Category Archives: Africa News

KENYA: THE FIRST FEMALE AFRICAN DREAMLINER CAPTAIN

Leave a reply

From: Fakhi Karume

In the world of aviation, Kenya Airways (KQ) has announced a first – that Captain Irene Koki Mutungi was promoted to be the first African Captain on the world’s latest plane, the Boeing B787 Dreamliner.

Captain Mutungi was the first ever and only female pilot at Kenya Airways for about six years – more ladies have since joined the airline in the cockpits of their various planes – and has risen steadily through the ranks.

Irene was flying as a First Officer on the 767-300ER, the second largest aircraft in the Kenya Airways fleet after the Boeing B777-300ER, and then became the first female Kenya Airways Captain of a Boeing 767-300ER until she finished her course for type conversion successfully and was elevated to fly in the left hand seat of KQ’s latest acquisition.

Following the first delivery of the new bird on April 5 are another 5 such aircraft expected this year before in 2015 a further three of these aircraft will be delivered by Boeing to “The Pride of Africa.”

Captain Irene Mutungi’s latest professional accomplishment is a first is indeed for the world of aviation and as such a cause for celebration, as she becomes the first African female Boeing 787 Captain in the world.

Congratulations to Captain Irene and let this be an encouragement for all other ladies who have set their minds on flying and making a career with Kenya’s national airline.

KENYA: THE GOONS WHO DISRUPTED NYONGO AND RANGUMA MEETING IN KISUMU HAD LINKS WITH MEN IN BLACK SUITS AT KASARANI.

Leave a reply

Reports  By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu CITY

The hired political goons who disrupted an important consultative meeting  between the Kisumu Senator Anyang’ Nyong’o and a group of MPS IN Kisumu on Tuesday this week were not strangers, but common  characters who are well known to the MPS.

These were the youths who some of the MPS have used before to intimidate or harass their political opponents before. Some of the youths were the same goons who four months ago violently disrupted the ODM elections meeting at Kasarani Sports Complex in Nairobi and forced it to be postponed indefinitely.

Prof.Nyong’o was accompanied by MPS Fred Outa {Nyando}, Aduma Owuor {Nyakach}John Olago Aluoch {Kisumu WestT},MRS Rose Nyamunga {Women Rep}, Deputy KisumuI governor Ruth Odinga. Nyong’o reported that two other MPS who were not in attendance had sent their apology. They includeed James Onyango Koyoo {Muhoroni}, SHAKEEL ahmed SHABBIR {Ksumu TOWN east} and  Ken Obura {Kisumu Central]

According to sources in this lakeside city Senator Nyong’o and the four MPS who attended the disrupted meeting were treated with a dose of their own medicine, and as such should not blame som one else for the shameful act carried out on them.  It was further alleged that some of the MPS were the same people who had contributed immensely in facilitating the traveling logistics for the goons to attend the Nairobi meeting. It only occurred that while ejecting Nyong’o and the MPS out of the meeting, this time around the goons were dressed in their normal attired and not their dreaded “black suits”.

The group was led by the ODM activist Austine Oduor, alias Makamu who is always a frequent visitor at the home of the ODM supremo Raila Odinga’s Kisumu Milimani house. The same man was positively identified as one of the men in  “Black Suits”  at the Kasarani venue of the aborted ODM elections..

THE kisumu debacle has however, caused a lot of embarrassment to the County governor Jack Ranguma who has since came out in full force and distanced himself from the shameful act. The governor maintained that he had no prior knowledge to the shameful action of the goon s  and tendered his sincere apology to Senator Nyong’o. Ranguma, however, insisted that he had already tendered his sincere apology to Senator Nyong’o, But to apology to make to the ODM as a party because he is also a member of the same.  But he insisted that he had no apology to make to the ODM as party because he was also a member of the same party. .

From the look of things it appeared as if a group of Kisumu MCAS who are not comfortable with the new law that has made the Senators to become the chairmen of their County Development Boards respectively, which was recently constituted after President Kenyatta had assented to the County Government Amendment Act{2014} and were not happy that their MPS never put up spirited opposition to the Bill when it was introduced in parliament for debate before being passed into the new law.

The goons had hurled unprintable insults to Sen Nyong’o and the MPS before the police were summoned by Ranguma to come and disperse them. The goons cited some MPS as being jubilee moles in ODM and accused them of conspiring with the national government with intention of scuttling the devolution.

The controversial CDB has prompted the governors through their association to move to court challenging the legality ofth nre law arguing that  it is intended to deprive them the executive powers in their respective COUNTIES.

ENDS

KENYA: KISUMU MCA INFECTS COLLEAGUE WITH SYPHILIS DISEASE

Leave a reply

By Our Reporter

Some members of Kisumu County Assembly are calling upon the area Medical Director Dr.Ojwang’ Lusi to invoke the Public Health Act and arrest one of their colleagues who has a sexually transmitted disease which he infected a female colleague with during their recent retreat in Kwale within Coast Region.

The agitated MCAs are saying that if their colleague is not treated then he will paint the county red with his venereal disease as witnessed recently.

“The female MCA who comes from Nyakach Constituency no longer stays with the husband as she infected the husband with that “thunder” and she was sent away, I am really surprised that in this era some people still have sexual intercourse without protection “lamented one of his colleagues.

Another MCA added that if the said people’s representative is not forcefully taken for treatment then they will introduce a bill to compel the Medical Director to treat him or obtain a court order.

They wonder how many of the leaders’ female voters have faced what their female colleague underwent.

“Seems he has infected many with that STI as he has a very itchy loins and he is always randy” added another female MCA.

The always shabby haired, thick, squawky walking and illiterate MCA who is behind the damage was once the late Kisumu Town MP Job Omino’s house boy and later became  a pimp for most luo leaders which has twice earned him nomination on Raila Odinga led party for two terms as he has never won any of the party’s primaries.

He is said to have had the STI disease since he entered the assembly and has been spreading it like bush fire.

Contacted for comment, the legislature said that its his closeness to Raila that is making his fellow MCAs to say those things against him.

“That my fellow MCA wanted to blackmail me with the said issue but I told her off regardless of anything which happened, we were all given allowances for the meeting why did she want my money” he added saying he was going to make an official  report to the police about the incident

Africa – Mobile – Solar panels that charge mobile phones: Fast, Durable, and Portable Solar Phone Charger to Empower All Regions of COMESA

Leave a reply

From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

World Panel Zambia, Ltd. Celebrates Official Launch of Solar Chargers

Fast, Durable, and Portable Solar Phone Charger to Empower All Regions of COMESA

LUSAKA, Zambia, August 28, 2014/ — World Panel Zambia Ltd. (www.world-panel.com) launched the durable World Panel solar panels that charge mobile phones as fast as a wall plug. Held at Lusaka’s Taj Pamodzi Hotel, the launch was attended by senior Zambian government officials, COMESA free-trade group leaders, US embassy officers, African Development Bank officials and the CEOs of major Zambian mobile operators. The launch celebrated the first container of World Panels that arrived in World Panel Zambia’s Lusaka warehouse.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/worldpanel.jpeg

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1317 (World Panel Zambia CEO Jacob Sikazwe speaking about empowerment)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1318 (Only smiles when a World Panel charges a rural cell phone)

The CEO, Jacob Sikazwe, a well-known Zambian business leader who led the creation and then chaired Zambia’s Citizens Economic Empowerment Commission said, “I’ve worked for many years to empower people in rural Africa to improve their economic well-being and opportunities in life. This utility-grade personal solar charger finally delivers on my dream to aid and empower people living without regular access to electricity.”

The first shipment contained thousands of World Panel 500 combo-pack units with the patented solar panel technology plus a bundled 5000-milliamp Powerbank and bright ten-bulb LED light. The technology will be distributed in rural and urban COMESA regions. The company indicated that it plans to ship one million World Panel units to the COMESA region in 2015.

John Anderson, the inventor and CEO of US-based World Panel Inc., gave the keynote speech at the event.  An expert in micro-solar technology and business sustainability, Anderson said, “with only 8% of rural Zambia connected to an electrical grid, our distributed green energy solution can significantly increase that level in three years at a fraction of the cost of traditional energy solutions. We are honored to deliver our first containers into Zambia.”

World Panel Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/theworldpanel

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1319 (The Zambia management team with CEO Mr. Jacob Sikazwe (on left)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1320 (The motivated support staff at the Lusaka headquarters!)

In prepared remarks read on behalf of Zambia’s Minister of Energy Christopher Yaluma, the Ministry’s Director of Energy Andrew Simwaba said, “I am pleased that this solution being launched today will help mitigate this power shortage because our people will be able to charge their phones and other devices no matter where they are located.” Recognizing this powerful green electrical solution for energy poverty, the Zambia Revenue Authority notified World Panel Zambia Ltd. that its application for zero customs and VAT has been approved.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of World Panel Inc.

