Grand Regency sold, says Orengo – (Even during KANU time things were done this way and now Orengo’s time, no difference)

Story by MUGO NJERU and LUCAS BARASA

Mr Orengo

The prestigious Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi has been sold for Sh2 billion, Lands minister James Orengo said on Thursday. The minister said the deal was sealed on Wednesday despite the hotel being the subject of investigations by a parliamentary committee.  

Businessman Kamlesh Pattni, who had been fighting over the hotel’s ownership with the Central Bank of Kenya handed it over to the bank in April as part of a deal in which he claims he was offered amnesty from prosecution over the Goldenberg scandal.

 

Mr Orengo said that the Central Bank, which had placed a charge over the property, removed it to pave the way for Wednesday’s sale. However, the minister was yet to establish who had bought the hotel although sources said it is now in the hands of Libyan investors.

“I am embarrassed and ashamed that a deal of this nature and magnitude can take place under my nose as neither I nor my PS was meant to know,” he told a press conference in his Ardhi House office.

Pattni’s lawyers

Sources at the ministry disclosed that one of Mr Pattni’s lawyers was seen at Ardhi House on Tuesday in the company of a CBK lawyer. It is believed this was the time the charge was removed.

“I have to talk to the President and the  head of the civil service because things like these should really not happen,” Mr Orengo said.

He did not disclose how he would deal with the officers in his ministry who facilitated the deal, only saying he had demanded an explanation within the next seven days. “I am worried that even the AG was not consulted and within the next seven days, I hope to make  a full disclosure in the interest of the public,” Mr Orengo said.

The minister, who called the press briefing at 6pm said he could not wait “for a whistle blower or any officer to make the disclosure.”

He put on notice officers in his ministry who conduct government affairs without consulting him.

The five-star hotel has been in the news since March after reports that tycoon Kamlesh Pattni had returned it to the Central Bank of Kenya and sold it in exchange of amnesty. The deal was struck with the blessings of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission.

Mr Kimunya and CBK governor Njuguna Ndung’u  have since appeared before a parliamentary committee investigating the hotel saga. Both denied that the Grand Regency had been sold.

The committee headed by Nambale MP Chris Okemo also raised questions about the true value of the hotel, how the handing over was conducted and whether proper Government procedures were followed.

The Attorney-General, Mr Amos Wako, is on record saying he was not consulted over the deal.

Transaction

The team also wanted to know how the hotel will be disposed of so that taxpayers do not lose even “a penny” in the transaction.

The committee had directed Mr Kimunya and the CBK to suspend all attempts to sell the hotel until the questions have been answered by Government officials, Mr Pattni, Uhuru Highway Development Limited and other shareholders of the hotel.

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API/Nation.ke

TB INITIATIVES TO BE ANNOUNCED

MEDIA ADVISORY

Two major health initiatives that will have a substantial impact in the fight against the global tuberculosis (TB) epidemic will be announced on Monday.

 

A joint announcement will be made by FIND, the Stop TB Partnership, UNITAID and WHO.

 

TB is one of the world’s leading killers – second only to HIV/AIDS – with over 1.5 million deaths and nearly 9 million people falling seriously ill with the disease every year. Almost half a million people a year develop multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), a dangerous form of TB that is difficult to treat with standard drugs.

 

The spread of drug-resistant strains, especially the recent emergence of virtually untreatable extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB), threatens to push TB control back into a pre-antibiotic era.

 

A press pack, including a video news release, will be available.

 

NEWS CONFERENCE:

When:

Monday, 30 June, 11:30-12:30

Where:

Salle III, Palais des Nations, Geneva

Who:

Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, Stop TB Department, WHO

Dr Jorge Bermudez, Executive Secretary, UNITAID

Dr Giorgio Roscigno, Chief Executive Officer, FIND

Robert Matiru, General Manager, Global Drug Facility, Stop TB Partnership

 

NEWS TELECONFERENCE
When: Monday, 30 June, 1pm(New York)/ 10am (Pacific)/ 6pm (London) 
How: To join the call please send your phone contact details to mthroop@results.org and the operator will call out to join you to the call.

Last minute joiners may call toll free 888-684-1264 from the US/Canada or 913-312-1445 and ask for the “MDR TB” call.

