TENDERING PROBLEMS AT NZOIA SUGAR COMPANY

 

Wednesday, April 6, 2005 10:01 AM

BY  LUKE KAPCHANGA   DN/WEBUYE   NZOIA         6/4/2005
The Kenya Anti-corruption committee has been called to investigate the tendering process at the Nzoia sugar company.
Mr Lucas Watta who is the official of the Kenya sugar cane growers association  has claimed that the company was losing million of shillings in corrupt deals and those involved  need to be prosecuted.
Mr Watta said the management should be probed on how they gave out shs.121million to a company supposed to supply fertilizer without delivering the product.
He claimed that cane yields among out grower farmers had dropped due to lack of fertilizers yet the money was paid out to the supplier.
The official said there is enough evidence showing that the money was paid yet those behind the syndicate are not bothered with the suffering they have inflicted to farmers who depend on the company to get fertilizers.
Cane farmers contracted to Nzoia sugar company have written a protest letter to Agriculture minister Mr Kipruto Kirwa for his failure to intervene  and have their problems addressed by the management.
The Kenya national  sugarcane growerrs union chairman Mr Joseph Nato Muleme has written to Mr Kirwa asking for his reponse on illegal deductions and overcharges on delivered crop.
The letter dated  23/3/2005 says in part,"We shall be grateful to hear from you as soon as possible because the situation of farmers at Nzoia is getting worse".
Mr Muleme complains that the minister has not respondend to the letter he wrote to him on 17/11/2004 demanding payment of shs.415,878,488. accrued interest for cane delivered from 1999-2003 from Nzoia management.
Then  the  union official claimed the interest was realised after the government waived the interest rates from sugar development fund(SDF),and also lowered interest on loans from 10%-5% last year.
Mr Muleme accused the management at Nzoia for charging interest on payments to farmers against the directives of the government.
He  stated that farmers who benefited from shs.300million released by the government in May to clear the outstanding debt were deducted interest on land preparation, seed cane,harvesting and fertilizers yet this was money from SDF,
The chairman said then that the accrued amount covered the period between 1999-M ay 2003 as the management had flouted the guideline spelled out making farmers to continue suffering.
He accused the management at the factory for denying out grower farmers from getting high yields when the cane is harvested by not supplying them with fertilizers.
He said most of the farmers depend on the fertilizer from the company because poor payment system has made them not to operate independently.
The union chairman accused the management of stealing from farmers by raising transport costs when the distance from the farm to the weighbridge remains the same.
He also claimed that more than 3000 farmers have  not benefited from from shs.300million released last year to clear the 1999-2002 arrears.

TYPHOID AMONG STUDENTS

Saturday, April 9, 2005 11:21 AM

[bt]
BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE TYPHOID 9/4/2005
The outbreak of typhoid in Bungoma district which has killed three students and a villager were caused by expired chlorine used in the treatment of water.

The minister of water & Irrigation Mrs Martha Karua said on Friday that contaminated water due to expired chlorine may have been the cause of the outbreak which has affected hundreds of people in Kimilili division.

The minister admitted that officials in her ministry were found treating water at the supply system with chlorine which had expired in November last year.
"Expired chlorine was found in the stores but strict instructions have been given to stop using it immediately," She said.
Mrs Karua who was touring the affected area with trade & industry minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, announced the formation of a monitoring team to ensure a continous use of proper chlorine in the treatment of water at the source in Mt Elgon district.
She hinted that the ministry may take displinary action against those involved in the procurement and supply of expired chlorine.
"The ministry may be forced to take internal steps of displinary action only after consultations and investigation", she said when asked to comment on her reaction about the use of expired chlorine,
However, she said the purpose of her visit was not to pronounce the sanctions on the ministry employees who were accused of failing to perform their work .
Dr Kituyi who is the area MP demanded for the removal of the district water officer Mr Anthony Mweje for not knowing his work and just misleading the public on water treatment.
The minister is said to have told a closed door meeting at the Kimilili municipality that the water deptment in the district was in a mess as a reason for frequent outbreaks of water borne diseases.
The source from the meeting were the press was barred said the area Mp also called for the resignation of Bungoma medical offficer of health Dr Isaac Wasike for not acting fast to contain the outbreaks.
The meeting was attended by district commisioners of Bungoma Mr Joseph Irungu and Mr John Ole Serian of Mt Elgon, The Western provincial medical officer Dr Olango Onudi , Commisioner Jack Tumwa, officials from both ministries of water and health and Kimilili mayor Mr Wycliffe Tabani.
Dr Kituyi complained that information on the ground was being distorted by government agents on the extended of the outbreak and efforts being taken to contain it.
He said the figure of those who have died of typhoid is not clear due to poor record keepning or refusal by the concerned persons to put records correct.
On the side of treatment for typhoid patients the minister accused the health staffs for charging them when drugs had been supplied by the government.
He told the patients at Kimilili sub-district hospital not to pay for services or buy drugs until he will tell them to start paying.
"The government has supplied enough drugs and nobody should be asked for money , the services here are free and report anyone who will demand for money", Dr Kituyi said.
He observed that patients suffering from typhoid are being told to buy expensive drugs at near by pharmacies while at the hospital are given just painkillers.
The ministers who were visiting patients after the outbrea last month promised that the government was going to iprove on water supply systems in the area to provide clea and safe drinking water.
The disease which was fisrt reported at Moi girls Kamusinga and later Kimilili boys claimed the lives of students one in each school.
The PMO Dr Onudi dismissed reports that those who have died had reached 20 puting the number at only four.
He maintained that according to thier records those diagonised and found to be invected with the disease and later died was four ,saying other reported deaths within the affected areas was due to other causes not typhoid

MUKHISA KITUYI AND POVERTY AMONG THE LUYIA

[bt]
BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE KITUYI 11/4/2005
Trade & industry minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi has said that members of the Luyia community will remain poor if they do not change the attitude of being reluctant to venture into business.
Dr Kituyi observed that the community will always be labelled as producers of cooks and watchmen when they leave business opportunities slip away.
He complained that the people of Western province have taken poverty to be away of life and do not struggle to get out of it.
Addressing mourners at the burial of the late Samuel Wamalwa Wanyonyi at Chebukaka village in Sirisia constituency, Bungoma district , the minister challenged the youth to fight poverty like a disease.
He said the region was marginalized during the KANU government and people thought poverty was part of them and to make money is like an accident.
"Our people have to raise up and fight poverty mercilessly like a plague to make money and develop the region" he remarked.
He told the people of the region to take a brake from political squabbles and concentrate on income generating projects which will change their living standards.
Dr Kituyi said the Luyias were not taking risks and are only waiting for the government sponsored projects to claim that development was coming to their respective areas.
"Development is not building of roads, schools, hospitals and supply of electricity only but is about involvement of local people to generate money", he said.
He gave the example of the community to two watchmen, one with shoes and another barefooted. He explained that the one with shoes will buy new ones when they get stollen yet the barefooted will never think of buying a pair because he is comfortable in that state.
He claimed the community was not being ambitious enough to participate in the global economy when the doors are open to third world countries.

The minister was accompanied by more than twenty councillors drawn from Bungoma, Trans-Nzoia and Lugari districts .

