KENYA SECRET TALKS TO RELEASE KILLER SUSPECTS GOING ON

PNU, ODM in secret talks over amnesty

Published on June 25, 2008, 12:00 am

By Standard Team

 

Key parties in the Coalition Government are holding secret talks over the unending amnesty debate.

PNU and ODM representatives are engaged in a series of meetings over the continued confinement of youths linked to post-election violence.

And so urgent is the matter that it has been listed as priority in the next Cabinet meeting, The Standard has learnt.

The secret discussions are focussed on whether the suspects of post-election violence should be granted a blanket amnesty and those already charged in court pardoned.

As this emerged, some politicians lobbying for the blanket amnesty told the police to account for all the missing youths.

A spotlight was focussed on the police, who are adamant that they do not know the whereabouts of some youths and gave disputed statistics of the suspects they are holding in custody.

According to our sources, both ODM and PNU want to come up with an acceptable solution based on information gathered from the ground.

The parties are agreed that the continued incarceration of the suspects was creating tension across the country.

The source said: “When all the information is gathered, analysed and the nature of crime committed by each suspect categorised, it will be forwarded to President Kibaki to either implement it in total or order that the due process of the law is followed.”

He said the two sides, with the help of a special team of officers, were collecting information on the whereabouts of the missing persons, those in custody and those who have not been able to pay fines imposed by courts.

ODM has insisted that the youths be released unconditionally while PNU, led by Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua, says serious crimes against humanity must not be forgiven.

“The next Cabinet meeting will have the amnesty issue top on the agenda, and with progress this time because we do not want to stick on an issue that is causing tension across the country,” said one of the ministers who talked to The Standard on condition that he was not named.

The two sides have agreed to have the information from the ground, through police stations and CID offices.

“From there, they will be able to agree on who should be released and who should not. The issue of the missing persons is also emerging as a serious one,” the minister said.

This comes in the wake of a statement released by the police giving figures on those in their custody.

Agriculture Minister William Ruto, whose Uasin Gishu District was among the most affected regions, however, told the police they owe Kenyans an explanation over the unaccounted for youths.

Ruto said it amounted to belittling other Kenyans for the police to claim they do not have the correct figures of suspects in their custody.

On Monday, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe talked of missing youths and announced the establishment of a special team to sift through the maze of post-election crimes.

Water Minister Charity Ngilu accused some Government officials of applying selective justice. “Why is it that those who stole the election are free while the youths are languishing in custody?” she asked.

Three MPs from Western Province said some youths arrested in the region over post-election violence were still in police custody.

Ben Washiali (Mumias), David Were (Matungu), and Manyala Keya (Lurambi) said the youths should be released since they were fighting for democracy.

 

 

GVT BREAKING RULES

Mugabe told by Raila to postpone elections, ECK DID WELL SAY KARUA

KIKUYUS’ GEMA GAMES

Cat and mouse games behind Kibaki

Published on June 21, 2008, 12:00 am

By Gakuu Mathenge

Central Kenya’s political cat and mouse games from the Kenyatta era are replaying themselves right behind President Kibaki’s back and 2012 is the push button.

When Mzee Jomo Kenyatta’s demise became imminent, largely due to poor health and old age, it set off pawing and clawing among Central politicians. Today as the clock tick towards the end of Kibaki’s second and final term, succession games are not just simmering. Battle lines are shaping up between some of the President’s trusted lieutenants in the Cabinet.

President Kibaki with Justice minister Ms Martha Karua. She was recently picked as the Narc-Kenya chairperson. She has been quoted saying that the party will go it alone in any elections. Picture: File

They include Kanu chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, who is said to be strategising on taking over Kibaki’s 2007’s vehicle to State House — Party of National Unity — to compensate for his shrunken control of Kanu.

Uhuru supported Kibaki last year and he expects the region would reciprocate by handing him the mantle when he retires.

There is also Justice Minister Martha Karua, who has declared her name will be on the ballot in 2012. After losing deputy premiership, having come so close given her vicious defense of Kibaki and role in the mediation, she took over Narc-Kenya’s leadership. It is expected she has found a home and the eye is on the calendar.

Internal Security Minister and former Vice-President George Saitoti, representing a constituency in the Rift Valley, but with partial roots traceable to the Mount Kenya region, is also in the war room plotting the plunge. It is said he could be working on how to jump into the controls of Kibaki’s campaign vehicle in 1992 and 1997 — Democratic Party of Kenya. Saitoti has publicly declared interest in the presidency after Kibaki, but other than operating within Narc-Kenya, he has not shown interest in another union.

Speculation is also rife the Meru may decide to have a try through its senior most politician, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi. This would be against the backdrop of claims, as expressed last month during a New Gema (Gikuyu, Embu, Meru Association) meeting, that their cousins have never reciprocated their support.

It is in this mix that another flank has opened up in the region, outside Uhuru’s, Karua’s and Saitoti’s political orbit. Some seasoned politicians are flogging the sleeping giant, Gema, to as a platform to mediate what is likely to turn into a vicious tussle with the potential of fragmenting the political bloc.

It believed Uhuru’s appointment, as DPM was Kibaki’s plot to put him ahead of the pack. But before he could celebrate, Karua, announced her name would be on the ballot come 2012, and went for Narc-Kenya, which prides itself as the one with the most number of seats in the PNU constellation.

She was shortly installed as interim chairperson, pending elections in November.

Karua and her supporters make no secret of their feelings she was unfairly sidestepped in the DPM appointment.

Immediately Karua assumed Narc-Kenya’s chair, her former comrades in the flower party, former Finance Minister David Mwiraria, former Mathira MP Nderitu Gachagua and Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri announced acquisition of the Grand National Union.

Narc-Kenya’s silent tussle could come out next weekend when the party holds a convention in Naivasha. Prof Saitoti, an experienced politician has been in Government in 1983. He is wealthy, stealthy even wily.

Woo other communities

In between are the images of Central in Kenyatta’s days. With Kenyatta frail and aging, Central politicians built and changed alliances. Then, as now, it was clear a winning strategy would have to be crafted as vehicle to woo other communities.

The challenge then, for those who wanted to influence the succession plot, was either to line up behind Kenyatta’s then Vice-President, former President Moi, who was the constitutional heir apparent. One could also join the change-the-constitution movement, a Gema tool to change the law to bar the VP from automatically taking over for 90 days if the President died in office.

Kanu, the only political party then, was split between those who preferred the clause remained, led by then Finance Minister and current President, and the then Attorney General Charles Njonjo.

Leading the charge on the other side was Dr Njoroge Mungai, then Foreign Affairs Minister and Dagorreti MP. The Moi-Kibaki-Njonjo strategy included roping in the support of the Luo. The linkman was former Agriculture Minister Odongo Omamo.

The Mungai group worked with Mzee Jaramogi Oginga, who had fallen out with the Moi group in the 1960s. The two main battle fronts for the two sides fighting to succeed Kenyatta, was the ruling party, Kanu, and several ethnic welfare groups, among them Gema, Luo Union, Akamba Union under Paul Ngei, Maasai United Front of the later Stanley Oloitiptip, among others.

The restive political bloc today is also motivated by search for the post-Kibaki leadership, the bridge that would be the face of Central in a coalition of convenience. He or she could also be the presidential flag bearer.

Narc-Kenya’s presumed hold on central Kenya has since been challenged by emergence of the Grand National Union, a party that was registered late last year. It is being propagated by Kiunjuri as party leader and Gachagua, as secretary general and Mwiraria, as patron. The name of Ndia MP Njeru Githae, also features in GNU.

