Child Sexual abuse: How safe is your child with people within the family circle?

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-21 13:11:00

The Rural Education and Economic Empowerment program REEP an organization that fights for the rights of children, under privileged, molested and works towards fighting the spread of HIV AIDS, is pausing the big question to all parents and guardians, how safe is your child?

Speaking to West Fm, the Director of REEP Mary Makokha was keen on child sexual abuse cases that she termed to be on the rise because of ignorance and neglect by parents and guardians.

She stated that many parents and guardians tend to put so much trust on the people around the family circle and have branded outsiders as the criminals and danger around children forgetting that no one can be trusted with a child.

“Many cases of child sexual abuse like rape, molestation, defilement and sexual harassment on the children are carried out by the closest people to the family,” said Ms Makokha

“We have branded strangers and outsiders as the danger and yet no one can be termed as safe with a child because we have seen that even parents have been involved in hurting the child in one way or the other, “said Ms Makokha

She added that mothers are not exempted since there was recent case reported in their office of a mother tying her son’s hand with a mosquito net then she set the child’s hand on fire, although the boy was recued amid the neighbors hearing his cries, he suffered severe burns.

“As REEP we want to find out through the radio program from these involved  parents what prompted them to do such inhumane acts on their children and how it felt like from them watching their child suffer in their own making?” said Ms.Makokha

According to her, most of the children who were molested while young, end up replicating the same on others in boarding schools since they were never opened up to their guardians and parents and hence were not taught that such acts are bad and condoned by the society

“The children caught in gayism cases in schools are victims of sexual harassment at an early age and since they were never told of the consequences and unrightfulness of the act they go a head to try it on others,” said Ms Makokha

She urged parents to be free and open with their children so that they may feel free to tell them incase of any incidence of sexual harassment so that the parents may assist in counseling

She also cautioned against assumptions by the parents that the closest people of the family can not harm the child since according to the research findings they did in Butula region most cases of rape and molestation are carried out by the least expected that is the closest people to the child.

“Most parents have put so much trust in relatives and yet they are the danger to our children, I pass this to all, never to trust anyone with your child not even your spouse,” Said Ms Makokha

Just how safe is your child, if your spouse in the house can be raping your 6 year old child daily and because you are blinded by love you never seem to note, if your brother-in law can inhumanly insert his manhood in the ass of your son and since you trust him so much you never seem to note, if the mother who carried the child for nine months can burn him or her or literally chop his hand for no appetent reason then, REEP is asking how safe is your child?

Ms Makokha also added that while talking to the perpetrators she came to realize that most cases of child abuse takeplace in homes with domestic violence between the husband and wife

Citing the most recent case of a child of three months who died of fight between the father and mother, when the father was about to hit the wife a blow she escaped placing the child in front as defense and unfortunately the blow caught her neck and she died on the spot.

REEP has changed Butula region where there were rampant cases of wife battery and to date there are minimal, it has moved to schools too where there were cases of teachers molesting the boys or having sex with their students and the cases are reported to have reduced in that region.

Wes tm Radio hosts a half hour REEP  talk show every Friday by the title, “PROTECTING TOMMOROW” from 7.30pm to 8.00pm aimed at sensitizing to know and learn more on the causes of molestations and rape from the perpetrators themselves and share in the pain of the victims to be careful in child upbringing.

Read more: http://www.westfm.co.ke/index-page-news-bid-2829.htm#ixzz1T6r51JVd

Cane Farmers worried over the Sugar industry as COMESA exemption expires in 2012

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-21 20:47:00

Bukembe cane famers line up at one of the 22 polling centers to elect their Kenya Sugar Board representatives who will cast their doubts away ahead of the liberalization of the sugar industry. [Photo/ Rosemary Wachiye/ West Fm]

Over 50,000  sugar cane farmers contracted with Nzoia Sugar company  are worried over the status of the  Kenyan sugar industry ahead of the repeal of COMESA safeguard by end of February next year.

They are saying they are bound to lose if the elected representatives won’t lay proper strategic measures to counter the liberalized market.

The farmers want the new leadership to move with speed and come up with strategic measures to counter COMESA market insisting there was no way the price of sugar can be at par with other countries under the coming trade zone owing to the high cost of sugarcane farming and sugar production.