Contact:
Mr. Larry Tanning
ltanning@world-panel.com

PHOTOS:

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1321 (The well-attended launch event with the Ministry’s Director of Energy Andrew Simwaba (on right)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1322 (Zambia CEO Jacob Sikazwe and USA CEO John Anderson with thousands of World Panels)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1323 (Personal solar for all.  World Panel is a mobile electricity solution that provides consumers with the security of having power for their phones and batteries on the go or at home)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1324 (Ms. Sandra Uwera speaking on behalf of COMESA with a personal endorsement of the technology)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1325 (Mobile electricity for distributed energy solutions to the rural areas, powers phones onsite without the need to travel to the phone charging station)

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1326 (Plug into the sun!  Founder John Anderson charging a local consumers phone with the technology. Put sun into your phone, it’s easy and free)

About World Panel Inc.:

Boulder, Colorado, USA-based World Panel Inc. (www.world-panel.com) is a triple-bottom line company (people, planet, profit) founded by micro-solar and sustainability expert John Anderson. On a trip to Sub-Saharan Africa, it became apparent that mobile electricity was in demand, and cell phone charging was of particular interest.  Equipped with requests from citizens there that a charger be powerful, durable, affordable and portable, Anderson developed the patented World Panel to charge 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE handsets and tablets, and all USB devices.  A suite of chargers, based on the patented direct-from-the-sun technology are now being distributed into the COMESA and SADC countries of Sub-Saharan Africa.

SOURCE
World Panel Inc.

KENYA: LOOKING AT NEW CONSTITUTION AFTER FOUR YEARS

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 28, 2014

The report of the Ndungu Commission on illegal and irregular allocation of public land gives one of the major reasons why Kenyan people opted for the new constitution. Under the old law, it was only the President, who had the right to allocate unalienated government lands, with the new constitution, even though Jubilee government wants to return it back as it were, with the national land commission in place it is going to make this attempt difficult, especially after referendum.

With the new constitution the President cannot exercise his powers without paying regard to the public interest. In any process of allocation, a formal offer of sale is made to an approved purchaser by the Commissioner for Lands and not the president.

The issue of land has been an emotive and sometimes volatile issue in Kenya since independence in 1963, and has dominated political campaigns. The new constitution backs radical land reforms, as well as allowing women to inherit land.

Against the background the 2005 constitution was rejected by Kenyan people. It watered down clauses hammered out at the National Constitutional Conference of 2003-2004. The conference called for a strong prime ministerial role but the revised draft retains a strong presidency.

Those campaigning for a “No” vote argued that power needed to be shared out, so that one person could no longer dominate the country as in the past. This, they said, would help fight corruption – a big problem in Kenya.

President Mwai Kibaki led the “Yes” campaign under the symbol of a banana. The “No” camp claim the orange as their symbol. It brought together seven cabinet ministers and the official opposition party, Kanu.

Roads Minister Raila Odinga, Environment Minister Kalonzo Musyoka and opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta were its most prominent members. Christian churches, Islamic leaders and civil rights groups back Orange.

The 2005 Kenyan Constitutional Referendum was held on 21 November 2005. The proposed new constitution was voted down by a 58 percent majority of Kenya’s voters. The main issues of contention throughout the drafting of the constitution were over how much power should be vested in the President.

After Kibaki was defeated he dismissed his entire cabinet and deputy ministers. The result was seen as a protest against Mr Kibaki, and there was speculation that ministers opposed to the draft would not be part of the new team.

Campaigners celebrating the “No” vote asked their opponents to join them in drafting a fresh constitution, hence the 2010 constitution.

Although land is still major issue, with the new constitution Kenyans have achieved a lot. Corruption has improved from ‘highly acute’ to merely ‘rampant’. Unlike before when too many of the new ruling elite were out to get rich, rather than govern, the new constitution has prevented this.

Kenya is probably somewhat better off than it was under old constitution. Several ministers involved in corruption scandals who were going unpunished can no longer do so.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

Tanzania: What’s wrong with Shikamoo?

Leave a reply

From: Fakhi Karume

Youth in Tanzania face challenges because they are not taught to question, criticize and create. We have learnt from Richard Mabala that our education system is not functioning. Youth need to fight and advocate for their rights. We see social movement and the general youth taking different stances these days than past generation.

There is need to empower youth to take risks and fight the exploitation in the community, youth need to demand their local leader present information to them. Start a village/community discussion or newspaper.

image; Me caught on camera insists on something…

This can only be achieved if we change the nature of relationship between children/youth Vs adults/parents as it is well stipulated by Rakesh Rajani on one of his papers “What’s wrong with Shikamoo”- 1995 unpublished paper. Rakesh challenges among other things the way we salute our adults in Tanzania, usually young would say “Shikamoo” which means I am on your knee and the elder will respond by “Marahaba” that means “alright”. The salutation was brought by Arab Sultans during slavery in East Africa in 17th century to undermine our elders creating inferiority complex by making our elders feel small or be on their knees towards Arabs. Hence it was not an appropriate salutation for people with equal relationship unlike for the one who is a master and the other one as a slave.

This goes far, when a pupil/student “’Shikamoo” their teachers it means they surrender their equal participation/engagement in learning that’s why mostly when students challenge or ask questions most teachers get irritated and respond to their engagements by canning students.

Check the paper by Rakesh on the link: What’s wrong with Shikamoo?
<a href=”http://http//www.popline.org/node/295562″>http://http//www.popline.org/node/295562</a>

I was privileged to work with one of Rakesh’s initiative Hivos Twaweza in 2012-2013 I have learnt so much about education sector in Tanzania among other things and from himself as the head and thought leader in International Development will always impact my professional life. It is a relief to know that being persistence, challenging or asking questions doesn’t mean one is a naughty person.

It’s encouraging to have people such as Rakesh Rajani who encourages the culture of questioning, challenge and encourage citizen agency in making things happen. Tanzania would improve tremendously; empowered citizens develop the country through their agency. Imagine the teacher who encourage his/her students questioning, challenge and motivate them to imagine, imagine a teacher who don’t hold a stick while teaching? Imagine citizens who questions development plan of the local/central government that affect their life?

Stop listening and start doing… stop “Shikamoo”, create mutual relationship between young and adult

<a href=”http://thinklessandactmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/whats-wrong-with-shikamoo/”>http://thinklessandactmore.wordpress.com/2014/08/27/whats-wrong-with-shikamoo/</a>

Rwanda: Kagame’s former top security officer arrested

Leave a reply

From: Tracy John

Rwanda’s army arrested a high ranking army officer and former head of the Republican Guard, a highly trained elite force that guards President Paul Kagame.

Col Tom Byabagamba was arrested on Saturday, August 24. According to Rwanda’s defence and Military spokesperson,Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita, the officer is suspected of committing “crimes against state security”.

Col Byabagamba’s arrest brings to three the number of army officers detained by security services in week. The army arrested and detained Brig. Frank Rusagara and Captain David Kabuye, who recently retired from the army on Monday and Wednesday respectively.

Brig Gen Joseph Nzabamwita told The NewTimes, a local pro government newspaper that Col Byabagamba was arrested as part of investigations into the case involving Brig Rusagara and Capt Kabuye.

Brig Gen Nzabamwita said Brig Rusagara and Capt Kabuye were held in connection with State security offences.

Col Byabagambi was removed as head of the Republican guard in 2011 and taken to RDF to head the anti-terrorism docket.

Rusagara was retired from the army in October last year and also served as Rwanda’s Defence Attaché to the United Kingdom.

Before his UK posting, Brig Gen Rusagara served as the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Defence as well as the head of Nyakinama Military College. Capt Kabuye is a businessman and married to Rose Kabuye, former director of State Protocol.

President Kagame has said in the past that army officers get arrested because the army in Rwanda does not tolerate indiscipline.

However, Kagame’s critics in exile have accused the President of “purging” whoever has divergent views from the President and his inner circle. Colonel Byabagamba is married to Mary Baine, former Rwanda Revenue Authority boss.

<a href=”http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Kagame-s-former-top-security-officer-arrested/-/688340/2431760/-/m4frb7z/-/index.html”>http://www.monitor.co.ug/News/World/Kagame-s-former-top-security-officer-arrested/-/688340/2431760/-/m4frb7z/-/index.html</a>

SOMALIA: UNDERSTANDING MANDERA CONFLICT

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
TUESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2014

The inter-clan conflict in Mandera did not start yesterday. It has been going on since independence. In 1980s former president Moi thought it was due to boundary demarcation. He then though by curving Mandera Central constituency out from the then larger Mandera East following devastating clan clashes between Murrule and Garre clans in early 1980’s was going to solve the problem.