However, the picture of who is in what faction, and emerging outfits, could be clearer when Narc-Kenya holds its national convention next weekend. The party’s organising secretary, Assistant Minister Danson Mungatana, said the party would use the convention to launch its documents, among them election rules, manifesto and recruitment criteria. It will later roll out its election schedule.

The effect of losing young and energetic supporters like Gachagua, Kinjuri and Githae is yet to be seen, but it poses perception problems in the region. Besides that it splinters the youth vote.

Gachagua was among a small group of Narc-Kenya insiders who stopped the party’s polls even after returning officers and election materials had been deployed. His argument then was that the poll would split the party in an election year while adding no value at all to Kibaki’s re-election campaign.

Asked what the new party, Kiunjuri said the youth had been let down by major parties led by old politicians.

“It is time to curve out a youth agenda, that we can take to the negotiating table and stake demands. The existing parties keep away young people from leadership by charging hefty fees before one can run for Parliament and civic leadership. The Constitution says you cannot vie for presidency until you are 35. In Grand National Union, candidates for any position, who are aged between 18-35 will not be required to pay any fees,” he said

The Central region, Kiunjuri says, has the highest number of unemployed youths, who have been marginalised and criminalised as members of Mungiki.

“Most of the problems the region faces arise from absence of serious political leadership. We want to build a party that people will join because of its policies and not just because a tribal chieftain is the leader.”

Gema’s leadership

He argued the other parties have no policies because they only come out in electioneering. GNU, he promised, will make specific demands on behalf of its members.

Kinjuri adds the party is developing the concept of super-delegates, party members who are not necessarily involved in politics, “but will help the party make decisions and develop policies”.

Gachagua says the party intends to get involved in the ongoing discourse of constitutional review and succession debate.

“We will be pressing for the correction of the gerrymandering that Kanu did, to promote the principle of proportional representation in Parliament. Central Kenya is among regions severely under-represented in Parliament,” Gachagua said.

Gema’s picked two senior clerics, Bishop Lawi Imathiu of the Methodist Church and retired Anglican Bishop, the Reverend Peter Njenga, to oversee the rebirth. Gema supporters however insist it is not a political party but a platform to discuss issues of regional importance. They deny charges it is out to re-invent old players to continue wielding influence over public affairs from outside Parliament and political parties.

The name of the last of Gema chairman and former Defence Minister Njenga Karume, also features in the rebirth. He spoke at the inaugural meeting at the Kenya Methodist University in Meru last month. But Karume says while he supports regional unity, he is no longer interested in Gema’s leadership.

“During its heyday, with over 14,000 members, Gema was very involving and I tried to step down on several occasions. I am in no position to lead a busy public organisation now. A younger person should do it. Perhaps I can just be the patron,” he said.

Gema revival met with some hostility, especially by elected leaders from Embu, Meru and Mbeere, who accuse their Central Province cousins of having shortchanged them in sharing of the properties of old Gema.

But Karume says nothing could be further from the truth.

“Anyone who says some Gema members were shortchanged speaks from ignorance. Gema as a welfare association also had an investment arm called Gema Holdings Limited. We bought land properties for members among other investments. But only those who bought shares could claim any proceeds from the investments. We settled over 10,000 shareholders on land we bought in Naivasha and Laikipia,” Karume revealed.

Karume, however, says the region was entitled to seek political unity just like other regions and communities and would support such efforts.

KARUA BOOED AT BURIAL OF LATE MP LABOSO

Showdown in Sotik as Lorna is laid to rest

Published on June 21, 2008, 12:00 am

By Steve Mkawale and Vitalis Kimutai

Ugly scenes erupted at the funeral of former Home Affairs Assistant Minister Lorna Laboso, portraying post-election tension that continues to undermine the Grand Coalition.

Despite a large number of MPs arriving in a show of unity to bury their colleague who died in plane crash last week, hostile reaction to Justice Minister Martha Karua by mourners indicated post-election tension is still palpable.

Assistant minister Margaret Wanjiru (centre) consoles Mina, a niece of Lorna Laboso, as her sister, Dr Joyce Laboso Abonyo (left), breaks down. Picture: LUCAS THUO/VPPS

Karua was booed and heckled just after fellow Cabinet Minister Charity Ngilu left the podium after touching on the sensitive issue of the release of post-election violence suspects.

Laboso’s son, Marcos Kiprono and her mother Rebecca, attempted to calm agitated mourners who booed the minister, with the mother appealing for honourable and peaceful send-off for her second born child.

Karua, who embodies Government legal authority as the Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs, spoke after Ngilu had said those arrested were not the cause of the problem.

It is 13 days since Karua and other MPs had spoken at the same venue, at Manaret in Sotik District, during the thanks giving ceremony, marking Laboso’s election as Member of Parliament.

The drama at the funeral attended by Members of Parliament from both sides of the political divide belies the cracks that ran underneath despite efforts to display a united front.

Trouble started when angry mourners screamed and surged forward in an attempt to stop Karua from speaking.

Karua was twice forced to cut short her speech as thousands of mourners heckled over her stand on amnesty for suspects arrested following post- election violence.

Dignitaries who included Vice- President Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi watched as the crowd humiliated their colleague.

Karua was invited to pay tribute to her departed colleague after Ngilu had addressed the mourners.



 

Ngilu apparently appeared to have worked up the crowd when she accused some of her colleagues in the Cabinet of working against the release of post-election violence suspects.

“Those who caused the problem are not the boys in jail, but leaders who are seated here with us and who have refused to have the suspects pardoned,” she said, amid applause from the crowd at Laboso’s home.

“If the youths will remain in jail then those generals (leaders) who called for mass action must also face the law,” said the Kitui Central MP.

Energy Assistant Minister Charles Keter, who was the master of ceremonies, to give her last respects to Laboso, invited Karua.

A section of the crowd started shouting her down as soon as she took the microphone. The jeers then turned into a chorus, with mourners surging forward.

Even attempts by Agriculture Minister William Ruto, Assistant Minister Orwa Ojode, Konoin MP Julius Kones, Rift Valley PC Hassan Noor and Keter to pacify the charged crowd fell on deaf ears. 

It took almost five minutes for Ruto, speaking in vernacular, to calm down the hostile mourners before inviting Karua to resume her speech. He asked them to look at Laboso’s mother’s face, then dripping with tears, to know what they were doing, even if justified, was on the wrong day and occasion.



Jeers and heckling

However, matters went out of hand again forcing the Gichugu MP to eat humble pie and take her seat at the VIP dais. “Forgiveness must come from all of us and not just one side, the victim and the villain” Karua told mourners.

The jeers and heckling drowned the short address forcing the minister to take to her seat between Industry Minister Henry Kosgey and Livestock Minister Mohammed Kuti.

Ruto, who addressed the mourners immediately after took a swipe at the Grand Coalition Government, saying it is failing to meet the expectations of wananchi. He, like Ngilu, said ODM was still marching on and the power-sharing deal was just a pause in the bigger struggle to rule Kenya. He said it was unacceptable that the leaders of the Grand Coalition were being driven around in GK-plated vehicles as the youths who forced on the country the National Peace Accord languished in the cells. He said the situation was compounded by the fact that Mr Samuel Kivuitu, the chairman of Electoral Commission that oversaw the flawed election, was still in office “earning big salary”. He called for an end to what he called “selective justice’’, targeting given communities.

