Raila to face limus test in Ainamoi by-election in Kipsigis-land as the community resolve to discard outsiders

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no

<Story by Leo Odera Omolo

 

The forthcoming by election to the vacant Parliamentary seat in Ainamoi is likely to be a litmus test for the Prime Minister designate and party Pleader Raila Amolo Odinga in Kipsigis land. The region is ODM stronghold.

Ainamoi constituency is the most important semi-rural-cum-urban electoral area whose voters are of mixture ethnicity background.

It is indeed a cosmopolitan in its nature because it covers Kericho Municipality and the nearby tea estates and tea processing factories for both Brooke Bond /Uniliver and parts of James Finlays Tea Company

The inhabitants are mostly the Kipsigis people especially in its rural Kipsigis reserve land area covering Soin ,Ainamoi and Kapsaus Division within the Kericho district.

Kericho municipality is having many traders and businessmen who are non-Kipsigis such as the Asian traders , Luos, Kikuyus , Somalis, Luhyas and others while the neighbouring tea plantations and tea processing factories are the homes of many immigrant workers from Luo land ,Kisii,Luhya and other non-indignant people who have the constitutional right to cast their votes within the constituency . But normally the tea workers voters remain the swing votes but goes with the wish of the indigenous Kipsigis majority. In both Ainamoi and Belgut constituecies

The constituency used to be part of the old larger Belgut constituency which was created in 1963 .But was later sub-divided in 1996 creating the new Ainamoi constituency.

The first MP was Eng Kingeno Arap Ng’eny who won the seat in the 1997 General election on a KANU ticket . But Ng’eny who served in the last KANU regime  cabinet as the Minister for Water and Development was swept away by the Narc/Rainbow coalition of the year 2002. The former CID director Noah Arap Too won the seat on a KANU ticket.

Too who unsuccessfully defended his seat on ODM ticket was elected by the party during its preliminary which was contested by group of 14 candidates. But the youthful David K Too won the popular votes on ODM ticket with landslide majority.

The late Too died in a hails of bullets fired at close range by a traffic police officer in what the police had earlier described as “love triangle” in Eldoret Town.

Out of the 14 people who contested the 2007 election others jumped the ship after loosing the ODM ticket in the party preliminaries.

But a few losers remained steadfast in ODM and campaigned vigorously for the party’s successes in Kipsigis land

One such a person is the former deputy C.G.S Lt Gen (rtd) John K Koech who steered ODM to victories in all eight parliamentary constituencies in Kipsigis land but later joined the Pentagon team in campaigning in the whole of the larger Kalenjin region.

Others like Eng K.Ngeny joined other parties in search of green pastures after loosing ODM ticket to the late Too.They included Dr.Paul Chepkwony, Anne Kibet, Mr Koros, Evans Koskey, Kiptanui Korir. While Lt gen Koech former Kericho mayor Joel Siele, Mr Colins Rop, Mr Anthony maritime, Mr.Rop Chorchor an dother reimaned and accompanied the ODM executive winner the late david Too former principle of the Baito Secondary School and whose life was cut short by assassin bullet.

The popular view making the round in Kericho and its environs is that Lt gen (rtd) John Koech should be given a direct ODM nomination to represent the area after the forthcoming by election.

Gen Koech is considered as mature and principled person and dynamic leader who has proved his consistency with the party.

A good number of local politicians in Kericho have pointed an accusing finger at the Pentagon member Hon William Ruto as the person who is meddling in Kipsigis politics

They are saying that Ruto has allegedly interfered in the issuing of nomination certificates of Mr. Justus Kemei who had beaten Charles Keter head down in Belgut during the ODM preliminaries and pressurized the ODM to issue a certificate to the looser.

Ruto is also being accused for having personally intervened in Kipkellion constituency and denied the winner Mr. Joel Kirui a nomination certificate and ordered it issued to the looser Hon Rotich Masarer. This time around the Kipsigis elders want Mr.Ruto to steer clear of Kipsigis politics.

Ruto himself is an indigenat Kipsigis tribesman who migrated to Nandi many years ago and eventually settled in Uasin Gishu district soon after independence .He is being accused for fronting only for weak candidates in Kipsigis land and for using the old Moi tactics of divide and rule.

