Kenya: It is History you must keep pace with to engage Reform

from Judy Miriga

Folks,

Knowledge triggers awareness……… wisdom helps knowledge to balance its application to improve Nature….without wisdom, you cannot succeed in life…..

To get an education is to be informed. If you get an opportunity, take it to improve your understanding about things. Your eyes will open and you will understand the hidden truth and in return, you will know how to apply your God Given wisdom to better negotiate better so to improve your life and future destiny.

God is Love and Truth…….You will be at Peace in Love, standing on the promises of God in Truth…….and we will all be United for common good of all, at the end, we will leave this world better than we found it Just Trust, as this is the contract and promise God has for us upon creation…..

………….Where our brains end, is the beginning of God’s Wisdom……..

Life is a Gift from God, enjoy it wisely so that you, with those around you including your neighbours, will engage on a conducive environment of “Give and Take” under unity of purpose, extending Friendly Union of Love. Avoid conflicts because tomorrow, you will need the bridge to cross over……Keep the light of Justice & Truth alight and Stay Focused and God in His Mercy will see you through and Bless you……

However Kibaki and Raila have proved they are completely incompetent to be Trusted with Public matters and affairs, or be entrusted with full Responsibility of authority to discharge, protect and preserve Government Management of Public facilities and utilities, Public Wealth, Public Security and Health, Natural Resource and Minerals, to render services or negotiate fairly and favourable with dignity to benefit and on behalf of public interest. They are equally incompetent to negotiate on matters concerning foreign investments that which would improve the country’s economy and be able to balance food security for the Republic and be able to sustainably create job opportunity for the middle class.

They both cannot safely implement the New Constitution without backfire and putting the country back into quagmire or without engaging technical corrupt manneuvres to defeat the cause of Reform Agenda as Mandated at the Referendum……..both have not shown signs to change for better………instead they have put the country in a more serious and dangerous position……….if they are let to remain in coalition Government, Kenya will be on fire pretty soon……..Kenya is completely divided and is hurting for fresh leadership……..Without which, the poor are going to perish and Kenya is going to be rulled by thugs………

Thanks you all……!

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

– – – – – – – – – – –

Audit Report Pins Kibaki On Wetang’ula
Francis Mureithi

7 September 2011

THE Auditor General has called into question President Kibaki’s decision to reappoint Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi three weeks ago. The pair stood aside in October last year to allow investigations into the inflated purchase of a new embassy building in Tokyo.

Auditor General ASM Gatumbu in a special audit report on the acquisition of the Kenya embassy in Japan says the government incurred excess expenditure of Sh185 million above the value of Sh1.2 billion approved by the Commissioner of Lands. “All parties and individuals involved in the process of acquisition of the property in Tokyo be held to account for the loss of public funds amounting to Sh185,502,899,” recommended Gatumbu. Gatumbu’s report was tabled in Parliament yesterday.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga is expected to issue a statement today in Parliament over the reappointment of Wetang’ula and his PS. National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende is also expected to rule on whether the President breached Standing Orders in the appointments. The Speaker has indicated that he first wants government to explain its actions in Parliament.

MPs led by Defence and Foreign Relations Committee chairman Adan Keynan have accused President Kibaki of taking Parliament for a ride for reappointing the two. The MPs say investigations into the controversial purchase of Kenyan embassy in Japan have not been concluded.

Parliament passed a motion in October last year requiring Wetang’ula and Thuita to remain suspended until investigations are concluded and MPs want the Speaker to rule that the motion is still in force. The MPs have argued that so far no investigating agency has cleared Wetang’ula or Thuita. Wetang’ula stepped aside on October 27 last year after MPs demanded investigations into claims that Kenya lost Sh1.1 billion in the purchase of the Tokyo embassy building.

In his report, the Auditor General said that Kenya paid Sh1.43 billion for the new building but only Sh80 million was paid by cheque and Sh1.35 billion was paid in cash. “Although according to the relevant payment vouchers the total sale amount of Sh 1,430,733,899 was paid to the vendor, the rationale behind transferring the very substantial sum of Sh1,350,000,000 in cash has not been explained,” said the Auditor General.

