Category Archives: Leo Odera Omolo

EAC, Sudan, Kenya, ICC: The ongoing diplomatic row between Nairbi and Khartoum may jeopardize Sudan application for its entry into the East African Community

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo.

The on-going diplomatic row between Nairobi and Khartoum could adversely affect the possibility of Sudan application for its entry into membership of the East African Community ahead of the Southern Sudan.

Fears persist among African diplomats in Nairobi that Sudan’s application to join the regional economic bloc might not see the light of the day when the extraordinary 19th Summit of the Heads of State of the East African Community slated to start in Bujumbura, Burundi tomorrow.

President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya is slated to assume the EAC chairmanship from its outgoing chairman President Pierre Nkurunziza who relinquishes his responsibility after two years in the helm of the top job.

The EAC summit comes in the backdrop of the seriously thawed diplomatic relations between Kenyan and Sudan over the controversial High Court Judgment delivered in Nairobi by a Kenya judge Justice Nicholas Ombija, who issued a warrant of arrest against the Sudan President Omar El Bashir who is wanted by the International Court of Criminal Justice at The Hague to answer the criminal charges of violation of human rights and murder.

The ICC claims that Al Bashir waged a campaign of murder, rape, pillage and deportation in Darfur. The Court says Sudan Armed Forces {SAF} had committed the alleged criminal offences.

THE Sudanese government has since then played down the important of the ICC warrant of arrest issued against Al Bashir a couple of years ago.

When informed of the warrant of arrest, the Sudanese President was quoted as having retorted; “Let them go and dip the indictment in a can of water and drink it. “He angrily said this following the first indictment and vowed never to surrender any Sudanese to the ICC touching off a diplomatic crisis with Western nations that urged him to surrender. Instead Al Bashir’s co-suspects were promoted and assigned new duties with one being made the Governor of South Kordofan region, the only oil rich part of Sudan where a new insurgency has emerged.

On haring about the Nairobi’s High Court decision, Khartoum reacted angrily and gave Kenya’s Ambassador to that country 72 hours to leave and t the same time recalled home its envoy to Kenya.

The Kenya government, however, remained calm and instructed the Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai to lodge an appeal with the Supreme Court against the High Court ruling.

Since the ICC warrant was issued three years ago, President Omar Al Bashir has defiantly travelled abroad and to several parts of Africa, but carefully avoided the visit to any of the Western nations, which are the lading signatories to the Rome Statue which created the ICC. He has visited the Peoples Republic of China, Ethiopia, Uganda and even he was in Nairobi last August. The majority members of the African Union, even those countries which are signatories to the Rome Statue supports Al Bashir.The AU itself at one time passed a resolution to this effect.,

But now the possibility of Sudan joins the EAC as new member still hands in balance following the ongoing diplomatic row that has erupted between Khartoum and Nairobi ahead of the bloc’s Head of State meeting in Burundi which kicks off tomorrow.

A report emerging from Bujumbura says the signs of diplomatic show down during the Council of Ministers meeting on Tuesday this week. Some of the Minister openly opposed Sudan’s inclusion ahead of its neighbor the Southern Sudan’s application for the same.

Among the Ministers who openly expressed their opposition to the move was Eriya Kategaya, the Ugandan Minister for the East African Community Affairs and also the Deputy Prime Minister.

He was quoted as saying, “ It would be wrong to admit a country whose political leadership is under scrutiny for the gross violation of human rights.”

“Sudan does not share border with any member of the EAC partner states. It would therefore be wrong to admit it before that of the Southern Sudan.”If you look at several issues like their democracy, the way they beat up women and their religious and politics we feel they don’t qualify.”

The seriousness of the issue was underline when President Kibaki few minutes after arrival in Bujumbura went straight into serious briefing meetings with Kenyan Minister for the East African Community Affairs Musa Sirma his counterpart the Minister for Foreign Affairs Moses Wetangula and the Attorney general of Kenya Prof. Githu Muigai.

Prof Muigai and Minister Sirma were expected late this afternoon to continue briefing the Kenya n President who resume the EAC chair tomorrow. Top on the agenda of the deliberations are issues such as the question of Southern Sudan admission to the EAC.

Briefing the press last week, the Secretary-0General of the EAC Dr. Richard Sezibera disclosed that President Omar Al Bashir wrote a letter to President Pierre Nkurunziza last June apply for the admission of his country to the EAC while the Southern Sudan application came early this month. But there are all signs that most delegates favored the Southern Sudan application which is likely to sail through during discussion at the summit.

With President Kibaki assuming the chairmanship of the EAC tomorrow, the chances of Khartoum joining the bloc during this time of serious diplomatic thaw with Kenya is rather remote.

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KENYA: THE IRON LADY LOCKED OUT OF THE ODM GRASSROOT ELECTIONS THE BIG NAMES AND SEASONED POLITICIANS IN KISUMU FROM THE SUB LOCATIONS TO THE COUNTY LEVEL

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The just concluded Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} grass rots election in Kisumu County produced shocking and surprising results in some places while it also created happiness in other places.

From Nyakach constituency, also within the Kisumu County one iron lady did the impossible. She sent several big names within the region’s political circles tumbling to the ground locking the men from the sub-locations, locations, and district to the finish at the County level.

Grace Adhiambo Akumu had joined the election race as an underdog. There were big names who include former Minister, the sitting MP and former Chairman of Gor Mahia Football Club in the race.

She is the wife of a veteran trade unionist and former CXOTU {K} Secretary General J.D.Akumu, who was a two time MP for Nyakach. She managed to lock out of the party election the former MP for Nyakach and one time an Assistant Minister Peter Odoyo, the sitting MP Polyins Ochieng’ Daima and Eng. Evans Kodera who hails with her from the same Koguta sub-location in Nyakach.

MRS Akumu who has already declared her interest in vying for the Nyakach parliamentary seat in the forthcoming genera election won the position of the Women Orange Democratic at the Kisumu County ODM branch in the violence marred elections held at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu which saw some of the ugliest incidents.

During the violence orgies, the Nyakach MP Ochieng Daima was assaulted and punched by a civic leader from Nyakach and scores of people were injured in a knife attacks & fist attacks. Mrs Rosa Buyu from Kisumu West constituency won the chairperson of the ODM Women Democrat wing.

In Homa-Bay County, the branch chair was clinched by the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Otieno Kajwang’ in a controversial election carried out by consensus after delegates had sharply disagreed with the mode of the election. The Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo who had earlier been rescued from the attacks by rowdy youths forcing his personal bodyguard to fire in the air was named the vice chairman; while Karachuonyo MP Eng James K Rege was named the branch Secretary and the position of the branch treasurer went to Mrs Monica Amolo from Ndhiwa.

Mrs Benedater Yambo aka Nyaseme from Gwassi became the County Women representative while Mrs Patricia Ouma from Kasipul-Kabondo and another person Mourice Aguko Mayora Jamumbo was named the Assistant branch secretary.

The outspoken Gwassi MP John Mbadi was locked out of the race all along from the sub-locations level as was his Kasipul-Kabondo counter part Jseph Oyugi Magwanga.

Looking jovial, Mrs Akumu thanked the ODM members in Nyakach and also within Kisumu County and promised to deliver. She said she was grateful for that she had had come all along from the sub-location to the County level an indication that party members both men and women have confidence in her.

photo of Mrs Akumu

She said that while campaigning in her rural Nyakach, she had come to realize that most women folks do not understand what the meaning of the new constitution commonly dubbed “Women Katiba” due to the extensive inclusion of the gender issues therein the new document.

Mrs Akumu made a pledge that she would be consulting with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and some NGOs with the view to seeking funds for the translation of the new Constitution into various vernacular languages so that ordinary men and women could under stand what it says.

Akumu said she will thrive to work hard toward the empowerment of women economically and look for market outlets for the primary farm products.

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Kenya: Violence marred ODM grass roots election was a shame and futile exercise which could see the party more divided house than a united as team to face rival parties the impending general elections

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo

The just concluded and violence marred ODM grass root elections in Luo-Nyanza wee not what it takes to be called fair and democratic, but sham, dictatorial and highly manipulated.

The elections has left the party a divided house and much weakened than ever before. The possibilities of those problems during the just concluded, but highly flawed and manipulated polls moving to other parties cannot be ruled out.

The party election in a region where it is the only party of choice did not in any sense reflected the persistent claims by its top leaders including the Prime Minister Raila Odinga that it is practicing the essence and principles of the tenets democracy.

The exercise was similar to the usually flawed parliamentary and civic nomination which on occasion has led to its dismal performance at the various by-elections in the recent past.

Those who won positions in the grass roots at the sub-locations levels were late shocked to find their names missing during the elections at the locations level and the matters were not good at the County elections.

Several big names of seasoned politicians lost to the newcomers. They include the former cabinet D. Paul Adhu Awiti in West Karachuonyo and the former branch chairman Jack Nduri were all locked out of the race at the sub-locations and locations level.

A former Assistant Minister for Education and two times MP for the old larger Homa-Bay Phares Oluoch Kanindo who is an aspirant for Migori County Senate seat could not go beyond the sub-location level. Rongo constituency had ten officially recognized administrative locations, but Kanindo and other had won the grass root in the two sub-locations which were recently proposed to be elevated to full locations, but hare yet to be gazette as such.

During the County elections held at the Migori Teachers College several party members, particularly from the areas where the election did not take place in a proper manner and in accordance to the party constitution had moved to court and obtained court injunction stopping the elections. But the delegates and interested individuals locked the gates of the Migori Teachers training College and refused to accept the court paper.

The court paper stopping the election had been obtained through a Migori lawyer Omondi Kasera. The court process servers were topped and denied entry into the election venue.

Those who felt grieved who moved to court to stop the elections were Elkana Kaudo, Eng Ezra Odondi, Joseph Ong’ondo Ngani and Phares Oluoch Kanindo.The group’s contention and main complaints was that elections in Rongo constituency had excluded two subs location and wanted it repeated.

After the election coordinator for Migori was served with court papers, which he refused to accept an sign for, the paper were left with him, but the complainants have since moved to Nairobi and served the court paper s to the party Headquarters at the Orange House in Nairobi.

In Rongo the names of those who won the elections in their respective sub-locations were had their names doctored and thrown into the dustbins, and only the names of those who did not won or even the one who did even not participated in the sub-branch elections were the ones which surfaced and emerged as the delegates. These were people perceived to be allied to the MP Dalmas Otieno, while the elections in most of the sub-branches were won by men and women opposed to the MP. It makes the whole exercise a mockery to the democratic tenets.

