November 1 - 15, 2011 ISSUE 050 A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service Battle over the Yala Swamp Multi million investment turns out to be a case of a deal gone sour By OLOO JANAK benefits from this multi-billion project. At the Dominion Farm in Yala, a big white The Dominion Farms at Yala Swamp on the cross stands on a small hill in the centre of the shores of Lake Victoria in Siaya County of rice fields, a testimony to this religious incli- Nyanza Province is turning into a bitter sweet nation. Villagers say this used to be a sacred investment tale that has seen the local com- place for prayer, now fenced off and made in- munity turn against what they initially wel- accessible to them by the farm management. comed with open hands. It all began in 2005, when an American in- Despair vestor, Calvin Burgess, President of Dominion The high hopes and aspirations of the Group of Companies and Chief Executive of local communities that were built through Dominion Farms, appeared at the Yala Swamp church summons and public barazas promis- area dangling what the local community and ing change in their lives appear to have virtu- their leaders believed was carrot that would ally collapsed into despair seven years later. transform their lives and end poverty. It has left in its wake, a trail of complaints, At inception, Dominion Farms presented a disappointments and spawned a conflict be- mixture of economic and spiritual transforma- tween the local people and the Dominion tion to the sleepy and conservative Yala Swamp Farms management, sucking in local leaders community, largely the Alego and Yimbo com- and government officials. munities. “They came with promises and we sup- The complaints range from denial of access From top: The weir on Yala swamp created by Former Kisumu Town MP Reverend Ken ported the projects hoping it would change to community roads linking Alego and Yimbo Dominion to control the flow of water into the Nyagudi was for a long time the Kenyan face of our lives but now they have instead turned as well as the surrounding villages, which have farms. Women fetch water at the swamp. Fred the Dominion investment through a religious against us, destroying our very sources of been fenced off to denial of access to sources Okoth, a community leader in Siaya county outfit that drew in thousands of followers who livelihoods,” says Fred Okumu, a community of water or pollution of water sources. points to one of the farms. Women fishing at believed they would get instant and long term leader from Kadenge Village in Alego. Continued on page 5 the swamp. Pictures: Oloo Janak Read more Reject stories online at www.mediadiversityafrica.org 2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 050, November 1 - 15, 2011 Reject bags world population award By OMWA OMBARA logue on sexual and reproductive rights; Health. Yaaku: A people on the brink of extinction; The MDC has a vision to promote the he Reject is one of the winners of Mourning the death of family planning, ideals of diversity within and through the The Population Institute’s 32nd School that hosts largest population; media Annual Global Media Awards for Violence in the face of HIV; Village Recoups Its mission is to work towards strength- Excellence in Population Reporting after generation is wiped out; Economic ening the liberty, quality, varied and Tin the category of Best Article or Series of disempowerment a catalyst for violence; integrity of mass media in Kenya Articles for the special issue of the Reject Power of reading brought closer to infor- AWC enhances its values through its newspaper. mal settlement; Power of leading 4000 vision of a media that enhances diversity The award will be presented in New slum women; Adverse climate change and gender equality for equitable develop- York in January 12, 2012. leaves communities vulnerable to conflict; ment. The award comes close in the wake of Unbearable burden as women die to give The Reject was initially started as a another — The Millennium Development life and The forgotten elderly of Kenya. paper that would highlight issues of com- Goals Award on Maternal Health won by Both The Reject and Strength of a Wom- munities and the marginalized that are not African Woman and Child Feature Service an are publications of the African Woman given visibility in the mainstream media. media, training, research and content last week under a special edition The and Child Feature Service produced under However, it has grown to establishing its development. Strength of a Woman: The Untold Stories the Media Diversity Centre. path within developmental journalism. AWC Executive Director Rosemary of Maternal Health and Death. The Strength of a Woman captures is- AWC, as a non-profit media organisa- Okello congratulated the team for their Among the stories in the 24-page spe- sues of women’s rights as well as empow- tion has the mission