Unga Revolution: Report on solidarity visit to Taita Taveta County

MONDAY, 20 JUNE 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 3rd 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 andKenya 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 SCHOOLIN TAITA TAVETA.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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: [email protected]
Twitter: ungarevolution
Cellphone: +254721609699

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* This article first appeared on Gacheke Gachihi’s blog.
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