Category Archives: Leo Odera Omolo

Kenya: plans are in hand to revive the forty seven year old Western Kenya Tourist curcuit

Report compiled By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

The new constitution of Kenya, which was promulgated by President Mwai Kibaki on August 4, 2010 , and which created 47 Counties, will now open up most of the interior parts of Western Kenya for tourists.

It will open the regions surrounding Lake Victoria for overseas tourists as it will revive the forty five year old sleeping and nearly forgotten blueprint for Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.

Officially launched in 1966 by the then Minister for Tourism and Wildlife in the post-independence government headed by the founding President, the late Jomo Kenyatta, the late Samuel Onyango Ayodo who by then was the MP for Kasipul-Kabondo,the circuit was meant well to give the communities living in the Lake Victoria basin an opportunity to receive overseas visitors.

The program, however, was shelved for years for some unknown political reasons and did not see the light of the day. It remained in the drawing board for well over four decades. Local political pundits believes, this was part of the elaborate scheme hatched by the Kenyatta government to marginalize ad economically strangled rural communities living in the region, especially the residents of the highlands west of the Rift Valley for political reasons.

For many years, tourists from overseas countries were always diverted to the coast and to Kenya’s fertile National in Tsavo East and West National Game Parks and Reserves, which are located between the Coast and Eastern regions, and the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, Meru and Mt Kenya National Game Park and other parks like Abardare and Lake Nakuru Parks With exception of the famous Maasai Mara Game Park, most of these parks are situated in the highlands, east of the Rift Valley.

The aims and objectives were meant to frustrate the communities living in the region around the Lake Victoria basin. And it worked well temporarily serving the purposes of its perpetrators.

In the old days, Tourists were denied the opportunity of visiting the most populous regions in Western Kenya so that they could meet the people and view the villages as well as learnt about their rich diverse cultures and tradition in the villages.

A new private enterprise firm owned by a Kisumu and Nairobi based business magnate Aloys Otieno of the Otieno and Associates has embarked on a well elaborate plan to open and resuscitate the sleeping Western Kenya Tourist Circuit.

The plan is to open up the regions for tourists on several routes, which is expected to cover nearly all the tourist attraction centers, pre-historic sites, game parks with rare stocks wild animals species, bird watching sites, fish landing beaches.

When implemented fully, the program is expected to take the tourist to the Lake Basin regions via several routes, during which the visitors would have a golden opportunities of viewing the unique and green landscapes consisting of tea plantations, the largest concentration of Flamingoes in Lake Nakuru and Lake Elmtaita, hinterland lakes in Baringo County and the Mt Elgon on the northern zones.

It will take the visitors to the southern routes which include the Maasai Mara Game Park and Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe valley, which is situated only a few kilometers of the eastern shorelines of Lake Victoria in Homa-Bay County.

On the middle route, the circuit will take the visitors to the unique Kit Mikaye double storey Rock, which is located a few meters beside the Ksumu-Bondo main road in the west of Kisumu City and also branch o northward to the famous “Crying Rock, which situated a few kilometers outside Kakamega Town in the Kakamega County, and the visitors if lucky enough could have a chance of visiting the nearby Kakamega Forest, which famed to be the home of the deadliest poisonous snakes and unique species of birds.

All these places have very unique stories accompanying them. Tourist may be tempted to drive further west to Alego Kgelo Nyang’oma home of the now famous family of the US President Barack Obama in the Siaya County. President Obama has a family route in Kenya and ever since his accession to power in the US, which is one of the most powerful nation on the earth, there has been a great influx of foreign visitors to the tiny and previously sleeping and backward dusty rural village

Several tourist class hotels have sprung up in Alego Kogelo ancestral home of President Obama which is the burial sites of his grand father Hussein Onyango Obama and his biological father the late Barack Hussein Obama Senior. The Obama cultural Center is currently under the construction, and when completed will cater for the visitors as the family history and other works of the late Obama Snr., a former top economist adviser to the Kenya government.

Depending on the tourist guides, the visitors may drive on past Siaya Town and visit the nearby Lake Kanyaboli, which plans are no a foot to establish a small animal sanctuary to protect the rare, but extremely endangered sitatunga antelopes warthogs, wild-pigs, water-bucks and birds, the re-claimed Yala Swamp now housing a multinational rice farm owned by the multinational Dominion Farm Ltd from the US. The reclaimed land comprises an area roughly estimated to be approximately 17,500 hectares.

The tourist may drive on and cross the River Yala and visit the famous Got Ramogi, which is believed by the local communities to be the first homestead of the famous Ramogi Ajwang’, which is the ancestor of most of the Southern Luos who settled in Kenya about 600 years after harrowing movement from the Southern Sudan, through Uganda and Kenya. Parts of the community moved on and settled in the North Mara district in Western Tanzania. Got Ramogi was recently declared as an historic site, and a structure signifying its importance in the shape of a museum or a tourist camp is planned.

Otieno and Associate an enterprise owned by a Kenyan family has acquired the fleet of new vehicles which include several four-wheel drives vehicle for rough terrain of roads.

The tourists visiting this route may drive backward southern-ward and land at the Nyamira Kang’o Kajaramogi home of the late hero and freedom fighter, the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, who is the father of Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga. An ultra mausoleum has been construct there, which is housing all the work of the fame hero and the uncompromising champion fighter for democracy in Kenya..

Further southern, the tourist could drove up to Luanda-Kotieno jetty and catch up with Mbita Ferry on a the forty minutes voyage across the shallow water of the Nyanza Gulf to Mbita Point and drove on eight miles to the Mausoleum of another famed freedom fighter the late Tom Mboya at his Matenga village home village, Kamasengre home on Rusinga Island, where a mausoleum is built and declared as part of the National Museum.

And before one reached the late Mboya’s home there is another unique tourist attraction site called Nyama-Gi-Ware. Two small rocks in the sampling the two bulls fighting inside the lake near Wanyama fish landing beach and trading center. The locals believes and maintains that the two rocks were atone time living animals and one bull belonged to Ware the ancestral father of the Waware the largest clan on Rusing island and the other one belonged to Mnyama, a brother of Ware. And that the two bulls fought the fiercest battle until they enter into the lake water and turned rocks. The story is sounding rather suppesitution, but the rocks are worth viewing by any visitor on Rusinga Island.

Several tourist class hotels have sprung up ever since the opening of Rusinga Island via the causeway bridge across Mbita Chanel. They include Mbita Beach Hotel on the mainland, Mbita Holiday Inn Hotel on Rusing Island and a unique Lodge, which is not far away from Mboya’s home. There are also several middle class hotels, which could accommodate the tourist on both side of the Mbita Channel.

And from Rusinga Island tourists using boats could cruise on a one hour voyage to Mfangano Island where there are plenty to be seen. There are Old Caves and the unique Soklo Platoon for birds watching. This sparsely inhabited Island but large in size than its twin Rusinga Island.

There are properly maintained airstrips on both Rusinga and Mfangano Isands where planes carrying tourist have been landing almost on daily basis from Maasai Mara’s Kekorok based airstrip or flying tourists directly from Wilson Airport in Nairobi.

Coming back to the mainland, visitor could drive directly to Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley which has plenty of wild animals including the rare Roan Antelope, which are only found in Simba Hills and the coats and also in the Republic of South Africa. There is a disused tourist lodge, which was built close to 50 years ago by the then African District Council of South Nyanza, but which run-down and closed down its business in the late 1960s due to lack of customers. This magnificent could be renovated by a private entrepreneur and open its door once again if an investor could be found. It is situated rigt inside the Ruma National game Park

Tourist could move on to Gwassi Hills and travel down to Nyandiwa for a view of another important pre-historic site of Nyamgondho Wuod Ombare. Here the visitors come early in the morning hours, they could be able to see footprints of a man and his domestic animals on the rocks, which are believed to be that of the legendary Nyamgondho and his estranged bogus wife, who is believed to have deserted him and disappeared in the lake with her domestic animals and other sources of wealth.

The trip could take the visitors up to Sori Town in Karungu Bay or make a return journey to Mbita via Sindo and onward to Homa-Bay or drives on to Aora -Chuodho via the burial site of the famous polygamist the late Akuku Denja who died and was buried last December. A Mausoleum has since been constructed on the dangerman’s grave. The man is famed for having married close to 102 wives with whom he sired 216 children.

THE ECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF LAKE VICTORIA, AND ITS INFRASTRACTURAL DEVELOPMENT ITS REPERIAN COUNTIES TO SPUR GROWTH UNDER THE KENYA’S NEW CONSTITUTION DISPENSATION.

Kenyan portion of Lake Victoria which is only 1/6of the lake is bordered by the riparian Counties of Busia,Siaya.Kisumu,Homa-Bay and Migori.

The Nyanza Gulf part of Lake Victoria is shallow, highly polluted and frequently invaded by water hyacinth weed which is grossly impeding fishing and navigational of transport vessels.

The rise and fall of Lake Victoria waters and factors mentioned above have slowed down economic activities in the Western Kenyan regions.

With collapse of the Kenya Railways Corporation marine services in the 199s, main economic activities in the region are fishing and marine transport by ssese canoes which are prone to fatal marine accidents. Most of the vessels carrying large quantities of cargo to Kisumu port come from Tanzania and Uganda.

Gulf waters are of little economic use now as fish has emigrated o the deep and larger part of the lake. Waters highly polluted to an extent of even domestic animals do not use it. It is time other economic activities are introduced to spur development in the riparian counties.

Lake Victoria and rivers flowing into it are the major natural resources of the region whose waters should be put to better economic uses.

The Kenya Vision 2030, the current economic blueprint of the Kenya government and new constitution devolving development to the countries calls for initiation of new economic development in the region with the countries need to provide infrastructure for integrated transport system to attract investors to spur economic growth of the region.

To make good economic use of Lake Victoria new vessels need to be introduced for fishing and marine transport. Other activities such as cruise shipping leisure boat rides sport {games} fishing, water sports, rowing ,sailing and surfing need to be introduced to diversify economic activities.

“Hydrographic surveys must be carried out in the lake, navigational charts produced and navigational marks such as lights and buoys put in place. Safety of navigation and vessels can only be secured when the waters are charted as investors would not put in their vessels in uncharted waters“, says an expert.

Captain John Martin Odhach a retired captain who has since became a consultant on marine transport suggested in an article that ports and beaches in the riparian countries should be developed through the construction of piers, jetties and good access roads. Areas served by ferries with bow doors have to be with landing ramps.

Disposition of the ports and beaches are listed bellow;- Busia County Sio Port, Port Victoria, Marenga and Osieko Beach In Siaya County are Osieko Beach, Usenge Beach, Uhanya Beach, Wich Lum, Misori, Luanda KJotieno, Wayaga Beach, Kunya Beach and Asembo -Bay.

Kisumu County has the following beaches: Kaloka Beach, Ndere Island, Kisumu Port, Duga Beach, Sango Beach and Kusa Beach.

Homa-BayCounty has the following beaches: Karabondi, Seka Beach, Kendu Bay,Wath Mainuga,Kowuor, Homa-Bay, Mbita Town,Wanyama Beach, Utajo Beach,Luanda Kolunga, Siehenga and, Rusinga,Sindo Beach, Nyandiwa and Kisegi as well and Mfangano.

Migori County has the fewest beaches. They include Sori Bay in Karungu, Muhuru Bay and Migingo Island which is currently under the administrative authority of Uganda.

