• Astitchintimesaveslives:UNICEF-supportedmaternalsheltergiveswomenjoyofmotherhood

• UNDPlaunchesthefirstAfricaHumanDevelopmentReport

• InvestinfoodsecurityforhumandevelopmentsaysUNDP

• FAOpromotessimpletechnologytoreduceharvestlosses

• ImprovingfoodsecuritythroughCashforAssets

• UNHumanSecurityTrustFundProjectapprovessixmillionUSDtoreducecross-borderconflictandfoodinsecurityinNorthEasternKenya

• Free,independentmediaessentialinachievingfreedomofexpression

• Peacekeeping,aglobalpartnership• UNODCcontributestowardsPolice

reformsinKenya• DutchMinisterforImmigration

visitsIOMTransitCentre• UNHCRstrengthensitspresencein

Dadaabrefugeecomplex• TrainingtheTrainers’Coursein

QualityManagementSystemsforMeteorologicalServices

UN KENYA NewsletterPublished by the United Nations System in Kenya

Sustainable Development: A Future worth ChoosingJune 2012

In northern Kenya, where healthfacilitiesareasfaras300kilometresapart, a complication occurring

during pregnancy or delivery couldeasilyresultinthedeathofthemotherorthebaby,orboth.Thesituationisfurtheraggravatedbyapoorroadinfrastructureand inadequatemeansof transportationwhich hamper effective referral toa health facility where a mother canreceiveemergencyobstetriccare.According to the last Kenya

Demographic andHealthSurvey (2008),for every 100,000 live births in NorthEastern Province, 1,200 mothers die.This is alarmingly high -- more thandouble the national average of 488deaths per every 100,000 live births.Most of thedeaths result fromobstetricalcomplications of haemorrhage, sepsis,

obstructed labour, hypertensive disordersofpregnancyandsepticabortion.To address the problem of long

distances to health facilities andconsequent delay inmanaging childbirthcomplications, UNICEF supportedthe establishment of amaternal shelterinGarissa in2007.The shelterwith acapacity for 24mothers, was designedtocaterforandaccommodatehighriskpregnant women from remote and far-flung areas who are in their last days,weeks or months of pregnancy. Thehome is located within the GarissaProvincialGeneralHospital vicinity sothatwhenthewomengointolabourordevelop antenatal complications, theyaretransferredtothehospitalwardsformanagementandsafedelivery.For Habiba Ero, 21, the successful

A stitch in time saves lives: UNICEF-supported maternal shelter gives women joy of motherhood

What’s Inside:

(Left) Habiba Ero with her son at the maternal shelter (Right) Shagaa Issack and her baby at the maternity unit at the Garissa Provincial General Hospital. © UNICEF, 2012

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Upcoming Events20June WorldRefugeeDay23June UnitedNationsPublicServiceDay26June InternationalDayagainstDrugAbuseandIllicitTrafficking7July InternationalDayofCooperatives11July WorldPopulationDay18July NelsonMandelaInternationalDay

UN NewsletterKenya

UN NewsletterKenya

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UNDP launches the first Africa Human Development Report

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birthofherson(Faihan)ishercrowningmomentafterfiveabortedpregnancies.“I am really happy. I have been

childlessforalongtimeandIthankGodforthisbaby,”shesays.Habiba was referred to the Garissa

Provincial General Hospital, 800kilometres away from her home inElwak, Mandera as soon as her sixthpregnancywasconfirmed.Afteracervicalscan, theGynaecologist

made a “Mc’Donald Stitch” on hercervix and advised her to stay at thematernalshelterfortheremainderofhertermforclosemonitoring.“Ihavestayedhereforsixmonths.I

wouldonlyleavetoattendtheantenatalclinic. A relative who accompaniedme has been providing me with allthe support. She cooks our food andwashesmy clothes. It has been a verycomfortablestayandIamsograteful,”shesays.As Habiba speaks, Shagaa Issack,

anothermother at the shelter, reports thatherlabourpainshavesetin.In amatter ofminutes, thematernal

shelter’s caretakerholdsShagaa’shandand,with the youngwoman’s husbandand two other relatives in tow, theyslowlymake theirway to the hospital,

just300metresaway.The 25-year-old mother of two is

“prepared”fortheatreandaCaesarean-Sectionperformed.After about an hour, the operation,

performed by the resident Gynaecologist,supported by six medical personnel,begins. Soon the baby is out, and isquickly handed over to a nurse, whoplacesherinacotandwheelsheroutofthetheatre.Shereturnstenminuteslaterand announces: “3.75 kilogrammes!”much to the joy of the team that isfinalizingtheoperation.By the time Shagaa is wheeled out

of the theatre, her proud husband ismarveling at the baby girl in a nearbycubicle.Butheisapprehensiveabouthiswife’scondition.“Howis themother?”heinquiresfromthenursewhohandedhimthebaby.AfterreassurancesthattheoperationwasasuccessandShagaawasrecovering well, the elderly man sighswithrelief.However, this is short- livedasonly

afewhourslater,thereispandemoniumin the maternity unit as frantic effortsaremadetorevivetheyoungwoman.Aquick transfusionof twopintsofbloodgivesShagaaanewleaseoflifeandputsheronthepathtofullrecovery.

