By Alex Kamau Kamotho.
How unfortunate that it has taken the financial turmoil ravaging the US and the UK and much of the western world for Kenyan ministers and mandarins to appreciate the important role the Diaspora play in the Kenyan economy, and what more they could do were their potential utilised in a systematic manner. That this group of people remit nearly 50 billion shillings annually greatly underscores their role.
There is no justification as to why Kenya has yet to formulate a coherent policy to utilise the immense financial resources of Kenyans abroad almost fifty years after they started leaving for studies, work or settlement abroad.
But who are the Diaspora? Kenyans abroad are largely in five categories: Students, Professionals, those permanently settled through marriage or family, those in mid or lower jobs and the undocumented immigrants.
Irrespective of category, most Diaspora retain an irrevocable bond with Kenya and hope to return and lead a better life informed by greater financial resources and make a contribution to Kenya’s development. They continue to liberate their families and friends through financial support.
One is impressed by their sheer and singular determination wherever they are abroad and what they achieve relative to how much they earn- and the cost of living. The lessons they learnt in Kenya – of thrift, austerity and sacrifice help them save millions through blood and sweat.
I live and work in the UK and am humbled that the more than 150,000 Kenyans living here have been classed as one of the most economically active, productive and successful of all immigrant communities to the UK.
This is no mean feat in a country with immigrants from every country on earth and importantly because race and skin colour remain important factors in determining access to economic opportunities and progress.
What then can the Kenyan government and politicians do to help?
First there need to be a structured way of tapping the economic potential of this group. The Kenyan government could if it were more organised borrow money from the Diaspora instead of genuflecting every time at hostile donors. What about a Diaspora bond or treasury bills issued say in London, Montreal, Canberra or Washington and subscribed for in pounds or dollars-directly remitted to Kenya via our foreign missions?
That Kenyan companies have in the past camped for weeks in major US and UK cities offering their products to the Diaspora shows this potential. The government should offer alternative investment opportunities and dissuade most Diasporas from investing primarily in real estates as this has, as evidence now suggest resulted in an over priced real asset bubble in the major Kenyan towns which may explode with serious consequences to ordinary Kenyans at home.
Secondly the Kenyan government should urgently pass legislation to legalise dual citizenship. It is painful to renounce Kenyan citizenship and most do so as a last resort. American or British citizenship may mean greater access to economic opportunity but does not make one less Kenyan! I belief once Kenyan always Kenyan irrespective of what Kenyan politicians would rather we think of ourselves.
The 150 world countries among them the richest and most progressive that allow dual citizenship appreciate the great benefits associated with efficient movement of labour and capital.
Our blinkered ruling class appear oblivious to these benefits which is both a tragic and scandalous failure of leadership.
In an increasingly interconnected world, it is in Kenya’s best interests that native born citizens be knowledgeable about and involved in the world. It is notable that most of the Kenyan Diaspora is concentrated in the richest countries and Kenya would benefit two fold were it to allow dual citizenship.
Political loyalty is far different from nostalgia and the desires to make things better in the land of one’s birth are two emotions Kenya should not dissuade. There is clear historical precedent and hard evidence that affection for—and even service to—one’s homeland is not incompatible with Kenyans Diaspora taking up British, American or Canadian citizenship. The more than 10 million Jews living outside Israel but eternally welcome in Israel do not love Israel any less than their countries of domicile.
Dual citizenship does not weaken Kenyan loyalty; to the contrary, it strengthens Diasporas’ feeling that they are welcome by reassuring them that they will not be punished for loving their homeland. Many of the countries that allow duo citizenship do so because they understand that a great country would not want to make citizens out of those who do not care about the fate of the land of their birth.The medieval maxim that a man or woman should no more have two countries than two wives or husbands is based on a misleading allegory. The better comparison is between two different kinds of loyalties, to parent and spouse: An individual is bound to one by nature (birth), and to the other by choice (love or marriage). One can love both equally strongly, but in different ways.
I hope Hon Wetangula , Richard Onyanka and Otieno Kajwang –will be reading this and hope they will fast track into law, dual citizenship to correct this shameful position for a most valuable group of Kenyans.
The government they serve may be remembered by us lot for years to come.
The writer is a Kenyan working as a lecturer in Britain.
akkamotho@yahoo.co.uk
Thursday, 4 June 2009
Thursday, 9 April 2009
THE TRUTH ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE KILAGUNI TALKS
THE TRUTH ON THE COLLAPSE OF THE KILAGUNI TALKS A PRESS STATEMENT FROM ODMThe ORANGE DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT wishes to state that the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kenya, the Rt. Hon Raila Amolo Odinga (the Prime Minister), and the ODM members of the Permanent Committee on the Management of Grand Coalition Affairs (the Permanent Committee) went to Kilaguni retreat in order to identify, isolate, discuss and resolve all the issues affecting the smooth running of the Grand Coalition Government We did this in order to enable the country move forward. It was in recognition of the fact that without resolution of these issues, the Grand Coalition Government would not be able to deliver on the People’s Agenda set out in the National Accord. The full and faithful implementation of the National Accord, in both letter and spirit, is well over-due.The primary purpose of the Permanent Committee is to ensure that the Grand Coalition Government can function and resolve issues within it.Unfortunately we were not able to agree on issues for discussion; issues which had been agreed on before hand. In fact,by March 14, 2009, the Joint Secretaries had prepared a Draft Agenda, which was typed and printed by the Presidency and Cabinet Office in the Office of the President on March 14th, and which ODM tabled at Kilaguni, contained the following items for discussion
More at http://www.kenyatown.com/index.php/2009040896323/Views-On-Kenya/ODM-KILAGUNI-Press-Statement.html
More at http://www.kenyatown.com/index.php/2009040896323/Views-On-Kenya/ODM-KILAGUNI-Press-Statement.html
Press Statement By Paul Muite S.C on threats to his life over Extra JudicialExecutions in Kenya issued 8th April 2009
Last Sunday, 5th April 2009, I received specific information from crediblesources that Members of the "Kwekwe squad" responsible for carrying out extrajudicial executions have been given instructions to get rid of me. The question you will ask and the one that jumped to my mind when I re
ceivedthe information is, what have I done, why now? This is the question my mind hasbeen grappling with since Sunday. My conclusion is that the consistent public stand which I have taken on extrajudicial executions may have something to do with it. Some of you Ladies andGentlemen of the media will recall that I was amongst the very first publicfigures to condemn extra judicial executions and to point fingers at theGovernment. I attended the funeral services of both Kingara and Oulu at which Ispoke strongly on Government involvement in the killings. In sodoing, I was aware that Intelligence Officers would be present wanting to knowwho was saying what. It is their work. Recently, Professor Philip Alston handed over his report on extra judicialexecutions in Kenya to the ICC Prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo and requested the ICCto take action. Behind the scenes, I have myself been urging Ice through emissaries to takeaction since this issue is grave and serious. The documented cases are over 600.Thousands more are listed as missing. It is possible that the Intelligenceagencies are aware of my behind the scenes efforts for ICC to take action. Theylisten to phone conversations and hack emails as we all know. I have accordingly decided to write formally to the ICC Prosecutor Louis MorenoOcampo drawing his attention to the imminent threat to my life and urging him toopen investigations into extra judicial executions in Kenya with a view toprosecuting those involved. I am making available to you copies of my letter toMr. Ocampo. You will see from the contents of my letter to Mr. Ocampo that underArticle 28 of the Rome Statute, I finger criminal responsibility for these extrajudicial executions on the President himself, the Hon. John Michuki who was theMinister of State in the Office of the President in 2006 when this policy ofextermination through extra judicial executions appears to have been formulatedand implementation commenced, the Commissioner of Police, the Director ofIntelligence, theCommanders of these squads and at the bottom, those officers who carry out theexecutions. It is possible however that the last straw might well have come from the latestspat with H.E. the President over the criminal raid on KTN and the Standard andwith his then Minister of State in his office in charge of Internal Security theHon. John Michuki. It will be recalled that the President himself issued a codedthreat" or where ever else we might meet. It is the only way." My lawyers'letter to the President in which this coded threat was taken up is a matter ofpublic record and I make available to you copies of that letter. The Hon. John Michuki, too, sent a demand letter which was responded to.Thelast paragraph of my lawyers' response reads and I quote:- "Thirdly and finally, we have been instructed to state that our client willtake the suit your client files as invitation to disclose and adduce evidence ofthe meeting at which the decision to carry out the criminal operations was made,who was present and in particular who presided over that meeting and gave the goahead, including the fake articles on an alleged visit by "someone" to SouthernSudan back in 1997 to visit "someone" there.. Your client will bearresponsibility for disclosure of that evidence including the implication andconsequences. " This too I suspect might have contributed towards the final straw. If a government which is supposed to protect the lives of its citizens is theone taking those lives in extra judicial executions and politicalassassinations, there is very little a citizen can do to escape execution. I have called this press conference to let Kenyans know that if anything doesindeed happen to me, let no one be fooled that it was "ordinary thuggery or carjacking." It will have been pre-meditated political assassination/extra judicialexecution. It would pain my soul wherever it might be to hear Erick Kiraithe and Dr.AlfredMutua telling the public that the Government/Police are investigating with aview to bringing to book those who might have been involved. Equally, it is pointless reporting to the Police. They are the suspects whoshould be investigated. To report to them will only give them the opportunity toprobe from where the leak might have occurred so that they deal with the"msaliti" (traitor) the way they dealt with Kiriinya.