The fact that Mandera Triangle region comprises of the Gedo region in Somalia, the Doolow region in Ethiopia, and the Mandera district in Kenya, can explain why the conflict. The social groups involved include the major Somali and bilingual Somali- Oromo clans of the Gabaweyn (Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia), the Degodia (Kenya and Ethiopia), the Murrule (Kenya), the Marehan (Somalia), and the Garre (Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia), as well as the other Somali- and Oromo-speaking clans.

These groups, who together form the populations of Mandera, Doolow and Gedo districts, are closely linked by geography and a shared social system, by religious and clan ties, and by commercial links and interests that stretch deep into the border areas of the three countries and beyond.

That explains why, with Mandera Central constituency formed, the issue of political representation was solved but another problem was born. There emerged growing hatred and suspicion between the two clans.

During Moi regime more than 330 people were killed according to the Truth commission. Survivors, testifying before the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission at its hearings in Mandera Town, said scores of people were also raped and maimed during the 1982 security operation.

They were rounded up by security officers hunting down bandits, beaten and some shot dead as they attempted to escape. Up to now the government of Kenya has never addressed the issue, this make the Mandera residents to believe they are not part of the government. In fact the entire Northern Kenya feels the same.

The truth however,  is that over the years, Kenyan government has ignored Kenyan people from the North Eastern. The government has treated these people as second class citizens and used draconian law that has seen thousands dead, thousands widowed and thousands left orphans.

Moi in particular used them as tools for winning elections.  The Kenyan government has neglected them apparently because the natives have been ‘forced’ to be Kenyans. Given brief background above, the government of Kenya believes the people of North Eastern were made to join Kenya without their consent because when the Kenya government waged what is called the bandit or shift war in 1963 majority of the people of N.E province could have been happy to be allowed to join their brothers and sisters in Somalia.

Since then Northern Kenya has always been associated with suffering, poverty, starvation and lack of infrastructure. The residents of this area have time and again said that they are not part of Kenya and believe that the government has forgotten them.

Currently, northern Kenya is facing a major drought after rains failed with locals starving and relying on food aid from a broad, particularly from USA. Kenyan government is not interested in giving food aid other than using them as a tool for elections.

When the foreign food delays residents are forced to eat wild fruits which are poisonous, they boil these fruits for hours to remove the poison before they consume it. The food shortage has reached alarming levels to the extent that children cannot go to school. School feeding programmes are not adequate to feed the very hungry children.

Furthermore, Mandera County is awash with guns due to its proximity to Somalia, where al Shabaab has been fighting to topple the government, and Ethiopia, where the armed Oromo Liberation Front has made incursions into the country. Garre, a cushitic people is found in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya. They are estimated to be 700,000 persons living in Kenya.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

KENYA: MCAS VOWED NOT TO ALLOW OTIENO KAJWANG’ TO CHAIR ANY BOARD MEETING IN HOMA-BAY ASSEMBLY

Leave a reply

WRITES Leo Odera Omolo

The Homa-BY County Senate representative Gerald Otieno Kjanwa’g might not find it easy to chair the newly created County Development Board. The County MCAS hinted last week that they would not be comfortable to allow the Senator to chair the board which was recently created by law. They have termed its creation as illegal and unconstitutional and vowed not to allow Kajwang’ to step into their Assembly under any circumstances

The newly created boards allow the Senators to be the chairmen the County Development BOARDS. Already similar reaction has been witnessed in Kisumuy County where the rowdy youths this week prevented Senator ANyang’ Nyongo’ and a group of MPS from the region from launching the board meeting. In KISUMU.

The contentious issues came Iinto the Assembly hall last week during heated debate initiated by the Kakelo / Kokwanyo ward. Omuga Oriango said the new law was a ploy by the Central government to kill the devolution . The MCAs vowed not to chair any board meeting and vowed they would boycott such a meeting not to allow their Senator

The MCA alleged that Sen ator Kajwang’ has never stepped into the County Assembly ever since he was voted in.

Kajwang’, a close confidant of the ODM leader Raila Odinga, has recently came under severest criticism as one of the party’s leader close friends whose activities are considered to be so detrimental to the party’s unity.A group of MPs and other party leaders from Western Province issued a statement earlier this week citing him and other Luo MPS – – Raila elder brother Dr Oburu Oginga, Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo, Mohamed Junet of Suna East as among other who Raila to should sideline because they are fond of branding leaders from other regions who are supporting the part as Jubilee moles.

A groip of party officials from all the eight parliamentary constituencies that makes Homa-Bay CountY and announced that they had ousted Otieno Kajwang’; and his entire executive of the branch in County branch where he had been the chairman for a couple of years. They accused the senator for having failed to c all the party meeting to iron out a certain pressing problem.

Raila, however, insisted that Kajwang’ ousting was not in line with the party’s regulations.

In Homa-Bay politics, Kajwang’ is known to be allied to the governor Cyprian Orieno Awiti, But the governor who was in attendance did not utter any word in defense of his political friend, MCAS declared that they would not allow him to chair any board meeting in their assembly, Governor Awiti was present I the meeting, but did not utter any word in defense of his political friend.

Meanwhile, there is an un confirmed report that Awiti and the MPs have resolved to bury their hatchet and agreed to work together for the sake of development.

The agreement came in the wake of claims that the working relationship between AWITI with the seven MPs representing eight constituencies had gone Sour, except for his relationship with the Suba MP John Mbadi. The relations between the governor and Karachuonyo MP worsened after the MP made some announcement that he would contest the governor’s seat comes the 2017 instead of defending his seat.

Rege seemed to have been provoked by Awiti’s remarks during the funeral of the former AREA mp DR. paul Adhu Awiti at his Kanjira Karachyuonyo MP Dr.Paul Adhu Awiti governor Awiti was quoted as having said that Rege had represented the area for two of five years terms and that all the previous MPS for the area have served for two five years terms only .

ends

UHURU IS NOT TO BLAME FOR THE SEEDS OF TRIBALISM IN KENYA

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2014

Now that President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru to head the National Intelligence Service (NIS), it answers the question many Kenyans have been asking the president was going to replace Michael Gichngi with another Kikuyu.

Uhuru is not to blame for tribalism and nepotism in Kenya. Immediately Mzee Jomo Kenyatta became president his administration started favouring the Kikuyu people. This favoritism manifested itself in greater government expenditures for social infrastructure in Kikuyu areas, corruption benefits to fellow tribesmen, privileged access to government and parastatal jobs.

Under the Mzee Jomo Kenyatta government, it was common to have many under qualified staff from the Kikuyu community placed in positions of higher authority than the qualified ones from other tribes. This led to the final falling out with government as the vice president Oginga (a Luo), was eventually pushed out of government and detained.

Former president Mwai Kibaki followed the same. He removed Boinett as head of Kenya’s National, replacing him with Michael Gichangi. The aim of Kibaki was to bring in someone from his tribe was to enable him stay in power and he could do anything to achieve his mission.

This is exactly why Arap Moi appointed his Kalenjin man, Boinett. NIS have been link by Cord to rigging alongside the electoral commission. If this is true then Uhuru had no any option but to appoint his tribesman. Pressure is already building up on 2017 presidential election. It suggests another closely contested election.

James Kanyotu for example, oversaw a smooth transition from President Kenyatta to President Moi in 1978. He also reportedly oversaw President Moi’s Succession Strategy during the 1992 General Election after helping crush political dissenters in the 13 years he served as spy chief in the Moi administration. Moi retained him because he stayed awake during 1982 coup.

They also work as cover ups. This was one of Kanyotu’s responsibilities during Kenyatta and Moi. During Moi he helped to cover up the body of rally driver Stephen Mbaraka Karanja who was killed and his body dumped in a forest in Eldoret. The case was never was never produced in court.

He also helped to cover up most Commissions of Enquiry into political assassinations in Kenya. Kanyotu was replaced by Wilson Boinett, who served as the first Director of the then National Security Intelligence Service. Gichangi took over from Boinett. Now Major-General Philip Wachira Kameru

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

S. Africa: And If Karegeya was Assassinated by Zuma and Kikwete?

Leave a reply

From: Juma Mzuri

SA investigations in Nyamwasa/Karegeya attacks become more suspicious

By Shyaka Kanuma

It is now four months and counting since someone strangled Patrick Karegeya to death in a Sandton (Johannesburg) hotel, but neither the South African Police nor its intelligence services appear ready to divulge credible information as to who the killers, or their motives might have been.

South African authorities instead have expelled four Rwandan diplomats and a Burundian (why the Burundian? they do not say) from Pretoria, for which Kigali retaliated by expelling six South African diplomats.

Then there followed a statement on 15 March from the office of Clayson Monyela, head of South African Public Diplomacy. The statement talks, in broad terms, of “certain criminal elements” who “have sought to undermine South Africa’s territorial integrity”. It then talks of the June 2010 assassination attempt on Kayumba Nyamwasa in Johannesburg, and that “criminal proceedings pertaining to this incident are in advanced stages”.