Kisumu City which is the regional hub of business and getaway to East Africa now houses regional and national institutions with mandate for economic development of the region such as Lake Victoria Basin Commission, an institution of the East African Community, Lake Basin Development Authority, Lake Victoria Environmental Program, Lake Victoria Water Management and Western fisheries as well as the regional branch of the Western Kenya Fisheries Research Institute.

The East African Common Market with a population of close to 120 million people is a bigger trading bloc requiring better coordinated integrated transport system of air, land water for better service delivery.

The new Counties should by now start putting infrastructure for integrated transport system by developing air strips, ports, piers, access roads, trunk roads and hydrographic surveys in the lake.

Experts says that the Lake Victoria navigational charts currently in use were published in 1901 when the lake was being opened for navigation to complete Uganda Railways arts in 1936,but since then the lake has experienced rise and fall in water level. The navigation Charts are now archaic and danger to navigation

It is now imperative that the lake must have hydrographic surveys carried out for the production of up-to date navigation Charts.

The East African governments have seen the importance of Lake Victoria Basin Commission with mandate to control and regulate marine transport, safety of navigation, vessels, training of marine personnel and efficient manning of ships plying the lake as promulgated by Lake Victoria Act f the EAC.

The government of Kenya and its counties should work with the Lake Basin Commission in effecting Hydrographic Surveys, particularly in the ports and beaches in the riparian counties to enhance safety. Navigation and port charts to be produced with navigational aids such as lights, buoys, wrecks and navigational danger marked on the charts for guidance of boat operators.

The Central government and countries have to construct ports the pier, jetties, ferry landing ramps and anchorages for vessels. Construction of facilities such as cold storage, passenger lounge should be essential part parts of the larger plan for tourist attraction to the regions.

The Central government and the countries need to construct ports, piers, ferry landing ramps anchorage,for mooring vessels.The jetties, piers, anchorage and channels need to be dredged to a reasonable depth for safety of vessels. Under water obstruction to be removed and danger points clearly marked with buoys.

Water hyacinth weed has been impediment to navigation activities in the lake for a long time, particularly in the Nyanza Gulf [Kavirondo Gulf] where it has been blocking ports and beaches The government, counties the government, counties and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission need to work out methods of removing these weeds manually by the labor which is abundance in the region.

The removal of hyacinth weeds will make navigation safe in Lake Victoria. The counties in turn and for the purpose ports attracting more revenues should construct access roads for ease of connections between air, land and water transport. Counties should strength the management of ports, beaches, recreation facilities to enhance their revenue base. The government and counties need to encourage local and international investors to participate in the creation of facilities and amenities.

Investors should be welcomed to put up boat building and repair yards in selected ports with resources as Kisumu City. Kenyan should be assisted to venture into acquisition by guaranteeing loans fro the lending financial institutions to provide marine transport and fishing..

The local counties should provide land in the ports and beaches for building of hotels and recreation amenities. The local Counties should create enabling environment for doing business by providing regulations which enhances safety and security of property and people.

INTEGRATED TRANSPORT INFRASTRUCTURE AROUND LAKE VICTORIA AND SURROUNDING COUNTRYSIDE VILLAGES.

Kisumu City is arguably the hub of economic activities of the Western Kenya region and has a weekly regional market at Kibuye, which is serving Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi and to the extent Southern Sudan. The City is served by rail, road , air and water transport. Kisumu Airport is being upgraded to international standard and will soon be handling larger commercial planes carrying more passengers and cargo for international destinations.

The increase in trade in the region call for better integrated transport system to facilitate the movement of people and traded goods. Rail transport in the region is very limited as the line from Nairobi enters Kisumu County at Koru before reaching Kisumu City. There is a short rail line from Kisumu to Butere in Kakamega County transiting through Siaya County at Yala Town.

Major trunk roads in the region link Kisumu County to Busia Town, Port Victoria, Siaya Town, Mbita Town, Osieko Beach, Luanda K0otieno, Kendu-Bay, Homa-Bay, Migori Town, Muhuru Bay Town Oyugis Town and Sori Town in Karungu Bay. These roads form ring roads around Kenya portion of Lake Victoria. It was planned that by the year 2010 all ring roads around the lake were to be tarmacked and made all weather roads.

The poor dirt access roads to the port and beaches from the trunk roads and counties need to build these roads to ll weather standards to access transport jetties and piers.

When Lake Victoria Hydrographic surveys are completed navigational aids will be in place. Jetties and piers constructed for berthing of vessels, investors will be attracted to deploy their vessels for the provision of marine transport, leisure trips and water sports in the lake.

Residents of the region will be in a position to tap economic potentials of Lake Victoria by diversifying the uses of the waters such as surfing, rowing, surfing and fishing. About two million of cargo transported through the lake mainly in vessels owned by Tanzanian and Ugandan nationals,. Establishment of East African Community as a trading bloc of 120 people, has created huge market with big volume of traded goods requiring efficient marine transport. There is great potential for investing in vessels to provide marine services required in the lake.

Kenya owned Mbita Ferry provides service on the Mbita Channel between Luanda Kotieno in Uyoma peninsula to Mbita Point. The ferries owned by a local entrepreneurs Mr Sammy Wakiaga of Rusinga Island are sometime contracted to provide marine transport services to other destinations in the lake. The services offered at port from Kisumu to Mbita Town and environs by three hours.

Other routes to be opened up are Sio Port/Port Victoria to Rusinga and Mfangano Islands,Wayaga Beach to Homa-Bay, Kendu Bay, Asembo Bay Kowuor and Kisumu. There will be increased agricultural production of food crops to supply local demand particularly the larger Kisumu City market and for export to international market via the newly expanded Kisumu Airport. Fishing in the lake and fish farming will be enhanced for the production of fish. Agriculture and fishing are labor intensive which will result in employment of many people, especially the youths and school-leavers.

Kisumu City being the hub of economic activities in the region will be served by vessels from all over the ports and beaches in the region and those from neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania. Marine transport will spur trade in the region, local and foreign tourists will access the vessels for transport and recreation thereby spurring economic growth. The area now calls for the establishment of stronger road transport activities, and local business magnates are called upon to invest into small and bigger passenger vehicles to supplement the marine transport.

Horticulture crops such as vegetables, green maize, flowers grown in the area will be transported to Kisumu on a daily bas to meet the demand of Kisumu City population and for export to international market at Kisumu Airport.

Special built vessels for leisure trips and recreation will serve the tourists and locals who will want to enjoy these facilities. The newly created counties will need to provide integrated transport for people to access the facilities offered by the lakeside city.

Ends

Leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: Ruto warned to consider ousting Raila from the ODM instead of acting like a political mercenary

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kerichoi Town

The suspended Higher Education Minister stands no chance of becoming Kenya’s third Prime Minister to replace Raila Odinga unless he and his rebellious Kalenjin MPs quit the party altogether and seek fresh mandate from the electorate on another party ticket and sponsorship.

The rule of the law is clear under the National Accord. The leader of the majority party in Parlanent becomes the Prime Minister. And as far as the law is concern, Ruto and his brigades were still considered as the ODM members unless they relinquish their position and quit the party altogether.

A Kericho politician Councilor Nicholas Tum made this observation while commenting on the widely reported plan hatched by Ruto and his allies in collaboration with the PNU MPs to oust the Prime Minister by bringing him down through a substantive motion of no confidence in Parliament. Tum said Ruto seemed to be totally ignorant of the existing laws. This is perhaps the reason why he is being hotly pursued with numerous legal actions that include the impending ICC trials at the Hague.

He said any attempt to bring down the Prime Minister through unlawful means would sink this country back to where it was in early 2008, and Kenyans want peace and insist that the law be applied for to the letter.

“Some leaders in the Rift Valley and their allies in the Mt Kenya region are shopping for chaos, disunity and political instability. These are too expensive subject which the country can ill afford now. And the anti-reformist forces which have regrouped together should allow us time to implement the new Constitution before the next general elections”, said Tum

Tum who is the regional coordinator of the ODM in the South Rift wondered why there is a lot of pack of lies in the lips of many Kalenjin politicians, particularly the MPs. Lies is not within the Kalenjin culture and characters.

Supporting the sentiments expressed by the Assistant Minister for Energy and the ODM MP for Kipkellion Magerer Lang’at who was reported to have played down the move by the Minister for Agriculture Dr Sally Kosgey’s decision to abandoned Mr Odinga and had termed it as short time hiccup.

Tum said Dr Kosgey should be ashamed that he had been flying the national flag as a cabinet Minister for the last three years under the docket which is located to the ODM by the National Accord of 2008 only to start changing like a chameleon.

Lang’ had said that Dr. Kosgey departure would enable the MP to re-organize his team in the Rift Valley and beyond.

The Assistant Minister had said,” Those who are deserting the PM have already lost ground because of wanting leadership in their constituencies and they think by also joining the anti-Odinga they will regain ground. Far from it they are already spent forces.”

Coun Tum said those MP deserting Mr Odinga are doing so for the purpose of monetary interests and gains. They have exposed the Kalenjin as the cheapest politician, portraying the community as being put out for auction or sale.

Tum cited both the Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny and Dr Kosgey as among the Kalenjin MPs who are no longer in touch with the electorate. This was evidenced in their dismal performances followed by disastrous loss of the recent referendum voting for the new constitution. Kutuny lost in Cherangany while Dr. Kosgey lost the votes in her Aldai constituency.

Tum disclosed that the ODM leadership in Kipsigisland was working round the clock identifying a team of new party leadership in the region, which has the highest votes in the Rift Valley. “We are not worried about the disgruntled and frustrated individuals who have opted out. We dare them to quit their parliamentary seats if they are men and women enough.” he added.

If Ruto is a man enough, he should mobilized the ODM party leadership and oust Mr Odinga from within rather than seeking amorphous alliances from the patches of minority parties. Let him oust Mr Odinga and control the ODM MPs in Parliament. Alternative he should quit and join other part and seek for fresh mandate from the electorate before making day dream of ousting the Prime Minister.

Tum accused Ruto and his friends of plotting to stir up tribal animosity in the same way they did in 2008 simply for the lust for political leadership. .Tum faulted the Minister for the Environment for having said that President Kibaki has the numbers to push in any Bills including the controversial nominations in the Judiciary department.

Why should be the President be advised to rely mainly on the MPs from the patches of minority parties, and not to win the majority of MP at the polls by his own PNU party? Kenyan electorate treats those pursuing migratory politics and shuttling between ODM and PONU as people with malice intention and political mercenaries

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Tanzania: Russians and Chinese in Big Scramble for uranium and coal mining business in nation

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Reports emerging from the Tanzanian commercial City of Dar Es Salaam says that a Chinese firm, Sichuan Hongda Corporation is planning t invest USD 3 million in the Mchuchuma coal and Liganga Iron Ore production in Southern Tanzania.

This will be the first major mining investment by the firm in Tanzania, after it was selected out of 48 international and local companies that bid to develop the two projects.

Other reports emerging from the same source says, the Russian state-owned nuclear holding company, Rosatom has taken over the uranium assets of the Tanzanian based Mantra Resources Ltd for USD 1.15 billion.

Rosatom through its SC Atomredmetzoto ARMZ Uranium Holding Co} subsidiary, will buy the Australian Perth-based company for a USD 8 a share 5.5 per cent premium to its last trading price before the shares were halted prior to the take over announcement on Monday this week.

