NATIONAL NEEDLE PROGRAM SEMINAR

By EMMANUEL BOAZ Over 15 million people are living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya. Coast province is one the highest province in HIV prevalence with a percentage of 4.2 and 5.1 percentage prevalence for adults. New HIV infection sources by Kenya modes of Transmission (KMOT) state that the use of the same syringe by drug addicts to inject themselves has contributed to the spread of HIV. 33 percent of new infection is coming from commercial sex workers, male having sex with other men (MSM), injecting drug addicts, and prison population. These are the most at risk population (MAPS) According to KMOT 44% of aid infection is in marriages. The remaining percentage is the health facility and related infection. Speaking today at a program to enlighten religious leaders on why the NAC is planning to give out syringes to the Drug addicts in Mombasa, two HIV infected individuals gave some testimonies. “What has caused me to be infected is the use of the same syringe while taking drugs; I could not be going to the health centre after every 2 months to take medicine in order to keep me going if it were not for drugs. In my opinion if youth to be educated on the risks of drug abuse and by doing so many will avoid being infected with this deadly disease,” said Hassan Said an addict for the last five years. Another addict Monica Wanja said that she was infected due to the use of syringes. Imagine how many I infected when I was hooked on drugs, I was a harlot and got a chance to be with may men and used the syringe with many of my colleges. In my opinion say that if there were syringes in those times I could not be infected by HIV, because I would have used only one syringe by myself. These were testimonies of reformed drug addicts who have felt the pinch of sharing syringes among drug users. The deputy director National Aids control (NAC) Doctor Sobbie Mulindi, who is the first doctor to talk about aids in Kenya in the forum said that he would like the Muslim leaders and politicians to be in the front seat n helping in the fight against drugs and AIDS. There should be domestic financing in the country instead of depending on funds from well wishers who are abroad. Speaking in an interview with the nation Dr Sobbie said that giving out the syringes to the addicts will help in the fight against AIDS among syringe users’ drug addicts in Mombasa. Further more the national aids control program should be established by an act of parliament in order to hold the stake holders accountable in the fight against drugs and AIDS. “Reform in the police and justice sector will also help in the fight against AIDS and drugs because of corruption.” He added Misconception among religious leaders and political interest among coastal politicians was the main challenge in the distribution of syringes among drug users. “The government should secure jobs for the youth in order for them to be occupied instead of getting hooked in drugs. “Poverty and lack of jobs is the key draw back among the youth in the fight against drugs. The political leaders should avail jobs to the youth in order to help in the fight against Drugs and AIDS,” Dr. Sobbie said. This comes when; coastal religious leaders and politicians are fully in disagreement with the government’s plan of giving out syringes to the drug addicts saying that it is a way of promoting the use of drugs but not fighting against it.

pictures of the chief justice during the tour of shimo la tewa prisons.

23 INMATES RELEASED

By EMMANUEL BOAZ It was a sigh of relief to 23 in mates who were released back into the community by the chief justice. This was achieved 2 weeks ago after reviewing several cases which are pending before the court. The prisoners at Shimo la Tewa had several grievances to be addressed by the chief justice among them were the corruption of magistrates. “Ten new magistrates have been deployed to the Mombasa high court to fast track cases for people in remand” chief justice Willy Mutunga said “All that you have said we shall discuss it when we discuss bail and bond, I can promise you that all those cases appeals haven’t been heard because of proceedings we are going to make sure that in the next 2 months we will finish the proceedings so that appeals can be heard.” Mutunga added. “We are committed as a judiciary to the decongestion of the prison and in cases where we find that there are persons who ought no to be in prison we shall not hesitate to recommend that they be released back into the society to go o with their lives, within the next month so other names are to be brought,” justice Maureen said. “We are calling up the files and we are reviewing each and every word and we want to assure you and the prison establishment that this is an exercise that that they are going to see results” Justice Maureen added. The chief justice had visited the Shimo la Tewa maximum prisons in the aid of reforms in the judiciary. It was in the same correctional facility centre that the chief justice was jailed between 31st July 1982 and 6th February 1983 and was an inmate of block F.

