Category Archives: Job / Career

Canada & Tanzania: Tanzanian accused human trafficker, found not guilty

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From: Fatima Husenali

The wealthy Vancouver-area woman accused of human trafficking for allegedly bringing a young African single mother to Canada to be an unpaid housekeeper has been found not guilty.

Mumtaz Ladha, 60, was acquitted on charges of human trafficking, two counts of misrepresenting facts to the High Commission of Canada in Tanzania and misrepresenting facts to Citizenship and Immigration Canada.

Ladha was accused of lying to the young woman, whose name is banned from publication, and illegally bringing her into the country in August 2008. She was allegedly forced to work long hours without pay at Ladha’s West Vancouver home. Prosecutors had argued that Ladha lied to immigration officials in order to bring the woman to Canada illegally.

But Justice Lauri Ann Fenlon said the young woman’s testimony was not credible and the Crown did not prove that she was coerced into coming to Canada or working for the Ladha family. The judge added that Ladha had no reason to hire the housekeeper under the table, but said the complainant had a motive to lie.

The judge heard that the woman worked for Ladha at a hair salon in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest and richest city, and believed she was coming to Canada to work in a salon here. In 2009, the woman left Ladha’s mansion and went to a women’s shelter.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/mumtaz-ladha-accused-human-trafficker-found-not-guilty-1.2436932

KENYA LAWYERS BODY WANTS TRAFFIC BOSS REMOVED

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To: jaluo jaluo@jaluo.com

By Agwanda Saye

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has filed a suit to eject from office Traffic Commandant Mr. Samuel Kimaru over increased tragic road accidents.

LSK has also included the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) as respondents in the suit filed at the High Court, sitting in Mombasa.

The suit seeks a declaration that the Traffic Commandant is unfit to hold office following omissions, actions, abuse of power and gross neglect of Constitutional and Statutory duties.

It further seeks an order directing the NPSC to sack Mr. Samuel Kimaru as an employee of the Service.

According to the plaint (legal papers) drawn and filed by Ndegwa Muthama Katisya & Associates Advocates who are representing LSK, thousands of lives are being lost on roads.

“Neglect of duty by the Traffic Commandant and the NPSC leads to loss of over 3,000 lives on the road annually,” says LSK in the plaint.

LSK told the High Court that over 9,000 people are maimed for life annually, 26,000 vehicles and other property destroyed annually and billions of shillings spent on hospital bills and funeral expenses.

“Over 1,725 people lost their lives on the road between January and July 16, 2013 alone,” LSK said in the plaint.

LSK said that unlawful omissions and actions of the Traffic Commandant and NPSC have significantly contributed to the Police Service becoming the most corrupt institution countrywide.

“The Kenya Police service has consequently been nationally and internationally recognised as the most corrupt institutions,” LSK said.

LSK said that the respondents are in gross violation of the National Police Service Act No. 11 of 2012.

“The Traffic Commandant has failed to maintain law and order on roads, protect life and property, investigate, prevent and detect traffic offences, apprehend offenders, and enforce of all traffic laws and regulations,” LSK said.

In violation of Section 49(3) and (4), of the National Police Service Act , the Commandant has failed to make reports of all daily occurrences and incidents encountered in the discharge of the statutory function and submit the report to superiors.

Under Section 49(10) of the National Police Service Act, the Commandant has failed to respect the law, regulations, Service Standing Orders and to prevent violations thereof.

“The Traffic Commandant is professionally and vicariously liable for the neglects, unlawful omissions, and commissions of the officers working under his command.” LSK said.

LSK has argued that as a result of the Commandant’s failure to remove defective vehicles from the roads, a substantial number of vehicles with visible defects or violations of the Traffic Act pass through Traffic checkpoints.

LSK said that the visible defects or easily discernible defects and or violations include vehicles without both or any head-light being driven for long distances at night without being removed from the road.

Others include public service vehicles with dangerous worn out tyres, overloaded public service vehicles and commercial vehicles.

Some of the vehicles illegally emit heavy obnoxious petrol or diesel fumes, public service vehicles without speed governors, vehicles without identification number plates are habitually used in Kenya roads.

LSK said that many vehicles driven by unlicensed drivers and kerbs have been converted into parking and garages for repairing broken down vehicles.

Ends

Aspiring Leaders Gather in South Africa next week

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From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

The Maersk Group participates in 2013 ‘One Young World’ summit that is held in Johannesburg, South Africa, next week

JOHANNESBURG, South-Africa, September 25, 2013/ — Fourteen young Maersk (http://www.maersk.com) employees will participate at the 4th annual ‘One Young World’ summit that is held in Johannesburg, South Africa, next week (http://www.oneyoungworld.com).

Logo Maersk: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/maersk.jpeg

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=637 (Deniz Kirdar, Diversity and Inclusion Manager (Photo Peter Elmholt)

The annual event held by the charity, One Young World, mixes political leaders like Kofi Annan and Sir Bob Geldof with aspiring members of the next generation of global leadership.

Once-in-a-lifetime opportunity

One of the African Maersk participants is Sow Thierno Madjou, age 29, from the West African republic, Guinea:

“I see this as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to meet and network with young future leaders from all over the world. I especially look forward to discussing socio-political and economic aspects with participants from different countries – and hope to later use this inspiration to bring about positive change in my own country,” says Madjou who currently holds the role as Finance Controller with Maersk Line.

Likewise, Junaid Kathrada, age 29, is seeing the conference as a great learning opportunity where he will be exposed to inspirational leaders from across the globe:

“I hope to be able to draw on the experiences and insights of fellow delegates, ambassadors and guests as well as form networks that will enable me and the other participants to make a visible difference in our own societies,” says Kathrada who works with customer service in Durban for Safmarine.

Attracting talents from the broadest pool possible

The event is a valuable opportunity for Maersk to develop and inspire would-be leaders, especially in growth market countries where competition for the business, and for the talented people needed to drive it, is strong. In Africa alone, the Group employs more than 10,000 people – and would want to attract even more:

“The Maersk Group has been doing business in Africa for more than a century, and has operations in almost every country across the continent. We aim to reflect the communities in which we operate and attract talent from the broadest pool possible. We would like to build our diversity further,” says Diversity and Inclusion Manager, Deniz Kirdar True, from the Maersk Group.

Maersk encourages aspiring leaders to be curious

The Maersk Group likewise sees value in exposing the talent to One Young World as a way to further broaden their horizon:

“We encourage our aspiring leaders to be curious about how things are done in other companies, industries and markets. As a Group, we can benefit by seeking out other perspectives and being open to challenging traditional approaches – and I believe that Young One World offers such an opportunity,” True says.

One delegate Patricia Pretell from Lima, Peru, is a speaker in the One Young World plenary Global Business (scheduled for October 5th at 8:30). Pretell works out of Latin America with Damco, the logistics arm of the Maersk Group. The additional thirteen Maersk participants represent several different Maersk businesses and countries, including India, Brazil, South Africa, Guinea, Morocco, Philippines, China, Pakistan, Jordan and Nigeria.

The conference that will take part 2-5 October 2013 will focus on a number of issues, including education, youth unemployment, Human Rights, Global Business, Leadership & Government, and Sustainable Development. For more information on the conference, visit http://www.oneyoungworld.com

Distributed by the African Press Organization on behalf of the Maersk Group.

Contacts:
For more information, please contact Press Coordinator Lebo Madiba, lebo@prpowerhouse.co.za, mobile: +27823925339 or Senior Communications Partner in the Maersk Group: Christine Drud von Haffner, Christine.haffner@maersk.com,: +4533631945.

About the Maersk Group
The Maersk Group (http://www.maersk.com) is a worldwide conglomerate that operates in the shipping and oil and gas industries. We are present in 130 countries, and employ roughly 121,000 people. Four of our companies – Maersk Line, APM Terminals, Maersk Oil and Maersk Drilling – are the main focus of our investments in strategic growth.

SOURCE
Maersk Group

KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY GOVERNOR COLLAPSE AFTER HIS SERVICE BOARD NOMINEES REJECTED.

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By Our Reporter

Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma suffered last week collapsed in his office after the names of the seven people he had proposed to be in the County’s Public Service Board was rejected in totality .

Ranguma had thought that by giving each County Rep kshs 10,000 they were going to pass the entire names of the nominees “Yie utera ot ir madame” (please take me to my wife) he told his aides cursing the County Reps saying they are the most hungry and unreliable lot.

While rejecting the list, the Assembly Members said the list has not met the constitutional requirements regarding appointments of Public officers.

Members of the Kisumu County Assembly cited the issue of leaving out the youth in the proposed list of nominees to the County’s Public Service Board as one of the reasons as to why they rejected the names.

During a heated debate on Wednesday, Members of the County Assembly who contributed during the debate said the issue of people with disability was also left out as none was considered for the proposed appointments.

Members of the County Assembly also claimed that people who have been marginalized and are residing within the county have also not been considered for the positions at the county’s Public Service Board hence leads to rejection.

However, Kisumu County Governor Jack Ranguma described the decision by the County Assembly Members as very disappointing, saying it moves back all the plans that had been put in place by his office to commence the implementation of development activities.