Two days later as she cuddles herbaby,ShagaathanksGodforsavingherlifeandthatofherbaby.HerhusbandtoothanksGod.Thenhethanksthedoctorswho made the life-saving decision toreferShagaatothematernalshelter.Thisensuredshewasregularlymonitoredatthe hospital and,most importantly hadaccess to emergency obstetric care fastenough to saveher life and that of herbaby.“The two previous deliveries were

difficult.Shealmostdiedfromexcessivebleeding,”saysShagaa’shusbandIssack.Hewas,therefore,happytoaccompanyhis wife on the 800-kilometre journeyto the onlymaternal shelter in the vastprovince,whereshestayedforamonthbeforedelivery.“Hadmywifenotcometotheshelter

andtodeliveratthishospital,shecouldhavedied,”observesIssack.This remark is echoed by scores of

families in the region as they celebratesuccessful deliveries after high-riskpregnancies that could have otherwiseresulted in the deaths of mothers andtheirchildren.

UNDP launched in Nairobi,Kenya, on 15May 2012, theAfricaHumanDevelopment

Report entitled “Towards a Food SecureFuture”.It is the first Human Development

ReportfocusingspecificallyonAfrica.Speaking at the launch, the UNDP

Administrator, Helen Clark, saidthat food security is basic to humandevelopment, and that food insecuritycan trap generations of people inunderdevelopment. She added thataccess to food inAfrica, in both ruraland urban settings, is threatenedPresident Mwai Kibaki and the UNDP Administrator, Helen Clark at the launch of

the Africa Human Development Report. © Josephat Kariuki / UNEP, 2012CONTINUEDONPAGE3

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Helen Clark joins Maasai women in Kajiado South District. She advocated for the right to land by rural women as a means of improving food security in Africa © UNDP, 2012

Invest in food security for human development says UNDP

The people of Namelok inKenya’sAmboseli region havehadtolearntoadapttochange.

TheyareethnicMaasaiandtraditionallykeeplivestock,butsuccessivedroughtshavedecimatedmanyoftheiranimals,so they broke with tradition and nowcultivatetomatoes,maizeandbeans.To hear their story in person,United

Nations Development Programme(UNDP) Administrator Helen Clarkvisited the area ahead of the launchof the Africa Human DevelopmentReport on 15 May. “I think acrossAfricaabiganswer tofightinghungerand food shortages is empoweringwomenfarmers,”HelenClarksaidaftermeetingthewomen.Toearnaliving,43-year-oldMotialo

Kiserian is trading goats at the localmarket after her husband left herwithfour children to feed. But the incomeis unreliable and, realistically, she canonly earn around 50 dollars a month.Now,sheandtheothermembersofherwomen’s group have leased two acresof landwith the help of a small localcharity,andtheyhavealreadyhadonesuccessful harvest,which earned themaround 500 dollars—shared betweenthewomenin thegroupwhoneeded themoneymost.“Wewouldliketofarmmorearable

land and do this on a bigger scale,” saysMotialo.“Andwewant to learnbetter

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agricultural practices, so that we canbecomeasocietythatcansustainitself.”Thewomen’sfarmliesatthefootof

Mt.Kilimanjaroandthenaturalspringsthatwater itarefedbythemountain’sglaciers. That water does not justsupport the region’s farmers but alsoa biodiverse ecosystem including theelephants that attract visitors from allovertheworldtothenearbyAmboseliNational Park. Tourism is a majorearner of foreign exchange for Kenyaandthecommunityhasrecognizedthatconservation can also bring economicbenefits.The Satao Elerai Conservancy is a

65,000-acre wildlife corridor that hasbeen set aside by the community toprotect the environment, and providean income from tourism. A luxurycamp built in the Conservancy paysdividends to the Maasai landowners,andthemoneyhasbeenusedtodrillamuchneededboreholeaswellasbuildaschool.That’s not all, explains Elerai

ConservancySecretaryJonahMarapashwho comes from a village near thecamp. “People get employment,” saysMarapash, “they get fuel to run theborehole generator which supplies

by increasingly extreme weather,ecosystem degradation and volatileglobalfoodprices.In his statement, President Mwai

