KARA AUGUST 2011 ISSUE.indd

17TH EDITION
neighbourhood
AUGUST 2011
The Authoritative Journal of The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations
KENYA
Energy:
PrePaid meters woes
and Power rationing
Perspective:
H.E Mrs. Wapakhabulo:
East African daughter
on a mission for regional
partnership
The Kenya Alliance of
Resident Associations
www.kara.or.ke

COVER STORY
Note
Editor’s
Welcome to the 17 th edition of your
favourite public service delivery
focused journal. We appreciate
your support and encouraging feedback.
Kenya has once again found itself in the
list of shame among the family of nations for
not being able to feed itself. The stark reality
of starving Kenyans amidst contentious denial
by the Government spokesman has put the
government on the spot regarding its long term
plan on food security for the country.
We salute Kenyans who through the
Kenyans for Kenya initiative demonstrated
unprecedented solidarity and generosity to raise
funds and donate food to save our starving
brothers and sisters. We expect that this time
round the Government has learnt its lessons
the hardest and that long term measures will be
put in place to address food insecurity in Kenya
once and for all.
On a different note, consumers of electricity
are feeling short-changed by the Kenya Power’s
(KP) prepaid meters initiative. Complaints
range from lack of pre-installation education to
unusually high power bills due to faulty meters.
Read our evaluation of the prepaid meters
initiative and why KP must take responsibility
for the suffering of its customers.
Kenyans have been waiting for reforms
in the land sector for decades. However, the
much touted reform in the sector appears to
be encountering challenges and slowing down
all-together. Is the Minister for Lands, a highly
accomplished advocate for reforms, equal to
the task of reforming the land sector? Read our
analysis on progress and shortcomings of the
reforms.
Following the recent attainment of
independence by the Republic of South Sudan,
there are mixed feelings among Kenyans on
what this portends for them. We provide expert
analysis of some of the anticipated opportunities
and challenges that may come with the great
milestone achieved by South Sudan.
Also read about the talented Kenyan youth
and their level of preparedness in managing the
fame and fortune that follows their success. Is
Kenya doing enough to prepare the youth and
ensure that they don’t become victims of their
own success?
As always, we look forward to your
continued support in realising accelerated
access to public service delivery. Karibuni!
Land reforms
remain a
pipe dream
Lands Minister James Aggrey Bob Orengo
Reforms in the public sector seem
alien to Ardhi House, the seat of
the Ministry of Lands, given the
pace and attitude it has adopted.
Fed up with the state of affairs at the
Ministry, the legal fraternity led by Law
Society of Kenya chairman Ken Akide and
Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission chief
Prof. Patrick Lumumba recently organised
a demonstration in Nairobi. They accused
minister James Orengo of being soft on
corrupt officials in his Ministry.
The minister denies sleeping on the job.
“When dealing with land issues you have to
be cautious because you are dealing with
some people, some of who have rights,” he
said.
Mr Orengo says people must consider
both the negative and positive steps made,
instead of blanket condemnation. So far,
he said, critics have decided to ignore the
Ministry’s efforts to repossess more than
1,200 properties across the country.
“We have repossessed land belonging to
the judiciary, police, Ministry of Health and
other public property in Nairobi, Kisumu,
Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisii, Meru, Eldoret,
Kakamega, Kwale and Malindi,” he said.
Prof Lumumba thinks otherwise, and
shares the view with many Kenyans who
doubt the government’s commitment and
will to eradicate corruption in the Ministry.
Mukarara, who resides in the US posed:
“If you pay for the title deed how long should
you wait for it?” he says he paid his family
attorney title deed fee and the lawyer has
been telling him that there is shortage of
titles. “Now he is telling me about gazetting
the land again.” he even gave his e-mail
(equatorjim@aol.com) for assistance. This
is not uncommon in Kenya as staff at the
Ministry collude with lawyers and valuers to
defraud innocent citizens.
The question remains unanswered: what
would happen if the Ministry implemented
the famous Ndung’u land report which is
now gathering dust in the shelves of the
Ministry and having cost the tax payer
millions of shillings?
Some people believe that the Ministry of
Lands only has to implement the report in
full and the rest would be history.
“Instead what we hear is politicking.
I never had any faith in Orengo after he
3.

