Category Archives: Security

KENYA: UNCOVERING NEPOTISM ISN’T HATE SPEECH

From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste in images
FRIDAY, APRIL 5, 2013

Butere Girls High School drama club and the entire school are so disappointed. Their drama, ‘Shackles of Doom’, which depicts unequal distribution of resources and dominance of top positions by main ethnic groups, will not be staged at the national drama festivals, despite topping the western region contest.

The play was stopped by the Drama Committee even after Butere District Education quality assurance officer Isaac Ngaya said he watched the play and found no offending sections that warranted censorship. The claim was that the play contained hate speech and for that matter it was offensive.

The play acted by two girls wondered whether nepotism will really end in Kenya. Even before Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto have not been sworn in their government has been accused of nepotism.

The girls were wondering why in Kenya any leader who comes to power immediately exercises nepotism. Among the most powerful posts have been awarded to Uhuru Kenyatta’s Central and GEMA as well as Ruto’s Rift- Senate Speaker … Ethuro … Rift, Nat. Assembly Speaker … Muturi … Eastern-the girls were crying and wondering who will represent Western, Northern and Coastal who feel cheated by Rift Valley and Central!

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is not spared either. He made sure his ODM party awarded his elder brother Oburu Odinga by nominating him to parliament after people rejected him during the ODM nominations.

Similar case applies to his sister Ruth Odinga who has been awarded ‘deputy governor’ even after Kisumu people rejecting her. Ruth had known before general election that she was going to be awarded the post of deputy governor.

Celebrating Valentine’s Day a day late with pupils at Shiners Centre in Kisumu town on February 14, 2013, Ruth introduced herself to the pupils and staff as “the Kisumu County Deputy Governor and Raila’s sister”. She signed the visitors’ book ‘Deputy Governor Kisumu County’.

This could imply that even if Raila became the president nepotism was not going to end. Earlier on Raila had been accused for having allegedly favoured his relatives and friends as well as the financial heavyweight Luos in the former cabinet appointment to the grand coalition government.

Dr. Oburu Oginga was appointed an Assistant Minister of Finance. The other centre of controversy was the appointment of Mr. Phillip Onyango Sika as the PS in the Ministry of Metropolitan development. The new PS hails from gem constituency also in Siaya and is the relative of the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo whose mother is the younger sister of Raila Odinga’s mother.

Critics blamed Raila for having ignored Migori, Rachuonyo, Kisumu and Nandio districts only concentrating with appointment of people from Siaya and Bondo districts.

Even Kenyatta was not spared either. He used nomination slots to nominate his relatives. He paid back his first cousin Beth Mugo with a TNA nomination to the senate after Mugo stepped down in favour of Mike Sonko who was elected Nairobi senator.

One of the adjudicators at the regional level, Prof Christopher Odhiambo of Moi University, said their role is not to censure but to suggest improvements in case a play contains offending information.

The author of the play, Cleophas Malala is a politician and a scriptwriter, but his play has been adjudged to be politically incorrect. Despite the ban, Mr Malala says his plays are motivated by his desire to fight for the rights of the oppressed, especially the marginalized ethnic communities in Kenya.

In the zonal, district and regional competitions the play by Butere Girls emerged the winner despite the fact that someone loyal to the government thinks it has a political twist.

The play was motivated by unequal distribution of resources in the country. The play depicts a film shot in the land of the ‘Kanas’, who refer to themselves as the ‘True Kanas’. Their land is rich in oil, but they are ignorant of the treasure that lies beneath their soil.

Malala cited an audit by the Commission for Integration and National Cohesion (NCIC) on distribution of public appointments which showed glaring inequalities in public jobs.

“I am just replaying what happens in our society and even NCIC knows that, so what is my sin?” Malala wonders.

The fact however, remains that the unequal distribution of wealth has always been a huge problem in Kenya since independence that has plagued society throughout the ages. Even as forms of governments of Kenya have changed, the unequal distribution of wealth has remained a constant.

That is why the Butere girls’ actress were crying wondering who will save Kenya from these evil ills. They were crying because the unequal distribution of wealth makes the living conditions of the less fortunate undesirable, because the upper class is usually concerned about gaining and maintaining their own wealth first and concerned about others second.

The girls were crying because it is difficult for the poor to rise above the poverty level, because they are dependent upon what the upper class deems is a fair wage for producing the goods that they make.

Against the background that Karl Marx saw conflict as necessary and desirable to bring about social change. This social change would then result in the equal distribution of wealth and resources.

After viewing the suffering of the masses, Karl Marx hoped that they would rise up against oppression and bring about a social change where there would be an equal distribution of resources.

The conflict that Marx spoke about was not necessarily violence. Conflict referred to tension, differences in beliefs and values, conflict of interest and competition. These all exist in every society and according to Marx, they are the basis for social change.

The play reminds me of my own play I wrote in early 1990s when I was the Rector of Keserian Juniro Seminary. The play “But Why” was banned by the Kajiado Drama Committee because it was asking why The Central Bank of Kenya had been used to provide liquidity to politically well connected financial institutions such as Trade Bank, Pan African Bank and Exchange Bank.

Such banks were being used to launder the residential campaign money into convertible currencies abroad. In 1992 alone, the Central Bank printed and released for circulation more than 12 billion Kenya shillings.

This was the time 7 billion shillings was used by Kanu as slush fund to manipulate the electoral process according to Finance Magazine, March 31, 1993. It was also the time 500 and 200 notes were printed, YK’ 92, used most of 500 notes to campaign for bribery and corruption machinery to make Kanu win the elections.

The printing of 500 notes, 200 and 100 was an addition to 2.35 billion. As of the end of September 1992, the amount of currency in circulation in Kenya was 15.85 billion. It was also during this time that Lake Basin Development Authority had been pushed to near collapse due to general elections.

During that time Kenya had been ranked by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund as the 24th poorest country in the world a gross national product per capita of $370 per year-down from the$400 plus attained by the end of the eighties.

The average annual growth rate per capita had therefore been either zero or negative for the eighties. By the year 2000 Kenyan economy was rated negative 0.3 percent according to East African Standard, June 8, 20001.

This was the lowest ever recorded since the collapse of the shilling in 1993 in the wake of the Goldenberg scandal and paper money and the crisis of the 1990’s-instead of answering the question but why the play was banned.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ UN Disarmament Conference, 2002

Kenya: Better the Devil you know than an Angel you don’t know. Better Uhuru Kenyatta Kamwana than military rule!

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By Gordon Teti

Of course I still believe that there were serious discrepancies in the conduct of the presidential elections and that Uhuru Kenyatta was not validly elected president of Kenya on March 4, 2013. I still stand by my position that the elections were not free, fair and credible.

We, CORD coalition, took our petition to the Supreme Court challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta by the IEBC as the president-elect, as required by the Constitution, and the Judges in their wisdom or lack thereof, on Saturday, March 30, 2013 at 5 pm made a unanimous decision confirming Uhuru Kenyatta as president-elect. What do we do from here going forward to ensure that Kenya remains a Constitutional Republic? What do we do as a country to maintain Constitutionalism?

Kenyans, it is better the devil you know than an angel you don’t know so they say. It is better Uhuru Kenyatta Kamwana than military rule. Seeing the military top brass salute Uhuru Kenyatta in his private house weeks before Uhuru Kenyatta is sworn in office as the Commnader-In-Chief was a warning of sorts to Kenyans. It is either Uhuru Kenyatta or the military will take over.

I still believe that this was the message to Kenyans by the military. In 2000 Presidential elections in the United States of America, the Democratic candidate Al Gore won the elections but was not declared the winner. He took his case to the Supreme Court to Petition the declaration of George W Bush as president-elect. Al Gore, although was extremely disappointed by the Court’s decision that confirmed George W Bush as president-elect, he accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court.

The same is true with Raila Odinga who filed a petition challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as president-elect. To so many of us, Raila Odinga was elected as president on March 4, 2013 but the IEBC declared Uhuru Kenyatta as president-elect. Raila Odinga moved to the Supreme Court as required by the Constitution of Kenya and filed a petition challenging the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta by the IEBC as president-elect.

The Supreme Court Judges delivered their verdict on Saturday, March 30, 2013 confirming Uhuru Kenyatta as president-elect. Although Raila Odinga did not agree with the decision made by the Supreme Court Judges, as a strong believer in the rule of law and Constitutionalism, he accepted the Court’s decision as a matter of principle, and asked his supporters, Gordon Teti being one of the supporters, to move on. Please, nothing lasts forever! Although many of us, CORD coalition supporters, are still hurting, let’s accept the reality that Uhuru Kenyatta Kamwana is the in-coming president of the Republic of Kenya.

For the sake of Constitutionalism and the rule of law let’s not give the military an excuse to take over power for this has been the game plan. Better the devil you know than an angel you don’t know. Better Uhuru Kenyatta Kamwana than military rule! God Bless Kenya and Kenyan people!

EAST AFRICA LAWYERS CONDEMN KISUMU KILINGS

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By Agwanda Saye

Lawyers from East Africa have accused police officers of shooting to kill demonstrators in Kisumu over the weekend.

They called for prosecution of the trigger happy police officers towards bringing to an end perpetual shooting of demonstrators using live bullets.

The East Africa Law Society President James Mwamu said firing of live bullets when quelling down demonstrations at the lakeside city must stop.

