BY: JEFF OTIENO, Kenya

A case in which a lands officer in Kisumu Lands Office was charged with others for allegedly having conspired to
defraud the government of its land of the controversy ridden and� moribund Miwani Sugar Factory, has put the
government on the spot.

Legal experts and human rights activists in Kisumu wants the government to shed light over the criteria which has been
used to retain the Kisumu Land Valuer Mr. Philip Odongo Kabita in office.

After he had appeared in court and bailed to the tune of� staggering Kshs.2.5 million the civil servants ethics act� stipulates that he, Kabita should pave way until the case is determined.

Sources within the Lands Office however confided to the press that Kabita�s seniors both in Nairobi and Kisumu have adviced him to stay put adding that whatever the consequences they will rally behind him.

The said Lands Officer is said to be fighting hard round the clock to ensure he doesn�t pave way as demanded by
law.

Every evening he has been spotted doing goat eating sessions with high powered intelligence chiefs and top CID officers
all in a desperate bid to maintain status quo.

END

By Agwanda Jowi, Kisumu-Kenya

Drama was witnessed at the Kisumu Municipality town hall when the Council’s Clerk David Ole Nkere and his Treasurer Stephen Osiro literally wept before the parliamentary committee on Local Authorities which is led by Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lang’at after they failed to account for millions of shillings allocated to the council via Local Authorities Transfer Funds prompting the  Parliamentary watchdog to order the Inspector General Corporations to investigate the activities of the council.

The Clerk,the Treasurer and the Mayor Sam Okello had earlier been in a jovial mood as they bounced along the council’s corridors saying how prepared they were only to be surprised by the turn of the events as Mayor Okello was ordered by Lang’at to keep his mouth shut as he is not an accounting officer of the council anytime he wanted to defend the many financial malpractices which were detected by the watchdog.

“I am surprised that as treasurer of a council of Kisumu’ magnitude ,you cannot read and articulate a budget, what for sure are your qualifications?” Sigor MP Wilson Litole and  a member of the committee reprimanded Mr Osiro and told him to his face that the council risk loosing the 2010/201 LATIF Fund .

The situation was however saved by a senior Accountant within the Council  Caren Adwenya who took the committee step y step tooth combing every detail  they had demanded to know from both the treasurer and the clerk who appeared totally ignorant with the goings on within the council with Lang’at telling them that this is the fourth time they were failing to give answers to the committee

The Parliamentary Committee  at the same time reprimanded the council for not accounting for projects that it tabled before at the town hall in Kisumu.

Some of the projects in question included the proposed extension of the town hall which was listed to have cost 6 million but which the  Nkere and the treasurer Osiro could not account for together with projects within the council totalling to over ksh 11 million which they could not account for.

Also not accounted for was a an ultra Modern market which has so far consumed 39 million shillings and which was later condemned by the European Union, the main funding agency.

Langat demanded to know why the civic body spent 22 million shillings on the stalled project yet its budget reflected 7 million shillings.

The first to query the project was William Litole (Sigor) who pointed out that some 15 million shillings had been allocated for the project together with an addition 7 million shillings.

It emerged that some 15 million shillings had also been earmarked for the project via LATIF.

Among the committee members who were also present at yesterday deliberations included Polyns Ochieng� (Nyakach) John Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West) and Nemesses Warugendo (Kieni).

Osiro and Nkere together with the mayor Sam Okello were at pains to explain the financial anomalies presented before the committee members

The council could not account for the 165 million shillings money for the years 2007 and 2008.

Langat demanded to know why the market tenders were faulted on December 2007 and works commenced in February 2008 yet the political atmosphere in the country was tense.

He wanted to know action had been taken against those who embezzled funds meant for the market.

The committee also learnt that a slum upgrading project in Kisumu had stalled alongside a community development project which was said to have consumed some 20 million shillings.

Lagat said the market should also be probed by the auditor general corporations.

He said the council had in the past been turned away after appearing before it while unprepared.

He faulted the council for not seeking for approval from the government when making project variations.

Following the incident various stakeholders have voiced their concern  demanding accountability and transparencies within the council’s accounting officers.

Councilor Robert Otuge laments that it really pains that the Council’s Treasurer. Clerk and the finance Committee Chairman could not proceed to follow-up  the issues which had led to the suspension of LATIF funding despite them (councilors) having approved the budget.

