Reject Online Issue 40 - African Woman and Child Feature Service

ISSUE 040May 16-31, 2011A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature ServiceWill thereopenedwounds healcompletely?TJRC hearings the beginningof lo ng awaited healingBy HARUN HUSSEINWhile Northern Kenya remains neglectedand marginalized, the atrocitiesit has suffered in the hands of successivegovernments leaves it a regionthat has a long story to tell.The massacres that were carriedout by security forces in the varioustowns of the Northern Frontier Districthave left an indelible mark inthe region. It was as if old woundswere being reopened when the TruthJustice and Reconciliation Commis-testified to the atrocities they sufferedunder successive regimes.The witnesses who spoke in Garissa,Wajir Mandera, Moyale, Marsabitand Isiolo anticipate that thelong awaited justice will be addressedthrough the Commission.While the hearings were a reopeningof old wounds, it is alsohoped that this is the beginning of acomplete healing process that is ex-Continued on page 3sion (TJRC) held hearingsin Garissa, Wajir Mandera,Moyale, Marsabit and Isiolo.The TJRC team led byits chairperson Ms TeclaNamachanja rolled out thehearing sessions in the region that hassuffered injustices ranging from killings,rape, economic marginalisationand poor infrastructure.Witnesses to the injustices includedyouth, women and men whoFrom top: Residents ofWajir District hold placardswhile following the TJRChearings in the region.Inset: Victims of the Wagallamassacre demonstratewhat happened at the Wajirairstrip. Area residents arecalling for justice in relationto the atrocities committed.Pictures: Reject CorrespondentRead more Reject stories online at www.mediadiversityafrica.org

2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Wagalla Memories bring fresh flow of tearsBy ABJATA KHALIFThe Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission(TJRC) held special sessions for womenwho were victims of atrocities in northern Kenya.The women, who were sexually assaultedduring the attack on villages in Wagalla wereable to give their testimonies away from thepublic glare. However, there are a few otherwomen who wanted to speak in public and theywere allowed. All in all, it was a sigh of hopeand relief engulfed the truth and reconciliationsession in Wajir District that was meant for victimsof the infamous Wagalla Massacre.Female survivors, through their leadersthronged Raha Palace Hotel in Wajir Countywhere the sitting took place with victims detailingthe chronology of events before and afterthe massacre.Survivors’ storiesThe women victims of the Wagalla massacregave their side of story in a special hearingof their tribulations in hand of menacingmilitary officials. The survivors told the TJRCsitting how on February 10, 1984 Kenya armypersonnel invaded villages inhabited by theDegodia, flushed community members outbefore rounding them up at the Wagalla airstrip.The women victims gave a chronology ofevents and informed the Commission that militarypersonnel descended on various villagesand embarked on beating community members.The villagers were flushed out of theirhomes and converged in concentration fieldswhere the officers started beating them beforethey were taken the Wagalla Airstrip which wasthe epicentre of the massacre.Most survivors gave accounts of violationsthey underwent in hands of military officials.They recalled how the soldiers raped theirdaughters while they were watching. Olderwomen claimed they were gang raped by severalofficers. Others gave accounts of how theywere beaten and in some cases soldiers insertedgun butts into their private parts.The session was engulfed with a sombremood as most women broke down and otherswere in deep thought as they recollected thegruesome violations.The commissioners listened as each womannarrated how security personnel took thousandsof people to the Wagalla Airstrip and keptthem incommunicado for four days withoutwater and food. Some women watched as theirhusbands died under the spray of bullets.Brutal beatingsOne survivor, Sarah Buya narrated how securitypersonnel surrounded the villagers in theairstrip under scorching sun. They started beatingthem with gun butts and crude objects asthey awaited an order from their bosses on nextcourse of action.Buya recalled: “After days without water andfood, we decided to break out of the militarycordon and save our lives. However, the soldierswere not going to let people escape easilyand they sprayed bullets all over. Thousands ofpeople trying to escape were killed because themilitary officers got scared of the breakout. Myhusband is one of those who died.”Buya broke down after giving her testimonyin Wajir Town and said it is horrible to rememberthe event.Buya was among hundreds of women whomanaged to escape with injuries whose effectsshe carries to date.“It was by grace of God that I escaped thehail of bullets while my husband succumbed tothem,” she says.The women claimed Government officialsimmediately took control of the situation byputting all bodies in lorries and taking themaway from the massacre site so as to conceal theevidence.“After escaping the Wagalla airstrip siege,I took cover in a nearby bush, away from themassacre site. I saw soldiers collecting bodiesWomen who survivedthe Wagalla massacreget emotional during asite visit with the TruthJustice and ReconciliationCommission as part of thehearings. Male victimsof Wagalla Massacredemonstrate to theCommission how theywere ordered to lie downduring the atrocities.Pictures: Abjata Khalifoutside the airstrip and throwingthem into the back of thelorries,” explains Buya.She adds: “Luckily, I wassaved by an Italian nun AnalinaTonelli. She saved manyvictims escaping from the killingsite. She took us to a placenear Wajir town where wereceived treatment and weretaken to our homes.”Another survivor, Ms Bishara Mohamednarrated how the military descended on herhome village and started beating people. Bishararecalled being sexually assaulted in frontof her husband who later died at the airstrip.She escaped but with broken legs to the nearbyGanyure Village where she was given refuge.This particular community was not targeted.“The first thing I heard was gunshots in ourvillage before I saw uniformed officers everywhere.They moved everybody out with kicks.People were beaten with walking sticks andmetal bars. They ordered us to an area outsideBulla Jogoo,” recalls Bishara.She adds: “Outside my hut, the soldiersraped me while my husband watched and laterwe were taken to the holding ground outsideour village. Here, I met all my neighbours andrelatives crying, praying and wondering if thiswas the end of the world.”They were taken to Wagalla Airstrip on militarylorries for screening. The exercise startedwhere men were separated from women andtaken to different parts within the airstrip.At the airstrip, a commotion occurred betweenthe villagers and security forces as mostvictims, especially women and children werehungry and thirsty.Bishara recalls: “Most of them were emaciatedand could not run. Some of us made adaring escape but majority who were emaciatedelders, men, children and women who fell victimto the bullets that were sprayed everywhere.Later, I heard that my husband had been killedin the commotion.”RapeAnother victim Ambia Hassan narratedhow the perpetrators raped her and inserted agun butt and a soda bottle into her vagina. Theordeal interfered with her reproductive systemas she has not been able to bear children eversince the massacre.Ambia says although her two sons escapedthe massacre, her husband was killed at the airstrip.Since the massacre, she has gone into severalmarriages but failed to bear children.“They inserted a gun butt and soda bottle“After escaping the Wagalla airstrip siege, I took coverin a nearby bush, away from the massacre site. I sawsoldiers collecting bodies outside the airstrip andthrowing them into the back of the lorries.”— Sarah Buya, survivor of Mgalla massacreinto my private parts and dumped me at theWagalla airstrip unconscious. I was helplessand watched as people were killed. It is by God’sgrace that I survived. The perpetrators thoughtI was dead and they left me,” Ambia recalls.She says: “I was included among dead bodiesthat was dumped in Della area of Wajir West.I was saved by Analina Tonelli who movedaround with her vehicle collecting the injuredand ferrying them to hospital and safe ground.”Broken marriagesSince then Ambia has led a stressful livewith a series of broken marriages due to thedamaged her reproductive system suffered.“I have gone through five divorces fromhusbands who claim I cannot bear a child.This problem came from the gun butt andbottle that was inserted in my private parts,”says Ambia.She claims hundreds of other women whosurvived the massacre have faced similar challengesand a series of divorce as a result of violationof their reproductive organs.Ambia urged on the Commission to nail theperpetrators and order the Government compensateand rehabilitate survivors medically sothat they can live a normal life.The Commission hearing the historicalinjustices and atrocities meted on local communitiesin Wagalla also visited the site of themassacre.Most victims broke into tears rememberinghow the perpetrators surrounded themand sprayed bullets in a situation that left manydead and many more injured for life. Otherssuccumbed to hunger and the severe beatings.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Daaba victims wantjustice and restitutionUnfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth3By HUSSEIN DIDOBetween 1965 to 1967 government securityforces came to Isiolo District. In this visit,people were killed, animals decimated, womenraped, pregnancies miscarried and mentortured.Those who survived the atrocities of Daabahave lived to tell the story. And now victims oftorture during the Daaba massacre in Garba-Tulla are demanding compensation from thegovernment.The survivors of the massacre say excessiveforce by the soldiers and bombs blasts was toblame for induced abortions, mental illness andimpotence that has been experienced in northernKenya since then.Use of forceThe victims were speaking when they presenteda memorandum to the Truth Justiceand Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) inIsiolo dubbed ‘Dying an invisible death andliving an invisible life’. Survivors of the massacresaid women who were affected by bombblasts suffered spontaneous abortions. Themen who were tortured have been unableto sire children.The audience in the hall where the hearingswere taking place was moved to tearswhen Mr Yusuf Halake of Pastoralists ReformProgramme recounted the untold sufferingthat led to killings and later destructionof livelihoods.Describing the events of that darkperiod, Halake said: “The soldiers indiscriminatelyraped women in the presenceof children and husbands. They also massacredvillagers at the height of the ShiftaWar.”He added: “The soldiers committed massiveatrocities and buried the dead in a massgrave.” The survivors claim the killings in 1965were sanctioned by the then Provincial Commissioner(now deceased) Eliud Mahihu whenSomalia wanted to secede part of Kenya.“Although the attacks were aimed at theSomalis, the Borana and Sakuye communitybecame victims of the massacre since the armycould not distinguish between the two communities,”Halake explained.The TJRC team was lead by chairperson MsTecla Namachanja. They were told how hundredsof people from the Sakuye and Boranacommunities decided to escape into Somalia toavoid being killed.“They felt betrayed by the Kenya governmentwhich failed to protect them,” reiteratedHalake.He said most of the returnees who occupiedpart of Gafarsa and Dabale have not beenissued with identification cards six years afterthey were re-united by their relatives in Kenya.Halake said: “Some of our relatives who returnedto Kenya as late as 1999 have never been“The soldiers indiscriminatelyraped women in the presenceof children and husbands. Theyalso massacred villagers at theheight of the Shifta War.”— Yusuf Halake of Pastoralists Reform ProgrammeWananchi listening to the TJRC open hearing sessions. The Sakuye and Boranacommunities in Isiolo District felt betrayed by the Kenya government which failedto protect them as they ended up being the greatest victims. Picture: Hussein Didoissued with IDs because the Government nowbrands them as foreigners.”AssistanceA survivor of the massacre, Mr Boru Wako,69, said the communities lost about 300,000camels, 500,000 cattle and 3,000 donkeys worthbillions of shillings. The loss is to blame for thehigh poverty level in the region.The witnesses noted that the Catholicand the Methodist churches assisted them toresettle after the war. They felt that the Governmenthad neglected the area and consideredthem marginalised groups as they havesuffered sporadic attacks from bandits andsecurity personnel which has left them withouta proper source of livelihood.Wako said: “The atrocities committedon the communities bred fear and suspicionbetween them and security forces,which is still evident today.”Those who testified petitioned the Governmentto compensate victims of atrocities andallow for indiscriminate issuance of IDs to thecommunity’s members.Civil society organisations present at thehearings said it was a historical evolution ofnot only hitherto independent and relativelywell-endowed people but also a way of life —pastoralism — that has been compromised byintroverted political expediency.Waso Trustland Coordinator, Mr Guyo Shanosaid while Government policy on emergencyand security operations was not new in IsioloDistrict or the greater Northern Frontier District(NFD) both before and after Daaba, the incidentswhich took place during were outrageous.Daaba massacre took place immediatelyafter independence in Isiolo District, EasternProvince. It was centred on the then three divisionsof the district, namely Merti, Garba Tullaand Modogashe.Hearings beginning of uncertain healing processContinued from page 1pected to cushion the nation and particularlythe region from further suffering.Fatuma Hassan, a peace coordinator inMandera who spoke on behalf of women fromthe town said women in Northern Kenya havesuffered a lot in the security operations thatwere executed by the Government to fight theShifta War and bring to an end inter clan skirmishes.“The colonial government divided Kenyainto two, the White Highlands and NorthernFrontier District. The White Highlands weredeveloped while Northern Kenya was an isolatedbuffer zone that remains neglected todate,” observes Hassan. She explains: “This iswhat led to the Shifta War and inter-clan skirmishessince the region lacked important resourcessuch as water.”Hassan observes: “The killings in the NorthernFrontier District that include the GarissaGubay, Malkamarre, Wagalla and Daaba massacresresulted in a sad situation where womenremained victims due to the killings of theirhusbands and children as well as the rape thatthey suffered.”JusticeShe says security forces left behind a traumathat has lived long with the victims sincethey had never had an opportunity to registertheir complaints.“I hope the truth team will bring justice tothis region. The previous commissions failedto ratify their findings that still gather dust inthe Attorney General’s chambers,” reiteratesHassan.“If the Government fails to ratify the recommendationsof this team then cynicism willset among the region‘s residents who feel thatthey have been neglected for long. We will notcooperate with any other Commission formedon the same,” reiterates Hassan.During the luncheon of the hearing session,Garissa mayor Mohamed Gabow welcomedthe truth team with a note that the regionhas suffered a lot of injustices and warnedthe Commission that making them speak outand not finding a remedy will inflict harm thatis similar to what their oppressors did.“Our birth dates are identified with eventssuch as Wagalla, Garissa Gubay, Malkamarre,introduction of emergency law and the concentrationcamps known as kijijis created bythe Government and yet the villagers werenever compensated for the injustices metedout against them,” said Gabow.In Wajir, victims of Wagalla massacre narratedon how they suffered in the hands of thesecurity forces in 1984.Residents claim 3,000 people were roundedup by security forces during the Wagallamassacre where they killed and their bodiesdumped near Ethiopia and Somalia borders.However the Government claims only 54people died in the security operation aimed toquell inter clan skirmishes between the Degodiaand Ajuran.A victim of Wagalla massacre who testifiedbefore the Commission recalled how she wasgang raped by military personnel who tookaway her husband. Fatuma Abdille recalls howshe later recovered his half-eaten body nearthe Wagalla Airstrip among other dead bodies.She says only 300 bodies were collected.Some of them had been feasted on bymarauding hyenas while others were dumpedfar way.Says Abdille: “Rape survivors need counsellingand medication since they still bear damagescaused to them and many are secretlynursing health problems.”Many of the atrocities survivors broke downas they narrated the ordeal they underwent inTJRC chair, Ms Tecla Namachanja at the back joins Commissioner Dinka Berkanuwho is chatting with Kenya National Commission on Human Rights officials after thehearings in Isiolo. Picture: Hussein Didothe hands of government officers who acted ina brutal and inhumane way.SufferingA human rights lawyer, Mr James JarsoFarole wept uncontrollably in Marsabit as henarrated the suffering and ordeals the residentssuffered in the hands of successive regimes.He said despite the macabre killings and rapecases, economical marginalization has worsenedthe situation leading to widespread poverty.He remembers that livestock were forcefullyconfiscated and loaded in military vehicles andcamels killed. The lack of infrastructure andsocial amenities which were evident during thecolonial period are still the order of the day.“There is no single tarmac road in the entireregion this is an area that holds half of Kenya’sland mass,” observes Farole.He adds: “The international road that wasagreed upon by various states to promote tradewas deliberately ignored despite Ethiopia andother states fulfilling the agreement hamperingeconomic development of region.”Residents of northern Kenya are appealingfor compensation for families of victims killedor raped by security personnel.She said: “These sessions have been emotionalsince people who had never spoken weregiven a chance to tell their stories and this wasa relief as they had never shared them before.”Namachanja said those mentioned will becalled to testify on the allegations levelled againstthem at KICC in Nairobi starting May 17.

4 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truthISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Sacred Abindu caves reignhigh on Nyahera HillsBy AJANGA KHAYESIThe story of Kisumu County is never complete withoutthe mention of the sacred Abindu caves whoseinput is commemorated by its reputation as a truehistorical site that very few individuals are aware of.Although it has been shunned, ignored and sidelined,only churches are associated with the cavessituated at Nyahera-Kwamundhi Village, Bar B sublocationin Kisumu County. The caves have influencedthe lives of the Luo community serving as asacred place and traditional shrine.Many might have heard about them but made noeffort to transverse the rocky bushy hills stretching inthe horizon like charging lions ready to pounce oneach other.The caves are situated 36 kilometres north of KisumuCity in the Nyahera Hills and three kilometres offthe Kiboswa-Daraja Mbili road at Ulola bus stage.Travellers either ply Kisumu-Kakamega highwaybranching off at Kiboswa market or Kisumu-Busiaroad turning off at Daraja Mbili junction.Hidden rocksThe remotely placed caves bordering Wacharaprimary and secondary schools are unnoticed fromfar due to other small rocky hills in the neighbourhood.But trekking inwardly from Ulola road side,the emerging magnified Abindu rocks make thefields around good enough for camping, sceneryviewing and sporting activities such as cross country,mountaineering and horse riding among others.Although the clustered rocks are not the only onesin the Western region, there are many others likeNyakwar cave, the weeping stone of Kakamega, Nandirock and Kit Mikayi in Seme among others. However,the Abindu are a unique site with over ten caves.The highest rock here stands approximately 80metres above the ground, with very huge blocks ofrocks displaying detachable bulky segments, seeminglypeeling off the mother rock in the next few seconds.Abindu covers a large surface area of 180 squaremetres.A passage created by two huge rocks on eitherside serves as a natural entrant in the interior ofAbindu rocks. An African Israel Church sanctuaryat the entry symbolises the sacred value that Abindubestows to the locals.The first striking wonders of nature on the rightside of the entry are slices of stone cakes. Lookingas if pasted onto the vast rock, villagers believe thecakes signify the Biblical miracle of Jesus feeding5,000 persons with five fish and two loaves of bread.Further right, 40 metres on the wall of anothergigantic rock lies engraved inscription thought tobe the ancient Hebrew writings that no one has evertranslated into the local Dholuo, national or internationallanguages.“God might have worked here as well as Jesus feedingthe crowds at the foot of these rocks,” says PhilipObunga Odita, retired community health worker.Rock climbingThe thicket near the first two titanic rocks isa habitat to several fauna and flora. The beautifulwhistling sounds of birds, screeching voices of monkeys,barking jackals at night sigh a natural welcometo unforgotten land.The trekking experience during scoutingactivities or the children’s hide and seek gamefamiliarity fool around successful tricks here.At one point people toddle on their sides,knees, bend, pushed up or pulled by an experiencedclimber. At the centre the sun can notbe sighted by noon due to sky scraping rocks.Moving inside the rocks is like walking on ahuman body lying head facing upwards. Startingfrom the left leg, through the ribs onto theleft arm and then crossing the neck over to thetips of the right hand before concluding on theright leg.“The volcanic heap of boulders balancedin the horizon forms several open spaces surroundedby different sized and shaped cavesFrom top: Rocks at the Abindu caves covered invegetation in Nyahera district. A section of thecaves shaped like slices of bread that the residentsassociate with the feeding of 5000 by Jesus.Members from different churches during biblestudy at the caves. A man enjoys his quiet readingtime.Pictures: Ajanga Khayesivarying from single occupant to 50 person seaterspace,” explains Odita.According to Luo tales, a traditional old manknown as Abindu, from whom the cavern name derived,lived in the caves and could only be seen occasionallyby brave people when delivering mediationmessages between elders and their ancestors.Traditionally, communities or individuals withAccording to Luo tales, atraditional old man known asAbindu, from whom the cavernname derived, lived in thecaves and could only be seenoccasionally by brave people whendelivering mediation messagesbetween elders and their ancestors.problems such as curses, disgrace, super naturalevil spirits, visited the rocks for cleansing,intervention or worship.“During times of misfortune, Luo eldersgathered around the boulders and offered sacrificesslaughtering white chicken, goat, sheepor cow. The rituals included calling rain duringlong dry spells, cleansing and sealing agreementsbetween individuals and clans,” explainsMzee Nelson Odero.Before sharing the roasted meat amongstelderly males, some food was set aside for Abinduto feast on behalf of the ancestors.Continued on page 5

