A TRIBUTE POEM IM MEMORY OF JOANES MIDHA OWAGA AND PAMELA OMBIMA.
from Obat Masira Jul 22
date Jul 22, 2009 5:58 AM
subject TRIBUTE POEM FOR THE GREAT ARTISTES
TRIBUTE POEM FOR THE GREAT ARTISTES
The Stars That Twinkled Yesterday
THE STARS THAT TWINKLED YESTARDAY
HAVE DIMMED INTO ASHES OF PAIN
THE PLAIN TRUTH IS THE LOSS
SUFFERED INVAIN….LOSS OF PRECIOUS GRAIN…
WE PAIN FOR JOANES MIDHA OWAGA THE CHOREOGRAPHER…..
THE DANCER AND THE COUNSELOR …A BROTHER
WE PAIN FOR PAMELA OMBIMA AN ACTRESS….A SISTSER.
BUT WHY? MUST FATE BE SO CRUEL?
YET THEY SHONE……….BORN TO BE
BUT WHAT IS MUST ALSO MUST GO……FREE
AND THAT IS NATURE BEYOND OUR KEN
GREAT ARTISTES ARE GONE
EACH ON URN
OUR SMILES HAVE BEEN DIMMED.
OUR SORROWS BRIMMED
BUT WILL NEW HOPES BE BORN?
THAT TWO VIBRANT SOULS RETURN
NAKED YOU CAME INTO THIS WORLD
AND NAKED YOU PROCEED OUT
JOANES MIDHA WUOD OWAGA
JA GOT RAMOGI
YOUR PASSING HAS CREATED A VOID
AND CHASUN TOO DIFICULT TO FILL
AND CHAOS IN THE SEA OF ARTS
WHEN A DARK SHADOW LOOMS AMONGNST US
AS THE SUNSET UPON JARAMOGI WUOD JANE NYAR YIMBO
WHERE IS OUR PAMELA OMBIMA? NYAR ENGINEER TITO.
WHO ACTED LIKE A SPARROW IN THE SPACE?
WHERE IS THE SMILLING FACE OF JOY
THAT CAME NAKED INTO THE WORLD
AND NOW NAKED MUST GO OUT
AS WE MOURN IN THE PAINFUL DOUBT.
YOU BOTH LIVED AMONGST US AS ICONS
WITH DIGNITY FULL OF UNDERSTANDING
EVER CRISSCROSSING CRISISES:
YOUR VIRTURES AND VALUE A GLOW
BUT WHAT A BLOW TO BLOOMING TALENTS
EVEN AS WE REMEMBER YOU IN LIGHT
THE SONGS…….THE DANCES……IN THEATRICAL ARTS.
THOSE MONUMENTAL MOMENTS EVERYWHERE
IN UGANDA AND IN THE HOME GROOMED.
EVER IN PURSUIT OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION
TO GVE SOCIETY VALUE, VIRTUE AND JOY.
THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT BRIGHTENS THE HEART
THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR WORLD BETTER.
YOU COMBINED ALL TO GIVE LIFE LUSTRE AND MEANING
NAKED YOU CAME INTO THE WORLD
AND NAKED YOU MUST NOW GO.
BUT MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE WILL NEVER FORGET
THE DOUBLE TRAGEDY WE SO MUCH REGRET
FARE THEE WELL SISTER PAMELA OMBIMA
FARE THE WELL BROTHER JOANES MIDHA OWAGA
BEHOLD, THE DOVES OF PEACE SALUTE.
EVEN AS DEATH BECOMES ABSOLUTE
FARE THEE WELL BROTHER
FARE THEE WELL SISTER!
TILL WE MEET AGAIN!
BY
AKECH OBAT MASIRA
DIRECTOR
MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE
WEBSITE:http/misangoarts.blogspot.com
GOOGLE SEARCH: obat masira.
TEL NO: +254 726164954.
A TRIBUTE POEM IM MEMORY OF JOANES MIDHA OWAGA
AND PAMELA OMBIMA.
COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya 29th – 31st July 2009
I. PRESS RELEASE
2nd EAC Investment Conference, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya
29th- 31st July 2009
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya from 29 to 31 July 2009. The Conference is organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the government of Kenya, the African Business Council and the Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) of the East African Community Partner States.
The EAC Investment Conference is an annual event held in rotation in the EAC Partner States since the inaugural one that was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It is the premier forum for the EAC and the Partner States to promote the region as a single market and investment area.
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is expected to bring together policy makers, business leaders and the regional and international investment community to review the investment outlook of the EAC region and discuss investment opportunities.
Rationale and theme for the Investment Conference
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time when the EAC countries have moved closer to the establishment of the EAC Common Market and are involved in other initiatives to consolidate the regional integration process. The process of regional Integration in the East African Community is intensifying and the five Partner States of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are determined to marshal their resources, capacity and political will to create one Community, and more importantly, a vibrant trade and investment hub.
The Investment Conference also comes at a time when the global economy is undergoing a major downturn. Giants of the business world are going into recession and turning to governments for bailouts or stimulus packages. In the face of these challenges, the EAC is maintaining a strategic posture towards stronger political and economic business environments to weather the storm. Indeed, the EAC countries remain on a rapid growth path and, with a number of other African countries, are in the middle of the strongest economic recovery in the past 40 years.
As more and more international businesses turn to this region with a curiosity to test the investment opportunities in East Africa, a stronger and more vibrant investments and trade platform is emerging . It is clear that through strengthening relations with the leading industrialized countries as well as forging partnerships with the Emerging markets such as China and India amongst others, the EAC region can quickly move into a more flexible business arena, open to cross-border trade and investment as well increased competitiveness with the international market.
The EAC region’s share of Agricultural exports in the international markets is set to grow. With the heightened increase in global food prices, there is increased demand for investment in agricultural development in East Africa. The aim is to make East Africa not only a self-sufficient food production region, but also a supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa and an international net exporter. Opportunities also abound in other areas such as tourism, infrastructure, ICT, Financial services, telecommunications and energy show rapid growth and development.
It is with these considerations that the 2nd EAC Investment Conference has been organized under the theme, Invest in East Africa Where Challenges are Opportunities. The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is thus structured to provide the investor community with the opportunity to critically survey potential areas of investment through the various platforms in:
Public –Private Dialogue with the Five Heads of State-Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania, where policy and advocacy issues will be extensively discussed and the concept of regional and international competitiveness will be re-instated as the way forward for East African businesses.
Sector/issue- specific Round Table discussions with the top businesses in East Africa, regional, emerging and international business markets and the world’s leading economists, where potential investors will be able to meet ideal business contacts and make partnerships that will not only enhance existing businesses, but also open a new door to stronger and more successful returns on investments; and
Further, the dates for the EAC Investment Conference were carefully chosen to just precede the AGOA Economic Forum which will be held at the same venue just two days after the EAC Investment Conference.
Targeted Audience/Participants
A record number of participants, estimated at over 2000, are expected at the Conference, representing key regional and international trade and investments actors. Over 30 countries are expected to participate in the Investment Conference with the republic of India participating as a platinum partner. EAC and the government of India have an existing collaboration agreement where trade and investment are key features. The EAC and Kenya Government have approached leading East African corporates to sponsor various programmes and activities of the Conference. Among the targeted audience and participants of the Investment Conference are:-
Regional entrepreneurs and potential investors
Regional producers looking for new markets
Regional domestic businesses.
Regional Government Officials
Regional Industrialists and Merchandise Traders
Representative of Multinational Corporations
Commercial and Development Bankers
IT Practitioners
Agricultural specialists
Construction Companies
Infrastructure Specialists and businesses
Regional and international Businesses- Energy, Mining, Tourism, Telecommunications, Agriculture.
National and International Business Development Consultants and specialists.
Business communities from the emerging markets- India, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and others.
Development Partners
Representatives of regional IPA and chambers of commerce and Industry
Expected outcomes/benefits to participants
Among the expected outcomes and benefits of the Investment Conference are:
Opportunity to showcase the potential and profitable investment opportunities that the EAC has to offer;
Opportunity to network with local and foreign participants so as to build bridges for greater business using EAC as critical launch pad in the region;
Opportunity to engage potential investors in the EAC in business promotion within the region
Opportunity to project the image of EAC as one market and one destination ideal for investment; and
Opportunity to sensitize the world on the latest strides made in advancing the economic integration front at the East Africa Community
Conference focus and format
The Conference sessions will have a focus on major areas, topical issues and sectors of growth opportunity in banking and finance, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, tourism and other hospitality industries; infrastructure and energy, especially hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas; roads and railways.
The Conference will proceed on plenary sessions, panel discussions, debates, and live on stage interviews with leading authorities in the key issues..
Among the major topics to be discussed is the investment environment, addressing the challenges of the global liquidity and credit crunch, corporate finance in challenging conditions; achieving regional competitiveness, fighting counterfeits, investing in food security and exports through improved agricultural practices, and achievements of the EAC economic integration agenda.
Exhibition and Networking
An international exhibition of products and services will run parallel to the plenary sessions at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre –KICC (the venue of the conference). EAC Partner States and other country delegates will exhibit their products and services showcasing priority sectors. The last day of the Conference (31st July 2009) will be devoted to networking opportunities and country tours which have been carefully programmed to just precede the AGOA Economic Forum which the Country is also hosting at the same venue just two days after the conference ends.
