Monthly Archives: July 2009

D-A-Y—of– A-T-T-O-N-E-M-E-N-T

From: Joram Ragem
Date: Jul 20, 2009 10:17 PM
Subject: D-A-Y—of– A-T-T-O-N-E-M-E-N-T

Last year in October,

I advised regarding Kenya’s post election violence as copied below. My advice has not changed. If fact, it is immoral and a conflict of humanity’s interest to allow those those who are already accused, even if they are not proved guilty, to determine jurisprudence and subsequent forum for their trial.

However, progress towards The Hague has been made. Even the politicians will soon all see the weight and ramification of being signatory to the Rome Statute and the ICC. Kenya sacrificed her sovereignty, but will soon gain a rebirth. ICC is a good thing for Kenya. It will be the 3rd and last liberation.

The Hague, like the alter that Abraham laid his son Isaac, has already done it’s job. Either buy just being there, buy flexing it’s muscle through Moreno, or by eventually trying the alleged perpetrators of crimes against humanity.

To avoid the Hague, Kenya’s rebirth still MUST occur, because this rebirth was a promise from God, which arises from the many years we prayed thus:

Ee Mungu nguvu yetu. Ilete baraka kwetu. Haki iwe ngao na mlinzi. Natukae na udugu. Amani na uhuru. Raha tupate na ustawi.

Amkeni ndugu zetu. Tufanye sote bidii. Nasi tujitoe kwa nguvu. Nchi yetu ya. Kenya tunayoipenda. Tuwe tayari kuilinda.

Natujenge taifa letu. Ee ndio wajibu wetu. Kenya istahili heshima. Tuungane mikono pamoja kazini. Kila siku tuwe nashukrani.

Inherently, we Kenyans are peace-loving and forgiving people. It is not our wish that we send our sons, daughters, mothers and fathers for trial and imprisonment in a foreign land. Yet, for the predicted rebirth, or third and last liberation to occur, we must.

However, my 10th great grandfather Ragem declares thus; For the rebirth to occur without The Hague, the following MUST occur

KIBAKI
He must strip naked in public, metaphorically. He must give up the privilege of being above the law as president. If he is in The Waki Envelope, he must resign and be tried, not for stealing the 2007 election with impunity and swearing himself in a haste, but for ordering, or condoning the armed services as they brutally and fatally quelled post election violence, and particularly targeting certain tribes. These notwithstanding, he could be found innocent in a court of just law.

RUTO
He must resign and vote again for a local independent tribunal. This will be the beginning of proving his innocence. The evidence against him is circumstantial, unlike Kibaki’s who was the commander-in-chief of those who executed orders.

MUTULA
He must resign and face trial for advocating for PNU and Kibaki in the face of a stolen election, nothwithstanding the innocent blood of the protesters. He must be tried for negotiating for Kibaki, while he remains a proxy for Kalonzo. By doing this, he deceitfully and through quasi legalese made Kibaki believe he was the duly elected.

KALONZO
He must resign for betraying Kenyans by supporting a candidate who lost, in hope of staying a heart-beat away from the presidency at whatever cost. That cost was over demise of 1,400 Kenyan lives and the current constitution crisis.

RAILA
He must step aside in good faith and face trial if his name is in the evelope. If his name is not in The Waki Envelope, he must be inaugurated as the 4th President Kenya, and appoint Kibaki as the 3rd Prime Minister if Kibaki’s name is not in The Waki Envelope, or if Kibaki is found innocent. This will be in good faith and in the spirit of forgiveness, bestow to the old man a stately exit.

All mentioned in The Waki Envelope must resign and wait for the outcome of the trial.

If all above are in the The Waki Envelope, then the best worse thing is to dissolve parliament and call for elections.

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

10/31/09
Dear Kenyans,

By now, I am sure that it is beginning to dawn on us that Kenya as we knew it, is gone. Hence only last week, I advised:

As painful as the memories are, it is impossible to prosecute and convict, (without a shadow of doubt) most cases of Kenya’s post election violence. Unless all Kenyans, including the international community, resolve, cooperate and pursue, to nab and prosecute both the big and the small fish, it is a case of nolle prosequi.

I still stand by my free legal-political analysis. To this I again add more simple legal and political advice. Interested parties can ignore at their own peril.

Whereas it is not disputed in the eyes of all and specifically the findings of the Waki Commission that criminal and inhumane deeds were executed by some during Kenya’s post-election violence, Kenya must be disqualified and disbarred from prosecuting any case stemming from the post-election violence for reasons stipulated herewith:

a) the current president is involved and he is above the law of the land per the current constitution. To wit, any legal action against anyone else, regarding any case, directly or indirectly related to the post election violence, is nolle prosequi, until the president leaves office or until the law is amended to allow the president to be indicted, whichever occurs first.

b) the current PM and some of the current law makers are involved, and to allow them any opportunity to set up a tribunal, or pass any resolution not to set up one is conflict of interest which renders any case of the post election violence nolle prosequi if tried under such an arrangement, even if the head of the tribunal is foreign, provided that the case is tried in Kenya.

c) other than the court martial of the 1982 coup suspects, Kenya as a nation has not been able to concluded or implement any recommendations of any commission or inquest. Any such body was set up to sweep problems under the rug or simply to cool off political and public tension stemming from political assassinations or any corruption scandals. Hence the onset of impunity.

d) because Kenya is a signatory of the international Criminal Court, and because of (a), (b) and (c) above, the ICC is the only body with legal jurisdiction set up to prosecute any alleged criminality or violation of humanity anywhere in the world particularly when laws of a sovereign nation interfere with the administration of justice.

Wherefore, as a sovereign nation Kenya has every right to reject the recommendations of the Waki Commission just like any accused has the right to plead innocent. I advice and agree that Kenya law makers should reject or disqualify themselves from setting up a tribunal in Kenya. However, since the Waki Commission was set up under the appointing authority of mutually accepted international mediator, under the direct authorization and supervision of the United Nations, the Waki Commission acted within it’s mandate to hand over it’s list of alleged perpetrators of violence to the official mediator, for prosecution at the ICC, in Hague.

Therefore, unlike business as usual, the perpetrators of violence will be indicted, regardless of whether they are a sitting president, PM, MP or officer of the law, and solely based on evidence, and without prejudice. They will be arrested wherever they are, whenever it is deemed appropriate by the International Prosecutor, then they will be tried, prosecuted and if found guilty, will be jailed. Remember, there is no death penalty punishment at the ICC.

For once, Kenyans will receive justice. Those found innocent or those left behind will continue to perform the functions of the nation. The clock is ticking, and the guilty need to be afraid, very afraid. Not because it is all hallows eve, but because they know they are guilty.

Joram Ragem, Esq.
Sacramento, Ca.

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

KENYA IS FACING FAMINE AND ACUTE SHORTAGE OF WATER AS DROUGHT BITES

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From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Jul 22, 2009 11:10 AM
Subject: KENYA IS FACING FAMINE AND ACUTE SHORTAGE OF WATER AS DROUGHT BITES

KENYA GRAPPLES WITH SERIOUS FAMINES AS BITING DROUGHT HAS DEVASTATIVE EFFECT AMONG ITS PEOPLE, SPARKING OFF ACUTE SHORTAGE OF FOOD, WATER AND GREEN PASTURE FOR ANIMALS.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

A report spelling out the glooming future coupled with acute shortage of food, water and green pasture for both domesticated and wild animals was released yesterday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.

It further states that poor rains and increasing prices of cereals worsen food shortage in the coming months, the famine monitoring agency has warned Kenyans.

At the same time Kenya’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga is schedule to address Parliament this afternoon on the issues of food, water and energy.

The prices of grain, especially the maize, and maize flour meals and beans, which are the staple food in Kenya has gone up by over 120 per cent, making the prices of basic food out of reach for the ordinary families of rural peasant communities.

Famine Early Warning System {FewsNet} says in its latest report just released this week that the most vulnerable groups are the internally displaced people {IDP} and pastoralists.

IDP comprises of thousands of families which were kicked out of their homes following the post-elections violence that gripped the country early last year, and are still camping at the various scattered camps .The disturbances that followed the hotly disputed presidential elections in December, 2007 claimed close to 1500 people who were hacked to death by their neighbors for political reasons.

The prices of maize, the country’s staple food, and beans have shot up by 170 per cent, higher than normal in most parts of the country, says the report..

It adds, The constrained supply of maize has sustained high prices, severely affecting the purchasing capacities of vulnerable households.

The report notes that 80 per cent of the long rain crops, which contributes about 30per cent of food output in lowlands has failed..

FewsNet, a warning system funded by United Nations Agency for International Development, uses scientific methods to predict famines and advises policy makers.

The report also says conflict and limited implementation of planned intervention by the government has worsened food insecurity. The agency has predicted that between July-September there would be worsening food insecurity situation in the south-eastern and coastal area lowlands as well as in many pastoral lowlands and many pastoral areas, where rains have largely failed..

The lasts FewsNet report said the average maize production in the Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza highlands is unlikely to cause a significant reversal in high prices of food insecurity for the affected households.

Pointing out a gloomy picture of the country’s food security, FewsNet said the Ministry of Agriculture had already revised expected maize production downwards to 2.1 million tons, which is over 20 per cent lower than the expected quantity.

The food security problem has been accelerated by an acute shortage of water in the country, FewsNet, said in its report.

“Security of water has caused the price of a 20-litre can to rise from Kshs 20 to Kshs 80,and hygiene is compromised due to inability to meet either food or water purchases“, the report says.

Meanwhile, a survey conducted by this writer has revealed that crops failure is widespread and is almost 70 per cent to 80 per cent, and hygiene, and maize producing areas like the North and South Rift districts of Trans-Nzoia, West Pokot and Nandi are the worst hit.

In the South Rift region covering Molo, Bomet, Nakuru, Kipkellion, Kericho. Konoin,Sotik as well as Trans-Mara, there is total crop failure of maize crops. The same could be said of Kisii, Southern Nyanza and in the Kuria districts.

The pastoralist communities appear to have suffered the brunt of the prolonged drought and have lost nearly 70 per cent of their livestock due to loss of green pasture. So many rivers have dried up leaving behind deep gullies.

Hinterland lakes like the Lake Kamnarock, which for many years was reputed as having the largest number of crocodiles and only second to Lake Chad has dried up. All the crocodiles and hippopotamus have either died or fled to other lakes. Other lakes facing extinction include Lakes Naivasha, Elmentaita and Nakuru due to the canalization of most important water towers upstream. The situation is no better in other maize producing region like Bungoma, Mt Elgon, Kakamega and Busia.

Ends

The dark side of H.G. Wells

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from Taras W. Jul 21
date Jul 21, 2009 4:45 PM
subject The dark side of H.G. Wells

“Wells thought the loss of freedom for Russian writers was temporary and seemed to accept Stalin’s insistence that vigorous debate within the party took place. Despite Stalin’s impermeability, Wells concluded that ‘I have never met a man more candid, fair and honest, and it is to these qualities and to nothing occult and sinister, that he owes his tremendous undisputed ascendancy in Russia. … No one is afraid of him and everyone trusts him.'”

http://www.city-journal.org/2009/19_2_HG-wells.html

http://www.city-journal.org/mobile/story.php?s=4387 (mobile)

BBC REPORT ON CIRCUMCISION-UGANDAN RESEARCH

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From: canadacentre@ . . .
Date: Jul 24, 2009 2:32 AM
Subject: BBC REPORT ON CIRCUMCISION-UGANDAN RESEARCH
To: jaluo@jaluo.com

Some time back, a great con was directed at the Luo People. The story was that you can not get AIDS by being circumcised-and therefore the Luo were asked to accept it, based on face value of the argument.

The very advocates, failed to state that; the Greeks do not circumcise and the prevalence of Aids are very low! Why were the Luo people coned then?

The fact that the demographic and the dynamic of the population was not taken into account! The population of Nyanza is high and densely placed in a small area.

Because of this fallacy, Luo people are persuaded to abandon their culture for something that is not going to save any one.

How many circumcised Kalenjins who have died from Aids? How many Kikuyus and Kambas have died from aids? The fact that the Luyia, albeit circumcised, they are faced with the same plight of aids.Not even one of these characters, ever explained, Why the circumcision failed to stop it?

What people must know is that, certain behaviours of; reckless wanton and abandonment and disregard of ones’ life is a sure way of asking for trouble and death. We can all minimize the risks by being prudent and selective, when we decide whom we should share our beds with!

Luo people, must be informed and should be very aware of issues that are meant to erode their culture.

Here is an article posted on the BBC web page,

Page last updated at 23:14 GMT, Thursday, 16 July 2009 00:14 UK

HIV circumcision study ends early

Circumcising men who already have HIV does not protect their female partners from the virus, a study in Uganda has found.

Circumcision is known to protect men from acquiring HIV.

But the research, from the Lancet, showed no benefit in those who already had the virus and was stopped early because of the continued risk to women.

Experts say HIV-positive men should still be offered circumcision, but also warned to use condoms.

The US researchers, from Johns Hopkins School of Public Health in Baltimore, say not offering the procedure to men with HIV would stigmatise them.

Other experts say it could become a “sign” of whether a man was HIV positive or not.

Healing

Previous research had suggested women could be protected from HIV if their partner was circumcised.

In this study, 922 uncircumcised, HIV-infected, asymptomatic men aged 15-49 years with HIV were enrolled in the Rakai district of Uganda.

Men were then selected to have immediate circumcision (474 men) or to be given circumcision after two years (448 men).

Almost 170 uninfected female partners of the men were also enrolled, and followed up at six, 12, and 24 months.

However, the trial was ended early because of what the researchers called the “futility” of carrying on, and the second group were not circumcised.

Only 92 couples in the immediate circumcision group and 67 in the control group were included in the final analysis.