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth5Sacred Abindu cavesContinued from page 1Historical views expose Abindu as a spiritual and cultural locationthat to date, worshippers turn in large numbers for the overnightprayer sessions commonly known as kesha or some stay in the cavesfor many days while fasting.Some Christian sects, especially the Legio Maria, African Israelwhose temple stands next to the entrance, regard Abindu as a sacredshrine and pilgrimage into the caves for worship.When the Reject visited the place recently, many individualsand groups from different churches were in the caves fasting for theChristmas and New Year festivals.Brael Otieno from Mfangano Islands visits the rocks for divinenourishment that empowers the gift of prophecy, healing and dreams.Accompanied by his sister Lynette Achieng, he claims that theywere directed by the Holy Spirit to pray in a sacred quiet rocky hill forblessings and prophetic miracles after five days of fasting.A pastor with the Vineyard Church, Mr John Abwao who startedpraying at the rocks in 1990 says the caves pose a secluded peacefulsite for mankind to meditate with the creator. Abwao and his companionscarry small tents and pitch outside the rocks in what he saysis “to create room for other worshippers”.“Fasting persons only carry little while feeding on fruits and sugarcane bought at a fee from friendly and welcoming villagers,” says JacklineAtieno of Jubilee Church in Maseno.Most visitors do not carry sleeping materials but use vegetationsaying that there are no mosquitoes in the caves or wild animals thatcould attack them.PoliticsThe caves have played a crucial role in Kenya’s political developments.According to Odita, the 1970s prophet Abuor Adeti fromGem, Siaya read the Hebraic writings as ‘Dolmolham’ and promisedto come back for interpretation. That never happened.Mzee Odero explains that during the independence struggle, theprophet presented to the then Kisumu mayor Mrs Grace Onyangosome law books but failed to meet the late Jomo Kenyatta or JaramogiOginga Odinga.“On the material day, a huge explosion was heard from the cavesthat amazed the villagers. Two village elders Daniel Ouko and MzeeOng’alo who witnessed the events in the caves never revealed whatthey saw until they died,” adds Odera.According to Ochola, the 2002 cultural prayer in the caves broughtchange in the country with Narc party taking over the leadershipmantle. “All top Narc Officials under the auspices of the late JoelOmino held overnight prayers in 2002 and the following month Narcparty won the national elections overwhelmingly,” Ochola explains.Abindu may become a top tourist attraction in the Western regionif stakeholders develop the site. To make the location tourismwealthy, the area CDF chairman, Mr Tom Ochola says infrastructuremust be improved, knowledgeable curators be trained and resorthotels constructed.However, Ochola says plans are in their initial stages for the localsto form a lobby group to administer, protect and conserve the caves.According to Ochola several meetings comprising villagers and landowners have taken place to sensitise Abindu as a community project.Untapped wealth“The group will manage programmes in tourism related activitieslike drama, dances, plays, songs, traditional foods around the caves aswell as collecting a fee from tourists,” he explains.Although not known to the public, the local community expect thatAbindu will reap heavily from the proximity of the newly constructedKisumu International Airport and tourist hotels around the city.In an effort to diversify attraction sites across the Lakeland region,the Ministry of Tourism and the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) hasnever embarked on publicity on this one because the surrounding isnot yet open to both domestic and international tourists.The details of the untapped, rich and promising resources in Nyaheraare laid bare into doldrums as the poor villagers fail to discovernew adventures into the potential rocks.If prospective persons utilise the rocks, the investment opportunitieswill greatly increase the development of the region and subsequentlyhelp in raising the local people’s living standards in line withthe new Constitution and Vision 2030.To enhance a speedy exploitation of this resource, the road networkand other infrastructure in the area must be improved with immediateeffect.“The dilapidated feeder Kiboswa-Daraja Mbili road (joinery ofKisumu-Busia and Kisumu-Kakamega highways respectively), callsfor major repairs to ease mobility,” says Ochola.The Ting’a rock adjacent to the famous Abindu caves presents theclearest view of the vast Lake Victoria, Kisumu City, Kano plains,Huma Hills on the Suba Island and even Bondo County.“The viewing depends on how far your eyes can see right from KajuluHills to South Nyanza, then across the lake to Bondo,” says Odita.While marvelling at the spectacular nature of Lake Victoria justbefore sunset or early sunrise, tourists can roll down the nearby rockswhile watching the rare velvet and black Columbus monkeys andsound from tropical birds. Bush duikers, bush pigs and jackals arecommon but nuisance animals to the locals.The historically significant rock has witnessed cross cultural interactionbetween the neighbouring, Luo, Kalenjin and Luhya communities.Kitui home to Africa’sonly gourd museumBy WESLEY GITAHIVisitors to the refurbished Kenya National Museumin the capital Nairobi are greeted by magnificentlydecorated gourds hanging at the entrancehall and on various other walls.Little do the hundreds of researchers, touristsand students who visit the museum every dayfrom different parts of the world pause to envisageor figure out how and where the beautifultraditional materials are sourced from.One would be surprised to learn that a littleknowngroup of peasant women in south easternKitui are behind the artworks. The women arealso the unrelenting effort behind the preservationof the fast diminishing gourd heritage.The Kyanika Adult Women’s Group has establisheda museum to preserve the few remainingvarieties of the gourd which hold a special placein many African communities. Among the Kambas,the Bantu speaking tribe who inhabit nineadministrative districts in the south eastern regionof Kenya, the traditional gourd still retainsits significance in many rural families.Various usesGourd and calabash are products (fruits) of weed like ediblecrops which grow well in arid climates.They are still being used today in a variety of ways and itis, therefore, not surprising that the semi-arid remote villagehosts the museum, the only one of its kind in Kenya specificallydedicated to the traditional gourd and calabash.Gourds and calabashes were for centuries used by localsto scoop sand from dry river beds while making shallowwells for their livestock, drawing water, serving also as aspade, container and pipe.Once split into two halves, the gourd assumed other tasksin the kitchen, coming in handy as cheap, easily available anddependable utensils to serve different kind of foods and beverages.In other instances, old men used certain varieties ofgourds to brew their traditional liquor for ceremonies likeweddings and entertaining fellow elders.The gourd, known by the scientific name lagenaria siceraria,is also used as a container for porridge, milk and otherfoods as well as celebration wines.It is also a medium of expression for artists owing to itsaesthetic applications when patterned, beaded or painted.According to Mrs Jemimah Kimonyi, curator and chairladyof Kyanika Adult Women’s Group, the gourd has symbolicand cultural value to the African community and especiallythe Kamba.However, in the advent of colonialism and modern civilisation,the cherished gourd started disappearing and has sinceslowly been replaced by glass, plastic and enamel cutlery.“Despite the two commodities being rare in present timesdue to contemporary changes, some of their unique traditionaluses have never been replaced by the modern manufacturedutensils,” Kimonyi told the Reject.Women’s initiativeIt is in this regard that the 20 member Kyanika Women’sGroup set up the museum eight years ago as part of their effortsto preserve the dying African culture.Unknown to many Kenyans and even the surroundingcommunity, the museum dubbed the Kitete (kamba forgourd) Demonstration Hut is situated along the Kitui-Mombasaroad, just four kilometres from Kitui Town.The idea of the museum was born when the group wasintroduced to Yasuyuki Morimoto, a Japanese working withAfrican Gourd Project. He supported the group to lay theground work that saw the museum open doors in 2001.“The group was formed in 1998 and initially concentratedon adult literacy classes at the local Moi Kyanika PrimarySchool until various organisations started expressing interestin starting projects with us,” explains Kimonyi, in whosehomestead the museum has been built.“Indigenous knowledge on the gourd’s diversity and usesneeds to be maintained in the community, especially amongthe young generation,” the curator said.The first challenge in starting the museum was to get thegourds. The task was made a little easier by a KSh496,000($7,294) grant from the African Gourd Project for collectionof gourds and their seeds.Group members identified and collected all known speciesfrom various districts in Eastern and Coast provinceswith a view to preserving and documenting available gourdA man samples some of the gourd varieties at the museum.Gourds grow well in the arid climate of Eastern Province.Picture: Wesley Gitahivarieties in the museum for conservation.They tirelessly visited different farms in Kitui, Mwingi,Machakos, Makueni, Kwale, Mombasa and Kilifi districts togather indigenous knowledge which would be used as a researchtool for future generations.The next challenge was planting. Individuals in the groupplanted seeds in their own gardens. Kimonyi donated a sitefor a nursery from which members could get a steady supplyof seedlings.“Part of the money donated by the African Gourd Projectwas spent on training members on how to split the gourdsand prepare them for various uses,” explains Kimonyi.The practical training was conducted by elderly communitymembers who were each paid KSh200 ($3) a day.Kimonyi notes that the gourd has been used for ages inthe community to store seed. Such gourds were sealed withclay to keep pests away. No chemicals were applied and thusthe ancient technique was devoid of risks associated withside effects of pesticides.A research officer with Kenya Forestry Research Institute(Kefri) based at the Kitui regional centre Mr Bernard Kigwa,says that gourd seeds are rare and hard to find because thecommunity has overlooked their importance and often uprootsthe plant, mistaking it for a weed.“The gourds are suitable in the arid districts of EasternProvince and our research centre recently gathered seeds ofdifferent varieties which we have planted for demonstrationsat our nurseries in Tiva area,” explains Kigwa.He reiterates that indigenous plants and trees should beemphasised more due to their time-proven usage.When the Reject visited the facility, local residents reckonedthat it is hard to get gourds today because people haveneglected traditional crops.“Gourds are only found in a few places in the hinterlandamong the older generation who still value them,” saysCharles Muasya.However, not all the young people disregard the traditionalvalues. Some like Ms Beatrice Mutio, a college studentin her early 20s, are keen to learn about the gourd.Mutio has visited the museum three times and has receivedvaluable information on the uses of the gourd and itscultivation. “It’s a priceless resource centre but improvementsare needed to expand the gourd nursery and erect a signpostto show its location,” observes Mutio.ExpansionShe also suggests that the museum should in the longrun be moved from the curator’s home to a trading centre ortown where artefacts on display can be sold.In the Kitete Demonstration Hut are gourds of varioussizes, some finished products, including decorated gourds,are hang on lines while large ones are displayed on the shelve.“Unprocessed” gourds with seeds inside are also available forfuture expansion of the project.Kimonyi says two members of the women’s group havebeen to Malaysia and one to Tanzania to build their capacityon indigenous knowledge.According to Kimonyi, they have plans to approach Kenya’sTourism Trust Fund, a European Union-funded organisationof the Ministry of Tourism that provides grants toorganised tourist-related units for help.

6 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Need to clear grey areasbefore enactment ofreproductive health billBy FAITH MUIRURIThe controversy that surrounds abortion hasrefused to go away. Even though the Constitutionnow permits abortion as a basis of emergencytreatment or saving the life or health ofthe mother, medical practitioners feel that theabortion clause is still inhibitive and may hamperaccess to safe abortion.According to Professor Japheth Mate, oneof the pioneers of reproductive health in thecountry, a number of fundamental questionsarise from Article 26 (4) of the Constitutionwith attention now shifting to who is “a trainedhealth professional”, at what stage is “emergencytreatment” a must and what constitutes“danger to life or health of the mother”?Mate says that the scenario is set to becomemore complex with fresh guidelines by the MedicalPractitioners and Dentist Board (MPDB)only serving to obstruct rather than facilitate accessto safe abortion services.Speaking at the Kenya Medical Association(KMA) conference in Nakuru, Mate said provisionsthat require a health worker to consultat least two senior and experienced colleaguesbefore conducting an abortion will not work inrural areas.“The guidelines that restrict performance ofabortion procedures in hospital are restrictivesince the operation is not always surgical,” heobserves.Create awarenessOther areas that are likely to impede the implementationprocess include the demand for apsychiatric assessment which Mate feels is expensive,causes unnecessary delay and invasionof dignity of the patient. He is of the opinionthat this should be done away with.Mate says lack of information about the lawand awareness about facilities providing abortionservices are major factors that are furtherlikely to derail implementation of the new law.Mate says health care providers must familiarisethemselves with constitutional provisionsfor effective implementation of safe abortionservices and to avoid unwarranted accessbarriers to what should be legally accessed bywomen in need.“The relevant regulatory authorities and professionalbodies, therefore, have a responsibilityto ensure their members are updated on the provisionsin the Constitution regarding health careincluding reproductive health care,” he reiterates.Mate observes that the Government has a responsibilityto ensure safe abortion services areequitably accessed by all women in need. Thiscan be done by the Government promoting positivepolicies which eliminate unnecessary accessbarriers to abortion services within the law.Reproductive billHe spoke as it emerged that KMA is developinga bill that seeks to provide guidelines forsafe and standardised abortion procedures.Dr Boaz Otieno Nyunya who is the chair ofKMA’s Reproductive Health Committee told theReject that the Bill will also harmonise existinglaws including section 240 of the penal code toreflect the changes espoused in the Constitution.“The bill will help actualise the Constitutionas currently we are still operating with obsoletelaws that were not in harmony with the currentConstitution,” says Nyunya who is also the chairof Kenya Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society(KOGS).At the moment, 900 abortions take placeevery day in Kenya. “This is an intolerably highfigure, and in addition it puts many of thesemothers at a severe risk because many of theseprocedures are completely unregulated and occurin unsafe and unsanitary conditions in thehands of quacks,” said Nyunya.A joint presentation by Nyunya and Prof JosephKaranja of University of Nairobi revealedthat more women die from unsafe abortionseach day than from HIV/Aids.“Today alone, nine women will die as a resultof an unsafe abortion. In addition, 8,000 Kenyanwomen die from complications arising frompregnancy and child bearing every year. Unsafeabortion is responsible for one third of thesedeaths,” he said.The other major causes of maternal deathsinclude obstetric haemorrhage, infection, preeclampsia/eclampsiaand obstructed labour.He said the high incidence of unsafe abortiongenerally reflects the magnitude of unwantedpregnancies in the society.“The rate of unwanted pregnancies amongmarried women aged between 15-49 currentlystands at 44.5 percent. While adolescents agedbetween 15-19 account for 46.6 percent of unwantedpregnancies,” he says.Nyunya says the only sure way to effectivelyminimise unsafe abortion is to ensure womenhave easy access to contraceptive informationand services, backed up by positive legislationthat decriminalizes abortion.He reiterates that KMA will soon provideclinical guidelines to health care providers tohelp guarantee safe abortion services as outlinedin the Constitution.“The biggest challenge to KMA is to promoteand provide the highest standard of practice toprevent, diagnose and treat unsafe abortion inKenya in order to attain the best possible level ofhealth for the women, children and their families,”he said.He added that plans are underway to amendthe regulations of key Health Regulatory Bodies’regulations to comply with the Constitution.“KMA will provide leadership, advocacy andeducation/training in safeguarding and implementingthe health gains in the new Constitution,”he said.Mwingi woman in abortion saga diesBy JOHN SYENGOA 22 year old pregnant woman who lost her sightafter being injected with poison in an attempt toprocure an abortion has died.Police sources said detectives in Mwingi CIDcontinued to investigate claims that she had beeninjected with some toxic substance.Grace Kalekye Kula claimed to have been givena toxic jab by medical staff at Nuu Health Centre.The late Kula who had been assisted in gettingmedical attention to have her sight restored by aCatholic Sister at Nuu, Benendetta Mueni, was diagnosedas suffering from a brain tumour.The albeit sad twist in the alleged botchedabortion emerged when she was diagnosed withbrain cancer after she had a CT scan at the KenyattaNational Hospital (KNH) in Nairobi inJanuary.Owing to the fact that Kula’s benefactor SisterMueni was not able to finance the high cost oftreatment and no immediate donors were available,the latter retreated to her fate at her ruralhome in Mwambiu, Nuu Division, Mwingi EastDistrict.The Reject gathered recently that Kalu diedhopelessly and quietly at her village because shecould not afford the medical attention requiredfor her cancerous condition.“Grace succumbed on the Tuesdayafter the Easter holiday and was quietlyburied at her home the followingFriday. I gave some money for the purchaseof the coffin,” said Sister Mueniwho is in charge of Nuu CatholicYouth Vocational Centre.Mueni said by the time Grace died,she was seven months pregnant andhad to be taken to the Mwingi DistrictHospital where the equally lifeless babywas removed before her body was interred.When she was admitted at thedistrict hospital earlier, the late Kaluclaimed the father of her unborn childwho was a staff at Nuu Health Centrewas to blame for her loss of eye-sightafter he organised for the ominous jabon her.At the time, the officer in-charge ofCID in Mwingi, Mr Leonard Lutta Namatsi saidthey were investigating the matter and had initiallyrecorded statements from key medical staffat the health centre where the saga originated.“We cannot just rush to arrest and take thealleged suspect to court without first establishingWater and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu feels a dummy patient at the Centre ofExcellence for Reproductive Health and Family Planning in Kitui Medical TrainingCentre. Picture: Ken NdambuGrace Kalekye Kula who claimed to have been givena toxic jab by medical staff at Nuu Health Centrebeing examined by Fredrick Mutua of Mwingi DistrictHospital. She would later succumb.Picture: John Syengothe cause of the victim’s loss of eye-sight. However,since the alleged suspect is a civil servant, theadvice of the State law office is important beforehe is taken to court,” said Namatsi.Kalu’s death and that of her unborn childseemingly terminates the CID investigations intothe saga.Maternal deathsdecline inCentral ProvinceBy CAROLINE WANGECHIMalaria control has helped in reducing thenumbers of pregnant women dying.According to the Central ProvincialHealth Officer, Dr Samuel Muthinji, maternalmortality in Province had declined.Muthinji made the remarks in Kutustown during celebrations to mark MalariaDay recently. He said that deaths inchildren under five and one years had declinedfrom seven to three percent.He said the reduction has come up dueto the malaria control programme thatwas started in 2005-2010 and the eradicationprogramme of malaria which is startingin 2011 and expected to last till 2017.Muthinji said Central Province whichhad recorded recurrent malaria cases inmost health facilities. Transmission hasbeen low after families gained treatedmosquito nets.Mosquito netsHe said that deaths of children underfive had also reduced because expectantwomen and mothers with newborn babieswere getting nets free of charge. “Even inother facilities where mosquito nets arebeing sold, the Government has made itpossible for people to buy after removingtaxes on them,” Muthinji reiterated.A new drug known as AL has beenmade available in all government andmission hospitals. Malaria patients areresponding positively to this treatment.The health officer disclosed that the governmenthas been able to give out 11 millionmosquito nets in collaboration withdevelopment partners making progress inthe war against the killer disease.“The integration of using chemicals tospray mosquito prone areas and stagnantwaters would help reduce breeding and inthe long run reduce malaria infections,”Muthinji reiterated.He said public education will continuein malaria prone areas and that subsidisednets will also be made available toKenyans.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truthUnsafe abortion continues to pose health challengesBy JANE GODIAState of art maternity wing gives a ray of hopeBy MACHARIA MWANGIIt’s a piece of art that is eye catching as onemakes an entrance to the ever busy NaivashaDistrict Hospital. Standing stoically is an ultramodern building that looks remarkable againsta background of aging structures.What is more captivating in the design workthat easily stands out. Well, the structure is adonor-funded ultra modern maternity wingthat is set to ease congestion in the maternitydepartment.Apart from the maternity needs, medicalpersonnel working at the facility will handlereproductive issues for women with gynaecologicalneeds, who are currently being treatedin general wards.Tentatively set to open its doors in September,the wing, built at an estimated cost ofKSh200 million is a facility that will go a longway in ensuring women’s reproductive needsare well taken care of.According to the medical superintendent incharge of the health facility, Dr Joseph Mburu,they are in the process of installing a transformerand acquiring a generator to get the projectrolling.“We hope the facility will be open by September.Most of the construction work is almostcomplete and equipment installed,” saidMburu. The facility, the first of its kind in thecountry, is a boon to a hospital that has beengrappling with many challenges including aIt is a subject that people normally avoid talkingabout or being associated with. Survivors of abortionwill never want to speak about what happenedto them nor do they come out in the opento say they procured an abortion. The Centre forStudy of Adolescence (CSA) through the ReproductiveHealth Rights Alliance (RHRA) recentlylaunched a book and film that documents Kenya’suntold stories of unsafe abortion.The RHRA has been working towards addressingand reversing maternal morbidity andmortality associated with unsafe abortions inKenya.The book, Burying Our Heads in the Sand andfilm Turning Down the Wick depict the abortionissue as one that transcends all gender andsocial components. The book is a collection oftestimonies that clearly indicate how abortionaffects all women and girls irrespective of theirbackground.Abortion, whether safe or unsafe is a reproductivehealth issue that equally affects womenand girls, men and boys in as much as it affects allsocial and religious boundaries. Circumstancesleading to abortion do not leave much choice forgirls in the same manner that they do for womenwho are single or married.In its forward, the book states that a studycarried out by CSA indicates that about 316,560abortions occur in Kenya annually with an estimated21,000 women being hospitalized withabortion related complications in public hospitalsonly. The report was not able to capture the otherthousands of women who seek help in private institutionswith complications of unsafe abortion.Advocacy toolAccording to Mr Albert Oobuyi, ExecutiveDirector CSA, the book and the documentary areadvocacy tools. The book outlines individual storiesin relation to abortion and the film outliningwomen’s personal stories. These are two powerfultools aim at bringing to the fore, the seriousnessof abortion related complications and how it affectswomen, households and the wider society.The book is one of the most candid personalstories that accompany this documentary todemonstrate that abortion is experienced bywomen from all walks of life and that poverty,rape, gender based violence, contraceptive failureand spousal pressure contributes to unsafe abortion.The documentary presents the untold storyof many women and girls who are caught in thedesperate situation caused by an unplanned pregnancy.The documentary gives us the opportunityfor meaningful dialogue on the sensitive topicof sexuality. It also provides at platform to addressthe unmet reproductive health needs of allKenyan women and contribute towards reversingmaternal mortality in Kenya.Speaking during the launch of the book, anda documentary Turning Down the Wick, MrsDorothy Nyong’o, a reproductive health rightsadvocate and immediate former chair of FamilyHealth Option said that the issue of abortion aswell as sexual and reproductive health and rightsmust be of concern to everyone.“Looking at the statistics of women dyingbecause they cannot access skilled health care, itis important that this book gets to everybody sothat abortion and women’s health becomes everybody’sbusiness,” Nyong’o said.She reiterated: “The stories of these womenwere not given to us in vain but are crucial inhighlighting a lot of the major shortcomings ofthe health system with regard to reproductivehealth service provision. The testimonies highlightthe plight of thousands of women in similarcircumstances who form the premise of why theReproductive Health Rights Alliance (RHRA)exists to deal with the high rates of maternal mortalityattributed to unsafe abortion.”The Kenyan law does not allow for abortion,unless when in the opinion of a health professional,there is need for emergency treatmentor the life or health of the mother is in danger.Previously abortion was handled under the penalcode, this provision in the new Constitutionis the first step in protecting and saving the livesof thousands of women who would be forced toresort to abortion.Many women and girls who go for abortiontake the option of terminating pregnancies becauseof failed health care systems. Unplanned forpregnancies are normally as a result of not gettingaccess to family planning options that are in mostcases not available when the women need them.The documentary givesus the opportunity formeaningful dialogue on thesensitive topic of sexuality.It also provides at platformto address the unmetreproductive health needs ofall Kenyan women.Unwanted or unplanned forpregnancies will in most circumstanceslead to unsafe abortion.Executive Director of the CSAsaid: The social consequences ofabortion come with problemslike death that have implicationsat community and family levels.“There is untold suffering thatis accompanied by stigma to theindividual and their family,” saysOobuyi.His sentiments were echoed bythe Executive Director of PlannedParenthood America - Africa Region,Ms Pamela Onyango whenshe said: “Kenya’s untold storieson unsafe abortions are tuckedaway in remote and povertystricken communities, with limitedor no access to safe services.”Loss of lifeOnyango reiterated the enormity ofthe problem when she quoted a reportby IPAS that indicated that 800 abortionsoccur daily in Kenya and 2,600 womenlose their lives annually due to unsafeabortions.Painting a grimmer picture to themedical consequences of unsafe abortion,Dr Caroline Odula of the KenyaObstetrical and Gynaecological Society(KOGS) says: “The health consequencesthat accompany unsafe abortion includesevere bleeding, perforation of the uterusand tearing of the cervix.” She adds:“Those who have objects inserted intheir genitals have had their intestinesdamaged or suffered blood poisoning.”The message in these works is that reproductivehealth care and services mustbe provided within a safe backdrop. Reproductivehealth information and servicesincluding contraceptives must alsobe affordable.As aptly put by Onyango: “High ratesof abortions are driven by limited accessto family planning services alongsidesocio-cultural factors such as poverty,gender violence and spousal pressurethat continue to plague our communities.”While the new Constitution in the bill of rightsstresses the right to health care services includingreproductive health, the debate that surroundedthis particular provision needs to be demystifiedfor the common man and woman to understandthat lives of mothers and girls must be saved.high number of deliveries.With bed occupancy of 80, the hi-tech facilityis expected to bring to an end the anguishof sharing beds in stuffy and squeezed wardsthat most of the mothers are accustomed to.Some of the apparatus available include amammography, ultra sound machine, a fullyequipped laboratory and a gynaecology departmentwhich also has sophisticated equipmentinstalled.Busy facility“It is a complete ‘hospital’ designed to takecare of women’s reproductive needs with amaintenance unit under the same facility,” explainedMburu. And it is a plus for the healthfacility. For 24-hours, nurses and other medicalpersonnel work round the clock to ensurewomen in the labour ward deliver safely andwith best medical attention available.The hospital’s maternity wing handles between20 to 25 deliveries per day, regarded asone of the highest birth rates in a district hospital.At least four of the births are through caesareansection. According to statistics, 600 deliveriesare recorded in a month, making it oneof the busiest health facilities in the country.The high birth rates have led to overstretchingof the facilities, including beds with two and attimes three women sharing a bed.“The huge number of births has also led toa high workload for the 100 nurses and othermedical staff attending to delivery cases,” explainsMburu. To comfortablycater for thedeliveries, the hospitalneeds twice the numberof nurses currently doingduty at the healthfacility.With one of the fastestgrowing populationcurrently standing at392,000, with the numberof males at 168,863and female at 165,178,medical personnel atthe hospital have theirwork cut out for them.According to Mburu,the maternity facilitycaters for a large catchmentarea that coverspart of Kinangop andNarok with large numbersof women of reproductiveage.“We serve neighbouring counties includingNarok and Nyandarua and this has played a rolein increasing our workload,” observed Mburu.However, statistics available at the hospital signifythat majority of women seeking both postnataland ante-natal care hail from the flowerfarms scattered around Naivasha.Currently, the area has an estimated 54horticultural farms and with the majority ofA mother happilyholding herbaby. There arewomen whosuffer unplannedpregnancies andopt for abortionwhich they procurefrom quacks andbackstreet hospitals.The cover of thebook on Kenya’suntold stories onunsafe abortiontitled Burying OurHeads in the Sand.The documentarycover, Turning DownThe Wick that hasbeen produced byReproductive HealthRights Alliance.Pictures: Rejectcorrespondent7Oobuyi reiterates: There is need to translatethe Constitution into a reality because this is theonly way to improve policy framework in ensuringaccess to heath care for women.”The new Constitution, through Article 26provides the much needed opportunity in reversingmaternal mortality trends and improving thegeneral welfare of women in Kenya.Women at the Naivasha District hospital sharing beds. The newstate of the art maternity wing will ease the congestion.Picture: Macharia Mwangithe workers being women, accounting to 65percent of the entire workforce, the medics arebracing themselves for even challenging timesahead.“There are so many women in the reproductiveage working in Naivasha town and its environs,”notes Mburu.“We were facing hiccups when dischargingservices and I believe the new wing will helpus overcome some of the challenges that havebedevilled us over the years,” explained Mburu.