Like everything to do with the South African authorities’ handling of issues to do with attacks on Rwandan dissidents residing in South Africa, Monyela’s statement sheds less light on events it purports to talk about but raises more suspicions whether they (SA authorities) are entirely forthcoming with the truth.

For instance, two of the expelled Rwandan diplomats, Fred Rwabalinda and Aimable Nshagayintwari were new to Pretoria, only two weeks old in their duties, when they were handed their deportation letters. Yet the letters, and Monyela’s statement gave the impression that the “criminal acts” they talked of had been going on for a long time.

So why deport Rwabalinda and Nshagayintwari who had only then just received their accreditation cards from the South African Department of International Relations? Neither the deportation letters or the statement say.

Furthermore the other two diplomats, Didier Rutembesa the Chargé d’Affaires at the Rwandan Embassy in Pretoria and Claude Nikobisanzwe the First Secretary had never received any warning letter, or caution from the South African government in connection with any alleged criminal activity.

Speaking to The Rwanda Focus from Johannesburg, South African journalist Robert Shivambu of radio station Power FM said he and other media colleagues are “quite frankly” puzzled by these expulsions, and the statements that are handed to the media purporting to explain them.

“The statements are out there, but they explain nothing!” said Shivambu.

It is becoming clearer, according to journalists like Shivambu, that the SA government either has no information to disseminate on the Kayumba/Karegeya issues, or it is actively engaged in some cover up. But Shivambu seems to be in a tiny minority of SA journalists willing to question official versions of events given by his country’s officials on things to do with Rwanda.

The RNC and SA security

The Rwanda Focus discovered four years ago is that elements of South African Police in Johannesburg, and some intelligence operatives actively work with members of the so-called Rwandan opposition in exile. When Francis Gakwerere – a perennial victim of false accusations that he is behind assassination attempts on fugitive general Nyamwasa or the killing of Karegeya – was arrested in June 2010 and thrown into the interrogation cells of the John Vorster Police Station in Johannesburg he was taken aback when he saw that among his interrogators was one Frank Ntwali, a brother in law to Kayumba Nyamwasa. Today Ntwali is the “chairman of the RNC (Rwanda National Congress), Africa region”. Gakwerere narrated his ordeals under Johannesburg Police questioning to The Rwanda Focusfor an exclusive interview that we published on 18 July 2010.

“I refused to talk to the Police unless Ntwali left the cell; what was he doing there?!” Gakwerere asked. A day later Police dropped charges against Gakwerere of attempted murder and he returned to Rwanda, having lost a few thousand dollars to thieving police and two days of his life undergoing aggressive questioning and miserably cold conditions in cells.

To repeat Gakwerere’s question, when Frank Ntwali entered a police cell in the company of SA Police to interrogate a Rwandan from Kigali going about his business in a South African city, under what capacity was he acting? It looks, and smells murky.

It gets murkier.

When Johannesburg Police interrogated a young Burundian girl who happened to be in a sex-for-pay triangle with Karegeya and the deceased Burundian singer Christophe Matata, one of her questioners was Frank Ntwali. Matata’s demise in a Johannesburg hospital after ingesting a drug slipped into his drink by the girl (who confessed it to Burundian media) was well chronicled in the country’s media. At this point the question comes up, starkly: has the RNC become part and parcel of South African law enforcement?

Repeated attempts to get an answer from South African Police elicited no answer.

The question takes on more relevance when one takes a closer look at events surrounding the killing of Karegeya in the Michelangelo Hotel on New Year 2014.

This hotel is way up there among the most exclusive, and top end in South Africa. Heads of state stayed there during the recent funeral of Nelson Mandela. It is located in the most affluent neighborhood on the African continent. It goes without saying that security in such a facility is top notch. One cannot imagine for instance that there could be any fault with its closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

Yet up to now SA Police and intelligence investigators have not made public any CCTV footage or images, despite initial statements that they would. Four months into this investigation – during which they have put out other (equally false) statements, including the supposed arrest of Rwandan operatives in Mozambique on suspicion of the murder – they have nothing to show for their inquiries.

It is apparent that someone, or several somebodies in the SA security setup is engaged in a cover up, and a throwaway remark by journalist Shivambu offers a nugget of a clue. “Zuma (South African President Jacob Zuma) has issued instructions to the Police not to say anything about it” (the investigation), Shivambu told this journalist.

What is Zuma afraid of that the police or intelligence may divulge? Does CCTV footage of assassins walking into Karegeya’s room at the Michelangelo exist or not? If they do, as they should, why is it the security agencies are sitting on them, despite the clamor by the media for them? And if they existed and somehow implicated Rwanda would the SA intelligence apparatus hold off on making them public? This is hard to believe seeing how eager Zuma’s government seems to be to pin crimes on Rwanda, even in the total absence of evidence.

An incompetently cooked up story

The most recent and most spectacularly childish attempt to frame Rwanda for a cooked up crime is the “assassination attempt” on Kayumba Nyamwasa early last month.

When the alleged assailants “attacked” Nyamwasa’s residence in Johannesburg, he and his entire family conveniently weren’t home. SA intelligence claims the family had been evacuated following a tip-off that a Rwandan hit squad was coming for the fugitive general.

But, according to their version of events South African Police and intelligence acted with a level of incompetence that would make the Congolese gendarme look like the Israeli Mossad in comparison.

They say they knew a Rwandan hit squad was on the way, but did not lay a trap for the “assailants”. In fact, according to these SA intelligence people, the Rwandan “hit-squad” walked to the gate of Nyamwasa’s house, disarmed the two policemen guarding the house, proceeded to ransack it, and walked out of there, unchallenged.

The reality is that this incompetently contrived story gives the game away of the Police and intelligence operatives that planned it: they want, a) to show the public they indeed are doing their work countering perceived Rwandan skullduggery and b) they want to make ever more trouble for Rwanda in the process.

In all this they are being enabled by a media whose incompetence (at least as far as the Nyamwasa/Karegeya story is concerned) seems as staggering as its country’s security people.

Most South African media, which routinely and robustly questions power, has shown only an unfathomable laziness where “the Rwandan story” is concerned, in that they will only swallow and regurgitate stories such as the alleged assassination attempt. No questions to security officials as to how they could fail to trap foreign assassins in their midst even after alleged tip-offs; no challenge as to how it was even possible for foreign operatives to raid in broad daylight a house supposedly protected 24/7, since they know Nyamwasa has been the target of armed attack before; not a single salient question in fact.

One can see the logic in the Zuma government trying to pin crimes on Rwanda, even in circumstances totally devoid of evidence. President Zuma, who as you read this is being investigated for diverting millions of his country’s taxpayers’ rands into revamping one of his private residencies, the one at Nkandla, is a man with a voracious appetite for wealth, especially other people’s wealth.

Him, and Tanzanian head of state Jakaya Kikwete for instance contrived to have their countries’ militaries sent to the Congo under the guise of “peacekeeping”, but in reality to have a piece of the action in the extraction of Congolese mineral wealth. Their real target was the M23 rebel group, which came into being as a self-defense militia of the Tutsis of eastern DRC who for the past several years have been confronted with the prospect of annihilation at the hands of the FDLR Hutu rebels and their Congolese army sidekicks.

After Patrick Karegeya turned traitor and went into self-imposed exile in SA, Zuma saw him as a godsend. Kikwete too was delighted. Karegeya had cultivated both men when he still was head of Rwandan external intelligence. They were close friends. His defecting seemed a boon to Zuma and Kikwete because, they seemed to think, they could use his knowhow of Rwandan security secrets and operations in positioning themselves as protectors to Congolese President Joseph Kabila who has a child’s bogeyman fear of Rwanda, imagining it behind every one of his problems.

Very soon the alliance of RNC (Karegeya, Kayumba) and Zuma/Kikwete was driving a lot of clandestine events, all geared to maximizing their personal wealth while maximizing trouble for Rwanda.

All that is reason for Zuma and his pal Kikwete to be engaged in much rearguard, sniping against Kagame and Rwanda.

International media becomes vehicle of misinformation on Rwanda

But what does the South African media have to gain by broadcasting and propagating the narrative which the corrupt Zuma exactly wants them to? Only they know.

Why is a good number of South African journalists willing to unquestioningly broadcast or publish stories handfed them by the RNC, for example the funny claim which originated from Frank Ntwali that Rwandan “military operative”, “Col.” Francis Gakwerere (he has never been a colonel, and he has been out of military service for several years now) had been arrested in Mozambique, in relation to the Karegeya murder?

http://www.eacvision.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Kanuma-Gakwerere.jpg
Shyaka Kanuma (left) having lunch with Francis Gakwerere in Kigali in January, at a time many media were claiming the latter was under arrest in Mozambique. (courtesy photo)

That was around 16 in January. I got out my phone and dialed Gakwerere’s number. “What is this thing I hear that you’ve been arrested in Mozambique?” I asked him.

