Category Archives: Finance

Seminar- International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) & Tax Compliance – February 23rd & 24th, 2012

from Gunther

DIT Approval Reference is DIT/TRN/761

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), & Tax & Compliance Seminar-February 23rd & 24th, Hilton, Nairobi

Preamble
Understanding of the requirements of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRSs), and an appreciation of Business Tax Compliance is important for any Finance staff involved in preparation of financial statements. All Heads of Finance, Reporting accountants, Risk & Compliance staff, Internal Audit staff and other senior finance staff must familiarize themselves with the requirements of IFRS and Business Tax Principles if they are to avoid non compliance risks and be effective in production of the financial statements.

Hammond Tutu & Gunther Kenya Ltd will be conducting a two- days Seminar on IFRS and Tax Compliance on February 23rd & 24th, 2012, at Hilton, Nairobi.

This two-days overview is designed to take participants step by step through important IFRS technical issues on specific standards which are commonly applicable. This course provides a detailed overview of the major technical issues encountered when producing IFRS-compliant financial statements. The seminar will also touch on critical Business Taxation Issues especially those that have potential of exposing organizations to punitive non compliance risks. Our expert facilitators explain the principles clearly and simply and also help participants with the practicalities of implementation.

Seminar Details

Date- February 23rd & 24th, 2012

Venue- Hilton, Nairobi

Fees- Kshs 42,500/= Plus VAT per Participant.

Target Group- Heads of Finance, Other Senior Finance staff, Risk & Compliance Officers, Internal Audit staff, Reporting Accountants

Note-
Our programs are DIT Approved (Ref DIT/TRN/761), and participants can therefore claim refund from DIT
Participants are issued with a certificate of participation. ICPAK members earn 14 CPE Hours.
Organizations sponsoring more than 3 participants get the 4th to attend free.

Course Benefits
Understand and apply IFRS requirements, including accounting policies and disclosures
Understanding Financial statement presentation and specific disclosure requirements (operating segments, events after the reporting period, statement of cash flows, related parties, changes in accounting policies, changes in accounting estimates, correction of errors, and discontinued operations)
Implement the IFRS recognition and measurement rules for assets, liabilities, income, and expenses
Apply the most recent new and revised IFRS standards on the areas highlighted above
Identify key Business Tax non -compliance areas
Appreciation of Tax Planning & Management practices

Summary course content
IAS 1 Presentation of Financial Statements
IAS 8, Accounting Policies, Changes in Accounting Estimates and Errors
IAS 16, Property, Plant and Equipment
IAS 17, Leases
IAS 36, Impairment of Assets
IAS 37, Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets
IAS 12, Deferred tax
Business Taxation (Highlights)
VAT (Highlights)
Withholding Tax (Highlights)
Tax Planning & Management

The course answers questions such as:
What are the current IFRS requirements?
When will upcoming changes be effective?
What impact do these changes have on financial statement presentation, disclosures and financial performance reports?
Which accounting standards allow alternative treatments when preparing IFRS financial statements?
What are the key tax non compliance risks is my organization exposed to?
How do you Tax Plan and Manage Tax for your organisation?

Booking Details

You can book this course online by clicking here, or send an email to info@gunthergibson.com.

For more information regarding the course, email us on the email address shown below, or call us on the numbers indicated below. You can also get more details on this course by clicking here, or visit our website www.gunthergibson.com

powered by ASPEN SOLUTIONS

Contact us
RSVP
Benson Mwangi or Ryan Kariuki, Liberty Plaza, 5th Floor, Mombasa Road
PO Box 214 – 00618, Nairobi, Tel: 020 2340347, 0704 914506, 0770 174425
Email: hammondtutu@gunthergibson.com

Gender and Skills Development: A Review

from Yona Maro

It is particularly timely considering the structural changes in the global economy, the geopolitics of offshore production, the growth of the service sector and the changes wrought by the ongoing global financial crisis. What this paper clearly indicates is that while there is a lack of reliable information and statistics to analyse the impact of these forces on girls and young women, especially those from marginalized groups, there is a near absence of well-documented and evaluated interventions and strategies to address skills development among marginalized youth. Much more research is needed on gender and skills development, employment and integration in the global economy, and women’s empowerment.
http://www.ungei.org/files/UNGEI_Gender_and_Skills_Print_v1_3.pdf


Karibu Jukwaa la www.mwanabidii.com
Pata nafasi mpya za Kazi www.kazibongo.blogspot.com

Tax haven secrecy – Keeping the poor poor

from Yona Maro

`There’s a building in the Cayman Islands that houses supposedly 12,000 US corporations. That’s either the biggest building in the world or the biggest tax scam in the world.’ – Barack Obama, US President

US$160bn every year is the amount of revenue being denied to developing countries by unscrupulous multinational corporations that use tax haven secrecy to dodge taxes. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) – a body that brings together the world’s wealthiest nations – recognises that developing countries are losing more from tax dodging than they receive in aid. In 2010 the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimated that the money on the balance sheets of small island tax havens alone amounted to US$18tn – about a third of the world’s financial wealth.

An end to tax haven secrecy would make it easier for tax authorities in all countries – including developing countries – to detect where tax dodging is going on and claw back the money they are losing.
http://www.christianaid.org.uk/images/TaxHavenBriefing.pdf

Kenya: Finance Bill Row Hands Fraudsters Lifeline

From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Kenya’s Coalition Government under the leadership of Kibaki and Raila should face Legal Justice over charges on Economic Theft engaging on illegal and unconstitutional business undertaking of special interest that saw the country drifting into Economic crisis from imbalances of such economic crimes. This behavior has made lives of many in danger, with cost of fundamental basic needs rising, poverty souring to an extend that nothing works.

The severe economic shocks reported by World bank, IMF with other International financial institutions is a showcase of the same.

This calls for the Judicial system of the Supreme Court to take urgent steps to institute investigation of the activities which led to this economic crisis and that Coalition Government be immediately and urgently charged against Economic Theft and Crime.

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

– – – – – – – – – – –

Kenya: Finance Bill Row Hands Fraudsters Lifeline
Paul Wafula

20 January 2012

Delay in adoption of Finance Bill 2011 has handed mobile phone fraudsters a leeway to move on with illegal activities.

As a result, the country continues to lack the law to making it mandatory for mobile phone users to register their SIM cards.

In consequence, the Ministry of Information and Communication has been unable to direct mobile operators to immobilise unregistered numbers as a measure to curb mobile phone-crime.

It’s more than two years since the idea was first mooted and the ministry was banking on passage of the Bill to give it the legal mandate to enforce it.

The delay has been caused by a standoff between Parliament and the executive over a controversial amendment to the Bill, which legalises taxation measures, to control interest rate that commercial banks can charge borrowers, a proposal that has been opposed by Treasury.

Mobile service providers reckon that the lack of legislation makes it impossible to enforce compliance and are warning that it would need another three months to comply once the law is in place.

Three-month grace period

“We are very confident that we will be in a strong position to comply with the new legislation when it comes into place.

“This notwithstanding, and in order to minimise any negative impact on customers who may be having ancillary challenges such as inability to secure national identity cards or other forms of acceptable identification documents, we are in favour of a three-month grace period prior to implementation,” Safaricom’s corporate affairs director Nzioka Waita said.

Operators also cite the costs of carrying out the registration exercise as another barrier. “As an operator, we are currently shouldering the burden of registration ourselves.

“However, if the government places additional compliance and storage requirements on the industry, we shall be keen to discuss with the Government various options for meetings these costs,” Mr Waita said.

President Kibaki has in more than two occasions ordered for deactivation of the SIM cards, but the directive is yet to be acted upon, more than a year after the registration exercise expired.

MPs threaten Kibaki and Raila over taxes MPs plan to strip President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka off their hefty retirements perks in protest against a law compelling them to pay taxes.

They also vowed to campaign for cancellation of allowances paid to spouses of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka.

They want to punish the two leaders for complying with a directive by the Kenya Revenue Authority that all MPs pay full taxes on salaries and allowances backdated to last September.

The MPs also plan to frustrate passage of laws for implementation of the Constitution; and shoot down the Finance Bill when the House resumes in two weeks time.

The MPs, who are at the Mombasa Continental Resort for a workshop on the draft national population policy, were also seeking to placate public anger by passing a law that will exempt those who earn Sh30,000 a month and below from paying taxes.

Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and his Uriri counterpart Cyprian Ojwang accused President Kibaki, Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga of “inciting the public against the MPs” by paying their tax arrears.

Deal with hypocrisy

Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi said: “We are going to deal with this hypocrisy and double standards exposed by these leaders whose spouses earn more than MPs in allowances which are not taxed.”

Speaker Kenneth Marende was at hand to support the MPs hardline position. He maintained that MPs had been assured by the government that they would not pay increased taxes for the remainder of the current term.

In a statement issued in Mombasa, Mr Marende said that MPs were ready to pay full tax on their income if taxation laws were amended.

“Allow me to reiterate the fact that both the Executive and Kenya Revenue Authority wrote to the Kenya National Assembly before the Constitution was passed stating the position with respect to taxation as it would apply to Members of the 10th Parliament,” he said.

The MPs, who have only been paying tax on their basic salary which stand at Sh200,000 per month, are under pressure to pay levies on their hefty allowances which make up most of the Sh800,000 earnings.

The MPs threatened to paralyse government operations by rejecting crucial Bills.

To begin with, the MPs plan to shoot down the Finance Bill when it is tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Kapondi and Luka Kigen (Rongai) and Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) warned that Parliamentarians would shoot down the Bill that gives the government authority to spend.

“Uhuru will not find it easy. Despite all the threats and tough talk. He will have to work hard to convince MPs to pass the budget,” said Mr Kutuny.

“This issue has united us more than ever before. We are going back to Parliament an infuriated group,” said Mr Kigen.

Mr Kapondi warned that the government “will be in for a rude shock. It is a false victory for them if they are already celebrating,” he warned, saying MPs had resolved to reject the bill to show their anger at the taxman’s move.

They also plan to reject several Bills expected in the House to implement the new constitution.

However they might be shooting themselves in the foot as Parliament failure to pass laws mandated by the new constitution opens the door for dissolution of Parliament.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo termed as insensitive the decision to tax MPs’ salaries and allowances at this point.

Goldplat pours first Kenyan gold bar
Reuters – Tue, Jan 17, 2012
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Africa-focused gold producer Goldplat has poured the first bar of gold from its Kilimapesa mine in Kenya, marking the beginning of production in the east African country’s first gold project, the company said on Tuesday.

