Category Archives: Kenya

KENYA: WHY KIBAKI MUST NOT SACK MUTULA KILONZO

2 Replies

From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENY
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012

I wish I were President Mwai Kibaki I would not sack Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo for declaring that Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto could not stand for president after being indicted by the ICC. This would be the worst of Kibaki bad ending.

I am not surprised that Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka wants President Kibaki to remove Kilonzo. I am not because Kalonzo is Kanu and still behaves Kanu and Moi. These were the days Moi would just sack you because you disagreed with him and his party Kanu.

I am also watching very keenly to see whether ODM will punish Mudavadi because he has refused to give in for Raila. If it does then Raila like Kibaki would be no different with Moi and Kanu.

One fact for sure cannot be denied, that while Uhuru camp believes that Kalonzo thinks he will be able to get the joint G7 nomination if they are out of the race, even if Uhuru and Ruto camps want Kalonzo to distance himself from Mutula, Mutula was not speaking on his own. He was speaking for Kalonzo.
;

Even if it were true that Kalonzo is targeting the opportunity that should Ruto and Uhuru be barred from contesting he would be the only cock in the G7 and for that reason he will be the next Kenyan President as Kangundo MPJohnston Muthama is alleged to say, for Uhuru and Ruto it was lesser evil for Kalonzo to remain in G7 than Raila to become the President.

G7 is believed to have the power to take anybody to State House because in Kenya as a political scientist warns, democracy is still facing a bleak future due to weak party politics, which has seen voters elect leaders on personal merit, as opposed to relying on party manifestos to inform their decisions.

That is also why it is lesser evil for Uhuru to prefer Ruto than Raila even though it is clear that alliance between Ruto and Uhuru cannot last since Uhuru is using him to abuse democracy in order to get to the top.

Since YK92 was accused of ethnic violence against the Kikuyu and other “opposition” groups in the Rift Valley ahead of the 1992 General Election, no Kikuyu will feel comfortable with Uhuru making an alliance with Ruto.

;

As Dr Adams Oloo argues politicians prefer alliances given that since the advent of multiparty politics in 1992, parties in Kenya have been associated with individuals as opposed to strong party democracy. It explains why political parties have been killed by politicians who think that they own the parties.

It explains further why the President and Vice President have changed parties at least 3 times in the past 20 years. The Prime Minister himself is a record holder in how to shift party loyalties. That’s why Kenyans are now voting for candidates on the basis of their individual development records because political parties are a disgrace to democracy.

This confirms an article entitled, Tribalism fanned chaos, Kriegler team told, which appeared in a Kenyan Newspaper, Saturday Nation, we read: Tribalism and poor electoral laws are to blame for the chaos that rocked the country after last years General Election.

The top three political contenders Mwai Kibaki, Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka (currently president, Prime minister and vice president) were also accused of presenting their leadership agenda as if they were those of their tribes.

Even though most of the voters in 1963 and in the past have generally been illiterate and unaware of government operations, and for that matter could just vote because they were promised food, this time though is tribal.

Today our parliamentarians don’t vote on issues because they are good or bad/ right or wrong rather what dictates their voting is based on petty party wrangles e.g. ODM vs. UDM, PNU vs. ODM, Ford Kenya vs. New Ford Kenya etc, all this happens as citizens needs take back stage and are even forgotten.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

– – – – – – – – – – –

COMMENTARY

BRAVO: HONOURABLE MUTULA KILONZO

BY CHRISPIN ONYANGO

NAIROBI-VIA EMAIL

In the bible, Jesus had few friends because, one of the reasons being that, he could go against the tide by telling the truth to whomever he came across. Even the Jews did not welcome him and in fact plotted for his killing.

In this reflection using this analogy, I would like to compare Hon. Kilonzo with Jesus since he has a character that truth must be said no matter whom you are and that our country Kenya is far much beyond our personal interests. He did this as he bravely demonstrated to his colleagues from the Wiper Party that truth must be said so that justice may prevail.

Mutula Kilonzo has been at the forefront advocating for the resignation of Uhuru Kenyatta as Deputy Prime Minister. I believe that this is not a political fight between Kilonzo and his colleagues in the Wiper Party but its all about integrity for the better future of our country.

The claim by kalonzo that the resignation of Muthaura and Uhuru would be betrayal to the interests of many Kenyans is an opinion that is an ope lie. I think Kenyans are sober and they would not welcome such a claim. In fact the reality is that most Kenyans were advocating for the resignation of the two since they have a grave case to answer at the ICC.

The demand by the Assistant Minister and Nithi MP Kareke Mbiuki and Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo for the sacking of Mutula Kilonzo as the Secretary General of Wiper Party is very fallacious and a disgrace. In my view, Mutula does not want to remain in a cocoon but to be for the good of the people.

VP Kalonzo Musyoka is a known joker and he will not go far especially now that he is in collaboration with the ICC suspects. Concerning Uhuru, h e seems to be taking Kenyans for granted. At the very beginning after the ICC verdict against them, he publicly said that he won’t relinguish any post.

Later he resigned as Minister for Finance refusing to leave the office of DPM by saying that it will be against the Grand Coalition Accord for him to do so. Now he has changed by saying that only Parliament can push him out of the office. What next….. He will at last leave the office.

Therefore at the opening of the Parliament, Mutula Kilonzo should take that bill to the Parliament incase Uhuru is not ready to leave the office. I therefore urge Mutula Kilinzo to continue with that determination until all will be right.

The “prayer’ session that Uhuru and Ruto hosted on Saturday in Ruiru was purely political and not divine intervention as some claimed it to be. Even those pastors who laid their hands on them were simply after kitu kidogo but not genuine prayer. I would again advice our pastors to stop joking with prayer as a means for money.

Kenya: The Rusinga Island Community in the mourning mood following the sudden demise of the chairman of Suba Council of elders

Leave a reply

Reports by Leo Odera Omolo

The resident of Rusinga Island were on Sunday afternoons thrown into a mourning mood following the sudden death a prominent educationist and a farmer Mr Apollo Okeyo Omuga who died of what the family suspected to be related cardiac arrest.

Doubling as the chairman of the Sub Council of Elders, Mr Okeyo Omuga was a retired school teachers who rose through ladder and ranks and became the Provincial Adult Education Officer before his retirement bout eight years. After his retirement from active service he then embarked into rehabilitation and reforestation program through an NGO, which saw millions seedling of tree planed on various hills within the Island which had been depleted of natural tree, particularly around Ligongo Hill.

Family sources says Mr. Okeyo Omuga has been slightly unwell and suffering from diabetic and hypertension and was among the many hundreds of Kenyan people who recently traveled to Lioliondo in the Northern Tanzania and visited the famous retired Pastor in search of treatment.

He had also succeeded in turning his lakeside Kakirigu farm in Waware area green in the semi-arid Rusinga Island by introducing new method and technology of mechanized irrigation using the idle waters of Lake Victoria producing vegetables, maize and other cash crops.

Mr Okeyo Omuga will be remembered for having actively participated in the development activities of Rusinga Island in particular and the Suba region in general. He is credited for having been a good organizer and mobilizer when it comes to the question o development and progress.

He was among the founder and patrons of the Rusiga annual cultural festival which brings together sports and cultural dancers from the various sub-clans and communities.

He is survived by his three wives, a large number of children most of them grown ups. His body was rushed to the mortuary in Homa-Bay town for preservation pending the family arrangement for burial, which will be announced later.

Among the leading personalities who sent their condolences to he braved family is Dr Mark Matunga, an aspirant for the position of Homa-Bay County governor who told this writer that he had just spoken to the deceased on Sunday morning and did not expect anything unusual to happen to him therefore his untimely him came as big shock to him.

Ends

Kenya: Nyanza MPs got their priority on the wrong footing for asking Kibaki to anoint Raila as the next president of Kenya

Leave a reply

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo.In Kisumu City

The recent utterances by a section of ODM Luo MPs do not add any value to Rail Odinga’s presidential ambition, and the time is ripe for the Prime Minister to tell his closest allies and advisers to check their tanks.

In this context, I have in my mind the speeches which were delivered by a section of Luo MPs during the recent tour of Kisumu by President Mwai Kibaki. And also the uncoordinated uncalled for attempt to coerce the ODM deputy leader Musalia Mudavadi during the Jaramogi Oginga Odinya memorial service at Kang’o Kajaramogi’s home in Nyamira, Bondo..

Several MPs cabinet Ministers included told President Kibaki in full view of a huge crowd to return his hand to Raila by declaring “Raila Tosha” in anointing the Prime Minister as his successor to the presidency. This, according to MPs was to be in return gesture to what Raila did in 2002 when he declared “Kibaki Tosha” at the Uhuru Park. It however worked upside down

Surely, Kibaki did not publicly asked for Raila favor in 2002, but the Prime Minister voluntarily did so in his own personal political interest. Nobody had coerced him to say so. In any case, the outgoing President cannot anoint the next President to succeed him. The responsibility of electing is based on the electorate.

If my memories serves me well, I can remember vividly well that the same cartel of Luo MPs and members of the amorphous Luo Council of Elders had invited the retire President Daniel Arap Moi at a leaders meeting. The meeting was held at the SonySugar complex in Awendo and the main agenda was to ask the Head of State to anoint Raila Odinga who by the was a member of cabinet in the short-lived KANU-LDP merger as the Minster for Energy. It didn’t work well in their favor of Raila sycophants, and the following week Mr Moi in a public rally in Mt Elgon district declared that Mr Uhuru Muigai as his favorite choice to be his successor.

Once it didn’t work in their favor, can’t these gentlemen of Parliament from Luo-Nyanza change the tact, which has only ashamed the community and find others suitable avenue of making political maneuvers. The request to Kibaki to anoint Raila as his success did not augur well and it sounded like a pure case of political naivety on the part of the so-called learned friends of “Agwambo”.

