CITY tycoon Michael Ezra Mulyowa has denied being on the run over debts, displaying wads of dollars ($3m) to prove his point.
Michael Ezra displays stacks of dollars to journalists to prove that he is not bankrupt.
Addressing a press conference at classy Emin Pasha Hotel in Nakasero yesterday, Ezra, 37, said he owes the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) about sh1b in unpaid taxes and the National Bank of Commerce sh400m.
He added that he and his partners were in the process of paying up “at a convenient time”.
He declined to name his partners or how the amounts accumulated, but added that the issue had been around since November 2008.
“The commissioner general of URA is not wrong to say I owe them money because promises to pay have not been fulfilled. As negotiations continue, I have engaged several lawyers and auditors,” he said.
Ezra, who had been said to be on the run, also said he needed to consult whether he would pay the taxes as an individual or share them with other concerned parties.
“I am trying to be as evasive as possible, but what came out (in the media) was at the wrong time,” he said.
Ezra, who said he is unique and that some people were planting negative stories about him in order to “demystify” him, said a feeling was being created that he was getting “finished”.
“I don’t think I am the only one who owes URA. Bill Gates has debts too. What is the hullabaloo about? I don’t know of any international dealer who doesn’t owe money,” he said.
In a letter of August 23, URA boss Allen Kagina asked the internal affairs ministry to bar Michael Ezra from travelling abroad before he paid up the taxes.
Ezra said he read about the travel ban in the media. He said the problem was not Kagina’s communication, but the timing and leakage to the media.
He said he was prompted to come out over the matter because of the tax element and other debts that made it appear he was “going down”.
“Maybe I am already down. Some people are not comfortable as long as I am around. I have been living a quiet life deliberately,” he said.
On Thursday, the Commercial Court also ordered Ezra to pay over sh400m he borrowed from the National Bank of Commerce. The money carries an interest of 31% per annum.
The bank said in 2009, Ezra borrowed sh400m that carried a 25% interest. The money was supposed to be paid back in two installments within four months.
In September last year, the Kenyan police questioned Ezra in Nairobi over allegedly issuing a cheque that was dishonoured. The cheque was to pay for medical equipment worth $20,400 from a doctor in Kenya. Yesterday, he showed transfer forms that showed he had paid for the equipment.
Asked what he does for a living, Ezra said: “I am a private citizen who does private business. When I become a public citizen, that’s when I will be obliged to declare. There are people who know what I do and where, but it’s purely my business.”
He warned that “the end of this will be powerful”, citing many attempts on his life because “people fear what they don’t know or understand about him”.
I was not amused to receive an opinion message from CCK where Communications Commission of Kenya,stated it would take a firm stance on regulating money transfer industry, which to me is one way of stifling M-Pesa Biashara growth maybe to give room for Zap and Yu to get a footing
Now to poke you mind
Is there something that common man is missing in this game,as in wider and bigger picture?
Is Safaricom being punished for its innovations or something else.
Zain and Yu can within seconds close shop and no one could be held responsibly unlike Safaricom which government and Kenyans will be directly and indirectly affected
Safaricom has already suffered some revenue due to price cuts in calling rates because it will be suicidal for Safaricom to dare revise
its now calling rates upwards.
Maybe Kenya is embracing Arabs/Asianazation of telecom industry basing on moneyed Zain who has fired first salvo followed by YU ,
Thanks
Gibson Amenya
Email: gib.amenya@enigma.or.ke
Audit,Taxation and Business Advisory Services
The World Trade Report 2010 focuses on trade in natural resources, such as fuels, forestry, mining and fisheries. The Report examines the characteristics of trade in natural resources, the policy choices available to governments and the role of international cooperation, particularly of the WTO, in the proper management of trade in this sector.
The Report examines a range of key measures employed in natural resource sectors, such as export taxes, tariffs and subsidies, and provides information on their current use. It analyzes in detail the effects of these policy tools on an economy and on its trading partners.
Finally, the Report provides an overview of how natural resources fit within the legal framework of the WTO and discusses other international agreements that regulate trade in natural resources. A number of challenges are addressed, including the regulation of export policy, the treatment of subsidies, trade facilitation, and the relationship between WTO rules and other international agreements.
What is connected here is that, Kenya Public Wealth is being ripped off in a syndicate and it is suspected that huge some of money is being stolen by Moi, Uhuru, Kalonzo, Ruto, Gedion Moi, Zackary Muita, Wetangula including others through cheating and blackmailing and is being redistributed to other corrupt Mafia connection including China and Libya.
Parliament seems to be unaware about the going ons and something must be done urgently to stop this including legal action must be taken with immediate effect. Immediate investigation by the Interpol, the CID and the FBI must be instituted immediately to save the general unsuspecting public from being ripped off. The
Culprits must be charged at ICC Hague without wasting any time.
This is criminal act against the people of Kenya and Africa.
Thanks,
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
AITEC EAST AFRICA ICT SUMMIT: Nairobi to host first East Africa ICT Summit
15/08/2010 +0000 GMT
User Comment(s) | By Sean Moroney
Nairobi to host first East Africa ICT Summit
East Africa’s rapidly expanding ICT sector will receive a further boost next month when computing and communications professionals from throughout the region convene in Nairobi for the first AITEC East Africa ICT Summit. Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Information & Communications, the Summit will gather ICT suppliers, service providers, innovators, managers and policy-makers to share knowledge and network in a two-day conference and expo over 7-8 September.
Sean Moroney, Chairman of AITEC Africa, organisers of the event, said that the event is designed to further catalyse East Africa’s ICT industry following the landing of undersea fibre cables on the coast. “Now that we have substantial international bandwidth available in the region, the ICT industry needs to get its act together to deliver world-class services, enabling the regional economy to compete internationally. The Summit has an important role to play in establishing best practices for a robust ICT sector in the region. We also want to showcase the region’s emerging ICT innovators at the event to give them exposure to customers, partners and even investors. There is a tremendous reservoir of ICT talent in the region which needs business direction and investment.”
Over 100 ICT companies will be showcasing their products and services in the expo and over 500 delegates are expected to attend the conference. The conference programme has an impressive line-up of local and international experts, who will deliver presentations and participate in panel discussions and workshops.
There will be a strong focus on software development and mobile applications in the programme. Speakers on this topic include Dr Tim Kelly, Lead ICT Policy Specialist in the World Bank’s InfoDev programme, who will speak on mobile applications for development. Russell Southwood from the UK, a leading analyst on the African ICT market, will speak on the mobile market going open access. Agosta Liko, CEO of Vervient Consulting, one of Kenya’s emerging software developers will speak on “The weak link: The pitfalls of raising venture capital for ICT enterprises in East Africa” Kevit Desai, Director of Engineering, Centurion Systems, Kenya, will speak on “An innovation platform for content development for the empowerment of an ICT-enabled East African Community economy”.
Another major theme of the conference is “Corporate systems for productivity and competitiveness”. Martin Rennhackkamp, COO of PBT in South Africa will speak on “Strategic information – The key to organisational success”. Roger Purdie of Quintica, from Australia, will speak on “Living on the service side – The story of the 4 Ps”. Yaron Assabi, CEO of Digital Solutions Group in South Africa, will speak on “Customer experience as a competitive advantage”.
Risk management and data security is another focus of the conference, with Dr Matunda Nyanchama, Director & Principal Consultant at Agano Consulting in Canada speaking on “Information security – Critical infrastructure protection” and Gal Arbel, VP Marketing & Sales, Amiran Communications, Kenya speaking on “Data security and intrusion prevention”.
The conference will be opened by Dr Bitange Ndemo, Permanent Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of Information & Communications.
For more information email info@aitecafrica.com.
AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY COMESA: Nairobi to host region’s top banking conference next month
08/01/2010 +0000 GMT
User Comment(s) | By Sean Moroney
Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, will open AITEC’s annual Banking & Mobile Money Conference for the COMESA region, to be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre over 24-25 February. Also speaking in the opening session will be Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.
The conference will play an important role in reinforcing Nairobi’s role as the region’s financial services centre, and the theme “Leadership through Innovation” reflects the country’s leadership position in mobile banking. Announcing the conference, Sean Moroney, Chairman of AITEC, said the event is an important platform to showcase the exciting mobile payments innovations currently being implemented in Africa. “When we started this conference series four years ago, the emphasis was on East Africa learning from the rest of the world, now bankers, mobile operators and others wanting to learn about mobile banking will be coming to Nairobi to learn from innovators in the region.”
The conference has widespread industry support, with the Paynet Group as platinum sponsor, Simba Technology and Technology Associates as gold sponsors and S1 as silver sponsor. Supporting Organisations for the event include the Kenya Bankers Association, the Consultative Group for Advancing the Poor (CGAP) and the Kenya ICT Board. CGAP is holding a workshop on management systems for microfinance institutions, linked to the conference. The Gates Foundation will hold a breakfast briefing for bank CXOs during the conference on providing banking services for the unbanked.
The conference will have 19 specialised sessions over the two days, with over 70 speakers. “We are assembling a faculty of banking, microfinance and mobile payment experts with an unparalleled level of expertise. Speakers from 14 countries will be sharing their knowledge with financial service professionals from throughout the COMESA region.” Session topics range from “Compliance and risk management in the post-meltdown world” to “Interbank payment reforms – new transaction and settlement systems”.
Keynote speakers include Cormac Petit, Banking Industry Leader at the IBM Institute for Business Value in Netherlands who will speak on “Fit, focused and ready to fight: How banks can get in shape for the battle ahead” and Bernard Matthewman, CEO of the Paynet Group, who has a provocative presentation title, “Shh, the market is talking. Listen and act!” Dr Keith Jefferis, Economic Advisor, USAID Southern African Trade Hub, Botswana and former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Botswana, will speak on “Product innovation and access to finance”.
The event will include a specialised exhibition on products and services for the financial services sector, with over 40 local and international exhibitors.
AITEC BANKING & MOBILE MONEY COMESA: Nairobi to host region’s top banking conference next month
08/01/2010 +0000 GMT
User Comment(s) | By Sean Moroney
Uhuru Kenyatta, Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, will open AITEC’s annual Banking & Mobile Money Conference for the COMESA region, to be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre over 24-25 February. Also speaking in the opening session will be Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, Governor of the Central Bank of Kenya.
The conference will play an important role in reinforcing Nairobi’s role as the region’s financial services centre, and the theme “Leadership through Innovation” reflects the country’s leadership position in mobile banking. Announcing the conference, Sean Moroney, Chairman of AITEC, said the event is an important platform to showcase the exciting mobile payments innovations currently being implemented in Africa. “When we started this conference series four years ago, the emphasis was on East Africa learning from the rest of the world, now bankers, mobile operators and others wanting to learn about mobile banking will be coming to Nairobi to learn from innovators in the region.”
The conference has widespread industry support, with the Paynet Group as platinum sponsor, Simba Technology and Technology Associates as gold sponsors and S1 as silver sponsor. Supporting Organisations for the event include the Kenya Bankers Association, the Consultative Group for Advancing the Poor (CGAP) and the Kenya ICT Board. CGAP is holding a workshop on management systems for microfinance institutions, linked to the conference. The Gates Foundation will hold a breakfast briefing for bank CXOs during the conference on providing banking services for the unbanked.
The conference will have 19 specialised sessions over the two days, with over 70 speakers. “We are assembling a faculty of banking, microfinance and mobile payment experts with an unparalleled level of expertise. Speakers from 14 countries will be sharing their knowledge with financial service professionals from throughout the COMESA region.” Session topics range from “Compliance and risk management in the post-meltdown world” to “Interbank payment reforms – new transaction and settlement systems”.
Keynote speakers include Cormac Petit, Banking Industry Leader at the IBM Institute for Business Value in Netherlands who will speak on “Fit, focused and ready to fight: How banks can get in shape for the battle ahead” and Bernard Matthewman, CEO of the Paynet Group, who has a provocative presentation title, “Shh, the market is talking. Listen and act!” Dr Keith Jefferis, Economic Advisor, USAID Southern African Trade Hub, Botswana and former Deputy Governor of the Reserve Bank of Botswana, will speak on “Product innovation and access to finance”.
