A NEW BOOK ON QUEEN ELIZABETH HISTORIC VISIT TO UGANDA IN 1954 IS PUBLISHED AHEAD OF CHOGM

By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

API/APN in Kampala, Uganda

Another highlights of the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) is the release of a new book on Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Uganda.

With only a week to Queen Elizabeth II of England’s arrival in Uganda for CHOGM, a newly released book has hit the streets. It gives Ugandans a look at the Queens’ last state visit to Uganda in 1954.

The book, titled The Royal visit to Uganda Commemorating the visit of HM Queen Elizabeth II and H.R.H, The Duke of Edinburgh 1954, is a collection of photos and stories from the visit, divided into sections detailing each of the stops the Queen made during three day tour.

‘’I am sure this book, for many Ugandans, will be something to hold onto and cherish,’’ Foreign Affairs PS James Mugume said at the book launch in Kampala this week.

The new book also gives some insight into the Uganda the Queen will see upon arrival on November 20, 2007.

The Queen last visited Uganda on April 28, 1954.

At that time, Uganda was still a British colony, struggling to manage an uprising in Buganda tribal kingdom that saw the King Mutesa II of Buganda forcefully exiled in England.

But because of the instability at the time, the Queen avoided Kampala City during her visit, spending her time in Entebbe, Jinja and Western Uganda.

Kampala is located right in the heart of Buganda Kingdom which was then the spotlight of African nationalism uprising including the non-Africa Trade Boycotts spearheaded by the late Augustine Kamya. The Baganda were demanding for the return of Kabaka.

Today in 2007, Uganda is very different from the Uganda of 1954 seen in this book, remarked Moses Zikusooka, the manager of Qasaatchi and Saatichi the company that has published the book and has handled much of the CHOGM promotion and advertisement campaign.

Mr. Zikusooka said a full strategy on how the book will be distributed and priced will be finalized by the end of this week. But the publishers expect that Ugandan will be able to purchase the book for about Ushs 10,000/-

It will be distributed to hotels and the export in Entebbe so that CHOGM visitors will have easy access to it.

Mr. Zikusooka was further quoted as saying that the plan will be put into place to have copies of the book made available after the CHOGM conference.

‘’I hope that we can produce a book after CHOGM that includes accounts of both this visit as well as the visit documented in the book we are releasing today,’’ Mr. Zakusooka said.

Launching the book, the British High Commissioner to Uganda Mr. Francois Gordon said the publication marks an important aspect of continuing good relations between Britain and Uganda.

‘’This shows that the affection between the two countries has not changed. This next visit will put Uganda in her right place in Africa and mark a further step in a deeper relationship between the two countries, Mr. Gordon said.

 

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THREE OF MOI’S SONS ARE FACING ELECTION DEFEATS IN BARINGO CENTRAL, ELDAMA RAVINE AND RONGAI.

By Leo Odera Omolo

APIAPN in Kisumu, Kenya

While the retired President Daniel Arap Moi is traversing the entire length and width of the expansive Rift Valley Province scathingly criticizing the ODM and drumming up Kalenjin support for President Mwai Kibaki re-election two of his sons are facing rejection by the electorate.

Moi’s elder son Jonathan Toroitich Moi is on the loosing trail in Eldama Ravine constituency where he is facing the populist retired former Navy soldier Major Wilson Koitaba. Both are contesting the same seat on KANU ticket against the immediate former MP Musa Sirma of the ODM.

Jonathan Moi is facing the man who beat him hand down in 2003 Musa Cherotich Sirma who is also facing other aspirants on ODM ticket Moses Kiprono Loswet, Noah Kipkosgei and William Kipruto Kotut.

Owing to the numerous commands against Sirma about his dictatorial leadership style and poor disbursement of CDF and other development funds the Eldama Ravine seat is likely to go back to KANU.

And the man to watch is the secretary of the powerful Lembus council of Elders Major Koitaba but if KOITABA fail to capture the seat then it will revert to one of the ODM aspirants but not Sirma.

Also in the race is Sirma elder brother Timothy a former Provincial Commissioner for Coast Province who is contesting the seat on Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM Kenya Party ticket.  

In Baringo Central, a constituency which the retired President had previously represented since 1963 his favourite and youngest son can be precisely predicted to be on his way out of Parliament.

