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April 1- 30, 2015
ISSUE 107
A monthly newspaper by the Media Diversity Centre, a project of African Woman and Child Feature ServiceApril
Turkana
flourishing
under
devolution
By HENRY OWINO
Landing in Turkana County, one is
welcomed by harsh weather of scorching sun with temperatures ranging
between 23 and 45 degrees Celsius.
The air is warm and the ground is hot
as a result of its arid and semi-arid
condition characterized by unreliable
rainfall pattern.
Nonetheless, that is beyond human Control. With low and erratic
rainfall that is insufficient to support
livestock and farming, Turkana is
one of the regions that were marginalised by the previous Governments
for 50 years without proper development. However within the first two
years into devolution, the County is
flourishing with Development projects that other counties may want to
emulate.
Residents say given time Turkana
County is set to outshine many counties that had benefited from the centralized system of government for five
decades. They say especially Lodwar,
the County headquarters, is set lead
in terms of development. Thanks to
introduction of County System of
Governments that is working for this
county.
Aim
Roads are under construction
and other projects are going on
aimed at restructuring Lodwar town.
Major roads connecting the town to
other urban areas and neighboring
counties are being worked on.
Josphat Nanok, the Turkana Governor, says he is focusing on roads
believing that for any town or country to develop, roads must be accessible and be of high standards. He
wants local, national and foreigners to trade freely without their
vehicles getting stuck in mud and
impassable roads.
“I want to see Turkana County
grow with major developments
and revive all historical sites like
the Turkana Boy, which is the oldest human-being ever lived, about
1.5 million years ago. It is an archeological site we want to reserve as a
tourist attraction and let it be “Turkana Wall of Fame” in the county,”
Nanok disclosed. It is likely to be
officially unveiled by President
Uhuru Kenyatta, soon,” he added.
Nanok said for the past 50
years, Turkana has been getting
negative Coverage by the media,
but this has changed for the better
in the past two years under devolution.
He says that is the reason why
every County ministry is busy revamping their docket to make up
for lost opportunities.
“I wish the national Government would allow us to fly the
national flag for only the first term
of the five years. This would make
residents feel that they are in KeCross-section of residents of Turkana County demonstrate over insecurity and border disputes linked to
nya and of citizens of Kenya but for
the
rich mineral resources in the area. Below, Turkana residents outside Governors’ office demanding to be
now they cannot imagine,” Nanok
addressed over Kapedo land dispute. Pictures: Henry Owino
says.
The Governor said Lodwar
town was being expanded to allow ganized and unsafe.
businesses are booming.
cers to collect taxes easily.
for more space at the County head“We have built modern markets
But he says that with inception
According to Mark Ewesit Ewoi,
quarters which is very congested Chief Officer, Lands, Physical Plan- of County government, everything to relocate all open air traders selling
with traders and customers squeezed ning & Urban Areas Management, is being restructured in the proper foodstuff long the roads. I am assurin a small section of it.
the County has a bright future and way. Ewoi says that plans are under- ing them that it would accommoThe bus park, boda-bodas op- there is no turning back.
way to ensure that every trader with date all of them unless need be for
erators compete for space side by
Ewoi blames the defunct County similar commodities have their own further expansion,” Ewoi declares.
side with the administrative offices. Council of Lodwar for lack of proper sections as recommended by the Other major projects coming soon
Nakok laments that the congestion planning for the town making it look Ministry of Public Health. Already are a modern bus park next to the
had made Lodwar town look disor- disorganised and a challenge to offi- floodlights have been installed and
Continued on page 2
Read more Reject stories online at w w w. m d c a f r i c a . o rg
2
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Towards improving maternal health
By Yusuf Amin
Sub-standard maternity facilities have been blamed
for the rising cases of deaths
among women seeking for
delivery services in Ganze.
Ruth Kamoni who is a community health volunteer in
Dida said that women have
been commuting to Kilifi
County hospital to seek
for delivery services. Some
women had to deliver by
the roadside due to the long
distance. For many years
women have been delivering
in their respective homes for
lack of a nearby health facility,” Kamoni says.
Deliver
But now deliveries in
Dida location in Ganze have
doubled thanks to an extension for the maternity wing
by the Safaricom Foundation. The area had been recording low hospital deliveries due to lack of maternity
services at the facility. The
dispensary serves a catchment population of 10, 851
and has a capacity to handle
32 deliveries per month, but
this had dropped to 10 deliveries per month. Speaking
during the commissioning
of a post natal room built
by Safaricom Foundation,
the hospital nurse in charge,
Anne Sebastian, said before
the room was put up the
health facility was unable to
offer delivery services, especially during the night. “We
have been having a challenge
on where mothers can rest
after delivery. This becomes
hard when she delivers during the night and we had
only one room,” she said.
Rest
Sebastian said they used to send
women back home and ask them to
return the next day due to the lack of
a resting place after delivering. “Most
women delivered at home after we
send them back. Some even loose
their babies because of complications
Safaricom Foundation beneficiary Josephine Ndambuki (Centre) carrying her baby as she is accompanied by a nurse and a relative.
Picture: Yusuf Amin
at birth, but we had no option,” she
added.
According to Vincent Makori,
who is a health officer based in Ganze and the one who sort help from
the Safaricom Foundation, the pressure to appeal for help when they
received four pregnant women at
ago who were on serious labour. “We
could not send them back home and
they delivered the same night. We
had to use a room which was being
used by KEMRI officers, who were
on Malaria vaccine trial research,”
said Makori. The Foundation also
renovated staff houses and erected a
fence for the dispensary at a cost of
Ksh 1.2 million. Speaking during the
function, the dispensary’s Chairlady,
Irene Salim, said the dispensary land
was under threat of being grabbed
and the assistance by the Foundation
helped secure the land.
“People used to access this place
from any part but now they only use
the authorized gate and if one has
no business here he will not come
in,” she said. Safaricom Foundation
trustee, Josphine Ndambuki, said
they will continue supporting the
health sector in line with vision 2030.
Ndambuki praised the hospital
committee for utilising the funds
well. She further asked leaders to cooperate with other health organisations to improve health services to
the public. She noted that improving
health sector is key to development,
especially in the remote areas. Some
of the areas that also face similar
challenges are Bamba and Mnago
wa Dhola where women have been
forced to walk for many kilometers
to access a health facility. Turkana flourishing under devolution
Continued from page 1
modern market, construction of a recreational
facility for the public and a dumping site for
both solid and liquid waste by tankers as a way
of decongesting Lodwar town.
Order
Surely walking in Lodwar town, one would
spot public toilets, litter bins in strategic locations, youth hired to sweep and clean the town
on a daily basis and the County security team
arresting residents throwing litter or urinating
in public. Ewoi says that with the projects in
place, some residents would be displaced and
businesses would suffer. Nevertheless, he says
that County Lands Ministry has plans for relocating the residents whose premises, businesses and homes are going to be affected by
the new re-organisations. “Turkana County
sits on an area of 77,000 square kilometers
and 90 per cent or three quarters of the land
is communal. The occupants are tenants so,
the process of re-allocation is not based on
compensation,” Ewoi says. “The occupants of
land got the land through what we call in our
local dialect here as “ere’’ (hereditary) none of
them has a title deed,” he clarifies. Peter Lokol,
County Lands Minister, said the public lands
that are in the county are where learning institutions and health facilities are built. Private
land could be a lease whose timeframe must
be running out now.
Lokol stated that land disputes are very
minimal and if there is, they are normally
resolved by elderly men and women who are
knowledgeable and have history of the land
in question. No formal courts are involved in
communal land disputes in Turkana County.
“I want the public to know that land use is
not always about owning land to do farming
and building houses alone. It entails physical
planning for it developments like roads, street
lighting, putting up businesses, sewer lines,
bus terminals, recreation sites among other
facilities for public benefits,” Lokol explains.
Mary Maria, a resident of the County, says
they are happy with the developments taking
place and wished that the County System of
Government could have come much early. She
says if it did, Turkana County would be ahead
in terms of development.