“We demand an explanation from the police force as the officers seemed to have been given orders not only to shoot but shoot and kill,” Mwamu said.

Mwamu said that several of the civilans who are nursing gunshot wounds at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Provincial Hospital were shot while running away.

“It seems that it is has become a rule in the police force that every time there is demonstration in Kisumu live bullets must be used,” Mwamu said.

The EALS President said that the security officers have in the past five years shot to kill protestors at the lakeside city.

Mwamu was reacting to media reports following demonstrations that rocked parts of Kisumu after the Supreme Court upheld the Presidential election of Uhuru Kenyatta.

Gun shots were heard up to almost midnight as armed police officers dispersed youth from Kondele and chased them to areas such as Nyawita, Obunga and Nyalenda.

“The Constitutional right to life must not be taken for granted and can only be taken away legally,” Mwamu said.

Article 26 of the Constitution provides that every person has the right to life and shall not be deprived of life intentionally except when authorized by the Supreme Law.

“We strongly condemn the shootings in Kisumu that led to the death of two civilians and injuring several others on Saturday evening,” Mwamu said.

The EALS President said that the police must up hold the rule of law arguing that use of excessive force must stop under the new Constitutional dispensation.

Ends…..

For the love of Kenya Raila Amolo Odinga has done it again

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By Gordon Teti

It is not a secret that Kibaki handed over power to the military immediately Uhuru Kenyatta was rigged as the president-elect. It is not a secret that the military went to Uhuru Kenyatta’s home and saluted him. That salute by the head of the military was symbolic. By saluting Uhuru Kenyatta at his private home in front of camera, the military told Kenyans and the world that it would be either Uhuru Kenyatta or the military that will the wield the reigns of power after Kibaki.

After Kibaki handed-over power to the military, the Judges of the Supreme court had to decide between military rule and that of Uhuru Kenyatta. The Judges had to decide between the lesser of the two evils and they opted for Uhuru Kenyatta instead of military rule as a lesser evil.

Kenyans will one day remember how Raila Amolo Odinga has sacrificed alot for a better and more democratic Kenya. By Raila Odinga accepting the decision of the court, he once again as he did in 2007, sacrificed his electoral victory for the sake of Kenyans and Kenya. God will bless Raila Amolo Odinga for his love for the country rather than for self.

KENYA: SCORE OF HOUSES TORCHED IN TINDERET IN SOUTH NANDI DISTRICT FOLLOWING FLARE UP BETWEEN THE TALAI AND LOCAL COMMUNITY OVER CLAIMS OF WITCHECRAFT.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

Seven dwelling houses were set ablaze by unidentified attackers forcing 19 families members of the Talai {Laibons} to flee from their homes narrowly escaping deaths.

The Talai, a, minority community or a sub-clan with sorcerers who are scattered in most of the Kalenjin sub-tribes have had no peace ever since they were forcefully evicted from their ancestral land by the colonial administration in 1934 and forced into exile in the remotest area of Southern Nyanza.

The Talai suffered the brunt of colonial persecution including forced exile out of their ancestral land in Kericho, Nandi, Baringo and other places over the accusation that they practiced witchcraft, Close to 2700 members of the sub-clan together with their herds of cattle and other domesticated animals were forced out of their land in 1934 following a proclamation endorsed by the colonial legislative Council.

The colonialists worked in collaboration with chiefs, white missionaries and white settlers who accused them of sensitizing the community against giving their land away for the plantation of tea bushes in Kericho and Nandi Hill region at the turn of the 20th century.

It was hoped most of them would die of starvation and lack of water for themselves and their animals. They were settled on top of Gwassi Hills in what is today called Gwassi district in the Suba region. Heir hard-core leaders were taken cross the Lake Victoria and exiled on Mangano Island. Others were consigned to detention camps in Nyeri and other places far away from their homes.

It was in 1962 when the diminutive Kipsigis politician, who was then the Member of the Legislative Council for Kipsigis, Dr. Taaitta Araap Towett, moved a motion in the Council and urged the government to revoke the ordinance that had banned the Talai community from Gwassi so that they could go back to their ancestral land and live happily among their fellow Kalenjin

Upon their return, the majority got scattered among many areas within the North and South rift regins and purchased farms,while other remain and less and have been living under a very squalid condition on a two acre Municipal land in Kericho Municipalty. All the previous governments had promised to secure land plots for the Talai, but in vain.

The Talai began mass exodus from Gwassi to their homes in Nandi, Baringo and other places. Unfortunately there was no land to settle them back home because when they were living in exile, the Land Consolidation Programme and land adjudication were introduce and all their land were dished out to other people. To the surprise and shocking of the colonial administration the Talai population had doubled and close to 7,000 could be accounted during their return in 1962.

This is the clan of the renown freedom fighter, Koitalel Arap Samoei, who was shot and killed by the British soldiers IN 1905, He was betrayed and lured into a faked peace talk where he was shot by a British soldier and killed. Nandi rebellion that lasted for close to nine years during which the Nandi warriors engaged the British expedition forces in running battles thereby sabotaging and preventing the construction of the Mombasa-Kisumu Railway line.

Descendants of Koitalel Arap Samoe had settled in Kbirer village in Tinderet in the Nandi Hills district. But on Tuesday night last week unknown persons had invaded the village and torched several houses forcing the occupants to run for shelter into the nearby church. The Talai said they had been warned of the consequences by the local community who claims they were practicing witchcraft causing the villagers some misfortunes.

Former Kapsisiywo civic leader David Sulo said the community had lived peacefully with their neighbors in Kabbirer for close to 50 year, but he suspected the latest flare up as politically motivated as the Talai had coexisted with their neighbors harmoniously for many years. He called upon the Provincial administration in Nandi Hills to intervene and restore order. He could not disclose the location of the whereabouts of those who hadn’t taken shelter in the churches for security reasons.

An impeccable source in Nandi Hills said that three people have already been apprehended and put into police custody on suspicion of being involved in the incident, and police were actively hunting for the rest.

Kabirer Locational Chief Sammy Keter could not tell the exact number of those in custody. The Nandi Hills D.C could not be reached for his immediate comment over the incident which has been roundly condemned by politicians and leaders in the entire Nandi Coounty.

Ends

Confronting China: US Boosts Military Presence in Africa

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From: Yona Maro
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www.wejobs.blogspot.com Jobs in Africa
www.jobsunited.blogspot.com International Job Opportunities
www.naombakazi.blogspot.com

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By Andrei Akulov

President Obama has instructed the Defense Establishment to pivot its forces and reorient its efforts toward Asia. Instead, the U.S. armed forces step by step get drawn into the quagmire of messy conflicts in Africa. Recently, the United States has become embroiled in conflicts in Somalia, Libya, Mali and central Africa. The presence is about 5,000 U.S. troops strong. The forces are scattered across the continent in the places like Djibouti, the Central African Republic and now – Niger.

The official reason is fighting al – Qaeda affiliates and other extremists. In a written statement provided to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army General David M. Rodriguez, who is expected to become the next commander of the Africa Command (AFRICOM), estimated that the military needs to increase its intelligence-gathering missions in Africa by nearly 15-fold. «I believe additional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities are necessary to protect American interests and assist our close allies and partners», the General wrote in the statement, which during his confirmation hearing in Congress. «The recent crises in North Africa demonstrate the volatility of the African security environment», Rodriguez is cited by the Washington Post (1).According to the newspaper, «Rodriguez said the Africa Command needs additional drones, other surveillance aircraft and more satellite imagery adding that it currently receives only half of its «stated need» for North Africa and only 7 percent of its total «requirements» for the entire continent».

When AFRICOM was created there were no plans to establish bases or have boots on the ground. In reality a network of small staging bases gradually comes into existence along with a forward base for special operations forces in Kenya. The US Congress has criticized the administration for not being able to rapidly respond to the September 2012 attacks on the U.S. diplomatic post in Benghazi, Libya, when the U.S. ambassador and three other Americans lost their lives. Since then, the Defense Department has intensified the steps to boost military capabilities to react on short notice in case there is a contingency in Africa. «That is a fight we have a dog in», Deputy Defense Secretary Ashton Carter said during a Jan. 24 2013 taping of «This Week in Defense News».

AFRICOM – military tool of US expansion in Africa

The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative (TSCTI) was begun by the Pentagon in 2005 to strengthen US presence in Africa. Mali, Chad, Mauritania, and Niger were now joined by Algeria, Mauritania, Morocco, Senegal, Nigeria, and Tunisia in a ring of military cooperation with the Pentagon. The Trans-Saharan Counterterrorism Initiative was transferred to the command of AFRICOM.

On 1 October 2008, AFRICOM was separated from USEUCOM and began operating on its own as a full-fledged Unified Combatant Command headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany. It is responsible for U.S. military operations and military relations with 53 African nations – an area of responsibility (AOR) covering all of Africa except Egypt (the responsibility of Central Command). The command has defense attaché offices in 38 African nations, as well as numerous subordinate commands located in Germany, Italy and the Horn of Africa. The Sixth fleet is responsible for providing naval forces in case of contingency. The Combined Joint Task Force – Horn of Africa is ready for emergency actions. AFRICOM numbers around 2,000 assigned personnel, which includes military, civilian, contractor, and host nation employees. About 1,500 work at the command’s main headquarters. Others are assigned to the command’s units in England and Florida along with security cooperation officers posted at U.S. embassies and diplomatic missions in Africa to coordinate Defense Department programs within the host nation. AFRICOM has limited assigned forces and relies on the Department of Defense for resources necessary to support its missions.

