This is how Migori politicians should pick social media henchmen…

Today I will take time to post on my blog, a personal column like writing out of the structured pieces I do for the Star newspaper from Migori county.

Morning rain clouds have been flirting with Migori town, and knowing my home town for being wet it’s now raining with the horizon clouded in white rain sheet as I write this.

The long rains have arrived along with the quickly rising political temperature as Migori is quickly shaping up ahead of national elections slotted for next year.

Aspirants have tentatively tried to test the ground by having spontaneous harambee, meet the people tour or strategizing as they pick their teams ahead of official campaign kick-off.

Since the campaigns are yet to fully take shape, politicians have hired henchmen and little political spanner boys to test the ground on social media. Facebook, through popular groups have turned up as a favorite spot with WhatsApp coming second.

A few savvy politicians and aspirants have launched websites and hired bloggers to propagate their agenda to shape their national image.

The 2017 political jumbo has fallen and like hounds political spanner boys are already picking the carcass first, if constant Facebook and WhatsApp posts celebrating their paymasters are anything to go by.

Some have taken up multiple aspirants through all five posts of Governor, Senator, Women Representative, Legislators and MCAs.

The only unifying post is presidency where Raila Odinga from the most populous Orange Democratic Movement party brings together disparate views.

This overzealous social media posturing will be the down fall of many aspirants as their spanner boys’ multiple ‘endorsement’ and jumping across aspirants will be their main undoing.

Let me explain: spanner boy X, for example, has vowed support for Governor Okoth Obado, Women Representative Dennitah Ghati and Suna West MP Joseph Ndiege. This is just an example.

Mr. X will constantly attack everybody against Obado including spanner boy Y who supports, let us says, governor aspirant Anne Omodho Anyanga. Already there is bad blood between the two at governor position.

Later Mr. X and Mr. Y find themselves supporting Ghati at Women Representative position. The two guys end up differing again sharply at constituency level as Mr. Y supports, let us presume former Migori mayor Peter Masara.

As the two continue asserting their power through exchange of abuses and counter-attacks through multiple Facebook and WhatsApp groups posts it is politicians who suffer the most.

To avert this Migori politicians should pick up their social media ‘gurus’ selectively, reservedly and ensure they stick to a single level and post in elections campaign. This will create uniformity and avoid scuttling other voters.

A governor aspirant will seek votes from supporters of politicians (aspirants and elected) in other posts, this should never be compromised by an overzealous social media spanner boys.

Above all they should never bank on these antics as there is no polling station called social media. If social media was that powerful then Martha Karua and Peter Kenneth could’ve been presidents by now.

(Follow me on Twitter @ManuelOdeny)

Hustlers Family The Kenyan Bongo Crew With a Flick In Tanzania Movies

Hustlers Family Crew L to R, Wycliffe Mwita (DXL), Chacha Mwita (Chacha Kongo), John Chacha (Mnati),Joseph Mosiabi (Junior Michapo).

Hustlers Family a crew of two brothers and their cousins from Kuria area in Migori County have rocked the music scene with bongo songs.

The brothers John Chacha (Mnati) and Joseph Mosiabi (Junior Michapo) started the crew started the crew in April 2005 but due to education they have been struggling to pick up and incorporated their two cousin Chacha Mwita (Chacha Kongo) and Wycliffe Mwita (DXL).

All of the crew members made a break through after acting in a bongo movie Mtambo Wa Pesa Bandia part 1 & 2 produced by Tivoli Studios in Mwanza, Tanzania after the producer was interested after they released their latest video album Yatima.

In the movie Chacha Kongo acted as a spy selling espionage from a company, Mnati acted as Superintendent of Police, equivalent to OCS in Kenya while DXL and Junior Michapo acted as thugs.

“We were approached by the producer after producing our latest video album and were performing in Musoma and Mwanza in Tanzania to act in the movie and after it had a mild review we acted in part 2 last year,” Mnati says.

Mnati who is the oldest of the crew members said he started singing in 2005 and has released three songs so far Alice when his lover he had educated to college left him, I Wanna Love You and Yatima which talks about orphan children in the society.