“Residents here boast of archeological sites
the County has which is enough to make our
County rich from revenue-collection,” Maria
says. “Our County is the cradle homeland of
man, rich with sand, stones, fresh fish from
lake Turkana, among other natural wonders
that are tourist attractions,” Maria says.
With oil presence at Kapeso area, I hope
this County is going to grow and despite negative coverage by the media.” She adds. Maria
says unity between MCAs, the Governor and
County Executive Commissioners is a contributing factor for the developments experienced. She cites a study conducted by the
World Bank which ranked Turkana County as
second best out the 47 counties that had used
funds appropriately for development.
“The World Bank study proved that our
Governor is transparent and honest in handling County funds. That is why MCAs supports his governance; pass Bills proposes by
his County Ministers; all is left for him is to
implement,” Maria says. She is also happy
with accountability and transparency among
the county executive officers in their dockets.
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
3
Pace of implementing land reforms worry land experts
By Carolyne Oyugi
Kenyans should investigate how the
elite are able to hold de facto power
despite limitation imposed by de jure
land reform enactment.
The chief executive officer of the
Kenya Land Alliance, Odenda Lumumba, is also urging the public to
probe the role of bureaucracy & judiciary in implementation of reforms so
as to find out whose interest they serve.
Addresses participants to a Land
and Natural Resource conference in
Nairobi, organised by Tuvuke Peace
Initiative and Reconcile, the CEO said
community land must be safeguarded
against large-scale Land Acquisition
and degradation of community environment.
The Constitution (Chapter 5 Sections 60 – 68) classifies land into public, private and community land and
categorically states that all land in Kenya belongs to the people collectively
as a nation, communities and as individuals.
Community land in Kenya is held
by communities on the basis of ethnicity, culture or similar interest. It comprises land registered in the name of
group representatives; transferred to a
specific community; and/or land held,
managed or used by communities as
community forests, grazing areas or
shrines.
Ancestral land
Other pieces of land that fall under
community land are ancestral lands
and those traditionally occupied by
hunter–gatherer communities; and
Odenda Lumumba, CEO, Kenya Land Alliance addressing a
Land and Natural Resource conference in Nairobi.
Picture: George Ngesa
those held as trust land by the County
governments.
However, the vast size of community land and ambiguity of its ownership has exposed it to land-grabbing
and mismanagement.
This led to the need to have reforms
in order to reduce the number of conflicts related to access to, control, use
and ownership of land.
“Grabbing of indigenous, minority,
marginalised communities territories
that form their community lands is a
recipe for conflict and changes their
political strength.” he said adding that
community land is investment space
for Kenya’s economic growth & development hence one the land is grabbed
or mismanaged then the community
suffers economic set backs.
Lumumba also suggests probing
of the normal pyramid management
structure of community land that is
proposed in the Draft Community
Land, which includes: the Community Land Board at the Apex top, the
Community Land Management Committee in the middle and the General
Assembly of Members at the broad
bottom.
“We must stop & roll-back disruption of a system of community land
tenure that provides its collective users protection & replace it with forced
luring individual landholdings that
reward individuals as a shift to market economy that is not inclusive,” the
CEO said.
Kenya has had two types of land
reforms between 1945 and 2015. First,
there were the traditional Land Reforms undertaken before 1990s and
Market-based Land Reforms after
1990s or in the 21st Century.
According the chairman, traditional land reforms were driven by the
need to establish landholding ceilings,
redistribution of private land, distribution of public land, restitution of land
and privatisation of public land.
Market-based land reforms, according to the KLA boss, aims to
establish land markets to minimise
direct intervention by government or
public authorities.
“It involves three components:
Recognition of property rights, adoption of mechanisms regulating the
privatisation of public land and development of procedures to regulate
the transferability of property rights,”
Lumumba said.
The land rights expert warned
that local elites might not resist land
reforms if demanded by international
powers. He added that land reforms
are always enacted as a measure of citizen’s power against elite.
He further explained that international powers would care about land
reforms for different reasons. One is to
serve their vested interests citing after
the Second World War in 1945 U.S.A
pushed and disorganised land reforms
in Latin America, Asia & Africa to
avoid the trend of socialism and communism.
In Kenya, unfortunately, Parliament enactment of land reforms does
not mean the elite are totally defeated,
but merely hibernates waiting to resist
implementation of land reforms using
de facto power even in democracies.
Elites who have benefited from the
status-quo blocks land reform through
slow & deliberate derailment of implementation
“Land reform is about changing the
historical feature of elite domination of
land in terms of primitive accumulation of extensive amount of land.
It is also about a historical fact that
land is an economic resource controlled by elite – reforming it implies
a change of structure of power within
society.”
Land reform is therefore a contestation between the elite and the citizen.
They are enacted (de jure) as a
means of sanctioning them, but implementation is done (de facto).
A fact that Ikal Angelei- Friends of
Turkana agrees with, in fact she went
ahead to ask Judges in the conference
why cases of community land take
long in court, private developers are allowed to continue with their activities
on the land as the case continues and
finally in most cases the community
looses the case.
“There is a need of disentangling
effects of de jure enactment of land
reforms and de facto implementation
because of use of de facto political
power on choice of political policies”
Said Lumumba.
Keeping
pupils
waiting
By Jane Wangechi
Pupils of Morung’ole primary school will have
to wait longer for the government to give them
funds for the construction of classroom. The
pupils who study on makeshift classrooms do
not have an alternative. The school that has
upto Standard Six has two teachers from the
Teacher’s Service Commission who teach from
Standard One to Standard Six and one from the
County government taking care of the ECD
learning.
The Headteacher, Joseph Ngitira, says
that they have many problems especially the
windy and rainy season some of the roofs
have been blown off. This has forced teachers
to raise funds and buying iron sheets and repair the buildings so the pupils can continue
learning.
Sanitation
Ngitiri also said that the school had benefited from NRC, an NGO, where they were
given seven desks and three latrines were built
but the latrines sank during last rains forcing
pupils and teachers to use the nearby bush that
is infested with poisonous snakes.
“Every morning pupils have to kill about
three snakes that try to disturb them when
they are learning, this is a very bad thing keep-
Pupils of Morung’ole primary school taking notes during a Mathematics lesson by teacher Joseph Ngitiira.The school has
three teachers teaching 259 pupils. Picture: Jane Wangechi
ing in mind that the schools’ toilets sank during last rains making the pupils more prone
since they have to defecate in the bushes near
the school,” added Ngitiri. Ngitiri says that
he has written Many letters to the education
officers, CDF,and NGO’s around seeking assistance to build modern classrooms for the
pupils. He said that the schools that are in the
surrounding have modern classrooms saying
that Morung’ole was established by the government in 2007 and became operational in
2010.
“I have tried to reach several organisations
for assistance to buy desks for us as the current
ones are not enough. Pupils sit six on a seat
meant for three or four, the schools near my
school were established years after Morung’ole
but they have modern classrooms. I am left
wondering why my school is left out,” the
school head lamented. The school has 259 pupils ECD has 157 (80 boys, 77 girls), 135 boys
and 124 girls from Standard One to Standard
Six. The pupils are in class from 8am to noon
so that they can go looking for water kilometres away from their Manyatta homes and
school, as the school does not have a borehole
to serve the pupils in quenching their thirst.
4
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Charcoal burning ban opposed by residents
By JANE WANGECHI
Despite Turkana County government
banning Charcoal-burning, some residents have opposed the move saying it
was their sole source of survival. The
residents of Nasiger that has over 100
households are charcoal-burners have
opposed the move saying that there is
no other alternative means for them to
eke a living.
County executive member on energy, environment Rhoda Loyor has
given the ban notice citing land degradation due to increased felling of trees
leaving the soils naked. Loyor said the
most affected areas are Lokichar, Kakuma, Nasiger due to the huge number
of Internally Displaced Persons who
have cleared most of the forest cover.