The event will include a specialised exhibition on products and services for the financial services sector, with over 40 local and international exhibitors.
AITEC EAST AFRICA ICT SUMMIT: Nairobi to host first East Africa ICT Summit
15/08/2010 +0000 GMT
User Comment(s) | By Sean Moroney
Nairobi to host first East Africa ICT Summit
East Africa’s rapidly expanding ICT sector will receive a further boost next month when computing and communications professionals from throughout the region convene in Nairobi for the first AITEC East Africa ICT Summit. Held under the auspices of the Ministry of Information & Communications, the Summit will gather ICT suppliers, service providers, innovators, managers and policy-makers to share knowledge and network in a two-day conference and expo over 7-8 September.
Sean Moroney, Chairman of AITEC Africa, organisers of the event, said that the event is designed to further catalyse East Africa’s ICT industry following the landing of undersea fibre cables on the coast. “Now that we have substantial international bandwidth available in the region, the ICT industry needs to get its act together to deliver world-class services, enabling the regional economy to compete internationally. The Summit has an important role to play in establishing best practices for a robust ICT sector in the region. We also want to showcase the region’s emerging ICT innovators at the event to give them exposure to customers, partners and even investors. There is a tremendous reservoir of ICT talent in the region which needs business direction and investment.”
Over 100 ICT companies will be showcasing their products and services in the expo and over 500 delegates are expected to attend the conference. The conference programme has an impressive line-up of local and international experts, who will deliver presentations and participate in panel discussions and workshops.
There will be a strong focus on software development and mobile applications in the programme. Speakers on this topic include Dr Tim Kelly, Lead ICT Policy Specialist in the World Bank’s InfoDev programme, who will speak on mobile applications for development. Russell Southwood from the UK, a leading analyst on the African ICT market, will speak on the mobile market going open access. Agosta Liko, CEO of Vervient Consulting, one of Kenya’s emerging software developers will speak on “The weak link: The pitfalls of raising venture capital for ICT enterprises in East Africa” Kevit Desai, Director of Engineering, Centurion Systems, Kenya, will speak on “An innovation platform for content development for the empowerment of an ICT-enabled East African Community economy”.
Another major theme of the conference is “Corporate systems for productivity and competitiveness”. Martin Rennhackkamp, COO of PBT in South Africa will speak on “Strategic information – The key to organisational success”. Roger Purdie of Quintica, from Australia, will speak on “Living on the service side – The story of the 4 Ps”. Yaron Assabi, CEO of Digital Solutions Group in South Africa, will speak on “Customer experience as a competitive advantage”.
Risk management and data security is another focus of the conference, with Dr Matunda Nyanchama, Director & Principal Consultant at Agano Consulting in Canada speaking on “Information security – Critical infrastructure protection” and Gal Arbel, VP Marketing & Sales, Amiran Communications, Kenya speaking on “Data security and intrusion prevention”.
The conference will be opened by Dr Bitange Ndemo, Permanent Secretary in Kenya’s Ministry of Information & Communications.
For more information email info@aitecafrica.com.
Please Note:
COMESA AND OTHER AFRICAN NGOs Are Regional Trading Blocks formed for Africans advancement and progress.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) constitutes a regional integration grouping of 20 African countries that have agreed to pursue such integration through trade development. The member countries are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
COMESA was established in 1994 in succession to the Preferential Trade Area for Eastern and Southern Africa (PTA). That organization started in 1981 within the framework of the Organization of African Unity’s (OAU) Lagos Plan of Action and the Final Act of Lagos. The PTA sought to take advantage of the expanded market and foster greater social and economic cooperation, with the ultimate goal of formulating an economic bloc that yielded high living standards.
COMESA has sought to promote the free movement of services, capital and labor among the member countries. It has also pursued cooperation within the bloc on many key issues, including finance, agriculture and industry, communication, energy, environment, health, tourism and transport.
The Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) constitutes a regional integration grouping of 20 African countries that have agreed to pursue such integration through trade development. The member countries are Angola, Burundi, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
COMESA’s long-term goal is to develop an internationally competitive economic community. Accordingly, in addition to duty-free and quota-free trade in goods and services and free movement of goods, labor and capital, COMESA member countries would adopt common monetary and fiscal policies. They would also adopt one currency that would be issued by a single monetary entity.
Coast, N. Eastern MPs cry foul
NTVKenya | August 19, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Members of parliament from the Coast and North Eastern provinces are crying foul over the exclusion of their lot from the newly constituted cabinet committee on implementation of the new constitution. The legislators fault the two principles president Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga for not appointing ministers from the respective provinces to the committee. The cabinet committee is tasked with overseeing the quick implementation of the new constitution.
Govt to begin irrigating arid lands —– The Reason why Coast was left out from Oversight committee
NTVKenya | August 06, 2009
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Agriculture minister William Ruto says the government will from next week put over 40,000 acres of arid land under irrigation, in an attempt to shift from rain fed crop production. Ruto says lessons drawn from Israel show that the countrys food basket can move from the highlands to arid areas in North Eastern, Eastern and parts of Coast province.
Elders for Kikuyu hold ceremony to reverse old ‘spell’
enya | August 22, 2010
A group of Kikuyu elders now say the controversial Mbo-i-Kamiti land company is bedeviled by a 40 year old curse. The elders performed a ritual at the farm to reverse the oath which they say is to blame for the controversies surrounding the company. The move came just days after police violently dispersed an old women’s demonstration at the farm.
Obama Challenges Young Africans to Lead in Transparency and Good Governance
VOAvideo | August 04, 2010
This year marks 50 years of independence for 17 sub-Saharan African countries. To celebrate that milestone, U.S. President Barack Obama met with 115 young African leaders from 46 countries for a question and answer session at the White House Tuesday. Mr. Obama and the young leaders exchanged views on how to best shape African systems, governments and institutions over the next 50 years. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has the story.
Implementing new law
NTVKenya | August 06, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Kenya is collectively pondering the next steps after a successful passage of the proposed constitution in the just concluded referendum. The overwhelming Yes vote that has thrown the country into jubilation, has also opened a crowded page of things to do as the nation embarks on the process of implementing the new constitution. NTV’s Joe Ageyo with a detailed look at the next steps that Kenyans will be taking within the next few days, weeks, months and even years.
Mutula: Four bills are ready
NTVKenya | August 19, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
It’s all systems go for the implementation of the new constitution. The Ministry of Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs says there are at least 4 major pieces of legislation that are ready to be tabled in parliament for starters. The bills according to the Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo will be vital in the implementation of the constitution that is set to be promulgated in a week’s time. Speaking at a meeting with Media Owners and Editors’ Guild Mutula said that the law that should guide the Electoral process henceforth is ready. On the vital Judicial changes that are anticipated, Mutula gave the assurance that the legislation on the Vetting of Judges is also set. Mutula gave the example of the incident where APs raided a police station to release their colleague on Sunday as a precursor for the much needed police reforms whose bill he says is also in place. Another vital law, which is a pillar of the implementation process, is a Supreme Court whose law he says will be in place by Christmas. The Justice Minister urged the media to help in the implementation process by joining the Civic education effort.
Job well done
NTVKenya | August 06, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
The Interim Independent Electoral Commission IIEC has received numerous nods of approval from Kenyans, local and international observers, the diplomatic corps and other leaders for its efficient conduct of the just concluded referendum. NTV’s Gladys Mutiso follows the path that IIEC took to among other things, exorcise the ghost of the disbanded Samuel Kivuitu led Electoral commission of Kenya ECK.
The missing embassy land
NTVKenya | August 10, 2010
It has emerged that taxpayers may have lost more than one billion shillings following the now controversial purchase of an embassy land in Japan.
The chairman of the parliamentary committee on defense and foreign affairs adan keynan claimed that his committee learnt that indeed there was no land paid for by the ministry of foreign affairs as alleged.
The committee had summoned finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta to shed light on the issue as part of the ongoing investigations.
Hurdles To Implementation Of New Law
standardgroupkenya | August 19, 2010
The implementation of the new constitution could be headed for a bumpy road a…
Mutua on Promulgation Holiday
kenyacitizentv | August 12, 2010
The government has declared Friday, the 27th of august a public holiday. Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua said the decision was to allow Kenyans to witness the promulgation of the new constitution. Dr Mutua said a host of world leaders had been invited to witness the event that will take place at Uhuru Park. Abdi Osman reports.
Chief Justice On Judicial Reforms
standardgroupkenya | August 09, 2010
One of the key institutions to undergo radical changes after the new law comes into effect is the judiciary. Two months after coming into effect of the new constitution, the judicial service commission will be set up to usher in major reforms which will see the vetting of all the 57 judges and 277 magistrates in Kenya. And speaking today, Chief Justice Evan Gicheru says the judiciary is ready for the exercise.
States to fine-tune Common Market hurdles
ntvuganda | July 02, 2010
The implementation of the East African Common Market Protocol that took effect yesterday is on course. But with it comes the hurdles that will involve harmonization of laws that breach the protocol. For example, some of the East African countries will have to amend their immigration and labor laws to ease the integration process.
91% of Kenyans back new law
NTVKenya | August 21, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Despite the latest bid to block the promulgation of the new constitution over the referendum results, a new poll by Infotrak Harris shows that 91% of Kenyans back those results. According to the survey, Kenyans believe the interim independent electoral commission conducted the polls in a free, fair and transparent manner. The poll also indicates that Prime Minister Raila Odinga remains the preferred presidential candidate. Rashid Ronald with the details of the survey.
Ethiopians charged
NTVKenya | August 20, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
A Kibera magistrate Grace Nzioka on Friday ordered 89 foreigners who were living in the country illegally to pay a fine of 10,000 shillings each and be deported immediately. The 89 Ethiopians who were arrested mid-week risk a jail sentence of 3 months should they fail to pay the fine and will be deported after serving the sentence. Nimrod Tabu reports.
Police round up 90 Ethiopian nationals
NTVKenya | August 18, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Earlier on Wednesday police in Nairobi arrested some 90 foreigners who were crammed in a single house in one of the suburbs. Investigators believe the Ethiopians, most of them without travel documents, were on their way to South Africa. And as Yassin Juma reports, police are now looking for an Ethiopian woman said to be behind the syndicate.
Human trafficking bust
NTVKenya | June 23, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Police on Wednesday afternoon raided a bungalow in Nairobi’s Ngong area and arrested 44 Ethiopian immigrants, raising the possibility of a human trafficking racket. The men were found lying on the floor in a secluded residence about three kilometers from Ngong town. Rose Wangui reports.
Govt. in talks with Ethiopia over attacks
NTVKenya | March 06, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
The Samburu raid came just days after militia men from Ethiopia crossed into Turkana in a deadly attack. Foreign affairs minister Moses Wetangula says the government is holding cross border consultations with Ethiopian authorities to stem the attacks.
Bull’s-Eye: Clash of the ‘titans’
NTVKenya | July 30, 2010
http://www.ntv.co.ke
Failing doesn’t make you a failure, that’s the gospel according to Daniel Toroitich arap Moi. Because he is still in the land of the living, he is doing what living politicians do, rubbing those who consigned him into retirement the wrong way. Moi wants to score but there are those who think he is offside and as Emmanuel Juma reports on Bull’s-Eye, it’s turning out to be an ill tempered game.
BANKING & PAYMENT TECHNOLOGIES EAST AFRICA 2009: East African banks look beyond the international credit crunch
25/01/2009 +0000 GMT
By Sean Moroney
Although the international banking industry is going through what may be its worst crisis in history, East African banks have to a large extent escaped the worst of it and are able to capitalise on the untapped potential of the region’s majority unbanked for future growth.