The fact that the Baringo Central seat has attracted sixteen (16) aspirants who are contesting an ODM is a clear indiction that the Moi family influence in Kalenjin policies is fast and rapidly diminishing. His hold on Kalenjin community is also wincing very fast.

ODM ticket has attracted the following:-

Benjamin Kipkurui K.B, Daniel Rotich Kendagor, Enock Tuitoek, James Kiprono Rotich, Julius Kipkoech Bolel, Lelkuwo Rotich Kipchumba, Michael Arap Sergon, Richard Kipkurui Kipkelya, Samy Mwoita, Hosea M. Kiplagat, Amos L. Olempaka, Thomas Letangule, Wycliff Kipruto Cherotich.

Hosea Kiplagat who served as the chairman and saw the Co-operative Bank of Kenya expanding so rapidly and became the third largest Bank in Kenya with branches network all over the country had also served, as Daniel Moi most trusted aide for many years.

Instead of Mzee concentrating in the campaign to help his three sons sail through to parliament, he has been traversing the entire Rift Valley Province fighting what the local people view as a lost old political glory. He is fighting already a lost war.

Moi appeared to be hell bent to derail the candidature of a few of his former aides and close political associates. These include the Tinderet former MP Henry Kosgei who is the ODM national party chairman, Kipkalia Kones former powerful State Minister in the OP during his reign of power who is trying to recapture his old Bomet seat, which he lost to Moi’s political surrogate and sycophant Nick Salat in 2003.

Moi is also allegedly spending a fortune to ensure that William Ruto a member of the ODM Pentagon is not returned to Parliament in his former Eldoret North seat. He has allegedly placed enormous resources in the three constituencies.

The former president is also said to have vowed to ensure that his former trusted Head of Public Service and the secretary to the cabinet Dr. Sally Kosgei did not get elected to the Aldai seat in North Nandi where he is challenging the colourless immediate former MP for the area Jimmy Choge.

But what Moi and his ilk did not know is that his frequent bashing of Raila Odinga, the ODM Presidential candidate is a blessing to ‘’Agwambo’’ in disguise. In return to Moi’s rhetoric, Raila is on the gaining trend.

No sane person in the Rift Valley region in particular in the entire Kenya nation can take Moi seriously. He is viewed to be a man who had ruined the country economy, promoted ethnicity armed conflict and ruled the country with an iron fist. During his time many Kenyans lost their precious lives following tribal clashes of 1991-1993.

Moi’s persistent warning that ‘Majombo’ regional system of government will lead to civil war is sending out no new message to the minds of many Kenyans. He had presided over massive clashes of 1991-1973 during which as many as over 1500 Kenyans were butchered by the so-called Kalenjin warriors.

His rag-tag bands of Kalenjin warriors were strategically unleashed and terrorized the neighbouring tribes like the Luo, Luhyas, Kisiis and Kikuyus whose communities’ leaders were in the forefront advocating for advent of the multiparty system of politics. The idea was to intimidate the above-mentioned communities to abandon their demand for politics pluralism system in favour of his KANU monolithic one party system.

As a matter of fact Moi’s active participating in the on-going election campaign in favour of PNU would contribute to a big loss for President Kibaki. This is so because the retired President is so unpopular with the voting masses.

Kalenjin leaders, particularly the populous Kipsigis says their community is no longer in the yokes and bandage of Moi. The Kipsigis have a bone to chew the former President over the ownership of the land on which the multinational tea companies plantation and factories stand.

The recent seeking of many top Kalenjin from the civil service and in the military and their replacement by Kikuyu by Kibaki government are some of the question which the self-sty lent professor of politics should therefore be engaged himself in the rigorous campaign for Kibaki re-election.

He is in fact adding the value to the Kibaki re-election campaign. His persistent attack on Raila Odinga is only contributing to Agwambo’s massive popularity. It is as one of miscalculations and underestimation of the previously policies circumstances total.

Moi’s third son is Raymond K. Moi who is contesting the election in the same cosmopolitan Rongai constituency in Nakuru district. He is also seeking the seat on a KANU ticket. The immediate former MP for the area is Alice Chelaitte a former a former Moi housemaid and baby sitter.

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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Zambia withdraws opposition leader’s passport

By Wilfred Zulu

API/APN in Lusaka– Zambia has temporarily withdrawn the passport of leading opposition leader Michael Sata, an arch critic of the country’s key ally Beijing who has been lobbying against the Chinese economic presence in Africa.

