THE LATE PROFESSOR WANGARI MAATHAI: CONDOLENCE BOOK
from AKR|Association of Kenyans Living in Rwanda
Fellow Kenyans,
Most of you may be aware of the demise of Professor Wangari Maathai on Sunday the 25th September 2011. Her death is untimely and a great loss to our country Kenya and the world at large. She inspired many of us through her commitment to conservation, democracy, women’s empowerment, the eradication of poverty and civic engagement.
For those wishing to express their condolences on the passing of Professor Maathai, a condolence book has been opened at the Kenya High Commission office, Kacyiru. You can visit and sign during the normal working hours.
Please remember the family during this difficult moment.
Carol.
KENYA: WHY WANGARI’S SPIRIT WILL HAUNT FOREST LAND GRABBERS
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011
Prof Maathai Wangi may have died but her spirit will continue haunting few greedy elite Kenyans who grabbed indigenous forests. It goes back to 2003 when the former Minister for the Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife, Dr Newton Kulundu warned that should former power man in Moi’s government, Mr Nicholas Biwott surrender illegally acquired Kaptagat Forest land he would be taken to court-click here-KENYA: Government Contradicts Biwott On Forest
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The Minister reiterated that the allocation of 161 hectares at Kaptagat Forest land to former Cabinet Minister was null and void. The Environment, Natural Resources and Wildlife Minister also warned that officers who allocated the forest land to Biwott without considering the environment impact assessment would be sacked.
It all started when Fr. Michael Rop, parish priest at Mokwo Catholic Parish in the Diocese of Eldoret, Western Kenya, began to ask some tough political questions in his homilies and civic education workshops as to why the Kenya government allocated Minister of Trade and Industry Nicholas Biwott a 1,000-acre plot carved out of the nearby Kaptagat Forest, especially since the land had previously been set aside to settle landless and poor squatters in the area.
Biwott, who was also the area's Member of Parliament, apparently did not take kindly to such inquiries from the church. Instead his supporters and other pro-government activists harassed Father Rop, accusing him of sexual harassment, threatening to evict him from the area, disrupting council parish meetings, and doing other things to undermine him.
It was not only Father Rop whose life was in danger but even his Bishop. On Sunday, July 1, 2001 armed police sealed off entrances to Mokwo Parish in an attempt to stop Bishop Cornelius Korir of Eldoret from entering Holy Family Catholic Church. The police's attempt failed because they didn't realize that Korir had spent the previous night in the church compound.
Bishop Cornelius Korir had said the mother of Mr Biwott, the late Mama Maria Sote, was not a national heroine to warrant the hiving off of 1,000 acres of forest land for the construction of a memorial for her.
Despite the fact that international laws on the protection of forests were clear that any one found destroying trees must be charged in court and the Kenya Government provides for similar action, Biwott and other elites who grabbed the forest land in Kenya has never been charged in court of law because they are politically connected individuals.
According to Paul Ndung’u report on illegal allocation of public forest land, among other elite Kenyans who are mentioned include former MP Joseph Kamotho linked to the illegal acquisition of 2.228 hectares in Karura forest in exchange for land of his that was said to have been allocated to the Kenya technical Teachers College. He has ever since denied the allegation.
Mr William Ruto is mentioned in the report as having acquired Ngong Forest land which he later sold it to Kenya Pipeline Company, through his company, at a cost of Sh9.9 million in 2001. Former Gatundu MP Ngengi Muigai is mentioned as having acquired land in Karura Forest area and sold it to Kenya Reinsurance Company.
The Ndungu Report covers ten other forests as well as other public land, ranging from road reserves to cemeteries to public toilets and even State House land. In 2001, for example, land which was part of Ngong Road Forest was illegally excised, subdivided into 32 plots and allocated to 13 companies.
Between 28th and 29th August of the same year, these thirteen companies sold the plots to Kenya Pipeline Company for Ksh 262,388,478. The list of the companies, their directors and proceeds are listed below as per Ndungu report:
8.8 ha allocated for expansion of Langata Women’s Prison but later a big portion allocated to private developers who have constructed residential houses.
15.09 ha allocated in exchange with a prime plot in Industrial Area belonging to Department of Prisons but later allocated to private developers.
53.68 ha allocated to a private developer in 1998.82 ha excised in 1997 – the legal notice was signed by John Sambu- Minister for Energy and Natural Resources.
Like Karura Forest, Ngong serves vital water catchments, environmental and recreational uses. It provides oxygenation which helps ease the high levels of pollution in Nairobi and stabilizes the water table over a large area.
Kenyan former President Daniel arap Moi has also been exposed as one of the main beneficiaries of a controversial plan to cut down nearly 70,000 hectares (170,000 acres) of Kenya's remaining forest, much of it in the Mau forest, home of Kenya's Ogiek tribe.
People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org
Kenya: Muthaura under the spotlight
from Judy Miriga
Folks,
With this kind of exposure from ICC Hague, the coalition government in both the leadership of Kibaki and Raila is shaken. .........
I wonder how Muthaura will continue with Public Service under Government Administration and Police watch without intimidating and tampering with evidences......."The Cattle is calling back to roost".......
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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--- On Mon, 9/26/11, reasoning kenyan wrote:
From: reasoning kenyan
Subject: Re: DID THE GOVERNMENT WANT CIVIL WAR or WAS PREPAIRING FOR, IN 2007/2008
In this I submit kibaki failed miserably to protect kenyans and should answer to crimes of ommison and neglect of duties, resulting in deaths of so many. I believe is why he is mainly a ceremonial president, who even the police don't listen to. when is the last time you saw a presidential directive complied with? In effect he has no moral authority because he doesn't even believe he is worthy being the president, as a result, he is just whiling time at state house ..
since he was sworn in, he has done nothing but appear at official functions ..
if this theory is true, who then is it that exercises executive presidential powers?
