From: Judy Miriga
Chief et all,
Diasporans have not be consulted for logistics or opinions. They should not be simply taken for granted.
What a shame Diaspora have to be denied rights last minute in a half-hazard manner …. !!!…..
The Coalition Government has now proved itself that it is incapable of leading Kenya to greener pasture. They have failed because of putting Special Interest and greed before Peoples Mandate. They failed because they did not have any Plan of Action when they got into Office, except they engaged in the Plunder of Public Wealth and Resources……..They have failed because the leadership was not able to set priorities of Things-To-Do; the Fundamentals of what make people get involved to commit to engage in organized Plan of Action to improve matters of Livelihood and survival, the things that are the engine that drives human activities that make the Country successful and united to achieve goals for life.
I must say that, the Coalition Government leadership spend more time doing nothing good for the Nation and the people of Kenya, with exception of going after their selfish ego and greed. They all failed misserably to comply with the oath they took to uphold Public service delivery as mandated. Many of them have pending cases in court with other irregularities that will not allow them to pass the Responsibility and Integrity Test as a result of so many issues of irregularities with conflict of interest.
They have no moral justice to turn against the Constitutional Legislative Rights of Diasporans. It is an obligation that the Diasporans exercise their voting rights to participate in electioneering process to elect the right person in the leadership of Kenyans. The Diaspora were the voice that saved Kenya from falling apart during the 2007/8. Their participation must be considered crucial and should not be taken for granted.
Kenya’s progressive Agenda for Development and sustainability cannot be fully realized without Diaspora’s full participation and engagement in election process. To deny them to vote is lacking moral value and legal justification that otherwise can be understood to be against the constitution, jumping the gun in an irregular manner which will not be tolerated nor will it be acceptable unless legally, it is Justified by the High Courts ruling against it with specifics. But, if things must be done the way Hon. Eugene Wamalwa puts it in the statement made in this video here under, then we will be forced to take this matter to be resolved at the court of our choice and the accruing expenses and costs incurred will be borne by the Coalition Government of Kenya.
We now urgently demand for proper explanation from Justice and Constitutional Minister Mr. Eugine Wamalwa to suffice information why Diaspora should not hold them responsible with costs for contravening the Legislative rights policy of Diaspora’s to participate in election process.
This matter will not rest until it will have been fairly heard. If Coalition Government leadership has failed they should say so. They had a lot of time in their hands doing nothing. It is time to take stock……..!!!
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – –
Kenyans Living Abroad React
Published on Nov 28, 2012 by K24TV
Kenyans living abroad have reacted with fury at the news that they will not be voting in the upcoming general election. This follows yesterdays revelation by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa that logistical challenges won’t allow Kenyans abroad to vote there. And as our reporter found out, most Kenyans abroad took to social media to express their frustration and anger.
It is only last week that PM assured us here in Korea that we will vote. What a turn by the same cabinet he sits on?
wilfody 1 hour ago
You talk as if we not Kenyans!
wilfody 1 hour ago
what a shame
Utadowot 2 hours ago
— On Wed, 11/28/12, margaret gichuki wrote:
From: margaret gichuki
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 8:20 AM
Me too.I don’t anymore.There were times I knew all the DC streets and parkings!
And it got worse sometimes when I found myself driving to NY.
Oh not anymore!
On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 6:17 PM, wrote:
Wams,
I stopped welcoming these selfish mongrels when they visit USA long time ago
Afwande
From: margaret gichuki
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:40:36 -0500
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Charles,
That’s a tall order but lets see.
I like when they ”visit us here”.The world comes to a stand still.
Never again!
On Tue, Nov 27, 2012 at 2:30 PM, charles mogeni wrote:
Chifu,
We can also make a statement here in diaspora so that our impact can be felt!
Don’t remit any funds for a month or so unless for emergency reasons like express medical care for our families or friends who need it.
I am sure heads will roll in Nairobi! However to reach such a collective decision in diaspora requires a lot of soul searching and committment.
I saw a clip of the video posted by Henry Ongeri whereby the IEBC chair Mr. Hassan claims that here in the USA only 25,000 Kenyans are registered a figure he claims he sourced from the Immigration officials who handle passport applications/renewals. In other words, besides that figure probably there is even less Kenyans registered. That kind of argument about the low numbers wins the day when it comes to allocating funds for a diaspora voter registration drive that there is not enough Kenyans tospend that kind of money.
As it stands now we in diaspora are living in “Loserville City” and when the politicians will be coming visiting our towns we’ll be jamming the halls to listen to them and not the other way round! What an irony!
My 50 cents.
Charles Mogeni
From: tomoreje@ . . .
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 16:00:55 +0000
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Some fellows like Wa-Mwangi who voted last in 1992 will have to wait for another five years.
