What happened to the Nandi - Kano Plain Ksh 50 billion Dam Project?

Kano Plains from Nandi Hills...

It is now over a year since the government abandoned a Sh50 billion dam project in Nandi county following opposition by environmentalists and some residents. Experts, including engineers and surveyors who were working on the plan for the Nandi Multi-Purpose Dam, left the site on orders of the government. The project was put on hold in June 2010 after the environmentalists, MPs and residents opposed destruction of more than 5,000 acres of forestland to create space for the project, which was to be financed by the government and donors.

Nandi Dam...

The Lake Basin Development Authority wrote to the government ministries requesting to have a meeting where plans for the project would be reviewed but since then, it has not received any response from the government. One of the engineers said that that they were told to stop everything and go back to their offices because it was difficult to implement the project amid controversy.

LBDA officials had made several visits to the site but they failed in its efforts to initiate dialogue with the communities to allow the project to proceed. LBDA managing director Peter Kabok had complained that the resistance from the environmentalists and communities affected the implementation of the project. Friends of Nandi Environment, which is one of the key groups opposed to the project, had stuck to its ground that it would not allow forests to be cleared to create space for the dam. FONE chairman, David Chumo said that the project had stalled and they did not have any updates from the government or LBDA.

Kano Plains from a different angle...

More than 1,000 hectares of forests were to be cleared for the project. LBDA had promised to plant 3,000 hectares of forests in return. The dam was expected to produce 50 megawatts of electricity and part of the water was to be channelled through an underground tunnel to irrigate more than 170,000 hectares of land in Kano Plains.

Part of the water was also to be supplied to homes in six districts within the Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western regions. Chumo said environmental issues were sensitive and touched on lives of people, livestock and wildlife and that they would not accept to be duped into accepting the project without clear measures against environmental destruction.

Adapted from the Star

The Government gave Kshs. 27 million to Kano Plains Farmers Cooperatives to offset their debts...

We all remember that the government allocated Sh 27 million to several Rice Farmers Cooperative Societies in Nyando Constituency. The funds was meant to be disbursed through the Ministry of Cooperative to be used in offsetting debts.

Deputy Commissioner of Cooperatives Philip Gichuki said the funds would be distributed to farmers in West Kano, Ahero Irrigation Scheme and West Kano Cooperatives Society. This he said while speaking on 8^th Nov, 2012 at Ahero Multi-purpose Training Institute.

He did say that the government was committed to ensuring that it wrote off the farmers’ debts just as it had done with the coffee farmers in other areas. Fred Outa who was present at the meeting praised the government's move.

I hope and believe that the money was finally sent to the cooperatives hence more no debts.

New initiative to boost Kano Plains rice yield...

The government will launch "gravity flow" irrigation method in rice fields to reduce high costs associated with pumping water in Nyando District.

Kisumu governor Jack Ranguma said this will boost rice yields in the Kano plains where rice crop is largely grown. Ranguma said Kisumu County is keen to adopt the modern technology of irrigation which does not require pumping the waters.

Ranguma said the National Irrigation Board currently pumps water to irrigate the farms which is very expensive. The governor, Israel Ambassador Gil Haskelto, Kisumu county commissioner Lorna Odero and Nyando district commissioner, Isaiah Tonui had toured the NIB in Ahero in June this year.

"We promised to control floods in Nyando by constructing huge dams and dykes along the rivers to facilitate the gravity flow irrigation technology", Ranguma said.

Haskelto said his team wants to establish challenges rice farmers face during floods and drought. The ambassador said this will reduce dependency on relief food by the residents.

He disclosed that Israel and Kisumu governments plan to strengthen rice farmer’s cooperative societies to boost their service delivery.

Haskelto promised to promote exchange study programs for farmers between Israel and Kenya to strengthen ties in the Agricultural sector.

Odero called the farmers to increase their farming activities to boost their earnings and adopt new farming techniques. She said this will enable farmers to market their produce effectively and discourage cartels.

Odero told the farmers to embrace horticultural farming as it will boost their income. The commissioner said diversification in farming will retain soil fertility.