..just theorising
On 9/26/11, obed nyaribo wrote:
Evans,
When the chaos erupted there was a government in place and Mr Kibaki had been sworn in as Kenyan President and he had said he will protect all kenyan according to the constitution that existed then. Therefore, let us not entertain side shows, Mr Kibaki must answer why he did not protect Kenyans from the thugs and gangsters. He had powers to declare a state of emergency, detain all opposition leaders, deploy the police, GSU and the army. Kenyans want Kibaki to answer and apologize to Kenyans for not protecting innocent Kenyans.
Obed
--- On Mon, 9/26/11, Evans MACHERA wrote:
From: Evans MACHERA
Subject: Re: DID THE GOVERNMENT WANT CIVIL WAR or WAS PREPAIRING FOR, IN 2007/2008
Date: Monday, September 26, 2011, 1:27 AM
Paul,
Definitely we had a government.There is no time the office of the president has ever been vacant,and government arms and functionaries operated without officers.
During the KICC fiasco,Major Ali was passing by,and no salutes flung from the officers in uniforms as expected.Labda they didn't know nor recognize him! Or what do we say!
Evans MACHERA.
--- On Sun, 9/25/11, paul nyandoto wrote:
From: paul nyandoto
Subject: DID THE GOVERNMENT WANT CIVIL WAR or WAS PREPAIRING FOR, IN 2007/2008
Date: Sunday, September 25, 2011, 10:04 PM
Kenyans;
All knows that the events of PEV in 2007/2008 are very hard to narrate, but one thing is clear. There was a government in Kenya which was sworn in at night in the dark, which even some foreign countries like Uganda recognised and congratulated. BUT this same government did not protect people, instead of sending policemen to protect people in the rift valley, or Nyanza or Coastal they removed all uniforms from the police men and gave it to mungiki to do police men`s job. Our old constitution also states very clearly that the former government is to remain in power during transition until a new government is takes over. So we had a government in place in the PEV 2007/2008.
WHAT WAS THEIR MOTIVE BY GIVING MUNGIKI POLICE UNIFORM??. WHY DIDN`T THE POLICE DO THE JOB THEMSELVES??, Was Kenya already in a civil war which we do not know about or were they prepairing already for a civil war indirectly?. Infact those are points that even if Hague does not convict the suspects, we Kenyans should ask and should be clearly answered for a trust to exist again in the country.
I hope you do not call this a proactive; it is not pushy, not aggressive, or insensitive thought either; i think this is just a smart and value driven reality that we must think about as an alternative motive some kenyans might have had in mind by swooping police men with criminals. I have heard how people narrate the events of 1982 coup how so and so did this and that. Where do you group people who overtake GSU and police men and put their own army on the streets; is it a coup detat or peaceful transition??.
Paul Nyandoto
USA: Wed. 28Sept.2011: premiere of “Rocket City Rednecks”, starring SF writer Travis Taylor…
from Taras
... and his crew of good ole boy scientists and engineers (his relatives and in-laws, it appears).
Premiere: National Geographic Channel, Wed. 9/28 9-11PM EDT (first four episodes in a row).
Repeated Thurs. 9/29 12-2AM, Sat. 10/1 9-11PM, Sun. 10/2 12-2AM, Wed. 10/5 5-7PM.
"Bomb-Proof My Pick-Up": Travis comes up with an innovative idea to make Humvees more bomb resistant, and it involves beer cans.
"Moonshine Rocket Fuel": The team come up with an alternative energy resource to fuel a homemade rocket.
"Junkyard Iron Man": The Rednecks build a bullet-proof exoskeleton suit using only spare parts and junkyard materials.
"20,000 Kegs Under the Sea": The boys build a homemade submarine utilizing beer kegs but disaster strikes during the test run.
Travis S.Taylor has published about a dozen SF novels and non-fiction books.
His webpage is: http://www.doctravis.com/
Jessica Cox -Disarming Impossibilities
from judy matu
Good people,
She's the only pilot in the entire world licensed to fly a plane using her feet. She's a black belt in Taekwondo, a scuba diver and wave surfer. She's incredible on the piano.
Kenya is hosting Jessica Cox this week for motivational talks in Nairobi and Mombasa on 28th and 29th respectively.
for more details visit
threecworld.com
you and I cant afford to miss.
Regards,
Judy.
Africa: Growth, Colonization, and Institutional Development. In and Out of Africa
from Yona Maro
This essay investigates the determinants of the growth performance of Africa. It starts by illustrating a broader research agenda which accounts not only for basic economic and demographic factors, but also for the role of history and institutional development. After reporting results from standard growth regressions, the author analyzes the role of Africa’s peculiar history, which has been marked by its colonization experience. Next the author discusses the potential growth impact of state fragility, a concept which reflects multiple facets of the dysfunctions that plague the continent. The last topic addressed in this essay is the influence, in and out of Africa, of the slave trades. The essay ends with critical conclusions and suggestions for further research.