Subsequently, they urge the government to immediately sensitize farmers on the possible ways of dealing with the COMESA market amicably.

Kenya Sugar Board should come up with new marketing policies to ensure there is a ready market for Kenyan sugar elsewhere away from COMESA region.

The sugar sector has been shielded since 2000 when Kenya was allowed to limit duty-free sugar imports to 200,000 tons annually.

Further, farmers said the contract between them and Nzoia Sugar Company be renewed saying the current contract confines the factory alone.

‘’We want the contract reviewed so that we have the freedom to sale our cane to any factory including private millers,’’ they asserted.

Farmers also appealed to the coming leadership to address with great concern the issue of payment as normally they are supposed to be paid within one week after delivery at factory but this has never been the case.

The cane farmers spoke Thursday as they cast votes to elect their representative of Nzoia Zone which experienced a low turnout in most of the 22 polling centers.

Though elections went on peacefully, the whole exercise was marred with voter transportation and buying with farmers saying there was political interference in the whole exercise. 

‘’It is wrong for leaders to use government vehicles to transport people to vote for their accomplices’’ Sinoko farmers said.

An elderly woman cast her vote during the elections at one of the polling center in Nzoia Zone.

Joseph Wafula, a cane farmer, requested to be given humble time to elect a person who could champion their rights arguing that majority of them wallowing in acute poverty as a result of bad leadership.

‘’This time round we want to elect visionary people who will come up with policies that advocate for the rights of farmers not those who are out to use such positions to accumulate wealth,’’ he warned.

Farmers said the chance should be given to fellow common farmer who truly understand predicaments of farmers insisting that for every long time they have given mandate to wrong people to represent them.

The issue of Weigh Bridges raised a lot of concern as they looked forward for the new director to fight for the introduction of mobile weigh bridges.

A lot of cane is lost while on transit, we want this to be done at the factroy in order to maximize profits adding that the weigh bridge itself is questionable as it is almost constant.

Bukembe farmers wondered why cane across the entire eight sugar district could have a similar weight despite different soils and environment.

‘’Even the tracts, whether single or double, our cane will have a very minute variation in weight, a situation which raises eyebrows,’’ one farmer said.

Farmers also wanted the issue of mileage to be addressed since there is lack of standard criteria to ascertain the difference of a distance of a farm to another in the same zone from the factory.

This, they explained the mileage charges vary even from neighboring farms where the distance calculated from the factory differs. More shockingly, the farmers complained that the distance of their farms from the factory is never static from each harvest.

‘’This year you are charged 20KM for mileage and the next harvest they charge 36km on the same farm…..somebody must be out to ripe what rightly belong to us,’’ farmers lamented.

Adding that most farmers receive their pay after three months without proper explanation given concerning the delay.

The Nzoia Sugar Zone attracted eight candidates who battled out with the incumbent chairman of Kenya Sugar Board Saul Busolo.

Others are Ambassador Eliud Wafula Maelo, Isaac Mukenya and Walter Mukinginyi not forgetting Simon Simiyu Masalange, Bramuel Watiti and David Wanyonyi wafula.

Read more: http://www.westfm.co.ke/index-page-news-bid-2834.htm#ixzz1T6lrsWrc

Kenya’s Vision 2030 lies in the hands of the youth, Uganda High Commissioner says

Written by Silas Kemboi and Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-17 20:09:00 Read 275 Times