Kibaki acknowledged that althoughKenyawas rated in theReport as oneof the countries at high risk of foodinsecurity, progress had been madetowards enhancing food securityover the last ten years. He pledgedto continue to expand land under

irrigation, improve access to credit,developbettermarketinginfrastructureand ensure agricultural extensionservices and research are available tofarmers.While recognizing that there are no

quick fixes, the report recommends aseries ofmeasures, including boostingagricultural productivity, prioritizingnutrition,buildingresilienceforpeopleandtheircommunitiesandempowering

womenandothermarginalizedgroups.The report, launched at the UN

complex inNairobi,wasalsoattendedby the UNON Director-General,Sahle Work-Zewde, UNEP and UN-HABITAT Executive Directors,AchimSteiner and Joan Clos respectively,theUNDPRegionalBureau forAfricaDirector, Tegegnework Gettu, andthe UN Resident and HumanitarianCoordinatorinKenya,AeneasChuma.

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FAO promotes simple technology to reduce harvest losses

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Simple metal silos such as this one can prevent up to 100 per cent of post-harvest crop losses due to pests and disease. © Daniel Irura / FAO, 2012

humid conditions, is a growing threattobothhumanandanimalhealth.Pestssuch as the larger grain borer (LGB)have caused serious damage to storedmaize,withlossesinsomeareasofupto100percent.InKenya,especiallyineasternASAL

areas, farmers typically storegrains inburlap bags and wooden containers,both easily susceptible to insects andmold.Farmerswithoutreliablestorageoptions are increasingly forced to sellmost grains soon after harvest. Thisleaves themvulnerable to thevagariesofmarketpricesandtofoodshortages.With improved storage, farmers areable to store more grain for food,allowing them to cope better duringdryconditions,aswellastosellsurplusat higher market prices, improvingincome.T h e F o o d a n d A g r i c u l t u r e

Organization of the United Nations(FAO), together with a number of non-governmental organizations (NGOs)inKenya, has beenpromoting the useof metal silo technology for the post-harvest storage of grains. The airtightcylindrical storage silos are made bytrained local artisans and come invarious sizes.Many farmers using thesilos inKenya have reported reducingpost-harvest losses to near zero. Thecost per silo is reasonable, dependingonthesize.Forexample,asilowitha

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watertothepeople.Inadditiontothat,we are getting a lot of revenuewhichwe use to provide bursaries and alsotake care of medical emergencies andother related assistance required by thecommunity.”“We’re in an area with incredible

conservationvalues,”HelenClarknoted

whileshewasvisitingtheConservancy,“butit’salsoanareawherepeoplehavelived for a millennia. So the trick istofindaway that thepeoplecan live,thathumandevelopmentcangoahead,while nature is also protected. And Ithinkthatthisvillageisverycommittedtofindingthatway.”

Theultimateaimisforcommunitieslikethisonetobeabletocapitalizeontheir resources better, so that in timesofdrought, theyhaveother sourcesofincome and do not have to sell theirland and livelihood. This will ensurethat they can be successful farmers,whatevertheweather.

Post-harvest losses due to poorstorage facilities and handlingpractices continue to be one of

the major contributing factors to foodandnutritioninsecurityinKenya.Losses in some cases can reach as

highas50–70percent,oftennegatinga good harvest and placing vulnerablefarming families and communities atrisk.Crop losses followingharvestcanbedevastatinginKenya’saridand

semi-arid lands (ASALs), which havestruggled recently following successiveyears of below-average rain andresultingreducedyields.Post-harvest losses are generally

causedbybioticagents,suchasinsects,rodents and fungi, and canbe aggravatedby factors such as humidity, moistureand temperature. For example, foodpoisoning from aflatoxins, producedbyafunguswhichthrivesinwarmand

UN NewsletterKenya

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Grace prepares to take fruits to the market. © WFP, 2012

capacity of 540kg (or six 90kgbagsof grain) can cost approximately Ksh10,000.FAO has been promoting the

use of metal silos and providingrelated training through Governmentextension services, field schools andfarmer groups, allowing evaluation and

adoptionbyfarmersover time.Accessto credit through community banks isalsofacilitatedso that farmerswithoutsavingsmaypurchasethesilos.Funding from the governments of

Spain and Sweden has allowed FAOto trainsome16artisans ineasternKenyainthefabricationofmetalsilos.On5June

2012,FAOKenyadistributed200metalsilos to farmer groups for evaluationand promotion. Trained artisans, withthe support of Government extensionagents, will continue to manufacture,market and promote the technologythroughouteasternKenya.

