Publisher, korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke

Story by CHARLES ONYANGO-OBBO | WHAT OTHERS SAY

THE NORTHEASTERN PART of Uganda is a land of great contrasts. Some parts of it are very fertile and lush, but others are extremely dry. It’s swampy, but also famously rocky.

The rocks teem with lizards, and juicy mangoes grow abundantly in the wild.

These lands were ravaged by a famine in the late 1980s. The minister of Agriculture  then, went to tour the region to see what help her ministry could offer. Instead she kicked up a big storm. Travelling in the countryside and seeing all the gorgeous mangoes hanging from trees, she asked: “Why can’t the hungry eat mangoes?”

It’s nearly 20 years later, and the good lady has since moved on to greater things, but to this day, her statement is still quoted as if she made it yesterday. You would think the political backlash from the mangoes episode would have  discouraged any more impertinent remarks about the famine.

But, we guess, not if it is African politicians involved. Some weeks later, the vice-president went to see for himself  the tragedy that had befallen the region. Unlike the agriculture minister, he was fascinated by the rocks.

Commenting on what he had seen, he wondered by the starving people “did not eat lizards”.

It seems we have been rash to put down African rulers. There are worse ones out there — like the soldiers running Burma (or Myanmar).

Last week, a cyclone battered the long-suffering Burma, killing at least 116,000 people and leaving another 1.5 million at risk, according to UN estimates.

For many days, the military junta first rejected international aid, although it couldn’t cope, and when it opened up, it has made it very difficult for relief workers to operate.

Any country hit by such a tragedy would do the right thing; hoist the flag at half mast and declare several days of mourning. Not the Burmese junta.

For starters, it went ahead with a referendum that would entrench military rule. Most cynical, according to The Independent, was a photo on the front page of the New Light of Burma — the state-run newspaper, as you will have guessed from the name — of the Prime Minister, Thein Sein, handing over 20 television sets and 10 DVD players as part of the “relief” operation!

What makes this piece of insensitivity even more obscene is that the Irrawaddy delta, which bore the brunt of Cyclone Nargis has had no electricity since the storm struck.

The junta was not done. It announced that it would continue exporting rice, and planned to meet all its commitments. Most of the rice Burma exports is grown in the Irrawaddy delta, the very same region to which the government was limiting international food donations.

WHY DO POLITICIANS, OR BETTER still many people in positions of power, behave this way? It’s common for company executives to lay off a quarter of the staff, citing falling revenues and mounting losses, then at the end of the year pay themselves the largest bonuses ever.

Perhaps it is that to survive at the top of most jobs, you need to develop a certain amount of  indifference to the suffering around you.

A president addressing a rally of barefoot, emaciated villagers, wouldn’t finish his speech if he took pity upon them. He, therefore, makes a promise he doesn’t intend to keep, and moves on to the next rally.

To entirely unrelated matters, it is with a little sense of shame and embarrassment that I must acknowledge that the biggest talking point in East Africa (not to mention football loving nations in the Third World) this week is probably Manchester United’s capture of the Premier League championship.

The thing about this, though, is that it made me wish that politics and business journalism would be as good as most of the better sports reporting and commentary is.

The Premier League season that just ended started on August 11, last year. On that day Brian Viner, a sports columnist in The Independent wrote: “You don’t have to be a Nostradamus, or even Eileen Drewery, to predict what is going to happen in the season, which begins today with no certainties, except that Manchester United will win it, Chelsea will finish second, Arsenal will finish third and Liverpool fourth.” And so it was.

Nostradamus, almost all of us know. He was the 16th century French physician and astrologer, who also dabbled in prophecy.

To those who don’t follow the dark side of international football, the question must be: who is Eileen Drewery?  She is a disgraced Italian faith healer and exorcist, and to use a description I much liked, “practitioner of white magic”.

Drewery (aka Clara Romano) is what we would call a juju woman.