8 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Youth exchange drugs and crime for soccerBy JOSEPH MUKUBWAAfter brushing shoulders with police over allegationsthat they belong to the outlawedMungiki sect, many youth in Mathira Districtclaim they are now reformed and are engagedin meaningful sports activities.“Instead of being arrested for touting orengaging in alcoholism, drugs and drugs substance,we are very busy in soccer games playingwith youth from all corners of the constituency,”says Joseph Wachira, a defender withMiiri Football Club.Wachira thinks he would either be in jailor dead were it not for the Catherine NderebaSports Tournament.“We no longer fear police since we knowthat we are engaged in activities that do notraise suspicion. Our energy is now being expendedthe right way. I no longer spend my daychewing miraa (khat) or taking illegal brews,”says John Mwangi, 23, who is a defender withKiamwangi Football Club.Joseph Kinyua alias Bad who is a father ofthree who plays for Kiamwangi FC says theinfamous Mathira massacre several years agowas a wake up call for the youth in the area tothink of other meaningful activities. Majorityof them have since joined the sports activitiessince many are jobless.“Our parents have been very supportive ofwhat we are now doing and security has beenrestored in the region since the youths are busypracticing soccer in the evenings and everySunday in the tournament. I hope to continuetraining hard until I join national teams like HarambeeStars,” explains Peter Njogu, defendernumber three with Kiaritha-ini Football Club.Reformed youthThe players in the tournament from differentfootball clubs admit that insecurity andalcoholism has reduced in the area. Njogusays they now have a stronger bond with theirparents unlike before when they were shunnedaway because of engaging in alcoholism andother illegal activities. He adds: “Security hasimproved and we can now walk freely withoutthe police harassing us.”The Catherine Ndereba League PromotionTournament has come in handy and most ofthe youth have reformed. The sponsor of thetournament is Ms Catherine Ndereba, a worldmarathon champion.Ndereba and her husband, Mr AnthonyMaina initiated the tournament two years agoafter many jobless youth were found to havejoined illegal sects and engaging in unlawfulactivities.Already, two seasons have been finalisedand now the third season of the tournamenthas kicked off and will be running for thewhole year.The league comprises of13 teams from Mathira Districtwith over 200 youthsparticipating. The winnertakes home tokens that includeKSh100,000 whichplayers invest in the club bystarting income generatingprojects. The first runners-upget KSh50,000 while the thirdrunners-up get KSh30,000.Some of the teams involvedinclude in the tournament includeGatura, Kangocho, Ndima-ini,Ihwagi, Gikororo andKiaritha-ini. Miiri, Kahuru,Gatondo, Itundu, Kiaruhiuand Gatundu football clubs.Why soccerNdereba says they startedthe football tournament insteadof athletics since in soccerthe youth are able to playas a team and because it also attracts more ofthem to be part of the games.“The tournament brings them together andkeeps them busy. It also helps keep them awayfrom drug abuse, organised crime and illicitbrews which are popular in the area,” explainsMaina.The tournament is also a process throughwhich to tap talent in soccer. Maina urges winnersto invest the winnings in their footballclubs instead of sharing the money amongthemselves.The couple want to make the tournamentan annual event and next year they hope tohave sponsors. The past two seasons have beensuccessful since several youth stopped takingdrugs and illicit brew.Mathira is known for its high rate of crimeincluding illegal gangs such as Mungiki as wellas alcohol and substance abuse.Security in the area has since improved becausethe youth have been involved in the footballtournament which is played every Sunday.Ndereba says they chose football to promotepeace and unity in Mathira two years ago sincea bad picture was portrayed during the Gathaithimassacre where 29 lives were lost.“We decided to bring the youth togetherthrough sports so that they can solve socialchallenges which they were facing at the time,”explains Ndereba.She adds: “There have been positive resultssince the rates of crime and drug abuse hasgone down drastically though some are stillpartaking in small quantities.”The chairman of the Ndereba Tournament,Mr Ephantus Ndegwa says there have seen socialbehavioural changes in the players.“The tournament brings them together and keeps them busy.It also helps keep them away from drug abuse, organisedcrime and illicit brews which are popular in the area.”— Anthony MainaFrom top: Some of the Mathira teams playing during the Catherine Ndereba SportsLeague Tournament at Kangocho Primary School grounds recently. Some of the teammembers take a break during the tournament. Below: World Marathon ChampionCatherine Ndereba with her husband Anthony Maina, the main sponsors of thetournament.They now expect the teams to form a savingsand credit society (Sacco) so that they can upgradetheir individual welfare through projects that theyalready have such as fish farms among others.The sponsors have also started incominggenerating projects such as fish farming and treenurseries where they sell tree seedlings. Otheryouth have been busy in churches every Sunday.“We are planning to invite teams from otherprovinces to play with them and promote peaceand unity in the country,” says Ndegwa.Ndereba and her husband hope they will getsponsors and coaches who will recognise andpromote talent them so the youth can join bigclubs in the Kenyan Premier league and alsoplay in the national team.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth9Beauty uncompromisedTraditional products that have made coastal women maintain their good looksBy BARWAQO ARESSThe first glimpse of a Coastal woman mightnot give a true picture of her beauty because ofthe compulsory buibui (veil) that she wears asstipulated by the strict Islamic religion.But were the veil to be lifted, the Coastalwoman’s undisputed beauty is unchallenged,ranging from the fair complexion to the delicatefacial features.Although their mixed heritage of Bantu,Portuguese, British and Arab races might havecontributed to their fair complexion and delicatefeatures, women from the Coast have notrested on their laurels and let mother-naturetake her course. These beauties have continuedto maintain and nurture their beauty throughapplication of natural concoctions of traditionalproducts from locally grown trees. They havealso used perfume from sweet smelling flowersthat they grow in their backyards.A woman’s quest to maintain beautiful skinfree from blemishes is natural. Among theCoastal women, this trend started long beforemodern day creams became fashionable, whenthe communities realised that beauty couldnever be taken for granted.Ms Somo Mohamed, a working mother saidchanging weather elements and age may have atremendous effect on one’s skin. She keeps herskin looking supple and healthy through productsshe has seen her grandmother use.Modern day creams that have been laced bymercury and hydrochlophyl chemicals have alreadybeen blacklisted by the Kenya Bureau ofStandards (KBS) and those who would like tosafeguard their skin from such harmful productshave turned to natural products to improvetheir skin condition.Indigenous productsA renowned research scientist and Swahilicultural consultant Sheikh Ahmed Nabhanconcurs that even before the advent of moderncreams and beauty products, Coastal womenhad their own. Some of the traditional productsthe women from the Coast use include liwa’,henna, manjano, udi’ (perfume), kohl (wanda)and picco (hair dye). They also dress in locallymade jewellery.Liwa is a powder mixture from the stems ofa special tree that grows in forests. Small piecesfrom the branches are dried then blended andmade into a paste using a little water. This isthen applied to the body and especially the face,neck and hands. The origin of the tree is tracedto India.Sheikh Nabhan says: “Swahili women used togrind the sticks using flat stones at home beforethe blender was embraced to make work easier.”It is believed among Coastal women that themixture softens the areas applied. It is highlyrecommended for engaged girls and newlyweds although any person can use it.Another product, manjano, a yellow powdercan be mixed with liwa and made into a paste.The pleasant smelling concoction is then appliedto the desired body parts to achieve thesmooth effect. The tree is found in abundancealong the coastal belt.Coastal women also use lemon juice to tonetheir skin. The citrus fruit which is readily availablein the area is believed to have special propertiesthat cleanse the skin of any blemishes andbrighten it. The juice is usually applied at nightand then washed off in the morning.Mdaa, which is believed to have medicinalvalue, is a tree that is also is used to brush teethand is believed to have properties that whitenteeth, fight tooth decay and halitosis.Another product that is used to clean teethbecause of its medicinal value is the mjafari’which is found in most parts of Lamu and Kilificounties.Henna is the most popularly product usedby the women. It is a light green powder preparedfrom the leaves of the mhina’ tree. Its“The Swahili women soakedthe seeds of the Harita treewhich then forms a sweetsmelling lather that they useto shampoo their hair andwash their veils.”— Sheikh Ahmed Nabhan,Swahili cultural consultantFrom top:Traditionalcoastal productson display forsale on the street.A heena artistdecorates thehands of a client.Most coastal haveembraced naturalcosmetic productsfor their beautyregime. Pictures:Barwaqo Aressorigin can be traced to the Middle East althoughit is easily available in most partsof the Coast region.The leaves of the mhina’ tree are driedand then blended into powder which isthen made into a paste using water, lemonand strong tea. Another product added toit is a special chemical known as tina.In Lamu Island, the mkokowa treewhich grows wild is also used to makethe henna powder. Its leaves are dried andthen blended into powder form which isthen made into a paste.HennaSheikh Nabhan who is a culture andSwahili consultant in the region says localsalso believed that if you slaughtera goat at the foot of the tree, the hennapreparation then acquires a better qualitywhich is dark brown when applied tothe skin.Some women also use henna as hairtreatment since it is believed to strengthenthe hair cuticles. Some also add thispreparation with the colour from the bixaplant to make a paste that they apply asdye to their hair.“Although it is mostly women who usehenna, men also use it to dye their beardsand hair. Some bridegrooms also apply iton their hands although no patterns aremade, and it is considered to have a religioussignificance (Sunnah),” explainedSheikh Nabhan.In other instances, another traditionalproduct known as picco, a grey powder thatturns black when a little water is added is alsoapplied to the hands, thighs and legs. Bridesapply this during their wedding ceremonies.The application of picco is done either usinga stick or a matchbox and sometimes in acone shaped plastic. The artist draws elaboratepatterns on the client’s hands, legs andhands.Nabhan also points out that shampoo isnot a modern day thing. “The Swahili womensoaked the seeds of the Harita tree whichthen forms a sweet smelling lather that theyuse to shampoo their hair and wash theirveils,” says Sheikh Nabhan. He adds: “Thebehedan seeds, which are similar to simsimseeds are also soaked in water and the latherapplied to the hair during celebrations.”Sheikh Nabhan explains: “This productis applied on children’s hair and the latherthat forms also acts like modern day gel andmakes hair smooth and easy to style.”The Coastal woman’s love for perfumeand other scents is legendary. The most commonlyused scents include those found in thevilua flowers, asmini, mlangilangi, udi, wardi(rose) and nargis.The larger rose like vilua flowers whichwhen ripe are slightly yellow in colour, thetiny white asmini and bigger nargis flowers aremostly collected either early morning or in theevening. The women then either string themtogether to form necklaces that are worn on theneck, pinned on the hair or spread on the matrimonialbed.Some women add the flowers into their liquidoil, especially coconut oil so as to give hair afragrance. Coconut oil which is squeezed fromthe coconut fruit is also believed to work wonderson the skin.Kohl which is used on the eyes by womenand is prepared using ubani, a solid residuefound on the barks of some trees such as baobabor some rocks.Most women apply kohl to the eyes and foreheadof very young children so as to ward offthe evil eye whenever they venture with themoutside the homesteads.Ms Munira Ahmed says that she cannotimagine getting out the house without applyingkohl’ since it enhances one’s beauty. Swahiliwomen also trap the smoke from burningubani and using a saucer that is smeared withcoconut oil, the black residue that is collected isthen used in the eyes as kohl.ScentsUdi is a solid preparation which whenburnt releases its scent and is widely used bythe Swahili women at the Coast. According toMs Fatma Abdille, her daily beauty routine isincomplete without the udi application sayingit is better than contemporary perfume whichevaporates with the wind.Sheikh Nabhan says: “There are two typesof udi, one which is a natural wood calledmawardi and emits scent when burnt. Thistype is the most expensive and may fetchKSh2,000 for a handful.”He explains: “The other type is preparedat home where experts use sugar, a perfumeof one’s choice, special oils and saw dust fromscented trees. This mixture is then cooked togetherto form solids which when burnt releasea nice scent.” Swahili women burn udi to perfumetheir clothes and selves.Users of traditional beauty products fromthe Coast swear of their effectiveness in keepingthe skin looking supple and radiant.Hamida Abubakar said that she uses liwareligiously on her face and neck and has no regrets.She advises fellow women to stop usingharmful creams on their bodies and embraceherbal preparations that are readily availablefrom trees within the region.“All the Swahili products are used in theirnatural form and have no side effects,” explainsAbubakar.Furthermore, all the beauty products arereadily available on the streets of Mombasaand in homes where women sell them. Theycan also be purchased in small quantities.Prices vary with the type of product and quantitydesired.

