And an update from Ladies In Action...

This blog began one bloody day not so long ago as a way to raise funds for Internally Displaced People and victims of the post-election violence. Remember this:

Click on image for more scenes buried in cyberspace.

Ladies In Action, a charity run my parent in Kisumu wanted to use their network within communities to help as many people as possible but needed financial assistance. So we started Sukuma Kenya and sent out appeals to all our friends and family members. You all responded with what seemed at the time as a limitless love. My folks and their team of volunteers have continued to reach out and funds have come to an end for this specific purpose:

10 months later, Ladies In Action have probably done more than the government has to help its people. 10 months later, Kenya has an ostensible layer of peace, lots more 4wd cars and hundreds of thousands still dependant on hand-outs. As citizens and friends of Kenya, we have done what we can. As citizens and friends of Kenya, I think I can speak for all of us at the disappointment in this so-called coalition and all the Commissions of Enquiry this and enquiry that. The KNCHR went as far as to release a report with the names of leading politicians with hard evidence on their direct involvement in the violence. Result: nada. Not a damn thing came out of that.

Meanwhile, I continue to rant and rave into cyberspace with the only visible difference in google statistics depending on whether I blog about penises or taking logs out of our asses. Other than that, I have to sadly admit that we have gained nothing in Kenya. Even the so-called civil society activists seem to have gone back to their usual workshop routine. We could not even get more than 230 people to sign a damn petition demanding Kenya MPs reduce their salaries (given that they are only one of the most highest paid in the world in a country that ranks pretty much at the bottom end in the poverty scale). Blah, blah, blah.

Hopefully America will sink us all into a deep dark hole in the bush and then the bugs can have a chance at ruling the world...

The end.
(of this post....what else would I do with myself if I stopped blogging)

Ladies In Action Update

It's been a while since we posted about the post-election crises activities that this blog was set up as a response to. You will recall that we raised a total of £9,168 in just under a month mostly through the amazing network of friends that we have around the world.
As you also know, Ladies In Action is essentially made up of Mr. and Mrs. Pabari and Ren and the goodwill of volunteers like themselves. Since things have calmed down, they have been trying to get back to the core activities that Ladies In Action was set up for which were put on hold due to the events in January.
However, there are still funds (£3,712) remaining from the friends of Sukuma Kenya appeal and unfortunately, there are still a number of Internally Displaced People needing assistance within the Kisumu environs. According to Red Cross Kenya:








(Source: OCHA Kenya)

Ladies In Action are assisting in groups of ten by giving out business packages containing Omena local sardines which make up part of the staple diet); Paraffin, Flour and oil for making chapatis.

For more information on responses to the election violence around Kenya, click HERE

SCREENING FOR PEACE

In Conjunction with

During the tribal clashes and their aftermath Slum TV has documented the stories on the streets of Mathare. We believe that the focus on inter-tribal violence only tells half the story. Our films show the other side, telling stories of hope. The newsreel includes:

Mr Onyango’s Neighbours – Mr Onyango has lived in an ethnically mixed part of Mathare since 1969. During the skirmishes people fled from his area as they no longer trusted their neighbours from different tribes. Mr Onyango refused to leave his home and he tells us why.

Tell Tale for Peace – Young men who took part in the violence came together for a workshop for peace. They discussed why they had been swept up in the violence, and how they could prevent this ever happening again.

Nancy’s Story – During the troubles Nancy, 7 months pregnant, was evicted from her home. She was left with no food or shelter. 2 months later Slum TV went to find out from the people of Mathare how we could have let this happen, and why.

The newsreel will be followed by the prize winning film from the ‘Mtaa Film Fest’, an inter-slum 48 hour film competition. Dear Mama tells the story of a single mother living in the Mathare IDP camp, and how she is forced to hustle for her survival.

The screening ends with a forthcoming episode of Makutano Junction. Here a fictional Kenyan town becomes divided and former friends turn on one another. It explores how resolution comes about and peace returns.

Makutanto Junction is produced by Medeae. Airs Thursdays, 7:50 on KBC.

Slum TV trains young people in audio visual skills to enable them to tell their story in their own words. Our mission is to document the stories and histories of the people of Mathare. We share these stories through public screenings, the slum video booth network and online at www.slum-tv.info

For further information contact Emily Hughes on +254 711256177 or info@slum-tv.org
Or visit Slum TV's website: http://www.slum-tv.info/

Feed the People, Not the Fat Cats!