The rest started singing between 2001-2010 when they were still in school and only took music and the crew serious in 2010 when Chacha Kongo was the last o finished high school.

“After 2010 we took music seriously and have managed to have shows in Migori, Kisii, Trans Mara, Kilgoris, Isebania and in Tanzania,” DXL said.

In the video album Chacha Kongo has a song Maria and Mama, DXL has Anis Nipe Majibu while Junior Michapo has Vera.

The album has been produced by ‘Sifa Films’ production based in Nairobi

The crew say that music has been a major source of income to the family and has brought fame to the family which has been a major boost in their business as they run a popular pub called Mnati in Kehancha town.

“We have managed to get good audience in town we perform where we get about 30,000-50,000 for performance which helped in producing our songs,” Mnati says.

He added that as the only singing group from Kuria and their Bongo genre of music they’ll break into the national scene and plan to land more movie roles in Tanzania.

Manuel Odeny © 2013

A woman suffers after trip to herbalist to extract tooth turns tragic

Rispa Auma Aguko

When Rispa Auma Aguko had a tooth ache in 1995 she didn’t know that a trip to a local herbalist could turn tragic.

The mother of four and a resident of Arambe village in Migori district was taken by her husband to extract a bad tooth which though successful turned tragic later when her jaw started to swell.

“The incident happened 17 years ago when the local herbalist removed my tooth but later my lower jaw started to be painful before it started extending,” Rispa said while speaking painfully with the sound coming as though her jaws re clenched tightly.

The jaw which has now extended to the size of a hand ball makes her lower jaw to extend which apart from being painful is making it hard for her to eat and perform her chores.

“I have been surviving on fluids since last year when the pain increased as I cannot chew on solid foods due to my swollen jaw. My life has been slowed due to stigmatisation and I wish to start afresh after all these  years” Rispa says.

According to Rispa’s health records, her lower jaw needs reconstruction because it has extended and swelled. This has reduced the activity of her jaw and movement of her teeth.

“I have visited several hospitals for re-construction and Kenyatta Nation Hospital has agreed but the cost  is way too high for me. I was first referred from Migori, to Homa Bay and then Kisumu hospitals before finally I was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital” she says.

Her last stop was KNH where after a scan she was told that to get a mandibular reconstruction operation she needs to pay Sh200,000 to remove the swollen lower jaw.

Meanwhile, Rispa has been forced to beg for hand outs from the public to try and raise the amount. About a month ago through her youth group at her local Seventh Day Adventist Church she has launched a CD to try to raise the amount.

“Rispa has gone through much stigmatization and have been moving from hospital to hospital to have her jaw reconstructed to no avail, we have seen her condition deteriorating from two years ago and we launched the CD,” Pastor John Obunga Oyaro of Arambe SDA said.

The gospel album, Jasamaria Mang’uon, which has four gospel tracks sang by youths in the church and pictures of Rispa retails for Ksh100.

The church and Rispa call for well-wishers to come forward and help materially, financially and emotionally to get treated for her treatment by funding the crucial the crucial surgery.

Her pastor says they have opened an account 0124508384800, National Bank- Migori Branch where well-wishers can pay directly

©Manuel Odeny, 2012

Winfred Lichuma, Gender Commission chairperson supports Marriage Bill 2012

Wilfred Lichuma

The chairperson of the newly formed National Gender and Equality Commission Winfred Lichuma has supported the Marriage Bill 2012 calling it a positive direction to level the ground for matrimonial engagement.

Lichuma says bill will radically shape the family institution once parliament passes it. She added the bill will secure and define rights of spouses in the context of marriage institution saying the.

“With the proposed law victims will have a recourse backed by law to enable them settle in an environment that is safe, hospital and nurturing,” Lichuma said in a speech read by the commission’s CEO Rose Odhiambo.

“I urge all Kenyans engaging in public debate over the bill to do so with sobriety and I urge MPs to pass the law which is good for us all,”Lichuma added.

Sharing the same sentiments Odhiambo said the call to remove dowry in marriage is positive as it’s blamed for cattle rustling and gender violence as women are equated to property.