London-listed Goldplat said this followed the commissioning of the Elution plant, which enables Kilimapesa to smelt and produce bullion on site.

“Kilimapesa’s first gold pour marks a significant milestone for both the company and Kenya as we continue to develop the country’s first gold project … into a profitable mining operation,” Goldplat Chief Executive Officer Demetri Manolis said in a statement.

Goldplat targets an expansion of its resource base towards the 500,000 ounce mark and an increase in gold production towards 10,000 ounces per year, Manolis said.

The initial smelt produced 399 ounces. The company did not provide a current estimate of current reserves of the mine.

The first bar was sold to Rand Refinery Limited in South Africa.

Goldplat has assets in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Last fiscal year, the company reported total production of 28,185 ounces of gold in its annual report.

Kenya seeks nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil products – trade
Reuters – Thu, Jan 19, 2012
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Kenya is seeking nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil products for February and March, as demand for fuel rises in East Africa due to a shortfall in refining capacity and accelerating economy.

Kenya’s Ministry of Energy is seeking 100,658 tonnes of gasoline, 108,846 tonnes of jet fuel and 188,627 tonnes of gasoil for delivery in February and March, in a spot tender issued late Wednesday, industry sources said.

Kenya also imports oil products on behalf of other East African nations.

Kenya’s economy is dependent on diesel for transport, power production and agriculture and many homes use kerosene to generate power. GDP is expected to grow by at least 5 percent this year, from last year’s forecast of 4.5 to 5 percent.

A heavy rainy season over the next few months is also expected to boost harvests, in turn increasing diesel demand.

Kenya is seeking two gasoline cargoes of 50,329 tonnes each for delivery over February 22-24 and March 10-12 and two jet fuel cargoes of 48,846 tonnes and 60,000 tonnes for delivery over February 20-22 and March 6-8 respectively.

It is also seeking three gasoil cargoes, two of them at 80,000 tonnes and 80,658 tonnes for delivery into Kipevu Oil Terminal over February 25-27 and March 19-21 respectively. One of the cargoes, at 27,969 tonnes, is for delivery into Shimanzi Oil Terminal over February 15-18.

The tender closes on January 19 and is valid until January 20.

Kenya last bought 25,000 tonnes of gasoline, 58,000 tonnes of gasoil, 25,000 tonnes of jet fuel and 30,050 tonnes of fuel oil from Addax Kenya, Galana Oil Kenya, Gulf Africa Petroleum Corp (Gapco) and Gulf Energy.

World Bank Warns of More Severe Economic Shocks in 2012

From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Kenya’s Coalition Government under the leadership of Kibaki and Raila should face Legal Justice over charges on Economic Theft engaging on illegal and unconstitutional business undertaking of special interest that saw the country drifting into Economic crisis from imbalances of such economic crimes. This behavior has made lives of many in danger, with cost of fundamental basic needs rising, poverty souring to an extend that nothing works.

The severe economic shocks reported by World bank, IMF with other International financial institutions is a showcase of the same.

This calls for the Judicial system of the Supreme Court to take urgent steps to institute investigation of the activities which led to this economic crisis and that Coalition Government be immediately and urgently charged against Economic Theft and Crime.

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

– – – – – – – – – – –

World Bank Warns of More Severe Economic Shocks in 2012
Faridah Kulabako and Martin Luther Oketch
19 January 2012

Kampala — The World Bank has told developing countries to prepare for shocks that could be more severe than the 2008 crisis, warning of a possible slump in global economic growth.
World Bank said in its 2012 Global Economic Prospects report yesterday that the ripple effects of the financial turmoil in the Eurozone and weakening growth in emerging markets were lowering global growth prospects.

“The global economy is entering into a new phase of uncertainty and danger. Developing countries need to evaluate their vulnerabilities and prepare for further shocks, ” Mr Justin Yifu Lin, the bank’s chief economist said.

He said developing countries have less fiscal and monetary space for remedial measures than they did in 2008/09, which may constrain their ability to respond if international finance dries up and global conditions deteriorate.

Mr Hans Timmer, the director of development prospects at the World Bank, however, advised that countries should line up financing in advance to cover up budget deficits, review the health of their banking sector, and prioritise spending on social safety nets and infrastructure to prepare for the possibility of shocks.

The bank also cut its global growth forecast for 2012 to 5.4 per cent from 6.2 per cent for developing countries and 1.4 per cent from 2.7 per cent developed countries. The global growth is projected at 2.5 and 3.11 per cent for 2012 and 2013, respectively.

B Barton /WFP

Ploughing the fields in Uganda.

The report states that slower growth of the global economy is already seen in weakening global trade and commodity prices. Global exports of goods and services is said to have expanded by an estimated 6.6 per cent in 2011, down from 12.4 per cent in 2010 and is projected to rise by only 4.7 per cent in 2012.

Declining commodity prices are said to have contributed to easing of headline inflation in most developing countries. Uganda’s inflation for instance slowed from 30.4 per cent in October to 27 per cent in December 2011 due to increased food supply to markets, resulting into a marginal fall in commodity price.

Despite the volatilities in the global economy, growth in Africa remained robust, edging up from 4.8 per cent in 2010 to 4.9 per cent in 2011. just below the 5 per cent pre-crisis average.

Kenya: Finance Bill Row Hands Fraudsters Lifeline
Paul Wafula

20 January 2012

Delay in adoption of Finance Bill 2011 has handed mobile phone fraudsters a leeway to move on with illegal activities.

As a result, the country continues to lack the law to making it mandatory for mobile phone users to register their SIM cards.

In consequence, the Ministry of Information and Communication has been unable to direct mobile operators to immobilise unregistered numbers as a measure to curb mobile phone-crime.

It’s more than two years since the idea was first mooted and the ministry was banking on passage of the Bill to give it the legal mandate to enforce it.

The delay has been caused by a standoff between Parliament and the executive over a controversial amendment to the Bill, which legalises taxation measures, to control interest rate that commercial banks can charge borrowers, a proposal that has been opposed by Treasury.

Mobile service providers reckon that the lack of legislation makes it impossible to enforce compliance and are warning that it would need another three months to comply once the law is in place.

Three-month grace period

“We are very confident that we will be in a strong position to comply with the new legislation when it comes into place.

“This notwithstanding, and in order to minimise any negative impact on customers who may be having ancillary challenges such as inability to secure national identity cards or other forms of acceptable identification documents, we are in favour of a three-month grace period prior to implementation,” Safaricom’s corporate affairs director Nzioka Waita said.

Operators also cite the costs of carrying out the registration exercise as another barrier. “As an operator, we are currently shouldering the burden of registration ourselves.

“However, if the government places additional compliance and storage requirements on the industry, we shall be keen to discuss with the Government various options for meetings these costs,” Mr Waita said.

President Kibaki has in more than two occasions ordered for deactivation of the SIM cards, but the directive is yet to be acted upon, more than a year after the registration exercise expired.

MPs threaten Kibaki and Raila over taxes

MPs plan to strip President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka off their hefty retirements perks in protest against a law compelling them to pay taxes.

They also vowed to campaign for cancellation of allowances paid to spouses of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka.

They want to punish the two leaders for complying with a directive by the Kenya Revenue Authority that all MPs pay full taxes on salaries and allowances backdated to last September.

The MPs also plan to frustrate passage of laws for implementation of the Constitution; and shoot down the Finance Bill when the House resumes in two weeks time.

The MPs, who are at the Mombasa Continental Resort for a workshop on the draft national population policy, were also seeking to placate public anger by passing a law that will exempt those who earn Sh30,000 a month and below from paying taxes.

Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and his Uriri counterpart Cyprian Ojwang accused President Kibaki, Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga of “inciting the public against the MPs” by paying their tax arrears.

Deal with hypocrisy

Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi said: “We are going to deal with this hypocrisy and double standards exposed by these leaders whose spouses earn more than MPs in allowances which are not taxed.”

Speaker Kenneth Marende was at hand to support the MPs hardline position. He maintained that MPs had been assured by the government that they would not pay increased taxes for the remainder of the current term.

In a statement issued in Mombasa, Mr Marende said that MPs were ready to pay full tax on their income if taxation laws were amended.

“Allow me to reiterate the fact that both the Executive and Kenya Revenue Authority wrote to the Kenya National Assembly before the Constitution was passed stating the position with respect to taxation as it would apply to Members of the 10th Parliament,” he said.

The MPs, who have only been paying tax on their basic salary which stand at Sh200,000 per month, are under pressure to pay levies on their hefty allowances which make up most of the Sh800,000 earnings.

The MPs threatened to paralyse government operations by rejecting crucial Bills.

To begin with, the MPs plan to shoot down the Finance Bill when it is tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Kapondi and Luka Kigen (Rongai) and Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) warned that Parliamentarians would shoot down the Bill that gives the government authority to spend.

“Uhuru will not find it easy. Despite all the threats and tough talk. He will have to work hard to convince MPs to pass the budget,” said Mr Kutuny.

“This issue has united us more than ever before. We are going back to Parliament an infuriated group,” said Mr Kigen.

Mr Kapondi warned that the government “will be in for a rude shock. It is a false victory for them if they are already celebrating,” he warned, saying MPs had resolved to reject the bill to show their anger at the taxman’s move.

They also plan to reject several Bills expected in the House to implement the new constitution.

However they might be shooting themselves in the foot as Parliament failure to pass laws mandated by the new constitution opens the door for dissolution of Parliament.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo termed as insensitive the decision to tax MPs’ salaries and allowances at this point.

Climate finance and development effectiveness in Africa

from Yona Maro

The aid effectiveness campaign has succeeded in offering a set of operating principles and a process framework for making development assistance more transparent, effective, accountable and consultative. However, as climate change poses to be a significant threat to African countries, the prevailing modality to address adaptation and mitigation is the global fund, which is delivered directly to projects, bypassing partner countries’ public finance management systems and institutions.

Though there is great variation in the costs of adaptation, the estimates are monumental, ranging between US$75 – $100 billion annually; for Africa, approximately US$18 billion annually. There is an urgent need to fuse the gains made by the aid effectiveness movement with the goodwill and enthusiasm of global funds.
http://www.realityofaid.org/country-outreach/downloadv2/95

Tembelea www.mwanabidii.com Kwa mijadala Moto Moto

Kujiondoa Tuma Email kwenda

USA: From Warren Buffett – How can we make this happen?

from Anita Dobrzelecki

This is really good!
-Anita-

– – – – – – – – – – –

From: KS
Date: January 7, 2012 9:34:46 PM EST

” Wounded Marines need your help”
www.SemperFiFund.org

How can we make this happen?