http://www.recent.unimore.it/wp/recent-wp64.pdf
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Kwa Nafasi za Kazi kila siku www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
http://worldngojobs.blogspot.com/ Nafasi za Kazi Kimataifa
Intellectual Property Rights and South- North Formation of Global Innovation Networks
from Yona Maro
With the rise of the knowledge economy, delivering sound innovation policies requires a thoroughunderstanding of how knowledge is produced and diffused. This paper takes a step to analyze a new form of globalization, the so-called system of Global Innovation Networks (GINs), to shed light on how the protection of intellectual property rights (IPRs) influences their creation and development. The authors focus on the role of IPR protection in fostering international innovative activities in emerging economies (South), such as China and India, and more generally, how IPRs affect the development of GINs between newly industrialized countries and OECD countries. Using both survey-based firm-level and country-level global data, it was found IPRs to be an important determinant of participation in GINS from a Southern perspective. It was found that IPR protection at home and its harmonization across county pairs foster South-North formation of GINs. The authors also find that a stringent regime in the destination country discourages foreign international innovative activities that originate in NICs.
http://www.recent.unimore.it/wp/recent-wp69.pdf
--
Kwa Nafasi za Kazi kila siku www.kazibongo.blogspot.com
http://worldngojobs.blogspot.com/ Nafasi za Kazi Kimataifa
Zambia picks its next president in tight vote…”King Cobra” Michael Sata Congratulation….
from Judy Miriga
Folks,
A fight well done, Congratulation King Cobra Michael Sata.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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Zambia's 'King Cobra' Sata wins elctions
Zambia's 'King Cobra" Michael Sata elected President
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HsXPIT6yoQ8
Uploaded by comapass1 on Sep 23, 2011
Zambian opposition leader Michael Sata, scored an upset presidential election victory on Friday which may have negative results in foreign companies' view of Africa's biggest copper producer as a sound investment destination.
Zambia's opposition leader Sata wins elections
By Chris Mfula | Reuters – Thu, Sep 22, 2011
LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia's opposition leader Michael Sata was declared the winner of the country's presidential elections on Friday, defeating incumbent Rupiah Banda in polls marred by public violence in Africa's biggest copper producer.
Zambia's Chief Justice Ernest Sakala declared Sata the winner after he received 1,150,045 votes compared to Banda's 961,796 with 95.3 percent of constituencies counted.
(Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Marius Bosch)
Zambia picks its next president in tight vote
AFP – Mon, Sep 19, 2011
About 5.2 million registered Zambian voters head to the polls Tuesday for elections pitting President Rupiah Banda's pro-business policies against opposition leader Michael Sata's fiery nationalism.
The race has been described by analysts as too close to call.
Banda has presided over one of Africa's fastest-growing economies thanks largely to the rising international price of copper, Zambia's main export.
But Sata has sought to turn the incumbent's economic track record against him by arguing that Banda has let foreign investors reap the rewards of the copper boom while ordinary Zambians continue living in poverty.
The election will decide the country's leadership for the next five years, but is unlikely to bring major policy shifts if Sata's Patriotic Front (PF) defeats the ruling Movement for Multi-party Democracy (MMD), in power for the past 20 years.
Political analyst Phineas Bbaala of the University of Zambia predicted the race will be tight, with the winner claiming less than 50 percent of the overall vote.
"Most of the voters around the country are in a deep state of psychological discontent, and as a result, we're likely to see an opposition which will poll more votes than the ruling party," Bbaala told AFP.
"But because the opposition vote will be fragmented, it is most likely that the MMD will win."
He said the PF's chances diminished when its alliance with the minority United Party for National Development (UPND) collapsed in March amid a leadership squabble.
A PF win would only be the second transfer of power in Zambia since the country gained independence from Britain in 1964.
The PF says if elected it will bring back a 25 percent windfall tax on mining revenues that Banda's government abolished in 2009.
The increase in copper prices since then -- from around $3,000 a tonne to almost $10,000 -- and the friendly tax regime have drawn a rush of foreign and especially Chinese investment to Zambia.
Thanks largely to the mining boom, Banda has presided over an economy that grew 7.6 percent last year and 6.4 percent the year before.
But the PF says Banda has failed to spread the wealth, with 64 percent of Zambia's 12.9 million people still living on less than two dollars a day.
Sata has also attacked his rival's record on corruption, after Banda's government refused to appeal the corruption acquittal of former president Frederick Chiluba, accused of embezzling $500,000 during his 1991 to 2002 presidency.
Sata, whose biting rhetoric has earned him the nickname "King Cobra", faces image problems of his own in his fourth presidential bid.
Critics fear the strong-fisted firebrand, who made his name bashing the growing Chinese presence in the country, would make an authoritarian president.
The last contest between the two rivals -- a 2008 special election to fill the remainder of late president Levy Mwanawasa's term after his death -- was decided by just two percentage points.
Sata alleged the election was rigged, and his supporters rioted for days after.
Voting stations open at 0400GMT and close at 1600GMT, according to the electoral commission.
A book review; _The Key _ by Whitley Streiber;
Reviewed by octimotor
The book is titled, _The Key_ published by Tarcher / Pinguin; 2011 ed. Its author, Whitley Streiber, provides a written account recalling an approximately two hour amazing conversation with an extraordinary individual.
On a night in 1998, W.S. had been resting in his hotel room, near the conclusion of an author's tour to promote his then most recent book. The visitor to his room that night was a guy evidencing great depths of knowledge and abilities to clearly communicate in a number of fields. Those fields ranged over a number of topics in spirituality, religion, science, metaphysics, history.
The visiting gentleman, early in the narrative, is quoted as saying, 'Your feet are chained to the ground. I am from The Good. I offer you a key - - a way out of your culture's condition of bondage and ignorance'.
So it seems reasonable to infer that this was the basis for the book about this meeting and conversation to become titled, _The Key_.
W.S. does not know the name of that amazing individual. So W.S. calls him simply, "the Master of the Key" (M.o.t.K), for lack of knowing his actual name.