The command defines its mission as follows:

“Africa Command has administrative responsibility for US military support to US government policy in Africa, to include military-to-military relationships with 53 African nations». Speaking to the International Peace Operations Association in Washington, D.C. on Oct. 27, 2008 General Kip Ward, then Commander of AFRICOM defined the command’s mission as, «in concert with other US government agencies and international partners, to conduct sustained security engagements through military-to-military programs, military-sponsored activities, and other military operations as directed to promote a stable and secure African environment in support of US foreign policy.”

Dr. J. Peter Pham, a leading Washington insider and an advisor of the US State and Defense Departments, states that one AFRICOM prime objectives is «protecting access to hydrocarbons and other strategic resources which Africa has in abundance … a task which includes ensuring against the vulnerability of those natural riches and ensuring that no other interested third parties, such as China, India, Japan, or Russia, obtain monopolies or preferential treatment».

Military activities

While joint military exercises between the US and South Korea hit the radar screen of global media this March, there have been two major military operations conducted by the US armed forces with the participation of the UK, France, Canada and several African states. The drills are an element of annual maneuvers targeted against terrorism in Africa.

In February Exercise Obangame Express 2013, an at-sea naval exercise focused on counter-piracy and maritime security operations, was conducted in the Gulf of Guinea. The event brought together African, European and Atlantic partner maritime services to work together, share information and hone skills to better monitor and enforce their territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. The exercise included a wide variety of training for all participating forces including at-sea ship boarding and queries, air operations, communication drills and regional information sharing. Participating countries were Belgium, Benin, Brazil, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gabon, Netherlands, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Spain, Togo and the United States.

In March AFRICOM conducted Operation Flintlock, an annual exercise that has been conducted since 2005. This time it involved over 1,100 troops from twenty African, European and North American countries honing their skills in Mauritania (the village of Weizen).

Another military exercise led by the command in March was the Saharan Express 2013. The mission was to enhance maritime interaction between the US, European and African states. It involved naval forces from the U.S., France, Britain, Spain, Portugal, The Netherlands, Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Liberia, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Mauritania and Morocco. The project featured numerous training drills including ship boarding, air operations, medical familiarization, communications and regional information sharing. The training event has been organized annually since 2011. It is one of four African regional maritime exercises taking place within the framework of the «African Partnership Station (APS)», a global maritime initiative developed by the US to boost cooperation with of the armed forces of African states.

Last December the US Stars and Stripes newspaper reported on plans to create an AFRICOM rapid reaction force (2).

Speaking at George Washington University, AFRICOM commander General Carter Ham said his command is now outfitted with a new capability. «With regard to a response force, when the command was initially formed there was a sharing arrangement with what’s called the Commander’s in-Extremis Force with European Command. That was a good relationship that up until the 1st of October of this year was a shared arrangement», Ham said. «And now we have our own». The force will be permanently stationed in Fort Carson, Colorado, home to the 10th Special Forces Group. According to the Stars and Stripes, AFRICOM declined to comment further about the placement of its elite Special Forces team, whose movements are generally shrouded in secrecy. Jim Gavrilis, a security consultant, said, given the U.S. military’s small footprint in Africa, it is likely that the rapid response force will deploy on rotational missions.

On March 6 Gen. Carter Ham told a Senate Committee «A new Africa-focused Marine crisis response unit could soon be in place as part of a broader effort to beef up Africa Command’s ability to confront emerging terrorism threats on the continent». AFRICOM is also looking to place other special operation forces in three strategic locations in southern Europe and West Africa to bolster the command’s response capabilities, according to Ham. The General pointed out that AFRICOM’s response capacity is gradually improving. In October, AFRICOM received its own Commander’s in-Extremis Force, which is comprised of Green Berets from the Army’s 10th Special Forces Group that maintains a forward presence in Europe along with the unit, headquartered in Fort Carson, Colorado (3).

In January The United States dispatched about 100 military trainers to six nations that will contribute troops to a pan-African force being prepared for deployment to Mali. The training mission in Niger, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Togo and Ghana is the largest U.S. involvement to date in preparations for the African force, which is being assembled by the 15-nation Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS. The United States also has promised to help fly equipment and troops for the force into Mali. That effort may involve U.S. aircraft but could also be done with Nigerian, South African or outside commercial aircraft paid for by the United States.

On Jan 28, 2013 the US signed a Status-of-Forces (SOFA) Agreement with Niger. The U.S. already has twenty-four such agreements with other African states. The U.S. Army, for instance, is launching a pilot program to deploy small Army elements to about 30 places in Africa to conduct partner-building missions and support American embassy outreach activities(4). On January 28, 2013 the government of Niger made public its consent to allow the deployment of US drone base on its territory. The facility is located in Agadez province bordering Mali, Algiers and Libya. President Obama announced the base was operational on February 21. The force is added to the US drones unit deployed in Djibouti. Mr. Obama said the 100 strong contingent armed for self-protection would support the French-led operation in neighboring Mali. Interestingly, this move comes just one month after the U.S. agreed to fly French troops and supplies into the country. According to the New York Times, «The new drone base will join a constellation of small airstrips in recent years on the continent, including one in Ethiopia, for surveillance missions flown by drones or turboprop planes designed to look like civilian aircraft». (5) The Pentagon has also expanded operations and construction at the only permanent U.S. base on the continent, Camp Lemonnier in Djibouti, which serves as a hub for counterterrorism missions in Somalia and Yemen.

China in Africa

It’s an open secret AFRICOM was created to counter the growing presence of China in Africa. The Chinese African performance is a story of success. China’s dynamic economy has great need for oil and other natural resources to sustain it. The country currently imports approximately 2.6 million barrels of crude per day, or about half of its total consumption. Approximately a third of its imports come from African states.

China secures long-term economic agreements for raw materials from Africa in exchange for Chinese aid and production sharing agreements and royalties. In comparison with IMF-dictated austerity measures, China offers large credits, soft loans to build roads and schools, something greatly appreciated by African countries.

In terms of development lending, as opposed to conditional lending by the World Bank, Chinese aid is rendered with no strings attached and usually spent on infrastructure projects that raise grass roots living standards. The most frequently cited example is Sinopec, a China’s state oil company. It has acquired oil concessions in Angola and is rebuilding the country’s transport infrastructure, hospitals and state buildings. China is viewed by African countries as a more attractive economic partner, compared to what the West has to offer.

Just a few months before the US decision to establish AFRICOM, China hosted an historic Beijing summit, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), which brought nearly fifty African heads of state and ministers to Beijing in October 2006. In 2008 then Chinese President Hu Jintao announced a three-year, $3 billion program in preferential loans and expanded aid for the African continent. The funds came on top of the $3 billion in loans and $2 billion in export credits announced by the Chinese government earlier. In the ensuing four years China’s trade with Africa reached $166 billion in 2011, according to Chinese statistics. African exports to China rose to $93 billion from $5.6 billion over the past decade. In July 2012 China offered African countries $20 billion in loans over the next three years, double the amount pledged in the previous three-year period…

The trend is clear – Africa is becoming a theater for strategic competition between the United States and China, as both countries seek to expand their clout and secure access to resources.

Stiff competition for strategic resources like oil, gas, uranium, gold or iron is the specific feature of the situation in Africa. It’s not only about fighting extremists. The mission of AFRICOM is to push China and other rivals, like Russia, for instance, out of the continent or at least to cripple their access to the resources. The war on terror is a good disguise.

Talking about the Mali and other flashpoints. These are the follow-ups of the recent mistakes. In a television interview last month, Mr. Lavrov said, «France is fighting against those in Mali whom it had once armed in Libya against Qaddafi».

Russia has pointed repeatedly that the ongoing unrest in North Africa testifies to the fact that the Western-supported Arab Spring has created turmoil and instability, the breeding grounds for terrorists. The US and NATO went beyond the UN resolution 1973 in Libya against Russia’s and China’s warnings not to do so. The NATO’s intervention spurred a domino-like effect across Africa’s Sahel region. Now we all face the implications. While supporting the efforts to combat terrorism in Africa, Russia has simultaneously criticized Western nations, including the USA and France, for arming the opposition in Libya. Now military skills and weapons spread across the region. The US presence in Niger may provoke further entanglement in case the facility is attacked, for instance. Like the very presence of Iraqi troops provoked attacks against the servicemen.

Military force, even when used for peacekeeping missions solely, is not the only thing the region needs. On March 1 Russia also announced the beginning of its involvement in the conflict by delivering 36 tons of aid to the country, including canned food, 45 tents, 2,000 blankets, cereals, and rice. Russia’s action comes just one day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with the U.N. Special Envoy for the Sahel, Romano Prodi about the ongoing conflict in Mali. It is expected the situation in Africa will be addressed during the BRICS summit in Durban, South Africa 26 – 27 March 2013. There is a hope the members will discuss the situation in wide perspective, perhaps coming up with proposals to positively tackle the issue of Africa’s instability.