Warren Buffett, in a recent interview with CNBC, offers one of the best quotes about the debt ceiling:

“I could end the deficit in 5 minutes,” he told CNBC. “You just pass a law that says that anytime there is a deficit of more than 3% of GDP, all sitting members of Congress are ineligible for re-election.

The 26th amendment (granting the right to vote for 18 year-olds) took only 3 months & 8 days to be ratified! Why? Simple! The people demanded it. That was in 1971 – before computers, e-mail, cell phones, etc.

Of the 27 amendments to the Constitution, seven (7) took one (1) year or less to become the law of the land – all because of public pressure.

Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.

In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.

Congressional Reform Act of 2011

1. No Tenure / No Pension.

A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they’re out of office.

2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social Security.

All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.

3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all Americans do.

4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise. Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.

5. Congress loses their current health care system and participates in the same health care system as the American people.

6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the American people.

7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.

Congress made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.

If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don’t you think it’s time?

THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!

If you agree, pass it on. If not, delete. You are one of my 20+ – Please keep it going, and thanks

KENYA: ALTERNATIVE MEDIA FOR UHURU’S CAMPAIGN IS AN IDEAL — BUT

From: ouko joachim omolo
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
BONDO-SIAYA COUNTY
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2011

While the idea that Kanu is to take advantage of technology and the digital revolution to open a television station, radio station, run its own newspaper and acquire its own printing press, not only to give the party popularity but also to use it as a vehicle for Deputy Prime Minster and Minister of Finance, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta road to 2012 presidency, this is not going to be an easy task.

Although according to who owns Kenya Uhuru is one of the richest individual Kenyans, owning net worth-$500 Million invested in land alone, using this wealth in media campaign and to regain his lost popularity in Kanu would not give much impact either. This is also to consider that Uhuru’s name has been tinted in 2007/008 post election violence.

Again, given that Uhuru Kenyatta is the son of Kenya’s first president, Jomo Kenyatta, Kenyans will be too slow to elect him for fear that like his father he will take Kenya back to dark ages of his father.

Uhuru is heir to some of the largest land holdings in Kenya. He owns at least 500,000 acres of prime land spread across the country. The land was acquired by his father in the 1960s and 1970s when the British colonial government and the World Bank funded a settlement transfer fund scheme that enabled government officials and wealthy Kenyans to acquire land from the British at very low prices.

Apart from land, Uhuru and his family also own Brookside Dairies, Kenya’s largest dairy company, as well as stakes in popular television station K24 and a commercial bank in Nairobi, among other interests.

With his wealth Uhuru is also expected to pay the newly created party secretariat- Secretary for Information and Media Relations, Secretary for Environment, Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Secretary for Education, Research and Technology, Secretary for Labour and Industrial Relations and Secretary for International Affairs.

In addition to the seven-member advisory council Kanu is also proposing to have a County Assembly Forum, which is an organ of the party grassroots level. It will have members operating from the ward level because county representatives will be elected from the wards.

Although the Daily Nation is the most authoritative of all Kenya’s newspapers, providing comprehensive and balanced coverage of Kenyan news, arguably the most objective, independent, and unbiased in its news coverage, alternative media for Uhuru still remains an ideal for his campaign alright.

The Standard which is Kenya’s oldest daily newspaper (founded in 1902) and the second most widely read, owned by The Standard Group, which also owns the KTN television station, and like the Daily Nation, it offers very comprehensive news coverage, even though it is considered to be more critical of the government and is perceived as leaning more towards the side of the opposition, unlike Daily Nation which is perceived to be in favour of PNU of which Uhuru is affiliated, alternative media is still the right move for Uhuru.

Business Daily is likely to be in Uhuru’s favour, given that it is also published by the Nation Media Group, is East Africa’s premier business newspaper, focusing on business news from the East African region. If you are an investor like Uhuru, the paper is an ideal.

Kenya Times for example, became an ideal paper for Kanu during those early days of Moi because the party owned it. The newspaper used to be one of Kenya’s top three papers, along with Daily Nation and The Standard. The newspaper lost its taste and was eventually closed following the introduction of multiparty politics and the subsequent defeat of Kanu in the 2002 elections.

The 27 year old newspaper suddenly shut down in early June overwhelmed by massive debts, rendering many workers jobless and unpaid salaries. The last issue of the Kenya Times appeared on Friday, June 4 2011.

Other newspapers include the East African, a weekly newspaper published by the Nation Media Group. It offers comprehensive coverage of news from across the entire East African region (Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania). Like Business Week, the newspaper also covers a lot of business news, even though is engineered with the East African community in mind.

Given that Coast Weekly newspaper focuses on tourism and entertainment news, mostly from Kenya’s coast towns of Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu, which are also the country’s leading tourist destinations, it cannot be on Uhuru’s favour. It mainly targets tourists and players in the tourism industry.

Although the People Daily could work on Uhuru’s favour given that it is owned by veteran politician and businessman Kenneth Matiba, the fact that it commands a very small market share, even though it was initially launched to challenge the Daily Nation on political news coverage, is why alternative media still an ideal for Uhuru.

The Nairobi Star could also be an ideal newspaper for Uhuru, however, given that it mainly carries Kenya’s “juicy” news, mostly focusing on gossip about Kenya’s public figures and celebrities, appealing to a younger audience who may not be interested in mainstream news carried by the other newspapers, and because it is owned by the same company that owns the Classic FM and Kiss 100 FM radio stations, the paper won’t sale on Uhuru very much.

Launched in September 2007, Like the Nairobi Star, The Daily Metro which features mainly on editorial won’t be an ideal paper for Uhuru. This is because, like Nairobi Star the newspaper targets younger readers and those in lower and middle income levels. That is why it sells at a lower price than all of the other papers. It appeals to people looking for a lighter read, and is aimed at younger Kenyan readers who want “easy-to-read” materials.

Even though alternative Print Media plays a major political role in Kenya, and like many other countries, has its fair share of “gutter” or “street” publications whose content is not considered mainstream or newsworthy, among them being the Weekly Citizen and Confidential, the fact that both are less authoritative than their mainstream counterparts, despite the fact that it often carry interesting local news that other newspapers do not find worthwhile to publish, these prints cannot have an impact towards Uhuru’s campaign.

Uhuru is yet to work very hard through his proposed media to convince Kenyans that a Kikuyu cannot be elected president as perceived by some section of Kenyans. He is again to convince Kenyans that he cannot take the country into the dark ages of his father where corruption, nepotism, intimidation, land grabbing was the order of the day.

On June 1, 1964 when Kenyatta became President and successfully had Parliament amend the Constitution to make Kenya a republic with his office becoming executive President: the head of State, head of Government, and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, only later that Kenyans realized that this was his trick to control Kenya.

It is against the background that on November 10, 1964, he forced KADU to officially dissolve and its representatives joined KANU, forming a single party. Through this tactic Kenyatta was re-elected un-opposed in 1966, and the next year had the Constitution amended to expand his powers.

Through single party politics Kenyatta consolidated his power greatly, and placed several of his Kikuyu tribesmen in most of the powerful state and security offices and posts. He used state security forces to silence any politician who was suspected to be a threat to his government.

Several murders of prominent personalities such as Pio Gama Pinto, Tom Mboya, and JM Kariuki took place during his tenure. These personalities were deemed as threats to his regime.

To continue controlling Kenya through his security forces is one of the reasons why in the 1969 elections, Kenyatta banned the only other party, KPU (formed and led by his former vice president, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga who had been forced to quit KANU along with his left leaning allies), detained its leaders, and called elections in which only KANU was allowed to participate.

On January 29, 1970 he was sworn in as President for a further term. For the remainder of his presidency, Kenya was effectively a one-party state, and Kenyatta made use of detention, appeals to ethnic loyalties, and careful appointment of government jobs to maintain his commanding position in Kenya’s political system.

Through single party system Kenyatta was again re-elected as President in 1974, in elections in which he, again he ran alone. This was because no Kanu member would challenge him. On Nov 5, 1974, he was sworn in as President for a third term.

When Kenyatta died on 22, August 1978 in Mombasa of natural causes attributable to old age, Moi succeeded him and continued with similar tactic of single party system until he was forced to introduce multiparty party system in 1992 which resulted into deadly ethnic clashes to avenge the Kikuyu communities in Rift Valley.

That is why when Moi proposed that he would be succeeded by Uhuru Kenyatta in 2002 the vast majority of Kenyans were afraid that should Uhuru take over he was going to use the same tactic of his father and Moi, so for the fear now.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

Meet Charles Feeney, $350 Million Donor – Yahoo! Finance

From: Tebiti Oisaboke

The 48 self made Billionaires in Kenya should emulate chaps like Mr. Charles Feeney, Billy Gates, Buffet etc and the anonymous Christmas donors who have recently bloomed up volunteering to pay off lay off items for needy families throughout America. These guys should at least learn to be compassionate and caring by sharing some of their looted wealthy with Kenya’s needy families on such internationally recognized holiday season. Most of the billionaires in the world try to help the poor who can’t afford even a gram of sucrose around this time of the year but look at those we have in Kenya. Who do they help or share their wealth with? They need to change their attitudes and help those who can’t help themselves and this is the only way they can receive salvation when the Holly son of Man comes down to anoint the heaven bound holly ones. Millions of Kenyans are dying of starvation and hunger of which the government’s PRO Dr. Mutua has vehemently denied on national and Int’l news medias just to cover their shame to foreign donors. They don’t want to the quizzed about the funds they received in terms of donations to help the poor Kenyan people. Since the poor families have noway of accessing their donated funds, why can’t these billionaires share some of their looted funds and help out the poor people on Christmas time? Some of them like Momoima R. Onyonka can dare loot CDF funds to buy sugar from Mumias of which I haven’t heard whether he has donated even 1Kg to any family in his constituency for Christmas. This is very, very unfair and abnormal. People like this should consider themselves lucky to be engaging in such shoddy businesses in Kenya. If they were in the western hemisphere, they could be languishing in the joints for years. Case in point, look at what happened to the former Illinois state governor. Gov Rod Blagojevich is doing 14 years behind bars for corruption. He was found guilty for trying to sell Pres Obama’s former senate seat in Illinois state.

