SPEECH BY PROFESSOR KAREGA MUTAHI CBS

SPEECH BY PROFESSOR KAREGA MUTAHI CBS THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER AND MINISTRY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DURING THE LAUNCH OF WORLD CLEAN-UP DAY 24TH MARCH 2012, AT MOI DRIVE IN UMOJA NAIROBI

The Permanent Secretaries Present,

Nairobi Provincial Commissioner,

His Worship the Mayor of Nairobi,

Town Clerk, City Council of Nairobi,

Distinguished Guests,

All the residents of Umoja,

All Protocol Observed,

Ladies and Gentlemen.

It gives me great pleasure to join you today to mark this year’s World Clean-up Day. This is a noble undertaking that should be promoted and practiced by all Kenyans without exception.

In this connection, I wish to appreciate the Komarocks Community Development Network (KCDN) for championing the Clean-up Campaign through the Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaigns that have been launched in several Towns across Kenya and include major Councils such as Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisii, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nyeri and Naivasha.

Our thanks go to the KCDN Team that has been so dedicated to this campaign and all the Friends of KCDN who have made this Campaign a success.  As we thank you, we also appeal to you to sustain and enhance the efforts to sensitize Kenyans to be more responsive to the needs of a clean and sustainable environment.

Ladies and Gentlemen

This is a campaign that all City, Municipal and other town CEOs in Kenya should embrace and actively participate in.  I therefore urge them to set aside every 3^rd Saturday of the Month from 7.00a.m to 9.00a.m for this noble exercise. This is an event that I personally support and in which I wish to participate.

Solid Waste Management is a challenge that affects all the urban areas in Kenya and which must be confronted proactively by all.  In this connection, all town and county clerks should create order within their areas of jurisdiction and enforce the relevant by-laws. Let us work together to apprehend all those who litter our urban areas and require them to account for their actions.  However, as we do that we must also spend time to educate those who may be ignorant. As we educate the ignorant, let us make sure that those who deliberately dump garbage by the roadsides are brought to book.  In this regard, residents’ associations need to be informed and empowered to act.

It is also time we instituted measures to separate waste at source.  It is important for our people to start viewing waste as wealth by embracing the principles of Re-using, Re-Cycling and Reducing (3Rs). Working with my colleagues from the relevant Ministries, we will encourage industrialists, to work closely with the Youth and Women groups who are working in the areas of Waste Management to buy the waste that has been well separated at source from these groups. To this end, we will encourage Local Authorities to designate central garbage collection points within all the estates to enable such groups operate.   The Local Authorities should also engage in training people on the separation of solid wastes into different types.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ladies and Gentlemen

There must be order and discipline in our lives and the work places. It is disheartening to see people throwing out garbage, cans and other solid wastes as they drive along the roads. I appeal upon on all law enforcement agencies such as the police and all local authorities askaris to apprehend such people and have them charged in court for littering our towns, neighbourhoods and countryside.

As part of the demonstration that a Clean Kenya can be a reality, my Ministry, working with local authorities will pay special attention to selected markets such as Marigiti and Kongowea Wholesale Markets to make them a good example of what a clean market should be.  In line with this effort, local authorities are encouraged to ensure that all the markets have clean toilets that are, also well lit.

As Kenya celebrates her 50 years of independence next year, I wish to appeal to all the local authorities in Kenya to ensure that as we celebrate, we do so within clean environments. To this end we will be working with relevant stakeholders, including KCDN, to enhance cleanliness of our towns.  It is proposed that measures be put in place to inculcate a sense of competition among towns.  We invite all our Partners, including the Corporates and any other willing Partner to work with us in giving incentives to urban authorities that wish to engage in clean-up campaigns.

