NAIROBI: PM ADDRESSES FOOD PROTESTERS

Tue, May 31, 2011 4:59:07 PM

Prime Minister Raila Odinga today assured Kenyans that the price reductions the government promised will be contained in the Budget statement that will soon be presented to the country.

Mr Odinga told protesters who gathered on Harambee Avenue that the government is aware of the difficulties people are going through as a result of escalating food and fuel prices.

The Prime Minister who had been in Kenyatta University most of the day returned to the city centre on being informed that protesters seeking audience with him and President Kibaki had camped between the Office of the President and the Office of the Prime Minister.

Addressing the crowd outside his office, Mr Odinga said he can never run away from Kenyans asking to be fed and he would not allow police to chase away such protesters, adding that they were exercising the freedoms Kenyans had long sought.

“Adults who resort to a protest must be having a serious problem and I know you do. I appeal for a little patience. Prices of these commodities will start coming down as soon as the budget statement is read,” the PM said.

Mr Odinga received a memorandum from the group, which included a nationalization of all oil companies, construction of cereals storage silos in all maize producing areas, acquisition of all grabbed agricultural and reduction of price of maize flour to Sh30.

The PM asked the protesters to avoid actions that would lead to more suffering instead of creating solutions.

ENDS

GENEVA: GOVERNMENT ON INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT’S DECISIONS TO DISMISS KENYA’S APPLICATION ON ADMISSIBILITY

I have learnt of the decisions of the Pre-Trial Chamber II of I.C.C. dismissing the Government of Kenya’s application challenging the admissibility of the two Kenya cases before the I.C.C.

I am surprised that the Pre-Trial Chamber II reached this decision without according, at the very minimum, on oral hearing to the Government of Kenya. This issue of giving an opportunity to the state Party which has applied for it, an oral hearing is fundamental to the development of international criminal law. The Government of Kenya is therefore reviewing the ruling with a view of appealing against both decisions to the Appeals Chamber of the I.C.C. In this regard I will be meeting our lawyers, Sir Geoffrey Nice. Q.C. and Rodney Dixon in London on Friday the 3rd of June 2011.

The Government of Kenya is confident that the Appeals Chamber will not only receive up to date information of the progress of investigations that the Pre-Trial Chamber declined to receive, but that, by the time of the hearing of the Appeal, yet further reform will have taken place demonstrating that these cases can be tried in Kenya itself.

As I have stated before, the ultimate success of the Government’s application will depend on the manner, speed, determination and unity with which we carry out Constitutional reforms and in particular Judicial and Police Reforms. Any squabbling and acrimonious debate and delays in timeous implementation of the Constitution only sends negative signal and makes the Government’s success difficult. Let us therefore, resolve to pursue the reforms soberly, expeditiously and with maximum determination.

Dated at Geneva, Switzerland this 31st of May 2011,  
AMOS WAKO
ATTORNEY GENERAL
REPUBLIC OF KENYA

LONDON: David McKenzie Wins Amnesty International Award

CNN International has won the Amnesty International Media award in the ‘International Television and Radio’ category for its documentary, 'World’s Untold Stories: Locked Up and Forgotten'.  This was announced during an Awards ceremony in London on Tuesday 24th May 2011.

The winning half-hour documentary, fronted by CNN’s Nairobi-based correspondent David McKenzie, highlights the negligence and social taboos suffered by Kenya’s mentally disabled community, who live a life hidden away in slums and remote villages across the country.  Devoid of medical care and therapy an estimated three million mentally disabled individuals are ostracised by society, concealed and locked away inside their own communities, often by their own families. 

When first aired on CNN International the documentary sparked widespread debate, bringing the plight of Kenya’s mentally disabled to the forefront of the world’s media.  This resulted in domestic and international human rights groups calling for government intervention. The matter was brought to the attention of the Kenyan government, who have called for change.  

The Amnesty International Media Award jurors praised the programme for being “moving yet constructive.”

“It's fitting that the Amnesty International logo is a candle because it is an honour and a privilege to be awarded this prize for a documentary that shines a light on the shocking state of mental health in Kenya and beyond," said McKenzie. 

"David McKenzie took an unknown story and brought it to the attention of the world, testament that hard hitting journalism can incite global change,” executive vice president and managing director of CNN International Tony Maddox said of the award.  "It is an honour to have your journalism recognised by Amnesty International as powerful enough to truly make a difference."  