He also accuses the Mayor together with the duo of Osiro and Nkere of incurring expenses out of the budget to suit the interests.

“Why should town Councillors be sent for  a meeting meant for only twi which is fully funded by the host yet they still take money from the council to go to such with full approval and knowledge of the said accounting officers?” he posed

He says that its only in Kisumu municipality where trips involving financial expenditures are not tabled and done to suit the interest of the mayor and the Chief Officers.

He laments that with luck of the LATIF funding residents of Kisumu will suffer, a statement echoed by Railways Ward Councillor Isaya  Onyango who was ally turned foe of the Mayor who says that Prime Minister Raila Odinga really goofed by bringing the said Mayor to Kisumu.

“Jakom”-(Raila) should have found for this man something else to do and not make him the Mayor of this City, he talks too much yet he’s doing absolutely nothing since he was brought with lies he peddles about non-existent investments and investors” Onyango added.

Kisumu Town West MP John Olago Aluoch is advising the Councilors and the Chief Officers to be responsive and visionary of voters  if they still want to serve after 2010.

———-

Above:
Parliamentary Committee on Local Authority V/Chairman Benjamin Langat (l),Kieni MP Nemesyus Warugongo (c) and Kisumu Town West MP John Olago Aluoch  with other committee members on  a tour of the controversial Maendeleo Market  which Kisumu Council despite being condemned by the funder European Union has so far spent kshs 39 million instead of the initial ksh 22 million. The council is to miss the finacial year 2010 and 2011 LATIF Fund after failing to account for the fund’s over ksh 100 million which was allocated to it for development.

ENDS……………………..

By Agwanda Jowi

A Senior Kenya Revenue Authority officer attached to Western Regional Office in Kisumu was last evening arrested by Kenya Anti Corruption Commission officer after receiving a Sh.30, 000 bribe.

Albert Gachanga, an Assistant Commissioner Customs Department was arrested after the officers from KACC set a trap through the man he had asked for the amount.

Principal Public Relations Officers at KACC Nicholas Simami says the complainant who is a security guard in Kisii town was asked the money by the KRA officer in order to secure a release of his vehicle which was being held at the revenue yard.

The complainant reported the matter to the anti-corruption and soon a trap was laid.

The officer requested the complainant to send the money through mobile money transfer not knowing that KACC officers were trailing the transaction.

He was arrested at the Kisumu Swan centre, where KRA offices are located when he was releasing the vehicle to the complainant.

Simami warned that KACC is already following various individuals within the government and private sectors over corruption cases and soon they will be arrested if they don�t change their ways.

The arrest comes barely two days to the official launch of the Kisumu Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission regional office to be presided over by the KACC director PLO Lumumba.

Ends.

By Agwanda Jowi

Kenya Export Processing Zones have embarked on a programme to help locals in Nyanza province to cheaply export their goods.

EPZ Chief�Executive Officer Joseph Kosure says that Export Processing Zones Authority(EPZA) will establish export processing points in resource potential counties in Nyanza Province so as to tap the available resources to allow locals to cheaply export their products.
Kosure says there is a lot of resources in all the five counties in
the region which could be tapped and exported cheaply from local areas.
He says this will benefit the local people who have not been dreaming about exporting their products.
Addressing investors in a hotel in Kisumu, Kosure says that so far EPZA is in the process of identifying where there are adequate resources in order to establish the export processing points where the resources are available and can be utilized for export.
He says plans are also underway to revitalize the defunct industries in the region and establish new ones in areas where there is enough raw materials.
He says that apart from fish, the province has potential in cotton production and that the EPZA is liaising with the Cotton Development Authority (CODA) to rejuvenate the dying ginneries and fabric industries in the region.