The coal mining project, in which the Chinese company is involved, will provide the base for industrial and activities and a source for both local industrial uses, as well as for export. It is also expected that the project will influence of infrastructure in the Southern regions of the country.

The chairman of the board of the National Development Corporation {NDC} Chrisant Mzindakaya was quoted widely by the local media houses as saying last week tat Mchuchuma coal project, which is expected to produce 600 megawatts of electricity will supplement the hydropower sources which are currently in use in Tanzania.

“The project will also necessitate the strengthening and building of new power transmissions lines,” said Mzindakaya.

Tanzania is notorious for chronic power rationing largely due to overdependence on hydropower sources.

At the same time the in the of Heavy Industry in the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Marketing Alley Mwakibolwa was also quoted by the media as saying that the Mchuchuma mining area has an estimated 540million metric tones of coal deposits, which is enough to produce electricity for over 100 years. “Once the Mchuchuma project is complete, the power rationing in the country would be something of the past having been resolved permanently.”

Mwakibolwa added the 600 megawatts of power expected will attract investment in other sectors as well.

The Mchuchuma project covers an area of about 141 square kilometers while the Liganga Steel Complex covers 178 square kilometers.

In February last year the NDC shortlisted 25 international and local firms for the Mchuchuma Coal and Liganga Iron Ore concessions. Nine firms were picked from these.

They are BHP Billiton Worldwide Exploration Ltd of South Africa, China Huadian Engineering Company Ltd of the Peoples Republic of China, Nava Bharat {Singapore} Pte Ltd of Singapore, and Rio Tinto Minerals Development Ltd of the United Kingdom.

The other firms were, Sarda Energy and Minerals Ltd of India, Sichuan Hongda Company Ltd of China, STX Corporation of Korea,, Trancoal Energy Ltd/Tata International of Tanzania and the AES Corporation of the United States.

The government of Tanzania also prequalified five firms for the Liganga Iron Ore concessions in which Sarda Energy and Minerals Ltd, Sichuan Hongda Company, STX Corporation, Trancoal Energy Ltd / Tata International Ltd and AES Corporation were shortlisted.

Trancoal’s submission was made alongside Tata International Ltd of India as a joint venture. The Liganga iron ore deposits are located less than 100 kilometers from Trancoal’s Ngaka coal project.

In the Russian’s deal, the agreement will see ARMZ Uranium Holding, a company authorized the State Corporation of Nuclear Energy to supply Russian nuclear industry with raw materials, take over 100 per cent of Mantra Resources Ltd.

Mantra’s core assets are the world-class Mkuju River project in Tanzania, Which is nearing the completion of definitive feasibility study.

The transaction contemplates the fulfilling number of standard requirements, including, specifically, transaction approval by a general shareholder of Mantra Resources Ltd, relevant state authorities and court approval.

The transaction will have to wait the approval from the Australian Foreign Investment Committee and the Tanzanian government cabinet.

Vadim Zhivoc, the Director General of the ARMZ was quoted by the influential weekly the EASTAFRICAN this week as saying that the transaction with Mantra Resources Ltd is a part of ARMZ Uranium Holding strategy on diversifying uranium base of Rosatom a state corporation.

Zhivoc said the agreement allows ARMZ Uranium Holding to extend its portfolio of assets with low uranium production costs as well as to consolidate the leading position of the Rosatom State Corporation among the world natural uranium producers.

“The transaction is realized within the concept of development of uranium. One as for the global platform of ARMZ Uranium Holding’s growth.” he said.

According to Zhivoc, the acquisition proposal provides all Mantra shareholders with the opportunity to realize a cash consideration at a premium valuation.

Buying Mantra will give Rosatom the Mkuju River project in Tanzania and add to the controlling stake in Uranium One that it agreed to buy in June.

Jean Nottier,the CEO of Uranium One said that the Mkuju River in Tanzania ranks among the best uranium development projects in the world.

The Mkuju River Uranium project has the estimated resources of 101.4 million pounds of uranium oxide concentrate about 77 per cent of global mined output last year

Mantra Resources has started definitive feasibility study for the project.The offered price Mantra equates to USD 10.26 per pound {.O.45.kg} concentrate in Mkuju River.

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Kenya: Campaign for Awendo’s New Parliamentary seat has started in earnest

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

The campaign in the race for who becomes the next MP in the newly created Awendo Parliamentary seat has started in earnest and prematurely even before the constituency is officially gazette.

The constituency is among the 80 or so additional new parliamentary constituencies recently created by the defunct Interim Boundary Commission, which was led by the former Vihiga MP Andrew Ligale.

If the parliament will eventually ratify and approve the 80 additional parliamentary seats as proposed by Ligale Commission, Awendo district will have its own constituency hived out of the existing Rongo constituency.

Awendo constituency will cover areas close to the Luo-Maasai border in parts of Trans-Mara district will also have a small portion of borderline between Gucha and Awendo district around Kitunja, Ochodororo and Nyamaiya areas. These border areas have always been volatile due to the intermittent skirmishes between the Luos and the Maasais and also between the Luos and the neighboring Abagusii people.

Apart from clashes experience a year ago between the Maasais and the Luos over a the land disputes a year ago, the border areas have remain calm and peaceful for sometime, and the credit should go the Provincial Administration, particularly the Rongo and Gucha District Commissioners, police and local politician for having maintained peace and harmony for the last 18 months.

The last three years ever since the general election in 2007 has seen peace and tranquility prevailing in Awendo Town, which previously was prone to incidents of grisly murders, thuggery and insecurity. Then killers who used to get away with their heinous action have since disappeared and peace and harmony has relatively return to this busy farming town, which is surrounded by sugar cane farms and also housing one of the leading sugar processing firms, the SONYSUGAR.

It as has been established that most of the thugs whose used to terrorize the population within Awendo Town and its environs were characters imported from far locations such as Karungu, Kaler and Kadem locations in Nyatike district by politicians who used them to intimidate or eliminate their potential political rivals whether real of imaginary opponents. Immediately the Rongo and Awendo D.Cs were posted in, the thugs quickly retreated and disappeared, perhaps going back to their original homes.

The agriculturally rich district of Awendo has its administrative headquarters in Awendo town and is covering half a dozen of administrative locations stretching from South Sakwa, Sakwa East, Sakwa North, Central Sakwa{1} and Central Sakwa {11}.

The former Energy and Sports Minister, George Mbogoh Ochillo-Ayacko, is among the leading contender in the new constituency. But there are half a dozens of other aspirants. They include the current chairman of the Awendo Twn Council, Johnson Omolo Owiro, Joseph Owuor is a Personal Assistant to the Ministe for Public Services Dalmas Otieno, Bob Odhiambo Ng’ura, Prof. Eric Otieno, Jude Ayieko, Dr Abwao. Joseph Opiyo the principal of Gamba Secondary School in Sakwa West. The name of the aspirants are expected to swell up within the next few months with more contestants expected to join the race.

In the same constituency, dagger is already drawn for the both Senate and governors position, with Sammy Onyango and Ezra Odondi Odhiambo declaring their interests in the position of governors, while the one time two terms MP for the larger Homa-Bay constituency Phrares Oluoch Kanindo is to battle for the Migori County Senate seat .All are from Awendo district.

However, the man to watch is the current chairman of Awendo Town Council, Councilor Johnson Omolo Owiro. Born in 1947, and the son of the late business magnate, Mzee Ismael Owiro Akoko, the man who is credited for having pioneered into business and single handedly developed Awendo to its present status, Coun Owirotook his early education at Ranjhira Primary School before moving to Luwala Intermediate School where he sat for his KAPE and later joined Pe-Hill Secondary School.

After leaving school he joined the Extra Mural Studies of the University of Nairobi University for two years. He was employed by the East African Industries in the sale section. He later moved to the SONYSUGAR Company where he was employed as a managerial staff in the factory. The Company later sponsored him to a two years study tour of India where he studied sugar production, processes, technology and quality control.

Owiro later ventured into sugar cane transport business as one of the contracted transporters for the SONYSUGAR,and soon after abandoning the transport business established his own Susana Academy school in Awendo Town. In 2005 he established Susana Secondary School also in Awendo town. In the primary section of the school he allowed close to 105 children from poor family free education while in the Secondary section of the same institution close to 30 students from poor families are receiving education for free.

In 2007 Coun.Owiro contested the election in Sakwa Central Ward and beat other seven aspirants with an overwhelming majority of votes on an ODM ticket. He was immediately elected the Chairman of the Council and was re-elected last year for the same position.

COUN. OWIRO’S PHOTOGRAPH

Coun Johnson Omolo Owiro, Parliamentary candidate for the Awendo seat

During his tenure of office as the chairman, the Council has constructed Kshs 52 million Awendo Bus Park on them main Kisii –Migori road. He had also initiated the installation of -the town’s street lights, sewerage, water and good road network within the busy town.

Coun.Owiro’s other successes include the recent purchase of school buses for Owiro Akoko Girls Secondary School. The construction of Komolo Rume Secondary School,Got Ogwamrondo dispensary, which is now complete and operational and other projects in Sakwa Central. He is a member of the majority sub-clan known as Jo-Kamiyawa, whose members are the majority in Central Sakwa area covering Awendo Town and SONYSUGAR.

The battle of the wit will therefore be between the former MP Ochillo Ayacko who hails from the neighboring Waware sub-location, but has good following in Sakwa North. Ayacko’s own sub-clan of Kadera and their cousins the Jo-Kakmasia are the majority of the inhabitants of Sakwa North. The former MP is expected to enjoy partly the support of Sakwa East residents but he will have to share the Waware votes with Prof.Erick Otieno, who also hails within his home turf

. But the voters in Awendo Town and SONYSUGAR workers who are so significant and substantial will be out of his reach and here is where Coun.Owiro stand to reap the benefit of his sweat for having turn the Awendo Town around with numerous, but visible development activities during his tenure of office at the Town Hall.

Coun. Owiro maintains the most illustrious background and credibility as an accessible apart from being a staunch member of the Seven Day Adventist Church, which is the dominant religion in the region to his advantage while Ayacko belongs to the Roman Catholic Church, whose following is insignificant I the region.

There is a popular call for change in political leadership in the region, which has for sometime been rotational between Dalmas Otieno and Ochilo Ayacko ever since 1997and Coun Owiro is expected to exploit this new euphoria to the maximum.

The agriculturally rich constituency borders Uriri to the South, Ndhiwa toi the West, Rongo to the North , South Mugirango to the Southeast and Kilgoris to the Southeast. Cattle rustling have been the common feature and the source of insecurity along the common borders with Trans-Mara and Gucha, districts, but of late the situation seemed to be relatively calm and peaceful with very few cases reported.

The economic feature of Awendo district is based on sugar cane farming. The area has one of the most fertile and arable land capable of producing coffee, tea, maize, bananas, vegetables, fruits, sorghum millets, sweet potatoes and other cash crops such as tobacco. The residents have recently ventured into graded dairy cattle, but still in small scale and most people still prefer traditional zebu cattle for beef and other purposes.

The area is served by the ultra-modern Kisii Migori highway, but there are also all weather feeder and access roads used by the nearby SONYSUGAR FACTORY for the transportation of row sugar cane from its more than 25,000 contracted out -grower cane farmers in seven districts of Migori, Awendo, Rongo, Gucha, Trans-Mara, Ndhiwa ,Kuria and Homa-Bay. There are similar numbers of non-contracted cane farmers within the Awendo sugar cane growing zones.