The commissioners called on civic bodies and the public to be involved in sensitization programs to read the new constitution which secures gender and equality rights for youths, persons with disabilities, minority and marginalized groups.

“All Kenyans irrespective of their gender, age, tribe and sex should be treated with human dignity as stipulated in the constitution,” Odhiambo said.

The commissioners was addressing residents, public administrators, police officers, paralegals and women at a local hotel in Migori town during the launch of baseline report Elusive Justice: Women’s Experience in the formal and informal justice systems that was carried out in Migori county.

The research was carried out by Foundation for Women’s Rights in Kenya (FWRK).

© Manuel Odeny, 2012

I only have one wife- Machage

Kuria Member of Parliament and Roads Assistant Minister Dr Wilfred Machage has said he has only one wife and hasn’t divorced her as claimed in a section of the media.

Machage who was speaking when he hosted Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka in his back yard during his two day campaign which ended on Friday termed the allegations as false and planted by his political adversaries.

“I have only one wife and I have not divorced her for anybody and the unfounded claims are set to tarnish my name by detractors,” Machage said during a rally at Kegonga area in Kuria.

During the visit by the VP, Machage’s wife was at their rural home to welcome the visitors.

Machage’s statement comes after it was written online that he had divorced his wife and is planning to marry former Royal Media Services reporter Angela Boke who now works for a local NGO in Migori County.

Machage added that Kenyans should not pay attention to the claims which are un-founded and lack credibility as he only has one wife saying his political detratcors might have instigated the rumours.

Locals say the claim has been politically instigated as Boke is the sister of Dennitah Ghati a Women Representative aspirant in Migori County on an ODM ticket and is set to tarnish her image and Machage’s reputation among electorates.

Gold: Mining made easier as miners cash in on simple stone crusher

Mined ore next to the simple ore crusher at Macalder mines, Migori County

Gold mining is not a simple job, especially when it involves using rudimentary methods to get the precious mineral.

For the miners at the Macalder Mines in Migori, it has taken days on end, at times weeks to crush an ore. However, those who have seen the miners suffering have thought out ways of helping them and developed a simple ore crusher that has now made their work easy.

The crusher comes as a big reprieve to the miners who have been extracting the gem stone manually, incurring huge losses and wasting too much time.

“It used to take up to two days for miners to crush their ore manually in the energy sucking process, but after the ore crusher was introduced there is ease in gold extraction,” says

George Odhiambo, an official with the Migori County Association of Miners.

Odhiambo notes that the crusher has been replicated in other areas of Nyanza such as Rongo, Kuria and Rachuonyo districts.

Equally, with the ore crusher, the number of miners has gone up with more women opting for the occupation which was previously male dominated.

Ore

At the mines Jacinta Auma, a 30 year widow with four children, spreads her five basins of ore next to the crusher. Auma wakes up at 5am to transport the ore which takes her two days to collect.

Initially she would carry the ore on her head as she could not afford to pay the KSh100 charged for transportation using a donkey but says with the ore crusher has made her work easier as she is sure to get her gold and sell it by evening.

“Work has been simplified since we started using the crusher. With these five basins I expect about 0.3g of fine gold which will earn me about KSh750,” explains Auma.

Auma opted to invest in a stone crusher after her husband who was miner and the sole bread winner was diagnosed with Tuberculosis in 2007 and bed ridden for three years.

Assets

“We started mining in the hope that he would recover, but he eventually became paralysed and we decided to dispose of some of the family assets to buy a crusher which now has been our major source of income,” says Auma said, adding their children are also now going to school.

The first ore crusher was introduced shortly after eight members of the Migori County Association of Miners attended workshops in Zambia and South Africa, which are renowned mining economies in Africa, to learn about best practices in mining.

“After the training, we received funding to educate miners in the area on how to assemble the simple ore crusher after which we gave out a few for trial in the mines,” explains Odhiambo.

The ore crusher has helped to fill the void in the market, as locals take a lead in making them. At the moment, the crusher has been a successful venture that allows for greater prospecting in the area.

“The ore crusher is also a source of revenue for locals who want to make money by offering crushing services,” observes Odhiambo.