She has an impressive list of clients, starting from Manchester City (soon to be ex-) manager and former England head coach Sven-Göran Erickson, up to Massimo Moratti, the Inter Milan president.

Maybe this partly explains why European football is so popular in our part of the world.

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API

Publisher, korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke

Now Ruto goes against Raila who thought he has become a supreme leader for the Kalenjins. He will never be supreme leader for the Kalenjins. It is okay if he continues to be supreme for the Luos, Even Kibaki’s people will not accept him. Ruto’s act against Raila now is a sign of things to come. With little support in parliament, Raila may have to resign as PM. API

Ruto differs with Raila over opposition in House

Agriculture minister William Ruto has differed with his party leader over the need for an official opposition.

Mr Ruto said an official opposition was important if the Government was keen on upholding democracy.

“If we are not checked, we would end up not delivering on the promises we have made to Kenyans,” he said.

He promised to issue a detailed report on the matter at a later date.

Major parties

He was speaking at a news conference during which he revoked licenses of 16 sugar exporters.

In recent weeks, there has been debate on whether an opposition is needed since the three major political parties were in Government.

Last weekend, ODM leader Raila Odinga criticised those calling for an official opposition. He said ODM was likely to lose its majority in Parliament.

However, MPs on the backbench, led by Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo and Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, have insisted that an opposition was important.

A Bill seeking to legalise the formation of an official opposition has already been tabled in Parliament.

Broke ranks

Assistant minister Danson Mungatana Wednesday broke ranks with his Party of National Unity colleagues by supporting the formation of an official opposition to check the grand coalition Government.

“I’m surprised that Mr Odinga is having a problem with the formation of an opposition since this should not in any way threaten him or the existing status quo,” Mr Mungatana said.

Roads minister Kipkalya Kones Wednesday said MPs trying to form an opposition were unrealistic since, as back- benchers, they were automatically playing the same role.

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API

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no

The email below has alot for the Kenyans to chew in their new political landscape. Our readers may contribute on what they think about it. API

On 5/15/08, samokello@sahelpublishing.net <samokello@sahelpublishing.net> wrote:

——– Original Message ——–
Subject: The Real Culprits
From: samokello@sahelpublishing.net
Date: Wed, May 14, 2008 5:23 pm
To: Kumekucha <umissedthis@yahoo.com>

Fellow Kenyans,

 

The other day I heard Martha Karua speak eloquently in support of Kalonzo Musyoka’s contention that those who committed crimes against humanity during the horrible weeks after the stolen elections must be punished. I fully agree with these two characters, but only if everybody is indeed punished. I don’t need to go over the manner in which the election was stolen. The arrogance and impunity speaks for itself. What Kenyans need to remember, before we embark on the administration of justice, is that there are levels of responsibility in the manner in which events unfolded. Here is my list of the levels.

 

1.  President Kibaki.  This man, back in 2002, was elected by Kenyans to unite the nation. His presidency brought Kenya tribal hatred, an economy skewed against the poor and an election that he refused to concede. Now, the reason Kibaki should face punishment before anybody else is…he was the head of state. He was the one whose security apparatus presided over the killing and maiming of innocent Kenyans. Had he chosen to walk away after losing the elections, nobody would have died. For him to now turn around and blame others for the mess he orchestrated tells us a lot about this man’s character. What a shameless goon!

 

2.  Samuel Kivuitu.  This man presided over a sham election. He knew that Kibaki had lost the election and yet went ahead to declare him the winner. Did Kivuitu hope that Kenyans would just fold up and accept a stolen election? And just how much was he paid to swing the thing Kibaki’s way? It’s my contention that had Kivuitu not accepted a bribe, and had he not called the election for Kibaki, Kenyans would not have needlessly died. For him to still occupy the chairmanship of the ECK speaks to what kind of a man he is. How dumb!

 

3.  John Michuki.  This man was in charge of internal security. He led the police force in brutalizing Kenyans, killing men women and children. If it can be proved that he coordinated efforts with the Mungiki, then indeed this is the man who killed Kenyans. He is responsible for the atrocities the forces committed against Kenyans. For him to sit out there and pretend he is innocent makes a mockery of the judicial system in Kenya. Idiot.

