Bunge la Mwananchi

Report from Unga Revolution committee visit in, Taita Taveta County on the right to food and Access to National resources on 14/06/2011

        Members of the Unga revolution committee in Nairobi received invitation of solidarity  from Taita taveta community leaders to visit there area on the violations of their  rights to food by increasing number of elephants from Kenya wildlife service  that stray from the Tsavo   National park  during every  planting and harvesting seasons and destroying acres of mature crops from the peasants farmers who depend on this farming for their livelihood, this  destruction of their livelihood by elephants from KWS  has made them to depend on the unaffordable maize flour that is costing Ksh 160 per  2kg ,in the local shops  and government relief food that is used by the local political class  to manipulate the resident of the Taita  Taveta county during election  . The systematic destruction of the maize crops during this season has exposed the said peasants farmers in Taveta  to food insecurity  and hunger  this year which is gross violation of the   their constitutional right to food that in anchored in the constitution  in article 43, on the right to food and protection of livelihood  which is part of the Unga revolution countrywide  campaign, for the government to implement the its obligation as spelt out in the constitution.

  Taita Taveta county is embodiment of neo- colonial poverty, that is obscured by large scale sisal estate plantation and animal  Ranch that cover an   area of  4,073km  and the Tsavo National park   which occupies the largest area 10,539 km from 16,975km , with remaining small part being habited by the Taita –Taveta county population people of  300,000 people in the four constituency  named  Taveta , Wundayi , Mwatate , and Voi., which make  Taita –Taveta  whole as County.

The history of this exploitation dates to the first and second world war when the British settler soldier were settled in Taita Taveta, then followed by Kenyatta regime , that extended   undemocratic controll and exploitation  of the land in Taita Taveta and the National Resources , The former MP of the area  Basil  Criticos  and the Kenyatta family  own the  70 percent  of the Land in Taveta , which  was  intialialy owned by Colonial settler Col  Grogon as retirement package from the British Colonial government in 1930 , But in 1959 the Land was acquired by  Basils Criticos  father who turned it to sisal estate.  When in1971 Kenyatta acquired 24000 of acres adjacent to Basil Criticos  estate  using the British  government Funds, where the Kenyatta family today owns the mines in Taita Taveta, with the local ruling  political class.  

    The economic  disempowerment  and marginalization of the people of the Taita- Taveta and systematic destruction of their livelihood by Kenya wildlife’s services elephants every year,which undermine their right to food and threat by Coalition government to settle large number of  the 2007 post election  violence    internally displaced people (IDP) in the area,   has promoted the  community  leaders of Taita –Taveta council of elders ( Waghosi wa Isanga ),  and the  local councilors   to seek  solidarity  with the unga revolution movement  in demanding the government and the Magemement of the Kenya Widlifes services to account on the gross violation of human rights to  the people of Taita- Taveta, especially the right to food and access to national resources as in the constitution.

   The resident of Mwaktau Location, Mwatate Constituency took to the street early June to demand accountability from the Kenya wildilfes service management and number of the villagers were injured by the Kenya police at  Voi- Taveta road,  in violations of  their constitutional   rights  to assemble, picket  and petition authorities , this happened   on 3^rd  June  2011 while conducting a non-violent  protest action of the sit-in at Voi –Taveta road to pressure the government and the KWs to take action on  the systematic destruction of their livelihoods.

Mr Alfan Mborioa community leader and  Waghosi  wa Isaga council of elders   who hosted the Unga revolution committee from Nairobi, in assessing the impact and damage caused by the  elephants informed the team the school  attendance in Mwakitau  and Mwashuma  areas  classes were affected because of the fear of the pupils being attached by the said elephants while going to the schools in  the morning and the evening  while going back home. Which also is compounded by hunger.

Action that was to be taken by the Unga Revolution committee in Nairobi and  Taita Taveta Community leaders  local CouncillorsWaghosi Wa  Isanga elders  and the peasants farmers in the area.

1. Documentation of the destruction of the crops and affected people and the  number of plots  in  all areas within Taita taveta  county , that border the Tsavo national park.
2. Community participatory in social audit on the Kenya wildlife service in the Taita –Taveta County, Tsavo National park on the violation of right to food and access to national resources by the people of Taita Taveta.
3. Instituting a classic legal action case against the Kenya government and Kenya wildlife service on the violations of right to food and destruction of property in the area.
4. That the government should not settle 2007 post election victims (IDP) in the area because it amount to gross human rights violations  and historicsal injustice to  the people of Taita- Taveta who were originally displaced and rendered  landless  in the Taita-Taveta area by Britist  colonial govermemt and subsequent government of Kenyatta Moi  and Kibaki regime.

 Unga Revolution team with residents and teachers  of Mwakitau Secondary school in Taita Taveta.

5. Petition the government and Kenya Wildlife service under the Article 37 of the constitution to compensate and pay damages on the said victims of right to food, and respect the constitutional right to food as anchored in the constitution of Kenya.
6. Participation of the affected people in the decision making processes, in order to identify the real needs of the right to food are responded to effectively and all victims of the right to food affected are compensated.
7. The residents affected were to make a delegation to Kenya wildlife service headquarters to petition the KWS director Dr. Julias Kipngetich on the said human rights violations.
8. The team were to  advance the Saba saba(7/7/2011) commemoration in the respect to right to food by petitioning  authorities in picketing , organizing  sit in  and rallies  in the governments offices to demand accountability  and respect of our  rights as stipulated in the new constitution.

Reports By Unga Revolution Committee.

1. Francis Sakwa, Unga Revolution Mathare Committee
2. James Kamau (Jemu ) Unga Revolution Mukuru Committee
3. Vincent Madegwa Kidaha  Unga Revolution Kibera Committee
4. Cidi Otieno  - Convener Unga Revolution
5. Gacheke Gachihi  Convener Bunge La Mwananchi social movement

Blog.  Ungarevolution.blogspot.com

Email, ungarevolution@gmail.com

Twitter. ungarevolution

Cellphone. +254721609699

Gacheke Gachihi: Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroo...

Gacheke Gachihi: Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroo...: "Homage to the late Comrade Jacob Odipo, a grassroots community organizer and memberBunge La Mwananchi movement . On Saturday 13 th /11/2..."

Unga Revolution National Anthem and Wimbo wa Mapambano Every day at 1pm Harambee Avenue,