I want to share a piece by a fellow Kenyan and Civil Activist. First, some MPs try and get more cash for their retirement and now they want to spend billions more expanding Ministries while we can barely feed ourselves. I personally feel ashamed that I and many others have to reach out across the world to find funds for the victims of bad leadership whilst they insult us and shame us as Kenyans...I apologise to all the people who support and care for Kenya and who have come to our assistance while our own leaders continue to think about ways to line their own pockets.

By Mwalimu Mati

It is astonishing to hear that some crazy person, or people have suggested a Kenya Cabinet size of 44. According to the 2007/8 budget the total cost of running 34 ministries this year is Ksh 299.6 billion (an average of Ksh 8 billion per ministry per annum). Using the same average cost, 44 Ministries might cost you and I about Ksh 387 billion. Are you prepared to fork out another 100 billion shillings or so every year to accommodate your Member of Parliament’s desire to have a flag and to be called “Waziri”?

Let’s be clear, MPs were elected to represent us, not to agitate for wasteful government expenditure in the name of power sharing. Certainly,they are not meant to be inciting Government to spend Ksh 100 billion more for no serious purpose beyond contriving to get Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga to give them sinecures at public expense.

If you read the 2007/2008 Estimates of Recurring Expenditure of the Government of Kenya , you will find that Ksh 100 billion per year is equivalent to Kenya ’s current annual public debt repayments. Ksh 100 billion would finance the youth fund for 100 years and the women’s fund for 50 years. Ksh 100 billion would build ten 10-lane highways each of 50km of length – the distance between Nairobi and Thika. It is twice the aid in loans and grants received from bilateral partners for development;and four times all the grants Kenya receives from multilaterals such as the World Bank.

We cannot afford to spend Ksh 100 billion this year on a bloated
government. We have better things to do with our money. What has the GOK done about IDPs who are still living in tents and being chased from place to place by GOK security personnel whenever they dare to complain about their abysmal living conditions? Nothing. What provision is really being made for the resettlement and welfare of these unfortunate fellow citizens? Your guess is as good as mine. Do the people negotiating the size of the Cabinet have even a spare thought for the IDPs? I doubt it. Ksh 100 Billion is two times as much as we all lost because of corruption in Anglo Leasing. It is twice the amount of money Treasury will raise from the sale of public shares in Safaricom. In fact it is equivalent to at least 5 years of Safaricom’s profit at 17 billion shillings.

Kenya needs a good government not a big one. Today noone seriously argues that we have a good government in place. In fact, and here I am suggesting a vetting methodology for high offices, only 7 of the current Ministers would pass the test of not being adversely mentioned in PAC,PIC, KACC reports, or adverse court judgements. At over 30 Ministries(larger and better paid at top level than any World power) we already have a big government. Who is trying to get us to pay more for an even larger cabinet? For how long can we continue this way?

In my opinion, we need no more than 12 Ministries with one Assistant each.The rest of the Members of Parliament should represent us as they were voted, and are paid quite handsomely, to do from the Back Benches on both sides. We need good honest technocrats to run the public service for the benefit of the public with minimal political interference by temporary ministers. We need to stop pampering politicians who only recently caused us all to have the life threatening, or near death experience that we euphemistically call the “post election crisis”. On this point many of those jostling and lining up for positions at our expense ought properly to be investigated for their individual roles in the making of this
crisis. What were many of them doing in the run-up to the election of December 27th 2007? Where were many of them when we needed them to help Kenyans? Who has mismanaged our public resources in the past, present and in the near future if we don’t stop them? Indeed these are questions we should be focusing our energy in answering.

Our immediate and priority concern should be directed to the poorest and not the wealthiest Kenyans. Nearly twenty million Kenyans live on less than Ksh 64 per day. That means they will make no more or have no more to spend than Ksh 25,000 in a whole year. And that is for families! These are the Kenyans we should be spending money on. I would prefer to spend 100 billion shillings this coming year on poor Kenyans rather than continuing to fatten political sacred cows.

Finally, the only reason such a proposal is even seeing the light of day is the fact that despite the clear provisions of section 16 of the Constitution, Parliament has never made a law to establish and determine the number and portfolios of the Cabinet. Never - in 45 years! Is this the reason why there is no outrage from our elected MPs about the abuse of authority and culture of sinecures which has persisted in Kenya since the days of Jomo Kenyatta?

