Kisite Island is public land, says Swazuri

Kisite Island, Swiss investor Alessandro Torriani has advertised to sell it at Sh1.5 billion. Photo/Elkana Jacob

Tuesday, April 30, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

NATIONAL Land Commission chairperson Mohamed Swazuri over the weekend toured the disputed Kisite island in the South Coast to establish its ownership.
A foreign investor of Swiss origin, Alessandro Torrian, had advertised the island for sale, sparking an uproar among tourism players and residents.
Torrian had offered the park for Sh1.5 billion after claiming ownership of the park under a 99-year leasehold title which had been converted from freehold status. The island is 40km from Ukunda islands and is 39 square kilometres in size.
Speaking to the Star, Swazuri said the commission has established that the land is still a gazetted national park under a notice dated 1973. “We have found out that the land is a public land and no one can purchase protected land under gazette notice,” he said.
He said he initially met the investor who showed him titles to the piece of land before consulting the Kenya Wildlife Service officials. KWS and Torrian are in an ownership dispute.
“He showed us the documents but there might have been foul play because no one can engage in transacting a public owned national park,” he said. He said KWS provided a gazette notice of 1973 which established the park as public land.
Swazuri said he will convene another meeting with the investor to establish if he has a de-gazettement notice which would have allowed him to purchase the land.
“A piece of land which has been initially gazetted can only be sold if the government de-gazettes it,” he said. The Kisite Mpunguti island has been at the centre of controversy after the Kwale county government levied a one USD (about Sh85) fee to all tourists visiting the site.
The county added the levy as part of a USD 20 (Sh1,680) revenue target by KWS from February this year. The fee has sparked uproar from stakeholders in the sector.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118812/kisite-island-public-land-says-swazuri

Joho unveils a Sh22 billion budget

Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho during the campaign trails. Photo/Elkana Jacob

Monday, April 29, 2013 - 00:00 -- CHARLES MGHENYI
MOMBASA governor Hassan Joho at the weekend unveiled a Sh22.3 billion budget for the financial year 2013-14. Speaking during the function at the Mombasa Women Social Hall, Joho said his government wants to develop Mombasa.
“We have to ensure that parts like Mwakirunge develop at the same pace like the Central Business District,” he said. The 9-point budget focused on development, education, drug abuse, health and infrastructure.
Sh500 million was set aside to fight drug abuse and building of rehabilitation centres. The governor said they will have a special focus on the tourism sector which is the pillar in the county's economy.
“We have set aside Sh1.6 billion for the tourism sector which plays a major role in our economy,” said Joho. “We are going to brand Mombasa as the best tourist destination in the East Africa and reclaim our lost glory.”
The budget provided for lighting Mombasa and opening of the Southern and Northern corridors to decongest the heavy traffic. Joho said the Central Government will help fund the Dongo Kundu and Changamwe-Mshomoroni bypasses to reduce traffic jam.
He said the two projects wwill cost approximately Sh30 billion which is not part of the county's budget. Joho saidthe county has received Sh4.6 billion from the central government and Sh3.7 billion from the local revenue collected.
The county budget estimates has a deficit of about Sh13.2 billion. The governor asked debtors to pay up so that the county government can run smoothly. “We welcome donors and investors to support us in developing Mombasa,” Joho said.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118678/joho-unveils-sh22-billion-budget

Beware of Dengue fever, Kemri warns

 

A patient admitted at the coast General hospital. Photo/ file

Saturday, April 27, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
MORE than 140 cases of the Dengue fever have been reported in Mombasa county, according to a report by Kenya Medical Research Institute.
Speaking during a breakfast meeting yesterday, Kemfri indicated 58 out of 143 cases reported tested positive. Abdinoor Mohamed, a Kemfri researcher, said the cases are evenly distributed across the county. He said they are working on a way to eradicate it.
“The fever has no treatment or vaccination. The only treatment is securing the breeding grounds for the mosquitoes,” Mohamed said. He said it is the second case of the fever outbreak reported in the country since 1982 and they are still investigating the cause.
The researcher said the results of 34 tests are still pending. According to the report, no one has succumbed due to the fever. “Our doctors are ensuring that the disease is contained. No patient has died from the fever,” said Mohamed. However, a doctor from Mombasa Hospital at the meeting said a person suspected to have the disease died three days ago.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118548/beware-dengue-fever-kemri-warns

Kwale governor to name county cabinet

Kwale county Governor Salim Mvurya centre  during the official opening of the SME training in Kwale. Photo/ Charles Mghenyi

THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

KWALE governor Salim Mvurya is set to unveil his cabinet on tomorow. Speaking during the launch of small and micro-enterprise training at the Kwale school of government yesterday, Mvurya said they will have ministries with a special focus on development.