“We must as leaders agree when we formed the Government we left behind those who were together with us during elections,” he said.



 

“We changed the Constitution to legitimise the illegal government and the big boys shared positions leaving behind those who fought to defend democracy,” said the Eldoret North MP.

He said the suspects in custody must be released if the President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agreed to share power. “We must accommodate those boys because we are the reason they are in custody,” he said.

The Agriculture Minister said leaders had destroyed the country by having two sets of laws. “We have made it look like the country has two sets of law, that for the rich and another for the poor. We have made a country where leaders do not pay taxes while the poor do. We must be honest,” said Ruto.

Mudavadi steered off the amnesty debate and instead eulogised Laboso as a great leader, a woman of strength and an inspiration to the girl-child. 

Mudavadi also read a message of condolence from Prime Minister Raila Odinga who was out of the country on official duties. However ODM chairman Mr Henry Kosgey said members of the Kalenjin community had a right to speak out when aggrieved. He too talked of “selective justice’’ in the country.

“Lorna was a person of great compassion and a woman who fought against social injustices and always wanted people to live in peace,” Raila said, of the departed colleague.

Musyoka, who brought a message of condolence from President Kibaki, said Lorna was an “honest, steadfast and hardworking politician and a loving mother to her son, Kiprono”.

 



 

Musyoka said as his assistant, Laboso was up to to the task and ably represented him in many forums.

 

He said: “I was open to her as she was equally open and honest with me during the short stint we were together in the Ministry of Home Affairs.”

Musyoka, however, said his interaction with Laboso started some years back, when as a businesswoman she introduced him to floriculture.

House Speaker Kenneth Marende, Industry Minister Henry Kosgey and Kones demanded investigations into the cause of the plane crash be hastened and it should also be thorough. 



 

Marende said the fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of former Roads Minister Kipkalya Kones, his bodyguard police officer Kenneth Bett and Laboso should be investigated.

“We can not keep losing industrious Kenyans in air crashes. It is simply not acceptable,” Marende said.

 

 

 

 



 

Kosgey said: “We need the findings of the crash made public as the accident was tragic and disastrous.”

 

Dr Kones said most MPs now fear using planes and instead preferred to travel by road.

 

“Let the findings of the crash be made public in order to confirm or dispel fears of foul play in the accident,” Kones said.

 

The Konoin MP said the public were keenly following the developments in the investigations into the accident.

 

“The question is whether Kenya’s airspace is safe. Whether the regulating authority is in charge? If the plane was in good shape, and was the pilot conversant with the terrain?” Kones posed amid cheers from mourners.

Cabinet ministers and MPs led by Kalonzo and Mudavadi travelled to the function in four helicopters while others went by road.

Dignitaries present

As the speakers eulogised Laboso, her only son, Marco Kiprono eight, sat by the coffin with his cousin Ted Abonyo and uncle David Laboso.

Kiprono, dressed in a stripped beige suit, black shirt and dark glasses seemed unaware of the gravity of the situation, and function as he happily played, joked and laughed with Ted as David kept whispering to him throughout the ceremony.

With the huge crowd that turned up for the ceremony, those who wanted to have a bird’s eye view of what was going on were perched on top of trees.

Dignitaries present included ministers Dalmas Otieno, Dr Sally Kosgei, Henry Kosgey, Karua, Ngilu, Prof Hellen Sambili, Beth Mugo, James Orengo and Wycliff Oparanya

Others were Chris Obure, Dr Mohamed Kuti, Samuel Poghisio, William Ntimama, Sam Ongeri, and Dr Naomi Shabaan.

Assistant Ministers included Kilome MP Harun Mwau, Charles Keter, Gideon Ndambuki, Asman Kamama, Bifwoli Wakoli, Peter Kenneth, William Cheptumo, Wilfred Machage and Orwa Ojodeh.

And other MPs present were Isaac Ruto, Benjamin Langat, Musa Sirma, Langat Magerer, Peris Simam, Fred Kapondi, Nderitu Mureithi, Stanley Githunguri, Eugene Wamalwa, John Mututho, David Koech and Johnstone Muthama.

Others were Cyrus Jirongo, Ababu Namwamba, Joseph Kutuny and Prof Margaret Kamar.

Also present were former MPs, permanent secretaries and other government officials.

During the service police officers in uniform and civilian attire had a hectic time controlling the huge crowd, which kept surging forward.

Rift Valley PC Noor Hassan, and Sotik DC Humphrey Nakitare led administrators and other government officials in the function.

Orange Women Democrats laid an orange coloured veil on the black coffin, shone to sheen, with a wreath of flowers laid on top.

Laboso’s portrait with her trademark smile was placed besides the sealed coffin which mourners were not allowed to view.

The eulogy was read by her sister Dr Joyce Laboso-Abonyo. Ruto and Keter alternated as masters of ceremony.

The late assistant minister’s mother, Mama Rebecca Laboso, said she did not know that when her daughter left home after the thanks giving ceremony two weeks ago, she hardly had 48 hours to live.

“I wonder if she would be with us here today had she not joined politics,” an emotional Mama Laboso said in her speech.

Dr Sally Kosgei who was very close to Laboso said: “Lorna was one of those who made me do things I never knew I would. I will miss my wonderful little sister whom I loved.”

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s wife, Ida said: “Lorna was a real role model whose body is gone but the spirit lives with us.”

In the end it was the final send off for the MP of Sotik who made history as the first woman from the Kipsigis community to be elected to Parliament.

Kipkalya Kones who was with Laboso in the same fatal plane will be buried in his Bomet Constituency, on Saturday.

 

 

KENYA, COME CLEAN ON KABUGA NOW

Come clean on fugitive Publication Date: 6/21/2008

The Kenyan authorities must come clean on the issue of Rwandan fugitive Felicien Kabuga or risk being accused of complicity in his uncanny ability to avoid capture. It was great embarrassment for the Kenyan security and intelligence operators to arrest a University of Nairobi lecturer merely on the ground that he resembles Kabuga. Is there someone who is trying to divert attention by telling the world,  through bogus arrests, that he or she is working hard to locate the fugitive? It would not make sense for Kabuga, who has a bounty on his head, to be teaching at a Kenyan university, interacting openly with students and fellow lecturers and still evade the dragnet. How can Kenya’s capable investigators tail Dr Charles Nyandwi for months without realising that he is not Kabuga? The bungled arrest in the ostensible search for Kabuga has only worsened the situation for Kenya in the eyes of the international community, given that some elements in the previous and the current regimes are suspected of harbouring and protecting the fugitive for selfish ends. All we have been told is that Kabuga was one of the architects of the 1994 Rwanda massacre and that he owned Radio de Mille Collines that incited Hutus against Tutsis. His guilt or innocence are yet to be established by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, and the Kenyan authorities should not be seen to be standing in the way. If the authorities know where the man is, they should come clean, just like they did in the late 1990s when they handed over to the Turkish authorities Kurdish secessionist leader Abdullah Ochalan.   Write to the author

KENYA’S DRUG TOWNS, DYING YOUTH

Revealed: Towns that top drugs list Story by ARTHUR OKWEMBA Publication Date: 6/21/2008

