President Kenyatta orders that imports of Sugar and Milk Powder to be tariff free until August 2017, who in the Jubilee will eat the spoils?

President Uhuru Kenyatta finally found a solution to the rising the prices and inflation on basic foods. Therefore on the day there is 30,000 tons Sugar coming in at Mombasa this morning.

This after the first Executive Order of Kenyatta this year said: “That the drought and the famine in parts of Kenya is a national disaster, duty shall not be payable for the following items- 

(a) Sugar imported by any person, with effect from the date of Notice to the 31^st August, 2017; and

(b) nine thousand tonnes of milk powder imported by milk processors, with the authority of the Kenya Dairy Board, with effect from the date of this Notice to the 31^st August, 2017 Dated the 11^th May 2017” (The Kenya Gazette, Vol. CXIX – No. 62, Nairobi, 12^th May 2017).

So as this happens, you can wonder if the Sugar millers and Sugar exporters are connected with the government. Since the 30,000 tons just appear on the day after the gazette. That means, someone knew about the plans of the government and let it happen. It isn’t just appearing from the sky, that a holy angel sends 30,000 tons of sugar to Kenya and the Port of Mombasa on the day after the Executive Order was signed and than relieved to the public by Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury Henry Rotich. He is just a useful CS, who certainly will have his pieces of deliverance of all the duty free goods.

That the government, close connections with the Jubilee government and the Sugar cartels will surely gain profits on these exported foods. This been in a country where the tariffs has been a 100% on Sugar and added VAT 16 %. Therefore, this reactions seem to be a ploy to earn monies on gullible people and think that the people will take it as goodwill. This is happening at the same time, as the prices on sugar is still on a two year low worldwide. President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto, might think the Kenyans doesn’t see through this. But they should question the companies, the boats and who orders the duty free goods to Kenya from today and until 31^st August.

Like who earns the profits on the sugar and the milk powder in these months. They are clearly planning it and not only for the famine and drought. But for sole purpose of gaining massive amount of funds in the period of campaigning. This just appearing and ordered in the critical time. The Jubilee government doesn’t know how to be subtle. Can wonder if any of the corporations and importing businesses owned by the Kenyatta’s or Ruto’s would benefit from this. I wouldn’t be shocked, neither if anyone else of the Jubilee government got a payday and huge amount of Bob’s in their accounts. Peace.

The law: 

Kenya: At the moment, Sugar is not sweet for Jubilee!

The prices of Sugar in Kenya is special experiment, as the taxation on imports of sugar is a 100% and also 16% VAT on the sugar imported. Secondly, the industry is controlled by the state, there been talk of privatization of millers owned and the Kenya Sugar Board who regulate the industry. As well as the Ministry of Agriculture is making sure the output of the farmers are corrected.

Therefore, as the prices worldwide is sinking and going-low, the prices of sugar are going up. This is happening in the months right before election time.

The government must know the industry is struggling as the only private miller Mumias are again on a downward spiral:  “Already, the miller has been closed for three months. According to managing director Errol Johnson the closure was meant to fix equipment, which had contributed to the company’s poor performance due to inconsistent maintenance. The closure from April 11 came barely a month after the cash-strapped miller received Sh239 million from the government, as part of the bailout strategy” (BiznaKenya, 2017).

That the Mumias miller proving the big-problems in the Sugar industry, as it has been evident for years. The agricultural output and yields haven’t been the issue alone, it is denial of the state to figure out working changes to the millers, the import and also control it has over it. That the government has the oversight and the insight to the issues, are clearly that the Jubilee haven’t been interested in-changing it, as the benefit of this system. Therefore, President Kenyatta and Deputy President Ruto hasn’t touched it or done anything else than bailing out Mumias on the last dive of the company. Therefore, the reports shown here. Proves the initial factors to the grand issues and why the prices are sky-rocketing, while the international prices are falling. Take a look!

Barriers for Sugar Productions:

“Sugar milling is a high fixed cost business requiring substantial economies of scale in cane crushed to break-even” (…) “Existing relationships of patronage between governments and large milling companies serve to align the incentives of government and millers such that new entrants would find it difficult to compete with incumbents and obtain the same benefits” (Chisanga, Gathiaka, Onyancha & Vilakazi, P: 12, 2014).

