WHO IS TO BLAME FOR MOUNT ELGON WOES?

WHO IS TO BLAME FOR MOUNT ELGON WOES? Gone now are the nightmares of the horror movie stirred by One Wycliffe Komon Kirui Matakwei and his ruthless army of die-heard ‘butchers’. It is business as usual and people are going on with their normal activities. The spell-binding beauty of the Mountain is eternally irresistible once you grace the footsteps of MT. Elgon. The ever green sight is usually refreshing, welcoming and you instantly feel at home...Across the strip of forested land bordering Mount Elgon Forest Reserve, women and their children are ever busy striving to make ends meet. From Kaberwa, Kongit, Kaboywo to Kiborowa, they usually trade in charcoal (apparently the main economic activity of many a Sabaot House-wife). A Forty Five Minute journey via motorcycles from Kaptama, takes you to Kapsokwony: the Head-Quarters of Mount Elgon District. The Class-D tarmac road is of age now and the carelessly floored road is vulnerable to erosion. Commissioned back in July 2007 by President Mwai Emilio Kibaki, the then ambitious KAMUKUYWA-KAPTAMA-KAPSOKWONY-KOPSIRO-NAMWELA project is yet to be completed and has ever since been diverted to KIMILILI from Kapsokwony (courtesy of the wielders of power and run-away corrupt gestures encouraged by KUNDANI SIGNH, the contractors mandated to complete the project). Kapsokwony is now a home of Transit-Goods locomotives, occasionally criss-crossing the district in search of timber and other forest products. The once thick forest which was a home for wild-life is slowly being reduced to an expansive open land. Relatives and friends of mine have complained day in day out and even reported illegal activities as far as harvesting of trees is concerned, yet no one from the District Headquarters Offices has ever responded. Moreover, in spite of the heavy deployment and presence of security personnel in the District Headquarters, we still hear of gunmen attacks and killings of Mount Elgon Residents. Night clubs and drinking joints are now homes for these law-enforcers and their main activity has since effectively been transformed into ‘heart’ issues with locals. It is feared that on the contrary, they are siring kids and spreading STIs amongst the residents and their fellow law-enforcers instead. The grand question I have been asking myself is: who is to blame for all this mess? Who is to shoulder the woes bedevilling our beloved motherland? Indeed, like they usually say, time will tell! For the time being, man must live!!! ©2012 Cheruo Levi Cheptora