The ore crusher shows how other brands like Wrangler Jeans and Boots which came with the gold rush in United States are tough even though they didn’t look for gold directly.

To get a crusher one needs around KSh350,000. What one needs is a China made diesel engine which rotates a locally assembled motor with specially placed 350-500 steel balls each weighing about 205kg to crush the ore like a posho mill.

“The steel balls are contained in a locally fabricated steel container with an opening to allow for the ore to be placed and crushed into fine powder within 30-45 minutes,” explains Odhiambo.

He notes that a water tank constructed near the crushers help in cooling the machine so it does not over heating as the water circulates within the steel balls.

Since the money needed to assemble a crusher is not little, those who own it charge a fee so the miners can crush their rocks.

Clinton Oballa who owns a crusher charges about KSh70 for a basin of ore with a single session taking up to 7 basins which in a good week gives him something close to KSh5,000 before deducting the cost of running the machine

All rights reserved © 2012

Politics: Why Kuria will be a launch pad to enter ODM Luo Nyanza turf

Ndaragwa MP Jeremaih Kioni, the introduces UDF presidential aspirant Musalia Mudavadi at Mabera when the party opened it's county offices.

Since their inclusion into Migori County the Kuria community, a minority tribe according to numbers has enjoyed a lot of national political activity with the run up of the coming elections.

The palpable fear within the community of being locked out by majority luo tribe within the county has seen some leaders, including the current MP and Assistant Roads Minister Wilfred Machage, to unanimously vote for NO during the past referendum and some to request Kuria to be joined in Rift Valley.

This fear coupled with the versatility of the tribe in voting for their leaders in line with their respective clans of; Bakira, Abagumbe, Nyabasi and Burege have seen chosing candidates from their clans irrespective of the party.

“The Kuria area in both East and West districts have 33 councilors with ODM being strong in the county having 11 with the rest divided between the score of PNU affiliate parties, Kanu and even Kenya Social Congress, a party associated with Mukaru Ng’ang’a having a civic seat” Tobias Range the Kehancha mayor explains.

Range says this dynamic politics makes it hard to predict the voting outcome of the Kuria area which within Nyanza bloc in the 2007 general elections gave President Mwai Kibaki 23,000 votes against PM Raila Odinga’s 19,000 votes.

Now with this versatility national parties with a keen interest to try to log out ODM’s grip from South Nyanza are using Kuria and Kisii area as a launching pad to infiltrate within Luo Nyanza which are hard to convince to get another party.

“The areas of Homa Bay and Migori counties are seen as hardcore ODM zones which has made politicians seeking to open their county offices in Migori to meet the IEBC guidelines to do so in Kuria which together with Kisii area may be instrumental in campaigning in Southern Nyanza” Patrice Musabi the Siabai councilor in Kuria East says.

To show the potential of the area, within the past two months the area have been a flurry of activities with New Ford Kenya presidential aspirants Eugene Wamalwa and United Democratic Front’s Musalia Mudavadi; and Kanu chairman Gideon Moi having a extensive road campaign in Kuria while giving a wide berth Luo section of Migori county.

Within this period UDF opened their county offices at Mabera town where Mudavadi was made a Kuria elder and christened ‘Mwita Chacha’, New Ford Kenya opened county offices at Isebania town while Kanu which has its National Vice Chairman and Kuria East legislative aspirants Shadrack Manga, who is also a former MP, opening two offices in Kehancha and Ntimaru towns.

This follows prior opening at Kehancha of Kalonzo Musyoka’s Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya county offices and ODM Kuria branch offices with the activities expected to hot up with the run up to next general elections.

“With the demand by constitution to get at least 5% of votes in each counties there is a possibility of Kuria being an alternative in Migori County as a launching pad for parties hungry for votes in ODM turf to use it as a major base to campaign within the area” Thomas Mwita Maeta ward Kanu councilor and ward respective aspirant in next election explains.

Additionally internecine rivalry within the clans brought by cattle rustling and frequent war for land and posts can also be used by politicians to get their party officials to be elected irrespective of the party as long as they get the right member of the clan to stand.

