Category Archives: East African Community News

KENYA, D.R. CONGO, EAC: THE DANGERS OF POWER VACUUM IN KENYA

2 Replies

From: Lucia Akech

There is a leadership vacuum in Kenya right now and corporate controlled western governments are taking full advantage of it! Read the details in the link below:

http://csis.org/multimedia/video-interview-us-ambassador-kenya-michael-e-ranneberger

The ordinary Kenyans must prepare for potential dangerous hidden pitfalls in the forthcoming 2012 election circles!

The 2007/08 Kenya ’s elections brought with it chaos not anticipated by ordinary voting citizens who were expecting some real changes! Instead, they were forced to deal with loss of lives, properties and displacement of about 350,000 people! Foreign businesses, particularly those relying on the Kenya-Uganda Railways to transport goods from Rwanda , Burundi , Uganda and Southern Sudan through Mombasa were also paralyzed. However, these businesses have not been sitting idle since then! What is worrisome is the announcement by ICC prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo that a number of Kenyans may be going to The Hague, a court that has been strategically set up by corporate controlled western governments to create chaos and then prosecute Africans elites who may be temped to engage in the chaos, particularly, if they are not favored by these corporations! In slightly over one year from now, campaigns for the 2012 general elections will begin!

We now have a Coalition government, negotiated by the usual African intellectual proxies like Kofi Annan and others. Nobody knows whether the contested Coalition Government, which has created a gaping power vacuum, was done to protect the 99% of struggling Kenyans, or or to protect foreign entities operating in Kenya who are taking full advantage of it! Knowing that the 2007 elections resulted in the deaths of about 1,500 unarmed Kenyans and left at least 350,000 others running for their lives, ordinary Kenyans citizens cannot afford to bury their heads in the sand and assume that 2012 elections will run smoothly. They must take cues from events that led to the 1994 Rwanda genocide because there are similarities!

Prior to invading Rwanda , Kagame was a powerful general in the Ugandan army. In fact, the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) was an integral part of Ugandan army and whoever endorsed, trained, financed and maintained the incorporation of exiled Rwandans into Ugandan army must have had some specific intent.

On August 4, 1993, the negotiated settlement between the Hutu led Rwandan government of Juvenal Habyarimana and the Ugandan based exiled Tutsi RPF forces, under Paul Kagame, was reached in Arusha, Tanzania: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arusha_Accords

For some mysterious reason(s) yet to be explained, Paul Kagame chose a different path to grab power in Rwanda, resulting in loss of about 800,000 Rwandan civilian lives in a matter of 100 days!

Barely two years after that mayhem, Kagame would proceed to march into Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo) where about 7,000,000 (7 million or more) unarmed Congolese civilians have been slaughtered!

One would think that the deaths of millions of unarmed civilians would create uproars in every corner of the world, particularly, African. Instead, there has been a news blackout by world’s corporate controlled media and many Africans are not even aware that close to 7 million unarmed Africans have been slaughtered in Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo)! Even African Union does not dare to talk about what is happening in Congo! It is like nobody values Africans lives, including Africans themselves!

Kofi Annan and Moreno Ocampo, who have been very busy and vocal about the deaths of 1,500 Kenyans, have been very silent about the deaths of 10 million of unarmed Africans in Congo! Annan was the UN Undersecretary responsible for UN Peace Keeping Forces during the Rwandan genocide. He was the UN Secretary General while the Congolese were being slaughtered by the millions. He played it cool by being very limp and mute!

It is bad enough that one unarmed human should be senselessly killed, particularly for the family members left behind. However, it is stunning that the deaths of 1,500 unarmed Kenyans has woken up Kofi Annan while the deaths of 800,000 unarmed Rwandans in 1994 or deaths or 7 millions Congolese that followed were allowed to happen.

Severe attempts have been made by corporate-controlled western governments and the UN to change the subject when it comes to discussing the deaths of 7 million Africans in Congo. Those who have attempted to raise their voices about what is happening in Congo have been met with vicious attacks from the very media and the international communities who have now employed Mr. Annan and Mr. Ocampo to work in Kenya. The vicious critics would rather discuss the diminishing population of gorillas in the Virunga National Park than millions of innocent African men, women and children being annihilated in Congo! It looks like these forces have the power to pick and choose who deserves to live and those African millions whose deaths do not deserve to be mentioned! Why?

http://rwandinfo.com/eng/karegeya-and-nyamwasa-to-the-un-kagame-is-one-of-the-major-if-not-the-principal-stumbling-block-to-peace-and-stability-in-the-great-lakes-region/

Paul Kagame’s corporate supporters have fully endorsed his claim that his march into Congo was in pursuit of the Hutus, blamed for the 1994 Rwandan genocide! The deaths of 7 million Congolese seem to have been explained away as collateral damages which must be ignored! Those collateral damages continue to die in Congo .

For some reason(s), Rwanda has been rewarded with both membership of East African Community and the British Commonwealth! The addition of Rwanda and Burundi as member states in EAC took place in July 2007; the time campaigns for the 2007 Kenyan elections were at their peaks! In less than 6 months, the rigging of the elections and violence that followed would occupy the attention of Kenyans wherever they were on planet earth! While every Kenyan’s attention was fixed on this internal turmoil, a couple of events started taking shape: (a) the formation of Kenyan Coalition government (was and still is) being shoved down the throats of the members of the squabbling two political parties (ODM and PNU) by Kofi Annan (b) some of these Kenyan elites (were and still are) being threatened with prosecution at the ICC court at The Hague by Mr. Moreno Ocampo (c) other members had their travel visas revoked by governments of United States, European Union and Australia (d) some of the newly elected MPs were being eliminated through crafted assassinations (e) rules of engagements in the newly formed East African Community (Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania) were being crafted and pushed hard by same people! THIS IS THE POWER VACUUM STARING AT KENYANS AS 2012 ELECTIONS ARE APPROACHING!