Who:
Dr Mario Raviglione, Director, WHO Stop TB Department
Dr Richard O’Brien, Head of Product Evaluation and Demonstration, FIND
Dr Salmaan Keshavjee, Chair, Green Light Committee, MDR-TB Specialist, Partners In Health
Moderator: Dr Joanne Carter, Executive Director (appointed), RESULTS Educational Fund

 

For more information:

Glenn Thomas, WHO Stop TB Department. Tel:+41 795090677, E-mail: thomasg@who.int

Judith Mandelbaum-Schmid, Stop TB Partnership. Tel:+41 792546835, E-mail: schmidj@who.int

Audrey Quehen, UNITAID, UNITAID. Tel:+41 792012127, E-mail: quehena@who.int

Jewel Thomas, FIND Tel:+41 798306364, E-mail: Jewel.thomas@finddiagnostics.org

 

 

 

Judith Mandelbaum-Schmid – Communications Officer
Stop TB Partnership Secretariat World Health Organization WHO/STB/TBP 20, Avenue Appia CH-1211 Geneva 27 Switzerland	Telephone: +41 22 791 2967 Mobile: +41 79 254 6835 Fax: +41 22 791 4886 Email: schmidj@who.int
www.stoptb.org

The Stop TB Partnership is housed by the

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API

Nelson Mandela awarded Honorary Doctorate of Humanity by Limkokwing University.

Press Release

19^th June, 2008

 

 

      Nelson Mandela, one of the greatest statesmen of the last century, was recently honoured by the Limkokwing University of Creative Technology, when he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humanity.

 

      With this, the Limkokwing University becomes the first Malaysian university and the first among Asian universities to award an honorary doctorate to this extraordinary man.

 

      This has come a month before the South African icon is to celebrate his 90th birthday on 18 July, where worldwide celebrations are already being planned in his native South Africa and in Great Britain at the end of June.

 

        Founder President Professor Emeritus Tan Sri Dato’ Dr Limkokwing who was in South Africa to present the award said it was an honour to be there to pay the highest tribute that this university is able to give, to a man who exemplifies the best qualities attainable by humanity.

 

“He is a man respected, admired, loved by people across the world as a role model of a moral leader,” Tan Sri Lim said.

 

“ A statesman who rose above hate and vengeance to embrace peace and national reconciliation.”

 

Tan Sri Lim said the university recognises Mandela’s wisdom, visionary leadership and almost divine-like capacity to forgive his former enemies and unify a divided nation.

 

He said Mandela’s willingness to walk the road of sacrifice distinguishes him as one of the greatest symbols of resilience, tolerance, non-violence, reconciliation and moral integrity of our age and perhaps of all ages.

 

“Mandela has redefined the concept of leadership and he has proven through his own example that faith, hope and charity are qualities not beyond the attainment by humanity as a whole.

 

“Because of him, the world is a better, a kinder place. Despite his stature as one of the most admired leaders of our time, he remains very much a humble man,” Tan Sri Lim said.

 

In accepting the award on Mandela’s behalf, Ahmad Kathrada said said three sentences epitomise Mandela’s struggle. These were – one who defied the world they lived in, secondly that nothing was impossible and thirdly the tenacity to keep pushing things forward in order to translate ideas into reality.

 

Kathrada, who was among the five imprisoned along with Mandela on Robben Island said they had stayed together once in a cell for about three years, when suddenly in 1985, Mandela was placed in a single cell all by himself.

 

“We wanted to protest, as prisoners normally do but our protests were in vain,” he said.

 

“While in solitude, Mandela single handedly and boldly took the initiative that changed the history of South Africa. He later reminded us that there comes a time where a leader has to lead, and he has decided the time had come to talk to the enemy.

 

As they say, it was a delicate and bold move on his part. But, it was within the parameters of the policy of the African National Congress. Even when the ANC embarked on the arms struggle, the struggle for the establishment of  a non racial, non-sexist South Africa, even when we resorted to arms struggle one of the aims was to force the enemy be on the negotiation table.”

 

He said Mandela defied the odds, defied the prevailing opinion resulting in his freedom and that of other ANC leaders

 

      Dr Popo Molefe, former Premier of the Northwest Province in South Africa remembered Tan Sri Lim as one who came to South Africa in 1993.

