Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
From: Rehema Kikwete
date Oct 30, 2009 9:28 AM
subject Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
Taarifa na tafiti mbalimbali zimeonyesha kwamba vijana wengi eneo la afrika mashariki wanashiriki katika matendo ya ngono bila kinga yoyote kwa sababu ya tabia iliyojengeka katika jamii kwamba akinunua kinga anaweza kuchekwa au kuonekana ni mpenda ngono ana tabia chafu na maneno mengine mabaya mbele zao
Lakini kuna tatizo gani katika kununua kinga hii ya kumlinda maisha ya mtu dhidi ya magonjwa ambayo anaweza kupata kutokana na Ngono isiyo salama ? Kwanini vijana wanaona haya kununua kinga hizi ? kwanini wanafikiria ubaya tu wanaponunua kinga ?
Je wewe mwenzangu kama ni kijana huwa unafanya nini ? Nawe ni mwenye aibu kama wenzako ? Tatatizo ni nini haswa ?
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From: Yona F Maro
date Oct 30, 2009 12:20 PM
subject Re: Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
suala hili la vijana kuogopa kutumia vifaa hivyo ni tatizo la kijamii jamii yenyewe haijamua kuamka na kuamua kupambana na ugonjwa huu katika kuanzia katika ngazi ya familia na zingine , hivi ni wangapi huko majumbani kwao haswa vijana hawa huwa wanakaa hata na wajomba zao , baba zao wadogo au wazazi wao wenyewe kuongelea mambo ya kawaida tu yanayohusu mahusiano ? ni wachache sana wengi wanafikiri kuongea na mtoto wake masuala haya ni aina Fulani ya kupotoka kwa maadili .
Mimi pia nimekulia kwenye mazingira kama haya sema tofauti ni aina ya shule nilizosoma na aina ya watu kwa kipindi cha sasa haswa humu mitandaoni tunavyo badilishana mawazo na kuchangia mambo mbalimbali nimeweza kujifunza mengi sana , kubadilika baadhi ya vitu na hata mwenyewe nimeweza kufunza baadhi ya vijana wale ambao nina bahatika kukutana nao mitaani au vyuoni humu .
Na mwisho nina mpenzi mmoja tunaaminiana , masuala ya afya yetu ndio nguzo ya maisha yetu ya kila siku na huwa tunaongelea masuala yanayohusu haya kama tukionana kwenye chat , au kwenye simu na hata tunapokutana ingawa tunaishi mbalimbali .
Naomba niishie hapa yasije kuibuka mengine
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From: Rehema Kikwete
Sent: Fri, 30 October, 2009 17:28:25
Subject: Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
Taarifa na tafiti mbalimbali zimeonyesha kwamba vijana wengi eneo la afrika mashariki wanashiriki katika matendo ya ngono bila kinga yoyote kwa sababu ya tabia iliyojengeka katika jamii kwamba akinunua kinga anaweza kuchekwa au kuonekana ni mpenda ngono ana tabia chafu na maneno mengine mabaya mbele zao
Lakini kuna tatizo gani katika kununua kinga hii ya kumlinda maisha ya mtu dhidi ya magonjwa ambayo anaweza kupata kutokana na Ngono isiyo salama ? Kwanini vijana wanaona haya kununua kinga hizi ? kwanini wanafikiria ubaya tu wanaponunua kinga ?
Je wewe mwenzangu kama ni kijana huwa unafanya nini ? Nawe ni mwenye aibu kama wenzako ? Tatatizo ni nini haswa ?
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From: Hildegarda Kiwasila
date Oct 30, 2009 1:28 PM
subject Re: Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
Ninachangia Kusema:
Wakati mwingine humkosea Mungu na kusema "Tumezaa sana kiasi kwamba vijana ni wengi vijiweni, hawafanyi kazi wapo wapo tu, wanakula bangi, pombe kisha ngono zembe, waache wafe au tufe tupunguze wingi wa watu".
Elimu ya ukimwi imezagaa sana ila watu wanatunga mambo kibao ili kutimiza haja zao. Imani nazo za kienyeji hutumaliza.
Tufahamu kuwa-mwingine ambaye ni positive atakusaka au kumtafuta mpenzi wako, mwanao amuambukize kwa makusudi akuletee kama kukukomoa. Tujiongeleshe majumbani na wenzetu tuweke tahadhari na kujilinda.Wamama na wababa tuache tamaa. hata ajira sasa inabadilika ni kutoa ngono bila kinga.
Imani potofu na Uzushi
Mtu anaanza kuzusha kuwa wazungu wameweka vidudu ktk condom ukitumia utavunjika mwili wako hautakuwa rijali yaani athari ni kuwa sio mwanaume (ashakum hanithi) baada ya kugusana na hiyo grisi ktk condom. Huu ni uongo.
Tunafundisha vijana wetu ila wabishi na wakifika nje ni wepesi kufundishana na wengine mambo ya uongo. Peer group influence huingilia na kubadili elimu na mitazamo. Wengine wanasema wasichana wenyewe hawataki condom.
Kuna maeneo kweli kondom hazipo kiasi kwamba watu wanakodisha, unatumia, inakoshwa anatumia mwingine au wanatumia mifuko laini myepesi ya plastiki inawekwa hidi ndani ya vyumbani lodging. Lakini, sehemu nyingi sasa condom zinapatikana na zinauzwa shs 100. Wengine hata hiyo shs mia hana na haachi zinaa. Hata kama ameoa au ana mtu wake wa kudumu. Bado anakwenda nje.
Condom inasaidia sio kwa kuzuia ukimwi tu, hata maradhi mengine ya zinaa na uchafuzi wa njia ya uzazi kwa wanawake na wanaume fungus za aina mbali mbali na magonjwa ya zinaa. Na kama hayatibiki vizuri yanaleta utasa, virus na cancer, kuzima mkojo wanaume n.k. wanayojua madaktari.
Imani potofu ni nyingi. Hata sasa watu wanaamini mengi pamoja na haya hapa ambayo wengine tumekutana nayo ktk kazi zetu:
-Kondom itabaki ndani kwa mwanamke itakwamia huko na kupanda ktk mapafu na kuua. Kuna maponomu ambayo ni transparent ya kufundishia kuondoa dhana hii.
-Ukitumia kondom ina maana humpendi mpenzio unamuona mchafu. Wanawake ni wa kwanza kukataa kondom eti unamuona najisi-mchafu. Kila mtu ana uchafu wake na unapochangia mke au mume ni kwamba hata kama si ukimwi unaupata huo uchafu wa fungus, viral etc,
-Mapenzi kwa kondom ni sawa kama kula pipi ikiwa ndani ya mfuko wake wa plastiki, kwanza ni kumdharau mwenzio kumuomba avae kivalo hicho na kivalo kinaathiri mapenzi.
-Mwanamke kudai kondomu au kuwa na ile kondomu ya kike kuvaa yeye ni dalili kuwa ni malaya au sio muaminifu. Baadhi ya wanawake wameua wanaume kwa kukuta condom ktk suruali yake.
-Kuvaa condon ni kutangaza uuaji. Unaua watoto kabla hujawazaa unawazika. Imani hii ya kuzika watoto kabla kuwazaa imezagaa machimbo ya madini ambako sex bila ya kondomu ni bei ghali (inalipa zaidi) kuliko kwa kondom. Kuna mabada ya muda mfupi yamezagaa ktk madini na changu doa mgini anapigwa mnada kwa hela ya juu watu wanamshindania. Mwenye dau kubwa ndio anamchukua. Kesho mwingine tena anamchukua.
-Kondomu linaumiza, linaathiri kuridhika kimapenzi. Ina maana utaalamu wote unaisha kama kuna condom, hakuna mapenzi ila ni kondomu.
-Unatumia condom kwa mtu usiyemjua, mkisha kutumia mara 1 hadi 3 na mkiisha kuzoeana basi-mnajuana, mmezoeana hakuna haja, mnaaminiana. Hata kama kati yenu mmoja ni positive-mmekwisha kuzoeana.
-Ukiwa umeolewa au umeoa-kondom haina haja ni mke au mume wa mtu umeolewa hivyo msafi huna wadudu au maambukizo.
-Una madigrii-msomi uwe wa chuoni, ofisini, hospitali etc mradi tu msomi huna HIV au kuwa na uezekano kuwa unao. Hivyo-unawapata tu ukiwa unaitwa Dr, Professor, Mkurugenzi, Daktari etc-immune huna
-Sura nzuri, mtanashati unanukia, mrembo, handsome, unajulikana kila mtu anapenda uwe karibu naye unatajwa kila unapopita.
-Mnene hujakonda na ni juzi tu mkeo kajifungua mtoto na wote wazima.