Residents build 'flood proof' houses as they await dykes...

Residents of flood prone Budalang'i Constituency in Busia County have embarked on a project that aims at helping them deal with perennial flooding.

The project involves the construction of ‘flood proof houses’.

The new measure has been necessitated by the delay in the construction of new dykes.

Plans to construct the dykes started in 2008 but the residents are yet to see the promise fulfilled.

The houses are constructed with a raised foundation up to 4 feet high depending on the flood water level of at particular area.

“The houses are being constructed with a foundation four feet high and sometimes even higher depending on the water level in that particular area,” says says Mr Michael Gonjo the vice-chairman of the Community based Disaster risk reduction extension service providers (DRESP).


"Even though they are not permanent, we use stones and cement to raise the foundation to make it strong,” he adds.

PILOT PROJECT

Mr Gonjo says that under the pilot project they have managed to constructs ten houses and are planning to put up more houses as they await the construction of the new dykes.

He notes that the group has been tasked with reducing the risks of flooding in the area through educating the community in an area that has witnessed flooding since independence.

“We carry out flood campaigns by educating our people on how to co-exists with the waters and minimise the wastage that comes as a result of flooding in the area,” says Mr Gonjo.

He observes that during the floods the community normally incurs huge losses due to destruction of property.
“We are now going to villages and helping people construct flood proof houses. When we get more funds we will put up more houses,” says Mr Gonjo.

According to him, the initiative can be replicated in other areas that are affected by flooding such as Siaya County.

Mr Gonjo laments that most of the houses in the area were destroyed in April 2013 after water from River Nzoia rose to seven metres which was the highest ever.

Locals managed to contain the water before it could cause more havoc.

INDIA TOUR

He says that the technology that they are applying now was learnt in India in 2008 when they made a familiarisation tour to learn on how the people of India were dealing with flooding.

Clementina Oduki a resident of Mukhobola is a beneficiary of the initiative of the flood proof houses and is happy that even if floods occur, she would be able to save some items which previously would be destroyed by floods.

The initiative has been supported by Western Kenya Community-Driven Development and Flood Mitigation (WKCDD/FM) Project and which is funded by the government of Kenya in collaboration with the World Bank.

Mr Gonjo says they have decided to embark on construction of the water proof houses as they wait for the government to construct new dykes in the area.

The construction of dykes was set to have commenced in 2008.

But the project was halted for a year after the main financer, the World Bank, withdrew its support citing misappropriation of funds.

Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba says that efforts to put up a new set of dykes in Budalang’i Constituency need to be accelerated in order to prevent further flooding in the area.

“I believe they are through with the prequalification process and soon they will advertise for a contractor and it’s our hope that once the contract is awarded the work should be done with speed,” says the MP.

CONTAIN FLOODS

“We will have a new set of dykes that will have a combination of technology as well as concrete and we believe that this new approach will help contain floods forever,” the MP added.

His sentiments were shared by Busia community development organisation (Bucodev) Programme coordinator Thomas Mango, who said that the area needs a new set of dykes to replace the current dykes which are now old and weak.

Mr Mango says that several families are also set for relocation once the construction of the dykes starts as there will be a 50 metres buffer zone that will be constructed around the dykes.

“There will be a 50 metres buffer zone and that means eviction of families. Unfortunately no efforts are being made to resettle those who will be evicted,” lamented Mr Mango.


Mr Mango further lamented that a lot of money had been spent on research and seminars at the expense of real work which is the construction of the dyke.

“The community wants to see new dykes in place so that the suffering they have experienced for years ends once and for all,” said Mr Mango.

“It is sad that the government does not adhere to the set standards and specification of such works. The community must be involved at all levels,” says Mr Mango.

Western Kenya Community-Driven Development and Flood Mitigation Busia District Co-coordinator Shadrack Maloba says the new design for the dykes and dams are complete.

“We are waiting for the procurement of the contractor so that the work can start,” says Mr Maloba.

PERMANENT DYKES

According to government officials the two dykes - referred to as the Southern and Northern dykes are being re-designed - to make them permanent.

