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KIBERA MIRROR
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POLLS : Slum residents cautiously optimistic with memories of 2007 still haunting them.
Kibera was the epicentre of it, Priscilla Nyokabi, executive director of Kituo Cha Sheria, said. It will be so bad if Kibera is not made to feel a sense of justice. Other observers say that because events in Kibera and Kisumu have been omitted in the ruling, victims in those places have effectively been silenced. Scores in the slum followed the proceedings on radio and television. The streets were virtually throughout the morning and part of the afternoon during the day the ruling was supposed to be made. Residents chose to remain indoors though later small groups of people could be seen discussing the outcome. Being an election year, most of them could only wish for peace. They dont wish to see what they saw during the violence. Lillian Adhiambo, a mother of five who lives in the Gatwekera area and witnessed the violence welcomed the verdict even though it was a reminder of what she saw in 2007. I ran away and sought refuge at the showground, as it was too dangerous to live here at that time, she said.
And even until now my chest has a problem from the teargas that I inhaled and to date the government has not shown any commitment in dealing with the culprits of the violence. Following the ruling there have been calls to have the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Head of Civil Service Ambassador Francis Muthaura resign from Government from all corners of the country as questions mount on the legality of Kenyatta and Rutos presidential candidacy. Attorney General Githu Muigai in a press conference, however, said that they will continue holding their offices for the time being. Even as the ICC process produces a new twist each day like a Mexican soap opera, one group of people has been completely ignored the victims of the post-election violence. There is also the question as to whether this is the end of politically instigated violence which become the norm since the first multiparty elections held in 1992. Five years after the violence, thousands are CONTINUED ON LAST PAGE
U.S ambassador Scott Gration cuts the ribbon to officially open the new Shining Hope for Communities water tower to the residents of Kibera on Jan. 6 . With him is (from left) SHOFCO President Kennedy Odede, Newman's Own foundation President Robert Forester and SHOFCO Chief of operations Jessica Posner. The 100,000 litres water tower is the single largest source of clean water in Kibera. [photo: Jake Whipple]
KIBERA MIRROR
ISSUE 6: PAGE 2 Why there is no progress in the fight against sexual offences
One of the major steps taken to stamp out sexual offences gender based violence by the government is passing the sexual offences act brought by then nominated M.P Njoki Ndungu. This was a major step to reducing these cases although there still exists several challenges especially in the slums where the cases are prevalent as there lacks coordination to oversee the implementation of the act. Policing is virtually inexistent in the slums providing an avenue to perpetrators to commit these acts and people will tell you that most of the cases go unreported. For instance no single police station exists inside Kibera slum even though close to one million people live there. The nearest one is Kilimani police station that is kilometres away. Finally there is lack of knowledge and government failure to lay proper strategies to sensitize citizens on the benefits of the sexual offence act.
When you focus too much on what you want, the mind Will Create reasons why you cant have it.
lack of self-confidence. They are unenthusiastic about what they are doing and they dont consider themselves important. By practicing good posture, youll automatically feel more confident. Stand up straight, keep your head up, and make eye contact. 4. Practice Gratitude When you focus too much on what you want, the mind creates reasons why you cant have it. This leads you to dwell on your weaknesses. The best way to avoid this is consciously focusing on gratitude. Set aside time each day to mentally list everything you have to be grateful for. 5.Make a Personal Commercial One of the best ways to build confidence is listening to a motivational speech. Unfortunately, opportunities to listen to a speaker are rare. You can fill this need by creating a personal commercial. Write a 30-60 second speech that highlights your strengths and goals. 6. Compliment other people When we think negatively about ourselves, we often project that feeling on to others in the form of insults and gossip. To break this cycle of negativity, get in the habit of praising other people. Refuse to engage in backstabbing gossip and make an effort to compliment those around you. In the process, you will become well liked and build self-confidence. 7. Speak up During group discussions many people never speak up because theyre afraid that people will judge them for saying something stupid. This fear isnt justified. People are more accepting than we imagine. By making an effort to speak up at least once in every group discussion, youll become a better public speaker, more confident in your own thoughts, and recognized as a leader by your peers. 8. Work out Physical fitness has an effect on self-confidence. If youre out of shape, youll feel insecure, unattractive, and less energetic. By working out, you improve your physical appearance, energize yourself, and accomplish something positive. 9. Focus on contribution Too often we get caught up in our own desires. If you stop thinking about yourself and concentrate on the contribution youre making to the rest of the world, you wont worry as much about you own flaws. The writer is an emergency program assistant for Film Aid based in Daadab
Picture this
A man walks into a bank in Nairobi and asks for the loan officer. He tells the loan officer that he is going abroad on business for four weeks and needs to borrow 5,000. The bank officer tells him that the bank will need some form of security for the loan, and so the man hands over the keys of a Mercedes Benz S class 500 parked on the street in front of the bank. The banks president and its officers all enjoy a good laugh at the man for using a KSH 15 Million Mercedes Benz as collateral against a KSH 5,000 loan. Four weeks later, the man returns, repays the KSH 5,000 and the interest, which comes to KSH 150.41.The loan officer asks him says, Sir, we are very happy to have had your business, and this transaction has worked out very nicely but we are a little puzzled. While you were away, we checked you out and found that you are a multi millionaire. What puzzles us is, why would you bother to borrow KSH 5,000? The man replies: Where else in Nairobi can I park my car for four weeks for only KSH 150.41 and expect it to be there when I return?