But ODM sensing this loophole has resorted to ‘soft-politics’ of embracing the Kuria community within the county as neighbours brought together by the new county offices.

“We have an office in Kehancha specifically for Kuria region and also our county chairman John Meng’anyi Magaiwa is from Kuria, a post he took in the grass roots elections even when some politicians wanted to field a luo for the post” Joseph Olala the ODM county secretary says.

There have been options within local ODM party members to give an ‘acclamation ticket’ between the majority Luo and minority Kuria which fear being with elections being just a rubber stamp for their choice

Farmers benefit from bamboo farming as a new cash cow

Millicent Atieno tending to her Bamboo groove at Kadika Village, Migori County   

A group of bamboo farmers in Kadika Village of Migori County are reaping major benefits after veering away from the common tobacco and sugarcane farming in the area.

The about 80 farmers who benefited from an initiative by Maseno University which gave them 30 seedlings each a decade ago now boast of a steady income and are safe from health risk from tobacco curing and smoking which causes TB and makes children to be smokers when they grow up.

In addition the farmers are now avoiding the long queues and delays they had to be content with to get their pay from tobacco and sugarcane firms in the area.

Among the farmers who started with only a quarter an acre when approached is Mrs. Millicent Atieno who has so far increased her area to 5 acres after getting the befit of bamboo farming.

“I started harvesting my bamboos after two years and haven’t stopped ever since which gives me a steady income, a shoot can give up to 200 suckers in one hole and can be used in different stages and functions” Atieno says.

 “When the shoots are young they only require minimal tendering as the leaves that fall at the base of the bamboo grooves act as a herbicide and mulch which goes on to retain moisture and preserve the soil” she adds.

The farmers are now turning the venture on a full scale basis as they benefit from making furniture, buildings, firewood and twigs and trunks used to make ornaments and sandals.

A bamboo yacht from the group

“Right now I’m sitting on a chair and using a table made of bamboo with my house having structures from bamboo. Apart from making ornaments to sell in the market, I have a steady supply of firewood and charcoal in my homestead which i also sell to my neighbours” she adds.

When the farmers started harvesting the bamboos they came together to help cut out middle men who were exploiting them and help give value to their products.

Under the Kadika Bamboo Sacco, the farmers have established a workshop at the village which is only four kilometres from Migori town to make out finished products, look for the market and offer advise with the farmers getting 90% if the income with the remaining being ploughed back into running the Sacco.

The Sacco makes trays for display which sell at Sh250, office pens and mobile holder for Sh200, yacht for Sh250, Sh1,200 tables, chairs for Sh650 among other products.

“From these proceeds we have managed to employ 5 artisans and sales people who are helping us with turning finishing the products and get the bamboos directly from farmers” Mr. Ezekiel  Onganjo, a farmer who also the manger at the Sacco says.

Ongajo adds that the Sacco runs a tree nursery of the three species of bamboo with the giant specie mainly used for making building and chairs going for Sh250 while bambusa and vulgaria going for Sh150.

“The sales from these seedling is high as it surpasses eucalyptus which seedlings which are sold at Sh2 and grows three times with easy propagating as only a shoot can producer over 200 suckers” he says.

“The roots of the giant and bambusa species are also used as tubers as food and vegetables. With the most buyers being from Chinese and Korean constructors in the county involved in water and infrastructure projects” he adds.

Mr. Zabedeus Nyamari, the Migori county forest officer has lauded the group and calls on Kenyans to take bamboo farming seriously to help reach the 10% forest cover in the country as envisioned in Vision 2030 and Millennium Development Goals, MDGs.

Bamboo chairs from the group

“Bamboo has the ability to absorb up to 12 tonnes of carbon for every hectare which makes it ideal for reducing the effects of global warming in the world. Sadly for over 150,000 hectares of 22 species of bamboo in the country, 95% are protected in government forestes which gives the number in farmers’ hand to be very little even with this huge benefits” Mr. Nyamari says.