Ends

Namibia’s role as a gateway to the rest of the SADC role has become more prominent and has created more interest from the regional as well as the international market and with more direct shipping calls to Walvis Bay, high efficiencies, short transit times and strategic partnerships, the Walvis Bay Corridor routes are now in a robust position to serve the SADC market to the rest of the world. �The aim of the Group is to optimise the operational side of the Corridor, through the Port of Walvis Bay, and to market its location and business opportunities both in the region and abroad. �Volumes along the Walvis Bay Corridors have grown the past ten years from zero up to more than 500 000 tonnes per annum along these corridors.
Some of the achievements that can be noted since the establishment of theWalvis Bay Corridor Group in 2000 are the increase in the number of shipping connections to Walvis Bay that has enhanced the status of the Port of Walvis Bay and also ensured a more competitive tariff structure for the importers and exporters in the region. �These linkages have opened up the international corridors and in the long term will reduce the cost of doing business in the region. �The Walvis Bay corridors are now linked to international destinations via direct shipping routes from North America,South America, The Far East, Europe as well as the Middle East;commencement of the Northern Railway Extension project from Tsumeb in Namibia to Oshikango at the Namibian border post to Angola; �the evolvement of the Trans Caprivi Corridor Cluster into the Walvis Bay-Ndola-Lubumbashi Corridor Committee. �For the past 4 years significant progress has been made with the development of the Trans Caprivi cluster as a private public partnership between Namibia and Zambia to serve as a trade bridge to address non-tariff barriers amongst the TransCaprivi route; �reducing the cost of doing business in the region, as a result of cargo spending less time on theroad due to the short transit times; �launching of One Stop Border Post-studies along the borders of Namibia and Angola and Namibia and Zambia;amongst others.
In terms of developments along the Trans Kalahari Corridor (TKC), the railway lines along the TKC continue up until Gobabis from the Port of Walvis Bayand then continues from Lobatse in Botswana. �In this regard, the application for funding of the pre-feasibility study has been submitted topotential investment agencies to extend the railway line from Gobabis. �Therailway lines along the TcuC extends from the Port of Walvis Bay to Ondangwa and the construction of the line from Ondangwa to Oshikango is in progress.And along the TCC the railway line extend from the Port of Walvis Bay to Grootfontein and then resumes in Livingstone, Zambia. The Namibiangovernment is in the process of doing a feasibility to extend the railway line from Grootfontein to Katima Mulilo connecting to Zambia.

Furthermore, in terms of the One Stop Border Post between Trans Kalahari &�Mamuno Border Posts, a feasibility study has been conducted and presented to the Governments and private sectors in Botswana and Namibia. �Also, a proposal of a sustainable system has been identified in terms of theestablishment of a Corridor Performance Management System.
One of the major projects to increase capacity is the port expansion project which will commence next year and increase port capacity from current 200000 TEU per year to 500,000 TEU’s per annum.
In terms of the Trans Caprivi Corridor, feasibility studies on the upgrade ofthe Okavango River/Divundu Bridge have been completed. �The proposed works include increasing the carrying capacity of the bridge from its present 60 tons and also widen it from a single to double lane bridge. �It is anticipated that the upgrade of the Divundu Bridge will improve Walvis Bay chances as a viable shipping alternative to importers and exporters wishing to move heavy duty cargo.
In terms of the TransCunene Corridor (TcuC), a fact-finding mission was embarked upon to identify concerns that affect cross-border trading in terms of transport with the aimof establishing a transport forum to oversee the operational issues of this corridor, which will consist of members from the public and private sector from Namibia and Angola.

The Walvis Bay Corridor Group was established with the realization that landlocked countries required alternatives to gain access to ports for their imports and exports to and from international markets. �Since then the Group have taken corridor development to greater heights. �In their role as a facilitator for increasing imports and exports along the Walvis Bay Corridors they have to continuously identify opportunities, plan,coordinate, market, advocate for infrastructure development, and trade facilitation. �The WBCG is a public private partnership (PPP) initiative,which serves as a service and facilitation unit for integrated corridor development �and is able to lean on its members from the public sector for advice and action regarding issues such as customs, transport regulation and infrastructure development, while it gets support from its members from theprivate sector to focus on business development such as marketing, and making practical operational proposals and finding logistics solutions.
The Walvis Bay Corridors comprise a network of transport routes. The key elements of this network are the Port of Walvis Bay, the Trans-Kalahari Corridor, the Trans-Caprivi Corridor, and the Trans-Cunene Corridor. �The deep-sea port of Walvis Bay on the coast allows for direct access toprincipal shipping routes. �It offers shippers a time saving of up to five days between the SADC region and Europe and the Americas. The Port of Walvis Bay is congestion free, has competitive turnaround times, and is complemented by first-class infrastructure and equipment-ensuring, safe and reliable cargo handling with zero pilferage. �Fast, efficient and safe road and rail transport along the Walvis Bay Corridors further reduces transport costs and makes the regional economy more attractive to global players as envisaged under the NEPAD initiatives.

../end
Issued By: �Agnetha Mouton
Business Development Officer
Walvis Bay Corridor Group