ISSUE 081, April 16-31, 2013 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth 1 April 16-30, 2013 ISSUE 081 A bimonthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature Service CHALLENGES OF COUNTY GOVERNMENTS Hope in County government Devolved system of governance could be Kenya’s last chance By JOYCE CHIMBI In the wake of the most competitive and com- plex general election in the country’s history, it is all systems go as Kenya transits from a cen- tralized to a devolved system of governance. Many are hopeful that the solution to hun- ger, poverty and gross inequalities that have be- devilled the country lie in a devolved system of governance. “Due to the centralized system, where all de- cisions regarding this country are made in Nai- robi, people travel from the other seven regions to Nairobi since they believe it represents pros- pects for a better life,” says Dr Danson Mwan- gangi, an economist and market researcher in East Africa. He says that centralization of power and re- sources has compromised the establishment of strong linkages between policy, planning and execution of the national budget. “When the national budget is being read in parliament, millions of poor Kenyans hurdle around radio sets for news on price reductions of major items, our concern being our day to day survival,” says Benjamin Owuor, a mason in Nairobi. He notes: “Decisions regarding the needs of ordinary Kenyans are made in the Parliament that sits in Nairobi, we now want these deci- sions made in County assemblies that sit where the ordinary Kenyans are.” centralized government, allocates 75 per cent With recent statistics by the World Bank re- of its resources equally across the 210 (in pre- vealing that of the 800,000 job seekers, the job vious parliament) constituencies in Kenya, market can only absorb a paltry 50,000, thou- and only 25 per cent is based on the poverty sands of job seekers come to Nairobi to scram- rate of particular constituencies. ble for the limited opportunities. Ndebu notes that this is not enough to ad- Inequality dress inequalities across regions. “How can a district in Central Kenya receive the same As a result, according to experts on devo- aggregate allocations per head as a district lution, the country is experiencing massive in Nyanza with a poverty level of over 50 per inequalities across regions as the best brains cent?” he poses. move to Nairobi. The Central region also enjoys the advan- Ted Ndebu, a consulting policy analyst says tage of being one of the regions closest to Nai- that a centralized system of governance does robi city. not take into account poverty levels across re- “It is such insensitivity to regional inequali- gions in the dissemination of resources. ties that has provoked people at the Coast re- “Take Central Kenya, for instance, while gion to threaten secession. This is an overflow poverty levels are generally above 60 per cent of feelings of exclusion and neglect by post- nationally, here poverty levels have largely independence governments,” Ndebu explains. been below 30 per cent,” Ndebu expounds. Similar sentiments have also been ex- As a result, Mwangangi says, national pressed by residents of Northern Kenya. budget resources have not trickled down to “When we talk among ourselves, you will hear the ordinary Kenyan in a manner that would people saying that they are coming to Kenya, improve service delivery or even address their meaning they are coming to Nairobi city. We Kenyans walking to work. Below: James Onyango a jua kali artisan at his shed in plight effectively. don’t feel as if we belong to Kenya,” says Ali Still, the Constituency Development Fund Nakuru County. Devolution will improve efficiency in allocation and execution of (CDF), devolved funds established under the Continued on page 5 resources, equity, citizen participation and empowerment. Pictures: Reject Correspondent and Boniface Thuku Read more Reject stories online at www.mdcafrica.org 2 Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth ISSUE 081, April 16-30, 2013 Future of teenager hangs in the balance after a hit and run accident By JOHN MAINA cleaning homes in the lakeside town. ing the girl with a bleak future. that one day, a good Samaritan will She does not have much to give to Since then, several religious knock on their door and give hope Last year August is a month that her daughter and the best that she groups and friends have contribut- to otherwise drowned hopes. will remain the darkest in Maureen can offer is company and morale ed KSh85,000 towards the hospital Moraa’s father has been at large Moraa’s life. The 15-year-old student support. bill leaving a balance of KSh50,000. since the accident. Although he calls was crossing the road in Keroka Moraa sat for the Kenya Certifi- once in a while, he claims to be in town in Kisii County when a speed- Victim cate of Primary Education (KCPE) a different town every