The elections were so chaotic and even forced Minister Kajwang’ to fled the venue immediately after he was named the Homa-Bay County branch chairman, leaving dozens of delegates from his Mbita constituency stranded at Homa-Bay town.

The other Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang had won his election fairly fro sub-location, location and district level, though it later merged those delegates from Rangwe, Kasipul- Kabondo, Karachuonyo and Gwassi had some complications. Many were locked out or had their names replaced by other people leading to the election to be held by a consensus not by voting system.

In the elections proper which was carried out by consensus Elijah M Magaiwa from Kuria constituency was finally named the Migori County ODM boss, while the vice chairman is Coun. Odera Awene from Central Sakwa Location in Awendo district, Joseph Ocheng’ from Migori constituency was elected the branch secretary hike the Nyatike MP Erick Omondi Anyanga was name the branch Treasurer.

For the party to survive onslaught from its rivals, the ODM must ensure that proper elections are carried out. And those places where genuine complaints are detected the elections should be nullified and proper one with close supervision by top official from the party headquarters be repeated.

In many places returning officers and the coordinators who supposed to supervisor the elections turned out to be the most corrupted and conmen out to make money. Rowdy youths were allowed to run away with he elections materials in a gangster fashion or coordinators had found this was the way of making cheap money and haw allowed themselves to be manipulated by individual interests, the culprits being the MPs. Names of the election losers or hose who did not take part in the election were later sneaked into the elections papers, while those of the genuinely elected leader doctored out. This became the source of violence which saw several people assaulted at Tom Mboya Labor College in Kisumu including an MP was assaulted and beaten up senselessly by rowdy youths.

Former Mathare MP Gilbert Ocheng’ Mbeo from Rongo and the Minister for Public Service who at one time was a member of the East African Legislative Assembly was named delegate together with a member of the Kenya Sugar Board Zachary Okoth Obado from Uriri. Also named a delegate to the National party governing council was Dalmas Otino the Minister for Public Service and MP for Rongo. The branch strictly observed the gender rule and several women were named as party of the delegates.

In the neighboring Homa-Bay County, Immigration Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ was named the ODM chairman with the Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo as his vice, while the Karachuonyo MP Eng. Jams Rege was elected the branch secretary. A Ndhiwa politician Monica Amolo was name the branch secretary.

The Homa-Bay County branch of the ODM also strictly observe gender issues and several women won place among the delegates t the national Council.

In Kisumu City, Dave Okwatch a delegates from Kisumu Town West was elected the Kisumu County ODM branch chairman wit Coun Shem Onyango as the vice chairman an exercise which sparked off a near violence protests. Rosa Buyu was named the branch women leader and Grace Akumu from Nyakach became the women branch secretary.

Both Okwatch and Buyu hails from Bondo in the home turf lf the party leader Raila Odinga, and this raised suspicion that their elections were staged managed or directed by someone from above.

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Kenya Scores diplomatic double against Al-Shabaan terrorists in Somali as it secured approval and support of two key important regional bodies

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

KENYA has scored doubles by winning the support of two key regional bodies for its military operations in Somalia to flush out the Islamist terrorist Al-Shabaab militants.

It secured the backing and approval if the Intergovernmental Agency on Development {IGAD}, a regional organization which groups Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Djibouti and now the suspended Eritrea.

Nairobi has also won the support and approval of the five-nation member countries of the East African Community {EAC}. The community groups together Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The EAC is schedule to hold its extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit in Bujumbura Burundi next Wednesday and top on the agenda for discussion will feature he war in Somalia.

Already the EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera from Rwanda has hinted the community support from Kenya. Individual member states have also expressed their support for Kenya, and most important of all being the neighboring Uganda and Burundi which have contributed close to 9,000 troops serving in the AU peacekeepers under the unified force called AMISOM.

An urgently convened summit of the regional presidents held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa at the weekend unanimously endorsed Kenya’s military operation in Somalia code named “Operation Linda Nchi”.

The IGAD leaders pitched for regional solidarity and enhanced coordination between Kenya Defense Forces, AMISOM and TFG to defeat Al-Shabaab and restore stability I the Horn of Africa’s devastated country.

The regional leaders who in attendance at the Summit chaired by the Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi were Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, President Ismael Omar Gulled of Djibouti and President Shariff Sheikh Ahmed for Somalia.

In a final communiqué released to the media after the 19th extraordinary IGAD Summit, the regional leaders stressed the need for the organization and the African Union {AU}to galvanize international support for the onion g military operation. The Summit further called on the Transitional Government of Somalia and endorsement of national security to expedite the finalization and endorsement of national security and stability process.

The summit expressed concern that Kenya carried the heaviest refugee burden and called on the international community to develop modalities for burden sharing.

The Summit further urged humanitarian agencies to relocate to the secure parts of Somalia to stem the influx of refugee into the neighboring countries, and further called o the UN Security Council t revise its resolution 2020 extending for 12 months authorization for countries cooperating with TFG to use necessary means to combat piracy and armed robbery.

At the same time the Secretary General of the East African Community Dr Richard Sezibera in a statement issued in Bujumbura, Burundi where the Council of Ministers of the bloc are meting together with the members of the East African Legislative Assembly a head of the Summit slated for next Wednesday, said that the partner states f the EAC were clear on their support for Kenya’s military operation “Linda Inchi” meant t flush out the al-qaeda backed Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.

“Somali will be to on the agenda of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit slate for next Wednesday, will seek to provide a long lasting solution on the Somalia conflict.”.

On the possibility of the entry of Southern Sudan into the EAC, Dr Sezibera said the lingering state f insecurity in Africa’s youngest nation should be n obstacle.

He made these remarks on sideline of the 24th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. He said Southern Sudan is just coming of conflict and there are residual problems with countries emerging from conflicts. ”We have Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. EAC has lots of wisdom borne out of experience with which it can assist South Sudan become stable.”

On recent ban by Tanzania on maize exports to Kenya, the Secretary General said the issue had already been resolved. “Tanzania has lifted the ban on maize exports to Kenya while Kenya on its part is working to do the same.

“The East African Community Customs

In the battle front, Kenya has so far lost ten men with one missing in action an the Al-Shabaab appeared to have resorted not to challenge the mighty Kenya military forces on conventional war, but have resorted to urban guerrilla tactics which is similar to the fashion used by Vietnamese during the Indochina War of 1960s of hitting enemy target in strategic places behind the line. It has strike once in Garrisa Town near the Kenya Somali border when its agent attacked a police station killing one police man and escaped with his G3 rifle and by waylaying land mines on strategic roots aimed t Kenya’s military vehicles movements.

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Kenya & ICC: Former Mungiki leader spilt the beans and disclosed that he had been threatened by a senior politician linked to ICC suspects

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The Criminal cases pending against senior Kenyan politicians and top government official at the International Criminal Court of Justice at The Hague may soon take a new legal dimension following the shocking claims by the for leader of the dreaded and outlawed Mungiki religious sect.

Members of this sect were extensively mention by the ICC Chief Prosecutor Moreno Ocampo during the confirmation hearing before the ICC judges two months ago as having played key role in planned and well executed attacks, maiming and killing of innocent people for political expediency during the post-election violence which erupted in Kenya after the dispute presidential election results in December 2007.

The violence orgies that followed post election periods of 2007 and 2008 claimed the lives of more than 1500 Kenyan citizens, destruction of property worth billion of dollars and internally displaced people estimated to be numbering about 3500 whose homes were torched and forcefully evicted from their farms.

Six top politician and senior government official have appeared before the ICC judges t The Hague for the confirmation hearing as to whether they will have cases to answer leading to a full scale trials in the same ICC court. The politicians and top official hired some of the best lawyers in Kenya, UK and US for their defense team.

Among the suspect were former Minister for Higher Education and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the suspended Industrialization Minister Henry Kosgey who is the serving MP for Tinderet in Nandi South district, a local FM Kass Radio Station presenter Joshua Arap Sang. The trio are suspected for committed criminal offences against humanity, causing illegal eviction of people from their homes and destruction of property and mass murder.

The second bunch of the suspect include the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta who is also the MP for Gatundu South, the Head of civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Ambassador Francis Muthaura and the former Commissioner of Police Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, who is currently serving the government as the Postmaster General.

The latest revelation by the former Mungiki leader Njenga Maina is likely going to incriminate and hurt the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who is also the one of the leading contender for the next year Kenya’s presidential race,Ambassador Muthaura and the former police Commissioner Hussein Ali.

Evidence were presented before the ICC Judges that the three had planned the arming and use Mungiki militias for retaliatory attacks against members of the communities considered hostile to the government leading to the killing of dozens of members ODM supporters, mainly Luos, Kalenjin, Luhyia and Kisii who were living in Naivasha and Nakuru towns in the Rift Valley Province.

The former Mungiki leader Njenga Maina told newsmen early this week that he fear his life is in danger because a senior politician linked to the ICC suspect want to kill him.

He claimed that the unnamed politician from Central Kenya believes that it was he {Njenga} who had sent a prosecution witness to the Hague with incriminating information about the retaliatory attacks against members of Kenya tribes who supported the opposition ODM party in Naivasha an Nakuru during the post-election violence.

Njenga Maina who is now a born again Christian and Preacher, said he fear for his life after strangers claiming to be officers from the dreaded anti-Mungiki police unit visited his two homes the previous week.

He told reporters in Karen Estate, a suburb of the capital city, Nairobi that a motor vehicle with the government registration number plate went to his Karen residence last Sunday with five unidentified occupants.

“The men claimed they were officers from the dreaded Kwekwe Squad and that they want to talk to me.”

Another Nissan van visited my Kitengela home and told my workers that they want Kshs 2 million to pardon me over crimes I do not know,” Njenga aid.

“Some people are asking why I had sent former Mungiki people to The Hague to testify for Ocampo. I am truly tell you the pressmen that I do not know who I at the ICC as a witness,” said Njenga

Njnga Maina believes that he unnamed politician from Central Kenya become angry with him after he {Njenga} had demanded that the senior politician honor his pledge to offset an outstanding mortuary bill for his {Njenga’s} wife Virginia Nyakio Njenga and her two bodyguards who were mysteriously murdered in 2008 according o other sources.

The politician in question had made a pledge to give Kshs 7 million and had initially made down payment of Kshs 4 million. After the politician allegedly told Njnga that he woud not pay the Kshs 3 million balance at the Umash Funeral home where the bodies of his wife and two other victims had remained uncollected for burial for well over two years.

The bodies of Virginia Nyakio Njenga, her bodyguard and her driver remained at the funeral home because the Mungiki followers had said they could not bury the three while their former Mungiki leader himself was still in prison.

