Welcome to KCDN

This is KCDN, an Environmental Management, Economic Empowerment and Poverty Eradication Civil Society.

We welcome you to our site. Kindly feel free to share with us your thoughts. Ideas that add value will be appreciated. Ideas that want to make us improve our physical environment will be welcome. And more so, ideas that redirect us from the lost cause will be of immense value.

It is us who will improve the lot of our Environment, our Economy and make Kenya a Clean Country, where People join hands to work for our own Economic Emancipation and where Municipal Solid Waste Management is looked at as a resource, not as waste.

We need to set the standards in this region of the World and become the referral point in how a people can join hands and work for their own Economic Liberation, where waste can be used as raw material and become a source of employment for our people.

Our collective actions will surely make a difference. This is why in partnership with our Key Strategic Partners- The Public Service Transformation Department, the National Environment Management Authority, the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation,other key Ministries, the Local Authorities in Kenya, the Provincial Administration, A Better World, Akiba Uhaki Foundation and other Partners, we are moving deliberately in sensitizing and mobilizing Kenyans to work towards A Clean Kenya where waste is separated at source.

And this is why we are inviting Kenyans to join with us in The Clean Kenya Campaign and be a Member of Kimisho Sacco Society Ltd

Welcome.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Team Leader & Executive Director,
KCDN, KSSL, KICL & TCKC,
Tel; 0724 365 557,
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com, kimishodevelopment@gmail.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org.

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Environmental Education Club in Africa

Friends,
God has been good to us at The Clean Kenya Campaign. He has given us Friends whom we can surely rely on as we walk this Journey of Hope in Africa.
It has not been easy. We have gone through some real tough times and emerged strong. The first such test was in March of 2010 when our Land Lord descended on us and locked our office taking everything that was inside with him. I made some protests then, went to the Police, to Kituo Cha Sheria, then I realized that I was arraigned against forces of impunity. They thought I would go to Court. We did not. And still, we emerged stronger.
We have seen more trying moments and in all this, God has given us Friends who have had faith in us and in what we are doing. Mark you, we have never had a structured funding process to support what we have done so far.
The Chiromo Campus- University of Nairobi
Today, I want to appreciate our Friends, for they have stood with us at all times and they have given us strength. We are able to reach out far and wide because of the trust you have had in us. 
As we start championing for the University Students for a Clean Kenya Campaign in Kenya, I have had great boost from two Friends; one in Nigeria and the other in Cameroon. Prof Martin Ayim Ph.D., MPH, MCHES is Cameroonian and he is an Endowed Professor of Health Education, Grambling State University, Louisiana, USA.
Mr. Udomah C Ohiri is also an Academician who lives and works in the USA. He is Nigerian. They both believe that we should have a Comprehensive School Health Education in our School Curriculum in Africa with the following content areas;
1) Communicable Diseases Education and Prevention
2) Personal Health and Chronic Diseases
3) Community and Environmental Health.
To this extent, Prof Ayim is coordinating The Diaspora Health Literacy Advocacy Team & Global Collaborators to advance the Vision of health literacy in Africa. This will be a Longterm Solution through Health Education and Health Promotion being infused as a subject in Schools and University Community Health degree programs to offer BS, Masters and Ph.D programs. These young professionals will then provide leadership in the health literacy journey.
We are not on any political journey. We are Non-Political in our journey. We have identified a global need and a global solution. Anybody with a conscience and concern for lives can fit in our journey irrespective of political leanings- so says Prof Ayim.
This is a sure proof that the support you have continued to give to us at The Clean Kenya Campaign has never been in vain. We are rolling out an Integrated Training Programme in November in Nairobi to train as many Organized Groups as possible on Waste Conversions. We are in discussions with various Teams and our interest is simple; we cannot keep talking about waste as if it was something beyond our management. 
Waste is wealth and we must move with speed to see the various forms of waste as raw resource for Conversion Processes.
Again, we will be rolling out a Massive Campaign with the University Students, Lecturers and the Religious Leaders, for a Clean Kenya. We know how politics creates divisions in society and we want to rise above this and advance Mother Kenya and Mother Africa as our nerve centre.
This is a feat we can all achieve if we put in some little efforts.
For us at The Clean Kenya Campaign, we will forever remain thankful to Akiba Uhaki Foundation as the first Team that saw some potential in us and stepped forward with some support. They have since been our constant partners in this Journey of Hope across Kenya.
The second Team to see our potential was A Better World/SOF-DI. Ms Brigitte Frey and her Family Foundation have since been our single largest benefactors with their support to us having been recently defined and structured. As a Family, they have pledged a yearly support of Kshs 320,000.00 which they have surpassed this year with a rider; because of the good work we are doing.     
The third Team to identify our potential were the Public Service Transformation Department at the Office of the Prime Minister. Mr. Emmanuel Lubembe saw The Clean Kenya Campaign as something that was going to go viral soon enough, and true to his prediction, we are there. The PSTD has since become our largest benefactor and Key Partner in this Campaign. 
To these three Friends we say; Thank you.
Then we have had a series of one off Partners and several Individual Friends. Without their support and strategic advice, The Clean Kenya Campaign would not have remained this consistent. We salute you all for the support you have given to us.
Lastly, the Media has started being proactive in championing our concerns. Several Media Houses have invited us for interviews and I want to believe that we have helped make a case for the issue of waste mis-management in Kenya.  We are on the right track.
We must hence re-double our efforts and work for a Clean Kenya and a Clean Africa. If all the University Students in Africa rose to the occasion, we will all have some good reasons to each celebrate our Silver Jubilees a happy lot. 
Africa cannot be the Dark Continent and at the same time be the Dirtiest Continent. This is a sure indictment on our incompetence as a people. This is why we at The Clean Kenya Campaign will support the efforts of Prof Martin Ayim to make a comprehensive case for School Health Education to be introduced as a subject matter in our Education System all across Africa.
Let us all work for a Clean Kenya and a Clean Africa as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,
The Clean Kenya Campaign
The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya in partnership with A Deeper understanding of the Eco-System
   


