From: Judy Miriga

Folks,

Kenya’s Coalition Government under the leadership of Kibaki and Raila should face Legal Justice over charges on Economic Theft engaging on illegal and unconstitutional business undertaking of special interest that saw the country drifting into Economic crisis from imbalances of such economic crimes. This behavior has made lives of many in danger, with cost of fundamental basic needs rising, poverty souring to an extend that nothing works.

The severe economic shocks reported by World bank, IMF with other International financial institutions is a showcase of the same.

This calls for the Judicial system of the Supreme Court to take urgent steps to institute investigation of the activities which led to this economic crisis and that Coalition Government be immediately and urgently charged against Economic Theft and Crime.

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

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Kenya: Finance Bill Row Hands Fraudsters Lifeline
Paul Wafula

20 January 2012

Delay in adoption of Finance Bill 2011 has handed mobile phone fraudsters a leeway to move on with illegal activities.

As a result, the country continues to lack the law to making it mandatory for mobile phone users to register their SIM cards.

In consequence, the Ministry of Information and Communication has been unable to direct mobile operators to immobilise unregistered numbers as a measure to curb mobile phone-crime.

It’s more than two years since the idea was first mooted and the ministry was banking on passage of the Bill to give it the legal mandate to enforce it.

The delay has been caused by a standoff between Parliament and the executive over a controversial amendment to the Bill, which legalises taxation measures, to control interest rate that commercial banks can charge borrowers, a proposal that has been opposed by Treasury.

Mobile service providers reckon that the lack of legislation makes it impossible to enforce compliance and are warning that it would need another three months to comply once the law is in place.

Three-month grace period

“We are very confident that we will be in a strong position to comply with the new legislation when it comes into place.

“This notwithstanding, and in order to minimise any negative impact on customers who may be having ancillary challenges such as inability to secure national identity cards or other forms of acceptable identification documents, we are in favour of a three-month grace period prior to implementation,” Safaricom’s corporate affairs director Nzioka Waita said.

Operators also cite the costs of carrying out the registration exercise as another barrier. “As an operator, we are currently shouldering the burden of registration ourselves.

“However, if the government places additional compliance and storage requirements on the industry, we shall be keen to discuss with the Government various options for meetings these costs,” Mr Waita said.

President Kibaki has in more than two occasions ordered for deactivation of the SIM cards, but the directive is yet to be acted upon, more than a year after the registration exercise expired.

MPs threaten Kibaki and Raila over taxes MPs plan to strip President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka off their hefty retirements perks in protest against a law compelling them to pay taxes.

They also vowed to campaign for cancellation of allowances paid to spouses of Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka.

They want to punish the two leaders for complying with a directive by the Kenya Revenue Authority that all MPs pay full taxes on salaries and allowances backdated to last September.

The MPs also plan to frustrate passage of laws for implementation of the Constitution; and shoot down the Finance Bill when the House resumes in two weeks time.

The MPs, who are at the Mombasa Continental Resort for a workshop on the draft national population policy, were also seeking to placate public anger by passing a law that will exempt those who earn Sh30,000 a month and below from paying taxes.

Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and his Uriri counterpart Cyprian Ojwang accused President Kibaki, Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga of “inciting the public against the MPs” by paying their tax arrears.

Deal with hypocrisy

Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi said: “We are going to deal with this hypocrisy and double standards exposed by these leaders whose spouses earn more than MPs in allowances which are not taxed.”

Speaker Kenneth Marende was at hand to support the MPs hardline position. He maintained that MPs had been assured by the government that they would not pay increased taxes for the remainder of the current term.

In a statement issued in Mombasa, Mr Marende said that MPs were ready to pay full tax on their income if taxation laws were amended.

“Allow me to reiterate the fact that both the Executive and Kenya Revenue Authority wrote to the Kenya National Assembly before the Constitution was passed stating the position with respect to taxation as it would apply to Members of the 10th Parliament,” he said.

The MPs, who have only been paying tax on their basic salary which stand at Sh200,000 per month, are under pressure to pay levies on their hefty allowances which make up most of the Sh800,000 earnings.