In Africa Ethiopia leads with over 1 million hectares of the plant while China is the biggest producer in the world at 80% with 60% consumed internally. This shows how far Kenya is placed in the bamboo industry is globally worth $11 billion annually and sustains over 1.5 billion people according to figures obtained from the International Network for Bamboo and Rattan (INBAR).

©Manuel Odeny 2012

Burning Lens: A man crossing flooded River Migori using a boat

A man crossing flooded River Migori using a boat

Burning Lens: Father and son crossing a bridge over River Migori

A father encouraging his son as they cross a bridge over Migori river. Manuel Odeny/The Burning Splint

A father encourage his son as they cross a foot bridge over Migori River in Migori County. Manuel Odeny/The Burning Splint

How moonlight VCT helps Curb HIV/AIDS infection in South Nyanza, Kenya

Counselors waiting clients at a moonlight VCT in North Eastern parts of Kenya. The same has been carried out in Migori County.

By Manuel Odeny/KNA

24th February 2009 (March 2009 issue of The Eye)

About 2,000 residents of Migori district have benefited from moonlight VCT services carried out in three centers; Migori Town, Lwanda Konyango and Muhuru-Bay.

The Moonlight services mainly targets prostitutes and truck drivers on Kenya-Tanzania highway because of their high risk behaviors. Additionally, fishermen also benefited by knowing their HIV/AIDS status.

A total of 1960 clients were tested and counseled with only 245 of them testing positive placing the prevalence rate at 14%.

The moonlight VCT which started on May this year operated from early evening to 10pm with aid from the Community Habitant Funding (CFH) under the USAID and Maanisha initiative of AMREF.

Speaking to KNA Dickens Owuor a counselor said they targeted the clients since they were busy during the day and rested at night while commercial sex workers were readily available at night.

“Government administrators like police and chiefs offering security to counselors were also tested and counseled” Said Mr. Owuor

On the other hand couples busy during the day also preferred the night counseling to avoid stigmatization.

“This high number of couples attending the night time VCT will help reduce the high prevalence rate among married couples as experienced today” said Valoriance Odhiambo a counselor.

 “For the fight against HIV/AIDS to be managed working formulas like this have to be continued and replicated countrywide” said Owuor.

Last year of 23,173 clients tested in the three centers the number of males was higher than females with 867. The prevalence rate was higher in females at 24% which was 10% more than males.

The general district prevalence rate was 18%.

Former Legislature, Hon. Ochilo Ayacko(Rongo) wins a libel case

Hon Ochillo Ayacko (2nd L) with President Kibaki as Sports minister

Two journalists have been found guilty by a Migori law court for defaming a former Rongo legislator.

Kisumu City based freelance scribes, Jeff Otieno and Leo Odera Omolo, penname Arrum Tidi were charged alongside a politician Philip Mkabong'o and a high school principal Kaunda Ogweno, with printing, writing and publishing defamatory matters concerning former sports minister Hon. Ochillo Ayacko.

The libelous articles were posted by the journalists on a website, www.jaluo.com, between 15th and 24th of August last year.

The first article: Amorous MP caught red handed with somebody's wife in bed was posted on 15th by Leo Odera, 73, who writes for Citizen Weekly and contributes to several websites. Mr. Odera has reported since 1957 for the Standard Group, Nation Media Group and the BBC before retiring.

Jeff Otieno tried to extort money from Hon. Ayacko before going online on 17th of with the second article: New information emerges on MP caught in the act with somebody's wife. the article read in part: the youthful MP from the larger southern Nyanza district, who is also a lawyer by profession, escaped the wrath of enraged villagers...when he was caught in the wee hours of the night making love to a woman"

The last article was a rejoinder by Leo Odera on 24the where he circulated a personal letter by the principal Mr. Kaunda.

Passing the judgment on Monday 27th last month the senior Principal Magistrate Ezra Awino of Migori law courts acquitted Mr. Kaunda because the letter was sealed and not intended for libel.

Philip Makabong'o was fined Ksh. 50,000 or 6 months imprisonment for spreading the articles during a funeral.

The journalist, Jeff Otieno was fined Ksh. 50,000 or six months imprisonment while Leo Odera was fined Ksh. 80,000 or a year imprisonment.