"What Kenya Must Do to Remain Leading Exporter", The East African (Nairobi), October 11, 2004
 

ERASTUS MUREITHI
Nairobi

Excerpts from a speech by ERASTUS MUREITHI, chairman of the Kenya Flower Council, during the launch recently of the 6th Edition of the Council's Code of Practice

I would like to first of all convey the KFC members' sincere gratitude to His Excellency the President of Kenya and the Government for granting exporters exemption from the withholding tax as well as the reduction on VAT to 16%, during the 2003 Budget reading. This is indicative of the Government's support for this industry.

After three decades in the business, Kenya's flower growers can be proud of having achieved international recognition for excellence in the growing and exporting of cut flowers, foliage and ornamentals. This achievement is attested to by the country's dominant position as the single largest exporter of cut flowers to Europe, where Kenya holds over 25 per cent market share. Growers have attained this enviable position through hard work, diligence and continuous substantial capital investment.

Today, we export over 60,000 tonnes to Europe, which is Kenya's main market, especially Holland, the UK, Germany, Switzerland, France and Italy. The Kenya Flower Council is in the process of developing a strategic plan to cover the next three years. The theme of the strategic plan is enhancing KFC as being "a united body of stakeholders promoting the interests of the flower industry locally and abroad" as well as promoting KFC as "the focal point in the determination and implementation of policies governing the long term, sustainable development of the floricultural industry."

Read the entire article.

 

"The challenge of going from slum to suburb", Inter Press Service, October 5, 2004

 

By Joyce Mulama

 

Nairobi - It is a task that would make all but the most stout-hearted quake: transforming a slum containing some 500,000 inhabitants into an area where people can live with dignity.

 

Nonetheless, this is exactly the challenge that the Kenyan government and the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) have set themselves in Kibera – often referred to as "Africa’s biggest slum". The settlement, which covers 235 hectares, is located on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital – Nairobi.

 

The Kenya Slum Upgrading Programme, a joint project which got underway in January 2003, will involve the construction of 14 blocks of flats and 770 housing units in Kibera. It will also ensure the provision of basic services such as water and sanitation.

 

Improvements in other informal settlements across the country will follow suit, in a process that is expected to take 10 to 15 years.

 

On Monday, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki joined UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka in Kibera to highlight the challenges facing this and other urban communities. The event formed part of celebrations to mark World Habitat Day on Oct. 4.

 

The theme of this year’s ceremonies, ‘Cities – engines of rural development’, was intended to focus attention on the fact that the fates of urban and rural areas are closely linked – not separate, as many might suppose.

 

Large-scale migration to cities as a result of rural poverty leads to the proliferation of slums, for example.

 

"We wish to remind policy makers around the world that sustainable development can only be achieved if rural and urban areas are considered part of an inter-dependent, mutually reinforcing economic and social order," Tibaijuka told the crowd that had gathered in Kibera for the World Habitat Day ceremony.

 

Michael Arunga of the Shelter Forum, a regional non-governmental organisation, agreed. "This linkage has been lacking for a long time and policy makers have been planning in isolation of the rural areas. These two are interlinked and affect one another," he said Tuesday, in an interview with IPS.

 

In a message to mark World Habitat Day, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan noted that that the "fastest growing" urban areas of the future would probably be smaller, outlying towns.

 

This could be seen in a positive light, said Annan, as it would slow the creation of so-called "mega-cities", which have overwhelmed the ability of local governments to provide services and amenities.

 

Delegates at Monday’s ceremonies noted that improving the prospects of smaller towns also held out the possibility of improved rural productivity, particularly within the informal sector which is Kenya’s biggest "employer".

 

"About 70 percent of our labour force is currently employed in the informal sector, and (they) account for more than 20 percent of our gross domestic product," Kibaki said.

 

However, Annan also noted that investments in the transport and communications infrastructure of smaller towns would be needed to ensure that they dealt with the rural influx properly.

 

Kenyan officials say they’re already tackling the rural-urban divide.

 

"We have a plan that ensures production of 300,000 housing units in the rural areas annually. Already programming has begun, and we have identified 16 rural towns across the country in which the houses will be built," Amos Kimunya, the minister for lands and housing, told IPS Monday.

 

"These towns will be developed and people allowed to spread across them to decongest urban centres," he added. "In (urban centres), we have undertaken to build 150,000 houses. With these figures, you can see that prominence has been given to rural areas."

 

As important as this debate was, however, it was the prospect of new housing that really seemed to inspire Kibera residents interviewed by IPS.

 

"I cannot wait to reside in a clean environment. I have lived in this filth for 40 years, without toilets and bathrooms; an old man like me showers outside," 70-year-old Peter Mworia said, pointing to his small mud-walled home – located beside a heap of decomposing garbage.

 

Other residents of Kibera have accused government of excluding them from discussions on the slum ugrade.

 

"It is more of a government-owned process...than that of the people affected. We have teamed up with human rights organisations to lobby the government to let us own the project," Dalmas Owino, secretary of the Kibera Rent and Housing Forum, told IPS. However, in an interview with IPS earlier this year, Patrick Bucha – assistant director of housing at the Ministry of Roads, Public Works and Housing – denied this allegation.

 

Concerns have also been raised about the financing of the slum upgrade. About eight million dollars will be needed to build housing in Kibera alone = 6 of which only five million has been sourced.