He says that the project duration should be extended in order to recover time that was wasted when the project was suspended.

Mr Maloba said the design for the construction of the dykes was yet to be made public and wondered when the construction will begin.

“We saw an advert about the design and construction of the dyke but we are yet to be told if the construction tender has already been awarded.

We hope the tender will be awarded to an international company,” said Mr Maloba.
The Northern and Southern dykes are each about 18.6 kilometres long

Adapted from Nation Online

Kano Plain Community Empowerment Project...

KPDI - Community Empowerment Project is aimed to support local community Peoples Working Group, community leaders and all the communities in the vast Kano Plains in order to build their capacities, institutional and advocacy development strategies on right to manage and use the land and natural resources, particularly, the land security for livelihood and promoting economic, social and environmental awareness.

This action is part of Kano Plain Development Initiative's vision, mission and goal for supporting the local community-people networking from grassroots to the regional level. To link purpose of project with KPDI’s vision, the local communities need to have knowledge, capacity, solidarity and a sense of initiative. There is a need of ownership in order to manage the land and natural resources, improve economic, social and environmental awareness with effectiveness and sustainability through community organizing and community-led development.

The mission is to support the Kano Community through building and strengthening the capacity of organization/group members to protect community land, natural resources and environment. The action is done through empowerment, mobilizing, organizing and networking of local communities/groups to voice their concerns.

As the results of project, sugar cane farming, rice farming both scheme and private land have been put into engagement. A number of Working Group have cooperated and collaborated with local authority in recruiting other community leaders. KPDI aims to be regional coordinator and still continues to publicly disseminate and consult. This is done with an aim of bringing local community to a strong and active level towards ownership and sustainability by use of empowerment approach.

Do you have an information and articles to share with us? Please send them to info@kanoplain.org

STOP exploiting innovators...Kano Plains Jane Adika's Story...

Today, I revisit some of the seven greatest ills Indian statesman Mahatma Gandhi spoke about; commerce without morality and knowledge without character. Let’s call it core capitalism in a society that is slowly but steadily degenerating into a theatre of the absurd where extreme greed has subjugated national conscience.

In such a scenario, state institutions tasked with safeguarding rights of both the producer and consumer have proved too tepid. To them, words such as alacrity and service to the nation exist only in a dictionary as traders turn into economic piranhas devouring any slightest opportunity to its carcass morally or otherwise while ignoring even the most basic ethics that rule any social set up including corporate social responsibility.

Ignorant producers are subjected to sharp fangs of profiteers who make optimal use of their situations and toil to make mega bucks from gullible consumers. Remember that overnight celebrity, Jane Adika, the sonorous voiced woman whose cries for help while marooned by floods from River Nyando in the bowels of Kano plains in Kisumu tore many hearts?

Yes, the trapped and desperate woman moved the nation to tears with her famous cry Serikali tafadhali, naomba unisaidie. Hata watoto yangu sijaona, hata bwana yangu sijui alilawapi (I plead with the government to come to my rescue. I do not know where my children and husband are or where they slept) - a signature tune that has come to signify helpless cries of Nyando people each time the rains come.

Transmuted by 15 minutes of fame, Adika became an overnight national “sweetheart” dominating discussions in bars, streets, taxis, churches, offices and schools and even social media sites. But, that is where the rain started beating the woman whose misery was marked by serendipity for some scrupulous ringtone vendors, club deejays and mobile telephone service providers who quickly annexed the painful pleas, converted them into ringtone and started milking the cow dry without seeking Adika’s consent or giving her a single bite of the cherry.

This is immoral and cupidity at its worst. It’s unfair. Where is their conscience? How come musicians, comedians or any artist whose voice is used by the phone service providers get financial rewards? Why was Adika’s case different? Was it an iconic case of ignorance being the gift that keeps giving? That being the case, does it mean we are a nation of fraudsters who will even trade a brother or a sister for a bowl of soup?