-Ukinawa tu mara baada ya tendo wadudu wa ukimwi hufa au ukinywa maji baridi mara.
-Tendo la ndoa kinyume na maumbile halisababishi ukimwi hivyo hakuna haja ya condom
-Msichana virgin hana HIV-anaweza kuzaliwa nayo ila haijajitokeza
-Watoto ni salama hawana HIV-ndio maana ubakaji wa watoto na wasichana wadogo umeongezeka. Ambapo anaweza akazaliwa na HIV au unakuwa nao wewe unadhania ndio utatibika kwa kuwa naye-Imani potofu kama ile ya kuua albino ili utajirike.
Haya ndio baadhi ya maelezo tunayokutana nayo kwa vijana tunapowafundisha masuala ya ukimwi. Ni tatizo kwa watu wazima pia kwa sababu walio wengi hawaufahamu vizuri mfumo wa uzazi, wanachokielewa ni kinyume chake
Tuangalie pia, tusikazane na vijana tu, tukazane na wanaume hasa watu wazima ambao wasichana wakishindwa maisha, hurudi vijijini ambapo wanakosa pa kuishi na kuwavamia vibabu katika vibanda vyao na kuishi nao kwa vile wapo pekee au wana mali nao hawana kitu. Vibabu vikilewa pombe vilabuni vijijini vinachukua changu doa wa vijijini na hawataki kushindwa kutukana kuitwa wazee eti zao zimekwisha. Wazee husema hivi kuwa hawapendi kuambiwa 'wewe babu zako zimekwisha kama bado njoo tuone!!' huu ni ujinga hawa nao kwa sasa wanapanda chart juu ya HIV na hawaielewi vizuri.
-Akina baba na akina mama ngariba wa kienyeji wameonekana kupanda chati ya HIV positive
-Akina mama wakunga wa Jadi wanaozalisha vijijini wanaambukizwa kwa kuhudumia wanawake, watoto wao na jirani kuwazalisha bila ya tahadhari au gloves.Kumzalisha mtu kwa gloves eti unamnyanyasa. akiwa mwanao ana HIV analia eti una mnyanyasa unamshika kwa mipira. Unamkosha mzazi (mwanao) ila ana matatizo nawe una michubuko.
-Waganga wa jadi wanaochanja wagonjwa baadhi wanaukimwi na wanajikata au kunyunya damu wanaita 'kupiga chuku' au wale wanaofanya dawa ambapo anachanja mgonjwa ila kumpaka dawa anaweka katika utupu wake na kumpaka (waganga wa Kimakonde-wamawia ndio wenye uganga wa aina hii). Pia kuna waganga wanaozini wateja wao wa kike kwa tamaa. Mke anajua ila ndio analinda ndoa maana mgonjwa yupo hapo muda mrefu anatibiwa na hana hela ya matibabu. Hiyo ndio fidia.Kumbe anaumwa hayo maradhi ya magonjwa nyemelezi yatokanayo na HIV.
-Polisi wanaokamata changu doa mijini hupewa rushwa ya ngono ili kuwaachia. Hawa wamepakatika na kuathirika sana
-Wageni wajao majumbani na watoto wako ktk kuchangia vyo vyombo kama wana TB na wengine ujinga hupigia miswaki ya watoto au kumegeana vitu kwa meno na watoto wadogo wanaoombaomba akiona mtu anakula.
-Watu/wazazi kuachana halafu kurudiana bila ya kupima eti nini ni Mzazi Mwenzie.
Bado kazi tunayo kuelimisha jamii. Akili zetu zinaonekana kushukia zaidi chini ya miili yetu kiasi kwamba, mawazo ya tamaa ya kimwili yamejaa wakati mwingine yanaziba yale halisi yote uliyoyaona ktk mazingira yetu na tulivyoona jinsi baadhi ya familia zilizoathirika, zinavyoteseka; uliyemzika alivyoteseka, jirani, ndugu au rafiki aliyekuwa HIV positive alivyopata tabu. Unajiona wewe hautopata-upo mwangalifu, mchaguzi mzuri na muangalifu ila-hutumii condom na huachi kuchanganya changaya.
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From: Samson Hayuma
date Oct 30, 2009 6:04 PM
subject Re: Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
Swala hii la watanzania kuogapa kununua kinga kwa sababu et watachekwa na jamii.,Ni kwa sababu aslimia kubwa ya familia za kitanzania bado wanafua mambo ya utamaduni,mila na kathalika. Pamoja na kuelimishwa kila kukicha bado hatusiki kabisa et tuna mcheka mtu kama ananunua kinga kwa afya yake!? Tubadilikeni jamani vinginevyo tutaendelea kupiga kelele bila mafanikio.
Sijawahi kuchekwa na mtu. Mimi sijaowa siku nikiwa na ahadi na rafiki yangu wa kike huwa tuna mpigia simu Doctor wetu na kumweleza saa ngapi tumwende ili atupe kinga na ushauri zaidi jinsi ya kutumia silaha huo.
Dada Rehema na wanabidii: Tatizo ni kwamba hizo kondom zinauzwa kama karanga mitaani na watu wasio wataalamu wa kazi hizo. Tasisi husika watabidi watoe elimu kwa wale wote wanao uza kondom.
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From: Hildegarda Kiwasila
date Oct 30, 2009 8:19 PM
subject Re: Kwanini Wanaogopa Kununua Kondom
Kwanza afadhali ya vijana wana mitandao mingi ya kununua kondom kuliko wazee. Hawa ndio wana aibu zaidi.
Inasikitisha sana. Wakati wanajenga mradi wa umeme wa Bwawa la Kihansi, tulikuta condom maboksi kibao. Toka zitolewe kwa mradi wa kupunguza athari na makali ya mradi kijamii ktk maradhi ya kuambukiza yanayoweza kutokea, condom hazikugawiwa. Unazitambua kwa alama ya rangi ya cover yake. Villlage health workers walikatazwa na kamati ya kijiji kugawa condom eti zinaongeza umalaya. watumishi ugani tena wana nguvu gani juu ya wazee wakijiji!!
Yet, ktk matatizo makuu ya kijijini mojawapo lilikuwa ni maradhi yasiyotibika kwa dawa za kienyeji hadi waende rufaa Health cEntre, hospital (Kaswende, kisonono etc). tatizo lingine lilikuwa kuibiwa wake na wachumba zao na wageni waliokuja kuchimba na kujenga bwawa (baadhi toka nchi za nje wenye fedha hawana wake); wale waliokwenda Kihansi kutafuta vibarua wanahanja vijijini na baadhi ya waajiriwa from within TZ ambao nao wanauwezo hawakuhamia na wake au familia zao ktk kujenga mradi haujakamilika.
Kesi number 1 faili la kata ktka mashitaka-kuvunjika ndoa, uchumba na talaka, zikifuatiwa na wizi mashambani ambao ulikuwa ni mgeni ukifanywa na waliokuja kutafuka vibarua na kukosa wanazurura vijijiji; ubakaji ulikuwa mgeni pia.
Nilipowauliza wazee kama hiyo condom wanayosema inaongeza umalaya/uzinifu kwa akina mama na ina madhara pia jee kuna mtu ameshawahi kuona hiyo kitu. Anyooshe mkono ambae anaijua na ameshaiona. walinyoosha sio zaidi ya 4 nao walikuwa ni walimu na watumishi wengine waliohudhuria kikao hicho. Ambao hawajaiona wanyooshe mkono-UKUMBI MZIMA wa WAZEE wa Kijiji cha Uhafiwa (mwaka 1997 Bwawa likijengwa). Nikawauliza kama wapo watu wanaotaka kuiona Condom-wakanyoosha mikono wote ambao hawajaiona. Nikawatolea baada ya kuwataka radhi kuona hicho ni kitu gani wanachokiogopa. Kwanza wengi walikishangaa kuwa ni kitu si cha maana kiplastiki kidogo tu. Baadhi walicheka kabisa na kutingisha vichwa. Ila, kutokana na wazee wa mila kushika bango VHW wasigawe n.k wakawafanya wenzao waamini kuwa hicho kitu ni cha hatari ila hawaelewi kipoje. Na ukiwauliza Condom inafikaje ktk mapafu na kuweza kuua mwanamke-maelezo ni uongo mtupu.
Mradi wa uhamasishaji kuhusu Social impact of Kihansi Dam -upande wa afya (Chini ya NORCONSULT-MUHAJAKI) ulianza na matatizo haya, uliathirika na STDs zilikuwa high kutokana na VHW kukatazwa kugawa condoms. na hivi ndivyo wanavyopakatika sasa kote kulikokuwa na miradi ya mabwawa ya umeme, mabarabara na mengineo. Machimboni ya madini ndio balaa.
