A Riff on Valentine's & Political Courtships...

[Onyango Oloo]

A Riff on Valentine's & Mainstream Political Courtships in Kenya

by Onyango Oloo

1.0. What Some People Are Saying About Romance in Kenya…

Dating Web sites become popular in Kenya, Ethiopia, Rwanda
02/13/2006

Some get tired of waiting for love in these conservative African nations, and brake with tradition and join Kenya's first dating Web site.
Mary Kimani has searched for love at weddings and even funerals. Finally, tired of waiting for love in this conservative East African nation, she broke with tradition and joined Kenya's first dating Web site, hoping to meet someone who will send her chocolate and roses some Valentine's Day.

"I haven't been lucky finding a friend so I thought I would try the Internet,'' Kimani, 25, said in the capital, Nairobi.”I am almost giving up hope I'll ever find a partner.'' Finding love, however, is not cheap. The beautician pays 200 shillings (US$2.80 or euro2.34) a month for the service in a country where about half of the estimated 34 million people live on less than a dollar (euro) a day.

"Everyone Deserves Some Love this Valentines,'' www.lovepot.com declares on its home page, with small, pink hearts floating down the screen. Erastus Wachira, who co-founded the site launched in July, said that nearly 16,000 people have joined, with about 9,000 active members.

With evocative sunsets, breathtaking safari getaways and tropical beaches, Kenya has to be one of the most romantic destinations on earth. That, however, does not translate into easy romance. "We just thought we should give people another option of finding love,'' said Wachira, 30.

Traditionally, parents and relatives chose a husband or wife for young Kenyans. "But that culture is getting eroded, bit by bit, especially among the 25-40 year olds,'' Wachira said.

Some radio stations that broadcast in local languages also help the lovelorn. Listeners call in and leave their contacts and descriptions of their ideal partner. "In the traditional sense, marriages were negotiated by families _ not by individuals,'' said Paul Mbatia, head of sociology at the Nairobi University.”We are increasingly making this issue an individual affair, rather than a community affair.'' "The risk is that it would bring people together who do not really know each other. They know each other through what has been posted, but it may not actually be true or it may only be true subjectively,'' Mbatia said. "It is like in marketing, where you say this product does A, B, and C. But the question is: what is it that it doesn't do?''

Setting up a business that seeks to break centuries-old traditions was not easy. Parents, friends and others said it was a bad idea, said Wachira, an information technology expert. Still, he and his partner pumped some 400,000 shillings (US$5,600 or euro4, 678.36) into the site for hosting fees, startup expenses and advertisement.

About 1,200 new subscribers now join the online dating service every week. This includes a growing number of Kenyan professionals who work long hours and have trouble finding love. Others are people unable to find romance at social gatherings. Some simply do not want to take chances at night clubs or let parents choose a partner, Wachira said.

The site offers insight into Kenyans' tastes and hopes. A woman who goes by the online name of Fauna knows what she wants in a man and is willing to list it all. "Handsome, financially stable, outgoing, industrious, loving, understanding, Christian, loves to have fun, non-smoker, drinks casually, loves the gym, wants to settle down eventually and we can support each other to achieve our individual goals,'' the 30-year-old said in her posting.

The service is also popular in neighboring Rwanda, Tanzania and Ethiopia _ countries that do not have local dating Web sites, Wachira said. South Africa has Positive Connection, the only online dating forum for people with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. Itzamatch helps Zambians find dates. "We are getting used to communicating very fast. We are breeding boys and girls who are used to being efficient at processing information and getting quick results,'' said sociologist Mbatia.

SOURCE:

www.eitb24.com/portal/eitb24/noticia/life-searching-for-love--dating-web-sites-become-popular-in-kenya?itemId=D12326&cl=%2Feitb24%2Fsociedad&idioma=en

swissinfo February 12, 2006 1:50 PM


Valentine's Day roses bloom amid Kenyan poverty

By Andrew Cawthorne and Jack Kimball

NAIVASHA, Kenya (Reuters) - A rubbish-strewn alley in a slum on the edge of Lake Naivasha in Kenya's Rift Valley leads to the cramped block where Julie Masete lives.