This is the message of the organisers of the Banking & Payment Technologies Conference, to be held in Nairobi over 17-19 February. “The banking sector in East Africa has mercifully little exposure to the toxic sub-prime mortgage in the USA and therefore is well placed to endure the current international financial crisis,” said Sean Moroney, Chairman of AITEC Africa, who are hosing the event.
“This year the size of the event will more than double in terms of the exhibition size and the number of conference delegates. We already have great sponsorship support, with both Paynet and Safaricom as Platinum Sponsors.
Gold sponsors of the event include Simba Technology and Technology Associates and SBA Technologies of the USA. Postilion, a leading supplier of banking switch systems, is a Silver sponsor of the event. One of the conference sessions will focus on the development of a regional switch to facilitate inter-bank financial transactions.
A major focus of the conference will be mobile banking. “Banks have been upstaged by the mobile operators in terms of providing low-cost money transfer services for customers and are now having to play catch-up. The conference will provide a valuable opportunity for banks to learn more about the range of mobile banking services that have been developed across Africa and beyond, and assess the best options for their own adoption. They need to decide whether mobile operators are competitors or potential partners that could help them extend banking services to the majority of Africa’s population that remains unbanked. By combining the security systems and experience of banks with the wide reach of mobile operators, the industry could come up with unique solutions and services that transform African economies. The question is whether there is business leadership in place that has the vision to think beyond crude competition to explore the partnerships that could create a new era for banking in East Africa,” said Conference Chairman Joe DiVanna, CEO of Maris Strategies. Mr DiVanna, a leading expert on banking in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, has been appointed by AITEC to chair the conference and advise on the programme development.
Speakers on mobile banking include Bjorn Soderberg, a consultant from Sweden who recently completed a study on mobile banking systems in Africa, Pauline Vaughan, Head of Safaricom’s M-PESA service, and Girisch Nair, Founder and Chairman of Technology Associates who developed Equity Bank’s Eazzy 24/7 mobile banking service.
Sh240m US fraud planned from Kenya
By KEVIN J KELLEY, New York
Posted Friday, August 20 2010 at 16:28
In Summary
· Shots were called from Kenya, with elaborate instructions and falsified documents, says report
· Scam initially involved only one Kenyan living in the United States
· Kenyans convicted in the case were not the authors of the scam, the court was told
A ring of fraudsters operating from Kenya are behind the attempted theft of millions of dollars from US government agencies for which three Kenyans were jailed in America.
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An American judge found that they conspired to steal millions of dollars from US government agencies in five states.
They were helped by the three Kenyans living in America to execute the scheme which involved phony companies claiming compensation from the US government for fictitious services.
And on Thursday, a US judge sentenced two Kenyans to a total of nearly 10 years in prison for roles in the fraud.
US Judge John Copenhaver Jnr handed down a six-year term to Robert Otiso, 36, and a three-year, 10-month sentence to Paramena Shikanda, 35, for their roles in a scam that sought to dupe US officials in five states into paying Kenyan fraudsters a total of at least $3.3 million ( about Sh240 million)owed to legitimate businesses.
A third Kenyan, Collins Masese, 21, was sentenced to the nine months he has already spent in jail in connection with the scam. Masese also faces possible deportation to Kenya, as do the other Kenyans once they complete their sentences.
“Virtually all the shots were called from Kenya, with elaborate instructions and falsified documents to enable the conspiracy at every turn,” the judge said, according to a report by the Associated
Press.
An attorney for Shikanda tried at the sentencing hearing in the state of West Virginia to depict the previously convicted Kenyans as pawns in a scheme engineered from Kenya.
“All of these people, all of them, were merely servants of the puppet masters in Kenya who manipulated them from the safety of Kenya,” said defence lawyer Gary Collias, the AP reported.
The scam initially involved only one Kenyan living in the United States: Angella Chegge-Kraszeski, 34, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy last year.
The Charleston (West Virginia) Gazette reported that she had travelled to Kenya in late 2008, where she was recruited by a man she knew as Jimmy Ojwang.
Using a photo taken while she was in Kenya, “Ojwang” provided Chegge-Kraszeski with a fake South African passport. Chegge-Kraszeski then incorporated three companies in the state of North Carolina with names nearly identical to those of businesses that did provide services to US state governments, the Charleston Gazette said.
With Otiso’s help, she set up bank accounts for the fake corporations. The scammers then tried to trick officials in West Virginia, Massachusetts, Kansas, Florida and Ohio into routing payments into those accounts.
At Thursday’s hearing, the Charleston Gazette reported, a US prosecuting attorney presented a copy of an e-mail from Chegge-Kraszeski’s handler in Kenya with “WELL DONE GUYS” typed in the subject line. The message was sent after a payment for $919,916 was made into a fake account Chegge-Kraszeski and Otiso had established.
Chegge-Kraszeski said in court that the Kenyans convicted in the case were not the authors of the scam.
“There was no leader among us,” she said, according to the West Virginia paper’s account. “They [in Kenya] told us what to do.”
Overall, more than three-quarters of a million dollars wound up in Kenya. Additional funds scammed in the case were frozen by suspicious US bank officials before the money could be sent to Kenya.
Shikanda told the judge on Thursday that his family in Kenya has been harassed by people believing, wrongly, that they’re harbouring the loot, the AP reported. Masese’s father, Thomas Masese, said after the sentencing that the same was true for their relatives in Kenya, the AP added.
“They don’t have the money,” the elder Masese, who lives in the state of Minnesota, told the AP. “These are poor kids.”
Judge Copenhaver seemed to accept that the convicted Kenyans would be unable to repay money stolen in the case. But the judge added that the scam could not have succeeded without the participation of the Kenyans in the United States.
“You were an enabler, and an important one,” Judge Copenhaver told Otiso, the AP reported.
Two other Kenyans—Michael Ochenge, 33, and Albert Gunga, 30, both living in the state of Minnesota—have pleaded guilty in the scam and are scheduled to be sentenced on August 26.
Once Upon a Time, a Merchant set out to a long journey, but on his way, he met with a puzzle he was not able to unravel. He wondered and became very sad why he had a good set of plan for life according to the Will of God for Creation, but he remained unhappy and opacity blocked his vision. He was not able to understand or comprehend the reasons why things happen the way they did. He later became aware that gluttoness was the reason for his blindness, that blindness was glazed with Demonic desire which found its way through lack of Wisdom, and without paying attention to little things that matter in life, things which make life worth living. He consequently became careless in his get-rich lifestyle and thereby developed big appetite and got himself sucked in self-centeredness. The reason why, the more he worked harder and acquired much, he continued to be isolated, sad and unhappy.
· Why 2 + 2 = 0 (Wrong Number)
· Why D = Drive the Car & R = Reverse the Gear did not work systematically for him but ditched the car in the mad
· Why the Rich get Richer and the Poor get Poorer
· Why the Unemployment rate is higher than the employed
· Why there is the Imbalance in the World Order
· Why the Status Quo want to Remain The Way they Are, and you wonder, what motivates them and what keeps them strong
· Why Corruption and Impunity is bigger than Democracy the reason they clash and conflict
· Why Blood Money (Conflict & Civil War) is greater than Peace and is part of Africa’s problem
· Why Progress and Growth per Capita is Smaller than Expectation, power in the hands of a few those who are corrupt
· Why good moral and God’s Spirit is Lower than God’s Command for happy living with safe wealth
· Why Odd numbers does not agree with Even Numbers
· Why Demand Vs. Supply Do not Balance across the Global Region
· Why United Nations Office was begun to provide Global solution, but fail to achieve that which it was intended for. But if done well, it will justify a Global House in perspectives, checks and balances. The United Nations met with problems that which slowed its effectiveness in the mid-way, but solutions could have been met if guideline patterns of policy ratification were adhered and observed, that which incorporates the Voice of Reason and demands of the African Republic Citizenry.
· Why there was need to involve Civil Society at every stage of arrangements involving undertakings of Development without giving room to or influencing undercutting deals from the quarters of African Leadership special interest.
As a matter of concern, we have come to conclude that Unemployment and poverty in Kenya and Africa was a creation made at the Top of African Leadership in the quest to gain political command so to build Castles for themselves and accumulate power in order to; isolate, frustrate, assassinate, segregate and manipulate those who acquired knowledge for improving life and want to share the same to develop their people or Constituents. These corrupt African Leaders, had organized a plan to sell Africa with the help and advice of their Mission Agents, who provided clue information and advice how to fortify network and activities and make them look legal yet they are illegal.
These were therefore Plans that scuttled Africa’s hopes that added injury to the pain and sufferings of many poor Africans including the educated scholars who were equipped with skills and talents for improving development agenda for Africa, who came with rich and balanced ideas, to fix problems for Africa’s underdevelopment situation and were meant to improve lifestyle and create opportunities able to meet with challenges and competition of the Global Markets and provide openings for growth and prosperity for many. But because of African Leadership Mafia Association, the Dream of Africa was scuttled, to a point many lost their lives and some were pushed out of their traditional homes to pave ways to the powerful, those Corrupt Leaders craved for much bigger appetite that of conspiring to grab and loot people’s land and Government properties and facilities for themselves.
The Plan for Development Agenda as documented for United Nations and Multinational, looked promising on the outskirt face of those who attended and deliberated at the United Nations Conferences, that released funding on behalf of poor people of Africa, were done without engaging the African Public or the Legislatures, because there were lack of information shared. The “Quite Corruption” therefore had intentions to silence and divert the money to other personal and private use. This funding never reached its destination and were not put to use as they were meant for development programs to alleviate poverty. Consultations and information became unknown to the people and the Republic of Africa including the People’s Legislative Representatives and as well, there were no Parliamentary debate for such.
In retrospect, We take exception in reference to case scenario in Kenya and Africa being sold to the Chinese. These are worrisome maneuvers that must be checked very keenly. Chinese have flocked and penetrated into the village local area. They have taken small businesses in the local markets of the rural villages and are competing to outdo the locals communities there. I have received complaints that the Representative Legislatures are doing nothing about these cases because they have been bribed. Very soon, the Chinese will overtake Kenyans in their Rural homes, and this is another Agenda Moi is pursuing to sell out the marginalized so to overtake their community land and make the indigenous homeless. We saw on July 12th 2010 Mr. Kimunya with Chinese delegation met at his office to sign Memorandum of Understanding for Agriculture with the Chinese to take full control of Agricultural business all over the Country. This is another rip-off to deny Kenyans development which is going through Sameer Company which belongs to Moi’s group of companies. The Mafia connection have transformed Sameer to EPZ, Export Processing Zone, which was initially a public set-up for AGOA was initiated by the late Kassim Owango and that applies to COMESA. Activities to these NGOs developed to serious “Quite Corruption” disagreements leading to his death. This is because former President Moi never wanted Water Hyacinth to be removed from Lake Victoria because, according to Moi, Luos survive by eating fish from the Lake and that kept them alive even when they have been pushed to extreme poverty hardship corner. The hyacinth removal project was faced with a lot of problems as differences between workers and officials of the contracted firm continue to build sharp bitter in-house rivalries between the Project Manager Mr. Neil Robertson with the Late Kassim Owango who after a short while later died mysteriously. This case has also remained unresolved with their businesses remaining intact like nothing have been done. In this case scenario, we continually see transfers and a re-cycle of the same corrupt personalities being moved from one station within the Government position of power and control, to another. Their Overseas Mission Agents also being elevated to higher rankings within the United Nation to manage their businesses at the corridors of African Union Stations.
Who are the owners of Nairobi Stock Exchange? What about the Equity Bank? Who has taken over the Optic-Fibre Cable? who is benefiting 100% Are these not public facilities? Are they not floated at the United Nations and the World Bank as Public utilities for funding? How much have they benefited the General Public? Don’t we have a reason to question?