Kisumu and Nakuru lead in alcohol abuse in Kenya, a report has shown. The study, carried out in five towns, showed that 36.3 per cent of respondents abused alcohol. Another 17.5 per cent abused nicotine, bhang (9.9 per cent), heroin (8.0 per cent), khat 2.2 per cent and cocaine (2.2 per cent). The highest number of heroin abusers are in Mombasa (22.3 per cent), Malindi (9.8 per cent) and Nairobi (six per cent). Some 1,420 people, mostly youths below 30 years, were interviewed for the study. Many were predisposed to HIV and hepatitis C infections. Of the 120 respondents who were tested for HIV and hepatitis C, 42 per cent were HIV positive and 61 per cent HCV positive. The rate of infection was higher among injection drug users, with 48.9 per cent of the males and 85.7 per cent of the females testing HIV positive. Because drug injectors try to clean their needles before use, researchers concluded that the high HIV rates were due to low rates of condom use. The study also found that families of those who abuse alcohol and other drugs spend colossal amounts of money in medical expenses, including treatment for injuries sustained in accidents or paying for rehabilitation. Victims suffer from low productivity at home and at work, and are likely to die early besides being prone to disease and injuries. At Mathari National Hospital, a two-week rehabilitation programme for drug abusers costs at least Sh5,600. A three- month programme costs Sh36,000. In Tanzania, 45 out of 170 families interviewed during a study on substance abuse complained of using huge sums of money on traditional healers. Another study to be published in the African Journal of Drug and Alcohol Studies, noted that parents and the Government were spending huge sums of money to manage consequences of alcohol abuse. Patients The study was titled Alcohol, Substance Abuse and Psychiatric Co-morbidities: A Case Study of Patients at Mathari Psychiatric Hospital. It said that up to 34 per cent of the 238 patients admitted at the hospital due to alcohol or substance abuse suffered from schizophrenia — a serious mental illness that affects how a person thinks, feels and behaves. Another 20 per cent had mood disorders among other illnesses. Yet, majority of those with these conditions turned to another drug to give them a sense of wellbeing, and only sought medical help after suffering other side effects.

INTOXICATED KENYAN STUDENTS SITUATION WORSE

Revealed: Students drowning in alcohol Story by ARTHUR OKWEMBA Publication Date: 6/21/2008

The devastating effects of alcohol and drugs on young people in Kenya can be laid bare today. Experts are sounding alarm bells after two new studies revealed that school children as young as 11 are falling prey to drug abuse. A woman carries a placard during a past demonstration against drug abuse. Photo/FILE They are warning of major economic costs and loss of the country’s workforce if urgent measures are not taken to reverse the trend. In what may come as a shock to middle class families, the studies show that children whose parents are highly educated were most at risk. About 43 per cent of students whose parents had completed university education abused alcohol compared to 23.6 per cent whose parents had just a high school education. Pocket money The researchers concluded that highly educated parents were too busy with their careers to give attention to their children. They also give them a lot of pocket money and allow them to go out without supervision. Hospitals are also swamped with youths who have mental illnesses resulting from alcohol and drug abuse. These youths were also at a higher risk contracting HIV and Hepatitis C Viral and have a tendency to drop out of school and get unwanted pregnancies. Researchers at the Africa Mental Health Foundation say that in the past four years, the use of alcohol and other drugs among young people had increased by a staggering  71 per cent. Alcohol and cigarette use, they say, is a gate way to abuse of stronger drugs like cocaine and heroin. The experts are now calling for renewed efforts by parents, the Government and players in the alcohol industry to tackle the worrying trend. Among the measures they have proposed are introducing alcohol and drug abuse studies as a compulsory subject from primary school, restricting sale of alcohol to children and raising the legal drinking age from 18 to 21. “Many of the children who abuse drugs come from families where one of the parents or any other member of the family is abusing drugs,” said Prof David Ndetei, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi and  lead researcher in the two studies. The studies show young women were increasingly abusing alcohol and other hard drugs compared to a few years ago. Hospitals like Mathari National are dealing with the aftermath of this abuse. Young women Dr Nelly Kitazi, the medical superintendent at Mathari hospital, said the institution had set up a female rehabilitation centre in response to the rising numbers of young women abusing alcohol and other drugs. The 30-bed capacity male rehabilitation centre is full with scores of others on the waiting list.  Dr Kitazi said: “The average age of those in our rehabilitation centre for alcohol, tobacco and cannabis is 24 years”. The cost of treatment is weighing heavily on parents and the economy. At Mathari, a two-week rehabilitation programme costs Sh5,600, while a three-month one costs Sh36,000. The research findings, to be published soon in two leading scientific journals, say  the affected youths are having enormous problems with teachers and parents and at work for those in employment. Psychiatric disorders such as depression and post-traumatic stress disorders are also reported among the students, with girls being more affected than the boys. According to two studies —  Drug Use Screening Inventory-Revised (DUSI-R) and School Toolkit —  conducted among school going children in 17  public secondary schools in Nairobi, a significant number of the students admitted taking beer, wine, spirits and cigarettes, among other drugs. In the first study that has been accepted for publication by the International Society for Addiction Medicine in the 2008 Substance Abuse Journal, 18.1 per cent of the 1,328 students interviewed said they were taking alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. The School Toolkit study, to be published in the same Journal, surveyed 1,296 students. It found that 3.6 per cent admitted to smoking between one and 20 cigarettes a day. Close to 30 per cent of those aged between 13 and 14 years abused alcohol, drugs (10.1 per cent), and tobacco (21.7 per cent). The abuse was higher among those aged 19 to 20 years, with 49.5 per cent admitting to be using alcohol, 25 per cent drugs, and 39.8 per cent tobacco, according to findings released by African Mental Health Foundation. Day scholars were also affected, with 12.7 per cent of them reporting use of illicit drugs compared to 8.7 per cent among boarders. Unlike boarders, day scholars were found to be under less supervision by teachers and parents when they moved between school and home, making it easy for them to access and abuse drugs. When considered on class basis, about 91.7 per cent of the students in Form Four found accessing cigarettes easier compared to 85.7 per cent in Form One. Cigarettes “Access to alcohol or cigarettes was particularly easier because the students can afford single sticks or small amounts. This requires a policy that prohibits the selling of these commodities in such amounts,” said Prof David Ndetei. The number of those taking alcohol and other drugs increased as they advanced in their studies, with students in Form Four reporting major problems related with alcohol (45.3 percent) and drugs (15.9 percent) compared to their counterparts in Form One who recorded 28.6 per cent for alcohol use and 11.5 per cent for drugs. When asked why they were taking drugs, students said they did so to get high, for emotional relief, peer pressure and curiosity. Others turned to drugs to deal with anxiety or as an adjustment tactic to the new environment in school.

SLDF BOSS NOT ARRESTED

Militia boss hiding, says Western PC

Published on June 19, 2008, 12:00 am

By Stephen Makabila

Sabaot Land Defence Force militia spokesman-cum-political leader John Kanai is still on the run, the Government has said.

Western PC Abdul Mwasserah said on Wednesday security personnel were still-hunting for Kanai and warned him to surrender or be ready to be captured soon.

“Contrary to reports that we have arrested Kanai, it is his brother, Samson, who was arrested, but we are still pursuing Kanai,” said Mwasserah.

The PC said security personnel had reliable information about Kanai and that it may not take long before he was arrested.

“He cannot run forever and we want to tell him that whether he surrenders or not, he will soon be under arrest,” said the PC.

Kanai, he said is the only senior militia leader still on the run.