 

The hope is that donors will step in to provide the balance of funding. However, foreign governments appear increasingly concerned about the level of corruption in Kenya – and may be reluctant to do so.

 

Last month, Britain’s ambassador to Kenya, Edward Clay, accused the Kenyan government for the second time of being lethargic in fighting corruption. He first made the criticism in July.

 

The United States’ ambassador, William Bellamy, has also alleged widespread public corruption in Kenya. In spite of this, the International Monetary Fund has resumed lending to the East African country – this after freezing all aid in 2000, in response to unchecked graft.

 

 

"Kenya: Drugs flood coast", Mail and Guardian (South Africa), September 27, 2004.

 

Watching his brother “waste into death” as heroin finally broke his emaciated,
convulsing body didn’t turn Abdullswamad Nassir (30). Neither did the late-
night caller who threatened to murder the radio presenter’s family, after he’d
pleaded with his community to “fight” the drug lords who have transformed Kenya’
s pristine coast into a “graveyard”.

“It was the moment I heard what had happened to a girl I knew, that I turned,”
said Nassir.

The “very thin, but beautiful” young woman had arrived at his studio one night.
Begging for help, she explained in detail what she had allowed “many men” to do
to her, in exchange for a daily fix of “brown sugar” (heroin).

Nassir made a few calls. But the rehabilitation centres in Mombasa were
adamant: they could only cater for male addicts, females caused “problems”.

“I felt helpless. Empty. Like I did when Ahmed [his elder brother] died,”
Nassir whispered.

Then, a few days later, her naked body was found in an alley in the Old Town.

“Informers told me the girl needed a fix, but she had no money. So the dealers
gave her a choice: sex with them, or no heroin,” Nassir said. “While they were
having sex with her, she was trying to inject herself. But because these men
were pumping her continuously, she kept on missing the veins … so she bled a
lot. When she did hit a vein, she injected too much, she overdosed. ”

Disgusted, torn by guilt and fury, Nassir formed Youth against Crime and Drugs
(Yacad), an organisation based on South Africa’s notorious vigilantes, People
against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad).

“Yes, we took our lead from Pagad,” said Nassir. “But I want to be clear that
we are a disciplined organisation. We will not turn out like they did.”

Kenya’s Yacad is desperate not to be associated with extremism.

“We are not fundamentalist terror- ists, we are humanists!” maintained Mohammed
Sheikh, leader of raids on “drug dens”. “That is why, even when the criminals
threaten us, we do not fight back; we retreat. But we always return to make the
arrest.”

Publicly, Kenya’s under-resourced, corruption-wracked police force condemns
Yacad as vigilantes usurping the role of the law. Privately, senior police
officers praise them.

“We are happy when they bring the criminals to us because we do not have the
means to arrest all the drug people. Most of the time, we have no fuel for our
vehicles; we have no cellphones; we have nothing,” said one.

Kenya also has no coast guard. The few boats patrolling the country’s vast
coastline belong to the United States as part of its “war on terror”.

A senior policeman explained: “The heroin comes from Afghanistan and [mandrax]
from India, to Somalia where there is no law at all, but also it comes straight
to Mombasa, by dhows.

“Then the drug cargoes go by road to various countries, especially to South
Africa. Informers tell us the criminals bribe the police at the border posts to
let them through without searching their trucks.”

Said Nassir: “This is not Kenya’s problem; this is Africa’s problem! Mombasa is
the closest major port on the continent to the Near East, where all these
deadly drugs are produced. Once they reach Mombasa, they are ferried all over
Africa.”

Kenya’s Muslims have developed a siege mentality. They feel assailed by the
government’s sweeping anti-terror laws, which have seen some of them detained
indefinitely.

“While our government spends millions on fighting terrorism, we are left alone
to fight the war on drugs. There are whole villages here where you no longer
hear the sound of kids, they are being killed by narcotics,” said Red Cross
counsellor Hassan Musa.

Sheikh pointed out that “3 000 people died in the 9/11 attacks, but our
research shows that at least 7 000 people on the coast alone are heroin
addicts: that’s 7 000 probable deaths … but we get no help.”

Nassir admitted to a “temptation” to “take the fight a step further … but so
far, we have been disciplined. As for the future, I cannot say what will happen
because our people are angry: when you arrest one dealer, many others spring
up, and the big fish just bribe the police and judges and carry on swimming …
It hurts.”

"World Bank Approves US$263 Million for Infrastructure, Agriculture and Water Sectors in Kenya", World Bank, June 17, 2004.

The World Bank's Executive Board approved financing of a total US$263 million for development projects in transport, agriculture, and water sectors in Kenya.

 

Read the full article.

 

 

"Food Distribution Delayed as Situation Worsens in Turkana and Marsabit", IRINNews.org, UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, June 10, 2004.

 

[Note: Such logistical problems underscore the need for better managerial capacity, which is Strathmore's mission. Ed.]

 

NAIROBI, 10 Jun 2004 (IRIN) - Food shortages persisted in the arid northern districts of Turkana and Marsabit last month as logistical problems delayed the launch of relief deliveries, a famine alert agency said, adding that inadequate May rainfall would lead to a deficit in the country's harvest.

"Food distributions were delayed, and an estimated 125,000 people (out of the 181,000 who are estimated to need emergency food assistance [in Turkana]) had still not received their food allocation by the third week of May," the USAID-funded Famine Early Warning System Network (FEWS Net) said in a report.