Unemployment is the Root Cause of Insecurity and Social Instability
The above behavior contributed heavily to insecurity and Social Instability. Unemployment amongst the Youth grew and it became a potential trigger for social instability with demographic challenges as the population of people of ages between 18 – 30 became jobless after dropping from school or after graduating with not job plan accommodation by the Government. Access to jobs required that you must be politically correct or must know Who is Who in the position of power. The global financial crisis threaten to strain further labor markets, corruption with impunity exacerbated the situation for Africa’s Youth and Women.
High rates of Youth and Women under-employment created social ramifications, with many seeing no hope for advancement and thereby finding alternatives to criminal activities making them vulnerable and/or joining unsuitable gangs. Most Women too developed loose morals and abandoning their marriages in search for better life from stable families, causing breakages and instability in the homes and families.
This kind of lifestyle created irreparable damage and scars in the future of a healthy life of a growing youth. It is therefore considered that these African Leaders committed Crime and Abuse of Human Rights.
When United Nations Conference discuss and resolve creating of viable jobs for Young People and Women, a recommendation that provide funding to eradicate Poverty, in order to create Peace and that Heads of African States plan and provide means to engage Youth to access to employment, what these Mafia Network do, they access the funding and relocate them to their personal projects and businesses, abandoning the whole idea of providing direct support to empower and strengthen the Youth, Women and the Civil Society. So Top Leaders with their network Mafia can manipulate, pull rags under their feet, twist and turn the public as they wish. This is because, the public will only survive under the mercy of the corrupt Leadership.
Why the economists fail to provide standard of comparison between the “underemployment” and “fully employed” in Africa have no basis or meaning, because the Politically correct, with businesses of the Mafia Political Leadership network are not sustainable to the African Republic in the long run, thus impacting the instability of economy of Africa.
World Bank report on Youth Potential
While recognizing Africa’s demographic challenges, the World Bank report also sees the large youth population as an opportunity to make Youth transitional asset to claim a window of opportunity for progress for Africa, this cannot be realized fully when fund disbursed for that purpose, find its way to the Politically correct and does not build the true potential for the African Youth and because funds does not fizzle directly to the Youth. African Politicians want to make selfish deals for Agricultural production in Africa so they can earn more than 200% interest and share with the International partners. So while this program looks potential and promise, it is still not sustainable because the power is in the political base shared by special interest of International corrupt traders. Therefore, the multi-sectoral approach by African Union Government Leaders with the International Agencies, makes worse livelihood survival of the people of Africa. This is where, funds and money are traded on “Air” deliverables which results in no Profit to the African Taxpayers, providing the equation for 2 + 2 = 0 (wrong number).
The most recognized fundamental aspects of Africa Region making a window for opportunity is by providing direct Education and Empowerment to the Youth, Civil Society and Women to immediately address issues of unemployment, project initiations at the Rural Areas, build support for entrepreneurship for improving the expansion of quality training in the rural area expand organized Investment in irrigation, water resource management utilizing better agricultural natural and organic agriculture practices and fulfill the promises of Africa meeting challenges and competition of the Global Market. The basic challenge is to demand to employ the appropriate policies for Kenya and Africa so people can better enjoy this unique opportunity.
World Bank with “Quite Corruption” Report
African Union Leadership are presently engaged in committing “Quite Corruption” to expand and make legal their stealing maneuvers of activities against the public of Africa. There is nothing like “Quite Corruption”. It is a killer and must be stop with Legislative legal consequences. Quite Corruption in its own merit word confirms “lethal” prospects that undermined Africa’s Development which significantly explains why Africa is unable to meet its Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The report says: ‘The widespread prevalence of big-time and quiet corruption in Africa significantly undermines the impact of investments to meet the Millennium Development Goals. In the essence, Iceberg of corruption is sinking considerable efforts to improve the wel-being of Africa’s citizens, particularly the poor who rely predominantly on publicly provided services. This explains why increased funding allocations received by the African Government leadership, have not translated into improving human status and position in Africa or showed development indicators of progress. This is because these funds were diverted into private and personal businesses ….. this too is a crime punishable by the Geneva Law that were ratified by African Governments. It is now a law in Kenya that demands Legal Justice be met on Kenyan corrupt leadership.
World Bank Report Critical Analysis
Analysis on Africa Development Indicators of 2010 reported on “Quiet Corruption” which has been viewed as distinctive politics. Distinctive because it seeks probability of conscious and purposefully exonerate the World Bank from its own role in perpetuating Africa’s mal-development.
Ø One, it invents or borrows a New Concept that of “Quite Corruption” defined essentially the failure on the part of Public Servants to fail to deliver services or inputs funding that were paid for specific program but were diverted elsewhere…….through corrupt practices…..e.g. paying “AIR” for equipments or facilities not bought and services not done, proving window to push public money elsewhere to the unknown…..this kind of money disappear before it reaches its intended mission…..that is theft and it always finds its Agent Representative at the United Nation to speak on their behalf to make good statements of cover-up……Who is that person?….
Ø Secondly, the report argues that “Quiet Corruption” is not only pervasive and widespread in Africa, but it hurts the poor disproportionately with long-term consequences….e.g. cheap and poor methods used in the protection and preventing malaria and other diseases which does not justify sum amount released for the same and most part of the funding and medicines are diverted elsewhere, farmers do not receive fertilizers which results in low-productivity.
Ø The players prefer “Quiet Corruption” because it does not make headlines as much as the traceable bribery scandals do, so it can evade Transparency International and other global indexes of corruption. The report argues it is the cause of so much misery in Africa.
It is therefore important that when we make Critique it should not be taken by a pinch of salt. Give it a closer look.
Resolution:
Kenya’s Constitution has been Ratified by the Public at Referendum. Whether it is Promulgated or not by the President on August 20th, it remains an effective Legal Document The Constitution of Kenya, with immediate effect. Whether by plan or tact or maneuvers to prolong stay or by use of the African Union scheme, by appointments or commission or omission, Kenya is on a transitional journey of setting strategies for Independence. This means, True root causes of unemployment and poverty in Africa facilitated by corrupt leaders that promoted it must be broken and taken down to books through legal justice.
Public, Civil Society must take increased accountability and participation and by questioning and demanding their Right to Good Governance.
The International NGOs to Africa must be investigated and vetted to be cleared of undercutting activities with the corrupt African Leadership that resulted into extreme problems of the people of Africa. This is because, the NGOs that were supposed to represent and protect the people of Africa from being corrupted engaged in the exercise of ripping Africans more of their dignity.
This is a People-Driven Success story of Africa coming out of the bondage of suppression and of poverty to The Promised Land of Progress and Prosperity, taking control of and shaping the future of Africa destiny to the Global Market with dignity to meet challenges and competition of the Global World.
United Nations appointments are done with consultations and Lobbying of Top African Governments. They do this to protect their interests, but not those of the People of Africa. This is why, United Nations recently included the docket for Diaspora Voice.
It is believed that, over the years, Zachary Muburi Muita took orders from his masters leadership in Kenya and notably from former President Moi, and so it was reasons many who applied and were found qualified and competent, were not considered after Muita did not provide for their recommendations for appointments.
This door became difficult to manoeuvre through and has been proved a solid rock no one can penetrate through easily if you are not politically correct amongst the African Union of Leaders….. See attachments…….
Consequently, since Muita will keep his new position on behalf of African Union Leaders interests, it will only be prudent that, as a voice of reason, and as The Diaspora Spokesperson, I should be considered for a slot at the United Nations office to occupy Diaspora position so I can provided undivided fair service delivery to the people of Africa and make program funded through the Civil Society program feasible and sustainable. My qualifications are based on experience, since experience is the best teacher.
This is therefore my humble request to the United Nation Leaders, the World Leaders and through the people public of Africa, to endorse my occupancy at the United Nations for balanced services.
I promise to provide delivery services and make Development Agenda operational to the Civil Society of Africa, starting with East Africa and Congo and be able to manage cases court cases effective including the return of stolen public finances banked in Foreign Banking within a minimum of one year.
This will be a challenging and competitive platform to scale and prove who can better provide faster deliverables in comparison and who had all along failed the people of Africa through undercutting deals, and thereby recommending unfair practices that have hurt and failed the people of Africa. This will also confirm arguments that it is not right to keep recycling failed characters to retained those honorable position time and again without making good returns to Taxpayers.
Conclusively, Unemployment with Extreme Poverty is the root cause of crime development in Africa
If income inequality was balanced by the management of African Governments, social services and wealth redistribution would have been provided in the past 50 years. Arrest of cheaters, killers for example, those who were involved in corruption and impunity allowed to face fair legal justice, Kenya and Africa would be Heaven on Earth. Today, “criminal situations of the kinds of homicide with other set of crimes, have largely become common happenings participated by the legal police force, a problem which is beyond the control and repair, but must be put in order, so Kenyans and Africa can enjoy the traditional peace, love and unity for a common purpose and for development.
The consequences of this drop for how we think about social order are significantly noted as:
Unemployment causes of conflicts
Recycling corrupt leaders are the cause of Corruption, impunity, graft and conflicts
NGOs Consortium must be monitored and evaluated from time to time
On behalf of the people of Africa orient, I will endeavour and prove my capability for the sake of balanced Development Agenda for Progress and prosperity, dedicate my skills and time to address these shortcomings that have been a stambling block and have failed Kenya and Africa, so to give the people of African Decent value, virtue and honor on the face of Global Competitive edge coupled with economic challenges on a level playing field that of sustainability and excellence.
I take this opportunity also to thank you all for questioning my concern about the posting of Mr. Zachary Muburi Muita to the position of opportunity. I believe I have explained myself sufficiently.
We must not forget that we questioned the posting of Mr. J Scott from S. Sudan to Kenya. It is of the same concern and measure and of the same digree of content that I questioned the same of Zachary Muburi.
Attachments here under are for purposes of references in order to connect the dots……
I beg to remain,
Yours Sincerely,
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
Conflict Minerals: Voices From The Congo
BLOOD MINERALS:The Criminalization of the Mining Industry in Eastern DRC
The Pole Institute convened representatives from diverse sectors of the Congolese society to share their analysis and prescriptions for addressing the de-criminalization of natural resources so that they can be a benefit to the Congolese people. Below are some excerpts geared towards the International community and the myriad efforts underway to address “conflict minerals.” Click here to download the full report.
Select Excerpts:
In order to rehabilitate and decriminalize the mining industry, which according to [Aloys] Tegera, generates more than two-thirds of the revenue of North Kivu, it is necessary to, in the first place, work towards the re-establishment of the Congolese state. Any efforts by the international community to re-organize and legislate for the Congolese mining industry without taking this fundamental step into account risk failure, “unless, of course, the various lobbies have in mind a Congo without the Congolese, which would clearly be absurd.” Introduction page 3
A glaring lacuna in all these efforts is the lack of involvement of the Congolese people in seeking solutions to problems that face them in their own country, and Johnson argues that unless the Congolese people are brought “back in” all these international efforts will remain, for their originators, an exercise in creating the DRC after their own image. Introduction page 4
[Dominic] Johnson argues that because of this failure to include the Congolese people in crucial debate on ‘their’ issues, the international community has made a serious error of judgment in not recognizing that the situation in the east of the DRC goes beyond just a presumed squabble over minerals and raises fundamental questions of the structuring of state power which have to be taken into account by anyone hoping to work with the Congolese state in order to reform the Congolese mining sector. Introduction page 4
It is imperative that the various people and organizations of good will who are determined to ensure that the minerals of Kivu are ‘clean’ or conflict-free first work towards a definition of the basics necessary for the re-establishment of the Congolese state. Only when this is in place will the control of the mining industry be possible. The various initiatives will not be effective unless this basic condition is met. Aloys Tegera page 11
It is argued that important aspects of the regulatory model now emerging are partly based on an erroneous and outdated analysis of the conflict dynamics in Eastern Congo and that this is likely to weaken its effectiveness on the ground. The error consists in regarding competition around minerals as the main reason for conflicts in Eastern Congo and the establishment of government authority as the main mechanism for ending such competition and thereby the conflicts themselves. Reforms centered around strengthening the rôle of the state in Eastern Congo rather than the people will, we contend, exacerbate conflict instead of ending it, even if they succeed in curbing the excesses deriving from mineral trade. Dominic Johnson page 22
It is therefore perfectly possible, under the certification and due diligence schemes now on the table, to claim to have solved a decades-old conflict about control of a mineral-rich region and the control of the trade of its produce without addressing any of the issues involved, without resolving conflict on the ground and without contributing to peace and
human security in a manner visible to the local population. Dominic Johnson page 43
However, beyond the possibility or even the impossibility of an international intervention to render the minerals of eastern DRC ‘clean’ for use, in other words conflict-free, it is important to emphasize that the criminalization of the mining industry underestimates the fact that more than two-thirds of the revenue of a province like North Kivu depends on mineral exports. Aloys Tegera page 8
Click here to find out more about the Pole Institute.