Shrub
Loyor said that charcoal burning
has contributed to the degradation of
forest cover where burners are chopping trees so that they can get one for
burning. She said that after dried trees
were completed, those doing the illegal business are pouring salt or cutting the roots for it to dry fast since
there is no dead tree.
Loyor said that the remaining
shrubs, if not protected and forest
cover added, there is danger citing that
many residents have shifted from their
areas and converged where there are
shrubs.
“As the County government, we
have banned charcoal burning due to
the decreasing forest cover in the area,
Turkana is continuing being a desert because more trees are being cut
down by charcoal burners” she said.
The official said some the pastoralists had stopped selling goats and opted for burning charcoal. The ban as she
said was for the good of the residents
and their animals in the near future.
“There are no dead trees, the
Women packing charcoal at Nasiger village in Turkana County. The County government has banned charcoal burning citing
environmental degradation. Picture: Jane Wangechi
charcoal- burners are pouring salt
or even cutting the roots of trees
so that they can dry, as there are no
dead trees remaining for burning
charcoal” The CEC added. She said
that they have several species that
are under observation at KEFRI and
also Kenya Forest Service adding
that they have partnered in planting
trees in all the schools in the county
where 850 seedlings have been earmarked in the 2013/2014.
She also added that market
places, public institutions had trees
planted but dried up due to lack
of water where the water company
could not provide water for the
seedlings. The official noted that a
water tanker had supplied water but
it took four months to return and
supply water. As a way of showing
dangers of charcoal- burning, she
said, there was urgent need for civic
education in the County.
Land reforms have to involve communities
By Duncan Mboyah
Land issues in Africa are shrouded
in secrecy, conflicts and corruption
leading to few positive stories about
the continent.
According to a Pan African approach to land reform in the continent, land reform is highly expected to support its extraction to
benefit all in the sector and protect
the rights of communities who have
taken its care over since time immemorial.
Dana Palade, from the Land
Policy Initiative, an initiative of the
Economic Commission for Africa
(ECA) says land is a central asset in
Africa that requires that the owners
acquire quality knowledge on how
best to manage it.
“The governments must develop
relevant policies to help safeguard
the rights of communities that own
the commodity,” the expert told a
two-day land conference in Nairobi, whose theme was: Land Reforms
and Extractive Industries.
It was organised by Tuvuke Initiative, Reconcile an Act! and was
attended by over 100 participants
from across the country. Others
who addressed it earlier were Dr
Mohammad Swazuri, the chairman
of the National Land Commission;
Prof Patricia Kameri-Mbote, the
Dana Palade, Land Policy Initiative, an initiative of the Economic
Commission for Africa (ECA) addressing participants at a Land
and Natural Resource Conference in Nairobi. Picture:Tuvuke
Dean of the School o Law at the
University of Nairobi, Mr Maurice
Makoloo the Ford Foundation’s rep-
resentative for east Africa, Odenda
Lumumba of the Kenya Land Alliance and Prof Kimani Njogu,
among others.
In her speech on Land Reforms
that Support Extractive Sector and
Protect Communities – The Pan African Approach on Land Reforms,
Palade noted that the slow pace
of land reforms is frustrating and
wearing out the faith and trust of
communities on the possibilities
of addressing their land concerns
through structured channels.
In Kenya five years down the line
since the Constitution was promulgated, communities are yet to have
enforceable rights over community
land.
The policy and legislative framework for the management and administration of community land is
yet to be finalised and long-standing historical land injustices are yet
to be addressed to promote reconciliation, healing and integration of
communities.
The communities’ disenchantment and frustration with the
status of land reforms and the future it portends is demonstrated
by increased violent land-related
conflicts in the country in Lamu,
Baringo’s Kapedo area, and Isiolo
Counties among others.
She observed that regionally
and globally, there is a growing discourse on land in Africa that is on
the one hand disturbing, but on the
other hand is promising. This discourse revolves around expressions
such as ‘land grabs’, ‘large scale land
based investments’, ‘land acquisitions’, and ‘the rising interest in
farmland.’
There is also the expansive interest in the extractive sector – and
the possibility of Africa industrialising in the coming years. But this
window of opportunity is quickly
negated when one considers practices in the ‘corridor development’
concept which appear to build an
infrastructure for global export of
primary commodities and the importation of agricultural and mining equipment.
Whatever interpretation one
gives to the local and global rush to
acquire land on the continent, the
fact is that in most of Africa communities are mainly in the dark
about how political power is manipulated in land acquisitions, use,
control and disposal.
She regretted that with virtually
no disclosure to communities, large
farmlands were being leased to cater for the food and fuel needs of
foreign nations.
Palade advices that secrecy in
dealing in land matters need to be
done away with and communities
be made more involved fully as custodians of the land in question.
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
5
Shortage of
toilets worries
the World Bank
By Carolyne Ngetich
Experts say it might take decades for
every Kenyan to access a toilet if the
country maintains its current pace of
building toilets.
According to a study carried out
by the Water and Sanitation Programme of the World Bank, the worst
affected area informal settlements
like Kibera and Mathare in Nairobi
and major towns like Mombasa and
Kisumu, and the rural areas.
Indeed, the study shows that Kenya loses Sh 27 billion annually due
to poor sanitation, an estimated cost
of Thika-Super Highway, every year.
Open defecation, according to
the study, costs Kenya more than 7.6
Million per year yet eliminating the
practice would require less than 1.2
million latrines.
Although it loses 426 million annually due to sanitation, Nyeri County was ranked the top while Nakuru
was ranked the second best county
loosing Sh 978 Million. Mandera is
ranked the worst county in sanitation loosing 1.2 billion annually.
The study reveals that Kenya
could lead to an increase in travel
and tourism of an estimated Sh1billion based on the current contribution of travel and tourism to GDP
addressing sanitation.
Speaking in Nakuru during the
World’s Toilet Day.
According to the National director
of Public Service, Dr Kepha Ombacho,
counties, especially in arid and semiarid areas, will be allocated funds to
improve the provision of sanitary facilities like toilets and latrines.
The director noted that many
counties especially in the arid in
semi-arid areas like Mandera County, which is ranked the worst in sanitation among the 47 counties, are
lagging behind in provision of sanitary facilities with open defecation a
major health hazard.
The World Toilet Day is United
Nations observances, on November
19, that highlights the serious problem an estimated 2.5 billion people
in the world do not have access to
proper sanitation.
Each year thousands of people join
in promoting the day via social media
campaigns, online petitions, and by
getting involved in a range of events
held in different countries worldwide.
Last year the day was observed
in Nakuru town, which used to be
renowned for being the cleanest in
East Africa. But of late, it is a pale
shadow of its former self.
In Nairobi County, the so-called
flying-toilets phenomenon in slums
like Kibera is being addressed by
the national Government under the
slums upgrading and cleaning project under the National Youth service.
Yolande Coombes, an official with the World Bank
during the World Toilet Day in Nakuru.
Picture: Carolyne Ngetich
Youth
Scores of public toilets and bathrooms have been built in Kibera and
Mathare in the past six months by
NYS team working closely with local
youth and women groups.
“County governments have the
responsibility of providing sanitation
and sensitising residents on the importance of good hygiene. Counties
will be allocated funds to improve
sanitation from next year, a move
which will see many diseases being
managed”, Mr Ombacha said.
Some 14 counties are average in
provision of sanitation services while
19 are categorised as below average
in the report released by the Envi-
ronmental Health Department with
the Support of Water and Sanitation
Programme of the World Bank.
World Toilet Day aims to promote public awareness of the need of
adequate toilets to improve people’s
health and lives.
It is estimated that more people
have mobile phones than a toilet.
Of the world’s estimated seven billion people, six billion have mobile
phones. However, only 4.5 billion
have access to toilets or latrines,
meaning 2.5 billion people, mostly
in rural areas and slums do not have
proper sanitation.
Over 2,000 Kibera residents enjoy tap water initiative, as more are on the pipeline
By Thomas Bwire
An ambitious water project has
been launched in Nairobi’s Kibera
informal settlements with six villages being targeted..
