Coast University, finally, thanks to Saudis

Salman Bin Abdulaziz,

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The governments of Kenya and Saudi Arabia yesterday agreed that the establishment of a university at the Coast province and the construction of the Garissa-Modogashe-Wajir Road were priority projects in the two nations’ bilateral relations.

At a meeting with Mr Ibrahim Al Saf, the Saudi minister for Finance and chairman of the Saudi Fund, President Kibaki noted that the projects had also been prioritized by the people of the Coast and North Eastern provinces.

The two governments also agreed to fast-track construction of the Garissa-Wajir road with Kenya providing its commitment of $5 million while the balance would be provided by the Saudi government.

Other priority projects include Ongata Rongai water and sanitation, the rehabilitation of schools with an emphasis on establishment of a model school in each province.
In health, Saudi Arabia will also help in the rehabilitation of the Wajir district hospital while Kenyatta National Hospital would benefit from the construction and rehabilitation of the burns unit and the paediatric emergency unit.

The government of Saudi Arabia will also convene a meeting of key development partners in the Middle East, including those drawn from the Saudi Fund, Kuwait Fund and BADEA to seek ways of establishing a strong consortium for funding projects in Kenya.
The Finance minister welcomed the new development commitments by Kenya, noting that the government of President Kibaki has shown its dedication to developing areas that had previously been marginalised and neglected.

President Kibaki noted that Mombasa, as the second largest city, deserved to have a full fledged university.
At another meeting, President Kibaki held talks with the Governor of Riyadh, Salman Bin Adulaziz, at the Governor’s Palace.
The Governor said he would spearhead a campaign to promote investment by Saudi Arabia businessmen in Kenya.

President Kibaki welcomed more tourists from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, noting that Kenya had well developed tourist facilities.

The President noted that there was a great potential for investment in the tourism sector and value addition in the agricultural sectors.

Beware of the Money Dispensing Activists

By: Abdillahi Alawy
Of all the words that are used by our media houses in Nairobi, the words activism and activists have had a really bad application and reputation among consumers of Kenya news. While I am deliberately blaming the media for this sin, I also sincerely sympathize with the press because there is currently a huge miss-understanding of this word as it pertains to politics of corruption and campaigning. For example, we have continued to refer to the money-carrying, bribe giving individuals as activists while in actual sense they should be called campaign criminals.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary an activist is a person “supporting a doctrine or practice that emphasizes direct vigorous action especially in support of or opposition to one side of a controversial issue.” And apparently, according to the Kenya’s media, an activist is anybody carrying bags of money to bribe people on behalf of the government. Additionally, it seems to me that activists are always working for the mainstream government as opposed to opposing it in its policies of cultural corruption.

This Kenya version of activism began during the previous regime and unfortunately is continued by Mwai Kibaki’s government via family members, presidential second wives’ government officials, and elected MPs. In one election before NARC, where Goldenberg money was not enough to bribe voters new currency notes, Shs. 500, were actually minted and christened Jirongos after the famous one-time Rural Development minister Mr. Cyrus Jirongo, the activist of that time.

We learnt that this week, in Kakamega district, an irate mob burned down a vehicle belonging to a Narc-Kenya “activist” and businessman who survived only by using his gun to threaten the mob. However, an innocent youth aged 27 was killed in the fiasco. Two million shillings went in smoke as a result of this car-fire.

The so-called activists are in plenty in Kenya. And, they have a big impact on who we elect and who ends up in petition courts that take a full parliamentary-term to conclude. Everywhere you look you see activists carrying bribe money and angry mob waiting to kill an activist for what they stand and believe in. Activists change sides at the whiff of any amount of money.

Without question, the above mob action is to be condemned. People should not have their cars burned because they are giving activism a bad name. It would have been only appropriate to re-name the angry mob as the activists in the above story. They should have been named so because according to the dictionary activism is mainly in the opposing side not in the ruling/government side in this case. Many of the people we call activists change sides every now and then; and it becomes extremely difficult to know who not to call an activists.

For example, I do not believe that assistant minister Danson Mungatana or now his mentor former don Minister Joseph Kibwana are activists of any kind at any one time. These are people who will bitterly demonstrate against the government as long as they are not ministers and switch to praise the president in excess of God. Their only condition is for them to be offered ministerial positions. These are the money-bag activists of doom doubling as leaders who will change sides at a heart-beat.

Activism is an honorable term of service to the community and it has to be built around honesty and purpose for the good of the disadvantaged and the disfranchised in the opposing side of the corrupt elite. May be activism could be via the opposition or on the mainstream side; but activism is different from political campaigning where cash money is utilized to entice voters to follow bad candidates.

Activists like the gentleman who used his gun to scare the angry mob are a new breed of corrupt cash-dispensers working for a government that cannot win an election without resorting to such tactics. Activists like this man should be appropriately called cash-mongers or something else.

The most surprising thing about these four-wheel cash-dispensing rendezvous and their subsequent news stories is that as much as they grab our newspapers’ headlines and attention of all the citizens, the Kenya anti-corruption organs are ever quiet about these criminals. Wouldn’t an investigation of the Shs 2,000,000 in relation to “campaigning” for NARC be a logical issue to be followed up in a legal investigation?

But who knows what our Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) officials are doing? I bet they consider themselves as savior of this government such that they could be called “activists.”

The KACC outfit in Kenya has openly come out to protect this government with all what it has. KACC has discredited witnesses, video and audio evidence and intimidated witness. Just two days ago, KACC gave an expected gloomy report of how efforts to recover billions of shillings looted by the former and current regimes are failing; thus, protecting the big-time thieves who are still conducting furious campaigns in the villages to regain power. These are the chief sponsors of the very criminal minded money-bags we call activist. We must avoid using this term to refer to bad people.

Why Kibaki should pick VP from the Coast

By OMAR AHMED ALI

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THE 62 million dollar question is this; is Ambassador Chirau Ali Mwakwere the emerging Coast political leader? Should his recent elevation to be the region’s populous Mijikenda community spokesperson be read as a sign of more things to come for this humble Matuga MP?
Does this elevation of Mwakwere mean he can not be ignored by NARC Kenya in the race for the vice presidential candidacy within the president’s party? Has he changed the equation of who is going to be the next Kibaki VP should he opt not to pick Moody Awori?

To answer these questions and many more, one has to dig deeper, analyse, and appreciate the intricate politics of Coast province. It is a fact that the seaside province lacks a political leader with a charisma and influence to rally the people by cutting across religious and tribal and party lines. The Transport minister is perhaps the contemporary politician from the region who fits the profile to be the region’s next political leader.

The challenges and hurdles facing the Coastal people when it comes to a unified political leader is the fact that the province is not a tight knit homogeneous society like Central and North Eastern provinces. There are three main tribal and two religious groupings that in one way or another make matters very complex for the province. The tribal groupings include the populous Mijikenda, the Waswahili/Arabs and the upper-Coast based Taitas/Tavetas communities. The two religious groupings are of course the majority Muslims and the strong Christianity presence led by Rev. Kalu, a Mijikenda himself.
Within the Mijikenda (sub-tribes) community there are complex divisions in itself. One major division is the fact that you find the populous Digos who 99 per cent plus adhere to Islamic faith, culturally attached to their Mijikenda kinsmen but connected religiously with their Waswahili/Arabs Muslim brethren and other Kenyan Muslims. The Giriama together with the rest of the smaller sub-tribes majority being Christians —there is a good percentage of Muslims too in this group —whereas they are culturally connected to the Digos, they also identify themselves with the rest of the Christians in the country.

The Taitas/Tavetas on their part regard themselves more as ‘up-country Kenyans’ than being Coastal people. This is perhaps because of the proximity of their location to the ‘up-country Kenya’ and the fact that majority of them are Christian adherents, the majority religion in ‘up-country’ Kenya.
The Waswahili and Arab communities although separate communities, are erroneously counted or bundled as one community in many spheres simply because they both happen to be hundred percent Muslims hence share common Islamic culture. The Waswahili and Arab communities also have their own complex issues although this is not the right forum to discuss them.
Having given this background there is one fundamental common mistake committed frequently by non-native Coastal political commentators, news analysts and journalists when penning political analyses about the region’s politics and Waswahili and Arabs communities. For instance, in their various analyses they only focus on the politics of Mombasa. To them Waswahili, Arabs and Mombasa is ‘what matters’ at the Coast. In addition, these people have a tendency to always consider Mombasa politics to be the politics of the province, as if Mombasa is Coast and Coast is Mombasa. The Mombasa politics that have been personified for many years by the then long serving Mvita MP and former cabinet member the late Sharrif Nassir and later in years by the former Kisauni MP and cabinet minister, Karisa Maitha.

The reality is that majority of Waswhaili and Arabs are not restricted to residing in Mombasa only. And Coast politics transcend outside the province’s largest metropolitan to as far-flung as Kiunga, Faza and Wasini.

