child shall be protected from economic exploitation and any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child’s education, or be harmful to the child’s health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development.

The general level of education in the area is low due to high school dropout rates.

Tobacco farmers also do not have protective gears resulting in increased health risks. Up to 65 per cent of medical consultations in Kuria District can be attributed to the production of tobacco that also includes home based processing.

Rosemary Adhiambo who is in her late 50s and has never smoked in her life. However, she has been exposed to tobacco fumes during curing and storage of tobacco leaf in her house. For about five years now, she has been suffering from tobacco related lung disease.

“My problem began as influenza but became persisted for more than one month and I became suspicious.

At the hospital, I was diagnosed

A tobacco farm in Western Kenya. Farmers are lamenting over the health risks they are exposing themselves to in the production of the cash crop yet very little financial return. Picture: Henry Owino with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). It is a lung condition where a person experiences an inability to exhale normally causing difficulty in breathing,” Adhiambo explains.

She has tried treating the problem

“The Ministry of Health spends three times the amount paid by the industry in taxation to treat diseases that are as a result of tobacco use.”

Dorcas Kiptui Programme Officer at Ministry of Health

for the past three years in vain.

So, when the tobacco industry indulges in corporate social responsibility, the question that begs is what is their responsibility on health, environment and socio-economic impact of their primary activity.

Tobacco companies are alleged to hide behind corporate social responsibility to enhance acceptability of their products.

The World Health Organization (WHO) considers corporate social responsibility by tobacco industry an inherent contradiction.

The land that tobacco has been grown for long losses its fertility and cannot yield any food crops to the community.

For example, maize and sweet potatoes that were once the

leading food crops are no longer giving bumper harvest to farmers.

Cane, the main cash crop in Migori County, is now losing the market due to tactical methods applied by tobacco companies to farmers to lure them to grow it in plenty. In reality, the amount spent in growing tobacco gets back to tobacco firms while the farmers spend the little they earn in treating themselves.

Tobacco continues to be treated as a legitimate cash crop due to the income generated from its production and export as well as employment created.

It is difficult to establish the exact amount of income generated through taxes to the Government through conflicting information supplied to different Government departments by the tobacco industry.

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

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ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

A small itch and a scratch, leaves a driver in nightmare

By OMONDI GWENGI Coiled on a mattress under a tree beside a granary at Chunga Village, Pala sub-Location, Siaya County, 52-year-old Peter Orwich Owuor writhes in pain.

Judging from the look on his face, Owuor is desperately trying to come to terms with the gruesome ordeal that he has endured for the past four years.

At this particular time that the exams are ongoing, Owuor would be tasked with transporting examination materials and the sound of a vehicle passing gives him bitter memories.

Past

“I would not have been here today because of the ongoing exams. Being a school driver, I would have been collecting and dispatching exam materials to various schools and in the end of the exams also transport them back to Nairobi,” he says.

However, this is no longer the case. Owuor has been disabled by what started as a simple itch that has now turned out to be a fatal skin disease which has forced him to spend most of his time tucked in bed. His family has also been adversely affected as he was the sole bread winner.

“I remember that fateful morning when I left for work but on arrival, the pain overwhelmed me and my colleagues rushed me to Lwak Health Centre,” Owuor recalls.

At the health facility, the doctors were not able to diagnose the problem. He went back home but the pain

persisted.

“It was only after a friend advised me to see a doctor at Kapiyo Dispensary that I was given a letter referring me to Bondo District Hospital,” he told The Reject.

Refer

When he visited the hospital two weeks ago, Owuor was treated and given medicine to ease the pain.

Pointing at his leg he says: “I was given an injection and this will go on for about six months. With a single injection every month, I am optimistic that the disease will be cured and that I will be able to resume work.”

At one time, the pain was unbearable Owuor had even opted to have his leg amputated.

“I have been a driver since 1978 and the fact that I cannot go about my job is really a great setback for me and my family who solely depend on

“I have been a driver since 1978 and the fact that I cannot go about my job is really a great setback for me and my family who solely depend on me.”

— Peter Orwich Owuor

Peter Orwich showing his foot that has given him sleepless nights. Pictures: Omondi Gwengi me,” laments the father of six.

Owuor says that the disease has come with a bag of misfortunes. He spends a lot of money on transport and treatment with the salary that his employer is paying him.

“Boarding a public vehicle is a problem and I am forced to use a motorcycle which is very expensive. Even though my employer still pays my salary, it is not enough considering the family

Family suffers injuries in dispute over land with chief

By MUSA MARANGA Two members from a family are seeking justice after a chief from their area assaulted them. As a result, 15 year old Evaline Nyabuto and her father, Nyabuto Obegi suffered panga cut injuries.

The administrator, Charles Juma of Getenga Location, Bosaga village, South Mugirango subCounty in Kisii County, is said to have attacked Obegi over a land dispute.

Evaline had rushed to the scene where violence broke to rescue her father who had been wrestled down by the chief.

It is claimed Juma is alleged to have assaulted the father and daughter after the residents raised alarm. The girl suffered a fractured right hand.

The duo was taken to Kisii Level 5 Hospital in Kisii County for treatment.

Obegi sustained panga (machete) cuts on the forehead, right hand and parts of his body. The 15-year-old girl is a Form One student at Ndonyo Mixed Secondary School.

Protest

The incident left area residents and family members in dismay as they rushed the causalities to hospital amid protests over the conduct of the chief who is also in-charge of security matters in the area.

Nyabuto who was attacked while he headed home from a kiosk near Bosaga Primary School, has now petitioned the authorities to protect him from the officer.

The 47-year-old victim narrated his ordeal to the media in Kisii town after he had been treated of panga cuts on the forehead and club swellings on several parts of his body.

Land issues in Kisii County continue to generate considerable heat due to area being densely populated.

Recently a member of Kisii County Assembly was caught on the wrong side of the law when he led a peaceful protest against intimidation from public officers.

They claimed that some chiefs had turned out to be extortionists as they play their role as key witnesses when transactions are done.

Arrest

Riana Member of County Assembly, Philip Motonu, who led the protest, was arrested and whisked away after Bomokora Assistant Chief Joseph Mosumari, called in police to rescue him.

A victim extortion, Thomas Nyang’au from a neighbouring sub-location claimed he was yet A father and his 15 year old daughter show to be refunded KSh10,000 from the sale of his their hands after they were assaulted by land by an administrator. their area chief. Mr. Samuel Nyabuto Obegi The protestors claimed that it was their constitutional right to highlight the harassment they and his daughter, Evaline Nyabuto are yet to underwent in the hands of the grassroots admin- receive justice. Below: A close-up of Samuel istrators on matters land.

Nyabuto Obegi. Pictures: Musa Maranga.

While meeting members of civil society groups, in Kisii town over the issue in the county, the Commission’s vice-chairman, Dr Samuel tion was leased the piece of land at KSh40,000, Tororei, had called for provision of specific evito facilitate his (victim) with employment, dence from the complainants. which he did not honour.

Concrete facts on land irregularities, reThe chief later sold the piece of land to his marked Tororei, will enable the Commission to brother who has refused to vacate it despite pleas take necessary action including referring it to from the family. courts of law and other state organs.

He stressed the need for members of the public to refrain from accusing one another falsely Nyabuto’s brother, Obara Obegi, who acand vet prospective employees to Land Registry companied him, confirmed existence of the and the Commission. dispute alleging that the family was being Nyabuto vowed to report to the area police harassed and could not get justice at Suguta station to and obtain a P3 Form, and vowed to Administration Police Camp or Etago Police demand back his piece of land allocated to him Station. by his father.

The chief could not immediately be reached The dispute ensued when the chief who had for comment, it is alleged he had sought medinot joined the former provincial administracal attention at the same facility.

Accompany

responsibilities that I still shoulder,” he laments.

Even though Owuor is experiencing some change, he is yet to be told by the doctors what is ailing him.

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Suzanna Owiyo

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Music diva leads campaign against food waste

By DAVID NJAGI As a performing artiste and song writer, Suzanna Owiyo certainly wears many hats but these feats pale into comparison against her growing list of responsibilities.

Her story is one that illuminates the problems that face Africa’s women and children — from growing up, to making a career and family choices — in a male dominated society.

However, even after weaving her way through such a troubled path to be the present UNEP National Goodwill Ambassador, the mother of one can still share with the world her humble beginnings.

Growth

Born in a village in Nyakach, Kisumu County, Owiyo says her career choice unfurled when she was growing up in Thika town, where she was a member of the church choir as well as drama and music club at Kenyatta Primary School.

She recalls that her inspiration may have been flared from watching Africa’s greatest female artistes performing on the Union of African National Television and Radio Organizations (URTNA) programme exchange.

“I used to put myself in their shoes trying to imagine that I was the one on that stage performing to a huge crowd,” says Owiyo. She adds: “I did not see this coming but I think when they say dreams do come true, I have come to believe that.”

However, it was not a walk in the park for this artiste whom fans also like referring to as the ‘Tracy Chapman of Africa’.

Her parents were keen to support her education but not her interest in

music, just as she found out when she completed her ‘O’ levels.