The award is the World Untold Stories documentary strand’s second win in the ‘International Television and Radio’ category since it first aired on CNN in 2009.  In 2009 the strand took the award with The Forgotten People for its expose of the on-going persecution of the ethnic Rohingya people in their bid to escape terrible privation in Myanmar, formerly Burma and in neighbouring countries.  

About the Amnesty International Media Awards:

The Amnesty International Media Awards recognises excellence in human rights journalism that makes a significant contribution to the UK public understands of human rights.  The awards celebrate the breath of reporting across different media and acknowledge the risks journalists often take whilst reporting on the stories that otherwise may remain untold.   A full list of winners can be found at: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ http://www.amnesty.org.uk/

CNN International has won the Amnesty International Media award in the ‘International Television and Radio’ category for its documentary, 'World’s Untold Stories: Locked Up and Forgotten'.  This was announced during an Awards ceremony in London on Tuesday 24th May 2011.

The winning half-hour documentary, fronted by CNN’s Nairobi-based correspondent David McKenzie, highlights the negligence and social taboos suffered by Kenya’s mentally disabled community, who live a life hidden away in slums and remote villages across the country.  Devoid of medical care and therapy an estimated three million mentally disabled individuals are ostracised by society, concealed and locked away inside their own communities, often by their own families. 

When first aired on CNN International the documentary sparked widespread debate, bringing the plight of Kenya’s mentally disabled to the forefront of the world’s media.  This resulted in domestic and international human rights groups calling for government intervention. The matter was brought to the attention of the Kenyan government, who have called for change.  

The Amnesty International Media Award jurors praised the programme for being “moving yet constructive.”

“It's fitting that the Amnesty International logo is a candle because it is an honour and a privilege to be awarded this prize for a documentary that shines a light on the shocking state of mental health in Kenya and beyond," said McKenzie. 

"David McKenzie took an unknown story and brought it to the attention of the world, testament that hard hitting journalism can incite global change,” executive vice president and managing director of CNN International Tony Maddox said of the award.  "It is an honour to have your journalism recognised by Amnesty International as powerful enough to truly make a difference."  

The award is the World Untold Stories documentary strand’s second win in the ‘International Television and Radio’ category since it first aired on CNN in 2009.  In 2009 the strand took the award with The Forgotten People for its expose of the on-going persecution of the ethnic Rohingya people in their bid to escape terrible privation in Myanmar, formerly Burma and in neighbouring countries.  

About the Amnesty International Media Awards:

The Amnesty International Media Awards recognises excellence in human rights journalism that makes a significant contribution to the UK public understands of human rights.  The awards celebrate the breath of reporting across different media and acknowledge the risks journalists often take whilst reporting on the stories that otherwise may remain untold.   A full list of winners can be found at: http://www.amnesty.org.uk/ http://www.amnesty.org.uk/

It is a rare moment from a rare angle. But that is what investigative journalism is all about; bringing to the fore what is hidden or ignored.  A career Broadcast Journalist in his own right, David McKenzie is a gentleman to boot with a charming smile that conceals an edge of passionate desire to tell the story.

Un-nerved by being on the flipside as an interviewee not an interviewer, McKenzie did not need pre-amble and we got right into the nitty gritty of his latest achievement – winning the Amnesty International Media Award for the ‘World’s Untold Stories’ documentary examining the treatment of the mentally ill in Kenya.

‘Locked up and forgotten’ was a chilling revelation of the treatment of mentally ill patients in Kenya, a country which like many others in the developing World, is engulfed in taboos coupled with the lack of adequate funding to deal with basic medical requirements for its citizens.

The Documentary ‘Locked up and forgotten’ described by the Amnesty International Media Award jurors as being ‘moving yet creative’, was shot in Kenya by a David McKenzie led team, as part of the ongoing CNN International’s ‘World’s Untold Stories’. 

Interest

In response to the question as to why he chose to do the documentary on this particular topic, Mr. McKenzie who studied Public Policy and Psychology before doing a Masters in Journalism said it was during his study in New York reading Psychology and working in a mental institution that he had developed a keen interest in mental health. 

It is this background that influenced his decision to seek authority to pursue the subject on a wider scale.  The Nairobi team which included McKenzie, Fabian Muhire (Cameraman) and Lillian Laposo (Producer) was given an extra producer with a wider knowledge of Africa to start on the project.

