KARA APRIL-MAY ISSUE.indd - The Kenya Alliance of Resident ...

MAR/APRIL 2010 

10TH EDITION 

The Authoritative Journal of The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations 

Energy: 

High Petrol 

Prices: 10 

Unanswered 

Questions! 

Perspective: 

Swiss Ambassador 

for reforms 

Profile: 

Rosemary Mkok 

– the lady turning 

around KSB 

PUBLIC 

PROCUREMENT 

Local Authorities: 

Will ICT Cut Corruption 

Supported by 

FORD 

FOUNDATION 

www.kara.or.ke

Editor’s Note 

W 

elcome to your preferred public 

service delivery focused journal. 

As always, we appreciate your support 

and encouraging feedback. 

The two decades clamour for Kenya’s 

new constitution may soon come to a 

fruitful end after the August referendum 

vote. We call for an impartial civic 

education to be conducted in every corner 

of the country. We are optimistic that the 

Committee of Experts on the Constitution 

will realize this key endeavour, in earnest. 

We also appeal to the media houses to 

remain as objective as possible in their 

reporting on the subject. 

On the Truth, Justice and 

Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) our 

position has not changed. The TJRC, its 

noble intentions notwithstanding, will not 

realize much under the current context. 

The Commission must be disbanded now. 

On HIV/AIDs, we stand with both the 

infected and the affected. With support of 

the National AIDs Control Council, we are 

promoting the human rights protection of 

people living with HIV/AIDs. We continue 

to appeal to fellow Kenyans to assist cut 

down on new infections. 

On Public Procurements and Disposal 

Act of 2005, we will be carefully reviewing 

any possible gaps between policy and 

practice at the Local Authorities. We will 

closely work with the Public Procurement 

Oversight Authority (PPOA), City Council 

of Nairobi and Municipal Councils of 

Mombasa, Nakuru and Machakos. We 

thank the USAid , through PactKenya, for 

its support on this program. 

On security, we are working with 

the Police Reforms Implementation 

Committee, (Naikuni Committee), to 

among other issues unravel the challenges 

on police reforms, community policing and 

private security regulation bill. 

On Environment, and together with 

our partners, we will vigorously pursue 

the public Forests excisions revocation 

court case. We also take this opportunity 

to humbly remind the Prime Minister Eng. 

Raila Odinga that lest he forgets, Kenyans 

are anxiously waiting for implementation 

of the Effi ciency Monitoring Unit’s Report 

on National Environment Management 

Authority (Nema). Kara will not relent. 

As we mark a decade of promoting 

enhanced access to public service 

delivery, we are counting on your 

continued support to enable us scale to 

even greater heights in 2010 and beyond. 

Karibuni na asante sana! 

As fraudulent and unscrupulous 

individuals and businesspeople 

devise the ever elusive tactics to 

steal public funds, it is becoming 

clearer that advancement in technology, 

especially Information and Communications 

Technology (ICT) could be the only 

panacea. 

Residents in the city and ratepayers in 

other local authorities are losing billions of 

shillings to thieves who mostly capitalize 

on age old accounting and book keeping 

systems to misappropriate public funds. 

And as such cases become more 

common, Neighbourhood Kenya has 

established that honest and well meaning 

chief offi cers are now embracing modern 

day technology to reduce, if not eradicate, 

corruption especially in the procurement 

and disposal processes. 

The introduction of the Local 

Authority Integrated Financial Operations 

Management Systems (LAIFOMS) is 

gaining popularity even as some authorities 

COVER STORY 

Local Authorities 

Procurements – 

Will ICT Cut Corruption 

say the program is a little too expensive to 

implement. 

Most contend that though initially 

expensive, it is in the long run less costly 

as once fully operational it may save the 

billions that would have been swindled by 

the corruption syndicates in town. 

The City Council of Nairobi is one of 

the local authorities that have speedily 

incorporated the technology and as the 

recently appointed city treasurer Mr. John 

Ngugi testifi es, the results are beginning to 

show just months into the program. 

The effort, for instance, has pushed 

up the revenue collected from car parking 

fees by over Sh 1.3M. Mr Ngugi revealed 

that before the introduction of LAIFOMS 

the council was collecting an average of 

Sh1.2M shillings a day but now it receives 

over Sh 2.5M daily, meaning that some 

fraudsters had been illegally making over a 

million shillings a day! 

Though the treasurer contends that 

fraud is still on as a few parking attendants 

3.

COVER STORY 

“Whatever the laws, 

whatever the technology 

there can never be 

zero corruption in the 

procurement and collection 

of revenue unless people 

change their ways and act 

with total honesty, one can 

never seal all the loopholes 

with legislation and 

technology,” 

or people impersonating them still use fake 

receipt books and debit motorists, saving 

more than a million a day is defi nitely a step 

in the right direction. 

Nakuru town clerk Mr. Sheikh Abdullahi 

says his council is making only Sh416M 

a year but believes if they were to fully 

embrace the technology they would rake in 

more. 

“The main loophole in revenue 

collection is the fact that we are not fully 

automated. 

The other is some residents do not want 

to pay our new rates as they say they are 

too high,” says the town’s chief executive 

adding that with that kind of revenue the 

council runs on a defi cit of Sh154M. 

Mr. Tubman Otieno, Mombasa’s town 

clerk agrees that indeed IT is an important 

aspect in guarding against the cruel nature 

of untrustworthy employees. 

He adds that other than ensuring that 

information and records are easy to follow 

and monitor, effective use of technology 

also cuts on the time and inconveniences 

that ratepayers go through in the process on 

remitting their dues. 

Mr. John Ngugi, City 

Treasurer, CCN 

In Nairobi, the decentralization of rate 

paying units has been made possible by 

these integrated systems. The council 

has since opened a new paying centre at 

Makadara, in the city’s Eastlands and Mr 

Ngugi says the response of his customers, 

is so far, impressive. 

But all said and done, Kenyans are 

eons away from realizing a corruptionfree 

procurement process in their local 

authorities, unless offi cials in the councils 

transform to honesty. 

Offi cials interviewed by Neighbourhood 

Kenya concede that whatever technology 

that is introduced and implemented, the 

goodness of man will be the only way 

to completely alleviate the scourge of 

corruption and ensure that residents within 

affected local authorities get the services 

they deserve and pay for. 

“Whatever the laws, whatever the 

technology there can never be zero 

corruption in the procurement and collection 

of revenue unless people change their ways 

and act with total honesty, one can never 

seal all the loopholes with legislation and 

technology,” says Mr Ngugi. 

Local government experts intimate that 

though the laws governing the process 

are in place, it is virtually impossible 

to seal all the loopholes available for 

unscrupulous characters and it all rests on 

the transparency of concerned personnel for 

everything to fl ow transparently. 

The treasurer of Kenya’s capital city 

admits that whatever his council does, 

there can never be total safeguard against 

fraudsters in the process of procurement 

and revenue collection. 

Some experts say that a complete 

change in Kenyans’ (both council workers 

and residents) psyche and a development 

of a national conscience will make the 

country achieve effi ciency. 

Mr Ngugi adds that a large percentage 

of the funds meant for the betterment of the 

city’s life ends up in individuals’ pockets, 

wrongly and yet consciously despite the 

deliberate effort he has initiated to guard 

against the vice. 

With the recent graveyard plot 

acquisition saga by the city council still fresh 

in most Kenyans’ minds, the revelation by 

the city offi cial is disturbing. 

Most local authorities have revenues 

running into billions of shillings and the 

admission that things are not foolproof, is to 

say the least, worrying. Nairobi handles, or 

is expected to handle, over Sh10B shillings 

annually. 

Of Nakuru’s Sh416M revenue, the 

expenditure projections are Sh667M, part of 

which Sh340M goes to personnel, Sh227M 

to operations leaving a defi cit of Sh154M. 

All local authorities are expected 

to abide by the government’s Public 

Procurement and Disposal Act of 2005 but 

hardly do they do this as they engage in 

multi billion shillings deals. 

Its workers are also expected to strictly 

adhere to the Public Offi cers Ethics Act. 

The gap between such expected policy 

guidelines and actual practices among 

senior most workers has been growing by 

every passing day. 

It is hoped that local authorities will 

move fast enough to take on board and use 

customized technology systems to reduce 

the rate of misappropriation of public funds 

and make scandals like the recent cemetery 

plot by Nairobi City Council in Mavoko 

Municipal Council history so that residents 

can regain confi dence in their supposed 

workers. 

Whether the ICT can signifi cantly cut on 

corruption without change of attitude and 

accountability among the workers at local 

authorities is anyone’s guess. 

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.

PROFILE ENERGY 

High Petrol Prices: The Ten 

Unanswered Questions! 

The circumstances surrounding 

the Kenya Bureau of Standards 

(Kebs) suspect and disputed 

contract with an Indian fuel 

quality inspection fi rm Geo Chem Middle 

East which pushed pump prices upwards 

by an estimated Sh4 was yet another 

manifestation of an irresponsible and 

disjointed government bent on fl eecing the 

hapless taxpayer and consumer. 

The prices were only reduced after public 

outcry that forced the government to retract 

its intention. 

No doubt the emerging disagreement 

within government on the matter has more 

to do with the vested interests that would 

have shared the proceeds of the deal as 

opposed to protecting public interest. 

Energy and Industrialization ministers 

Mr. Kiraitu Murungi and Mr. Henry Kosgey, 

respectively, seemed to feign ignorance on 

the whole matter that had been on 

the cards for long. 

The now 

increasingly 

fashionable trend where no minister, 

permanent secretary and other government 

offi cials takes responsibility for sins of 

commission and or omission within their 

respective dockets is costing the economy 

and Kenya’s reputation among the family of 

nations. 

