08/10/09.
The 2nd Africa –South America Summit (ASA) And 3rd Cultural Festival with the people of Africa in Venezuela ,Caracas on September 20-27 , 2009 Reoprt.
By Gacheke Gachihi
Kenya-Venezuela Frienship, Bunge La Mwananchi social movement.
ggacheke@gmail.com
Phone +254720318049
The 2nd ASA summit and the III Cultural festival with the people of Africa in Caracas Venezuela this year was great historical connection of the two continents in advancing the peoples struggle and the south- south, platform.
The ASA summit which was attended by a great number of head of states , from Africa and Latin America, improved from the first ASA summit that was held in Abuja Nigeria in 2006 in Africa by coming up with declarations, and commitment on concrete issues and action plan that will make the ASA platform more action oriented and deliver result as was indicated by the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez who was the host of 2nd ASA summit in reducing ideas to action on the front of social justice in education with university of south, communication with Radio south and Talesur a television station for the south to broadcast programs from Africa and Latin America and cultural exchange festivals with the people of Africa.
The Bolivarian government of Venezuela in the Summit singed agreement with, number of Africa countries in development of Energy and mines, education another agreement was also singed with UN agency of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to help build irrigation infrastructure, in Africa and provide grants to train Africa students in Venezuela.
The Summit also discussed the role of global south in agenda of Climate change and its implication to the people’s livelihoods in Africa and Latin America as the industrial nations continues to impose the burden of climate change to developing nations in the global south.
The ASA summit also made agreement for creation of Bank of the south, to be a bank that will liberate the global south on imposed World Bank and IMF liberal economic policies that have brought the world to financial crisis. There was also an agreement to democratize the United Nation that remains controlled by few powers in the world, and make United Nation a platform and voice of the people of the world and not a club for few rich and powerful nations in the world , this concern was shared by President of south Africa Jacob Zuma who in his speech called for democratization of united Nations and Condemned the Honduras coup against President Manuel Zelaya, also calling for Obama Administration to lift economic and commercial blockade against Cuba, imposed by United States of America which is cruel and inhuman policy. The President of South Africa also pointed the historical connection of south-south cooperation that can be harnessed to mitigate the current financial crisis, he advised the Africa-South America Summit to call for fundamental reconfiguration of the global economy, for the south countries to assert its collective interests.
The cultural festival with people of Africa and South America in the sideline of the ASA summit was to recognize the people of Africa and Latin –America, and Caribbean are from the same origin,they share the same struggles for self determination.
The 3rd Cultural festival, By the peoples of Africa- and South America invoked great hopes and spirit, of resistance against imperialism, and economic blockades, coups against progressive government in Africa and South America, this resistance and hopes of overcoming the power of economic and political domination in the south manifested itself in rich Africa and south America Cultural performances, in form songs, dance Africa drumming by Venezuelan afro-descendants, resistance poems. Artistic expression, procession, in carcass, and visit to historical museums, that remind the struggle and resistance of black people against slavery and racism, Also in this program was visit to schools that empower the population of afro descendants, in Venezuela, and historical films and documentary about the struggle of peasants and indigenous people in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador.
Africa-South America Campesinos Press conference in Caracas.
Photob by Gacheke Gachihi.
The Cultural festival parade procession was commenced at historical Simon Bolívar square in Caracas, The minister of Africa foreign affairs, Renaildo Boliver who was accompanied by ambassadors from Africa , Who invited President of Venezuela Hugo chavez to address the parade of cultural festival and welcomed the delegations from Africa to the 2nd ASA summit in the Alo president program , Where Chavez engaged the delegation from Africa on live debate in the national television holding the map of Africa and showing where each delegation of women, students , peasants movements participating in the Cultural festival were coming from in Africa pointing Ghana , Nigeria , Benin , Gambia , Algeria , south Africa and Kenya that was presented by Maasai cultural group.
.
The Cultural Festival Parade ( Maasai from Kenya)
In the next five days that followed the festival featured organized debates and discussion on the future engagement of the people of the south, historical resistance and struggle against imperialism,neo-colonialism neoliberal policies advanced by world Bank and IMF, and USA military bases in Africa, noted was USA bases in Colombia and United state African Command bases named Africom in Ghana and other Africa proposed Africa states , there was also commemoration of Pan-Africanist leaders who remain today as symbol of resistance against imperialism in Africa and south America , notably was Amilcar Cabral , Partrice Lumumba , Kwame Nkrumah ,Nelson Mandela , Gamal Abdel Nasser , Che Guevara , Salvador Allende, Fidel castro and Mwalimu, Julias Nyerere who was chair of south -south commission, this was followed by joint declaration by social movements from La via Campesina , women, students and cultural groups from Africa and South America., on peoples popular struggle and action plan that was be taken to advance the peoples struggle., against imperialism., and economic domination in the global south.
Delegation members with Florentino workers.
From Africa Ghana, Kenya and Chile and Ecuador, in south America we had an opportunity to visit various social programs project in Venezuela in the capital city Caracas at the Barrio and the other states in Venezuela, to see the social programs of the Bolivarian Revolution., the Program was organized by Ezequiel Zamora National Farmers Front (FNCEZ). At Barinas the Bolivarian Revolution government has started agrarian revolution in reclaiming land for sustainable agricultural development with organized cooperative movement and taking the land unused by big landowners for food production and the national interest of the country as the Bolivarian revolution economic principal is based on social justice, one example was Centro Technical Production Socialists named PLORENTINO , a farm of thousands acres with modern technology, for various production of agricultural products and inputs for farmers within the Barinas state that was started in 2005 with the help of the Bolivarian government , this land was idle land that was owned by oligarch of Venezuela but the government with the new Bolivarian constitution reclaimed the land which today is collective investment of peasants cooperatives and the Bolivarian state where the government provide , training and research for breeding of special milk cows within the environment machinery and technology to the peasants farmers around the Barinas state and in order for them to increase their agricultural productivity and enhance food sovereignty., One important lesson we leaned from this farm was great participation of women and youth in scientific research, of seed production and animal breeding that Africa continent can learn from., the President of the farm and representative of the peasant cooperative movement gave open invitation to Africa students, to come and acquire skill and knowledge , in the Institute.
We also visited, Latin America institute of agro-ecological named after Brazilian educator Paulo Freire at Arvelo Torre alba Municipality, which was started by La Via campesina and Landless workers movement (MST) of Brazil and the Bolivarian government, the institute is to develop and defend the principals of food sovereignty of the people, and protection all native seeds of all types of farm production and putting value in peasant farming also strengthening the internal market within communities and search for new agrarian techniques, that provide high quality food production for the people and protect environment, and bio-diversity.
The institutes also offer courses specialized in peasant, indigenous, and afro-descendants studies. Also train in participatory method, in integrating holistic scientific farming values that will strengthen, social movements in the country side while promoting a technology that is enriched with traditional knowledge, to defend food sovereignty against greed of capitalism.
Paulo Freire institute of agro-ecological group photo.
Under leadership of Ezequel Zamora National farmers Front a peasants rural based movement and Hon. Braulio Jose Alvarez who is also a national farmers organizer we visited cooperatives farmers with a joint Maize processing plant at Yaracuy state in Venezuela, where the Bolivarian government protect and promote manufacturing of foodstuffs, by small scale farmers with technology transfer from government of Iran, this processing plant is under arrangement of collective ownership with farmers cooperative movement, the maize meal flour processed in this plant is taken to the community market in a subsided price, this process help the cooperatives movements to own the means of production up to the finished product in the community market and advance right to food
Maize processing plant at Yaracuy state.
The 2ndAfrica -south America summit with the people of Africa in Caracas Venezuela this year inspire and challenge Africa grassroots social movements to acquire new political tools and skills that can empower liberation movements in Africa to develop and deepen theory and practice in organizing our people in the rural and urban areas, to advance social struggle in Africa, this against neo-colonial structures and neoliberal forces that keep Africa masses chained in poverty this Africa movements have to learn from resistance of social movements in Latin America, which have given birth to progressive government , in Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
The peasants , and workers formation in Africa must be the backbone of this alternative leadership as class character that will shape our liberation movements, vital in this will be manifestations of our Africa resistance culture , that embodied liberation movements before in Africa which the indigenous social movements in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador have utilized to ferment new resistance, which is the vanguard of resistance against imperialism and neo-liberal forces today in the global south.
posted by Gacheke Gachihi of Bunge la Mwananchi
Gacheke attended the above summit.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Kenya-Venezuela Frienship, Bunge La Mwananchi social movement.
08/10/09.
The 2nd Africa –South America Summit (ASA) And 3rd Cultural Festival with the people of Africa in Venezuela ,Caracas on September 20-27 , 2009 Reoprt.
By Gacheke Gachihi
Kenya-Venezuela Frienship, Bunge La Mwananchi social movement.
ggacheke@gmail.com
Phone +254720318049
The 2nd ASA summit and the III Cultural festival with the people of Africa in Caracas Venezuela this year was great historical connection of the two continents in advancing the peoples struggle and the south- south, platform.
The ASA summit which was attended by a great number of head of states , from Africa and Latin America, improved from the first ASA summit that was held in Abuja Nigeria in 2006 in Africa by coming up with declarations, and commitment on concrete issues and action plan that will make the ASA platform more action oriented and deliver result as was indicated by the President of Venezuela Hugo Chavez who was the host of 2nd ASA summit in reducing ideas to action on the front of social justice in education with university of south, communication with Radio south and Talesur a television station for the south to broadcast programs from Africa and Latin America and cultural exchange festivals with the people of Africa.
The Bolivarian government of Venezuela in the Summit singed agreement with, number of Africa countries in development of Energy and mines, education another agreement was also singed with UN agency of Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) to help build irrigation infrastructure, in Africa and provide grants to train Africa students in Venezuela.
The Summit also discussed the role of global south in agenda of Climate change and its implication to the people’s livelihoods in Africa and Latin America as the industrial nations continues to impose the burden of climate change to developing nations in the global south.
The ASA summit also made agreement for creation of Bank of the south, to be a bank that will liberate the global south on imposed World Bank and IMF liberal economic policies that have brought the world to financial crisis. There was also an agreement to democratize the United Nation that remains controlled by few powers in the world, and make United Nation a platform and voice of the people of the world and not a club for few rich and powerful nations in the world , this concern was shared by President of south Africa Jacob Zuma who in his speech called for democratization of united Nations and Condemned the Honduras coup against President Manuel Zelaya, also calling for Obama Administration to lift economic and commercial blockade against Cuba, imposed by United States of America which is cruel and inhuman policy. The President of South Africa also pointed the historical connection of south-south cooperation that can be harnessed to mitigate the current financial crisis, he advised the Africa-South America Summit to call for fundamental reconfiguration of the global economy, for the south countries to assert its collective interests.