It was found that a higher proportion of women were infected with HIV in the intervention group (18%) versus the control group (12%).

The researchers suggest the higher transmission rate could have been due to couples resuming their sex lives before the circumcision would have properly healed.

Abstinence

Writing in the Lancet, the team led by Dr Maria Wawer said: “Circumcision of HIV-infected men did not reduce HIV transmission to female partners over 24 months; longer-term effects could not be assessed.”

They said it was not sensible to recommend men with HIV should not be circumcised, or that there should be any down-scaling of circumcision programmes, because of the overall benefits to both uninfected men and to women.

But they added: “It’s inevitable that men who are infected with HIV will also require to be circumcised, partly to avoid stigmatization.

“The findings suggest that strict adherence to sexual abstinence during wound healing, and continuous condom use thereafter must be strongly promoted when HIV-infected men receive circumcision.”

They suggest a solution would be to circumcise as early as possible.
“Circumcising infants and young boys before their sexual debut would mitigate the challenge of male circumcision in HIV-infected men.

“However, this strategy would require careful consideration of issues relating to parental consent and the minor’s consent.”

In an editorial in the journal, a team from the University of Washington in Seattle, led by Dr Jared Baeten said the findings should not “hinder” the use of circumcision in HIV prevention programmes.

Victoria Sheard of the UK’s Terrence Higgins Trust, said: “Circumcision is most often used as an HIV prevention tool in the developing world, where it can be difficult to get hold of condoms.

“However, it shouldn’t be seen as a stand-alone strategy.

“Women are disproportionately affected by HIV in sub-Saharan Africa, and – as this study shows – will still be at risk whether their partners are circumcised or not.

“The best way to guard against HIV is by always using a condom, so more work is needed to ensure adequate protection is available for those who need it the most.”

RUTTOH POLLYZZARRIOH
Montreal,Quebec Canada

KISUMU TOWN EAST MP HECKLED

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From: JEFF
Date: Jul 24, 2009 2:18 AM
Subject: KISUMU TOWN EAST MP HECKLED

KISUMU TOWN EAST MP HECKLED

BY JEFF OTIENO

Kisumu Town East Legislator Shakeel Ahmed Shabir met the wrath of voters when he was heckled in his own back yard by an enthusiastic crowd which had lined up to receive the Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Kondele.

The Mp who could be seen nodding his head in disbelief were a group of leaders who had camped the better part of the day right at the airport ready to give the PM a rousing welcome.

During his last stop over in Kondele the PM introduced all the MPs and ministers in his entourage but when he gave a microphone to Shakeel, he was badly heckled and told unprintable words by the mammoth crowd to the disbelief of the Prime Minister who happens to be his political mentor.

Sources with the ODM ranks confided to this writer that Shakeel political woos has been sparked by an unsustainable election pledge where he promised the voters that half of his salary will go directly to his constituents and to date nothing has come forth.

He’s again being accused of arrogance, elusiveness and devising ivory approach to crucial political issues bedevelling his voters when he’s needed.

Back to the prime ministers reception at the airport, it was a low keyed affair in terms of high ranked to government officials who usually grace and take charge of such occasions.

Only the area OCPD Solomon Kiragu and the kisumu Town East DO 1 were the only high ranking officials to receive the Prime Minister.

Despite the well laid red carpet right from the runway up to the VIP lounge, the apparently happy Raila Odinga questioned the absence of the PC, PPO and DC according to an MP who requested for anonymity.

Interestingly, the newly appointed PC was one hour later seen wining and dining with some State House mandarins in a local Hotel. They were later joined for dinner by Nyando MP Fred Outa.

At the airport to receive the Prime Minister were local religious leaders, MPs Fred Outa Of Nyando, Professor Ayiecho Olweny of Muhoroni, John Olago Aluoch of Kisumu Town West, Jakoyo Midiwo of Gem and Shakeel Shabir Kisumu Town East.

Public Service Minister Dalmas otieno Anyango and Fisheries Minister Paul Otuoma arrived with the Prime Minister in his Military Chopper.

Enroute to the town centre, Raila made four stopovers in a bid to prepare ground for president Mwai Kibaki.

He told the Nyanza residents to be patient and hopeful saying elaborate development was underway mentioning the expansion Kisumu airport and the construction of some of the once dilapidated roads as some of the beckoning goodies.

About the prevailing debate of how the region has shared the “ half loaf bread” th PM dismissed the critics as malicious and none starters who had sinister motives to derail his political ambitions.

Nairobi based advocates George onyango Oloo and Ambrose Weda have been leading an onslaught against the PMs way of governance mostly in rural funerals trying to discredit him of how badly he has dished the few government slots allegedly to his cronies and relatives.

Close Raila Odinga pointmen who aggressively campaigned and fought for him at the hour of need have allegedely been sidelined according to political pundits.

They are Malindi based hotelier Otiende Rateng, Mombasa based business magnet Polycap Ocholla, Dave Okwach former nominated councilor, Nairobi business man John Obura Dimo, Samwel Ntere, former detainee olak Diego and the once wealthy but now financially crippled, Mombasa businessman Awiti Habo.

Habo was one of the PM financiers and close ally during the last elections but is now walking a tight rope financially depending on a paltry KSH 50,000 in terms of allowances he gets at KICC as one of the board members but only when the board sits which critics argue is not commensurate to his status and support he gave.

On the controversial Migingo Island , Raila was compelled to address the issue by the crowd in Kondele but he was a little cautious and diplomatic saying that it was a small mis-understanding between the two countries which will soon be resolved.

END

SAD LOSS KENYAN COMMUNITY ATLANTA

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From: Michael Karuu
Date: Jul 24, 2009 10:34 AM
Subject: SAD LOSS KENYAN COMMUNITY ATLANTA

We regret to inform you of the untimely death of Mr. Timothy Muraguri Ndegwa due to a road accident that occurred on I-85 in Opelika in Alabama. Mr. Muraguri was husband to Jane Muraguri, father to Joram Muraguri and Jackline Muraguri and brother to Robert Wambugu Ndegwa all of Acworth, Georgia.

Friends, family and well wishers are meeting daily for prayers on the following venues

Friday, Monday and Tuesday at 7-9PM at Muraguris residence, 5070 Oak Branch Lane, Acworth, GA. 30102
Saturday at 7-9PM at KACC, 771 Elberta Dr. Marietta, GA 30066
Sunday at 3-5PM at KACC, 771 Elberta Dr. Marietta, GA 30066
Wednesday at 7-9PM at KACC, 771 Elberta, Dr. Marietta, GA. 30066

More details will be conveyed at it becomes available.

Your Prayers, Presence and Financial support will be highly appreciated.
More info

Raphael Wanjohi: 404-388-6111
John Kinyua: 770-608-8245
Christopher Njaramba: 404-702-6310
Simon Nderi: 770-527-8925
KACC: 770-427-0555

Deadly I-85 accident under investigation
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Don Prater
Staff writer
Published: July 23, 2009

The Auburn Police Division is investigating a Thursday morning accident involving two tractor trailer trucks that left one driver dead and another with life threatening injuries, according to Auburn Police Division Assistant Chief Tommy Dawson.

At 3:15 a.m., Auburn police responded to an accident on Interstate 85 near the 57 mile marker where they found a tractor trailer stopped on the shoulder of the southbound lanes that had been struck by a second tractor-trailer traveling in the same direction.

Timothy N. Muraguri, 42, of Acworth, Ga., outside the rig at the time of the collision, was killed instantly according to Lee County Chief Deputy Coroner Gene Manning. Muraguri was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:30 a.m. of blunt force injuries.

The female driver of the second tractor-trailer, whose name has not been released, was transported to East Alabama Medical Center and later to UAB Hospital in Birmingham with critical injuries. She was listed in critical but stable condition.

Muraguri’s truck had broken down and he had pulled to the side of the interstate but was unable to get his truck completely out of the roadway when another southbound tractor-trailer struck his semi from behind while he was partially in the roadway, killing him according to a coroner’s report.

No other vehicles were involved in the accident. Alcohol is not suspected to be a factor in the incident, according to Lee County Coroner Bill Harris in a statement.

The accident closed down the southbound lanes of Interstate 85 and caused traffic to be diverted until 9:30 a.m.

Regards

Michael Karuu
Realtor
Certified Business Brokerage{CBB}
Certified Commercial Brokerage{CCB}
Metrobrokers/Gmac Real Estate
Woodstock,GA 30188.
Office:404 843 2500
Direct Line 770 698 1159
Fax: 770 924 5206.
NEVER EVER GIVE UP

A TRIBUTE POEM IM MEMORY OF JOANES MIDHA OWAGA AND PAMELA OMBIMA.

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from Obat Masira Jul 22
date Jul 22, 2009 5:58 AM
subject TRIBUTE POEM FOR THE GREAT ARTISTES

TRIBUTE POEM FOR THE GREAT ARTISTES

The Stars That Twinkled Yesterday

THE STARS THAT TWINKLED YESTARDAY

HAVE DIMMED INTO ASHES OF PAIN

THE PLAIN TRUTH IS THE LOSS

SUFFERED INVAIN….LOSS OF PRECIOUS GRAIN…

WE PAIN FOR JOANES MIDHA OWAGA THE CHOREOGRAPHER…..

THE DANCER AND THE COUNSELOR …A BROTHER

WE PAIN FOR PAMELA OMBIMA AN ACTRESS….A SISTSER.

BUT WHY? MUST FATE BE SO CRUEL?

YET THEY SHONE……….BORN TO BE

BUT WHAT IS MUST ALSO MUST GO……FREE

AND THAT IS NATURE BEYOND OUR KEN

GREAT ARTISTES ARE GONE

EACH ON URN

OUR SMILES HAVE BEEN DIMMED.

OUR SORROWS BRIMMED

BUT WILL NEW HOPES BE BORN?

THAT TWO VIBRANT SOULS RETURN

NAKED YOU CAME INTO THIS WORLD

AND NAKED YOU PROCEED OUT

JOANES MIDHA WUOD OWAGA

JA GOT RAMOGI

YOUR PASSING HAS CREATED A VOID

AND CHASUN TOO DIFICULT TO FILL

AND CHAOS IN THE SEA OF ARTS

WHEN A DARK SHADOW LOOMS AMONGNST US

AS THE SUNSET UPON JARAMOGI WUOD JANE NYAR YIMBO

WHERE IS OUR PAMELA OMBIMA? NYAR ENGINEER TITO.

WHO ACTED LIKE A SPARROW IN THE SPACE?

WHERE IS THE SMILLING FACE OF JOY

THAT CAME NAKED INTO THE WORLD

AND NOW NAKED MUST GO OUT

AS WE MOURN IN THE PAINFUL DOUBT.

YOU BOTH LIVED AMONGST US AS ICONS

WITH DIGNITY FULL OF UNDERSTANDING

EVER CRISSCROSSING CRISISES:

YOUR VIRTURES AND VALUE A GLOW

BUT WHAT A BLOW TO BLOOMING TALENTS

EVEN AS WE REMEMBER YOU IN LIGHT

THE SONGS…….THE DANCES……IN THEATRICAL ARTS.

THOSE MONUMENTAL MOMENTS EVERYWHERE

IN UGANDA AND IN THE HOME GROOMED.

EVER IN PURSUIT OF SOCIAL TRANSFORMATION

TO GVE SOCIETY VALUE, VIRTUE AND JOY.

THE LITTLE THINGS IN LIFE THAT BRIGHTENS THE HEART

THE LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE OUR WORLD BETTER.

YOU COMBINED ALL TO GIVE LIFE LUSTRE AND MEANING

NAKED YOU CAME INTO THE WORLD

AND NAKED YOU MUST NOW GO.

BUT MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE WILL NEVER FORGET

THE DOUBLE TRAGEDY WE SO MUCH REGRET

FARE THEE WELL SISTER PAMELA OMBIMA

FARE THE WELL BROTHER JOANES MIDHA OWAGA

BEHOLD, THE DOVES OF PEACE SALUTE.

EVEN AS DEATH BECOMES ABSOLUTE

FARE THEE WELL BROTHER

FARE THEE WELL SISTER!

TILL WE MEET AGAIN!

AKECH OBAT MASIRA

DIRECTOR

MISANGO ARTS ENSEMBLE

WEBSITE:http/misangoarts.blogspot.com

GOOGLE SEARCH: obat masira.

TEL NO: +254 726164954.

A TRIBUTE POEM IM MEMORY OF JOANES MIDHA OWAGA
AND PAMELA OMBIMA.

This isn’t a game

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from “David Axelrod, The White House” 12:41 pm
date Jul 23, 2009 12:41 PM
subject This isn’t a game

Dear Friend,

Last night, President Obama addressed the nation in a primetime press conference about health insurance reform.

The President made crystal clear what’s at stake in this debate: the fiscal well-being of our nation and the health of our families and small businesses.

In case you missed it, take a look at what he had to say:
View President’s Press Conference

Truth be told — with each passing day, more and more Americans are unable to get the health care they need, when they need it. Skyrocketing co-pays and deductibles and soaring insurance premiums are crushing our family budgets and small businesses. Unless we act now, these problems are guaranteed to get worse and worse.

Under reform, American families will get the stability and security they deserve. They’ll no longer have to fear losing health care coverage if they lose or switch jobs, going bankrupt if they become seriously ill, or being denied coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition. Reform will ensure all Americans have access to quality, affordable insurance.

We all have a stake in this and for the 14,000 Americans who are losing their health insurance each day — reform can’t wait.

Make sure everyone you know understands the importance and urgency of health insurance reform: Watch the President’s remarks and forward this email to your friends and family.
Watch the President’s remarks and forward this email to your friends and family.

