Around the world people use bank machines to access cash: but in the Kenyan capital’s crowded slums, people now use similar machines to access an even more basic requirement — clean water.
In a bid to boost access to clean water, four water dispensing machines have been installed in Nairobi slums that operate like cash machines — with customers able to buy affordable water using smart cards.
It has cut costs dramatically, and is helping improve health, residents say.
“It’s pure and good for cooking, and above all it is affordable,” said Peter Ngui, who runs a small street restaurant.
“I used to get water from far away, but this water system is closer to my place of work.”
Previously people living in Nairobi’s cramped slums struggled to get clean water cheaply.
Without water pipes or plumbing in the tin-hut districts, residents resorted to buying water from sellers who dragged handcarts loaded with jerry cans or oil drums into the narrow streets.
That water was often dirty, sometimes taken illegally from broken pipes.
But the new machines, installed by the government-run Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company (NWSC), allow people to purchase water directly — and far more cheaply — than before.
Residents load money onto the water smart cards at a nearby kiosk or via payments sent on a mobile phone — a common system of payment in Kenya, which pioneered the sending of cash via phones — then tapping into the machine how many litres they want to buy.
Kenya’s slums earned a grim reputation for “flying toilets” — when people defecate into plastic bags due to a lack of other facilities, which are then hurled somewhere else into the shanty town.
Kenyan authorities are facing questions over whether they had any knowledge on the attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi.
A Somali al-Shabaab chief said was the attack was a “message to Westerners” who had “backed Kenya’s invasion [of Somalia],” a reference to Kenya’s incursion into Somalia in 2011.
Kenya’s National Intelligence Agency (NIS), widely accused by politicians of failing to pick up chatter about the attack, has insisted it did warn the police and officials inside the President’s office before the Westgate siege, but its warnings went unheeded, The Star reported.
According to the same report, a pregnant policewoman avoided Westgate after her brother, who works for Kenyan intelligence, warned her of a terror attack. “She has told police that her brother who is a NIS officer warned her not to visit Westgate that Saturday because she would not be able to run,” a senior officer was quoted as saying.
The attack was carried out by the African branch of Al-Qaeda, and is ideologically aligned with the same jihadists that the US and NATO backed in Libya and are currently supporting in Syria.
The 2011 invasion of Libya greatly expanded Al-Qaeda’s operational capacity in both Africa and the Middle East. The death of an American ambassador in Libya, Chris Stevens, put the spotlight on the transfer of arms by American security agencies to jihadists they hold responsible for 9/11.
Kenya’s military says it was responsible for the massive collapse of three floors of the Mall after at least 67 people died in the siege, a top-ranking government official told The Associated Press.
When asked Friday if military action against the hostage-takers caused the collapse, the official answered: “Yes.”
The official also confirmed that Kenyan troops fired rocket-propelled grenades inside the mall, but would not say what was used to cause the collapse. The official insisted on anonymity because he was sharing sensitive intelligence information that has not been publicly released.
The top official’s confirmation backs up information given to AP by another official on Wednesday, who said soldiers were responsible for the collapse which created a gaping hole in the mall’s roof. That official said fired RPGs caused the collapse.
Four huge explosions rocked the mall Monday followed by dark smoke pouring from the shopping center, the likely time that the floors collapsed. The government has not publicly explained what caused the floors to collapse. One official earlier suggested it was caused by a mattress fire inside the Nakumatt department store.
It is believed the collapse of the floors helped to bring an end to the four-day siege at the mall, but it may have killed hostages still inside.
FBI agents —along with investigators from Britain, Canada and Germany —have been dispatched to investigate the crime scene. There have been no details on what the international team has found so far in the bullet-scarred, scorched mall. – AP
An American woman who was trapped inside the Nairobi mall as terrorists ran amok claims she was eventually rescued by an ‘American security team’.
That is according to Bendita Malakia, the Harvard-trained lawyer who was caught up in the siege and hid along with 15 others in a store inside the mall for five hours before the armed men arrived to lead them to safety.
Thirty-year-old Malakia, who is from Elizabeth City, North Carolina, recounted the frantic scene tonight in an interview with NBC News as her rescuers bluntly told her, ‘If you guys want to get out, we understand it’s dangerous, but this is probably your best shot. If you don’t get out now you may not get out.’
Rushing to the exit, accompanied by the armed security men who she believed were from the United States, two grenades thrown from only 30-feet away detonated near to them, but thankfully for Malakia she escaped and returned home to her parents on Monday.
While there has been no official confirmation of any direct American involvement in the stand-off between the heavily-armed militants from the Somalia-based al Shabaab and Kenyan Defence Forces, the statement from World Bank employee, Malakia, seems to suggest there was.
It has been reported that three floors of the Israeli-owned mall has since collapsed, trapping several hostages. – Daily Mail
South African Home Affairs has poured cold water on the Kenyan terror passport claims saying it can’t comment or take action on media reports.