“Of course the County Assembly has the prerogative to approve or decline any appointments based on what is presumed to be fair, logical and meant to serve the good of the county and the people they represent,” he said in a press statement.

Ranguma however said he is still committed to working with all those who value progress and wish to see Kisumu County move away from empty politicking to development adding that this can only be achieved if the County’s Public service board is in place and able to recruit the needed manpower and put in place the necessary Human Resource that can support the development agenda.

“Many youths are jobless in the County and the I had hoped that the establishment of the PSB would enable the absorption of some of the youths into jobs at all levels by end of the year, so as to contribute to the development of the County and this is not just a loss to the County Management but to all Citizens as they will not benefit from any meaningful jobs or services soon”, Ranguma added.

He further asked all Citizens of Kisumu County including elected and nominated leaders to work with him as a team and see real development in Kisumu and not be drawn into endless diversionary politics.

The seven who have since been rejected include Eng. Nahason Ogwang proposed for chairmanship of the Board and Hesbon Owuor Hongo as the Secretary.

Others are Moses Odingo, Jackson Oyoo, Gabriel Amollo, Violet Onyango and Jacinta Kapiyo as Members of the Board.

COTU CALLS FOR REVIEW OF KENYA CONSTITUTION.

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By Agwanda Saye

THE Central Organization of Trade Unions has called for an immediate review of the current constitution noting that the document is totally unworkable.

Its secretary general Francis Atwoli said yesterday the new constitution is itself jumbled up hence making it completely untenable.

Atwoli said that the constitution has so many structures making very expensive to maintain and implement at the end of the day.

He said the current standoff between the senate and the national assembly was a result of the new constitution.

Atwoli noted that it is very difficult to distinguish between the lower and the upper house the unending standoff between the two arms of the government.

“The senate as we speak today has no powers to veto parliament hence making it irrelevant” he said.

Atwoli was speaking at the Tom Mboya labour college in Kisumu during the launch of as course for students from the Tanzanian Union of teachers and local ones from the hotel industry.

He said the only option which Kenyans have is a review of the constitution noting tat it has too many structures yet some other counties are too poor to sustain themselves.

Atwoli said only a few counties like Kisumu and Nairobi can only sustain them.

He said some counties have to be merged in order to be sustainable.

The trade unionist said some positions such as ministries do not serve much at the county level.

He said the government should revert to the old special system noting the current intelligence service in ineffective.

Atwoli also called for the strengthening of the provincial administration.

Atwoli said that the government should create jobs for the youths in order to avoid a looming time bomb.

He said many young people are jobless adding that even graduates are now cycle operators due to unemployment.

Atwoli at the same time cautioned Nairobi governor Evans against sacking workers.

He instead impressed upon Kidero to look for money since the city is very viable.

Atwoli said sacking 5000 workers would affect 25, 000 family members.

He said the government should crack down on manufacturers who have been evading pay taxes.

“This people did not remit 200 million to the government last year” he said.

Atwoli said COTU and the government have solved the stand off between and workers over the NSSF bill.

He said COTU and the FKE have the highest representative of workers and employers and will have two slots at the NSSF board.

Ends.

Toxic Toil: Child Labor and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines

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From: Abdalah Hamis

Article by Fumbuka Ng’wanakilala, DAR ES SALAAM, Aug 28 (Reuters) – The Tanzanian government said it was committed to stamping out child labour in small-scale gold mines after a U.S. rights group said thousands of minors were at risk from working in dangerous conditions.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said children as young as eight years old were working in small mines in Tanzania, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer.

They are at risk of injury from pit collapses and accidents with tools as well as of long-term health damage from exposure to mercury, breathing dust and carrying heavy loads, it said.

“Child labour is a serious problem in small-scale mines,” Tanzania’s deputy energy and minerals minister, Stephen Masele, told Reuters on Wednesday, the same day the report was published.

“More advocacy is needed to ensure parents understand the importance of education for their children,” he
said. “We have been carrying out frequent surprise inspections at mines to crack down on this problem.”

There are more than 800,000 miners working in small-scale gold operations in Tanzania, thousands of whom are children, the rights group said.

“They dig and drill in deep, unstable pits, work underground for shifts of up to 24 hours, and transport and crush heavy bags of gold ore,” said the report titled, “Toxic Toil: Child Labour and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines.”

The government has pledged to end the practice, but Human Rights Watch said it was not doing enough.

“On paper, Tanzania has strong laws prohibiting child labour in mining, but the government has done far too little to enforce them,” said Janine Morna, a researcher at the rights group.

“Labour inspectors need to visit both licensed and unlicensed mines regularly and ensure employers face sanctions for using child labour,” she said.

The group said girls who work on or near mining sites sometimes become victims of sexual exploitation and abuse. (Editing by Edmund Blair and Jane Baird)

via Trust.org

Source: http://www.wavuti.com/4/post/2013/08/tanzania-government-pledges-to-end-child-labor-in-gold-mining.html#ixzz2dLMP3cpV

On Wednesday, August 28, 2013 3:58:23 PM UTC+3, Abdalah Hamis wrote

Children as young as eight-years-old are working in Tanzanian small-scale gold mines, with grave risks to their health and even their lives, Human Rights Watch said in a reportreleased today. The Tanzanian government should curb child labor in small-scale mining, including at informal, unlicensed mines, and the World Bank and donor countries should support these efforts.

The 96-page report, “Toxic Toil: Child Labor and Mercury Exposure in Tanzania’s Small-Scale Gold Mines,”describes how thousandsof children work in licensed and unlicensed small-scale gold mines inTanzania, Africa’s fourth-largest gold producer. They dig and drill in deep, unstable pits, work underground for shifts of up to 24 hours, and transport and crush heavy bags of gold ore. Children risk injury from pit collapses and accidents with tools, as well as long-term health damage from exposure to mercury, breathing dust, and carrying heavy loads. A 17-year-old boy who survived a pit accident told Human Rights Watch, “I thought I was dead, I was so frightened.”

“Tanzanian boys and girls are lured to the gold mines in the hopes of a better life, but find themselves stuck in a dead-end cycle of danger and despair,” said Janine Morna, children’s rights research fellow at Human Rights Watch. “Tanzania and donors need to get these children out of the mines and into school or vocational training.”

Many children who work in mining are orphans or other vulnerable children who lack basic necessities and support. Human Rights Watch also found that girls on and around mining sites face sexual harassment, including pressure to engage in sex work. Some girls become victims of commercial sexual exploitation and risk contracting HIV or other sexually transmitted infections.

Human Rights Watch visited 11 mining sites in Geita, Shinyanga, and Mbeya regions, and interviewed more than 200 people, including 61 children working in small-scale gold mining. The employment of children in dangerous mining work is one of the worst forms of child labor under international agreements, to which Tanzania is a party.

“On paper, Tanzania has strong laws prohibiting child labor in mining, but the government has done far too little to enforce them,” Morna said. “Labor inspectors need to visit both licensed and unlicensed mines regularly, and ensure employers face sanctions for using child labor.”

Child laborers, as well as children living near mining sites, are at serious risk of mercury poisoning. Mercury attacks the central nervous system and can cause lifelong disability to children, whose developing bodies are more easily affected by the heavy metal. The miners, including children, mix mercury with crushed ground ore and burn the resulting gold-mercury amalgam to release the gold, exposing them to poisonous mercury fumes. Even small children who are not working are often present during this process, which is sometimes carried out in the home.

Most adult and child miners are unaware of these health risks. Health workers lack training and facilities and are not equipped to diagnose or treat mercury poisoning. Existing laws and initiatives on mercury have largely failed to reduce mercury use.

Tanzania has helped craft a new global treaty to reduce mercury exposure worldwide, which more than 140 governments agreed upon in January 2013. The Minamata Convention on Mercury, named for the site in Japan of a mercury poisoning disaster half a century ago, will be adopted in October near Minamata.

“Tanzania helped bring about the Minamata Convention on Mercury,” Morna said. “Now, to protect the future of its own people and of its own growing mining industry, it needs to take the lead to protect its children – by monitoring, testing, and treating them for mercury exposure and getting them out of the mines.”

Working in the mines interferes with children’s education. Children working in mining sometimes skip classes or drop out of school altogether. Teachers told Human Rights Watch that school attendance and performance decreased when a gold mine opened nearby. In addition, many adolescents seek full-time employment, including in mining, because they lack access to secondary school or vocational training.

A 15-year-old boy in the Geita district summed up the impact of mining on his life: “It is difficult to combine mining and school. I don’t get time to go through tutoring [which takes place on the weekends]. I wonder about the mine, it distracts me…. One day … I fell sick [after mining and missed classes]. I had pain all over my body.”

The Tanzanian government should expand access to secondary school and vocational training and improve child protection, Human Rights Watch said. The government and donors should provide financial and political backing for the new action plan on the most vulnerable children and include orphans from mining areas in the Tanzania Social Action Fund’s program of grants and conditional cash transfers to vulnerable populations.

The World Bank and other donors to the mining sector should also support steps to end child labor in mining and reduce the exposure of children and adults to mercury, Human Rights Watch said. For example, they should help children transition from work in unlicensed mines to schooling, and ensure that newly licensed mines do not use child labor. A current US$55 million World Bank project to support the mining sector does not directly address child labor.