Home Affairs Minister Ronnie Shikapwasha announced at a media briefing that Sata’s passport had been withdrawn with immediate effect to allow a probe.

“We asked him to surrender his passport because it was issued without following procedure,’ said Shikapwasha.

He said the opposition leader, a vocal government critic, had been interrogated and cautioned by police over the matter and could be arrested if sufficient evidence was gathered against him.

Two weeks ago, Sata lost his passport while in London en route to the United States but quickly returned to Zambia and got a replacement without the following the procedure, the minister said.

Sata said a Chinese Porter stole his passport at a London hotel.

The controversial opposition leader has been making international trips to campaign against China’s growing influence in Africa and is accused of receiving money from Taiwan. If elected into government, he has vowed to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign Republic – thus breaking the ‘One-China’ policy that Zambia currently maintains. 

He has further threatened to expel Chinese trader from Zambia accusing them of “taking up trading places meant for ordinary Zambian”.

Bilateral trade between Zambia and China, the third largest foreigner investor in the country, grew by 11.8 percent last year to $316 million.

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Zambia: Malaria claims over 50,000 lives yearly in the average

By Wilfred Zulu

API/APN in LUSAKA– Zambia’s quest to fight Malaria has come under an unprecedented challenge as it scales up to overcome an epidemic that is claiming an average of 50,000 lives a year.

Among the key challenges facing the country is the improper use of the Insecticide Treated Nets (ITNs) by some beneficiaries. The other problem is educating people on the need to seek early treatment to avert malaria-related deaths.

Health officials say Zambia’s efforts to fight malaria are being frustrated by people living near lakes and rivers. These people, they say, are using the nets for economic gains as opposed to safeguarding themselves against the mosquito bite that causes malaria and subsequent death.

Health spokesman Canisius Banda said, despite government giving away the protective nets at highly subsidised rates to most vulnerable people, the trend of misusing the nets has continued, fueling concerns that Zambia’s desire to scale down malaria by 2010, as demanded by the World Health Organisation (WHO), might fail.

‘’We have introduced ITNs as a way of fighting the disease but most people, especially in rural areas, use it for fishing at the expense of their lives,’’ Mukonka said.

The abusers are mainly people in the north-eastern region near lakes Bangweulu and Mweru, and in Mpulungu, a border town near Tanzania, as well as those living near Zambezi River and Kafue River in southern Zambia, according to a survey.

Health Minister Brian Chituwo says unless Zambians changed their attitudes, the fight against malaria might fail. Zambia has teamed up with British Department for International Development (DFID), and Japan International Corporation Agency, as well as WHO, UN’s Children’s Fund and local stakeholders to fight the disease. DFID provided 1.6 million dollars to cover 2003-2006 and Global Fund 17 million dollars to finance a two-year comprehensive malaria control programme in Zambia, Chituwo said.

Joseph Sichone, a fisherman in Mpulungu, says he has been forced to use the nets for fishing. He says he has a family of eight, most of who are at school, to look after. ‘’Because of the high level of poverty in our area, we are using the nets to catch fish to sell and make ends meet,’’ Sichone says. ‘’We are doing this to save our children from dying of hunger.’’

Mary Mwele, who lives near Lake Mweru, says she has also been forced to use the net to feed her children. Her husband died five years ago.

Fishermen say they are prepared to stop abusing the net should the government provide them with loans to start alternative businesses.

Edward Tafuna, a traditional ruler in northern Zambia, blames the government for failing to help his people, most of whom, he says, are vulnerable and at the mercy of hunger.

‘’Most of my subjects have been told not to use the nets for fishing but they are wondering how they can survive in this economy. The government should either create jobs or empower the people through loans,’’ Tafuna says.

DFID health advisor in Zambia, Tony Daly says the British funding was intended to benefit children under the age of five as well as pregnant women. The nets, he says, are a vital component of the government’s Roll Back Malaria programme.

‘’We are concerned that people put themselves at risk of contracting the disease if they are not sleeping under the nets. We are pleased that, through on-going information, the authorities are reinforcing messages on the correct use of ITNs and the importance of using them for malaria prevention. This public education is crucial and can save lives,’’ Daly says.