Here is one political reality that commentators either deliberately ignore or perhaps lack clear understanding of the political realities of the region. The late Ronald Ngala being the exception to the rule, no Coast politician can become the province’s political leader’, kingmaker, or Mugogo, if he or she does not meet two main pre-requites amongst others qualifications. The kicker is that the person must hail from the Mijikenda community and in tandem must be a Muslim. The reason behind is pretty simple — Mijikenda is the most populous group in the province hence you must earn its respect and support.

Islam is the predominant religion in the province; Muslims in the region will not accept any one who does not believe in Allah as the region’s leader. All other qualifications, including being a Mombasa politician, a cabinet minister, assistant minister, are mere secondary.
The region has witnessed ‘claimers to the throne’ in the name of late Nassir and Maitha. With due respect to the two deceased individuals, these two former Mombasa politicians were claimers to the throne both of them separately came short of one of the two prerequisite for the coveted throne. Nassir was a Mombasa KANU strongman and former President Daniel arap Moi’s Coast’s point man and nothing more. Maitha on his part was Mombasa’s Kibaki-led Democratic Party strongman and the president’s point man in the province. Although the one time Local Government Minister liked to consider himself (and wanted other people to consider him) a Mugogo, he died never attaining such title. The reason why the former Mvita and Kisauni lawmakers could not become the province’s political leaders is because although a Muslim, Nassir was not a Mijikenda.

As for Maitha although he was a Mijikenda from the populous Giriama sub-tribe he was not a Muslim. I guess that is the reason why it was rumoured that Maitha secretly converted to Islam in an effort to get the legitimacy of becoming the political leader of the region.
One can be their respective political parties’ regional coordinators, or strongmen/women for the lack of a better word, but they are not necessarily the regional political leaders. With due respect to the Garsen MP Dunson Mungatana, he is too young, both in his age and politically to appreciate these realities. He came across as making too much noise and was being confused to be ascending to the regional political leadership.

This brings me to see the political importance of the elevation of the Transport minister as the Mijikenda community’s spokesperson. This is perhaps the beginning of the ascending of diplomat-turned politician to the vacuum position of the Coastal political leader. Mwakwere can not be the province’s political leader if he does not want to take the mantle. It is high time for Mwakwere to assume the mantle of the unelected Coast political leadership position that has remained vacant for a long time. The province needs someone who can work for them, can look after their interests et al.

The opportunity has presented itself and he meets the two pre-requisites needed for the position. Mwakwere can be the needed bridge between the differences the Coastal people have. In addition he fits the profile of ‘that missing leader’. He is a Mijikenda from the populous Digo community and is also a Muslim. He is the most educated and with the most government experience of any individual sent to parliament in the history of Coast province.
Although he is not the darling of the press, in fact the media love to hate him. But for those who know him, the Matuga MP is a very humble politician. Despite his closeness to President Mwai Kibaki, the man is still humble and never cocky or arrogant. Listen to what he said upon his elevation to be his community’s spokesperson: “I am not a king of the community but just their spokesman, each one of us is a leader in our own right.” Unlike some politicians one hardly sees the Matuga MP chest-thumping. He works very well with President Kibaki, his cabinet colleagues and fellow lawmakers.

Looking at his background, this is an individual who started his career from the scratch as a school teacher in Kilifi district who was ambitious and eventually attained two degrees from two highly respected United Kingdom’s universities. In his earlier life the Matuga MP spent many years in Mombasa while teaching at the then MIOME, now Mombasa Polytechnic. He was also the pioneer Principal of Kenya Ports Authority’s Bandari College. Before venturing into politics, he had served our country diligently as our diplomat in Zimbabwe and in the United Arab Emirates.

It is high time that a Coastal politician is considered for the number two slot and there is no better individual from the province who fits such a profile and who is close to the president than the Matuga lawmaker. When would the smaller Kenyan communities be able to at least have a vice president of the country? If the time will ever come for some one from a smaller community be named to the number two slot, then that time is in this year’s general election and no other. It is under Kibaki that the Coast people have been treated as equal citizens of Kenya in terms of appointments and spearheading developments. By picking Mwakwere as his running mate Kibaki will satisfy two major constituencies in tandem, — the Coast province and the entire Kenya Muslim community.

_________________________

omarahmedali@gmail.com
http://www.timesnews.co.ke/09jan07/editorials/comm1.html

Islam and the marginalisation of the Coastals

By Omar Ahmed Ali

ON the face value, last Thursday’s commentary by the internationally acclaimed writer Mr. David Mailu titled: “Chotara nation of Kenya, Waswahili” (KT February, 23, 2006) was an open insult to the Coastal Swa
hili community. But in reality the writer was only expressing what is the prevailing (although erroneous) views held dear by a good number of Kenyans—not a majority, but not a tiny minority, either—towards the Swahili people also known as Waswahili.
Since the writer went to an open ground of expressing the views of Kenyans towards Waswahili, here are some perceptions which have remained embedded in the Kenyans minds:

*The Kamba people: They are dirty and deceitful. Their women do not get sexually satisfaction from a single partner hence they lead in the prostitution circles. Their men don’t know how to dress well—when a person is badly dressed in a mismatched clothes and colours, the comments they get will be, ‘you dressed like Mkamba’.

*The Luhya community: are more in interested in aspiring to being cooks, farm workers and house help in their lifetime career goals.

*The Kikuyu community: The number one thieves in the country, hence the wealthiest community in the country.

My question here comes; do these views have any iota of truth in them? Of course not, but they are what they are. Everything is everything.
Any one can take advantage of the freedom of press and freedom of expression to say or write whatever they like about any one within the limits of the laws. The writer took this advantage and was indeed free and went on to bark against the Waswahili for whatever it was worth to him. Perhaps he picked a topic to create some sort of controversy in order to revive his failing writing career et al.

Responding to the prejudiced commentary may not have been necessary, however when the writer crossed what many may consider the red line—either deliberately, naively or intentionally—then there was compelling need to do a rejoinder. The red line is when the writer claimed amongst other things that Kenyans who covert to Islam do so with the hidden agendas of becoming criminals—terrorists for that matter. The writer noted: “It is a jungle in which you can hide and become a successful criminal, and even become terrorist paid by a Dubai based cell of Afghanistan Taliban bin Laden organization.”
Associating Muslims and Waswahili with terrorism is taking the freedom of press and freedom of expression too far and is unacceptable. People didn’t just start to convert to Islam since the coming of the now deposed Taliban rule in Afghanistan or the emergence of the terrorists’ organisation, Al Qaeda in 2001. The religion has been in existence for more than 1,400 years and is considered as one of the fastest growing religions in the world, if not the fasted. Non-Muslim Kenyans have been converting to the Islamic faith even before independence; religious conversions and switching of religious affiliations did not start just the other day as was the impression of the commentary. New Muslim converts have and continue to do so willingly without any form of coercion or monetary enticement as is the case with other religious faiths and or denominations.

It is preposterous for any one to assert that new Muslim converts, particularly those in Kenya, abandon their respective tribes because Islam, as the writer notes: “ is a world that has often offered sanctuary to persons escaping from the pressure of their own individual tribes.” What one fails to understand here is that the Kalenjins, Maasais, Kurias or Boranas don’t change their tribes when they covert to Christianity, why should they change their respective tribes (and take on Uswahili) once they convert to Islam.
Islam is a religion and a way of life. One of the beauties of Islam is that the faith’s adherents wherever they are—of whatever tribe, colour or race—apply the teachings in guiding their daily lives. Now because all Waswahili happen to be Muslims, the community is interwoven to the religion, hence Uswahili (Swahili culture and ways of life) and being a Muslim are taken as one and the same thing.

Take it further and a problem arises in the country where people either deliberately or inadvertently confuse and connect Islam or Muslims to Arabs and Waswahili. Which of course is wrong, because majority if not all the Somali community are Muslims. Why then no one is making the blatant mistake of confusing all Muslims to WaSomali. It makes one wonder, if the tie of Waswahili and Arabs to Islam is intentional with ulterior motive behind or not.
For instance, while Islam teaches their women to cover most of their body parts, it does not instruct or order them to cover with a black “bui-bui” like the ones commonly worn by Waswahili women. The Somali women do cover their bodies as per the Islamic teachings but they do not wear the bui-bui. So is the case with other Muslim women in other societies or communities like in India, Malaysia, or Nigeria, and Tajikistan to name but a few.
Internationally the interweaving of the religion to Arabs continues albeit erroneously. Many people confuse Muslims and make them synonymous with Arabs, when Arabs are not even the majority of the world Muslim population. Although the Islamic religion originated in what is today the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the reality is that Islam is not restricted to the Arabic race and to Waswahili. Nor is Islam a racial or tribal community as is the case with Judaism. Because of the ignorance of some people, I have highlighted some hard facts that could perhaps assist in erasing such wrong mindsets regarding Islam and Muslims:

*With a population of more than 128 million people, fifty-percent being Muslims, Nigeria has more Muslims than the population of Kenya. All the Nigerian Muslims are black Africans, not Arabs or Waswahili.