 

4.  Uhuru Kenyatta.  I watched this man in Nakuru at the height of the election violence. He was on a track, ostensibly on a mission to bring peace to Nakuru. But his body language spoke about his true intentions. He was in Nakuru to cheer the murderous Mungiki on. What does he know about the Mungiki? What does he know about how the election theft was planned? What made him insist he was going to be in government several months before the elections? To the extent that Kenyans died, Uhuru Kenyatta cannot escape blame for helping orchestrate the game plan that led to the death of kenyans.

 

5.  General Ali.  The police commissioner is a man I pity. It’s now clear that he so deplored the tactics employed by the Kibaki people that he resigned. But he was marched back to work. He catches blame because as the man who is responsible for the actions of his officers, he should have stopped their murderous campaign. If he feared for his life, like I’m aware he was, he should have fled the country. Honor is a great thing, General.

 

Guys, that’s my list. Now, I know there will be people who ask why Ruto’s name doesn’t make my list. It’s for the same reason I leave out the Mungiki and the Kalenjin warriors who raided an Eldoret church and fought like hell to drive out the invading Mungiki. What I’m saying is that The Mungiki and The Kalenjin warriors were responding to events that were planned by the five culprits I mentioned above. Did you expect the Kalenjin warriors to sit by and watch the wholesale slaughter of their children and wives? Did you expect the Mungiki to watch as their community in the diaspora was decimated by the rest of Kenya? I don’t think so. These brave boys all fought to protect their people…even if they did it for the wrong reasons. By fighting like they did, they fought other people’s wars. They fought a war planned by Kibaki’s people.

 

So when the time comes to punish the evil people, we must start with Kibaki and go down the chain. This situation where the people who planned the evil are excused and the small man who valiantly fought to defend himself is blamed will not stand. It may now, but as sure as the sun sets in the west, it will only breed more discontent and will bring us the next implosion.

 

Is anybody listening?

 

If you are, here is my proposal. Punish Kibaki and his team, the people who led us down this path, or let the boys in prisons across Kenya go. We will not allow the fat cats to dump their foolishness on the small man. And to the small man, the time has come to think of Kenya in different terms. Aren’t we tired of fighting the wars of these tycoons? Why do we kill each other for them?

 

I ask the Mungiki leadership, the young Luos around the world, the Kalenjin warriors, the youthful Luhya Brigade and the Coastal Vijana to rethink their political and economic situation. Maybe the time has come to worry about a future beyond these people. Maybe Luke Mboya is right to ask for a shift in our thinking. Maybe only younger leaders will save us.

 

By Sam O. Okello

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African Press International – api

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.nation.ke

When Kibaki took over from Moi, his government, Raila was one of them changes the laws making harambees illegal. Now the same people are breaking the law. Some are trying to justify that the civil servants being asked to contribute are not being forced to do so.

That is nonsense. If a civil servant does not contribute, his or her name will be noted and should he or she one day make a mistake will be sacked. Some will not be promoted even for failure to contribute. And yet these civil servants earn little. The IDP issue is the responsibility of the government and any contributions must be voluntary. We do hope there are some brave civil servants out there who can challenge the forced contribution in court and have it stopped immediately.API

Civil servants asked to give refugee cash

Story by KENNETH OGOSIA and JILLO KADIDA

Public servants have received letters asking them to contribute to the fund launched recently to help resettle internal refugees.

Deputy prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta presents his contribution to President Kibaki during a public fund-raising in aid of resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons at KICC, Nairobi yesterday. With him are special programmes minister Dr Naomi Shaban and national humanitarian fund chairman Rtd Archbishop Ndingi Mwana a’ Nzeki. Photo/PHOEBE OKALL.

Public Service head Francis Muthaura has written to all permanent secretaries asking them to seek contributions from staff towards the fund which targets Sh30 billion to help victims of the post-election violence.