Today, Adika’s voice is virtually ubiquitous in every ringtone and as you ride in any public transport in major towns, there is every likelihood the phone ringing next to you will have Adika’s anguished plea for help tune—Serikali tafadhali…(government, please…) Interesting is the deafening silence of the ever nosy and noisy consumer rights lobby groups, civil societies or even intellectual property law experts in this broad daylight robbery-with-silence, greater than any fraud in our intellectual property history, I am even thinking this should be a  declared crime against humanity. Are we as a society too timid or just inconsistent and have become winds fanning the flame of impunity?

Do we see evil perpetuated by heartless economic vultures against a voiceless hapless Kenyan and sit back to fatten it by buying the “blood” ringtone? A disturbing food for thought! However, injustice anywhere is an eternal threat to justice everywhere. Even as we pray for these economic saboteurs to compensate Adika, these telcos reminds me of Charles Taylor who sold blood diamonds from Sierra Leone or even the rebels who sell blood minerals from Congo.

Where are those Janus-faced institutions that arrested Kenyans for “illegally” selling TV captions of Westgate? Why can’t they arrest these ringtone hawkers for making a kill out of Adika’s voice, why won’t these intellectual property thieves be made to pay? Or like painting Icon Van Gogh deftly noted; “nobody recognises your genius till you die”, maybe the phone firms will pay sadly after Adika is gone. Shame on Kenyan middle class who saw this injustice but ignored. Adika could be you tomorrow; it could be me as she personifies that lowly person trampled upon by tricksters and capitalist piranhas.

Adapted from www.thepeople.co.ke

Africa's First Plastic Bottle House Rises in Nigeria

With a serious housing shortage but no shortage of plastic bottles littering the streets, the Development Association for Renewable Energies (DARE) – an NGO based in Nigeria – decided to build this incredible two-bedroom bungalow entirely out of plastic bottles! Although many in Kaduna were dubious when the project began construction in June this year, the nearly-complete home is bullet and fireproof, earthquake, and maintains a comfortable interior temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit year round!

Hundreds of plastic bottles were filled with sand and then linked together at the neck by an intricate network of string. The bottles were then strategically laid and packed down with a combination of mud and cement, creating a building material that DARE claims are stronger than cinder blocks!

The multi-coloured bottle caps extend from the 624 square foot bungalow’s wall, creating a facade that gives an otherwise dull building a lovely splash of colour. DARE received assistance from African Community Trust, a London-based NGO, and hopes to roll out similar buildings in the future. This project has the potential to not only improve the housing shortage, but clean up the streets as well!

http://inhabitat.com 

Welcome to Kano Plain Development Initiatives...

Lets hold ourselves together...

There has never been any doubt that Kano has tremendous potential for development. Alongside resources and a strategic location, we are endowed with a very capable, entrepreneurial and creative workforce.

However, we have crawled for many years and walked in some short spans. Time and again we have failed to live up to expectations because rather than our people to realize their potential, we place unending roadblocks on their paths. Rather than find lasting solutions when problems arise or issues threaten to burst, we choose to play public relations and engage in empty rhetorics.

Unfortunately, we keep losing many opportunities appearing like an athlete who is destined to run but when he approaches the track show signs of confusion and wants to do a walking or field event. We cannot achieve real social, environment and economic transformation that way.

The time has come for us to run as we are destined to. While it is true that as a community, we need many things, it is critical for us to get our priorities right and to deal with them expeditiously. If every year we focused our energies on three or four priorities, our community and the entire Kano Plain would be completely transformed in less than 5 years and well on the path to achieving prosperity.

It is evident from history that other communities and regions that have prioritized reforms in their social, environment and economic dispensation together have managed to solve their internal problems and have taken off. Why can't we? Why not the people of Kano?

Our focus should now be on re-engineering ourselves to enable us tap into our resources and opportunities so that our people can finally live up to their full potential. We must not allow ourselves to be confused nor to remain stagnant. We must instead rise up to the occasion, seize the moment and propel our region to greater heights. The perennial problems like floods should not be reason for our current economic status.

We must strive to run to bring comfort to the community who have remained helpless and in dire poverty on many fronts.

This is the time, the opportunity has come to be part of the initiative. Don't be left out...