*The most populous Muslim country in the world is not Saudi Arabia or Egypt but Indonesia with a population of 241 million people, eighty-eight-percent Muslims—212 million Muslims.
*Majority of the people are on the assumption that the Israel/Palestinian question is more of a Jewish and Islamic conflict as opposed to the question of political freedom and national independence for the Palestinian people (both Christians and Muslims), and has nothing to do with any religious conflicts.

Waswahili are people who were the first to be civilised (ku’staarabika) through their Islamic faith. For instance in order to observe the five times daily prayers, one has to keep oneself clean, dress appropriately. Muslim women’s bodies are not for show or display they have to cover them properly. Now the non-Waswahili Muslims when they are practising Islam and follow their faith’s teaching they are not turning into Waswahili but are being true Muslims by kujista’arabisha. If these Muslims refuse to speak their native languages and stick to Kiswahili, isn’t that one of their individual rights to do so? Isn’t Kiswahili our national language?

The very reason why those who embraced Islam; Wanjiku, Mutua or Kamau do not become Waswahili is because Islam is not a tribe. A religious community is never a racial or a tribal community. I am tempted to ask the writer: why didn’t he, after embracing Christianity, become Mzungu having been baptised and given an English sounding name and speaks the Language of the Queen. If he did not become a white man, then why would the former Wanjiku or Mutua when they embraced Islam and changed their first names to Khadija and Abdalla respectively and adhere to the Islamic dress code by wearing a bui-bui (as is the case with the Khadija) and or kanzu and kofia (as is the with some men) automatically become Waswahili?
Although it is indeed difficult to separate Uswahili and Uislamu (the act of being a Muslim) but being a Muslim does not make one Mswahili (single member of the Swahili community).

Wapwani vis-a-vis Waswahili:

There is a fundamental mistake people make by confusing the Kenyan Muslims, Waswahili and the other Coastal people (Wapwani). Although the province is predominately Muslim, there are a sizable number of indigenous non-Muslims Wapwani—from the populous Mijikenda to the Pokomo of Tana River to the Taitas and Tavetas of the upper Coast section.
The marginalisation of the Coast is not restricted to the Swahili people, but to all the indigenous Coastal people perhaps with an exception of the Taitas and Tavetas who are made to believe that they are not like other Wapwani.

Coast remains the only province where the natives do not have title deeds for their ancestral lands, and the region’s lands in owned mainly by people from upcountry. An excellent example is the Kenyatta family owning a sizable fraction (if not a quarter) of the province’s land. Or when it comes to employment, the unemployment rate in the province is double that of the national standard. In Education, Coast being the only region, save for the sparsely populated North Eastern province, without a full-fledged university, or even a university college. Utalii College was deliberately established in Nairobi as opposed to the province where the heart of the country’s tourism is mainly located.

Who doesn’t know that the reason the province has a mere small percentage of educated elite is as a result of open discrimination. Government sponsored education scholarships in the ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s and now in 2000s were not allocated to Wapwani but went to all other regions whose respective native senior bureaucrats and politicians lured them to. Why would Mutahi Karega, for instance, give a scholarship to a boy from Faza, instead of a kid from Mount Kenya region? During former President Moi’s regime a majority of kids from the Rift Valley were the beneficiaries of government scholarship et al. But that is not the issue here.

The issue of Wapwani been marginalised and transparently discriminated is not necessarily restricted to the Waswahili. Wapwani are being fought from every angle through sectarian politics. Let us take the last few years and see how the war against Wapwani was waged. When the Matuga MP Chirau Ali Mwakwere, a Coastal but not Mswahili, was the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the ministry was the focus of all the media houses. Certain journalists from all three major dailies took upon themselves to be the public watchdogs on the ministry. They supposedly used to conduct “regular investigative journalism” and come up with baseless but well crafted damaging reports on the ministry and the minister.

When Kenyans were held hostage in Iraq, their then continued captivity was kept as “main news” almost everyday and various commentaries were written in that regard. These journalists ganged up and were “informing” Kenyans that the ministry was not doing anything to secure the hostages’ release. It was an open secret that the minister had dispatched the Riyadh-based Kenyan envoy to handle the diplomatic niceties to secure their release. Truth be told, there was not much the Kenyan government could have done since Kenya had and still has no military presence in the war-torn Iraq. The worse was yet to come.

When Mwakwere, a veteran diplomat, was given to understand that the hostages had been released and went on air to announce the good news to the families of the hostages and the rest of the country, the press claimed that the minister made a fool of himself because the hostages had not been released as perhaps was thought. My question here is this. Why would Mwakwere issue a statement on “the release of the hostages” if he was not assured that the information he was given was credible? What would have been Mwakwere’s personal and or political gain to lie to Kenyans, let alone to the families of the captives?

No one wants to answer this question, because answering the question will tell them that Mwakwere was merely doing his job the way he knew it. But when an upcounty politician such Kabete MP Paul Muite calling a press conference and making wild and reckless allegations against the American and German envoys, here is what Mr. Gitau Warigi of the Nation Group had to say: “Kabete MP Paul Muite has always sought to cultivate the posture of a serious operator who avoids making reckless outbursts. That is why he looked completely out of character when he called a press conference last week to claim that the American and German embassies were plotting, together with Mr. Raila Odinga, to remove President Kibaki from power”. But we are told Mwakwere made a fool of himself and not Muite. Then there were the Koinange street lies and fabrications on the personal credibility of the minister cooked by two media houses that have since been sent to court by the minister.

Now the Foreign Affairs ministry is headed by a non-Coastal politician, the media’s radar has shifted away from it. There are two Kenyan hostages held in Iraq as we speak. We don’t hear anything with regard to the efforts of securing their release. The matter has been left to be handled by a low level ministry official and the so-called investigative journalists see no reason to bring up the matter to the attention of Kenyans. Ukabila and sectarian discrimination at the highest level, why bring the matter when one of their own is in-charge in the ministry. In fact some of the “war against Mwakwere” journalists from the local dailies are now coming out in defence of the country against the Nairobi-based diplomats, something they used to cheer every time the foreign envoys insulted Kenya and its leaders. One may be tempted to ask is it patriotism or tribalism at play here?

Now the Matuga MP is the Transport Minister, the focus of the biased press has since shifted from Foreign Affairs to where, you guessed it—Transport. For instance, let us take the case when Mwakwere appointed a veteran port management professional to take over as the new Managing Director at the Kenya Ports Authority. There was an onslaught on Mwakwere with various commentaries and editorials (by the three dailies) all opposing the minister’s move simply because the individual hailed from the Coast and is a Muslim. Two dailies in their separate editorials went to the extent of asking for the removal of ministers as the appointing authorities in the parastatals management.

It has since emerged that three ministers, namely Newton Kulundu (Labour), Henry Obwocha (National Planning) and Kivutha Kibwana (Environment and Natural Resources) all have separately appointed their tribesmen (although all qualified), as Chief Executive Officers for three different parastatals falling under their respective dockets. Iin its front page story titled: “Government has made tribalism acceptable practice” one of the dailies crafted the report in such a style that the blame is mainly shifted to the government as opposed to the individual ministers—cleverly lessening the effects of the three ministers’ tribal based appointments. Not a single editorial has been written against the conspicuous tribal appointments. This is unlike what we saw during the appointment of Abdalla Hemed Mwaruwa for the KPA top position. Is it because the ministers are not Wapwani, hence they need protection?

For obvious reason the youthful Mvita MP Najib Balala had been a darling of the press because he has allowed himself to play second fiddle to some Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) politicians at national level. Unlike Mwakwere who on the onset refused to be an errand-person of the LDP luminaries who automatically became a marked person by the press. Now that the former National Heritage minister has declared his interest to vie for LDP presidential ticket his fortunes are about to change for him. Let us wait and see how the press will start to trash him. I am sure our illustrious investigative journalists are already burning the midnight candles (due to the power rationing) looking for dirt on Balala.

The issue is not Waswahili per se; it is the bigotry on Wapwani because of religious and sectarian discrimination which is assisted by the powerful press. The overt campaign is first and foremost waged against Wapwani, it gets intensified when they (Wapwani) are Muslims, be they Wadigo, Waborana or Wapokomo. It is deepened if they are Waswahili or Arabs. Nationalism has been thrown out of the window, tribalism and sectarianism has taken over in our country. Hence we see the emergence of presidential candidates supposedly with national candidacies outlook but in reality representing their native tribes and regions. We see Raila Odinga for Nyanza and the Luo community, William Ruto representing Rift Valley and the larger Kalenjin tribe. Then there is Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi for Eastern and Western provinces respectively. Not to be left behind the latest entrant to the race, Balala for the Coast people and the Muslim community. And on it goes or will go.