The other shameful act and blunder made by the Luo MP was during the memorial service for the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The ceremony was held at Kang’o Kajaramogi’s home in Nyamira, Central Sakwa Bondo.Judging from the utterance of some of the MP who seemed to have been irked by the action of the Deputy Prime Minister Wycliff Musalia Mudavadi in declaring his interest and presidential ambition by challenging Raila Odinga on ODM’s presidential nomination. Raila himself has repeatedly made it categorically clear that any adult and sane member of his party has the right to stand and contest the election in any elective position. And this is what Mr Mudavadi has just been doing that. However, he was confronted with uncalled for and unwarranted attack by a section of Luo MPs who dressed him down in turns. One of the MPs Jakoyo Midiwo of Gem emotionally charged at the DPM and pointed an accusing finger alleging that the Vihiga MP was acting at the behest of external forces. Midiwo in his scathing criticism only
Midiwo it fell short of telling the ODM deputy leader that he was a “traitor and a PNU mole in ODM.”

Midiwo is a first cousin of Raila Odinga and his actions and utterances could be construed and mistaken as representing the inner side o the family view towards Mudavadi, which might not be the case. It is also not in line and accordance to the Luo culture guidance on how to treat a guest of Mudavandi’s status on a visit to the family from distant land. These reckless utterances has since sparked off protests from the Luhyia ODM leaders, followers and supporters who felt the MP had an ulterior motive of insubordination of the DPM. Whatever motives such utterances serves; it is my view that such issues should have been tackled during the ODM Parliamentary Group’s meeting. And that is the way any political party of highly disciplined men and women should be operating and functioning. Judging from what is now in public domain is that these degrading loose talks have achieved nothing tangible but has boomeranged.

Surely, that was a solemn gathering to remember Jaramogi one of the heroes of the struggle for the independence of this country, and in my view not the best forum the Luo MPs to hurled their vitriol’s at Mudavadi, who came in as an important guest of the Odinga family and joined them in remembering and prayers for the soul of their loved father.

It is also my view that some of the people surrounding the Prime Minister are only interested in retaining their parliamentary seats at the next general election, but contributing negatively towards the PM’s presidential bid.

Moreover Rala Odinga is a popular leader on his own rights. He is known by millions of Kenyans as forthright and genuine reformer. His track record ever since his active participation in the second liberation f the country is undisputed fact, which are well documented and well known to every sane Kenyans. It therefore does not require an MP or a bunch of MPs to polarize and polluting the air with mediocrity utterances.

Kenya’s politics is ethnically oriented therefore when members of one community recklessly embarrassed and harassed a leader from a neighboring community, the relations between the two communities cannot be said to be “business as usual” therefore if such degrading utterances like the one directed towards Mudavadi in Bondo were meant to appease and attract the attention of the PM then it did not work well and as such made no added value.

The Kisumu residents expected the local MPs to pressurize President Kibaki to consider the possibility of resuscitating the closed industries such as the multibillion Kisumu Cotton Mills Ltd, the Kenya Breweries Plant which has been shut down and left to rot in Kisumu town and to an extent the revival of the close Miwani Sugar Mills whose 10,000 hectares nucleus farm has since became the milking cow of the corrupt politicians in the region and top officials. The closure of the three manufacturing industries in Kisumu has since spilled out of work over 10,000 workers who were declared redundant. But the MPs got their priorities wrong.

Fishing and fish trade is another thriving business in the region, but of late there I a sharp decline in the volume of catches as the reports by experts indicate that the fish population in the Lake Victoria is on the downward trends. These are some of the pertinent issues, which the Luo MPs should have discussed with the head of State while he was visiting the region and explore how to improve and rehabilitate the fishing industry.

The sugar industry is another mainstay of the region’s economy, but of late several sugar mills, which are in the region are reportedly unable to reach their production capacity due to acute shortage of raw materials or engaged in cut-throat scrambling or the few mature cane that is available due to lack of a clear-cut policy governing the industry.

The region boost six sugar mills with four are located within Kisumu County, while two are in the greater Southern Nyanza. One of the sugar mills, Miwani Sugar Mills went burst about 12 years ago, and efforts by interested parties ,its owners the government and stakeholders effort to have it rehabilitated has run into a lot of difficulties, while its 10,000 acres nucleus estate has been subjected of lengthy legal tussle.

Ends

ALCOHOL IS NOT TO BLAME FOR BATTERING HUSBANDS

Leave a reply

From: People For Peace
Colleagues Home & Abroad Regional News

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2012

Since the news made headlines that women in Kenya batter their husbands, it reminds me of what late Wahome Mutahi wrote long time ago. After Beijing, husbands are called “significant other.” That is also what you call your Thatcher.

;
A girl is no longer a girl but a “pre-woman”. You are likely to get a card from a woman who hangs along Koinange Street wearing a skirt the size of a thumb. You will no longer call her the woman of Koinange Street her business card will read: “Jane Dawn, Sex Care Provider.” She might add that she provides escort service. Hang on a minute before you call her a prostitute or a twilight girl.

The woman you are calling a prostitute will see Muite and Co. Advocates. She will sue you for calling her a prostitute. A car washer will do the same if you call him so. He is to be called a vehicle appearance specialist.

;
Please don’t forget to check whether the car radio is still there after he has cleaned the car, because his new name won’t stop him from wanting to walk away with what is not his.

If by any chance he has taken off with the car radio don’t call him a thief or he will sue you to the end of the world. He is no longer a thief but a personal property appropriation specialist.

If you happen to be of the kind called sugar daddy, that is, you have a habit of telling pre-women that you are likely to make them your survivors of domestic incarceration, your significant other, that is, your Thatcher, will not describe you as a dirty old man.

She will say that you are a “sexually focused chronologically gifted individual.” She will of course not be amused and will eventually go to court and sue for divorce. Magistrate Kidulla will not hesitate to order that you pay something called alimony, that is, real money for being divorced by your significant other.

;
This humorous story tells why some young and educated women today do not want to get married. Instead they would prefer to have a long-term boyfriend – for sex and for companionship. Many marriages today have ended in separation or divorce.

In Central Kenya there is a very strong consensus that alcohol use is the reason why wives batter their husbands. According to the survey by NACADA, alcohol consumption in the area is very high.

Although according to Part 2 of the Fourth Schedule of Kenya new Constitution, the functions and powers of the county government cover, among others, “cultural activities, public entertainment and public amenities, including video shows and hiring, county parks, beaches and recreational facilities and liquor licensing,” time for such entertainments are regulated so that men can have enough time with their wives at home.

The argument is that when the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, better known as the Mututho Act, came into effect, it was intended mainly to protect families in Central Province where excessive alcohol consumption has resulted into many counties being unable to sire sufficient children.

A lobby that fights for the rights of male victims of domestic violence says its officials will camp in central Kenya for three months to help deal with piling cases of domestic abuse.

Maendeleo ya Wanaume chairman Nderitu Njoka said his plate was full, trying to help battered men get legal redress to pull out of abusive marriages.

Nyoki like Hon John Mututho, who is also the MP for Naivasha says Central Kenya, is a target because is the worst place where women are in the habit of beating up their men. Women beat them because they can no longer cater for their families, provide food or take children to school-above all that they can no longer have sex with their wives.

The rising cases of single parenthood, where women are taking it upon themselves to raise children by themselves, and the piling divorce cases are testimony to the sad state of affairs in the province, according to Mr Njoka.

In November 2010, President Kibaki also lobbied campaign to curb alcoholism among males, particularly in Central Province. Since then, even with Mututho law men are still drinking excessively.

Like Mututho and maendeleo ya Wanaume, Kibaki’s concern was that if alcohol consumption is not regulated then the fertility rates in Central Province will continue dropping dramatically because alcoholism among men has led to rising impotence.

Despite the fact that women in the province have staged protest marches in recent months to stop brewers from selling their toxic wares to their husbands, this has not changed the trend either.

Instead, the problem has become so acute to the extent that a minister went as far as suggesting that men from other provinces should be shipped to Central Province to impregnate the women there.

One thing for sure cannot be denied, that battering husbands and alcoholism is not just a problem in Central Province, it is pervasive throughout the country. Only that media has been paying attention to the area than other provinces.

One of the reasons why men spend too much time consuming alcohol is because Kenya is at crossroads. Many cannot cope with the rising cost of living. Unfortunately no measures have been put in place to check inflation in the country because our politicians do not have good will to do so.

Prices of basic commodities like Unga (maize flour), Sugar are unaffordable, paraffin, among others have gone up by almost over 35 per cent in the last few months. It means that life is unbearable for majority of Kenyans.

Kenya is currently under pressure to adopt an inflation management system favoured by the International Monetary Fund (IMF). Inflation-targeting entails publicly pronouncing a goal that all government units set out to achieve — including importing adequate quantities of food and stockpiling fuel reserves — to mitigate impact of adverse changes in prices. Uganda has already adopted.

In the latest IMF agreements with authorities, the government reportedly promised to gradually move towards the inflation targeting method although no firm dates are stated. Kenya is using an inflation management method, which does not strictly adhere to any particular target.

Uganda adopted it probably because it experienced high inflation rates exceeding 30 per cent towards the end of last year but has since managed to bring this down as its central bank adopted a tight monetary policy stance.

Uganda came under pressure to use the inflation targeting method because its inflation rate was rising faster than in any of the other countries in the region.

A number of countries in Africa including Ghana and South Africa have adopted the method, which is favoured by the multilateral lender as a way to reduce volatility on increase in prices in the past decade or so. South Africa adopted it in 2000 while Ghana did so in 2007.

South Africa appears to have been successful so far in sticking to its target. Headline inflation stood at 6.1 per cent in December, close to the three to six per cent target set by the government. The slight deviation from the target is the first one in two years.

Last year, Ghana’s inflation stood at 8.8 from 10.7 per cent in the previous year, higher than its long-run target of five per cent. Since 2007 when it adopted the method, it has not hit the target on an annual basis, raising queries of its usefulness.

People for Peace in Africa (PPA)
P O Box 14877
Nairobi
00800, Westlands
Kenya

Tel +254-7350-14559/+254-722-623-578
E-mail- ppa@africaonline.co.ke
omolo.ouko@gmail.com
Website: www.peopleforpeaceafrica.org

WHY I HAVE FALLEN IN LOVE WITH KENYAN WOMEN

Leave a reply

BY FR JOACHIM OMOLO OUKO, AJ
NAIROBI-KENYA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2012

Today is February 14, the Valentine Day. I have chosen to love the following Kenyan women for what they have done: Lieutenant NC Koech and Captain YK Kirui among other scores of women combatants deployed into Somalia, where they are fighting alongside men in the campaign to dislodge the al-Qaeda-linked militants

Woman officer in the Navy is Lieutenant Colonel Betty Kenga, who works at its headquarters. Kenya Navy presently has ten female officers and 115 service women.