The trouble for Ruto was seen during the burial of the late Too at Chepokoiyot village in Ainamoi when he made a vain attempt to market the younger brother of the slain MP Mr. Benjamin Too as the right person to resume the mantle of the late Too leadership. This notion was rejected out rightly by the mourners who insisted that there is no political   inheritance in Kipsigis land.each aspiring candidates is required to contest the seat on his or her own credibility and image but not under the shadow of a dead person.

 This time around, according to the Kipsigis elders in Ainamoi Mr.Kipkalich Maritim ,Raila Odinga and the ODM will have to go with the wishes of the electorate and give us a mature and reliable candidate or else risk being sidelined in Kipsigisland.”Let the people vote to a man of their own choice “said Mzee Samuel Mosonik in Kipsaus.

One influential civic leader in Kericho Town appealed to the ODM head office to issue a nomination certificate directly to Gen Koech as the party’s  right candidate to represent the area.

The civic leader who preferred to remain anonymous told this writer that the euphoria waves of the general is irresistible and the ODM should not play around .We don’t believe in selection work by a certain clique of interested politicians or to deliver a weak candidature simple because of interference by outsider .But we want the right to vote for a popular candidate and in this respect Gen Koech is the choice of the Ainamoi electorate.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com

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African Press International – api

IDPS STILL IN CAMPS IN NYANZA EVEN AFTER PEACE DEAL WAS BROKERED.

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no  

Story Written by Dickens Wasonga, Journalist – Kisumu, Kenya

Tel.+254721784774

At the close of  last month, a total of 4,019 Kenyans were still residing in what has now become known as IDP camps  within Nyanza and Western provinces alone.

According to Mrs.  Pamela Indiaha, the regional manager-Kenya Red Cross Society, the displaced persons who constitute 668 families are too  afraid to go back to their homes until adequate security is quaranteed by the gorvernment.

Speaking to journalists at her Kisumu office Mrs. Indiaha said her organisation will not close the main camps as widely expected but will continue to give humanitarian support to the victims of the post election skirmishes.

She disclosed that Red Cross managed to give humanitarian assistance to 55,0000 people who were affected by the violence from the two  provinces.

At  the hieght of the skirmishes,over 200,000 people recieved assistance from Red-Cross inform of food and non-food items while at the transit camps established to help those who were returning back  to their homes of origin.

The organisation established 300 camps  during the violence  to host those who were fleeing from western part of the country.  It also supplied 8,000 metric tons of food to all the displaced people country-wide.

She disclosed that the humanitarian organization was in the process of tracking down people who are already begining to re-settle in their homes of origin.

In Siaya,Bondo and Rachuonyo,registration of the returnees was already underway.

She added that recovery plans were on-going in many districts in western Kenya to see how violence victims can be re-intergreted back to their communities.

So far the organisation has managed to re-unite 200,000 children who were displaced  with their families country-wide. 

 Another 669 children are still being tracked  down in abid to re-unite  them with their parents.

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African Press International – api

Creed clouded cabinet meeting – Some ministers fear loosing lucrative pay soon when ODM gets onboard

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no, source.standard.ke

 Story by Joseph Murimi and Abiya Ocholla

 Kibaki Cabinet meeting turns stormy

A special five-hour meeting chaired by President Kibaki turned stormy and threatened to split the Cabinet as ministers differed over ODM’s demands for a lean Government and portfolio balance.The meeting, which began at 10.30am in President Kibaki’s Harambee House office, elicited passions when the issue of implementation of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act came up although it was not among the issues listed for discussion.After the emotive issue, it was apparent that the Cabinet had split into two distinct opinions. Sources at the meeting told The Standard that though power-sharing was not on the agenda, it persisted for long after a minister suggested that President Kibaki speeds up the naming of a new Cabinet.

The minister reportedly told the President that Kenyans were anxious for a settlement to the political crisis.

“Your Excellency, Kenyans are anxious to have the matter resolved once and for all. They need a final settlement to the Cabinet stalemate,” said the minister, adding that: “It is time we gave ODM what they have requested.”

But at this point, another minister shot up and argued that some ODM demands were unrealistic and if accepted, amounted to ceding all power to it.

“I think what we have offered to cede should be enough to satisfy ODM. Some of their demands are unrealistic,” said the minister.

