August 1-15, 2011 ISSUE 045

A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service Calling for divine intervention Drought leaves Kenyans interceding to powers beyond humanity By HUSSEIN DIDO where the Church donated foodstuff, soap, cooking oil, milk and clothes to For those living in areas that have received rainfall, hunger stricken villagers. He said that the story of the looming drought might sound far- the Church would also dig a borehole fetched. For those who have never missed food or that would help curb perennial water water, it may seem like it is made up. However, those shortage in the area. who have gone for a year without rains are living in “It is shameful that people are dying hell. They have no food and water. Their animals in this century of starvation while other and children are dying. This death is not restricted continents are advancing towards devel- to children and animals, even adults are dying. opment,” said the clergy. While the world and the region at large is wor- He observed: “Government ought ried with the way things are, those who live in to make concerted efforts that includes drought affected areas are worried that soon they stakeholders to ensure that food insecu- may not be there. They have seen that for there to be rity is addressed once and for all.” a change in their current situation, they must seek The same sentiments were expressed help from somewhere beyond humanity. They are by Council of Imams Upper Eastern of- now calling for divine intervention as the last resort ficials led by the secretary Harun Rashid. to saving northern Kenya and the Horn of Africa They accused the Government of failing region as a whole. to act timely leading to death of thou- Sabbath Keeping Remnants Church of God is sands of livestock. calling on the two Principals in the Grand Coalition “More than 250,000 people in North- Government, President Mwai Kibaki and Prime ern Kenya are at risk of starvation with Minister Raila Odinga to convene a national prayer women, children and the elderly bear- that would seek divine intervention to provide food ing the brunt of food insecurity as the

“It is through concerted effort that we can be able to overcome this drought and save the more than five million people faced with hunger in the country.” — Bishop Francis Ringera

for the hunger stricken families in the country. devastating drought depletes resources,” According to Bishop Francis Ringera, the mass reiterated Rashid. prayer forum should bring together well wishers “It is time we worked together and that would raise funds to purchase food for the remember the less fortunate as we ap- starving Kenyans adversely affected by drought. proach the month of Ramadhan,” said “It is high time we pray to God for assistance the Imam. and help and repent our sins especially at this time International organisations that in- when our people are faced with starvation,” said the clude the Kenya Red Cross, Action Aid Different faces Bishop. He added: “Even God brought down Man- and United Nations Children’s Fund say nearly of drought in na during the old days during difficult times.” This 300,000 children may succumb to starvation un- various parts of prayer should be accompanied with fundraising for less urgent measures are taken to provide them the country. As the needy hunger stricken families. with food. Kenyans call for “It is through concerted effort that we can be able UNICEF had recently disclosed that the Horn of food aid, they are to overcome this drought and save the more than Africa region which is the most affected by the rag- also looking to five million people faced with hunger in the coun- ing dry spell could suffer adversely especially now God for a solution try,” said Ringera. that the principal donor, USA had stopped provid- to the biting The clergyman challenged the Government to ing relief to hunger stricken families in the region. drought. Recurrent drought in Northern parts of Kenya come up with clear policy on drought mitigation Pictures: Hussein has had serious socio-economic and political impli- measures that would provide a lasting solution to Dido and Reject recurrent dry spell in the country. cations in that they adversely affect efforts to allevi- Correspondent Ringera was speaking in Daaba, Isiolo County Continued on page 5 Read more Reject stories online at www.mediadiversityafrica.org 2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Psychiatrists sound alarm on Towards a journey of drug addicts and suicide By RYAN MATHENGE forgiveness and healing At least ten percent of drug and alcohol addicts in Murang’a County end up committing suicide due to frus- trations and other difficulties. Psychiatric experts observed that the region has been rated among those with high incidents of people taking their lives either by hanging or drinking poison. Led by Dr James Mburu of Murang’a District Hos- pital, the doctors said, many of those seeking treatment and rehabilitation at Murang’a District Hospital were teachers and students. Sponsor of the mental health sessions Mr Chaxton Kamami Maina said he was moved after watching many of the youth turn to substance abuse due to frustrations. The experts said most of the alcohol and drug users especially the youth, end up committing suicide due to frustration and lack of information on where they can be helped. Speaking at Gitugu Anglican Church in Mathioya Constituency while on a mission of sensitising the youth on dangers of abusing drugs and alcohol, the mental health experts said most of the cases being treated by medics have been found to have psychiatric background. Bhang smoking During the session, it emerged that 70 percent of cases admitted at the mental health wards from Kigumo By FRANK OUMA Ms Cherono Kiplagat (third right) from Kericho among other women who had District are related to bhang smoking. “It has been proven that many of the people seek- undergone a trauma, fear and forgiveness training session in Eldoret town. ing treatment ranging from headaches and abdominal She was full of anger. She could fill with ir- Pictures: Frank Ouma pains at times end up being referred to mental health resistible hatred and dread of revenge over clinics where they are counselled to change their ways,” the brutal manner in which her brother The organisation was established in 2000 mentoring of projects. “The intention is to explained Mburu. was killed. That was three years ago. Today and is currently represented in 17 countries build further upon the skills and abilities The doctor said he was recently saddened when his the grudge and pain are no more. Thanks with the purpose of assisting women and established in the first year, with interme- patient, who was under rehabilitation died on the spot to an intensified training program that has girls, championing their growth and devel- diate facilitators training in year two, en- after jumping from the fifth floor of a building in town. seen her deal successfully with trauma. opment in ways that recognise the qualities, abling more communities to benefit from Gitugi Parish Anglican Church Clergy Rev Peter Cherono Kiplagat from Kericho recalls strengths, wisdom and values of all women this programme in years two and three,” Mwangi Ndirangu challenged leaders in Murang’a and how she was tortured and beaten up by as well as each and everyone representing explained Slagman. especially Mathioya to use Constituency Development the police officer who also shot dead her the female gender. Chief Executive Officer of Feminenza, Funds to organise sessions for the youth where they will brother. Mary Noble says the Government should be counselled and sensitised. Kiplagat is among thousands of victims Trauma counselling consider setting up an institution that will of 2008 post-election violence that left The journey to forgiveness began in take up the responsibilities of counselling about 1,300 people dead and over 300,000 Kenya provoked by the first Humanity and victims of post-election violence as well displaced. Gender Conference in January 2006 before as those who have suffered human rights An organisation that is a global network the general elections of 2007 were held. A abuse in Mt Elgon after the Truth, Justice Embu airstrip to get facelift of women and men known as Feminenza second one would be held in July 2007, just and Reconciliation Commission ends its has been working with victims of post elec- a few months before the country went into work so that they continue to have peace By KariukI Mwangi tion violence who were affected directly or elections. of mind. indirectly as well as victims of other forms The focus on trauma counselling and Noble observes that for truthful recon- Residents of Embu and its environs are set to enjoy the of violence such as those that happened in community focused forgiveness and rec- ciliation to occur, victims and perpetrators benefits of flying to the region after the Government set Mt Elgon. onciliation workshops rapidly rose. As the of all forms of violence in the country need aside funds to rehabilitate the airstrip. The organisation has provided Kiplagat bloodshed begun, it redirected its energies to be taught about forgiveness and how to The Government has allocated KSh130 million for with the knowledge and skills needed to es- to assist the traumatised communities in overcome fear and trauma. the upgrading and rehabilitation of the Embu airstrip so tablish a strong base as a counsellor in for- Kisii, Eldoret, Nakuru, Mombasa, Trans “We should not allow the victims and as to open up Embu and the other districts for develop- giveness and reconciliation. Mara and Narok as well as within Kibera perpetrators in the country to be left vulner- ment opportunities. It has not been easy to come this far. Ki- slums in Nairobi. able and confused after the TJRC comes to Embu West District Commissioner Maalim Mo- plagat says since the violence, she has had a The project is expected to be complete an end as they will need frequent counsel- hamed said the airstrip will open up the region as the negative attitude towards police officers and in 2011 with the aim that it will build ling so that they forgive and overcome their agricultural produce will now be transported faster to would cry whenever she met with the police women’s capacity through education and fears,” explained Noble. the various markets by air. officer who shot her brother as she knew him. “The airstrip will also benefit farmers in the sur- Benefit rounding districts of Meru, Mwingi and Kirinyaga,” Hated brother So far, the forgiveness and reconciliation said Maalim. He observed: “Miraa farmers will no lon- “I even hated my own brother who was training has benefited 40 women in the Rift ger risk the lives of people while transporting their com- a police officer. Whenever he came home in Valley and Mt Elgon. It targets another 25 modities by road.” uniform, I would avoid him,” she says. women before September. He noted that airstrip will also open the area to After taking part in trauma, fear and for- Noble said it was important for victims tourism since it is very rich in eco and cultural tourism giveness forums, Kiplagat has been able to and perpetrators to speak about what hap- which was yet to be exploited and which can benefit the forgive and overcome fears that have been pened so they can be able to move on. region immensely in development. hounding her since 2008. She also reiterated that there was need She acknowledges that forgiving is very to create a platform that would enable rape Rich rivers hard and needs courage. victims and others who were affected by Maalim who was speaking in Embu also called on the Feminenza’s three year programme on various conflicts to speak out openly. residents to invest more in fish farming as it would help training of forgiveness and reconciliation “The victims and perpetrators need to a lot in mitigating against food security during drought. counsellors was launched in September, last understand that it was not their fault and He noted that the area is very rich in rivers flowing year with the support from UN Women. they need to have an opportunity for a new from Mt Kenya. He said the Government also plans to “The training programme is designed start and do away with the guilt of the past,” put up a fish feeds manufacturing industry in Embu so to meet the challenges presented by the observed Noble. as to provide adequate supply for fish farmers. post election violence in January 2008, us- “I even hated my own Mary Chepkwony of the Rural Women “With the advent of the airstrip farmers will have a ing proven evidence based techniques to Peace Link in Mt Elgon said that about reliable means of transport to take the fish to the mar- address the very real challenge of violence brother who was a police 60 former militia members of the Sabaot ket,” said Maalim. erupting in the run up to the 2012 elec- Land Defence Force members, 30 girls He noted that the Kenya Power and Lighting Com- tions,” explains Janny Slagman, an officer officer. Whenever he who were abducted and 200 women had pany has issued a contract that would will oversee the with Feminenza. undergone training on forgiveness and construction of a new power sub-station in Embu so as to According to Slagman, the strategic came home in uniform, I overcoming fear. put to an end the frequent electricity surges in the town. purpose of the project is to assist women “Those who have benefited are now liv- “Electricity is a major determinant of develop- to fully participate in the effort to maintain would avoid him.” ing together in harmony as there cannot ment and completion of the sub-station will also play and promote peace and security and to play be peace unless there is forgiveness and re- a big role in attracting more investors to the town,” a more decisive role in conflict prevention — Cherono Kiplagat moval of fear among the locals,” explained observed Maalim. and resolution. Chepkwony. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 3 Dekha Ibrahim Abdi Tribute to the world’s peace guru

By Rosemary Okello ing Wajir, Mandera and Garissa on peace build- ing. She assisted women’s groups in setting up The Chinese Proverb which says; As fire refines peace building associations that are now present gold so suffering refines virtues can be used to in all the districts. describe the life of Dekha Ibrahim. Despite the Elders and other conservative community odds and numerous incidences of violence she leaders sensed danger and sent a delegation to saw in her rural Wajir home, Dekha rose to be- the Dekha led women’s group saying they were come the world’s peace icon. ready to negotiate with rival communities. This An unapologetically rural Kenyan-Somali was the beginning of a dialogue and from here woman, Dekha touched the world through Dekha found herself moving between commu- peace work which saw her travel extensively nity elders and leaders. Her brief was to check locally and internationally. This earned her a on the grievances and what was the cause of the special name among the local communities in deadly clashes. Wajir who would refer to her as Dekha Nabad Dekha’s efforts bore fruit as the two commu- which means Dekha, Mother of Peace. nities signed a peace agreement under the Al- As we mourn her demise and pay tribute to Fatah Declaration. This stopped the fighting and the gracious life that she lived, many recall how all issues that caused the clashes were addressed. she taught the world her comprehensive meth- Since the signing of the agreement, Wajir odology which combines grassroots activism, has never experienced conflict. Women peace a soft but uncompromising leadership, and a builders led by Dekha were able to bring calm spiritual motivation drawing on the teachings to Mandera and Garissa. Since then she never of Islam. looked back. “Coming from the same area with me, Dekha hence undertaking dual roles. news of her death was announced,” says Abjata who used to call me aunty showed us how the Feted In 1997, she became a founding member Khalif, Chair of the Kenya Pastoralists Journal- diverse ethnic, cultural and religious differences Between 1996-1997, Dekha was team leader of the regional Coalition of Peace in Africa ists Network (PAJAN). can be reconciled. Even after a violent conflict, for the community development training pro- (COPA). As the East African regional coordi- He adds: “It is a great blow to the community these were knitted together through a coop- gramme of the Arid Lands Resource Manage- nator, she was involved in the Linking Peace and just like a butterfly that glides among people, erative process that leads to peace and develop- ment Project in Kenya. She wrote extensively Practice to Policy (LPP) programme of the Dekha, the icon of peace has glided through her ment,” says Rukia Subow, chairperson Maende- and was the organizing board member of No- COPA, funded by Comic Relief in the UK. The community having touched thousands of people leo ya Wanawake. madic and Pastoralists Development Initiative, LPP seeks to support and link communities in in urban and rural areas of northern Kenya.” The late Dekha passed on last month in a a Kenyan rural development initiative. volatile areas in conflict prevention and peace- Dekha had no boundary or clan nor class. tragic road accident that also claimed the lives Soon her peace work was noticed by the in- building work. Everybody was her sister or brother and she of her husband and their driver. She was well ternational community and in 2007, Dekha was strived to have a free society built on social jus- known by local communities in Wajir from the the recipient of the prestigious Right Livelihood Conflict resolution tice and without violence. time when she was the headmistress of Wajir Award which was established by Sweden’s Jakob Dekha also became in 1998 Training and Eulogizing the great peace-maker, Florence Primary School. von Uexkull. This award is presented annually Learning Co-ordinator of Responding to Mpaayei Executive Director Nairobi Peace Sacrifice to honour those “working on practical and ex- Conflict (RTC) which engages in conflict Initiative Africa (NPI) said: “One memorable emplary solutions to the most urgent challeng- transformation: planning, organizing and fa- observation that Dekha made at a meeting con- Many times she put aside her administra- es facing the world today”. cilitating a range of conflict resolution train- vened to reflect on the Kenya mediation pro- tion job and mobilised other women to her According to a report by Right Livelihood ing programmes. cess following the post-election violence was home to discuss how they could bring together who feted Dekha for her peace work, the model She was also a board member of Co-exis- how as Kenyans we knew how to debate but not two warring communities of Ajuran and Dego- developed in Wajir, which Dekha describes tence International, an initiative committed to to dialogue.” dia to stop the large scale violence that engulfed as “a peace and development committee — a strengthening the field of policymakers, prac- Mpaayei adds: “According to Dekha, in dia- the district. structure for responding to conflict at a local titioners, researchers, advocates, organisations logue one listens and seeks to create understand- Born in Wajir in 1964, Dekha’s wish was to level”, informs her philosophy of inter-religious and networks promoting co-existence. ing, build relationships and together explore the see peace becoming a reality in her community. co-operation and subsequent peace work. Dekha was the founding member of a Global best possibilities or alternatives for everyone.” As captured in an article published