10 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Putting thingsright in theface of HIVMary Mariokot, who is living positivelywith HIV, has written a will outlining howher property should be shared in theevent of her death. Picture: Hussein DidoBy HUSSEIN DIDOIt is unusual for those brought up in pastoralists’region to think of writing a will or memory bookwhere their next of kin can one day turn to it forreference.However, a visit to the home of Mary Mariokot,a widow reveals that there is much moreto the nomadic life than herding cattle.Mariokot may not have much but she was ableto explain and display the memory book she hadwritten for her children six years behind the line.Despite being living with Aids, Mariokot hasbeen able to write a will. Her intention is to avoidconflict among her four children should she die.In her memory book, the 42 has been ableto share the few property she was able to gathertogether with her late husband who worked as apublic health officer.Mariokot’s husband succumbed to HIV/AIDScomplications 10 years ago. She had to cope withraising the children after his family kicked her outof the home, claiming she was the one who infectedtheir son.The memory book details how the four childrenwill share out the land that she owns and arental house within Kulamawe Estate.And as is the case in Kenya, the first born usuallyhas the challenge of looking after the youngersiblings. They also take up the burden acting asthe guardian once both parents die.In Mariokot’s will, the first born will get educatedto tertiary level but will not be entitled toany inheritance thereafter.Role modelHe will also take up responsibility of educating,protecting, bringing up the younger ones. Heis also tasked with being a role model to the rest.The other three brothers will also have an opportunityto inherit land and share money accruedfrom the four-roomed rental house leftbehind by their parents.“HIV/Aids is not the end of life. It is all abouthow you prepare yourself and the future of yourchildren before you die,” explains Mariokot.She says: “I have been on anti-retroviraldrugs for the last 12 years.”Mariokot’s children are aware of her statusafter she went public and conducted civic educationto create awareness and encourage thoseaffected by the scourge.“It is all about how you take it and how appropriatelyyou take the drugs as prescribed bythe doctor,” she observes.The widow credits her elder son for occasionallyreminding her to take the ARVs when it istime to have them. “My children always remindme when to take the drugs but I also keep timebecause they are at my bed side.”Mariokot has been a role model to womeninfected by HIV in Isiolo because she led theminto forming a support group called Eboli, Turkanafor glittering after she was dismissed fromher job at Christian Children Fund as a socialworker.Mariokot says donors are yet to respond tonumerous proposals she has written them.Elephantiasis forces teen out of schoolBy DAVID SIRENGOFaith Nakoba is only 16 years old but looksmuch older than her age. The situation hasbeen enhanced by the weight that sits on herlegs. Although Faith would like to pursue furthereducation, she is inhibited by a disease thathas affected her ability to move with ease.A Form Two student at Serewo Holy TrinitySecondary School in West Pokot County, Faithdoes not participate in sporting activities likeher colleagues as she is inhibited by her weight.She envies her peers who go for sports as shewatches from the sideline.When she was five years old, Faith developedinfections on both legs. Nine years downthe line, she has come to live with what has developedinto elephantiasis — the thickening ofthe skin and gross enlargement of certain partsof the human body.StruggleDuring her primary education at ChampionAcademy, Moi’s Bridge Township along theKitale-Eldoret highway, Faith struggled againstall odds and managed to score 350 in the KenyaCertificate of Primary Education (KCPE).For the one year that she has been at SerewoHoly Trinity Secondary School, Faith has continuedto struggle with difficulties. This wasuntil a month ago when the school’s administrationdecided to send her away so she couldseek medical attention.According to the school’s Principal, MrsJ Barasa, the girl could no longer go on withschooling due to the condition as her legs kepton swelling and leaving her in a lot of pain. “Shecould hardly walk to the toilets which are severalmetres away from the classrooms,” explainsBarasa.The school is missing Faith since she hadbecome an inspiration to other students. “Shewas among the top students in her class. Shewas admitted to Form Two even after missingthe last term in Form One,” explains Barasa.When she joined Form One, her colleagueskept away from her. However, once they understoodthe situation, the studentsbegan tolerating her.“They no longer ridicule me.They have even come to be my closefriends. They have also encouragedme to concentrate on my studies andignore my weight,” she said in an interviewat their house in Moi’s Bridgewhere she is staying with her singlemother, Linet Naliaka.Naliaka, a charcoal dealer, saysher daughter experiences difficultieswhile passing urine and that occasionallyshe has problems with hereyesight.Currently, Faith is admitted at theMoi Referral Hospital, Eldoret wherethe doctors are considering carryingout an operation on her.However, the big question is:Who will foot the hospital bill? Naliakawhose earnings are not evenenough to cater for their basic needs,cannot raise the money.“Even after soliciting for helpfrom friends and well wishers whoassisted in admitting her to hospital,I do not know where I will get themoney to cater for the bill while sheis there,” Naliaka observes.Cry for healthThe bills are yet to be worked on out butsources at the hospital said the charges could goup to KSh2.5 million inclusive of theatre fees.This is the second time the girl is being admittedat the hospital with the first case havingbeen two years ago where she failed to undergoan operation due to lack of finances. Even afterbeing taken to local clinics where she wastreated with antibiotics, Faith’s situation hascontinued to deteriorate. In 2008, she wasbilled to weigh 90.5 kilograms and she is about5.1 feet tall.Dr Maurice Wakwabubi, the Kitale DistrictHospital Medical Superintendent who is alsoan assistant Director of Medical Services sayselephantiasis is a disease related to contaminationof red soils transmitted by mosquitos. Itcan be cured through surgical treatment andapplication of antibiotics.But for Faith, this seems not to be the case.Her rough legs with black spots discharge foulsmelling fluids. According to a neighbour, MsAnn Njoki, Faith’s case has been an agonisingone for the community of Moi’s Bridge Township.However, the Form Two girl is determinedthat one day she will regain her good healthand be able to continue with her studies uninterrupted.She hopes she will soon leave thehospital bed back to the classroom.“I pray that even my father whom I havenever set my eyes on will come to my recue,”says Faith.Progress as Isiolo’s Centre of Excellence gets readyBy JEFF MWANGIThe Economic Stimulus Programmeis bringing variousaspects of development tovarious state institutions.Isiolo Girls’ SecondarySchool is one such beneficiaryas it has been earmarked aCentre of Excellence. Throughthis, the institution is receivingaid from the Governmentfor construction of modernbuildings that will go with itsacquired status.The School’s principal, MsMary Amina thanked the governmentfor the new buildingsunder the Economic StimulusProgramme namely the administration,laboratory, dormitory,classroom and sanitationblocks.Good environmentShe said with the new infrastructurein place, girls willbe able to access better educationand uplift their educationstandards.“The girl child in the areafaces a lot of challenges rangingfrom early marriage to femalegenital mutilation which theycan only defeat through qualityeducation,” Amina explained.The contractor at IsioloGirls’ Secondary School, MrIbrahim Mohamed Abdullasaid construction of the fiveblocks will be completed soon.Clerk of works in the PublicWorks Ministry in Isiolo, MsBeatrice Gathoni Nderitu reiteratedthat the Economic Stimulusproject at the school worthKSh30 million commenced on26 May last year and will beready within 12 months fromstarting time.“The facility will be of muchbenefit to the students of thearea as they keep track with thestudents from other schoolsin the country who performbetter than them due to lackof some of the facilities,” saidNderitu.Faith holding her younger sister at their Moi’sBridge home a few years ago. Faith has had toleave school owing to her deteriorating health.Picture: David SirengoA section of the new buildings currently under constructionat Isiolo Girls Secondary School. Below: Girls at the school,now a centre of excellence, in class studying.Picture: Jeff Mwangi

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Man loses arm incrocodile attackUnfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth11By CAROLINE WANGECHIA 56 year old man is nursing injuries at EmbuProvincial general hospital after he was attackedby a crocodile last month in MbeereNorth District.James Kithaka a father of seven had takenhis cattle in search of water at Kiambere Dam,30 kilometres from his home when the crocodileattacked him.The 11am incident left many shaken. Thecrocodile pulled Kithaka into the waters whenhe was driving the animals out of the dam.“The reptile grabbed my hand above the armpitand dragged me into the dam,” Kithaka said.Fighting the beastIn defence Kithaka quickly pricked itseyes with his left hand fingers when it wasabout to overpower him. He grabbed itsneck and squeezed its throat until it lostbreath leaving him but by then it had cut hisright arm.KWS Warden Jane Gitau visits James Kithaka at Embu Provincial General Hospital where hewas admitted after he was attacked by a crocodile in Kiambere dam.Picture: Caroline Wangechi“I fought with the crocodilefor close to ten minutes but itmanaged to get away with myarm,” said Kithaka in his hospitalbed adding that while in pain hewas able to get out of the watersand scream for help.A passerby heard his cry andrushed to get him out of the wateras other members of the publicrushed to the dam. He said thatthree people helped him get outof the water despite the crocodileswimming fast towards them.Kithaka lost his arm and hasscars on the fingers that he used tosqueeze the crocodile’s throat andhas bites on the right side.Members of the public who had gatheredthere took him to the police station before hewas taken to Embu General Hospital for furthertreatment.According to Embu medical superintendent,Mr Charles Muli, Kithaka will have anartificial arm.KWS warden in charge Embu and Kirinyagacounties Ms Jane Gitau visited Kithakain hospital and gave him KSh8,000 to assistin offsetting the bill. She also assured him thathe will be compensated once he had filled thecompensation claim form.However Gitau, cautioned Kiambere residentsagainst drawing water in the wee hoursof the morning and late in the evening as theyare more vulnerable to attacks.Villagers stealing traps set for killer crocodilesBy WAIKWA MAINALack of co-operation by the community livingaround the Kiambere Dams is hindering attemptsby Kenya Wildlife Service wardens totrap killer crocodiles.The warden-in-charge of Embu and KirinyagaCounty, Ms Jane Gitau says some of the localswere interfering with the traps set to catchthe reptiles.A trap had been laid at the dam but a wireattached to the trap was stolen. The wardenwarned that lack of cooperation will not helpsince the killer crocodile will not be trapped ifthey keep stealing the traps.“One person has been killed while two othershave been attacked by the rogue crocodile. Itis unfortunate that locals had turned to stealingthe traps which they are later selling to scrapmetal dealers.”Gitau urged area residents to cooperate withthe wardens to ensure the killer crocodile is apprehendedto prevent loss of life and make iteasier for them to fetch water from the dams.“Right now three traps have been returnedto Embu for repair. It will take some time beforethey are fixed back to the dams,” explainedGitau.CompensationShe reiterated that she is aware of the challengesthe community in Kiambere was facingand that there is need for the Government tocome up with a long term solution to the waterproblem in the area.Gitau who had visited a victim of the crocodileattack who is currently admitted at theEmbu Provincial General Hospital donatedKSh8,000 for medical assistance for the victim.James Kithaka, 66, managed to free himselffrom the crocodile but sustained serious injuriesincluding losing his arm.She also provided compensation forms thatwill enable processing of the pay for the victimwho lost one of his hands in the attack about amonth ago at the Kiambere Dam.The compensation for the injured currentlystands at KSh50,000 while those who lose theirlives have KSh200,000 awarded to their families.Gitau was speaking barely a few weeks afterhundreds of Kiambere residents in MbeereNorth district barricaded the Kiambere-Emburoad as they protested the increased crocodileattacks.Another man who was attacked by the crocodilealso died. The 37 year old man was killedby a crocodile as he fetched water at Kiamberehydro power generating dam on the fateful evening.The deceased had his hand mauled by thereptile and died while being rushed to hospital.The residents claimed their lives were indanger from frequent attacks by crocodiles despitethe area being home to Seven Folk’s Damwhich generates electricity.A resident, Mr Gerard Njeru said the promiseto provide piped water for the residents hasnot been forthcoming and this left them at riskof crocodile attacks every time they went tofetch water in the hydro electric dams.In January, Ms Joyce Ruguru was killed bythe reptiles as she fetched water sparking twodays protest by the residents who demandedpiped water from the Government.Mbeere North District Commissioner, MrJoseph Chelimo who was accompanied by hisMbeere South counterpart, Mr Abdi KhalifMohammed said human-wildlife conflict hasincreased due to the growth of population inthe area.Provision of water“An average of one person is killed or attackedby the reptiles per week,” Chelimo said.Chelimo urged the residents to seek dialoguewith relevant authorities whenever aproblem occurs instead of resorting to closingdown the busy road which is mostly used byKen Gen employees.Khalif urged the residents to avoid drawingwater early in the morning and late in the eveningwhen the crocodiles are bound to attack.He said the Government would provide awater tanker as a temporary measure to the waterproblem as plans on providing piped watergets underway.Eyes Camp marks overthree decades of successBy WAIKWA MAINAMore and more people who have had aproblem with their eyesight have hope of visionbeing restored.This was said at a Shah Free Medical campthat gives free eye, ears, nose and throat (ENT)treatment. The Shah Camp entered its 32 nd yearin May.So far the Camp has screened over 350,000people, operated over 20,000 cases with cataractsand dispensed over 60,000 spectacles.According to chairman of Shree Jain YouthLeague, the organizers of the camp, Mr ShanketShah, the number of people with eye andENT cases was reducing due to the success ofthe camp.He said many cases were now beingscreened in far flung remote areas and thoserequiring special attention being referred to theCamp. He said all expenses were being met bythe Camp.“People who had not seen for 30 yearshad their sight restored,” said Shanket, duringthe opening of this year’s camp at Thika HighSchool.This year’s sponsors, Chuni Rupshi Shahand his brother Ashok Rupshi Shah graced theoccasion presided over by their mother VelubenRupshi Shah who unveiled the week longexercise.According to Shanket, the entire camp willcost KSh6.5 million. The camp is a project ofVisa Oshwal Community.Among the doctors was Dr S K Savla, an eyesurgeon who has participated in all the past 32years of the camp. The team leader was Dr MohanJagade an ENT surgeon who has attendedthe camp for 15 years.Shanket said because of the success, transparency,accountability and voluntary manner,the Camp has been run for over three decades.Sponsors usually book their sponsorship yearsbefore. He said the current sponsors booked sixyears ago.Shanket hailed sponsors and all stakeholdersfor making the camp successful.Hosts of dams demand powerBy CAROLINE WANGECHIThe Government has promised to installelectricity and water to villagers near Kiamberehydro power dam in Embu County aftertwo days demonstration and road barricading.Kenya Power and Lighting Company andthe Ministry of Water were forced by angryresidents to give a time line for the projectsafter residents closed Kivaa-Kiambere road.The residents used tree trunks and bouldersto barricade the road complaining thatthey have been taken for a ride for too long bythe Government despite being home to fivehydro power dams.An official from KPLC, Mr John Gachurisaid work on a power transmission line toMutuovare market will start before June aftersurvey is done.“We will be sending customer relations officersto gather data in the market. We hopeto start work on the line before the end of thefinancial year,” said Gachuri.Residents complained that despite the regionproducing nearly 60 percent of hydropower in the country, few trading centreswere connected to the national grid.Addressing the demonstrators, MbeereSouth District Water Officer, Mr Phillip Kabirusaid the ministry was extending a pipelinefrom Kirie to Mutuovare.Earlier, the district security team lead byDC Mr Abdi Khalif and a contingent of riotpolice cleared the blockade along the 10-kilometrestretch.The DC warned the residents againstblocking roads as a way of addressing theirgrievances adding that there were laid downchannels for the same.“We will ensure that the promises given tothe people on water and electricity are honoured,”said Khalif.Residents threatened to pull down highvoltage power pylons transmitting electricityfrom Kiambere and Kindaruma powerdams to Kamburu if their demands were notmet.