Dr Kituyi appealed to the residents of the province to concentrate on development issues and leave politics to the next general elections in 2007.
"There will always be elections after five years in this country unless the military takes over, so people should waste time on politics every time they have the opportunity to address the public" he said.
He said elected leaders were dwelling much on politics to hide their failures in addressing peoples needs and ensuring that government services are delivered.

---

KIRWA AND FARMERS PAYMENT AT NZOIA

[bt]

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE KIRWA 23/4/2005
The minister of agriculture Mr Kipruto arap Kirwa is to recall the farmers list of Nzoia sugar company to srutinise the beneficiaries of shs.300million given by the government last year.
Assistant minister for foreign affairs Mr Moses Wetangula told cane farmers at Mabanga yesterday that they had requested for the ministers intervetion.
Wetangula said elected leaders from Bungoma had approached Mr Kirwa to have the list properly checked to establish the farmers who were paid after compalins that some were left out.
"The minister will definately ascertain the beneficiaries who were not farmers following complains of shortcomings at the company with management,"he said.
He also promised farmers that the issue of missing files which made most of them not to be paid will be investigated as the minister is very much concerned to have the debt cleared.
Mr Kirwa led a high powered government delegation in March last year at Bukembe primary school were he announced that Nzoia sugar company was to recieve shs.300million to clear the accumulated debts .
The money was supposed to clear debts piled up from 1999 -2002 but farmers have been complaing about the poor payment procedure.
The farmers claim that management caused the loss of files and tampered with the records leaving most of them out.
In September last year the company board of directors chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera told the press that they had identified ghost farmers who were to be handed over to police for action.
Mr Nabwera said then that ghost farmers were being paid in collusion with some corrupt managers leaving oput genuine farmers.
The chairman explained that ghost farmers were discovered after a rigorious screening exercise by registering farmers afresh physically assisted by chiefs.
Mr Wetangula on his part promised farmers that MPs from the sugar belt are fighting to have the price of sugar increased to motivate them.

He however called on the goverment toremove VAT and reduce taxes on sugar to make it appealing to farmers and profitable.

He complained that the major problem in sugarcane farming is taxation and the leaders were consulting with the government to remove VAT the way it is with coffee and tea.
He claimed taxation is discouraging farmers because they are being paid peanuts when the crop is harvested and the proceeds goes to the millers and transporters.
He asked farmers not to vote for the Kenya sugar Board director who will oppose the increase of cane tonnage because the current directors were the ones who reduced the prices.
He said MPs want a director who understands sugar cane problems and willing to coperate with them to protect farmers interests.

WETANGULA ON FAMILY PLANNING

BYLUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE WETANGULA 23/4/2005
Family planining is not good for competitive politics which is about numbers ,an assistantminister has said.
Mr Moses Wetangula of foreign affairs said people of Western and Bungoma in particular should have more children to make Ford - K a strong party.

Mr Wetangula explained that politics of alliances the country has adopted each party in parliament need more votes in areas they dominate to enable it have better chances to negotiate for power.

"Leadership is about people not trees .Every one big or small has got just one vote and we require numbers to make our party vibrant" Mr Wetangula said.
Addresing the public at Sirare , in his Sirisia constituency, the assistant minister urged women not to use contraceptives because the party depends on themto increase the number of supporters.
He complained that health facilities in the constituency are being constructed but women who are pregnant are rarely seen to make use of them.
He caused amusement among the women and men at the meeting when he remarked that one will traverse the constituency without finding a single woman who had concieved.
He observed that failure by mothers not to concieve defeats the purpose of having health centres within walking distances and also diminishes chances of F-K ascending to power.
"Necessity is the mother of invetion.The more children a couple has the harder they will struggle to get out of poverty," he added.
People he said should not fear having many children because presure of populayion growth will force those trapped in the circle of poverty to seek ways of survival .
He however clarified that he is not opposed to the government effort on couples having small families but was urging his people to make use of sprouting dispensaries and health centres.
The assistant minister called on his copnstituents to be vigilant in monitoring the use of constituency development funds and the projects under implementation.
People he said should be constantly demand how the CDF is being spend and should not fear inquiring on the progress of project implementation.
"The public has the right to access informantion and everything done has to be open ,transparent and those concerned be accountable for the electorates to benefit,"he said.
He stated that schools were the most likely areas were the public need tobe very investigative on constructions and equipments.
The assistant minister also said the district of Bungoma has to be split into two to enable it get more resources fromthe governmnt.
He appealed to local leaders not to oppose thr creation of another district as it will be for the benefit of the peopleand the call be supported.
He complained that one constituency districts were getting similar allocations from the government as Bungoma which has five saying this was not fair.

FINANCING CLIMATE CHANGE PROJECTS A PROBLEM

UNMET PROMISES ON CLIMATE FINANCE:

RICH NATIONS SCORE POORLY IN MOST DETAILED ANALYSIS TO DATE

by LUKE KAPCHANGA

 So far, only US$23.6 billion of the US$30 billion promised has been committed as funds to tackle climate change.
And of this, only 20 per cent of the fast start finance has been allocated to projects that will help poor nations adapt to a changing climate.
The most detailed analysis to date of how well rich nations have kept promises to provide poorer ones with funds to tackle climate change which was released late November says.
The research concludes that they have collectively failed to fulfill eight substantive pledges.
Published by the International Institute for Environment and Development — the study comes as countries prepare for the latest round of intergovernmental climate-change negotiations, which begins late November in Doha.
The poor track record of rich nations in meeting their fast start finance pledges has raised serious concerns that these countries will also renege on their bigger promise to ensure that US$100 billion flows to developing nations each year by 2020 to help them to respond to climate change.
The wealthier nations promised in 2009 to provide developing countries with US$30 billion by the end of 2012, and saying this should be “new and additional” finance balanced between support for adaptation and mitigation activities. 
They made additional pledges about transparency, governance and the need to help the most vulnerable nations first.
“Without transparency about how and when rich countries will meet their climate finance pledges, developing countries are left unable to plan to adequately address and respond to climate change,” says co-author Timmons Roberts of Brown University in the United States, whose Climate and Development Lab led the research.
Less than half of the fast start finance is in the form of grants. The rest is loans, which means poor countries must repay with interest the costs of adapting to a problem they have not caused.
And rich nations have not provided enough transparent information to prove that their contributions are really new and not just diverted from existing aid budgets.
David Ciplet, also of Brown University, adds: “Only two of the ten donors we assessed are delivering their fair share of climate finance, based on their ability to pay and how much they have contributed to climate change through emitting greenhouse gases in recent decades.”
To examine transparency in more detail, the researchers evaluated donor nations across 24 measures. On the resulting scorecard, no donor nation scored more than 67 per cent.
On these measures, Norway has performed best, providing five times its fair share. At the other end of the scale, both Iceland and the United States contributed less than half their fair share.
The broken promises will make it harder for developing countries to take seriously what richer nations say at the UN climate change talks, which take place in Doha, Qatar from 26 November to 7 December.

One way to restore trust would be for rich countries to channel their climate finance through funds that the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change set up as they have a governance structure with equal representation from developed and developing nations.
Also critical will be to fulfil the US$30 billion promise by the end of the calendar year, and to ensure that this money is delivered to support projects in a timely manner.
This is something that, in 2010, all rich countries agreed should be a feature of funds through which they channel their climate finance. Yet, so far, rich nations have channelled only two per cent of the climate finance through these UNFCCC funds.
“With trust in short supply, and little time to negotiate a global response to climate change, the UN talks need an injection of goodwill,” says Saleemul Huq of IIED.
“The rich nations can provide this by making good on their past promises and showing the poorer nations that they are serious about working together to tackle this global challenge.”

