Community Anguish under KESREF

While we appreciate KESREF's contribution to the community and country economy, it has done some desrvice to the host community that must be addressed urgently. The tradition all over the world has been that whenever a project; private or government initiated, the locals are given priority in employment opportunities especially the manual work that do not need much skills and expertise. This is not the case at KESREF located at Kibos in Muhoroni.

The riparian community (Kabonyo village) are not only discriminated against when it comes to jobs provision but also abused by the institution’s employees. Women are complaining of sexual harassment by senior staff; officers demand for sexual favors before they are offered jobs or confirmed as permanent employees; bribery is rife particularly for youth seeking jobs as farm and office workers in the institution; local leaders are colluding with the senior staff to apply nepotism or to gain political mileage while the management use leaders to stifle local staff when they are injured while on duty.

The practice must be checked since it has created covert discomfort between the community and the institution. Furthermore, unlike other institution KESREF has negated on its social responsibility to the hosting community. The primary school (KISURE Primary) which it supported is in stumbles, with children taking classes in dilapidated and nearly collapsed classrooms.

Unless the government investigates and intervenes, the practice is headed to cause long anguish to the community hosting the institution particularly on the spread of HIV/Aids and escalation of poverty.

George Okeyo
Member

Kabonyo, Miwani (Muhoroni)