Background
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference follows the first one which was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It was at the Kigali Conference that the EAC Investment Conference Forum was launched as an annual event to be held on rotation in the EAC capitals.
The inaugural event was itself very successful. The Kigali Conference was attended by all the five EAC Heads of State. It brought together over 1200 participants from the region and the international community. It attracted 15 countries from outside the region. A lot of business was transacted during the conference and important business contacts were made. Reports from the national IPAs indicate that a sizeable number of projects have been registered arising from the 1st EAC Investment Conference.
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is therefore being held against the favourable background of the encouraging success and achievement of the inaugural Conference. It has incorporated vast improvements in terms of its organization, and expected levels of participation and impact.
II. INVESTMENTS PROMOTION IN EAC
Institutional arrangements in investment promotion for the region
The EAC Partner States have established statutory agencies that promote and facilitate investments in the region. The agencies are Investment Authority (KenInvest), Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) o, Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). In Burundi, investment activities are coordinated by the National Investment Commission under the Ministry of Planning. Currently, Burundi is in the process of establishing an Investment Promotion Agency which is expected to be operational in 2009. These investment promotion agencies (IPAs) were established by respective Acts of Parliament in each Partner State and follow similar basic requirements for promotion of investments.
Role of investment promotional agencies
The role of the IPAs of the Partner States is to promote and facilitate investment activities. Facilitation is carried out by providing a set of incentives as provided for in the countries’ respective investment codes. The incentives provided range from waiver of customs duties and VAT on imported capital goods related to the submitted investment proposals, the facilitation for obtaining of administrative formalities to corporate taxes reduction.
Investment policy harmonization framework
Since the re-launching of the EAC and the setting up of the EAC Secretariat, harmonization of investment policies, incentives and laws of the Partner States has been going on under the auspices of the EAC Secretariat. Some aspects have been harmonized and include investment approval requirements, export processing zones and free zones regulations, corporation tax and other incentives.
However, there still exist some variations on the minimum capital threshold requirement among the Partner States. For instance, in Kenya, the minimum threshold is US$100,000 for foreign investors and US$12,800 for domestic investor. For Tanzania the minimum threshold is US$300,000 for foreign investors and US$100,000 for domestic investors; while in Uganda the minimum threshold is US$100,000 for foreign investors and US$50,000 for domestic investors.
On the other hand, Zanzibar maintains a different approach that focuses on sectoral thresholds for investment capital per project. For example, investment in hotels requires a minimum of capital US$4 million for foreign investors and US$300,000 for local investors. In Rwanda, the minimum threshold for foreign investors is US$250,000 while for local and COMESA investors it is US$100,000. These and other variations related to offered incentives are being identified and further harmonized to bring about a more favourable investment climate in the EAC region.
Key policy leap among IPAs: The One Stop Shop (OSS)
Since 2001, most EAC countries have established and implemented the One Stop Centre concept which consists of providing almost all needed facilitation under one roof. The One Stop Shop Concept is an investment facilitation strategy where relevant government agencies are brought to one location, coordinated and streamlined to provide prompt, efficient and transparent services to investors. It is aimed at simplifying and shortening of procedures and guidelines for issuance of business approvals, permits and authorizations thereby removing bottlenecks faced by investors in establishing and running businesses. The One Stop Shop concept is based on four principles namely: Convenience, Efficiency, Simplicity, Speed and Transparency.
The type of services offered under One Stop Shop include: business incorporation and registration; instant granting of approvals in principles, permits and licenses; provision of investment information. The One Stop Shop concept is good for both the investor and the government in that it:
? Substantially reduces the cost of doing business.
? Ensures that FDI, DDI are properly tracked.
? Ensures close and professional working relationship among
government agencies to meet the needs of investors.
? Triggers and fast tracks public sector reform which would
ultimately result in structurally more attractive investment
environment.
III. PRESS NOTICE
THE 2ND EAST AFRICAN INVESTMENT CONFERENCE, KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, NAIROBI, KENYA, 29TH - 31ST JULY 2009
The East African Community Secretariat in collaboration with the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) and the East African Business Council is organizing the 2nd edition of the East African Investment Conference, scheduled to take place at the Kenyatta International Conference, Nairobi from 29th to 31st July 2009. The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is designed to showcase the economic potentials and opportunities of the East African region under the theme, “Invest in the EAC: Where Challenges are Opportunities”.
The Investment Conference will feature High Level presentations and panel discussions by leading regional and international trade and investment actors, policy makers, experts and business leaders, focusing on investment opportunities across the following key sectors: Mining, Infrastructure development, roads and railways; Telecommunications, Leather goods production, Energy (hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas); Tourism, ICT, Banking and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Agro-processing
Participants, key business organizations and entrepreneurs, are also encouraged to take the opportunities for exhibiting their products and services at an international exhibition that will run parallel to the plenary sessions of the Conference. The last day of the Conference (31st July) will be devoted to networking opportunities.
For more information on the 2nd East African Investment Conference, please visit the Website, http://www.eac.int/invest . Participants are requested to confirm their participation electronically by filling a registration form available at the Website, sending a fax, phone and/or register their participation (for those in East Africa) to the Investment Promotion Agencies/Authorities in the respective EAC countries, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It would be appreciated if confirmations of participation are received by latest 20th July, 2009.
Clare Akamanzi
Deputy Chief Executive Officer
In-charge of Business Operations and Services
Rwanda Development Board
P.O. Box 6239
Tel: +250-510-248
Fax: +250-510-249
Mob: +250-0788-301661
E-mail: info@rwandainvest.com
cakamanzi@rwandainvest.com
Ms. Maggie Kigozi
Executive Director
Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)
The Investment Centre
Plot 22B, Lumumba Avenue, TWED Plaza
P.O. Box 7418
Kampala
Fax: +256-414-342-903
E-mail: info@ugandainvest.com
Mr. Emmanuel Ole Naiko
Executive Director
Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)
Shaaban Robert Street
P.O. Box 938
Dar es Salaam
Fax: +255-22-211-8253
E-mail: information@tic.co.tz
Ms. Susan Kikwai
Managing Director
Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest)
Kenya Railways Headquarters
P.O. Box 55704-00200
City Square
Nairobi
Fax: +254-20-22243862
E-mail: info@investmentkenya.com
Mr Toussaint Nkurunziza
Chamber De Commerce et de L’industrie du Burundi
BP 313
Bujumbura
Tel: + 257 22222280/ 257 79492323
E-mail: nkurutus@yahoo.fr
Mr. Salum K. Nassor
Executive Director
Zanzibar Investment Promotion Agency (ZIPA)
P.O. Box 2286
Zanzibar
Tel: +255-787-857338
Fax: +255-24-223-2737
E-mail: zipa@zanzine.com
Mr. Alloys Mutabingwa
Deputy Secretary General
(Planning and Infrastructure)
East African Community
P.O. Box 1096
Arusha
Tel: +255 27 2504253 -8
Fax: +255 27 2504253
E-mail: Mutabingwa@eachq.org
Mr. Charles Mbogori
Executive Director
East African Business Council
P.O. Box 2617
Arusha
Tel: + 255 788790711
Fax: + 255 27 2509997
IV. MESSAGE BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AMB. JUMA MWAPACHU
The 2nd East African Investment Conference comes at a historic time for the East African Community when we are closer than ever to our goal of regional economic integration. The success of the Customs Union is a singular pointer to the systematic achievement and progress of the EAC integration process. Between 2004 and 2007, the volume of intra-EAC trade increased by 22% while the total EAC trade with the rest of the world rose by 26.8 % up from 22.8% in 2006.
In January 2010, the fully fledged Customs Union comes into effect with zero customs duty applicable to all goods traded among the EAC Partner States. This is a significant milestone in the road to EAC integration and will greatly impact trade, investments and revenues of the Partner states.
Last June, during the 1st East African Investment Conference in Kigali, the EAC Heads of State adopted strategic plans for accelerated implementation of projects under the infrastructure sector. The result was the commencement of construction works on the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River road project; the commencement of the Power Interconnection Project between Kenya and Tanzania at the Namanga border point and many other similar achievements in rail transport, civil aviation, communications, energy and development of the Lake Victoria Basin.
In addition, regarding barriers to trade and investment in the region, the EAC is working with the Partner States to strengthen the capacity building of their governments, improve the transparency of regulation and administration. EAC has actively worked to promote the implementation of the Protocol for the establishment of the EAC Common Market, which will create an economic bloc that will have a combined population of 125 million people and a total gross domestic product of 55 billion US dollars.
Though the 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time of a global financial and economic crisis whose effects have been felt not only in the Northern hemisphere but also here in the EAC region and other parts of Africa, the Conference will provide an opportunity to showcase the commitment and achievements of the Community as well as the potential it has to nurture and serve as a new hub of regional global trade and investments.
It is in this framework that we look forward to the successful 2nd East African Investment Conference which is being held under the appropriate theme , Invest in East Africa, Where Global Challenges are Opportunities. Among others, the Conference will focus its attention on creating a viable and vibrant regional economic bloc, and also addressing Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs) under the rubrics of entrenching a conducive investment climate.