Ladies and Gentlemen

I also wish to stress that as we strive towards a clean Kenya, proper Town Planning in our towns and cities is a must.  Inevitably, order must be created and enforced, sometimes through painful fines.  For example our drainage systems must be left free of solid waste and anyone found to be dumping in them should be punished. To achieve this important goal all city by-laws must be implemented and all urban dwellers must take their places and work towards responsible waste management.  In, addition we need to clean and maintain pedestrian walks and the councils must reign in on the PSV madness that clog our roads with impunity. Thus we all must join our hands as one strong team of urban area dwellers to keep our city clean.

 In order to make responsible waste management sustainable, deliberate steps need to be undertaken to engage all actors i.e City Departments, Partners,  Corporates, NGOs, Schools and Religious Groups, just to mention a few.  To realize our rights on clean and sustainable environment, it is important for this exercise to be owned by all stakeholders.  

In conclusion, I wish to stress that a clean Kenya is not only possible but also noble.  As such, let us all join our efforts here, today, tomorrow and always.

I thank you.  God bless you, God bless Kenya our motherland.

Dream of our Fathers

Friends,
I had a very fulfilling day today.
I was honoured to join with a team of Peace Builders from Nairobi in a very candid discussion that centred on the Socio-Economical, Political and Economical aspirations of Kenyans as we seek to reconcile Kenya to the Kenya we want.
We looked at the Dreams of our Fathers and juxtapozed the same to the Kenya that we want.

Ms Mpaayei and Ms Munyao; Facilitators at our Peace Building Meeting of today the 26th March 2012

KCDN has been in the frontline in championing issues of Peace Building as our 2nd Pillar in the ongoing Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in our Journey of Hope across Kenya.
This discussion continues until Wednesday the 28th March and it is important for us in our Peace Building efforts in Rift Valley, Nyanza and Western Provinces where our Partners have been very active on the ground.

Odhiambo T Oketch following the proceedings. next to him is Mr. Wachira from the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission.

The Month of April is going to be a very busy Month for our Teams, The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign, Centre for Community Dialogue and Development, Rift Valley Development Trust, Youth Revival Initiative and a host of other Partners in Rift Valley.
On the 4th April, we will be hosting a Consultative Forum with the Key Leaders in Kitale.
On the 5th April, we will be hosting a Consultative Forum with Key Leaders in Eldoret, then on the 6th April, we will host a Team of Elders from Kalenjin, Luo and Luhya at Kibigori.
This will be followed by another round of Consultative Forums on the 11th April in Kitale, 12th April in Eldoret then finally 19th April at Kibigori.
Our Focal Point for the Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign for April will be Eldoret Town where we will host a Massive Clean-up Campaign on the 21st April 2012. Then on the 22nd April, we will host a Major Clean-up Campaign at Kibigori followed by the signing of the Kibigori Chepswerta Peace Treaty amongs the Community Leaders from the Kalenjin, the Luo and the Luhya.
Our last call of action will be Kitale where we will host a Massive Clean-up Campaign on the 28th April.

A Group Photo- 26th March 2012

We have been in discussions with all the major players in all these places and as we write, we are massively mobilizing these regions.
We are expecting massive turnouts in all these areas and we all join hands in fighting for a Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50.
Lastly, we want to sincerely thank all the Friends of KCDN who made the Month on March such a resounding success for the Clean-up Campaign. We are looking forward to our continued engagements in to the future.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek'- President Barack Obama of the USA.
A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.


Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.

.......Moving From Talking to Tasking.......