Download signed copy of Press Statement dated 8th April 2009
Download signed letter from Paul Muite to Louis Moreno Ocampo on Extra JudicialExecutions in Kenya dated 8th April 2009
At http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=711
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching Out For You
ceivedthe information is, what have I done, why now? This is the question my mind hasbeen grappling with since Sunday. My conclusion is that the consistent public stand which I have taken on extrajudicial executions may have something to do with it. Some of you Ladies andGentlemen of the media will recall that I was amongst the very first publicfigures to condemn extra judicial executions and to point fingers at theGovernment. I attended the funeral services of both Kingara and Oulu at which Ispoke strongly on Government involvement in the killings. In sodoing, I was aware that Intelligence Officers would be present wanting to knowwho was saying what. It is their work. Recently, Professor Philip Alston handed over his report on extra judicialexecutions in Kenya to the ICC Prosecutor, Moreno Ocampo and requested the ICCto take action. Behind the scenes, I have myself been urging Ice through emissaries to takeaction since this issue is grave and serious. The documented cases are over 600.Thousands more are listed as missing. It is possible that the Intelligenceagencies are aware of my behind the scenes efforts for ICC to take action. Theylisten to phone conversations and hack emails as we all know. I have accordingly decided to write formally to the ICC Prosecutor Louis MorenoOcampo drawing his attention to the imminent threat to my life and urging him toopen investigations into extra judicial executions in Kenya with a view toprosecuting those involved. I am making available to you copies of my letter toMr. Ocampo. You will see from the contents of my letter to Mr. Ocampo that underArticle 28 of the Rome Statute, I finger criminal responsibility for these extrajudicial executions on the President himself, the Hon. John Michuki who was theMinister of State in the Office of the President in 2006 when this policy ofextermination through extra judicial executions appears to have been formulatedand implementation commenced, the Commissioner of Police, the Director ofIntelligence, theCommanders of these squads and at the bottom, those officers who carry out theexecutions. It is possible however that the last straw might well have come from the latestspat with H.E. the President over the criminal raid on KTN and the Standard andwith his then Minister of State in his office in charge of Internal Security theHon. John Michuki. It will be recalled that the President himself issued a codedthreat" or where ever else we might meet. It is the only way." My lawyers'letter to the President in which this coded threat was taken up is a matter ofpublic record and I make available to you copies of that letter. The Hon. John Michuki, too, sent a demand letter which was responded to.Thelast paragraph of my lawyers' response reads and I quote:- "Thirdly and finally, we have been instructed to state that our client willtake the suit your client files as invitation to disclose and adduce evidence ofthe meeting at which the decision to carry out the criminal operations was made,who was present and in particular who presided over that meeting and gave the goahead, including the fake articles on an alleged visit by "someone" to SouthernSudan back in 1997 to visit "someone" there.. Your client will bearresponsibility for disclosure of that evidence including the implication andconsequences. " This too I suspect might have contributed towards the final straw. If a government which is supposed to protect the lives of its citizens is theone taking those lives in extra judicial executions and politicalassassinations, there is very little a citizen can do to escape execution. I have called this press conference to let Kenyans know that if anything doesindeed happen to me, let no one be fooled that it was "ordinary thuggery or carjacking." It will have been pre-meditated political assassination/extra judicialexecution. It would pain my soul wherever it might be to hear Erick Kiraithe and Dr.AlfredMutua telling the public that the Government/Police are investigating with aview to bringing to book those who might have been involved. Equally, it is pointless reporting to the Police. They are the suspects whoshould be investigated. To report to them will only give them the opportunity toprobe from where the leak might have occurred so that they deal with the"msaliti" (traitor) the way they dealt with Kiriinya.
Download signed copy of Press Statement dated 8th April 2009
Download signed letter from Paul Muite to Louis Moreno Ocampo on Extra JudicialExecutions in Kenya dated 8th April 2009
At http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=711
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching Out For You
Tuesday, 31 March 2009
RE: LOAN REQUEST BY THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA FOR ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
Mr. Dominique Strauss-Kahn
Managing Director
The International Monetary Fund
700 19th Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431
For the attention of the Board of Directors
30th March 2009
Dear Sir,
RE: LOAN REQUEST BY THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA FOR ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
We understand that the Kenya Government has applied for an emergency credit forUS$ 100 million to cushion its currency from the International monetary Fund. We also understand that this application is due for consideration at your nextBoard Meeting. The Partnership for Change is concerned that while Kenyans continue to demandaccountability from the Government of Kenya on our Public Debt, the Governmentcontinues to ignore the Public and continues to borrow and indebt the poorpeople of Kenya. The position of the Partnership for Change is that transparency requires thatKenyans know what they owe, to whom they owe, and for what purpose they have adebt. The Partnership for Change wants no further contracting of InternationalDebts unless and until the Government of Kenya accounts to the people of Kenyathrough Parliament by tabling the complete list of all loans and Debt registersfor the period 1963 to date for public scrutiny. We also want the Law amendedbefore any further borrowing, so that it is illegal for the Government of Kenyato borrow without prior Parliamentary approval and full debate on the merits ofthe borrowing. We request that all future lending to Kenya be pegged toaccountability and transparency. We submit that that most of the debts thatKenya is listed as owing are bogus, corrupt debts which have impoverishedKenyans who repay these debts annually to the tune of 24% of our Nationalbudget. The effect of making poor, starving Kenyans pay these unconscionabledebts can easily be described as a crime against humanity. It is in this context that we write to your organization as hereunder. Two years ago, when he was the junior Senator for Illinois, US President BarackObama, famously said in Nairobi that “while corruption is a problem we allshare, here in Kenya it is a crisis - a crisis that’s robbing an honest peopleof the opportunities they have fought for - the opportunity they deserve.” Ifhe were to visit Kenya today, he might feel that the situation is no longer acrisis but has reached the tipping point. In fact, corruption in Kenya is nolonger a crisis; if one understands crisis’ to mean that point where there issome hope of recovery should the government intervene. We believe thatcorruption in Kenya is akin to a terminal cancer that has become malignant, andthe government doctors attending the patient are administering placebotreatment, allowing the cancer to spread institution by institution. Amongthese institutions are the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance whose debtmanagement leaves a lot to be desired. Aggravating the situation, The President Mwai Kibaki and The Prime MinisterRaila Odinga are in denial as evidenced by their public statements, that thecorruption problem in the Grand Coalition is not serious. The consequences oftheir denial is that the fight against corruption is not a Government priorityand Kenyans continue to suffer as the country impunity for gross economic crimesbecomes entrenched to the same extent as during the Daniel Arap Moi regime. Arap Moi’s greatest scandal, Goldenberg, remains unresolved and beneficiariesnamed in a Judicial Commission of Inquiry remain in Cabinet and publicprominence. This despite promises by Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. Nothing characterizes such impunity as the Treasury or the Ministry of Finance.It is this department of the Kenyan Government which is responsible for theunresolved scandal of the Sovereign debt in the form of Irrevocable PromissoryNotes worth close to USD 750 million dollars that were illegally issued, withoutlegal consideration, to several phantom credit companies in the Anglo Leasingcredit contracts. To date these have not been cancelled and the Government thatis asking you for emergency credit is actually negotiating payments of thesebogus debts with the so–called financiers in Europe, in the full knowledgethat no credit was delivered to Kenya and that the poor taxpayers are the oneswho will eventually pay for these bogus debts. To add insult to injury the Government is refusing to seek mutual legalassistance from international authorities who are willing to unravel the AngloLeasing scandal with respect to their nationals. It is public record that amongsuch authorities whose inquiries are being frustrated by the Kenyan authorities,and the Attorney General in particular, are the United Kingdom’s Serious FraudOffice. The Kenyan authorities have also refused to request for assistance ofthe United States Department of Justice which has in its custody a US nationalwho was involved in Anglo Leasing called Bradley Birkenfeld. The Kenya AntiCorruption Commission has no interest in international asset recovery. Kenyans are aware that the largest component of our Public Debt is to the WorldBank and the IMF. We want the World Bank and the IMF to lend responsibly and notto continue impoverishing Kenyans. What Kenyans would like to see from the WorldBank and the IMF is comprehensive debt relief, with immediate cancellation ofour debts to your Organizations. Millions of Kenyans are wallowing in abjectpoverty and indeed are starving, unemployed and destitute. Without transparencyin this matter of national debts, there will be little point in continuing tomaintain the fiction, now being put about by your institutions, theInternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank, that the government of Kenya hasthe capacity or will to unravel this shameful system failure and corruptionscandals. Kenyans must stop the abuse of borrowing powers by Treasury. We do notwant to borrow $100,000,000 from the IMF. The Government of Kenya should bereminded that they have provided for a similar amount $100,000,000 to repaybogus Anglo Leasing and Ken Ren fertilizer factory debts in the current budget2008/2009. Ken Ren fertilizer factory is a phantom project for which annualpayments are being made by the Treasury to a bank in Austria and a bank inBelgium. They should use those funds to “cushion the currency”. The IMF andthe World Bank should not assist the Government of Kenya in scamming Kenyans. We therefore respectfully urge you:1. Not to approve the request by the Government of Kenya in its present form.2. To insist that the following conditionalities apply before the request isconsidered:……… Read the letter in full here; http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=690 or Download the signed copy here;http://marsgroupkenya.org/pdfs/200903/P4C_Letter_To_The_MD_IMF_30TH_March_2009.pdf
c.c.Open Copies to
1. All Members of Parliament ( Kenya National Assembly)
2. Bi – Lateral Donors to Kenya
3. The Country Resident Director, the World Bank
4. The Resident Representative, African Development Bank
5. The Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund
6. Media
7. The Board of Directors of the World Bank
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching Out for You.