A lthough 63 year-old GraceGateria does not haveformal training, she is

a teacher in her own right. Sheteaches her neighbours how toimprove their agricultural produce.Grace is abeneficiaryof theWorldFood Programme’s (WFP) Cash-for-Assets project in the marginalagricultural county of Tharaka, inEasternKenya.“Before the projectwas introduced

here, I always planted maizeand because the rainfall was notsufficient, I harvested very little,”saysthemotheroften.“Now I plant crops that do not

need much rainfall such as greengramsor sorghumand I amable toharvestmuchmore,”sheadds“I have decided to share what

I have learnt with my neighbourswho are not beneficiaries of theWFP project andmany of them areapplyingtheverysimpletechniquesto improve theirowncrops,”Gracementions.Grace has also implemented the

new soil and water conservationtechnologies that she has learnt.These include constructing negarims

Improving food security through Cash for Assets

and zai pits* at her mango andpawpaw farm. These are simplewater harvesting structuresusedbycommunities in arid and semi aridareas to collect rain for improvedcropproduction.IntheCashforAssetsprogramme,

Grace and others like her workwith WFP on projects focusing onrainwater harvesting for humanand livestock use, soil and waterconservation, rehabilitation of

degraded land and producingdrought-tolerantcrops.Theseassetsand thedevelopmentof appropriateskills enable communities toimprovetheirresilienceandincreasefoodsufficiency.“Mymangoesandpawpawshave

improved so much and I get goodharvests.InolongerhavetosellthegrainsthatIgrowasIsellthefruitsto meet my family’s daily needs,”shesays.

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*Negarimsarediamondshapedbasinssurroundedbysmallearthembankmentsthathelptrapwater.Theyaresuitablefor

growingfruittreesindryareas.ZaiPitsarebox-likepitsusedtoenhancesoilfertilityaswellasretainwater.Theyaresuitablefor

cropssuchassorghum,millet,beansandothers.

UN NewsletterKenya

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fromRwanda,Burundi,Somalia,Kenya,Tanzania,UgandaandSouthSudan.President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya

presidedattheopeningceremonyoftheConventionon2May2012.Alsopresentat the ceremony was the UN Residentand Humanitarian Coordinator inKenya,Mr.AeneasChuma,theMinisterof Information and Communication,Hon. Samuel Poghisio, the PermanentSecretaryintheMinistryofInformationandCommunicationDr.BitangeNdemo,the Chairman of the Media Councilof Kenya, Dr. Levi Obonyo, and chiefexecutiveofficersofmajormediahousesinKenya.In his speech, President Kibaki

emphasized on the right to information.“Publicinformationisacommonpublicgood, with the Government acting asits custodian. It should, therefore bemade easily and readily available.As aGovernment,wearedeterminedtoensurethatthishappens,”hesaid.Mr.AeneasChuma,theUNResident

andHumanitarianCoordinatorinKenyapresented the joint message from theUN Secretary General and UNESCODirector-General.In his speech delivered at the

Convention on 3May, UNESCONairobiOffice Director Professor JosephMassaquoi highlighted the Agency’swork with the media to promotecommunication for development. “Thisincludes support to community media-especially the community multimediacentres-; capacity building for bothmedia associations and journalismtraining institutions; assessment ofmediadevelopmentindicatorsinvariouscountries;andmostimportantly,activitiesthat promote freedom of expressionwhich underpins every other freedomand provides a foundation for humandignity,”hesaid.Presenters from various countries,

amongthemmediaowners,scholarsandpractitioners shared views on the status

Free, independent media essential in achieving freedom of expression

President Mwai Kibaki (front row, 3rd right) and Minister for Information and Communication Hon. Samuel Poghisio (front row 2nd right) with East African Journalists’ Convention participants and organizers at KICC, Nairobi. This was the first time the President was attending the World Press Freedom Day celebrations.© UNESCO, 2012

Alfredo Villatoro, a renownedHonduran radio presenterrepeatedly received death threats

beforehewasabductedon9May2012.On15May,hisbodywasfoundoutsidethe capital, Tegucigalpa. He is not theonly journalist to be killed inHondurasandindeedworldwide.A total of 20 journalists and media

workers have been killed in Hondurassince2009,andsimilarcaseshavebeenreported in nearby Somalia, Mexico,Colombia, Syria, and other countries.Last year alone, UNESCO, the UnitedNationsagencywithamandatetodefendfreedomofexpressionandpressfreedom,condemned the killing of 62 journalistswhodiedasaresultoftheirwork.As nations marked World Press