The gold industry has a responsibility to ensure it does not benefit directly or indirectly from unlawful child labor, Human Rights Watch said. Yet most gold traders Human Rights Watch interviewed in Tanzania had no procedures to keep gold mined by children out of their supply chains.

Small traders typically purchase gold directly at the mines or in mining towns and then sell it to larger traders in Tanzania. Sometimes the gold passes through several intermediaries before reaching the traders who export the gold. According to the Tanzanian government, small-scale miners produced about 1.6 tons of gold in 2012 – worth about US$85 million.

The top destination for gold from Tanzanian small-scale mines is the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Gold is also exported to Switzerland, South Africa, China, and the United Kingdom.

“Whether small or large, Tanzanian or global, businesses should avoid becoming entangled with unlawful child labor in their supply chain,” Morna said. “As those with the buying power, gold traders have leverage over their suppliers. They should use it to protect children and to protect consumers from buying gold tainted by child labor.”

UNDERAGE ABORTION AND COMMERCIAL SEX WORKERS TRADE IN KENYA

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 2013

Winnie from Nanyuki, Kenya writes: “Dear Editor, I read with keen interest your News Dispatch on how our young girls procure abortion at a high rate. This is shocking as a parent. I also read about the bad use of phones and internet.

I have just been reading today’s Standard (yesterday) how crooked doctors mint money from young girls who go for abortion and how commercial sex workers among minors is alarming in Kenya. I fail to understand why all these do happen and we are just watching”.

Fr Boniface Silayo from Kakamega, Kenya writes: “Dear Fr. Omolo thanks for the articles particularly those about the use of cell phone, internet cyber café as a source of entertainment instead of being means of communication and enrichment of knowledge. This behaviour is leading to many youths into a dangerous disease of addiction, psycho-neurosis similar to drug addicts, alcoholism, depression etc. It is important to recall the moral fabrics to these youths before it is too late.

It is also important to provide enough recreation facilities to the youth and even adult people living in towns. The social fabrics that existent sometimes back in our traditional African setting is rapidly dying away and many people are entering to solitude life without values. Please treat this apostolate with the all the Christian and African means of rebuilding values to the young generations and the cities dwellers who are so much exposed lonely lives”.

Sentiments of Winnie and Fr Silayo are the same to many of our readers. This topic has also been the centre of Fcebook debate since I posted it to my time line. It demonstrates how our society is concerned about our beloved young ones.

Winnie is referring to yesterday story on Standard Newspaper where nineteen-year-old Victoria reenacted how a ‘doctor’ at a clinic in Huruma pumped out blood from her womb using some straw-like plastic. She was 17 then.

Victoria didn’t even know she was pregnant until she started falling sick. She shared with a friend, and she said we need to check out and get rid of it, fast. They went to a local ‘doctor’ at the backroom of a two-roomed, plywood partitioned clinic asked her not to scream. The pain was unbearable. Then the bleeding was unstoppable.

After a few months, she was pregnant again, but unlike the first time when she was asked to pay Sh2,000, she was asked for Sh5,000. Many young girls like Victoria flock such backstreet clinics because it is shameful to be with pregnancy.

Some parents are the first to take their children in such deadly and risk clinics. Some deaths have been reported because some of these clinical officers are not qualified to perform abortion.

For Victoria abortion was the only option because when her parents realized she was pregnant they would disown her- And for parents who encourage their girls to abort do so because of shame or because they wanted them to continue with their school.

But women like Victoria rarely learn from mistakes. After her second abortion, Victorial joined a local high school and settled down for her studies. But soon she met a garbage collector who would smile at her everyday, then started buying her chips and giving her bus fare. After a while, she was “in love”. She fell pregnant for the third time. She was in Form Four. She went ahead and sat her Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education exams last year while pregnant.

At eight months, she decided get rid of it. She paid Sh6,000 to another ‘doctor’ who told her that it was a small matter. This time, the doctor injected her hand and then used a tool that look like a crochet needle.

Winnie also raised a concern on commercial sex workers of underage girls taking place nearby towns of Mai Mahiu and Gilgil where the crisis is coupled with a recent increase in cases of defilement with majority of the minors affected belonging to the sex workers.

With a prevalence of 7.1 percent, the trading center emerged the top with the high number of truck drivers and commercial sex workers attributed to the number. The increase in cases of defilement in the area is recording between 3-5 cases per week. Mai Mahiu, Kihoto and Karagita estates are some of most affected areas with parental negligence blamed for the increase.

A survey conducted by Kenya’s national statistics bureau suggests 10,000 to 30,000 children under 18 are involved in commercial sex, according to Grace Banya, chief technical advisor for the International Labour Organization, which works towards eliminating child labour.

“What is terrifying is that some of the children involved in commercial sex are as little as 10 years old yet this is the worst form of child labour,” Banya told the Standard.

Part of the reason for involving in sex worker is due to Government’s failure to stem unemployment, which now stands at 70 per cent. Many parents can’t afford taking their children to school due to lack of employment. Many of these underage girls sex workers are school dropouts in class 8-their parents can’t take them to secondary schools or any course.

Kenya’s National Aids Control Council estimates there are more than 7,000 commercial sex workers in Nairobi alone while more are spread in main economic hubs of Kisumu, Eldoret and Mombasa as well as border towns of Busia and Malaba.

Approximately 7,000 sex workers operate in Nairobi per night with each having an average of 3-4 clients, which translates to between 21,000 and 28,000 sexual activities a night.

In Kisii township underage commercial sex workers is located at Kisii old bus stage, stretches downwards to the junction that connects to Kisii’s capital round about. This area is active from as early as 7pm, with skimpily dressed ladies some young enough to be in late primary or high school.

The street is lined up with parked trailers and trucks until the wee hours of the morning. These girls flock to truck drivers and turn boys who give them food and money after the service.

Around the area the lodging landlords are making a killing from the trade due to the unique way the workers ‘sell their goods’. As the night progresses the sex workers will be fairly distributed across the town CBD with higher concentration around major night spots and drinking dens selling cheap liquor. This scenario is more compounded on weekends starting Friday through Sunday, game nights and holiday seasons.

Apart from local sex workers, at least 50 girls, aged between ten and 15, are sold every week to tour operators and tourist hotels at Sh60,000 each as sex workers and to star in pornographic movies according to recent report released on Tuesday by the International Peace Institute (IPI) which says that the girls are trafficked or smuggled to Nairobi from North Eastern Province and Somalia.

The report says the girls are taken to massage parlours or beauty shops, where contacts from tour operators and hotels come to select the ones they wish to take as sex workers. Tour operators and hotel workers also operate as traffickers and brokers.

The report says the trafficked children are then taken to scheduled villas in Mombasa where sex tourism thrives. The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has estimated that about 10,000 people are trafficked into Coast Province each year.

Mombasa is a destination for people trafficked from as far as Uganda, Somalia, Tanzania and Ethiopia. The report claims that most traffickers are Somalis and those who head and control the network are known as makhalis.

In Nairobi and Garissa, the report claims that some traffickers operate as travel agents for airlines. They pay taxes for their legitimate businesses to ensure that they do not attract queries from Government authorities. There are at least five to ten makhalis in northern Kenya and in Eastleigh in Nairobi.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

USA: Macy’s did WHAT?!?!

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From: Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet

Dear Readers,

BREAKING: Macy’s responded to our campaign calling out their attack on an equal pay bill in Texas–by claiming that the bill is unnecessary.1

We know that Macy’s is feeling the heat from our actions, but it’s clear that we need to amp up our campaign and make sure they know that we’re not buying their excuses–or their merchandise–unless they publicly pledge to never block equal pay legislation again.

We’re planning a big delivery next week. But for a super-size store like Macy’s, we want to make sure we have a super-size petition.

Can you add your name right away and let Macy’s know that blocking equal pay is bad for business?
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/1020?t=1&akid=575.6000.CbILmA

Thanks for speaking out,

Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda, and Karin, the Ultraviolet team

Sources:

1. Macy’s Convinces Rick Perry That Women Don’t Need Equal Pay, Jezebel, August 20, 2013
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/1045?t=2&akid=575.6000.CbILmA

P.S. Here’s the original email about Macy’s asking Governor Rick Perry to veto a popular equal pay bill in Texas.

—prior msg;——-

Macy’s just blocked a bill that would help stop wage discrimination in Texas. Can you sign the petition to tell Macy’s to stop blocking equal pay?

Visit Here; http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/1020?t=4&akid=575.6000.CbILmA

Dear Readers,

Have you ever shopped at a Macy’s department store? If you have, you’ve unfortunately helped fund discrimination against women.

Here’s the story: Macy’s recently played a key role in defeating an important equal pay bill in Texas.1 The bill would have given employees who are discriminated against more time to sue in state court. Without this law, women who are paid less simply because of their gender could miss their chance to get justice before they even find out that they were discriminated against.2

The bill passed the Texas legislature with strong bipartisan support, but Governor Rick Perry vetoed it last month at Macy’s request.3

Wage discrimination is a major problem in America, costing women and their families an average of $431,000 over their careers.4 Macy’s is in the middle of a big back-to-school marketing campaign right now, aimed largely at moms.5 The last thing they need right now is controversy over equal pay–an issue women all over the country care a lot about. If we all speak out now, we can generate enough media attention to pressure them to retract their opposition and pledge to support equal pay legislation–in Texas and nationally–going forward. Can you sign the petition?