The most annoying thing they have done is to hire a novice chap to cover their knuckle heads at the KACC. This is a very stupid Christmas they have given Kenyan poor multitudes. They cannot expect someone who scored an F in his last job ratings to defend the poor Kenyans against the economical crimes committed by the elites and the so called 48 billionaires. The MPs had put up a very spirited campaign and it all looked like they were working for the poor to block Matemu and Co. from getting through the front gate of Integrity Hse and look what happened when they voted? Hon Midiwo was wrong to petition against Prof Philip Kiluki from chairing the debate and see what we got now? Even the deputy speaker who is supposed to be impartial supported the motion to seal the deal. They kept wasting our variable time lecturing us about love affairs in the chamber instead of doing what we sent them there to do by hiring credible and hard working Kenyans. Parliament was turned into an English grammar lecture hall with every MP trying to prove that s/he knew the definition of the word PASSION. The only thing we have left to make things right is a “NATIONAL REVOLUTION”, because these knuckle heads don’t seem to get it regardless how much we cry or scream with our pain or dissatisfaction. These folks knew the public mood because they had read public reactions from our local dailies and yet they ignored it and went a head to confirm Matemu and Co for the jobs they aren’t well qualified for. This is disrespecting their employer’s concerns and all those who voted for them should be let go come 2012.

To my poor citizens, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!!!

TOI

PS: The war against corruption continues with or without Matemu.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Your friend tebiti42@yahoo.com has shared a link with you.

Meet Charles Feeney, Cornell’s $350 Million Donor – Yahoo! Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/meet-charles-feeney-cornells-350-million-donor-161507712.html

The New York Times has unmasked 80-year-old Cornell alum Charles F. Feeney as the anonymous donor who gave the school a $350 million donation to construct a new technology-based satellite campus on Roosevelt Island in New York City. Officials at The Atlantic Philanthropies, the foundation started by Feeney in 1982, confirmed to the paper last night that he was the one who made the gift for the project, which is expected to generate an extra $1.4 billion in tax revenue for the city, plus 20,000 construction jobs and as many as 30,000 new jobs once the facility is up and running. …

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/meet-charles-feeney-cornells-350-million-donor-161507712.html;_ylc=X3oDMTNuMTFkNWkwBF9TAzExODMzMDAwMDEEYWN0A21haWxfY2IEY3QDYQRpbnRsA3VzBGxhbmcDZW4tVVMEcGtnA2MzNGMwNGY0LTI1YzYtMzI5Zi1iY2NkLWY1ZGI3MDRiYTA2MgRzZWMDbWl0X3NoYXJlBHNsawNtYWlsBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

World: G. Palast, Hunting vultures – – not the feathered kind

From: octimotor

Sun.18Dec.2011, afternoon USA EST, I saw a bit of a presentation on linktv, distributed via satellite, DishTV. (linktv.org) .

The person speaking during that part of mid-afternoon was Greg Palast. That part of his presentation was surely gripping.

His perspective, apparently as an international investigative journalist, is that of one whose book chapter reads like a stereotypical, cynically speaking, “hard-boiled private detective”, tracking down solutions to crime mysteries. One journalistic story he told involves how a cholera quarantine camp in Congo (DRC), and Sarajevo in Bosnia and Herzegovina are connected strongly.

Between these 2 war ravaged regions, there had been some cooperative ventures. In a previous one, financed and constructed in DRC, built by business entities in republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, were hi voltage long distance electrical distribution lines. A planned, almost implemented second one, would have been a project for a large number of soon to be bored well holes to bring sanitary drinking water to a wide area of DRC, constructed by entities based in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

However, as his visit to the capitol city Sarajevo in the Balkans for the purposes to investigate the matter showed, the deal was viciously sabotaged by a group of financial interests. G.P. terms them The Vultures (cruel business persons not feathered birds). The payment by DRC for the Water Wells project was seized by the group of international financial community operatives. As apparent authority to cover their actions, they employed Debt Paper. It was a promissory note, a promise of one nation to pay a debt. It was from a date long before the current DRC national project. The document had been illegally purchased, for pennies on the dollar, from a corrupt head of state in the Balkans. (That former leader is facing criminal indictment on associated corruption charges filed by a later administration.) Meanwhile, the rural folk in DRC have had this chance to provide them clean water stolen.

“This”, said G.P., “is Why We, those representing the majority against the top 1%, now OCCUPY!”

He has a book out now being sold. Because he was by his publishers told not to do so, he is making its first chapter available for free on-line to read or download. Visit the url-s,

http://www.gregpalast.com/vulturespicnic/documents/Vultures_Picnic_Chapter1_Goldfinger.pdf

VulturesPicnic.org .

read or d/l Vultures Picnic by Greg Palast; Ch.1; pdf document, 759KB;

It contains significant info regarding the BP oil spill off USA gulf coast. To any informed observer such as himself it was immediately obvious from the very first CNN news coverage onward, that just a symbolic small effort, not a serious oil spill containment effort, was applied.

So, mass oil spill containment methods could have been made available, but by someones choice, were left not un-applied in that instance? Also, recall some accounts of that spill which reported extensive usage of disputants (soap), although gov. regulators declared this should not be used. Some other reports further indicated scientists seeking independently to make their own measurements found they were denied access to public areas by security personnel.

Whats UP?

There hapens to be a science fiction author, perhaps M.Z. Bradley, who wrote a novel titled _The World Wreckers_ . The above situation is a reminder of that title.

KENYA: UGANDA MPS WANT THE CREATION OF EAC MONETARY UNION DELAYED UNTIL AFTER ALL FUNDAMENTAL ISSUES ARE CLEARED

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

NEWS emerging from the Ugandan capital, Kampala says Uganda MPs have taken a firm stand and now want East African Community {EAC] partner states to halt the issue of monetary union until “tricky” fundamental issues in the EAC treaty are sorted out first.

The MPs noted that it was useless to fast track the issue of monetary union when the customs union and common market protocols that were passed still have loopholes.

“Some of the principles in the treaty are confusing. We should not rush the issue of monetary union yet other issues like movement of labour and capital are still questionable,” said Betty Ochan (Gulu).

Ochan highlighted contentious principles such as principles of variables, subsidiarity, asymmetry and sovereignty as confusing.

“There is a general lack of sensitization among MPs regarding integration issues. Before we rush things, we need to know where we are heading too,” said Ann Rose Okullu (Bukedea) the chairperson of the EAC Parliamentary Forum.

The group of over 20 MPs were meeting at a Southern and Eastern Africa Trade Initiative and Negotiation Institute (SEATINI) workshop on strengthening the role of MPs in regional integration held in Kampala on Thursday.

Akol said rushing to have a monetary union when some partner states still feared to lose out on their sovereignty is a sham. “How do we deal with issues of imbalanced economic development and land first?” she asked.

Lydia Wanyoto (EALA) said: “Authorities in the partner states have failed to implement the central customs unions that are in the treaty. The challenges are horrendous already due to entry of new states. These are the issues that must be resolved first.”

Jacqueline Amongin (Ngora) noted that when partner states such as Rwanda were still taking Ugandans entering Rwanda as spies, it is pointless to have a monetary union.

Milton Muwuma (Kigulu South) said issues of restricted entry of members of partner states into other states should be ironed out before monetary issues are thought off.

The SEATINI chairperson Prof. Ndebesa Mwambutsya said East African partner states should think and plan regionally and embark sorting issues that are delaying the fast tracking of the customs Union and common market.

Ndebesa said the EAC states should learn from the economic crisis hitting some EU countries before embarking on the monetary and political federation.

“Instead of forming the monetary union that has proved inefficient in the EU, the EAC states should first get grip of the customs union and common market that would provide a right direction on how to undertake other economic issues,” said Prof Ndebesa.

The structural problems that hit some EU countries caused the financial crisis; the imbalances which made some of them running massive trade surpluses like China, Germany, Japan and to a lesser extent the big oil exporters of Russia and Saudi Arabia and some running huge trade deficits like Greece and Italy.

The situation forced investors to remain on edge as eurozone governments struggle to raise funds and given signs that banks are refraining from lending, causing market liquidity to seize up.

The Commissioner Economic Affairs in the Ministry of East African Affairs, Rashid Kibowa said the East African Community Secretariat had launched a series of consultations in the Partner States on the establishment of the East African Monetary Union (EAMU).

“If the partner states don’t unite and harmonize issues, EAC is likely to miss fire,” said Kibowa.

Following the establishment of the EAC Customs Union in 2005, and the ongoing finalization of the negotiations of the establishment of the East African Common Market in January 2010, the next major stage in the East African integration process is the Monetary Union.

The EAC Heads of State have directed that the East African Monetary Union be in place by 2012.

The consultations on the monetary union targeted a broad spectrum of stakeholders such as the National Central Banks (NCBs); Ministries of Finance, EAC Affairs, Planning, Trade, Industry; Capital Markets Authorities; Bureaus of Statistics; Bankers Associations; Academia; Parliamentarians; the Private Sector and the Civil Society.

Ends

Africa’s Development Agenda is in State of Emergency

from Judy Miriga

Folks,

Corruption through Conspiracy in a Planned Global Economic Recession is worse than cancer. It creeps in like a snake. It is an Economic Sabotage terrorism that are done through organized gangs, Genocide, Drug Abuse, Organ and Human Trafficking, and are Violation, Abuse and Crime Against Humanity that which is wholly and completely is unacceptable. They are illegal and unconstitutional, requiring urgent Legal Justice to take effect.

To those who feel their lives are threatened, before they are turned into meat and are consumed, they must run urgently to the nearest European Embassy for safety……….

Clearly, public taxpayer theft from public resources, facilities and equipments by politicians in the Ponzi Scheme and Hedge Funding at World Bank, IMF and wall street, is a serious crime and has escalated sorry situation of poverty in Africa transcending and affecting the whole world, through engineered selfish cartels by means of consuming public corporations’ with other mineral Wealth, Crime against humanity in forms and shape by the cartels has caused world economic collapse. This is critical and require urgent fixing………by combined force from good people of the world, before more lives are consumed…….We cannot be blinded, World Bank and IMF with other International financial institutions funding programs in Africa are all in a conspiracy to kill Africans and take over Africa in their Ponzi Scheme and Hedge Funding. They are already in bankruptcy and are in search of other ways and means to raise money to impoverish Diaspora from monies transferred to Kenya. Watch out people…..! It is the reason they are watching capital of total money transferred in remittances to Kenya by the Diaspora. World Bank and IMF are not trading in money worth, it cannot be acceptable that they possess public corporation and other National public wealth. Any change of constitution must be rejected as it is posing catastrophic menace and strangulation to Kenyans public wealth.