Thank you,
David Axelrod

P.S. Health insurance reform is a complex issue and many of you have questions about what it means for you and your family. To help get you the answers you need, White House Health Reform Director, Nancy-Ann DeParle, is holding a live video chat through Facebook and WhiteHouse.gov. Join the chat today at 3pm ET.
Join the chat today at 3pm ET.

The White House • 1600 Pennsylvania Ave NW • Washington, DC 20500 • 202-456-1111

MINISTER RUTO IS ACCUSED OF PRACTISING NEPOTISM AT CHEMELIL SUGAR FIRM

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from : Leo Odera Omolo Jul 22
date Jul 22, 2009 4:42 PM
subject MINISTER RUTO IS ACCUSED OF PRACTISING NEPOTISM AT CHEMELIL SUGAR FIRM

MINISTER RUTO IS ACCUSED OF PRACTISING NEPOTISM IN THE APPOINTMENT OF BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT THE CHEMELIL SUGAR COMPANY LTD IN NYANZA

Investigative REPORT By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

THE minister for Agriculture, William Ruto, has come under scathing criticism for allegedly having flooded the board of directors at the government owned Chemelil Sugar Company Ltd with his own Nandis kith and kin.

The allegations that the Minister is practicing naked clanism by influencing the appointment of his kins at the sugar facility were first fired at the weekend by the area MP Prof. P.Ayiecho Olueny, who is also an Assistant Minister for Education.

Out of ten board members, four of them, including his own brother, are from the Nandi sub-tribe and all hail from Eldoret region; not even from the larger Kalenjin ethnic group, but exclusively from the Nandis, a sub-tribe of the Kalenjin group.

It is worthy mentioning that Minister Ruto and the Chemelil Sugar Company were activists during the operations of the of the KY 92 and this could be the reason the Minister appointed his relatives to head the facility, denying many experienced applicants the lucrative job.

And as if to add insult to injury, the composition of the management team is reflecting the worst type of tribalism being practiced by Minister Ruto at the sugar facility which is based in Muhuroni district, in the Nyanza sugar belt. The farmers want the Ministers activities with the Nyanza sugar zone, where he is alleged to be a frequent visitor, to be investigated.

Ten members of the Board of Directors include Dr. Simeon Mining Chairman [Kalenjin}, the managing director Eng Edward Musebe {Luhyia} Peter Kemei, the Company Secretary [Kalenjin}, Mr Protus Sigei [Kalenjin}, Mr.Daniel Rono {Kalenjin}, Mr Jeremiah Ruto{Kalenjin} and the Minister’s real brother. All the five are the appointees of the Minister Ruto.

There are, however, five other members of the Board who represent special interests such as Finance, Agricuture, Co-operative Ministries and an institutional bank and other Ministries as alternate directors to the Permanent Secretaries. They include Mrs Anne Anyango [Luo], Victor Kidiwa{Luo}, Hon. Konchalleh [Boran} and Eng Patrick Obath [Luhiya}.

There is not even one single Luo director representing t he farmer’s interests. The majority of sugar cane farmers arguably are the Luos, followed by the Nandi, Kipsigis, Asians and others.

The issue is boiling up and has already raised political temperature in the area with the local farmers contemplating stopping the supply of their row cane to the Chemelil Sugar factory.

The company’s secretariat, the number of Kalenjins holding key managerial positions have surpassed all other tribes combined.

The pact is headed by Human Resources Manager Mrs Jacinta Kipkering [Kalenjin] Mr Stanley Kipkoech, the Marketing , Corporate. and Communication Manager [Kalenjin}, John Muchama [Kisii],Charles Owelle Agricultura Manager Production[Luo}, Albert Aki Agricultural Manager Farmers Services [Luhya].

The middle class management positions are still evenly spread to nearly all Kenyan communities, though the Kalenjin have a lion’s share.

Meanwhile sugarcane farmers with the Chemelil and other sugar growing zones in Nyanza have called upon the two principals in the grand coalition government, President Mwai Kibaki and the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to reshuffle the cabinet immediately and remove Mr. Ruto and his PS Dr.Koome with immediate effect and replace Ruto with someone who is totally committed to salvage the ailing sugar industry sub-sector.

The farmers have also appealed to the President to revoke all the board’s appointment in the Ministry of Agriculture and declare them null and void in the interest of unity and cohesion as well as peaceful co-existence.

Mr. Ruto, the second Deputy leader of the ODM, who is also believed to be nursing presidential ambition has proved himself to be practicing the worst tribalism wile giving lip-service to Kenyans.

The farmers said they don’t need someone not fit to hold such important public office as the Ministry in charge of food production n in the country.

One spokesman of the Chemelil farmers said Ruto lacked the capacity and the ability of turning the lucrative sugar industry from perennial massive loses to profitability. As such, he should be shuffled and sent to a lesser important Ministry.

The composition of the board of directors of the Chemelil Sugar Company, which is located in Muhoroni district, speaks volume and tells Kenyan of what a government headed by Mr. Ruto as the President would look like.

For many years, the late Senator Selemiah Mbeo Onyango was a director at the facility for close to twenty years, but he died in 2007 and thereafter, no Luo has ever been appointed a director at the facility.

The Luos who were previously holding key managerial positions in the tea industries, which are located in Nandi Hills and Kericho region were all forcefully ejected from their jobs and replaced by the locals. “Why then import the Kalenjins all the way from Eldoret to come and dominate all the important posts in an industry , which is located inside Luoland?”, asked Mr Martin Oyier, a cane farmer in Muhoroni.

ENDS

COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

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COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya 29th – 31st July 2009

I. PRESS RELEASE

2nd EAC Investment Conference, Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya

29th- 31st July 2009

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference will be held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi, Kenya from 29 to 31 July 2009. The Conference is organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the government of Kenya, the African Business Council and the Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) of the East African Community Partner States.

The EAC Investment Conference is an annual event held in rotation in the EAC Partner States since the inaugural one that was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It is the premier forum for the EAC and the Partner States to promote the region as a single market and investment area.

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is expected to bring together policy makers, business leaders and the regional and international investment community to review the investment outlook of the EAC region and discuss investment opportunities.

Rationale and theme for the Investment Conference

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time when the EAC countries have moved closer to the establishment of the EAC Common Market and are involved in other initiatives to consolidate the regional integration process. The process of regional Integration in the East African Community is intensifying and the five Partner States of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are determined to marshal their resources, capacity and political will to create one Community, and more importantly, a vibrant trade and investment hub.

The Investment Conference also comes at a time when the global economy is undergoing a major downturn. Giants of the business world are going into recession and turning to governments for bailouts or stimulus packages. In the face of these challenges, the EAC is maintaining a strategic posture towards stronger political and economic business environments to weather the storm. Indeed, the EAC countries remain on a rapid growth path and, with a number of other African countries, are in the middle of the strongest economic recovery in the past 40 years.

As more and more international businesses turn to this region with a curiosity to test the investment opportunities in East Africa, a stronger and more vibrant investments and trade platform is emerging . It is clear that through strengthening relations with the leading industrialized countries as well as forging partnerships with the Emerging markets such as China and India amongst others, the EAC region can quickly move into a more flexible business arena, open to cross-border trade and investment as well increased competitiveness with the international market.

The EAC region’s share of Agricultural exports in the international markets is set to grow. With the heightened increase in global food prices, there is increased demand for investment in agricultural development in East Africa. The aim is to make East Africa not only a self-sufficient food production region, but also a supplier to Sub-Saharan Africa and an international net exporter. Opportunities also abound in other areas such as tourism, infrastructure, ICT, Financial services, telecommunications and energy show rapid growth and development.

It is with these considerations that the 2nd EAC Investment Conference has been organized under the theme, Invest in East Africa Where Challenges are Opportunities. The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is thus structured to provide the investor community with the opportunity to critically survey potential areas of investment through the various platforms in:

Public –Private Dialogue with the Five Heads of State-Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Burundi and Tanzania, where policy and advocacy issues will be extensively discussed and the concept of regional and international competitiveness will be re-instated as the way forward for East African businesses.

Sector/issue- specific Round Table discussions with the top businesses in East Africa, regional, emerging and international business markets and the world’s leading economists, where potential investors will be able to meet ideal business contacts and make partnerships that will not only enhance existing businesses, but also open a new door to stronger and more successful returns on investments; and

Further, the dates for the EAC Investment Conference were carefully chosen to just precede the AGOA Economic Forum which will be held at the same venue just two days after the EAC Investment Conference.

Targeted Audience/Participants

A record number of participants, estimated at over 2000, are expected at the Conference, representing key regional and international trade and investments actors. Over 30 countries are expected to participate in the Investment Conference with the republic of India participating as a platinum partner. EAC and the government of India have an existing collaboration agreement where trade and investment are key features. The EAC and Kenya Government have approached leading East African corporates to sponsor various programmes and activities of the Conference. Among the targeted audience and participants of the Investment Conference are:-

Regional entrepreneurs and potential investors

Regional producers looking for new markets

Regional domestic businesses.

Regional Government Officials

Regional Industrialists and Merchandise Traders

Representative of Multinational Corporations

Commercial and Development Bankers

IT Practitioners

Agricultural specialists

Construction Companies

Infrastructure Specialists and businesses

Regional and international Businesses- Energy, Mining, Tourism, Telecommunications, Agriculture.

National and International Business Development Consultants and specialists.

Business communities from the emerging markets- India, South Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore and others.

Development Partners

Representatives of regional IPA and chambers of commerce and Industry

Expected outcomes/benefits to participants

Among the expected outcomes and benefits of the Investment Conference are:

Opportunity to showcase the potential and profitable investment opportunities that the EAC has to offer;

Opportunity to network with local and foreign participants so as to build bridges for greater business using EAC as critical launch pad in the region;

Opportunity to engage potential investors in the EAC in business promotion within the region

Opportunity to project the image of EAC as one market and one destination ideal for investment; and

Opportunity to sensitize the world on the latest strides made in advancing the economic integration front at the East Africa Community

Conference focus and format

The Conference sessions will have a focus on major areas, topical issues and sectors of growth opportunity in banking and finance, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, tourism and other hospitality industries; infrastructure and energy, especially hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas; roads and railways.

The Conference will proceed on plenary sessions, panel discussions, debates, and live on stage interviews with leading authorities in the key issues..

Among the major topics to be discussed is the investment environment, addressing the challenges of the global liquidity and credit crunch, corporate finance in challenging conditions; achieving regional competitiveness, fighting counterfeits, investing in food security and exports through improved agricultural practices, and achievements of the EAC economic integration agenda.

Exhibition and Networking

An international exhibition of products and services will run parallel to the plenary sessions at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre –KICC (the venue of the conference). EAC Partner States and other country delegates will exhibit their products and services showcasing priority sectors. The last day of the Conference (31st July 2009) will be devoted to networking opportunities and country tours which have been carefully programmed to just precede the AGOA Economic Forum which the Country is also hosting at the same venue just two days after the conference ends.

Background

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference follows the first one which was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It was at the Kigali Conference that the EAC Investment Conference Forum was launched as an annual event to be held on rotation in the EAC capitals.

The inaugural event was itself very successful. The Kigali Conference was attended by all the five EAC Heads of State. It brought together over 1200 participants from the region and the international community. It attracted 15 countries from outside the region. A lot of business was transacted during the conference and important business contacts were made. Reports from the national IPAs indicate that a sizeable number of projects have been registered arising from the 1st EAC Investment Conference.

II. INVESTMENTS PROMOTION IN EAC

Institutional arrangements in investment promotion for the region

The EAC Partner States have established statutory agencies that promote and facilitate investments in the region. The agencies are Investment Authority (KenInvest), Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) o, Zanzibar Investment Promotion Authority (ZIPA), Uganda Investment Authority (UIA), and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). In Burundi, investment activities are coordinated by the National Investment Commission under the Ministry of Planning. Currently, Burundi is in the process of establishing an Investment Promotion Agency which is expected to be operational in 2009. These investment promotion agencies (IPAs) were established by respective Acts of Parliament in each Partner State and follow similar basic requirements for promotion of investments.

Role of investment promotional agencies

The role of the IPAs of the Partner States is to promote and facilitate investment activities. Facilitation is carried out by providing a set of incentives as provided for in the countries’ respective investment codes. The incentives provided range from waiver of customs duties and VAT on imported capital goods related to the submitted investment proposals, the facilitation for obtaining of administrative formalities to corporate taxes reduction.

Investment policy harmonization framework

Since the re-launching of the EAC and the setting up of the EAC Secretariat, harmonization of investment policies, incentives and laws of the Partner States has been going on under the auspices of the EAC Secretariat. Some aspects have been harmonized and include investment approval requirements, export processing zones and free zones regulations, corporation tax and other incentives.

However, there still exist some variations on the minimum capital threshold requirement among the Partner States. For instance, in Kenya, the minimum threshold is US$100,000 for foreign investors and US$12,800 for domestic investor. For Tanzania the minimum threshold is US$300,000 for foreign investors and US$100,000 for domestic investors; while in Uganda the minimum threshold is US$100,000 for foreign investors and US$50,000 for domestic investors.

On the other hand, Zanzibar maintains a different approach that focuses on sectoral thresholds for investment capital per project. For example, investment in hotels requires a minimum of capital US$4 million for foreign investors and US$300,000 for local investors. In Rwanda, the minimum threshold for foreign investors is US$250,000 while for local and COMESA investors it is US$100,000. These and other variations related to offered incentives are being identified and further harmonized to bring about a more favourable investment climate in the EAC region.

Key policy leap among IPAs: The One Stop Shop (OSS)

Since 2001, most EAC countries have established and implemented the One Stop Centre concept which consists of providing almost all needed facilitation under one roof. The One Stop Shop Concept is an investment facilitation strategy where relevant government agencies are brought to one location, coordinated and streamlined to provide prompt, efficient and transparent services to investors. It is aimed at simplifying and shortening of procedures and guidelines for issuance of business approvals, permits and authorizations thereby removing bottlenecks faced by investors in establishing and running businesses. The One Stop Shop concept is based on four principles namely: Convenience, Efficiency, Simplicity, Speed and Transparency.