A common belief by the electorate is that it was during Coun.Owiro’s tenure as the chairman of Awendo Town Council which saw the arrival of the new District and the new extra parliamentary constituency oif Awendo and all are attributed to Owiro political dynamism and magnanimity and given his family background, Owiro is the man to watch in Awendo politics.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: Government blamed for lack of proper supervision of its funds for rural projects

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

LACK of transparency and accountability as well laxity on the part of the Provincial Administration in conducting thorough supervision in collaboration with the relevant ministries in all the development projects being undertaken under the Economic Stimulus Programs is the major source of discontent and conflicts of interests between the local communities and officials.

Politicians are also blamed for using the stimulus funds recently released by the Treasury for targeted projects for arms twisting to win back the support of the communities which did not vote for them in the 2007 general election.

The politicians, according to sources on the ground were also working together with a cabal of businessmen in having their own cut from the project money. A number of pseudo building construction firms are said to have been hastily registered by a cartel of unpatriotic businessmen for the express purpose of taping the resources availed by the government under the stimulus programs.

Owing to these loopholes millions of shilling allocated by the Treasury for stimulus programs could be drained into the dustbins by the cunning cabal of businessmen and the brief-case contractors working on lucrative commissions allegedly paid out by pseudo businessmen who had hired them to act on their behalf using their easily obtained contract registration licenses.

Discontent and conflict of interest is everywhere, particularly inside Luo-Nyanza. The loophole in supervision of the construction work has reportedly opened the door for massive looting of the government revolving funds, meant to develop and improve the lives of the rural communities.

Some of the projects earmarked include the up-grading of certain schools put up by the community on the spirit of self-help, dispensaries and health centers and other economic projects, which are so essential to the lives of the rural population.

There is big-tug-of-war between the ministry officials on the ground, the MPs and the local committee charged with the responsibility of supervising the development of the projects under the stimulus programs.

A case in point is the on-going hullabaloo in the controversial Kshs 20 million shillings St Rita Secondary School in Sidho West, Nyando district in the Kisumu County. The school is the brainchild of the local committee. When the government allocated it the fund, a 14 men local committee was picked up by the community to supervise the construction work and manage the fund. The committee was supposed to work in close collaboration with the office of the local district education office, which is based at Chemelil Roundabout at Awasi, the local MP and all the stakeholders.

But this is not the case. The Muhoroni MP Prof.Ayiecho Oluweny having realized that his local cronies in local political derby were not included, is alleged to have conspired with the lady education office wh0se name was given as Mrs Sika, who eventually sidelined the local committee in the project supervision.

The problem had started during the issuance of the tender documents. A local construction firm which headed by a credible engineer with vast knowledge in construction work was the first to purchase the paid up tender document for Kshs 3000 not refundable. But it was the last to be issued with tender document, and only after intensive intervention and lobbying by third parties. The document reached Kango Construction only four hours before the tender was due to be opened.

Kang’o Construction is credible construction firm which has carried out many construction work in various projects worth millions both inside Kenya and even in Botswana. It is owned by Eng.Mark Nyambogo Malo, who also happened to e a member of the Sidho West Community in Ombei where the St Rita Secondary Schools is currently under construction, and was more qualified having been a member of the same community. It submitted the second lowest tender.

Another construction firm, which was hastily registered under the name of Odampo International with no past experience of building construction work, appeared to have been in the in minds of other stakeholders outside Sidho community. The firm is said to belong to a young man working as a driver of one Dr Hezron M.C. Obewa, a social worker who is also runs a health facility called Ogra Foundation, said to be enjoying the financial backing of the British government, who is also it is being alleged to be a close associate of the Muhoroni MP.Olweny.

It appeared that the driver was merely used as a conduit by the interested parties to secure the contract through the tender, though it is duly registered with the Ministry of Works, but the real power behind the business are different people. And the local community has since called upon the KACC to conduct a thorough investigation which should include the inspection of the material used on the project if they are tallying with specification contained therein the tender document.

According to a report appearing the last week edition of the WEEKLY CITIZEN, when reminded of the anomaly, the MPO for the area who is at the centre if the controversy Prof Olweny, is alleged to have said that nothing will happen to him because the Prime Minister Raila Odinga would come to his help.

Other reports says close to Kshsn 9 million has already been spent on the project, but the work is suspected to be shady and sub-standard, with the roofing of the class rooms and other building done using 30 gauge iron sheets as opposed to gauge 28 which were specified in the tender.

The local committee after being sidelined from their own project now cries foul,. Alleging that the lady education officer has even seized the cheque books, and she is now the one issuing cheques for the payments of the construction work, which is said to be under the supervision of the Ministry of Works.

The fear persists that the shady work done on the project’s buildings could turn out to be dangerous to users of the buildings. The work is incomplete, and the head teachers last week admitted the first 28 Form One students, which were only temporarily sent to other nearby schools pending the completion of the buildings.

Those involved in the scam are said to be panicking after the WEEKLY CITIZEN exposed and the Muhoroni MP is said to have threatened the weekly newspaper with a ligation case to be filed before a court of law for the defamation of character. But the chairman of the community based board of governors Mr Shadrack Ngere is reported to have flatly refused to sign certain documents.

Tjis particular incident of gross interference into the government funded project is just an example of many other similar scandals involved the government funds including CDF which is the most vandalized. The locals says it is of no use for the government offering to assist them in developed their own community initiated project, for only a cabal of interested profiteers to take over the control of the fund and sideline them. They suspect that part of the Kshs 20 million could be siphoned through use of poor materials and kickbacks unless they were also involved in the supervision of the work.

They want the DC. Nyando to prevail upon the lady education officer to hand over the books of account of their project to the selected committee. The Officer is said to have even seized the key for the o school mailbox fueling the rumor and suspicion that the intention is to keep the board members in the darkness so that could not see the bank reports detailing the withdrawals the transactions, and this is perhaps done with the express knowledge of the area MP.

Mr Odampo the contractor, Eng.Mark Nyambogo Malo and the MP Prof Olweny could not be reached for comments as was Dr Obewa. But the Sidho community is up in arms calling for KACC and other relevant government investigative teams to move into the school construction site for the purpose of verifying the material being used, the standard of work and experience of the construction engineers on the site.

Reports making the round in Kisumu and its environs says the young journalist working for the WEEKLY. A Mr.Wasonga had alleged that he had been threatened by unknown people for his role in the newspaper report, illustrating the degree of panicking among those masterminds of the alleged scam.

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Kenya: Residents want politics to be banned at the funeral gatherings until after 2012

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WRITES Leo Odera Omolo In Ndhiwa Town.

An important meeting was held here on Sunday in which more than 600 delegates from all the 24 administrative locations and seven. Divisions in Ndhiwa district endorse several far-reaching resolutions.

On of the resolutions was that President Mwai Kibaki be requested to upgrade the Kisumu Polytechnic to a University status, and that Mirogi Secondary School one of the oldest and properly established school in the region be upgraded to a campus of a university college under the Maseno University. The school is strategically placed to cater for the residents of the greater Southern Nyanza.

The delegates who converged at the Ungq Farm which is the home of the Assistant Minister for International Security and Provincial Administration at Unga in Pala Division, Ndhiwa district in the County of Homa-Bay unanimously agreed that funeral gatherings must not be used as political platform and that this should stop immediately until after the year 2012.

The delegates expressed concern that there were increasingly alarming cases where funeral goers are treated to a lot of unnecessary politicking in what could be a solemn sending off the departed souls. This is causing insecurity in the areas because those who intend to contest civic and parliamentary seats aspirants have turned funeral home as the venue for public rallies.

The delegates also endorsed the sitting MP Joshua Orwa Ojode would be sole parliamentary candidate in Ndhiwa constituency whether through a political party sponsorship or without. The delegates resolved that this would be the time for paying back for the good services, the MP has rendered to the resident during his last sixteen {16} years if representation.

The delegates said they will guard against any political manipulation by party headquarters in Nairobi. This time around Ndhiwa people would vote for a personality, but not the party. This would be in recognition of what the individuals have done to the community in terms of development activities in the area.

All the resolution prepared after the day long deliberations were read by Mr Dancun Osodo the Head Teacher of Obera Secondary School in Central Kabuoch who is the chairman of all the Principals of Secondary and High Schools in Ndhiwa disrict.

The participants were critical about the misuse of the funeral gathering by politicians in the area and their agents from outside the district who have been causing insecurity and political instability in the area when they addressed mourners and introduced irrelevant issues not connect to the burials of the departed souls. They agreed unanimously that this must stop forthwith and until after the next general election.

The delegates also agreed that peace and tranquility must be maintained during the coming general election and that people aspiring for elective public positions must conduct their campaign peacefully and avoid using provocative words against their opponents. Ndhiwa must remain a free and peaceful zone with nothing strange to divert the people’s attention from development activities.

If Orwa Ojode wins the next election and retain his eat this would be his fourth time. He first entered into Ndhiwa Parliamentary politics in 1992 following the defection of the then MP Tom Okello Obondo who had won the seat on a Ford-Kenya ticket, but immediately defected back to KANU.

Ojode is credited to have turned around the previously regarded as the most backward constituency in the greater Southern Nyanza to one of the ultra modern rural parliamentary constituencies inside Luo-Nyanza with mn90dern schools plenty of medical facilities, good and all weather roads, electricity supplies to market places and institutions. The district which previously had two administrative divisions and six locations now boost seven Division and 24 locations.

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Zanzibar: Lack of transparency is attributed to be the cause of discontent and land disputes in nation

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

Report emerging from the semi autonomous revolutionary government of Zanzibar says lack of transparency and collective responsibility in public institutions is to blame for increased land disputes in the Islands.

The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry if Land, Settlements, Water and Energy Mwalimu Ali Mwalimu, said last week that some civil servants have been implicated in corrupt land allocations on the Spice Islands.

The PS said corruption is undeniable and may involve individuals in public institutions, but general lack of transparency in dealing with land issues remains a big problem.

“We cannot avoid land disputes if we are not transparent and observe collective responsibility,” said the PS, adding that there were many land disputes in Zanzibar – especially invasion of open spaces and road reserves.

Mwalimu reported that some people, surprisingly, held genuine permits for use of such lands, but said this was due to lack of transparency and the fact that many government departments were involved in land leases.

The Permanent Secretary said institutions and leaders at all levels, including Shehas, must be transparent when on land issues to avoid controversies and advised people to expose dubious land deals.

He said the government had decided to lease Mambo Msiige Heritage Sites area in the Stone Town to a company that owns Kempiskii for USD 1.5 million for further development of the area, prompting the dispute over open space and the Mambo Msiige historical building at Frorodhani – between Aga Khan Cultural Foundation and Kempskii Hotels.

The government, he said, decided to issue a 99-year lease of an area comprising Mambo Msiige building, starehe club and the open space at Forodhani seafront to Kempskii.

The company will rehabilitate the historical building and develop the open space as per Zanzibar Stone Town Conservation Regulations.

The Stone Town Heritage Society has strongly protested and raised concern over the lease, arguing that the planned development would puts the town at risk of losing its status as a World Heritage Site.

Kempskii Hotels is owned by ASB Holdings Company of Dubai. It is planning to rehabilitate Mambo Msiige old building into a five star hotel, and develop the open space into a modern leisure park.

