Items by Phil

Kenya Environmental & Political News Weblog

• From Nairobi’s Kibera Slums to ‘Canaan’

  Posted: September 23, 2009, 12:59 pm by Phil

  Photo: Jane Some/IRIN Pius Okello points at the entrance of his new home At least 1,300 slum dwellers from Kibera – Nairobi’s largest informal urban settlement – have been moved to new blocks of flats under a slum-upgrading programme. “I can’t believe I have left Kibera for good! My new home is so clean, we have a [...]

• Anger and Anxiety in Kenya Over “leaky” Condoms

  Posted: September 14, 2009, 1:58 pm by Phil

  Photo: Laura Lopez Gonzalez/PlusNews An electronic test found holes in the condoms Kenyan AIDS authorities are struggling to restore public confidence in condoms after an alarming news report recently showed locally stocked brands to be defective. KTN, a local TV station, showed the condoms, purchased from vendors in the capital, Nairobi, being tested by the Kenya [...]

• Kenya Launches Multimillion Dollar Appeal to Restore Vital Mau Forest

  Posted: September 9, 2009, 1:16 am by Phil

  Over 25% of Forest Cover Lost to Ecosystem Encroachments Threatening Natural Capital, Wildlife and Livelihoods in Kenya and the Region UNEP Pledges Continued Support and Calls for Urgent Action at Strategic Partners Forum Nairobi, 9 September 2009 – A multimillion dollar appeal to save the Mau Forests Complex has been launched by the Government of [...]

• Solving Kenya’s Food Crisis, One Indigenous Crop at a Time

  Posted: September 2, 2009, 6:43 pm by Phil

  In Kenya, persistent drought is threatening food security for some 31.5 million people, and more than one million face imminent starvation. The United Nation’s World Food Program has requested $230 million for aid, but that seems too little, and perhaps too late for many. Kenya’s government, looking for about $525 million in supplemental food funds from an [...]

• Kenya Farmers “need help to reap rewards of El-Niño rains”

  Posted: August 31, 2009, 12:35 pm by Phil

  Photo: Jane Some/IRIN Since the harvest from the 2006 long rains, Kenya has not had a bumper maize crop with adequate surpluses that could stabilize supplies (file photo) Following below-average harvests in 2007 and 2008, Kenya’s grain farmers need seed and fertilizer support to enable them to make use of El Niño rains, expected between October [...]

• Trees “vital for food security”

  Posted: August 31, 2009, 12:34 pm by Phil

  Countries tackling food insecurity and climate change adaptation can greatly benefit from agroforestry – integrating fleshy plants and trees into their farming systems, environmental specialists say. Sub-Saharan Africa has a history of food insecurity brought on by meagre rains, land degradation, declining soil fertility and bad management of resources, among other factors. “How do we, in a [...]

• Closer to Eden? Kenya Pledges to Plant 7.6 Billion Trees

  Posted: August 26, 2009, 10:23 am by Phil

  Kenyan communities will undertake to plant 7.6 billion trees over the next 20 years to address massive losses in forest cover. Kenya’s Minister for the Environment, John Michuki, has demanded bold steps amidst economic, social and political unrest caused by forest destruction. According to the Ministry of Forestry and Wildlife, less than 2% of Kenya [...]

• Behind the Label: Cut Flowers

  Posted: August 18, 2009, 3:54 pm by Phil

  What’s the real price of your bouquet? Pat Thomas dishes the dirt on cut flower production in less-industrialised countries In 2007, just in time for Valentine’s Day, then UK minister for International Development Hilary Benn told consumers to buy flowers flown in from Kenya, rather than European hothouse flowers. ‘People want to buy ethically and do [...]

• Jamii Bora Microloan Financing Giving Birth to Eco-Friendly Town in Kenya

  Posted: August 13, 2009, 12:34 pm by Phil

  Kenya’s Jamii Bora Trust has teamed up with an American nonprofit group to create Africa’s first ecologically friendly town built with microfinancing. Some 2,500 families are slated to live in Kaputei, near Kenya’s capital of Nairobi. The families, most of who are from slum areas of Nairobi, will be able to purchase these homes with [...]

• Kenyan Nuclear Power Plans Forge Ahead

  Posted: August 11, 2009, 1:55 pm by Phil

  SciDev.net: The Kenyan government has identified construction sites for a nuclear power plant — potentially the first on the continent outside South Africa. Rolex Kirui, a senior engineer for the Kenyan government, says that one site has been identified near the Kenyan coast and construction is scheduled to begin once an ongoing environmental study has been [...]

• New Code of Practice in Kenya Protects HIV+ Employees

  Posted: July 23, 2009, 11:22 am by Phil

  Photo: UNAIDS “Your CV is great. But we need your HIV test” NAIROBI, 22 July 2009 (PlusNews) – When Doreen Aluoch*, 32, got a job as a chef at a leading hotel in Kenya four years ago, she was told she had to have a medical examination before she could be employed, but she did not [...]

• After 50 Years, Land They Can Call Their Own

  Posted: July 8, 2009, 1:51 pm by Phil

  Photo: Wilfred Muchire/IRIN A view of the land that the government recently allocated thousands of people in Central Province NYERI, 6 July 2009 (IRIN) – After a 50-year wait, thousands of Kenyans in Central Province have received the most coveted asset in the country – a piece of land. The move is not only good news for [...]

• Preparedness Gaps Evident As First Flu Cases Diagnosed

  Posted: July 4, 2009, 2:04 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN A nurse at work at a Kenyan hospital: Overall pandemic preparedness in East Africa and the Horn of Africa remains “relatively inactive”, according to a UN agency, as the first cases are reported in Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda – file photo 2 July 2009 (IRIN) – Although some countries within East Africa and [...]

• Struggling to Meet Demand for Male Circumcision in Kisumu

  Posted: July 2, 2009, 11:07 am by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN A mother comforts her son who has just been circumcised at a Marie Stopes clinic in Nyanza KISUMU, 1 July 2009 (PlusNews) – Demand for medical male circumcision has been rising in Kenya’s south-western Nyanza Province since it became available as part of a package of HIV prevention services in November 2008. Although local [...]

• Trade and Environment: WTO and UNEP Launch a Report Explaining for the 1st Time the Connections Between Trade and Climate Change

  Posted: July 2, 2009, 11:06 am by Phil

  The WTO/UNEP report on “Trade and Climate Change” recently published examines the intersections between trade and climate change from four perspectives: the science of climate change; economics; multilateral efforts to tackle climate change; and national climate change policies and their effect on trade. The WTO and UNEP are partners in the pursuit of sustainable development and [...]

• Kenyan Eco-town: From the Slums to a ShiningTown on the Hill

  Posted: May 28, 2009, 3:30 pm by Phil

  In Kenya a little bit of money and a can-do attitude go a long way. Daniel Howden sees how Kaputei has transformed the lives of the country’s poor Clarice Adhiambo was looking for the usual things when she moved. Safe streets, more space, a guest room, maybe even a view of something green. More than anything [...]

• Kenyan Slum-dwellers Priced into Hunger

  Posted: May 28, 2009, 3:30 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Women selling fish in a Nairobi market (file photo): Slum-dwellers have been hard hit by the food price crisis NAIROBI, 27 May 2009 (IRIN) – Millions of people who live in Kenya’s sprawling slums are among those worst hit by the food price crisis, yet they receive far less humanitarian attention than other [...]

• Worldchanging Interview: Wangari Maathai

  Posted: May 22, 2009, 7:39 pm by Phil

  Sustainability in a bright green world is about much more than environmentalism. It is about preserving our natural resources, yes. But it’s also about seeing those resources holistically, and understanding that a healthy environment is the foundation for human health and happiness, for international security, and for economic stability. Few people embody this vision as passionately [...]

• Kenya’s Concerted Conservation

  Posted: May 22, 2009, 7:37 pm by Phil

  It is 20 years since a small group of Kenyan conservationists set out to protect the few remaining black rhino living in the Aberdare mountains national park. Their plan was simple: to raise enough cash to erect a stretch of fence to keep the beasts inside the park and away from poachers and from people’s [...]