In turn, PSs and other accounting officers have written to all departmental, divisional and section heads to request for contributions from all public officers.

In some cases the letters specify the amount different grades of officers should pay.

Judges, for example are being asked to contribute a minimum of Sh5,000 each towards the fund, while magistrates will pay between Sh2,000 and Sh3,000.

Paralegal staff are expected to part with Sh1,000 while other Judiciary employees like cooks and cleaners are asked to pay Sh500 each.

The letter to Judiciary staff is dated May 12, the same day President Kibaki launched the scheme and is signed by the Acting Registrar, Mrs Lidya Achode.

The exercise is a reminder of the practice which was prevalent during former President Daniel arap Moi’s rule when civil servants and employees of parastatals were made to contribute to all manner of funds.

At the time, representatives of NGOs and political activists complained about alleged forced donations by civil servants.

The function hosted by President at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Monday has already raised eyebrows because it flouted provisions of the Public Officer Ethics Act which bars officers from participating in such funds drives or using their positions to raise harambee money.

On Wednesday, the PS for Public Service, Mr Titus Ndambuki said: “These are voluntary contributions depending in the nature of distress. Civil servants are being asked to assist and no deductions will be made from their salaries to make it compulsory.”

Mr Ndambuki added: “That does not therefore break the law and those who will not be able to donate are not under any obligation to pay. But they are sympathetically deemed to be human beings and know the state of IDPs.”

But the civil servants union condemned the donations terming the move a breach of the Public Officer Ethics Act.

The union’s acting secretary general Tom Odege said: “That is introducing corruption by compassion and in itself a breach of the law because the MPs should have foreseen circumstances beyond human control, and created a caveat to cushion civil servants.”

Mr Odege said: “If any of the civil servants went to court the process would be reversed. Any normal human being would not ordinarily refuse to assist but the salaries of the civil servants cannot be enough to even sustain them for a month let alone donate to a person in distress.”

According to a circular sent to all Judiciary staff, the institution is expected to raise more than Sh3.6 million towards the resettlement of those who were displaced from their homes following the violence.

The circular which was obtained by the nation says the donations should be submitted to the registrar’s office starting from May 12 to May 26.

Some of the judges and magistrates who talked to Nation in anonymity said it is wrong to force anyone to contribute money to any funds drive. They said it ought to be done voluntarily.

Attached to the circular is a letter Mr Muthaura inviting the registrar to the launch of the public fund raising which was chaired by President Kibaki.

He says the purpose of the invite is to request the staff to make contribution to the humanitarian effort. It also indicates that the donations should be made to the national humanitarian fund under the ministry of state for special programmes.

The resettlement programme is estimated to cost almost Sh30 billion.

Mr Muthaura said the government has been able to factor Sh1 billion in the current financial year.

The public fund which was spearheaded by President Kibaki raised Sh457 million. The money is meant to help families affected by post-election violence to resettle. The violence, which followed the disputed presidential election, left more than 1,000 people dead and 350,000 displaced.

The funds drive which was launched at Kenyatta International Conference Centre was attended by Cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries, members of the diplomatic corps and chief executive officers of various parastatals. President Kibaki pledged a donation of Sh5 million towards the resettlement kitty as his personal contribution.

Agriculture ministry, led by Mr William Ruto, topped the list of donors with Sh298 million, money contributed by members of staff and parastatals under it. The newly created office of the Prime Minister donated Sh500,000 with a pledge to give more.

The Office of the Vice-President donated Sh512,700. The Ministry of Energy led by Mr Kiraitu Murungi, donated Sh14.8 million. Other contributors were Ministry of Medical Services (Sh6.6 million), Office of the President (Sh6.3 million) and Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sh4.6 million.

The Ministry of Trade, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, and the Ministry of Local Government, led by Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, donated Sh1.3 million each. The government of Algeria donated Sh30 million, while China gave Sh1.38 million.