Njenga Maina now felt threatened because the politician has said that he {Njenga} would not live to see the ICC suspect being locked in at The Hague because the Mungiki had implicated him in crimes against humanity.

The Mungiki informer is now hiding somewhere in Europe. H is expected to give testimony in The Hague against Deputy prime Minister an Minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta, Civil Service Head Ambassador Francis Muthaura and the former Police Commissioner Maj-Gen. Hussein Ali who are jointly accuse of organizing the Mungiki attacks in Naivasha and Nakuru Towns.

The politician close to the susect apparently believes that the Ocampo witness was sent to The Hague by Njenga.

Njenga told journalists suspicious cars have been trailing him since the heated exchange of words with the unnamed senior politician linked to the ICC suspects.

The story about Njenga Maina outbursts at the press conference, which he called at Karen was completely given the black out by the mainstream media houses in Kenya, but prominently mad a front page headline by the upcoming and aggressive Nairobi daily, The STAR.

Njenga disclosed that n Asistant minister had called to threaten him with dire consequences over the decision he made in supporting the former Defense Minister Mzee Njenga Karume as the sole spokesman of the Kikuyu community.

He said he had so far recorded statements at the Karen and Athi River police stations over the threat, a claim which the Police Spokesman Erik Kiraithe was quoted by he STAR as having been confirmed and that the police were actively investigating the matter.

Virginia Nyakio Njenga was buried with three others in January 2010 in Njenga’s home at Kitengela ia few kilometers in the outskirt of Nairobi City. Mrs Njnga was murdered with her driver and a bodyguard in April 2008 in Ngong’ Forest near Nairobi possibly by suspicion implicating the Kwekwe Police Unit Squad could have been secretly involved.

Former Defense Minister Njenga Karume and former MP Ferdinand Waititu were among the high ranking individuals who contributed money towards the Kshs 9 million mortuary and burial expenses for Nyakio. During the funeral Njenga Karume told the mourners that Starehe MP and an Assistant minister for Housing Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Nairobi business tycoon Irshad Sumra had also contributed to the mortuary fee along with other donors who sent money through MPESA money transfer outlet.

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Kenya: Faulty stars, ill-planning may adversely affect ODM grass root elections in Western Kenya

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town.

The much highlighted ODM’s grass root election could turn out to be a sham exercise due to poor preparedness, gross interference by sitting MPS and shoddy arrangement.

In some places members of the Provincial Administration were in to taking sides behind the sitting MPS to the chagrins of the party members.

In one particular area, in the South Kamagambo Location, Rongo district in Migori County two chiefs were seen playing the key role in directing the ODM party election. the election which was slated at Kitere Center near Moi University Campos was abruptly changed for Rakwaro.

This happened after most of the members numbering over 400 people have already gathered at Kitere ready to cast their votes.

The announcement for the changes of election venue was made by location Chief Eric Mala and the Assistant Chief for Kanyajuok South sub-location Okoth Nyamanga. The announcement took party members who had gathered at Kitere by surprise. They immediately read a malice, especially when the two chiefs instructed the returning officer to go to Rakwaro instead of Kiterea vebnu which had been announced by he party earlier.

Thy vowed not to move to the new venue at Rakwaro, which is seven kilometer away from Kitere due to lack of transport, and instead they decided to conduct their own parallel election, while those who had already gathered at Kitere also went ahead with their own election.

The two chiefs, according to the local sources were acting on the alleged instruction of the area MP Dalmas Otieno who is also the Minister for Public Services.

On the first day the ODM grass root elections were marred by fighting and disputes over delegates in various sub-branches. This led the dissatisfied groups to conducting parallel election thereby producing two different set of officials.

In some places the elections were marred with sporadic fighting over the mode to be used or delegates failing to agree on the mode. Some delegates preferred queuing, while others wanted the secret ballots to be us, and such disagreement led to the group conducting separate elections parallel to each other.

Similar incidents were reported I Kombok sub-Location in Central Sakwa Location in Awendo district and also in Kanyagwala sub-location in Central Sakwa within the same district.

In Rachuonyo North district a bitter contest was witnessed in Konyango sb-location in Central Karachuonyo where the ODM regional coordinator Tom Dolla ousted the Karachuonyo branch chairman Jack Nduri at the sub-location level, but Nduri later won the election after switching to Jieri sub-location near Kendu-_Bay town. The election locked out many previous holders of sub-branches and branches offices.

Several potential parliamentary .senate and County governor aspirants and some of the sitting MPs closely watched or supervised the elections in their respective location wards.

Prof Larry Gumbe who is one of the leading contenders in the party’s national for the position of the ODM Secretary General was seen busy the whole day supervising the elections in nearly all sub-locations in his home district of North Rachuonyo.

Another aspirant for Migori the Senate seat Ochieng’ Mbeo was elected a delegates in his Waware sub-branch in Sakwa East Location Awendo district within Migori County. He is a former Mathare MP and also an ex-member of the East African Legislative Assembly, the political organ of the East African Community.

Other regions like Siaya ad Ksumu County the election went on smoothly with few cases of fighting or disagreements over the composition of delegates being reported from Nyakach, Muhoroni, Nyando,Gem and Rarieda.

Luo-Nyanza is considered the stronghold of the ODM, a party which is led by Raila Odinga, the Prime Minister who is leading political figure in the next year’s presidential race,

The party is ,however, likely to face an acid test in regions laying in the North and South Rift regions represented in parliament by the rebel MPs who have since ditched the OFM and defected to the UDM.

In order to be able to be relevant in the forthcoming general elections, the ODM must go out flat and shop for stronger and highly respect I Individual to fill the vacant positions left by the rebel MPs in those areas. I the North Rift, the Eldoret North MP Wiliam Ruto has been the ODM Deputy party leader, while the Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lang’at was the deputy national organizing secretary/Another important political figure in the ODM is its national chairman Henry Kosgey, the MP for Tinderet in Nandi South district. Kosgey has yet to make his position clear whether he would be defending his position of chairmanship or not, while Ruto and Lang’at have declared that they would not contest any position in ODM lection and have therefore distanced themselves from the party activities.

The ODM must shop for the credible and highly respected individuals in the South Rift, where the most populous Kipsigis sub-tribe of the larger Kalenjin ethnic groups lives.

The vote rich region with close to 1.3 million registered voters is crucial to the ODM and Raila Odinga’s presidential ambition in 2012. This is an area which has been incessantly bombarded by William Ruto and those allied to him and the UDM. But the two parties, the ODM and UDM are still sharing equal strength in parliamentary representation.

ODM MPS who are still maintained unswerving loyalty to the party and Raila Odinga are four namely Franklin Bett {Buret} Dr Joyce Laboso [Sotik} Magerer Lang’at {Kipkellion} and Mrs Beatrice Knes {Bomet}.

The four other legislators who have joined Ruto’s UDM camp, include Charles Keter {Belgut}, Dr Julius Kones {Konoin}, Isaac Ruto {Chepalungu} and Benjamin Lang’at {Ainamoi}.

So far Isaac Ruto of Chepalungu and Charles Keter of Belgut have announced that they will not defend their parliamentary seats, but would contest the County governorship in both Bomet and Kericho Counties.

Reports emerging on the ground says Ruto and his team of ODM rebel MPs have been criss-crossing the region while polarizing the population with multiple accusations against Raila Odinga’s leadership, but the population appeared divided between those still supporting ODM and those who disapproved Ruto alliances with the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

The locals believes that by forming an alliance with Kenyatta, Ruto is likely to play the second or third fiddle in the G7an event which will return the power to the Central Province or to The Mt Kenya region. On the ODM, the Kipsigis community one to see want of their own sons and daughter elevated to to the position of seniority to the party hierarchy, perhaps that of the Deputy leader and eventually the running-mate of Raila in the next presidential race. If this happens, Ruto will be quite irrelevant in the region.

The man the community has tipped to be promoted to a position of seniority in the ODM is the Road Minister and Buret MP Franklin Bett. The Minister has remained steadfastly in ODM and is one of the party’s torch bearers in the region.

The previous land clashes of the 1992/1993, and that of 1986/1997 and finally the bloody clashes of 2007/2008 do not augur well for Uhuru Kenyatta in the South Rift region. These intermittent tribal skirmishes have left permanent scar on the Kikuyu-Kipsigis intra communal relations. It would be an up-hill task to sell Uhuru Kenyatta among he Kipsigis voters however good is the the Gatundu South MP is.

If the ongoing ODM elections could produce credible and energetic leaders in the Kipsigis dominated region, thn Raila has nothing to fear of losing the Kalenjin votes in this tea land rich region.

The political clout an enormous influence of the retired President Daniel Arap Moi and KANU party in the Kipsigis region cannot be easily fizzled out, therefore the ODM and Raila Odinga in particular need to cultivate good working relations with the self proclaimed professor of Kenya’s politics and he must also built a working rapport with Moi and his allies in order to circumvent Ruto’s populist onslaught in this region.

In Kisii region, things look rather bright for the ODM and promising despite the concerted effort by he former ODM National Treasurer Omingo Magara to discredit Raila in the Gusii dominated regions in the Counties of Nyamira and Kisii.The party is still capable of neutralizing sporadic and skeleton opposition to its activities. Magara and Prof.Sam Ongeri are considered by the Abagusii people as spent forces, and the on going party grass root election is expected to produce the new set of youthful leaders in the region.

In the North Rift the ODM is still enjoying the support of the nominated MP Musa Sirma who is the Minister for the East African Community Affairs, The Minister fr Higher Education Prof.Margaret kamar, and the Minister for Agriculture Dr,Sally Ksgey while the undecided and suspended Minister for Industrialization Henry Kosgey is still sitting on the fence.

Both Kosgey, William Ruto like Uhuru Kenyatta are still having the tug of ICC cases n their neck and this Ha put their future political leadership in their community temporarily of the balance,.

In Western those dismissing Musalia Mudavadi, the second deputy party leader as being weak are doing so for their own peril. The Sabatia MP is a very strong leader. He is reliable, dependable and dynamic. But the conflict of ethnic interests is what is betraying him. He hails from the Maragoli sub-tribe of the larger Abaluhya ethnic group, but a community which does not rime will with other Luhyias sub-tribes owing to its enormous economic clout in Western Province and excellent academic achievements.

This has contributed largely to some of its sons and daughters displaying excessive arrogance towards other people from other Luhyia communities.

Unlike their Luo neighbors Luhya community comprises a collection the umbrella of one uniformed political leadership. WVEN Eugen Wamalwa, the Saboti MP who is allegedly getting both morale boosting and financial backing of Ugandan head of state Yoweri Museveni and G7 Alliance cannot succeed in having Luhiya community united under one political party. In fact many Luhyias view Wamalwa as a big political joke.