in the main- Over the years this model has been used by Peace Practitioners Network ACTION for con- Betty Kaaria Murungi, a founder and a stream media, what gave her the resolve to make various organisations both locally and interna- flict transformation. She was also a member of a board member of Urgent Action Fund Africa a difference was her mother’s voice that would tionally. In 1998, when the Christian commu- consortium of African and international conflict (UAF), remembers how Dekha was instrumen- constantly let out a loud sigh and exclamation: nity in Wajir was experiencing some violence, transformation specialists working together on tal in the thinking behind UAF-Africa’s early “When will all this come to an end?” Dekha assisted in the formation of a disaster development of a series of intensive, participa- work on rapid response teams. “She was a men- The older woman was then voicing the ex- committee of Muslim women to assist and tory workshops the United Nations Department tor to me and the entire UAF team as we navi- act thoughts of the younger one who at that make amends with the Christians. for Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). gated the perilous conflict terrain across Africa. point wanted guarantees of a better life for Since 2002, Dekha became a patron of the She taught us so much,” says Murungi. her daughter. Meeting London-based NGO Peace Direct where she As a young mother, Dekha used her home They held prayer meetings with Muslim and worked towards inter-religious/ethnic co-oper- as an office and meeting place where women Role model Christian women, in which both groups shared ation in this capacity through co-facilitating a Njoki Wamai of the Africa Leadership Cen- from the two fighting communities would join their experience and thereby strengthened their project which aimed to provide a platform for hands with professional women to brainstorm tre/ Conflict, Security and Development Group relationship. Subsequently the Wajir Peace Com- young Muslims from all UK backgrounds, af- King’s College in London says “She insisted on intervention tactics that they could use to mittee began to include Christian women, lead- ter the London bombings, to explore issues and bring peace. This was happening at a time when that dialogue should not only be limited to ing to the formation of an inter-faith committee challenges around being a Muslim and British in those spaces at the national level in full view of women were only allowed to stay at home and for peace which has undertaken further activi- the current UK society. She was also a member take care of their families as model housewives. cameras but to all levels from the national to the ties to intervene in religious conflicts. of the international advisory board of the Uni- l o c a l .” The women came up with a strategy where Dekha’s work spread beyond her birthplace versity of Ulster, INCORE London-Derry, North each of them would go back to their communi- According to Wamai, this model got the at- to embrace the flash-points in Kenya and the Ireland and also served on the Board of the Berg- tention of Graca Machel, who asked Dekha to ties and convince the men to lay down arms and East African sub-region. She worked as a consul- hof Centre in Germany. negotiate with enemy community. The women write a concept on the ‘Need for Dialogue and tant to the Kenya government and civil society “Dekha meant a lot to women and society at not Debates in Reconciliation’. further warned elders and men that they will organisations. During the early days of her work, large here in Wajir and northern Kenya. It was strip naked if the armed young men did not lay For Selline Korir, the Team Leader of Ru- she became the coordinator for a mobile pri- evident how the community sent thousands of ral Women Peace Link, Dekha taught her the down arms, despite opposition from the tradi- mary health care project for nomadic people and condolences through a radio call in programme tional clan leaders. peace work. “At a time when we did not know was elected as Secretary of the peace committee that was broadcast by Star FM when the where to look to for support at the height of Mobilised support post-election violence 2007-2008, Dekha in These threats made elders and other con- collaboration with NPI-Africa gave the Ru- flict players to think twice about fighting each As a young mother, Dekha used her home as an ral Women Peace Link the first KSh100,000 other. More and more women joined in the that enabled us to start mediating between the campaign and pressure became so huge that it office and meeting place where women from women IDPs at the Eldoret showground and turned into a wave that swept across Wajir. The those who had remained with the community young men voluntarily surrendered their arms the two fighting communities would join hands in Kesses and Burnt Forest region. without seeking orders from their tribal com- As the country and the world at large mourn manders and joined the women led by Dekha with professional women to brainstorm on the death of Dekha, her wish was to start a peace in denouncing the violence. institute. She had plans to establish the first peace Dekha saw potential in women bringing intervention tactics that they could use to bring institute in the East African region. Maybe the change in society and she mobilised support best way to honour Dekha and her exemplary from donor communities in training women peace. work is to build Dekha Peace Institute. from the entire North Eastern Province includ- Additional information by Abjata Khalif 4 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Hard times send ‘five beardless men’ into unchartered territory By ADOW INA KALIL

The wise English saying, ‘necessity is the mother of all invention’, is making great sense in the North Eastern region fol- lowing years of incessant devastating drought that has seen thousands of live- stock die. Drought necessity has pushed five women in the remote Ijara District in Garissa County into a rare venture in a hitherto male dominated trade. Binto Abdullahi, Marian Ismail Gedi, Marian Abdi, Mariam Hilowle and Hali- ma Siyat are not your ordinary Somali women in a buibui and headscarves. ‘The five beardless men’, as they are popularly known in Ijara District, are causing a storm in the conservative So- mali pastoralist community for ventur- ing into a male designated territory. The curiosity from the locals on this ‘abnormal venture’ has become a blessing in disguise for the ‘pentagon’ who are en- joying booming business in the butchery trade. Slaughtering goats The brave women took the hard task of slaughtering goats to eke out a liv- ing for their respective families after the breadwinners (husbands), were denied their masculine pride of providing for the family by the ravaging drought which took away their livestock. They say: “Our action of venturing into butchery trade is putting immense pressure on our families, but curios- ity among the residents has been nec- tar that pulls curious customers to our business.” “Here it was unheard of for the So- malis to imagine that a woman can Mariam Hilowle, one of the Ijara women, slaughters a goat. Drought in the North Eastern region has slaughter an animal. It is a wide depar- pushed brave women into traditionally unfamiliar territory. Picture: Adow Ina Kalil ture from the ‘known,” Jimale Omar told the Reject. At daybreak, the women will be found thought I was crazy. I was tied onto a tree like Osman came to Masalani town from Jalish, their debts, women are better customers,” at the slaughterhouse among men donned in a mad woman to stop me from ‘embarrassing’ a far flung village where life was simpler com- Gulwathe says. flowing white gowns with knives and cutlasses my family,” recalls Abdi. pared to her new settlement where she had to Ali Abdullahi says he has no problem buy- in hand slitting open the throats of goats and At first people refused to eat the meat on buy everything including firewood, water and ing meat slaughtered by the women. “It no sheep as well as skinning the carcasses. learning that a woman had slaughtered the food. longer bothers me who slaughtered the meat as Unlike other well groomed women, their animal saying it was ‘haram’ (something that is “On the first day, it was embarrassing be- long it is halal (legal),” he says. scent is meat and their nails are polished with forbidden by Islamic law). cause I could not slaughter. The male butch- However, there are those who are concerned blood stains. “The people’s antics did not discourage me ers poked fun at me for intruding into their and still give the meat slaughtered by the wom- The revolutionary journey of the five wom- because they were the same ones who laughed domain in the trade. However, the women en a wide berth. One of them, Ismail Dubat en started in early 1999 when Hilowle, 40, the when my children went to beg for food hand- encouraged me,” she recalls. “The trade earns Walwal says he will never buy meat from an eldest among them, saw a niche trade in butch- outs from them,” notes Abdi. me KSh400 per slaughter. I slaughter two ani- animal slaughtered by a woman. ery. She shifted her business base to Masalani mals per day. It is not much but it is better than “Whenever meat is placed before me, I al- “My family was wallowing in the effects of where curiosity by the cosmopolitan populace idling at home, while my four children starve,” ways inquire who slaughtered the animal,” ob- a devastating drought that swallowed up over played to her advantage in her butchery trade. she says. serves Dubat. 500 animals,” explains Hilowle. She adds: “My “I recorded brisk business, better than my “It is an abomination for women to slaugh- husband was devastated by the misfortune. male counterparts. Besides curiosity, my good Preference ter animals for meat. Women should only I realised that relying solely on animals was customer services ensured I maintained clien- Mariam Ismail Gedi recalls: “When my hus- handle meat at its final stage in the kitchen and not safe. You lose your livestock and your life tele,” observes Abdi. band saw me putting three square meals on the not at the slaughterhouse,” explains Dubat. He comes tumbling down like a pack of cards.” Binto Osman, 22, has been one year in table from the slaughter proceeds, he encour- adds: “It is a violation of our culture for a So- the trade. “It is the hard economic times that aged me to go on. mali woman to engage in an exclusively male For the children pushed me into this male dominated trade. For She adds: “Today he is the one who goes to business.” “I ventured into the business of slaughter- the past one year, money has been difficult to the market to get me the best goat to slaughter. I The women said even the local council, ing goats and sheep to help my children. Many come by due to drought that rendered our re- now own 27 goats and sheep from the proceeds which is male dominated is reluctant to is- could not believe that a Somali woman could maining cattle useless,” she says. of meat trade.” sue them with licenses to enable them run the run a butchery leave alone meddling with men “My husband who is a religious teacher Livestock trader, Ali Hussein Gulwathe, butcheries. or killing an animal that is ‘crying’,” she recalls. doesn’t make much. He encouraged me to join says he prefers selling his animals to women “Some of us were forced to register our It was when she moved from Hullugho Di- the business to supplement his work which is because they pay cash. “Unlike men who take business under the names of our husbands. vision to Masalani, that she opened the flood- more or less voluntary,” she explains. the animals on credit and are poor in paying The macho council officers could not imagine gates for other women to join a hitherto male a Somali woman running a butchery,” Hilowle territory. says. For five years now Mariam Abdi, 35, has “We have on several occasions demanded been in the business and she enjoys every bit “I ventured into the business of slaughtering goats the council to provide us a separate slaughter of it. “We fled from Sangailu Division to Ma- house. It is no good mingling with men. We salani town, the district headquarters’ after our and sheep to help my children. Many could not believe should have some barrier,” Hilowle says. livestock got swept by famine,” says Abdi, who that a Somali woman could run a butchery leave alone The women say efforts to get assistance from went into the business to feed her children. non-governmental organisations to expand “My husband was too old to work. The meddling with men or killing an animal.” their business have been fruitless. They have shock of losing his entire stock further re- also failed to get credit from financial institu- sulted in his being bedridden. At first people — Mariam Hilowle tions despite applying for loans. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 5 Al Shabaab blocks Somali refugees from entering Kenya By REJECT CORRESPONDENT had no option but to perform a quick burial and continue with the journey that saw them lose Thousands of people fleeing severe food short- four newly born babies before they spotted any age and acute malnutrition from south central settlement. Somalia have to endure strict security hurdles He adds: “We had to put mothers of the dead placed by the Al-Shabaab militia group. newly born babies on the donkey as they could The militants have put in place tough condi- not walk. We continued with the journey as we tions for those crossing into northern Kenya and looked at each other wondering who will be the accessing humanitarian assistance in the refugee next to succumb to death.” camps. Barre said that when his group reached some Group of elders, women and children arriv- village far away from Somalia Dhobley border ing in the Kenyan/Somalia border frontier of post, they were intercepted by armed men who HarHar confirmed that they started their long accused them of blackmailing their country. journey from Lower Shabelle area towards the The armed men said they were under strict Kenyan border. They were intercepted by hordes orders to stop any groups from moving out of of armed men claiming to be Al-Shabaab who Somalia. “They told us they had intercepted sev- ordered them to return back and await their fate eral other groups and ordered them back,” said or assistance within Somalia. Barre. The gang leader said food assistance will be No food brought into Somalia. He said people moving The group comprising of families practising into Kenya will have an entire population in farming in the lower Shabelle areas claim that Refugees put their containers in a queue at the Liboi water field as they await south central Somalia moving to the neighbour- they were forced out of their homes and decided clearance from UNHCR. Picture: Reject Correspondent ing country and leave Al Shabaab alone in the to seek humanitarian assistance or die along the vast land. way to Kenya. They ran short of food supplies as Kenya, saying they will take care of them until Barre and his group left their village because “We had to go back for fear that if we dis- what they relied on was depleted eight months the drought is over. drought was claiming the lives of the commu- obeyed we could be killed. We travelled back ago. This left them in a precarious situation that Asli said: “We could not complain as we were nity’s members. They decided to leave the region for another two days moving towards where we resulted in the death of 10 children and six el- dying of hunger and thirst. We feared their guns for safer zones. came from before we decided to move eastwards derly persons. but they took many boys in the convoy of our The group had to survive on urine after the instead of going back to Lower Shabelle area,” They decided to cross over after sensing that group. I think they want to take the boys and first four days of the journey expended the water explains Barre. He says: “We took more days the situation was going out of hand. Al-Shabaab train them to act as future fighters.” reserves which were carried by one donkey that to reach some deserted villages with no people which that controls large swathes of land in Similar concerns have been expressed by also carried eight new born babies. and dried water wells. We rested before continu- south central Somalia including lower Shabelle thousands of families flooding Dhobley border Barre says: “The first four days were challeng- ing our journey to the villages of Daynunay and could not offer them humanitarian supplies like point with most of them expressing fears that ing as I saw most of my community members Kudda where we came across some people who food, water and medicine for malnourished and their children have been taken to join the terror were losing strength as they could not continue relied on food supplies from Kismet. sick children. They decided to trek towards Ke- gang. with the journey.” nyan side with hope that they would reach Liboi, The claims by fleeing families have put Ke- He adds: “We finished our water stock and Government clearance where they will be received by United Nations nyan security forces along the Kenya-Somalia had no option but to depend on urine. Even Barre and his team were accommodated for High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR). border on high alert. Patrols have been intensi- babies were given urine when they cried due to two days while they nursed their wounds. They Fleeing hunger stricken victims attested that fied along the entry points and undesignated lack of food.” The hostile weather, uninterrupted would later travel to the nearby Dhobley area the outlawed group devised a method of forcing routes used by smugglers to conduct human movements and lack of tree shades to rest while that is controlled by Transitional Federal govern- people to return and stay within Somalia terri- trafficking from Somalia into Kenya. The routes travelling made the journey more tedious. ment forces. tory. They were also forcing young boys in the have also been used to sneak in refugees without Says Barre: “We had no option but to move The group that arrived in Dhobley joined groups to go with them. This raised speculations them passing through the registration stage. and catch up with time as the Kenyan side of the thousands of refugees camping at the border en- that the group was taking the fleeing boys to join According to Abdullah Barre, an elder in a border from our village is 700 kilometres away try point waiting for the Kenya government to their ranks. group that left in the morning of July 7, they de- and there are no official routes that one can take. give them clearance so that they could move to Asli Daab, a mother of four boys and one girl fied orders from the Al Shabaab not to move out We depended on traditional routes that are used any of the three main refugee camps of Dagahley, said they had moved from Middle Juba region of their villages to the Kenyan side. to transport livestock to markets in Garissa side Ifo and Hagardhere camps in Dadaab. and were stopped by armed men who frisked It is suspected that the terror group fears the of Kenya.” As thousands of refugees await government them before ordering them to cancel the trek to fleeing hunger stricken people will give useful According to Barre they lost three elderly clearance and availability of camps that will shel- Kenya. information on its operations and their bases in women to starvation and extreme fatigue. After ter them in Dadaab, others are taking the risk of She said that the armed men took all boys what could compromise their existence in south- an additional two