The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

Malili City: ICT hub offers great

break for Machakos and Makueni

INVESTORS have defied all odds and staked their claims on the land surrounding the proposed Malili Technopolis.

The result has been a worried government, sending the Permanent Secretary for Local Government Prof Karega Mutahi sending an order to Local Authorities within the Malili Corridor to act and halt the prospect of a new slum city alongside the Technopolis.

Karega’s concern is not misplaced as all sorts of structures are sprouting in the area as investors strategize to reap from the benefits the new city will bring.

Out of nowhere, businessmen and prospectors have bought land and build less than ordinary structures below the level of those built in Nairobi in 1900.

They are following the sketchy designs used by the defunct Malili Ranch. Ranch leaders of the time surveyed and subdivided plots, some of which were stolen, leading to the reality that one of the old officials of the ranch owns over 100 of them along the Mombasa-Nairobi Road. The survey visualized a settlement environment for peasant farmers and not urban settlement- which is what Malili is emerging to become.

Investigations by The Anchor show that what is happening there is solely what investors decide. There are no plans by the Physical Planning Department of the Ministry of Lands or from the County Council of Makueni.

What happens here is that investors are constructing all sorts of structures- from dwelling houses, lodgings, bars and rental houses in a scramble to cash in on the construction of the Technopolis. The result is the panic that sends Prof Mutahi sending a letter to the Makueni, Machakos and Mavoko councils, demanding the enactment of by-laws to control the marauding investors.

Karega’s order comes as the councils exist within the highest levels ever of uncertainty. None of the civic leaders within the councils have sworn allegiance to the new constitution because the fate of Cap 265 that governs Kenya’s 175 Local Authorities remains doubtful within the new constitutional dispensation.

Even then the professor’s letter must awaken local leaders on the concerns that Malili City is likely to trigger in both Makueni and Machakos Counties in coming days.

Given the location of the pro-posed city- right at the edge of Makueni County- it is Machakos County that is best placed to benefit largely out of the development  of the ICT hub. Its proximity to Kyumbi and Machakos towns and the largely unsettled plains along the Nairobi Mombasa road leading to Nairobi opens great opportunities to Machakos County, enhancing the dormitory town status of Athi- River and Machakos.

Clearly, Malili City will open the greatest opportunity ever for Machakos develop a robust and lucrative housing policy as a strategy to speedy development.

Situated 60 km outside of Nairobi, Malili will be the site of Kenya’s first smart city, a city built for technology firms that will propel Kenya into the global ICT arena.

The Kenyan equivalent of Silicon Valley, the Malili Technopolis is a technology business park project developed under the Ministry of Information and Communication aimed at transforming the Kenyan economy using IT-enabled services (ITES) by the year 2030.

The technopolis will host a BPO park, a financial district, a science park, a world-class convention center, a mega mall and several hotels. It will also have schools, hospitals and other recreational facilities, plus a high-speed train link to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport that will take just 11 minutes.

Minister Poghisio said: “This development leverages Kenya’s unique status as a cultural, political, economic and transportation hub for Eastern Africa to lead the region in joining the Global Information Economy.”

Around the world, technology parks have become the norm for research-industry interactions and for stimulating growth of technologically intensive, knowledge-based businesses. They also facilitate links between research and industrial communities, often working with local businesses and scientific faculties of universities.

The Kenyan government is committed to building modern, off-site infrastructure and a techno village, with high quality housing, infrastructure and public services, health and education, transport links and commercial space.

It will be structuring innovative PPP trans-action models to share risk and return between the public and private sector developers, with public underwriting in the initial years.

Growth within the smart city will be driven by BPO, software development, data centers, disaster recovery centers, call centers and light assembly manufacturing.

Minister Poghisio explained how Kenya will provide a favorable environment for investors keen to be involved in the scheme. “A comprehensive set of incentives is being designed and implemented to improve the attractiveness of Kenya as a BPO destination. This will include tailored incentive packages for target companies,” he said.

The government is also endeavoring to improve the business environment, including the ease of obtaining licenses, filing tax returns and obtaining economic justice to lower transaction costs. A “one-stop shop” for all investor needs (licensing and recruiting) will be housed within the technology park. The Minister said: “The park will link and provide infrastructure support to small and medium enterprises, and educational and research institutions.

