From: Judy Miriga
Folks,
On the face of political conspiracies on adversaries and obstruction of a meaningful livelihood and survival, it is the youth and women who feel the brunt and pain including excessive sufferings.
We have become victims of serious conspiracies of humanity slavery and wholesale auction to the 1% Global Corporate Special Interest cartel network who are greedy and selfish, and who do not care for humanity value, virtue, dignity and honor. They are full of themselves and egoism and are ready to send the multitude middle-class and the poor to the concentration camps and into Internally Displacement where natural survival is brutally taken away from us.
Because of too many frustrations, and after struggling to gain the New Constitution on board, we will not give this unscrupulous corrupt 1% of the Corporate Special Interest cartels chance to root their tendrils to destroy the last natural livelihood we have. We are God’s children showered with hope of trust in God’s promises, by faith, we can do better without these corrupt leadership. We must make a move of faith and be prepared to allow God to drive us to Canaan. We must, in a united spirit, surge forward and move towards gaining common good of the majority, turn tables to our advantages and be fair to all. This will be the beginning of God’s surpassing Peace and Unity for common good of all.
We must be wise, speak up the truth and expose the evil, say it like it is and shame the devil. If we do this, we shall be saved from the snares of the wicked evil one who is after our lifeline to destroy us into extinction.
The youth and majority women wisdom is calling; the future is our pride, stand up and be counted. It is the youth and women who made the Referendum succeed under pressure and with much injected pompous from the Corporate Special Interest funding and obstructions. (The truth is, it was not Raila who was the victor of the success of the Referendum by any standards, without shame, he always takes glory from the masses efforts, he was just a schemer leaning on the winning side to hijack the momentum for his gainful ego, yet, in spirit he is against the real Reform…….it is because he belongs to “the birds of the same feather” who are non-reformist and a beneficiary of the same). It is the youth that will make this New Constitution be a reality.
Wake up people, be informed, Raila is an enemy of Reform and sale-out. He will not at any moment wish to deliver or practice the legality of Reform, he is a puppet of the Corporate Special Interest Cartel network and who is after fulfilling his egoism.
A few leadership of the Civil Society and some professionals have impressed me. I can name a few like the Asembo Republic do not take nonsense from Railaism. The Lamu and Kwale Community, the Mombasa County leadership, the Siaya community in the leadership of Leonard Otieno Oriaro who stood against Dominion Firm’s take-over Community land, are just a few who stood-up against the intimidation, fear and frustration of the corrupt coalition government machinery instruments of Kibaki and Raila. These are the leaders who are going to help us drive the Reform Agenda to its fruitation.
It is a fact, Kibaki and Raila Coalition Government political team have no commitment to public interest and it is the reason there are:
1) serious Economic Crime against humanity.
2) Social Crime against humanity
3) Political crime against humanity
These factors will help level charges against the two principles only if we can remove them out of power so they can face justice and the Kenyan larger community can be compensated for the economic losses and survival.
The New Kenya’s Constitution is the supreme law of Kenya. The Referendum was the public success was the authority that sealed the public mandate was celebrated by oath taking of all the Coalition Government membership of the two Principals under the Seal of agreement between the two Principals {Kibaki and Raila} which followed at a promulgation ceremony which confirmed the Constitution as authentic. The constitution automatically establishes the structure of the Kenya’s government, which also defines the protocol role of management with specific relationship between the government and the citizens of Kenya, which means, the Public are the Bosses and owners of the Government, whose votes determines those who should occupy public offices in the Government to manage and deliver services and to be leaders for a given time frame with checks and balances. Kibaki and Raila’s actions confirms that, they are not compatible to the National Reform Agenda Accord. We must take them to task, push them out of leadership and drive them to face legal justice.
The current New Kenyan constitution was enacted on 27th August 2010, legally replacing the older constitution that had been in place since Independence in 1963. The promulgation of this new constitution was a great historic moment for Kenya, and Kenyans cannot afford to water it down. It marked the end of a twenty-year struggle for reforms and is the beginning of sustainability of the progressive agenda for fair and balanced mutual common interest of all. Over 67% of Kenyan voters approved this new constitution during the referendum held on 4th August 2010.
