News

19 August 2008

An update from Serah Munguti, Nature Kenya ...

Court case

The respondents to the court case (NEMA, TARDA, Tana River County Council, Commissioner of Lands, Mumias Sugar Company and Water Resources Management Authority) have not yet submitted their arguments to the High court.

Ramsar listing

On 30th July, the Kenya Wildlife Service convened a consultative workshop on the Tana Delta Ramsar Process, at the Silver Springs Hotel, Nairobi. Key stakeholders attended including NEMA, Fisheries Department, NGOs, local community reps etc. It was agreed that: (i) KWS take the lead in the process of getting the Delta listed as a Ramsar wetland (ii) a national steering committee was formed (iii) a similar workshop will be held at the Delta to guide the process on the ground (iv) there is need for an education and awareness campaign on the ground to sensitize local people on the Ramsar convention and the importance of getting the site listed. A similar campaign targeting key ministries and politicians will be conducted.

Advocacy

So far 2,609 people from 85 countries have sent 115,561 protest emails to the Kenya government and other recipients via the online petition. 

Nature Kenya continues to receive emails from members and other concerned individuals protesting to the NEMA Director General.

BirdLife campaign: 24th July 2008

ABO – Burundi, the national BirdLife Partner has written to NEMA on the Tana sugar project. The letter is copied to Mumias Sugar Company, TARDA, relevant ministries, UNEP, Ramsar, CMS, AMCEN, etc. Please find the letter attached. We thank ABO for their support and solidarity

Publicity

14th August 2008

  • NTV’s Gladys Mutiso interviewed Paul Matiku, on the Tana sugar project, and aired on Saturday 16thon NTV news at 9 p.m.

13th August 2008

  • The Standard, NEMA ordered to table report on Tana project. Mat International sued TARDA over an alleged breach of contract after TARDA abandoned a joint project for another agreement (TISP) with Mumias Sugar Company. Mat International wants to plant 80,000 hectares of sugarcane in Tana, Lamu and Ijaara Districts, next to the TISP project.

5th August 2008

  • Spanish, Korean, UK and freelance media have also come to us for more information with some articles in the pipeline

30th July 2008

  • Serah Munguti (Nature Kenya) conducted media interviews with Ochieng Opondo, a reporter of the Standard newspaper who wanted more information on the court case

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