The type of services offered under One Stop Shop include: business incorporation and registration; instant granting of approvals in principles, permits and licenses; provision of investment information. The One Stop Shop concept is good for both the investor and the government in that it:

? Substantially reduces the cost of doing business.

? Ensures that FDI, DDI are properly tracked.

? Ensures close and professional working relationship among

government agencies to meet the needs of investors.

? Triggers and fast tracks public sector reform which would

ultimately result in structurally more attractive investment

environment.

III. PRESS NOTICE

THE 2ND EAST AFRICAN INVESTMENT CONFERENCE, KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE CENTRE, NAIROBI, KENYA, 29TH – 31ST JULY 2009

The East African Community Secretariat in collaboration with the Regional Investment Promotion Agencies (IPAs) and the East African Business Council is organizing the 2nd edition of the East African Investment Conference, scheduled to take place at the Kenyatta International Conference, Nairobi from 29th to 31st July 2009. The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is designed to showcase the economic potentials and opportunities of the East African region under the theme, “Invest in the EAC: Where Challenges are Opportunities”.

The Investment Conference will feature High Level presentations and panel discussions by leading regional and international trade and investment actors, policy makers, experts and business leaders, focusing on investment opportunities across the following key sectors: Mining, Infrastructure development, roads and railways; Telecommunications, Leather goods production, Energy (hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas); Tourism, ICT, Banking and Financial Services, Manufacturing, Agriculture and Agro-processing

Participants, key business organizations and entrepreneurs, are also encouraged to take the opportunities for exhibiting their products and services at an international exhibition that will run parallel to the plenary sessions of the Conference. The last day of the Conference (31st July) will be devoted to networking opportunities.

For more information on the 2nd East African Investment Conference, please visit the Website, http://www.eac.int/invest . Participants are requested to confirm their participation electronically by filling a registration form available at the Website, sending a fax, phone and/or register their participation (for those in East Africa) to the Investment Promotion Agencies/Authorities in the respective EAC countries, Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda. It would be appreciated if confirmations of participation are received by latest 20th July, 2009.

Clare Akamanzi

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

In-charge of Business Operations and Services

Rwanda Development Board

P.O. Box 6239

Tel: +250-510-248

Fax: +250-510-249

Mob: +250-0788-301661

E-mail: info@rwandainvest.com

cakamanzi@rwandainvest.com

Ms. Maggie Kigozi

Executive Director

Uganda Investment Authority (UIA)
The Investment Centre

Plot 22B, Lumumba Avenue, TWED Plaza

P.O. Box 7418

Kampala

Fax: +256-414-342-903

E-mail: info@ugandainvest.com

Mr. Emmanuel Ole Naiko

Executive Director

Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC)

Shaaban Robert Street

P.O. Box 938

Dar es Salaam

Fax: +255-22-211-8253

E-mail: information@tic.co.tz

Ms. Susan Kikwai

Managing Director

Kenya Investment Authority (KenInvest)

Kenya Railways Headquarters

P.O. Box 55704-00200

City Square

Nairobi

Fax: +254-20-22243862

E-mail: info@investmentkenya.com

Mr Toussaint Nkurunziza

Chamber De Commerce et de L’industrie du Burundi

BP 313

Bujumbura

Tel: + 257 22222280/ 257 79492323

E-mail: nkurutus@yahoo.fr

Mr. Salum K. Nassor

Executive Director

Zanzibar Investment Promotion Agency (ZIPA)

P.O. Box 2286

Zanzibar

Tel: +255-787-857338

Fax: +255-24-223-2737

E-mail: zipa@zanzine.com

Mr. Alloys Mutabingwa

Deputy Secretary General

(Planning and Infrastructure)

East African Community

P.O. Box 1096

Arusha

Tel: +255 27 2504253 -8

Fax: +255 27 2504253

E-mail: Mutabingwa@eachq.org

Mr. Charles Mbogori

Executive Director

East African Business Council

P.O. Box 2617

Arusha

Tel: + 255 788790711

Fax: + 255 27 2509997

IV. MESSAGE BY THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY AMB. JUMA MWAPACHU

The 2nd East African Investment Conference comes at a historic time for the East African Community when we are closer than ever to our goal of regional economic integration. The success of the Customs Union is a singular pointer to the systematic achievement and progress of the EAC integration process. Between 2004 and 2007, the volume of intra-EAC trade increased by 22% while the total EAC trade with the rest of the world rose by 26.8 % up from 22.8% in 2006.

In January 2010, the fully fledged Customs Union comes into effect with zero customs duty applicable to all goods traded among the EAC Partner States. This is a significant milestone in the road to EAC integration and will greatly impact trade, investments and revenues of the Partner states.

Last June, during the 1st East African Investment Conference in Kigali, the EAC Heads of State adopted strategic plans for accelerated implementation of projects under the infrastructure sector. The result was the commencement of construction works on the Arusha-Namanga-Athi River road project; the commencement of the Power Interconnection Project between Kenya and Tanzania at the Namanga border point and many other similar achievements in rail transport, civil aviation, communications, energy and development of the Lake Victoria Basin.

In addition, regarding barriers to trade and investment in the region, the EAC is working with the Partner States to strengthen the capacity building of their governments, improve the transparency of regulation and administration. EAC has actively worked to promote the implementation of the Protocol for the establishment of the EAC Common Market, which will create an economic bloc that will have a combined population of 125 million people and a total gross domestic product of 55 billion US dollars.

Though the 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time of a global financial and economic crisis whose effects have been felt not only in the Northern hemisphere but also here in the EAC region and other parts of Africa, the Conference will provide an opportunity to showcase the commitment and achievements of the Community as well as the potential it has to nurture and serve as a new hub of regional global trade and investments.

It is in this framework that we look forward to the successful 2nd East African Investment Conference which is being held under the appropriate theme , Invest in East Africa, Where Global Challenges are Opportunities. Among others, the Conference will focus its attention on creating a viable and vibrant regional economic bloc, and also addressing Non Tariff Barriers (NTBs) under the rubrics of entrenching a conducive investment climate.

The efforts of many individuals and institutions have gone into the realization of the Investment Conference and I thank them all for this major contribution which will promote our region as we step into a new era of greater competitiveness and achievement. In particular, I thank the government and people of Kenya for the warm welcome and hospitality extended to the delegates who will be attending the Conference from all parts of the world.

V. EAC REACHES OUT AS NEW HUB OF GLOBAL TRADE AND INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

– Major EA Investment Conference to be held in Nairobi, Kenya, 29th -31st July 2009 –

Introduction

The East African Community (EAC) is planning a major re-launch of its position in the global markets with an international investment conference that will be held in Nairobi on 29th – 31st July. Key to the event is the leveraging later this month of a regional bloc of 120 million people and a combined GDP of $ 57 billion, into a vibrant market and a new hub of global trade and investment opportunities.

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference, organized by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Business Council and the Investment Promotion Agencies of the EAC Partner States is expected to have an attendance of over 2000, representing key regional and international trade and investments actors, policy makers, business leaders, to review the investment outlook of the EAC region and discuss investment opportunities.

Conference focus

The Investment Conference will focus on major areas and key sectors of growth opportunity in banking and finance, manufacturing, agriculture and agro-processing, ICT, tourism and other hospitality industries; infrastructure and energy, especially hydro, geothermal, methane and natural gas; roads and railways. The Conference will feature plenary sessions and panel discussions as well as an international exhibition of products and services that will run parallel to the plenary sessions.

The EAC Investment Conference is an annual event that is held in rotation in the EAC Partner States since the inaugural one that was held in Kigali, Rwanda in June 2008. It is the premier forum for the EAC and the Partner States to promote the region as a single market and investment area. The inaugural event was successful, attended by all the five EAC Heads of State and brought together over 1200 participants from the region and the international community, attracting 15 countries from outside the region.

The 2nd EAC Investment Conference is therefore being held against the favourable background of the encouraging success and achievement of the inaugural Conference. It has incorporated vast improvements in terms of its organization, and expected levels of participation and impact. The EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Juma Mwapachu, has said the Investment Conference will project “a renewed determination to move the EAC region from a largely agriculture and primary produce economy to an industrial based economy and status of a middle income economy”.

With its theme, Invest in the EAC: Where Challenges are Opportunities, the 2nd EAC Investment Conference comes at a time when the global economy is experiencing a downturn unprecedented since the 1930s. It also happens that the Investment Conference is coming at a time when the EAC countries, along with a number of other African countries, are experiencing their strongest economic recovery since the 1980s.

Global context

The IMF predicts an overall 1.3% decline in global economic activity in 2010 particularly of the economies of the industrialized countries, while some of the EAC countries, and a number of African countries are projected to grow by between 5% and 7%. It is indeed a rare moment as they come in global development trends, however into the scenario, the EAC is determined to stake a claim and foster a strong economy and competitive business environment.

EAC is buoyed by the great interest and positive appreciation it is attracting among an international trade and investment community that is turning to East Africa where they perceive that a new, vibrant investments and trade platform is emerging. In August 2006, just over one year after the launch of the EAC Customs Union in January 2005, the EU delegation at the WTO meeting in Geneva declared that the EAC was “the most successful illustration of regional integration on the African continent”.

From Customs Union to Common Market

In its 5th year of implementation, the EAC Customs Union has realized a great stimulus on the region’s trade, investments and revenue earnings. On 1st July this year, Rwanda and Burundi, the new entrants, in 2007, into the EAC, acceded to the Customs Union. A few months to go, on 1st January 2010, the Customs Union will reach its threshold when goods imported from Kenya by other EAC Partner States will start attracting zero customs duty; and a fully fledged EAC Customs Union will spring forth.

The countdown to the full fledged EAC Customs Union has been systematic and fast paced, featuring mainly the phase down to zero tariff for Kenyan exports, elimination of non tariff barriers, strengthening the institutional framework for the Customs Union and promoting investment flows.

EAC joint trade negotiation

Already, EAC has put in place an export promotion strategy and the EAC Competition Act came into operation last February. In April 2008, the EAC launched the negotiations for the Common Market protocol and contrary to earlier fears that they would be bogged down or finally scuttled, the negotiations of the Common Market Protocol proceeded smoothly and swiftly. The stage is now set for finalization and signing of the Protocol in November 2009. The enactment of the EAC Trade Negotiations Act in 2008 came as a major breakthrough and boost to the EAC Partner States’ longstanding search for agreement to negotiate as a bloc in the multilateral trade fora.

In November 2007, EAC initialed the EAC-EU Framework Economic Partnership Agreement (FEPA). The negotiations of the economic partnership agreement (EPA) with the European Union (EU) are progressing well with the EAC negotiating as a bloc. EAC’s participation at the forefront of the Tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC Arrangement that seeks to establish a larger Free Trade Area and later Customs Union of 26 African countries, stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, has followed the same pattern of the EAC’s growing confidence in trade expansion.

Investment promotion

With this confidence and determination, during 2008/2009, EAC held or participated in a record number of major investments and trade promotion events. These included the small to medium scale industries in Kigali, the EAC Investment Conference in London, the 4th EAC Petroleum Conference in Mombasa, the EAC investment promotion in Canada and the 1st EAC/EABC Energy Conference in Dar es Salaam as well as the Berlin International Tourism Fair (ITB) and the London World Travel Market (WTM).

Strategic posture

The EAC economy prides itself of a strategic central location and link to the wider eastern and central African market, encompassing the Great Lakes Region, including the vast Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. This provides the region with a great growth and expansion potential with vast natural resources and great potential to transform into an area and space of peace, stability, economic opportunity and prosperity.

Based on this realization, EAC has steered a steady course to broaden its world outreach and outlook. Since concluding a Trade and Investment Framework Agreement (TIFA) with the USA in August 2008, EAC has stepped up the search for similar focused trade and investment arrangements with other strategic partners in the world markets, including India, China, Eastern Europe, Far East and Latin America.

Focus on infrastructure

Together with the trade promotion activities, EAC has focused on regional infrastructure development with a determination to get a number of regional infrastructure projects off the ground. Breakthroughs have been made in the implementation of the East African Road Network Project with the upgrading of the Arusha-Namanga- Athi River road, a vital regional link, which commenced in July 2008 and is expected to be completed in 2011.

Similar developments and breakthroughs were realized in the railways sub-sector. Although the concessions for the central railway line of Tanzania and the Kenya-Uganda Railway have faced challenges, the EAC Partner States are actively pursuing the implementation of the East African Railways Development Master Plan. The stage is now set for the development of the feasibility studies and preparations are underfoot for holding an East African Railways Investors’ Conference in the last quarter of 2009. The EAC Partner States have made substantial provisions for expenditures on the development of railways and other regional projects in their budgets of the current financial year.

Other developments in regional infrastructure development include ongoing harmonization of civil aviation safety and security regulations in the EAC under the EAC Civil Aviation Safety and Security Oversight Agency (CASSOA). In the area of communications, The East African Marine System (TEAMS) and the East African Sub Marine Cable System (EASSy), both projects being private sector-led are on course. The TEAMs Project is expected to be in service by end of 2009, while the EASSy network is expected to be ready for commercial service in 2010.

Conclusion towards food security and energy self sufficiency

To complete the picture of a region that has set its sights on a major turn round, the EAC has prioritized programmes in agriculture and food security; and the East African Power Master Plan under the current EAC Development Strategy (2006-2010).

The implementation of the EAC Agricultural and Rural Development Strategy will be launched this year. Agriculture is an area in which the EAC countries have significant comparative advantage and offers great scope for investments in food production to meet both domestic and export demand. The East African Power Master Plan, on the other hand, envisages energy sufficiency to support increased productivity and industrial development; and is a major underpinning of investments promotion in the region.