time looking ing motorist hit her and took off. “Due to the fact that I am dis- in 2011 and attained 270 marks. Her for work to assist them. Moraa’s mother, Rose Mokeira, abled, I cannot do heavy work. I fend ambition was to continue with her The five remaining children are and good Samaritans helped rush for my family by washing clothes studies so she agreed to repeat class now distributed among extended her to hospital where she was admit- and utensils for neighbours who pay eight, in a bid to attain better marks family members to lighten the bur- ted and treated for head and spinal me in return,” explains Mokeira dur- that would see her access bursary den for Mokeira. injuries. ing the interview. funds. According to Alice Misati, Since then, the teenager’s life has Although Mokeira lives in Naku- Mokeira says the accident killed Mokeira’s sister and the only im- never been the same after she sus- ru, at the time of the accident Moraa her daughter’s dreams. She notes mediate guardian to the desperate tained head and spinal injuries. This was in Keroka town where she was says that the girl who cannot talk, family who is living with two of the has left her mother wondering if her staying with her grandmother. walk or even support herself, needs children, they had earlier tried to daughter’s life will ever get back nor- According to a discharge let- urgent medical attention in order to take the girl to Rift Valley Provincial mal. ter from Tenwek Hospital in Kisii, get her life back. General Hospital but were sent away In a single dilapidated room at Moraa sustained severe closed head for lack of funds required for a pa- the Rhonda estate in the outskirts injuries with seizures and partial Incapacitated tient’s admission. of Nakuru town, Mokeira, who has fractured spinal cord. The high hospital charges de- The family is now calling on well- Maurine Moraa at their home in five other children, is nursing her According Mokeira, Moraa was ter Mokeira from seeking further wishers to come to Moraa’s aid to Rhonda estate Nakuru County. She daughter. discharged from Tenwek Hospital medical attention for Moraa and enable her undergo physiotherapy sustained head and spinal injuries Mokeira survives by working as a when the bill escalated to KSh135,000 she is left with no option but to sit as well as acquire other medication during the hit and run accident. Picture: casual working washing clothes and and they were unable to settle it leav- beside her day and night hoping required to help her recover. John Maina Cecilia Kiogora: Angel of mercy for Coast cancer patients Inmates plead for By ATIENO AKUMU parole in jubilee For the past eleven years, she has been helping cancer patients through year the tough and frustrating journey By NICOLE WAITHERA that begins once they are diagnosed with cancer. Inmates at the Naivasha Maximum Like a general, Cecilia Kiogora Prison are appealing to President has seen some of her patients fight Uhuru Kenyatta to release them in the the condition successfully to be be- jubilee year. stowed the ‘coveted’ title of survivors. They cited the Bible saying the She has also seen others pass on after biblical jubilee year saw the release of a long and protracted battle with the inmates who had been jailed for long terminal disease. by the king through the presidential However, when the inevitable pardon. happens, her focus shifts to the next Speaking to journalists at the insti- patient requiring her care and com- tution, the inmates argued that Presi- fort. Her hands are always full with dent Kenyatta should pardon them on patients to care for. this year when the country is also cel- “My job is basically to manage ebrating its 50 years of independence. cancer patients,” explains Kiogora pice are people with progressed ma- Cecilia Kiogora addresses some of her clients at the Coast with humility that belies the enor- lignancies, with their only remedy Hospice. She gives palliative care to cancer patienta. Reform mous task on her shoulders. being palliative care to relieve pain Picture: Atieno Akumu The inmates argue that they have It is around 2pm as I sit for the in- and make them go about their daily reformed and were not the same peo- terview and Kiogora discloses she has business. She gives an example of a prostate “Only recently I met a patient ple who were convicted of offences. already made over 40 calls to patients “Some patients come with stage cancer patient who has to be changed who claimed not to have slept for 21 Among those appealing for their who come for drugs, counselling and three cancers and the only thing one clothes by his daughter in the ab- days due to pain from cancer of the release is Peter Kamau, an inmate who support at the Coast Hospice, where can do in such a case is to offer pallia- sence of a male figure to take care of pancreas,” Kiogora says adding, “I has managed to sit for all CPA up to she works as a nurse.