COVER STORY
From Page 3
Land reforms remain a pipe dream
said that IDPs will not be resettled in their
former lands. This, to me, displayed lack of
understanding and leadership judgement.
To this day, we still have IDPs in camps
living horrendous lives and completely
dependent on handouts,”
Others believe that the rot at Ardhi
House is deeply entrenched and requires
time to be eliminated.
A client of the Ministry who only
identifi ed himself as Kusimbwa says,
“Those who imagine that Orengo can get
rid of the system in place within two years
are lying to themselves. It takes goodwill on
the part of leadership and the prosecution to
curb corruption in the Ministry. The problem
is that some of the Junior officers have
accumulated so much wealth over the years
and are able to pocket their seniors who
might want to either transfer them to other
ministries or suspend them. I say so from
experience,” he said.
Lands Permanent Secretary Dorothy
Angote told the lawyers who had marched
to the Ministry that the rot at the Ministry
will not be solved by shouting but dialogue.
Land remains a very prized asset in Kenya
and discussions around it easily become
emotional. It remains to be seen how the
minister, known to be one of the most
consistent and vocal advocate for reforms
during Kenya’s ‘dark’ days, will realise
reforms in his Ministry.
“... the challenges we face are
real. They are serious and
they are many. They will not
be met easily or in a short
span of time. But know this
America: They will be met.”
When President Obama uttered
these words to Americans at
his inauguration on January
21, 2009 little did he know that
the same would apply to his
fatherland Kenya.”
Implementation Watch:
Police vetting should
have waited for the
necessary laws
That Kenya is struggling, and in most
cases, fumbling with the implementation of the
constitution is not in doubt.
Several false steps have been made and
blame game is part and parcel of the process.
One of the false steps was the police vetting
exercise that abruptly came to a halt.
On the whole, police reforms are moving
at slower pace than many would like, or
envisaged.
The vetting of police officers was put off
until laws are in place to establish the Police
Service Commission and the National Police
Service.
By then, the panellists from the Public
Service Commission, Kenya Anti-Corruption
Commission and National Security Intelligence
Service had interviewed 1,114 senior police
offi cers last month with the aim of retiring
those found unfi t.
The public had been excluded from the
clandestinely run exercise as the police vetted
itself on the account of taxpayers’ money.
And with the pressure from the civil society
unceasing, Vigilance House one morning
decided to abandon
the whole exercise.
By then, millions of
public funds had
gone down the drain
with little to show.
Shouldn’t they
have waited for
the right time and
environment to carry
out the exercise? Or rather, shouldn’t they
have invited their employers, the taxpayer,
to listen into the evaluations? Why was the
process allowed to go that far before being
stopped?
The Ransley report, adopted by the
government to guide police reforms,
recommended that senior officers from
the rank of assistant commissioner be
“subjected to a review against a criterion on
professionalism, integrity, track record and
psychological fitness.”
Yet the manner the exercise started was
bound to raise eyebrows. Security experts
say Vigilance House was not interested in the
exercise in the fi rst place but wanted to carry on
with impunity as has been the case in the past.
“They tested the waters and found the
ocean depth unbearable,” says a member of
the Usalama Reform Forum, a civil society
lobby group dedicated to reforms in the security
sector.
The roles of the Attorney General
Amos Wako and the Commission for the
Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) also
come into question. As the government’s chief
legal adviser, Mr Wako should have told the
police hierarchy how to go about the exercise
after interpreting the constitution and the
recommendations of the Ransley report.
On the other hand, CIC ought to have
exercised their oversight role in implementation
to advise police to hold on until the necessary
laws are in place.
The implementation is therefore facing major
hurdles as the August 27 fast approaches. It is
the date after which any citizen of Kenya can
go to court to compel parliament to pass any
constitution implementation enabling law (s) or
else have the parliament disbanded.
Disclaimer:
Neighbourhood Kenya is produced bi-monthly by The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) The opinion expressed in the articles are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect KARA’s offi cial position. The editor welcomes contributions of articles and photographs from members of the public. Any materials received will
be treated as unconditionally assigned for public and will be subject to KARA’s unrestricted right to edit and publish.KARA reserves the right of this publication and no
part can be published in anyway without express permission.

PERSPECTIVE
H.E Mrs. Wapakhabulo:
The East African
daughter on a mission
for regional partnership
Down to earth, God fearing,
energetic and outgoing – these
are the adjectives that come
to mind upon meeting the Ugandan High
Commissioner to Kenya and permanent
representative to UN Habitat and UNEP,
Her Excellency Mrs. Angelina Chogo
Wapakhabulo for the first time. She
considers herself a true daughter of East
Africa, having been born and raised in
Tanzania, married in Uganda and now
working in Kenya.
She has not been in the diplomatic
circles and her posting to Kenya in August
2009 was the fi rst diplomatic position in
I am keen to
create linkages
and partnerships
between Kenyan
entrepreneurs and
their Ugandan
counterparts
her career. Her interests and focus has
always been in the area of administration,
education, social service as well as
business entrepreneurship.
Despite being an ‘outsider’ in diplomatic
circles, she believes she has what it takes
to effectively execute her duties. She
considers her appointment as a vote of
confidence by President Yoweri Museveni in
her capability to serve her country and she
is determined not to let her country down.
Before her posting as an ambassador,
she was actively involved in various
community based projects with various
local and international non-governmental
6.

PERSPECTIVE
organisations. Some of the countries she
has worked in include Tanzania, Papua
New Guinea and Australia. She holds
a bachelors honours degree from the
University of Dar-es-salaam and masters in
educational administration from Queensland
University in Australia.
While studying at the University of Dares-salaam
she met a Ugandan who later
became her husband. “When I married
a Ugandan and applied for citizenship, I
felt welcomed in Uganda and empowered
to participate in all the country’s socioeconomic
and political affairs. I gave my
heart to Uganda”, she explains.
Given that her husband was a politician,
she found herself working with various
community based organizations and this
provided an opportunity for her to have a
deeper understanding of the culture and
politics of Uganda.
Since her arrival to Kenya as Uganda’s
High Commissioner, her main focus
has been on improving trade relations
and entrepreneurship between the two
countries. “I am keen to create linkages
and partnerships between Kenyan
entrepreneurs and their Ugandan
counterparts and ensuring that they exploit
of their comparative advantages.” So far up
to 20 business entrepreneurs in Kenya have
been linked to various partners in Uganda.
She is also keen to help rectify the trade
imbalance which is currently tilted in favour
of Kenya.
Mrs. Wapakhabulo rarely travels to
her country by any other means apart
from road. She believes this gives her an
opportunity to witness fi rst hand some of the
challenges the traders and transporters go
through, particularly at the borders and thus
contribute to seeking solutions to the same.
One of the greatest lessons she believes
East African countries can learn from
Kenya is the participatory and consultative
constitution making process. “As
one of the observers during the
constitution referendum last year,
I believe that Kenyans should be
proud that the exercise was fair,
transparent and democratic,”
she says. She also has kind
words regarding the ongoing
constitution implementation
process particularly the process
of vetting those aspiring to
occupy public offi ces.
While she welcomes the
integration of Eastern Africa
countries into East Africa
Community, she advises that
there is need for the countries to invest in
education and public awareness of the EAC
protocol. “The governments should also
ensure that various policies are harmonized
to ensure smooth operations and relations
between the countries,” she adds.
Personal Life
Mrs. Wapakhabulo was brought up in a
Catholic environment surrounded by nuns
and monks and this made her to admire
their lifestyle and values. She decided that
she wanted to be a nun when she grows
up. This was however not to be as when
she joined high school away from home and
subsequently college, she decided to pursue
a different career altogether.
During her free time, she loves taking a
walk around her neighbourhood as a way of
exercising. She wakes up at 5a.m. every day
and tunes into one of the local TV stations to
follow fitness exercise instructions.
Currently she is learning French to enable
her communicate to diverse groups of people
that she meets in the course of her work. She
used to play golf in Uganda and is planning
to join one of the golf clubs in Kenya soon.
She is also a philanthropist and an
active member of the Muthaiga
chapter of Rotary Club. Once in
a while she takes a glass of beer
and Uganda’s traditional brew.
She also loves dancing.
What constitutes happiness
for her? “I am happiest when
I am spending time with my
family especially grand
children and of course I
like being at peace with
God. That is my
idea of
happiness “ she explains.
The life and deeds of the late Mother
Teresa inspires her so much and politically
she considers her late husband as her
mentor. She also appreciates President
Museveni for always challenging her to
come up with solutions to her people’s
problems.
Mrs. Wapakhabulo is 62 years ‘young’
(she prefers to refer to her age that way)
and is a proud mother of four biological
children (3 boys and 1 girl) and several
others that she has taken care of over time.
She also has six grandchildren. She is the
5th born in a family of nine -four girls and
five boys.
7.