FreedomDay on 3May 2012, the UNSecretary General, Mr Ban Ki-moonand UNESCO Director-General Ms.IrinaBokova, in a jointmessage noted:“freedom of expression is one of ourmost precious rights. It underpins everyotherfreedomandprovidesafoundationfor human dignity. Free, pluralistic andindependent media is essential for its

exercise.”World Press Freedom Day is celebrated

annually to uphold the fundamentalprinciples of press freedom; to evaluatepress freedom around the world, todefend the media from attacks on theirindependence and to pay tribute tojournalists who have lost their lives in theexerciseoftheirprofession.To mark the Day in Kenya, UNESCO

and UNDP Kenya partnered with theMedia Council of Kenya (MCK), theFord Foundation, CommunicationCommission of Kenya (CCK), NationMediaGroup, StandardMediaGroup,and other media stakeholders in theregion and organized the East AfricanJournalists’ Convention from 2 - 4May 2012 in Nairobi. Based on thetheme Harnessing Media Freedom to Transform Societies: A Journalist Perspective, the Convention focusedon the essence of media freedom intransformingsocieties,mediaregulation,mediaandelectioncoverageinAfricaandprofessionalisminthemediaindustry.TheConventionbroughttogetherover

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Peacekeeping, a global partnership

The Police Band leading the former UN peacekeepers during the commemoration.© Josephat Kariuki/UNEP, 2012

SoundsoftheKenyaPoliceBandfilled the grounds of the UNcomplex as the police officers

ledaprocessionofagroupofUNblueberets from the military, police andtheUNsecurity.Theeventwasgracedby dignitaries including the Director-General of the United Nations Officeat Nairobi (UNON), Ms. Sahle-WorkZewdewho also presented themessageof Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.Activities kicked off on a high notewithstudents from Starehe Boys and Girlscentres presenting entertaining poemsonpeaceandpeacekeeping.The occasion was the International

Day of United Nations Peacekeeperswith the theme “ Peacekeeping is aGlobalPartnership”.In his message for the Day, UN

Secretary-GeneralBanKi-moonnotedthat currently, 116 Member Statescontributemilitaryandpolicepersonnelto UN peacekeeping operations,reflecting growing global confidencein the value ofUNpeacekeeping as atool for collective security. However,headdedthat:“theultimategoalofanyUN peacekeeping is to no longer benecessary.Untilwereachthatobjective,wemakeeveryeffortforpeacekeepingto be as effective and efficient aspossible.”“Indeed,peacekeepingmissionscan

never end wars themselves. However,theycanoffer thebestpossibleoptionfor ensuring there is sustainablepeace,”said Assistant Minister for Foreign

Affairs, Richard Onyonka, who wasthechiefguest.Healsoemphasizedtheneed for peaceful coexistenceof personstoavoidthenewnatureofconflictsthatoccurwithincountries.Speaking at the same occasion on

behalf of the Chief of the DefenceForces of Kenya, Lt. General Mwathetherecognized and acknowledged thecountry’s peacemaking and peacebuilding efforts. He stated that Kenyamilitary personnel are currentlyinvolved in peacekeeping operationsin theDemocraticRepublicofCongo,SouthSudan,Sudan,Lebanon,Somaliaand now Syria. He paid tribute to allUN peacekeepers for their selflesscommitment touphold the ruleof lawinensuringpeaceandajustworld.

In his address, Commissioner ofPolice, Mathew Iteere, emphasizedthat the need for peace and securitytranscends national, regional, racial,religious, cultural, economic, politicalor any conceivable boundary. Hestressed the need for the police toreinforce and re-establish security inensuringcompliancewithinternationalhuman rights standards and restoringand promoting public safety and therule of law. He reminded the officersthatthebestwaytoenforcetheruleoflawisfirsttodutifullyobservethesamelawandrespecthumanrights.During the ceremony, four wreaths

were laid in memory of all the fallenpeacekeepers.Inaddition,aminuteofsilencewasobserved.

of media regulation in their countries,journalists’ experiences in reportingelections and conflicts, the role ofjournalists’ associations in championingand protecting the rights and privileges ofjournalists aswell as the role ofmedia increatingdemocraticsocieties.In his remarks, Mr. Paul Melly, the

StandardMediaGroupChief Executive

Officernoted:“pressfreedomisanationalassetandcannotbeownedbyanyonebutonly managed to ensure it is practicedresponsibly”.Mr.LinusGitahi,theNationMediaChiefExecutiveOfficersaid:“weare moving from an era of fightingmedia freedom to one of discussingmediaresponsibility”.The Convention culminated into the

1st Annual Media Council JournalismAwards held on 4May 2012where 76print and broadcast journalists wereawarded for exemplary reporting undervarious categories. This award will beheldannuallytocoincidewiththeWorldPressFreedomDayinKenya.

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Over 400 guests comprising ofmembersofthediplomaticcorps,civilsocietyorganizations, studentsand the

UN staff attended the ceremony, whichwas organized by theUN InformationCentre(UNIC)incollaborationwiththe

DepartmentofDefenceandtheKenyaPolice.