DIRECTORATE OF CORPORATE COMMUNICATIONS

EAC SECRETARIAT

ARUSHA

JULY 2009

– – –
from Leo Odera Omolo Jul 21
date Jul 21, 2009 7:17 AM
subject Fw: RE: COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak

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from Charles Mkula 5:32 am
date Jul 23, 2009 5:32 AM
subject US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak

US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak

By Charles Mkula

Lilongwe. The United States Government, through the Centers for
Disease Control (CDC), flown into Malawi five outbreak specialists to
work in Neno District, where an undiagnosed disease outbreak which has
so far killed 17 people since May.

Alison Liwanda, US Embassy Information Assistant said the specialists
are experts in environmental health and neurology and are working with
the Neno District Health Office to conduct a full investigation on the
outbreak.

The disease has affected 95 persons in the district in Malawi and 38
in neighbouring Tsangano District in Mozambique. Of the 17 deaths
reported nine have occured in Malawi, and eight in Mozambique.

According to eye witnesses, affected persons display unusual symptoms
with neurological complications. Patients admitted to hospital have
been treated with antibiotics and given supportive care including
rehydration.

The Malawi government earlier in the month sent blood samples for
initial laboratory and radiology examinations to South Africa, and
Zimbabwe but the results were not indicative of any specific illness.

New samples have now been sent to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC) in the USA for analysis, said Liwanda.

The Government of Malawi formally requested Epidemiological Aid
assistance from United States Government on July 15. Typically, the
CDC’s official response includes specialists in the relevant health
fields working with host country health officials to deal with
epidemiological investigation, diagnosis and laboratory support,
treatment and containment of the outbreak. The CDC works
collaboratively with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other
partners in country.

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Here we are on the ninth day since the attacks began on our site. The latest report is that the attacks are still sustained. Whilst a couple of days ago they were happening at a rate of 25 per minute, they have now subsided to 15 per minute.

What we have not been able to ascertain is, who is attacking us? Perhaps you the customer knows, perhaps you have heard one bragging about it. Or perhaps you have a good hunch. Please share with us who you think is doing it.

Thank you.
Jaluo.com
14 July 2009

Jaluo dot kom under cyber attack

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Dear esteemed readers of jaluo dot kom.
We are experiencing ciber attack since July 6th, 2009. We have therefore not been able to receive your mail or update our site accordingly. Please bear with us as we try to rectify the problem.

Thank you.
www.jaluo.com

Jaluo dot kom under cyber attack

SABA SABA 2009 MESSAGE

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A YES-YES REFERENDUM NOT PROSECUTIONS OF PEV SUSPECTS THE ROUTE TO KENYA’S NATIONAL SALVATION: A COMMUNIQUE TO THE NATION ON THE 19TH SABA SABA.

CYPRIAN NYAMWAMU

July 7, 2009 marks the 19th Saba-Saba. Saba Saba is the day to reflect on the reform Agenda and since 1997; NCEC has acted as the custodian of this important day in the reform agenda calendar. On this Saba Saba day I wish to share a perspective I have taken a year and half to develop. I am of the conviction that Kenya can only move forward if we have a sincere conversation on the future survival of the nation and its prosperity. We should lead ourselves out of the confusion and suffering that PNU and ODM have sunk us into. We can not get out of a perilous situation by being led by the same people who authored our downfall and by using the same methods we used to plunge into the conflict and slow disintegration of the nation that we are in today. Our nation should come to terms that PNU and ODM ran ethnic campaigns in 2007 and therefore committed the original sin. I do not agree that Kenya can rescue and renew itself by using mechanisms like the local tribunal or The Hague (ICC), the National Cohesion Commission, boundaries commission, and most of the placebo mechanisms that are being touted in the republic today. I even find the Obama-Annan recommendations ill informed. In fact they will not work.

We made a major mistake last year when we agreed to give the PNU and ODM a 5-Year license to plunder the nation. The National Convention Executive Council (NCEC) recommended to the Civil society Congress and the Annan mediation process that Kenya should have a transitional arrangement for only 2 years after which a fresh election would be conducted for Kenyans to elect a clean, lean, effective, accountable and responsive (CLEAR) government. It is only such a government that can facilitate reforms, reconstruction and reconciliation.

The Americans and the Europeans wanted coalition government for 5 years. Some Ambassadors started to act as if they were more interested in Kenya’s success more than Kenyans themselves. They even said that the size of the government was not important. On forming a bloated cabinet that is top-heavy with corrupt politicians, we were not going to have an accountable, effective and responsive government and consequently we logically resigned ourselves to five years of plunder, corruption, poverty, elite enrichment and missed opportunity for reforms, reconstruction and reconciliation. The National Accord government took away the incentives for reforms. That is why the reform agenda is stuck in the mud.
Ambassador Johnnie Carson’s proposals are therefore unrealistic and un-researched. The Grand coalition shall not deliver on the National Accord next year or indeed in the coming years. Why? The simple explanation is that the assumptions of the National Accord are simply flawed. The Assumptions of the National Accord are that; Kenya is a cohesive nation, with functioning institutions, and that there is a leadership called “Principals” that supersedes ethnicity, the patronage system and that overrides their corrupt parties and their kitchen cabinets. It is also assumed that there exists a leadership in civil society and in the religious and business and professional sectors that has the ability to seriously sanction the thugs who “trouble the Principals” in their pursuit of national interest. These assumptions are false. The two principals do not care about the country and its future. The only thing they care about is their wealth and power. The maneuvers we see in Parliament, in their Political Parties, cabinet and in the countryside are all about their wealth and power. The APRM report that preceded the National Accord made it clear what Kenya’s Achilles heels are and specifically found out that Kenya does not have a transformative leadership.

When the Kofi Annan Foundation invited me to represent the National Civil society Congress in Geneva at a forum to assess how far Kenya had come in implementing the National Accord, I kept away. I asked myself this question: What can the parley in Geneva achieve for Kenya without a cohesive democratic movement at home that shall take the responsibility for leading Kenya to peace, justice, cohesion and progress? It was my view then and it still is that we are like a person who is in denial trying to be superstitious about reforms and ending impunity in Kenya. So we do not interrogate the assumptions upon which we want to carry out reforms and transform the nation. So we keep doing a thing or two hoping that the Lord will touch Kibaki and Raila to change their motives of power and wealth and work for the national interest. It is the reason we have failed to get a new constitution for twenty years and it is the attitude that will finally lead us to greater suffering.

I am of the view that we should set in place a national democratic Process with the following components;
A Democratic Dialogue Facilitator (DDF) should be set up to spearhead the process. A Multi-sectoral Council in the form of a National Convention of Kenyans who have demonstrated their steward credentials would be competent to play this role.
Center line issues and principles should be articulated and agreed upon. We should outline the expected outcomes of the process upfront so that every one is assured that they will not be destroyed and shattered; issues such as how land should be reformed to address issues of land ownership and historical injustices should be addressed upfront by the DDF. We must assure the current ruling class that they will not face assured destruction when it is found through a TJRC process that they have sponsored the violation of rights and economic crimes in the past. If we do not assure these guys that the worst they shall suffer is to be denied the right to hold public office, we will never make progress because they will never let Kenya reform and be free. We will never be a free nation. The fact that we never dealt with the Kenyatta and Moi years of atrocities and violations has led to the current situation where Moi and the Kenyatta era politicians are the ones in control of the state and the future of Kenya. If we do not negotiate with them, this country will never be transformed and it will never know peace, justice nor prosperity. In Poland, the Solidarity movement had to assure the then communist era President that his future was secure for him to initiate talks with the Solidarity Movement. Right now Kenya’s future is important than get some ten or twenty guys jailed or hanged especially when these guys are in office today. Democratic transitions have never been secured using the Kenyan model that has failed for twenty years. Zimbabwe seems to do better because of gaining credible advice from experts in democratic transition management which seems to lack in Kenya.

Identifying the Referee of the negotiations is necessary. Without a competent team that acts as referee, parliament, the executive and tribunals shall lead the country into adversarial contests that will never give Kenya a chance to dialogue.

Audit of skills for the work of the National Democratic process is important so that where there is need for international expertise, this should be planned for.

The referees and the DDF should begin by outlining the fears of the powerful interests and aspirations and grievances of the excluded citizens and citizens’ groups including ethnic groups.
The DDF should Schedule the process of moving forward so that the what and the How is planned appropriately. For me the what entails five tasks in this order;
a)Constitution reforms process
b)A fresh elections
c)TJRC
d)Institutional reforms
e)Delivery on the development agenda for Kenya’s prosperity under a legitimate government.

Once the schedule of work is agreed upon, laying the negotiating table that is inclusive becomes the next important step to ensure that the schedule work is delivered upon. The constitution review process should be moved from the strangle-hold of Parliament to a Constituent Assembly or a Multi-sectoral forum. The reason we failed in 2005 is because parliament controlled the content and process of review. What have we improved on in this process? We have not improved the process but instead made it more elitist and exclusive to the guys in power. The ruling class has not intention to have a dialogue with the people of Kenya but to monopolize the state and the political process with a sense of entitlement that reeks of cynicism and contempt for the Kenyan nation. So long as the Committee of Experts is headed to handing over its work to parliament, this process shall expectedly turn awry and therefore fail. Should we wait until we fail to know this? How come we are a country that believes that the same people who drove Kenya into the hole shall pull us out of it?

The DDF must ensure that there is cessation of war- because wars are persistently raging;
Between the people and people
People and the state
State terrorism is evident all over Kenya

Insecurity threats posed by Kenya’s neighbours should also be factored into the National Democratic Process.

Financing the negotiations: Who pays for the National Democratic Project? Who pays for the work of the DDF, the referees, the Laid-table of negotiations; the activities, research and intellectual resources that shall go into the process? If it is the tax payers then the law should empower the DDF and the referees to access these resources in a manner that Parliament and the Executive do not use resources to stifle the reform agenda.

I am of the view that we should put aside the prosecution of post election perpetrators from the national Agenda for now. Kenya missed the opportunity to nail the guys who sponsored the crimes against humanity in the wake of the discredited 2007 presidential election when the ceasefire document junked electoral truth and electoral justice. The day the Kriegler Commission declared that we did not know who won the last election we reinforced the logic of the National Accord which was that we better have a government and restore peace rather than pursue the truth and justice for the victims. We went on to give the guys five years in office even as we did not know who had won the election. Where do we stand now to ask these guys to remove each other from power and dispatch bits of the gang that committed the original sin to a local tribunal and or to The Hague? We must as a nation craft a new Roadmap and end the syndrome of issuing one another with ultimatums that we know no one is going to respect. We must stop step down the demand activity and map out a strategy for enhancing the supply side of reforms, reconstructions and reconciliation.

We should know when we have missed an opportunity and be brutally honest with ourselves as a nation. Moi is still roaming the country unperturbed even with reports full in stores showing his regime perpetrated crimes against humanity for decades. I am clear in my mind that Kenya is a failing state that is captured by cynical interests that will rather all institutions collapse rather than them losing advantage to power and wealth. These are the men and women we want to give the opportunity to spearhead the process of transforming the state. With Wako, Ali, Saitoti, Muthaura and other high ranking officials remaining in office and the culture of impunity remaining entrenched in all facets of public life in Kenya; the Tribunal shenanigans shall at best be used to fertilize politics of succession and nothing more than that.

Kenya should instead proceed as follows;

a.Prepare two constitutional proposals and hold a YES-YES referendum next year. One of the drafts should establish a Parliament system of government and the other a Presidential system of government. As a nation, we should avoid the route of a hybrid system where we have an elected president and a Prime-minister who heads government or coordinates it. This proposal is only to ensure that the country does not fix its fundamental governance problem of lack of accountability, blurred separation of powers and weak checks and balances. The drafts should avoid all the policy issues that can be outlined in ordinary legislation or left to political party manifestos. These include issues such as chapters and provisions on culture, the environment and issues of reproductive health. Parliament should therefore be guided by the political parties to amend the Constitution of Kenya Review Act to provide for a YES-YES referendum to provide an opportunity for the nation to make a clear break with the current constitutional dispensation.

b.The Democratic Dialogue Facilitator (DDF) should ensure that a fresh election is held next year on the basis of the new constitution. All those who have been named in various reports since independence including the Mwangale, Akiwumi, Goldenberg, Anglo-leasing, Nyayo torture Chambers reports, the Ndung’u Land report, the PAC and PIC reports, the Artur brothers report, the Kriegler and the Waki reports (including those in the envelope) should not run be permitted to run in that election. At least Kenyans should be urged to reject these saboteurs who have hurt our nation for so long with impunity.

c.Upon the passage of a new constitution, Kenya should operationalize its Truth, justice and Reconciliation Commission next year so that we can bring to the surface the Truth about our past and document this truth so that we do not repeat this tragic and heinous legacy. Justice must be given to the victims who suffered violations and historical injustices must be addressed so that we come together as one nation as we move forward to the future. This is the only viable strategy to national cohesion and healing that Kenya needs more than anything else. As President Kagame advise recently

d.The new government should implement policies that address Kenya’s governance priorities outlined in the National Accord. Particularly, the new government should ensure that a progressive National Budget is prepared that ensures a 60% allocation to the development budget and 40% to the recurrent budget. These resources should be invested in the citizens to ensure that each of the regional governments delivers services to the people to address the regional inequalities, food poverty and lack of infrastructure and power that is required to revolutionize economic performance.