ENERGY
For all intents and purposes, Kenya
Power’s prepaid metering project arose
out of the fi rm’s need to improve its
revenue collection.
At least this holds true if the hue and cry from the
clients who are connected via the prepaid meters are
anything to believe.
Take for instance, at the beginning of April a
client who did not wish to be named paid Sh270
for 26 units. The same client paid Sh300 a month
later and the units had gone down to 25. Early July,
he bought 11 units for Sh250.The same amount of
money does not purchase similar amount of units for
different clients at same time, the client said.
Meanwhile, fresh from rebranding, Kenya
Power claims that apart from improving revenue
collection, the prepaid meters would also improve
customer service.“The benefi ts of the project
include elimination of estimated bills, elimination
of disconnection, enhanced customer privacy,
decongestion of the Kenya Power’s customer
service centres, and reduced financial losses to the
Company due to unpaid bills,” the power fi rm said in
a statement on prepaid meters on July 13.
So far, the reality on the ground is as far from
Kenya Power’s assertion as East is from West. Or
rather, customers don’t easily feel the benefi ts of the
prepaid metering.
The power fi rm carried out the pilot phase until
March 2011 when the roll-out commenced. According
to the Kenya Power Corporate Communications
Department, by June 30, an additional 123,000
prepaid meters had been installed, mainly in Nairobi.
Yet with the many customer queries, Kenya
Power (KP) has to give answers as to whether
customer education ever took place during the pilot
phase. Going by the level of dissatisfaction with the
prepaid meters, KP noted in the statement the fact
that there have been some faulty meters.
“...during the ongoing exercise to install prepaid
meters, there have been some cases regarding
faulty meters, and the company has been taking
corrective measures on a case by case basis.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the
faulty meters detected so far are below five percent
of all the meters installed, led, which is within in the
internationally accepted cepted range for a project of this
size and scope,” the statement reads
in part.
This is just part of the problem because e anyone
who has had the opportunity portun
to use ethe
prepaid
pa meters, in almost all
cases, have a bad
story to
tell. If
it’s not inconsistent
units for same amount of money,
it is likely
to be that
Kenya
Power
took unusually
u ly
too long to credit their accounts, cou
leaving them in
darkness for
hours on
end.
Many are the unanswered ed questions:
• Is Kenya Power forcing consumers s to accept the
installation lation
of the prepaid meters in their houses?
s?
• Does a customer have et
the chance
ce
to
choose
between prepaid and postpaid paid meters, much
like
in the mobile telephony?
• Complaints have also
arisen over
the
quality of
KPLC’s prepaid
meters is now a
nightmare
the prepaid meters being installed with some
clients experiencing frequent breakdowns.
So therefore, will the real Kenya Power
please stand up?
The firm notes that education for clients
cannot be wished away and has set up customer
care contacts. “The company now realises that
the complaints/enquiries mechanism regarding
prepaid metering requires urgent enhancement
in order to pre-empt inconvenience and
instill confidence in prepaid metering among
customers,” the power firm said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the blackouts are once again
here. And for the next two months or so, major
urban centres and industries have to look for
alternative energy sources as power rationing is
underway.
According to the schedule published by
Kenya Power, the blackouts will be at the most
inconvenient of times — between 6.40pm and
9.30pm. Many are the factories that will have
to close early and incur losses. Such losses
can only translate in staff rationalization for the
businesses to stay afloat.
The last time the company rolled out a power
rationing programme was in 2000 when drought
reduced the water levels in the Seven Forks dams,
leading to the shutdown of Kamburu dam.
Much as Kenya Power managing director
Joseph Njoroge wants to transfer the blame to power
generating companies and the Treasury, the power
distributor must also take the blame for informing its
customers too late into the rationing.
Kenya Power has a 90 megawatt shortfall that
will have to be taken care of through expensive
emergency generators, meaning high power bills for
both domestic and industrial consumers.
Suspicion that the company was rationing power
started late June but Kenya Power vehemently
denied that that was happening.
At the time, several parts of the country, including
the capital city, Western parts, Central and Eastern
parts, were experiencing erratic power supply. Migwi
Theuri, spokesman for the electricity distributor,
at the time attributed the erratic power supply in
western Kenya to a fault in one of the machines
at Turkwell Power station. As a result of the fault,
Kenya Power was not getting adequate capacity for
Western region, which is the most affected, he said.
As it is now, Kenyans have to adopt coping
mechanisms until the imposed blackouts end.
8.