Achievement of Kenya’s economic blue print Vision 2030 lies in the hands of Kenyan youth the Permanent Representative to the UNCHS (UN-HABITAT) and UNEP who is also Uganda’s High Commissioner to Kenya Angelina C. Wapakhabulo said on Sunday. She was speaking during the 2nd commemoration ceremony of the late senior District Commissioner Mr. Walter Peter Masibo Saisi who was also the BOG chair of Milo Secondary School in Bungoma East district in Bungoma County.  “In the youth you learn a lot and people need to practice what they want to be as every country depends on another on millennium development goals as for instance, Ugandans depend on Kenyan ports in different ways by 70 per cent,’’ she said. She challenged the family of the deceased to ape their late father in engaging in active and productive activities just like how their late father did. She promised a personal contribution 500 dollars towards school projects saying exchange programmes will help strengthen ties within East African countries. At the grave side she attributed the efforts of the late saying he was a kind of a person his achievements should be emulated. "I’m much humbled and privileged to lay these flowers on this grave yard,’’ she said. She proceeded to Milo secondary school where she officially opened a dormitory named after the late Saisi and planted a tree to mark the occasion. On his part, the Milo Boys Secondary principal Mr. Albert Mutambo commended the people who have contributed to the success of the school. The current BOG chairman Reverend Abraham Simiyu of the Anglican Church of Kenya encouraged the family to be strong saying Saisi was a staunch supporter of the school in terms of advice and money. "He brought up his family in a godly manner and I encourage his family to emulate the same," he said while he encouraged the students to work even harder in their studies to be successful in their future career life. Speaking on behalf of the family, Mr. Andrew Saisi encouraged the students, family members and residents to put in more efforts in their respective fields so as to achieve desired results. He thanked his late father saying the greatest achievement he got from his father was education. He added that the family will continue supporting the school until it becomes a centre of excellence in the region. One of the close relatives to the late Mr. Renson Chakava ‘Museveni’ requested Ms. Wapakhabulo to invite the Milo secondary principal to grace Uganda’s 49th independence celebrations. On her part, Mrs. Irene Muronji, the chairlady Maendeleo ya Wanawake Western province, expressed gratitude to the High Commissioner for being an exemplary leader. The High Commissioner said she will work to her best to make sure the existing relationship between East African countries is further strengthened to achieve its goals. "I will make follow ups and by the time we will be having the next commemoration you will see change,’’ said the high commissioner.

Western Kenya leaders urged to work together in reviving Webuye Paper Mill

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-06-02 18:05:00 Read 286 Times

Mr. Adan Gedow the new District Commissioner of Bungoma East.  Western leaders have been urged to work in harmony to ensure the Webuye Paper mills  is back to normal activities after the government released Sh 1billion for its revival. Mr. Adan Gedow the new District Commissioner of Bungoma East, revealed that after the task force and parliamentary implementation committee towards the restarting of the factory had completed its work. “The Government has already done its part; it has released Sh1 Billion towards the restarting of the PanPaper Company. The money is there and therefore the remaining task is upon us the leaders to work together to see that the factory starts working as soon as possible,” said Mr. Gedow. Speaking at the function, one of the former workers of the Panpaper Factory, Mr.Joseck Wafula complained on behalf of his fellow workers who since the company’s closure, have been left with no income generating program leading to their suffering in hunger. He also added that the lack of employment in the region was the major cause of insecurity in Webuye town as people who don’t have any means to earn a living are forced to find easier ways like stealing. “I am speaking on behalf of my fellow former Pan Paper workers, who are back in their homes with no means of earning a living, we are suffering and we urge the government to come to our rescue,” said Mr. Wafula. “We have heard there are people working in the factory, and yet us the valid workers of the factory are in our homes with no jobs, we want the government to tell us who they are and why it’s not taking us back,” Mr. Wafula. Speaking in the function, the chairman of Nzoia Out growers Company (NOCO), Mr.Joash Wamang’oli, challenged the DC to work towards re-opening of the Panpaper Factory since it was a government parastatal and had the government as a major stakeholder. “I urge the DC to consult with the government and tell us openly if the Company is open or when it will be re-opened,” Mr. Wamang’oli. He also noted that during the leadership of the former Company’s, Director, Mr. Alexanda Katimbu, the factory produced papers, unlike now during the new leadership of Eng.John Munguti. “At some point during the leadership of Mr. Katimbu we  thought the factory had been opened since it used to produce papers as opposed to now as it seemingly is dead and its not producing any,” Mr. Wamang’oli. The leaders spoke during the marking of the 48th Madaraka day celebrations where they cited that the shortage of food due to the increase in food prices that was complained about by most speakers among them the Webuye Municipal Deputy Mayor, Mr. Timothy Karandin. He complained of the rise in food prices, stating that during Hon. Ruto’s reign as the Minister for Agriculture there were no cases of hunger in the country urging the current minister to copy the same. “Lack of food is an alarming issue in the country, residents of this area are suffering a lot over the issue and the government should help the people by reducing the prices of food,” said Mr. Karandin. The Webuye Municipal Mayor, Mr.John Ngome echoed the words of his junior in blaming the Webuye Cereals Board for not supplying the farmers in the region with seeds and fertilizer as expected. This he said made most farmers to either plant their maize which is the staple grain in the region, late or to plant without fertilizer that will lead to low production.   “Any time our farmers go to the board seeking for planting materials they are denied saying that there are no seeds the same case to fertilizer and yet when you go to the Indian shops in town you find the seeds and fertilizer there being sold. Therefore it has come to my office’s notice as to where the materials meant for farmers go to?” said Mr. Ngome. Responding to the hunger complains the District Commissioner, Mr. Gedow was quick to exonerate the Government from the blame of food crisis, pointing out that the same people complaining of the rise in food prices are the ones who sell their maize produce at a cheap price during harvesting season and never save any grains fro future use. “You are the ones complaining of the increase in food prices and yet you never store any of your harvest for future use, its high time we stopped blaming the government for our own mistakes and be ready fro the consequences when such shortages arise,” said Mr. Gedow.