Let us assume that Kebs had good 

intentions in introducing the new fuel 

inspecting company. The fi rst prudent 

move would have been to objectively study 

and document credible misgivings on the 

manner the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Ltd 

and the Kenya Petroleum Company could 

be inspecting the oil. 

The next step, and assuming Kebs 

would have been acting in good faith, it 

would have moved to recommend to the 

relevant arm of government on the need 

to immediately discontinue the two based 

on their assessment. A competitive open 

tendering process would then 

have followed in earnest. 

Following the 

Sh4 when the actual implication of the Kebs 

and Geo Chem Middle East deal is said to 

have been less than Sh1 

Fifth, who will believe the oil marketers’ 

crocodile tears on the matter when they 

have remained notorious and a real pain 

to the public in failing to adjust oil prices 

downwards whenever global prices of the 

precious commodity fall 

Six, could Kebs have noticed what is 

unknown about the dangers posed to the 

public by the current oil inspectors or are 

they simply being used as a conduit to 

enrich the select few, and if yes, why can’t 

the acting MD Mr. Kioko speak out 

Seven, why is the industrialization 

PS Prof. John Lonyangapuo playing 

politics with this critical matter at one time 

disowning the deal and then softening a few 

days later. 

Eight, what is the Attorney General’s 

position and who exactly is protecting the 

public interest in the matter as different 

forces jostle for a piece of this lucrative and 

long-term tender 

impasse, ten salient 

questions now beg for 

answers; 

First, Kebs is in charge of setting 

standards of quality of oil in this case. Does 

it have any business signing contracts 

binding the government on this matter 

Second, does Kebs hold the power to 

hire a contractor on behalf of the tight-lipped 

Energy Regulatory Commission or the 

ministry of energy 

Third, are oil companies in order to 

withhold the oil from the public and cause 

artifi cial shortage, and if not, what action 

would be taken against those fi rms found 

culpable 

Fourth, just what informed the oil 

marketers to peg their price at the additional 

Nine, 

when will 

competitiveness 

in the energy sector 

become a reality 

Ten, are President 

Kibaki and PM Raila 

odinga still being 

consulted by their ministers 

and PS’s on such major decisions that have 

huge implications on every citizen including 

the majority poor who will now be forced to 

pay an estimated Sh75 per litre of kerosene 

they so desperately need for cooking and 

lighting

PERSPECTIVE 

Swiss envoy Georges Martin: 

Diplomats should not seek publicity! 

He is jovial and readily 

speaks his mind on 

issues close to his heart. 

He has traversed the 

world representing the 

interest of his country as 

a career diplomat for over two decades. 

Meet H.E. Mr. Georges Martin, the 

Switzerland Ambassador to Kenya who will 

be concluding his tour of duty in the country 

mid this year after four years. 

He is headed back to his country to take 

up a position within the Ministry of Foreign 

Affairs. 

Georges started off as a young diplomat 

in 1986 in South Africa as the deputy 

head of mission and has since served in 

diplomatic positions in numerous countries 

across the globe. 

Before coming to Kenya, he held the 

same position in Indonesia where he 

witnessed fi rst hand the devastating effect 

of Tsunami that killed tens of thousands of 

the country’s population in 2004. 

Coming to Kenya was his fi rst choice as 

he was keen to sample the rich culture and 

traditions that he had only heard about. 

The 58 year old diplomat holds a 

masters degree in 

political science from the University of 

Lausanne in Switzerland.. 

As a child, his aspiration was to play a 

role in international relations and contribute 

towards promotion of peaceful coexistence 

in the world. He also had a strong desire to 

bring up a proud family. Today, the diplomat 

is living his dream as he not only has a 

colorful career in the fi eld of international 

relations but also has a close-knit family 

that is his pride. He is married to Ursula and 

together they have a son (Olivier) and a 

daughter (Valérie). 

For the period he has been in Kenya, he 

considers the cordial diplomatic relations 

between the two 

countries as one of his greatest 

achievements. As a matter of policy, 

Switzerland only provides public fi nancial 

aid to very poor countries and Kenya 

does not fall in that category and hence 

is not anymore a development partner for 

Switzerland. However, Switzerland still 

supports many institutions in Kenya like 

ICIPE (African Insect Science for Food and 

Health), CETRAD (Centre for Training and 

Integrated Research in ASAL Development) 

and also played a role in establishment of 

Utalii College. 

In an effort to contribute towards 

reducing negative ethnicity in the country, 

he once invited the renowned Swiss 

cartoonist in his country, the famous Patrick 

Chappatte working for among others the 

International Herald Tribune, to work with 

local cartoonists to communicate peace 

messages. He has also been keen in 

promoting adherence to human rights 

when dealing with prisoners. He facilitated 

the publication of prisoners’ human rights 

manual which is used to train the prison 

wardens on how to deal with the prisoners 

in a more humane manner. 

He is also proud of the role the embassy 

played in partnership with Kara in facilitating 

the hosting of a Bi-monthly Talk Series 

forum at which one of the leading scholars 

from Switzerland Prof. Jurg Steiner was the 

chief guest. 

He has, however, faced some 

challenges in the course of his duty, the 

main one being how to deal with 

the 2008 post election 

violence. “The 

events that 

took place after 

the 2007 elections 

were totally surprising 

as Kenya had always 

been an island of peace 

on the continent. 

We had to do our 

best to contribute 

towards restoration 

of normalcy”, he 

said. Since then the 

Swiss embassy has 

signifi cantly increased 

its aid to Human Rights 

organizations as well as 

other organizations dealing 

6.

PERSPECTIVE 

“The events 

that took place 

after the 2007 

elections were 

totally surprising 

as Kenya had 

always been an 

island of peace 

on the continent. 

We had to do 

our best to 

contribute 

towards 

restoration of 

normalcy” 

with the consequences of the post election 

violence e.g. those protecting the witnesses 

of ethnic violence, currently living in North 

Rift and Western Kenya, 

He is, however, not bothered by the 

media not highlighting the contributions 

made by some countries in restoration of 

peace after the violence erupted. “Diplomats 

should never seek publicity in the course 

of their duties as the nature of their work 

demands that they make things happen 

and fi nd solutions behind the scenes,” he 

explains. 

What would he do if he became the 

President of Kenya for one hour “I would 

initiate processes and make decisions 

that will ensure that the country becomes 

corruption-free” He believes that corruption 

is the main contributor towards Kenya not 

achieving its full potential. 

The ambassador is pleased at the 

ongoing reforms but warns that there is no 

need to celebrate until the processes are 

complete and functional structures put in 

place. “There is need to increase the pace 

of the reforms. If they are not completed 

before the next elections then they may 

never be realized,” warned Mr. Martin. 

On the social scene, the fi rst born in 

a family of four (three boys and one girl) 

leads a modest life and prefers a quiet 

family life. He enjoys cooking and reading 

books on personalities who have made a 

mark in changing the world for the better. 

He is currently reading the United States’ 

President Barack Obama’s book “Dreams 

from my father”. 

He enjoys having wine (either red or 

white) in the company of his friends. His 

mentor “Ever since I was a child, I have 

always admired the great personality of 

former US President J.F. Kennedy whom 

of course I never got to meet but I literally 

shed tears when he was assassinated” 

He also admires the selfl essness and 

contributions made to mankind by former 

South African President Nelson Mandela 

and Bishop Desmond Tutu. He can never 

forget his personal meeting in South Africa 

with Nelson Mandela just after his release 

from prison. 

7.

Appeal for support on revocation 

of Mau and other excisions of 

forestland: 

The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA), East African Wildlife Society (EAWLS), 

Environment Liaison Centre International (ELCI) among other partners are appealing for your 

support towards fi nalizing a court case involving the 2001 excisions of a total of 67,185.17 ha from 

12 forests across the country. The case was instituted on 19th April 2002. 8 years have passed since the 

applicants targeted at stopping the Government of Kenya from proceeding with excision. 

Following the suit, the Honorable justice Richard Kuloba sitting in the High Court in Nairobi ordered 

the Government to withhold any further action that would give effect to the excisions such as the issuance 

of title deeds and alteration of boundaries. The suit and the orders thereof were directed at the Minister for 

Environment; the Commissioner of Lands; the Chief Land Registrar; the Principal Registrar of Titles, the 

Director of Physical Planning and the Director of Surveys. 

Previous efforts to settle the matter out of court and to see which forests could be saved (those that 

were important water catchments and of high biodiversity value such as Mau), have never materialized. 

In the meantime, the court case has been dragging on for many years and for various reasons. The main 

one being that the respondents have never submitted their replying affi davits. 

With no sign that the government will make any such move, the case has come before the courts 

several times but it has not been heard nor determined. However, the case has now been resurrected and 

came for hearing on 22nd February 2010 and there is a possibility of having it concluded this year. The 

case has been assigned to Honourable Lady Justice Jeanne Gacheche, Lady Justice Roselyn Wendoh 

and Justice Aggrey Muchelule. 

As a result of the hearing, there is an order that requires the Attorney General (AG) to fi le a replying 

affi davit and to show the names of persons allocated land in the affected Central Forests. The AG has not 

complied since 2003. He has now been directed by the court to comply. The judges have required us (the 

applicants) to serve fresh hearing notice to the relevant County Councils and to advertise the case in the 

public media. The next hearing is now set for 21st and 28th June 2010. 