The efforts of many individuals and institutions have gone into the realization of the Investment Conference and I thank them all for this major contribution which will promote our region as we step into a new era of greater competitiveness and achievement. In particular, I thank the government and people of Kenya for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the delegates who will be attending the Conference from all parts of the world.
V. EAC REACHES OUT AS NEW HUB OF GLOBAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES
- Major EA Investment Conference to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, 29th -31st July 2009 -
Introduction
The East African Community (EAC) is planning a major re-launch of its position in the global markets with an international investment conference that will be held in Nairobi on 29th – 31st July. Key to the event is the leveraging later this month of a regional bloc of 120 million people and a combined GDP of $ 57 billion, into a vibrant market and a new hub of global trade and investment opportunities.
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference, organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Business Council and the Investment Promotion Agencies of the EAC Partner States is expected to have an attendance of over 2000, representing key regional and international trade and investments actors, policy makers, business leaders, to review the investment outlook of the EAC region and discuss investment opportunities.
Conference focus
The Investment Conference will focus on major areas and key sectors of growth opportunity in banking and finance, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, tourism and other hospitality industries; infrastructure and energy, especially hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas; roads and railways. The Conference will feature plenary sessions and panel discussions as well as an international exhibition of products and services that will run parallel to the plenary sessions.
The EAC Investment Conference is an annual event that is held in rotation in the EAC Partner States since the inaugural one that was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It is the premier forum for the EAC and the Partner States to promote the region as a single market and investment area. The inaugural event was successful, attended by all the five EAC Heads of State and brought together over 1200 participants from the region and the international community, attracting 15 countries from outside the region.
The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is therefore being held against the favourable background of the encouraging success and achievement of the inaugural Conference. It has incorporated vast improvements in terms of its organization, and expected levels of participation and impact. The EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, has said the Investment Conference will project “a renewed determination to move the EAC region from a largely agriculture and primary produce economy to an industrial based economy and status of a middle income economy”.
With its theme, Invest in the EAC: Where Challenges are Opportunities, the 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time when the global economy is experiencing a downturn unprecedented since the 1930s. It also happens that the Investment Conference is coming at a time when the EAC countries, along with a number of other African countries, are experiencing their strongest economic recovery since the 1980s.
Global context
The IMF predicts an overall 1.3% decline in global economic activity in 2010 particularly of the economies of the industrialized countries, while some of the EAC countries, and a number of African countries are projected to grow by between 5% and 7%. It is indeed a rare moment as they come in global development trends, however into the scenario, the EAC is determined to stake a claim and foster a strong economy and competitive business environment.
EAC is buoyed by the great interest and positive appreciation it is attracting among an international trade and investment community that is turning to East Africa where they perceive that a new, vibrant investments and trade platform is emerging. In August 2006, just over one year after the launch of the EAC Customs Union in January 2005, the EU delegation at the WTO meeting in Geneva declared that the EAC was “the most successful illustration of regional integration on the African continent”.
From Customs Union to Common Market
In its 5th year of implementation, the EAC Customs Union has realized a great stimulus on the region’s trade, investments and revenue earnings. On 1st July this year, Rwanda and Burundi, the new entrants, in 2007, into the EAC, acceded to the Customs Union. A few months to go, on 1st January 2010, the Customs Union will reach its threshold when goods imported from Kenya by other EAC Partner States will start attracting zero customs duty; and a fully fledged EAC Customs Union will spring forth.
The countdown to the full fledged EAC Customs Union has been systematic and fast paced, featuring mainly the phase down to zero tariff for Kenyan exports, elimination of non tariff barriers, strengthening the institutional framework for the Customs Union and promoting investment flows.
EAC joint trade negotiation
Already, EAC has put in place an export promotion strategy and the EAC Competition Act came into operation last February. In April 2008, the EAC launched the negotiations for the Common Market protocol and contrary to earlier fears that they would be bogged down or finally scuttled, the negotiations of the Common Market Protocol proceeded smoothly and swiftly. The stage is now set for finalization and signing of the Protocol in November 2009. The enactment of the EAC Trade Negotiations Act in 2008 came as a major breakthrough and boost to the EAC Partner States’ longstanding search for agreement to negotiate as a bloc in the multilateral trade fora.
In November 2007, EAC initialed the EAC-EU Framework Economic Partnership Agreement (FEPA). The negotiations of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) are progressing well with the EAC negotiating as a bloc. EAC’s participation at the forefront of the Tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC Arrangement that seeks to establish a larger Free Trade Area and later Customs Union of 26 African countries, stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, has followed the same pattern of the EAC’s growing confidence in trade expansion.
Investment promotion
With this confidence and determination, during 2008/2009, EAC held or participated in a record number of major investments and trade promotion events. These included the small to medium scale industries in Kigali, the EAC Investment Conference in London, the 4th EAC Petroleum Conference in Mombasa, the EAC investment promotion in Canada and the 1st EAC/EABC Energy Conference in Dar es Salaam as well as the Berlin International Tourism Fair (ITB) and the London World Travel Market (WTM).
Strategic posture
The EAC economy prides itself of a strategic central location and link to the wider eastern and central African market, encompassing the Great Lakes Region, including the vast Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. This provides the region with a great growth and expansion potential with vast natural resources and great potential to transform into an area and space of peace, stability, economic opportunity and prosperity.
Based on this realization, EAC has steered a steady course to broaden its world outreach and outlook. Since concluding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the USA in August 2008, EAC has stepped up the search for similar focused trade and investment arrangements with other strategic partners in the world markets, including India, China, Eastern Europe, Far East and Latin America.
Focus on infrastructure
Together with the trade promotion activities, EAC has focused on regional infrastructure development with a determination to get a number of regional infrastructure projects off the ground. Breakthroughs have been made in the implementation of the East African Road Network Project with the upgrading of the Arusha-Namanga- Athi River road, a vital regional link, which commenced in July 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2011.
Similar developments and breakthroughs were realized in the railways sub-sector. Although the concessions for the central railway line of Tanzania and the Kenya-Uganda Railway have faced challenges, the EAC Partner States are actively pursuing the implementation of the East African Railways Development Master Plan. The stage is now set for the development of the feasibility studies and preparations are underfoot for holding an East African Railways Investors’ Conference in the last quarter of 2009. The EAC Partner States have made substantial provisions for expenditures on the development of railways and other regional projects in their budgets of the current financial year.
Other developments in regional infrastructure development include ongoing harmonization of civil aviation safety and security regulations in the EAC under the EAC Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA). In the area of communications, The East African Marine System (TEAMS) and the East African Sub Marine Cable System (EASSy), both projects being private sector-led are on course. The TEAMs Project is expected to be in service by end of 2009, while the EASSy network is expected to be ready for commercial service in 2010.
Conclusion towards food security and energy self sufficiency
To complete the picture of a region that has set its sights on a major turn round, the EAC has prioritized programmes in agriculture and food security; and the East African Power Master Plan under the current EAC Development Strategy (2006-2010).
The implementation of the EAC Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy will be launched this year. Agriculture is an area in which the EAC countries have significant comparative advantage and offers great scope for investments in food production to meet both domestic and export demand. The East African Power Master Plan, on the other hand, envisages energy sufficiency to support increased productivity and industrial development; and is a major underpinning of investments promotion in the region.
DIRECTORATE OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS
EAC SECRETARIAT
ARUSHA
JULY 2009
- - -
from Leo Odera Omolo Jul 21
date Jul 21, 2009 7:17 AM
subject Fw: RE: COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE
US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak
from Charles Mkula 5:32 am
date Jul 23, 2009 5:32 AM
subject US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak
US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak
By Charles Mkula
Lilongwe. The United States Government, through the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), flown into Malawi five outbreak specialists to
work in Neno District, where an undiagnosed disease outbreak which has
so far killed 17 people since May.
Alison Liwanda, US Embassy Information Assistant said the specialists
are experts in environmental health and neurology and are working with
the Neno District Health Office to conduct a full investigation on the
outbreak.
The disease has affected 95 persons in the district in Malawi and 38
in neighbouring Tsangano District in Mozambique. Of the 17 deaths
reported nine have occured in Malawi, and eight in Mozambique.
According to eye witnesses, affected persons display unusual symptoms
with neurological complications. Patients admitted to hospital have
been treated with antibiotics and given supportive care including
rehydration.
The Malawi government earlier in the month sent blood samples for
initial laboratory and radiology examinations to South Africa, and
Zimbabwe but the results were not indicative of any specific illness.
New samples have now been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in the USA for analysis, said Liwanda.
The Government of Malawi formally requested Epidemiological Aid
assistance from United States Government on July 15. Typically, the
CDC’s official response includes specialists in the relevant health
fields working with host country health officials to deal with
epidemiological investigation, diagnosis and laboratory support,
treatment and containment of the outbreak. The CDC works
collaboratively with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other
partners in country.
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Jaluo dot kom under cyber attack
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Jaluo dot kom under cyber attack
SABA SABA 2009 MESSAGE
A YES-YES REFERENDUM NOT PROSECUTIONS OF PEV SUSPECTS THE ROUTE TO KENYA’S NATIONAL SALVATION: A COMMUNIQUE TO THE NATION ON THE 19TH SABA SABA.