“Information technology export-oriented businesses are also expected to benefit from the park through tax incentives from the government. In order to attract private participation, we are likely to offer concessions on land to those willing to construct IT offices there and some tax incentives on utility services such as water and electricity.”

Malili City: ICT hub offers great

break for Machakos and Makueni

INVESTORS have defied all odds and staked their claims on the land surrounding the proposed Malili Technopolis.

The result has been a worried government, sending the Permanent Secretary for Local Government Prof Karega Mutahi sending an order to Local Authorities within the Malili Corridor to act and halt the prospect of a new slum city alongside the Technopolis.

Karega’s concern is not misplaced as all sorts of structures are sprouting in the area as investors strategize to reap from the benefits the new city will bring.

Out of nowhere, businessmen and prospectors have bought land and build less than ordinary structures below the level of those built in Nairobi in 1900.

They are following the sketchy designs used by the defunct Malili Ranch. Ranch leaders of the time surveyed and subdivided plots, some of which were stolen, leading to the reality that one of the old officials of the ranch owns over 100 of them along the Mombasa-Nairobi Road. The survey visualized a settlement environment for peasant farmers and not urban settlement- which is what Malili is emerging to become.

Investigations by The Anchor show that what is happening there is solely what investors decide. There are no plans by the Physical Planning Department of the Ministry of Lands or from the County Council of Makueni.

What happens here is that investors are constructing all sorts of structures- from dwelling houses, lodgings, bars and rental houses in a scramble to cash in on the construction of the Technopolis. The result is the panic that sends Prof Mutahi sending a letter to the Makueni, Machakos and Mavoko councils, demanding the enactment of by-laws to control the marauding investors.

Karega’s order comes as the councils exist within the highest levels ever of uncertainty. None of the civic leaders within the councils have sworn allegiance to the new constitution because the fate of Cap 265 that governs Kenya’s 175 Local Authorities remains doubtful within the new constitutional dispensation.

Even then the professor’s letter must awaken local leaders on the concerns that Malili City is likely to trigger in both Makueni and Machakos Counties in coming days.

Given the location of the pro-posed city- right at the edge of Makueni County- it is Machakos County that is best placed to benefit largely out of the development  of the ICT hub. Its proximity to Kyumbi and Machakos towns and the largely unsettled plains along the Nairobi Mombasa road leading to Nairobi opens great opportunities to Machakos County, enhancing the dormitory town status of Athi- River and Machakos.

Clearly, Malili City will open the greatest opportunity ever for Machakos develop a robust and lucrative housing policy as a strategy to speedy development.

Situated 60 km outside of Nairobi, Malili will be the site of Kenya’s first smart city, a city built for technology firms that will propel Kenya into the global ICT arena.

The Kenyan equivalent of Silicon Valley, the Malili Technopolis is a technology business park project developed under the Ministry of Information and Communication aimed at transforming the Kenyan economy using IT-enabled services (ITES) by the year 2030.

The technopolis will host a BPO park, a financial district, a science park, a world-class convention center, a mega mall and several hotels. It will also have schools, hospitals and other recreational facilities, plus a high-speed train link to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport that will take just 11 minutes.

Minister Poghisio said: “This development leverages Kenya’s unique status as a cultural, political, economic and transportation hub for Eastern Africa to lead the region in joining the Global Information Economy.”

Around the world, technology parks have become the norm for research-industry interactions and for stimulating growth of technologically intensive, knowledge-based businesses. They also facilitate links between research and industrial communities, often working with local businesses and scientific faculties of universities.

The Kenyan government is committed to building modern, off-site infrastructure and a techno village, with high quality housing, infrastructure and public services, health and education, transport links and commercial space.

It will be structuring innovative PPP trans-action models to share risk and return between the public and private sector developers, with public underwriting in the initial years.

Growth within the smart city will be driven by BPO, software development, data centers, disaster recovery centers, call centers and light assembly manufacturing.

Minister Poghisio explained how Kenya will provide a favorable environment for investors keen to be involved in the scheme. “A comprehensive set of incentives is being designed and implemented to improve the attractiveness of Kenya as a BPO destination. This will include tailored incentive packages for target companies,” he said.

