Mzee Kiziwi, in his continued research to unravel what really ails the only deaf's national association KNAD, unearthed up this letter written in 2003. Very telling that to this day Peter Wango is still flying around in the name of KNAD, and fooling all deaf that if he leave, KNAD will be no more, and worse still quite a number of deaf believe him. Very telling that his wives are still the regional coordinators and even accompanies him to represent KNAD at WFD for the deaf conferences. Very telling that even these regional coordinators have the audacity to tell the current KNAD chairman, Ogola, himself as useless as a rotten pumpkin, off, as they have been taught by Wango. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "The only thing we learn from history is that we learn nothing from history"!!
Read on.
M.K.
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From: JOINT AFFILIATED BRANCH ASSOCIATION OF KNAD
P.O BOX 22024, NAIROBI
To: The chairman (name witheld)
Kenya national association of the deaf
P.O Box 33445
Nairobi
Dear Sir,(name witheld)
RE: CALL FOR REFORMS IN KNAD
It has come to the notice of the deaf Kenyans that since your election as chairman of kenya national association of the deaf in January 2001 the association’s image has gone from bad to worse
The following are some of the grievances the deaf Kenyans have observed.
1. Knad was established to cater for the welfare and interests of the deaf within the republic of Kenyans in accordance with its constitution at the Attorney General’s office. However since you were elected as chairman of the association you have illegally allowed the association to be operated like MY OWN NGO forgetting the plight of deaf persons in need of help country wide.
Notable examples are:-
a) Allowing Mr. Peter W. Opany to return back into KNAD office and without approval of KNAD governing council allowing the same person to be the organization coordinator when you know well that this position does not exist at KNAD. Instead there is the position of executive officer.
b) Allowing Peter W. Opany to operate the association’s office like MY OWN NGO by way of encouraging himself to allocate duties in in KNAD office to his wives and other family members
c) Allowing Peter W. Opany to open bank accounts in the name of KNAD and having such bank accounts have signatures of Opany himself and his wife then diverting donor funds to such bank account without approval of the governing council although KNAD constitution states that signatories to bank accounts shall be the chairman, treasure and executive officer.
d) Allowing Weter W. Opany to use KNAD official letter pages to write defamatory letters to some organizations thereby damaging the reputation of KNAD
e) Leaving Mr. Opany to abuse the other deaf who go to visit KNAD office in need of help once they have completed education and need job placement. (Recommendation letters).
2. Failing to mobilize the deaf in Kenya country wide to contribute effectively to the constitution of Kenya review commission on issues concerning the deaf’s welfare in the constitution.
a) Favouring selection of sign language interpreters from Nyanza region to go and interpret for deaf in other areas when you know that there are ethnic language problem that an interpreter from Nyanza can not interpret in an area where the speaker talk a different language from Nyanza. Then allocating interpreters only to regions favourable to yourselves.
b) Receiving payments for interpreters from the CKRC and following such payments to be deposited in bank account that has signature of Opany and his wife then under paying the interpreters to false pretext that deductions are for KNAD telephone bill when you know well that KNAD phones are not working and leaving Opany and his wife to pocket the deductions from the interpreters allowances.
c) Leaving Opany to abuse the CKRC secretary and failing to apologize to the CKRC when required to do so to safe the reputation of KNAD.
3. Failing to supervise the activities of regional coordinators and leaving such coordinators to submit false reports to the donors that they have done good work when you know well the regional coordinators are doing nothing to help the Deaf in their respective regions country wide in Kenya.
a) Sacking the coast regional coordinator and failing to make a replacement then allowing Peter Opany to have his wife as the coast regional coordinator when you know well that his wife has no experience on problem of deaf in coast region and allowing his wife to pocket 2 salaries without paying tax.
b) Allowing the western Kenya regional coordinator to set up finishing projects with donor funds and the projects do not employ any deaf persons them allowing the same western kenya project co-odinator to employ only family members in the fish projects and diverting funds for the projects to family use. The western kenya regional co-odinato’s office has been closed for failing to pay rent for 1 years and KNAD properly in that office auctioned.