All critical events with far-reaching consequences are taking place simultaneously! The questions which the right minded Kenyans must ask are: (a) how have the squabbling Kenyan elites manage to comprehend the implications and feasibility of adding Rwanda and Burundi as members of the EAC? (b) Why are these EAC discussions being pursued with such vigor at time when the attention of the elites who could have effectively represent Kenyans’ interests are elsewhere? (c) Who has been representing Kenyans’ land issues which are at stake at these EAC critical negotiations? Could it be he Paul Kagame or his partner, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni? These war-lords are masters at, intentionally, operating under the radar screen in such chaotic environments because this is are the time when most damage can be done to the whole country! http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=29299

Do not forget that this has also been the period when Uganda has been going after Migingo Island in Lake Victoria ! It is also the time when the Great Lakes’ proxy-in-chief, Paul Kagame, has been suggesting that the governing of Kenya be taken over by the military! http://voicesofafrica.africanews.com/site/list_messages/15343

Kenyans, particularly those with vested interests in or have loved ones around Lake Victoria region, should be very concerned about the presence of Paul Kagame in the newly formed East African Community. Kenyans must find out the real reasons behind (a) EAC failure in 1977 (b) its revival in 2000 (c) why it has been vital to add Rwanda and Burundi as members in 2007! There are interests being served by this move and it may not be poor Kenyans’ interests. Bundling all the tribal groups of Rwanda , Burundi , Kenya , Uganda and Tanzania under one roof will create chaos and nobody knows how the potential chaos will be resolved and by whom! The people pushing these views believe that African lives cannot stand in the way of their resources interests!

There are also talks of lumping together all tribal groups under one super government called Federation of East African with the hope that managing them will miraculously be a cake walk! Unless the brains behind this idea are intending to politically marginalize and/or clean-up some particular tribes, this idea can only serve the purpose of those brains. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Federation.

Nobody knows who the winners and losers of this colossal merged government will be and what will happen to the losers or the marginalized! With the lack of development in healthcare, education, roads construction, water and sewage treatments, power and lighting in individual states, who would be in charge of the Federation of East Africa governments? How would this individual be chosen? How will the daunting task of the severe underdevelopment problems be addressed? How will the land issues be resolved? In other words, who will be calling shots on land ownership or will the marginalized be corralled in Kibera-like slums that may spring everywhere?

What is happening now had happened before. Just as many African countries were gaining their “independence”, the emerging African leaders were being coerced and bamboozled into signing deals that left economic powers in the hands of same colonial rulers who are now making critical decisions about what they see as good for Kenyans and Africans. These decisions turned out to be false and have left Africa in colossal debts with African elites blamed for corruption and failures.

The debts have hindered development in Africa due to the fact that most African resources, including land and infrastructures are held as sureties by creditors who advanced loans, like World Bank Group and IMF. Most, if not all, of Africa ’s borrowed money have gone towards the purchase of second-hand military equipments primarily used to mow down unarmed African civilians who are not allowed to complain!

All African ruling elites are left to perform law enforcement duties of controlling and reigning in on their African citizens to ensure the safety of the foreign war-lords pushing for changes that cater for their security interests! The results have been dead with many unarmed Africans dying!

EAST AFRICA COMMUNITY MINISTERS SIGN THE PROTOCOL ON FOREIGN POLICY COORDINATION THROUGH DIPLOMACY AND CONSULAR MATTERS

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

News emerging from the northern Tanzanian City of Arusha says the East African Community member states have signed the Protocol of Foreign Policy Coordination that  provides for the coordination in diplomacy and consular matters.

The signing of the protocol took place at a ceremony held at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge  which is located in the outskirts of Arusha, and was witnessed by Presidents Yoweri  Kaguta Museveni of Uganda, Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Pierre  Nkuruzinza, during their 12th summit held in Arusha  a week ago.

This Protocol is to be ratified by EAC member states by June next year {2011}. It was signed by Prof. George Saitoti {Kenya}, Benard Membe {Tanzania}, Sam Kutesa {Uganda}, Monique Mukoruliza {Rwanda} and Augustin Sanze of Burundi.

Membe told newsmen that the protocol now binds the EAC partner states to collaborate in multilateral diplomacy. “If, say Kenya has no diplomatic mission in Norway, but Tanzania has, then Tanzanian envoy accredited to that country will play diplomacy role for both partner states”, said Membe.

The blueprint also provides for EAC member states to collaborate in economic and social activities as well as capacity building.

Deputy Secretary General in charge of political federation, Ms. Beatrice Kiraso was quoted widely by the EASTAFRICAN weekly last week as saying the common foreign policy will safeguard the common values for EAC fundamental interests and independence of the region.

“It is also intended to strengthen the security of the community and its partner states in all ways”, Ms. Kiraso explained.

The EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Juma V Mwapachu, said the protocol is legally binding against all partner states to act collectively and operate together on issues of foreign policy.

“EAC partner states will be acting collectively against the regional terrorism, and piracy, which is eroding the economic performance and policy, raising the cost of doing business in the region”, Mwapachu said.

Chapter 23 of the Treaty establishing the EAC provides for co-operation on political matters and the partner states committed themselves to establish common foreign  and security policy.

Ends

EAC & EC: THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY IS READY TO RESUME AND CONCLUDE EPAS TALKS WITH EUROPEAN COMMISSION.

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

INFORMATION emerging fro the Northern Tanzanian city of Arusha says the East African Community announced last week that it was ready to resume negotiations on Economic Partnership Agreement {EPAs} with European Commission and conclude the deal within one year.