The audit by the Auditor General was concluded in January 2011. “This mode of payment, as would be expected, materially weakened the transaction trail,” he added. “Proper procurement procedures do not appear to have been followed in the identification and contracting of a number of consultancies, and notably in the provision of valuation and legal services and other support engagements,” the audit report states. “Failure to contract appropriate and suitably qualified professional services and to carry out diligence checks on various firms and parties during various stages of the procurement process exposed the government to considerable risks,” added Gatumbu.

The report said that Sh405,000 was paid in January 2009 to AO Architecture and Design for technical assistance to the Evaluation and Inspection Team but there was no indication of how the firm had been identified or the fee determined. The Auditor General noted that barely a week after the final payment, a fire at the Embassy on February 13, 2010 badly damaged the accommodation block and ambassador’s residence. The fire destroyed structures valued at Sh42 million and household goods worth Sh9 million. “Specific detail of the structures and goods affected during the incident, including records, were not however made available for audit verification,” the report states.

Gatumbu stated that his office in September 2010 physically checked the damage and found that that the residence could not be occupied. “Indications are that another accommodation may have to be rented for the Ambassador until the building is repaired and restored to its original form,” states the report. He pointed out that fire insurance cover for Sh42 million had been secured with local insurance company Ace Insurance but no compensation had been paid by August 31, 2010.

The Auditor General recommended that disciplinary and administrative action be considered against officers who failed to observe the requirements of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act by single sourcing consultancy services during the acquisition of the embassy. He has recommended that further inquiries be conducted to establish whether or not there are other encumbrances, liabilities or obligations in respect of the property which is now owned by the Kenya government. The Auditor General further recommended investigations be carried out to establish the cause of the fire at the Embassy.

Kenya: Country Resumes Oil Search
Mwaniki Wahome
5 September 2011

Tullow Oil, the company that successfully prospected for oil in Uganda, will arrive in Turkana County this month to begin exploration, raising hope that Kenya could soon strike the much sought after commodity.

According to accounts from sources in government, the possibility of finding commercially viable oil is high in the region that has remained largely unexplored.

Energy permanent secretary Patrick Nyoike said the company had started moving drilling rigs to Turkana.

Striking oil, he said, would enable the country achieve its development goals as envisaged in Vision 2030, a blueprint to turn Kenya into a medium income economy with thriving industries.

“This time there is great hope that we shall discover oil. Tullow has started moving drilling rigs to Turkana County and the actual drilling will start soon. There is great excitement by the company,” Mr Nyoike said last week.

Kenya’s search for oil has been fraught with frustrations, with several billions sunk in unproductive wells. In 2006, an Australian company, Woodside Energy, spent Sh3 billion in Lamu that turned unproductive.

The most recent is the much publicised oil exploration at Bhogal near Isiolo, which did not provide much except indicators of existence of gas.

Last year, China National Offshore Oil Corporation exited the Kenya oil exploration scene after two years of unsuccessful search in Isiolo.

This has, however, not dampened the spirit of the companies and the government, with several experts saying it’s just a matter of time before Kenya strikes it rich.

Their confidence comes from discoveries of huge oil deposits made in Uganda and Sudan, and gas in Tanzania, which share the same geographical area with Kenya.

In recent years, the government has stepped up oil exploration efforts, with many blocks already taken up by international companies for prospecting.

Tullow showed its intention when it signed an agreement for 50 per cent interest in block 10BA of Centric Energy near Lodwar town, besides a half stake of Africa Oil Corp in six exploration licences in Kenya and Ethiopia.

The deal was sealed at a cost of $34 million (Sh2.7 billion). Tullow’s exploration director, Mr Angus McCoss, at the time said the East African Rift Basin acreage shared geological attributes with the Lake Albert Rift Basin in Uganda, where the company found commercial oil deposits, giving hope that a similar discovery could be made in Kenya.

“We are delighted to be extending our acreage across prospective East African rift basins of Kenya and Ethiopia. We look forward to working with our new partners and applying our technical insights,” said Mr McCoss.

The first well is to be drilled in five years if results are encouraging. “Pursuant to agreements, Tullow will earn 50 per cent participating interest in production sharing contract (PSC) and assume operatorship,” said Centric’s chief executive Alec Robinson.

He said that Tullow’s success in Uganda will ensure block 10BA is explored using the most modern technology in line with global environmental norms and principles.

The possibility of Kenya discovering oil has raised concerns due to experiences elsewhere, where the resource has turned out to be a curse, fueling conflicts.