Everything is everything; one must be judged by his/her deeds and actions. Their own personal curriculum vitae if you may, instead of inheriting labels coined by those who want to divide and demean people by putting more emphasis on bigotry. God Save Kenya and Kenyans from themselves!

Source:Kenya Times, Insight
eMail: omarahmedali@gmail.com

Bury political rivalries to fight famine

By OMAR AHMED ALI**

THE banner headline of one the local newspapers that carried a sad title (the) “Face of hunger” must have shocked and disturbed many- particularly coming at this time when we are celebrating Christmas and the New Year. The sad story revealed in part: “…in several villages of Mandera District, journalists saw children, women and old people ravaged by famine and reduced to walking frames by lack of food and water.”
The pictures of the one-and-a-half year-old Master Dekow Moulid who is being treated from malnutrition and that of an elderly man Abdulahi Mohamed recovering from acute malnutrition at a hospital sent shivers to many people’s spines. The question that comes to mind is-are these individuals citizens of Kenya? or are they from a different country?
In a separate but related story “Plenty in midst of hunger,” the report notes that ‘the National Cereals and Produce Board is currently unable to cope with the volumes of food being delivered to its depots in the North Rift, yet thousands of people are sleeping hungry in Turkana, West Pokot and Marakwet districts.’
What is going on in Kenya? How did we come to this sad state of affairs in our country? This is a surprising outcome, especially in a country that has an intensive exemplary crop of leadership known for their championship of the poor and the disfranchised. Our leaders, particularly the Members of Parliament, are more concerned with country’s leadership wrangles, the potential vote of no confidence against the head of state, the 2007 election, etc., while Kenyans are dying of hunger and starvation.
For a long time we have been helplessly aware that Kenyans are facing tough economic times but dying from hunger and starvation is the straw. This is not the time for Mandera MP Billow Kerrow or any other politician to play politics with the situation by accusing the government of being insensitive to the needs of the residents and failing to mobilize resources to save them.
Something needs to be done sooner rather than later. The hard hit North Eastern Kenyans are in misery and in dire need of help that President Kibaki has promised them--that help is on the way for them and other Kenyans facing starvation. The president is reported to have summoned four cabinet ministers whose ministries form part of the National Disaster and Response Management committee and needs an explanation as to why the situation was left to go out of hand.The head of state in his Christmas message to the nation noted that “thousands of wananchi in northern Kenya and parts of Coast and Eastern provinces have been rendered destitute as a result of draught for three successive years.
The President said there will be adequate interventions to minimize the impact of the drought.” Kibaki called on Kenyans to extend a helping hand to those in need and to give hope to those in despair. President Kibaki added that as Kenyans celebrate during this festive season, they should remember other members of the national family that are facing various difficulties.
The president has asked Kenyans to remember all those in need of help with financial sacrifice but majority of Kenyans are already poor and broke. It is on this backdrop that I am challenging the 210 Members of Parliament. Let Kenyans see that their legislators are indeed true nationalists and patriotic leaders by shelving their political differences and unite for the first time to assist the ‘national family’ that the president has asked us all to do during this festive season. The lawmakers should forget their individuals’ political party affiliations and take the initiative to contribute one-month salary each to a specific famine fund for the benefits of all those in dire need of food and other necessities.
Should the MPs take this challenge, the president on his part should issue an executive order to the Treasury not to tax the salaries to be contributed to the kitty in order to get the maximum amount of money needed to assist starving Kenyans. At a rate of Sh 770, 000 monthly pay cheque per person and with 210 MPs, the kitty will instantly raise more KSh 160 million. Although the amount is not large enough but nevertheless the money can be used to supplement the government funds which are being used to assist those affected.
This will be national leadership in the true sense and not rhetorical statements and political theatrics. Let Kenyans see if the legislators will take this challenge as they always claim to be fighting for the common man. This is the time for them to stand up and be counted when it matter in making a difference-the common mwananchi is now dying of hunger and starvation, at this moment they need their financial help from all quarters not just from the government. Forfeiting one-month pay will not bring undue financial burden to any of the 210 MPs and their families.
The financial contribution from the majority Christian MPs will be their personal (and their families) Christmas gift to the national family. As for the Muslim legislators it will be either Eid-el Hajj gift or a required alms. For other lawmakers not falling in either of the two religious categories, it will be just a hearty contribution for the general good for the country’s national family.
Boldly speaking, those in the government who were bestowed with the responsibility to handle a situation like this have indeed failed Kenyans. While they continue to enjoy their fat salaries with their families, relatives and friends, fellow Kenyans were and continue to starve to death. These bureaucrats have failed those Kenyans who have paid the ultimate price of dying from starvation and hunger.

**Kenya Times Insight
Jan, 2, 2006

President Kibaki to address the 19th Arab Summit Conference.

President Mwai Kibaki will on Tuesday 27 March 2007, travel to Riyadh Saudi, Arabia for a four-day official working visit.
During the visit President Kibaki will attend the 19th Arab Summit Conference set for 28th and 29th March 2007.

In his capacity as the Chairman of IGAD, President Kibaki will address the nineteenth Arab Summit on regional issues including developments in Somalia and Sudan. Kenya successfully brokered two peace agreements for Sudan and Somalia.

The Kenya head of State is expected to outline some of the challenges and opportunities existing following implementation of the peace agreements.
President Kibaki will be accompanied on the trip by among others the Minister for Foreign affairs Raphael Tuju, the Minister for Regional Development Authorities Mohamed Mohamud and Mohamed Abu Chiaba the assistant minister for Fisheries Development.

The Plane carrying the President, the First Lady Mrs Lucy Kibaki and the rest of the delegation will depart from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) shortly after 9.

Sources: KBC News

National Flag Carrier Soaring High in the sky

Kenya Airways has recorded a 10 per cent increase in its operating performance for the third quarter ending December 31, 2006. Despite the overall passenger growth, the airline's domestic passenger uplift reduced by three per cent.
The airline’s Marketing and Communications Manager attributed the drop to temporary closure of Kisumu airport for repair of the runway. KQ carried a total of 657,347 passengers representing a 9 per cent growth to last year's level of 605,441. Africa accounted for 13 per cent of the airline's overall growth.
He attributed the growth to increased use of the larger Boeing 777s and Boeing 767s in the region.
He said passengers to the Far East grew by 64 per cent, followed by East Africa at 23 per cent. Europe fell 3 per cent, West Africa grew 18 per cent, the Middle East 13 per cent, Southern Africa 11 per cent while Northern Africa grew 10 per cent.
The Manager said capacity reduction on the European region was occasioned by the downgrading of some operations on the London and Amsterdam routes to the smaller Boeing 767s.

Sources: Kenya Broadcasting Corp.

BUSH APPOINTS NEW AG

Washington, DC (Hilltop Policy Group) - Early this morning, President Bush announced that he had accepted the resignation of an embattled Alberto Gonzales as Attorney General, and presented to a gathering of reporters his next choice for US Attorney General, his brother, former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Bush sought to assure critics that the pre-existing loophole within the patriot act which had allowed Gonzalez to originally fire and replace eight US attorneys without congressional approval, resulting in controversy for the administration was still in effect and legally allowed for the appointment of his brother. In a reversal of positions, Bush vowed to fight any effort by Congress to, what he described as "politicize the process" and attempt a rewrite of the legislation.
"Fredo has generously offered to remain on and function in an advisory capacity to Jeb over the next two years until he gets up to speed," stated Bush. "This is an important job, and well... I hope the third time's the charm."
Bush went on to state that the White House would likely claim executive privilege in regards to the possibility of future testimony from Gonzalez or special presidential adviser Karl Rove as is being considered by Congress, and described the controversy in regards to the US attorney firings as now resolved.
"I will continue to serve the president pleasure, and I pledge to make former attorney general Gonzales' transition as smooth as possible," stated former Florida Governor Bush. He went on to recognize that his appointment might come as a shock to some, particularly since he was not included on a list of likely replacements floated to congressional Republicans. He vowed to investigate the omission as one of his first acts as Attorney General.
The White House appeared to be preparing for a firestorm of criticism in regards to the move. White House special counsel Dan Bartlett scoffed at the idea that the appointment of Bush was nepotism and stated that criticism for the move amounted to nothing more than partisan politics in its basest form.
"Nobody really made a big deal when John Kennedy appointed his brother Bobby," argued Bartlett. "Much has been made of the fact that Jeb only has a degree in Latin studies, but people tend to overlook his wealth of experience in interfacing with law enforcement as evidenced by his recent handling of the Terri Schiavo case during his tenure as governor of Florida. What the Justice Department needs at this point, is a mover and shaker... someone with experience outside of the law... someone who can really push forward this administration's concerns over illegal immigration and voter fraud."
A response to the controversial appointment from Democratic Senate majority leader Harry Reid was almost immediate and to the point. "When you take into account the multitude of abject failures of this administration, particularly in regards to the ongoing debacle in Iraq, you have to conclude that the President's appointment of his brother is offering the American public a visit to a 'used camel lot'."

