Msambweni Community Development Agreement Committee was lauded for doing a lot in ensuring the public understands what they have been implementing since they took office in 2021.
These came out after a presentation by Omar Fakii and immediate secretary to the committee during the Power of voices partnership project review forum organized by Transparency international.
In his presentation Fakii showcased tens of development projects in Ramisi,Kinondo,Ukunda and Bongwe-Gombato wards for the last three years. Some of the projects are complete while others are ongoing.
Fakii said that the Sh5 million loans project to locals failed since beneficiaries did not repay after taking loans due to political temperature in 2022.
LungaLunga and Likoni CDAc officials also took time to explain how far they have gone in implementing projects during the forum in Diani with a lot being done within the Mrima Bwiti settlement scheme and Likoni.
The forum was aimed at reviewing CDAc progress since its inception through the Power of Voices partnership project.
Transparency International official Ivy Nzilu said that the review was very important that allowed the former CDAc members to explain how the journey has been.
Issues of Base Titanium Scholarship came up during the event with participants faulting the education committee for locking students out of the program due to poor grades without informing the CDAc offices.
“We have learnt about children who have their sponsorship withdrawn when their parents come to our offices. Procedurally CDAc should be copied such information,” said Omar Fakii.
According to Fatuma Mwakinyezi, very needy students who have performed poorly have dropped out of school completely after their sponsorship was withdrawn.
She sensationally claimed that the recruitment of scholarship beneficiaries was always compounded by a lot of secrecy with politician’s relatives benefiting more than the intended poor families and mining affected families.
Also claims of Base Titanium paying for students while parents are also paying for the same students came up with a case in point from Mazeras boy’s high school.
“I have been paying for my son at Mazeras boys from form one to form two only to realize that Base Titanium was also paying fees for my boy. Where the money was going as a parent I have no idea,” he claimed.
Some of the members said it proved difficult to get scholarship program information from the mining company committee for the last three years even after requesting.
Mrima Bwiti-LungaLunga CDAc secretary Mwaega said that their committee has requested for information about how many students, their names as well as how much they had spent for scholarship from Bwiti with no response.
During the forum veteran human right defender George Jaramba wondered why the CDAc committees had not raised the issue in writing for a follow up.
Human right defenders said that the issue of withdrawing scholarship programs from students needs a review since innocent families will be affected.
But George Ngungi former Mrima-Bwiti settlement CDAc committee member said that parents had been informed about the arrangement calling on beneficiaries to ensure there children perform well in school.
Also issues of land formed the center of discussion with participants saying a lot needs to be done to avoid the repetition of locals signing documents to let away their land without full information.
George Jaramba said that enlightening the community on matters of land is needed to ensure locals make informed decisions.
Citing Miembeni people who leased their land at Sh9000 per acre every year to Base Titanium while others sold their land.
“Why is there selective when it comes to the issue of land acquisition?
Yusuf Jobwe termed the Miembeni leased land as a biggest scam that should not have happened, saying a uniformed law on relocation of locals by government on matters of mining is very important.
He said that paying locals Sh9000 per acre every year was uncalled for and should not have happened.
George Ngungi- also Ngululu-Maumba resident said that there were a lot of problems before relocation of locals in 2006-2007 adding that locals need to be sensitized to avoid taking raw deals because of money.
Fatuma Mwakinyezi said that Nguluku-Maumba residents got a raw deal of land by the national government at Bwiti which had hostile communities and waterlogged land.
“That is why nowadays locals only ask for money so that they can go and look for land themselves elsewhere,” she said.
The raised issues left Denyenye locals where Bamburi cement is set to start its operation soon worried since they claimed that Base Titanium is their yard stick.
Mbijiwe Dickson, inspector of mining in Kwale said that once land has been rehabilitated the national government takes over since locals were compensated adding that all movable assets are taken by county government while immovable assets are taken by national government.
