Kalonzo campaigns in Western

A day after opinion polls showed Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka come second among presidential contenders for 2012, the Mwingi south legislator has delivered a broadside at his critics who have accused him of advancing tribal politics.

Speaking during a funds drive in Kimilili constituency the VP found time to advance his presidential ambitions, this time lashing at his critics over what he says are spirited efforts to malign him.

He further added that by seeking to work with other communities is a positive thing during this time the country needs reconciliation.

Elsewhere in Kandara Internal security minister George Saitoti has cautioned his colleagues against early campaigns saying they should focus on delivering to Kenyans.

At the same time foreign affairs minister Moses Wetangula sought to set the record straight over the wrangles bedeviling ford Kenya party.

In a hint that things may be moving in his favour Kimilili MP Eseli Simiyu said the community will work with politicians who are supportive of the interests of Kenyans.

Over the recent days Kalonzo has upped the political stakes with talk of a ‘triple K' alliance initially coined to bring together members of the Kikuyu and Kalenjin communities with Kalonzo roping in the Kamba community.

Kalonzo has come under scathing attack from a section of leaders over his proposal that three major communities could form a political alliance ahead of the 2012 General Election, who say such pronouncements will divide the country further.

Wrangling

Former President Daniel Arap Moi is warning of hard times for Kenya should the constitution review process fail.

Moi said tribalism is emerging a barrier and is threatening to scuttle the review process aimed at unity the country.


He says the new constitution should address the current political realignment to cushion the country from a recurrence of the 2007 post election violence.

However, Rongai Member of Parliament Luka Kigen downplayed the harsh Moi's verdict expressing optimism that the contentious issues will be ironed out.

The leaders called on the committee of experts on constitution review to fulfill the Kenyan dream and end the constitution debate by giving the citizenry a new constitution.

And in Mombasa, Central Organization of Trade Unions secretary general, Francis Atwoli threatened to mobilize all trade unions in the country to call for strike among its members if the new constitution will not have been realized by January 10, 2010.

Reforms

The Government is carrying out major reforms in the Judiciary and Police departments in a move to reducing the backlog of pending cases at the law courts, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said.

Mr. Musyoka expressed concern that there was a backlog of cases pending at several law courts in the country leading to delayed justice.

"The Government has already carried out some reforms within the police department and that the next step will be in the judiciary,'' said Mr. Musyoka.

Addressing prisoners and prison warders at the Kakamega prison Sunday, the VP said it was the basic right for the prisoners to have their cases determined within the shortest time possible.

He said the Government as a matter of urgency will do everything possible to ensure that the problem of shortage of judges among other officers at the law courts in the country was solved once and for all.

"I want to assure the people of Kenya that meaningful reforms will be carried out in the judiciary and police departments to cope with the needs of the 21st century,'' said Mr. Musyoka.

The VP who was accompanied by Permanent Secretary Dr. Ludeki Chweya, Commissioner of Prisons Isaiah Osugo and Western PC Samuel Kilele concurred with the recent remarks by US President Barrack Obama while in Ghana that what Africa needed was not strong leadership but strong institutions.

"I surely, agree with the US President, Barrack Obama, that what the African continent needs is strong institutions and not strong leadership,'' he said.

Mr. Musyoka said the Government was committed to coming up with a constitution that will cater for the interests of all the Kenyan communities including those in prisons.

He said efforts were being made to address congestion in the prisons among other problems facing penal institutions in the country.

Prisoners who presented their grievances to the VP on behalf of their colleagues hit out at a section of legislators pushing for the Hague option to try the suspects of the 2008 post election violence, saying such leaders had no faith in the country's judicial system.

"Your Excellency sir, how can we have faith in our judiciary if some MPs are demanding that the suspects of the 2008 post election violence be tried at The Hague? It means that they do not have confidence in our judiciary,'' said a prisoner.

RAILA AND BALALA

Raila Odinga is about to reconstitute his political team in the Coast province ahead of 2012 by replacing Tourism minister Najib Balala with Kisauni MP Ali Hassan Joho as the ODM boss for the region.

