Friends,

I was privileged to address members of the Rotaract Clubs of Nairobi this evening.

I want to share my comments with you; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com

Peace and blessings,

Odhiambo T Oketch

August 2011

Effecting the Law; A call to action

Mr. President, Members of the Rotaract Club, Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honour to be invited to address such a gathering. You are well known for your resolve to action and helping where there is need. And we must all join hands in applause, in appreciation of what you have achieved for the less fortunate over a period of time.\

Now, I was invited to give a quick back ground of what The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign is all about. I will be quick and brief.

This is a Campaign that was initiated in Komarock Estate when we first hosted a Clean up Campaign where we were joined by the Children we support, their parents/guardians, the City Council employees and the Provincial Administration. We then made a letter to the Town Clerk requesting that we join hands and mobilize the whole of Nairobi into action.

This was achieved on the 18th September 2010 when His Worship the then Mayor of Nairobi Cllr Geoffrey Majiwa flagged off the first City Wide Clean up Campaign in Eastleigh in Nairobi. Since then, the City Council of Nairobi has hosted the Clean-up Campaigns every 3rd Saturday of the Month. We are happy to have made some positive contribution to this process.

In January 2011, having seen that it was possible, we decided to do The Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaigns across all Kenya. We rolled the Campaign in Mombasa in February, in Eldoret in May, Kisii in June, Kisumu and Kakamega in July, and tomorrow, we are heading to Nyeri to roll out the same.

This has been an enriching Campaign for us. We have in the process seen the resolve of Kenyans in supporting us and ensuring that it is done. The only bit that we have found wanting is how the law is being applied to ensure that we have a Clean neighbourhood.

In places like Califonia, if you litter and get arrested, you are slapped with a fine of USD 1,000. In other places and Towns, the fines are such heavy that you will think twice. But in Kenya, and across all our Towns, littering and depositing garbage by the next corner is a prime time occupation, and it seems to pay.

No one has been arrested for littering and depositing garbage in our neighbourhoods. And today, we must ask the hard questions. Do you think we will solve this problem of garbage everywhere you turn if we do not enforce the law?

We must all join hands and demand that the law enforcement agencies, be they the police, the Council askaris or the neighbourhood vigilantes, we must all join hands and ensure that all those who litter and deposit garbage in our neighbourhoods are arrested and charged appropriately. The courts must then hand in heavy penalties that will act as deterrent to all others who would like to do the same.

In the same vein, we must today demand that all the Councils across Kenya must ensure that we have demarcated places in our neighbourhoods where the waste that we generate are deposited awaiting being carted away to the Dump Sites.

Now, this will call fo some clear resolve. We must all walk the talk and work hand in hand with the various councils as strategic partners in solving this garbage menace. It is doable and we can do it.

In mobilizing The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign, we have faced Resources Mobilization Challenges;

1. Financial Resource Mobilization; This has been a serious handicap to the Campaign. We have largely depended on the goodwill of Friends of KCDN, and with these hard times, Friends tend to wear off. We want to invite your support with this to ensure that we have a sustained Campaign

2. Human Resource Mobilization; Again, this has been a serious issue. We have many groups that are willing to take part. But, they must be mobilized and sensitized on what we are facing. This needs a lot of financial input, and we want to work with willing partners to surmount this.

3. Institutional Resource Mobilization; Apart from the Councils and the various Provincial Administration Officers who join us in the Monthly Campaigns, we have not seen any Institution which have come out to join in the Campaign. We are desirous of Institutions stepping forward and declaring that as part of their Corporate Social responsibilities, they will be joining in The Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign.

In short, we must start respecting our laws and respecting ourselves. We must stop dumping garbage at every corner. We must stop throwing litter as we walk and as we drive. And, we must enforce the law.

Lastly, I want to invite your partnership to this campaign. It is worth joining with Partners who will ensure that the resources needed for the Campaign are sourced. It is worth joining with Partners who will ensure that they physically come out and move with us to the trenches. And it is worth joining hands with Partners who believe that a Clean Kenya is possible.

We want to invite you to follow The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign vide;

1. http://www.kcdnkenya.org

2. http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com

3. Monthly Nationwide Clean Up Campaign on Facebook.

Many thanks once more.

God Bless you all. God Bless KCDN and God bless Kenya.