UNODC contributes towards Police reforms in Kenya

Police accountability in Kenyais a challenging subject. Overthe years, the perception of

the Kenyan public and internationalobservers was that members ofpolice and security forces are amajorperpetrator of human rights violations.Police involvement in the history ofviolence related to the electoral cycleseemstobearthisout.The first multi-party elections

in 1992 resulted in violent clashesbetweenpoliticalandethnicrivalsthatleft more than 1,500 people dead anddisplaced over 300,000 others. Thepolicewereimplicatedintheviolence.Itwascrediblyreportedthattheyeitherfailed to intervene topreventor stop it, orparticipated directly in some of the mostbrutal acts. More recently, the reportof theCommissionof Inquiry into thePost Election Violence of 2007-2008,also known as theWaki Commission,noted that the police used unjustifiedforce in responding to post-electiondemonstrations and violence. A hugepercentageofthe1,300reporteddeathswereattributedtothepolice.TheIndependentPolicingOversight

AuthorityAct(IPOA)2011wasenactedbyparliamenttoaddressthemultiplicityof problems and bad record historicallyassociatedwiththepolice.ThecreationofIPOAwasdrivenbyseveralfactors.First, in circumstances where crimeand violence are increasing, a moreaccountable police service and higherquality police oversight can improvepublicsafety.Second,itisthoughtthatbecause of the longstanding publicdistrust of police, accountabilitymechanisms can strengthen publicconfidence in the police. Third, in a

contextofinter-ethnicconflict,effectiveoversight canhelp thepolice establisha reputation for fairness and non-partisanshipthatallowsittoprotectallcitizens.As part of its work to promote the

rule of law in the region, the UnitedNations Office on Drugs and Crime(UNODC)RegionalOfficeforEasternAfrica (ROEA) engaged a consultantto carry out a study on the feasibilityof establishing IPOA in Kenya and

produce a report on the findings.The report entitled “Establishing Independent Policing Oversight in Kenya: Challenges and Opportunities”was published and launched in April2012.Thisreportprovidesindetail:• A common understanding of

police accountability for bothpublic safety and respectfultreatmentofcivilians;

• The role played by multipleinstitutions in police

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UN NewsletterKenya

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��

An armed young herder looks after cattle at Nadapal along Kenyan – Sudan border..

UN Human Security Trust Fund Project approves six million USD to reduce cross-border conflict and

food insecurity in North Eastern Kenya

TheHumanSecurityTrustFundProject (HSTF) has approvedsix million USD to strengthen

the resilience of approximately300,000 Turkanas affected by cross-border insecurity and reoccurringdrought in Kenya. The proposedactivities supported by the allocatedfunds within the UN inter-agencycoordination framework, will improvehuman security.Theprojectwill buildon the capacities of local CommunityBased Organizations (CBOs) andlocal Government authorities workingin conflict management and peace-building in Turkana and across itsborders(Ethiopia,Uganda,andSudan).The targeted area for the HSTF

projectisTurkanacentraldistrictwhichhasa totalpopulationof273,268.Thedistrict is in theArid and SemiArid lands(ASAL) Livelihood zones in Kenya,making it one of the most vulnerableregions in the country. Pastoralism isthe main subsistence and economicactivityinthedistrict,with60%ofthepopulationderivingitslivelihoodfromit. Turkana central is ranked amongst

accountability and oversight.Thesecanbedivided into threetypes of oversight control:internal control by the Policeitself; control by governmentalinstitutions such as theexecutive, judiciary and thelegislature; control by publicthrough mechanisms such aspolicingforums,mediaandciviloversight boards; internationalcontrol through internationalbodies such as internationalhuman rights treaty bodies andregionaltreatybodies;

• The functioning of police

oversight from all of theseperspectives with attention onhowtheycanworkbesttogetherwith other institutions ongovernancereforms;

• Lessons learnt from otherjurisdictions;

• Thechallengesandopportunitiesof establishing IPOA in theKenyancontext.

A workshop to launch this reportwas organized by UNODC ROEAand sponsored by the Departmentof State of the United States ofAmerica.ItwasattendedbythePoliceReform Implementing Committee

members, representativesfromvariousGovernment institutions, donors, civilsocietyandexpertsfromIndia,UnitedKingdomandNorthernIreland.In her speech, the UNODC ROEA

Representative,Ms. Loide Lungamenipledged to provide, upon request,technical assistance and advisoryservices to support theGovernmentofKenya as it proceeds tooperationalizeIPOA.Deliberations and recommendations

from the workshop proceedings willbe forwarded to the IPOA once it isconfirmedbyparliament.