The 2010 Constitution of Kenya, currently in force, replaced the 1969 constitution with that of 1963 independence constitution. This was a great and significant achievement made by Kenyans.
The New Constitution is the law of Kenya. All people of Kenya big and small, rich and poor are all governed by the law. All are under the law and must comply to the law.
The biggest concern now is that, the political temperature is on and the coalition government have failed to comply with the signed agreement of the National Reform Accord. The most fundamental nuclear of the whole constitution, the Finance Bill and the Devolve Government remains incomplete.
This means the Coalition Government has failed its responsibility to complete the core value of the Constitution, case-in-point the reason why serious civil conflict erupted in 2007/8 for which Kenyans are not ready to go the same route. There are suspicion and fear of constitutional illegality may have been inflicted with sneaked in clauses that could turn dangerous to public interest as the two Coalition Principals engaged in mysterious behaviors, did not comply to their oath taking, and defied the rule of law where they became suspects of corrupt deals and maneuvers for special interest in many ways, and for this reason, both cannot be trusted unless legal justice can prove otherwise.
We have come a long way to just let the New Constitution slide away to benefit special interest, and deny public rights to live a dignified and honorable livelihood and survival. Kenyans must stand against their lives going down the drain by resisting and doing away with the two Principals (Kibaki and Raila) including their political team-mates for the sake of peace and unity of Kenyans.
It is crucial therefore that Kenyans unite under the Transitional Caretaker Committee to complete the constitution making before election can be called, and this is the only fair way to have a free and fair election.
The world should not shy away from comming and stepping forward to help Kenya attain the needed Constitutionality of the National Reform Accord Agenda that Kofi Annan with Eminent African Leaders including United Nations put a lot of efforts to make it stand. It is our livelihood and the future of the Global Economic financial balances that are at stake and we need each other to make this work for the good of the Kenyan Nation.
I lookforward to urgent response from all people of good-will who really believe in the change for better destiny with improved livelihood mutually fair to all for common to all.
Thank you all.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
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House rocked by extortion claims against members
By Steve Mkawale
Two MPs attempted to extort Sh6.6 million from a cigarette manufacturing company allegedly to go easy on exposing the firm for allegedly evading taxes amounting to Sh6.6 billion, Parliament heard on Thursday.
Assistant Minister for Finance Dr Oburu Odinga shocked members with claims that Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo and another legislator he did not name solicited the money from Mastermind Tobacco Limited not to raise the tax evasion issue in Parliament.
“It is true that Kiema and his brother solicited a bribe from the businessman and was given Sh300,000 and his brother Sh300,000. They were demanding Sh6.6 million from the businessman,” Oburu claimed amid applause from a section of legislators.
Kilonzo, who was in the House and had earlier accused the Office of the Prime Minister of trying to help the company from paying taxes, challenged the minister to substantiate his claims.
He tabled a letter from the Office of the PM, addressed to the Kenya Revenue Authority Commissioner General and dated May 4, 2010 that requested KRA to put on hold the enforcement action against Mastermind Tobacco.
Letter
The letter, signed by the then Permanent Secretary in the office of the Prime Minister Andrew Mondoh and copied to his Finance counterpart Joseph Kinyua, said the move was aimed to facilitate further review of the Sh4.5 billion tax demand.
Gichugu MP Martha Karua who stood on a point of order said the letter was a direct interference by the PM’s office on tax matters.
It was at this juncture that Oburu dropped the bombshell on Kilonzo.
Kilonzo, however, denied the claims and asked the minister to substantiate. “The assistant minister has made serious allegations touching on my person and the dignity of the House. Is it in order for him to make such allegations without a substantive Motion to discuss me,” he posed.
Oburu said he was ready to table a sworn affidavit by the trader whom the two MPs received monies from.
He said the letter from the PM’s office was only meant to have KRA re-look into the tax claims and not to prevent the authority from collecting taxes from the company.
Oburu made the claims when answering a question by Kilonzo who wanted to know why Mastermind Tobacco had not remitted taxes since 2007 and now owes KRA Sh12 billion in tax arrears.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim has directed the House Powers and Privileges Committee to probe the claims by Oburu and report its finding to Parliament in two weeks.