Q.
Who are you?
A.
At one point the guy said, he was a Canadian. He did not pay taxes, nor did he have a driver's license.
At another point, he said, 'you might call me Michael. Or you might call me Leagon'.
Readers may recognize correlations, of spiritual significance, out of the Judio-Christian tradition. On one hand, there is Michael, an arch-angel among the heavenly hosts. On the second hand, there is the name given by an unclean spirit (spirits). That is from the story in which Jesus performs healing of a mentally ill / possessed, man. He removes possessing spirit, transferring it / them into a herd of swine.
It is an interesting ambiguity, though, that in answering a question as to what was his name, the M.o.t.K chose both of these apparent spiritual opposites in his response.
Q.
Who, what, were Buda, Jesus the Christ, the prophet Mohamed?
A.
They existed and were as they said they were, as given in accounts within the scriptural documentation associated with each one of their ministries, respectively. These bodies of tradition and written words contain great truths spoken by their spiritual teachers.
Consider them together, as three aspects of an overall spiritual system. In Christianity, there is Seeking after the Divine. In Islam, there is Surrender to the Divine. In Buddhism, there is Experiencing of the Divine.
Exercise discernment, though. There have been additions and alterations. These were done by others afterward. This was done by those who were, thru such insertions, seeking to promote various political / social / economic ends.
Spirit, Soul, are real. Divinity is real, said M.o.t.K. We humans are divinely created immortal spirits. As such, we do not vanish when the biological body dies. This is not intangible and supernatural. Rather, it is natural, and in accordance with physical laws discoverable thru scientific study.
Spirits' existence involves patterns of energy, electromagnetic fields, plasma-state matter (ionized gases). Therefore, suitably crafted technologies and devices could in principle detect, interact with, communicate with, spirits - - such as those of deceased earthly humans.
Spirits / Souls, are generally immortal. M.o.t.K indicated, however, that:
- they can be destroyed;
- they can be executed;
- they can suicide; however, this would not be an instant or even quick ending. Rather, that soul would, subjectively, experience pain lasting an almost endlessly long duration.
Additionally, stated M.o.t.K, spirits can be captured, exploited to achieve certain utilitarian ends. This can be done via employment of technological devices crafted for such purposes.
Mis-use, said M.o.t.K., of abilities to interact with - - exploit, technologically, as unwilling servants - - the souls of the dead, figured in as one of the reasons why a prior scientifically advanced earthly human civilization was destroyed long ages ago.
That was a culture in which scientifically advanced knowledge was used and horded in secrecy by an extremely small upper class. All the rest of the people were kept in ignorance - - treated essentially as slaves, considered almost valueless except as exploitable for simple laborers. That was a grave mistake. Each and Every soul has the same High value - - not only those who set themselves up on Top. That civilization fell because of its habits of secrecy and exploitation of the masses. You should take this lessen to heart in your own current times and global culture.
An extremely devastating war occurred. It left huge long lasting scars throughout this solar system. A region in the brain of humans, responsible for allowing them to more readily sense, communicate with, souls of the dead, was for the most part deactivated thereafter.
The ruined remains left from that age will hardly ever be found by you. A great portion of such is under ocean depths. For some other places, the climate was changed. Now those parts are hidden under deep sands of desserts.
Q.
How common is life, how common are intelligent lifeforms?
A.
Throughout the universe, Life is ubiquitously abundant. It exists under a huge variety of conditions.
In a galaxy, there may be thousands of intelligent forms of life. The physical conditions supporting their existence is much rarer by contrast to those allowing simple life. Some of it resembles that found here on earth. Some is vastly different - - given local conditions which differ greatly from what is here on this world. There are even instances of intelligent life existing in the relative void of intergalactic space.
A reason for life's very high abundance is that, as you have been informed by your scientists who research quantum mechanical systems, observers are necessary for physical events to take on reality. In performing this basic function, life forms do not need to be intelligent ones. Even the simplest of microbes are adequate for the task.
W.S.. noted that he certainly did recognize that in recent decades there are certainly conditions of great secrecy and miss-information associated with big government and big business.
M.o.t.K. stated, there is a great need for citizens to form a very vigorous assault to penetrate the veils of secrecy at all levels. Our survival may hinge upon doing so successfully. Even a number of the apparently high level elected officials inside governments are kept unaware of what is hidden.
A related comment has been publicised during interviews of Apollo Era CBS science advisor Richard Hogland. During his researches in recent years he has had received confidential background conversations with current or past USA intelligence community participants. The statement from one of them is especially important. "The Lie is different at every level", he was told. Cover stories exist in layer upon layer on top layer of other cover stories. Each is targeted to the role of the given player.
Relevant to M.o.t.K's discussions about possibilities for us to technologically obtain ways to communicate with no longer incarnate spirits, is an interview of a recent book author, on tour in support of its recent publication. Title is _The Sacred Promise_ , by Dr Gary Schwartz. The interview show appeared in the "Dreamland" section of Whitley Striber's web site, www.unknowncountry.com, 15 Sept. 2011. Its author, with career in the sciences, had been previously of the mindset to view the universe as spiritless. However, his recent experimental research, pertaining to physics, electronics and computers / information science, persuaded him to shift toward the opposite view - - that of a 'spirit - filled universe'.
One aspect he notes are results from a USA Stanford U. team involving the 'Global Consciousness roject' A world wide array of test computer systems have software applications running to assess the randomness level in 'random number generators'. Slightly before the occurrence of major events which strongly catch the attention of the public, the test systems measure the generated streams of 'random numbers' to become more correlated, less random.