Read full article;

Kenya: Raila Odinga – A Democrat?

4 Replies

from Odhiambo Washington

When you preach Democracy, it’s only right that you live by it. Looking at the goings-on in ODM, I am seeing a situation where Raila Odinga is going to be seen as a half-hearted democrat.

Facing the challenge from Mudavadi for the ODM ticket, Raila (and his fanatical backers) see this “democratic right” as external influence. Well, it could be, but isn’t it Mudavadi’s (or anyone else in ODM) democratic right to seek the ODM presidential ticket?

Raila believes in devolution? I doub’t it. I think maybe because of my simple mind. If he did, I’d have thought he’d agree to have the process conducted at the County level as opposed to the one of having delegates assemble in Nairobi. It’s cheaper to have the elections held at the County level, no?

Last evening, I heard him say that “ODM nomination rules will not be changed”. I did not know those rules are written on stone. However, I think I can see where he’s looking.

Let’s just say democracy, too, has it’s limits. Nothing is absolute.

—
Best regards,
Odhiambo WASHINGTON,
Nairobi,KE
+254733744121/+254722743223
_ _ _ _ _ _

I can’t hear you — I’m using the scrambler.

KENYA: RESIDENTS WONDERS JUST WHAT IS BEING DONE WITHIN KISUMU TO AVERT IMPENDING DISASTERS?

Leave a reply

By Chak Rachar

Barely days after a grisly road accident along Kisumu –Kakamega Road at the Junction heading towards Mamboleo which killed over thirty passengers residents of Kisumu are even before coming into terms with the said incident are wondering precisely what has been put in place so that any other incident can be prevented and not blame games tilted towards some quarters after a disaster strike.

Across section of angry and angered residents were lamenting that the incident was caused by “human error” as they blamed the police officers who were manning the road block whom they were accusing of having stopped the two matatus for routine road checks only for a lorry which and lost control to ram into the two matatus which were stationary.

Some quarters within the town however dismisses this argument saying that the lorry lost control and hit the stationary vehicles and wondered what the police were expected to do.

Across section of the residents interviewed by “The Nyanza weekly” gave diverse opinions in regard to how any kind of disaster can be averted or prevented but they agreed on one point that the authorities concerned only acts when a disaster occurs or an incident happens then afterwards everything is forgotten and “is business as usual”

Kisumu Town Residents Welfare Association official Raymond Odhiambo Genga is however calling on the police not to subject law enforcement to the area’s residents public opinion.

“After the road block which was being blamed as the cause of the accident was removed now there are outcries of insecurity along the same road by people who were talking loudly about the said road block’s insignificance, the police should not be led by emotions or public moods to enforce law” he adds.

Ondele says that security provision and prevention of such an accident not to happen should be what the law enforcers should be concerned about and not be subjecting themselves to public opinion and courts.

“Why should the police consult or listen to emotions when it comes to law enforcements?” he wondered.

Some section of the area residents laments that the authorities concerned are just watching most areas which can led to disastrous deaths.

A boda boda cyclist who never wanted his name to be mentioned says that near the Kisumu Bus stop it’s a mixture of tuk, tuks, bicycles, motor vehicles and hawkers displaying their wares on the pedestrian lanes which pedestrians should be using.

“Such lanes are now hawking zones and hawkers at the Oile Park have outnumbered the park and the authorities are doing very little about or ignoring it, assume an emergency occurs with only two narrow exists” he wonders.

Cross check within most of the social joints within Kisumu Town mostly nightly shows that the said only have one single entry which is used as an exit at the same time.

A senior Police officer based at the Kisumu Divisional Police Headquarters wonders how such social places are being giving licenses by the area’s District Liquor Licensing Board.

“there are almost four night spots within this town which I can not understand how they were given licence to operate, first they have narrow exit which combines as an entrance, incase of any incident many lives are mostly to be lost as people scramble for the exit, another one is housed on a storey building and is only accessed by a single lift which can only carry eight people at a go and very narrow staircases which can not help much in case of emergency evacuation or exits” the police officer who never wanted to be mentioned lamented.

He adds that the other social joint is on a basement with virtually no disaster handling gadgets like fire extinguishers and emergency exists amongst to a point that only dead bodies will be collected and not casualties who are hospital destined.

He also talked of a night club which usually is full to the brim a and it’s located along the beer which has only a single narrow entrance which also doubles also as exits and its surrounded by a wall fence.

“I wonder if truly the concerned have made any efforts of visiting such areas with a view of getting the true situation on the ground before availing operational licenses for such.

Civil Society Organization boss Betty Okero laments that the authorities concerned are negligent and are not concerned with likely life loosing disasters which are looming in the horizon yet no one is paying attention to such which are evidently looming.

“Take a walk and start checking the buildings along Oginga Odinga Street and tell me how many have two doors or an emergency exit, Kisumu is one of the areas which is really ill prepared for disaster handling and someone should be held responsible when a disaster occurs, why wait till lives are lost then blame games begins between government departments? The buck must stop with someone” she adds

She also wonders why anytime there is a disaster looming like say siphoning of the fuel from a fuel carrying tanker law enforcers uses live bullets, now is that not adding a disaster to an already happened disaster” she says saying that such happened in an accident within the town recently and a woman lost his life.

She also says that there is need for serious civic education on disaster preparedness within Kisumu town as she adds that most residents within the city are ignorant even about a fire alarm and rather than doing what is required of them during a time a fire alarm is raised many will be found asking and standing at one point asking what is likely to happen.

“Most of all fire drills exercise should be done within the town as many times as possible together with any other exercise which is aimed at sensitizing in regard to disaster preparedness” she adds.

She says most back streets within the major streets within Kisumu are blocked with kiosks or are heavily barricaded to avert thefts within the said buildings to appoint that in case any emergency exiting becomes areal problem.

“Why are the local authorities and the Provincial Administration ignoring all these? Also how regularly are institutions inspected to check if they meet the standards and they have capacities to handle any form of disaster” she adds.

However, Kisumu OCPD Musa Kangoli says that as a law enforces they are firmly and fully on the ground so that any disaster is averted but says it should be a joint effort including the residents.

“The Police can not do anything, this is an area we must pull all our efforts together and on allegations of social places which are on a time bomb for a likely disaster he says that he will personally visit the said places and make a report to the district Liquor Licensing Board and if need be their licenses can be withdrawn.

“The licenses were issued when I had not arrived ion Kisumu but that does not make me take any action which is law based” he added.

ENDS

Kenya: The threat on Mutula is threat against Kenya

2 Replies

From: odhiambo okecth

There is some looming threat of a censure motion on Hon Mutula Kilonzo by a few sons of status quo. And Kenyans must stand up and be counted as having stood up in defense of our Constitution.

When we were campaigning for a new Constitution, we had men and women who opposed the document outright. We also had some who opted to sing Yes with us during the day, and at night, they went moon lighting with the No team. We called them Water Melons.

Now, those who voted No and the Water Melons who half heartedly supported our Constitution are up in arms against Hon Kilonzo for just doing his job. Being the Minister for Justice and all that appertains to the Constitution, Hon Kilonzo is in that enviable position where he must stay with the issues.

He must be in the front line in ensuring that all Bills that give effect to this Constitution are enacted. And he must be seen to live the spirit and the letter of the said Constitution. He has no choice, yet, when he does his work, the Water Melons and the Nay Sayers see in him an impediment to their path towards impunity.

This then makes them think that Parliament will be the theatre of the absurd where our Constitution and new found liberties will be defecated upon. We must eternally remain vigilant and call upon our Legislators not to be used like Judas was used to betray Jesus.

He was given thirty cents and immediately he betrayed Jesus, he was so ashamed that he had to go hang himself. This is the fate that will befall our Members of Parliament who will betray our Constitution. We the voters will hang you in good time.

You will enjoy the thirty cents that the sons of impunity will give you now, but shortly thereafter, we will hang you in the ballot.

Time is when our Legislators must stand up and be counted as men and women who bequeathed a wholesome Constitution to the People of Kenya. Men and women who live to the dictates of Chapter 6 of the same Constitution.

‘Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the change we seek’- President Barack Obama of the USA.

A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

KENYA: KIPSIGIS LEADERS ARE UP IN ARMS AGAINST THE SECRET DISMANTLING OF KETEPA FACTORY IN KERICHO AND ITS RELOCATION TO NAIROBI AND THIKA

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho

The Kipsigis leaders are up in arms against what they have described as secret dismantling of machinery at the 50 year old Kenya Tea Packers Association {KETEPA} by the directors of the Kenya Tea Development Agency {KTDA}.

Previously known as the Central Packing Plant, the facility was built by the Broke Bond Tea Company Limited in 1949. The same company established a big printing press in an adjacent building in 1950 in order to cut down the cost of packaging materials printed with the company logo and colors.

But when the Brooke bond sold its tea plantations and close to twenty tea plantation estates and more than a dozen of green tea leaves processing factories in the early 1970s to the Unilever Company, it also offloaded the Central Packing, which was sold to the KTDA and individual investors.

Prior to the new arrangement, the Central Packing was the main tea packers in the entire Eastern African region receiving tea of packaging from as far field as Uganda and Tanzania under Broke Tea business flagship of Brooke Bond Equatorial Ltd and later Brooke Bond Liebig Company Limited.

A couple of years ago the company’s printing complex, the most ultra modern Printing plan in this region were secretly dismantled in mysterious circumstances and its machines shipped away to unknown destination.

It was late rumored that the printing machines were sold to an Asian business tycoon, whose firm that Ketepa management later contracted for printing of its packing materials.

But things turned out to be the worse after the 2008 post election violence. The KDA directors were reported to b unhappy that Ketepa workers and staff were getting politically motivated threats and intimidation and a decision was made to have the facility closed down and its machines moved to a safe site in Ketengela, Nairobi and Thika Town.

