NAIROBI (Reuters) - The family of a man held at the U.S. Guantanamo Bay prison camp on suspicion of carrying out militant attacks has sued the Kenya government for 2.25 billion shillings ($29.60 million) for wrongful detainment and torture.
In a petition to the High Court in Nairobi, Mohamed Abdulmalik's family said he was arrested on February 13, 2007 and held for longer than Kenyan law allows before he was handed over to the U.S. authorities. "We submit that the above figure is commensurate compensation for the callous, unfeeling, inexcusable treatment that the Kenya police meted out against the subject," the petition said.
It went on to denounce his "long and unlawful detention without trial in what is now reputed to be the worst detention facility on earth."
Abdulmalik is held at Guantanamo Bay, a U.S. naval station in Cuba, for his alleged involvement in a 2002 attack of an Israeli-owned Kenyan beach hotel and an unsuccessful attempt to shoot down a plane headed for Israel from the resort of Mombasa.
The case, which has the Attorney General and Commissioner of Police listed as respondents, will be heard on January 14, 2010.
U.S. President Barack Obama has pledged to close Guantanamo Bay -- set up after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States and a focus of controversy because of torture and rights abuses -- and move suspected militants for trial on U.S. soil.
($1=75.85 Kenyan Shilling)
(Reporting by Humphrey Malalo; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Source:nytimes.com/
Friday, December 11, 2009
Kenya’s World Cup farce
The FIFA World Cup trophy is touring Africa to in the lead-up to the finals in South Africa in June next year. The 225-day tour began on September 21 in Cairo.
Soccer is wildly popular in Africa, even though the best an African team has done in a World Cup is a spot in the quarter-finals. Cameroon achieved the feat in 1990 under the spell of 38-year-old talisman Roger Milla. Senegal made it in 2002. Keen followers of the game here reckon that were it not for suspect refereeing, the two teams might have reached the semis.
The World Cup is one of the most watched global events. New York-based IPG Media, one of the big four global advertising holding companies, reports that the 2006 FIFA World Cup had an average of 95 million viewers per match.
But the World Cup marketing here is defying common sense. Starting in 2006, FIFA in conjunction with Coca Cola launched the FIFA World Cup Trophy Tour. A press release from FIFA said:
"world football's greatest prize is set to embark on its longest ever global tour, with FIFA and The Coca-Cola Company taking the real solid-gold trophy to 86 countries during a 225-day journey and allowing thousands of fans to enjoy a rare close-up view of the authentic FIFA World Cup Trophy. The trophy will travel 134,017 kilometres (83,274 miles) and visit every nation in Africa (except war torn Somalia) to give African fans the once-in-a-lifetime experience of having their picture taken with the trophy."
There is something ridiculous about a whole continent going gaga about a trophy it has not won. Trophies are for winning, not for goggling at. FIFA calls the trophy soccer’s Holy Grail. But Holy Grail is mythical. There is nothing mythical about the FIFA trophy. It goes to the country that invests in its soccer.
The trophy's sojourn in Kenya encapsulated the absurdity of this 21st century idolatry. Like a VIP, the trophy was received by both President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga at the airport.
These two politicians who -- on paper -- are in a power-sharing arrangement had first to be educated on the protocols of handling the trophy. Only the players of winning teams and heads of states can touch the trophy. So Mr Kibaki, being the head of state, was the only Kenyan who could even touch it. Got it? No power-sharing here.
This tormented Mr Odinga, a keen soccer fan, especially since Mr Kibaki is an avid golfer with no known interest in soccer.
But despite the farcical elements in this comedy, the government’s two-faced stupidity was enough to make you weep.
Only a few months before President Kibaki touched the trophy, his government had withdrawn from a great deal with Coca-Cola. The multinational was to refurbish the dilapidated Nyayo National Stadium, Kenya’s second largest. In exchange, for four years it would become Coca Cola Stadium and wear Coke’s colours. For Coke it was a brilliant marketing opportunity, as competing teams will be using it in the coming months to acclimatize to tropical conditions.
But after work started, the government suddenly reneged. The reason? Nyayo Stadium could not be renamed. The word "Nyayo" is part of the country’s legacy, the Kiswahili word for footprints. It was an emblem of the wish of Daniel Moi, Kenya’s second president, to follow in the footsteps of Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, our first president. True to his word, Mr Moi followed in Kenyatta’s footprints. Corruption and cronyism became entrenched in government business. That is the legacy Kibaki’s government wanted to keep alive.
Most of us were incensed. Here were government honchos drooling over a trophy after they had emasculated efforts to give our country a fighting chance of vying for it.
