DPP’s Press Statement on Investigations into Allegations of Mismanagement of Funds during the 2016 Rio Olympics Summer Games (13.10.2018)

Kenya: Press Statement on the Status of the Recruitment of Chairperson, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (21.11.2016)

Kenya: To the Public Accounts Committee (Parliament), Media Houses and All Interested Parties (08.11.2016)

Kenya: Police tear gas Journalists covering anti corruption protests (Footage)

Opinion: President Kenyatta ill-will to tackle Corruption

“When it comes to this issue of corruption that has been at the centre stage of Kenyan public debate, it has frustrated me as President. And I would say why: because the pressure is on me to do something about corruption” (…) “I then sit back and ask: show me an administration, since independence that has tackled corruption like I have done. I have removed everybody who has ever been named or touched upon on the issue of corruption” (…) “I have done my part, at great expense – political. I have told them to step aside, and they have done it; whether guilty or innocent, I suspend them for three months until investigations are concluded” (…) “By the way that pronouncement by itself is unconstitutional. I have no power to suspend them” (…) ”I wish there was a way guilty persons could be charged, but nothing! We set up a multi-agency so that we can coordinate our affairs, still no movement” (…) ““I have taken the actions that I can take within the Constitution. I have given all agencies resources to fight corruption, and I challenge any agency to come out and say that I haven’t given them the resources. I stand accused that the executive is not doing its work. What do you want me to do?” – Uhuru Kenyatta at the State House at the ‘Anti-Corruption & Accountability Summit’ on the 18^th October.

Well, Honourable His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, your under fire for corruption scandals, something that has been rampant during your administration. There been all kind of corruption scandals all the way into the Judiciary and the Supreme Court, into businesses and even in Parliament. Senators, Governors, Members of Parliament, investors and all kind of people, even Cabinet Secretaries has been burning in your period as the Executive.

This isn’t just about the Kenya Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). This isn’t about that, though that is a tool used by the President for his legitimate fight, even as it been an unused tool since John Githongo we’re “fired” in 2005 by the Mwai Kibaki administration. Since then the EACC has just been a puppet for the Governments of Kenya.

So if the President Kenyatta can complain about the dockworkers and the administration in Mombasa for their corrupt behaviour as they trade the goods through the dock, before it gets loaded on land. There been as long as I remember been the first people the Kenyan Presidents hurried to accuse, but for some reason never sack civil servants running the Mombasa Docks, which for me sounds weird.

We are now in the midst of the unravelling National Youth Scandal (NYS) where billions of shillings went into forged companies of the ones running the NYS fund. That is blowing up and making the CS Sicily Kariuki looking silly, while the main architect hopes to go scotch free like her fellow comrades Josephine Kabura.

This together with a mix-up at the Ministry of Health, that has been diverting funds as well, CS Cleopa Maliu has tried to explain the situation, but the companies that been implicated has done what they can wash their hands clean of the dirty acts of the MOH. The Tax-payers 5 billion shillings just vanished into thin-air and made little progress of the sick. That Mobile Health Stations we’re actually rebranded containers and other projects from the Ministry we’re flawed has further damaged the reputations of the Ministry and their Economic Policies.

If this two wasn’t enough in the times of the Kenyatta Presidency the “Chickengate” and the Independent Boundaries and Electoral Commission (IEBC) has been sacked for their corrupt trades, where they used deliveries to add “chickens” on the recites so they could get extra commissioned for making sure By-Elections happen orderly, even using foreign producers of ballots to skim-off tax-payers monies. This within bound of the current leadership and their hard-work against corruption!

It’s not like Uhuru Kenyatta is earning fortunes on the system today with his giant corporation like Brookside Diaries, that got business with Sameer Agricultural And Livestock Limited in Uganda, also owns a huge stake at the Inyange Industries in Rwanda. He has a stake in the Banque Internationale Pour l’Afrique au Congo (BIAC) in the Democratic Republic of Congo. This together with the valuable Heritage Hotels in Kenya; other corporations are the Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) that has subsidiaries outside of Kenya as well. In media he owns the Mediamax Group: which controls the K24, Kameme FM and People Daily.

When you owns these businesses and knows the practises well, than he doesn’t see it fit to rock-the-boat. Just keep business as usual as his corporations are growing in size nationally and internationally. This while the government practises are weaker and mediocre, the business aspect is rising. Why should he work against his own corporations, which wouldn’t be a good look as the owner?