Tell Macy’s: Stop blocking equal pay for equal work.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/1020?t=5&akid=575.6000.CbILmA

The wage gap between men and women has remained stagnant for decades. The average, full-time working woman in this country earns $0.77 for every dollar a man makes. For women of color, it’s even worse–for African American women it’s only $0.64 and for Latina women it’s $0.55. The gender wage gap means lost wages of $10,000 per year for an average woman–or $431,000 over her lifetime.6

And it doesn’t just affect women–it hurts entire families who are struggling to make ends meet. $431,000 could cover a lot of mortgage payments, groceries, doctor’s appointments, or college tuition payments.7 But Congress is stalled on the Fair Pay Act, which would help finally close the gender wage gap, and the last thing we need when it finally comes up for a vote is big companies like Macy’s stepping in to oppose it.

The Texas bill mirrors the federal Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act and would give Texas women who are paid less because of their gender the right to sue in state courts for 180 days after a discriminatory paycheck.8 The protections in federal law don’t extend to the state courts–which are often closer and more affordable for victims to access than federal courts.9 For a woman who’s already lost income due to wage discrimination, access to state courts is critical. But according to Macy’s letter to Gov. Perry, this important protection for women is “unnecessary.”10

Macy’s should be supporting, not blocking equal pay–especially if they want to woo women as customers. If we all speak out now, we can generate enough bad press to make sure they get the message. Can you sign?

Add your name.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/1020?t=6&akid=575.6000.CbILmA

Thanks for speaking out,

Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda, and Karin, the Ultraviolet team

Sources:

1. You Really Shouldn’t Shop There: The Businesses That Told Perry to Veto Equal Pay, Burnt Orange Report, August 7, 2013

2. Perry vetoed wage bill after getting letters from retailers, Houston Chronicle, August 5, 2013

3. Ibid.

4. Facts: Women and the Wage Gap, National Partnership for Women & Families

5. Macy’s Back to School campaign, Macys.com

6. Facts: Women and the Wage Gap, National Partnership for Women & Families

7. How the Wage Gap Hurts Women and Families, National Women’s Law Center, April 3, 2013

8. Perry vetoed wage bill after getting letters from retailers, Houston Chronicle, August 5, 2013

9. You Really Shouldn’t Shop There: The Businesses That Told Perry to Veto Equal Pay, Burnt Orange Report, August 7, 2013

10. Perry vetoed wage bill after getting letters from retailers, Houston Chronicle, August 5, 2013

——–

Want to support our work? UltraViolet is funded by members like you, and our tiny staff ensures small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
https://weareultraviolet.actionkit.com/donate/donate?akid=575.6000.CbILmA

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KENYA NATIONAL NGO COOPRDINATION BOARD TO RECRUIT WOMEN.

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By Agwanda Saye

The national NGO Coordination Board has embarked on a massive recruitment drive of all expectant women in Kisumu County as part of a wider 5 year program to improve maternal and child health in the region.

Executive Director of NGO Coordination Board Dr Hezron McObewa says the board is working closely with health sector NGOs within the county to compliment government efforts geared towards reducing infant deaths.

He says the Board has launched a project with one of the largest NGOs in Western Kenya, OGRA Foundation alongside other sector NGOs like Omega Foundation and Port Florence community hospital to give free National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) cards to expectant women.

McObewa says the pilot project of the program has kicked off in Muhoroni district in Kisumu County where over 100 expectant women within health centres and dispensaries’ have so far been recruited.

He says the women will be issued with NHIF cards as soon as they arrive for their first antenatal care clinic all the way through their pregnancy so that they can get enhanced services at delivery as part of efforts to improve safe deliveries’.

McObewa who is also the OGRA Foundation Founder Trustee and Former Director said Ogra is currently in the process of finalizing Memorandum of Understandings (MOU’s) with dispensaries and health centres within Kisumu County to give them delivery kits to every successful delivery that occur in such facilities.

He said they have asked partner organizations to initially set aside Kshs 6 Million per year for the program to improve maternal and child health care adding that Ogra has committed to set aside Kshs 6Million for the project annually to ensure the program covers all expectant women in the county.

He said project will run for 5 years alongside partnership with other NGOs’ adding that they will have covered the whole Kisumu County by end of June 2014 before rolling out the program in other counties.
INSERT . . .
Ends . .

KENYA: WHAT WORRIES ME IS UNEMPLOYMENT TIME BOMB OF YOUTHS

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 12, 2013

Some of our readers have asked my opinion what I think about Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu engaging in politics contrary to her commitment before being appointed. Readers were referring to the introduction of widow of late Makueni senator Mutula Kilonzo, Nduku, to President Uhuru Kenyatta in Machakos on Sunday by Ngilu to vie for Makueni senate seat.

While unveiling the Jubilee Cabinet, President Uhuru told Kenyans that the condition for appointment of Ngilu and Najib Balala, who had unsuccessfully vied for the Kitui and Mombasa senatorial seats respectively, was on condition of keeping off politics.

My opinion has always been clear that I don’t care whether Ngilu, Balala, Kasungu Kambi engage in politics even though they promised they would not. I don’t care because it is very unfortunate that I will not live to see Kenya you can call yours because this will happen in 50 years to come and many of us would have already died.

That is also why I don’t care whether Uhuru and Ruto mobilized their ethnic communities to ascend to power, whether they rewarded their supporters because they helped them grab the power. Even if Raila won I would still not acknowledge his victory because of using Luo and Kamba communities to win.

It is also why I don’t care whether Francis Kimemia blocked Raila from entering the VIP lounge at Jomo Kenyatta airport or any other airports, or whether Uhuru is retaining PCs, DCs, Dos or county commissioners.

Instead I care very much and it is indeed bothering me so much about 2.3 million Kenyan youths who are facing serious unemployment time bomb due to bad governance in Kenya since 1963 when Kenya claimed to have achieved Independence.

Since independence Kenyan youths have been the most frustrated social groups in the country. That is why I don’t blame more than half of them being responsible for crimes reported nationally as researchers are saying.

My worry is that this is expected to keep growing and reach a peak nationally in about ten years’ time. It means that this “demographic trap” could see “more crime, militant gangs, terrorism, labour unrest and political violence” among other social ills.

Many young Kenyans cannot get jobs because they don’t have usable qualifications or skills, having dropped out of various institutions before completing their studies due to lack of school fees caused by abject poverty and unemployment of their parents as well.

Different economists describe the situation as worrying for a country with such a youthful population and a birth rate of close to three per cent against an economic expansion that is not creating as many jobs as needed.

This may explain the formation of youth vigilante groups that make it easy for violent actions to take place. The age at which the youth engage in crimes is given between 16-25 years. Yet still, we don’t blame them because the high unemployment rates increase the likelihood of violence and conflict.

It is also why you cannot blame young girls who turn into immorality and prostitution. This has been blamed for high rates of school dropouts. Some of these girls have opted to sleep with wealthy men with hope to make easy money.

This explains why teenage pregnancy is on the rise I Kenya. Girls are dropping out of school after they have found they are being expectant. These girls start boycotting classes before they are suspected that they were expectant.

Teenage pregnancy refers to girls becoming pregnant when in either primary school or high school, basically below 18 years of age. This means they have to drop out of school to first take care of themselves and the baby when it is born.

This trend has forced some communities in Kenya to marry off young girls from age 10 to men old enough to be their parents. At this tender age, these girls have not being exposure to any form of sexually education and have no clue of what their husbands expect from them. They become baby making machines.

Lack of a stable family structure push the girls to look for security else where and this is when they get lured in relationships which have devastating effects on their lives. Lack of stable family structure because many of these parents are unemployed, they can’t bring up their children financially, take them to school, so they resolve into alcoholism to forget the burdens they undergo.

That is why due to poverty, girls are forced by their parents to sell their bodies as a source of revenue for the family, just to cater for their basic needs. Most of these girls don’t care even if they contracted HIV/ Aids. In fact they are almost like dead walking people.

It also explains why some young people are abusing drugs rampantly and of course this will also increase the sexual activities. This is a major contributor to increased cases of under age and unwanted pregnancies.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

Kenya: Debate Over MPs’s Salaries

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from: Gordon Teti
date: Sat, Jun 8, 2013 at 3:49 PM
subject: Debate Over MPs’s Salaries

It was wrong to rollback MPs’s salaries. Salaries are never rolled back. This is just the law of economics. People, including Members of Parliament, apply for jobs and make budgets based on the salary offered. Therefore, to deal with difficult economic times, increment in salaries and employment are frozen for a period of time.