days of the journey through trekking hundreds of kilometres into Dadaab from the group of 20 families trekking toward ern central Somalia. the dry patched terrain and lack of water, they seeking food, shelter, treatment and security. Country prays for solution Continued from page 1 communities whose livelihood depends on ate and improve livelihoods among the pastoral livestock have been affected. communities. In some areas including Isiolo, Mandera Both North Eastern and upper Eastern prov- and Marsabit, people have turned to feed- inces are prone to drought. Records indicate that ing on wild fruits to survive. This indicates a major drought is likely to occur every four to some level of unpreparedness on the part of eight years. government and donor agencies as they have Despite this knowledge, most pastoralist not been able to ensure food aid reaches these communities are caught unawares by drought, communities on time. which finds them completely unprepared. This “Government and donor agencies were has led to emergency responses like relief food least prepared in facing this challenge and donations and livestock off take programmes. the communities must dispose their herds at throw away prices,” the Imams said. Loss of livestock Sabbath Keeping Remnants of God Church Bishop Francis Ringera (left) donated A visit to Daaba in Isiolo revealed communi- Commitment foodstuff to hunger stricken villagers of Daaba, Isiolo County. Emaciated children from ties in dire need of relief food with women and Opinion leaders feel that the country is in Turkana District. Pictures: Hussein Dido and Reject Correspondent children facing the brunt of the situation. dire need of supportive policies and long term “It is painful herders have lost hundreds of drought mitigation measures that are effective, be resistant to drought and pump billions of shil- munities that depend on camel milk earn over livestock they reared for years to drought due to practical, sustainable and acceptable if it would lings into the underfunded Ministry of Livestock KSh50,000 per month from four milk-produc- the Government failure to adequately fund the address the disaster. They say the Government Development. ing camels. ministry of livestock to cushion the communi- must seriously commit itself through putting in Hassan Shano of Waso Trust Land, an organ- The prices range from KSh15 to KSh40 per ties from the current drought”, said Rashid. place proper policies that would address food se- isation in Isiolo said camel meat is a delicacy not litre. On average, 59 per cent of the total income The drought situation in the region is of grave curity and the drought situation in the country. to be missed especially during festivities, adding from the herd is from the sale of camel milk. concern as hundreds of herds are lost while hu- “We should see commitment from the Gov- that communities that consume blood also breed Livestock Development Minister Dr Mo- man life is endangered. The drought had also led ernment where it should come up with favour- camels for food. hamed Kuti said the Government has dispatched to high rate of mortality among the human and able policies and adequately budget for the min- “We are sure those with camels will survive a team to monitor the drought situation in the livestock in general. istries of Agriculture and Livestock to cushion the current drought but more empathises must country. “We are faced with many challenges as some the communities against adverse weather ef- be put on camel rearing,” reiterated Waso. He said the Government through his minis- of the few animals left normally suffer miscar- fects,” said the leaders. Male camels are also used for transportation try will buy livestock and provide them as relief riages due to hunger as drought depletes pasture They reiterated that a recent move by the and drought work apart from playing other roles food to hunger stricken families. occasioned by the animal diseases,” observed Ministry of Livestock to support restocking of in the community like traditional social relations The minister said so far KSh600 million Rashid. camels in Turkana must be supported. They including payment of dowry and compensation has been set aside for the drought intervention The famine has also had a negative impact called on the Government to consider restock- of injured parties in clan when disputes arise. through buying of hay and water for weak ani- on the food situation since most of the pastoral ing pastoralists with camels that have proved to In Isiolo and Laikipia districts, pastoral com- mals to cushion the families against the drought. 6 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Hope for TB patients as test kit is put up

By JOYCE CHIMBI all too well. “When my husband visit- ed a doctor due to a persistent cough, A promising and innovative diagnostic test will it took a bit of time before we could now enable doctors to detect more people with have definite results,” says Makau. drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB), thus in- When the results came back posi- creasing the urgency to respond to challenges of tive, her husband hid in the house for the pricing and supply of DR-TB medicines. months because he was afraid of be- TB has continued to be the country’s leading ing stigmatised because one cannot public health issue. The Ministry of Health says suppress the persistent coughs asso- there are over 132,000 cases and the country ciated with TB. has the 13th highest burden of the disease on “I became the father and mother the list of 22 high burden TB countries in the of our three children, and he became world. Further, this statistic places the country like a fourth child. It is a draining at the fifth highest burden in Africa. process taking care of a TB patient,” Evaluation reports show that Kenya is on Makau observes. the right track in the fight against TB with With the prevalence of drug-re- its national programme making it one of the sistance TB (DR-TB), the country is first sub-Saharan African countries to meet facing more than it can handle. According to a new report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) tar- An MSF staff member demonstrates how the TB Gene Xpert Machine works. The machine will gets for detecting new cases as well as treat- the international medical humani- revolutionalise the time taken to diagnose TB from three months to three hours. ment success. tarian organisation Médecins Sans Consequently, according to infectious dis- Frontières (MSF), DR-TB is on the Picture: Courtesy MSF eases report by USAID “the country continues rise, but less than seven per cent cle — not enough people are diagnosed and reinforcing supply and price problems.” to treat more and more TB patients each year. of 440,000 new cases each year receive treat- drug supply problems along with high prices It takes three months for a definitive TB di- However, widespread co-infection with HIV — ment leaving the disease to claim 150,000 stand in the way of putting more people on agnosis to be achieved with the existing testing close to 48 percent of new TB patients — makes lives annually. treatment,” says Dr Tido von Schoen-Angerer, machines. Health practitioners have had to put a TB treatment difficult. While the number of new Despite the fact that TB is highly contagious Executive Director of MSF’s Campaign for Ac- patient on treatment before a complete diagnosis cases appears to be declining, the number of pa- and requires swift medical attention, diagnosis cess to Essential Medicines. He explains: “The can be achieved, meaning that the treatment is tients requiring re-treatment has increased”. has remained a problem. low demand for DR-TB drugs has made the administered blindly. It is an experience that Tabitha Makau knows “Patients have been stuck in a vicious cir- market unattractive for producers, which is Changing lives The new machine referred to, as Gene Xpert will be able to detect DR-TB in under three hours. Living positively keeps HIV survivors alive “The test is quick, as it provides results in just two hours. It also has good sensitivity — By OMWA OMBARA She smiles and then sighs. “My children seats from her. meaning that it gives a positive result if TB let me be honest with you. These groundnuts After this discovery, her in-laws insisted bacteria are present. Compared to the existing It is yet another chilly morning at the Chulai- (ARVs) are too big and cannot pass down my she goes for the test and she tested positive. benchmark method of testing, this new test has mbo Health Centre at the foot of Maseno Hills, throat. Besides, I did not have any food last “That is why you see me here today my com- a sensitivity rate of 90 per cent, which is excel- Kisumu County. It is 6am and the queue is al- night, not even a cup of porridge,” she explains. rades with this HIV. I am on ARVs and I can lent for a rapid test,” expounds Dr Francis Vara- ready quite long. The women donate coins that add up to assure you that for me, there is no turning ine, TB expert at MSF. There are about 60 women and four men KSh10 and a young woman, Patient 5 offers to back. My motto is perseverance, perseverance In light of these challenges, the development plus a few children. Many feel sleepy but are buy a calabash of porridge from the kiosk just and perseverance.” of a new TB diagnosis test has been received encouraged to stay awake by hundreds of birds behind the queue. Granny sips the porridge Patient 10 narrates how her mother-in-law with excitement in the medical fraternity and singing different tunes from the trees sur- but does not swallow her medicine. recently evicted her the family land after she amongst patients. rounding the hospital. “My grandchildren, how did you get this refused to be inherited. “I thank God that I Although TB can be cured, the drug treat- The early bird catches the worm, so goes troublesome disease?” she asks loudly making educated my four children and they have ment is a rigorous process that takes a toll on the the old adage. This is soon proved true by two everyone burst into peals of laughter. bought me a piece of land in Siaya town and patient both physically and financially. beautiful yellow birds that peck on the grass She is forthright in an endearing way and built me a house”. According to MSF, the treatment of DR-TB and pick two fat worms and dance a jig before even the most uncomfortable and reserved of relies on old antibiotics, many of which have flying back to their nest. patients slowly open up. Heart-rending severe side effects, ranging from constant nau- This little bird’s act is important to the pa- Despite living with the virus, these women The other comrades encourage her to be sea to deafness, and must be taken as complex tients because the earlier one arrives on the have such a high sense of humour and have strong and courageous. regimens where patients must take up to 17 pills queue, the faster one sees the doctor and the somehow learnt to survive by making fun of As one patient after another speaks up, every day for up to two years. more one learns from the wisdom of those the condition rather than lamenting about it. some of the stories are heart-rending. Howev- World Health Organisation, however, has who have been ill for a longer time. However, Patient 6, a woman in her middle er, the greatest challenge that keeps recurring approved new guidelines of combining these age is not impressed by the words, ‘big disease’. is the fact that most women in the queue are pills that are cheap and more patient friendly Unsolicited advice “I don’t want to hear anyone calling my on ARVs but their husbands have refused to be by reducing the number of pills that a patient On this queue are patients who pass off condition big disease. HIV is bigger than tested. It means that the women keep getting can take in a day to three or four as well as the as self declared HIV Aids experts by virtue what? What does it weigh? If anything I have fresh infections and re-infections. course of treatment. of the fact that they have lived with HIV for lost quite a bit of weight since I got ill.” With such a situation, the patients also de- over 20 years. They give unsolicited advice on Widows who form quite a large section of velop a resistance to the drugs and this inter- New frontiers what food one should eat, how to sneak away the group begin recalling how they were in- feres with the treatment regimen. Although the idea sounds patient friendly, from home when one is coming to pick ARVs herited. One of the doctors, who decline to be the country is yet to explore this new frontier of without the neighbours knowing about it as “The wife inheritor came to my house at named, says there is a major problem of drug knowledge. The TB medication has not changed. well as how to convince one’s husband to use 9am and forced his way into my bedroom. I resistance among the patients and conse- The regimen for normal TB still takes between a condom. This women’s baraza (meeting) and screamed for help but no one responded. quently quite a number suffer from oppor- six to eight months while DR-TB goes for up to is indeed entertaining. “What can we do? The society will reject us tunistic infections especially diarrhoea and two years. Consequently, the duration remains Majority of the patients in the queue are if we refuse to be inherited. Yet this big disease chest complications. the same and so does the combination of drugs. women and children. They have walked sev- is with us! What shall we do?”asks Patient 3. To beat this, the hospital has a public health The only new aspect to the fight against TB is the eral kilometres to pick up their monthly anti- “Satan! Satan!” the other patients exclaim. programme that involves door to door aware- testing process which has been hailed as promis- retroviral drugs. Patients chat as they wait for It is 8 am and the official public counsel- ness campaigns, Voluntary Counselling and ing and is bound to save thousands of lives. the doctors and counsellors to arrive at 8am. ling classes begin. The counsellor, dressed in Testing (VCT) and counselling of spouses. The “Now that we have a new test that can de- This is a rural set up and everyone knows ev- a white lab coat asks anyone who is willing to patients are also provided with maize meal and tect DR-TB in less than two hours instead of eryone, failure to greet fellow patients or en- give a testimony on their life with HIV. cooking oil, an initiative that encourages them three months, we are going to see many more gage in conversation is considered a sin. Patient 10, a light skinned mother of about to attend clinic regularly. people who will need reliable drug supplies to An elderly woman aged about 70, walks 50 years of age shares her experience. Her At 8.30 am, a team of four doctors from get cured,” observes Dr Jennifer Hughes of MSF. in with her head covered in a leso (wrap). She deceased husband, a medical doctor hid his Moi Referral Teaching Hospital, Eldoret arrive Each machine costs about $16,000 but WHO seems a favourite with the group, having open- HIV condition from her for 15 years. “It was in their huge four-wheel drive cars. This is the has promised to negotiate a lower price for low ly confessed that she was recently inherited af- only when his office called me to pick his be- group assigned to this Health Centre to take and middle-income countries like Kenya. ter her husband died. longings that I found a heap of medicine as care of the HIV survivors. There is a lot of ex- A 24-month drug resistant treatment regi- “Mama did you chew your groundnuts?” huge as the head of this baby you see here,” citement in the air. Hope has arrived. It is time men can cost as much as 9,325 dollars for a the women tease her. she says pointing to a child suckling a few to get up and pick the ARVs. patient, 470 times more than the cost of curing standard, drug-sensitive TB. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 7 Man illuminates profits in blackouts By HENRY KAHARA He has been in the business which covers my uncle in his business. When I only Huruma Estate for three years but says he started making candles some peo- Jack Guga 28, lives in Huruma Estate, Nairo- has plans of expanding it. ple used to despise me especially bi and here the term ‘blackout’ is not a new. “For now, I am satisfied with what I get as I when I went to ask for orders from When people are complaining over power am able to support my parents back at home. their shops,” he explains singling surges, it is music to his ears. I have also been paying my brother’s school out women shopkeepers. Guga says Whenever it power outages occur, Guga fees,” Guga explains. He is now preparing to despite all odds he has worked hard is sure that he will be counting profits as op- pay his college fees. and respected them. Today, he has posed to many entrepreneurs in the area who Other than having his uncle’s support, his share in the market. will be counting their losses. Guga says that his innovative nature may have “You know despite the fact that Guga’s business comes from manufactur- contributed to his going into the candle mak- sometimes people will look down ing candles that get an instant market from his ing business. upon you, you have to respect them neighbours the minute a blackout occurs. He because they are your boss even if learnt the trade from an uncle who has since Creativity they are Standard Three dropouts,” retired from his job as a marketing manager “When we were young, we would be very he observes. for East Africa at International Distillers Ke- innovative. We used to make toys and never Early this year, Guga appeared nya Limited. ran out of ideas contrary to today’s children in one of the major televisions in “My uncle used to make his own candles who always get ready made goods,” he says Kenya, something that has changed but that was during his leisure time. He was adding that internet and television has made his life. He says that from that time, a rich man and I think he despised the art as today’s children lazy. he has been receiving many phone he never attached any value to on it,” explains Although he has come this far, Guga has calls from people who are interested Guga. had his own ups and downs. “Before join- in learning how to make candles. What seemed to be of no value to his uncle ing this business, I used to be employed by “Many people around the coun- is today providing his daily bread and rent try have come to learn how to contrary to what many would have thought. make candles,” says Guga who Guga is a diploma graduate in Graphic Design “Like now when the fuel praises his business as one of from the Kenya Polytechnic University. the few one can carry out from He makes at least KSh50,000 in one month price was hiked and there his house. although he says the amount varies depending Training charges vary de- on the frequency of the blackouts. is a blackout, many people pending with the students. “Charges vary. There are some Jack Guga who is in the business of Candles who live in this area will not people who will come but you manufacturing candles at his house in Huruma “Like now when the fuel price was hiked and just have to bear with them and estate. Picture: Henry Kahara there is a blackout, many people who live in use kerosene lamps. Instead sincerely you just help them this area will not use kerosene lamps. Instead even if they have as little as give it a try,” Okoth explains. they will use candles to light up their houses, they will use candles to KSh5,000,” he says. Guga urges the Government to invest in so the demand rises,” he explains. According to one of his students, Violet the youth. He