CYPRIAN NYAMWAMU
July 7, 2009 marks the 19th Saba-Saba. Saba Saba is the day to reflect on the reform Agenda and since 1997; NCEC has acted as the custodian of this important day in the reform agenda calendar. On this Saba Saba day I wish to share a perspective I have taken a year and half to develop. I am of the conviction that Kenya can only move forward if we have a sincere conversation on the future survival of the nation and its prosperity. We should lead ourselves out of the confusion and suffering that PNU and ODM have sunk us into. We can not get out of a perilous situation by being led by the same people who authored our downfall and by using the same methods we used to plunge into the conflict and slow disintegration of the nation that we are in today. Our nation should come to terms that PNU and ODM ran ethnic campaigns in 2007 and therefore committed the original sin. I do not agree that Kenya can rescue and renew itself by using mechanisms like the local tribunal or The Hague (ICC), the National Cohesion Commission, boundaries commission, and most of the placebo mechanisms that are being touted in the republic today. I even find the Obama-Annan recommendations ill informed. In fact they will not work.
We made a major mistake last year when we agreed to give the PNU and ODM a 5-Year license to plunder the nation. The National Convention Executive Council (NCEC) recommended to the Civil society Congress and the Annan mediation process that Kenya should have a transitional arrangement for only 2 years after which a fresh election would be conducted for Kenyans to elect a clean, lean, effective, accountable and responsive (CLEAR) government. It is only such a government that can facilitate reforms, reconstruction and reconciliation.
The Americans and the Europeans wanted coalition government for 5 years. Some Ambassadors started to act as if they were more interested in Kenya’s success more than Kenyans themselves. They even said that the size of the government was not important. On forming a bloated cabinet that is top-heavy with corrupt politicians, we were not going to have an accountable, effective and responsive government and consequently we logically resigned ourselves to five years of plunder, corruption, poverty, elite enrichment and missed opportunity for reforms, reconstruction and reconciliation. The National Accord government took away the incentives for reforms. That is why the reform agenda is stuck in the mud.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson’s proposals are therefore unrealistic and un-researched. The Grand coalition shall not deliver on the National Accord next year or indeed in the coming years. Why? The simple explanation is that the assumptions of the National Accord are simply flawed. The Assumptions of the National Accord are that; Kenya is a cohesive nation, with functioning institutions, and that there is a leadership called “Principals” that supersedes ethnicity, the patronage system and that overrides their corrupt parties and their kitchen cabinets. It is also assumed that there exists a leadership in civil society and in the religious and business and professional sectors that has the ability to seriously sanction the thugs who “trouble the Principals” in their pursuit of national interest. These assumptions are false. The two principals do not care about the country and its future. The only thing they care about is their wealth and power. The maneuvers we see in Parliament, in their Political Parties, cabinet and in the countryside are all about their wealth and power. The APRM report that preceded the National Accord made it clear what Kenya’s Achilles heels are and specifically found out that Kenya does not have a transformative leadership.
When the Kofi Annan Foundation invited me to represent the National Civil society Congress in Geneva at a forum to assess how far Kenya had come in implementing the National Accord, I kept away. I asked myself this question: What can the parley in Geneva achieve for Kenya without a cohesive democratic movement at home that shall take the responsibility for leading Kenya to peace, justice, cohesion and progress? It was my view then and it still is that we are like a person who is in denial trying to be superstitious about reforms and ending impunity in Kenya. So we do not interrogate the assumptions upon which we want to carry out reforms and transform the nation. So we keep doing a thing or two hoping that the Lord will touch Kibaki and Raila to change their motives of power and wealth and work for the national interest. It is the reason we have failed to get a new constitution for twenty years and it is the attitude that will finally lead us to greater suffering.
I am of the view that we should set in place a national democratic Process with the following components;
A Democratic Dialogue Facilitator (DDF) should be set up to spearhead the process. A Multi-sectoral Council in the form of a National Convention of Kenyans who have demonstrated their steward credentials would be competent to play this role.
Center line issues and principles should be articulated and agreed upon. We should outline the expected outcomes of the process upfront so that every one is assured that they will not be destroyed and shattered; issues such as how land should be reformed to address issues of land ownership and historical injustices should be addressed upfront by the DDF. We must assure the current ruling class that they will not face assured destruction when it is found through a TJRC process that they have sponsored the violation of rights and economic crimes in the past. If we do not assure these guys that the worst they shall suffer is to be denied the right to hold public office, we will never make progress because they will never let Kenya reform and be free. We will never be a free nation. The fact that we never dealt with the Kenyatta and Moi years of atrocities and violations has led to the current situation where Moi and the Kenyatta era politicians are the ones in control of the state and the future of Kenya. If we do not negotiate with them, this country will never be transformed and it will never know peace, justice nor prosperity. In Poland, the Solidarity movement had to assure the then communist era President that his future was secure for him to initiate talks with the Solidarity Movement. Right now Kenya’s future is important than get some ten or twenty guys jailed or hanged especially when these guys are in office today. Democratic transitions have never been secured using the Kenyan model that has failed for twenty years. Zimbabwe seems to do better because of gaining credible advice from experts in democratic transition management which seems to lack in Kenya.
Identifying the Referee of the negotiations is necessary. Without a competent team that acts as referee, parliament, the executive and tribunals shall lead the country into adversarial contests that will never give Kenya a chance to dialogue.
Audit of skills for the work of the National Democratic process is important so that where there is need for international expertise, this should be planned for.
The referees and the DDF should begin by outlining the fears of the powerful interests and aspirations and grievances of the excluded citizens and citizens’ groups including ethnic groups.
The DDF should Schedule the process of moving forward so that the what and the How is planned appropriately. For me the what entails five tasks in this order;
a)Constitution reforms process
b)A fresh elections
c)TJRC
d)Institutional reforms
e)Delivery on the development agenda for Kenya’s prosperity under a legitimate government.
Once the schedule of work is agreed upon, laying the negotiating table that is inclusive becomes the next important step to ensure that the schedule work is delivered upon. The constitution review process should be moved from the strangle-hold of Parliament to a Constituent Assembly or a Multi-sectoral forum. The reason we failed in 2005 is because parliament controlled the content and process of review. What have we improved on in this process? We have not improved the process but instead made it more elitist and exclusive to the guys in power. The ruling class has not intention to have a dialogue with the people of Kenya but to monopolize the state and the political process with a sense of entitlement that reeks of cynicism and contempt for the Kenyan nation. So long as the Committee of Experts is headed to handing over its work to parliament, this process shall expectedly turn awry and therefore fail. Should we wait until we fail to know this? How come we are a country that believes that the same people who drove Kenya into the hole shall pull us out of it?
The DDF must ensure that there is cessation of war- because wars are persistently raging;
Between the people and people
People and the state
State terrorism is evident all over Kenya
Insecurity threats posed by Kenya’s neighbours should also be factored into the National Democratic Process.
Financing the negotiations: Who pays for the National Democratic Project? Who pays for the work of the DDF, the referees, the Laid-table of negotiations; the activities, research and intellectual resources that shall go into the process? If it is the tax payers then the law should empower the DDF and the referees to access these resources in a manner that Parliament and the Executive do not use resources to stifle the reform agenda.
I am of the view that we should put aside the prosecution of post election perpetrators from the national Agenda for now. Kenya missed the opportunity to nail the guys who sponsored the crimes against humanity in the wake of the discredited 2007 presidential election when the ceasefire document junked electoral truth and electoral justice. The day the Kriegler Commission declared that we did not know who won the last election we reinforced the logic of the National Accord which was that we better have a government and restore peace rather than pursue the truth and justice for the victims. We went on to give the guys five years in office even as we did not know who had won the election. Where do we stand now to ask these guys to remove each other from power and dispatch bits of the gang that committed the original sin to a local tribunal and or to The Hague? We must as a nation craft a new Roadmap and end the syndrome of issuing one another with ultimatums that we know no one is going to respect. We must stop step down the demand activity and map out a strategy for enhancing the supply side of reforms, reconstructions and reconciliation.
We should know when we have missed an opportunity and be brutally honest with ourselves as a nation. Moi is still roaming the country unperturbed even with reports full in stores showing his regime perpetrated crimes against humanity for decades. I am clear in my mind that Kenya is a failing state that is captured by cynical interests that will rather all institutions collapse rather than them losing advantage to power and wealth. These are the men and women we want to give the opportunity to spearhead the process of transforming the state. With Wako, Ali, Saitoti, Muthaura and other high ranking officials remaining in office and the culture of impunity remaining entrenched in all facets of public life in Kenya; the Tribunal shenanigans shall at best be used to fertilize politics of succession and nothing more than that.