When you look at people like Charles Nyachae, the Chairman of the Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC) who has voiced his concerns on the demand by MPs to reverse the decision by Salaries and Remuneration Commission that slashed MPs’s salaries, the guy is earning over 2 million Kenya shillings; his pay is even more than that of the President of Kenya. Can Mr. Charles Nyachae justify why he is being paid such amount of money while at the same time he is demanding for the slashing of salaries offered to others? This is double standard, hypocrisy and selfish of him.

from: Charles Nyachae
date: Mon, Jun 10, 2013 at 4:40 PM
subject: Re: Debate Over MPs’s Salaries

Hi Gordon,

i note your comment and while i respect your views, it would have been greatly helpful if you got your facts right.

the incorrect facts about my terms aside ,(they are in the public domain) neither CIC nor myself have at any time expressed a view regarding what members of Parliament should or should not be paid. Our contribution to the discussion has been to state what is in The Constitution of Kenya 2010, namely that the responsibility to set the remuneration and benefits of all state officers is offered by the Constitution on SRC, see Art 230.

best wishes

Kenya: OUR MPs deserves higher payment for a living and not a peanut

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KENYA MPS DESERVES TO EARN A BETTER SALARIES AND ALLOWANCES FOR A LIVING SO THAT THEY GIVE THE TAXPAYERS GOOD SERVICES AND PERFORMANCE.

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo In KISUMU City.

MEMBERS of Kenyan parliament deserve to be paid adequately so that they could perform their duties diligently and avoid what kind of word which some people had coined in connection with the 10th parliament, which had depicted of legislator as the “MP for Hire.”

Our legislators are tasked wit heavy responsibilities, particularly those representing remote rural constituencies who on many occasions are being called by the village to use their personal car and vehicles as ambulances while assisting the sick.

Medical services in this country collapsed many years ago. Most health centers, which are located in the interior part of the country have no standing by ambulances, at time even mothers in labor seek MPS assistance and support so that they could be rushed to the nearby, but poorly equipped medical facilities.

Poorly paid MP cannot afford to shoulder all these responsibilities, therefore the proposed basic alary of USD 10,00O per month for an MP is very much reasonable. The government has the poor record of appointing numerous but useless commission of Inquiries or other commissions whose finding have no direct benefit to the taxpayer or added value, and whose members are known to have been minting million of shillings, but performing nothing.

Members of parliament are honorable people. We expect them to be living decently as the honorable people, not like papers who could not discharge their responsibilities and deliver the goods to the electorate. The adjustment of the MP’s salary and allowances upward should not be negotiable.

I must say here in emphatically clear terms that even those members of the civil societies who last week staged violent street demonstration outside parliament and took piglets and pigs to harass and antagonizes our Muslem brothers who are not even taxpayers.

But we are driven by the desire to be heard and to make things difficult or our elected legislators to intimidate them not to perform their duties efficiently and competently. They were merely petty mischievous people and political hirelings and goons.

The time is ripe for Kenyan of good will and intention to come forward and say “a big no” to political thuggery. Such moves if left unchecked could plunge Kenya into distasteful condition and political turmoil that could make life difficult and unbearable for our children.

Madame Sarah Serem should think twice and make sure that our MPs are paid adequately, though I also concur with those who opined saying the number has increased threefold, and could definitely overburden the treasury with heavy Wage Bill.

With the present tri-cameral parliamentary system, I have a feeling that the extra 47 women representatives in parliament is a luxury, though it is contained under a cause in the ne constitutional dispensation. Te 47 Counties are adequately represented and covered by the Senators.

Kenya, however, must accept that the new set of the constitution is a very expensive one and the government will have to go extra miles in search of funds to have all its clauses implemented fully. But we can afford it through dialogue and negotiations and not through the staging violence street demonstrations by mainly goons and job seekers.

Our MPs deserves good vehicles for their safe travelling, good houses while attending their duties in the City, security details.

It is also time for the government to tell members of the Provincial Administration pack up and go home, or reassign them elsewhere as it has become obvious that their continued present in the Counties is not in the interest of taxpayers.

They could be sabotaging the operations of the devolutions and undermining as well as undercutting the work of the governors and their regional assembly teams. The undercutting could be the source of insecurity in places like Bungoma, Busia and Trans-Nzoia and elsewhere. Sooner or later such insecurity would spread like bushfire to other peaceful areas. The PCs,D.Cs,,DOs were dismissed by the High Court and told that they have no role in the evolution system, but someone somewhere choose to ignore the court judgment. It could be a cartel within the defunct coalition government had special assignment for them during the March 14 general elections. However, the elections have come and gone. They should now be relieves of their duties

If the purpose of retaining the Provincial Administration was a secret weapon used in rigging the last general election, then their role is over, they should go home now.It is all duplication of work and responsibilities with the governor and their team safely installed.

Ends

KENYA: MPS AND LOVE OF MONEY

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From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013

Ecclesiastes 5:10 warns Kenyan Members of Parliament against and consequences of love money: “Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless”- For the love of money is the root of all evil, and it destroys men’s lives.

According to this saying, all immorality and wickedness is caused by money. It implies that all immorality and wickedness is caused by people loving money, not by money itself. Kenyans MPs should know that money is the means and not the end. In other words, having a lot of money is great, but having a lot of money should not be an ultimate goal.

Love of money is closely related to the lust. In the Book of Proverbs (Mishlai), among the verses traditionally associated with King Solomon, it states that the Lord specifically regards “six things the Lord hateth, and the seventh His soul detesteth”, namely:

1. A proud look

2. A lying tongue

3. Hands that shed innocent blood

4. A heart that devises wicked plots

5. Feet that are swift to run into mischief

6. A deceitful witness that uttereth lies

7. Him that soweth discord among brethren

Another list, given this time by St Paul’s letter to Galatians 5:19-21. It includes more of the traditional seven sins: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, “and such like”.

St Paul goes on to say that the persons who commit these sins “shall not inherit the Kingdom of God”, they are usually listed as (possible) mortal sins rather than capital vices.

Against the background that Civil Society equated MPs’ greed to pigs. They were not saying that MPs are pigs. They were simply comparing their bad character and behavior to that of the pigs.

Pigs have become synonymous with several negative attributes, especially greed, gluttony, and uncleanliness, and these ascribed attributes have often led to critical comparisons between pigs and humans.

In Luke 15, Jesus tells about the youngest son coming to his father to ask for his inheritance ahead of time. He then took the inheritance and ran away to spend it all on having a good time. He had plenty of “friends” to help him spend it but quickly ran out of his inheritance funds.

Then he was reduced to working in a pig pen and the pigs ate better than he. For a Jew, to tend to pigs was the height of humiliation since they were deemed unclean according to the Old Testament dietary laws.

Kenyan demonstrators released a litter of pigs and poured blood on the pavement outside the gates of parliament in Nairobi to protest a proposed law that would raise wages for parliamentarians.

Police and parliament officials chased the pigs after using tear gas, batons and water cannons to disperse the nearly 250 protesters who marched through downtown Nairobi and sat down at the entrance to parliament.

The names of specific MPs have been written on the bodies of some of the pigs. Yet Kenyan parliamentarians are already some of the best paid on the continent. In January, parliamentarians voted themselves a $107,000 send-off bonus, their last work before parliament closed ahead of elections, after earlier efforts to grant themselves the windfall were vetoed by the then President Mwai Kibaki.

Like Orwell’s Animal Farm where the animals revolted against the cruel human leaders and set up a better method of farm management where all animals are equal, the protesters wanted the MPs recalled back so that Kenyans can vote leaders who can serve them and not leaders who enrich themselves.

In Orwell’s Animal Farm, as time passes, the new leaders become greedy and corrupt, and the other animals realize conditions are just as miserable as before. The pigs are one of the most significant of these connections, representing the communist rulers of Russia, like Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky.

In the novel Animal Farm, the pigs represent the communist leaders of Russia in the early 1900s. In Buddhism the pig is a symbol of ignorance. In ancient Christian symbolism the pig is symbol of greed. Jewish, Moslums and Islamic cultures view the pig as unclean and they are forbidden to eat pork.

The following are my suggested biblical texts for MPs to reflect upon

1 Timothy 6:10-For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. Hebrews 13:5-Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Luke 12:15-And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Matthew 6:24-“No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

Matthew 6:31-33-Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

1 John 3:18-Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.

2 Timothy 3:2-For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy.

1 Timothy 6:9-10- But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Romans 13:9- For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

Matthew 6:19-21-“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

2 Corinthians 7:1- Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God. Romans 5:8-But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. John 14:15- “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Proverbs 23:4-5-Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. When your eyes light on it, it is gone, for suddenly it sprouts wings, flying like an eagle toward heaven. Proverbs 13:11- Wealth gained hastily will dwindle, but whoever gathers little by little will increase it. Revelation 2:4- But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.

Luke 16:19-31- “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table.

Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side.

Proverbs 30:8-9- Remove far from me falsehood and lying; give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me, lest I be full and deny you and say, “Who is the Lord?” or lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God.

Proverbs 28:20-A faithful man will abound with blessings, but whoever hastens to be rich will not go unpunished. Proverbs 23:4-Do not toil to acquire wealth; be discerning enough to desist. 1 John 2:15-Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 1 Timothy 6:9-11-But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. Luke 12:15-21-And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.

Real contentment will not be found in the riches this world has to offer, but only when we can be happy with what we have, and not believing it is in what we do not have (Heb. 13:5). Real contentment will be found when the Lord blesses those whose hunger is for righteousness and not material goods (Matt. 5:6).

