From: Judy Miriga
Good People!
Attention, both Raila and Uhuru Administration are wrong. The guide-line principle for democratization processes must be in effect to guide officials how to engage and make the Government system operational to serve the people.
Two, no elected leaders should serve in separate of the governing principles cord of regulations for service delivery.
When delivering service to its people, no County Governors should work outside the boundaries of their budget and their public mandate, incurring expenditures outside boarders to serve special interest……..and no governors, politician or business community should use public or private facilities to cause dis-harmony to the Central Governing body……….There should be specifics boundary where Governors should have express mandate, Responsibility and commitment under integrity to deliver service to its people and that must be ironed out in the policy guidelines, for purposes of %age distributing and sharing Counties wealth which Uhuru/Ruto have failed to provide.
There must be discipline to how leaders must be loyal to the Government they serve. There must be separation of powers under the Constitution at the County level. Some powers belong to the State and some to the Counties. For example, both the The State and Counties working together must approve and provide for infrastructure, people and environmental protection and safety and approve land use etc., In other words, the Governor is the Chief Executive of the State and the work of the Governor at Congress level, although similar to the President’s job at the Federal level, must be in harmony for checks and balances……..for transparency and accountability.
Though, while I agree with Samwel Omwenga that, Freedom of peoples association, speech, expression, assembly must not be curtailed; but discipline is very crucial for way forward.
What must be agreed is that, Raila’s act to team with ACORD Governors to USA played in bad light of dividing the Nation and fear of mis-use of public funds to service private interest is quite eminent.
Raila provoked Uhuru/Ruto Administration for his personal gains. He has share of the blame for the Government action consequences. I still believed Raila is playing with Luo Nyanza with ACORD people’s intelligence in a way he want to remain relevant, make it difficult for the Government to function so he can strike a deal with the International Investors and find ways to pay off his debts and fulfill pending or unfinished businesses. This must not be allowed to happen. In my opinion, Raila failed and he must go home and settle down peacefully.
In saying this, Uhuru too in his leadership must put the system to work for all in the right perspective. No Responsible Government should divide the country into tribal lines, where other people of one tribe are sidelined and are sacked to be replaced by his tribesmen. Kenya is for all Kenyans equally and discrimination is illegal and unconstitutional. This is unacceptable.
Both Raila and Uhuru must stop pushing the Country to a state of insecurity and Civil Strife. Both are wrong and must find better way to work with the people and avoid uncalled for dangerous dramas……
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA
http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
– – – – – – – – – – –
Raila Odinga and Governors visit in the USA
Published on Jul 29, 2013
Raila Odinga and Governors visit in the USA
Watch KTN Streaming LIVE from Kenya 24/7 on
Raila’s sister Ruth Odinga’s security withdrawn
Published on Jul 30, 2013
Raila’s sister Ruth Odinga security withdrawn
Watch KTN Streaming LIVE from Kenya 24/7 on
From: Samuel Omwenga
Sent: Thursday, August 1, 2013 6:36 AM
Subject: Foreign Affairs Warns Envoys over County Contacts
We can only but laugh at how panicked Jubilee is at the onslaught of devolution, which they’ve been and continue to scheme how to stop or stall it; well, they may have again succeeded in stopping Raila from being sworn as our president but they’ll surely not stop devolution.
Interestingly and perhaps I shouldn’t say this lest they get wind of it and change tact, all these antics and shenanigans play right into Raila and Cord’s hands.
Let them go on; they can’t help it.
Soon they’ll be demanding that Kenyans living in the diaspora must get clearance from Foreign Affairs to contact or visit their families.
Will not surprise anyone given this level of increased panic.
Regards,
Samuel N. Omwenga, Esq.
Sent from my Samsung Galaxy Note II
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Warns Envoys over County Contacts
Diplomats have been instructed by the government to make any appointments with county and parliamentary officials through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry sent the ‘note verbale’ on July 1 to embassies, UN offices and international organisations.
The note advised them that “appointments with officials of country governments and parliamentary officials shall be processed through appropriate diplomatic channels of the ministry.”
The ministry said that it was “committed to ensure effective coordination of such appointments and to support the authorities of the country governments to better interact with diplomatic missions.”
Although the note appears to be targeted mainly at preventing county governmentslinking up with donors directly, it could also stop diplomats from meeting MPs and other officials without government permission.
The letter to diplomats said that it was following the Vienna Convention that “all correspondence and coordination with the host government at various levels shall be undertaken through the ministry in charge of foreign affairs.”
The note said it was a “reminder” to earlier notes on June 12 and 13y. Article 27 of the Vienna Convention says “the receiving state shall permit and protect free communication on the part of the mission for all official purposes.”
However Article 41 says official business “shall be conducted with or through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.” Diplomats based in Kenya appear divided over the issue. It is not yet clear whether a private meeting with a governor or MP should be interpreted as “free communication” or as “official business.”
“Personally I am not against it but several of my colleagues are quite upset. They feel it is too controlling but we don’t know yet how strictly it will be enforced,” said one EU ambassador yesterday. “Some embassies are reading too much into this,” said another EU ambassador.
“The ministry only reminded us of a standing practice which many embassiesseemed to have forgotten. It’s fair for a new government to remind us and the governors who are new in the system,” the diplomat added.