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Friday, October 19, 2012

Money, Tribe and Impunity driving our politics

Friends,
In the recent past, I have been involved with several Community Groups, the Councils and the University Students in Kenya in championing for safer waste disposal and environmental management.
I was invited to a workshop on Green Economy at Kenyatta University on the 3rd Oct and I attended. And on the 12th-16th November, they will be hosting World University Students in Nairobi on the same topic; Green Economy.
Having read the posting and suggestions from a friend from Cameroon Mr. Ohiri Ubomah, I want to make some open follow-up on the same. Can the University Students in Africa unite to create a move that will change the course of action in Africa?
Yes they can.
Mr. Ohiri lives and works in the United States of America and him and other colleagues are keen on making Health Education be incorporated in the Education Curriculum in Africa. We could add Environmental Management to this as well.
This is evidence of poor leadership
Africa is celebrating 50 years of their Independence during this time in History. And as we celebrate those years, they are definitely lost years. We have seen no tangible development across Africa that we can take to the bank. And it is with this in mind that as we celebrate our 50 years of Independence in Kenya next year, on the 1st June 2013 to be specific, we must pause, think and re-group.
Will it be business as usual? No. Not this time.
We will also be going for a General Election in Kenya next year, and with this comes an opportunity to entrench impunity, tribalism and to unleash stolen money on the electorate. We can stop this if we unite forces and mobilize the University Students to step forward and help make change take place.
For how long will we be saddled with inept leadership hinged on stolen money and tribe as the driving attributes to power and more wealth. And not to National Development?
Same area; Evidence of what good leadership can achieve
I firmly believe that University Students in Africa have the ability to isolate issues and stay with the facts. I also firmly believe that University Students can be the change agents that will catapult Africa to new Leadership. They can withstand any financial onslaught from the Politicians and help make all and sundry understand the issues upon which Elections ought to be won.
If our Politicians cannot understand this, then someone MUST make them understand this. And the University Students across Africa stand a better chance stepping forward now to help drive the change agenda.
These are issues close to my heart.

Oto
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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Universities joining in The Clean Kenya Campaign


Friends,                                                                                                                                                                                         We will be celebrating our 50 Years of Independence next year, precisely on the 1st June 2013. Again, we will be going for the General Elections on the 4th March 2013. This means, next year will be really loaded for Kenyans.                                                                                                                                        Now, The Clean Kenya Campaign has been in discussions with several University Student Leaders from across several Universities in Kenya, and on the 2nd January 2013, we will be rolling out; University Students for a Clean Kenya.    
The Kenya we want
This is going to be exciting and no University Student will want to miss out, for, the Universities have for a long time been the fountain of knowledge for the society and the Kenyan University Students will be show-casing leadership by being role models to the young and up-coming as well as to those who never made it to the University.        The University Students will be joining with us in The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaigns across Kenya and immediately thereafter, engage the people on three clear issues;
1.       Environmental Management- where issues of safer waste disposal, use and conversion will be discussed. We all know that waste is wealth, but we have been doing nothing to actualize this. The Students of Environment and Planning will take turns to discuss this with the people. It will be an interesting affair and you will not want to miss out.
2.       Peace Building- We all know how emotive our Elections are. And next year will be no exception. The Students will be joining with us to in the Kura Kwa Furaha Campaign. We want Kenyans to vote peacefully and vote for the best candidate. The best candidate will be one that shows that he has clear grasp of the issues bedeviling our Nation and he will have a clear path towards solving the same. We will be inviting Kenyans not to vote for money, tribe, religion, race and impunity. This will be another sure milestone and the University Students are going to be in their element.
3.       Good Governance- We are where we are basically because of governance issues. 50 Years in to our Independence is such a long time. There are lots of developmental issues we could have achieved by now. We will hence be creating a discussion on issues of Governance with a view to making improvements. The Politicians have been talking to us all along. Can we reverse this and talk to them now about our aspirations as a Country. It is becoming clear that they have failed to offer sound leadership to Kenya and I bet it is time we reclaimed our Country from the Politicians.
      These are some of the gains we will be building on as we mobilize Kenyans to join with us in The Clean Kenya Campaign.

