Launch of Harmonized Draft Constitution of Kenya set for 17th November

The Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review in line with its mandate drawn from the Constitution of Kenya Review Act 2008 has been in the process of writing a new constitution. As part of the requirements set out in the Act, the Committee is expected to prepare and publish a Harmonized Draft Constitution and preliminary report. Thereafter the draft will be subjected to public debate for a period of 30 DAYS. During this period the public will be at liberty to forward comments and proposals to the Committee for consideration.

In line with the foregoing, the Committee is pleased to announce the launch of the Harmonized Draft Constitution on Tuesday 17^th November 2009 at the KICC Tsavo ballroom at 9.30 am. In this regard, the Committee wishes to invite you to be part of this important national occasion in the quest for a new Constitution for Kenya.

 

The Committee looks forward to your attendance. Thank you.

Director, CoE

RSVP civic@coekenya.go.ke

Tenders Unlimited: opening the door for public procurement

Tenders Unlimited is a new Kenyan startup founded by young entrepreneurs that provides dedicated database access to government and NGO tenders for business people. With the shift in technology moving towards major use of the internet, the portal provides a convenient and economical way for business people to search for tenders online. We recently got the opportunity to interview one of the portal’s founders Jeconia Omondi Olonde.

Read the interview here

Nakuru Town Hall Meeting on Constitutionalism & Good Governance

The Government of Kenya has appointed a Committee of Experts to identify contentious issues in the Constitution review process, develop consensus and make proposals for a new draft Constitution for Kenya.

Inevitably this is a political process due to the various interests that musts be considered for the draft Constitution to gain wide spread support. It is also a legal process that will either determine the new laws to be established in order to conform with the Constitution or “constitutionalize” existing laws.

Youth organizations made submissions made to the Committee of Experts on contentious issues as seen by young people and suggestions on how to address them. In July 2009, several young people from around the country convened in Nairobi to discuss the various submission and made attempts to build consensus.

At the end of the meeting it was clear that there remained several issues on which consensus needed to be developed. This remains the challenge for the Committee of Experts.

As young people, some who have been part of the constitutional review processes through the years, and others for whom it seems “new there are questions we must ask as responsible citizens to ensure quality contribution towards building consensus in the constitutional reform process.

• What are the key things we should ask ourselves as we prepare for a new constitutional dispensation?
• What spirit do we wish for the Constitution to have?
• What are our basic minimums as young people for a “suitable” constitution?
• What basic principles we should consider as we undergo the constitutional reform process?
• What is our contribution as young people to the reform process?

On Tuesday 3^rd November 2009, there will be a meeting at the ACK Diocese Hall in Nakuru to deliberate on these matters from 4 p.m.

Quick facts:

Venue: ACK  Diocese Hall – Nakuru

Date: Tuesday, 3rd November 2009

Time: 4.00PM

Umuro Wario’s reinstatement at Kenya’s Youth Fund is a victory for public officers committed to fighting corruption

The government’s decision to reinstate Mr. Umuro Wario to continue serving as the Chief Executive Officer of the Youth Enterprise Development Fund should be highly lauded. It’s a point of victory for public officers who risk their jobs by committing themselves to fight corruption.

Kenya’s biggest problem with the war against corruption has always been having the corrupt have their day whenever they fight back. This has happened to so many competent people before. A number of committed and hardworking officers have often lost their jobs whenever they showed determination to fight graft. A few years back it was confirmed that in Kenya, corruption fights back. It happened to Goldenberg whistle blower David Munyakei who lost his job and died in agony after he revealed how Kenyans had lost billions of shillings through the Goldenberg scandal. The same nature of machinations worked so hard to remove true anti corruption crusaders from transparency international. It was such kind of behind the scene political games by some board members that two very competent CEO’s Mwalimu Mati and Gladwell Otieno were consecutively removed from TI Kenya. Transparency International is just one example among many where officers committed to sincerity end up losing their jobs because of the greed and immorality of some of the board members of those institutions.

The minister in charge must be lauded for taking a bold action and making the truth carry its day by re appointing Mr. Wario. The  minister has shown that if we all work for the truth, the just will always get justice too.

The initial sacking of Mr. Wario was like condemning those who fight corruption within the institutions where they work. This is because the ground of dismissal was based on the fact that he didn’t cooperate in the approval of some questionable deals pushed by the board. He must be lauded for standing strong in the interest of Kenyan youth when he refused to approve a ‘loan’ of ksh.300million to a Canadian NGO. Its noticeable that some politically connected board members wanted to use their political influence to blackmail the CEO into approving projects that mattered to their own selfish interests and not in the interest of the Kenyan youth.

