East Africa: “Persistent conflict in the region continues to contribute to high levels of needs” (31.08.2016)

East-Africa

Persistent conflict in the region continues to contribute to high levels of needs

Key Messages

  • The resurgence of conflict in Juba in early July is likely to worsen already precarious food insecurity for many. Persistent conflict in South Sudan has disrupted livelihoods, access to humanitarian assistance and markets, particularly in Greater Bahr el Ghazal and Greater Upper Nile, leading to Emergency (IPC Phase 4) outcomes. It is expected some households in the north of Northern Bahr el Ghazal are already facing extreme food shortages and are in Catastrophe (IPC Phase 5).1
  • A major food security emergency is ongoing in Yemen, caused by conflict-related disruptions to household livelihoods. Across the western half of the country, households continue to face Crisis (IPC Phase 3 or 3!) or Emergency (IPC Phase 4) food security outcomes. Due to a rapidly evolving political and security situation, including the recent suspension of peace talks and the ongoing banking crisis, future food security outcomes are uncertain.
  • Continuing conflict and displacement have sustained high levels of displacement in the region. About 1.61 million people are displaced internally in South Sudan, and over 700,000 have crossed into Ethiopia, Uganda, Sudan, and Kenya. An estimated 271,042 people are displaced from Burundi, Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Tanzania. There are approximately 178,280 refugees from Yemen in Djibouti, Somalia and the Gulf States, with 2.4 million people displaced internally.
  • Large areas require emergency food assistance through September in Ethiopia. The 2015 El Niño-induced drought resulted in severe crop losses, massive livestock deaths, and eroded labor opportunities. While Crisis (IPC Phase 3!) is likely through September, the Meher harvest in October is expected to contribute to improving food availability. However, food insecurity could increase in southern and southeastern pastoral areas should the anticipated La Niña bring below-average precipitation in late 2017.
  • The high likelihood of a La Niña later in 2017 would be expected to bring below-average rainfall across the south of the Horn of Africa between October and December, limiting agricultural production and pastoral resource availability. Above-average staple food prices and reduced household food access could also be expected.

Opinion: Jubilee Government, are they fiscal responsible for their current running debt?

Kenyatta Ruto 09.08.2016

Today is a day where I have questions and they are big because when you crunch the numbers for the last three fiscal years and estimated debt ratio it’s start to be worrying. It isn’t a sweet and tender way of asking. I know, but the numbers and the citizens will have to repay the amounts of borrowed cash at one point. As the Japanese will not deliver second-hand vehicles to the hospitals forever like they did during either this or last week in Kenya; Kenyan Government shouldn’t base their budget on handouts, but on tax-monies. The budget now is worrying as the levels of budget that are borrowed as it is going directly to portfolios that are day-to-day business instead of giant infrastructure development.

Why do I say that? Because each year you can question the ratio between the debt and the development projects; like in 2013/2014 the debt we’re 330bn, but the development 224bn. That is a 100bn used on day-to-day instead of building roads to Ethiopia or planning the Standard Gauge Railway. Take look!

In the 2013/2014:

At the fiscal year ending the 25th July 2014 the budget debt we’re 330,440,692,719.35. That means there 330bn debt, which we’re 25.8% of the National Revenue. National Government budget spent on development we’re 224,355,607,699.00 or 224bn.

In the 2014/2015:

At the fiscal year ending 24th July of 2015 the budget debt we’re 400,249,353,175.10. That means there 400bn debt, which we’re 25.1% of the National Revenue. National Government spent on development we’re 270,320,838,230.00 or 270bn.

In the 2015/2016:

At the fiscal year ending the 22nd July of 2016 the budget debt we’re 683,479,898,203.50. That means there 683bn debt, which we’re 36.9% of the National Revenue. National Government spent on development we’re 333,170,357,469.90 or 333bn.

So as you see, the FY 2013/2014 isn’t the worst. FY 2014/2015 is the start of loose government spending. The Jubilee all of sudden borrow 400bn and spends 270bn. That is 130bn that is used on day-to-day business, with loaned fiscal funds instead of the ordinary tax-base that the government should be fixated on. So with the last year FY 2015/2016 the Jubilee went all out in the stratosphere and borrowed from any bank or institution possible; as the debt we’re 683bn and the development we’re 333bn. That is 350bn that are used to day-to-day business and not development. The question remain why the sudden giant loan ratio towards the last year before election and why the lack of projects to use the newly granted funds.