Balala, who was Raila's key point man in the region during the last election, is seen as not doing enough to popularise the party, according to close allies of the Prime Minister.

Balala was a member of Raila's Pentagon team in the 2007 election along with Water minister Charity Ngilu, Co-operative Development minister Joseph Nyaga, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Agriculture minister William Ruto.

Balala who had declared his interest in the ODM ticket for the presidency in 2007, stepped down in favour of Raila at the last minute during the party's National Delegates Conference.

Yesterday, a Cabinet minister and a Pentagon member who is close to both Raila and Balala said that the PM felt that Balala was not doing enough to win support in Coast.

'Balala expected that the PM will continue to treat him the same way he treated him when we were campaigning. That was not possible because when Raila became PM his status changed. He became our boss but Balala did not realize that,' said the minister.

Joho confirmed that he had assumed his new role as ODM team leader in the region and promise to deliver the region to the PM in the next election.

'Our party leader needs young vibrant and energetic people like myself who appeal to the masses to help him deliver victory in 2012. My abilities are not in doubt and even the ODM party hierarchy recognized that last December when they elected me the party's organizing secretary,' said Joho.

Kingi, East Africa co-operation mionister, also confirmed the new arrangement.

'Raila, two other MPs and I, have agreed on a strategy that will ensure that the regions remains solidly behind ODM. With other regions we can deliver victory to the party so that we can continue rebuilding the country,' said Kingi.

But Balala denied reports that he had been sidelined and that Joho had replaced him as the region's top man.

He insisted that he still enjoyed good relations with the PM and dismissed reports of a fall out as 'figments of a fertile imagination and a creation of the media'.

'You people read too much into everything. Raila is my friend and my party leader. When he was in Mombasa in August, I happened to have been held up in meetings in my ministry in Nairobi. If there are any changes in the way I relate with Raila, I promise you will be the first to know,' said Balala.

The relationship with Raila and Balala has reportedly cooled since the two joined the coalition government with Balala quietly complaining that the PM does not hold him in high regard any more.

When ODM held elections last December at Bomas, Balala was not given any national seat but Joho was elevated to the position of organizing secretary.

Assistant Minister for Environment Ramadahan Kajembe, a close Joho ally, was given the position of assistant secretary while Malindi MP Gideon Mung'aro was elected the region's representative.

Apart from Joho, the PM has also identified East Africa Cooperation minister Amason Kingi and Mung'aro as his other key operatives in the Coast region that overwhelmingly voted for ODM in 2007. The party won 12 Parliamentary seats as well as hundreds of councillors elected to local authorities in the region.

Its main rival PNU only managed three MPs followed by Narc-Kenya which secured two. Kanu has only one MP from the region, Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaban.

There has been no dominant political leader in the Coast since the death of former Local Government minister Karisa Maitha in 2003. Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere has been trying to take over the mantle with little success and his influence has largely been restricted to his Matuga constituency.

Last week, Raila met Joho in his Treasury office where they are reported to have discussed ways of maintaining the party's popularity in Coast.

'Yes, I can confirm the meeting and although the discussions, which lasted almost an hour, were private between the two, the agenda was ODM and the Coast region', said Kingi.

'Raila's side feels that Balala is no longer reliable. Since his decision to support Ruto, things have never been the same and I can tell you the realignment in the Coast region will take shape very soon,' said Kingi.

Raila apparently held separate talks with Mung'aro before he left for the US about how the party was going to maintain the support of the Mijikenda community which forms the majority in Coast.

The rivalry between Joho and Balala was played out at the civic elections held in August where a mayoral candidate sponsored by Balala was trounced by Mombasa Mayor Ahmed Mohdhar.

Modhar, one of Balala's sharpest critics, has since declared his intention to ignore Balala and work with Joho ' because the PM has given him the big role of ensuring that ODM remains popular in the area'.