“Government ownership in the sector remains large, despite higher relative efficiency in the private sector and long term plans for privatization. While some privatization has taken place over the past decade, government-controlled factories held a 37 percent production share, with additional non-controlling shares in other firms. Part of the argument in favor of privatization is the relative efficiency of production in private mills over those controlled by the government” (…) “The local sugar milling market is quite concentrated, and combined with the barriers to trade this suggests that the largest players have significant power over prices. Mumias, the largest sugar company, had a market share of 38 percent of domestically produced sugar in 2011, lower than its typical market share due to cane shortages. Combined with the government-controlled share of the industry, this implies that essentially two entities control at least 75 percent of local production. The shares of local producers in domestic market sales vary quite widely depending on the period, as the volume of imports fluctuates a great deal. For example, Kenya Sugar Board data from the first two quarters of 2012 show importswere approximately 33% of local production” (Argent & Begazo, P: 5-6, 2015).

“Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, a government (Jubilee) body, reports that 2.2 million Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) have closed shop in kenya over the last five years. These are some of the reasons that inform our opposition to Jubilee. Personally, I think Uhuru and Ruto are fine Kenyans; wonderful husband to their spouses; incredible fathers to their children; and great benefactors to their elite friends, but have terribly failed in the duties of the office of the presidency” (…) “All sectors of Kenyan economy has been negatively affected by the floods of cheap imports, brought into kenya by unscrupulous businessmen connected to those in power, having unbridled freedom to import anything of their choice without paying taxes: From sugar industry; to textile; to agriculture, denying kenya the much needed revenue for development. Over the weekends, the leaders behave like Frank Lucas, donating part of the proceeds from these imports to the same societies they are killing by giving out these import certificates” (Sadat, 2017).

That the government haven’t made sure the industry and financial markets been sufficient is proven with the macro problems in Kenya. The import sanctions together with the stronghold control of certain millers and Kenya Sugar Board, there are patronage and cartels that sets the prices and the payments for the yields. Together with the storage and cane production that is initial to the issues that are there today. That President Kenyatta and DP Ruto hasn’t taken charge and paid amends is the reason for the prices at this point. That the Sugar Barons, Sugar Cartels and Sugar Companies are connected with government is understood as the politicians are taking handouts from them as well.

As the COFEK open letter to Kenyatta said so well and I will end with:

“No one in your government can categorically state how much stocks are being held in the strategic grain reserves. Casual talk of wanting quality of the same maize, from the millers lobby, heightens speculation that your government is unwilling to walk the talk on cutting the cost of living. As things stand, it is fair to say that your Government has taken a holiday on consumer protection as cartels take over the all-important food security sector. It follows that your government, is therefore, in breach of Article 46 of the Constitution you swore to protect. Needless to mention, it is a tall order for you to protect and uphold the sovereignty, integrity and dignity of the people of Kenya if they remain hungry – with a single or no meal at all, thanks to the high cost of living. Your government supposedly offers huge subsidies to farmers through farm inputs like fertilizers which do not get to them. It’s the middlemen and cartels who end up smiling to the bank as farmers toil in vain” (COFEK, 2017).

Peace.

Reference:

Argent, Jonathan & Begazo, Tania – ‘Competition in Kenyan Markets and Its Impact on Income and Poverty – A Case Study on Sugar and Maize’ (January 2015)

BiznaKenya – ‘Mumias Sugar to close indefinitely over cash problems’ (08.05.2017) link:https://biznakenya.com/mumias-sugar-close-indefinitely-cash-problems/

Chisanga, Brian; Gathiaka, John; Nguruse, George; Onyancha, Stellah & Vilakazi, Thando – ‘Competition in the regional sugar sector: the case of Kenya, South Africa, Tanzania and Zambia – Draft paper for presentation at pre-ICN conference, (22 April 2014)

Consumers Federation of Kenya (COFEK) – ‘Cofek open letter to Uhuru Kenyatta on high cost of living’ (02.05.2017) link: http://www.cofek.co.ke/index.php/news-and-media/1718-cofek-open-letter-to-uhuru-kenyatta-on-high-cost-of-living?showall=&start=1

Sadat, Anwar – ‘REVEALED: WHY The ECONOMY is Almost COLLAPSING Under Uhuru Jubilee Regime, GoK’s Kenya Bureau of STATISTICS Exposes Shocking Numbers’ (07.05.2017) link: https://www.kenya-today.com/opinion/revealed-economy-almost-collapsing-uhuru-jubilee-regime-government-body-kenya-bureau-statistics-exposes-shocking-numbers

Victims of police brutality in Mumias speak out – Interview (Youtube-Clip)

“The brutal search for missing arms in Mumias has been stopped. The order was made by the Mumias West area deputy county commissioner Philip Soi.  This comes after a public uproar on police brutality during an operation to search for 7 guns stolen by armed men last week.  Residents have accused police officers of using unnecessary force. Soi, stated that the police force will employ other alternatives in the search” (Kenya NTV , 2016)

“Why I rejected Okoa Kenya Referendum,” Issack Hassan speaks (Youtube-Clip)

The worrying signs of Police brutality in the coming elections in Kenya; as the Anniversary Tower and the siege of IEBC offices turns heads; My question to the JAP is: If they will be gentlemen or conning rulers, in either the spirit of Mwai Kibaki or the spirit of Daniel Arap Moi?