The MPs threatened to paralyse government operations by rejecting crucial Bills.

To begin with, the MPs plan to shoot down the Finance Bill when it is tabled in Parliament by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mr Kapondi and Luka Kigen (Rongai) and Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany) warned that Parliamentarians would shoot down the Bill that gives the government authority to spend.

“Uhuru will not find it easy. Despite all the threats and tough talk. He will have to work hard to convince MPs to pass the budget,” said Mr Kutuny.

“This issue has united us more than ever before. We are going back to Parliament an infuriated group,” said Mr Kigen.

Mr Kapondi warned that the government “will be in for a rude shock. It is a false victory for them if they are already celebrating,” he warned, saying MPs had resolved to reject the bill to show their anger at the taxman’s move.

They also plan to reject several Bills expected in the House to implement the new constitution.

However they might be shooting themselves in the foot as Parliament failure to pass laws mandated by the new constitution opens the door for dissolution of Parliament.

Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo termed as insensitive the decision to tax MPs’ salaries and allowances at this point.

Goldplat pours first Kenyan gold bar
Reuters – Tue, Jan 17, 2012
NAIROBI (Reuters) – Africa-focused gold producer Goldplat has poured the first bar of gold from its Kilimapesa mine in Kenya, marking the beginning of production in the east African country’s first gold project, the company said on Tuesday.

London-listed Goldplat said this followed the commissioning of the Elution plant, which enables Kilimapesa to smelt and produce bullion on site.

“Kilimapesa’s first gold pour marks a significant milestone for both the company and Kenya as we continue to develop the country’s first gold project … into a profitable mining operation,” Goldplat Chief Executive Officer Demetri Manolis said in a statement.

Goldplat targets an expansion of its resource base towards the 500,000 ounce mark and an increase in gold production towards 10,000 ounces per year, Manolis said.

The initial smelt produced 399 ounces. The company did not provide a current estimate of current reserves of the mine.

The first bar was sold to Rand Refinery Limited in South Africa.

Goldplat has assets in Kenya, South Africa, Ghana and Burkina Faso. Last fiscal year, the company reported total production of 28,185 ounces of gold in its annual report.

Kenya seeks nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil products – trade
Reuters – Thu, Jan 19, 2012
SINGAPORE (Reuters) – Kenya is seeking nearly 400,000 tonnes of oil products for February and March, as demand for fuel rises in East Africa due to a shortfall in refining capacity and accelerating economy.

Kenya’s Ministry of Energy is seeking 100,658 tonnes of gasoline, 108,846 tonnes of jet fuel and 188,627 tonnes of gasoil for delivery in February and March, in a spot tender issued late Wednesday, industry sources said.

Kenya also imports oil products on behalf of other East African nations.

Kenya’s economy is dependent on diesel for transport, power production and agriculture and many homes use kerosene to generate power. GDP is expected to grow by at least 5 percent this year, from last year’s forecast of 4.5 to 5 percent.

A heavy rainy season over the next few months is also expected to boost harvests, in turn increasing diesel demand.

Kenya is seeking two gasoline cargoes of 50,329 tonnes each for delivery over February 22-24 and March 10-12 and two jet fuel cargoes of 48,846 tonnes and 60,000 tonnes for delivery over February 20-22 and March 6-8 respectively.

It is also seeking three gasoil cargoes, two of them at 80,000 tonnes and 80,658 tonnes for delivery into Kipevu Oil Terminal over February 25-27 and March 19-21 respectively. One of the cargoes, at 27,969 tonnes, is for delivery into Shimanzi Oil Terminal over February 15-18.

The tender closes on January 19 and is valid until January 20.

Kenya last bought 25,000 tonnes of gasoline, 58,000 tonnes of gasoil, 25,000 tonnes of jet fuel and 30,050 tonnes of fuel oil from Addax Kenya, Galana Oil Kenya, Gulf Africa Petroleum Corp (Gapco) and Gulf Energy.