The re-organization in party leadership in the region is part of a wider scheme by the PM to not only maintain his support but to win more hearts and minds as he prepares to contest the Presidency for the third time in 2012.

Raila has also been reaching out to elders from different parts of the country. Last weekend, the Langata MP played host to the influential Meru council of elders which is better known as Njuri Ncheke in his Bondo home and his handlers say the Luo Council of Elders have also been tasked with the mission of visiting their counterparts in other parts of the country to appeal to them to vote for Raila in 2012.

RAILA LEADS

Raila Odinga tops the presidential race if elections were to be held today.

According to a survey by the Synovate research group the findings of the survey place Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka second with 14 per cent, 17 points behind Raila and Uhuru Kenyatta comes in third with 10 per cent.

The survey conducted between 5th and 13th of this month placed Prime Minister Raila Odinga on the lead with 31 percent ahead of his closest challenger Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka who has 14 percent.

The Synovate group survey which was conducted amongst 2005 respondents placed Uhuru Kenyatta in third place with 10 per cent and Martha Karua fourth with 8 per cent.

The report also indicates that the coalition government was gaining acceptance amongst Kenyans with figures currently at 49 per cent up from 33 per cent in 2008.

The government's score card was however poor in addressing food security with 80 per cent of the respondent faulting the approach it is employing in handling the situation.

According to the survey, Kenyans are also dissatisfied with the fight against corruption in the public sector, poverty, unemployment and insecurity.

The government however received an accolade on education, health and development of infrastructure.

The media is still the darling of Kenyans in public trust followed by the speaker of the national assembly.

On dealing with the post-election violence perpetrators, PNU was found to favour the Hague option while ODM is for reconciliation.

More positively, the rate of crime incidents around the country was at its lowest ever at a figure of 8per cent down from 17 per cent in the previous quarter.

China gives 600 000 000

The Chinese Government has given Kenya Sh600 million to fund the development of infrastructure and promised to provide more funding as soon as Nairobi provides its list of priority projects.

The pledge came on the first day of Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s visit to China on a mission to woo investors and for help to construct a port at Lamu and a road and railway network through Ethiopia and Sudan.

Making the announcement in Chengdu, Chinese Premier Wen Jinbao said the Sh600 million was in addition to the Sh1.08 billion given to Kenya by his government for the expansion of Thika Road.

Speaking when he held talks with Mr Odinga in Chengdu, Mr Jonbao said China will give more scholarships to Kenyan students to pursue training in specialized fields in Chinese universities, especially in science and technology.

Mr Odinga called for greater cooperation with China and asked investors to increase their trade and investment portfolio in Kenya.

He said China has long ties with Kenya dating back to the struggle for independence adding that China’s route to industrialization is relevant to Kenya because the two countries have similar backgrounds.

The Premier at the same time called for balance of trade which was currently in favour of China noting that in 2007, China exported goods and services worth $980 million while Kenya exported to China goods and services worth $38 million.

He said: “We would wish to have more Kenyan tea, coffee, beef and flowers exported to China to increase the volume of Kenya’s exports to China.”

The Prime minister is accompanied by Ministers Franklin Bett, Amos Kimunya and Chris Obure and assistant Minister Charles Keter.

KADHI'S COURT

A deal may have been reached on the Kadhi courts issue at a meeting of the Committee of Experts on the Constitution review and the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK).

Without divulging details (CoE) Chair Nzamba Kitonga and NCCK’s Oliver Kisaka said there was emerging consensus on the courts and it would no longer be a source of division.

“Kadhis courts do raise various concerns and yet are important socio-cultural institutions,” Dr Kitonga said.

Mr Kisaka said: “Good steps have been taken to address the issue and the new understanding will bring the matter to a rest.”

NCCK Secretary General Peter Karanja confirmed that the council was willing to accommodate the current status quo where the Chief Kadhi is recognised in the current laws under an Act of Parliament.

“That may be the settlement most likely and that doesn’t hurt anyone,” he said. “The briefs I am getting from the meeting are that good progress has been made.”

