President Kibaki to nominate members to parliament

President Kibaki has a constitutional right to nominate a number of members to parliament. This will enable his party, PNU to get more parliamentarians. The president may, while making his appointments, decide to bring back some of the ministers who lost their seats during the recent elections.

There is nothing in the law that prohibits him from nominating those who lost their parliamentary elections. He can, if he so wishes, nominate a parliamentary seat loser to the house and can also make the same person a cabinet minister.

Now that calm is coming back into the country, the president will soon make cabinet appointments to make fresh his government.

Although the president is willing to form a Government of National Unity, he is not seen to be willing to give into the demands by Raila and his ODM.

Raila has claimed that the government has employed the mungiki sect to kill the Kenyans. The Kenyan minister of Justice Martha Karua has dismissed Raila’s allegations, terming them as false.

The minister has urged Raila, if unsatisfied with the elections to use the courts to fight for his rights instead of encouraging violence in the country.

Raila has called for new demonstrations for Tuesday. Such demonstrations is called in a quest for power. Many people may get killed during the demonstrations.. Do the organisers care?

Many observers know that the best thing now is to engage in talks and not demonstrations. Raila has told the media that he won the elections and instead wants Kibaki to go to him and talk. It is never heard of that any sitting president is the one to go looking for an opposition leader.

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Nation story

Loud No to ‘back door’ nominations

Story by SUNDAY NATION Correspondent

Political Parties with minority Members of Parliament will not accept nomination of their members into government without their written permission.

Safina Chairman Paul Muite. Photo/PAUL WAWERU

The parties under the auspices of Smaller Parties Parliamentary Group (SPPG) said yesterday that they would not allow any nomination of their members through the “back door.”

Led by Safina party chairman Paul Muite, officials from eight political parties, called on the government to immediately bring into force the Political Parties Act, 2007.

In a press statement read at the Centre for Multiparty Democracy offices in Nairobi yesterday, Mr Muite said the Act was important in enhancing 
multiparty democracy.

“We understand that the President wants to form a coalition government. As Small Parties Parliamentary Group, we would like to state our stand that such coalition must involve us,” said Mr Muite.

Mr Muite who ran for Kikuyu parliamentary seat in last months’ elections but lost said it was no longer possible for the President to poach MPs from any political party without a written consent.

Although small parties were committed to justice, peace and democracy, they were not ready to be bulldozed on the matter, he said.

“In the spirit of reconciliation and healing, SPGS supports the idea of a coalition government. But this must be done with clearly, written authority of sponsoring political parties,” he said.

Mr Muite who was accompanied by officials from the eight parties, said SPSG as the third largest political grouping after Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and Party of National Unity (PNU), will pursue its mandate in Parliament as a non-aligned group.

They would however support whichever side, between ODM and PNU, that would focus on matters of national interest.

The parties represented were Mazingira Greens Party, Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU), New Ford-Kenya and Sisi Kwa Sisi.

Others were Ford Asili, Democratic Party (DP) and Kenya African Democratic Development Union (KADDU).

The group has a total of 35 MPs behind ODM (99) and PNU (43).

They at the same time urged President Mwai Kibaki and Mr Raila Odinga to urgently solve the political impasse, occasioned by post-election violence.

Other members present included CCU’s Dr Patrick Lumumba and Safina’s acting secretary general Ms Njoki Ndung’u.

Lifted and published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no

NYANZA CHURCH LEADERS REGISTER THEIR PROTESTS ON THE OUTCOME OF THE ELECTIONS AND APPEAL TO KIBAKI TO VACATE STATE HOUSE

By Leo Odera Omolo, API/APN in Kisumu, Kenya

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Six prominent heads of Christian churches in Nyanza Province have registered the skepticism at the just concluded general election and called upon the relevant authorities to resolve the impasse to ensure that the disputed election results are resolved amicably and peacefully.

The clergymen comprises bishops renewed their call to the chairman of the ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu to declare the real winner of the Presidential contest.