tells the Finance Minister that What he has to do to make his candles is light up their houses, so the Okoth, she came to learn of Guga through the national budget will not be of any use if simple. “I just buy wax at Desbro, a company television and she decided to inquire from people are still idle. He further urges the youth located in Industrial Area at KSh140 per kilo- demand rises.” him how to make them. to involve themselves in activities which will gramme. Normally I buy as much as 25 kilo- “I saw him on TV. I discussed the issue help them financially instead of waiting for of- grammes at a time,” explains Guga. — Jack Guga with my husband who encouraged me to fice jobs. Aids wreaking havoc in Migingo Community health workers By ODHIAMBO ODHIAMBO At the same time, the Kenyan Government is trained on treatment devotion considering deploying its security personnel to Sixty eight out of 90 residents of the disputed guard the disputed Migingo and Ugingo islands. By WANGARI MWANGI tract diseases from their mothers which Migingo Island in Lake Victoria are HIV positive. A senior intelligence officer from Nyanza would have been contained earlier if the Although the island has over 500 traders and fish- who requested anonymity as he is not autho- The public health department in Murang’a mother had visited the hospital,” Nyaga ermen, only 90 agreed to be tested voluntarily for rised to speak to the media, said they had re- District has launched induction train- pointed out. HIV and Aids. ceived the green light from Nairobi to send a ing for more than 200 community health Nyatike District Medical Officer of Health, Dr team of regular and administration police to workers to identify and take care of Tuber- Drawback Gordon Okomo said the situation was alarming guard the two islands. culosis and HIV patients who have ceased He said increased home deliveries have and needed to be addressed immediately. Continuous rows from taking drugs. been a major drawback towards reducing “I sent my officers to test the islanders in a District Public Health Officer, Joseph mother to child transmission, a situation that bid to establish the extent of HIV prevalence “We are soon going to send our officers to the Nyaga said majority of HIV patients have has resulted in high mortality rates. in the fish-rich densely populated island. Some islands to replace the Ugandan security forces. We withdrawn from seeking treatment as well “We are highly discouraging home de- declined to be tested for fear of testing positive,” are currently working on the logistics of the new as taking the recommended drugs and liveries which seem to have taken root in he said. deployment,” he said. diet. He lamented that they stay at home our rural areas. Instead we want mothers Okomo is now making plans to dispatch an- “The rows are going to be resolved soon. Final- and rush to the hospital only when the to deliver safely at the health facilities,” re- other medical team to take ARVs, condoms and ly, our government is showing firm commitment situation worsens. iterated Nyaga. offer Voluntary Testing and Counselling (VCT) to reclaim the islands. A chief is also going to be Speaking to the Press at the Murang’a He noted that reluctance of the people services. posted to the islands to co-ordinate the adminis- District Hospital, Nyaga said they have a to go to hospital has been hindering the de- “The officers will also tip the islanders on trative issues,” the officer explained. long list of people who had been put on partment from achieving its goal of provid- how to maintain high hygienic standards to avert A recent visit by the Kenyan authorities to treatment but have abandoned it. ing treatment to all the people in the area. break out of diseases,” the medic told journalists the islands was a precursor for the deployments, He singled out those on ARVs and TB “There is need to use the community in Migori. the officer explained. The Kenyan Government treatment who he accused of not complet- health workers as agents to sensitise people Migingo is currently flooded by commercial officials visited the troubled islands recently to ing their dose and risking resistance to- on the importance of visiting the hospital,” sex workers from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania and assess the situation barely a fortnight after Ugan- wards the drugs. Nyaga observed. Rwanda who come to partake part of the cash be- dan Government officials from Kampala visited He said the community health work- ing earned by the traders and fishermen whose the area. Abandoned treatment ers will act as referral agents and provide families live on the mainland beaches. Migingo fishermen are calling for action from “We are more concerned about the home based care where needed adding the government saying the are tired of empty Aids and TB patients who have abandoned that they will be equipped with the neces- Makeshift guest houses rhetoric. The fishermen said they were tired of their treatment since most of them do not sary facilities. Makeshift guesthouses have been set up on “peace meetings” and wanted to see Kenyan secu- readily admit that they are sick and refuse He also revealed that they will have spe- the island, charging as low as KSh100 per day. rity forces to take over the islands. to take the medicine or attend therapy,” ex- cific messages for different target groups to The prostitutes provide “warmth and comfort” to Chairman of the Migingo Beach Management plained Nyaga. educate them on likely causes and preven- the locals after a tedious day with unconfirmed Unit, Juma Ombori said the Head of State should He noted that a huge percentage of tion of various diseases as well as the need reports showing some of their clients include the “follow his pronouncement with action”. expectant mothers have also shunned to consult a doctor if they experience any Ugandan security officers. However, Kenyan officials asked islanders antenatal clinics for immunization, coun- signs of sickness. “We are treating Migingo like Kenyan prop- from both sides to co-exist peacefully in the spirit selling and treatment, putting at risk the However, Nyaga said financial con- erty following pronouncement by President of East African Community (EAC) as the two health of the unborn babies as well as straints have been a major challenge towards Kibaki early this month that it is ours. I am Governments sorted out the ownership row. their own. achieving this objective since they have only happy that the Ugandan security forces did not Machari who was accompanied by other secu- “Most of the newborns die immedi- managed to train 265 health workers out of harass my officers when they visited the island,” rity officials declared that nobody should settle on ately or soon after birth because they con- the 1,286 who have registered. observed Okomo. Ugingo until the Migingo dispute is resolved. 8 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Food security and good nutrition New body to manage cooperative societies are matters of national concern By KARIUKI MWANGI The Government has established an organisation By HENRY OWINO that will articulate issues of saving societies so as to strengthen the cooperative movement. Hunger and malnutrition are some Cooperative Development and Marketing minis- of the challenges facing Kenyans ter Joseph Nyagah said that the Cooperative Alliance today. All these have been blamed of Kenya will provide lobby and advocacy services on poverty as a key factor in food on behalf of individual members of various coopera- insecurity and poor nutrition in the tivs. country. “The cooperative movement has seen the estab- Food insecurity amongst Ke- lishment and growth of many institutions in Kenya. nyans is caused by both long term The only way to safeguard them is by having a strong (chronic) and short term (transitory) united cooperative movement which will operate factors. An estimated ten million like a union to press for their rights and needs,” he Kenyans — 28 per cent of the popu- said. lation suffer from chronic food inse- The minister who was speaking in Embu during curity, caused most often by poverty. the launch of Embu County Cooperative Develop- It is known that between two to four ment Forum said the cooperative movement in the million Kenyans require food assis- country is the strongest in Africa and ranks seventh tance at any given time. in the world with a membership of over nine million Addressing journalists in a people. workshop at the Kenya Agricultural He said the country has 12,000 registered coop- Research Institute (KARI) in Thika, erative societies in different sectors including agri- James Gethii, coordinator Maize culture, housing, transport, warehousing, finance Programme, KARI Katumani, said and insurance. He reiterated that more than half of the population in Kenya has been the population derive their livelihood directly or in- increasing in numbers as the land directly from cooperatives. continues to lose its fertility with people left with small plots to till Expected change and build homes. “Those in the agriculture sector contribute Feeding capacity A cassava plantation at the Kenya Agricultural Research Institute in Thika. 46 per cent of all the agricultural activities in the Picture: Henry Owino country while savings and credit cooperative soci- Gethii said Africa has the capac- eties contribute 31 per cent of the national savings,” ity to feed itself but insufficient and making it possible for them to grow in semi- fruits — sweet yellow and purple — but the said Nyagah. sustainable seeds supply is a major challenge Cooperative Bank, Cooperative Insurance Group, with a variety of crops depending on soil, lati- arid regions. common ones are the purple which can earn “Cassava has many varieties such as ndol- the farmer good money. Kenya Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives, tude and rainfall for better results. Kenya Rural Savings and Credit Cooperative Societ- This scenario, he said, has hampered many lo, extra mariakani, 0027 and 0127 among “Currently at KARI-Thika, we are trying others that can be used for various purposes to make the yellow passion fruit seeds avail- ies Union Limited and Kenya Cooperative Coffee Ex- farmers’ efforts to grow variety of crops with porters Limited among others are some of the major poverty taking its toll on them. like in flour or eaten as meal yet is easy to able to local farmers. However, plans are manage,” Gethii explained. underway to make it available to any farmer institutions established under the cooperative move- “Most seed companies in the country are ment. owned by government which controls most who wants them. We also encourage individ- Horticulture uals to grow them at their backyard,” Gwan- Nyagah said with the change that is expected to of the seed varieties imported for sale and come with the devolved government, cooperative distributions to farmers,” extolled Gethii. According to Lucy Gwandari, the Agricul- dari explained. tural Technician at KARI Thika, most farmers Nutrition leaders should play an active role within the coun- He called on farmers to diversify their ties in order to influence the direction the movement farming techniques as the climate has dwell on one particular crop forgetting about The issue of food security must also look horticulture and thus fail to grow fruits, veg- into nutrition. According to Terry Wefwafa, will take once the County governments take shape. changed tremendously and needs seeds of He challenged the youth to join cooperatives say- high quality that can withstand drought and etables and flowers. Director Division of Nutrition at the Ministry She reiterated that horticulture can help of Public Health and Sanitation, nutrition en- ing despite 65 per cent of the country’s population other diseases. being below 35 years, the youth were missing in the “Most farmers still think that the seeds farmers a great deal to withstand pests and compasses food diet, exercise, health and rest diseases making it possible for them to reap among other many things people do assume. movement. He observed that the Ministry of Coop- they used to plant in 1990s are viable today. erative Development had set up a special youth desk Some of them even use the seeds on the same from one crop if the other fails. Wefwafa said a big number of Kenyans “Fruits like passion, mangoes and oranges are malnourished with a big percentage be- to promote their presence in the movement. piece land not knowing that pests and diseas- “I direct that women and marginalised groups es wipe them out. It is high time farmers used can earn farmers good money. These can also ing children under five years. “Healthy chil- be grafted to mature early, resist diseases or dren learn better and people with adequate representation in cooperative leadership be included modern farming inputs,” reiterated Gethii. in all societies by-laws,” Nyagah directed, adding that He reminded farmers to invest in cultivat- withstand harsh weather conditions,” ex- nutrition are more productive and can create plained Gwandari. opportunities to gradually break the cycle of the Embu County Cooperative Development Forum ing crops like cassava that are drought resis- will ensure unity and development in the county. tant and withstand tough weather conditions She said there are two types of passion poverty and hunger,” she explained. New police station brings hope to Kakamega County By AGGREY BUCHUNJU tion will enhance security in the area. mestic violence cases. police officers,” Mukhonge said. “I think with the increased number of police “The absence of a gender desk is not a big He observed that unless the officers un- There is growing concern about insecurity in officers and the Officer Commanding Police issue because we have female police officers dergo a complete metamorphosis and stop various parts of the country with the ration of Station (OCS), the crime rate in the area will here who together with female village elders harassing people and demanding bribes be- police officer to civilian wanting. come down,” explained Kisaka. handle the cases effectively,” she said. fore offering services, insecurity will still be a Currently the ratio of police officers to civil- She urged area residents to work closely However, Kisaka was optimistic that the threat in the area. ians stands at one to 1,000. The international with the police officers through the com- station will establish the desk to address wom- recommended standard is one to 400. This ratio munity policing programme in order to em- en’s issues. Agreement indicates that the gap between police officers ploy proactive rather than reactive strategies Mrs Dorcah Wanyama, a resident of Sidikho He appealed to the officers to discard old and civilians is quite wide and needs to be nar- against crime. sub location in Kakamega County is optimistic habits and work professionally. rowed if security for a majority of Kenyans is to She said that although the police station has that the police station will provide protection “For change to be there in terms of ser- be achieved. two gazetted cells for male and female suspects, for women from brutal husbands. vice delivery and effective handling of crimes, However, in a bid to beef up security in the it has no vehicle to ferry them to the law courts “I think women in the area will now not be police officers should stop demanding bribes country, the Government has embarked on an in Kakamega town. beaten by their husbands on flimsy grounds and instead become responsive to the people’s ambitious programme to set up more police since men will now fear to be arrested and problems regardless of their social status.” stations. Gender desk called upon to account for their deeds,’ she His scepticism is echoed by Mr Mohammed Most police posts are now changing into However, she reiterated that despite the hic- says’ Otunga, a resident of Burangasi area in Kaka- police stations throughout the country amid cup, the Kakamega Central OCPD normally She, however appeals to fellow women in mega County who feels that the police station allegations of rampant laxity and corruption in sends a vehicle to the station to pick up suspects the area not to be rude to their husbands saying may not add value to the residents’ lives if they the force. that the OCS feels should be arraigned in court that with or without the police station women are not going to work professionally and desist Kakamega County’s Navakholo Police Post to answer charges. should always respect their husbands. from demanding bribes. was recently elevated to a police station with While every police station should have One of the area residents, Cusack Muk- “My view is that for the police station to mixed reactions from local leaders and resi- a gender desk at the station, Kisaka said they honge, cast doubt on the police officers’ ability change matters in the area the officers should dents. were yet to establish one at the station. Kisaka to reduce crime in the area. not be money minded but should instead deal According to area District Officer (DO), argued that lack of a gender desk at the station “Laxity and lack of responsiveness to the with emerging issues without fear or favour,” Mary Kisaka, the newly established police sta- has not affected the handling of rape and do- peoples’ cries are still very common among the he says. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 9 Anglican university gearing to open doors By KARIUKI MWANGI reconciliation in the country to ensure develop- ment. Since the introduction of the free primary educa- “Science and scholarships belongs to all tion in 2003 many children have flocked schools human beings, no matter the tribe, race, or re- in a bid to take advantage of affordable educa- ligion,” observed Williams. He added: “The tion. University should be a unification factor for all As more students continue to graduate out Kenyans and that students should study to en- of secondary schools, majority do not join uni- sure they are one family.” versity and other higher learning institutions be- Williams noted that having come from a dif- cause of the limited places. ficult moment of an election crisis, the country is This has posed a high demand for the es- hungry for lasting peace and reconciliation and a tablishment of more institutions to cater for the university with a religious foundation will come large number of the students. in handy to ensuring the same. This then forms the basis of the dream that “There is need to give hope to the young gen- the Anglican Church of Kenya had in establish- eration to ensure they grow with love and that ing their first university. they be faithful children who will grow to ac- The Kenya Anglican University is set to quire positive skills that will benefit the country open its doors to the first batch of students in in the future,” observed Williams. September. Head of the Anglican Church in Kenya Arch- Church input bishop, Dr Eliud Wabukala, said the church had Speaking at the same function, Higher educa- decided to start the university as part of its open- tion assistant minister Dr Kilemi Mwiria noted ing up opportunities of higher learning. that the input by the church in the expansion of higher learning institutions is a boost that will Right to education address the issue of equality in the provision of The Archbishop of Canterbury His Grace Dr Rowan Williams and the Archbishop He said all the children who access lower higher education. of the Anglican Church of Kenya lay a foundation stone at the proposed Kenya education have a right to more advanced edu- Mwiria noted that many people fail to access Anglican University in Kanyuambora Embu County. Picture: Kariuki Mwangi cation. institutions of higher learning due to the fewer “Education is the engine which will help the chances. “Construction of this university in the County will have two universities after the Pres- production, irrigation and mining in the area. country achieve Vision 2030 and there is need to grassroots will ensure affordability and accessi- ident signed for the establishment of a public Area Member of Parliament Lenny Kivuti put up institutions that are professionally sound bility,” said Mwiria. university within the region.” pointed out that the establishment of the uni- so as to promote guidelines to make a good soci- He observed that there was an urgent need He urged the Anglican University to work versity is a major opportunity for the Mbeere ety,” observed Wabukala. for the provision of higher learning institutions with the Commission for Higher Education to community. He said this was a milestone in The Archbishop was speaking in Embu in the country and that the Anglican University ensure quality education. He cautioned against promoting education status in the area that has where he was joined by the head of the Anglican will ensure more students are able to get into duplication saying that the realisation of the Vi- otherwise been lagging behind. Church in England, the Archbishop of Canter- various careers. sion 2030 requires a learned workforce. “The construction of the ACK University bury, Dr Rowan Williams in a tour of the up- “The ministry is working on initiatives that Mwiria noted that by establishing the Uni- will open up the otherwise remote constituency coming university. will foresee the establishment of public uni- versity in the arid and semi arid area of Mbeere, for agriculture and business thus boosting the Williams said the major role of the church versities in every county within the next two it will provide them with good research pro- economic status of the arid semi arid district,” university will be to promote peace, unity and years,” said Mwiria. He added: “By then Embu grammes that will address the issues of livestock observed Kivuti. Kenya raising an illiterate generation Pregnancies deny