Kenya should instead proceed as follows;
a.Prepare two constitutional proposals and hold a YES-YES referendum next year. One of the drafts should establish a Parliament system of government and the other a Presidential system of government. As a nation, we should avoid the route of a hybrid system where we have an elected president and a Prime-minister who heads government or coordinates it. This proposal is only to ensure that the country does not fix its fundamental governance problem of lack of accountability, blurred separation of powers and weak checks and balances. The drafts should avoid all the policy issues that can be outlined in ordinary legislation or left to political party manifestos. These include issues such as chapters and provisions on culture, the environment and issues of reproductive health. Parliament should therefore be guided by the political parties to amend the Constitution of Kenya Review Act to provide for a YES-YES referendum to provide an opportunity for the nation to make a clear break with the current constitutional dispensation.
b.The Democratic Dialogue Facilitator (DDF) should ensure that a fresh election is held next year on the basis of the new constitution. All those who have been named in various reports since independence including the Mwangale, Akiwumi, Goldenberg, Anglo-leasing, Nyayo torture Chambers reports, the Ndung’u Land report, the PAC and PIC reports, the Artur brothers report, the Kriegler and the Waki reports (including those in the envelope) should not run be permitted to run in that election. At least Kenyans should be urged to reject these saboteurs who have hurt our nation for so long with impunity.
c.Upon the passage of a new constitution, Kenya should operationalize its Truth, justice and Reconciliation Commission next year so that we can bring to the surface the Truth about our past and document this truth so that we do not repeat this tragic and heinous legacy. Justice must be given to the victims who suffered violations and historical injustices must be addressed so that we come together as one nation as we move forward to the future. This is the only viable strategy to national cohesion and healing that Kenya needs more than anything else. As President Kagame advise recently
d.The new government should implement policies that address Kenya’s governance priorities outlined in the National Accord. Particularly, the new government should ensure that a progressive National Budget is prepared that ensures a 60% allocation to the development budget and 40% to the recurrent budget. These resources should be invested in the citizens to ensure that each of the regional governments delivers services to the people to address the regional inequalities, food poverty and lack of infrastructure and power that is required to revolutionize economic performance.
These steps are important to save the Kenyan nation from disintegrating. These assignments can be accomplished if a National Convention is convened by men and women of good will who enjoy wide respect among the people of Kenya. These men and women include the following Pheroze Nowrojee, Njeri Kabeberi, Mwalimu Mati, Muthoni Wanyeki, Kepta Ombati, Willy Mutunga, Betty Murungi, John Githongo, PLO Lumumba, Gladwell Otieno, Ann Njogu, Ndung’u Wainaina, Bethuel Kiplagat, Rev. Bishop Korir, Abdullahi Abdi, Yash Ghai, Mwambi Mwasaru, Hussein Khalid, Tirop Kitur, Paul Muite, Onyango Oloo, Kithure Kindiki, Khalif Khelefa, Gacheke Gachihi, Caro Ruto, Joshua Nyamori, Davinder Lamba, Duncan Okello, Maina Kiai, Rev. Timothy Njoya, Collins Odote, Okoiti Omtatah, Matunda Nyanchama, Hassan Omar, Vimal Shah among others.
The National Convention Assembly should see to it that all democratic forces participate in the process of delivering the National Democratic Agenda of ensuring democratic governance presided over by democratic leaders, establishing and ensuring democratic institutions and entrenching a democratic culture in Kenya. September this year is an appropriate time for convening the National Convention Assembly where in the words of our fallen comrade and Panafricanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem we may stop agonizing and start organizing seriously.
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Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 02:59:01 -0700 [07/06/2009 04:59:01 AM CDT]
From: orina Nyamwamu
Subject: SABA SABA 2009 MESSAGE
CHAIRMAN OKAFOR SPEAKS TO ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD
Date: Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:36:52 -0700
From: anacweb.org
Subject: CHAIRMAN OKAFOR SPEAKS TO ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD
ANAC CHAIRMAN MARTIN OKAFOR CALLS FOR CALM AS HE AND CURRENT ANAC EXECUTIVES BEGINS A PROGRESSIVE COURSE FOR ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD
(ANAC Sec. Gen Hon. Colin Atobajeun of Texas, announces the nomination of Paul Akhimien for National Vice Chairman).
The current Chairman of the ANAC Board of Directors and Trustees, sent a message of appeal to all ANAC Trustees, Delegates, Members and the entire Nigerian Internatonal Community "Diaspora", to exercise utmost restraint and decorum in communicating with one another regarding recent ANAC Board actions and resolutions as we navigate this period of leadership in ANAC and her representation of Nigerians Abroad.
Chairman Okafor who was instated as Chairman after the Board of Trustees and Upper House voted out the former Chairman Akeem Bello in accordance to the ANAC Constitution, for Conflict of Interest Matters related to formation of a "Nigerian Diaspora Organization" while running his tenure as ANAC Chairman, after conferring with the other members of the ANAC Executive Committee, announced the rescheduling of the next Monthly ANAC National Board of Directors and Trustees meeting regularly scheduled for Saturday, July 12th, would be held on, July 18, 2009, commencing at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
Chairman Okafor strongly urge all Nigerians Abroad to actively participate in ANAC, as ANAC steer the roadmap of ANAC Strategic Plan 2011 for a better representation of all Nigerians in the International Community. Chairman Okafor encourages every Trustee, State Chairman, House Delegates to reexamine the interests and needs of the constituencies they represent in ANAC, as recently published, and determine how to meet those needs within the framework of the ANAC strategic plan, and organize Nigerians Abroad better for a more effective representation.
This period Chairman Okafor believes would actually prove to be the best of times for ANAC as we improve on our practice of the principles of democracy. I urge all Trustees, delegates, members of ANAC to re-focus on our major ANAC objectives - to promote economic, technological development, with well-being of all Nigerians and their associates in the international community as well as all Nigerians everywhere including Nigeria.
Lets us look forward to working together, for all of us, as we meet the challenges to our collective future in the international community.
In the meantime, the ANAC National Sec. Gen Hon. Colin Atobajeun of Texas, has announced the nomination of Hon. Paul Akhimien, for National Vice Chairman. Mr. Akhimien is the current Chairman of the ANAC Indiana Chapter and also until recently has steered the affairs of the Membership Drive Committee nation wide, where he received thumbs up for his efforts in the membership drive from rank and file members and many leadership circles in the ANAC and Nigerian International Communities. He was also reported to have accepted the nomination, a simple majority vote would be needed to confirm the position at the next Board of Trustees and Upper House Meeting.
SEE LIST OF TRUSTEES BY DISTRICT BELOW OR VISIT WWW.ANACWEB.ORG
ANAC Memberservices
Visit WWW.ANACWEB.ORG For Full Report
Hon. Colin Atobajeun
Sec. Gen. ANAC
Hon. Martin Okafor
ANAC National Chairman
Listing of ANAC Trustees by Representative Districts/Term of Office (ANAC Membership Database)
Total of 18 (5yrs terms), and 11 (3yrs) terms.
NORTH EAST USA DISTRICT (One 5yr, One 3yrs)
1. Hon. Peter Agho- Current Senior Trustee, North East Region, New York (5 years term, end 2012)
2. Hon. Osime Osilama - Current Junior Trustee, North East, Massachussetts (3 years term, ends 2011)
MIDATLANTIC USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
3. Hon. Cynthia Austin - Current Senior Trustee, MidAtlantic Region (5years term, end 2013)
4. Hon. Emmanuel Iroanya - Current Junior Trustee, MidAtlantic Region (3years term, end 2011)
NORTH CENTRAL USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
5. Hon. Abdulateef Kareem - Current Senior Trustee, Illinois (5year term, end 2010) Sec. Gen Emeritus (2005-2008)
6. Hon. Erunmosele Idahosa - Current Junior Trustee, Indiana (3year term, end 2011) Call Paul Akhimien
SOUTH USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
7. Hon. Martin Okafor - Current Senior Trustee, Georgia (5year term, end 2010) Current Chairman, ANAC
8. Hon. Grace Clark - Current Junior Trustee, Georgia (3year term, end 2011)
SOUTH WEST USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
9. Hon. Colin Atobajeun - Current Senior Trustee, Texas (5year term, end 2010) Current Sec. Gen, ANAC
10. Hon. Ashafa - Current Junior Trustee, Oklahoma (3year term,end 2011)
WEST USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
11. Hon. David Ogunnaike - Current Senior Trustee, California (5year term end 2013)
12. Hon. Bright Aregs - Current Junior Trustee, California (3years term end 2011) ANAC EMERITUS VICE PRESIDENT (2006-2008)
EAST REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
13. George Mbagwu - Current Senior Trustee, Maryland, Representing Eastern Nigeria. (5years term end 2010) Treasurer Emeritus (2004-2008)
14. Hon. Sylvia Onyegiri - Current Junior Trustee Indiana, Representing Eastern Nigeria. (5year term end 2013)
WEST REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
15. Hon. Ola Aina - Current Senior Trustee Connecticut, Representing Western Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)
16. Hon Debo Adenekan - Current Junior Trustee Indiana, Representing Western Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)
NORTH REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT(Two 5yrs)
17. Hon. Issa Odidi - Current Trustee Canada, Repesenting Northern Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)
18. Hon. VACANCY VACANCY (5years term)
SOUTH SOUTH NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
19. Hon. Dan E. Austin - Current Trustee, Maryland, Representing South South Nigeria. (5year term end 2010) ANAC Emeritus Chairman (2004 - 2008)
20. Hon. Mercy Sampson - Current Trustee Indiana, Representing South South Nigeria. (5year term end 2013)
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONSDISTRICT (One 3yrs)
21. Hon. Lacrown Adeyemi - Current Trustee NY, Representing Nigerian Stakeholder organizations. (3years term, ends 2011).