“I understood my parents at some point because music was not taken as an important career,” she says. “However, I fought it out alone and realised my dream of being on that stage. My parents now appreciate what I do,” she explains.

Number

The society is receptive too, and so the rewards kept coming, including being named the 46664 Ambassador.

This is a Nelson Mandela global campaign that supports human rights as well as HIV and AIDS awareness and prevention. She has graced it twice, in London and New York.

For someone who has enjoyed a string of great moments, however, performing during the late Prof Wangari Maathai’s crowning as the winner of the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize was one of the most memorable feats.

According to Owiyo, that event laid the foundation for her to begin developing an interest in activities that give back to the society.

“I found out that Maathai had endured so many obstacles to be where she was in advocating for issues affecting the environment,” Owiyo expounds. She adds: “So I asked myself how I could use my music skills to pass messages on environment.”

Her wish was answered almost a decade later when she was appointed the UNEP National Goodwill Ambassador on environment on February 21, 2013.

Earlier, UNEP had launched the Think Eat Save Reduce Your Foodprint campaign on food waste reduction. Owiyo was certain she could take it further.

This was how the Soko Bila Waste initiative, which translates into ‘markets without waste’ in English, was founded.

“I felt I should get involved and try to reach out to the public to see how I could help support the cause. My initiative focuses on how I can engage everybody in understanding the importance of reducing food waste,” she says.

On June 5 during the World Environment Day, Owiyo mobilized women personalities at Wakulima Market, in Nairobi, who turned up in large numbers.

“I wanted to know from the vendors the problems they face, if they are aware of food wastage and some of the solutions to help manage the problem,” she says. Owiyo expounds: “It was quite successful because the women personalities volunteered to support the initiative.”

After a vending and clean up exercise, Owiyo’s two-year campaign was born. It reaches out to local authorities in Kenya and beyond to rally for establishment of policies that reduce food waste.

In her more reflective moments, she likes to think of herself as a mother, something that has earned her epaulets as an advocate of women’s and children’s rights.

Show

Even before she showcased at Spain WOMEX festival in 2008 as one of the first Kenyans, Owiyo was already in the middle of campaigns on gender mainstreaming.

She worked with African music queens like Yvonne Chaka Chaka — both united in song, dance — and Plan International to generate interest in girl child education.

She also composed songs for the

Musicians Sussan Owiyo and Erick Wainaina when they were named the UNEP Goodwill Ambassadors early this year. Picture Courtesy Women Political Caucus, which was encouraging women to fight for their democratic space for better social and economic opportunities.

Perhaps, it is this trait that inspired her to search for more knowledge at Florida University, USA, in 2006.

The summer intensive course prepared her for a unique experience which equipped trainees with skills on how to use art to heal the sick.

The Florida experience proved helpful when she was invited to pay a visit to patients at Mater Hospital in Nairobi.

At the hospital, which is a few yards away from her recording studio offices, she discovered that creative expression

not only energises the strong but also the ailing who need tenderness too.

For one year, she sang her heart out to patients at the hospital and left the wards warm with happiness, even for the critically ill.

“I would meet some of them after they were discharged and they would exclaim how the music helped them to recover quickly,” recalls Owiyo.

The cheerful artiste of average build and youthful complexion says her success has not veered her from her duties as a mother and wife.

Her advice to aspiring role models is to stay focused, be patient and embrace determination.

Tobacco factory to be built in Tesoland

By HENRY OWINO The recent calls by tobacco farmers in Teso, Busia County for the County Government to construct a tobacco factory in the area is raising a storm.

Farmers are split with some demanding that the cash crop be banned in the area claiming it has no benefit to them because it was only benefiting outsiders and tobacco firms.

They argue that after growing, harvesting and curing tobacco, it is transported to Kiambu and Nairobi Counties for processing and export.

Changes

The farmers want that changed so that all revenue collected from crop and its products could circulate within Busia County for development.

Their representatives said they voted for the new Constitution because they wanted to benefit from a devolved system of government, revenue collection and allocation.

They are demanding for their own tobacco processing factory to be built within Busia County.

They have also decried sabotage from brokers who buy tobacco from them at lower prices and later sell it at exorbitant prices, making a quick kill at their expense.

They expect the processing factory to create wealth and job opportunities for the youth and their economy.

The demand comes shortly after Timothy Odende, the Busia County, Fisheries Officer, appealed to the residents to abandon tobacco farming and rear fish.

Odende regretted that only 1,525 people from the county have come up to take part in a fishing rearing project despite the government injecting KSh38 million.

“I am urging Busia County residents especially tobacco farmers to embrace fish farming to boost their income instead of dedicating their investments to tobacco with low returns.

Let us take part in the fishing project which I think is more profitable. Remember plans are underway to build fish processing factories in this county,” Odende urged.

Tobacco farming is highly labourintensive involving almost an entire family, leaving no room for growing food crops.

Children come in handy during cultivation and provide the work force as child labour.

However, Governor Sospeter Odeke Ojaamong, Busia County, says most tobacco growing areas are endowed

with fertile soils, adequate and consistent rainfall and can therefore support other alternative crops.

He said the county being the main entry point of Kenya and Uganda, it accounts for bulk of trade within the two countries.

“My strategy to disengage these farmers from tobacco farming is to introduce micro technical enterprises among young people,” said the Governor.

The Governor said other plans are underway to provide electricity at strategic shopping centers/points and start-up funds would be important towards diverting the attention of the farmers from tobacco to alternative economic viable crops.

Remit

“After all is said and done tobacco is one crop that is not adding value not only to the farmers but to the national government at large. Despite companies such as BAT remitting billions of money, national government through the Ministry of Health is using over thrice the amount given by these companies in treating tobacco related complications annually,” Ojaamong says.

On his part, Amos Wako, Busia Senator expressed concern that it was

unclear how much funds the Ministry of Environment was using to address the issue of deforestation caused by tobacco farmers.

“Today, tobacco is being grown by about 20,000 small-scale farmers over on 15,000 hectares of land nationally. Current annual production is estimated to be at least 16,000 tonnes. The National Government and other developing countries, treasures tobacco firms just because of the revenues they generate through taxes remitted,” Wako says.

“I remember before the Tobacco Act, BAT Kenya Ltd, one of the leading tobacco firms in the country, had a gross turn-over of over KSh10 billion and remitted over KSh6 billion as tax. During the same period, tobacco farmers in the country earned about Ksh900 million but today it is less,” Wako says.

On the other hand, farmers in Malakisi have stood their ground and given BAT and Mastermind Tobacco Companies an ultimatum to build tobacco processing plants in the area.

They argued that a lot of revenue from the crop goes to other counties other than their own.

Moses Ote, the Deputy Speaker, Busia County Assembly, is behind the famers saying that it was a pity

that farmers in the tobacco growing zones in Busia and Bungoma counties were being exploited by the big firms.

“Let me inform the two big tobacco firms that should they ignore our pleas then I will initiate a motion in the County Assembly to pass legislation to that effect,” Ote threatened.

“We cannot allow our farmers to burn their midnight oil to produce the crop and sell it to BAT and Mastermind and yet processing is done in Nairobi and Thika,” he vowed.

Ote also put Unilever on notice for using the Malaba and Busia Border points as export points for their products to the Great lakes region.

He said like BAT and Mastermind, Unilever and other related companies must establish a factory in Malaba instead of ferrying the finished product from Nairobi.

“We need the devolved system of government to benefit the locals in Busia County instead of watching from the periphery goods passing our territory and we gain nothing. We must make Busia County competitive, thus the need to set up all factories.

Imagine Mwea rice being sold in local supermarkets and yet we produce the same rice,” he added.

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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Activists demand Justice for Liz

By Carolyne Oyugi

Hundreds of women and men who have women’s interest at heart took to the streets to demonstrate against the manner in which the police in Kenya have been handling Gender Based Violence (GBV) and rape cases in particular.

The group that had collected more than 1.5 million signatures around the country and mobilized people from around the globe to do the same by signing online demanded for an audience with Inspector General David Kimaiyo so as to find a solution.

The march that was led by Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW), African Women’s Communication and Development Network (FEMNET), Africa UNiTE and Avaaz started from Freedom Corner, Uhuru Park, Nairobi ended at the Inspector General’s Office at Jogoo house where they presented the petition.

Address

However, Mr Kimaiyo did not meet them but they were addressed by Mr William Thwere Okello, a senior assistant commission of Police and the Chief of Staff at the Inspector General’s office.

Mr Okello received a petition signed by 1.2 million people spread across the globe calling for the arrests and prosecution of the suspects as well as disciplinary action taken against police officers who mishandled the case of the Standard Seven pupil when it was first reported at Tingolo Administration Police Camp in Butula on June 27.

Speaking after the presentation of the petition papers, Terry Kunina, Programme Associate, Advocacy and Campaign Management, COVAW, lamented that many victims f rape do not report because they do not trust the police.

“One in three women in Kenya will undergo Sexual Gender Based Violence in their lifetime. Out of those that are raped, only handful will report the case because of various reasons one of which being that they do not trust the police or the justice system to protect them. We are taking to the streets in solidarity with these women,” she said.