OUR PEOPLE
HILLVIEW RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION
OUR PEOPLE
Hillview Residents Association (HRA) is one
of the oldest associations in Kenya having
been formed 25 years ago to respond to
insecurity challenges, lack of street lights within the estate,
deplorable roads within the neighbourhood among other
issues. The association is also credited for being among
the very first associations to embrace community policing.
Through the efforts of the association, Hillview estate
has since become secure, has had functional street
lights installed and the roads within the neighbourhood
have been repaired and there is a greater sense of good
neighbourliness among the residents of our estate.
However, new challenges of illegal developments,
grabbing of public land and questionable change of single
dwelling properties to multi-dwelling have escalated.
To address these challenges, the association has been
engaging City Council of Nairobi and relevant government
agencies some of whom we fear could be condoning
with a few unscrupulous developers to abet the said
malpractices.
With the support of Kara, Hillview Residents
Association has recorded some progress in the fight
against the new challenges but there is still more to
be done to ensure that order and good environmental
practices are adhered to particularly by the developers.
Under the able stewardship of Mr. Dhiru Shah,
the association joined hands with Kara and Greenbelt
Movement to stop development of 10 residential villas on a
grabbed riparian valley within the neighbourhood.
The major challenge for the association is the limited
finances taking into consideration the fact that the
unscrupulous developers are well endowed financially and
politically and are willing to spend huge amounts of money
to have their way and mute opposition from residents.
Another slight challenge is a few residents of the
estate are unwilling to support the association and don’t
make regular contributions to the association kitty. Lack
of supporting legal framework to allow for full recognition
of residents associations by Government also makes
it difficult for meaningful engagement on public service
delivery issues.
Finally, Hillview Residents Association would like to
encourage residents associations to join Kara, in their
numbers, so as to make the Alliance stronger and ensure
that those in position of authority are held accountable for
their actions in line with Kara’s slogan - “Together, We Will”

SPORTS
Talented youths need
counselling on risky behaviours
On May 15,2011 the sporting
world woke up to
shocking news of the death of
one of Kenya’s top athletes,
Samuel Kamau Wanjiru,
(Pictured)
He had allegedly
jumped to his death
from the balcony of his
Nyahururu mansion after
a disagreement with
his wife Tereziah Njeri,
a very tragic end to the man who
became the first Kenyan to win an
Olympics gold medal in Marathon
at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
But as the dust settles down
over the circumstances
surrounding his death, many
questions abound and the
fingers are pointing
to the government.
Many are the
unanswered
questions:
Is the
Government
doing enough,
or anything to
support elite athletes
and other talented
youths? What about the
sports associations in the
country? What else should the
country have done differently to save
the life of Wanjiru?
Soon after his death, at least
three women other than his wife
Tereziah claimed to have been
married to him, or that he
fathered their children. This raises questions
about famed youths struggling with
destructive traits.
Between the period after the 2008
Beijing Olympics and the time of his death,
Wanjiru was wallowing in millions of dollars
from participating and winning international
marathons. At just 24 when he died, he
needed a lot of counselling to manage the
sudden wealth that was coming his way.
And who else was in a better position
to do this than Athletics Kenya? In fact, the
counselling and nurturing should be done for
all its athletes, particularly about life skills and
investment of their huge incomes from
prizes, bonuses, and endorsements.
Many have succumbed to
depression, hopelessness,
alcohol abuse and fallen from
glory to grass.
The
government only takes notice when
they are gone, like Wanjiru.
The emphasis
on medical and dope
tests by sports bodies
also should extend to
psychiatric assessment to
ensure that all is well
with our stars.
As the UK House of Commons
Committee of Public Accounts observed
in a report UK Sport: Supporting elite
athletes (Fifty–fourth Report of Session
2005–06), sport is not just about medals
or a celebrity culture, but about the benefits
of taking part- in Wanjiru’s case, strong family values,
investment culture and general life skills.
The face that many athletes have left Kenya for
other countries especially those in the Middle East
exemplifies the kind of nurturing that we badly need
to preserve and protect our own. The government
must look into their economic and social wellbeing.
Yet as Macharia Gaitho of the Editors’ Guild
observed on the day Wanjiru died, “Does Athletics
Kenya have a programme to monitor
and support the young men and women thrust from
humble, deprived backgrounds to instant fame and
fortune?”
“Do we really care for these national heroes
beyond shining in the reflected glory? Who provides
the support, guidance and counselling when life
starts to unravel? Who protects them from all the
sharks? Who helps them remain on an even keel
when they might be dizzy with all
the riches and adulation?
What do those
managers
and
coaches do other than running cash-minting
machines?
Mr Gaitho concluded: “We are failing these
young national heroes.”
According to Kamau Macharia of Sports
Boosters, the government has been abandoning
sports people at the airport whenever their
performance is below expectation. “We wonder why
a parent would throw away his child for failing in
an exam when all along he has been at the top. It
demoralizes us to know that the government is only
with us when we are winning but completely turns its
back on us for isolated failures,” he said.
10.

.
Bronze (Kshs350,000) with varied benefits
4. Water Services Regulatory Board
5. KPMG Kenya