Tukaeleweshana madhara yote ya kuto kutumia hiyo plastiki nao wana wake zao (katika ndoa zao) zaidi ya mmmoja (pamoja na kuwa zaidi ya 90% ni wakristu); tatizo la kumlazimisha muhudumu wa afya azingatie mila badala ya mafunzo aliyopewa, kuzuaia akina mama wasile dawa za uzazi (watazini hovyo, ukristu unakataza). Ni matatizo makubwa sana. Makanisa yanazika waumini kutokana na HIV ila yanakataza kondom.
Ni vizuri ktk kufundisha vijana na wazee kutumia hiyo condom kuwaonyesha na mabonomu ya kuonyesha jinsi ya kuvaa. Hearsay ni mbaya sana. Na siku hizi zipo za me na ke. Lakini tathimini za miradi hii ya HIV na kondomu matokeo yake yanasikitisha.
Sasa itawezekana kweli Samson Hayuma kwenda kwa daktari kila mara unapotaka kuonana na bibie ya ukweli hayo? Ila, inafaa sasa kulindana, kama unajiona unapitepite nyingi, mlinde mwenzako nyumbani basi angalau mmoja abaki kuangalia familia. Usitake peku peku nje na nyumbani peku pia. Kwa Mungu sijui utakwenda kusema nini maana unaua kwa makusudi.
Re: Africa is out for grab
From: Paul Nyandoto
Subject: Africa is out for grab
Date: Friday, October 30, 2009, 6:15 AM
Guys.
If any of you have been following the Transparency international court in France then you will be suprissed that Africa have lost and the French court have thrown the case to the dust. International Transparency had filled a court order against Omar Bongo, Denis Sasson N´Guesso of Kongo and Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbaso of Guinea for stealing their countries wealth and stored in France or outside Africa, some money were taken in hard cash, some in gold or oil to France. Some money were used in buying luxerious properties in France. Anyway to cut the story short the French court have dismissed the case because of lack of evidences to prove that those money were stolen from Africa. Nobody could give evidences to prove that those bastards stole the billions of euros they took to France. Since all of them have been having good government jobs in Africa those money might have been earned through very nice descent hard working jobs the court said. Those countries also do not have law in their constitution which says that illegally acquired money taken out of the country should be returned back even if the person claiming to be the owner is against. So folks be careful with the new constitution, it might not fulfill your dreams.
Kenya is also another story: Just as Judy gave you a glimpse. We see now Uhuru Kenyatta using the tax-payers money to buy land for IDP, the same land his father grabbed from the peasants in the 1960s and 1970s. Buying land is not bad for the IDP, but how the land was valued is what is making no sence in a present civilized world. He Uhuru and mt. kenyan budies sit down over a beer decides on the price and he Uhuru goes to the Finance ministry pot and collects how much he needs for the land and puts in his account. Did an independent body took part in valueing the land?.
Chinese syndrome is back. Now China is buying large sum of fertile land in Africa, cheating Africans that they are after making those land more productive to produce food which will benefit Africans. What a crap?. Lets not forget that China is a super power and in the world today every 6th breathing person is a chinese. China will be needing more food than today in future and because they are over populated they do not have enough fertile land in future to produce enough food for their own people. So who will benefit from lands bought in Africa ?.
Kenyans are also at loggerhead with Obama, we see now for the first time in history a president of a superpower who really means good for Africa especially Kenya and Mr. Obama is telling Africans the truth which most superpower presidents have never did, but what does he get?.
The PNU side of the kenyan governmnet is just a joke of idiots. They themselves have taken almost everybody still breathing from their villages, relatives or tribes mates who can read and speak English to USA, some for education, the ones who are already trained as nurses are all over there for jobs, at the same time they do not want any good thing Obama is trying to do for the ordinary Kenyans. USA embassy in Nairobi is full with Kenyans trying to leave for USA, some fill green cards every minute at the same time the PNU Mps are asking americans to tell them if USA is heaven and are even bold enough to ask the question : who wants to go to USA after all?. Is that not hypocrisy?
The sad thing we now today know is that African problems can not be solved by money,no money will make Africa a safe heaven for his citizens. Something should be done but what is it?. History have taught us that since 1960s Africa have been receiving money interms of loans, donors, projects, aid, you name it, even African descendants living now out side Africa have been pouring money back home almost every year, but has the situation changed?. There is still constant, starvation, poverty, prostitution, HIV/AIDS, child abuse, death from cured diseases, corruption. Still the weak ones do not benefit from all those projects. As donors pour money to Africa, fellow Africans are busy pumping their tax-payers money plus natural resources back to Europe, USA, Australia etc. Indirect the system is not well balanced, it looks that the money and properties being taken away from Africa are much more than the ones taken into Africa. Africa is becoming more poorer and poorer since 1960s. Look at even Ethiopia which was never colonised, now 25 years in a row is being given food by international community because of starvation and hunger, drought.
What should the younger African generation do to make the continent a safe place for its citizens and not to live with the dream of flying out for safe heaven outside Africa? I still do not think that a new constitution will solve the problem. Just as the some USA officials have said, USA is already full, there is no more space for more immigrants. Europeans are saying it everyday, some say it indirectly, some say it through skinheads. Just look the recent boat accident which killed Africans immigrants in the mediterenian sea to Europe. Evidences are now coming out that their lives might have been saved if the european guards really wanted to save them, but because of hate the guards had no where to hurry to.
The rescent German court of Dresden also shows the hate on Afrian descendants. A pregnant Egyptian born female was with his child outside in a park and a white german started to abuse her and his kid, the woman filled a case against the man. In the court room , this white man jumped and stabbed this poor pregnant woman in a court room 16 times and only when the woman`s husband tried to defend his wife from this monster, the court policeman took his gun and shot the husband. The policeman have said that he thought that it was the woman`s husband who was stabbing the wife. Well who knows how a white policeman thinks, may be he thinks that only dark skin people do commit crime. And why should a husband kill his wife in a court room?, how did this white monster smuggle a big kitchen knife into a court room with metal detectors? Unfortunately the poor Egyptian woman died right there in the court room plus his child in the womb from massive bleeding. Well that is just a tip on what diasporas have to go through outside Africa, just to make a few money to send back home in Africa to be consumed.
Have a good weekend
Paul Nyandoto
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From: Judy Miriga
Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 7:32 AM
Subject: Re: Africa is out for grab
Paul,
That was an excellent evaluation well presented. I hope with folks digesting this message, we can begin to think outside the box for survival sake. Where there is a WILL there is a WAY. Lets do it.
One thing I wish to remind folks, all these cases were presented under political manneuvre influence, it thus reflects and was construed to have vested interest. We must give it a different approach, they must and have to be pursued under Civil Society pressure topped with Human Rights Institutions so they can hold some water. There is room to appeal and we must lobby excessively. There are some good people out there, and we will be heard. We must not just do nothing about it. We must not give up.
Folks AFRICA is the HEARTBEAT of LIFE and NATURE is LIFE and NATURE is found in PLENTY in AFRICA. We MUST PRESERVE IT AND PROTECT IT AT WHATEVER COST.
God will protect us and hold our back when we become weary. He (God) is our shield and defender.
Yes, it can be done people.......join me and lets do it starting with Kenya and expanding to the rest of Africa.
There is a scramble from the West to Africa.....and if Africa turns to become a platform carpet for war, the the whole world is destroyed. World cannot exist without Africa. Africa is the feeder for the world, yet its people are too poor.......divide and rule machination is what is destroying us. Our leaders are who have sold us for dinari.......
We must stand up and take control of our destiny people.......We must stop being petty, destroying ourselves, stubbing each others back, relying on hand-outs for survival but STAND-UP for Truth and Justice, be transparent, dialogue, agree to disagree, face reality, stop being selfish, embrace LOVE and UNITE for a COMMON GOOD. Give Credit where Credit is Due. Nothing comes easy without a sacrifice.
Hate and fear is evil, it will destroy our moral being and wipe out nature and Life will be No More.
God Bless you all.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
Sh109m found in ministry’s ‘non-existing’ account
From: Judy Miriga
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 8:36 PM
by Sam Otieno
Controller and Auditor General has identified Sh109 million deposited at the Ministry of Education under an account referred to as ‘non-existing’.
It is not, however, clear as to what this account represents or why it would be appearing in the ministry’s books of account, according to a latest report on the appropriation accounts for the year ended June 30, last year.
The ministry’s statement of account also reflects a credit balance of Sh320 million against the Paymaster General (PMG) Account, while the Cashbook as at June 30, last year shows a debit amount of Sh992 million.