This habit of gang rape suspects going scot free is not only happening in Kenya, it is also in other parts of the world. Some of the examples that caught the world’s attention are : Zainab Mbabazi, 23, who was gang raped and sodomized by five Pakistan Investors who where employees of Yuasa Motors in Nakawa Uganda, a 23-year-old medical student who was gang raped by five men in South Delhi, India.

In Kenya the story is the

same. Liz, a 16 year old girl was gang raped by six men who later dumped her in a six feet latrine.

These are just some of the few examples of the extreme extent of rape cases. Some countries like India and Congo are among those that are notorious for gang rape.

Trauma

“FEMNET has set up the online petition that has been signed by over 1.5 million citizens across the globe and been mobilizing it’s networks and members across the continent to engage and demand action and Justice-for Liz, for Mbabazi and all victims and survivors of Gender Based Violence-to ensure that the culture of violence, impunity and lack of accountability becomes relics of the past rather than daily realities for millions on the continent.” Dinah Musinderwezo, Executive Director, FEMNET. 26th June 2013 is a day that Liz, a 16 year old girl in Bungoma would like to forget. The problem is that it will take her a long time or might never happen.

On that fateful day she was walking home from her grandfather’s funeral when she was attacked by 6 men one age 17, the others 18.They gang rapped her and threw her in a 6 feet latrine breaking her back and confining her to a wheelchair. The men dumped her thinking that that she was dead .Fortunately she was found by neighbors who rescued her from death.

The crime was reported at Tingolo Police Station in Busia. Her problems however did not end there because the police Station mishandled the case treating it as assault and hence the three rapists who she was able to identify were told to mow the police station lawn.

The case lay idle for months. Liz’s mother had to lease the family farm to afford the hospital. Then a newspaper reporter picked up the story; the activism that followed showcased a Kenya that is increasingly wired and middle class. Kenyans used Twitter and Facebook to bring media attention to the case.

Ordinary Kenyans donated money through mobile money-transfer campaigns to pay for Liz’s care.

After undergone treatment and overcoming her trauma the girl who is now commonly known as Liz gathered the courage to tell the public what really happened to her in details.

“It is a miracle that she survived the ordeal because when these men were done with her they definitely wanted her dead. That explains why you would through someone in a latrine,” Said Saida Ali Executive Director of the Coalition on Violence against Women

(COVAW).

Doctors say Liz will be able to walk again, thanks to back surgery. That’s not enough, though, says Saida.

“What we are demanding for is justice,” she says.

“So it’s very good that people step in and give money; however, the police still need to make an arrest. The prosecution and eventual punishment need to happen.”

Elizabeth’s case is just one of the many rape cases in Kenya that go unreported or end up being mishandled by the police.

Investigate

The police at Tingolo Police station did not do thorough investigation and were therefore lenient with the suspects.

Sitawa Wafula a gender activist and a survivor of rape is very disappointed by the type of punishment given to the suspects “slashing grass is not even enough for an assault case as the police claim.

They should have taken their time to investigate before deciding what to do with the suspects and releasing them.”

According to the sexual offences act 2006, Sec 8 (10) A person who commits an offence of defilement with a child between the age of sixteen and eighteen years is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than fifteen years.

The same documents clearly describes and gives punishment to gang rape as: (Sec 10)Any person who commits the offence of rape or defilement under this Act in association with another or others, or any person who, with common intention, is in the company of another or others who commit the offence of rape or defilement

is guilty of an offence termed gang rape and is liable upon conviction to imprisonment for a term of not less than fifteen years but which may be enhanced to imprisonment for life.

Activist Nebila Abdulmelik, who started the petition said: “It’s incredible that more one million people have backed the campaign calling for action on the rape of Liz. “The men that raped Liz must be arrested and the police officers who let them walk free must be held to account - this case has to be the Activists demonstrating in front of Inspector General’s office. moment when the culSaida Ali, Executive Director COVAW addressing the public ture of violence and imon what they have agreed with the Inspector General’s office. punity ends.”

Ngozi Nwosu, an Mr. William Okello, a senior assistant commission of Police and activist from Nigeria the Chief of Staff at the Inspector General’s office receiving the petition papers. Pictures: Carolyne Oyugi joining the march, says she was struck by how many Kenyan men were women to speak against rape,” alone. Kenya is doing well in marching. she says. “In Nigeria, women terms of standing up against “There are men joining are most likely [to] stand injustice.”

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

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Anti-rape campaigns gets a boost

By Carolyne Oyugi The Government Chemist has received a donation of the latest technology in DNA sampling to be used in DNA forensics.

The DNA kit was donated by two Kenyan companies: Africa Biosystems Limited and Life Technologies donated to the Kenya Government through Coalition of Violence Against Women (COVAW) and will be held in custody by the Government Chemist at Kenyatta National Hospital.

The firms were drawn to COVAW following the recent demonstration and public outrage about the gang – raping of a schoolgirl in Busia County by five youths who were arrested and given lenient sentences.

Collect

The kit will help in collecting evidence in the gang-rape of the Busia pupil for months ago, and other victims of sexual abuse.

Africa Biosystems Limited is the cutting-edge biotechnology company which distributes life technologies equipment for the East African region, and is a recognised leader in the world of Biotechnology.

The kit will be used in the collection and analysis of DNA to be used as evidence in criminal investigations cases.

Using DNA forensic techniques, DNA provides a record of a particular person being in a particular place, scene of crime, especially rape cases.

This includes use of samples like body fluids, blood and hair.

Each kit costs Ksh510, 000 and contains 200 samples that are set to take DNA profiling a notch higher and help law enforcement build strong cases against rape offenders.

Using that kit, the government chemist together with the police

will be guaranteed to bring rapists to book in less than three weeks.

“Together we will help gather evidence needed to prosecute Liz’s rapists and help other rape survivors. The evidence gathered using DNA technology can lead to convictions and ultimately is a way to seek justice for all women like Liz,” said Ms Amy Wahome from Africa Biosystems Limited.

Guarantee

Speaking during the presentation of the kit, Ali Gakweli, Deputy Chief Government Chemists, said it was challenging having only one operational chemist in Nairobi serving the whole country.

“Presently, all cases (from all over the country) are being referred to the Nairobi lab,” he said.

He was, however, quick to point out that the Government was working to set up a lab in Mombasa and in Kisumu.

“During such tests, time is usually the greatest constraint and since we have only one Government Chemist here in Nairobi it poses a great challenge,” he said.

Such equipments, the deputy Chief Chemists said, will be purchased by the Government which had made budgetary arrangement to purchase 30 equipments annually.

This donation comes after Kenyans demonstrated in the streets demanding for justice after three men who were accused of rape were given grass to cut as their punishment.

Confirm

The office also confirmed that the much awaited data bank had not gone beyond legislation. When implemented, the data bank is set to help law enforcers as it will make the identification of sexual offenders much

easier and increase efforts of curbing the crime.

Speaking during the kit handing over ceremony, Africa Biosystems Limited Managing director Yasmin Verjee said: “The kit makes multiple copies of DNA and the markers of the DNA are analysed. This technology is important because it uses on a very small biological sample to get a DNA profile for analysis. This will help prosecute perpetrators of this heinous crime.”

The implication of this technology is that small amounts of evidence are required to make a conclusive identification of the culprit guaran-

Africa Biosystems’ Amy Wahome, forensic specialist, donates a DNA kit from Life Technologies to Kenya Government Chemist.

The kit will help identify and prosecute perpetrators of rape.

Pictures: Carolyne Oyugi teeing a conviction when they are brought to justice.

Lydia Muthiani, Deputy Director Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) decried escalating cases of rape saying: “No girl or woman should be allowed to suffer and those found culpable should be punished for their crime.”

Muthiani described as unfortunate, remarks by police that it would

be difficult to link the suspects of the 16-year old girl with rape because the crime was allegedly reported late.

The suspects in the June 26th attack are yet to get arrested.

Studies indicate that eight out of 10 women and girls in Kenya experience some form of sexual violence and do not receive justice as the offenders walk away due to lack of evidence.

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ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Why Kilifi residents want the rains to go away

By ANTHONY ZOKA To residents of Rabai in Kilifi County, the rainy season is not something that they look forward to.

To them, it is a season of floods, misery, serious inconveniences as far as transportation and death are concerned.

It is early Monday morning, the drought that had persisted in Rabai is over because it has been raining all weekend.

The dust is no more, in its place is thick mud and red water.

The children need to be in school on time, so they have to run, but there is a problem. Their school is located across a seasonal river.

Terror

Today, no one will go past that river.

After two days of continuous raining, it is swollen right into the homesteads of the residents living by its banks.

That is the predicament of Jimba in Rabai in Kilifi County. The area is surrounded by seasonal rivers Chitswa cha Mkamba and Jimba River (Darajani) that render exit or entry into the area almost impossible.

Jimba village is 13 square kilometres with a population of about 5,600 people, according to the 2009 census.

It is an area surrounded by two rivers at both sides of the road and when it rains the rivers normally cut communication due to flooding thus affecting learning and all other activities in the area.

Residents are forced to face difficulties in their daily activities, with politicians using the poor road network to woo voters.

Poor infrastructure in the area has affected learning for some of the students and teachers who wade through the rivers to get to their various learning institutions away from the area.