The ODM grass political turn-coats likes of Wamalwa and Jirongoprinting its authority in the region in the same fashion as what had happened in the 2007 general elections.

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Kenya: Cane poaching war has intensified between the two sugar millers in Awendo area in Migori County

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

The cold war of words over the disputed raw cane supplies to the two sugar mills based in Migori and Homa-Bay Counties.

The situation is rapidly growing from bad to worse and now call for the government intervention to have the supplies of raw cane to the Awendo based South Nyanza Sugar Company Limited and Sugari Industries Company Limited based in Ndhiwa based within the County of Homa-Bay.

The distance between the two facilities is moderately estimated to be between 15 and 20 kilometers apart. The new factory is located at Wachara Markat in a pace previously reserved by the surrounding communities for common cattle grazing known as Paw Otange. It has been on the running test for sometime, but went into full blast production early last week with a prime rice of Kshs 5,093 per ton of raw cane and not charging any transport cost.

On hearing of the frightening prices being offered by the new Mill, he SONYSUGAR managing director Paul Odolla unilaterally without consulting other stakeholder announced that Sony Sugar would now pay Kshs 4,500 per ton, but still charges other expenses such as harvesting and transportation fees on farmer’s cane.

Both the planners within the government and the investors stands equally blamed for having failed to strictly observed the rule set by the Kenya Sugar Board, which is the regulating authority in the sugar industry that require anyone intending to establish a new sugar factory must ensure that the new facility is located 40 kilometers away from the existing facility in order to avoid the scrambling over the raw cane, hence the existing pathetic situation.

Furthermore, the Sukari Industries should have been prevailed upon to identify and developed its own cane firm twenty months before the completion of the construction work and installation of the factory, though it has no nucleus estate farm of its own for the steady supplies of raw cane, it could have contracted its own farmers within its can growing zones.

The Sonysugar management blames the new Mill for targeting its own cane, which it had advanced the fa contracted farmers a colossal of money on credit facilities. Such facilities restrict the farmers to deliver the cane to the Sonysugar shat the company could recover the money it had advanced he can farmers for cane development and husbandry.

But within the same cane is delivered to another factory, SonySugar books of account and records remained and the company stand to incur loses running into millions of shillings.

The Sukari Industries ltd, however, countered this line of argument by saying that it has only targeted non-contracted cane farmers, though such farmers are located within the Sonysugar cane growing zones. But Sonysugar insists that even in the case of non-contracted farmers, it had supplied its own cane seedlings to the farmer for planting, therefore it has the monopoly rights to harvest such can farms.

The on-going war has come about due to sharp differences in what is believed to be the cut-throat-prices per tonnage for cane. For a long time SonySugar Company has been accused of poor plan of can harvisting programme, which has led to thousands of tons of mature rotting in the field un-harvested.

The company manager with total impunity were involved in corruptive harvesting practices common called “Helicopter Harvesting” in which they were only harvesting cane selectively on farms where the owner had paid out ”Kick-Backs” or bribe money and jumping hose which belonged to unknown poor farmers. They completely ignored the plight of poor rural peasants who depended on their small scale farms for their livelihood.

Thousand of small scale and contracted cane farmers become disillusioned and frustrated when their crops got rotten in the field un-harvested and go into the waste. Some of the farmers abandoned cane rowing for other cash crop such as tobacco, maize and others.

The situation is also aggravated by payment of cane bills. Whereas the Sukari Industries Limited of Ndhiwa pays promptly on cane delivery, whereas Sonysugar of Awendo pays after two months of cane delivery. In the past payment from SonySugar were not forthcoming even after six months, sometime even one year.

Other accusation and claims against SonySugar is its poor public relations between its top managers and the ordinary cane farmers.

Immediately after getting wind of the impending scramble for can, Sonysugar went into can harvesting spree, clearing nearly all mature cane in Sakwa South area, but some of the cane which were harvested in hasty remained rotting and drying in the filed due to shortage of transportation fleet.

SonySugar then moved to the Trans-Mara district in Narok County in Maasailand where most of the cane belonging to its top manager and sent the fleet of transporting tractors. The move has also elicited anger and criticism.

The woe of SonySugar could even be worse when another sugar factory slated to go into production in the first week of December began crushing cane. The Trans-Mara Sugar Company is currently on the running test and would soon start the actual cane crushing work.

Sonysugar company has also began panicking that he new mill, which like the one in Ndhiwa has no nucleus estates of its own for steady supplies of raw cane for crushing. The new Mill is also targeting the cane grown in Maasai land with the financial backing to individual farmers by SonySugar. And once it commences crushing, the two mill would push SonySugar to the wall.

In order to make its operation continue uninterrupted SonySugar will have to usher in some kind of radical reforms in its management in order to make it incentive to do business with.

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EAC: Burundi head of state calls for the speeding up of the regional Customs Union

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Writes Leo Oera Omolo

The outgoing chairman of the Summit of the East African Community, President Pierre Nkurunziza of Burundi has called the member countries to speed up the establishment and signing of the regional Customs Union.

President Nkurunziza who will be relinquishing is position as the Summit of the EAC chair next week at the next Summit scheduled on November 30 in Bujumbura said Non Tariffs Barrier{NTBs} have not only inhibited development and raised the cost of dong business, they have also acted as impediment to the Customs Union and Common Market Protocol.

President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya is expected to resume the chair of the Summit of the EAC next week during the next Summit slated for Bujumbura on November 30,2011.

President Nkurunziza asked members of the East African Legislative Assembly who are currently meeting in Bujumbura ahead of the next week’s Summit to scale monitoring so as to tackle the issue of the Customs authority.

Establishment of a regional Customs Union is part of the Customs Union, which became fully fledged on January last year, after five-year transition period.

A single regional Customs Authority would mean that customs revenues are collected at the first point of entry, and imported goods proceed to the final destination without stopping at national border points for customs charges or inspection.

President Nkurunziza further called for the speedy implementation of decisions of the EAC Council of Ministers, and implementation of the Protocol and commitments agreed on by partner states in order to ensure the benefits of the regional integration are felt by all.

“It is imperative, therefore that this Legislative Assembly and the Council of Ministers to collaborate more mechanisms to initiate laws that enforce the expeditious implementation of Customs Union and the Common Market Protocol so that East African citizens can reap benefits

Accruing from them,” the Burundi leader said.

Nkurunziza spoke during the Second of the Fifth Session of the East African Legislative Assembly meeting held at the Congress Palace, in Bujumbura.

The Legislative arm of the East African Community, which started its sittings last week has lined up a series of Bills that will be debated over the next two weeks, among them the second and third reading of the controversial EAC Polythene Materials Control Bill.

Various motions, reports and resolutions deepening and widening the integration agenda are also on the agenda, and will be adopted at the two weeks plenary, according to information emerging from the EAC secretariat in Arusha.

Early this month two senior Kenya government officials were reported to have clashed as they debated whether Kenya should ban use of polythene materials.

Industrialization Permanent Secretary Dr Karanja Kibicho and the Permanent Secretary to the EAC David Nalo had presented differing views during public hearing of the Polythene Materials Control Bill.

The mover of the Polythene Material Control Bill {PMCB} Patricia Hajabakiga argued the Bill is about managing waste not controlling production of polythene materials. But Dr Kibicho said although the Bill means well, it might lead to closure of many firms if it is passed as a law.

On his part, Nalo said the Bill is not about plastics, which most of the manufacturers in Kenya are involved in, but rather the menace caused by polythene on the environment.

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Kenya: Cut-throat competition over raw cane supplies is threatening to disrupt sugar production in Southern Nyanza

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

A bitter dispute has erupted between the Awendo based SONYSUGAR Company an the newly established Sukari Millers Ltd over supplies of raw cane for processing.

On Friday last week a fleet of tractors carrying a gang of cane harvesters from the newly established Sukari Millers Limited based in Ndhiwa district and agents of the Awendo-based SONYSUGAR had confronted each other at a farm which is located near Ranen market in Kogelo Sub-Location of Sakwa East Location in Awendo district within Migori County.

The agents, purporting to have been sent by sonysugar company management to stop any outsider from harvesting and transporting raw cane out of its exclusive cane growing zones, provoked the villagers to quickly arm themselves with crude weapons ready for a bloody fight.

A gang of people confronted the tractors and had a plan to puncture their tyres on claims that they were encroaching on SonySugar Company cane growing zones. The youth suspected to have been sent to the scene by agents of SonySugar menacingly threatened to burn the tractors and beat up he drivers, cane cutters and loaders on claims they were trespassing on an area which is within the sugar cane growing zone of SonySugar.

The confrontation almost turned bloody, spurred on by the villagers sympathetic to the owner of the cane farm. It was later established that the farm was contracted not to SonySugar, but an out grower outlet.

As the situation threatened to turn into violence, the police were called. After this, the owner of the cane farm put up his argument that the reason why he wanted his cane to be harvested by Sukari Millers Limited was due to several factors including the price of raw cane per ton. The Ndhiwa based firm is paying out to farmers at Kshs 5,093 whereas SONYSUGAR is still paying the old prices of Kshs 3,500 per ton.

Cane farmers in Awendo cane growing zones also alleged that SonySugar for years has been harvesting cane selectively and corruptively, at time leaving some farmers to go up three or four years without their cane being harvested until the crop become overgrown.

The next incident occurred at Pi Kwar area also within the same location when a farmer Oluoch Okongo’ Gumo who claimed to have invited the SONYSUGAR management to harvest his mature crop for close to one year in vain. He then contacted and invited the management of the Sukari Millers Limited who responded promptly and sent a gang of workers ready to harvest the cane followed by a fleet of tractors ready to have the cane transported to their mill in Ndhiwa.

For the second time within two days people who claimed to be agents of Sony Sugar Company tried in vain to stop the harvesting of Mr Okong’o’s farm. A bitter argument ensued as the police were invited to maintain law and order and peace After documents related to contracting cane farmers in the area were perused it was established that the cane was grown under the non-contracted cane farm program commonly know as out growers. And in pursuit of the existing liberalization the farmer was allowed to have his cane harvested and taken to the Ndhiwa based mill.

The farmer In question had successfully argued his case that he had on many occasions approached the management of SONYSUGAR with the request to have his mature cane harvested in vain, but then needed the money to pay some family overhead.

Residents of the areas, especially the out growers cane farmers from the areas previously classified as SonySugar company cane growing zones, moved in with speed and harmonized the cane harvesting system that would make the two facilities run smoothly without any hitches.