Led by the Chairman of the Nyanza Council of Churches Bishop Dr. Washington Ogonyo Ngede head of the Power of Jesus around the World and include Bishop Francis Mwai Abiero of the Maseno South Diocese of the Anglican Church, bishop zephania Ouma Orao of the new Wine Church, Bishop Julius Otieno Oloo of the living Water Church, Arch-Bishop  Asper ogelo of the Gospel Fellowship Ministry and Bishop George Obul.

The churchmen healthy congratulated the Kenyan voters for having braved the blistering suns to exercise their democratic rights in a peaceful manner. The Kenyan electorates had turned out in their thousands to vote for a President who stood for a change and the person they wanted to lead them for the next five years. The Nyanza church leaders maintained that the ODM presidential candidate Raila Amolo Amolo Odinga had legitimately won the polls and had beaten his opponent President Mwai Kibaki with a landslide majority.

It was their case or an overwhelming majority victory for Mr. Odinga and no sane person can caste doubt over this naked fact, they said. Shameless rigging of the election was even witnessed by members of the European union observers, the Commonwealth observers and members of the diplomatic corpse. All and sundry had witnessed how the election process was abused and made their stand known.

Their rigging, they argued was hatched by a few heartless cliques who surrounds the president, the Bishops further argued. The church leaders said that since the ECK chairman has openly admitted that he had acted under heavy pressure when he declared the loser Mwai Kibaki as the winner and flagrantly and deliberately turned there winner raila Odinga the looser, and further than the tallying of the voters had some irregularity, we are demanding that president Kibaki steps down fo0r Mr. Odinga the legitimate winner.

Alternatively a re-run of the presidential election would be a justified solution. The Bishops went on saying, we as members  of the Nyanza Council of churches therefore holding  the ECK chairman responsible for the deaths of hundreds of innocent peace loving Kenyan who have perished and lost their lives as they result of mayhem that followed the mistake of a few individuals at the ECK. These people have lost their lives while demanding for their democratic rights which are inalienable birth rights.

The Nyanza clergymen accused some church leaders who have become partisans to injustices and have come out in the open in support of there verdict of the chaotic polls, and yet they were aware of the massive rigging of the elections. Our question Is ;Why the revered church leaders should join bandwagon of the election riggers, and yet they are very much aware that the election was grossly flawed.

The group supported the ODM stand that the presidential election be re-run within the next three monthly while a transition coalition government is in places, and that such a repeat of the presidential election be supervised by an independent and internationally reputed body as one way of enduing the current impasse.

President Kibaki, they said could not have won the election miraculously when he had garnered the votes in only two Provinces whereas he was beaten hands down in six other provinces. The bishops appealed to Kenyan Christians, Muslims and other religious leaders to pray for peace in Kenya. We want to see peace and tranquility prevailing in the country, and every Kenyan is allowed back to his home, his place of work and the services resume as usual.

The Nyanza church leaders appealed to president Kibaki and his PNU party to warn some cabinet ministers, especially those who were rejected by the wananchi at the polls to stop making inflammatory statements which can only serve to fuel further animosities among Kenyans. The Likes of Musikari Kombo, Mukhisa Kituyi, Raphael Tuju and to a larger extent George Nyamweya has got no mandate to speak on behalf of Kenyans.

These election losers have made a lot of sycophantic utterances aimed at attracting the attention of the president for selfish interests. They must shut up and give Kibaki and his mandated take charge and handle the situation. Insignificant politicians like Yusuf Haji and Danson Mungatana have no business making any comment in a fluid situation like this, said the bishops.

It is time for reflection and prayers and Kenyans  leaders must exercise tolerant preach for peace and tranquility in this country. There is no point for anyone to try out to defend what is indefensible, they said. The Bishops asked Kibaki and raila to ensure the safety of wananchi by asking their supporters to refrain from making provocative public pronouncement that could fuel further anarchy and suffering among the wananchi. As Christians we should embrace love and stop preaching hatred among our people, they said.

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Mauritian prime minister heads a delegation to India

Port Louis (Mauritius) Mauritian premier, Dr Navin Chandra Ramgoolam leaves the country Sunday evening at the head of government delegation to attend the sixth Indian Diaspora Summit in New Delhi, India, from 8 to 9 January, APA has learnt.