ECONOMY AND POLITICS

Thursday, August 21, 2008 2:23 PM

bt

BY  LUKE  KAPCHANGA    DN/ BUNGOMA      21/8/2008   COMMENTARY.

On August 15^th , two functions were simultaneously held in Bungoma, whose purpose was to spur economic development of the people.

One function at the Kenya Industrial  Estate, within Bungoma town, which was to be presided over by deputy prime minister and minister for  trade , Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta had the initiative focusing on Micro and Small Enterprises.

The other held at Mabanga Farmers training centre, to be presided over by minister for Agriculture Mr. William Ruto, was  a framers field day.

Both ministers failed to turn up, for the official opening and in there places delegated junior ministry officials .

The functions turned out to be very low keyed even local MPs did not attend or sent apologies.

Mr. Kenyatta was to launch the Bungoma district Business solution centre, which is to serve as a one-stop-shop for businesses.

The centre is expected  to provide a number of business services to the youths and any other individual or groups , taking up self-employment within  the micro-and small enterprises sector.

The initiative is aimed at ensuring that businesses in the area flourish to create more employment especially among the youths.

The District Business Solution Centre(DBSC), is to provide among such services as :business skills and entrepreneurship development; identification of  potential business opportunities ; provision of facilities for business services ; information on potential markets , investments and technology; development of incubations in support of micro and small enterprises; avenue for accessing financial services and development of rural markets and linkages.

On the other part, the farmers field day at Mabanga , was the only opportunity the local people can access new developments in the farming sector after the closure of the Harambe Agriculture show, when its land was grabbed by mainly politicians.

More so for the sugar cane farmers, the occasion was to meet the minister and ask him in person questions regarding the collapsing Nzoia sugar company.

Currently private sugar cane harvesters are supplying cane to upto Kibos in Kisumu, Lubao, and west Kenya factories in Kakamega ,at throw away prices.

Most of the agricultural produce has no markets and government interventions , when available in assisting farmers mostly on fertilizer normally comes late.

The planting season for maize in Bungoma starts in March , and whenever the minister for agriculture announces reprieve is around May or June, indicating that the people here feel abandoned by government programmes.

What beats logic is the failure by elected leaders to attend the  two meetings and also mobilize the residents to come in big numbers .

Another worry is how comes two senior ministers arrange to come and then fail at the same time, pointing out that possibly local leaders did not approve of their coming.

Leaders from Bungoma, including the minister of foreign affairs Moses Wetangula, assistant ministers Bifwoli Wakoli and Alfred Khangati and MPs Alfred Sambu and David Eseli and nominated MP and Ford-K chairman Musikari Kombo ; are people one could be impressed as development conscious .

More so, Kombo and Wakoli have declared presidential ambitions.

But when they deliberately refuse to mobilize their foot soldiers for a noble cause of economic empowerment , then truly what intentions do they have?

Bungoma is in the category of the Millennium district, implying that its poverty level is high, so one thinks the politics should be about improvement  of living standards.

But this actions by elected leaders is a clear statement that government services coming from people they perceive as political enemies are not encouraged.

Since 1992,  when Bungoma voted almost to the man against retired president Moi, a mistaken believe has been created that until one of their own occupies state house no meaningful development will ever take place.

That stupid notion has created room for the local people to put politics ahead of development . making them to loose opportunities.

PANPAPER CLOSURE

Monday, December 1, 2008 10:54 AM

{bt

BY  LUKE  KAPCHANGA   DN/WEBUYE          1/12/2008       PANPAPER.NEWSFEATURE.

Mismanagement and inefficiency  is the cause of financial troubles at Pan Paper mills.

This revelations comes as the fate of about 1,500 employees hangs in balance , with the closed down mill not re-opening after closure.

The tradition by top management to single source suppliers is behind the fleecing of the company of profits, with no tendering process.

“There is to much inefficiency at the mill”, a highly placed source said.

The source who has been working at the firm as a senior manager for over twenty years, but declined to be named blamed top managers for not having fixed rates for buying of papers at the factory.

Different buyers have different buying prices, with Asians having advantage of discounts and taking papers on credit.

The retaining of retired employees who have no special skills is another avenue from which the company losses money.

The company with about 70 retired employees , who are enlisted as consultants are said to get three pay slips, yet are not productive.

Yet the company management have given the government from which it seeks a package to be salvaged a  different version of reasons behind its financial woes.

“Our recent difficulties have been caused by  external factors , which have  seriously impacted cost of the vital inputs of energy and wood” says the report to the government.

The mill which closed down two weeks ago, was said to be under maintenance by top managers, but employees disputed this saying it was a cover up.

The machinery is obsolete as the spares said to be imported are merely sent from the parent company in India , and indicated as new.

One employee said, that annual maintenance can not take place when there are no spares purchased and already talk of re-opening is gaining currency when no major work has not been seen.

The closure came when the suppliers of fuel oil,  Kobil cut supplies for accumulated debts and demanded down payment for resumption.

For the first time of the company’s history employees are getting their salary in installments, amid heightened fears that retrenchment is on the way. 

The problems which are traced to 2006, are solely attributed to the rising cost of both fuel oil and electricity as the firm is indeed one of the largest consumers in the country.

“Pan paper is forced to depend upon fuel oil and KPLC Power, as there is no alternative energy sources such as coal,  which is available to competitors in South Africa , Egypt and Indonesia etc,”, the report says further.

Management have come up with a five point recovery program, which it has requested for government support,  as a short term measure to take five years.

This includes reducing of wood royalty from shs.700 to shs360.

They urge that 90% of their packaging grades  for the product mix is exposed  to duty free imports mostly from Tanzania paper mills.

They are calling on the government to impose import duty on imported paper upto 35%.

Importers are also accused of enjoying exemptions, by not paying duty on paper used for export packing,  imported paper from COMESA and East African community, Text Book printing papers under UNDP , in addition they do not attract VAT.

They want the duty paid on imported machinery waived.

They are also demanding the KPLC, to charge them special interests.

The last being asking the government to inject in shs.900million.

Shs. 700million is to be used in clearing outstanding overdrafts with various banks and the balance for internal operations.

In the long term program, they are requesting for 80 hectare of land to plant trees for their bio-fuel project as an alternative source of  energy.

“In absence of a level playing field, it is becoming impossible to compete. We there fore request for a rational review of the tariff structure to safeguard the local industry’s interest”, the report urges further.

But the source is of different view, ”the  government should not just respond with a review package without change in management”.

The source called for the government to appoint one of the top managers to oversee restructure program and for purposes of good corporate governance .

The factory is said to be a bottomless pit , which has not been able to make a profit since 2006, yet pays monthly shs.100million as technical fee.

Most bizarre is the writing of shs.1billion debt by Malde transporters, as circumstances behind the accumulation of the debt is suspicious.

The debt was written off, shortly before the current Chief Executive Officer, Mr. N.K. Saha took over.

Since taking over the running of the firm, Mr. Saha  has not managed to to steer the firm to make  a profit  other than sinking deeper and deeper.

