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NORTH IMENTI - Here voters and
elephants have very long memories
November 22, 2007
EA STANDARD
By Lawrence Kinoti and Patrick Muriungi
If the elephants of Meru National Park, Imenti and Mt Kenya
forests had their way, David Mwiraria, the immediate former MP for
North Imenti and Minister for the Environment, would be trampled
to a pulp. Because the Minister lifted the ban on the shamba
system of cultivating in the forest, the beasts will be on a
longstanding collision course with humans who are now jostling for
a slice of the forestland for cultivation.
When the farmers are done, there won’t be enough pasture for the
elephants. And if the beasts feed on crops grown on these shambas,
they risk losing their tusks and lives.
Indeed, few of these endangered animals and wildlife around the
country will live to see the next ban after the elections! And if
the issue costs Mwiraria the seat, then clearly the elephants will
not be the only living creatures with a long memory.
Many issues will determine how this electorate cast their ballot
on December 27. The shamba system will top the agenda. Most
politicians opposed to Mwiraria’s leadership will take up the
issue with the voters.
The Imenti Forest that serves as a wildlife migration corridor
between Mt Kenya Forest and the Meru National Park falls in this
constituency and is under threat of depletion by illegal logging
under the guise of the shamba system.
Other facets of environmental degradation will also not escape the
lips of Mwiraria’s opponents as they question the destruction of
catchment areas of the upper and lower Imenti forests, causing
water shortages to the people downstream.
Besides this delicate issue the constituency is ill served by a
poor road network.
Voters are particularly concerned about the dilapidated roads in
Meru Town, the economic hub of the larger Meru community.
Few families in rural North Imenti are connected to clean tap
water. The majority rely on raw river water for domestic use. The
most affected are residents of Buuri and Timau divisions.
Insecurity is on the increase in this constituency because of
rising unemployment. Voters want their next MP to create
employment opportunities in the villages.
Education standards in North Imenti are some of the lowest among
the Imenti community. Voters attribute this to poorly-equipped
schools and overstretched facilities.
Meru Town is part of this constituency. But rising crime,
prostitution and growing numbers of street families in this fast
growing town all point to a grim electorate.
Residents believe that if these negative trend was to be curtailed,
politicians must be involved.
The electorate is a farming community but with poor roads they
cannot reach markets on time.
Mwiraria’s political detractors will also want to see errors and
ommissions in the usage and distribution of the area CDF and
bursary funds respectively.
Some will want it believed that projects funded by CDF money were
not well distributed in the constituency.
And because Mwiraria’s name was prominently mentioned in the Anglo
Leasing scandal that nearly brought Kibaki’s administration to its
knees, politicians on the other side will want voters to believe
that the Minister is indeed corrupt even though he was cleared by
investigators.
Residents of the semi-arid Buuri Division think with the right
political intervention, irrigation programmes can change their
lives. They want many boreholes sunk in the area.
As the clock ticks closer to election day, many contenders will be
eyeing the parliamentary seat.
Matters will be made complicated by clannism. Mwiraria’s Ntakira
clan does not see eye-to-eye with the Igoki clan, which is
outnumbered by the former. Miriga Mieru provides the swing vote.
Serious contenders for the seat include career teacher Fredrick
Kiogora Akandi (ODM), Dr Karambu Ringera - she has returned from
the United States to stand on a Forum for the Republican Party (FOREPA)
ticket - and Ms Tera Igoki (ODM).
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