When the exchange heated up, President Kibaki stepped in and told the ministers that he was scheduled to meet ODM leader, Mr Raila Odinga, today for further talks. That effectively ended debate on the matter.

Some ministers felt strongly that not all names ODM would present for appointment should be accepted. They said MPs tainted by corruption or those linked to post-election violence should not be given Cabinet positions. If they got positions, some said, it would be akin to rewarding them.

“We should demand a clean Cabinet. Not all the names from ODM should be accepted. We promised Kenyans a clean Cabinet and we should honour our word,” the minister said.

Earlier, expectations were high that the meeting would discuss portfolio balance and the size of the Cabinet and, in the process, speed up the naming of new ministers. But an insider said the issue could not be discussed because the ministers were interested parties.

“The issue did not come up. How can we discuss it and we are interested parties? Supposing it was said we have a Cabinet of 20 ministers — 10 of us would have to go,” said another minister.

Missing from the meetingIn attendance were Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, Mr Amos Kimunya (Finance), whose docket is one of the key portfolios ODM has targeted, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta (Local Government), Mr John Michuki (Roads), Prof George Saitoti (Internal Security), Mr Yusuf Haji (Defence), Prof Sam Ongeri (Education), Ms Martha Karua (Justice and Constitutional Affairs) and Mr John Munyes (Water).Others were Dr Naomi Shaban (Special Programmes), Mr Asman Kamama (Public Service), Mr Wilfred Machage (East African Co-operation), Mr Kiraitu Murungi (Energy), Mr Chirau Mwakwere (Transport) and Mr Samuel Poghisio (Information).

Attorney-General, Mr Amos Wako, and Head of Civil Service, Mr Francis Muthaura, were also at the meeting.

But Mr Moses Wetangula (Foreign Affairs) and Dr Noah Wekesa (Science and Technology) were absent. Wetangula was said to have travelled abroad, while Wekesa was said to be on his way from Kitale for the meeting.

But when contacted, Wekesa said he had not been informed of the meeting and only read about it in the newspapers on Monday. He said he was told that Muthaura had announced the meeting over the radio, but he never got the message.

“Nobody told me about the meeting. Muthaura should even have rung the DC if he could not reach me. He has all the machinery at his disposal. Not everybody listens to the radio,” Wekesa told The Standard.

At the end of the meeting, the ministers left in two groups and remained tight-lipped and even avoided a battery of journalists that had been waiting.

After the first group left Harambee House, President Kibaki followed shortly, but ministers Uhuru, Kiraitu, Saitoti, Kimunya and Haji remained behind. It was not immediately clear what they were discussing.

Later, the Presidential Press Service (PPS) issued a statement that steered clear of the power-sharing discussion and instead dwelt on issues of Government operations.

The statement said, among other issues, that the meeting discussed the resettlement of the displaced people, the East African Community Treaty, anomalies in KCSE examination results and the Safaricom IPO.

The ministers, the statement said, would encourage wananchi to buy the mobile phone company’s shares.

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African Press International – api

Who Is the World’s Worst Dictator? Mugabe is not the world’s worst dictator nr ONE!

By David Wallechinsky
 

There are more than 70 countries ruled by dictators who exercise arbitrary authority over their citizens and who cannot be removed from power through legal means. These tyrants suppress the freedoms of speech and religion, and the right to a fair trial. Some also commit torture, execute opponents and starve their own people. PARADE’s annual list is drawn in part on reports from Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders and the U.S. State Department.

Notably, there are two leaders who did not make this year’s list: Saparmurat Niyazov of Turkmenistan, No. 8 last year, died in December; and Fidel Castro, No. 15, relinquished power in Cuba to his brother Raul on July 31. Among the newcomers are Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Vladimir Putin of Russia. Some who moved up in rank are Iran’s Ayatollah Khamenei, Hu Jintao of China, King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia and Bashar al-Assad of Syria. But by no means does this indicate that those whom they passed showed improvements. Click on the names below to read more about the tyrants on our 2007 list and share your comments.