Because of single   sourcing suppliers inflate prices and the machinery  delivered are of reconditioned nature.

Pan Paper as a project was conceived by  the government in the late sixties to utilize the vast forestry plantations and develop socio- economic status of the Western region.

Orient Paper & Industries Ltd(OPIL),  provided technical know-how and management services to the company since inception.

The Paper mill commenced production in 1974 with rated capacity of  45,000 tons of paper per year.

It has gone through several diversified expansions raising its rated capacity to 120,000 tones per year. 

Fixed assets of the company are currently re-valued at over shs.15.5billion compared to original value of shs.360million.

Pan paper is a large industrial complex, catering to fragmented domestic paper and board requirements.

It houses chemical and mechanical pulp mills, waste paper recycling and Deinking plant, four paper machines, Chloro-Akali plant including power generation plant and workshop.

Its been accredited with ISO 9001 for product quality and ISO 14001 for ensuring and environmental friendly operations.

Webuye mayor Dinah Wattimah is worried about the changing fortunes of the paper mill and does not want to see its demise.

“Webuye is pan paper, and Pan paper is Webuye”, she said in her office.

The government she stressed has no option but come to the rescue of the paper mill because of its economic importance not only to the people of Webuye nut the country at large.

“According to the records the company contributes shs.6billion to the government , by paying taxes in various ways, and it can not be allowed to sink”, she added.

Her greatest worry, is the lose of livelihoods of thousands of town residents , whose income revolve around the activity of the company.

Insecurity will increase , she says, if the company is to retrench workers most of whom are causal and rent house within town

Small business she laments may also suffer, and single mothers who are vendors on the streets will be affected

The municipal council gets most of its revenue from the company in from of rates, but currently owes it shs.1.3million.

The town came into existence due to the presence of the mill, in 1974 and most of the town estates are owned by the company.

SIKHEBO

Monday, July 26, 2004 1:14 PM

[bt]

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA    DN/WEBUYE             OPINION        24/7/04

The Bukusu and Tachoni of Bungoma and Trans-Nzioa districts are in a festive mood as the month of August arrives.

This is the month of sikhebo or circumcision period and where everybody is involved in one way or the other.If there is any religious tenets carried forward from the Dini ya Msambwa teaching for its followers to adhere to then -simply its embalu-to under go circumcision.

If you are a visitor, then do not be suprised to find the pastor, teacher or aperson of any high standing in society mingling freely and listening keenly to a comon villager on issues of  initiation.

Sikhebo is a rite of passage for the youth to enter adulthood from childhood and is not merely the removal of the penis foreskin.

The occasion is so ecstatic and full opf of funfare that food and drinks flow freely and endlessly.

Literaly none is spared the hectic period and everybody gets involved in one way or the other either by condemnation of the practice or participating in its rich cultural values.

The event has stages through which the initiates  go to be regarded as men capable of fending for  their families and defend the community.

The first stage where by boys move arround villages coverring valleys to inform close relatives about the date of the actual circumcision is  significant for them to know maternal and paternal cousins.

The type of gifts they are given as they move arround also shows the attachment of the community to the boys parents and clan.

Singing and dancing which accompany the initiates is more about joy as they praise greate personalities in society, important events or scorn on individuals whose ways and behavours are not approved.

This is one way in which the community passes on its historical and social past to future generations.

The initiates develop a distinct difference of their maternal uncles and those of their respective clans depending on the roles played during the passage rites.

The slaughtering of  abull by the maternal uncles is to appreciate their sisters efforts in creating wealth to them in form of dowry paid.The second aspect is to welcome the nephew as their own blood.

Slaughterring of bulls is manifestation ofn a people who value wealth and are from a culturally rich ancestry and they do it to share with the community.

The large quantities and volumes of busaa is mostly to entertain visitors throughout the night of khuminya when the boys are not required to sleep as they under go the rite the following morning.

This is a period when women test their brothers and clan members to gauge the affection and value bestowed on them  by relating to  gifts their sons are given.

There are rules to observe and follow before th initiates are circumcised, like longdistance running and dancing half naked is to prepare and harden the body, which makes it near impossible for them to feel the pain as the mskin is removed.

Lukembe the knife used by bakhebi is  sacred made only by blacksmith of repute when the circumciser himself is present.It can not be used for any other purpose other than circumcising fullstop.

Lubiito is perfomed to initiates who were cirmucised by Lukembe and this is when they are presented with a code of conduct of the community and how to behave responsibly in society.

The fallacy being propagated that each boy one knife to curb the spread of AIDS among the initiates does not hold water for several reasons.

There is enough prove that rarely to blood of the boy come into contact with Lukembeas the special dust applied is quiet effective.

Tradition has it that. and can be supported by scientiffic research- children who are male under the age of 12 rarely engages in sex-therefore the initiates are unlikely to carry the virus.

Going to hospital to have the penis fore skin removed can not be equatedn as circumcision because here its a simple operation and this rules out modern or traditional circumcision.

Circumcision in its true sense is an elaborate chain of acitivities an events bonding together the past, present and future.

The advocates who are calling to have the boys taken to hospital for operations are mostly members of evangelistic churches and are using the campagn to be funded.

During the period those who posses the will to circumcise can never fall sick and are able to run for miles an d miles without getting tired.

There is no college to train circumcisers an dthat is a wonder of its own how they come about and at the same time not required to invest the fee payments recieved to continue in the profession and prosper.

This are guys who survive on meagre resources but dine as  lords when Sikhebo arrives as they call the shots.They carry with them blessings and curses for the initiates, they are an authority on such matters.

Considering those advocating for change in the practice one sees bankruptcy in cultural expresion and conmanship to get funding from donors to improve on their economic status.

The fact that all have their boys to be circumcised during the month of August is testimony enough that they are by practice followers of Dini ya Msambwa.

They hold the rite of passage in high esteem because the same proponents throw parties for the boys after taking them to hospitals, which is sharing the joy with the community.

There is this stupid urgement about failing to raise fees for the boys who have had bulls slaughtered during their circumcision.The boys who get circumcised are in primary schools between std  5-7, now where in hell is the noise about a parent not affording fees payment.

More so the size of calves slaughtered in the ceremonies can not by themselves be able to pay fees for the boys to complete secondary education.

This also brings about the blight of girls who drop out of school for lack of fees yet  there is never anything traditional to waste on resources in their honour and prestige.

The best thing the ant-traditionalist groups should focus on for now is how easily to make quick money from the Global fund to fight Hiv/Aids and tuberclosis.

Because circumcision has been cited as a good way to slow down the rapid spreading of  Hiv/Aids virus, let them get down to business and set up NGOs to popularise the practice among communities which do not circumcise.

Otherwise for the two communities they are getting geared for merry making  with lots of eating irrespective of time day or night unending flow of drinks but no attending funerals- it is taboo to mix funerals with circumcision ceremonies.

DELAYED PAYMENTS

Tuesday, November 16, 2004 5:21 PM

Resigning her fate to divine intervetion,to get paid she threw the delivery documents to her councillor Mr.Eric Soita of Sitikho to take them the management at the company.
But Mr Soita has problems of his own when it comes to cane payments at Nzoia.He say 6 cane fields of his for the crop he harvested 2001 were among the skipped cases and management has failed to explain why he can not be paid.