Just as the dust-settles and the tear-gas canisters get cleaned away from the area of the Anniversary Tower of Nairobi after the demonstration yesterday that ended in Police Brutality and arrogance from the Kenya Metropolitan Police Japhet Koome and his IGP Joseph Boinnet. They did this in service for the ruling party and the ruling government.

Ladies and Gentlemen President Mugabe of Zimbabwe because of yesterday have let the world know that Hon. Raila Odinga cannot look at the Lancaster House in Harare and see the inflation levels up-close in the Republic of Zimbabwe. That because the grand dictator of Southern Africa is disgusted with the actions of the CORD leader and his Political Alliance.

Let’s be clear, for the Jubilee Alliance Party MPs and Leaders speaking their mind and trying to deflect the issue. The Danger is the vacuum that the political framework is creating. Everything can’t be fixed building walls even if Donald Trump and Ministry of Interior CS Joseph Nkaissery building them to secure themselves. The same metaphor should not happen between the current ruling party and coalition towards the ODM, WDM and FORD-K of the CORD. That will just make it more heated then needed in the coming months.

Just as this is happening certain voices has answered with this:

“Chief Justice Willy Mutunga has condemned the Monday teargassing incident by police on a group of CORD protesters who were calling for the removal of commissioners at the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission” (…)“The past is never dead. The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” William Faulkner. “Faulkner’s quote is my very painful reflection that teargassing of peaceful demonstrations has not been our past since our independence!” said Mutunga on his Twitter account” (Ombati, 2016).

This is a just answer to what happen as the Police shouldn’t attack fellow citizens in this way. That is not the way of creating dialogue between the CORD and JAP. That just becomes to stale counterparts who creates an environment that makes it harder to reform and make changes in society as the CORD will be bluntly pushed away by the security forces and Police Force without any impunity. Then I came over this fellow. The Embu Senator Lenny Kivuti said this!

Also the other reaction the CORD demonstration yesterday:

“We are thankful to God the way Kenya has been peaceful. We do not wish the country to plunge into turmoil again,” said Mr Kivuti” (…)”Anyone who has evidence against any IEBC official who has done something wrong should come forward,” said Mr Kivuti” (…)”Those against IEBC (commissioners) should start their campaigns early,” he said” (Wanyoro, 2016).

You are right at some Point, but the ones creating violence and tension yesterday wasn’t the demonstrators, but the Police Force and their reactions to the demonstration itself. This is the chain-reaction from the ones shooting the tear-gas and demolishing the citizens who have reacted together with their political party; something that Mr. Kivuti should understand as a political figure himself.

Well, the issue I have is that the IEBC have acted in bad-faith and created a uncertainty of their connection towards the ruling regime and the coming election if they will be civil. Then the IEBC need to be a unit that is not connected to none else then the procedure. The IEBC should be independent and not be partial towards any government or the Executive.

That is the issue that the Opposition have since the lawfulness of the Electoral Commission of the IEBC seems to be embedded with the Jubilee. Since it seems like that and the way they obviously demolished the Constitutional Referendum also questions their level of independence as the rules now is tailor-made for the ruling elite and is not opening up to the opposition parties.

So the Hon. Raila Odinga (ODM), Hon. Moses Wentagula (FORD-K) and Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (WDM) the main trio of the CORD went into the cross-fire and melee. Because of the Anti-Riot Police under the regime put the tear-gas and the bullets towards fellow citizens without any questions. As they wanted to get answers for their muffling and hustling the reality coming to the opposition.

The Ruling Party and the Opposition need both to relax into the coming months even as the aspired campaigning will start. The worry is that the police of Nairobi have set the precedence and might even create more havoc for the opposition as the ruling party can do as they do without any questions. That with the sense of how the Police entered and made the situation more unclear at Kakamega around 2^nd April 2016; where the Police even hurt fellow protesters and fellow supports of FORD-K and ODM supporters. This here is not now a single incidence at the once again the Police went all-in in Nairobi yesterday.

The IGP Boinnet need to think through if his loyalty is to the citizens of the Kenyan People or the President and his ruling regime. The same must the Nairobi Police Commander Koome need to think about. Where does their loyalty lay we may ask?