CONSTITUTION
Should TJRC’s
mandate
be extended?
With just over three months to
the end of its mandate, the
Truth Justice and Reconciliation
Commission (TJRC) is staring at the possibility
of failing to cover the entire country.
Nearly a year of infi ghting among the
commissioners, compouded by the inadequate
funding by the government, or fi nancial
sabotage by the Treasury, reduced the
Commission to a laughing stock. Pressure by
the civil society activists and the survivors of
historical injustices like the Wagalla massacre
and Nyayo House torture for former chairman
Bethwell Kiplagat to resign didn’t help TJRC’s
cause.
And with the November deadline fast
approaching, the commission fi nds itself
way behind schedule. Since April 11 when
the public hearings began after tumultuous
18 months, the commission has been to
North Eastern, Upper Eastern and Mt. Elgon.
Hearings have also taken place in Kisumu,
Kisii and Kuria.
And the commissioners are now seeking
an extension of their mandate by at least six
months. To justify the case for extension, the
acting chairman Tecla Namachanja says the
Commission’s work was hampered by the
leadership dispute over its former chairman
Kiplagat and fi nancial diffi culties that made it to
operate a skeleton outfi t.
Mr Kiplagat has since stepped aside to
pave the way for a tribunal appointed by former
Chief Justice Evan Gicheru to investigate the
allegations leveled against him.He was even
called to testify, as a key witness, during the
Commission’s hearings held in
Nairobi for the Wagalla massacre.
Former vice chairperson Betty
Murungi resigned in the fi rst year of the
Commission’s establishment as the Kiplagat
saga showed no sign of ending.As a result
of the Kiplagat-civil society tussles, the
commission says in the progress report to
Parliament that it lost considerable amount of
time and credibility.
“Secondly, the Commission has suffered
from fi nancial and resource constraints
that have resulted in recurrent delays and
limitations in its operations,” the report states.
The commission started hiring directors and
staff in September 2010, several months after
its establishment as a result of the inadequate
funds.
Despite the drawbacks, the Commission
lists some of its achievements so far, including
establishing a functioning secretariat and
accomplishing the statement taking process
where it collected 30,000 individual statements
and over 600 memoranda from communities,
organisations and individuals.
Ms Namachanja hopes
the MPs will listen to their
request and pass the
new Truth Justice and
Reconciliation Act once
the amendments done
by the minister for Justice,
Constitutional Affairs and
National Reconciliation
Mutula Kilonzo reach
the fl oor of the House.
The commission, set up
in 2009 to investigate
past injustices and lead
reconciliation efforts in
the country, had been
granted until November
this year to complete its task.
“Apart from the truth, people are also
interested in justice and for most of them,
justice simply means acknowledgement of
the violations that took place and an apology.
Looking at the mandate, the broad issues and
the number of regions we have not been able
to reach, the time remaining, which is up to
November is not enough for us to complete
this work.
12.

CONSTITUTION
And with an extension, we shall be able to
reach all the regions of this country,” she said.
Already, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and
his deputy Musalia Mudavadi have endorsed
the request by TJRC. Mr Mudavadi explained
that the Commission “is a very important
segment of reconciliation and healing and
necessary for the country pulling together” as
he called on MPs to follow their example and
amend the Act.“It is very clear that if the TJRC
has only done a portion of its work and for it
to conclude its mandate without visiting other
parts is in itself injustice,” said Mr Mudavadi.
“The request is legitimate and I would like to
encourage the commission to talk to more of
us (MPs) and put the case across to Kenyans
that it would be necessary to be granted this
extension. I therefore lend my support to the
commission and to appeal to my colleagues
in particular that we look at the request
favourably,” the Deputy PM added.
The PM on the other
hand gave a fi rm pledge
that the government
will prepare a
cabinet paper
recommending the
extension to enable
the Commission
make up for the
period it lost
during its initial
stages. Ms
Namachanja
cautions that
without the
extension, TJRC
will be committing
more injustices than it will have
uncovered in its tumultuous two-year lifespan.
“If we don’t get the extension then it means
that regions like Rift Valley, Central, Nairobi
and Coast will not benefi t from the work of this
commission. But based on experience, we
are aware that people are out there who want
to come forward to share their experiences,”
said Ms Namachanja.
Editor’s Note: As we went to press,
Parliament approved extension of TJRC life to
run until May 2012
Photo: Victims of Wagalla Massacre
13.

FAMINE
The gods are not
to blame for the
raging famine
in Kenya
As we switch on our TVs and turn
newspaper pages, we are daily
bombarded with gory photographs
of needy and near dying Kenyans due to the
ongoing drought-related famine challenge that
has now led to Kenya’s shame among family of
nations.
From the contentious view of Government
Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua on plain denial of
any death from starvation, elite GMO food safety
debate to the highly successful ‘Kenyans for
Kenya’ campaign, Government is struggling to
put a brave face in the unfolding famine crisis.
The blame game is in high gear and fingerpointing
goes on unabated. But as Nigerian
novelist Chinua Achebe would bluntly ask the
government, where did the rain begin beating us?
The food security situation has deteriorated
unabatedly for most households in all the arid
and semi arid lands (ASAL). And pastures have
dried up.
This situation has been intensified by
the failure of the 2011 rains and the same
exacerbated by the unfavourable October
– December 2010 rains which severely
limited the replenishing of water sources and
regeneration of pasture.
According to a recent United Nations
report, 2011 has been the driest year since
1995 and has reported the lowest rainfall in
60 years.
The Kenya Food Security Steering
Committee estimates that approximately 3.5
million people are affected by drought and 2.4
million are food insecure. Acute malnutrition
has reached 37 per cent in some parts of
north east Kenya, which is double the 15 per
cent emergency threshold.
While the situation is severely felt in north
and eastern Kenya namely Marsabit, Wajir,
Moyale, Isiolo, Garissa and Turkana, other
areas reporting serious food defi cit include
Kitui, Makueni, Mwingi, Tharaka, Mbere,
Malindi, Kwale, Kilifi and Taita Taveta.
As a result, the number of households
requiring water sourced from trucks has
increased substantially in Marsabit, Mandera
and Turkana, among others. Water related
confl icts have been reported in Baringo, West
Pokot, Tana River, Wajir and Isiolo, among
others.
The value of livestock, which is the main
livelihood for many households in the worst
affected areas, has depreciated and the
livestock markets have collapsed.
It is on record that the Meteorological
Department did sound the alarm bell much
earlier. Then, the department observed that
the rains this year were going to be less than
average in some places and that there was
going to be food insecurity.
It further advised that the situation needed
to be addressed and planned for before
the situation got out of hand. Unfortunately,
they were laughed out of town. Therein
lays the source of our tribulations: The
tendency to ignore scientifi c data and to
plan in spite of it. Coupled with this is the
tendency to deny again in spite of the facts.
14.