Muslims have demanded that the courts be entrenched in the Constitution to make them more superior. Christians have however opposed such plans and vowed to shoot down the Constitution in the referendum should the CoE entrench the courts in the supreme laws of the country.

In the 2005 referendum Christians rejected the Bomas draft on this contention.

“Anything that envisages what was contained in the Bomas draft is not acceptable,” said Canon Karanja.

The experts failed to include the courts under the list of contentious issues raising fears that they could retain proposals contained in the Bomas draft.

At the start of the week, a group of evangelicals under the banner of the Kenya Christian Constitutional Forum called on Dr Kitonga to resign, saying he had ignored the role of the Reference Group in forming consensus on contentious issues such as the inclusion of Kadhis courts in the draft Constitution.

The Bishops had threatened to rally their followers to reject the draft constitution if Kadhi's courts were included. Another group of Bishops had filed a case at the High Court to stop the constitutional review on accusations that the CoE is conducting the process unilaterally.


The independence constitution of 1963 enshrined the Kadhis Courts under Chapter 5 in the Judiciary and thereafter Parliament passed the Kadhis Courts Act, the Mohammedan Marriage and Divorce Registration Act and the Mohammedan Marriage, Divorce and Succession Act to make these courts fully operational and functioning.

At independence, the Kadhis Court were three. In 1967, the Kadhis Courts Act was passed which increased the courts to six. They have subsequently been increased and today they are more than a dozen spread over the country.

NAIROBI CITY IN DARKNESS

Lack of security in Nairobi, particularly at night has been blamed on lack of proper lighting on highways, main streets and feeder roads.

Cases of mugging and other violent robberies have been on the increase, particularly on feeder roads and dark alleys.

“What is more disappointing is that this is happening not only in the backstreets of downtown Nairobi but in the Central Business District as well,” Michael Kamau, a city resident said.

Statistics at the Central Police station show that most of these cases occur between 6.30 pm and midnight and they affect both motorists and pedestrians.

“Cases of mugging are on the increase, we are receiving a lot of cases on a daily basis with such complains of people losing items to muggers particularly at night,” deputy police chief at the Central Divisional Police headquarters Joseph Atuti said.

Most of these cases, he said, are reported by motorists whose vehicles are broken into and their belongings stolen.

“Others are the ones whose mobiles and hand bags are snatched by muggers particularly at night,” he added.

Some of the motorists interviewed by said they had lost one or two commodities from their vehicles as a result of break-ins.

“I had parked my car on Kenyatta Avenue at about 6 pm to meet a friend in a restaurant nearby. When I was going home at about 9 pm, I realized my doors had been tampered with and my car radio stolen. I reported the matter at the Central Police station but they did not help me because they only said they would investigate the matter,” a motorist Caroline Chebet said.

She said she did not realize the spot where she parked her car was dark until when she went to pick it.

“I parked my car in the day but when I went there in the evening I realized the area was dark. I could not have parked there if I knew this,” she added.

Another motorist who is computer analyst in town Peter Mwaura said that he was attacked as he entered his car on City Hall Way a week ago.

“When I was walking towards my car, I saw two young men passing but it did not occur to me they were thugs, they attacked me as I opened the car and they asked me to surrender my mobile phones and money. I was so shocked because I thought they were out to abduct me,” Mwaura said.

Sylvia Chesang’ a student at Moi University told said that she was recently mugged by three young men as she walked to a bus stop on Ronald Ngala Street.

And most of these cases are blamed on lack of adequate lighting in the city as confirmed by our spot check which revealed that most security lights have broken down or are not working at all.

On City Hall Way for instance, up to four security lights are not working. At least six security lights on Aga Khan Walk are equally not working.

Moi Avenue, Kimathi Street and Kenyatta Avenue are not badly off although some security light poles are only visible complete with bulbs but they remain off at night when they are most needed.

When we checked on Wednesday night, Muindi Mbingu Street was not badly off though not all the security lights were on.