WHO Malaria Expert in Zambia, Fred Masinga warned that the use of the mosquito nets for fishing would affect the aquatic life.

‘’We have reports of people using the ITNs for fishing and not for their safety. We are presently undertaking a study to verify the reports although we know that the nets can’t last for long because they are meant to trap mosquitoes and not fish,’’ Masinga says.

The Environmental Council of Zambia spokesman, Joseph Mukosa says his organisation will work to discourage fishermen from using the nets.

‘’The ITNs are meant to protect people especially pregnant women and children. And for someone to have the audacity to use it to catch fish is out of this world. The Zambian government needs to speed up its sensitisation programme to avoid unnecessarily deaths among the vulnerable people,’’ Stella Goings, UNICEF Representative in Zambia, said.

Of the 10.5 million people, 50,000 Zambians die every year from malaria, and nearly 40 percent of the deaths of children aged five years or under are caused by the disease, according to the Lusaka-based National Malaria Control Centre.

Not only Zambia, but similar problem is facing the 13-nation Southern African Development Community (SADC) where around 63 percent of the population lives in malarial zone, according to the Harare-based Southern Africa Malaria Control programme.

In areas of stable transmission, under-five year olds and pregnant women are at greatest risk of severe malaria due to the low levels of acquired immunity, said the organisation. While in the predominantly stable transmission countries - Angola, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia – there are an estimated 13.7 million under-five year olds and 3.4 million pregnant women at risk of severe malaria, it added.

In the predominantly unstable transmission countries – Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland and Zimbabwe – where all age groups have a high risk of malaria due to low levels of acquired immunity, 12.4 million people are at risk of malaria.

According to the organisation, malaria is responsible for 200,000 deaths per annum in the SADC region. Between 10 million and 37 million confirmed cases of malaria occur in the sub-region every year, it says.

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EAC PARTNER STATES IN GRUELLING NEGOTIATIONS FOR ECONOMIC INTERGRATION.

By Leo Odera Omolo

API/APN in Kampala, Uganda

Negotiation on the possibility of establishment of the East African Community’s second stage of integration, the Common Market, has started in earnest raising expectations that the process will finally get underway.

Reports making the round in the Ugandan capital says that a high level task force of negotiation from the community’s member states met in Entebbe last week for a workshop.

The workshop was also attended by senior government officials and experts from the EAC secretariat in Arusha as well as representative from the East African Business Council.

The meeting comes barely two months after the summit made up of heads of states from the five partner states of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi directed the secretariat to expedite the establishment and residence of the European Union (EU) experience on Common Market negotiations among others.

The chairman of the EAC Council of Ministers, Eriya Kategaya said the implementation of the Custom’s Union has enhanced free movement of goods and services and resulted in increased volumes of trade within and among the partner states.

Mr. Kategaya who is also the Ugandan Minister for East African Affairs said the Common Market would further promote productivity, wealth creation, competitiveness and enhance the entrepreneurial capacity of the private sector to the region leading to better standards of living for East Africans.

The minister said ‘’the negotiations should be handled in a candid, technical and professional manner, ‘’adopting a spirit of give and take and always focusing on the greater collective East African Interests’’.

The membership of the high Level Task Force is expected to remain consistent throughout the negotiations process for purposes and continuity and timely delivery of the EAC Common Market Protocol.

According to the EAC Deputy Secretary General in-charge of projects and programme, Dr. Julius Orien, the Entebbe workshop was meant to enable participants get acquainted with the issues involved in the EAC Common Market.

The negotiations are expected to conclude the common market protocol by December 2008. EAC seeks to have the common market official launch of the market in January 2010.

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US vessel in Kenya to offer military, humanitarian assistance

Nairobi (Kenya) The American Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger has said the US Naval vessel ‘USS Porterwill’ which docked in Mombassa on Sunday will offer humanitarian assistance to Kenyans, APA has learnt.

Speaking in Nairobi, Ranneberger said the main mission of the vessel was to assist African navies, train African armies and making Africa safer for development and prosperity.

In 2008, a record 100,000 US tourists would be visiting Kenya, the diplomat said.

This is the third time a US naval vessel is docking in Mombassa since 1999 .

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Steadman group released opinion polls showing Raila on the lead a few weeks ago. And now?

By Harrison  Mwirigi  Ikunda,

API/APN in Nairobi, Kenya.