We still believe that the excised forests are worth saving and are still very anxious to secure a 

positive outcome through the courts. We continue to believe that the excisions are detrimental to the 

environment in many respects, particularly with regard to the nation’s water supply, electricity supply, the 

effects on agriculture downstream, timber production, biodiversity, tourism and also climate change. The 

excisions contravened the Environmental Management and Coordination Act of 1999 and other various 

laws and policies of the country. Further, it is against the many conventions and treaties to which Kenya is 

a signatory. 

Our need now is to secure funds to bring the court case to a conclusion if at all possible. We need 

Ksh 500,000 as lawyer’s payment and we possibly need Ksh 300,000 to cover the public advertisement 

and related costs. Our target therefore is Ksh 800,000. 

We appeal for your support to enable as conclude this case and hopefully save the excised forest. 

We will use the various public forums to acknowledge your support. But if for any reason you wouldn’t 

want to be mentioned, we guarantee confi dentiality. We do hope that you can make a donation, but for 

any additional information, please get in touch with the undersigned. We appreciate those of you who 

have already extended their support in cash and/or in kind. 

With best wishes and regards, 

Stephen Mutoro 

Chief Executive Officer 

The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) 

Kabarnet Lane, off Kabarnet Road, Off Ngong Road 

P.O Box 1411-00100 GPO, NAIROBI, Kenya 

Tel. 254-20-3874331, 3873828, 2341515 

Fax: 254-20-3862872 

Cellphones: 0725983445; 0772700007; 0733779585 

Email: info@kara.or.ke or kara@eafra.net

SECURITY 

Kidnappings: Why police can 

do so little where you can do 

everything 

KKenya’s crime 

scene has been 

hit by a new, 

dangerous 

and rapidly spreading 

phenomenon. 

Many victims are now 

being kidnapped and their 

family and friends extorted 

more often than ever before. 

And the most hit areas are 

towns and cities with Nairobi 

leading the queue of the most 

affected areas. 

By all perspectives, 

kidnapping is a perfected 

mungiki style crime that 

extorts on the basis of fear 

and the resultant victims kin’s excessive 

panic. 

That teens have now been attracted to 

perpetration of this less dangerous yet most 

lucrative crime complicates matters for urban 

dwellers. 

With less and less criminals finding armed 

bank robberies attractive thanks to police 

and bankers strategic counters, kidnapping 

remains one of the best option. 

The fear among residents of a kidnapper 

pouncing on a family member is justifiably 

high. Desperate families of kidnapped 

victims, in the hope to save lives of their 

loved ones, are daily forking out millions of 

shillings. What is more worrying, in silence. 

Such families dig deep into their pockets 

to immediately pay huge ransom demands so 

as to avoid possible death, torture or abuse 

of their loved ones. 

Elaborate and mutative networks 

through which ransom payments get to the 

real masterminds make police but pawns 

in the game of high stakes because dire 

consequences are often promised and 

actually meted out on a few who report to 

them. 

The trauma associated with kidnappings 

and the fact that victims hardly talk about the 

incidents present yet another hurdle in the 

search for answers to the growing cases of 

kidnaps in Kenya. 

With serious and real threats to families 

of victims who negotiate ransom payouts not 

to report to police or attempt to counter the 

assailants for fear of heavier reprisals has 

scaled the impunity of kidnappers. 

Kidnappers are no longer targeting the 

affluent society alone. From the poor to the 

non-poor, anyone is their potential client. 

Today, family members, business 

partners, “friends” and even competitors are 

using kidnapping as a means to answer back 

to, mostly, their jealousy and greed. 

A case was once reported to Kara of a 

cut-throat tender award won by a rival. As a 

means to financially disable the winner so 

as to allow for re-tender, the loser organized 

for separate kidnaps of two family members. 

Huge ransom sums were paid. Their 

objective was met. 

Another case of a spouse who after 

compelling her husband to take an unsecured 

loan of Ksh. 1.5M from his company to 

enable her sister travel overseas for study 

organized for a carjacking on her husband, 

within the same week, losing the doublecabin 

company car. He was fi red. 

Depending on applicable trust levels, 

therefore, no one is safe from family 

members, house-helps, security guards etc 

who can easily collude with outsiders to 

orchestrate acts of kidnaps. 

As if to heighten their stock in trade, 

9. 

imparting extreme fear to targeted 

kin of their victims, kidnappers often 

threaten to send them crudely cutout 

body parts as a warning that 

they would be ‘soon’ killing them. 

On average, a professional 

kidnapper takes time. He has to be 

sure where and with whom your 

children or spouse frequents. They 

would study your routine - what time 

you leave and report back. Your 

usual route could be of interest, 

too. They also want to know who 

remains in your house. 

Kidnappers operate as 

though they are mobile libraries 

of confidential information on the 

people they target. They must 

be having your cellphone number already. 

Alternatively, they are sure to get it from their 

victim’s cellphones either saved as “mum” or 

‘dad”! 

While good Samaritans, in the case of an 

accident, would save you by calling your “mum”, 

“dad” or “sweetie” from your phonebook, the 

kidnappers could do the reverse. 

Sometimes the taxi-drivers working in 

cahoots with kidnappers could just drive you 

into hell. As you are driven, someone armed 

or purporting to be armed will emerge and 

man-handle you together with the taxi-driver. 

Unknown to you, the rogue taxi-driver is part of 

the syndicate. 

In terms of solutions, people must create time 

to get interested in reading security guidelines. 

They need to contribute to social mobilization 

especially through the media, internet and email 

campaigns. 

They must equally ensure that they trust their 

spouses and especially so for their domestic 

workers. Being friendly with your house-help or 

security guard as you drive in and out of your 

home won’t cost you much – yet it cultivates a 

sense of job security with your workers. 

Kara will soon embark on preparing public 

service delivery guidelines on security and 

many other services. Please share your 

experiences on this form of crime and any other. 

We will observe confidentiality, as always. Use 

research@kara.or.ke

ENERGY 

The tragedy and irony of 

KPLC profits as KenGen 

profits dip 

“Geothermal energy is the 

next big thing in Kenya and 

globally. It is green, abundant, 

reliable and most cost 

effective source of electricity 

for Kenya. Kenya’s electricity 

demand is projected to grow 

from the current 1365 MW to 

over 10,000 MW in the next 

20 years; 4000MW of this 

energy is expected to come 

from the geothermal sector”, 

The Kenya Power and Lighting Company 

(KPLC) recently announced an impressive 

pre-tax profi t for six months ended December 

2009. 

This refl ected an upward move of 31% from 

Sh2.1B to Sh2.8B. The company attributed its 

success to increased revenue and reduced costs. 

As Kara congratulates KPLC CEO Eng. Joseph 

Njoroge and his board of directors for a work well 

done, pessimists would fi nd the increased revenue 

as possibly ‘exploitative’ end-user pricing. The attempt to cut costs is a welcome 

development. 

But there are valid concerns even as KPLC is upbeat. The said revenue arose from 

increased price of electricity. 

At Sh6.2B, the operating costs are still 

way too high. One would expect that such 

costs are itemized and a deliberate move to 

cut them down made. 

The bad news for the consumer is that 

it was not the Kenya Electricity Generating 

Company (KenGen) which was making 

huge profi ts. KPLC is only but a reseller of 

KenGen products. Unfortunately, by KenGen 

having 26 per cent drop from Sh1.5B to 

Sh1.1B in profi t, it means that KPLC’s profi ts 

honeymoon will not last for long. 

Reality is that KPLC can only boast of 

handsome profi ts if KenGen makes slightly 

more. But with KenGen’s over-reliance on 

hydro-electricity, and with the unpredictable 

rains, the reality of higher electricity prices 

levied by KPLC will come sooner than 

expected, enough rains or none. 

The tragedy is that, just like any other 

companies, the KPLC profi ts, once declared, 

are often paid out to the shareholders as 

dividends. This time the directors were quick 

to recommend the Sh3 per share dividend. 

Recouping of investments is, therefore, 

minimal to facilitate a cushion from potential 

high prices KenGen may spring up for the 

latter to stay afl oat. KPLC charges a Sh7.22 

a kilowatt-hour as fuel cost charge. This item 

carries the highest amount on any power bill. 

Sector experts say that geothermal 

mode of electricity is the most reliable form 

of energy in terms of cost. 

“Geothermal energy is the next big 

thing in Kenya and globally. It is green, 

abundant, reliable and most cost effective 

source of electricity for Kenya. Kenya’s 

electricity demand is projected to grow from 

the current 1365 MW to over 10,000 MW in 

the next 20 years; 4000MW of this energy 

is expected to come from the geothermal 

sector”, said an expert who did not want to 

be named. 

The bottom line is that KPLC profi ts 

mean little to the consumer if the KenGen 

profi t dipping is not halted and reversed. 

All eyes remain on the Energy 

Regulatory Commission to manage the 

delicate balance of ensuring availability of 

sustainable electricity at affordable pricing. 

10.

CONSTITUTION 

It is a 

New Dawn 

For Kenya 

The process of rewriting the 

country’s laws has hit the home 

stretch, and almost every Kenyan 

is happily anxious. 

After twenty years of jostling, lobbying, 

fi ghting and even dying for a new 

constitution for Kenya, the country might 

have the new law book in slightly over a 

month. 

Last month parliament, though by 

default rather than design, agreed to pass 

a draft of the constitution prepared by the 

committee of experts set up by the same 

house, unedited. 

Though as many as 150 amendments 

had been prepared by various members of 

the August house hoping to introduce them 

to the documents that many a Kenyan on 

the street thought was good enough, the 

disunity and selfi shness among the MPs, for 

once, ensured that none passed. 

As a result, the otherwise unfortunate 

character traits of the country’s political 

class had a positive bearing on Kenya’s 

history. We, as a nation, are closer to a new 

constitutional dispensation thanks mostly to 

the politicians’ vices. 