The latest development comes in the wake of the failure by the EAC countries to organize a joint EAC-EC-EPA Ministerial meeting to reach an agreement by the end of September.

The EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers on Trade, Industry, Finance, and Investment {SCTIF}, further adopted a draft road map for the negotiation, according to a statement from the EAC secretariat {details of the road map were, however, not released}.

Trade Ministers from the five member countries of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi converged in Arusha two weeks ago where they signed the report of the Sectoral Council to raise the funds within the scope of time given.

The Council further directed the EAC Secretariat to convene an experts meeting in January 2011 to prepare a budget ahead of the comprehensive EPA negotiations.

Following the June impasse, the Council again directed the secretariats ensure that it develops the draft into the full a comprehensive negotiations road map to be shared with the EC. The road map should clearly indicate the member countries priorities respectively.

Experts say. a duration of one year compares with the previous four months thru November. It is enough time to enable member countries to meet their dues in readiness for the signing.

Kenya’s Permanent Secretary to the East African Community Affairs Ministry David Nalo was last week quoted by the EASTAFRICA as saying “his decision now opens anew era of serious engagement. It is estimated that this will require about one year from now.”

It is a race to raise required funds, the secretariat says it had mobilized usd.3.4 million from the Swedish international Development Agency to facilitate the comprehensive negotiations for a period ending June 2012, with first disbursement to be made by this month.

He SIDA funding has four main inputs, namely, capacity building for defining ,Trade negotiations, Meeting and Sessions,Technical and sensitization and public awareness on EPA

ends

EAC has run short of funds forcing some of its important economic projects to stall

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

REPORTS emerging from the Northern Tanzanian City of Arusha have painted gloomy picture indicating that the East African Community {EAC} is facing its “worst financial squeeze “in recent history.

This is said to be as the result of its five partner states drag their feet on remitting their annual financial contributions. Fears that some of the community’s earmarked projects and programs may soon be grounded to an abrupt halt due to lack of funds is on the card.

The halting of the flow of contributions has constrained many crucial activities of the EAC executive arms, including the negotiation of an Economic Partnership Agreement {EPA}with the European Union {EU}.

The latest report on the status of partner states contributions before the EAC Finance and Administration Committee held at the secretariat in Arusha on November 17-20 points a worrying picture.

Documents leaked to the press last week shows that the EAC has so far barely received 42 per cent of the member country contributions dues.

Analysis says the issue was likely to feature prominently as the main agenda at the EAC Head of State summit this week. The EAC Heads of States Summit this time around will be held at Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge in located in the outskirt of ArushaTown.

As at November 3,2010, only USD 25,988,192 budget out of the total USD 61,496,740 budget to be footed by the EAC, leaving an outstanding amount of USD 35,508,548.

According to the breakdown, the EAC member countries of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi were supposed to pay USD 12,299,348 each.

Uganda leads the pack with a remittance record of 70 per cent, has already paid a total of USD 9,192,890 leaving an outstanding of USD 3,105,458.

This is followed by Kenya, which has remitted 50 per cent by paying a total of USD 6,138,838 As it stands now, Kenya owes the regional body a total of USD 6,160,510 in arrears.

Rwanda has also honored its financial commitment to the EAC by 50 per cent. The record indicated that Rwanda has so far remitted about USD 6,148,674, remaining with an outstanding balance of amounting to USD 6,150,674.

Tanzania, which is the host of the EAC headquarters, is lagging behind in its payment. It has only paid 30 per cent. According to the report Dar has an outstanding amount of money which stands at a USD 8,669,775 after remitting barely USD 3,669,573 out of the total USD 12,299,348.

Burundi’s case is even worse, because it has only managed to pay 7 per cent of its financial commitment to the regional economic bloc. In real terms, Burundi has only paid USD 838,217 leaving an outstanding amount of USD 11,461,131.

A source at the Arusha-based secretariat of the EAC has said that the EAC is in dire need of funds to undertake its day to day activities as the five partner states have failed to remit their contributions in time.

In October this year, the EAC secretary General Ambassador Juma V. Mwapachuhad said that a new financial mechanism was needed for projects and programs of the EAC to run smoothly.

Due to the slow of contributions from the partner states as well as from the donors and development partners, Mr Mwapachu has told the EAC Council of Ministers that many earmarked projects and programs undertaken by the Community have stalled.

Noting that slow release of funds has constrained the activities of the regional organization, Mwapachu said that the period between July and September every year was the most difficult because member governments started their fiscal year at the same time.

“Being the beginning of the financial year of the partner states, the flow of funds to the EAC is normally slow and with it, EAC’s programs and activities are significantly slowed down” he added.

Ends

EAC member state urged to develop Kiswahili as a trading language and ide communications

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

MEMBER states of the East African Community {EAC} have been urged to develop Kiswahili as the trading language in the region.

Making this call was the National Museum of Kenya chairman Issa Timamy said for the region to develop economically, this language, which is now spoken widely in the region should be developed as the official code for the EAC economic bloc.

He said “Most developed countries have been using own indigenous languages to promote economic growth and this should be replicated in East Africa.”

Timamy made these remarks while speaking at the Kenyan coastal City of Mombasa during the last week’s inauguration of the Research Institute of Swahili Studies of Eastern Africa {RISSEA} International Conference.

Timamy, however, commended the government of Kenya recent decision to elevate the language to official status in the new constitution, but challenged policymakers to give it professionalism by making it a tool for education in schools.

Kiswahili is the trading language in East Africa and we should take it to a level higher by making it an international language.”It is high time we looked at the language from a broad perspective,” he added.

He challenged Rissea to come u0 with strategies of making Kiswahili an international language for easy communications and trade in the region and other areas of the globe, adding that Rissea itself should be made a prime institute Swahili Studies and urged university students to regularly visit the center for the purpose of learning Kiswahili for research purposes.