A difference between three sets of records could not be explained since the ledger for the month of June 2008 on the other hand reflects a PMG credit figure of Sh175 million.
The statement in addition reflects excess appropriations-In-Aid totaling to Sh40 million, which have not been surrendered to the Exchequer.
Under-collection
It shows there was under collection of appropriations-In-Aid of Sh276 million out of estimated receipts of Sh2 billion.
The under-collection occurred mainly under policy and planning, where collections amounting to Sh49 million were realised against expected receipts of Sh692 million.
Reasons provided in the footnotes to the account for the under-collection include non-submission of expenditure returns by development partners. Others are delay in release of funds by the same, and non-submission of certificates for payments.
Records maintained at the ministry headquarters indicate imprests worth Sh38 million were still outstanding.
Out of the total, imprests amounting to Sh11 million were owing from officers on job group ‘M’ and above, and Sh25 million from officers on job group ‘L’ and below. Former MPs held the balance of Sh1 million.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Subject: Sh109m found in ministry’s ‘non-existing’ account
LET US GET SERIOUS ON REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
On Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 4:08 PM, John Mulingwa Nzau wrote:
Hi guys today we had a very dissapointing day in Kamukunji over the lasdap issue.First of all the process does not have transparency and accountability in the way it is run and managed.YoDevelopmentu can imagine the role of the community in the whole process is presenting proposals and sometimes the proposals are manipulated after presentation to fit some greedy individual interests.The rest of the process is carried out by the council from tendering to the last detail the comm remains spectators. Every year we choose two reps per ward to represent the comm in city but even the elected reps know nothing about the process.So today in Kamukunji we have decided that no more rubberstamping of projects until we own the process so we chased away Lasdap representatives until they come with their seniors who will answer our queries properly and in detail change ina start from this point act from where u are plz
From: Beverline Ongaro
Sent: Tue, October 27, 2009 4:28:11 PM
Subject: Re: LASDAP SHORTCOMINGS
Hey,
That is great what you guys are doing. It is only through social auditing that we can ensure devolved funds are put to the earmarked use. Such lack of transparency and accountability by public officers is all the more why we need freedom to information law in place.
From: jeremiah kiwoi
Subject: ONE COMMUNITY , ONE VOTE
Date: Tuesday, October 27, 2009, 7:37 AM
Great Kenyans,
In my wildest of dreams, and in the interest of National cohesion and integration, I am proposing that each community in this countrycounts for only one vote. The Luo will have one vote, Kikuyus, one vote, Ogieks one vote, Ndorobos one vote,Kalenjins one vote,Kurias one vote etc.This will end the talk of alliances that are simplistic in nature and only look out for those who bring the largest numbers to the tables that comprise of tribal chiefs. Thats the day the Ndorobo of this country will count and the Ogiek will be Kenyan. Can you picture Raila going to the deepest part of this country to meet the ndorobo for their one vote? Kalonzo dying for one vote from the Digos of this country? Uhuru crying for the Turkana vote and Saitoti sweatinmg blood to get the vote of the Orma? This will be limited to those seeking to be the bearers of the highest office of the land that we cherish.Now thats cohesion,thats integration,and hopefully, thats progress. This shall be the end of the KKK, KAMATUSA, Mt Kenya talk of block ( read tribal) votes and Councils of eders' deals with the political elite. The only way to qualify for that one vote is to garner at least 51% of each communities vote. Thats when the forgotten communities of this country will begin to count,thats when we as a country will get to know who those reffered to as "others" in demography are and thats when unity will have purpose. These are my 10 cents thoughts,but they can transform Kenya from a country to a nation.
What are your thoughts forum members?
Best of thoughts as you ponder on the way forward.
On 10/28/09, Evans MACHERA wrote:
I find this a big challenge and good food for thought.
From: philip musembi
Subject: Re: ONE COMMUNITY , ONE VOTE
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 5:18 AM
To add my thoughts i think what we need in Kenya is a DICTATOR i have arrived at this conclusion because i have discovered that in this country we dont have democrats but opportunist and tribal chiefs who use democratic talk to disguise their selfish and tribal interest with only one goal in their mind POWER.
One man One Vote is a principal of democracy period,democracy is a rule by majority i guess thats why in the bomas draft we have a 50+1 for the presidential elections the simple defination of democracy highlights the word PEOPLE,GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE BY THE PEOPLE this nonsense of One Kilometre One Vote is a misplaced argument Yes i know guys you will tell me what about the minorities do they have a right my honourable answer is YES we need to discuss how minority rights will be catered for a good example is special constituencies for the Dorobos,Ogieks etc.Simply put the majority should have the way and the minority should have a right to be heard.
To summarise i believe its high time for Kenyans to decide if we are Democrats,Socialist etc. or else we are playing with fire and we will get burned and become a failed state. WE CANNOT REINVENT THE WHEEL.
Philip Musembi
from: orina Nyamwamu
date Oct 29, 2009 1:37 AM
subject LET US GET SERIOUS ON REPRESENTATION OF THE PEOPLE
When it comes to wild proposals, I see them on NYC. Are we serious in the proposals we are making or we are putting anything forward for the sake of it?
The boundaries commission should wait until the COE finalizes its work. We can not have the COE adopt what the Boundaries commission wants because it is the duty of COE to offer the basis for a system of the representation of the people.
The way forward is to maintain the current 210 constituencies as holding areas as Kenya goes for a Proportionate representative electoral system (PR). This is how the system shall work
a) Kenya SHALL BE SEEN as one huge electoral constituency
b) Each political party shall publish a list of vetted and competent Kenyans it wants Kenyans to elect to parliament as their MPs. Each of these people who shall be published by the Parties must be cleared by the KACC, the AG, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights as Kenyans who have not been involved in Human rights violations, are not violent, have not been involved in corruption and economic crimes scandals or have not been involved in inciting ethnic tensions or have not been involved in spreading hate language.
c) Once each party lodges its Party list with the IEC, the IEC shall declare the date of the election
d) Kenyans shall vote for a political party through out the country. Ballot papers shall only have a political party symbol not individuals
e) Votes shall be counted and tallied at each of the nearly 27,000 polling stations and tallied nationally through an electronic system.
f) Each party’s votes shall be tallied and for every 35,000 votes a political Party receives it shall win a sit in the National assembly
g) Once each Party has known how many MPs it has, the party list shall be followed in the order the list was published and the IEC shall gazette all the duly elected MPs.
h) Looking at which party won the highest number of votes in a certain constituency, Political parties shall be asked to post an MP to that constituency provided no MP shall be posted to her/his original electoral constituency. For instance even if Safina garners the highest number of votes in Bomachoge constituency, Cyprian Nyamwamu SHALL NOT be posted to Bomachoge as the MP. Safina shall be required to post Cyprian Nyamwamu to say Mandera Central if Safina also garners the highest number of votes there. This is important for six reasons
§ Ukabila and clannism shall be brought to an end since the MP who shall serve that constituency shall be impartial and level headed but also seriously held to account and to exposed to thorough scrutiny so that s/he does not misuse the resources allocated to the constituency.
§ to end the violence that is associated with a man or woman fighting to be the MP of a certain constituency, since all politicians shall be struggling to ensure their party wins as many Kenyan votes as possible
§ The voice and power of women, professionals, pastoralists, minority communities, the youth and other disadvantaged groups shall count because it is only those parties that include these categories in the Party list. This is how to end violence, voter bribery
§ This system will make Kenyans realize that politicians do not own Kenya but instead it is Kenyans who have the responsibility to built and belong to democratic and serious political parties.
§ The current curse of certain families and tycoons controlling political parties and collecting bribes from individuals by selling tickets to these rich men and women shall come to an end.
§ The party lists shall be vetted and approved by the Party National Conventions with the assistance of the IEC upon receiving proposals and rationalized drafts from the Party NEC.
i) The balance of MPs over and above 210 shall be Members of Parliament without physical constituency but representing other national non regional constituencies such as the youth, women, workers, persons with Disabilities etc
j) The election of MPs, councilors and Chairpersons and Mayors of local government authority shall be held in August of the election year while the election of the President (if under a presidential system of government) shall be held in December of the election year.
k) Kenyans shall be encouraged to vote where they work and stay instead of registering and voting in their so called home constituencies because Kenya shall now be one large electoral constituency. This is important to ensure that urban areas get to elect MPs and councilors and mayors who are endorsed by the urban resident. We need to bring to an end the shameful system of imported ethnic voters from western Kenya, Central province, Nyanza and Ukambani currently in operation. We also need to end the current foolish system where urban dwellers run to their native villages to vote for MPs who never represent rural voters while the MPs who represent them in Nairobi are elected by imported voters.
l) In the case of a parliamentary system of government, the Prime Minister, being the leader of the Party with majority seats in Parliament (obviously the Party that won the highest number of votes and confidence from among Kenyans) must enjoy more than 50+1 percent of the MPs in parliament failure to which, that party shall be asked to form a coalition government to ensure that the legislative business of government is executed.
m) In the case of a presidential system of government, none of the MPs shall be a member of the cabinet. If the President appoints an MP to cabinet, such a Member of Parliament shall immediately resign and his or her replacement automatically picked from the Party list that was submitted to the IEC.
n) Under this system, there shall be no by-election. Once a vacancy occurs in Parliament, the Party in which the vacancy occurs shall automatically fill the vacancy from the Party list supplied to the IEC. This is important to avoid acrimonious and often wasteful by elections as we know them in Kenya today.