The cut-throat competition which is being witnessed between the two facilities,. They have expressed fear that this would hamper the sugar production in the region. Moreover the newly established Sukari Mills Ltd, is located within only 15 kilometers apart from the existing SonySugar factory.

Ever since its inception in 1977, the multimillion shillings Sony Sugar has had the monopoly of cane growing and harvesting in close to seven administrative districts stretching from Migori, Homa-Bay, Southern Kisii and Narok Counties. This caused laxity and poor planning of cane supplies system due to the fact that farmers who grow cane in most of the areas mentioned above, those unlucky ones have had their cane lost in the field without being harvest.

Due to the excessive arrogance exhibited by SonySugar for not harvesting he cane from the farmers within reasonable time after cane maturity, many farmers became disillusioned and abandoned cane growing for other cash crops with the quick return like tobacco and maize.

On other occasions cane farmers were being subjected to harsh treatment of going for many months, even over a year, without having their cane delivery bill paid in time, thereby contributing to their abject poverty instead of improving their standard of living.

Other complaints raised were that weighbridges in some mills were technically adjusted to be faulty for the purpose of cheating the farmers on the tonnage of their deliveries.

The Awendo-based SonySugar is facing stiffest cut-throat competition from two prong which is threatening to jeopardize its raw cane supplies. Another new white sugar factory, though a medium size, has gone into production at a place called Lang’ata within Trans-Mara district, but only 30 kilometers from Awendo Town.

The new facility s targeting cane grown in Trans-Mara, Southern Kisii and Kuria regions as well as those grown in Migori , Awendo and Rongo districts which were the exclusive monopoly of sonysugar’s cane growing zones. It had contracted close to 27,000 cane farmers.

The Trans-Mara Sugar Company has no nucleus estate farm of its own, but will depend on the out growers farmers. The same could be said of the Sukari Mill Limited in Ndhiwa, The two facilities simultaneously went into production last without proper plan involving the stable source of raw cane supplies. This made SonySugar to breathe fir when it discovered that the two new factories would be relying on canes grown in its exclusive zones.

For a reasonable white sugar to be sustained will require at leas 6,000 hectares of its on exclusive sugar cane growing farms with more than 10,000 hectares within its out growing zones.The KSB regulations and requirements were simply ignored by both investors and planners at the parent ministry.

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports making the round within Awendo and its environs says senior government officials, particularly from the Ministry of Agriculture are said to be involved in the sugar sales scam. The unnamed officials have been offered the sales brokerage altogether with some politicians thereby making it difficult for the local traders to get their supplies.

The names of the officials are used as rubber-stamp in the sales of the bulk of made sugar for which they enjoyed at percentage

The made sugar which is sold in bulk re taken away to far places like Kisii, Kericho Kisumu, and other towns for the local traders to get their supplies at an exorbitant prices, which they in turn sales to the retailers. This has contributed to the on going artificial and acute shortage of sugar in some parts of the country or making it unaffordable commodity by the rural poor population.

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Kenya: Rowdy parliamentary aspirant thrown out of meeting after fist exchange with an MP in Lower Kericho

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

An aspirant for Belgut Parliamentary seat was beaten up an thrown out of the meeting in Kiabinga Division of Lower Kericho district.

The incident took place at Kaptome Secondary School in Kabianga area of lower Kericho within Kericho County. The gathering which was also attended by the Eldoret North MP William Ruto was an inspection tour of the facility The MP the area Charles Keter accompanied Ruto

The MPs were due to open some extensions of new classrooms. The hell broke out when a Mr Nelson Koech who is said to be an aspirant for Belgut parliamentary seat in 2012 rose and demanded that he should be allowed to address the gatherings. He made an attempt to grab the microphone, but the instrument was wrestled out of his during a confrontation with Keter

The incident, according to an eye witness, sent many people at the meeting, most of the women from the nearby village, scampering for safety. running helter skelter

Koech was overpowered by the security details of several MPs present at he meeting and kicked out of the venue while protesting that he had the right to address the gathering.

He is reported to the son-in-law of the late populist Kipsigis political kingpin the late Kipkalia Kones who perished in an aircraft mishap in Narok district while he was serving as he Minister for Roads in the grand coalition government of PNU / ODM.

Of late, however, politicians in he South Rift especially are having lean time and getting it rough especially MPs and civic leaders as the more resourceful and youthful rivals seemed to be everywhere targeting the 2012 elections.

Both Kericho and the aspirant Nelson Koech could not be reached for their immediate comment.

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EAC: The anti-islamist militia war in Somalia and Khartoum’s application for joining the Eac are expected to be top of the agenda of the Summit next week

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The war in Somalia and the Sudanese government application to join the East African Community are some of the top agenda to be placed on the table the forthcoming Summit of the Heads of State of the EAC in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The Summit, according to information emerging out of the Community at its headquarters in Arusha, has in its place full of complex issues that will determine the fate of the regional integration process.

The 13th Ordinary Summit is slated for November 2011 under the chairmanship of President Pierre Mkurunziza of Burundi,will be attended by all the regional presidents, and government sources in Nairobi have confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya will be in attendance at the summit an take over as the next chairman.

Top among the issues on the agenda are the Somali war, admission of the Sudan to the EAC and the ongoing war against the Islamist Extremists Al-Shabaab militia in Somalia.

Other issues that the sources at Arusha say need the guidance of the Summit are the concerns and challenges of the political federation. Khartoum’s application to the EAC ahead of South Sudan –its arch-rival- is said to have the backing of Rwanda, but faces vehement opposition from Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya and the current chair Burundi, were reserved during the recent EAC Council of Ministers crucial talks held in Arusha.

Kharoum’s lack of proximity with other EAC member states to allow for sharing of services is one of the factors cited by Tanzania and Uganda.

Kampala has also been uncomfortable with Khartoum over allegations that Sudan hosted the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army {LRA} that waged a two decade insurgency in northern Uganda.

Khartoum’s poor human rights record also featured prominently during the meeting. Others, however, are of the view that Sudan can only join the community after Southern Sudan, which shares borders with Kenya and Uganda.

But President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was of the opinion that a bigger trade bloc offers more opportunities to regional economies.”We should be looking at it positively even though we are aware there are problems associated with this expansion,” President Kagame said at a press briefing recently in Kigali.

Lawyers and members of legal fraternity and Human Rights group Centre, said the head of states must remind themselves about the description the EAC before deciding whether it is rational to accept Khartoum or not.

“If the EAC it is just is just a name, then any country like Germany,. Nigeria Libya or France and even Italy could one day join the community. I really don’t whether EAC would still retain its name and the same meaning,” argues Miriam Matinda a lawyer with the Legal and Human Right Center.

The head of Information and Publicity at the EAC Secretariat Richard Okoth Owora was non-committal whether the green light for the Khartoum’s application to join the bloc was imminent.

The EAC Heads of state will look into the issues of economic sanction against the warmongering Somali politicians

Observers and analysts were however, quick in saying that economic sanction against Somalia are inevitable taking into consideration the recent Al-Shabaab activities inside Kenya.

The continue lack of security in Somalia is a threat to peace and security, EAC Sect oral Council on Cooperation in Dense recently proposed sanctions against all Somali politicians.

“Lack of engagement in the Somali crisis could lead to instability in the whole of East Africa region. Accordingly, there is urgent need to galvanize solidarity and more resource or this cause,” The Sectoral Council report says.

A recent meeting of the Council of Ministers held in Arusha adopted the decision of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defense and forwarded the same to the Heads of state summit for consideration and guidance.

Though both EAC reports are silent on the form of sanctions to be meted out, sources say it will involve travel bans and probably a freeze on financial assets of politicians considered to be obstacles to the Somalia peace process.

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KENYA: RESIDENTS OF SIGOWET WANT RAILA ODINGA TO VISIT THE REGION AND REHABILITATE THE MULTIMILLION SHILLING LEVEL FOUR SUB-DISTRICT HOSPITAL NOW ABANDONED AND NEGLECTED.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

SIGOWET sub-district hospital was built in 1985 / 1986 at an estimated cost estimated to be slightly in excess of Kshs 150 millions.

But the facility is semi-abandoned. It has resident doctors and is operating on skeleton staff, but cannot serve the local community adequately and sufficiently enough though, it has some of the best buildings and other facilities.

The hospital construction work was commissioned by he retire President Daniel Arap Moi and was later visited by President Mwai Kibaki in 2005.

Their magnificent building stands next to the main Sondu-Kericho road via Sosiot and Kapsoid trading centers.

It is also catering for patents from the surrounding districts of lower Kericho, in Belgut and Ainamoi constituencies and also catering for residents from the neighboring districts such as,North Mugirango-Borabu, , Kasipul-Kabondo, Nyakach and Nyando districts.

Despite the fact that the institution is serving thousands of patients from the areas mentioned above, the institution is grossly under-staffed, lacks reliable water supply and it is operating without a resident qualified medical doctor. Sigowet Hospital is only manned by two clinical officers, six nurses and two laboratory technicians.

The residents want the Prime Minister to visit Sigowet and see for himself how the institution is neglected and perhaps rehabilitate an opening, and even promote it to a level Four sub-district hospital status.

They told this writer who visited the institution that they wanted the Prime minster to visit in the company of the Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o and the Water Development Minister Charity Kaloki Ngilu so as to see for himself how the institution is in a pathetic state of total neglect,

Such a visit, said one resident, ”Would clearly give Raila Odinga a political mileage over his parrots like talking rivals in the 2012 presidential race.”

Despite the concerted efforts by Raila Odinga’s main challengers who have gone over draft polluting the air thinking they are fixing the Prime Minister, the residents of this region still believes and maintains that the Prime Minister is the only Kenyan politician who means well for the Kenyan people and their well being.

Sigowet residents heaped a lot of blames to their MP Charles Keter whom they scathingly criticized for spending his most valuable serving interests of the Eldoret North William Ruto at the expenses of his constituents.

Keter has since declared his interest in contesting the Kericho County governor position. This is meaning he is abdicating his responsibility as an elected MP after having failed to deliver.”In fact he is the one who should invite the Prime Minister to come and help us improve the facilities Sigowet hospital, which he has neglected and abandoned though he has represent he area ever since 2002″.

The Belgut MP, however has burned the bridges between him and the ODM leadership, which led to his sacking from the cabinet two years ago as an Assistant Minister for Energy. ”His continued representation of Belgut in Parliament is no quite irrelevant,” said Mr Soi a resident of Sosiot.