Ramgoolam’s delegations will include the Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Finances Rama Sithanen and Ministers Abu Taleb Kasenally, Rama Valayden, Sheila Bappoo and Mahen Gowressoo.

The theme of this year event will be ‘Engaging the Diaspora: The Way Forward’.

A communiqué issued Sunday by the premier’s office in Port Louis, said Ramgoolam will deliver the keynote address.

Issues to be discussed at the summit include economy, culture, empowerment and leadership in women organisations and the potential of partnership between the different countries of the Indian Diaspora (ID).

For his part, Rama Sithanen will present an exposé on African Investment Opportunities and Mobilisation of ID Resources in Development.

Ramgoolam is expected to meet the Indian premier, Manmohan Singh to discuss bilateral relations and the formulation of the Comprehensive Economic Cooperation and Partnership Agreement between the two countries.

During the Summit the Mauritian PM will be handed the Samman Award for his contribution to the ID.

The Indian government started hosting the ID Summit in 2003 with a view to promote Indian goods abroad and to lure the ID to come and work and invest in the booming Indian economy.

Some 20 million people in more than 48 countries form part of the ID, the second largest in the world after the Chinese Diaspora.

Published by Korir, API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Who is to blame for all the chaos in Kenya?

A new comment on the post #3639 “Kenya in flames due to greedy leadership” http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/kenya-in-flames-due-to-greedy-leadership/

Author : Esther (IP: 91.152.183.150 , a91-152-183-150.elisa-laajakaista.fi)

Commentary:

Can we stop pointing fingers without facts. I was in Kenya from 18th Dec to 31st. I followed the elections step by step, I don’t live in Kenya. My extended family and friends live in Kenya.

What  is happening in Kenya is wrong and inhuman. To kill, rape, torture any human being whether a Kikuyu, American, a Luo is the worst crime to inflict on a human being. But we are missing the point here and so many are ready to crucify Raila before getting their facts right.
(a) Why is this happening
(b) How can it be stopped or better still, how could it have been stopped
(c) What can we do as Kenyans?

As I said, I was in Kenya and I followed the voting process which was going so well,  Kenyans impressed me because they came out to vote in large numbers: the poor, the rich, the old, the young (over 18 years of course!),

I even discovered some who were sick in hospitals but they chose to get a day off from the hospitals to go and vote.

Some on wheelchairs, mothers carrying their babies on their back as they lined to choose their leader by the power of the vote.

Some people asked who my candidate was, and I in sincerity told them of my neutrality. I did not have a voters card, but I was excited to see my fellow Kenyans choose the leader of their choice. I enjoyed my extended family challenge one another because they were not supporting the same candidate and party.

My family is large and comprises of more than 5 tribes through marriage. So they could sometimes hold very heated debate and I couldn’t help admiring them.

Christmas went well, came 27th December, I was alone with kids at home as other people had to go and vote.

All was well, counting started and Raila was leading all the way, sometimes more than a million votes ahead of Kibaki, Kenyans were proving a point. Ruto managed to convince the Kalenjins to abandon Moi and his three sons who lost badly and Eldoret votes went to Raila.
 

I started getting surprised, there were few constituencies yet to deliver the results and Raila was still leading, chaos started when results from few places were delayed the whole day, something was of course cooking. At this point somebody said it has never happened in Africa, for a sitting president to loose, I remember saying let Kenya make history if that’s their wish.

On 30th December things got worse in some parts of Kenya. Around 6pm the ECK announced the results that Kibaki had won. Hell broke. He made the announcement and after 5 minutes the swearing ceremony started, they were all there, well seated in their best outfits!

They had it all planned. And you are saying Kenyans are rioting for not accepting defeat? Who is not accepting defeat my dear Kenyans? Who really won?  Was Kenyan’s power of vote recognised? Why are they so bitter? Remember not only the Luos are bitter. What are those protesting trying to say? Did they feel “used”? Why waste time to vote if there will be irregularities when counting? Why be in a democratic country where democracy is not practised?

Look where we are now , who is to blame is not the issue anymore, many are left homeless in the name of power. Fathers, mothers and even children are dead. Who is suffering now? The common man and woman and for what?
Note that not only Kikuyus are suffering. Kenyans are suffering in the hands of corrupt politicians. We only have to keep God close to our dear country and pray harder than before for a better tomorrow. The cancer in Kenya is worsening - read tribalism.