Notes
(1) http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-02-14/world/37100512_1_africa-command-djibouti-west-africa
(2) http://www.stripes.com/news/africom-announces-it-will-have-rapid-reaction-force-1.201162
(3) http://www.stripes.com/news/more-crisis-response-headed-to-africom-amid-terrorism-concerns-1.210891
(4) http://www.defensenews.com/article/20130130/DEFREG04/301300017/Pentagon-Increases-Focus-AFRICOM
(5)http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/23/world/africa/in-niger-us-troops-set-up-drone-base.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

KENYA: ALREADY SETTLED IDP AND FORMER MAU FOREST SETTLERS ARE SNEAKING BACK and forcefully RECLAIMING THEIR FARMS – – EVEN THOSE WHO HAD SOLD THEIRS.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho town.

UNCONFIRMED reports making the round in this town says, that some of the already settled IDPs and former illegal settlers in Mau Forest water catchment areas were slowly sneaking back and forcefully demanding that those who had been allocated the land by the government quit.

Some of them are allegedly returning to both Mau Forest and Mau Narok and other areas like Molo, Elburgon, Likia, Njro, Kuresoi and even in Uasin Gishu, Burnt Forest and forcefully demanding back their old farms. Other unconfirmed allegations say the returnees are always coming in the company of armed security personnel.

THe common saying is that with the new Jubilee government likely to be in office soon after the March 4, 2013 general election, even those who were forcefully expelled from their farms as the skirmishes of 1992 / 93, 1996 / 1997 and 2007 / 2008 are sneaking back and putting up new houses in some places where the government had already spent the colossal amount of money in reforestation efforts.

Our informer who requested for his name to be kept anonymous for fear of reprisals said those returning to the vacated land are members of the two communities, namely the Kikuyus and the Kalenjin, and that tensions is likely to go up in the region.

He said he had some information that even those former settlers who sold their land on their own volition long time ago before the tribal skirmishes were now demanding their property back in total disregard of new developments already made by new owners on such property. This, he added, is likely to raise political temperature by way of touching on old wounds.

New settlers have also been sighted in the Mau West and Mau Narok, Kuresoi and areas, while new structures have also
. . .

KENYA: CLERIC DENIES CLAIMS THAT KENYA’S PRESIDENT – ELECT UHURU KENYATTA NARROWLY ESCAPED SNAKE BITE INSIDE HER WORSHIP PLACE IN THE COASTAL WON OF MOMBASA

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

A female cleric has severely criticized the media report over a highly sensational report that a highly venomous African bush-snake almost struck Kenya’s President – elect Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta when he attended the church service with other worshipers in her church.

The incident took place when the Kenyan leader went to worship at a church, which situated at the Coastal port City of Mombasa two weeks ago.

Bishop Mary Kagendo Francis of the Kisimu Cha Mwana wa Daudi church also denied that the reptile had slithered into the place of warship where Mr Kenyatta was seated and was with9n the striking distance, but it was quickly shot and killed by one of the presidential security guards after it attempted to attack the jubilee leader.

The Bishop was quoted by the Kenya News Agency {KNA]as saying she only learnt of the snake story through the media and after some enquiries, but she discovered that it was only a small green mamba snake, which was killed by a young boy using a walking stick.

Speaking in Kitui about 100 kilometers south east of Mombasa after conducting a crusade at her Mlango home, Bishop Kagendo blamed the local media for over-blowing the report thereby creating national storm out of a small incident, adding that wildlife animals are always frequenting as a garden situated outside her church.

“We have monkeys, baboons, birds and occasionally we see snakes at our place of worshipping, but we cannot resort to killing them because we embrace nature,” Bishop Kagendo said.

She said that he church attracts a huge crowd of worshippers at time forcing them into open air prayers where they do occasional interacting with wild animals is inevitable.

He Bishop also down played claims that the snake could have been sent by Mr Kenyatta’s political nemesis or the work of witchcraft was involved.

The cleric, however, vowed to take some actions against those peddled this information terming them as alarmist.

Ends

KENYA: THE KWS OFFICIAL HAS DISPELLED THE DREADFUL RUMOR WHICH ALMOST PLACED PART OF NANDI AND UASIN GISHU COUNTIES INTO DUSK TO DAWN CURFEW ABOUT MAN EATER BEAST

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kapsabet Town.

The dreadful rumor which kicked off two weeks ago later spread like bush fire into the neighboring Uasin Gishu County.

The rumor was about the myth about the existence of the”Man Eater” beast in the region.

The rumor was sparked off following the discovery of a half eaten man Unknown people or person took the photograph of the half-eaten body an posted it to one of the social media outlets, the Facebook.

Earlier this week, the villagers mobilized themselves and while armed with arrows, bows,spears and rungus and other crude weapons went into hunting spree ransacking all the nearby thickets and bushes in search of the alleged ‘Man Eater Beast’.

The incident also kindled an old myth about the existence of a mysterious beast alleged the Nandi Bear.The story o f the existence of the Nandi Bear has remained unresolved for decades, and even during the colonial era, some whites conducted a thorough studies in search of the Nandi Bear’ but never traced the animal, though its existence has remained so famous I the local folk-tales.

The Whites farmers and administrators working in Nandi district had established a social Club called Nandi Bear Club, which is located next to the Nandi Hills town. The Club is one of the most exclusive one in the region surrounded by an ultra modern Golf Club.

The Nandi Bear is known in Kalenjin as “Getet” its mythological existence is associated with clams that the Nandi Bears used to struck into the villages, beheaded people and took away their carcasses.

The myth of Getet was mainly used by nursing mothers in calming heir crying babies or children during the dead hours of the night, by frightening the minors that their cries would attract “Getet” the Nandi Bears to come and kill the family.

After raiding several bushes and thickets the villagers came into face to face encounter with three “Jackals”. They cornered the Jackals and killed two of them, while the third one escaped.

Jackals are smaller than dogs and cannot kill a grown up person. The carcasses of the dead jackals were handed to the officials of the Kenya Wildllfe Services, but nothing like a man eating beast.

A senior KQWS official has discounted the rumor about the existence of the “Man Easter Beast”. He said the deceased who appeared to have been stabbed all over the body by unknown assailants had blood oozing from the stab wounds, and this could have attracted the stray dogs.

The KWS official Joel Kunda said the police in both Uasin Gishu and Nandi Counties were actively investigating those who might have posted the photographs of the half-eaten body to the social media thereby sparking rumors and fears among the population.

The rumor has caused a lot of panicking with parents believing that they should not send their small children to school for fear of being attacked by the ‘Man Easter Beast”Even those fond of visiting the Chang’aa dens have curtailed their movement and chose to remain indoor after darkness.

The rumor has clamped down on what one resident of Chepterit Market Samuel Limo described as “down to Dusk Cufew.

On the other hand it has made young married women happy, especially those whose husbands are known to have been spending long hours of the night in chang’aa drinking den.”They do come home much earlier and even had time for supper with the children before retiring to be, “ remarked Rachel Jebet a mother of four.

Ends

Key political risks to watch in Tanzania

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From: Abdalah Hamis

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(Reuters) – Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete has said his government will not tolerate any attempts by extremists to stoke religious tension following a spate of violent attacks on clerics.

The government has said rising religious tensions pose the biggest threat to peace in East Africa’s No. 2 economy, which has enjoyed relative political stability since independence from Britain in 1961.

RELIGIOUS VIOLENCE

Two Christian leaders were violently killed in the predominantly Muslim islands of Zanzibar over the past month in separate attacks. The government has launched an investigation into the incidents and has vowed to prosecute those involved in the violence.

A separatist Islamic group in Zanzibar, Uamsho (Awakening), is pushing for the semi-autonomous island to exit from its 1964 union with mainland Tanzania, which is ruled as a secular country. Supporters of the group have engaged in running street battles with the police in the past, but authorities have not linked the group with the attacks on Christian clerics.

Rioters have also torched several churches in Zanzibar and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital, in recent months, and Kikwete warned about the rising religious tension in a televised state of the nation address at the end of February.

What to watch out for:

– Will a widespread flare-up of religious tensions occur?

PIPELINE POLITICS

Tanzania wants to become a regional energy hub following major discoveries of natural gasoffshore. But residents of a gas-rich region are threatening to block a major gas pipeline project until they see a bigger share of the benefits. The government has accused opposition leaders of inciting residents of the southern region of Mtwara to reject the pipeline.

The country’s cash-strapped power utility, TANESCO, hopes the 532 km (330 mile) pipeline being constructed with a $1.2 billion Chinese loan will boost generation of cheap electricity and fix the country’s chronic energy shortages.

What to watch Out for:

– Further demonstrations against the pipeline?

– Will the unrest derail gas investments?

OIL AND GAS SEARCH

Opposition politicians and activists have been calling for a halt to the issuance of new oil and gas exploration licences until Tanzania revamps laws regulating its fast-growing energy sector. The government has unveiled a draft national gas policy and plans to have new legislation in place this year.

Tanzania has called for an international mediator to resolve a long-standing territorial dispute over Lake Malawi. Tanzania claims the shared border runs down the centre of the lake, while Malawi says the border lies at the shores of the lake.

Tanzanian officials say any significant oil or gas finds in the lake could escalate the border issue.

What to watch out for:

– Will there be a delay in issuing more exploration blocks?

– What will happen if the border dispute talks fail?