The fiscal responsibility seems weak and not there when a government can splash this kind of funds and use this amount of debt on day-to-day instead of big projects and infrastructure projects needed. I am sure DP William Ruto has more friends that can be sub-contractors for some Chinese infused borrowed road projects around Kisumu. But, the ability to sustainable development with the steady rise of debt is worrying. That the IMF and World Bank is saying the debt ratio is still feasible should be worrying. As the IMF and World Bank never had control of the worst years before the Greece defaulted and needed saving grace from the world around it. The worst comes to worst when the Kenyan Government starts to default and reach it’s limit they have to have a mercy on the Jubilee and the counterparts who are paying for loose fiscal behaviour. The worst comes to worst with the giant amount of added fiscal funds might give the economy a edged inflation and bank rates that weakens the Kenyan Shilling as the deficit between reality and what is really used.

You can wonder why the Jubilee wants to hedge up so much loans and government debt. When the FY 2013/2014 and FY 2014/2015 we’re the net domestic borrowing around 300bn, but by FY 2015/2016 it become 500bn. That is a jump of 200bn of Domestic Borrowing. That should also be questioned together with the ratio already in the budget. This doesn’t seem like a healthy fiscal policy. The public should question the use of the borrowed domestic and total ratio of debt. The governance levels and accountability of the funds should be asked from Opposition and also the Auditor General. The Inspectorate of Government the IGG or Ombudsman should hassle the hustling Jubilee who has gained these funds and been responsible for the allocated budget and inquired for the option for loans to development and day-to-day use.

What do you think? Peace.   

Barclays and Standard Chartered picketed in London over Bidco business (23.08.2016)

Bidco Protest

Members of Prince Charles’ Banking Environment Initiative fail to cut ties with companies that deforest in Africa.

KAMPALA, Uganda, August 23, 2016 – East African protesters have taken to the streets of London to demonstrate against banks that do business with Bidco Africa, highlighting the connection between global financial institutions, The Prince of Wales and widespread deforestation in Africa.

Barclays and Standard Chartered saw their London headquarters picketed due to their funding of Nairobi-based Bidco, a company that cuts down thousands of acres of pristine rainforest in Uganda, and engages in human rights and tax violations in Kenya and Tanzania.

The Bidco Truth Coalition (No2Bidco.org), an activist alliance, has revealed that the Banking Environment Initiative (BEI), based at Cambridge University’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership under the patronage of The Prince of Wales, is failing in its mission to lead the banking industry in collectively directing capital towards environmentally and socially sustainable economic development.

The BEI’s nine member banks are Barclays, Standard Chartered, Deutsche Bank, Goldman Sachs, Lloyds, Northern Trust, RBS, Santander and Westpac.

By signing up to BEI’s ‘Soft Commodities’ Compact, the nine banks have committed to only direct capital towards sustainable business models and achieve zero net deforestation among their client Companies.

Under BEI guidelines, member banks must drop clients that don’t measure up to socially and environmentally responsible policies.

Bidco Africa, which has engaged in multiple human rights, labour, tax and environmental violations, has publically stated that it does business with Barclays, Standard Chartered, Citibank, Equity Bank and Kenya Commercial Bank.

Bidco owns an oil palm plantation that has deforested 18,000 acres of rainforest in Uganda. Bidco has also grabbed land from over 100 smallholder farmers.

The environmental impact of the palm oil project has led activists to call on the UN Global Compact to eject Bidco from its roster of members.

In 2004, the World Bank pulled out of Bidco’s Uganda project, citing violations of the World Bank’s anti-deforestation policies.

But BEI has remained silent, and Barclays, Standard Chartered and other banks continue to do business with Bidco Africa.

The Bidco Truth Coalition calls on BEI, its patron, The Prince of Wales, and BEI’s nine member banks to publically state that they will no longer do business with Bidco and other companies that destroy the environment.

Opinion: The U.S. we’re hoodwinked by Kenyan Government on Dadaab; If not it looks like it!

Dadaab Refugee Camp

The Jubilee Government and their leadership have conned themselves from a giant heist today. The heist includes innocent civilians who fled civil wars and disasters in their home country either in South Sudan, Ethiopia or Somalia for safety in Kenya. The reality is that these refugees are pawns in the money game made-up by the Kenyan Government under the lead of CS Interior Joseph Nkaissery who used his powers to succumb the West with their ideals and wishing for the bail-out they needed.

The Dadaab Refuguee Complex we’re a pawn on the chess-set in the fitted schedule of the Government. Therefore the debt-rising government of Kenya just needed to schedule a closure of the settlement to spread fear of their hospitality. With the sense of national security that they could sell to own citizens and also the international community; the news of the closure just happen about the time the European Union we’re triggering negotiations with Turkey about the immigrations and transport of refugees from the Greek Islands toward the Turkish hinterland. This is the kind of cash-flow that Deputy President William Ruto wanted to taste and also President Uhuru Kenyatta. They got their loyal man CS Nkaissery to speak their peace and pay respects to the Somalian Authorities with threats of serving them the fleeing population back to the shores of Mogadishu. Take a look!

