News Archive

25 June 2008

The Kenya Wetlands Forum (KWF) held a very successful press conference at the Lenana Hall, Kenyatta International Conference Center today. The conference was attended by the following media houses: Daily Nation, The East African, The Standard, Capital FM, KBC, KTN, NTV, Citizen TV & Radio, Kiss FM, Classic FM, Kenya News Agency, Business Daily, Easy FM, Financial Post, K- 24, Ken TV, among others as there were some other journalists who walked in late when the press conference was at its peak

The panelists were Paul Matiku (Executive Director, Nature Kenya), Hadley Becha (Deputy Director, East African Wildlife Society), Hon. Ali Wario (former Member of Parliament Bura), Hussein Dado (former Kenyan Ambassador to Namibia and a local leader), Mohammed Galgalo (Former MP for Garsen) and Molu Shambaro (Former MP Garsen). More than twenty representatives of the Tana Delta local communities also attended. Steve Itela (Youth for Conservation) was the Master of Ceremony. Many KWF members attended.

Representing the KWF, Paul Matiku and Hadley Becha said that the TISP EIA process was flawed, that the KWF has never been furnished with the TISP project design documents as required by law, and that if implemented as currently proposed the TISP will affect local pastoralists livelihoods, lead to irreversible loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services of the delta, among other concerns that the forum and various institutions raised in response to the project’s EIA report. NEMA and the project proponents have never responded to stakeholders’ comments on the EIA report. Find attached the KWF statement to the media.

The media was shocked to learn that a Cost Benefit analysis study commissioned by Nature Kenya and RSPB shows that the annual gains from current economic uses of the delta is Ksh. 3.7 billion and far outweigh the Ksh. 1.2 billion that TARDA and Mumias Sugar Company will generate from the project. The KWF called on the Kenya government to reject NEMA’s approval of the project EIA and initiate a more consultative process for the conservation and (possible) development projects.

Local community representatives told the media that the TISP project as designed will lead to forceful displacement of local people from the project area. This comes at a time when the Kenyan Government is grappling with internally displaced people elsewhere. Pastoralist community representatives cited imminent loss of their livelihoods if their dry season and drought refuge grazing area is taken away. They said they are ready to ‘fight to the last man’ for their livelihoods, since they have a right to live. They reiterated that interfering with even a small section of the delta would lead to collapse of the whole system, since it is interconnected. Ali Wario said ‘if pushed to the wall, we will meet at the Hague’.

It also became apparent that there is a big dispute over land between local communities (both farmers and pastoralists) on one hand and TARDA on the other. This is contrary to previous reports that the conflict at the delta is between farmers and pastoralists.

Publicity

25th June 2008

  • BBC World Service interviewed Steve Itela (live coverage) on the Tana Delta on Wednesday 25th June 2008 at 6.30 a.m. the main focus was the effects of biofuels on the environment

24th June 2008

  • The BBC Swahili service also interviewed Paul Matiku on Tuesday 24th June and aired the interview on Wednesday 25th June during the 6.00 a.m. news.

Plans

The Kenya Wetlands Forum will continue with the media campaign over the next one month

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