Asked whether he believes Raila can still garner a reason portion of the votes from the region in the forthcoming general elections (2012) Soi said the hearts of the majority of people in Kipsigis land still believes that Raila I the only politician who could turn the country around if given a chance.

“Millions of shillings of government devolving funds have been disbursed to Belgut constituency through the CDF, but our MPs seemed to have forgotten Sigowet Hospital and its role as an important Medicare serving a much wider areas and regions,” said another resident of Sosiot who requested his anonymity.

One civic leader within the County Council of Kipsigis said that MPs and Councilor allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto have been criss-crossing the region in the recent past while polluting the air by telling the people of how bad is Raila Odinga, but offering no alternative political agenda for the better future.

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Kenya: new system of graft by politicians acting as salesbrokers and middlemen at Awendo SONYSUGAR company reported

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NEW SYSTEM OF GRAFT HAS EMERGED AT THE AWENDO BASED SONYSUGAR WHERE POLITICIANS ARE SAID TO BE MINTING MILLIONS THROUGH THE SALES RACKETS.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

Fresh complaints have emerged linking local politicians to the sales of processed sugar racket, of which traders within Awendo and its environment have raised complaints, saying the racket by middle-men has contributed immensely to the skyrocketing prices of the commodity within the locality making it unaffordable by consumers and retailers alike.

Complaints have been raised that phantom racketeers, operating as the sales broker and middle-men at the company warehouse and marketing and sales department, make it inaccessible to the local traders.

These middlemen have resumed the monopoly of selling SONYSUGAR manufactured products, making the commodity unaffordable by the locals.

Sugar price is now selling at around 250/- per kg or even 300/- and yet it is being manufactured next door,but the ordinary poor rural folks cannot afford it anymore.

Huge bulks of refined sugar are sold to the broker / racketeers telephone traders at the factory prices who then contact wholesalers from Kisii, . Kericho.Kisumu, Rongo, Homa-Bay and other big towns located with the greater Southern Nyanza regions.

These are the same people who are in turn selling the commodity to local retailers at a very exorbitant prices and the retailers in turn hikes the price threefold making sugar one of the most expensive commodities in the region.

Those allegedly involved in this kind of new graft and rackets are local politicians including former MPS. They are said to be permanently stationed at the Awendo-based company’s warehouse and marketing department offices waiting for the “Big Kill”

Big orders from wholesalers and big stores in towns must pass through them. Each kilogram of bulk sales of refined sugar must come through them. They are paying nothing to the company except their names. The payment is made directly to the miller, but they earn huge cut off sums of money on each kg sold through their names..

These racketeers and unscrupulous phantom traders run no known business premises, paying no taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority, though they earn huge profits through sale percentages and are not even genuinely registered and licensed for that matter. They always gets away scout-free with the loot and their ill-gotten money.

An insider told this writer that the business is really booming to an extent that one of the racketeers is said to have become a millionaire over night. This kind of racket was booming around SONYSUGAR about eight years ago and had led the company to the verge of total collapse. It was, however, stopped when the government intervened by sending the top management team at the SONYSUGAR packing.

But those who knew the tricks before are back in business in a big way. And some of the unpatriotic managers and staff are also said o be involved in the racket.

The sweat-talking racketeers are the same politicians who go around defending Sonysugar to the hilt during the numerous funeral gatherings in the nearby villages, which are located within the company sugar growing zones. They never miss even the funeral of a small child, and have their ears readily open for any death announcements via local FM radio stations because such gatherings offer them an opportunity to defend the company against any complaints either by farmers of business community for the purpose f earning favor from the management so that they can continue racking huge profits from sugar sales brokerage.

The company level main managing director, Paul Odolla, could not b reached to verify these claims and complaints from local communities and traders. Phone calls placed on his mobile phone line went unanswered.

However, tension is building around Awendo town and its environs with traders up in arms demanding for the immediate kicking out of he sales middle-men and brokers at the facility. They want SONYSUGAR to sell its products directly to genuine dealers and licensed wholesalers and not through the racket of sales brokers, The scheme, they say is hurting the consumers mostly because they cannot afford a kilo of sugar which is manufactured and produced at their door step because of the interests of a few individual racketeers.

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Kenya: Sharp divisions marred Kericho UDM elections as two parallel groups emerged

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Report By Leo Odera Omolo.

A sharp differences emerged between the Kipsigis leaders within the Kericho County after a delegates meeting called for the purpose of electing interim officials of the United Democratic Movement {UDM}branch in the region ended in disarray..

Two parallel groups emerged making this difficult for the delegates. One group is said to be allied to the party’s national chairman, Joseph Chirchir, while the other group gravitate around the Eldoret North MP William Ruto his political surrogates led by the Belgut MP Charles Keter.

The meeting was originally planned to be held at Kericho Day Secondary School, but the venue was changed abruptly after the Ruto group had intervened forcing the Chirchir group to move to the Tea Hotel.

At the Tea Hotel a Mombasa based businessman Justice Kemei was elected the interim chairman with Mr. Terer, a former AFC managing Director as the vice chairman and Mrs Rachel Yegon who is vying for women representative is the new the interim branch secretary .Prof Paul Chepkwony of the Moi University, Mrs Edna Bore, the wife of the former Nyanza P.C. the late Amos Bore and Nelson Koech were named women and youth leaders respectively.

Justice Kemei said he had the authority and mandate from the party headquarters to conduct the elections.

Reports making the round in Kericho and Bomet Counties says Ruto and his alliance favored the former Speaker of the National Assembly Francis Ole Kaparo to become the party’s national leader of the UDM as a bit to attract the Maasai votes for next year’s presidential race. while the Kipsigis politician with exception of MP wants Joseph Chirchir to continued as the party national leaders and anything short of this they would consider themselves as being short changed and marginalized.

But within an hour later a parallel meeting of civic leaders led by the Belgut MP called for another meeting at the County Hall of the County Council of Kipsigis where a large number of civic allied to Keter had converged. Niceties were exchanged with each civic leaders allegedly receiving cash handout of Kshs 2000 purposely to scuttle the Tea Hotel elections.

Meanwhile residents of Kericho County have expressed disappointment at the announcement that an excessively wealthy Kericho businessman is to purchase close to 100,000 UDM membership cards for free distribution o the party members.

The news of the alleged plan was aired to listeners of Kass FM Radio station on the morning of Monday November14 during the station’s morning breakfast talks show.

Station quoted a contributor from Sotik whose name was simply given as” Mr Chiefwhip” as saying that a Kericho tycoon Ken Mutai of the Mutai Wholesalers as the on who is allegedly planning to purchase the largest number of UDM membership card for free distribution oh members and has also agree to provide the party with a free office space in the town.

Another source privy to the goings about Kericho politics says Ken Mutai has already shown keen interests in contesting the elections in the newly created Sigowet parliamentary seat, Mutai is a close relative of he Belgut MP Charles Keter and also a business partner in transport business enterprise.

Mutai, however, could not be reached to confirm or deny the alleged plan to purchase huge bulks of UDM membership,

What has emerged, however, is that the Kipsigis politicians are sharply divided into two major camps scrambling fort the party leadership, a move which the local political pundits view as likely to benefit the ODM and KANU parties whose presence in the region

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Kenya: Government ordered death trap disused gold mine pits in Migori/Nyatie closed down

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The National Environmental Management Authority {NEMA} has ordered one of the companies prospecting for gold in Migori and Nyatike to close down its pit mines with immediate effect.

The NEMA action followed the recent series of deaths involving mine workers in the greater Southern Nyanza connection to unsafe condition of the mine pits and the safety of gold diggers.

A total of 9 people have died within one month, they included one foreign investor, a Whiteman gold prospector from Zimbabwe.

The three perished inside a gold pit at Nyahera in Central Kasipul Location, Oyugis Division of Rachuonyo South district in the County of Homa-Bay.

The investor is reported to have entered the 20feet deep mine pit in a bid to retrieve the bodies of two of his worker who had suffocated to death from exhaust fumes after the water pump engine they were using in pumping out water which had logged filled inside the pit developed mechanical problem.

The dead investor’s body has since been flown out for burial in his native Zimbabwe country. Th two Kenyan workers hail from within the local communities.

The first death of 3 miners, all members of one family, occurred earlier in the month at Kanyasrega village in North Sakwa Location, Awendo district within Migori County.The pit, a disused former gold mine which was in use in the late 195s and early 1960a. Another man who was rescued from the rubble and rushed to the Hospital later died bringing the number of total victims to four.

The police chiefs in the area later issued a stern warning to the local people to steer clear of the disused mine pits in the area, threatening to mobilize members of the local communities to have the mines sealed off.

It was previously part of Kitere Gold Mines Ltd, which was in later years run and managed by he Commonwealth Development Corporation {CDC} which closed shops in 1063 shortly before the country attained its political independence in 1963.

The white miners left the county in huff in anticipation that chaos and mayhem usually associate with African politics, particularly after or during the elections.

The abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga recently appealed to the government to reorganize the mining of minerals in his constituency and in the neighboring region in order toke up the proper account of gold being taken outside the country for exports, to avoid a situation whereby some unscrupulous foreign investor siphoning mineral and exporting them though neighboring counties to avoid taxation by the Kenya Revenue Authority {KRA.

The third death involving three mines diggers took place in Nyatike constituency where three gol miners were buried alive when the land around the pit paved the way hurling tons of soil and rock on the pit as a result of heavy rains which has incessantly pounded the region since October, weakening the ground which paved the way exposing miners to a great danger.

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Kenya: Kisumu Town Clerk joints the race for Migori County governor position

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The contest for the powerful position of Migori County governor is expected to be the toughest and most competitive come the next year polls time considering the number of high profile individual personalities involved.

The Kisumu City Town Clerk Christopher Odhiambo Rusana is the latest entry into he already crowded filed of contestants.

The 42 year-old graduate of the Nairobi University has the wealth of experience dating back to 1996 when he joined the Migori County Council a fresh from the University. He has since served as the Town Clerk in Mbita, Rongo, Kehancha and Kisumu.

Those close t him says Rusana is a no nonsense administrator par excellence and this could be an added value to his quest to be the governor of Migori under the new constitutional dispensation.

Born in Suna West Location, Suba West division of Migori district Rusana told this writer during an impromptu interview in Kisumu City that managing the County will not be an easy job as other might think. It will involve a lot of administrative skills, mobilization of the resource and revenue to supplement the 15 per cent expected as grant from the central, government.

The job will tough, challenging and will therefore require a lot of leadership skill, taking into account that Migori County residents are people of multiethnic society involving he majority Luos followed by Kuria,Suba an the minority groups like the Kisii, Luhya, and Somalis. All these must have their interests taken into account.