Timamy also urged the government through the Ministry of National Heritage to assist the Center with funds to acquire and obtain modern facilities for the language development and research.

National Museum of Kenya director general Idde Omar Farah urged Kenyan to accept the challenge of developing Kiswahili to a higher level of communication and research.

“We at the NMK will do our best to be on the forefront in promoting Kiswahili as our national and trading language. Tanzania has already given us challenge by making Kiswahili one of its official languages alongside English and we should make Kiswahili our trade mark.”

Kenya’s new constitution has elevated Kiswahili to official language status and recommended its development and Rissea now is calling upon Kenyans to use the language widely in their normal communications as a away to develop it much faster.”

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Kenya: One Family Under God

2 Replies

From: odhiambo okecth

HE the President Hon Mwai Kibaki today opened The Global Peace Convention 2010 at the KICC in Nairobi in the company of HE President Girma Wolde Giorgis of Ethiopia, the Rt Hon PM Raila Odinga, HE VP Steven Kalonzo Musyoka, Hon Labaran Maku- Minister for Information- Nigeria, Dr Hyun Jin Moon- Chairman Global Peace Festival Foundation, Sir James Mancham- former President Seychelles, Dr Manu Chandaria, Prof George Saitoti, and several delegates from across the world.

To prove that we have Moved From Talking to Tasking, the delegates will tomorrow converge around Nyayo National Stadium for a Tree Planting session before continuing with the remaining programmes.

We were privileged at KCDN Nairobi- http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com to have been nominated for participation and I am in particularly happy to have been a panelist in discussing The roles of young leaders in promoting Ethics, Integrity and Good Governance.

We will be sharing our experiences during this Global Peace Convention 2010 and the International Young Leaders Summit 2010. There is a lot to share and please, keep visiting our blogs. We will make our postings there.

Lastly, we want to sincerely thank Akiba Uhaki Foundation for facilitating our attendance and participation. We also want to sincerely thank the organizers, the session moderators and all the participants for their presence of mind.

Peace and blessings to all.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi Kenya.
Tel; 0724 365 557, 0724 365 557
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

Odhiambo T Oketch is the current Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010.

EAC: Trade barriers still persist in these nations’ boirder points slowing tade volume in the bloc

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Business Council is reportedly worried over an increasing bureaucracy at most of the border points, which it believes is slowing down the intra-EAC trade volumes.

In the Council’s blacklist are arbitrarily suspension of commodity exports, continuous application of illegal fees and lack of coordination among order clearing authorities despite of the East African Common Market having come into force last July.

According to an article in the latest edition of the influential weekly, the EASTAFRICAN, export bans instituted by Tanzania and Kenyan ministries of agriculture have for instance, denied producers access to the markets that would otherwise guarantee them higher returns.

In Tanzania, the report says, foreign registered vehicles transporting cargo pay USD 500 to Tanzania Revenue Authority on each entry on top of annual fees of USD 600,while in Burundi goods often undergo tedious clearance procedures with traders having to go through numerous agencies which include immigration, security, anti- corruption, customs department, among others.

On its part, Rwanda Revenue Authority does not recognize the East African certificate of origin particularly on goods originating from Uganda for electronic welded black tubes, while Uganda on its part, the Uganda Revenue Authority and Uganda Bureau of Standards continue to issue different requirements regarding standards on pre-exports verifications of conformity.

The EABC executive director Agatha Ndritu was last week quoted by the report as sating that her regional business body has written to all government institutions and agencies concerned requesting the to abolish or suspend the reported barriers.

Uncoordinated activities among borer agencies involved in quality assurance and certification such as bureau of the standards, food and drug inspection agencies have resulted in duplications of efforts causing further delays in clearing of goods.

Offloading and reloading containers for verifications at all border posts also lead to unnecessary delays and material loss due to breakages.

There I a need to continue on the path of harmonizing and ensure single data capture that would reflect at all other border points. Weighbridges which, in most cases, act as conduits for corruption, add to the overall cost of doing business for traders.

In efforts to raise revenue, local Councils have turned to levies on goods transiting through their territory. Most notorious are local council in Kajiado a southern Kenya district bordering Tanzania, Longido in Tanzania and others in Uganda, says the report.

Ends

EAC: LOOK AT VOLUME TRADES INSTEAD OF BICKERING, SAYS KENYA EAC PS

Leave a reply

By Agwanda Powerman

EAST Africa Community Permanent Secretary David Nalo is calling upon partner states of the East Africa Community who might have boundary problems to not ignore volume of trade at the expense of bickering over minute issues which can be solved diplomatically.

Mr.Nalo adds that the spirit of EAC will not allow any unnecessary harassment between the partner states saying there is a need to strengthen collaboration and working relationship between all the member partners.

Speaking in Kisumu during the MTN re-branding launch,Nalo added that the East Africa requires a robust networked system that will connect all the five countries to enable them communicate effectively and promote business across the five sister countries.

He also commended the East Africa Community countries for their efforts of ensuring they are ready to embrace the digital age specially, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania for ensuring their National Optic fiber backbone infrastructure plan is on course and will be complete in due course.

“Suffice it to say,infrastructural preparedness is key in attracting foreign investment into this region as well as enabling the member states to synergize on it to promote business amongst them”Nalo added.

He further said that the East Africa Protocol provides an opportunity to the member states to join in efforts to ensuring their Information Technology systems collaborate to ensure maximum utilization of the infrastructure to promote communication which is vital in business processes.

ENDS

Uganda & Kenya: My reflections; Letter from Arusha

Leave a reply

From: odhiambo okecth

Dear Friends,

In the last few days, I have been at Arusha and on my way from Nairobi, it was exciting as soon as we crossed the border.