An experiment he had designed and ran used the tools of electronics, physics, computers & automation to investigate matters previously confined to the activities of persons calling themselves mediums. The heart of the measurement consisted of a closed chamber, enclosing a photo-multiplier tube able to record even single photon absorptions by the detector. Experiment tests made comparisons between two differing situations. One type of run was with normal background, nothing special. Second type of run was under the condition in which a recorded scripted, even power - point supported, audio visual presentation was made active while the photon detector measurements were performed. The script consisted of an invitation, welcoming the visiting presence, at that time and place, by a particular warmly remembered deceased family member. Random-number based computer automation process is what selected when either respective case ran.
He said that much to his surprise, he found that the occasions in which spirit visit was requested corresponded with those in which the data showed increased rates for photons detected in the unlit sealed chamber. Consequently, Spirits may be real and detectable by physical means after all, he concluded.
Q,
W.S. asked if there were things we could learn from the of spirits of departed earthly humans.
A.
Reply by M.o.t.K indicated a need for caution. Some of those spirits are perhaps far less wise than yourselves. A few are more wise, and their advice could be worth having. Both, though, would likely to offer their advice, if asked. So we would need to very carefully exercise critical discernment of any such information.
Q.
There is much current concern expressed about our possible entry into a period of climate & weather shifts away from what he have been familiar with over recent several centuries. Is the concern merited?
A.
The global climate situation, said M.o.t.K., is subject to cyclical wide fluctuations - - wide enough to profoundly effect the ecology of lifeforms here (and any civilizations, if applicable) at such times. There are periods of warmth, periods of ice-ages. The change-over can be very swift - - unlike the belief held by most climate and geology scientists. Intense warming occurs just before the freeze-ups. That would likely occur any way sometime within the next 2000 years. Humans' impact upon the related processes simply speeds things up. It could thus happen very soon.
Arctic ice cover melting lowers the salt concentration in places such as North Atlantic ocean. The Gulf Stream circulation can thus be weakened or cease - - with very major impacts upon climate and weather problems for Europe. Thermal instability, high amplitude atmospheric convective events, can bring the development of storms more intense than any others seen during the past 10 thousand years. The importance for the impact of world wide food harvests failing many years in a row can not be overstated.
Kenya: Ohuru Departs Amid Drama!!!
From: Tebiti Oisaboke
The controversial MP for Makadara constituency deserved the treatment he received at JKI Airport on the night Ohuru Kenyatta departed for the ICC's confirmation hearings. The young man has a tendency of using force and his role as an MP to demand preferential treatment whenever he goes. If you conduct and walk around like a wild animal, don't expect special treatment in return. All he had to do was to abide with what the law keepers were telling him to do and control his rogue supporters and sentries and his recognition could have been honored. He didn't have to physically show up at the airport from his hospital bed propelling himself on crutches just to bid farewell to his buddy when Jr was just a phone call away. Their supporters are clearly heard threatening the inspector who was manning the departure entrance that they have seen and marked him. Why would someone threaten a senior civil servant who is conducting his official duties according to the law? All his entourage needs to be rounded up and charged with threatening civil servants on duty. They didn't even respect the government badges or state crown. They were all pushing, pulling and shouting at the officers like they were nothing to them. All this time, Sonko, Kabogo and Waititu stood stuck mum without any attempt to control their paid supporters. Such kind of behavior needs to be curtailed from locations such as Int'l airports which are our external gateways. These chaps need these kind of showoffs at their constituencies away from Kenya's foreign guests. This could easily lead to a grievous security glitch at the airport whereby a terrorist might sneak through the security check points and cause a mayhem in Jr's plane when its in the high seas. And Kenya could be transformed into a 1994 Rwanda just because of three fame searching elements. These chaps need to be trained on how to conduct themselves as public leaders.
TOI
KENYA & ICC: THE DATA IN OCAMPO SIX THAT WON’T ERASE
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News
from ouko joachim omolo
BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2011
Even though Uhuru Kenyatta and Francis Muthaura have denied the allegation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) that they organised deadly attacks against rival supporters after the disputed 2007 polls to keep PNU in power by “any means necessary”, the fact remains that their reputations have been tinted and to repair it would not be very easy.
According to ICC Prosecutor Adesola Adeboyejo the Deputy Prime Minister and Head of Civil Service created a common plan and policy to retaliate against the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporters and to ensure the Party of National Unity (PNU) remained in power.
While Muthaura and Kenyatta she said organised and directed forces which then unleashed the attacks, former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali directed the police to stand down in order to create a safe passage for the Mungiki to attack ODM supporters in Naivasha.
Kenyatta on his part the court heard used Mungiki given his long time ties with them. In 2002 Kenyans were surprised to see the outlawed sect demonstrating in Nairobi by the ("Daily Nation," August 21, 2002) ostensibly in support of President Moi and political protégé Uhuru Kenyatta, a fact that the ICC confirmation hearing court could have used to assert that Uhuru has been having a long tie with Mungiki.
The sect, drawn mainly from the Kikuyu ethnic group, marched through Nairobi waving placards expressing solidarity with the president Moi and his choice of Uhuru Kenyatta as his successor to fight for the presidency in elections in 2002. The sect demonstrated because Moi had been criticised within the ruling Kanu party over his endorsement of Mr Kenyatta.
This was the same time ("East African Standard," August 19, 2002) the Catholic Church condemned calls by two MPs that they would mobilise Mungiki sect members if members of the public continued insulting President Moi.
Fr Emmanuel Ngugi of then in charge of Holy Family Basilica was reacting to remarks made by former Juja MP, Mr Stephen Ndichu, and his Molo counterpart, Mr Dickson Kihika Kimani, that they would use Mungki to fight anyone opposing President Moi.