KNUT wants govt to implement agreements on their salaries

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-08 09:33:00 Read 171 Times

The Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) is appealing to the government to keep its assurance of increasing teacher’s salaries as teachers are the most underpaid civil servants. KNUT vice chairman Mr. Wycliffe Omuchei stated that as an organisation they did not support the issue of employing teachers on contracts and demanded for permanent employment for its teachers. Similarly, the Sirisia Member of Parliament, Mr. Moses Wetangula speaking at the homecoming ceremony of the KNUT secretary Mr.Aggrey Namisi, complained about the challenges that Bungoma County is going to face with the upgrading of the top best performing provincial schools in the County: Lugulu Girls and Friends School Kamusinga to National schools. Mr.Wetangula stated that the two schools have been taking 60per cent of students from the Bungoma County and through the upgrading the number of students taken from this area will decline which is a disadvantage to them. “These schools have been taking most of our students from this region and they are upgraded then where are we going to take our children to since the government has not confirmed of building other schools to replace them,” said Mr.Wetangula Mr.Wetangula advised the government to use Constituency Development Fund to get land in the region to build other two schools that will be made National Schools and that is where students from all over the country can go to, hence not affecting the intake at provincial schools. Consequently, the Bumula Member of Parliament Mr.Wakoli Bifwoli called upon the Bungoma leaders to work together despite their political differences and affiliation fro the betterment of the region. He also asked the teachers, who were the biggest percentage of the guests at the function, to cooperate with political leaders in the region for there to be development. “I want to urge teachers to work in cooperation with political leaders in this area to enable development in the area. Political leaders should also set aside their political differences and work together fro the benefit of their electorates,” said Mr.Wakoli. On the issue of the former Foreign Affairs Minister Mr.Wetangula, stepping aside for investigation over fraud allegations, Mr.Wakoli stated that the investigations had taken too long and urged the government to put forward its findings as soon as possible and he is found innocent, to be re appointed back to the ministry.  “These investigations have taken too long its almost a year since since Mr.Wetangula had stepped aside pending investigation and I want to ask t5he government to release its findings soon,|” said Mr.Wakoli. Mr.Wetangula stated his innocence and he is sure he will be re-appointed back to the position soon.

Boy child education endangered with more girls enrolling in Bungoma County

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-06-04 17:16:00 Read 388 Times

Students of Sikusi high School in Bungoma. Photo/ West Fm/ File. A survey done in Bungoma County has revealed that most young men in informal business popularly known as bodaboda are school drop outs leading to a decline in the number of the male in schools. Mr. Aggrey Namisi the Secretary General of Kenya National Union for Teachers (KNUT) in Bungoma East stated that girl child education has been given priority in the country since the call for ‘gender equality’: this has contributed to the rise in the number of girls in schools versus the boys in the region. “In secondary schools the candidates registered for the Kenya Certificate for Secondary Education(KCSE) , the girls are  1,581 above the boys who are 1,526 while in primary schools, the registered candidates to sit fro Kenya Certificate of Primary Education(KCPE), the girls are 2,723 above the boys who are 2,606,” stated Mr.Namisi. Lugulu Girls Secondary entertaining guests and leaders at the muliro gardens Webuye during Madaraka Day celebrations. This statistics, he said, are evidence enough that if no action is taken towards boy child education, then sooner or later the number of educated men will drop. “This is a call for alarm because if many boys resort to dropping out of school in search for easy money then in future there will be no educated men from this region,” said Mr.Namisi. Speaking on the same issue, the District Commissioner Bungoma East, Mr. Adan Gedow, called upon the parents to cooperate in ensuring that there children go school and report any cases of students dropping out of school for the government to assist. “Parents should be on the forefront in promoting education and if there is any assistance they need they can report to my office,” said Mr.Gedow. “Education is key and in this era no one can do without it, and so I want to urge the people of Webuye to place education as their first priority in life,” said Mr.Gedow The DC also urged the politicians and other members of the public to leave politics out of the education sector and work together towards supporting all the leaning institutions. “Let us leave politics out of the education sector, politics will not develop that sector but instead will bring us down,” said Mr.Gedow.