Oto's Speech during the World Clean-up Day

24^th March 2012
Umoja Estate- Moi Drive; The World Clean-up Day.
The Permanent Secretary Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government, Prof Karega Mutahi.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development, Arch Philip Sika.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, Dr. James Nyikal.
The Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority- Mr. Erias Lukwago.
His Excellency the Ambassador of Uganda to Kenya His Excellency BP Emmanuel Hatega.
All Protocal Observed.
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you all today to Umoja Estate in celebrating The World Clean-up Day with us. KCDN has been in the front line in mobilizing Kenyans into action and we are happy that this day has been made a resounding success due to our commitment and focus.
Mr. Odhiambo T Oketch consults with Mr. Salim Ali Molla- Senior Under Secretary from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government. Hon Sulaiman Kidandala- the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority is on the left
We launched the Clean-up Campaigns in 2009 when we invited the City Council of Nairobi to join with us in cleaning the Komarock Canal. The response was massive and thereafter, we wrote to the Town Clerk requesting if we could do this every Month across the whole of Nairobi.
This request was granted and on the 18^th September 2010, His then Worship the Mayor Cllr Geoffrey Majiwa, in the company of several City Fathers and Chief Officers, officially launched the Nairobi City Monthly Clean-up Campaign. From then on, this campaign has been mounted every 3^rd Saturday of the Month in Nairobi.
Having seen the success and the willingness of Kenyans to join in this process, and having seen how littered our Towns across the Country were, we decided to Launch The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign to spear head this campaign across all Kenya.
We invited the support of the Provincial Administration at the Office of the President, the Greening Kenya Initiative at the Office of the Prime Minister, the participation of various Local Government Authorities across Kenya as our first Friends, and many Friends of KCDN.
memberes of the Provincial Administration keenly follows the proceeding
We then invited the Rt Hon Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga to graciously launch this Campaign in Mombasa and on the 20^th February 2011, this became a reality when the Rt Hon Prime Minister delegated this invitation to Hon Amazon Kingi- the Minister for Fisheries Development to stand in for him.
From that time on, The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign has grown in stature. We have invited more willing partners to join with us and we have launched the Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Nairobi, Mombasa, Eldoret, Kisii, Kisumu, Kakamega, Nyeri and Naivasha.
We are happy that our efforts have been supported by the following groups whom we have the confidence of calling Friends of KCDN;

·        Provincial Administration- Office of the President

·        Public Service Transformation Department- Office of the Prime Minister

·        Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Goovernment

·        Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources

·        Ministry of Nairobi Metropolitan Development

·        Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development

·        Akiba Uhaki Foundation

·        A Better World

·        Mugumo Communications Ltd

·        Kenya Private Sector Alliance

·        And a host of Friends of KCDN listed under Partners in our website- http://www.kcdnkenya.org

Mobilizing and sensitizing Kenyans for this Campaign has not been easy. A few people who do not know think that we are really well funded. But our Friends who know, know how difficult it has been for us to mobilize for the success of this Campaign. We have been knocking constantly on several doors with some modest success.
It is hence our intention today to officially invite for the support, both logistics and financial, to The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign. We have proved that it can be done, and with your support, we can work as a team in this Journey of Hope across Kenya.
Mr. Molla introducing Hon Kidandala to the gathering
During our Consultative Forums across Kenya, we are addressing 3 Thematic Areas which we know has the potential of turning Kenya around namely;

·        Environmental Management- where we are inviting Kenyans to keep their neighbourhoods clean

·        Peace Building- where we are inviting Kenyans to appreciate that we are One Family under God, and

·        Good Governance- where we are inviting Kenyans to become active participants in the affairs of our beloved Country.

We have made a few observations in the course of this Campaign;

·        To achieve a Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya, we need to make it official, just like we have it in other Countries, that Kenyans should join in this voluntary process every 3^rd Saturday of the Month across the whole Country for 2 hours.

·        We must maintain Order

·        We must have Discipline

·        We must enforce the rule of Law and the Council By-Laws

In so doing, we will surely achieve a Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya.
We would then gladly recommend the following;

·        That the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government, being the Ministry that controls our Local Authorities, should embrace the concept of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign and become the Patron to the event

·        That the Government allocates resources and office space for this Campaign

·        That the Local Authorities should make budgetary allocations for this Campaign every Month

·        And the Corporates and other Players be enjoined in this Campaign in the spirit of Private Public Partnership.