The first phase covers Kayole
Soweto Maji- Mashinani project
and has 2.439 consumers.
According to Vicky Mayo, a Sociologist Officer with Nairobi City
Water and Sewerage Company, the
project works as follows: First time
consumers must apply to (NCWSC) for a connection; pays a deposit/commitment fee of Ksh.1.648
out of the total connection cost of
Ksh.8.215.
The balance of Ksh.6.602 is
considered a loan which is then
subsidized depending on a number of factors. It is from there that
a consumer gets connected to piped
water; they can then use the piped
water as per daily requirements
like cooking, washing; their water
consumption is metered; and finally, the consumers are billed and
are required to pay their water bills
through e-billing.
Indeed, like many countries in
Africa, Kenya’s water and sanita-
tion sector is still constrained by
inadequate financial resources that
hamper sustainability of services to
its people.
With as little as 1 per cent of
Kenya’s national public expenditure allocated to water and sanitation sector, the water utilities in
the country need to be creative in
order to supply quality water and
sanitation services to all regardless
of whether they live in upland areas
or in an informal settlement areas
such as Kibera, Kayole, Korogocho,
Mathare and Mukuru Kwa Njenga
slums among others.
As stipulated in the Constitution of Kenya 2010 under the Bill of
Rights article 43 (1) b, Every person
has the right to access and adequate
housing, and to reasonable standards of sanitation and clause (1)
d stating the need to clean and safe
water in adequate quantities.
According to the United Water,
water is essential to human health.
The human body can last weeks
without food, but only days without water. Water is essential to our
survival. Regular hand washing, is
for example one of the best ways to
remove germs, avoid getting sick,
and prevent the spread of germs to
others. As for the human body, in
average it is made of 50-65 per cent
water. Babies have the highest percentage of water; newborns are 78
per cent water.
Every day, every person needs
access to water for drinking,
cooking and personal hygiene.
Water is essential for sanitation
facilities that do not compromise
health or dignity. The World
Health Organisation recommends
7.5 liters per capita per day will
meet the requirements of most
people under most conditions. A
higher quantity of about 20 liters
per capita per day will take care of
basic hygiene needs and basic food
hygiene.
As the world celebrated World
Water Day under this year’s theme
Water and Sustainable Development,
more still need to be done to ensure
we achieve Kenya Vision 2030.
Although the Kenya Vision 2030
indentifies guaranteed access to
water and sanitation as one of the
key targets, majority of Kenyans,
including those living in informal
settlements still lack access to safe
and affordable water and sanitation
services.
Indeed, Nairobi has between 60
per cent to 70 per cent of its population living in informal settlements
that are characterised by inadequate
access to clean water, sanitation,
health care and other social services.
According to Jane Wanjaria,
Assistant Director of population
at the National Council for Population Development (NCPD) explains that 93 per cent of urbanisation occurs in poor developing
countries and nearly 40 per cent of
the world.
“When there is rapid population growth versus the resources
that are available, there is a lot of
pressure on resources like water. So
the more we continue growing, the
more we continue using more water
and also generating a lot of waste
which requires a lot of water, for example like water in the homes and
for industrial use, and it might not
be enough for our country, thus the
need to consider the rapid population growth and resources that we
have like water, environment, infrastructure and other resources,” says
Wanjaria.
The Unite Nations says water is at
the core of sustainable development.
From food and energy security to
human and environmental health,
water contributes to improvements
in social well-being and inclusive
growth, affecting the livelihoods of
billion
A survey of Kibra constituency,
shows that some residents have
been left at the mercy of curtails
supplying water within their households ending up enriching majority
of them. According to the Sociologist Officer with Nairobi City Water
and Sewerage Company, there is
need for accountability checks put
into place.
“Water curtails have mastered
the art of knowing which pipes have
water and thus divert them to their
lines so as they keep their taps with
constant running water, leaving
residential estates like Olympic and
Ayany at the mercy of water vendors. They have tapped all main water pipes like Jamhuri Showground
line, Langata line among others”
says Mayo.
In addressing such a challenge,
the officer says, such curtails should
be brought on board or they might
sabotage your efforts.
6
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Uplifting lives through Maji - Mashinani Project in Kayole Soweto
By Thomas Bwire
Mama Jane Njeri Njuguna has all the
reasons to smile. She now has running water at her finger tips literally.
Njuguna is one of the land ladies who
own eight rental housing units in
Kayole Soweto, Muthaiga section; this
is no mean fete, having lived there for
more than 30 years.
Indeed, she is one of scores of
proud landlords who have embraced
a new initiative known as “Maji Mashinani” within her residential units by
having access to water services. “I am
glad and happy to be part of this Maji
Mashinani project, which is a noble
idea to help us in this area to have reliable and access to clean water.
Imagine we still have drought in
some parts of our country, so having
reliable running water is everyone’s
dream,” says Njuguna. Her sentiments
were echoed by one of her tenants,
Nicholas Maloba, who has lived in her
rental unit for more than two years.
Previously low income areas connections to domestic water and sewer
lagged behind due to several barriers
such as lack of primary water, high
costs of connections materials, and
landlord structure owner’s guarantees.
The officer says the Social ConHe appreciates the fact that one
needs to have reliable water where nections Policy addressed such conthey live. “I am lucky we have water straints and proposed several policy
at our doorstep now, because before measures taken to ensure that water
I moved into this court, my previous and sewerage services were readily
house had no water and I used to buy available in Nairobi and its informal
the precious liquid at Ksh.20 for one settlements and low-income areas.
The ambitious project is being carjerrican which very costly for me,” Says
Maloba. Njuguna is fondly known as ried out in partnership with Water
“shosh,” Kikuyu word meaning an el- and Sanitation Program (WSP) and
derly woman, was proud to show this the World Bank, which has facilitated
writer around her rental units where financial mechanisms aimed at supthere is a tap with running water, that porting efforts to supply water and
affordable sewerage services to the uris shared by all her tenants.
Thursday’s is reserved for her area ban poor in Kenya.
According to Maiyo, with the soto receive water the whole day. Her
tenants are among the 2,200 low- cial connections approach, the Kayole
income households in Kayole Soweto residents now have access to piped
being provided to have access to wa- water in their households at afford- quantities.“Most of the households
ter and Sanitation services courtesy able rates. “There has been demand relied on water sources more than 100
for paid water and the will by most metres away, the burden of fetching
of Nairobi City Water and Sewarage
residents willing to pay for improved water in most cases was left to women
Company (NCWSC).
Maji Mashinani (water at the water supply,” adds Mayo.
and children,” NCWSC official.
Other areas in the pipeline for the
grassroots) is a project that was mootAccording to the United Water,
ed from a baseline survey carried implementation of this project in- water is essential to human health. The
out in the year 2010 August in Kay- clude, Mombasa, Kisumu, Malindi, human body can last weeks without
ole Soweto which undertook a three Mumias. To date beneficiaries in food, but only days without water. Wamonths survey period among people 2.439 consumers have running water ter is essential to our survival. Regular
connected to a meter in Kayole Sowe- hand washing, is for example one of
who lived there.
Urban Poor Before the project was to Maji- Mashinani project.
the best ways to remove germs, avoid
Like many countries in Africa, getting sick, and prevent the spread
mooted, Kayole Soweto residents used
to depend on water from boreholes Kenya’s water and sanitation sector is of germs to others. As for the humanand in times of short supply, vendors still constrained by inadequate finan- body, in average it is made of 50-65%
hawked water fetched from neigbour- cial resources that hamper sustain- water. Babies have the highest percenting estates at a cost of between Ksh.15 ability of services to its people.
age of water; newborns are 78% water.
With as little as 1% of Kenya’s nato Ksh.20 per jerrican of 20 liters.
Every day, every person needs
tional public expenditure allocated to access to water for drinking, cookwater and sanitation sector, the water ing and personal hygiene. Water is
This translated to an average utilities in the country need to be cre- essential for sanitation facilities that
monthly cost of between Kshs450 and ative in order to supply quality water do not compromise health or dignity.