The government is also endeavoring to improve the business environment, including the ease of obtaining licenses, filing tax returns and obtaining economic justice to lower transaction costs. A “one-stop shop” for all investor needs (licensing and recruiting) will be housed within the technology park. The Minister said: “The park will link and provide infrastructure support to small and medium enterprises, and educational and research institutions.

“Information technology export-oriented businesses are also expected to benefit from the park through tax incentives from the government. In order to attract private participation, we are likely to offer concessions on land to those willing to construct IT offices there and some tax incentives on utility services such as water and electricity.”

The Anchor October-November 2010 Editorial Comment

EDITORIAL

Why Citizens need to plan

for the future of their counties

RIGHT across the country, reports are filtering through that communities have been meeting to map out strategies of how they can build firm foundations for their respective Counties.

Ideally, professional people from Kenya’s many communities have been meeting in ostensibly  citizen driven pursuits, seemingly desirous on paving the way forward ahead of the establishment of County Governments in the next General Election.

The meetings have been called by well meaning citizens. Those who have followed the deliberations have seen that some citizens are keen to help form a basis upon which the coming County Governments will build to help steer the counties to development in coming days.

When one reads  Chapter 11 of Kenya’s Constitution that deals with Devolved Governments, one sees , among others, a clear objective of devolution- the desire to squarely place the  destiny of counties in the hands of  communities that reside therein. Section 174(c) says among the objects of Devolution is ... “ To give powers of self governance to the people and enhance the participation of the people in the exercise of the powers of the State in making decisions affecting them””.

In 174(d) another of the nine objectives of devolution is... “ To recognize the right of communities to manage their own affairs and further their development...”

Clearly therefore, those citizens currently holding meetings to plan for the foundation of their counties are certainly not just doing the right thing but are indeed carrying out one of their core obligations  as citizens as provided for by the new constitution.

These meetings have been reported widely by the daily media and are seemingly going to increase as time goes on.

Kenya’s 47 counties as they are now are still trapped in the hangover of Cap 265 of the Local Government Act that created Kenya’s 147 Local Authorities. Thought Local Authorities have previously been deemed as elements of devolution, what has been experienced can hardly be described within the objects captured in Chapter 11 of the new Constitution of Kenya.

It is for this reason therefore that the devolution spelt out in the Constitution must be clearly internalised and implemented beyond the shadows of the current Local Authorities.

Thus, as communities meet to plan the future of their counties thy need to come up with Strategic Plans- citing the path of development they want to take and how they will walk the talk. They must analyse the Strengths, Weaknesses and Opportunities available. Counties must identify their challenges and how to circumvent them; they need to construct a clear road-map to where they what to go and who- in terms of calibre- will take them there, and if need be, lay out the time-frame.

A close look at the Constitution shows that County leaders of all shapes will be elected. The Governors, for instance, though they seemingly are anticipated to be good managers, will have to face an election- meaning that they must have a political face.

Looking at the criteria set out by the Constitution on eligibility for election as County Governor, it is very possible that any sort of politician who has the eligibility to be elected as a county Assembly Member and gift of the garb to convince voters in a county can easily slither into the governorship an wreak havoc at the helm- a trend that is very worrying indeed.

It is for this reason, among others, that communities must make very binding plans for their counties so that if the threshold of eligibility for election for governors is not raised, whoever comes- whether a clown, an impostor, a near-do-, a statesman a dictator or even a sage will have been bound by some arrangement.

Citizens within a County must be extremely vigilant about the kind of people they elect to provide leadership.

In the same spirit, Parliament- or whoever it is- ought create a tight criteria for eligibility for position of Governor and County Assembly Members and disabuse the notion going round that it will be as low as that used to elect councillors.

Leaders to be elected to discharge responsibilities in the County Governments must be equal to the tasks ahead.

The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

OPINION

Harsh penalties need

to stop counterfeits dealers

The recent statistics indicating that illegal trade deprives the Government of Kenya Sh20 billion annually in lost revenue and at the same time denying manufacturers a staggering Sh50 million and in the true essence of the word, is shocking and heart breaking to many Kenyans.

Manufactures are the biggest losers in the whole game as their prospects are shattered and their dreams not realized. The billions lost are vital to steering economy of this country. The manufacturing industry falling under the domain of Industrialization is one of fundamental units that make up the back-bone of this country. With this back-bone experiencing hick-ups, a paralysis in the economy becomes inevitable.