Editor Vincent Achuka Photos John Kiarie, Jake Whipple, Kizito Nadebu, Michael Wesonga Writers Kizito Nadebu, David Otieno, Joshua Omoke, Paul Owino, Andrew Otemba, Michael Wesonga Technical assistance Dan Whipple& Kathy Bogan
Pic speak
One boys trash is another dogs food as this boy soon found out when a hungry mongrel came from nowhere and chased him from trash that he had just dumped on this huge dumpsite at Gatwekera in Kibera [Photo: Jake Whipple]
Who wants sausages? Well, this boy surely wanted some as caught through our lenses on a school day. Either out of ignorance or extreme poverty it is common to see children of school going age loitering around although basic education is Hairdresser Mary Anyango doing what she does best, offered for free by the Government. [Photo: John Kiarie] plaiting at her roadside salon [Photo: Kizito Nadebu]
KIBERA MIRROR
ISSUE 6: PAGE 3
Speaking of the African cup of nations which team do you think will win? Ghana Is it because you support it or you think it will win? I support the Ivory Coast, they have several stars in the squad but they lack team work. I think Ghana will go all the way. Back to Kenya. The Kenyan premier league has over the past few years improved greatly since super sport came in. however most people still identify themselves with the English premier league. What can be done to grow it further? It starts with you and me. We first need to change our attitude towards local football and appreciate our talent. The fact is it would take time, even great teams like Manchester united started somewhere. If Kenyans start supporting local football you can be sure it will grow. Look at the music industry for example, local artists were the first ones to go professional and football has followed suit. The football scene in Kenya has been charactised by wrangles in the past and since the elections last year that made Sam Nyamweya the President, we have not seen any changes. Do you think KFF is serious? Change does not come like express coffee. Let us give them time and give them all the support. If we want to judge them we can do that in future. Who is your role model internationally? Fabio Canavarho. I am a defender like him and his skills are amazing. I have learnt a lot from him. What are your aspirations as a player? To break ranks, I have been playing in the KPL for some years now and its time I look for other challenges. I would be happy to play in Europe Do you have a dream team? Currently I am looking for stepping stones but my dream is real Madrid. If I wake up tomorrow and find myself in Spain alongside Christiano Ronaldo I would be very happy. Off the pitch what else do you do? I have a shop in town that I run and I also go to the gym in the evenings. I have also done some web designing so hopefully if my career ends I will not miss something to do. To those young kids who want to be like you. What advice can you give them First discipline is paramount; there are no two ways about that. 2nd you have to believe in yourself and work hard. And also put God above everything you do, you wont fail
Mathare United Captain and Harambee Stars defender Anthony Kimani Modo stretches his muscles during a practice session at The Goan Institute on January 23. He believes that with more support local football can grow to European standards. [Photo: Kizito Nadebu] He cant let you down during such moments. Even the captain Dennis Oliech will inform when he steps on the pitch he feels jittery and afterwards he copes. We have also seen Oliech's brother Kevin and the guy with a red car, Jamal Mohamed. How do you feel playing alongside players like them? It is both an honour and privilege. I used to play with Jamal some time back and I can say he is very talented. Infact he is one of the best midfielders Kenya has ever produced. An since he has been a professional player abroad he brings new skills to the team and each time you play with him you wont miss learning one or two things. Mathare united last won the premier league in 2008 and last season you finished in the 12th position. How do you see yourself performing this coming season? Last year funny enough even though we finished in the 12th position, we performed very well. We lost very few games, four or five. We had very solid defending as most of our games ended up in draws. The only thing we were lacking is finding the net but the coach has brought in new offending players like Jamal. He is a very creative guy and I believe he will help us in pushing the ball forward so this time round we will score several goals. Kenya is not in the current African cup of nations and it is a big shame considering the quality of talent that the Harambee stars have in their squad. Funny enough Uganda even beats us nowadays. Where is the problem? The problem is lack of seriousness in the organization of the team. You find the team being assembled just a week before a crucial game. Like in the guinea Bissau game, the game was supposed to be on Saturday but we travelled on Thursday and since there were many stop overs we arrived on the morning of the game day at 5 am in the morning and we still had to acclimatize ourselves with the climate and practice before the game. It was very tricky so in future if we can avoid such things our game will improve.