Kshs 600. Kayole Soweto village in the and sanitation services to all regardless The World Health Organization recoutskirts of Nairobi County is a home of whether they live in upland areas or ommends 7.5 liters per capita per day
to about 90,000 residents. The village is in an informal settlement areas such will meet the requirements of most
one of the six in the sprawling Kibera as Kibra, Kayole, Korogocho, Mathare people under most conditions.
informal settlements, most of which and Mkukuru Kwa Njega slums.
A higher quantity of about 20 liAs stipulated in the constitution of ters per capita per day will take care
are poorly served with piped water.
Vicky Maiyo, a Sociologist Of- Kenya 2010 under the Bill of Rights ar- of basic hygiene needs and basic food
ficer with Nairobi City Water and ticle 43 (1) b Every person has the right hygiene.
Sewarage Company, is in charge of to accessible and adequate housing,
Despite impressive gains made over
the Maji Mashinani Project in Kayole and to reasonable standards of sanita- the last decade, 748 million people do
Soweto where they have now been tion and clause (1) d stating the need not have access to an improved source
implementing the social connection to clean and safe water in adequate of drinking water and 2.5 billion do
policy. The officer says: “Most of the
households relied on water sources
more than 100 meters away, the burden of fetching water in most cases
was left to women and children.”
The water company then developed a social connection policy that
subsidisers first time connections in
Nairobi informal settlements and low
income areas. That policy intends to
improve access to clean water in adequate quantities at household level.
— Nicholus Maloba
Reliability
Cost
“I am lucky we have water at our doorstep now,
because before I moved into this court, my
previous house had no water and I used to buy the
precious liquid at Ksh.20 for one jerrican which
very costly for me.”
Jerry cans lined up to be filled with water.
Below:Jane Njuguna enjoying clean water in her house.
Pictures: Thomas Bwire
not use an improved sanitation facility.
Investments in water and sanitation services result in substantial economic gains. As the world celebrates
“World Water Day” under this year’s
theme “Water and Sustainable Development” More still need to be done to
ensure we achieve Kenya Vision 2030.
Although the Kenya Vision 2030
indentifies guaranteed access to water
and sanitation as one of the key targets, majority of Kenyans, including
those living in informal settlements
still lack access to safe and affordable
water and sanitation services.
Like in many cities in Africa, Nairobi has between 60% to 70% of its
population living in informal settlements that are characterized by inadequate access to clean water, sanitation,
health care and other social services.
Informal settlements The world
cities are growing at an exceptional
rate as many people move into the
cities from rural areas. According to
Jane Wanjaria, Assistant Director of
population at the National Council
for Population Development (NCPD)
explains that 93% of urbanization occurs in poor developing countries and
nearly 40% of the world. “
When there is rapid population
growth versus the resources that are
available, there is a lot of pressure on
resources like water. So the more we
continue growing, the more we continue using more water and also and
generating a lot of waste which requires a lot of water, for example like
water in the homes and for industrial
use, and it might not be enough for
our country, thus the need to consider
the rapid population growth and resources that we have like water, environment, infrastructure and other
resources.” Says Wanjaria.
According to Unite Nations, water
is at the core of sustainable development. Water resources, and the range
of services they provide, underpin
poverty reduction, economic growth
and environmental sustainability.
From food and energy security to
human and environmental health,
water contributes to improvements in
social well-being and inclusive growth,
affecting the livelihoods of billion. A
sneak preview into Kibra constituency, some residents have been left at
the mercy of curtails supplying water
within their households ending up enriching majority of them.
According to Vicky Maiyo there
is need for accountability checks
to be put into place.
“Water cartels have mastered the art of knowing which pipes
have water and thus divert them to
their lines so as they keep their taps
with constant running water, leaving
estates like Olympic and Ayany to the
mercy of water vendors.
They have tapped all main water
pipes like Showground line, Langata line” notes Mayo. In addressing
such a challenge, such curtails should
be brought on board or they might
sabotage your efforts. Mayo further
explains that scarcity contributed by
the vendors can be addressed if more
water points can be increased in informal areas and ensure estates have
enough water.
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
7
Baringo children risk brain
disorders as a result of conflict
By Mary Mwendwa
For Josphat Kipsang', his 12-year-old mind can
still not comprehend why he is homeless and out
of school.
Since the year begun, his village has not known
something called peace. Bandit attacks from a
neighbouring community have been the order of
the day in his humble, dry Arabal Village in Baringo South sub-county, Baringo County.
H e vividly remembers "We were in class, by
then I was class five , listening to my favorite
teacher teach Christian Religious Education
when we heard gunshots and bullets straying in
the school compound. It was so scary and we
had to scamper for safety. All we knew was that
our school had been attacked by bandits who
also stole livestock and killed people in our village. Since then, life has been difficult, we have
no home and all our livestock were stolen, iam
here with part of my family at this Arabal centre
where we ran for safety.We hear gunshots every
day coming from that side,” Kipsang' says with
bitterness as he points at a valley with dry shrubs.
The raging conflict within Baringo County
has paralyzed the education sector as many more
residents are being displaced. According to a local
administrator in Arabal location, who chose to remain anonymous: ”This conflict where livestock
is stolen, property vandalized and people killed
can only be compared to the Boko Haram group
in Nigeria.If an urgent action is not taken , we will
be wiped out as a community here. As a leader I
have no livestock and iam also displaced. How do
I set an example for peace-keeping yet iam homeless and desperate?” the administrator wondered.
Silence
At Arabal primary school, which overlooks
dry hills, no signs of pupils or activities was visible. Silence and only birds ambience are what can
be heard. Over ten Kenya Defense Forces soldiers
, dressed in helmets and bullet-proof vests stare at
us journalists as we arrive at the school.
The whole journey is fully guarded by security personal with guns ready just in case of an attack. A sad and worried head teacher, Mr .Kiptui
of Arabal , leads us to an empty classroom full of
dust and scattered tins and books that belonged to
his pupils. He slowly shakes his head and points
to a lighting system that was meant to help the
children study during evening classes.”My biggest
worry is about the class eight pupils who are supposed to register for KCPE exams and deadline is
close. I try to look for their families and it is a difficult task. All of them are scattered in the nearby
town centers and some parents lost their phones
and I have no contact at all. Even accessing results
for the last KCPE candidates was not possible, the
school was already under siege and therefore no
one was able to check their results in the school
compound.”He sadly says.
Mr.Kiptui confirms that some of his pupils are
now married and others have fallen pregnant.”This
conflict has put many children in very vulnerable
situations, many of whom cannot bare the harsh
type of life they are now experiencing after loosing
their livelihood through attacks.Many of them are
traumatized and need counseling for them to be
able to cope in future.”He urges.
Kipturui recalls how his pupils ran for safety
after their school was attacked sometime last
year, luckily no pupil lost life but the feeling of
fresh attacks is still fresh in their minds. “When
schools resumed this year, out of my 246 pupils
only 63 reported. I knew they had run for safety.”
David Lechamakany, Area Education Officer, Makutani and Mochongoi Divisions: ” Over
200- pupils are currently out of school because of
this conflict, around 50 teachers are displaced and
some head are now seeking transfers to safer areas. This conflict may end up being catastrophic if
nothing is done urgently. It is no longer about livestock, it has graduated to vandalism and we are
wondering where this is headed to. Children need
a lot of psychological support that may interfere
with their future beings.”
Nutrition
Dr. David Bukusi, Consultant Pyschiatrist
Councellor, Kenyatta National Hospital says that
the psycho trauma and nutritional related problems pose a big threat to the development of these
children affected by conflict.”First , these children
have their normal social development life disrupted and therefore they will be behind others in
terms of learning. The trauma they are experiencing now , seeing bullets flying all over and people
killed will make them develop aggressiveness,
hostility,suscipicion and retaliatory behavior over
time.