By DAVID NJAGI gramme reached another 41.2 per cent. girls education From a mix of poor eyesight to absenteeism, “This is a demonstra- By AGGREY BUCHUNJU to a perennial shortage of teachers, a new tion that schooling is not report indicates that Kenya is paces behind translating into learning,” Early marriages and unwanted pregnancies hamper from achieving the UN Millennium Devel- says Rakesh Rajani, head girl-child education in the Western province. opment Goals (MDG) on universal primary of Twaweza East Africa, a The Kakamega Central District Kenya National education. watchdog that follows edu- Association of Parents [KNAP] chair, Daniel Oyalo, Details captured by the Uwezo Kenya 2011 cation trends in Kenya. says the rate of early marriages and unwanted preg- annual learning assessment report, suggests He adds: “A great level nancies among school-age girls is alarming. Mr Oyalo that the Kenya government may have won of aspirations for parents was speaking at Chebuyusi High School in Kakamega global praise for investing in free primary edu- and students are dashed. County during Navakholo Division Education Day. cation, but the system has failed in transfer- As nations, we are at a risk He disclosed that 11 girls in Bunyala have dropped ring skills to its school going generation. of being unable to imag- out of school due to pregnancies. Oyalo named some The country is said to be raising a semi- ine and craft better ideas.” of the schools where girls have dropped out as Buhai literate generation even with optimism that Katita Wambua, David Macharia, Dicken Macharia (all Primary School - two girls, Sisokhe Secondary School a renewed stream of funding would possibly Foundation in class one), Daniel Mwanzia (pre-unit) pupils from – four girls, Namirama Girls - one girl and Sidikho shore up primary school education. Researchers involved St Peter Clavers Primary School in Nairobi wait for Secondary School, four girls. According to the report, children in Kenya in the study link the poor their guardians to pick them from school after close Oyalo added that this unfortunate state of affairs are graduating from primary school without performance in Kenya’s pri- of the day’s classes at 1.00 p.m. Picture: David Njagi is a major cause of school dropout among girls. He having acquired basic skills in reading and mary schools to establish- called on all education stakeholders, including Kenya arithmetic. ment of institutions built services in line with the MDGs. National Union of Teachers [KNUT], to join hands “Only one third of children in class three on grand schemes but lacking in foundations. The report, which surveyed 3,574 schools, and take remedial measures. have acquired competencies for class two,” According John Mugo, Uwezo Kenya says on average there is a shortage of four “Knut officials should be bold enough to tell teach- says the report. It adds: “Half of the children country coordinator, poor learning due to un- teachers for every primary school in Kenya. ers that it is unprofessional to engage in illicit sex with in class four cannot do class two work. In nu- detected eyesight problems could have been According Joseph Karuga of KEPSHA the school girls instead of protecting a few teachers who impregnate school girls,” he said. meracy, nearly one out of ten children in class contained by having pupils attend regular situation has been catalysed by graft in the Oyalo appealed to Knut officials to engage other eight today cannot do class two level divi- comprehensive eye examinations. Ministry of Education. education stakeholders in dialogue whenever there is sions.” Details captured by the school and house- “This has put a heavy burden on parents, an alleged teacher-pupil sexual relationship. The report indicates that Kenya has failed hold based assessment which was carried out majority of whom are illiterate but are ex- “Unionists should investigate issues of immoral to insulate the free primary education with in 124 districts and engaged 134,000 children pected to contribute revenue for the employ- activities in our schools instead of outright dismissal basic comforts that make learning possible, in basic English, Kiswahili and mathematics ment of teachers,” said Karuga. and condemning people who raise the issues,” he ob- a trend that has critics questioning whether indicate that children are not learning because Out of all the 72,000 households in over served. the billions of dollars channelled to the sector they cannot see the blackboard from where 3,600 villages surveyed, one out of five teach- He reiterated that only dialogue will solve prob- have achieved the value they were meant for. they sit. ers are employed by parents, out of whom lems affecting education institutions. For instance, in terms of access to school “Poor eyesight is among other factors lead- 15.1 per cent of fathers have never attended Oyalo challenged parents whose girls are sexually grants and facilities, 91.7 per cent had received ing to bad grades and poor overall perfor- school. abused to involve KNAP, chiefs, education officers and the school grant allocated for January 2011, mance of children between six and 16 years,” John Mbugua, a parent from Ruiru in the police in order to ensure perpetrators are brought before the close of business the following explained Mugo. He added: “The ability of the Central Kenya, and who was captured by the to justice. month, in February. However, one out of ten eyes to focus and move systematically when report recommends that schools should have A parent at Sisokhe Secondary School, Mr John schools did not have a usable toilet while 57.3 reading a book is affecting learning.” designated days in which parents, teachers Barasa told the Reject on phone that female teachers per cent had access to clean drinking water. The Kenya Primary Schools Head Teach- and pupils can sit together to discuss issues at the school are to blame for the mess. Only 27.1 per cent and 24.3 per cent of ers Association (KEPSHA), said absenteeism about schooling. Much as parents have a responsibility to advise schools were issuing sanitary towels and a and teacher shortages are setbacks that the It is a recommendation that Mukhtar their daughters accordingly, female teachers on this first aid kit respectively, while 36.2 had a government can easily contain by reviewing Ogle of the Kenya National Examination school are equally to blame since they seem to have no fire extinguisher. The school feeding pro- its Vision 2030 to focus on delivering simple Council (KNEC) supports. time for female students,” he said. 10 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Peace race Rescued from the hooks of reconciles warring retrogressive culture factions By KABIA MATEGA By EKUWAM ADOU Culture and tradition have been the cause for un- derdevelopment in many parts of the country. Reformed battle-hardened warriors from The victims of these practices are normally warring pastoral communities congre- boys and girls who have no say of what course gated in Koom, Isiolo, to participate in a their lives should take and depend on what is peace run organised to bring a long term dictated to them by parents and the community solution to perennial cattle raids in the at large. area. The girls are forcefully circumcised and mar- Violence weary morans from Sam- ried off many times when they have not matured buru, Rendille, Turkana and Borana for marriage. The boys are also not spared from traded their guns for sports kits, and early marriage either. engaged each other in the gruelling 21 However, 27 girls and boys from one village in kilometre race organised by Northern Narok will live to tell a different story. The chil- Rangeland Trust (NRLT), a conserva- dren from a village in the Mara Division, Narok tion forum operating in the area. South District have a reason to smile after they Adversaries in long-running hostili- finally landed a sponsor to cater for their educa- ties, the warring communities hugged tion and upkeep. and kissed each other after the com- The 23 girls and four boys are the recent vic- petitive race held under sweltering heat tims of forced female genital mutilation and sub- which left warriors drenched in sweat. sequent early marriage for boys. The underage The scene was quite opposite for the boys were reportedly forced to herd family cattle A parent at Nkoilale Primary School in Mara division of Narok South District, Narok warriors who have endlessly engaged as a way of instilling bravery on them before they County attempts to forcibly remove his two daughters from the school. They were each other in a vicious cycle of violence join moranism. among the 27 rescued from forced FGM and early marriage. Picture: Kabia Matega through retaliatory cattle raids. The sponsor who came to the rescue of the Over 50 morans who had confessed pupils aged between four and 14 years, some of He promised to mobilise other investors in rooted cultural practices like female genital mu- and discarded cattle rustling, participat- whom were reportedly pregnant, is an investor the area to offer employment to youth from the tilation (FGM) and early marriage for underage ed in the inaugural event which brought in tourism including hotels in the Masai Mara locality who successfully complete school. girls as well as initiation into moranism activities together warriors from Isiolo, Samburu, Game Reserve. The rescued children have found refuge at had impacted negatively on the education of the Marsabit, Laisamis and Moyale districts the newly established Nkoilale Primary School, children. in a bid to cement and create harmony Tears boarding section, where they will remain under Leaders and villagers pledged to cultivate among warring communities. Ann Naishipae, a Standard Six pupil narrated the care of the school management. teamwork spirit in the fight against retrogressive The event’s coordinator, Gabriel Ny- amid sobs how she was cornered by a group of The school’s headteacher is credited for having practices that were harmful to the community ausi, a community development officer women in her homestead and frog marched to a led most of the successful rescue missions and cur- and more so to the children. with NRLT, said the move was a long- nearby bush where she was circumcised. rently the school is home to over 100 such cases. Officials led by the District Education Officer, term strategy that is expected to bring “After a few weeks of healing, an elderly man “I organised the rescue mission soon after my Ambolwa Obiri said no girl from the area had about change as well as cultivate positive was to me as my future husband. My father told teachers reported the absence of some of the girls completed primary education while a handful of attitude and co-existence among war- me that the man had already paid part of the and boys,” says Lolskan. He observes: “Swift action boys have managed to pursue higher education ring communities. “The morans have dowry and there was no going back,” explains Na- helped us manage to unearth the intended plans to with none going beyond Form Four. been embroiled in deep-seated mistrust ishpae. She adds: “It was like a miracle when two marry off the girls.” Since the beginning of this year more than and suspicions which breeds hostilities,” days later I saw my headteacher Jacob Lolskan and 270 girls have been rescued from early mar- said Nyausi. other men that I did not immediately recognise No action riages and are pursuing their studies in other storm our compound.” The rescued boys had been forced to herd fam- boarding schools like Siana and Talek. Hidden talent After a heated argument with my parents, ily animals before they could be recruited to join “Boarding schools in the Mara Division are Koom Trading Centre, once a vi- Lolskan and his team took Naishpae away. “They moranism. Despite having positively identified like rescue centres as most of the girls are victims brant business destination but now in admitted me to Nkoilkale Primary School while the errant parents and those implicated in the ille- of early marriages who were snatched from their ruins after it was deserted at the height I was still dressed in my traditional headgear,” gal marriages, Lolskan complained that no action husbands. Some of these husbands are five folds of incessant fighting between the Sam- she explains with tears rolling down her cheeks. has been taken. the girls’ age,” said Obiri. He called for stern ac- buru and Borana between 2000 to 2003, Andrew Stalwart, Managing Director and “We strongly doubt the sincerity of the grass- tion against defiant parents implicated in the illicit was picked as the venue. It proved to be proprietor of Bushtop Camp/Hotel pledged to roots’ provincial administration and security in marriages. a reminder of the debilitating effects of give full education and maintenance to the res- the fight against the ever increasing cases of early District Medical Officer of Health, Dr Gideon conflict. cued children after their plight was narrated and marriage and moranism menace in the area,” he Toroitich disclosed that a recent drive to recruit 15 Hidden and unexploited athletics a proposal forwarded to him by members of the lamented. trained nurses from the Maasai community could talents among the morans came out rescue team led by Lolskan. However, a joyful moment engulfed Nkoilale not bear fruits because he only managed to get five. evidently when Lkitangin Lengima, “I note with concern that poverty has en- Primary School grounds when government offi- Majority of parents indicated that they were a 23-year-old herdsman ran under the gulfed a good number of the Maasai community cers, political leaders and villagers came together unaware of the Children’s Act that could be in- one hour mark and posted an impres- especially when they have lost almost all of their as team to condemn the rising cases of dropouts. voked and land them in court for abuse and neg- sive 58 minutes at the finishing line. animals to the biting drought,” observed Stalwart. The unusual forum heard how some of deeply ligence. The raw bubbling talent for the up- start was astounding with the second runner distantly following him 20 min- utes later. The encouraging performance Bank sponsors pastoralist students prompted the former speaker of Nation- By HUSSEIN DIDO following the ravaging drought that has contin- a chance to further her education and received a al Assembly, Francis ole Kaparo, to urge ued to hit parts of this region,” he said. full payment cheque alongside school shopping the participants to consider venturing The manager noted that those with 330 package. “The biggest challenge in school is to into athletics to make a living. Twenty nine bright students from poor families marks and above in last years KCPE exam and overcome peer pressure and work extra hard to Kaparo who was the chief guest at in Isiolo County benefited from Equity bank orphans will be given priority for scholarship. ensure that I keep the candle burning to join the event said it was regrettable that education sponsorship meant to cushion poor Fardosa Abdi aged 14 is among the stu- public university,” she says. most youth in the area languished in pastoralists against the ravaging drought. dents from the pastoral region who managed A number of girls especially from the pasto- poverty since their talent was untapped. Out of 29 students 15 are in secondary to secure a scholarship with equity bank under ral communities either drop out of school due to Various cash prizes were handed school while 14 are pursuing degree courses in Equity foundation to further her education and early marriage or Female Genital Mutilation, a to the victors with the winning mo- various universities in Kenya. join Kaaga Secondary school. culture she claims had retarded development in ran bagging KSh24,000, (equivalent Isiolo branch Manager Abdi Godana who A number of children who performed well the region. of cow). The first runners up received paraded the students during this years Educa- in the last year’s exams mainly orphans were Abdi claims the bank would absorb more stu- KSh22,000 with second runner-up get- tion day at Isiolo cathedral said the candidates lucky to have been picked for scholarships by dents into the programme once they open a new ting KSh20,000. There were consolation were picked after thorough vetting to ensure Equity bank Isiolo branch. branch in Garba-Tulla and Merti district next prizes being awarded to all participants chances go to deserving cases in the area. Fardosa who was yearning to pursue her ed- year to give desperate pastoral youths a new lease who finished the race. He said at least seven boys and five girls ucation to university was elated when the Isiolo of life. The peace initiative comes in the would be picked for sponsorship up to univer- branch Equity Manager broke the good news to More than 800 youths in the country have wake of a renewed wave of pasture re- sity every year by the branch. her together with 15 year old Osman Adan who benefited from Equity bank scholarship fund lated violence in the region which cul- The first 13 graduates sponsored by the scored 375 in last years exam. which was launched by the Minister for Educa- minated in the three separate killings. bank from Isiolo will be out in the market this year. “The bank has increased the scholarship She could not hide her joy after she secured tion last year. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 11 Service delivery falls short as drought bites hard By BENSON MWANGA are on-going and assisting households in the lowlands, it is evident that in the rain- Severe drought has started taking its toll in Ta- fed areas, majority of households are hav- ita-Taveta as the County continues to grapple ing one meal per day while a few go with with incessant food and water shortages due one meal every two days. rapidly changing weather patterns. It is estimated that close to 100,000 Not even institutions like schools and people are in need of relief supplies to health facilities have been spared the food and stave off hunger pangs in the County. water crisis unfolding in the region as the un- Wundanyi District Officer David Boen relenting drought has severely affected learn- says food security status is expected to de- ing and service delivery. teriorate not only due to drought but also A high rate of absenteeism has also been re- because of the escalating prices of food ported as some school-going children are forced commodities and fuel. to stay at home to look after their younger sib- “The nutrition status of children below lings as their parents go look for food and water. five years, the elderly included and people The poor performance of the long rains this living with HIV/Aids are at risk,” he ob- year has led to massive crop failure. Worse still, serves. even where residents hoped to harvest some Boen says they have started distribut- food, it was destroyed by marauding herds of ing relief food to local drought-stricken elephants in the dry lowlands of the region. schools to stabilise enrolment that has been dropping at an alarming rate due to Relief dependent the drought. In the lowlands, ten to 20 per cent of “Part of the 760 bags of relief received households harvested but the food would last from the Government recently has been for only one month. This has forced them to distributed to 13 schools that have been continue being relief-dependent. hit by drought,” he noted. At the same time, the region has been ex- The situation has been worsened by the periencing conflicts over fast diminishing re- withdrawal of the regular school feeding sources like water and pasture as it has been programme with education officials report- recording a huge influx of livestock from other ing that some pupils were even collapsing parts of the country. due to hunger. Residents in the lower parts of the County Parents and pupils of Paranga Village in Wundanyi Division, Taita-Taveta fetching have started incurring losses as their livestock Water stress water at a drying water source in the County. have reportedly been dying from lack of pasture Officials of the Arid Lands Resource Picture: Benson Mwanga and water, an issue that has also put the lives of Management Project II (ALRMP) say the local community at risk if it does not rain most water sources have dried up and soon. public institutions are reporting water farmers and pastoralists has been on the in- Park. This, he noted, has resulted in an increase In hardest hit areas of Kishushe, Sangenyi, stress which is affecting learning and service crease in the area,” says Preston Mwaponda, in persistent human wildlife conflict in the area. Mwaroko, Buguta, Msau, Mahandakini, Mata delivery. community mobilisation officer with the Arid He at the same time says another major and parts of Tausa it is evident that residents are Among the water bodies that have dried Lands Resource Management Project II. challenge is the influx of livestock from North starving as their entire maize crop dried up. up is Voi River which is a major source for the Livestock body is deteriorating fast due to Eastern Province and Tana River County into According to nominated councillor Pencera area residents, livestock and wildlife. increased trekking distance to water points the local ranches which pose a health risk to lo- Kisomba panic and anxiety has gripped Paran- Though funds have been set aside for wa- where the animals cover between four to six cal livestock. ga and Mlilo areas of Taita District as cows have ter trucking, payment of staff allowances and kilometres compared to County average of 2.5. Taita District Warden Constance Mwasho started dying as a result of drought. minor repairs, the challenge is that the County This is according to a drought monthly bulletin says wildlife has also been hit by the drought. “The area has not received rainfall for the has only old water bower that breaks down for June released by Arid Lands Resource Man- “There isn’t enough pasture for wildlife in the last four years. If it does not rain on time, then frequently, reducing the turnaround time for agement Project II. park owing to drought which has made animals there will be a catastrophe,” warned Kisomba. water delivery to water stressed areas. Mwaponda says there has been a high in- move out in search water. This has led to conflict Although food distribution programmes “Water based resource conflict between cidence of livestock grazing in Tsavo National with human beings,” explained Mwasho. Drought affects food Government accused of failing supplies in city market to mitigate against drought By Valerie Aseto His neighbor Janet Adhiambo, who sells maize, By HUSSEIN DIDO “The Government was relying on tradi- says their suppliers continue to hike prices. As the tional approaches instead of embracing sci- It is 7.00 o’clock in the morning, and everyone at food business is facing hard times, she is explor- The Government has been challenged to entific methods that could offer solutions and the usually busy Gikomba market seems idle with ing venturing into other businesses. For the past come up with clear policy on drought mitiga- avert further human suffering,” explained Ku- despair and hopelessness written all over their 15 years, Adhiambo’s business has been doing well tion measures meant to cushion pastoralists mar. faces. Andrew Mathengea 42 year old, renowned but the current drought is ‘spoiling the business’. against drought. The directors appealed to the Government onion supplier says the ongoing drought in most She says: “What is happening in our country Officials of Action Aid Kenya together with to invest heavily in the livestock and agricul- parts of the country has affected the food supplies today is unheard of. This country has very rich those from Sweden visited Isiolo and regret- ture sectors as a way of overcoming the chal- in the market immensely. soil especially in areas like Eldoret, Trans-nzo- ted that the recurrent drought has continued lenges. Mathenge wears a worn-out and desperate ia, Kisii among others. But all shortfalls came to affect human beings and animals with the The duo made the remarks in Isiolo dur- expression signaling dissatisfaction and disap- about as a result of reduced rainfall and climate Government failing to contain the situation by ing a tour of the County where they launched pointment. He tries to ignore some of the ques- change that has affected the world at large.” coming up with home grown solutions. a school feeding programme. tions saying the drought is God sent and no one Adhiambo is however optimistic that maize Action Aid Country Director Bijay Kumar The directors called upon heads of 15 ought to speak about it. supplies will increase since some parts of the and his Swedish counterpart Ylva Stromberg schools in Isiolo, which had received foodstuff But in a turn of events, he quickly opens up country are beginning to receive rainfall. She also said it was regrettable that more than five mil- from Action Aid International through the and says his sales have gone down with no onions argues that the ever rising cost of maize has been lion people in Kenya are in dire need of relief school feeding programme to waive fees for to sell but once in a while when the onions come exaggerated by millers as the country has not run food. their pupils. by, the prices are high that he is forced to hike the out of the precious crop. They said there was need for the Govern- “The organisation through its emergency prices in order to make something worthwhile at The same sentiments are echoed by Christo- intervention school feeding programme ex- the end of the day. pher Wamaitha who owns a grocery. But on the ment to adapt a holistic approach that would “Life is very difficult today and if the drought contrary, Wamaitha accuses the government of identify underlying causes of perennial pects schools’ administrators to waive fees persists, the situation would be worse than to- being reluctant about the welfare of its people. drought before seeking solutions to combat since it has provided foodstuff for pupils’ up- day. We used to buy a sack of onions at around He says in most places especially in Trans- the menace. keep,” explained Kumar. KSh1800 and now it has tripled,” he says. nzoiaCounty, farmers are looking for the buyers The directors said it was pertinent for Out of 4,000 school going children who Mathenge however says that people would to sell to while the government enjoys politick- the communities ravaged by drought to be benefited from the programme, some are be forced to use other alternatives instead of de- ing every step to curb the food shortage in the actively involved in identifying the causes from vast and hard hit areas that include pending entirely on the most common and staple country. and suggesting solutions that could mitigate Merti, Kipsing, Sericho and Oldonyiro. food they are used to. According to him, the “Go to Trans-Nzoia now and you will find against the perennial drought. Stromberg said it was unfortunate that government ought to embrace the Genetically that maize is there in plenty. What is happening They called on the Government to rise people were still dying of hunger and malnu- Modified Organisms (GMOs) to supplement in the country at the moment is a mockery,” he above expectations adding that the country trition in the 21st Century despite the tech- food supplies in the country.He says those who says. Wamaitha feels that he cannot rule climate had not effectively managed to fast track so- nological advancements that could be used to are opposed to the idea, have not yet felt the heat change. “But then I am very sure there is enough lutions in managing drought. harness agricultural resources. of the food shortage that has hit the country. food in the country,” he adds. 12 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Return of imprisoned son stirs village By CAROLINE WANGECHI and that for the eight years they were to- gether, he had been obedient and com- It was joy for Jotham Mwangi, 28, when he was mitted to exploring new techniques of released from Kerugoya Prison recently to re- dressmaking and tailoring that he had turn to his home in Kiamaina village, Kirinyaga learnt in prison. Central district. Kulobar said that the prison depart- Mwangi could not believe he was leaving ment gave Mwangi an electronic sewing Kerugoya Prison where he had served eight machine worth KSh70,000 and cloth years and eight months after being convicted material to enable him start a life for to serve 25 years for robbery with violence and himself. rape charges. There was joy in his home where relatives Back to prison came out in large numbers to welcome him “They will sometimes commit crimes back into the society. so that they can get back to prison to a Tears flowed down his mother’s cheeks as lifestyle they are used to,” observes Ku- she could not believe Mwangi would come back lobar. Mwangi carrying his sewing machine accompanied home a reformed man. He says the only solution is to keep by prison warders after his release from Kerugoya His 50-year-old mother, Judy Kabuchi, had ex-prisoners within the society by inte- Prison. Mwangi is hugged by his mother Judy lost hope of seeing her son alive and said all she grating them and not reminding them Kibuchi at their home in Kiamaina Village. could think of is the prison wardens calling her of their previous wrongdoings. “When Pictures: Caroline Wangechi to collect his body. ex-prisoners are lonely and see that so- Kabuchi says every time she sat with her ciety does not accept them, they tend to other children, Mwangi always came to her engage in criminal-related activities so years. From there, he went to Naivasha, Kisu- mind. “I would get disturbed and ask God why that they can return where they are accepted,” mu, Shimo la Tewa, Kamiti, back to King’ong’o, he hated me so much that my first born had to explained Kulobar. Embu, Meru and back in Kerugoya. During carry such a heavy cross,’ recalls Kabuchi. Father Francis Githinji, chaplain at Keru- that time, he saw many inmates die in their goya Prison from the Catholic Diocese of travel. Appeal Murang’a, said that the church has a role to play “I saw my three friends die in prison in un- However, now that he is back, she says the in designing follow-up programmes for all ex- clear circumstances, but I give God the glory family will take care of him to see if he can inmates so that they do not end up in jail again. for making me come back home being safe and make use of whatever he learnt in prison. He said society has an obligation to accept sound,” he said. Mwangi’s father, Daniel Kabuchi, has only ex-convicts back so that they can live in har- He also said that relatives and neighbours one request for the community, that they do mony and forget their past life. victimise ex-prisoners despite them changing not victimise or discriminate against his son Before Mwangi went back to Kerugoya GK their ways. since the torture the family underwent when he Prison in 2009, he served in King’ong’o for four He also said Government should investigate was in prison was still heavy in their hearts and minds. Speaking with tears rolling down his cheeks, “When ex-prisoners are lonely and see that society does cases seriously since many are jailed innocently Mwangi says that he is now a reformed man while the masterminds and planners are out en- and that the courses he has learnt during the not accept them, they tend to engage in criminal-related joying their freedom. eight years of incarceration will be well utilised. “Many of us who have come out of prison He says life in jail is not a joke, citing that out- activities so that they can return where they are accepted.” will carry other people’s burdens when a crime side light seems to be brighter than the dim jail is committed since we will be the first suspects,” light. — Inspector Sammy Kulobar he said. “I cannot believe that I am able to breathe fresh air and see the sun outside prison,” he says. While in prison, Mwangi says he tried to commit suicide several times but was rescued Society must make room for rehabilitated offenders by warders on patrol who found him writhing By ERIC MUTAI completed a six-year sentence at the Embu woman says that those who expected her to die in pain. Prison in 2004. He was lucky to find the Maan- after she was diagnosed with the disease are “I had lost hope of being alive after the court As they come out of jail, ex-offenders are often isha programme in place. swallowing back their predictions. ruled that I was to serve for 25 years. Every time faced with rejection which makes them return After training, he was adopted by the group “I have been able to accept my life through I remembered how my mother cried loud while to the life of the crime that they are supposed to before he graduated to an ex-offenders’ trainer the training offered by this programme. I un- I was being taken away to the court cells, I felt have reformed from. on basic human rights. derstand that life must go on. I have been in- that I was not supposed to be alive. I decided to Prison officers blame the public for not His job also entails going around the strumental in giving home care to families of look for a poison concoction which I took to accepting rehabilitated prisoners. They say villages teaching families to accept his ex- those affected and infected,” she told the Reject. die,” he explained. the prisoners go back to criminal activities to prisoners back so that they can live full lives. The group begun in 2004 with 29 prison- For Mwangi prison life is not what any hu- fend for themselves after being shunned by The ex-offenders are organised into groups. ers — 11 men and 18 women — and has been man being should admire since it leaves one the public. They are engaged in activities such as fish growing as more ex-prisoners link it with the feeling abandoned and lonely. “We try our best to rehabilitate them but farming where they operate two fish ponds with positive results they have seen on their col- “In prison, there are no human beings. They once the public judges them as criminals and support from the Ministry of Agriculture, rabbit leagues. are all animals since only animals stay in cages treats them as such, they end up committing rearing and goat keeping as a means of income “Initially, we only attracted a few but on see- and closed places and when you call them peo- more crime. When they come back to us we generation once they complete their jail terms. ing how their colleagues who have joined the ple, one is beaten and reminded that they are feel like we have not done anything to reha- “Most ex-offenders were not being accepted group are faring, we are getting new members animals and not human beings,” he recalls. bilitate them,” says Aggrey Onyango, the Embu by their communities and were often shunned as often as they are released from jail,” said Trial prison boss. which created a problem for their integra- Rosemary Wanja Nthiga, a trainer. tion to the society,” says Paul Njagi, a trainer When he was first convicted to serve a 25- Integration with the programme. He says convicts and the Acceptance year jail term by a Kerugoya court in 2003 aged However, not everybody feels the same public at large need to be trained on integra- However, the ex-prisoners complained that 21, Mwangi felt like a hated man but admitted about ex-prisoners. A group in Embu has come tion to create conducive environments for the they do not have chances for formal education to having committed the two offences. up with a way to integrate the ex-offenders to community and prisoners’ growth in their new after completing their sentences because they Paying for the evils was a bitter pill for him make them feel comfortable in the community lives. cannot acquire certificates of good conduct. to swallow. While in jail, he filed an appeal and find a way of supporting themselves. According to Njagi, some of the prisoners Lack of recognition from financial institu- at the High Court in Nyeri and the 25 years The Vision Integrated Community pro- have contemplated running away from their tions due to lack of capital was also identified as were reduced to 10 after the robbery with vio- grammes group, is an initiative by the Embu communities but after training they accept another major reason why their lives have not lence case was dismissed for lack of evidence. probation office in partnership with AMREF. their situation and end up contributing to the moved a notch higher. However, many appre- According to Inspector Sammy Kulobar, Hundreds of released prisoners have been able community’s well being. Not only does the ciate that the programme is offering an alterna- Mwangi had reformed completely, saying that to undertake training on life outside the prison programme work on rehabilitation, it also goes tive to a life of crime. with the new rules that were introduced in the walls. a step forward to make families of ex-prisoners Since last year, the programme has received Prison Department in 2004, many convicts The group moves around creating aware- comfortable with their circumstances. donations