In a few months, the country will be 

voting in a referendum to either adopt 

or reject the new document. A rejection, 

though very unlikely, will mean the nation 

goes back to the drawing board in its hope 

to ever change the laws that were written for 

it in Lancaster, England. 

The realization of the gravity and 

danger of rejection of the draft constitution 

is what motivated the holders of the two top 

offi ces in the country to join members of 

parliament late last month and ensure that 

the document is passed, whichever way. 

President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister 

Raila Odinga took time off their schedule to 

attend parliament to show support for the 

document. It was passed un-amended. 

But shortly after and as Attorney 

General Amos Wako is working on the 

editorial part of the constitution, some 

dissenting voices have sprung up. 

Some Christian leaders have insisted that 

they would oppose the draft constitution 

because of clauses on the kadhis’ courts 

and abortion. 

Speaking even as the two principal 

political leaders beseeched them to 

back the draft, which now awaits fi nal 

endorsement at the referendum, the leaders 

vowed to campaign against the document. 

But the reactions from the Catholic and 

Anglican leaders suggested splits in the two 

main Christian faiths as junior clergy differed 

with their superiors. 

Some of those campaigning against the 

draft object to Article 26 which empowers 

doctors to end a pregnancy if it endangers 

the woman’s life or if she needs emergency 

treatment. 

Some of the Christian leaders are also 

opposed to the retention of kadhis’ courts 

in the proposed constitution under Article 

169 and 170, which limit their authority to 

disputes over personal status, marriage, 

divorce or inheritance, where all the parties 

11. 

are Muslims and agree to take the case to a 

Kadhi. 

At the Anglican Church (ACK) while 

Archbishop Eliud Wabukala has reportedly 

asked Kenyans to support the draft as the 

document is better than the current one, 

his junior bishop Thomas Kogo of Eldoret 

differs, saying the draft went against the 

wishes of Kenyans. 

But the Archbishop rightly argues 

that the kadhis’ courts should not make 

Christians vote against the draft because 

the courts were in the current Constitution. 

The topmost Anglican cleric in the country 

suggests that contentious clauses could be 

amended later. 

But speaking at a different forum, 

Bishop Kogo, who was accompanied by 

Provost John Rotech and the Rev Evelyn 

Jerotich, said the House of Bishops was yet 

to meet and agree on a common position. 

Bishop Kogo said of the Archbishop: “He 

gave his personal opinion about the draft, 

which should not be interpreted as the stand 

of all church.” 

Elsewhere Bishop Titus Khamala of 

Cornerstone Ministries in Kenya has since 

praised Parliament for passing the draft 

constitution and urged other Christian 

religious leaders and the public to vote for 

the new set of laws 

As we await the referendum, we at 

Neighbourhood Kenya, hope that the voters 

will be driven by their love for the country 

as opposed to sectarian and mostly myopic 

interests as they cast their vote.

profile 

Rosemary Mkok – 

aroun 

“I told myself that if this 

is what it was going to 

take to put three square 

meals for him on the 

table then I was going 

to start life afresh, read 

and deliver on my new 

responsibility. Setting 

up the Secretariat and 

a legal department was 

fun,” 

Dark, pretty, youthful and cheerful is the physical picture that you get when you first 

meet her. Serious, dedicated and focused is the one you fi nally make after a few 

minutes of chatting. 

This is none other than the lady who slightly more than a year ago took over the 

wheel at the helm of the sugar sector in the country and to some extent the region. And she is 

keen to drive it further and faster. But as she admits she will need the support of everyone on 

the road, fellow drivers, passengers, conductors and even bystanders, for she contends there 

are historical barriers, bumps and potholes on the road to an effective, competitive and fulfi lling 

sugar industry for all in the country. 

Ms Rosemary Mkok is the Chief Executive Offi cer of the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB). She has 

held the position for the last two years. In 2007, Rosemary was appointed the Chief Executive 

Officer in an acting capacity but was confi rmed substantively one year later in December 2008. 

The mother of two is not new to the sugar sector though. She joined the Board 15 years ago 

as a legal offi cer rising through the ranks to the position of Company Secretary from where she 

was elevated to Acting CEO in 2007. 

A trained lawyer and Certifi ed Public Secretary (K), Ms. Mkok sits easy in her managerial 

position, probably more at home than she would at the bar. Since graduating from the Kenya 

School of Law in 1988, the focused lady has not practiced law as we know it, though she says 

she may establish a law firm upon retirement from what has become her passion – providing 

strategic leadership to the sugar industry. 

Born in Maseno in Western Kenya Rosemary is, as she describes herself, a Kenyan. And 

true she is. Her parents’ home is in Busia, she was born in Maseno and went through close to 

ten primary schools in different regions of the country among them Meru, Embu, Machakos, 

Kisumu, Maseno, Kitale and Turbo. This was necessitated by her father’s frequent change of 

duty stations being a career civil servant. 

“This early childhood exposure has given me quite a good feel of Kenya’s rich diverse 

culture. For that, I can proudly state I am a true Kenyan,” she lightheartedly told Neighbourhood 

Kenya in an interview at her Sukari Plaza offi ces recently. 

Rosemary speaks over ten languages and dialects fluently, including all the native 

languages of the regions she schooled at in Kenya. 

The first woman Chief Executive Offi cer of Kenya Sugar Board is the sixth born of eleven 

siblings in the family comprising 3 boys and 8 girls. She is also the only one who went a 

different route in career terms since majority of the others followed their parents in the field of 

education. 

After completing her A levels at Moi Nairobi Girls, Rosemary joined the University of Nairobi 

to pursue a Bachelor of Laws degree. 

She then joined the Kenya School of Law where she obtained a post graduate diploma in 

Legal Studies and qualified for admission to the roll of Advocates of The High Court of Kenya in 

1988. 

But soon after becoming a lawyer, the young lady opted for the corporate world unlike most 

of her peers who went straight into private practice. 

At the Sugar Board, Rosemary says she has had a challenging career finding her way in an 

industry that has very strong diverse interests. 

By the time she joined the Board, her fi rstborn was only nine months and she had to wriggle 

through the challenges of a new mother and the demands of setting up and heading a newly 

formed Legal department. 

“I told myself that if this is what it was going to take to put three square meals for him on the 

table, then I was going to start life afresh, read and deliver on my new responsibility. Setting up 

the Secretariat and a legal department was fun,” remembers the executive whose confessed 

hobby is reading. 

The first assignment then was to spearhead the team to come up with a draft Sugar Bill and 

lobby stakeholders buy-in. This was a success though she notes “the law that was eventually 

passed did not quite achieve its fullest extent of an industry-driven regulatory framework with 

12.

PROFILE 

the lady turning 

d the sugar board 

greater stakeholder empowerment”. 

So much water has gone under the bridge 

and one and half a decade later, Rosemary 

looks back with some sense of achievement 

at what she has been involved in bringing the 

industry where it is today. 

Among the milestones the industry 

has achieved while she has been at the 

Board include, the commencement of the 

privatization program for the state owned sugar 

enterprises which in her view will not only 

involve debt management but also increase 

private sector participation in the industry. 

Rosemary is upbeat that this will definitely 

bring with it increased financial discipline; 

capital injection; new management styles and 

a stronger commercial orientation. She also 

recognizes that the granting of an additional 

4-year safeguard under the COMESA trade 

arrangement has given her Board a window 

within which to restructure the sugar industry 

and make it regionally and globally competitive. 

Another achievement she is quick to add is 

the abandonment in July 2009 of the previous 

cane payment system based on weight. The 

industry has now adopted a simplified cane 

payment formula, which pegs the price of cane 

to that of sugar and incorporates a quality 

variable. As a result, farmers have been able 

to enjoy higher producer prices due to the 

prevailing ex-factory price of sugar. 

The Board in its quest to promote 

relevant research is currently financing the 

transformation of the industry’s research centre 

at Kibos, into an ultra modern facility and 

regional centre of excellence. 

“We have through market reforms 

streamlined our surveillance capability 

to ensure effective monitoring of sugar 

importation,” she adds. This unlike in the past, 

has seen a significant stabilization of our 

domestic market. 

The soft spoken lady boss also says 

her Board has managed to increase the 

funds invested in cane development and 

consequently expanded the area under the 

crop from 131,507 ha in 2006 to 169,421 in 

2008 though she feels more has to be done 

if the country is to achieve full efficiency and 

meet the local demand fully. In the period 

2007 to December 2009 the Board disbursed 

a total of Kshs. 3,564,587,619.50 towards 

various projects in the industry including cane 

development, factory rehabilitation, research, 

roads & infrastructure, farmers payments 

among others. 

Rosemary and her team are aggressively 

pursuing strategic alliances with a number 

of agencies with a view to translating these 

interventions into tangible outcomes. Some of 

these include pooling of resources and efforts 

towards sugar belt infrastructural development 

and maintenance, block farming ‘commercial 

villages’ concept and insurance for cane 

farmers. 

But her job has not been without 

challenges. 

“I have had to put in double the effort of my 

all-male predecessors, for my contributions to 

be recognized, there are challenges but I know 

I am equal to the task’ she says. 

One of the major challenges she points out 

is what she considers some personal attacks 

by vested interests to weaken her spirit. “I 

have on a number of occasions been accused 

falsely or portrayed in extremely negative 

light but have always been driven by my 

conscience” 

She mentions the heavy historical debt 

burden that has limited access to adequate 

and affordable credit to the industry resulting 

in underinvestment, use of obsolete and 

inefficient processing technology, over-reliance 

on a single source of revenue and not too 

satisfactory historical governance standards 

13. 

that are mirrored in the current ineffi ciencies and 

uncompetitive production cost levels, as some of 

the major challenges. 

