The Nation (Nairobi) NEWS December 20, 2006 Posted to the web December 20, 2006 By Muchemi Wachira Nairobi For the past three weeks, Mr Joseph Kirigia has been watching his three-acre miraa (khat) farm in dismay, pained that the mature twigs are going to waste. Traders at maua town prepare miraa for export but have nowhere to sell now that the Mogadishu ban still haunts them. The 55-year-old man has been unable to pluck the twigs from his tall trees as other farmers are doing - not to sell them but to save the trees from possible destruction. "It's too much work for an old man like me. My children are small and heavily dependent on me. I cannot afford to hire labour for a venture that is not immediately rewarding," he says. Since planting his miraa shrubs more than 15 years ago, Mr Kirigia has been relatively prosperous in Ngawene village of Igembe division, Meri North district. He had a monthly income of Sh35,000 to Sh50,000. "It was enough to feed myself, wife and nine children. But this month I have not earned anything as there is no market for the twigs." Nonetheless, he should pluck the overgrown twigs to allow the trees to sprout new ones. Otherwise, the thick twigs will ruin his trees. Plucking the trees is costly as the twigs will be destroyed. This is what many miraa farmers in Meru North district are doing. But with four of his children in primary school, and the cost of their upkeep high, Mr Kirigia has more pressing matters than plucking useless twigs. Fortunes began to wane for the farmer, and for many local residents, a month ago after a ban was slapped on miraa flights to Somalia, followed by outlawing of the twig in the capital Mogadishu and other areas controlled by hard-line Islamists. The Government barred flights to Somalia early last month over security concerns. Then a prohibition was imposed on miraa by Islamist courts that control the capital and many parts of the country. It is like the drying up of a permanent well. Convinced that it is a secure source of livelihood, many people in Meru have not constructed a reservoir - an alternative to miraa trade. For instance, farmers in Meru North district rarely intercrop miraa with food crops. "We receive good money from the herb, which we use up immediately, convinced that there will be more the following month as long as miraa is available in the farm. Things have now changed," he says. Not just miraa farmers are affected. As the crop is the economic mainstay of the district, all the other sectors are affected. There is too little money now to go around. The chairman of Nyambene Miraa Traders Association, Mr Julius Mwereria, says the crop fetches at least Sh64 million annually. "It is the main source of livelihood here," he notes. Since November 12 when the Government banned flights to Somalia, life has not been the same for local people. Even supplementary businesses are suffering. Hotel and restaurant owners in Mutuati and Igembe divisions say their ventures are collapsing. "We might have to close down soon," says the proprietor of Al Sadiq Hotel in Maua town, Mr Abdirizak Maalim. The hotel was established by his family several years ago. It is heavily dependent on miraa business. Brokers, transporters and other dealers converge there to arrange for transport of miraa to other parts of Kenya and the world. Some of the twigs are transported to Nairobi, Mombasa and other towns, but about 80 per cent are taken to Wilson Airport for flight to Mogadishu. "Until last month when the ban was imposed, we had many customers. They used to come at any hour, even at night. But today we have less than five clients," Mr Maalim said last week. Maua is the district headquarters of Meru North. The impact of the ban is not as high here. In the densely populated Mutuati division, many people are now idle. Yet so big were its bazaars on market days that one would confuse them for political rallies. The trading centres of Meru North district, together with Maua Town, attracted investors from all parts of the country who set up impressive businesses. The situation is radically different now. Bazaars are still visible in the centres of Mutuati division, but minus huge volumes of customers. "We idle the time at the market, hoping for work or other opportunities to come up," says miraa broker Stanley Kubai. He is usually based at Laare trading centre. He says a number of people who depended on miraa trade have now turned into crooks. "Robbery is on the increase, unlike the case when trade in miraa boomed." "We are still selling miraa to Mombasa and Nairobi, our next big markets," says Kubai, 39. We must look for other markets or businesses for our upkeep. At the nearby green grocers market in Laare centre, one of the women traders, Bridget Kananu, said: "I have sold only 20 bananas since morning. It is already 2pm. She said she sold at least 1,000 bananas a day early last month when miraa trade was prosperous. "Soon, I might be unable to bring up my six-year-old child," she said. Miraa grown in Kaelo is sold mainly in Europe, but traders feel the pinch as some of it went to Mogadishu. Officials of Nyambene Miraa Traders Association say the European market is not as reliable as the Somalia one. "The main problem is transport (to Europe). One has to charter aircraft, which is very expensive, as Kenya Airways does not transport miraa," said Mr Mwereria. A hotel owner at the market, Mr David Ithalii, 44, says there has been a sharp decline in business over the past three weeks. And miraa trader Abukaridere Mohammed, who operates between the centre and Nairobi, says he has lost Sh8 million due to the ban. "I had sold miraa worth that money (Sh8 million) when the ban was imposed. The money is yet to be sent to me." The 50-year-old man from Garissa district owes miraa growers in the area Sh3 million. On December 6, officials of the miraa association appealed to the Government, through local district commissioner Athumani Shauri, to look into their plight. If the ban on flights to Somalia is not lifted by January, they said, they would need relief food. They said miraa is the local cash crop. Many parents will not be able to pay schools fees for their children, besides proving them with other material upkeep. On December 7, Mr Shauri relayed the traders' concern to Eastern provincial commissioner David Jakaiti. He said families' incomes had dwindled while crime was on the rise. "Farmers are plucking overgrown twigs for destruction, lest the trees slump or fall owing to unwanted branches. It is an expensive exercise," Mr Shauri said. Source