RAILA MAKWERE IN US SIGNED PACTS

Raila: Kenya to benefit from Open Skies pact with US Story by KEVIN J KELLY in Washington, DC Publication Date: 6/19/2008

Prime Minister Raila Odinga said at a ceremony in Washington on Wednesday that a new US-Kenya Open Skies agreement will bring benefits for the country’s tourism, horticulture and business sectors. Mr Odinga watched as the pact allowing direct flights between the two countries was formally signed by Kenya Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere and US Transportation Secretary Mary Peters.  The Open Skies initiative will allow cut flowers and other Kenya products to reach the United States “within 24 hours of leaving the farms,” he said. Kenya Airways hopes to take advantage of the agreement by starting direct flights between Nairobi and New York, Washington and Atlanta, Mr Odinga added. He noted that the time-saving flights will enable more Kenyans to do business in the US. The agreement will also boost US tourism to Kenya, the Prime Minister said. Americans will no longer have to transit through Europe in order to fly to destinations in Kenya once direct flights start.  Delta Airlines, a US carrier, has announced it will begin flying to Nairobi next year. At the signing ceremony at US Department of Transportation headquarters, Ms Peters passed her condolences to Mr Odinga on behalf of the families of two Kenyan ministers, who died in a plane crash earlier this month. Both Mr Odinga and Ms Peters noted that flying remains one of the safest modes of transportation.

UGANDA GIVES 2000 KENYAN IDPS LAND

IDPs in Uganda get land

Published on June 19, 2008, 12:00 am

By Standard team

More than 1,800 Kenyan refugees in Uganda have each been allocated a one-acre piece of land for temporary cultivation.

Their spokesman, Mr Joseph Githu, told The Standard on telephone that they had been allocated land in Kariondong scheme in Masindi District of Western Uganda.

“When we were moved from the Mulanda transit centre near Tororo in Eastern Uganda to Masindi a few weeks back, we were all registered and allocated an acre of land.

Mr Emanuel Nyabera, a local spokesman for UNHCR, on Wednesday said the Ugandan system of hosting refugees was slightly different from the Kenyan one.

“In Kenya, refugees live in camps, but in Uganda they are offered land for temporary cultivation to support themselves,” he said.

Githu said that despite the refugees having been given the land, some were ready to return home and that they were concerned over the Kenyan Government’s failure to assist them.

Displaced people from the Naivasha Stadium camp demonstrate on the streets of Naivasha on Tuesday. They were opposing a Government move to close the camp by the end of the month. Picture: Anthony Gitonga

Meanwhile, the registration of post-election violence victims in Mombasa was halted amid confusion over the authenticity of names submitted to the Provincial Administration.

Local DO Otieno Odongo, ordered the process to restart today following the registration of residents who were allegedly not affected.

It was the third time the exercise had been halted in Kongowe as tempers continued to flare following the delays.

Registration

Odongo on Wednesday announced that he was to attend a meeting with Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaaban, and asked the victims to report for vetting and registration on Thursday.

He said he would personally conduct the exercise to avoid including masquerades in the list of beneficiaries.

Elsewhere, the registration of displaced people failed to start in Rongo District after those who lost their property in post-election violence stormed the registration camps and demanded to be registered.

Rongo farmers, whose sugarcane plantations were torched during the post-election violence, are demanding that any compensation being considered for IDPs must also take them into consideration.

The farmers have now decided that any compensation must also take them into consideration.

“I lost several hectares of sugarcane worth Sh5 million and I must be compensated,” said a farmer from South Sakwa location.

Many residents who continue to throng the registration area are using the same argument. South Sakwa chief Joseph Odipo said he was experiencing difficulty in trying to explain to residents that compensation was only for those displaced from their homes.

He said the other group should fill a form and return it to the office of their location chief.

KENYA, DARE NOT TOUCH OUR MONEY SAYS MPS

Don’t dare tax our pay, say MPs

Published on June 19, 2008, 12:00 am

By Alex Ndegwa

Members of Parliament fought back viciously against the move by Finance Minister Amos Kimunya to tax their allowances, sending a strong signal that they would, again, scuttle the effort.

Acrimony, name-calling and finger-pointing marred debate in Parliament with MPs clashing over KimunyaÕs proposal to tax their allowances.

The proposal in last weekÕs Budget to amend the law to provide for taxation of allowances for MPs and holders of constitutional offices, including judges, opened a new battlefront, a clear indication that Kimunya had touched a raw nerve.

While it attracted support from Cabinet ministers, some who had voiced support for it outside Parliament, the proposal triggered fury from MPs who back the formation of the Grand Official Opposition.

It was even opposed by some in Government, with at least three assistant ministers voicing disapproval.

Debate over the tax question showed that MPs were touchy over attempts to scrape off anything from lucrative allowances that have consistently come under sharp criticism.

MPs only pay tax on Sh200,000 that is designated as pay. At 30 per cent tax bracket, this would amount to Sh60,000 an MP. But allowances, which form the bulk of their earnings are untouched.

This is the second year in a row that Kimunya has proposed to tax the allowances, going a step further this time by lining it up for amendment alongside other budgetary proposals.

Assistant ministers Peter Kenneth (Planning and National Development), Sospeter OjaamongÕ (Labour) and Orwa Ojodeh (Internal Security) urged the Finance Minister to reconsider the position.

Kenneth pointedly appealed to the minister not to Òplay to the galleryÓ, saying the controversial taxation should not be used to drive a wedge between the electorate and their parliamentary representatives.

ÒI appeal to the minister to look at the cost-benefit analysis of this move,Ó Kenneth told the House.

Ojaamong was emphatic that MPsÕ allowances should remain intact. Ojodeh thumped his feet in approval.

But Livestock minister Mohammed Kuti backed the taxation proposal that Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua had supported the previous day.

On a day of heated exchanges, Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama sparked outrage when he supported the proposal, saying he was aware it was not popular among MPs Òbut I am not here to befriend anyoneÓ.

ÒIf the common mwananchi is paying taxes, I want to pay tax too,Ó Muthama declared as he contributed to the debate on last weekÕs Budget speech.

His remark angered MPs Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani, New Ford-K) and Charles Kilonzo (Yatta, ODM-K) who said individuals who had reaped from ill-gotten wealth were the ones calling for tax cuts Ònow that they had enriched themselvesÓ.

Khalwale accused Muthama of having benefited from Sh40 million of the multi-billion shilling Goldenberg scandal.

The Temporary Speaker, Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara, had a hectic time controlling the House as debate got nasty.

 

Unpopular stands

Khalwale, who is the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, threatened to table a list of beneficiaries of the scam, Òwho include MuthamaÓ, to expose leadersÕ dishonesty.

Those opposed to the proposal argued that legislators were already burdened by their constituentsÕ needs.

The following are excerpts of the heated debate:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Muthama:

I will lobby for taxation of MPsÕ allowances and I know this will be unpopular with some of my colleagues. But I am not here to befriend anyone. If the common mwananchi is paying tax, I want to pay tax too.Khalwale:

Taxation of MPsÕ allowances is not the solution to KenyansÕ problems. The honourabe member benefited from Sh40 million of Goldenberg money.Imanyara:

Khalwale you are overruled. (Debate resumes, but is interrupted by more ugly exchanges)Charles Kilonzo:

It is wrong to tax MPsÕ allowances because legislators foot funeral, hospital and bursary bills incurred by their constituents. Most of those calling for tax cuts are in court facing graft charges related to Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing. After making their money, they want the rest of us to get pay cuts. The fact that you are an elected MP doesnÕt cleanse you of evil deeds.Muthama:

If he (Kilonzo) was to take stock of himself, he would realise he was brought up with that money. His father was a Police Commissioner (former Police Chief the late Philip Kilonzo).Imanyara:

Hon Muthama, you are out of order.Kilonzo:

The guilty are always afraid. I had not mentioned him (Muthama). Can I now go ahead and name him.Khalwale:

Those MPs who ripped the country apart through Goldenberg schemes are now pretending to save Kenyans. Will I be in order to table recipients of Goldenberg funds who include Mr Muthama?