The cultural festival with people of Africa and South America in the sideline of the ASA summit was to recognize the people of Africa and Latin –America, and Caribbean are from the same origin,they share the same struggles for self determination.
The 3rd Cultural festival, By the peoples of Africa- and South America invoked great hopes and spirit, of resistance against imperialism, and economic blockades, coups against progressive government in Africa and South America, this resistance and hopes of overcoming the power of economic and political domination in the south manifested itself in rich Africa and south America Cultural performances, in form songs, dance Africa drumming by Venezuelan afro-descendants, resistance poems. Artistic expression, procession, in carcass, and visit to historical museums, that remind the struggle and resistance of black people against slavery and racism, Also in this program was visit to schools that empower the population of afro descendants, in Venezuela, and historical films and documentary about the struggle of peasants and indigenous people in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador.
Africa-South America Campesinos Press conference in Caracas.
Photob by Gacheke Gachihi.
The Cultural festival parade procession was commenced at historical Simon Bolívar square in Caracas, The minister of Africa foreign affairs, Renaildo Boliver who was accompanied by ambassadors from Africa , Who invited President of Venezuela Hugo chavez to address the parade of cultural festival and welcomed the delegations from Africa to the 2nd ASA summit in the Alo president program , Where Chavez engaged the delegation from Africa on live debate in the national television holding the map of Africa and showing where each delegation of women, students , peasants movements participating in the Cultural festival were coming from in Africa pointing Ghana , Nigeria , Benin , Gambia , Algeria , south Africa and Kenya that was presented by Maasai cultural group.
.
The Cultural Festival Parade ( Maasai from Kenya)
In the next five days that followed the festival featured organized debates and discussion on the future engagement of the people of the south, historical resistance and struggle against imperialism,neo-colonialism neoliberal policies advanced by world Bank and IMF, and USA military bases in Africa, noted was USA bases in Colombia and United state African Command bases named Africom in Ghana and other Africa proposed Africa states , there was also commemoration of Pan-Africanist leaders who remain today as symbol of resistance against imperialism in Africa and south America , notably was Amilcar Cabral , Partrice Lumumba , Kwame Nkrumah ,Nelson Mandela , Gamal Abdel Nasser , Che Guevara , Salvador Allende, Fidel castro and Mwalimu, Julias Nyerere who was chair of south -south commission, this was followed by joint declaration by social movements from La via Campesina , women, students and cultural groups from Africa and South America., on peoples popular struggle and action plan that was be taken to advance the peoples struggle., against imperialism., and economic domination in the global south.
Delegation members with Florentino workers.
From Africa Ghana, Kenya and Chile and Ecuador, in south America we had an opportunity to visit various social programs project in Venezuela in the capital city Caracas at the Barrio and the other states in Venezuela, to see the social programs of the Bolivarian Revolution., the Program was organized by Ezequiel Zamora National Farmers Front (FNCEZ). At Barinas the Bolivarian Revolution government has started agrarian revolution in reclaiming land for sustainable agricultural development with organized cooperative movement and taking the land unused by big landowners for food production and the national interest of the country as the Bolivarian revolution economic principal is based on social justice, one example was Centro Technical Production Socialists named PLORENTINO , a farm of thousands acres with modern technology, for various production of agricultural products and inputs for farmers within the Barinas state that was started in 2005 with the help of the Bolivarian government , this land was idle land that was owned by oligarch of Venezuela but the government with the new Bolivarian constitution reclaimed the land which today is collective investment of peasants cooperatives and the Bolivarian state where the government provide , training and research for breeding of special milk cows within the environment machinery and technology to the peasants farmers around the Barinas state and in order for them to increase their agricultural productivity and enhance food sovereignty., One important lesson we leaned from this farm was great participation of women and youth in scientific research, of seed production and animal breeding that Africa continent can learn from., the President of the farm and representative of the peasant cooperative movement gave open invitation to Africa students, to come and acquire skill and knowledge , in the Institute.
We also visited, Latin America institute of agro-ecological named after Brazilian educator Paulo Freire at Arvelo Torre alba Municipality, which was started by La Via campesina and Landless workers movement (MST) of Brazil and the Bolivarian government, the institute is to develop and defend the principals of food sovereignty of the people, and protection all native seeds of all types of farm production and putting value in peasant farming also strengthening the internal market within communities and search for new agrarian techniques, that provide high quality food production for the people and protect environment, and bio-diversity.
The institutes also offer courses specialized in peasant, indigenous, and afro-descendants studies. Also train in participatory method, in integrating holistic scientific farming values that will strengthen, social movements in the country side while promoting a technology that is enriched with traditional knowledge, to defend food sovereignty against greed of capitalism.
Paulo Freire institute of agro-ecological group photo.
Under leadership of Ezequel Zamora National farmers Front a peasants rural based movement and Hon. Braulio Jose Alvarez who is also a national farmers organizer we visited cooperatives farmers with a joint Maize processing plant at Yaracuy state in Venezuela, where the Bolivarian government protect and promote manufacturing of foodstuffs, by small scale farmers with technology transfer from government of Iran, this processing plant is under arrangement of collective ownership with farmers cooperative movement, the maize meal flour processed in this plant is taken to the community market in a subsided price, this process help the cooperatives movements to own the means of production up to the finished product in the community market and advance right to food
Maize processing plant at Yaracuy state.
The 2ndAfrica -south America summit with the people of Africa in Caracas Venezuela this year inspire and challenge Africa grassroots social movements to acquire new political tools and skills that can empower liberation movements in Africa to develop and deepen theory and practice in organizing our people in the rural and urban areas, to advance social struggle in Africa, this against neo-colonial structures and neoliberal forces that keep Africa masses chained in poverty this Africa movements have to learn from resistance of social movements in Latin America, which have given birth to progressive government , in Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, and Nicaragua.
The peasants , and workers formation in Africa must be the backbone of this alternative leadership as class character that will shape our liberation movements, vital in this will be manifestations of our Africa resistance culture , that embodied liberation movements before in Africa which the indigenous social movements in Bolivia, Venezuela and Ecuador have utilized to ferment new resistance, which is the vanguard of resistance against imperialism and neo-liberal forces today in the global south.
posted by Gacheke Gachihi of Bunge la Mwananchi
Gacheke attended the above summit.
It’s ‘un-Catholic’ to trash others
By Philo Ikonya and Fwamba N.C. Fwamba
DAILY NATIONOp/EdOpinion
Opinion
Posted Wednesday, October 21 2009 at 18:33
The article, “Catholic Church has no business endorsing the use of condoms”, (DN, October 19) that Henry Munene purported to be a reply to Okiya Okoiti Omtatah’s “Why Catholic Church should allow use of condoms in marriage” (Nation, October 13) was an example of how we stifle individuals who are not pro-status quo.
Omtatah’s article dealt with the possibility of Catholic bishops reasoning out more candidly about Aids within marriage (where you often have discordant couples) and was a gentle invitation to reason, exhibiting much respect and love for the Church.
He was even critical of condoms, but knows as a thinker and a believer that some people use them. In many countries, this is not a matter Catholics take the cue from bishops about. It is Africa that is worst affected by Aids where people do not question things.
The clear ideas Omtatah put forward should have at the very least elicited a reply that recognises Omtatah as an individual who seems to have the courage to examine what many people would not touch, not out of being in agreement but out of fear of what others will think.
We reject the attitude that other people must be criticised for their opinions. These would have killed Saul of Tarsus.
Munene’s article was in bad taste as it addressed the person of Omtatah more than the ideas Omtatah holds. Why start by complaining about a person’s knowledge and saying what was so logical is illogical?
Why finish by attacking Omtatah as a political activist and going on to ridicule this man’s actions politically and to imagine that he has the intention of tying himself to the gates of the Basilica?
Was the writer blinded by something so that he dragged in all that he could about Omtatah’s life? Munene, since he is “confirmed” — as he refers to himself — needs to try and emulate the sober analysis of saints such as St Thomas Aquinas and the love of Mother Teresa.
HE NEEDS TO LEARN THE PRACTICE of correction in order to win. The Catholic Church is replete with examples of how to differ with an opinion without insulting the image of God in the form of another person.
Those aligned with the political status quo do not like Omtatah’s capacity to follow his conscience.
On October 6, a lorry-load of policemen arrived outside Omtatah’s home in rural Busia. They wanted to search Omtatah’s house, but could not, because the family demanded a search warrant. There is something to recognise here.
But Munene only sees an enemy, both political and religious and trashes Omtatah’s bold acts. He dismisses him and other political activists all because of misunderstood notions on the condom.
Omtatah moved many of us when at a moment when our beloved Church and others had lost all moral authority and seemed to have been ripped apart by politics, he defended life by coming out and chaining himself to the gates of Vigilance House.
People were being killed and there were no voices of reason being heard. Omtatah did what everyone who believes in the sanctity of all human life should have done. Anyone who acted at this time was not acting for fame. They were risking life and limb.
It is sad to see that Munene is not able to respect the dignity of another who is equally enthusiastic in the defence of life; I hope that he edits physics and not the humanities.
It is wrong for one to believe they have the power to crush others, and to take for granted that readers will not notice that the article Munene wrote is not a reply to what Omtatah discussed.
The writers are human rights activists.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Hon. Sambili’s Move to Reinstate Umuro Wario at Kenya’s Youth Fund Should Be Lauded
The government’s decision to reinstate Mr. Umuro Wario to continue serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund should be highly lauded. It’s a point of victory for public officers who risk their jobs by committing themselves to fight corruption.
Kenya’s biggest problem with the war against corruption has always been having the corrupt have their day whenever they fight back. This has happened to so many competent people before. A number of committed and hardworking officers have often lost their jobs whenever they showed determination to fight graft. A few years back it was confirmed that in Kenya, corruption fights back. It happened to Goldenberg whistle blower David Munyakei who lost his job and died in agony after he revealed how Kenyans had lost billions of shillings through the Goldenberg scandal. The same nature of machinations worked so hard to remove true anti corruption crusaders from transparency international. It was such kind of behind the scene political games by some board members that two very competent CEO’s Mwalimu Mati and Gladwell Otieno were consecutively removed from TI Kenya. Transparency International is just one example among many where officers committed to sincerity end up losing their jobs because of the greed and immorality of some of the board members of those institutions.
The minister in charge must be lauded for taking a bold action and making the truth carry its day by re appointing Mr. Wario. The minister has shown that if we all work for the truth, the just will always get justice too.
The initial sacking of Mr. Wario was like condemning those who fight corruption within the institutions where they work. This is because the ground of dismissal was based on the fact that he didn’t cooperate in the approval of some questionable deals pushed by the board. He must be lauded for standing strong in the interest of Kenyan youth when he refused to approve a ‘loan’ of ksh.300million to a Canadian NGO. Its noticeable that some politically connected board members wanted to use their political influence to blackmail the CEO into approving projects that mattered to their own selfish interests and not in the interest of the Kenyan youth.