Our investigations has revealed that 80 per cent of the Ketepa workers and staff including top managers were local people, the majority who are commuting to work from the nearby Kipsigis reserves therefore the question of the allegation that the company workers were being threatened does not arise and sounded like fiction.

A prominent Kipsigis farmer-cum-politician Mr William Kipkemoi Arap Kettienya termed the KTDA move of relocating Ketapa as an economic sabotage against the local community and another way of marginalizing the community. Such a move would obviously deny the locals the employment opportunities, which they have been enjoying ever since the facility was established over 50 years.

Kettienya blamed the MPs fro the two Counties of Kericho and Bomet of keeping silent while the dismantling of Ketepa facility is going on. He said the building which used to house its packaging machineries is now an empty cell and the MPs from the region should stand up and put the KTDA directors to task.

Ends

Kenya: Luo MPs who addressed Mudavadi derogatorily in Bondo got their priorities wrong and need to have some amount of discipline for the ODM to survive

4 Replies

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo.

The recent utterances by a section of ODM Luo MPs do not add any value to Rail Odinga’s presidential ambition, and the time is ripe for the Prime Minister to tell his closest allies and advisers to check their tanks.

In this context, I have in my mind the speeches which were delivered by a section of Luo MPs during the recent tour of Kisumu by President Mwai Kibaki. And also the uncoordinated uncalled for attempt to coerce the ODM deputy leader Musalia Mudavadi during the Jaramogi Oginga Odinya memorial service at Kang’o Kajaramogi’s home in Nyamira, Bondo..

Several MPs, cabinet Ministers included, told President Kibaki in full view of a huge crowd to return his hand to Raila by declaring “Raila Tosha” in anointing the Prime Minister as his successor to the presidency. This, according to MPs was to be in return gesture to what Raila did in 2002 when he declared “Kibaki Tosha” at the Uhuru Park. It however worked upside down

Surely, Kibaki did not publicly ask for Raila’s favor in 2002, but the Prime Minister voluntarily did so in his own personal political interest. Nobody had coerced him to say so. In any case, the outgoing President cannot anoint the next President to succeed him. The responsibility of electing is based on the electorate.

If my memories serves me well, I can remember vividly well that the same cartel of Luo MPs and members of the amorphous Luo Council of Elders had invited the retire President Daniel Arap Moi at a leaders meeting. The meeting was held at the SonySugar complex in Awendo and the main agenda was to ask the Head of State to anoint Raila Odinga who by the was a member of cabinet in the short-lived KANU-LDP merger as the Minster for Energy. It didn’t work well in their favor of Raila sycophants, and the following week Mr Moi in a public rally in Mt Elgon district declared that Mr Uhuru Muigai as his favorite choice to be his successor.

Once it didn’t work in their favor, can’t these gentlemen of Parliament from Luo-Nyanza change the tact, which has only ashamed the community and find others suitable avenue of making political maneuvers. The request to Kibaki to anoint Raila as his success did not augur well and it sounded like a pure case of political naivety on the part of the so-called learned friends of “Agwambo”.

The other shameful act and blunder made by the Luo MP was during the memorial service for the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga. The ceremony was held at Kang’o Kajaramogi’s home in Nyamira, Central Sakwa Bondo.Judging from the utterance of some of the MP who seemed to have been irked by the action of the Deputy Prime Minister Wycliff Musalia Mudavadi in declaring his interest and presidential ambition by challenging Raila Odinga on ODM’s presidential nomination. Raila himself has repeatedly made it categorically clear that any adult and sane member of his party has the right to stand and contest the election in any elective position. And this is what Mr Mudavadi has just been doing that. However, he was confronted with uncalled for and unwarranted attack by a section of Luo MPs who dressed him down in turns. One of the MPs Jakoyo Midiwo of Gem emotionally charged at the DPM and pointed an accusing finger alleging that the Vihiga MP was acting at the behest of external forces. Midiwo in his scathing criticism only
Midiwo I fell short of telling the ODM deputy leader that he was a “traitor and a PNU mole in ODM.”

Midiwo is a first cousin of Raila Odinga and his actions and utterances could be construed and mistaken as representing the inner side of the family view towards Mudavadi, which might not be the case. It is also not in line and accordance to the Luo culture guidance on how to treat a guest of Mudavandi’s status on a visit to the family from distant land. These reckless utterances has since sparked off protests from the Luhyia ODM leaders, followers and supporters who felt the MP had an ulterior motive of insubordination of the DPM. Whatever motives such utterances serves; it is my view that such issues should have been tackled during the ODM Parliamentary Group’s meeting. And that is the way any political party of highly disciplined men and women should be operating and functioning. Judging from what is now in public domain is that these degrading loose talks have achieved nothing tangible but has boomeranged.

Surely, that was a solemn gathering to remember Jaramogi one of the heroes of the struggle for the independence of this country, and in my view not the best forum the Luo MPs to hurled their vitriol’s at Mudavadi, who came in as an important guest of the Odinga family and joined them in remembering and prayers for the soul of their loved father.

It is also my view that some of the people surrounding the Prime Minister are only interested in retaining their parliamentary seats at the next general election, but contributing negatively towards the PM’s presidential bid.

Moreover Rala Odinga is a popular leader on his own rights. He is known by millions of Kenyans as forthright and genuine reformer. His track record ever since his active participation in the second liberation f the country is undisputed fact, which are well documented and well known to every sane Kenyans. It therefore does not require an MP or a bunch of MPs to polarize and polluting the air with mediocrity utterances.

Kenya’s politics is ethnically oriented therefore when members of one community recklessly embarrassed and harassed a leader from a neighboring community, the relations between the two communities cannot be said to be “business as usual” therefore if such degrading utterances like the one directed towards Mudavadi in Bondo were meant to appease and attract the attention of the PM then it did not work well and as such made no added value.

The Kisumu residents expected the local MPs to pressurize President Kibaki to consider the possibility of resuscitating the closed industries such as the multi-billion shillings Kisumu Cotton Mills Ltd, the Kenya Breweries Plant which has been shut down and left to rot in Kisumu town and to an extent the revival of the close Miwani Sugar Mills whose 10,000 hectares nucleus farm has since became the milking cow of the corrupt politicians in the region and top officials. The closure of the three manufacturing industries in Kisumu has since spilled out of work over 10,000 workers who were declared redundant. But the MP’s priority for the region appeared to have been on the wrong footing. Instead of representing the thousands of jobs residents they directed their appeals to the President to help Raila in his presidential bid, and yet the PM is a working man contrary to thousand of youth in the streets.

Surely was the requests placed before the Kenyan head of state were genuinely in the interests of the down trodden Wananchi? Only time will tell.

Ends

KENYA: THE VIEWS OF A PROMINENT SUGAR CANE FARMER IN URIRI.

Leave a reply

IN MIGORI COUNTY.

Forwarded by Leo Odea Omolo

BY: BOB AWITI OTANGE – MIGORI COUNTY

It is a reprieve for cane farmers in Migori County as it demand for matured cane has increased due to stiff competition by the giant Sony Sugar Co. Ltd located in Rongo District and recently commissioned Sukari Sugar Co. Ltd located at riverbank of Kuja bordering Ndhiwa and Uriri District.

For along time Sony sugar Co. Ltd has enjoyed the monopoly from farmers being the sole vendor of sugar. From time again farmers have highlighted their predicaments on the poor services offered by Sony Sugar Co. management, including failure to harvest contracted canes in time as stipulated in the farmers contract document, failure to pay the cane proceeds in time once the raw materials have been delivered to the factory for crushing, poor customer care services etc.

With the advent of Sukari Sugar Co, Ltd which is now geared towards full operation, it is highly likely that, Cane farmers in Migori County will have a relief as they will have alternative factory to deliver their raw materials in case Sony Sugar Co. has repudiated terms and conditions stipulated in the contract document.

This is now making Sony Sugar Management to panic as they have sense stiff competition between the two (2) will put them out of business.

In view of the above, MD of Sony Sugar Co. is seeking redress from Sugar cane arbitration Tribunal board to bar Sukari Sugar Co. from purchasing raw material from farmers in Migori County.

This kind act is quite unethical and unprofessional as both factories are operating under the same market conditions. if any thing Sukari Sugar Co. is only striving for a market share which Sony Sugar Co. has build for the last thirty (30) years or so. Using Sony Sugar’s retained earnings to finances cost of seminars to improve customer care, give slightly higher rate above market rate per ton of sugar cane, and giving prompt payments for proceed for sugar on their due dates would be enough to put Sukari Sugar Co. out of business. Furthermore it is farmers prerogative to decide on the healthy rate per ton and decide on which factory to transaction with.

Therefore Sony Sugar MD should stop snivelling on perfect market competition dictated by market forces and instead improve on quick service delivery to cane farmers as a means toward motivating them to stick to their factory Sony Sugar Co. Ltd.

Ms Anastacia Ngati, an environmental specialist with GIBB International

Leave a reply

From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Intent to politically manipulate and motivate Forceful migration of a community is illegal. These poor communities are given little choice to keep their homes and protect their social cultural heritage values or their traditions. As can be seen, there are behind the scene, constant inflicted conflicts amongst the communities to destroy each other during election time, or are offered worthless Shs 100,000 thousand to move out of traditional land with intent to illicitly get rid of small African peasant farmers and “rationalize” agriculture into large monoculture illegitimate and unconstitutional enterprising with Government protection that provide Clearance for unconstitutional amalgamation of land for unscrupulous Corporate special interest cartels through government lobby. This behavior must be highly condemned by all good people. We must jointly fight against such actions to wade off would-be neocolonialists, Apartheid system of racial discrimination and segregation enforced by illegitimate political system and tyrannies hopefuls.

It is stated that Devolution was changed by consensus, which consensus and who authorized it?