Also find here prescriptions for addressing Congo’s challenge from select Congolese groups:
Women scholars and activists
http://friendsofthecongo.org/resource-center/womens-voices.html
Elected officials
http://congofriends.blogspot.com/2009_08_01_archive.html
Congolese youth
http://conflictminerals.org/conflict-mineral-critique/
Human Rights
http://congofriends.blogspot.com/2010/06/long-live-spirit-of-floribert-chebeya.html
Remember to join us for Congo Week from October 17 – 23 as ordinary people throughout the globe join in solidarity with the people of the Congo in their quest to fulfill their enormous human and natural potential.
PRESS RELEASE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOAL 5 : IMPROVE MATERNAL HEALTH IN KENYA. ACTION BY PETITIONING PARLIAMENT TO INCREASE THE BUDGET ALLOCATION TO MATERNAL HEALTH CARE & PREVENTION OF DEATHS OF KENYAN MOTHERS AND CHILDREN FROM PREVENTABLE DISEASES
We the World March of women Kenyan chapter; Undertaking the role of motherhood with pride that it deserves,; Honouring our mother country with our God given productive role Acknowledging that; * Kenya has just passed a new constitution that recognises reproduction health as a basic right for every Kenyan, * That Kenya is a signatory to the 5th millennium goal ‘to improve maternal health’ * Kenya pledged to increase health sector allocations by upto 15% of government expenditure in Abuja and reconfirmed its commitment at the AU summit in Kampala in July 2010 * Kenya committed itself to invest more in community health workers
THE Government has tabled a Bill requiring that oil companies provide the Uganda Revenue Authority, details of their annual returns. When the Income Tax Amendment Bill 2010 becomes law, the non-compliant companies face a penalty of between $50,000(sh110m) and $500,000(sh1.1b).
While the Government should be commended for trying to put in place measures to guard against this valuable natural resource, the tabling of this Bill now is a confirmation that the existing agreements with the oil companies were flawed. The bitter truth is that at the moment, we are relying on the goodwill of these oil companies as far as any revenue is concerned.
Uganda is, therefore, in a very precarious position and is likely to lose the $404m(sh808b) tax claim against Heritage because there was no legal framework governing such a payment.
We are even not sure whether what we are claiming is accurate because the existing agreements lack methodology of estimating what Uganda should be getting. This was how Hardman Petroleum went away without paying almost anything.
However, it is better late than never. This is not the time for the blame game, but for finding lasting solutions to avoid the oil curse. Uganda was desperate for foreign investors who could have taken advantage of our inexperience in the oil sector to put in place a skewed agreement.
Uganda should, therefore, suspend all transactions on oil exploitation and go back to the drawing board to ensure the country gets a more favourable deal.
For instance, it is ridiculous for Ugandan crude oil price to be fixed at $15(sh30,000) per barrel when the international market price is $80(sh16,000) per barrel. The oil exploitation phase is rather delayed until a solid legal framework is in place than rush and lose everything.
KENYA and Rwanda are the only East African Community member states investing outside their countries in the year 2009.
According to the World Investment Report {WIR 2010] , the two countries fell in the category of economies that has invested less than USD 0.1 billion in 2009.They did so for the past three years.
Kenya, according to the latest WIR report, registered an increase almost five percent of foreign direct investment outflows of USD 46 million last year compared with USD 44 million in 2008. While Rwanda outflows stagnated at USD 14 million
Tanzania Investment Center director Emmanuel Ole Nenkio was last week quoted by the influential weekly, the EASTAFRICAN as saying that hi country didn’t feature in the list” as there are more than enough opportunities to invest internally.”
Though the country did not feature in WIR 2009 –Investment in a low-carbon Economy- there are over ten Tanzanian firms that have invested in Zambia, Mozambique, Uganda and Kenya, though WIR 2010 report named the key investors to Tanzania as South Africa, Mozambique and Kenya, regional integration by access to larger markets, also fostered FDI in general. However, the East Africa bloc registered the lowest FDI outward stock in2009 as its only invested USD 0,1 billion out of ISD 102,2 billion of total Africa’s outward stock.
Southern Africa is leading the continent after investing almost over half of total FDI In 2009 followed by North Africa ‘s USD 20.3 billion, West Africa at USD 11.4 billion, Central Africa at USD 0.9 billion.
Outward FDI declined all Kenya foreign direct investment outflows in 2009 up to only USD 44 million in 2008
The regions, except Southern Africa, where African transnational corporations is said to have kept investing in natural resources and service sectors, mainly in other countries within the region.
Fdi inflows into Tanzania in 2009 were as low as USD 645 million, compared with USD 679 million recorded in 2008.
According to the director of foreign investment in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism Maria Mmari, tourism earned the country USD 1.2 billion in 2009 from 714,307 visitors.
Tanzania’s economy chiefly depend on tourism, mining and agriculture, its telecommunications, energy, manufacturing, financial services and transport sectors are also attracting rising of investors attention.
SEEMINGLY, Ugandans working abroad are not only flying the country’s flag high, but they also contribute significantly to the economy back home.
In 2008, for example, Ugandans in the diaspora remitted about $723m back home, this represents about 5% of Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) ,which is a measure of the total value of goods and services produced in the country in a given year.
This figure is equivalent to 35% of the deposit base of all Ugandan banks as of March 2008 (figures computed from budget speech of 2008/2009).
When compared to Uganda’s budget for the fiscal year 2008/2009, this figure is equivalent to about 23% of the budget.
Or put another way, it is bigger than the largest allocation to any one sector in the country.
How does Uganda compare to her East African peers?
According to a World Bank report on development indicators (see below), Uganda’s $723m remittances come second to Kenya which bagged about $1.6b in 2008 from Kenyans in the diaspora, representing about 5.6% of its GDP.
Tanzanians abroad sent home $18m in 2008, which represented a paltry 0.09% of East Africa’s third biggest GDP.
On the other hand, Rwandans working outside their country, which is slated to grow by 6% this year, sent home nearly three times what Tanzanians did, at $67m. This accounted for 1.5% of their GDP.
The Burundians abroad sent home the smallest amount at $3.6m, which was 0.31% of their GDP.
Uganda’s large remittances, relative to Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda, may be explained by the larger number of Ugandans living and working abroad, who migrated as refugees during the turbulent 70s and 80s and perhaps, more recently, as guards in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The trend to engage low cost teachers on short term contracts is rapidly increasing in many third world countries. To date, Niger has about half of its teaching force under short-term renewable contracts. Kenya, too, will beginning this month, employ new teachers on a three year renewable contract and they will be paid salaries far much less than those of their counterparts who are employed by the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) on permanent and pensionable terms. It is believed that the move was necessitated by the pressure of limited government budgets for education and increased demand resulting from efforts to ensure universal access to education.
From the government`s standpoint, this plan points to a very glistening future in that it (government) will among other things have the plasticity to make decisions on contracting low cost teachers as well as to make better use of them with finances being the least of its worries.
However, many stakeholders are scared stiff with the way the government is determined to gloss over serious ethical and legal concerns surrounding the whole exercise. To begin with, unlike in countries like Niger where paraprofessionals (lesser trained, lesser paid and employed teaching staff) are contracted and paid comparatively better, in Kenya fully trained and certified primary and secondary teachers will be contracted and paid a net salary of Kshs10, 000 and Kshs 15,000 respectively. It is also worth noting that those to be contracted will not be entitled to travel, medical and housing allowances. On housing for instance, CAP 226 clause 9 of the Employment Act states that “…it is the responsibility of every employer to provide reasonable accommodation for each of his employees…” In the same vein, it is also expected that the employer will provide medical as well as travel allowances to his employees. On this count alone, it is obvious that the government is in direct violation of the Employment Act.
Secondly, from the teachers’ standpoint, it is feared that the government will use low cost teacher contracting as a caveat to limit both the annual and negotiated salary increases and allowances payable to teachers who are in the permanent and pensionable employment.
Thirdly, and most worrisome, is the fact that the government appears to be showing a blatant disregard of the teaching profession as is evidenced in the fact that it can subject an individual who has labored for at least four years in the university training as a teacher to a form of employment whose terms are most debasing. Pundits project a serious depletion of teachers in the next five years. They argue that more and more would be teachers will shun teaching as a career. Many of those already in the profession will exit due to lack of adequate motivation.
In addressing the serious shortfall, the government will resort to paraprofessionals (quacks). This is obviously a far cry from what was envisaged in sessional paper No.1 of 2005 in which quality management of the education sector coupled with better remuneration of the teaching workforce were cited as the bedrock to the attainment of Universal Education for All(UFA) by 2015.
According to Dr. Alec Fyfe, an international consultant on education issues and a former staff member of the ILO and of UNICEF, low cost teacher contracting has an inverse relationship with the quality of education. He points out that the need to protect quality consequent on the use of low cost teacher contracting may very well nullify any intended cost savings.
From the foregoing, it is incumbent upon the government to rethink its strategy in managing education. The Kenyan Government must take its commitments under international standards soberly and appropriately. This entails devoting at least six per cent of the country`s national income to education. This, in my view, would make teaching an attractive profession which will in turn improve the quality of education in the country.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA.
http://twitter.com/tomefrancis
The lesson for the Kenya police is that they should have their names and numbers clearly emblazoned on their uniforms. That way, we will cut down on corruption and indiscipline cases will go down they may even go up. Of course they should not take the lesson of having too many uniforms.
Suffice it to say that I, most handsome, most romantic was in Uganda for a private family visit. The end of which is that soon and very soon, (not the soon of the coming of Jesus, my soon) My queen of all poesy and I shall be esteemed (and even deemed) as one. As I write this, things are looking up and very soon I shall be considered a young elder. I will be ahead of the pack of fellows like Papa, Muita etc etc as I have always been.
This means that if my bank account read one million only now, after the “being one”, my account will read fifteen millions. Yes ladies will be quick to have me know that it will not be mine but rather “ours”. What they will have forgotten is that I will be the head of the family. Headship in this context means that I am free to use the language of mine.
Any how my lady is not that difficult. She believes me kama dawa. I mean I cannot be handsome and fail to be the head of finance in my house. It will be like a king who has everything except a good appetite… there surely is no worse tragedy.
Re: History of Salary, Compensation and Pension of a US. President
Appendix to Press Release: a Nigerian senator earns more in Salary than Barack Obama and David Cameron
Effective from January 1, 2001, the annual salary of the president of the United States was doubled to $400,000 (N60m) per year, including a $50,000 expense allowance making the president the highest paid public servant. The $400,000 includes everything and $350,000 out of it is taxable.