The 26-year-old flower worker spends her days in a nearby field, surrounded by tens of thousands of roses blossoming just in time for the global Valentine's Day market.

Masete points to black spots on her feet and says the pesticides and fertilisers used at the flower farm she works on give her rashes two or three times a month.

She speaks demurely about the frequent sexual abuse women face on the farms, sometimes by their supervisors.

"A friend of mine was abused," she whispered, lowering her eyes and avoiding eye contact. "Normally, people don't report it to the supervisor, because maybe you'll lose your job."

Masete is one of 50,000 flower farm workers in Kenya, one of the world's largest exporters of fresh-cut blooms.

Shipping out more than 88 million tonnes of cut flowers worth $264 million (151 million pounds) annually, the east African country is the biggest supplier to the lucrative European market.

The industry's success rings hollow for many workers, some of whom make only a dollar a day.

"The flowers we produce bring a lot of money, but only to some people," said Jacob Odhiambo, 26. "While people celebrate Valentine's Day, we are doing the opposite by mourning."

He and Masete work for European-owned firms which they did not want to name for fear of reprisals.

The industry is in overdrive in the run-up to Valentine's Day on Tuesday, turning out millions of blooms each day.

Reggae music thumping in the background breaks the monotony as workers sort, cut and wrap myriad colours and varieties of roses.

Lorries roar away before dawn carrying sealed and cooled containers to Nairobi airport. Then the roses are flown to Western florists and supermarkets.

For years, human rights groups have lambasted the mainly foreign-owned companies over low pay, chemical hazards, and the plight of casual workers sometimes hired by the day.

SEXUAL ABUSE

Workers interviewed by Reuters said there had been improvements, but still complained they were underpaid for long hours, and repeatedly mentioned sexual abuse as rife on farms.

"People here are suffering. The conditions are terrible," Edward Indimuli, of Workers Rights Watch, said in a cafe in Naivasha.

"As we approach Valentine's Day, and people enjoy roses from Kenya, we want consumers to force ethical production."

Industry bosses -- or at least those prepared to speak to the media -- recognise the problems, but say they are cleaning up their act.

Kenya's largest firm, Dutch-owned Sher Agencies, is also the world's biggest flower producer. It turns out 2.5 million flowers daily from lakeside greenhouses and fields in Naivasha and is considered one of the most progressive firms.

Its gates are flanked by new schools, a hospital and houses built for workers.

Sher employees wear gleaming safety gear, a building is provided for the local union, the managers talk enthusiastically of "corporate social responsibility" policies, and signs warn staff to keep away from spraying areas to avoid health risks.

"The flower industry had a very bad image, but for the last five years and back it is getting a new face," human resources director Martine Ole Kamwaro said.

"We have invested heavily in our workforce and new policies ... so many managers have found their way out of employment because of sexual harassment."

While workers and non-governmental organisations acknowledge that Sher and other big firms have made strides, they say conditions remain deplorable and abuses rampant on small farms.

Union representatives give Sher credit, but say wages remain impossibly low, and company doctors are reluctant to acknowledge links between workers' ailments and the chemicals being used.

Sher worker Daniel Sagwe, who earns 4,700 Kenyan shillings (37 pounds) a month plus a 1,000 shilling housing allowance, said he could barely afford to buy water for his three children and wife.

The irony is not lost on him as every day he watches huge quantities of water being pumped out to grow the perfect rose.

"Just give us enough to live on," Sagwe said, when asked what his Valentine's Day wishes were.

Source:
www.swissinfo.org/sen/swissinfo.html?siteSect=105&sid=6461462

How Kenya is caught on the thorns of Britain's love affair with the rose

Rising demand for flowers leads to trade-off between economy and environment

Jeevan Vasagar in Naivasha
Monday February 13, 2006
The Guardian

Clasping a bouquet of roses, Paul Nyaga smiled shyly. "Yes," he said, "there is someone I want to give flowers to on Valentine's Day, but the flowers won't be from here - I'll get them from the field."
All around him, hundreds of workers in green overcoats were sorting blooms, assembling bouquets and wrapping them into plastic packaging complete with British supermarket logos and price tags, in the giant packing hall of Oserian flower farm in central Kenya.

