This facet is not unknown to the Kenyan Government. The previous administration was well aware of this link. In its National Poverty Eradication Plan (NPEP 1999 -2015), which came after the World Bank’s influenced Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP) the Kenyan government notes:

“The interaction of the poor and the environment has resulted in undesirable consequences which have contributed to the worsened poverty situation in the country. The social and economic consequences of environmental degradation are becoming increasingly manifest in Kenya. As a result of poverty the poor engage in activities such as poor farming practices, burning of trees to make charcoal, poor sewerage disposal, to mention but a few. These activities have negatively affected the environment and reduced the land potential especially in the arid and semi arid areas, making the struggle for survival hard and leading to over-exploitation of land and water resources. In essence, immediate survival needs of the population conflict with long term needs for preserving and maintaining the viability and integrity of the environment. In other words poverty and environmental concerns are intertwined and need to be addressed simultaneously.”

This fact alone signifies that the previous government was fully aware of the problems bedeviling the country but paid lip service to address them. It had good documents but made little effort to effect the necessary changes. Instead wanton exercising of forestland, encroachment of protected areas and other utilities for short term political gains were the norm with the previous government. A skewed political agenda perpetrated by the previous government has enabled harmful practices to override common good and equitable sharing of resources in the country.

Extreme deprivation impacts on the environment rather negatively. The resultant effects are denoted by the wanton deforestation to pave way for charcoal as a source of fuel, land degradation, pollution of ground water, salination of the country’s soils, degradation of the country’s lakes, encroachment of swamps and wetlands for agriculture and the unprecedented growth of slums with their attendant effects to river basins and water catchment areas. Here in the city the effects are not camouflaged. The heavily polluted river basins, poor sanitation, growth of slums deplorable shelter and lack of proper sewerage and solid waste disposal are some of the effects of poverty.
During the Bonn 2001 International Conference on Freshwater it was noted “The quality of water reveals everything right or wrong, that we do within our ecosystems. Every decision we make – whether the issue is growth, housing, transportation or economic development – is directly linked to the use of our water resources. Water is an indicator of sustainability. Its quality and availability indicate the levels of social development, within a community. It is an indicator of poverty. It indicates social tensions and it is also a proven indicator of the quality of the environment.”
The Bonn Declaration couldn’t be more elaborate. The two major Nairobi River basins notably, the Nairobi and Ngong Rivers are deft indicators of the state of environment in the country and the poverty levels not to mention the Nairobi Dam. The recently released “State of The Environment (SOE) 2003 Report” by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) vindicates this conclusion and paints a gory picture of a country choking in filth. In fact these two major river basins are littered with slums. The expansive Kibera (which is estimated to house over 800,000 people in ramshackle dwellings) and Laini Saba, slums together with sprawling Mukuru Kwa Njenga, Kwa Reuben, Sinai, Lunga Lunga, Maili Saba Siranga, Mwengenye, Fuata Nyayo, Quarry and Mariguini Slums are all to be found along the Ngong River and its tributaries. While Kanoko, Kiambiu, Madiwa, Harare and City Cotton among others are all to be found along the banks of Nairobi River.

One need not be a hydrology expert to know that both domestic, hospitals, roads, markets, and industrial wastes and effluence heavily pollute these two rivers. Just as the Bonn declaration illustrates, these two rivers are classic indicators of the country’s socio-political and economic tensions and all. Dr William F Schulz, the Executive Director of Amnesty International (USA) noted: “Those governments which are most oppressive of their human citizens are also most oppressive of their environments… so the link between human rights and the environment is very intimate, very close, very clear.” Kenya’s previous regimes all fall into this definition. UNEP’s Executive Director, Klaus Topfer notes: “UNEP is working hard to try to break the deadly links between health, poverty and environmental damage. For unless we tackle these links we will never get to many of the root causes of environmental degradation that threaten everyone’s quality of life, be they rich or poor.”
In their paper, “Economic Reforms, Globalization, Poverty and The Environment” David Reed and Herman Rosa argue: “About 60% of the world’s poor live in India and China. Almost 80% of the world’s poor live in 12 countries; India, China, Brazil, Nigeria, Indonesia, Philippines, Ethiopia, Pakistan, Mexico, Kenya, Peru and Nepal.”

The Kenyan Government does not dispute this view. In its “Kenya Millennium Development Goals Progress Report 2003” the Ministry of Planning and National Development asserts: “The proportion of Kenyans living under the poverty line is on the increase with the urban population accounting for the highest proportion of this increment. Between 1982 and 1994, the percentage below the poverty line stagnated at about 47 percent in the rural areas. The current national estimates are 56 percent. Of great concern is the dramatic increase of the population living under the poverty line in urban areas, as illustrated by a near 90 percent increase between 1994 and 1997. The percentage of people below poverty line is projected to increase to 65.9 percent in 2015 if the current trend continues.”