Below is a table of the earnings of some politicians in the US:Public OfficersEarning per year ($)Earning per year Naira (million)
President400000.0060.0
V. President227300.0034.1
Speaker of the House223500.0033.5
Majority Leader (Senate)$193,40029.1
Minority Leader (Senate)$193,40029.1
Other Senators174000.0026.1
Majority Leader (Representative)$193,40029.1
Minority Leader (Representative)$193,40029.1
Cabinet Secretary$193,40029.1
* Exchange rate is set at $1.00 = N150.00*Please note that US Vice President is also the Senate president.Below is a table showing some of the items in the new (reduced) package for the members of the Nigeria National Assembly:
ItemsSenator (N)Representative(N)
Basic salary/Regular allowances11,145,2009,926,062
Furniture3,039,6002,744,454
Motor Vehicle Loan5,066,0004,963,031
Duty Tour Allowance per day23,00021,000
Severance Gratuity6,079,2005,955,637
Estacodes$600$550
This analyses translate to the fact that in addition to the regular and legitimate salaries and allowances of N17 million ($113,333) and N14.99 million ($99,933) which senators and reps were collecting yearly and the irregular allowance of estacodes, duty tours etc, they were also collecting N192m ($1.28m) and N140m ($0.93m) respectively in illicit quarterly allocation which is not provided for by RMAFC.
Effectively, a Nigerian senator was taking home at least $1.40m ($1.28m quarterly allocations + $0.113m regular salaries and allowances) as against the $0.174m an American senator takes home hence a Nigeria senator earns at least 8 times as much as an American senator and more than 3 times the American president.
Whereas a Senator in the U.S earns N21, 146,000, the same as a member of the House of Representatives; a UK Member of Parliament earn £64,766 (N14, 896,180)
In other words, a Federal Legislator in Nigeria is paid more than double what a Member of British Parliament earns per annum.
Senate President David Mark alone takes N250 million quarterly or N83.33 million per month. Senate Deputy President Ike Ekweremadu gets N150 million per quarter or N50 million a month.
Mark and Ekweremadu earns in 4 months, six times what the UK Prime Minister earns in a year. David Cameron goes home with £190,000 per anum (N43, 700,000)
In a Next newspaper news article entitled ‘An Assembly for looting’ written by Musikilu Mojeed with Elor Nkereuwem, the authors rightly claimed that each of the 360 members of the House of Representatives were getting N35 million in cash money in quarterly allocation while each of the 109 Senators pockets N48 million each. These allocations have however been slashed by 20% to N27 million ($180,000) and N38 million ($253,333) respectively due to the 20% reduction requested by the late president.
The cut has been a source of a major controversy in the House of Representatives in the past few days where members are agitating to jerk up the sum to N42m quarterly at a time when the government is lamenting being broke and when the already signed 2010 budget is being cut by as much as 40%. What a bunch of greedy inhuman lots! The discordance has caused members of the House to force the speaker, Dimeji Bankole to reduce his quarterly allowance from N140m ($933,333) to N100m ($666,667) or from an annual allowance of N560m ($3.73m) to N400m ($2.67m).
According to data obtained from CIA World Factbook, Nigeria has an estimated per capital income (purchasing power parity) of $2,400 in 2009 as against USA’s $46,400. This means that the average earning in the US is 19.33 times as much as in Nigerian.
With the reduced salary package, a Nigeria senator still get paid N11 million ($73,333) in regular salaries and allowances annually and N152m ($1.03m) in four (quarterly) allocation making a total of $1.11m plus irregular allowances like estacodes and duty tour allowances.
The Senate has allocated N1, 024,000,000 as quarterly allowance to its 10 principal officers, known collectively as the Senate leadership – Each of the eight other principal officers take home N78 million every three months or N26 million per month.
Besides, for this year, the Senate has voted N2.6 billion for local travel, N2.45 billion (foreign travel), N1.25 million (security), N2.28 billion (contingency), N750 million (guest houses for Mark and Ekweremadu), and N500 million (establishment of radio and television stations).
The Executive Branch of government
A Nigerian Minister is paid N31,915,800 (32 million) per year, comprising salary (2,026,400), and benefits plus allowances (N29,889,400)…American secretary (N23,488,000); British Secretary (N29,736,000) German Minister (N30,287,667.20).”
A Nigeria Minister of State gets N30, 538,248 (salary N1, 957,580; allowances N28, 580,666) higher than those of a South African Minister (N7, 704,558);
Compare again to American secretary (N23, 488,000); British Secretary (N29, 736,000) German Minister (N30, 287,667.20)
A local government councillor in Nigeria earn over N1 million per month while a university professor, or a director in a ministry is paid peanuts as take home.
The salary review of political office holders till date revealed that 17,474 officials earned N1.12 trillion yearly of the N1.12 trillion about N94, 959,545,401.20 billion is spent on salaries and N1, 031,654,689,033.18 trillion goes to allowances annually.
While 16,540 out of the political officeholders, as revealed from the document emanating from the Presidency to the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) are expected to undergo a pay cut in line with former President Yar’adua’s proposal earlier in the year, this is yet to take effect.
The officers are: Federal Executive (472); Federal Legislature (1,152); Local Government Executive (3,096) and local government legislature (8,692).
According to the document, officers taken this large lump sum evidently, approximately 17,500 officials only constitute 0.014 per cent (less than a quarter of a percent) of Nigeria’s estimated 140 million people.
Again, it is common knowledge that the salaries of these officers amount to nothing compared to the juicy fringe benefits that accrue to them.
It could be recalled that ministers, advisers, legislators salaries were all jerked up in 2007 and 2008. While the members of National Assembly got 100% pay rise which would cost Nigerian tax payers N52.4 billion every year, and an additional N15.02 billion as multi-purpose allowances given to the lawmakers on quarterly basis, the package accruing to the federal executives had jumped by over 1,000 percent to N98 billion due to their allowances as compared N65.5 billion paid the federal executives during the last regime.
The last time Nigerian workers ever had an enhanced salary package was in 2000 when former President Olusegun Obasanjo announced the N5, 500 and N7, 500 minimum wages both for state and federal workers respectively.
Comparison of the Salaries of Politicians vis-a-vis other professions in USA and Nigeria
The politicians’ salaries listed above might look big to you but if you look at what is obtainable in the society, you’ll surely get the drift. I’d like to compare the earning of these top political positions with those of surgeons in America.
According to ehow.com, several factors such as experience, employer, location, gender and degrees may affect the earnings of a heart surgeon. Salaries discussed here are median earnings from 2009.
• Degree: A cardiac surgeon with a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) degree will earn an average yearly salary of $292,774. If he has completed a Ph.D., however, the annual salary may rise to $400,000 on average.
It can be inferred from this that a surgeon earn as much as the president or even more. And in nearly all cases a surgeon earns more than the VP and other public office holders.
In the US, top attorneys in a top legal firm earn as much as $500,000 annually, a top journalist (like Christiane Amanpour) earns over a $1m, Wall street guys and top business executives earn $ millions in salaries, benefit, stock options etc. Top Sportsmen and Entertainers earn tens of $ million in salaries, endorsements, advertisements, profit sharing etc. Top CEOs also earn tens and in exceptional cases, hundreds of $ million in salaries, benefit, stock options and profit sharing.
If you consider the fact that many top politicians were also top earners before joining politics, you’d be able to understand the sacrifice intended.
The annual salary of the Surgeon General is about $190,000.
It’s a known fact Michelle Obama, the US first lady was earning much more as a hospital administrator in Chicago than her husband, President Barack Obama was earning as a US senator. According to the couple’s 2006 income tax return, her salary was $273,618 from the University of Chicago Hospitals as Vice President for Community and External Affairs, while her husband had a salary of $157,082 from the United States Senate.
In Nigeria, political offices are often seen as a get-rich-quick avenue because the legitimate salaries and benefits are enormous and are probably unobtainable elsewhere in the system. Another reason is that politicians can also meddle with the public funds with impunity. Candidly, public officers do not differentiate between public and private funds and this is probably the main cause of the do-or-die politics. All arms of government collaborate in the looting causing no checks and balances.
After the late former president Umaru Yar’Adua complained about the nation’s dwindling revenues and that politicians were being overpaid and causing his government a financial stress, there was an approved reduced remunerative package for the politicians. Based on the this, each of the 107 senators (excluding the Senate President and his deputy) would be collecting N11 million ($73,333) in basic salaries and regular allowances every year while a member of the House of Representatives would get N9.9 million ($66,000). Previously, a senator was getting N17 million ($113,333) while a House member was collecting N14.99 million ($99,933).
The regular allowances are accommodation, car maintenance, domestic staff, personal assistant, entertainment, leave, utilities, newspaper/periodicals and constituency. These figures do not include non-regular allowances– vehicle loan, furniture allowance, estacodes, and duty tour allowance and severance gratuity–which are paid separately to each legislator as they become due.
From a previous salary of about N10,000, a police constable now earns between N22,000 and N27,000 depending on his length of service and accommodation plan, while a sergeant’s pay has gone up from N15,000 to about N30,000. And from a pay slip of about N22,000, a Police inspector now earns at least N50,000 monthly.
Let me give an insight of the monthly salary of Nigerian police officers:
Constable = N22, 000 (£98) – N27, 000 (£120.27)
Corporal = N27, 000 (£120.27) – N28, 000 (£124.73)
Sergeant = N31, 000 (£138.09)
Inspector = N50, 000 (£222.72) – N52, 000 (£231.63)
Assistant Superintendent of Police = N80, 000 (£ 356.36) – N83, 000(£369.72) depending on whether he is a one-star ASP or two-star ASP.
A deputy Superintendent of Police = N90, 000 (£400.90)
A full superintendent = N100, 000 (£445.45)
In some states, while the state government claims not to have money to pay workers, it finds it convenient to pay politicians hundreds of thousands as monthly salary for doing practically nothing than looting the state blind. How can a state government justify the over N300, 000 salary paid to a ward councilor (and over N60, 000 to a councilor’s wife) while the highest paid teachers collects less than 30 percent and the least paid teacher collects less than 4 percent of a councilor’s pay. The total annual salaries of councilors in a state like Osun State (running to over N1.4 billion) are enough to employ 2240 workers on N50, 000 monthly salaries. This is pure robbery!
Yet, they reject the payment of N52, 200 minimum wages that the national leadership of NLC and TUC are fighting for.
Other Illegalities
Of all these allowances, the most intriguing is the constituency allowance. What is constituency allowance? You may ask. It is an allowance approved by Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). The constituency allowance as approved by RMAFC is supposed to be 200% of the basic salary for politician but in reality, they are paid far more than that. The major flaw of this allowance is that the law does not require the politicians to file reports of how the money is spent.
The executives are not left behind, infact, the legislative plunder is like a child’s play compared to what the executives are illegally taking away from the system.
In addition to their constituency allowances, It is no longer a news that governors collect billions of naira as security votes which are unaccounted for and which makes everyone wonder which security are they providing with the money.
According to Davidson Iriekpen in an article titled, Security Vote – for Whose Security? “Every year, billions of naira is allegedly squandered under the guise of security votes. The funds suspected to be illegal, are purportedly being used to provide security for the president, governors and their domains, whereas they are being transferred into personal bank accounts. In spite of these huge sums of money, killings, kidnappings, cultism and other security threats are on the increase across the states. At the federal level, funds are allocated to the Ministry of Defence for the upkeep and welfare of the armed forces and the police, yet billions are still voted for the President as security votes whose impact is unknown.”
Many of the governors appropriate the sum ranging from several hundreds of millions of naira to billions monthly as security vote. And also according to human rights lawyer, Bamidele Aturu, security vote is an illegality and irresponsibility on the part of the country’s leaders. He condemned the governors for appropriating security votes to them even when they know that it is unconstitutional. He also argued that the governors who indulge in security votes rob the society of essential resources.
In a report by RMAFC chairman, Hamman Tukur to the presidency, “He said the Federal, State and Local Governments flout the remuneration provisions made by the commission through frivolous foreign trips, arbitrary appointment of aides and use of excessively large motorcades.
He further said “based on the constitution, RMAFC has the final say on the remuneration package of National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly members, while a law need to be enacted based on the commission’s proposals regarding the pay packages of executive and judicial office holders.”