These steps are important to save the Kenyan nation from disintegrating. These assignments can be accomplished if a National Convention is convened by men and women of good will who enjoy wide respect among the people of Kenya. These men and women include the following Pheroze Nowrojee, Njeri Kabeberi, Mwalimu Mati, Muthoni Wanyeki, Kepta Ombati, Willy Mutunga, Betty Murungi, John Githongo, PLO Lumumba, Gladwell Otieno, Ann Njogu, Ndung’u Wainaina, Bethuel Kiplagat, Rev. Bishop Korir, Abdullahi Abdi, Yash Ghai, Mwambi Mwasaru, Hussein Khalid, Tirop Kitur, Paul Muite, Onyango Oloo, Kithure Kindiki, Khalif Khelefa, Gacheke Gachihi, Caro Ruto, Joshua Nyamori, Davinder Lamba, Duncan Okello, Maina Kiai, Rev. Timothy Njoya, Collins Odote, Okoiti Omtatah, Matunda Nyanchama, Hassan Omar, Vimal Shah among others.

The National Convention Assembly should see to it that all democratic forces participate in the process of delivering the National Democratic Agenda of ensuring democratic governance presided over by democratic leaders, establishing and ensuring democratic institutions and entrenching a democratic culture in Kenya. September this year is an appropriate time for convening the National Convention Assembly where in the words of our fallen comrade and Panafricanist Tajudeen Abdul-Raheem we may stop agonizing and start organizing seriously.

– – –
Date: Mon, 6 Jul 2009 02:59:01 -0700 [07/06/2009 04:59:01 AM CDT]
From: orina Nyamwamu
Subject: SABA SABA 2009 MESSAGE

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

4 Replies

Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 04:30:27 -0700
From: Yona Fares Maro
Subject: AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

As you embark on your maiden visit (in your capacity as President of the United States of America) to Africa, the most exploited continent on earth, I am prompted to address this correspondence to your Office in the believe that your attention will somewhat be focused on African issues in the course of your brief sojourn through our continent.

The President

United States of America

White House

Washington D.C.

Mr. Barack Obama,

Dear Mr. President,

CALL FOR A MARSHALL PLAN FOR AFRICA TO CONFRONT THE MOTHER-OF-ALL- SCOURGES ON THE AFRICAN CONTINENT “OFFICIAL CORRUPTION”, AND FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERNATIONAL CORRUPTION CRIMES COURT

Prime motivation to pen this correspondence emanates from the pivotal role your country has played, is playing and can play in global affairs.. I admit to being further emboldened to write this letter by the fact that whilst your opponents in your quest to secure the mandate to lead your country had embarked on presidential campaigns, you had initiated a global movement for change predicated on the pillars of justice, equity, solidarity and sustainability.

I must confess to being further prompted to write you following the realization that the only mention tour made of Africa in your groundbreaking address at Cairo University, Egypt was:

Around the world, we can turn dialogue into interfaith service, so bridges between peoples lead to action — whether it is combating malaria in Africa, or providing relief after a natural disaster.

I was worried this was indicative of a further continuation of the stereotyped thinking in the west of seeing Africa only in terms of its diseases!

Let me at this juncture refresh your mind on the usual pattern of visits of U.S. Presidents to sub-Saharan African countries, a pattern that I am hoping your scheduled visit will detour from:

i.) President gets inundated with dire and gory data on HIV/AIDS, Malaria, TB, Cholera, civil wars, blood diamonds, blood oil and a litany of other woes besetting countries in the continent.

ii.) Economic experts from the Bretton Woods institutions and their hangers-on will harp on the inevitability of more loans and aids as the panacea for the continents development.

iii.) White House protocol officers will ensure that all ingredients (including water) which Mr. President may consume/ingest in the course of his stay in Africa is parked into Air Force 1

iv.) In the African country to be visited, preparations will basically be in the form of fresh coats of paints on buildings where the U.S. leader will waltz through, filling potholes on the routes the U.S. Presidential convoy will transverse and commandeering traditional dance troupes to entertain the august visitor. (I believe U.S. presidents who have visited Kenya ,Nigeria and some other African countries in the past would have fainted if they ever had an inkling as to the scandalously over exaggerated contracts for mom-essentials, such as toilet papers, miniature flags, which their brief visits allowed corrupt state officials an opportunity to milk the treasury)

v.) At the end of the, at times 12 hour or maximum 24 hour visit, grand proclamations on HIV/AIDS, cholera, hunger and other scourges will be made, bilateral (or to be more apt, unilateral agreements will be signed, the content of which in most cases the African ruler signing either has no idea whatsoever or is ignorant of the implications thereof. Usually such agreements leave the African country visited more exploited and the citizenry thereof further pauperized.

Will your visit be different? I certainly believe and hope so. My believe is predicated on your antecedents, pronouncements on equity and your reference in your inauguration speech to stand with oppressed people wherever they might be in the world and my hope is based on the projection that the west will begin to appreciate that good governance and prosperity in African countries is not inversely proportional to the well-being of western societies.

The Problem:

The purpose of this correspondence is not to gloss over or diminish the implications on the peoples and States of Africa of the various scourges plaguing the continent, rather, I seek to draw attention to the need to frontally confront the causative scourge of all other scourges (what you may refer to as the mother of all scourges) – Corruption.

Corrupt and kleptomaniac rulers have been foisted and perpetuated on African countries (usually by forces outside the continent) for the past couple of decades, thus giving rise to the plethora of problems plaguing the continent, particularly countries in sub-Saharan Africa.

It has not been by coincidence that visionary leaders of African countries who tried to move their individual countries in the path of development did not last long in Office (usually overthrown in coups instigated from outside Africa) whilst rulers whose sole purpose was to further pauperize their peoples and mortgage the collective future of their countries seem able to last for seeming eternities with a strangle hold on their countries. The flourish and red-carpet receptions accorded to some of these despicable dictators when they visit western nations tend to give credence to their sources of power.

Consequences of Corruption

The effect or consequences of corruption on emerging economies have been well researched and documented. I will strive to succinctly state these effects:

i. Every dollar stolen by the ruler of an African country and his cohorts and dumped outside of the country in question, usually into a western country (Bank, Real Estate, Stocks or in any other way) directly amounts to one dollar less in the sum available in the African country in question, to alleviate poverty, provide public infrastructure and general good governance.

ii. Poverty, absence of public infrastructure in core areas such as health, education, transportation, communication and so on and bad governance directly give rise to the myriad of scourges plaguing the African countries, such as HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Polio, TB and so forth.

iii. The inequalities generated by corruption lead to political instability, civil strife and ultimately, wars; whilst the impunity conferred by wanton corruption facilitates an environment of lawlessness and abuse of fundamental rights.

In a nutshell, corruption is bad and corrupt leadership has been the bane of African countries.

It is thus easily discernible how concerted international action against corruption will translate, near-instantaneously, into progress and development for African countries.

Beneficiaries of and Losers to corruption:

In tackling official corruption in Africa, it is important to know the major characters in the illicit and lethal practice so that from the very onset, one disabuses his thinking from the age-old clichés (such as they are Africans “ they are corrupt) which have often time served to obviate the real instigators and beneficiaries of corruption in Africa.

Two prime beneficiaries of official corruption in Africa are

a. The corrupt government official, his immediate family and associates-in- corruption. Foreign countries invest in foisting corrupt and kleptomaniac rulers on African countries with the sole aim of reaping from the fall-out, in terms of proceeds of corruption being invested in the said foreign country.. The more resources an African country has, the greater the level of foreign interest in foisting corrupt rulers. Rulers preferred by such foreign countries are usually of low IQ and ironically have a penchant to pursue academic qualifications after departing Office, if they do so alive, and

b. The recipient of looted funds in the western country “banks, real estate agents and stockbrokers and co. These are the real and ultimate beneficiaries of looted funds from Africa. These supposedly erudite professionals encourage corrupt ignorant leaders from Africa, to deposit looted funds in 58-digit secret accounts (the numbers are known only to the looter and his foreign collaborator) or purchase properties and assets by proxies. Upon the demise of the corrupt official, neither the African country from whence the funds were looted nor the immediate families of the late corrupt official, have any idea where the loot is. The foreign collaborator(s) walks home with the looted funds intact!

Two losers to corruption in Africa are:

a. The people of the continent who are forced to live in subhuman conditions devoid of the basics of modern existence, a condition that is making otherwise proud, peace-loving, hardworking, vice shunning populations amenable to all manner of atrocities ranging from substance and human trafficking, religious extremism, bone-chilling war crimes and many more vices, and

b. The African continent suffers, at times irreparably and irreversibly, in the areas of environmental degradation, non-sustainable exploitation of mineral and natural resources..

The African Situation:

Is the situation in African countries hopeless? How can a continent blessed with abundant mineral and natural resources, peopled by vibrant, energetic and amiable populations and upon which the elements are kind (no monsoons, earthquakes, heat waves, tsunamis or snowstorms) continually serve as a drawback to global progress? Statistics available at the United Nations indicate that minus Africa, the world made tremendous progress in all facets of development (using the millennium development goals {MDGs} as a parameter). Add Africa to the equation and the global average in all indices of development falls into the negative.

The Way Forward

Mr. President, Sir, a three pronged approach is hereby suggested.

a. A Marshall Plan for Africa

b. Establishment of an international Corruption Crimes Court (ICCC)

c. Unmasking financial safe-havens “the so called offshore banking and privacy policies of some western banks, and

d. Good governance

A.A Marshall Plan for Africa

Statistics available at the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime indicate that corrupt African rulers and their cronies have stolen sums in excess of U.S. $ 2 Trillion out of Africa in the past 50years. This figure is corroborated by projections from other independent sources and civil society organizations. The share size of the sum involved makes ones senses spin with indignation as to what level of progress and development the same sum if well utilized for and in Africa would have generated and wondering how such sums would have transformed African prospects and landscape.

The devastation caused on Africa by decades of wanton official corruption is what we are witnessing in Africa today. Large-scale malnourishment affecting the human intellect and psyche, physical degradation of mankind, diseases flourish in abundance and cohabit with humans, near total absence of infrastructures, breakdown of age-old societal norms and cultures, debasement of humanity amongst others. The list is endless.

More graphically, the scars of the several cavil wars fought in Africa and the millions who died as a result of preventable diseases, coupled with the several millions barely existing due to excruciating poverty and want, further crystallize the impact of corruption on Africa and the African.

The enormity of the problems posed by official corruption in Africa is definitely beyond what can be left to Africans alone to tackle. Official corruption in Africa is a behemoth sin of international dimensions and thus requiring concerted international action to tackle.

My call for a Marshall Plan for Corruption in Africa is borne out of the example set by the allied forces after the destruction meted out to Germany, Japan and other loser nations after World War II (WWII).

In response to the devastation caused by WWII, allied countries, led by your United States, deemed it fit to commit several billion Dollars in rebuilding Germany, in the process transforming Germany into the power house of Europe and a mega player in global economy. Similar acts of magnanimity were extended to Japan and other countries devastated by WWII.

It is without doubt that if Germany, Japan and countries in similar conditions had been left to pick up (by themselves) from the shambles into which they had been bombed during WWII, it would have taken these countries nearly till eternity to join the rest of humanity in development.

Countries in African are at best in a similar position to what Germany was in 1945, but I believe in reality, far worse. We sure do deserve some form of Marshall Plan! Left to combat official corruption on their own, it will take African countries all of eternity and more to climb out of the vicious circle.

Specifics of the Marshall Plan for Africa

A. Using existing domestic statutes in western countries and relevant international treaties and conventions (which laws are presently used to confiscate proceeds from illegal transactions in illicit substances, money laundering and other nefarious activities), the bulk of proceeds of official corruption in Africa can be identified and recovered from the criminals who stashed same away in western countries.

B. Proceeds from assets derived from corrupt origins in Country in Africa but recovered from Country in say Europe will be returned to country and used to fund specific pre-determined development projects in. Such that properties confiscated from a Mobutu Sese Seko in France will be returned to fund specific projects in Zaire; and that from a Sani Abacha in Switzerland will likewise go to Tanzania.

C. The recipient country in Africa will be required to have a list of fundable projects to be funded by repatriated loot.

D. Authorities of the recipient country in Africa in collaboration with authorities of the repatriating country will decide on which projects will be funded with repatriated loot.

E. Reasonable administrative costs borne by repatriating country in the entire transaction will be deducted from the looted funds prior to repatriation.

B. International Corruption Crimes Court (ICCC) {Enforcement Mechanism}:

To serve as a deterrent to budding or existing corrupt rulers in Africa, it is proposed that either the mandate of the International Criminal Court (ICC) be interpreted or expanded to encapsulate corruption offences/practices, or an independent International Corruption Crimes Court (ICCC) be established (with powers, scope and authority similar to the existing International Criminal Court) to prosecute and punish corrupt rulers and their collaborators whose acts of corruption has lead and continues to lead to massive humanitarian crisis in African countries

Going by what it causes, its adverse impact on societies and the implications for generations in the localities where it reigns supreme, Corruption is at the very least a crime against humanity! With more detailed scrutiny, it qualifies also as a war crime!

C. Unmasking Financial Safe Havens- so called off-shore banking:

For too long, the world has tolerated so called privacy policies and privacy banking laws of some banking institutions and countries. These policies and laws merely serve to provide safe havens to launder monies gotten from spurious origins (usually proceeds of corruption, drug trafficking and other illicit activities).

Countries where such privacy policies and laws reign pride themselves in supposedly respecting customer confidentiality “very much like the Sicilian Mafia gangs have omerta, an unwritten unbreakable law on silence. These policies shield and provide refuge for corrupt rulers of African countries who have robbed their countries blind. These banking policies and laws (in the countries where they operate) have become the major factor fostering public sector finance corrupt practices in Africa as they provide the rulers and their cohorts with two essential elements to steal, invincibility and safe retirement.