Joint Communique from Kenya and Somalia:

“H.E President Uhuru Kenyatta and H.E President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud held bilateral talks at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, 7th June, 2016. The meeting reviewed a wide range of bilateral and multilateral issues in particular peace, security and stability in Somalia, repatriation of refugees from Dadaab and economic cooperation” (Full Joint Communique from Kenya & Somalia ‘On Dadaab’, 2016).

Update from Ministry of Interior:

“For reasons of pressing national security that speak to the safety of Kenyans in context of terrorist and criminal activities, the Government of the Republic of Kenya has commenced that exercise of closing Dadaab Refugee Complex. The refugees will be repatriated to their countries of origin or to third party countries for resettlement” (…) “What is worse is that Kenyans have to pay for the water while refugees get it for free, not to mention the enormous economic cost to businesses in Kenya furthered by the use of the camps as smuggling centres for contraband goods. Refugee camps have become centres for poaching human trafficking and proliferation of illicit weapons which compromises Kenya’s international security rating” (…) “Finally, government shall be putting out a timetable for the execution of the representation process once the Taskforce presents in report, which should be ready by or before 31st May” (Kenya Ministry of Interior, 2016)

From the US to Kenya:

“WASHINGTON D.C., United States of America, August 23, 2016 – Today, Secretary of State John Kerry announced in Nairobi that the United States is providing more than $146 million in additional U.S. humanitarian assistance to support refugees, voluntary returnees, and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This new funding includes a significant new contribution of more than $59 million for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to protect and assist refugees in Kenya, and support voluntary refugee returns to Somalia. In addition, the funding includes new humanitarian assistance of more than $87 million in food and non-food support for refugees and drought victims in Kenya and Somalia. This announcement brings the total of U.S. humanitarian assistance in Kenya and Somalia to nearly $265 million in fiscal year 2016” (…) “The funding announced today will support UNHCR and other international humanitarian organizations as they provide for basic survival of thousands of vulnerable people and durable solutions for refugees, and as they help assist with efforts to improve conditions for return inside Somalia. This contribution is available to support UNHCR’s enhanced plan for the voluntary return and reintegration of Somali refugees from the Dadaab camps and to ensure that any returns that take place from Kenya are truly voluntary, safe and dignified, consistent with international law, and within the framework of the Tripartite Agreement among UNHCR, Kenya and Somalia” (U.S. Department of State, 2016).

Kerry Kenyatta

So the initial plan payed off for the Kenyan Government that they made sure to get extra funds using the Dadaab Refugee Complex and supposedly close it. Well, that doesn’t have to happen if you give us some more donor-aid or general agreement for funding it. Then we can walk away from it. That is how it looks like as the closure of Dadaab happens as the UNHCR and voluntary return of refugees. This is seems like a scheme for me. Not a legit action from the Government of Kenya. They did it when the refugee transports and the negotiations in Europe happen and the Kenyans thought! Why can’t we do the same?

Seemingly with time the U.S. Government knows the issues on the Horn of Africa and in East Africa, as they are allies with Ugandan counterparts, Ethiopian counterparts and also the Kenyans. All of them are involved in the AMISOM mission in Somalia. So the liability of making it more fragile will make it not feasible for the economic development projects from United States to the area if the place turns into shambles. The stability is needed and the Dadaab isn’t a hotbed, but is giant fatigue on the NGOs and the Governments as they are not temporary housing anymore. It’s been static for decades now and the Kenyan wants to get their rewards for their humanitarian activity. So why not the extra donations from the American Government as the looming election and the other prospects as the U.S. Government want to be in peace and diplomatic to the Kenyans.

The Kenyan Government felt the pressure of the International Community as they planned to close the Dadaab. The Multi-National Organizations that are supporting the Camp would be frustrated as much as all the people who wouldn’t have a place to go to or secure future. The mentality of the government proves to what level they will use leverage to gain capital and the fiscal funds. While shipping the rest of the billing are going on the USAID and UNHCR. Peace.

Reference:

U.S. Department of State – ‘Additional Funding for Kenya and Somalia’ (23.08.2016)

Kenya Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government – ‘GOVERNMENT STATEMENT AND UPDATE  ON THE REPARATION OF REFUGEES AND SCHEDULED CLOSURE  OF DADAAB REFUGEE CAMP’  (11.05.2016)

Full Joint Communique Republic of Kenya and Federal Republic of Somalia ‘on Dadaab’ (09.06.2016)

 

Nike Apparel scandal for the Kenyan Athletes as the NOCK we’re skimming off the Rio2016

nike-free-kenya

“You can run wit losers, or run wit winners and win” 50 Cent on Young Buck – ‘Let Me In’ on LP ‘Straight Outta Ca$hville’ (2004).