RULING PARTY RIFTS

Tanzania’s governing Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party has been split by a race to succeed Kikwete, who must step down in 2015 at the end of his second term in office.

The CCM party, in power for over 50 years, is grappling with infighting as rival politicians look to succeed the president, but the squabbles are not along religious or tribal lines. However, several senior ruling party members are jostling for the job, causing a rift in the party.

What to watch out for:

– Will divisions in the party weaken the government? (Editing by Catherine Evans)

http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/03/14/tanzania-risks-idUKRISKTZ20130314

Kenya: Chaos after varsity students discover IEBC ballot materials

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From: mngonge
Date: Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 3:29 AM
Subject: Re: [wanabidii] Chaos after varsity students discover IEBC ballot materials
To: wanabidii@googlegroups.com

From: mngonge

African countries have a long way to go towards democracy

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On Sat, Mar 16, 2013 at 9:08 AM, Yona Maro wrote:

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www.jobsunited.blogspot.com International Job Opportunities
www.naombakazi.blogspot.com

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International Jobs – www.jobsunited.blogspot.com

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By Jeckonia Otieno

NAIROBI; KENYA: Riots erupted at Kenyatta University’s main campus after students discovered ballot materials in one of the buildings.

Problem started earlier in the day when students allegedly discovered some unexplained business at the university’s business centre.

Before the riots could end, students had burnt a car whose owner could not be established and barricaded the Thika Superhighway forcing vehicles to resort to other routes hence a massive traffic snarl up.

According to students, the room had been marked OUT OF BOUNDS by those who were inside conducting unexplained business.

Students noted that they got suspicious after they found out that the door was marked yet there were activities associated to the currently disputed elections going on.

Inside the hall were ballot materials ranging ballot boxes, books, papers, rubber stamps, jackets and lantern lamps.

It is further alleged that the people who were inside the hall might have diffused into the crowd hence none was arrested.

National Assembly elect for Budalang’i, Ababu Namwamba, arrived at the scene and asked for investigations to be carried out speedily so that it can be established what ballot materials were doing at the university yet all the materials were supposed to be at the National Tallying Centre at Bomas of Kenya.

“This is democracy on trial,” said Namwamba adding that it is very unusual that some of the ballot materials have been used while others have not been touched which raises serious questions on the credibility o these elections.”

Namwamba further wondered why materials would be locked and barricaded inside a room with a group of people yet there was still a dispute.

“Why, the secrecy?” wondered the legislator, “I smell a big fat rat here because if IEBC received all the return forms, then what are these doing here?”

He also noted that after the materials had been discovered; neither security officers nor IEBC officials had arrived at the scene to see what was happening.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000079405&story_title=Kenya-Chaos-after-varsity-students-discover-IEBC-ballot-materials

FLIGHT OF INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL

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From: Nyambok, Thomas

PLEASE KENYANS IT IS VERY EARLY TO CELEBRATE THE WIN OF THE PRESIDENCY NO SWERING IN AT STATE HOUSE.

WE CAN HELP TO RECOVER THE INTERFERED VOTE DATA FROM THE CARREOR DATA CENTER THROUGH HDZ SATELITTE SOFTWARE GIVE SERIAL # AND THE PRODUCT NAME ONLY.THE PEOPLE PAID SHOUL COME ON NOW.

Intellectual capital converts money capital into products and services.

Surprisingly, the United States leaders and Kenya leaders court foreign investors (financial capital) with regard to courting the expertise (human capital) that would develop and manage the investments and resources.

The flight of intellectual capital results in the flight of money capital. When Kenya or the United States borrows billions of dollars for investment, the money either disappears or gets squandered or mismanaged, causing the national debt to increase the United States or Kenya then makes Loan repayments for nonoperational projects and these repayments become money capital flight.

In other words, the flight of money capital is caused by the lack of intellectual capital, causing the average American or Kenyan to suffer by repaying external debt. This is why there is an increase in the level of poverty in the United States and in Kenya.

Corruption increases in all levels of operations due to Capital flight. Flight of capital means Police officers in Kenya can’t be adequately compensated and are forced to extract bribes from the public.

The some goes for other sectors too. Government vehicles that are supposed to be used to provide urgent basic services have no gas (petrol) to run them no parts.

It is very sad to learn that when a Kenyan Citizen calls Police hotline for urgent life saving help, they are told that available Police vehicles do not have gas (petrol).

Intellectual capital is more important for sustainability. Kenyans in diaspora are holding respectable decision making positions of authority in Finance, Economics, Medicine, Technology, Engineering, Education, Project Management, Security, Customer Service, Asset Management, Entrepreneurship and others.

First, their money cannot be used to develop Kenyan investments. Second, money outside Kenya cannot be taxed in Kenya. Third, it is the poor citizens of Kenya that service external debts. Therefore, it is evidently impossible for Kenya to convert Money Capital into Products and Services without Intellectual Capital.

How do we reverse this problem? We reverse it by Accepting, respecting, protecting, and rewarding our Intellectual Capital for good of the country. Many having tried to come back to Kenya but the environment have been found to be either hostile or not accepting to professional standards.

They have also been viewed as potential threat to the existing corrupt ways of operation in Kenya. A few examples of the people who have been frustrated and have lost their lives are Dr. Obama Senior, Dr. Robert Ouko Seda, J.M.Kariuki, Dr.Ongili, and who killed the former Police Commissioner Mr. Kilonzo and many others.

For the existing intellectual capital to trust that Kenya environment would accept them back, the deaths of these people need to be fully investigated and the culprits brought to book.

It is a number of years since the late Hon: Former Minister for foreign Affairs was found murdered and at that point he was still in the payroll of the Kenya Government, ( as you are today) as those who have severed or serving in the highest ranking official of the some government.

Would you kindly let Kenyans know of what has been done or having any plans in place to resolve this matter, because it is a serious concerned to the world, live alone the way the world at large viewed Kenya during his madder. Also our children and our Grand children need an answer to this situation.

By the some words can the siting President of the Republic of Kenya tell Kenyans of the steps that are being taken or have been taken towards resolving the misery that is surrounding the death of Dr. Obama Senior?

Dr. Obama Senior worked under the former Minister of finance when Hon: Mwai Kibaki was the Minister for Finance and Jomo Kenyatta was the President of Kenya. I sent a letter to the siting President regarding the killings that have been there before or after he took over.

In his second term I send a letter to the siting President Mwai Kibaki early in the year 2012 before Hilary Clinton went to Kenya to meet with siting President and with senior Government officers because of the problems Kenya had cost by the siting president rigged him self to State House.

I gave Hilary Clinton the some copy’s of the some letters I sent to the Kenyan siting president Mr. Mwai Kibaki a letter demanding about the findings of the reports from the commissioners’ that International criminal courts were awaiting for all this years.

I gave the siting vice president a package of some documents when he comes to United States to take them the siting president. I gave a package of the some documents to the vice president to take it to the siting Prime Minister Raila Odinga with the some contents. I gave the siting vice president his package too in hand and more than 2000 Kenyans were watching at the hotel in DC.

Kibaki is hiding the reports about the findings of the killers and the appropriators this is why he had to make sure Kenyatta junior is rigged in to save him a situation, it is late now it will not work that way.

President never replied as he refused to give Kenyans the findings of the rigged votes and the killers found by the commission. I would love to see President Kibaki’s legacy and I would love see President Kibaki calling names because he have everything on his desk.

When he took over the Presidency he assured Kenyans that he will do every thing possible to bring the killers to book, what kind of this word that always miss used by Kenyan Presidents, Kenyatta used the some words to bring the Tom Mboya, Argweng’s Kodhek, Gambo Pinto killers to book.

President Arap Moi told the world that those who killed Dr. Robert Ouko, Ongili, J.M. Kariuki, will be brought to book till to day, can this people be taken to Hague?

President Kibaki has every thing on his desk and what is he waiting for. I hope he should not retire before he moves to the right other wise he will remained the supreme suspect among other former Presidents.

Dr. Obama Senior was the best economist in the country Kenya had; Kenyans do remember when his son the former U.S.Senator Barak Obama of Illinois come to visit Kenya and the government become hostile by receiving the former senator from Illinois by then.

The reactions from the Government side was bad it was in deed bad signs and any body without wisdom would see that there is some thing going wrong especially from the government spokes person Dr. Alfred Mutwa?

Do you remember the remarks and the name calling from the Government officials? President also participated in a manor that the world becomes suspicious; as the government spokes man Dr. Alfred Mutwa was arrogantly used bitter words on Obama as a Jaluo.

I new about the problem Kibaki didn’t like Obama to follow up about his father because they knew what they did to Dr. Obama the father to the United States of America President and this is why Kenyatta and Ruto were rigged in to keep the findings out of the context and to cover up as Jomo Kenyatta did, as Arap Moi did.

As Mwai Kibaki did and he is doing it now for Kenyatta Junior and Ruto to cover up it will not work swallow razorblade (meza wembe)

I thought Mwai Kibaki as the siting President of the Republic of Kenya would have cheeped in to let the appropriators use better language with welcoming words remember’’ Obama was called names and names more as JaLuo tribe what did Jaluo did for you guys? Why do you hate Jaluos and we are all human beings, this time Jaluo is to be your President before August 2013.

Dear Kenyans, how would you have taken it, if it were for you? That your father was frustrated to death killed by greedy officials what would you do?