districts with the highest povertyincidences in Kenya, with sixty-fourpercentof thepopulation livingbelowthepovertydatumline.Turkana is part of the ‘Karamoja

cluster’ which includes the Dodoth,Matheniko and Jie in Uganda, theToposa in Sudan, the Nyangatom andtheMerille inEthiopia, and thePokotinKenya.Regionalethnicandpoliticalinter-play within the Kenya-Uganda-Sudan and Ethiopia borderlands are

characterized by remoteness fromnational decision-making centers andnumerous incidents of severe armedviolence pitting local groups againsteachother.Turkana region suffers from a

‘climate change-migration-conflict-nexus’whererecurring,severedroughtcycles lead to increasingly frequentout migrations of pastoralists withinKenyaor across theborder, in search

An armed young herder © UNOCHA, 2012

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UN NewsletterKenya

10ofwater and pasture for livestock.Thishas led to rising levels of violent inter-ethnic conflict over scarce resourcesacrosstheregion.Limited infrastructure, roads,

communicat ion, markets , t radeopportunities and socio-economicactivities have contributed to themarginalizationofbordercommunitiessuch as those in Turkana central,and have created an environment ofrecurringeconomicandfoodinsecurity.Theregionshowshumandevelopmentindicators below the MillenniumDevelopment Goals (MDGs) targetsandnationalaverages.Weak governance structures coupled

with porous borders and ineffectivesecurity systems have led to themainlypastoralist population resortingto acquiring arms. The resultingproliferation of small arms and lightweapons in the region has turnedtraditional conflict over resources andcattle rustling more deadly. Cattlerustling,oncea‘cultural’practiceusedfor restocking in times of scarcity has

The Minister of Immigration,IntegrationandAsylumAffairsof the United Kingdom of the

Netherlands Mr. Gerd Leers on 29May 2012 visited the InternationalOrganization for Migration (IOM)Transit Centre in Nairobi wherehe attended an actual immigrationinterview process conducted bymembersofhisteam.Mr.Leers,whowasaccompaniedby

theAmbassadoroftheRoyalEmbassyof the Netherlands in Kenya, Mr. JoostReintjes, was taken on a tour of theTransit Centre which plays a criticalrole in IOM’s Refugee ResettlementProgramme. The Centre provides pre-departure health assessment, culturalorientation and movement relatedassistance to refugees accepted forresettlement. The transportation of

in many instances turned into a well-organized and profitable commercialactivity.Turkana’s pastoralist lifestyle

combined with severe poverty anddrought has also hindered children’saccess toeducation.Nomadicchildrenface barriers to school education astheir lifestyle requires their familiesto move around remote areas withtheiranimalstoseeknewpasturesandwater. Children in Turkana (6-13 agegroup)arelesslikelytoaccessprimaryeducation with only 50% enrolled(53.2% boys, 46.8% girls), comparedwith the national average 92.5% (94.6%boys,90.5%girls).Likewise,onlyhalfof preschool-age children in Turkana(4-5 age group) participate in EarlyChildhood Development and Education(ECDE).The proposed activities supported by

theHSTFwillbuildonlocalcapacitiesto reduce inter-communal, cross-bordertensions. It is hoped that the fundwill promote social and economicdevelopment through the delivery of

basic health care, the stepping up ofcrucialwaterinitiativesforpopulationsandlivestock,accesstobasiceducationfor out-of-school and vulnerablechildren aswell as alternative livelihoodskillstraining.The project activities contribute

to the realization of the MDGs bytargetingpovertyreduction,andaccesstoeducationandhealthcare.Thisisinlinewith theGovernment’s objectivesofpovertyreductionandDisasterRiskReductionfortheregion,asoutlinedin theNationalPolicy for theDevelopment oftheASALs.The United Nations Trust Fund

for Human Security offers a uniquefunding source that is integrated,holistic and multi-sectoral, aptlysuited to addressing themulti-facettedchallenges in theASALs. The projectbenefits from the input and guidanceof different UN agencies that includeUNDP, FAO, WHO, IOM, UNICEF,ILO and OCHA, local partners andmost importantly, disaster affectedcommunitiesthemselves.

Dutch Minister for Immigration visits IOM Transit Centre

The Minister of Immigration, Integration and Asylum Affairs of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, Mr Gerd Leers is welcomed at the IOM Transit Centre in Nairobi by Dr. Aleksandar Galev, the IOM Representative in Kenya.© IOM, 2012

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UN NewsletterKenya

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UNHCR strengthens its presence in Dadaab refugee complex

migrants and the related processingactivities are central to IOM’soperationalfunctions.IOMKenyaservesasaresettlement

hub in Africa, providing coordinationand assistance for resettlement activitiesinSub-SaharanAfrica.TheIOMofficein Nairobi functions as an interfacebetween the Agency’s field missionsand resettlement partners including theUnitedNations High Commissioner forRefugees (UNHCR), and the various

governments which receive refugees,family reunification cases and othermigrants.The Minister, who praised IOM

“as an organization known for itsdeliverables”, was appreciative ofthe efforts of theAgency inKenya, insupporttotheNetherlands’immigrationteam on the ground in Nairobi andKakuma.On his part, IOM’s Representative,

Dr. Aleksandar Galev assured the

MinisteroftheAgency’scommitmentto assisting populations on the move.“IOM appreciates the assistance ofthe Government of the Netherlandsto refugees in Kenya, and is ready tofurthersupportittoresettlerefugeesoutofKenyaandtheregion”,hesaid.TheCentre,whichcanaccommodate

350 migrants, includes a dining area,accommodationrooms,amedicalclinicand pre-departure orientation classrooms.