It’s important that the minister was able to rescind her own earlier move of sacking the YEDF CEO after finding out the truth.
As the minister appoints new board members it’s important to ensure that new faces are put on the board to make the YEDF operate without any external coercion from various political interests as it has been before. The minister should now move to ensure that the board is fully reconstituted to include people who will work in the interest of the Kenyan youth and not those who will end up arm-twisting the CEO to give’ loans’ to foreign NGOs. A new board I believe will come up with a new way of implementing the youth projects and also oversee the funding of the youth groups by merit and not through political manipulations.
Wario is one of the competent young people who are emerging in providing leadership in different sectors of our economy and it’s wrong for individuals to use tribalism or any other form of bigotry to sabotage such talents. He is also is famed for having rolled out the audit of the Kenya’s free primary education when he worked for the ministry of education.
I really wish that other ministers and government officials emulate the youth and sports minister Prof. Hellen Sambili and stand and support the truth always whenever circumstances of this nature arise. Through this, we shall achieve a lot in our war against nepotism and all other forms of corruption. It must be fought from all corners and sacking public officers who help fight it is not one of the methods of ridding our society of graft.
FWAMBA NC FWAMBA
NAIROBI
+254721779445
Saturday, October 24, 2009
MORE CONSTITUENCIES: IS IT A QUEST FOR FAIR REPRESENTATION OR GERRYMANDERING?
Dear Sir/Madam,
The quest for fair political representation has been with us for quite some time. This arose after the realization that the British Electoral System adopted by Kenya since independence brought about glaring inequalities among the electorate. With rapid population growth; and with no clear criteria for the creation of constituencies; constituencies were created left, right and centre to favour the rabid political interests of the incumbents.
Today, the fundamental question still remains the extent to which the country`s electoral system can facilitate fair representation of its competing electorate interests. As was largely expected, a section of legislators from populous regions are demanding for more constituencies to reflect a one-man-one vote formula. Behind this façade is the thinking that each MP in Kenya is to represent the same number of people. In other words they are demanding the lion’s share of the proposed constituencies.
On the other hand is a section of legislators from sparsely populated regions who demand that additional constituencies must be based on one-kilometer-one-vote formula. In other words; geographical size. This means that the sparsely populated but expansive arid and semi arid regions will, using this formula, claim the largest share of the proposed constituencies. (The debate is expected to become sizzling hot when legislators from the moderately populated regions enter the fray).
In my view, both arguments are extreme in nature and are far removed from fair representation as is understood from a reasonable man`s point of view. They all border on political gerrymandering. Fair representation demands for a formula that best serves the country`s national democratic aspirations while balancing the peculiarities of the country.
The peculiarities to be considered include ethnic diversity, geographical size, level of economic development and civic awareness. For instance, if it were not for the ethnicization and polarization of Kenyan politics there would be no problem of creating new constituencies based on population size with minimal consideration given to other factors.
As it stands now, many people will be hesitant to accept that the clamour for fair representation (whether viewed through the lenses of geographical size or population) is informed by the politics of the devolution of resources in constituencies. I tend to think that the current formula that takes into consideration the constituency`s population and its poverty index has effectively brought about the equitability in devolved resources. The real argument behind this latest move has therefore more to do with how votes cast in an election will translate into seats won by political parties and by extension how the same seats shall determine who become(s) the country`s Chief Executive(s).
We all know that were this method to be adopted by the Interim Independent Boundaries Commission (IIBRC), then unholy alliances between at least two populous ethnic groups would forever ensure that whichever electoral system or a combination of electoral systems the country adopts, the top leadership in this country will almost certainly be determined by the odious ethnic driven merry- go- rounds.
This is a situation that is likely to engender secession sentiments among a section of the electorate. This is because protracted conflicting ideologies over pertinent national issues coupled with greed for raw political power has historically been known as ideal conditions for secession.
I doubt that this is what we want for our nation. I am convinced that with sobriety we can agree on a formula that will bring about fair representation without appearing to trample upon the inalienable rights of others. The onus lies with our political scientist as well as other think tanks to come up with the Solomonic wisdom to pull us out of this morass.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
DO NOT REDUCE A NATIONAL EVENT TO A POLITICAL PARTY`S AFFAIR.
Dear Sir/Madam,
For the umpteenth time, patriotic Kenyans from all walks of life who graced this year`s Kenyatta Day were subjected to a stupendous subterfuge. This is because some snobbish Government functionaries connived to have in place a conspicuous and obstreperous brigand adorned in the habiliments of a renown political party to cheer the president`s every single word and to make mockery of those who do not subscribe to the party`s political philosophy.
Unbeknown to them, their bravado, was in stark contrast with the president`s message of national bonding. I have no qualms with party stalwarts hiring some mannequins, nay puppets to help push the agenda of their party; however what is obnoxious is for these aficionados to display chimera and arouse implacable suspicion among Kenyans with different shades of political opinion on an auspicious national event. To the chagrin of those present they kept on clapping and ululating even when there was completely nothing that demanded them to do so. Probably, the master puppeteer floundered in all his moves.
What is really puzzling is that previously during such functions, those draped in their political party colors were barred entry to the stadium, but in a strange twist of events, the same brigand which I suspect belongs to a certain key political party was allowed to into the stadium with a view to displaying their devotion to that party.
It must be made clear to all and sundry that political party supporters are free to adorn such regalia during their party functions but not during such an important public holiday. As afore said, Kenyans are belong to different political parties and if each of them was to make his party of choice known during such national events, then be rest assured that such vivacious and auspicious occasions will inevitably be defamed.
Reducing a National event to a political party`s affair is a disservice to the Kenyan populace. It is nothing more than a national opprobrium. This continued effrontery and affront to the intellect of patriotic Kenyans must be put an end with immediate effect.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Monday, October 19, 2009
IS BROTHER ATWOLI INSTIGATING A CIVILIAN COUP IN KENYA?
Dear Sir/Madam,
In an event of unprecedented import, over half a million people took to the streets of Kiev in November 2004 hoping to wrestle power from the corrupt , the Moscow backed oligarchs that had ruled the state ever since the fall of communism in 1991. And they did it. They forced the incumbent into a fresh round of elections where Yushchenko won with 52 per cent. Now, one Franco Atwoli, the undisputed leader of the umbrella of the Kenyan workers union, and who is widely travelled around the globe, and whose second home is in Geneva (by his own admission), seems to have drawn vital lessons from the Ukrainian Orange Revolution. Not that he exactly said that he wants to force the Government out of power, but his body language while addressing the public in Mombasa bespeaks volumes. He envisages a vast number of Kenyan workers, including the police force, to strike, protest, and practice a peaceful civil disobedience. In simple terms he is craving for a civilian coup. The people will have spoken. The good guys will have won. And the future will be bright. Of course with Brother Atwoli enjoying the trappings of power!
But wait a minute; Brother Atwoli knows too well that Kenyan politicians are highly conscious of their power and status. They are shrewd manipulators who can sway the mob to their side anytime. They are a self-serving ruling class getting off on their own acquisitive misanthropy – rather than a political community responding obediently to our loudly expressed democratic will. They are simply averse to reforms that will deny them the much coveted trappings of power. And as for the public, they know that it is shockingly complacent! So what makes him so sure that he will succeed in pulling a fast one on the same politicians? Will he triumph where ODM failed during the botched up 2007 presidential elections? Remember ODM`s much touted two million march to state house that never materialized? It will serve him good were he to consult ODM on why they retreated. And the answer is simple. They realized that Kenya is not Ukraine. They did not want a bloody confrontation with the security forces. Neither do we want this bloody confrontation now.
By the way, how will he manage to unite the extremely partisan workers vide a series of public rallies and rouse them into forcefully demanding for speedy implementation of agenda four reforms from the Government? I am also curious to know just who is financing the series of rallies that he has planned countrywide. Is it from the kitty of the giant workers union? If so, does the COTU constitution give him a carte blanche on expenditure?
I also wish to remind him that there is in existence a social contract between the people and the sovereign. The sanctity of this social contract must be respected by all and sundry. Hobbes in the Leviathan, published in 1661, claimed that the first and only task of political society was to name an individual or group of individuals as sovereign. This sovereign would then have absolute power, and each citizen would owe him absolute obedience.
Like Hobbes before him, Locke in his second treatise of Government, published in 1690, claimed that the social contract was permanent and irrevocable, but the legislative was only empowered to legislate for the public good. If this trust was violated, the people retained the power to replace the legislative with a new legislative. From the foregoing, and for obvious reasons, Locke did not vouch for popular intervention to be commonplace. Neither do we want it in Kenya. Even his Union mate, one Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, His Excellency the President of Brazil won the presidency through the ballot not through civil disobedience.
I understand and share Brother Atwoli`s frustrations but I also know that we have the rule of the law which must be followed to the letter. We must be circumspect about our stability as a nation. By engaging in subversive activities, we shall be committing a wrong just like some of our selfish legislators. But two wrongs do not make a right; instead we end up with a fiasco.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
MPs AND LAWYERS SOILING OUR NATIONAL FABRIC.
Dear Sir/Madam,
We have witnessed a trend where all the plum jobs in the newly created reform commissions taken by lawyers. What is more mortifying still is that even after these cronyism based appointments there hasn`t been any headway in mid-wifing the essential reforms. The reform processes more than ever before remain clogged. Yet we have continued to appreciate their spotless record of failure! But it is their condescending attitude towards non lawyers that is discomforting. To them the only profession worth mentioning is law. They have increasingly behaved as if knowledge begins and ends with them. But is this true? To answer this, allow me to share with you an incident from the US.
Four weeks ago it was reported in the leading newspapers in the United States of America that six senators on the judiciary committee do not have law degrees yet even seasoned lawyers were surprised at the relative ease and success with which the senators achieved in their task. Asked how they managed to effectively execute the mandate, they simply responded that it was through extensive reading. This case goes to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that one does not have to go to a law school to interpret legal matters.
Now picture this: On Tuesday 11th September 2009 one renown lawyer- legislator adopted a discourteous attitude and with a peremptory tone told off an MP who had stood on a point of information whilst he was making a contribution on the floor of the house regarding the illegality of the re-appointment of retired justice Ringera and his two deputies. The lawyer legislator opined that the MP in question was unschooled in legal matters and that he was therefore unfit to inform him on any legal issue. Ironically, the lawyer MP then proceeded to harp on falsehoods discernible even to any blockhead. As expected, the speaker himself (the ruling aside), a lawyer of repute, took this scathing remark as frolicsome, had a hearty laughter and allowed the lawyer MP to rumble on. This was not only impolitic but also boorish and uncouth effrontery on fellow parliamentarians.