of KSh664,570 from Maanisha show change in behaviour. ness in the community that they should allow Margaret Njura Kariuki, 49, was widowed Initiative to support ex-prisoners by provid- “They are often released so that they can put ex-prisoners to get back to normal life by trans- after her husband succumbed to Aids while at ing them with agricultural inputs and also into practice what they have learnt while they forming them from being ‘a mess to a messen- the Kamiti GK Prison serving a four year term. building their capacity on human rights ad- were serving their term in prison,” explained g e r ’. Through the programme, she was identified vocacy and community sensitisation on Men Kulobar. Thirty three year old Joshua Njeru Josphat and trained on positive living. The now robust Serving Men (MSM) in the Embu Prison. He said that Mwangi’s case is very unique ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 13 Search for water shortened as projects bridge gap By KEN NDAMBU average distance to the nearest potable water point is five kilometres. North- Martha Kithome wakes up at 6 am in the morn- ern, southern and eastern parts of the ing to the scorching sun in Miambani location, county are hard hit, with women and Mui division, Mwingi District. children being especially vulnerable At this time the humidity is high and resi- since they spend long hours in search dents attribute this to the presence of coal that of water. geologists claim can be found in the region. The Poverty in Kenya Report of Kithome hurriedly wakes up Beth, her 14 June 2000 shows the poverty level in year old daughter, orders her not to go to school Kitui County as being 65 percent, with but to load eight 20-litre jerri cans on their two two to three people in a family re- donkeys as they prepare for the 16 kilometre ported as poor. The poorest of the poor journey for water. come from divisions that record erratic As the young girl starts the trip, Kithome rainfall. rushes to a nearby quarry to harvest some con- However, through the Constitu- crete stones and put them on the road for sale ency Development Fund (CDF) in before going back home to prepare lunch for Mwingi South and Mwingi North Beth. constituencies and with support from At mid-day, lunch is ready, and Kithome the National Water Conservation and packs it as she joins Beth at the water point. She Pipeline, several water kiosks have is hopeful that they will meet somewhere along been established along the main roads the way after the girl has filled the containers so that residents can fetch water at and is on her way home with the precious com- minimal costs. modity. Despite these efforts, residents still suffer from walking long distances to Struggle reach the water points, which at times Kithome is not the only one faced with wa- will runs out of water due to over usage. ter problems. In her neighbourhood, Kathini “Each day, this water kiosk only Mutua lives on water handouts from friends supplies water to 110 20-litre jerri cans after one of her donkeys died and another dis- and those who are not lucky to get the appeared. Without donkeys, life is unbearable commodity have to wait until the fol- since it becomes difficult to access water. lowing day,” explains Mwikali Mutua, This is just the tip of the iceberg that explains a water kiosk attendant along Mwingi- how women in Kitui County must struggle to Mui road. get water and eke out a living. The women and She attributes the problem to resi- Maua Mwikya tries to fetch water from a deep well near the Mweiwa River in Mui Division. donkey are inter-twined, with the animal being dents who bring their livestock to the Picture: Ken Ndambu a necessity in their lives. kiosks to drink water. “If the com- Kitui County lies in a semi-arid zone. Often munity takes water for their livestock Mwikya. all be attributed to improper water and sanita- it gets low rainfall and the water tables can get home, the kiosks can serve more people each Among organizations with vigorous wa- tion standards in schools and homesteads,” ex- very low. When drought is severe, women fore- day,” reiterates Mutua. ter harness campaigns in the region is the plains Denge Lugayu AMREF Manager. go other income-generating activities to search African Medical Research Foundation (AM- Through AMREF’s intervention, 155,600 for water. Risky attempt REF), which has built 395 shallow wells with people — 48 percent — of the district popula- “Boys are encouraged to get married im- Due to inadequate water supply, the villagers the goal of reducing the walking distance to tion in the project area now have access to safe mediately they finish school so that the young have grouped themselves into units to dig wells water points to two kilometres. and clean water, while 13 primary schools in wives the take responsibility of searching for along seasonal rivers as well as rock catchment The organisation has projects in Mwitika, Mwitika and Mutito have storage water tanks water since older women cannot make it to the pans built with support from non governmen- Mutito and Kitui Central Divisions, where 13 and toilets. far away water points,” explains Mzee Martin tal organisations that they can turn to when the primary schools have benefited from roof water According to Lugayu, establishment of shal- Muthoka, a villager in Mui Location. kiosks run dry. catchment schemes, improvements to infra- low wells and provision of tanks in schools has He says before a woman marries, her par- “Sometimes it is dangerous for women to structures and promotions of health through ensured that the children now have clean and ents demand that the husband must have a get water from these wells because some are child-to-child approaches. safe water. They also do not have to scoop dirty donkey so as not to burden the newly-married very deep and they stand the risk of being Peter Kasii who is the AMREF Kitui office water from the dry rivers. girl in the search for water. buried alive,” says Maua Mwikya as she scoops public health officer says that a baseline survey In Mutomo District, residents can now “This is a requirement here and we have to water from a well along Mweiwa River, Mui conducted in 64 primary schools in the project breathe a sigh of relief after World Vision Ameri- live with it,” says Kithome, observing that due division. area showed that three quarters of the schools ca launched a KSh300 million project in the con- to the long distances that one has to walk in the Some of the catchment water points are built lacked classrooms, while half of the schools had struction of a water pipeline from Athi River to search for water, a donkey is a necessity. high in the rocks, making it difficult for women no toilets, exposing the pupils to serious health Mutomo town, a stretch of 65 kilometres. The water and sanitation problem in Kitui to climb up to draw water. hazards. Under the Kenya WASH Integrated Initia- County is so pathetic that only 6,000 house- “In such a situation, women are forced to “Malaria, pneumonia, intestinal infections, tive (KIWI), 69,000 residents in four locations holds have access to portable water, which is hire men to draw the water for them,” explains TB and diarrhoea cases are high and they can of Mutomo, Mathima, Kivyuni and Kanziko only 5.8 per cent of the district population. will benefit from the facility expected to be implemented in five years. Access to water “Boys are encouraged to get married immediately The World Vision Integrated Project Area According to the district 2001-2008 devel- (IPA) manager, Peter Nyororo, during the opment plan, 6,319 households, representing they finish school so that the young wives the take launch of the project in Mutomo, said 10 bore- 6.1 per cent of the district population of 780,729 holes, 10 rock catchment pans and 10 earth people, have access to safe and clean piped wa- responsibility of searching for water since older women dams will be constructed along the pipeline. ter, while only 600 households, or 0.6 per cent, At the end of the projects, 33,000 children have roof water harvesting facilities. cannot make it to the far away water points.” from 4,000 households will benefit from water, On sanitation, 2,400 homesteads have ven- — Mzee Martin Muthoka sanitation and hygiene improvements at both a tilated improved pit (VIP) latrines, while the household level and in schools. High population to blame for poverty By CAROLINE WANGECHI spite the town being cosmopolitan, very many Efforts to have Muthoni’s sons arrested and food on the table,” observed Gitau. children have dropped out of school due to taken back to school have been unsuccessful as He said that many people who cannot afford Rise in population has seen many families not poverty which has been attributed to the in- they ran away from home to be employed by a to pay for house rent have resulted in moving able to cater for their children’s needs. crease in population. neighbour to man the rice fields. to the slums that are in the constituency. Mwea though perceived to be the richest She said that before Mwea increased to Githogondo slum has the highest popula- The MP also said that with the rising num- town in Kirinyaga County, has the largest per- 190,512 people, it had only 90,000 people and tion of migrants. Shauri Yako and Mathiga-ini ber of people, insecurity was a major challenge. centage of poor people. parents were able to cater for their children’s slums are also overpopulated with an increas- Kirinyaga County has a population of The area is well known for growing of rice needs. ing number of street children. 528,054 with 260,630 males to 267,424 females. as the main cash crop, farming of French beans, A mother of three boys, Muthoni’s sons have According to the area MP Peter Gitau, the Mwea has the largest number in population ac- tomatoes. since dropped out of school. She argues that rising number has made very many people cording to the 2010 population census. Mwea Mwea also has the highest number of child education cannot make them earn the amount poor considering that the largest number has has a population of 190,512 in a 542.6 area labour with boys being forced out of school of money they take home at the end of the day. not gone to school. square. to either look after the cattle or work in the Casual labourers go home with over “Poverty is also attributed to illiteracy levels The population rise has made some people rice fields. KSh2,000, making it hard for them to continue considering that many boys and girls prefer to encroach the banks of the dangerous river Thi- According to Mary Muthoni a parent, de- learning as they have sustain their families. do domestic work that will enable them place ba endangering their lives. 14 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Girl lands lame from suspect injection By ABISAI AMUGUNE the fitting exercise after which she was booked for an operation at Kijabe in 2006. To date she When Stella Wambui enrolled for primary edu- has not gone for the surgery. cation eight years ago, she had dreams of be- Not convinced with the way the matter had coming a medical doctor. been handled at the Kitale District Hospital, At 13, Wambui’s dreams were shattered in Kwamboka decided to consult a Kitale-based 2005 when she was in Standard Four. The girl private medical practitioner Dr Samuel Njenga was disfigured while being treated for a convul- for sample analysis. sion. According to Njenga, Wambui’s left lower From numbness to several body disorders, limb was swollen and, therefore, could not en- which developed from an injection she received able her stand upright. from a local clinic at Kiminini Township, Trans- Njenga’s report dated May 23, 2007 said the Nzoia County, Wambui now has to use a walking left leg and foot muscles had total loss of flexion stick. of movement while the left buttock had a per- A former athlete at Kiminini Primary manent scar “but without any lump”. School, today she can only spectate from the It read in part: “As a result of an injection, Kwamboka, terraces. Wambui was bright and would always she sustained left sciatic nerve damage which Wambui’s mother emerge among the top ten pupils in her class. created a paralysis of the flexor muscles of the adjusts her Today she finds herself trailing behind her left foot which caused a foot-drop”. daughter’s leg counterparts after she developed lack of con- at their home. centration and disinterest. Grievous bodily harm Wambui talks to her When she completed her primary educa- It added: “The clinical result indicate griev- mother and walks tion in 2009, she could only manage to score ous bodily harm and I have accessed the degree to exercise her 250 points. Her former headmaster, Stephen of permanent incapacity to as much as 38 per- leg. Picture: Abisai Makali is worried about Wambui’s future if she cent.” Amugune does not seek urgent medical attention. What this was alluding to was that Wambui Initially she had a permanent oozing wound may have been suffering from “professional on one of her toes on the left leg which was to misconduct”, leading her mother from one gov- Sources said Wambui be operated on at Kijabe Mission Hospital but ernment office to another to seek assistance and had been dispensed with her only surviving parent Joyce Kwamboka had justice. expired drugs and that been unable to raise the surgery fees. At the Trans-Nzoia District children’s of- she was directly injected Makali and Wambui’s teachers are saddened ficer, Kwamboka was advised to liaise with the into a blood vein. with the girl’s frequent bouts of collapsing while Kitale chapter of Catholic Peace and Justice Wambui’s case was a in class and during parade. Makali said: “At Commission where she received little attention. second one after another times, Wambui has to be escorted back home, According to the commission’s programme of- boy suffered a similar fate at the clinic. 600 metres away when she gets the convulsions.” ficer Boniface Wanyoike, the organisation after But what has surprised the commu- “On many occasions, Wambui became a exhausting its investigations handed over the nity in Kiminini and at large is why the laughing stock to some of her friends and the matter to the Police to expedite the issue. clinic has re-opened only five months community at Kiminini,” Makali added. This, Kwamboka reported the matter to the Kitale after it was ordered to shut down and however, did not deter her dreams of pursuing Police Station and after the normal transactions is still delivering services to the public. her education. of filling the P3 Forms, no one was arrested. “What guarantee do we have that Even her pleas to a member of the Provincial the same mistakes will not recurr?” Headache Administration at Kiminini fell on deaf years. asked Henry Matara, a resident who It was in October, 2005 when Wambui re- Kwamboka has no formal employment and was a signatory to the out-of-court turned home from school complaining of head- makes her living from selling groceries at the settlement agreement. ache. Her mother rushed her to a local private Kiminini open-air market. The Kitale District Hospital Medi- clinic where she was diagnosed and treated for cal superintendent Dr. Meshark Wak- Malaria. “I did not delay on seeing her body Liability wabu was at a loss to explain the issue sweat profusely,” said Kwamboka, Wambui’s It was only after Kitale-based lawyer Eden while the Medical officer of Health Dr medicine on innocent citizens”, She said. mother. Fuchaka intervened in 2007 that the Kiminini Philemon Too was reported to be sampling re- Kwamboka recalls how she was rebuked Wambui collapsed minutes after receiving nurse who administered initial treatment to cords at the Kiminini clinic for action. while in her endeavours of seeking justice a dose of the quinine injection. However, the Wambui admitted liability through a signed against those who had rendered her daughter nurse reassured Kwamboka that her daughter agreement. Both sides consented to settle the Missing file disabled. She quipped: “Are these people going would stabilise as soon as the quinine reaction matter out of court. Kwamboka, 35, laments that despite visiting to assist my child regain normality?” slowed down. The nurse (name withheld) agreed to pay the district hospital three times her daughter’s As Wambui sits at the corner of their “But with time things got worse,” said KSh50,000 in damages in three installments of file could not be traced. She said both Dr Wak- one-roomed house, she wonders wondering Kwamboka. Wambui developed a disjointed KSh30,000 and KSh10,000 twice. wabubi and Dr Too had assured her to pursue whether she will ever regain her former body ankle and perpetual sweating despite her To date, apart from KSh20 Kwamboka was the matter to its conclusion each day, she says, structure, tears roll down Kwamboka’s cheeks. mother taking her back to the same nurse for given as fare to Kitale District Hospital, no any she wakes up to seeing no light in the tunnel. She curses the tragedy that has befallen her check-ups. Her hair kept on dropping while her other money has been paid. She has no one to assist her reclaim dam- only child. “Perhaps it was the wishes of the general condition deteriorated. And the matter was compounded after ad- age and wonders why unethical medical practi- devil but through prayers, God will one day It is then that she was referred to Kitale Dis- vocate Fuchaka relocated to Nairobi while the tioners should be allowed to continue being in overcome the demon through His powers,” trict Hospital where she was fitted with a metal nurse moved to Western Province for “greener service. “Perhaps, it is not my child only who Kwamboka said during the interview with the brace by the visiting doctor from Kijabe Mis- pastures”, after her clinic in Kiminini was or- has fallen victim to such malpractices. The Gov- Reject. She is also appealing for assistance from sion Hospital. Her mother paid KSh1,100 for dered closed by the Kitale District Health offices. ernment should not allow quacks to administer well-wishers. Many people have not read the Constitution By DUNCAN MBOYAH substantive influence on the voting pattern and be clarified for easy understanding,” observed sentiments touching on discrimination of cer- political grouping that in the end led to influenc- O kon g’o. tain communities so as to help breed a society Majority of the population in South Rift Valley ing the population not to read the constitution,” “As leaders at the grassroots, you must em- that can live in harmony. are in the dark over the country’s Constitution he noted. brace and bring it to the people so that they can The National Commission on Integration as many have not read it and do not know its In a meeting that was organised by the Fred- do things in compliance to the law,” Okong’o ex- and Cohesion (NCIC) Assistant for Informa- contents. rick Ebert Stiftung (FES) in conjunction with the plained. tion, Communication and Education, Linda “It is now becoming clear that the commu- Kenya Correspondents Association in Narok She noted the 2007-2008 post-election vio- Ochiel told the meeting that the Commission is nities living in this region earlier rejected the County for local leaders and journalists, Murgor lence was a wake-up call that must have Kenyans facing challenges in getting witnesses to testify document and ended up voting as a bloc against said serious civic education campaigns need to starting to do things right. in hate speech allegations. She said a number it during at the referendum”, says Joshua Murgor, be undertaken in the region to enable local com- Chairman of Kenya Correspondents Asso- of people who had earlier