 

“ He was one of those who came here not to seek fame, not to seek the first photograph with Nelson Mandela, but in a very humble way, he was somewhere in the background wanting to make sure speeches and interviews were on television. He worked to make sure that the people who sacrificed so much for the freedom of this country would usher in a new Government that would be led by Nelson Mandela.”

 

 

      He said he had the privilege to lead the 1994 first democratic election campaign where Tan Sri Lim played an important role when he was dispatched by the then Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, towards organizing the elections.

 

      “Our main task was to make sure that they are inspired to take part in the election.

 

      That campaign led to Mandela winning the elections and he became the first democratically elected President in post apartheid South Africa.

 

      Popo said he was able to learn from the strength of Mandela’s great leadership, where in the former South African President was humble as he had placed the interests of the people first and then his own.

 

      Popo said the award came at a fitting moment, when Mandela was turning 90.

 

      “For all of us would have one more time to say, Mandela we eulogise you, we recognise in you the greatest qualities that you have exemplified, in generations of struggle which will inspire posterity in many years to come.”

 

 

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API

US ambassador uses money to manipulate Kibaki and Raila. All for ODM benefit!

Getting foreign money is good for African governments. But what are the strings? In Kenya, the US ambassador talks as if he is Kenya’s president and yet all people know what he is up to.

When Raila went to the US recently, the US ambassador accompanied him. Was it necessary for him to do so? Kenya is being colonised again indirectly but by use of money. US is bribing Kenya government in order to gain greater influence. Kenya should not forget China and the Chinese honesty.

United States will give Kenya $75 million in support of the grand coalition government formed between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga in February, US ambassador to Michael Ranneberger said on Thursday.

Addressing a press conference in Nairobi, he said the money will be granted to Kenya after the US Congress approves the funds.

He said the funds will be used for key reforms key including electoral, constitutional and land reforms.

Ranneberger said the funds are in addition to the $25 million already granted to resettle over 300,000 displaced persons left homeless following the post-poll violence triggered by December 27 presidential elections.

He said the US government is confident the coalition government will work, downplaying suggestions there is a split in the government over an amnesty debate.

Odinga\’s Orange Democratic Movement party has been calling for amnesty for arrested perpetrators of the election violence that left more than 1000 people dead, while the Kibaki\’s Party of National Unity has argued that the perpetrators should face the full wrath of the law.

\”The coalition has shown remarkable unity and I urge Kenyans to listen to both Kibaki and Odinga,\” said Ranneberger, adding that his talks with both leaders have indicated that they are working together.

Rwandan military tribunal refuses bail again for suspected war criminals

The Rwandan military High Court of appeal in Kanombe has again rejected an appeal made by the four military officers arrested recently for war crimes and the killing of clergymen in 1994.

Chaired by Brig. Gen. John Peter Bagabo, the court on Wednesday upheld the temporary detention of the four officers for about 30 days pending further investigations into their crimes.

The officers through their lawyer Atanase Rutabigwa, had appealed against a ruling by the lower military Tribunal chaired by Brig. Gen. Steven Kalyango ordering for temporary detention during the course of their trial.

The officers are Brig. Gen. Wilson Gumisiriza, Maj Wilson Ukwishaka, Capt John Butera and Capt (Rtd) Dieudonnee Rukeba.

“The appeal’s tribunal orders that the suspects remain in temporary detention pending further investigation for at least 30 days, beginning from the time of the ruling,” ruled Brig. Gen. Bagabo.

Gumisiriza and Ukwishaka have pleaded not guilty of complicity to the war crimes and killing of the clergymen during their time as commanders of the 157 Brigade which was operating in the Kabyayi church, in Southern Province were the murder is said to have been committed.

But both Butera and Rukeba have pleaded guilty of having a hand in the killing of the 15 clergymen at Kabgayi.

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api/apa

Ugandan leader hands over EAC chair to his Rwandan colleague

Ugandan President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni Thursday handed over the East African Community (EAC) chairmanship to his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame, at the 9th session of the heads of state summit held in Kigali, the Rwandan capital.

Kagame, who was unanimously elected by his fellow presidents during their closed door session of the summit, becomes the first chairman of the regional bloc after its enlargement last year from three to five member states.

The Rwandan leader in his acceptance speech thanked his fellow colleagues for the trust and confidence bestowed on Rwanda as a country and him as the president to lead the region to prosperity and desirable transformation for the next one year.