This is the system that shall serve both the current ethnic campaigners in central province as well as secure the interests of the dishonest politicians from the arid and semi arid regions. It is shameful that people who claim to be national leaders including ministers in the current illegitimate Grand coalition government can be involved in ethnic campaigns that divide the nation further instead of campaigning for more representative, more inclusive and simple system that shall promote national cohesion and diversity of representation in Parliament.
To restore democracy in Kenya, we have to fundamentally transform the system of representation. Ensuring that the interests of all Kenyans are represented is the more important than the system of government. Once Kenyan fixes its system of representation as proposed here above, all the other issues including the system of devolution, land and the system of government shall be ease to fix. We have to remember at all times that democracy is about representation of interests.
Cyprian Orina Nyamwamu
NCEC
P4C
Safina.
Nyanza MPS prefer political meetings to Development meeting
From: barack abonyo
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:27 PM
All luo MPs except one was present at the second Lake Victoria Basin stakeholders’ forum. It should now be clear that our own MPs are not interested in tapping the resources avalaible to Nyanza people. Instead they are bent on looking for governement handouts and blaming the government for everything. Let the trueth be told, leaders are supposed to lead. If the MPs are not interested in listening to what is going on around lake Victoria, why should investors care. Who are going to sell lake Victoria potential investment opportunities to the world if our MPs do not give a damn.
I am so dissapointed with the actions of our MPs. The only thing they know how to do is to castigate anything that seem to be anti-Raila.
None of these lot have ideas of their own. For them Raila, ni baba na mama. Without him the sun will not rise or set. If only Raila chose to attend this meeeting every luo leader could have been there. Now that god missed the meeting, all the angels and even the devil could not attend because there was no holly/unholly war. Or is it that there was no photo ops.
Our MPs have not realized that sometimes action speaks louder than words. Nyanza people come together and find ways of developing your own land. Come together and choose leaders with visions. It is time for change.
For more information about the forum go to
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/678878/-/uo4iw8/-/index.html
Barack
- - -
Subject: Nyanza MPS prefer political meetings to Development meeting
Re: Child abuse and prostitution in Kenya shown live in Finland`s nationalTelevision (28.10.2009)
From: Paul Nyandoto
Subject: Child abuse and prostitution in Kenya shown live in Finland`s nationalTelevision (28.10.2009)
Date: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 7:47 AM
Kenyans
The child abuse, and child prostitution in Kenya was yesterday (28.10.2009) shown alive in Finland`s national television channel 3 ( ajankohtakakonen at exactly 20.00 pm).
The situation is worse than what most of us have heard. Children as young as 3 years old are being abused by tourist in the coast of Kenya.
The hospital treating bleeding children as young as 3 years old was shown even the physician comments on the type of injuries they treat.
Young girls start prostitution at the age of 9-10 years old and they are looking for white males(tourist). Poverty is so high and they are being paid 1 euros for sex that is about 106 kSH. According to the documentary the Kenyan government officials are doing nothing about it and the main fear is that if they react, tourist might run away. But the situation have back fired in away that the child prostitution is now sending away descent tourists who used to come to kenya. Most of them have realised the bad name on white males about child prostitution and do not want to be confused with the pedofiles.
The only top governmnet official who was interviewed was tourist minister Mr. Balala, who suprised the interviewer and me by saying that they do not want the thing to be advertised, that it will give Kenya a bad name. He claims that if the government takes strong action the tourists might run away to other countries. According to him tourists are bringing more money to the Kenyan economy and to the coastal people. The question is: Why can`t that money be used to put those children out of pedofiles hands?.
Another Kenyan interviewed said very clearly that child prostitution in Kenya is very high and not only in the coast. He claims it is all over the country due to poverty and lack of food. A man was shown who took his 3 years old child to the doctor with bleeding anus. Well Kenya is no more the kenya we used to know.
Paul Nyandoto
- - - - - - - - - - -
From: Judy Miriga
Date: Thu, Oct 29, 2009 at 12:10 PM
Subject: Re: Child abuse and prostitution in Kenya shown live in Finland`s nationalTelevision (28.10.2009)
Folks,
This information is truely sad and very immoral. I believe the authorities both the Human Rights on the ground along with the Kenya Government will take it up urgently. I wish you could find and forward the clips from the news on your side.
Balala should know better and do the right thing.
Thanks,
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
John Kufuor of Ghana should have been given the MO Ibrahim prize
From: Yona Fares Maro
Date: Fri, Oct 23, 2009 at 2:44 PM
THE refusal of the committee for the Mo Ibrahim Achievement in Africa Leadership Prize to award the 2009 prize to any of its three shortlisted candidates: Nigeria's Olusegun Obasanjo, South Africa's Thabo Mbeki and Ghana's John Kufuor further underscores the crisis of leadership and democratisation in Africa. The Prize is meant to measure progress in leadership in Africa, encourage responsible, corruption-free leadership and change the "single-story" perspective of Africa in the Western world. The verdict this year, rather than offer a picture of progress, confirms the existing stereotype and the spectre of Afro-pessimism. It also makes nonsense of the NEPAD African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) which was established in 2003, championed by two of the leaders who have now been dismissed as not good enough (Obasanjo and Mbeki). The prize is only three years old, and it is already running into troubled waters: the scarcity of worthy trophy winners. One obvious constraint is that the prize does not go to serving Presidents and Heads of state, it is reserved for those who have left office in the preceding three years.
But how many African leaders retire within three years? Africa's democratisation process faces a challenge that could hobble Mr. Ibrahim's initiative. The kind of leaders that are being sought are in very short supply. In Niger, Chad, Uganda, and Cameroun, the country's constitutions have been amended to allow for an extension of tenure by the incumbent rulers. In Guinea, Mauritania and Madagascar, there have been military interventions. In other African countries, there are reports of grand corruption, particularly the rigging of elections to suit parochial interests.
In some of these countries, certain former rulers have been succeeded by their sons in what looks like the gradual emergence of a dynastic order in African politics (Gabon, Togo and Democratic Republic of Congo -former Zaire). In Egypt and Libya, the sons of the incumbents are also waiting in the wings. The voter's right to choose is generally discounted and there is so much poor governance and violation of the Constitution. It is not only this year therefore that the prize may not be awarded. Only two African leaders ( in Tanzania and Liberia) may be preparing to leave office in the next three years: Jakaya Kikwete's five-year tenure ends in 2010. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf's six-year tenure ends in 2012. She will be 74 years then and may not be seeking a second term. Across the continent, most of the leaders are either preparing for a second term (Yar'çdua for example) or hoping to stay permanently or are just not interested in such post-retirement windfalls which Mr. Ibrahim promises as a way of providing for good leaders.
The Ibrahim prize is worth $5 million and an annual salary of $200, 000, plus a further grant of $200,000 per year for 10 years to support any good cause that is chosen by the winner. Mo Ibrahim, the cell-phone billionaire founder of the prize means well. He falls in the category of those we call in Nigeria, "too much money." He wants to promote good governance. He wants to encourage good and responsible leadership by supporting such leaders after office. He says it does not matter if the prize is not awarded in a particular year or for years. Even without a winner this year, the prize ceremony and a debate on leadership in Africa will still be held in November. What recommends the Mo Ibrahim initiative is that it is home-grown. This is not a Soros Foundation, or an Open Society Institute or the USAID-Governance programme laying benchmarks for Africa but an African-led process from within. The focus is well chosen. Bad leadership is the bane of the development process in the continent, the source of the failure of African states. Encouraging, supporting and ensuring good governance in Africa will result in progress, or a shift towards Afro-optimism, and also reduce dependency on Western aid.