Notwithstanding this warning, this illegality thrives from the presidency to the council. As the president takes billions of naira in monthly security vote, he also take several millions in constituency allowance.
Conclusion
Past surveys of salaries and benefits of public office holders from the Baltic to the Bahamas, the Americas and the Far East and everywhere else, has showed that Ministers and Federal Legislators in Nigeria are the highest paid in the world, despite the country being among the poorest in terms of per capita income, security, social provision and living standards. On the other hand, Nigerian workers are one of the lowest paid in the world.
The Nigerian Minister earns more than his American, British or German counterpart, and of course enjoys pecks of office those ones cannot even dare dream of – for doing next to NOTHING!!!
Likewise a Senator and his House of Representatives counterpart in Nigeria receive much more than their contemporaries elsewhere.
Do you know even any local government Chairman in Nigeria who does not own houses and fleet of cars?
Nigeria is a relatively poor country and there is no justification for a Nigerian politician earning much more than his American counterpart while others in other callings earn a fraction of what is obtainable in the US.
I think it’s about time we work out a ceiling system for the remunerations of public servants and tie them to what is obtainable in certain professions. And until we get this right, our politics will continue to be a do-or-die affair with the greedy lots dominating the air as their only attractions are the perks of the offices
Daniel Elombah
Publisher: www.elombah.com
(A Nigerian Perspective on world affairs)
Office: JE Stevenson Solicitors
Marble Arch, London +44-0-7958588018
MPs should not be allowed to use us as scapegoats for their greed. Let
them stop attending harambee (they never attend in their
constituencies any way), let them stop attending funeral harambees
etc.
We are tired with the thieves! 2012 is coming and Kenyans must show
this MPs dust!
Who do they think they are! Let them take their girlfriends to Dubai
with their own moneys, not through stealing from us!
In a move that is viewed as following precedent set by Kenya’s Members of Parliament, Kisumu Municipality Councilors have had their allowances increased by fifty per cent approved by the Local Government Ministry.
In a letter written to the Council by Mr. Charles Ndambo for the Permanent Secretary within the Ministry, the council was told that the Mister concerned had approved the councilor’s allowances increment.
“I am pleased to inform you that the Minister has approved your Councilors allowances as follows; His Worship the Mayor from kshs 60,000 to 120,000,his Deputy from kshs 50,000 to 100,000,Chairmen of Committees, from Kshs 35,000 to 70,000 and Ordinary Councilors from Kshs 30,000 to 65,000” Mr. Ndambo wrote adding that the effective date for the new allowances should be 1st july 2010.
Meanwhile, the Kenya Local Government Workers Union, Kisumu branch has strongly objected to the Council’s impending recruitment of two hundred additional staff and the salaries’ increment.
Through its Secretary Rashidi Ondu, argued that the council must consider promoting existing staff to those positions and only recruit in areas of deficit.
“Whereas the impending recruitment of staff to fill the positions left vacant by the retired, transferred or deceased staff will increase our membership ,hence high due we wish to tell the council to pay all the accrued statutory deductions and the council to advertise the vacant positions to give the exercise credibility and make it transparent”Rashidi added.
Rashidi further told the council that workers are owed kshs 70 million in CBA arrears, unremitted MEK Sacco deduction of Kshs 47 million, unremited Burial Benevolent Fund deduction of Kshs 1.8milion, Union due to the headquarters kshs 25million and 1993/94 wrongful conversion arrears amounting to Kshs 80 million and also ensure the said workers are appropriately graded.
“The council has also failed to remit NHIF deduction of over kshs 80 million, unremitted NSSF deduction of over kshs 200 million, the suspended allowances (negotiated and contained in CBA clause 45) be immediately reinstated i.e. dirty duty, bicycle allowance and all the retirees and deceased families be paid all their dues standing at kshs 150 million” read the letter.
Rashidi also called on the council to make sure that the staff performs duties contained in their appointment letters and the recently carried out staff audit report be made public.
“Should the Ministry approve the impending employment, then the council must first reinstate laid off 52 staff and 62 census report victims before any other recruitments are made” Rashidi argued.
He warmed the council that should it ignore their demands then the union will be left with no option but to take action it will deem fit.
I want to believe, you do not need a research to uncover the mess that is Aid to Africa. You only need to open your eyes and see for yourself.
I really appreciate the research that was undertaken to come to these conclusions. It shows that Africa is beginning to wake up, 50 years in the inner circle of the Aid circus. We are beginning to see that Aid will never make Africa move an inch forward.
Aid is a tool that has been carefully crafted to retain Africa in the iron grip of the Western Powers. And I would have wanted us to think with Dambisa Moyo in her book ‘Dead Aid’, and help move Africa from this circle of deliberately sustained poverty.
Look at Japan. A very tiny country, but it rules the world in electronics. Japan is the worlds centre on motor manufacturing. With Aid, Japan would not have achieved this. But, they realized that they had potentials which they could best exploit themselves, under their own visionary leadership.
And I agree with you that Aid comes in with the use of words that would make you think you are misplaced in your own country. The people who give Aid have coined words that sound real intelligent, but whose actually meaning is nil.
If you attend any donor conference, the technocrats hide their intentions in the use of words. They drone empty slogans that make no sense to the needs of Africa. They make you feel challenged intellectually yet, the intention is to retain you in the iron grip of poverty.
They have realized that it is easy to manipulate a poor man. They will hence make it difficult for you to grow. They will come up with such useless concepts as the Structural Adjustment Programmes, a concept whose ramification is still being felt all across Africa.
And because our leaders do not want to question these concepts, lest they be taken as intellectually inferior, they swallowed the lie. The end result is under development and poverty that is perpetual in Africa and the 3rd World.
You have given a very nice case study; fish plant being built in Lake Turkana region, a region that is purely pastoralic. Yet, we have the Lake and Oceanic regions that are predominated by fishermen, people who will benefit from such a plant.
But because the bureaucrats did not want to be slighted on account of intellectual inferiority, they did not give the correct prescription. They could not tell the donor that having a fish processing plant in Turkana Region was a kin to having an Ice Plant in a Desert; The price of poor leadership and inept involvement by the technocrats.
I am a firm believer that Africa needs to shift its focus. We have all we need to take Africa to the next level. We have the Human Resource, we have the minerals and we have the will. All that we need is focused leadership; a leadership that will not condone impunity, corruption and tribalism.
We need a leadership that will not glorify corruption and its sidekicks. We need a leadership that will uphold the rule of law and ensure that Justice is served hot and coldly. We need a leadership that will not use the powers of presidential clemency to liberate colleagues caught in the intricate web of corruption.
The other major impediment to changing Africa is Africans ourselves. We have accepted the Western concept of Democracy, but we have adapted it to suit the interest of those in power and thieves.
Every five years, we vote back to power those who have raped Africa since the 1960s. We vote in to power thieves who have stolen from Mother Africa. Those who steal our oil, maize, state corporations, those who kill our sons are the people we vote in to office, and we avoid honest men and women who could take Africa out of this circle of Western deception.
We glorify the blood money that we are given during the times of political campaigns and forget that these people will rape our economy for the next 5 years. They will be recovering the money they spent on us, they will not be engaging in Nation Building.
But not all Aid is deceptive. We have some donors who are doing Africa proud, and Africa must be proud of them. I salute this kind and your resolve on behalf of Africa.
Can Africans stand firm and vote for a peasant whose ideas can move Africa to the top index?
Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi, Kenya.
Tel; 0724 365 557,
Email; komarockswatch@yahoo.com
blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
blog; http://nairobieastba.blogspot.com
Group mail; friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com
Odhiambo T Oketch is the Chairman of the Stakeholders Evaluation team at the City Council of Nairobi; the preferred destiny of choice for many..
– – – – – – – – – –
— chifu_wa_malindi wrote:
When donors get it wrong in Africa
GOOD MOVE: Whereas some aid projects like road construction benefit many people, others are not beneficial. REUTERS PHOTO
By SAMANTHA SPOONER
Posted Sunday, June 20 2010 at 00:00
Every year billions of well-intentioned dollars are doled out to Africa but sometimes there is little to show for it. Researcher SAMANTHA SPOONER looks at the pitfalls of charity on the continent:-
In 2007, the International Finance Corporation discovered that only half of its aid-funded projects in Africa succeeded. When we consider that in 2009 the net bilateral Overseas Development Aid (ODA) to Africa was $27 billion and that pledges stood at $130 billion in 2010, you realise just how much money can be wasted.
Last week the British Government told the UN, World Bank and other international bodies who are recipients of its aid that they must have a proven impact on the ground or face cuts.
The critics of the aid industry have focused heavily on aid accountability on both the part of the donors and the beneficiaries, and on concerns over whether aid breeds poverty and is therefore not conducive to long-term sustainable growth.
While these analyses are both valid and widely recognised there is another insight into the potential inefficiency of the aid business which sheds light on an anthropological, more localised critique: Sometimes aid attempts to solve problems which are either created or misunderstood.
Improper diction
There has been a great push on the part of donors to have buzz-words such as `participatory’, `empowerment’ or `indigenous knowledge’ included in funding proposals. The reason for this is the assumption that involving people in projects ensures effective results because it only seems right that those affected by aid should be involved in the decision-making process.
The problem is, doing community or local level research is never straight forward and the process can become affected by many factors which inhibit the ability to establish an objective truth.
The terms `empowerment’ and `participation’, for one, can be alluringly deceptive. There are situations where these words are included in proposals but actually do not challenge the top-down status quo established by the aid agency.
Also, at times `empowerment’ and `participation’ can even be used to conceal a means to achieve cost-effectiveness, such as using the local communities as free labourers. The result of this is aid initiatives which continue to be dictated by people who may not have a full understanding of the situation at hand.
An example of this is the Lake Turkana fish processing plant in Kenya which was designed to provide jobs to the Turkana people through fishing and fish processing. The project cost the Norwegian government $22 million and is now just a white elephant. One of the reasons for the failure is that the Turkana are nomadic pastoralists without a history of fishing.
`Empowerment’ and `participation’ in situations such as this have simply become a selective process in which the ability to participate is determined by the willingness to succumb to external interests. When true participation is not employed, a simple assumption on the part of those initiating the project can bring about its demise. Entire agricultural programmes in Africa are known to have been affected by Western sexual role stereotypes. This is because the typical farmer in Africa is a woman but the training and projects were aimed at the men.
Aid can also be misinformed by research when the people engaged in the `participatory’ processes are attempting to manipulate the system. This can occur when those providing the aid view the community as a homogeneous and obliging group in need of help.
When this happens, local power relations could be overlooked, creating a problem for international development since inaccurate information can lead to a wrong diagnosis and create projects that benefit specific interests, usually the most influential people within a society, meaning there is no real participation or empowerment.
Influence peddling
Manipulations of projects could also occur in situations where local notables are participating in programmes as a means to empower themselves, by obtaining resources or a voice in projects.
A clear example of this, on a national level, is the way in which the Kenyan government `mismanaged’ the funds intended for Kenya’s Free Primary Education Program. Both the British and the American governments suspended funding to the programme so that they could find alternative ways of channelling the funding to the schools without having to deal with the corrupt Ministry of Education.
Even when manipulations are not an issue, a factor which can be underestimated, and lead to the misunderstanding of research, is the concept of being `lost in translation’.
Assumptions
When participatory research is being conducted at the local level, in attempts to extract `indigenous knowledge,’ there is the assumption that the transfer of knowledge is easily or readily accessible through translation.
Even using the words `indigenous knowledge’ or `local knowledge’ immediately creates assumptions and sees knowledge as something bounded and static… ready for extraction, as opposed to something fluid and adaptable.
What can be overlooked is that, elements of `local knowledge’ may be something that is transferred simply through practical experience and sometimes communities may not want to share their experiences when the motives of an outsider are not clear.