The alleged South African passport holder, Sam Lewthwaite, has been linked to alleged British terrorist Jermaine Grant, currently on trial in Kenya for possession of various chemicals, batteries and switches used to make explosives.
Police investigating the Nairobi mall massacre are also questioning a Briton arrested as he tried to fly out of the city after the attack.
The 35-year-old was detained at passport control in the capital’s Jomo Kenyatta airport on Monday afternoon as he prepared to board a Turkish Airlines flight.
Some attackers slipped out of the Westgate shopping complex amid the confusion, after switching their clothes with those of their hostages.
The Briton, believed to be of Somali origin, attracted the attention of passport officers because of bruising to his face, his dark glasses and acting suspiciously.
A Foreign Office spokesman said last night it was aware of the arrest and was providing consular assistance.
MI5 and Scotland Yard are examining the records of Britons who travelled to Somalia and returned to the UK after training or contact with Al Shabaab amid fears they could be planning attacks in British cities.
Up to 20 Britons are thought to be in Somalia training or fighting alongside jihadists.
A British detective gave evidence Tuesday in Kenya at the trial of Jermaine Grant, accused of ties to Somalia’s Al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabaab.
Prosecutors have accused Grant, a 30-year-old Muslim convert, of working with fellow Briton Samantha Lewthwaite – the fugitive widow of British suicide bomber Germaine Lindsay, who blew himself up on a London Underground train on July 7, 2005, killing 26 people.
Grant is charged along with his Kenyan wife, Warda Breik Islam, and two other Kenyans. He has denied the charges.
Detectives want to talk to all tenants of the Westgate Shopping Mall as part of efforts to trace terrorists who attacked it.
This comes amid speculation some of the attackers could have been tenants at the mall.
They had hired shops at the mall to help them map it and plan well in readiness for the assault.
“That is one of the theories we are pursuing because there are claims some were tenants of one of the shops,” said a senior officer aware of the probe.
Police say the attackers seem to know the shop well because of the manner in which they have engaged them. The probe may however, take long given the police must investigate all tenants.
Westgate Shopping Mall is one of several Israeli-owned businesses in Kenya.
The issue was was discussed at a special National Security Advisory Committee meeting (NSAC) held in Nairobi on Sunday.
The NSAC, which was chaired by Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia, advises various security agencies on the way forward on security matters. The committee met following the terror attack at the Westgate Shopping Mall, which has killed more than 60 people and left hundreds of others wounded.
After they received the threats, the officers are said to have shared them with major shopping malls, tall commercial buildings and other installations that are usually at risk of mass attacks.
Sources said securities manning these installations are usually asked to beef up their security as a way of containing or deterring planned attacks.
Westgate Shopping Mall was among the installations that were informed of the plans and urged to beef up their security.
But the gunmen seem to have decided to arrive and strike on foot. Instead of gaining access in vehicles, they struck while walking in.
Westgate is a premier complex usually frequented by wealthy locals and expatriates and is usually busiest during weekends.It is one of the many malls that have come up in Nairobi and the country. The six-year-old shopping centre is located on Mwanzi Road in Westlands, near Sarit Centre, and UKay Centre. – standardmedia.co.ke
Kenyan Vice-President William Ruto left Nairobi to fly to The Hague Monday, a day before the start of his crimes against humanity trial at the International Criminal Court.
Ruto, 46, charged with masterminding deadly post-election violence five years ago, is the most senior politician to date to face ICC judges, and his trial will start just days after Kenyan MPs voted to abandon the court in a world first.
He waved to the small crowd at the airport as he left, but made no comment.
Ruto is accused by the ICC of masterminding some of the 2007-2008 post-election unrest that left at least 1,100 dead and more than 600,000 homeless.
Fellow accused Joshua arap Sang, a radio boss accused of inciting and helping coordinate attacks during the violence, is already in The Hague, after flying there over the weekend.
Both will plead not guilty.
On Sunday, Ruto prayed in church alongside President Uhuru Kenyatta, also accused of organising a campaign of murder, rape, persecution and deportation, whose ICC trial begins on November 12.
However, Kenyatta on Sunday said that he will not allow both leaders to be away from Kenya at the same time.
“We will work with ICC, and we have always promised to do this,” Kenyatta told a rally of supporters. “But it must understand that Kenya has a constitution, and Ruto and myself won’t be away at the same time.”
Kenyatta, who will also plead not guilty, said the “charges are false and will be dismissed”.
“The plotters of this scheme will be named and shamed. The victory won’t be Ruto’s, Sang’s or mine, but for Kenya,” he said to cheering crowds.
Kenya’s 2007 elections were marred by allegations of vote rigging, but what began as political riots quickly spiralled into a wave of ethnic killings and reprisal attacks, the worst violence in the country since independence in 1963.