Pay tax to facilitate employment of more teachers, KNUT tells MPs

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-10 17:17:00 Read 273 Times

Teachers led by the Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Bungoma East district Executive Secretary Aggrey Namisi have accused the government for not considering the plight of teachers in the country. The teachers said that the government has shown little in indicating it is concerned with their welfare citing the decision by the minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta not setting aside Sh9.2 billion in the 2011/2012 financial year budget to carter for the employment of over 18, 000 teachers on permanent basis.  Speaking at a prize giving day ceremony at St. Josephs Primary School in Webuye, Namisi said that the fund was to be used to employ more teachers and also facilitate the employment of teachers employed on contractual basis to permanent and pensionable terms.  “The government failed to place a total of Sh9.2 Billion funds in the budget towards the employment of more teachers as it had earlier promised,” noted Namisi.  He said that there were more than 18,000 teachers fresh from college that are awaiting employment and urged the government to employ them on permanent and pensionable terms and not on contract as stated before.  At the same time, the KNUT official challenged Members of Parliament to pay taxes so that the government could get more funds to facilitate employment of more teachers. “I call upon our leaders to pay tax that will enable the government to manage to raise the money and be able to employ more teachers,” said Namisi. By touching on the taxation of MP’s salaries, Namisi charged the area MP Alfred Sambu who announced to his constituents that he had paid his taxes amounting to Sh2.4 million. Mr. Sambu added that so many             MPs had declared their willingness to pay their tax arrears and urged Kenyans to stop wasting too much time arguing and debating over the tax issue and instead concentrate on development matters. Still at the same function, Mr. Namisi sauntered into the debate on upgrading of some schools into national schools stating that his position was that both Friends School Kamusinga Boys and Lugulu Girls should be left in their current status while urging the government to use CDF funds to construct and develop new schools into national status. Mr. Sambu who was the chief guest contributed Sh500, 000 towards the renovation of classes in the school that had been spoilt by a heavy storm early in the year “ Early this year I came to this school and found that the roofs of some classes had been blown off, I contribute this money towards construction of eight new classes, the remainder should be used to buy computers that will enable the start of computer classes in the school,” said Mr. Sambu.

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Over 2,500 Webuye locals suffer from Malaria weekly

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-14 16:22:00 Read 212 Times

A Webuye resident receives a mosquito net during the governments nationawide net distribution exercise. [Phot/Rosemary Wachiye/WestFm] Malaria is among the leading killer diseases in Bungoma East district, a senior health officer in the district has revealed. This revelation comes in the wake of distribution of Mosquito treated nets across the country in a bid to curb the deaths associated with the disease. A routine survey carried out in the area by the District Surveillance Officer from the Webuye District Hospital Mr. Samuel Malenya; found out 1,118 adults and 1,076 children under the age of five years had been reported to have suffered from the disease for the week ending July 9, 2011. According to Mr. Malenya, the government had tried to implement the domestic spraying in homes but it was not as effective as had been expected thus the decision to issue treated nets to Kenyans. He also added that children under five years and expectant mothers are more prone to contacting the disease and that is why previously the government used to give priority to them in issuing of treated mosquito nets. The statistics within the same week show that 4 children under five years died of malaria while adults infected with the infection got well after treatment. Mr. Malenya refuted the fact that issuing of nets to the residents is the ultimate solution to preventing malaria infections and instead suggested that apart from issuing nets the government should organize for health education to the people so that they can be taught on how to make proper use of the nets. He said that it had come to their notice that people never use the nets for the rightful purpose but instead use it for other purposes like fencing of nursery beds, flower beds among other activities not intended for. Mr. Malenya warned the citizens from just speculating of suffering from a certain disease before going to the hospital to be tested and confirm what they are suffering from. “Citizens should always go to the hospital lab to be tested so that they can know what they are suffering from before taking medicine because in most cases they just speculate but they may not be having the disease,” said Mr.Malenya. “The symptoms may be like that of malaria but it may not necessarily be malaria they are suffering from, people should come to hospital and be tested first before taking any medicine,” said Mr.Malenya. Mr. Malenya quoted that in the recent research, children under five years who were taken to the hospital claiming to be suffering from malaria were 888 but after testing only 589 were diagnosed to be having the disease. He has set two weeks period after the issuing of nets in the region and a survey will be done to check if there will be any changes in the malaria infection rates in the region. He hopes that the malaria infections will reduce but if it doesn’t health education will be applied. “If the malaria cases will still be on the lead after the two weeks we will have health education on public barazas to train people on how to protect themselves from malaria infecting mosquito,” said Mr. Malenya.