A year before CNN had done a news story on mental health; this was before seeking authority to do the documentary. In line with CNN’s quest for thoroughness McKenzie embarked on research on the project before beginning the shoot. This apparently included making sure that the people they were going to film were comfortable with the intrusion in their lives, in his words; “Ask first and shoot later, make sure that people are comfortable with being filmed.”

This approach varies depending on what one is filming.  In case of say public protests and you are filming security personnel, or Government officials, the answer would be NO!

Press Freedom

Asked about the challenges of making a documentary of this nature in Kenya, Mr. McKenzie has kind words for the country saying “Kenya is a very easy country to work in as a journalist...you are allowed plenty of freedom and latitude...in general there is a very good atmosphere for both local and foreign journalists to do a story..more so than other countries” alluding to the fact that there are several International media houses like the BBC, AL Jazeera, AP, Reuters, which have their regional bases in Kenya.

Challenges

It is with this in mind that Mr. McKenzie feels he has had a great opportunity to tackle the issues affecting Africa.  According to him Africa has many challenging stories; he has had to work in Sudan, the Congo and Somalia being among the first Journalists to do so.

Africa is diverse, and is definitely a challenge to any Journalist local or foreign. For CNN’s McKenzie, meeting those challenges has not been very difficult, with the support and leverage he is allowed by his employers at CNN, “For every story we do, on the pollution in Sudan or the pirates in Somalia, we try and also do something on the changing landscape of Africa apart from the business and cultural perspective...My main aim is to try and tell the story of Africa through Africans, rather than the perspective of others.”

In keeping with CNN objectives, McKenzie says the story does not stop with the broadcast. “We continue the conversation...”, in the case of the Locked up and forgotten documentary’, he says there was instant reaction from several corners, hence the need to elaborate on some issues, “We spoke to the Government, NGOs, I personally went to radio talk shows, discussions online , facebook, and we also had something on the CNN show Backstory...”  It is an open debate geared towards encouraging feed back and creating awareness. This part of the overall CNN strategy to not just let issues die away after the broadcast.

Mr. McKenzie believes that after the 2007 post election violence, it is important as part of the healing process for people to talk about the issues openly, noting that Kenya as a country is full promise, and as part of sustaining that positive atmosphere there is need to keep the conversation on those tough issues going.

Resume

McKenzie joined CNN from UNICEF, where he served as a correspondent and producer with their Africa Services Unit. In that role, he reported from more than 30 countries in Africa, covering stories on the instability in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the humanitarian crisis in Darfur. Prior to moving into field work, he was based in New York as a freelance producer and writer for various international broadcasters and newsgathering organisations including ABC News, BBC and Reuters. He made his debut on air with reports for CNN International during the 2007 elections in Kenya and the early days of the subsequent unrest. Earlier in 2007, he also worked as a freelance producer for CNN Worldwide initiative CNN Heroes.

David McKenzie frequently contributes to CNN’s ‘African Voices’ and ‘CNN Marketplace Africa’, where he has highlighted some of Africa’s most intriguing personalities and business leaders

NAIROBI: PRIME MINISTER RAILA ODINGA IN KENYATTA UNIVERSITY TOMRROW (TUESDAY)

Mon, May 30, 2011 4:44:08 PM

Prime Minister Raila Odinga will tomorrow, June 31, 2011, visit Kenyatta University's Main Campus on Thika Road to open the School of Engineering Complex.  

The PM will arrive at the University at 10 am and will be received by the Vice Chancellor Prof Olive Mugenda. He will tour the new library which is under construction before proceeding to the Engineering Complex.

The PM will address the University community at the Graduation Square on the campus.

Dennis Onyango

NAIROBI: Gwassi MP John Mbadi seeks the retention of the current IIEC Staff in the new Electoral body

Mon, May 30, 2011 12:22:55 PM

Gwassi Member of Parliament Mr John Mbadi is proposing an amendment to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) Bill, which is lined up for debate this week seeking the retention of the current staff of the Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC).

Mr. Mbadi, who also sits in the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), wants the current IIEC staff retained and those who worked for IIBRC given priority for any arising vacancies at the new body.

The ODM Legislator argues that one of the major recommendations in the Kreagler report was the establishment of the strong independent, competent, efficient and permanent electoral secretariat to handle electoral issues.

He says, the Act of Parliament which created the Interim Independent Electoral Commission also observes the same recommendations as in the Kreagler Report and that there would be no reason to deny the current stuff at the IIEC a chance to continue running the secretariat.