But does awarding trophies to retired Heads of State alone serve this purpose? The non-award of a Mo Ibrahim Prize this year may cast the leadership crisis in the continent in a fresh mould but there are also questions to be raised about the prize itself and Mr. Ibrahim's approach to the governance challenge. Mary Robinson, former President of the Republic of Ireland, and one of the judges of the prize, had said that it may be difficult to find a worthy winner for the prize in Europe as well. But sorry, no; that is too facile. The African challenge is different, its circumstances are peculiar. The shortage of candidates for the prize should compel a re-thinking of approach to guarantee sustainability, possibly an expansion of scope to include leadership in other areas of African life. Those who deserve to be celebrated are not the retired leaders (who of course enjoy state-provided privileges for life) but the ordinary people of the continent who in the face of all odds, are making a difference or seeking to do so in various leadership situations in civil society.
Mr. Ibrahim's money would probably serve a better purpose if it is used to support education programmes or leadership training in African states. How about a Mo Ibrahim Scholarship Fund for indigent students or Ph.D research? For that, there cannot be a shortage of worthy recipients. The Mo Ibrahim Foundation publishes an African Governance Index to promote accountability, but the findings are lost in a maze of attendant controversy. Instead of giving too much money to retired Heads of State, the bigger challenge is in the area of infrastructural development for democratic governance, capacity building and human resource development. Bad African leaders do the damage that they can and they leave, but to build democracy, more attention needs to be paid to leadership creation/transformation processes; that is - the institutions that can produce good leaders on a sustainable basis and make banditry difficult if not impossible.
The Mo Ibrahim Prize Committee has refused to give reasons why it does not consider any of the three shortlisted candidates good enough. We have been asked to come up with our own explanations. Fine. One possible explanation is that Mr. Ibrahim is broke. Could he possibly be one of those super-rich who lost their money to the global financial meltdown and is not man enough to eat the humble pie and scrap his money-guzzling leadership prize project? Two, we are talking about Mr. Mo Ibrahim's money here and his right to spend or not spend it. So why does he owe us an explanation? More seriously, however, for a body that seeks to promote good governance and democracy, its position fails the tests of transparency and accountability. It is not enough to tell us that "this year, the prize committee has considered some eligible candidates. However, after in-depth review the committee could not select a winner." Mo Ibrahim adds that "no disrespect is intended" towards the spurned candidates.
Still, the Kofi-Annan led committee owes us an explanation - to enlighten us, to convince us that some rigour went into the decision-making process, to allay fears of ulterior motives and to encourage changes in the behaviour of sitting African leaders. It is also not in the interest of the committee to allow speculations over what has ended up as a naming and shaming process. What the panel has said is that Obasanjo, Mbeki and Kufuor are bad leaders who do not deserve public honour. Even they need to be told where they went wrong. And why was the name of Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, former President of Sierra Leone, 1996-97, 1998 -2007 not mentioned at all. We would like to know why he is considered so bad the committee would rather not mention his name even though his exit from office falls within the required three-year range. In 2007, Joaquim Chissano of Mozambique who left office in 2005 was awarded the prize for "leading Mozambique from conflict to peace and democracy." In 2008, Festus Mogae of Botswana was honoured for "Botswana's continued stability and prosperity in the face of an HIV/AIDS pandemic which threatened the future of his country and people." So what is wrong with Obasanjo, Mbeki, and Kufuor?
Former President Obasanjo is an obvious no-candidate. His inclusion in the short-list is shocking. Before returning to power in 1999, long before the emergence of the likes of Mo Ibrahim in the African power game, Obasanjo had made his mark across the world as a role model for African leadership. He also founded a body known as Africa Leadership Forum which for more than 20 years has done great quality work in the leadership creation and nurturing process across Africa. The naming and shaming of Obasanjo by the Kofi Annan panel further demystifies this leader who used to be an inspirational figure across Africa and the Commonwealth, but who is now classed along with Mbeki and Kufuor and rubbished. Obasanjo's humiliation is self-inflicted. As Nigeria's President between 1999 and 2007, he had every chance in the world to build on his well-earned pedigree and prove that he is real. But he blew it all into a balloon and the balloon went burst with reports of massive corruption, insincerity, despotism and electoral fraud which marked his Presidency. His worst crime was his attempt to seek a third term in office in violation of the Constitution. More than two years after Obasanjo's exit, Nigeria is yet to recover from the direct and collateral damage of the misgovernance that was inflicted on the people by his administration.
Thabo Mbeki is not as bad. As President of South Africa (1999-2008), his government ensured consistent economic growth and the creation of opportunities for an emerging post-apartheid black middle class. The poor, dominated by the black majority, were grossly dissatisfied because the train of economic progress didn't have as much space yet for the blacks, but real progress could be measured after Nelson Mandela's largely inspirational leadership which provided the moral force for a new South Africa. Mbeki was also a redoubtable figure on the African continent: he was the architect of the idea of African Renaissance, he was one of the architects of the NEPAD-APRM initiative, and he was most active in brokering peace deals in Kenya, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burundi, Ivory Coast and the DRC. He was an ideas man, an admirable figure. But he blew his chances on three grounds: his support of Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe ("there is no crisis in Zimbabwe"), his denial of AIDS which led to his banning the use of anti-retroviral drugs and his unceremonious resignation on September 20, 2008 following a court indictment and the loss of his party's support in parliament.
John Kufuor of Ghana should have been given the prize. He deserves it. I hope he is not a victim of Kofi Annan's personal fears (not wanting to be accused of nepotism). Kufuor, Ghana's President from 2001-2008 proved his mettle as a good leader. Under his watch, gross domestic product, school enrolment and employment rates increased. He introduced free medical care for the poor and free meals in schools. He turned Ghana into a success story. He reduced poverty. In December 2008, he handed over power to the opposition candidate John Atta Mills of the National Democratic Congress in accordance with the Constitution and electoral rules. Today, the elections which were conducted under his watch, a fact that was indirectly acknowledged by President Barack Obama, are cited as symbols of Ghanaian progress. The opposition accused him of nepotism and corruption but these have not been proven. John Kufuor of Ghana is in my view, the undeclared winner of the 2009 Mo Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership.
--
Yona Fares Maro
I.T. Specialist and Digital Security Consultant
- - -
Subject: John Kufuor of Ghana should have been given the MO Ibrahim prize
Old Map of Africa. Most of Africa was Sudan
from "o j_k" odundo@ . . .
date Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 7:41 PM
subject Old Map of Africa. Most of Africa was Sudan
I came across this 100 year old map of Africa. What I found most interesting is that most of West and Central Africa was referred to as Sudan, Congo was called Congo Independent State and Uganda was just a tiny parcel. I wonder if there are scholars among us who can explain these out.
;Love you.
Odundo jaKarateng'
Best MLM internet Opportunity
http://kwach.gogvo.com/
The Obama Administration’s Sudan Strategy
From: Judy Miriga
Date: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 9:28 PM
J. Stephen Morrison and Jennifer G. Cooke
October 21, 2009
After months of internal debate, mounting impatience among U.S. activist groups, and rapidly approaching deadlines in the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), the Obama administration yesterday unveiled its strategy toward Sudan, calling for frank dialogue with the government in Khartoum and promising “calibrated steps to bolster support for positive change and to discourage backsliding.”
The realities of Sudan itself appear to have forced an end, at least for the moment, to protracted internal bickering and deadlock between hard-liners—most notably, U.S. ambassador to the UN Susan Rice—and realists—U.S. special envoy to Sudan General Scott Gration. Sudan’s national elections are slated for April 2010. Less than a year later is a national referendum in which the citizens of southern Sudan will be asked to choose whether to secede. The new policy officially turns away from isolation and condemnation, reduces ambiguity and potential for misinterpretation of U.S. strategy going
forward, and raises confidence that the various factions within the administration (for now at least) are working from the same single playbook.
The review endorses a policy based on realism and pragmatic engagement, with strong emphasis on implementation of the
North-South Comprehensive Peace Agreement. It is based on an acknowledgement that to avert the unraveling of the CPA and a potentially destabilizing regional crisis, the United States must maintain a sustained, adult dialogue with the Khartoum government and find common ground with a broader set of multilateral partners. It openly acknowledges the strong possibility that southern Sudan will secede and the urgency of building a modicum of governing capacity within the southern government.
The strategy places the United States in greater alignment with critical international partners concerned with Sudan—the
United Kingdom, the European Union, Canada, France, and key African partners—and opens the way for greater collaboration and consensus building with China and other key global powers. Lack of consensus within the administration has confused potential partners who have for some time seen the United States policy as hostage to zealous domestic pressures. Greater alignment with international partners also has the benefit of strengthening the credibility and
effectiveness of any pressures the United States might bring to bear.
There are few realistic options left for stronger U.S. “sticks,” particularly if undertaken unilaterally. A concerted effort by international partners, that builds agreement around redlines and opportunities for targeted pressure may significantly enhance U.S. leverage with key Sudanese actors.