Many children living in the area attend school in the nearby Jimba primary and or secondary schools while others cross to other side of the rivers to quench their thirst for education in neighbouring schools. During the start of the second term, children and teachers from Jimba schools are forced to extend their holiday by a

week after heavy rains and floods make communication impossible.

A spot check revealed that only two teachers were present out of the 13, none of the students showed up. But some were spotted risking their lives fishing in the rivers.

Speaking at the school compound, the primary head teacher, Pascal Mwambaji, said learning had been adversely affected.

“Since independence we have been forced to suspend learning due to the swollen rivers which affects classes and our ability to cover the syllabus,” explains Mwambaji.

He reveals that in 2008, the school lost a child who was carried away by floods as he tried to cross a river on his way to school.

Mwambaji notes that since 2006 to date, all Jimba Primary School candidates have been forced sit for the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) examinations in neighbouring schools despite Jimba being one of the registered centres.

“We are forced to do this to ensure we are not locked out of the exams.

In 2006 the pupils were forced to find refuge from well wishers after their KCPE examination as the rivers were still swollen, this caused panic among many parents,” explains Mwambaji.

The residents, who spoke to the Reject, said that the flooded rivers could last for over two weeks a situation that makes it difficult to survive as they face the risk of starvation after consuming all the food items in the available shops.

Our survey revealed that business people make a kill during the rainy season as they hike prices of essential commodities like sugar, tea, rice and flour.

Meanwhile, Kilifi County deputy commissioner, Caroline Nzwili, has challenged elected leaders in Rabai to focus on improving infrastructure in the area.

“If we continue to group ourselves based on our political party we will not achieve anything. People came out in large numbers and elected you peacefully during the General Election, they have confidence in you and you must deliver to their expectation,” Nzwili

appealed.

River Darajani cuts across Kibaokiche-Shika Adabu road. The poor state of the road is now attracting insecurity cases particularly at night where incidents of cattle rustling have been reported.

The area assistant chief, Isaac Mkando, has now embarked on campaigns to strengthen community policing by involving the residents.

Develop

“We have voted in leaders since independence who have failed to bring us development. So why should we bother to vote?” posed 75-year old Dama Kazungu, a Jimba resident.

During the rainy season, the best means of transport in the area is walking for about two hours to the nearest bus stop to enable one get public means as the road is too rough and slippery for the boda-bodas which are the means of transport charging between KSh150 and KSh250 per trip.

“The distance may not be long but we are forced to charge this much as we use more fuel due to the poor state of the rood,” said Juma Bozo, a bodaboda operator.

School children crossing a seasonal river to reach their school. The floods in Rabai has become a stumbling block to development in Kilifi County. Pictures: Anthony Zoka

Ambitious housing plan for teachers

By OMAR MWALAGO

Teachers in Kwale County will no longer suffer from lack of housing.

The Kwale County government has announced plans to roll out a lowcost housing program for teachers in the area as a way of improving education in the area.

Governor Salim Mvurya and his education executive officer Mangale Munga Chiforomodo say the ambitious project will enable teachers to concentrate and ensure that their students excel in their studies and examinations.

Assurance

“When we say the houses will be cheap it does not mean they will be shanty. They are good houses but cheaper because the county government is prioritizing education,” Munga says.

He noted that many teachers in the area travel a long distance to their schools and affects their performance

in delivering services to the students.

Mangale assured teachers that electricity would be installed in the houses since Rural Electrification Authority was already doing the same in all schools in the region.

He was addressing teachers at Kinango Secondary school during its annual general meeting for Kinango KNUT branch.

The executive officer said the County government had contributed KSh100 million for the installation of electricity in all schools while Rural Electrification Authority had also contributed KSh100 million for the same purpose.

“We as the county government have a plan for the teachers, we want to make sure that we address the issue of housing for those who are from far flung areas where we do not have accommodation,” says Mangale.

The proposed houses would be constructed in areas where there is electricity because Rural Electrification Authority has given a budget of

Kwale County governor Salim Mvurya addressing teachers during annual general meeting.

Picture Omar Mwalago a hundred million for Kwale County and county government has also contributed another a hundred million for that project to be completed,” he added.

His sentiments were echoed by Governor Mvurya who said that many teachers live far away from their

respective schools and therefore making it difficult for them to dedicate most of their time to pupils.

“We want the teachers to be near schools so that they can attend to students whenever they want because it is by so doing that the education standards in this area will be uplifted,’ he said.

The comprehensive partnership with Rural Electrification Authority would ensure all primary and secondary schools in Kwale County had electricity.

Employ

“In line with that the county government will also try to build infrastructure, especially for Early Childhood Education, because 50 years since independence there are schools where they learn under trees which is not good for good performance,’ he added.

Mvurya added that his government would also employ the ECD teachers in nursery schools as a way of improving child education.

“My government will improve education sector in the County as this sectors is the key in contributing to the objectives of our national development blueprint, the Vision 2030 and in this financial year budget of 2013/2014 my Government has set aside Ksh 321,190,595 for education sector, money that will consider employment of nursery school teachers and bursary for students,” said the Governor.

Mr. Mvurya added that the access to good education service has a direct impact to the quality and quantity of people available to engage in development. He said that the county government intends to provide students who qualify to go to national schools with bursaries as one of the deliberate efforts to ensure no child misses out the opportunity to learn.

“My county government will provide students who qualify to go to national schools with bursaries as one of the deliberate efforts to ensure that no child misses out the opportunity to learn,” He said.

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

7

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Revolutionary stove to save forests

By ANTHONY ZOKA Days of Mama Kache and fellow women depending on wood fuel for cooking are numbered.

She is coughing while rubbing her eyes. She emerges from the kitchen door in a cloud of smoke, apologizes for taking long to come out, and then greets us by the handshake.

This is the scenario in many households in Africa. Indeed, research by World Bank reveals that Kenya’s annual demand for fuel to cook exceeds 1.6million tons a year.

According to statistics from Kenya Forest Service, over 80 per cent of urban and 50 per cent of rural dwellers use fuel to cook with many women heavily relying on firewood as their source of cooking fuel.

However this demand might soon be reduced if the new innovation at the Kenya Forest Research Institute is anything to go by. They have come up with an improved jiko (cooker) that produces minimal smoke.

The jiko has many names, micro-gas-fire stove or clean- stove and has been tested and piloted in other parts of the country in the following counties: Narok, Kakamega, Nyamira and Nairobi.

Samson Mogire, the dissemination officer at the forest products research centre in Karura, says the stove uses agricultural waste and forest/ timber by-products.

“This stove uses little volume of fuel and can be used in warming the house, cooking with clean gas for about an hour. It is designed for a family of five,” he reveals.

The stove can be made locally from normal iron sheets with a wooden handle and unlike other stoves, depending on the residual produce used; it produces briquettes as by products which can be used for cooking with a normal charcoal jiko.

According to Mogira, bamboo is the best to use with the micro gas fire stove as the briquettes produced can be used in purifying drinking water.

The stove has primary and secondary air inlet which, according to experts, they allow air into the fuel chamber in a process called pyrolysis, instead of fully composition making it suitable for cooking with no smoke.

Research

According World Health Organisation, kitchen smoke is a serious killer, second to HIV/ Aids and a research by “Global Burden of disease 2010” reveals That about 4 million deaths occur globally from household cooking smoke each year.

The research reveals a shift from communi-

house hold will increase efficiency by 50 per cent and the byproducts of the agricultural waste can be used for other purposes unlike the other charcoal jiko that produces only ash,” he said.

Waste

Samson Mogira from KEFRI explaining how to use the new clean stove. The stove uses little fuel and produce less smoke. Pictures: Anthony Zoka cable children’s diseases to non-communicable disease in adult populations as a major health threat affecting developing countries with smoke playing a key role.

“The cooking problem is compounded by the fact that achieving a 50 per cent reduction in cooking smoke does not correlate to a 50 per cent reduction in respiratory disease. Substantial smoke reduction is required to see significant improvement,” reveals the research.

Around 3 billion people cook and heat their homes using open fires and leaky stoves burning biomass (wood, animal dung and crop waste) and coal.

According to Chemuku Wekesa, an ecologist at KeFRI in Gede, Kilifi County, there is need for alternative measures of charcoal production particularly from timber by-products to save the environment and the water catchment areas.

“Adoption of the micro gas fire stove into

Wekesa added that the use of agricultural waste and other timber by-products will reduce the rate at which the country is losing its ground cover for charcoal.

The environmentalist says that Kilifi County is among the best in forest coverage with preserved forest being Arabuko Sokoke with Taita Taveta being the worst affected by environmental degradation.

“A management team which brings together government agencies and the local communities to manage the forest and with the help of the mangrove eco-system along the creek makes Kilifi County to be one of the well forested areas at the coast compared to other Counties,” said Wekesa.

Statistics at KeFRI reveal that about 95 per cent of the initial forest cover has been lost in the last 50 years with the major factor driving the degradation being increase in population hence pushing the expansion of land for agriculture and charcoal-burning.

Environmentalist revealed that in Taita Taveta, forests have been fragmented into small portions up to the hill tops as many are concentrated in some high potential areas rich in agriculture where rainfall is high as compared to the low lying areas which are dry.