(Muthama protests)

Kilonzo:

The Chair ruled. We are in serious business not looking after goats in Ukambani!

At this point, Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki protested against improper use of language Òlike referring to an elected peopleÕs representative with things like a goatÓ.

Kenneth said Treasury should give details of how much it hoped to raise from taxing 222 MPs and the benefits.

Ojaamong and Mathira MP Ephraim Maina opposed the move, saying the huge MPsÕ perks were gobbled up in the engagement with their constituents.

ÒBefore I came to this House, I thought MPs earn too much. But today, I know itÕs nothing because we spend it meeting the needs of our constituents,Ó said Maina.

RUTO WEPT FOR KONES AT SERVICE

Leaders overcome by grief at Kones’ service

Published on June 19, 2008, 12:00 am

By Beauttah Omanga

Grief overcame Members of Parliament and many broke down and wept as they beheld the caskets bearing the bodies of Minister Kipkalya Kones and his bodyguard Corporal Kenneth Bett.

A requiem Mass for Kones and his aide at the Good Shepherd Church on Ngong Road, Nairobi, was a welter of emotions as some of about 100 MPs, most who had cut short the morning session of Parliament to attend, wept as their colleague was eulogised.

Agriculture Minister William Ruto was overwhelmed; with tears rolling down his cheeks, as he listened to members of KonesÕ family speak fondly of him.

Anger against the suspect record of KenyaÕs air safety was palpable as National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende called, for the second time this week, for accountability by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.

Former Roads Minister Kones, Assistant Minister Lorna Laboso, Bett and pilot Christoph Schinerr died last week on Tuesday in a plane crash near Narok town, on their way to Kericho.

Another requiem Mass will be held for Laboso at the same church today. Bett, who had worked with Kones for the last 10 years, will be buried today in Bomet Central Location, while the bodies of Kones and Laboso will be flown to Kericho on Friday.

Laboso will be buried tomorrow at Manaret village, Sotik. Kones will be buried in Bomet on Saturday.

Marende said the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) owed Kenyans answers on the safety of the local airspace.

ÒKenyans are waiting for answers from KCAA. We want to know how secure our airspace is and those responsible should stop passing the buck,Ó said the Speaker.

Speaker after speaker described Kones as a selfless and dedicated minister.

President Kibaki in a speech read on his behalf by Internal Security Minister George Saitoti described the former Bomet MP as a servant of the people and a shrewd politician.

ÒThe departed minister was a man of courage, a shrewd politician and ever committed to what he believed in,Ó said the President

The President said the country had lost a dedicated minister who had taken his new role with devotion.

ÒWithin the 58 days the minister was in office, he had embarked on a countrywide tour to inspect roads and his service will greatly be missed,Ó noted the Head of State.

The Speaker termed KonesÕ death tragic and a terrible blow to the Tenth Parliament.

 

Ruto wept

Marende regretted that in the past five months Parliament has lost four MPs, a situation he described as worrying.

Ruto composed himself and made an emotional speech describing Kones as a pillar of hope to many politicians.

ÒWe have lost a leader we all looked up to. We have lost him at a time when, as leaders, we had started working together as people from the same region,Ó said Ruto, as he fought back tears.

Ruto said leaders in Rift Valley had been devastated by the death of Kones and Laboso.

ÒKones was a consummate and an accomplished politician and ever generous than any other leader I have ever known,Ó said the tearful Ruto.

Family members led by KonesÕ two widows Lilian and Beatrice and first- born son Kevin Kalya described Kones as a selfless and loving husband and father.

ÒTo us he was everything and hardly ran away from any problem no matter its magnitude,Ó said Lilian.

Beatrice said, ÒKones was courageous and politically upright and never wavered no matter the circumstances.Ó

Kalya said his father was an honest man, who gave out all he had even if it meant remaining without anything for himself or his family.

Prime Minister Raila OdingaÕs wife, Ida, who conveyed her husbandÕs condolences to the families, said she knew Kones as a sincere politician who always kept his promise.

Cabinet ministers at the Mass included Prof Sam Ongeri, Prof AnyangÕ NyongÕo, Ms Esther Mathenge, Dr Sally Kosgei, Mr Henry Kosgey, Mr Chris Obure, Mr Dalmas Otieno, Mr Samuel Poghisio, Mrs Betty Mugo, Prof Helen Sambili, Mr Wycliffe Oparanya, several assistant ministers and MPs.

Also present were senior Government officials and private sector executives, among them Mr Paul Melly, Deputy Chairman and Strategy Adviser of the Standard Group.

Saitoti said: ÒKones was one of the leaders upon whom the Government was banking on in ensuring the country remained united and focused on vision 2030.Ó

MPs Franklin Bett and Isaac Ruto described Kones as a faithful servant of his constituents and all Kenyans.

AM NOT KABUGA SAYS DR. NYANDWI IN NAIROBI

The looks that landed don in trouble Story by FRED MUKINDA Publication Date: 6/19/2008

