For Immediate release

Nairobi- 29th May 2008

The urban poor match for food!

“The urban poor are teetering dangerously on the brink of an outburst resulting from the frustrations occasioned by rising food prices,” says Gacheke Gachihi, Coordinator of Starehe Social Forum in a statement published today. The unemployed people, poor widows and the elderly who form the majority of Nairobi population have organized a “solidarity match for the poor” on 31st May, 2008 to kick off at 10.00am from Jeevanjee Gardens Park to Huruma grounds where there will have “a gathering of the hungry and angry”. The event is timed to coincide with Madaraka Day, the day that Kenya gained self-governance; which Kenya celebrates over the same weekend.

It is unfortunate that in Africa’s familiar sad story, four decades later the majority of the poor Kenyans have nothing to celebrate about. “Hakuna kitu tunafurahia na hiyo siku…wale wameona matunda wafurahie…” (We cannot see the fruits of self-governance…) lamented Mama Kimani, a single mother of five, in Nairobi’s Huruma estate.

The poor have for the recent years infamously been described to live on a dollar a day. However, all factors have not remained constant since that statistic was coined up. For instance, in Kenya, the inflation rate has shot up to 27% mark and commodity prices, especially food prices have adjusted upwards unchecked but the poor’s incomes have not equally been adjusted. The food suppliers have blamed high food prices on increased production costs such as of transport as a result high fuel prices. In the present conditions, “the rich and middle class are able to grumble and make adjustments that allow them to retain their living habits, but the poor do not have the same luxury…when you have to survive on Shs. 100/= a day out of a measly income on basic food, you do not have much wiggle-room”, observes George Nyongesa of Bunge La Mwananchi. When food prices go up by 80%, as they have in recent months, “it is not a matter of cutting back in other areas. Instead it means that you and your children will eat less, and go to bed hungry at night”, adds George Nyongesa.

“The Government’s job is primarily to provide security, and that includes food security!” opines Keli Musyoka of Mkuru Kwa Njenga and a member of Bunge la Mwananchi. Security calls for preparedness and the Government: “ought to have foreseen these…and developed safety nets to mitigate the impact on poor Kenyans” quips Samson Ojiayo of Bunge La Mwananchi. The Government seems to have been caught unaware and it is not yet apparent what efforts are being made to assist the poor. The Government has instead gone on record to say that it will not check the soaring prices since there are no unreasonable profits being made by businessmen capitalising on the run away prices.

The current food insecurity is counter-productive to other development efforts insists the statement released by Bunge La Mwananchi and Starehe Social Forum. For example, free primary education will be affected by poor attendance, drop out or lack of concentration by the hungry school children. The Government funded ARV treatment will be of no benefit to its beneficiaries, since they require regular and adequate meals for the medication to work. Malnutrition among children will increase the mortality rate especially in areas that have experienced perennial droughts and famine such as Kwale, Turkana and Pokot. Farmers will also not be able to farm as they will not have the energy or indeed the seeds to plant. Food insecurity increases the stress levels of family bread winners and may contribute to family dysfunctions. Worse still, food scarcity could further strain already tense ethnic relations and make national cohesion difficult.

The organizers of the poor people’s solidarity match noted that world over; Governments are under pressure from their citizens as seen in the food riots in South Africa and Bukinafaso where the protesters turned violent burning government buildings and looting stores. In Cameroon the taxi drivers’ go-slow against rising oil prices mutated into food riots and left 20 dead. The organizers of solidarity match for the poor argue that if the government of Kenya decided to slash the tax generated on fuel it would bring down the pump prices and drive down commodity prices. Further, if our lawmakers decided to cut down unnecessary government expenditures attracted by their fuel guzzler automobiles, avoid unnecessary trips abroad, even cancel the fighter jets that will fly over Uhuru Park during Madaraka celebrations or if our parliamentarians in a patriotic move decided to halve their pay package and make donations to the CDF…”life would be bearable” “It is unacceptable for our lawmakers to continue to burn our taxes by driving those fuel guzzlers in the midst of famine…they are part of a morally despicable problem!” notes George Nyongesa. “It does not matter whether high food prices have a world market nexus…who is the president of the world we should ask? We only know Kenya’s president …” adds Salim Nganga, also a member of Bunge la Mwananchi.

Indeed Bunge La Mwananchi had a month ago issued a press statement demanding among others, that if the Government of Kenya can afford the expensive welfare program for the parliamentarians and expenditures of a bloated cabinet then it should removes taxes on all basic commodities such as unga, salt, sugar, milk, rice etc; that government reviews of minimum wage up to KES 40,000 per month and also give to all over 18 yrs jobless young people living wages of KES 20,000 per month. Failure to meet this demands, they had threatened would live them no choice but to activate their networks for mass action and the gathering of the hungry at Huruma grounds may just be the beginning of the unfolding drama.

For more information, you may contact George Nyongesa, Bunge La Mwananchi leader, cellphone: +254 720 451 235 and also visit the website at www.bulamwa.co.ke

Editors:
Bunge La Mwananchi is a people’s insititution and platform where grass root Kenyans meet for democratic expression on pertinent issues affecting their lives and develop methods for pushing their agenda together.

Huruma Social Forum is a network platform of Bunge La Mwananchi with the same mission of “setting the agenda for our leaders”.

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Date: Thu, 29 May 2008 12:27:13 -0700 (PDT)
From: George Nyongesa
Subject: The urban poor match for food!