“Kenya would like to manage oil and gas resources in a manner that promises maximum benefits to modernise physical and social infrastructure,” Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi said in an earlier interview.

Experts in the oil industry have urged the government to manage expectations to avoid pitfalls that accompany such discoveries in other parts of the world.

“Although oil extraction is highly mechanised, there will be an influx of people to a place where a discovery is made, leading to a strain on existing housing and other facilities,” said Petroleum Focus Ltd director George Wachira.

He said striking oil in Kenya will not translate to creation of thousands of jobs because exploration and extraction is highly capital intensive.

Experts have also warned that land issues, mainly on sharing resources and environmental issues, will have to be addressed in oil exploration areas.

The Energy Act, they say, does not provide for a mechanism of laying a claim and sharing the proceeds if commercial quantities of oil and gas are discovered.

August 5, 2011
20 Kenyans killed by Ethiopians in Turkana
Filed under: Ethiopia,Kenya — ethiopiantimes @ 9:37 pm
Tags: Azeb Mesfin, Dictatorship, EPRDF, Ethiopia, Kenya, Meles Zenawi, TPLF

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 5 – Twenty people were killed and three others seriously wounded by Ethiopia’s Merille tribesmen who raided manyattas and fled with more than 200 heads of cattle in Turkana on Friday, the latest in a string of attacks in the volatile region.

Reports from the region indicated that three other residents were nursing serious gunshot wounds sustained in the attack that occurred at Todonyang’ near the border with Ethiopia.

“This area has become too insecure! People are being killed every other time. Now we have 20 people who have been killed today by the Merile people near the border,” a provincial administrator in the region said.

“We cannot tell the casualties on the other side but we suspect there are certainly people dead or injured,” she added, but could not give further details citing poor communication network with the affected area.

Rift Valley Provincial Police Chief Francis Munyambu was not accessible to comment about the tragedy as his mobile phone went unanswered.

A police officer in the region said eight women were among those killed.

Friday’s attack is the latest in a spate launched by Merille tribesmen this year who often raid villages to steal cattle.

Last week, some other people, including a policeman were shot dead when security forces clashed with cattle rustlers at a remote village in Lokorio within Turkana district.

Another police officer was reported to have sustained serious gunshot wounds and was admitted to hospital during the attack.

Communities living on the Kenyan side and those on the Ethiopian border side are pastoralists and are often armed to protect their animals.

Merille tribesmen often clash with Turkanas whenever they cross over the border to steal animals.

Last month, the Kenyan government announced it was establishing a water sharing framework with Ethiopia to bring to an end the animosity between communities living on both sides of the border.

Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti who led a high-powered delegation to Addis Ababa in June said the two countries had formed a technical committee to study the viability of the project which will commence soon.

“Let me emphasise that Kenya identifies the issue of trans-boundary resources including the Lake Turkana and River Omo, and River Daua Basins, which are critical in the light of the fragile ecological zone shared by the two countries,” the Minister who is also acting in the Foreign Ministry portfolio said.

In the recent weeks, Merille tribesmen have launched attacks on the Kenyan side, killing at least 40 Turkana people over what authorities have linked to the scramble for natural resources along Lake Turkana.

Kenya: Tamoil Oil Pipeline Contract Cancelled
6 September 2011

THE construction of the $300 million Eldoret Kampala pipeline has suffered a major setback after the cancellation of a contract won by Libyan firm Tamoil in 2007. According to the latest issue of the Indian Ocean newsletter, both Kenyan and Ugandan governments opted to cancel the contract because they lost confidence in the firm’s ability to carry out the operations after the fall of Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi’s regime last month.

Tamoil is one of the companies operating under the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio which is run by the Libyan government and was prior to Gaddaffi’s fall, managed by men who were close to his presidency.

The agreement for the project whose initial cost was $150 million was signed in 2007 after intense lobbying by the Libyan government which also pledged to finance over 70 per cent of the costs. Construction of the pipeline was to start in 2008 but has been delayed by various challenges among them a change in design for the project demanded for by Uganda.

Uganda had requested that the design be changed to a dual carriage pipeline from a single carriage to enable the country to export and import fuel. The newsletter also indicates that Tamoil has also lost the contract it won recently to extend the line from Kampala to Rwanda after the two countries canceled that deal.