I am concerned about the weak position of our marginalized poor population who have been squeezed into forceful migration, into extreme hunger with abject poverty, pain and sufferings. The struggle to Constitutional Democratic Governance with Just Rule of Law seems afar when and if Devolution of Counties, Fair Distribution of Public Finance resources and freedom of choices to improve livelihood and survival is changed and manipulated to suit unscrupulous Corporate special interest, we all need additional strong arm from leaders of the world to help force the change we fought so hard to achieve over the years.

More consumers do not want Genetically modified foods and prefer Naturally and locally grown organic food produce without toxicity substances and is in the center of competition, Kenyans with the rest of Africa are ready to participate in progressive development in shared interest, under safe means where ecological environmental preservation from pollution are observed.

Are we Losing out to unscrupulous Special Interest Corporate Cartels

Have our leaders sold us to the rich, are we illicitly the slaves of the rich? Shall we stand up to face realities…..

The way things are going, we are soon going to find ourselves heavily controlled with no voice by the unscrupulous special interest throughout this transitional time where we expect we overwhelmly voted for the New Constitution to serve public interest. I clearly feel the burden and sense of losing something intangible of cultural heritage value and losing something more valuable as traditional community land for an exchange of cheap offer for Shs. 100,000 an average of a three month salary of a primary school teacher, or through politically motivated Civil conflicts like in the North Eastern. This is a rip-off and a way of THIEVING that must not be allowed to happen and we all must stand up to condemn it wholly.

We have lost so much over the years, and we are not ready to loose anymore. The world must unite with us to overcome. This is not a one Nation war of the unscrupulous, it has engulfed the whole Global region and it is spiraling out of control. We must all unite to nip it in the bud before it turns catastrophic…….Greece is a show-case and Chinese and Indians are the Mission Agents of the unscrupulous Corporate Special Interest we must watch and control…..so we can nurture a level playing field in an environment which is safe under Mutual common interest of all.

Peace, Love and Unity can only be realized where regulations are put in place and are observed by all, to protect peoples interest equally without discrimination or favour……..

FootNote:

[Feudalism: Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century. Serfdom included the labor of serfs (illegally) occupying a plot of land owned by the rich unjustly and are given rights to exploit certain fields of Public Interest ……to maintain their own subsistence of class. Serfdom involved not only work in the Rich people’s fields, but were made slaves, although they had legitimate ownership of land, mines, forests and roads, where the poor paid levy/taxes on behalf of the rich. The manor formed the basic unit of society of the Rich. They have free access to Nations economy and socially. Serfs were laborers who were bound to the land….. they formed the lowest social class of the feudal society. Serfs were also defined as people in whose labor landowners (the Feuds) held property rights.]

It is a truely a Very-Sad-State-of-Affairs……..Wake up people, wake up………..Stand Up and DEMAND for your rights……..Wake Up……!

See attachements which is self explanatory, very sad indeed, it brought tears to my eyes……..

In this instance, who is the Government???…..We demand for an immediate answers ……..As this behavior by the Coalition Government is not acceptable……This is “Intellectual Property Thieving”……..Legal Justice must prevail………

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

Devolution law ‘was changed by consensus’
Kenya News.Net
Friday 10th February, 2012 (Source: Daily Nation)
That team also had officials from the Attorney-General’s Office, the Kenya Law Reform Commission, and the line ministries.

Responding to inquiries by the Nation, the CIC chairman said the changes regarding the role of the governor were removed, because the team saw it as superfluous, given that all laws are subject to the Constitution.

Clause 3… …

Changes were made to the draft law on devolution after agreement by all the players in the review process.

Kenya: Devolution Law ‘Was Changed By Consensus’
9 February 2012

Changes were made to the draft law on devolution after agreement by all the players in the review process.

The team spearheading the rollout of Kenya’s 18-month-old Constitution has said that there were adequate consultations to ensure that the final Bill did not in any way subvert the dreams enshrined in Chapter Eleven of the Constitution on Devolution.

Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae noted that members of the Taskforce on Devolved Governments were part of the team that revised the draft Bill on county governments.

Superfluous

That team also had officials from the Attorney-General’s Office, the Kenya Law Reform Commission, and the line ministries.

Responding to inquiries by the Nation, the CIC chairman said the changes regarding the role of the governor were removed, because the team saw it as superfluous, given that all laws are subject to the Constitution.

Clause 35 (1) (i) of the original draft, stated: “Subject to the Constitution, the governor shall perform such state functions within the county as the President may determine”. The Bill as currently published in Clause 31 (2) (b) provides: “The Governor shall perform such state functions within the county as the President may determine.”

“The difference in the two Clauses is the omission of the phrase ‘Subject to the Constitution’. It was omitted for the simple reason that all legislation are ultimately subject to the constitution,” said Mr Nyachae.

The CIC chairman also said that the role of village elders had been dropped from the original draft to keep politicians away from citizens’ space.

“This was removed as it was deemed the forums ran the risk of being politicised,” said Mr Nyachae.

Tagged: East Africa, Governance, Kenya, Legal Affairs

How AG’s office is sabotaging devolution

Published on 05/02/2012
By Dominic Odipo

When the Task Force on Devolved Government (TFDG) went around the country last year collecting the views of the public on how effective devolved government should be implemented, there were a number of recommendations which stood out as bearing the stamp and support of almost the entire country.

Among these was the near-universal recommendation that, in order to allow citizens at the lowest or grassroots level to effectively address the issues that confront them every day, there should be established both Village Councils (VCs) and Citizen’s Participation Forums (CPFs) along the models that existed in most Kenyan communities during the pre-colonial period.

Duly recognizing the vital importance of these organs, especially for the minority or marginalized communities, the Task Force recommended that these organs be established by national legislation, not by individual county initiatives.

The rationale for this recommendation was very simple. If you leave this decision to a county which is dominated by one community, this community is likely to ride roughshod over the interests of the smaller communities within the county, effectively driving such small communities to the periphery of the periphery of the county’s development process.

If, for example, you leave it up to Baringo County to determine how governance at the grassroots level will be prosecuted, the majority Tugen community might ignore the wishes of the minority Njemps and Endorois communities, and deny them the right to form and manage their own nationally-recognized and supported village councils.

Accordingly, when the Task Force published its Draft Bill on Devolved Government last year, it duly included both the Village Councils and the Citizens Participation Forums.

Unfortunately, if you peruse the latest version of this Draft Bill, which has now been published as the Devolved County Governments Bill, you will find that the village councils and the citizen’s participation forums have both been removed.

In other words, the Drafters of this new Bill, whoever they might be, have unilaterally not only struck at the core of devolved government but they have also foolishly and cynically overturned one of the most popular recommendations that the Task Force received.

For a number of reasons, this blatant and cynical abuse of bureaucratic power must not be allowed to stand. First, there can be no real devolved government if the actual organs and mechanisms of devolution do not percolate to the grassroots level which, in this case, is the village.

Or, to put this in reverse, if the ordinary Kenyan citizen does not see the trappings and institutions of devolved government manifested at the village level, he or she will assume that no devolution has occurred.

Second, if the overwhelming majority of the people who presented their views to the Task Force said that they wanted to see these village councils and citizen’s participation forums established, who are these people who have Drafted the latest Bill on devolved government to exclude these organs?

Are there some hapless legal apparatchiks in the Attorney General’s Office who really do not know what they are doing or is this part of a much larger and sinister plot to defeat real devolved government?

There is also a particular security component to this matter which needs to be mentioned here. Every village in this country knows its thieves, robbers, murderers, or witches.

If you leave village government to the village itself, within very little time, these negative elements within the village will be identified and the necessary action taken to deal with the situation. If you leave village governance to a larger and more distant organ, the motivation of the villagers to confront such matters directly will be necessarily constrained.

If you let the villages run their own affairs, as the Task Force had proposed, and they refuse to identify the thieves, robbers, murderers and witches amidst them, then, in good conscience, you can let them stew in their own soup for a while before taking much more drastic, remedial action.

Fifty years after our independence, the Njemps are still fighting the Endorois in Baringo County; the Gabra and the Borana are still slaughtering each other in Moyale County and the Pokots are still causing havoc along their borders with the Samburu and Turkana communities. If we needed any proof that our governance systems at the grassroots level have failed, these killings are surely it.

This means that we need to overhaul almost all those governance structures which have existed at the community level since independence. We need to take real government to the grassroots through these village councils and citizen’s participation forums.

In its latest memorandum to Parliament, Sayari, the Nairobi-based think tank, in conjunction with CEMIRIDE, the Centre for Minority Rights Development stated:

“This Bill is subjecting voiceless grassroots communities to the vagaries of political dealings and power play at the county level. This is likely to harm politically marginalized and minority communities the most.” Indeed! ENDS.

The writer is a lecturer and consultant in Nairobi.

dominicodipo@yahoo.co.uk

Clashes over water, pasture displaces 40 000 in Kenya
NAIROBI, KENYA – Feb 10 2012 19:34

More than 40 000 people have fled recent clashes between two north Kenyan tribes over access to water and pasture, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Friday.

“Over 40 000 people have fled their homes in Moyale, northern Kenya,” said Alexander Matheou, the federation’s head for East Africa.

The UN had earlier said “tens of thousands” displaced by the fighting had fled into neighbouring Ethiopia, where the majority are living with host families.

Clashes between rival cattle herding pastoralists in the region are common, with herders often carrying guns to protect their animals, but the recent fighting has been unusually heavy.

The clashes pit two traditional rivals, the Borana and the Gabra, around the town of Moyale on the Ethiopian border.

“We have never seen before what we are seing this time, entire villages, entire schools destroyed, water points sabotaged,” Matheou said.

“Shops in Moyale are closed, houses, schools are empty, there is a very eerie sense like a ghost town,” he added.

“Conflict between the Borana and Gabra clans in north Kenya has displaced tens of thousands of people,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said in a report on Tuesday.

Food for 15 000 people has been sent to the area, along with plastic sheets and household items for some 3 000 people, it added.

Fighting over land grazing rights in the remote Moyale region killed at least 18 people last month after two days of intense violence between men armed with automatic rifles and machetes.

The region was hard hit by severe drought in the Horn of Africa last year, exacerbating tensions over land in the area, and sparking tit-for-tat cattle raids.
KENYA: Clashes highlight dangers of devolution

ISIOLO, 3 February 2012 (IRIN) – Politically motivated violence in the northern Kenyan town of Moyale, which has left dozens dead and tens of thousands displaced in recent weeks, shows little sign of abating and there are fears that the clashes could continue until elections are held for new local government positions.