Mr. Mbadi says the retention of the IIEC staff would be for continuity and competence since they have been there for three years and understand how things are run.

Mr. Mbadi also said that the staff in the defunct Interim Independent Boundaries Review Commission be also absorbed in the new Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission once it is created by Parliament.

He says “the IIBRC staff have the Institutional memory and understand the methodology followed when the proposed new electoral boundaries were arrived at”.

Mr. Mbadi expressed optimism that his amendment will get the approval of the house saying it was in the interest of the whole country and the stuff of the two bodies which will be obsolete once the bill is passed and the new body put in place.

“I know there are some of those MPs who will want to oppose it for political reasons, but am pretty sure it will see the light of the day” said Mr. Mbadi.

Ends……

Eritrea: President Isaias Afwerki's Keynote address on the occassion of 20th Anniversary of Independence

Dear compatriots inside the country and abroad
Distinguished guests and participants
Ladies and Gentlemen

May I extend my congratulations to the entire Eritrean people on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Independence Day! 

Expressing my gratification at the successful journey we have  traversed, I would like to thank all those who made remarkable contributions to imbue our Independence Day celebrations the splendor that it deserves. My heartfelt appreciation also goes to Eritrean artists and friends who made creative and innovative contribution and especially those nationals from the Diaspora who came to the Homeland to add colour to the celebrations.         

Ladies and Gentlemen

Freedom is nurtured through a dynamic process.   It is akin to the glamours and permanent home that one builds when allotted land, and whose legacy never fades but is ever reinvigorated.    Freedom is indeed an impenetrable fortress founded on reliable socio-economic transformation and cultural resurgence. 

Freedom is not acquired through benevolence and submission or pleading.   It is a pursuit that one nurtures through hard toil; not that one is handed over on a silver platter. 

Freedom is a precious public good achieved through heavy price and sacrifice, and, that has to be maintained through persistent care. It is indeed a glorious bequest of the broad masses. It is precisely for such an enduring legacy that the Eritrean people waged a bitter struggle. The successful campaign that the entire Eritrean people carried out in unison over the past 20 years was aimed at putting in place a strong foundation for genuine freedom.               

As it may be noted, the symposiums conducted in the past few weeks were vital both in offering us a glimpse of what has been accomplished in the last twenty years and as benchmarks for objective appraisal of our activities.   However, we need to undertake a more profound review of our assessments in order to map out appropriate, forward-looking action programmes that would enhance the effective implementation of our pronounced objectives and goals.  In this spirit and without delving into details, I would like to highlight the following salient points to underscore and project the development framework that we seek to pursue in the period ahead:

·         o    To export agricultural and marine food products, in all their varieties, beyond achieving food security;

·         o    To ensure potable and irrigation water supply to all parts of the country on the basis of efficient management;

·         o    To undertake substantial investment in the construction of housing complexes;

·         o    To ensure the provision of domestic and industrial electricity supply at fair cost and equitable distribution phase by phase;

·         o    To promote the development of land and air transport and communication services both in scope and quality;

·         o    To significantly improve health services in terms of quality and outreach;

·         o    Bringing about fundamental leap as regards investment and achieving quality improvement in the domain of education and vocational training;

·         o    To increase investment in industrial sectors of comparative advantage and to reactivate trading activities;

·         o    To undertake appropriate adjustment in financial policies and institutions and to improve financial services in a substantial manner;

·         o    To continue subsidies on basic consumption commodities as a stop gap measure while charting out a time line for recourse to normative practices;

·         o    To reform and strengthen our environmental programmes to ensure higher coherence and greater effectiveness in an incremental manner;

·         o    To allocate appropriate investment to ensure the dissemination of information investment Making the necessary investment in information that would be characterized by its qualitative depth and timeliness;

And in regard to all the aforementioned domains, it is imperative that the following work programs should be given due consideration:

·         o    Developing the requisite infrastructural programs, reinforcing domestic investment capacity and encouraging partnership in foreign investment;

·         o    Nurturing our basic human and vocational resources both in quality and quantity and that is equipped with good work ethic;

·         o    Ensuring the promotion of administrative and managerial capacity to the highest possible levels through resorting to timely and structural adjustments; and, especially through a relentless  campaign of sanitization against intermittent instance of transgression in our endeavours of zero-tolerance to corruption.