Would the world tolerate a safe haven for terrorists and persons indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court? Definitely not! I also believe that the world should not tolerate a safe haven for persons who loot public treasury anywhere in the world or whose acts of corruption has led to humanitarian crisis, conflict, dehumanization of populations and reducing peoples to lives of misery and abject poverty.

I congratulate your Government on the landmark actions taken thus far against the Swiss banking giant, UBS Group, which will ultimately lead to the unmasking of citizens of your country who have hid under Swiss banking laws and the privacy policy of the USB Group to defraud the American state of billions of dollars in taxes.

May I however remind you, Mr. President that restricting the benefits of the United States actions against just the Swiss USB Group or to U.S. citizens alone will only provide loopholes to be exploited to obviate the intendments of successes attained thus far. The benefits of the actions against the Swiss USB Banking group must be translated to have global relevance for any meaningful sustainable effect.

International pressure, including sanctions must be applied on countries that provide safe banking haven for corrupt rulers from Africa. Such pressure and sanctions must be maintained until such countries retrace their positions and join the rest of civilized mankind in tackling corruption.

D. Good governance and tackling corruption:

Inextricably linked to the issue of tackling corruption in countries in the African continent is the issue of good governance. Rulers whose assent to power was via corrupt means can hardly be expected not to be corrupt; as such rulers are in reality a personification of corruption

I believe you will resolutely let corrupt rulers who abound in the African continent know and realize that the United States will not be a sanctuary for those who have made their peoples refugees on their own home land,

Is this a call for the recolonization of Africa?

NO!

Save for the call for an International Corruption Crimes Court (ICCC) or the expansion of the mandate of the ICC, all other characteristics of the proposed Marshall Plan for Africa are not really distant from what currently obtains. In all African countries, there are a plethora of projects funded by developmental partners (The United Nations and its agencies, such as the World Bank, the European Union, the Commonwealth of Nations, the United States and sundry European countries).

The basic difference between what is proposed and what already exists is that in place of the present Loans or Aid Monies used to fund such projects, repatriated loot will fund such developmental projects. In addition, I had factored in some measures to cover the loophole exploited by corrupt officials in Tanzania in our immediate past government which led to the re-looting of funds recovered from a previous corrupt ruler.

Is this feasible?

Very much so!

All it requires is the political will of the western nations, of which yours, Mr. President, is an influential part of. The political will and foresight not to only treat African countries as beggarly dependent nations ruled by criminals but as potential partners in development.

Also critical in attaining the intendments in the Marshall Plan for Africa as proposed is erasing the mindset that seem to found present day international development collaboration “ an innate fear amongst technocrats in western economies that if Africa were ever to get its acts together, the wealth of the west will diminish “ a we-are-richer- because-we- make-you- poorer mentality.

If a Marshall Plan did work for Germany and much of Europe in the period after the WWII, it sure can work for Africa in the 21st century.

Can you, President Barack Obama, initiate and see to the implementation of a Marshall Plan for Africa as proposed, or something akin thereto? YES YOU CAN, and should

Can the rest of the world, particularly countries in Africa, support the Marshall Plan for Africa? YES WE CAN and we will!

Please remain assured of my high regards and respects

Yours truly,

*YONA F MARO

DAR ES SALAAM , TANZANIA

NB:

i. Some countries in Africa, particularly mine, Tanzania, have expressed indignation that you will be sidestepping them in your maiden visit to Africa. Not coming to some of them now, particularly Tanzania is a wise decision. Most governments expressing such outrage came into Office in bracingly corrupt manners witnessed by local and international election monitors and observers and in express disapproval of the citizens over whom they preside. Visiting such countries, at this onset, would have negated your vow in your inaugural address to stand by oppressed people wherever they might be. When we do begin to get our acts together in Tanzania , then surely you must have to come over and have a feel of the proverbial giant in the sun.

ii. Mr. President, Sir, I would like to finally point out that in writing the letter, I am not under the delusion that the contents of this letter will receive any greater understanding because it is from an African to the first African-American President. Far from it, I know that by your parentage, you are as white as you are black (no pun intended) and that by your upbringing, following from available records, you are actually more white than black. I however expect to get objective rationalization of the ideas propounded herein because I am writing to a man who has shown, thus far in his presidency of the world’s largest economy and bastion of democratic precepts, that he is willing to differ from age-old stereotypes that have tended to serve the interest of a few against the aspirations of million, a man who can thread previously inconceivable paths in his quest for truth and justice and a man who is ever willing to extend a hand of friendship where others who were before him built on inexplicable divisions.

Have a nice day, Mr. President.

My call to all Africans

This is the type of campaign that will liberate Africa, especially Tanzania. Tanzanians should saturate White House switch-board (before Obama flies out to Africa) with phone calls and bombard the place with postcards urging the President to be tougher on African corrupt politicians and leadership. We should also embolden him to speak out more forcefully like he’s doing on Iran today. Africans needs Freedom and Liberty, not just the Iranians or the Iraqi’s or the Afghans.

We have in Africa, a situation where a tiny minority is holding the future of majority Hostage, Leaders with no conscience who stole their people’s dreams and disappears. Heartless souls who continue to live in the 20th Century……

Please, in any form, by any means necessary, let your voice be heard before the President visits the continent next month.

YONA F MARO ,

DAR ES SALAAM , TANZANIA

—
Yona Fares Maro
I.T. Specialist and Digital Security Consultant

DISCONTENT AND TENSION IS LOOMING IN NYANZA OVER NEW DISTRICTS

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DISCONTENT AND TENSIONS ARE BUILDING UP BETWEEN THE ADMIISTRATION AND NYANZA RESIDENTS OVER THE NEW DISTRICTS.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The Provincial Administration in Nyanza Province is embroiled in a tricky situation to resolve the tension packed protests by the region’s resident over the newly, created new administrative districts.

The main cause of the looming troubles varies, but principally the main one is the scramble for the places where the new district headquarters would be established. And also the names of the new administration outposts as the inter-clan rivalries are said to be building up everywhere.

Early this tear, President Mwai Kibaki upgraded several parliamentary constituencies and granted those areas new district status. Among them were Uriri, Kuria East, Mbita, Ndhiwa, Gwassi, Ugenya, Nyakach, Kisumu West, Nyatike North Rachuonyo.

Kuria East was hived out of the original Kuria district, which has its administrative headquarters at Kihancha,and a market center called Igonga was gazette as the place where the new district headquarters would be established.

The new Kuria East district is the home of the two warring sub-clans, namely Buirege and Nyabansi. Igonga is a marketplace or a trading centre located on the side of the Nyabansi sub-clan. The opposite sub-clan could not accept their new district headquarters being established at Igonga. They took up arms and launched a full scale inter sub-clan skirmishes, which has so far claimed dozens of life.

The most intriguing question is the geographical reality. Each of the two sub-clan have their cousins living across the Kenya-Tanzania border. And each of these battle hardened two sub-clans summoned their cousins across the border to come and beef up support in the battle front. Those relatives who crossed the border from Tanzania came armed with modern weapons like guns and the area bled to the ground.

The local politicians who were suspected to have incited the two sub-clan to go into full scale war were nowhere to bring any help. Law and order, however, was restored a week ago after the government dispatched the crack anti riot police unit, the General Service Unit {GSU}.

The entire Kuria has only one member of Parliament, Dr. Walter Machage, who at one time was a full cabinet Minister in the Kibaki administration, but was surprisingly relegated to a junior position of an Assistant Minister in the same cabinet, a move which was to the chagrins of his constituents, mostly those in Kuria West, which his home region. But the demotion was celebrated in Kuria East, which is the bedrock of his political rivals. The MP went quiet for some time and only half-heartedly appeared to the scene after the government has already crushed the rebellion.

It is only in Rachuonyo district where the split of the district into two, namely Rachuonyo South and North seemed to be going on smoothly. The district had its original headquarters based at Koseloe Market, which stands right on the boundary between Karachuonyo and Kasipul-Kabondo, but which is technically in Konyango area of Kasipul-Kabondo. This will now require the new Rachuonyo North district to establish its new headquarters at Kendu-Bay, while the Rachunyo South remain housed in the old building at Kosele. Though there are few voices suggesting that it be moved to either Oyugis or Ringa, but those voices are in minority.

In Uriri, a new district, which was hived out of Rongo district, has some local leaders gone as far as moving to the High Court in Nairobi seeking for the court’s nullification of Uriri Centre as the new district headquarters. The tug-of-war is between the indigenous Jo-Kanyamkago and the consortium of immigrant communities, which include the Maragolis, Luhyas, Subas and Luo from many other bigger sub-clans stretching from Siaya ,Rachuoyo, Rarieda and Suba district. They all settled in Uriri, making the area a true cosmopolitan in the real sense of the word.

The born of contention is the name Uriri itself. The name originated from South Gem in Siaya district, where many immigrants from Gem crossed the Lake Victoria and came with the name and settled Uriri . But the indigenous Jo-Kanyamkago want that alien name to be scrap.

The area MP, Cyprian Ojuwang’Omolo appear to be not of much help. It is being alleged that he has sided himself with the immigrant communities, and support the idea of having the new district headquarters established at Uriri Centre. This is on the ground that there is already a government land, which is said to be ,measuring about 24 acres. This space is sufficient for the establishment of a district headquarters with all the departmental extensions which comes with it.

The Assistant Minister for Internal Security Hon Joshua Orwa Ojode, when told by this writer of the complaints of the indigenous Jo-Kanyamkago sub-clan, which is arguably the majority of the resident, replied casually, “Why did they accepted the constituency to be called Uriri in the first place?”

The indignant Jo-Kanyamkago want the headquarters to remain at the Rapogi Divisional headquarters, where there is a well established office, which was constructed by the local residents on Harambee basis about ten years ago, wirh a modern house, which used to accommodate the district Office. But Rapogi has no more free land space. The office in question is constructed inside a disused old quarry, on a piece of land which was donated by Ex-Councilor Owino Odeny, who is understood to be readily wiling to donate more land free of-charge, in collaboration with two other potential donors.

Sources privy to the goings have revealed that even the land on which the DO’s Office stands has its title deed kept by an individual, and not in the custody of the government. The surrounding villages crowding around Rapogi Market are RCM Mission, St Joseph Rapogi Secondary School, Rapogi Mixed Primary School and therefore making it difficult for the government to get more free land for extension of its offices and other facilities.

But arguably, Rapogi would be an ideal place for the new district headquarters because it is centrally situated and would cater for the residents adequately, unlike Uriri, which is very close to Migori Town. It is quiet inside the newly created Nyatike district. The area comprises only two major sub-clans of Jo-Kadem and jo-Karungu, with a few immigrant communities living among the two dominant sub-clans, which are inter-related or cousins, and the descendants of Onyango Rabala.

The residents of Nyatike are expected to agree unanimously for the new district headquarter to be established at Macalder, where there is plenty of land and ultra modern buildings, which were in 1962 abandoned by the owners of the former Macalder Gold and copper Mines ltd. The mine was closed in 1962 shortly before Kenya attained her political independence in 1962. This is the place where the current Nyatike Division is based. Other Divisions are Sori-Karungu and Muhuru-bay.

The government, especially the Provincial Administration in Nyanza, will have to cope up with the tension charged new Gwassi district and perhaps put in place new ideas on how to handle the tension which is rapidly building up between the Gwassi and Kaksingiri sub-clans. The two sub-clans of the Luo-Abasuba, though not inter-related, are locked in bitter argument whether the new district headquarters should be established at Magunga in Central Gwassi, where the Gwassi Division is housed or the headquarters should remained at its present site in Gingo ne Sindo Town.

Gingo was previously gazetted as the Suba district headquarters. There stands the offices of the County Council of Suba, an ultra modern hospital, other government building and nurses and doctor quarters. Before it was gazette, close to 5,000 families were evicted out of their ancestral land compensated with millions of shillings. under the land acquisition laws. All those whose land plots were acquired by the government were the Jo-Kakisingiri people. But within only ,a couple of years, this particular sub-clan is told that the new district has already been gazette to be established at Magunga. Physiologically one can understand their anger, which has raised the political temperature of the are to a boiling point of provoking war cries.

The MP for Gwassi Hon John Mbadi himself hails from Gwassi, and he is being accused by the Kakisngiri people of sabotaging the original plan where the new administrative headquarters should be established. This, they said, is after the leaders meeting held in Mbita town had resolved that Gingo remain the new district headquarters, and it is the new D.C who should move to Mbita Town.

Inmost cases, the present crops of Luo MPs stand accused of applying double standard by trying to please all sides of the grieved sub-clans for vote getting purposes, and not telling any iota of truth.

In Mbita district, the residents of the two major islands, Rusinga and Mfangano want the new Mbita district called Suba North ,while Gwassi district be called Suba South, and there is likely to be a big-tug-of war. The Mbita MP Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ is said to have rushed to Nairobi and had the new district gazette to the chagrins of the islanders. Kajwang’ is the Immigration and Registration of persons Minister in the grand coalition government.

Kajwang’ had good reasons to neutralize the islanders. This is because he narrowly escaped what could have been his first election defeat in 2007. It took the intervention of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to prevail on Wakiaga , which according to reliable sources was full of coercion and threats.

Other theories which are making the round is that Raila is not comfortable with anybody who hails from Rusinga Island due to old grudge of political and ideological battle between his late father Jaramogi Odinga Odinga and the late Mr. Tom Mboya, though Wakiaga and Mboya are not related as such. But such rumors may have some elements of credibility due to Raila’s behaviors towards all those politician who had brushed soldiers with his late father.

He was prominently absent during the burial of the late Mzee W.L Oselu-Nyalick the former Winam MP and in two previous occasions an Assistant Minister in both Kenyatta and Moi’s regimes. Raila was also nowhere to be seen during the burial of the former Alego-Usonga MP, the late Luke Rarieya Obok, who at one time was the late Odinga’s aide and close political associate, but who had later deserted Raia’s father and took up a government job in the parastatal under Moi.