He gave the example of field no.33408106404 and 33408206501 where the cane was delivered on 18/8/2001 , this he says the company has failed to trace the records . The civic leader wonders who should keep the farmers records BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE NZOIA 16/11/2004

her cane she delivered to the factory in 2001.
She says the purpose which forced her to plant cane is over due and sees no need to pursue the payments and yet she is securely if management at the company does not want to be blament.
Mr. Eluid Khisa has slightly different complain against the sugar company, his is the case of underpayment and management have elluded permitting him audience to ask about the remaining money.
Mr.Khisa field cane no.is 33304205382,he delivered 36 tonnes of cane to the factory and was paid for only 12 tonnes and has never got any explanation on the mode used to deduct his cane.
The list of farmers complaining against poor payment procedure at Nzoia sugar company grows by the day and both farmers represantatives and political leaders seem to have run outn of steam to fight for their cause.
The farmers led by Mr.Joshua Wepukhulu last week convened a meeting at Makhele market from where they gave the management 14 day notice to clear payment of skipped cases or they disrupt operationsof the company.
The farmers insist that shs.300million released by the government last May has not benefited them fairly because the manner in which screening exercise to verify them was done.
They claim that the board of directors was ill advised by management to go out to register farmers affresh with the sole purpose of weeding ghost farmers.
Mr. Wepukhulu says that his cane field no.36201307771 has been paid without getting the statements of account and does not know whether he was paid less or more. The efforts to inquire about the statements are frustrated by what he calls hostile company employees.
The employees at Nzoia sugar factory he says treats farmers with suspicion and are very arrogant to attend to any problem raised by the farmer.
Mr.Francis Mapesa whose cane field no. is 36204502010 was notified to be paid on 23/7/2004 by the agriculture manager bMr.Maclean Wasike but he has not received any money.
Mr. Mapesas cheque no was 026236 he was on list 2016 were others have been paid and tracing the cheque has become a problem.
On her part Mrs.Ruth N Richard field no 33303203811 was paid and deducted shs.6000 and allegedly took the money to Nzoia outgrower company -SACCO, where she is not a member.
Mr. Wepukhulu who is a victim of the the deductions on field no3330345720 does not understand how the company management reached the decisions.
"We as farmers suspect collusion among senoir managers in the racked of deducting non-noco-sacco members their money which never goes to sacco offices" he said
The farmers claim that when they go to noco-sacco to ask about their money they are reffered back to Nzoia where they fail to get audience with management.
Mr. Protus Manyonge field no.36107940300 ,list 0319 had his cane harvested in December 2003 which is in the current payment has not yet been paid but is told that his name is not in the records.
The cane farmers are annoyed with the managing director Mr. Josephat Akoyo for repeatedly saying that the old cases of accumulated debt has been cleared.
At the Makhele meeting they resolved thatmanagement without further delay address the issue of advanced loans which are being deducted but they ,farmers never took the money.
They demanded refund of the money deducted from farmers who are not members of noco-sacco and to give out statements of account before effecting any payments.
There were also complain of senting cheques to outreach offices without a payroll and management of refusing to explain how farmers were getting negative pay from their crop.
Mr. Akoyo has announced that the 12 regional managers have been given orders to screen farmers zone by zone hearing complains.
The MD said claims would be compared to the firms current records before payments are made to end bickering among famers. H e said they are through with the mop-up exercise to establish who is exactly owed by the company and the list of genuine casesv released to mthe public.
The company board of directors chairman Mr. Burudi Nabwera has on his part said that those claiming to have been skipped are the ghost famers who should be arrested.
Mr.Nabwera mantains that no genuine cane famer could deliver the crop and fail to appear anywhere in the company records and said investigations were still going on .
But the director of Kenya sugar board representing the Nzoia zone, Mr.Saulo Busolo accuses both the management and the companys board of directors of protecting corrupt employees.
Mr.Busolo mantains that the issue of ghost famers was created by the management to confuse farmers on payments.
He insists that the management knows the people behind missing records but does not want to punish them because of vested interests.
He says both the board and management uses missing file problem to hide their failures as it has taken too long to clear shs.300m .

the end.

DELAYED CANE PAYMENT

Thursday, December 30, 2004 10:42 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE CANE 30/12/2004
The minister of agriculture Mr Kipruto Kirwa has been challenged to make his position clear on the payment crisis at Nzoia sugar company.
Mr Kirwa was asked yesterday to intervene on behalf of farmers who were left out from benefiting from shs.300million given by the government to clear the arrears in April.
The national chairman of the Kenya national sugarcane growers union Mr Joseph Nato Muleme said the minister should state his stand clearly as the situation is becoming restless.

Mr Muleme complained that farmers are becoming impatient and may turn violent to disrupt factory operations and this could be averted by the minister.

The union boss dismissed the Nzoia sugar company managing director as incompetent and lacks skills to serve farmers adequately.
In November, Mr Muleme wrote a letter to Mr Kirwa demanding payment of shs.415million to farmers by the company as interest. The interest he claimed was as a result of the waiver of interest rates to loans advanced to the factory by the Kenya sugar board.
He urged that charges on sugar development fund had been reduced from 10% - 5% ,while managemant continued deducting the interests on farm preparations and inputs which are given as soft loans.
But ambassador Jack Tumwa called on farmers to give the Nzoia management time as they sort out the mess in skipped cases. Mr Tumwa said the threat to close down the factory in order to force management to clear all the outstanding debts will hurt both farmers and employees.
Speaking in Webuye town Mr Tumwa who is a member of the electoral commission,told farmers to put more pressure on management but they should not use force and violence in their demands.
He asked the management to accept the fact that the records were tampered with and the issue of ghost farmers should be addressed keenly as one way of seeking a solution to the crisis.
Nzoia outgrower company chairman Mr John Musakali has threatened to mobilise his members to close the factory on January 15 if all the skipped cases are not cleared.
Mr Musakali said farmers patience has waned with the claim by the MD Mr Josphat Akoyo that the arrears for 1999 - 2002 had been cleared and were remaining with few cases.
The chairman has maintained that they are owed over shs.100million according to copliled list of skipped farmers whose cane was delivered in the same period.
The farmers are also demanding for the removal of Mr Akoyo accusing him of giving misleading information regarding the payments and evading to meet their representatives.

They say that they will boycott cane harvesting to disrupt the factory operations if the money is not paid byn the set date.

