By Mildred Kelly & Salim Abdallah
The Kenya National Commission of Human Rights (KNCHR) will conduct a compliance audit in Kwale County to ascertain if all the County Government initiatives are benefiting locals.
This is after the commission chair led a team in a closed door meeting with Governor Fatuma Achani on various issues affecting the region.
Some of the issues include killings of elderly people in some parts of LungaLunga and Kinango over land disputes while disguised as witchcraft cases.
Closure of Base Titanium mining company, plans by Bamburi cement putting up a factory in Matuga , issues of women in leadership as well as issues of transgender and intersex.
Odede said that more than four thousand students have benefited from bursary since the inception of devolution in 2013 from Kwale county government.
Kwale governor Fatuma Achani administration has already increased the Elimu Ni sasa kitty from Sh400 million during governor Salim Mvurya (current CS Mining and blue economy) reign to Sh500 million with thousands of students in national government getting full bursary scholarship
On matters of health in Kwale, the chair noted that a lot has improved with over hundred dispensaries being operational compared to a very few that were available before devolution.
ELDERLY KILLINGS IN KWALE?
The commission revealed having received reports about killings of elderly people in some parts of Kwale disguised as witchcraft practices but mostly revolves around land conflicts.
Ironically, despite Kinango and Lunga Lunga Constituencies reporting many cases of elderly killings, the County Commissioner Representative Lucy Ndemo said that the security team at the grounds did not have a lot of reports about those cases.
However the commission promised to dig deep and continue conducting surveys so that they can establish where the truth is.
BAMBURI CEMENT ALTERNATIVE DISPUTE RESOLUTION!
The chairperson also took issue with the Bamburi cement company’s plans to launch a new mine factory in Kwale County as demand for cement increases.
“We have received a report from the public about violation of rights from the cement company and we will conduct our investigations to ensure the rights of the people are protected as well as the rights of the cement company as it looks forward to begin with its launch so that no one can feel injustice has taken place.” Said Roseline Odede
BASE TITANIUM WINDING UP
On the closure of the Australian mining company Base Titanium by December 2024 the commission said its focus is to ensure that human rights, Labor rights and environmental rights are protected.
Base titanium has announced plans to close its operation in December 2024 once there will be no more areas to do mining.
Thousands of locals from Kwale and across the country working at the multi-national mining company are set to lose their jobs with the company already having initiated closure plans.
“We have also talked about the intersex people, whenever you talk about intersex, people think you talk about the transgender people.We have agreed that we shall create awareness so that people can understand more about intersex here in Kwale and provide services to help those who are intersex.” Said the chairperson
Issues of women in leadership came up during the commission’s visit to Governor Fatuma Achani as women undergo so many challenges because they are put in a different matrix.
“We have agreed to organize a conference about women in leadership to address such concerns so that they can do their work as they should effectively.” Said the chairperson.
Additional report by Alloys Musyoka
