REJECTED IN LIFE AND DEATH Mawingu Idps have nowhere to bury their dead.



Michael Wainaina point s at the graves in Karuguto cemetery in Olkalau where bodies have been staffed on each other.



As you walk towards the Karuguto cemetery in Olkalau, a foul smell of a decomposing body greets you.

This is the small cemetery that IDPS from Mawingu camp have been allowed to bury their loved ones.

According to the Chairman of the Mawingu IDP camp, the cemetery is approximately 4 acres. It is all rocky except for one end which is less than 25m square where 172 bodies have been stuffed since 2008.

“Recently we were forced to bury one body on top of three other coffins. It is all rocky here.  You cannot dig further than four feet under.. This is the land allocated to us by the Olkalau county council.” said Michael Wainaina as he pointed at a fresh grave at the cemetery.

This is the plight of IDPS at the Mawingu camp who said they have been discriminated even in death.

46 year old Sarah Kimani a mother of six said that most of those who die in the camp are children and the elderly.

“We have lost our children because of the cold.  Many people here die because of pneumonia, stress and high blood pressure.  It is now raining and it is very cold. We will all die in these tents because of the cold. Let the government move us out of this place.” She sobbed.

 Tears roll down her eyes as she narrates how they have to deal with the ordeal of burying their loved ones.

“If we can be given our own land, we can bury our people decently.  Let us burry our loved ones on our own farms. It will be a bit honorable instead of throwing them here.” She added.

Mawingu  IDP  camp chairman  Peter Kariuki said that there is a cemetery at  Mawingu shopping centre but they were forbidden from burying people there.

“The cemetery is only 300 meters away.  No one has ever been buried there. We have to go five kilometers to bury our people at Karuguto.  This has forced us to open up old graves because there is no cotton soil.” He said.

But the IDPs at the Mawingu  camp  have uncountable problems. They told me  that  they live in squalid conditions and that to them justice is far from being achieved even if the Ocampo six head to The Hague for the mention of their case.

“When you see people demonstrating, it is because of the politicians. Most of them are business people. They did not go to parliament because of the local mwananchi. They went to make money. They have forsaken us “said Peter Kariuki.
For Kariuki, he really doesn’t understand what shuttle diplomacy has all been about.  He said that he is shocked to see government concentrating on the Hague issue alone.

“Most of the people have also died due to stress. When you are told that you are a fake IDP, don’t you   feel miserable. On our side we don’t understand what is in Hague and what Hague is. We as IDPS want our people settled. If our people could have been settled, we could have said let it go.” He posed.

The story of suffering is repeated all over the camp.  One wonders why a few people in the name of leaders enjoy the luxury and comfort of life in the city whereas the picture of emaciated children cannot go away.

“Let God fight for us. There is no one to fight for us. Why can’t God come down and help us now. With three children and no money to buy food what do you do?” asked   Stela Kwamboka.

Some of the tents are torn and the IDPS said that they have no hope that that they will be moved out of the camp soon.

“We have been lied to. I wonder when Minister Murugi says that she will strip naked. Why can’t she strip naked because we are in tents? Why should she strip naked because of Uhuru Kenyatta   going to The Hague?” she posed.

They said that they want the minister to tell them if they are fake adding that that if she proves they are fake, she should return them where they were.

Theirs is a life of misery and dwindling hopes. When Iasked them if they will vote, they said they will never vote again.

For their children, they have been forced to repeat classes because of lack of fees.  They said they have never seen bursary money.

“I finished class eight, but was forced to repeat because there was no money to take me to form one. The   problems here are many! Every time I am send away. Most of the time, I am not in class. Even for a month . I want to become a lawyer or a famous dancer. Life has been very hard. Where we were before coming here, there were no many problems.” said young   Patrick Kuria.

Children  walk  in Mawingu  IDP camp.

  The other children in the camp said that they cannot concentrate in class.

“The environment is not conducive for learning.  My mind is not always in class because I have to think of what I will eat.” lamented young Naomi Muthoni a pupil at Mawingu primary school.



The IDPS  said that they came  together and contributed kshs 1000 each and bought a Toyata Hilux surf which attracted the err of angry politicians who have accused their chairman Peter Kariuki  of  swindling  money.

“We bought that car because of many problems. Recently were had to take   one of us to hospital and there was no otherwise. Most of us have died in the Camps because there is no transport. That car is an ambulance - it is everything to us.” They said in defense of their chairman.