Try Majimboism to redress regional imbalances

It seems to me that in Kenya the mention of the word, Majimbo sends shivers down the spines of many Kenyans. Some Kenyans hate Majimbo with all the venom in their mammals’ systems. The exception to this rule is the Coast people who seem too happy to embrace federalism. Is Majimbo so bad a word or is the federal system of government that dreadful that it should be feared? I ask this question because one fails to understand why majority of Kenyans hate Majimbo and seem to always be up in arms when the word “Majimbo” is mentioned. Their hatred for this word is in most cases bamboozling.

Majimbo is a Kiswahili word simply meaning federalism. I suspect that majority of Kenyans have been made to believe (and now confuse) Majimbo with Coast people seeking succession. Federalism is a constitutional arrangement whereby power is divided between the national government and regional governments, whereas in the case of Kenya it would be ‘the provincial governments’. In short the power (political and economical) is transferred to the local people. Isn’t that the whole idea of peoples’ democracy?
Federalism does not mean that the country will be divided into tribal fiefdoms managed by chieftains. Nor is it a tactful way for the Coast people to seek political independence from the rest of Kenya like Eretria did in the great Ethiopian nation and now Kosovo seeking independence from Serbia. The country will not have a Kikuyu state, or a Luhya state, but Central and Western provinces respectively. Federalism will lessen if not eradicate the marginalization of certain regions or communities in the country. For instance, why should Luo Nyanza be the poorest region in the country where the people have no control to uplift their plight or situation? Or why should one region have the lion’s share of all senior Government appointments, where no one dare to question.

The major reason the United States is the most powerful nation both politically and economically is the fact that, the local people have control of their surroundings. It is a fact that the U.S has the best federal system of government in the world. Their system consist of one federal or national government, fifty states governments, and over three thousand (yes, 3,000) county governments. In addition power devolution from the county governments’ continues to move down to the municipal governments to small towns the sizes of Mariakani or Mtito Andei and smaller. To a large extent, the president of the United States or the governor of the any given state cannot tell the people what to do or not to do unless they go through (and get the approval of) their respective county and municipal governments. In Kenya the unitary government more or less favours the regions and the communities that produce the head of state, his powerful associates and underlings and senior government bureaucrats.

Let me cite a scenario to drive my point home. Let us take Lamu district as an example. In this district one is likely to have the District Commissioner, the District Officer and the District Education Officer all hail from other regions outside the Coast province. The DC could be from Nyeri, the DO from Narok and the DEO from Meru. With these illustrious individuals in control of the district matters and affairs, does one think they would really care or give a damn if Lamu schools do poorly in national exams? The poor performance of the district does not have any personal effect to them since they are not the natives of the district and as such they could care less. Ask yourself this question: Would this Lamu DC or DEO question the absence of educational scholarships to the district’s bright students? As far as they are concerned they are in the district to serve the interest of the State, serve their time and to further their careers.

They expect and hope for a promotion after some years under their belt
without any track record of success.I can say this with certainty that if the country had a federal system of government, it is more than likely that Coast province would have a tourism industry training institution like Utalii College and a public university. Nyanza might have what the people feel they are missing or what the preceding governments might have refused to provide. Other provinces might have their concerns and they would take care of them. That is the benefits of Majimbo. It is not Raila Odinga becoming the Chieftain of Nyanza, Kalonzo Musyoka of Ukambani, President Mwai Kibaki of Central province and Chirau Mwakwere of Pwani, to name but four individuals.

Kenyans must keep in mind that most successful nations apart from the United States, such as Germany, Canada, and India all have Majimbo system of government. Oops, sorry, not Majimbo, but federalism. No one is advocating that we copy-cat the American system or that of Germany or the Canadian system. We cannot copy-cat their systems, it would be impossible because of economical reasons and many other obvious reasons. Our Majimbo system shall, would, and ought to be unique to our situation, needs and history. Ours could be more or less and close to that of the Indian and Nigerian federal systems where the states were never ‘sovereign states’ before joining the union.

We can sit down and argue until the cows come home, but the fact remains that, with the federal system, Kenya will be more united. Right now as we stand, a Kenyan first identifies oneself first as a member of his or her community (or tribe) then as a Kenyan. We can deny this fact the same way a white Americans can deny they are no racists. Although they might have black, Hispanic or Oriental friends they still harbor racist tendencies.
I can speak boldly that the best and the only cure for our political nightmares will be the introduction of Majimbo or federalism (whatever name one would prefer to use). We have had the unitary system of government for more than 40 years and we have seen that at it’s best, this flawed system usually favor the presidents’ regions. Need I say more?

Source: Sunday Times

Author: Omar A Ali

Mugabe Calls Bush and Blair "Little Fellars!"

Nothing frightens me, not even little fellows like Bush and Blair. I have seen it all, I don't fear any suffering or a struggle of any kind," Mugabe, 83, said to cheers from ZANU-PF supporters at a meeting in Harare.
"I make a stand and stand on principle here where I was born, here where I grew up, here where I fought and here where I shall die," Mugabe said, accusing the West of sponsoring the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) to overthrow his government.
One of Zimbabwe's top Roman Catholic clerics, Archbishop Pius Ncube of Bulawayo, on Friday repeated his call for mass peaceful protests to end Mugabe's 27-year rule.
Police, meanwhile, accused MDC supporters of petrol bombing a police station in Mutare city, the latest in a series of violent acts which officials have attributed to opposition activists.
International criticism of Mugabe has sharpened this month after police cracked down on opposition supporters attempting to attend a banned prayer rally, arresting several MDC activists including party leader Morgan Tsvangirai.

Muslims call off Kenya protests

Kenya's newspaper, Daily Nation, has confirmed that Muslims leaders have called off the protest to disrupt the Cross-country games, the following is the news clip from the Daily Nation:
_________________

Muslims call off Kenya protests Kenyan Muslim leaders have called off protests planned to disrupt Saturday's World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.
The move follows a series of meetings between Muslim leaders and Government officials, with one meeting dragging on until 8pm yesterdayThe leaders had lined up a series of demonstrations at the Kenyan coast to protest a decision by the Government to deport more than 27 people who the Muslims contend are Kenyans.
Security officials have previously argued that the deportees were Somali militia and sympathisers loyal to the ousted Islamic Courts Union, but the Muslim leaders contend that the affected are actually Kenyans.

The Muslim leaders argue that the Kenyans were part of 70 people deported to Somali and Ethiopia in January and February.
A Press statement by seven Muslim leaders said a joint six-man team comprising their representatives and security agents will now verify the nationalities of those who were deported.

The statement was signed by Khalfan Khamis (Majlisul Ulamaa Kenya), Abdullahi Abdi (National Muslim Leaders Forum), Ali Al Maawy (Kenya Assembly of Ulamaas and Imaams), Muhammad Dor Muhammad (Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya), Muhammad Khayundi (National Union of Kenya Muslims), Muhammad Warfa (Jamia Mosque Committee) and Faroq M. Adan (Muslim Consultative Council).
They claimed the Government had confirmed that five names in the list of the deportees were actually Kenyans.

"The Government confirmed to us that five names in our list of people taken to Somalia, and whose documents they have verified, are indeed Kenyans. They have also confirmed that the process of tracing these people is going on," they said.
The protest call by the Muslims triggered a travel alert by the US government to its citizens and occasioned a major security operation at the Kenya coast.
International athletes have begun arriving in Mombasa for the World Cross Country Championships on Saturday.

Mteza Kwao Hutunzwa, A Reality Check for Coastals!

The news generated via the recently released political manifesto by Hon. Najib Balala presidential campaign and the increasing unity challenges that are facing the ODM-K party’s are enough reasons to hang onto Balala’s candidacy for the State House. As we write, it is questionable whether or not ODM-K will survive the trust fracas ignited by atwo of its top leaders. And, it is for this reason that Balala can become the ultimate torch-bearer for ODM-K and Kenya after the election.

It is clear that Hon. Balala has critical sets of characteristics that make him unique and a very potent candidate. He is from a minority angle in all sense of the word minority. Being an island Muslim from Mvita constituency and belonging to an ethnic group whose numbers do not threaten any other candidate within ODM-K. Balala is amply experienced, tested, and his vision is by all means “Tosha” for the future Kenya.

As a result, Coastals can now fantasize the idea of having a Coastal indigenous residing in the State House. In the USA, similar thoughts are blowing off the minds of black Americans and women who are salivating on the possibility of a historical representation in the White House via Senators Barrack Obama and/or Hillary Clinton in the 2008 general elections. It takes very little to awaken the hope of long forgotten minorities. This is a chance for Kenya.

Candidate Balala is very real because he will revive the powerful campaign momentum of the ODM-K. Balala candidature will bring the votes from the Nyanza, Western and the Eastern provinces through Hon. Raila Odinga, Musalia Mudavadi, and Kalonzo Musyoka. His Muslim affiliations will lock North Eastern Province and the Coast.