Mungiki, Kikuyu for "multitude" or "masses," started as a religious movement in 1987 when one of its founder Maina Njenga saw a vision in which, he says, God commanded him to lead his people out of bondage.
The Mungiki grew rapidly during the 1990s, a time of severe political turbulence and violence surrounding the movement to restore multiparty democracy to Kenya. This was the time the Moi regime instigated ethnic violence against Kikuyu communities in Rift Valley Province through private ethnic militias-for-hire in 1992 and then again in 1997. In the mid-1990sthe sect became involved in vigilante activity to "protect" Kikuyu slum dwellers.
In the recent shooting of two prominent Kenyan human-rights campaigners, Kamau King’ara and Paul Oulo, it was alleged that the Mungiki were involved because the duo had been investigating death squads widely thought to be linked to senior politicians. It was immediately assumed that the pair had been silenced by orders from on high to cover up the evidences.
Mr King’ara had said that at least 1,700 young Kenyans had been shot or tortured to death by death squads during President Mwai Kibaki’s first term in office between 2002 and 2007, while another 6,500-plus had disappeared, probably also at the hands of government goons.
It was not just an isolated allegation. Previous month Philip Alston, a UN investigator, published a report documenting around 500 death-squad executions in the months leading up to the election of December 2007, whose disputed results led to 1,500 or so deaths and the displacement of at least 300,000 Kenyans in the subsequent violence.
Mr Alston, an Australian, called for the chief of police, Hussein Ali, and the attorney-general, Amos Wako, to resign. They show no sign of doing so. Hours before the two campaigners were killed the government’s spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua accused Mr King’ara of raising funds for the feared Mungiki.
Uhuru’s lawyer however, do not want him crucified alone, he also wants President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to appear for trials in The Hague since they were the ones who were behind the violence.
According to articles 27 and 28 of the Rome Statute, on which the International Criminal Court is founded, Kibaki and Raila could easily be called to The Hague anyway. Article 27, titled “Irrelevance of official capacity”, removes any immunity to prosecution on the basis of status in society. Section 2 of the same article makes irrelevant the provisions of the Kenya Constitution that grant a sitting head of state immunity from prosecution.
It reads: “Immunities or special procedural rules which may attach to the official capacity of a person, whether under national or international law, shall not bar the Court from exercising its jurisdiction over such a person.”
The two leaders’ responsibility for crimes committed under their watch is captured in Article 28 of the Rome Statute which says that “a superior shall be criminally responsible for crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court committed by subordinates under his or her effective authority and control, as a result of his or her failure to exercise control properly over such subordinates, where:
(i) The superior either knew, or consciously disregarded information which clearly indicated, that the subordinates were committing or about to commit such crimes;
(ii) The crimes concerned activities that were within the effective responsibility and control of the superior; and
(iii) The superior failed to take all necessary and reasonable measures within his or her power to prevent or repress their commission or to submit the matter to the competent authorities for investigation and prosecution.”
Uhuru and William Ruto see The Hague as politically incorrect to bar them from standing as presidential candidates in 2012. That Raila is afraid Uhuru could easily defeat him since Uhuru is slowly but steadily emerging as the most likely potential presidential designee of the Kikuyus — should they decide to back a candidate for president.
The fact that Kibaki has not mentioned Uhuru as his successor, Minister John Michuki who has also been mentioned at the ICC hearings that he organized Mingiki to attack non Kikuyus in Kibera, has made an interesting declaration that anyone interested in getting the Agikuyu vote must co-operate with Uhuru Kenyatta.
Since Gichugi Member of Parliament Martha Karua who hails from Kirinyagah showed her interest of contesting for presidency in 2012, it has been the wish of Michuki and other Gikuyu elders that Karua form an alliance with Uhuru as the sole presidential candidate.
Ms Karua has ever since distanced herself from ethnic political alliances and has refused to play second fiddle to Uhuru Kenyatta in central Kenya politics. She is on record saying that the era of political dynasty is gone and Kenyans should be allowed to elect leaders based on choice.
Environment Minister John Michuki last year sparked controversy, when he declared Uhuru would succeed President Kibaki as the community’s leader. He had hinted anyone eyeing the vote-rich region must recognise Uhuru or brace for a fight.
Karua dismissed Michuki’s ‘dictatorial’ suggestions, saying the electorate should decide without coercion.
Ethnic mobilisation has been routine in Kenya since 1963. The plot has been to harvest tribal votes and then the tribal chieftains use the bloc to negotiate for their own political agenda, even if that meant shedding of blood.
But even so, Uhuru will find it very difficult to excel through for fear that he will use the tactics of his father to take Kenyans back where land could easily continued to be grabbed and people opposed to his style of leadership shown a different way as his father did.
This is also the fear expressed on William Ruto that he could easily turn Kenya to the dark era of Moi where corruption and ethnic cleansing would be the order of the day. Rutu was with Moi when the 1990s’ ethnic clashes were being carried on.
However, with G7 alliance, Uhuru thinks he is in a better position to win even if Karua distanced herself from him. He believes the vast majority of Kikuyu will vote him even if votes were divided because of Karua and likely Peter Keneth who has also shown the interest.
Uhru also banks on Minister of Security Georgs Saitoti and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka should Uhuru be the sole candidate. He banks on the VP because of the Kamba community, which is closely related to the Kikuyu community.
