A fractured relationship

Daniel Cheruiyot looks at the effects of the post-election violence on the ever-strained landlord/tenant association.

The post-election period has witnessed a breakdown of law and order especially in relation to property rights and has further strained the ever poor landlord/tenant relationship. The problem is extremely serious in low income settlements of Nairobi like Kibera, Mathare, Huruma, Dandora and Kariobangi. Tenants as well as landlords have been evicted in equal measure, depending on the numerical strength of the ethnic communities supporting either group.

Story by SHEILA NATURINDA
Publication Date: 3/14/2008 

 Displaced farmers plead for help

Kenya’s farmers displaced by the country’s recent political turmoil today took their pleas for resettlement to the Government and the Orange Democratic Movement.

Prime Minister designate Raila Odinga and Nobel peace laureate Prof Wangari Maathai soon after a meeting with displaced farmers’ leaders in Nairobi today. Photo/ PETERSON GITHAIGA

The Kenya National Federation of Agricultural Producers (Kenfap) met jointly with Prime Minister designate Raila Odinga and the Minister of State for Special Programmes, Dr Naomi Shabaan and asked for urgent action to help the farmers.

Kenfap chairman Nduati Kariuki said that about 40 per cent of the estimated 350,000 people displaced by the post-election violence in the country are farmers.

The farmers’ leader said that his members are the drivers of agricultural production in the country and asked the Government to resettle them back onto their farms.

“The violence saw majority farmers leave their lands and this has adversely affected the food hub of the country,” said Mr Kariuki.

Mr Kariuki warned that the country risked a heavy food shortage in the next few months following disruption of farming activities.

The association of farmers main objective, he said, was to secure a peaceful coexistence among the farmers, restore farming cycles and re-integrate the communities.

Speaking during the meeting, Dr Shabaan said the Government was already on track to restore peace, and resettle the displaced.

She added that the Government had set aside Sh1 billion to resettle all internally displaced people and that farmers will also receive Government support in the form of agricultural inputs.

“The internally displaced are going to be given seeds, fertilizers and other agricultural inputs to assist them revive their farms,” she said.

Mr Odinga assured the farmers that land was one of the major reforms the new coalition government was to tackle.

The ODM leader assured the farmers that agriculture and land questions were a priority in the peace building and reconstruction programmes that the Government was undertaking.

“The country will automatically face a major food shortage in the near future if the land issue is not tackled urgently,” he said.

The ODM leader told farmers that their concerns about insecurity, displacement and rising costs of inputs would be addressed by the Government, adding that a 10 member committee was already working on how to harmonise the manifestoes of PNU and ODM, which had addressed the plight of farmers.

Said the ODM leader: “We must protect our farmers at all costs in order to ensure that our country is self sufficient in food security. We have formed a grand coalition Government which is unique in Africa, but not in Europe, and we are harmonising the manifesto of our parties (PNU and ODM), to support our farmers.”

Published by Korir, API africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke

Story by CAROLINE WAFULA
Publication Date: 3/14/2008  

Former Embakasi MP David Mwenje is dead.

The late David Mwenje. Photo/ FILE

Mr Mwenje, 55, died Thursday evening at Aga Khan University Hospital where he had been admitted since January.

The former MP was admitted to the hospital on January 16. His condition deteriorated and he was transferred taken to Intensive Care where he went into a coma on February 6.

The former MP died barely two months after his successor, Mr Melitus Mugabe Were, was gunned down outside his home at Woodley Estate.

Last week, the High Court allowed Mwenje’s two children, Ms Maureen Waithira and Eric Kamau Mwenje, to manage their ailing father’s property.The court however allowed the children limited access to the property.

Earlier in the hearing, the children had asked the court to bar journalists from covering the case in the interests of the patient.

The judge declined, saying Mr Mwenje was a public figure. He, however warned the media to exercise professionalism.

Mr Mwenje served as an assistant Minister for Service Sector in the Ministry of Co-operative Development and Marketing in the Narc government.

The former MP served five terms in the Kenyan Parliament. He was first elected in 1983 on a Kanu ticket and subsequently re-elected on the same ticket in 1988 but shifted to DP in the 1992 election and recaptured the seat during the 1997 election on the same ticket. He was again elected in 2002 on a Narc ticket.

Published by Korir, API africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke

Dr Haja Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President of the Republic of The Gambia and Secretary of State for Women’s Affairs has said that the attainment of the goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment not only in the Gambia but also in the world at large cannot be achieved without the availability of timely and adequate financial human resources and other resources.

VP Njie-Saidy made this remarks last Friday March 7th 2008 in a nation-wide broadcasting, televised on Gambia Radio and Television Services (GRTS), in her office, while delivering her goodwill message on the occasion of the International Women’s Day, March 8th, 2008 on the theme “Financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women”.