Managing Director
The International Monetary Fund
700 19th Street,
N.W., Washington, D.C. 20431
For the attention of the Board of Directors
30th March 2009
Dear Sir,
RE: LOAN REQUEST BY THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA FOR ONE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS
We understand that the Kenya Government has applied for an emergency credit forUS$ 100 million to cushion its currency from the International monetary Fund. We also understand that this application is due for consideration at your nextBoard Meeting. The Partnership for Change is concerned that while Kenyans continue to demandaccountability from the Government of Kenya on our Public Debt, the Governmentcontinues to ignore the Public and continues to borrow and indebt the poorpeople of Kenya. The position of the Partnership for Change is that transparency requires thatKenyans know what they owe, to whom they owe, and for what purpose they have adebt. The Partnership for Change wants no further contracting of InternationalDebts unless and until the Government of Kenya accounts to the people of Kenyathrough Parliament by tabling the complete list of all loans and Debt registersfor the period 1963 to date for public scrutiny. We also want the Law amendedbefore any further borrowing, so that it is illegal for the Government of Kenyato borrow without prior Parliamentary approval and full debate on the merits ofthe borrowing. We request that all future lending to Kenya be pegged toaccountability and transparency. We submit that that most of the debts thatKenya is listed as owing are bogus, corrupt debts which have impoverishedKenyans who repay these debts annually to the tune of 24% of our Nationalbudget. The effect of making poor, starving Kenyans pay these unconscionabledebts can easily be described as a crime against humanity. It is in this context that we write to your organization as hereunder. Two years ago, when he was the junior Senator for Illinois, US President BarackObama, famously said in Nairobi that “while corruption is a problem we allshare, here in Kenya it is a crisis - a crisis that’s robbing an honest peopleof the opportunities they have fought for - the opportunity they deserve.” Ifhe were to visit Kenya today, he might feel that the situation is no longer acrisis but has reached the tipping point. In fact, corruption in Kenya is nolonger a crisis; if one understands crisis’ to mean that point where there issome hope of recovery should the government intervene. We believe thatcorruption in Kenya is akin to a terminal cancer that has become malignant, andthe government doctors attending the patient are administering placebotreatment, allowing the cancer to spread institution by institution. Amongthese institutions are the Treasury and the Ministry of Finance whose debtmanagement leaves a lot to be desired. Aggravating the situation, The President Mwai Kibaki and The Prime MinisterRaila Odinga are in denial as evidenced by their public statements, that thecorruption problem in the Grand Coalition is not serious. The consequences oftheir denial is that the fight against corruption is not a Government priorityand Kenyans continue to suffer as the country impunity for gross economic crimesbecomes entrenched to the same extent as during the Daniel Arap Moi regime. Arap Moi’s greatest scandal, Goldenberg, remains unresolved and beneficiariesnamed in a Judicial Commission of Inquiry remain in Cabinet and publicprominence. This despite promises by Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga. Nothing characterizes such impunity as the Treasury or the Ministry of Finance.It is this department of the Kenyan Government which is responsible for theunresolved scandal of the Sovereign debt in the form of Irrevocable PromissoryNotes worth close to USD 750 million dollars that were illegally issued, withoutlegal consideration, to several phantom credit companies in the Anglo Leasingcredit contracts. To date these have not been cancelled and the Government thatis asking you for emergency credit is actually negotiating payments of thesebogus debts with the so–called financiers in Europe, in the full knowledgethat no credit was delivered to Kenya and that the poor taxpayers are the oneswho will eventually pay for these bogus debts. To add insult to injury the Government is refusing to seek mutual legalassistance from international authorities who are willing to unravel the AngloLeasing scandal with respect to their nationals. It is public record that amongsuch authorities whose inquiries are being frustrated by the Kenyan authorities,and the Attorney General in particular, are the United Kingdom’s Serious FraudOffice. The Kenyan authorities have also refused to request for assistance ofthe United States Department of Justice which has in its custody a US nationalwho was involved in Anglo Leasing called Bradley Birkenfeld. The Kenya AntiCorruption Commission has no interest in international asset recovery. Kenyans are aware that the largest component of our Public Debt is to the WorldBank and the IMF. We want the World Bank and the IMF to lend responsibly and notto continue impoverishing Kenyans. What Kenyans would like to see from the WorldBank and the IMF is comprehensive debt relief, with immediate cancellation ofour debts to your Organizations. Millions of Kenyans are wallowing in abjectpoverty and indeed are starving, unemployed and destitute. Without transparencyin this matter of national debts, there will be little point in continuing tomaintain the fiction, now being put about by your institutions, theInternational Monetary Fund and the World Bank, that the government of Kenya hasthe capacity or will to unravel this shameful system failure and corruptionscandals. Kenyans must stop the abuse of borrowing powers by Treasury. We do notwant to borrow $100,000,000 from the IMF. The Government of Kenya should bereminded that they have provided for a similar amount $100,000,000 to repaybogus Anglo Leasing and Ken Ren fertilizer factory debts in the current budget2008/2009. Ken Ren fertilizer factory is a phantom project for which annualpayments are being made by the Treasury to a bank in Austria and a bank inBelgium. They should use those funds to “cushion the currency”. The IMF andthe World Bank should not assist the Government of Kenya in scamming Kenyans. We therefore respectfully urge you:1. Not to approve the request by the Government of Kenya in its present form.2. To insist that the following conditionalities apply before the request isconsidered:……… Read the letter in full here; http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=690 or Download the signed copy here;http://marsgroupkenya.org/pdfs/200903/P4C_Letter_To_The_MD_IMF_30TH_March_2009.pdf
c.c.Open Copies to
1. All Members of Parliament ( Kenya National Assembly)
2. Bi – Lateral Donors to Kenya
3. The Country Resident Director, the World Bank
4. The Resident Representative, African Development Bank
5. The Resident Representative, International Monetary Fund
6. Media
7. The Board of Directors of the World Bank
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching Out for You.
Kofi Anan speech in Geneva
'Kenya National Dialogue: One Year Later'
kofi ananGeneva — 31 March 2009-
I am glad to welcome you to Geneva and to this lessons learned meeting on the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process. A very warm Karibu sana [big welcome] to all.
Almost all of us in this room were, one way or another, part of the efforts to resolve peacefully the crisis that engulfed Kenya following the December 2007 elections.
Some were more directly involved in the actual negotiations than others. Some are now more involved in hands-on implementation of the agreements, while others are keen observers and advocates of the process.
But all of us -- the mediators, the international community, political parties, civil society, religious leaders, the media, and the business community -- played our part. The credit for the success of the mediation process, or any deficiencies therein, belong to all of us.
We are all united in Kenya's peace-building endeavour. In our joint effort to bring lasting peace and security to Kenya, we are bound together -- like members of an extended family, whether we like it or not!
That is why my colleagues and I at the Kofi Annan Foundation thought it would be productive, one year on, to come together, take stock of the achievements and shortcomings, and draw lessons that may be used elsewhere in similar situations.
Clearly, we also hope that the lessons might help our Kenyan friends overcome the current challenges confronting them in the implementation of their reform agenda.
I obviously do not want to pre-empt our discussions. But I would like to offer a few personal reflections to help set the scene.
Last January, when I received a call from President Kufuor of Ghana, then Chairman of the African Union, asking me, on behalf of the African Union , to help mediate the crisis in Kenya, I knew the task was not going to be easy, but also recognized its crucial importance.
Kenya was a beacon of hope for Africa. It had been a relatively stable country, with a modestly growing economy and expanding middle class. Kenya is important both politically and economically to the East and Central African region. Any prolonged instability would impact negatively on the entire sub-region.
It was, therefore, vital that action be taken urgently to help resolve the crisis. Africa and rest of the the international community could not stand idly by and see Kenya collapse
This was recognized when a stream of visitors very quickly arrived in Nairobi, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Museveni, and former Heads of State who are members of the African Leaders Forum: Presidents Chissano, Kaunda, Mkapa, and Masire.
President Kufuor and I quickly spoke to President Mkapa and, Graca Machel to ask if they would join me as members of a Panel of Eminent African Personalities to assist in the mediation.
With a great sense of urgency, as Kenya was burning and its citizens were being killed, the three of us agreed to help.
We also quickly decided on the way forward. We recognized that strong and coordinated international support from the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and others was needed right from the start.
It was important, too, that the international community acted in unison and spoke with one voice. We also needed to ensure that Kenyan stakeholders, such as civil society organizations and the media, were given an effective voice in the mediation process.