The approach is also far more consistent with President Obama’s preferred policy of engagement with the world’s rogue governments — in Myanmar, North Korea, Syria, Iran—and the desire to create a new dialogue with the world’s Muslim population. For each of these malgoverned, intractable countries, U.S. domestic campaigners have likened engagement to appeasement or legitimization of the respective regimes, but in each case the urgency of finding a solution has moved the Obama administration to push for frank and more systematic discourse. As the stakes in Sudan have risen and gained urgency, there is growing acknowledgement that isolation and condemnation of the Khartoum regime are no longer viable options, and a greater willingness to push back on domestic groups’ distaste for dialogue. Implicitly, the shift in policy is also an acknowledgement that the high levels of violence against civilians in 2004–2005 have passed.
The policy document does attempt to assuage some of the concerns of the U.S. activist community, which has been highly critical of U.S. special envoy Scott Gration. Priority targets of these groups have been Gration’s description of the security situation in Darfur as “remnants of genocide” and an approach that has inaccurately been characterized as giving preference to unconditional incentives. There is continued uncomfortable wordsmithing around the term genocide,
reflective of a still unresolved internal debate. The administration’s review calls for a “definitive end to…genocide in Darfur” (with the implication that genocide is ongoing); quarterly interagency reviews of progress or regression; and incentives based on “verifiable changes in conditions on the ground”—all implicit reassurances to potential critics.
The benchmarks for progress and slippage, as well as the matrix of potential pressures, remain classified, a source of consternation to domestic groups, who will be impatient to see concrete results from an engagement strategy and who just prior to the release of the policy called for General Gration to be fired. General Gration will not have long to answer his critics on this front and will need consistent backing from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and, at critical junctures,
President Obama himself to urge patience and adequate space for negotiation. There are signs that divisions within the administration are still very much alive, and the secretary would do well to keep internal disputes from bubbling over into the public domain and distracting from the key tasks at hand. A series of damaging leaks from within the White House and elsewhere have embarrassed and infuriated senior levels.
There are no quick wins in Sudan, and the administration’s strategy does not guarantee success. The review document provides a clear articulation of a measured strategy that commits the United States to the long, hard slog of sustained diplomatic engagement and mediation. How strong a mandate General Gration will have remains unclear. To date, no new resources have been attached to the effort, which will require sustained attention by a cadre of seasoned State Department
personnel. There is much uncertainty in how the strategy will ultimately be implemented and how it will hold up under the
stresses and complexities of what is looming in Sudan on the one hand and the scrutiny and impatience of domestic skeptics on the other. And at this point it remains difficult to predict what the United States will deliver if Sudan meets U.S. demands: Removal from the terror list? Lifting of sanctions? Normalization of relations? Nor is it evident what harsh measures will follow if Sudan is obstinate. These formulations—the heart of the matter and the root of U.S. credibility
moving forward—remain obscure.
J. Stephen Morrison is senior vice president of CSIS and former director of the Africa Program. Jennifer G. Cooke is the current director of the CSIS Africa Program.
Commentaries
are produced by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a private, tax-exempt institution focusing on international public policy issues. Its research is nonpartisan and nonproprietary. CSIS does not take specific policy positions. Accordingly, all views, positions, and conclusions expressed in this publication should be understood to be solely those of the author(s)
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Subject: The Obama Administration's Sudan Strategy
Give me 1 Zuma and I will give u 4 the extremest of it all
From: collins odhiambo
Date: Wed, Oct 28, 2009 at 1:08 AM
haki yetu, haki yetuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I just had to forward this mail, watch these daring South African women…..and the men……..compe roho safi or what?
Only in Africa....
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Subject: Give me 1 Zuma and I will give u 4 the extremest of it all
HIV Treatment in TANZANIA: Low uptake of ARVs hampering universal access
From: Hermengild Mayunga
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 5:56 AM
Photo: John Nyaga/IRIN http://www.irinnews.org/
http://www.irinnews.org/PhotoDetail.aspx?ImageId=200511303 Pregnant women are not making adequate use of prevention of mother-to-child transmission servicesDAR ES SALAAM, 27 October 2009 (PlusNews) - HIV-positive Tanzanians are not taking advantage of the availability of life-prolonging anti-retroviral medication in hospitals around the country, says a senior government official.
"We have an adequate supply of ARVs in our hospitals and other outlets, but there are few people who are turning out for this important service," David Mwakyusa, Health and Social Welfare Minister, told IRIN/PlusNews.
An estimated 250,000 people are taking ARVs, while another 190,000 who need them are not accessing them. In 2008, the government re-affirmed its commitment to achieving universal access to ARVs by 2010.
"We are working hard to encourage people to check their HIV status and those infected to go for further medical attention and when necessary start taking ARVs, which are in good supply," the minister said.
Mwakyusa also bemoaned the fact that few pregnant women made use of prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) services available at antenatal clinics; just 33 percent of pregnant women who require PMTCT services access them, according to UNAIDS.
Research http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16987051 has found that although HIV-positive Tanzanians welcome anti-retroviral therapy,
transportation, supplementary food costs, ill-treatment at hospitals and
difficulties in sustaining long-term treatment all act as barriers to
accessing treatment. Fear of stigma as well as HIV denial, which often led patients to seek treatment from alternative healers, and inadequate numbers of trained medical personnel, also prevented patients from accessing healthcare.
"Multi-faceted interventions are required to promote regular HIV clinic
attendance, including ongoing education, counselling and support in both clinic and community settings," authors of a recent study http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19444672?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=1&log$=relatedarticles&logdbfrom=pubmed
by the Centre for Population Studies and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine recommended.
Mwakyusa noted that Tanzania was planning to cut the cost of ARVs by producing them locally. He said it was important for the country to become more self-sufficient, especially in the face of the global economic downturn.
"We are praying that despite the global financial crisis, donors will
continue supporting our efforts," he said. "The financial crisis is clearly
affecting the capacity of donors to fund international programmes on AIDS."
jk/kr/mw
*Theme(s):* (PLUSNEWS) Care/Treatment - PlusNews http://www.plusnews.org/Theme.aspx?Service=PNE&Theme=CT,
(PLUSNEWS) Education http://www.plusnews.org/Theme.aspx?Service=PNE&Theme=EDU,
(PLUSNEWS) HIV/AIDS (PlusNews) http://www.plusnews.org/Theme.aspx?Service=PNE&Theme=HIV,
(PLUSNEWS) PWAs/ASOs - PlusNews http://www.plusnews.org/Theme.aspx?Service=PNE&Theme=PA,
(PLUSNEWS) Stigma/Human Rights/Law - PlusNews http://www.plusnews.org/Theme.aspx?Service=PNE&Theme=SHL
[ENDS]
[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United
Nations]
Copyright © IRIN 2009
This material comes to you via IRIN, the humanitarian news and analysis
service of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. The
opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the United Nations or
its Member States. Republication is subject to terms and conditions as set
out in the IRIN copyright page http://www.irinnews.org/copyright.aspx.
--
Dr Hermengild Mayunga
ORES Tanzania
P.O.BOX 1190
Songea, RUVUMA
Tanzania
Tel +255 25 2600419
Tel +255 784 520680
drmayunga@ores.or.tz
drmayunga@gmail.com
info@ores.or.tz
www.ores.or.tz
--
Dr Hermengild Mayunga
ORES Tanzania
P.O.BOX 1190
Songea, RUVUMA
Tanzania
Tel +255 25 2600419
Tel +255 784 520680
drmayunga@ores.or.tz
drmayunga@gmail.com
info@ores.or.tz
www.ores.or.tz
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Subject: [Fwd: HIV Treatment in TANZANIA: Low uptake of ARVs hampering universal access]
Higher Education for Development Awards 13 More USAID-Funded Grants in Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Grant Competition
From: Judy Miriga
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 5:54 AM
WASHINGTON, DC - Higher Education for Development (HED) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) announced today that an additional 13 partnerships will be funded through the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Planning Grant Competition.
Funding was originally proposed and awarded for 20 partnerships in April 2009 (a complete list of winning partnerships is available at www.hedprogram.org). However, the competition drew such a high level of interest, with nearly 300 applications submitted, that USAID decided to award funding to 13 additional applications. Partnerships, comprised of one U.S. and one African higher education institution, will each receive $50,000 grants from USAID to develop plans to address regional and national economic development priorities including such as engineering, health, agriculture, environment and natural resources, science and technology, education and teacher training/preparation, and business, management, and economics.
"We are extremely pleased to fund these additional 13 partnerships," said Alonzo Fulgham, Acting Administrator of USAID. "With the addition of these 13, we now have a total of six historically black colleges and universities in the initiative and a number of well-respected, top-ranked academic institutions in the United States and throughout Africa. The expertise and experience delivered by these institutions will have a critical impact as this effort moves forward."