The main two pastoralist communities involved, the Borana and the Gabra, have a long history of sometimes violent competition over resources. But by many accounts, an unintended consequence of Kenya’s new devolutionary constitution has raised the stakes considerably.

The prospect of real political and budgetary power – concentrated since independence in distant Nairobi – rather than water, pasture and cattle-raid vendettas, now drives the violence.

“Every conflict in 2012 will have political and ethnic implications and can therefore not be treated as normal criminal activity,” Mzalendo Kibunjia, chairman of the National Cohesion and Commission (NCIC), said in a recent statement [https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=172600292840170&id=133856426714557].

The NCIC is a government entity set up in 2008 to eliminate ethnic discrimination and promote inter-communal reconciliation.

“The conflicts in northern Kenya must be treated as electoral related and not be dismissed as conflict over water, pasture and cattle rustling.

The NCIC has established that the ongoing violent conflicts [in Moyale and Isiolo http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportid=94312 ] are politically motivated in anticipation of the 2012 elections,” Kibunjia said.

However, presidential, legislative and local elections might not be held until early 2013 according to a recent High Court ruling.

The Kenya Red Cross added: [ http://www.kenyaredcross.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=251&Itemid=124 ]

“The trigger of the current conflict is allegedly competition over positions in the county government structures as designated in the new Kenyan constitution and land-related issues.”

Incitement

The spate of sporadic clashes is thought to have been sparked by a single killing in early November just across the border with Ethiopia.

Since then, political leaders from each community have allegedly incited violence against the other, regardless of whether those members are combatants.

“Different communities used to share mixed schools, mixed waterholes, mixed shopping centres, mixed everything. Now they can’t be on the same street together,” said one aid worker, who recently visited the town.

Several political leaders, including a former member of parliament, have been arrested on suspicion of fuelling the increasingly generalized conflict.

“Here, a politician can kill his opponents, it happens every [election] year, but not a single politician or trader known to have planned and killed people has ever been convicted,” Aba Dika, an elder in Moyale, told IRIN.

However, Eastern Province Police Commander Marcus Ochola told IRIN such impunity was on the way out.

“I am confident our officers, who are still collecting additional evidence, will support strong cases against those responsible for these skirmishes,” he said.

Another police official said detectives were investigating reports that some suspects had used social media to incite violence and congratulate kinsmen when prominent members of rival communities had been killed.

Aid workers who visited Moyale said hundreds of houses had been burnt and that crops, livestock and property had been destroyed.

There have also been reports of shortages and increasing food prices due to the interruption of transport and the closure or destruction of shops.

Thousands of people – insecurity has prevented an accurate assessment – have been displaced from their homes, with many fleeing into southern Ethiopia.

The Red Cross estimates that 9,500 families – some 57,000 people – have fled, 60 people have been killed and more than 1,000 houses burnt.

The worst-affected areas include the settlements of Heilu, Kinisa, Buthye, Bori, Mansile, Illadu, Manyatta and Odda.

Traumatized

“The extent of displacement now and the indiscriminate targeting of the violence – women, children and older persons, any member of the [rival] community has been killed – have left people really traumatized,” said one humanitarian official, who asked not to be named.

“The fear is that between now and elections [we] will see displacement and returns, displacement and returns, with nothing really in balance. There won’t be much room for manoeuvre until some sort of political solution is agreed upon.

That seems very far away right now, from what we have seen,” he added. “It’s not easy to arrange peace meetings when the parties are so mistrustful and fearful of the other’s intentions. Willingness and commitment are not there at the moment, it seems. Willingness to cease hostilities has been very low. It’s quite tragic,” said the aid worker.

Education blow Education has been badly affected in Moyale, with 18 of the area’s 31 schools yet to reopen after the Christmas break and many school-age children among the displaced, either in Ethiopia or in makeshift camps.

Livestock trader Abduba Wario said his income had dried up because the town’s livestock market was closed and he had been unable to send his two daughters to school in the central Kenyan town of Meru.

“It’s risky, no trucks are available. I appeal to the government and NGOs to provide all school-children with transport and police escorts for learning in other parts of the country,” he said.

The state of education facilities serves as an important indicator of the wider security climate, according to the aid worker.

“Children returning to school is the first step in terms of reconciliation, a return to normality. If it is safe for children to go to school it is also safe for health workers and others to return to their posts,” he said.

Amid reports that leaders of warring communities have mobilized across the porous border, Kenyan security forces are working with those from Ethiopia. “We are liaising with our counterparts in Ethiopia to trace the fighters who fled when Kenyan security officers were deployed to quell the fight,” said a security official, who asked not to be named.

na-aw-am/mw[END]

This report online: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?reportID=94789

KENYA: PLEASE LEAVE WARSAMA & OTO alone

Leave a reply

from Judy Miriga

Yes Kuria you are right.

If anything, Oto need an education here, and yes, it is voluntary…….

Reform demands the truth. The truth is cusioned with transparency and accountability. The Mombasa Community understands that they have a right to question about their taxpayer money over checks and balances and details of how their money is spent. It is their right to fully participate in ways and means about matters that concern their regional tax money including the Municipal Garbage collection levy……Bringing this to the fore is not a crime or incitement…….it is a right people…….

Warsama is trying to send a message that are issue based and all he should get is genuine response and……since he participated in making the connection for Oto, I expected Oto to do better than chest thumbing.

People provide a lot of information through mood swing….and by loosing their tempers and bragging, they box themselves into a corner…….people then begin to wonder if they are genuine or fake……..

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

— On Sat, 2/11/12, Kuria-Mwangi wrote:

Rose and Janak:

I only agree with both of you on this issue taking too much of our time. I failed to see where the issue of hate speech came from. I think some of us are becoming paranoid over the kibunja commission. How the hell did the issue of hate arise on this topic? Which moron would use the discussions here to accuse one of hate speech? We are just throwing words here and there.

On Warsama being called names, I will repeat again that he will be called names as long as he continue to expose others. He didnt expect them to coming saying how young he is (he aint young either so I dont think that is an insult and I doubt he is worried a minute about his age). So if Warsama is upset with the insults he has received, he should keep quiet and nobody will insult him. The route he has taken is not faint hearted and I doubt he is hurt as Rose is trying to suggest. Hers is a very clever way to shutting Warsama’s mouth. Let him keep off and seal his lips and nobody will tell him he is old. He is only younger than Mwai Kibaki and that does not mean he is too old. Jexx can also claim I am too old because he is 15 years younger than me. Why would one say Warsama is too old yet the same loud mouths claim Raila is young enough to run our country. Warsama is younger than Raila so what the hell are they talking about.

I doubt Warsama was ever bothered by the age factor and so Rose should not get worried over a non issue.

There will be good things to come out of this. One is that accountability will have to start here before we can have the moral authority to put others on the docket. Second, we will in future learn how to handle money and avoid cases where you trust every Dick and Harry you communicate with. Rose gave examples from her family members and friends. I have similar examples. We may have to trust institutions which are seasoned in handling funds. I keep on telling my friends that you cannot send thousands or millions to a hungry man and expect him to work for you. He will work for himself first and when his stomach is full, work for you if he has some decency in the arena of morality.

Could this issue have been handled differently? MAY BE, assuming those involved are able to listen and work with those who need answers.

What can we do next. Continue interrogating Oto, demanding that he explain some discrepancy. If he opts to go to court, then we let the judiciary handle this. i feel he has not given satisfactory answers.

Those who are disturbed with discussions have option D. The delete key. Even Oto may opt to use this option. Nobody puts a gun on your head and demands that you read what is posted and also reply. I delete many mails whose header I dont like and I am reading the Otoman empire mails because I love the content and the message. Those who dont want to read about the Otoman empire, should use the D Key and leave Oto and Warsama alone work on this issue. I only request that we dont insult each other but speed up and work on accountability since we are dealing with an important institution. I believe Oto will also run this outfit better in future, get a real accounting done and if money is the issue, get the likes of Kombo to do some basic accounting for him. I believe that is the expected norm for all the non profits.

Kenya: The Kongowea Consultative Forum

Leave a reply

From: odhiambo okecth

Friends,

We hosted the Kongowea Consultative Forum with the Kongowea Traders and Leaders at the Town Hall in Mombasa yesterday the 10th Feb 2012.

;

The meeting was chaired by Ms Elipida Mwakamba- Deputy Town Clerk- Reforms and was attended by the leaders, Mr. MS Bilafif- Director Environment at the Municipal Council of Mombasa, Dr Swale Chidagaya- MOH at the Municipal Council of Mombasa, Mr. Abdulla Mwabami- Deputy Director- Social Services, Mr Marigi Njihia- Accountant, Mr. Mohamed Abdalla- Market Superintendent, Mr. Peter Mbol and Mr. Odhiambo T Oketch both of KCDN.

;

We agreed on the following;

The Clean up of Kongowea Wholesale Market will be on the 18th February 2012 starting 10.00am. This is to enable early morning shoppers buy their daily perishables.

The Clean-up Exercise will hence forth be a Monthly affair undertaken in partnership with the market leaders and traders.

Every trader will keep his stall clean at all the times.

Working tools will be provided to the Section Leaders within the Market in good time to allow for proper logistics.

The Municipal Council of Mombasa will address the issue of Electrity and Toilet, the twin issues that have been of great concern to the traders.

There will be no harrassment of the traders as has been happening in the past whenever such an event is organized, though, law and order will be maintained by an active presence of the Council Askaris and Regular Police.

The exercise will be voluntary and NO ONE will be paid to participate.

There will be pomp and dance as we start a new Transformation Agenda that will spread to the whole of Mombasa Town.

The Kongowea Clean-up Campaign will be led by His Worship the Mayor and the Town Clerk and there will be a follow-up meeting between the Market Leaders and the Market Superintendent to help plan for the rest of the logistics.

During the Consultative Forum, we discussed;

Environmental Management issues and the need for all of us to join in keeping not just the market clean, but all our neighbourhoods.