• Lake Victoria Communities Could Be Key to Millions of ‘Climate’ Dollars For Poor Around the World

  Posted: May 18, 2009, 1:10 pm by Phil

  Carbon Benefits Project Will Assess Levels of Carbon Stored Via Sustainable and Climate-Friendly Land Management Village communities in Western Kenya alongside ones in Niger, Nigeria and China could become the key to unlocking the multi-billion dollar carbon markets for millions of farmers, foresters and conservationists across the developing world. Catchments in and around Lake Victoria have been [...]

• Seize Opportunities In Carbon Markets, Experts Urge Africa`s Private Sector

  Posted: May 18, 2009, 12:58 pm by Phil

  Africa’s private sector should realign itself strategically to benefit from a windfall presented by investments in the carbon markets. As the move towards low carbon economy gathers pace, African Countries must create a conducive policy environment as well as legislative and regulatory safeguards, to anchor a robust carbon credit market. The proposals were made during the [...]

• Alarm as New Study Shows Widespread and Substantial Declines of Wildlife in Maasai Mara

  Posted: April 22, 2009, 7:32 pm by Phil

  Monthly surveys over 15 years link surge in human settlements near Mara Reserve with large losses of wildlife that have made Kenya popular safari destination IMAGE: This is a zebra at the edge of the Mara. Click here for more information. Populations of major wild grazing animals that are the heart and soul of Kenya’s cherished and [...]

• Earth Day Message from UN Environment Programme

  Posted: April 22, 2009, 7:31 pm by Phil

  Nairobi, 21 April 2009 On April 22, we celebrate the Anniversary of the first Earth Day in 1970, a landmark in the history of the environmental movement – a movement, which gave birth to the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1972. The first Earth Day was conceived partly out of frustration [...]

• Mombasa Watchmen and Sex Workers in Unity Pact

  Posted: April 16, 2009, 2:00 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Sex workers use alleys to avoid paying for hotel rooms (PlusNews) – Over the course of the long nights Richard Omwenga spends guarding a building in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa, a series of young women accompanied by men duck into the alley next to the building. While Omwenga keeps watch, they have [...]

• Playing At Home is Safer

  Posted: April 16, 2009, 1:57 pm by Phil

  Photo: Flickr Creative Commons Two-thirds of HIV-positive Kenyans are either married or cohabiting (PlusNews) – Marriage is not a safe haven from HIV; in fact, the pandemic is spreading rapidly among married people in Kenya. This is the core message of a new campaign to discourage extramarital sex. “Wacha mpango wa kando; epuka ukimwi” - Swahili [...]

• When Words Hurt - Kenyan University Students Get Lessons in Sensitivity

  Posted: April 9, 2009, 1:12 pm by Phil

  Photo: Anthony Kaminju/IRIN Insensitive language creates stigma MASENO – Young people have always been adept at creating witty ways to describe everyday life, but the language they use can be hurtful to people living with HIV; western Kenya’s Maseno University is now helping its students to stop using insensitive, stigmatizing language. “When you hear people make jokes [...]

• KENYA: From The Classroom into the Bedroom

  Posted: April 9, 2009, 1:10 pm by Phil

  Photo: Kenneth Odiwuor/IRIN Girls who become involved with their teachers are often admired by their schoolmates For the past year, Karen Awuor*, 15, has had a new daily ritual– taking antiretroviral (ARV) drugs. She discovered she was HIV positive during an unintended pregnancy that forced her to drop out of school; her baby died after [...]

• Billion Tree Campaign Passes Three Billion Mark

  Posted: April 7, 2009, 6:13 pm by Phil

  The Billion Tree Campaign has passed the three billion planted tree mark following a confirmation from the Government of Turkey that it planted over 300 million trees in 2008. According to the Turkish Ambassador to Kenya, H.E. Mr. S. Levent Sahinkaya, “A total of 305,362,000 trees were planted by the Turkish Government and the [...]

• Helping Kenyan Farmers at the Touch of a Button

  Posted: April 7, 2009, 6:12 pm by Phil

  Photo: Edgar Mwakaba/IRIN Mobile phone technology could be used to correctly diagnose and treat crop diseases The ability to correctly diagnose and treat crop diseases such as banana wilt via mobile phone is just one of endless possibilities for smallholder farmers if location-specific (geospatial) information were available, according to researchers. Such a project would, for example, make [...]

• Forest Fires Destroy Kenya’s Key Water Catchments

  Posted: March 27, 2009, 10:11 am by Phil

  Nairobi, 25 March 2009 – Extensive forest fires are affecting several of Kenya’s key moisture reservoirs including the 400,000-hectare Mau Forest Complex, Kenya’s largest forest and the source of water for at least twelve rivers. Important Rift Valley Lakes, including Lake Victoria, the source of the River Nile, depend on the rivers which are fed [...]

• Rainwater Harvesting: Killing Two Birds With One Stone

  Posted: March 27, 2009, 10:11 am by Phil

  NAIROBI, – Bitter irony: in recent years Nairobi has experienced severe flooding and widespread water shortages, due to poor urban planning and collapsing infrastructure systems that are failing to support the Kenyan capital’s expanding population. ENVIRONMENT-KENYA Shem Oirere Large parts of the city are not properly served by water and sanitation infrastructure, particularly crowded areas like the [...]

• Late Rains to Worsen Food Security in Kenya

  Posted: March 20, 2009, 5:32 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN A woman selling bananas in a Nairobi market (file photo): Food insecurity is set to escalate due to late long rains NAIROBI, (IRIN) – Food insecurity in Kenya, already affecting millions of people, is set to escalate because the long rains are late and unlikely to be sufficient, officials warned. The forecast has [...]

• Severe Warning Sounded on Food Security in Kenya

  Posted: March 20, 2009, 5:31 pm by Phil

  Photo: Kenya Food Security Group The area covered by the 2009 short rains food security assessment for Kenya NAIROBI, (IRIN) – Immediate, medium and long-term priority interventions, including controlling food prices, providing food aid and creating employment, are required to stop more Kenyans going hungry, an inter-agency assessment of the 2008/2009 short rains recommends. The interventions [...]

• Desperate Times in Isiolo as Women Sell Sex to Buy Food

  Posted: March 4, 2009, 9:08 am by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN The price of maize-flour more than doubled in 2008 ISIOLO, 3 March 2009 (PlusNews) – By day, Angela* does odd jobs at a primary school in Isiolo, a town in Kenya’s Eastern Province, but by night she and her two daughters rent a house in town where they sell sex to local [...]

• KENYA: Maureen Kiwinda, “It was not my desire to sleep with people to get a job”

  Posted: March 4, 2009, 9:08 am by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN “It was not my desire to lead a life of sleeping with people to get a job” NAIROBI, (PlusNews) – Maureen Kiwinda*, 22, came to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, in 2003 to stay with her brother, a casual employee in the industrial area. She has also taken up casual employment, but told [...]

• Off the Streets in Molo and into School

  Posted: February 27, 2009, 6:00 pm by Phil

  Photo: Keishamaza Rukikaire/IRIN Children at the Molo Street Children Project: The poject rehabilitates former street-children and was involved in re-uniting children who lost contact with their parents during the 2008 post-election violence MOLO, 24 February 2009 (IRIN) – When Sonia Donnan, originally from Jamaica, accompanied her husband to work in Kenya in 2003, she never [...]

• KENYA: Changing Lifestyles Put Indigenous Communities at Risk

  Posted: February 27, 2009, 5:59 pm by Phil

  Photo: www.ogiek.org The Ogiek have battled eviction from their home in Mau Forest for decades MAU FOREST, 23 February 2009 (PlusNews) - One of East Africa’s last remaining hunter-gatherer communities, the Ogiek people, has largely remained separate from the rest of society, but NGOs warn that their ignorance and isolation from HIV/AIDS prevention efforts could [...]