Webuye market investor friendly despite infrastructural challenges

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-05-27 10:31:00 Read 281 Times

A section of second hand clothes traders at the Webuye market without proper stalls.[Photos/Rosemary Wachiye-WestFm] Much focus is given to big cities and towns forgetting upcoming towns yet they are just as essential as the urban centers. Webuye market in Webuye town for instance, is among the largest markets in Bungoma District and the larger Bungoma County serving people from all over the region and beyond.   It contains various sections like the clothes section, chicken section, shoes section, bags section, cattle section, and section for selling grains and other business establishments and investments and is a potential market town for investors both local and foreign. A buyer weighs a cockerel at the Webuye market before purcahsing it.  The market is well maintained by the Municipal council of Webuye with well maintained sewerage system thus creating a conducive working environment both for the traders and customers who throng the market every Wednesday and other days. Seeking why the trader’s prefer this market, some of the cattle sellers were first to say that it is an attractive site for their target customers there by making them get a easier platform to market and sell their goods. “We bring our cattle to this market because it has a large customer base and it is conveniently close to our residence,” Mr. Ambrose Wanjala, cattle seller who hails from the within the area said. However at the moment, the price of most goods has declined, among them cattle in two months now since the price for a dairy cow dropped from Sh20, 000 to Sh15, 000, that of a calf had moved from Sh10,000 to approximately  Sh7,000 and lastly the price for beef cattle had moved from Sh40, 000 to Sh25, 000. Besides, the cattle traders stated that the reason to the low prices was because of prolonged drought season that made it had for farmers especially those actively engaged in agriculture with food crops as their main activity. Said Wanjala; “Due to the high level of poverty, people prefer to spend their cash on buying maize and beans for feeding the family than to buy cattle.” Cattle trade at the Webuye market. Most buyers in the region complained of high cost of living that had been brought about by the increase in food prices all over the country. They also lamented that despite the raise in maize prices, the buyers do not get the value for their cash as most of the tins used to measure the maize are often cut by the traders and reduced to almost ¾ the expected size. “We often get a big loss from buying maize because if we buy around 10 kg after picking out the dirt, we are only left with around 6 kg and yet the maize prices have shot up from Sh60 to Sh120,” said Mr. David Murenga, a buyer. Increased fuel prices have been noted as among the major contributing factors to the raise in prices of most goods in the country. At the Webuye market, the bundle of clothes that previously would be obtained from Mombasa and Nairobi at Sh8, 000 was now obtained at Sh10, 000 to Sh12, 000 per bundle. Fuel prices have also contributed to increase in prices of most food crops that are obtained and transported from far off places in the country for instance mangoes from Malaba and Mombasa, oranges, groundnuts, beans, millet, cassava, tomatoes, and cabbages among other commodities. This is evidence enough of the high costs of living which residents of Webuye have high hopes that with the implementation of the new constitution it will help relieve Kenyans from this strain of expense. Speaking to some of them, they pin pointed that the Government has been slow in implementing the new Constitution and that the snail speed towards the same is alarming. They also added that the new Constitution was the only savior towards good living standards and hence will improve their lives through industrialization and vetting of any officers who wish to occupy any office to sieve out the corrupt. “It is eminent that most politicians are behaving as if we are still in the YES or NO campaign and yet the Constitution is already there and just waiting to be put into place,” said Mr. Walinywa Mukhamule who also decried of the poor strategies for economic and industrialization. He also pointed out that it had been a singsong with the government’s endless promise to reduce the prices fro fuel and food. To many, these expectations were not forthcoming.