12 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011New testing tool hasten TB treatmentBy ABJATA KHALIFA new one hour test for tuberculosis through acomputer enabled testing technology will assistin fight against the disease in remote areas ofnorthern Kenya.This means that patients will not have to waitfor many days before getting their results.The latest tuberculosis testing technologyendorsed by World Health Organisation(WHO), will enable results to be received instantlyunlike currently where patients have towait for a day before getting the results. Thosebeing tested for the Multi-drug resistance(MDR) TB strain wait for three months beforegetting results which are taken from varioushospitals to the central laboratory in Nairobi.Local medical personnel in northern Kenyalauded the introduction of the technologyknown as Genexpert that has considerable advantagesof scaling up programmatic managementand surveillance of drug resistant TB,offering speed diagnosis, standardised testing,potential for high throughput and few requirementsfor laboratory biosafety.StigmaThe Kenyan government plans to acquirethe tuberculosis testing equipment and supplyit to various local hospitals within the countrywhile some non governmental organisationsplan to acquire it within three months from now.Pastoralist communities in northern Kenyaare guided by cultural beliefs against tuberculosiswhich they regard as a curse. Patients are ostracisedand secluded upon showing signs of coughingand losing weight.However, even though stigma towards thoseaffected is slowly waning as result of communityeducation and advocacy campaigns, prompt resultsfor patients flocking the local hospital hasbeen a challenge as patients take sputum test inthe morning and evening and yet the result of thetest is not instant.The testing kit that generated results days laterleft a feeling of frustration among the infected.This scenario fuelled the spread of the disease aspatients had to keep looking for assistance andaccommodation from relatives who are not awareof their condition.A TB survivor living in Wajir District, MrAbdi Abdullah, recalls his frustrations when ittook three days to get the results.“I was coughing terribly and became aburden to my family. Everybody told me toleave the village as I was cursed with the terribledisease,” Abdullah remembers. “I had to move tothe main town in search of medical assistance.I was shocked when I went for testing and wastold to wait. It took three days for me to getresults.”Abdullah says it was his resolve to get treatmentafter he suffered constant coughing. Hebelieved it was Tuberculosis and this made himgo for the test. Waiting for three days was noteasy and many patients from the pastoralistcommunity who came to the hospital gave upafter a day.Abdullah recalls: “In 2003, I saw more severecases than mine but most of them disappeared.I believe they lost hope with the test and retiredback to the community with the disease.”However, Abdullah managed to get his resultsafter three days. He was eventually placedon treatment at Wajir District Hospital.The hospital also offers counselling and adviceto TB patients on how to seek treatment andmanage the disease during the treatment period.According to the officer in charge of the TBClinic at Garissa Hospital, Dr AbdulrahmanHassan, sputum testing takes a day and the patientis given status result and advice on how toseek treatment in the local clinic.Challenges“The test takes a day unlike in the past whenwe would have test results after a long time, a situationthat added frustration to patients who wereseeking medical attention. However, the situationhas improved now with the testing arrangementsand methods being used.”However, Hassan says that even the localtesting arrangement that gives results within aday still faces challenges in detecting multi-drugresistant TB which is on rise in the northernKenya town. This is due to lack of proper drugadherence, continuity and defaults.Observes Hassan: “For suspected MDR cases,we undertake sputum test and send culture andsensitivity to a central laboratory in Nairobiwhere it takes three months before the results arereleased. You don’t see the patient again as theycannot wait for months due to poverty and lackof accommodation in main towns in northernKenya.”Initiative to boost banana farmersBy KARIUKI MWANGICommunity members listen keenly during the TB education session in Gurufa area inGarissa. Picture: Abjata KhalifA smallholder banana farmer inspecting her crop in Gucha district.Picture: Ben OrokoThousands of banana farmers fromEmbu County are set to benefit afterthe launch of the Embu East Agri-Business Cooperative Society LimitedCentre where they will be sellingtheir banana produce at good prices.The centre, which was establishedby the Government in collaborationwith the Alliance for a Green Revolutionin Africa (AGRA) Africa and theTechno Serve Business Solutions tohelp eradicate poverty is expected toensure there is a ready market for thebanana produce.Regional manager for TechnoServe Business Solutions, Mr HenryKinyua said the programme is gearedtowards initiating a competitive bananaindustry in the country whereall farmers can get value for theirproducts.“Through the initiative, the farmerswill be able to sell the banana producein bulk and at good prices. Thisis better than the farmers selling thebananas individually where they areexploited by middlemen,” explainedKinyua.He observed that all the developmentinitiatives in the country shouldbe based on the interests of the farmersas they are the ones who understandthe problems they faceand the issues that they needaddressed for them to benefiteconomically. “The countryis currently producing morethan one million metrictonnes of bananas per yearwhich is still not enough tosustain the country,” reiteratedKinyua. He said a lotof input is required to boostthe banana industry to evengreater heights.Kinyua pointed out thatthe per capita consumptionof bananas in the country isvery low compared to othercountries like Rwanda andUganda. “There is need toimprove on the consumptionso as to provide market forbananas in the country otherthan relying on markets outsidethe country,” he said.He observed that theGovernment should boostbanana farming by buying theproduce from the areas withthe most produce to feed thehunger stricken areas. Kinyuareiterated that the government shouldnot rely on maize alone whereas thereare other crops.Embu East District Commissioner,Mr Tom Macheneri urgedthe farmers to take advantage of theconducive environment the governmenthas put in place to initiate developmentactivities that will benefitthem economically.“Farmers should take advantageof the opportunity to put more effortin banana farming so as to boost thearea economically,” urged Macheneri.Airportconstructioncomes withnoise pollutionBy JEFF MWANGIA state of confusion has erupted as theconstruction of Isiolo InternationalAirport gets underway.Questions are being raised overwhat will happen to the students ofIsiolo Girls’ Secondary School whichis situated next to the airport. The Airportis now in its first phase which isexpected to end after 18 months andwill cost KSh610 million.New building constructions are goingon under the Economic StimulusProgramme. According to the areacouncillor, Mr Ismail Ali, the noisefrom the planes landing and taking offat the Airport will disrupt learning atthe School.He also added that there was confusionas to which council the KenyaAirports Authority will submitrevenue for the Airport to. One partof the airport is in Tigania District,Meru County and the other is in IsioloCounty.“We request the Government tostep in and create awareness to the residentsas to which County the airportfalls under as this might cause conflictsas soon as it becomes operational,”urged Ali.When the Reject team visited thesite where the airport is being constructed,employees of the constructioncompany awarded the tender weregoing on with their construction workand clearing the surrounding bush.The employees were also puttingup some of the machines which will beused during the construction includingan Asphalt plant machine, meantfor concrete and tar mixing.Learning disruptedIsiolo District commissioner, MrJames Mwaura said though the airportmay cause noise pollution in the areaincluding disturbing the students fromIsiolo Girls’ Secondary School, the airportis important to the region.“As development comes to thearea, changes are expected hence theneed for the residents to adjust withthe changes so as to allow room forgrowth,” observed Mwaura.The question in the minds of manyremains, who did the feasibility studyfor the airport site? Did they take intoconsideration the fact that there was aboarding school nearby?What will happen to the studentsand the teachers or the risks involvedin the event of a plane crash?However, the Principal of IsioloGirls’ Secondary School Ms Mary Aminais less worried. She said: “Thoughthe noise pollution from the airportwill heavily disturb learning, peopleshould not forget the advantages thatcome with the establishment of such afacility.”Her sentiments were echoed by theclerk of works at the Ministry of PublicWorks, Ms Beatrice Gathoni Nderitu.She expressed concern over the airportsproximity to the school and thesurvival of students in a noisy environment.However, Gathoni said thegains exceed the loss and people needto look at the fact that the airport willbring revenue and create employmentopportunities.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Woman takes challengein male dominated fieldUnfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth13By OMONDI GWENGIThe saying that he who selects the hoe is not afarmer aptly applies to Beatrice Otieno. Whilemany people remain jobless because they havenot gotten jobs in their preferred careers, Otienois in self employment in a vocation that hasreceived a lot of criticism.Faced by a lot of resistance and doubts, BeatriceOtieno popularly known as Betty turneda deaf ear in order to pursue what she describesas a lifetime career and to prove that what aman can do, a woman can do better.Her father George Adero had to give hisdaughter what she loved best. Today, she standsout as the only female who rides a motorbikein the entire Siaya County, in a semi-town ofUsenge, Bondo District.Having sat for her KCPE, Otieno had nothingto do but as fate would have it, her fatherhad bought a motorbike which he used to ferryfish. This is where she developed an interest inmotorbikes.“When motorbikes came to the market, myfather was among the first people to buy them.I would, therefore, take the motorbike andteach myself to ride,” she says.Security concernsAfter practicing at home she soon knewhow to manoeuvre the bike. Being the newmeans of transport by then, she started to ferrypeople and this is where her job started.“Some people were surprised but I told myselfthat I am not giving up anytime soon becausethe income was good,” Otieno explains.She wanted to do something that would notonly earn her income but also keep her busy.As the rate of insecurity rises among themotorbike riders, concern is raised over theirsafety but more on the security of the femalefolk. However, Otieno says before she carriesany passenger, she has to know the route verywell to avoid being attacked by thugs.“I always operate between 8am and 6pmin order to avoid being hijacked,” she says.Due to her resilience, Otieno was appointedan assistant secretary of Usigu MotorcycleYouth Group. Being the only woman amongmen, she found it a bit cumbersome and resignedafter one year.“We are people of different classes and weunderstand things differently. It was, therefore,difficult to cope with them. I decidedjust to be a member rather than hold a leadershipposition,” she says.Otieno, 22, does not regret having plungedinto the waters of a male-dominated job. “Iam happy because with the little incomeI earn, I am able to pay my rent, buy a fewthings and also save,” she explains.Income generationOn a good day, Otieno can get KSh1000.However, out of this amount, she givesKSh350 or KSh400 to the bike owner. “Outof the KSh600 left, I buy fuel worth KSh200.I take home KSh400 which I spend as well assave.”Apart from the income, Otieno also fearsthe effects related to motorbikes like accidents,hijacks as well as illnesses like pneumonia. “Ihave always felt like leaving the job sometimesbecause of its side effects. When you are ridingyou sometimes expose yourself to cold whichcan lead to pneumonia,” she observes.It is challenging to live or work along thebeaches especially during this era of HIV/AidsDriving lesson for motor cyclistsBy JOHN NDIRANGU and KARIUKI MWANGIAn exercise aimed at equipping young people with roadsafety regulations has been conducted in Runyenjes Constituency.Over 700 boda boda operators in Runyenjes Constituencybenefited from free training for driving lessons sponsoredby the Constituency Development Fund. Participants to thetraining will be issued with a driving license at the end of thetraining.Speaking during part of the exercise at Runyenjes PoliceStation, the Provincial traffic enforcement officer, Mr JosephKimeli urged motor cycle operators to observe traffic rules tominimise accidents which have increased in the area.Kimeli called upon the boda boda operators to cooperatewith law enforcement officers especially in curbing theft ofmotorcycles in the region.CautionHowever, he cautioned the operators against drunkennesswhile at work which contributed to accidents in the area.“Avoid being engaged in illegal operations such as the supplyof illegal brew which could lead to arrest and confiscationof your motorcycles,” urged Kimeli.To curb incidents of insecurity in the sector, the traffic bossadvised the operators to form groups which could establish asystem of recording details of their clients especially at night toavoid carrying robbers and stolen goods.“Many operators have in the past fallen prey to the viceleading to the arrest of the same when the criminals are laterdiscovered,” he observed.He called upon the youths to assist police fight crimes inthe area by volunteering information to the security agency.He commended the CDF management and RunyenjesMember of Parliament for offering to foot the training whichwill go a long way in restoring trust in the youths. He challengedother leaders to emulate the initiative as a way of reducingunemployment among youth.More than 200 youth have already been trained and issuedwith interim driving licences.The training project was launched by the area MP who isalso an Assistant Minister for Tourism, Ms Cecily Mbarirethree weeks ago and was meant to train over 700 boda bodaoperators.Speaking during the launch of the driving skills, Mbariresaid the initiative is geared towards ensuring that the operatorsimprove their skills and profession in operating the motorcycles.Mbarire said that the initiative came after they realised thatmost of the operators do not have driving licences an indicationthat they are not qualified for the work which she saidcontinues to put their lives and those of their customers at risk.“A day does not end without a motorcycle accident beingreported in the area which in turn either causes serious injuriesor loss of lives which is a major loss for the constituency,”Mbarire pointed out.She said that a survey carried out in the last three monthsindicated that over 20 people lost their lives through accidentscaused by motorcycles while hundreds of others continue torecuperate at the Embu Provincial General Hospital sayingthat the initiative is geared towards halting the increasinglyalarming situation.The initiative which costed the CDF kitty KSh350,000 atthe end will ensure that every registered operator in the constituencyis issued with a valid driving license.Mbarire who is also the Tourism Assistant Minister observedthat there was need for the government and all thestakeholders to take the boda boda business seriously and asa means of livelihood for the youths who constitute the largestpercentage of the country’s population but continue to bejobless.“It is high time for the youths to engage themselves in activitiesthat will earn them a living other than just looking for whitecollar jobs which continue to be limited by the day,” she said.CooperationThe MP also took issue with the police who she said shouldstop harassing the youths but rather help them in instillingprofessionalism in the business.“If we discourage these youths by harassing them, they willend up abandoning the business and may join other illegalcrimes,” observed Mbarire.She said that after all the operators have been trained, theConstituency Development Fund will help them in setting upa cooperative Sacco in which they can save their earnings.The youth called upon the government to lower the importrate for motorcycles and their spare parts so that they are ableto access them at affordable rates.Betty Otieno carries a passenger in Usenge. She enjoys her job as amotorcycle rider and makes a comfortable living out of it.Picture: Omondi Gwengibecause this is where women and men arelured into risky sexual behaviour by money.However, Otieno has learnt to draw the linebetween her work and relationships.“I had even told my colleagues that we arehere because of this job and not relationships.Some men have tried to lure me into their webof mischief but I have always resisted,” she says.Most of her passengers are men and olderwomen because young girls prefer to be carriedby the men. “Some people still think that Iam inexperienced and cannot be trusted withthe life of any passenger,” she says.For three years, Otieno has been ridinga bike on hire because she has not been ableto save enough to buy her own motorbike.Speaking to the Reject, Otieno says that she isnot aware of the Youth Enterprise Fund whichcould enable her acquire some funds to buyher own motorbike.“I blame our leaders for not informing usabout such opportunities. We feel sidelinedhere in the rural area,” she says.“No job is more important than the other. Iurge my fellow women to be independent andyou will find a smooth life,” she advises.Youth tipped onroad to leadershipBy JOHN NDIRANGUMurang’a west DC Fredrick Muli has urged the youth from the areato register themselves in the on going registration exercise for the nationalyouth council elections.The DC observed that there has been low turn out of voter registrationin the administration offices in the area.By the time the Reject went to Press, the exercisehad been completed.Muli noted that lack of awareness about the existence and roles ofthe council in the youth leadership have highly contributed to low registration.“I am not surprised to realise that most of our young people are neitheraware of this body nor its functions in the society,” remarked Muli.He urged the youth to make good use of the opportunity to choosegood leaders, who will fully represent them, look into their interestsand fight for their rights.“You should make wise decision on the representatives you chooseto avoid regrets if they do not deliver what you expect,” he said.The DC also cautioned the youth to be on the look out for peoplewho might approach them for votes so that they can get a chance tobenefit themselves. He warned them not to accept any bribes fromsuch people.“We have many people eagerly waiting for this exercise so that theycan get a chance to exploit the youth and abandon them once they gettheir desired positions,” noted Muli.He advised them to put into consideration the intelligence, integrityand social responsibilities of the prospective leaders adding that theseare some of the qualities a good leader should posses to be able to servehis people diligently.“Every sub-location is supposed to produce six leaders who willproceed for vetting at the location, then to the division and the vettingprocess shall continue to the national level,” he said.The DC said that the youth have been given a golden opportunityto take part in the leadership process and it is now upon them to decidethe future for generations to come.“This is just the beginning of making you future leaders of ournation and also a test to show the country how best you can lead thepeople if given the opportunity,” he said.Muli also urged the youth to engage in activities aimed at self developmentto improve their living standards.

14 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Fishing ban spellsdoom for fishermenBy MACHARIA MWANGIFishermen in Naivasha are bracing themselvesfor hard times following the perennial closureof the fresh water lake.Lake Naivasha, which they rely on for theirlivelihood is always being closed for threemonths to allow restocking of the various species.Now, the fishing crew appears to have runout of viable options and majority of them areheaded for the quarry while others are ekingout a living at the construction sites doing menialjobs.A fish trader, Mr Lucas Auma offers someinsight of the delicate life of a fisherman bysaying: “It is not that we are extravagant. It isjust a case of dealing with a depleted resourceand meagre returns. In fact the money we getduring the fishing period is hardly enough.”Poachers have been breathing down thenecks of the 50 licensed fishermen, making amockery of the conservation efforts and stealingboth the nets and the catch from the legalfishing fraternity.Popular fishThe seasoned boat owner says it is no longerlucrative to carry out commercial fishing henceforcing majority of fishermen to seek a fall backonce the lake is closed.The fishing group used to rely on the populartilapia which had a ready market but nowthis is no longer the case. Common carp is nowthe dominant species and its market share isway below that of tilapia.“As much as we would like to have enoughthat will enable us to save, the market is also aPotential fish buyers at the popular Banda outlet situated in the outskirts ofNaivasha town. The fishing ban on the Lake is pushing fishermen out of work.Picture: Macharia Mwangidetermining factor,” explains Auma. He isweighing available options but due to hisadvanced age, quarrying is not a choice forhim.Unlike other fishermen, Auma hadmade enough money but the father ofseven had school fees and other domesticneeds to take care of. The little savingswill see him “import” fish from his nativeKisumu home once the ban takes effect inJune. However, he is wary of the competitionand fears the price of the popular speciesincluding tilapia might shoot throughthe roof and make it untenable to do business.Reprieve“I am keeping my fingers crossed hopingthe price will be manageable to help usdo business,” says Auma who doubles up asthe Vice Chairman of the Beach ManagementUnit (BMU).He hopes that the Government will offerthem reprieve as he puts across suggestions,including fish farming. “The Governmentshould establish fish ponds which will serveas an alternative to lake fishing. We can alsodo with a chicken rearing venture,” says Auma.He says quarrying which used to be thenext alterative is no longer tenable given thehigh number of people involved in it and thelimited market. His age mate and a colleague,Mr John Olang’ is facing similar predicament.Just like many other fishermen, he would berendered jobless temporarily, despite havingbeen fishing for the last 20-years.“I used to run a shop that was razed to theground at the height of the post election violencethat rocked the area” says Olang’.He too is contemplating ferrying fish fromKisumu for commercial purposes. The competitionfor the market will be stiff but he is preparedfor any eventuality.The upkeep for his family has contributedto his dwindling fortunes forcing him to lookfor an alternative source of livelihood for continuedexistence. “It is survival for the fittest,”says Olang’.Both aged over 50, they rarely take part inthe Lake surveillance which earns their muchyounger colleagues KSh150 a day. This patrol isin partnership with the Fisheries Department.The volunteer group has a huge battle in itshands. Since the closure of the Lake, they havebeen hurtling down the edges of the lake fightingof poachers who are intent of keeping alivetheir outlawed fishing antics.Poaching, according to researchers, hascontributed immensely to the decline of thenumber of species in Lake Naivasha. Thepoachers raid restricted areas and near theshoreline.“We suffer a lot during the ban periodsince we have no alternative source of livelihood.We feel the blame lies elsewhere and notentirely on the fishing fraternity,” says anotherfisherman.For the fishing industry to be sustained, itwould be important to give the various stocksin the fresh water lake ample time to attain maturityand protect the lake from exploitation accordingto the experts.Farmer demystifies coffee weed mythBy ABISAI AMUGUNEThe Coffee Research Foundation handbooksays anything grown on a plantation is a weed.The booklet of 1987 on research on coffee productionrecommends that the crop’s productioncould be indirectly affected if weeds are allowedto flourish within the farm.The handbook notes: “Anything in coffee is aweed. Effects of the weed on coffee may not benoticeable immediately.”However, a coffee farmer in Trans Nzoia,Mr Peter Kimani is opening a Pandora’s Box oncoffee research warnings by doing the extremeopposite.Kimani who has over 10,000 coffee trees ofthe Ruiru 11 species has found a new way ofintercropping coffee with other plants withoutexperiencing any problems.However, Kimani who has no formal trainingin crop husbandry, harvests approximately15kg from each coffee tree after diversifying thefarm’s production by intercropping coffee withbananas, macadamia and mangoes.Agricultural scientists have been moved byKimani’s cultural technology in the coffee industryto the extent of considering employingsome of his inventories on his farm.Two tutorial fellows from Egerton Universityin February, 2009 visited Kimani’s smallJasho Estate Farm on the outskirts of Kitaletown to conduct a study on soil moulds.To date, according to the farmer, feedbackand information from Prof Josephat Matasyohand Dr Isabel Wagara has not been made publicor even channelled back to him.Kimani’s 10 acre coffee plantation is situatedthree kilometres away from Manor HouseAgricultural Centre. The Centre deals in biointensiveagriculture. It is also two kilometresfrom the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute(KARI) Centre which has command both inbio-intensive and sustainable agriculture.Groups and individual farmers are visitingJasho Estate to understudy the emergingtechnology on coffee production and how itcontrols weeds in addition to controlling otherdiseases.RecognitionKimani’s efforts have not gone unnoticed.In May, 2009, he attended the 17 th InternationalAgricultural Exhibition in Tel Aviv, Israel,where he had been invited by the convenerswho were impressed with his initiatives in crophusbandry.Kimani only has secondary school educationwhich he received from Lugazi SecondarySchool in Uganda.Kimani who started the venture as a familybusiness for self-sustainability does not believein use of chemical fertilizers on crops includingcoffee. He depends on available organic materialson the farm to prepare composite manurefor cost-saving purposes.Since there are times when the price of coffeefalls, or the crop fails due to weather changes,Kimani a non-professional agriculturalisthas been forced to intercrop for diversification.He has totally ignored the Coffee ResearchFoundation’s warnings of not intercroppingcoffee trees with plants such as paw paw, avocadoand macadamia. He has gone ahead toprove true of his new findings in intercropping.ExperimentingTo achieve this, Kimani has prepared all thecrops in one row and adequately spaced thembefore drenching deep bonds which are fedwith composite manure. “The crops are friendlyand have developed no problem because I feedthem with what they require. I have proved thispractically,” said Kimani.How has Kimani managed to keep the coffeefarm flourishing with other weeds in the plantation?According to the farmer who runs hisown home library with materials mostly on agriculture,coffee production depends solely onweather and how the crop is handled.“A farmer will harvest zero kilos if he doesnot protect and feed the crop,” he says addingthat the coffee trees are doing well even havingbeen grown alongside volume-consumingplants such as bananas.“The coffee farmer should always watchagainst weeds particularly those with long rootswhich draw and divert water and nutrients thatwould have been consumed by the coffee trees,”advices Kimani.This will also help in retaining undergroundnutrients and moisture. Long-rooted weeds“The coffee farmer should always watch againstweeds particularly those with long roots which drawand divert water and nutrients that would have beenconsumed by the coffee trees.”— Peter Kimani, farmerPeter Kimani, the Trans-Nzoia farmerwho is experimenting intercroppingcoffee with plants.Picture: Abisai Amuguneshould not be left to mature since they multiplyin thousands in a short period.Through information exchange programmewith industry stakeholders, Kimani has beenable to organise field days for farmers.In 2007, the Trans-Nzoia District Departmentof Agriculture held a demonstration forthe local farming community where Kimaniwas the main contributor.A quick scan on Kimani’s visitor’s bookshows accolades of recognition from manyesteemed persons who are associated with theagricultural sector.As a regular exhibitor in most AgriculturalSociety of Kenya shows countrywide, Kimanihopes that Kenyan farmers will embrace absolutechallenge of venturing into new technologiesand take up risks.He says: “Let us change our attitude andhead to our shambas and work hard. Let us visitone another and modify on each others’ ideas.Let us not ignore any idea but pull towards oneend as a corporate.”He would like agricultural extension officersto double their efforts to bridge the vacuumof information dissemination. He cannot recallwhen the field officers last visited his farm.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Body urged to fast trackstandardization of local brewsUnfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth15By KARIUKI MWANGIThere is urgent need for the organisations concernedwith standardization to put in placemechanisms that will manage traditional liquor.Embu West District Commissioner, MrMaalim Mohamed called upon the NationalCampaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA),Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), and the KenyaBureau of Standards (KEBs) to fast trackthe standardization of chang’aa to enable theprovincial administration implement the AlcoholicDrinks Act 2010.The required standards of chang’aa is makingit difficult for them to control traditionalliquors since there is an assumption that thebrews are legalised.“The traditional liquors continue to be illegaland anybody who will be found producingand selling the liquor will be arrested andprosecuted,” reiterated Mohammed, addingthat they will only be legalised with standardsset for the same.Equal platformHe observed that it was unfair for the traditionalbrewers to continue producing andselling the brews while at the same time barowners continue to be controlled over the timeof selling the beer.“The Government will remain committed toproviding an equal platform for all businesses,”reiterated the DC.He urged the Kenya Bureau of Standardsto put up measures where when samples of aBusiness communitycautioned against conmenBy KARIUKI MWANGIIt has emerged that there are persons who are intimidating and collectingmoney from unsuspecting members of the public by purportingto be officers from the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).The corporation has cautioned businessmen from Mt Kenyaregion against falling victim to people impersonating its officers.The Mt Kenya region manager for KEBS, Mr Charles Museesaid cases of impersonation and intimidation have been frequentlyreported from Embu and Murang’a counties where many businesspeople have fallen victim.“The public should be cautious on who are identifying themselvesas KEBS officials by always asking for original national identitycards and KEBS work IDs,” he said.Musee who was speaking in Embu during a sensitizationworkshop for the business community observed that they haveembarked on creating awareness so as to ensure that the public iswell informed on what they are supposed to do if faced with suchsituations.He noted that the public has in the recent past lost a lot of moneyto conmen who always ask for bribes not to sue them for allegedbreach of KEBS standards. He reiterated that the organisation iscommitted to saving the public from incurring more losses.“The standards body is committed to ensure the right and requiredinformation about quality products is passed on to the publicso they can be able to make informed decisions on what theybuy for consumption,” he explained, adding this will enable themknow what measures to take should they come across sub-standardgoods.The regional manager asked the business community to be cautiouson products they buy from the distributors saying that thegoods must be bear KEBS mark of quality. “To be certain, theyshould also ask for permits from KEBS to allow them use themarks of quality,” he advised.Musee pointed out that this way business people will be ableto put unscrupulous dealers to task which will ensure that thereare no sub-standard goods that are passed for public consumption.“It is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that onlygoods that meet the required standards are passed to the publicfor consumption and it is the right of all Kenyans to use qualityproducts,” he reiterated.There is need for the promotion of the public private partnershipso the country can achieve an economy in which only qualitygoods and products are circulated.Women brewing an illicit brew. The Kenya Bureau of Standards is urged to fast track the standardization of Chang’aa inaccordance with the new legislation on alcohol. Picture: Reject Correspondentproduct are passed to be of quality, they are ableto follow up and carry out routine checkups toensure the standards are followed to the letter.He noted that most companies only takegood samples for analysis and when thesehave been accepted they later change the processand start selling sub-standards productsto the public.“Law enforcement officers should also betrained in laws on standardization to enablethem detect sub-standard goods,” Mohammedsuggested.However, Kenya Bureau of Standards MtKenya regional director, Mr Charles Musee saidthat the organisation is working hand in handwith the NACADA to come up with the standardsof regulating traditional liquors.He said KEBS was currently analysing samplesof traditional liquors and will soon comeup with the required standards.Musee said the organisation is not onlyworking on the quality of the liquor but also onthe quality of the process in which the liquor isprocessed.Elevation to national status placesextra demands on schoolBy JOEL JUMAA secondary school in Kakamega Countyrequires over KSh100 million to expandits facilities to meet the requirements of anational school.St Peter Mumias High School needsthe funds to put up modern hostels andconstruct science laboratories for it toabsorb the high number of students afterit was nominated for national schoolstatus.The school management led byPrincipal Godfrey Owuor said therewas adequate land for expansion. “Itis only putting up more structures andposting of extra teachers that will makethe school fit the status of a nationalschool,” he said.He added: “We have started gettingassistance after the school was proposedto be elevated from provincial to nationalstatus.”The Principal revealed that MumiasSugar Company (MSC) has pledgedKSh1.5 million to assist in constructionof one of the dormitories. Owuor wasspeaking during a party to thank teachersand workers for their effort in ensuringthat the performance of the schoolremained at the top.The school Parents Teachers AssociationChairman, Mr Charles Lwole andDeputy Principal Mr Ogola were present.The school had over 170 students whoscored a mean grade of C plus and above.The school was ranked position 88nationally during the results released inFebruary. The Mumias Sugar CompanyManaging Director, Dr Evans Kidero ledthe management team in thanking theschool for the good performance.“The company will continue supportingeducation in the area to ensure thatthere is improved performance in nationalexaminations,” reiterated Kidero.He said the company will donate 20computers to the school to boost studentperformance in national examinations.The Western Provincial Director ofEducation (PDE) Mr Kenneth Misoi saidthat St Peters is one of the schools thathave been inspected by the Governmentfor consideration during establishmentof National schools in Counties.“Each County will have at least twonational schools and once approved theywill get additional funding from the Governmentto expand their facilities,” saidMisoi.Teachers’ Sacco set to expand its territoryBy WAIKWA MAINAMurang’a Teachers Sacco will extend itsservices to the neighbouring Machakosdistrict.At the same time, the Sacco will changeits name to make it more acceptable by thelarger investor community.During the society’s annual generalmeeting, the Minister for CooperativeDevelopment and Marketing, Mr JosephNyagah said that his ministry will approvethe two proposals when forwarded to theCommissioner for Cooperative Development.The AGM also resolved to expel anymember who engaged in business competitionwith the Sacco. “Many teachersare getting auctioned by other teachersoperating as shylocks or those who colludewith the illegal investors,” Nyagahsaid.During the AGM, the minister challengedteachers to be at the front line inensuring that credible people were electedto govern the Counties.The Sacco chairman Mr Simon Mukunureported that the its Share Capitalhad increased from KSh1,040,083,478 in2009 to KSh1,149,146,028 in 2010, a 10.15percent increase.The amount loaned increased fromKSh810,139,687 to KSh1,006,906,508. Heattributed the increase in loans to betterterms and conditions of the diverse loanpackages offered by the institution.“For instance, the only requirement fornormal loan plus which was introducedlast year with a repayment period of 60months is that a member’s salary must bechannelled through the Fosa,” explainedMukunu.Total assets of the society increased toKSh1,656,750, 374 from KSh1,395,367,816in 2009. The teachers approved dividendsof 11.1 percent on shares, 11.1 percent fordeposits in the accounts and 11.1 percentfor deposits in education funds while Fosashareholders will get a bonus of 12.2 percent.This bonus was an improvement from10.5 percent on shares, deposits and educationand 11 percent paid last year.The improved dividends were asa result of increased society turnoverfrom KSh193,723, 666 in 2009 toKSh223,591,024.