Aamiin to that! You’re right. Amxaaro is playing the old tactic of divide and rule. You’re from the North, stay back. You are from PL and legitimate recognized president of Somalia and a threat is on your shoulder so fadhi kuuma yaal. We badmouth Carabaha being manipulated by the West but I don't know how we are any different. Good for SL to opt out and I wish PL admin would have done the same or at least remained neutral.

It's more than mind games. The dude needs quraan akhris. Aawaye ragii quraanka wax ku saari jiray?

lol@baashi. War heedhe inanka maad saas u dhaantid. Maxaad is daba dhigtay horta? Qasaawatul Qalbi inaad uga h.a.r.t.i.daa [Tan tii qabiilka ma ahee waa sidee]mudneyd balse dadkaad ugu badisaayoo runta maadan ka qarin. Reer Mudugnimaa kugu aasan ma is tiri!

lol@hunqacataaye.

Prank: Khamiis dheere in treadmill

Originally posted by Somali_Friend: I am afraid the ICU have brought a new culture in east africa. Something our people never uttered in the 1500 years of Islam in our neighborhood and now countries. that is someone who calls themselves and swears of being a moslem saying: "I am more moslem than you" This need to be eradicated if the people are to keep their faith till the end of times as they wish to do. This is petro dollar culture and we need to stop it. You assert to be Muslim yet want to eradicate Muslims whom you disagree with politically? What’s new to that part of the world is not, “I’m more Muslim that you.” That has existed for many years. What’s new is a pre-emptive strike on a sovereignty nation.

Waryaahee dagaal wiil kuma dhashaa la yiriyee waa sidee inankoow! ICU should try to stop this unnecessary war as much as they can. War does no good to any side and definitely not to the masses. The ICU should come up with better alternative and get Amxaaro out of Somalia and its affairs without firing a single bullet. They should outsmart and outmaneuver Eithopia as they did to the warlords in Baydhabo.

Before: Yes. Ethiopia captured more than a hundred Arab fighters which Hassan Tahir the commander had abondoned. Ethiopia gave to the arab countries their citizens. After: I don't know if Hassan Tahir has been in any battle in person, but he was commander of Al-Ithad which at the time is the Alqaeda for east Africa. Now which of these two do you want me to throw out of the window?

By the way, there is something called the press, they follow head of states and take pictures. True believer inaad tahay ma aanan ogeyn. Hail to the chief. with all the terreorist blowing themself up, its wise for the president to avoid radicals. Makhbiyonimo won’t stop Heart attack and Stroke though.