CORRUPTION AT NZOIA

Tuesday, March 8, 2005 10:16 AM

bt]
BY LUKE KAPCHANGA  DN/WEBUYE    CORRUPTION    8/3/2005
The government should move in and investigate management of Nzoia sugar company over its continued
deduction of presumptive tax which was abolished in the year 2000.
The chairman of Nzoia outgrower company (NOCO), Mr John Musakali called on the anti-corruption authority
to probe the company because farmers are being deducted the presumptive tax.
Mr Musakali said farmers have lossed close to over shs.120million in the abolished tax to the factory which has to be
repaid with immediate effect.
He complained that the management has been deducting the money against the governments directive and those
behind the scandal should be prosecuted.
Speaking at the NOCO offices, the chairman gave the management at Nzoia 7 days to start refunding the money to farmers
or they take action to paralyse operations at the factory.
The official said the presumptive tax which is 2% of the gross pay of cane proceeds was supposed to go to the government
but as the miller continued deducting the money it remained with management.
He accused the management for stealing farmers money due to ignorance and were going to use all means to get it back.
Mr Musakali complained that since the government released shs.300million in April last year to clear the farmers accumulated debts
the records have been tampered with and the payment system is in a mess.
He claimed the farmers files got lost to confuse them from getting the correct payments of their cane proceeds and this also
gave way for them not to complain about illegal deductions.
He blamed the managing director and chairman for not giving right information on the disapearance of the records leading to the
farmers suffering and poor pay.
At the same time trouble erupted at Nzoia factory when cane cutters boycotted harvesting and torched cane to protest against being
hired by contractors.
A company employee was stripped naked and beaten by angry canecutters at the companies nuclieus estate when she told them to register
with new contractors.
The mob of canecutters mobilised their collegues in other farms to boycott the harvesting as they set the crop on fire.
Last week over 100 hectares of under age cane was burnt and is rotting on the ground because it could not be crushed.
Sources at the company said that management is revising the contracts of cane cutters so that they are recruited and hired
by sub-contractors to have them not answerable to the company.
There are claims that top managers have won the tender of hiring and supplying canecutters who are also opposed to the arrangement.
The managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo told the nation when they sought comment through his secretary that there is no problem.
He refused to talk to the press saying that he was busy with the board members.

EMPLOYEE STRIKE AT NZOIA

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 6:03 PM

[bt]

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE STRIKE 15/3/2005

More than 1000 unionisable employees of Nzoia sugar company yesterday went on strike callling for the removal of the managing director and human resources manager immediately.

The workers ledby the chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation Wokers, Mrs Roselinda Simiyu paralysed the operations ,forcing the MD Mr Josphat Akoyo and HRM Mr Joseph Nganga to lock themselves in the offices.

The angry employees were repulsed by armed police when they tried to force their way into the offices to eject the top managers .

The workers who camped outside the MDs office while singing and dancing in mockery of the managers hurled insults at the police for protecting them.

The employees complained that the management were not interested in dialoque and were refusing to meet them as workers representatives, something they say can not be tolerated.

Bungoma police boss Mr Chris Kago lead a contigent of heavily armed policemen to guard the offices of the two managers.
The District commissioner Mr Joseph Irungu arrived later and went directly to where the MD was holed up for consultations.
The OCDP gave firm instructions to the policemen guarding the MDs entrance not to allow any person to interupt the meeting.

The press was barred by the police to get comments from the MD saying that he is in danger and it was only the DC who could accept the request.

Mrs Simiyu said that they will not rest until Mr Akoyo is sacked fro underming the union and using the police to indimidate and harrass them

The truoble with management she said started on March 9, when the branch union officials wrote a letter to the MD complaining that their members are being removed from their stations and given manual work .

The letter cited cases in of field assistants in harvesting section,sanitary services in welfare ,clerks in time office and drivers in transport section as the group of employees affected.

The union demanded in that letter that permanent employees be given back their jobs, and all casuals and temporary employees be removed to reduce costs.

They also asked for payment of production bonus for the year 2004 with immediate effect because they met the target before the year ended.

The letter addresed to the MD also asked for protective gear balance of financial year 2003 to 2oo4 to be cleared without delay.

They demanded for confirmation of employees who are on acting position and also reinstate suspended clerks at the weighbridge

.Mr Akoyo in reply to lthe letter on March 10 accused Mrs Simiyu of divided interest and asked her to resign immediately.

The branch secretary was told to make a decision of either resigning her position at the company and concetrate on union matters for holding several posts in various institutions.

The letter said "You have shown divided interest over time,otherwise in future permision for absence from duty on account of activities that are not company related will be limited or granted with loss of pay".

The unionist was given 48 hours to confirm in choosing between being an employee or resign to concetrate on other acivities.

In response the empolyees came out strongly in defence of their secretary and gave the MD the same amount of time to withdraw the letter and apologise.

They threatened to take industrial action if the letter was not withdrawn and vowed to have the MD sacked.

Last week week arsonist set ablaze over 1000 acres of cane on fire belonging to the company protesting against the managements decision to have canecutters hired by contractors.

Most of the burnt cane is still standing because the company can not harvest it as it is immature.

FACTORY-RE-OPENING

Friday, March 18, 2005 10:27 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE NZOIA18/3/2005.
The Nzoia sugar company board of directors yesterday resolved to have the factory re-opened as they seek a solution to end the crisis of striking workers.
But the workers maintained that the factory will only started crushing when their demands are fulfilled with the removal of the managing director and the human resources manager.
The board meeting chaired by Mr Burudi Nabwera was  unanimous that harvested cane lying on the fields was rotting with the abrupt closure of the factory and its the farmers who are to lose.
The meeting admonished the district commisioner Mr Joseph Irungu for over-reacting to order the closure of the mill without considering the implication as harvested cane was in the yard a and could go to waste.
The board also accused the DC for siding with the MD  and failed to give the striking workers and address thier complains.
They blamed the management of the company for underming union representatives and taking their demands carelessly which has caused the company to lose immature cane through fires.
The factory was closed on Tuesday on the orders of Mr Irungu as demostrating employees called for the sacking of the MD Mr Josphat Akoyo ang HRM Mr Joseph Nganga.
Mrs Roselinda Simiyu the chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation Workers said that the protesting employees were not going to disrupt production.
She said the decision to close down the factory was improper because there is cane on the groud and only two people should not make the mill not to run.

Sugarcane farmers contracted to Nzoia sugar company have joined the striking workers and demanding for compesation of thier harvested crop which could go to waste with the closure of the factory.

The national chairman of the Kenya national sugarcane growers union, Mr Nato Muleme said that 70,000 tonnes of harvested cane was lying in the fields when the Bungoma district commisioner ordered for the closure of the factory on Tuesday.

Mr Muleme speaking at Bukembe market, accused the DC, Mr Joseph Irungu for being misled by management of the company to close the factory to punish farmers.

Mr Muleme who was accompanied by the unions organising secretary, Mr Stephen Walubi complained that farmers were not party to the crisis at the factory and should be compesated if the cane dries up on farms.

The officials supported the demands of workers to have the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo sacked for incompetence and harrasing of stakeholders in the sugar industry.

They said that farmers were the first to reject Mr Akoyo s appointment and are determined not to work with him.

He claimed cane farming is on the decrease due to poor incentives from the management and refusal to supply fertilizers as it has been the practice.

Last year Mr Nato kicked off a storm with the Nzoia management for demanding payment of shs.415,878,488. accrued interest for cane delivered from 1999-2003.

In a letter to the minister of agriculture Mr. Kipruto Kirwa,the union official claimed the interest was realised after the government waived the interest rates from sugar development fund(SDF),and also lowered interest on loans from 10%-5% last year.

Mr Muleme accused the management at Nzoia for charging interest on payments to farmers against the directives of the government.

The letter dated 17/11/2004 stated that farmers who benefited from shs.300million released by the government in May to clear the outstanding debt were deducted interest on land preparation, seedcane,harvesting and fertilizers yet this was money from SDF,

The chairman said then that the accrued amount covered the period between 1999-M ay 2003 as the management had flouted the guideline spelled out making farmers to continue suffering.

