EDITORIAL
Enough investigations were done. But the government is afraid of exposure of what they did to its people. The people of Northern Kenya have undergone the worst injustice ever before and after Independence. It still does.
The colonial government closed Northern Frontier Districts (NFD) from the rest of Kenya. The independent government denied the people access to title deeds, development and committed the worst atrocities ever. Crime against those governed was downplayed despite committing massacre after massacre by government forces – a slow genocide.
Northern Kenya economic mainstay is nomadic – pastoralism (livestock) to date, remains shooting targets for government forces, sanctioned by the government of Kenya. To this day, collective and arbitrary punishment is meted out to anyone from the North. To its policymakers and implementors, land is freely dished out to anyone else except the real owners. Community Land Act was deliberately delayed to give ample time to foreigners to grab land.
CANCER ON THE RISE
The unparalleled upsurge of cancer cases in Northern Kenya is attributed to the alleged dumping of radioactive waste in Kargi, Chalbi and Maikona in Marsabit County. In Isiolo County, areas such as Arbjan and Barchuma in Merti where nuclear waste was dumped devoid of community consultation. Those who were young recall people dressed like astronauts burying chemicals in huge excavators and medium-size tanks – which are still visible in those areas till today.
Soon after, there were countless reports of locals whose skins just started peeling off. To compound the desperate situation in the area, more than 7,000 sheep and goats died after drinking water from those areas where boreholes were purportedly drilled. Was radioactive materials being buried there without the knowledge of the locals but with the full knowledge of the then government bureaucrats?
One amendment after the other is secretly done under the roof of the August House (Parliament). Former president Daniel Moi and his the then powerful Minister for Energy Nicholas Kipyator Biwott took it upon themselves to auction our land to Italian and French nuclear firms to bury hundreds of thousands of nuclear waste from their power stations in Isiolo, Wajir and Marsabit Counties.
THE LAND QUESTION
The British has a testing ground for all their weapons at Archer’s Post in Samburu. British geologists, using British army helicopters, were mapping mineral areas with a clear tacit of government approval. White ranchers, masked as wildlife ‘conservationist’ openly claim they control millions of acres on behalf of the community, a stepping stone to access minerals, a fact known to our government and led to insurgency war by the pastoralists.
The presence of the British Army was to protect the interest of British government in its thirst to reap cheap resource in a region of expansive ‘free land’. Free land, nuclear waste, cancer, arms, war-like community whose basic human rights was violated by the same government are issues that have pushed these communities to the brink of precipice.
The scourge is overwhelming the local health facility, depleting health budgets, and leaving a trail of widowers, widows and orphans in the rural communities. To bring it closer to home, a huge chunk of the meat consumed in the country comes from the areas. According to some biochemist and experts, “There is a likelihood, those who buried the radioactive wastes were carrying out occupational cohorts and population-based case-control studies,”.
CURRENTLY HAUNTING
Today, many of you weep for the loss of Bob Collymore’s, Hon. Ken Okoth’s and Governor Laboso’s. We have wept enough times without any sympathy from anyone that we no longer weep from the pain of what the government did to the people of Northern Kenya. No, we will not weep. We stare back, blank emotions masked by immense pain of such sad memory.
But we know someone will payback. Time is not linear. Neither is it infinite. Past or future. Time is now, here, all the time. What happened was destined to happen. And so will be its repercussion. Even as many of you remain indifferent to our plights, one day, you will be petrified by who pulled the peace carpet from under your feet.
Comprehensive documentary dubbed “DESERT OF DEATH” which was aired by former by KTN ‘s investigative reporter Dennis Onsarigo back in 2014 can give you more insight.
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Good article on cancer in northern Kenya.
We are humbled by your compliments brother Said. Meanwhile, we are delighted to receive articles from you on topical issues.
Once again,we say thank you for your words of encouragement.
Great work.
Thanks for your response. We are delighted to receive articles on topical issues from you.
Have a blessed moments.
Great work God bless you
Thanks Buke. We are glad you are supporting our cause. Once again we say thank you.