<President Katsav.

The ministry of Justice in Israel says it plans to charge the country’s head of state. President Moshe Katsav will face rape charges. He is also accused of power abuse.

BBC reports that, “formal charges against him can be made only after a hearing at which he will be allowed to present his case. Mr Katsav denies allegations of rape and sexual misconduct made by several female employees in recent months.”

Many top Israeli politicians are facing corruption allegations and now the recommendation charge the president has added the fire in Israeli politics.

It is further reported that, “Mr Katsav’s lawyers said he was innocent and charges would be dropped after the attorney general heard Mr Katsav’s side of the story.”

Katsav says he is innocent and according to his lawyer David Libai, ”The president believes that everyone will see that he is the victim of false charges.”

The president is scheduled to hold a press conference tomorrow.

By Korir,

Published by African Press in Norway, APN, africanpress@chello.no, tel.+ 47 932 99 739

source.bbc

The debate on the circumstances the death of Woud-Maggero in Sweden rages on.
At the forefront of the debate is the Kenya Stockholm Blog (KSB), mouthpiece of Okoth Osewe and alleged community site for Kenyans resident in Sweden. 

Osewe peddles propaganda surrounding the events focusing on how African, and Kenyan culture has been belittled. Video uploads of interviews where Kenyans are asked leading questions with shocking impunity are numerous.

These have only one agenda and function; the condemnation Maggero’s family in Sweden and of those post writers on African Press in Norway (APN) who are brave enough to go against the grain, The Liberated Young Kenyans.

What have these young Kenyans been liberated from Osewe, and his supporters ask. Well, they are liberated in mind, and are able to discern and think logically for themselves without bowing to peer pressure or resorting to mob justice akin to that being seen on KSB. This is the liberation they speak of.

Osewe and other so-called conservatives come out strongly in defence of culture and traditional rites. This is undoubtedly admirable.

Notwithstanding Osewe does show ignorance when he claims in his article “Moving the center” that “In Stockholm, many members of the Kikuyu community have not circumcised their sons and daughters although this is what could have happened if their children were born in Kenya.”

Circumcision of Kikuyu girls has not been practiced in over 100 years, and Osewe seems apt to make sweeping statements based on ethnic stereotyping, especially if the ethnic group in question excludes his own.

Circumcision in Sweden conducted on male children and adults. In the case of children, or minors under the law the prerequisites are a permit acquired from the relevant authority Socialstyrelsen, and of course parental approval is necessary.

Culture as Osewe states is not static, proven in the Kenyan diaspora by the fact that many members of the luo community undergo circumcision, a taboo with the luo a decade ago.

I daresay that members of the luo community that even contemplated circumcision during the taboo period were branded madmen, and ostracized by the community, traits that belong to a bygone era reminiscent of witch hunts and magical folklore. 

Osewe must really learn to exercise caution, and restraint when making statements that are not true. None of the Liberated Kenyans have made the statements as found on Kenya Stockholm Blog, and their reaction has largely been to treatment of Dagmar, and family by the luo community in Stockholm.

The concerns they have raised have been met with hostility, lies and gender slurs on KSB. Unsupported claims of harassment from Liberated Kenyans have also been widely circulated by KSB sympathisers.

Attempts to sending information that does not conform to, and with the general consensus on KSB have been effectively blocked. Is this the kind of democracy Osewe, and KSB advocates?

Another area confusing the die-hard conservatives is the definition of “Next of kin”.  The conservatives would have us communicate only in our vernacular languages.

That is in it self most appealing, but would tend to circumscribe our interaction with other peoples. Since the dynamics of culture are stronger, the English language is not an issue in this time and age.

Next of kin is defined as “The person or persons most closely related by blood to another person”. Osewe, and the conservatives certainly do not encompass this defination, and questions to their take in Maggero’s fate still go unanswered.

Friends and confidants in all honour, but to attempt to hijack the process, and proceedings leading to Maggero’s interment is quite frankly absurd. Granted, Maggero may have a wife back in his native country, but the man lived his choice for 43 years.

This was Dagma and their offspring. The on-going campaign to ostracize Maggero’s family is not only repugnant, but a feeble attempt at closing the barn door after the horse has fled.

These friends and confidants should have used every opportunity to highligt their reservations to Maggero when he was alive, if they were indeed what they claim to be.

Whether or not Maggero would have harkened to their cry is debatable, but this is clearly the course of action true friends would have undertaken. Not harassing and demonizing the family.

Every dark cloud does however have it’s sliver lining though. The events that have unfolded will go a long way in ensuring that Kenyans, and others, in interracial relationships protect their loved ones from having to contend with unscrupulous elements after their demise.

By Michael Kanda,

Published by African Press in Norway, APN, africanpress@chello.no, tel +47 932 99 739

After clashig with the demonstrators, the Guinean security forces may decide to stop supporting the country president Lansana Conte.

The strike in the country is now going into the 13th day.

BBC reports that , “at least 17 people died in running battles with police in the capital, Conakry and other towns. Ten people were killed in clashes last week. A BBC correspondent says many thousands took to the streets in the biggest protests since the strike began. Marchers were chanting “Enough” and “Bye Bye Conte.”

There is uproar and the Guineans think the President is not well enough to continue leading the country. “Guinea’s unions and opposition parties say President Conte is too sick to govern. The strikers also accuse Mr Conte of mismanaging the economy and personally securing the release from prison of two men accused of corruption.”

It is now difficult for the government to continue giving services toe the eSome 30,000 demonstrators matched through Conakry, heading for the parliament building.

They were blocked at the 8 Novembre bridge, which separates central Conakry from the suburbs, by security forces, who opened fire, witnesses say.

By Korir,

Published by African Press in Norway, APN, africanpress@chello.no  tel +47 932 99 739 source.bbc