It is now my pleasure to declare you the 1^st General of the trenches- installation Ceremony to follow- with the Following words-
The Hon John Njoroge Michuki left us, but the Spirit of Michuki lives on. With this Spade, go yee forth and be the New Michuki in our Midst. Welcome to the Big Shoes.
Lastly, I want to sincerely thank you all for making this day a success. More so, I want to thank a lady by the name Hellen Wanjoya- who called me and asked me if we could do something for Umoja. She was very helpful in our mobilization process and we at KCDN would really want to appreciate her.
Thank you and God Bless us all.

Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek'- President Barack Obama of the USA.

A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of  Nairobi  Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.

                         .......Moving From Talking to Tasking........

The Mother of all Clean-ups; A Huge Success

Friends,
The World Clean-up Day was hosted today by KCDN at Umoja Estate in a Massive Clean-up Campaign that was bigger than all the Clean-ups we have ever held in Kenya.
Florence Kanyua of KCDN and participants
The event was officially launched by Mr Salim Ali Molla- a Senior Under Secretary at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government on behalf of Prof Karega Mutahi- the PS, in the company of Hon Suleiman Kidandala- the Lord Deputy Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority on behalf of Hon Erias Lukwago- the Lord Mayor of Kampala.
Odhiambo T Oketch receiving the Jetlink Express Team
The event  was attended by the following Teams;

1. The Provincial Administration- Office of the President
2. Public Service Transformation Department- Office of the Prime Minister
3. Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government
4. Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development
5. Kampala Capital City Authority
   
6. The City Council of Nairobi
7. Jetlink Express Kenya Ltd
8. Yimbo Union
9. Umoja Ward Garbage Collectors Association
10. Eastern Youth Group
11. Century Youth Group
12. Global Bins
13. Environmental Health Students Association from KMTC University of Nairobi
14. Sundrick Cleaning Services
15. Pamoja Youth Groups
16. Mind Bins
17. Green Streets Youths
18. Everest Bins
19. Thika School of Medical and Health Sciences
20. Slum Child Foundation
21. Umoja 1 Market Leaders
    
22. Umoja 1 Market Traders
    
23. Tumaini Primary School
24. Kifaru Primary School
25. Unity Primary School
26. Umoja Primary School
27. Peter Kibukosya Primary School
28. Busara Primary School
29. Peter Kibukosya Secondary School
30. Jygro Services
31. Vijana Youth Cleaners
32. Everest Youth Group
33. Embakasi Vision Organization
34. Kenya National Human Rights- Embakasi
35. National Tax Payers Association
36. Embakasi Peace Group
37. Umoja Peace Forum
38. Umoja Car Wash Group
39. Sunrick Youth Group
40. Mocha Bins
41. Alva City Bins
42. Jua Kali Youth Group
43. Jahazi Self Help Group
44. Clean World Services
45. TB Self Help Group
46. Baby Services Children's Home
47. Kisumu Clean-up Team
48. Grandstar Junior Academy
49. Umoja Division Peace Committee
50. International Youth fellowship 
51. Umoja 1 Transport Group
52. Eco Youth Group
53. Umoja Environment Division Office
54. Attain Bins
55. Sky View Bins
56. Mosse Bins
57. and the KCDN Team.