      Odhiambo T Oketch,
      The Clean Kenya Campaign.
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Waste Management taking shape

Friends of A Clean Kenya,
We are moving well with the issue of proper waste management. Two Consultative Strategic Planning Sessions at the Ministry
of Environment and Mineral Resources between the Government and Community Based Organizations handling Waste and Garbage have taken place.The  meetings have been co-chaired by Mr. FN Kihumba on behalf of the PS and Mr. Titus Simiyu- the Provincial Director of Environment.
In one of the meetings, Ms Judy Karume- The Environment Manager at Tetra Pak Eastern Africa took the groups through a recycling process for Tetra Pak packaging waste. This will be piloted within Nairobi in due course.
NEMA is also taking the cue very well, garbage collectors will be required to issue clients with four dustbins or plastic paper bags of different colours to empty their waste materials. The colour of the container will be the determinant of where to put the waste. Green container will take care of kitchen wastes (organic matters), white will be for recycling materials such as polythene papers, blue will be for industrial wastes such as computer while black is expected to carry the general waste.The move is expected to influence a positive change of attitude and behavior towards the environment.
Read more about this in the latest Relect  issue 71, the article about NEMA plans to make Nairobi and its environs cleaner.
The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC is happy that what we have been advocating and agitating for is finally becoming policy. seperation and recyling waste as a proper way to manage waste.This is the surest way to reduce the waste menace in our neighborhoods.
We appreciate all partners who are making this happen, those who have supported our cleanups across counties, sensitization and awareness campaigns, particularly A Better World/SOF-DI and Akiba Uhaki Foundation, the media houses who have taken this up, the various groups across counties engaged in The Clean Kenya Campaign, colleges/universities who are leading various awareness campaigns, the various Ministries, Municipal and Town Councils.
Together, we can achieve a clean Kenya as Kenya turns 50 years next year.

Otieno Sungu,
The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC
0729294743.
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Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Kura Kwa Furaha with The Clean Kenya Campaign

Friends,
This is just a quick update.
As we start piloting the process of Separation of Waste at Source in partnership with the Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, Tetra Pak Eastern Africa, Nema and the CBOs in Nairobi, we want to appreciate all the Teams and Groups who have kept the momentum on The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaigns across Kenya.
Happy Moments; Oto with KU Students in a past Clean-up Campaign in Eastleigh Nairobi
Next year is one loaded year for Kenya. We will be celebrating our Silver Jubilee as an Independent Nation on the 1st of June 2013. We will also be going for the ballot on the 4th of March in a General Election. This means, politicians will be all over as from January and the din will be unfathomable.
But we all know that Kenya is at her lowest thanks to the same politicians. Can we as a country and as a people do something and change our course? Can we Clean our Country?
Yes we can.
It is with this in mind that many like minded Teams and Groups have been working with us on The Clean Kenya Campaign. We want to ensure that we all have a Peaceful Election where our sovereign rights to electing our leaders becomes something we are all proud of- Kura Kwa Furaha.
The process will start with the envisaged Presidential Debates in November, January and February. For the first time, our Presidential Candidates are going to be placed in the iron curb of reasoning, and it will be to our delight. As for the Citizenry, The Clean Kenya Campaign and our Friends will be engaging in Kura Kwa Furaha Campaign. Can we vote as One People under God and wait in peace as results are tallied and relayed to us?
Yes we can.
This Campaign is open to all our Teams and affiliate Groups across Kenya. The good thing is, a team of University Students have reached out to us and they want to work with us for the good of Kenya in The Clean Kenya Campaign.
Happy Moments; Oto presenting a Certificate of Appreciation to Mr. Felix Kyalo of Akiba Uhaki Foundation in a past event
This is going to see all University Students in Kenya playing the role models for those in school and the rest of us by championing The Clean Kenya Campaign across all Kenya. They will engage in massive sensitization and awareness campaigns with us and in those campaigns, messages that unite us as a country will take centre stage. They will talk about the need to have a peaceful election as we stress on issues and not personalities and tribe.They will champion for a Clean Kenya and they will join with us every 3rd Saturday of the Month across all Kenya in The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign.
The students will work with all organized Groups across all Kenya in this Campaign.
This is the way to go and on behalf of The Clean Kenya Campaign, I want to congratulate all the University Students in Kenya for rising to the occasion. We will be engaging all the student leaders from all the Universities shortly. Those who read this can share with their colleagues and get in touch with the undersigned.
We are happy that the University Students are finally taking up their rightful roles in shaping the thinking of our people. We all need informed and just opinions to drive our national agenda. Our intention is to invite all students in Kenya to be foot soldiers in The Clean Kenya Campaign.
Let us all work for a Clean Kenya as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,
The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC
The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya.
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Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Score Card; The Clean Kenya Campaign