Ladies and Gentlemen

Although we do not claim to have fully accomplished the task of laying the foundations of a sovereign and free Eritrea, it is nonetheless indisputable that we have managed to achieve far-reaching victory considering the time and challenges encountered, as well as the limited resources at our disposal.  Provided we continue our forward march with added fervor and enthusiasm, as well as the rich experience we have so far acquired, it is not difficult to discern that we would be in a position to accomplish still more gratifying outcome in the years ahead.

Ladies and Gentlemen

The greater portion of the past 20 years witnessed a wave of conspiracies against us. It is an open secret that the forces of domination and monopoly that surfaced in the wake of the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the so-called ‘New World Order’, which coincided with the achievement of our Independence, have been engaged in spawning numerous obstacles in the past twenty years by fomenting [perennial crisis to roll back the bright prospects ushered in our region.

One of the main manifestations of these impediments is the continued occupation of our sovereign territories for the past nine years by the surrogate TPLF regime.   This act has occurred in flagrant breach of the final and binding arbitral Award and in contravention of international law through the direct intervention of the US Administration in order to create chronic instability.  The various ploys that were unleashed in the past nine years to derail the judicial process and nullify or render the Award meaningless are fresh in the memories of all those who have been following the events closely.   And if they have failed invariably, it is because we were not deceived from the outset.

The numerous military, economic, political and diplomatic acts perpetrated against us to divert our attention and dampen our resolve remain imprinted in our collective memory.   These unremitting  hostilities and acts of subversion have not however kept us hostage.  Our defiance and the implementation of our development programmes have continued without let up aggravating, by the hour, the frustration of our adversaries.  

As I described in detail on the occasion of last year’s Independence Day celebrations, US State Department officials have leveled unfounded accusations against Eritrea towards the end of 2009, on 23 December during the Christmas week, to impose unlawful sanctions on the country under the rubric of the UN Security Council.   This act was partially prompted by the desire to push the Eritrea-Ethiopia boundary issue to the back burner and to silence us.  At the same time, it reflected their desire to make Eritrea a scapegoat for the debacle they have created in Somalia in 20 years of ill-advised intervention.  A putative and fabricated border dispute between Eritrea and Djibouti was further invoked to demonize and indict Eritrea for acts of regional destabilization for which they bear primary responsibility.  Indeed, the instabilities they have spawned in the Horn of Africa either directly or through proxies, their footprint in all these crises, is too evident to be erased through sheer manipulations.   

As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Independence Day, it is quite in order to underline that nobody stands to be misled by the cheap propaganda ploys employed by the aforementioned quarters that have been engaging in persistent futile attempts to derail us from the border issue. Moreover, our staunch resistance to continued military and economic conspiracy, and the fact that our people’s forward march to a bright future remains on course, coupled with our robust national resolve, would certainly deal a stunning blow to any and all enemy conspiracies designed to derail us from the border issue through engaging in meaningless diversionary squabbles.

If the issues of Somalia, terrorism, piracy, as well as acts of subversion and instability in the Horn region etc. are matters of concern to the Security Council, then each and every issue should be examined thoroughly and seriously by an independent and impartial body in a transparent manner.   They should not be intermingled and lumped together in order to sow confusion.   The findings should be adjudicated in an independent body that has the requisite jurisdiction and in which truth would not be compromised.  By the same token, if the Security Council maintains that it has moral and legal obligation to look into these matters, it should not accommodate the whims and deceitful accusations of those bent on trampling justice.  The Security Council must address and bring to an end the occupation of our sovereign territories for the past nine years in violation of the rule of law.  Indeed, after repetitive deceits, it is too late in the day for anyone to be hoodwinked by the lies of “weapons of mass destruction”. 

Ladies and Gentlemen

Calling on the Eritrean people inside the country and abroad to further reinforce their relentless efforts towards the attainment of still much more gratifying outcome, I would like to extend sincere appreciation to members of the Defense Force, Administrations, Ministries, the PFDJ and Associations for honoring their pledge short of obtaining due reward.

Once again my congratulations to all nationals and wish you all a promising rainy season!

Glory to our Martyrs!
Victory to the Masses! 