Economic Sabotage must not be given space in the present age of Democratic Governance or anywhere in the world. For example, how will Diaspora engage effectively in investments of vision 2030 in Africa when Government cannot be trusted and where there is no guarantee that their investment will be protected or compensated, considering cases like the recent Demolition of millions of dollars of houses that were pulled down in Nairobi ….???…..How can the Diaspora be convinced which papers issued by the Government officials to Diaspora investors are authentic……???……This is impoverishing and exploiting the third world from sustainable feasible economic development. This is why, vision 2030 of Raila and Kibaki must be rejected by all people of Diaspora. It is a wicked monster. In the recent event of Kazi kwa Vijana enquiry, If PM Raila was not able to effectively implement Kazi kwa Vijana funding according to the official reason for its request, and having been caught with hands dipped in the jar of honey, consuming it illegally, he sneakilly quickly ran to return the money back to World bank. This shows he did not value the joblessness of the youth program for the fund, he did not care that the country is falling apart from economic and development collapse, he did not regard that the youth are the engine of economic development and progress…..and consequently, he is co-joined with those who plan to create vacuum of joblessness of the youth to destroy the mind of youth through drug and gang recruitments. It is clear that when youth are not engaged, they can be easily used into gangs, so there could be no proper reasonable and meaningful job development program for the youth……This clearly confirms that, PM Raila cannot rule…….he has failed the test of leadership. “It is their time to Eat”

Normalizing the unthinkable behavior where Economic for survival is crashing livelihood is unacceptable…….and where technology is not improving and advancing society progressiveness, spells doom that something is not right…..that the disadvantaged are not living decent livelihood, that they are exposed from inaccessibility of basic normal things we all need in our day to day livelihood and survival, it explains the system of Governance is dysfunctioning, and change is urgently needed to normalize situation to human right perspectives. This is crucial to Africa and more specific Kenya.

Casualties of Economic Terrorism, shows that enormous amount of individuals are suffering, and families who are struggling are worse than they ever have been before. There are increasing number of middle class and poor people who are not able to find shelter or descent housing. Others, their houses are demolished and are made displaced squatters with heavy loans to be paid from the demolished house. In general, millions of people are struggling to find work or are just part of the story of abject poverty, driven by economic terrorism injustices of Crime Against Humanity.

Rise of the International Corporate Special Interest Cartels is taking place in the African Government Rulership. It is the prime factor reason why Devolution of Counties with date of election has become an uphill struggle because of their vested interest to control, acquire and own illegally and unconstitutionally, public wealth. They are the reason the World Bank and IMF with other financial institutions participate in Ponzi Schemes and Hedge Funding to rob unsuspecting innocent citizens off their public wealth…….they are the reason of Global Economic Collapse:

When people are struggling to get by and things are not working well for them because of lack of financial accessibility, when CEOs and Lobbyist of Large Corporations, International Foundations and International NGOs are experiencing record-breaking profits and bonuses, know that, things are not going well…….It is because there is stagnation somewhere which caused the balance to stall from effecting and harmonizing Socio/Economic and Political dispensation and eventually halted the efficiency for dispensation in providing the Economic balance necessary for Economic Stability. It is equally the reason why there is no meaningful effective reaction required to harmonize and trigger Socio/Economic and Political stimulant to take effect and provide for Progressive Development Agenda to reciprocate and sustain the economic distributive balance needed to maintain mutually shared common interest of all stakeholders.

Skyrocketing Costs of Living:

This state-of-affair is pathetic and unthinkable. It is a corrupt strategy to have cost of living skyrocketing so people would perish in the midst of it all…..It is a situation that was maneuvered and elevated primarily for special interest, driven by greed from corrupted fraudulent market which is controlled by the Special Corporate interest Cartels, who got the situation manipulated through conspiracies to consume Public Corporations and Resources illegally and take full control to drive up cost of livelihood and rise prices on top of the overburdened taxes imposed on public basic needs.

Life has therefore become too expensive for ordinary middle class and poor people of the world, where jobs and employment got reduced to fit their connected network, blocking every way for the general public to survive responsibly or access honorable means to survival. Small and peasant farmers have been pushed to the edge, middle class housing of the middle class are tampered with and are demolished to create despair. This is brutal because many people cannot afford or access basic needs presently, largely because collection of wealth and sharing of the same is controlled and managed by a few corrupt of the unscrupulous wealthiest cartels who are linked to their World of cartels. They are destined to destroy survival for the middle class and the poor of the world……while, the largest corrupt corporation network and cartels are experiencing record-breaking profits, do not want to pay taxes (except the poor pay taxes for their business and lifestyle) and their CEOs and lobbyists are receiving record-breaking bonuses, so the life of the middle class and the poor could be terminated from the face of earth. The middle class and the poor will soon not access even water to drink, because water is now being controlled by the wealthiest of the cartels network and their linkages. Public utilities cannot be accessed anymore as public beaches for example have been privately fenced and local fishermen cannot access water for their fishing, land is grabbed and houses are demolished if you do not belong to their class of network. This is just one example…….

If we take a look at the ever-increasing interest rates on credit cards, student loans, rising of prices for food, medical expenses, rent and cable costs for phone, cell-phone, internet, bank fees, etc., etc., etc…. We find that, we are being robbed and gouged in every way in all costs of living and in every aspect of our life. No wonder bankruptcies are skyrocketing, people are losing their homes and the number of people in pain and suffering from psychological depression has reached climax to an epidemic level. The circle is vicious and is spiraling in excessive burden of debts which has been put on us to struggle with for the rest of their lives, if possible, is expected to drive us to an early death bed.

We have been conquered into slavery and deepen into intense debt we have to pay by our blood and life……. from stage-managed organized Violation, Abuse and Crime Against Humanity: through looting of our private and public National Resources Corporation wealth, Human Organs and trafficking to slavery, minerals, land, water and are impoverished from clean air.

How could we sit, watch and look helplessly as our feet are drifted to hopelessness and in despair………this calls for each and every person of the world to wake up and get involved to change this world for the better…….We must ask ourselves, how did we get to this point, and how can we get out of this mess before the world is caught in consuming fire?

The cartels of the Economic International Corporate Special Interest have conspired to dominate our lives Globally, it is the reason we have Economic Crisis……we must peacefully unite to engage in Way Forward………We must expose them all………Yes, expose them and confront them with facts and we must all demand legal justice. Yes, we will win because we must Fight Back and win…….We all are grounded in shared common issues…….lack of basic means for meaningful livelihood for survival, lack of employment, lack of financial accessibility, lack of level playing field to democratic reform agenda, inaccessibility to fair legal justice and the right to public service mandate in a fair Democratic Governance, Planned Global Economic Recession through World Bank, IMF, Wall Street, IFAD, AfDB, etc.,

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

– – – – – – – – – –

— On Wed, 11/23/11, charles oyaya wrote:

People

How come we are not asking questions about the Uungana, Mulolongo Brothers and company? Who are they? Under what circumstances did they acquire such huge chunks of lands? To whom are they or were they connected within the corridors of power, Mavoko Municipal Council, Ministry of Lands, Laws Courts, legal profession, Parliament and Kenya Airports authority? Are they holy of holies? I believe they are the ones who should compensate those who lost or are yet to lose their property. If you have been conned by such smart characters before, you will never doubt that they indeed sold innocent Kenyans what they knew and still know was not theirs. They should be held culpable instead of asking the people of Kenya (tax payers) to whom the land in question belongs to pay back for the sins of a few greedy criminals. They acquired allotment letters for the public lands in question for free(only paying registration and stamp duty fees) and then selling the same to desperate Kenyans as if the land belonged to them. Because of such characters Kenya has lost all public land that was reserved for development and investment. This in turn has made the cost of investment too high thereby discouraging creation of employment opportunities which the youth of this country desperately need.

The costs of correcting the wrong things that had gone on in this country for many decades will certainly be very high in the short run but in the long run, the benefits for the future generations will be immense. We cannot realize Vision 2030 if we remain sympathetic to lords of impunity, plunder, theivery and disorder. I am sure many of us are now enjoying the scenery of and the ride on Thika Road. For this to happen some past wrongs had to be corrected/righted.

Charles Oyaya

Kenya and UAE agree on protection of investments

By PPS

Kenya and the United Arab Emirates yesterday signed an agreement on the prevention of double taxation.

The two countries also made great strides towards finalising agreement on Customs Administrative Support and Promotion and protection of Investments.

In a statement during a meeting with members of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce and Industry at his hotel residence in Abu Dhabi, President Kibaki confirmed that Kenya’s largest source of imports is the United Arab Emirates.

The President appreciated that Kenya’s exports to the United Arab Emirates had increased by over 1,000 per cent in the last twenty years signalling a healthy trade relations between the two countries.

“However, there is room for improvement. As both countries strive for further improvements, I am certain that the business community will work towards complimenting the efforts of both Governments.”

Head of State said that the government had for last ten years concentrated on creating a conducive investment climate, making Kenya one of the leading investment destinations of choice.

In this regard, President Kibaki affirmed that there existed lucrative investment opportunities in the country especially the promotion and encouragement of the private sector participation in infrastructure development and management.

He said, “Indeed, my Government has just approved a policy and statutory institutional Framework for Coordinating and Managing Public Private Sector Partnerships which opens an important window of opportunity for investors.”

In the ICT sector, the Head of State assured that Kenya had so far installed three strategic linkages through undersea fibre optic cables.

Corruption, high cost of living deprive Kenyans of basic needs

Published on 05/11/2011

By Billow Kerrow

Ignore what the Government tells you about how well we are. The fact is most Kenyans are not satisfied with the quality of their lives. It is not about those elite or affluent folks in the cities but the ordinary Kenyans suffering deprivation of basic life requirements. The UN Human Development Index 2001 just published reveals how the lives of most Kenyans are getting more miserable. Our poverty levels are rising just when the global poverty population is declining.

The report that ranks Kenya at position 143 of 187 countries surveyed portrays a worsening quality of life for the citizens. Our people live a poorer quality of life than the citizens of the occupied Palestinian territories, Iraq or the Congo. In the region, we can only hold our heads high when talking to the poor little neighbours; not much to be proud of! Our per capita income of $1,492 is lower than that of many countries we look down upon, including Sudan, Djibouti and war-torn Yemen and below the mean for sub-Saharan region of $1,966.

It raises fundamental questions of access to better quality of life that all citizens expect from their governments. The UN index measures how a country provides basic needs to its citizens. These essentials then help the citizens to live a longer, healthy life, access education and live a decent life. Our life expectancy is 57 years; compared to 81 years for Norwegians who top the table.

An Ipsos-Synovate poll released this week confirms the UN reports. And 69 per cent of Kenyans polled last week indicated they are not satisfied with their lives and are worried about the high cost of living. In fact, 20 per cent say they are totally deprived of life’s essential requirements.