Friends,
On the 26th November 2012, Kenyans will be treated to a live Presidential Debate on all the 8 TV Channels and the 32 FM Stations in the Country. This is something we are all looking forward to, because, it will help us understand our leaders more clearly.
In the past, we have been treated to our leaders saying something today and when night comes, they are saying something different.
As a precursor to this great debate, I have taken very keen interest on Talk Shows that feature any of the Presidential Candidates. I am always very keen on what they say and their body mannerism. For at times, the body language speaks loud and clear as well.
I have also been very keen on how our host Journalists handle such shows- the questions they ask and their grip of our History. Many tend not to have any grip on our recent History, more so political History.
Yesterday, I was treated to such an episode when our Presidential Aspirant, the ever Green William Samoei Ruto was hosted at Agenda Kenya at NTV in the night. You cannot ignore Ruto anymore in Kenya, for the man is sharp, articulate and robust. But I learnt, he can also lie.
He was asked about his position regarding the clamour; Let us not be Vague, let us go to the Hague. And he said, he was all along for a Local Tribunal. He was playing politics with this show and I would have wanted a clip of him advocating for the Hague Option played for him. Here was a promising leader lying to a TV audience. In developed Democracies, this could easily have costed him his Presidential bid. We cannot have a lair for a President! 
Again, he was asked about his role in the infamous Youth for Kanu '92 and he denied having ever been the Organizing Secretary. He instead said he was just a choir member in the Team and his brief was to sing Kanu yajenga Nchi. And he is happy that they did some good singing and Kanu won. Again, he was being economical with the truth on this matter, for these are matters in the public domain.
We have hosted Hon William Ruto in one of The Clean-up Campaigns in Eldoret and I must admit, Hon Ruto is a brain we need in Kenya. He is a bold politician and he can address some of the issues that bedevil this Country head on. But what message is he relaying to his Friends and Supporters when he lies about things we all know?
Issues like having advocated for the Hague Option are not issues to be denied. He could just have accepted his role in the Hague Option and indicated that the times then were such that Hague looked the best option. One can change his thought process on an issue and it is no sin to accept that he has since changed his thoughts on the Hague Option.
The Interview at Agenda Kenya helped expose Hon William Ruto as a lair. And this does not portend well with his bid for the Presidency. We want to look for leaders who stand with what they have said in the past, and if you have to shift your position, it is better to accept that your earlier position on the same was wrong. That is leadership. It will not cost you any votes. It will instead strengthen you as a leader, for it will prove that you are as mortal as all of us.
Good Governance is the 3rd Pillar of The Clean Kenya Campaign, and as such, we are very keen with what our leaders say and do. We will hence appreciate leaders who stick to the truth, who conform to Chapter 6 of our Constitution on Integrity and who respect that Kenyans are equally as intelligent as they are.
Let us all work for a Clean Kenya as a Transformative Deliverable as we turn 50.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,
The Clean Kenya Campaign-TCKC
The Clean Kenya Campaign is an Initiative of The KCDN Kenya.

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Green Planet

Diana Kerubo Mong'are, a first year student of Financial Economics at Strathmore University, started a project to clean up her Nakuru neighbourhood which is promising to make her a successful entrepreneur.
In February 2012, a few months after completing secondary school, Ms Mong'are launched Planet Green project. She persuaded her neighbours to start recycling their plastics and paper and she gave local carpenters incentives to stop burning sawdust. She has also helped nurture environmental clubs in two primary schools.
 
Source
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