These two contrasting incidents serve to highlight the extent our lawyers MPs and their learned friends are willing to go in killing both the spirit of reforms and legislation in this country. Unfortunately, our non- lawyer MPs like the rest of Kenyans have had to put up with such condescending attitude from the obstreperous lawyers for quite a long time. It must be clear to these lawyer MPs and their learned friends that in this age of information technology, one can easily acquaint himself with the necessary legalese. In fact, Knowledge, whether in jurisprudence or not, is from womb to tomb. Any Tom, Dick and Harry can clearly see through their cacophony.
Never at any time will a lawyer admit of his/ her limitation, yet the greatest philosopher of all times, Socrates, once said, “I am the wisest man alive, for I know one thing, and that is I know nothing.” Instead, our “know all” lawyer legislators and their learned friends will always embellish lies to safeguard their selfish interests. As Aristotle succinctly reminds all and sundry, “False words are not only evil in themselves, but they infect the soul with evil.” In Kenya, the citizenry are forced to watch with abated breaths as the nation increasingly becomes a victim to the lure of these fallen seraphim.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA.
Friday, October 16, 2009
CONSTITUTIONAL REFORMS: THE CLERGY IS GIVING KENYANS A POISONED CHALICE.
Dear Sir/Madam,
Going by the recent bits and pieces from a section of the clergy it becomes abundantly clear that the most surreal aspect of our great constitutional debate is the Beltway credence given to the ravings of the seemingly apolitical and unrepentant religious blunderers. They have made it their sole business to constantly erect road blocks by way of rushing to court to emasculate us in our collective efforts to midwife a new constitutional order. And now they have the audacity to imperiously and tardily demand for minimum constitutional reforms rather than the constitutional overhaul that the country is in dire need of!
If my mind serves me right the same clergy was and has been in the forefront in clamoring for a total overhaul of the constitution. And now they have seen the light, and changed from Paul to Saul. It cannot be the other way round. That is why the pulpy clergy are harping from the pulpit and in many other available forums; “No to comprehensive constitutional reforms! We want minimum constitutional reforms!” This is extremely ridiculous. I am convinced that behind this facade are certain political big wigs who are deeply anti-reformists. The question that bothers many people is why this section of the clergy continues to harbor extremely cynical views of the Kenyan electorate. Why unashamedly engage in political ping pong with the constitution making process? It is not difficult to explain their sudden change of heart.
They all along hoped that by engaging in all manner of antics, they will force the Committee of Experts (CoE) into a last minute, cut-and-paste exercise that will favour their political disposition. Their collective actions and inactions are not only embarrassing them as leaders but also the church as a whole. They must be reminded that the church is not a political party that demands that all its members must take a similar political view on an issue. So whose interests are they representing? Theirs would be a lousy way to run even a chicken farm. It's an unconscionable way to run the church. But then this was not entirely unexpected since most of these clergy manage their churches just like a Stock Exchange. I would love to think that there might be someone out there who would at long last put that case loud and clear to the this pretentious lot before they get more opportunity to peddle their deeply depressing opinion.
If left unchecked they will adamantly and deliberately refuse to see that failure in adopting a new constitution poses adverse monumental and multilateral effects for this country. They will continue to lay blame at the feet of the two principals and resort to using all manner of whimsical and unconventional adjectives to convey their powerful rush of emotions. They will call them “moribund and ineffective” but at the same time engage in impious antics to deny the nation that which is central to its stability.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
TEENAGE PREGNANCY AND POVERTY HAVE A POSITIVE CORRELATION.
Dear Sir/Madam,
According to the latest report (2009) from the Centre for the Study of Adolescence9 (CSA), Kenya is confronted with an escalating epidemic of teenage pregnancies. In spite of the Government upping its efforts in attaining gender parity in education and in spite of the increased levels of knowledge about modern methods of contraception, rates of teenage pregnancy remain unacceptably high. Note that I deliberately use the term “epidemic” because unsafe sex results not only in unwanted pregnancies but also in HIV/AIDS, other sexually transmitted diseases not to mention the gruesome dark alley abortions that quite often lead to the death of the vulnerable teenagers. Studies carried out in Kenya (Njau and Radney, 1995) indicated that as many as 285,000 pregnancies occurred in Kenya among teenagers aged between 15 to 19 years old. That was then. Today, the figure has of course doubled. Why? Because poverty has over the years more than doubled. In other words, teenage pregnancy and poverty have a positive correlation. As poverty bites so do we see the increase in teenage pregnancies in the country.
Dr. Saadhna Panday, etal, in their study titled “Teenage Pregnancy in South Africa with specific reference to school going Teenagers” (2007) found that a larger percentage of teenage pregnancy is the result of a complex set of varied and inter-connected factors that are quite often related to the environment under which teenagers grow. I cannot agree more. This is because when teenagers grow up in informal settlements and other residential settlements where poverty is deeply entrenched they will hardly resist the lure of the fallen seraphim often from the leafy suburbs. What follows is reciprocity of sex in exchange for material goods. In such instances there is absolutely no freedom for the teenager to negotiate safe sex thus the risk of pregnancy is increased. Sex education knowledge is rendered meaningless by a starving teenager who discovers that by peddling her ‘wares’ she can see the day through. Does it surprise us that teenage pregnancies are much higher in schools that are located in poor neighborhoods?
Ojwang and Magwa (1991) opine that the teenager`s urge to temporarily eschew poverty initiates a trajectory of lifetime poverty. She becomes pregnant. Later, the teenager is expelled or excluded from school and will quite often lack material and social support besides the physiological harm. Furthermore, the children of teenage mothers are at greater risk of lower intellectual and academic achievement, health complications, social behavior problems and problems of self-control than are children of older mothers, primarily due to the effects of single parenthood and lower maternal education. And the vicious circle of poverty continues.
Besides poverty, another predisposing factor is the mass media that has sunk to unimaginable low levels in their blind aping of westernization which is unfortunately a euphemism for moral decadence. In their book titled “Facts in Brief: Teen Sex and Pregnancy (1996), The Alan Guttmacher Institute states that teenagers are constantly bombarded left, right and centre with perversion. Talk of sex fills the airwaves; teenagers are portrayed as sex objects; and sex is used to sell everything from clothing to news. Yet we all pretend to be shocked at the rising numbers of teens who become pregnant!
If we are truly concerned about the welfare of teenagers, we must move beyond the moral panic and denial. Designing effective solutions will require the thoughtful separation of fact, assumption and wishful thinking and an honest acknowledgment that concerted efforts are required in mitigating against the debilitating teenage pregnancy.
What is evident though is that a magic bullet for teenage pregnancy does not exist. Given the multiple levels of predisposing factors on teenage sex and pregnancy, single intervention strategies by single sectors will not solve teenage pregnancy. What is required is a comprehensive approach that incorporates the home, the school, the community, the healthcare setting as well as change at a structural level.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Monday, October 12, 2009
REPLACING RINGERA:LET EVERYONE GET A FAIR CHANCE
I have been following the discussions about the supposed Ringera’s replacements with keen interest.
A number of people have proposed and others commented about some names that were proposed.
One such name that has prominently featured in this forum and others is that of former chairman of the Kenya national commission on human rights chief Maina Kiai.i have never met Maina Kiai myself but those I have interacted with have attested that he is one of a few people in Kenya that can be trusted to hold public office. I also had a privilege to watch know his dedication in fighting for human rights through news items and writings from those who have worked with Maina Kiai to attest to the fact that Maina Kiai worked hard while at KNCHR in the interest of ordinary Kenyans especially those who could not access justice.Maina Kiai amid threats, loudly and without fear talked for such people. it goes without saying that his absence and that of Kamanda Mucheke’s is highly missed at the KNCHR.I have personally interacted with neither but I have heard from many people who have expressed this sentiment, especially in relation to the slow pace at which supposed urgent issues are addressed these days a the KNCHR since Maina Kiai left. It’s true that since he left, the performance of KNCHR on the matters of human rights is highly wanting and maybe only one or two commissioners are working in the interest of the ordinary Kenyan citizen.
However I would like to humbly disagree with those who are using Maina Kiai’s fantastic performance at the Kenya national commission on human rights as bedrock for his qualification to be the director of the Kenya anti-corruption commission. This automatically beats the logic of providing equal opportunity for every Kenyan. The line of argument is so weak that it denies chance to those Kenyans who have the will and ability to serve Kenyans competently but they have never had an opportunity to prove how good they can be. Am quite sure that our selfish nature allows us to in a biased manner shortlist people on the basis of what they have done before, downplaying the fact that we need to leave the opportunity open for others too who have never had a chance despite their will and ability to perform in the best way.
I therefore request us to avoid such kind of discussions which might end up prejudicing the fair process of arriving at the most suitable person to fight corruption or be appointed to any other office. I don’t doubt Maina Kiai’s ability but we must also know that there are so many Kenyans who are denied chance, not because they are incompetent but because of one or two reasons sometimes fair and sometimes totally unfair reasons that makes a playground not level for everyone.
This is the same case with John Githongo’s fight against corruption; he had an opportunity to blow a whistle because he was lucky to have been appointed permanent secretary in charge of governance and ethics because of the original close association with the president. There could be other greater and more trusted people out there who would have wished to fight corruption but they never had an opportunity to be appointed in such strategic positions like serving as permanent secretary in charge of ethics.
So, am sure that if we are fair enough, lets give everyone equal opportunity and room to emerge and prove his/her competence whether in public service, civil society, political leadership or in serving in any position. Lest we are no different from the government which plays musical chairs and gives jobs based on advertisements which are skewed to fit descriptions of certain individuals.
FWAMBA NC FWAMBA
PO BOX 41046, NAIROBI,
+254721779445
http://kenyayoungvotersalliance.blogspot.com
Sunday, October 11, 2009
HON.KALONZO MUSYOKA: STOP WAGGING AND WAXING LYRICAL OVER PERILOUS ETHNIC ALLIANCES.
Dear Sir/Madam,
The vice president, Honorable Kalonzo Musyoka aka; the miracle worker, is never short of them. I mean dreams. He is over-stocked with dreams about presidency. Unfortunately, his dreams are tethered on the vice of negative ethnicity and they may never see the light of the day. A couple of years ago, he had none of the vile and vitriol characteristic of today`s howling pack. However, they say that a day in politics is too long. And true to this dictum, he has changed pretty fast. He is a stark difference of what he was yesterday. In fact, I am still struggling very hard to convince myself that he is still the staunch Christian faithful he was yesterday. Today, the VP is nothing but a nattering nabob and a purveyor of negative ethnic sentiments. He has lately made a spectacle of himself when every time he appears on TV he is either waxing lyrical about the 2007 sour grapes or he is brazenly wagging hopeful about his new found faith in ethnic alliances to help him ascend to the coveted presidency come 2012. His mathematical, nay, ethnic based calculations are almost driving him to a perilous political cliff.