We sought their views and listened to their concerns, which helped us to draw up the agenda for the negotiations. And to ensure public support and confidence in the process, we published all agreements reached by the parties and were determined to be as transparent as possible.
The effective external response proves that the responsibility to protect can work. But whatever positive role was played by the international community, the cessation of violence was a great achievement on the part of the Kenyan political leadership and the people of Kenya.
Kenyans should be very proud for having brought the country back from the brink of disaster. If the parties had not agreed to enter into negotiations at an early stage and made concessions because they understood what was at stake, the ethnic dimension of the violence could have made things worse.
Kenya was bleeding and the people wanted peace. There was no alternative to dialogue and mediation. The leaders found the courage and the wisdom to seek a political settlement and stop the killing.
Whatever difficulties the Coalition Government may have faced since the conclusion of the National Accord, there is now a framework in place to carry out far-reaching reforms that should fundamentally transform Kenyan society for the better.
The population embraced the programme of reform. They are now rightly impatient for its full implementation. They are frustrated by Cabinet disagreements and infighting, and by the inability to set up the Special Tribunal to bring to justice those most responsible for the post-election violence. They are equally angry at widespread corruption and the lack of action to root it out.
The momentum witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the signing of the National Accord has slowed down considerably. But the situation is not hopeless. The Government can turn things around by acting swiftly and effectively on the agreed constitutional, parliamentary, electoral, judiciary, police, and land reforms.
All Kenyans have a stake and a responsibility to ensure that the programme of reform is fully implemented. Power-sharing arrangements may not be the universal panacea for disputed elections but the situation in Kenya was unique. The options available to resolve the disputed election results (recount, re-tally, re-run) were not viable as it risked more people being killed and there were long-standing issues which triggered the horrific post-election violence.
The stresses and strains we are seeing in Kenya have a wider relevance.
I recall that, in 1998, as United Nations Secretary-General, I presented a report to the Security Council on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa.
The conclusions of that report, which covered Africa as a whole, are strikingly similar to the findings of the Independent Review Commission (IREC) and the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election Violence (CIPEV) on the underlying causes of last year's crisis in Kenya.
It focused on the dangers of the politicization of ethnicity; non-adherence to the rule of law; reliance on centralized and highly personalized forms of governance; inequitable development; corruption and abuse of power; a winner-takes-all form of political victory and a perception that certain groups are not receiving a fair share of resources.
While Africa and the world have changed considerably since that report was produced 11 years ago, it is clear that many of the ills that have been plaguing the continent for decades continue to thrive in Kenya and elsewhere. We must tackle these challenges once and for all.
I believe this is one reason why the world is paying such close attention to the way Kenya grapples with these issues -- just as ordinary Kenyans are closely watching how their leaders address their needs, and respond to their demands for real change.
While effective mediation resulted in the achievements enshrined in the Kenya National Accord, the true and enduring success of the dialogue will depend very much on the full implementation of the agreed reforms, the first real test of which will be the 2012 elections.
kofi ananGeneva — 31 March 2009-
I am glad to welcome you to Geneva and to this lessons learned meeting on the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation process. A very warm Karibu sana [big welcome] to all.
Almost all of us in this room were, one way or another, part of the efforts to resolve peacefully the crisis that engulfed Kenya following the December 2007 elections.
Some were more directly involved in the actual negotiations than others. Some are now more involved in hands-on implementation of the agreements, while others are keen observers and advocates of the process.
But all of us -- the mediators, the international community, political parties, civil society, religious leaders, the media, and the business community -- played our part. The credit for the success of the mediation process, or any deficiencies therein, belong to all of us.
We are all united in Kenya's peace-building endeavour. In our joint effort to bring lasting peace and security to Kenya, we are bound together -- like members of an extended family, whether we like it or not!
That is why my colleagues and I at the Kofi Annan Foundation thought it would be productive, one year on, to come together, take stock of the achievements and shortcomings, and draw lessons that may be used elsewhere in similar situations.
Clearly, we also hope that the lessons might help our Kenyan friends overcome the current challenges confronting them in the implementation of their reform agenda.
I obviously do not want to pre-empt our discussions. But I would like to offer a few personal reflections to help set the scene.
Last January, when I received a call from President Kufuor of Ghana, then Chairman of the African Union, asking me, on behalf of the African Union , to help mediate the crisis in Kenya, I knew the task was not going to be easy, but also recognized its crucial importance.
Kenya was a beacon of hope for Africa. It had been a relatively stable country, with a modestly growing economy and expanding middle class. Kenya is important both politically and economically to the East and Central African region. Any prolonged instability would impact negatively on the entire sub-region.
It was, therefore, vital that action be taken urgently to help resolve the crisis. Africa and rest of the the international community could not stand idly by and see Kenya collapse
This was recognized when a stream of visitors very quickly arrived in Nairobi, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, President Museveni, and former Heads of State who are members of the African Leaders Forum: Presidents Chissano, Kaunda, Mkapa, and Masire.
President Kufuor and I quickly spoke to President Mkapa and, Graca Machel to ask if they would join me as members of a Panel of Eminent African Personalities to assist in the mediation.
With a great sense of urgency, as Kenya was burning and its citizens were being killed, the three of us agreed to help.
We also quickly decided on the way forward. We recognized that strong and coordinated international support from the African Union, the United Nations, the European Union, the United States, and others was needed right from the start.
It was important, too, that the international community acted in unison and spoke with one voice. We also needed to ensure that Kenyan stakeholders, such as civil society organizations and the media, were given an effective voice in the mediation process.
We sought their views and listened to their concerns, which helped us to draw up the agenda for the negotiations. And to ensure public support and confidence in the process, we published all agreements reached by the parties and were determined to be as transparent as possible.
The effective external response proves that the responsibility to protect can work. But whatever positive role was played by the international community, the cessation of violence was a great achievement on the part of the Kenyan political leadership and the people of Kenya.
Kenyans should be very proud for having brought the country back from the brink of disaster. If the parties had not agreed to enter into negotiations at an early stage and made concessions because they understood what was at stake, the ethnic dimension of the violence could have made things worse.
Kenya was bleeding and the people wanted peace. There was no alternative to dialogue and mediation. The leaders found the courage and the wisdom to seek a political settlement and stop the killing.
Whatever difficulties the Coalition Government may have faced since the conclusion of the National Accord, there is now a framework in place to carry out far-reaching reforms that should fundamentally transform Kenyan society for the better.
The population embraced the programme of reform. They are now rightly impatient for its full implementation. They are frustrated by Cabinet disagreements and infighting, and by the inability to set up the Special Tribunal to bring to justice those most responsible for the post-election violence. They are equally angry at widespread corruption and the lack of action to root it out.
The momentum witnessed in the immediate aftermath of the signing of the National Accord has slowed down considerably. But the situation is not hopeless. The Government can turn things around by acting swiftly and effectively on the agreed constitutional, parliamentary, electoral, judiciary, police, and land reforms.
All Kenyans have a stake and a responsibility to ensure that the programme of reform is fully implemented. Power-sharing arrangements may not be the universal panacea for disputed elections but the situation in Kenya was unique. The options available to resolve the disputed election results (recount, re-tally, re-run) were not viable as it risked more people being killed and there were long-standing issues which triggered the horrific post-election violence.
The stresses and strains we are seeing in Kenya have a wider relevance.
I recall that, in 1998, as United Nations Secretary-General, I presented a report to the Security Council on the Causes of Conflict and the Promotion of Durable Peace and Sustainable Development in Africa.
The conclusions of that report, which covered Africa as a whole, are strikingly similar to the findings of the Independent Review Commission (IREC) and the Commission of Inquiry into the Post-Election Violence (CIPEV) on the underlying causes of last year's crisis in Kenya.
It focused on the dangers of the politicization of ethnicity; non-adherence to the rule of law; reliance on centralized and highly personalized forms of governance; inequitable development; corruption and abuse of power; a winner-takes-all form of political victory and a perception that certain groups are not receiving a fair share of resources.
While Africa and the world have changed considerably since that report was produced 11 years ago, it is clear that many of the ills that have been plaguing the continent for decades continue to thrive in Kenya and elsewhere. We must tackle these challenges once and for all.
I believe this is one reason why the world is paying such close attention to the way Kenya grapples with these issues -- just as ordinary Kenyans are closely watching how their leaders address their needs, and respond to their demands for real change.
While effective mediation resulted in the achievements enshrined in the Kenya National Accord, the true and enduring success of the dialogue will depend very much on the full implementation of the agreed reforms, the first real test of which will be the 2012 elections.
Monday, 24 November 2008
Let Justice Prevail – Kenyans want assurance
Who is behind the killings targeting young Kikuyu men? This was the big question on Hon. Jeremiah Kioni’s lips as he spoke to KLN in London on Saturday. He also spoke exclusively on the Waki report and what he thinks is the dilemma.
http://kenyalondonnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2827&Itemid=1
The sitting MP for Ndaragwa was in London by invitation to attend a workshop organised by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, on donor funding.
“I came to articulate Kenya’s position and also learn from the other countries on how they are fairing and the difficulties; they face in soliciting and ultimate management of the funds.