Solomon himself learned this lesson the hard way, after many attempts to find happiness in material pleasures (Eccl. 2:4-10). His conclusion was that it was all “vanity and grasping for the wind” (Eccl. 2:11).

Real treasure is not the riches the world sees, but we can hold one great treasure in our hands: the word of God (Psa. 19:10). The psalmist said it best when he said of the word of God, “More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb.”

In the precious words of God are found things more valuable than any earthly treasure, for these are the words of life (John 6:63); these are the words by which we may be saved from our sins (Acts 11:14); these are the words given to us by God that we might know His will and the very words that will judge us in the end (John 12:47, 48)! Our MPs and all of us need these words!

GOD BLESS KENYA

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

KENYA LAWYERS TO GO TO COURT OVER MPs PAY?

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By Agwanda Saye

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) will move to court seeking Constitutional interpretation over salaries demanded by elected leaders.

LSK Chairman Mr. Eric Mutua said that the High Court should rule on whether Parliament has powers to both make and interpret laws.

“We (LSK) have written to the Speaker of the National Assembly (Justin Muturi) expressing concern on this dangerous trend by the Eleventh Parliament,” Mr. Mutua said.

He said that unless the Speaker pronounces himself as per the law, LSK would move to court in line with the Constitution.

“The bullying tactics employed by Parliament to send home the Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) for performing its Constitutional roles is wrong,” Mr. Mutua said.

The LSK Chairman regretted that attempts by elected representatives from the Senate, National Assembly, Governors and County Representatives to dictate and determine their remuneration was unconstitutional.

“The supreme law ended the era when elected leaders could use their muscle to illegally determine their remuneration,” Mr. Mutua said.

The LSK Chairman said that it was sad that the National Assembly now purports to make laws and interpret the same.

“Parliament is overstepping its mandate and usurping powers from the Judiciary, which is empowered to interpret the law,” Mr. Mutua said.

Mr. Mutua said that the rule of law must be followed arguing that the Constitution – as the supreme law – must not be watered down.

“Constitutional bodies like SRC must be protected when undertaking their roles and mandate,” Mr. Mutua said. The SRC , which has powers to determine the pay of public officers pegged MPs salary at Sh532,000 from Sh851,000 earned by Members of the Tenth Parliament

Mr. Mutua said that Article 251 of The Constitution provided reasons that may send home a Commissioner or holder of an independent body.

“The major reasons include serious violation of the Constitution or any other law, gross misconduct, physical or mental incapacity, incompetency or bankruptcy,” Mutua said.

The LSK had recently called on the Speaker of the National Assembly to determine whether debating the motion to send SRC home was Constitutional.

“SRC is a Constitutional body and can only be dissolved following a referendum as provided in the supreme law,” Mr. Mutua said.

He said that it was disturbing for a section of MPs to poison minds of the electorate that the SRC did not follow the law when it harmonized their salaries.

Ends

KENYA: ACADEMIC FRAUDSTERS MADE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS WITHIN KISUMU COUNTY AS THE COUNTY HEAD TO ECONOMICAL ABYSS.

5 Replies

By Our Investiagtive Reporter

Kisumu Governor Jack Ranguma the man many considered to be the most inept, ineffective, salient and a non performing Governor among his peers finally managed to announce members of the Executive Committee after area residents had threatened to move to court to compel him to do so.

But the appointments were not without question marks as he brought on board four people and who contested political seats but lost during the last general elections and it was discovered that most of the people who were nominated pending their nomination approved by the County’s appointment committee lied about their academic credentials a thing which is likely to jeopardize chances of the approval of the nominees.

Ranguma who appeared to be reading the names he was either ignorant or was given admitted that he was aware that the list “may not be the best but he pleaded with all and sundry that they just allow the nominees to take their roles.

He could not be able to tell two people Lorna Omuodo and Meshack Nyabenge what their roles would be but instead he told Journalists to be creative and invent a word for their titles something which really aghasted and surprised those who were present at the function.

Earlier it had emerged that Ranguma had kept the names of the nominees secret and would not even allow his deputy Adhaimbo Odinga to peruse the document before his announcement.

“He was drafting the list alone and never wanted his deputy to be involved, seems there were some sources who were really keen to have the list go their way and instead it has really backfired as some of the nominees are likely to be rejected straight away”said a source who attended the meeting but never wanted to be named.

He announced a ten man Executive Committee comprising four women and six men as many have vowed to move to court to challenge his nominees.

Just who are those nominated?

1-Joseph Omulo Okal-County Treasurer,

He hails from Kano and In his a academic resume he presents himself as “a distinguished Finance and Banking Specialist with several years of Post-Graduation experience”’

He is one man who can’t make his own personal decision

The truth is that the said Okal contested Muhoroni Parliamentary seat against Prof.Ayiecho Olweny during the 2007 general elections and lost miserably coming last among the then five candidates.

It can be authoritatively be said that Omulo has been sacked from Co-operative Bank,Diamond Trust and he was sacked early this year from Family Bank in what his employers says is his ineptness.

Many await to see how he will handle the crucial financial docket.

2-Rhoda Atieno Obadha-Environment Management

She comes from Kano but was a married in Kisumu Nyahera, she contested during the last general elections CORD nominations but came distant last.

In her academic resume,she is portrayed as high level Management Consultant ing in sustainable ,micro finance ,water and sanitation.

She was sacked from Agricultural Finance Corporation where she was the area Manager over her financial misuse of the said Company’s money,she was later sacked from Kisumu’s ASK show.

She ran away from her husband after the man had an accident and was mentally derailed.

Many await to see how she will carry her duties.

3-Dr.Barrack Otieno Abonyo-Water,Energy and Natural Resource

He also hails from Kano he is portrayed as an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at Florida A & M University College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences.

The truth is that the man never stepped inside this institution and all checks reveals that he never schooled there.

He was deported from the US and arrived in Kenya and started going round that he wanted to be contest Gubernatorial seat only to discover that he was real broke and could not sustain his campaigns.

He is usually found idling at a certain hotel within the outskirts of town where he is given free accommodation and meals

4-Elizabeth Ominde Ogaja-Health

She is a fourm four drop out and her academic resume could not be provided.

5-JenipherAtieno Kerre-Education ,Youth,Culture and Social Services.

She runs organization called WIFIP which is a Non Governmental Organization where workers are badly mistreated and are not paid.

She uses deceit to organize workshops and seminars where she really swindles participants whom she usually invites.

During the time she was a teacher rising to a Head teacher she was faced with various allegations and at one time was charged in a court of law for embezzling school funds.

She is said to have studied for a Masters of Arts Degree in Distance Education??

5-Dr.Stephene Otieno Orot-Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries

His resume says that he is an accomplished Veterinary Specialist who has risen through the ranks to be the Senior Assistant Director of Veterinary Services with the Ministry of Livestock

He hails from Kajulu within Kisumu East Constituency,

He was interdicted by the government after was found selling some Agrovet products using government vehicle and was later sacked.

8-Vincent Kodera-Phyical Planning,Roads and Public Works.

He is from Nyakach Constituency,he is said to hold a Bsc degree in Technology from Moi University.

HE is not known to have been employed anywhere, he contested Nyakach seat during both the 2007and the 2013 general elections and came third in both.

He has been out of employment since elections and his nomination came handy for him .

George Ongaya Okoth-Communications ,Planning and Development.

He is said to be;”an experienced and respected Proffesional with Impressive track record of Managerial accomplishments”

The truth is that Okoth has been an insurance policy seller within the streets of Kisumu.

He has worked as a commission agent for First Choice and Newday Insurance Brokers.

He was one of the people who were busy bodies during Ranguma’s campaigns.

Dr.Rose Kisia Omondi-Commerce,Tourisim and Heritage

She contested Nyakach Parliamentary Seat in 2007 and lost and during the 2013 general elections she contested as a women rep for Kisumu County and lost again to Rose Nyamunga

She claims in her academic resume that she studied Tourism from University of Waikato Hamiltone in New Zealand.

Surprisingly ,she has never taught in any Kenya University as most varsities questions her academic credentials.

We could not establish her teaching records at both Moi and Kenya Polytechnic.

10-Hanif Rana-Industrialization,Enterprise Development and Transport.

She operates an internet Cyber station near Mamba Hotel; he has been rewarded by Ranguma because during the last general elections he gave out his two Lorries for Ranguma’s campaigns.

“I am surprised that Rana is saying tht he has Masters degree in Health Research and Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics.

Did he really go past fourm Four?”wondered one of his peers who knows him well.

Meshack Osindo Nyabenge-

He is said to have experience in Natural Resources Planning and Management and also he isa GIS and Remote Sensing Specialist.

He is also said to be holding a Mscin Geoinforamtion Systems from Netherlands and Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Photogrammetry.

The truth is that he was once in charge of Kakamega Juvenile Prison

He is a retiree and have very limited education, many were surprised when such a resume was read as a belonging to him.

He was a chief Campaigner of Ranguma as he hails with him from the Lorna same Kobura clan.