It’s Peace for Muslim leaders.

By EMMANUEL BOAZ Muslim leaders are to use Mosques in this month of holy month of Ramadhan to spread peace as the general elections approach. The Muslim leaders from CIPK, UWAM and SUPKEM were in a meeting attended by all the Muslim leaders from the 47 counties in Kenya. “We will make sure that the peace is ensured by Muslims and all the Kenyans no matter their religious belief.” Sheikh Abdul Ghafur said. “Civil education should be started by the government to educate Kenyans on the importance of keeping peace and how to vote wisely in order for Kenyans not to experience a repeat of what happened in 2007” sheikh Abdul Ghafur added. “Peace is not attained from forums it is attained by action. We kindly ask the government to give identity cards to those who have attained the age of obtaining the cards because it’s everyone’s democratic right,” the secretary general CIPK sheikh Dor added. “We should together join hands as Kenyans; within the country and in the Diaspora and ensure that the coming general elections are done at a peaceful environment.” Sheikh Dor concluded. The Muslim leaders furthermore said that they are against the government giving syringes to the drug addicts with the argument that the act will increase the AID virus to spread among the addicts. “A person who is infected with AIDS is at a lower chance of spreading the disease than a drug addict who is infected by AIDS. Everybody will avoid the person infected By AIDS but the drug addict will spread the disease even further” Sheikh Khalifa Said. “The government gave condoms some years back but that was not a remedy to the spread of aids so we should join hands and speak against the government’s move of giving syringes to our youth as that is a way to show that they are promoting drug abuse,” sheikh Dor lamented. For many years, the police are alleged to form kangaroo courts where they try people caught by drug cases and later release them without proper investigations. “I say the kangaroo courts should be stopped. We do not support the spread of drugs. The drug curtails should be seized and the ones responsible brought to book, said the National Chairman Islahil Islamia of Kenya Sheikh Mohammed Amana. The terrorism bill was also was a matter of discussion too even though it was passed to law. The Muslim leaders are against the bill. “We are against it not because we are Muslims but because it will harm Kenyans. Sections 21, 24, 31, and 36 are said to be against human rights,” sheikh Dor said.

Ends.

It’s Peace for Muslim leaders.

By EMMANUEL BOAZ Muslim leaders are to use Mosques in this month of holy month of Ramadhan to spread peace as the general elections approach. The Muslim leaders from CIPK, UWAM and SUPKEM were in a meeting attended by all the Muslim leaders from the 47 counties in Kenya. “We will make sure that the peace is ensured by Muslims and all the Kenyans no matter their religious belief.” Sheikh Abdul Ghafur said. “Civil education should be started by the government to educate Kenyans on the importance of keeping peace and how to vote wisely in order for Kenyans not to experience a repeat of what happened in 2007” sheikh Abdul Ghafur added. “Peace is not attained from forums it is attained by action. We kindly ask the government to give identity cards to those who have attained the age of obtaining the cards because it’s everyone’s democratic right,” the secretary general CIPK sheikh Dor added. “We should together join hands as Kenyans; within the country and in the Diaspora and ensure that the coming general elections are done at a peaceful environment.” Sheikh Dor concluded. The Muslim leaders furthermore said that they are against the government giving syringes to the drug addicts with the argument that the act will increase the AID virus to spread among the addicts. “A person who is infected with AIDS is at a lower chance of spreading the disease than a drug addict who is infected by AIDS. Everybody will avoid the person infected By AIDS but the drug addict will spread the disease even further” Sheikh Khalifa Said. “The government gave condoms some years back but that was not a remedy to the spread of aids so we should join hands and speak against the government’s move of giving syringes to our youth as that is a way to show that they are promoting drug abuse,” sheikh Dor lamented. For many years, the police are alleged to form kangaroo courts where they try people caught by drug cases and later release them without proper investigations. “I say the kangaroo courts should be stopped. We do not support the spread of drugs. The drug curtails should be seized and the ones responsible brought to book, said the National Chairman Islahil Islamia of Kenya Sheikh Mohammed Amana. The terrorism bill was also was a matter of discussion too even though it was passed to law. The Muslim leaders are against the bill. “We are against it not because we are Muslims but because it will harm Kenyans. Sections 21, 24, 31, and 36 are said to be against human rights,” sheikh Dor said.