For them, their future is uncertain as we approach 2012.

“We are approaching 2012, we don t know what will happen in 2012. Recently they burnt seven houses in Burnt forest. They start like that.”  They said.

The y said that the TJRC visited them recently but only went and saw the camps and went away.

They also accused the area MP   Erastus Mureithi for abandoning them. They said he last visited them in December.

“We are praying that it should not rain. If it does, it will rain on us.  Whereas the rest of Kenyans are praying that it should rain. So as a country, where are we headed.” posed Kariuki.





The rocky patch of land in Karuguto cemetry in  Olkalau where IDPs bury their loved ones.



MULIRO GARDEN FREED OF SEX PESTS

One of the new benches at Muliro Gardens In Kakamega.

During my visits to my hometown of Kakamega, it appeared like any other garden-the Uhuru Park of Kakamega ( Muliro Garden ), had been defiled for long by sex pests who had invaded it.

I never paid much attention nor spend time at this garden because most of my kins operate businesses and live in Kakamega town.

I spend my time either in their houses or their business premises or at the Masinde  Muliro University where some of my cousins are studying.

But it was until somebody brave took nude pictures of people having sex in the garden that the garden became famous.

On good Friday while on a visit to Kakamega town, I made a stopover at the garden.  I told my driver to stop. As soon as he packed the car beside the road a crowd of curious onlookers stared at me as I flashed out my camera.

A few people were seated on the benches in the park. One was a fat woman seen in those photos posted on walahoi.ning .com.

She was with a man half her size, her blouse open and one of her breast popping out. The man sat with his legs crossed as they talked.

 I asked one hawker where the famous bench is and he replied, “It was removed by the county council people. We don’t have it now. “He said.

“These people are not from around here. Imagine they have come to see the bench.” said a woman hawker who whispered to her colleague in Kabras.

Being Luhya I understood Kabras and empathized with the people of Western Province for what damage the Muliro garden defilement had caused them.

It was fast approaching dark and I took a quick walk in the garden. The area where the bench was had been fenced off, the bench removed and it had been swept clean.

For those who don’t know, the garden is just in the middle of Kakamega town. It is on your left while coming from Kisumu and on your right while coming from Webuye.

Unlike other parks and gardens in Kenyan towns, it boosts of huge indigenous  trees and bamboos. It is well maintained and somebody must have been protecting the sex pests.

The garden was neat, perhaps those of you who visit Kakamega in the near future,-take time and relax at Muliro Garden, the sex pests are no more.

I took a few photos of the benches and one couple warned me not to take any pictures of them.

But what can be done to cleanse the tarnished names of heroes like Koinange and Masinde Muliro where places named after them have a bad reputation?

Take for example Koinange Street in Nairobi, it has been defiled by sex pests and the mention of Koinange evokes thoughts of prostitution.

“I will muliro garden you.” One journalist joked with a female colleague.



The crying stone which is a major attraction in Kakamega



UHURU MEETS LUO PROFFESSIONALS- APOLOGISES TO GET THEIR VOTES

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta , George Olooand Raphael Tuju during the Luo Nyanza Proffessional caucus meeting.

Kenyas Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta has apologised to Kenyans whom he wronged during his previous rallies.

Uhuru was speaking to professionals from Luo Nyanza at the Sarova Panafric Hotel.

He said he was provoked and had to react.

“Mtu anakuita hii. x3. Ata wewe inafika pahali unasema even me I have to respond. But that is not the kind of politics I want to engage myself in. I will be much happier engaging myself in this kind of atmosphere. That is where the future lies. So I will say for those who felt niliwaumiza , mnisamehe but understand where I was coming from.” He said.

This  was in reference to remarks made by Prime Minister Raila Odinga who earlier this year accused his opponents of being drunks at a rally in Machakos country bus.

“Some people wake up to look for alcohol while others wake up to smoke bhang as others seek what to steal,” Raila said then.

 “They are looking for land to steal here and there and they spend all their time in court defending one case after another.” said the Prime Minister.

This angered some politicians including Uhuru Kenyatta who reacted by hurling insults at the Prime Minister.

“They say that we drink. Do we drink with their mothers.”Uhuru was quoted by KTN saying in Kikuyu.

During the meeting, the Deputy Prime Minister called on Kenyans to stop putting too much focus on the trials at The Hague.

He instead asked Kenyans to focus on building the nation.