To add insult to injury, any government-funded facility of note is called Kenyatta something or Nyayo something or Moi something. Kenya’s biggest hospital and airport, Nairobi’s largest avenue and Kenya’s second biggest university are called Kenyatta. The country’s largest sports complex and second oldest university are called Moi. Kenya’s stillborn national automobile was the Nyayo car. A failed government bus company was Nyayo Bus. And a building in downtown Nairobi used by Moi’s secret police to torture agitators in the 1980s is called Nyayo House.
So much for the Nyayo legacy.
Thank God for the candour of private enterprise. At least Coke is not cloaking itself in love of country or even love of sport. Coca-Cola Muhtar Kent boss was up-front about his company’s sponsorship. "Our programmes to support the 2010 FIFA World Cup, such as the Trophy Tour, will leave a lifelong impression on consumers that helps to reinforce loyalty and preference for our business and our brands," he said.
So it is all about marketing. Ah, money, the cause that refreshes.
Source:mercatornet.com/
Kenya Electricity Advances After Award of $1.3 Billion Tender
Kenya Electricity Generating Co., the biggest electricity producer in the country, advanced the most in seven days after saying it had awarded a $1.3 billion tender to Daewoo International Corp.
The stock climbed 25 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 11.8 shillings at 9:57 a.m. in Nairobi.
Seoul, South Korea-based Daewoo was selected as the preferred bidder for a coal-fired power plant project in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa. Construction of the facility is expected to take three to four years and KenGen, as the Kenyan company is known, will own as much as 49 percent of the joint venture, Managing Director Eddie Njoroge said yesterday.
Kenya plans to build power plants to generate 1,500 megawatts by 2019 after drought during the past few years cut supplies from hydropower plants.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net.
Source:bloomberg.com/
The stock climbed 25 cents, or 2.2 percent, to 11.8 shillings at 9:57 a.m. in Nairobi.
Seoul, South Korea-based Daewoo was selected as the preferred bidder for a coal-fired power plant project in Kenya’s port city of Mombasa. Construction of the facility is expected to take three to four years and KenGen, as the Kenyan company is known, will own as much as 49 percent of the joint venture, Managing Director Eddie Njoroge said yesterday.
Kenya plans to build power plants to generate 1,500 megawatts by 2019 after drought during the past few years cut supplies from hydropower plants.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net.
Source:bloomberg.com/
Raila pushes Kenya team to fight for fair accord
Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Thursday urged Kenyan negotiators not to relent in the quest for a fair deal at the climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Mr Odinga said as they championed Kenya’s interests, they should stand with the rest of Africa, which has borne the biggest brunt of climate change.
“Our voices will be much louder if we stand united,” Mr Odinga told the delegates representing Kenya at the epic summit that comes to an end next week.
“We must stop the blame game…there will definitely be differences among you and other negotiators but we need to be diplomatic if we are to succeed.
“Failure is not an option for us in Kenya, Africa and the world. We may not achieve everything, there will be contentious issues but we must succeed,” he said.
The meeting is expected to come up with a deal that will supplant the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Heavy burden
The protocol, which came into force in 2005 and was ratified by 148 parties, places a heavy burden on industrialised countries and sets targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, now accepted as the major cause of global warming.
Mr Odinga said the time to act against climate change was now, adding that failure to act will “spell doom” for countries like the Maldives, Vanuatu and others, which risk being submerged.
“Even our Mombasa will not be spared. It also risks sinking,” he said.
Studies indicate that 17 per cent of the Mombasa area could be submerged by a global sea level rise of up to 30cm.
At the conference venture, sharp divisions between developed and developing countries over the possible shape of the new deal persisted.
Briefing the PM on the negotiations, Ms Grace Akumu, Kenya’s technical advisor on climate change issues, said developed countries were “shifting goal posts on a number of issues” including figures on emissions reduction.
“They want the figures not to be included under the Kyoto Protocol but long term cooperative action and we are opposed to this. We feel this is a repetition of the talks in Barcelona, Spain a few months ago,” she said.
“Developed countries must commit… the survival of African countries depends on it. If this does not happen, then we are likely to witness more of the negative effects of climate change like more floods and droughts,” Ms Akumu said.
The emergence of leaked documents — the so-called Danish text — that show world leaders will next week be asked to sign an agreement that hands more power to rich countries and sidelines the UN’s role in all future climate change negotiations has also been raised an uproar.
Source:.nation.co.ke/
Mr Odinga said as they championed Kenya’s interests, they should stand with the rest of Africa, which has borne the biggest brunt of climate change.