In turn, a properly cultivated Uhuru Kenyatta vice-presidency may steal the votes from Central and a landslide for ODM-K in 2007 may be, after all, very possible. It will only require the support and unity of Hon. Raila and Kalonzo to envision a modern Kenya of hope and sanity through a candidate of promise and compromise; and Balala is the man for the job.

But Hon. Balala will not be able to do this without our support. Balala is in this not for himself as he is already an accomplished citizen. He is sacrificing all this in the name of Kenya. The change he envisions will never come from one person, but will come from the passion of your support and sacrifice. Therefore, take this as the chance that will lead to changes and it is important for all of us to fully participate and ask others to join this effort.

Mombasa Games: Hakuna Matata

Following last Sunday commentary on the Sunday Times, we happy to state that a Parliamentary Group of Coast Members of Parliament has assured Kenyans and the international community that the World Cross-Country Championships would proceed smoothly. The group was led by the powerful Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere who is also the Matuga MP. The legislators noted that Coast residents had assured them they won’t disrupt the event as they had earlier threatened. The lawmakers added that athletes, IAAF delegates and other visitors and tourists would be safe.

While addressing a press conference in Nairobi at Parliament Buildings Minister Mwakwere was quoted by the press to have noted: "Coast people have pledged their support for the event and we assure everyone that there will be no ugly incidents."
The minister was flanked by his Coastal colleagues including the vocal State Minister for Heritage Suleiman Shakombo who noted: "Mombasa and Coast people’s hospitality is second to none."

Others in attendance included Assistant Ministers Joseph Kingi, Ananiah Mwaboza, and Abu Chiaba and MPs Gonzi Rai (Kinango) and Abdallah Ngozi (Msambweni).

Balala for President

This past week saw the main ODM-K presidential rivals killing their party’s strong unity as fast as they had build it two years ago. The two most-visible party presidential contenders, Honorable Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka effectively mutilated ODM-K potential and left a leadership vacuum that will take a lot of sacrifice to fill. Perhaps that is why another candidate, albeit a less popular one, is re-emerging to claim the limelight. Through little fanfare, the media unveiled Hon. Najib Balala political manifesto this week.

Mr. Balala, a low key ODM-K presidential candidate from Kenya’s most disfranchised province has the least political capital, at the national level, promptly emerged from the tail-end to headlines. However, compared to the political giants he has to contest against, Balala may be quickly written off even before he begins to campaign for the presidency. But wait a minute! Before you wipe him off your political-scanner, analyze this. The fact is that his very standing as a minority candidate may as well be his biggest asset that will propel him to the ultimate prize. In fact, his well articulated political manifesto is maps out an excellent course. In his road-map, Balala clearly gives a glimpse into what he wants to incorporate into his leadership and the future looks well mapped for Kenya through the vision of this gentleman from Mombasa.

As specified in his proposal, Balala’s government will have a prime minister and four deputies to handle the most important cluster of ministries in a reformed and streamlined government. His manifesto draws a realistic picture of the country’s needs in all the important sectors and he ignites hope for all wananchi. With this week’s events, Balala may as well have curved a possible path to the presidency.

For some of us who share similar Coastal roots, we can actually fantasize the idea of having a Coastal residing in the State House. In the USA, similar thoughts are blowing off the minds of black Americans and women who are salivating on the possibility of a historical representation in the White House via Senators Barrack Obama and/or Hillary Clinton in the 2008 general elections.

As insignificant as we may believe Balala candidacy is, we must remember that this former mayor and cabinet minister possess special characteristics that make him a unique and very sensible option for the other more influential politicians. He is more valuable now than before the ODM-K London fiasco that left a major blot on the party. He is ethnically neutral, non-affiliated to any of the Kenya’s big tribes, or a religion with large following in Kenya, or Mafia-like corrupt personalities. He is likable, tested and can bring people together through his clear vision for Kenya.

Therefore, through a process of “wild-card” calculations, Balala may the best hope for ODM-K. As it stands neither Raila nor Kalonzo can repair the damage they have caused in their individual candidacies. Or, rummage the influence of the party they formed to unseat Mwai Kibaki. For this reason, they need a new strategy of coming back to the limelight not through the obvious front door—but through a third candidate of compromise.

OK, I know you think I am not only re-introducing the American notion of “wild-card,” but I am subsequently making wild statements about the persuasive ideas for Balala’s candidacy. Balala will become a compromise candidate because ODM’s star-candidates in the name of Hon. Raila Odinga and Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka have dangerously and publicly locked horns and totally screwed up their chances of beating President Mwai Kibaki. Apparently, if any of the two ascends into winning the ODM-K ticket, then the other will run away with his bruised ego and thus votes. Obviously, such divisions will result in heavy losses for ODM-K in the general elections. This will happen regardless of a pre-election treaty or MoU that they will device.

Make no mistakes, the division we see in the ODM-K between Raila and Kalonzo is permanent and will never heal. Therefore, from the short walk one of them may have taken to the State House this December, there seem to be a big gap that may be filled by a Balala candidacy given the right strategy. If by now you were expecting me to mention Musalia Mudavadi as another influential solution, you may want to consider that his close proximity, geographical and cultural of Mr. Odinga’s sphere of influence will play negatively for Musyoka’s acceptance of Musalia’s candidature. Therefore Balala remains an important key to merging the potential energies of Raila and Kalonzo in a productive winning ticket for the 2007 elections.

It is also clear that Hon. Balala has critical sets of characteristics that make him special and a very potent conciliatory candidate. He is from a minority angle in all sense of the word minority. Being a “brown” Muslim from Mvita constituency and belonging to an ethnic group whose numbers do not threaten any other candidate. Balala is amply experienced and his vision is by all means “Tosha” for the future Kenya. Besides, in every campaign there lies a potent force that can only be mainstreamed if a certain unity can be forged. Without analyzing what made NARC successful in 2002, it is an important lesson to believe that a new paradigm is needed for ODM-K to succeed this year.

Raila and Kalonzo must come to their sense and use their big voices to pull in the critical vote required to elevate Balala to an indomitable candidate. On the one hand, Balala success may be totally dependent on a wild situation like this. But, on the other hand Raila’s and Kalonzo’s leadership can only benefit Kenya if they both step-out and support a third person—such as as Balala. That is Balala’s success as well as all other candidates is totally dependant on the sacrifice of all the party leaders; especially after the aborted London truce meeting.

I am Coastal; I am a brown Muslim originating only 40 miles from Balala himself. Therefore, I am slightly biased in my analysis when I say that the Coastal natives are a trustworthy group of people. If there are any worries about a winner who will not honor a Memorandum of Understanding or who will seek second-term re-election despite assuring others that he will be a single term president, Balala is not that kind of a personality. Additionally, Balala is not surrounded by bad influence such as the Mt. Kenya Mafia. And, it is critical that once someone takes the highest seat on the land s/he does not surround self with MEGA, GEMA, or any of those big suffocating tribal dominating organs. This man has no threatening tribal members who will take the government like the way this government has been hijacked by the Mt. Kenya cartel of corrupted leaders in all the major ministries and parastals. If there is a neutral candidate in this whole contest, Balala is that candidate because his ethnic group is almost non-existent in Kenya.

Last but not least, candidate Balala is very real because he will revive the powerful campaign momentum of the ODM-K. Balala candidature will bring the votes from the Nyanza, Western and the Eastern through Raila, Musalia, and Kalonzo. His Muslim affiliations will lock North Eastern Province and the Coast. In turn, a properly cultivated Uhuru Kenyatta vice-presidency may steal the votes from Central and there will be a sweet landslide for ODM-K in 2007. It will only require the sensibility of the Raila-Kalonzo impasse to envision a modern Kenya of hope and sanity through a candidate of promise; and Balala is your man.

Author: Abdillahi Alawy, PhD
Aalawy@gmail.com

House Business Committee

Parliament kicked off business Wednesday morning with the appointment of the crucial House Business Committee (HBC). The acrimony over membership witnessed in the last session of Parliament appeared resolved following the appointment of 13 Government MPs and seven from the main Opposition parties to the committee. The acrimony over membership witnessed in the last session of Parliament appeared resolved following the appointment of 13 Government MPs and seven from the main Opposition parties to the committee.

Official Opposition party KANU withdrew its membership in the key organ in March last year, after the government defeated a motion by the Opposition that sought to withdraw names of KANU members submitted to the HBC. KANU had demanded that their membership in the committee be increased by one member to seven but after they were granted their wish they declined saying it was wrong for NARC to exclude members of LDP who gave it the numerical strength in the committee.

The hostility between both sides of the house saw Health Minister Charity Ngilu relinquish her position in the HBC in a bid to foster dialogue.
The government is now represented by Vice President Moody Awori and Cabinet Ministers Martha Karua, Amos Kimunya, John Michuki, Musikari Kombo, Kivutha Kibwana, Chirau Mwakwere, Kipruto Kirwa, Raphael Tuju, Simeon Nyachae, Henry Obwocha, Moses Akaranga and Chief Whip Norman Nyagah.