According to deliberations and discussions that ended the other day in regional Anti-Illicit Trade Conference in Nairobi that brought together all stake-holders from five East Africa Community (EAC) countries it became clear that strict laws need to be put in place to curb the menace.

In essence, the leopard is as dead as death itself without its clawing capacity. The laws to be formulated soon should provide for strict and harsh penalty for perpetrators regardless of their position in society.

The best law in this jungle therefore, is to annihilate the enemy and you will have your way. In this instance, especially in this era when the EAC bloc is becoming a force to reckon with around the globe, doing away with this practice would be a big milestone to attain the objectives of Common Market Protocol signed recently.

In strict sense of word, unity is strength, and in this regard, to ensure the region remains safe hub for legitimate and genuine business activities, all stake-holders should work together. Following the drafting of the EAC Anti- Counterfeit Bill, the EAC Customs Management Act, and another Bill focusing on intellectual property rights implementation of the above three bills should be the core task of  all stake-holders to end the menace.

Homogeneous law across the bloc of EAC is vital as it is necessary to bring the unscrupulous business dealers into book. Kenya, where the practice is rampant, and consequently having enacted the Anti-Counterfeits Bill, should be in the fore-front in fighting the menace. Apart from inspectors confiscating the goods from the various quotas, those who engage in the vice should pay dearly for it.

Heavy fine is one of the parameter as well as long jail sentence. This would cat as deterrence, for indeed impunity has found home in Kenya due to dysfunctional justice Systems- both police and judiciary and to some extent the executive and legislative arms of the republic.

It’s high time the vice is be fought with all weapons in the vicinity including pumping in enough financial resources, recruiting able and competent labour and in-forming the public of counterfeit goods so as to alert the authority in case the vice is taking place.

More so, as one of the measures, a media centre should be formed to enable the citizens to report the menace to the agency or any other authority as the consumers are the ones who are at the receiving end.

Let all deliberations, discussions and de-bates recently held and one to take place in future be of great importance to coming up with a concrete action plan to steer the economic growth of this region. These, apart from attracting viable in-vestment would lead to the region competing equally with other blocs around the country.

In nutshell let the laws be a sharp nail in the face of the unscrupulous traders to foster the economic growth index in the region.

Joseph Mambili.

 P.O. Box 30175-00100,

 Langata, Nairobi.

The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

OPINION

Ways of spurring fast growth

of Machakos to  city status

By P NZEI

Might it be of some interest to anyone to know that Nakuru is the fastest growing town not only in Kenya and East Africa but in the whole of Africa?

The 46^th International Society of city and Regional Planners Congress being attended by over 1,000 participants from 70 countries was told on 21^st September 2010 that Nakuru was growing at a rate of 13 per cent.

Mr Thomas Melin the U.N Habitat Senior adviser said this in a discussion on governance and planning for sustainable Cities at Kenyatta International Conference Centre.  It is followed by Dire Dawa in Ethiopia. 

He said that this growth   rate is compared to only cities in China.  China today is the fastest growing Economy in the world.  He said that cities in the rural areas grow at an optimum rate five per per-cent. 

Nairobi is estimated to be growing at 7 percent. This narrows my interest to towns in the Lower Eastern Counties singling out Machakos town because it is the biggest and oldest.  It is expected to spur Economic growth for other towns because many depend on it in many ways.

 Travelling from Makueni County to Nairobi, you have to pass through Machakos town.  Majority of those traveling from Kitui do the same before they get to Nairobi.

 Listen to this:-  Some Counties will be having direct Tourist flights from Europe.  Only the Kitui County in Lower Eastern has an airstrip. There is not a single airport.  There was an airstrip in Makindu  but the greedy guys have grabbed its land.

Back to Machakos town and its expansion experienced an unusual eye-opener during the East African Municipalities Sports Competitions.  A lot of lessons were learnt.

 A real surgical thought and a decisive planning will be required in this town.  Some of the real decisions may be unpopular with some people but the future generations will benefit.  The town has remained small, on same place and only the old buildings are being expanded.  One wonders if this is the town which is said to have been the first capital city of Kenya. 