• HIV Testing From Door to Door

  Posted: February 23, 2009, 6:17 pm by Phil

  Photo: Glenna Gordon/IRIN So far, more than 45,000 people have been tested TURBO, 17 February 2009 (PlusNews) - Joel Kirwa, a farmer in Rift Valley Province, western Kenya, has never been tested for HIV; he is usually too busy tending his cattle and fields and rarely visits Turbo town, where the nearest voluntary counselling and [...]

• Beef Up Budget Allocations to Achieve MDGs

  Posted: February 23, 2009, 6:16 pm by Phil

  African states should put in place sufficient budget allocations and the right policies if the continent is to meet the global and regional health care targets that governments have committed themselves to, say campaigners. In 2000 African states, along with most of the world, agreed to meet the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015. [...]

• New Atlas Maps a Blueprint for Kenya’s Green Development

  Posted: February 17, 2009, 6:47 pm by Phil

  25th Session of the UNEP Governing Council/Global Ministerial Environment Forum 16-20 February Kenya’s chances of realizing its 2030 vision will depend increasingly on the way the country manages its natural or nature-based assets, a new satellite-based atlas concludes. Many of these economic assets are coming under rising pressure: from shrinking tea-growing areas to disappearing lakes, increasing loss [...]

• Saving the Mau Complex

  Posted: February 17, 2009, 6:47 pm by Phil

  The Mau Forest Complex forms the largest closed canopy forest ecosystem of Kenya. It is as large the forest of Aberdares and Mt Kenya combined. Being the most important water catchment in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya, it is an asset of national importance. The Mau complex helps secure the provision of water supply to [...]

• Official PEV Camps Closed But IDPs Still Struggling

  Posted: February 11, 2009, 4:44 pm by Phil

  Photo: Keishamaza Rukikaire/IRIN The Kanamker IDP camp on the outskirts of Lowdar town LODWAR, 11 February 2009 (IRIN) - A year after election-related violence rocked Kenya, hundreds of displaced families are still living in temporary shelters in small camps in Rift Valley province. The government sought to close all camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) by [...]

• New Cases of Black Fever in North-Eastern

  Posted: February 11, 2009, 4:43 pm by Phil

  Photo: WHO Lesions, fever bouts and anaemia are characteristic of leishmaniasis ISIOLO, 9 February 2009 (IRIN) - At least 33 cases of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease also known as Kala-azar or black fever, have been reported in the past four weeks in the drought-affected north-eastern district of Isiolo. “New cases of Kala-azar have been reported in [...]

• Kenya in Dire Need of a National Environmental Policy

  Posted: January 27, 2009, 11:43 am by Phil

  Countries around the world are pursuing environmental management at various levels and employing a range of strategies. However, available evidence suggests that environmental policy in developing countries remains largely incoherent. Developing countries need rationalized environmental policies. These are lacking mainly because poverty and socioeconomic needs are often seen as more pressing than the need for [...]

• Kenya to Host World Environment Ministers

  Posted: January 27, 2009, 11:41 am by Phil

  More than one hundred Environment Ministers are set to meet in Nairobi on 16 to 20 February 2009 for the United Nations Environment Programme’s annual Governing Council meeting. The high-level meeting comes on the heels of an eventful year which saw further evidence of global warming, food shortages and the worst financial crisis in years. The [...]

• Mt. Elgon Conflict: Battle for Land Fought Over Women’s Bodies

  Posted: December 20, 2008, 2:43 pm by Phil

  Photo: Georgina Cranston/IRIN “They took us to the forest and raped me for days, taking it in turns” KITALE, 17 December 2008 (PlusNews) - Margaret Sichei*, 37, discovered she was HIV positive during a routine antenatal check-up. The pregnancy, as well as the HIV infection, was the product of a gang rape deep in the [...]

• FGM in Kenya: Hiding From the Cruellest Cut

  Posted: December 20, 2008, 2:41 pm by Phil

  Photo: Justo Casal Girls such as these are at great risk of FGM in several districts in the country NAIROBI, 17 December 2008 (IRIN) - Hundreds of girls between seven and 17 are seeking refuge in church compounds in western Kenya to avoid the ritual removal of their clitorises, a practice that remains common despite [...]

• Why The African Lion Could Become A Distant Memory

  Posted: December 17, 2008, 7:50 pm by Phil

  Is this a bad thing? Well, looking at the positives, it’s a whole lot better than seeing this proud creature wiped off the face of the Earth completely! The Lion’s Demise The african lion’s numbers have been a cause for great concern in recent times in fact, there has even been talk of extinction. It’s a dirty [...]

• Insecticide ‘killing Kenya lions’

  Posted: December 17, 2008, 7:50 pm by Phil

  Environmentalists in Kenya are worried that an insecticide is being used by farmers to kill lions and other predators. Carbofuran is a very powerful and toxic insecticide. Spread in the soil, it destroys bugs in the ground and is taken up by plants and kills insects which feed on the sap or foliage. It is so powerful and [...]

• Anxiety Grips Kenya Over New HIV Transmission Law

  Posted: December 14, 2008, 4:32 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Shared responsibility for prevention NAIROBI, 12 December 2008 (PlusNews) - In June 2006, a young woman in western Kenya died of HIV-related complications and left a list of about 100 people that she said she had infected with HIV. A new law, approved by the Kenyan president but yet to be implemented, [...]

• Tell us more – African Children Call for Sex Education

  Posted: December 14, 2008, 4:31 pm by Phil

  Photo: Fid Thompson/IRIN African youth representatives attend the International AIDS and STIs Conference in Africa (ICASA) in Dakar, Senegal DAKAR, 11 December 2008 (IRIN) - Children in sub-Saharan Africa want to know more about sex and how to protect themselves from HIV, but taboos surrounding children’s sexuality can mean life-saving information is kept from them, [...]

• Hot Prospect - Geothermal Electricity Set for Rift Valley Lift-Off in 2009

  Posted: December 12, 2008, 4:51 pm by Phil

  A century-old energy technology that taps steam from hot underground rocks is poised for a massive expansion up East Africa’s Rift Valley in the 21st century. The news comes as countries across the world, from Guatemala to Papua New Guinea, are beginning to plug into geothermal energy as a new and promising alternative to coal and [...]

• Global Year-End Snapshot of the Clean Development Mechanism 2008

  Posted: December 12, 2008, 4:50 pm by Phil

  Numbers of Projects World-Wide Registered or in the Pipeline at Over 4,000 up from 60 in 2004 Says UNEP Hydro, Wind and other ‘Traditional’ Renewables Dominate but Some Geothermal, Energy Efficiency and Home Lighting Projects Coming Through Wind and geothermal power projects alongside ones promoting energy efficiency and even the preservation of onions are emerging across the [...]

• World AIDS Day 2008 : Social Club for HIV Positive in Nairobi

  Posted: December 1, 2008, 4:09 pm by Phil

  Photo: Glenna Gordon/IRIN Wakesho’s events provide entertainment and allow HIV-positive people to socialise NAIROBI, 1 December 2008 (PlusNews) - The party at a popular restaurant in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, looks ordinary, but the people attending it - all of whom are HIV-positive - are enjoying a rare opportunity to socialise without feeling like an [...]

• World AIDS Day 2008: Insecurity in NEP Halts HIV Activities

  Posted: December 1, 2008, 4:08 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Northeastern Kenya’s proximity to conflict-prone Somalia makes it relatively unstable MANDERA, 1 December 2008 (PlusNews) - Recent fighting and an increased security presence along the Kenya-Somalia border have brought HIV/AIDS campaigns to a virtual standstill in Kenya’s northeastern region, according to local health workers. Hundreds of people were displaced in October by a [...]

• World Aids Day: Winning Against HIV Stigma Behind Bars in Kenya

  Posted: November 30, 2008, 2:55 pm by Phil

  Photo: Eric Kanalstein/UNMIL A new support group has empowered HIV-positive prisoners (file photo) NAIROBI, - HIV-positive prisoners in Kenya not only suffer isolation from friends and family, but also within the prison walls. “Fellow prisoners and warders treat us so uncaringly - they stigmatise us,” said Collins Kiwinda*, a prisoner serving time for robbery with violence [...]

