Wednesday, January 09, 2008
Kenya is not the new Rwanda
Why Western observers see every political conflict in Africa as an
inexplicable outburst of violence and a harbinger of ‘holocaust’.
Frank Furedi
Back in the 1970s, when Eldoret in Kenya was a relatively sleepy town, I was
struck by the frontier-type mentality of many of the people I encountered
there. Individuals and families came to this part of western Kenya to start
a new life, and to try to make their fortune.
Resumption of aid?
with thanks to American Friends Service Committee
The toadying and sycophancy begins …
“API/APN congratulates the new vice president of Kenya. We hope he will engage in reconciling the Kenyan people and spearhead development. He is a very experienced politician who has mediated peace in the continent when he was minister of foreign affairs.”
(API= African Press International, APN= African Press Norway)
http://africanpress.wordpress.com/2008/01/10/new-vice-president-musyoka-takes-over/
Doesn’t it make you sick!
It’s the economy, stupid (not “tribalism")
NAIROBI, 9 January 2008 (IRIN) - The wave of violence that engulfed Kenya after the presidential election has been widely described as tribal or ethnic in nature. But analysts in the east African country point to basic economics as the true cause of the unrest.
This is worth reading, showing how the majority have not benefited from economic growth.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/IRIN/0abaa83dacd4b1243d3fe0b6406a08b8.htm
US opposes re-run of elections
US Assistant Secretary of State in charge of Africa, Ms Jendayi Frazer, said she believes a re-run of the elections was not the way forward. Speaking in Kisumu on Tuesday, Frazer was, however, quick to add that the decision lies in the hands of Kenyan politicians.
“I don’t support calls for a re-run of the elections as the way forward. It is not my responsibility to decide for Kenyans on the matter. It is up to political leaders,” she said.
http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143980130&cid=159
March for Peace, Truth and Justice: 10 January 2008
Kenyans for Peace, Truth and Justice initiated by the Kenya Human Rights Commission will be holding a peaceful march tomorrow. For all those who stand for Peace with Truth and Justice, please join us. This is a non-partisan march; it is a march for our rights.
Details:
Tomorrow, Thursday 10th, we will be meeting at KNCHR ( CVS Plaza ) at 9:00 am.
From there we will peacefully march to Kilimani Police Station to file a private prosecution against ECK commissioners and staff.
Everyone standing up for peace, truth and justice is invited to join in, so please distribute this message as widely as possible.
Former African presidents visit Kenya
Joachim Chissano (Mozambique) Benjamin Mkapa (Tanzania), Quete Mazire (Botswana) and Kenneth Kaunda (Zambia) visit Kenya. “Kenya is not at war to warrant such ugly incidents to go on. The differences over political issues should not be allowed to turn Kenya into a graveyard.”
http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/9881
Democracy dies
This demonstrator, chose a billboard in Kibera to literally show how Democracy had been hanged by acting out a suicide scene. Dennis Itumbi, Nairobi, Kenya http://www.africanews.com/site/list_message/9854?data%5Bsource%5D=rss#m9854
Statement from concerned citizens and governance, human rights and legal organizations
We speak in the name of Kenya’s governance, human rights and legal organizations, as well as the concerned citizens who have contacted and chosen to work with us over the last two weeks.
In our previous statement, we noted that, at the heart of the three forms of violence now being experienced across the country—disorganised and spontaneous, organised militia activity and disproportionate use of force by the Kenya Police Force and the General Service Unit—is the violation of fundamental freedoms and rights directly related to the electoral process. It is clear that the electoral anomalies and malpractices experienced during the counting and tallying of the presidential vote were so grave as to alter its outcomes. Some of those electoral anomalies and malpractices were, in addition, illegal—thus rendering the supposed presidential outcome not only illegitimate but also illegal. We therefore consider Mwai Kibaki to be in office still on his first term.
We note now, with grave concern, the announcement yesterday by the man sworn in as President of his supposed Cabinet. We consider this announcement to have been made by a man in office illegitimately and illegally and therefore to be null and void. We further note that this announcement has, in fact, aggravated and inflamed the current violence—as evidenced by the disorganised and spontaneous protests witnessed yesterday in reaction to the announcement. We consider that the announcement has thus seriously compromised the environment for mediation. We refuse to allow the man sworn in as President to continue presenting the nation with what is, in effect, a series of ‘faits accomplis.’
We therefore reiterate our demands that, in particular:
1. African states and the rest of the international community, particularly the United States given its currently unhelpful unilateral approach, to continue to pressurize for mediation by the region under the leadership of President John Kuffour of Ghana, current head of the African Union, between the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement on addressing the electoral travesty that has occurred;
2. The mediation process to, as its first priority, agree upon an interim electoral oversight body to conduct a forensic audit into the polling, counting and tallying process with a view to recommending, depending on its findings, a re-count, a re-tallying or a re-run within a specified time period;
3. African states and the rest of the international community to, in the interim, deny official recognition to the man sworn in as President and his supposed Cabinet; and, in addition;
4. All those supposedly announced as Cabinet members to refuse to take up their positions upon their swearing in so as to enable the mediation process to proceed.
Signed:
Tuesday, January 08, 2008
New petition online
New Presidential Poll in Kenya: Kindly pass on to your networks as
widely as possible
http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/new-presidential-poll-in-kenya.html
Protests break out in Kenya as ministers named
08 Jan 2008 17:30:21 GMT
Source: Reuters
NAIROBI, Jan 8 (Reuters) - Protests erupted in Kenya’s western opposition stronghold of Kisumu and slums in the capital Nairobi after President Mwai Kibaki announced part of his new cabinet on Tuesday. Witnesses said one man was shot dead during riots in Kisumu, while residents of Nairobi’s Mathare and Kibera slums said hundreds of opposition supporters had taken to the streets, some brandishing machetes, to denounce Kibaki’s move.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08180307.htm
Kenya: roots of crisis
The post-election violence in Kenya can be explained by reference to the evolution of its ethno-political mosaic since independence, says Gérard Prunier.
“To many people in the world - and even to many Kenyans themselves itself - the violence which followed the elections in Kenya on 27 December 2007 has come as a surprise. Unfortunately, it shouldn’t have. The combination of economic and ethno-political factors in Kenya had created an explosive mix which was just waiting for the right - or rather “wrong” - circumstances to explode. The 2002 elections had been a lucky near-miss; this time, the favourable configuration that operated then did not repeat itself.”
http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/democracy_power/kenya_roots_crisis
‘First half’ of Kibaki’s government announced
17 members of the Kibaki’s cabinet have been announced.
MoreAn open letter to Samuel Kivuitu, Chair of the Electoral Commission of Kenya
Mr. Kivuitu,
We’ve never met. It’s unlikely we ever will. But, like every other Kenyan, I will remember you for the rest of my life. The nausea I feel at the mention of your name may recede. The bitterness and grief will not.
You had a mandate, Mr. Kivuitu. To deliver a free, fair and transparent election to the people of Kenya. You and your commission had 5 years to prepare. You had a tremendous pool of resources, skills, technical support, to draw on, including the experience and advice of your peers in the field - leaders and experts in governance, human rights, electoral process and constitutional law. You had the trust of 37 million Kenyans.
MoreKibaki announces his cabinet
As if to exacerbate the political crisis, Kibaki today announced the members of his new cabinet, including the now infamous Amos Kimunya as finance minister.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L08166444.htm