The Opposition is represented by Uhuru Kenyatta, Justin Muturi, Wiliam Ruto, Henry Kosgey, Joseph Kamotho, Marsden Madoka and Chris Okemo.

Sources: Kenya News

SPEECH BY PRESIDENT MWAI KIBAKI, DURING THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF THE 6TH SESSION OF THE 9TH PARLIAMENT AT PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS, NAIROBI ON 20TH MARCH,

It gives me great pleasure to welcome Honourable Members to this 6th Session of the 9th Parliament. The recess provided an opportunity for Honourable Members to spend time with their constituents, and understand their needs.

Mr. Speaker,

The laws that we have passed and enacted in the last four years form the basis on which Kenyans can realize the dream of a well governed country that is prosperous, just and equitable. In this respect, some the laws this House has passed during the last four years include legislation providing for anti-corruption and economic crimes, public financial management, privatization, procurement and disposal of public assets, and public officer ethics. These have raised the level of prudent management of public resources to unprecedented heights.
Parliamentary watchdog and oversight committees have been vigorous and thorough in discharging their mandates, and in doing so, they have raised the level of accountability to commendable standards. On its part, my Government has pursued a policy of open and transparent conduct of public affairs. We have used the internet in making available a substantial amount of information to the public on various matters such as the budget, national statistics, and ministerial policy blueprints. As a result, we now have a better informed public and close scrutiny by the media, and civil society.

Mr. Speaker,

The future of this country rests on its children who must be nurtured, educated and trained to prepare them for the challenges of nation building. It is in recognition of the critical role of our children in the future of this country that my Government undertook to provide Free Primary Education despite the overwhelming odds. Today, we have more than 7.6 million children in primary school, compared to 6.1 million in 2002, and over 928,000 in secondary school compared to 778,000 five years ago.

The educational reforms implemented by my Government have increased primary school enrolment to over 83 percent, with the target of achieving 100 percent enrolment by 2007. The transition from primary to secondary school has risen to 60 percent this year, with the target of achieving 70 percent next year. Given the success of Free Primary Education, the Government will be focusing more attention on secondary school education which provides the critical mass for the technological advancement of the country. In this respect, the Government is encouraging establishment and equipping of day secondary schools in order to make secondary school education more accessible.

I call on Honorable Members to accord priority to the establishment and expansion of day secondary schools and day streams in boarding schools in the allocation of CDF resources.Further, the Government is developing a policy framework to make secondary school education affordable. In this regard, we will be announcing the measures that the Government will be implementing in the near future.

Mr. Speaker,

The well-being of a society depends on the socio-economic status of its women. When we educate girls, we change the entire society, which is why we are encouraged by the achievement of gender parity in primary schools in most corners of the country. By investing in the education of these girls, we expect better outcomes in child mortality, child health, and reduction in teenage pregnancy, early marriages and maternal mortality. For now, we are deliberately pursuing the affirmative actions I announced last year. We will continue to reserve a minimum of 30 percent of all new public service jobs for women, and integrate Maendeleo ya Wanawake in the constituency level committees.

Further, my Government is aware that the majority of hawkers and informal sector employees are women, and we therefore intend to establish a Women's Enterprise Development Fund later this year. With regard to the newly launched Youth Enterprise Development Fund, my Government has already released the first disbursement of 210 million shillings to all constituencies, while the balance of 790 million shillings will be disbursed through other financial intermediaries.

These efforts have two essential objectives: the first, is to provide seed capital to youth and women in small business who would otherwise not receive support from any other source. The second, is to grow a generation of solid young businessmen and women who can generate income and create more employment opportunities.

Mr. Speaker,

The regional differences in natural endowments and social and economic infrastructure have resulted in regional inequalities. My Government has therefore continued to channel substantial resources to the grassroots level through various devolved funds to finance development projects of the people's choice. Through the Constituency Development Fund, for example, we have in the current Financial Year allocated 10 billion shillings to be disbursed to all the constituencies in the country. We have also allocated 7.5 billion shillings to the Local Authorities Transfer Fund, and a further 10 billion shillings for the district roads committees.
These funds together with the Constituency HIV/AIDS fund, and bursary fund are transferring considerable sums of money to the grassroots. In addition to the devolved funds, we are also undertaking regional integrated projects for regions that require urgent affirmative action due to past neglect. Over the last four years, for instance, the Government invested 12 billion shillings for the development of the Arid and Semi-Arid districts in northern Kenya. My government is now in the process of formulating an Economic Recovery Programme to cover all districts of the Coast Province.

Already, initial estimates show that the Government has spent 8 billion shillings on completed projects in Coast Province in the last four years. The projects cover a wide range of activities intended to spur economic growth, reduce poverty and increase employment opportunities. With respect to rural electrification, the Government has over the last four years implemented the most ambitious programme to provide electricity to our rural communities and stimulate the growth of small-scale businesses in these areas. We have in this regard, allocated more than 7 billion shillings for Rural Electrification in the last 4 years alone, compared to a total allocation of 6 billion shillings between 1963 and 2002.

Mr. Speaker,

Sustained prudent fiscal and monetary policies in the last four years have resulted in lower interest rates and a stable exchange rate, providing a conducive macro-economic environment for investment. All short-term interest rates were lower in June 2006 than in June 2005, and much lower than they were five years ago, while Government borrowing from the markets remains modest. Inflation has also been managed to enable a relatively stable underlying rate of about 5 percent. Income, corporate, and Value Added Taxes have largely remained unchanged, while most tariffs have been substantially reduced. My Government has consistently reviewed and revised laws and regulations to make doing business in Kenya easier and friendlier.

As a result of these predictable, consistent and stable policy measures, business confidence is at an all time high among local and international investors. Private credit to the transport and communications sector is up by 33 percent, while credit to the building and construction sector has increased by 38 percent. Foreign Direct Investment increased to nearly 80 billion shillings last year, while the overall economy is estimated to grow by a minimum of 6 percent for the year 2006. Several sectors and industries continue to post impressive growth rates.
For example, tourism last year earned Kenya 56 billion shillings from 1.8 million visitors, horticultural export earnings rose to 44.9 billion shillings in 2006 from 38 billion shillings in 2005, and maize production increased to 35 million bags in 2006 from 32 million bags in 2005. The dairy sector grew at an impressive 24 percent with estimated earnings of over 70 billion shillings.

The communications sector saw impressive growth, with over 7 million mobile phone subscribers. We will soon have one in every four Kenyans connected by mobile telephony. Similarly, cement production went up by 7.8 percent, electricity consumption grew by 6 percent, and consumption of fuel went up by 7.5 percent. These trends of rapid and sustained growth can be seen across all sectors, showing that the economy has truly recovered. However, to achieve even higher rates of growth, some short and longer term measures are required to enable our producers, manufacturers, and service providers achieve higher levels of productivity.
With regard to agriculture, my Government will increase the capacity for our national food reserves by 1 million bags of maize from 3 to 4 million bags, and 2,000 tons for dried milk. We therefore plan to spend an additional 1.8 billion shillings to purchase maize, and 600 million shillings to buy milk from our farmers this year. The fishing sector is also a major contributor to employment, food security, and export earnings. The sector employs 60,000 people directly and 600,000 indirectly along our lakes, and coastal shoreline.
With regard to Lake Victoria, my Government has connected power to 20 fish landing sites, with work currently underway at 2 other sites. We are also assisting local fishermen to form cooperatives.

Mr. Speaker,

To sustain economic growth at 6 percent and above per year, we will need to save and invest much more of our incomes than we are doing now. Savings and credit co-operatives, pension schemes, retirement benefits schemes, NSSF and NHIF are critical instruments for the mobilization of savings. We will therefore be providing better policy incentives and regulatory frameworks to effectively use these savings to accelerate the country's economic growth.
Mr. Speaker,The provision of quality physical infrastructure is critical to increasing the economic growth rate from 6 to 10 percent per year within the next 5 years. To expand the country's infrastructure base and make Kenya the most competitive country in the region, my Government will develop new financial instruments to fund infrastructure development by mobilizing domestic resources.

These include public-private partnerships, and infrastructure bonds that will provide additional resources for investing in roads, electricity, water, ports, airports, railways, and telecommunications. These measures will increase our capacity to finance and implement our infrastructure projects and programmes in a more timely fashion. For instance, it takes a minimum of 3 to 4 years to progress from inception to ground breaking for a road project financed through development assistance, compared to 1 year for a road project financed from domestic resources.
Mr. Speaker,We are formulating the Vision Twenty Thirty as the basis for our medium to long-term growth strategy. The vision is projected to provide immediate and long-term measures to raise economic growth from the current 6 percent to an average of 10 percent for the next 25 years. The vision will be anchored on a strategy based on high and sustained economic growth, promotion of social justice and equity, and entrenchment of issue-based and accountable politics. The process will be all-inclusive, and will culminate with a sessional paper that will be tabled before this House later this year.