FAMINE
PHOTO: Courtesy Google.com
The government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua,
a highly educated man with several degrees to
boot, had the temerity to deny the obvious on
national TV at the cost of taxpayers.
Government offi cials, including the Minister
for special programme Esther Murugi, insist that
there is enough food. Indeed ours is a country
of contradictions. It is said that while in some
parts of Kenya food is rotting in others women,
children and the aged are literally staring at
death due to starvation.
Why is it impossible for the Government to
map out the areas with food and those without
and, as Governments should, put in place
mechanisms that enable redistribution of food?
Again, the Government has been long on policy
but short on implementation.
Year in year out there are policy statements
about how the country should migrate from rainfed
agriculture to irrigation. The government
went further and crafted a Ministry of Water and
Irrigation. So where is the food and or who is
not doing his job?
The failure of government to plan and
focus on long term projects has exacerbated
the situation. A few years ago, Malawi was
in the same situation as is Kenya today.
However with proper planning and long term
focus Malawi is an exporter of food.
From the foregoing, there is need to put in
place a programme for extension services to
provide the knowledge and skills that farmers
need to produce optimally. According to the
Egerton University based Tegemeo Institute,
Kenya has about 3 million small scale farmers
who account for 75 per cent of the total maize
crop.
In addition, the national average maize
yields per hectare are estimated at 20 bags
of 90 kilogramme. These yields are about one
twentieth of those attained internationally in
countries such as Argentina.
Besides, the land policy that allows
subdivision of land to untenable sizes is
also a contributory factor. There should be a
minimum landholding in agricultural areas.
Kenyan farmers are better advised to grow
traditional crops such as cassava, potatoes
and millet that are drought resistant and easier
to store.
Abundant worldwide evidence has shown
that the incentives and ability of farmers to
make investments in productivity-enhancing
inputs and production methods depends on
reducing the transaction costs and risks of
exchange across inputs, credit, and output
markets.
Throughout the world, the major share of
staple food costs to the consumer is typically
accounted for by marketing costs. In most
countries in eastern and southern Africa,
maize marketing costs account for about
40% to 60% of the total retail price of maize
meal paid by consumers.The reduction of
these costs represents a major opportunity
to improve farm production incentives and
simultaneously make food more affordable to
low-income consumers.
www.cofek.co.ke
15.

SOUTH SUDAN
Opportunities
and challenges in
South Sudan
The declaration of independence
on July 9 was a momentous
occasion for millions of South
Sudanese, who had endured the policy of
oppression and segregation by the mainly
Arab North.
It was not only them celebrating, but
they were joined in the celebrations by other
countries in the region that have also seen
the upsides.
That Nairobi is interested in Juba is an
open secret and the interest palpable. It is
not just Nairobi but the entire region. Kenya
started courting Juba way back during its
fi ght for independence. Kenya provided a
venue for negotiations leading to the signing
of peace agreement in 2005.
A pledge for $3.5 million (Sh315 million
by current rates) assistance to train South
Sudan’s nascent civil servants on January
5 this year, just came as the icing on the
cake as Nairobi woos Juba to its side. The
offer of $3.5 million came just three days to
the historic separation referendum in South
Sudan.
South Sudan holds about 4.8 billion
barrels of proven oil reserves. This is what
Kenya needs- affordable oil that the South
can easily provide. Besides, Juba now
hosts about 70,000 Kenyan entrepreneurs
as well as workers with international Non-
Governmental Organisations.
There have been suggestions that Juba
authorities are considering constructing a
pipeline across Kenya to the Coast from
where it can export. At the moment, its oil
has to pass through Khartoum from which
it has just seceded. If that were to happen,
Kenya would greatly benefit from cheaper
oil and an accompanying boost to the
economy.
More than the oil, unemployment
among young people - including university
graduates - has long been a big problem
in much of Africa. Kenya is no exception.
South Sudan, having been at war for two
decades has a high illiteracy rates. The new
country will therefore need to import labour.
“Well, it now seems that the longstanding
problem of unemployment among educated
youth may be substantially reduced through
a piece of good fortune that Kenyans - and
Ugandans - are trying very hard not to gloat
over,” says Wycliffe Muga, the BBC World
Service correspondent for “Letter from
Africa”.
For the thousands of Kenyans who work
in South Sudan, life could only get better.
“The place is fine and the celebration mood
is driving business,” says Jacob Oduor who
left Nairobi for Juba in 2010. It is not only
for individuals but Kenyan banks have also
set base in Juba and Rumbek and are doing
brisk business. They include KCB, Equity
and Co-operative Bank of Kenya among
others. Kenya Airways and other budget
airlines like Jetlink too fly the Nairobi-Juba
route.
For the Intergovernmental Authority
on Development (IGAD), an independent
South Sudan means less headache as far
as regional security is concerned. Focus
could now shift to the lawless Somalia as
the region battles to curb insecurity and
unhindered human suffering.
But it is not all rosy for the neighbours.
16.

SOUTH XXXXXXXX SUDAN PROFILE
PHOTO: Courtesy caelainn.wordpress.com
South Sudan holds
about 4.8 billion
barrels of proven
oil reserves. This
is what Kenya
needs- affordable
oil that the South
can easily provide.
Besides, Juba
now hosts about
70,000 Kenyan
entrepreneurs as
well as workers
with international
Non-Governmental
Organisations.
The millions of South Sudanese who fought
for independence are illiterate, jobless and
poor.
Many are hoping that the declaration of
independence will come with instant jobs,
wealth and generally improved standards of
living. Fears of xenophobic attacks cannot
be wished away as the jobs these South
Sudanese are eyeing are currently held by
foreigners.
In December 2009, a lone gunman killed
three Kenyans in Juba after disagreement.
Kenya demanded an explanation with
former Foreign Affairs minister Moses
Wetang’ula saying cases of harassment of
Kenyans in South Sudan and destruction of
their businesses had been reported.
Hassan Omar of the Kenya National
Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR)
has also stated that his organisation had
been forced to intervene on a number of
times over mistreatment of Kenyans in
South Sudan. Most important, the friends
that new state chooses could well determine
its relations with the region so will be the
system of governance.
17.