A few weeks ago when Steadman group released an opinion poll showing Raila leading incumbent President Kibaki in the polls by a good margin as the favourite to win the December 2007 presidential poll in Kenya, I was quick to respond and point out that as much as it is true I could not believe the margin to be that big. Indeed barely a week ago
I said and without demeaning the Steadman results that the margin cannot be as wide. I maintained that the poll is close and I still take the stand that the gap between the two is not easily discernible.

I have good reasons for all this. Recently and as I do quite often I have traveled in width and breadth and conducted research intensely and I’m very skeptical about the margins. I may not have the precision and tools available to Steadman but I hold a strong opinion that my findings hardly fool or rather cheat me.

Secondly and as I widely expected ODM has been shooting its foot. Majimbo, secret MOU, Ndungu land report, over confidence, lack of clarity on economic issues, fear among others have led ODM and its presidential candidate to declivity.  To rub salt or pepper to a ailing wound, some sections of ODM supporters antagonizing posturing is increasingly alienating sections of ODM supporters and would be supporters and a legion of their recent activities and disingenuous utterances in political rallies  are damaging  the ODM train  (or say the so called ‘river Nile’)in a big way. Indeed the ODM big shots are
increasingly becoming a phantasmagoria.

Across my findings the Kibakli regime is easily becoming identified with many reforms more so in the economic realm a reality that cannot be easily wished away. The booming tourism industry, the revived that and that industries, agriculture, free primary education and CDF just to name a few are easily identified edifices.

ODM and its captains have unnecessarily slipped to the defensive a position which they hardly occupy. This is more so the position the Kibaki regime and its main players more often than not usually find themselves in. That ODM have been cornered to defend other than strike is quite unfamiliar. ODM troops in most occasions are on the attack with quite at times almost unassailable precision.

What is likely to happen? Unless ODM re-discovers itself quiet fast and change tactics and avoid quite obvious evident blunders the Kibaki campaign is moving in very positive direction and gaining immensely. Secondly Kibaki having hit the road himself and as in my previous argument is making great inroads and endearing quite well. Again unlike some of his key soldiers or captains the president is not known to engage in quite unnecessary antagonism and it makes him easily trusted. However the quagmire in PNU remains his biggest Achilles
heel.

My verdict at this stage is that the presidential poll is too close to call. It will be tight. A slight mess by the two leading contenders who are president Kibaki and Raila of ODM may lead to the other occupying state house after this December poll. And as the Steadman poll has shown the fortunes are quite fluid. None can take it easy. It is too close!

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OPPOSITION PARTIES IN UGANDA IN THREAT TO BOY-COTT EU-SPONSORED WORKSHOP.

By Leo Odera Omolo, leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

API/APN in Kampala,

 

Leaders of the five opposition political parties represented in the Ugandan Parliament on Wednesday this week announced a last minute withdrawal from the European Union-sponsored workshop on electoral reforms and strengthening of democracy in the country.

The leader of the FDC party Prof. Morris Ogenga Latigo said in a statement, ‘’we do not want a process that is to address matters of very serious concerns to be used for political manipulation.’’

Prof Ogenga Latigo said FDC, UPC, CP and Jeema pulled out in protest at the speaker of Parliament Edward Ssekandi’s surprise and ‘’arbitrary inclusion’’ of non-starter political parties that registered, but never participated in last year’s general election.

The two-day workshop was scheduled to open at Munyonyo Resort Hotel on Thursday was expected to provide a platform for the party leaders to brainstorm on pertinent institutional and regulatory modifications that would buoy multi-party dispensation and plug loopholes that have perennially resulted in electoral fraud.

Prof Latigo said the main objective of the seminar was to spur activism of political parties with ‘’suspect motives’’

Following a meeting held on Wednesday and chaired by Mr. Chapa Karuhunga of the National Democratic Party (NDP), the main opposition parties wrote to parliament speaker Mr. Ssekandi and Mr. Vincent de Visscher, th EU Head of delegation in Uganda saying they would only attend the seminar if other political parties-without members in parliament – attended as ‘’observers’’ but not as participants.

The speaker responded promptly by saying that although he had not received the letter referenced, the withdrawal of the parties will be inconsequential since the matters to be discussed hinge on the future reforms and not the past political engagements.

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