No. 1 Omar al-Bashir Sudan. Age 63. In power since 1989. Last year’s rank: 1  Omar al-Bashir retains his position as the worst dictator because of his ongoing deadly human-rights abuses in the Darfur region of Sudan. Over the last four years, at least 200,000 people there have been killed by pro-Bashir forces. Nationwide, 5.3 million have been driven from their homes, and more than 700,000 have fled the country. But at the UN last September, Bashir blamed international aid groups for exaggerating the problems as a ploy to raise money for their organizations. And in November, he argued that war-related deaths in Darfur were less than 9,000. Despite agreeing to a 60-day ceasefire last month, he has been accused by his people of ordering troops to continue their attacks. No. 2 Kim Jong-il North Korea. Age 64. In power since 1994. Last year’s rank: 2 Last year, Kim Jong-il attracted attention by testing a nuclear bomb, but it is his domestic human-rights abuses that make him stand out. His citizens are more shut off from the world than those of any other nation. Kim is portrayed as a weirdo or a joke. But he is actually a well-informed, wily politician who was trained for this position by his father, Kim Il-sung. While North Korea is a Communist state, the real ruling model this family has followed is ancient Confucianism, with its highly centralized and paternalistic leadership. No.3 Sayyid Ali KhamEnei Iran. Age 67. In power since 1989. Last year’s rank: 9 Although it is Iran’s president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has alarmed the world with threatening gestures, it is actually the Ayatollah Khamenei and the 12-man Guardian Council who control all decisions regarding Iran’s relations, its nuclear program and domestic freedoms. This regime has increasingly suppressed freedom of expression: Women can be stoned to death for adultery, and in November an Iranian man was publicly hanged for homosexuality. No. 4 Hu Jintao China. Age 64. In power since 2002. Last year’s rank: 6 China has become such an important part of the global economy that most countries ignore its abysmal human-rights record—even as it prepares to host next year’s Olympics. The U.S. State Department has identified 22 areas of human-rights abuses under Hu Jintao, among them torture, forced abortions, forced labor, detention of religious groups, government corruption and restrictions on speech and the media. Last year, citizens were executed for such nonviolent crimes as bribery and stealing oil. No. 5 King Abdullah Saudi Arabia. Age 83. In power since 1995. Last year’s rank: 7Because King Abdullah and the Saudi royal family control the world’s largest reserves of oil, the  U.S. government has not acted to oppose the repressive and intolerant actions of their regime. In Saudi Arabia, it still is possible to be executed for witchcraft and flogged for being alone with an unrelated person of the opposite sex. It is illegal for a Saudi citizen to practice a religion other than Islam. According to a 2006 report by the Center for Religious Freedom, Saudi school textbooks continue to be virulently anti-Christian and anti-Semitic. Last year, the U.S. State Department judged Saudi Arabia one of the  top eight offenders of religious freedom. No. 6 Than Shwe Burma (Myanmar). Age 74. In power since 1992. Last year’s rank: 3One of the most secretive world leaders, Gen. Than Shwe is rarely seen in public but made a trip abroad last month for medical treatment. While his people continue to wait for a new constitution—p romised 17 years ago—Reporters Without Borders ranked Burma 164th out of 168 nations in its 2006 press freedom index. Among the numerous “offenses” for which Burmese have been arrested are selling tapes of CNN and BBC coverage of the 2004 tsunami and for “hiding in the dark.” No. 7 Robert Mugabe Zimbabwe. Age 82. In power since 1980. Last year’s rank: 4 Robert Mugabe once was hailed as a symbol of the new Africa, but under his rule the health and well-being of his people have dropped dramatically, which is as much an abuse of human rights as arbitrary arrest and torture. According to the World Health Organization, Zimbabwe has the world’s shortest life expectancy—37 years for men and 34 for women. It also has the greatest percentage of orphans (about 25%, says UNICEF) and the worst annual inflation rate (1,281% as of last month). He last allowed an election in 2002 but “won” only after having his leading opponent arrested for treason. No. 8 Islam Karimov Uzbekistan. Age 69. In power since 1989. Last year’s rank: 5 Islam Karimov was fortunate to be president of the Soviet republic of Uzbekistan when the USSR collapsed. Using the old-fashioned Soviet tactics of torture, media censorship and fake elections, he has remained in