The Water Hole

Category: Uncategorized | Date: Jun 30 2008 | By: thewaterhole

Let me first thank Sheryl and Louise for their comments. You are both right that ‘the left hand doesn’t know what the right hand is doing’. It is disturbing to see that the Kenya government has ignored some very informed protests and have refused to learn from examples in other countries - such as the one mentioned by Sheryl. Clearly, we have seen the developed countries use up their natural resources only to realize their mistakes and try to repair the damage. Should the developing world follow this route? My guess is NO. We cant make the same mistake while all the warning signs are in the open for all to see.

Speaking of which, environmental lobbyists haven’t given up. As I said in my previous post, the conservationists held a press conference last Wednessday (25 June 2008) and there was resounding response from the major local and some international media houses.

I recieved today an email from one of the organizers of the conference, Serah Munguti of Nature Kenya, and I thought it wise to share important information contained in it with you.

The following publicity resulted from the Press conference held yesterday:

National electronic coverage on Wednesday 25^th June 2008:

• NTV 7 O’clock news;
• KTN 9 O’clock Business news;
• KBC 9 O’clock Business news;
• Citizen TV 9 O’clock Business News;
• KBC 11 O’clock late night news;
• Citizen 11 O’clock late night news;
• Kiss FM 7pm news bulletin;
• Kiss FM 8pm news bulletin;
• Classic FM 7pm news bulletin;
• Classic FM 8pm news bulletin

Print media coverage 26 June 2008:

• The Standard page 27;
• Business Daily page 7;
• Nairobi Star page 12

In addition to this extensive coverage on the local print and electronic media the following action has also beeen taken

• Wetlands International issued a press release calling on the Kenya Government to reverse its decision on the Sugar plantation project in the Tana Wetlands.
• Pollmans Tours & Safaris , a national tour operator, has send concerns (documents) to Robert Hepworth of the UN Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals-African, European and West Asian waterbirds programme (CMS/AEWA) for action. He will also engage the tourism industry through the Kenya Association of Tour Operators to mobilize action against TISP.
• Nature Kenya and the BirdLife Africa Partnership are putting together an international petition from BirdLife Africa Partners from 22 countries on the basis of the international significance of the Tana River Delta Important Bird Area.
• A Rocha Kenya has also set up a Tana River Delta website, http://tanariverdelta.org/tana/welcome.html. for those who have information that they wish to share in this campaign (for this website) you can contact colin.jackson@arocha.org or to advocacy@naturekenya.org

The way forward
The conveners of this press conference have resolved to:

• Carry out in-depth media interviews and write opinion articles for media
• Engage international development agencies and foreign missions and embassies in Kenya
• Engage the EU market that buys 40% of Mumias sugar
• Engage indigenous peoples organisations to protest against the human rights issues of TISP

For the Record
Mumias Sugar Company (MSC) Ltd. and Tana and Athi River Development Authority (TARDA), in a planned private joint venture, are proposing to turn 20,000 hectares of the mostly pristine Tana River Delta into sugarcane plantations. The main features of the Tana Integrated Sugar Project (TISP) are: 16,000 ha of irrigated sugarcane production through estate; 4,000 ha of outgrower systems; water supply to the project; a sugar factory and power co-generation facility of up to 34 megawatts capacity; an ethanol production plant; and livestock supporting activities, including fisheries. On 11 June 2008 Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) approved the project’s EIA. Environmental organisations are opposed to NEMA’s decision citing the impact of the project on the Tana Delta’s ecology, biodiversity and local people’s livelihoods.

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