The late Mzee Nyalick worked closely with the late Mboya and were the instrumental tool which contributed to the sub-division of the old expansive Central Nyanza district into two, namely Kisumu and Siaya districts. The late Jaramogi had read a malice in the exercise, arguing it was meant to reduce his power of political influence, while Nyalick and Mboya argued that the sub-division was meant to bring the administration closer to the people.

And “Agwambo deliberately or technically absented himself from these two funerals, But he is known to have attended many other funerals of very insignificant men and women all over Luo-Nyanza mainly for political expediency. The Odinga’s are also known to be uneasy with any idea of sub-dividing the Luo-Nyanza into two administrative Provinces. Anybody advocating for creation of more administrative areas in Luo-Nyanza is simply dismissed as an agent of the Mt. Kenya politicians. They want Luos herded into one big basked for their maximum exploitation. But are not advancing any reasons to the public what benefit can the community accrue by remaining in one basket under the Odinga’s political yoke.

And these are some of the credible reasons why even those sharp, youthful, energetic and highlyenlightened Luos fear to speak their minds.

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

– – –
Date: Sat, 4 Jul 2009 19:29:20 -0700 (PDT)
From: Leo Odera Omolo
Subject: DISCONTENT AND TENSION IS LOOMING IN NYANZA OVER NEW DISTRICTS

MJPC blames the Congolese Government for the Deteriorating Situation in East Congo(DRC)

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From: Rizik

MJPC blames the Congolese Government for the Deteriorating Situation in East Congo(DRC)

“There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in a lawless eastern Congo for six months”

Following the deteriorating situation in east Congo, the MJPC called today for the Congolese Government to urgently pay the salaries to thousands of soldiers who have not been paid for over six months in eastern Congo, take swift action to enforce the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) warrant against Bosco Ntaganda and to hold accountable perpetrators of sexual violence against women for their acts.

“Failing to hold accountable individuals who commit war crimes and crimes against humunity continues to be the leading cause of widespread and systematic sexual violence acts against girls and women in the easten Congo” said Makuba Sekombo, Community Affairs Director of the Mobilization for Justice and Peace in the DR Congo (MJPC).

Mr. Sekombo again criticized the government of Congo for not only the continuing failure to protect women and young girls from sexual violence, but also for “encouraging conditions that create opportunities for sexual violence to occur”. “There is no excuse for missing to pay salaries to soldiers in a lawless eastern Congo for six months” said Sekombo.

The MJPC has also renewed its call for the Congolese government to take urgent needed action to end human rights abuses in east Congo, hold perpetrators accountable and ensure reparation for the victims of sexual violence.

The MJPC has been urging the Congolese government to compensate the victims of sexual violence in order to also help combat impunity in eastern part of Congo where sexual violence against women and children has been widely used as weapon of war for more than decade. The MJPC online petition calling for for help to put pressure on Congolese Government to compensate victims of sexual siolence in Eastern DRC can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html

About MJPC
MJPC works to add a voice in advocating for justice and peace in the DRC particulary in the east of DRC where thousands innocent civilian including children and women continue to suffer massive human rights violations while armed groups responsible for these crimes go unpunished

For more information about the MJPC and its activities, visit http://www.mjpcongo.org. or call Makuba Sekombo @ 1-408-8063-644 or e-mail: info@mjpcongo.org. The online petition calling on the Congolese Government to put urgently in place a comprehensive program of compensation for the victims of sexual violence in eastern Congo can be signed at http://www.gopetition.com.au/online/26180.html

Date: Jul 6, 8:14 AM —

TOURING EAST AFRICA

3 Replies

Date: Sun, 5 Jul 2009 10:24:18 EDT
From: OMBATI321@ . . .
Subject: TOURING EAST AFRICA

Hi Folks,

I am taking my family for vacation to East Africa for a month and I would like them to have a wonderful and memorable tour. Some of them Have never traveled out of Minnesota. So you can imagine how exciting this. I am requesting for tips from all of you on places I can take them, events we can attend e.g. Bomas of Kenya. Descent /reasonable Hotels ETC. If you know of any exciting places please send me a note. I promise to share photos upon return.
Thanks very Much for your help

Jim Ombati

CHAIRMAN OKAFOR SPEAKS TO ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD

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Date: Sat, 04 Jul 2009 18:36:52 -0700
From: anacweb.org
Subject: CHAIRMAN OKAFOR SPEAKS TO ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD

ANAC CHAIRMAN MARTIN OKAFOR CALLS FOR CALM AS HE AND CURRENT ANAC EXECUTIVES BEGINS A PROGRESSIVE COURSE FOR ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD
(ANAC Sec. Gen Hon. Colin Atobajeun of Texas, announces the nomination of Paul Akhimien for National Vice Chairman).

The current Chairman of the ANAC Board of Directors and Trustees, sent a message of appeal to all ANAC Trustees, Delegates, Members and the entire Nigerian Internatonal Community “Diaspora”, to exercise utmost restraint and decorum in communicating with one another regarding recent ANAC Board actions and resolutions as we navigate this period of leadership in ANAC and her representation of Nigerians Abroad.

Chairman Okafor who was instated as Chairman after the Board of Trustees and Upper House voted out the former Chairman Akeem Bello in accordance to the ANAC Constitution, for Conflict of Interest Matters related to formation of a “Nigerian Diaspora Organization” while running his tenure as ANAC Chairman, after conferring with the other members of the ANAC Executive Committee, announced the rescheduling of the next Monthly ANAC National Board of Directors and Trustees meeting regularly scheduled for Saturday, July 12th, would be held on, July 18, 2009, commencing at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.

Chairman Okafor strongly urge all Nigerians Abroad to actively participate in ANAC, as ANAC steer the roadmap of ANAC Strategic Plan 2011 for a better representation of all Nigerians in the International Community. Chairman Okafor encourages every Trustee, State Chairman, House Delegates to reexamine the interests and needs of the constituencies they represent in ANAC, as recently published, and determine how to meet those needs within the framework of the ANAC strategic plan, and organize Nigerians Abroad better for a more effective representation.

This period Chairman Okafor believes would actually prove to be the best of times for ANAC as we improve on our practice of the principles of democracy. I urge all Trustees, delegates, members of ANAC to re-focus on our major ANAC objectives – to promote economic, technological development, with well-being of all Nigerians and their associates in the international community as well as all Nigerians everywhere including Nigeria.

Lets us look forward to working together, for all of us, as we meet the challenges to our collective future in the international community.

In the meantime, the ANAC National Sec. Gen Hon. Colin Atobajeun of Texas, has announced the nomination of Hon. Paul Akhimien, for National Vice Chairman. Mr. Akhimien is the current Chairman of the ANAC Indiana Chapter and also until recently has steered the affairs of the Membership Drive Committee nation wide, where he received thumbs up for his efforts in the membership drive from rank and file members and many leadership circles in the ANAC and Nigerian International Communities. He was also reported to have accepted the nomination, a simple majority vote would be needed to confirm the position at the next Board of Trustees and Upper House Meeting.

SEE LIST OF TRUSTEES BY DISTRICT BELOW OR VISIT WWW.ANACWEB.ORG
ANAC Memberservices
Visit WWW.ANACWEB.ORG For Full Report

Hon. Colin Atobajeun
Sec. Gen. ANAC

Hon. Martin Okafor
ANAC National Chairman

Listing of ANAC Trustees by Representative Districts/Term of Office (ANAC Membership Database)
Total of 18 (5yrs terms), and 11 (3yrs) terms.

NORTH EAST USA DISTRICT (One 5yr, One 3yrs)
1. Hon. Peter Agho- Current Senior Trustee, North East Region, New York (5 years term, end 2012)

2. Hon. Osime Osilama – Current Junior Trustee, North East, Massachussetts (3 years term, ends 2011)

MIDATLANTIC USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
3. Hon. Cynthia Austin – Current Senior Trustee, MidAtlantic Region (5years term, end 2013)

4. Hon. Emmanuel Iroanya – Current Junior Trustee, MidAtlantic Region (3years term, end 2011)

NORTH CENTRAL USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
5. Hon. Abdulateef Kareem – Current Senior Trustee, Illinois (5year term, end 2010) Sec. Gen Emeritus (2005-2008)
6. Hon. Erunmosele Idahosa – Current Junior Trustee, Indiana (3year term, end 2011) Call Paul Akhimien

SOUTH USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
7. Hon. Martin Okafor – Current Senior Trustee, Georgia (5year term, end 2010) Current Chairman, ANAC

8. Hon. Grace Clark – Current Junior Trustee, Georgia (3year term, end 2011)

SOUTH WEST USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
9. Hon. Colin Atobajeun – Current Senior Trustee, Texas (5year term, end 2010) Current Sec. Gen, ANAC

10. Hon. Ashafa – Current Junior Trustee, Oklahoma (3year term,end 2011)

WEST USA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, One 3yrs)
11. Hon. David Ogunnaike – Current Senior Trustee, California (5year term end 2013)

12. Hon. Bright Aregs – Current Junior Trustee, California (3years term end 2011) ANAC EMERITUS VICE PRESIDENT (2006-2008)

EAST REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
13. George Mbagwu – Current Senior Trustee, Maryland, Representing Eastern Nigeria. (5years term end 2010) Treasurer Emeritus (2004-2008)

14. Hon. Sylvia Onyegiri – Current Junior Trustee Indiana, Representing Eastern Nigeria. (5year term end 2013)

WEST REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
15. Hon. Ola Aina – Current Senior Trustee Connecticut, Representing Western Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)

16. Hon Debo Adenekan – Current Junior Trustee Indiana, Representing Western Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)

NORTH REGION NIGERIA DISTRICT(Two 5yrs)
17. Hon. Issa Odidi – Current Trustee Canada, Repesenting Northern Nigeria. (5years term end 2013)

18. Hon. VACANCY VACANCY (5years term)

SOUTH SOUTH NIGERIA DISTRICT (Two 5yrs)
19. Hon. Dan E. Austin – Current Trustee, Maryland, Representing South South Nigeria. (5year term end 2010) ANAC Emeritus Chairman (2004 – 2008)

20. Hon. Mercy Sampson – Current Trustee Indiana, Representing South South Nigeria. (5year term end 2013)

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONSDISTRICT (One 3yrs)
21. Hon. Lacrown Adeyemi – Current Trustee NY, Representing Nigerian Stakeholder organizations. (3years term, ends 2011).

AT LARGE USA DISTRICT (Three 5yrs, Three 3years)
22. Hon. Paul Oranika – Current Trustee, Georgia At Large (5years term end 2013)

23. Hon. Samuel Isokpunwu – Current Trustee Texas At Large (5years term end 2013)

24. Hon. Paul Akhimien – Current Trustee, Indiana At Large (5years term end 2013)

25. Hon. George Adeyemi (ANAC Member 2008) – Current Trustee Indiana (3years term end 2011)

26. Hon. VACANCY (3years term)

27. Hon. VACANCY (3years term)

AT LARGE NIGERIA DISTRICT (One 5yrs, one 3yrs)
28. Hon. Akeem Bello – Current Trustee North Carolina, Nigeria at Large (5year term end 2010)

29. Hon. Temitope Ajayi – Current Trustee California, Nigeria at Large. (3year term end 2011) ANAC Emeritus President HOD (2006-2008)

Regards

Joe Gibson
Asst. Executive Director
ANAC National Maryland Office

Rare Africa Photos Go Online

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Date: Fri, 03 Jul 2009 09:30:07 -0500 [09:30:07 CDT]
Subject: Rare Africa Photos Go Online, Open New Options for Africa Research

EVANSTON, Ill. — This week — for the first time ever — a searchable collection of thousands of rare photographs chronicling Europe’s colonization of East Africa becomes available to anyone with an Internet connection anywhere in the world, thanks to the efforts of staff at Northwestern University Library.

The Humphrey Winterton Collection of East African Photographs: 1860-1960 began attracting the interest of Africa scholars and others in 2002 when it was acquired by Northwestern’s Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies. The library officially launches the online collection today (June 25).

Captured Luo woman in Zanzibar awaiting transport into slavery

“The 7,000-plus photographs in this extraordinary collection document the changing relationships among Africans and between Africans and Europeans during 100 years of dramatic historic change,” says Herskovits Library curator David Easterbrook.

[ More . . . ]

Jaluo dot Kom

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Monthly Archives: July 2009

D-A-Y—of– A-T-T-O-N-E-M-E-N-T

KENYA IS FACING FAMINE AND ACUTE SHORTAGE OF WATER AS DROUGHT BITES

The dark side of H.G. Wells

BBC REPORT ON CIRCUMCISION-UGANDAN RESEARCH

KISUMU TOWN EAST MP HECKLED

SAD LOSS KENYAN COMMUNITY ATLANTA

A TRIBUTE POEM IM MEMORY OF JOANES MIDHA OWAGA AND PAMELA OMBIMA.

This isn’t a game

MINISTER RUTO IS ACCUSED OF PRACTISING NEPOTISM AT CHEMELIL SUGAR FIRM

COMPENDIUM OF PUBLIC INFORMATION ON THE 2ND EAC INVESTMENT CONFERENCE

US sends five outbreak specialists to investigate Malawi mysterious outbreak

Who is attacking jaluo dot kom?

Jaluo dot kom under cyber attack

SABA SABA 2009 MESSAGE

AN OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT OBAMA

DISCONTENT AND TENSION IS LOOMING IN NYANZA OVER NEW DISTRICTS

MJPC blames the Congolese Government for the Deteriorating Situation in East Congo(DRC)

TOURING EAST AFRICA

CHAIRMAN OKAFOR SPEAKS TO ANAC AND ALL NIGERIANS ABROAD

Rare Africa Photos Go Online