power ever since. He has banned the study of Arabic in this largely Sunni Muslim nation, shut down all billiard halls and ordered the massacre of hundreds of his citizens in the city of Andijan. The 9/11 terrorist attacks turned out to be a break for Karimov: The U.S., which previously had shunned him because of his human-rights abuses, suddenly found him to be a geographically well-placed ally. But when the Bush Administration condemned the 2005 Andijan killings, Karimov ordered American troops to leave the country. No. 9 Muammar al-Qaddafi Libya. Age 64. In power since 1969. Last year’s rank: 11 Among our Top 10, Muammar al-Qaddafi has been in charge the longest—38 years. He was only 27 when he seized power and has spent decades being a conspicuous enemy of the U.S. For most of that time, the U.S. had included Libya on its list of state sponsors of terrorism. In 2006, Qaddafi went six months without funding terrorism; in June, as a reward for doing so, President Bush removed Libya from that list. Libya now stands to reap even more economic benefits from its large oil fields. Still, it is a place where political prisoners disappear and where women who have been raped or accused of having sex out of marriage can be kept in “rehabilitation” homes indefinitely. No. 10 Bashar al-Assad Syria. Age 41. In power since 2000. Last year’s rank: 16 Bashar al-Assad gradually has assumed greater control of the military and intelligence services. Recently, his administration was implicated in assassinations in Lebanon. A UN report, due in June, will detail Syria’s role. Assad is perhaps the unlikeliest of dictators: He was doing postgraduate work in ophthalmology in London when his late father, Syrian dictator Hafiz al-Assad, summoned him home in 1994 and began training him to run the country. No. 11 Teodoro Obiang Nguema Equatorial Guinea. Age 64. In power since 1979. Last year’s rank:  10 Obiang seized control of this small, oil-rich West African nation by executing the previous dictator—his uncle.  In July 2003, state radio announced that Obiang “is in permanent contact with The Almighty” and that he “can decide to kill without anyone calling him to account and without going to Hell.”  Obiang himself told his citizenry that he felt compelled to take full control of the national treasury in order to prevent civil servants from being tempted to engage in corrupt practices.  To avoid this corruption, Obiang deposited more than half a billion dollars into accounts controlled by Obiang and his family at a bank in Washington, D.C., leading a U.S. federal court to fine the bank $16 million. No. 12 King Mswati III Swaziland Age:  38. In power since 1986. Last year’s rank:  12 Mswati III was 18 years old when he was crowned king of the Southern African nation of Swaziland.  According to the constitution, he has the right to overrule all laws and rules, and it is illegal to investigate any matter relating to the him.  He once bought a private jet for $44.6 million—more than twice the annual health budget for the entire nation.  Swaziland has the highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world (more than 33%), and 10% of Swazi households are headed by children.  The government refers to these households as “sibling families.”  Mswati III’s power is summarized in the Swazi saying, “A king is a mouth that does not lie.” No. 13 Isayas Afewerki Eritrea Age:  61. In power since 1991. Last year’s rank:  13 Afewerki led Eritrea to independence after a 30-year war of liberation.  But his real goal was to keep himself in power, which he has successfully done for 16 years, suspending the constitution and canceling elections.  He also forced his people into a useless border war with Ethiopia that caused the death of tens of thousands of soldiers and displaced more than 600,000 Eritreans. No doubt inspired by George W. Bush’s declaration that Iraq, Iran and North Korea were an “Axis of Evil,” Isayas accused his neighbors, Ethiopia, Yemen and Sudan, of being an “Axis of Belligerence.” No. 14 Aleksandr Lukashenko Belarus Age:  52. In power since 1994. Last year’s rank:  14  Lukashenko was elected independent Belarus’ first president in a fair election in 1994.  He immediately set about squashing his opposition.  Lukashenko appoints all the members of the upper house of parliament.  He won 82% of the vote in the 2006 presidential election, which was not surprising considering that the campaign of his leading opponent, Aleksandr Milinkevich, was so restricted that he was reduced to handing out fliers that gave a phone number where he could be reached for an hour.  Since November 2006, Milinkevich has been arrested or detained at least six times. No. 15 Pervez Musharraf Pakistan Age:  63. In power since 1999. Last year’s rank:  17 General Musharraf seized power by overthrowing an elected government.  