MPs drag feet over Africa treaty on fair elections
Friday, 06 April 2012 23:55 BY NZAU MUSAU
Scholar: Peter Aling’o
KENYA is unable to make use of an important charter on free and fair elections because MPs have not passed a law guiding the new process of approving treaties. The African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance was approved by the government in 2007 before the new constitution was passed in 2010. In the old constitution, the executive arm of the government would sign and ratify a treaty on its own without parliamentary approval. But under the new constitution, only Parliament can ratify treaties. This means the treaty cannot be effective until it meets requirements of the new constitution.
The Star has established that the ministry of justice, the Commission on Implementation of Constitution and Parliament are at the centre of the latest delay despite constant petition by civil society groups. “For years now, we have pushed for domestication of this charter because we believe it is important especially in the Kenyan context. Unfortunately we have not made much headway besides creating awareness on it,” Peter Aling’o, of Institute for Education in Democracy said.
He said the current Vice Chair of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Lilian Bokeeye led the campaign on ratification from the government side while she worked at the ministry of justice. A draft Ratification of Treaties Bill prepared by interest groups alongside the Kenya Law Reform Commission has been around for more than a year. At some point, nominated MP Millie Odhiambo took it over and introduced it to the house.
It eventually found its way to CIC which has kept it ever since. Contacted, CIC vice chair Elizabeth Muli promised to look into the matter. At the commission’s website, the Bill is marked “awaiting parliamentary debate.” “The obligations in the charter are quite onerous and therefore it is important that Kenya ratifies it before the elections so that it can compliment the constitution and other statues in ensuring free and fair election,” Alingo said. Among its key obligations is for states to commit to guarantee security, free access to information, non-interference, freedom of movement and full cooperation to the African election observers.
It criminalises coup d’etats, mercenary interventions, extension of presidential terms through constitutional amendments and most importantly, refusal by incumbents to hand over power when defeated at polls. “The perpetrators of unconstitutional change of government shall not be allowed to participate in elections held to restore the democratic order or hold any position of responsibility in political institutions of their State. Perpetrators of unconstitutional change of government may also be tried before the competent court of the Union,” the charter says.
What is Corruption?
Corruption can refer to many different types of illegal acts, though they will usually all involve a person abusing their authority for their own benefit, or for the benefit of family and (political) friends. This can be government officials using public money for their own personal use, or corporate executives improperly awarding contracts or taking other decisions in exchange for bribes.
Incidents of corruption in Kenya are not limited to large corporations or government agencies. Bribe-taking is common among many lower-level officials, with the average city-dwelling Kenyan having to pay as many as 16 bribes each month just in the course of everyday life.
Corruption and Kenya’s Presidents
Unfortunately, corruption played a role with all 3 Kenyan presidents up to now.
•Jomo Kenyatta
He was the first president of Kenya after independence in 1963. During colonialism, the European colonizers had stolen fertile lands from, among others, the Kalenjin tribe. After the independence (in 1963), Kenyatta did not return those lands to the former owners, but handed it over to members of his own clan and tribe (the Kikuyu). Kenyatta himself became one of the largest private land owners in the country.
•Daniel arap Moi
During Daniel arap Moi’s presidency – Kenya’s second president – corruption was widespread and involved Moi himself on many occasions. In the 1990s, he was part of the Goldenberg scandal, where smuggled gold was exported out of Kenya in exchange for high government subsidies. It’s one of the largest corruption scandals to date in Kenya, which involved nearly the entire Moi government. Many officials from the Central Bank, and more than 20 senior judges have also been implicated. As of 2008, only a small handful of people been charged with a criminal offense, which some see as an example of the continuing problem of corruption and favoritism.
•Mwai Kibaki
The third president, Mwai Kibaki, was elected in 2002 mainly on the promise to end corruption in Kenya once and for all. Admittedly, there have been quite some improvements in the country (among them press freedom, return of elections and introduction of free and compulsory primary education for all) but corruption had remained a big issue. To start with, his administration consists largely of Kikuyu, while this tribe is only 22 percent of the Kenyan population. From 2003 to 2006, Kibaki’s cabinet spent 14 million dollars on new Mercedes cars for themselves. In late 2008, several members of Kibaki’s parliament were found to have taken large “allowances”, which were not legally part of their official compensation. And Kibaki has probably falsified the results of the 2007 election, leading to riots.