Source: Ministry of Information-Eritrea

NAIROBI: PRIME MINISTER RAILA ODINGA ON FOOD AND DROUGHT SITUATION

Fri, May 27, 2011  

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has tasked the National Drought Steering Committee to urgently draft proposals to the Cabinet on the drought and food situation in the country.
After chairing a meeting of the committee in his offices, Mr Odinga said the Government may have to declare a drought disaster particularly in Arid and Semi Arid Lands where food security appears compromised and livestock are in danger as a result of less than normal rains.
The PM also instructed the Ministry of Agriculture to give the country the official position on the amount of maize in stores to enable relevant ministries involved in food provision plan.
He said the amount of maize in the country’s stores should be available at the touch of the button and instructed the ministry to work out ways of using satellite technology to map out how much maize is being grown and harvested in farms instead of walking village to village to establish the number of bags harvested.
Mr Odinga said that while relevant ministries have done a commendable job in containing the situation in ASAL resulting from the drought, the picture emerging is that the situation is getting grim and the Government may need to marshal additional resources to and channel them to these areas.
He said the situation may go on for the rest of the year, given the picture painted by the Meteorological Department.
In the presentation to the committee, the Meteorological Department said the long rains have ended, but the amount of rain received during the period was “generally poor both in time and space,” over most parts of the country with the arid and semi arid lands being the hardest hit.
Total amount of rain received over most of the country were well below 75 per cent, the Meteorological department reported.
Met says a period of dry spell in setting in as a result of La-Nina conditions.
Northern Kenya and parts of the coast received the least rains, with Mombasa, Garissa, Lamu, Wajir, Moyale and Marsabit areas receiving less than 40 per cent of their seasonal rains.
The drought committee reported that because both the October-November-December 2010 and the March to April rainfall were highly depressed and poorly distributed, the country is facing the impact of two successive poor seasons, worsening the drought problem.
The Ministry of Special Programmes reported that the Government has distributed relief food to more than 2 million Kenyans at a cost of Sh1.4 billion. But the Ministry expressed fears that the costs of items like maize and rice are shooting up while more people are turning relief supplies.
The Ministry said the price of beans have shot up while that of livestock is at all time low in ASAL, making it impossible for pastoralists to buy food by selling their animals.
At the same time, the need for relief supplies is increasing while drought worsens.
The Ministry of Water assured however that the looming drought would not affect water supply in Nairobi because the Sasumua Dam is now fully operational.

NAIROBI: IOM Delivers Aid to Sudanese Displaced by Abyei Crisis

Fri, May 27, 2011 12:21:22 PM

IOM Delivers Aid to Sudanese Displaced by Abyei Crisis - IOM is delivering emergency aid to thousands of people who have fled the conflict in the disputed Abyei region between north and south Sudan .

As the security situation in the area continues to be volatile, IOM, is providing trucks, essential non-food relief items, fuel and medicines to support humanitarian operations.

Reports suggest that tens of thousands of internally displaced people (IDPs) have poured into Southern Sudan’s Warrap, Unity and Northern Bahr El Ghazal states. Many are in need of food and water and, with the recent heavy rains, may be vulnerable to water-borne diseases and respiratory tract infections.

IOM has registered four truckloads of IDPs who arrived in Turalei in Warrap State on May 25^th. A further 1,000 IDPs arrived yesterday, May 26^th , in Wunrok, south of Turalei and have been met by an IOM team.

IOM, which has registered some 6,500 IDPs in the past two days, has also provided transport for 138 IDPs who were walking towards Gogrial West, south west of Wunrok.

An IOM mobile clinic has been put on standby in Wau to provide help if requested by other humanitarian organisations in the area. IOM has also made available from its Rapid Response Fund, a sum of 1 m USD to local and International NGOs working in emergency relief of the Abyei crisis.

IOM is also distributing 1,000 kits containing non-food relief items, including plastic sheeting, jerry cans, mosquito nets, soap, blankets, sleeping mats and cooking utensils in Mayen Abun, and Turalei in Warrap State . It is also helping to construct emergency latrines.

Tracking and assessing the displaced population has been difficult because many people are still on the move or are hiding in the bush.  The continued heavy rainfall has made some roads impassable and this has impeded access to areas where IDPs may be sheltering.

IOM is therefore setting up tracking hubs in order to monitor the movements of the IDPs, collect demographic information and identify vulnerable cases including unaccompanied minors and children separated from their parents.

It is also planning for longer term assistance, which will include providing trucks to humanitarian organisations, coordinating the distribution of non-food relief items, procuring equipment to treat and distribute clean water, and organising the return of IDPs back to Abyei, once the crisis is over. 