Mr. Nyaga, 26, a slim young man in a brown shirt and blue baseball cap, was checking the labels on a boxful of roses destined for a Sainsbury's shelf. "Same Price. Same Quality. Now Fairtrade," the label promised.
"I don't know what Fairtrade means," Mr. Nyaga confessed. "I know that it's one of our products ... but I can't recall the meaning."

Britons spend over £1.5bn a year on cut flowers, and Kenya has nearly a quarter of the market, which peaks today and tomorrow as millions of Britons give flowers to loved ones on Valentine's Day. As many as 50,000 people now work in Kenya's flower industry, and for the past few weeks they have been working flat out to meet orders.

The industry, now the country's second-largest exporter, is driving the expansion of Kenya's economy and is fuelling a population boom around the shores of Lake Naivasha.

But the British love of roses and saying it with blooms has led to a tense trade-off between economic progress, environmental destruction and social problems.

Tarnished image

At the Oserian farm, where 5,000 workers labour in a sprawl of greenhouses from where daily shipments head straight to Tesco's, Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer and other outlets, the Fairtrade brand is seen as a way to polish the industry's tarnished image and balance the competing interests of business and Lake Naivasha's ecosystem.

For years, human rights groups lambasted Kenya's mainly foreign-owned flower companies over low pay, chemical hazards, and the plight of casual workers.

Conditions have mostly improved since then and the ethical imperative has also prompted the company to reduce its environmental impact, employing hydroponic farming to cut back on water use and getting three-quarters of its energy from a geothermal spring.

"Since Fairtrade has come in, the company is more careful with employees," said Isaac Mwangi, chairman of the self-help group which manages the workers' Fairtrade money in Oserian. "Before, there was just two months maternity leave, but now it is 100 days."

Not all is rosy in Oserian's garden, however. Last week workers rioted after being sacked en masse for striking in a dispute over wages and working conditions. Police reportedly fired teargas and fought running battles with strikers.

Fairtrade roses went on sale only two years ago, and most workers do not recognise the name. But it has a direct impact on their lives: 8% of the export price comes back to Oserian to be invested in community projects. That translates as about £2,000 a month from British sales, while a similar brand in Switzerland, named Max Havelaar, netted the workers a premium of £124,000 last year.

"Some people don't understand the concept," admitted Mr. Mwangi. "They want cash, and you have to explain that they need to identify a project - because the concept says the project should benefit the majority and not an individual."

Though jobs in the flower farms are keenly sought after, environmentalists fear the impact of extracting water from the lake as well as the risks of pollution from pesticides.

Thousands of migrant labourers have arrived, like David Gikundi, who came from northern Kenya where he was a small-scale tea farmer: the starting wage with Oserian is the equivalent of £39 a month, which sounds paltry but is more than double Kenya's minimum wage.

Mass migration

But business success - even for firms that produce ethical brands - encourages yet more migration, which ultimately threatens the environment.

"It's going to be a challenge to maintain the environment of the lake," admitted Sean Finlayson, roses manager at Oserian. "Because this isn't going to decrease. It's going to get bigger and bigger. The population around the lake, maybe 150,000 people, have no sewage facilities, people are washing their clothes in the lake. They're all coming because of the flower farms."

Giving flowers for Valentine's Day is not an African tradition, and though it is increasingly popular among the young middle-class in Nairobi, the idea of buying a bouquet is mystifying to most workers.

"Hmm, I don't know where it is going to," said Mr. Gikundi, 31, harvesting a batch of cerise roses in a vast greenhouse that feels almost as warm as a Turkish bath. "But I know that they are selling them somewhere."

You know I have been to Naivasha and have seen at least four of those flower farms at very close quarters.

It is true that in some of those places the working conditions are horrendous. I saw workers at one of those farms spraying (and presumably inhaling) chemicals without any protective gear. I spoke to some of the workers from some of the farms who spoke of being exploited and underpaid and some of them pointed out to me the hovels where they live.