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Kenya: Kasipul-Kabondo farms urged to switch to cash crops to speed economic growth

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

KASIPUL-Kabondo is one area inside Luo-Nyanza which could be turned into a bastion of massive food grain production that could feed the entire Western Kenya.

A prominent Nairobi based business tycoon has said and urged the residents to redouble their efforts into switching more to cash crops, dairy farming and farmers SACCOs for the purpose of saving their hard earned money.

The region is endowed with fertile and arable agricultural soil, good rainfall and hard working rural folks. A prominent Nairobi based business man said the area could be used as roll model in leading other regions to ar era of higher economic growth.

Herbert Ojwang’, who is the Managing Director of the popular Komala Bus Services, which are plying all major routes in Nyanza Province, but operating from Nairobi, stated this at the weekend.

The businessman, who has been actively championing for the assistance of aids orphan children’s education, widows help and construction of churches and educational institutions in the entire Kasipul-Kabondo, is widely held to be the leading light in the new contest for the newly created Kabondo Parliamentary seat come the 2012.

Speaking exclusively to this writer in Kisumu, Ojwang’ appealed to Luo politicians to humble them. This is very essential since politics is the game of the numbers. The community needs the full backing and support of their neighbors so that it could realize its future leadership ambition to the national level. For this reason, the community leaders must stop insulting or using derogatory terms against leaders from the neighboring communities because this could augur bad in terms of the much needed communal cohesion.

Ojwang’ said that if elected, he would intensify the fight for poverty eradication. He will struggle hard to ensure that food get to the table of every family at meal time within the region. He will ensure that women get fresh drinking water for health at their doorsteps, instead of walking for a distance to fetch for it from the streams.

Other priorities would be the supply and distribution of electricity to the villages and educational institutions, and the establishment of adequate medical facilities to take care of the health of the population. These, he said are the component of quick realization of economic growth.

Ojwang’, who through his long service to mankind had earned him nomination for presidential medal award “The Head OF State Commendation”, had also served as a director of the Kenyatta National Hospital, chairman of the board of director of the Awendo based SONYSUGAR company. At one time he was the Personal Assistant to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, a position which he relinquished a few years ago when he ventured into a chain of businesses in Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and in his native home in Kasipul-Kabondo, In Rachuonyo South district within Homa-Bay County.

He said his track record as well the presidential election campaign in 1997 and 2002 speak for themselves. And perhaps this is what earned the nomination for presidential commendation medal.

Ojwang’ heaped a lot of praise to the peasant farmers in Kasipul-Kabondo for hard work, adding that the farmers were producing thousands of tons of sweet potatoes now found in every market place through the Republic of Kenya. The farmers have also intensified their production of pineapples, tea, coffee, banana and maize.

“What the farmers need is only the assistance and encouragement from someone somewhere who should come forward and initiate the plan of establishing medium size pineapple processing plant in the area.” This, he said will boost the economy of the region.

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Zanzabar & UN: Zanzibaris authority to investigate the allocation of heritage sites to hotel investment

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging from Zanzibar says the revolutionary government is reported as planning to launch a full scale investigation over the alleged irregular award of contract to develop a popular cultural site into a five star class hotel.

The controversy, which some government officials says is affecting a former cabinet member, they insist carries a risk hurting the country’s tourism, sector.

Mambo Msiige, an old cultural building is to be redeveloped but Kempinski at Stone Town. But UNESCO World Heritage Center has warned that this could see one of the most popular tourist attractions, in the Zanzibar Island, being struck off the prestigious list of World Heritage sites.

The Isles Minister for Information, Culture, Tourism and Sports in the semi-autonomous Revolutionary Government Abdilahi Jihad Hassan was widely quoted by the press last week as having said that the government is soon going to launch an extensive inquiry on some government official who have issued investment certificates without the government knowledge.

The Minister disclosed that the government would soon form a task force to probe the controversy.

“The government is supposed to be informed on any major rehabilitation project, but we have not had any information. What I know is that the private investor may have got the go-ahead from higher authorities,” the Minister told the EASTAFRICAN weekly without giving details on the lists of officials to be investigated.

It was further reported, however, that a decision on the Heritage Site will be made next month during the United Nations Education and Scientific and Cultural Organization {UNESCO} general conference.

Meanwhile, a team of experts from UNESCO is expected in the country this week to assess the situation on the ground and consult the Isles government.

If de-listed, Zanzibar would become the third Heritage Site to suffer such a fate since the creation of the World Heritage sites in 1972.

Mounting opposition to the development of the site is high from environmentalists’ and conservationists on this Indian Ocean archipelago, with critics reportedly asking UNESCO for a thorough review of the situation.

Among the world renown heritage sites removed so far from the Unesco list is Germany’s Dresden Elbe Valley in June 2009,owing to construction of a four-lane bridge at the heart of the cultural landscape.

The Arabian Oryx Sanctuary in Oman, a home to the rate antelope was the first to be dropped from the list in 2007 after the government reduced the sanctuary’s land by at least 90 per cent for a hotel investment.

Some official in Zanzibar says the loss will damage both the Stone Town’s reputation and its tourism revenue.

The proposed hotel, the critics maintained will ruin the city’s unique low-rise skyline and dwarf its neo-classical architecture, which includes 500 different type of workmanship reflected in brass studded carved, wooden doors, and a fascinating labyrinth labyrinth of narrow streets and alleys.

The planned hotel is to be built at the Forodhani seafront. The Zanzibar lobby groups said it was not consulted prior to plans to release Starehe Club – an open space- and Mambo Msiige building to the new investor.

However ,Issa Makarani, the director general of the Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority, admitted his group were fully involved in the planning of the hotel, adding that the architecture heeds conservation regulations.

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Kenya: Migori MP urged for hard work and less talks as the way for prosperity

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town.

YOUTHs in Migori constituency are being mobilized to engage themselves on income generating occupation such as boda boda bicyle taxi operator and other gainful engagement as part of the concerted effort toward poverty eradication.

Migori MP John Pesa said this during an exclusive interview with this write in Migori Town,. He said his constituents were totally committed to the real task of nation building and as such there is no room for complacency or idleness as it happened in other constituencies in greater Southern Nyanza.

He said boda boda taxi trade was booming trade in his constituency owing to the much improved roads under the Kenya Rural Roads Authority {KERRA} and he was glad that the youths involved in the trade were making a living.

The MP had just jetted in from a two weeks tour of the Peoples Republic of China. The purpose for that visit was to study the administrative strategies and governance. The MP was accompanied by two other ODM legislators who include Hon Kajembe, Beatrice Kones and Hon Mwadegu.. Also in the tour were two top officials from the ODM Orange House headquarters, a youth leader from Western Province and one of the local chairmen from the Rift Valley.

Pesa faulted the proponents of the so-called generational politics, saying Kenya is of an enlightened and highly educated society which cannot be taken for a ride with cheap political slogans. The Society is mature enough to know who is the right person or persons to lead them. Leaders, he said would be judged by his previous actions and performance and not by age group. After all even the youths will one day grow older?

Pesa, a former secondary and high school head, taught at the various schools in Nyanza and later served as the principal of the various Teachers Training Colleges in various parts of the country, notably Migori and Igoji TTC. He retired and venture into private business in Migori Town where he contested the 2007 general election and won the ODM preliminaries with san overwhelming majority beating many high profile candidates including the immediate former Mp for the area Charles Oyugi Owino {Jalikowa) hands down.

His leadership quality based on political magnanimity and dynamism was soon realized by Luo MPS from Lyo-Nyanza who immediately elected him the chairman of the Luo Parliamentary group, the jobs one of the MPs said he had discharged diligently with seal and dynamism.

The soft spoken MP, whose constituency is so volatile because of its proximities to the Kenya-Tanzania borders, cattle rustling between the neighboring Kuria and Luos and at times racketeers involved in illicit trade and smuggling, said the future political leadership of this country will based on individuals track record of quality leadership, which must be devoid of malice.

The country, he said, is currently divided, between the anti-reformist who had accumulate and massed as lot of property through ill-gotten wealth, and the patriotic who are championing the cause of the less fortunate and down trodden ordinary Wananchi. The anti-reformist was even against the production of a new set of constitution, which has come with a lot of package for Kenyans.

He predicted that the ODM would weather the entire storm and sail through the next general election as the party of choice because of its development agendas, which includes transparency and accountability on the part of its leadership.

The MP said he was happy with the spirit of hard work now prevailing among his Migori constituents, and appealed to women to form groups and go for loans, which are readily available for women wishing to venture into commercial enterprises.

Pesa is among the Luo-Nyanza MPs credited for proper managing of the devolved government funds such as CDF, Roads Maintenance funds, school scholarship fund etc.

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Kenya: Museveni is suspected to be the influential force behind EAC political woes

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News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisaumu City.

As the scramble for the most lucrative position in the East African Community intensified, two outspoken Kenyan MPs have come out full blast against their government ambition to see its man at the helm of the EAC hot seat in Arusha.

The two legislators want their country to give up its quest for the position f the Secretary General of the EAC in favor if either Rwanda or Burundi,

Dr Bonny Khalwale {Ikolomani} and Duncan Mungatana {Garsen} told newsmen in Nairobi this week that Kenya’s quest for the position was threatening the unity of the East African Community.

According to the EAC Treaty, this position is supposed to be rotational. And now that the current holder Ambassador Dr Juma V. Mwapachu is expected to retire from his five year tenure of office, Dr Mwapachu is a Tanzanian and his position is supposed to be filled on a rotational basis.

Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania have filled this position ever since the community was reborn in 1999.

As far as the matter stands, it would be expected that Rwanda or Burundi would be the next in line. However, Kenya has been reported in the recent past as saying that it has really never occupied the seat substantively and now wants the chance to do so.

The two Kenyan MPs accused two unnamed top government officials of allegedly pushing President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odingato back Kenya’s quest for the seat, which is scheduled to fall vacant in April this year.

The two legislators said that some senior government official in Nairobi recently travelled to Uganda with the intention to lobby and convince President Museeni to help Kenya realize its quest for the seat.

“It is sad that the government has gone so desperately to lobbying for the support of the Ugandan leader to help Kenya illegal quest for the seat,” said Dr Khalwale.

On his part Mungatana who is also the Secretary General of the Martha Karua led Narc-Kenya party which had pulled out of the PNU amalgamation of parties expressed the fears that the future of the united community was under a serious threat following Kenyans “selfish” interests in the seat.

“We have to leave it for Rwanda or Burundi, because Kenya as a senior member of the EAC that its chance and now it is time for others.”

At the same time Rwanda and Burundi insist that it is their turn to produce a candidate for the post which falls vacant in April. However, Kenya insists it has not served the full five year term in the past.

The position is currently held by Ambassador Mwapachu a Tanzanian, while his predecessor Nuwe Amanya Mushega was from Uganda. Bu before Mushega, Kenya’s Francis Muthaura had served as the executive secretary at the secretariat of the Commission for the East African Co-operation from 1996 to 2001.

Muthaura who is now the Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Kenyan Cabinet becomes the first Secretary General after the EAC Treaty came into force in 1999 and the new set of the EAC established in July 2000.

Rwanda and Burundi are the latest entrants into the EAC and are the only two countries that have not produced a secretary general.

Mungatana cautioned that the open campaign for Museveni’s re-election in Uganda by a number of senior Kenyan politicians was a breach of the international relations and could jeopardize Kenya’s business relationship with Uganda if Museveni lost the election.