The Town Clerk will battle it out with he big names and political and academic luminaries such as Prof.Edward Akong’o Oyugi, Sam Onyango,a head of an auditing firm in Nairobi,Joseph Owiso Ojele, the proprietor of a private Hospital called Ojele Hospital Migori and Chacha Ogwe a former Provincial director of Education {PDE} Nairobi who is also a member of the board of director of the Awendo-based SONYSUGAR company.

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photo of Mr. Christopher Odhiambo Rusana, the Kisumu Town Clerk who has announced that he will be vying ft eh Migori County governor

Kenya: Orwa Ojode to battle for Homa-Bay Senate seat with Otino Kajwang’ in what could be billed as the battle of the Titans

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

The Orange Democratic Movement is likely to be in for big trouble comes the year 2012 should the party sticks to its usual tendency of nominating only individual candidates chosen and favored by its leadership.

A team of independent minded politicians operating within the County of Homa-Bay has vowed to ignore the ODM and defiantly have individual aspirants with high marks of credibility nominated to contest the various elective posts.

It was also learnt that the man who is favored by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to clinch the coveted post of Homa-Bay County senate seat, the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otino Kajwang’will face it off with the abrasive Internal Security Assistant Minister Joshua Orwa Ojode.

Kajwang’ is the incumbent MP for Mbita while Ojode represented Ndhiwa in the current Parliament.

Both men have been in Parliament ever since 1992 first multiparty elections. However, their performance varied with Ojode having very attractive track record of having achieved massive development for his constituents, while Kajwang’s record is not very attractive.

In the same context the former Kenya’s Ambassador to India and later High Commissioner to Namibia Lazarous Ombaye Amayo is tipped to clinch the lucrative position of the Homa-Bay County governor, while a Nairobi businessman Sammy Wakiaga is tipped to win the Deputy Governor.

Both Amayo and Wakiaga have yet to confirm their participation i the contest for elective political positions.The two are still serving the government i senior posts.

Amayo who is the youngest brother of the late David Okiki Amayo at one time served briefly as the MP for Karachuonyo under the KANU regime f the retired President Daniel Arap Moi following the untimely death of his brother and had proved to be a level minded politician and one of the most eloquent politician in public address in Dho-Luo.

If Amayo is still serving the government in senior capacity at the Foreign Ministry stands, his candidature would complicate matter for the populist former Country Director of Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti.

Both men hail from Karachuonyo constituency in Rachuonyo North district, where another credible aspirant in the name of Prof.Joseph Akeyo has already launched a very elaborate campaign for the same position in earnest.

Other leading personalities already in the race for the governorship include an executive with Microsoft Africa Dr.Mark Matunga, former Rangwe MP Eng.Phillip Okundi and the incumbent Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo.

In the new set up under the new constitutional dispensation Homa-Bay County is to cover the largest geographical areas involving seven parliamentary constituencies, five existing ones stretching from Kasipul-Kabondo and covering ,Karachuonyo, Rangwe, Ndhiwa,Gwassi and Ndhiwa and two additional seats which includes the newly created constituencies of Kabondo and Homa-Bay town and its environs.

The new group is reported to have vowed to contest the various seats whether with the ODM tickets or without. Those who have fallen out with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who is the party leader have vowed to solder on even as independent candidate of the ODM nomination system will be seen to favor certain individuals.

The battle for the County Senate seat between Otieno Kajwang’ and Orwa Ojode however, is expected to be most interesting. Both men are seasoned politicians with the wealth of experience, though Kajwang’ will be leaving his Mbita constituents with very little and poor record of development and if not with zero blessing from the minority Suba community, which forms majority of the electorate in the constituency.

And yet, e Ojode still command the vote and populous Ndhiwa constituency where his development track record is the role model of the entire Luo-Nyanza.

Prior to the likely, but still unconfirmed entry of Lazarous Ombaye Amayo into the race for governor, two contenders were on the lead. These are Eng.Phillip Okundi and Cyprian Otieno Awiti, but this position is likely to change drastically, taking into account that Amayo,Awiti and Prof. Akeyo all hails from the vote-rich North Rachuonyo district.

The new alliance is said to have proposed to support still yet to be named prominent woman leaders as the Senate women representative to strike the gender balance. The rumor making the round says the women Senate representative position could go to the highly respected former Nyanza Provincial Director of Education {PDE} Mrs Roselyn Onyuka who retired recently as a TSC member.

Onyuka wh was born in Mbita, but married to her husband in Rachuonyo South is the darling of many people following her clean and very attractive and clean track records of service to the people, while the rumored candidature of Lazarous Amayo for the governorship has already caused great panicking among the other aspirant for the same position.

Amayo could not be reached immediately to confirm or deny the report linking him to the planned governorship. But Ojode confirmed that he would be vying for the Homa-Bay Senate seat insisting that he would stand whether the with the ODM ticket or without.

What is looked certain is the fact that the day when the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his political surrogates would come and point out the character of people or persons they are favoring for certain elective seats inside Luo-Nyanza are long gone. This time around it would be the people to do the job of voting in any person of their choice.

It is also evidently clear that those aspirants who have already hit the ground while campaigning to capture various seats while purporting that they are the favorite of Raila Odinga will have it rough.

One politician in Homa-Bay who requested for his anonymity made the following remarks.”If Raila is serious in his presidential bid, we shall all vote for him, but on strict condition that he steered clear. He should give the breathing democratic space so that we could elect people of our own choice to the various positions in the County governance, parliament and the Senate,”

This tough stance taken by a number of politicians in the region follows the recent events whereby Raila Odinga was viewed as having launched indirect campaign in favor of the nominated MP Milie Odhiambo to clinch the Mbita Parliamentary seat in the next general election a opposed by the majority of the area residents.

Both Raila and his wife Ida Odinga while addressing the mammoth crowd of mourners in Rusinga Island during the tearful sending off the late Michael George Okeyo, former Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN spoke openly in favor of the nominated MP.

The Odingas had also spoken in favor of one aspirant vying for the newly created seat in Kabondo Herbert Ojwang’ during the burial of the latter’s father the former educationist Mzee Samson Ojwang’who was buried in Kakangutu East location, Rachuonyo South district three months ago.

In 2007 general elections, half a dozen of aspirants who had identified themselves as Raila Odinga’s political surrogates in Luo-Nyanza were defiantly voted out in several constituencies. They included Paddy Ahenda {Kasipul-Kabondo} who was beaten hands down by the youthful Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, Dr.Paul Adhu Awiti {Karachuonyo} who was defeated by Eng.James Rege, Peter Odoyo {Nyakach who succumbed to defeat by Polins Ocheng’ Daimas, George Ochillo-Ayacko {Rongo} who lost to Dalmas Otieno, Eng Phillip Okundi {Rangwe} who was handed down defeat by Martin Otieno Ogindo., and Charles Oyugi Owino {Jalikowa} who lost to John Pesa.

Those who won their seat on their own credibility and popularities have since proved themselves to be the best parliamentarians in the August House and hard working genuine representative of the people and even the staunchest supporter of the ODM inside and outside the August House.

Two other MPs from the region who won their seat o their own credibility and personalities include the abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyang and the youthful and technocrat Gwassi MP John Mbadi.

The likely political scenario is the expected political rebellion against those who will be fronted by Raila and his surrogates in the next polls. Watchers of the Odingas politics in the greater Southern Nyanza maintain that his brief sojourn in the office of the Prime Minister did not benefit the electorate in the region because all the important government appointments that came his way as one of the two principals I the coalition went o exclusively to his close relatives and friends.

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Kenya: ODM members and leaders in Migori County are vehemently opposed to the proposal that any elective position within the county governance be reserved for minority communities

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town.

DISCONTENT is mounting in Migori County among the ODM members and leaders following the rumor and allegation that a cabinet Minister is routing for the County Senate seat to be exclusively preserved for the Kuria minority community.

That would be a mockery to democracy. All the positions must be contested since the new constitution has already the true democratic space,Kenyans must now shun the old and outmoded KANU tactics.

Migori County is a region of multi-ethnic society if a particular seat is reserved for the kuria.How aboutthe Suba, Kisiis, Somalis, Luhya and other coomunities?

In the same context the Minister and his supporters are said to have divided the Migori County position of governance that the Kuria settled ion the County’s Senate representative, while the Luo go for the lucrative position of the County governor.

Two Kuria districts, namely Kuria East and Kuria West will have to produce candidates who will be vying for positions against aspirants from the majority Luo community with four parliamentary constituencies, namely Nyatike, Migori, Uriri and Rongo whereas two Kuria district has only one constituency.

The rumor making the round is pointing an accusing finger at the Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno as the on who is routing for the County seat to be preserved for the Kurias, and that the Minister had someone in mind who should be voted into represent Migori in the Senate,

The name being mentioned in connection to this plan which the ODM members and leaders are vehemently opposed to is that of the former Kuria MP Eng Shadrack Manga and as such to preserve a County elective post in an ODM stronghold would mean surrendering Migori County Senate seat to the PNU and its G7 alliance.

Manga is a staunch KANU member and hold the party branch office in Kuria as well as holding a national office at the party headquarter has never crossed over to ODM. It is further rumored that Manga plan to ditch KANU in the near future purposely to contest the Senate election.

The proponents of this plan of apportioning County governance position proportionately between the Luos and the Kuria argues that this was the only way of luring the Kuria to vote for the Prime Minister Raia Odinga’s presidential bid in 2012.

Those to the idea says Raila Odinga is capable of winning more votes in Kuria even without Manga and that there are ODM leaders on the ground in Kuria who have sacrificed their rime, energy and resources for the party who might feel betrayed in such a political scenario.

MIGORI County Senate seat has already attracted three aspirants, two of them former MPs and one a lady is an executive with the NGO. Those who have already shown keen interests in contesting the seat include the one time two times MP for the larger Homa-Bay constituency Phares Oluoch Kanindo, former Mathare MP Ochieng’ Mbeo and Prof. Colleta Shuda an executive with an NGO, She hails from within Migori town. Also rumored as interested in the same seat is the former Ndhiwa MP Zablon Owigo Olang, and the immediate former Nyatike MP Ocholla Ogur, but the two have yet to make their intention known publicly.

Dalmas Otieno could not be reached immediately for clarification of the issue which has mentioned him adversely. A call placed through his mobile phone went unanswered.

But sources close to the Minister have confided to this writer that he would defend his Rongo parliamentary seat.