But sometimes, it is important to state a few FACTS:

Some of those companies have very progressive labour policies- I am talking about remuneration, workers' rights, infrastructure, occupational health and safety and corporate social responsibilities.

Having spoken to some of the insiders in some of those farms, I got a sense of growing weariness and frustration at reports like the ones cited above that paints ALL flower farms with the same broad brush.

It has made even well-meaning management types to be very angry with progressive journalists and human rights activists who do NOT do their homework, but instead approach their stories with pre-conceived cookie cutter ideas.

So there you have it:

After "defending" Kibaki a couple of weeks ago, this avowed Marxist-Leninist is presumably standing up for those "leeching transnationals" in Naivasha.

Well, that is NOT even what this essay is about, believe it or not.


CONTINUED>>>>>>>

[Onyango Oloo]

2.0. What a Pal of Mine Told Me on Sunday

There is this friend of mine, very well known to Kenyans at home and abroad with whom we shared some tea and politics a day or so ago.

Actually we were three and we talked about a whole bunch of things sitting at the terrace of this oasis in the Hurlingham area of the city in the sun.

Living on a balanced diet of politics, humour, every day conversations, reacting to deaths of family members, my life is quite similar to the lives of millions of my compatriots.

Right now Anglo-Leasing is perhaps the number two subject of conversation on the streets of Nairobi, the living rooms and I suspect quite a few bedrooms in the Kenyan capital- a close second to “Kibaki Must Go Now”.

Rating number sixteen in quiet activist circles are more sobering concerns about how do we get to a new political dispensation in this country- even as we meet to plan the coming round of mass actions.

Right now, I am part of an ad hoc media sub-committee of a certain group in Nairobi which was dispersed when we gathered at the Kencom bus stop last Friday to peacefully relaunch Hema la Katiba- disrupted on the spurious grounds that we did not give the police adequate notice and therefore our assembly was illegal.

Having decided to regroup at Freedom Corner, we by-passed a mob baying for whatever blood was left over in a badly beaten suspect accused by members of the public of being a felon.

Even though we walked peacefully to Uhuru Park and sat unobtrusively under a tree in the Freedom Corner section of that storied and historic park, the same police officers who had asked us to disperse had followed us to the park and before we knew it they were telling us that our meeting was an illegal one as well. Some of us went over to dialogue with them- suggesting that perhaps their energies would be better expended if they went over and cuffed my former lawyer for example. When some of our comrades went over, as directed by the same police officers, to Central Police station to fill out the requisite forms, the OCS-the only person who could handle that application- was conveniently missing and the legal status of the group was challenged.

Later this week, the fruits of our unspoken labours may or may not reach the front pages of the Kenyan dailies.

Who knows...

Back to my chai sipping rafiki .

Obviously a man with his ear to the ground, he gave me the political lay of the land with details that I have not seen anywhere in the public domain.

For instance, he told me of frenetic political consultations across the political divide.

From what he shared, there has been a series of discreet and not so discreet conversations all over the country since late last year.

At the core of these conversations is a clutch of Central Kenyan politicians outside President Kibaki’s inner sanctum. People like Alfred Nderitu Dr. Kilemi, Mwiria, and even Nyanza MPs like Sammy Weya and so on have been meeting in places like Naivasha, Nyeri, Meru etc.

There is a feeling among their ranks that right now there are only two serious political parties- KANU and the LDP ; that DP is dead and done for; and that with the upcoming 2007 elections, the Central Kenyan region is left without an electoral vehicle of their own, in the context of the highly tribalized and regionalized political power plays going against the backdrop of the lame-duck presidency of the Othaya MP and the continued melt-down of the NAK edifice. It is the wish of these Central Kenyan upstarts, I am told, to craft and cobble together a "National" political party which is in reality a GEMA formation with cosmetic tokens from the Coast, Western, Eastern and the Rift Valley.