LOL@worthy

Ethnocentrism in action. What these kinds of bloggers fail to realize is that their opinion is not any superior to that of others.

^Including some poor handymen from the street of PL. Where and when did that battle of Eithopia and Hassan Dahir Away took place?

You've got a severe case of Arabophobia. Seek some professional help before it's too late.

He pointed out Islamists were not prepared to talk with the Ethiopian government as long as it military forces are in Somalia. “We will talk with the Ethiopians if it withdraws all its combatant troops from Somalia if it wants peaceful dialog with us,” he said, Good move! What’s the point of negotiating with a foreign government whose army is inside Somalia and its parliament voted to target and kill Somali citizens on the premises of preventive strike.

Somalia: Cross-border migration a HIV/AIDS threat By Sumba Snr and agencies Dec 6, 2006, 03:04 Email this article Printer friendly page NAIROBI,- Somalia's HIV prevalence of about one percent is low, but the cross-border movement of people is causing an increase in infection rates, according to Dr Fernando Morales of the UN Children's Fund's Somalia office. Northwestern Somalia, which shares a frontier with Ethiopia, is particularly at risk. Leo Kenny, UNAIDS country coordinator for Somalia, told PlusNews: "The prevalence rate is very high for a Muslim society and it is heading towards a generalised epidemic. Somalia is at the same stage that South Africa was 10 years ago." The country is divided into three distinct regions: the self-declared republic of Somaliland in the northwest, the self-declared autonomous region of Puntland in the northeast, and south-central Somalia. According to a 2004 study by the UN World Health Organisation, HIV prevalence in Somaliland was 1.4 percent, hitting 2.5 percent in the port city of Berbera - the highest in the country - compared to 0.6 in south-central Somalia. Prevalence in neighbouring Ethiopia is about 3.5 percent, but in some border areas that figure can jump to 10 percent, said Morales. Somalia has had no legitimate government for the past fifteen years and suffers from chronic food insecurity. Hundreds of thousands of Somalis live and work in the neighbouring countries of Kenya and Ethiopia, and often travel to and from their homeland for economic or social reasons, while thousands more are refugees. A 2006 UNAIDS report on cross-border mobility in the Horn of Africa found it was not uncommon for men who were away from home, such as truckers and traders, to have unprotected sex with commercial sex workers. For displaced and vulnerable women, transactional sex was often a coping mechanism that placed them at increased risk of infection. Among mobile populations, various social, cultural, and linguistic barriers increased the difficulty of accessing HIV/AIDS services. The problem in Somalia was being compounded by the general unavailability of condoms and lack of adequate healthcare, said Kenny of UNAIDS. Regional governments have begun recognising the importance of confronting the issue of migration as a factor in the spread of HIV/AIDS. At a meeting in November in Somaliland, representatives of national AIDS commissions from Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia and southern Sudan cited greater cooperation between governments in the Horn of Africa as the key to winning the regional fight against the pandemic. "We have a long history of movement across borders in our region, and we know that mobile population groups may have limited access to HIV prevention and treatment services," Muse Kassim, executive director of the Somaliland AIDS Commission, told delegates. "This is a challenge to the region in its entirety, and cannot be solved through national responses alone." Source

Masha'alaah. Faslun Hadaa Faasilun! Sh. Bangeeni baan soo xusuustay. Ilaahey ha barakeeyo.