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the demolitions. Some were undecided but when it came to being resettled at Promised Land they all moved out. The residents are buying mortgages through co-operative societies to enable them own houses in future, he added. He further added that in the new apartments the residents only pay 1000 shillings per month as rent and at Soweto they were paying between 700 and 1000 shillings. However scores of affected residents insist that the new houses constructed by the government were not enough and some people were left behind with a promise that the issue would be addressed, leading to a fierce court battle between them and the government that climaxed with them being thrown out. Mercy Mwende is one such resident. When people were moved to the new houses, it was realized that the houses were not enough and others returned including me. Furthermore it is tough living in the new houses as three families stay in one unit. How do you survive in such conditions? The government has just shown it doesnt care about the poor. The people who ordered this are right now in their expensive bungalows when I have nowhere to go with my 4 children, she explains bitterly.
Residents try to salvage their property as a Government Bulldozer demolishes more houses in Soweto on Jan 5. [Photo: Vincent Achuka] der the slum upgrading program and that the people supposed to live there were relocated to Otiende Estate next to Langata. The government partnered with the United Nations to construct 600 units in phase one of the program and so those living there were doing so illegally. One of the supervisors in charge of the new apartments who did not want his identity disclosedonly the Ministry of Housing may officially speak to the pressinsists that all the people from the disputed area were
relocated to the new apartments and those living there came from other slums. An identification process was done and after the first relocation. I can confirm no single person remained in those houses but at some stage politics and what you are seeing now is a result of the political meddling, he said. He further insists that since it is a community development project, consultations were made involving all the stakeholders, including the resettlement executive committee and the UN-Habitat. We informed them before vacating the houses on the dos and donts, the rent to be paid and all issues regarding the improvement of the living standards through decent housing, he said. Everything was discussed extensively and nobody should claim the governments decision to demolish the shanties was wrong. There was a protocol followed in which workshops were conducted and the residents were given questionnaires to fill and were asked if they were for
KIBERA MIRROR
Vibrant Sharon enjoying herself at the Children's home during recess [photo: Michael Wesonga] home and the rest from the neighborhood. The schools students are sitting their first Kenya Certificate for Primary Education (KCPE) this year. When the children get to secondary school, the home will look for a high school in the vicinity.
A noble ministry
It is a noble ministry that gives joy and also tears. Though they get tired, spiritual strength keeps them going. Mbithi remembers how hopeless, now six years old, Sharons case was. She was never to live, he says, she was so badly off. But today she is a vibrant healthy girl who stands up tall. Another case is that of Seth Sawe who was brought to the home a month old, weighing only one kilogram. Meithei's daughter Esther removed the clothes from one of her small dolls clothes fitted Sawe, but they still hung loosely on him. The homes neighbors have been generous. One family has regularly given the home five trays of eggs every two weeks and 600 pieces of queen cakes in every two months. Another family gives 20 loaves of bread every week, Mbithi says, The community is very supportive, they encourage us, we dont feel like we are intruders or a threat to them . God provides.
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The Kibera Mirror is published and distributed monthly for free by Shining Hope For Communities as part of its programs aimed at empowering the youth through developing their media skills and also to bring attention to the issues affecting the residents of Kibera and other informal settlements. Correspondence should be addressed to kiberamirror@gmail.com, You can also visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/kiberamirror for news updates, photos and videos . News hotline 0733565038/0721689996
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