ENVIRONMENT
Kara, Environment Ministry
strike partnership deal
The Ministry of Environment and
Mineral Resources (MEMR) is
ready and willing to fully embrace
partnerships and public participation
as provided for in Article 69 (d) of the
constitution.
This was the clear message from the
Permanent Secretary Mr. Ali. D. Mohamed
when Kara delegation paid him a courtesy
call on 1st August 2011. The PS was
categorical that matters of environment are
too critical and wide to be left to the Ministry
alone.
During the meeting, it was agreed
that Kara and MEMR will start working
closely on specifi c environmental issues to
enhance access to public service delivery.
Acknowledging that the ministry’s
outreach programme has not been very
effective, the PS explained that they
have recorded many successes through
various partnerships but this has not been
communicated to the public.
Beyond promoting good environmental
governance and practices, the partnerships
have also transformed people’s lives
making some of them responsible
citizens. For instance, some of the people
participating in the ministry’s green rangers
initiatives have changed from being
involved in criminal activities to engaging in
gainful activities.
Some of the areas the ministry
and Kara will forge partnership include
establishment of environmental scouts;
review of the Environmental Management
and Coordination Act (EMCA); coordinated
tree planting in different parts of the country;
restoration of wetlands that may have been
defiled; establishment of botanical gardens
in various counties; initiatives aimed at
transforming Kenya into a kerosene free
country and environmental awareness
programmes, particularly targeted at the
slum areas.
Kara is ready and willing to partner with
the MEMR to promote good environmental
practices and governance.
We welcome the responsiveness of
the ministry to public participation and
demonstrated willingness to work with
various stakeholders to ensure a better
environment.
Kara delegation was led by the
Chairman, Andrew Enniskillen; CEO,
Stephen Mutoro; Treasurer, Ephraim
Kanake and Programs Manager, Henry
Ochieng.
18.

transport
The challenges of
Thika super-highway
T
he transformation of the 50.4km
stretch from Nairobi to Thika town
into a super-highway has drawn
mixed reactions from various quarters.
The project which began in November
2010 following the signing of an agreement
between the Government of Kenya and
three Chinese construction firms has
attracted both praises and complaints in
equal measures.
Kara, with the support of Center for
Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD) of
Columbia University, has been conducting a
series of Focus Group Discussions (FGDs)
for residents and users of the highway.
The FGDs are intended to provide
a platform for the public to give their
views on the project, understand the
impact of the project on the livelihoods
of the users and assess the level of
awareness and involvement of the public
in the planning and implementation of
the project.
While most of the users appreciate
the long term benefits anticipated as
a result of the super-highway, there
is concern over disruption the project
has caused on the normal routines of
residents and users of the highway.
“You can use a particular route going
to work in the morning. On your way
back, you fi nd the route has been closed
and you have to use a diversion that you
are unfamiliar with,” said Joseph Maguta
resident of Kasarani who attended one of
the FGDs.
Apart from the diversions, some
business owners have had access to their
premises closed off, leading to loss of
business and livelihoods. Pedestrians find
it diffi cult crossing from one side of the
highway to the other.
Between Nairobi and Thika town,
there are only 10 footbridges. This
means one footbridge for every 5
kilometres. “Should you alight from
a matatu in between the footbridges,
you have to walk at least 2 kilometres
to the nearest footbridge to cross to
the other side of the highway,” says
Erastus Kimani, a resident of Githurai.
This being the first super-highway
in Kenya, there are also fears that
unless drivers are trained on how to
use the super-highway, there is bound
to be many road accidents on the
highway. The training should
also be extended to cyclists and
pedestrians.
On the positive side, property
owners along the highway are smiling
all the way to their banks. The value
of land and residential/commercial
properties have skyrocketed as people
scramble to get a piece of land and rental
properties along the highway.
The anticipated economic vibrancy
has attracted the attention of investors
in various sectors, resulting in increased
property value. While some of the
businesses have suffered temporary
setback as a result of the project, it is
anticipated that the investors will be able
to make up for the losses as soon as the
construction is complete.
Kara is keen to join hands with the
Government and other stakeholders to
ensure the challenges over the superhighway
project are adequately addressed
and mechanisms put in place to promote
awareness and training on the usage of the
highway.
19.