According to her, since 1980, when the national machinery for the advancement of women and girls in The Gambia was created, adequate financing has been a challenge due to limited resources although, government supported by a development partner has endeavoured to ensure the availability of resources, in many and varied ways, but the desired levels are yet to be achieved.

Below is the full text of H.E the Vice President Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy’s address:-

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

You will recall that, every year, on the 8th of March, International Women’s Day is celebrated throughout the world with the objective of highlighting that achievements and challenges in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls at the national and global levels.

This global event has grown from strength to strength and has become an event which brings women and all other stakeholders together to promote and advocate for more cohesive and coordinated interventions towards effectively addressing the critical needs of women in the social, political and economic processes. Each year a relevant theme is identified globally that is deemed most appropriate. This year’s theme is: “financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women”.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

In the Gambia, we cannot overemphasize the relevance and timeless of this year’s theme on Gender equality financing which focus is given by the UN and its other development partners, particularly, during the 52nd session of the commission on the Status of Women in New York from the 25th of February to the 7th of March 2008.

Currently being attended by representative of the DOSWA & Women’s Bureau. The attainment of the goal of gender equality and women’s empowerment, not only in the Gambia but also in the world at large, cannot be achieved without the availability of timely and adequate financial human material and other resources.

Since 1980, when the national machinery for the advancement of women and girls, in The Gambia was created, adequate financing has been a challenge due to limited resources although, Government supported by A development partner has endeavoured to ensure the availability of resources, in many and varied ways, but the desired levels are yet to be achieved. In the early 90s a project was initiated by government in collaboration with the World Bank a six year multi- sectoral and multi- donor funded Women in Development Project, which aimed at improving the status of women through the provision of resources to sectoral agencies and NGOs in the areas of health, agriculture, credit, community skills improvement, IEC, research, M & E and training.

The project employed the concept of women in development although the strategy was proven to be only partly effective and helped strengthen women related sectors.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

In light of the above, the concept, Gender and Development ( GAD) was adopted in 1995, which employed the strategy of mainstreaming gender perspectives in national programmes and policies at all levels by all actors.

The strategy was endorsed in the Platform for action during the Beijing, China, fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 for the promotion of gender equality which it emphasized as central to addressing all critical areas of concern to men and women. In the same document governments were called upon, together with other stakeholders to promote effected policies of mainstreaming gender perspectives in programmes and policies at national and international levels, complemented by targeted interventions to ensure its full and effective implementation.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

The achievements on the above mentioned areas, include the women in development project and other projects or interventions such as the formulation and ratification of Gambia’s first Policy for the Advancement of Women and Girls, Mainstreaming of gender and Poverty Project funded by DFID, the drafting of Women’s Bill, creation of gender unit at the Department of State for basic and Secondary Education as well as institutionalization of Gender focal Points at other sectoral levels, economic empowerment focused projects under the Department of State for Agriculture, Fisheries and natural Resource, Trade and Employment, Youth and Sports, the Gambia chamber of commerce and Industry, Commercial Banks, Public Institutions, NGO’s UN Agencies, other development partners and Civil Society Organisation.

However the situation of women is only partially/ or partly improved. Somewhat, the efforts of all sectors of Government need to be complimented so much by other Stakeholders including Women themselves.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

Even after thirteen years, insufficient complementary resource allocation by donors to government for sectoral gender mainstreaming remained a challenge for all.

The report of the Secretary – General of the UN, on Progress in mainstreaming the gender perspective in the development Implementation and evaluation of national policies and programmes, with a particular focus on financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women, presented during the Fifty- second (52nd) session of the commission on the Status of Women, under item 3 (c) of the provisional agenda, “Follow-up to the Fourth World Conference on Women and to the special session of the General Assembly entitled Women 2000; gender equality development and peace for the twenty -first century: gender mainstreaming strategy or through targeted interventions for women, require financial resources.

Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating that gender equality makes good economic sense, and the call for gender mainstreaming in economic and public finance processes, globally, adequate resources has not been systematically allocated. In the fie- years review and appraisal of the implementation of the Platform for Action in 2000 a lack of adequate resources was noted by Member States in all regions as an obstacle to implementation.

The 10 year review and appraisal in 2005 indicated that in many countries domestic and external resources remained insufficient”. The need for gender budgeting, Gender planning, programming, monitoring and evaluation is imminent at this point in time than before.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

This confirms and gives an indication of the similarities of national with those of global challenges. Thus proving the lack of adequate financing and ineffective utilization of available resources for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls coupled with the fragmented and uncoordinated actions, lack of awareness and sometimes acceptance of gender concerns and concepts by the majority of the people, sometimes including women themselves.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

This fact was clearly highlighted in report of the midterm review of the women’s policy 2006, PRSP 11 2007- 2011, the report of the assessment of women’s capacity gaps in decision-making 2007, as well as the Gambia’s Draft fourth report on CEDAW 2007.

Unfortunately this continues to create bottlenecks for the attainment of national goals as well as goal 3 of the MDG’s that is gender equality.