It recently celebrated its 100 years of its existence, though the celebration came several years late as Machakos was founded in 1896. 

Today, Machakos is ranked 7^th in the country after Nairobi, Mombasa, Kisumu, Nakuru, Eldoret and Thika.  It is basically expected and thought to be the co-coordinating Centre of the Kamba activities but when one compares it with other younger and fast developing towns like Kitui, Kitengela, Mlolongo and even Matuu in Yatta, then one may not be able to finger out how the town will grow to play in its rightful league of cities

 When the provinces were being split to have regions this town was made the Regional Headquarters of Lower Eastern region.  The Kamba people expected another region – South Eastern Region with Headquarters in Kitui but that was not given.

During the said games, Hotels which were expected to serve the large number of participants were not available.  Advance delegations which had visited the town before to make accommodation arrangements found that there was real shortage of room, and the few which were available were in-explicably expensive.

  So many made alternative accommodation arrangements at Kyumbi, Athi river, Mlolongo and even Nairobi.  Some other teams were accommodated in institutions.  In fact many of the guests should have found nice and affordable accommodation in Machakos had the town been undergoing frequent expansion like other town in this country. 

Towns like Kisumu, Nakuru, Thika have become big enough with elaborate transport systems, recreational places, Higher Educational facilities and other instruments of development.  This has been possible due to proper planning and visionary leadership on the part of the leaders.

Take a good example with Kitui town.  Its leaders sat down and saw that there was need of expansion.  As a result they decided to have the prison moved to Kwavonza to give room for the towns expansion.

Kitui today boasts of four Institutions of Higher learning which include Southern Eastern University College which is the first public university in Ukambani. It hosts a Campus of Kenyatta University, the Kenya Medical Training Institute, Kenya Water Institute and now Kitui Teachers Training Collage is coming up.

 Another example is Thika town.  The leaders moved Mangu High School to its present site.  The only school in the town is Thika High School which sitting on a small piece of land which is surrounded by active commercial buildings.

Machakos Town is like an island.  It is surrounded by hills just as Mombasa is surrounded by water.  To enter Mombasa, one has to go through Makupa causeway. Just as you enter Machakos as you cross the river which divides the town with  Miwani town.  This is adjacent to Machakos prison on one side and the bushy unutilized land of Machakos School.  On the other side is the upcoming ACK Cathedral and the Red Cross offices.  Now you enter the town after crossing the river but you will not need to travel for a long distance before you come to the CBD (Central Business District) and that is it.  The leaders of Machakos should have thought quite a long time ago and should have transferred the prison to Konza.  Yes, lon time ago.  It does not help the commercial development of the town or help any of those people who have been killed in the bridge between it and Machakos School.  This is a fact,Machakos School is sitting on land which is bigger than that of Nairobi University and Kenya Polytechnic University College.  There will be a loudly speaking need to join the three towns which makes Machakos town  namely:- Kenya Israel, Miwani and Machakos itself.  This will mean that people will be able to walk at anytime freely between the three towns.

Water is essential in any town.  People who are handling this important sector must know that as long as there are cartels selling water in the town, then it will remain the only town without water .  It is funny that individual businessmen can have boreholes in the town to supply water to residents at a fee when the municipal council has not been able to.

Tourism circuit must be nurtured and improved.  The building which housed the Governor when Machakos was the capital of Kenya is still there and it is a real tourist attraction.  Look at Fort Jesus in Mombasa and the many tourists it attracts.  What the Governor’s house in Machakos needs is publicity and with proper marketing people even Kenyans can be interested in viewing it.  The Ministry of Tourism has already said that it will establish special desks in the Counties to promote the tourism.  This will be a key wealth generator and important source of revenue.

The Road joining Machakos with Konza on the Nairobi – Mombasa highway is really a priority.  It can open a lot of economic development of the town especially now Malili ICT knowledge Centre is being built.

Universities have flourished in other towns.  Look at Kisumu, we have Maseno University, Bondo University College, the Great Lakes University and others.  Look at Thika, there are over 8 different universities, Kenyatta University with the highest number of students in Kenya, JKUAT is not far from Thika.  This means that students can stay in Thika and have evening classes.  Machakos needs at least 2 to 3 Universities. 

