The office of mca, Ngong ward is searching for the owner of a container which was found dumped, at a road reserve this morning next to Chiefs Office, Ngong Town. The businesses operating nearby said they found the container there when they reported to work. They suspect it was dumped last night.
In mid 2016, there was a major demonstration called by residents of Oloolua and Ngong ward over employment opportunities. The residents were requesting to be given 70% share of all jobs in the SGR project. The youth marched towards the SGR site in Vet farm, chanting “haki yetu”. They blocked the exit road with rocks, forcing a few trucks transporting ballast to turn back.
Allegations
The protesting youth had alleged workers were being brought from other areas denying them opportunities to work. The second allegation was that, one had to pay cash to a few corrupt individuals to secure a job.
Communication Barrier
The protesters arrived at the site office and demanded an audience with the manager. The manager was not in and the only representative on site could not speak in English or Kiswahilli. Luckily Oloolua ward 2017 general elections Mca aspirant Bryan Sekento who speaks mandarin was able to translate for both sides.
As Sekento was translating, the site administration police officers led by an officer identified as Ruto acted very professional. The officers deescalated the situation by keeping their calm at a safe distance and allowed the agitated youth to air their grievances peacefully.
Sekento told the youth the Chinese bosses were on their way to the site. Some of the youth suggested complete shut down of operations on the site to force the Chinese bosses to come to the site faster. Shortly after, riot police arrived under the command of Ngong OC Crime Martin Fwaba. The youth declared they would not move anywhere until their demands were met.
The police surrounded the demonstrators fully armed with tear gas, ‘rungus’ and guns. The OC Crime did something special by allowing the politicians and the protesters to air their grievances uninterrupted. Finally, the protesters agreed to appoint a few people who will dialogue on their behalf. One by one the protesters walked away.
Peaceful demonstrators beaten
Earlier this year, when SGR construction started along Kangawa Road, allegations of workers being ferried by buses every morning from Rongai at the expense of local youth gained momentum. A few days later a group of youth assembled at the Kangawa site near drive 18 and demanded to have an audience with the site management.
The human resource team arrived accompanied by about 8 police officers armed with the dreaded rungu’s and guns. Some of the youth got scared and fled as the police officers approached them, but the majority remained. The police without giving the youth an opportunity to express themselves started beating them with rungus. One woman was hit so hard the rungu broke into pieces. The youth ran off chased by the officers. Our reporter spoke to a few of the youth a day later and they expressed bitterness towards the police and the SGR contractors.
Give dialogue a chance
The police should always embrace the tactics of OC crime Martin Fwaba, Officer Ruto and their team of officers who were facing a larger and more agitated group of protesters right in the SGR site but chose dialogue to calm the situation. Everyone went home safely that day. There were no more demonstrations in the remaining period of 2016 and 2017.
The SGR project is expected to pick up pace in the next few months. There are still allegations of local youth getting a raw deal when it comes to employment. There was a planned demonstration on Thursday 5th April 2018 along Kangawa Road to highlight the issue. The demonstration was called off.
Give local youth jobs
Regardless of who is right or wrong, dialogue must remain as the first option. Beating already demotivated youth will only sow the seed of bitterness. The SGR contractor should work with local leaders to ensure local youth are given first priority in employment opportunities as mandated by the constitution.
Kajiado Senator Phillip Mpaayei on 4th april 2018 hosted people living with disability (PWDs), from across Kajiado County for lunch at Kokos Restaurant along Kiserian – Isinya Road. The senator was joined by Kajiado County Women Rep. Janet Teiyaa, Nominated Mca’s Lenana Ole Pulei and Josephine Sharrar.
Mpaayei promised to join hands with Teiyaa to ensure PWDs from Kajiado County gets an audience with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Mr manyonge who represented The National Council Of People Living With Disability (NCPWD) together with Mr. Alex Munyere, said there is a lack of Youth polytechnics suitable to host PWDs and lack of information for those living with disability. Several people during the event raised concerns over the welfare of parents who have disabled children.
Other issues which were raised included; difficulties PWDs face in acquiring Disability ID card and high cost of maintaining NHIF payments due to lack of employment opportunities for PWDs.