It is Olympics season and Rio Olympics started the 5th August 2016. There we’re long planning for each athlete and Olympics team through the National Sports Authorities who fixes funds and also allocate monies to the needed equipment and so on. Therefore the recent days mayhem around the Kenyan Olympic Team and the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOC-K). This team and Committee have come under fire. The NOC-K and Kenyan Athletics have both been questioned about their use of funds and corrupt behaviour.

Today I am going over the recent articles on the Rio Scandal of the Athletes who was not getting their needed National Nike Kits from the NOCK. As they we’re even at one point claimed to been stealing from a Nike Shop in Rio and had a meeting with Nike Officials in Brazil. This happens as the Nike Corporation has already gotten shredded review for their newest agreement with the Kenyan Athletics and NOCK in 2013. They can be questioned for their “commitment bonus” and the reason for paying off Chinese counterparts to keep the Kenyan Runners running in Sports Appeal from Nike.

The NIKE Corporation wants the best wearing their gear at the biggest sports events so they can be the Golden club, like 50 Cent said so poetically: “Run wit winners and win” in 2004, the same kind of acts are apparently the key for the Nike Executives who rather for branding sake bribe Kenyan Officials to have the quickest men wearing their running shirts. This should be a crown example of the American Sports Industry and how far they go to pay off Athletes and Sports Organizations who fit their bar. The Kenyan Sports Officials are getting easy money for their associates to wear clothes and brand them. But it goes further as some officials apparently have been selling of special clothes made for the athletes and this year’s Olympics. So they didn’t have enough Sports Gear for their delegation in Brazil. So the greed of NOCK officials just sold the designated apparel for the Athletes. That shows the little care for their obligated work and more about the extra funds for themselves.

Kipchonge Rio Olympics

Reports from earlier in 2016 – Commitment Bonus saga:

“In a contract signed several years ago, Nike agreed to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in honorariums and a one-time $500,000 “commitment bonus,” which the former employee called a bribe” (…) “For more than 20 years, Nike Inc. has been paying the Kenyan national runners’ association millions of dollars in exchange for the Kenyans wearing Nike’s signature swoosh, superb advertising in the running world” (…) “After they received a letter from a Nike lawyer saying there were no legal grounds to terminate the contract, the Kenyan officials abruptly changed course. They negotiated a new contract in which Nike agreed to pay Athletics Kenya an annual sponsorship fee of $1.3 million to $1.5 million — plus $100,000 honorariums each year and a one-time $500,000 “commitment bonus.” (…) “In a sworn statement provided to Kenyan investigators, the former assistant said the $500,000 commitment bonus was “bribe money from Nike” so that the top officials could pay back the $200,000 from the scuttled deal with the Chinese company and then make even more by agreeing to sign up again with Nike” (…) “Nike wired the money into the federation’s account instead. But before that, the chairman emailed a Nike executive, Robert Lotwis, with “invoice” in the subject line. “Urgent!!” the message said. “Dear Robert, U.S. 500,000 being commitment Bonus. Regards, Isaiah Kiplagat, Chairman.” (Gettleman, 2016).

It was all well in July 2016:

“Kenya’s track and field team received it’s Nike kit for the Rio Olympics yesterday with the elite distance runners saying they are ready to take the game to their Ethiopian arch rivals at next month’s game” (…) Stephen Soi (above), Kenya’s chef de mission to the Rio Games, said Nike had sent training leisure and competition kit to the Tusker­ sponsored Team Kenya” (Makori, 2016).

What they we’re supposed to get:

“Some athlete revealed that the National Olympic Committee (NOCK) officials were diverting the kits for sale in Kenyan market. “Nike submitted 1,900 pieces of uniform both for training and racing to the 52 athletes who were in Rio. Nike had a different set for coaches, trainers, and officials,” said a Sports ministry official who had travelled with Ruto” (…) “NOCK chair Kipchoge Keino dismissed the claims saying every athlete was given enough kits.”There is no problem with uniforms. All the athletes were e given enough pairs of uniform,” said Keino. One member who traveled with Ruto to Rio, however, faulted CS Wario and his PS for the problems that faced the athletes in Rio” (Mwalimu, 2016).