An enthusiastic supporter of the Taliban in Afghanistan, Musharraf switched sides a week after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Since then the U.S. has given his regime billions in aid.  However, he recently infuriated the present government of Afghanistan by agreeing to a ceasefire with pro-Taliban forces in Pakistan. Pakistan is scheduled to hold a national election within a year, but Musharraf has forbidden the country’s last two elected prime ministers, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, from taking part. No. 16 Choummaly Sayasone Laos Age:  70. In power since 2006. Last year’s rank:  Unranked The son of a farmer, General Choummaly Sayasone assumed the presidency of this old-style communist state in 2006 after spending 52 years slowly working his way up the ladder of Laos’ only political party.  In Laos, it is possible to be arrested for a wide variety of vague, alleged offenses, such as “creating division among the people,” importing a publication that is “offensive to the national culture,” and reporting “misleading news.”  Premarital cohabitation is illegal, as is having sex with a foreigner. No. 17 Meles Zenawi Ethiopia Age:  51. In power since 1995. Last year’s rank: 18 A former medical student, Meles Zenawi began his political career by joining a Stalinist guerilla group in 1974.  Twenty-one years later he gained power after overthrowing Ethiopia’s much-reviled dictator, Mengistu Haile Mariam. In order to satisfy Western demands for a multi-party democracy, Meles created puppet parties for each of the nation’s major ethnic groups, while the real parties boycotted his elections.  In 1998, he subjected his people to an unnecessary border war with Eritrea that caused thousands of deaths.  He agreed to international arbitration to settle the border, but when the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission ruled against him, Meles refused to abide by the decision and kept for Ethiopia land that belonged to Eritrea. No. 18 Hosni Mubarak Egypt. Age:  78. In power since 1981. Last year’s rank: Unranked  Mubarak joined the Egyptian military at an early age and gradually rose in command for 25 years until he was appointed Egypt’s vice-president in 1975.  When President Anwar Sadat was assassinated in 1981, Mubarak took his place and has ruled the nation under a state of emergency ever since.  Every six years, he stages a rigged election to maintain his position as president.  For the latest one, in 2005, no international observers were allowed.  Reports of the torture of prisoners in Egypt are frequent, credible and widespread.  Under the Emergency Law, Mubarak has the right to arrest people without charge. No. 19 Paul Biya Cameroon. Age:  73.  In power since 1982. Last year’s rank: Unranked  Independent Cameroon’s first dictator, Ahmadou Ahidjo, resigned after 22 years in power when his French doctors convinced him that he had a terminal illness.  He didn’t, but by the time he realized this, his replacement, Paul Biya, was safely in place, and Ahidjo had to flee the country.  Cameroon has the reputation of being one of the world’s most corrupt countries.  Biya is credited with instituting one of the more creative tactics in the history of rigged elections.  After international election-monitoring groups denounced his elections as “designed to fail,” Biya hired his own group of international monitors.  Made up of ex-U.S. congressmen of both parties, the U.S. Association of Former Members of Congress declared Cameroon’s 2004 election as free and fair.  Another observer group, led by former Canadian prime minister Joe Clark, arrived earlier and denounced as rigged the registration process, which the U.S. group had missed. No. 20 Vladimir Putin Russia. Age:  54. In power since 1999. Last year’s rank: Unranked.  According to the U.S. State Department, Russia engages in 17 different categories of human rights abuses.  Prison conditions are described as “frequently life-threatening.”  In 2004 alone, according to official statistics, more than 2,000 prisoners died while in pretrial detention.  Although Vladimir Putin has stated that he will not run for reelection in 2008, he has greatly centralized power in the executive branch, even eliminating the election of regional governors and appointing them himself instead.  He has dramatically strengthened the secretive Federal Security Service, and appointed to almost all of the government’s most important positions people who, like Putin, served in the KGB or its successor agencies.  A recently passed election bill forbids creating a “negative image” of political opponents, which means that challenging Putin or his policies will be illegal.