The Panafric   meeting  was attended by former Rarieda MP  Rafael Tuju and George Oloo an advocate of the High Court among other Luo professionals.

But will Uhuru run for presidency come 2012? His ambitions are in Limbo due to the current case at The Hague. He is facing crimes against humanity.

The professionals called on him to visit Luo Nyanza and campaign freely.

Uhuru said that he is organising a rally in Kisumu to bond with the people of the region.

“I will not fly there. I will drive.” He said.

He said that it is not a must he becomes the president adding that any member of his team can become the president.

The minister said that he has been trying to clean his name which has been tainted by holding numerous political rallies.

KENYAN MPs BLOCKED FROM ENTERING PARLIAMENT

Protestors in Nairobi Kenya demand audience  from a minister. They protested the increasing high cost of living.

Kenyan MPs had a rough time getting into parliament yesterday afternoon.

They were denied entry into Parliament by protestors who were calling on the reduction of prices of common goods.

The protestors demanded that the   price of maize floor and fulel should be reduced.

On Monday, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi anounced that they had reduced excise duty by 30 percent on kerosene and 20 percent on diesel.

However, the Finance Minister can only vary taxes by a maximum of 30 percent.

 The protestors who comprised of the Bunge la mwananchi, the release political prisoners, and the Consumer federation started their protest at Uhuru park and marched through Kenyatta Avenue , Kimathi street , Harambee Avenue and Parliament  road.

They made stop over’s at the Office of the Prime minister and office of the president before proceeding to parliament.

Outside Parliament, they denied MPs entry, hurled insults at them and threw placards at their cars.



Protestors run after Charity Ngilus car on Parliament road. 20-04-2011.



“If they do not reduce the price of Unga, I will be going to parliament to ask them to do that.” said Fredrick Odhiambo a protestor.

Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba was the first to arrive. He was blocked from getting into parliament and ordered out of his range rover.

“You are not alone. You are heroes because you are representing millions of Kenyans out there. Give me your petition and I am going to table it in parliament this afternoon.” Said Ababu amid  jeers from the crowd.

“You are lying. Since when have you cared about us.” shouted the protestors.

According to one of the policemen, he said he saw one of the protestors snatch Namwambas phone.

Agriculture assistant minister Gideon Ndambuki stepped out of his car and was whisked away by the security.

 Olkalau MP Erustus Mureith had to throw a bundle of a hundred shillings  notes into the air only for the protestors to scramble for it and he safely made his way into parliament.

However, deputy speaker Farah Maalim wasn’t lucky and he had to elbow one of the protestors who tried to pickpocket him.

“I wish he had given us his phone.” Said one of his bodyguards  to his  colleague.

Maalim was walking from Continental house to parliament.

The convoy of Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka turned away once they realized they were running into the protestors.

Also, water minister Charity Ngilu, Webuye MP Alfred Sambu and other Ministers and MPs drove away once they saw the protestors.

MPs who managed to get into parliament were, Kisumu Town East Olago Oluoch, John Mbadi , Soita Shitanda, Kiema Kilonzo, Fedinand Waititu and Jamleck Kamau.

“Don’t worry you guys. We are here blocking the road and telling these MPs that the cost of living must come down.”   Fredrick Onyango shouted to motorists held in traffic.

Among the protestors were former MPS Paul Muite and  Mwandawiro Mgangha, Yash Pal Ghai and Jill Cotrell.

“In this country, the economic and the social policy is for the rich. We have a bad government and a government that cannot feed its people should not say that it is sovereign.” Muite said.

He added that if the government cannot bring down the prices of maize floor and fuel, then the wananchi must bring the government down.

Human rights activist Maurice Odhiambo called on the government to complete investigations on  the Triton saga.

“We must fight these thugs.The finance PS said that 270 Billion is stolen every year.This a quarter of our revenue yet every problem we have has a root in corruption.” He said.

He accused MPs for using all means available to raise money for next year’s campaigns.

“We are here to tell the PM and the president the truth. We are just in an economy where bad things are growing. Impunity , corruption and the cost of living. The coalition government has failed.” Said Okiya  Omtata .

The protestors called on Finance minister  Uhuru Kenyatta and Energy Minister  Kiraitu Murungi to resign.

“You haven’t done us much good. You just drive in.” they told MP Kiema Kilonzo adding that they do not need condoms but food.

They vowed not to leave parliament buildings unless they are addressed by speaker Kenneth Marende.