The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission
Though legislation against corruption in Kenya has existed since 1956, with the Prevention of Corruption Act, the current anti-corruption agency has only been operating since 2003.
Under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes act, the KACC is mandated to fight and prevent corruption though all levels of government and industry. They publish a number of regular reports and newsletters, with the aim of promoting fair business practices and to expose those who engage in questionable operations.
Causes Of Poverty In Kenya
Despite some positive developments, poverty in Kenya has continued to be a huge problem. Even hunger in Kenya continues to rear it’s head from time to time. This page looks at the facts, the causes and the remedies.
Extent of Poverty in Kenya
The dry poverty statistics in Kenya sum it all up. Somewhere between one quarter and half of the population earn less than $1 US each day (the annual GDP per capita is around $360 US). It was estimated in 1992 that half of all rural Kenyans were living below the poverty line. That represents approximately 9 million people. The situation is not quite as bad in the urban centers, where such poverty only effects a third of the population.
Kenya’s World Ranking Regarding Poverty
A 2005 report by the United Nations ranked Kenya as 154th out of a list of 177 countries, in terms of life expectancy, literacy levels and overall gross domestic product. Just three years earlier, the country had ranked 134th. For comparison, Uganda was ranked at 144th, and Tanzania was 164th. Both are immediate neighbors of Kenya.
There are several factors contributing to the ongoing problem of poverty in Kenya, though the issue of Kenya’s economic state is far more complex than a simple list of causes.
Limited Economic Diversity
Around three quarters of Kenya’s population is dependent on the agriculture industry, but with its erratic weather patterns and vast regions of arid desert, it is a very unstable sector. Periods of drought can be crippling, not only in terms of food supply, but in jobs as well.
Even when crops have been sufficient, poor government policies and international trade terms hampered agricultural growth, leading to further declines in the industry through the 70s and 80s. Starting in 1991, further serious problems in the country’s GDP became evident, leading to extended government action which has not proven to be successful at stemming the tide of poverty in Kenya.
Lack of Opportunity
Weak overall infrastructure for the country means that nearly all the rural population are forced to rely on their own subsistence farming for their own food as well as monetary income. Jobs are scarce, leaving people with little opportunity for employment. There are considerable obstacles for starting a small business yourself in Kenya as well. Micro credits may be one way to foster small entrepeneurs. They will be important when eradicating poverty in Kenya.
Another factor is education. School fees are often out of reach for poor families, leaving each generation to continue trying to find work while lacking the education to advance. Cultural biases towards women create further limitations for the growing number of female-led households.
Government Corruption
According to Transparency International, Kenya is one of the most corrupt nations in the world. It is difficult for the majority of the population to escape the poverty in Kenya, when government money is used improperly.
Bribes, fraud and tribal favoritism are common within the all levels of government, which hampers any attempt to improve conditions across the country. In the early 2000s, the Kenyan government began taking steps to reduce the rampant corruption. These reforms have inspired some confidence, and brought additional foreign investment back to Kenya, but at the core of the system corruption remains.
Unfair Tariff Walls By Rich Countries
Protection of their own economies through tariff walls poses another problem. An increase of international trade has proven beneficial for many developing countries – look at China, India and countries in South America. But often, it’s useless for developing countries to export to rich countries because the latter have installed tariff walls. This way, products from developing countries are artificially made expensive for Western buyers. Rich countries (actually their governments) want to protect their own industries against competition this way.
For example, Kenya has a blossoming flower industry that’s exporting to Europe, but recently a number of European countries have installed high new tariffs. It’s obvious that they want to protect their own industries. Their citizens pay the price.
Often, progressive groups don’t mention this as a cause of Kenyan poverty, because they are ideologically opposed to free trade and free markets.
Corruption
The longest-running is the Goldenberg scandal [2], where the Kenyan government subsidized exports of gold, paying exporters in Kenyan Shillings (Sh) 35% over their foreign currency earnings. In this case, the gold was smuggled from Congo. The Goldenberg scandal cost Kenya the equivalent of more than 10% of the country’s annual GDP.