AT LARGE USA DISTRICT (Three 5yrs, Three 3years)
22. Hon. Paul Oranika - Current Trustee, Georgia At Large (5years term end 2013)
23. Hon. Samuel Isokpunwu - Current Trustee Texas At Large (5years term end 2013)
24. Hon. Paul Akhimien - Current Trustee, Indiana At Large (5years term end 2013)
25. Hon. George Adeyemi (ANAC Member 2008) - Current Trustee Indiana (3years term end 2011)
26. Hon. VACANCY (3years term)
27. Hon. VACANCY (3years term)
AT LARGE NIGERIA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, one 3yrs)
28. Hon. Akeem Bello - Current Trustee North Carolina, Nigeria at Large (5year term end 2010)
29. Hon. Temitope Ajayi - Current Trustee California, Nigeria at Large. (3year term end 2011) ANAC Emeritus President HOD (2006-2008)
Regards
Joe Gibson
Asst. Executive Director
ANAC National Maryland Office
Rare Africa Photos Go Online
Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:30:07 -0500 [09:30:07 CDT]
Subject: Rare Africa Photos Go Online, Open New Options for Africa Research
EVANSTON, Ill. --- This week -- for the first time ever -- a searchable collection of thousands of rare photographs chronicling Europe’s colonization of East Africa becomes available to anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world, thanks to the efforts of staff at Northwestern University Library.
The Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs: 1860-1960 began attracting the interest of Africa scholars and others in 2002 when it was acquired by Northwestern’s Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies. The library officially launches the online collection today (June 25).
Captured Luo woman in Zanzibar awaiting transport into slavery
“The 7,000-plus photographs in this extraordinary collection document the changing relationships among Africans and between Africans and Europeans during 100 years of dramatic historic change,” says Herskovits Library curator David Easterbrook.
MARTIN OKAFOR EMERGES ANAC CHAIRMAN, AKEEM BELLO OUT
Date: Thu, 02 Jul 2009 22:14:54 -0700
From: memberservices@ . . .
Subject: MARTIN OKAFOR EMERGES ANAC CHAIRMAN, AKEEM BELLO OUT
ALL NIGERIAN AMERICAN CONGRESS (ANAC)
Immediate Press Release
July 1st, 2009
ANAC Passes No-Confidence Vote, Martin Okafor Emerges ANAC National Chairman as Akeem Bello is removed.
Largo, MD - July, 1st, 2009 - ANAC Board of Trustees in a special session held on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 called by Hon. Paul Oranika of Georgia (Trustee representing ANAC USA At-Large District), and seconded by Hon. Samuel Isokpunwu of Texas (Trustee representing ANAC USA At-Large District), in accordance with the ANAC constitutional requirement for calling a special session, voted to remove its Chairman for numerous issues, paramount of which is conflict of interest as it pertains to his creation and direct participation with other organizations in direct competition with the interests of ANAC.
VISIT WWW.ANACWEB.ORG[1] FOR FULL REPORT
Links:
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[1] http://www.anacweb.org/
ATM FRAUD A GROWING THREAT TO BANKS
A recent survey shows that almost 70 percent of financial institutions experienced an increase in ATM/debit card fraud claims in 2008 compared to 2007. Twenty-three percent of respondents say those claims jumped by 5 to 9 percent, while the rest noted growth of anywhere between 10 and 74 percent. These numbers are only expected to grow in 2009, as a result of the recession.
Half of the institutions surveyed say they were hit with fraud complaints that came out of some of the major data breaches, with more than 30 percent saying they had seen fraud incidents.
Approximately 80 percent of the survey respondents say the big data breaches can decrease consumer confidence in ATM/debit card use. About 15 percent say they have reissued cards to more than 20 percent of their cardholder customers.
ATM Fraud Trends
The reason that criminals target ATMs is simple. Criminals like cards and PINs. It is much easier to cash them out, rather than to hire a mule or repackager with stolen credit cards. If the magnetic stripe data and pin is available, it is easy money for the criminal to get the cash out of the ATM. There is no fence, no making an authentic card to use at a retailer. While this crime is much harder to perpetrate, criminals prefer this over other types of credit card fraud, such as signature-based fraud.
Here are the top ATM/debit card fraud trends:
#1. Skimming -- The upswing in skimming at institutions has caught fraud experts' attention. A higher percentage of criminals are going straight to a bank and installing a PIN pad overlay and card reader. This is where the transaction goes through, and the customer doesn't realize that their ATM card or debit card has been compromised. There is a steady increase over the last couple years on this type of fraud.
#2. Ghost ATMs -- There are also the "Ghost ATMs," where the entire ATM card reader is blocked off and customers can't perform a transaction. The customer swipes their card, enters their PIN, and then the fake ATM says it can't complete the transaction. There were several of these types of ghost ATMs that popped up on the east coast back four years ago
#3. Ram Raids -- Criminals continue to target ATMs in various ways, with "ram" raids happening more often in the US. Ram raids are perpetrated when criminals physically break out ATMs from the wall at the institution. The opportunity that some non-hardened criminals see is an exterior ATM that can be pulled out, loaded with thousands of tshs . So in terms of crimes of opportunity, people feeling desperate will attempt this crime.
#4. PIN ID's -- One of the other trends happening is where criminals are testing systems to identify PINs. One particular technique is where the criminal captures the magnetic stripe data from a retailer. They then go to an online bank site with a script written on several well known PINs, and run it against the site until they get a match.
#5. Automated PIN Changes -- Another trend is criminals go through the financial institution's telephone banking service to change PIN numbers. They will use the ANI to change the information on the phone they're calling out from to appear like they are calling from the consumer's phone. If they can find the basic information on the card holder, name, card account number, then they're trying to take that info and go to the call center and change the PIN number over the phone. while more time-consuming, the overhead cost is cut to near nothing other than their own work to deceive the bank call center. Then with the changed PIN, the criminals drain the account. The easier it is for the consumer to change their account, those are the financial institutions that will be targeted.
#6. SMS attacks -- "Smishing" is the attack that comes through the Short Message Service (SMS) or text venue, onto a smart phone or a cell phone. Where the criminals are able to get the information from the customer, they then turn and clone the ATM or debit card and use it to withdraw cash.
The bank or credit union, if it is not checking for the CVV value, or the full name or expiration date, and just accepts the card transaction, will be hit with counterfeit cards made from data taken in this type of attack.
#7. Malware -- Security researchers say they have found malware code that lets a criminal take control over ATMs. SpiderLabs, the forensics and research arm of TrustWave, found a Trojan family of malware that infected 20 ATMs in Eastern Europe. The researchers warn that the malware may be headed toward African Banks and credit unions, as well as other parts of the world. The malware lets criminals take over the ATM to steal data, PINs and cash.
How to Stop ATM Fraud
ATM fraud is a matter of utmost concern to ATM owners and operators. Tanzania Banks recognizes the importance of maintaining consumer confidence in the ATM channel and would like to share with you information that can help you reduce your risk regarding ATM fraud.
How to prevent ATM fraud:
Safeguard your personal identification number (PIN) – don’t write it down on your card and don’t give it to anyone, not even a relative who isn’t a co-owner of your account. Please note that no transaction can be performed without the card and Pin being used simultaneously.
When you receive your card, sign it immediately on the back, in case your card gets stolen. Advice your bank immediately should your card get stolen.
When you enter your PIN at the ATM, make sure that no one sees it –stand as close as possible to the ATM and be aware of your surroundings.
Don’t allow anyone to ‘assist’ you with your transaction. Do not allow anyone to distract you. Always remember to complete the transaction and remove your money, card and receipt immediately. Do not leave receipts at the machine. If anyone around an ATM makes you feel uneasy leave the area and use another machine. Trust your instincts.
Make sure the card you take from the machine is yours
Check your cards regularly to make sure that you have them all – especially credit cards.
Don’t lend your card to anyone – not even your children. Contact us for cards for your children.
If your card gets lost or stolen, please report it immediately so that the card can be stopped.
Do not give your card as security to “loan sharks”.
Immediately notify your bank if you notice a recording device or something suspicious at a machine; or you receive an unsolicited call or e-mail asking for personal information, such as your account number and PIN. Also, immediately notify your card issuer about an authorized ATM or debit card transaction on your account.
Open credit/debit card statements promptly and make sure there are no unauthorized transactions. Treat your credit/debit card statement like your cheque account and reconcile it monthly. Save your receipts so you can compare them with your monthly statement. Ask your bank for full information about any transactions on the statement that you cannot reconcile.
Useful Tips:
* Always be alert when approaching and using an ATM. Complete your transaction as soon as possible.
* When you withdraw cash, take the cash immediately before you take your ATM receipt. When you collect your cash, immediately put it into your pocket or purse and count it later in private. The idea is to give a would-be robber less time to target you and steal your cash, wallet or purse.
* Ensure that the amount you wish to withdraw is keyed in correctly.
* Your card will be temporary locked out for 24 hours if your PIN is keyed incorrectly after three consecutive attempts – so please remember your PIN.
* Please keep your ATM receipt for record purposes, especially if you need to enquire about the transaction at a later stage.
* Avoid ATMS where there are a lot of people grouping together – especially at month-end.