Machakos Teachers College can easily be turned to a University the way Siriba was up-graded to give way to Maseno University.  It can be called University of Machakos.  Students are high spenders and there is no town which can have real money circulation without universities.

 Katumani Dry Land Research Satation under KARI, is older than Egerton yet the later is one of the well established universities in the country.  Let Katumani be upgraded without delay or condition to a university.  It can be called Paul Ngei University of Science and Technology just as Maside Muliro in Kakamega.

 Machakos Technical will later come to age and will be a polytechnic University.  This will bring students, parents and guardians to Machakos and the whole face of the town will change. 

People will notice a 24 hour Economy flourish, banks, shops hotels and the social life outlets will witness real growth.  If this town has to be expanded, then the old thinking must be taken home and the planners must meet in town with modern innovative decisions, otherwise Malili or even Kyumbi will swallow it.

 Nobody in the young generation can claim to own any plot  within the town, but the same generation have plots in Naiorbi, Athi River and in other towns.  This is because the plots are available in those other towns.  If plots have to be availed, then they must be allotted but not sold because those with lots of money will buy but fail to develop them.  Young professionals and businessmen given the plots can source for funding from banks and develop them easily making the town a modern town.  This will create employment and hence do away with insecurity.

 When many of the people have no jobs, they are not spenders but form a liability group.  They turn to crime. Let us empower our people and we will wonder how hard working they are especially the young generation.

Mr Nzei is an Educationist.  He vied for Makueni parliamentary Seat in 2007 and presently is working with commu-nity based projects.

The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

Why Tanathi ended Machakos

Water Company's Contract

By Nguma Kitone

  

Machakos Municipal Water and Sewerage Company Limited board directors have vowed to fight back to remain in office.

Company chairman Mr Munyao Kamba’s pledge came after Tanathi Water Services Board Acting CEO Nicholas Muthui ended the Company’s Water Services Provider’s (WSP) license with Tanathi.

Effectively, Tanathi has taken over the responsibility of providing water to Machakos Residents on day to day basis. Residents of the town have been demanding a reliable and daily supply of water since the rehabilitation of Maruba Dam. Since the disbandment of the company, there has been some improvement in the supply system.

The water supply system of the town is terminally undermined by a host of issues that include management, governance and operational challenges.

Since the company was appointed as the provider, it has seen the directors run the company on daily basis as employees, raising uproar in the town as the practice put the directors on a collision course with staff.

Munyao says in a letter that The Anchor has seen that the directors had moved to court to challenge the dissolution of the Board by TANATHI. Whether Munyao and his group succeed in reversing the dissolution is one thing but the restoration of the WSP license to the water company is certainly another.

The Directors were send packing in a letter to Munyao dated September 29,2010 referenced “emergency termination of service provision agreement and dissolution of Board of Directors”  and signed by the Acting CEO.

The CEO lists a plethora of sins that led to the decision, among them insider trading by the directors with the water company and their involvement in the day to day running of the company, which runs contrary to good governance practice.

It is alleged the director’s involvement in the management pushed up board expenditure to 21 percent of maintenance and operational costs, which is far above the 2 percent recommended.

In the letter, Mr.Muthui pointed out that the board had failed to provide water and sewerage services in Machakos town and its environs for the past five years.

He said the company, as a (WSP) is still unviable and cannot sustain its operations including prompt payment of salaries and statutory deductions, in spite of a Rapid Results Initiative developed between the company and Tanathi early this year.

“There has been critical shortage of water in the town in spite of there being plenty of water at the more than Sh.350million Maruba dam, posing a serious threat to public health”, said Muthui.

Mr.Kamba says he did not have the slightest idea why the TANATHI Board took that decision said his board will still remain in office and continue to discharge its mandate.

“The directors met and decided to move to court to challenge the decision as failure to protect ourselves would be seen as if we were on the wrong”. Kamba absolved his team from blame and directed an accusing figure on TANATHI for allegedly failing to play its role.

He said the main cause of the water shortage is not the availability of water at the rehabilitated Maruba dam but poor infrastructure whose mandate lies with TANATHI.

The sacked chairman said the filtration system at the main treatment works was messy, leading to a section of consumers receiving colored water.