Mwalimu Mati
CEO, www.marsgroupkenya.org
_____________________________________

Section 16 of the Constitution of Kenya reads as follows:
Ministers of the Government of Kenya
(1) There shall be such offices of Minister of the Government of Kenya as may be established by Parliament or, subject to any provisions made by Parliament, by the President.
(2)The President shall, subject to the provisions of any written law, appoint the Ministers from among the members of the National Assembly.

Mars Group Kenya
Watching Out For You

PLEASE DO SIGN THE PETITION URGING KENYAN LEADERS TO DO THE RIGHT THING BY HELPING THEIR OWN PEOPLE AT LEAST!

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/reduce-Kenyan-MPs-salary

Rising from the ashes?

Kisumu appears to be on the rise again as our friends, family and local reporters tell us. Business is back to usual for the better part of it but there is still a huge problem with Luos who have been forced to leave their homes upcountry and find somewhere to settle in their traditional areas.
As mentioned Ladies in Action are focusing on the Internally Displaceed people as much as possible. Yesterday, they went to a place called Mutumbu, 55kms out of Kisumu close to the Ugandan border as they had heard there were 33 people with next to nothing who depserately needed help. It turns out that there were 60 people! Nevertheless, Ladies in Action had carried enought supplies to get everyone going with what they call a business package consisting of basic items like omena (small fish), wheat flour and oil which they can use to start a small business cooking for people. They also provided them with seeds, and planting tools.
I just want to express a special thanks to the few individuals that make up Ladies in Action. Whilst most of us are trying to get back to our normal lives, they will continue as long as it takes...

But action speaks louder than words...

The Exodus

A recent report by the UN News Agency, IRIN, states that almost 10,000 people have moved back to their ancestral homes in western Kenya. The previous posts have been highlighting what Ladies in Action and others are trying to do about this. The other issue is that more or less all Kikuyus have been forced to get away from Western Kenya due to persecution. Many are not able to even afford the bus fare so Ladies in Action purchased 11 tickets to add to the 56 that were purchased before to get people to places like Nairobi and even as far as Lamu.

Kenya Damu...

Where do I begin. I was reading a fellow blogger the other day who wrote that she was tired of writing about what is happening to our country. I think that is what many of us are feeling as the phones constantly ring, as we meet to discuss what we can do, as we sit in front of the TV and watch the senseless anger, as we talk to people on the streets who tell us that people are hungry, people are running, the Mungiki has started going door to door, that there are militia groups all along the Kisumu - Kericho road, that hundreds of thousands are displaced and that the deathtoll is still rising and the politicians are sitting in the comfort of the press conference rooms preaching peace or meeting behind closed doors making decisions for the rest of us.
We are tired because this is not our story; this is not a story we want to tell; this is a story we are not interested in. But it is happening and we all share one common fear that keeps us going - things are only going to get worse.
So, we have started our own blog, but there is more than this to useless words on the screen - we need help from all of you out there. While the politicians busy themselves with useless dialogue, the rest of us have to get up to pick up the pieces.
There is very little we can do to stop what is happening but we can help those that have been affected. Some of you know my folks who are held out in Kisumu. They have been running a charity called Ladies in Action for several years now to assist the needy which unfortunately, there was never any shortage of - even before this. We want to use this blog for as long as it takes to help raise awareness and funds to help the victims in whichever way we can. My mother has been doing this for years so the least we can do is help her to continue and meet the rapidly growing humanitarian demands.
The photo above was taken by our friend Georgina Goodwin who has been out everyday collecting images and trying to tell the horror story. Food as you see lies in the path of destruction while prices across the country are escalating and supplies are dwindling. Kisumu is one of the worst hit areas. There is nothing left of the town as you can see from the image below taken by my father.

I hope by tomorrow we will have set up a system for online donations. We will use our account in France to receive the funds and then cash it our here and send funds to my folks or buy supplies and find a way to get them to Kisumu. The reason we have to do it like this is that we do not have the time to set up an account overseas and register as a charity and go through the whole process but we will ensure all our supporters that we report accurately and to the cent where the donations go. In any case, this is really a way to mobilise our friends and we believe you all know us well enough and all your friends know you well enough.
So, please would you all start considering this call for help. Most of you will not think twice about donating, but what would also help is if you can think about how you might mobilise others to help.
For those of you that have any link to Kenya...well, Kenya is calling...