ommotto
male - 28 years
Blog / Tags / nairobi
Blog messages with the tag 'nairobi':
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I delivered my son to his killers
"Sometime last month, my son told me that he feared for his life because a vigilante group accused him of being a member of Mungiki and wanted him killed. He wanted to run away from home, but I urged him not to because he would explain his case. We know the vigilantes well and some are our neighbours, so I believed they would hear us out." READ ON...
The boy, who was to sit his KCSE exam this year, confided that it was true
he had been recruited into Mungiki, says his father.
Wanjohi said: "He told me, Dad, I have been scared all this time. Im sorry for letting you down."
He said sometime back, a boy from a neighbouring village laid a trap and led him and two other schoolmates into a Mungiki oath ceremony.
He was to take them to a homestead to borrow books but as soon as they entered the house, they were kidnapped and forced through the recruitment ritual.
They were threatened with death if they ever leaked the secret.
On April 18, he and the other two boys were asked by the local vigilante group to go and explain how they had joined Mungiki.
They told the boys to go in the company of their parents and would be forgiven if they confessed.
He was scared but I told him Be strong, I know they will forgive you."
Later in the day, I took his hand and led him to the vigilantes meeting. The boys explained how they had been forcibly recruited. But as soon as they confessed, the vigilantes leader said he had no powers to forgive. He said the boys must be taken to "The Hague" where their fate would be known.
("The Hague" is a spot near Kagumo town where several Mungiki suspects have been tried by a kangaroo court and executed.)
We followed the mob to "The Hague" where the overall leader said the boys must be killed.
They were kneeling down, crying out and begging to be spared but the leader said what he had ruled must be done.
I asked him Do you truly want to spill my sons blood? Would you make the same ruling if it was your own son?
"By then, I had lost hope. The hurt I felt in my heart is something that will never go away. I knew that boy had done something wrong, but we are all humans and he had asked for forgiveness."
"When the gang was preparing to hack him, a few people said they did not want him killed at the spot and led him to another place. The other parents were with us too, so we followed them as they took the children away. The boys were crying."
I looked at my son and he told me, Dad, dont worry.
"I could not take it any more. The men were brandishing pangas and axes, so I looked at my son one last time and sneaked away. As I walked off, I heard them start hacking the boys.
"I couldnt take the sound, so I started running in the rain and went home. I found his mother waiting up for me and told her they had killed our son. She cried the whole night." -
Kenya: End Cabinet Stalemate, Says Envoy
The Rwandese ambassador to Kenya has called for a quick resolution of the Cabinet stalemate.
"Kenya can solve this problem. What happened should never be allowed again," Mr George Kayonga said.
Speaking when announcing the 14th commemoration of the Rwanda genocide to be marked on Wednesday, Kayonga expressed concern over loss of life in post-election violence.
"We commemorate for the 14th time the Rwanda genocide today by striving to eradicate its ideology, caring for survivors and promoting progress and development," Kayonga said.
The envoy said the loss of life was not comparable to the economic loss.
He told the leaders to be cautious in the way they handle the Cabinet stalemate. -
AGREEMENT ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PARTNERSHIP OF THE COALITION
ACTING TOGETHER FOR KENYA
AGREEMENT ON THE PRINCIPLES OF PARTNERSHIP OF THE COALITION GOVERNMENT
Preamble:
The crisis triggered by the 2007 disputed presidential elections has brought to the surface deep-seated and long-standing divisions within Kenyan society. If left unaddressed, these divisions threaten the very existence of Kenya as a unified country. The Kenyan people are now looking to their leaders to ensure that their country will not be lost.
Given the current situation, neither side can realistically govern the country without the other. There must be real power-sharing to move the country forward and begin the healing and reconciliation process.
With this agreement, we are stepping forwarding together, as political leaders, to overcome the current crisis and to set the country on a new path. As partners in a coalition government, we commit ourselves to work together in good faith as true partners, through constant consultation and willingness to compromise.
This agreement is designed to create an environment conducive to such a partnership and to build mutual trust and confidence. It is not about creating positions that reward individuals. It seeks to enable Kenya’s political leaders to look beyond partisan considerations with a view to promoting the greater interests of the nation as a whole. It provides the means to implement a coherent and far-reaching reform agenda, to address the fundamental root causes of recurrent conflict, and to create a better, more secure, more prosperous Kenya for all.
