NEW MOTHERS DILEMMA AT THE LARGEST LAMU IDP'S CAMP.

NEW MOTHERS DILEMMA AT THE LARGEST LAMU IDP'S CAMP.

JANE MUGAMBI

Expectant mothers at the largest camp in Katsakairo, lamu county are in a dilemma fearing for the outbreak of diseases to their newly born children.

The new mothers are fearing that their new children will contract diseases since they have not been vaccinated.

Rachel Ng’eve who gave birth on Monday said that her fear is losing the new born after she gave birth in the camp through the assistant of the traditional birth attendants due to the ongoing nurses strike.

She said that after giving birth the one week child has not been able to get the jabs needed immediately after birth due to the striking nurses.

During her pregnancy period, she was not able to attend clinic due to the strike again, resulting her to source for a TBA.

“I had to source for a traditional birth attendant after I realized that am due, nurses are till striking, I gave birth on Monday but my child has not received any jab” she said.

Another mother Grace Pendo is also a worried mother who said that her two weeks son has not received any jab also due to the strike that nurses are in.

She said that they cannot afford the required cash to visit a private clinic citing that in the camp they have been reduced to beggars.

We are fearing that our children might contract the diseases that are in the camp like coughing, measles that might lead to their deaths.

“We have been reduced to beggars by being told to move to the camps, if we were still in the farms, we would have been able to get money where we could have sort services from even private clinics” said Pendo.

Christine Akinyi,expectant cited the dangers they are exposed to due to the living condition in the area, they are sleeping on mats on the floor, no blanket, the space in the tent is limited thus air circulation is also limited.

Contacted for comments,Lamu director of health David Mulewa said that they are sourcing for funds that will enable them have an outreach in the three camps that are in Witu.

He said that for now their hands are tied since there is no allocation done regarding the camps.

Over 2,500 families moved for their homes in the month of June this year after several attacks in Pandanguo, Jima,Maleli by criminals suspected to be alshabaab.

In a green tshirt-Grace Pendo cuddles her two weeks baby with Rachel Ng'eve at the Katsakairo IDP camp in Lamu county. The two delivered the angels at home due to the ongoing nurses strike. The traditional birth attendant assisted them.The new born babies have also not been immunized creating fear due to the numerous diseases that are in the camp.

Mpeketoni community has moved in to save the wildlife in Lake Kenyatta,Mpeketoni division,Lamu county.
A secret fresh water well was discovered this week by people who were mounting water pipes from residents living near the lake who had offered to pump water from their homes,becoming a relieve to many as the source is near the lake than the homes.
The community has mounted three water pumps and over 100 water pipes that are supplying water to Lame Kenyatta,during the day and at night yo make sure that the hippopotamus that are in lake Kenyatta do not continue to die,while the budfallos that have invaded home go back to the forest, alos near their source of water.
Zabedi Mathaai who came up with the initiative says that being a member of the conservancy group in Mpeketoni, there was need to have a quick idea that would save mankind from the continuous killings that is being done by wildlife.
Over 30 people have been killed by buffalo while 12 are nursing injuries from bufgallos and Hippo's attacks.
Jane Wambui Better known as mama Michael despite counting loss from the wildlife,she was the first to give out hee water pipes to take water to the lake to keep hippos out if her fish ponds.
She said the animals are a threat when in her compound since there are children who use the farm to access their homes posing a danger.
Mama Michael who is also a farmer said the when the lake has water,the wildlife animals will go back tobthebforeat and stop going to homes looking for water.
"In my home hippopotamus and buffalo's are visitors more than human beings,not because of any good reason but to look for water and pasture that is why I have given out my water pipes to take water to the lake to keep off the animals from my home as tgere are very many children who the animals can attack" said Mama michael.
Anthony Mwangi a farmer cum fisherman said that the number of hippos has reduced so.much that quick intervention measures were needed to also save the fish that has also reduced,denying fishermen their daily livelihood.
Mwangi noted the wildlife that has invaded most homes has turned to be a menace as they are killing humans aimlessly, the only way to get them back to their habitat was to ensure that thevlake had water as its water and pasture that had made then migrate from the forest to homes.
Senior wildlife officer Lamu county,Joseph Orahle said that humans have taken advantage if the drought situation,killing wildlife that is houvouring in the homes.
He said even if Lake Kenyatta has dried,humans are supposed to offer a hand in giving the wildlife water when they "come visiting" so as to save them.
The senior warden has also said Human encroachment has resulted into wildlife moving to mpeketoni town and homes looking for pasture that has already been destroyed.
"Humans have settled on wildlife land in place a called " witemere" land meant for wildlife,the human activities has destroyed the forest where this animals used to stay,the area used to supply underground water to lake Kenyatta and since vegetation has been destroyed it has caused drying of the only fresh water lake in the county"said Orhale.
The numberof hippos that were in Lake Kenyatta have migrated to Mkunumbi where there is a swamp while others have died decreasing the 1,500 population to amere 25hippos that are remaining.
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60 Million shillings meant for the construction of an institute misapproproated. 60 million shillings meant for the completion if Kirinyaga East training institute has gone missing raising questions on the mismanagement of funds by area NP Njogu Barua. Kirinyaga East training Institute's project was supposed to start in October 2014 but gas never been started amid the release of 10 million shillings from the constituency funds kitty and 50million from the national government's technical and training authority(TVETA). Eight co.miitte members have cried out of being g kicked out of the CDF committee after they questioned the 10million that was released by CDF for the construction of the institution. According to Baragwi MCA David Mathenge, the institution has been allocated 5.7 acres of land where CDF was supposed to compensate the family that was relocated to Gathigiriri of 2million shillings a thing it has never done. He said that the MP approached him again requesting for another parcel of land to shift the project and got another 5 acres totalling to 10.5 acres that now have been left bare as the MP shifts the project to existing Kiambatha polytechnic. Mathenge has told the MP to come clean and stop placing blame on others. Ammon Njeru a committee member said that he differed with the MP when he questioned the MP on the contractor hired,who was not qualified. He said that the MP has failed,he should explain the reasons as to why hasn't started, demanding for minutes as to why the project is being moved from Kianyaga to Ngariama in an already existing project. Kirinyaga assembly education chairman Jackson Kibanya said that tge project was gazzetted 2 years ago,thus the project cannot be moved elsewhere. He said that according to the gazzettement, the MP is going against the will of the people and also the constitution. "The institution was gazetted 2 years ago,what the mp us doing is contravening the constitution and also going against the will if his people,ones a project has been gazetted it cannot be moved to any other place but where it was intended to be constructed" said Kibanya. He(Barua) should stop politicking dragging governors name (Joseph Ndathi) in the mud saying that he was denied land,works officer inspected the land and saw it was fit for construction.