They have no access to food, shelter and live on handouts. The ravaging famine, unemployment and corruption top their list of worries. The high food and fuel prices have pushed inflation to more than over 20 per cent. And one does not need to read the UN report or poll results to assess the impact of poverty and deprivation in our midst. Ordinary Kenyans who do not find a meal a day can literary be seen in many towns, living one day at a time. Most are the youth who make up 30 per cent of the population and 75 per cent of the unemployed.

Yet, if we used our resources, our youth would not live in squalor or seek solace in militia adventure in other countries. The so-called Kazi Kwa Vijana programme is an apt example. In 2009, Sh3.4 billion was allocated for this programme, and a further Sh6.6 billion last year. Much of it was spent on poorly designed, unsustainable short-term projects with little or no impact on the lives of the youth.

Last year, World Bank chipped in with $60 million, with a focus on innovative projects and capacity building.

Parliament was treated to a circus that ridicules even the daftest in our society when the Government alleged World Bank concern was ‘ineligible expenses’ and that the Government would refund the same. The Treasury disclosed unashamedly that it refunded donors Sh2.6 billion this year arising from such ‘ineligible expenses’.

Ineligible expenses simply mean the money was misappropriated. The funds were used on wrong beneficiaries, or were spent on goods or services not intended for. In our common language, it was stolen; which is why the donors are diplomatically seeking a refund.

We have clearly demonstrated to our donors that the corrupt cannot be convicted. If you steal public funds, you can get away with a pat on the back. Corruption is a key factor in the poverty and deprivation that degrades our quality of life. If we do not express outrage on such plunder, socio-economic development will be an illusion.

—The writer is a former MP for Mandera Central and political economist

Africa: What water privatisation means for Africa and the population of Middle Class and the Poor

From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Water privatizations means local poor will not access water. It will be too expensive for an individual middle class or poor to get water easily like it is now. This is how elimination of excess population will be a success to the corrupt, and it is the reason all water-ways have been targeted and privatized and people living in and around the Lake or River will be given forced evacuation or death. This is why people have not been engaged in the commissioning of these projects and why life has suddenly become extremely expensive and inaccessible. We are going to pay the debt of loan with our blood and life.

Wake up people, wake up……and demand your legal and constitutional rights now and not tomorrow.

All deals that were made without following the publid mandate of the new constitution is null and void…….protect your survivals……..it is time each and everyone commit themselves to doing and speaking for Human Rights. It is not easy, but we must fight for our rights…..

It is only God who will save us from this bondage of oppressiona and slavery……

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

– – – – – – – – – – –

Sh10b plans for Tana delta dams underway

By Peter Orengo

The Government plans to construct several multi-purpose dams along the Tana delta in the next two years.

The investments, which will cost Sh10 billion, is expected to have a wide range of implications on both the agricultural sector and the overall economy.

Agriculture PS Romano Kiome on Monday said resources are being mobilised for the projects following allocation of funds for irrigation development during the 2011/2012 financial year.

“To ensure maximum benefits, the use of multi-purpose dams for irrigation, energy generation and water supply have been proposed,” said the PS.

He said the Multi-Purpose Dams concept is part of the Agricultural Sector Development Strategy 2010–2020 (ASDS), which will enable the sector build consensus on the dams for the benefit of the whole nation.

The draft National Irrigation Policy has also been produced in recognition of the emphasis placed on irrigation by Vision 2030.

The policy proposes new institutional arrangements in the sub-sector and a comprehensive legal framework for irrigation development and management.

A planned retreat this week by sector ministers, assistant ministers and Permanent Secretaries is expected to deliberate on key policies and Bills needed to deliver the goals of the ASDS and Vision 2030.

The main topics of the retreat will be Land, Water, Irrigation and the Agricultural Consolidation Bills.

“Consolidation of agricultural legislation is a flagship of Kenya Vision 2030. After years of stakeholder consultations, three Bills have now been generated and are ready for submission to the Cabinet,” Kiome said.

A National Irrigation Bill has been developed that proposes to repeal Irrigation Act Cap 347 and enactment of a new legislation.

Kiome said the proposals will have implications on various sector ministries and hence the need to build consensus on them before they are submitted to the Cabinet.

2,000 families to pave way for Gatara dam project

2,000 families to pave way for Gatara dam project
Published on 13/02/2011

By Boniface Gikandi

About 2,000 households in Gatara, Murang’a County, will be re-located to pave way for a multi-billion shillings dam project.

MPs from the county led by Planning Assistant Minister Peter Kenneth have convened several meetings and urged the affected residents to form an association that will enable them engage in talks on compensation, among other issues.

Other MPs, Muturi Mwangi (Kiharu) and Elias Mbau (Maragua), warned the residents to be wary of middle-men expected to flood the region under the pretext of helping them seek legal assistance.

Mr Kenneth asked the residents to enter into agreements with the water company to get meaningful compensation for their land.

“It is high time the residents united, since in my Gatanga constituency, construction of Ndakaini Dam left a lot of misery and I don’t want a repeat of the same,” said the Gatanga MP.

Plough back

The dam is the second to be built in Murang’a County to supply water to the 4.5 million residents of Nairobi and its environs after Ndakaini Dam in Gatanga.

The new dam is expected to boost water supply to the city and its environs by 235,000 cubic metres.

Mr Mwangi said an agreement must be entered between all stakeholders to ensure the water company will plough back some funds to support community projects.

“Water is a natural resource and we must be rewarded for having taken part in conserving Aberdare Forest, which is one of the five water towers in Kenya ,” said the Kiharu MP.

The project will affect Kangema, Kigumo and Kiharu constituencies.

Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam

Sowing Hu nger and Conflict

The Omo River is a lifeline for 500,000 indigenous people living in eastern Africa. If completed, Ethiopia’s Gibe III Dam will regulate and reduce the Omo River’s flow, increasing hunger and fueling conflict throughout the basin. The dam could push Kenya’s Lake Turkana – the world’s largest desert lake – toward ecological collapse.

Opposition to the project in Ethiopia has been muted by the government, but in Kenya, Lake Turkana communities have been steadfast in their opposition to the project, sparking legal action and an international debate. Given the project’s massive social and environmental impacts, Gibe III Dam should be stopped immediately.

Unraveling Ethiopia’s Lower Omo Valley

In 2006, Ethiopia began construction on its largest infrastructure project to date, the Gibe III Dam. Unless stopped, the dam is on track to be one of Africa’s worst development disasters. The dam will bring major hydrological changes to a very fragile ecosystem,

to which local people have adapted over millennia. By eliminating the Omo River’s natural flood cycle, the dam will put the Dassanech, Mursi, Nyangatom, and other indigenous

Watch Out: The World Bank Is Quietly Funding a Massive Corporate Water Grab

Even though water privatization has been a massive failure around the world, the World Bank just quietly gave $139 million to its latest corporate buddy.

Posted by N4CM Climate change, Features 11 Nov 2010

Source: AlterNet, 2 November 2010.
BY Scott Thill.

Billions have been spent allowing corporations to profit from public water sources even though water privatization has been an epic failure in Latin America, Southeast Asia, North America, Africa and everywhere else it’s been tried. But don’t tell that to controversial loan-sharks at the World Bank. Last month, its private-sector funding arm International Finance Corporation (IFC) quietly dropped a cool 100 million euros ($139 million US) onVeolia Voda, the Eastern European subsidiary of Veolia, the world’s largest private water corporation. Its latest target? Privatization of Eastern Europe’s water resources.

“Veolia has made it clear that their business model is based on maximizing profits, not long-term investment,” Joby Gelbspan, senior program coordinator for private-sector watchdog Corporate Accountability International, told AlterNet. “Both the World Bank and the transnational water companies like Veolia have clearly acknowledged they don’t want to invest in the infrastructure necessary to improve water access in Eastern Europe. That’s why this 100 million euro investment in Veolia Voda by the World Bank’s private investment arm over the summer is so alarming. It’s further evidence that the World Bank remains committed to water privatization, despite all evidence that this approach will not solve the world’s water crisis.”

All the evidence Veolia needs that water grabs are doomed exercises can be found in its birthplace of France, more popularly known as the heartland of water privatization. In June, the municipal administration of Paris reclaimed the City of Light’s water services from both of its homegrown multinationals Veolia and Suez, after a torrent of controversy. That’s just one of 40 re-municipilazations in France alone, which can be added to those in Africa, Asia, Latin America, North America and more in hopes of painting a not-so-pretty picture: Water privatization is ultimately both a horrific concept and a failed project.

“It’s outrageous that the World Bank’s IFC would continue to invest in corporate water privatizations when they are failing all over the world,” Maude Barlow, chairwoman of Food and Water Watch and the author of Blue Covenant: The Global Water Crisis and the Fight for the Right to Water, told AlterNet. “A similar IFC investment in the Philippines is an unmitigated disaster. Local communities and their governments around the world are canceling their contracts with companies like Veolia because of cost overruns, worker layoffs and substandard service.”

The Philippines is an excellent example of water privatization’s broken model. After passing the Water Crisis Act in 1995, the Philippines landed a $283 million privatization plan managed partially by multinational giants like Suez and Bechtel. After some success, everything fell apart after 2000, and it wasn’t long before tariff prices repeatedly increased, water service and quality worsened, and public opposition skyrocketed. Today, some Filipinos still don’t have water connections, tariffs have increased from 300 to 700 percent in some regions, and outbreaks of cholera and gastroenteritis have cost lives and sickened hundreds.

“The World Bank has learned nothing from these disasters and continues to be blinded by an outdated ideology that only the unregulated market will solve the world’s problems,” added Barlow.

But asking the World Bank to learn from disaster would be akin to annihilating its overall mission, which is to capitalize on disaster in the developing world in pursuit of profit. Its nasty history of economic and environmental shock therapy sessions have severely wounded more than one country, and has been sharply criticized by brainiacs like Joseph Stiglitz, who was once the Bank’s chief economist, and Naomi Klein, whose indispensable history The Shock Doctrine is a horrorshow of privatization nightmares. From its cultural imperialism and insensitivity to regional differences to its domination by a handful of economic elites drunk on deregulation, whose utter failure needs no further example than our continuing global economic crisis, the World Bank’s good intentions have been compromised by an unending string of terrible press and crappier deals.

“In the past, the World Bank pushed privatization as the way to increase investment in basic infrastructure for water systems,” said Gelbspan. “But since then bank officials have admitted that the transnational corporations don’t want to invest in infrastructure, and instead want only to pare down operations and skim profits. The World Bank has lowered the bar, satisfied with so-called ‘operational efficiency,’ that cuts utility workforce, tightens up bill collections and shuts off people who can’t pay.”