“Our voices will be much louder if we stand united,” Mr Odinga told the delegates representing Kenya at the epic summit that comes to an end next week.
“We must stop the blame game…there will definitely be differences among you and other negotiators but we need to be diplomatic if we are to succeed.
“Failure is not an option for us in Kenya, Africa and the world. We may not achieve everything, there will be contentious issues but we must succeed,” he said.
The meeting is expected to come up with a deal that will supplant the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Heavy burden
The protocol, which came into force in 2005 and was ratified by 148 parties, places a heavy burden on industrialised countries and sets targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, now accepted as the major cause of global warming.
Mr Odinga said the time to act against climate change was now, adding that failure to act will “spell doom” for countries like the Maldives, Vanuatu and others, which risk being submerged.
“Even our Mombasa will not be spared. It also risks sinking,” he said.
Studies indicate that 17 per cent of the Mombasa area could be submerged by a global sea level rise of up to 30cm.
At the conference venture, sharp divisions between developed and developing countries over the possible shape of the new deal persisted.
Briefing the PM on the negotiations, Ms Grace Akumu, Kenya’s technical advisor on climate change issues, said developed countries were “shifting goal posts on a number of issues” including figures on emissions reduction.
“They want the figures not to be included under the Kyoto Protocol but long term cooperative action and we are opposed to this. We feel this is a repetition of the talks in Barcelona, Spain a few months ago,” she said.
“Developed countries must commit… the survival of African countries depends on it. If this does not happen, then we are likely to witness more of the negative effects of climate change like more floods and droughts,” Ms Akumu said.
The emergence of leaked documents — the so-called Danish text — that show world leaders will next week be asked to sign an agreement that hands more power to rich countries and sidelines the UN’s role in all future climate change negotiations has also been raised an uproar.
Source:.nation.co.ke/
Sasini of Kenya Falls to 1-Month Low on Profit, Tea-Price Drop
Sasini Ltd., a Kenyan tea and coffee producer, fell to its lowest price in a month after saying on Dec. 9 full-year profit declined 40 percent to 526 million shillings ($6.96 million) and tea prices fell from a record.
The stock lost 65 cents, or 8.5 percent, to 7 shillings, its lowest level since Nov. 9. A close at this price would represent the steepest fall since Jan. 30.
African tea prices fell 7.4 percent from a record at the world’s biggest auction of the leaves in Mombasa, Kenya, Africa Tea Brokers Ltd. said yesterday.
Tea output in the East African country fell 11 percent to 242.2 million kilograms in the first 10 months from the same period a year earlier, the Tea Board of Kenya said Nov. 23. Global tea production is expected to be lower than last year because of unfavorable weather in major growing countries, including Sri Lanka and Kenya, the board said Oct. 30.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net
Source:bloomberg.com/
The stock lost 65 cents, or 8.5 percent, to 7 shillings, its lowest level since Nov. 9. A close at this price would represent the steepest fall since Jan. 30.
African tea prices fell 7.4 percent from a record at the world’s biggest auction of the leaves in Mombasa, Kenya, Africa Tea Brokers Ltd. said yesterday.
Tea output in the East African country fell 11 percent to 242.2 million kilograms in the first 10 months from the same period a year earlier, the Tea Board of Kenya said Nov. 23. Global tea production is expected to be lower than last year because of unfavorable weather in major growing countries, including Sri Lanka and Kenya, the board said Oct. 30.
To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net
Source:bloomberg.com/
Kenyan MPs pass money laundering law
NAIROBI, Kenya Dec 11 – The law on Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering now awaits presidential assent after Parliament passed it with amendments on Thursday.
The Bill seeks to prevent earnings of crimes from entering into the Kenyan market. It also criminalizes all forms of money laundering, a process in which the origin of funds generated by illegal means such as drug trafficking, gun smuggling terrorism and corruption are concealed.
The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs Abdikadir Mohammed proposed changes to the Bill that include requiring police officers and other law enforcement agencies from carring out any searches without warrants or to falsify information.
Mr Abdikadir argued this measure would prevent police officers from harassing innocent people through the Financial Reporting Centre which is mandated with identification of proceeds of crimes and money laundering.
The Police Commissioner replaced the Law Society of Kenya on the Board which is established under the Bill.
Meanwhile, Parliament adjourned on Thursday for the Christmas recess but is expected to be recalled in early February to begin debate on the harmonised draft constitution.
Speaking earlier, Mr Abdikadir assured Kenyans that the parliamentary break would not delay the realisation of the new constitution within 12-month time frame.