Hon Kioni spoke extensively on the need to implement the Waki report and the need for justice. Justice was quite central in the interview touching on the issue of not only the political reports – namely the Kriegler and Waki Commissions – but the purported killings of young men in and around Nairobi largely from the Kikuyu tribe.
The legislator noted, several young Kikuyu men have reportedly taken from their homes on the premise that they are being investigated for their involvement with rogue gangs in the city like Mungiki, and are later found shot dead. The authorities don’t seem to know who is behind it. The Police have not come clean on the issue and now most young people are running scared. And even the Government appears to be in the dark.
On the Waki Report, Hon. Kioni like many others insists it should be followed through. He said contrary to what many believe, the report was merely a pointer as to who was involved and did not particularly criminalize anyone. What should happen next is for the report to be tabled in parliament, a commission enacted to determine how the hearings can be done, and if anyone has been named, then they can defend themselves there and if found guilty, be charged. If on the other hand they are found innocent they shall be cleared.
Hon. Kioni feels the greatest opposition to the Waki Report is from, ODM members in parliament. “He believes there is real nothing to fear if you believe you are innocent. But failing to follow through the report will be a miscarriage of justice.” The Ndaragwa MP says “The people that were involved in the 1992 clashes; burning houses and looting in the Rift Valley and Mt. Elgon are the same fellows who were key players in 2008. If we don’t prosecute them now, how do we knowhttp://kenyalondonnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2827&Itemid=1
Kimunya off the hook
The Cockar Commission appointed to probe the controversial circumstances under which the former Grand Regency hotel changed hands has exonerated former Finance minister Amos Kimunya of any wrongdoing in the transaction that saw the Five-Star hotel sold to Libyan African Investment Company (LAICO).
The Grand Regency hotel, which had close links with the infamous Goldenberg scandal, changed hands in suspect circumstances that saw Kimunya suffer a no-confidence in Parliament and leading to his resignation from the Treasury. The commission has found Kimunya innocent of any crimes of commission or omission as had been alleged by Lands minister James Orengo who blew the whistle on the clandestine sale of the hotel.
A source privy to the Commission of Inquiry into sale of Grand Regency report which is set to be presented to President Mwai Kibaki today at 11 am at Harambee House intimated to Kenya Times that apart from Orengo’s accusation, no other witness summoned by the Commission mentioned Kimunya adversely.
"The commission found out that Kimunya is not guilty because he did not play any pertinent role in disposing off the hotel to the Libyan investors despite the fact that he was the Finance minister. Apart from Orengo’s baseless claims there was no other witness who implicated Kimunya of any offence," said the source.
Based on the findings, the commission chaired by (rtd) Justice Majid Cockar recommends Kimunya to be reinstated to the Cabinet. But it is not clear whether President Mwai Kibaki will reappoint the Kipipiri MP back to the Treasury, a position being held by John Michuki on an acting capacity. But testifying before the commission, Orengo accused Kimunya of constantly denying in June this year that the hotel had not been sold only to realise that it had been secretly disposed off to the Libyan investors.
Orengo also took issue with the former minister for saying that the hotel was sold at Sh2.95 billion while the transfer documents and the title deed at the Ministry of Lands indicate it changed hands for Sh1.85 billion. But the report seems to rely heavily on Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Prof Njuguna Ndungu‘s testimony, which absolved Kimunya of involvement in the sale of the hotel or determining its sale price.
"Although Kimunya did not tell us to sell the hotel to a given purchaser or at a given price, he advised us to dispose it at the earliest opportunity, in a cost effective manner and within the confines of the law," Ndungu told the Commission. The commission exempted Kimunya from testifying on grounds that no witness had adversely mentioned him in the controversial sale of the Grand Regency hotel.
This followed an application by his lawyer Prof Githu Muigai who argued that it was not necessary for the former minister to appear before the Commission because there was no evidence implicating him in any wrongdoing in the sale of the hotel. Muigai told the Cockar Commission probing the controversial sale of the hotel that out of the 21 witnesses that testified, only two mentioned Kimunya indirectly.
The commission’s findings contradict that of a parliamentary oversight committee which censured Kimunya for misleading the House over the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel. The Finance, Planning and Trade Committee declared Kimunya unfit to occupy any public office and asked President Kibaki not to contemplate reinstating him to the Cabinet.
"The committee recommends to the appointing authority (the President) that he be advised that the conduct of Amos Kimunya is not compatible with that of a minister," reads the parliamentary report in part. The committee further referred the Kipipiri MP to the House Powers and Privileges Committee for prerequisite punishment which includes a huge fine or being denied allowances for a number of days by Parliament.
Kimunya was accused of misleading the committee on May 21, 2008 that Grand Regency hotel had not been disposed off only to realise that LAICO had on May 8 paid Sh290 million as the down payment of the purchase price of Sh2.9 billion. According to the Cockar Commission, the sale of the Grand Regency hotel was a deal between the Kenyan and Libyan governments, a deal that was sealed by President Mwai Kibaki during his State visit to Tripoli in June 2007.
The report says the sale of the hotel was a ‘government project’ which was sanctioned by all relevant State authorities adding that Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) was obliged to fast track the sale since it was a government-to-government deal. According to a confidential brief the Governor produced before the commission as evidence, Kibaki sanctioned the sale of the hotel to LAICO during his visit to Libya.
"Following a visit by the President to Tripoli last year, Libyan investors made contact and expressed desire to purchase the hotel and the Kenyan authorities agreed to consider the request. Although the Libyan investors would have liked to buy the hotel as a going concern and its current market, CBK had pushed for a net price of $45 million," reads part of Prof Ndungu’s undated and unsigned confidential brief produced to the commission as evidence.
Kimunya had also evoked the President’s trip to Tripoli as the basis that informed the sale of Grand Regency hotel to the Libyan investors while defending himself against a censure motion in Parliament. In recognition of the clandestine nature in which the transaction was conducted, the commission recommends that the government lays down proper mechanisms through which autonomous State agencies like CBK and Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) can dispose off their property.
A source told Kenya Times that the report indicts CBK for hurrying up the sale of the hotel in total disregard of legal tendering procedures. It accuses CBK of single sourcing the purchaser of the hotel instead of subjecting the sale to competitive tendering for purposes of transparency and accountability.
While giving evidence before the commission, CBK Governor Prof Njuguna Ndungu said they fast tracked the sale of the hotel to not only to recover Sh2.5 billion charge the bank had against the owner businessman Kamlesh Pattni which has been futile for the last 15 years, but also to prevent detractors from going to court to block the sale.
Kimunya’s name started featuring in the sale of the hotel after Orengo claimed that the hotel had been sold for a song and in total disregard of laws on public procurement. This made the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to appoint a technical committee led by Attorney-General Amos Wako to probe the saga.
The Wako-led technical committee had recommended the stepping aside of Kimunya, CBK Governor Ndungu, NSIS Director Gichangi and the Secretary to the CBK board Kaunda, pending completion of the investigations. Orengo’s evidence formed part of the basis of a vote of no confidence against Kimunya moved by Ikolomani MP Dr Bonny Khalwale.
In his motion, Khalwale also faulted Kimunya over the manner he handled the Safaricom Initial Public Offering without disclosing the shadowy company Mobitelea which owns shares in the largest company in East Africa.
The Grand Regency hotel, which had close links with the infamous Goldenberg scandal, changed hands in suspect circumstances that saw Kimunya suffer a no-confidence in Parliament and leading to his resignation from the Treasury. The commission has found Kimunya innocent of any crimes of commission or omission as had been alleged by Lands minister James Orengo who blew the whistle on the clandestine sale of the hotel.
A source privy to the Commission of Inquiry into sale of Grand Regency report which is set to be presented to President Mwai Kibaki today at 11 am at Harambee House intimated to Kenya Times that apart from Orengo’s accusation, no other witness summoned by the Commission mentioned Kimunya adversely.
"The commission found out that Kimunya is not guilty because he did not play any pertinent role in disposing off the hotel to the Libyan investors despite the fact that he was the Finance minister. Apart from Orengo’s baseless claims there was no other witness who implicated Kimunya of any offence," said the source.
Based on the findings, the commission chaired by (rtd) Justice Majid Cockar recommends Kimunya to be reinstated to the Cabinet. But it is not clear whether President Mwai Kibaki will reappoint the Kipipiri MP back to the Treasury, a position being held by John Michuki on an acting capacity. But testifying before the commission, Orengo accused Kimunya of constantly denying in June this year that the hotel had not been sold only to realise that it had been secretly disposed off to the Libyan investors.
Orengo also took issue with the former minister for saying that the hotel was sold at Sh2.95 billion while the transfer documents and the title deed at the Ministry of Lands indicate it changed hands for Sh1.85 billion. But the report seems to rely heavily on Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Prof Njuguna Ndungu‘s testimony, which absolved Kimunya of involvement in the sale of the hotel or determining its sale price.
"Although Kimunya did not tell us to sell the hotel to a given purchaser or at a given price, he advised us to dispose it at the earliest opportunity, in a cost effective manner and within the confines of the law," Ndungu told the Commission. The commission exempted Kimunya from testifying on grounds that no witness had adversely mentioned him in the controversial sale of the Grand Regency hotel.