In Kenya despite having the Forest Act in place, people have been engaging in illegal logging.

“With the Forest Act in place, the Government recognises charcoal-burning as a legal enterprise so that people can invest in it, plant trees specifically for charcoal production, develop technology that will improve recovery rates and provide a commodity market,” KFS officials said.

Under the new rules, the Forestry Service will also promote the best tree species for charcoal production and efficient technologies, including high carbonization rate kilns for production.

To have the innovation on the new micro gas fire stove spread wings across the nation, plans are underway to train at least 15 artisans from the Coast region to act as trainers of trainers to cascade the project to the grassroots.

Mogira says that project aims to improve the environment, create jobs, and wealth as each fire stoves will be sold at KSh1500.

According to KeFRI officials plans are at advanced stage to ensure the technology is widely spread across the country.

Trans-Nzoia County no longer Kenya’s granary

By Abisai Amugune Farmers in Trans Nzoia used to be one of the happiest in the country, thanks to regular bumper harvests and a surplus in milk production.

But those days are gone as farmers in the breadbasket of the country suffer from the vagaries of the weather, high cost of farm inputs and frustrating markets.

Indeed, John Kituyi recalls 15 years ago when he could comfortably relax and enjoy a drink with friends at a local Kitale restaurant after delivering his maize harvest at the depot of the National Cereals and Produce Board.

Loss

Today, the large scale farmer at his Rengecha farm is counting his losses and wondering whether he should continue with the venture as a commercial project.

A similar story is shared by his neighbor, Patrick Kimeli, who is a

dairy farmer from Cherangany constituency, and has seen better days.

Dairy farming at that time was a booming business that it attracted most residents – both small – scale and large – scale.

Kituyi a government agriculturalist and a one – time best farmer at a past Nakuru Agriculture Society of Kenya show recalls that farmers who delivered their maize harvest to NCPB were paid promptly.

Says Kituyi: “There was little room for middlemen to exploit farmers.

There were no long queues of loaded lorries being driven directly to our farms seeking for maize. That is when we could declare ourselves self-reliant?”

And for Kimeli, his main market was the then Kenya Co-operative Creameries KCC – renamed New KCC – which gave competitive and favorable prices for his milk produce.

But Kimeli is now worried that with the coming of changes in the

dairy sub-sector, the dairy farmers is left to fight for his or her own survival.

Impose

For example, Kimeli says the newly – imposed VAT within the sector was really hurting dairy farmers while favouring milk hawkers who were exempt from that tax.

Things are not rosy for maize seed growers either. Most maize seed producers have had to either change to other crop production or abandon the business completely because of the natural calamities and intricacies involved in the seed industry.

Meanwhile, Kenya Seed Company, which produces nearly 80 percent of seed production in the country, has switched to irrigation schemes and areas outside North Rift region for the valuable crop owing to the scarcity of land for seed production.

Despite KSC sealing loopholes in the distribution of certified seeds, some farmers are being misled by un-

scrupulous traders.

During this year’s North Rift ASK, the above issues were raised and reviewed by the leaders and stakeholders who ventilated their frustrations.

Governor Patrick Khaemba supporting the farmers saying farmers in the County had suffered enough and the area was no longer the “bread basket of Kenya,” Khaemba regretted that maize production had dropped drastically, while the pricing of the crop was low in addition to the delay in supply and lack fertilisers.

Effect

The Governor cited an announcement by Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture Felix Koskei to the effect that that the Government would purchase 1m bags of maize out of the expected 3 million bags harvest.

Khaemba says that he plans to promote a modern agricultural economy where stakeholders and investors will

focus on boosting revenue and job creation.

In line with that, the Governor says he has already identified an investor in the food-chain industry who will cash in on the available the raw products.

To avoid dependence on maize production, the governor intends to introduce horticultural activities to diversify and create more opportunities and wealth in the area.

On procurement of fertilisers, the Trans Nzoia County government plans to enter into a partnership with the business community in the area.

With a projected revenue collection of Shs400m, as indicated by Finance Executive Andrew Wanyonyi, and the streamlining of their staff, Trans-Nzoia government seems Wanyonyi, says: “We plan to put in place a proper and sound financial and procurement systems, efficient service delivery and revenue collection and transparent revenue expenditure as soon as possible.”

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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Tied to tradition even in death One year later Loise Mumbe’s soul laid to rest

By REJECT CORRESPONDENT Even as debates on the proposed Marriage Bill continue to take shape, it remains clear that the issue of marriage and the circumstances under which one presents themselves to the public as husband and wife, may also define when they are buried and even who buries them.

In Kitui County, the family of Loise Mumbe, a former teacher at Mwingi Special School, is still recovering from the cost of huge mortuary and court fees following a one year burial wrangle.

Mumbe died of gallstones at Nairobi West Hospital, on October 16, 2012, but her remains had to be kept in the morgue as the wheels of justice rolled at slow motion.

The case was filed at the Mwingi magistrate’s court by Daniel Kimanzi, insisting that he was her first and only husband.

Acrimony

However, this was contested by David Mwendwa, who stated that he was Mumbe’s second husband with whom he had sired a nine-year-old son.

While the two men in her life were feuding over who among them was the legitimate husband, the mortuary bill shot up to a staggering Sh700,000.

The major bone of contention was whether her first marriage to Kimanzi through Kamba traditional law applied even after she had divorced him and was re-married to Mwendwa in a Catholic Church.

The burial wrangle caught most residents of Mutwangombe area of Mwingi Central District by surprise and was the talk of the area in every village and market place throughout the proceedings.

Says Mwendwa: “It has been a long,

painful and traumatising journey that took a toll on the children’s performance in school. Due to lack of concentration and focus at my work station, I received my first warning letter.”

The deceased’s long stay in mortuary was triggered by a civil suit filed

by Mumbe’s first husband whom they married in 1986 but divorced in 2011. In 2002, Mumbe separated from Kimanzi, and filed for divorce in 2009.

Her wish was granted in 2011 when the marriage was dissolved.

When she died, Kimanzi moved to Mwingi Law Courts where he sought an injunction to stop Mwendwa and Mumbe’s family from burying her.

During the tension-packed proceedings, Kimanzi told the court that Mumbe was still his wife according to Kamba tradition since all rites of nullifying their traditional the marriage had not been conducted.

Mumbe and Kimanzi married under Kamba customary law in 1986 during which period they were blessed with three children. They later solemnised their marriage at Kiomo Catholic Church on December 28, 1996.

However, in 2002 they separated after Mumbe filed for divorce in 2009 citing cruelty and adultery. The marriage was dissolved in 2011 by Mwingi Principal Magistrate Hezron Nyaberi.

It is during their period of separation that Mumbe met and fell in love with Mwendwa who also became her business partner.

In his testimony, Mwendwa said: “We lived as a man and wife only waiting to formalise our union. However, she died before we could do so but I regarded her as my wife.”

On May 8, 2013, Mwingi Senior Resident Magistrate Victor Otieno, who relied heavily on Kamba customs, ruled in Kimanzi’s favour hold-

Family members viewing Loise Mombe’s body before burial. It took the family one year to finally put her body to rest.

Pictures: Reject Correspondent ing that the traditional marriage was still valid.

The magistrate noted that even though Mumbe and Kimanzi solemnised their marriage in church, the customary marriage preceded the Christian one and took precedent since all rites of renouncing the customary marriage were never performed.

Contend

Otieno also added that the second marriage to Mwendwa was unlawful since it did not comply with traditional rites of dissolving the first marriage, namely refund of dowry (Nzeo) as explained by Kamba traditional experts.

However, Mumbe’s family contested the court’s ruling at Garissa High Court where Justice Stella Mutuku quashed

the ruling on October 1, 2013.

“When the Mumbe and her first husband chose to solemnise their customary marriage in church, they chose to have their marriage governed by a statute known as The African Christian Marriage and Divorce Act Cap 151 of the laws of Kenya, a move that removed their marriage from the ambit of Kamba customary law,” Mutuku ruled.

She noted that when Mumbe sought for divorce, she sought to dissolve her Christian marriage which was now governed under the statutory law, adding that the divorce was legally granted.

The judge said that that the lower court handled the matter in a casual manner and that the magistrate was wrong to find that customary mar-

riage takes precedent over statutory marriage, and gave the family of the deceased the right to bury the body.

At the end of the judgment, the court slapped Kimanzi with a KSh700, 000 fee to go towards paying mortuary charges.

Free sanitary towels to keep girls in school

By Omar Mwalago Over 500 school girls in Kwale County have benefited from a full year sponsorship of sanitary towel from Kwale Welfare Education Association (KWEA) a community based organization and One Heart in Time organization.

The program was officially launched in this month of November at Golini primary School in Kwale and targeting class seven girls expected to sit for their KCPE exams next year.

The girls according to chairman of the organization (KWEA) Mohamed Mwachausa said that they got full year sponsorship of the sanitary towels as a way of improving girl child education in the county.

He said most of the time many girls fail in their exams because a lot of time is wasted at home during their menstruation period due to lack of sanitary towels.