For more information, please contact Gerard Waite at, IOM Juba .  Tel + 249 922406615  Email: gwaite@iom.int

Simona Opitz Public Information Officer International Organization for Migration(IOM) Nairobi, Kenya Tel:                 +254 20 444 4174 - Ext. 301 Mobile:        +254 738 561 175 Fax:                +254 20 444 9577 Email:            sopitz@iom.int

Raila Under Fire Over Trips

NAIROBI: REPUBLIC OF KENYA OFFICE OF THE PRIME MINISTER

Yesterday, May 25, 2011 in Parliament, Cheranganyi MP Mr Joshua Kutuny alleged that Prime Minister Raila Odinga spent $7000 per day in hotel accommodation during the recent visit to the US.

While we acknowledge that this pattern of irresponsible behaviour is typical of the MP, we wish to clarify to the Kenyan people, as follows:

1: The cost of the PM’s room was $1,600 per day for the three days he was accommodated at the facility.

2: The $1,600 included Room Occupancy tax of $94.00, State Room Tax of $142.00 and a related tax of $8.00 that covered amenities like use of Internet, a meeting room to receive leaders visiting him; a bedroom annex for one bodyguard and a personal assistant; and a dining room.  The other members of the Prime Minister’s Delegation stayed in standard rooms at the cost of US$250 per night.  We have attached hereto copies of the supporting invoices from the Waldorf Astoria in this respect.

We have attached copies of the invoices from the Hotel.

3: We view allegations by the MP as acts of ignorance, inspired by malice and an obsession with trying to mudsling the PM and reduce his profile in national and international affairs.

4: These allegations fall in the same pattern with claims that the Prime Minister is responsible for taking Kenyans suspects to the ICC, a claim equally pushed by the same MP, among others.

We wish to state further that the PM never travels abroad in vain or for fun. Each trip the PM has made out of the country at the expense of tax payers has been on the line of duty and has returned great rewards.

The PM visited France in October 2009 and met the Director-General of AFD, the French Aid Agency, and requested that AFD increase its funding to Kenya’s Geothermal Development Company by about Ksh 10 billion. The Director-General agreed on the spot. That funding was used to buy the two of rigs that are being used to develop geothermal wells in the country.

In a few weeks contracts will be awarded for Olkaria I and IV Power Plants.  The project is projected to cost about US$800 million. About 40% of this cost will be financed by Japan International Cooperation Agency, which was pledged at Mr Odinga’s request when he visited Japan in February 2010.

The Lake Naivasha and Catchment Restoration Programme, which the PM launched in April, is currently receiving strong support from The Price of Wales’ International Sustainability Unit, WWF, and others. This programme has its origin in the PM’s meeting with the Prince of Wales in Oslo in May 2010.

In his recent visit to the US, the PM was leading a Government delegation to showcase Kenya. He was able to influence major corporations, among them General Electric, to agree to set up regional offices in Nairobi.

On this mission, the PM visited the White House where he succeeded in securing a commitment of US$ 15 million to assist Kenya with border patrols.

On 20^th April 2011, the PM visited France to launch the Paris-Nairobi Climate Initiative. This remains a major development for the country. The initiative is to mobilize both technical and financial resources to finance bankable renewable projects. Kenya will submit the development of Bogolia-Susuwa geothermal field and the Kerosene Free Kenya program, for financing under the Paris-Nairobi Initiative.

Insinuations that the PM is traveling for fun or in vain, and attempts to lump his travels with those undertaken by other Government officials, are grossly unfair and undermine clearly undermine the PM’s commitment to helping the country move forward.

DENNIS ONYANGO.

Ag. Sec Communication;

Office of the Prime Minister.

NAIROBI: Kalonzo leads Africa day celebrations in Kenya

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka Wednesday challenged members of the African Union (AU) to work towards restoring peace in member countries still faced with conflicts.

Singling Somalia as one of such countries, Mr. Musyoka said it behooved the Union to ensure that such countries enjoyed peace like the rest of the continent.

"We cannot rest while some of our brothers and sisters still crave for peace notably the people of Somalia. Kenya supports all efforts towards the search for lasting peace in such regions", Mr. Musyoka observed when he addressed participants at the UNON Headquarters, Nairobi, during the 48^th African Day celebrations where he was the chief guest.

He lauded the Burundi government for sending peace keepers and standing with the people of Somalia and called on other African countries to emulate her so as to restore peace and tranquility in the Horn of African state.