Webuye municipal council workers strike over 5 months salary

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-04 10:13:00 Read 168 Times

Webuye Town Hall. Webuye Council workers are demanding for the sacking of the council treasure over alleged misuse of the council’s money that has made them not receive their dues for the last five months. The council workers union chairman Mr. Joseph Masinde told West Fm that for the past five months since the month of February, the workers had not received their dues. “The council has not paid us our salaries for the past five months, and yet we have needs and responsibilities to attend to, the council in total owes us Sh.10 Million,” said Mr. Masinde. “We need to pay our children’s school fees, buy food to feed our families and invest, we also have a bulk of loans in banks awaiting payment and so without the pay we are left with so many debts,” said Masinde. The workers demanded fro transparency and accountability for the council money, they further demanded for the sacking of the council treasurer, Mr. Richard Nyongesa Ngoni whom they blamed for fraud and misuse of the council’s money. The workers also complained of the frequent travelling by the council officials mostly the mayor and the treasurer to Mombasa and Nairobi using the council’s funding at their expense. “The mayor and other officials are used to frequent travel to the city and Mombasa for no apparent reason something that eats into our money, they are enjoying our hard earned cash while we are left with nothing,” said Masinde. The workers were calmed by the Western Area Local Government Workers Union Secretary, Mr. Juvenalis Orao, who promised the workers that his office will look into their cries and immediately ordered for the dismissal of the council’s treasurer owing to the worker’s demands. “When we arrange for such meetings and the treasurer does not show up, it definitely means he has something to hide, with immediate effect I want him to vacate the treasury office so that the council can appoint a new treasurer who will work towards serving the council worker’s needs,” said Mr.Orao Orao urged the workers to be patient and understanding in the hard times facing the council owing to the fact that the council had not received LATF funding from the government and it didn’t have enough  money. Orao called upon the workers to resume their duties as usual because their demands will be looked into and to cooperate towards enabling the council to sustain itself through active collection of the council tax from the public service vehicles and the market. “You all know that you have to sustain the council through tax collection and that will also go further into the paying of your salaries and therefore we will ensure that the tax collected is well accounted for and it comes back to pay for your salaries,” he said. He also added that all the arrears pending on paying the workers’ salaries will be paid through their hard work and that any penalties paused by the bank on the worker’s with loans should be fined upon the council to pay on behalf of the workers since it’s not their own making to fail to pay. The council budget was read, however, with so much disapproval by the few workers who joined the officials in the municipal council’s hall to listen to it while others remained outside the council offices in protest. The webuye municipal Council total recurrent expenditure Budget as read by the current chairman of Finance Councilor Jafred Makhakha is estimated at Sh.102, 472,779. The council however, has a deficit of Sh. 19,927,067 which Mr.Makhakha stated that was expected to be paid through the realization of unpaid CILLOR by the local government, unpaid property rates and improved Bus Park collections. He also appealed to the Government to pay the council contribution in lieu of rates which is over Sh.11, 000,000. Despite the lack of funds, the council had set financial projects for the financial year 2011/2012, of constructing a classroom at Nzoia Primary, Nzoia PEFA School, Matulo RC primary school and river pump plot, construction of village polytechnic at Fly over, construction of satellite water spring, market shades at Kaburengu and many more.