Kenyatta Rio Team 2016

CS for Sports and Culture Hassan Wario Speaks:

Nock officials were being chauffeured around in limousines. I walked to most of the venues where Kenyan athletes were competing and some of them were five kilometres away” (…) “The Rio Olympics will go down as one of the Kenya’s best ever, in terms of performance. But what people are seeing are unnecessary problems entirely created by guys managing the team” (…) “Nock are the ones who draw up the list of the athletes and the travelling team. They are the ones to accredit all members of the travelling team. I, too, had to request Nock officials to get me into the Olympic village because I did not have the right accreditation from them. There are some things that went wrong, but we could not help because whenever we try to do so, Nock says they are independent” (…) “We also need a new team at Nock, which is 21st century in thinking. Some of the current officials have been in office for more than 30 years. They operate in a cartel-like manner. They ensure they vote one another to office in perpetuity” (…) “I am the one who prepared his itinerary in Rio. It is just that when he landed, I was caught in a traffic jam coming from cheering Okwiri (boxer Rayton Okwiri). I called the DP and requested that I meet him at his hotel together with the Kenyan team” (…) “We paid Sh800,000 into the accounts of each of the athletes a week before travelling to the Olympics. There are only four cases which we shall solve soon. We shall add each one another Sh150,000 as a token of appreciation. The cheque is being prepared” (Kipchumba, 2016).

Alleged stealing kits:

“Mr Robert Lotwis, a Nike executive, wrote to Nock: “Dear FK (Francis Paul, the Nock Secretary General). I have not heard back from you around any of the product issues I have emailed you about. I have sent you a list of product that was sent and you received. “I don’t understand why I have athletes both here (in Rio) and back in Nairobi saying they did not receive the products. I’m asking again for an explanation. I’ve also listed what each track (athletics) athlete should receive in a pack. I’ve also relisted below what was sent to Nock. Please respond with an explanation on why athletes are saying they are not getting all the products they should.” (…) “In an invoice mailed to Nock, which is in our possession, Nike shipped a huge consignment of kits to Kenya, which confirms claims raised by Mr Korir. For example, they sent 450 bags but very few were distributed to athletes. Nike labelled a clear distribution order of the consignment on what each athlete would receive” (Komen, 2016).

Kipchonge Rio Olympics Finish Line

What we can questioning is how much does the NIKE Corporation accept to have their name on the Apparel for Olympic runners in global sports events like the Olympics and World Cup. The Kenyan Runners are famous and together with Ethiopians has a running tradition when it comes to sports. That is something the Nike Corporation has supported and been a sponsor for decades.

This seems okay that they are paying facilitation fees to the Kenyan Officials because Marathon runner Eliud Kipchoge wins Gold on 42 kilometre Marathon while wearing the NIKE Apparel shirt. The reason why they have the Sponsorship with the National Olympic Committee – Kenya (NOCK) and Athletics Kenya (AK); are there to make the company get a feel good vibe and be there with the right people even if they are bribing officials to get it there; doesn’t seem like a problem for NIKE. I am sure NIKE has some good deals with the FIFA organizations as they want the Governing Football body to be associated with the Nike brand.

That the NIKE Company accepts deal which CS Hassan Wario calls Sports Cartels as they are licensing the sports and delegating the teams for the Olympics. Therefore they knew how much Apparel they would need; still they had the greed to sell it. This shows the length the Officials who are in charge of the deals and facilitation of the Athletes and their trainers for the competitions like Rio 2016. The ironic is how much money the Sport Organizations gets from Sponsorships and apparel; still the Gold Medal winner of Marathon today Elihud Kipchoge didn’t get picked up on the Airport or even scheduled by the Athletics Kenya or the National Olympic Committee Kenya. He was driven by a Ugandan Athlete to his destination instead, which shows the brotherhood of East Africa, but also the indifference from the AK and NOCK. This should worry NIKE who pays fortunes to have their name on their Apparel and are affiliated with the corrupt behaviour.

The Kenyan Officials are earning funds and even thieving to earn extra out of the deal. As much as the Government also gives funds for the Kenyan Athletes as they represent the Nation at the Rio Olympics. That because of the issues with funding, apparel and the rest Deputy President Willam Ruto had to show up. Sure not just drive limousines with other officials to the stadiums, but hopefully to get clarity in the scandal of NOCK.

team Kenya

So it proves the systematic use of the sports to gain personal gains for the Sports Organizations as they use sponsorship deals to earn more shillings. The BOBs must be spent on more heavy things as the total amount of monies can be used on more than chapaties. The scandal makes the Kenyan Sports look bad, when they could be looking shiny. Instead of the representation and golds will not glimmer because of the artistic ways of diminishing money and plans that the Gold Winner of today might have felt twice with the problems of Nike Apparel and the left behind in Rio before coming to the Olympic village. That shouldn’t be an issue for well-funded organizations who are sponsored by Multi-National Corporations and Tax-Payers Monies to deliver results for the common good.

The Sports results and gotten metals for the Kenyans and that should be celebrated. But the organizations behind it should deserve to scrutinize for their economic behaviour and their organizational work towards their athletes before the Rio Olympics and during. The Athletes shouldn’t be in the cross-fire for Apparel before their time to start doing their thing as Olympians.

If there is nothing backfiring the Organizers and the men and woman who run them; then the Government are actually fuelling and accepting their corrupt behaviour earned on the sweet and tears on the athletes. Peace.  