16 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Call forpositiveattitudetowardsagricultureMinister for Planning andNational Development, Mr.Wycliffe Oparanya.Picture: Malachi MotanoBy MALACHI MOTANOParents have been asked to introducetheir children to farming andencourage them to take up agriculturenot just as an easy subjectthat will improve their grades, butas a means towards a business andsource of livelihood.Fresh graduates must also inculcateskills learnt to undertake farmingas a profession. This way theywill improve food security in thecountry.These remarks were made byPlanning and National DevelopmentMinister, Mr Wycliff Oparanyawhen he launched the farmers’kit in Matuu Secondary School,Yatta Constituency.Oparanya regretted that agricultureas a subject that providedlearners with practical skills andknowledge was scrapped off fromthe primary syllabus, only for it tobe introduced sparingly in secondaryschools. He reiterated that it isat primary level that the countryacquires high social returns for economicdevelopment.“By not teaching the subject inprimary schools, we deny youngbrains the opportunity of lookingat agriculture as a source of livelihood,”observed Oparanya.The Minister stressed that agriculturewas the country’s secondforeign exchange earner after tourismand that was all the more reasonwhy curriculum designers shouldpromote it at all school levels.“Introducing the subject late insecondary school makes studentshave a low opinion towards it. Thatis why it is perceived as an archaicpractice suited for the poor and old,”observed Oparanya.According to the minister, thesecond phase of 8-4-4 has completelypolluted the minds of youngscholars who do not want to be associatedwith agricultural practices.The mentality that has been builtaround agriculture is that apartfrom scoring A grades in schools, itis a practice for rural and less fortunatepeople in the society.“These are perceptions that makestudents not look at agriculture as ameans towards self-employment,”said Oparanya adding that Kenyansmust change their attitude towardsthe subject.E-marketing set up toenhance farmers dealingsBy PAUL MWANIKIFrom a grains store comes Mr Peter Mwangi asmall scale farmer in Sipili, Ng’arua division inLaikipia West district.He has been preparing sacks of maize for saleafter a bumper harvest in the region following agood farming season after the area experienceddrought last year.A day before he had met one Njoroge who hadpromised him he would be coming with buyers tohis homestead.Njoroge works as a broker in the town centre.He advises buyers on produce and costs involved.After the harvest Mwangi decided to sell tenbags of maize to cater for his family’s needs but inthis remote region where almost everybody elseharvests, market prices are very low.“Everybody wants to sell but there are no buyersand those who arrive accompanied by brokersbuy at the price they want,” he explains.The region is the most productive in the entireLaikipia County and a variety of crops includingcereals and fruits do well here. However, farmershave not been able to reap from their sweat due tothe infiltration of brokers and poor roads.It is due to these problems that the Arid LandsInformation Network (ALIN) developed a programmeon E-Marketing to help thousands offarmers access the market directly.Marketing programmeWith the development of information technologyand almost all systems being computerised,farmers in this region will be at the forefront andperhaps act as an eye opener to others who sufferwhen marketing their products.ALIN has come up with what the farmers arereferring as “Sokopepe” which is a commodityresource platform developed for farmers to helpin marketing their produce. Middlemen take advantageof farmers by paying little and selling theproduce for more.The Sokopepe system links and collects agriculturalcommodity information from the field,collates it into a regional, national and global perspectiveand disseminates packaged products toend users via various media, including SMS, WAP,Email and Web.Imagine placing your order of the farm produceon the internet where you determine the cost andthe quantity you have and relay it to buyers who cancontact you directly through a short text message.Mwangi is one happy man with this new product.He says that even those who are illiterate andcannot operate a computer will still get to use thesystem. Alin has employed assistants who willdo all the work for them and make sure their ordersare well placed and even assist in selling theproduce when a buyer turns up.At the Alin centre in Sipili town which alsoacts as an information centre for the farmers, localsalso get to learn of the basic skills in operatinga computer and in future will be able to placetheir own orders.The centre is well equipped with books andmagazines which provide vital information concerningagriculture, livelihood, health and education.BenefitsOver 1,000 members benefit directly from theservices offered here while approximately 3,000benefit indirectly through increased institutionalcapacities where the field officers train organisationsand community members on IT and informationmanagement in collaboration with therelevant ministries which include Gender, YouthsAffairs and Agriculture among others.Francis Muraguri, 64, and owner of a six acrepiece of land says he is now assured of sale of hisdried farm produce. The conservative farmer hasengaged in cultivating traditional crops such asmillet, sorghum and herbs which do well on therelatively dry areas here.Peter Mwangi, a farmer at Sipili is assisted toplace an online order for sale of Amaranththrough the Sokopepe system. Below: MrCharles Maina the chairman of LaikipiaCentre for Knowledge and Information(LACKIN) shows his Amaranth demonstrationplot where farmers from across Laikipiacome to learn the various practices ofmodern farming.A tour of his farm proves the endurance he hasundergone to improve food security for his familyas well as neighbours who occasionally knock onhis door to buy the products.“When I bought this land about 20 years ago, Idid not know which crops to grow but after muchstruggle with maize and other cereals which havelittle or no income, I decided to change what I wasplanting and these have borne fruits,” he explainsas he digs up a giant cassava.Muraguri notes that another concept of runwaywater harvesting has helped him in growinga variety of fruits and the surplus has been channelledinto a pond where he is carrying out fishfarming. Currently he is harvesting vegetableswhich he is not ready to sell in their natural form.“My vegetables are meant to feed my familyand for sale. I add value to them by drying. Thisway I am assured that they can remain in the storefor a very long period and I can sell them whenthe demand is high and supply low,” he explains.Eliminate middlemenHis wife Ms Esther Kiarahu who manages thefarm says they have sufficient food all year roundeven when there is drought.“Our farm has always provided for the familysince we started this mode of cultivation thanksto the information we acquired from the Alincentre,” she notes.Kiarahu says the newly developed Sokopepewill eventually lead to elimination of middlemenwho visit the homestead almost daily with buyersHow it is doneFarmers will be expected to visit the ALIN centrewith samples of products they are willing to place anorder through Sokopepe.The orders will be placed with the assistance ofa field officer for those who are not computer literateindicating the product, quality, quantity as well as thefarmer’s details and location which will be relayed towilling buyers through the internet.Other details including warehouses and transportcosts are featured as well. Buyers are advised to contactthe farmer who is the seller directly through a shorttext message.During bumper harvest of maize, beans and oranges,farmers are advised to place their orders together asa group for easy transactions.willing to buy their produce especially cassava andamaranth which are known for their nutritionaland medicinal value.“Mzee always sends them away as he wouldrather dry them for future use other than sell at aloss,” she explains. Through Sokopepe, Mzee Muragurican now link up with buyers interested indried vegetables and other herbal products whichhe grows.He has acquired the capacity to develop onlinemarketing portals that enable him and thecommunity to trade globally through this centre.“The communities around the region haveimproved their livelihoods through access tonew knowledge and innovations. They have alsobeen able to develop local knowledge databaseswhile the youth have engaged in productive activitiesand access to IT skills,” notes Bett Kipsang,a field officer with Alin based in Ng’aruaDivision.Practical siteThere is theory and practical learning in thisprocess. The same rule is applicable here. CharlesMaina Muriithi, a farmer and teacher in a localsecondary school has developed his farm as thepractical zone for farmers willing to utilise theknowledge acquired from the centre.Currently he is taking farmers through steps inthe cultivation of a variety of fruits and Amaranth.“My aim is to change the grassroots farmerfrom the ancient mode of farming to the modernone where they can earn from their work,”explains Muriithi. He observes: “With the introductionof E-marketing and production of highquality products, we will shine.”He has constructed a house in his compoundwhere those willing to spend can do so with ease.This arrangement also allows interaction betweenfarmers from the whole region.Muriithi who is also the chairman of LaikipiaCentre for Knowledge and Information (LACK-IN) notes that farmers who come from LaikipiaCounty are able to interact and look for solutionsaffecting each other in the Agricultural sector andhow to improve it.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth17Sweet taste of mangoes asjuice factory is establishedBy NZINGA MUASYAAs the old adage goes, if you want to eat pig,choose the fat one, so is with mango fruits. Ifyou want the best juicy and sweet mangoes,choose the ones from Ukambani. Mangoseason in the region is from December up toMarch. During this season, the region is awashwith mango fruits.It is during this season that mango farmersadvise teachers to let students into mango farmsto clear the surplus fruits lest they go to waste.Even with outsider merchants who buy theproduct when it is raw to take to major townslike Nairobi, the supply is so huge that a lot ofmangoes go to waste.However in Kitui the situation is bound tochange with the establishment of a mango processingplant at Chuluni market in Kitui. Startedearly last year, Chuluni Fruits Processing Plant isa community initiative supported by Arid LandsResource Management project.The factory is a huge relief to local mangofarmers who now sell their produce to the factoryfor a modest profit. The factory is involvedin buying, processing and packaging of mangojuice which is sold in the local markets and outsideKitui.RequirementsThe initiative brings together 44 membersout of which 18 are women. All of them aremango farmers which is the basic requirementfor any member who wants to join.“One has to have at least 10 grafted mangotrees as the basic requirement,” says Mr CharlesMutika, executive chairman and brain behindthe project.Members are required to buy a minimum of70 shares at KSh50 per share. “This is the onlyway the members will feel part and parcel of theproject because shareholders are owners of theproject,” Mutika observes.The process of extracting the mango juicestarts after raw mangoes have been broughtand kept for days to ripen. Ms Purity Muli whoholds a certificate in food productiontechnology from JomoKenyatta University of Scienceand Technology is in charge ofthe process.The project recently receiveda juice extractor worthKSh380,000 from the WorldBank. The machine has a capacityto produce 100 litres ofmango juice per hour.Donning her white overall, Muli says thatthe ripe mangoes are washed with a detergentand warm water to kill any germs.“Once clean, they are sliced into two removingthe seed. The thick mango pulp is removedusing a spoon and put into a bucket,” she explains.The pulp is then put into the extractor machine.The inner compartments of the machineare washed and sterilised using very hot water.The pulp is then poured into the machine whichjerks into life releasing a grinding noise similarto a posho mill.“We use sterilised jars to tap the juice comingfrom one end of the extractor while the fibre andwaste is emitted at the other end,” explains Muli.The juice is then boiled under hot temperaturesup to 75 degree Celsius to kill any moretraces of germs. “We then put it into plastic bottleswhen hot and allow it to cool to 38 degreesCelsius then stored in a freezer. The labellingwhich is less tedious is done later,” she explains.Ready marketUp to this stage, the juice is ready for sale andhuman consumption. The outer layers of themangoes are dried and used as animal feed whilethe seeds are sold to prospective farmers.The project has employed two permanentstaff at the production chamber, although theyhire five or more casual workers daily dependingon the volume of production.Muli who also doubles up as a marketingmanager says the mango juice has found its wayinto local supermarkets like Naivas and big hotelsin Kitui such as M&M, Parkside, Moonlight,Signal Classic and Talents among others.The juice is parked into containers of 500 mlthat go for KSh50 and smaller ones for half theprice. Even with the zeal and quality production,the group has not penetrated the national marketsimply because they are yet to get the certificationof food quality from the Kenya Bureau ofStandards (KEBS).However, Mutika says plans are at“This is a promising venture thatis an avenue for job and wealthcreation if well supported.”—Charles Mutika, Chairman, Chuluni Fruit Processing Plantan advanced stage to get the standardizationcertificate before they go fullblast to produce for the national andinternational markets.“We have invited KEBS and theyhave already tasted our products andfound them to be of good quality.What is remaining is the requisite feeand once we pay we will be able tospread our tentacles all over the country,”observed Mutika.PotentialHe noted that the project startedas a self-help group of eight peoplemainly retirees but has now incorporated otherpeople who include businessmen. Mutito MP,Mr Kiema Kilonzo is also a member and a shareholderin the project.“We have now seen the potential of the projectand we want to take it to the next level. It isa promising business set to create jobs for ourpeople,” says Mutika who started the projectsoon after retiring as a marketing manager withCrown Berger Paints in Nairobi.The project is also involved in the productionof pawpaw jam as well as passion, orangeand lemon juice. He added: “It is only a matter oftime before we begin production of tomato pasteand avocado juice.”Mutika says they can buy the big graftedmangoes between KSh6 and KSh10 while theindigenous ones go for KSh300 per bag. This, hesays, is a good price for farmers and they havenot complained.The farmer, however, sees the project increasingthe buying price of the fruits if the marketopens its doors to them. “We want to reward thelocal mango farmer who has been disillusionedfor a long time,” he said.Like any other business, this venture is facedwith challenges that have been holding it back,biggest among them being financial strain.Mutika says that since they began, they havenot received any funding either from the governmentor private quarters.“We are really incapacitatedby the financial constraint sincedespite numerous visits to variousministries and writing proposals,no support has been forthcoming.We operate with the members’contributions and this is quitestrenuous,” he explains.Mutika observes that the ventureis viable and with the rightFrom left: Women extracting pulp from the mangofruits. Purity Muli pouring mango pulp in theextractor machine to make juice. Charles Mutikaexplaining the process of juice making during theinterview. Pictures: Nzinga Muasyafunding and support, it will create employmentfor many besides contributing generously towardsthe growth of the economy.During times when the mango fruits are notfound locally, the group buys them from Nairobiand other towns at exorbitant prices.“We have to incur these costs because wehave to maintain production throughout theyear,” says Mutika.Another drawback is transportation of rawmaterials from farms to the factory. There isalso lack of storage containers for the processedjuice. The World Bank recently gave the group afreezer worth KSh64,000 but its storage capacitycannot match the production.“Our products have a life span of about sixmonths and we need big storage facilities as welook to expand market,” says Mutika. He reiteratesthat the project must remain in the handsof the community and to curb privatization, themembers have set a maximum ceiling of 200shares per member.Agribusiness“This is a promising venture that is an avenuefor job and wealth creation if well supported,”notes Mutika.Recently Mutika attended an All AfricanHorticulture Conference in Nairobi whichbrought together delegates from the continent todiscuss problems facing farmers in horticulture.He represented Eastern Province.He regrets that the Government doesn’t seemto be enthusiastic about agri-business which hesays can turn around the economy of the country.“Agribusiness is the backbone of the economyand government efforts should be gearedtowards agri-business which is very profitable,”asserts Mutika. He adds: “Let them consider thefarmer in arid and semi arid lands and supportthem through financial and technical advice.”