These factors, coupled with the notion that eventually whatever knowledge being exchanged will ultimately be reduced to the language of the aid agency, can become problematic.
Consider Malawi. It has six main spoken languages and within each language group there are different and culturally appropriate ways of conveying HIV prevention messages.
Essentially what all these factors tell us is that small perceptions and assumptions which are made, and very hard not to make, can determine the outcome of an aid project at the local level.
Examples abound of mushrooming, well-intentioned, `sponsor a’ or `donate a’ something campaigns. These at times can be quite crude and show the large discrepancy between understanding what happens at the local level and the needs of individuals. Clitoraid and its slogan: Restoring a sense of Dignity and Pleasure, for instance. Donations made to this charity will go towards sponsoring any African woman who wants to have her clitoris rebuilt.
Conservatism
Even when you try not to be skeptical about the fact that the charity is run by the Raelian movement, a sect which believes humans were created by extra-terrestrial beings, it is hard to ignore the notion that they may have overlooked how conservative and traditional the communities that practise female genital mutilation are If the women are believed to be empowered enough as to contact the charity so that someone can sponsor the restoration of their organs, then it begs the question as to why they are not empowered enough to have not allowed the circumcision occur.
Whilst the good intentions are there, the reality of the situation is a different story.
There are also those aid agencies and charities which make assumptions and create problems that many Africans would not say are there, or at least, not a priority in their lives. `Knickers for Africa’ is an example of this. Members of the public are asked to donate money, underwear or bras so that the charity can transport them to places in Africa that “need” them most.
Whilst it is admirable that people are trying to help, it is hard to believe that if one went and asked people living in situations of hardship what they needed most they would say underwear. Furthermore, although the `Knickers 4 Africa’ charity asks for new underwear, there are other `Knickers for Africa’ campaigns which are falling into a condescending pattern of labelling individuals as the `grateful poor’.
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Tricky business
When it is not being criticised on the international level for the potential harm it has caused or the conditionalities it may attach to further foreign interests, it is apparent that even on the `local’ level there is so much that can go wrong.
This is certainly not to say that all aid projects are ineffective but that issues can easily arise because aid is being largely controlled by outsiders. Participation, and the act of getting `good’ participation, should be an end in itself.
The programmes would be served better if directed and controlled by those affected by them as opposed to the beneficiaries simply fitting in with a model directed by people who have lived very different lives.
If this is a situation that cannot happen, then perhaps those who are eager to `help’ should be constantly reminded to suspend their own values and assumptions in order to fully understand others and ensure that what they are doing will be done in the most effective way.
Africa Insight is an initiative of the Nation Media Group’s Africa Media Network Project.
Yes, good idea, we all want to have control from the spread of HIV Aids and support funding to provide remedy.
But,
In the re-structuring for the Aids funding proposal, I hope Beth Mugo will this time round provide details and documentation for public information, on specific target group for Aid Patients, but not incorporating bulkanization of the previously disputed cutting of organ tips in the Greater Luo Nyanza Region or she have to give tangible satisfactory reason why and how with confirming %age data indicating those tips are the reason or the source or root cause of the HIV pandemic spread in Kenya.
Best Regards,
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Criteria for Aids funding reviewed
By PAUL JUMA
In Summary
Kenya upbeat Round Ten bid to Global Fund will succeed
The Global Fund’s revised criteria for funding has injected fresh optimism into the Kenyan government whose proposals were rejected last year.
In April, the board of the Global Fund for Aids, TB and Malaria decided that the criteria for funding will be based on a country’s disease burden and poverty index, besides the usual recommendations by the technical review panel.
Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo on Monday said she hoped Kenya’s call for funding in Round Ten will bear fruit.
“This timely consideration will go a long way in ensuring that the Global Fund directs its resources to the areas of greatest need,” Mrs Mugo said.
However, she challenged the Fund to reduce red tape in its procedures, adding that it takes a lot of time for the funds to reach beneficiaries.
Kenya missed out on Round Nine of the funding last year — a Sh21 billion grant — putting the lives of thousands of Aids patients who rely on anti-retrovirals (ARVs) at risk.
Mrs Mugo was speaking in Nairobi at the start of a Global Fund meeting for East Africa and the Indian Ocean region.
At the meeting, sustainability of the ARV programme, particularly in Kenya, came under the spotlight.
More than 320,000 Aids patients in Kenya depend on the life-saving drugs, in a programme that is mainly supported by the Global Fund.
Competition
Medical Services permanent secretary James ole Kiyiapi blamed the lack of coordination among those involved in the war against Aids for the rejection of the funding proposal.
Ironically, competition for control of donor cash between the two Health ministries blocked the funding, causing shortages of essential drugs in most public hospitals.
On Monday, Mrs Mugo also asked the Treasury to increase the budget allocation to the health sector.
Why is the Treasury under Uhuru Kenyatta’s watch delaying release of funds for civic education? People like Uhuru Kenyatta should be marked for removal from Kenyan politics come 2012.
Is it one of the schemes to frustrate adoption of the new constitution? Is Uhuru RED or GREEN?
What do they need to release the funds? KITU KIDOGO from CoE or a pledge to use the funds for RED campaigns?
The draft constitution talks about Commission on Revenue Allocation. BUT I have not come across an article that talks about the Agency that will be responsible for revenue collection (the equivalent of KRA). Can someone direct me to the section that talks about the revenue/tax collection agency.
UGANDA’S banking industry looks set for consolidation following the Central Bank’s key regulatory reforms that are contained in revisions to the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) 2004.
The changes will enable banks withstand shocks
Key among the reforms is the increase in capital requirements, broadening the scope of permissible non-bank activities, harmonisation of regulations under the East African Community (EAC) framework and addressing challenges from global integration of finance.
The reforms are contained in revisions to the Financial Institutions Act (FIA) that the Bank of Uganda has recommended to the Ministry of Finance.
Louis Kasekende, the Central Bank deputy governor, announced recently that these alterations will be influenced by global reform efforts and also take account of requirements of the EAC Common Market.
“We require a radical change to the minimum paid capital requirement for banks.
The current statutory minimum of sh4b, which was set six years ago, is far too low. It does not ensure that new entrants to the banking industry have sufficient capital to support their operations before they reach a scale where they can begin to generate profits,” he said during the Uganda Institute of Banking and Financial Services (UIBS) dinner held at Kampala Serena hotel on Friday.
Uganda has over 22 commercial banks following the Central Bank’s lifting of the moratorium against licensing new banks in 2005.
The proposed increment is in tandem with the regional trend, with Kasekende noting that Uganda’s capital requirement had fallen below minimum statutory levels imposed by her East African Community (EAC) neighbours.
Given the changing global and local environment, the need to make revisions in the capital adequacy requirements to cover risks is more urgent than ever before.
The Central Bank will introduce a capital charge for risk that is in compliance with the Basel I Accord and eventually introduce a capital charge for operational risks based on the Basel II accord.
Kasekende believes that while Uganda’s banking system is well capitalised, the evolution over the long term is likely to intensify risks that banks are exposed to.
“The changes I have just described will help to ensure that banks are better able to withstand shocks to their balance sheets.
I think that the higher minimum paid up capital requirement will also stimulate a degree of consolidation in the banking industry in Uganda, with fewer but larger commercial banks,” he explained.
While he didn’t mention the proposed minimum capital amounts, he said they would be in line with the region’s statutory requirements.
“The increase in part is motivated by the need to align our capital requirements with those of our partners in the EAC.
Kenya will raise its minimum capital requirement to Ksh1b (Ush25.7b), which is nearly $13m, by 2012,” he said. The Bank of Tanzania on the other hand requires commercial bank’s starting capital at Tsh6.6b (Ush9.67b).
It asks the banks to maintain a core capital of 10% minimum of risk weighted assets and capital to risk weighted assets of 12%.
However, analysts said the amounts for the minimum capital are likely to be in the region of sh10b, a figure that will be eventually raised to sh25b.
According to Kasekende, other aspects of bank regulations will also need to be harmonised, including permissible activities, restrictions on loan concentrations and liquidity requirements.
Kasekende points out that the current FIA restricts banks to traditional banking activities, denying them the leeway to offer insurance business or underwrite shares or act as securities broker.
The Central Bank wants FIA amended to allow banks provide “bancassurance” and Islamic financial products, among others
“I believe that there is a strong case for allowing banks to offer financial products for which there is a market demand provided that this does not undermine prudential standards and, critically, that the risks of these activities can be understood and managed.”
This will be a welcome move by banks and insurance companies because it is considered key in the growth of the insurance market in Uganda.
Kasekende was cautious about liberalisation of banking legislation to allow commercial banks engage in proprietary securities trading or brokerage activities.
“As the global financial crisis has demonstrated, proprietary trading carries potentially large risks for banks; risks both to the value of their assets and to their liquidity.
Furthermore, a banking system which is heavily engaged in proprietary trading may be more vulnerable to systemic risk, because of the pro-cyclical impact of marking securities to market and because of the heightened liquidity risks created by proprietary trading.”
He argued that it is very difficult to quantify market and liquidity risk of this nature, which is partly endogenous to the financial system.
“Financial institutions tend to underestimate these risks and often have powerful incentives to do so if trading activities are very profitable.
It is also less evident that all of the proprietary trading activities of financial institutions really provide significant economic benefits for the rest of society,” he stressed.
While the liberalisation policy has served Uganda well, some reforms are needed to cushion the sector from external shocks as the financial sector becomes more integrated with global markets.
Currently, Ugandan banks are net creditors with financial institutions abroad which cushion the sector from any loss on their external asset portfolios arising from foreign creditors withdrawing access to credit.
This situation is bound to change, said Kasekende, as Uganda acquires the characteristics of an emerging market economy.
“I would expect that Ugandan banks will eventually become net debtors to foreign financial institutions because economic growth in Uganda should create more investment opportunities which provide higher rates of return, even after adjusting for risk, than the cost of borrowing abroad.”
Kasekende proposed a form of tax to discourage purely short-term private capital flows though he acknowledges the difficulty in enforcing that.
“The main reason why I think that this is worth considering is that purely short-term portfolio flows, which are mainly intermediated in the domestic money markets, may exacerbate short-term volatility in the exchange rate while they do not provide any great benefits to the economy: they are far too short-term to provide resources for funding capital investment.”
He noted that this was critical as the EAC countries move towards a monetary union which will require exchange rate management.
Citing the transition towards the single currency in the Eurozone, he recalled that the countries faced similar challenges in the 1990s as short term capital flows created major difficulties for the alignment of currencies.
The deputy governor reckons a common market will create more efficient financial services as consolidation takes root.
“Some consolidation in the Ugandan banking sector will be necessary and beneficial.
In particular, larger banks will be better placed to take advantage of the expansion in the size of the market created by the common market and to reap economies of scale which can bring down the very high operating costs as a percentage of assets which afflict banks in Uganda.”
In effect, lower operating costs are expected to reduce intermediation spreads which will benefit bank customers in the real sectors of the economy.
Industry players welcomed the reforms, noting that they will provide institutions in Uganda a platform to compete at a regional level.
“To the extent that the reforms enhance both local and foreign institutions to be able to operate in an integrated regional and global level, they are a welcome development,” says Jared Osoro, a senior economist at the East African Development Bank.
However, other bankers were cautious about the impact of the rise in capital requirements on outreach, noting that consolidation may create fewer institutions that may not serve the countryside.
“If consolidation will create huge institutions that disenfranchise the public, the whole purpose is defeated.
On the other hand, if strong institutions create competition that is not cosmetic but compete on pricing and quality of service, then this is the way to go,” said the banker.
The new developments are also seen as a challenge for indigenous banks to position themselves to play in the big league as well as consider innovative ways of raising capital.
“We should see the nurturing of strong institutions irrespective of ownership such that they are in position to improve the quality of service and have extended footprint across the country,” said a banker.
Ugandan banks posted good performance last year according to financial results for the year ended December 2009, amid the global economic downturn.