Although tensions between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu communities remain high and make an alliance problematic, the political imperatives driving potential cooperation between Kenyatta and Ruto cannot be dismissed also. Probably that is why Uhuru and Ruto think that The Hague was staged by Raila to ensure they don’t stand for presidency.
Letter to the Editor
THE INVENTION OF TRIBALISM IN AFRICA
By Chrispine Onyango- Nairobi, Kenya
Generally speaking, most African countries have suffered for long as a result of tribalism. A very good example is Kenya. Africans historically were known to embrace community living and therefore there was no tribal division. This concept of tribal division was brought about by the Europeans who believed that Africans lived in tribes and that tribal loyalties were the only primitive stuff of African Politics.
Therefore they divided Africa into tribes, and where these tribes did not exist, they had to be invented by them. In many cases there were ethnic identities, based on the kinship of common traditions, language, social and religious customs and history. Each ethnic group were to live by themselves without crossing to the rest of the other groups.
This trend has been embraced by some African countries like Kenya. In fact nowadays it's very hard for a Luo to stays at ease with a Kikuyu or a Kikuyu with a Kalenjin. In short each ethnic community will be at peace his own tribes mate. This trend has even affected the religious sectors. Each priest or pastor desires to identify himself with his own tribe mate.
In my view I encourage Raphael Tuju to go for presidency even if majority of Luos will object his idea. Though his battle may seem as that of David and Goliath in the Bible as Fr Joachim had stated it earlier, Tuju should courageously break the dominance of this tribal based dynasty in Lluo Nyanza.
I couldn't really understand why Tuju did not make to Parliament. For any one who has not been to that place should make an attempt or ask those who know like me. Luos should know that we don't need idealists nor sophists but people who are ready to work for Kenyans.
People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya
Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org
Kenya: Uhuru in trouble over remark
from Tebiti Oisaboke
My friend Kenyatta Jr. started his Hague trip on a wrong foot. You don't utter such kind of words even before you appear before your accusers. Lie down like an Antelope and make yourself look like a fool in order to earn some innocent credits. Junior doesn't know that even though you say jokingly to a Caucasian that "I'm gonna hurt you", they take it very seriously and will call 911 on you. Mark and always weigh your words before you spill them out on camera especially when you know that you are under the mic 24/7.
TOI
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A lawyer representing 233 victims of post-election violence accused Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta of uttering inflammatory statements on the eve of his appearance at The Hague.
The lawyer, Mr Morris Anyah, used press reports carried on September 19 in which the minister was allegedly quoted saying, "we are going to The Hague and we know justice will prevail, because we did nothing wrong and all we did was to support our people".
. . .
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000043265&cid=4&ttl=Uhuru%20in%20trouble%20over%20remark
to read "Uhuru in trouble over remark ".
Kenya: Country to Hold Regional Infrastructure Meeting
from Judy Miriga
Folks,
The Status Quo, business as usual in total disregard of the New Constitutional order for Reform Strategy.....It has to be Their Way or No Way, the Old Constitutional way of the "Birds of the Same Feathers", the Cartels way......No Way for New Constitution.......It is the Collition Regional and International Network of Special Interests "Public Kupe" Wheeler Dealer of "Intellectual Property Thieving".......Cant you connect the dots....???
It is the reason there is no boarder police patrol in Kenya.........exposing insecurity to local communities for thuggery........MoU between Kibaki, the Ethiopian President, Raila, Moi, Ugandan President, Congo and Somali leadership. The reason too much killings, poverty, pain and suffering of public with stealing of public land, Natural Resources e.g. natural gas, Oil and Gas, cobalt, steel, copper, titanium, uranium, Gold and Diamond.
This should stop..........Life, however simple, is valuable and important. Must be treated with dignity. It is the reason why public vote for leadership to plan, budget and provide services in a shared balanced manner. If they cant do it the way majority public wants, they must be forced out by popular voice of reason and ultimately they must be rejected through public consensus ...........The Power of the People.......
Haya Connect the dots and Compare notes..........ask yourself why Kibaki loathe to work with official Kenya's Armed Forces in the likes of Kenya Army, Kenya Airforce and Kenya Navy..........it is because their uniforms are being used by the Mungiki and Al-Shabaab marcinaries gang.............pretending to be Kenya Armed Forces.........It is the reason why Kenya Police cannot be overhauled, even after National Reform and the New Constitutional Order to RESTRUCTURE THE POLICE FORCE, to weed the bad guys of Mungiki from the real Kenya Administration Police and Kenya's Armed Forces.......
It is business as usual folks,..........Do your Math, it is as simple as 2 + 2 = 4
Thank you all,
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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East African Business Week (Kampala)
Kenya: Country to Hold Regional Infrastructure Meet
Ngugi Njoroge
19 September 2011
Nairobi, Kenya — Kenya will later this month be host to a major high level investors' conference that will seek to highlight ongoing infrastructural projects in the region thereby attracting investment.
The two day conference involving all the major regional trading blocks including Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, (COMESA), East African Community, (EAC) Southern African Development Community, (SADC), and Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD) will take place in Nairobi between September 28 and 29.
President Mwai Kibaki will officially open the tripartite and IGAD development conference.
An estimated 33 relevant government ministries from the countries served by the Lamu, Djibouti, Northern, Central and Berbera transport corridors will attend with delegations expected from the ministries of Transport, Roads, Information, Energy and Roads among other minstries.
"The objective of the conference is to advance the highlighted projects toward feasibility and bank-ability allowing investors from the private sector, governments and donor community to finance such projects through institutional arrangements such as direct private sector investment, Public Private partnerships and public expenditure," said Jason Kap-Kirwok the Kenya country director of TradeMark East Africa, a multi-donor funded agency which provides support for increased regional trade and economic integration in East Africa.