• OneWorld’s People of 2008 Finalist: Pamela Adoyo

  Posted: November 30, 2008, 2:55 pm by Phil

  This is a World AIDS day post. WASHINGTON,  (OneWorld) - Pamela Adoyo stands calmly and resolutely at the epicenter of Kenya’s AIDS epidemic. Her women’s group is helping care for the sick, impede the disease’s spread, and stitch back together a community torn apart by the epidemic. Her days as a mother, wife, and community organizer stretch [...]

• High Cost of Living Hinders Kenya’s Effort at Poverty Reduction

  Posted: November 27, 2008, 5:50 pm by Phil

  Nairobi, Kenya - Efforts by the Kenya government to halve extreme poverty by 2015 as envisaged in the Millennium Development Goals may not be achieved, owing to high poverty level and rising unemployment rates. The Minister for Planning and Vision 2030, Wycliffe Oparanya, sounded optimistic but noted that key challenges stand in the way of the [...]

• Lake Victoria Islands: Kenyan Anger as Uganda Nets Island

  Posted: November 27, 2008, 5:50 pm by Phil

  Recently published on this weblog:Lake Victoria Potential Source of Regional Conflict By Muliro Telewa BBC News, Kisumu Boats approaching the tiny Migingo Islands on Lake Victoria are greeted by the surprising sight of a Ugandan flag flying high above a collection of shiny tin shacks. The three islands are located about two hours by motorboat [...]

• Countdown to World AIDS Day 2008:LEAD-EMPOWER-DELIVER

  Posted: November 25, 2008, 6:27 pm by Phil

  World AIDS Day, observed December 1 each year, is dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection. AIDS has killed more than 25 million people, with an estimated 33.2 million people living with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access [...]

• Kenya’s Experience Informs New Resource for Increasing Coordination on AIDS

  Posted: November 25, 2008, 6:26 pm by Phil

  HIV prevalence in Kenya has halved in a decade – a dramatic and sustained decline rarely seen elsewhere in Africa. The Government aims to continue this level of progress by ensuring that the national response to the epidemic is as coordinated and collaborative as possible, and that funding is spent effectively. In recent years, as national [...]

• Lake Victoria Potential Source of Regional Conflict

  Posted: November 23, 2008, 10:31 pm by Phil

  The so-called ‘scramble for fish’ in Lake Victoria is turning out to be a source of conflict between nations bordering the lake and could potentially threaten regional stability. In the past month alone there have been several incidents around the lake that have heightened tensions between Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya. It is now apparent that [...]

• Kenya: Growing Money on Trees?

  Posted: November 23, 2008, 10:30 pm by Phil

  News on Kenya’s forests were recently dominated by the eviction of squatters from the Mau forest. This may change as the country moves towards sustainable forestry. Jenny Curtain analyses the investment potential created by changes in Kenya’s forestry management and developments in the international carbon credit markets. Changes in Kenya’s Forest Management Kenya’s stunning landscapes make [...]

• UNEP Welcomes Obama’s Speech on Climate Change

  Posted: November 21, 2008, 1:54 pm by Phil

  Nairobi/Kenya, 20 November 2008  - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama’s latest speech on climate change has been welcomed as “very meaningful” by Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). In a video message to an international conference on climate change hosted by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on 18 November, Mr. Obama [...]

• Balancing Environmental Protection and the Community’s Socio-Economic Needs

  Posted: November 21, 2008, 1:53 pm by Phil

  During a discussion with environmental law enforcement agency officials in Khartoum and Juba, Sudan, recently, the head of the department dealing with national cooperation on forestry raised an important question about balancing environmental protective objectives and human needs. The official pointed out that in Sudan about 70 percent of the country’s energy requirements comes from [...]

• Dandora Dumpsite Poses Serious Threat to Public Health and Environment

  Posted: November 12, 2008, 9:54 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN The Dandora municipal waste site in Nairobi continues to pose environmental and health risks NAIROBI, 11 November 2008 (IRIN) - The Dandora municipal waste site east of Nairobi continues to pose environmental and health risks even after a study recommended its closure, said specialists. “The dumpsite is a big, big health problem and [...]

• First Ever Malaria Vaccine Finally Ready for Trial

  Posted: November 12, 2008, 9:49 pm by Phil

  After hundreds of millions of dollars and years of work, the first malaria vaccine is ready to test. Sixteen thousand children are set to be vaccinated in Burkina Faso, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania — African countries where malaria is a serious problem. Preliminary tests have shown that this particular vaccine — one of [...]

• International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict

  Posted: November 6, 2008, 1:32 pm by Phil

  Today is 6th November officially recognised by the United Nations each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed Conflict. On 5 November 2001, the General Assembly declared 6 November of each year as the International Day for Preventing the Exploitation of the Environment in War and Armed [...]

• Profile : Catherine Mwango’s Success Story at KWAHO

  Posted: November 6, 2008, 1:28 pm by Phil

  Maji na Usafi Voices! newsletter had an incisive chat with Mrs. Catherine Mwango, executive director, Kenya Water and Health Organization (KWAHO). We bring you the rich excerpts of the far-reaching achievements of one of the founder members of KEWASNET. Q. What is KWAHO’s establishment and mandate? KWAHO is a national Non-governmental Organization(NGO) founded in 1976 [...]

• Nomadic Schools for Garissa Mobile Girls

  Posted: November 2, 2008, 9:29 pm by Phil

  Five years after the introduction of free primary education (FPE) in Kenya, the enrolment of girls in schools continues to lag behind in Garissa, in Kenya’s North Eastern region. Most communities living in the North Eastern region are nomadic and semi-nomadic, and depend on livestock for their livelihood. “The nomadic life favours only boys to [...]

• Hundreds Injured in Mandera Security Operation

  Posted: November 2, 2008, 9:28 pm by Phil

  Photo: Melvin Chibole/ActionAid Hundreds of people have been injured in an operation aimed at restoring calm in the mainly pastoralist northeastern region of Mandera ISIOLO, 31 October 2008 (IRIN) - Hundreds of people have been injured in an operation aimed at restoring calm in the northeastern region of Mandera after a series of clan clashes [...]

• Disaster as Kenya is Rejected by Global Fund on AIDS, TB & Malaria

  Posted: October 29, 2008, 11:44 pm by Phil

  Photo: Global Fund The country has lost out on US$130 million for HIV programmes NAIROBI, 29 October 2008 (PlusNews) - Kenya will have to find new sources of funding to keep more than 200,000 people on antiretroviral (ARV) treatment after the country’s latest bid for support from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and [...]

• Kenyan Pubs: Its a Thin Line Between Sex Work and War Work

  Posted: October 29, 2008, 10:09 pm by Phil

  Photo: Keishamaza Rukikaire/IRIN Sexual violence against bar hostesses is widespread and accepted NAIROBI, 29 October 2008 (PlusNews) - A man in a bar gets progressively more drunk and disorderly, his speech growing more slurred and his sexual advances to a waitress becoming more aggressive as he tries to get her to go home with him. The scene [...]

• Post Poll Skirmishes : UN Honours Kenya GSU Police Officer

  Posted: October 24, 2008, 4:20 pm by Phil

  Joseph Musyoka Nthenge employed negotiating skills to avert post presidential election violence The United Nations in Kenya, on the occasion of UN Day on Oct. 24, has decided to award the 2008 “UN in Kenya Person of the Year” to Acting Senior Superintendent of Police, Joseph Musyoka Nthenge. Speaking for the UN, the Acting Director General, Inga [...]

• Kenya Pays the Cost of Bad Farming Policy

  Posted: October 24, 2008, 4:19 pm by Phil

  Anthony Kimani Muhia is as ambitious as he is entrepreneurial. The 32-year-old farmer from central Kenya has figured out much of what’s wrong with the country’s farming system, and he’s determined to change it, starting with himself. His plot of land feels not much bigger than a handkerchief – about ¾ of an acre – but [...]