It is further being rumored that after successfully retaining his seat in 2012, the Minister has envisaged a plan “B” which says among other thing intent to relinquish his parliament seat soon after the next general in the event of ODM winning the election and forming the next government in which he intend to seek for the plum government top most position of the Head of Civil Service and the Secretary to the Cabinet.

Another burning issue within Migori County is the claim hat some aspirants for the lucrative position of County governor have gone over drive maligning the names of their perceive popular opponents for the same post in order to gain political mileage

The most vilified and maligned is the man whose candidature has sent shock waves to the spinal cord of his rivals for the governorship position is Prof.Edward Akong’o Oyugi a well known political personality and a well known political associate of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

PROF Oyugi spent several years in the former President Moi jails and detention camps, and at one time was detained together with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga during the early part of the agitation and clamor for multiparty system of government.

The aggressive and abrasive Professor of Psychology made an announcement two weeks ago while visiting his Suna West Location, Suba West Division rural home that he would contest for the Migori governor position.

A number of his would be opponent seemed to have panicked a great deal fearing that because of his long standing with the Odingas and personal friendship with Raila Odinga, the Professor would get undeserved favoritism from the party headquarter which would give him an advantage and head-start over his rivals.,.

One or two of the aspirants immediately launched deadly rumor to the effect that the Professor had claimed that he had been sent to contest the seat by Raila Odinga – – a dreadful pack of lies, which those who were present at the launching of the Professor’s campaign for the Migori Senate seat have denounced unreservedly.

The common popular views in Migori and its environs is that Prof.Akong’o Oyugi is a man of substantial academic and economic means who is capable to contest any elective seat on his own with out relying on anyone. He has sacrificed much of his valuable time, loss of jobs and family, in the struggles for the law reform, democratic space in this country and as such deserves to be considered for a legislative elective position.

This dreadful rumor has since provoked ODM leaders in the region to issue a stern warning to all the aspirants vying or various elective position to stop maligning their opponents.

ODM leaders in Migori have warned that any aspirant found to be hell-bent in maligning his perceived rival could face the party wrath. The disciplinary action could be so severe, which could end up in disqualification of such rumor-mongers from contesting any seat on the party ticket.

Contacted by this writer by phone last night Prof Akong’o Oyugi categorically denied having made such remark as telling anyone that he had been sent by his long time friend Ra Odinga to contest a public office. Kenya is a democratic country and anybody is free to stand and contest “any pubic office.

“These false claims are therefore the fertile imagination of my rivals who seemed to have panicked a great deal on upon hearing that I have joined the ace for Migori governorship owing to my high profile and credibility,”

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Kenya: Nyanza police received a new speed boat for patrol on Lake Victoria against pirates and other criminal elements

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

Police in Nyanza have received speed boat which will be used in their regular patrol of the Kenyan side of Lake Victoria.

The new and modern speed boat christened “MV Utawala”was handed over to the Administration Police at the Kisumu Pier on Tuesday by the Nyanza P.C Francis Mutie in a ceremony which was also attended by the Provincial Police Officer {PPO}Njue Njagi, the Provincial CID boss Joseph Magwanja, the Central Nyanza Regional Commissioner Arthur Osea an the regional head of the Administration Police {AP} Francis Kirathi.

Fishermen operating in Lake Victoria reacted with joy and enthusiasm an thanked the government for having take into account the safety of it citizens who in the recent past were subjected to all sorts of criminally motivated attacks and piracy by heavily armed foreigners from the neighboring countries.

The pirates have been attacking fishermen inside Kenya, especially in all parliamentary constituencies neighboring the shoreline of Lake Victoria stretching from Port Victoria in Budalangi, Alego Usonga, Bondo, Mbita, Gwassi and Nyatike.

In such attacks the petty traders operating retailing shops and kiosk have not been spared, but the fishermen are reported to have incurred heavy loses both in fishing gear, money and catches running into million of shillings.

Speaking during the handing over ceremony Nyanza P.C. Mutia said the boat will be used to patrol Lake Victoria.

He said the patrol boat will be used to reduce rising cases of insecurity in the Lake. He warned those involved in illegal businesses in the lake and called on fishermen to co-operate with the security personnel in order to boost security.

The PC pointed out that the new vessel will patrol the Kenyan side of the lake and provides security for fishermen.

“We want our fishermen to carry their businesses freely without fear of arrest forces from neighboring countries.”

The Administrator took issue with the rampant cases of harassment on Kenyan fishermen at the disputed Islands of Migingo and Ugingo.”The government, he added, is committed towards ensuring security to all its citizens. That is he said.

Mutie disclosed that the vessel will intensify patrols around Lake Victoria to curb rampant criminal activities along the usually crowded fishing landing beaches.

Reacting to the arrival of the ultra modern patrol boat, Juma Ombori, the chairman of Migingo Beach Management Unit said the move was most welcome and asked the Kenyan police to ensure they use the vessel to protect Kenyan fishermen.

Ombori said fishermen have in the recent past been arrested by Ugandan security forces for no good reason.”We want our police to ensure they protect our fishermen from unnecessary arbitrary arrests and harassment by the Ugandan forces,”

Another personality who praised the government for having considered its citizens operating in the Lake sympathetically is the chairman of Suba Council of Elders Mzee Apollo Okeyo Omuga of Rusinga Island.

He said fishermen and fish traders working in Lake Victoria in areas neighboring Suba region, covering then twin iusland of Rusinga and Mfangano an small fishing island have been subject to incessant attack by both pirates and security forces from the neighboring countries. They have lost fishing gears such as fishnets, fish, money boat and highly valued boat engines.

The economy of the residents of the Lake region, particularly in areas like Mbita, Suba and Nyatike depend on fishing and fish trades, but in recent years the areas have been prone to well orchestrated night and even daylight attacks by pirates from neighboring countries.

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Kenya: Prof Edward Akong’o Oyugi join the race for the lucrative and powerful position of Migori County governorship

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

The Lucrative and most powerful position within the new regional governance set up under the new constitution dispensation has attracted one of the top and controversial intellectuals in academic fraternity in Kenya in general and Luo-Nyanza in particular.

Prof. Edward Akong’o Oyugi, whose radicalism and political activities gave sleepless nights to the retired former President Daniel Arap Moi in the 1980s and early 1990s, has declared his interest in the Migori County governor.

His declarations of the intention to run for the County governor has already sent shock-waves on the spine code of other hopeful taking into account his many years of steadfast and consistency in the struggle for the rule of justice and democracy in Kenya.

Aged 68 and married with one son and two daughters – – all grown up – – Prof Akong’o Oyugi, who had early in the 1980s teamed up with other radical groups which gave sleepless nights to the retired former President Daniel Arap Moi, earning him several arrests and detentions by the authorities under KANU monolithic one party system.

Prof Akong’o Oyugi came to the fame in early 1980s when he joined hands with the group of radical politicians of politicians who were demanding for the re-introduction of pluralism system of government in Kenya as opposed to the dictatorial and autocratic one party system under KANU regime.

He was arrested by KANU regime along with other radicals who included Maina Wa Kenyatti, Kamoji Wachira, Al Amin Mazrui, Katama Mkangi, Dr Willy Mutunga {now Kenya’s Chief Justice}Raila Odinga,Georg Moseti Anyona,Vincent Otieno Makonyango,Koigi Wamwere, John Khaminwa, and Mukari Ng’ang’a.

Prof Akong’o Oyugi’s tribulation took place between 1982 ND 1995. He was later released from detention, but after failing to get a job for two years, he fled the country and went into exile in Germany where he secured a teaching job at the University of Bayreuth {1986-1988}.

Upon his return home, he was re-hired as a senior lecturer at Kenyatta University, but within only two years Moi’s hawk-eyed police sleuths were on his neck once again. He was re-arrested in 1990, once more with the late George Moseti Anyona,Ngotho Kariuki and Njeru Kathanga. They were prosecuted and each jailed for seven years with hard labor.

Their only crime was demanding that the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and the late George Moseti Anyona be llowed to form another political party.

But they were released after serving for two years only when both internal and external pressure piled up on the government, which later entered nolle-prosequi against the sentence.

Denied employment in Kenya for the second time by the Moi regime, Prof.Akong’o Oyugi voluntarily went into exile once again and went back to Germany to teach at the University of Heidelberg.

Prof Akong’o Oyugi took his early education at Migori Primary School, Luwala Intermdiate School and attended Kamagambo SDA Mission Secondary School.He studied at Cologne University in Germany where he earned Bachelor, Masters and PHD streak of degrees

Upon his to Kenya Prof.Akong’o Oyugi joined Kenyatta University {College} in 1972 as a lecturer in Educational Psychology. He was later promoted to a senior lecturer in the same department in 1975 and was made an Associate Professor in 1990.

Prof Akong’o Oyugi returned to Kenya after a brief sojourn in Europe and established Social Development Network {SODNET} a Non-Governmental Organization {NGO}, specializing in accountability, budget literacy and good governance as its Executive Director{CEO}

He also rejoined Kenyatta University on contract. He is also become a member of the Organized Word Social Forum {WSF} in 2007.

The professor of a board members of the following organizations; AFODAD {Zimbabwe},KNDRI in Kenya, BEACON in Kenya, Reality in AID IN Kenya, Karibu Rafiki Foundation in the USA/California and Recepassa in Kenya.

He is the chairperson of USHINDI in the USA, He is also a member of the National Economic and Social Council Task Force n Devolved Government. NEPAD APRM – National Governing Council representing Nyanza Province and the International Council of Governing Social Forum Council in Brazil, African Social Forum Council.

Prof Akong’o Oyugi has scooped several international awards in recognition of his massive contribution in both academic and social forums world-wide. Thy included Ono Benecke Foundation Award {1980} Germany Academic Award of the Fund for Free Expression, New York {1992} and a regular contributor to many publications in academic journals and newspaper.

He will battle for the governorship with other political luminaries within the region like Eng. Mark Nyamita of the Airtel, Joseph Ken Ngao of the Ojele Medical Center in Migori Town, Eng Ezra Odondi, Kisumu Yown Clerk Christopher Rusana and Sam Onyango.

All the aspirants for the Migori County governorship position are men of substantial means and top academicians. They are well spread in all the four parliamentary constituencies, namely Rongo, Awendo, Uriri, Migori East, Migori West and Nyatike. Two new parliamentary electoral constituencies, namely Migori West and Awendo were recently created, bringing them to a total of six.

The agriculturally region, according to the residents needs somebody of high standing within the society, an here is where Prof.Akong”Oyugi has the head start against the other aspirants

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In the enclosed attached photograph is that of Prof.Edward Akong’o Oyugi who has declared his interest in contesting the Migori County Governor in the impending general elections scheduled for December 2012.