A University of Nairobi lecturer, who had been arrested on suspicion he was the Rwanda genocide fugitive Felicien Kabuga, has resumed his normal business. Dr Charles Nyandwi, was back at the university on Tuesday and even taught mathematics classes. When the Nation called on his office, he was with his students at one of the lecture halls at the College of Physical and Biological Sciences. It’s not difficult for a visitor to locate him at the university. His office, at the Chiromo Campus, is unmistakable. Situated on the first floor of a block housing the School of Mathematics, office number 105 is clearly labelled — Dr C. Nyandwi. After a keener look, one will notice that a second label had recently been plucked off from the door. Humble beginnings Pointing on the door, he promptly explains: “There was another label here, but it was removed last month after a colleague with whom we shared this office passed away.” There are two desks inside the office, but unlike his, the other has no files and books on it, suggesting it may no longer be in use. Dr Nyandwi wonders why anybody would mistake him for Mr Kabuga, who he remembers as a businessman, who had risen from humble beginnings. In his own words, he may resemble Nambale MP Chris Okemo, “but not Kabuga”. “Why would anybody come for me thinking I’m Kabuga. Does it mean they will also go for Chris Okemo, who I think we have some resemblance?” asks Dr Nyandwi. He left the Rwandan government in 1991 after 10 years, because of “eventualities” similar to what happened in Kenya at the beginning of the year. Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana had arrived at an agreement, to form a coalition Government with the opposition. “I was not sacked as many have believed. Some of us (Cabinet colleagues) stepped aside to give room for the Opposition who had joined the Government,” he said. “Mr Kabuga was not even a Cabinet minister. He never sat in Cabinet meetings,” added Dr Nyandwi. The lecturer is about 5ft tall and wears spectacles with thick glasses. The hair is short, well trimmed and can be described as white, rather than grey. Those who informed police that they had spotted Mr Kabuga relied on a photograph published in local newspapers a few years ago. The same photo is posted on the International Police (Interpol) official website as well as on that of the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In the photo, Mr Kabuga’s long hair forms a mound on his head and it’s not entirely grey. Mr Kabuga too is seen wearing spectacles with thick glasses. The lecturer also told the Nation that he was with his wife when police arrested him, about 300 metres away, from his house in Ole-Polos near Ngong. “I was not at Kawangware. They took me away and held me at Gigiri Police Station and later transferred me to CID headquarters,” Dr Nyandwi said. Interviewed him Before police released him 24 hours later, they had also held him at two other stations including the Special Crime Prevention Unit headquarters at Milimani and at “police headquarters at Vigilance House.” He also said that “senior officers” at Vigilance House interviewed him and ordered his release. The Nation independently established the senior officers included the police commissioner’s principal deputy Lawrence Mwadime. Police chief Maj-Gen Hussein Ali was away on holiday in Europe. Others included head of the Diplomatic Police Unit Allan Sangoro and the head of the Special Crime Prevention Unit Richard Katola. Dr Nyandwi still holds a diplomatic passport issued to him by the Rwandan Government. It  shows, he had travelled to France, Belgium, Germany and several African countries. Any eyebrows As he walks around the university, he does not raise any eyebrows. It is clear the students and colleagues are used to him being around. “It was my first harsh encounter with police, not only in Kenya, but in my entire life,” said the 58-year-old don. “My record is clean. With the Government in Kenya and Rwanda, and I got a job at the university because I’m qualified. Before 1995, I taught part-time at Nazarene University,” he added. The Nation has learnt that police were still holding his Kenyan travel documents and mobile phones. He declined to divulge further information, saying he needed to consult with university authorities and the police. The Nation has also established that the Tribunal and the Rwandan embassy had been aware of Mr Nyandwi’s whereabouts, but had not asked the Kenyan Government to hunt for him since he had been absolved by the Rwandan genocide investigation. A list posted on the tribunal’s official website, as well as that Interpol, currently has 93 names of people wanted in connection with the genocide including Mr Kabuga. The don’s name had been expunged way back in 1997. He has also been the chairman of Rwandan residents in Kenya. Normal business Mr Kabuga, wanted in connection with the 1994 Rwandan genocide by the ICTR, has been on the run for 14 years, since the 100-day slaughter in which about 800,000 of his compatriots were killed. Mr Kabuga, a Hutu and close associate of President Juvenal Habyarimana,  owned the infamous Radio de Mille Collines that called for the mass murder of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Dr Nyandwi had been arrested on Friday evening and released at around 8pm on Saturday. On Monday, he returned to CID headquarters but was allowed to leave and continue his normal business, after a brief moment with detectives. Police said they had no reason to hold him because no fresh information had been received to link him to criminal activities. Shortly before Dr Nyandwi had been released, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said in a statement that police had acted on information that a person suspected had been sighted in Ole-Polos near Ngong in the outskirts of Nairobi.

KENYA, IS MAINA NJENGA OF MUNGIKI ANYMORE SAFE?

Sect leader’s kin stopped from prison visits

Published on June 18, 2008, 12:00 am

By Cyrus Ombati

The family of jailed Mungiki leader Maina Njenga now claims his life is in danger after they were denied permission to visit him.

The family said authorities at the Naivasha Maximum Security Prison informed them that they were acting on orders not to allow them in.

Members of the Mungiki political wing, the Kenya National Youth Alliance, said they had also been denied access to Njenga.

Mungiki spokesman Njuguna Gitau said they had made three attempts to visit their leader in vain.

“We do not know what they are up to because even the family is now being turned away,” he told the Press in Nairobi.

At the main entrance, the authorities at the institution have pinned a list of local journalists banned from visiting the prison.

Njenga’s brother Peter Njoroge, said they did not know how he was fairing because they were no longer allowed to see him or give him essential items like soap.

Njoroge said they feared for Njenga because they heard reports of problems at the institution.

“We were informed of problems at Naivasha in the past two weeks, including water shortage and riots,” he said.

A senior officer at the institution said Njenga and other inmates were well and dispelled reports of water shortage.

KENYA, IS RAILA A TURNCOAT, AMNESTY FOR KIBAKI AND RAILA?

Last word on Sunday – Is Raila a turncoat revolutionary? Story by MUTAHI NGUNYI Publication Date: 6/15/2008

The tragedy of the last election is not that we killed – this is how nations are made. The tragedy is that we continue to miss the point. Let me begin with the question of amnesty. The person who needs “amnesty” the most is President Kibaki because, under his leadership, our peaceful country was pushed to the brink  of a civil war. For this, he committed a downright sin of omission. On their part, the ODM “boys” in custody committed the sin of commission through mayhem. Like a spider web Either way, both the president and the “boys” sinned. But as they say, the law is like a spider web: it catches the small flies and avoids the big birds. In our case, we want to fry the helpless “boys” and pretend that the “biggies” are innocent. This is a lie, and we cannot bring national healing like this. Forgiveness should be unconditional and inclusive. If we grant President Kibaki “amnesty” for his sins of omission, we have to grant amnesty to the “boys” for their sins of commission. The alternative is to deny both of them. What about Prime Minister Raila Odinga? Has he committed no sins in this charade? Mr Odinga is like Moses in the Holy Bible. He has a calling, a mission and motive. Unlike Moses, however, he took a shortcut. We sent him with this message to Pharaoh, “Let my people go!” But when he got to Pharaoh’s palace, the man abandoned his mission. Instead of liberating the people, he agreed to share power with “Pharaoh”. Can you imagine if Moses had agreed to become Prime Minister to Pharaoh on a 50-50 basis? I submit that Mr Odinga has done the unimaginable. And that is why he was booed by his Kisumu crowds in March. Political ‘rogues’ In my view, “Pharaoh” is not President Kibaki alone. Pharaoh is a fellowship of economic and political “rogues”. Mr Odinga was the people’s messenger to this fellowship. He was the symbol of struggle for the poor and downtrodden. But when he was given 50 per cent shares in the House of Pharaoh, the man became a turn-coat revolutionary. And now he is telling us that opposition is bad. For a man who spent his entire adult life in opposition, this does not add up! There is one more thing: once they made him Prime Minister, Mr Odinga abandoned the pursuit of portfolio balance and 50-50 power-sharing in the civil service. And his reasoning was that half a loaf of bread is better than nothing. I do not disagree with that. My only problem is that the half-loaf was all eaten by the political bigwigs in ODM. The “boys” in custody and their sad mothers were given zero. Allow me to elaborate. Immediately the power-sharing deal was sealed, the peace talks collapsed. Now there is some professor, whose name we constantly forget, chairing the talks. The politicians have even asked him to go back to Nigeria or wherever he came from. Yet this eminent professor is meant to cut a historic economic deal for the poor, listed at Agenda 4 of the peace talks. And so I ask the question: If the politicians are not interested in this poverty agenda, should we replace them with Mungiki and other pro-poor groups at the Serena talks? Should these groups take over and negotiate directly with the professor on behalf of the poor? Economic frustration I am not being flippant, but if the poor lose faith in our politics, we are in deep trouble. They will express their economic frustration through armed groups like Mungiki. In fact, we currently have around 25 armed groups operating country-wide. What is more: the security men in our homes, and the house girls who cook our meals, are all connected to these Mungiki-type networks. They come from Kibera, Kawangware, Mathare, and so on. And if one of their siblings or children is not a Mungiki-type, a friend who visits him definitely is. My point? We are not even safe in our homes; we should be afraid – very afraid. Poverty crisis This brings me back to Mr Odinga. Although he is becoming a “turn-coat”, he is the man to handle the poverty crisis. Two things can be done. One, he should implement radical land reforms. A good starting point is what Lands Minister James Orengo is doing. To the poor, this man has the “Moses magic” – he will liberate them from their landlessness. To the landed rich, he is a disaster, of course. But they are deluded. The question is not whether their extensive land will be claimed by the poor. The question is when. And their best bet is to do the reforms with Mr Orengo ahead of the storm. Two, Mr Odinga has no choice but to talk with Mungiki. My thinking is inspired by my late father, a former Mau Mau fighter. On a jolly day, we would discuss the war and what inspired them as youths. But almost always, he drew parallels between Mau Mau and Mungiki. I often disagreed. Leadership failure And to this, he would accuse me of being romantic about Mau Mau. To him, Mungiki, like Mau Mau, is a response to leadership failure in the tribe. That is why their first enemy was the conservative rich wazees in the tribe and then the colonial master in that order. Like Mungiki therefore, they were looking for leadership, identity and a decent livelihood. They cried for inspiration, not condemnation. Can Mr Odinga provide inspiration to Mungiki, the Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF) and the other protest movements? I think he can. And if he fails to, God will raise another Moses. Do I hear an ‘Amen!” from Mr William Ruto? Mutahi Ngunyi is a political scientist with The Consulting House, a policy and security think-tank for the Great Lakes Region and West Africa.    Write to the author