The siphoning system from the dam to the new treatment works tank, which was shoddily done jams after six hours and takes about four hours to restart, slowing pumping. He recalled that TANATHI had promised to give his board Sh.1.9million to finance their Rapid Results Initiative whose budget was Sh.3.4million, but only provided Sh.0.5million.

The Anchor October-November 2010 stories

200 tons of maize seed given

To four selected constituencies

By Anchor Reporter

The Kenya Red Cross Society has donated 200 metric tons of maize seeds to be distributed to four constituencies in the three counties of Ukambani.

The donation is channeled through the Ministry of Agriculture, he added.

Those to benefit from the seeds are Kaiti, Kibwezi, Kilome and Mwingi south where each would get fifty tons.It remains unknown why not all constituencies will benefit from this gesture of goodwill.

He cautioned the farmers from selling the relief seeds telling chiefs to ensure those doing so are dealt with accordingly.

He told farmers countrywide to ignore pre-dictions of the metrological department that the expected rains will be limited but instead prepare their farms in readiness for the rains.

‘’These people have previously given such predictions in vain, so prepare and plant your farms as early as possible and don’t use the excuse to neglect your farms’’ he added.

Meanwhile, Mr Ndambuki, who is also an Assistant minister for Agriculture has cautioned his fellow parliamentarians against politicizing the ICC investigations.

The Kaiti MP said Kenya had already signed an agreement with the International Criminal Court to comply and cooperate in the ongoing investigations and there-fore politicians should stop bickering and give investigators room to carry out the exercise.

Mr Ndambuki said the counter accusations by ODM and PNU leaders over the ICC probe was creating unnecessary con-fusion to Kenyans.

The minister who was laying a foundation stone for the expansion of Mukuyuni secondary school that has been selected as Centre of Excellence to be funded at Sh.30million.

He urged the government to co-operate with ICC investigators by providing the required evidence for the prosecution of ring leaders of the post election violence where more than 1000 people died.

He said those shouting had a sinister motive towards downplaying the investigations in an attempt to shield possible suspects from facing justice over their ill deeds.

‘’The government should come out clean and provide whatever information needed by the investigators as earlier agreed and stop burying its head under the sand over its commitment’’ he added.

He told the complaining politicians to stop panicking and let the law take its full course.

The Anchor October-November stories

Missing motive in

Father's shooting

By ANCHOR WRITERS

THE State Law Office is reported to have approved an attempted murder charge for suspended Priest in Charge of Wote Parish Father John Wambua Makewa.

The approval was reached after a State Counsel at the Attorney General’s Chambers in Machakos concluded a perusal of the voluminous file presented to the office by the Embu based Provincial Criminal Investigations Officer.

The file was forwarded by former Eastern PCIO Ms Kiamba after she received it from the Makueni Criminal Investigations Office.

Sources say that police have been instructed to arrest the suspended priest and charge him.

 Makewa was suspended on September 12 2010. His suspension was announced to the Catholic Ordinaries, parishes, Con-vents and catholic installations in a circular by Bishop Martin Musonde dated September 30, 2010.

The suspension opens the way for police to grab Fr Makewa and haul him to court without caveats occasioned by his priesthood.

Police have recorded statements from over 22 witnesses, some of whom saw the shooting incident that left Father Nzuki bedridden at Mater Hospital. He has since been discharged but has been going to the hospital daily for physiotherapy.

Those who have seen the statements say Police has missed one key aspect of the investigation: The motive.

The motive of the shooting still re-mains the missing link in the investigation, sending investigators to believe that there is more than meets the eye in the evidence that they are holding.

The shooting incident, on March 20,2010 happened as Father Nzuki, two other priests and a catechist were visiting Fr Makewa at his Wote residence.

Initially, it was reported that suspected gangsters raided the residence forcing Father Makewa to open fire in an effort to fight back at about 4.15 on the fateful day.

When gunshots rang out that night, Father Nzuki was left injured and bleeding profusely. He sustained a shot on his arm and another between his legs.

Reports made to the Police in Wote, Makueni District that morning by Father Makewa indicated that the alleged gangsters fired at the house, injuring the visiting Father Nzuki and forcing Father Makewa to return fire to repulse the alleged thugs.