But all these may soon be behind us, she 

confi des. The Board under her guidance has put in 

place strategies to counter the hurdles, including 

the upscaling of governance standards, policies that 

deliberately promote effi ciency, competitiveness 

and diversifi cation of the product base. Infact in her 

own words the industry is now moving from a sugar 

industry to a cane industry that will see the farmer 

benefi t from all products derived from their cane. 

Back to Rosemary the person, the tea-totler is a 

dotting but busy mother. Apart from the offi ce work 

that requires her to be at her desk by seven every 

morning, she is pursuing an MBA as well as an hour 

of every day work-out. 

Rosemary’s main prayer in the country’s 

betterment is effi cient governance and her role 

models are Dr Margaret Kobia of the Kenya Institute 

of Administration and Professor Arthur Eshiwani of 

KCA University. It is her dream that one day she will 

pride herself of transforming the face and image 

of the sugar industry into an effi cient, competitive, 

multi-product industry just like Dr. Kobia has done to 

KIA with the integrity standards that both Proffesor 

Eshiwani and Dr. Kobia uphold. 

Before joining the Sugar Board Ms Mkok worked 

as General Manager at Damca Express Services 

and the Lake Basin Development Authority where 

she was a Legal Offi cer and later elevated to 

Authority Secretary.

WATER 

Dying 

Lake Naivasha 

– Government departments 

sleeping on the job 

The recent unresolved tragedy of 

fl oating dead fi sh dying in their 

numbers within Lake Naivasha 

was a confi rmation of what has 

been the concern of many environmentalists 

that the unregulated fl ower farms are 

contributing to environmental degradation of 

the fresh water lake. 

Lake Naivasha Riparian Association and 

many other stakeholders’ efforts to conserve 

the water resource has been constantly 

frustrated by a government playing double 

standards. Thanks to the shenanigan 

schemes, the lake’s management plan has 

remained a nonstarter. 

Earlier protests against the activities 

of the farms particularly in regard to 

waste disposal have been denied by the 

farms who have labeled such protests as 

malicious. 

The government regulatory agencies 

have been reluctant to investigate the 

allegations and take any decisive action 

against the farms accused of releasing 

poisonous wastes into the lake. Government 

agencies with various mandates on the 

affl ictions of the lake never read from a 

single script. 

The move by the public health and 

sanitation minister Mrs. Beth Mugo to 

investigate the role of the farms in the 

pollution of the lake, though welcome, 

was to say the least too little too late. The 

situation could have been prevented if only 

strict adherence to the law was observed. 

The fact that one of the fl ower farms 

defied a notice given more than two years 

ago to comply with proper waste disposal 

measures is an indication of collusion 

between the regulators and the farms. 

Never mind that their licenses have never 

been revoked. 

Several questions now beg answers. 

For instance, why were the farms granted 

licenses by National Environment 

Management Authority (Nema) in the 

absence of a proper waste disposal 

mechanism Has any regulatory agency 

been reviewing the fate of the lake Why 

did it have to wait until the fish started dying 

before any action could be taken 

The threat by Mrs. Mugo to take the 

fl ower farms to court or shut them down 

all together if the ongoing investigations 

implicate them on the death of the fish is not 

only hollow as it is not sustainable option 

towards the top-notch impunity levels being 

perpetrated around the lake side town of 

Naivasha. 

Even if the fl ower farms were stopped to 

14. 

operate, the government has been muted 

on the reclamation strategy and budget. 

This is a sign of a talk the government will 

not walk. It would instead prefer to mobilize 

Sh16B from donors on Nairobi River, which 

effort seems to of late been immersed in 

cold water. 

This move to tame fl ower famers 

before asking the regulatory agencies to 

show cause why they are more culpable is 

defeatist. It may only serve to antagonize 

foreign investors not only in the fl ower 

industry but also in other sectors. The net 

effect will be foreign direct investment fl ight, 

which will realize a negative effect on our 

economy. 

The question many have not been 

answering is whether Naivasha township 

can be the same economically without the 

fl ower farms. 

The minister, who has been in the 

country all long, need not to be reminded 

that you do not punish investors for the sins 

of regulators who are either by deliberate 

acts of commission or omission have 

allowed the impunity of fl ower farmers in 

Naivasha to proliferate 

To address this problem, the 

government, which currently seems not to 

hold one position on the issue must now

PROFILE WATER 

desist from fi re-fi ghting. It must respond to 

issues timely and not only when they are 

out of hand. 

Adequate regulations that govern 

protection of our environment and natural 

resources exist. The regulatory agencies 

charged with the role of protecting the 

environment and natural resources must 

demonstrate value for their existence and 

be seen to be implementing the law without 

any discrimination, favour or fear. 

The government must now focus on 

streamlining the issuance of environmental 

impact assessment licenses to ensure 

that no license is issued to undeserving 

applicants. The corrupt practices 

surrounding the issuance of the EIA 

licenses has ensured that activities that 

have adverse effects on the environment 

are allowed to continue with the full 

knowledge of the regulatory agency. 

Other agencies such as the Water 

Resources Management Authority (Warma) 

and Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) must 

also effectively play their roles of protecting 

and conserving our water resources. Lake 

Naivasha is a Ramsar site and one would 

have expected KWS to end its silence on 

the matter. 

More specifi cally, the ministry of 

environment and mineral resources minister 

Mr. John Michuki cannot possibly leave 

the matter to his colleague Mrs. Mugo. 

It is primarily an environmental issue 

and a ministry of water issue. It is not an 

international NGO’s, fl ower farmers or 

political issue. 

Measures need to be put in place 

to curb collusion between the staff of 

regulatory agencies and the perpetrators of 

environmental degradation. Until the rule of 

law is adhered to, threats to shut down the 

farms will only be counterproductive. It will 

not address the root cause of the problem. 

Kenyans must rise up. They must not let 

the precious Lake Naivasha die. The media, 

especially NTV, must be commended for 

highlighting the lake’s woes. 

But someone must now ask – where 

are the big seven - Mr. John Michuki, Mrs. 

Charity Ngilu, Mr. Lawrence Lenayapa, 

Dr. Julius Kipng’etich, Dr. Muusya Mwinzi, 

Eng. Philip Olum and Dr Paul Otwoma 

of Fisheries as Lake Naivasha fi nally 

collapses. 

Kenyans will hold these people squarely 

responsible should the lake’s water give 

way to clouds of dust. 

For the better part of the year, Kenya’s 

main water towers Mt. Kenya, Aberdares, 

Mt Elgon, Mau Complex and Cherang’ani 

Hills have been under siege from manmade 

and natural drought. Incidentally the 

towers are the main water sources for the 

country and the region. 

There are, 4 water drainage basins 

with renewable fresh water endowment 

of 19 billion m3 under favourable climatic 

conditions include Lake Victoria Basin 

which covers Western, Nyanza, North 

and South Rift has 12B m3 per year (54% 

of the country’s renewable annual water 

resources) and meets demand for 16 million 

people. 

The Tana Basin covers Central Kenya, 

Meru, Embu, Mwingi, Kitui, Garissa. 

The basin has 3.7B m3 per year (19% 

of the country’s renewable annual water 

resources). The basin is the main source of 

water for the city of Nairobi from Ndakaini 

Dam (80%) and Sasumua dam (16%). It 

serves 10 million people (including Nairobi) 

and is water suffi cient. 

Rift Valley Basin covers the greater 

Baringo, Nakuru, Keiyo,Turkana,West 

Pokot, Narok and Nyandarua has 2.7B m3 

per year (14 % of the country’s renewable 

annual water resources). It serves 3 million 

people. The region is classifi ed as water 

defi cit. 

On the other hand, Ewaso Ng’iro North 

Basin covers Laikipia, Samburu, Isiolo, 

Moyale, Marsabit and North Eastern has 

0.34 B m3 per year (2% of the country’s 

renewable annual water resources). It 

serves 2.7 million people and is classifi ed 

as water defi cient 

According to director of water resources 

Eng. John Nyaoro, the country’s water 

resources have continued to degrade due to 

catchments degradation, over-abstraction, 

pollution and poor land use practices. 

He adds that “the demand for water for 

various uses has continued to increase 

and in most cases outstrips supply thereby 

resulting in confl icts and unreliable 

resources availability. There is need for 

prudent management of water resources 

to ensure fair allocation, conservation and 

population control. 

OUR PEOPLE 

Mr. Alfred Otieno Osur (OGW, DSM, MBS) 

Neighborhood Kenya offers you an 

opportunity of knowing staff and governing 

council members. In this edition, we feature 

one of our council members Mr. Alfred 

Otieno Osur (pictured). 

Alfred is the President of International 

Police Association- Kenya section and a 

Director /CEO of C & A Security Services. 

He is a trained police offi cer and has 

undertaken several trainings on policing and 

security in Uganda, Canada, South Africa, 

Sudan, Egypt, China, Turkey and Russia. 

He successfully completed a training in 

command and leadership at the Bramshill 

Police College in the United Kingdom 

Besides the police training, he has 

also undertaken trainings in Public 

Administration, Information Technology 

and Financial Management at Kenya 

Institute of Administration (K.I.A). He served 

in Kenya’s Police Force for over three 

decades rising steadily to the position of 

Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of 

operations as at the time of his retirement. 

He played a crucial role in pioneering 

community policing in Nairobi and has been 

actively involved in promoting partnership 

between various communities and the 

police. Due to his vast experience in 

security issues, he has served as a member 

of Community Policing Advisory Council. 

He is currently the chairman of Kara 

committee on security safety and disaster 

management. 

15.