“It is with great humility that I accept the chairmanship of the East African Community and I am looking forward to serving the community to desired levels of expectations,” said Kagame, hailing his Ugandan predecessor and former comrade in arms for his good leadership and vision into leading the community to expansion and economic transformation.

Kagame fought alongside Museveni during the Ugandan bush war from 1980-1986 and early days of the regime up to 1990, when Kagame and hundreds of other Rwandans decided to return to their country through an armed struggle that led to the overthrow of Juvenal Habyarimana and end the genocide in 1994 which claimed over one million lives in just 100 days.

The Rwandan leader also noted that Rwanda looks forward to effectively maintaining a healthy pace to attract more investments, trade and jobs for the community.

The summit was held concurrently with the first East African Investment Conference, a three-day event that also started Monday, attracting close to 80 business executives from all over the world.

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api/apa

EAC infrastructure development tops agenda in Kigali investment meeting

Challenges facing East Africa in infrastructure development and the region\’s investment opportunities are on top of Friday\’s agenda of a series of high-level meetings under way since Thursday in the Rwandan capital of Kigali.

The meetings kicked off with the opening of the first East African Investment Conference aimed at attracting foreign investors in the region. Hundreds of delegates from across the world and within the five East African Community partner states of Burundi, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are attending the conference.

The investors\’ meeting was followed around by the 9th ordinary EAC heads of state summit attended by Presidents Jakaya Kikwete Tanzania, Paul Kagame of Rwanda, Uganda\’s Yoweri Museveni and Presidents Mwai Kibaki and Pierre Nkuruzinza of Kenya and Burundi, respectively.

EAC officials said the infrastructure sector is likely to feature prominently in the talks because of its importance in improving the region\’s competitiveness in attracting foreign investments.

The meeting takes place at a time when poor transport infrastructure continues to be one of the stumbling blocks to cross-border trade within the EAC, and also to the accessibility of the region to the outside world.

Rwanda, which witnessed one of the world\’s worst genocides in 1994, is using the conference to showcase the success of the economic reforms it undertook since then. The country, whose image has improved over the years, is now a darling of investors from the West.

But the country has not been spared by poor infrastructure, which poses a major threat to its economic development. The need for efficient transport infrastructure within the economic bloc will be more pressing during the meetings, as it became more apparent when some of the delegates from the region had difficulties in reaching Kigali.

Flights to the Rwandese capital had been fully booked for the last couple of days, forcing many of the delegates to travel by road from their respective countries. And a return ticket from Arusha, the EAC headquarters, to Rwanda has shot up to slightly above $800, which is enough to buy a one way ticket to North America or the Far East, tens of thousands kilometres away.

Only two airlines in East Africa, Kenya Airways and RwandAir, connect the Rwandese capital to the rest of the region. However, RwandAir is still a growing airline with few frequencies around the region.

Discussions on infrastructure will also feature during a Strategy Retreat by EAC heads of state on Friday. The retreat will be held at a tourist resort out of the capital city, officials hinted.

A recent report released by the regional body indicated that over US$10 billion is needed to reconstruct and rehabilitate major road networks in the region.

So far development partners have committed only US$2.1 billion for the five corridors of roads linking Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya.

Resource mobilisation for the identified priority corridors of the East African Road Network Project is still underway. The ambitious project aims to reconstruct, rehabilitate as well as undertake studies on the earmarked roads on the five network corridors.

The five corridors are Mombasa-Malaba-Katuna linking Kenya-Uganda-Rwanda, Dar es Salaam-Mutukula and Biharamulo-Lockichogio which links Tanzania-Kenya-Sudan-Uganda.

Others are Tunduma-Nyakanazi and Tunduma-Namanga-Moyale linking Tanzania with Kenya and Ethiopia. This portion is also part of the Great North Road from Cape Town to Cairo.

The region also needs US$2.1 billion for the implementation of the East African Power Master Plan in the next seven years. Out of the amount, US$ 1.2 billion will be used for power generation while US$600 million will be spent on power transmission projects, among others.

Until 2004, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya had been spending a total of US$1 billion for oil imports annually, a figure that might have doubled now given the soaring prices of on the world market.

During the EAC 2008/2009 Budget session held in Arusha last week, cabinet ministers from the region\’s partner states admitted they were worried about the implementation of the EA Master Plan because of capital outlays, which demanded enormous resources.