c) Leaving central kenya regional co-odinator (his wife) to roam aroung Nairobi without work in her office and allowing this co-odinator to be engaged in political activities. This co-odinator is also reported to be involved in inciting some deaf to write false letter to Sweden donors. The central Kenya coordinator has been in Nyeri for many years and it’s surprising to note that her office is empty without a typewriter, telephone, computer or a file drawer – so where has she been taking office funds to as she shares everything in office from ministry of socio services. Over the years she could have equipped the office with modern equipment with donors’ funds appeals. Then take that central Kenya region has more qualified deaf persons to run that office. So why did you employ a coordinator from outside the region with no qualifications and experience on such problem of deaf in the region?
4. Undermining the rights of deaf women in Kenya to vote rightful leaders on national basis by using donor funds to call a meeting and incite the women to vote for leaders from one ethnic community on tribal lines thereby encouraging tribalism to take root in KNAD. Allowing corruption practices activities to take root in KNAD.
5. No job placement of deaf school leavers since 2001 when you took over as chairman so a hungry man is an angry man. From the above grievances we have noted with concern that there is bad governance in KNAD office under your chairmanship results abuse office.
The administration of the organization does not follow the constitution of the association in accordance with the law. There is tribalism, nepotism, abuse of office and corruption practices which we do not want to see in national organization.
As Kenyans are going to the polls this year to elect their leaders the deaf too need good leadership in KNAD to lead the association. We do hereby give you 21 days notice to make reforms in KNAD office as follows
a) The governing council must interview a competent qualified executive officer to run the association properly without favoritism or tribalism to stop operating the organization like MY OWN NGO.
b) Produce an audited report of how shs.2.2 million donated by Barclays Bank of Kenya headquarter for AIDS awareness to the deaf community in Kenya was used as we are reliably told the funds were deposited in a bank account with signatories of P. Opany and his wife without approval of the governing council and acknowledges.
c) Produce an audited report of how donated by A bills of finland were used on deaf women as the funds are again reported to have been deported in an account with signatures of Opany with his wife.
d) Stop use of KNAD tax exemption certificate in cleaning imported goods at the customs purporting that such goods are for KNAD office when the goods are diverted to personel use.
e) Remove Mr. Peter Opany from KNAD office as he is insulting the deaf and has converted KNAD to MY OWN NGO and his behaviour has damaged the reputation of KNAD office.
f) Stop the practice done by regional coordinators and other office bearers in KNAD of writing proposals to donors for funds and having such approval by ministry of social services and when fund received deposited in bank accounts not known or approved by the governing council. This should cease until competent executive officer is appointed to supervise the activities according to investigation.
g) During the recent move of KNAD office blessed house Mr. Opany had told 2 deaf members and staff to sell something and keep for him 2 doors. He Opany later suspended 1 staff for theft of office property when he himself was involved in stealing and you did not act to discipline him.
h) The Central Kenya regional co-ordinator Mrs Josphine Aska, one of Wangos many wives, has been in nyeri for more than 10 years and it was her duty to set projects that can benefit the deaf, but she has set upon project in Nairobi, Machakos, Nakuru, Muranga, Kerugoya and Nyandarua. She is therefore useless and in being paid for no work when thousand of deaf continue to suffer.
i) Advocacy project officer has brought TV video cassettes for sex in the office which is a bad example to the KNAD visitors to come and see sex movies during official working hours. We view this promotes prostitution among the deaf community.
If you fail to do as requested in this letter within 21 days we shall have no alternative but to take action to close KNAD office and call for elections and proper investigations to clean from bad management.
Yours affiliated associations
(Signed by 11 chairmen of affiliated associations of KNAD. Names removed for legal reasons)
Cc: The registrar of societies
Commissioner of social services
Chairman UDPK
Embassy of Sweden
President SDR
Secretary CKRC
Chairman Barclays bank of kenya
Commissioner of police