Reference:

Gettleman, Jeffrey – ‘Money Given to Kenya, Since Stolen, Puts Nike in Spotlight’ (05.03.2016) link: http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/06/world/africa/nike-under-scrutiny-as-payments-for-kenya-runners-are-drained.html?_r=0

Makori, Elias – ‘Freshly kitted Kenya track team ready for the Ethiopians’ (18.07.2016) link: http://www.ipsos.co.ke/NEWBASE_EXPORTS/Unilever/160718_Daily%20Nation%20-%20Monday_50_b9066.pdf

Mwalimu, Kaka – ‘Revealed: Why Uhuru sent Ruto to Rio de Janeiro’ (19.08.2016) link: http://www.hivisasa.com/kisii/news/163517

Kipchumba, Some – ‘I’m not to blame, Nock is a cartel, says Sports CS Wario’ (21.08.2016) link: http://www.nation.co.ke/news/I-am-also-a-victim-of-Rio-Olympics-cartel-says-minister/1056-3352298-95os78/

Komen, Jonathan – ‘Nike alleges shoplifting, seeks answers from Kenya team managers’ (20.08.2016)

Link: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000212655/nike-alleges-shoplifting-seeks-answers-from-kenya-team-managers

Odinga endorses recommendations of Joint Parliamentary Select Committee (Youtube-Clip)

“Cord leader Raila Odinga has welcomed the joint parliamentary select committee’s recommendations, terming them the beginning of a journey to a free and fair poll next year, whose outcome will reflect the wishes of the electorate. Odinga has however proposed that president Uhuru Kenyatta consults with him in the nomination of new IEBC commissioners, just like he was involved in the appointment of the outgoing electoral body bosses, by former president Mwai Kibaki in the grand coalition government” (Kenya Citizen TV, 2016)

CS Nkaissery allays divisions in National Police service (Youtube-Clip)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gk0vh7lJGSA

“Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery  has today  downplayed the friction between the Inspector General of police  and the National Police Service Commission over the list of police officers to be promoted. In thinly veiled admission of discrepancies in the list of promoted officers Nkaissery clarified that the confusion emerged from a miscommunication between commission and the Inspector-General saying  adequate measures have been put in place to  prevent  a recurrence of the anomaly. Nkaissery spoke after holding a two hour closed door meeting with NPSC chairman Johnstone Kavuludi and Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet” (K24TV, 2016)

Kenyatta with a Statehouse Summit on Transport and infrastructure; not a good look for the Jubilee!

State House Summit 08082016

“I understand that everyone in the rural areas,the MPs, the MCAs,Governors and all aspirants are claiming responsibility for any upcoming infrastructural project.They are fighting about who lobbied for what and who talked with whoever and who met whoever……..it’s not a question of who lobbied for any development be it roads,electricity connection,building of schools and many more….it’s a question of giving service to the forty to forty two million Kenyans who pay taxes.Hii Maneno ingine yote haina maana” – Uhuru Kenyatta

President Kenyatta has today a State House summit on transport and infrastructure projects in Kenya under his leadership and the Jubilee Government. That has soon finished their first term in the presidency. They had pledges upon pledges when they went into government.

They wanted to build a giant and fantastic electric quick railway. The Standard Gauge Railway and also develop the Lamu Port through the LAPSSET project with fellow neighbors. The Pipeline of crude-oil from the Northern Kenya in Kerio Valley in the Lokichar Basin to the upgraded Lamu Port; where the Jubilee Government also wanted the Lake Albert crude oil from Uganda to go to. Something that fell through as the licensed companies in Uganda though it was too costly to build through Kenya compared to Tanzania. So the Kenyan Government has to do it on they’re own. As the LAPSSET it is waiting for private enterprise to engage and use their monies on the planned infrastructure.

KAA Changes

The other issues are stadiums not built in regions where it was promised the fields of glory never came. It was easy to promise the district towns a sports facility, but none of them came to fruition. The others developments we’re that from Kenya had 30 Air-strips before Jubilee and by now they have 50 of those. Still, the discussion on the failed development project and upgrade of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) have not been an issue as the embarrassing project it is for the ruling regime and their PR team.

“There is corruption at the port. Find out who among the people in this room are thieves” – Uhuru Kenyatta.

There are always some issues and even after years in power and set change with rule of law. The Jubilee government tends with the same fractured system, the corrupt Mombasa port where the monies that makes all import more expensive and still they haven’t instilled checks and balances to Ports and therefore the extra taxation of the imports happen on a daily basis. As the corrupt mind and bodies continues to thrive with the speaking up against it, but not dealing with it in Parliament or by sanctions of law.