Lorna Omuodo-

She is said to be an expert in energy, social development and sustainable development

She presents herself as agraduate of Rural Sociology from Punjab University India.

The truth is she is a jiko maker and was once a subordinate staff with Kenya Governmnt

USA: What matters to you?

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From: Nita and Shaunna, Ultraviolet

Last week, House Republicans voted on a disastrous bill that would allow employers to demand more work for less pay. It’s time to show Congress what a pro-woman economic agenda really looks like. Tell us what matters most to you.

http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/756?t=2&akid=445.6000.VqfXmr

Dear Readers:

Eric Cantor and House Republicans are intent on rolling back women’s economic rights and we have to push back.

Last week, they passed a disastrous bill that would allow employers to demand more work for less pay under the guise that it would give women and families more flexibility.1

50,000 UltraViolet members weighed in and made it clear that women aren’t falling for this gimmick–and President Obama heard you and vowed to veto the bill.2

But now pro-woman champions in Congress are left wondering, what does a pro-family, pro-woman economic agenda look like?

With 42% of women having to choose between their paycheck and taking care of a sick child,3 childcare being more expensive than rent in 22 states,4 and the average woman losing almost $11,000 dollars every year due to wage discrimination,5 this is an urgent priority to figure out.

So can you tell us: What policies are imperative to increasing the economic security of women and our families? And what is your experience with them–does your office offer child care? Paid sick leave? We’ll take the top responses from all UltraViolet members and put them into a 21st agenda for family economic security and make sure every member of Congress knows where we stand.

Tell us what’s most important to you in a pro-woman economic agenda.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/756?t=3&akid=445.6000.VqfXmr

The gender wage gap has been stagnant over the last decade.6 So far, Connecticut is the only state that requires paid sick leave,7 which ensures workers can stay home when they’re sick. And don’t even get us started on how the US is one of only three nations in the entire world that doesn’t offer paid maternity leave.8

All of this makes it harder to be a working woman, a parent, and a caregiver in America.

We need to show Eric Cantor and his fellow Republicans what a pro-woman economic agenda really looks like. UltraViolet is launching a major campaign to push it, but first we want to hear about what matters most to you.

Will you take 5 minutes to fill out the survey?

Tell us what matters most to you in a pro-woman economic agenda.
http://act.weareultraviolet.org/go/756?t=4&akid=445.6000.VqfXmr

Thanks for speaking out.

Nita, Shaunna, Kat, Malinda, and Karin, the UltraViolet team

Sources:

1.Working Families Flexibility Act Passes House Over Opposition Of Democrats, Labor, Huffington Post, May 8, 2013

2. Ibid.

Harkin, DeLauro Renew Fight for Paid Sick Days, Senator Harkin press release, March 12, 2013

3. Working Women Need Paid Sicks Days, National Partnership for Women and Families, 2013

4. Parents and the High Cost of Child Care, Child Care Aware of America, 2012

5. What Could Women Do With $10,662 Per Year?, National Women’s Law Center, April 20, 2010

6. The Wage Gap is Stagnant in Last Decade, National Women’s Law Center, September 2012

7. State and Local Action on Paid Sick Days, National Partnership for Women and Families, April 2013

8. How The Zero Weeks Of Paid Maternity Leave In The U.S. Compare Globally, Think Progress, May 24, 2012

Kenya: Attempt to heckle Francis Atwoli was an act of shame and misguided

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Commentaries By Leo Odera Omolo.

A shameful act and politically motivated propaganda against the Secretary General of the Central Organization of Trade Unions {COTUK} during the Labor Day celebrations of the Uhuru Park by a few misguided elements was an act of shame, unwarranted and uncalled for.

The two hecklers, who have since been dealt with under the law of the land, had the ulterior motive of a shaming Atwoli before His Excellency the President of the Republic of Kenya Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta.

The unfortunate act of shame should now be forgotten and considered as having boomeranged on the perpetrators, because the thousands of Kenyan workers who thronged the venue left with smiling faces after our good President had officially sanctioned for the increment of salaries of the lowest paid workers in this country by 14 per cent.

The former photo-journalist Boniface Mwangi and his accomplice Mr Amwai should consider themselves the luckiest people because the narrowly escaped from being lynched by the angry Kenyan workers.

The good gesture at the end of the function showed that President Kenyatta equally loved the Kenyan workers and therefore was not shaken by Mwangi antics. Whoever sponsored Mwngi to cause commotion and mayhem during such important occasion when Kenyan workers were commemorating May Day / Labor Day, which is celebrated globally, should feel ashamed.

Atwoli is a dedicated servant of the workers of his country. He has come the long way struggling for the Kenyan workers and achieved a lot, and as such he deserved some amount of respect.

Whatever grievances or grudges Mr Mwangi is nursing against the secretary-General of COTU {K}, choice of forum and venue for airing such grievances was totally wrong..

If at all he disagreed with Atwoli for demanding that the MPS salaries should be left at where they were at the end of the 11th parliament.

Moreover Francis Atwoli is aiso acknowledged globally as an accomplished trade unionist of high reputation .He had all the mandate of the Kenyan workers to defend them on any contentious issues, MPs included because even the MP are also the workers in this country and they al falls under the armpit of cotu{k}

I passionately appealed to Mr Atwoli to soldier on with his service dedication to the workers and ignore the by irresponsible political demagogues and goons.

Ends

CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING ON CONDITION OF WORKERS

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from: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
THURSDAY, MAY 2, 2013

Following my article of yesterday on middle class Kenyans continue to be exploited every time Labour Day being celebrated, some of our readers have sent in some comments and queries.

Peres Were of the graphic design, Westalnds-Nairobi asks: “Father, do you think government of Kenya will ever listen to the cry of middle class?”- Kizito Nyongesa from Catholic University of Eastern Africa (CUEA) writes: “Father Omolo thank you very much for your News Dispatch, they have helped me to have big picture on many things happening around us.”

The third reader is a Theology three Seminarian from Nairobi who does not want his name to be mentioned for fear of his authorities. He describes a sad and painful story where his parish priest is exploiting his cook by giving only Ksh 5,000 as his salary every month.

This cook has children to take to school, wife to take care of, medical care, food, clothing, etc. This is the same person who cooks, washes the clothes of the priests and irons them. When he asks the priest to add his salary, the priest tells him he has no money since the sadaka (offertory) is not enough.

But this priest is able to entertain his friends with more than Ksh 5,000 every week. He drives luxurious car, pays school fees to his siblings, able to talk on his phones hours and hours and many other things that cannot be counted here all.

This seminarian wants to know whether there is a place this cook can complain, that is a kind of a union defending the rights of the workers. The seminarian goes on to say that even it there was this cook may be afraid to go because when the priest discovers it will be the end of his job.

This story is just one sample of how many workers have been exploited in church institutions which are supposed to defend their rights. Most of the workers in these institutions have been treated like beasts of burden- an animal, such as a donkey, ox, or elephant, used for transporting loads or doing other heavy work.

The principles of Catholic social teaching on this issue are very clear. One reason compelling Leo XIII to write Rerum Novarum was because of the reason that middle class workers have been exploited like beats of burden. Leo XIII – Rerum Novarum.
http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vatican.va%2Fholy_father%2Fleo_xiii%2Fencyclicals%2Fdocuments%2Fhf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum_en.html&ei=FvCBUaDxJYbYswa-kIH4Cg&usg=AFQjCNHZZv4Y-UQdX6cekrJXwHf2yv9FsQ&bvm=bv.45960087,d.bmk

His conviction was that the present age has handed over the working poor to inhumane employers and greedy competitors. He saw the working poor as needy and helpless and insufficiently protected against injustices and violence. His sympathy went out to these poor, who have a “downcast heart”.

Leo felt that most of the working poor live undeservedly in miserable and wretched conditions with no medical care, minimal wage, no retirement benefits, no savings, and no holidays- they overworked as if they were not human beings created in image of God.

That is why even more significantly, Leo challenged the position of those who use religion to support their oppression of the poor. In a clear anticipation of what would later be known as the preferential option for the poor.

The working poor, Leo asserts, should be liberated from the savagery of greedy people. He wanted the poor to understand that the lowest in society cannot be made equal with the highest and that poverty is no disgrace.

Leo XIII made it clear that the poor and the exploited were not to accept unjust treatment as though it were inevitable, and that they were to stand up for their rights at the same time that they helped to preserve good order in society.

His advice to them was: “protect your own interests, but refrain from violence and never riot; your demands should be reasonable; press your claims with reason; form unions but do not strike.

Leo XIII wanted the working poor to protect their interests, to make demands, to press their claims, and the principal means for doing this was the formation of unions. In their efforts to claim their rights, the working poor should find in the government an ally, and Leo made it clear that the working poor should be given special consideration by the government.

Rerum Novarum also contained a message to those who deal with the working poor. For Leo, employers have clear moral obligations: workers are not to be treated as slaves; the dignity of your workers’ human personality must be respected; do not use people as things for gain; do not oppress the needy and wretched for your own profit.

Leo tells the wealthy the same thing he told the working poor: Christian morals must be re-established, for true dignity resides in moral living. Morality for the wealthy employers consists in coming to terms with their “proud spirit” and being “moved toward kindness”. They are to be mindful of their duties, which mean that they are not to oppress workers with unjust burdens or inhuman conditions.