As now what would Kenyans recommend for the United States of America President to do? Can you help him find the culprits who frustrated his father to death? Every child would like to know the course of the death and the killers of their father.

Do you all see there is something missing here? But Kenyans shall not let it go scorch these killers are becoming too much killing innocent Kenyans Intellectual Kenyans since 1963 no killer has ever been found and people are being killed every day, every kill is in the hands of the sitting President after kill they hide the documents and cover up.

If I become the Virginia Governor, Kenya Police Vehicles will be donated by my friends all over the United States of America and the United States government will be willing to help Kenya Police through Virginia under my request to sustain each province in Kenya and parts will be avail for maintenance because of their make and model to bring peace to our mother Land Police will be trained well and the salary will be discoursed accordingly.

Every Kenyan, every human being living needs a protection from God and from the government as a tax payer, Kenyan need peace of mind, have a right to live well and in a harmony way in life all Kenyans needs a better life and be friendly to one another.

Very soon we shall be travelling to Kenya since we left our beautiful Land on hurry that God gave us to live in for ever but the big boys sent me off to exile, as I always do send my prayers to those who were killed by the powerful personalities as some appropriators have been recalled back home a waiting for judgment as some will face International Criminal Court before they are called back to the judgment home.

We the people will get them through our true loving God. As you the people get them through deep prayers too before they are recalled back home remember where is Saitoti?

And where is Kenyatta Junior, where is Arap Moi many have died because of the dirty politics first crafted by the first former President and others are on the way too I mean as they did to others. We shall get them even if it means using HDZ satellite or Drone satellite it will happen one day God willing.

We are ready to help by providing equipment that will give all the data that were interfered with, and recover the Microsoft through satellite injester-Hp-hg15 I need to know the serial # and the make of the machine.

As the catholic cardinals are working hard to vote for the Pope and I thought of calling them to use the Kenyan’s voting methods, new Equipment’s, new machines and have the data base in three different places with new batteries un charged then you let the white smoke come up through the chimney’s then you will be received after the voting then you will be declared the winner.

Kenyans’ have a true prayers all the time not only when you want to become President or Vice President God is watching on us, truly God is watching you very well let us be diligent to bring in the investors to each and every new States.

Kenyans be vigilant, you have your rights and you are the government the tax payers and now it is too early to celebrate the Presidency wine not yet UHURU KENYA.

Yours Faithfully Ton Nyambok 3/15/2013

Non-governmental Perspectives on a New Generation of National Cybersecurity Strategies

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From: Yona Maro

This document brings together views from business, civil society and the Internet technical on the emergence of a new generation of national cybersecurity strategies. These stakeholder views were solicited in January 2012 by the OECD Secretariat through a questionnaire to the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC), the Civil Society Internet Society Advisory Council (CSISAC) and the Internet Technical Advisory Committee (ITAC) to the OECD.

Link:
http://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/docserver/download/5k8zq92sx138.pdf?expires=1362548164&id=id&accname=guest&checksum=3B19D52A6B0715183C1EFF9E491B17CF
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Kenyans have done well

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From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

In the company of Fr Dr Charles Odira of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops at the Catholic Secretariat, Rev Jephthah K Gathaka of The Ecumenical Centre for Justice and Peace and Pst Benson Nyang’or of the Global Day of Prayer, we will be hosted at the CrossTalk at Family TV this evening at 8.00pm. Kindly tune in.

With that said, I want to sincerely congratulate Kenyans for holding a peaceful election on the 4th March 2013. I voted at Komarock Primary School on the day, and I was impressed with the patience of Kenyans as they snaked their way to the Police Force have conducted themselves. We must use the few mistakes that we have been observing to help us develop our new found democracy and love for Kenya.

Kenyans came out in large numbers to cast their votes for their preferred candidate. We did our civic duty as One Family under God and now, the onus is on the IEBC Team led by Chairman Isaack Hassan and the Commissioners, and Major James Oswago and his Team at the Executive, to give us credible results.

I want to believe that Kenyans cannot loose the process at the tallying level. It is sad that the question of arithmetic is again becoming an issue with our elections. It is sad that someone is keen on entrenching impunity even as the people unite to vote peacefully.

Kenyans must stand up and reject such dark forces, people who are hell bent on disenfranchising our democratic rights to electing our leaders.

Leaders must never be elected through manipulation of results. I love the way Hon Peter Kenneth and Hon Martha Karua stepped forward to concede defeat. How I wished the Rejected Voters also conceded defeat and acknowledged that he was not even in the official ballot box. The question of Rejected Voters coming in at number 3 is one sure proof that IEBC did not get it right with Voter Education. They concentrated more on TV Stations and the Hotels and forgot that we had a big number that do not access Radio and TVs and have no time for Hotel Meetings.

Again, the disorganization we saw with the IEBC Clerks at the Polling Stations was worrying. It made me ask, were they really trained on anything? Most did not offer help in as far as queuing was concerned and this led to many frustrations. Again, many relied on the Returning Officer even for very simple issues.

However, I must commend the IEBC Teams across Kenya for doing a commendable job.

As for Chairman Isaack Hassan and Major James Oswago, the Country and the whole World is now watching you. You may choose to stand firm and execute your mandate, or, you may choose to go down history as the people who messed the General Elections in Kenyan in March 2013.

The choices are very simple; remain firm and give us the results Kenyans voted for.

And let all Kenyans wait for these results in peace.

Let us all work for a Clean Kenya and a Clean Africa as a Transformative Deliverable as Kenya turns 50 and beyond.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
Executive Director,

The Clean Kenya Campaign- TCKC

Kenya: All shall be well when we keep our hopes high looking for Justice

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From: Judy Miriga

Good People,

Diaspora exlusion from voting is denying constitutional rights and it is unacceptable. We hope our voices shall be heard.

However, all is well that ends well and we shall not close our eyes for justice because where there is peace, we shall find ways to move forward united at peace with each other.

Keep your hopes high that all shall be well with our constitutional rights.

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

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12 die in attack by Mombasa militiamen

By Cyrus Ombati

Mombasa; Kenya: Twelve people including six police officers were on Sunday night killed in ambush in Mombasa and Kilifi Counties hours before voting began Monday in Kenya.

Police immediately declared the attack was staged by the Mombasa Republican Council followers. Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo who flew to Mombasa on Monday morning said they are holding two members of MRC for interrogation.

In Garissa, two people were Sunday night killed in an attack by unknown assailants, bringing the death toll of the killed in the election related violence to 14.

Kimaiyo said 400 extra police officers were flown to Mombasa to beef up security and issued with orders not to fear to use force.

“The police officers are directed to use their firearms as provided in law and ensure that no further loss of lives of police officers and civilians is experienced,” said Kimaiyo.

He said the motive of the attack by the group was to disrupt voting as part of their complaints of marginalisation and historical injustices.

Kimaiyo was accompanied by his deputies Grace Kaindi and Samuel Arachi and head of CID Francis Muhoro when he addressed the media in his office in Nairobi.

He revealed police had intelligence of the planned attack but were ambushed on the way as they patrolled the area.

He said police had been informed the attack was to take place in Likoni and responded by clearing a roadblock that had been erected.

At about 11 pm on Sunday, police officers from Changamwe police station were informed over 200 people believed to be MRC members armed with rifles, bows and arrows were heading to attack police station around Miritini area.

“The officers fell into ambush of over 200 attackers who were placed on both sides of the road. The officers were overpowered and during the incident some of them were murdered. Two of the attackers were killed there and two arrested,” he said.

The police boss said the Chumani area in Kilifi, another group of attackers believed to be MRC members attacked police killing one near a chief’s camp.

Among the officers killed is the Changamwe OCPD Awuor Otieno, his OCS and junior officers who were accompanying them.

MRC has been agitating for various reforms among them land and called for investigations into what they term as historical injustices.

Kimaiyo said an explosion occurred in Garisa at Anti-Shifta Administration Police Camp. Two other people were killed in an attack in the town. The two include a staff of Kenya Red Cross stationed in Dadaab and an employee of public works.

Another explosion occurred near a polling centre in Mandera on Monday morning but no injury was reported. Voting went on but under tight security.

In Mathare slums in Nairobi, a man was killed in a fire that flattened 16 structures. Kimaiyo said preliminary findings show the fire was started by an electric fault.

In Shinyalu constituency, Western province, a vehicle belonging to former area MP Justus Kizito was burnt down by the public who accused him of voter malpractice. Kimaiyo said they are investigating the incident.

The police boss said they are so far impressed by the voter turn out and urged those who have not voted to go and do so.

“None should be threatened. Police are committed to put their lives on line to ensure they are safe.”

He said they would provide security in all areas to ensure voting goes on peacefully.

Gunmen kill State official in Garissa
Updated Monday, March 04 2013 at 00:00 GMT+3

By Cyrus Ombati
Garissa, Kenya: One person has been killed and another one seriously injured by gunmen in Garissa Town.

The attack occured along Ngamia Road on Sunday evening. The deceased was a government official attached to Ministry of Public Works in the town while the injured one is a nurse in Dadaab.

Police say the attackers had been trailing the victims before shooting them at point blank killing one on the spot and seriously wounding the other.

Several security agents have been deployed in the northern town ahead of Monday’s polls to avert any possible terror attack.