They said the matter would be tabled before the Strategy Retreat of the heads of state in a bid to find a solution to the pressing need for reliable energy in the region.

\”Various options will be tabled on how the EAC partner states can raise resources to fund not only energy generation and interconnections but also other heavy infrastructures,\” said Eriya Kategaya, the chairperson of EAC Council of Ministers and Uganda minister for EAC Affairs.

Another plus for the region is the commencement of the reconstruction of the 243-km Arusha-Athi River road, one of the major infrastructure projects ever to be undertaken by EAC. The entire project would cost $140 million funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB) and to be disbursed through its agency, the African Development Fund.

Implementation of the project on the Kenya side (Athi River-Namanga) started in January this year, while the Arusha-Namanga portion in Tanzania will start anytime from August this year.

Other road projects now lined up for implementation, depending on the availability of funds, are the Arusha-Holili-Voi, Malindi-Mombasa-Lungalung and Bujumbura- Kigoma-Nyakanazi-Kigali.

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api/apa

Tribal support

From David ochwangi <dochwangi@yahoo.com> to:   Sam Okello, You are right, the past week hasn’t been like any other in the recent past and if I didn’t know any better, all you wrote below would pass as gospel, I mean where else on earth does a slum lord from the biggest slum in Africa show up in Washington DC and to an untrained eye it appears as if man made his maiden landing on planet Mars? Not to slight Prime Minister Hon. Odinga at all my friend, but your commentary about him and his trip to Washington and the imputed achievements you assign to the trip make it necessary for a response not all too flattering and at this rate of your exuberant juvenile gloating, it is no surprise the man won’t rise any higher, help the man excel by being modest, he would need that to succeed. Now to the specifics of your comments, there is no wave of nationalism sweeping African leaders across the continent nor is there a new, super intelligent, deeply pragmatic and sincerely hopeful leadership as exemplified by Hon. Odinga Sam; Hon. Odinga is not the symbol of Africa’s best, pride- maybe, wisdom….well…not by a long shot. Nelson Mandela, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kwameh Nkrumah exemplify Africa’s best, so make sure you get your facts right. We have had many African leaders and indeed from around the world visit Washington DC and the earth didn’t move nor did bulls lose their lives, believe me. Have you bothered to ask why this new face of Africa was not accorded an audience with President Bush? I mean it would have been in order, right? After all he already met with most of the faces he saw in Washington before, right?  I don’t quite understand what you mean when you say Odinga told the world…. That the continent was turning a page, Africa is moving with dignity and hope, the era of begging and handouts is over… did Hon. Odinga usher in that new era? What is that, an epiphany unveiled by the Prime Minister in his recent trip? How do you reconcile that statement with his earlier statements asking for aid to resettle IDPs? I mean can you get any more convoluted than that? About your support for PM Odinga, yes, majority of it is tribal and we know that. It is your right to support your own, has totally nothing to do with Raila being charismatic, frankly if it weren’t for the tribal card you all have mastered so well, Raila would have easily made president. The trip to Washington in no way endorses the Prime Minister as the face of Kenya nor that of Africa for that matter; we are all happy he came to share his views but that in no way negates his own record; I mean if the leadership and development of Lang’ata constituency and the Kibera slums over the last 15 years is a benchmark of things to come for the entire country, we sure have plenty of goodies to look forward to, don’t we now? Point being guys, the PM has plenty of ground to cover to convince many that he fits the bill. Now you mention Zimbabwe and Mugabe’s reign of terror, maiming women and children, killing fathers and brothers, literary raping the economy… in no way do I support Mugabe but you are accusing Mugabe of the same exact things ODM perpetrated on innocent Kenyans barely months ago! Odinga himself not only failed to condemn those acts but indeed fully justified them, saying it is the prize of democracy and that violence was a spontaneous reaction to stolen elections. To this day, he and his cronies at ODM such as Ruto are calling for the unconditional release of criminal suspects, saying they did nothing wrong! I mean for someone wanting the job of the chief law enforcement officer of the entire nation, doesn’t worry you that he’d make such calls with no restraint nor shame? I mean what is lawful about murder, rape, destruction of property? What is democratic about burning women and children in churches? You tell me genius, coz I sure can’t figure it out. You also talk of amnesty, unless you are completely delusional, only wussies and cowards kill innocent women and children and call themselves freedom fighters! I mean are you actually serious? News flash my friend, we will have an orderly society in Kenya and the rule of law will prevail, those involved in violence will be visited by the full force of law and for those now enjoying the fruits of their incitement, just remember, there is no statute of limitations on murder. So if you participated in some shape or fashion, funded, encouraged or otherwise aided and abetted violent activities resulting in the loss of human life, you will be paid a visit by law enforcement and you can run but not hide, ask Felicen Kabuga, he’ll tell you!  