My first reflections were on the vast tracks of land, how good this could be for the Land Grabbers. They have grabbed all public utility in Kenya, schools, churches, play fields, homes, cemeteries and all till they have no more land to grab. How I wished they could cross our borders….just cross the border and start salivating…..

One thing struck me though; President Kibaki and the Hon PM Raila Amolo Odinga have put great efforts at road construction in Kenya, and now, we have many tracks in motorable condition. This is good for rapid economic development for Kenya and East Africa as a whole.

Many things run on good roads; farmers need this to reach the markets; pupils and teachers need this to go to school; commuters rely on this for their economy; government services reach far and wide on good roads; and basically, with good roads, you are on the first lane. And I was reflecting on 7 years before…how no roads we had in Kenya. Good works.

I then reflected on our education system, how Free Primary Education was introduced and there with it came the many sweet challenges; you all remember Mzee Maruge [RIP] trotting to class to enjoy the fruits of the new found knowledge? How courtesy of this he went into the Guinness Book of Records and even visited New York! I think it was a timely affair.

In between we went to elections and we had our own fair levels of challenges, but the kind of challenges that strengthened our democracy. We are strong now and into the future we are all looking.

When I look at this past and juxtapose this with the question of Youth and Development, I get the thrills. The democratic space has actually given all of us the cutting edge that we need. It allows all persons above 18 to take part and shape our destiny. This is a challenge we must all take.

The youth, and those that are youthful at heart must rise to the occasion and save humanity from man made failures that we have grappled with in Africa. As the world was going industrial, we went corrupt.

As the world was going nuclear, we went corrupt.

As the world was celebrating the virtues of good leadership, our leaders were celebrating the virtues of corruption. And yet, we vote them into positions of leadership every 5 years or so often. I was reflecting on this as I met very energized youth from across 10 countries.

What can the youth and the youthful at heart do to liberate Africa from this group that has preached impunity, corruption, environmental degradation and tribalism on us?

Must we continue as we have in the last 50 years of Africa’s Independence?

The time has come; the time is now; let us all call each other into action and restore the pride of Africa.

Let us all role our sleeves and join in environmental conservation all across East Africa every 3rd Saturday of the month. Let us all take personal charge withing our various localities.

Let us all join hands and shame the Lords of Graft in our midst’s. Let us not glorify the corrupt and sing songs of praises in their favour. Let us make it our personal commitment to join in the fight against corruption all across East Africa.

We have one missing link in the Fight against Corruption in Kenya; the State Law Office, the seat of power of the Attorney General of Kenya. Whereas the People have joined in the Fight against Corruption, the Legislature has caught fire, the Judiciary is waking up, the AG is still just smiling at us. He is seeing no corruption, hearing and feeling no corruption. He must wake us from that deep slumber…the people are watching him very keenly.

Lastly, in my reflections, let us all join hands in that humble knowledge that in His Providence, all is assured. He is the Almighty, the All Knowing and the All Powerful. He can never let us down when we ask of His mercies on bended knees. Let Him give us the power to seize the moment and do justice to our land.

Peace and goodwill to all mankind.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi Kenya.
Tel; 0724 365 557, 0724 365 557
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

Odhiambo T Oketch is the current Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010.

eac boss congatulates zanzinar leader for his elections

1 Reply

forwarded by: Leo Odera Omolo

EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY SECRETARIAT
P.O. Box 1096
ARUSHA, TANZANIA
Tel: 255-27-2504253/8
Fax: 255-27-2504255/2504481
E-mail: eac@eachq.org

Our Ref: ADM/30
Date: 2 November 2010

H.E Dr. Ali Mohamed Shein
President of Zanzibar
State House, ZANZIBAR

Your Excellency

On behalf of the East African Community Secretariat, and on my own behalf, I extend to your Excellency warm congratulations on your election as President of Zanzibar. Your victory demonstrates the confidence which the people of Zanzibar have in your able leadership. It is a reaffirmation of the correct path which Zanzibar has chosen to a new bright future of peace, stability and progress under the system of the Government of National Unity.

Zanzibar, through its union with Tanganyika to create the United Republic of Tanzania in 1964 became a pioneer and inspiration of East African and indeed African continental unity. With the just concluded peaceful elections and movement towards the new dispensation, Zanzibar is again showing the way and sending a powerful message that with foresighted leadership, we can overcome any obstacles, and forge ahead in unity and development for the benefit of our people.

The East African Community is delighted by these positive developments and wishes Zanzibar great success and sustainability of the new spirit of unity, peace and progress. We appreciate your support for the cause of East African integration and development and look forward to your wise contribution in deepening EAC integration.

Accept, Your Excellency, the assurance of my highest regard.

Amb. Juma V. Mwapachu

SECRETARY GENERAL

East Africa United for Posterity

Leave a reply

from odhiambo okecth

Friends,

We at KCDN are keen to move our Environmental Management Programme to the next level.

We have been organizing a yearly clean up exercise in Komarock which we have upgraded to a City wide clean up exercise in Nairobi. We will be hosting this every month in partnership with the City Council of Nairobi and all Friends of Nature.

We recently hosted The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption on 22nd October 2010 in Nairobi and again, we partnered with the CCN, Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, the Provincial Administration, the Kenya Police, Administration Police, Transparency International and many other players. We are keen on walking the talk against corruption by mobilizing the country to join in the fight.

These are issues we are holding to heart and this is how we will be conducting the Initiatives;
Every 3rd Saturday of the Month, we will be calling the people of East Africa into action. We will be appealing to them to come out and help clean their localities and surroundings in a proactive manner that needs no supervision.
The clean ups will be preceded by tree planting sessions that is aimed to sour the tree cover in the whole of East Africa.
Thereafter, we will be hosting discussions and educational forums that will invite us to take personal responsibility over issues that affect us like the environmental degradation does.
We want to invite all Friends of Nature to join us in this programme. We know it will not be easy, but we also know that we can actually do it.