Kajiado women rep. Teiyaa said there are funds available for parents of children with disability which can be applied through her office on condition one has a disability ID card.
Nominated Mca Pulei Ole Lenana requested the senator to negotiate with Kajiado County Governor Joseph Ole Lenku for the share of available opportunities in employment and tenders, on behalf of people living with disability within Kajiado County.
Partly burnt bodies of three unidentified men were discovered this morning at around 5am in three different locations within Oloolua Sub-Location. The faces were burnt beyond recognition. The discovery of the bodies was reported by Ngong Chief Kimemia according to Ngong OCPD George Sedah. One of the men killed was burnt using a car tyre, while the second man face was burnt using old clothes and plastics. The bodies were taken to city mortuary.
Most of the residents our reporter spoke to were not aware of the incidents while others were too scared to discuss anything for fear of repercussions. The motive why the three men were killed, burnt and their bodies dumped in three different locations is still a mystery. Ngong OCPD said investigations are ongoing.
A meeting to plan and initiate a campaign dubbed ‘SAVE ME I SAVE YOU’ was held last Thursday, 22nd March in Mathare ‘kwa maji’ to discuss resettlement of Ngong “Mathare” Slum dwellers. This followed a public participation meeting held at Ngong Youth Centre recently, where a petition by Ngong Slums Residents Association chaired by Ngong ward 2017 MCA aspirant Felix “Zipapa” Kariuki Githaiga was discussed, in the presence of Kajiado County Assembly Lands Committee. The petitions seeks resettlement of Ngong “Mathare” Slum dwellers.
Paul Supet who chaired last Thursdays meeting requested the office of the member of the county assembly, Ngong Ward, to organize a public meeting next week on Friday, 30th March 2018 at 2pm ‘kwa maji’ Mathare with the main agenda as follows:
• MCA office via Kajiado County Assembly to find out who are the members of Ngong Slums Residents Association and make it public during the meeting.
• A counter petition will be proposed.
• Association representatives to be elected.
• information on relocation plans be made available to those who will be affected.
Majority of those who attended the meeting were in support of the petition. Paul Supet however while rejecting the petition said “majority of Ngong Slums Residents Association members have rejected the petition and therefore it cannot represent their interest.”
In response to Supet’s objection, Felix “Zipapa” Kariuki said the Association is inclusive and it will look after the interest of all those residing in Mathare.
The office of the mca Ngong Ward was represented in the meeting by Mr Kwaka, Mr Muchiri and Mr Thiong’o.
Ngong Township Primary School together with the Office of Ngong MCA and some parents, have initiated a service to assist school children cross the busy Ngong Kiserian Road safely. The initiative came following the death of Master Bernard Njuguna, a pre-unit pupil at Ngong Township Primary School who was recently knocked by a motorist along the road.
Mr Lagat who is the Principle of Ngong Township Primary School told our reporter the deceased pupil was a bright and promising young boy. As a first measure to prevent such tragic incidents, Grace Wanjiru whose two boys are students at Ngong Township Primary School, was hired on temporary basis to supervise the road crossing near the tragic spot the late Bernard Njuguna lost his life .
Wanjiru told our reporter, students from Oloolua Primary School, Ngong Township Primary School, students from various private schools, out of school children and the elderly are all benefiting from her services.
“most of the drivers stop’s whenever she requests them to, unfortunately there is a minority of drivers who don’t stop.” Wanjiru said
Who is Paying Wanjiru?
The school is currently paying for the services of her service. Mr Lagat is however requesting for assistance since the school does not have the funds to sustain this very important service.
Ngong MCA Office Response
Responding to our query, Mr Muchiri on behalf of Ngong MCA Office said “the office of the MCA currently does not have any funds to pay for the services, but we will consider it in the next financial year”.
Mr Muchiri further said “as soon as the rainy season is over, zebra crossings will be marked at Zambia Road, Enchoro Emuny Primary School, near Bounty Hotel and Bondeni”
Appeal
Wanjiru is appealing for well wishers to donate a reflector or two, a rain coat, an umbrella and rain boots to make her work easier. She is currently assisting children from Mon-Friday: Mornings, Midday and Evenings. There are many dangerous road crossing spots for children especially in urban areas. If you wish to volunteer your time in helping children cross roads safely, kindly get in touch with Elveza Media on 0726072581.