Dr. Bukusu warns ,”Due to destabilization of
their normal environment, many are not able to
access proper nutrition which is key for brain development. Basic cognate fucti0ons of the brain
especially the memory functions like , thinking
would be slowed down and this can also result in
stunting as a result of poor diet.”
Dr. Bukusu further reveals, due to high stress
levels experienced by the children, stress hormones; cortisol, adrenaline and epinephrine
which are released by the body in situations that
are interpreted as being potentially dangerous
,will be heightened and this puts a lot of pressure
on body tissues and generally increases chances of
illness.”He concludes.
According to Jirma Hussein, County
Drought Coordinator, National Drought Management Authority (NDMA),”Insecurity and
drought enforce each other. Although it not NDMAs mandate to deal with issues of insecurity,
we have witnessed it affect many sectors of life.
This has made people so vulnerable to drought
effects and this can result in activating the contingency fund earlier that expected.”
Jirma notes the Baringo South conflict has become dynamic in nature and needs well thought
efforts to contain it.”We have been joining peace
meetings and even now we have a joint petition
with other partners in this region to see that
peace is restored for the sake of lives suffering especially children who are now out of school and
have to bear with this kind of situation.
Obeta Sirma, Sub-County administrator confirms twenty eight schools are now closed and
over 16, 400 families are displaced due to the
fighting.”We have an influx of people moving to
nearby towns like Marigat and we are forced to
assist with humanitarian support with other partners. There is pressure on the environment too,
Josephat Kipsang' , a pupil of Arabal Primary School. Below: an empty class. Pictures:
Mary Mwendwa
a lot of charcoal burning is ongoing and cases of
poachers invading the National Reserve are being
reported. Some Tourists have also cancelled trips
to Soi Lodge and this has had a big impact economically to Baringo County”. He confirms.
The conflict at hand was initially alleged to be
as a result of two communities, Tugen and Pokot
over livestock and natural resources sharing, water and pasture. Now , it is graduating to more
than pastures and water.
During a meeting that brought together
both elders from pokot and Tugen commu-
nity to try and bring peace, a heated debate
on sharing resources and how stolen livestock
were to be handled.Pokot elders agreed to try
and return the stolen livestock and also urged
the Tugen community to allow them use the
water and pastures as the dry spell continue
to hit most of the country. Tugen elders were
hesitant pleading their Pokot counterparts to
use sections of the resources but not to meet at
any point.”How does it feel to see your stolen
cow grazing just near you, this will torture our
people”. A Tugen elder said.
TB vaccine expected by 2035 as Kenya participates in trial
By CAROL KORIR
Kenya is among the three African
Countries that have been selected to
participate in TB vaccine trials that will
go on for the next three years.
The trials which will involve
3506 people between ages 18-50 will
be shared between South Africa Zambia and Kenya.
The participants referred to as COHORTS must be having Active TB bacteria and they must not be pregnant at
the start of trials.
According to the Principal Investigator Dr. Fidelis Nduba from Kenya
Medical Research Institute who is based
at the trial site in Siaya,t he COHORTS
have been on preparation since January.
“We were given a number of 450
we have recruited over 80 people and
we believe by the end of the month we
will have gotten the number. We normally get around 20 each week and we
are confident we will have the number,”
said Dr. Nduba.
He adds, “We give them the vaccine
and then we follow them throughout
this trial period to see if they will catch
Tuberculosis.”
He is urging patience saying the research is in its second phase and may be
available after 2024.
“We are not answering the questions
on when will the vaccine be ready, what
we are trying now is the efficacy of the
vaccine. We will need to do another
phase three and maybe from 2024 we
can start of talking of a TB vaccine,” said
Dr. Nduba.
Last year May, World Health Assembly put a target of reducing TB cases
by 95% by 2015 and having a TB free
world by 2035.
Experts and researchers are now
urging countries to support the vaccine
development as a way of eradicating TB.
Doctor Jane Ongongo of KEMRI
says that it was important for TB vaccine to be developed since the current
BCG vaccine given at birth to every
child was becoming ineffective.
“The BCG doesn’t protect you fully
nor does it protect you from all forms of
TB.What it does is that it protect children against TB in the Brain and other
complications that comes with it.
Sibusiso Hlatjwaku director of Public Affairs at AERAS involved in the
trial argues that development of vaccine was going to be more cost effective
given the high cost of treating TB.
“It cost 8bn USD to treat TB each
year and 600bn to 1Ibn USD to develop
a new vaccine. Drug resistant will cost
200 times more,” said Sibusiso
It is estimated that 4,000 people die
everyday of TB globally and over 90%
TB deaths are reported in low and middle income countries.
8
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Biogas production relieves farmer in Embu
By Mary Mwendwa
For Nehemiah Nyagah and his neighbor, Samuel Njeru, life has never been
the same since they discovered bio-gas
technology last year.
According to Nyagah: “I have seen
great change within my family since
I started generating bio-gas, my wife
and four children can also testify to
this. My wife no longer uses firewood
to cook, and this saves us a lot of time
and funds to prepare food. We don’t
have to cut trees or use charcoal anymore.”
According to experts, it costs
about 100,000 ksh to install a basic
biogas unit in Kithungurire village,
Embu County.
Similarly, Njeru, who lives in in
Kiriare village has a success story to
tell. He says dairy farming has transformed his life as a mixed farmer and
he is no longer looking back.
“I was a teacher by profession and
what I earned then cannot be compared to what I get now. With dairy
farming, I can generate biogas, sell
milk and supplement my income .The
biggest gain in this biogas production
is that I do not have to cut down trees
for firewood. These days we are really hit by climatic phenomena, with
biogas we get green energy and emit
very little carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,” Njeru says.
Since he embraced that technology, Nyagah, who is a mixed farmer,
says it has transformed his life completely at his two acre farm where he
specialises in bananas, arrow roots,
macadamia, coffee, tea and livestock.
Looking back, Nehemiah says he
is proud and happy that he took the
step of faith and has no regrets in venturing into mixed farming. He attributes his great success to dairy farming which has brought many benefits
apart from milk production. “Dairy
farming has proved to be very reliable for me since I started my farming
after I inherited a farm from my late
father; I enjoy so many benefits and
above all this biogas that has saved me
from emitting more carbon in the air.
These days we hear of climate change
effects and it is high time many people invested in green energy to reduce
on the adverse outcomes,” says the
small-scale farmer.
His biogas unit was installed with
the support of Norwegian Church
Aid, a Non- Government Organisation, who donated Shs60, 000 and he
paid the balance of Shs40,000.
“I am glad that I was able to get
their support which has made me a
proud farmer who uses bio-gas. Biogas generation is not expensive after
the initial installation cost,” says Nyagah.
In a recent interview, he revealed
that he uses cow dung from my
cows and the same waste is directed
through small trenches to his farm
to be used as organic manure. By so
doing, he avoids the cost and environmental effects related to fertilizers.
The simple technology of connecting a tank, digester and channeling
it to a central point where gases are
produced has seen many farmers like
Nehemiah and Njeru transform their
lives in a big way.
In the hilly villages of Embu
County many farmers have planted
trees and the introduction of biogas
technology will go a long way in sparing the trees from loggers for sale as
wood fuel.
So far, this has had a big impact on
the protection of the environment and
led to a predictable weather pattern.
For Nehemiah, the main raw material for the biogas production is the
waste from his nine heifer breed cows.
He earns about fifty litres of milk every day.
“These cows generate a lot of dung
during feeding and this is fed in the
digester which in turn produces and
mixes gases as a result of breaking
down the organic matter, in the absence of oxygen. The primary gas produced is Methane plus other gases like
Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sul-
A biogas digester that provides energy in Embu County. Below: Nehemiah Nyagah happy to use
biogas energy. Pictures: Mary Mwendwa
phite in small quantities. It is here that
energy is produced in form of cooking gas and directed to the kitchen
through special pipes where it is used
for heating purposes like cooking.
Biogas can also be compressed, the
same way natural gas is compressed in
advanced countries, and can be used
to power motor vehicles.