Well, at the same time the government has added debt, but also had another questionable Corruption scandal – the Eurobond we’re by September 2016 there we’re actually 215 billion shillings that was unaccounted for. That has never really been explained, even if the International Monetary Fund that been discussing with the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) and CS Henry Rotich tried to explain it through an all of a sudden transaction to JP Morgan Chase Account in New York in January 2016, that 2 years after the release of the questionable transactions and sale of the Eurobonds.

So I have just these issues that I remember right now, concerning the Jubilee and Kenyatta Government of the present day. With these kind of activity doesn’t make feel like the EACC or any kind of Anti-Graft activity has ever occurred. There are so many more like the Athletics Organizations concerning the Nike Apparel and Agreement between them and NOCK for the Rio Summer Olympics of 2016. So the runners and such we’re not supported as they we’re supposed to do, as the Government and Selected Officials we’re selling the clothes instead of giving it to the Athletes. That is just another one of the corruption scandals in his term.

I do not get the feeling that President Kenyatta has done what he could, what he should, but what he would prefer, to keep it at this present time with business as usual. Not caring about the cases, not interfering, not creating laws or amend government bodies to get more power to intervene on the corrupt behaviour. The President has kept it day-to-day and not tried to stop it. Because it is his loyal troops who are eating of the tax-payers plate. They are bending the laws and accountability to secure funding of the made-up corporations that got tenders by the NYS scandal and so on.

President Kenyatta, if you cared; I am if you’re really serious why does the amount cases keep piling and why is so many people walking scotch free after stealing, thieving and embezzling away government funds? Why do this people walk the streets without any prosecutions or trials of their cases? Why? What does it take to make them guilty of blue-collar crimes?

The real chicken thief is in the nearest sell of Eldoret or Kisii. But if they we’re suits sophisticated stealing like the Anglo-Leasing deal with the Kenya Defence Force than the men and woman walk talking to Kidero or any other governor with a grin. This is the same happing in your time and under your permission Mr. President. Time to act upon that!! If you meant the words you uttered out of your mouth in the State House in October this year. Peace.   

#AmharaProtests: Continues killings from the Agazi Squad and Mercenaries in the Province!

 

Amhara proverb goes “a kid whose mother died and another, whose mother went to fetch water, cry equally.”

There been dropped bombs in Amhara province, there snipers in Baha Dir, killings in Gondar and so much more. The constant violence and massacre in the area from the Agazi Sqaud of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF), the Ethiopian government with their heavy artillery and troops are no going against the leaders of the Amhara people and also killings civilians who has been in streets.

Rumors are not only claiming that the hired mercenaries are South Sudanese who left the army, but hired men from the Former Vice President of South Sudan, who is in exile in Khartoum; Dr. Riek Machar and his deflected army of rebels has been hired by the Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne and his Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). If he has hired these men than the problems of South Sudan moves over the borders and hurt not only internal civilians in South Sudan, but now they are used to cause havoc in Ethiopia on hire by the ruling regime in Addis Ababa.

Displaced in Gondar because of the military:

“Tigray regional government confirms the arrival of 4,060 people displaced from North Gondar zone in the past days. The displaced people are currently in Humera and Maykadra, Western Tigray zone. The regional government have assigned a coordinating committee, chaired by Haile Asfha, chief of Agriculture Bureau. Haile Asfha reportedly went to Humera to monitor the situation. The regional government allocated $200(4,500 birr) cash per household for the displaced people. Update: Another 2,000 people are expected to arrive tomorrow” (SiiTube, 03.09.2016).

As the worrying signs of brutality and killings continue and the desperation as the numbers of civilians officially killed during the last two months only in this region is 71. That is the official number and worries that it is much worse as the artillery and bombing of Gondar has happen. Together with the sniping and killings in Baha Dir; also the attacks in other parts of Amhara proves the systematic killing of the people. As the Ethiopian Parliament recently admitted that 2,5m people we’re missing from the region! 2, 5 million people just vanishing from the Ethiopian Parliament, this is not like missing a napkin, this is families upon families a giant city that disappeared into thin air. If that is isn’t staggering, than nothing goes under your skin!

