�BY SHEM KOSSE

API/APN in Kenya

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A case in which two scribes Jeff Otieno, Leo Odera, a high school head teacher and a CEO accused of defaming immediate former MP for Rongo failed to take off because he did not appear in court,Migori.

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The legislator Ochilo Ayacko through his lawyer Kisera requested for an adjournment to February 7^th saying his client was busy with the on going political party nominations matters.

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There was a moment of laughter in court when the magistrate asked the Mp�s lawyer that �you mean your lawyer is still keen with the case�. The quartet�s advocate Tomboya urged the court not to grant the same next time.

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Ayacko a former minister for energy was accorded a green light,on request,by the Attorney General Amos Wako, to institute a private prosecution against the four in connection with the sex scandal story which hit the cross section of the media.

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Bespectacled Ayacko was alleged that he is embroiled in ex-marital love affair with some high school headmistress and that he was caught in the act by the husband�of the said woman who is also a headteacher of a high school.��

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<By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

API/APN in Kisumu, Kenya

The entire Northern Kenya is under threat of invasion by swarms of locust. There is a lot of panicking among the communities who lives in the semi arid land in the north.

Locusts have wreaked havoc on farms and destroyed green pastures in Mandera district.

Consequently local leaders have appealed to the government to help stop the encroaching pests by way of aerially spraying the areas affected.

The grasshoppers are said to have invaded the district from Dola area of Southern Ethiopia.

The locust attack in Northern Kenya came barely a month after heavy rains that boosted crops and pastures in the region whose residents are nomads and pastoralists whose lives depend on keeping large herds of cattle.

It threatens the efforts farmers have made in their farms. Most of the destruction has been reported in Kalele Division. A local leader Mr. Mohammed Qaras said small-scale farming along River Dawa has been adversely affected.

The locusts breed rapidly and travel great distances in a short time, stripping fields and damage crops.

The locusts were also reported in Somalia�s Juba region that borders Kenya, Somalia in constable interim government lacked the capacity of rapid deployment of resources of fighting off the menace.

Agricultural officials in Mandera district could not be reached for immediate comment and were said to have gone to the field assessing the damage caused by locust destruction.

The fear persist that these swarms of locust could spread westward into the farming region of the North Rift and wreak havoc with short-rains crops now in the field.

The UN has locust-control station in Ethiopia, but its capacity of fighting the swarms has yet to be tested in the recent past.

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<By Harrison� Mwirigi� Ikunda,
API/APN in Nairobi, Kenya.�

After chaotic nomination exercises it is now all systems go to the general election on December 27, 2007. The country is already full brown on the election mood and all eyes are on the race. As usual many
frenzied activities are taking place including dishing of money,
laying campaign strategies and propaganda, consulting all manner of people including� hoodlums, spin doctors, witches, juju vendors and other not so good characters as well as consulting generally accepted religious� leaders and people among others.

The presidential contenders Messrs Mwai Kibaki of PNU, Raila Odinga of ODM and Kalonzo Musyoka of ODM � K must have learnt something out of the acrimonious nominations. They have all have witnessed the falling on the wayside of some of their erstwhile sycophants, key supporters and backers who would have hoped to bank on the presidential contenders� clout to ease their way to parliament more so in regions where the presidential contenders hail from.

But the main focus will obviously be in the presidential race. Just to regress a bit, this will be the most hotly contested so far in independent Kenya. It won’t be surprising or rather there is a big chance of George W. Bush versus Al Gore 2000 US presidential election poll outcome fiasco in Kenya this year. It is too close of a contest that it is likely to end up in court for various litigiously identified and imagined poll irregularities.

It is still very unlikely that there will be a party with majority
MP’s in parliament. But major parties made strategic decisions which if they succeed will mean something to them especially after the elections. PNU for instance ensured the nomination of key Kibaki trusted allies such as Njenga Karume, John Michuki and David Mwiraria and others. ODM also made some strategic nominations in the names of James Orengo, Prof Anyang Nyong’o and Otieno Kajwang among others. And coming from a region where ODM have a fanatical following the ODM nominees are already one foot in parliament.

What are the likely scenarios? In event of Kibaki victory there will be continuity. His economic programme may continue. He has already established a base. But being his last leg in office he could as well be a lame duck president occasioned by vicious succession battles amongst his allies and other troops which may take precedence over everything else. Again he is likely to face a nightmare in parliament with a much rejuvenated strong opposition especially from ODM.� Raila Odinga coming as number two in a presidential race may not be a disadvantage to him at all and after all. And knowing the energetic style of Raila, becoming official leader of the opposition could be a waking nightmare for any sitting president in Kenya!

What of Raila’s victory? He could be a fresh face in the leadership of the nation. He could radicalize reforms and set the country to another pace in politics and development altogether and probably a big break from the past.� But Raila could also face a lot of challenges in form of managing a new economic dispensation. Unlike Kibaki he doesn’t have the benefit of the experience of the economic morass the country is facing. Again the highly tribalised country is another biggest headache a new president would wish never to face, and the required balancing act is not an easy task. Moreover he will need an ingenious tact to deal with his core supporters some with propensity to engineer avoidable tribal hatred occasioned by their pomposity and platitudinous habits.