• Interview: President Kibaki Talks About MDG Progress in Kenya

  Posted: October 22, 2008, 4:40 pm by Phil

  In September 2000, 189 world leaders attended the Millennium Summit at the United Nations and made a commitment to address the world’s most pressing development needs by 2015. Leaders pledged to eliminate gender inequality, environmental degradation and HIV/Aids, and to improve access to education, healthcare and clean water. Last month the world’s leaders gathered again at [...]

• Poverty-Africa: Leaders Cannot Close Their Ears

  Posted: October 22, 2008, 4:38 pm by Phil

  CAPE TOWN, - Eight years ago, the leaders of 189 countries pledged to work towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals, eliminating extreme poverty by 2015. The Stand Up, Take Action Campaign mobilises millions of people around the world to press for action to make this a reality. The campaign is organised by the Global Call to [...]

• Millions Take Action Against Poverty Worldwide

  Posted: October 17, 2008, 8:11 pm by Phil

  Over the next three days, more than 1 percent of the global population — 67 million people — will participate in mass rallies, sports events, concerts, and other actions around the world to promote the poverty eradication Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). To browse events worldwide and get involved in your part of the globe, visit the [...]

• Kenya Govt Violated Guiding Principles in IDP Resettlement

  Posted: October 16, 2008, 7:18 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN An IDP puts up a shelter in a camp near the town of Eldoret in Rift Valley province: Human rights activists say the Kenya government has no specific law on internal displacement NAIROBI, 16 October 2008 (IRIN) - Kenyan officials “violated with impunity” the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement during an operation [...]

• Floods Displace thousands in Mandera NEP

  Posted: October 16, 2008, 7:17 pm by Phil

  Photo: Richard Lough/IRIN Thousands of people displaced by flash floods following heavy rains in Mandera are in need of medical assistance to prevent an outbreak of water-borne disease, an official of the Kenya Red Cross Society said MANDERA, 16 October 2008 (IRIN) - More than 10,000 people have been displaced by flash floods following heavy [...]

• Kenya Government Launches Anti-malaria Campaign

  Posted: October 10, 2008, 2:35 pm by Phil

  Photo: Zofeen Ebrahim/IRIN The Ministry of Health has launched a nationwide campaign to retreat at least 1.8 million bed nets with long-lasting insecticide to control the spread of malaria as the rainy season sets in NAIROBI, 10 October 2008 (IRIN) - Kenya’s Ministry of Health has launched a four-day nationwide campaign to retreat at least [...]

• Rising Demand for Male Circumcision

  Posted: October 10, 2008, 2:35 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Boys wait to be circumcised at Migosi health centre in Kisumu KISUMU, 9 October 2008 (PlusNews) - Health facilities in Nyanza Province in western Kenya are struggling to meet the demand for medical male circumcisions since politicians threw their weight behind efforts to promote the procedure as a way of reducing HIV [...]

• UNEP Earmarks Mau Forest and Nairobi Dam For Recovery

  Posted: October 6, 2008, 7:20 pm by Phil

  Ecosystem renovation - bring it on back A ‘lost’ lake in Mali and a Kenyan forest that is the water tower for key rivers and lakes in East Africa are among two country projects aimed at bringing significant degraded and denuded ecosystems back from the brink. The projects are among several being drawn up and spearheaded [...]

• Today is World Habitat Day

  Posted: October 6, 2008, 12:39 pm by Phil

  The United Nations has designated the first Monday in October each year as World Habitat Day. The idea is to reflect on the state of our towns and cities and the basic right to adequate shelter for all. It is also intended to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the [...]

• Kenya Internally Displaced Struggle to Rebuild Their Lives

  Posted: October 2, 2008, 1:59 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Children carry firewood at the Nakuru IDP camp in April: Camp closure has left thousands stranded at transit camps or yet to fully resettle on their farms NAKURU, 30 September 2008 (IRIN) - The decision to close camps for Kenyans displaced by post-election violence was hasty and has left thousands in Rift Valley [...]

• Circumcision Booms in Kenya

  Posted: October 2, 2008, 1:57 pm by Phil

  Kenya government hopes to circumcise two million people in the Luo province where the practice is abhorred. Top politicians from the area confessed they have gone to have the foreskin of their male organs removed as part of an awareness to curb HIV/AIDS. They spoke to spur people on to go and circumcise. Standing before [...]

• Protecting the Environment Will Combat Poverty: Wangari Maathai

  Posted: October 1, 2008, 4:50 pm by Phil

  photo: Ricardo Medina The morning plenary session at the Clinton Global Initiative meeting last Friday was on the “Global Impact of Rural Innovation” and had quite a distinguished panel of speakers. Well, every session at CGI had impressive credentials, but this one was particularly inspirational. Here are some of the highlights from Wangari Maathai , founder [...]

• Young Consumers’ Guide to Eco-Friendly Living

  Posted: October 1, 2008, 4:49 pm by Phil

  UNEP and UNESCO Announce a New and Updated Edition of the Popular YouthXchange Training Kit Paris/Nairobi – October 1st, 2008.  How to balance looking cool and feeling cool with the need to combat climate are among the key tips in the new United Nations YouthXchange Training kit. This updated version of the guide also gets [...]

• Kenya Among African Countries Shifting Focus to Biotechnology

  Posted: September 29, 2008, 5:36 pm by Phil

  Poor agricultural yields and rising food insecurity in sub – Saharan Africa has brought into sharp focus the role of modern agricultural technology in human development. Heightening food insecurity in Kenya, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Swaziland, Zambia, Zimbabwe and several other African countries of the region has stimulated political and public attention on genetic engineering in general [...]

• Syngenta’s Tropical Sugar Beet Receives World Business and Development Award

  Posted: September 29, 2008, 5:36 pm by Phil

  Basel, Switzerland, Syngenta announced that yesterday it received the 2008 World Business and Development Award (WBDA) for the development and successful introduction of a new sugar beet that can be grown under tropical climate conditions and brings significant advantages to farmers, the environment, the sugar and ethanol industries and the economy. The WBDA, presented by the [...]

• Environment, Climate Change and the MDGs: Reshaping the Development Agenda

  Posted: September 23, 2008, 8:01 pm by Phil

  On 25 September 2008, the UN Secretary-General and the President of the General Assembly will jointly convene the High-level Event on the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) at UN Headquarters in New York. While significant progress has been made in some areas, scaled-up efforts by all stakeholders are urgently needed in [...]

• 40,000 Riparian Livelihoods Threatened as Tana River Changes Course

  Posted: September 23, 2008, 7:29 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN The Tana River has changed course threatening the livelihoods of thousands of people TANA RIVER, 22 September 2008 (IRIN) - The riparian livelihoods of more than 40,000 people in southeast Kenya are under threat because of the sudden change of course of the Tana River, the longest in the country. “People in six [...]

• Starting Today: Millions Poised to Clean Up the World

  Posted: September 18, 2008, 5:57 pm by Phil

  On 19-21 September, the 16th Clean Up the World weekend will see millions of volunteers come together in more than 100 countries to clean up their environment. The theme of this year’s event is ‘Start Today… Save Tomorrow - Clean Up our Climate’. One focus is the tide of trash polluting the world’s seas-it is estimated there [...]

• Migrant Birds in Hot Water!

  Posted: September 18, 2008, 5:47 pm by Phil

  Climate change is a major threat to migratory waterbirds, according to a new report by the British Trust for Ornithology and Wetlands International. Of 235 species of migratory waterbirds protected in Europe and Africa, all except one are experiencing some threat from climate change, and nine species face severe threats that could cause extinction. Antananarivo, [...]

• Nairobi’s Changing Face: The ENG Kenya Bench Project

  Posted: September 16, 2008, 12:24 pm by Phil

  Towards enhancing the City’s beauty and being responsive to the community’s needs, the City Council of Nairobi has partnered with a leading Outdoor Media Company ENG Kenya to install high quality benches in prime locations around the City under a Public Private Partnership. The unique ergonomically designed street bench will be seen across 250 locations of [...]