In Gojar in Burie West at the Teshale Hotel there been found 6 dead today! And this is alone in one town today, one single incident of killings from the hired mercenaries and Agazi squad in the region.

In Metema the army has been having air-strikes over the people. How many and how much damage the Agazi and mercenaries has done in the town is troubling to say, as the only clear report is that the airstrikes has happen!

This numbers, this insane action and the even more silenced international community shows that killings and martial law without impunity is happening in the right zip-code because the sanctions against the EPRDF and ENDF is not happening. The Ethiopian Government and their army should get arms embargo and be sanctioned for their human rights violations. Their systematic killings that are genocidal. They should not be let of the hook. The Heavy Artillery and airstrikes towards their own citizens should not be something that doesn’t concern the rest of the world. It does, because they are just people like you and me. And they have the same values as the rest of us, the only difference they have a hostile government that is now currently doing what they can to kill and silence them, while the world doesn’t shed a single tear. Peace.

#AmharaProtests: The Western Media doesn’t care about it!

“We have also found evidence that foreign interests have actively been financing anti-peace elements based in the diaspora” – Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegne

It’s sad day for all the ones that are tormented by the Agazi Squad of the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) in the Amhara State, as a prison in Debretator burns and inmates escapes. That the Army is using helicopter and snipers killing civilians is not appalling the Western Media anymore apparently. They are appalled by the state of affairs that the fellow demonstrators are burning down Dutch Owned Flower Factories in the area.

Not amounts of citizens killed the cut of communications like Social Media, Internet connection and telephone; as the civil disobedience that is silenced by Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and their special unit of Agazi. Together with 25,000 soldiers sent for the mission to silence them. That doesn’t the Associated Press, Washington Post or any other Western Media in general.

Like ESAT have reported:

“A source from Bahir Dar who spoke to ESAT said over a thousand troops have arrived at the City Airport on Thursday and had received instructions from the Chief of Staff Samora Yunis, who established a command post in the city two days ago. The forces were warned about mingling with the public, the source said” (ESAT, 01.09.2016).

That is one city in the region that is taken over by the army as the soldiers are not supposed to engage the public or mingle with them. A thousand soldiers are occupying the local airport, not creating peace, but uncertain stability. That should make the world stutter, but for some reason it don’t.

More from ESAT:

“In Amba Giorgis, TPLF forces shot and killed 26 people in the last two days alone. An eyewitness told ESAT that he suspect some soldiers were mercenaries bought by the regime to carry out the massacre. The source did say about the origins of the mercenaries but residence of Amba Giorgis believe they were Sudanese border security turned mercenaries by the TPLF. The forces went door to door, beating residents. Most of the youth in Amba Giorgis were hiding in the bushes to escape the massacre, the witness said adding that the town was under a complete siege by the forces” (ESAT, 01.09.2016).

That the flower farm burnings are worrying signs, but it is a reaction to the government violence in the region, as the citizens has no way of answering the government with force. They answer with peaceful means as their lives are on the line, the troops, heavy artillery and tanks taking over the streets. Still, the Western Media cares about the flower factories more than the dozen of lives that in the mercy of mercenaries and Agazi squad. Why doesn’t this create havoc and doesn’t make the world stunned about the shady ways of silencing the public in Amhara? Why nothing of any sort, but Dutch owned roses burning are the grand issue?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote this about it today:

“The Prime Minister himself said foreign elements who do not want to see Ethiopia use its natural resources were distributing huge amounts of money to extremist Diaspora groups. In fact, this is not confined to those organizations which are given arms, money and support by the regime in Asmara, and which, like “Patriotic Ginbot”, make no secret of their aim to overthrow the government by force” (…) “Those taking advantage of the situation include critics of Ethiopia or supporters of Eritrea like Bronwyn Burton at the Atlantic Council who organized a roundtable in Washington on Wednesday this week. This offered two opposition politicians the opportunity  to discuss the current state of political affairs in Ethiopia without contradiction, allowing them to hold forth on what they claimed had been “primarily peaceful demonstrations”,  the cost of living, lack of employment opportunities and a restrictive political and media environment” (02.09.2016, Link:    http://www.mfa.gov.et/weekinthehorn/-/asset_publisher/2h3rKVhCHgKq/content/prime-minister-confident-in-the-government-s-ability-to-deal-with-problems?_101_INSTANCE_2h3rKVhCHgKq_viewMode=view).