Peace Building as a prerequisite to a healthy nation.

Good Governance and the need for all of us to rise up and be active participants.

Kongowea Wholesale Market will be our Focal Point for this Months Nationwide Clean-up Campaign and all are invited across the whole country to kindly join in and clean your immediate neighbourhood.

A Clean, Green and Litter Less Kenya at 50 is possible and achievable.

Odhiambo T Oketch
CEO KCDN Kenya,
National Coordinator- The Monthly Nationwide Clean-up Campaign
Tel; 0724 365 557
Blog; http://kcdnkomarockswatch.blogspot.com
Website; www.kcdnkenya.org
Facebook; Monthly Nationwide Clean up Campaign
Facebook; Odhiambo T Oketch

Kenya: Joluo, Lady Ado, Through Me Reaches You For Advice.

Leave a reply

From: Joram Ragem

Dear Jaluo dot com,

I liked the old jaluo dot com forum which we frequently used to help one another on matters about our culture and our problems.

I am writing this open letter as a cry for help, hoping someone, maybe the esteemed Luo Council of Elders, or any good Samaritan ma ja thurwa will help me.

Here we go.

And I am Joram Ragem, you are not.

Yes, Joram Kaulikazi Ragem, wuod Ndinya, wuod Onam, wuod Amolo, wuod Owuoth, wuod Oganyo, wuod Mumbe, wuod Odongo, wuod Olwande, wuod Adhaya, wuod Ojuodhi, wuod Ragem (You may be my relative, but it matters less now. This is New Kenya!)

– – – – – – – – – – –

My dad died exactly 9 years ago. Before then we had been staying in Nairobi as a family of kids including our parents.

My father however, had another wife with whom they have not been in contact with since 1986 due to irreconcilable differences. I know this because my father wrote some autobiography of sorts and I have the original copy. Numerous attempts were made later to reconcile her and her children back into the family but she bluntly rejected the offer even going ahead to marry another man.

The ancestral land that had been allocated to my father has lain uncultivated for almost three decades. Recently my mother began to cultivate it and suddenly every one’s interest is aroused. The eldest uncle in our family has attempted to beat her up, One of my fathers brother’s has thrown a panga at her on various occasions and in the most recent incident my mother decided to approach her late husband’s eldest brother to report the matter. She was chased away and told she has no property in the family and they would bring back the alienated wife and take everything that she has.

It seems we have been sitting on a time bomb and now it is almost exploding. Word is going round that they intend to chase us out of our rural home and take everything. I have tried to do my research and even logic says the family has no capacity to dispense justice without outside intervention.

The other family has expressed their intentions of not ever coming back and my uncle wants this land for himself and has said it in those blunt terms. My family is ready to fore go that land but all we want is to protect ourselves from looming eviction.

P:s My mother refused to be inherited and the other family never attended dad’s funeral. The local council of elders is defunct and if any is to be called my uncle would most probably be a member of it and this would greatly hamper justice. The local chief cowards at him and is therefore, not in a position to tell him the truth if it is against his opinion. Both my grandparents are also long deceased.

I do not know what to do my people, but to ask you for guidance. Feel free to post your opinion here and you can reach me through Ajori at joragem@gmail.com

I remain,
Very Truly Yours
Lady Ado

Kenya: Many prospective aspirants in Luo-Nyanza have beaten quick retreat after burning their fingers and for fear of mass disqualifications by IEBC

1 Reply

Investigative Report By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisum City

IMMEDIATELY soon after the promulgation of Kenya’s new constitution last August by President Mwi Kibaki, many prospective aspirants jumped overboard and quickly pronounced their intention to contest the election in various constituencies inside Luo-Nyanza.

The would be candidates contesting several election positions such as parliamentary and senate seats, country governors and county civic representatives made extensive tour of the country side, especially in the areas targeted for the big contest come the general elections schedule for later this year.

These prospective aspirants invaded the region organizing for Harambee fund drives in aid of the various economic and social projects in many parts of the region. Some of them initiated the establishment of football clubs to popularize and promote their personal image, others made it sure thy contributed lavishly towards the funeral expenses to the families of the bereaved.

Many potential aspirants rushed with books donation to schools or with other learning aids and gears to popularize themselves among the communities.

The worse of it all was the invasion of funeral homes in the company of heavily drugged and intoxicated youths menacingly behaving in readiness for physical combat and fight against those perceived to be the potential opponents of their man.

These aspirants and their drunken youths made funeral places no go area. Money appeared not to be in short supply. The aspirants purchased uniforms for their favorite sports teams and organizations, bought sport gears such as balls and trophies for the competing teams. Other spent fortune paying the popular “Ohangla musicians” other spent lavishly on local orchestra jazz bands which composed hurriedly composed and recorded cheap songs in their praise.

However, a thorough survey carried out by this writer in many constituencies revealed that most of these would be heavily moneyed aspirants have already beaten quick retreat and disappeared in the thin air not to be heard or seen anywhere within the localities.

Their sudden disappearance could be attributed to varied factors, but the major one being that these prospective aspirants had panicked in fear of facing mass disqualification at the time of the nomination which will be conducted by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, which has set up tough electoral conditions such as the requirement that each candidate for either parliament, senate or governorship must be a degree holder from recognized University or from any other institutions of higher learning.

MANY aspirants according to our investigations are armed with fake degrees and certificates obtained through dubious contacts or bought cheaply from back street vendors in India and other Western countries, where such document are said to be selling cheaply.

These tough conditions have since kept many aspirants out of circulations. Some have even severed their phone links with their supporters back home and retreated to the safety of Nairobi City.

In most cases the aspirants mobile phones have remained permanently switched off, and this to a certain extent is a blessing in disguise to the bereaved families whose homes have at one time or the other were turned into political platform.

Other reason could be attributed to the recent outbreak of a serious fighting in a funeral home at Kachien Village near Oyugis during which the vehicle which belonging to the chairman of the ODM election Board eng. Phillip Okoth Okundi was stoned and extensively damaged when the attackers mistook the vehicle to be that of the area MP Joseph Oyugi Mgwanga. In the same incident the Immigration and Registrations of persons Minister Otieno Kajwng’took to his heels amid hail of stones and escaped to Oyugis town for his personal safety.

Scores of youths were injured in the melee while some of the sustained serious bodily harm and were admitted to the hospital or treatment.

Several well known professional mourners who have been shuttling the full length and width of the greater Southern Nyanza region, while addressing mourners on behalf of their masters received the beatings, one of them the most notorious one was seen walking out of the fateful funeral home minus his shoes.

Other factors which have contributed immensely to the sudden disappearances of the aspirants from the scene could be due to finances. Those were reported to have been engaged themselves in premature election campaigns and were reported to be spending extravagantly may have already burnt their fingers and had their coffers depleted of funds. A case in point is that of one of the aspirants in the greater Southern Nyanza who was spending close to between Kshs 200,000 and 300,000 a week is now said to be in full flights from the troops of auctioneer in Nairobi and has gone underground.

According to impeccable sources, most of the aspirants who came to the scene too early are sad to be people engaged in dubious businesses such as drug dealers and peddlers, brokerage dealers with connection to high places, which facilitated them to acting as pseudo importers of popular items such as bitumen, oil, and other imported materials used in road construction and building industry in which they are said to be minting millions, which they are said to be sharing the loot with authorizing authorities, in most cases government ministries and parastatals as ell as quasi-governments, a clear indication that corruption in high paces still in existence in full swing with impunity.

There is a clear indication that the battle for most of the elective seats such as parliament, senate and governor in Luo-Nyanza will be a tall order in which Tom Dick and Harry will fall by the wayside. The sweet-talking politicians either men or women with half-baked education will find themselves in a more awkward conditions in some could even could prosecutions after uttering false documents before the IEBC.

Of late there appeared to have been many people inside Luo-Nyanza claiming to be the holders of fake Phd doctorate degrees whose sources are said to be dubious. And only the time will tell.

Ends

Kenya Elections 2012

1 Reply

from Mary Gakere

Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto can help us a great deal by not running for presidency this time around……

A time comes when one is called by destiny to sacrifice for the greater good of the people and country. In the history of Kenya, we know such heroes: Koitalel Arap Samoei, Dedan Kimathi, Jomo Kenyatta, Jaramogi Odinga, Wangari Maathai, Tom Mboya and the unsung peace heroes who helped victims of post election violence – among others. They all found a way to lift Kenya up during difficulty and trying times by putting people and country ahead of their own personal agenda.

As we head to the polling stations to elect yet another president, kenyans are praying and hoping there will be no repeat of the 2007 post election violence (PEV). Indeed, we must remain one united and strong Kenya both during and after elections. A peaceful, united and prosperous Kenya is what we owe to ourselves and posterity.

More than four years later, we still have IDPs who need to be settled and thousands of victims of PEV are yet to find justice and closure. We cannot risk another debacle, another embarrasing and painful moment in our country. Those preparing to run for the presidency must be warned that we will hold them responsible if they end up creating another havoc in the nation.

Some aspiring candidates such as, Messrs Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto would help us greatly by not running for presidency this time around. Either of the two would make a great president but with their ICC baggages, they should sacrifice for the good of the country – wait till next elections rather than drag the whole country into the ICC circus.

Wrestling with any case in a court of law is always a daunting task; leave alone charges of crime against humanity. It takes time and resources. Also requires total commitment and attention. Perhaps, that is why Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta resigned from his ministrial post in order to pay close attention and steer his ICC case.

Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto would like to vie for presidency obviously because they care about kenya, but before they decide to do so, they should be guided by a few questions:

-Would it be fair for the nation to have a seating president who is being dragged to Hague to answer charges on crimes against humanity?

-Won’t it be detrimental to Kenya if we have a president with a divided attention- between matters of state and fighting his charges against ICC?

-Does our constitution cater for such an eventuality; where a seating president is hauled into prison by Hague?

Although our constitution provides president with legal immunity; clause 143(1) & (2), such immunity is however denied under 143(4) as pertains to treaties; i.e., if Rome Statute ICC is a treaty.

-Is it fair to the victims of PEV to have people indicted by ICC running for presidency whether they are presumed to be innocent or not; while the victims themselves are yet to receive any measure of justice? For them and thier families; justice delayed is justice denied.