18 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Flowing wells relieve villages of undying thirstBy NZINGA MUASYAEunice Musangi swings a hand pump mountedon a water well thrice and clean water gushesout like a fountain as her 12 year old daughteradjusts a jerri can to trap the water.Soon Musangi and her daughter have filledfour jerri cans and other neighbours take to thequeue to fill up their containers.Just a few days ago, these villagers facedthe biggest challenges in accessing clean waterthat was easily available, they now have aborehole which they get the commodity from.Thanks to a charitable organisation LatterDay Saints Charities (LDS) residents of Yakaliavillage, Katulani Location in Kitui District cannow enjoy clean and safe water.Before the organisation came to their rescue,Yakalia residents struggled to access water.They would be forced to walk long distances asthey looked for the commodity. Women andgirls bore the brunt of looking for the preciouscommodity.ReliefLDS charities, a humanitarian arm of theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints hashelped construct seven wells along Nduni River.This action is a great relief to the villagers.“Before this project came up, we used todig open wells along the river which mostlyyielded small quantities of water. The waterwas not safe since the wells were left uncoveredmaking it prone to contamination,” explainsMusangi.She adds: “Often the wells posed danger toour children as they were so deep making it difficultfor them to draw water but posing the riskof them drowning.”During the dry spells, the wells would dry upcompletely forcing the residents to look for waterfrom other areas. Their livestock also suffered agreat deal and mostly died due to lack of water.Musangi’s sentiments are echoed Ms TabithaKalumu who says that the wells have improvedtheir quality of life.“Looking for water with jerri cans strappedon our backs was very strenuous and our bodiesgrew weak and rugged. However, with thisproject our health has improved as our facesare very smooth and everybody is growingfat,” Kalumu says bursting with laughter.Things have indeed changed for better andvillagers can be seen wearing smiles of satisfaction.When LDS charities came calling, thecommunity organised themselves into a groupto begin the project.The sponsor of the project Elder HesbonPuckett and his wife Andrea Puckett says theyheard of the community’s cry from a local communitybased organizations known as Occidentaland decided to help.“After visiting the area, we saw how the residents,especially the women were suffering tryingto get water and vowed to help them in ourown little way,” explains Puckett.The community then agreed to provide laboursuch as digging of the wells while LDSCharities provided building materials and otherlogistical support.But what really motivated Puckett and hiswife to help this community?“Jesus Christ our saviour has asked us tolove and do good to our fellow beings and forthat reason, we try to fund projects like these toprovide communities with clean and safe water,”says Puckett.The seven wells along Nduni River inYakalia Village are all sanitised with chlorine,capped with reinforced concrete and fitted withhand pumps. The pumps make it easy even forchildren to draw water from the wells while thecapping with the concrete prevents contamination.Residents use the water for domestic consumptionand livestock.According to the chairman of the Nduni“After visiting the area,we saw how the residents,especially the women weresuffering trying to getwater and vowed to helpthem in our own little way.”— Elder Hesbon PuckettWater minister Charity Ngilu trying one of the pumps at Nduni water project.Looking on is Kitui Mayor Alex Munyoki and Nduni water project chairman GideonMumo. Picture: Nzinga MuasyaWater Project, Mr Gideon Mumo only membersof the group are allowed to use the waterat no cost. A technical water board has beenput in place to ensure smooth running of theaffairs.Mumo says it is only when there is a breakdownof equipments like pumps do the memberscontribute some little money to replace them.“These wells have really helped to ease theburden of looking for water. We wish to thankthe LDS charities for thinking of helping us inthis way,” says Mumo flanked by the group’sorganizing Secretary Patrick Mbevi.Mumo says even those who were reluctantto join the group have now seen the benefitsof the project and have registered. “The sevenwells along Nduni River provides water toabout 300 households spread across the village,”Mumo reveals.Puckett says they have sponsored constructionof 185 wells within Kitui District to the tuneof KSh20 million which are providing clean andsafe water to approximately 38,700 people.The wells are in areas with acute watershortage and where water quantity is highfarmers are allowed to do vegetable farming.“The provision of clean and safe waterserves to reduce cases of cholera and typhoidamong other water born diseases,” observesPuckett.ConvenienceWith such protected wells designed for easydrawing of water, Musangi and other womenare able to send their children to the wells withoutfear of them drowning.“The wells are very convenient since they arenear and the water is plenty for livestock andhuman consumption. It is also safe for childrennow to draw water,” Musangi says beamingwith joy.The project recently attracted the attentionof the Water and Irrigation minister CharityNgilu who visited the area to see first handhow the project is benefiting the locals. Shelauded the LDS Charities for their selflessact of saving the community out of the waterproblems.Tea factories seek toexplore world marketsBy JOSEPH MUKUBWATea factories intending to explore the lucrativeglobal markets will have to attain the RainforestAlliance Certification by 2015.The certification requires the factories toeducate their workers and farmers from theircatchment areas on various environmentalpractices that have been stipulated in a charterthe factories are supposed to sign.Among the environmental conservationpractices required include proper use of pesticides,controlled cultivation along river bedsand restrained use of child labour.Kenya Tea Development Agency (KTDA)Zone IV board member, Mr Peter Kanyago,while addressing farmers at Gitugi Tea Factoryin Nyeri County said RIPFOM, an Internationalcompany that buys Kenyan tea will notpurchase the beverage from factories whichhave not acquired the certification.“Our buyers want to know the steps wehave taken in conserving our environmentand improving our produce,” explained Kanyago.He said factories in Nyeri County wereworking to ensure they acquire the certificationbefore the deadline to continue sellingtheir produce to the company.Farmers from the region had continued todeliver good tea and advised them to keep goodcrop husbandry to boost their production.Kanyago said the Tea Research Foundationis in the process of introducing more viableclones that will yield more produce than thecurrent ones. “We will advise our farmers toreplace their old clones with new ones as theplantation farmers have already introducedthem,” he elaborated.Among the five tea factories in the County,Iria-ini Tea Factory is the only one which hasthe Rain Forest Certification. “The factory isalso Fair Trade, ISO 9001 and 22000 and UTZSolidaridad Certified,” said Mr HutchisonWanjohi, chairman of the factory.Kanyago said the factory is set to becomethe first to do value addition of tea if plans bya UK based company to buy tea directly fromthe factory succeeds. He added: “The plan willboost the farmers’ income.”Reports from various factories indicateWorkers harvesting tea in Othaya, Nyeri County. Tea factories in the area areexploring new markets for their produce.Picture: Joseph Mukubwacrop production increased last year than thatof the previous years but Kanyago says thoughproduction is higher, tea prices have not beenas good as last year. He urged farmers to continuetendering their crops to get more yields.Last year, in Chinga Tea Factory, farmerswere paid KSh616 million for the green leafdelivered while Iria-ini and Gitugi Tea factoriesreceived KSh553 million and KSh433 millionrespectively. This was about 70 percent ofthe total revenue.The whole of Nyeri County which hasabout 30,000 tea farmers was paid over KSh2.7billion as the total returns last year. Other factoriesincludes Ragati which received KSh552million and Gathuthi KSh540 million.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth19Mourning the death of Maragoli ForestBy MERCY KAHENDAAs National Environment Management Authority(NEMA) propagates for environmentalconservation measures being undertaken byKenyans, Vihiga County in Western provincecontinues experiencing deforestation.Wood is a major source of energy for VihigaCounty residents. The high demand for charcoalby urban settlers has mainly contributed tothe high rate of deforestation.Poor conservation measures have left areasthat had thick green vegetation rocky, with nocapacity to support any life.DestructionVihiga has small plots of land as residentscontinue planting wrong trees species on thewater catchment areas which has resulted inrivers drying up and destruction of naturalhabitats.The situation nostalgically reminds residentsof the 1950s when the County was renownedfor its beautiful scenery with the existence ofMaragoli Forest covering an area of 461.6 acres.The Maragoli forest was in Vihiga District,Western Province along Luanda Majengo road.It was communal land when Vihiga was partof the larger Kakamega District. In 1942, KakamegaCounty Council acquired a KSh47,000loan and on failure to repay, gave the land to theGovernment where 395.1 hectares was gazettedas government forest and belonged to KenyaForest Service.The remaining 66 hectares in Trustlandbelonging to community living in Muguva,Dabwongo and Ludonyi villages was insidethe forest.After being gazetted as government land,different trees were planted in the land bringingthick vegetation that formed Maragoli Forest.People who had settled inside the forestwere moved out by the Government and givenland in Sirwa in Nandi District. However, thereare those who were discouraged on hearingnegative stories of the new settlement, forcingthem to remain.Back in 1970s to 1990s, Maragoli Forest carriedthe vegetation in Western Province whichprovided suitable settlement for wildlife, adequaterainfall in Western and Nyanza, and alsoacted as a tourist attraction since it is near Mulogolisettlement cave — founder of Maragolisub-tribe who came from Rusinga Island.Tree loggingDestruction of the forest began in 1992when it was alleged that the District Commissionerof Vihiga at the time, Mr Dave Mwangiwas selling trees to foreign saw millers.The area residents who once valued theforest as a source of pasture, herbal medicineand honey as well as grass thatch, started fellingthe trees uncontrollably. The trees were cutdown for burning charcoal and making doorframes that were transported to Kisumu andEldoret.Families began competing for pieces of landin the cleared forest which led to total destructionand brought about degradation due toerosion because residents were less concernedabout soil conservation measures.This is what led to the death of the renownedMaragoli Forest that is today dominated byhuge chunks of rocks that can never supportany life. Rivers and streams that flow acrossthe forest has silt and the thick exotic breeds ofpines, mugumo and eucalyptus that covered theregion are no more.According to Mrs Margaret Rwegendero, aresident along the hills, they have no fears overinsecurity since the forest was inhabited by wildanimals and monkeys that used to destructtheir crops are no longer there.Rwegendero says reforestation should notbe done since the land belonged to the community.“We cannot allow the Government to planttrees here since the thick vegetation was a hidingplace for criminals. We could not leave ourchildren at home for fear that they would beThe now depleted Maragoli Forest.Below: Forestry Minister Noah Wekesawhen he visited the forest recently toexamine the extent of deforestation.Picture: Reject Correspondentattacked by wild animals, especially leopardswhich lived here,” explains Rwegendero.Despite what Rwegendero considers an advantage,people living in the hills do not enjoysocial amenities. Children have to walk longdistances to access schools. There are no healthfacilities and residents have to purchase householdgoods in bulk for lack of shops.Impact assessmentAs a way of improving settlement in the region,an environmental impact assessment hasto be done to determine a way of conserving theenvironment within the County.However, few people from the communityalong Maragoli Hills have established a communityforest association which has plans for a sustainablemanagement and utilization of MaragoliHills.The plan proposes three broad use zones.Zone 1: Agroforestry/residential, most of whichis trust land that covers Muguva, Dabwongoand Ludonyi villages. The plan recognises thatpeople are legally residing here although somefamilies have spread into the gazetted forestzone. The second zone is for Conservation/protection.This is the most fragile, highly depletedarea that is the source of rivers and streams andis gazetted as forest land. The third is the utilizationzone gazetted as forest area which neighboursadjacent villages.Secretary of the association, Mr SamuelMunene, says deforestation has had a negativeimpact which has forced them to reforest thearea.“The environment is worsening by the day.We no longer experience adequate rainfalls,soils are infertile and erosion is taking place.This has left tracts of land with huge rockswhere no farming can be carried out,” saysMunene. He explains: “Rocks rolling from“The environment is worsening by the day. We no longerexperience adequate rainfalls, soils are infertile anderosion is taking place. This has left tracts of land withhuge rocks where no farming can be carried out.”— Samuel Munene, Secretary, Maragoli community forest associationthe hills pose a danger to the residents andchildren who bypass the hills on their way toschool.”Though the rehabilitation idea is opposed bysome residents living along the hills who alwaysuproot planted trees, Munene says the group isputting more effort and with the assistance ofthe government, afforestation will take place.A member of the rehabilitation committeeMr Nebert Auke Odanga, says they are notbothered with the opposing team since theywill have to accept the changes since tree plantingwill continue even in their occupied landwhich will force them out when they grow big.Among trees being planted in the area includegravellier and other exotic species afterresearch is carried out by Kenya Forest ResearchInstitute.Evolved governmentDuring the referendum, Kenyans massivelyvoted for the Constitution with high expectationsof changing the laws.Among the changes yearned for was the creationof a devolved government whose mainobjective is to give power of self governance tothe people and enhance the participation of thepeople making decisions affecting them amongothers.The changes will rise through the establishmentof county governments which comprisesa total of 47 counties in the country. It isthrough the counties that the government willensure equitable sharing of all resources.The society expects more from County formationbut Vihiga County has less to rejoiceabout. The County comprises of four constituenciesthat is Sabatia, Vihiga, Emuhaya andHamisi.Unlike other Counties which will benefithighly having well conserved natural features,well equipped educational institutions, factoriesand modern agricultural activities, VihigaCounty has nothing apart from Mbale hospital,Sabatia eye hospital and a minor tea factory atMudete.Due to low production of food within thecounty, foodstuff will have to be imported fromthe neighbouring counties to sustain its people.Conservation of the environment is verycrucial in that there should be transformationof agroforestry into economic growth towardsreducing poverty levels since deforestationmostly in water catchment areas has reducedrainfall.According to Sabatia District Forestry Officer,Mrs Helen Shikuku, deforestation of MaragoliForest has resulted in harsh environmentalconsequences both in Western and Nyanzaprovinces. “Adequate rainfall is no longer experienced,”says Shikuku.RehabilitationHowever, the Ministry of Forestry is tryingto rehabilitate the Maragoli Hills and differentenvironmental conservation measures havebeen taken which include educating locals onthe importance of environmental conservation.A tree planting project being undertaken inschools in the region.Shikuku says that the trees act as incomegenerating activities in schools since the seedlingsare sold to willing buyers at KSh5.

20 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Mission sets outto help vulnerablewomen andchildrenBy ABISAI AMUGUNEGilbert Kilong’i, is a Form Two student at MasabaFriends Secondary School in Trans-NzoiaCounty. He is lucky to be pursuing his educationdespite having lost both parents.The story is the same for Wilfred Nyangeriof Bishop Anyolo Secondary School in BungomaCounty who was admitted in Form Onethis year.Also not left out in this scheme of thingsis Joan Sirenje of Kabuyefwe Girls’ SecondarySchool now in Form Two struggling to empowerherself just like other children who have theirschool fees paid for by their parents.And for Jane Nanjala, 45, who lost her husbandthrough Aids in 1990, life is normal aftershe decided to live positively with the disease.Nanjala’s only nightmare is her son SolomonNabachanja who dropped out of MisikhuFriends Secondary School due to lack of schoolfees. However, Nanjala who is an affiliate of the22 member Widow of Mercy Group based atKiminini Township in Trans-Nzoia County isable to cultivate her two acre farm with all theapplied farming technology.On her side, Rose Simiyu is spiritually nourishedand is at the forefront in leading others insocio-economic, cultural and political developmentof the community.All these gains can be attributed toBishop Raymond Mutama, of the UniversalFellow Organisation (UFO), annon-government organisation foundedin 1999 based on spiritual and faithgrounds. The Universal Fellowship Organisationis based in Kiminini, Kitale.Mutama, who is the head of the organisationconcedes that the church iswell placed to propagate for better livesowing to its unwavering stand of faithfulness.After retiring from the public servicewhere he worked as a specialist in children’saffairs in Lugari District in 1999,Mutama did not see an end to attending tothe plight of the vulnerable in society.Having interacted with the poor in thecommunity, the prelate saw it wise to invest incapacity building with the community in thelarger Trans Nzoia region.ActivitiesThe programmes run by UFO includepastoral and spiritual training, education, humanity,health and HIV/Aids, mobilisation aswell as capacity building and child and humanrights advocacy. The organisation also carriesout civic education.In the pipeline is the introduction of environmental,water and sanitation programmewhich Mutama expects to be given supportby both local and international sponsors andother well-wishers. This requires about KSh2million.Courtesy of Mutama, a total of 20 orphansin secondary schools will each be get KSh5,000while 35 pupils in primary schools will receiveschool uniforms.The widows will be provided with free farminputs for the 2011 cropping season. With theMinistry warns againstqueer behaviour in schoolsBy CAROLINE WANGECHIHomosexuality, lesbianism and drug abuse are saidto be a major challenge in the education sector andall stakeholders should join hands in addressing theissue.Speaking at Ebenezer College in Kutus town,Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Education,Prof Joseph ole Kiyiapi condemned the sexual attackof a Form One girl in Ngaru Secondary Schoolin Kirinyaga Central District.The PS who was addressing the press at warnedthat the ministry would not allow anti-social behaviourto prevail in learning institutions.“It is shocking that homosexuality and lesbianismhas penetrated learning institutions. Anti-socialbehaviour should be nipped in the bud before it destroysthe children,” observed Kiyiapi.He added: “Management in learning institutionsshould be alert over the vice that is manifesting itselfslowly in schools and strengthen guidance and counselling.”“If I can plough and have food in thehouse to feed my family then I have noproblems. Having a man or a husbandis not a solution to my problems.”— Jane Nanjala, farmerKiyiapi said the Government will not allow anystudent to attack, molest or bully their peers. Hewarned that stern legal action will be taken againstanyone found violating the rights of the other.However, the PS blamed laxity and ignorance onparents and teachers in discussing sexual matterswith students. He pointed an accusing finger at socialmedia saying it is corrupting the minds of the youngchildren and their morals.The PS was reacting following a sexual attack overa Form One student of Ngaru Secondary School bytwo of her seniors after she rejected the overture tojoin a lesbian club in the school.The two girls were later arrested and arraigned incourt where they were charged with two counts ofsexual abuse.The girls, in Form Three and Form Four were releasedon a cash bail of KSh30,000 when their case willbe heard on June 7 this year.The PS at the same time called for counselling forthe affected girls pointing out that they need psychologicalsupport.Beneficiaries of the charity programme receiving donations. TheUniversal Fellow Organization has had a positive impact on the lives oforphans and widows in Trans-Nzoia district.Pictures: Abisai Amugunecurrent planting season, Nanjala will benefitfrom maize seeds and fertilizer.The coordinator of KimininiDivisional Positive Organization(KIDIPO), a subsidiary of UFO, MrSolomon Nakitare says his groupwhich has 21 affiliates is planningto add nutritional value to Aidswidows to enable them participatein development activities.“If I can plough and have food inthe house to feed my family then Ihave no problems. Having a manor a husband is not a solutionto my problems,” says Nanjala amother of six children.KIDIPO is currently involvedin an exercise of basic health bydistributing packages to thoseliving with Aids which includetreated nets against malaria, bottlewater, condoms and relevantinformation materials. The groupalso conducts therapy sessionsand table banking.UFO’s contribution to the developmentof the community hasearned them recognition fromboth Government and privatesector. In the last financial year,the National Aids Council (NAC)gave the organisation KSh300,000for mobile VCT testing in SabotiConstituency and anotherKSh350,000 for CheranganyConstituency.An approved KSh700,000budget by NAC for the currentfiscal year is yet to be released.AMREF are other sponsors ofUFO’s operations.According to Mutama, UFOis set to integrate HIV/Aids activitiesin Kwanza District withcommunity-based units eachconsisting of 5,000 members.The NGO is focusing on behaviour changeamong married couples, outreach programmeson orphans and vulnerable children, nutritionand income-generating activities and peopleliving with HIV.“We are not only targeting our church membersbut the community as a whole,” Mutamasaid.According to statistics, Aids-related deathrates in Trans-Nzoia county stands at 6.4 percent.Married couples are the majority amongthose infected.Trans-Nzoia NAC district coordinator, MrPeter Kimani says sour relationship amongmarried couples is what has led to increasedcases of Aids related deaths.Kimani says the faith-based organizationshave a big role in disseminating the correctinformation on HIV/Aids. Kimani gave theexample of a case where a born-again girl keptsecret her rape ordeal and went ahead to weda man in church and later infected him withAIDS, leading to their deaths.The deaths could have been avoided if thegirl had gone for testing. UFO has, however,survived against a myriad of challenges. Inadequateresources to implement its programmeshave been the major hindrance.Poverty levels among communities, HIV/Aids prevalence rate of new infections, sexualand gender based violence among minors aswell as stigma and discrimination among peopleliving with Aids have also been identified assetbacks.UFO’s programme officer, Mr EdwardWekesa says the organisation has embarked onrural water, sanitation and poverty integrationintervention project to fight the high rate ofwater-borne diseases.“Since water is life, a sick person cannotwalk long distances in search of the commodityhence affecting his/her socio-economic performance,”he explained. The water can be tappedfrom Mt. Elgon by force of gravity.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth21Malindi Council chokes under agarbage of inefficiencyBy KIGONDU NDAVANOIn nearly every corner of the tourist resort ofMalindi, the once clean filtered air of the seabreezes from the Indian Ocean remains tainted.The air comes with a haze of smoke, sometimethick sometimes light, but highly irritatingto residents and visitors.The smell of burning rubber and plasticis too familiar in the air for the area residents.Heaps of garbage remain in the waste stores fortoo long. To sort it out, volunteers set fire on theheaps sending smoke across the town and intothe lungs of all the residents.“I have long forgotten the nice morningbreeze which I would savour every morning,”says Beatrice Wal, standing outside her housewhere a heap of garbage some 20 metres awayhas been sending fumes into the entire NgalaPhase II Estate that belongs to the Malindi MunicipalCouncil.“Day and night, all types of waste includingburning tyres is forced into our lungs,” saysRonald Ngala who also lives in the estate.Heaps of garbage in Malindi is eating intoroads. Sometimes, the situation is so bad thatfor days a haze is created across the town. Theresidents consider themselves lucky that theyare not in hospital for respiratory ailments.Near the Malindi Lawfords Beach Club Hoteland the Star Hospital, the last time the guestsand the patients breathed in clean air could bemore than a year ago, says Lucy Njeri who staysin an apartment near the hospital. The heap ofgarbage at the Malindi Ginnery had burnedslowly for nearly a year.“Within the last five months, I have made acall to the superintendent in charge of garbagecollection at the council almost everyday to demandthat they put off the fire on the garbageheap near Malindi ginnery to no avail,” saysMr Steve Mungai, executive manager LawfordsBeach Hotel.“Our guests are frequently disturbed by thesmoke fumes which send a pungent smell intothe hotel rooms. I wish the garbage store couldbe removed from here completely,” observesMungai.IronyInterestingly, it is the hotel managementwhich refurbished the garbage stores in Malinditown just for them to be turned into open garbagefires.Mohammed Ali who has observed Malindistandards of cleanliness deteriorate says: “Thefact that some of the most essential organs ofthe Malindi Municipal Council are not in thecemetery is a surprise.” His summary of things:“Service delivery to rate payers has deterioratedand unless rescue packages are put in place,the worst could befall the tourist resort.”John Karisa, a member of a lobby groupsupporting community participation in townclean up campaigns says: “Like a patient whosebody parts have been pitilessly consumed byleprosy of negligence and mismanagement,the council may be slowly but surely staggeringtowards its grave.” He adds: “Many of itsdepartments are graveyards of non-serviceableequipment.”Says Karisa: “Garbage collection somehowgoes on, but as the overworked groups of permanentand casual workers struggle to manuallyclear one garbage heap hurrying to the next,the one they cleared first is already overflowingwith a fire already consuming the garbage.”But as the smoke covers Malindi town whichhas within the last two months enjoyed fullbookings in its more than 40 hotels, MalindiMayor Samson Mapinga remains unmoved.Early last year, Mapinga exuded confidenceas he launched a KSh9 million Kazi kwa Vijanagarbage collection project. Since then, he hasnot been seen much.A garbage heap inMalindi town thathas become aneyesore and healthhazard to the arearesidents. Below:A yard where thecouncil’s groundedvehicles lie indisrepair.Picture: KigonduNdavanoMembers of the Malindi Green TownMovement, an environmental lobby group areworried the garbage department is about tocollapse.According Mr Godfrey Karume, chairmanof the Malindi Green Town Movement,the organization is responsible for more than30 garbage chambers built in the town 15years ago. Today, they are an eye sore as theyhave been turned into furnaces for burninggarbage.The Malindi Town Hall is also not sparedfrom suffering the garbage heap. When divertedfrom entering the Town Hall, a glancebeyond the building is a junkyard, full of uglyremains of various things from abandonedbuilding materials to termite consumed anddisintegrating kiosks and banda.Inside the Town Hall and in the wing mostlyfrequented by the public, the rates and cashoffice walls look aged. The true colour of thelast layer of paint struggles to dominate an oldercoat as it peels away. Dust and cobwebs areclear on several corners of the rooms.Accessing one important facility that is thepublic male sanitation facilities in one wing ofthe Hall is not easy. Once inside the double lavatoryand single urinal dark room, a visitor hasto tip toe as the floor whose colour lies betweenblack and green is flooded with some dark fluidwhose ingredients one would rather avoidguessing about.The fire station and the general workshopand yard of the Malindi Municipal Council is adisaster which has happened but is still buildingpressure and could soon explode to total disintegration.For many months now, Malindi MunicipalCouncil has been having cash management crisiswith various projects being abandoned halfwaywhile essential services such as garbage collectionand soak pit emptying have deteriorated.InspectionMalindi MP Gideon Mung’aro recentlystormed the Council’s yard and fire station toinspect facilities and equipment in the wake ofreports that operations at the Town Hall weregrinding to a halt. He and a group of civic leaderswho accompanied him expressed shock athow closer to the grave the Council was.Mun’garo expressed shock on learning that14 vehicles and two tractors were all groundedat different stages of deterioration. “It is sad tosee that the fire engine, two Land Rovers, a rapidresponse fire engine, seven garbage collectionlorries, two ambulances, two pickups, a Suzukifour-wheel drive and two tractors now lie herein a dilapidated state.”The Mayor conveniently failed to attendthe inspection tour. However, Malindi DeputyMayor, Mr Fuad Rudein who attended the inspectiontour said the Council had been forced“Garbage collection somehow goes on, but as theoverworked groups of permanent and casual workersstruggle to manually clear one garbage heap hurrying tothe next, the one they cleared first is already overflowingwith a fire already consuming the garbage.”— John Karisa, member of a lobby groupto hire two private trucks at a cost of KSh4.8million in the past 10 months to help in garbagecollection. “We are now forced to hire twotrucks at a cost KSh16,000 daily to help in garbagecollection because of the serious shortageof trucks,” he said.A private mechanic Mr Mohammed Boraafyawhose contract to repair the variouscouncil vehicles was cancelled without explanationearly last year however insisted that theCouncil was able to facilitate some of the repairsbut there was a lot of objections from thesome chief officers who refused to approve anyproposals.During the tour, Malindi MP demanded thatthe mechanic to revive some of the vehicles andthe next day two FAW lorries were on the roadwith a mere bill of KSh35,000. On the third day,two tractors and the two lorries were on the road.“But in unclear circumstances they are backto the yard, this time not over mechanical problemsbut minor spare parts courtesy of wear andtear problems,” says Boraafya.An annoyed Mung’aro gave the Council aone month ultimatum to have the vehicles repairedor else he would be forced to seek a ministerialstatement from Parliament for the councilto show cause why they bought new trucksthat were not in good condition.“It is strange that new vehicles can breakdownin a period of less than three years,” observedMung’aro. The legislator also threatenedto bring the Local Authorities Fund committeeto probe the implementation of funding allocatedto the council. Mung’aro promised to havethe CDF repair fire engines.