EPRPF and PM Hailemariam Desalegne cannot be serious that snipers, mercenaries and tanks will bring peace? Giant rockets and heavy artillery to calm people down. If they wanted peace with Amhara people they wouldn’t come with troops and the strong national army they would come with dialogue and offering to justify the legitimacy of the actual government. Something that isn’t appearing or consideration, it is easy to kill the Amhara people because they are disposable; the international community only cares about the investments there anyway. That is why I am mad at the media.

This happens as the Government clearly bans and summons the business community in Finfinne. As the paperwork here shows:

There are also reports that farmers from Amhara and Oromo are planning to boycott selling food to Addis Ababa as a reaction to the oppression.

It shows the ability of resistance in the Amhara public when they do what they can to answer the central government violence. What is worrying is how little the international media cares about the military seizure of the region, how the check-points, snipers, tanks and all other equipment is used to kill civilians, but Dutch owned flowers are the step to far. Kill a few Amhara people, we don’t care, destroy Western investments in the region and all of sudden we should care. That is just cynical and damn wrong.

The Papers who has pressed the Associated Press story, congratulation for suppressing the key-issue; the reality as your looking at one piece of a giant problem that are militarized and pure violence on own citizens. It’s like looking at a dead tree near a polluted lake. Writing about the state of the tree, but not caring about the polluted lake that is destroyed the ability of the tree to live in the area. The same is the evident covering of the crisis, the massacre and the designated army attack on civilians in Amhara. Peace.

Press Statement of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Human Rights Situation in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (02.09.2016)

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the Commission) is deeply concerned by the events unfolding in the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

Protests reportedly began in the Oromia region in November 2015, opposing the Federal Government’s plan to expand the boundaries of Addis Ababa. Reports indicate that despite the termination of the expansion plan, the protests continued due to the detention of activists, the use of excessive force, and killing of protestors by law enforcement officers.

More recently, protests reportedly erupted in the Amhara region of Gondar in July 2016 when armed police arrested members of the Welkait Committee who had rejected the Government’s decision to merge the Welkait community and its land into the neighbouring Tigray region.

Reports further indicate that from 6 – 7 August 2016, thousands of people around the country took to the streets calling for political reform, equality, justice and the rule of law. The Commission is seriously disturbed by reports which aver that law enforcement agents responded with excessive force, including firing live bullets at protestors in Bahir Dar killing at least 30 people, and beating protestors with batons in Addis Ababa. Reports indicate that nearly 100 protestors were killed from 6 – 7 August 2016.

The Commission has also received information that the Government completely blocked internet throughout the country for 48 hours in an attempt to stop the use of social media to organise further protests. It is alleged that most social media applications are still blocked, hampering communication.

Reports allege that following the first protests in November 2015, hundreds of protestors have been killed, and many more have been beaten, arbitrarily arrested and detained.

The Commission is equally concerned about reports that members and human rights monitors of the Human Rights Council of Ethiopia (HRCO) have been arrested and detained in the Amhara and Oromo regions, while allegedly monitoring and documenting the crack-down on protestors in these regions.

Without reaching conclusions on the above allegations, the Commission is concerned that if these allegations are correct they would amount to violations of Articles 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 19 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (the African Charter), as well as other regional and international human rights instruments to which the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia is a party.

In view of the above, the Commission calls on the Government of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia to:

• Fully investigate or allow the African Commission and other international/regional human rights mechanisms unimpeded access to the concerned areas in order to carry out prompt and impartial investigations into the allegations, so that these reports can be verified;
• Ensure due process of law for those arrested and detained;
• Respect peoples’ right to freedom of assembly, freedom of expression and access to information;
• Ensure that perpetrators of the alleged violations are held accountable;
• Ensure that the victims and their families obtain full redress, including restitution, compensation, rehabilitation, satisfaction and guarantees of non-repetition; and
• Uphold its obligations under the regional and international human rights instruments to which it is a party, in particular the African Charter.

The Commission will remain actively seized of this matter.

Ethiopia: Amhara region protest against the TPLF regime (Youtube-Clip)

Feyisa Lilesa “If I go back to Ethiopia, they will kill me” (Youtube-Clip)