• HIV/AIDS: Young Girls the New Bait for Kenyan Fishermen

  Posted: September 13, 2008, 5:18 pm by Phil

  Photo: Kenneth Ocuor/IRIN Fishermen hold the key to the fish traders’ livelihoods KISUMU, 12 September 2008 (PlusNews) - Dunga Beach, along the shores of Lake Victoria in Kenya’s western city of Kisumu, erupts into activity when the boats bring in their catch. Female fishmongers scramble along the beach to buy fish, shouting themselves hoarse to [...]

• Thirteen Dead in Mandera Clashes Over Water

  Posted: September 13, 2008, 4:50 pm by Phil

  Photo: Neil Thomas/IRIN The clash was over water NAIROBI, 12 September 2008 (IRIN) - At least 13 people have been killed in inter-clan clashes over water in the north-eastern region of Mandera, a humanitarian official has said. “The two clans clashed over the ownership of a borehole,” Titus Mung’ou of the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) [...]

• Separated Kenyan Children Eking a Living in Rift Valley Town

  Posted: September 11, 2008, 9:41 am by Phil

  Photo: Allan Gichigi/IRIN Children in a crowded class at the Moto primary school in Molo town: Some returnees have left their children in the town due to a lack of schools in areas of return NAIROBI, 10 September 2008 (IRIN) - Months after the Kenyan government began resettling hundreds of thousands of people displaced during clashes [...]

• Kenya Sex Workers Offer Hope for HIV Prevention

  Posted: September 11, 2008, 9:40 am by Phil

  Photo: IRIN A sex worker in Kibera, a Nairobi slum NAIROBI, 8 September 2008 (PlusNews) - A study of Kenyan sex workers who appear to be immune to HIV could provide important clues to the development of an effective AIDS vaccine. A team of researchers from Canada’s University of Manitoba and Kenya’s University of Nairobi, who [...]

• A Snapshot of the Situation of Women’s Rights in Kenya

  Posted: September 8, 2008, 11:33 am by Phil

  Women’s organizing in Kenya has been going on for decades, since long before the country’s independence from colonial rule. The oldest women’s organization, the Maendeleo ya Wanawake[2] Organization (MYWO) was started in 1952. Although it was started by a group of white settler women, the organization has the widest grassroots penetration in the country, with [...]

• Kenya: Environmental Compliance is a Necessity, not an Option

  Posted: September 8, 2008, 11:33 am by Phil

  Kenyans have awakened to the need for environmental compliance. This is evident in the ongoing debates on various environmental issues. There is now a realization that economic development and environmental issues are inseparable and reconciling laws and policies governing the broader sectors are vital if environmental degradation is to be arrested. This is in turn [...]

• Kibera: From Rubbish Dump to Cabbage Patch

  Posted: September 4, 2008, 10:50 am by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN This organic farm in the sprawling Kibera slum is providing residents with a source of income NAIROBI, 3 September 2008 (IRIN) - Rubbish is everywhere in Kibera, Africa’s largest slum, just a few kilometres from the centre of Nairobi. It lies not just between the ramshackle dwellings, but often underneath them, rendering [...]

• Kenya Government Peace-making ‘a failure’

  Posted: September 4, 2008, 10:50 am by Phil

  The Kenyan government has failed to support vital peace-making efforts aimed at healing ethnic divisions in the country, following the country’s worst outbreak of violence since independence, says the international human rights organization, Minority Rights Group International (MRG) In a new briefing paper, Kenya six months on: a new beginning or business as usual? MRG says [...]

• UN-backed Forum Examines Role of ICT in Achieving the MDGs

  Posted: August 25, 2008, 3:38 pm by Phil

  23 August 2007 – Over 1,000 participants from 66 countries have gathered at the United Nations Centre in Addis Ababa to explore how the latest information and communication technology (ICT) can help countries overcome poverty and advance development. “ICT for Development and Prosperity” is the theme for the three-day World Information Technology Forum which kicked off [...]

• WHO & UNEP Join to Combat Environment-Related Disease in Africa

  Posted: August 25, 2008, 3:37 pm by Phil

  First African Inter-Ministerial Conference on Health and Environment Brazzaville/Nairobi, 22 August 2008 - Diseases caused by environmental change are responsible for too many deaths in Africa. In 2002 alone, unsafe water, pollution, poor sanitation, inadequate waste disposal, insufficient disease vector control and exposure to chemicals claimed about 2.4 million lives. In a bid to address this challenge, [...]

• High Levels of Stigma Persist in Kenya’s NEP

  Posted: August 22, 2008, 4:17 pm by Phil

  Photo: Neil Thomas/IRIN Young women can’t talk about sex with their elders IJARA, 21 August 2008 (PlusNews) - For the past ten months, health workers at Ijara District Hospital in Kenya’s North Eastern Province have been caring for two children, aged six and seven, who were abandoned by their father after he discovered he was HIV-positive. [...]

• KENYA: The Lure of Dodgy Herbal “cures” for HIV

  Posted: August 22, 2008, 4:16 pm by Phil

  Photo: Keishamaza Rukikaire/IRIN Quacks posing as traditional herbalists have fooled many HIV-positive people MOMBASA, 21 August 2008 (PlusNews) - People in Kenya’s Coast Province, believed not to be genuine herbalists, are selling concoctions purported to treat HIV and persuading many patients on life-prolonging antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to abandon their medication. Omari Mwanjama, of the National AIDS [...]

• Kenya’s Post Poll Violence: Africa’s Elders Seize a Leading Role

  Posted: August 16, 2008, 3:36 pm by Phil

  In January, one of Africa’s most stable democracies was violently ripping itself apart. How was it saved? In a four-part special report, the key players tell what happened. By Scott Baldauf | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor NAIROBI, KENYA - Kenya’s peace talks have barely begun. But the atmosphere in the Orchid Room of [...]

• Danger: The African Elephant Under Siege from Poachers!

  Posted: August 16, 2008, 3:26 pm by Phil

  Massacre of the giants: Once hunted to near extinction, Africa’s elephants slowly pulled back from the brink …But the end of a ban on ivory slaves - backed by Britain - has launched a savage new bloodbath by ruthless poachers By Sue Reid Last updated at 10:54 PM on 15th August 2008 With the poisoned tip of a [...]

• Food Reserves Set to Plummet in Central Province

  Posted: August 15, 2008, 7:20 pm by Phil

  Photo: Waweru Mugo/IRIN Ruth Wangechi examines her failed maize crop in Thung’ari village, Nyeri NYERI, 13 August 2008 (IRIN) - Poor rains and the presence of internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Central Kenya, a traditionally food-secure region, have stretched available resources with government and humanitarian officials predicting a sharp drop in food reserves. “This year has [...]

• Boosting Biofuels Without Compromising Food Security

  Posted: August 15, 2008, 7:15 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN The Jatropha’s deceitfully luscious yellow fruit are poisonous; however, these glossy black seeds have an oil content of 37 percent NAIROBI, 13 August 2008 (IRIN) - The oil-rich seed of a poisonous shrub that thrives in arid climates with poor soil lies at the heart of plans by Kenya to reduce its [...]

• New Report Identifies Gender Inequality as a Barrier to Kenya’s Development

  Posted: August 12, 2008, 12:00 pm by Phil

  New Institute of Economic Affairs report identifies gender inequality as a barrier to Kenya’s development The Institute of Economic Affairs’ (IEA) latest report on the socio-economic status of women in Kenya says women have made minimal strides in their quest to bridge the inequality gap. However, this state of affairs is not blamed solely on women [...]

• Give Women Land Rights and Make Poverty History

  Posted: August 12, 2008, 11:59 am by Phil

  The recent statement by the Minister for Lands, Hon. James Orengo that the National Land Policy is ready for cabinet deliberation and final approval is something that is overdue.  But for the majority of Kenyan women who wallow in poverty and are destitute, the announcement has generated a lot of excitement as they have for [...]

• Enforcement of the Sexual Offences Act in Kenya

  Posted: August 12, 2008, 11:59 am by Phil

  INTRODUCTION Is the criminal justice system in Kenya well equipped to protect women from gender-based violence? This a critical question because in July this year, the Sexual Offences Act (SOA) is celebrating two years of existence having came into force on 21 July 2006. It has been lauded as an evolutionally piece of legislation that provides [...]