Firemen inspect the damages inside the Nairobi airport building
by Peter Martell
A devastating fire shut down Nairobi’s international airport for much of Wednesday in a “major crisis” that forced the cancellation or diversion of scores of flights at east Africa’s biggest transport hub.
The first flights from abroad operated by Kenya’s national carrier will land early Thursday, officials said, with customs and baggage processed through what is normally the domestic terminal because international arrivals were gutted in the four-hour blaze.
Cargo and domestic flights out of the Kenyan capital resumed early Wednesday evening.
It was not clear whether other airlines would also land as early as Thursday.
The inferno, which started before dawn, sent plumes of black smoke billowing out of the main arrivals terminal.
But by 9:00am (0600 GMT), firefighters had succeeded in stemming the raging flames, despite a lack of both water and equipment.
“Everything is being done to resume normal operations,” presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu told reporters outside the charred arrivals hall of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where hours earlier flames had lit up the pre-dawn sky.
International passengers were given priority to fly to Kenya’s second city Mombasa to connect to onward flights while Nairobi’s domestic terminal was being prepared to handle flights from abroad.
Some 16,000 passengers usually transit through JKIA every day, Esipisu said.
The airport is a regional hub for east Africa, with many long-distance international flights landing there to connect to countries across the region.
Kenyan business operators were eager for a swift return to normal operations following the disaster.
“This is the busiest time of year for international flights,” said Duncan Muriuki, head of Destination Africa, a tour operator.
“We have people stuck in Mombasa, so it will definitely impact us negatively,” he said, adding that clients stuck at the coast would face journeys of several hours to travel by road to the capital.
The flower sector, which provides a livelihood for some half a million Kenyans, could be hard hit by the fire, as any delay in shipping out fragile lilies and roses would result in big losses.
Jane Ngige, who heads the Kenya Flower Council, said harvesting at flower farms had been halted Wednesday while the trade association waited for more information.
Tens of thousands of passengers could be affected by the JKIA’s closure, while regional airports have limited capacity and will likely struggle to handle all the travellers unable to land in Nairobi.
Around 250 flights take off and land there every day, regional aviation sources said, adding that some six million passengers used the airport last year.
The fire was reported to have begun at the immigration section at arrivals, but the cause is not yet known, with police chief David Kimaiyo saying that investigations had begun.
No casualties have been reported, but two people — an airport worker and a passenger — were taken to hospital due to smoke inhalation, Kenya Airways chief Titus Naikuni said.
The interior ministry was forced to issue public appeals for Nairobi’s notoriously congested traffic to give way to trucks ferrying water to the airport after firefighters tackling the blaze ran “dangerously low on water”.
Soldiers and police even came with buckets to help put out the fire, said Sylvia Amondi, who was at the airport to pick up a relative who had been due to arrive there.
“The international arrivals station has been completely destroyed, the roof has caved in and the floor is covered in debris and water,” she said.
Behind the scenes portly civil servants braved massive puddles to sift through soggy papers and files in what was left of their offices.
In the baggage claim area, only a giant advert for multi-choice TV remained untouched.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose father Jomo Kenyatta — Kenya’s first president — the airport is named after, visited the devastated terminal along with his top security chiefs to assess the damage caused by the “huge inferno”, the interior ministry added.
Kenyatta later called the fire a “tragic event”, and promised everything would be done to resume normal operations “as soon as possible”.
In Washington, the White House said President Barack Obama had called Kenyatta to offer US support.
August is one of Kenya’s busiest months for tourism, a key industry for the country, as foreign travellers fly in to see its wildlife and enjoy the white sand beaches on its Indian Ocean coast.
The airport offers direct connections to Europe, the Middle East, the Far East and other African cities. -AFP
A massive fire engulfed the arrivals hall at Kenya’s main international airport early Wednesday, forcing East Africa’s largest airport to close and the rerouting of all inbound flights.
Dark black smoke that billowed skyward was visible across much of Nairobi as emergency teams battled the blaze. Stranded passengers stood on sidewalks outside the airport with their luggage in hand.
The Kenya Airports Authority said the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport has been closed until further notice so that emergency teams can battle the fire.
Associated Press reporters at the scene said the fire had gutted the international arrivals hall, where passengers pass through immigration and retrieve their luggage.
As in many countries in East Africa, public sector services like police and fire units are hobbled by small budgets and outdated or no equipment. A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said he was surprised that the airport wasn’t shut down sooner so that emergency vehicles could respond.
“When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals. It spread very fast,” said Collbeck, who had been scheduled to fly back to London on an early morning KLM flight. “There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters.”
But, he added: “I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster.”
The Nairobi airport is the busiest airport in East Africa, and its closure is likely to affect flights throughout the region. – AP
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