James ole Seriani officially opening the UNHCR Alinjungur sub office © UNHCR, 2012

As part of the United NationsHigh Commiss ionerfor Human Refugees

(UNHCR) effortstoensurecontinuityof life-saving services for more than460,000refugeesintheDadaabrefugeecomplex in north-eastern Kenya, theagencyopenedanewofficeinAlinjugur,FafiDistrict.The new office opened in the

presence of top Government officialsincluding theNorthEasternProvincialCommissioner, Mr. James ole Serianiand UNHCR Country RepresentativeElike Segbor, is about 80 kilometersfrom the Somali border and some 20kilometres from the main UNHCRcompoundinDadaab.Alinjugur hosts staff of UNHCR,

otheragenciesandnon-governmentalorganizations (NGOs). The teamsbasedinAlinjugurwillcoverHagaderaand Kambioos sites - which sheltersome150,000Somalirefugees.The Alinjugur office will enable

UNHCR to be closer to refugeecommunitiesandconsequently,providebetterservicesforrefugeesandthehostcommunities. Itsopening is a resultoftalksandcooperationwiththeKenyanauthorities to decongest the campsandtoincreasethefieldpresenceforUNHCR

and other humanitarian organizations.Inaddition,UNHCRisworkingcloselywiththehostcommunitytoaidpositiveco-existence with refugees. The newdevelopment will enable UNHCRto expand humanitarian space andfacilitateoperations.Securityhasbeenamajorchallenge

in Dadaab in the last six months,restrictingthescaleoffieldoperations.The situation remains complex andtense as threats from improvisedexplosivedevices,kidnappings,vehicle

hijackingsandbanditryremainhigh.Dadaab has been providing

protection, shelter and humanitarianassistance to Somali refugees fortwo decades, often under difficultand complex circumstances. Chronicovercrowding, a risk of disease,and seasonal floods are among thechallengesfaced.Dadaabisthelargestrefugee settlement in the world andspreads over an area ofmore than 50squarekilometres.

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The International CivilAviationOrganization (ICAO) Easternand Southern African (ESAF)

RegionalOffice,inconjunctionwiththeWorld Meteorological Organization(WMO), recently organized andconducted a Training the Trainers’Course in Quality Management Systems(QMS) for the provision of aeronauticalmeteorological services for English-speakingStateswithintheEasternandSouthernAfrican (ESAF)andWesternandCentralAfrican(WACAF)RegionsofICAO.Thecoursewasheldfrom7to18May2012inNairobi,Kenya,whileaFrenchversionofthesamecoursewasheldinApril2012atthesamevenue.The need for this course followed

a survey conducted in ICAO ESAFRegion in November 2011 to assessthe extent of establishment and levelof implementation of QMS by Statesto which the Regional Office isaccredited. The results indicated thatmany States had indeed embarked onthe QMS and were at different levelsof implementation. Only Mauritius,SouthAfrica,andTanzaniahadalreadyreceived certification in the ISO9001:2008Standard.ICAOrequiresthatallStatesensure

Training the Trainers’ Course in Quality Management Systems for Meteorological Services

that the meteorological authoritydesignated by them establishes andimplements a properly organizedqualitymanagementsystemcomprisingprocedures, processes and resourcesnecessary to provide for the qualitymanagement of meteorologicalinformation to be supplied to usersof their services and products by 15November2012.The QMS course, which was

conducted in English, was aimed at

equipping participants with skillsand knowledge necessary for theestablishment and implementationof ISO 9001:2008 Standard. It wasattended by 18 participants from 11States namely: Botswana, Ghana,Kenya, Liberia, Namibia, Nigeria, theSeychelles,UgandaandZambia,aswellasLibyaandYemenfromotherregionsofaccreditation, which participated uponrequestbyWMO.

Participants of the Quality Management System (QMS) course with the ICAO Regional Director © ICAO, 2012

This Newsletter is compiled by the UN Communications Group in Kenya (UNCG)and edited by the United Nations Information Centre, Nairobi.

For more information contact: UNCG Chair, P. O. Box 67578-00100 Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel: 020-76221102, E-mail: nairobi.unic@unon.org

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