We are in discussions with Organisations and Institutions whom we have approached for partnerships and as soon as we are finalized, we will post the details in our blog. In the meantime, we want all of us to take personal interests to make this a reality.

Our children will be there to thank us for the time we lived on this planet earth, for we shall have something to bequeath them.

This is a call to action and support. Please reach out to the undersigned and help move this thinking forward.

Peace and blessings.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi Kenya.
Tel; 0724 365 557, 0735 529 126
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

Odhiambo T Oketch is the current Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010.

Kenya & east Africa: Can Kenya make its new deal work?

Leave a reply

Dear Jaluo,

OPÄDO (mosesopado@ . . . ) has sent you an article from The Economist online

OPÄDO has also included the following message for you:
————-

It can be Done!It can be done!It can be done if good words of love affair with Kenya is applied-OPADO

————-

Kenya and east Africa

Can Kenya make its new deal work?
The prime minister, Raila Odinga (below), is optimistic that Kenya will bolster its position as the region’s hub. But first it must make its new constitution work

Oct 26th 2010

SINCE the bloody ructions that shattered Kenya in the wake of a disputed election at the end of 2007, the country has recovered its breath, endorsed a new political system, and is now poised to forge ahead as the region’s undisputed economic motor and diplomatic nerve-centre. Though its own politics remains fragile under a government of national unity, it has begun to find a balance, if not true stability, on the domestic political front, too. Kenya’s future could be bright if the next election, expected in August 2012, can pass off peacefully, perhaps with a clear-cut transition to a President Raila Odinga, who was almost certainly cheated out of the top job by last-minute electoral fiddles last time round.

See the full article
http://www.economist.com/realarticleid.cfm?redirect_id=17373983

Visit http://www.economist.com for more global news, views, and analysis from The Economist.

East Africa: United for Posterity

Leave a reply

From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

I have been invited to a Symposium in Arusha starting on the 8th Nov 2010 and I want to use that occasion to rally the people of East Africa to join us in moving all of East Africa to the next level.

In Rwanda, they have a Nationwide Clean Up Campaign every last Saturday of the Month and in this campaign, none other than the President HE Paul Kagame leads from the front line. It has made Kigali the cleanest City in East Africa.

In Kenya, we have introduced a City wide Clean up Campaign scheduled for every 3rd Saturday of the month and we are still struggling with it. We are inviting as many Kenyans from all the Counties to join in and take charge of the concept at their various Counties.

You will also remember that on the 22nd October 2010, we organized a very successful walk against corruption in Nairobi. We want to invite the people of East Africa to join us in these efforts; clean up campaigns and in the fight against corruption.

Let us make these twin issues our personal issues and we will indeed move East Africa to the next level.

In the enclosed caption, I am with Mr. David Walala from Community Alliance for Change based in Kitale Kenya, and Mr. Thomas Nelson Munghono from Nelsk Uganda based in Kampala Uganda.

We are determined to make a difference not only in our various Countries, but in the whole of East Africa. Let us unite and be part of the East African Community as we all join in the unfolding social, economic and political dispensation.

Peace and blessings to all of us.

Odhiambo T Oketch,
CEO KCDN Nairobi,
PO Box 47890-00100,
Nairobi Kenya.
Tel; 0724 365 557
http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
friendsofkcdn@yahoogroups.com

Odhiambo T Oketch is the current Chairman to the City Council of Nairobi Stakeholders Evaluation Team on Performance Contracting and Rapid Results Management. He was also the Co-Chair and Coordinator of The Great Nairobi Walk against Corruption that was held in Nairobi on the 22nd October 2010.

Shortage of funds hampered the EAC/EU negotiations for new trade agreement

Leave a reply

Economic and Business New By Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community negotiation with the European Union on the signing of an economic partnership agreement is currently facing financial problems.

The EAC-EU talks have since come cropper and stalled, hampering effort to meet the initial deadline of reaching n agreement by the end of next month {November 2010}.

An impeccable source at the EAC secretariat in Arusha has hinted that if funds are not available within a month to bring the EAC team back to the negotiation table, the prospect of signing of a new trading regime with the EU will be jeopardized.

The issue was rekindled last week by the EAC Secretary General Ambassador Juma V Mwapachu when he received Jim Clarke the head of EU delegation to in Tanzania and to the EAC.

Mwapachu said the EAC was ready and willing to revive the EPA negotiations with the EU but for financial constraints and general elections in four of its member states;

Clarke who is also the head of the EU delegation in Tanzania said the EU will offer financial support to the EAC /EPA team to go back to the negotiation table.

The EAC team comprises of experts from the five, member states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

“We will offer as much money as the EAC/EPA needs to enable it team to come back to the negotiation table. The EU team will come to Arusha this week to narrow down on the deal,” said Clarke.

The EU diplomat sa8d that delay in signing the Framework Economic Partnership Agreement could undermine trade relations between the two blocs. But last moth the members of the East African Legislative Assembly warned the EAC member states not to sign the EPAs until all the contentious clauses arte resolved.

Top on the lists of sticking points is development assistance, the most favored nation status, levying of exports taxes, investment and also the terms of tradethta the EU is offering.

Most f experts and pundits in East Africa see thre framework agreement as being tilted in favor of Europe.

The EAC Council of Ministers chairman Dr.Diodorus Kamalaof Tanzania said MPS want EAC partner states to delay signing the pacts because of the sticking points.