The most intriguing question that emerges is; Why the position of the Secretary General of EAC, which would not ordinarily be an issue that would raise heads because Arusha’s marginal influence in the regional political capital, is now a political hot-button issue?

Political pundits and observers are now beginning to connect the dots to the succession politics at the national and regional level as we near 2017 when four of the five current presidents will be retiring from power, and the incumbent post-Kibaki head of state will be seeking re-election.

At a regional level, President Museveni is said to be the influential force behind Kenya’s desire to get its own national picked to take over Dr Mwapachu’s job. President Museveni once publicly declared that he wants to be the first president of an EAC political federation, which is mooted around 2017or thereabouts.

According to observers, consolidating Museveni’s then three decade rule into a regional – or even pan-Africa –elder statesman status would be an enticing retirement package.

This according to an article published by the EASTAFRICAN weekly especially if it would also coincide with a time when Uganda would have been pumping oil out if its Lake Albert basin for at least five years, meaning that he could back his desire to be a regional hegemony with growing petrodollars treasure.

Museveni profile in Arusha would transform its political profile, where it would start exerting some influence in member’s capitals.

The reports says in parts that if Kenya succeeds in getting one of its own to succeed Mwapachu in Arusha, it would serve Museveni’s ambitions better by providing a predictable ally who would spearhead the most difficult transformation of the EAC into a Monetary Union with a single currency and a political federation with a popularly elected leader.

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Kenya: KKKK Alliance under fire as Kipsigis Community vowed to severe links with their cousins in Nandi

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HECKLING OF MINISTER BETT BY NANDI YOUTHS IN ELDORET HAS ANGERED MEMBERS OF THE KIPSIGIS COMMUNITY IN THE SOUTH RIFT

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In KerichoTown

The last week’s incident, in which the Road Minister Franklin Bett was heckled and shouted down by a mob of youth suspected to have been mobilized from the Nandi Community, has angered several leaders and political personalities in the South Rift.

Bett was heckled and prevented from making his speech during the high profile public rally dabbed ‘peace and reconciliation meeting‘ addressed by President Mwai Kibaki and attended by several cabinet Ministe4s as well as dozen of local Kalenjin ODM rebel MPs.

The meeting was held at the 64 Stadium in Eldoret Town. When it was the turn for the Minister to address the meeting a group of youths, mainly from the Nandi community, in a section of the mammoth crowd, heckled him and called on the Minister to resign his cabinet job over the Ministry’s decision to demolish buildings on Mombasa road in Nairobi.

The Kipsigis leaders have read mischief on the part of the organizer of the meeting, the suspended Minister for Higher Education William Ruto, and vowed to severe the link with their North Rift cousins, the Nandi.

One such political personality is Mr. David Koech, an ODM leader in Litein, Bureti district in Kericho County, who termed the incident as part of the introduction of political thuggery in the Rift Valley.

He further termed the recent public utterances of some of the Kalenjin as “primitive and full of naivety and mediocrity”. He said the Kalenniu MPs are free to leave the ODM as individuals, but they must stop the bad habit of trying to use the community for power bargain.

Moreover, he said, only the retired President Daniel Arap Moi is the only Kalenjin leader who is mandated to speak on behalf of the entire community. Moi has yet to pass the mantle of power to anyone, and he is the only person who could call the short in the region. Others are pretenders.

Leaders from the Kipsigis community have also faulted the Kalenjin MPs for dragging the community into amorphous alliance called KKK outfit, saying such an alliance could be the recipe of chaos and political upheaval in the country.

Any Kenyan leader who cannot stand and compete with his fellow Kenyans for the top job is unfit and as such cannot be trusted with the presidency of the Republic of Kenya. It is self-defeatist kind of politics, which all Kenyan with sound minds must oppose vehemently. It is time for all level minded Kenyans to stand up to be accounted on their opposition to such primitive and backward politics of vulcanizing tribes together,

At the same time civic leaders in Kericho and Bomet Counties have also registered their anger at the incident of Bett heckling by the Nandi youths.

Their spokesman Councilor Zablon Cheruiyot, the chairman of Kipkellion Town Council said some ODM politician had hatched the plot of Bett’s heckling at 64 Stadium in Eldoret.

Other who supported Cheruiyot during Bett’s cousin’s burial includes Donald Ng’eny, Daniel Rono. Samuel Kurgat, Andrew Soi, Julius Tanui, Julius Korir, David Koirir, David Koech and Emmy Cheruyot.

Meanwhile the KKK alliance suffered heavy set-back at the weekend when the retired President Daniel Arap Moi visited Bureti at the weekend and denounced it as a dangerous tribal grouping. Moi visited Litein African Inland Church during thanks giving prayers.

The retired President warned that the formation of a political tribal alliance was dangerous and could fragment the country and cause disunity.

He was accompanied by the Roads Minister Franklin Bett, KANU Secretary General Nick Salaat, immediate former MPs Paul Sang his,Noah Too,John Koech, and south rift Bishop Edwin

Koech, has two private secretaries – – John Lokorio and press secretary Lee Njiru. He said the formation of Kalenjin, Kikuyu and Kamba “KKK” alliance has no place in the country, adding that there was the need for the national leaders who can unite the people and create a strong and united Kenya nation.

Moi told a large crowd which had gathered at the Litein School’s sports ground that the country risk disintegrating along tribal lines due to formation of several political parties and tribal alliances.

“The unity of the country will not be achieved if leaders push for the formation of many political alliances that are tribal in nature. Kenyans should be wary of such tribal chiefs who are working for their own selfish interests.”

“I wonder what these leaders are up to. It is wrong to push for the formation of tribal political alliance bringing together larger communities. Where will you put the Maasais, Turkana, Kisiis, and other smaller tribes across the country,” the professor of Kenyan politics wondered.

On the controversial issue of pegging presidency on youth, Moi urged the younger generation not to overlook the role played by elders, politically and economically.

Minister Bett told the Litein’s prayers crowd that he had forgiven those who planned to have him heckled for not being a party to KKK alliance,

Bett and Salaat called on Kalenjin to be cautious about the formation of a political party to be of their own, saying the community risked being alienated from the rest of the country.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: Dalmas Otieno and Ochillo Ayacko rivalry to be extended into the new Awendo constituency

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

The bitter rivalry between the two Rongo political giants is likely to resurface in the newly created Awendo parliamentary constituency in Migori County.

It was originally hoped that the creation of the new constituency, which has now separate the two perennial bitter election rivals with the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno remaining in the old Rongo constituency, which covered most part of his Kamagambo groups, while the former Energy Minister George Mbogoh Ochillo Ayacko would be safe in the newly created Awendo constituency covering close to six locations within the Jo-Sakwa groups.

But this is not the case. The entry into Awendo parliamentary election race of the influential Joseph O. Owuor, who is the Personal Assistant to the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno in itself spelling the degree of political enmities that existed between the two rivals ever since 1997.

Owuor hails from the dominant Kamiyawa in Sakwa Centra. Prior to joining the staff of the Minister as his Personal Assistant, he had long record of associating and interacting with various NGO, which has resulted in several schools getting financial and logistic assistance from foreign missions in Nairobi. One of these is Manyatta Secondary School which received a school bus a couple of years ago and Owiro Akoko Girls Secondary School, which received donation of water tanks.

Owuor has also been instrumental in collaborating with others and enabling girls from the area acquire further education abroad. He contested Rongo seat in the 2007, but later withdrew half way to the ODM preliminaries in favor of Dalmas Otieno, and he is the one who is credited for having succeeded in getting the Minister elected to Parliament in a hotly contested and controversial election.

Also in the race for the same constituency is the current Chairperson of the Awendo Town Council, Coun Johnson Omolo Owiro, who also hails from Kamiyawa in Sakwa Central. He is a prominent business magnate in Awendo town,and the son of the pioneer Awendo businessman the late Ismael Owiro Akokowho is highly credited for having built Owiro Akoko Girls Secondary School at Ranjira with his own personal resources.

Coiun Owiro would be a man to watch because he has turned around the Town Council, which has recently constructed and commissioned an ultra buss terminal on the main Kisumu-Migori highway, introduced street lights and sewerage services in Awendo Town.

In the next general election, a lot of political realignment based on sub-clans will be witnessed in Awendo constituency. Already several members of one sub-clans is battling with the other, and even close blood relationship is not spared.

In Sakwa West Location, Dr Abwao, a medic working in Sudan, is contesting the parliamentary seat, while his cousin, Ezra Odondi Odhiambo, is in the race for Migori County governor. Both hail from Kanyamgony-Kamadhi sub-clans.

In the same Sakwa Central, Bob Odhiambo Ng’ura is contesting parliamentary seat with Dr. Abwao, and both are the great grand children of the late pioneer Anglican Canon Ezekiel Apindi Odondo, of Akoko Pe-Hill in Sakwa South.

The rumor making the round is that two other aspirants, Jared Opiyo, the Principal of Gamba Secondary School in Sakwa West, and Jude Ayieko, an official with the Kenya Revenue Authority who hails from Pe-Hill-Mariwa in Sakwa South, are simply dismissed as being Ochillo Ayacko’s proxies, – – not serious contestants. However, the time will soon tell whether the two are serious and contesting the election on their own or not.

Another aspirant is Prof. Erick Otieno who hail from Waware sub-location in Sakwa East and who is the immediate neighbor of Ochillo Ayacko also a resident of Sakwa East, but with considerable backing and support from Sakwa North Location where the bulk of his Kadera sub-clans lives.

What is already emerging is that there will be a lot of intriguing politics in both Rongo and Awendo parliamentary contests pitting the supporters of the two camps.

The majority of the electorate in Awendo constituency lives in the rural sugar cane farming locations, though there are substantial numbers of voters within the town itself whose votes cannot be ignored.

Ochilo-Ayacko and Johnson Owiro are both prominent businessmen in Awendo town and the two stand the better chance of harvesting the town’s votes. Politics of cane farmers and their predicament are likely to dominate the campaign, though all the aspirants are well known supporters and members of the Orange Democratic Movement {ODM}.

Economically, Awendo constituency sits on a agriculturally rich area with fertile and arable land, which is capable of producing allsorts of cash crops from Tobacco, maize, vegetable, banana, finger millets, fruits. Other crops include Sorghum, sweet potatoes, sunflower, tea, coffee, ground nuts and other cash crops.

However, the area is reported to be suffering acute shortage of food grains due to the fact that many farmers have resorted to growing cane to attract lucrative cash thereby ignoring the crops that acts as substance crops for domestic consumption.

The new constituency, with its district headquarters in Awendo town, is served by Kisii-Rongo-Awendo Migori highway, but with several outlets and inlet roads catering for cane transportation to the Awendo Town based SonySugar factory.

The security along the Luo-Maasai and the Luo-Kisii border which had earlier deteriorated had improved tremendously ever since the creation of the Awendo district early last year. This has minimized the risk cattle rustling in the area, which has always been the source of insecurity.

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Kenya: PROF Nyong’s position as the ODM Secretary General is to be challenged

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The Minister for Medical Services Prof.Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o is expected to face one of the stiffest election campaign in his life during the forthcoming ODM party election schedule for April this year.

Gumbe made the announcement at his Kisumu Milimani estate residence on Sunday morning when he summoned this writer and other newsmen.