From: “chifu_wa_malindi”
Date: Tue, 27 Nov 2012 15:54:36 -0000
Subject: Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
Why? shame, shame, shame on you all…
— On Wed, 11/28/12, samoturiy@ . . . wrote:
From: samoturiy@yahoo.co.uk
Subject: Diaspora to move to court over voting
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2012, 10:46 AM
What is the Next thing? Accept that you are done In and wait for 2017, for now through proxy sends lots of cash to your proxies to support what would have been ur choice. The money you spent on the candidates in not lost.
Future resources put into Diaspora -Investment Co Ltd that has been suggested many times.
Moturi
From: margaret gichuki
Date: Wed, 28 Nov 2012 10:29:05 -0500
Subject: Diaspora to move to court over voting
http://standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000071667&pageNo=2&story_title=Kenya-Diaspora-to-move-to-court-over-voting
“It is very sad that Kenyan politicians, who have been harvesting money from Kenyans abroad, find it easy to deny them a voice in running the affairs of Kenya. To this we say no. Most presidential candidates and cabinet ministers have been abroad on fund raising missions. It is immoral to exploit money from people whose opinion one has no regard for” Said Professor Fulbert Namwamba of Louisiana.
Amos Wasike of Baltimore, Maryland said he had a lot of misgivings from the day the IEBC visited the US on the so-called fact finding mission. “They kept on insisting on progressive voting in a way that left no doubt in mind that they were not committed to the issue. One wonders why they wasted the tax payers’ money on frivolous trips”.
Doctor Odotte of Pennsylvania said the IEBC never demonstrated due diligence in ensuring that Diaspora voting took place. “They never carried out any expert analysis or studies on what the logistical or administrative obstacles were likely to be because they knew exactly what they were doing”. He said.
Odotte however took issue with what he termed as ‘chronic passiveness’ from people in Diaspora. “I am surprised at the belated outrage from Kenyans abroad now that the gavel has come down on their right to vote. Where were they when petitions that needed to be signed were being circulated” He asked.
Alafu IEBC says this today.
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/IEBC-to-make-final-decision-on-Diaspora-voting/-/1064/1631056/-/wqa8wo/-/index.html
And we’re saying this:
https://www.kenyansabroadvote.com/voterEligibility . With a million voices, we can move mountains.
Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 17:27
Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election.
The bombshell was delivered to Parliament Tuesday by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, who told MPs the decision was reached at last week’s Cabinet meeting.
It followed consideration of the preparedness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to handle the massive exercise of registration of voters locally and abroad, he said.
The government cites logistical, financial and time constraints as the main reason for the setback.
“It is therefore not practical to have them take part now,” the minister said.
Already, Parliament has passed rules to guide the registration of voters in the Diaspora. The official number of Kenyans in the Diaspora registered with the various Kenyan Embassies stands at 130,000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, puts the estimated number of Kenyans in foreign countries at 700,000.
In a statement that caught MPs unawares, the minister said it was not practical to have the population in the Diaspora exercise the voting right as enshrined in the Constitution.
The government decision, the minister said, is based on a landmark ruling by the High Court on November 15 that found that though the right is guaranteed constitutionally, it was not absolute and cannot be realised instantaneously but progressively.
Many Kenyans in the Diaspora were looking forward to registering as voters to participate in the March 4, 2013 General Election.
Kenyans in Diaspora miss out on 2013 poll
People queue to cast their ballots during past elections. Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election, Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa told Parliament November 27, 2012 NATION MEDIA GROUP
By CAROLINE WAFULA cwafula@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 17:27
Kenyans in the Diaspora will not vote in the next General Election.
The bombshell was delivered to Parliament Tuesday by Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa, who told MPs the decision was reached at last week’s Cabinet meeting.
It followed consideration of the preparedness of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) to handle the massive exercise of registration of voters locally and abroad, he said.
The government cites logistical, financial and time constraints as the main reason for the setback.
“It is therefore not practical to have them take part now,” the minister said.
Already, Parliament has passed rules to guide the registration of voters in the Diaspora. The official number of Kenyans in the Diaspora registered with the various Kenyan Embassies stands at 130,000.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, however, puts the estimated number of Kenyans in foreign countries at 700,000.
In a statement that caught MPs unawares, the minister said it was not practical to have the population in the Diaspora exercise the voting right as enshrined in the Constitution.
The government decision, the minister said, is based on a landmark ruling by the High Court on November 15 that found that though the right is guaranteed constitutionally, it was not absolute and cannot be realised instantaneously but progressively.
Many Kenyans in the Diaspora were looking forward to registering as voters to participate in the March 4, 2013 General Election.
The government, however, considered that their right to vote will not be realised immediately, citing challenges facing the IEBC.
“Why it was belated is because we were trying everything to empower IEBC, supporting them fully and holding their hands in every way, but for now what they have on their table is already too much,” the minister said.
The Cabinet considered several options possible, including starting with some blocs such as the East African Community, the IGAD or the European Union community.
2017 General Election
It, however, resolved to give the electoral commission more time to make necessary preparations to have them vote in the 2017 General Election.
“It is just a question of practicability of the exercise with the time left. Can we really expect them to carry out a registration exercise for eligible Kenyan voters all over the world,?” he posed.