The other thing may pal told me is that KANU definitely wants OUT of the Orange Democratic Movement and that a growing section within their ranks do not want to touch the Katiba question with a fifteen foot fito. They do not want anything to do with the agitation for a new constitution for three reasons my interlocutor reported: they say they were mauled by the NARC landslide of 2002; bruised by the fractious party elections and taken to the brink by the hard fought referendum. They are in short, suffering from "electioneering fatigue". They just want to regroup and wait for the 2007 elections- as KANU. . This of course brings them into conflict with some of the KANU big wigs who happen to be ODM luminaries like William Ruto for instance.

Partly because of this "electioneering fatigue" many Kenyan MPs- and I am told this is a across the board- NAK, KANU, LDP, FORD-Kenya and FORD-People are now developing a consensus around AMMENDING the current constitution rather than overhauling it.

On a related note, many of the same parliamentarians are working behind the scenes for the passage of the Political Parties Bill - leading to an Act of Parliament that will finally pave the way for state funding for political parties. Also they are agitating for constituency development funds to be raised from 30 to 53 billion Kenya Shillings. My friend told me that the impetus for this is a desire from "rank and file" MPs to get away from the patronage clutches of the barons and chieftains in their respective parties, adding that this move is supported by many middle-class women aspiring for seats who believe that it may thus be a little easier to reach a consensus on reserving a certain guaranteed number for female MPs.

Most intriguing, my source asserted that there are back channel discussions between Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga over the issue of increasing the overall number of constituencies in the country. The head of state naturally wants the bulk of the proposed new constituencies in Banana country while the LDP supremo wants to expand Orange turf- apparently there is a deadlock in these negotiations, if these reports are actually true that is.

I found the above slightly startling, given the public pronouncements of Raila Odinga over the last few days and the outbursts of Kibaki lieutenants who want to use the LDP and KANU as a red herring from their current Anglo-Leasing woes.

But then again, you never know with mainstream politicians.

Whatever the case, it is important to underscore the context within which these conversations are taking place.

We are asking ourselves:

If mainstream Kenyan politicians are busy horse-trading, dialoguing across party lines in some cases closing ranks, where did that leave the other political forces outside the mainstream?

What were we to make of calls from within civil society ranks that the so called "political class" has failed to lead Kenya and that it is time for the NGOs and social movements to form an interim government?

How strong are the political and social forces outside the mainstream? Can they deliver on their ultimatums of Mwai Must Go or will the establishment call their bluff?

What kind of Kenya do we want and who will spearhead that change?

When we speak of "We" who were "we" referring to? Who is the "Us" in "It is up to us"?

Questions, questions, questions.

I wanted to tell you about some of the possible “answers” we have been reflecting on over the last few weeks, away from the blare of news headlines and the feisty online exchanges.

Alas.

My mshikaji is dragging me by the ears to have supper.

Too bad.

Next time....

Ouch!

Onyango Oloo
Nairobi

[veritas]

You really just took the fun out of Valentine’s Day didn’t you? Now I won’t be able to buy roses without feeling guilty. They’re picking flowers.. there a worse things, imagine the radiation nuclear reactor workers get in places like Iran. So the saying goes it’s up to the government to make policies accountable by enforcing things like Unions, HR, work safety etc.

Freedom Corner? …right, it must be an activist thing.

First of all, to me it sounds like they’re planning to salvage a coalition with the, don’t wanna be in ODM rebels + NAK + FORD blablas and whatever this “National” makeshift without Kibaki, a GEMA thing to headbutt LDP next election. Hmm… LDP might be lonely.

Amending? Well it is a piece of paper I suppose, what will be good for Kenya is kinda in the air at the moment.

Political Parties Bill maybe a good idea to stop these unnecessary scandals from happening and the government coalition taking unfair advantages. Make the tax payer legitimately be part of and aware that their money is being spent on funding parties. Better make sure it’s adequately accountable in the constitution & law. That would be considered totally unacceptable here because there’d be many ethical implications and loopholes to account for, I mean what will be the criteria to be considered a party for funding? And how much? Who sets the benchmark for how flashy campaigns should be? If parties can’t strike deals for funding, how can they be considered equipped to do that on behalf of the country? There is a reason why states don’t fund parties, but it might be a good idea for Kenya temporarily.