The money will be used for building new houses, replace household effects as well as rehabilitate community utilities and institutions destroyed in the violence.

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API 

By Ben AginaParliament has passed a Motion that seeks to reduce the number of ministerial positions.

Publisher; Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.standard.ke 

The Grand Coalition Government appeared under attack from at least four fronts on the eve of its first Cabinet meeting to be chaired by President Kibaki at State House, Nairobi, from 10am today.

In Parliament alone, over the last two weeks, two fronts have opened up. Yesterday — for the first time in 45 years — members realised they could actually determine the size of the Cabinet. And last week, they passed a Motion that could pave way for debate on the formation of Grand Opposition.

Outside Parliament, a growing demand for amnesty by mostly Rift Valley MPs for suspects of the post-election violence that left at least 1,000 people dead, hundreds of others maimed or traumatised for life and property worth millions of shillings reduced to rubble, appeared to split the Government down the middle.

Add to this the Mungiki and Saboti Land Defence Force (SLDF) militia phenomenon over which the Prime Minister, Mr Raila Odinga, appears to be reading from a different script from that held by Prof George Saitoti, the Internal Security minister, and at least half a dozen Cabinet colleagues and the agenda for today’s meeting becomes a mouthful.

There is also the little matter of control of the Cabinet that has pitted hardliners in President Kibaki’s PNU against those of the PM’s ODM in a silent war of attrition.

And intra-party schisms deepened when a key Raila ally, Mr William Ruto, the Eldoret North MP and Agriculture minister, supported the formation of a Grand Opposition, arguing that a system of checks and balances was necessary.

Unity document not tabled

All that notwithstanding, it is not clear if a draft policy document authored by Mr Mutula Kilonzo, the Mbooni MP and Nairobi Metropolitan minister, that structured the Grand Coalition Government and outlined how it would work was not tabled before the National Dialogue and Reconciliation Committee on Wednesday as earlier envisaged.

The document was expected to clearly spell out the role of the PM and to put to an end — among other things — some of the embarrassing public confusion over roles as witnessed at State functions in recent times between Raila and Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka.

Ministers and PSs were also understood to be in a last minute flurry yesterday preparing what sources described as “status briefs” of their respective dockets ahead of today’s meeting.

It is within this background that President Kibaki will today, at a forum in which the future role of the PM could also become clearer, chair his first Cabinet meeting.

On Wednesday, a statement from the Director of Presidential Press Service (PPS), Mr Isaiya Kabira, read: “The President will tomorrow chair the first formal Cabinet meeting of the Grand Coalition Government.”

But even as the word on the Cabinet meeting was put out separately by State House and the PM, thorny issues that have stretched the fledgling fabric of the coalition cast a dark shadow on the session.

Seeking a common ground

President Kibaki, as the chair, would hope that the ministers remember the induction meeting at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies last weekend, where they were taught etiquette and co-existence in Government.

The President’s clarion call at the historic meeting was: “We are members of one Government and colleagues in Cabinet who should always feel free to reach out to one another.”

Today, President Kibaki and Raila will attempt to work out a common ground in the Cabinet of 42 members, who have taken sharply differing views on at least four key issues that seem to have put the coalition under siege.

On his part, Raila said there were many “weighty matters” in which collective decision of the Cabinet was required as opposed to unilateral decisions by individual ministers.

The PM is against plans for a Grand Opposition, but has stated his interest in dialogue with Mungiki, an outlawed sect.

On militia groups, Raila said: “I will present the concerns of Mungiki and the Sabaot Land Defence Force before Cabinet tomorrow (today) before a collective decision is made.

On Tuesday, Saitoti told Parliament that there was no formal Government dialogue going on with Mungiki, also terming the issue as “weighty”.

But in reference to what Saitoti said, Raila added: “There are no contradictions over talking to Mungiki. My colleague Saitoti just echoed the true position of Government. But we will meet and reach a consensus.”