“Those girls expected to be in class eight next year are our target and we want to ensure they don’t miss classes at all and therefore everyone will have full sanitary towels for the whole year until they are done with their final exam,’ said Mwachausa.

Speaking at Golini primary school

when they officially launched the exercise Mwachausa said that they will use all means to uplift the education standards of girl child and boys in the area.

Primary Schools that benefited from the sponsorship program of sanitary towels are Golini, Mwache, MenzMwenye, Milalani and Muhaka among others.

Demand

“We want to get in the map of Kenya on education and now we have started the journey. Poverty is not a reason for someone to fail in education and therefore we encourage all children to take seriously their studies,’ he said.

He said they also sponsor three mock exams for class eight candidates in each term to prepare them to sit for their examination without panic.

Mwachausa said that they target to sponsor all class eight candidates in the region once they get more well wishers to assist them.

Mwanakombo Abdallah a pupil who during the event lauded the organization for coming in to assist them expressing confidence that the sponsorship will help them stay in school all the time even during their periods.

“It is true we waste a lot of time at

Golini primary school girls in Matuga receives sanitary towels from KWEA and One Heart in time organizations, 4th left, Kwale county Governor Salim Mvurya. Picture: Omar Mwalago home because we feel embarrassed during that period but since now sanitary towels are here for us we promise good results next year because our time will be fully dedicated to studies,” she said.

Mwanakombo narrated that the organization has helped in curbing the situation of early pregnancies among the school girls as many of them are forced to enter in a relationship with

men who will buy them sanitary towel and soaps as many of them are too shy to ask from their parents and also some of the parents are not able to afford due to poverty.

“Most of my fellow girls are too shy to ask their parents especially their father for sanitary towel so most of the time they don’t attend classes and this force most of the girls to enter in rela-

tionship with old men who will give them support by buying sanitary towel and soaps,” said Mwanakombo.

Governor Salim Mvurya and his deputy Fatuma Achani who attended the function assured residents of their commitment in ensuring education standards are moved to another level in the area.

“Parents play your part as well as children and we are playing ours, bursaries are there no any child should remain home because there is no money,” said Achani.

Governor Mvurya said that the time has come for Kwale to perform well and there is no any other option apart from improving education performance.

“Our children are not in school for experiment purpose they are there to perform well and therefore everyone should work hard towards improving our grades,” he said.

Kwale county director of education Juma Mwatenga urged parents to encourage their children to aim higher and especially go to university level.

“Without having university studies there is nowhere we will be moving to and so let us work together and help our children,” he said.

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

9

Grandmother’s giving hand

By Malachi Motano Meet Mama Sara Obama. The 91-year-old grandmother who believes that education is the hope for one’s future. She shares with Malachi Motano on her struggles to improve the plight of children in Kogelo.

“Even though during our time many people did not go to school, education remains the light in one’s life. And it is because I did not get that opportunity that is why I am struggling to help our grandchildren to benefit from education,” she explains.

Mama Sara, a nickname she got from serving as mother to hundreds of children who needed some extra love and care, has been supporting children in need since she got married to President Barrack Obama’s Kenyan grandfather. For over 40 years, dozens of children have lived in her home, and hundreds of others have received help through the Mama Sara Obama Children’s Foundation. Most of the children had lost one or both parents to HIV or are living in dire poverty. Her focus has always been education and making sure that the children have enough to eat.

drome. Mama Sara also continues to care for children in her own home, including five who lost their fathers.

Although since President Obama’s election, little has changed at the Obama Farm in Kogelo. The government brought electricity to the village the day after the election and set up a police patrol base nearby. However, there is still no running water and most roads remain unpaved.

Register

The greatest change for Mama Sara has been heightened interest in her work. Increased donations allowed her to formally register the Foundation and increase the number of children she assists. The Foundation now provides medical and educational support to 83 orphans attending Senator Obama Primary School and 28 orphans at the Senator Obama Secondary School.

Mama Sara is also reaching out into the village to build a kindergarten and repair classrooms at the schools which have been named in honour of her grandson, the US President.

That is the cost of being the grandmother to the world’s most powerful president.

Change

“I am helping these children to be in charge of their lives,” says Mama Sara. “I am doing this to help them avoid being street children. The most important thing is for them to go to school.”

The need in Kogelo is so great that the Foundation only assists one orphan per household. The aim is to help families to avoid being trapped in a dependency syn-

Mama Sarah Obama with some of the children that she takes care of. Mama Sara believes that education is the key to a bright future and she is making sure that ophans in her area attend school. Picture: Malachi Motano.

Good Samaritan goes to the rescue of incest survivor

By LEONARD BARNGETUNY Cases of gender based violence are still worrying despite the passing and enactment of the famous Sexual Offences Act in 2006.

Nolari, 16, is a victim of incest and has a harrowing tale. When she dropped out of school early this year after she was defiled and impregnated, many thought her education path had hit a dead end.

What complicated her case even more was the mystery surrounding her pregnancy with her father being accused of ‘planting the seed’.

Mary was forced to drop out of class six at Poroko Primary School in Kilgoris after she could no longer stand the jeers from her peers.

Manage

Having managed to give birth safely two months ago, the teenager still showed determination to go back to school.

However, with no one to pay her school fees or look after her baby, Mary opted to suspend her education ambition.

Her school’s head teacher, Daniel Kipsanga, says she is a very bright girl brilliant and was always above average in her performance.

However, unknown to her, luck knocked her door recently when a well-wisher who had been touched by her traumatic experience published in a section of the media, went to her rescue.

David Kikwai, district pastor Sev-

enth Day Adventist Church in Kilgoris, visited Nolari’s rural home at Olepolosi village in Kilgoris where he delivered the good news.

Kikwai offered to take the girl back to a boarding school and cater for all her tuition fees and maintenance until she completes her secondary education.

“Her story is a pity and perhaps one among the many incidents which are concealed in several parts of the region. Early pregnancies and forced early marriages are threatening to destroy the future of our girls and it is time we rose and declared war against these vices,” said Kikwai.

Urge

He noted that girls’ education in the region was under threat and urged the county government of Narok to consider putting up more boarding schools in the area as part of strategies to offer refuge to the many distraught girls.

Nolari accepted the offer and promised to soldier on with her education till she attains her dream of becoming a journalist.

Asked why she chose to become a journalist, the soft spoken girl said the profession would give her a platform to discuss, expose and find

David Kikwai, district pastor Seventh Day Adventist Church in Kilgoris, visits Nolari’s rural home at Olepolosi village in Kilgoris where he delivered the good news that she can go back to school. Pictures: Leonard Barngetuny solutions to the myriad of challenges facing the Maasai girls, especially Female Genital Mutilation(FGM), forced early marriages and early pregnancies.

“Hundreds of my fellow col-

leagues are suffering in silence since most of these retrogressive practices are undertaken in top secrecy and with a lot of coercion,” says Nolari.

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Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Citizen participation key to success in devolved government

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Kenya launches first unique population report

By Duncan Mboyah Kenya has launched a Population Situation Analysis (PSA) report that is expected to help in policy formulation and implementation of development initiatives.

The PSA is the first to be launched in Africa.

The report was developed by the National Council of Population Development (NCPD) and the Nairobi University’s Population Studies and Research Institute (PSRI) and documents the well being of the Kenyan society and points out challenges and opportunities presented by population dynamics.

“The previous population reports were looking at population growth only, but PSA has gone further and now includes individuals’ well being and how it affects people and gives recommendations to the government,” the Director of PSRI Prof Lawrence Ikamari said during a media briefing at a Nairobi hotel.

Affect

By HENRY KAHARA Days of sitting on the fence and watching leaders lording over the citizenry are gone with the old Constitution.

Now the supreme law gives every citizen the right to attend and participate in the budget-making process of their national and county Governments as well.

Indeed, public participation is now a political principle, which is underpinned in the Constitution and recognised as an important right.

Demand

The Constitution requires all the 47 county assemblies to facilitate public participation in its business.

Article 196 (1) (b) of the Kenyan Constitution requires that the county assemblies facilitate public participation in the legislative and other business of the assembly.

In an exclusive interview with Paddy Onyango, a member of task force on devolved government, civic education is lacking to the citizens.

“Many people do not understand this document. They have not read it, so they do not know their role. Lack of civic education has contributed to this mess,” says Onyango.

In the 2013/2014 budget, the Government did not allocate funds for civic education to the body which was mandated to carry out this duty. This resulted in abrupt stoppage of the training which they were conducting.

Initially civic education was conducted by Kenya National Integrated Civic Education (KNICE), a department hosted by Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs in the grand coalition Government, but since the Jubilee government took over in March, this year, the body is now under the office of the Attorney-General.

Onyango says civic education has not been given the attention it deserves leading to insufficient or skewed information to the public.

“At the same time the media is no longer teaching the public about the Constitution. Everybody assumes he or she knows the document, but the truth is that only a few people understand this document,” he says.

According Hussein Jauso, a resident of Kibera, the County Government is supposed to take debates to the ward levels to promote and allow for partici-

Participants taking part in a public participation forum in Kibera, Nairobi.

The constitution emphasizes on the importance of public participation before key decisions are made. Pictures: Henry Kahara pation from the public.