Kamala cited one clause that prohibits EAC partner states from making new trading friends,

“Such clauses may lock us into a single trade tie without any alternative to diversify our target markets to other economic blocs such as the Common Market for Eastern and Southern African {Comesa} and the Southern African Development Community {SADC},Dr Kamala said.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo,com

East African Radio Station

2 Replies

From: Joram Ragem

PM Raila Odinga asked Nyanza to unite and vote as a block. What better way to heed his call than to tune to East African Radio USA. Kaendi emawanyalo loso osiep kanyakla gi owete wa ma joka tok Odera!

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/denzel-musumba

—
Joram Ragem
wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem! (Are you my relative?)

Kenya and Uganda in EAC new railway pact

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

THE Rift Valley Railways (RVR) and the Ugandan and Kenyan governments have signed a revised concession pact to pave way for the release of about $250m (sh2.2 trillion) to boost operations along the Kenya-Uganda railway line.

A woman disembarks a Rift Valley Railways passenger train at Nambole during a Bukedde show in 2009

Jim Mugunga, the Privatisation Unit spokesperson, said the agreement will fast track the introduction of a professional operator to manage the network and attract development partners to invest in the sector.

Finance minister Syda Bbumba and Kenya’s trade minister Amos Kimunya officiated at the function that took place at the finance ministry offices in Kampala on Wednesday.

However, yesterday Bbumba referred all inquiries regarding the date of commencement of works to transport minister John Nasasira, whose phones were all switched off.

“All the terms and conditions are determined by the transport ministry, mine is divestiture,” Bbumba said.

The two governments have been at loggerheads with RVR’s principal shareholder, Citadel Capital, over the inclusion of two crucial railway lines in a concession.

The company was contracted to manage the Mombasa-Kampala railway line for more than two decades.

The signing ends the row between the Egyptian equity firm and a section of Ugandan and Kenyan businessmen, who did not want the Tororo-Pakwach and Kampala-Kasese railway lines included in the concession, against Citadel Capital’s demands.

The two lines, leading to two regions endowed with minerals, oil, and agricultural potential as well as the sprawling Southern Sudan market, are now in the concession.

The development also confirms Citadel Capital as the principal shareholder in RVR (51%) with Kenya’s investment powerhouse TransCentury taking up 34% of the shares. Ugandan investors bag 15%.

However, in a bizarre twist, RVR officials, who did not want to be named, said there had been no signing following a cancellation letter from the finance ministry on Monday.

“The letter suspended the signing till further notice,” said an RVR official, who declined to disclose the details of the letter to New Vision.

RVR Uganda managing director Christina Wadulo said she was on leave and unable to comment on the matter.

The revamping of activities along the Kenya-Uganda railway have dragged on since 2005, when the Kenyan and Ugandan governments handed over the railway management to RVR, which was then under the shadowy South African investment firm, Sheltam Rail.

Controversy crippled in after the firm’s chief executive officer, Roy Puffet, secretly sold off 49% of RVR shares to wealthy Egyptians, who demanded to chair the RVR board.

This sparked off a bitter row with other shareholders, who included Kenya’s TransCentury (20%), Centum Ltd (10%), Tanzania’s Mirambo Holdings (15%), Prime Fuels of Kenya (15%) and Babcock Investments Holdings of Australia (10%).

The shareholder’s stakes, apart from TransCentury’s, were later liquidated after the World Bank intervened to settle the boardroom wars.

Ends

Uganda has proposed to lease oil wells to prospectus investors

Leave a reply

Economic and Business News By Leo Odera Omolo

UGANDA has repossessed an oil field in Hoima after exploration company Tullow Oil failed to meet the Government’s terms.

Accordingly, the Kingfisher (Kajubirizi) discovery area has ceased to form part of the petroleum exploration area Tullow had been licensed to manage in 2004, energy and mineral development minister Hillary Onek said yesterday.
The area was technically referred to as 3A(EA-3A).

Block 3A and Block 1 were jointly operated by Heritage and Tullow. However, Heritage sold its interest to Tullow.

In a letter, Onek said Tullow’s licence had expired.

Under the law, Tullow should have applied for a production licence within two years of discovering the oil, which it did not. “The period within which you are supposed to have applied for a petroleum production licence for the Kingfisher (Kajubirizi) field expired in February 2010,” he told Tullow managers.

The development means that Uganda can license another player since it does not recognise Tullow’s transaction with Heritage. Accordingly, Tullow risks losing $1.45b, which it paid Heritage for the asset.

Athough Heritage and Tullow discovered the oil in 2008, none of them applied for a production licence.

“There was either lack of interest in the block or the operators were not willing to provide Government with plans for oil production,” said an expert in the oil industry.

Tullow alluded to a delay towards production in the affected field.

“The Government has indicated that they will not grant an appraisal licence extension until the tax matter is resolved,” the firm said in its bi-annual report to shareholders on Wednesday.

The Government had required Heritage to pay tax on the income they got from the sale of the field, which they did not do. Now the Governent wants the tax paid by Tullow who took the asset.

“In the short term, it is, therefore, anticipated that there may be some slow down in activity.

“While effective ownership of the assets has been transferred to Tullow, the Government wishes to resolve the tax dispute prior to granting final approval to proceed,” Tullow added.

In an apparent contradiction, the firm also said: “The Government of Uganda has, however, indicated that a dispute with Heritage over capital gains tax needs to be resolved before the purchase from Heritage…”

The Government insists Heritage must pay all the taxes due to the transaction amounting to $404,925,000.

Heritage is not willing to pay and has referred the matter to the London Court of Arbitration.

The fate of Tullow’s $1.45b it paid to Heritage is not clear.

Ends

Kenya & Uganda: East African States in joint efforts to combat terrorists in the region

Leave a reply

Security News By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

Kenya and Uganda have stepped up joint operations aimed at keeping on check the infiltrations of Al-Shabaab Islamist terrorist from the neighboring Somalia.