The PM was speaking after meeting a delegation of leaders from Mt Elgon District, led by the local MP, Mr Fred Kapondi, former legislators, Mr Wilberforce Kisiero and Mr David Moiben, and clerics at his Treasury office.

The militia issue also featured in Parliament when Ndaragwa MP, Mr Jeremiah Kioni, gave notice of a Motion seeking the establishment of a select committee to investigate Mungiki and other militia groups.

Kioni said the unlawful groups drew their membership mainly from the youth. The Government, he said, had unsuccessfully attempted to crack down on them in the past.

But there will also be the matter of bloated numbers for the Cabinet to ponder at today’s inaugural session. Yesterday, through a private member’s Motion, Turkana Central MP, Mr Ekwee Ethuro (PNU), was given authority to bring a Bill to create offices of Ministers of the Government and to regulate their number.

Equally unsettling is the growing pressure to release post-election violence suspects, a matter that is beginning to divide the Cabinet down the middle.

A group of Rift Valley MPs, comprising Mr Zakayo Cheruiyot, Mr Franklin Bett and Dr Julius Kones yesterday pressured the Government to release the suspects.

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API

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.apa

The Contact Group for the implementation of the Dakar Agreement between Chad and Sudan agreed – at its Monday meeting in Tripoli – to hold its third session in Brazzaville “as soon as conditions are met,” said a statement copied to APA.
The Group also welcomed all the participants’ expressed willingness to redouble efforts to rapidly restore permanent peace between Chad and Sudan.

It expressed hope that the Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and his Congolese counterpart Denis Sassou Nguesso as well as the other heads of state in the group will quickly take all necessary steps to re-engage Chad and Sudan on the path to effective and sustainable reconciliation.

The meeting called for the immediate restoration of diplomatic relations between Khartoum and N’djamena, taking note of “the Chadian government’s strong condemnation of the attack against Sudan and its call for restraint and calm,” the press release added.

Sudan was absent from the Tripoli meeting after sustaining a rebel attack on 10 May on the outskirts of Khartoum.

The foreign ministers of Senegal, Cheikh Tidiane Gadio, Laure Olga Gondjout of Gabon , Osman Saleh Mohammed of Eritrea and Moussa Faki Mahamat of Chad, as well as the Libyan Secretary for African Union Affairs Ali Abdessalam Triki attended the meeting.

The meeting also attracted delegates from the African Union, the Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD), the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS), the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) and observers from the United Nations, the European Union, USA, France and Great Britain.

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API

Publisher: Korir, africanpress@getmail.no source.apa

The Rwandan minister of Justice and Attorney General, Tharcisse Karugarama has accused some Western countries, individuals and organizations of providing support to Rwandan rebel groups and genociders, leading to an increase in genocide ideology.

The minister was on Tuesday opening a one-day consultative meeting of different national stakeholders on strategies of eradicating the ideology of genocide at Hotel Novotel Umubano in Kigali.

Without mentioning their names, the Rwandan minister said there was overwhelming evidence to suggest that the Rwandan rebel group, Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), Interahamwe militias and member of the ex-Rwandan army during the 1994 genocide, all operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo have international networks. He claimed that the rebel groups have partners in many European countries who have continued to propagate the ideology in Rwanda as well as vehemently denying the occurrence of the 1994 genocide.

“We have received enough evidence suggesting that some elements in the international community are providing logistical and financial support to Rwanda rebels whose aim is nothing but to commit genocide,” Karugarama said.

“Anyone who denies the occurrence of the Holocaust is severely punished, yet those who deny the Rwandan genocide are simply said to be exercising their rights to freedom of expression,” he said. He noted that Rwandan negative forces are now using religious and political groups in several countries in an effort to continue their unfinished genocide agenda in Rwanda.

The minister called on the judiciary to help in the eradication of the genocide ideology by judging it from a regional and international perspective rather than from a local one.

The head of crime investigation in the Rwanda national police, Superintendent Morris Muligo, said that the community policing strategy would contribute immensely in the eradication of the ideology at local level.

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API