ENVIRONMENT 

Oasis Lodge Owner to 

environment PS Lenayapa: 

be a role model! 

A 

lodge owner has locked horns with 

environment permanent secretary 

Mr. Lawrence Lenayapa over a 

5- acre plot in the remote tourist 

attraction of Loyangalani area. 

Mr. Wolfgang Deschler who owns the 

Oasis Lodge in Turkana district wrote and 

spoke to Neighbourhood Kenya on phone 

and raised many questions, most critical of 

which is whether the PS is above the law. 

Apparently Mr Lenayapa owns the plot that 

stands between the lodge and the attractive 

scenery of Lake Turkana. 

Among other concerns, Mr. Deschler fears 

that if Mr. Lenayapa goes ahead with the 

development he has initiated on the plot, 

the structure would block the former’s lodge 

from the ample view of Lake Turkana 

He also suspects that the building by 

Mr Lenayapa, whose ministry oversees 

the operation of the National Environment 

Management Authority (Nema) could be 

coming up without an EIA report and license 

normally issued by the Authority. 

Mr. Lenayapa heads the ministry of 

environment under which Nema, which has 

been lately in the news over governance 

and procurement malpractices operates. 

Kara is on record demanding for 

immediate action against senior 

management at Nema. Only former 

chairperson Dr. Dorcas Otieno’s contract 

was terminated. For other officers 

mentioned, it is business as usual. 

The following is the letter written by the 

lodger. 

“I read with great interest The Kara 

Weekly Newsletter’s expose on Nema 

and particularly the need for environment 

PS Mr. Lawrence Lenayapa to take 

responsibility for the same. Mr. Lenayapa 

hails from Loyangalani and whilst a District 

Commissioner under the Moi regime, 

he managed to get himself a 5 acre plot 

allocated by Marsabit County Council. 

As it happens, this plot is located in front 

of Oasis Lodge, which lodge is situated 

on a small hill overlooking Lake Turkana. 

Obviously, the view of the Lake is critical 

to the Lodge, as tourists come up here to 

enjoy the amazing view of the lake. 

Already in 2002, our Lodge was granted 

an injunction against Mr. Lenayapa from 

commencing construction of row housing on 

the plot. This matter is in court under HCCC 

No. 1359/2002. The injunction was granted 

to our advocate Dr. PLO Lumumba. 

Ironically, all court records pertaining 

to our case, including the title deeds and 

agreements with Marsabit County Council, 

were gutted in a fire at the former Dr. PLO 

Lumumba’s offi ce in 2003. 

The injunction against Mr. Lenayapa 

stagnated in 2006. Two weeks ago, Mr. 

Lenayapa fenced off the plot in question 

and started bringing in construction 

materials to commence building. 

This is the PS in the Ministry of 

Environment. But surely, is he above the 

law We ask so because we have neither 

seen a Nema EIA report nor license. We 

have not been advised, as required by law, 

that he received a change of user permit. 

To add to the long list of questions, we have 

not seen a building permit, we have not 

been consulted......nothing 

Yet, if his construction is allowed to 

proceed, Oasis Lodge will be ruined as our 

clients will no longer have an unobstructed 

view of Lake Turkana. They will be looking 

at an apartment with clothes on the line”. 

When Neighbourhood Kenya sought PS 

Lenayapa for his comment, his secretary 

first informed us to call him back later as he 

was said to be on phone. When we called 

again, Mr. Lenayapa was reportedly in a 

meeting with his minister Mr. John Michuki. 

16.

Constitution 

XXXXXXXX PROFILE 

Together We Will 

Kara’ Position 

on the Constitution 

The Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (Kara) welcomes the passing of the Proposed 

Constitution of Kenya by Parliament. That the passage was without any amendments implies 

that our leaders and Kenyans at large have reached a fair consensus on the need for a new 

constitutional dispensation. 

The prospect of a new constitution being reality will surely catapult Kenya’s pride and standing 

among the family of nations. But the new constitution will come with a lot of benefi ts, expectations, 

responsibilities, obligations and even dangers on the part of the taxpayers. 

It will never be business as usual. This is because the document will, more than ever before, reorient 

and centrally affect the lives and livelihoods of Kenyans. It is, therefore, critical that they are 

fully sensitized to fully understand what their respective vote at the referendum will mean to their 

future. 

They must make an informed choice. And on this, the government should ensure that the 

anticipated civic education is devoid of elements associated with either the “yes” or “no” campaigns. 

While at it, politicians must now leave the fate of the Proposed Constitution of Kenya to the people. 

Dissenting MPs had a great opportunity to amend the draft which attempts failed miserably on 

account of their selfi sh and narrow partisan interests. 

Even then none of the MP had called his or her constituents to a public forum to seek their views 

on the draft. Instead, the intense caucusing among MP’s revolved around political parties and the 

2012 succession politics. 

The fact that President Kibaki and PM Raila Odinga have agreed on the draft “as it is” stands out 

as good news to Kenyans who have been yearning for new laws for a very long time.What remains 

is for the two to ask their respective MPs to go slow and create conducive environment for impartial 

civic education. 

As for the groups opposed to the constitution, especially the clergy, we urge them to embrace 

tolerance for the clauses that do not seem to be acceptable to them such as the Kadhi courts, 

abortion, among others. 

The clergy must allow wisdom to prevail among themselves and their followers. They must 

not demand for blanket condemnation or support for the draft. Instead, they are better off allowing 

people to read and be fully sensitized in order to let their individual consciences guide them at the 

referendum ballot box. 

At this stage, we call upon media owners and media houses to walk their good talk and give 

black out to politicians and extremist interest groups whose reckless comments could mislead or 

misinform the unsuspecting public. 

Finally, we call upon our members and Kenyans at large to take advantage of the ongoing voter 

registration and register themselves in large numbers ahead of the referendum. 

17.

ENTERTAINMENT 

Right of Reply – DStv’s Kenya 

boss on price increases 

W 

ith the public disquiet around the 

recent increase of the popular 

pay-tv DStv monthly subscription 

pricing by US$3, Multichoice 

Kenya Managing Director Mr. Stephen 

Isaboke spoke to Neighbourhood Kenya 

and here are the excerpts; 

Q. What is the justification for 

increase of their pricing by US$3 on your 

services effective 1st April 

A. It is important to state from the 

outset that MultiChoice Kenya merely 

provides subscriber management services 

for MultiChoice Africa’s DStv subscribers 

in Kenya. MultiChoice Kenya is not 

responsible for this price increase as these 

are effected by MultiChoice Africa. We 

have, however, been notified by MultiChoice 

Africa that the annual price increases are 

necessitated by rising input costs. As 

with any other business, there are various 

input costs, which include - salaries, 

technical infrastructure costs, satellite lease 

costs, facility costs, marketing costs and 

programming costs which have increased 

over the past 12 months. 

Q. Is it because you are a monopoly 

and have no competitor after GTV went 

down If GTV was operational, would you 

still have increased your pricing 

A. It is not true that either DStv or 

MultiChoice is a 

monopoly – there are a number of other 

pay TV operators in Africa, and in Kenya 

specifically. The economies of pay television 

differ markedly from other sectors in that 

the more competition there is in the market, 

this is due to the fact that programming 

content becomes more costly since such 

programming content is generally acquired 

on the basis of a competitive bidding 

process which drives up the price. 

MultiChoice Africa have indicated that in 

determining any price increases it considers 

a number of issues, including whether it 

can continue to run its business without 

any increase, and whether in putting such 

an increase the service may be beyond the 

affordability of its subscribers or not. This 

decision is a complex one that is not taken 

at a whim on the basis of whether there is a 

competitor or not. 

MultiChoice Africa asserts further that it 

runs a credible and sustainable business, 

and it is not a fl y-by-night interested in 

short-term gains. Its business has been in 

operation for more than 15 years, and has 

managed to do so because of its prudent 

management. 

Q. Critics of your price adjustment 

note that you are involved in too much 

sponsorships – are you possibly 

exploiting your customers to support 

18. 

your philanthropic/CSR 

activities 

A. The simple answer is 

that such critics are incorrect 

in their assessment. 

MultiChoice believes 

that it is important for 

businesses to give back to 

the communities in which 

they operate, as well as 

invest with a long term view 

of growing a vibrant television 

market in Kenya - which is being 

done through our premium channels 

such as SuperSport and M-Net. Any 

CSR initiatives or investment that 

MultiChoice engages in are well 

thought out and carefully 

weighed against the continued 

viability of the business, and are 

certainly not the reason for any 

price increases. 

Q. The matter of price increase was 

brought to Parliament last week by 

Ikolomani Hon. Dr. Bonny Khalwale 

and the Minister for Information and 

Communications Hon. Poghisio is 

supposed to respond this week. What is 

your view on this 

A. We certainly think that Members of 

Parliament, as representatives of people, 

have a duty to raise any issue that may be of 

interest to the citizenry, and think that Hon. 

Khalwale is well within his rights to have 

raised the issue. The Minister, representing 

government, has a duty to all of Kenya’s 

citizens, including corporate citizens, and 

believe that he would consider the issue 

very carefully and give a considered 

response thereto.

CONSUMERS FEDERATION 

OF KENYA 

Consumers Federation of Kenya COFEK is Kenya’s independent self-funded and nonprofi 

t organization, registered on 26th March 2010 as a membership society under 

Cap. 108 Laws of Kenya. Our members are ordinary consumers from areas spread 

right across the country who see the need for and who support and own COFEK. 

We boast of a Council of 20 offi cials who represent the Federation at the national level. Those 

Council members are led by the Chairperson, Secretary and other offi cials. 