So depressing and disgusting it is to see Kalonzo desperately try to project a picture of himself as a nationalist when his vile rhetoric increasingly portrays him as a man so utterly bereft of any iota of morality and integrity. Were he to stretch his memory to the aftermath of the botched up 2007 presidential elections then perhaps he would see the consequences of simmering overtones of negative ethnicity in our country. But unfortunately he has deliberately and conveniently chosen to forget. Like the mythical witchdoctor and the King`s magical dress, Kalonzo`s ardent political supporters have been haunted into silence. They fear telling him that he is politically naked. But like the innocent child, somebody needs to tell him that he is not only naked but that he has also become the country`s wiseacre. It is time for all Kenyans of goodwill irrespective of their political persuasion, to take a stand, to say that we can do better than this. We must denounce negative ethnicity for the sake of the unity of this nation. And more so because we have witnessed so many times what can happen when this garbage gets out of control.
This country has unbelievably sunk to low levels as a democracy courtesy of political leaders like him who have incessantly reduced issues of national importance to macho sparring. He has shown a shocking lack of judgment as his decisions are quite often made through the prism of ethnicity. He has totally failed to appreciate the fact that this nation can prosper faster through genuine and deliberate effort on the part of the political elites like himself resisting the temptation of seeking to lead on the platform of negative ethnicity. It is abundantly clear that should leaders refuse to learn from the past and ignore lessons from the country`s mistakes then they shall simply be leading this country in to a more tumultuous future covered with the deceptive warmth of their ignorance. Kenyans are dog -tired of this brand of leadership.
My unsolicited advice to the VP is that much as many people may like his face, if he doesn`t proceed in a manner consistent with the spirit of National healing and Reconciliation then he risks being seen as a purveyor of negative ethnicity consequently his reputation will be severely dented. Perhaps, a journey through the 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers might prove helpful to the VP. The fifth law states that “Reputation is the cornerstone of power. Through reputation alone you can intimidate and win; once you slip, however, you are vulnerable, and will be attacked on all sides. Make your reputation unassailable. Always be alert to potential attacks and thwart them before they happen. Meanwhile, learn to destroy your enemies by opening holes in their own reputations. Then stand aside and let public opinion hang them”. Honorable Kalonzo, it is time for you to change tact before you quickly become mince meat for the hawk-eyed political pundits.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Saturday, October 10, 2009
STOP SUBJECTING THE NOBLE KAZI KWA VIJANA INITIATIVE TO POLITICAL PING PONG.
Dear Peace Loving Kenyan,
Reports that the noble Kazi Kwa Vijana Initiative is grounding to a halt due to non release or delayed release of funds by treasury are extremely disturbing. It is even more disturbing to learn that the reason for the non release of these funds could be politically motivated. However the fears that the program was to suffer from political ping pong was never far from the surface. It had always been said that certain government functionaries were unwilling to see the government finance a noble and popular program that was a brainchild of the Prime Minister. With concerted efforts from the well meaning leaders and the larger public, treasury was forced to play ball. And now they are reverting back to the same old dirty tricks.
For one to assert that treasury is only funding priority projects is untenable as it is akin to saying that the empowerment of the youths is least among the Government`s priorities. This argument is an obvious contradiction of the development pillars of this Government. It doesn`t require a genius to tell that this hasty retreat, nay, abdication of the treasury from its rightful role in the social welfare and development of this program is ill informed. Moreover, the move is inconsistent with the Country`s vision 2030. Yet it is clear to all and sundry that where there is no vision people perish. Don`t we know that even the devil can cite scripture for his own purpose? Behind this façade is the reasoning that the youths have to remain perpetually poor and vulnerable to the smooth talking politicians. But we know who and what they are. In the words of W S Gilbert, “Skim milk masquerades as cream”. That is why they loath anybody with concrete a program to aid the vulnerable in the society.
Perhaps, Cardinal Elda Camara captures the truth when he said that “When I give food to the poor, they call me a saint but when I ask them why the poor have no food, they call me an opposition and a communist. Using this line of thought we can easily contextualize the predicament that the youths in Kenya find themselves in. Since independence no successive government has come up with a strategy to pull the youths out of the debilitating poverty. The reasoning has always been that they are left perpetually helpless in order to make them vulnerable to the machinations of the political elites. The painting of an illusory future is the preferred means of keeping the youths hooked to them. Yet it is abundantly clear that the panacea to the grinding youth unemployment, poverty and increased crime levels is a concrete empowerment program to steer the youths into self reliance.
The Government must be a facilitator and an enabler of the youths ` process of self development. It was this in mind that the Prime Minister came up with the Kazi Kwa Vijana Program. This was not only a way of empowering them but to also make them less vulnerable to politicians who are to always ready to use them as mercenaries for their selfish political interests especially during the electioneering periods. But it seems as if some politicians are unhappy with the success of this noble program and are hell bent at disrupting it and dismantling it altogether. They opine that it is giving the Prime Minister a cutting edge among the youth. This is quite unfortunate because I thought that it is competition among politicians, in terms of constructive ideas that we desperately need today.
This action or inaction by treasury brings to the fore the need for the public to demand consistency in quality management by the various government organs. Consistency is borne out of determination by the public to place the right people in their rightful positions of responsibility commensurate with their experience and training and to demand the de-politicization of services in the country. After all the ministers and technocrats in the ministries are public servants entrusted by the public the responsibility of managing the public`s resources. To the public and especially the youth, let them draw inspiration from John P Curan who said that “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
AN EXHORTATION TO KIBAKI AND RAILA TO LIBERATE KENYA FROM ANTI-REFORMISTS.
Dear President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila,
In every moral and political matter, the decisive question for Thomas Hobbes is always: who is to judge bearing in mind that in the state of nature, each of us is a judge in our own cause, consequently we are perpetually in a warring state as we are inclined to use our feelings as measures for others. In such circumstances, the only rightful judge is the sovereign; in our case –you the President and the Prime Minister. That is why the public and the international community are looking forward to you to provide the requisite leadership necessary to pull Kenya out of the doldrums.
In complimenting the Hobbesian political philosophy Juan Stuart Mill also argued for an ethical principle that would be superior to the self interest of the individual just as Emmanuel Kant had established a rational principle of moral law superior to individual desire. To add the icing on the cake is the African proverb that states that fish rots from the head downwards. Far be it from me to suggest that you do not have the capability to turn things around, however it is your lackadaisical stance that is worrying the nation. You seem to be waiting for some mythical rebound to make it possible for the country to get the essential reforms in a flash. What is incessantly nagging the citizenry is whether you fully understand the gravity of the country`s non implementation of the essential reforms before the next General elections. I say this because the signals emanating from your confidants and your party stalwarts are not encouraging at all.
Whenever they speak one may think that it is a contest in which the one who shouts the loudest emerges the winner! And as if that is not enough some insolent ministers and members of parliament in their whimsical design keep throwing unnecessary burps at the international community at any opportune moment whenever the latter attempts to help us out of the quagmire we are in. But when disaster strikes it is the very Ministers and Members of Parliament who will be quick to ask the same West “where were you when we were butchering ourselves left, right and centre?” They are quick to embrace the age-old schisms: that the West is undermining our sovereignty. They have been quick at perverting “Sovereignty” to mean non interference by the sufficiently philanthropic neighbors even when it is crystal clear that we are on the brink of a disaster. I dare say that it is only those without any ounce of decency who may be tempted to believe this wisecrack!
The same wisecrackers and anti-reformists are responsible for the near statelessness that we are in. They have easily led us astray in our attempts to forge our destiny as a country. Like the proverbial ostrich, they have buried their heads in the sand for too long. Our capacity to reason has become fragile as is our capacity to know; we heavily rely upon language (read as tribe) and we are often prone to error and undue influence. It is chilling that when even the most learned among us give their opinion on any issue of national importance; they do so selfishly or impulsively on the basis of emotive speech by our so called ethnic political leaders. Some of the obtrusive civil society and political leaders we rely upon to give us direction are selfish, cowardly, and some of them “vainglorious” (and some of them are of all of these!). Many of these leaders will be prepared to embellish ethnicity and even violence to attain their selfish ends. Their connivance conjures up images of Post Election Violence.
Mr. President and Mr. Prime Minister take of off the gloves and get down to work. This country is in dire need of your leadership. You must rid yourselves from the crazy- quilt of your confidants and party stalwarts. This is the Hobson`s choice, that is assuming you care enough for our posterity. You must start to rate yourselves and to demand to be rated by others not based on your good intentions but performance. I implore you not to allow the nation to run on this treadmill that is quickly carrying us backwards.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Monday, October 5, 2009
REFORMS: A CASE OF A LION GOING INTO LABOUR AND GIVING BIRTH TO A MOUSE?
Sun baked concrete pressed roughly against one`s nose is not enjoyable at best, and when the concrete is part of the synchronized international pressure, it is sure to be hot enough to be extremely unpleasant to those with a non reformist mentality. You expect them to throw a memorable fit of hysterics as is evidenced in “He should not put his fingers into our noses” or “We do not need lectures from people who are unfit to wipe our shoes” or worse still “We shall declare him a persona non grata”, words separately uttered by Dr. Alfred Mutua, Honorable Mutula Kilonzo and Honorable Moses Wetangula respectively while casting aspersions on the US ambassador, Michael Ranneberger for ostensibly misleading the Obama administration over the pace of reforms in Kenya.
The circus gets even funnier when Dr. Alfred Mutua, the Government Spin Doctor par excellence, who either suffers from serious malapropism or he is an arrogant ignoramus, because he has now resorted to the worst form of flattery and chicanery. Perhaps he is a lead character artist in a haunting hilarious titled play titled “The Lion went into labour and gave birth to a mouse”. What else can one make of him in his straight faced defense of the country`s snail paced implementation of Agenda 4 reforms? Why would he use tax payers` money to mislead the public in a paid up advert in the country`s leading Daily Newspapers? That the reform process is 90 percent complete? That in most reform areas we are way ahead of schedule? What incomprehensible talk is this? Is this a case of straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel or is our spin doctor in a séance?
Any Tom, Dick and Harry knows that this is a Cock and Bull story! And to imagine that our hard earned dimes have been put to such a reckless course makes it even more painful. Cosmetic reforms in the police force and the Electoral Commission are far below the minimum threshold for essential reforms required. The disingenuous judiciary is unscathed yet 2012 is nigh. The Ping- Pong in the constitution making process threatens to throw this country into a Cimmerian darkness. The litigations currently surrounding it are but a ploy serving the interests of the non reformists. Just where does Mutua get the 90 percent progress? Or is it that the reforms will be achieved in a jiffy?
However, this is hardly surprising as Dr. Mutua and company have always been parsimonious with the truth, a trait absolutely consistent with their character and job descriptions; always turning a blind eye to the plight of the forty million Kenyans who desperately hope for a better tomorrow. In their quest to appear heroes they run the risk of engaging in reckless foolishness. It must be made abundantly clear to them that heroes are often set above and apart in history and legend by their bravery and boldness, by their skill and intelligence in their worthiness and will in genuinely serving the citizenry and not in stooping to unparalleled levels of sycophancy.