Even here in the diaspora we are infected. Who are we to talk about racism if we can’t stop tribalism.
God have mercy on mother Africa. Don’t mind me, I come in peace as a true Kenyan not a Kikuyu or a Luo, but the truth is out there. You know who won the elections. I know it, PNU knows it, ODM knows and so is ECK.

Leaders should, at this point, do the right thing and stop blaming one another if they have Kenyans’ best interest in their hearts. I rest my case.

By Esther in Finland.
 

Published by African Press International (API)/ African Press in Norway (APN) africanpress@chello.no

Kenya needs all the help it can get

As many as appealed, it is not yet enough to tell Kenyans to kindly keep peace. Nobody would dispute that the last general election was not conducted to very acceptable standards. But the stakes are now bigger.

What happens next? Without a consensus on the way forward we may end up a very tribally nation. As i write this many people who include professionals, businessman, traders, students, villagers, slum dwellers and many others dread to even visit where they have been living, working, schooling and so on. Others have had their lives and property destroyed just because of politics. It is a big shame to Kenya!

Where did the rain beat us? The answers are many and obvious. I don’t think there is a quick fix solution to the mess we have suddenly found ourselves in.

As has been pointed many times, without reforms in our present day constitution our politics will remain on  quick sand. Yet all opportunities in the past have been lost and wasted in endless squabbling, vested interests and of course tribalism.

What we are in today is a potent land-mine and time bomb which need to be urgently defused. Do we have courage to do it. I think we do not have much of choice. The lives and property which have been wasted should not have.

When history is written about Kenya it will condemn present day leaders for myopic pursuits, tribalism, selfishness and many other evils.

What’s the way forward? Forget about how we won and how we did not win. Sort the political mess politically and diplomatically and very urgently. Institute an independent inquiry of what happened and come
up with workable proposals. Secondly sort out the constitution
bottlenecks and weaknesses we have immediately!

Thirdly a future election cannot be held under present weaknesses that have been witnessed on electoral process, apparatus and laws. They will simply lead to another quagmire!

Meanwhile at present what has happened will condemn many leaders to pariah status forever, unless they all seize the opportunity and sort things to an amicable solution.

The prevailing circumstances have yielded to an un-acceptable tribal disharmony, many years after independence. It is very unfortunate. And whoever through acts of omission and commission lead to all this need to spiritually cleanse him or herself for he or she is responsible for what has happened. But the whole truth need to be known. It is painful for Kenya to have ever experience the human and property carnage. It is completely unfair!

It is very true that politicians have hearts of stone. But by
hardening their hearts they  have unfortunately given Kenya history another bad chapter. Many will be condemned. Let them, seize the opportunity and change Kenya to a better course.

It does not matter what is in our laws at the moment. those Kenyans who have died , lives destroyed or property destroyed were not killed by law. They neither got enough solace from law. Nothing!

It is time for someone or some people somewhere to claim
statesmanship. It is unfortunate people are so blind not to see what is at stake. We need Kenya!

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

Published bby African Press International (API)/ African Press in Norway (APN) africanpress@chello.no

Kenyans do not need International negotiators but ODM-Majimbo Government.

The barbaric daylight robbery of ODM Party victory by Kibaki and his elites Kikuyus ethnic group, cannot be resolved by calling for either international negotiators or forming of coalition government.

The Kenyan Six out of two Provinces voted for Presidency of Raila Amolo Odinga because of constitution change to the Federal System of government, and are well aware of their democratic rights, therefore, the East Africa regions who are likewise affected by the post-election crisis should now understand the heavy burden the ordinary and impoverished Kenyan citizens have been carrying for the sake of their peace and prosperity, without justice for decades.

Since Kenya became independent from the British in 1963, Kenyans have a back load of unsolved major economical corruption and crimes against humanity, ranging from land grabbing, political assassinations, massacres and regional development marginalization.

Despite the warning signals of looming anarchy since the late Kenyatta’s, Moi’s and Kibaki’s governments, little efforts has been made to divert the trends but instead they  became humane to recognize the changing coming times.