With most of these streets becoming darker by the day, city residents can only peg their hopes on the City Council of Nairobi which is charged with the sole responsibility of lighting up the city amongst other duties.

Our efforts to get in touch with Town Clerk Philip Kisia were fruitless.

Nairobi Central Business District Association (NCBDA) Chairman Timothy Muriuki promised to raise the concerns with authorities at City Hall.

“We have noticed a lot of dark streets and we will be raising this issue with the city engineer because such lights are very important for security and safety,” Muriuki said.

“We will definitely raise this issue with the city engineer because you realize there used to be some people who used to go round with a motor cycle to check on security lights and to repair but it appears it is no longer happening. We are really concerned about this,” he said.

Mr Muriuki said although there is a dispute between the City Council and Adopt-A-Light, a private company which partnered with the council to light most of the city streets, there was no excuse to have darkness in town.

“It is the responsibility of the council to light up the city, it does not matter if there is a dispute or not,” he said.

Adopt-A-Light founder Esther Passaris said: “it is unfortunate that Nairobi has gone back to the dark days.”

“Adopt-A-light was a fantastic model, it has worked in many towns. It is workable because there are many partnerships that can be done,” she said.

“Look at what is happening now, the highway is dark, and it is risky to Kenyans,” she said.

Asked to comment about the council’s inefficiency in replacing broken down electricity poles or lights, she said: “Today it is appalling to see what is going on. It is also very dangerous, when a pole is knocked down, you’ve got to go in and straight away terminate all those electrical lines because those lines are still live. I have seen so many poles that are live on the highway and it is scary.”

“If you are the Town Clerk or the Mayor and you don’t care that the city is getting dark, who am I to care?” I can only wait for the judicial process to take its own direction,” she said.

PYRAMID SCHEME

Drama unfolded at the corridors of justice Friday as a director whose firm is linked to the controversial multi-billion shilling pyramid scheme Gideon Irea Mwiti tried to dodge cameras in the court.

Mwiti who faces about 10 counts involving theft of millions of shillings is accused of running a number of micro finances including Akiba Micro Finance without approval from the ministry of finance.

Akiba Micro-Finance has been adversely mentioned in the report of the task force on Pyramid Schemes set up by Cooperative Development minister Joseph Nyaga.

Several other micro finances collapsed between the year 2005 and 2007 with billions of shillings belonging to Kenyans.

The case against Mwiti will now be mentioned on the 10th of November.

Meanwhile, three people suspected of violently robbing former Trade Minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi want their case be started afresh.

Through their lawyers David Oyata Samuel Ndugu waweru, Kevin Shichinga and George Morara told Nairobi chief magistrate Gilbert Mutembei that their case should be re-started since the magistrate who was hearing the case had been transferred.

But the prosecution says that the case should proceed because only two prosecution witnesses are yet to testify.

The trio also faces two more charges of violently robbing maxwell Masinde and Anil Vera on July 3rd 2006.

They are alleged to have committed the offence at Brookside Drive and Eldama Ravin in Nairobi while armed with AK47 rifles.

Separately George Onyango Okado denied stealing over 7.3 million shillings from the I &M Bank. He allegedly committed the offence on the 7th of December 2006 at Nairobi.

He was remanded until Monday when his case will be mentioned.

APPEAL FOR FUNDING

The House Committee on land resources says it's high time the government reviewed funding for environmental conservation.

Committee member Silas Ruteere regretted that whereas the country's high population growth rate exerts a lot of pressure for exploitation of natural resources, funding for environmental programmes have been minimal.

Ruteere says bad governance has contributed to the degradation of Kenya's main catchment area the Mau forest.

He was speaking on Friday during the National Environment Trust fund meeting in Nairobi where the government is seeking to engage the private sector in sustenance of the environment.

The Ministry of environment says the 38 million people in Kenya are now competing for a scare resource like land with statistics indicating that in 2005, the land available to each Kenyan was only 1.7 hectares.