It’s important that the minister was able to rescind her own earlier move of sacking the YEDF CEO after finding out the truth.

As the minister appoints new board members it’s important to ensure that new faces are put on the board to make the YEDF operate without any external coercion from various political interests as it has been before. The minister should now move to ensure that the board is fully reconstituted to include people who will work in the interest of the Kenyan youth and not those who will end up arm-twisting the CEO to give’ loans’ to foreign NGOs. A new board I believe will come up with a new way of implementing the youth projects and also oversee the funding of the youth groups by merit and not through political manipulations.

Wario is one of the competent young people who are emerging   in providing leadership in different sectors of our economy and it’s wrong for individuals to use tribalism or any other form of bigotry to sabotage such talents. He is also is famed for having rolled out the audit of the Kenya’s free primary education when he worked for the ministry of education.

I really wish that other ministers and government officials emulate the youth and sports minister Prof. Hellen Sambili and stand and support the truth always whenever circumstances of this nature arise. Through this, we shall achieve a lot in our war against nepotism and all other forms of corruption. It must be fought from all corners and sacking public officers who help fight it is not one of the methods of ridding our society of graft.

FWAMBA NC FWAMBA

Toxic Business: Africa’s Scavenger Entrepreneurs

It’s a common site in most African cities – waste dumping sites where hundreds of scavengers search daily for pieces of scrap metal, plastics and other waste materials to sell for a profit. These scavenger entrepreneurs though are risking their lives in search of money for survival. In these dumps, there are toxic wastes that can be fatal.

Just this week on twitter the most famous tag word was “Trafigura”, the company accused of condoning the illegal toxic dumping of a mix of petroleum residues, sulphur and caustic soda that in August 2006 led to the death of 12 people and more than 100,000 Ivorians seeking medical treatment.

According to the Basel Action Network (BAN), a disproportionate burden of toxic waste, dangerous products and polluting technologies are currently being exported from rich industrialised countries to poorer developing countries.

And mass-scale instances of toxic waste poisoning such as that in Ivory Coast is not unique. In March 2008, hundreds of people in Mombasa complained of illness after a consignment of leaking chemical containers were dumped in Kipevu near the port. The symptoms experienced by the residents of the nearby slum were eerily similar to those who suffered from the toxic slops distributed in 18 dumping sites around Abidjan. Nausea, miscarriages and diarrhoea amongst other symptoms caused many to seek treatment.

In February 2009 a joint investigation by the Independent newspaper, Sky News, and Greenpeace also exposed the story of tonnes of toxic waste collected from British municipal dumps and sent illegally to Africa in flagrant violation of UK laws to ensure that “its rapidly growing mountain of defunct televisions, computers and gadgets are disposed of safely”.

Indeed e-waste is slowly emerging as a major sort of refuse, according to Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority. From these, the scavenger entrepreneurs risk their lives collecting metals for re-sale from disused computers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, copiers, fax machines and mobile phones.

Africa is indeed an ideal dumping ground. Apart from the inability of local environmental agencies (where environmental management laws exist) to adequately police dumping of waste, corruption also allows agents to dump waste throughout cities. And unfortunately, for the Continent’s scavenger entrepreneur’s this is the only way they can make a living.

In pictures: Kenya scavengers

A good story sells

A recently published blog post by David Roodman titled “Kiva is not quite what it seems” has been causing quite a stir in cyber space. Not so much because of the provocative title mentioning Kiva – a pioneer and probably the best known Person to Person (P2P) micro-credit organisation; Roodman’s post also questions the real intentions why people choose to fund a micro entrepreneur from Cambodia, Kenya or Guatemala for that matter.

Roodman posits that a reason for the success of Kiva and similar internet based lending portals is because for as little as US$ 25, more people can become benefactors. Helping others has become a cheap commodity and not only the super-rich Bill Gates and Warren Buffett’s can now claim the title “philanthropist”.

Similar to the P2P lending model, goods from developing countries that sell on western supermarket shelves bear stories – some of them wild. This has been largely propagated by fair trade products. However, nowadays even a pesticide sprayed beetroot from Bulawayo must carry a story. A honey product from Kenya cannot just simply be labelled “Kenyan honey”. What’s required is a long tale weaving in a tapestry of sensory words probably going along the lines of “…this honey comes from the honey bee whose hives are in Africa’s savannah plains … The scents from the eucalyptus ensure a wild …”.

Indeed, the more evocative the story about the terrain or about how poor the farmers who produced it are, the better.

This is what consumers want – a feeling that when they put a spoon of honey in their morning tea, they feel part of that savannah so alluringly described on the product label. And it is these stories that add a couple of dollars or Euro’s onto the unit retail price. On some e-commerce websites selling African “ethnic” products, 2 kgs of maize flour which is the staple food for most East and Central African countries goes for US$ 10. The same product in an upmarket supermarket in Nairobi costs less than a quarter of that price. The point is that with good marketing, consumers pay more for the “story” than the product itself.

With rampant corruption constantly being reported in Africa, an ennui among citizens of western nations has emerged. Commonly people question why donor aid is poured into large infrastructure projects such as roads and geothermal plants yet there are numerous instances of money being siphoned off by corrupt public officials in Africa. Just last week it emerged that World Bank money earmarked for free primary education in Kenya had been stolen; thus begging the question why fund such a project when if you gave an entrepreneur a bit of money they could then be empowered enough to send their children to a fee paying school?

Media stories on Africa which in most instances focus on crises’ or the potential for crisis have made people who would otherwise dip into their pockets to alleviate hunger on the Continent averse. Thus when one sees a picture of Mary from a village just outside Kampala who has a banana kiosk, the need to assist Mary overrides the need to assist Fatma in a refugee camp in Eastern Congo.

In an age where people are sponsoring small businesses’, children and even guerrillas in Rwanda, what does this all mean for entrepreneurs either seeking funding or wanting to sell their products on the export market?

In a nutshell there is a palpable and growing demand for “virtual tourism” – a state where one can experience a lifestyle from the comfort of their seat in front of a computer monitor, or perhaps when they hold the honey jar from somewhere in Africa, gently open the lid, and smell the scent of the wild.

Read “Kiva is not quite what it seems” here

Much ado about “Governance”

As entrepreneurs facing the worst economic crisis in our lives, it is pretty difficult to keep our businesses’ afloat; let alone take the time to follow all the “reform” talk going on around us.

This week alone, Kenya proved that it did not have the political goodwill to try the perpetrators of 2008’s post election violence and even mediator Kofi Annan is in town to assess the implementation of Agenda 4 of the Accord.

Another development this week is the publishing of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation’s Index on Governance. The word “governance” the way it is bandied about seems to be akin to the word “impunity” which doesn’t seem to have a standard definition. To us business people, governance comes in the form of having public services such as a steady supply of electricity and water. It is also important when it comes to that monster we call “corruption”. In essence, good governance translates into fewer indirect costs.

According to the website, “the Ibrahim Index measures the delivery of public goods and services to citizens by government and non-state actors … using indicators across four main pillars: Safety and Rule of Law; Participation and Human Rights; Sustainable Economic Opportunity; and Human Development”.

So what does the Ibrahim Index tell us about the effect of (good) governance on business? In a nutshell the following:

• Good governance ensures our personal security.
• Human rights are not divisible from business competitiveness.
• Social unrest is not good for business.
• Judicial independence and the strength of the judicial process are important for business.
• Transparency, accountability as well as corruption in the public sector adversely affect business.
• Countries scoring high on the Index have a superior quality of infrastructure coupled with the provision of reliable utilities.
• Economic policies that promote sustainable business are vital.
• Rural provision of public goods are essential for growth.

Transcript of online Webchat with US Ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger – September 23rd 2009

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): This program will begin on September 23 at 15:00 Nairobi Time – (8:00am EDT – 1200GMT).

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Please post your questions before or during the chat. Once we receive your questions they will turn RED on the screen. Thank you.

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hello and welcome to today’s webchat!  We’re taking your questions now.  The live chat will begin at the top of the hour 12:00GMT.

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): Good morning everyone. The Ambassador will be online in less than 30 minutes. Please send in your questions now.

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): From Jeff Martin in Facebook: Just out of curiosity,what,in your opinion,is kenya’s place in the African continent?

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): When we receive your questions they will turn RED. Thank you again.

Jane, Kisumu: does the Amb come on in 7 minutes?

CO.NX Moderator (Tim): The Ambassador will arrive in a few minutes. Thank you for your patience.

Ambassador Ranneberger: Good morning everyone. I am pleased to be here with you today. Please send me your questions now. Thank you.

unity2050: hello

unity2050: i am so happy to be here

tracy: good after Mr Ranneberger

Lucy Muthoni: Hello Your Excellencey

Joseph: Hallo, this is Joseph in Nairobi can I join in?

Djibouti: Excellency, Djibouti represents four reporters from La Nation (French Language News Paper) and Radio Television Djibouti.  We’ll be submitting questions shortly!  Thank you very much!

Ambassador Ranneberger: Welcome and thank you for coming.

tracy: Thank you Sir

BARNET-GILGIL: Thank you

Johnie: Good Afternoon Nairobi, your excellency its afternoon in Nrb

Mina: hi

Nashipai Koima: Good afternoon Sir

Mina: good afternoon

Suzanne: is it possible to extend this time to about 4.30 so that His excellence can respond to all our questions?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hi Suzanne, we’re hoping the Ambassaor can get to as many questions as possible during today’s session but please understand his schedule is tight.

Djibouti: can you describe U.S. efforts to support the TFG in Somalia?

Ambassador Ranneberger: The U.S. is working closely with Kenya to support the TFG in Somalia.  Kenya has been very helpful in supporting a political process to expand support for the TFG, Kenya is trying captured pirates, and Kenya is providing assistance to the TFG.  Kenya has exerted strong pressure within East Africa to stop Eritrean support for the al-Shabaab.  The U.S. is also providing strong support for the TFG politically, and through financial support for the TFG especially for security assistance.  The U.S. is also the largest supporter of AMISOM, and the largest provider of humanitarian assistance to the Somali people.  We greatly appreciate the strong role that AMISOM is playing in Somalia.

unity2050: can i ask you question

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): We are taking questions now. The Ambasador is working on his responses.

Mina: I have a question , it is not directly related to kenya

Ambassador Ranneberger: Feel free to post it.

Mina: but to us as general

brigid koskei 2: brigid koskei from Kenya.us elections have shown us that we can as a country we can go beyond tribal and racial politics.Is this possible with the Kenyan current constitution and institutional structures that are in existence?

Ambassador Ranneberger: In order to be able to achieve what the U.S. did in electing Obama, several things must happen:  1. the Kenyan people need to work much harder to overcome entrenched ethnic attitudes; this involves working at the grassroots level, more leadership at the top, more civic education, etc. 2. there needs to be constitutional change and reform to ensure the rule of law.  These reforms are necessary so that the rights and interests of each ethnic group will be protected; that way, ethnic groups will not regard every election as a ”winner take all” situation.

Ambassador Ranneberger: 3. there must be more equitable economic development to push back poverty and to open more opportunities for all ethnic groups in order to reduce tensions and to eliminate the perception that one ethnic group controls the economy and development.

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Thanks everyone for joining us.  As you can see there are many of you online and many questions coming in.  The Ambassador is working as quickly as possible to take your questions.  Please be patient.

Lucy Muthoni: Thank you moderator for your assurance

Guest : Does Obama plan to come to kenya

Ambassador Ranneberger: Obama has been to Kenya before, and I have no doubt that at some point he will visit again.  However, he has made clear that he is deeply disappointed by the lack of progress in implementing reforms.  When he went to Ghana, a cartoon in the Nation captured the situation well.  It had a picture of Air Force One flying over Kenya, with a little Kibaki and Odinga looking up at it, and a note was floating down that said ”get your act together.signed Barack Obama.”

Jack KOdera: I thought the Chat was on Terrorism and  Piracy!  Has it now turned to Democratization?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hello Jack, you are thinking about today’s second webchat beginning in about 45 minutes.  Join us immediatelly following this session for a discussion on piracy and terrorism at this CO.NX chat room: https://statedept.conenctsolutions.com/piracy

kadadi: Goodafternoon all, Nice to be here

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hello kadadi, welcome!

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Also, please join us at 14:00GMT today for a webstream of President Obama’s U.N. speech:  https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/unga2009

kadadi: thanks Mark

tracy: Mark dear,does his excellency looked at my question??

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hi Tracy, there are more than 100 questions in the queue, the Ambassador is trying to answer as many as possible.

mary Eldoret: Obama presidency has been lauded the world over. What will his policy be on the Kenyan or African political set up?

Ambassador Ranneberger: promote expanded trade between the U.S. and Africa.  In short, you will see the Obama Administration intensively engaged with Africa.Obama has clearly indicated that he wants to expand our relationship with the African continent in order to promote democracy, good governance, development, and conflict resolution.   Thus our policy on Kenya focuses on pushing for implementation of the reform agenda.  More broadly, President Obama has already announced an important new initiative:  the global food security initiative, which will benefit Kenya and other countries in Africa. Secretary Clinton has already visited 7 countries in Africa to highlight our priority to engage with Africa.  A major AGOA forum was held in Kenya to promote expanded trade between the U.S. and Africa.  In short, you will see the Obama Administration intensively engaged with Africa.

Abraham Rugo: Thanks Mark…we will wait

tracy: thanks so much,Mark

Migolo Benjamin: we r totally behind you

Guest Nairobi: What do you think is the most important issue facing Kenyans today?

Ambassador Ranneberger: The most important issue facing Kenyans is ensuring full implementation of the reform agenda.

Dalmas: Good afternoon your excellency

kachwanya: Good afternoon everyone

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Alphonse: America is made up of different states with people of different background, social economics and yet the country is very united.Learning from the American case,in your view,How can Kenya overcome tribalism based on that context?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Unity in America has been achieved through an appreciation that we gain strength through our diversity, and by ensuring that there are transparent institutions and rule of law which protects everyone.  That is why we are pushing for constitutional and rule of law reform in Kenya.  I talked above about Kenyans’ need to overcome ethnic attitudes.  I am optimistic that Kenya can also achieve such unity, and that the emerging younger generation will make a major contribution to this.  Do not be discouraged.  Keep in mind all the difficulties the U.S. has experienced, particularly in accommodating African-Americans.  But the election of Obama demonstrates how fast change can happen.  I believe that there is a quiet transformation sweeping Kenya and that fundamental change will come more quickly than anyone realizes.

Lucy Muthoni: Dear Mark, in line to your response to Tracy, does it mean that some questions might remain unanswered by the end of this session? If so, when will we have another session like this, so that we can post our questions early enough? Will he first look at the questions which had been posted before this chat session?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Hi Lucy, unfortunately there are many more questions than the Ambassador can answer in one session.  We hope he will join us again in the coming weeks.  All of the questions will be collected and we will forward them on to him for review.

amuteru: Good Afternoon Sir, Thanks you for creating this forum, I am Muteru journalist by profession. I wish you would consider sharing this idea with our parlimentarians to facilitate one on one with their constituents. Hope it aint complicated maybe they can start with the social networks like facebook. Straight to my question. I watched your interview with KTN and would you expound what steps your country will take if the coalition government fails on the reform agenda? and two, What is your role in constitutional process?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Great point and I will encourage the parliamentarians.  You should know that I have also started face book and twitter accounts to reach out to ordinary Kenyans.  My twitter is:  www.twitter.com/usamb4reform and my face book page can be found by entering face book and going to ”u.s. embassy nairobi.”  I have also been doing town hall meetings with young people throughout the country, and I am urging parliamentarians to do the same thing and to join me when I do these.  Kenyan leaders are used to speaking at the people, but not have a two-way dialogue with them.

Djibouti: During Secretary Clinton’s visit to Kenya, she visited with TFG president Sheik Sharif and promised US support for the TFG.  What support was promised, and what, if any, of that support was delivered?

Ambassador Ranneberger: The Secretary had a very positive meeting with President Sharif.  I described above the assistance we are providing.

Daniel, Nairobi: Hello there, Daniel Wallis from Reuters here. How do you respond, Mr Ambassador, to yday’s criticism from Fgn Minister Wetangula re. the raid that killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhanin Somalia? v/r

Ambassador Ranneberger: I believe that the Kenyan government fully appreciates that Nabhan was a terrorist who posed a grave threat to Kenya as well as the U.S.

Lucy Muthoni: Should I sign off, will I be able to see His Excellency’s response to my question(s) later, say tomorrow, if I come to this site?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Yes if the Ambassador selects your que, and we will also post a transcript to our co.nx Facebook page at http://co-nx.state.gov

kk: what is US stand on the appointment of Aron Ringera?

Ambassador Ranneberger: The fact is that no minister, assistant minister, or permanent secretary, with few or no exceptions, has been successfully prosecuted for the past 19 years.  Clearly, therefore the key institutions responsible for fighting corruption must be reformed and the leadership of those institutions held accountable.  The scrutiny which Parliament has been undertaking is positive.  It is also important that there be greater consultation with civil society and key stakeholders on such issues.  Please look at the statement we issued regarding Ringera, which remains an accurate reflection of our views.

Djibouti: How does Djibouti figure in U.S. interets in the region?  What role does it serve for US regional interests?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Djibouti plays an important role in the region, particularly in its efforts to support the TFG in Somalia.  We have close cooperation with Djibouti.  We participated in the political talks which were held in Djibouti that led to the election of President Sheikh Sharif.

Migolo Benjamin: Mine is just to offer my support to the US ambasador for keeping on the pressure on our silly politician whose business id to look after each others ass

James: how is the embassys engagement with young people in kenya structured?

Ambassador Ranneberger: I am making it a major priority to expand our engagement with young people.  I am holding town hall meetings throughout Kenya with young people and I am encouraging parliamentarians to do so as well.  We are supporting grassroots independent youth movements to be more effective in pushing peacefully for implementation of the reform agenda.  We are also working to help economically empower youth through micro-enterprise programs.

kachwanya: Can I post  the transcript of this forum on my blog kachwanya.com after the session?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Thanks Kachwanya. Feel free to post this on your blog.

Enoch Opuka 2: Migolo -moderate your language

Jack KOdera: Alot of people have a problem with the US definition of ‘Terrorist’.  How does the US define ‘Pirate’ or does the Medieval definition suffice?

Ambassador Ranneberger: A pirate is essentially just a criminal, but the term pirate refers to criminals active at sea.

Nashipai Koima: How does the U.S plan on implementing the 20 billion donated by your country to aid in food growing?

Ambassador Ranneberger: We are now in the stage of talking with Kenya and other governments to get their views on how we can best implement the food security initiative you refer to.  It is too early to say exactly how it will be implemented.  The purpose, however, is to help increase food production in order to alleviate food shortages and to improve nutrition, all of this also to be done in an environmentally friendly way.

amir khan: can anyone ask a question?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Yes. We have over 300 questions submitted right now.

James: young people are disjointed by the coalition govt lack of goodwill in prosecuting the perpertrators of post election violence and we understand the ICC prosecutor has been talking to the secretary of state (US) on the need to push for tribunal. Are we likely to see the US do more than just saying business will not be as usual. We want assurance as young people that we can go back in 2012 and vote knowing very well we wont be attacked for exercising a democratic right.

Ambassador Ranneberger: You are right to be disappointed.  We continue to push the Kenyan government to set up an independent, credible Special Tribunal to try perpetrators of post-election violence.  However, because the Kenyan government has thus far failed to do so, then we support ICC prosecutions.  We mean it when we say no business as usual.  Within the next couple of days we will be announcing specific  steps.

Nashipai Koima: Thank you Ambassador for your time  and for this forum.

Maisha: Are you only posting questions the ambassador has good answers to?

Maisha: Or are you only posting compliments?

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): We’re posting answers to the questions the Ambassador has time to answer…there are now more than 150 questions. It is simply not possible for him to answer all of them.

Partnership For Change: And finally Sir, how do you respond to those who say re: Daily Nation editorial today that your threats are being ignored by the GOK and that the US needs to stops the threats and act on impunity in Kenya?

Ambassador Ranneberger: The facts speak for themselves.  The U.S. played a decisive role in helping the Kenyan people resolve the  crisis last year, and we are playing a similar role in pushing for implementation of reforms.  We have a very close, frank, and constructive dialogue with President Kibaki, PM Odinga, and other Kenyan officials.  However, at a certain point actions need to be taken, in view of the fact that there we are deeply concerned about lack of implementation of key reforms.  Within the next couple of days I will be announcing some actions, with more to follow.

Julius Mbaluto: OK

Enoch Opuka 2: I beg to strongly differ about the tribunal. First and foremost we need TJRC – then from there the tribunal. Oherwise in this respect we shall be punishing those who were caught in the violence forgetting those who fanned it in the first place. I am peace worker and have been on the ground

Lucy Muthoni: Good afternoon Kachwanya.

Maisha: Partnership for Change is right.  We look forward to hearing your action announcements in the next few days.

kachwanya: Mr Ambassador when President Obama was campaning to be President he clearly said that he will extend his hands to engage all the Nations even those who do not agree with US, but of late there is a parttern that he doesn’t want to engage Kenya although Kenya can’t be classified as a rogue Nation, why is this while he is the champion of talking to people to solve problems?

Ambassador Ranneberger: Actually, President Obama is very much engaging Kenya.  He is paying a lot of attention to Kenya and sent Secretary Clinton to Kenya as part of that engagement.  We are engaging with the government to press for implementation of reforms, but we are also engaging directly with the Kenyan people to urge them to press peacefully for reforms.  The reason we are engaging so extensively with Kenya is because of the importance we attach to this country and its future democratic stability.  We continue to be Kenya’s largest partner (over 3 billion dollars in resources flow from the U.S. to Kenya every year from all sources, public and private).

CO.NX Moderator (Mark): Everyone, we are staring up a chat on the topic of Piracy.  To join that discussion please go to https://statedept.connectsolutions.com/piracy

Dalmas: The situation in Somalia is very worrying. Do you believe the US has done enough to assist Kenya fight terrorism? The border is still porous. Technological assistance would grartly help.

Ambassador Ranneberger: We are doing all we can to help strengthen the TFG and to fight terrorism.  This includes cooperation with Kenya to improve security along the border.

James 2: Thanks ambassador for engaging us in this chat. We look forward to engaging you more especially us who are working with the young consitiuncy on youth voices in engaged governance

Partnership For Change: Asante sana Ambassador, we appreciate your regular chats with Kenyans and appreciate very much your continued support for the Citizens of Kenya. Have a good afternoon.

Fatma Hyder: Fatma Hyder: Ambassador can we get information on the following:1)Business Volunteers to partner with counterparts in Muslim majority countries 2)The summit which President Obama promised to host in his Cairo address 3)The new fund to support technological dev in Muslim counties 4)Centers of scientific excellence in Africa M.E etc.5)Global effort with OIC to eradicate polio 6)The president also said that America is ready to join with citizen religious leadres in Muslim communities anything yet in Kenya.Please refe to Obama in Cairo pg 13 thnaks Fatma Hyder

Ambassador Ranneberger: We are following up on Obama’s Cairo speech.  I went to the coast a couple of times following the speech to expand our already extensive dialogue with the Muslim community.  We are working on a number of programs to promote educational, cultural, and business exchanges — and the centers of excellence the President talked about. We are also promoting an inter-faith day of service and will soon provide more information about that.  You can contact the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section for more detailed information.

Jane, Kisumu: thanks for an opp to chat nonetheless.

Abraham Rugo: Hello Sir. Do you think that the health plan that President Obama is vouching for is the right way to go for a country that has for long applied capitalism and free markets? If so, do you think that the US Government will soon be encouraging other countries to follow suit?

Ambassador Ranneberger: I cannot comment on the health plan.  However, I think that the way in which Americans have been debating this issue through public town hall meetings is a great example to countries like Kenya.  I would like to see Kenyans debate the reform issues in a similar open way.

kachwanya: As we know it today there is rampant corruption and with the President stinking with Ringera, what steps will you take to ensure that the money donated by US for food growing is not embezzled by the government officials

Ambassador Ranneberger: I can assure you that we can account for every penny of the assistance we provide.  By the way, almost all of our assistance goes through non-governmental groups and other sources, and not through the Kenyan government.

Johnie: why is it so difficult to get a student visa to the US even with an invitation from the university

Ambassador Ranneberger: Actually, it is not hard to get a student visa, but you do have to meet certain criteria, and a letter of invitation is only one of the requirements.  There are more Kenyans studying at American universities than from any other African country.

CATHY MUTHONI: Hi, is it possible to maintain a green card oiutside the US by paying a yearly fee?

Ambassador Ranneberger: you need to consult our consular section on this issue.

Ambassador Ranneberger: I greatly enjoyed having a chance to chat with all of you.  Please look at twitter (www.twitter.com/usamb4reform) and my face book page listed as U.S. Embassy!!

Kenya’s IDP crisis: Only history can judge our collective inaction

In the aftermath of the 2007 general election over half a million people were displaced. Fleeing homes, loosing livelihoods and loved ones. To date some of the 2007 internal refugees still remain both in camps and transit sites. Yet the anomaly of internal displacement is not new to Kenya. From pre-independence many Kenyans have been forcibly removed from their homes, having to settle elsewhere as refugees within their own country.

In contemporary history, the IDP crisis has been closely linked to the country’s electoral process, particularly with the advent of the country’s multi-party era. The crisis became the proverbial elephant in the living room – a topic that was too taboo to mention. For years following the post-election clashes of the 1990s the Moi regime swept the issue under the carpet, maintaining that there were no IDPs. However, with more freedom of expression and opening up of the media, the plight of IDPs has gained more limelight.

Kenya’s internal conflict has been almost like clockwork set to the political scene during general election years of 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007 as well as the constitutional referendum of 2005. Every five years people have had to flee their homes and that is why the IDP situation falls into the category of a “complex emergency”.

So why term Kenya’s IDP crisis a complex emergency? For the simple reason that unlike natural catastrophes, people loose all they have in a matter of minutes yet the underlying cause is politically instigated and conflict-generated (Macrae and Zwi, 1994).

The United Nations’ Office for Co-ordination for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) (which draws its definition from the Inter-Agency Standing Committee) defines complex emergencies as ‘a humanitarian crisis … where there is total or considerable breakdown of authority resulting from internal or external conflict …. (IASC, 1994). However, this reliance on authority breakdown has been criticized. David Keen author of the book “Complex Emergencies” writes on OCHA’s definition having shortcomings arguing that in the case of 1994 Rwanda, the problem was not so much the breakdown of authority, rather that the “authority” being imposed was “ruthless” and had “vicious efficiency”.

Indeed Kenya has always had a government, and the UN Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement stipulate that it is this same government that should ensure that the IDPs receive requisite humanitarian assistance, are resettled and reintegrated back into society. However the Kenya government has mismanaged this obligation.

The Government’s Ministry of State in charge of Special Programmes initiative to resettle the nation’s IDPs has been dubbed “Operation Rudi Nyumbani” which includes financial assistance and transport among other short- term measures.The causes of displacement and obstacles to resettlement have not been adequately addressed and the Ministry’s stop-gap activities have failed to assure Kenyans that the Operation is not just a PR exercise so the government looks good to donors.

There has also been a disturbing tendency where anyone (whether an IDP or an interested party such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission) who questions how an unaccountable government can accountably distribute funds and materials to IDPs are met with torrents of abuse and muzzling.

Queries on government commitment and initiatives to assist IDPs to ensure long-term peace have centered on: poor co-ordination and corruption; insecurity; child and gender based violations; inadequate shelter and compensation for loss. The Kenya Human Rights Commission in an October 2008 report “A Tale of Force, Threats and Lies” even accused the government of forcing IDPs to go back to their homes.

As for the UN and those that adhere to the IDP Guidelines and rules regarding complex emergencies, they have been confined in that they have to deal with the government of day and trust that the government will most effectively and equitably distribute humanitarian assistance. However when the lives of people and those of future of generations are at stake, a dire need emerges to make sure that this complex emergency does not become a permanent one. It is thus imperative that the international community demands that the government ensures that the rights of all IDPs are upheld.

Indeed recent political events have shown the danger of inaction in enforcing strict observance of ethical standards regarding resettlement. Just last week, the government decided to compensate settlers in the Mau forest. This is hardly the first time such a compensation scheme has been conceived, however the common occurrence has been that the majority of the money falls into the pockets of the fat cats who grabbed the land.

The eponymous Ndung’u report lists no less than the families of former presidents Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi as those who grabbed land for squatter resettlement. On this issue, Nobel Laureate Prof. Wangari Maathai was today quoted in the media saying, “… the Kenya government does not have money, it’s your taxes. So if they don’t have taxes they will ask the World Bank to give them money to come and compensate leaders who misused their power (to acquire) land they should never have acquired …” As it is, the Ministry of State for Special Programmes requires more funds which will come from the National Budget and the excess from donors. Isn’t it about time to first question whether Operation Rudi Nyumbani has been a success and whether indeed the government should still spearhead IDP assistance?

In August 2000, Fr. John Anthony Kaiser, a crusader for the rights of internally displaced persons was murdered. He was vocal speaking out on the injustices meted out to the displaced. However, almost a decade later, even more people languish miserably away from their homes.

As it is who knows how many more people will join the ranks of IDPs come the next general election, or for that matter the anticipated constitutional referendum? We also need to re-examine our outlook towards Kenya’s IDPs. In an age of reality television where shows such as Big Brother Africa keep viewers glued to their screens; alas when it comes to our brothers and sisters living in camps we are no longer voyeurs. Indeed, there is no difference between our IDPs and those in Darfur, yet though our eyes face the screen watching news stories on their plight, we no longer see the real suffering; we no longer question why this is happening; we only say a silent prayer that come 2012, we will not be the ones taking up airspace as IDPs.

Is it only in Kenya where we have become immune and impervious to news stories on corruption, impunity and gross violations of human rights? Could this be because this is the country where even those that engineer and carry out grand larceny on our nation’s coffers have the opportunity to transform themselves into tele-vangeslist? Is that why we do not find it dysfunctional to watch the IDPs in their tattered clothes which cover emaciated bodies and hold up despondent faces?

Update: read an interesting take on Kenya’s IDPs

Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty NOW!

Why Stand Up and Take Action in 2009?
For the fourth year in a row, millions of people around the world will Stand Up and Take Action to show their support for the fight against poverty and for the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

This year, Stand Up will take place against the backdrop of a deepening financial crisis and a slowing global economy. It is a time of great challenge for development in general and for the MDGs in particular.

Already, we are seeing the potentially devastating impact of this on the world’s poorest and most vulnerable. We know that the current economic climate threatens to undo and possibly even reverse the very significant gains that have been made towards achieving the MDGs.

With just six years left to the 2015 deadline for the achievement of the Goals, we cannot afford to let this happen. The achievement of the MDGs must remain a priority on the global political and public agenda.

In this environment, Stand Up is a vital opportunity to send a clear and urgent message to world leaders and decision-makers and raise the political stakes. Our policy messages and actions must reflect the urgency of the situation and must be an instrument to convey the sense of our growing impatience and intolerance of excuses for and distractions from the implementation of policies and programs that help the poorest and most vulnerable.

When
October 16th, 17th and 18th, 2009, from 12 a.m. GMT (relevant local time) on October 16 to 11.59 p.m. GMT (relevant local time) on October 18.
Where
Wherever people who want to be involved in the fight against poverty and support the achievement of the MDGs are.
What
Stand Up, Take Action, End Poverty Now! A three day mobilization to send a loud and clear message from citizens to leaders of rich and poor countries to take urgent action to achieve the MDGs and once again break the Guinness World Record.

For more information check out www.standagainstpoverty.org