BY EVELYNE MUSAMBI
Wednesday May 8, 2024

Kenya’s government has begun bulldozing homes built in flood-prone areas and promising evicted families the equivalent of $75 to relocate after a deadline passed to evacuate amid deadly rains.

In the capital, Nairobi, a bulldozer ripped through iron-sheet walls as people watched in despair. Security forces with guns and batons stood guard and fired tear gas at some residents. The government last week told thousands of people living near rivers, dams and other flood-prone areas to vacate as heavy rains that have left 238 people dead in recent weeks continue to pound.

Most of those whose houses are demolished say they do not know where to go, even though the government claims they were notified about options. Human Rights Watch has accused the government of an inadequate response.

“Now what are we going to do? We love our president, and that is why we supported him. He should come to our aid,” Jekenke Jegeke told The Associated Press.

President William Ruto, who visited the vast Mathare informal settlement along the Nairobi River on Monday, said those whose houses had been demolished would be given 10,000 Kenyan shillings ($75) to help them resettle elsewhere.

Three people, including two children, have died in Mathare after being run over by bulldozers in the demolitions — one before the president’s visit and two after it — according to civil society groups.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga last week warned the government against demolishing more houses without a resettlement plan in place.

The number of those affected by the flooding in Kenya has risen to 235,000, with most of them living in camps.

Interior Minister Kithure Kindiki on Tuesday reiterated an evacuation order to 200 families living in the Kijabe area an hours’s drive from Nairobi, where about 60 people were killed and houses were swept away when water broke through a blocked railway tunnel last week.

That disaster prompted the government’s evacuation order. It is not clear how many homes across Kenya have been demolished since then.

Meanwhile, Kenya’s Cabinet has said that water levels in the country’s two major hydroelectric dams – Masinga and Kiambere – have risen to “historic levels,” with people living downstream on the Tana River told to leave.

by TIMOTHY CERULLO
Wednesday May 8, 2024

Kenya has begun talks to persuade Somalia to drop its African Union Commission candidate, Fawzia Yusuf Adam in support of Raila Odinga.

Kenya made its intention clear during a Tuesday, May 7, meeting presided over by Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who hosted Somalia’s Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre at his Karen residence in Nairobi.

According to a source privy to the lobby, there is a green light that Somalia could heed Kenya’s wish and drop its candidate in support of Raila.

However, Somalia claims it has the support of the Organisation of Islamic Corporation, an intergovernmental organization which consists of more than 27 African states.

Kenya also plans a similar round of talks with Djibouti who also fronted a candidate for the same AU position. Ruto’s side will be seeking to woo Djibouti out of the race in favour of the Azimio leader.

In early April, Djibouti announced its candidate for the AC Commission chairperson, Mahmoud Ali Youssouf to challenge Raila for the position.

The AU has also set a deadline for the submission of critical documents including Curriculum Vitae for those seeking to vie for the AU Commission role.

All candidates seeking the prestigious continental role will be required to submit their documents by August 6, 2024, by 5 pm, Addis Ababa time.

Raila has since received immense approval from several African heads of state with the latest being Zimbabwe’s Emmerson Mnangagwa who pledged support for Raila.

Mnangagwa pledged support for Raila during President Ruto’s visit to Zimbabwe on April 26, where the two heads of state held a two-day meeting.

Meanwhile, the other things that dominated Kenya’s meeting with Somalia included areas of political consultations, education and defence.

According to Kenya’s Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi, the three bilateral instruments aim to further solidify bilateral cooperation for the mutual benefit of the people of the two countries.

Wednesday May 8, 2024

In Somalia, one of the most common traumatic events for children is displacement. Being torn from their homes, friends, and lives can leave deep emotional scars that are difficult to heal. The traumatic events they have been exposed to leave invisible scars that can prevent children from attending school, if there is one that is accessible to begin with. Entering a classroom for the first time marks an important milestone in every child’s life, as is the case for Hassan (13).

He hails from a family of four, where he is the oldest. Hassan had never been to school until a prolonged drought in 2021 forced his family to leave their home in the Bay region, southwest Somalia, to settle in Arladi camp for the internally displaced in Dhusamareeb. His father was a livestock herder from which the family earned their subsistence. They were happy and lived comfortably until the drought decimated their entire herd.

In the camp, Hassan would wake up to the sounds of the camp stirring to life. The makeshift tents, the crowded pathways, and the constant hum of activity served as a reminder of the harsh reality he was living in. Displaced and a stranger, he missed his home, his friends, and the daily routine. He was having trouble adjusting to the new reality.

A glimmer of hope arrived when a temporary learning center was set up in the camp and Hassan was enrolled, with the chance to make new friends and set up a new routine.

“I like the new school here. It is not like the other big modern schools in town, but I don’t mind because I wanted to come to school to learn. In this center, I found happiness.”

Hassan says his favorite subjects are Somali and mathematics. He says the center is a haven, a place where he could escape the harsh realities of life in the camp and immerse himself in books, learning, and creativity. For Hassan, the learning center is more than just a place to study, it is a sanctuary where he could dream of a brighter future.

“Hassan is a dedicated student who wants to continue his schooling despite the challenges in his life. I have met his parents and encouraged them to continuously be engaged in his learning and progress and support him while at home,” says his teacher, Shamsa.

With support from the Government of Japan, UNICEF is supporting 4,842 students in Galmudug State to access learning through temporary learning centers. In South Galkayo, there are 13 centers UNICEF is supporting, with 10 of them located in IDP sites. The Programme employs the Accelerated Basic Education approach, which features a compressed curriculum to allow children left behind by formal education system to accelerate their progress and be enrolled in the formal system. The Programme is also an entry point for other services such as WASH, child protection, and nutrition.

The Arladi IDP temporary learning center has an enrolment of 149 students with five teachers.

Wednesday May 8, 2024

At least 1,000 Sudanese refugees have fled a camp run by the United Nations in northern Ethiopia following a series of shootings and robberies, three of the refugees and the United Nations said.

The refugees said about 7,000 of the 8,000 residents of the Kumer camp left on foot early on Wednesday morning after they were attacked and robbed by local militiamen.

They said they were detained by the police shortly after leaving the camp, which is 70 km (43 miles) from the Sudanese border in Ethiopia’s Amhara region. They asked not to be named for fear of reprisals.

The United Nations refugee agency UNHCR said it was aware that 1,000 people had left Kumer on Wednesday because they felt unsafe after a series of security incidents.
Spokespeople for the Ethiopian government, the Amhara regional administration, the federal police and the national refugee agency did not respond to requests for comment.

More than 1.6 million Sudanese people have fled their country since civil war broke out in April 2023 between the army and a rival paramilitary unit. About 33,000 have crossed into Ethiopia, according to UNHCR.

Sudanese refugees in Kumer told UNHCR in a recent letter that they have been facing rampant insecurity for months, including kidnappings for ransom, killings and armed robberies.

Amhara militiamen have been battling federal forces for nearly a year across the region in a conflict that left more than 200 people dead last year, according to the United Nations.

“We can no longer stay here,” one of the refugees told Reuters by phone. “We have been abducted, killed, and attacked repeatedly since we arrived here in June. We have decided to go back to Sudan, despite the war.”

UNHCR described the situation in the camp as “very difficult.”

“The reasons they gave for leaving were primarily because they did not feel safe in the settlement,” the agency said in a statement to Reuters.

“This follows several reports of security incidents, including crime, theft, armed robbery, shooting and alleged abductions.”

Reporting by Giulia Paravicini; Editing by Hereward Holland, Editing by William Maclean