The timeliness and relevance of this year’s theme cannot be overemphasised. In order to align ourselves with this global and clarion call, we urge all stakeholders (state and non state actors) to re-direct and re-orient their interventions and be committed to financing for gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls, through adequate resource allocation for effective mainstreaming of gender perspectives in all sectors and by all actors in the development arena.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

Also during the opening ceremony of the 52nd session of the commission on the status of Women, the United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, Launched a multi-year campaign to end violence against women, he stressed the need for concerted efforts by all stakeholders and made an urgent call to world leaders, Member States, lawmakers, United Nations entities, civil society, the private sector, the media and individuals to work together to end such violence. The Economic and / or Financial Empowerment of Women is one solution towards addressing gender-based domestic violence.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

As we celebrate international women’s day, may I kindly remind you that over the past decade, the Government of the Gambia has systematically registered progress in the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women.

Women are now, more than ever before, serving in decision-making positions. Education and health services have improved and increased for all Gambians and women’s participation in the ceremony has also gained momentum.

However, we cannot afford to be complacent with this compared to the wide gaps affecting the larger majority of women who sometimes find it difficult to engage themselves in any meaningful development. High illiteracy among women, high maternal and child mortality, poverty, lack of adequate infrastructure, inadequate financing and micro-credit services etc must be overcome. Despite for gains she thanks H.E for providing free maternal health to the country.

In conclusion, the national celebrations, this year, will, therefore, focus on resource mobilisation for adequate gender financing, formulation and validation of national gender policy, capacity building for stakeholders on gender budgeting and gender mainstreaming concepts and other relevant interventions.

The gender policy, programmes, will form the basis towards the Gambia’s effective and adequate financing for gender equality and the economic empowerment of women.

Within the context of this policy, strategies will be identified for gender budgeting, providing of adequate gender disaggregated date and an effective and well coordinated monitoring and evaluation framework. Of course a national march pass by women will be organised, coordinated by the women’ Bureau under the supervision of the National Women’s Council and Department of State for Women Affairs.

The appropriate date of which will be communicated in due course, by the Women’s Bureau and council.

Fellow Gambians, Fellow Women

The relevant arms of Government will surely continue to work towards ensuring the enactment of the 2005 Women’s Bill and submission of the Gambia’s fourth (4th CEDAW report to the UN CEDAW committee, all geared towards empowering women and girls, and the attainment of gender equality.

May Allah the almighty bless us.

From Mohammed Legally-Cole)
Published by API africanpress@getmail.no

It is in no doubt that the political precipice experienced in Kenya as a result of the controversial 2007 poll is slowly decimating. However the situation on the ground and the political tectonics are far from being stable enough. The reasoning being that Kenya needs to do a total reconstruction of its political, economical and social structures immediately.

We have had a good start resulting from the peace deal brokered by former UN secretary General Kofi Annan between the main protagonists messrs President Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader  and Prime Minister Designate Raila Odinga. After the deal was signed the country sighed relief and only awaited operationazation of the deal through implementation and amendments to the constitution.

The prevailing circumstances as much as they look fine however have serious inherent weaknesses. It is obvious there are people, groups or cliques not happy with the new political dispensation. It is apparent some would wish the new political structures being created could be abandoned. It is evident that change is a difficult experience especially of political change which happens to change the resources application, dispensing and utilization spectrum

In addition the fact that there is a deal which has been sealed, does not mean the evils of tribalism, poverty, crime, corruption, hatred, bad cultural practices, discrimination, intolerance and so on have gone away. Political healing should lead and made to immediately spur economic and social healing and justice.

For this to happen laws and structures must be created to ensure that people can live together across the diversity of tribes and races in Kenya while tolerating and peacefully co-existing across the diversity. After all a deep research reveals that the various communities living in Kenya are highly dependent on one another. The political and economic dispensation traversing pre-colonial, colonial and since independence has messed up relationships that suspicions have risen so high. The poll fiasco has only exacerbated and brought to the fore the huge sore existing in peoples mind.

The fact is, Kenyans are highly tribal!  People have been comfortable only with one of their own in leadership and that the leadership of exclusion has been the norm since independence (forget the evil colonial one) in high political echelons and even across the non political institutions and set ups. These are what have created the irrational precipitous state of affairs in the country. Right now we have innocent people who have been internally displaced for no apparently reason other than being perceived to be guilty by tribal association with the of leaders of their community which is completely asinine.

There is need to restore hope to the displaced and the society re-engineered to ensure co-existence and resettlements carefully and reasonably accelerated and where possible and after careful examination people need to return to their places they were displaced from but need total assurance on safety. But to cap it all we can’t wait any longer for a constitutional law which would inhibit discrimination, tribalism, violence on those lines and all what they encompass. Kenya is completely ripe for anti tribalism and discrimination law which need to be very intelligently crafted.

<From Harisson Ikunda

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