The report quotes Kenya’s Energy Permanent Secretary Patrick Nyoike as having said that with the current situation in Libya, “Tamoil cannot do the job.” Efforts to reach the PS yesterday were not fruitful.

addaffi’s regime fell last month when Libyan rebels took over the country’s capital city of Tripoli and invaded the ousted leader’s bases making him flee. His whereabouts are still unknown. The country is now under the rule of the rebel Transitional National Council which has promised to honour government contracts though this seems to have done little to maintain confidence for the successful completion of some deals.

Prime Minister, Vice President to Grace Wetang’ula Party
Simbi Kusimba

7 September 2011

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka are expected to grace Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula’s homecoming on Sunday following his reinstatement to the Cabinet. Sources said the homecoming will be held at the Masinde Muliro stadium. “Arrangements for the meeting have been finalised after consultations and we are now moving to the ground to set the stage as we expect a major political pronouncement to be made,” a source said.

The Vice President will be representing President Kibaki, the source said. “There is a lot of political significance in the presence of these key figures at Sunday’s meeting which will herald a new direction on the political landscape,” another source said. He opined that Kalonzo would be ditching the G7 alliance following his repeated exclusion from certain gatherings by DPM Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto. “He is considering another direction and this could be it,” he argued.

The Foreign Affairs minister is Ford-Kenya leader and has declared interest in the presidency in next year’s general elections. Wetang’ula’s party is engaged in turf wars with New Ford-Kenya led by Housing minister Soita Shitanda. Wetang’ula has been pushing for unity among politicians from Western Kenya. The Luhya and Luo councils of elders have been consulting in a bid to entrench support for the PM ahead of next year’s elections.

Heritage Minister to Tour Kaya Mrima Amidst Protests
Maureen Mudi

7 September 2011

The government is set to address concerns by thousands of residents of Msambweni Mrima, opposed to the prospecting of rare minerals that has been the subject of controversy. The assistant minister for National Heritage Wilfred Ombui is set to tour the Kaya Mrima area, a month after the residents demonstrated against an investor.

During his five day tour of the Coast Ombui will be visit all major museums and heritage sites in the region, including three recently allocated to the National Museums of Kenya. According to the NMK Public Relations Officer Alawy Abzein, the assistant minister will be accompanied by several directors and heads of departments including the Director General Dr Idle Farah. Ombui is also expected to tour the Shimoni caves and sites, Gede national monument, Mnarani site, Old Town, Kraft Memorial site in Rabai, Vasco Da Gama Pillar, Malindi Museum among other area

The residents demonstrated just a week after Environment minister John Michuki toured the area and promised to act on the issues they had raised. According to them, the investor has for the last two years been prospecting and conducting activities that affect their cultural heritage and the sacred Mrima Hill kaya forest. The residents were led by Mrima Self-Help Group chairman Juma Dari Omari and a resident Bora Saidi Maneno.

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
Kenya: Lamu Locals Want to Be Involved in Port Project
Kerubo Lornah
7 September 2011

Lamu residents want the government to give them information about the proposed port. Shungwaya Welfare Association chairman Mohamed Lari said keeping information away from them could be a plot to engage corrupt deals in the establishment of the port. He said about 21 villages in Lamu East and 18 in Lamu West are at the centre of controversy, including land in Kiunga, Siyu, Ndau, Mangai and Faza.

He said the people have not been explained to how their lands will be returned or how they are going to benefit from a port which is built without their consent. “The port would have a very good idea if the government would have left our lands alone. It is worse now that we are not even given information about the same, he said.

Tabling the issue before VP Kalonzo Musyoka the chairman said that they feel that the government doesn’t care about its people in the region. He noted that many residents in Lamu constituency have been kicked out of their lands and the government has done nothing to see that the issue is solved.

The leader echoed concerns over the blind approach towards the development of the port without environmental impact assessment. “The port is to be constructed in Mgogoni, an area that is the central fishing area for locals from Pate Island. Considering that fishing has been the sole buffer livelihood that we have been relying on during severe drought, we are concerned about the lack of consultation and mitigation plan to identify alternative livelihoods. He added that other communities in the area are highly reliant on the forest resources as hunter-gatherers. Lari said the development of the port will undoubtedly impact the forest resources.