Mr Mwai Kibaki  served in these 2 first regimes and knew a lot how to quell uprising by using the excess brutal security force and killings of the innocent Kenyans and later creating the commissions of inquiries and court protocols to buy time for cover up to silenced Kenyans from demanding their democratic rights and Justice.

This time 76 years old Kibaki, miscalculated his move and his working in isolation with only his hardliner corrupt Kikuyu tribes and the few beneficiaries of the last regimes, to have Kenya stay in status-quo against wishes of the entire Kenyan tribes.

Kibaki and his cronies are cutting down the tree of democracy and liberty which has been watered with the blood of Late TJ Mboya, JM Kariuki, Hon Seroney, Dr Odhiambo, and countless Kenyans who sacrificed their lives for the building and development of the democratic institution, the tact which cannot succeed in this generation.

The use of propaganda, repression, masterminding killing of the innocent and defenseless Kenyans, is outdated and old fashion which have no room in the modern democracy of the 21^st  century and ought to be reverse very fast by Kibaki stepping down to pave way for a re-run for President Election as soon as possible.

ODM must not accept the forming of a coalition government with PNU this will be an open betrayal for the very many Kenyans who have already lost their lives in the past weeks after the disputed Kenyan general election December 27^th 2007. (unedited)

By Rev Okoth Otura,
President/Founder, Christian Democratic Movement of Kenya-(CDMK) & East Africa Christians Transformation Mission Fellowship-(EACTMF), CANADA 

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Why can’t you accept the fact that not everyone follows Odinga like lost sheep

A new comment on the post #3656 “LARA-Luos against raila abroad “
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/01/02/lara-luos-against-raila-abroad/

Author : Emali Wanyama (IP: 75.40.158.136 , adsl-75-40-158-136.dsl.rcsntx.sbcglobal.net)

Commentary:

On LARA,
I commend the person who wrote this article.  The Odinga family have been in politics for so long, but they have done zilch for the people in their neighbourhood.  People like you are just jealous of Kikuyus because they are hard working.  Kwani how many of them do you think get handouts from Kibaki? 

Mtachaamambi and Jaluo, how juvenile!  Why can’t you accept the fact that not everyone follows Odinga like lost sheep.  The ODM leader has just shown those who didn’t know him what kind of a person he is.  He is an anarchist.  His supporters are going around the country killing innocent Kenyans.  Is every Kikuyu a Kibaki? 

The fact of the matter is there are lots of Kikuyus who voted for Raila, but they will never do that again because they have now seen his true colors.  When his hooligans go on a killing rampage (with his blessings), they don’t ask who voted for Raila and who didn’t, they ask “where are the Kikuyus, Merus, Embus and Kambas. 

Raila will not tell his people to stop the killings, and even when people were massacred in a church he was not moved.  I suppose his followers think that if he ever comes to power they will be as rich as he is.  Please tell them not to hold their breath.  They should go see the people in Raila’s neck of the woods, who have remained poor all this years, and they are still poor and they will always remain that way; and yes thank you, I am a Kikuyu in case you are wondering!

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no

Dear Editor

While royals straight the way around Europe are attempting to reduce excess, extravagance, and pomposity, Queen Sonja of Norway is proposing to revive it. The Norwegian queen salivates over a royal invitation traveling the globe to be queen. Her flashy, theatrical wardrobe including 18c court dress (abolished by the Romanov’s following the 1905 uprising) is enough to make the Queen of England look perpetually underdressed.

Sonja is also adding to the royal jewels while many of the crowned heads of Europe are sending them to Sotheby’s for auction. Queen Sonja has spent a cool 1 billion (U.S. dollars) renovating royal property including the first of two new homes for the Crown Prince which rests beside an enormous red barn, the size of a football field and larger than the home. It is hard to imagine a red barn next door to the official residence of any royal, but Sonja is determined to tart up the place.

Another Norwegian residence, the “castle” looks for all the world like a concession stand/gift shop at Disney World.

Sonja is a jet setter. She travels the globe in search of royal events and is self-consciously and conspicuously regal.

By Peter

Published by API/APN africanpress@chello.no