Kap-Kirowk said the conference hopes to attract an estimated Sh 2.7 trillion (US$ 3 billion) in investment capital towards priority roads, railways and ports infrastructural projects in the region.
Mr. Gabriel Kaunda the deputy chief economist, in the ministry of Kenyan Trade said the conference is highly critical coming at a time when the world is being faced by a global financial crisis which made donor financing of projects almost inconceivable.
"In the wake of such challenges regional governments are putting emphasis on regional financing solutions through the creation of meaningful partnerships and the conference will help us highlight on this," said Kaunda.
Kaunda added that the conference would also help in exploring avenues for regional countries to expand their technical capacity to implement regional projects.
Borderless Kenya!
Uploaded by NTVKenya on Sep 20, 2011
http://www.ntv.co.ke
The government has often hastened to assure that Kenya's borders are secure whenever there is a threat or attack. But are they really safe? Judging by the Merille incursions into Todonyang, not once, but twice in the span of two months, Kenya's furthest flung borders are no safer than if there were no border at all. O ne border that the government claims is even closed is the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia border point, or border point one as it is famously known. John-Allan Namu has just been at that border point and reports on a wide-open space guarded by just a handful of police officers.
Comments
Standard YouTube License
I wonder what are kenyan and Ethiopians are doing there...And why is this reporter is saying no mans land while Mandera to garissa and Mandera to Jigjiga is Pure Somalia...i was born wajir i don't consider myself as kenyan,I am somalian..My kenyan documents i just destroyed them five? years ago....people think i am crazy ..No I my grandparents were Born wajir ..They were somalis will always be somalis..My Grandpa left his somalian ID ..imagine wajir was Somalian country b4 colonies....
OMG Kenya lacks? seriousness.
sandezack 21 hours ago
i? wish ethiopian president was smart enough to take over kenya...i would be much happier being ethiopian than kenya...kibakis security polici is was than the watchy who used to guard our home
simbakafiri 1 day ago
This happens becoz we have the most useless president...I can't wait for? that toad to get out of office next year...our country is really insecure with kibaki being in power..bure kabisa!
bethukip 1 day ago
@mytime81 if the kenyan government doesnt even take security seriously, i doubt they can? harness river water for food production.
Environmentalists warn against large-scale farming
Published on 17/09/2011
By LILIAN ALUANGA
Agricultural projects, changing climate and a rise in population are some of the factors being blamed for the drying of one of Kenya’s top fresh water wetlands.
Known for its rich diversity of birdlife, wild animals and plants, the Tana Delta wetland is home to thousands of pastoralists, farmers and fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on activities that are supported by this ecological feature, which is now at risk of being turned into one huge farmland.
At Dide Waride, a wetland area, Hussein Gona is worried that herds of the pastoralist Orma community in the area may not have enough pasture this season.
Gona is standing on a dry portion of land and points to hundreds of cattle, sheep and goats scattered across hundreds of acres of land.
"Usually, during the rainy season, goats can stand in water that is chest-deep," he says. When the rains subside the area becomes an important dry season grazing site for hundreds of thousands of livestock.
Frequent droughts are, however, posing a new challenge as herds of livestock that are not resident to the area converge in the delta.
"Herders are coming from elsewhere to graze their cattle here. They are coming from as far as Ethiopia, Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Bura. If this is not controlled we will not have much left for our livestock," adds Gona.
"All the water is gone. I blame irrigation projects in this area to some extent, because I believe they have sucked the area dry," he says of the now seasonal wetland.
In Salama location, farmers are blaming the canals and dykes constructed in the 1990s to support irrigation projects in the area.
Ox-bow lake
There is talk that a good portion of land that was converted into farmlands was once part of the wetland.
"Flood waters had natural channels through which they would flow into the wetlands," says a farmer in the area. The waters often provided good breeding grounds for fish and other aquatic life.
Along the shores of Lake Moa, fisherfolk are counting their losses as a result of dwindling fish stocks in the once raging waters of the Tana that fed the ox-bow lake.
"It is not the same anymore. We now have to seek other means of survival like doing odd jobs in surrounding villages," says Joseph Otieno.
Also at risk are the dozens of bird species, hippos and crocodiles dependant on the Tana’s wetlands. There are said to be over 300 bird species, which include the endangered Basra reed warbler and Tana River cisticola. Other species are ibises, herons, kingfisher and pelicans. The wetlands also support mangrove forests, grasslands, marshes, woodlands, lakes and bushland.
At the edge of Mpeketoni village in Ozi location, a section of the land on which mangrove trees stands looks dry and cracked.
"This is just a fraction of what is really going on here," says Omar Ngama.
Salinity in the area has been attributed to a rise in sea level, which some environmentalists link to global climate change. But there is also no denying that the forest has not been spared degradation.
Back in Dide Waride, Gona is musing over the fate of herds that now have to walk dozens of kilometres in search of water and pasture and the effect this may have on their market value and productivity.
"Over 60 per cent of the meat in Mombasa, Malindi and other areas in Coast Province is supplied by these herds. If they die then that supply is also cut off," he says.
Gona, like many other pastoralists, is not too keen on farming and projects geared towards it.
"We have seen irrigation projects started here. They come and promise us jobs and a better life, but in the end we do not benefit," he says.
Plans to put thousands of hectares under crops like sugarcane and others geared towards the production of biofuels are worrying environmentalists, who insist the delta must be protected at all costs.
Says Prof Odada of the University of Nairobi: "Some of these crops require a lot of water and we must think critically about the effects of growing them in large scale in a wetland area."