The common denominator among the argument by all these Government functionaries rests on a mistaken premese of the pervasiveness of the nebulous concept “sovereign” which to them precludes international intervention even when it is crystal clear that the chilling power games are a stumbling block to essential reforms process and that we are fast and furiously heading to a tumultuous future that is more grievous than the 2007 post election violence. The more you harp on this lame excuse the more you will be seen by the public as conceited bullies. You see when the riot act is read by the apprehensive public and the international community; the leadership must know that the game is up. Do not give sop to Cerberus nor sail under false colors. You have the Hobson`s choice-Reforms and more Reforms. Period. Not even the burning desire to paint the US ambassador as the devil incarnate will work, for he will in the long run emerge out smelling as a rose.
Leaders must be reminded the spectre of unresolved killings is haunting Kenya and the sooner we deal with it, fairly and squarely, the better for us. Wananchi should realize the violence was like the tip of an iceberg. Beneath the deceptively calm peace lies the threat of anarchy, bloodletting and degeneration of the State. Should we swallow the sugar coated, poisonous lies these selfish politicians are peddling, we shall firmly have put ourselves on the path to destruction. Kenya is more important than any individual politician. It is also more important than the sum of all its politicians.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
DR. ALFRED MUTUA AND COMPANY: IS THIS CHICANERY, MALAPROPISM OR SYCOPHANCY?
Dear Sir/Madam,
Sun baked concrete pressed roughly against one`s nose is not enjoyable at best, and when the concrete is part of the synchronized international pressure, it is sure to be hot enough to be extremely unpleasant to those with a non reformist mentality. You expect them to throw a memorable fit of hysterics as is evidenced in “He should not put his fingers into our noses” or “We do not need lectures from people who are unfit to wipe our shoes” or worse still “We shall declare him a persona non grata”, words separately uttered by Dr. Alfred Mutua, Honorable Mutula Kilonzo and Honorable Moses Wetangula respectively while casting aspersions on the US ambassador, Michael Ranneberger for ostensibly misleading the Obama administration over the pace of reforms in Kenya.
The circus gets even funnier when Dr. Alfred Mutua, the Government Spin Doctor par excellence, who either suffers from serious malapropism or he is an arrogant ignomarous, who now has resorted to the worst form of flattery and chicanery. What else can one make of him in his straight faced defense of the country`s snail paced implementation of Agenda 4 reforms? Why would he use tax payers` money to mislead the public in a paid up advert in the country`s leading Daily Newspapers? That the reform process is 90 percent complete? That in most reform areas we are way ahead of schedule? What incomprehensible non sense is this? Is this a case of straining a gnat and swallowing a camel?
Any Tom, Dick and Harry knows that this is a Cock and Bull story! And to imagine that our hard earned dimes have been put to such a reckless course makes it even more painful. Cosmetic reforms in the police force and the Electoral Commission are far below the minimum threshold for essential reforms required. The disingenuous judiciary is unscathed yet 2012 is nigh. The Ping- Pong in the constitution making process threatens to throw this country into a Cimmerian darkness. The litigations currently surrounding it are but a ploy serving the interests of the non reformists. Just where does Mutua get the 90 percent progress? Or is it that the reforms will be achieved in a jiffy?
However, this is hardly surprising as Dr. Mutua and company have always been parsimonious with the truth, a trait absolutely consistent with their character and job descriptions; always turning a blind eye to the plight of the forty million Kenyans who desperately hope for a better tomorrow. In their quest to appear heroes they run the risk of engaging in reckless foolishness. It must be made abundantly clear to them that heroes are often set above and apart in history and legend by their bravery and boldness, by their skill and intelligence in their worthiness and will in genuinely serving the citizenry and not in stooping to unparalleled levels of sycophancy.
The common denominator among the argument by all these Government functionaries rests on a mistaken premese of the pervasiveness of the nebulous concept “sovereign” which to them precludes international intervention even when it is crystal clear that the chilling power games are a stumbling block to essential reforms process and that we are fast and furiously heading to a tumultuous future that is more grievous than the 2007 post election violence. The more you harp on this lame excuse the more you will be seen by the public as conceited bullies. You see when the riot act is read by the apprehensive public and the international community; the leadership must know that the game is up. Do not give soap to Cerberus nor sail under false colors. You have the Hobson`s choice-Reforms and more Reforms. Period. Not even the burning desire to paint the US ambassador as the devil incarnate will work, for he will in the long run emerge out smelling as a rose.
Leaders must be reminded the spectre of unresolved killings is haunting Kenya and the sooner we deal with it, fairly and squarely, the better for us. Wananchi should realize the violence was like the tip of an iceberg. Beneath the deceptively calm peace lies the threat of anarchy, bloodletting and degeneration of the State. Should we swallow the sugar coated, poisonous lies these selfish politicians are peddling, we shall firmly have put ourselves on the path to destruction. Kenya is more important than any individual politician. It is also more important than the sum of all its politicians.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
ETERNAL VIGILANCE IS THE PRICE OF LIBERTY.
Dear Sir/Madam,
The Anglican book of common prayer states that “Constantly speak the truth, boldly rebuke the vice, and patiently suffer for the truth`s sake.”It is in this light that I dare ask whether the Prime Minister erred in New York when he stated that the Grand Coalition Government had at no time agreed to use the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) to try the perpetrators of Post Election Violence (PEV)? I do not think so. He was simply brutally frank to the chagrin of a section of the legislators. Stating that Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) is the way forward for this country does not in itself preclude the establishment of a local and/or international legal framework for dealing with people who hold the highest responsibility for PEV.
Truth whether spoken in Kenya or in New York remains nothing but the truth. With the deepest spirit of patriotism, I dare say that every Kenyan must exercise his responsibility and vigilance and to speak truthfully about what is before us. In the words of John P Curran, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty.”
To shy away from this responsibility because a temerarious, obdurate and desultory Harvard trained lawyer is telling us that too much democracy is bad for us will be suicidal. Such persons are hell bent in making us to exchange that vigilance and responsibility for complacency, to idle in the shadow of false images, thoughtlessness, ignorance, and disinformation and to blindly swallow sugar coated lies that they are desperately trying to implant in the minds of the masses. They without prospicience want the impuissant public to permit without effective protest the dissemination of error and mendacity about the state of our nation. It must be crystal clear to all and sundry that to look at issues from the lenses of these self serving politicians is a sure way to reserve for our nation a place in the dust-bin of history. One does not have to look far afield to discern well-meaning societies who, for like-reason, have suffered that fate.
When yesterdays liberation fighters turn into today’s political Henchmen and turn you into a punching bag, do not despair for this is the price you have to pay to regain the high standards of truth and democracy upon which our great nation was founded. Do not fear that Kenya has increasingly become a hotbed of political insanity. The truth shall set us free. In this regard I whole heartedly support the Prime Minister over his stand on retributive justice. The cabinet`s collective responsibility stance to hide the reality is just but collective insipience since this will be a sure way to reserve for our nation a place in the dust-bin of history.
It is quite unfortunate that some politicians in cahoots with a section of a partisan media are deliberately misinterpreting and vilifying the Prime Minister`s views in order to make the public susceptible to phantasms that are projected as realities. Yes, the media is the pubic relations expert, the image-maker but unfortunately if misused it becomes a purveyor of falsehoods.
The Prime Minister`s views are no different from the views expressed by members of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) who have been on record stating that TJRC can not effectively handle the prosecution of the perpetrators of PEV. In fact some TJRC members have threatened to resign should the cabinet`s decision to expand their mandate be implemented. The public too has expressed serious doubts over the expansion of the mandate of TJRC to prosecute PEV suspects. A section of legislators have echoed the same sentiments.
And I do not think that we need a seasoned political science professor to tell us that dealing with the extensive and intensive historical injustices alongside Post Election Violence (PEV), within a very limited time frame and more so, without clearly spelt out specific objectives, is a disaster in the making for the country. It is our consentaneous decision that no amount of sprucing TJRC can make it rise to the occasion. I wonder why these politicians should go through the dance, when I suspect that they invariably are not listening to the same music as we are.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
A TALE OF THE MASTERMINDS OF THE NOXIOUS GRAND SCAMS.
Dear Sir/Madam,
T S Elliot, a 1948 Nobel Prize winner in Literature wrote a poem titled “Macavity –The Mystery cat.” Macavity was described as having a hidden paw, having the movement of a snake and a criminal who used his intellect to defy the law. He was bafflement to Scotland Yard and caused constant despair to the Flying Squad; for when they reached the scene of the crime, Macavity was simply not there. This was suavity and deceitfulness par excellence. He always had an alibi and spared one or two more alibis just in case they came in handy. He was outwardly respectable in spite of being a Napoleon of crime, the crème de la crème. It was therefore not surprising that his footsteps could not be found in any file of the Scotland Yard.
Today, the fictitious Macavity has acquired life. He is alive and kicking in Kenya. He is not one. There are many. The edacious Macavity are more emboldened in the perpetuation of noxious deceit as they are equipped with a fat legal experience often coupled with the exquisite Harvard legalese. They are not in the same league with the pusillanimous. They are true master minds of crime, the men who supervise brigandage on grand scales.
You have heard Macavity spin legal webs in defense of the well executed schemes that led to loss of billions of shillings in the Golden Berg, Anglo leasing, Grand Regency and the porous Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC). For instance in the wake of the fuel shortage witnessed in 2008 and following complaints by oil marketers and financiers it was revealed that stocks amounting to 126.4 million litres were irregularly and illegally released to Triton Petroleum Limited between November 2007 and November 2008. Triton was not entitled to the stocks, nor did financiers authorize the release as required under contractual arrangements. Today, its architects are still a mysterious.
In Macavity`s case, it was rumored that all the cats whose wicked deeds were widely known were nothing more than agents of Macavity the Napoleon of crime. Like Macavity, blame for the scandal has tended to be heaped on junior officers at the state corporation. When the subordinates are nabbed, which isn't often, there is no evidence linking the crimes to the masters. The master mind of crime is a mysterious "brain" who plans the crimes that lesser criminals execute.
Were we not told that junior clerks at KPC's operations department, especially "schedulers" (i.e. those involved in the actual release of the product from KPC system), were responsible for the Triton saga? We were also not told of how junior officers inflated costs during the Oil Pumbing Capacity Enhancement Programme where the president and the Prime Minister were duped into officiating a project that was barely 20 percent complete in spite of records saying that it was almost complete? And now accusing fingers are being pointed at junior officers in the scandal involving the procurement of machinery parts in KPC. The situation is no different in other sectors.