22 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Use girl guiding as a foundation forempowering girls, urges ministerBy JOSEPH MUKUBWASpecial Programmes Minister, Ms Esther Murugihas urged the society to view the woman as apowerful agent of social transformation.The minister said it was disheartening to notethat despite the existence of powerful organisationsdedicated to women, there are still manybarriers to women’s empowerment especially inKenya.Special transformation“Our society needs to start seeing the womannot just as a recipient of help but as a powerfulagent of social transformation. The role of movementssuch as Kenya Girl Guides should be appreciated,”said Murugi. She added: “This is becausethrough the association, girls have founda home that cultivates friendships and values aswell as life skills, esteem lessons besides teachingthem responsibility.”“Women need to be empowered economically,socially and politically in terms of educationattainment, health and their general well being,”reiterated Murugi.She added: “Indeed, it has been proven thatcountries that do not capitalise on the full potentialof women are misallocating their humanresources and undermining their competitivepotential.”The minister urged the association to ensurethat young girls grow up knowing that they havethe potential to make their future bright as a longas they make the right decisions.Murugi was speaking during the centenarycelebrations of International Girl Guiding andGirl Scouting at Nyeri Technical Training Institute.Over 2,000 girl guides, both local and internationalattended a colourful centenary rally.The girl guides drawn from various institutionsincluding primary and high schools wereattending the Kenya Girl Guides AssociationCentenary rally which was a culmination of fourday activities conducted in Nyeri and Nairobiareas.Visitors came from as far as Rwanda, SouthAfrica, the Caribbean, Santa Lucia and Madagascaramong many other countries.Some girl guides who attended the meetinghave been in the organisation for more than 60years.The Trefoil Guild of Kenya hosted the celebrationswhich brought the girl guides togetherto share and experience the true meaning ofguiding.Centenary celebrationThe Kenya Girl Guides Association joinedthe World Association of Girl Guides and GirlScouts in celebrating 100 years of InternationalGirl Guiding and Girl Scouting.This year’s theme was “Grow to empowergirls to change the world”.Murugi was the chief guest during the celebrationswhich started with the visit at PAXTUplace at the prestigious Outspan Hotel and thegrave of the founder and the world chief guideLady Baden Powell where they laid wreaths.She urged the guides to ensure that as theyGirl guides pose with SpecialProgrammes Minister Esther Murugi(third right) at Nyeri TechnicalTraining Institute during thecentenary celebrations.Picture: Joseph Mukubwabegin the next century in guiding and theyshould prepare a better place for their daughtersand granddaughters to have a better place to exploretheir potential.Earlier, there was a camp for the guides atTemple Road Primary and Secondary Schooland DEB Primary School which was attended bymany guides, rangers and young leaders.Others present included the World BoardMember of the World Association of Girl Guidesand Girl Scouts Ms Wamuyu Mahinda, TrefoilGuide International Forum Chairman Ms HonorineKiplagat, Kenya Girl Guides Association-Trefoil Guide chairman, Ms Brenda Goodmanand Central Deputy Provincial Commissioner,Ms Ann Ng’etich.Report faults unemployment for youth disenchantmentBy OMWA OMBARAA report on the role of ICTs in advancing governancehas been released. The report termed“Media and the National Accord” and releasedby Africa Peace Forum seeks to promote governancein post election violence in Kenya throughawareness and understanding among citizens.The report seeks to promote democratic governanceto ensure that the violence does not recurin future.The surveyAccording to the study carried out betweenMarch and November 2009 and 2010, audiencestoday have a wide variety to choose from interms of content and language. Radio was establishedas the most accessible and affordable formof ICT in Kenya. Over 90 per cent of Kenyansown radios.Television, though a popular media and despitethe increased growth in the number of stationsin the last 10 years still registered limitedaccess. Other recommended effective ICTs wereSMSs, blogs, internet and other social networks.A violent conflict hit Kenya from late December2007 to February 2008 following a hotly disputedpresidential election. The violence spreadrapidly to six out of eight regions of the country.Approximately 1300 people died and 650,000people, mostly women and children, were displacedfrom their farms and homes. The unrestthat followed resulted in international mediationthrough the African Union in consultation withthe United Nations. This gave birth to the NationalAccord after a negotiation deal chaired byformer UN Secretary General Kofi Anan and hispanel of Eminent African Personalities.The youth in the country make 75 per centof the population and with such a huge numbershould use their voting majority to make thechanges they desire in voting credible leadersfaithful to their values. The report reveals thatyouth took a larger part in the violence becausethey were unemployed.It was noted that some politicians had takenadvantage of unemployed youth to form militiasand that the Government was yet to addressthe issue. It says that even though the Governmenttried to provide jobs to the youth as earlierpromised by politicians prior to elections,this did not succeed. Majority of the youth whoshowed up for the Kazi kwa Vijana project failedthe interviews because most had dropped out ofschool. Notwithstanding that most of these jobswere manual jobs that did not require high levelsof literacy.The report indicates that information fromMohammed Kuti, Youth Affairs Minister on aTV talk revealed that by 2007, 13,500 youth andmore than 4,000 groups had received money forvarious income generating projects.Participants said that youth neededskills, not just money. The Governmentwas asked to nominate youth to leadershippositions.The report revealed that the Governmenthad not fulfilled its promises to theyouth by providing 600,000 jobs and a 24-hour working nation —issues which haddominated the 2007 election campaigns.Roles of mediaCommissioner Halakhe Waqo whorepresented the National Cohesion andIntegration Commission (NCIC) notedthat Agenda Four is the heart and centre ofnational peace and security in Kenya. Hesaid politicians have taken Kenya hostageand it was the role of the media to educatethe public to assume their responsibility.The report is an audit of how far themedia covered Agenda Four which addressesunemployment among the youth, landreforms, poverty, inequality and regional imbalancesas well as national cohesion and integration.It also addresses constitutional, institutionaland legal reforms.The report submits that while the governmenttargets to tackle issues on Agenda Four, issuesraised in Agenda One, especially addressingthe existence of armed groups, all of them comprisingyouth have been swept under the carpet.NCIC Commissioner Halakhe Waqo receivesthe report on media and the national accordduring the launch. Picture: Omwa OmbaraRural youth, who make up the majority ofyoung people in the country must be empoweredby engaging them in activities channelledtowards reconciliation efforts and nation building.This can be done through use of mobilephones and interactive internet forums.The survey was carried out in 2,800 householdsin Mumias, Kisii, Eldoret, Nakuru, Kerugoya,Isiolo and Mombasa. The study wasfunded by Canada’s International DevelopmentResearch Centre.

ISSUE 040, May 16-31, 2011Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth23New breed of beggars invade MombasaBy BARWAQO ARESSAlong the busy Digo Road which stretchesabout a kilometre are four beggars displayinghorrifying wounds, two children, one with elephantiasison one leg and another who is notonly stunted but also epileptic.Beside them are conveniently displayed beggingbowls with a few coins and notes throwninto them by well wishers.These form part of a population of beggarsthat Mombasa residents are worried about. Thetown’s residents have expressed concern overthe increasing number of beggars masqueradingas blind and deaf individuals seeking sympathyfrom the public. It has also emerged that boguspeople have infiltrated the town claiming to beafflicted by various disabilities such as blindness.Business people, motorists and pedestriansall agree that bogus beggars were becoming anuisance, an eyesore and a security risk as thugshave infiltrated them.A businessman in the coastal town, Mr PeterKahindi, says this increasing trend of beggingfor money in the streets is annoying and urgedthe local municipal council to clear the streetsof the beggars.Genuine casesHowever, the beggars have their story. Likethe case of Mwanaidi Aisha who opted to begbecause she has got a large family but no othermeans of survival. Mwanaidi, who has beenraped on several occasions because she couldnot defend herself due to blindness called on theGovernment to look for better ways of protectingthem.Abubakar Ali, a matatu driver says beggarsare common in Saba Saba and Buxton areas. Heobserves that most of the blind and physicallychallenged beggars storm the streets because ofnegligence by their immediate families.“I think the problem is with their familieswhich have not accepted them for who they are.If they were accepted we would not be seeingthem here,” he notes.Also outraged by the beggars menace isMs Pamela Wamalwa who says most of themlooked physically healthy and should find alternativeways of earning a living.“Everybody is facing economic difficultiesbut they should make a choice not to go to thestreets,” says Wamalwa. She observes: “Theycould even volunteer to carry out odd jobs suchas washing people’s clothes for a fee.”Until a year ago, droves of begging familiespatronised shops within the central businessdistrict on Fridays to solicit hand-outs fromMuslims who are more generous on this day.However, due to the harsh economic times, thebeggars are now roaming the streets daily to ensuremaximum proceeds.Begging businessSubsequently, begging is now a thrivingbusiness in Mombasa since a larger percentageof residents are Muslims whose religiondemands that they share with the less fortunatemembers of society so as to try to bridge thegap between the poor and rich.The art of begging in the town is now deeplyentrenched that shop owners now strategicallyplace plastic containers on their countersfor dishing out coins to the stream of beggarscalling on them from start to close of business.Rising competition occasioned by newentrants in the business has necessitated beggarswho reside in townships such as Kaloleni,Mariakani, Mazeras, Miritini and Mikindani tocome in two days early so as to earn a reasonableamount.Street beggars in various towns in the country. A new breed of beggars hashit Mombasa city with many of them coming from far flung areas within CoastProvince to ask for alms. Pictures: Reject correspondentThe beggars start arriving on Wednesdayevening by train which charges KSh50 to townwhile the matatu fare is KSh100. Upon arrival,most of them who are accompanied by theirelderly spouses or children spend the night onshop pavements.Popular areas for the beggars include thepavement near the Blue Room Restaurant andZedsons Electronic shop where they spreadtheir gunny bags and spend the night so that byThursday they will already be on their mission.By day break on Friday, most of the beggarsare already not less than KSh500 richer whilesome of their colleagues who arrive later findthem in business and stroll from one premise tothe next to catch up.Mwanarusi Mutinda who comes all the wayfrom the outskirts of Mariakani town, about 40kilometres away says arriving a day or two earlieris not enough for carrying out a successfulbegging mission since one has to also appearneedy and be in the black Muslim veil for womenpopularly known as ‘buibui’ and for the menthe robe known as ‘kanzu’.“These are very important garments for thisbusiness as one has to appear to be a Muslimfaithful so as to appeal to the benefactors whousually feel obliged to help a fellow faithful whois less endowed than them,” explains Mutinda.Her colleague Aisha Maluki says anotherstrategy is to tag along two or three children so asto appeal to female givers who are usually moregenerous when they see children in need.Others say a successful beggar also has toadorn in well-worn clothes which may necessarilynot be tattered but dirty enough to create theimpression that one is very poor.A middle aged woman says that she has beenforced into begging as she has not been able toharvest any meaningful crop from her one acrefarm in Mazeras. She was introduced into beggingby a cousin who assured her that she wouldbe getting at least KSh200 a day.The woman intimated that most of the beggarswere not that poor and their benefactorswould not believe if they were to see some ofthem during weddings and other social gatheringssince they would be in smart outfits andshoes unlike their ‘working clothes’.However Sheikh Mohamed Salih Bahasadof Sheikh Nurein Mosque says although Islamencourages compassion and mercy towardsthe poor, the art of begging is frowned uponsince it breeds a culture of dependence.He says those who constantly beg will beraised up on the day of judgment bare facedfor shamelessly asking for alms from faithful.“This underscores the fact that begging shouldnot be taken as a habit,” observes Bahasad.Feeding centreFormer Mombasa Town Clerk Tubmun Otienosays although the municipality introduced afeeding centre at Mji wa Wazee in Tudor Estateand the Tononoka Day Care Centre to rehabilitatestreet families and discourage the destitutefrom roaming the streets and begging, but thehabit continues.The feeding centre also holds orphans andabandoned children, but whenever they areround up and taken there, they escape and returnto the streets. He blames the rise in crime tothe hordes of street families and notes that mostof the criminals are young boys who graduatedfrom the streets as innocent children.“As a result of increasing poverty some familiesallow their children to eke out a living in thestreets,” laments Otieno.The department of children’s services in CoastProvince has put on notice parents who exploittheir children by sending them to the streets tobeg. Provincial Director of Children Services MrMorris Tsuma warns that the children will notonly be rounded off from the streets but theirparents will be bonded to ensure they keep themat home.“Children have no business begging on thestreets since they should be attending school bytaking advantage of the free primary education,”says Tsuma.Although no official statistics were availableon the number of street children in the region,“Although Islam encourages compassion and mercytowards the poor, the art of begging is frowned upon sinceit breeds a culture of dependence.”— Sheikh Mohamed Salih Bahasad, Mombasa residentthe department in collaboration with the MombasaMunicipal Council, the Street Families’Rehabilitation Trust and UNICEF have in placea programme that will ensure they clear themfrom the streets.The official said that investigations have revealedthat the children accompany their parentsfor begging missions from townships suchas Mariakani, Mazeras and Kaloleni amongother suburbs.“The establishment of a drop in centre atTononoka Social Hall where the street childrencan access food and recreation in addition tolearning some skills to make them economicallyindependent has gone a long way in pulling mostof them away from glue sniffing and criminallives,” explains Tsuma.RehabilitationUnder this program, about 150 street childrenhave been sponsored to various technicaltraining at the Christian Industrial TrainingCollege (CITC) in Buxton where it is hoped thatthey will learn life skills that will enable themlead a more productive life away from the streets.The Council has also partnered with donorsto rehabilitate some buildings at the Nyumbaya Wazee area in Tudor with a view to establishaccommodation and rehabilitation facilitiesfor the street children. Tsuma said the DistrictAdvisory Councils (DAC) which are chaired byDistrict Commissioners (DCs) will be trainedregularly on their mandate so as to understandand play their role effectively.The District Children’s Officer, Mrs RoseMumbo said Mombasa town alone hosts about300 street families in the CBD alone, and thatsome of the beggars have been known to ‘borrow’even their neighbour’s children for thesemissions.www.mediadiversityafrica.orgExecutive Director: Rosemary Okello-OrlaleProgramme Coordinator: Wilson UganguEditor: Jane GodiaSub-Editors: Florence Sipalla and Mercy MumoDesigner: Noel LumbamaContributors: Harun Hussein, Abjata Khalif, Hussein Dido, Ajanga Khayesi, Wesley Gitahi, FaithMuiruri, John Syengo, Caroline Wangechi, Macharia Mwangi, Barwaqo Aress,Jeff Mwangi, David Sirengo, Waikwa Maina, John Ndirangu, Kariuki Mwangi,Omondi Gwengi, Joel Juma, Malachi Motano, Paul Mwaniki, Nzinga Muasya,Joseph Mukubwa, Abisai Amugune, Kigondu Ndavano, Mercy Kahenda andOmwa Ombara.Write to:info@mediadiversityafrica.orgThe paper is produced with funds from