The vision strategy will also accord high priority to manufacturing, value added agricultural production, tourism, finance, wholesale and retail, and business process outsourcing. These sectors have been identified as having the potential to create rapid growth and transform informal sector enterprises into thriving formal businesses. In this regard, I wish to thank Honourable Members for approving the Micro-Finance Act, which I assented into law last year. The Act will provide mechanisms for capitalizing micro and small enterprises.
In addition to these measures, the Government has rolled out a programme of constructing markets to provide small-scale traders with convenient sites where they can do business. My Government is in the process of abolishing over 400 unnecessary licenses that will make it easier for our people to engage in business.

Mr. Speaker,

One of the critical challenges to improving our economic performance, and providing greater employment opportunities to our people is security. Unlike many fast developing countries, Kenya is yet to become a 24-hour economy, largely because of concerns about security. My Government is determined to turn this around, and to ensure that in the coming year, our security agencies will win the war against crime. Similarly, the perception of corruption and mismanagement of public resources must be eliminated, if we are to attain a more equitable and prosperous society.

To reduce corruption in public procurement, the law and regulations under the new public procurement act are now in operation. We will also strengthen the judiciary by increasing the number of judges from 60 to 200 to ease the shortage of judges that has caused a backlog of cases, and slowed down the administration of justice. In this regard, the Government will soon be tabling a Bill to increase the number of judges in the High Court from 50 to 150, and those in the Court of Appeal from 10 to 50.

My Government will also introduce amendments to open up wealth declarations to public scrutiny, and propose a Bill to enhance judicial autonomy. These laws and regulations will strengthen the existing anti-corruption legal and institutional framework, make justice more available to all Kenyans, and strengthen the fight against corruption.

Mr. Speaker,

Last year, my Government tabled 32 Bills to this House. I commend the Honorable Members for passing 19 Bills during the last session. We shall be republishing the lapsed Bills for consideration by the House. In addition to these Bills, the Government will be introducing new Bills to consolidate the economic and social gains, and improve the governance of this country.
Mr. Speaker,I will now address some of the areas that the Government intends to introduce legislation and Sessional Papers during this Session of Parliament. My Government will be tabling a Bill to enable the direct election of mayors, deputy mayors, and chairmen of County Councils. This will facilitate better management and accountability of our local authorities. We will also be tabling a Political Parties Bill to better regulate political parties in this country.
Mr. Speaker,During my visits to the Provinces and Districts, the leaders and wananchi in some areas passionately argued for sub-division of their districts in order to bring services closer to the people. In response to these requests, the Government has approved 38 new districts and will be tabling necessary legislation to formalize their establishment. The legislation will also seek to legalize 24 other districts created earlier, but not finalized through an Act of Parliament.
With regard to the Constitution Review Process, I want to assure Honourable Members that my Government will facilitate dialogue on the nature and extent of the reforms that are needed. We will then table before the House the necessary legislation that will define the way forward on the review process.

I urge the Honorable Members to participate actively in debating these Bills in order to ensure that what is enacted into law reflects unanimity on the way forward in completing the review of the Constitution, and how we will build strong and durable national institutions and political parties. Among the Bills that we will re-introduce is the Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Legislation to enable us have a legal basis to deal with money laundering. We will also retable the Domestic (Family Protection) Bill that will protect women and children from domestic violence. My Government will table Bills on coffee, cereals, pyrethrum and sugar to enable the agriculture sector continue to grow effectively.
With regard to cooperatives, we will be tabling to this House the Savings and Credit-Cooperative Societies Regulation Bill, which is intended to instill strict financial discipline in all savings and credit cooperatives throughout the country. To enable the Information and Communications Technology sector realize its full potential for employment and wealth creation in Kenya, my Government will table an ICT Bill this year to provide for a single regulator for the sector.
We propose to make amendments to the Firearms Act and Penal Code to provide for capital punishment for persons convicted of acquiring, possessing, and importing firearms without a permit or license. There are also several other Bills and policy papers on various sectors that will be brought to the House for debate and approval. I urge Honorable Members to join hands and work together in completing the business laid out for this House in the coming Session.
In conclusion, Mr. Speaker, I wish the Honorable Members a productive Session in which the common interest of the people of Kenya overrides any other individual or factional agendas. This is possible when leaders set aside personal interests and dedicate themselves to pursue what is best for the people of Kenya.

With these remarks, Mr. Speaker, it is now my pleasure to declare the Sixth Session of the Ninth Parliament officially open.
Thank you and God bless you all.

Sources: State House, Nairobi- Kenya

Obama fit to be next US President

from : DISPATCH FROM WASHINGTON

ON Tuesday, Senator Barrack Obama announced the formation of his presidential exploratory committee and plans to announce his candidature on February 10th in Springfield Illinois.
Obama filed the required paperwork for a presidential exploratory committee, a process that allows him to raise money and organize a campaign structure before his formal announcement in less than a month’s time. These are very exciting times in the United States. After only two years in the US Senate, Obama has become a national celebrity followed by over 150 journalists every time he has a public engagement.

Obama’s announcement did not surprise his supporters, because he has never met anybody who did not beg for him to run for president next year. The news also did not surprise Hilary Clinton, another junior Senator from New York who continues to weigh her own presidential campaign. Apparently, a line has been drawn in the sand for a possible battle between these two senators who are the Democratic Party’s most visible stars for the 2008 polls.
The news did not surprise Obama’s supporters either. Because there have been a lot of activities in his camp. Recently, Senator Obama has sought advice from a wide circle of political consultants and advisors all over the country. Additionally, he is hiring new staff in important primary states, and has created a ripple effect of excitement from Illinois to Hawaii and Kenya. Better yet, in this mode of renewed American hope, opposing voices have not found a grip of what they can use to derail his momentum.

As a result, critics are zeroing on the fact that Obama is inexperienced. Two books, two years at the US Senate, seven at the Illinois House, and several speeches does not make one a candidate for the most powerful presidency in the world, they argue. They also paint a picture where America is not ready for a black president. But, many serious analysts strongly believe that Obama stands a very good chance of becoming the first black president if he goes for it. His lack of experience can actually be used to distinguish him from the old timers such as Senators John Kerry et al.

Obviously, for those people who think Obama’s is lacking in experience or his black skin disqualifies him to be president of the USA, they have already made up their minds. I strongly believe that they are wrong because many Americans are fed-up with the Bush’s policies ---foreign and local. They are ready for change and signs were shown during the recently concluded mid-term elections where George Bush’s party lost a lot of seats to the Democratic Party.

If you have lived in this country for the last six years, you will know that Americans are looking for something that will propel them out of these troubling times. Poor politics and incompetent government has made this country the most hated in the whole world.
Therefore, there is an urgent need for change. And, it will not take long for people to learn that Senator Obama represents that change regardless of his lack of experience. If there is any experienced team in Washington, it can never beat the combination of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfield, Paul Wolfowitz, and a pool of long-time operators going far back to President Gerald Ford’s times. But, remember this is the same team that has immersed this country in a never-ending war that will continue to decades to come.
Obama, 45, is a relatively new face in Washington. His senatorial voting history is very short and it does not raise red flags of any kind. However, this Tuesday’s announcement excited Democrats and many voters who are looking for a charismatic candidate and a fresh start of good politics in Washington.

Mr. Obama may not be Jimmy Carter or Bill Clinton, but he emits a positive outlook on the workings of Washington and exudes confidence that he can act upon the issues that have clogged the government and prune the bad politics that have infected this country. For those who have been lucky to see Obama speak, they will agree with me that he is extremely honest on how he approaches politics and government. The young senator has a realistic philosophical and intellectual calm that is in high demand in Washington. Senator Obama will bring fresh perspective in the White House because he is “potent antidote to old-style politics.”
For the last two years, Senator Obama has never even tried to fit himself into the Washington establishment or the prevailing political definitions. He has received publicity where he never sought and inspired many in his writings and speeches.
For those who think Obama is unelectable because of his little experience in Washington they just need to look at the history of American elections to know that lack of experience is actually a plus for Obama. Americans are actually very predictable when it comes to voting for the most experienced candidates.

If you examine a few recent elections, Americans have actually voted for the most inexperienced candidates for many years. You can say Americans don’t care about experience. For example, in the recent years Minnesota and California have elected a wrestler and a body builder/movie-hero in Jesse Ventura and Arnold Schwarzenegger. And, if experience was important, Bill Clinton would have never beaten George H Bush in the 1992 elections.
Last but not least, I am sure many Kenyans are excited about the opportunity of having a direct connection to the history of this great country. Let’s keep our fingers crossed and pray real hard for Obama to succeed. For those of us who are in the Diaspora, especially in the USA, inquire how you can contribute to Obama’s campaign and take if from there. Don’t let history pass you by, become part of it.

Author: Dr. A S Alawy

aalawy@gmail.com