Readers:

Is there anyone you think should’ve been on this year’s list? Respond by sending a comment. Be part of those researching with keen interest against real dictatorship

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Published by Korir, API africanpress@getmail.no

An open advice to Hon. Kiraitu Murungi

Commentary

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This is in regard to you refering Meru as Mt. Kenya region and that we are not fit for deputy prime minister.

I remain to echo Hon. Gitobu Imanyara’s words that Meru is not Mount Kenya and it has 9 competent legislators who are competent enough for the post.

 Therefore, my kind appeal to you is that, next time you are making such sentimental/vital announcement in public, you need to consult other Meru MPs for the interest of the people they represent. And incase its too urgent, the mobile phone comes in handy. You can call or text them and get their opinion too.

Hence, bwana Kiraitu we respect and therefore take note of the matter and treat it with caution and for the  interest of the community, and incase the need be, we will voice our concerns through our council of elders, The Njuru Nceeke.

Thus, I strongly feel that your words should be treated personal and that it was not the voice of AMERU people.

God bless Kenya.

Commentary by Murithi benjamin Ikirima-Tampa Bay-Florida-USA (IP: 72.184.82.10 , cpe-72-184-82-10.tampabay.res.rr.com)

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Published by Korir api africanpress@getmail.no

The government of the Gambia reacts to BBC and FOROYAA reports

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no

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Story by Mohammed Legally-Cole>

The Government of The Gambia, through Nenneh Macdouall-Gaye, Secretary of State for Communication, Information and Technology, has reacted to the continuing efforts by what she called opposition elements and the BBC to tarnish the good name of our peaceful Gambia.In a press release sent to all media houses yesterday the Secretary of State had this to say.

“The Department of State for Communications and Information Technology has reacted to a BBC Focus on Africa report on Ghanaians protest over killing in Gambia and FOROYAA’s issue of 17-18 March 2008 on the same subject.It could be confirmed that in July 2005 eight bodies were found in the vicinity of Brufut/Ghanatown and not 44 bodies as reported. Furthermore the nationalities of the dead bodies are not known.

It could also be recalled that immediately after the discovery of the bodies, a press release from the Department of State for The Interior was issued inviting the public to assist in identifying the said bodies and any other pertinent information.

Furthermore a post-mortem was conducted on each of the eight bodies, the results of which were shared with the Ghanaian delegation that visited the Gambia on the matter. The claims that they were suspected coup plotters hence the killings are utterly false.

The Gambia is known for its peace and stability. Similarly, foreigners have always enjoyed freedom and peace in this country. Ghanaians have been residing in The Gambia for the past 50 years to the point of having their own dedicated town.

This unfortunate incident is equally a great concern to the Gambian authorities. Investigations are still on going and The Gambia and Ghana have agreed to have a joint international investigation committee to further investigate the matter”. END

Meanwhile, report reaching The Gambia and was published by FOROYAA Newspaper that on Wednesday, 12 March, 2008, that the families of 44 Ghanaians took to the streets of Accra to demonstrate against what they regarded as their government’s lack of communication to them on issues relating to reports of the murder of 44 Ghanaians in The Gambia.

According to the report, a Ghanaian who claimed to have escaped from The Gambia has alleged that 50 nationals of Ghana, Nigeria, Senegal and Togo were murdered by Gambian security forces in 2005. We regard this as an allegation until the facts emerge.

However FOROYAA stated that the demonstration was aimed at putting pressure on the Ghanaian government to take urgent action on the matter. The Ghanaian protestors were not satisfied with the manner in which their government has been handling the matter. They feel their government has not done enough, nor have they informed them on what actions are being taken.

According to the publication on FOROYAA newspaper, the demonstration was led by the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative (CHRI), an international NGO, and the Gambian Task Force, which was formed by Ghanaians in Ghana to deal with this matter. It commenced at the CHRI office and ended at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Regional Integration and NEPAD, where speeches were delivered.

According to news reports, a spokesperson of the Ministry told the families that apart from the many local and international efforts made by the Ghanaian Government, an investigative committee, comprising the United Nations, African Union, Economic Community of West African States and International Red Cross, has been established to independently investigate the allegation. This he said was a result of a meeting held in Ouagadougou under the auspices of the UN and ECOWAS. He expressed the conviction that with the investigative committee now in place, the Gambia government is expected to sit down and talk about the issue. The demonstrators are said to have worn T-shirts with inscription: “Seeking Justice” and to have held placards some of which read: “Justice Delayed Is Justice Denied”, “Killers Must Be Brought To Justice”.

In conclusion, the FOROYAA Newspaper further stated that this reporter visited the Secretary of State for the Interior in Banjul, The Gambia on Friday to get him to react to these press reports but he was then at the airport. FOROYAA will continue its effort to get the reaction of the government.

 In another development, Mrs Nenneh Macdouall-Gaye has been relieved from office with effect from 17 March 2008 under the power conferred on His Excellency Alhaji Dr. Yahya A.J.J. Jammeh, the President of the Republic of The Gambia, under Section 71(4) of the Constitution of the Republic of The Gambia.