• What We Are Doing About Climate Change

  Posted: August 7, 2008, 4:29 pm by Phil

  Photo: UN Library Years of poorly regulated emissions have made the earth warmer JOHANNESBURG, 5 August 2008 (IRIN) - In developing countries, where survival is often a daily struggle, people cannot afford to wait for their government to bail them out. Many are living in the grip of climate change, coping with frequent droughts, heavy [...]

• NASA Data Show African Droughts Linked To Warmer Indian Ocean

  Posted: August 7, 2008, 4:28 pm by Phil

  A new study, co-funded by NASA, has identified a link between a warming Indian Ocean and less rainfall in eastern and southern Africa. Computer models and observations show a decline in rainfall, with implications for the region’s food security. Rainfall in eastern Africa during the rainy season, which runs from March through May, has [...]

• Dial M for Cash

  Posted: August 5, 2008, 9:48 am by Phil

  Photo: Anne Ejakait/Concern Worldwide Mobile phones are increasingly being used in delivering aid NAIROBI, 4 August 2008 (IRIN) - Hard-pressed to find efficient ways of delivering aid, humanitarian agencies are turning to new technologies. One such innovation involves mobile phones to send cash. One such project was piloted in Baringo North and Pokot East Districts of [...]

• Breast is Best, Even for Mothers with HIV

  Posted: August 5, 2008, 9:48 am by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN The WHO recommends breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life NAIROBI, 4 August 2008 (PlusNews) - The risk of an HIV-positive mother infecting her child through breastfeeding can be significantly reduced by antiretroviral treatment (ART), say health officials in Kenya. “HIV-positive mothers on ART lower the risk of transmission through [...]

• Insecurity Heightens Poverty in Northwest Kenya

  Posted: July 31, 2008, 10:55 am by Phil

  Photo: Ann Weru/IRIN Residents often have to rely on police reservists and have organised local security to safeguard their livestock LODWAR, 29 July 2008 (IRIN) - John Lochimoe used to own several heads of cattle that his grandfather left him, until raiders from the neighbouring Pokot District of northwestern Kenya took the animals. “All the cows [...]

• Kiambaa IDPs Still Afraid to Return Home

  Posted: July 31, 2008, 10:54 am by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Stephen Kariuki Gichuhi, chairman of the IDPs who have sought shelter at the Ngecha All Nations Gospel Church in Limuru LIMURU, 30 July 2008 (IRIN) - Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) who fled Kenya’s Rift Valley Province after their church was set ablaze in January’s post-election violence, burning to death some of [...]

• The Connection Between High Food Prices and Grand Corruption

  Posted: July 29, 2008, 6:59 pm by Phil

  Bunge La Mwananchi held a forum on Wednesday 2nd July, 2008 at Professional Centre Nairobi, between 1.00 pm and 5.00 pm. as part of its civil awareness initiative to rally people around issues that affect them. Bunge La Mwananchi had in the recent past organised an activity in which Kenyans held street protest to complain [...]

• Investigate “torture” in Mt Elgon Operation, Kenya Govt Urged

  Posted: July 29, 2008, 6:57 pm by Phil

  Photo: Ann Weru/IRIN People displaced by the conflict in Mt Elgon are slowly returning home. HRW says the government must investigate claims of torture NAIROBI, 28 July 2008 (IRIN) - A public inquiry should be set up into “torture and war crimes” committed by the Sabaot Land Defence Forces (SLDF) militia and the military in [...]

• Cholera Outbreaks in W. Kenya Blamed on Contaminated Water

  Posted: July 29, 2008, 6:56 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Drinking contaminated water is one of the main causes of cholera NAIROBI, 29 July 2008 (IRIN) - Recurrent outbreaks of cholera in the western province of Nyanza are caused by widespread water contamination, including seepage from latrines, health officials said. “The major contributor to the recent outbreaks in the area was unsafe water,” [...]

• More Education Equals Less Teen Pregnancy and HIV

  Posted: July 26, 2008, 1:11 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Girls who stay in school are less likely to contract HIV NAIROBI, 25 July 2008 (PlusNews) - Keeping Kenyan girls in school and ensuring they have access to HIV and sex education has a dramatic effect on lowering future levels of HIV, according to experts. “Young people do not have the information they [...]

• PMTCT Services not Reaching Rural Women in Kenya

  Posted: July 26, 2008, 1:11 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Many of the women are unaware of their status ISIOLO, 24 July 2008 (PlusNews) - The government’s campaign to prevent HIV transmission from mother to child is failing pregnant HIV-positive women in Kenya’s remote rural areas. A shortage of testing sites and trained medical staff in rural areas means many of these women [...]

• No Substitute for Support When Taking ARVs

  Posted: July 26, 2008, 1:07 pm by Phil

  Photo: Waweru Mugo/IRIN “They know where the shoe pinches most” MERU, 16 July 2008 (PlusNews) - “We [people living with HIV] must eat well, must keep off stress - it is not good for you … if you can, please walk out on anything annoying and go and watch Vitimbi [a popular TV sitcom] or [...]

• Q&A: How Not to Resettle IDPs

  Posted: July 23, 2008, 3:48 pm by Phil

  Interview with Prisca Kamungi, Director of the Internal Displacement Policy and Advocacy Centre NAIROBI, Jul 22 (IPS) - Operation Rudi Nyumbani (Return Home, in Kiswahili), designed to help about 350,000 IDPs living in camps across the country go back to their homes and farms has achieved its primary objective, at least according to the Kenyan government. [...]

• Hundreds Still Displaced in Nairobi

  Posted: July 23, 2008, 3:02 pm by Phil

  Photo: Allan Gichigi/IRIN IDPs at the Mathare Chief’s camp in Nairobi. NAIROBI, 22 July 2008 (IRIN) - Hundreds of Kenyans displaced during post-election violence in early 2008 in the capital, Nairobi, are still in camps more than two months after the government launched a countrywide resettlement programme. “Many of the displaced were tenants whose houses [...]

• Mau Forest Destruction Will Cost the Kenya Economy US$300M

  Posted: July 19, 2008, 2:39 pm by Phil

  Protecting Mau Forest in Kenya’s Economic Interest Nairobi, 17 July 2008-Kenya stands to lose a nature-based economic asset worth over US $300 million alone to the tea, tourism and energy sectors if the forest of the Mau Complex continues to be degraded and destroyed, the UN Environment Programme said today. The Prime Minister of Kenya, Raila [...]

• Tackling Corruption in Humanitarian Intervention

  Posted: July 19, 2008, 2:39 pm by Phil

  Photo: Anthony Morland/IRIN Bribe taking: A new report urges humanitarian agencies to work harder and more closely together to minimise various forms of corruption that can affect the delivery of emergency aid NAIROBI, 18 July 2008 (IRIN) - Humanitarian agencies should work harder and more closely together to minimise various forms of corruption that can [...]

• Healthcare Hurdles in Nairobi’s Slums

  Posted: July 11, 2008, 10:26 pm by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Slums are underserved in terms of access to basic amenities NAIROBI, 11 July 2008 (IRIN) - Quality healthcare is a luxury often beyond the reach of those who live in Nairobi’s slums, such as mother-of-seven Grace Awour Opondo. “When you are sick you buy medicine from the local shops,” Opondo told IRIN. “If [...]

• Post-Violence Sex Work Boom in Kenya

  Posted: July 11, 2008, 9:56 pm by Phil

  Photo: Eva-Lotta Jansson/IRIN Desperation limits your options MOMBASA, 9 July 2008 (PlusNews) - Like thousands of other Kenyans, Susan Wairimu, 17, was displaced from her home in the Rift Valley Province’s Molo district during the violence that followed a disputed presidential election in December 2007 and sought shelter in the nearby town of Nakuru. A cousin [...]