He said he was responding to the demand of many ODM members countrywide who felt they were now being adequately served,and needed a change of command at the party Orange House headquarters in Nairobi in order to get things moving in the right direction.

He would be challenged for the same position by a man of almost equal strength in the name of Prof. Larry Gumbe, a fellow Luo who hails from Karachuonyo, but was born and raised in Kisumu where his late father Ezra Owiti Gumbe was at one time the Major of the City. Before his accession to the mayoral position the senior Gumbe had served the Kisumu Municipal Council for many years before retirement as the town’s director of social services.

A professor of engineering, Prof Larry Gumbe’s name has been associated with the ODM ever since the days of the NDP and LDP. He was at one time the chairman of the NDP and has always remain in the background as the head of thin-a-tank group in all the parties headed by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga ever since the latter breakaway with the late Michael Kijana Wamalwa after protracted struggle for power in Ford-Kenya.

Prof Gumbe. head the Center for Democracy and Good Governance. an NGO, which has a lot of influence within the ODM hierarchy and has remained the man behind the scene at the ODM headquarters all these years,

Gumbe’s declaration of the intention to contest for the post of the ODM Secretary General came in the wake of unconfirmed rumors making the round that Prof.Nyong’o has fallen out of favor with “Agwambo”

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Kenya: KALENJIN leaders in Kisigis land defend Raila Odinga against malicious accusations

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town

DESPITE the highly over dramatized concocted information about the impending mass exodus of Kalenjin from the ODM to greener pasture elsewhere, the popularity of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga among the ordinary members of that community remained intact.

All the hullabaloo have come about following the realization, by some of the MPs from the region, particularly those who were now classified as the renegade ODM, that they likely would lose their seats in the forthcoming general election.

The hostility, between Raila Odinga an the Kalenjin ODM MPs, is also fueled by the fact that money has covertly been poured into the region by some invisible forces who are said to be deploying every trick in the books to block Mr Odinga’s grand match to the State House come the year 2012.

The residents of the South Rift region with two Counties of Kericho and Bomet still maintains that Mr Odinga is the upright and straightforward leader, under whose presidency, Kenya could achieve the meaningful changes in governance.

The popular saying among the residents of the South Rift region, the majority being members of the Kipsigis a sub-tribe of the larger Kalenjin ethnic groups and the most populous, is that Mr Odinga should reshuffle the cabinet, especially his side of the coalition government, bring on board Hon Musa Sirma the nominated MP and make the Road Minister Franklin Bett his running-mate in 2012 presidential election.

The majority of the residents of the South Rift viewed the existing sharp political differences, between Mr Odinga and the suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto, as being “personal” and as such cannot drive the entire community out of the ODM which is the party of choice in the region.

This particular community appeared to have a distaste for the migratory kind of politics, which they say is being introduced into Kalenjin politics by Hon William Ruto, the suspended Higher Education Minister, including those of forming amorphous alliances such as Kamatusa and KKK.

The youthful and much confused Kalenjin MPs in the 10th Parliament are not engaged in the war of attrition with Mr Odinga for nothing. Rathere, they are working hard to ensure that they had shares in the election logistics and millions of shillings alleged to be floated around for grab by anti-Odinga elements with and outside the coalition government.

The Kipsigis have also dismissed the idea, recently coined into Kenya’s politics, that demand that the old guards must vacate political leadership and concede it to the youth. The proponates of this policy are Willian Ruto and the Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa. .But the two had no past good credence to make suggestion owing to their dubious past and non contribution to the second liberation efforts that resulted in the new constitution. The two have been the happy riders in the past.

The blame games, being heaped on Mr Odinga by the disgruntled Kalenjin MPs, were termed as “Fitinas malice’ by James Maritim, a Litein politician in Bureti district. He exonerated the Prime Minister on accusation that he had a hand on the picking up of the Ocampo Six, who are to be tried in the Hague, on suspicion of having masterminded the post election violence of 2008.

Mr. Odinga, he went on, is not a prosecutor nor is he operating from Ocampo’s offices in the Hague.The blame games are even being extended to cover cases of land grabbing and other criminal offences committed by individual long before Mr Odinga joined the coalition government with President Kibaki as one of its principals. “This is rather childish, said J. Koech of Kapsoit in Belgut.

Koech was explicit that Mr Odinga should elevate his hardworking colleague Hon Franklin Bett to the vacant position of the Deputy Leader of the ODM and party’s presidential election running-mate next because the Minister had remained steadfastly in the party and maintains unshaken loyalty to Mr.Odinga.

Meanwhile it was learnt that many youthful and resourceful individuals in the South Rift region have come forward with intent to contest various ODM positions and the branches, counties and national election from the. This is a clear reflection that the party is still very popular among the Kipsigis people.

And when the election proper time comes up the current MP will face some of the toughest opposition ever seen in this region. We shall put forward candidates of their equal strength and ensure they go into political limbo. Some of the MP are said to have gone under ground not to be seen anywhere in public in fear of having confrontations with members of the public.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

KENYA: THE NYANZA STAR WEEKLY NEWSPAPER HIT THE GROUND LIKE THUNDERSTORM AND QUICKLY SOLD OUT WITHIN HOURS IN MANY PARTS OF LUO-NYANZA.

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Sent by Leo Odera Omolo
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

By Our Special Correspondent in Migori Tow

The second edition of the NYANZA STAR, the recently launched English weekly newspaper hit the ground like thunderstorm and quickly sold out like hot cake.

A survey conducted by hired team of experts has revealed.It has further disclosed that there is lust for newspaper readership inside the rural Luo-Nyanza.

The survey further revealed that despite the fact that the national dailies like the NATION, THE Standard and the Nairobi Star are widely circulating in the region, but there is still much more room for other publications and the NYANBZA STAR could be the possible filler of the existing gap, especially those written in simple English and catering for the local communities.

The second issue of the newspaper carried out numerous articles on the disbursement of CDF and other government revolving funds for rural development in each one of the 21 parliamentary electoral constituencies. It further examined the performance of individual MPs representing those constituencies and their chances of successfully defending their seats comes the year 2012.

The paper gave an insight forensic auditing of MPs performance and provisionally predicted the number of those who would face the wrath of the electorate at the next polls as well as those who might be shown the exit doors and possible winners and losers. The article was a real thought provoking.

In greater Southern Nyanza, reports filtering in indicated that there was near fight when readers scrambled for copies of the Weekly in places like Awendo, Rongo and Migori. Some readers are reported to have purchased more than one copies, particularly those coming from the far end of the region like Nyatike constituency.

It revealed for the first time that primary school pupils In Nyatike who sat for the last year CPE exam had carried the day beating schools in the entire Migori County. Nyatike had come on top of the rest.

It also revealed the rising star of the Lands Minister James Aggrey Orengo in his Ugenya constituency predicting that MPs who us known to his peers as {Nyatieng’} stands a better chance of retaining his seat either in Ugenya or in the newly created Ugunja constituency, whichever the way.

It further revealed how the Bondo MP Dr.Oburu Oginga is no longer hanging on his late father Jaramogi Oginga Odinga’c coat-tail, but has cut a niche for himself and proved himself as a hard-working MP.

The MP who is the Finance Assistant Minister and the eldest brother of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga is among those MPs from the region whose popularity are said to be on the upward trend and expected to retain their parliamentary seats comes the year 2012.

The weekly had heaped a lot of praise for the abrasive Ndhiwa MP Joshua Orwa Ojode and placed him on top of those who have turned their constituencies around by way of initiating massive development. Ojode is also the Internal Security Assistant Minister and one of those tipped to retain their seats come 2012.

There were also other articles on various topics such as the confusion over the recent creation of an extra parliamentary seat in Kasipul Kabondo and the controversial issue of having it named.

Residents of the area have since come out with the suggestion that because the newly created constituency though has the majority of its voters being those of the Jo-Kabondo indigenous, it has three major administrative locations slashed from Kasipul and as such it is should be called Kasipul Kabondo, while the old constituency be either named Oyugis or Wire constituency.

The three locations, which have been included in the new constituency, include Kakelo, Kokwanyo and Kojwach.

With successes of the two previous editions, it is hoped that the publishers would reconsider the possibility of increasing more copies in the future publications. The distribution of the paper, however, is still in its teething problem, but the publishers were said to be working round the clock to ensure that copies reached the readers everywhere including remotest region like Gwassi, Mbita and the twin islands of Rusinga and Mfangano.

Our hawk-eyed reporters and correspondents would be stationed in every major town and trading centers through the six counties of Nyamira, Kisii, Migori, Homa-Bay, Kisumu and Siaya to bring to the readers an up-date news and the goings on in those regions.

We stand to be corrected whenever we go wrong, and criticized provided such criticism are constructive, healthy and devoid of individual confrontation, please join us and work with us as a team. Articles from individuals on topic issues are also welcome so long that as they re kept short and to the point.

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Kenya: Police are on the war-path against hard-core criminals in Uriri and Rongo

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

AN unidentified wealthy businessman from Ongata Rongai area of Nairobi had his decomposing body fished out from the swollen waters of River Kuja in lower part of Uriri district within Migori County by police.

The deceased seemed to have been lured into the area apparently for lucrative business opportunity by some young men from the area who are working in Nairobi. He drove his car all along from Nairobi to the area in the company of his assailants who later, for some unknown reason, killed him.

The killers had the deceased body tied up with heavy stones to conceal his death. But surprisingly the decomposed body later resurfaced and was seen floating in the water by herdsmen who reported the matter to the local administration and police.

The incident took place in Komenya sub-location on North Kanyamkago within Uriri district. The area D.C. George Kiplagat confirmed the incident and told this writer that the CID officers from both Migori and Rongo were handling the case as a murder case. Score of people are being questioned including those in whose homestead the deceased motor vehicle was recovered.

Meanwhile the residents of both Rongo and Uriri districts have expressed concern and disappointment over the high rate of police bonds being issued to the suspected hard-core criminals by the Awendo Police Station and wanted the matter to be investigated by the Commissioner of Police Mr Nteere.

They want those officers, including the OCS, who have stayed in one station for more than five years, to be shuffled and replaced by fresh officers. Something unusual is happening at Awendo Police Station. Criminals elements caught red handed with goods suspected to have been stolen are quickly freed on police bond before being arraigned to court.

The Uriri D.C. George Kiplagat expressed deep concern at what is happening at Awendo Police Station. He explained that Administration Police Officers in Uriri recently arrested a notorious criminal suspected to have been behind a series spate of housebreaking and theft around Mori near Rapogi and handed them to Awendo Police Station. But within a day or two the suspect were back home under the pretext that their cases were being actively investigated.

The high rate with which the suspected dangerous criminals are regaining their freedom at the Awendo Poiice Station, before they are arraigned in court, is worrying the local members of the Provincial Administration working in the areas. The station appeared to have been compromised by criminals.

In recent months, the Administration Police officers stationed at Uriri DC’s Office and Rapogi DO’s office have been battling with dangerous criminals in the areas who have adopted a new method of raiding homes of those working outside the region and helping themselves to the household goods, including sofa sets and beds and beddings as well as utensils – – at time clearing those houses empty.

A joint effort by these officers in the recent past resulted in some of the stolen goods being recovered in some homes of the suspected hard-core criminal elements.

Some of the suspects were arrested and handed over to the police, but they quickly regained their freedom after being released on police bond even before being arraigned in courts to answer criminal charges.