His response: “what am I to do? I do not control those media. They will say what they want!” I took him out for lunch and had pictures of us together taken and I tweeted them. That dispelled the rumors.

A foreign press that was too willing to disseminate misinformation which can easily ruin an individual’s life (Gakwerere’s), would find no compunction in jumping onto, and widely broadcasting/repeating the canard that the Rwandan president said he killed Karegeya.

I was in the audience at the Serena Hotel when President Kagame was addressing the prayer breakfast early in January where he purportedly said that. I did not hear Kagame say he killed Karegeya and I did not hear him say he ordered Karegeya killed. All I heard was him expressing satisfaction that such an enemy of Rwanda had met the end he did. All I heard him say was that Rwandans shouldn’t shy away from expressing happiness that such a traitor had died. All I heard was Kagame saying, “You cannot betray Rwanda and expect things will end well for you.” Maybe he was talking about karma. Maybe he was saying someone had put the hex on all Rwanda’s enemies. I was not in Kagame’s mind. But to say he said he killed Karegeya is totally false.

There are many possible scenarios to account for Patrick Karegeya’s death.

Rwanda indeed may have had a hand in his killing. After all he was fighting Rwanda and it wouldn’t be surprising if it fought back.

But the stronger possibility is that South African intelligence working with elements of the RNC eliminated him, and all their suspicious behavior may be a pointer to that. Nyamwasa himself, when one looks at it objectively, would have an interest in having his fellow fugitive wiped out. Looked at from Nyamwasa or even Zuma’s perspective, Karegeya was no longer very useful. The M23 was no longer in existence, hence his intelligence skills dealing with groups perceived to be backed by Rwanda such as they were, were no longer needed. In fact he had become a dangerous liability with his drinking and reckless womanizing and greed for piles of dollars; a man one never trusted was safe with the kind of information he had, at any time of the day, in any place. One other aspect of the Karegeya/Nyamwasa partnership that isn’t public knowledge is that the two had been internally fighting for RNC leadership and things were getting pretty vicious between them.

It may be a long time, if ever, before the truth of Karegeya’s killing is known.

But it is time for the activities of the South African security operatives and the RNC, to come under more intense scrutiny both locally, in South Africa, and internationally.

By Shyaka Kanuma . Twitter @ShyakaKanuma

– See more at:
http://www.eacvision.com/rwanda-2/and-if-karegeya-was-killed-by-zuma-and-kikwete/#sthash.rPCHAuTU.dpuf

KENYA: BODY GUARDS AND SECURITY DETAIL AT STATE HOUSE STAGE A SIT IN

Leave a reply

From: Charles Banda

News just coming in is that the security details and body guards at State House have started staging a sit in since 7 am this morning. The sit in is as a result of unpaid allowances and ill treatment at state house. As at 12:00 PM today, Mwapasa and Chisale from State House were at C-Company in Lilongwe recruiting replacement of the security details and body guards,soon after Mutharika was sworn in vowed never to trust Malawi police services thus why he hired 30 private bodygaurds who are currently enjoying at state house on police officers expense.Will keep you updated.

Meanwhile, there has been another terrible accident just after road block where a minibus has collided with a lorry. 5 people have died at the spot and others have been rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital.

A Message From Jane Goodall on World Elephant Day 2014

Leave a reply

From: Abdalah Hamis

Happy World Elephant Day, Green Monsters! The Jane Goodall Institute has released a very special message from (you guessed it!), Dr. Jane Goodall herself in honor of this very special day.

According to Goodall, approximately 96 elephants die each day at the hands of mankind, and the destruction of elephant populations is occurring at an alarming rate. In fact, it is estimated that around 35,000-50,000 African elephants die each year for the ivory trade. And the current rates at which elephants are being slaughtered are greatly exceeding pachyderm birth rates, meaning if we don’t start cleaning up our act, our planet is at risk of losing these giants.

In the words of Goodall, “If we don’t all get involved, the time’s going to come when the elephants are gone.”

Luckily, there are ways to help! Goodall recommends that her fans get involved in any way possible, big or small. One example of a way to get involved is to participate in the Global March for Elephants and Rhinos. The march calls for bans on the trade of wildlife body parts and raises global awareness on wildlife trafficking. If you simply can’t attend, spreading Goodall’s message will allow you to educate the general public on elephant conservation.

Show us your celebratory spirit, and start helping our pachyderm friends!

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/a-message-from-jane-goodall-on-world-elephant-day/

Child deaths in Africa: Local ideas shaping national health agendas to reduce child deaths in developing countries

Leave a reply

From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

Local ideas shaping national health agendas to reduce child deaths in developing countries

GSK and Save the Children $1 million Healthcare Innovation Award continues to call for life-saving ideas for newborns and under-fives

LONDON, United-Kingdom, August 12, 2014/ — GSK (http://www.gsk.com) and Save the Children continue to call for applications for their 2014 $1 million Healthcare Innovation Award, as previous winners attract interest and support from national governments to help improve survival rates of newborns and children under five in developing countries.

Logo GSK: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/glaxosmithkline.jpg

Download the flyer: http://www.apo-mail.org/hiaen.pdf

Six months after receiving a share of the 2013 Healthcare Innovation Award, five organisations based in developing countries are helping shape national health agendas and influencing approaches to healthcare for children and newborns.

One of the winners, MicroClinic Technologies Ltd., was awarded $100,000 for ‘ZiDi™, a mobile health management system, which has now been adopted by the Kenya Ministry of Health. The system is being used as part of the national e-health platform due to its ability to improve medicine supply, service quality and resource accountability for child healthcare. It will be rolled out across 5,000 public health facilities starting next year.

Muso, a community-led organisation in Mali that helps tackle the issue of poverty-related child mortality, also received $100,000 to support its programme which aims to quickly identify women and children in need of healthcare. The award money is being used to help reach 77,000 people across the region and has inspired the Mali Ministry of Health to invite Muso to help draft its five-year strategic plan for scaling up national community-based healthcare delivery.

Previous innovations recognised by the Healthcare Innovation Award are also being implemented across borders through collaboration, ensuring that ideas that may help save children’s lives are being shared. The top-prize winner from 2013 was a low cost Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) kit, developed by Friends of Sick Children (FOSC) in Malawi. This device helps premature and newborn babies suffering from distress breathe more easily. With funding from the Award, and backing from the Ministry of Health in Malawi, FOSC is now sharing this technology with teaching hospitals in Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. This technology has the potential to save the lives of 178,000 African children each year if implemented continent-wide.

Organisations from across the developing world can now apply for this year’s Healthcare Innovation Award. Applications must be for innovative healthcare approaches that have resulted in tangible improvements to under-5 child survival rates, which are sustainable and have the potential to be scaled-up and replicated. This year, special interest and attention will be given to work that aims to increase the quality of, or access to, healthcare for newborns.

Ramil Burden, Vice President, Africa and Developing Countries, GSK, said: “The success stories we’re hearing from last year’s winners, just six months since receiving their funding, are truly inspiring and we want to help replicate this success. When it comes to improving access to quality healthcare, no single organisation has all the answers and we need to continuously look for new and different ideas, wherever they might be. Our award recognises that often the best solutions to development challenges come from people living with them and through partnerships we can help scale up local solutions to create global impacts.

Dr Sam Agbo, Head of Health, Save the Children said: “This year we’re particularly searching for innovations that are helping to improve the health of newborns in the developing world. Every year, almost three million babies die during their first month of life. But many of these deaths are preventable with the right resources and care in place. We must find different approaches, informed by first-hand experience, to address this issue. This Award provides a platform for working in collaboration, which will ultimately help to save the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable children.”

More information on the award and application criteria can be found at http://myg.sk/HealthcareInnovationAward. Entries close on 25th August at 11:59pm (GMT). Winners will be announced in December 2014.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK).

Notes to Editors:

2013 Healthcare Award Innovation Winners – 6 month update

Friends of Sick Children, Malawi: Awarded top prize of $400,000 for their life-saving technology for newborns

– Friends of Sick Children, Malawi is a partnership between the Paediatric Department at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, Rice University’s Rice 360°: Institute for Global Health Technologies in the United States, and University of Malawi College of Medicine

– Their ‘bubble’ Continuous Positive Airway Pressure ‘bCPAP’ device is a low-cost device that helps newborn babies in respiratory distress to keep their lungs inflated so they can breathe more easily

– This low-cost adaptation of traditional CPAP devices can be produced for around $400 – a 15-fold reduction from the average cost of devices currently used in developed countries ($6000)

– Respiratory distress claims the lives of about 1 million African babies each year. It is estimated that this technology could save the lives of 178,000 African children if implemented across the continent

– The Award is helping FOSC to share their bCPAP technology and provide training in teaching hospital neonatal units across Malawi, in partnership with the Ministry of Health, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa

– To date, FOSC have partnered with the additional three countries, outside of Malawi, to undertake needs assessments regarding patient load, training needs and staff development

– Community healthcare worker training will take place in the Autumn of 2014 in select district and central hospitals and a training website has been launched to support clinical partners with accurate technical and practical applications of the technology following in-person training

– By the end of 2014, all countries in the expansion plan will have undergone training and 10 sites will have 4 bCPAP machines plus associated equipment

– Chokonojesta is just one of the baby boys to have benefited from bCPAP. He was born prematurely at 7 months, weighing just over 2lbs. Although he was able to breathe on his own, his lungs were so immature it took nearly all his energy to do so. With the support of bCPAP, Chokonjesta was able to grow and gain weight and after two weeks he graduated to Kangaroo Mother Care, where skin-to-skin contact with his mother provided warmth and helped him to regulate his own heart beat and breathing. Now 6 months old, he is thriving at home with his family.