* If you are a CRDB Card holder, make use of CRDB ATMs – you pay higher fees if you use other bank’s machines.
* Always remember three key aspects, your cash, your card and your receipt.
Please report lost or stolen cards at the Customer Service Department at your Local Bank branches Or Nearest Police Post
Yona f Maro
www.bidiiforums.com
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Yona Fares Maro
I.T. Specialist and Digital Security Consultant
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Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 21:19:24 +0300
From: Yona Fares Maro
Subject: ATM FRAUD A GROWING THREAT TO BANKS
South Africa World soccer tournament. To go or not to go?
Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 09:22:37 -0500 [09:22:37 CDT]
From: odundo
Subject: South Africa World soccer tournament. To go or not to go?
I very much wanted to take my sons to this historic tournament. We have been planning this over the last couple of years. But the xenophobia and on-going murders by the South Africans against other black Africans going about their business in their country makes me wonder if it is worth the risk. Any advice, anyone? Any non South African blacks going?
Thanks.
Odundo jaKarateng'
CHAMA’s first Grass root forum, Nairobi
Comrades,
From the numbers (see attached pictures) and participation in the CHAMA grass root meeting held on 27th June 2009 at Conference Hall (Nairobi City Hall), I can describe the first step in this long journey towards clean leadership and responsive government as great. For those who may not be privy CHAMA is acronym for Chama cha Haki and Maendeleo, a new political party in the making. During yesterday's CHAMA meeting, Kenyans from all representations were happy with CHAMA's first meeting.
To give you a glimpse into the mood - before you watch the video recording and see pictures online - some of the participants in their submissions described the meeting as "historic in Kenya's political party politics" while others put it as " the beginning of people-centred politics" and yet others as "a commendable step at returning nation's politics to Kenyans".
What excited participants more was the absence of our usual high table for the "political biggies", we all sat in the plenary and only the presenter/moderator went in front. We did not bore with long speeches and in my thinking this made most participants feel we were all equal.
The day's program was amended and simplified in the plenary. We made sure that every participant with something to say had a chance at the microphone. This lifted participants morale and spirits as they perceived that convenors appreciated that all represented Kenyans knew something about "what ails Kenya" and have opinion(s) on how we should fix it.
The absence of the usual "personalities" and "flowery names" in the gathering (which usually confuses and distorts the people's agenda) also gave the gathering a unique political tinge. In my noting that, I do not suggest that individuals who have genuinely earned their society's respect aren't welcomed; rather, I am just emphasizing the (default) confidence it generated among the grass root - that they too can put together a political gathering and dialogue.
After the sharing of highlights of what makes CHAMA unique and a break from traditional political parties in Kenya, the participants were invited to speak into and input in the making of CHAMA's constitution and party thinking/ideology. This generated a lot of enthusiasm as participants after another jostled at a chance on the microphone, to be part of this generation's historical mission. Initial speakers were quick to caution against broken dreams and failures suffered in previous political parties such as FORD and NARC.
With the benefit of my little grass root experience in different parts of the country - especially, considering my familiarity with most of the faces that gathered in yesterday's CHAMA first public meeting - I am reassured and confident that we have a chance at capturing, redirecting and guiding the destiny of our nation, Kenya.
It was amazing to watch and listen, voice after another paint an optimistic picture: "that we need to reimagine, redesign and rebuild Kenya" on the foundation of genuine democracy, characterized by the rule of law and respect of people's voice. This instils in me renewed belief that, yes, it is our time to rediscover and recreate Kenya.
In an effort to ground the party at the grass root, collect more input to the CHAMA constitution and the thinking/ideology and generally popularise the formation of CHAMA countrywide, our next stop is Rift Valley region where we want to hold a similar grass root meeting in Nakuru town and it's rural neighborhood.
In conclusion: Kudos to all who made this possible, just to mention a few: Roza Kamau, Suba Churchil, Nicholas Oyoo, Mary Wakio, Rael Odongo, Tariq Jebtekeny, Yasni Juma, Fatuma Abdala, Mary Kathomi, Jacob Muoga, Ben Githae and Omtatah Okoiti.
Thank you Tom Kagwe and Alamin Kimathi for your thoughtful opening and closing remarks respectively.
As a side note, I would like to correct Omtatah's initial estimation of participation at 234 pax. A rough head count places the gathering at close to 300 plus - not all the participants registered at the reception. A comprehensive report on participants' submissions, video and pictures shall be uploaded in the coming week on the CHAMA facebook and website (www.kejude.org/chama.pdf). The relevant facebook address will soon be communicated to you.
Sincerely yours,
George Nyongesa
+254 720 451 235
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Date: Sun, 28 Jun 2009 04:55:24 -0700 (PDT)
From: George Nyongesa
Subject: CHAMA's first Grass root forum, Nairobi
Which Song Is our Favourite Why? Obama, Ask Congress To Give Him A State Funeral.
Jacksonians,
Mine is THE GIRL IS MINE. Indeed, one weekend, I accompanied a friend for burial in Lelechwett. There, in the little shopping center, a beautiful PYT was the shopkeeper. She was dark, my complexion. As if by design, Michael Jackson's THAT DARK GIRL IS MINE was playing on the transistor radio. She was shy, and had a pretty smile. I like her, fell in love and later asked for Cheruto's hand in marriage. It has been great. Perhaps Michael Jackson played a role in getting us together. Whether you believe this or not, his song certainly did, and we still hold hands when this song plays.
Michael Jackson, you rocked the world. My 10th great grandfather, Ragem say you still will! Rest in peace Wacho Jacko.
So, which one of his songs touched you most, gently or somehow? Below is a list from Wikipedia.
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Joram Ragem
wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem! (Are you my relative?)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Michael_Jackson_songs
Michael Jackson singles discography
A
Ain't No Sunshine
Another Part of Me
B
Bad (Michael Jackson song)
Beat It
Ben (song)
Billie Jean
Black or White
Blood on the Dance Floor (song)
Butterflies (Michael Jackson song)
C
Come Together
Cry (Michael Jackson song)
D
D.S. (song)
Dangerous (Michael Jackson song)
Dirty Diana
Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough
E
Earth Song
Ease on Down the Road
G
Get It (song)
The Girl Is Mine
Girlfriend (Michael Jackson song)
G cont.
Give In to Me
Gone Too Soon
Got to Be There (song)
H
HIStory/Ghosts
Happy (Michael Jackson song)
Heal the World
Human Nature (Michael Jackson song)
I
I Just Can't Stop Loving You
I Wanna Be Where You Are
In the Closet
J
Jam (song)
Just a Little Bit of You
L
Leave Me Alone
Liberian Girl
M
Man in the Mirror
O
Off the Wall (song)
One Day in Your Life (Michael Jackson song)
One More Chance (Michael Jackson song)
P
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
R
Remember the Time
Rock with You (Michael Jackson song)
Rockin' Robin (song)
S
Say Say Say
Scream/Childhood
She's out of My Life
Smile (Charlie Chaplin song)
Smooth Criminal
Stranger in Moscow
T
Tell Me I'm Not Dreamin' (Too Good to Be True)
They Don't Care About Us
Thriller (song)
W
Wanna Be Startin' Somethin'
The Way You Make Me Feel
We Are the World
We're Almost There
What More Can I Give
Who Is It (Michael Jackson song)
Why (3T song)
Will You Be There
With a Child's Heart
Y
You Are Not Alone
You Can't Win (song)
You Rock My World
- - -
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:24:34 -0400
From: Joram Ragem
Subject: Which Song Is our Favourite Why? Obama, Ask Congress To Give Him A State Funeral.
Visions And Transformation: Lets Save Tanzania
Date: Sat, 27 Jun 2009 16:31:31 +0300
From: Yona Fares Maro
Subject: Visions And Transformation: Lets Save Tanzania
Visions And Transformation: Lets Save Tanzania
Introduction
The primary policy objective of every responsible administration should be to grow the economy and improve the living conditions of the people. The major determinants of economic growth and development are human capital, technological capability, effective institutions and infrastructure, stable monetary policy and political environment, and of course, good leadership.
This article, which adds to the growing literature in economic change, posits that the Tanzanian economy, which has been undermined by poor governance, will remain distressed until appropriate strategy is adopted to provide the necessary framework.
Brief overview of the terms
Let’s glance through the main terms in this discourse to ascertain their meaning and why Tanzania has been unable to industrialize. In a nutshell, economic transformation is a change in the structure of an economy over time from a subsistence economy, through industrialization, to an industrial or even post-industrial era. Economic growth (a process of transformation) is a quantitative measure of the goods and services produced by an economy over a period, usually calculated as the percentage rate of increase in real gross domestic product (or real GDP). However, economic development implies a lot more; it is a qualitative measure of how economic the wealth of countries (or regions) has improved the economic, political, and social well being of its inhabitants. This review centers on the process by which an economy is moving away from basic primary production, and focusing more on efficient high value-added processing and manufacturing with advanced technology.
Why have the reforms failed?