To resolve the political crisis, and in the spirit of coalition and partnership, we have agreed to enact the National Accord and Reconciliation Act 2008, whose provisions have been agreed upon in their entirety by the parties hereto and a draft copy thereof is appended hereto.
Its key points are:
* There will be a Prime Minister of the Government of Kenya, with authority to coordinate and supervise the execution of the functions and affairs of the Government of Kenya.
* The Prime Minister will be an elected member of the National Assembly and the parliamentary leader of the largest party in the National Assembly, or of a coalition, if the largest party does not command a majority.
* Each member of the coalition shall nominate one person from the National Assembly to be appointed a Deputy Prime Minister.
* The Cabinet will consist of the President, the Vice-President, the Prime Minister, the two Deputy Prime Ministers and the other Ministers. The removal of any Minister of the coalition will be subject to consultation and concurrence in writing by the leaders.
* The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers can only be removed if the National Assembly passes a motion of no confidence with a majority vote.
* The composition of the coalition government will at all times take into account the principle of portfolio balance and will reflect their relative parliamentary strength.
* The coalition will be dissolved if the Tenth Parliament is dissolved; or if the parties agree in writing; or if one coalition partner withdraws from the coalition.
* The National Accord and Reconciliation Act shall be entrenched in the Constitution.
Having agreed on the critical issues above, we will now take this process to Parliament. It will be convened at the earliest moment to enact these agreements. This will be in the form of an Act of Parliament and the necessary amendment to the Constitution.
We believe by these steps we can together in the spirit of partnership bring peace and prosperity back to the people of Kenya who so richly deserve it.
Agreed this date 28 February 2008
________________________ ________________________
Hon. Raila Odinga H.E. President Mwai Kibaki
Orange Democratic Movement Government/Party of National Unity
Witnessed By:
_________________________ _________________________
H.E. Kofi A. Annan H.E. President Jakaya Kikwete
Chairman of the Panel President of the United Republic of
of Eminent African Personalities Tanzania
and Chairman of the African Union -
Kenyans 'forcibly recruited to fight'
A Kenyan (who wishes to remain anonymous) in the Rift Valley town of Naivasha describes how members of an outlawed sect - the Mungiki - are forcibly recruiting members of their Kikuyu ethnic group to kill non-Kikuyus - allied to the opposition. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7215107.stm
Law and order has broken down in the Rift Valley area since the disputed 27 December presidential election. Kenyan politics is polarised and because of this, when a community feels threatened, groupings or gangs arise in their defence.
It is really disgusting. People are being killed and burnt in their houses, even one person was buried alive... buried alive?
And other people are just watching.
There are gangs of Kikuyu coming knocking from door-to-door. But I really don't think they are from Naivasha - people know that Naivasha is usually a safe place, a place where people like peace.
But these people are coming and forcing people here to fight. So that's why they are going house-to-house making sure that if you are a Kikuyu, you have to come out and fight.
If you are not a Kikuyu, they just kill you immediately.
Not long ago they came into our estate and demanded the keys to the gate.
They used a petrol bomb to frighten us, telling us if we don't come out, they'll burn us.
Shooting, shooting, shooting
Luckily, I managed to hide under the bed.
Where they are targeting right now is Naivasha prison.
Groups of Kikuyu groups roam the streets of a neighborhood of Naivasha as fires burn
Homes belonging to Luos are being ransacked and set alight
The Kikuyus are going to the prison and they want to get the Luos and the Namdis who have gone there to seek refuge.
Gangs of Kikuyus are outside the prison and burning houses nearby but the police - there are many of them there - but it is like they are relaxed.
They are not doing anything, just shooting, shooting, shooting [up in the air] but not stopping these people from getting closer to the prison.
These Kikuyus that are doing all this - it is a kind of revenge.
In Naivasha it is revenge for what has been happening in other areas where Kikuyus have been killed. -
Private firms must play role in ensuring peace deal’s reac
The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) carried the hopes of many Kenyans when they decided to play an active role in encouraging a deal between the Government and the Opposition, ODM.
What they didn’t realise is that their role was not to be a one off. We had very visible high level meetings and since then, it has been all quiet.
The private sector has always taken a bystander role and viewed politics as too dirty to indulge in. The private sector has even at times insinuated that Kenya’s economy is unaffected by the political happenings in the country. Reality only dawned on us after the disputed election results of December 27, 2007.