According to Jane Kiringai and Damiano Manda in their paper “The PRSP Process in Kenya” “Poverty situation in the country has worsened with more Kenyans becoming poorer and poorer. The total number of poor Kenyans has increased from 11.5 million in 1994 to 12.6 million in 1997. Results from Welfare Monitoring Surveys (WMS) show that the poor constituted 46.3%, 43.84% and 52.3% of the Kenyan population in 1992, 1994 and 1997 compared to 29.0% in 1994. There are disparities across provinces with Central Province having the least poor population (31.4 percent) in 1997 and Nyanza Province the highest (63.1 percent) poor population.” This facet has not improved. The Kenya Government’s Economic Survey 2004 asserts this same position. With Kenya as one of the abodes of the world’s poor it is easier to appreciate why environmental degradation in the country has been so rampant. What is difficult to understand however is the fact that the Kenyan government has been aware of this link for years but it has always shelved the ideals. Our government is known for producing good papers but nothing to do with action. A look at Sessional Paper No. 6 of 1999 on Environment and Development reveals one item worth looking at. It reads: “Poverty leads to over use and destruction of the environment where short term development goals and practices are pursued at the expense of long-term environmental sustainability. This degradation enhances poverty because the resource base is unable to support the population…”
The Sessional Paper further asserts that poverty contributes to a high population growth rate which puts pressure on available resources and retards the improvement of living standards; leads to rural-urban migration which exacerbates unemployment growth of slums and constraints on social and health services; reduction in arable land; overstocking in arid lands; hunger and malnutrition, cultural and social disorientation; building of the existing infrastructure, sanitation, transport, water and housing. Amongst the principles of the Sessional Paper it is noted. “All people have the right to benefit equally from the use of natural resources as well as equal entitlement to a cleanser and healthy environment; Poverty reduction is an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, sustainable and a higher quality of life can be achieved by reducing or eliminating unsustainable practices of production and consumption and by promoting appropriate demographic policies.”

Following up the NPEP and the Sessional Paper No 9 was the Government of Kenya’s National Development Plan 2002 – 2008 which also echoes the same sentiments. “In view of the high incidence of poverty in the country, the need to integrate environmental concerns in development activities should be given high priority. Poverty leads to overuse and destruction of natural resources where short-term development goals and practices are pursued at the expense of long-term environmental sustainability. This sets ion motion a vicious cycle as the degradation worsens poverty, as the resource base is unable to support the population. Sustainable development in the long term ameliorates the negative effects of poverty, provide basic needs and meets people’s aspirations for a better life. The government will aim at identifying programmes and projects which will mitigate poverty-related environmental degradation; regulate and enforce harmonized environmental management standards; enhance establishment of local community based organizations (CBOs) and encourage research institutions and NGOs to prepare natural resources inventories for targeted areas. The government will within the period encourage and empower private sector and local communities participation in natural resource management practices.”
As is well known all these high sounding documents were nothing short of rhetoric by the previous regime.

Out goes KANU, in comes NARC. Soon after NARC took over, it translated its 2002 election manifesto and christened it “Economic Recovery Strategy for Wealth and Employment Creation (2003-2007). Under this document NARC has also recognized the link: “Economic recovery needs to be sustainable if the objectives of poverty reduction and employment creation are to be achieved. This economic recovery action plan takes cognizance of the need to achieve the broad macro and sectoral objectives and targets without compromising the health of the environment. Kenya faces a serious environmental challenge due to mismanagement of the sector by the previous administration. The problem has been compounded by rampant poverty in the country because wood fuel and charcoal are the main energy sources for cooking and lighting used by the poor people putting tremendous pressure on forest resources. The symptoms of environmental damage include deforestation, soil erosion and siltation of water reservoirs pollution of river systems from industrial effluents and discharge of raw sewage, clogging of lakes and water systems by weeds and increasing air pollution by harmful emissions from industries and poorly maintained motor vehicles. The other problem that Kenya faces on the environment issue is pollution resulting from solid waste such as polythene and plastic generated waste. The problem reflects absence of a policy on recycling waste materials and dysfunctional local authorities. In an attempt to address these problems on environmental legislation was enacted providing for the establishment of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to oversee the management of environment. However further measures are required to address environmental challenges that continue to face the country especially finding alternative and affordable energy sources for the rural and urban poor. Other measures that will be required to restore and preserve the environment include a comprehensive afforestation programme; development of a national policy on anti pollution; introduction in schools of curriculum on environmental education; development of a policy on recycling.”

According to the Minister for Planning and National Development, Prof Peter Nyong’o: “Sustainable environment and natural resources is key to Kenya’s development process. Kenya faces serious environmental and natural resource degradation. The degradation is mainly as a result of pollution and poor waste management, deforestation, destruction of water catchment, desertification and poverty.” He says.

Exactly 41 years ago the Kenyan government identified illiteracy, disease, poverty and ignorance as the main enemies of sustainable national development. In addressing all these challenges, the government has come up with numerous Sessional Papers, National Development Plans, Presidential Commissions, Task forces and a plethora of studies. While in the first three decades, there was a marked improvement on all these challenges, the last ten years we have seen a reversal of the significant gains.

The NARC administration cannot afford to fail Kenyans at this point in time. It is time for on-the ground policy implementation. As we approach the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (October 17th) it is imperative that the fight against poverty be intensified. It is time the government settled down and implements its own initiatives. The bickering within the political establishment will definitely puncture the noble objectives outlined by the government and further harm the environment. To this end the government should bear in mind, H.N. B Gopalan, UNEP’s Task Manager on Environment and Health warning: “You will never save and conserve important ecosystems, habitats and ultimately a healthy planet if on their edges you have poor; desperate; hopeless and unhealthy people.”

The question is, ‘Is the government listening?’