These offi cers act as lobbyists and spokespersons in their various areas of expertise. It is 

especially noteworthy that they give voluntarily of their time and expertise. 

They are supported by our lean secretariat who are directly involved in the research and inhouse 

production of the Federation’s electronic and hard copy newsletter “Consumer Pride”. 

COFEK, even at its formative stage, will strenuously represent and fi ght to protect and 

strengthen the rights of its members and all Kenyan consumers. The achievements are already 

considerable. Consumers’ rights - the right to information, fair dealing, protection, education - 

all culminating in the ability to make informed decisions and choices - are and should remain 

a reality. 

We will be continually calling on and for Government recognition of our crucial role through the 

many lawful ways and means. The current income derived from our members’ subscriptions is 

insuffi cient to permit us to lobby as we should and the need for determined lobbying and input 

at home, in Kenya and increasingly, regionally, is vital for the future of consumer protection. 

We will prevail - of that there is no question - but, to grow is our goal and I hope that you will 

consider supporting and joining with us in order that we might go forward forcefully and grow 

quickly. Then we can benchmark and demand the better protection, the clearer transparency 

and the proper ethical standards - from a position of strength - supported by the majority of 

consumers - for the benefi t of all consumers. We need your support. Join us today! 

CHAIRMAN 

COFEK - Consumer Confi dence and Pride! 

www.cofek.org 

19.

NOTICE BOARD 

31 st March 2010 

Kara Annual General 

Meeting – (for paid-up 

members only) 

26 th April 2010 

Kara 19th Session of the 

Bimonthly Talk Series 


Nairobi Industrial Area 

Business & Residents 

Association EC Meeting 


Kara Governing Council 

Meeting 


Kara Public Relations 

and Membership 

Committee Meeting 

Today....... 

Please join us! 

For Comments, suggestions and 

contributions, please contact the 

editor Neighbourhood Kenya 

on; 

Tel. 020-3874331, 3873828 

Fax: 020-3862872 

Cellphones: 0725983445; 

0733779585 

E-mail: info@kara.or.ke 

or kara@eafra.net or visit 

us at Kabarnet Lane , 

off Kabarnet Road, Off 

Ngong Road 

P.O Box 1411-00100 

NAIROBI , Kenya 

or visit us website; 

www.kara.or.ke 

correction 

In our 9th edition page 4 column 

2 on the 2nd paragraph, we 

inadvertently omitted the word 

“Low capacity”. The sentence 

should have read: “We are also 

discouraging low capacity public 

service vehicles from entering the 

CBD in order to reduce congestion 

within the city centre. Our plans to 

phase out the 14 seater “matatu” 

are still on course as this will reduce 

the number of vehicles on our 

roads. We regret the erroneous 

impression that might have been 

created by the statement quoting 

Chief City Engineer Mr. Stephen 

Mburu. 

20.

ON THE XXXXXXXX PROFILE MOVE 

Former tough-talking speaker 

Kaparo new Nema Chairman 

Immediate former National Assemby Speaker 

Francis Ole Kaparo has a new job as the 

chairman of The National Environment 

Management Authority (Nema) board of directors. 

He replaces Dr. Dorcas Beryl Otieno whose 

contract, set to lapse in November this year, 

was prematurely and without any explanation, 

terminated by president Kibaki. 

Dr Otieno is reported to have chaired her last 

board meeting on 1st March 2010. 

She has had an uneasy relationship with the 

director general Dr. Muusya Mwinzi whom the 

recent Effi ciency Monitoring Unit report harshly 

indicted in corruption-related allegations. 

In a special gazette notice of 5th March, 

President Kibaki recalled the tough Kaparo from 

virtual retirement to public service and incidentally 

saved him from public oblivion back to limelight. 

We could not verify if Mr. Kaparo, a lawyer by 

profession, has any training in environmental management. This, though, might not be 

an issue since Article 10 (1) (a) of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act 

((Emca) only says the Nema chairman shall be appointed by the president without giving 

qualifi cations for the candidate. 

In the same gazette notice, the President appointed Mr. Eliazar Ochieng Ochola as 

Kenya Power and Lighting Company chairman for a period of 3 years. 

The most signifi cant appointment is 

Nema’s considering that public pressure 

has been piling on government to 

make changes at the taxpayers’ funded 

environmental watchdog. 

Unconfi rmed reports from multiple 

sources indicate that the Kenya Anti- 

Corruption Commission could soon charge 

Nema director general once the attorney 

general gives his prosecutorial consent on 

papers said to be at his offi ce. 

Though there were reports earlier 

that PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) 

could have been called in to probe the 

malpractices at Nema, ministry of fi nance 

public relations offi cer Mr. Maina Kigaga 

told Neighbourhood Kenya that he was 

unaware of any such investigations. PwC 

country leader Mr. Kuria Muchira could not 

be reached for comment. 

The public will be keen to see how 

Kaparo steers the recently appointed 

Nema board which is yet to be formally 

inaugurated as the environment minister Mr. 

John Michuki is said to be in-and-out of the 

country attending to private business. 

FEEDBACK 

“I read with great interest your article on 

“Corruption at Nema”. With regard to issuing 

EIA licenses, our experience in Diani also 

exposes gross irregularities. For instance, 

in 2008 a hotel which boasts eco-credentials 

cleared 12 acres of virgin forest without any 

permissions. The South Coast Residents 

Association and Colobus Trust called in 

NEMA and, after a brief meeting on site, We 

were all assured that construction would stop 

until an EIA was carried out. Construction 

resumed the next day and finally, at our 

insistence, an EIA was done several 

months later in 2009 when the construction 

was complete. It is, however, extremely 

unlikely that any of the mitigating measures 

required by the EIA have been monitored or 

carried out”. Ms. Luciana Parazzi Basile, 

Chairperson, South Coast Residents’ 

Association 

“Your ninth edition of Neighbourhood 

Kenya was highly informative and well laid 

out”. Mr. Elias Njeru for PS, Ministry of 

Immigration and Registration of Persons. 

“Thank you for your informative 

Neighbourhood Kenya journal. The truth is 

that this country has lost its moral respect 

especially when juxtaposed against the kind of 

stories going on with regard to corruption. Why 

can’t we see any action that results to serious 

penalty to those implicated! And who pays such 

monies without proper checks and balances 

And the stories go on and on while Kenyans are 

waiting to see the Government action. There 

should be a law that anyone associated with 

corruption should resign, like in all other civilized 

countries! The citizens are taxed to the limit and 

some of the money collected for example by 

the City Council is the same money that is now 

buying land at prices that no one can believe. 

Thank you Kara, you are doing a good job”. Ms. 

Martha Mugambi, Resident, Nairobi. 

“I acknowledge receipt of a copy of 

the 9th edition of Neighbourhood Kenya 

journal. The journal is quite informative and 

educative. I appreciate the good gesture of 

sending me a copy. Thank you”, Lawrence 

Lenayapa, Permanent Secretary, Ministry 

of Environment and Mineral Resources. 

“I note that the political elite have never 

been genuine in their clamour for reforms, 

but that their selfish view of the constitution 

as a tool for acquiring, consolidating and 

preserving power has threatened to derail 

the process many times. Thanks to the 

Committee of Experts and others before them, 

we are indeed on the threshold of a new 

constitutional dispensation. I urge all Kenyans 

of goodwill to turn up in large numbers 

and endorse the draft in the forthcoming 

plebiscite”, Samora Abisai, a secondary 

School teacher based in Muhoroni, 

Kisumu 

21.

support 

Why Kenyans must 

support honest civil 

servants 

The recent heroic act by 

City Council of Nairobi 

director of city planning 

Mr. Tom Odongo to 

demolish an irregular property 

on Mombasa Road in Nairobi 

deserves praise. 

Not only does the irregular 

building belong to a sitting 

minister but is rented by a 

councilor in the council he works 

for. 

It is such moves by chief 

offi cers that are likely to stem 

impunity by politicians (councilors 

and MPs) and cartels around 

them who often intimidate city 

council workers and civil servants 

,forcing them to apply the law 

selectively. 

If the minister in question 

didn’t observe the regulations, 

she should not be compensated. 

She cannot feign ignorance of 

the law. Neither can she have 

a tenant, who rents as-is, take 

responsibility where she as a 

landlord is fully responsible. 

Change of user procedures 

from residential to commercial 

status are often circumvented 

by cartels operating with the 

blessings of certain councilors 

especially those on the town 

planning committee. 

Town planning committees in 

major urban areas pose a high 

level of corruption yet there are 

no mechanisms in place, apart 

from the litigation, to check the 

powers of such committees 

where non-professionals carry 

the day on professional issues. 

This reality is explained by the dying 

residential areas in Nairobi and other 

major towns. They are dying because they 

22. 

are fast being replaced as 

“mixed commercial” or purely 

commercial areas. 

Noise pollution from 

bars, traffi c congestion, overstretched 

capacity of sewers 

and other utility services are 

usually the fi rst warning that 

all is not well as the quiet 

character of residential areas 

goes up in smoke. 

It is not only at City Hall 

that such is happening. 

The same applies to 

the National Environment 

Management Authority 

(Nema) licenses that are 

often dished out to infl uential 

business people and 

politicians in exchange for 

either cash or protection for 

the affected offi cers. 

When honest offi cers at 

CCN and Nema stand up for 

public interest, they are often 

victimized and their authority 

clamped down. 

The immediate former 

City Council of Nairobi 

director of city planning Mr. 

Peter Kibinda’s name may 

not ring a bell around the 

“Cemetery Scandal” that cost 

the taxpayer a whooping 

Sh283M yet he formally 

cautioned against the deal. 

His professional guidance fell 

on deaf ears. 