BRAC, Bangladesh: Awarded $300,000 for South-South collaboration, helping to improve women and children’s health from Bangladesh to the slums of Sierra Leone

– BRAC’s ‘Manoshi’ is an urban maternal, neonatal and child health programme that that equips healthcare workers with mobile phone-based data collection software, allowing them to more efficiently record and report vital patient information in a simple and standardised format. It offers a comprehensive package of health services to mothers, babies and children to meet their health needs and challenges in three key ways:

? Simple, clean delivery rooms for new mothers with a trained birth attendant

? Quick access to emergency health services for those who cannot afford it

? Patient digital data collection for more efficient health service delivery

– The Award money enabled BRAC to bring the Manoshi programme to the Portee slum of Freetown, Sierra Leone, where under-five and maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world. The total population in the slum is 6,049 people, including 2,593 women and children under five years of age

– Mobile phones will be used to notify staff about pregnancies, births and for sharing information efficiently about complicated deliveries and emergency referrals

– In July 2014, all community healthcare workers in the Portee slum received training on maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) issues , from the District Health Management Team (DHMT) at the Sierra Leone Ministry of Health and Sanitation

– As part of the programme, 15 community healthcare workers have been selected from the community to implement the programme

MUSO, Mali: Awarded $100,000 for delivering care to the doorsteps of some of the world’s most impoverished communities

– MUSO is a community-led organization in Mali that helps tackle the issue of poverty-related child mortality

– Their Award money is being used to deliver healthcare to 77,000 people across the region. The programme supports the early identification of women and children in need of healthcare, before their symptoms escalate to a more serious condition.

– The increased attention and resources made possible through the award will enable MUSO to expand their reach, both in the urban areas, where they currently operate, and into rural areas.

– MUSO will replicate their rapid health system in 157 new communities, reaching a population of 120,000. This expansion will triple the number of people currently served by MUSO and help save millions of lives.

– The momentum generated by the Award has led to increased attention and action at a decision making level. The Malian Ministry of Health invited MUSO to help draft its 5-year strategic plan for scaling up national community-based healthcare delivery to provide quality care for more than three million children under the age of five

– MUSO’s leadership has also been invited to present its model and research to those working to accelerate global child survival efforts at the World Bank, USAID, and the United Nations

– MUSO have begun laying the groundwork to expand its CHW service delivery package beyond the traditional focus on malaria and diarrheal diseases to other challenges, such as pneumonia, maternal and neonatal health, and malnutrition, that impact child and maternal survival

– A MUSO-Medic mobile partnership will be launched to test and deploy a cutting-edge performance dashboard to enable CHWs to directly record and transmit data from home visits on their mobile phones

– A comprehensive site selection process will be undertaken to identify eight health centres that will participate in a rural replication next year.

MicroClinic Technologies, Kenya: Awarded $100,000 to help Kenyan public sector healthcare go digital

– ‘ZiDi™’ is a mobile health management system designed to improve the quality of maternal and child care by providing access to real-time data optimized for health planning decisions.

– With their Award money, MicroClinic Technologies Ltd, was able to develop an enhanced version of ZiDi™ called ZiDi™ Pro, which offers a full range of outpatient, inpatient and specialty care modules enabling it to be accessible at all levels of care and health facilities in Africa.

– Since winning the Award, ZiDi™ Pro has now been deployed in larger health facilities, including the Gatundu District Hospital, which serves more than 3,000 patients monthly. Furthermore, ZiDi™ has been adopted by The Kenya Ministry of Health as part of the national e-health platform, helping the Kenyan health sector to become the first in Africa to launch into the digital era.

– Implementation of ZiDi™ at national scale should achieve the target of automating over 5,000 health facilities within the next three to five years.

– The Kenya Ministry of Health through a public private partnership agreement with MicroClinic Technologies is working to secure buy-in from national and international stakeholders to ensure a successful implementation of ZiDi™ Pro in Kenya, with the hope of sharing lessons learned with other East Africa countries.

– In June 2014, ZiDi™-Pro was launched as a total end-to-end solution offered as a pay-as-you-go service to clinics. Private rural clinics can now afford to automate their services, benefit from improved efficiency in service delivery, remote management of their clinics and better forecast supplies on a weekly basis.

Kangaroo Foundation (Fundacion Canguro), Colombia: Awarded $100,000 in special recognition of its work spreading the Kangaroo Mother Care Method (KMC), to improve the premature and low birth weight babies’ care, for a better quality of life

– Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) is a simple technique which promotes early skin-to-skin contact between mothers and their premature and newborn babies. Mothers act as human incubators, keeping their babies warm, regulating their heartbeats and bond with them.

– This practice has a dramatic impact on reducing morbidity and mortality rates for premature and low birth weight babies.

– By winning this award and along with the support of the Health Ministry of Colombia, the Foundation has been able to widen the KMC health network by training 22 hospitals across country.

– The Kangaroo Foundation is also involved in building an e-learning platform which allows the dissemination of KMC knowledge across borders. In 2015, two countries in Africa, with the highest infant mortality rates, will benefit

– Along with their efforts on the ground, the Kangaroo Foundation is advocating for Colombia to be the first country to have KMC established as an official public health policy and for each district to have a KMC centre of excellence.

Criteria for entry – nominations must:

1) Be from a country classified as ‘low’, ‘lower-middle’, or ‘upper-middle’ income by the World Bank (http://data.worldbank.org/country), and not be from the European Union (http://europa.eu/about-eu/countries/index_en.htm). Countries classified as ‘high income’ by the World Bank or that are in the European Union are not eligible

2) Come from an organisation based in an eligible country, with an innovation used for the benefit of the people in an eligible country

GSK (http://www.gsk.com) – one of the world’s leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies – is committed to improving the quality of human life by enabling people to do more, feel better and live longer. For further information please visit http://www.gsk.com.

Save the Children – Save the Children works in more than 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk

General media enquiries:
Brian Sibanda + 27 72 020 1852 (South Africa)

GSK enquiries:

UK Media enquiries:
David Mawdsley +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)
Simon Steel +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)
David Daley +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)
Catherine Hartley +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)
Sarah Hornby +44 (0) 20 8047 5502 (London)

US Media enquiries:
Stephen Rea +1 215 751 4394 (Philadelphia)
Melinda Stubbee +1 919 483 2510 (North Carolina)
Mary Anne Rhyne +1 919 483 0492 (North Carolina)

Save the Children Enquiries:
Media enquiries:

Jo Campbell +44 (0) 20 7012 6841 (London)

j.campbell@savethechildren.org.uk

Cautionary statement regarding forward-looking statements

GSK cautions investors that any forward-looking statements or projections made by GSK, including those made in this announcement, are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Such factors include, but are not limited to, those described under Item 3.D ‘Risk factors’ in the company’s Annual Report on Form 20-F for 2013.

Registered in England & Wales:
No. 3888792

Registered Office:
980 Great West Road
Brentford, Middlesex
TW8 9GS

SOURCE
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Africa: U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction in Africa Sets Stage for Peace and Development

Leave a reply

From: U.S. Department of State
Fact Sheet
Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
August 11, 2014

Since 1993, the United States has partnered with 31 nations across the African continent to save lives and prevent injuries through conventional weapons destruction programs that safely clear landmines and unexploded ordnance in countries struggling to recover from armed conflict. The U.S. works with regional governments to dispose of excess small arms, light weapons, and munitions and secure remaining weapons stocks from potential diversion and illicit proliferation. Our $342 million investment in conventional weapons destruction across the African continent has saved lives as well as set the stage for humanitarian aid and development assistance.

Humanitarian Demining

U.S. support, along with support from our international partners, helped Nigeria and Burundi to declare themselves mine-free in 2011, and Uganda to declare itself landmine impact-free in 2012. With more than $53 million in U.S. aid, Mozambique, once among the world’s most landmine-affected nations, is also on track to declare itself mine-free by the end of next year.

