SIKHEBO

Monday, July 26, 2004 1:14 PM

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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

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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

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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.