Kenya: Khalwale Says Jirong’o Dam Plan Will Displace 40,000 in Lugari
Elizabeth Were

7 September 2011

IKOLOMANI MP Boni Khalwale has rejected a Sh1.4 billion dam planned for River Nzoia in Kimilili by Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo. The MP the dam could displace 40,000 people and that players have not been consulted. “Let him explain to us to how he (Jirongo) decided to plan for himself without consulting the local players,” Khalwale said.

L. Victoria fishermen protest as omena fishing is banned
By Kepher Otieno, March 24 2011

Fishers protest as State enforces ban on omena

Published on 24/03/2011
By KEPHER OTIENO

Kisumu County

The Government will impose a fishing ban on omena in Lake Victoria from April 1 to July 31.

This now means consumers will have to miss the delicacy for three months.

Yesterday, Assistant Director of Fisheries Michael Obadha said the fishing ban would remain unless lifted by the Fisheries Minister Amason Kingi.

“We have received concerns from fishermen that we should lift the ban because of the prolonged drought, but that will depend on the minister’s decree,” said Obadha.

Breeding time

He said research shows peak fish breeding seasons coincide with the long rains that have begun in parts of the country, hence the fishing ban.

The same period also coincides with breeding of Nile perch and tilapia, and if fishermen are allowed to catch omena, they were likely to end up catching other juvenile species.

“This is why we are keen to enforce the ban during the rain season to forestall possible destruction of fish breeding grounds,” added the official.

The official spoke to the Press on Thursday amid fresh fears by fishermen of a possible “economic strangulation,” from the ban.

Each year, thousands of omena fishermen are thrown out of fish trade by the ban and several others sent to prison for fishing during the closed season.

“Our aim is to let the fish in Lake Victoria mature,” said Obadha, while addressing fisheries administrators and regional organisations at a workshop in Kisumu.

The workshop brought together experts drawn from Caribean, Pacific, Eastern, South, West and Central Africa.

Experts said the ban, if applied strictly, would enhance re-stocking of the dwindling species.

Lake’s ecosystem

They said fishermen should view the ban as a measure to help them exploit the lake’s resources sustainably, without destroying its diversity and ecosystem.

But fishermen, led by National Beach Management Unit chairman Tom Guda, appealed to the Government to reconsider a waiver, citing the recent drought.

“We have witnessed a prolonged season of drought and if we go ahead to impose a ban on omena, we will starve,” he said.

He said the move would also negatively affect the regions economy, since trade in omena would be delt a big blow.

Rice investor in a spot over endangered lake

Published on 01/03/2011
By GEORGE OLWENYA
Siaya County

Lake Kanyaboli in Siaya, the second largest Ox-bow lake in Africa, is drying up due to an alleged closure of a feeder canal by an investor.

Aquatic life is threatened in the lake along the Yala Swamp, which still holds some fish species considered extinct in Lake Victoria and other rivers.

A senior Kenya Wildlife Service officer Gilbert Njeru told the Siaya District Development Committee meeting that water levels at Lake Kanyaboli was receding fast.

He said unless action was taken to stop the Dominion Farms Limited from interfering with the flow of water through the canal, aquatic life would be threatened.

Water flow

Mr Njeru said the decision by the investor to block the flow of water from River Yala into the canal had also led to drying up of parts of Yala Swamp, threatening survival of game such as the Sitatunga antelope.

Dominion is involved in a multi-billion shilling rice project in the area. “It is because of this that people living around Yala Swamp have decided to encroach into the swamp to carry out farming, hence creating a conflict with the KWS,” he said.

“Dominion should be compelled to open the canal that feeds the lake or it will eventually dry up,” said Njeru during the meeting chaired by Siaya DC Boaz Cherutich.

Njeru, who was taken to task by leaders over persistent conflicts over the resource, said KWS was not at loggerheads with the Yala Swamp community, as had been portrayed.

He said misunderstanding in the area was as a result of misinformation.

The official said Lake Kanyaboli and its surroundings were gazetted as a national reserve last November to protect its biodiversity. Canal closure

The DC said authorities had been having problems with Dominion over the closure of the canal the firm uses for irrigation in rice fields.

Mr Cherutich, however, said they expected positive results from Dominion following recent changes in its management.

However, the company’s acting director Chris Abir contested the accusations, saying water levels in River Yala had drastically reduced thus affecting the flow of water into the canal.

“Dominion is not to blame and the situation is out of our control. Even if you visited the site now, you would find all the flood gates fully open,” he said.