Current U.S.-funded humanitarian demining programs include projects in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, Senegal, Somalia, South Sudan, and Zimbabwe.
Securing Small Arms and Light Weapons

The U.S. Government assists African partners in securing or destroying surplus, obsolete, or poorly-secured conventional arms and ammunition, including man-portable air defense systems (MANPADS).

Since 2001, the United States has funded the destruction of over 250,000 small arms and light weapons (SA/LW), and the unique marking of over 350,000 more to improve tracking and accountability in 24 African nations.

The United States has invested $2.2 million to purchase weapons marking machines in support of the Regional Centre on Small Arms in the Great Lakes Region and the Horn of Africa (RECSA), a 15-nation regional initiative to address small arms proliferation. RECSA is based in Kenya and also works in Burundi, Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, DRC, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Seychelles, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, and Uganda. RECSA has marked more than 350,000 SA/LW with this equipment, and Rwanda and Seychelles have finished marking all police equipment.

In the Sahel, the United States is working closely with Niger and other regional partners to address increased security challenges from SA/LW trafficking in the aftermath of the 2011 conflict in Libya. The United States has invested almost $1 million to help Niger right-size its SA/LW and munitions stockpile and improve physical security of arms storage sites, and plans to expand training and support efforts with countries in the region. These efforts will contribute to U.S. peace and security efforts through increased national capacity to secure SA/LW and work toward reductions of weapons available for illicit trafficking.
Since 1993, the United States has invested more than $2.3 billion in aid to more than 90 countries for conventional weapons destruction. To learn more about U.S. Conventional Weapons Destruction programs, including humanitarian demining, check out the latest edition of our annual report, To Walk the Earth in Safety.

For additional information, please contact the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs’ Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at PM-CPA@state.gov.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Stay connected with the State Department:
http://www.state.gov

Africa: U.S. Orders Departure of Eligible Family Members from Liberia; Sending Additional Disease Specialists to Assist

Leave a reply

From: U.S. Department of State
Press Statement
Marie Harf
Deputy Department Spokesperson, Office of the Spokesperson
Washington, DC
August 7, 2014

At the recommendation of the U.S. Embassy in Liberia, the State Department today ordered the departure from Monrovia of all eligible family members (EFMs) not employed by post in the coming days. The Embassy recommended this step out of an abundance of caution, following the determination by the Department’s Medical Office that there is a lack of options for routine health care services at major medical facilities due to the Ebola outbreak. We are reconfiguring the Embassy staff to be more responsive to the current situation. Our entire effort is currently focused on assisting U.S. citizens in the country, the Government of Liberia, international health organizations, local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and the Liberian people to deal with this unprecedented Ebola outbreak.

We remain deeply committed to supporting Liberia and regional and international efforts to strengthen the capacity of the Liberian health care infrastructure and system – specifically, their capacity to contain and control the transmission of the Ebola virus, and deliver health care. Additional staff from various government agencies including 12 disease prevention specialists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and a 13-member Disaster Assistance Response Team from USAID are deploying to Liberia to assist the Liberian Government in addressing the Ebola outbreak.

The Office of Website Management, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department.
External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.

Stay connected with the State Department:
http://www.state.gov

Africa’s Food Security: Bags2Bulk Project Will Enhance Zambia’s Food Security Through Improved Grain Storage and Reduced Post-Harvest Losses

Leave a reply

From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

With 80% of Zambia’s maize produced by smallholder farmers, there is significant demand for improved grain storage facilities

LUSAKA, Zambia, August 7, 2014/ — AGCO (Your Agriculture Company, NYSE:AGCO) (http://www.agcocorp.com), a worldwide manufacturer and distributor of agricultural equipment, has launched a partnership with Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation (a US Agency for International Development-funded program) to reduce post-maize harvest losses and improve grain handling in Zambia.

Capture.PNGLogo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/agco.jpg

Photo 1: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1283

Photo 2: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/index.php?level=picture&id=1282

The new Bags2Bulk project will see AGCO and it partners, GSI Africa, Musika and Ybema Grain Services, introduce and sell 40 metal storage silos at grain trader level benefitting 12,000 smallholder farmers. In the first of several product demonstrations scheduled for Zambia’s Central and Eastern Provinces, more than 75 grain traders recently attended a roadshow in Mkushi to view the silos in action.

“With 80% of Zambia’s maize produced by smallholder farmers, there is significant demand for improved grain storage facilities,” says Nuradin Osman, AGCO Director Operations Africa and Middle East. “These producers primarily use recycled bags for storage, and it is estimated that 30% of grain is lost post-harvest as a result of rot, rodent and insect damage. The bulk silos, manufactured under AGCO’s GSI brand, will enable smallholder farms and traders to safely store larger quantities of maize in order to maintain grain quality. Added to this is the potential for them to make sales at a later date when prices may be more advantageous.”

Bags2Bulk is the first partnership between AGCO and Feed the Future, the US Government’s global hunger and food security initiative led by USAID. Feed the Future Partnering for Innovation, a program under this initiative, funds off-the-shelf technologies to increase smallholder productivity and competitiveness.

Along with the supply of 2.5-500 tonne capacity silos, the scope of Bags2Bulk includes provision of product training and demonstrations, marketing and the facilitation of finance.

AGCO’s consortium of operational partners for Bags2Bulk includes GSI Africa, distributor for GSI grain storage and handling technology in Zambia; Musika, a Not For Profit Company which works to stimulate private sector investment in the smallholder market, and Ybema Grain Services, an accredited grain trader.

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of AGCO Corporation.

Press contact:
Louisa Parker
Manager Institutional Funding & Stakeholder
Relations, Africa & Middle East
Tel: +44 02476852001
Email: Louisa.Parker@agcocorp.com

About AGCO
AGCO (NYSE: AGCO) (http://www.agcocorp.com) is a global leader in the design, manufacture and distribution of agricultural machinery. AGCO supports more productive farming through a full line of tractors, combines, hay tools, sprayers, forage equipment, grain storage and protein production systems, tillage implements and replacement parts. AGCO products are sold through five core machinery brands, Challenger®, Fendt®, GSI®, Massey Ferguson® and Valtra® and are distributed globally through approximately 3,100 independent dealers and distributors in more than 140 countries worldwide. Founded in 1990, AGCO is headquartered in Duluth, GA, USA. In 2013, AGCO had net sales of $10.8 billion. http://www.AGCOcorp.com

SOURCE
AGCO Corporation

BLAME GAME THAT GAVE BIRTH TO IMPUNITY IN KENYA

1 Reply

from: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, AUGUST 7, 2014

While Cord leader blames President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto for land grabbing scam, Jubilee majority leader Aden Duale blames Raila for Kisumu Molasses land grabbing.

Cord loyalists defend Raila: Raila acquired the said land legally. Former commissioner of Lands Sammy Mwaita cleared him to buy the 240 acres on which the Kisumu Molasses Plant is built to Spectre International on January 11,2001at a price of Kshs 3.6 million.

Jubilee loyalists: The land was sold at a time when Odinga started working closely with Moi. By June of the same year, Raila was appointed to the cabinet and made Energy Minister, that was when titles were prepared in favour of Spectre International on February 3,2002 for a 99-year lease backdated to September 1,2001.

Jubilee loyalists pause: How could 240 acres of land together with machinery be sold at Kshs 3.6 million when the land in question is located in prime/valuable area of Kisumu where ½ acre plots go for 2 million?

Aden Duale says: Because Cord is demoralizing Uhuru and Ruto I am now revealing that Cord Homa Bay senator Otieno Kajwang issued irregular work permits, citizenship and passports to foreigners during his tenure as immigration minister in the grand coalition government. Duale says there was documentary evidence that Kajwang benefited financially from the issuance of almost 500,000 vital national documents to illegal immigrants.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu says: Because Cord former Minister for Land James has accused Uhuru, Ruto and Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi for acquiring land illegally, I am saying that Cord leader Raila Odinga and his Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is the one who allowed the disputes allocation of 500,000 acres of public land in Lamu to 22 companies during the tenure of the grand coalition Government.

According to Ngilu Uhuru and Ruto, not even Kazungu Kambi grabbed land in Kenya. She is challenging Orengo to provide any evidence linking Uhuru’s family and Ruto to any illegal land acquisition in Coast or any part of Kenya.

Suba MP, John Mbadi answers Ngilu: Ngilu lacks moral ground to deal with land issues in the country because the ministries she served in were hampered with illegalities in procurements. Ngilu answers: When Raila was Prime Minister and I belonged to his party affiliation he publicly defended me against corruption allegations in my ministry.

Jubilee loyalists argue further: If Cord members insist on naming Uhuru and Ruto on other scam, we shall also reveal Raila’s scandals on Triton Oil corruption saga, Afri Global Ltd, a firm belonging to Raila Odinga’s elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga, who was the Finance Assistant Minister, and which is run by Dr. Oburu’s son, Elijah Abonyo Oburu.