With alacrity unmatched, some Ministers in cahoots with senior officers in their ministries and parastatals hermetically sealed all the possible avenues for the unraveling of the scandals. Their rendition always almost made us believe that there was no iota of evidence to warrant prosecutions. Of course you and I were so sure that the Ministerial statements issued in parliament in the wake of the scandals were as clear as mud.
Going back to the KPC, we are almost sure that honorable Kiraitu`s odious silence will be shattered by yet another master piece of defense. But isn`t his reactionary move symptomatic of a Minister who is ill equipped to head this vital Ministry? The Minister must resign to pave way for unhindered investigations in the company. The onus is with the able parliament (whose reputation is now a notch higher) to help rid KPC and other parastatals of “Macavity-The Mystery Cat.”
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
NEW CURRICULUM: GOVERNMENT ADMITS FAILURE IN ADDRESSING ESOURCES INEQUALITIES IN SCHOOLS.
Dear Sir/Madam,
To the delight of some students and teachers, the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) in conjunction with the Ministry of Basic Education has come up with a simpler mathematics and science curriculum that comes into effect next year. It is ostensibly formulated for secondary school students who loath the subjects and do not wish to pursue them at a higher level. The curriculum, KIE argues, also takes cognizance of the fact that there are ill equipped schools which can only afford to offer less practical oriented general science subjects.
Prima facie, this sounds a great policy directive. However, the devil lies in the detail. A good curriculum ought not to be discriminative and must play a significant role in human resource development and placement. But looking at it from all angles, this curriculum bears the hallmarks of the Government`s discrimination against the less fortunate members in the country. Is this the way to go with curriculum changes? I do not think so.
First, this is undoubtedly the beginning of what may appear as a deconstructive policy but which will in the long run inevitably and increasingly see the poor condemned eternally to certain cadre of jobs in the society. In my estimation it appears as if the Government is admitting its failure in addressing issues relating to access, equity and quality of education across the social divide as was promised in the Sessional paper no.1 of 2005. Under a targeted programme the Government was supposed to rehabilitate and provide laboratory equipment in schools in the rural and marginalized areas in a bid to address regional disparities. By implementing such a curriculum the Government is reneging on its promise to help rid resources inequalities in schools. Yet it is abundantly clear that children from affluent homes enroll in well equipped schools and perform relatively better in science oriented subjects. It follows that such students end up taking all the slots in the few but competitive pure science related careers in the Universities.
Secondly, such a curriculum may unfortunately appear to have given managers of some schools especially those in the rural and marginalized areas and whose schools have limited resources, a carte blanche to force down the throats of students and teachers the less glamorous option. It is largely because of this fear that I do not just see the reason for the jubilation. I am extremely afraid that the complacency now setting in is both foolish and dangerous.
Thirdly, the Government seems to be suggesting that students from disadvantaged schools will never become engineers and doctors, and by all indications, it will be sending a strong message to the public that students from disadvantaged schools are lesser citizens than their counterparts. This is an inconceivable form of human discrimination that I have never come across. But this does not come as a surprise. Over the years the government has abdicated its responsibility in helping build and equip rural schools to enable students from poor rural schools pursue pure science related careers. Much as we all agree that the acute inequalities in schools in the country have over the years made it impossible for the construction of a consistent, reliable and valid performance measurement, but should that be a ground for the entrenching of a discriminatory and retrogressive curriculum change? Certainly not. Two wrongs do not make a right.
Fourthly, what good will it do to a learner/teacher whose interest is in learning/teaching pure sciences or pure mathematics but who is forced by the school management due to unavailability of resources to only learn/teach the general sciences or simplified mathematics? From the foregoing, the question shouldn’t be whether the Government can afford to do more to promote social mobility. It should be whether Government can afford not to. And the answer is no.
TOME FRANCIS,
BUMULA CONSTITUENCY.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
URGENT APPEAL FOR PAYMENT OF BAILS FOR DETAINED KENYATTA UNIVERSITY STUDENTS/POSTED BY LUCAS KIMANTHI OF RPP.
Dear Comrades,
Five university Kenyatta University students were arrested yesterday 29th September 2009, taken to Kasarani Police Station and arraigned in court today 30th September 2009 (case number CR 3966/09)
The following points make it worrying that the students are double victims of impunity by the state through the university in the following ways;
1. The five students, three gentlemen and two ladies are currently serving either expulsions suspensions from the same university.The five are therefore not attending lectures as their appeals have not been heard hence cannot be said to be interfering with the university matters.
2. In the month of June, some of the students were arrested and held incommunicado in various police stations only to be released after RPP and other human rights groups raised the matter through the police commissioner.
The court has ordered the students to deposit a bail of Ksh. 10,000 each (total 50,000) and none of them is able to raise the amount. Since by the end of the day none had paid the bail, seemingly they may spend the night in remand!
We are therefore appealing to any individual /organization that can offer legal services and or assist in the paying of the bail to get in touch with the undersigned.
Lucas Kimanthi
Programme Officer, RPP
Email: rpprights@gmail.com
Tel: 020 3861863
Cell: 0721 913 915
Thursday, September 24, 2009
PERSECUTED AND PROSECUTED FOR DEFENDING HUNGRY KENYANS
Dear sir/madam
PERSECUTED&PROSECUTED DEFENDING DEMOCRACY
On 2nd August 2007, I was arrested among nine other activists for protesting the harassment of cabinet minister Charity Ngilu by the state. This was after she had been accused of allegedly releasing a ’prisoner’ (she had two days earlier rescued Ann Njogu-another human rights activist who had been badly beaten and been injured by the police).Before justice Mutungi, on the morning of 2nd August,2007,the high court had acquitted Ann Njogu ,and other protagonists of democracy ;Okiya Omtatah Okoiti,Ouma Odera,Mwalimu Mati and Cyprian Nyamwamu,arguing they had been illegally detained and their rights had been violated.
Our original protests were against the arbitrary self allocation of freebies worthy 6million for every outgoing Member of Parliament of the ninth parliament. We had protested this because we believed that Kenya was not in a position to incur such expenses while the common citizen still suffered. We believed it was an immoral move by members of parliament. Since August 2007, I together with my nine fellow human rights defenders have since been to the Makadara court at least twice a month for the last two years. We are accused of holding an alleged unlawful assembly. We were arrested outside the Kiambu road CID headquarters and taken to Muthaiga police station where we spent the night in police cells then arraigned in the Makadara law courts the following morning. We were released after raising cash bail of ksh.200,000/=
On 18th February 2009, Patrick Kamotho, Philo Ikonya and I (Fwamba NC Fwamba) were arrested, beaten and injured by the police outside parliament buildings as we protested against the food crisis which the government was doing little to address. We protested against the escalating food prices especially the cost of the staple food; maize flour. Our protest also intended to rebuke the ministers and other senior government officials mentioned in corrupt deals. We were moved to several police stations that night but were returned to central police station the by 3.30 am and taken to court the following morning. We were arraigned in court the following day accused of allegedly holding an illegal demonstration. On the first day Mbugua Mureithi and Ongoya represented us. We were granted bond of Ksh.30, 000 which was paid in cash. The case goes on at the high court up to date. We have been appearing at least twice a month in court for the mention of this case since February. It’s just recent that the Kenyan government discovered that the issue of famine is a serious national problem. I wish they were able to take serious our concern back in February.
It so happened that on 22nd September, I appeared in two courts. At the high court we were told that the case will be heard on 19th October,2009.
At Makadara, 22nd October was supposed to be a ruling on whether we had a case to answer or not. It was in response to the submission that our advocate Mr.Elisha Ongoya had made to the court in the previous appearances. We all anticipated that the magistrate was going to make a reference to our constitutional rights and declare that we had no case to answer. That didn’t happen. The court decided that we have a case to answer and declared that we be put on our defence.we were given 15th December, 2009 as the hearing date. in this case, over 22 lawyers represented us on the first day, among them were prominent lawyers who included the current minister for Lands Hon. James Orengo,Senior Counsel Hon. Paul Muite,Pheroze Nowrojee,Hon.Wanyiri Kihoro,Elisha Ongoya,Harun Ndubi,Mbiyu and Mbugua Mureithi..After that in the subsequent appearances we were represented by Harun Ndubi who later handed over to Elisha Ongoya.currently we are represented by Hon.Kihoro and Mr.Ongoya in the two cases.
I request all of you to consider coming in person as a show of solidarity during the hearings of the two cases. On 19th October at the high court; court number 9 and 15th December at the Makadara court.
The accused in the 2007 case include Patrick Kamotho,Hassan Indusa,Eddie Mwangi,Keli Musyoka,Philo Ikonya,Wangui Mbatia,Abel Onkundi,Robert Ondari,Kepta Ombati and Myself(Fwamba Nc Fwamba)
Yours truly,
Fwamba NC Fwamba
Cc:all diplomatic foreign missions to Kenya
Friday, September 18, 2009
PRESS CONFERENCE ON THE YES – YES REFERENDUM CAMPAIGN
This is to inform you all that the umbrella body of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Kenya, the National Civil Society Congress (NCSC), will launch the “Yes – Yes Referendum on the Constitution” Campaign at a Press Conference at Serena Hotel, on Sunday 20th September 2009, from 10.30am to 11.30am.
The Congress believes that the Yes – Yes Referendum position, first proposed in 2008 and shared with various stakeholder groups including the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review, and the Parliamentary Committee on Legal Affairs and Administration of Justice, is the only way Kenyans can avoid a repeat of the 2005 referendum deadlock.
This position is further grounded in disagreements between the main political formations – the Party of National Unity (PNU) and the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) – over which system of government to adopt, with each party pushing for what is assumed to be in its advantage. What might serve Kenyans best seems to be of no consequence. The continued wrangles between some of the members of the Committee of Experts on Constitution Review (CoE) also make this the only viable option.
The Congress will also speak on various issues facing the nation (discussed during the Congress retreat) including the following:
· The controversy over the conservation of the Mau Forest Complex
· Parliament’s rejection of the re-appointment of Justice Aaron Ringera as Director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) as illegal
· Contestation over the formation and composition of the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC)
Yours Sincerely
Morris Odhiambo
President, NCSC (0722-303349)
UPDATES ON THE ABDUCTION OF OJIAYO AND KAMAU
Dear friends,
On Tuesday 15th September, 2009 we circulated an appeal for urgent assistance following the abduction of Samson Owimba Ojiayo and Godwin Kamau Wang’oe near the Ambassadeur Hotel, Nairobi at around 8pm. This was after our efforts earlier that night to trace the two at various nearby police stations- Kamukunji, Kilimani, Central, Buruburu, Parklands- had proved futile.
On Wednesday, 16th September, 2009 we learnt that Samson Ojiayo had been mysteriously released at the crack of dawn while Kamau Wang’oe was taken to Central Police Station.
Kamau was later charged at the Nairobi High Court, Court No. 1, for allegedly belonging to a proscribed group and being found in possession of bhang. A cash bond of K.Shs. 100,000/= was ordered. However, Kamau’s release was not secured since the money could not be immediately raised. He is still held at Industrial area remand.