The Vice President urged AU to fast track the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) as one of way of tackling the many challenges that bedevil the continent, such as illiteracy, HIV/Aids pandemic, poverty, and high child mortality.

"We need to redouble our efforts and exploit all available opportunities to realize these goals so as to further improve the lives of our people," Mr. Musyoka added.

He paid tribute to African leaders who fought for the liberation of the continent from imperialism, terming them the real force behind Africa's successes in unity, integration socio-economic and political cooperation.

The VP urged African leaders to build upon the foundation laid by such gallant leaders as Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Kwame Nkurumah, Gamel Abdel Nasser, Emperor Haile Sellassie, Namdi Azikiwe and Sekou Toure,

Others included, Modibo Keita, Kenneth Kaunda, and Julius Nyerere. Agostinoh Neto, Samora Machel, Amilcar Cabral, Albert Luthuli and Nelson Mandela.

He noted with appreciation that the continent has made great strides in coming up with home-grown solutions for problems facing her citizens.

"Africa has witnessed a re-awakening with Africans themselves leading the way in the search for peace and stability on their own soil. For instance many formerly conflict-torn nations on the continent have steadily been nursed into good health and this positive trend is the culmination of efforts towards democratic governance, public sector reform, greater transparency and accountability," he observed.

On the recent standoff between the South and North Sudan over Abyei region, the Vice President appealed to both the North and South Sudan Presidents Omar Hassan Al Bashir and Salva Kiir to urgently resolve the dispute for the sake of peace, independence and successful transition.

Mr. Musyoka said Kenya is striving to ensure that the youth realize their full potential by realizing the vision 2030.

The chairperson of the African Union Commission Jean Ping in a speech read on his behalf by an AU official, Mr. Abubakar Diara said AU has put in place measures that would promote and uplift the standards of living of African youth.

He said the youth must be empowered as the catalyst of change and transformation of the society.

Ping said Africa youths were ill prepared in the job market due to gaps in education and urged African leaders to provide an enabling environment that will better their needs.

The Dean of the African Diplomatic Corps Amb. George William Kayonga singled out diseases, maternity and infant mortality and poverty as some of the challenges still facing the continent.

Present at the celebrations included the Saboti Member of Parliament Eugene Wamalwa and the permanent representative to the Republic of Kenya to UNON Amb. George Owour, Ambassadors and High Commissioners among others.

SOURCE: KBC

NAIROBI: Public Service Performance

Wed, May 25, 2011 12:31:58 PM

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has challenged Civil Servants to live to up to the expectation that it is the organ that will determine whether Kenya takes off economically or fails.

Mr Odinga said the civil service is to a country, what the engine is to a train saying the country will certainly stall when the civil service is underperforming.

While addressing permanent secretaries and accounting officers from all government ministries at a breakfast meeting, the PM said even the Private Sector stalls when the public service is riddled with inefficiency and corruption.

The meeting was also attended by Minister for Public Service Mr Dalmas Otieno and the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Mr Francis Muthaura.

It was called for the presentation of a report by a group of experts appointed in May 2010, to undertake a review of Performance Contracting in public service.

The Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister Dr Mohamed Isahakia, said the review was prompted by a growing feeling that often, performance contracting results do not match reality on the ground. He said that sometimes, ministries viewed by the public as performing well have been ranked low in performance contract results while those seen to be failing have come out as star performers.

Mr Odinga said service delivery has improved since the Government introduced Performance Contracting in 2005. He said efforts in Performance Contracting helped the country win the 2007 United Nations Public Service award in improving transparency and responsiveness in the Public Service. However, a lot more needs to be done.

“A country is as efficient as its public service. Everyone, including the private sector, depends on the public service. If the public service is inefficient and slow, the private sector will follow suit and the economy will not grow,” the PM said.

He said there is a disconnect between the rhetoric, what exists on paper and the reality on the ground, adding that the gap needs to be addressed.

“It is not for lack of good policies that we are struggling. It is lack of implementation. We must measure ourselves not by what we say but what you do,” the PM said.

He appealed to civil servants to embrace change instead of resisting it.

“They say a good idea must yield to a better idea, which must also give way to the best idea. That is the way to go,” he said.

 Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno asked Permanent Secretaries to be decision makers instead of involving in operational issues.

Mr Muthaura called for regular consultations between various government departments to enable the public service move as one unit.

Ends………..