Yesterday he said the issue of contracting cane cutters has exposed that farmers were deducted more that the company paid the cutters.

He said farmers are deducted shs246.60 as harvesting charges yet cutters are paid shs94 which they want to reduce more.

 

NZOIA -MD RETAINED

Tuesday, March 22, 2005 10:03 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE NZOIA 22/3/2005
The managing director of Nzoia sugar company Mr Josphat Akoyo is to be retained the board confirmed ysterday.
Board chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera dismised the workers demand to sack Mr Akoyo as unrealistic and told them to accept his management style which he said had improved the companies fortunes.

Mr Nabwera speaking at the companys board room accompanied by Mr Akoyo said workers complaing against the MD are to blame for not understanding management matters.

He explained that the board had decided to retain him because he has intiated a programme to privatise cane harvesting to make it efficient anf less costly to the company.
The chairman said the board had only put on hold the contracting of cane cutters but the programme will be implemented by July after educating farmers and cutters to understand the benefits behind it.
He defended the MDs perfomance saying the board is very much impresed because the company for the first time in it s history made profit last year.
Last week the companies unionisable employees went on strike demanding for Mr Akoyos removal accusing him of undermining them and giving their jobs to casuals.
Led by the National chairperson of Kenya Union of Sugar Plantation workers Mrs Roselinda Simiyu paralysed company operations on Tuesday forcing the Bungoma district commisioner Mr Joseph Irungu to order for the closure of the factory.
The workers asked to be paid production bonus of 2004 and protective gear of financial year 2003/2004.
They said that Mr Akoyo and the human resources manager Mr Joseph Nganga be relieved of their duties for them to return to work.
Sugarcane farmers contracted to Nzoia sugar company have supported the call by workers demanding for the sacking of the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo for his poor working relationship with them.
The national chairman of the Kenya national sugarcane growers union, Mr Nato Muleme and the chairman of Nzoia outgrower company Mr John Musakali complained that the MD undermines farmers represantatives
yet the payment system is making them to lose money to the company.
The officials claimed the lists of farmers who benefited from shs.300million released by the government last April to clear outstanding debts for cane harvested from 1999-2002 has never been made public.
They complained that some farmers who delivered their crop in 1999 have not yet been paid yet Mr Akoyo has said that the debts were cleared last November after the company paid out shs.410million.
Mr Musakali said the company has to refund shs120million deducted illegally as presumptive tax which was abolished in the year 2000 by the government.
He accused the MD of taking farmers for a ride by charging them the tax which he knew was illegal and told him to make necessary arrangemnets to refund all the money.
The officials speaking at Bukembe market, accused the DC, Mr Joseph Irungu for being misled by management of the company to close the factory to punish farmers.
They vowed to support the demands of workers until Mr Akoyo is sacked for incompetence and harrasing of stakeholders in the sugar industry and also toproduce the list of ghost farmers whom the management claimed
were paid falsely without delivering cane at the factory.
They said that farmers were the first to reject Mr Akoyo s appointment and are determined not to work with him.
Mr Nato claimed cane farming is on the decrease due to poor incentives from the management and refusal to supply fertilizers as it has been the practice.
The farmers challenged Bungoma MPs to declare their stand on the stalemate at Nzoia sugar company because they have not spoken out about the crisis.
They accused the Mps for being behind the appointment of Mr Akoyo as MD last year when his name was not among those shotlisted for the job.
Yesterday ,Trade & Industry minister minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi denied being party to the crisis at the company.
The minister said "I have never been involved at any stage in the recruitment and retention of managing director of Nzoia sugar comany".
Dr Kituyi said the board of directors should be given space to manage the companies problems and critised those advocating for violence to express thier desires as it wiil not increase the price of
cane or solve the grievances.
Local government minister Mr Musikari Kombo, assistant minister for Foreign Affairs Mr Moses Wetangula, MPs Wafula Wamunyinyi and Sylvester Wakoli have not denounced the closure of the factory publicy.
Last year Mr Nato kicked off a storm with the Nzoia management for demanding payment of shs.415,878,488. accrued interest for cane delivered from 1999-2003.
In a letter to the minister of agriculture Mr. Kipruto Kirwa,the union official claimed the interest was realised after the government waived the interest rates from sugar development fund(SDF),and also lowered interest on loans from 10%-5% last year.
Mr Muleme accused the management at Nzoia for charging interest on payments to farmers against the directives of the government.

PAN PAPERMILLS

Monday, February 14, 2005 10:43 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/WEBUYE TREES 14/2/2005

The minister for local government Mr. Musikari Kombo has directed the Webuye based pan African paper mills(PPM), to provide free seedlings to all schools in the constituency.

Mr Kombo said schools in his constituency need to plant a ring of trees around the compounds to act as windbreaks to protect roofs from being blown off regularly.

The minister observed that most of the schools have had the roofs ripped off by heavy winds yet this could bw avoided when they are undercover of trees.

Speaking at Malomonye primary school in Ndivisi, while presenting 200 iron sheets, Mr Kombo stated that the residents within Webuye were going to benefit from the free seedling offer by PPM.

He told the paper factory management to launch a massive sensitisation programme to make people prepared to plant trees when the rain season starts.
The general manager of PPM, Mr D S Nenawati who was present at the function promised to implement the directive immediately by urging the community to be willing to sell back the trees to the factory when they mature.
Mr Nenawati commented that the company supports the initiative of planting trees by the local communities and institutions like schools to protect them from roof ripoffs as they are dangerous to pupils when at school.
The iron sheets valued at shs.100,000 were a donation by the PPM to re -roof a tuition block which was ripped off last October were three pupils got injured.
The company usaully gives a scholar ship to the best KCPE student from Webuye constituency every year.
At the same time Bungoma KNUT branch chairman Mr Joseph Barasa has told the ministry of education not to transffer any teacher from the district as they are understaffed by over 2000 teachers.
Mr Barasa appealed to Mr Kombo to use his position to intervene because they can not be able to offer quality education when they are understaffed yet the ministry in not concerned.
He accused the minister of education Prof. George Saitoti of malice by categorising the district as one of those which are overstaffed saying the statistics based on was flawed.
The chairman complained that the minister got hsi statistics incorrect because the student - teacher ration in Bungoma is 100 :1 and no attempt should be made to remove any teacher.
He claimed that teachers who retire and those who die are never replaced to meet the ever increasing pupil population.
th end.




by luke kapchanga dn/webuye police 14/2/2005
Police in Webuye are extorting money from people through Kangaroo courts by threatening them with dire consenquences.
The police ambush unsuspecting wananchi immediately it reaches 7 pm and start rounding them up and those held as suspects are normally on the way to their homes.
People around Webuye town are now living more in fear of police than gangsters as they complain that the the former are ruthless when demanding for money and the abusive launguage they use.
The tactics employed by members of the police force is very grude and hash that whoever comes in contact with them opts to pay to buy freedom .
On Sunday evening the nation correspondent luke kapchanga was made to pay shs100 to be freed when he fall under the ambush at Nangoto on his way home.
The only crime committed was travelling late at night when police are on patrol.They threatend to confiscate his mobile phone when he tried to contact for assistance.
"You can call police commissioner or minister Kombo if you think that you are important but we shall take you to the cells", one of the two police men said.
The journalist was handcaffed when he asked why they are being harrassed yet it is not late to travell and if they had placed a curfew which members of the public may not be aware of.
The group of 10 people who were under arrest were forced to squart in a row for over 20 minutes and they were called one by one to give out bribes before being freed.
The police who are always droped by the landrover accused local politicians for tarnishing their image by linking them to robbery activities.
They said that the residents will have to pay highly as the councillors have been claiming that they the police were renting guns and uniforms to thugs to commit crimes and share the loot.
Residents are not sure if the police actions of confining them to their houses as early as 7pm is a declaration of a curfew to deprive them of the freedom to move out during evening hours to their neighbours.
The people now fear that being out of their homes when dusk falls is a crime which the bailout is a bribe as the captors do not allow the arrested to reach the cells.