Well I personally wouldn’t approve of new constituencies for the sake of “political expediency”. But I don’t know anything about this to comment.

NGOs and social movements forming an interim government? No I think NGOs should forget about taking advantage of the current situation and focus on supporting the mainstream. They’d be no different to a party if they were to mishmash together but because they lack the political experience & history like the “bigwig” mainstream parties they wouldn’t do so well. If you mean overthrowing the government completely then absolutely no, these people are usually more corrupt but moreso clueless than mainstream. They could try but I really doubt a majority of Kenyans will embrace a bunch of clueless radicals. The situation is confusing and messy enough as it is. Then again if they can exert acceptable force and influence for the government to listen and act given the current situation then maybe it’ll convince some Kenyans.

At this point, I’m still for put a visionary leader like Raila up there to give clear direction.

[aeichener]

veritas said:

There is a reason why states don’t fund parties (...).

And there is a good reason why some democratic states *do* fund parties.

No I think NGOs should forget about taking advantage of the current situation and focus on supporting the mainstream.

Nope. Kenya's "mainstream" is called corruption.

At this point, I’m still for put a visionary leader like Raila up there to give clear direction.

Silly bigmanist. That is just children's behaviour; Kenyans should finally grow up.

Alexander

[veritas]

To Alexander

1. I wasn't referring to basic electioning funding like KDP? insinuated. My personal interpretation of this Bill was in reference to those major coalition general elections. That's of course if my conspiracy on AL & Goldenberg are in fact true. Get to know me, I overly simplify things and I'm bad with words.
2. ... So what's the difference between a corrupt mainstream and a corrupt bunch of NGOs?
3. Bigamist? So I gather you'd call in "God we trust" which underlies the judicial system in the US, all those I have a dream type inaugeration speeches.. to grow up? ...right.

[aeichener]

veritas said:

To Alexander
1. I wasn't referring to basic electioning funding like KDP? insinuated.

I did not (mis)understand you in this way. I referred to examples abroad where political parties are subsidized by the state (instead by wealthy and influential individuals). While such a system is also problematic, it shows that it is a possible solution.

Get to know me, I overly simplify things and I'm bad with words.

Simplification is frequently helpful and sometimes necessary, so one must indeed not be nitpicky. But in the 'Net, all what we have and all what we are, are words. Verba sicut stant. Therefore, is is neither possible nor desirable to search (or guess) for intent; what is written, is all that counts, not what was meant. This is the fundamental rule of net.communication.

2. ... So what's the difference between a corrupt mainstream and a corrupt bunch of NGOs?

Oh, you are certainly right if you warn against a false juxtaposition. An NGO is not always and necessarily saintlier than a government institution (though often).

3. Bigamist? So I gather you'd call in "God we trust" which underlies the judicial system in the US, all those I have a dream type inaugeration speeches.. to grow up? ...right.

Bigmanism is the bane which constitutes Kenyans' political immaturity (often joined with tribalism). As far as visions go: nothing against another Thomas Sankara, but I won't wait for him. What we need is not "better leaders".
And I prefer to leave God out of this game; if there is anything that could make Kenyan politics still worse, it would a deeper involvement of the Emmanuel Ngugis, David Githiis and an occasional Mad Mullah in politics. They are noxious enough already.

Alexander

[veritas]

Bigmanism is what they call it hey? Interesting. Alexander, thanks I get ya buddy.

[aeichener]

Well, one might disparage it as a neologism, but I think it's appropriate. :-)

A.

[veritas]

Yeah? Sorry I'm an mtoto so I have no clue what you just said. But I appreciate you exposing me to those words.

Parliament hasn't opened or has it? So we have yet to see these parties in action. But let me just say any party loyal to Kibaki at this point is a stupid party. It's too early to comment but particularly NAK & FORD Kenya have shown no credibility and should do something about it to remain their status quo as future minor parties *chuckle*chuckle* when the house resumes.