The other question after yesterday should be to reconcile the Opposition, the Police and the IEBC quickly and briefly if not then the hate-speeches and the termination of the resilience of the opposition will prosper in the vacuum created by this. That is not good for the ruling regime and their rhetoric. Especially, if them in the JAP speaks like the Senator Kivuti, who blames the Opposition for it, and not the ones who created the mess yesterday. Then you will have a stalemate and none will be able to counter each other in peace.

The peace that it will be will be shallow and the sudden impact might arrive later and nobody wants that. The need for dialogue and create an established level playing-ground. Not build walls, not throw tear-gas and not call each other out for non-sense need to be made. As the CORD only did what they knew, as much as the Jubilee live in arrogance and elitist place where the CORD wishes seems to be extra work and not earn extra on. Therefore the reforms from them are pointless as the ruling regime does not earn on listening to the opposition.

The Ruling Regime seems to be fixed in their own island and think they are untouchable out of reach and the ones that deserve to run the country without question. That is not a healthy position especially when the bodies that runs elections are questioned for their independence from the current regime. Not that the opposition is always right or always wrong. But when they can question the behaviour and the actions of the institution and then get tear-gassed for doing so; then there are something missing in the dialogue between the opposition and the government body. The Government is an overbuilding of all the citizens, even the ones that didn’t vote for the current government, the government represent the whole country even the voters and supports of the CORD; they do not only represent the JAP. That is important thing to put in mind and in spirit of the discussion and movement into the coming elections in 2017.

There are roads to take and hurdles to pass, but the way they are taken will show the true character of the ruling regime and the real ethical space of all actors in the political landscape in Kenya. The determined actions and rational deficiency of the speech and asks from opposition should be worry for the ruling regime. The vacuum and the impression of the stalemate is not creating the effect or the stable consensus that should be there. This not about Hon. Odinga, Hon. Wetangula or Hon. Musyoka and their parties alone, it’s about the image and maturity of the JAP and their president Kenyatta and Deputy Ruto.

The question is: If they will be gentlemen or conning rulers in either the spirit of Mwai Kibaki or the spirit of Daniel Arap Moi? How will the Jubilee want to be remembered and how will they lead into the elections as the legitimate leaders and might be after the elections. But if the elections are run by a questionable government body then the result of the ballot might be altered in favour of the rulers who secures the payment of salaries; instead of being independent of whom ever who runs and who might be running the government and appoint the government body. That is why we have to worry and question the actions that lead to tear-gas around the Anniversary Square and the outcome of yesterday’s Police Force in Nairobi towards the CORD demonstration. If we don’t then we let them get away without even a scratch for the tears and the agony while the ruling elite rides their Mercedes and appoint officials without questions is not a healthy political environment and not the kind of precedence that His Excellency Kenyatta would leave his name to and be remembered for. Peace.    

Reference:

Ombati, Cyrus – ‘Chief Justice Willy Mutunga condemns teargassing of CORD protesters (26.04.2016) Link: http://standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000199641/cj-mutunga-condemns-teargassing-of-cord-protesters

Wanyoro, Charles – ‘Cord protest against IEBC could spark unrest, Senator Lenny Kivuti warns’ (26.04.2016) link: http://www.nation.co.ke/counties/Senator-warns-Cord-protests-could-spark-unrest/-/1107872/3177060/-/14pl832/-/index.html

The Okoa Kenya Saga; Signatures disqualified and the validity of the IEBC; the men who controls the elections can decided their own fate and disqualify citizens without questions; CORD might lost the Amendments right now, but the JAP and the IEBC looks like the game was already rigged in their favor.

Today the Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission of Kenya (IEBC) answered the Opposition Party of Coalition of Reforms and Democracy (CORD), that has since January 2016 worked for an amendments of laws to sufficiently make the Electoral Reform and the Electoral Commission to become better and more righteous; as the amendments would set more standards and specify the laws as for instance only have one voters registers and so on. That seems legitimate concern for any political party, as that would set precedence for how you can count the actual voters and hereby have certainty of the amount of voters for each polling station. That is just one example of the amendments in the constitutional amendment that the CORD had facilitated and signatures. Here is the latest statement from CORD of the 26 March of 2016 and also today’s statement from the IEBC.