According to our Kenya constitution, both Messrs Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto are not barred from running for the State House under their present circumstances; (since they are not yet convicted) However, having been adversely mentioned and indicted by ICC, it is prudent for them to put their ambitions on hold for now- Not because they are guilty of PEV, but as a sacrifice for the good of wananchi and the country. Let us run a decent campaign and elections without rubbing into the wounds of 2007 Post Election Violence.

Both Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta and Hon. William Ruto can assist us most with their wealth of knowledge and resources during the forth coming elections. They may not rise to be king this time around, but yes, they can become king makers by throwing all their weight behind one candidate that would be the best for Kenya 2012.

Those who were directly or indirectly invoved in 2007 post election violence are tainted and cannot help us move forward. In spite of their best intentions, their continued presence in the national psychi will always create fear, anguish , apprehension and bad memories of yester years. We cannot make every presidential campaign and election a preparation for bloodshed!

We need a leader with a wealth of experience. Someone knowledgeable enough to carry on with President Kibaki’s policies that have served Kenya well for the last nine years. Someone Kenyans can trust. A president who can spread Kenyanism throughout the nation and pull us all together. Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta and Hon. William Ruto should rally behind such an individual and help us make Kenya strong and proud.

I believe such a person in Kenya today is Hon. Prof. George Saitoti. Nobody is perfect but this man’s record of serving Kenya is as long and as impressive as that of President Mwai Kibaki. True, Goldenberg scandal still hangs over his head; but our own High court cleared him of any wrong doing. To me this is the one Kenyan who can push and spread Kenyanism throughout the nation as well as strengthen President Mwai Kibaki’s policies, make kenya economically powerful and implement our new constitution.

Hons. Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto; its your sacrifice we need. By putting your dreams on hold, you can help us hold Kenya and wananchi high. If you do, wananchi will not forget you come next presidential elections. And yes, if you decide to mess up everything, we will hold you responsible forever.

By Njau Njembura Njoroge- California.

Kenya: TI Reveals Hate Speech in Ruto/Uhuru rally

Leave a reply

From: Lee Makwiny

Shocker: TI Reveals Hate Speech And Tribal Incitement At Uhuru/Ruto Meetings
Brief Report on peace/prayer rally organized by Ruto/Uhuru
At the 64 stadium, Eldoret
Friday 27th Jan 2012

The Uhuru/Ruto political axis organized a peace/prayer a rally on Friday 27th Jan 2012 at the 64 stadium. The public rally was attended by over 45 legislators including the vice president, former MPs and a presidential aspirant Raphael Tuju and another ICC suspect Joshua Sang. The prayers took exactly 11 minutes and immediately the rally snowballed into a political rally with all the speakers making statements laced with hate speech and/or incitement.

In what appeared to be a well rehearsed script, nearly all the speakers stated that should the two (Uhuru & Ruto) be barred from vying for presidency, then Kenya will not have elections. The speakers made inflammatory statements insinuating that their communities were on trial and they should unite to resist the work of the ICC which has been hoodwinked by the NGOs and the prime minister through the international community.

Belgut MP Charles Keter kicked of the storm with a rallying call.
“Just as we said in 2007 that ‘No Raila, No Peace’, we will say ‘No Uhuru and Ruto, No Elections.”

Embakasi MP waititu said “lazima tufanye kila kitu kuzuia huyu mjaruo kuingia state house tuingie huko wenyewe ndio tuvuruge hii maneno ICC…”

Gideon Mbuzi ‘SONKO’ “ Said “ hakuna vile tutakubali mtu wa jina linaanza na O asaidiwe na cousin yake huko America wa jina linaanza na O washikane na Ocampo kumaliza watu wetu….tutapambana nao”

Isaac Ruto said “ we know the international community and the civil society have a preferred candidate but let them know we shall not allow them Uhuru and Ruto must be on the ballot.”

Eldoret East MP Peris Simam said that “We will vote for them irrespective of where they will be. Let those NGOs stop going to court. I am stating that the government is here”

Eldama Ravine MP Moses Lessonet added that “It is the people of Kenya who will decide on the leadership of Kenya, not the courts and NGOs”

“We stand today by our people who are being mistreated but what we know is that by the end of the day, the truth shall come out” said Lucas Chepkitotony

“We announce today that whether they like it or not, the leader of this country is with us today” added Mosop MP David Koech.

“The trial of Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya’s 1st President) by the colonialist did not stop him from being President just as the incarceration of Nelson Mandela by the whites never stopped him from being an African leader. I tell you today, be of good courage,” Eugene Wamalwa remarked.

The speakers heaped blame on the CSOs and the prime minister for the woes facing the ICC suspects. The Vice president insisted that he was not the one to benefit if the suspects are tried since he has fought to have the cases brought back to Kenya but his efforts were thwarted by known people in ODM and the CSOs. Ruto called on his supporters to ensure that Uhuru and him are not locked out of the presidential race. Ruto also spoke for about 7 minutes in his native Kalenjin Language rallying his ‘people’ to ensure that if they are locked out of the race then they should frustrate the holding of the elections by all means.

Gideon Mbuvi, Ferdinand Waititu Kazungu Kambi and a youth leader from Nyanza made derogatory statements against the Luo community calling on other tribes to shun the community because its leader is conman and untrustworthy they went further to call anybody calling on Uhuru and Ruto not to vie for the presidency “mashetani”. They vowed to gang up to deny the premier from having a say on the management of the coalition government and promised to shield the president from attacks from the ODM wing of the government and vowed to resist calls for Uhuru to step aside as the deputy prime minister calling on the CSOs to stop their demands. They called on the president to disregard the National accord and rule the country as he deems fit since they are the majority and they will stand with him

On the other hand there was clear breach of the elections act which prohibits use of state resources in partisan campaigns. The vice president was with his official motorcade. The Eldoret municipal Council Lorries were used transport municipal council chairs to the venue.

Report by
Richard Maina
Programme Officer
ALAC Eldoret

WHY RAILA MIGHT NOT BE THE NEXT PRESIDENT

5 Replies

from: GEOFFREY AJIKI

A look at the current events in Kenya leaves one with many a question to ask and at the same time give answers to some of the frequently asked questions.One of the commonly asked questions is who is the most likely candidate to take after Kibaki?

Several people will answer this question diffrently but majority from my luo tribe would certainly give one answer, Raila. May be they could be telling the truth as per their analysis. However,there is little truth to their answer and the earlier they embrace it the better. I want to state categorically that i am not anti Raila or anti Luos as others might suggest. I am a Kenyan from the Luo tribe of which i am very much proud. I am entitled to my opinion and credit this to non other than Raila andd co. who fought to realize this democratic space that we now enjoy.

Back to who is the most likely candidate to take after Kibaki,i would want to make it clear that Raila is the least likely of them all. History has it that of all the three presidents Kenya has ever had, only Kenyatta did not serve as vice president. His was a different case because Kenya had just attained her independence.

Both Mwai Kibaki and Daniel Moi served as vice presidents.If history could repeat itself, then Kalonzo could be the next president.

Another fact that will almost certainly lock Tinga out is the tribe factor.We lack the numbers to win any election in Kenya.Uhuru is sitting pretty because he knows that when it comes to numbers, he has them.
All he needs is to get support from one more tribe and he will be there. The mount Kenya flock is not ready to lose power and would try to retain it at all costs.They want to protect their wealth from the luos whom they describe as arrogant and lazy. As such, they would rather have a Kalonzo or a Eugene at the expense of Raila.

Moi at one time said that KANU will rule for hundred years. If anybody doubted him then look at what is happening to his children whom he nurtured to take after him. They are all together in the so called G7 alliance which would be impossible to beat unless they is a walk out.

We must also admit that as much as we claim that Kenyans are nowadays enlightened,we must appreciate the fact that tribalism is so deeply entrenched that it will take centuries to end. The current and subequent generation of Kenyans carry with them the heavy luggage of tribalism cultivated and harvested by their fore fathers. A young boy born in a luo family would know first thing that Kikuyus are bad people. The asme applies to a Kikuyu. Get to the ground and talk to a five year old kid and you would verify this.

Factors are many but the few mentioned are enough to confirm to you that Tinga is just as far from the presidency as i am.

Child Handcuffed by Police

Leave a reply

From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Handcuffing a child is a serious offense and a crime that cannot be taken lightly.

We demand for the OCPD of the area to resign immediately and that the bottom of the matter is unearth and the Police Officers be be releaved off their duties and charged accordingly.

Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com

– – – – – – – – – – –

Child Handcuffed by Police

Uploaded by standardgroupkenya on Jan 16, 2012
Police are once again on the spot over human rights abuses: an eight year old boy was allegedly beaten and then handcuffed by police in kibera for not knowing where his mother was. The officers are said to have been conducting a raid on illegal brew den in the slum, when they stormed the boys home looking for his mother. KTNs Edith Kimani brings us the troubling details that took place after the boy said he didn’t know where his mother was.

Sign In or Sign Up now to post a comment!
@2012Lovelace? I don’t see anything wrong with journalist airing this Lovelace .How would we have known in the first place?. I do howeve,r concur with you that cops need to change for the good of this country
matts6894 2 weeks ago

do police in kenya know? what is child abuse? Idiots lack of education
suekenya 2 weeks ago

@matts6894, dude! you sound like ignorant fool trying to tribalize everything.? Actually idiots like you will never learn from the past that madharau will get your ass kicked. Police for their part need to change and our journalist shouldn’t even be allowed to film the kid. Bure kabisa!
2012Lovelace 2 weeks ago

Where is KNHRC? Oh!They are busy using that noble organization as platform for their personal gains (political posts).This is where they should? be heard the loudest sio mambo ya kibila hili imekula sana sasa ni wengine blah blah…
phatriott 3 weeks ago

the police need to refresh themselves with the new dispensation? ..the bad thing is most of them were herdsmen in Baringo
matts6894 3 weeks ago

Now WTF is this? Do those police? officers have brains? Apart from the constitution this is a matter of common sense. Yani they saw nothing wrong in handcuffing this child?