Naomi Klein: The Shock Doctrine

That’s been a recipe for failure and protest, especially in the very region that IFC and Veolia hope to pump for all its water worth. In 1998, World Bank loans were secured to upgrade the crumbling post-Soviet water system in Yerevan, a city in the Eastern European nation of Armenia. With a caveat: It had to be managed by a private contractor. The Italian transnational ACEA landed the job, but quickly failed to extend water access, partially thanks to company corruption. It also failed to properly maintain water pressure, allowing sewage to seep into the city’s drinking water and sicken hundreds. Despite the travesty, the World Bank issued another contract in 2006 to Veolia, which hired ACEA’s top executive. Two years later, only one in three Yerevan residents were lucky enough to score 24-hour water service, while contamination problems continued. Veolia’s contract with the city is up for renewal in 2015.

The same goes for the Turkish city of Alacati, which landed a $13 million loan in the late ’90s, as well as Veolia’s incompetence. The city’s water bills skyrocketed to 12 times the price of service in other parts of the country. Multiply that times most every nation or city that has privatized its water service, and you’ve got a good idea of why the World Bank’s IFC is under fire for rapacious resource-snatching. And why the developing world is right to be wary of its good graces, although the World Bank can do good when it so chooses.

“The World Bank does not at all speak with one voice on their pro-privatization stance,” Darcey O’Callaghan, Food and Water Watch’s international policy director, explained to AlterNet. “One staff member referred to it as a bad experiment that has been proven wrong, while higher staffers try to take a more nuanced position, claiming that the Bank is neither for or against privatization but simply promotes the most appropriate model for specific communities. Unfortunately, our own statistics have shown that regardless of their statements, 52 percent of their projects between 2004 and 2008 promoted some form of privatization.”

But rather than repair privatization’s failed project at its source, the World Bank is simply spinning off its compromised philosophy to the IFC. So while the World Bank may be torn in its endorsement of water privatization, the IFC has no such reservations, in hopes of dodging the slings and arrows of public outcry, and perhaps legal liability.

By 2030, world population is expected to hit 8.3 billion, causing a 50 percent increase in the global demand for food and energy and a 30 percent increase in the demand for fresh drinking water—a resource that is already in short supply for about a third of the world’s people. Climate change will complicate things even further, and in unpredictable ways.

“What’s really scary,” O’Callaghan added, “is that we are increasingly seeing the International Finance Corporation pick up where the Bank has left off in water privatization. The IFC is a Bank-sponsored institution whose goal is to promote the private sector, and because their financing also comes from the private sector, they can be more difficult to hold accountable. Worse yet, according to our 2000-2008 stats, 80 percent of IFC loans had gone to the four largest multinational water companies, further concentrating the global water industry.”

It’s not just water that’s at the center of Earth’s mounting resource wars. In late October, Britain’s government announced it was looking to sell off its state-owned forests to counteract a yawning deficit. Today, natural gas companies are preparing to drill in America’s national parks. Indeed, America and Britain’s bungled occupation of Iraq is a protracted resource war for control of the embattled nation’s oil reserves. Water is just one more natural resource, albeit the most important one, worth a killing to those seeking to callously leverage limited funds for innocent lives.

“Droughts and deserts are spreading in over 100 countries,” Barlow said. “It is now clear that our world is running out of clean water, as the demand gallops ahead of supply. These water corporations, backed still by the World Bank, seek to take advantage of this crisis by taking more control over dwindling water supplies.”

Which is another way of saying that, regardless of the refreshing trend toward re-municipalization, no one should expect the World Bank or its IFC untouchables to give up the privatization and deregulation ghost anytime soon. That means that every city, and citizen, is due for a day of reckoning of some sort, and should fight back against the bankrupt privatization paradigm with everything in its arsenal.

“Get involved at the local level,” O’Callaghan said. “Know where your water comes from. Fight against privatization schemes. Promote conservation. Don’t drink bottled water.”

And Barlow adds, “The only path to a water-secure future is water conservation, source water protection, watershed restoration and the just and equitable sharing of the water resources of the planet. Water is a commons, a public trust and a human right and no one has the right to appropriate for profit when others are dying from lack of access.”

Global Financial Safety Nets

from Yona Maro

As problems in the eurozone threaten to spread more widely through the global economy, in the run-up to the Cannes G20 Summit international policy-makers are actively considering strengthening support measures for countries affected.

Beyond the EU Heads of State agreements of 27 October 2011, both the International Monetary Fund and regional financing arrangements (especially in Europe and Asia) have a big role to play in avoiding fears that existing mechanisms are inadequately resourced and too inflexible to deal with another systemic crisis.

Consideration needs to be given to substantially augmenting the IMF’s fire-power (including allowing it to borrow from the markets), improving cooperation between the IMF and regional arrangements, and setting up a multilateral system of central bank swap arrangements.

More flexible ways for countries to access the IMF’s new borrowing facilities could be achieved through automatic pre-qualification processes, and making clear the scale of resources available.

It will not be easy to get agreement to these reforms, but the cost of not having effective mechanisms in place to deal with systemic crises in future would be enormous.

http://www.chathamhouse.org/sites/default/files/public/Research/International%20Economics/1011bp_pickford.pdf
East Africa Jobs www.kazibongo.blogspot.com

Tender and Consultancy http://mytenderzone.blogspot.com/

World: The Informal Economy

from Yona Maro

Could the informal economy be the route to deliver the big sustainable development ideals such as the Green Economy, Millennium Development Goals and Poverty Reduction Strategies, given that its share is rapidly increasing and that the poor mostly operate here? In some developing countries, the share of the informal economy is greater than that of the formal economy. Government planners, donors and NGOs could use the informal or the formal economy to help lift up the well being of the poor and address global challenges such as climate change, but choosing one over the other could lead to most efforts missing the mark. Planning food security, agricultural development, climate adaptation, low-carbon development, and housing requires a careful consideration of the current and future role of the informal economy. In attempting to answer questions about whether or not the informal economy is an impediment to development, whether it should be eliminated or promoted, we realize that the informal economy is not fully understood, is not clearly separated from the formal economy, is difficult to measure and does not necessarily imply illegality. These are among the 10 key messages that this paper raises for development professionals operating in any sector, in developed and developing countries.
http://pubs.iied.org/pdfs/15515IIED.pdf


East Africa Jobs www.kazibongo.blogspot.com

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KENYANS WANT THEIR MP’S SALARIES REDUCED BY HALF AND THE NUMBER OF THE CABINET MEMBERS ALSO CUT BY HALF TO RELIEVE THE COUNTRY OF HEAVY FINANCIAL BURDEN.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

KENYANS want President Mwai Kibaki, the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and the Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka to reduce the number of people accompanying them on foreign trips to cut the costs of their travels.

They also want the two principals in the coalition government to reduce the Cabinet to 24. The cost maintaining the bloated grand coalition is too high.

There are 42 ministries and about 100 and assistant ministers – the largest cabinet in the history of the country.

In a report of the cost of living prepared by Parliamentary Select committee chaired by Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba, which is due to be debated in the House this week, Kenyans also reported to want salaries and allowances paid to the MPs slashed by half.

Already leaked into the public domain by thee Nairobi daily paper, THE STAR, the report says that the majorit if the Kenyans want the government to implement austarity including reduction of the number of foreign trips made by MPs and cabinet ministers, and enforcing the law for them to pay taxes on their allowances and salaries.

If implemented, government will reduce its expenditure and direct the money to the provision of basic needs like food and health services.

The parliamentary committee was formed in May in response to widespread public outcry over the unprecedented spiral in inflation and a sharp rise in the cost of fuel and foodstuff.

The committee’s primary mandate was to inquire into the factors behind the high cost of living and recommend the way forward.

“The committee heard that the large cabinet was contributing to the high cost of living among Kenyans and salaries paid to the MPs were very high It further heard that a lot of government revenue is used by MPS and cabinet ministers in unnecessary foreign travel”, the report said.

A Kenyan MP is earning a salary and allowance totaling Kshs 851,000 the, biggest in the Commonwealth and even supersedes what a member of the House of Common in the Uk is earning. So the Kenyan public wants it reduced by half and to not exempt from tax.

The head of the Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, Francis Muhaura, who appeared before the committee, said that the cost of running the government did not have any effect on the rising cost of living if the number of employees in it remained unchanged.

The government on its part blames the Parliamentary Service Commission for increasing the foreign travel allowance to MPs which has in turn made cabinet ministers and their assistants also demand an increase in their allowances.

The Permanent Secretary in the Public Service Ministry, Titus Ndambuki, said the PSC’s decision had led to “revolt” in the cabinet.

Some of the favorite destinations by MPs are away in the UK, UAE and South Africa, Singapore, and Sweden. An allowance for traveling MPs was raised from Kshs 32,000{USD 525} to Kshs 100,000 {USD 1,000} per day.

The increase of the allowances saw parliamentary’ budget allocations for foreign trips shoot from Kshs 289 million last year to KJshs 379 million this year.

There has been heated debate by civil society vehemently opposed to numerous foreign trips and increases of MPs and Ministers salaries and allowances arguing these increases were uncalled for and burdening the Kenyan taxpayers.

Ends

World: Development Co-operation Report 2011

From: Yona Maro

This special edition of the Development Co-operation Report to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Development Assistance Committee (DAC), prefaced by United States Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, features contributions from noted actors in development who have helped in their various capacities to shape thinking on the important issues and needs that face us today. Presenting their contributions, DAC Chair J. Brian Atwood highlights the role the DAC has played over the past 50 years and signals its continuing relevance in meeting the challenges ahead.

The book opens with chapters by former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, UNDP Administrator Helen Clark and African Development Bank President Donald Kaberuka, reflecting on lessons learned over the past 50 years of development co-operation.
Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women, Hernando de Soto, President of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, Sadako Ogata, President of the Japan International Co-operation Agency, and R.K. Pachauri, Chair of the International Panel on Climate Change, provide insights on the challenges of gender equality, empowerment, inclusive development and climate change, respectively.

Former DAC Chair Richard Manning and former Director General of the French Development Agency Jean-Michel Severino look ahead to future challenges for official development assistance.

The annex on the profiles and efforts of DAC member countries has been expanded to include data that has never been included in this report before, on core versus non-core flows, aid untying, ODA in support of gender equality, flows targeted to meet the Rio Conventions and humanitarian aid.