– The Star
DR.EVANS KIDERO TO PRESIDENT – DONT SACK OUR PEOPLE
Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero of
CORD has reportedly pleaded the
case for two top appointments and
advised against perceived hounding
of professionals from Luo Nyanza.
Only last week, Kidero had to make
frantic efforts to reach President
Uhuru Kenyatta on short notice after
reports that embattled National
Social Security Fund (NSSF) Managing
Trustee Tom Odongo had been
sacked.
Also degazetted was flamboyant NSSF
board member Fred Rabong’o who
hails from South Nyanza.
Soon after, the city boss was also
pulling strings to preserve the tenure
of National Water Conservation and
Pipeline Corporation managing
director Petronilla Ogut, whom the
board of directors wanted shown the
door. With regard to Ms Ogut, highly-
placed sources indicate that through
Kidero’s intervention, she got a six-
month reprieve.
Kidero is said to have pleaded with
the President that sending away Luo
professionals in quick succession, for
whatever reason, would create the
impression of a witchhunt against a
region that overwhelmingly voted for
opposition, CORD.
Reaching out
Contacted, the capital’s governor said
he would try as much as possible to
reach out to the President.
“Each of us hails from a specific
region and it would be wrong for me
to sit back and watch while
professionals from my region are
mistreated,” Kidero said. It would
also have put the President’s oft-
quoted desire to unite the country
and to serve all Kenyans equally
regardless of their political affiliation,
in doubt.
What would have complicated matters
further is the fact that CORD leader
Raila Odinga has lately been on the
warpath with Jubilee and an incident
in Kisii County where the President’s
representative at a requiem service,
Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i, was
heckled and forced to abandon
attempts to deliver Uhuru’s
condolence message.
The incident also ruffled Jubilee
operatives, with the first salvo coming
from Government Spokesman Muthui
Kariuki calling for the recall of
government vehicles allegedly in
Raila’s possession.
Governors accuse State of rigidity in talks on functions to be devolvedUpdated Wednesday, July 31st 2013 at 22:20 GMT +3
By ROSELYNE OBALA
The government is yet to broker a deal with governors on functions to be transferred to the counties after talks between the county chiefs and cabinet secretaries collapsed.
The Tuesday meeting between governors and cabinet secretaries Anne Waiguru (Devolution), James Macharia (Health) and Michael Kamau (Transport and Infrastructure) failed to reach a compromise on the contentious functions assigned to counties.
The stalemate comes barely a day after Deputy President William Ruto held talks with more than 20 Jubilee governors to discuss the matter that has seen the latter plan to collect a million signatures to push for a referendum on Constitution amendments.
The governors said they will continue to engage President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto to ensure the 14-functions list in the Fourth Schedule of the Constitution are devolved.
The governors present at the meeting expressed displeasure with the conduct of the cabinet secretaries whom they admitted seemed not committal to devolving the functions.
Led by Council of Governors chairman Isaac Ruto, the governors discussed among other matters, roads, cereals and health.
“We wanted to take stock of what equipment we have for public works,” they said.
They are also against a move to revert Sh29 billion meant for roads in the Sh210 billion county allocation back to national government.
The Ministry of Transport has classified roads as public, county and ferry transport. The ministry says, “The legislation to identify county roads is not in place. Current laws governing road management like the Kenya Roads Board Act of 1999 and the Roads Act of 2007 are not yet repealed.”
What law says
And Ruto said, “The Constitution stipulates that counties should develop county specific laws on roads.”
The health sector might be the first to feel the heat if doctors make good their threat to go on strike to press for salaries reportedly held over devolution uncertainty.
On Monday, the doctors’ union asked Kenyans to prepare to do without their services in public hospitals from next week over the pay row.
The Transition Authority has said it is waiting for county governments to apply for the functions before they are scrutinised and assigned.
State can’t account for its assets or liabilities, team toldUpdated Wednesday, July 31st 2013 at 08:34 GMT +3
By Jevans Nyabiage
Most Government ministries and parastatals cannot account for their assets and liabilities, which the Office of the Auditor-General blames on poor accounting practices.
Appearing before Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) yesterday, officials from the State audit office said of the 173 financial statements received in 2010/2012 financial year for audit, only 51 could be certified — a mere 29 per cent of the statements.
The Ababu Namwamba-led team wanted to establish the true position of the Government balance sheet, before and after county governments took effect.
Deputy Auditor-General Alex Rugera said most ministries and parastatals use cash basis accounting — meaning capital is expensed in the year it is incurred or they only account for what they have received through appropriations.
“No permanent records of assets and liabilities are maintained,” Rugera said, adding the Auditor-General’s office did not establish the exact position of the Government of Kenya’s assets and liabilities as at June 30, 2011, 2012 and 2013.
In some balances of accounts, he said, Sh8.6 billion was unsupported in terms of expenditure and Sh3 billion was excluded.
In an earlier interview with the Standard on Sunday, Auditor-General Edward Ouko said there was unexplained expenditure in the yet to be released 2011/2012 audit report.
“I have just signed the 2012 audit and in this report, over 33 per cent of the Sh900 billion in the budget expenditure is unsupported or unexplained,” he said.
He said most reports given by ministries are unexplained, raising serious management and corruption issues.
“There are major discrepancies between reports issued by KRA, Central Bank and the Treasury,” Ouko said. “A lot of wastage is going on with departments revealing imprest that have not been returned, poor accounting and unattended reconciliations,” he added.