Plans to privatize Webuye Pan Paper underway - Sambu

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-06-20 15:21:00 Read 231 Times

Webuye Constituency MP Alfred Sambu. The fate of the stalled Webuye Paper factory will be known in a month’s time, area MP Alfred Sambu has said. This announcement has come at a time when most of the former workers stay at home jobless with a few trying to engage in small businesses to sustain their daily lives. Mr. Sambu said that the wrangles that have marred the paper factory would be addressed and a solution arrived and thus reviving the factory. He explained that the cause for the delay in the revival was because Kenyan laws have made it difficult for the government to revive. He added that the previous owners and shareholders of the company were foreigners hence giving the government a hard time to pay their debts. “The owners of Pan Paper mills were foreigners and the laws of the country protects foreign investors in the country hence it has been hard to revive the company and easily do away with the former owners, it’s now that the government is working towards making the company a private entity,” said Mr.Sambu He said they are working on privatization of the company through bringing in a government receiver who will be able to run the company on behalf of the government making it a private entity. “It has been hard for the company to remove the current receiver of the short term lenders and put in place long term lenders from the government,” said Mr.Sambu “The deal; to privatize the company is already in progress done and that the company fulfills all the conditions, the only thing left is the signing the required documents and I can assure you in a month’s time all this will be taken care of,” said Mr.Sambu He also stated that for their to be development in the region, industrialization ought to be given priority, advising the webuye residents not to only depend on paper alone since there were other upcoming industries in the area. “we have the Nzoia water project that is underway, the pan paper heavy chemicals factory, the youth’s ethanol project that is aims to provide energy in the country and save on the fuel problems being experienced,” said Mr.Sambu. “All this projects are after providing job opportunities for the jobless and the children coming out of schools in search for employment,” added Sambu. He further said that creating job opportunities is a guarantee towards curbing the rise of insecurity in the region as it offers a chance to keep people busy and stop them from indulging in criminal activities,” said Mr. Sambu.

Sinoko PEFA church donates relief food to Central Pokot residents

Written by Rosemary Wachiye 2011-07-15 20:08:00 Read 179 Times

The Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (Sinoko) PEFA church Bishop Morris Wanjala Wekesa. [Photo/Rosemary Wachiye/WestFm]

As people in most parts of the country complain of the rise in food prices, there are people from the marginalized areas like the residents from Central Pokot who are in dire need for food and water.

In the year 2009, the nation was shocked by reports that residents from the region had turned to hunting rats for food for their families and the following year, 2010, a woman was reported to have slaughtered a dog to prepare a meal for her family.

The situation at the moment is at its worst in the drought stricken region that the availability of the food stuffs whose prices have skyrocketed in the region would be received as a blessing for the locals.

The locals in the region have no food and are lost for options as they look for every crude way to feed their families.

The Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of Africa (Sinoko) PEFA church, Bungoma East District, aware of this situation, came to the rescue of a section of the locals as it donated food and non-food stuffs to the vulnerable people, in Orwa, Central Pokot District.

The church led by their Bishop Morris Wanjala Wekesa, has contributed food stuffs towards helping out the most marginalized people in the country.

Bishop Wekesa cautioned his colleagues in the Christian mission to serve God to stop the notion of putting money as a priority by depending of foreign aid from European countries before helping their country men who are suffering as he insisted the relief mission was solely funded by his church.

He added that by doing so they are shaming our country and more so denying the country’s blessing and giving it to the country where the funds come from.

“When we pray and tell God to bless the hands of those who have given we will be taking away our country’s blessing back to the country where it comes from,” said bishop Wekesa.

He also affirmed that by doing so the servants of God will be showing a bad example to their followers and members of their church because, “the Bible states that we should trust in God fro everything and not in mankind.”

“There are some men of God who request fro funds from a broad through the internet but after they get access to it they end up using it for their own selfish interest and never go out of their way assist the needy people,” said bishop Wekesa.

Wekesa also called upon the government to set aside 10 per cent of the tax collected to go towards helping marginalized groups in the country that are faced with hardships.

He suggested that the government should construct stores in such areas to store grains to be used during the long drought season.

In addition, he stated that the government should devise a way of storing maize and wheat stalks in such stores so that they could be used as food for their animals.

“Its upon the citizens to help their fellow Kenyans in such times but not just to sit back and expect grants and funds from abroad,” said bishop Wekesa.

The church took bags of maize flour, bags of maize grains, Irish potatoes, sugar, rice, cowpeas, unshelled groundnuts, beans, biscuits, juice, sugarcane, books, pens, school bags and pencils.

It is not the first time this church has contributed to the underprivileged people in the country, but it has made it a routine every December before Jamhuri Day to contribute and give donations to the needy people in the country. 

Read more: http://www.westfm.co.ke/index-page-news-bid-2790.htm#ixzz1SWgf1YU6