A WEBSITE WHERE VOLUNTEERS AND THOSE REQUIRING VOLUNTEERS MEET
A newly launched community information website askmapengo.com is in the process of listing volunteers within Kajiado County. If you wish to volunteer in any field for example; coaching a local football youth team, helping school kids cross roads safely, assisting an upcoming drama group, visiting the elderly and many other community services, the website is offering the listing services absolutely free. The FREE listing offer is also open to other community organizations giving back to the community, groups, chamas, sports teams, CBO’S etc. To ensure the offer is not abused, terms and conditions will apply.
As others celebrate the rains, a section of Mathare residents in Ngong have been left counting loses following the heavy downpour earlier today. Some of those affected were John Musyoki, his wife Eunice Wairimu and their child. Their one roomed shelter got completely flooded. They removed all their valuables and moved to Eunice’s sister next door.
Eunice told our reporter that at around 8:30am, she managed to hold off flood water using a small gate fearing the water would have flooded her sister’s property. She requested two men who were passing by to assist her push the small gate against the flood water. She further said she was concerned over the safety of her elderly neighbor. Luckily after knocking at his door, the elderly neighbour wasn’t there.
Eunice and many other residents are concerned over toilets which keep overflowing whenever there is a heavy rainfall. This means in most cases the flood water may be contaminated with raw sewage. Some residents told our reporter, it’s by Gods grace cholera or other waterborne diseases have not erupted.
Most of the children did not go to school today due to safety concerns and the narrow paths in the slums proving impassable.
In 2016 a borehole was sunk in the land of Geoffrey Kariuki Mutungu through the ward development fund under the County Government of Kajiado. This followed a proposal by the Bulbul B residents who requested to have their own source of water. The Area Community Water Committee identified two locations in the area which were being sold. The first plot documents were in order but they were advised by experts the water in that area was salty. They opted for the second plot owned by Mr Geoffrey Kariuki Mutungu.
On 3rd June 2016, the Bulbul B water committee signed a contract agreeing to purchase Mr Kariuki’s plot which is an eighth for Ksh3.3 Million. The contract was signed on behalf of the community by Rev. James Wanjau, under the commissioner of Oath, Rumba Kinuthia and Co Advocates in Ngong. One year and 8 months later Mr Kariuki told our reporter he has not yet been paid his dues, and the land in which the borehole lies has been marked as part of the mandatory acquisition for the SGR project.
Mr Kariuki said “I agreed to sell the land to pay off a bank loan, but now the interest has gone up. The title deed is still under the custody of the bank”
Mr Kariuki further said he sold the land to the community having fully disclosed that the titled deed was under the custody of the bank.
He further said “any compensation by the sgr project should be made to me at the current market rate since I still own the land”
Rev. Wanjau responding to our query confirmed indeed the committee members were aware the title deed was held in the bank but they went ahead and agreed to buy Mr Kariuki’s plot because they were concerned the allocated funds, would have been returned to the treasury at the end of the financial year i.e 30th June 2016. Instead of the community loosing the project, they requested Mr Kariuki to allow them to sink the borehole as he awaited payment.
Rev. Wanjau further claimed the County Government does not pay for land without being in possession of a title deed.
During a recent meeting in Nkoroi, The National Lands Commission Chairman Dr Swazuri said Sgr project compensation money for land which is under community or family dispute will be put under the custody of Kenya Railways until when the dispute will be resolved.
The driver and passengers of the truck survived a scare when the truck lost control and fell into a trench last week on Friday afternoon along Magadi Rd near Kona Baridi. Luckily no one was injured.
For several mornings last week and this week, business owners near Ngong bus park and commuters have been tolerating suffocating smoke coming from the skips mean’t to assist them manage their waste. Ngong environment team told our reporter they have no idea who is setting the waste on fire very early in the morning and condemned the deplorable actions of whoever is doing that. Setting fire in the skips will damage the very much needed facility mean’t to keep our town clean.