We are certain there are many Teams whose names we did not capture at the time for registration.
We were encouraged by the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala who said that they borrowed the Monthly Clean-up Concept from Kenya, but they have perfected the process. They hold the Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaigns every 4th Saturday of the Month and when they descend on a Parish, everything stops for the entire duration of the Clean-up.
Mr. Nyaga, Odhiambo, Mr Molla and the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala in a Group photo before the launch
All shops and activities are stopped and every body is by order enjoined in the process. He appreciated the efforts KCDN and The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign Team have been doing, and urged the Government to step in and make the process an all inclusive affair. He was dismayed that as we cleaned Moi Drive, many residents did not join in the process, but rather went on with their daily activities.
Finally, he passed greetings from The Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority and promised to invite us to also join them in one of their clean-up activities.
Prof Mutahi on his part appreciated KCDN for championing the Clean-up Campaign through The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign and called on all City, Municipal and Town CEOs to embrace and actively participate in the Campaign every 3rd Saturday of the Month from 7.00am to 9.00am across the Country from now on. He promised to personally attend all the subsequent Clean-up events across Kenya.
Hon Sulaiman Kidandala- the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority, Mr. Salim Ali Molla- Senior Under Secretary Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Minsitry of Local Government and Odhiambo T Oketch in action
He said that in partnership with all other relevant Ministries, his Ministry will work with relevant stakeholders including KCDN to enhance cleanliness of our Towns.
The event was also attended by a strong contigent from Jetlink Express Kenya Ltd. The City Council of Nairobi was represented by Mr. Gabriel Omondi- an Assistant Director of Environment, while the Provincial Administration was represented by the Area Chiefs.
We will post the entire speech from Prof Karega Mutahi in our subsequent postings.
On behalf of the KCDN team, I want to sincerely thank all Friends of KCDN, especially the Public Service Transformation Department and the City Council of Nairobi for making the hosting of today's event the success story it was.
Odhiambo T Oketch, the Deputy Lord Mayor of Kampala Capital City Authority and Mr. Salim Molla following the proceedings
To view all the photos, please visit our Facebook Pages; Odhiambo T Oketch and Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek'- President Barack Obama of the USA.

A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of  Nairobi  Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.

                         .......Moving From Talking to Tasking.......

Final arrangements for the World Clean-up Day

Friends,
We hosted the final Consultative Forum where the final arrangements for the World Clean-up Day were made.
In attendance with us were the Divisional Environmental Officer Mr. Joseph Nyaga from the City Council of Nairobi, Ms Beatrice Munyao- the Ward Manager Umoja 2, Ms Jane Rose Muthoni- Assistant Chief Umoja, Ms Pamela Odima- KNRC Women Leader Umoja, Mr. Tom Ongoma- Market Master Umoja Market, Mr. Alvin Juma- KMTC Nairobi and a large number of participating organizations.
The Organizing Team after todays meeting at Umoja- 22nd March 2012
Participants will meet as from 6.30am at the Umoja 1 Council offices, next to the Catholic Church and the Clean-up Campaign will be flagged off at 7.00am by Prof Karega Mutahi- the Permanent Secretary Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and Ministry of Local Government in the presence of all our Guests.
We will assign the participating Teams the various routes and we hope to converge at Busara Primary School immediately we finish, for closing remarks and an official speech from the PS.

The KCDN Team and Women Leaders; Ms Pamela Odima is on the far left, Ms Hellen Wanjoya- in red, Ms Florence Kanyua in the middle and Ms Sylvia Ntambato

 We are inviting all the participating Teams to come with their lists of members for ease of registration and giving out of working tools. We are also inviting all those who can come with their tools to do so.
As I am writing this, we are still seeking out support for the following items;

1. 4 Tents
2. 500 Chairs
3. PA System
4. 2,000 bottles of water.

We are not being provided with these and so, any well wisher may step in and be of support.
Lastly, if you want to be of any financial support to The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign across Kenya, you can discuss the same with the undersigned and we will post the same online as we have been doing all the times.

The KCDN Team- Hellen Wanjoya- A Friend of KCDN, Oto, Florence Kanyua, Peter Mbol and Sylvia Nyambato.

 We are looking forward to meeting for the first time with many bloggers who have been engaging with us on the Clean-up Campaign on Saturday.
Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change we seek'- President Barack Obama of the USA.

A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Odhiambo T Oketch is the immediate former Chairman to the City Council of  Nairobi  Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He is also Chair to the Nyamonye Catholic Church Development Fund. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010 in partnership with KACC and he is the National Co-ordinator of The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign in Kenya.

                         .......Moving From Talking to Tasking........