We would like to inform the public, the Kenya Police, the government of Kenya and friends of Kenya that we are fearing for the security of both Kamau Wang’oe outside police custody and Samson Ojiayo as the only first hand witness to the case. We make appeal to the newly appointed Police Commissioner, Mr. Matthew Itere to do all in his power to ensure that the two, other activists or any other Kenyans are not harmed in anyway. Further, we request that Mr. Itere conducts independent investigation into the matter.
We want to assure the public and our friends that we are patriotic, law-abiding and peace-loving citizens.
Thank you all for your continued support!
Bunge la Mwananchi
www.bungelamwananchi.org
Friday, September 11, 2009
VICTORY AGAINST THE IRRESPONSIBLE POLICE.
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in this picture,Jacob Odipo and other Bunge la mwananchi leaders celebrate the realease.the amgistrate ruled that Odipo and Philo had been illegally detained.looking on are othe Bunge al mwananchi leaders,Gacheke Gachihi,Ruth Mumbi,and Samson Ojiayo.Pictures by Kingwa Kamencu-International PEN-Kenya chapter
at the kibera law courts..............Jubilant philo Ikonya celebrates aftyer the magistrate ruled that there was no charge against them.
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in this picture,Philo congaratulates lawyer Mbugua Mureithi for the work well done.
Looking on is Bunge la Mwananchi leader Samson Ojiayo.
Pictures by Kingwa Kamencu-International PEN-Kenya chapter
MORE PICTURESQUE JUST BEFORE THE ARRESTS WERE MADE
IN THE THIRD PICTURE,KHAINGA O'KWEMBA,THE TREASURER OF PEN,JOINS PHILO IN THE READING OF THE POEM,IMPUNITY BRINGS DISUNITY-OUTSIDE INTEGRITY CENTRE.
Pictures by Kingwa Kamencu-International PEN-Kenya chapter
DEFIANT AT RINGERA'S OFFICE.it was ali must go,and a few hours later Ali was no longer commissioner of police.
International PEN-Kenya chapter President Philo Ikonya takes the protest against the corrupt and the re-appointment of the incompetent KACC director Aaron Ringera; at Ringera's office.This was staged together with other protagonists of justice who included mr.Jacob Odipo with whom she aws arrested moments after and taken to Kilimani police station.they appeared before the kibera magistrate the following day who ruled that there were no charges against them.the duo were represented by lawyer Mbugua Mureithi.Picture by Kingwa Kamencu(secretary generalInternational PEN-Kenya chapter)
PHILO IKONYA AND JACOB ODIPO JUST BEFORE THE ARREST ON 8TH SEPT 2009:OUTSIDE INTEGRITY CENTER
VICTORY AGAINST MAJOR GENERAL HUSSEIN ALI.
In this photo,Jacob Odipo and Philo Ikonya (in sackcloth)hold placards reading ALI(POLICE COMMISSIONER) and Ringera must go.This is outside Ringera's office.the police commisioner was sacked/demoted/transfered within one hour after they were arrested.
In this photo,Jacob Odipo and Philo Ikonya (in sackcloth)hold placards reading ALI(POLICE COMMISSIONER) and Ringera must go.This is outside Ringera's office.the police commisioner was sacked/demoted/transfered within one hour after they were arrested.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
PHILO IKONYA AND JACOB ODIPO RELEASED-NO CHARGES
In The Photo,Advocate Mbugua Mureithi and Philo Ikonya(in a sackcloth) outside the Kibera law courts moments after Mbugua Mureithi argued out successfully and the magistrate ruled that Jacob Odipo and Philo Ikonya had been unlawfully detained.Looking on is Tariq Jeptebkeny(in the background).
picture by Gacheke Gachihi.
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Dear fellow Kenyans and friends of Kenya,
This morning, Philo Ikonya and Jacob Odipo appeared before Magistrate Ireri in Kibera Law courts to answer to charges brought against them for allegedly participating in an unlawful assembly. They had been arrested yesterday while demonstrating outside Integrity House in protest of the re-appointment of Aaron Ringera. The two have today been released by Magistrate Ireri since the charge sheets produced by the prosecution were improper for not citing the relevant section of the penal code under which Philo and Odipo had been held overnight in custody.
Thank you for any way in which you supported Bunge la Mwananchi in this regard. We urge you to continue to be heard as we speak and act against the culture of impunity in Kenya. Your voice counts.
Sincerely,
George Nyongesa
Bunge la Mwananchi
PO Box 456, 00606, Sarit Centre, Nairobi
Webiste: www.bungelamwananchi.org
Alternate Email: mwananchibunge@gmail.com
Tel: +254 720 451 235
THEY WERE REPRESENTED AND THE CASE WAS COMPETENTLY ARGUED OUT AND WON BY LAWYER MBUGUA MUREITHI
PHILO IKONYA AND JACOB ODIPO ARRESTED PROTESTING AGAINST IMPUNITY
PHILO IKONYA AND JACOB ODIPO ARRESTED PROTESTING AGAINST IMPUNITY
BUNGE LA MWANANCHI –UNITED FRONT FOR CHANGE movement leaders Philo Ikonya(who is also president of International PEN-Kenya chapter) and Jacob Odipo were yesterday morning arrested while protesting against the illegal re-appointment of the incompetent Anti corruption chief Aaron Ringera and the just sacked police commissioner major General Hussein Ali and the attorney general Amos Wako who happen to be the main individuals whose tenure in their respective offices have moved Kenya to institutionalization of impunity as a way of life.
.I woke up at 6am yesterday and prepared to go to the high court because two important cases were of public interest; one filed by Kenyans against impunity lobby group contesting the credibility of persons appointed to run the truth justice and reconciliation commission (TJRC) and another one filed by Okiya Omtatah against the re-appointment of Aaron Ringera to head the Kenya anti-corruption commission. They were being heard before high court judge Muga Apondi.we had scheduled that after the court sessions we were going to stage a reading together titled impunity brings disunity, a poem written by Philo.
It happened that after the Kiplagat case (filed by the Kenyans against impunity lobby group) session had been done; we went to address the press outside the court.
While addressing the press, Odipo called Gacheke Gachihi informing him that he along with Philo had been arrested outside the integrity centre and they had been taken to Kilimani police station.
So we consulted among ourselves and we resolved to move to Kilimani police station.Gacheke Gachihi, Kenedy Kirimi, Patrick kamotho, Samson Ojiayo and I (Fwamba nc Fwamba) left the high court and proceeded to the police station where the two comrades are being held.
We managed to get to Kilimani police station at about 1pm where we demanded from the policeman on the reporting desk about the welfare of our arrested comrades. We were referred to OC crime, a lady who said that’ why don’t we protest against Raila, why are you only protesting against Ringera and other of Kibaki’s appointments’. In the OB, Odipo and Philo had been accused of holding illegal demonstration while carrying placards reading ‘Ali must go’, and ‘Ring-era(Aaron) another Kibaki error’ and ‘Wako (Amos) must go’. its by such coincidence that by the time we were meeting this lady to enquire about the nature of charges being leveled against our comrades, Major Hussein Ali had already been demoted to the position of post master general and most of the police officers were not yet aware of this yet. We returned to the reporting desk where we requested to see Philo and Odipo.we were able to see Odipo at that time who explained to us the circumstances under which they were arrested as they expressed themselves about the dissatisfaction and impunity perpetrated by the leadership of Kenyan government.
We were not able to see Philo at that time .
We sent messages and called other leaders of the civil society .Gacheke called a number of human rights lawyers among whom included Mbugua Mureithi.
After talking to Odipo we sought intervention of the Kenya national commission on human rights (KNCHR), so given the proximity from the police station, we decided to go to the offices at the CVS plaza. on the way we met Suba Churchill who told us he had just met Omar Hassan (the vice chairman of KNCHR).so based on that information we sped up because by consensus we agreed that it would be very advantageous for us to get Hassan there because he is someone believed to more understanding especially on the issues that are politically inclined. When we got to KNCHR, we were told that Hassan had just left. Samson Ojiayo called him but the answer was that he was on his way to the airport.
We were attended to a legal officer Mr. Julius maina, who handled the process professionally. We recorded a complaint that was jointly signed by Samson Ojiayo, Patrick Kamotho, Kenedy Kirimi, and I(Fwamba NC Fwamba).the statement asked the commission to take action based on its mandate as defined in the act.
While we were still working on nitty-gritties of the statement, Hassan came back, the assumption is that he might have forgotten something; he greeted us and left immediately saying that the legal officers were going to take care of the situation. After he left we shared the same discussion with mike Okelloh ‘another lawyer at KNCHR, who advised us according to his work responsibilities. So we left with a copy of the statement, mike promised to talk to the OCS Kilimani to get the police side of the story. To cut the long story short, no form of tangible immediate intervention came from this front.
We continued talking to other human rights defenders on phone, we were able to get in touch with Bunge la Mwananchi leader, George Nyongesa,Secretary general of international PEN Kenya chapter;Kingwa Kamencu ,Hillary Mulialia,Tariq Jeptebkeny,Gladwel Otieno of Africog and others.
After consulting among ourselves, we left KNCHR offices and went to look for lunch for we were too hungry. While we were taking lunch just opposite the police station, KK arrived and called. So we joined her outside the police station and send arrest alerts to all comrades. we were able to talk to the OCS ,who introduced himself as a Mr.Gachago who told us that we could obtain a police bond for them, but since it was a CID case ,they were still handling ‘preliminaries’ and therefore he asked us to wait for one hour.
At that time they were taking Odipo and Philo for fingerprints and people around were still celebrating Ali’s Exit from heading the disgraced Kenya police force. We eventually happened to have an opportunity to talk to Philo.
Within the ‘one hour ‘ of waiting, senior counsel Mbugua Mureithi and Africog CEO Gladwell Otieno and Mr. James Mugo came with other people.The trio talked to the OCS,and then to the cid who gave a promise that they were going to release Philo and Odipo on cash bail. We waited but nothing positive came out. By 7.30pm, we were still waiting for feedback from the CID that is when Hakima and other leaders of the Bunge La Mwananchi-United Front for Change movement Hillary Mulialia, Tariq Jeptebkeny came.
By 8.00pm when we left, Philo Ikonya and Jacob Odipo were still being held at Kilimani police station, where they are most likely to spend their night awaiting being arraigned in court today where the police intend to charge them with alleged illegal demonstration or any of those malicious allegations related to that.
All are called to come to court today as a solidarity statement.
VIVA PHILO, VIVA ODIPO!!!!!
ALUTA CONTINUA
ONE CHICKEN HAS CROSSED THE ROAD; SOON ALL THE CHICKEN WILL COME HOME TO ROOST.
FWAMBA NC FWAMBA
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