This is the same version Fr Makewa told The Anchor when the matter first came to light. He did not rule out that a bullet may have ricocheted and hit Fr Nzuki. Those close to him say he sees the unfolding events as an effort to thwart his chances of becoming the Catholic Bishop of Makueni, when the a new diocese is created.

 The Priests allege that they were woken up by gunfire with Father Makewa shouting that the house was under attack. They could not hear the attackers other than gunshots that made them believe that they were under attack. It could not have been that the fire was coming from the priest’s gun, they thought.

Investigators are keen to understand why a priest would shoot his visiting colleague. Could there have been a provocation leading to a mad rage that resulted in the shooting?

Could there have been a struggle over some resource- whether passion driven, financial or sheer rivalry between the two friendly priests, whose relationship was so fabled that those who heard what happened are still disbelieving that  the incident ever took place?

Several theories have been advanced as possible reason of shooting. There are highly unsubstantiated allegations that they may have been struggling over a nun. Other wild guesses alleged there could have been disputes over a gay relationship, although this has been dismissed because both priests exude heterosexual mannerisms.

So why would a father want to kill another if there exists no known dispute; or could the assailant have been dreaming when the incident happened? These are the questions CID officers have been posing as they seek to get to the bottom of the matter.

This has led Police to dig into Fr Makewa’s gun history. Makewa in on record as having shot dead a dog when he was the parishioner at Katangi Parish as another priest flashed a torch on its head, sending the priest to a shock to this day.

It is also reported that Fr Makewa shot and killed a person who is alleged to be a thief as he allegedly scaled a wall within the residence.

Nzuki, is pursuing a Masters Degree in Business Administration in Nairobi. The relationship between the pair has been such that they were seemingly inseparable. He was a constant visitor of Makewa and according to his own account; there has never been a known disagreement.

Nzuki’s account of the shooting tells how he reluctantly took hold of a gun thrust to him by his senior and instructed to crawl towards the door and open it.

A police source says there is no doubt in Nzuki’s mind who his assailant was. His statement is replete with exchanges that police are seeking to knit together and develop a motive for the shooting.

It is alleged that this version of events has been collaborated by a cook who was in the house that night. The cook is reported to have send one of the priests- Fr Boniface Kioko hiding in the wardrobe when he (the cook) knocked on his door after a lull of the gun thunder. The priest thought that the thugs had come knocking, only to realize later that it was the cook.

Makewa was one of the regular visitors in Mater hospital until the visits were abruptly stopped after the ailing priest was reported to have had nightmares and sleepless nights arising from the tragedy of the night of attack.

Shortly after, The Bishop of Machakos Catholic Diocese, the Rt. Rev Martin Kivuva instructed Father Makewa to step aside as head of the Parish to allow police carry out independent investigations. He was to report back to the bishop on May 22, 2010 for further deployment or instructions and that has not been possible due to the pace of the probe.

Makewa is an experienced priest who has come a long way, clashing with the administration over various issues, the latest being a showdown with a former Makueni DC over alleged theft and sale of famine relief food.

Investigators are said to be approaching the matter carefully as they know that past clashes with the priest may be seen to have a hand in their probe.

Makewa was seen, along Father Pius Kyule, and Father Mondiu as possible successors of the late Bishop Urbanus Kioko as Bishop of Machakos but the appointment of Bishop Kivuva, then based as Kwale sprung a surprise that may have send discomfort to some of the priests- key among them father Makewa who has bestrode the catholic scene in Machakos like a colossus.

Sources in some sections of the church believe that the investigation may be swayed by a purported fight for who will be the new Bishop of the Makueni Diocese, a belief that may actually be far-fetched.

The Anchor has been unable to reach any of the priests in Makewa’s house on the fateful night. However Police recorded statements from them, the injured priest and Father Makewa him-self. Indeed they have taken two statements from Father Makewa.

Police sources say that fingerprints and ballistic experts examined the guns recovered from the priest and con-firmed that the bullet that hit Father Nzuki were fired from the Rifle Father Makewa   held at the time of attack. Now the biggest headache for the police is to append a motive for the shooting.

Those privy to the probe say Police are investigating Father Makewa’s gun history- from the time he was licensed to carry weapons, his use of ammunition, incidents involving his use of the gun and storage in an attempt to decipher a motive for the shooting.