The Jubilee government has dozens of plans and pledges, as much as they have foreign loans to build the projects from the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the Chinese. The extent of debt collected by the recent new loans has come to 49% of GDP. In April 2016 the Jubilee Government had collected $1.35 billion in debt, while fixing a massive deficit in the Kenyan budget. Still, this is worrying as the debt and interest has to be repaid to the International lenders and development banks which the tab is taken from.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (L ) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (R) stand together during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China 19 August 2013.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta (L ) and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping (R) stand together during a signing ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China 19 August 2013.

This was not discussed at the Summit and where is the money for the development projects coming from as they shouldn’t just surface out of thin air. Just like the roads and rails need wages, plans, dialogue and trade to get built. As the landowners need to be compensated together with the companies building the roads need paid for service rendered. Therefore the business of infrastructure is expensive as the giant projects cost a fortune because they are supposed to stay for long and be kept for decades on.

The same with all the roads not taken care of as the feeder roads of the Northern Kenya, which is left in mud and dust; the focus on three Nairobi by-passes to fix the congestion of the capital. Not thinking of other towns who could need extra bypasses like Eldoret or other where the Jubilee doesn’t deliver the needed infrastructure, except if it is fitting with the border-passes and agreement with nation on the other side who needs roads of exporting through Kenya there. Therefore the Summit is more a PR Show, than proving real progress as the corrupt, the debt and all the other problems are destroying the champion sound and roar from the Jubilee Government under President Kenyatta. Peace.

UN: Debt in Eastern Africa is rising Rapidly, but Remains Manageable (05.08.2016)

East-Africa

The UNCTAD report was presented as a starting point for a discussion organized in Kigali by the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA). 

DAKAR, Senegal, August 5, 2016 – In Eastern Africa, debt stocks have risen rapidly over the past five years, but debt ratios appear to remain manageable, according to the UNCTAD Economic Development in Africa 2016 Report on  “Debt Dynamics and Development Finance in Africa” which was released in July in Nairobi during UNCTAD 14.

The UNCTAD report was presented as a starting point for a discussion organized in Kigali by the Sub-Regional Office for Eastern Africa of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), with Leonard Rugwabiza, the Chief Economist at the Rwanda Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning, acting as the discussant.

Andrew Mold, a senior economist from ECA, recalled that it is estimated that an additional 600 billion USD is needed in Africa every year until 2030 in order to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. Progress towards achieving such ambitious levels of additional finance can only be achieved by relying more on domestic resource mobilization, he argued, particularly since the prospects for ODA are not especially encouraging.

To underpin this point, preliminary econometric research conducted by ECA and presented by Andrew Mold suggests that growth performance in Eastern Africa over the last three decades has been stronger when supported by higher domestic savings, rather than being financed from external sources (such as FDI, debt, or ODA).

Between 2011 and 2014, the annual growth rate of external debt in Eastern Africa has been higher (13.3%) than the average for Sub-Saharan Africa (9%), However, as a percentage of GNI, debt levels are still sustainable, with only two countries in the region (Burundi and Djibouti) currently being deemed at high risk of debt default, according to a recent evaluation of the joint World Bank–International Monetary Fund Debt Sustainability Framework.

In order to increase domestic resource mobilisation, Eastern African countries will also want to stem more effectively illicit financial flows, which currently account for a loss of around -6% of GDP in Africa, according to UNCTAD estimates.

Similarly, remittances and diaspora savings could be leveraged more to provide financial resources in the region, especially in Kenya and Uganda.

Opinion: The IEBC dilemma continues even after firing the corrupt ‘band of brothers’ now

gado iebc

The Independent Electoral Boundaries Commission of Kenya is now at a standstill after months of hustling from the Opposition against the Commission and their men. The band of brothers run by the Commission Isaack Hassan have been under fire and besieged as their fate have been questioned by ‘Chickengate’ their involvement in the questionable Burundi third term election in 2015 of Pierre Nkurunziza and all the other issues entangled in the current leadership.

Therefore the reasoning for staying while the Jubilee government under President Uhuru Kenyatta and DP William Ruto could by law keep the men, even as the trust between the IEBC and the people where in tatters. Still, the viable approach through laws and constitution could let them keep the men in charge and run another election in 2017. Though the perception on the rigging and the embezzlement of government funds would be stamped on the foreheads of the commission as they legacy are filled with CHICKENS. The chickens and facilitation of the ones who bought the ballots and needed electoral equipment for by-elections and other elections who earned extra monies on the transactions; these people shouldn’t be there and they can be compromised by the ability to facilitated to give a counted number instead of real cast ballots, as long as the Commissioner would be given a brown envelope.