promotes diversity, commitment and dedication in helping cial edition on population are: The politics erment and advancement. This particular gender equity, social justice and develop- place the organisation’s products among of population; First intergenerational dia- issue was biased towards Reproductive ment in Africa through engagement with the best in the world. Citizens seeks accountability HIV women leading the way in Kenya’s fight against the scourge By DUNCAN MboyaH The first case of HIV Aids in Kenya was re- ported in 1984 and to date women accounts for approximately two-thirds (65 percent) of adults estimated to be living with HIV Aids. This percentage is higher than the sub- Saharan African region overall which stands at 57 percent. The HIV prevalence rate among women is estimated to be almost twice that of men but efforts by women living with the epi- Dr Alloys Orago, Director NACC demic has managed to reduce the percentage Some of the participants at the Mombasa forum. Picture: Kigondu Ndavano through awareness creation. still continue to face persistent challenges in They have managed to help move HIV the areas of prevention, treatment, care and By KIGONDU NDAVANO equality and human rights, representatives from Aids from personal circles to social and po- support services. Mombasa Civil Society groups under the Alliance litical agendas because they are sharing their She discloses that the UN values the voic- A scenario through which ordinary Kenyans will for Citizens Driven Reforms (ACDR) were eager to stories and sacrificing their privacy to ensure es and opinions of women living with HIV subject powerful politicians into vetting commen- learn the basic skills on vetting. that other Kenyans stop suffering in silence. and is committed to continuously support surate with what citizens witnessed during the vet- Coast Interface Coordinator Joseph Kamau in- “These women deserve praise for their and engage them through the UN General ting of the judges could soon come into being. dicated that through awareness forums under the dedication and time in responding to the Assembly Special Session (UNGASS). The vetting will materialise if the enthusiasm Jadili programme, he has learnt the value of equal- crisis that was initially met with a lot of re- Threase – Keating notes that the UN will with which the desire for transparency in future ity among human beings and was keen to ensure sistance,” says Kenya’s Gender, Social and continue supporting and strengthening vari- leadership of the country is being adopted gains fairness in dealing with all issues including leader- Children Development Minister Dr. Naomi ous networks of people living with HIV in root especially in Mombasa County, the first elec- ship and integrity. Shaban. the country. toral region on the way to pioneering the new The minister called for the development According to the NACC Deputy Director move. Vetting leaders of a social movement that recognises the Dr. Sobbie Mulindi regional conferences will After concerted efforts to read, discuss and un- Kashero Chinyaka of CAI, while outlining the rights of those infected and prevent new be held up to village level to help bring out derstand the various sections of the Constitution objective of the Mombasa forum explained that infections among women and girls in the the work done by women living with HIV and the launch of numerous awareness forums in since the formation of Mombasa County Gover- country. in the country with the aim of educating the the County, a team of Kenyans drawn from various nance Networks, whose interim committee mem- public on the dangers of HIV. civil society organisations is already sending strong bers are Ali Sudi, Lammy Ngite, Reverend David Feminisation He says that NACC has developed a but firm signals that the time of reckoning for the Luhambi, Reverend John Ouma, Sheihk Ali Mo- She however notes that developing a code of conduct, gender policy and the politicians is near. hammed Abdillahi, Halima Mohammed and Mary social movement can only succeed once Greater Involvement of People Living with Right from those announcing their bid for pro- Wambu groups were keen to ensure growth and women living with HIV and women rights HIV and AIDS (GIPA) guidelines that spective posts in the new dispensation, to those success. movement are strengthened to reposition aims at mainstreaming its role to the larger who have not made their decision as to whether “We wish to see firm reforms in the Mombasa themselves in leadership positions. public. they will contest any seats, all should be ready to County, we want to discuss how we shall make the The minister called on Kenyans to deal The Director of Kenya Network of Wom- face a panel of well prepared and professionally future leaders of the Mombasa County more ac- with feminisation of HIV epidemic while en with Aids (KENWA) Asunta Wagura says sound people in the vetting teams.