“We will have a Ministry of Trade and Investment in our cabinet. This will ensure the region develops in the business sector,” he said. The governor said Kwale has a lot of natural resources which need to be tapped to benefit the residents.

He said the Trade and Investment ministry will focus on the region's resources and will involve citizens in making the county successful. “We have been going round the county wards collecting information on what we should focus on in our budget,” Mvurya said.

He said the residents undergoing the SME training will be given loans to start the businesses. The governor said he is looking forward for the President's pledge to use the Sh6 billion set aside for an election run-off to also benefit the women and youth in Kwale. The county has been ranked among the poorest.

“We want to eradicate poverty in Kwale by ensuring public funds are well budgeted for and spent accordingly,” he said. The Coast Development Authority managing director James Kahindi Maingi said the training project will enhance the standards of living of the residents.

http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118198/kwale-governor-name-county-cabinet

Task force head to Kwale, Kilifi

Residents demonstrating over land grabbing in coast. Photo/file

Wednesday, April 24, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

The grievances task force which had its first public hearing in Mombasa at the weekend is scheduled to hold others in Kwale and Kilifi. Joseph Kibwana, the chair of the committee, said they are working on the venues of the two public hearings.
 Speaking to the Star, Kibwana said they are working closely with the county governments. He said they will communicate the venues in newspapers and radio stations.
“We will be having the next meetings on May 4 in Kwale and Kilifi counties running simultaneous in a bid to save time,” he said on phone. He said the Kwale meeting is open to everyone including the Mombasa Republican Council representatives.
“Our MRC brothers should not shy away from the hearings so that their grievances can be heard and addressed,” he said. The chairman wants the sessions to be interactive.
 The task force will then travel to Tana River, Lamu and wind up with Taita Taveta county to meet the locals over the historical injustices they have undergone.
 http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-118036/task-force-head-kwale-kilifi

Dockers back MP's demand

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI
THE Dock Workers Union have backed the MPs in their push for salary increment. In a statement to the press, the union general secretary Simon Sang said the Salaries and Remuneration Commission should create a dialogue with labour experts to see when the salaries should be cut.
 “The only situation where salaries are cut is where a balance sheet of an organization is red and there are indications that recovery will take some time,” he said in the statement.
 Sang said the commission should not cut salaries but bridge the gap between the highest paid and the lowest. He said they support the decision by COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli that SRC's move to cut the MPs' salaries is not justified.
“They should consider the Akiwumi Report of 2006 which indicated the magnitude and responsibility of the the legislators,” he said. “SRC should not use their constitutional protection to suppress the right of the employees including parliamentarians. International labour practise demand that an employer cannot reduce any benefit that have been enjoyed for more than six months.”
 MPs have been in a tussle with SRC over salaries after their Sh851,000 per month was cut down to Sh555,696 and now the maximum pay an MP can earn is pegged at Sh740,927.
 President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his official parliament opening speech, said the MPs should consider the wage bill which stands at 12 per cent beyond the seven per cent internationally required standard.
 Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi caused an uproar from the public and civil societies when he openly defended the MPs’ bid to demand for salaries, threatening to disband it.
 http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-117844/dockers-back-mps-demand

Kibwana group starts session

Monday, April 22, 2013 - 00:00 -- BY CHARLES MGHENYI

The task force appointed by Raila Odinga to address coast grievances had its first public hearing at Bandari college in Mombasa at the weekend. The chairman of the committee former retired chief of general staff, Joseph Kibwana said they will go round all the six counties to conduct the hearings.
Speaking to the press on the sidelines of the function, Kibwana said they have conducted a series of meetings with historians at the coast to understand the historical injustices of the natives.
“We have done several internal meetings, collected data from previous task force formed and archives to come up with concrete solutions,” he said. The chairman said they will engage the Mombasa Republican Council members in their talks to understand their grievances and ways of solving them.
“MRC problems represent the coastal people plights,we need to hear from them and come up with permanent solution,” he said. Kibwana said they have three more months to compile their report and might ask for an extension if they are unable to work within the time limit.
The team will now report to the Deputy President as per the new constitution. “The commission has been housed under the Deputy President's office, and we can confidently say our future is bright because of the support given,” he said.
The team is tasked with the responsibility to develop a road map and implementation plan for its recommendations. In a gazette notice issued on December 7 last year, the team is required to review the socio-economic and political development, against the aspirations of Vision 2030.
http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-117667/kibwana-group-starts-session