I noticed people from GEMA are actually quite sensible and practical. I found purely from my observation, their reason for not supporting the likes of Raila are not really because of his tribe but moreso he's a party hopper and somewhat rambunctious. If Kibaki & Raila made a speech here, at first glance people would definitely favour Kibaki.. Raila comes off as a bit of a loony at times.

But GEMA are not stupid people, they appear loyal. They probably want an honest, good, noble leader.. just not boisterous Raila. I say Ruto & Mudavadi should create their own party. They'd be a pair worth having in opposition for next government. I say opposition because then it'll give them time to get better. Plus forget this PM nonsense. Raila for prezzy, Balala for VP and not yet Kalonzo. Uhuru appears to be concerned about himself, every action he's made after that referendum is stupid. And GEMA people don't do stupid.

As I keep saying ODM is a force to be reckoned with. I'd say any party not in support or under that umbrella will get wet. Up to this point they've been honest & corruption free in the media. Uhuru's a great example of what happens when you step out of the light.. I believe that movement will work. Kibaki's the one fuelling it more & more but moreso Kenya needs a movement to channel their anger for AL, now Goldenberg thanks to Kibaki, so let's include Moi's regime, undoing NARC, constitution hijacking, a failed referendum, donor suspensions, land clashes, ill prepared famine management, Santa not coming, Kibaki's slothfulness, building collapses, luxury vehicles, corruption corruption etc. etc. I feel sorry for Kenya 'cause these are embarrassing.

They won that referendum, they'll do even better come election time even if Kibaki & co. get their act together. It's no joke anymore, Kenya needs to get back to work. Although I'm finding some government people irritating trying to virginise the whole of the Kenyan government, enough probing, enough exposure, it's enough. Jeez have some restraint Saints! Someone should tell these people if it ain't gonna be productive than don't expose it.

[aeichener]

If you go on with these gratuitous compliments, o filia veritatis, I may find morsels of Kimeru or Kiembu sneaking their way into my whitened-up English ;-) ... ah, never mind.

You are right, the signs of "ethnic loyalty" (as not to use a stronger word) in two provinces in the last referendum were rather worrying.

And your side comment about "Santa not coming" was lovely.

Alexander

[aeichener]

veritas said:

There is a reason why states don’t fund parties, but it might be a good idea for Kenya temporarily.

For some good arguments, please have a look at this old Nation article by Tim Wanyonyi:

Funding for parties is in the public interest

Alexander

[aeichener]

I am now going back to OO's first article in this thread, this perceptive and differentiating piece on the Lake Naivasha flower farms and their workers:

admin said:

A Riff on Valentine's & Mainstream Political Courtships in Kenya
by Onyango Oloo

Rising demand for flowers leads to trade-off between economy and environment
Jeevan Vasagar in Naivasha
Monday February 13, 2006
The Guardian

...
Britons spend over £1.5bn a year on cut flowers, and Kenya has nearly a quarter of the market, which peaks today and tomorrow as millions of Britons give flowers to loved ones on Valentine's Day. As many as 50,000 people now work in Kenya's flower industry, and for the past few weeks they have been working flat out to meet orders.

The industry, now the country's second-largest exporter, is driving the expansion of Kenya's economy and is fuelling a population boom around the shores of Lake Naivasha.
...
At the Oserian farm, where 5,000 workers labour in a sprawl of greenhouses from where daily shipments head straight to Tesco's, Sainsbury, Marks & Spencer and other outlets, the Fairtrade brand is seen as a way to polish the industry's tarnished image and balance the competing interests of business and Lake Naivasha's ecosystem.

For years, human rights groups lambasted Kenya's mainly foreign-owned flower companies over low pay, chemical hazards, and the plight of casual workers.

Conditions have mostly improved since then and the ethical imperative has also prompted the company to reduce its environmental impact, employing hydroponic farming to cut back on water use and getting three-quarters of its energy from a geothermal spring.

"Since Fairtrade has come in, the company is more careful with employees," said Isaac Mwangi, chairman of the self-help group which manages the workers' Fairtrade money in Oserian. "Before, there was just two months maternity leave, but now it is 100 days."