“Assuming everything went like clockwork, the earliest we will require parliament is February 25 and Parliament will be there if that need comes… even earlier.”
He added: “I have heard that people feel Parliament is not interested in this process… they are even thinking of going on recess. Last time, we recalled Parliament in January although traditionally Parliament resumes in March so the PSC will work whether or not Parliament is in recess or not. The Parliamentary Committees don’t go on recess.”
The referendum on the new constitution will be held four months after the Abdikadir-led Parliamentary Select Committee on the Constitution tables the draft law for approval by Members of Parliament.
The timetable shows that the country may go into a referendum by June 2010.
Under the new roadmap, the negotiators envisaged that the review process would be completed within 12 months after the constitutional referendum law is initiated in Parliament.
Source:capitalfm.co.ke/
Kenya again denies hiding Rwandan genocide fugitive Felicien Kabuga
A five million dollar bounty has been put on his head,
for whoever provides information leading to the
arrest of this fugitive by the U.S. government
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Monday again denied claims by the UN tribunal for Rwanda that its harboring wanted Rwandan fugitive, Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of masterminding his country’s genocide that led to the massacre of almost a million people.
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua accused the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Hassan Boubacar Jallow and the U.S. of perpetually propagating baseless allegations that Kabuga was hiding in Kenya and the government had failed to help assist in apprehending him.
Mutua told journalists that the government is not aware of the whereabouts of Kabuga noting that he could be anywhere in the world including Kenya or neighbouring countries.
“The government took great exception to the statement by ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Jallow that Kenya was hiding Kabuga.
“We are not just denying but we are telling them to give us the information and make it public where we are hiding him,” Mutua said.
“We find these allegations to be unjustified and not based on the reality of our cooperation with the United Nations and other countries,” Mutua told journalists in Nairobi.
Kabuga, a wealthy businessman, is accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for sponsoring the 1994 Tutsi genocide, in particular the Radio Television Mille Collines (RTLM), and purchasing machetes that were used by Interahamwe militias to kill over one million Tutsis.
Washington has been putting pressure on Kenya to arrest Kabuga who is believed to be living in the country.
A five million dollar bounty has been put on his head, for whoever provides information leading to the arrest of this fugitive by the U.S. government.
“The government has issued a statement to the United Nations Security Council in which it points out that the international community might be over concentrating on Kenya , whereas the fugitive could be comfortably living elsewhere,” said Mutua.
The government spokesman said that the east African nation is working on a comprehensive reply to the UN over continuous allegations its harboring the fugitive.
He said that the Kenyan police have been working together with UN investigators in searching for Kabuga.
Source:coastweek.com/
for whoever provides information leading to the
arrest of this fugitive by the U.S. government
NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- The Kenyan government on Monday again denied claims by the UN tribunal for Rwanda that its harboring wanted Rwandan fugitive, Felicien Kabuga, who is accused of masterminding his country’s genocide that led to the massacre of almost a million people.
Addressing a news conference in Nairobi, Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua accused the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, Hassan Boubacar Jallow and the U.S. of perpetually propagating baseless allegations that Kabuga was hiding in Kenya and the government had failed to help assist in apprehending him.
Mutua told journalists that the government is not aware of the whereabouts of Kabuga noting that he could be anywhere in the world including Kenya or neighbouring countries.
“The government took great exception to the statement by ICTR Prosecutor Hassan Jallow that Kenya was hiding Kabuga.
“We are not just denying but we are telling them to give us the information and make it public where we are hiding him,” Mutua said.
“We find these allegations to be unjustified and not based on the reality of our cooperation with the United Nations and other countries,” Mutua told journalists in Nairobi.
Kabuga, a wealthy businessman, is accused by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for sponsoring the 1994 Tutsi genocide, in particular the Radio Television Mille Collines (RTLM), and purchasing machetes that were used by Interahamwe militias to kill over one million Tutsis.
Washington has been putting pressure on Kenya to arrest Kabuga who is believed to be living in the country.
A five million dollar bounty has been put on his head, for whoever provides information leading to the arrest of this fugitive by the U.S. government.
“The government has issued a statement to the United Nations Security Council in which it points out that the international community might be over concentrating on Kenya , whereas the fugitive could be comfortably living elsewhere,” said Mutua.
The government spokesman said that the east African nation is working on a comprehensive reply to the UN over continuous allegations its harboring the fugitive.
He said that the Kenyan police have been working together with UN investigators in searching for Kabuga.
Source:coastweek.com/
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