Ma’shalaah! Congrats. Iishumi igaarka! Make sure he’s part of the pleasure and the enjoyment. I haven't thought about the subject but it would do a world of good to families with limited income if public schools allocate share of the total budgets to extracurriculum activities. Gifted kids can sure make use of these resources without resorting to segregation based on talents. Academic tracking may benefit your son in this case but it does no good to minority kids most of the time. Check with the school if they have a tracking system. As NGONGE pointed out, stay away from the self-fulfilling prophecy, good in math in middle school, therefore becomes a mathematician or engineer in College. That’s just too early to think that far. And don’t deprive him of play time. Studies show kids who have enough play time do well in schools. Some stats indicate kids who play computer or video games tend to develop problem solving skills. I’ve seen kids in between school, homework, macalin guri, dugsi qur’aan and etc. Not enough time for play and they’re just starting to hate school and everything. It’s all about balancing. Spare the fadhi-ku diri tea party and start attending the PTA. I’ve seen a documentary about Education in American vs. Europe & Japan. Kids in Japan do everything in school from arranging furniture in the classroom to serving lunch to cleaning the hallways. They showed a clip of American parents who said they don’t go to PTA. It’s held on Wednesdays and its bowling night for them.

Cadan maa laga heesaaya mise anigaa waalan? What does Ethiopian Sheikh got to do with Somalia problems? So the Sheikh is from Ethiopia but ethnically Somali? Is this some type of FATWA?? I’m sure you can find Sheikhs in America who may have different point of views on Iraq than the Sheikhs in Chechnya. Do you somehow think Muslims only go by what Sheikhs constitute?

if Somalia is reconstituted in a federal way and all its regions will have their peace with each other, Somalia will be a hundred times more important country than his and president Abdullahi Yusuf will be more important leader than Isayas. You're damn right! Somalia is more important to Melez than Eriteria. What you mean by federal way?? More division than we already have?

Originally posted by Kamalu Diin: Lol Jimcaale how many times ayaad ku qorowday USC/ICU chasing the remnants of Siyad Bare. aadna ku heestay ninkii dhof ku yimid baa geeridu dhibaysaa soo xasuu wagaad dagaalka afweyne kula jirtay. Sxb. Unless you’re mistaking me for someone else, my question is valid. Waligey maad iga maqashay Siyaad Barre and USC in the same post, let alone in the same sentence? Or the heesta you speak of? Eritereya, Al-Qaacida iyo USC-da aad meel walba la taagan tahay miyaad u maleysay inaan ayidsanahay? Ask my position on the issue before you assume things out of a thin air. Gaaladu markaan oo kale waxay yiraahdaan, looks are deceiving. Ponder on that macalinka. Originally posted by Somali_Friend: I agree with the exception that I leave religious issues to scholars, Immams, teachers and leaders. I only bring up something that has been studied and conclusions reached. Example the Jihad call by Hassan Tahir on Negash is bogus and contrary to Islam. Hasan Tahir himself is nothing, but an imposter. But on this thread I only asked a question. The question in case you missed it was: How would a Somali in Mugadishu who has seen the eritreans and OLF manning positions deny his fellow Somali in Gedo from setting up a government the way he wants it and also getting help from whomever he accepts? Study by who? Can you furnish the results of the study if you don’t mind? Your question is a rhetorical one and based solely on assumption that someone saw something in Xamar. If all we do is assumptions, let’s assume that Gedo doesn’t want to host foreign troops from hostile neighboring country.

What the heck is xashido? You mean Xaanshiyo? That would make sense but don't know how it would relate to this topic.

Do you hear voices at night sxb?

Originally posted by Somali_Friend: I don't like to speak of Islam and the dealings of ICU, but suffice to say fairness and truthfulness are not in the ICU camp. You seem to enjoy lying to yourself. Your interest seems to revolve around the ICU, Arabs and Islam/Muslim in the politics forum. By the way, you seem to know more than we do on the issue of foreign troops deployment. You said Gedo is given to Museveni while the Tigre boy enjoys the control of Baydhabo & Gaalkacyo. Why poor Somalia is stuck with poorly trained troops from the poorest countries of the continent with a high alarming AIDS/HIV crisis?

War Generale, u tartiibi Mr. Red. Give him time to re-consider his position of maxkamadaha, wether to support the sessionist movement or fully embace the ICU up north. Has SL made public the alleged crimes? What's next? Video tapped torture or ship 'em to Addis? Siyad Barre's lessons are being put to practice. Culumada Soomaalida deserve better. I hear of no single caalim Soomaaliyeed leading violent fitno to this poor nation.