BREAKTHROUGH: new open-heart surgery technique unveiled
By Kianda Maliti
Heart disease complications specialists will be
smiling all the way through their operations
which have been simplified and hastened and
made safer than before. Heart value replacement in this African region and the south of
Sahara, using a technique that only requires
two punctures in the groin is seen as a big
boost in patients` safety.
It also reliefs the uncertainties experienced
earlier, of excessive blood loss and general mismanagement of the while exercise. This kind
of breakthrough in the health sector, therefore,
eliminates the need for an open-heart surgery.
The new trans-catherer aortic valve implementation (TAVI) will be found in very few
hospitals world over that specialize in cardiological matters as it requires a comprehensive team
with experts who must have international recognition and experience in open-heart surgery
including other techniques. Kenya’s Aga khan
University Hospital of heart and cancer center
is the only facility of its kind in the Sub-Sahara
Africa outside South Africa which has earned
international credibility and hence approval on
this technology that is coming to us very soon.
Dr. Mohamed Jelian, led a team of doctors
who performed the procedure and emphasized
the importance of an integrated and highly
skilled team of specialists comprising of cardiologists, heart anesthetists, cardiac surgeons
and specialist nurses. Leading world experts in
this field have approved this technology, describing it as the most important breakthrough
in cardiology in the last 20 years and being put
into use in the United States of America since
2013.
``the main advantage of this technique is
that it is less invasive and is associated with a
faster recovery in most cases. Patients are able
to get back to normal duties faster, `` said Dr.
Jelian. ``the technique is currently recommended for patients who, after review by a
heart specialist are considered at high risk with
an open heart operation, `` added Jelian.
The operation too, like most others has its
own risks that include damage to the vessels in
the leg because of blood left-over that clot way
down-ward of the foot. This therefore, requires
a surgeon who knows something about complications relating to leg arteries to be present.
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
9
Kenyan roads ‘unfriendly’ to non-motor transport users
By Carolyne Oyugi
When Thika super highway in Nairobi
County was being constructed Nairobi residents and their neighbours in
Kajiado, Kiambu and Machakos were
happy that finally traffic jams will be
history on that route.
Then the road was completed and
the former president Mwai Kibaki
launched it, pictures were taken, media
got excited, it was trending on Twitter
for some days, but few months later
things went back to normal.
Infact some say things went from
bad to worse. Motorists might be
enjoying the multiple lanes without
potholes, but traffic jams was not
completely cleared and pedestrians,
cyclists and motor cyclists started to
grumble.
The ultra modern Thika Highway,
just like other roads in Kenya, does not
give consideration to non motor users.
In cases where they are designed to accommodate pedestrians , the spaces are
filled with hawkers or kiosks.
According to Adarsha Kapoor,
Deputy Programme Manager, Clean
Air and Sustainable Mobility programme, Centre for Science and Environment, New Delhi, Flyovers and
expressways are not the solution to
traffic jams.
“Mobility planning is a solution.
plan for movement of people and not
of machines.
Make the city more accessible by
encouraging more people to prefer
the use of public transportation,
walking and/or cycling instead of using private vehicles,” said the manager
during a workshop organized by CSE
in patnership with MESHA in Nairobi.
The Guiding Principles, Kapoor
said, is to reduce private vehicle dependency and promote public transport
use – through design, policy and enforcement measures.
The government should also provide Public Transport access to maximum number of people – through
densification and enhanced connectivity.
This also come when Carbon emissions has become a major global threat
to sustainability, and given that the
share of the transport sector is increasing, it is important to consider transport systems with sustainable carbon
emission levels.
On her art, a lecturer at Makerere
University, Ms. Amanda Ngabirano,
observed that transportation industry played a crucial part in promoting our quality of human lives, and
it was no longer a luxury for helping
people move from point ‘A’ to point
‘B.’
Ngabirano says: “Transport involves
safety, accessibility, choice affordability,
efficiency convenience freedom and
all‐inclusiveness.”
In order to achieve sustainable
development that the government of
Kenya has been talking about, it is
important to include all sectors including that of transport and hence
the need for sustainable transport
systems.
Kenyan roads have improved but
the problem is non motorized transportation has been forgotten.
The don suggests the use of bicycles whenever possible. “The bicycles
are space efficient, affordable, easy to
maintain and cycling has health benefits.”
Many health surveys have shown
that obesity, that was considered to
be a western problem as a result of an
imbalance of energy uptake and its
expenditure, is increasing in Africa.
“Statistics have shown that 10 per
cent of Uganda’s population is obese
and these include children and adults,”
she quoted a leading Ugandan daily
newspaper, the Daily Monitor of October 9, 2010.
Other benefits of cycling are; Energy Efficient, reduced transport costs
(transport consumes a huge percentage
of household incomes in Africa) and
reduce air pollution.
According to Prof Shem Wandiga,
University of Nairobi, air pollution impacts negatively on the human health
and development. Dioxins and furans
have been detected in mother’s milk
samples.
This is due to contaminations from
environment through
Foodstuffs like Dioxins and Furans. Prof Wandiga called for increase
in awareness among the general public to control impact of human activities that contribute to persistent organic pollutants releases.
Traffic jams, pollution and conjestion were deemed to be a Western
problem, but are now an African
problem due to continued development and urbanize in most African
countries.
In order to promote non motor
transport usage, UNEP has developed
a design guideline titled: “Share the
Road.”
The guideline is for NMT in Africa.
The first pilot was a 1.7 Kms on UN
Avenue, Kigali Rwanda and Demonstration project, Rue de la revolution
1.5. Km. The other is a 3.5Km. stretch
in Kampala’s NMT.
UN‐Habitat has already launched
an NMT pilot project in informal settlements in Kenya in Kibera, Mirera‐
Karagita and Kamera areas.
National Road Safety proposed
A pedestrian struggles to walk along Ngong’ Road. The path
meant for pedestrians has been dug hence one has to squeeze
very close to the vehicles. This exposes them to road accidents.
Picture: Carolyne Oyugi
Cycling lanes in Uganda, National
Urban Policy; Compact cities, and
cycling facilities proposed‐Uganda
National Transport Policy in Ghana,
critics say similar efforts by the government was god but not enough as
more needs to be done.The major
challenges in this process are implementation gap and negative attitude
such as cycling not for women, for the
poor, the weather, terrain.
There is also poor prioritisation or
lack of funding.
Lack of awareness has also led to
many people dreaming of owning a car.
Good air quality monitoring practices in the two regions to track air
quality: Good practices are evolving
in both the regions. For example, the
Senegalese Ministry of Environment
and Sanitation has set up a Centre for
Management of Air Quality in Dakar
and a laboratory. They also have a
portable air quality monitoring van.
The air quality data is communicated
to the public through a simple air
quality index. Similarly, Delhi in India has set up six online monitoring
stations that report real time data in a
properly laid out format for people to
understand.
There are over 10 monitoring stations in residential, industrial, commercial and road side locations in Accra, Ghana. Roadside and commercial
sites recorded highest pollution levels.
Road Expansion‐Unfortunate trend?
§This process is now going on world
wide.
§Also in expanding cities in Africa
and Asia.
§This may not only be irrelevant but
also pagina 14 Nairobi increases
pollution levels Carbon emissions
(17%), being a major global threat
to sustainability, and given that the
share of the transport sector is increasing, it is important to consider
transport systems with sustainable
carbon emission levels.
Human Rights Activists call for Kenyans to address inequalities
By Florence Sipalla
“There is nothing natural or normal about inequality,” says Atsango Chesoni, the Executive
Director of the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).
She highlighted article 27 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010 that prohibits discrimination on the basis of different inequalities. “The
realisation of the promise of that protection is
a different matter,” she adds citing the example
of young women and women with disabilities
who could be disadvantaged because of their
gender, age and disability.
The director was speaking during an event
organized by Akiba Uhaki to mark the World
Day of Social Justice. It was marked on March
20 and held at the University of Nairobi, Parklands Campus. The day is commemorated
globally on 20 February, however, this forum
was held a month later.