The encyclical Rerum Novarum is considered the first great social encyclical of modern times. It was published by Pope Leo XIII on May 15, 1891, a landmark date in the history of the Church Magisterium Forty years later, Pius XI commemorated it with the encyclical Quadragessimo Anno, and on the eightieth anniversary Paul VI issued his letter Octogessima Adveniens. Finally, John Paul II commemorated the ninetieth anniversary with the most recent of the great social encyclicals, Laborem Exercens.

All these encyclicals emphasize the important of the main fundamental rights which include the right to life, liberty, and security of person; the right to physical and moral integrity; the right to sufficient and necessary means to live in a becoming manner (food, clothing, housing, rest, health care, social services).

The right to security in case of sickness, disability, widowhood, old age, unemployment, and any involuntary loss of the means of subsistence; the right to due respect for one’s person and good name.

The right to education; the right of assembly and of association; the right to form unions; the right to participate actively in public life; the right to personal participation in attaining the common good; the right to the legal protection of one’s rights.

It is God’s will that man should engage in work, an activity which encompasses all those human efforts which aim at improved conditions of life (or better still, the process by which man understands, cares for, superintends, and transforms the earth and its resources).

When man was created in the image and likeness of God, man received the command to rule the world, subduing the earth and all it contains, thus continuing and cooperating in the creative work of God.

Pope Francis I in his homily on the feast of St Joseph the worker emphasized this fact. The Book of Genesis tells us that God created man and woman by entrusting to them the task of populating the Earth and subjugating it, which does not mean to exploit it, but to cultivate and guard it, to care for it with their own labour (cf. Gen 1:28; 2:15). On St. Joseph the Worker | ZENIT – The World Seen From Rome.
http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CC4QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.zenit.org%2Fen%2Farticles%2Fon-st-joseph-the-worker&ei=XAmCUazKB4zJrQeX7oHoCw&usg=AFQjCNH0uirUdFU6_rhNpGgmFIz-4n_x8Q

The work is part of the plan of God’s love; we are called to cultivate and safeguard all the goods of creation and in this way we participate in the work of creation! The work is fundamental to the dignity of a person.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.comFacebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.
-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

KENYA: LABOUR DAY CELEBRATED AS MIDDLE CLASS KENYANS EXPLOITED

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from: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2013

Today is Labour Day. The Google doodle has marked the day by showing men at work creating building blocks. It shows workers from all walks of life doing their jobs. It shows an IT worker, a gardener, a painter and a plumber. A chopper is also hovering around its blocks.

Although the day is meant to celebrate the economic and social contributions of the workers, in many countries workers are exploited, working many hours with little wages. In Kenya, despite the attempts by workers to walk out during the President’s speech over his failure to set new guidelines on minimum wages has not seen any change.

The minimum wage for workers in the industrial sector was last raised in 2006 when it went up from Sh4,817 to Sh5,395. The amount for agriculture workers is Sh5,346.

In recent months, the cost of basic commodities has gone up significantly partly due to inflation, the effects of post-election violence and the rise in the price of fuel globally.

In his speech, the President always rule out a pay increase, saying the challenge we are facing is in Kenya is immense. The President’s explanations have however, not go down well with the workers.

The day is being celebrated at the time Kenya’s approach to food pricing emanating from grain pricing and imposition of taxes on basic grains like wheat which Kenya is not self sufficient.

For several years now, despite rising international prices and declining local production, Kenya has maintained taxes on imported grain against pleas of consumers – which invariably drives up the costs.

In Kenya we don’t grow enough to meet the local consumption needs and yet they all attract very high duties – made worse by global price increases due to constrained supply in the source markets.

Yet government of Kenya has not managed to provide tax relief on the importation of basic commodities and raw materials that are needed by industry. The government has also failed to consider taking measures to reduce the cost of fuel which has tremendously gone up over the past few months thus increasing the cost of living in the country.

Fuel prices can only go down when the reduction of tax charged on fuel, reworking of the formula used to come up with fuel pricing and measures that will ensure that the country has strategic reserves of fuel stock that can serve the country for at least 90 days at any given time thus preventing ‘shock prices among others.

When the government fails to take these measures then the situation will continue to deteriorate even further, then, many businesses will have no otherwise but either to relocate to other destinations that offer lower cost of doing business or completely close down their operations.

The situation in Kenya is so worrying to the extent that even musicians have used their lyrics to plead with Kenya government to look into the matter urgently. One of such musicians is Odhiambo Osumba Rateng with his hit: Baba Otonglo aka Baba Penny.

The music talks of an erstwhile rich man who has hit upon hard times, clears his throat and gathers a sheaf of papers ready to deliver his anticipated domestic budget.

As his large polygamous family listens attentively, Baba Otinglo points out that since the previous financial year had put a squeeze on the shilling, there was need for austerity measures to survive the slump during the next year.

He, therefore, proposes that from then on meals like beef, chicken and fish would only be eaten twice in 30 days” mid month and end month. Breakfast would invariably consist of strong black tea with one spoonful of sugar or uji, without luxuries like milk, bread and eggs.

Due to high cost of living, Baba Otonglo emphasises with a tinge of sarcasm, even the neighbour is still alive despite not eating such foods. As for chapati and rice, these would be reserved for Easter and Christmas.

Boiled sukuma wiki from Soko Mjinga would be the meal of choice. More importantly, everybody would be expected to eat meals at the same time, as it is expensive to keep food for those who come late. And only bar soaps would be used for bathing, not the many luxury brands hitherto at the family’s disposal.

There would also be reforms in the management of visitors. Ideally visitors are officially banned from the house. But should any turn up without notice, they would be expected to carry their own bus fare and bedding.

Also prohibited would be neighbours who have formed the habit of asking for small quantities of items like flour, cooking oil and matchsticks, with false promises that they would replenish the supplies.

It was a song that brought him and his Sega Sega Band fame, fortune and, inevitably, trouble. Initially, says Osumba, it received sufficient airplay on the Voice of Kenya (VoK) radio. But things soon turned sour and the political class, sensitive to any form of criticism and ready to censure artistic expression at the slightest excuse, apparently ordered the national broadcaster to stop playing the song.

Osumba then got into more trouble when in the flurry of media attention, a journalist convinced him to pose with a briefcase, in the manner of the Finance Minister’s pre-budget posture. When the photograph was published it rubbed some powerful people the wrong way.

Four policemen came to his house in Baba Dogo Estate, Nairobi, and arrested him. They accused him of criticizing the Government and composing a song that incited people.

In Kenya that is normal, anything that tries to criticize the government for its failure and evils are called incitements or hate speech. The best example is the controversial play by Butere Girls High School Drama Club: “The shackle of Doom”. The play, although talked of nepotism and an equal distribution of wealth, it was termed political.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ

Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578

E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com

Facebook-omolo beste

Twitter-@8000accomole

Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

USA: Congressional salaries should be the first cut

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From: Diane Russell

Below is an email from Diane Russell, a MoveOn member from Portland, Maine. Diane started a petition on SignOn.org, the petition site from MoveOn.org which allows anyone to start their own online campaign. If you have concerns or feedback about this petition,
then visit http://civic.moveon.org/signon_feedback/?id=63488-21095459-e3aD8dx&t=1

Pay cuts for federal workers should not exempt Congress or the President.
Sign the petition
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287736&id=63488-21095459-e3aD8dx&t=2

Dear MoveOn member,

Congress is about to impose furloughs amounting to a 20% across-the-board pay cut for 800,000 federal employees, more than 44 percent of whom are veterans.1

And yet, where is the same 20% cut for Congress and the president? Are they not federal employees? Aren’t these the people who keep telling us that everyone must share the burden?

The across-the-board cuts set to go into effect at the end of the week will hurt the economy and they should be stopped.

But if Congress insists on cutting anyone’s salary, they should cut their own paychecks first. We pay their salaries. That’s why I created petition on MoveOn.org’s petition site, SignOn.org, which says:

Any across-the-board pay cuts for federal employees must include the same pay cuts for all members of Congress and the president of the United States.

It’s up to us to demand that if members of Congress pass these unnecessary and harmful cuts—despite overwhelming public opposition—that they start with themselves.

Thanks!

–Diane Russell

Source:

1. “Many federal workers facing furloughs are veterans,” The Washington Post, February 13, 2013
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=287733&id=63488-21095459-e3aD8dx&t=5

This petition was created on SignOn.org, the progressive, nonprofit petition site. SignOn.org Political Action Edition is licensed to and paid for by MoveOn.org Political Action, which is not responsible for the contents of this or other petitions posted on the site. Diane didn’t pay us to send this email—we never rent or sell the MoveOn.org list.

Want to support our work? We’re entirely funded by our 7 million members—no corporate contributions, no big checks from CEOs. And our tiny staff ensures that small contributions go a long way. Chip in here.
https://pol.moveon.org/donate/donate.html?cpn_id=44&id=63488-21095459-e3aD8dx&t=6

Msg BY MOVEON.ORG POLITICAL ACTION, http://pol.moveon.org/. Not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.