This followed an application by his lawyer Prof Githu Muigai who argued that it was not necessary for the former minister to appear before the Commission because there was no evidence implicating him in any wrongdoing in the sale of the hotel. Muigai told the Cockar Commission probing the controversial sale of the hotel that out of the 21 witnesses that testified, only two mentioned Kimunya indirectly.
The commission’s findings contradict that of a parliamentary oversight committee which censured Kimunya for misleading the House over the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel. The Finance, Planning and Trade Committee declared Kimunya unfit to occupy any public office and asked President Kibaki not to contemplate reinstating him to the Cabinet.
"The committee recommends to the appointing authority (the President) that he be advised that the conduct of Amos Kimunya is not compatible with that of a minister," reads the parliamentary report in part. The committee further referred the Kipipiri MP to the House Powers and Privileges Committee for prerequisite punishment which includes a huge fine or being denied allowances for a number of days by Parliament.
Kimunya was accused of misleading the committee on May 21, 2008 that Grand Regency hotel had not been disposed off only to realise that LAICO had on May 8 paid Sh290 million as the down payment of the purchase price of Sh2.9 billion. According to the Cockar Commission, the sale of the Grand Regency hotel was a deal between the Kenyan and Libyan governments, a deal that was sealed by President Mwai Kibaki during his State visit to Tripoli in June 2007.
The report says the sale of the hotel was a ‘government project’ which was sanctioned by all relevant State authorities adding that Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) was obliged to fast track the sale since it was a government-to-government deal. According to a confidential brief the Governor produced before the commission as evidence, Kibaki sanctioned the sale of the hotel to LAICO during his visit to Libya.
"Following a visit by the President to Tripoli last year, Libyan investors made contact and expressed desire to purchase the hotel and the Kenyan authorities agreed to consider the request. Although the Libyan investors would have liked to buy the hotel as a going concern and its current market, CBK had pushed for a net price of $45 million," reads part of Prof Ndungu’s undated and unsigned confidential brief produced to the commission as evidence.
Kimunya had also evoked the President’s trip to Tripoli as the basis that informed the sale of Grand Regency hotel to the Libyan investors while defending himself against a censure motion in Parliament. In recognition of the clandestine nature in which the transaction was conducted, the commission recommends that the government lays down proper mechanisms through which autonomous State agencies like CBK and Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) can dispose off their property.
A source told Kenya Times that the report indicts CBK for hurrying up the sale of the hotel in total disregard of legal tendering procedures. It accuses CBK of single sourcing the purchaser of the hotel instead of subjecting the sale to competitive tendering for purposes of transparency and accountability.
While giving evidence before the commission, CBK Governor Prof Njuguna Ndungu said they fast tracked the sale of the hotel to not only to recover Sh2.5 billion charge the bank had against the owner businessman Kamlesh Pattni which has been futile for the last 15 years, but also to prevent detractors from going to court to block the sale.
Kimunya’s name started featuring in the sale of the hotel after Orengo claimed that the hotel had been sold for a song and in total disregard of laws on public procurement. This made the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to appoint a technical committee led by Attorney-General Amos Wako to probe the saga.
The Wako-led technical committee had recommended the stepping aside of Kimunya, CBK Governor Ndungu, NSIS Director Gichangi and the Secretary to the CBK board Kaunda, pending completion of the investigations. Orengo’s evidence formed part of the basis of a vote of no confidence against Kimunya moved by Ikolomani MP Dr Bonny Khalwale.
In his motion, Khalwale also faulted Kimunya over the manner he handled the Safaricom Initial Public Offering without disclosing the shadowy company Mobitelea which owns shares in the largest company in East Africa.
Wednesday, 8 October 2008
The Obama Nation Strikes the whip and deports a small minded and illegal immigrant MZUNGU
Anti-Obama author deported from Kenya
Jerome Corsi: had arrived in Nairobi to launch Obama Nation
ROB CRILLY in Nairobi
AN AMERICAN opponent of Barack Obama was deported from Kenya last night after trying to stage the African launch of his controversial book.
Jerome Corsi had travelled to the Obama family homeland to investigate links between the Democratic nominee and Kenyan politicians.
He was even carrying a $1,000 cheque for Obama's half-brother who lives in a squalid slum as part of a stunt to discredit the first African-American to come so close to the White House.
But last night, the author of Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality was waiting to fly out of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, after being told he could not stay. It seems he had not realised the country was immersed in Obamamania with little time for his critics. Nor were the Kenyan authorities impressed with chunks of the book deeply critical of Raila Odinga, the man recently installed as prime minister.
Corsi was detained by immigration authorities as he arrived at a swish Nairobi hotel where the book launch was due to take place.
"He was walking in and then some immigration officers who were following him snatched him," said a hotel worker.
"It happened so fast, they just vanished with him."
He and an assistant were taken to Nyayo House, which once housed torture chambers but now serves as Kenya's immigration headquarters.
They were later driven to Nairobi's international airport and told to leave immediately.
Tim Bueler, Corsi's assistant, told The Irish Times they would be flying to London on an overnight flight.
"Our passports and visas are in order but it seems the Kenyan authorities have lost our arrival cards, which we filled in on the plane coming here," he said by telephone as security officers escorted the pair to the airport.
"So we will leave while they complete their investigations but we have been told we can return."
The missing paperwork will be viewed as something of a fudge to let all sides forget about the embarrassing incident as quickly as possible.
No one from the Kenyan government was available to comment yesterday.
Corsi rose to prominence in 2004, when he teamed up with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to publish Unfit for Command , part of a campaign to keep John Kerry out of the White House. It maligned his Vietnam record and was credited with helping sink his campaign.
This time around, Obama Nation has occupied the upper reaches of the New York Times bestseller lists since being published in August.
The book questions Obama's character, attacks his fitness to take up office and rakes over his family history.
© 2008 The Irish Times
Wonder kama alifungwa kamba kwa miguu vile sisi hufanywa na wao!!!!!Ujinga apele kwao home
Jerome Corsi: had arrived in Nairobi to launch Obama Nation
ROB CRILLY in Nairobi
AN AMERICAN opponent of Barack Obama was deported from Kenya last night after trying to stage the African launch of his controversial book.
Jerome Corsi had travelled to the Obama family homeland to investigate links between the Democratic nominee and Kenyan politicians.
He was even carrying a $1,000 cheque for Obama's half-brother who lives in a squalid slum as part of a stunt to discredit the first African-American to come so close to the White House.
But last night, the author of Obama Nation: Leftist Politics and the Cult of Personality was waiting to fly out of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, after being told he could not stay. It seems he had not realised the country was immersed in Obamamania with little time for his critics. Nor were the Kenyan authorities impressed with chunks of the book deeply critical of Raila Odinga, the man recently installed as prime minister.
Corsi was detained by immigration authorities as he arrived at a swish Nairobi hotel where the book launch was due to take place.
"He was walking in and then some immigration officers who were following him snatched him," said a hotel worker.
"It happened so fast, they just vanished with him."
He and an assistant were taken to Nyayo House, which once housed torture chambers but now serves as Kenya's immigration headquarters.
They were later driven to Nairobi's international airport and told to leave immediately.
Tim Bueler, Corsi's assistant, told The Irish Times they would be flying to London on an overnight flight.
"Our passports and visas are in order but it seems the Kenyan authorities have lost our arrival cards, which we filled in on the plane coming here," he said by telephone as security officers escorted the pair to the airport.
"So we will leave while they complete their investigations but we have been told we can return."
The missing paperwork will be viewed as something of a fudge to let all sides forget about the embarrassing incident as quickly as possible.
No one from the Kenyan government was available to comment yesterday.
Corsi rose to prominence in 2004, when he teamed up with Swift Boat Veterans for Truth to publish Unfit for Command , part of a campaign to keep John Kerry out of the White House. It maligned his Vietnam record and was credited with helping sink his campaign.
This time around, Obama Nation has occupied the upper reaches of the New York Times bestseller lists since being published in August.
The book questions Obama's character, attacks his fitness to take up office and rakes over his family history.
© 2008 The Irish Times
Wonder kama alifungwa kamba kwa miguu vile sisi hufanywa na wao!!!!!Ujinga apele kwao home
Thursday, 2 October 2008
STATEMENT OF THE KENYA NATIONAL YOUTH CONVENTION REGARDING THE ONGOING MV FAINA PIRACY INCIDENT
The Kenya National Youth Convention (NYC) demands answers from the Government of Kenya.
The Kenya National Youth Convention (NYC) considers the ongoing MV Faina incident to be an exemplar of the reckless and dangerous conduct of national affairs by elements within the Government of Kenya, and calls for an end to the importation of offensive weaponry into the East African region.
Such transactions endanger regional security rather than enhancing it. The position of the Government of Kenya does not ring true and the NYC after deliberation is seeking answers to disturbing questions about the MV Faina incident……
Read Full Post: http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=264
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching Out for you
NYC IV: BOMAS DECLARATIONS EXTRA ORDINARY SESSION OF THE National Youth Convention [NYC IV]
Vijanaa Tujipange
September 20th 2008
Rebuilding our Nation... Reconciling Our Communities
“The Challenges and Prospects for Young Kenyans”
We, the young women and men from all provinces and diverse backgrounds of the Kenyan nation convened at the extraordinary session of the National Youth Convention (NYC IV) at the Bomas of Kenya from 18th to 20th September 2008:
Recognize the heroes and heroines of Kenya’s struggles for independence; for democratic struggles since 1963, and those who lost their lives in the struggle against injustice resulting from the fraudulent General Elections in December 2007.