The Coalition for Reform and Democracy (CORD) Kenya leader and ODM head Raila Odinga wrote today: “Yesterday, those discussions culminated in a very encouraging development—the expression by the IEBC commissioners of their willingness to resign to allow a new team take over in time for 2017 elections. I wish to congratulate Senators Kiraitu Murungi and James Orengo for the steady leadership to the Joint Select Committee of Parliament that has ensured harmonious and mature discussions which has produced this commendable progress” (…) “I thank all the members of Parliament serving in this committee for putting aside partisan politics and focusing on what really matters at this moment in the history of our country which is the need to have a credible electoral body that enjoys the broad support of a great majority of Kenyans ahead of 2017 elections” (…) “Once the talks began, it quickly became clear that CORD and Jubilee have more in common on the IEBC and how to conduct future elections. This is usually what happens when we choose to talk to each other and not at each other and when we give dialogue a chance” (twitlonger, 04.08.2016).

IEBC-ROADMAP-2017

Also this we’re reported:

“The audit report, which also formed basis of a petition forwarded to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee by Mr Barasa Nyakuri, blamed the commissioners led by Mr Hassan and part of the secretariat for irregular procurement of the Biometric Voter Registration (BVR) kits for the 2013 elections” (… ) ”Mr Hassan, who has gone to court seeking to have his name expunged from the report, is also alleged to have single sourced lawyers handling the 2013 presidential election petition, in which over Sh380 million was paid to three prominent lawyers” (…) “The select committee has summoned the IEBC commissioners and senior directors at the commission to present their defence before it today, as it works towards finalizing its report within 30 days as contained in the Motion approved by both Houses, which also set its terms of reference” (…) “The committee’s report could be last nail on the coffin of careers of electoral chiefs mentioned adversely in corruption allegations, including the chickengate scandal, and throw a lifeline to those found not to have engaged in fleecing the taxpayers of millions of shillings” (Njagi, John – ‘Team to probe threats on auditor over IEBC report’ 01.08.2016, Nation.co.ke).

As the reports coming in and the mentality of the change is of guards are coming. IEBC had to be changed before the General Election 2017, as the standstill between the opposition and the ruling regime. Still, with these negotiations, that has happen after the dozen of violent demonstrations because of the police brutality.  In this crisis the judgement from the Police and then CS Nkaissery defending their misbehaviour towards the citizens and members of opposition was not just.

Paying Commissioner for thieving:

“Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said the Government will use cash from the Contingency Fund to pay off the commissioners. “We have contingency funds for such unforeseen expenditure if it does occur,” Mr Rotich told the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms” (…) “This means that the nine, each earning Sh1.2 million per month, will get Sh372,000 for the five years served, translating to Sh1.86 million per person and Sh16.7 million for the team. The current commissioners are Issack Hassan (chairman), Lillian Mahiri-Zaja (vice chairperson), Albert Bwire, Kule Godana, Yusuf Nzibo, Abdullahi Sharawe, Thomas Letangule, Muthoni Wangai and Mohamed Alawi” (Michira, Moses – ‘IEBC bosses will take home Sh180m 04.08.2016 Link: http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000210764/iebc-bosses-will-take-home-sh180m ).

Nairobi 16.05.2016 Police P2

The Kenyan Parliament must be proud of how they are promising payment and salaries towards the former Electoral Commissioners who we’re embezzling funds. They are initially getting paid for stealing funds from government and even not being trusted with delivering trustworthy elections. Free and Fair elections under their leadership we’re under question as they actions we’re bent for the ruling regime and as their financial adjustments we’re done to create bigger wallets from the ones signing contracts for the IEBC. That shouldn’t be paid to silence and to get rid of them. As John Githongo we’re sent away from addressing corruption for being a whistleblower, the men behind the IEBC scandal shouldn’t be paid, but be sent to court and express their guilt or be free-men for not having evidence of the illegal transaction.

The CORD had grievances with the Electoral procedure and the Electoral laws, not only the Commissioners who could be bought and secure funds for themselves as the Kenyan Constitutional Referendum or the OKOA we’re shut down by the same Electoral Commission under Commissioner Isaack Hassan. The other just happens to follow his lead and create an atmosphere where this is justifiable.

Who will take over for former-IEBC Commissioners are not easy to foresee as the negotiations and the agreement between CORD and Jubilee is not something a man can find the answers on the skyline. The next IEBC men and woman have to be people that the current MPs and Parliamentarians trusts as they will both parties agree to their acts as a Commission and their turn for holding the election. The reality will be that no matter what they do and who get picked they will be scrutinized and should be accountable. As the previous ones tried to keep people in the shadow and keep the monies encircled for themselves instead of trying to reasonable and honourable men who did their duty for their country. They tried to quick fix their own pockets instead of just doing their job and being content. Isaack Hassan and his band of brothers will be remembered for their chickens, not for their work or the ballots casted in the elections. Peace.