So Sam, I have gone out my way to be civil and matter of fact so perhaps everyone can see the other side of the argument and maybe appreciate our civility to each other but I must warn you, it took a lot of restraint; temper your commentary next time, you hear? By Ochwangi    From Sam Okello: This past week has been like no other in the recent past. For the first time since the wave of nationalism that swept African leaders to power across the continent, the world witnessed the emergence of a new, super intelligent, deeply pragmatic and sincerely hopeful leadership in Africa. By visiting Washington D.C. and displaying the best of African pride and wisdom, Prime Minister Raila Odinga told the global community that the continent was turning a page. Africa is moving forward with dignity and hope. The era of begging for handouts is over. The era of hard work, partnerships and reciprocal trade agreements is in.   Those of us who support Prime Minister Raila Odinga have been accused of doing so blindly. Worse still, we’ve been labeled tribalists who seek to see a Luo presidency in our lifetime in Kenya. Bull. It’s easy for those who are loath to the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister to twist what we say and spin it into something more parochial and foolish. But how do such people argue with the charisma of a man who came to Washington and declared that what we need today is not give-outs, but investment? How do they argue with the diplomacy of a man who respected President Kibaki even as he reminded the world that the truly elected President of Kenya had not yet been inaugurated? And how do they argue with the sense he left in official Washington…that the new African leader was emerging?   But while the Hon Odinga was projecting the new face of Africa to the world, in Zimbabwe we were witnessing the brutality of discredited and myopic leadership. Robert Mugabe was going around the nation unleashing terror on his own people, maiming women and children, killing fathers and brothers, literally raping the economy. Isn’t there just one bullet someone can lock in his head to end this misery for our people in Zim? How long will his madness be allowed to go on? And then there is Thabo Mbeki. The man has gone from a respected world leader to an idiot. Remember his position on AIDS? And did you know that he is the reason Mugabe feels he can get away with impunity? Is it any wonder the South Africans went with Jacob Zuma as his replacement? Hhmm!   While all that was going on, Kalonzo Musyoka was back in Ukambani asking Kenyans to stop debating amnesty. You see, to people like Kalonzo, this is a debate. To him this is a matter of who wins an argument. What this traitor needs to be told is that we are not debating. We are calling on the government to release the freedom fighters locked up in our jailhouses. The boys who fought the police and Kibaki’s thuggish forces fought for the nation. They are not criminals. They are freedom fighters. It’s because of them that we have a government of national unity. To continually keep them in jail is unethical. So, once again, for the sake of putting the final block on the reconciliation house we’ve been building, let the boys go. Let the sons and daughters of Nyanza, the Rift Valley, Western, Central, Coast, Eastern, Nairobi and the NEP go. Let our people go. The alternative, as you’ll soon find out, will be a deal-breaker.   Be reminded, once again, that the chief culprits in the election debacle are: Mwai Kibaki, Samuel Kivuitu, John Michuki, Gen Ali and others. Their crimes are listed in my earlier posts.   That said, let’s thank God that Kenya is blessed to have one of the new breed of African leaders in our own country. With leaders like William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi, Najib Balala, Joe Nyagah and the indomitable Madam Charity Ngilu, Kenya is marching to a better place.   The golden age in Kenya is at hand!   For Love of Country,    Sam O. Okello ——————- _______________________________________________ Published by API

French President sends special envoy to Libya

Libyan Prime Minister Elbugdadi Mahmoudi on Thursday met a special envoy of French President Nicolas Sarkozy in the Libyan city Sirte.

Official sources said Mahmoudi the meeting dealt with reviewing fields of bilateral cooperation between Libya and France and measures taken to implement the agreements signed during the visit of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi to France in December.

The aim of these agreements was to enhance bilateral ties particularly in the economic, trade, technical, consular, military and joint investment, the sources said.

Later, Qaddafi received the French official.

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API