We reject the political, economic, social and cultural system under an undemocratic state that has been in force in Kenya since independence which has led to massive inequality, inter-ethnic and community conflicts and poverty in Kenya. We demand for a transformation of the system to ensure that the rights of every Kenyan are guaranteed and protected. We demand for a break with the past and a new way to do things in this country.
WE FURTHER DECLARE AS FOLLOWS…….
Read Full Post: http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=246
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching out for you
September 20th 2008
Rebuilding our Nation... Reconciling Our Communities
“The Challenges and Prospects for Young Kenyans”
We, the young women and men from all provinces and diverse backgrounds of the Kenyan nation convened at the extraordinary session of the National Youth Convention (NYC IV) at the Bomas of Kenya from 18th to 20th September 2008:
Recognize the heroes and heroines of Kenya’s struggles for independence; for democratic struggles since 1963, and those who lost their lives in the struggle against injustice resulting from the fraudulent General Elections in December 2007.
We reject the political, economic, social and cultural system under an undemocratic state that has been in force in Kenya since independence which has led to massive inequality, inter-ethnic and community conflicts and poverty in Kenya. We demand for a transformation of the system to ensure that the rights of every Kenyan are guaranteed and protected. We demand for a break with the past and a new way to do things in this country.
WE FURTHER DECLARE AS FOLLOWS…….
Read Full Post: http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=246
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Watching out for you
Tuesday, 30 September 2008
GiantSky launches website for AgriTrace, a leading developer of tracking and transaction systems for Kenya’s agricultural sector
GiantSky is proud to launch AgriTrace Kenya at www.agritracekenya.com .
Agritrace Kenya Limited is an ICT company, providing food traceability and Global positioning tracking solutions to promote food safety and livestock security. As a service provider and systems intermediary, the company used the latest digital wireless `technologies to get to millions of farmers, processors, service providers, regulatory authorities, financial system and Billions of shillings in e-commerce. Agritrace’s core mission is to build an agribusiness information management and payment system as a key component supplier to the agricultural economies of Africa and spurring effort to make technology a more useful factor in rural production activities.
U.S. says hijacked arms headed to Sudan, not Kenya
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates
A U.S. Navy spokesman says a weapons shipment on a Ukrainian ship hijacked by Somali pirates was headed to Sudan, not Kenya.
Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, says the buyers in Sudan are unknown.
A 5th Fleet statement Monday says the ship was headed for the Kenyan port of Mombassa but that "additional reports state the cargo was intended for Sudan."
Kenya has claimed it was the buyer for the shipment, which includes T-72 battle tanks.
The U.N. has imposed an arms embargo on weapons headed to Sudan's Darfur conflict zone. But the ban does not cover other weapons sales to the Khartoum government or the southern Sudan's autonomous government. AP
http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-2027-us-says-hijacked-arms-headed-to-sudan-not-kenya.html
A U.S. Navy spokesman says a weapons shipment on a Ukrainian ship hijacked by Somali pirates was headed to Sudan, not Kenya.
Lt. Nathan Christensen, a deputy spokesman for the U.S. 5th Fleet in Bahrain, says the buyers in Sudan are unknown.
A 5th Fleet statement Monday says the ship was headed for the Kenyan port of Mombassa but that "additional reports state the cargo was intended for Sudan."
Kenya has claimed it was the buyer for the shipment, which includes T-72 battle tanks.
The U.N. has imposed an arms embargo on weapons headed to Sudan's Darfur conflict zone. But the ban does not cover other weapons sales to the Khartoum government or the southern Sudan's autonomous government. AP
http://www.chicagodefender.com/article-2027-us-says-hijacked-arms-headed-to-sudan-not-kenya.html
KENYA: ISLAMISTS ATTACK CHURCH IN NORTHERN TOWN
longstanding effort to replace a church with a mosque in Kenya’s northern town of Garissa culminated in an attack by 50 Muslim youths this month that left the worship building in ruins.
The gang stormed the building of Redeemed Gospel Church on Sept. 14 and pelted the congregation with stones, sending many Christians fleeing while others became embroiled in fistfights. Ten Christians received hospital treatment for minor injuries and were released.
Church leaders said the Muslim mob also destroyed pews, damaged the church building’s walls of corrugated iron, smashed the glass-mounted pulpit and burned the church banner with its stand.
Read more:http://pbaptist.wordpress.com/2008/09/30/kenya-islamists-attack-church-in-northern-town/
Tuesday, 23 September 2008
President Kibaki had a three-hour stop-over at Heathrow Airport on Sunday 21st September, 2008 on his way to New York USA.
The president is expected to have a two-day stop over in London on Friday and Saturday on his way from USA.
The president is expected to have a two-day stop over in London on Friday and Saturday on his way from USA.
Heal your skin at Lake Bogoria in Kenya
It is not in doubt that humanity is conscious of its well being. Personal health concerns have topped the issues list knowing at people’s mind; for ability to enjoy life to the fullest is anchored here.
It is fundamentally and statistically proved that folks spend a sizeable chunk of their income on health and more so personal grooming. Your skin takes a lion’s share of this.
Lake Bogoria National Reserve sitting on the floor of the Rift valley and 266Km from Nairobi is one place in Kenya that you can take care of your skin if not for free at a very minimal cost (and this park entry fee). Aptly named the healing place, the hot geysers spewing from the bowels of mother earth in this park are reputed to be rich in minerals and detoxifiers.
A local resort_ the lake Bogoria pa resort has harnessed the power of this phenomenon to offer Kenya, its only naturally heated spa pool. Now its rooms are ever full because both local and international tourists are trooping to this wonderland to experience the healing qualities of these saunas.
Book yourself in the hotel and take a swim! Yes that is all. Alternatively drive five kilometers into the park proper. Enjoy the hot geysers measuring upto 100 degrees Celsius free of charge. All you need to do is have minimal or light clothing, a stool or you may stand facing the wind and voila! Oh also a friend for company.
This is a cost effective way for health both on your pocket and the environment too. There are no cosmetic and other chemicals used here. You do not need to fear the green cop. Imagine a natural skin care under the sun in a national reserve, by warm geyser spray; making stories and bonding with your friends or family as you behold a shy greater kudu, Antelope, Impalas and Waterbucks.
Tags: bogoria national reserve, book hotel, family, hotel, kenya, Lake Bogoria, Lake bogoria spa resort, Nairobi, personal health
An Exhortation to the Young people of Kenya by Mwalimu Mati
An Exhortation to the Young people of Kenya by Mwalimu Mati - Key Note Address Delivered to the Extraordinary Session of the 4th National Youth Convention, Nairobi, September 19th 2008
We are meeting at a difficult time for many Kenyans. In fact we are meeting at the crossroad of the history of our country. We are here to decide our future path as delegates of an important convention. We have been brought here because of the acts and omissions of an older generation. A generation that was born before our country was freed from colonial rule, and which has since Independence run the affairs of this country.
We are here because we know that what happened immediately after we cast our votes on December 27th last year – the horror of which has never been seen in our country was a culmination of decades of decisions made by the pre-Independence generation. We raised arms against each other and murdered innocents, destroyed lives and property.
We lost respect for ourselves fighting a war which if we are honest was of no benefit to any of us. We set the precedent for the end of Kenya. Then, we stopped. Some say we stopped because of the National Accord of February 28th 2008 or because we feared for our lives, but we stopped and it is now possible to talk. So, it is important that we talk truthfully because the precedent we set has removed the margin of error when we are faced with the next big decisions…..
Read full post: http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=236
www.marsgroupkenya.org
Thursday, 18 September 2008
Ross Kemp Kenya Special on Sky 1 Mon Sep 22, 9pm
In this 90-minute special, Ross Kemp and his BAFTA winning documentary team travel to Kenya to investigate the Mungiki, an outfit labelled as the most dangerous ‘gang’ in Africa.
A disputed election in December 2007 sparked a spate of violence that left 1,500 dead and over 250,000 as refugees, leaving Kenya, once considered the jewel of Africa, on the brink of civil war. It is widely believed that the Mungiki were responsible for the reign of terror.
Ross comments, “I’ve always liked Africa and I loved Kenya when I was there, but I saw it from a totally different point of view from being a tourist to the way I saw it this time. Kenya has the perception of being a leader in Africa in terms of industry and infrastructure, but actually there’s extreme poverty and unrest there.”
Gaining access to the Mungiki is notoriously difficult, but Ross manages to meet with its top three members at the home of their imprisoned leader, Jenga. Grilling them about a grisly reputation that includes decapitation and torture, he is thrown by their denial. The men are adamant that the fear surrounding the Mungiki has been propagated by the government in a bid to disable them. They maintain that the government is the real culprit.
By gaining the trust of the Mungiki, Ross travels to locations then out of bounds to most ordinary Kenyans, let alone foreign reporters. His time with the Mungiki coincides with a bloody government crackdown on the Mungiki. Ross discovers that Kenya is still far from peace as finds himself in the middle of several riots as the Police round up Mungiki members.
Although Ross isn’t entirely convinced that these men are the saints they claim to be, he investigates and quickly realises that the situation is by no means clear-cut. After all, the Mungiki have their origins in spiritualism, denounce alcohol and drug-taking and, most importantly, Kenya’s poverty-ridden population are happy with their presence. When events take a tragic turn, with the abduction and murder of Jenga’s wife, Ross’ opinion is reinforced: “The Mungiki aren’t a gang, they’re an organisation and from what I saw whilst I was there, I think they’re justified.” “The death of the Mungiki leader’s wife while we were there sparked the riots. We were in the wrong place at the right time and that worked for our film“.
“The film contains an equal amount of fear and trepidation from myself, a lot of violence, a lot of gunfire and I’m told to go home by the police.”
Travelling outside of Nairobi, Ross also witnesses intolerable poverty in the town of Eldoret. Meeting the teenage mothers, their children and the orphans who live on a rubbish dump, Ross learns that they are all addicted to glue. “Those rubbish dumps will stay in my mind for the rest of my life,” says Ross. “When a woman drops her child on its head and picks it up and puts a glue bottle in its mouth, those are the things that stay with you, to see that loss, that desperation. Viewers will definitely be disturbed seeing little kids sniffing glue which has been given to them by their teenage mothers who are addicted to solvents.”
Ross Kemp: A Kenya Special is engrossing and immersive viewing, providing insight into a country in crisis: “I’m very proud of the Kenya special. For me, it’s a fascinating story and moves Gangs on to a more political side of what we’ve been doing. I’m very proud of the film, but I’m very sad about the people who died whilst we were out there.”
Mon 22 Sept, 9pm, only on Sky1 and Sky1 HD
Kenyan avocados banned - Trade war between Kenya and South Africa
Commodity News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo
A trade row between Kenya and South Africa is reportedly simmering following the failure to resolve an administrative barrier that has seen Kenyan exports to the regional powerhouse shrink drastically over the last week.
The Business Daily a Kenyan businesses journal has reported in its Tuesday edition.
At issue is what Kenyan exporters consider a non administrative trade barrier that has virtually blocked avocados from accessing the Kshs 150 million a year market in the Republic of South Africa. That country has instituted the measure saying the product posed a fruit fly threat to the country.
Since the ban was imposed in April last year Kenya has lost 80 percent of its fresh avocado exports going down the to South.
The South Africa’s imports inspection body raised the phytosanitary issues which Kenya exporters see as a form of protectionism.
Orange arrives in Kenya
After acquiring a 51% stake in Telkom Kenya’s capital in November 2007, the Group is launching its mobile business under its Orange brand in Kenya.
For several years now, France Telecom has been dynamically developing its presence in Africa in line with its ambition to be the leading operator. Present in 15 countries on this continent, from Mali to Madagascar, Egypt and Equatorial Guinea, today it is signaling its presence in eastern Africa through Kenya, writing a new chapter in its history.
The Orange brand offers a promise of simplicity and quality, guaranteeing a coherent customer experience across all the countries where it is deployed.
Promoting development and put forward as a benchmark for investment in the countries where it operates, Orange is making life easier for its customers through simple, accessible and convergent solutions.
Offering quality services while remaining accessible to the majority of Kenyans: this is the challenge that the company and all of Orange's staff are committed to meeting. In line with its values, and as a leading economic player, Orange Kenya plans to apply high governance standards and a voluntary training policy for its staff in order to significantly contribute to the country's development.
Source;http://www.orange.com/en_EN/group/latest_news/kenya.html
For several years now, France Telecom has been dynamically developing its presence in Africa in line with its ambition to be the leading operator. Present in 15 countries on this continent, from Mali to Madagascar, Egypt and Equatorial Guinea, today it is signaling its presence in eastern Africa through Kenya, writing a new chapter in its history.
The Orange brand offers a promise of simplicity and quality, guaranteeing a coherent customer experience across all the countries where it is deployed.
Promoting development and put forward as a benchmark for investment in the countries where it operates, Orange is making life easier for its customers through simple, accessible and convergent solutions.
Offering quality services while remaining accessible to the majority of Kenyans: this is the challenge that the company and all of Orange's staff are committed to meeting. In line with its values, and as a leading economic player, Orange Kenya plans to apply high governance standards and a voluntary training policy for its staff in order to significantly contribute to the country's development.
Source;http://www.orange.com/en_EN/group/latest_news/kenya.html
Monday, 15 September 2008
How Raila acquired his billions
Raila Odinga’s big break came in 2001 soon after he led his party, NDP, into a merger with Kanu, the then ruling party. As Energy Minister in Moi’s government he was introduced to the family of Sheikh Abdukeder AlBakari, one of the richest families in Saudi Arabia with interests in petroleum drilling, petroleum exploration and export in the Middle East, Asia, USA and Africa
Read more;http://successinkenya.blogspot.com/2008/09/raila-silent-billionaire.html
Read more;http://successinkenya.blogspot.com/2008/09/raila-silent-billionaire.html
Wednesday, 10 September 2008
Ambassador Muthaura has no Parliamentary Authority or powers to give Pauline Musyoka Ksh 400,000 per month
A debate rages on in the Kenyan press with split opinion about whether Pauline Musyoka, wife of Kenya’s Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, should have kept the Ksh 400,000 a month she was “offered” by the Head of the Public Service, Ambassador Muthaura as compensation for “wise counsel and guidance which contribute to the public good in the course of nation building activities, besides playing hostess during national and other official public engagements.”
Mrs. Musyoka has said she will after all accept the offer but give it away to several charities, unlike Mrs. Ida Odinga who sensibly refused a similar offer last week.
It’s not really about the amount of money involved. The problem Mrs. Musyoka will have, going forward, is that Ambassador Muthaura’s “offer” is, ipso facto, illegal and unconstitutional regardless of her charitable intentions. This illegality will remain unless and until a supplementary revised national budget is approved by Parliament. It is doubtful that Parliament would approve such expenditure if it was asked. This exposes her to surcharge and other embarrassment if the Controller and Auditor General reports adversely.
Read more;http://blog.marsgroupkenya.org/?p=196
Tuesday, 12 August 2008
Strange and unscheduled military planes from the US
Strange and unscheduled military planes from the US have in the last two months been making secretive night landings in Kenya, in what are feared as missions to move terror suspects from the country.
The night landings of US planes at Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, carrying American Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officials have raised suspicion and controversy not only among local security agents, but also players in aviation.
Questions have been raised over US aircraft operating from the airport.
EU CO2 hysterics could harm Kenya's small scale organic farmers
August 12, 2008: Kenya’s horticulture industry is facing a new market access threat as the European Parliament prepares to vote on a new law that would see aviation included in the continental emissions trading scheme (ETS).
The law, which has been on the cards for nearly two years, comes before Parliament for a vote later this month and could be implemented in 2010 if passed.
It will force EU retailers to give preference to agricultural produce that has not been airlifted to meet their obligations under the ETS.
This means that a British supermarket would, for instance, give preference to flowers from the Netherlands that can be transported to its outlets by rail over Kenya’s air freighted consignments.
...
Most of Kenya’s horticultural exports are produced organically by small scale farmers and are freighted in passenger air craft to foreign markets.
The law, which has been on the cards for nearly two years, comes before Parliament for a vote later this month and could be implemented in 2010 if passed.
It will force EU retailers to give preference to agricultural produce that has not been airlifted to meet their obligations under the ETS.
This means that a British supermarket would, for instance, give preference to flowers from the Netherlands that can be transported to its outlets by rail over Kenya’s air freighted consignments.
...
Most of Kenya’s horticultural exports are produced organically by small scale farmers and are freighted in passenger air craft to foreign markets.
Wednesday, 6 August 2008
Kenya Consulates Report Steady Progress
A visit to the Kenya High Commission in London, confirmed what reports from the Kenya Tourism Industry have been indicating, that it is slowly but surely picking up and by the end of the year it will be back to full capacity. Friday afternoon revealed a healthy cue at 45 Portland Place as visitors came in to pick up their visas.
Following the post-election skirmishes and consequent travel advisories from Kenya’s top tourist clients in Europe and America, the tourism industry virtually ground to a halt as visitors cancelled their holidays leaving the country’s Hotels struggling to cope. Many travel agencies actually closed down with some laying off most of their staff and just keeping a skeleton office to manage the affairs of the day
Read more;http://kenyalondonnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2136&Itemid=1
Following the post-election skirmishes and consequent travel advisories from Kenya’s top tourist clients in Europe and America, the tourism industry virtually ground to a halt as visitors cancelled their holidays leaving the country’s Hotels struggling to cope. Many travel agencies actually closed down with some laying off most of their staff and just keeping a skeleton office to manage the affairs of the day
Read more;http://kenyalondonnews.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2136&Itemid=1
Saturday, 2 August 2008
Murder of Kenyan woman, daughters from Njathaini in Kiambu still unsolved
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 08/01/08
The calls stopped coming within a few months of their deaths. But last year's murders of Jane Kuria and her teenage daughters haunt the people who knew them.
The bodies of Kuria and her daughters, Isabela, 19, and Annabelle, 16, were found Aug. 1, 2007, in their home in the Country Cove neighborhood in Powder Springs.
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