“If public participation in the current Government is to improve, the government has to look for ways to reach out to the common citizens at the grassroots.

We have to take these debates to where the public feel free to speak their mind freely,” says Jauso.

He argues that all Nairobi County citizens cannot afford to travel and fit into Charter Hall for a budget-making meeting.

Participate

He adds: “At the same time everyone cannot get a chance to speak at Charter Hall and we need more people to be given a chance to express their opinion freely without fear or intimidation.”

Jauso gives an example of Kibera slums where the residents need basic things like toilets while Buru Buru residents are in need of good roads.

He was speaking at a meeting organised by African Woman and Feature Services (AWC) supported by the Ford Foundation that brought together women leaders, opinion shapers, community members and journalists from Nairobi County to deliberate on issues in the County and how they can participate in the management of county business.

According to Jane Godia, Managing Editor at African Woman and Feature Services “it’s only through public participation that the equity principle will be

achieved”.

When public is involved in the budgeting process, resources are properly utilized and this translates to development and poverty eradication.

“At the same time women’s participation in the budget-making process will help in ensuring that it will be a gender sensitive budget,” explains Godia.

A gender-sensitive-budget will help women to have a say on issues affecting them and the problems they go through in their daily lives.

“Women have special needs which are supposed to be integrated in the budget such as reproductive health issues like maternity and family planning,” said Godia.

Furthermore the national and County Governments must set aside funds for the purchase of sanitary towels for school girls, many of who cannot afford.

According to Godia, the county and the National Government budget should meet Abuja Declaration which states that at least 15 per cent of national budgets should be set aside for the health by African Union member states.

The move was reached in 2001 during an African Union meeting where presidents and heads of Government pledged to increase funding accordingly.

The Abuja Declaration came after realisation that most African states will not be on track in meeting the health Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

Prof Ikamari noted that the new analysis will help the public know how population affects their lives.

He said that the analysis had captured how Government plans such as Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) lack informative data on population issues that affect them.

“The analysis also raises the need to consider inequality and human rights approach to development planning in Kenya,” the director says.

That analysis had been used previously in Asian continent and that Kenya is the first country to develop it in Africa.

According to Dr Richard Ayah, a lecturer at Nairobi University’s School of Public Health, the Government needs to increase funds for family planning instead of leaving the role to donors.

“It is important that human resource is equitably distributed in the country, currently Nairobi County has 2,000 medical doctors while Mandera County has a paltry six,” Dr Ayah said.

According to Francis Kundu, an Assistant Director at the National Council of Population and Development (NCPD) with appropriate action need to be taken to slow down the pace of population increase while at the same time enhancing socioeconomic development.

“Some countries in Asia that were in Kenya’s situation have managed to turn their rapidly growing population into vehicles for socio-economic transformation,” the Assistant Director said.

Kundu observed that the development can be done through scaling up investments in both economic and social sectors to help create job opportunities for the upcoming school leavers and those in search of employment.

Despite Kenya’s significant progress in access to and utilization of reproductive health services in the past, progress has been slow in the past decade.

Trend

The analysis shows changing trends regarding fertility decline in Kenya, with initial rapid decline followed by a stall.

“The stalls in fertility were due to the levelling off in contraceptive use and a decline in the proportion of women who want no more children,” Mr John Anampiu from NCPD said.

Anampiu observed that the social and economic approaches attributed to the stalls to declines in the level of development, as reflected in changes in women’s education, infant and child mortality.

“The diversion by donors of funds from family planning towards the management of HIV Aids further complicated the matter,” he noted.

Dr George Odipo, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi’s department of Population Studies and Research Institute blames non existence of migration and urbanization policy for failing the country into achieving comprehensive national development.

He called for urgent launched of the policies noting that most development plans are due to stall or else the plan less rural urban migration will continue to interfere with the ad hoc plans that exist.

Ms Beatrice Okundi, NCPD Advisor on youth, called on policy legislators to reinforce laws and policies on early marriages.

She said that there was need to intensify advocacy amongst communities to stop the culture of marrying off their underage daughters in exchange for bride wealth at the expense of girls’ education.

“The time has come to end the harm caused to the young girls by early marriages,” Okundi says.

The report indicates that although the country has made significant progress in increasing the contraceptive prevalence rate, the rate is still below the target of 62 percent by the year 2010.

The publication will provide the basis for an integrated appraisal of the population and reproductive health dynamics and their linkages to poverty and inequality.

It is also believed that the report will help present efficient evidence base necessary for policy decision making.

ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Concern over rise in malnutrition among children

By Henry Kahara Official records now show that children below five years are hardest hit by malnutrition, despite the Constitution provision that demands that every person’s nutritional needs should be met.

In chapter four which deals with the Bill of Rights Article 43. (1) (c) of the Kenya Constitution states that: “Every person has the right to be free from hunger, and to have adequate food of acceptable quality.”

The Kenya Demographic report 2008-2009 reveals that the nutrition status of children under five years is poor with 52.3 per cent of them having macronutrient malnutrition.

The report noted that, nationally, 35 per cent of children under five are stunted, while the proportion severely stunted is 14 per cent.

A nursery school pupil at Edana School Rehabilitation Centre, in Laikipia County, six-year-old, David Emuria is a perfect example of such children and his story is a compelling one.

It all started when his father abandoned his mother while she was still pregnant with him. That was followed by his mother later abandoning him barely one and a half years after delivery when she learnt that her son was suffering from stunted growth.

According to Christine Makandi, nurse in charge Segera Mission Dis-

pensary, where David resides: “He was born in Turkana County and at the time of birth his mother was a student at Pangani High School in Nairobi. After delivering David she brought him up for a period of one year and five months but I think she got discouraged because the boy was not growing.”

According to the nurse, the problem was caused by under nutrition as reports revealed that the boy was not being fed well.

It took David four years to be able to walk properly. Experts have linked stunted growth to malnutrition.

The mother ran away and leaving him in the hands of his grandmother, since her parents had passed away.

Identify

It was during a field trip to Turkana County by Segera Mission team that one of them identified David and they decided to take care of him in their headquarters in Laikipia County.

After months of feeding him, the boy started gaining the required strength and even began walking.

Says Makandi: “We are really happy that the boy can now enjoy life like any other child.”

She notes that Laikipia County has a number of such cases and David’s is not an exception.

According to a report released by World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2010, at least 35 per cent of children

in Kenya are stunted. Over 10 million people suffer from chronic malnutrition and at least two million people are in need of food aid.

The report says that number could double in times of drought or heavy rains. According to the report malnutrition is the single greatest contributor to child mortality in children below five years contributing to 53 per cent of deaths.

Speaking during World Food Day media awards in Kenya, Rosemary Ngaruro, Chief Nutritionist Ministry of Health, said that malnutrition in children, especially those below five years, leads to low cognitive skills which are directly related to poor performance in school as well as opportunities in one’s career and social life.

Studies show that malnutrition is also associated to increased risk infection as it weakens the immune system, reproductive development and growth complications.

“Under nutrition also increases a child’s susceptibility to illness, and magnifies the impact of diseases such as AIDs and tuberculosis. The world’s failure to address under-nutrition is part of the reason some of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) will not be met by 2015,” says Ngaruro.

At the same time, Kenya AIDs NGO Consortium Deputy Executive Director, Peter Kamau said that, “Even in the fight against HIV and AIDs we

11

Christine Makandi, nurse in charge Segere Mission Dispensary holding David who has been suffering from Malnutrition.

Picture:Henry Kahara will only have a break through if the survivors have access to quality food.”

According to Demographic Health Survey 2008-2009, out of 6,700,000 children, 3,504,100 were malnourished.

Survey

The survey further says that 76 per cent of children have deficient in Vitamin A while 55 per cent of pregnant women and 43 per cent women of reproductive age were anaemic.

Some causes of poor nutrition in Kenya include shift to increased consumption of highly refined foods,

sugars, salts, fats. Under-nutrition, Inadequate household food security and choice as well as poor child care practices, inadequate investment in food and nutrition at Government and household level together with inadequate coordination of efforts towards defined nutrition agenda are to blame.

According to a report by Action Against Hunger, malnutrition can be addressed by the world’s leaders if they increase programmes that will lead to access to nutritious food, safe water and sanitation as well as good care and practices.

Ambitious Soya bean farming initiative launched

By MILLER OMEGA The Ministry of Industrialisation is working closely with its Agriculture counterpart to promote leguminous plants such as beans in Migori, Bungoma and Kisumu County as a pilot project.

The food crop is said to hold the key to Kenya’s deficit of vegetable oil production in addition to boosting the economy of the region.

Farmers in Western Kenya therefore, have a golden opportunity to make money by diversifying into soya beans farming.

It takes three months to plant and harvest Soya beans and can be easily intercropped with cereals.

Import

According to the former Permanent Secretary for Industrialisation Dr Cyrus Njiru, the crop can save the country up to KSh14.3 billion import bill on vegetable oil.

“Kenya should not be importing soya beans in this day and age and it should instead be exporting the crop.

I am happy that the commissioning of

these three value addition firms will spur production, create employment to locals and generate wealth to attract investors,” Njiru said.