The configuration of Tanzania’s economy has not changed significantly since independence in 1961, yet there has been deafening trumpet about the success of the various socio-economic visions, agenda, and reform programs by successive administrations. The reform programs have failed to improve the economy because the society lacks the basic institutions and infrastructure. Other major reasons are poor government policies and policy somersaults, corruption, insecurity, poor regulatory system and failure to enforce the laws, and of course, inability of the leaders to move beyond rhetoric. The anomalies and deficiencies in the system are myriad; socio-economic changes are impossible without the preconditions. The majority of farmers are still toiling in the field with hoes and cutlasses and the economy is powered by generators; communities (rural and urban) are without potable water, good roads, basic health facilities, and advanced technology for large scale production and industrialization. Consequently, there is tremendous poverty in the land and the ‘informal sector’ (petty traders, touts, etc) constitutes more than 75 percent of the economy.
Foreign and domestic development partners and analysts have over the years pointed out these deficiencies and offered numerous suggestions to solve Tanzania’s economic crisis but the leaders have either failed or refused to accept and utilize them. And we are running out of new ideas. Because of leadership ‘culture of irresponsibility’ and corruption the visions and reforms have failed to stimulate the economy that is trapped at its early stage of development. Or has the economy taken off but failed to reach its final destination? The economy remains profoundly dependent on natural resources, instead of technological knowledge (a society’s understanding of the best ways to produce goods and services).
Even with the coming back of Multiparty Political System nothing noteworthy has been done to enlarge the economic pie; They have not made constant supply electricity that is the engine of industrial development a top priority. textile industries are rapidly vanishing.6The refineries are unable to meet domestic demand for fuel and gas and the nation is unable to produce enough food for the growing population. All these are retarding the nation’s pace of economic growth and development and preventing the people from realizing their full potential.
The members of the National Assembly that are in shards of self-interest do not seem to understand that it is their responsibility to stimulate the economy with appropriate policies and ensure political stability; and that investing in human capital, good quality education, public health services, and respect for the rule of law are crucial for the economy. More often than not the laws are for the poor as the political gods commit all kinds of fraud without punishment. There is a dangerous concentration of power at the center and national resources in the hands of a few politically well-connected elite. Are the leaders not cognizant of the need to make changes?
Tanzania is moving round the circle – shoveling from one failed leader to another, from one empty ‘vision’ to another, from one unfilled ‘agenda’ to another, and from one unproductive budget to another. Financial crisis caused by corruption is among the reasons Tanzania has failed to restructure the economy. Criminals are masquerading as politicians scrambling for contracts and political appointments to give them opportunity to loot the treasury. However, while individuals who commit petty frauds are being harassed and arrested by the PCCB the agency allows the ‘big’ looters to enjoy their booty. The boss of the toothless PCCB reported that Tanzanians looted Billions from the treasury. Yet the government is complaining of lack of funds to implement its budgets. The economy cannot grow without the basic infrastructure (power and road and rail network), security, good education and health services. Tanzania will not develop if the people continue to allow criminals to run the affairs of the nation. Today, economic activities are dominated by the smuggling of consumer goods from abroad and human and drug trafficking, with low level of foreign and domestic investments and rudimentary activities in the manufacturing sector.
Since the inception of the current global economic and financial crisis7 societies have been unnerved, with the citizens thrown into deeper economic hardship and misery. The crisis has forced serious societies to improve the ways they run their domestic affairs. But this is not the case with Tanzania; the political leaders have not changed their approach to governance. They do not seem to accept the reality of our failure because they still believe that the economy could change by simply adopting high-sounding economic slogans and bogus visions. For instance, the Kikwete administration is under the illusion that Tanzania could possibly join the ranks of the first twenty largest economies by the year 2025 without technological capability and the institutional and infrastructural framework (power, roads and railways, and water, etc) required for industrial development.
However, because of Tanzania’s glaring deficiencies, scholars8and analysts have observed that the political leaders should desist from false belief that Tanzania could become an industrialized nation without the prerequisites.
But given the magnitude of corruption and the unending hostility and insecurity in Tarime and visionless leadership, Many People doubts that Tanzania could solve her infrastructural and institutional problems by the year 2025 and improve agriculture and manufacturing industries to create employment for the army of unemployed youths. And this has unnerved politicians, professionals, and wealthy businessmen9 in the localities and scared away investors from the economy. If the trend is allowed to continue it will unquestionably further compound Tanzania’s economic problems and her democratic experiment.
Can We Really Save Tanzania ?
Why is it that the managers of Tanzania’s economy do not understand that institutions and security matter in economic performance? Can Tanzania unravel her economic tangle? To stimulate economic growth and transit from under-development to fast-pasted economic development the leaders should rethink their strategies and absolutely focus on providing robust institutional and infrastructural mechanism required to expand economic activities and increase productivity, create employment for the army of the unemployed youths, improve national security by stopping the injustice and ‘war in Tarime ’ region and finding a lasting political solution to the predicament. This is because without peace and security economic growth and development is impossible.
Tanzania’s system seriously needs to be reformed. Therefore, to change nation’s economic story the society must, in addition to ensuring constant power supply and constructing good road network, adopt alternative sources of revenue by devising a sound tax system and transparent revenue collection system. This will ensure additional revenue for development projects. Individuals and organizations with innovative ideas on how to improve the economy and create employment should be encouraged with tax incentives and affordable loans for investment. In addition, Tanzania should diversify the economy by investing copiously in agricultural technology to transform farming from subsistence to large-scale food production for local consumption and extra for export, and increase in other agro-industrial businesses and services. This will lead to rapid economic transformation even in the remote parts of the society, and tame rural-urban migration, social crisis and improve national security. Even advanced societies are relentlessly searching for ways to diversify their economies for sustainable growth and development. Improved security will also attract huge foreign and local investment into the economy and engender increase in employment, reduce crime and poverty, and finally improve the people’s living conditions.
Concluding Remarks
The preceding discourse shows that economic growth is a precondition for modernization and that to become an industrialized nation Tanzania should have the necessary institutional and infrastructural framework, human capital and technological capability to enable firms and industries in different segments of the economy to function effectively and efficiently.
The managers of the economy should be mindful of the fact that no visions and agenda (Maisha Bora Kwa Kila Mtanzania ) will be successful without the noted preconditions. However, one of the critical measures of successful of economic transformation is the degree at which the sectors of an economy transform themselves into ‘innovation hubs’ by developing high quality goods and services and improve the welfare of the people. Without the prerequisite structures that will enable the private sector to drive the economy and create wealth, the Tanzanian economy will continue to depend on government generosity. And that is not enough to establish a system that supports high economic performance.
In conclusion, for the economy to move beyond its present stage of development Tanzania should adopt an integrated development plan because economic growth and development involves comprehensive social, political and economic transformation. Good quality education (particularly technical education) should be an important part of any plan for the economic transformation process, because technical education holds the key to Tanzanian’s development. But the education sector will not effectively perform its functions of training the needed manpower and producing advanced technology through research and development without adequate funding.
To really unravel the nation’s economic tangle Tanzania needs a transformative leader to build a solid foundation for a lasting socio-political stability and sustainable economic growth and development. We should replicate the reforms that led to the success story in the telecommunication industry in the other segments of the economy.
Yona F Maro
www.bidiiforums.com
--
Yona Fares Maro
I.T. Specialist and Digital Security Consultant
Kenya lands the Sullivan Conference for 2010. Kibaki coming to Washington, DC in August to celebrate
Date: Wed, 24 Jun 2009 17:26:15 -0500 [17:26:15 CDT]
Kenyas president Mwai Kibaki is scheduled to make an important visit to Washington, DC towards the end of August this year. The president is scheduled to give a key note address to the Leon H. Sullivan Summit Awards Celebration on the evening of August 27, 2009 at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts to celebrate Kenya's winning of next year's Sullivan Summit to held in Nairobi between July 19 - 23, 2010.
.
Mr. Kibaki, who was one of about a dozen African presidents in Arusha, Tanzania last year during the Leon H. Sullivan Summit of 2008, must be happy indeed to have landed next year's conference for Kenya at a time when Kenya is in dire need of foreign dollars. The Summit in Tanzania brought about 3000 African American business people, actors, professional athletes, clergy and politicians who each spent an average of $2000 in the country.
It is expected that next year's Summit may bring many more delegates than the Tanzanian conference because of the desire of African Americans to visit the ancestral home of the first black American president, Mr. Barack Obama. America is also home to many Diaspora Kenyans in the USA who may also want to take the opportunity to visit their ancestral home.
President Kibaki's government is fully aware that anything can still go wrong with this deal, resulting in the Summit being re-awarded to another country. The general lack of security in the country , the recent political assassinations of human rights activists, politicians and academicians, the war in neighboring Somalia, the corruption and nepotism in the government, the friction of Ugand's president Museveni with the Luos ; all these may force the USA government to persuade the Summit organizers to defer holding the 2010 Summit in Nairobi.
Political indications in Nairobi would seem to suggest that the Kibaki government is in overdrive, trying to seem to be doing something about a new constitution, and setting up a tribunal for trying the 2007 post election violence suspects. Whether these gestures from Nairobi will be enough to even gain Mr. Kibaki an audience with president Obama during his visit to the USA, or stop the imminent protests by the Diaspora Kenyan activists in the USA remains to be seen..
jaluo press
subject: Kenya lands the Sullivan Conference for 2010. Kibaki coming to Washington, DC in August to celebrate