The following are the new 13 winning partnerships:
African Higher Education Institution
U.S. Higher Education Institution
Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia University of California, Los Angeles
Bayero University, Nigeria Ohio University
Cuttington University, Liberia Southern University System
International Institute for Water & Environmental Engineering, Burkina Faso Tuskegee University
Kenyatta University, Kenya Syracuse University
Kigali Health Institute, Rwanda Emory University
Makerere University, Uganda University of Wisconsin, Madison
Obafemi Awolowo University, Nigeria Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Rhodes University, South Africa University of Florida
University for Development Studies, Ghana Florida A&M University
University of Cape Town, South Africa University of Cincinnati
University of Ghana Brown University
University of Liberia Indiana University
HED manages the competition which grew out of the Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative (www.aplu.org), a collaborative effort between a number of higher education associations and other organizations, led by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (A-P-L-U), formerly the National Association of State Universities and Land-Grant Colleges (NASULGC).
"We are highly enthusiastic about the expansion of this effort," said Dr. Tully Cornick, executive director of HED. "We were so impressed with the quality and caliber of the applicant pool; it was a difficult peer review process to whittle down a final list of winners. By funding these additional 13 partnerships, we recognize that even greater expertise, knowledge and connections will be brought to bear to address a variety of critical development needs."
"Africa has an urgent need to strengthen institutions that cultivate human and research capacity." said Peter McPherson, president of A-P-L-U. "Working together in partnership, African and U.S. higher education institutions have the ability to increase the quality and access to education, and help solve local problems. The partnerships that will be created through this initiative have the potential to make a difference in the future of the African continent."
HED, funded by a cooperative agreement with USAID, was founded by the six major U.S. higher education associations to engage U.S. colleges and universities in international development. For more information about HED and to view details about the planning grants competition (including a complete list of the winning institutions), visit www.HEDprogram.org.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Subject: Higher Education for Development Awards 13 More USAID-Funded Grants in Africa-U.S. Higher Education Initiative Grant Competition
KEBS ADMITS KISUMU EQUATOR BOTTLERS FEEDS ITS CONSUMERS WITH HEALTH HARZARD DRINKS
From: Shem Kosse
Date: Tue, Oct 27, 2009 at 6:12 AM
By Shem Kosse
KEBS ADMITTS KISUMU EQUATOR BOTTLERS FEEDS ITS CONSUMERS WITH HEALTH HARZARD DRINKS.
By Shem Kosse
It’s now official that Kisumu Equator Bottlers is making, bottling and distributing substandard soft drinks containing foreign matters, thus putting at a risk millions of lives of its consumers, confirms the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
One such drinks “FANTA CRANGE” 300 batch No.PRRJOLO9002 was purchased by one Clement Boniphas Odongo on 28th July 2009 for consumption only to realize it contained visible impurities which he later took to the company only to be met by arrogance from the company’ top management who were ready to offer him a token of five creates of soda as a compensation gesture, a move that he flatly declined.
And he further decided to seek for KEBSofficial intervention. The sample was subjected to a test and it failed to comply with the requirements of the KBS standards as it was established it had presence of foreign particles.
This was indicated in the KBS test results certificate No.KEBS/TES/277/C/K/2OO9 and Laboratory Test Report Certificate No.KEBS/TES/277/C/K2009 signed by the Regional manager, Lake region P.N Ndungu on 3rd and Managing Director M.M Nyakiamo, on 4th respectively.
The Kisumu Equator Bottlers relevant authorities in charge of quality products in the company when contacted over the matter promised to link up later, but in vain till the time of going to the press. The consumers have urged the KEBS to crack the whip to save peoples lives from these health hazards drinks.
ENDS Shem Kosse
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Subject: KEBS ADMITS KISUMU EQUATOR BOTTLERS FEEDS ITS CONSUMERS WITH HEALTH HARZARD DRINKS
It’s All Wako’s Fault!!!
From: Tebiti Oisaboke
Date: Mon, Oct 26, 2009 at 9:45 PM
Two youngsters linked to the outlawed Mungiki sect, were yesterday summarily excuted by members of the community policing group (vigilante) in E. Mathira District. This has happened just a few days after their Mungiki kingpin along with his 20 subject members were set flee when Wako decided to drop their murder charges. This sent shock waves throughout the country with many citizens pointing fingers at the already over decomposed judicial system which has failed them several times. It's stuff like this which pushes the local "natives" (as the Excutive refers them) all the way to the wall and take the law into their own hands to seek justice since Wako and his cahoots have failed to deliver it to them. Our judicial system has is so much decayed beyond that of Zimbambe or S.Africa during the apartheid regime. It is construed to benefit the chosen few in the inner circle of state power -"the politically correct". These policy makers make policies which don't concern them but for the common man.
State house is no longer the house it used to be. It's a nerve centre of chaos and man-made disasters under the auspices of Gen Kaguoya and his MKM troops. These folks only think of survival of their regime by hook or crook, promotion of tribal divisions and ethnic clashes, genocide starvation going on in Kenya right now, perfection of assasination and torture (Prof. Mbai, David were, etc), rigging of elections and the looting of national wealth. As for security, look at your own back, Period!!!!! The question many wananchi are asking is; why did Wako rush these Kungiki gangsters to court before he had concluded his investigation to make sure that he was going to put them behind bars for a substintial length of time? He spent a good sum of the tax payer's cash in the name of conducting some flimy type of investigations, only to let the culprits walk out of court scot-free. We have a long way from developing our mangled judicial system!!! I highly commend those village vigilantes for what they are doing to get justice for the defenceless man. If Wako and his hencemen had done their homeworks in entirety, and put these two youngsters where they purportely belonged as per the villagers, they probably could be alive today and everybody could be happy that justice has at least dawned upon them. It is not the responsibility of the common people to provide security for themselves, it's the government's task.
This is not the first time a high profile case is ended in a very clumsy way. Muthemba who is Sir. Mugane Charles Njonjo's 1st cousin, was let go free by the "lords of the soil" for lack of sufficient evidence to incriminate him of the treason case he was charged with (1983). Then came the Anglo leasing, Goldenburg etc that Wako has absolutely failed to prosecute. How does he think with his masters, corruption will be at least curtailed in Kenya without sending any influential crook behind bars as a way to deter it? That is why we all need the judicial system reforms to be enacted without any further ado. Please join me to strongly support President Obama's efforts to bring these long awaited judicial, land and constitutional reforms in Kenya. His promises have started to show us that he is a gentleman who keeps his word. Mr. Wako is now a "persona non grana" in the USA. Bravo!!! President Obama and your efforts will never go in vain!! You are our new MOSES bro! We have been doped for a long time with folks like Wako and Co.
God Bless Kenya, God Bless Africa!!
TOI
CLT-NC
By Moses Njagih
Two people suspected to be members of the outlawed Mungiki sect have been executed by a vigilante group in Mathira East District.
The two, including a secondary school student, were fished from their sleep at Ihwagi village on Sunday night by a gang of 60, who tied their hands before killing them and leaving them by the wayside.
They were identified as Charles Muriuki, 22, a form two student at Gikumbo Secondary School and Patrick Kamau Mbogo, 27.
According to their families, the victims were fished from their houses at 1am. The gang claimed they were taking them to the police station.
But they were executed barely 500 metres from their homes, where their bodies were collected, yesterday morning. The scene of the heinous crime is few hundred of metres from Ihwagi Police Post.
The murders have caused fears of resurgence of attacks by vigilante groups. The killings came days after the release of Mungiki members charged with killing 29 people at Gathaithi village, Mathira, in April.
Among those acquitted by the High Court in Nyeri was Mungiki leader Maina Njenga. Yesterday, Ihwagi village was mourning the execution of the two. The victims’ parents, however, dismissed claims they were linked to the sect.
The group first fished out Muriuki, who was then in the compound with his sister Grace Wangu.
Crude weapons
"They knocked persistently and demanded that I open the house. They asked me to put off the lamp and whether my brother, Muriuki, who they said is a Mungiki member, was inside," recounted Wangu.
The gang members were armed with machetes, axes and metal rods.
"It is shocking that after the police were called, their response was very poor. Not even the General Service Unit officers who have a camp nearby responded on time, giving an impression that they could be sympathising with the vigilantes," said an elder.
Yesterday, area MP Mr Ephraim Maina visited the bereaved families and said he would demand a response from the Government.
By yesterday, police were yet to arrest anyone. Mathira East DC Francis Komen promised to address the media later as he held a meeting with security officials.
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Subject: It's All Wako's Fault!!!