Leader after leader has been visiting Kenya, among them the US Secretary of State, Dr Condoleezza Rice. The likes of Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who are world renowned, left without achieving anything. The then Head of African Union and the President of Ghana was said to have passed by for a cup of tea. Our own Noble laureate (Wangari Maathai) has not been able to achieve much, even though she has been a lone voice of reason
Our current Constitution is indeed the cause of the problem and the Bomas draft would have sorted us out had we adopted it.
In tourism, we talk about our source markets of Europe and North America lifting or reviewing their advisory, but we are not playing our active role to pressure the two parties to agree on something and spare us another round of skirmishes. It will only take half a day of skirmish and killings for fresh advisories to be put in place.
All along, it has been acknowledged that a political solution was the only way forward. However, some PNU hardliners now seem to be moving away from it. At this rate, the peace talks could be at a risk.
Kepsa cannot afford to be silent on the latest development. So what are the probable scenarios:
ODM takes its role as the opposition and waits for Parliament to resume and fight their case there. This would have been the wish of many Kenyans, including tourism players, but it is highly unlikely.
ODM takes its battle back to the streets and the Government ignores them and they tire out? This is also highly unlikely.
ODM goes to the streets and the Government brutally deals with them, resulting in increasing incidents of violence? This is the most probable outcome.
If the third scenario happens where does that leave us? More advisories, more cancellations. We may end up with evacuations by some of the Western nations as they have clearly indicated that it will not be business as usual. I pray hard that does not come to pass.
As the private sector, we need to ask ourselves if indeed we are playing our role as required. It is evident that the current calm we are enjoying has deceived many that all is well and it is indeed back to normalcy.
Kepsa should not wait and wish that a deal will just come on its own. We have to make it happen without any fear or favour.
If we choose to remain silent and we end up with a fresh flare up of chaos, then history will judge us harshly.
The church groups a couple of days ago admitted that they were indeed partisan. How come since then we haven’t seen them come up and give a middle ground approach to compel the two warring groups to agree.
I am not a doomsday proponent but if the current talks fail, then we should brace ourselves for the worst as the power of brutal force will not stop people who yearn for change.
MOHAMMED HERSI
Chairman, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers
Coast -
UNITED NATION'S EXPERT RESPONDS TO NAIROBI BANN ON POLYTHEN
THIS WEEK I EXPRESSED MY FEARS TO A UNITED NATIONS EXPERT ON ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES DR. SURESH RAJ CONCERNING THE BANN ON POLYTHENE USAGE IN KENYA AND THIS WAS HIS RESPONSE............
OUR DISCOURSE WAS PUBLISHED IN DETAIL IN UNEP WEBSITE IN THE LINK HERE.... http://www.unep.org/experts/Default.asp?Page=h...
What policies have been lied down in solving the problem of industrial pollution in Africa?
As an expert do you think that banning the usage of polythene bags in law is adequate to solving the green house effect? (such a law has been passed in Nairobi)
How can we participate in solving global warming, especially in Africa?
oliver ommotto (from Kenya)
Dear Oliver,
Many thanks for all your questions. Although I am no expert on environmental issues in Africa, I have attempted to answer all 3 of your questions as best as I could. May I suggest that you raise these issues again when “UNEP Expert of the Day” is better placed to provide more substantive responses.
Kind regards,
Suresh
What policies have been lied down in solving the problem of industrial pollution in Africa?
To raise awareness and develop a framework for action to address the growing urban air pollution in Africa, UNEP, the World Bank’s Clean Air Initiative for Africa (CAI-Africa), the Air Pollution Information Network for Africa (APINA), the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) jointly organizing a regional conference entitled “Better Air Quality for African Cities (BAQ-Africa 2006)”. You can find out more about this and other relevant policies by visiting www.cleanairnet.org/ssa/
You are also welcome to visit the UNEP website which has relevant information on the above subject.
As an expert do you think that banning the usage of polythene bags in law is adequate to solving the green house effect? (such a law has been passed in Nairobi)
I recall reading about Kenyan policy aimed at banning the use of polythene bags in the country. If my understanding is correct then the policy deters manufactures from making plastic bags. I believe this policy was put in place because there were concerns that the continued manufacture and use of polythene bags had greatly contributed to environmental degradation in the country.
Waste Management is widely recognized as a major concern for Pacific Island countries (PICs) with the potential to cause negative impacts on national development activities, including tourism and trade, food supplies, public health and the environment. Conversely, the benefits from good waste management can include reduced raw material costs, enhancement of the tourism experience, reduced health care costs. Effective measures now will also avoid the need for expensive clean-up operations in the future.