In 1998, political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi’s NGO – Series for Alternative Research in East Africa (SAREAT) engaged John Githongo to edit a regional political economy magazine, East African Alternatives[3]. The magazine folded after an audit instigated by the lead donor Ford Foundation found suspected misappropriation and collusion on the part of Ngunyi, who was executive director of SAREAT and Dr Jonathan Moyo, who was the programme officer at the Ford Foundation in charge of disbursing the resources to the NGO. They have both been sued and the matter is still in court. It is known that the Ford Foundation has accepted Githongo’s offer to be a prosecution witness in the case.
A Sh360 million helicopter servicing contract in South Africa[4]. Military officers had argued that the contract was too extravagant and servicing the helicopters could be done locally. Kenya Air Force (KAF) went ahead to spend Sh108 million as a down payment for servicing the Puma helicopters, whose tail number is logged as 418 at Denel Aviation, a South African firm.
In 2003, the military was split over plans to buy new Czech fighter jets[4]. The plan to buy the jet fighters would have cost taxpayers Sh12.3 billion.
A Sh4.1 billion Navy ship deal [4]. A Navy project was given to Euromarine, a company associated with Anura Pereira, the tender awarded in a process that has been criticised as irregular. The tender was worth Sh4.1 billion. Military analysts say a similar vessel could have been built for Sh1.8 billion.
Chamanlal Kamani had been involved in a supply contract, as Kamsons Motors. [5] Kampsons tendered for the supply of Mahindra Jeeps to the Police Department in the mid 1990s for close to Sh1 million (US$13,000) each, at a time when showrooms would have charged customers a sixth of the price. Moreover, the vehicles were being bought for a government department and were therefore imported duty free. Few of the more than 1,000 units that were imported over several years are in service today.
The Kamanis were also involved in a deal to build a CID forensic laboratory. On June 7, 2004 an amount of $4.7 million was wired back. The payment was a refund against the money paid for the Criminal Investigations Department forensic laboratory. [6]. Another euro 5.2 million was paid back in respect of the E-cop project, which involved computerisation of the police force and the installation of spy cameras in Nairobi by Infotalent Systems Private Limited. [6]
The Prisons department lost $3 million after contracting Hallmark International, a company associated with Deepak Kamani of Kamsons Motors, for the supply of 30 boilers. [5] Only half of the boilers were delivered – from India and not the United States as had been agreed.
The construction of Nexus, a secret military communication centre in Karen, Nairobi [4]. The Government spent Sh2.6 billion (US$36.9 million) to construct the complex. Three years later, military personnel have not moved into the centre. A phantom company, Nedermar BV Technologies, which is said to have its headquarters in Holland, implemented the secret project situated along Karen South Road. Nedermar is linked to businessman Anura Pereira. However, Pereira has denied this. The tendering process for the Nexus project was circumvented as DoD’s Departmental Tender Committee. Funding for the project was made through the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The complex is currently headed by Colonel Philip Kameru. Nexus was first meant to be an ammunition dumpsite before it was turned into a military communication and operations centre. Construction continued without any site visits by either the DoD staff or Ministry of Public Works officials. The Nexus project was implemented during the tenure of General Joseph Kibwana.
In 2005 plans to buy a sophisticated £20 million passport equipment system from France [7] [8]. Here government wanted to replace its passport printing system. The transaction was originally quoted at 6 million euros from François Charles Oberthur of Paris – the world’s leading supplier of Visa and MasterCards, but was awarded to a British firm, the Anglo-Leasing and Finance Company Limited, at 30 million euros, who would have sub-contracted the same French firm to do the work. Despite the lack of competitive tendering Anglo Leasing was paid a “commitment fee” of more than £600,000. Anglo Leasing’s agent is a Liverpool-based firm, Saagar Associates, owned by a woman whose family has enjoyed close links with senior officials in the Moi regime. Company records show Saagar Associates is owned by Mrs Sudha Ruparell, a 47-year-old Kenyan woman. Ruparell is the daughter of Chamanlal Kamani, the multimillionaire patriarch of a business family that enjoyed close links with senior officials in the Moi regime. Anglo Leasing made a repayment of euro 956,700 through a telegraphic transfer from Schroeder & Co Bank AG, Switzerland on May 17, 2004.[6]
The local chapter of Transparency International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a government body released a report in February, 2006, stating that between January 2003 and September 2004, the National Rainbow Coalition government spent about $12-million on cars that were mostly for the personal use of senior government officials.[9] The vehicles included 57 Mercedes-Benz, as well as Land Cruisers, Mitsubishi Pajeros, Range Rovers, Nissan Terranos and Nissan Patrols. The $12-million substantially exceeded what the government spent over the 2003/04 financial year on controlling malaria — “the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya”, says the report.
In late February 2006, the leading newspaper The Standard ran a story claiming that president Mwai Kibaki and senior opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka had been holding secret meetings. On March 2 at 1:00am local time (2200 UTC on the 1st), masked gunmen carrying AK-47s raided multiple editorial offices of The Standard, and of its television station KTN. They kicked and beat staff members, forcibly took computers and transmission equipment, burned all the copies of the March 2nd edition of the newspaper, and damaged the presses. At KTN, they shut down the power, putting the station off the air. Initially, the Kenyan information minister claimed no knowledge of the raid, but it has since revealed that Kenyan police were responsible. The Ministry of the Internal Security later stated that the incident was to safeguard state security. “If you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it,” John Michuki said. Three journalists at The Standard, arrested after the critical story was printed, are still being held without charge. [10] [11] The story now also features the bizarre case of two Armenian businessmen, mocked in the press for their taste for heavy gold chains, watches and rings, referred to as Mercenaries, who the opposition says led the raid and had shady dealings with Kibaki’s government.[12] [13][14]
In November 2006, the government was accused of failing to act on a banking fraud scam worth $1.5bn involving money laundering and tax evasion, reported by whistle-blowers as early as 2004. Investigators believe sums worth 10% of Kenya’s national income are involved. A recent auditor’s report says the scale of the operations “threatens the stability of the Kenyan economy”.[15]
In November 2006, British Foreign Office minister Kim Howells warned, that corruption in Kenya is increasing the UK’s exposure to drug trafficking and terrorism. “People can be bought, right from the person who works at the docks in Mombasa up to the government. (…) This weakness has been recognised by drug-traffickers and probably by terrorists too.” Said Howells for the BBC.[16]
On 31 August 2007, The Guardian newspaper featured on its front page a story about more than GBP 1 billion transferred out of Kenya by the family and associates of former Kenyan leader Daniel arap Moi. The Guardian sourced the information from the Wikileaks article The looting of Kenya under President Moi and its analysis of a leaked investigative document (“the Kroll report”) prepared for the Kibaki government in 2004 in order to try to recover money stolen during Moi’s rule.[17]
On 2007-09-06 parliament passed the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, restricting investigations by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to offenses committed prior to May 2003, excluding the Goldenberg and Anglo-Leasing scandals and other major cases. The move was condemned by anti-corruption campaigners; Mwalimu Mati, former chief executive of the Transparency International Kenya Chapter, declared that “grand corruption has swallowed the government and parliament that Kenyans elected to fight it in 2002”. [18]. In response to public outrage generated by the move, President Kibaki announced that he would veto the bill.
In September 2007, Wikileaks released documents exposing a 500 million Kenyan shilling payroll fraud at Egerton University] and subsequent cover up, now the subject of ongoing legal dispute in the High Court.[citation needed]
On the 28th of September 2007, Wikileaks released 28 investigative documents] exposing a US$1.5 billion dollar money laundering fraud by Charter House Bank Ltd. Re-reported in the Kenyan Standard newspaper.[citation needed]
In June 2008, the Grand Regency Scandal broke, wherein the Central Bank of Kenya is alleged to have secretly sold a luxury hotel in Nairobi to an unidentified group of Libyan investors for more than 4 billion Kenyan Shillings (approx US $60 million) below the appraised market value. Finance Minister Amos Kimunya negotiated the sale, and was censured in a near-unanimous motion by the Kenyan Parliament, though he vehemently denies the charges. This follows on the heels of the Safaricom IPO, overseen by Kimunya, which has been alternatively praised and questioned for possible corruption in the execution of the sale. Safaricom is the largest mobile phone service provider in Kenya, having operated with a near-government monopoly for many years. The government of Kenya sold its 50% stake in Safaricom in the IPO.