At the sametime police in Lugari at the weeked foiled a robbery mision by 3 thugs and recovered an AK-47 rival and 18 rounds of ammunition.

The OCPD Mrs Peninah Kinyua said her men acting on tipoff raided the gangsters hideout at Matete market aroud 7pm where they found the gun hidden in a toilet.
Mrs Kinyua said the toilet belonged to the pentecostal church and one of the suspects a woman had the keys and was the one who hosted the 3 men.

2 of the suspects fled into the sugar cane plantation but the woman and one man was arrested . The OCPD said she suspects the thugs were intercepted on the mission to commit a robbery because they discovered that they had slaughtered a black hen which cleanses their crimes.

TROUBLE AT NZOIA FACTORY

Thursday, March 24, 2005 11:03 AM

[bt]

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN WEBUYE KOMBO 24/3/2005

The minister for local government Mr Musikari Kombo has called for calm and order at the troubled Nzoia sugar company.

Mr Kombo commenting on the controversy between workers and management which led to the closure of the factory last week,said it requires sanity to reach a lasting solution.

The minister appealed to workers to give the board of directors amble time to sort out any differences they have with management but should not resort to industrial action.

Mr Kombo who is the Webuye Mp, which is part of the Nzoia outgrower sugar scheme said farmers are happy with the management because they have cleared the backlog of outstanding debts.

Addressing parents and students of Sitikho location schools, the minister defended the record of management for paying farmers for the delivered cane and clearing the 1999-2002 accumulated debt.

He said what is important to farmers is to have management which is responding to thier problems and called on workers not to misled other stakeholders and create confusion at the firm.

The Ford-K chairman denied having played any part in the appointment of Mr Josphat Akoyo as the managing diretor last year.

"I never prevailed upon the board of diretors to appoint the MD but we are impressed with his perfomance" he said .

The local leaders he went on, are satisfied with farmers payments which has been a headache for a long period.

He explained that the shs.300million released by the government last year was paid satisfactorily and the on going payment programme for delivered cane is within the stipulated 30 days waiting period.

The minister toured Muji, Milo , Sitikho, Mangana and Ngwelo secondary schools and Kakimanyi &Mukite primary schools were he promised to construct tuition blocks each using constituency development funds .

Workers at the company last week paralysed operations demanding the sacking of Mr Akoyo accusing him of harrasing and indimidating union officials.

The board chairman Mr Burudi Nabwera has defended the MD and dismissed the calls to have him removed.

Mr Nabwera said that Mr Akoyo has changed the fortunes of the company which was on the verge of colapsing due to coruption and mismanagement by former managers.

Farmers have joined the workers caling for the MDs removal saying that he has failed to clear the 1999-2002 accumulated debts.

Their representatives maintain that not all farmers benefited from the shs.300million because company employees tampered with the records leaving out most of them.

BURNT CANE AT NZOIA SUGAR FACTORY

Wednesday, March 9, 2005 9:28 AM

bt]
BY  LUKE KAPCHANGA  DN/WEBUYE    NZOIA    9/3/2005
The Nzoia sugar factory has been closed down following unrest by cane cutters who are protesting the introductions of
contracts in the harvesting section.
The factory stoped operations on Monday when the demostrating cutters roughed up a company employee and set ablaze three
farms as they threatened to become more violent.
Factory manager a MR mulungwa is said to have told workers in the mill to have a rest while they are hoping that matters
were going to stabilise.
Mr Mulungwa is said to have gave instructions to close the mill to stave off the unrest and to re-open when the cutters have
accepted to be hired by sub-contractors.
The nation spotcheck found the cane yard empty with no transporting tractors where seen ferrying the harvested crop.
The cutters who are not direct employees of the company have vowed to distabilise the factory operations until managemnt
drops the idea of having them hired through contracts.
The cutters claim that they will be paid less if their services are hired by contractors compared to when they deal directly
with the company.
The companys unionisable employees are said to be suporting the cane cutters to scuttle the managements effort to
introduce the contract system in harvesting.
It is estimated that the company has incured losses by having 0ver 200hectares of cane burnt since announcing  of having cutters to be contracted
Most of the burnt cane is under age which can not be crushed as it does not produce sugar but
mollasses which is a bye-product.
Another blow to the management is that the burnt cane can not be harvested as the cutters are on strike so it rots on the farm.
Yesterday the managing director Mr Josphat Akoyo held consultations with top managers at the factory to get a solution to the
problem.
The MD was holed up in his office but not talking to outsiders and he refused to address the press.

TYPHOID OUTBREAK

Saturday, March 19, 2005 11:36 AM

BY LUKE KAPCHANGA DN/KIMILILI TYPHOID 19/3/2005

The ministry of water officials in Bungoma district are to blame for the typhoid outbreaks in secondary schools which has claimed the lives of two students.

The minister of trade and industry Dr Mukhisa Kituyi said the problem is caused by lack of rehabilitaion and cleaning up of treatment works.

Dr Kituyi who spoke after touring, Moi girls Kamusinga and Kimilili boys high schools complained that the clean up has been inasufficient for a long time affecting the quality and quantity of water consumption within Kimilili town.

"It is painful that within a short period when a similar outbreak was at Chesamisi another one is occuring which is water related" Dr Kituyi observed.
The minister who is the area MP told parents not to panick and remove students from the affected schools as the situation has been put under control.
The provincial medical officer western Dr Olango Onudi confirmed that the outbreak was typhoid and dispelled fears that it could be swamp fever.
Dr Onudi speaking at the Webuye sud-district hospital, said tests carried out on affected students shows that they consumed contaminated water.

The PMO said they are now monitoring water treatment daily which is consumed by the two schools, coming from one source at Kamutiong water suply.

He told journalists that the first casaulty was a girl from Kamusinga who died on 11 March and the second was a student of Kimilili boys who died on 17 March at Bungoma hospital.

The girl was identified as Lilian Simiyu form -3 while the boy was identified as Francis Mukhisa Kituyi form -4.

He said a total of 126 students have been treated fo the disease , 90 girls and 36 boys and clinical camps have been set up to detect any new cases.

The PMO explained that 9 students, 8 boys and a girl are stiil admitted at the hospital , 2 in serious conditions.

He also blamed the ministry of water which is supposed to ensure the safety and cleanliness of water consumption for not doing enough.

He defended the public health officials for failing to detect water contamination early because they do not laise with the officials from the ministry nof water.

Dr Onudi clariffied that a consignment of drugs had been sent from Nairobi to sumplement the hospital stocks.

He said earlier, the doctors were made to change drugs one after another because they had not identified the disease.