The special 50th anniversary statistical annex (www.oecd.org/dac/stats/dcrannex) takes a look at trends in development flows over the past 50 years, highlighting, among others things, ODA compared to other flows; ODA as a percent of gross national income (GNI) per capita; distribution of ODA by donor, region, type of country and sector; and aid quality indicators.

http://www.oecd.org/document/62/0,3746,en_2649_33721_42195902_1_1_1_1,00.html


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Africa: Three major economic blocs in Africa are likely to merge within the next twenty four months

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

THREE existing regional African economic blocs would be merged within the next twenty four months to establish the largest economic unit in Africa.

The proposed new economic unit would comprise 26 countries to create the largest free trade area stretching from Egypt to South Africa.

The three major economic groups expected to be merged include the Common Market for East ad Southern Africa {COMESA}, Southern African Development Community {SADC} AND THE East African Community {EAC}.

The chairman o the Task force fast tracking he merger agenda Sindiso Ngwenya disclosed this when he addressed newsmen after the conclusion of the three days investment conference held in Nairobi. Ngwenya is also the Secretary General of the COMESA.

Ngwenya said there is a strong political will for the three institutions to conclude the talks that will merge the trading blocs into h economic market.

”Most of the member states are already part of the three blocs so what have taken ten years could take as little as two years. Multiple memberships by most of the African states is an opportunity.” Said Ngwenya at the end of the two days economic conference

SADC has 15 member countries in Southern Africa, Comesa has 19 states in the North, East and Southern Africa while the East African Community has five countries in East Africa.

Only few countries including Egypt, Libya and South Africa are not members of either of these economic blocs

The two remaining sticking points are harmonization of the rules of origin as well as agreement on the reduction of tariffs for imported goods from partner states, ”said Ngwenya.

“South Africa, which accounts for about 60 per cent of the region’s Gross Domestic Product {GDP} has requested that tariffs be gradually phased out to protect its local industries,” said Ngwenya.

Two major multi-country transmission projects are under discussion at the two days conference. The Kenya-Ethiopia connection is envisioned to link the power to the two countries, allowing up to 1,000 megawatts of hydropower to flow from Ethiopia{currently with surplus capacity} to Kenya and the East African Community.

Also in the review will be Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya link that will connect the East African power pool bringing up to 4000 megawatts in the EAC grid.

Ngwenya said that other option available countries include bonds, donor funds and development credits to raise money for key regional infrastructure projects.

Ends

Kenya: Poor and inefficient transport system the cause of impediment to the growth in Africa

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

A three days Tripartite Investors Conference held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi last week herd that poor and inefficiency in the transport system is the biggest impediment to growth in Africa.

The Tripartite Conference on Infrastructure was told that he transport costs on the continent are prohibitively high and act to limit investments, which rely to economic growth.

“Today, it cost about USD 5,000 {Kshs 500,000} to ship a car from Abidjan to Addis Ababa, but it can just cost USD 1,500 {Kshs 150,000} to ship the same car from Japan to Abidjan,” says Sindiso Ngwenya, the Secretary General of the Common Market for East and Southern Africa {Comesa}.

He went on,”It cost about USD 1000 to ship a 20 container from Japan to the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa, but the same can cost as much as USD 5000 {Kshs 500,000} to ship similar container from Mombasa to Rwanda and Burundi.

The regional economic blocs, the Southern African Development Community {SADC} and the East African Community {EAC}, Comesa and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development {IGAD} also inferred as Tripartite Conference heard that without reliable and competitively freight transport system, delivered on the foundation sturdy infrastructure different have little hope of trading profitably.

Comesa hopes that with funding from investors and adequate political will from the governments, the region will start making the in-road toward proper development in the near future.

“If our farmers cannot transport their produce to markets from relatively rural of areas, they will be unable to break out subsistence agriculture,” Ngwenya said.

“If they cannot transport their children to schools and clinics, the next generations will fair no better. Efficient system makes market works.”

For African economic growth to take pace with the continent’s booming population, it needs investment of some USD100 billion each year in infrastructure alone.

Private lending arm of the World Bank- IFC has estimated that Africa invests USD 10 billion each year in energy, but actually needs investments of USD 40 billion annually in this sector a lone.

Ends

Kenya: Fire victims demand for an independent funds management committee

By Joseph Mwangi

Residents of Sinai Estate are now demanding that an independent and an all-inclusive victims funds management committee to manage the Sinai Fire Victims funds. Speaking to Weekly Citizen, the Sinai fire victims and other residents claim that past records of such disaster funds shows that there has been no transparently and accountability from those entrusted to manage the funds.

Recently, the Government released Sh5,000 to those whose houses were burnt to look for an alternative place while families of those who lost their loves were paid Sh6,000 to cater for funeral expenses.

Makadara MP Mike Sonko who gave a cash donation of Sh1.2m to the Sinai Fire Victims through the red cross and paid hospital bill worth Sh126,000 to Metropolitan hospital where some victims were treated said he will ensure accountability and transparency from those managing the funds.

On relocation of Sinai residents, Sonko has vowed to block such attempts terming them as having hidden political agenda by top ODM leadership. Through his Lawyers Paul Muite, he has vowed to go to court to stop such evictions unless the Government repossess the land which the City hall and local government minister allegedly sold to private developers to resettle his constituents.

The major concern is that the compensation of victims and families of those who lost their relatives are yet to be compensated and the fear is that the Ministry of Special Programmes cannot be trusted to be fair as past records shows such funds have been looted and mismanaged by the management committee.

Sonko has also vowed to ensure that the Special programmes ministry officials who are currently handling the Sinai Fire victim’s funds handle the matter diligently and with a lot of accountability so as to ensure the funds are not looted as had been witnessed in previous funds. He has warned those entrusted with the Sinai funds of dare consequences if they dared mismanagement the funds.

Sonko ha also wondered why the Government has not organized a funds drive for the Sinai fire victims as it did for the Faza, Molo and Nakumatt fire victims. Sources close to him say he is planning to hold a major funds drive for the fire victims to shame the government and to help his constituents who have been ignored by the Government.

The Government even appointed and gazetted members of the management committee for Faza, Molo and Nakumatt fire funds but it is unfortunate that the Sinai Fire victims have been ignored. Sonko however claims that politics is being played in the Sinai fire since Makadara voters rejected the ODM candidate Reuben Ndolo during the by-election. He is squarely blaming Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Local Government Minister Musalia Mudavadi together with Nairobi Town clerk Philip Kisia for frustrating his efforts to help his constituents.

They are now demanding that the Ministry spearheads the formation of an independent funds management committee comprising of the representative of Sinai residents, area MP or his representative, area councillor or his representative, church leaders, local provincial administration representative, local business community representative and representative from the ministry of Special programmes.

They claim if the management of the funds is left to individuals appointed by Special programmes minister then the victims will never get fair compensation as funds will end up in individual’s pockets.

The residents say the committee appointed to manage the Faza Fire Disaster Fund looted it and the victims did not benefit from the funds as Sh. 17,061,775.00. This claim is based on a report on audit of the Faza Fire Disaster Fund Income and Expenditure Account for the year ended 30th June 2010.

According to the report, the Fund Management Committee did not during the year maintain a cashbook, official receipt books, donations register, the relevant bank statements and a Balance Sheet. Consequently, it has not been possible to establish the actual value of donations both in cash and in kind, total disbursements and the cash balance as at 30th June 2010.

In the report, the Income and Expenditure Account reflected an expenditure of Kshs.48,216,312.40 relating to payments made to various contractors involved in the construction of houses and other related works in Faza. However, and out the figure of Kshs.48,216,312.40, payment vouchers and other related records in respect of an amount of Kshs.17,061,775.00 were not provided for audit review. As a result, the propriety of expenditure totalling Kshs.17,061,775.00 could not be ascertained.

President Mwai Kibaki through a Kenya Gazette notice No10651 dated the 1st October, 2009 appointed Mariam El-Maawy (Chairman), Joyce Lay, Mohamed Jaffery, Amb. Habib Jelani and Mohamed Zubedi as members of the Faza Fund Raising and Management Committee.

Another victims fund looted by those entrusted to manage it is the Nakumatt/Mollo fire victims’ fund. The Nakumatt/Molo Fire Victims Fund was established through Gazette Notice No.1171 dated 6th February 2009 to provide assistance in the payment of medical bills and associated humanitarian assistance to the victims of Nakumatt and Molo fire disasters.

According to a report, the Fund Management Committee has not since operationalization of the Fund maintained the relevant books of accounts including cashbooks, donations register, official receipts, payment vouchers and bank reconciliation statements, amongst others. Consequently, it has not been possible to ascertain the value of donations received both in cash and kind, the disbursements made and the Fund balance as at 30th June 2010.

The Accountability Statement for the period between 17th February 2009 and 30th June 2009 reflects receipts amounting to Kshs.112,448,484.00 from various well wishers, while the related analysis shows a figure of Kshs.112,807,933.50. The relevant bank statements on the other hand show total receipts of Kshs.133,943,492.00 as at 30 June 2009. No reconciliation or explanation has been provide for the differences between the three sets of records.

The report further reveals that the Accountability Statement also reflects payments to hospitals totalling Kshs.19,713,260.00, while records made available for audit show payments amounting to Kshs.19,998,502.21 as having been made. The resultant difference of Kshs.285,242.21 has not been reconciled or explained.

Although the Statement indicates that a sum of Kshs.11,700,000.00 was paid to the victims or their beneficiaries during the period, schedules in support of the payments show that an amount of Kshs.13,000,000.00 was disbursed. As in the previous instances, the difference of Kshs.1,300,000.00 has not been reconciled or explained.

The Molo/Nakumatt Fund and its Management Committee was established on 6th February 2009 by Kibaki through Gazette Notice No. 1171 to raise funds for the assistance of the Nakumatt/Molo Fire Tragedy victims, to assist in payment of the medical bills of the victims and to provide humanitarian assistance to the victims.

The Management team comprised Naushad N.Merali (Chairman), Edah I. Lusigi, Martin Oduor Otieno, Bethwel Kiplagat, Peter Kahara Munga and Abbas Gullet. There was another sub-committee comprised of Hon. Dr. Naomi Shaban, Ali D. Mohammed, Peter Gitonga, Steven Smith, Zarin Merali with Joseph N.Macharia and Mwihaki Muraguri as joint Secretaries to the Committee.

The committee collected funds through Nakumatt/Molo Fire Victims Fund Account Nakumatt/Accounts at Kenya Commercial Bank 111309730846, Equatorial Commercial Bank 10101300937, Equity Bank 01803293554254, Safaricom MPESA 1113222 and Zain ZAP 073130003111.

Going by the above report, it is against such fears that residents of Sinai now want an independent and all-inclusive management committee to manage the funds.