“The actions of some unpatriotic police officers in this particular station are making the administration of justice in the area rather difficult.”

”It is only the court of laws which are competent in assessing the security of the suspect applying for court bails, and the used of police bond by the officers at Awendo Police Station is an abuse of the exercise, and should be brought to an immediate end, said one resident who requested for his anonymity for fear of possible reprisal.

The residents alleged that there need to be some elements of transparency and accountability in the issuance of numerous police bonds in freeing suspect criminals and the matter need to be looked into urgently by the higher police authorities.

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Kenya: Tobacco farmers in Uriri told to switch to environmentally friendly crops

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

RESIDENTS of the agriculturally rich Uriri district have been urged to consider switching to more environmentally friendly cash crops instead of tobacco.

Tobacco is grown in abundance in Uriri ever since 1968, but the farmers are continuing to be much poorer. The crops are causing environmentally degradation such as pollution of rivers, mass destruction of indigenous trees.

The area District Commissioner George Kiplagat said during an interview in his Uriri Market office that river flowing downstream through the district was being polluted with chemicals used in the tobacco nurseries.

THE farmers, he said, are being exploited to the maximum and only paid peanuts after harrowing and grueling work in fire house where they are procuring tobacco grades, and despite the fact that the tobacco manufacturing companies are minting millions of shillings, the poverty index in the are has remained steadily the highest.

The DC urged the tobacco companies operating in the region to consider having corporate social responsibility of making hefty donations toward the socio-economic projects being undertaken by the locals.

“These companies should help the locals built schools, health centers, dispensaries, nursery schools as the good gesture of appreciation of the millions of shillings they are minting from tobacco crops, and yet the farmers continued be wallowing under the scourge of abject poverty,” said the D>C.

Residents have also told this writer that all the tobacco grown and harvested in the area are being transported along the way to Thika Town where they are processed. All the trucks, mostly trailers ferrying the crops from the buying centers in Uriri and Migori district belonged to Thika Transporters, and so are the workers employed at the processing factories in Thika, Nairobi and elsewhere.

They are insisting that the companies operating in the area should be forced to establish tobacco processing factories within the locality. By so doing many locals would be absorbed on employment in the factories and after this the tobacco should be exported outside as a finished product and not row product,” so they say.

The DC said because of the need for firewood for procuring tobacco grades, all the indigenous trees that used to stand on the hills have been felled indiscriminately and no new tree planted causing serious environmental degradation in the area. There is excessive use of fertilizers on and other chemicals on the soil.

All the fertile and arable land in the area could be destroyed turning the area into desert in not very long time in the future unless something is done to bring the tobacco growing in the area to a halt.

“Unlike the tobacco farmers, sugar cane growers within Awendo cane growing and those farming vegetables are minting good money and yet the amount of energy and work put n the ground is minimal compared to those put up by the tobacco famers.” said the DC.

Kiplagat, however, commended the good work by farmers, especially those growing maize, sugar cane and other crops for stepping u modern farming, which has made Uriri to be the bastion of food grain in the region.

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Kenya: The construction of multi billion shillings road network in Nyanza is commendable

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

RESIDENTS of Luo-Nyanza are overwhelmed with joy and highly appreciate the government initiative and efforts being put in the construction of ultra modern road network across the region.

The construction work on several important road links are currently taking places in various parts of Nyanza Province and are considered by the residents as significant steps for the development of the region, which for many years was marginalized by successive KANU regimes of the past.

Roads currently under the construction include the 25 kilometer Kendu-Bay-Homa-Bay road whose construction is already in advance stage and is expected to be opened before the end the year.

Another important road, which is currently under construction, is the 40 kilometer Homa-Bay Mbita road. The construction work is progressing well. This particular road is so important because it will link the rest of Kenya with the Ruma National Game Park,which is located at Lambwe Valley.

The road has some significance economically, because it will facilitate the easy transportation of fish from Mbita Point to the marketplaces on the mainland, and the one headed for processing in the various pants located in Kisumu, Homa-Bay and Nairobi, which are meant for export to the overseas markets.

Mbita Point is the largest fish landing beach in the region, where fresh fish from the smaller fishing islands scattered in Lake Victoria lands for eventual destination to market places in the main land. Other major fish landing beaches include Uhanya Beach in Bondo, Muhuru-Bay in Nyatike, Karungu-Bay in Nyatike, Nyandiwa and Kisegi in Gwassi, Misori and Luanda Kotieno in Rarieda and Usenge in Bondo.

Lack of fish preservation cold store is the other nightmare because fish is a perishable commodity, which must be transported outside to its market place as quickly as possible soon after it is land. Cold storage facilities are rare and could only be fond in Mbita Town.

The Homa-Bay -Mbita road will also open up the interior part of the Suba region, particularly the sceneries and pre-historic sites on the two islands of Rusinga and Mfangano, Gwassi Hills and Gembe areas.

The major repair work on the Katito-Kendu-Bay road was completed early last year. It now will give the motorist a quick drive between Nyakach and Karachuonyo and eventually to Homa-Bay.

There is however, the need to have the Oyugis –Kendu-Bay tarmacked in order to crown the region with a better road communication network.

Another road which needs to be constructed is the Muhuru-Bay Migori Town road. And the Oyugis-Rangwe road that could wind up at Rodi Kopany would be to the advantage of trade between Karungu-Bay and hinterland.

In Kisumu County all the access and feeder roads traversing the Nyando sugar belt are in pathetic conditions despite of the excess money being levied on sugar cane farmers by the Nyando County Council. It now takes a motorist to drive from Muhoroni Town via Chemelil Road close to three hours before reaching Kisumu due to the pathetic state f the road that runs through Miwani and Kibos cane growing zones.

Both Kisumu and Siaya Counties stand to benefit in getting major repair on Kisumu-Bondo-Usenge road, But the latest sensation, but significant development is the construction of the Ndori-Luanda Kotieno road, which now cut the travelling hours between Kisumu and Luanda Kotieno ferry by half. What remains to be done is the for the local entrepreneurs to construct good and tourist class hotels in strategic stop-over like Luanda Kotieno, Ndori and on both aside of the mainland and Rusinga Island at Mbita Point.

Motorists using the big four-wheel drives fuel guzzling vehicle could drive from Kisumu to Luanda –Kotieno in less than 50 minutes and catch up with the Mbita Ferry for another von voyage trip involving the crossing of the Nyanza Gulf from Rrieda to Mbita district. It traverses through the length of Uyoma peninsula, an area which has a lot in store for the tourists.

Plans are under the way for the planned construction of the Misori-Bondo-Siaya-Rang’ala road, which will be linked to the main Kisumu Busia Highway.

On realization of how important these road network for economic development of the region, local politicians have heaped a lot of praise to the coalition government and its principals. One such politician is Dr. Mark Matunga, an executive with Microsoft International who has declared his interest in the Homa-Bay County governor.

Matunga while thanking the Ministry of Roads urged the government to locate funds for the construction of Oyugis Rangwe – Rodi-Kopany road and also for the Oyugis-Kendu Bay road, adding that these two road links are so important for the Homa-Bay County because they are the best outlet for trades with the outside world.

Motorists using Kisumu Siaya road via Maseno and Luanda have also suggested that the repair work for the section of the road need to be carried out now. It is long over due.

Last year the Prime Minister Raila Odinga commissioned the short-but significantly important Ndori-Nyang’oma road, which will link visitors and tourists to the rural home of the Obama family in Alego Kogelo. The construction of the Obama cultural Center has commenced. The Center is being established in honor of the US President Barrack Obama who has the family root in the area.

There has been a big influx of visitors to the previously sleepy and dust village marker ever since the election of President Obama as the head of state in the US. Many visitors come there with the purpose of getting more information about President Obama ancestry and originality. Some of the development taking place in Siaya and its environs are likely to have a milestone changes in the pattern of development activities in the region, which also requires good roads communications.

The volume of trade in the region is also expected to be in the upward trend as the result of the improved road network. In the interior part of the region, the government revolving funds such as CDF and Road Maintenance funds are taking care of the feeder and access roads within the rural locations.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: Nyatike constituency is on the move and may soon realize the fastest development activities

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Karungu Bay, Migori County.

One of the recently created administrative districts, in greater southern Nyanza, which is currently on the move, is Nyatike.

Laying in the far end of the former greater Southern Nyanza and bordering Tanzania on the land and Uganda in Lake Victoria, Nyatike, is an area which is previously considered as the most backward in the region. It has had its own parliamentary constituency for the last 16 years ever since its separation from Ndhiwa in 1992.

In the first multi-party election, in 1992, Tobias Ocholla Ogur won the seat for the first time on a Ford Kenya party ticket. The party was then led by the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. Ogur, however, quickly made an about turn and crossed the floor back to the ruling KANU, and lost in the seat in the consequent by-election.

The NDP and then LDP supported and fronted the late Tom Onyango a petty kiosk trader in Migori town who carried the day.

The NDP and later LDP had swept the board clinching all the parliamentary and civic seats in Southern Nyanza.

In the general election of 1997, Ocholla Ogur bounced back and recaptured the seat of the defunct LDP party led by Raila Odinga. He successfully defended his seat in 2002, but performed dismally in the 2007 general election, and was beaten hands down by the youthful Edick Omondi Anyanga who appeared to have turned the previously sleeping constituency around.

Nyatike district previously had two administrative divisions, namely Karungu-Sori and Maclder. But it has now five division comprising of Got Kocholla, Kaler and Muhuru Bay Divisions. The area has a full pledged DC, DO I and district officers manning all the five divisions plus district heads of departments and all the government offices are functioning well.

Today Nyatike provide electricity supplies to all primary and secondary schools, market places and all the institutions. The area has the best rural feeder and access roads to the envious of other neighboring constituencies. This is perhaps because of the abrasive youthful and aggressive MP who has kept members of the local CDF committee on its toe.

On the education front, Nyatike beat all the other primary schools in the entire Migori County in last year CPE exam coming on top. This is due to the competitive nature of teaching initiated by the MP who is reported to be dishing out special gifts to teachers who performed well. The prizes include new suits, bicycles and other gifts. Earlier last year the MP had requested for teaching experts from other parts of the country who went to Nyatike for the purpose of carrying out refresher course for teachers through seminars and workshops.

Fishing and fish trade is the main economic mainstay in the constituency, which borders Tanzania on other main land and also a small portion on the Lake Victoria and Uganda in Lake Victoria. The disputed Migingo fishing island is believed by Kenyans to be part of Nyatike district, though Uganda had seized and posted its marine police to man the island to the chagrin of the local residents, who sees the government of Kenya for having failed them and abandoned them in the hand of hostile foreign occupying force.

The MP who is known to his peers as Omuk Lela {Rhino} has persistently demanded both in the August house and outside parliament that the Uganda security personnel said to be harassing about 500 Kenyan fishermen operating on the Migingo Island be driven out, and always scathingly criticized the government for its handling of the Migingo saga.

The shortage of fresh water for life will soon be over in Nyatike. Plans are under way for a major water project to be taken u by the UNICEF that will see the water piped from Lake Victoria and spread into the villages in Sori, Obware Secondary School and other nearby villages.

The water supplies will go beyond the constituency boundary and even benefit the residents of the neighboring Ndhiwa district. The residents are also said to be Liaoning with tourist operators in Nairobi with the view to ensure plans are earmarked for tourists to visit attractive tourist points in the region.

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leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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