But the race has begun on a new stretch. For now the tribal feelings are in the stratosphere. Hopefully Steadman Group will find it fitting to avoid releasing any results too close to the poll. But right now it could be good as a guide to the parties and the presidential contenders on what they need to do on their campaign strategies. But one thing anybody can bet on this poll is that it will be occasioned by heavy spending and very heavy propaganda. Let nobody be surprised that after inauguration of the forthcoming 10th parliament the MP’s first agenda might be to raise their salaries. They might opt to recover their expenses and losses very fast using the public kitty!
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<By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

API/APN in Kampala

Reports emerging out of Dar Es Salaam says Tanzania has succumbed to the demands of its neighbours and temporarily halted construction of the controversial multimillion dollar soda ash processing plant at the Lake Natrion.

The project was a joint venture between the Tanzania government and India�s Tata Chemicals. Dar in apparent capitulation to pressure from international donors and conservationists vehemently opposed to the project over its likely negative environmental impact.

A temporary lifetime has thus been thrown to the one million Lesser Flamingos of Tanzania�s Lake Natrion, threatened by the huge industrial development on their most important breeding site in the world.

The Lake Natrion is said to be the only breeding site in East Africa for the birds.

The campaign to have the project halted was also mounted by the Birdlife International officials in a concerted effort to have Lesser Flamingos breeding sites in the lake preserved.

The organization official Jules Howard said in a recent interview that the private developers have been ordered to produce a new environmental and social impact assessment and consider other sites.

Howard said that officials of the organization in Tanzania will advise the Environment Minister Mark Mwandosy on whether to allow the developers to pump more than 100,000 liters of fresh water and 550,000 liters of brine (saltwater) from the area every hour, for the production of soda ash.

The decision to halt the construction of the multimillion-dollar soda ash plants in the lake is viewed by the stakeholders as a victory for conservation and the donors could now see the Tanzania government review its earlier ESIA after considering recommendation of the National Environmental Management Council.

Homi Khusrokhan, Managing Director of Tata Chemicals Ltd was quoted to have sent a message from his office in Mumbai, India saying that the firm was aware that Lake Natrion project would be either in or close to an ecologically sensitive area and that it has engaged reputable conservation associations before proceeding with the project.

He said Tata would also abide by the environment plan to Ramser Wetlands, when the Tanzanian government draws it up.

The company will seek the advice of eminent experts in ornithology, such as the Species Survival Commission of IUCN on the Lesser Flamingos, and proceed in accordance with their advice. There will be total transparency in the process,�� he said.

According to Mr. Khusrokhan, Tata has not yet settled on a suitable site for the location of the plant, but has committed to experts that the ultimate location will be at an appropriate distance from the Lake and will be outside Ramser Boundary.

The Tanzania government�s decision comes in the wake of protest from international donors, conservationists and neighbouring states who said the proposal was misguided and would harm the environment of the areas.

It comes after a meeting of conservation groups, national parks and the European Union (EU), representing donors, where most asked that the development be rejected because of the risk of driving away the flamingos, harming other species and irreversibly damaging Lake Natrion, which is protected by International law.

The developer � the Lake Natrion Resources Ltd � earlier planned to build a cool fired power station, road and rail links and housing for 1,200 construction workers at the site, a development that looked seriously to be harmful tourism in three countries � Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia � and cause Lake Ntarion�s International Wetland designation to be withdrawn.

But Mr. Bujut Patel a senior communication officer of Tata Chemicals countered these claims by saying that the firm would not introduce brine shrimps into the Lake nor build a pipeline grid within the Lake.

The firm said the brine would be drawn through limited extraction points in the Lake depending on hydrology studies.

Mr. Patel said the source of fresh water for the plant will not be within the Ramser boundary, but will in all probability be ground water that is extracted at a place away from the lake. There will be no effect on the inflow of fresh water into the lake as a consequence of setting up the project. Additionally, the company is presently sourcing power from the Tanzania grid and ways of minimizing human load in the vicinity of the plant,�� he said.

Lake Natrion Resources Ltd a joint venture firm between the Tanzania government and Tata Chemicals was to develop the USD 400 million-investment project for the extraction of 500,000 tones of soda ash annually.

Tata, Which owns majority shares in Kenya�s Magadi soda company also intend to build formal access roads, a pipeline to carry soda quarry across the lake and living quarters for an estimated 1,225 construction workers and 152 permanent staff.

On completion, the plant will consume 11.5 Megawatts and use 106,000 liters of fresh water per hour.

A recent study by the East African Lake Natrion Consultative Group found that tourists drawn to the region to see lesser Flamingos contributed USD 12 million annually. Tourism to Lake Natrion alone is estimated to be worth USD 500,000 per annum, excluding associated spending and potential ecotourism opportunities.

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