Not all is rosy in Oserian's garden, however. Last week workers rioted after being sacked en masse for striking in a dispute over wages and working conditions. Police reportedly fired teargas and fought running battles with strikers.

Fairtrade roses went on sale only two years ago, and most workers do not recognise the name. But it has a direct impact on their lives: 8% of the export price comes back to Oserian to be invested in community projects. That translates as about £2,000 a month from British sales, while a similar brand in Switzerland, named Max Havelaar, netted the workers a premium of £124,000 last year.
...
Though jobs in the flower farms are keenly sought after, environmentalists fear the impact of extracting water from the lake as well as the risks of pollution from pesticides.

Thousands of migrant labourers have arrived, like David Gikundi, who came from northern Kenya where he was a small-scale tea farmer: the starting wage with Oserian is the equivalent of £39 a month, which sounds paltry but is more than double Kenya's minimum wage.

But business success - even for firms that produce ethical brands - encourages yet more migration, which ultimately threatens the environment.

"It's going to be a challenge to maintain the environment of the lake," admitted Sean Finlayson, roses manager at Oserian. "Because this isn't going to decrease. It's going to get bigger and bigger. The population around the lake, maybe 150,000 people, have no sewage facilities, people are washing their clothes in the lake. They're all coming because of the flower farms."

You know I have been to Naivasha and have seen at least four of those flower farms at very close quarters.

It is true that in some of those places the working conditions are horrendous. I saw workers at one of those farms spraying (and presumably inhaling) chemicals without any protective gear. I spoke to some of the workers from some of the farms who spoke of being exploited and underpaid and some of them pointed out to me the hovels where they live.

But sometimes, it is important to state a few FACTS:

Some of those companies have very progressive labour policies- I am talking about remuneration, workers' rights, infrastructure, occupational health and safety and corporate social responsibilities.

Having spoken to some of the insiders in some of those farms, I got a sense of growing weariness and frustration at reports like the ones cited above that paints ALL flower farms with the same broad brush.

It has made even well-meaning management types to be very angry with progressive journalists and human rights activists who do NOT do their homework, but instead approach their stories with pre-conceived cookie cutter ideas.

So there you have it:
After "defending" Kibaki a couple of weeks ago, this avowed Marxist-Leninist is presumably standing up for those "leeching transnationals" in Naivasha.

Now, there has been the notice of a very threatening development, possibly with catastrophal consequences for Kenyan economy at large. It may has escaped some readers, because it was only published in the weekly East African:

"Five major flower firms to abandon Naivasha for Ethiopia"
By CATHERINE RIUNGU
www.nationmedia.com/eastafrican/current/Business/biz200220061.htm

There are many reasons for this development, and the additional costs of impoved working conditions are not the only one. The lackadaisical attitude of the Kenyan government towards security issues is one reason too. The imminent
death of the lake
is a further weighty reason.

But everybody who is halfway familiar with the structure of Kenya's exports (tea, flowers, some vegetables, and that was it), must be *very* concerned about this development.

OO: can you check with Andrew Enniskillen
www.ramsar.org/award/key_awards99_interview_lnra.htm
of the Lake Naivasha Riparian Association
lakenaivasha.org/
about this media report, and what his scoop on the issue is?

He is probably the most knowledgeable (and one of the most neutral and level-headed) observer to inquire with...
www.worldlakes.org/uploads/naivasha.htm

Alexander

[roughrider]

I feel – as an economist – that I have perhaps failed our country. It seems people do not understand that the ‘Kenyan Flower Industry’ need NOT be in Kenya. We merely need to control the capital… and if Kenyan firms are setting up shop in other countries then hooray!

Gross National Product necessarily includes what we earn by producing outside without our borders.

What we should lament is the problem of getting peasants workers into ownership systems of the increasingly multi-national Kenyan firms.

It is time Kenyans looked at the economics of multi-national business as a way to make money, around our limiting environment.

Being unfamiliar with the ‘flower’ industry I have printed some stuff out from the links and will try to explain in detail what I mean later …. But some of these problems should have been solved by economists long ago.