The efforts has yielded in score of suspected terrorists agents being nabbed over the weekend after being fished out of their hideouts in both Nairobi and the country’s coastal town of Mombasa. Some of them suspects in connection to the July 11, bombing of a crowded public joint in the Ugandan capital, Kampala have since been flown to that country to be enjoined in criminal charges with their accomplices already in custody in Uganda.

Reports emerging from the Kenya’s coastal town of Lamu an Island on the Indian Ocean, says Kenya Anti-Terrorism Police Unit {ATPU} disclosed at the weekend that they were holding twelve suspects they found with materials for bombs and instruction documents targeting certain installation and buildings in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

The discovery, the ATPU says was made at Mpeketoni location on Lamu Island in the Indian Ocean. The Island is the closest Kenyan location to the troubled Somalia border.

Itrher sources the suspect arrested in Nairobi include a wonan and the three children in whose house suspected foreigners linked to terrorists were found hiding.

At the same time, two suspected terrorists’ agents have been arrested in Mombasa on suspected criminal, offences connected to the July 11 bombing of a crowded public joint in Kampala which resulted in the death of 76 people. They were immediately flown to Uganda where they are expected to be enjoined in criminal charges alongside their accomplices already in custody in that country.

The two were seized fro their operational hideout at the weekend in Nyali suburb of the coastal town of Mombasa.

Also in the capital, Nairobi, the police reported that they were holding six people in connection with suspected terrorist’s activities.

The other suspects in Lamu case said to be Kenyans, and the police have confirmed that they still interrogating them with the view to finding out their mission was hatched and planned and who is behind it

He group also had bomb making materials, which the sleuths believe they got from the neighboring Somalia.

“We do not know their mission, but all I can say is that we have succeeded in averting something very serious,” a police source is quoted by the STANDARD of having said this.

The suspects were arrested on Saturday morning and were later brought to Mombasa, where they were until last Sunday being grilled. And after interrogation, the suspects are said to have disclosed the location of their accomplices, whom were later picked up from their hideout in Malindi Town.

The police said they got the tips on the arrival of Tanzanian before they swiftly moved into action.

The arrests came barely a month after terrorist linked to Al-Shabaab detonated bombs in Kampala.Uganda killing more than 76 people. At least ten Kenyans are being held in Uganda over the bombing at a public joint on July 11,2010.

The latest arrests were of one Suleiman Abdi Hamed who was nabbed from his Nairobi South C Estate House in an operation mounted by teams of hooded policemen led by detectives. Te arrest three days after the Mombasa arrests over the same crime confessed by their accomplices that they were getting training in Somalia.

The arrests came after a month long of thorough investigations. The ATPU Chief at the Coast Elijah Tirop said the suspects are of Pakistani ANS Kenyan descent, adding that some seven vehicles suspected to have been stolen were also recovered in the suspect compound.

“I can confirm that the two suspect have been arrested in connection with the Kampala bombing and they will also take to Uganda an charged.” said Tirop.

He disclosed that to facilitate the arrest was a joint effort with the help of international security agencies and Kenyans sleuths. The agencies had been tipped by the accomplices of the suspects now in custody in Uganda.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

Somalia, an Insult to African Stability

1 Reply

By Douglas O. Majwala.

East African Economy flops to doldrums and heading to recession if meltdown in Somalia is not subdued. Disorder in the horn of Africa should swiftly-jointly be pursued with long lasting objectivity. Forging an economic block is never a cure for underdevelopment if security is not prioritized. Sooner or later the world will be paralyzed by the tough painful u-turn decision by the shippers and land- locked to divert to Southern Africa for safer anchoring and it will be to the detriment of EAC. The jealous anti-EAC’s economic growth elements may capitalize in the insecurity to reach decisions whose eventuality will be to overthrow EAC progress. Keen serious leadership is needed to zero- in the situation with strong socio-economic and political will. The renaissance of EAC should not be mistaken for attainment of individual political excellence whilst the status-quo of the citizenry suffers the most.

A joint military reconnaissance along with heavy-duty diplomatic surveillance must be deployed to denounce longstanding global insurgency. Apathy about Somalia ambiguity was first given room by the late ex president Gen. Siad Barre who declared in an OAU meeting when he chaired the body that Somalia will never go off-course [astray] because it is a unique symbol of oneness that has ever existed in the globe and went as far as highlighting religion, culture, language and tribe to be standard for all Somalis in one Somalia including the Diaspora, he did not know it was a serious oversight for him as today what used to be known as Somalia is almost not there including himself [buried in a foreign land].

Strong agendas that need be addressed to rescue Somalia from wiping out of world geo-political atlas are: Appraise the country profile by doing the following: writing an interim constitution, forming national military and security forces which are heavily armed, preaching the positive side [not tit for tat] of religion that emphasizes love for one another as a priority pillar for seeing God, establishing comprehensive judiciary system, arraigning all perpetrators to International Court of Criminology ICC and after proven guilty be given amnesty instead of jail terms “a Mandela’s peace and reconciliation initiative cured all scars of Apartheid”.

Others are; transforming all ethnic parties into legally registered political parties, aligning all war lords to form a government of national unity, assisting the government to beef up marine security and declare Somali waters a buffer zone controlled by international community, re-vitalize government coffers by drawing an economic marshal plan, disarmament, revive a fully fledged diplomatic links including economic diplomacy [naturally Somalis are the Indians of Africa as they are talented in commerce] to make Somalia not look segregated from rest of the world.

It is childish philosophy to leave Somalis alone solve Somali predicament; it will result in regional holocaust beyond control, hence international community, bordering countries and individual country support should top the priority list for finding a panacea to Somali unrest. In this, I agree that many clicks may not spoil the browse.

Douglas O. Majwala [majwalaoriko@yahoo.co.uk]
Rorya-Tanzania.