been lined up as wit- Programme Manager, Smart Citizens. munities understand it. ciation (KCA) William Oloo asked journalists to nesses ended up absconding. According to Murgor, the electorate has A programme officer with Fredrick Ebert be careful while reporting statements made by “We are in the process of training monitors inadequate knowledge of the new Constitu- Stiftung (FES), Maria Okong’o observed that politicians through the media. and journalists who will be using cameras to tion owing to the fact that politicians from the while the Constitution is meant to serve all citi- “The media must be sensitive about state- track down the offenders,” she said. region led them to vote against the Constitu- zens, some sections of the society are not aware ments bordering on ethnic divisions that could Ochiel revealed that NCIC is collaborating tion hence giving them no room to read its of their rights as is enshrined in the document. bring animosity amongst neighbouring com- with the Communication Commission of Kenya contents. “Even though some people voted for the doc- munities,” reiterated Janak. (CCK) to monitor messages that is sent through “The political kingpins in the region have a ument, it has some misinformation that need to He urged journalists to avoid inflammatory the mobile phone to unearth hate messages. ISSUE 044, August 1-15, 2011 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 15 Once considered weed, bamboo becomes a money maker By KEN NDAMBU is so harsh for exotic trees but the bamboo trees thera abyssinica identified as the which I planted two years ago are doing well,” best species for dry lands. Economic empowerment for residents in dry says Koki. She adds: “I hope to increase the num- Ndufa says the best way to lands will come from diversification and invest- ber because I have discovered that it is the tree increase bamboo resources in ment in low-risk, high-return activities that for the dry lands. the country is to domesticate are adaptable to climatic conditions. Although Koki was speaking after taking farmers farms through wildlings, offsets conventional farming has failed in arid and round her farm during a farmers’ field day or- and cuttings, as well as use of semi-arid lands due to poor weather patterns, ganised by KEFRI, Kitui station. culms. the areas are endowed with high-value trees When the woody grass was introduced to He adds that culms start which, if well managed, can act as fiscal reserves her by one of the researchers, Koki thought it sprouting within four weeks to improve the economic status of marginalized would not survive like other exotic trees. and should be allowed to stay communities. “Out of 130 trees I planted two years ago, in their beds for another five Trees provide more than one product, and 110 have survived. This is an indication that the months for complete develop- unlike food crops and livestock, prices of tree climate is favourable for bamboo farming,” ob- ment of both roots and shoots, products such as timber suffer little seasonal serves Koki. after which they can be planted. price fluctuations and have less risk of going to Today, although the trees have not matured, waste. Koki has already received orders in advance for Uses of bamboo It is with this realisation that farmers in the construction, fencing, basketry and other tradi- In Kitui, bamboo is used larger Mwingi District have discovered bamboo tional craft activities. for making cattle sheds and in farming as a business that can improve their eco- “Through my inspiration, over 50 farmers the construction of food stores. nomic status. Mwingi is an area that suffers food have planted at least 10 trees in their farms. I Mature timber products are insecurity. hope more will follow and plant the tree even used for building construction for shade in the homesteads,” says Koki. and poles. Kamba wood carv- Weather conditions KEFRI Regional Centre Director, Dr Kamiri ers have turned to bamboo for Spearheaded by Kitui regional office of Ke- Ndufa, says that when the tree was introduced handcraft works such as tooth nya Forestry Research Institute, an initiative has in Mui, no environmental assessment was con- picks and other ornaments. been started in sensitizing farmers on the need ducted to determine the impact of coal found Depending on the species, Bamboo farmer Koki Mutemi admires the trees in her to grow bamboo along the seasonal rivers. This in the Mui basin on environment and general shoots of bamboo can be used farm in Mui Division. Picture: Ken Ndambu not only improves their farms but also helps vegetation. as food. Shoots of yushania al- them gain maximum benefits through selling “Although the high humidity experi- pine species are used as food by the high-value products from the woody grass. enced here could be as a result of the presence people living around Mount El- efits in a sustainable manner. Gladys Koki Mutemi, a model bamboo of huge quantities of coal that can lead to low gon in Uganda and Kenya. “The institute is advancing vegetative propa- farmer in Miambani location Mui Division, says survival rates for exotic trees, the theory has not Following a presidential ban on bamboo gation of bamboo since it takes 40 years for the that after trying all other tree varieties with no been confirmed by the researchers,” says Ndufa. harvest in 1986, KEFRI initiated a programme trees to produce seeds,” explains Ndufa. He adds: success, she settled on the bamboo which has Together with other collaborators, KEFRI to investigate the potential of bamboo and “The tree that was initially regarded as a weed thrived. introduced over 20 bamboo species adaptable strategies for its cultivation and utilization that has turned out to be a multipurpose plant and a “The high humidity witnessed in this region to different areas in the country, with oxytenan- could empower farmers and produce ripe ben- valuable timber substitute.” Government launches guidelines Adopting horticulture for growing eucalyptus farming as business By JOSEPH MUKUBWA By KEN NDAMBU der to tap the enormous benefits and con- tribute to food security. Eucalyptus is the most economically vi- Two Nairobi based businessmen from In adjacent Mulundini village, Mulwa, able option for farmers when it comes to Kitui County are working to end their a director with Horticulture Crops De- tree planting with studies showing they community’s dependence on relief food. velopment Authority (HCDA), owns a can earn more from the tree than any The two are doing this through educating plantation of grafted mango with different other crop. farmers in the region on the need to adopt varieties of boribo, ngowe, apple and kent Globally, the tree forms the biggest portion of species used in commercial horticultural farming as a business. which is used by farmers as a demonstra- forests. Since most of the eucalyptus in Kethi Wambua and Ngumbau Mulwa tion farm. the country is grown as investments for have emerged as role model horticulture He uses a unique innovation of water financial gain, many farmers have not farmers through venturing into water mel- harvesting, where water from a strategi- been using the correct method of plant- on and grafted mango production. cally established water pan is pumped to 27 ing and maintaining it. Minister for Forestry and Wildlife Noah Wekesa (left) The two, in collaboration with St Pat- concrete water tanks that flows to the farm. Minister for Forestry and Wildlife, Dr distributes booklets to residents of Kiawaithanji area in rick’s Mutune Catholic Church’s Christian “Although I have invested heavily in the Noah Wekesa launched the booklet titled Tetu District of Nyeri County. Picture: Joseph Mukubwa Men Association (CMA), have been sensi- project, the benefits are enormous because Facts on Growing and Use of Eucalyptus tising farmers about the importance of us- there is a ready market for mangoes in lo- in Kenya in Kiawaithanji, Tetu district. indicate that the best areas to plant the trees are mar- ing the available water resources to maxi- cal and foreign markets,” says Mulwa. The guidelines will help in effective growing of the ginal lands where soil has been degraded through ero- mise horticulture production. eucalyptus tree. It is hoped this will lead to increased sion. In his 15-acre piece of land in Kikanga Community benefits forest cover, carbon storage and renewable energy as “The eucalyptus has a market niche which gives village, Kitui Central District, Wambua Mulwa argues that the community well as mitigating climate change, improve livelihood them a competitive edge over other tree species. Dif- abandoned maize and bean farming and would benefit as it would be able to come and wealth creation. ferent eucalyptus trees are situated for different agro- became the first farmer in lower Eastern out of relief dependence once they adopt ecological zones and, therefore, there are areas where Province to grow water melons at a large horticultural farming. The region is en- Embrace planting the species should not be grown,” observed Wekesa. scale. His first harvest has found its way dowed with many seasonal rivers that can Speaking during the launch Wekesa said: “I urge He warned that the trees should not be grown on into markets in Nairobi and oversees. be used to provide the water needed for wetlands and marshy areas. He cautioned that ripar- farmers, stakeholders and private land owners to Wambua’s produce weighs an average this type of farming. embrace the fast growing species because it provides ian areas, around lakes, ponds, swamps, along river beds, sea shores and other water bodies, irrigated of seven kilograms and sells at between However, Mulwa says the Government wood fuels, plywood, timber, building materials, fenc- KSh30 and KSh40 per kilogramme, trans- should devise ways of enhancing water ing posts and windbreaks.” farm lands and areas with less than 400mm of rainfall lating to between KSh210 and KSh280 per harvest policy along the river sources by The minister reiterated the fact that planting the should not be used in tree planting. tree was important because it provides important piece. establishing many sand dams for the resi- products that would otherwise have been sourced Pressure He says in the January harvest, he dents to start minor irrigation schemes. from natural forests. Both the Kenya Forest Service and KEFRI came earned KSh400, 000 from 8,000 tonnes at The Father-In-Charge of Mutune Par- James Kimuri, a local farmer who has been with information on the eucalyptus that will help farm gate price. “I could not believe when ish, Baron Mathenge, says the initiative growing the tree for commercial purposes over the farmers and technical officers understand proper the buyers from Nairobi came to my farm, aims to bring together the Church CMA last ten years said he has made profits amounting management of the trees. harvested the produce and paid me,” says members for the common goal of improv- to thousands of shillings. “I cannot regret this work. According to Kenya Forestry Service board chair- Wambua. ing their living standards. The deal is too good. It requires little labour unlike man Richard Musangi the booklet forms part of the When he was planting maize and “This is a cheap but profitable invest- cash crops like tea and coffee.” corporation’s sensitisation and awareness creation beans, the most he earned was KSh20, 000 ment which the elderly can venture in,” Ephantus Waweru Kariuki, who has dedicated programme. It is intended to help the Kenyan pub- from ten bags. The earnings from melon says Father Mathenge. two acres for the tree farming said he was making lic understand the vital role that forests play in the motivated him to increase his acreage to Kitui Central Division Agricultural good returns. socio-economic and environmental stabilisation of a 20 acres from which he hopes to harvest Extension Officer, Titus Kimalu, says the “Growing the trees in my two acres is more profit- country. 12,000 tonnes. “I have also hired more move by farmers in the region to change able than growing food crops. Many farmers find it “The directive to get rid of eucalyptus along river workers because there is enough capital,” to horticulture farming as a way of trans- better to buy food at the market and instead use their lines was misinterpreted as it led to massive cutting says Wambua. forming farming as business is encourag- farms to grow trees. The tree has many benefits such as of the trees including on properly matched sites. This Wambua says water melon demand has ing. “Earning from horticulture produce firewood, timber and posts,” says Kariuki. had a negative impact on farm forestry in this country outstripped the supply, hence the need to has greatly increased compared to previous A study carried out by the Kenya Forestry Research especially in some areas of central highlands conser- encourage farmers to plant the crop in or- years,” he says. Institute (KEFRI) and Kenya Forestry Service (KFS) vancy,” explained Musangi. 16 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 045, August 1-15, 2011 Son finds father’s running shoes too big By EVELYNE OGUTU of my managers, who asked me to pace set for an athlete. I did it His other siblings followed other callings. He so well and from there on every is the only one who tried to fit in his father’s top athlete wanted me to do it for big shoes. Welcome to the world of Martin them. Majority of them wanted Keino, son of sports legend Kipchoge Keino a to break a record and I was paid renown athlete. to do just that. It is a lucrative Martin received a lot of pressure from business,” he says. people who wanted him to be just like his According to Martin, pace father, a legend and icon in athletics. He, setting is a modern component however, curved his own niche emerging as of athletics whose purpose is to one of the most sought after pace setters the help an athlete break his or her world would produce. record and most pacesetters who The son of sports icon Kipchoge Keino, help their clients break records, Martin, now retired pace setter, aided some are paid handsomely. of the world’s greatest athletes to set world Martin’s clients included names records. such as former multi-record hold- Unlike his father who is a former Olympic er Daniel Komen, Ethiopian track champion with two gold medals in his fold, professionals Haile Gebreselassie Martin carved a niche in pace setting, a mod- and Kenenisa Bekele. ern way of running. “I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps Man of many caps but with a name like that, I realised his shoes In 1996, he paced Komen were too big. I could not fit into them. He was to the two mile world best and a legend and I was supposed to be my own helped him lower it a year later. person. Expectations were high from family, The seven minutes 58.61 seconds friends and even globally but I decided to be set in Hechtel, Belgium on July 19, myself,” reveals Martin. 1997 is yet to be beaten. He also paced Komen to a Pacesetter 5,000 metre world record in The third born in a family of seven, Martin is Brussels 1997 before helping Ge- Martin Keino poses with morans during the only one who took after his father’s running breselassie to lower it in the same a past event in Namunyak. Below: Keino boots despite them being too big for his feet. year. He was also part of Bekele’s with Ethiopian athletics champion Haile While studying in Canada on a sports scholar- pace setting team that helped the Gebrselassie. Pictures: Evelyn Ogutu ship, the father of one fell in love with running Ethiopian to break the 10,000 and went on to participate in several races. metres (26:20.31) and 5,000 me- Martin’s father a former Olympic cham- tres (12:37.35) world records in and footballers. He also offers public rela- pion has two gold medals for the 1,500 metres the Czech Republic and Netherlands respec- tions, money management and strategic ad- in 1968 and 3000 metre steeplechase in 1972. tively. vice to top athletes. The duo is the only father-son combination to However, before he started competitive run a mile in under four minutes. athletics, Martin who holds a degree in Inte- Entrepreneur While, Kipchoge dominated the middle rior Design, worked at Nike headquarters in The 37-year old former athlete is also an and long distance races in his time, Martin Beaverton, Oregon from 1995 to 1997. He entrepreneur and together with his father made a name for himself through pace mak- worked in the image design department and started a water bottling company in their ing. Unlike his other siblings, Martin, is the was part of the team that designed the Nike farm in Saruyot village in Eldoret. Saroyo only child who followed in his father’s foot- towns, including the one in Boston. Water Company, whose marketing tag line steps as the rest ventured into fields such as “I am very good at interior design. That is is “water for champions” is a year old. medicine and administration. what I did at the university but after sometime Besides the water business, the early Pace-setters like Martin are unsung heroes I realised my love was for sports and not for riser starts his day at 5am when he does who take off fast, running alongside elite ath- designing. I resigned from Nike and dedicated a morning jog. He also actively takes part letes, pushing for speed but later drop out of my life to athletics,” explains Martin who re- in his father’s high training camp which the race. For a decade, since 1995 to 2005, the tired from athletics in 2006. has produced Olympic champions; Ezekiel father of two competed in races while he also After his retirement from competitive run- Kemboi, Asbel Kiprop and Janet Jepkosgei among others. perfected the art of pacesetting. ning, Martin formed a Sports Marketing and through a programme aimed at promoting Martin has in the past also spent some time “The pacesetting career was by default. It Management company. He finds local en- peace through athletics. in a war torn part of Sudan, training coaches came by accident. I was approached by one dorsements for Kenyan athletes, rugby players In the country, he is also part of the team that annually organizes Sports for Peace festi- val in cattle rustling prone areas of Samburu, Laikipia, Turkana and Baringo. “I wanted to follow my father’s footsteps but with a name “We organise several sports, both mod- ern and traditional, where youth from Pokot, like that, I realised his shoes were too big. I could not fit Samburu, Tugen, Njemps and Kikuyu come and participate. We are using sports to bring into them. He was a legend and I was supposed to be my people together and we have managed to re- habilitate cattle rustlers turning them to peace own person. Expectations were high from family, friends loving people,” notes Martin. One thing comes out quite clearly; Martin’s and even globally but I decided to be myself.” career was long and accomplished. The only regret and disappointment during his career — Martin Keino was not having represented his country at an international competition. He, however, re- mains best known for his role as a pace setter.

Executive Director: Rosemary Okello-Orlale Write to: Editor: Jane Godia [email protected] Sub-Editors: Florence Sipalla, Omwa Ombara and Mercy Mumo Designer: Noel Lumbama Contributors: Hussein Dido, Frank Ouma, Ryan Mathenge, Joyce Chimbi, Adow Ina Kalil, Henry Kahara, Odhiambo Odhiambo, Evelyn Ogutu, Kariuki Mwangi, David Njagi, Kabia Matega, Ekuwam Adou, Valerie The paper is produced with funds from Aseto, Benson Mwanga, Caroline Wangechi, Eric Mutai, Aggrey Buchunju, Ken Ndambu, Duncan Mboyah, Abisai Amugune, Joseph Mukubwa and Henry Owino. www.mediadiversityafrica.org