CORD Statement on the 26.03.2016:

“The allegations set out in the said statement are as bizarre as they could get. It is a clear manifestation that IEBC is a joke of a commission that does not comprehend the enormity of the constitutional responsibility bestowed on it. The cavalier manner in which IEBC continues to treat the critical manner of the Okoa Kenya popular initiative to amend the constitution goes a long way to confirm our long held views that we will not go into another election with IEBC as currently constituted” (…)”At the core of this dispute, IEBC has not disclosed to anyone what register they used to verify the Okoa Kenya signatures. During the Supreme court petition in 2013, the commission had a characture of five different sets of registers which were ingnonimously endorsed by the supreme court” (…)”There is no way a collection of 1.7 million signatures from all over the county can lack a few jokers and you can’t tear out those pages without affecting the integrity of the whole collection” (…)”It is interesting that in the week preceding the announcement by IEBC some of its commissioners called the leadership of Okoa Kenya to communicate that the initiative had met the threshold and they were in the process of preparing the transmission to county assemblies. Similarly senior commission officials made a similar announcement in an engagement with county leaders at a forum in Naivasha. This was a until their favorite Siamese twin that is Jubilee knocked on their door that they started shifting goal posts” (Magaya, 2016).

IEBC Statement on the 28.03.2016:

“The Independent Electoral and Boundaries (IEBC) would like to make it clear that it did not at any point verify the authenticity of signatures presented in support of the OKOA Kenya initiative. Any mark was admitted as an intention or consent by a petitioner. The Commission did not reject a single signature because of its structure or formation. The records that were rejected were those that were not found in the voters register. Some records had signatures but without ID or passport numbers while others had just names and no other entries. The claim that IEBC could not possibly verify signatures because it did not have a repository of samples is true. It is therefore needless to belabor or fault IEBC on this matter and we could not ridicule ourselves to that extent”.

That CORD has gone the extent of the exercise of Democratic values went along to follow the constitution to get the signatures from a great amount of people that is needed for this to get through to Parliament and then voted by the Members of Parliament there through the significant amount of votes to amend the constitution.

The IEBC would by all means not accept that as that would mean the ones selected to be in the board and leadership of it would be scrutinized and questioned even more by the citizens and political parties. As the institutions who facilitate and organize the elections and secure the tallying of the votes, would surely not accept to reformed when they are ensured to keep that state as long as they have the grace of the ruling regime and ruling party.

The Ruling regime and Ruling Party of Jubilee Alliance Party (JAP) have no interest of changing the constitution as long as that gives them an edge and structure that can secure the next election in 2017. That is the reason alone why they have no interest in this juncture to change it, if so it is to change public perception on the matter and the up-coming election, as the JAP and the President Kenyatta has had enough scandals lately.

The truth of the matter will come at a later point and this is certainly a political game from both angels and the IEBC is the scapegoat either for the JAP and the CORD. The Parties cannot be embedded directly with the Electoral Commission, if so then it’s ipso facto no democratic election to come. Than the IEBC will more directly announcing the result the JAP want or the President Kenyatta wishes, that is not a great look for the ruling regime or the IEBC; except that they are loyal to the regime running the country.

Certainly the reason from the IEBC is disregarding the collection of signatures; they are directly insulting and insinuating cheating of it. And it is with common sense the CORD is saying certain pages will be badly written and conducted as the public will act a fool sometimes. That is something that the IEBC should respect and maybe counter the pages of nonsense. Still not underscore the whole picture from the CORD on the Okoa Kenya and the amendment of the Kenyan Constitution.

The proof and the validity of the IEBC can be questioned by one simple question. Why should the organizer of elections have the power to disqualify the citizen’s questions of the constitution and also disregarding the signatures? Who really think that the commission that controls and instituted elections want to change it? Why would the men and woman who has a comfortable job make it harder? Why want the JAP change the laws when they help them to stay in power?

When you can answer those questions and have the results of them. Then you can see my reasoning for why the referendum on the Constitution of Kenya is not happening. Because the IEBC has no reason to change it, and the ruling regime has the same agenda. Except that the JAP also want to look decent for the citizens and the pundits. IEBC works on accord with the Parliament and the Government, so if the laws changes then they will work differently. The Opposition is right to question the IEBC and their technical and operational work for the elections held. But they should not easy dismiss the wishes to reform the work and electoral laws, as they might be insufficient and missing vital structure to procure viable and trustworthy elections. As long as the can be more than one voters register, you can one which is the one they use and which one is the official. That is something that the IEBC should not have issues with. As long as there are more than one list out, means that there are more possibility to fix the results wished at any given time, as the polling stations can have different amount of total voters depending on which list that the IEBC uses. That gives the them the opportunity to rig the election as they please, instead of having a unified and one single register of voters that can be checked after the announcement and preliminary results from each polling station. You smell me? Peace.   

Reference:

Magaya, Norman – ‘Press Release on the OKOA Kenya initiative’ (26.03.2016) link: http://tupashe.com/railas-cord-releases-explosive-brief-giving-conditions-before-facing-uhuru-in-2017/