Key elements of waste management in the PICs is based around the following three major strategies:
· Institutional activities, including policy development, capacity building, information exchange, and public education and awareness.
· Improvement and upgrading of existing waste management and disposal systems.
· Development and/or enhancement of waste minimization activities such as recycling, so as to reduce the quantities of wastes being produced.
As you will appreciate the policy development component may include the banning of imports of polythene bags in some PICs
In addition, emphasis has been given to the development of activities embodying some of the key requirements for sustainability, including the use of appropriate technologies and management systems, and with a strong focus on self-help and in-country capacity building.
How can we participate in solving global warming, especially in Africa?
Some of the actions may involve:
· increase energy efficiency in home, workplace, school, and means of transportation;
· expand the use of renewable energy sources and reduce dependence on oil and coal;
· plant new trees and to join with others in preserving and protecting forests;
· buy from businesses and support leaders who a commitment to solving the climate crises and building a sustainable world for future generations.
You may like to visit the folowing weblink to obtain additional information:
http://www.unep.fr/en/branches/energy.htm
THESE ARE THE PROFILES FOR DR SURESH RAJ
Suresh Raj - National and Regional Environmental Policies in the Pacific Region
Suresh Raj is a Fiji Islander with 20 years work experience in a wide range of environmental and sustainable development issues including waste minimisation and management, ozone depletion, climate change, and energy planning. He has worked for the Fijian Government and regional organizations in the Pacific such as the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS) and the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). He joined UNEP in January 2001 as a Capacity Building Manager in the Division of Technology, Industry & Economics. Since May 2007, he has moved back to the Pacific on reassignment as UNEP Representative/Programme Officer for the Pacific Islands. -
NAIROBI UNIVERSITY REPORTS ON EARTH TREMORS THAT HIT KENYA
After Kenya experience its 8th earth tremor in series of 5 days (since thursday) the government requested the geology department at the university Of Nairobi to prepare a detailed report on the matter. Here is the summary
a. The Earthquakes have originated from lake Natron – Ol Doinyo Lengai Area
b. So far they are 9 major ones which have been spread between 12th and 18th of July 2007
c. These major ones range in magnitude between 4.4 and 6.0 on the Richter scale
d. Last night, 17th and 18th of July the effects of 2 major quakes which hit the country were felt at 5.15 p.m. (local time) and 9.27 p.m. (local time)
They measured 6.0 and 5.0 on the Richter scale respectively
e. Effects of smaller tremors were felt during the night
f. Nobody can predict whether a major earthquake is coming or not
g. Kenyans are requested to be vigilant as we monitor the situation
h. Localities of origin (epicenters) of these tremors and earthquakes is northern Tanzania
For more details on the earth quakes visit webite of the official govt spokesman at http://www.communication.go.ke/media.asp?id=41... -
THE NAIROBI STAR, another headless snake
KISS 100 and Classic 105 have spent the last month hyping up the launch of their sister paper, the Nairobi Star.
So they claimed the paper would offer content unrivaled by The Nation and Standard Groups. Yet what i saw on the streets today is a total continuation of the status quo.
We have always complained that the media is selling big time in the market of sensationalism and vulgarism in order to hit high sells. Yet the Star promised us "real stories about us", they lied it would be a magazine in the body of a newspaper but what they offered was a tabloid not any different from Standard.
This is a headless snake that boasts to have changed our life for the better. In fact i now think the claim that they have a circulation of 50, 000 copies is all marketing gimmick. Where on earth can a newly launched paper still uncertain of market reaction be so bold to publish beyond the mainstream dailies (NATION- 250, 000 and STANDARD - 70, 000)???? some of these guys are now 50 years old in the newspaper industry for them to reach where they are.
With stories about Kamlesh Pattni, Enoch Kibunguchy etc arent thses the same politicians we read about in the other daillies. Surely, Media Africa and its MD Patrick Quarckoo can believe that a lie once repeated can be christened as the truth!
My verdict is that THE NAIROBI STAR is daily edition of Pulse Magazine, True Love, Eve, Drum etc courted with glossy graphix and sexist headlines.....this is not the kind of revolution we have been waiting for....Kenyans know better lets see what happens once the euphoria fades away... just like its predessesors PULSE we will get used to the rumours and gossips of the high and mighty...
I rest my case