It is such offi cers which 

Kenyans must identify and 

reward. Beyond this, honest 

civil servants including 

permanent secretaries must be cushioned 

from greedy politicians out to make their 

work diffi cult.

XXXXXXXX PROFILE survey 

For the last two months, we gave our 

readers, yet another chance, to nominate 

the Top 20 Most Improved Local Authorities 

of course with the specific service citations 

and evidence, where necessary. Results 

are here below. The nominations do not 

necessarily represent the position of Kara. 

Nonetheless, we congratulate the winners. 

1. Limuru 

2. Thika 

3. Mavoko 

4. Malindi 

5. Kisumu 

6. Nairobi 

7. Nyeri 

8. Kakamega 

9. Mombasa 

10. Machakos 

For the May/June edition, please nominate 

“the Top 10 conference facilities”. Send 

your entries to; research@kara.or.ke 

23.

ENERGY 

High Power Bills: 

KPLC’s excuses and the pain 

of ERC silence 

Kenya Power and Lighting Company 

(KPLC) recent paid up media 

advertisements failed the test of real 

explanation of the current public outcry on 

why electricity prices have hit the skies. 

By attempting to do what the tight-lipped 

Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has 

failed to do or should have done, the KPLC 

statement literally said nothing of why the 

power bills are increasingly unbearable 

while the company attempts to justify its 

“reasonable” profi ts. 

Clearly sleeping on the job, the ERC 

established under the Energy Act 2006, is, 

among other responsibilities, expected to 

protect the interests of consumers. It is also 

expected to monitor, ensure implementation 

of, and the observance of the principles 

of fair competition in the energy sector, 

which aspects the ERC has “posted” dismal 

performance returns. 

As if to step into the vacuum created 

by the ERC silence, KPLC’s (now with Mr. 

Eliazar Ochieng Ochola as its new board 

chairman) intervention ended up mixing and 

avoiding direct answers on certain issues at 

hand. 

Unfortunate as it were, KPLC ended 

up in irrelevancies. Economizing of power 

use, for instance, is a personal decision 

of each consumer. It is different from the 

level of price per unit kilowatt, which issue 

should have been exhaustively dealt in the 

statement. It was not. 

While public sensitization is critical 

and welcome, the offer of two or three 

“energy saving” bulbs per household 

which is diffi cult to track on exactly whom 

has benefi ted, where and when is hardly 

enough. 

Being a public company, Kenyans 

expected to be told who is supplying the 

bulbs, how they will account for them 

and when the tender was advertised and 

awarded but this information has remained 

largely mysterious. 

In its statement, KPLC spoke as if it 

were the meteorological department: “it is 

anticipated that the coming long rains will 

enable …” The certainty that “long rains” 

are actually “coming” is baffl ing unless the 

agency meant “long rains season”, which 

according to past precedents should have 

been underway. 

The “clarifi cation on the fuel cost 

charge in power bills” statement loaded 

with minimal or no facts was reduced to 

re-stating the roles of other agencies and 

promising what is completely beyond its 

mandate. 

What was perhaps more eye-catching 

is this statement “with an asset base of 

KSh70B (US$0.9B), a profi t of about 

10 to 12 percent of the asset base is 

reasonable to enable it meet its obligations 

to maintain and upgrade the countrywide 

electricity network which has suffered under 

investment …” 

How KPLC understands “reasonable” 

profi t is obviously worlds apart with the 

position of majority of its customers who 

view it to the contrary - as unreasonable, no 

matter the reason for profi ts. 

As private limited liability company with 

the Kenya government as a non-controlling 

shareholder, the fact that the KPLC enjoys 

a parastatal and monopoly status is self 

defeating – especially when the major 

motive behind the uncalled for profi ts 

appears to be to “generate a return for (its) 

shareholders”. 

The desperate attempt by KPLC to 

justify any profi ts, therefore, is irrational 

as is unconvincing of the timing and the 

circumstances behind the persistent public 

complaints. 

Infl uential individuals in government 

having dual interests as public agents 

and private shareholders of KPLC are 

hurting the public interest aspect. They 

are an impediment to possibility of lower 

fuel cost charge and heavy cushioning of 

independent power producers against the 

foreign currency fl uctuations. 

If indeed the Kenya government was 

genuine in affording Kenyans cheaper 

electricity, it could have long had a fair 

representation on the ERC board; resolved 

the”Triton Scandal”; considered lowering its 

taxation levels on oil and signifi cantly cut 

back its shareholding in KPLC. 

After reducing its shareholding in KPLC 

by say 50% of its share, the government 

would immediately have re-invested in 

a possible competitor to strangle the 

current KPLC monopoly. This would have 

encouraged the missing competitiveness 

within the sector. 

KPLC owns and operates the national 

transmission and distribution grid, and 

retails electricity to an estimated 1.2M 

customers. 

24.

through 

kara lens 

A 

B 

C 

D 

E 

F 

A.. Kara CEO Mr. Stephen Mutoro (C) chats with the Alliance Chairman Andrew Enniskillen and South African businessman Mr. Moeletsi 

Mbeki(L) B. Kisumu and Nairobi Resident Association leaders during an exchange study visit 

C. Mr. John Odhiambo, 

Chairman, Buruburu Residents Association familiarizes Kisumu Residents with Buruburu Estate 

D. Participants at a Kara forum 

E. Kara Treasurer Mr. Ephraim Kanake and Prof. P.L.O Lumumba F. Distinguished scholar Prof. Rok Ajulu at a Kara BTS-18 

25.

news 

Kara CEO 

joins KIM 

International 

Centre for 

Management 

and Leadership 

Development 

Committee 

The Kara Chief executive offi cer 

Mr. Stephen Mutoro has been 

appointed to serve on the Kenya 

Institute of Management’s 

International Centre for Leadership and 

Management Development (ICMLD) 

Committee. 

According to KIM Executive Director 

Mr. David Muturi, ICLMD is made up of two 

of the six business units of the Institute: 

The KIM - Centre for Management 

Development (CMD) and The KIM - 

International Centre for Leadership and 

Development (ICLAD). Mr. Mutoro’s 3 year 

term took effect from 1st November 2009. 

This is a non-executive position 

available to a limited number of 

professionals whose contribution adds 

value to the committees they serve on. 

The main objective of the committee is to 

provide strategic and policy direction in the 

leadership, governance and management 

in line with the Institute’s corporate 

strategy, the executive director says. 

KIM was established in 1954 as a notfor-profi 

t professional, membership-based 

Management and Business Development 

organization. 

Since its inception, KIM has 

endeavored to fulfi ll its mission of 

enhancing professional management 

thought and practice in the country and in 

the region. 

Today, KIM is among the foremost 

Institutes of management in Africa in terms 

of membership, human resource capacity, 

programme outreach as well as vibrancy 

and infl uence in management practices. 

Responding to the news of his appointment 

Mr. Mutoro said he was pleased that the 

institute had recognized the organization 

he currently runs. 

“Like other appointments and 

nominations before, the honour and 

privilege extended to me by KIM is an 

affi rmation that Kara has come of age. We 

dedicate this nomination to our members, 

partners and all those whose objective 

criticisms and support has helped Kara to 

grow to what we are today”, said Mr. Mutoro 

on the appointment in mid March. 

“Like other 

appointments and 

nominations before, 

the honour and 

privilege extended 

to me by KIM is an 

affirmation that Kara 

has come of age. 

We dedicate this 

nomination to our 

members, partners 

and all those whose 

objective criticisms 

and support has 

helped Kara to 

grow to what we are 

today” 

HIV/AIDS: Kara 

to run a program 

on protection of 

human rights: 

Kara is among the 9 selected organizations, 

including universities and research 

institutions, to carry out a national 

program on the fi ght against HIV/AIDs. 

Kara had responded to the National AIDs 

Control Council (NACC) last year’s call 

for proposals under the “TOWA Round 

3” national level category. Kara’s 1 year 

program proposal on “enhancing protection 

of human rights of people living with 

HIV/AIDs” will be undertaken in 8 districts 

namely Nairobi East, Nairobi West, 

Kisumu, Kisii, Kakamega, Bungoma North, 

Mombasa and Kilifi . It will cost Ksh7M. 

“Please note that your proposal 

was reviewed by an independent Ad- 

Hoc National Review Committee and 

recommended for funding”, said NACC’s 

Mr. Dennis Kamuren in his letter dated 23rd 

March. 

Kara takes this opportunity to invite its 

membership and the general public within 

the selected districts to express interest of 

partnership and/or make suggestions on 

how best the program can be rolled out by 

sending their views to us at: research@ 

kara.or.ke 

Kara’s 

new public 

procurement 

oversight 

program 

on Local 

Authorities: 

Kara will from this April and for the next 11 

months, and in partnership with government 

and other stakeholders, keenly focus on the 

aspect of public procurements and disposal 

within selected Local Authorities (LA’s) 

on establishing, through research, any 

possible gaps between policy and practice 

as regards the implementation of the Public 

Procurement and Disposal (PP&D) Act of 

2005. More importantly, the program will 

endeavour to inform recommendations to 

relevant partners on remedial measures. 

We are proud to be associated and 

supported by USAID through PactKenya to 

the tune of Ksh6M. 

Research work will seek to understand 

how PP&D activities are carried out by 

LA’s and the extent of public involvement, 

if any. The program shall be conducted 

within the City Council of Nairobi and the 

Municipal Councils of Nakuru, Machakos 

and Mombasa. The program will establish 

Procurement Watch Groups (ProWAG’s), 

engage in Town Hall Forums, among other 

activities. If you need more information on 

the program and/or you have suggestions 

on partnering with Kara, please contact us 

at research@kara.or.ke 

26.

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