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African Press International – api 

US $642,721 for the construction of the kanilai Science and Technology Academy

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no

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<Story by Mohammed Legally-Cole

Taiwanese ambassador to The Gambia, Dr Patrick Chang on Monday 17 March 2008 presented a cheque for US$ 642,721 to Abdoulie Sallah, the Secretary of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology. The money is earmarked for the construction of  Kanilai Science and Technology Academy.

Dr Chang presented this fourth installment at a ceremony held at the Department of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, Kanifing, The Gambia. Presenting the cheque, Ambassador Chang lauded the progress made in the US$1.78 million project which is now at an advance stage to completion.

He expressed hope that work would be completed as scheduled.

“This is the place, where students can go and learn science and technology for the development of the country,” he said.

Dr Chang used the opportunity to commend the contractors, Gambia Technical Training Institute (GTTI) for the continuous progress the project is registering.For his part SOS Abdoulie Sallah stressed the significance of the project, which according to him is crucial to building a critical mass for the transformation of the country into a HI-TECH super power. Considering the challenges posed by globalisation, the Science and Technology SOS elaborate on the benefits the academy can bring about adding that this is crucial for the integration of The Gambia into the global economy.

SOS Sallah thanked ambassador Chang and the government of Republic of Taiwan for the assistance, emphasising the importance President Jammeh and his government attach to the sector. Fatou Mbye, the director of GTTI, updated the ceremony on the progress of the project.

The GTTI boss disclosed that the construction work is now nearing to completion, noting that plastering is 95 per cent completed, bugler proofs 100 per cent completed and the ceiling is also register in progress. However, Ms Mbye appealed for the consideration of two payments at a time as the project is streaming into big spending. Dr Seydou Jallow, the permanent secretary at the Department of State for Higher Education, Research, Science and Technology, who chaired the ceremony, amplified the importance of the project in developing the scientific capacity of the country.

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 African Press International – api

Congolese supporters gather in Washington

Published by Korir, api africanpress@getmail.no

Story by scott Morgan 

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Over the last dreary weekend in March a group of concerned people gathered in Washington, D.C. The topic of concern was an issue that has ebbed and flowed on the radar of many people. What was the issue that caused such a gathering? It is the Democratic Republic of the Congo. One will ask what type of people attended this conference and lobby day?There were Religous Advocates and Defenders of Women’s Rights. Other attendees were concerned about the exploitation of the natural resources of the Country and Students concerned about their peers.

There were even some that were concerned that the United States is neglecting a nation that is in Dire Straits. The Democratic Republic of the Congo has had a violent history since it gained independence from Belgium in 1960. On more than one occasion French and Belgian troops have had to intervene to restore order. One of the results of their intervention was the long running corrupt pro-American regime of Mobutu Sese Seko.

After his death is when the really violent era in the history of the DRC began.  Twice in the 1990s the Congo was a war zone. The fighting there was a direct result of the Rwandan genocide. The fighting was also encouraged by the tepid response by the UN, its African neighbors and their western backers. So after the removal of a corrupt regime another grab for the resources began in earnest. This grab would eventually involve seven other African States. The fighting would be considered to be Africa’s world war. 

Over the last two years the Congo has taken baby steps towards what would be considered to be a democratic government. However problems still remain. Several foreign militias are active in the eastern part of the country. In some instances they are the bodies that collect and levy taxes and provide security. Another major issue will be the massive use of Sexual Abuse by both warring parties and civilians. 

In a conflict the two most vulnerable groups are women and childeren. Sadly both groups have been abused by virtually all sides over the last decade. This sad detail also includes the UN peacekeepers that have been sent there. If the country is to heal this is an issue that needs to be resolved post haste. The natural resources of the country are targets as well for exploitation. The infrastructure in the country needs to be repaired as well. These are just the highlights of the reasons that this gathering occured in the the United States. Last year a similar meeting took place in Brussels and organizers hope that such an event will take place in Africa next year. But on the first of April this year people will trek to Capitol Hill in Washington.

They will meet with Legislators and urge them to allow for the US to take a more positive and crucial role in the Situation in the Congo. After all the US did play a role in creating this debacle its only fair that we attempt to resolve it. 

 The author publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet.

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African Press International – api