Ends.

BONJE ACCIDENT

By EMMANUEL BOAZ. Two students are confirmed dead and thirty others slightly injured and are receiving treatment at the Coast General Hospital. The accident involved a college bus that was carrying P1 second year students of the private college known as St Mary’s Teachers Training College belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. “The bus waved to the right then left right again and it lastly overturned on the left side of the road” said Evans Krop one of the students who survived the accident. The bus was headed for Mombasa from Taita Taveta County where the students were supposed to have a one day educational trip. Accompanying the students were 4 teachers including the principal of the College Mr Dennis Onzombi and his deputy Mr Collince. The vicar general Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa Fr. Wilybard Lagho said that it is a sad occurrence that needs to be looked into to vividly know the exact cause of the accident. The traffic commander Mr Joshua Omkata said “the terrain of the area was provided by nature and we should take care of this nature, the series of accidents that have occurred as this area should be taken as a learning experience in that the drivers should take care and a lot of caution should be taken by drivers as they approach the black spot area.” “Concrete barriers are to be constructed at the middle of the road by the Kenya national highway authority in order to prevent further injuries in the area,” added Mr Omkata. Reaching at the hospital many of the patients who had succumbed minor injuries had been discharged. Three patients were still at the hospital with two in the ward and one being attended to in the ICU. We managed to talk to one of the culprits Mr Morris Mcharo who confirmed saying that he never exactly knew what had happened. “The car started to sway in a zigzag manner and from there he lost consciousness and he recovered back when i was in the ambulance heading to hospital,” mr Morris said “He was a trusted driver and we had traveled with him to many occasions of this sought” Mr Morris added. The sisters of the Catholic Archdiocese had also visited the hospital to know the health status of their students. This incident comes just two weeks after another fatal accident between a lorry that lost control and claimed 15 people at the same area. It is alleged that 17 black spots that were erected at the same area were vandalized together with the road rails at the middle of the road.

BONJE ACCIDENT

By EMMANUEL BOAZ. Two students are confirmed dead and thirty others slightly injured and are receiving treatment at the Coast General Hospital. The accident involved a college bus that was carrying P1 second year students of the private college known as St Mary’s Teachers Training College belonging to the Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa. “The bus waved to the right then left right again and it lastly overturned on the left side of the road” said Evans Krop one of the students who survived the accident. The bus was headed for Mombasa from Taita Taveta County where the students were supposed to have a one day educational trip. Accompanying the students were 4 teachers including the principal of the College Mr Dennis Onzombi and his deputy Mr Collince. The vicar general Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa Fr. Wilybard Lagho said that it is a sad occurrence that needs to be looked into to vividly know the exact cause of the accident. The traffic commander Mr Joshua Omkata said “the terrain of the area was provided by nature and we should take care of this nature, the series of accidents that have occurred as this area should be taken as a learning experience in that the drivers should take care and a lot of caution should be taken by drivers as they approach the black spot area.” “Concrete barriers are to be constructed at the middle of the road by the Kenya national highway authority in order to prevent further injuries in the area,” added Mr Omkata. This incident comes just two weeks after another fatal accident between a lorry that lost control and claimed 15 people at the same area. It is alleged that 17 black spots that were erected at the same area were vandalized together with the road rails at the middle of the road.