KIBAKI NEEDS AMNESTY TOO?

Kibaki is neither Pharaoh, nor does he require amnesty Story by EDWARD IRUNGU Publication Date: 6/18/2008

IN AN ARTICLE CARRIED IN THE  Sunday Nation (June 15) titled ‘‘Is Raila a turncoat revolutionary?’’, the author, Mr Mutahi Ngunyi, makes untenable arguments that are misleading and deserve correction. In commenting on the issue of granting amnesty to those involved in the post-election violence, Mr Ngunyi argues that the person who needs ‘‘amnesty’’ most is President Kibaki. The argument is that the President committed a sin of omission which, apparently, means he failed to take action that would have saved the country from drifting into civil conflict. To argue, as Ngunyi does, that the President neglected to act portrays a very simplistic understanding of the causes of the crisis we experienced, and indeed, the causes of conflicts in African countries generally. What we experienced in Kenya is, in modern political discourse, described as intra-state conflict — also known as identity civil conflict. In the study of such conflicts, two key causes have been identified. The first is horizontal inequality, which arises when power and resources are unequally distributed between groups that are also different in other ways — for instance in terms of ethnicity, religion and race. TO ARGUE THAT PRESIDENT KIBAKI needs amnesty is to imply that he failed to address horizontal inequality as a possible cause of identity civil conflict. This would be a most unfair accusation. It is he who has made the most elaborate and systematic effort to ensure that power and resources are equally shared among Kenyans. To begin with, President Kibaki constituted a Government of National Unity during his first term with a view to ensuring that all Kenyans were represented in government. In terms of resource distribution, he introduced a wide range of measures to ensure equity. These include the devolution of resources through the Constituency Development Fund, the Constituency Bursary Fund and the Road Maintenance Levy. To these efforts must be added the free education programme and free treatment of Malaria, TB and HIV/Aids. The second cause of identity civil conflict is what has been called the abuse of ethnicity and other types of identity. In this case, political leaders or the so-called sectarian entrepreneurs, manipulate ethnic, religious and historical differences in their search for instruments either to ascend to power, to legitimise their rule, or to advance a particular cause. President Kibaki has never been known to incite people against one another. Indeed, the call to Kenyans to shun tribalism has been a constant refrain in his speeches since 2002. What this means is that those who need amnesty are those who manipulated ethnicity and other sectarian issues such as religious and historical differences to incite people against each other. Indeed, and as will be clearly recalled, ‘wedge issues’ such as class, ethnicity, generational gap and religion were exploited to win the hearts and minds of voters during the last General Election. It is important to note that the manipulation of sectarian issues such as ethnicity, religious and historical differences has been the cause of serious civil wars in Africa. In many cases, the issues that ethnic entrepreneurs use to foster divisions are mere excuses. Rwanda offers a good example. In that country, Hutus and Tutsis coexisted peacefully for many years. They spoke the same language, shared the same  culture, and practised the same religion. Therefore, it cannot be argued that recent rivalries are rooted in medieval differences. Communal violence did not begin in Rwanda until 1959, and did not worsen until the 1990s. The case of Rwanda is not an exception. In Bosnia, the Serbs and Croats coexisted, and both claimed Muslims as members of their communities until World War II. Similarly, Muslims and Jews in Palestine had no special history of hatred until 1921. This late emergence of identity conflicts strongly suggests that it is agitators who dream up fancy historic pedigrees for their disputes, but the mythologies of hatred they contrive are, in reality, largely recent inventions. It is comforting to note that President Kibaki has moved to put in place legislation aimed at addressing negative ethnicity. This legislation will go a long way towards enabling the country to deal effectively with leaders who manipulate sectarian issues that can lead to ethnic hatred and conflict. BEYOND THE ISSUE OF AMNESTY, I take exception to Mr Ngunyi’s reference to the President as Pharaoh. There is perhaps nothing wrong in being  called Pharaoh which, today, is used interchangeably with the Egyptian word for king. But the reference to Moses suggests that Ngunyi is likening President Kibaki to the Pharaoh who enslaved Jews. It would be a travesty of justice to liken President Kibaki with the Pharaoh of the Exodus. He has all the credentials of a leader liberating his people from poverty, ignorance, disease and repression. For example, it is the Government that has freed parents from the burden of paying fees for the primary and secondary education of their children. Moreover, under President Kibaki, Kenya is perhaps the most open society in the world where people enjoy unfettered fundamental rights and freedoms. Mr Irungu works with the Presidential Press Service.   Write to the author

PATNI TO BE ARRESTED AND CHARGED

Pattni must go to court, says AG

Published on June 18, 2008, 12:00 am

By David Ohito

The Government will not drop Goldenberg-related charges against businessman Kamlesh Pattni, Attorney-General Amos Wako has said.

Wako told a parliamentary committee that the Government would not drop criminal cases involving Pattni and was ready to revive them next month.

Wako was answering questions by the committee, which has expressed fears that the Grand Regency Hotel may have been sold secretly by well-connected individuals.

The Finance, Planning, Trade and Tourism Committee chairman, Mr Chris Okemo, complained that Government officials were taking his committee round in circles as they allegedly tried to conceal the truth of the sale and handover of the hotel.

In yet another revelation, Wako, who was questioned by the committee for two hours said the handover of the five-star hotel was done behind his back.

However, Pattni had told the committee last week that he surrendered his hotel in return for pardon for suits against him.

Said Okemo: “We are reading sinister motives in regard to the sale of the hotel. A lot of information is being withheld by Finance minister Amos Kimunya and the Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u and we will summon them again.”

Okemo said there were many gaps between what Kimunya had told the committee and what the director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Aaron Ringera, and the Central Bank governor had said.

The committee asked Wako why the sale of the hotel was not subjected to procurement procedures. But the AG pleaded for more time to give a response.

“In our opinion, Wako does not want to commit himself yet he is the Chief Legal Government Adviser. This casts a lot of doubt in the deal,” Okemo said.

Wako told the committee that he only learnt of the hotel handover through the media.

“We will send out fresh summons to Kimunya, Ringera and Ndung’u to come and clarify the sale status,” Okemo said.