He was addressing guests during the official launch of soya beans processing firm in Migori County, after doing the same in Bungoma and Kisumu Counties all worth KSh80 million.

Njiru expressed confidence that the value addition on the crop could be key to the country’s economic growth.

However, he noted that the country’s lack of sub-sector policy co-ordination, imports from imports and lack viable technology as well as consistent supply of soya beans had compelled closure of many vegetable oil crushing mills.

Records show that the country’s over 30 processing and oil extraction units, not only for soya beans but other oil extracts from vegetables, are running at 15 per cent capacity of their threshold due to poor supply.

They account for an annual capacity of 265,000 metric tonnes.

Percentage

This deficit will see the country lag behind in tapping world’s vegetable

growth which is set to stand at an estimated 60 per cent of international agriculture trade by 2017.

Njiru said that Government hoped to revert that trend by opening the three firms in the Western region.

The brief ceremony was also graced

by Ambassador of Japan Toshihisa Takata, UNIDO Country Representative Mpoko Bokanga and Deputy Governor of Migori County Nelson Mahanga Mwita among others.

The project is funded by the Government, United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (Unido), Japan Silver Volunteers and Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (Kirdi).

“We took this initiative to have the three centres to encourage farmers by offering a buying centre for their soya beans at KSh60 per kilogramme, have an information centre and add value to their produce,” Bokanga said.

The firm will produce soya bean by-products like consoy (a mixture of maize and soybean), soya milk, oil and flour used for making mandazi (bans), chapati (pancake) and cakes.

Currently, according to Govern-

“Kenya should not be importing soya beans in this day and age and it should instead be exporting the crop. I am happy that the commissioning of these three value addition firms will spur production, create employment to locals and generate wealth to attract investors.”

— Cyrus Njiru

Soya bean holds the key to Kenya’s deficit of vegetable oil production in addition to boosting the economy of the region.

Picture: Miller Omega ment statistics, Kenya demands 150,000 to 200,000 tonnes of soya beans annually against her ability to produce only 5,000 tonnes.

This has created a vacuum that has been filled by importers.

Farmers like Jackson Mwita from Kuria.

Mwita, who is among 3,000 farmers in Migori County, said he is expecting a good harvest that will fetch him around KSh80,000 from his two-acre farm.

“I reverted full time to soya bean and quit tobacco farming

which I did for over a decade without good dividends,” said Mwita.

He was among farmers offered free seedlings and special soya beans fertilizer, called synbal for trial through field training by Kenya Soybeans Farmers Association (Kesofa) and has stuck with the crop.

According to George Kivanda, Kesofa chairman, such a move will increase production. He cited Migori County where farmers were annually producing 120 metric tonnes of soya beans adding it could be increased to over 1,000 metric tonnes this year.

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ISSUE 092, November 1-30, 2013

Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth

Wild tree species threat to Tsavo Park

By RUTH KEAH

is on-going, has been sponsored by the Canadian Government to the tune of KSh24 million, mostly targeting watering points of the Tsavo East National park.

The project also attracted more support from Ashnil Group of Lodges who own Aruba Lodge which is located inside the park.

According to Paul Kurgat, marketing Manager Ashnil group of Lodges: “When we started building the land was plain and there were no trees but today we are proud we have planted more than seven thousand trees and have our own forest at the Park.”

According to Kurgat, they planted the acacia thorn tree which has seven species which have been approved by KWS researchers.

However, Kenya Forestry Research Institute (KeFRI) says Taita Taveta County has been heavily affected by environment degradation compared to other counties at the coast.

Tsavo East National Park is facing a threat of environmental degradation due to the identification of an invasive species of trees believed to have been brought in by foreigners during the First World War. Sitting at over 13,000 square kilometres, the park is situated in a semiarid area previously known as the Taru Desert, located near the town of Voi in Taita-Taveta County.

The park is one of the oldest and also the largest in the country. It is considered one of the world’s biodiversity strongholds, and its popularity is mostly due to the vast amount of diverse wildlife that include the famous ‘big five’ consisting of lion, black rhino, buffalo, elephant and leopard.

Variety

Also finding home at the park is a great variety of birds such as the black kite, crane, lovebird and the sacred ibis.

However, the park is facing a threat from an opuntia type of tree which has given scientist and environmentalist sleepless nights.

Mostly found at Bachuma area, one of the main entrance gates to Tsavo East National Park, the tree can easily be spotted due to its breeding nature.

According to David Oyugi, an assistant Kenya Wildlife Service officer in charge of tourism at the park, there is an urgency to stop the tree from growing all over the park.

Oyugi notes that approximately 30 per cent of the Bachuma area is invaded by the Opuntia tree which is spreading very fast.

“So far it is the only species troubling the park and if not dealt with it will destroy the whole park,” warned Oyugi.

The tree, which is a genus in the cactus family, is fast-growing, needs little care and very hardy. Some Opun-

Base

Opontia tree growing in the wild. It is environment unfriendly for other trees to grow and causing discomfort to wild animals at Tsavo Park. Picture: Courtesy tia are miniatures that span only inches, and are essentially groundcovers, with thorny flesh.

Officials at Kenya Wildlife Service say the tree grows well especially in dry areas, with among its mode of breeding being through animal waste which animals produce after consuming it.

Opontia also germinates from its leaves and roots, making it spread fast.

It is also environment unfriendly for other trees to grow and causing discomfort to wild animals.

Research

Doctor Jeremiah Poghon, who is a veterinary officer and a senior research scientist at Tsavo Conservation area,

admitted that the tree has been giving them a hard time and revealed that efforts were underway to find a permanent solution.

Efforts to inject a drug to the Opuntia tree to destabilize it proved to be a hard task as it affected the eco-system in the area.

According to Poghon, they have tried to remove the tree through mechanism injection but found out that the effect is doing more harm than good to the environment hence destroying the area’s eco-system.

“We have tried drugs to kill the trees but it was interfering with the environment and to burn the Opuntia tree a lot of fuel is needed,” he said.

With the help of the locals, the officers have started a project of digging holes and burying the trees.

Each hole measures 100m by 100m and is six feet deep are being dug.

Contribute

The officials in the sector noted the exercise does not only help improve the environment but also creates job opportunities for the locals.

Poghon says the project started in January and is already paying dividends.

According to him, wild animals also contribute to the degradation of environment.

The rehabilitation project, which

According to Chemuku Wekesa, a KeFRI ecologist based in Gede in Kilifi County, about 95 per cent of the initial forest cover has been lost in the past 50 years.

He said the main reason of degradation by the community, especially in a Taita Taveta County, is because people want to expand their land for agriculture due to increased population.

“Forests have been fragmented into small portion up to the hill tops as many are concentrated in some high potential areas rich in agriculture where rainfall is high as compared to the low lying areas which are dry.”

KeFRI as an institute had come in strongly to develop some technologies on rehabilitation by planting the indigenous species that people have destroyed.

NGOs to deepen their support to wildlife conservation in Kenya Wildlife conservation NGOs in Kenya are seeking to deepen their support to Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) operations in tackling new and emerging challenges in the sector in a forum hosted at its headquarters in Nairobi on Tuesday (November 12, 2013).

A consortium comprising of KWS and NGOs representatives was also formed to mobilize support on the thematic areas of wildlife research, security, awareness creation and community engagement.

While addressing the forum, KWS Director Mr. William Kiprono said the move will steer a more vibrant wildlife sector in the country. He pointed out that KWS has developed a strategic plan 2.0 (2012-2012) that outlines the framework the organization is taking to steer the wildlife sector for posterity. The strategy seeks to pursue conservation stewardship, collaborative partnership and people excellence.

“We welcome this collaboration and seek to engage you more to ensure we realize our vision of securing the last great species and places on

earth for humanity,” he said.

Mr. Kiprono thanked all NGOs for their continued support in raising the profile of wildlife through such initiatives as aerial and ground surveys, provision of satellite linked transmitters, media and public campaigns.

At the same time, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Regional Director Mr. Ali Kaka, expressed appreciation to KWS for the effort it has put in overcoming poaching of rhinos and elephants in the country in recent months.

“I am impressed by the effort KWS has put in place in fighting poaching. It cannot be gainsaid that you have now reigned on hitherto runaway poaching in the country,” he said.

Mr. Mohammed Awer, World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF) Country Director, also

thanked KWS for engaging the wildlife sector NGOs and said that WWF will continue to provide resources needed for anti-poaching operations.

Courtesy Kenya Wildlife Service

KWS Director Mr. William Kiprono (left) addresses representatives from various wildlife NGOs in the country at the Nairobi Safari Walk, KWS headquarters.

Executive Director: Arthur Okwemba Editor: Jane Godia

Write to: info@mdcafrica.org

Programme Officer: Mercy Mumo Sub-Editors: Joyce Chimbi, Carolyne Oyugi and Odhiambo Orlale Designer: Noel Lumbama

www.mdcafrica.org

Contributors: Henry Owino, Omondi Gwengi, Musa Maranga, David Njagi, Anthony Zoka, Omar Mwalago, Leonard Barngetuny, Malachi Motano, Henry Kahara, Duncan Mboya, Miller Omega, Ruth Keah.

The paper is supported by: