Monday, February 18, 2008
ODM’s proposals on how to solve crisis
ODM has proposed a two-step process to settle the political crisis even as the mediation team resumes talks this morning. Party leader, Mr Raila Odinga, said they had proposed to the US Secretary of State, Dr Condoleezza Rice, the establishment of a Government structure that would reconcile the nation and drive comprehensive constitutional and institutional reforms. On the Government structure, Raila told a news conference last evening that they had proposed a separation of State and Government functions that would see the establishment of the office of the Prime Minister and two deputies. In the proposal, the President is to be the Head of State and the Prime Minister head of Government.
MoreCommunity based Human Rights networks statement
PRESS STATEMENT BY THE COMMUNITY BASED HUMAN RIGHTS NETWORKS
Friday, February 15, 2008
CONCERNED with the political developments in our country resulting from the disputed presidential elections that have triggered politically and ethnically instigated violence affecting most parts of our country and has resulted in the killings of over 1000 people, displacements of an estimated 300,000 people, a third of whom are children who should be in school, teachers and health workers that should be at their workstations alleviating the physical and emotional effects of the violence, and destruction of property worth billions of shillings and the economic effects that this continues to have which include the price hikes of basic commodities,
United Nations Human Rights Council Statement
7th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
Written Intervention on the Human Rights Situation in Kenya
The International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) and its member organisation, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) are very concerned by the human rights situation in Kenya since the presidential election of 27 December 2007 and request the UN Human Rights Council to adopt a resolution on the situation.
KNCHR documentation, investigation and analysis of human rights violations project
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is mandated by its constitutive Act, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights Act No 9 of 2002, to promote and protect human rights. Pursuant to that mandate, the Commission is currently conducting investigations with a view to providing, through the voices of Kenyans and other sources, an impartial account of the post election violence and the events that have taken place since the announcement of the disputed presidential election results on 30th December 2007. We intend thereby to maintain an accurate record of this part of Kenya’s history as well as to identify perpetrators who must be held to account in order to end the culture of impunity.
MoreTell Bush to support peace and justice in Kenya!
President Bush is scheduled to visit Africa this week from Feb.15-21, and he needs another strong reminder telling him to support democracy and human rights in Kenya (and the whole continent), not aggressive US military interests, while he is there. The US has recently issued travel bans on key hard-line politicians and their families from entering the US, but the US needs to continue to apply more pressure on those responsible for the violence and for holding up the mediation efforts. Please see below for a sample letter/script and contact information for the White House and State Department. Please call/email now to express your concerns, and to make sure that the President supports peace and justice in Kenya during his trip!
MoreCall for fact-finding mission
The East and Horn of Africa Human Rights Defenders Network (EHAHRD-Net) is deeply concerned by reports made by Network sources which reveal that several prominent Kenyan human rights defenders and journalists, in particular of Kikuyu origin but also defenders from Eldoret and members of a Muslim human rights organisation, have been intimidated, publicly harassed and subjected to a series of threats during the post-election violence that has spread in the country since December 2007.
MoreRights lobby backs truth commission
Kenya’s healing process could be bolstered with the formation of a truth, justice and reconciliation commission, the Government’s human rights watchdog said Thursday. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights warned politicians against dwelling so much on how to enter into a coalition government while jeopardising the need to address the underlying causes of the recent chaos that followed disputed presidential election results. The commission said the formation of the justice and reconciliation body was long overdue since its establishment was recommended about four years ago.
Kenya Election Chief: Rigging Possible
Kenya’s electoral chief compared the president to a notoriously corrupt predecessor on Wednesday and acknowledged the December election may have been rigged. His remarks came as negotiators sequestered themselves at a luxury game lodge to hammer out a deal aimed at ending weeks of bloodshed over the disputed presidential vote. More than 1,000 Kenyans have died and some 600,000 have fled their homes.
‘Secret army’ preparing for war
An army of young warriors is being secretly armed and reinforced in remote areas of Kenya’s Rift Valley, preparing for war if the country’s knife-edge peace talks fail. Elders have organised thousands of men from the pro-opposition Kalenjin tribe into militia units, each split into marksmen, foot- soldiers, armourers, drivers and cooks. Hidden arsenals are filled with bows and arrows, many of them dipped in deadly poison, as efforts are made to buy guns smuggled from northern Uganda or Sudan. “If the peace talks collapse, there will be war,” said David Cheserek, 46, an elected opposition councillor in Kamogich, 240 miles northwest of Nairobi.
Church backs coalition
Church leaders have called on the Government to accept a power-sharing agreement to save the country from civil strife. Religious leaders in Mombasa, called on PNU to relax its hardline stand and accept the power-sharing deal as proposed by US President George Bush and the international community. Mombasa Catholic Bishop Boniface Lele called on PNU to understand that the US was making such demands because of its concerns for Kenya and the statement by Bush did not amount to interfering with the country’s internal affairs. “The Government should not take this proposal by the US President as direct interference in the running of our country. They are doing this because of their love for Kenya,” Lele said. He said the coming to Nairobi of US Secretary of State, Dr Condoleeza Rice, to support the Annan-led talks excited the church. “For the US to send her Secretary of State is a confirmation that we are an important country,” Lele said.
MoreProsecute Kivuitu, AG told
Twenty civil societies have given the Attorney General, Amos Wako a two-week ultimatum to prosecute Electoral Commission of Kenya Chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu. Under the umbrella, Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice Initiative, the civil societies also want the 21 commissioners and another 21 senior staff to answer criminal charges for their conspiracy in the bungled presidential election. A charge sheet prepared by the civil societies, accuses ECK of 112 offences including forgery, conspiracy to commit a felony, and making false documents. The NGO’s spokesperson, Mr Haroun Ndubi led colleagues in presenting a petition to the AG’s office, on Friday. He said the people named in the petition allegedly committed a series of criminal offences. They said after the two-week ultimatum, they would initiate private prosecution against those who not only bungled the elections, but also those who incited people to violence.
East African Standard
1,500 flock to Uganda camps
More than 1411 Kenyans who have fled the country after the eruption of post election violence have camped at a Ugandan camp, some 60km from Busia Town. Ms Yumiko Takashima, head of the UNHCR office in Uganda, said the refugees at the Mulanda Community Polytechnic Instructor’s College came from as far as away Kibera slums in Nairobi, while others were from Eldoret, Mt Elgon, Busia, Malaba and Nakuru. Ms Takashima said those fleeing were of different ethnic backgrounds. He assured them that Mulanda was safe for all of them. “We have decided to set up temporary tents with the hope that peace will return in Kenya so that those who have been displaced can go back to their homes once negotiations that are being headed by former UN boss Kofi Annan are complete,” she said.
Government scoffs at US calls
The Government Sunday scoffed at the US and international community calls for a power-sharing formula that would end the political crisis in the country. Through Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula, the State was firm that no one would arm-twist it to reach any agreement that betrays the Constitution.
Addressing journalists a day after American President George Bush called for a power-sharing agreement between PNU and ODM to end the post-election conflict that has left more than 1,000 people dead and over 350,000 displaced, Mr Wetang’ula said the solution lay with Kenyans. “The statement should be seen within the context of opinion. The solution must be Kenyan. We will not arrive at a solution because A and B say this is the solution,” Mr Wetang’ula said.
Hygiene proves major challenge at new camp
Displaced people in Naivasha are slowly adjusting to living in tents despite numerous problems in a new camp they were moved to last week. More than 2,000 displaced people have been moved from two camps in Naivasha Town to the newly rehabilitated Kedong camp on South Lake Road, about eight kilometres from the town’s centre. Naivasha is currently holding more than 4,000 people, who were victims of post-poll violence that took an ethnic angle and saw at least 30 people hacked and burnt to death in the area. But inadequate water supply and poor sanitation are the major problems haunting the internal displaced. At Kedong, there are 25 toilets and 35 bathrooms serving more than 2,300 people.
Elders killed in arson attack
Two elderly men were Sunday hacked to death by a group of raiders who later set eight houses on fire in Kuresoi, Molo District. The incident occurred at Tegea Farm where most residents have fled their homes and sought refugee at a nearby trading centre following the post election violence. Molo police boss Achesa Litabalia said the attack occurred Sunday morning. He said the victims aged 60 and 71 had been living together in one of the deserted homes. No arrests have been made in connection with the attack.
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