“It is a question that needs proper preparation, let us get our house in order, let us prepare adequately to avoid a repeat of the 2007/2008 experience. There will be progress that will be made until they are able to participate,” he stated.
The move will dampen spirits given that the community abroad has been assured time and again that it will be able to participate in the elections.
@@@@
Kenyans in diaspora locked out of March poll
By EDWIN MUTAI
Posted Tuesday, November 27 2012 at 18:57
In Summary
The government decided that it will be impossible for Kenyans living abroad to vote owing to challenges facing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Time and logistical constraints will not allow IEBC to register Kenyans in the diaspora.
Kenyans in the diaspora will not vote in the March 4 General Election, the Cabinet decided last Thursday.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Eugene Wamalwa said the government decided that it will be impossible for Kenyans living abroad to vote owing to challenges facing the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.
Mr Wamalwa said time and logistical constraints will not allow IEBC to register Kenyans in the diaspora.
“I will be the bearer unfortunately of bad news this afternoon. It is impossible for those outside Kenya to vote in 2013 elections. The government decided that IEBC be given enough time to make preparation for Kenyans in the diaspora to vote in 2017,” he said.
Kenya will have to conduct a census first to establish the exact number of Kenyans in the diaspora. An estimated three million Kenyans live abroad, but government figures show only 130,000 registered Kenyans.
“The challenge is that many of those who leave the country do not register with 52 embassies and high commissions where they are,” the minister said.
Maji_Baridi•a day ago
I somehow saw it coming when the ambassador recently stated that he didn’t know what was going on back home. Oh well, so much for reforms. Knowing Kenya politics, nothing’s gonna change in 5 years. Mdomo tupu.
tim tim•a day ago
Very sad indeed
Voter Registration Kicks Off Today
Monday, 19 November 2012 06:09
http://www.kenyanewsupdates.com/news/voter-education/item/429-voter-registration-kicks-off-today.html
If you want to take part in a ballot and decide who shall manage Kenya at various levels as well as direction country should take in the post-Kibaki era, your chance to register has come.
For a country bruised and torn apart by the 2007 discredited elections, and without a voters’ register, this is a momentous occasion as a new one is rebuilt over the next 30 days.
Even sweeter to the ear this time around, despite the logistical challenges of getting it running, Kenyans will register using the more secure and tamper-proof Biometric Voter Register (BVR) kit
The election itself will be a unique experience for Kenyans given that it will entail six elections in one for President, Members of Parliament for 290 constituencies, Governors and Senators for 47 Counties, County Assembly Representatives and Women Representatives.
IEBC on Sunday announced that all the logistical plans are in place and about 30,000 clerks trained on the use of the BVR kits are ready to begin electronic voter registration.
Voter registration starts on Monday at close to 25,000 polling centers across the country.
On Monday President Kibaki, who is preparing to hand over power after the March 4 General Election next year, launches the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission’s (IEBC) countrywide voter registration exercise at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi amid protests by Kenyans in the diaspora that they have not been briefed on the exercise.
The electoral commission suspended registration plans in the diaspora last month to establish the number of Kenyans living abroad who are eligible to vote and also await a court ruling on a case filed against the exercise.
On Sunday, Commissioner Yusuf Nzibo, who is in charge of the diaspora vote, said that the case, which was filed by some Kenyans in the diaspora, had disrupted the commission’s plans for voter registration abroad.
“We had to stop the plans, but we will meet on Tuesday or Wednesday to announce a new date for registration in the diaspora,” Dr Nzibo said.
Dr Nzibo noted that there was confusion over the actual number of Kenyans living abroad.
“We have already set aside 140 BVR kits. When we meet the Foreign Affairs officials we will then conclude on the plans and probably make an announcement regarding this matter,” he said.
However, he said the commission had advertised for returning officers and electoral clerks for the exercise that is estimated to cost Sh150 million.
The commission plans to register at least 18 million voters, with some saying the figure could rise to 22.5 million. The 30-day exercise is expected to end on December 16, followed by 15 days of voter register verification.
On Sunday, there were concerns that the IEBC was yet to update Kenyan embassies on the listing progress.
For instance, the Kenyan Embassy in Washington, DC, said in a statement that it was awaiting direction from the IEBC. “I am concerned that Kenya’s largest diaspora may very well miss out on this historic event,” said ambassador Elkana Odembo on Saturday.
IEBC chairman Issack Hassan said early this month that Kenyans in the US will register at the embassy in Washington DC, the United Nations mission in New York and the consulate in Los Angeles.
The same venues are also expected to serve as polling stations during the elections.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should expedite sharing of relevant information with the commission to enable finalisation of logistical details for the diaspora registration,” Mr Hassan said.
Last week, High Court judge David Majanja dismissed a case filed by some diaspora voters and ruled that the IEBC was complying with the law allowing “progressive realisation” of the right to vote by Kenyans abroad.
The registration will take place in 47 missions and consulates and the Foreign Affairs Ministry is to nominate some embassy officials who will also assist in the registration.