“We are conteted with the deployment of security officers in the area to ensure safe election period”, said Garissa PPO Charlton Mureithi.

Mureithi said no arrests have been made adding that police were pursuing the assailants.

The town has suffered several grenade and gun attacks since Kenyan troops crossed to Somalia to pursue Al shabaab militia.

Bett asks IEBC to extend voting to Tuesday

By Karanja Njoroge

Nakuru, Kenya: Orange Democratic Movement ( ODM) National Elections Board Chairman Franklin Bett has called on the IEBC to extend the voting exercise to Tuesday to compensate for the delay in the opening of most polling stations countrywide.

Bett said the IEBC should use its powers to have the voting extended to Tuesday to enable voters who were unable to cast their votes to do so.

“The polling stations opened late and the IEBC should extend the exercise to tomorrow (Tuesday) to compensate for the hours wasted,” Bett said during a press conference in Nakuru on Monday.

Bett also said the polls body owes Kenyans an explanation on why voter verification machines had malfunctioned in most parts of the country.

He said IEBC should tell Kenyans whether failure to use the machines will achieve the same results during voting.

“We have already been informed that some names are missing from the manual register and are concerned that the manual voting will achieve the same results intended with the use of the BVR machines,” he added.

He claimed some of the CORD alliance agents had been denied entry into some polling stations without any explanation.

Bett also claimed that some individuals had been allowed to leave the polling stations without being marked with indelible ink leaving room for double voting.

“In one of the stations in Nakuru one of our agents noticed that a person had left the station without the indelible mark,” said the Roads Minister.

At the same time the CORD alliance condemned the killing of police officers by suspected Mombasa Republican Council followers at the Coast.

“We condemn in the strongest terms possible the heinous and primitive attack, “Bett said.

He said security forces should be more alert to avoid such incidents and use information from the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) to pre- empt the attacks.

Muite unhappy with voting hitches

By Felix Olick

Kenya: Presidential candidate Paul Muite has challenged the IEBC to tell Kenyans why voter identification kits are not working in some regions.

Muite acknowleged hitches are bound to occur in such a new system but insisted that voters have a right to be informed of the affected areas and the steps being taken to correct the anomalies.

âThe electoral commmision has to tell Kenyans why the kits are not working, which regions they have failed to work and the steps being taken to correct this anomaly this would help eliminate suspisions,â he said.

Muite was speaking after casting his vote at kikuyu township primary school polling centre where he was accompanied by his wife.

He said Kenyans spent a whopping sh9 billion to aquire the modern kits to eliminate the âunfortunateâ incident in the last general election.

He commended Kenyans for turning out in large numbers and urged them to remain peaceful.

IEBC admits to voter verification challenge

By David Ohito

Nairobi: Kenya: The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has acknowledged it is facing challenges with the voting process in many polling stations countrywide.

The IEBC has asked Kenyans not to be discouraged by the hitches and to remain calm as they are resolved.

Chairman Issack Hassan issued a statement on the challenges from the Bomas of Kenya national tallying centre.

Hassan admitted to delays in start of voting, hitches in voter identification and mix-ups in voting material among other hiccups in some of the 34,000 polling stations nationwide.

Delays in opening of polling stations will be made up later in the day, he told journalists. Printed registers will be used instead of the electronic poll-book after failures in electronic voter identification using fingerprint readers and biometric voting machines. The registers to be used in manual verification have voter photos.

A mix up in voting materials means elections in four County Assembly wards have to be delayed until March 11. The affected areas are in Kuria, Bunyala and Gwassi.

IEBC officials have also been faced with a huge number of voters queuing as the voting process slowly got underway. Isolated cases of violence of have also been reported in Shinyalu in Kakamega County where a vehicle belonging to an outgoing MP was allegedly torched.

In Mombasa, reports of an attack on police officers by alleged members of the Mombasa Republican council left four officers killed. In Mandera, an explosive went off at a polling station but no injuries were reported and police later beefed up security as voting continued proceeded.

Safina’s Ochuodho barred from voting
By Digital Reporter

Safina party presidential running mate Dr Shem Ochuodho got a rude shock when electoral officials barred him from voting on grounds that he registered as a voter in Kampala, Uganda.

By 4.45pm, only fifteen minutes before closing of polling stations, Mr Ochuodho was still consulting with IEBC officials to allow him cast his ballot.

Ochuodho said his case was unique because his name is in the register but there is no polling station in Kampala making it difficult for him to vote.

âWe are still consulting on this matter but we hope I will be given a chance to cast my ballot. Mine is a unique case,â he said in telephone interview.

The former Rangwe MP argued that President Kibaki registered as a voter at Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi yet he voted in Othaya constituency and he should not be discriminated against.

By the time if filing this reports Ochuodho was still consulting with poll officers over the fate of his vote.

Safina’s presidential candidate Paula Muite cast his vote earlier in Kikuyu Constituency.

12 County Assembly representatives unopposed
By Peter Opiyo

Kenya: Twelve Candidates would soon be declared elected after they went in unopposed as County Assembly representatives.

CORD Presidential Candidate and Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM and Jubilee’s running mate William Ruto’s URP each clinched five positions in this category while Jubilee’s Presidential candidate and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s TNA has two slots.

Those elected unopposed in Mandera county include Emoi Hassan (URP, Banissa ward), Hassan Abdulla (Guba ward, TNA), Mohammed Shabure (Kiliwehiri ward, URP), Ibrahim Ahmed (Wargadad ward, URP) and Wariyo Ibrahim (Shimbir Fatuma ward, URP).

The ODM candidates who have been elected unopposed include Sylvester Madialo (Usonga ward, Siaya county), Joseph Osano (Chemelil ward, Kisumu county), Michael Ooro (Rusinga Island, Homa Bay county), Ronald Asiga (Wasimbete ward, Migori county) and Michael Osongo (Central Kanyamkago, Migori county).

Others are TNA’s John Njenga (Karai ward, Kiambu County) and URP’s Joseph Koech (Kipsomba ward, Uasin Gishu County.

Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Chairman Isaack Hassan said the names of these candidates would soon be gazetted as elected members of the respective County Assembly wards representatives.

“There are cases of candidates whose candidature were unopposed. This will be pronounced and the names gazetted in due course,” said Mr Hassan.

KENYA: EXTRA SECURITY PRECAUTION PUT IN PLACE IN KISUMU CITY AHEAD OF NEXT MONDAY GENERAL ELECTIONS AS HATE LEAFLETS HIT URIRI DISTRICT IN MIGORI COUNTY.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

Kisumu City is one of the areas classified as the trouble spots in the country following the acts of lawlessness and massive looting as well as destruction of property witnessed in 2007.

However, with only three days to go before the polling date next Monday, the security personnel’s have taken up their the patrolling positions in strategic point within the Central Business District {CBD} .

Police patrolling teams have been beefed up in all corners of the town. They included the regular police and members of the paramilitary crack unit, the General service Unit {GSU} to ensure that the elections will be peaceful.

The business communities in the town have reinforced their premises with steel doors and other security measure to avoid the looting that was witnessed in 2008 following the disputed presidential election results. The City traders and business community are said to have lost property valued at Kshs 6 billion. Some of them have yet to recover fully.

Some of the dukawallahs have removed important and highly valued shop goods and kept them in stores pending the end of the impending general elections.

The residents of Kisumu, particularly the Matatu touts working and operating at the main Kisumu Bus terminals have reported having seen the unusual increases in passengers heading the westwards. Most of the passengers are families working in Nakuru and Naivasha. Some of them passengers have reportedly fleeing their places of work following rumor spread by some unpatriotic characters that their lives would be in danger after the Monday elections. Other said they were simply heading for their rural homer where they had registered as voters in order to be able to cast their votes for the persons of their own choice seeking elective positions.

The business communities in Kisumu City in collaboration with the civic society, NGO have recently conducted their most elaborate campaign to sensitize the youths in Town about the need to maintain peace and tranquility during the election time.

The ODM, which is the most popular political movement in the region has also played its part in urging its members to maintain peace and to avoid acts of provocation which could lead to a breach of the peace and breakdown in lawlessness.

Meanwhile the police in Migori were actively investigating the source of the hate leaflets which have hit Uriri district warning non-indignant residents to pack up and go back to their ancestral

The agriculturally rich Uriri district is a cosmopolitan region where there is a large number and concentration of Maragolis and people of Luhyia origins, Kisiis and Suba. There are members of other Luo-sub clans from Siaya, Mbita, Gwassi, Karachuonyo, Kisumu, Ugenya who arealso soujourners in the area.

The local major sub-clans are the indignant Jo-Kanyamkago and the Jo-Kamgundho group. The immediate former MP for the area Cyprian Ojwang’ Omolo is a member of the Jo-Kamgundho. He had been beaten hands down by Eng John Kobado a member of the indignant Jo-Kanyamkago.Omolo is still in the race on a Ford Kenya ticket, a party which is a member of the enlarged CORD alliance.

The police have indicated that a double cabin Toyota pick up was seen dropping the leaflet along the Uririr-Rapogi Oria road. Its number place was also secured, and eye witnesses said it was being driven by one political activist from Kisumu who is believed to be backing the former M P in his bid to clinch the seat against the ODM official candidate.