• UN Opens 1st Zero Emission Community Power Centre in Rural Kenya

  Posted: July 9, 2008, 6:01 pm by Phil

  8 July 2008 – The first power-generating centre using environmentally friendly hydro and solar power has been inaugurated in a Kenyan village 150 kilometres north east of Nairobi by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Apart from generating electricity, the new centre, in Kibai village in Kenya’s Kerugoya division, promotes the use of Light Emitting [...]

• Courting Disaster: Why Kenyans Must Stop Oloolua Nuclear Waste Plant

  Posted: July 9, 2008, 5:59 pm by Phil

  Kenya is a few days away from hosting the first ever dreaded and less understood radioactive waste processing facility at Oloolua, located at the institute of primate research in Kajiado district. If the facility is allowed to proceed, Kenyans will without doubt pay dearly, in the same way history is certain to harshly judge the [...]

• New Kenya Law Could Raise Food Prices Further

  Posted: July 8, 2008, 11:52 am by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Some of the products, with the standardization mark, on a supermarket shelf NAIROBI, 4 July 2008 (IRIN) - Prices of food in Kenya, which have already risen by 50 percent since the start of 2008, could increase further following a new government regulation, a consumer watch group has warned. From October, all food [...]

• Kenya IDPs Hold Out for Better Compensation

  Posted: July 8, 2008, 11:50 am by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN IDPs are choosing to remain in the camps in the hope of a better government compensation package NAKURU, 7 July 2008 (IRIN) - Jane Wanjiru Maina, a mother of seven, is tired of living in an internally displaced people’s (IDP) camp in the show grounds of Nakuru, in the Rift Valley. “The tents [...]

• Climate Challenge to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in Africa

  Posted: July 3, 2008, 1:24 pm by Phil

  The challenge of meeting the eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in African countries is compounded by the grave long-term risk posed by climate change. That is the message of a report released today by the United Nations and the African Union. African countries demonstrably require additional resources for adaptation since they are particularly vulnerable to the [...]

• Kenya IDPs: Nicholas Nyanumba: “We voted but our leaders are not helping us”

  Posted: July 3, 2008, 1:22 pm by Phil

  Photo: Ann Weru/IRIN Nicholas Nyanumba believes the government’s compensation plan is inadequate NAKURU, 2 July 2008 (IRIN) - Nicholas Nyanumba is one of 12,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) living in a temporary camp set up in the show grounds of the Rift Valley town of Nakuru. Nyanumba was displaced when fighting broke out in his hometown [...]

• Kenyan IDP Monica Mumbi: “There is nothing to go back to”

  Posted: June 25, 2008, 11:52 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Monica Mumbi at the Navaisha IDP camp NAIVASHA, 25 June 2008 (IRIN) - Monica Mumbi left her hometown of Molo, in Rift Valley Province, in February for the Naivasha internally displaced persons (IDP) camp after violence broke out in her town over the disputed elections. Mumbi spoke to IRIN about her experiences [...]

• Cholera Outbreak Confirmed in Kenya’s Western Region

  Posted: June 25, 2008, 11:44 pm by Phil

  Photo: Allan Gichigi/IRIN Contaminated water sources are a principal cause of cholera outbreaks NAIROBI, 25 June 2008 (IRIN) - An outbreak of cholera has been confirmed in the Kisumu municipality in the western region, a senior health official has said. “At least 13 out of 38 cases sampled for cholera have tested positive,” Shahnaaz Sharif, the [...]

• Insecurity & Education Hold Kenyan IDPs in Camps

  Posted: June 24, 2008, 12:19 am by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Samuel Karanja at Naivasha stadium camp for internally displaced Kenyans NAIVASHA, 24 June 2008 (IRIN) - Samuel Karanja was a resident of Narok North district in Kenya’s Rift Valley Province until he was displaced in the post-election violence this year. Karanja, a former shop-owner, has spent the past six months in two internally [...]

• Kenya HIV/AIDS: The Cutting Edge (multimedia)

  Posted: June 24, 2008, 12:14 am by Phil

  Photo: Manoocher Deghati/IRIN Boys waiting to be circumcised at Migosi health centre, Nyanza KISUMU, 24 June 2008 (PlusNews) - The reproductive health NGO, Marie Stopes Kenya (MSK), has started a mobile circumcision pilot project in the western, largely non-circumcising province of Nyanza. Audio Slideshow Click here to listen and view IRIN/PlusNews recently visited one MSK mobile clinic in [...]

• Mind Your Language - A Short Guide to African HIV/AIDS Slang

  Posted: June 24, 2008, 12:13 am by Phil

  Photo: Anthony Kaminju/IRIN Word play JOHANNESBURG, 18 June 2008 (PlusNews) - HIV has hit our lives, our families, our economies; it also shapes the way we talk. IRIN/PlusNews looks at how the virus and its impact translates into everyday speech from the streets of Lagos to the townships of Johannesburg, and finds that despite the [...]

• Mount Elgon, Kenya: A Terrorized Population in Desperate Need of Assistance

  Posted: June 19, 2008, 10:17 pm by Phil

  BRUSSELS/NAIROBI - June 17 - The international medical humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is calling for an immediate increase in assistance for the people of Mount Elgon in western Kenya, and an end to the indiscriminate violence they have endured for almost two years. Since August 2006, the civilian population of Mount Elgon [...]

• Linking Sport and the Environment to the Peace and Poverty Agenda in Kenya

  Posted: June 19, 2008, 10:15 pm by Phil

  UNEP and Underprivileged Children and Youth Kick Off New Reconciliation Initiative Nairobi, 18 June 2008–More than 300 children and teenagers from across Nairobi will gather on 21 June for the launch of a three-month event to promote peace and reconciliation. The ‘Play for the Planet: Play for Peace’ initiative, organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), [...]

• UNEP Supports “World Class Vision” for Nairobi

  Posted: June 17, 2008, 6:34 pm by Phil

  Package Targets River Clean-Ups to Waste Management Nairobi, 16 June 2008-A wide-ranging new initiative to assist in greening Kenya’s capital city has been drawn up by the UN Environment Programme(UNEP) in cooperation with the government, the city council, donors and UN-Habitat. Today Achim Steiner, UN Under-Secretary General and UNEP Executive Director held discussions in Gigiri with Honorable [...]

• Heavy Rain Displaces Thousands at Kenya’s Coast

  Posted: June 17, 2008, 6:24 pm by Phil

  Photo: UN The floods have displaced at least 2,000 families TANA, 17 June 2008 (IRIN) - Thousands of people have been displaced in the Tana Delta District on the Kenyan coast following heavy rain over the past few days, according to a senior official with the provincial administration. “The floods have also submerged crops and [...]

• Regional Budgets Expect to Ease Food Crisis

  Posted: June 13, 2008, 11:03 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN A woman sells potatoes in a city market, Nairobi EAST AFRICA, 13 June 2008 (IRIN) - Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, in their budget proposals for the 2008-2009 financial year, announced measures to cushion their populations against soaring food prices. “The government has zero-rated VAT [Value Added Tax] on wheat flour, milk, and maize [...]

• Food Crisis Prompts Diet Changes in Kenya

  Posted: June 13, 2008, 11:02 pm by Phil

  Photo: Julius Mwelu/IRIN Lunch time at a school in Nairobi’s Mathare slums: Many Kenyans are facing food insecurity following sharp food prices, drought and post-election violence in January and February NAIROBI, 12 June 2008 (IRIN) - A 50 percent rise in food prices in Kenya since the start of 2008 has led many people to [...]

• Four Dead in Kenya Black Fever Outbreak

  Posted: June 13, 2008, 11:01 pm by Phil

  Photo: Jane Some/IRIN An outbreak of kalazar, or black fever, has been reported in Isiolo and Wajir in northeastern Kenya NAIROBI, 11 June 2008 (IRIN) - Four people have died in an outbreak of visceral leishmaniasis, a parasitic disease also known as kalazar or black fever, in Isiolo and Wajir in northeastern Kenya, according to [...]

Blah blah blah

Fish cakes

Alas a fish cake.

Yet more fish cakes

Guess what ... yeah ... fish cakes.

The end of the fish cakes