They want to reveal how after this scam Elijah Oburu bought a brand new showroom Mercedes Benz limousine valued at Kshs 24 million (US$320,000 by then) which he now drives around Kisumu City.

Jubilee loyalists threaten to reveal further how another firm, African Oils Ltd, which belongs to the Prime Minister’s son Fidel Castro Odinga also profitted from the scandal. And not to be out done was the Prime Minister himself with his company Bakri Ltd, operated by one Mr. Mike Njeru who joined the list of compliant firms that allegedly benefited from the tender pool sharing and in turn selling the same to the highest bidder.

All these demonstrate how impunity in Kenya is of the high class. It explains why people who were named in Goldenberg scandal cannot be prosecuted. Among those named are, Gideon Moi, Retired President Moi’s son, who was then the Baringo Central MP, Mr Philip Moi Retired President Moi’s son, Mr Moi’s lawyer, lthe late Mr Mutula Kilonzo, Mr Moi’s former personal assistant, Mr Joshua Kulei, former Central Bank of Kenya governor Erick Kotut and former Central Bank of Kenya deputy governor Eliphas Riungu.

Other names include former Central Bank of Kenya employee Job Kilach, former Central Bank of Kenya employee Tom Werunga, former Central Bank of Kenya employee Michael Wanjira, and Philip Murgo, former director of public prosecutions. Mr Murgor’s law firm represented the Central Bank of Kenya during the two-year public inquiry headed by Mr Justice Bosire.

Others are former Treasury permanent secretary Charles Mbindyo, former Treasury permanent secretary Wilfred Karuga Koinange, former Treasury permanent secretary Joseph Magari, the late Prof George Saitoti former Special Branch chief James Kanyotu, former commissioner of Mines and Geology Collins Owayo, Mr Arthur Ndegwa, senior mining engineer in the Commissioner of Mines Nairobi office, former commissioner of Customs and Excise Francis Cheruiyot, former Kenya Commercial Bank general manager Elijah arap Bii and former president Moi.

The same applies to Anglo leasing scam. The cast of officials potentially implicated in fraud or cover ups includes former minister of finance, David Mwiraria, Chris Murungaru, former minister of security; Moody Awori, vice-president; Kiraitu Murungi, minister of justice; Francis Muthaura, head of public service; and Dave Mwangi, permanent security for security among others.

By the 13th of May, 2004 conclusive reports into the Anglo Leasing matter had been received from both the KACC and the Controller and Auditor General and their conclusions were in the same vein to date.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

KENYA: RAILA’S ATTEMPT TO ENDORSE KAJWANG’ AS ODM LEADER HIT THE ROCKS

Leave a reply

By our investigative reporter In Homa-BAY Town

The CORD leader Raila Odinga’s weekend trip to the Southern Nyanza region met with a mixed reception that the ODM supremo would very much like to forget quickly.

Raila’s team of his close confidants and political crones visited Homa-BAY county last weekend. They were among the thousands of mourners who attended the burial of ex-senior Chief Omolo Anditi at Wanyama village in Rusinga Island last Friday.

The team also attended the burial of the former Planning Minister Dr Paul Adhu Awiti at his pala Kanjira village in Karachuonyo within the Homa-Bay County in west Karachuonyo.

While en-route to Karachuonyo, Raila and his companions made a brief stop in Homa-BAY Town There, he made a futile attempt to endorse the ousted former County branch chairman of the ODM, Sen. Otieno Kajwang’, and met with the wrath of the rowdy youths who shouted anti-Kajwang’ slogans, forcing “Agwambo” to climb down from the makeshift dais and dash to the waiting car.

The youth shouted “Ogin, ogin”. Ogin is the name of the former Hoima-BAY mp Martin Otieno Ogindo, the man who was recently elected and crowned by delegates from all eight parliamentary constituencies that forms Homa-BAY county.

The group then drove on to Karachuonyo and made another brief stop at Kadel and Kandiege to drum up support for the ODM candidate Kennedy Ondiek who was an ODM official candidate in the KibirI Ward by-election. The shouting match had intensified in all the two stop-overs, with some of the youth being heard saying “Ok Wadwar Bado Kuna Mapambano” [we don’t want the inventor of Bado kuna Mapambano lyrics].

AS if the three incidents of heckling were not enough for Rala to learn that the Homa-BAY senator was not popular with the party supporters, Raila repeated the same calls to the residents to endorse Sen. Otieno Kajwang’ to continue as the County branch chairman as CORD was preparing to battle with its rival Jubilee in the forthcoming referendum.

While the CORD leader was witnessing the change of attitudes displayed by the party hitherto very loyal youth in HOMA-Bay town, Raila former Chief of Staff at his former Prime Minister’s office Karoli Omondi was firing his first salvos at his former boss at a well attended Harambee meeting at Magunga in Suba South constituency within the same Homa-Bay County.

Omondi once served as the top aide of Raila Odinga, when the latter was the Prime Minister in the LDP/PNU coalition government, headed by the retired President Mwai KIBAKI. Omondi proclaimed that the Cord coalition alliance will not lead Kenya unless it cleanses itself internally first. He added that Raila will not be the President of Kenya unless he drops his dictatorial tendencies to pick unpopular candidates without allowing the electorate to vote for the men and women of their own choice.

He rubbished Raila’s close political confidants, especially those who have been polluting the air with the now stale and endless lyrics of Bado Kuna Mapambano, adding that the party lost the last year’s elections to JUBILEE because those close political associates of Raila had became irrelevant to the electorate and lost touch with the Wananchi.

At the Kanjira home of the fallen former Karachuonyo MP, it was a total display of political might of the Odingas cronies that Raila brought with him, the entire Odinga family, members of the cronies and close political partners and associates from Siaya County. Among them were his elder brother, the nominated MP Dr Oburu Odinga, his wife Ida, his sister Ruth Adhiambo Oginga, who is the deputy governor of Kisumu County, his cousin the GEM MP Jakoyo Midiwo, his close friends Oduor Ong’wen, SIAYA Senator James Orengo, Homa-Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang’.

Speakers at the MP’s funeral were discriminatingly selected. They were not chosen by the bereaved family, but by Raila’s political surrogates, who seemed to have had instruction to sideline all the MPs from the Southern Nyanza region who were present. The exemptions were the area MP Eng. James Rege and one ward representative and Kabondo Kasipul MP Silivance Oselle. Those excluded from the list of speeakers included Madame Millie Odhiambo {Mbita}, Opondo Kaluma {Homa-Bay town} , George Oner {Rangwe], Rege the area MP , former MP Mrs Phoebe Asiyo.

Also ignored were Martin Otieno Ogindo, the man who had ousted Otieno Kajwang’ from the County ODM branch chairmanship. His branch team attended the funeral, but they were also ignored.

At the rowdy HOMA-bay meeting, dissenting voices of those objecting to Raila’s dictatorial leadership in ODM were heard loud and clear. Most of them also shouted that they were ready to ditch the party for another.

It will be remembered that about three months ago, after refusing to call the County ODM branch executive committee meeting, a group of politicians from all the eight parliamentary constituencies met at the HOMA-Bay Farmer’s Training School and voted Kajwang’ out. But in defense of Kajwang’, Raila put up a spirited defense of Kajwang’, arguing that the meeting that ousted him from the branch leadership was unconstitutional because it was called only by the branch secretary, ENG. Rege, whereas the party constitution is clear that it is the responsibility of the chairman to call such a meeting and not the secretary.

ENDS

Kenya, USA: OBAMA TALKS SO MUCH ABOUT HIS MOM , HE DOESN’T GIVE HIS DAD CREDIT

1 Reply

From: Emmanuel Muganda

I beg to differ,

Obama’s dad abandoned him. I do not think he has fond memories of him.

His mom stuck with him through thick and thin.

em

– – – – – – – – – – –

On Tue, Jul 29, 2014 at 4:49 PM, Oksana Spice wrote:

OBAMA TALKS SO MUCH ABOUT HIS MOM AND GRANDPARENTS BUT HE DOESN’T GIVE HIS DAD CREDIT.

As you remember in the 60’s black people weren’t allowed to do anything.

They had to ride in the back of the bus. Black men were getting humg by mobs for talking to white women. It takes a strong man in that time to be with a white women.

So that means that obamas dad was a strong man to be able to come from Africa when people were calling Africans sick, stupid, and gorillas. In the animal kingdom If the male animal is weak it cannot have an babies with any female animals.

So obamas mom got the strongest DNA from the mother land. So make sure Obama, if you talk to people give your dad credit. I think your dad sacrificed a lot to be with a white women in that time. He survive to go back home.

Remember Martin Luther King and Malcolm X didn’t survive but their vision survived from African DNA, what is obamas dad.

I know so many people read my stuff so send this message to Obama to respect the mother land and the sacrifice his dad made to be born.