The resident want the author of the hate leaflets apprehended and taken to court to answer the charges of incitement. The suspect, according to the eye witnesses was among the key supporters of one of the aspirants who had lost the ODM primary nomination, and both have since switched side by supporting the former legislator in his bid to recapture the seat.

The author and distributors of the hate leaflets have received whole-sale condemnation by elders from both the Luos and Luhyias community.

The police Chief in Migori Alfred Makomo has thanked the residents, especially those who have recorded the statement with the police and thanked them for their cooperation

Ends

Tanzania: Religious conflict flare ups in Zanzibar as Muslim and Christians go for each other’s throat following the torching down of churches in the Isles

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging from the Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar Es Salaam say investigations into the recent killing of a Catholic priest and the blowing up of a church in Zanzibar are pointing to an act of religious intolerance orchestrated by Muslim fundamentalists.

These attacks being linked to the recent infiltration of the Al-Shabaab terror group into the hitherto peaceful and politically stable United Republic of Tanzania.

This has emerged as local journalists have established that the government of Tanzania has called in security intelligence officers from the US and the UK to help it track down the killers of Evarist Munishi.

A church still under the construction in the largely Muslim archipelago of Zanzibar was set on fire within only 48 hours after the priest’s murder.

The police sources in Dar Es Salaam said that Father Munishi way was blocked by two young men at the entrance of the church compound who shot him at the close range in the head killing him instantly.

The Zanzibar shooting came barely a week after the religious attack that saw the killing of Mathayo Kachili of the Assembly of God church in Geita Region. The slain pastor was beheaded by Muslim extremists on the Tanzanian mainland as religion tensions increase between the Christians and the Muslims.

Local investigators are said to be in constant touch with those of the United States to exchange information related to the murder, including whether it was carried out by the homegrown terror outfits, having links across the border or by terrorists based in neighboring countries.

Local media have quoted Bishop Obeid Fabian, head of Zanzibar Pastor’s Fellowship as saying that churches in Zanzibar had in recent months appealed to the government to step up security, especially for pastors working on the Muslim majority Island.

But nothing much has been done. The Bishop said it was unfortunate that over seven Christian churches had been burnt down while the Isles government had not arrested anyone in connection with the violence.

The Tanzania National Security Council last week ordered the government security agencies to immediately negotiate with foreign security intelligence agencies over the killing of the Catholic Priest.

The US Ambassador to Tanzania Alfonzo Lenhedent was last week quoited as saying that the State Department in Washington DC ready to lent the Tanzanian government some assistance as it needed.

Ends

EAC defense ministers sign peace and security pact to combat terror groups

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community Defense ministers have signed a peace and security protocol that will see the five partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi warning on peace and security threats, genocide and transnational crimes.

The move came in the background of reported increase in the activities of the Alqaeda supported Al-Shabaab terrorist group said to be slowly extending their infiltration and activities into the hitherto peaceful stable United Republic of Tanzania.

Ugandan defense Minister Dr Crispus Kiyonga who is one of the signatories said by signing the agreement, partner states will cooperate on peace and security issues as well as collaborate with the international and regional security agencies.

“EAC member states will therefore be required to develop common measures program and strategies and enter into agreement for the effective implementation of the early warning mechanism ,”The Ugandan Minister added.

A recent report by the EAC head of Anti-Narcotic and human trafficking units indicated the drug dealers have penetrated the region transnational crime is the main challenge to peace and security in the region, a threat to one country is viewed as a threat to the whole region.

Article 24 also, of the EAC Treaty, states that a threat to one country is a threat to the whole of the region.

The objective of the protocol is to promote peace, security and stability within the region, and the good neighborliness.The protocol also states that partner states will manage and seek to resolve any conflict between two or more partner states,or within foreign countries, through peaceful means in consultation with the Security council of the African Union and the UN Security council any conflict

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Kenya: President Obama’s controversial half-brother in Kenya in tussles with the authorities over the American and Kenyan flags which he had hoisted on top of his business premises.

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From: Arrum Tidi
Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The US president Barrack Obama’s half brother in Kenya, Malik Abong’o Obama, has defiantly and flagrantly refused to lower the American and Kenyan national flags which are currently flying side by side on top of his private business premises in Siaya County.

Several attempts by government officials failed to convince Malik Obama to remove the two flags which he had hoisted on the roof of his private business. The matter has baffled many security personnel and local in the region.

A police source has hinted that the matter is being referred to the Public Prosecution department of the judiciary department for further action..

The officials and police were baffled when Obama hoisted the two flags at the entrance of his tourist class guest house which he had established in the memory of his father Barrack Obama Snr.

Malik Obama is currently embroiled I n a cut-throat election campaign battle for the Siaya County governorship. He is contesting the election as an independent candidate. Local pundits, however, maintained that Obama stand in chance of clinching the guberimental seat due to his lone ranger character.

The trouble started when the Siaya region police Chief Stephen Cheteka checked at the Guest House and ordered the two flags to be lowered on argument that the place was not a state institution. Instead he drafted a harsh letter to President Mwai Kibaki. Was loaded with numerous complaints on why a junior state officer would visit his premises unannounced and interfere with his constitutional rights.

“The step to hoist both flags show patriotism. I am very proud of both American and Kenyan national flags..I feel anyone has the right to hoist follow my footsteps,” Malik said.

observers, keen on the development of the flags dispute pitting Malik Obama and the police and members of the Provincial Administration on the other hand have been left guessing after the move compelling him to do away the two flags flying on the top of his business premises.

It was also learnt at the weekend that Malik Obama recently sacked the entire staff at his Obama Guest House four months ago.

Ends

Kenya: Chief Justice Played Into “Mungiki Letter”?

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From: Mary Gakere

From: Joe Kihara Munugu

Chief Justice Played Into “Mungiki Letter”?
By Lance Kipng’etich : Nation Media : February 23 2013
http://elections.nation.co.ke/Blogs/-/1632026/1702608/-/11884gn/-/index.html

Kenya’s Chief Justice, Dr. Willy Mutunga, is a well-read man, so he must know about the infamous “Zinoviev letter”. The authors of a letter purporting to be from a group called the Mungiki Veterans’ Association borrowed heavily from the Zinoviev letter, one of the best known forgery-letters in history. This notorious Zinoviev letter was published in the British press four days before Britain’s general election of 1924. It was allegedly sent by the Communist Party in Moscow to the Communist Party of Great Britain. The letter, which was later revealed to be a forgery written by an M16 intelligence agent, appeared to be a directive from Moscow calling for intensified communist agitation in Britain.

It was an effort to show voters that the Labour party was working for the Soviet Union and, therefore, influence the electorate against them.The plot failed as it did not affect the Labour vote. However, it helped the Conservative Party hasten the collapse of the liberal party and contributed to the landslide victory for the Conservatives.

The letter took its name from a senior Soviet official, Grigory Zinoviev, its purported author.Many Kenyans were shocked and saddened to see Dr Mutunga similarly insert himself into the political scene with his own version of a clearly forged letter designed to influence an election.The reaction was one of immense sadness at seeing a respected figure like Dr Mutunga offering a serious proposition that the letter was written in defence of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his presidential running mate in the Jubilee Coalition, William Ruto.

Whoever authored this document was defending no known interests of Uhuru, Ruto or the coalition they head and that has endeared itself to the hearts and minds of millions of Kenyans.

Uhuru and Ruto remain the real targets of the screaming forgery.
I hold no brief for the Mungiki, Kenyatta, Ruto or Jubilee. However, none of them are so boneheaded as to author the explicitly forged document that the CJ presented to the press with a straight face at the Supreme Court of Kenya at lunchtime on Wednesday, February 20.

Why did Kenya’s top jurist participate in such a cheap ploy?
The concluding remarks of the CJ’s statement accompanying the tabling of the pathetic forgery are instructive: “I appeal to Kenyans to hold a peaceful election. It is only by so doing that we shall silence these dark forces of retrogression and also advance our constitutional and democratic promise. My fellow Kenyans, with confidence and tribute to the nation, go and vote for our Constitution. It is the only way to reject those who threaten and proclaim violence as a false choice”.

Coming from the person designated the President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, these apparently pious words mask an unacceptably politically partisan and activist posture. They are a coded message calling for the defeat of the Jubilee Coalition by the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord).

Divisive manner
The head of the Supreme Court of Kenya has no business intervening in politics in such a divisive manner so close to the General Election.
He should remain far above the fray, evincing no support whatever for any side and no preference. He presumably holds one vote and will cast it as he deems appropriate come March 4 under conditions of the secret ballot.

Above all, the CJ must never be seen to be a participant in a political ruse full of propaganda and trickery.Whether the CJ was a witting or unwitting participant in the scornful tactic and strategy rolled out on Wednesday, whether he was a prime mover or a total dupe, is besides the point.

He, of all people, should not have rushed to judgment. He ought not to have treated the Jubilee Coalition with the contemptuous, distrustful manner that he demonstrated.
Sadly, the effect of the letter is that I, for one, will never look at the Supreme Court of Kenya, and Dr Mutunga’s leadership of it, with the same eyes again. Nor will millions of Kenyans who comprise the silent majority.

Although Uhuru and Ruto are the real targets of the miserable third-hand forgery, they will not fall victim to it.

———
The writer, Lance Kipng’etich, is a book publisher in Nakuru, Kenya

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Kenya: Chief Justice Played Into “Mungiki Letter”?