In a keynote address that framed the afternoon’s discussion, Irungu Houghton from
the Kenya Dialogues Project at the Society of
International Development (SID), stressed on
the importance of talking about inequalities in
plural, to highlight the different forms of inequality that exist in society.
Irungu cited an SID report titled Pulling
Apart: Facts and Figures on Inequality in Kenya; he highlighted examples of stark inequalities between different regions in the country.
The study highlights ten striking features of
inequality in Kenya citing differences in income, life expectancy, employment between
men and women, HIV/AIDs prevalence,
school enrolment, health reach, access to water, immunisation and mortality, gender outcomes and poverty levels.
One in three children in North Eastern
Kenya attends primary school while most of
their counterparts in Central Kenya have access to primary and secondary school education. This is one example of inequality on the
basis of school enrolment cited by Houghton.
“In Central Kenya, 20,000 people share
one doctor while in North Eastern, one doctor
is shared by 120,000 people,” says the study
which also focuses on gender disparities in
education in the country. While almost 92
per cent of females in Nairobi are literate, only
6.4 per cent are literate in the North Eastern
region.
The SID official spoke of disparities with
regards to land occupancy citing that 60% of
the Kenyan population lives on 10 per cent of
the land mass.
Inequalities in the education system were
highlighted and criticized at the forum. “We
are using education to create and perpetuate
new forms of inequalities,” argued Prof Karuti
Kanyinga, who challenged the middleclass arguing that they are engaged in a discreet effort to feign ignorance about inequalities with
regards to education yet they are part of the
problem.
The don cited the controversial high school
student selection where middleclass parents
demand that their children in private primary
schools be admitted to the few public secondary schools. He also cited the parallel university programme as another example that helps
to perpetuate inequalities as students from
poor families have fewer opportunities compared to those whose parents can afford to pay
higher fees.
“What kind of society abandons 300,000
children year after year?” asked Economist
David Ndii with reference to the Standard
Eight students who miss chances in secondary
schools after their primary school education.
On his part, Mombasa Senator Hassan
Omar said access to education was a universal
right, regardless of where one hailed from. He
took issue with the inequalities in the education system.
“You should address the problem of poverty and inequality because you are only a
kilometre or two from the marauding youth,”
said Kanyinga.
The university don called for the middleclass to address inequalities and reminded
them that unless they did, they were likely to
be victims o the unrest that could ensure.
Through the equalisation fund, the Constitution seeks to address historical inequalities
that exist especially in marginalized areas in
the country. Mombasa senator Omar called
for radical equalization of wealth as it is created. “If you have had a 50-year advantage,
we need to advantage the one who has been
disadvantaged for 50 years.”
“The fundamental tools for creating an
equitable society are freedom and education,” said Ndii. He questioned why Nairobi
lacks proper sanitation facilities for its residents who live in informal settlements such as
Kawangware, Kibera, Korogocho and Mukuru. He also questioned why society tolerates
the exploitation of young women as domestic
workers especially in homes in urban areas.
“In many religions, selfishness and greed
are sin, yet they are the root causes of inequality,” said Dr Francis Kuria from the Interreligious Forum of Kenya. “Equality and justice
are the key tennets of religion,” said Alhaj
Yusuf Murigu. Describing poverty as a moral
scandal, Kuria called for a conversation on
national values such as sacrifice for common
good and the value of work. “The sanctity of
work has been eroded in Kenya,” lamented
Kuria.
The Constitution provides a roadmap for
addressing socio-economic rights in Article
43. During the forum, most of the panelists
called on the 47 County governments to address inequalities within the counties in the
devolved government.
10
ISSUE 107, April 1-31, 2015
Unfiltered, uninhibited…just the gruesome truth
Muranga County residents demand share of Ndakaini revenue
By Waihinya Henry
Nairobi County residents might have
to dig deeper into their pockets if their
Muranga neighbours get things their
way.
This is because Muranga County
Assembly leaders are demanding that
revenue from Ndakaini dam, which
serves Nairobi and its environs, be
shared with its residents.
At the moment, all the revenue is
pocketed by Nairobi Water Company.
But over the years, the city fathers
have turned that request down saying
the dam was under the national and
not County government.
Indeed, this is a conflict that will
take some time to resolve.
The Executive Director, Institute for
Environment and Water Management,
Annabel Waititu, told a national workshop for grassroots women promoting
natural resources management and
sustainable agriculture in various Kenyan counties that:
“The new Constitution is emphatic
that every Kenyan has a right to clean
water and a healthy environment.
Community ownership of natural resources has been strengthened in new
laws and this development heralds a
transformation in their management
and utilisation,” Waititu says.
Demand for a stake on the water resource by locals reached new
heights after Muranga County Assembly passed a motion seeking to
have a share of the huge revenue generated from water at Ndakaini dam,
which is sold to city consumers by
Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company.
The motion generated conflict between Nairobi Governor, Dr. Evans
Kidero’s city county government and
his Murang’a counterpart Mwangi wa
Iria.
Leaders argue the commodity is exported for business purpose and they
have a right to be compensated as well.
Charles Kirigwi, who is the chairman of trade and industries committee,
pointed his County, which has natural
rights to the Ndakaini water is unfairly
treated and short-changed by Nairobi
government.
Data from Nairobi Water Company
indicates that the County made a profit
of Sh. 200 million from water sales in
2012.
Muranga leaders want Dr Kidero
to at least compensate the county with
Sh 25million from the profits. This
amount is being demanded by his
county government, arguing residents
within the dam locality continue to suffer from lack of water and other challenges while the resource is exported to
mint money elsewhere”.
Ndakaini Dam, or Thika Dam, is
70 million cubic metres of fresh water reservoir, lies about 80km north
of Nairobi, and 40 km west of Thika
town on the slopes of the Aberdares
at an altitude of 2040 metres above
sea level.
The water resource sitting on that
land that once belonged to members of
the local community before they were
re-located is approximately 60 metres
deep, covers a surface area of approximately three sq km, has a 1.3 megawatt
power generation facility and provides
significant opportunities for community investment.
In 1988, the Government compulsorily acquired approximately 1,200
acres of land to create space for the
construction of Thika Dam (Ndakaini)
to supply portable water to Nairobi and
its environs.
Construction of the dam was undertaken under the Third Nairobi Water Supply Project between 1989 and
1994.The funding was from the World
Bank, ADB, European Investment
Bank and the Kenya Government,
among others at a cost of Sh2 billion at
that time.
According to Rebecca Mwicigi, a
nominee to the Assembly,
The establishment of the dam has
brought some environmental abuse
and changes with adverse effect on the
health of the residents and agriculture
investments.
Elsewhere, Murarandia ward rep-
resentative Martin Mwangi demanded
the imposition of a reparation levy on
the use of the dam’s water. He argued
local resident’s natural rights and justice of access to this water resource are
denied.
He says, this is contrarily to the constitution and natural justice. “People
living within a natural resource should
not be denied their rights to use it while
it is taken away to benefit other people
elsewhere,” he told the Assembly.
The passing of the motion is the
first step of expressing determination
to tackle the unfairness locals are subjected to over the management of this
resource, members of Murang’a assembly points.
But Nairobi Water Company maintains land and water asserts are under
Athi Water Resources Board and the
company only, manages the resource
while land ownership belongs to the
national government and that the
principal owner of the land and water
resource is the national government in
this case under existing law.
Sasumua Dam in Muranga County. Picture: Courtesy
Executive Director: Arthur Okwemba
Editor: Jane Godia
Write to: [email protected]
Sub-Editors: Carolyne Oyugi, Joyce Chimbi and Odhiambo Orlale
Designer: Noel Lumbama
Contributors: Yusuf Amin, Jane Wangechi, Duncan Mboyah, Carolye Ngetich, Thomas Bwire,
Mary Mwendwa, Carol Korir, Kianda Maliti, Florence Sipala, Henry Owino,
Wahinya Henry
www.mdcafrica.org
The paper is supported by: