hard facts

WACHA!... KAZI IENDELEE!......
-- Economy to grow by 10 per cent by 2012. -- Free secondary education in public schools. -- Free treatment for all students in public schools. -- National Youth Commission to address youth challenges. -- Women to get 30 per cent civil service jobs and leadership positions. -- Intensify devolution of resources to lower levels. -- Prioritise investment of resources in infrastructure projects. -- Reduce poverty levels down to less than 20 per cent by 2012 -- Upgrade slums to decent houses. -- Enforce rules and ensure vigorous campaigns against corruption. -- Build hawkers' markets and small business parks in all towns.
Mwai Kibaki’s Development Report!.. “Kibaki’s Green Book”
ACHIVEMENTS IN JUST FOUR (4)YEARSOver 7.6 million children are currently enjoying primary education countrywide because of President Kibaki's policy of Free primary Education.More empowerment for Communities; Money goes to the grassrootsOver Ksh. 60 million transferred to each constituency annuallyo Constituency Development Fund (CDF)o Constituency Bursary Fundo Constituency Roads Fund o Constituency Aids Fundo Local Authorities Transfer Fund (Latf)Better and affordable health care:o Now Kenyans get free malaria and TB treatment in all public health facilities.o Children under five years receive free medical attention o Government gives 6 million treated mosquito nets free to wananchio HIV/Aids patients get free ARV'so 1,000 new dispensaries and health clinics builto Hospital management streamlinedo Medicines now available in all public health centres across the country o ALL health centres countrywide receive Ksh.180, 000 and dispensaries Ksh.240, 000 for rehabilitation.Water for lifeo Over 500 boreholes drilled across the countryo Over 600 dams completedo Over 230 water schemes completed countrywide o Water boards formed to ensure equitable supply of watero Piped water to be brought to all villageso Kenya 's annual economic growth recovers from 0.3 % in 2002 to 7.1 % in 2007o The more than 1.8 million Kenyans in Diaspora, do contribute more than $1 billion each year since 2003.o Tax collection increases drastically - towards self reliance; Kulipa ushuru, ni kujitegemea!Vision 2030 launched - Kenya is on the path to First World status Lighting up Kenya : Electricity now in every constituency & townso Over 160 rural electrification projects in 58 districts completedo All schools, colleges, village polytechnics, community health centres, markets, and administrative centres to be supplied with electricity o 1208 projects in 191 constituencies, 418 trading centres, 288 secondary schools,107 health centres,43 water projects,39 coffee factories,13 tea buying centre and 13 police stations will be completed by June 30th , 2007 at a cost of over Ksh.7 billion.o A further 324 rural electrification schemes in 162 constituencies will be completed by December, 2007 at a cost of over Ksh.2 billlion.o 63 schools in ASAL areas benefit from solar generated power at a cost of Ksh.178 milliono Ksh.67 million for Mukuru, Mathare, Kayole, Kangemi and Kamukunji electrification.o No more power rationing as a result of diversification of power sourceso New energy law to make electricity available to all o Agriculture revived hence more money for the farmero Prices of dairy milk grow from Ksh. 7 in 2002, to Ksh. 18 per litre, todayo Maize prices rise from Ksh. 600 in 2002 to Ksh.1,350 per 90kg bag nowo Coffee prices up from Ksh. 1 in 2002 to Ksh.35 per kg now (over 1000 per cent turnaround)o Sugar cane farmers paid on timeo Cotton farming revivedo Kenya becomes the third largest tea producer in the world o Livestock farming made profitable - over 12,000 beef cattle and over 10,000 heads of goats exported to the Middle East and Rwanda o Ksh. 322 million: the money Kenya has earned from livestock products exports so faro Ksh. 20 million: the amount the Kibaki government has used to revive the Garissa investigation laboratory for livestock disease control. North Eastern and Coast Provinces main beneficiarieso Ksh. 5 billion earned from fishing in 2006 aloneo AFC loans/grants offered to farmersMany many more improvements o Irrigation schemes rehabilitatedo Ahero and Bunyala Rice schemeso Mwea, West Kano and Pekerao Bura, Hola and many more ongoingHundreds of industries, factories revived and jobs created: o Kenya Cooperative Creameries (KCC)o Kenya Meat Commission (KMC)o Mumias Sugar Company,• Kenya Seed Company, and many more now back to operationMotivated and efficient Public serviceo Better pay for teachers and civil Servantso No more delayed salarieso Public service reforms ongoing Performance contracting increases efficiencyo Rapid Results Approach (RRA) yields faster implementation of projects for wananchio 200% increase in pension benefits; retirement no longer a nightmareo Over 100 stalled government projects (white elephants) completed. For example, o NYS headquarters on Thika Road ,o Nyanza Provincial Headquarterso Makueni District Headquarters and many othersAll Kenyans now benefit from government resourceso President Kibaki has allocated Ksh. 10.7 billion for the affirmative action plan for North Eastern Province as well as Moyale, Isiolo and Marsabit districtsSpecial economic plan launched for Coast Provinceo Distribution of resources based on population and affirmative action to guarantee development of previously neglected regions o Equality ensured in distribution of national wealthYouth recognised and empoweredo More investments mean more jobs for the youtho Kibaki creates Ministry of Youth Affairso Ksh.1 billion youth enterprise fund set up, employment opportunities created o National Youth Policy passed by parliamentWomen empowermento Women guaranteed at least a third of all public employment opportunitiesGender Commission createdo Maendeleo Ya Wanawake leaders to participate directly in all development committees at the local and national levels o Three months maternity leave women and 2 weeks for the meno Mothers & children recognized as key players in developmento Free treatment to children under 5 years old.Better roadso Over 40,000 Kms of roads maintained o Over 1,006 Kms tarmacked among them Kisii-Chemosit, Olenguruone- Kiptagich, Sultan-Hamud- Mtito-Andei, etco 35 major roads projects going on in various parts of the country among them Maahi Mahiu-Naivasha- Lanet, Maji ya Chumvi-Miritini and Machakos Turn off-Machakos Town . Feeder roads constructedo Safer roads due to sanity in the transport sectoro Seat belts, speed governors and other public transport reforms improve the sectoro Law and order on our roads restoredo Matatu operations streamlined Airports and airstrips upgraded. For example,o Kisumu Airport gets Ksh.2.6 billion facelift, NOW fish will be able to reach the market faster and Kisumu city will be Lake Victoria 's hub o Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) being refurbished at Ksh.9billiono Moi International Airport Mombasa upgraded at Ksh. 200milliono Garissa, Malindi airports and many others being redone countrywideLand Grabbing - corruption reduced by 30% o A comprehensive National Land Policy draftedo Ksh.400million set aside to resettle squatters and victims of tribal clasheso Title deeds issued to Coast Provinces' landless communitieso The problem of absentee landlords being tackledIt's a freer Kenyao The first leader in Kenya not to have political detaineeso Now all Kenyans enjoy their human rights without fearo No more torture. No more political prisonerso Nyayo house torture chambers formally closedo No more politically instigated expulsions in public universities o Living conditions for prisoners and prisons staff upliftedo You are a free citizen wherever you areo Media freedom ensured. Fm radio stations now talk openlyo Freedom of expression has been enhanced and now Kenyans can discuss any topics without fear. Yes, you can call the president names and go home and sleep! Official Recognition for Heroeso A statue in honor of Independence hero Field Marshal Dedan Kimathi constructed on Nairobi 's Kimathi streeto Paul Ngei and Bildad Kaggia mausoleums unveiled o Funds to establish Koitalel arap Samoei education centre allocated.o Heroes Corner establishedTowards Zero Tolerance to CorruptionoPublic Officers Ethics Act enacted, now all public servants declare their wealth annually. o Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission set upo Corrupt people prosecutedo New Procurement law enacted to check corruption in public tendering processTourism grows by over 30 per cento Ksh. 48.9 billion earned from the sector with local tourism gradually growingJobs createdo Kenyan hotels operating at 100% capacityo Direct flights to the Far East and China by Kenya Airways bring more touristso KICC rehabilitated and is now a leading centre for conference tourismo Maasai Mara declared one of the seven wonders of the world - Ksh 3 billion Narok road to Maasai Mara Game Reserve under construction Media freedom enhancedo 16 television stations licensedo 30 FM stations operatingo 50 regional FM stations licensedo Freedom of information Bill before Parliament o Media vibrant and free to discuss topics without fearTelecommunications growo More than 260,000 fixed telephone lineso More than 6 million Kenyans now own mobile phones o Telecommunication has been diversified and now an internet lease line is in the pipelineo Fibre optic networks infrastructure under construction nationwideCo-operative sector revivedo 10,800 cooperative societies registered o 98 per cent of co-operatives hold democratic electionso 6 million: the number of Kenyans in the co-operative movemento Ksh. 105 billion ( 31% of the total national savings) mobilized by the sector so far Cities beautified and cleaned upo Street lighting installed in Nairobio Roads markedo Trees plantedo Landscaping doneo Mombasa clean-up and beautification undertaken
Traders receive supporto President Kibaki directs the construction of modern markets for hawkers in all the major urban centres o Ksh.1 billion construction work begins at Nairobi 's Muthurwao Jua kali sector supportedTremendous investment growtho Conducive business environment created o Onestop shop for business licensingo Ksh 89.4 billion worth of investment licences processed by the Kenya Investment Authorityo Small and micro enterprises (SME's) fund created o Leading multinationals such as Nokia and Coca cola open headquarters in KenyaSecurityo Pay rise for the police o Community policing takes rooto New vehicles and modern communication equipment for rapid responseo Police trained on human rights and customer care serviceo Safer streets- no more muggings in Nairobi streetsAnd many many more improvements as a result of President Mwai Kibaki's good leadership.Truly, things have become better and they are going to get even better For additional achievements Kibaki is the real benefits for all Kenyans....Manufaa halisi kwa wakenya wotePresident Kibaki's re-election platform can be summed up in two phrases: doing well and doing better.
For the last two weeks, the President has come out of the comforts of State House to remind Kenyans that he has set the foundation and that he should be given another five years to complete it. The bottom line is to strive to limit, in as much as possible, the degree of poverty, disease and ignorance. And in their place, bring about enterprise, robust health and knowledge for development. States the President of his score card since 2003: "My Government has waged successful battles against each one of the three adversaries, and achieved meaningful victories for the Kenyan people.The Party of National Unity (PNU) flag bearer, states that the economy will grow at 7 per cent by the end of the year, poverty levels have come down from 56 per cent to 46 per cent (approximately 2 million people out of abject poverty), over 1.8 million jobs created, and per capita income grown from $400 to $600. Since he took over power, President Kibaki reckons that 1.7 million children have joined school through the Free Primary Education, reduced prevalence of HIV and Aids from 13 per cent to 6 per cent, started a Sh1 billion youth fund and a Sh2 billion women fund. In addition, 30 per cent of all jobs in the civil service have been set aside for women, hospitals are fully equipped with drugs and personnel. In line with its campaign slogan -Kazi na iendelee (Work must continue) - PNU is making further pledges to the public as it seeks President Kibaki's re-election. It has pledged to ensure that the economic growth rate has grown to 10 per cent and reduce poverty levels by 30 per cent - below 20 per cent - by the year 2012. President Kibaki promises to take FPE a notch higher by introducing Free Secondary Education in all public schools. The school-going children will, also, benefit from free treatment and drugs in public health facilities. Previously, it was only children under five years of age who benefited from the policy. Similar support, PNU pledges, will go to slum children non-formal primary schools, nomadic areas and the disabled. To tackle the section of the population - the youth - that opinion polls has shown prefers the opposition, the President promises to set up national youth commission to address their needs in addition to the Sh1 billion fund. His next Government will build hawkers' markets, Jua kali and small business parks in all town in the country to meet their concerns.He promises: "The last five years saw us change the economy from a no-jobs economy into one with many jobs. We have just started to bake the cake, and it is becoming bigger by the day. We will grow this cake into a huge one under my stewardship with enough slices for everyone." THE ACHIEVEMENTS ARE SELF EXPLANATORY LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, FAILURE IS NOT AN OPTIONNOR PLAN-B. WE WILL AND WE MUST SUCCEED!!

count your blessings

Koitalel Arap SamoeiA Nandi leader and an orkoiyot, a diviner. He detested the invasion of the British into the Nandi territory while building the Kenya-Uganda Railway. He prophesied that a black snake would tear through Nandiland and it would be spitting fire and would make its way into peoples' life. The construction of the railway saw this as a fulfilment of this prophecy. He led the Nandi people into a fight against the builders of the Railway line for ten years. The British were determined to build the railway line and they tricked the orkoiyot into a meeting for an agreement, where a British commander shot Samoei and killed him during the conference. Without a leader, the Nandi were finally defeated in 1905 and the construction of the railway line continued without resistance. Mekatilili Wa MenzaMekatilili led the Giriama people in a rebellion against the British, in what many had seen as a fulfilment of a prophecy, that she would be a leader of her people. This was a rare prophecy in a patriarchal community. She resisted British invasions and attempts to stamp out the Giriama traditional culture through the destruction of kaya, sacred forest shrines and places of worship. She was then captured and exiled to Mumias in Western Kenya, where she was held together with Wanyi wa Madori her cousin. Five years later, she returned to the coast. Her inspiring story has been told by the modern woman to re-assert the woman's place in Kenya's history and destiny. Waiyaki Wa HingaHe was a Gikuyu pre-colonial chief who ruled around Dagoretti. He encountered the British around 1890 when he signed a treaty with Fredrick Lugard of the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEA), who later pitched their tent at Dagoretti. Lugard and his men harassed the Gikuyu people and demanded for their food and their women. In retaliation the Kikuyu burnt down Lugard's fortress at Dagoretti. In 1892, the colonial administration kidnapped and took him to Coast where he is believed to have met his death. He was buried alive by his abductors. Bones believed to be his have been discovered after many years. Dedan KimathiHe was the high priest of the Mau Mau movement, and the mention of his name spread fear among the settler community. At the height of the ongoing struggle for independence, he commanded thousands of fighters along the Aberdares. Kimathi became a cultic figure and his fame spread like bushfire. An amount of sh. 10,000 reward was placed for whoever found him. He was eventually captured in October, 1956. He was sentenced to death by hanging and his remains are buried in an unmarked grave at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. Wangu wa MakeriWangu wa Makeri was born in the second half of the nineteenth century into traditional Gikuyu society. She underwent customary rites and married. In 1901, she was appointed the 'headman' of Weithaga Location, the first and only female headman of the entire colonial period. The author outlines her character and background, and the kind of leadership Wangu showed her community; and discusses to what extent the stereotypical portrayals of her as a leader - as a whore or personification of evil - are true. The study also assesses the significance in her fall from power of the conflict between traditional society and the colonial political framework within which Wangu worked, as against her own role in her downfall. Harry ThukuHe was born in Kiambu, educated at mission schools and then employed by the colonial government. In 1921, he founded the Young Kikuyu Association to protest against alienation of land, forced labour, taxation, low wages and the kipande laws. In 1922 he was arrested after being declared 'dangerous to peace and good order' and was detained for nine years. After his release he joined KAU (Kenya African Union) in 1944 and later joined KANU (Kenya African National Union) in 1960. He died in 1970. Ezekiel ApindiHe was born in 1885 in Siaya. He went to a mission school and became a teacher in Mombasa. He later taught in Maseno School and became a member of the Young Kavirondo Association and the Piny Owacho movement. In 1931, he travelled to Britain to air the grievances of the Kenyan Africans to the British Parliament. He died in 1959. Mzee Jomo KenyattaKenyatta was born in 1893, in Kiambu and was originally called Kamau wa Ngengi. He later changed his name to Johnstone Kamau when he was baptized. He joined a Mission in Thogoto in 1909. In 1928, he became the Secretary General of Kikuyu Central Association, (KCA).He became the editor of Muigwithania from its beginning in 1929, which articulated the social issues of the Gikuyu before he got a job with the Nairobi City Council. In 1927, KCA sent Kenyatta to London to represent them in airing their land grievances. He made a brief return to Kenya in 1931 and stayed in Britain until 1946, during which he studied Anthropology and got married. He joined the Pan Africanists who pressed for Africa's independence. In 1946, he returned and took leadership of Kenya African Study Union (KASU), the precursor of Kenya African Union. In October 20, 1952, Kenyatta and other nationalists were arrested for administering oaths and leading Mau Mau, which was an illegal movement. He was then sentenced to seven years imprisonment and released in 1961. He became the Prime Minister of independent Kenya and the first President of the Republic of Kenya until his death in 1978. Ronald NgalaHe hailed from Kilifi and was a student of Alliance High School and Makerere University. He became a teacher, although his interest was in politics and as result founded the Mijikenda Union in 1947. In 1957, he was elected as a member of Coast and in 1960, helped found the Kenya African Democratic Union, KADU. In 1964, KADU and KANU merged and Ronald Ngala was appointed a minister where he served his country until his tragic death in a road accident in 1972. Oginga OdingaOginga Odinga was born in 1911 in Siaya District and was a student of Maseno and Alliance High School. He then went to Makerere University and in 1940, he returned to Maseno High School as a teacher. In 1948, he joined KAU and in 1957 was elected to the Legislative Council as member for Nyanza Central. He was one of the founder members of KANU in 1960 and was its first vice-president. When Kenya became a Republic in 1964, he was President Kenyatta's first vice-president. After a disagreement with KANU, he formed his own party in 1967, Kenya People's Union (KPU). It was banned in 1969 and Oginga was detained.James GichuruHe was born in 1914 at Thogoto, Kiambu. He was educated at a mission school and Makerere College. In 1934, he qualified as a teacher and later ended his teaching career as a Headmaster when he became active in politics. He was one of the founders and the first president of KAU and in 1946, he stepped down from this post for Mzee Kenyatta. During the State of emergency he was restricted at Githunguri from 1955 to 1960. After the restriction was lifted he joined politics again and helped found KANU, of which he was again the first president. He served as a government minister from 1962 until his death in 1982. Daniel Arap MoiDaniel Toroitich Arap Moi was born in Baringo District in 1924. He studied at Kabartonjo, Kapsabet and the Government African School at Kabarnet. He then followed a teaching career, becoming the Headmaster of Tambach Primary School and Assistant Principal of Tambach Teachers Training College. In 1955, he joined politics and became a member of the Legislative Council. In 1957, he was chosen as a Legco member for Rift Valley. Daniel Moi became a member of Kenya's first Republican Cabinet in 1964. In 1967, he became the Vice-President and Minister of Home Affairs where he served until the death of Mzee Kenyatta. He was elected President in 1978 and since then he has led Kenya's development in the light of the Nyayo philosophy of peace, love and unity. Tom MboyaHe was born in 1930, near Thika, although his parents came from Rusinga Island. In 1951, he began working with the Nairobi City Council after completing his education from the then Royal Sanitary Institute at Kabete. He was a keen trade unionist and a member of KAU until it was banned. By October 1953, he became the Secretary General of the Kenya Federation of Registered Trade Unions, KFRTU, which later became the Kenya Federation of Labour in 1955. He was elected as member of Legco for Nairobi in 1957. In 1960, he helped to found KANU and became its Secretary General. He was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the first KANU government and later became Minister of Economic Planning. He was assassinated in 1969 by a gunman outside a shop on Nairobi's Government Road, now Moi Avenue.

power to Raila at all cost?

Kenya's opposition says it will boycott companies run by allies of President Mwai Kibaki in protest at the outcome of last month's presidential election.
The Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM) change of tactics came as police shot five dead on a third day of rallies.
One protester died in Mombasa and four were killed in Nairobi. The post-poll violence has left 600 dead.
Five bodies of people from Mr Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group were found with arrow and machete wounds, police said.
It was not clear when they were killed.
Kenya's National Commission on Human Rights has cast doubt on the vote that returned President Kibaki to power.
KENYA CRISIS

27 Dec: Presidential and parliamentary elections
30 Dec: Violence as President Kibaki is declared the winner
10 Jan: First international mediation effort fails
16-18 Jan: Three days of mass opposition rallies
Protests in pictures
Police criticised
Press anguish
At a news conference in Nairobi, the state-sponsored body listed a catalogue of irregularities in a report entitled "Thirty Hours that Destroyed Kenya".
It catalogued a series of what it described as electoral offences such as turnouts of more than 100% in some constituencies and the obstruction of election observers.
The commission said at least 360,000 votes could not be verified - in a vote where the two candidates were separated by about 230,000 ballots.
ODM leader Raila Odinga has demanded a re-run of the election.
The UN announced that Kofi Annan, its former secretary general, would fly to Kenya on Tuesday to help mediate between Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga.
Live rounds
Two members of Mr Annan's team - ex-Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel, wife of ex-South African President Nelson Mandela - have already arrived.
ODM spokesman Salim Lone told the BBC that from next week, the opposition would switch to other forms of action, such as boycotts of firms run by what he called the government hardliners.

He mentioned specifically the Brookside Dairies, Equity Bank, and City Hopper bus services as possible targets for action.
The ODM launched a third and final consecutive day of nationwide protests on Friday.
In Mombasa, police clashed with a group of Muslims who tried to march through the coastal city after Friday prayers in protest at the election results.
Officers opened fire, killing one protestor and injuring at least five others, police said.
'Bloodlust'
In Nairobi, police confronted demonstrators in the Kibera slum after more than 600 youths tore up a section of railway track running through the centre of the area.
Officers fired tear gas and live rounds leaving four dead.
A member of the president's Kikuyu community died after being pierced with a poisoned arrow shot by Masai youths, police said.
The death at the town of Narok came amid inter-communal violence which saw homes and shops set ablaze.
HAVE YOUR SAY
So far the two leaders have had a total disregard to humanity
Obed MochamaKansas City
Send us your comments
'We only have stones'
Change of tactics
Four other members of the Kikuyu group were killed with bows and arrows and machetes in the area, which is beside Kenya's premier Masai Mara game reserve.
The latest deaths bring to 21 the number of people killed during three days of opposition protests.
Mr Odinga said police were turning the country into "killing fields of the innocent, executing at will in an unprecedented bloodlust".
But police said their response had been restrained and officers had only fired at rioters and looters.
Public demonstrations were banned by police immediately after Mr Kibaki's swearing-in on 30 December.
The European Parliament unanimously backed a resolution on Thursday calling for the EU to suspend aid to the Kenyan government.
Meanwhile, the UN has launched a $34m (£17.3m) appeal for Kenya to help those affected by the recent unrest, in which a quarter of a million people have left their homes.

mashujaa

Koitalel Arap Samoei A Nandi leader and an orkoiyot, a diviner. He detested the invasion of the British into the Nandi territory while building the Kenya-Uganda Railway. He prophesied that a black snake would tear through Nandiland and it would be spitting fire and would make its way into peoples' life. The construction of the railway saw this as a fulfilment of this prophecy.
He led the Nandi people into a fight against the builders of the Railway line for ten years. The British were determined to build the railway line and they tricked the orkoiyot into a meeting for an agreement, where a British commander shot Samoei and killed him during the conference. Without a leader, the Nandi were finally defeated in 1905 and the construction of the railway line continued without resistance.
Mekatilili Wa Menza Mekatilili led the Giriama people in a rebellion against the British, in what many had seen as a fulfilment of a prophecy, that she would be a leader of her people. This was a rare prophecy in a patriarchal community. She resisted British invasions and attempts to stamp out the Giriama traditional culture through the destruction of kaya, sacred forest shrines and places of worship.
She was then captured and exiled to Mumias in Western Kenya, where she was held together with Wanyi wa Madori her cousin. Five years later, she returned to the coast. Her inspiring story has been told by the modern woman to re-assert the woman's place in Kenya's history and destiny.

Waiyaki Wa HingaHe was a Gikuyu pre-colonial chief who ruled around Dagoretti. He encountered the British around 1890 when he signed a treaty with Fredrick Lugard of the Imperial British East Africa Company (IBEA), who later pitched their tent at Dagoretti.
Lugard and his men harassed the Gikuyu people and demanded for their food and their women. In retaliation the Kikuyu burnt down Lugard's fortress at Dagoretti. In 1892, the colonial administration kidnapped and took him to Coast where he is believed to have met his death. He was buried alive by his abductors. Bones believed to be his have been discovered after many years.
Dedan Kimathi He was the high priest of the Mau Mau movement, and the mention of his name spread fear among the settler community. At the height of the ongoing struggle for independence, he commanded thousands of fighters along the Aberdares. Kimathi became a cultic figure and his fame spread like bushfire.
An amount of sh. 10,000 reward was placed for whoever found him. He was eventually captured in October, 1956. He was sentenced to death by hanging and his remains are buried in an unmarked grave at the Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
Harry Thuku He was born in Kiambu, educated at mission schools and then employed by the colonial government. In 1921, he founded the Young Kikuyu Association to protest against alienation of land, forced labour, taxation, low wages and the kipande laws. In 1922 he was arrested after being declared 'dangerous to peace and good order' and was detained for nine years. After his release he joined KAU (Kenya African Union) in 1944 and later joined KANU (Kenya African National Union) in 1960. He died in 1970.

Ezekiel ApindiHe was born in 1885 in Siaya. He went to a mission school and became a teacher in Mombasa. He later taught in Maseno School and became a member of the Young Kavirondo Association and the Piny Owacho movement. In 1931, he travelled to Britain to air the grievances of the Kenyan Africans to the British Parliament. He died in 1959.
Mzee Jomo Kenyatta Kenyatta was born in 1893, in Kiambu and was originally called Kamau wa Ngengi. He later changed his name to Johnstone Kamau when he was baptized. He joined a Mission in Thogoto in 1909. In 1928, he became the Secretary General of Kikuyu Central Association, (KCA).
He became the editor of Muigwithania from its beginning in 1929, which articulated the social issues of the Gikuyu before he got a job with the Nairobi City Council. In 1927, KCA sent Kenyatta to London to represent them in airing their land grievances. He made a brief return to Kenya in 1931 and stayed in Britain until 1946, during which he studied Anthropology and got married. He joined the Pan Africanists who pressed for Africa's independence.
In 1946, he returned and took leadership of Kenya African Study Union (KASU), the precursor of Kenya African Union. In October 20, 1952, Kenyatta and other nationalists were arrested for administering oaths and leading Mau Mau, which was an illegal movement. He was then sentenced to seven years imprisonment and released in 1961. He became the Prime Minister of independent Kenya and the first President of the Republic of Kenya until his death in 1978.
Ronald Ngala He hailed from Kilifi and was a student of Alliance High School and Makerere University. He became a teacher, although his interest was in politics and as result founded the Mijikenda Union in 1947. In 1957, he was elected as a member of Coast and in 1960, helped found the Kenya African Democratic Union, KADU.
In 1964, KADU and KANU merged and Ronald Ngala was appointed a minister where he served his country until his tragic death in a road accident in 1972.

Oginga OdingaOginga Odinga was born in 1911 in Siaya District and was a student of Maseno and Alliance High School. He then went to Makerere University and in 1940, he returned to Maseno High School as a teacher. In 1948, he joined KAU and in 1957 was elected to the Legislative Council as member for Nyanza Central. He was one of the founder members of KANU in 1960 and was its first vice-president. When Kenya became a Republic in 1964, he was President Kenyatta's first vice-president.
After a disagreement with KANU, he formed his own party in 1967, Kenya People's Union (KPU). It was banned in 1969 and Oginga was detained.
James Gichuru He was born in 1914 at Thogoto, Kiambu. He was educated at a mission school and Makerere College. In 1934, he qualified as a teacher and later ended his teaching career as a Headmaster when he became active in politics. He was one of the founders and the first president of KAU and in 1946, he stepped down from this post for Mzee Kenyatta.
During the State of emergency he was restricted at Githunguri from 1955 to 1960. After the restriction was lifted he joined politics again and helped found KANU, of which he was again the first president. He served as a government minister from 1962 until his death in 1982.
Daniel Arap Moi Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi was born in Baringo District in 1924. He studied at Kabartonjo, Kapsabet and the Government African School at Kabarnet. He then followed a teaching career, becoming the Headmaster of Tambach Primary School and Assistant Principal of Tambach Teachers Training College. In 1955, he joined politics and became a member of the Legislative Council. In 1957, he was chosen as a Legco member for Rift Valley.
Daniel Moi became a member of Kenya's first Republican Cabinet in 1964. In 1967, he became the Vice-President and Minister of Home Affairs where he served until the death of Mzee Kenyatta. He was elected President in 1978 and since then he has led Kenya's development in the light of the Nyayo philosophy of peace, love and unity.

Tom MboyaHe was born in 1930, near Thika, although his parents came from Rusinga Island. In 1951, he began working with the Nairobi City Council after completing his education from the then Royal Sanitary Institute at Kabete.
He was a keen trade unionist and a member of KAU until it was banned. By October 1953, he became the Secretary General of the Kenya Federation of Registered Trade Unions, KFRTU, which later became the Kenya Federation of Labour in 1955.
He was elected as member of Legco for Nairobi in 1957. In 1960, he helped to found KANU and became its Secretary General. He was Minister of Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the first KANU government and later became Minister of Economic Planning. He was assassinated in 1969 by a gunman outside a shop on Nairobi's Government Road, now Moi Avenue.

mbona fitina?

Jomo Kenyatta, Kenya's first president, was a Kikuyu. Kenya's third and current president, Mwai Kibaki is also a Kikuyu. Kibaki won the 2002 elections in a landslide against Uhuru Kenyatta, son of the first president, despite outgoing president Daniel Arap Moi's support for Kenyatta. Wangari Maathai, Africa's first female Nobel Peace Prize winner, is a Kikuyu, as is the famous Kenyan author Ngugi wa Thiong'o, who now writes exclusively in Kikuyu and Swahili. John Githongo, the former anti-graft advisor to the president, now since 2005 self-exiled in Britain, is a Kikuyu. Famous Kikuyu sports stars include: Julius Kariuki, the 3,000m steeplechase 1988 olympic champion; John Ngugi, 5,000m 1988 Olympic champion; Douglas Wakiihuri, a Nagoya and London Marathon Champion; Catherine Ndereba, the Boston and Chicago marathon champion and Charles Kamathi, the 2001 world champion at 10,000m. The Kikuyu have continued to play vital roles in independent Kenya's political and economic development. However, it is not uncommon to hear negative commentaries in the local media of the involvement of Kikuyus in government affairs.

raila sio mzalendo

Raila's leadership has to be questioned . The man has a problem .How come there is always trouble and disagreement where he is involved . That says something about the man .We cant blame other leaders its time Luos took a hard look at the kind of leaders they chose to represent them case in example 1.Original FORD-raila and his father refusing to support masinde muliro2.FORD-Kenya-raila clashing and disagreeing with kijana wamalwa3.NDP-trouble with NDP Founder eventually kicked out by raila4.KANU-raila disagreeing with Moi 5.NARC-raila disagreeing with Kibaki 6.ODM -raila disagreeing with KalonzoYou cant tell us that everyone has a problem but raila ,that all those politicians were bad and that raila has always been right .what kind of leadership would raila bring to kenya if he cant agree with anyone .With him its always my way or the highway, that is not the kind of leader that kenya needs .In as much as we need a strong leader we need a leader who is able to listen to other leaders and what the country is saying .Raila is simply not that man .Yes the luo community has been marginalized but it has been marginalized by Raila for his own goals and ambitions
There is a desperation in Raila's luos supporters for a luo presidency that has led to the kind of crude and ugly tribalism we see on this forum.Raila and his sycophants cannot campaign on Raila's record of failure.Raila as an Mp has failed Kibera under his leadership it has become the largest and worst slum in africa. Kibera's dirt and squalor are now an international tourist attraction.In Bondo and Luo Nyanza while Raila held sway as the undisputed king of the luo poverty multiplied and nyanza became the second poorest province in Kenya. This situation has only improved during Kibaki's tenure Nyanza is rebounding due to the efforts of Kibaki and people like Tuju.Raila record includes failed campaigns for president, a failed coup an attempt to install a luo dictatorship on Kenyans. In general failure is Raila's legacy.Then Raila is dogged by a corrupt past. Stolen money from luo thrift, he swindled luos out of luo union money and kisumu development trust funds.Raila corruptly obtained a mollasses plant for selling out luos to Moi.Raila when he was given the energy ministry impoverished Kenyans by swindling billions of shillings with his nigerian buddies most of which went to the Nigerians. Raila even failed in his corruption ventures and was cheated by the nigerians out of the bulk of the skimmed money.Therefore Raila and his desperate luo sycophants can only campaign by trying to tear down kibaki. They spread lies that kibaki has done nothing. They deny obvious development. They gnash their teeth and cry over economic development claiming they are not getting their share.Then raila and his luo sycophants are trying to create a tsunami of hate in Kenya against kikuyus with lies and propaganda. Hoping that if Kenyans are split into tribal cocoons Raila will stand a chance of bringing the presidency to luos.I can only say this there are many good and honest luos who disagree with Raila's strategy. Hatred will not propel Raila or luos to the presidency . We will simply get another Raila failure.The bad blood and tribalism that Raila has planted will live on long after he is defeated. This tsunami of tribalism is bad for luos, bad for kikuyus and bad for all Kenyans.

Jameni furahieni maendeleo!

THE KIBAKI STORY
Kamau wa Njoroge, (not his real name) who happens to own five acres of land somewhere in the Rift valley-tuseme Laikipia my home district- willthis year sell his maize, yes! Maize for kshs. 1,300 a bag. He sells his produce at the local cereal board (NCPB). Right across the street fromthe NCPB, Mr. Kiptoo is doing a roaring business akisiaga posho. He even mills the sifted unga and hence no need for rural folks to buy Hostessfrom Unga limited.Five years ago, he got about shs. 400 for the same if he even dared plantit in the first place.His five cows give him an average of 25 kilos/litres of milk per day. He reserves 5 litres for subsistence and sells 20 everyday at a price ofKshs. 18 per litre. That is kshs. 360 daily and since cows give milk even on Christmas day, it is kshs. 10,800 every month.He has three kids in primary school. He is a reasonably young man and since he is not paying school fees, he is busy saving money for theirsecondary education.Across the road from Kamas's shamba, his neighbor James Koske has 10 acres. He has put 5 acres under wheat cultivation, 2 under maize, 2 underother cash crop like potatoes, oranges and other types of vegetables. HE will be selling his wheat for about kshs. 1,500 a bag. That is about700 more than what he'd have received 5 years ago. Wheat yield is about 15 bags per acre. That will give him about kshs.108,000 per year.He has 7 cows. That gives him over 12,000 shillings monthly. He sellsoranges and other vegetables. He is smiling because he is gettingrewardedfor his efforts.That is the same case for Simiyu in Mumias and his sugarcane farm. Chacha and his tobacco is getting the same.Otieno the Jua kali artisan and panel beater has just taken up a smallloan from Equity bank to expand his business. He has actually hired three more guys, two panel beaters and a painter man.Mama mboga is doing roaring business at the soko and so is Joseph, the owner of Hilton hotel across the market.Mwalimu ameongezewa mshahara and so is the civil servant. He now has moredisposable income and some of it is being left at mama mboga's andjoseph's kiosk.Dr. Ogeto, a vet. Doctor is doing roaring business at Nyahururu town selling Adamycin, anti bloat medicine and Nilzan dewormer to farmers.Wakulima wameongeza mifugo coz KMC is doing roaring business and so is KCC.All these are common dudes. They are the small guys, the small trader.ODM, tafadhali acheni fitina. You look bad. Try something else. The economy is our strength; it is Kibaki's strength.The economy is not doing well for two kinds of people;1. Those who wait for free things, for manna to fall from above.2. The lazy idlers.For everyone who has a body temperature and willingness as well as the initiative to take a risk, something is happening.There are so many University graduates who are unemployed in Kenya today. They are still waiting for those six figure income jobs.They should go get a life. Start farming. its the easiest way to make somemoney. Some of them have land lying idle (their parents) but can't eveneducate their parents on what should be done. Hang on Matatus as manambas and save some money and do something.For anyone who had saved kshs. 12,000 last year, that was enough money to buy 1,000 shares of KENGEN. (@Kshs. 12.00). He would have made a cool8,000 shillings any day after the shares were floated in the market for doing nothing. Reinvest the same money in something else and the moneywould have given 50% yield (shs. 4,000) giving him kshs. 12,000 or double what he had saved.He now has 24,000 shillings in less than six months. That is enough tosecure him a loan at the bank or something else.Remember the woman who borrowed kshs. 100,000, bought 6400 KENGEN sharesfor approximately 77,000, sold the shares at kshs. 40 each making 28 shillings per share or 180,000 shares, repaid her 100,000 loan and madekshs. 80,000 ALL THAT IN A WEEK???? Why wouldn't a university graduate do that?Remember the Chokora who saved kshs. 50,000 and bought the same leavingKimunya impressed? Watu! Stop whining. It only makes you look bad.Finally, everyone has a story of a small trader be it mitumba, bike repairer, shopkeeper e.t.c. who has made it in the last 4 years in a wayhe could only have dreamt of.Remember, there are no two economies in Kenya. There is just one economy. You don't have to be a genius to realize that if all sectors of theeconomy are growing including major employing sectors such asagriculture and tourism then automatically jobs are being created.E.g. 5 new KTB employees go to Europe to promote tourism = Mr. shah gets10000 tourist through his hotel this year= Mr. shah needs to hire cooks,watchmen waiters entertainers, drivers etc =Mr. shah also needs supportservices a company to do his laundry and provide supplies.Mr. shah also needs to feed the tourist =enter Mr. kamau. Mr. kamau needsto supply the fruits eggs milk for Mr. shah he also needs people to gobuythe stuff from the farms clean package and deliver them to Mr. shah.EnterMr. mwachofi he knows all the right people to do this job. While the tourist are in Mombassa salim the local has a tour guidecompany that guides tourist around the coast, he also has a small kikoi shop and curving he employs mutiso kilonzo and mwangumi. Later mahanga and his friends the local beach boys troop in to go sell the carvings Meanwhile Mr. shah, kamau and mwachofi need to operate offices to deal with billing, payment, taxation to deal with KRA etc by DEC 2007 600,000 JOBS CREATED NAHIYO NI MAENDELEO SIO MAANDAMANO Meanwhile Onyango is still living in kibera and attending endless ODM rallies. While Mr. shah, kamau, koske, mwachifi, kiptoo, salim, mutiso mahanga and nyongesa make some money and vote for Kibaki in 2007 and dont forget the women Mrs. shah, Kiptoo, kamau, salim and nyongesa. CDF projects have also created jobs especially in the construction sector, but in some areas MPs resorted to buying lab items from there own companies and also spend all the money in giving bursary to private students attending there private owned schools. People in such areas will never feel or see the impact of the money. President Kibaki promised that he would steer the economy to create 500,000 jobs annually.Kenya has 210 constituencies.Each constituency receives approximately Kshs. 20 million annually inCDF.On average, each constituency needs to create 2380 jobs to attain the desired goal.Granted, some constituencies will definitely create more jobs than othersfor example, Nairobi. This is the hub of commerce and industry as well asthe service sector be it tourism, banking, hotel etc.Some areas like the Rift Valley and Central Province are also very vibrant in terms of the economy and will see a disproportionate job growth thanother areas.
I believe that we are very close to the said target and in two or three years, if the status quo holds, we will definitely surpass it.
KIBAKI'S DISTRACTORSODM is so discomfited by the good economic news that they are groping in the dark looking for answers.Why not just give credit where it is due. If you think about the ODM big 6 (or seven if you add Dr. Julia Ojiambo), you'd be forgiven for making the assumption that they are not in thecountry.When there is good news, they are absent and notably very quiet.Some days ago, Equity bank announced its profits and the story is thesame. This is how the bank CEO summarized the rosy picture. I lifted it updirectly from the Kenya times. "Equity Bank's snowballing profit for the third quarter has spiraled by120 per cent to Sh774 million from Sh351 million recorded for the sameperiod last year. The soaring profitability, attributed mainly to a surge in volume ofbusiness, is certain to boost investor confidence among the bank'sshareholders following its listing at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE)." He said that it was due to a surge in volume of business.It wasn't EABL, KENGEN, SafariCom, Mumias and other blue chip companiesthat borrowed all this money; it was you and I, the small guy. It is good to be objective. It is by beingobjective that we can be proud of being Kenyans.Subjectivity has turned people into pessimists whocannot see light at the end of the tunnel. Thispessimism has been spread to many ignorant Kenyans who have fallen prey of selfish politicians. For exampleHon. Musa Sirma was sarcastic in his criticism of the NARC government.Buttoday he has seen what KANU was saying was impossible e.g. free primaryeducation is now possible. We are no longer kneeling down to donors yet every constituency including his EldamaRavine is getting something. However there are some who still cannotappreciate any of these goodies yet you cannot trace any performance record when they had a chance. For Instance: (1) Hon. Kamotho was minister for education,transport, local government, trade, and environment What legacy has he left in all these ministries? What can you remember? Coups in local authorities, chaos in transport, and Oh! What aboutKarura forest? Hon Michuki was in transport for only two years and hehas made history although Hon. Kajwang calls him - Muchuki. (2) Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka has been in parliament since 1988. Whenexpressing himself he has always referred to himself as a lawyer.... As alawyer he advised Kibaki to dissolve parliament and call fresh elections. As lawyer he predicted that 2006 would be a year of elections. Kenyansneed to see his legal competence in parliament. Dont forget Njoki Ndungujoined Parliament recently yet she will go into history books because of her contribution in parliament. Kalonzo needs to understand that Kenyansneed more of actions and less of empty talk. Again he was minister forforeign affairs, education, environment etc. Tell me something unique we can remember him for.(3)Hon. Raila Odinga was made minister for energy during the Moi regime. As a minister during that time do you remember him beyond landing inKisumu in a helicopter? Later he was appointed minister for public works.Do you remember him beyond brining down buildings on road reserves? Give performance a chance mheshimiwa.(4) Hon. Balala was made minister for sports and national heritage. As minister he could not bring order to KFF. Hon. Maina Kamanda was recentlyappointed minister for sports and we can see what is happening to sportsin this country. (5) Hon. Ruto can be best remembered in 1992 as a Kanu activist. Youremember the economy came to its knees as millions of shillings werelooted for campaigns and for years Kenyans have paid for this economic crime. Anything you can remember him for as minister? However within avery short time as minister, Hon. Kirwa has brought sanity in theagricultural sector. (6)Hon. William Ole Ntimama became minister in 1988. However I tend toremember him more issuing threats and insults than working as a minister.During the Narc era he was minister for public service. Do recall him beyond threatening public servants. In the short period Moses Akarangahasbeen Minister do you see what he has done? Actions speak louder than words. We have seen the likes of Munyes,Obwocha, Tuju, Karua, Ngilu, Kagwe, Soita...their actions are louder than their words. WE ARE NOT BLIND WE HAVE SEEN AND WE ARE NOT DEAF WE HAVE HEARD. Does the ODM have an agenda for Kenya or these people have an agendafor themselves?We can differentiate between competence and incompetence, selfishisness and selflessness. Can these people be trusted in their incompetence andinconsistency? You and other Kenyans should advice me. Send this to them and ask themto advise a Kenyan who wants to be proud of being a Kenyan. A sample often is reasonable. President Kibaki is going to be re-elected with a landslide,Wait and see...AND...That is the story

flamboyant but 'humble' at heart? think again

What does an overly flamboyant business tycoon running around in a $100,000 hummer tell you? That he's more likely to squander state resources as massively as he does his own resources. The folks Raila calls his opponents have much more personal worth than him; yet, they don't go to shantytowns like Kibera showing their wealth while depicting demagogy of the highest order feeding on the frustrations of the poor masses, promising anything from hand outs to more social entitlements. The reality that the ODM will never want to accept is that nation has done excellent in terms of economic growth as well as socially. Last year's real GDP expansion was an impressive 7.2%. I will remind you, Kenya's real GDP expansion before Kibaki was a wicked -2% the year 2002. We have managed to make massive gains providing free education, and also affordable healthcare. It's a sad situation when ODM rallies around itself poor masses that have been force fed the notion that one group, the Kikuyus have been the 'ruling class' hence benefitting from state resources at the expense of all others. That is pure nonsense. The Kikuyu community was egregiously marginalised by the Moi administration and no one went around killing others when that happened, or even when it was obvious that Moi rigged elections both in 1992 and 1997. There were no Kalenjin businesses burnt or looted. Recently, when Mwai Kibaki was down by about a million votes, there were no reported fracas in the Kibaki strongholds. Demagogues will not salvage the paupers in Kibera or Mathare. Running around in an extremely expensive hummer, in an 'at your face, do you notice me?' manner, in my judgement, needs not appeal to people who honestly deserve to be heard. And people who go into an election having declared that any other outcome than their victory is not acceptable are themselves phonies whose only interest is power. There is only speculation that votes were rigged, but that remains specualation, and it's widely accepted that if that happened, no one here, both the Pentagon? and the PNU, are angels. This is only my opinion, but what is the worst case scenario with another Kibaki term? Free high school education, an almost guaranteed 6-7% real GDP expansion annually, more confidence in foreign investors in Kenya, a booming construction sector, tourism as well as the securities market. Kenya's economy has emerged from a moribund economy to a powerhouse in just five years, and business leaders are rightly worried by any potential leadership of a left wing, neo-communist radical whose son is named Fidel Castro.

kuna nuru gizani?

After doubts over the accuracy of presidential election results in Kenya sparked riots and disrupted transportation, analysts say the country's economy can recover - provided there is a swift political resolution to the crisis.
Incumbent president Mwai Kibaki beat opposition candidate Raila Odinga in the Dec. 27 election. However, observers have criticized abnormalities in the vote-count process and both sides have launched accusations of rigging. Since Kibaki returned to the State House, hundreds have died as violent protests destroyed homes and livelihoods, while diplomats from Africa, Europe and the United States have pushed for a resolution.
The business community hopes to see the country go back to work and resume its strong economic growth, five percent annually during Kibaki's five-year tenure. But the election and ensuing violence have tarnished Kenya's reputation as a stable haven nestled between flashpoints like Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan.
"Kenya has been doing well for a nation that doesn't have much in the way of resources," says Mark Bellamy, a former U.S. Ambassador to the country and a senior resident fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. However, it will be "difficult for the country to rebound" if the ruling party rejects calls for a negotiated settlement, after widely cited problems with the vote counting.
Razia Khan, head of Africa research for the London-based bank Standard Chartered, says she still sees a good future for the Kenyan economy, especially since it has become a crucial to growth in neighbors like Uganda and Tanzania. Kenya watchers, she says, have seized on hopeful signs like Attorney General Amos Wako calling for an investigation of the election results. Standard Chartered estimates Kenya's 2007 GDP growth at 6.7 percent.
Roadblocks to growth
With slogans like "You know him," President Kibaki based his reelection bid around continuing the country's economic growth, although many Kenyans remain in the starkest poverty. Throughout the campaign, opposition candidate Raila Odinga, who named his son Fidel after the Cuban dictator, perpetually reassured the business community of his suitability.
More than a week after the election, the biggest obstacle to getting the economy back on track remains transportation. Kenya's status as a regional power depends on the goods and fuel it sends to neighboring nations. Its port at Mombasa is the largest in East Africa. Over the last week, fuel shortages have hit provincial Kenyan cities and Uganda as roadblocks manned by armed gangs have made overland travel far more dangerous.
A peaceful settlement in Nairobi won't necessarily bring an immediate end to the makeshift roadblocks and truck drivers will remain easy targets for harassment and beatings. Randy Fleitman, an economic official at the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, says even big American firms like Coca-Cola and Del Monte are reporting problems transporting goods and workers. But low mobility is "the killer for the small firms, the Kenyan firms."
Like many African countries, Kenya has shown impressive growth in recent years and, compared with its neighbors, it boasts strong infrastructure and foreign investment. It owes much of its growth to consumer spending and developing industries internally, an entrepreneurial advantage over countries like Angola and Zambia where finite resources like oil and copper are the economic drivers. Economies based on such commodities have downsides like environmentally taxing extraction methods and are susceptible to shifts in commodity prices. Kenya has become a leading exporter of cut flowers to Europe. Northwest of Nairobi in the Rift Valley, immense greenhouses and company housing line the road leading to the popular resort of Lake Naivasha.
There are other reasons to remain optimistic. The country is well established as the region's manufacturing hub. A large and well-educated English-speaking population makes Kenya a potential market for call centers, should the IT infrastructure improve. Tourists crowd its magnificent beaches and wildlife reserves, and so far there have not been reports of rioters targeting tourists or damage to tourist facilities. However, a group representing large British tour operators has suspended outbound trips until at least Jan. 7. It's a symbolic blow to this vital sector. If Kenya is believed to be unsafe, visitors may instead visit neighboring Tanzania, which offers similar attractions.
Kenya also has a large multinational presence. Shell (RDSA) has 131 gas stations here. And Barclays (BCS) is one of several international banks with a large retailing operation. Neither company would discuss how the riots have affected their operations. In 2006 a General Motors (GM, Fortune 500) venture built 1,755 Isuzu trucks and busses at a Nairobi plant.
Still it's easy to exaggerate Kenya's wealth. A 2001 estimate put unemployment at 40 percent and per capita annual GDP is around $1,200. Nairobi has a modern and clean downtown, but it's only fifteen minutes by packed minibus to the filthy slum of Kibera, where perhaps 1 million people live. One of the largest shantytowns in Africa, many residents have limited or no access to electricity and clean water. As a center of opposition support, much of Kibera has gone up in flames since the election. Many rural areas of the country don't present as squalid a picture as the rivers of trash in Kibera but offer even less opportunity to find work.
Keeping money in Kenya
On Jan. 2, the first trading day after the election, the Nairobi Stock Exchange lost about 5 percent of its total market cap to close around $12.3 billion (less than Starbucks). But with plenty of traders sitting home, trading was light and analysts say the drop doesn't necessarily represent market sentiment. Trading was suspended Thursday amid fears for employee safety. In response to the crisis, Standard & Poor's downgraded Kenya's currency rating.
At the end of 2007, investors here were anticipating two big deals. KenGen, the leading utility, planned to raise $1 billion to fund increasing electric capacity. The largest telecom, Safaricom, which is partly owned by British giant Vodafone (VOD), expects to sell a stake in an IPO that could be the largest ever in East Africa. Whether these deals go through should be a good measure of investor confidence.
Fleitman of the U.S. Embassy says Kenya's relative prosperity and status as a center for foreigners and finance stems from its wonderful climate and the perception of political stability. Kick out one of those assets and the country could be in for a slide. "They need to fix this thing quickly," he says.

hata intervention hawataki

The Attorney General has called for an independent team to tally the presidential votes afresh and end post-election violence.
Mr Amos Wako said in a statement: "It is necessary, and I agree with the Catholic bishops and others, that a proper tally of the valid certificates returned and confirmed should be undertaken immediately and on a priority basis by an agreed and independent person or body."
Wako also suggested the formation of a government of all parliamentary political parties to end the national crisis.
He, however, noted that only an election court could nullify the election if a petition was filed because President Kibaki had been declared elected.
Wako said forms 16 and 16A are documents that can be made available for inspection by wananchi, adding that this could be done without a court order or election petition filed.
"Such an exercise will go a long way in assuaging people’s inflamed passions," he said.
Wako said this would help mediation, negotiations or constructive dialogue aimed at arriving at legal, political or policy decisions.
"It is of necessity that PNU, ODM, ODM-Kenya and other parliamentary political parties enter into constructive dialogue for a political solution," he said.
He defended the law enforcing agencies, saying they were using and will continue to use lawful means to ensure law and order was maintained.
The AG warned against targeting communities, saying this could result in serious crimes under international law, including genocide and crimes against humanity.
Wako said leaders should speak and act in a manner that contributed to peace.
The AG said the violent protests were degenerating into a catastrophe, adding that if left unchecked, they would destroy the nation’s economic and social fabric.
His statement came in the wake of revelations by the Electoral Commission of Kenya Chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu that poll irregularities in the presidential results could not be ruled out.
On Wednesday, Kivuitu revealed that he stumbled on a newly-filed result form from one of the constituencies whose documents were questioned by international observers and ODM.
It also comes at a time when hundreds of people have been killed and thousands displaced over post-election violence.

uchumi wetu unaelekea kuanza kuzorota

The strength of any economy is its political stability. Unlike most countries that have achieved development equal to that of Kenya, the country does not possess any significant reserves of natural resources.
Unfortunately, these key pillars of the economy have been shaken profoundly by the current stalemate over the elections. If the issue has eluded politicians, the business environment that has powered the economy to admirable levels in the last five years is about to be rolled back.
Retail business lies mortally wounded by looters. Employees are marooned by violence and casual workers are starving. Industries are unable to distribute their products.
Financing deals are being rescheduled, and the country’s political-risk rating may go up. More alarmingly, a severe oil shortage might ground the economy if the situation is not arrested. Also, the tourism industry is being threatened by the violence, and the gains it has made in the past few years will very soon be reversed irredeemably.
Farther afield, the Great Lakes region, which relies on Kenya for oil supply, has started suffering major shortages.
When the crisis is over, we may come to realise why leaders in the region should fast-track the realisation of the East African Community: the economies of their countries are inter-dependent, and any crisis of a political nature occurring in one country is bound to affect the economies of the others.
Shouldn’t these leaders, then, have a role to play in mediating a crisis of this magnitude in a partner country

uongozi ambao tunahitaji na ambao twastahili

Lands assistant minister Asman Kamama Thursday said he would defend the interests of Rift Valley people who did not vote for President Kibaki in the new government.
“As any other Kenyans, the communities had their democratic right to vote for the party of their choice,” he said. However, the Baringo East MP-elect called on residents to desist from criminal activities witnessed in several parts of the country.
“Violence begets violence and we should not allow it to prevail since it will spare nobody including the presidential candidates,” he said.
Mr Kamama said that the re-election of President Kibaki was a clear testimony that Kenyans had confidence in his performance. He asked the ODM party to honourably concede defeat and prepare for the 2012 elections.
“They had underestimated the popularity of President Kibaki who was voted across all the regions,” he said.
Sunday prayers
Meanwhile, interdenominational prayers will be conducted in President Kibaki’s home turf this weekend.
The prayers will be held at Othaya stadium, less than two kilometres from the Head of State’s Kanyange home. The prayers are being organised by Othaya Development Association (ODA) that draws membership from Othaya Division residents.
ODA chairman Gichuki Mugambi said the Sunday prayers would be dedicated to peace in the country.
“We have invited clergy from different religions so that we can pray for this great nation. We hope it is going to be well,” Mr Mugambi told the Nation.
Elsewhere, an appeal has been made for relief assistance for people in violence-hit areas.
A Kericho resident, Ms Elenah Mwai, who fled her home, said scores of people camping at Kericho police station were in dire need of food, clothes and shelter.

hasara ni kwa nani?

Crude oil prices soared to $100 Sh6,500) a barrel on Wednesday for the first time, with international demand for oil and petroleum products threatening to outstrip supplies.
Several service stations around the country have been closed down for fuel shortage and incidences of looting.The situation in the country is further compounded by the post-election tensions that are threatening to tear the country apart.
Several service stations across the country have been closed as a result of fuel shortages and others for the fear of looting.
Those that are open charge dearly for petrol. The country has registered a surge in fuel prices for the last four months and currently, a litre of petrol trades at between Sh75 and Sh85.
At one point, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi threatened to invoke the price control powers of his office in a bid to tame arbitrary increases.
The ripple effect of the shortage in Kenya has already started taking its toll in neighbouring Uganda where prices have jumped from Sh75 a litre to about Sh300 a litre.
Rwanda and Burundi, which also depend on Kenya for their supplies, have also started choking on the effect.
Experts are attributing the soaring prices to progressing economies of China and India with higher demands of oil, while tensions in oil producing nations like Nigeria and Iran have increasingly made investors nervous, driving prices even higher.
Oil dealers, however, argue their case on the additional costs they incur in refining and ferrying the commodity.
The transport sector in early November reviewed commuter fares to adjust to the increasing oil prices both locally and internationally. The oil shortage in the country has also been heightened by lack of transport. A number of roads have been barricaded either by the police or irate mobs making it hard for oil to reach consumers.
Local oil firms had earlier in the week warned of tough times ahead in the face of the crisis. Already the country is in a near-crisis over shortages of cooking gas. Airlines plying local routes have also suspended their operations to western parts of the country due lack of jet fuel.
A weakening US dollar, which makes oil more affordable to buyers in stronger currencies, is also cited as a factor for the rise in prices. Meanwhile, oil held near its lifetime high of $100 a barrel on Thursday, fuelled by expectations of another fall in US fuel stocks and a struggling dollar.
Its rise to triple digits may help push top consumer the United States — battered by a housing crisis and credit crunch — into recession. European Union economies could also suffer if the spike is prolonged, said the European Commission.
But after rising 57 per cent in 2007, oil and other commodities may push higher still, analysts said.

hasira ni hasara

The Government’s plan for containing the violence which has hit parts of the country following the disputed presidential elections became clearer Thursday with President Kibaki announcing he was ready for dialogue, and Attorney-General Amos Wako hinting at a formula for power-sharing.
President Kibaki said he was ready for dialogue as soon as “the violence stops and calm is restored for people to engage in constructive and productive talks.”
On his part, ODM leader Raila Odinga supported calls for dialogue. Mr Odinga made the remarks when he met South African Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu who arrived in Nairobi Thursday.
Mr Wako suggested that a way out can be found even without going to court. One of the ways to resolve the dispute, the AG said, is for a government of national unity to be formed.
Alternatively, an independent group agreeable to all sides could verify the presidential tallies, he said.
Mr Wako also warned that some of the crimes which had been committed border on genocide, — a crime punishable even through the international criminal justice system.
At the same time, three people died and a petrol station and five vehicles were set ablaze in Nairobi as groups of youths went on the rampage after police blocked an ODM rally called to protest against the results of the presidential election.
Groups of youths went on the rampage looting and burning property as they blocked sections of roads leading to Nairobi City centre.
President Kibaki, while addressing his first news conference since the violence started, assured Kenyans that the Government was doing everything possible to ensure security is maintained. Those who commit crime will face the full force of the law, said President Kibaki.
He promised to personally visit the affected areas soon to promote reconciliation and healing. Kenyans were free to settle and own property anywhere in the country, he added.
President Kibaki directed the Commissioner of Police to increase security hotlines for people to report any threats.
The President’s statement was made on the day demonstrations were also held in parts of Nairobi, Mombasa and Kisumu but these were largely peaceful. But in Kisumu, two MPs elect, Shakeel Shabir of Kisumu Town East and Olago Oluoch of Kisumu Town West all of ODM were being questioned by police after they addressed the protesting youths.
Police sources put the death toll from four days of violence at 185 while 155,711 people had been displaced. Majority of the displaced, 120,000 people, were reported to be in the Rift Valley where an operation to evacuate them to safer areas was under way.
Military escort
A convoy of 10 buses left Eldoret Town under military escort headed in the direction of Nakuru as police reported that 260 people had been arrested over the violence.
Calm returned to other major towns in Western Kenya such as Kakamega, Kisii, Bungoma and Busia even though police continued to patrol the streets.
The Electoral Commission of Kenya, meanwhile, gazetted the election of President Kibaki and 207 MPs. No gazettement of MPs was done for Kilgoris, Wajir North and Kamukunji where there were problems.
ODM leader Raila Odinga visited the Nairobi City Mortuary, Masaba hospital and Kibera slum, scene of some of the worst clashes between police and demonstrators. International mediation efforts gathered momentum with South African Anglican Bishop and Nobel prize laureate Desmond Tutu arriving in the country.
Archbishop Tutu held a two hour meeting with Mr Odinga and later said he was still trying to secure an appointment from President Kibaki’s side.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, EU Foreign chief Javier Solana and American Democratic Party presidential hopeful Barack Obama whose father was Kenyan, called for dialogue among the rival camps.
On Thursday, the ODM leaders called off the rally they had planned for Uhuru Park and announced they would gather at the same venue Friday.
Police managed to keep crowds away from the park by blocking routes leading into the city centre.
Uhuru Park itself was a no go zone with officers from the paramilitary General Service Unit and Administration Police placing a human ring around the grounds. Other teams of riot control police battled groups of rowdy youths in slum areas, confining them there.
There was destruction as rowdy youths held protest marches on Juja, Thika, Ngong and Outerring roads.
Also, two men were beaten unconscious and another seriously injured during the violent demonstrations.
Survivors who sustained deep cuts on the head were driven to hospital in Red Cross and St John’s ambulances after being saved by police.
Four fuel pumps were set on fire at the Agip petrol station on Juja road as well as four matatus and a car parked there.
City council Fire brigade rushed to the scene and fought the fire before it could spread and explode the under ground storage tanks. The protesters had lit the super, regular, diesel and kerosene fuel pumps.
Traffic was blocked for hours on Juja road before police managed to drive the protesters back to section 4A of the Mathare slums. The rowdy gangs had also lit huge fires and piled rocks on the road.
Across the valley, there were more skirmishes on Thika road as paramilitary police engaged a different group in running battles. The group clashed with the officers near Survey area after being blocked from walking to the city centre.
A man was killed at the spot after he came into contact with a drooping live electricity line.
He was among protesters, who had tried to force entry into a nearby Standard Chartered Bank branch.
Police guards at the bank fired in the air to prevent the surging crowd.
Traffic flow along the highway was interrupted occasionally but it was not disrupted for more than 30 minutes.
Earlier at dawn, two bodies had been found in Mathare and Dandora areas. At 9 am, other groups from the Kibera slums engaged police in similar battles on Ngong road.
Ordered closure
Following the violence, police headquarters ordered closure of Mbagathi Way, Uhuru Highway and Kenyatta Avenue, though the Government had pledged all roads would remain open.
On Ngong road, police and the protesters clashed near the Prestige Plaza. Several kiosks on the roadside were destroyed. Police pushed and managed to hold the crowd near the Kibera DO’s office.
At 2pm, other groups converged on Argwings Kodhek road, 200 metres from Orange House, the ODM headquarters.
A Kobil petrol station was vandalised by the mob that started throwing stones after being confronted by the police.
Meanwhile, the donor community asked Kenyan leaders to put aside their differences and re-solve the impasse. They said business had estimated that about Sh2 million per day was being lost.
In a joint statement World Bank, Canada, Denmark, the European Commission, France, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States warned that the gains made by Kenya in the last few years could dissipate due to the on-going destruction.
“At stake is the pre-election Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth rate of seven percent, rising business confidence, increasing tourism, measurable progress in firm level productivity, significant gains in democratic development and the lifting of over two million Kenyans out of poverty over the last few years,” said the statement.
The donor community said at the Nairobi Stock Exchange, Sh40 billion (about five percent of market capitalisation) was wiped off the value of shares when the market resumed business after the elections, hurting investors large and small.

siasa mbaya

America’s top most official for Africa is due in Kenya today to help set up talks between President Kibaki and his rival Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).

At the same time, ODM have insisted their protest rally today will go on at Uhuru Park, and that the rallies will continue until President Kibaki concedes defeat.

US assistant Secretary of State for Africa Jendayi Frazer is expected to arrive in Nairobi later this afternoon to help bring the two parties to a negotiation table. The US and the European Union are understood to be pushing the ODM and President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) to settle for a form of a coalition government as a way of settling the presidential election impasse.

ODM has ruled out joining any government of national unity set up by President Kibaki, and are instead calling for a transitional administration to clear the way for a rerun of the presidential election in three months.

President Kibaki has this morning been in a meeting with South Africa’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu and is also expected to hold talks with ambassadors of foreign countries serving in Kenya.

On the other hand, Mr Odinga held talks with the German ambassador Walter Linder at the party’s Pentagon House offices.

Nairobi woke up to an uneasy calm with Uhuru Park, the venue of ODM’s banned rally, cordoned off by paramilitary police.

People and passenger vehicles have been allowed into the city centre and many more business premises opened, but the situation is likely to change once ODM leaders and supporters attempt to get to the venue of their rally.