MESSAGE NEWS
Kara Consulting to offer
one-stop shop consulting services
Kara Consulting, a non-profit
subsidiary fully owned
by Kara, will soon open
its doors to Kenyan consultants and
ordinary residents as well as corporates
who need various professional advice.
The idea to establish Kara
Consulting was born out of the
realization that our members and other
partners are spending far too much
for either lack of a credible one-stop
shop consultancy and/or for less than
they expect. Kara Consulting is a
marketplace where consultants and
those who need their services meet.
Should you wish to work with the
Kara Consulting on a part-time basis,
and you have a masters degree in any
field and experience of over 5 years in
your applicable sector, please send us
your CV by email soonest possible plus a
cover note stating your name, consultancy
sector, academic degrees and any other
testimonials to info@karaconsulting.co.ke .
We will acknowledge all such
applications. Successful consultants will be
engaged on a need-basis and in which case
the consultants’ terms shall be agreed in
advance before any engagement.
As for Kara members, partners and
members of the general public seeking
various consultancy on management,
security, environment impact
assessments, land, legal, health, energy,
insurance, landscaping and any other
area - please address the General
Manager, Kara Consulting, C/o Kara -
info@kara.or.ke
Kara Consulting is a solution provider
with a comprehensive focus on public
service delivery, environment, physical
development, research among others.
Our highly skilled team already on
board, and utilizing our multi-faceted
professionals on the Kara Governing
Council and staff, Kara Consulting is
what you have clearly been missing on
realtime and affordable consultancy.
www.karaconsulting.co.ke
Kara’s partnership
with the Government
in top gear
I
n an effort to strengthen
our mandate of enhancing
public service delivery,
we requested and received
overwhelming responses from
Government ministries opening
doors for our discussions on
possible partnerships.
Between the second and third
week of August, we met Permanent
Secretaries at the Ministries for
Home Affairs (Dr Ludeki Chweya),
, East African Community (Mr
David Nalo), Roads (Eng Michael
Kamau), Housing (Mr Tirop
Kosgey), Industrialization (Dr Eng
Karanja Kibicho), Information and
Communications (Dr. Bitange
Ndemo) , Kenya Revenue Authority
Commissioner General (Mr.
Michael Waweru) among others
to discuss areas of public-private
partnerships.
The Kara delegation met
with Environment and Mineral
Resources PS Mr Ali D.
Mohammed on 1st of August
2011. Among other proposals
agreed, Kara, MEMR and
partners are planning to put up
Mazingira Botanical Gardens at
each of 175 Local Authorities.
The road ahead is still
tricky and will require
a lot of patience, tolerance
and level headedness.
The people must
be able to rise above
divisions and do what
is best for the country
and not pander to
partisan interests of
certain individuals or
sections of the society."
The country is bigger
than individuals and
must always be given
its pride of place.
Prof. PLO Lumumba,
KACC Director/Chief Executive
20.

through MESSAGE
kara lens
Decentralization and Governance Non State Actors
(DEGONSA) Members led by Kara treasurer Mr.
Ephraim Kanake and Programs Manager Mr. Henry
Ochieng discuss their position on the devolution
bills
Mr. David Nalo, PS for East African Community
Ministry presents the latest version of the Ministry’s
newsletter to Kara CEO Mr. Stephen Mutoro and the
Treasurer Mr. Ephraim Kanake
(L) Dr. Bitange Ndemo, PS, Ministry of information
and Communications gives his views on the Kara/
Cofek debut Annual Media Excellence Awards
(R-L) Mr. Ali D. Mohamed, PS for Environment and
Mineral Resources Ministry discuss areas of partnership
with Kara Chairman Andrew Enniskillen and the CEO Mr.
Mutoro
Kara CEO Mr. Stephen Mutoro receives a
sponsorship cheque from Ms. Rosemary Kavili of
Insurance Regulatory Authority towards Annual
Media Excellence Awards
21.

03 Aug - Thika Highway Focus Group Discussion - 1
10 Aug – Thika Highway Focus Group Discussion
Meeting -2
11 Aug – Kara Meeting with the PS, Office of the VP
and Ministry for Home Affairs
11 Aug – Kara meeting with PS, Ministry of Nairobi
Metropolitan Development
11 Aug - Public Appointments Bill Consultative
Meeting
12 Aug – Kara Meeting with the PS, Ministry of East
African Community
15 Aug – 5 day National Urban Development Policy
Retreat in Naivasha
16 Aug – Kara Meeting with the PS, Ministry of
Roads
16 Aug – Kara Meeting with the PS, Ministry of
Housing
16 Aug – KARA Executive Committee Meeting
17 Aug – Kara Meeting with the Ministry of
Industrialization
17 Aug - Thika Highway Focus Group
Discussion Meeting -3
21 Aug – 7 day World Water Week in Stockholm,
Sweden
24 Aug - Thika Highway Focus Group Discussion
Meeting - 4
30 Aug – DEGONSA Meeting on Devolution
31 Aug - Thika Highway Focus Group Discussion
Meeting - 5
Feedback
“I acknowledge receipt of your 16th
edition of Neighbourhood Kenya. We
look forward to receiving your educative
bulletins”,
Arch. Philip O Sika, CBS, OGW,
Permanent Secretary, Ministry of
Nairobi Metropolitan Development
“ Thank you once again for sharing with
us the 16th Edition of the Neighbourhood
Kenya”,
Mr. David S.O Nalo, CBS, Permanent
Secretary, Ministry of the East African
Community
“Thank you for your regular updates.
Just one quick question, do your member
associations/residents run their own
private businesses (SMEs) and will
they be interested in learning how to
engage in public procurement/tendering for
government contracts?”, Dr. Alabi Sheriff,
Martketing Consultants
Editor: Yes, Resident Associations
need training on public procurement. We
have been carrying out similar activities
and have since established the local
level Procurement Watch Action Groups
(ProWAGs) which effectively engage
with Local Authorities as well as monitor
procurement processes.
“Neighbourhood Kenya has remained our
faithful sources of information for us in this
part of Kenya. We are happy with the good
work Kara is doing. Keep it up”,
Mr. David Salapata, Laikipia
Together We Will
The Kenya Alliance
of Resident Associations
Jamhuri Crescent , off Kabarnet Road,
Off Ngong Road,
P.O Box 1411-00100
Nairobi, Kenya
E-mail: info@kara.or.ke
Telephone:
254-20-3874331, 3873828, 2341515
Mobile Phone Number:
0725983445; 0772700007;
0733779585
http://www.kara.or.ke
22.

BECAUSE THEY ARE FRAGILE
We protect Consumer interests
COFEK
Consumers Federation of Kenya
Meky Place, Block F-45, Ngong Road/Ring Rd Kilimani. P.O Box 2733-00200, City Square, NAIROBI. Tel: 254-20-2300859,
254-020-3861718. Cell: 254-715555550, 736965590, 0770700007; Fax: 254-3861719. Email: hotline@cofek.co.ke
www.cofek.co.ke
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