Kenya Stands With Zimbabwean People

Prime Minister Raila Odinga (right) confers with Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang'ula during an open forum to discuss the Zimbabwe crisis in Nairobi. Photo by HEZRON NJOROGE.

Resolutions & Communique' From The Public Forum Held at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi On June 25, 2008 On the Tragic Developments in Zimbabwe

We the representatives of the Government, political parties, civil society and the public of Kenya;

Having gathered at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi on Wednesday, June 25, 2008 to deliberate on the escalating political, economic, social and security crisis in Zimbabwe;

Having affirmed our unity and solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe;

Cognizant of the consensus of African and World Opinion expressing serious concerns on the tragic and deteriorating situation in Zimbabwe;

Desirous of entrenching democracy, peace, sustainable development and national healing in Zimbabwe do make the following resolutions:

RESOLUTIONS:

1.
The government and people of Kenya stand in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe as they struggle for democracy, peace and development.

2.
The people and government of Kenya demand the postponement of elections in Zimbabwe until conditions are created that will enable free and fair elections - in the event that the run off proceeds under the current conditions, the Kenya government and its people shall not recognize a leadership under a flawed process;

3.
We condemn the blatant violations of human rights and demand that Robert Gabriel Mugabe and ZANU-PF take immediate steps to end the campaign of state terror and violence against peaceful, democracy seeking people of Zimbabwe;

4.
We call for the immediate release of Tendai Biti MP and Secretary General of the MDC and the party's chief mediator; all MDC leaders, lawyers arrested because of their defense of political, constitutional and human rights freedoms and all other Zimbabweans currently languishing in prison on trumped up charges;

5.
We condemn the gagging of the media, the harassment and repression of journalists in Zimbabwe and demand that the illegitimate Mugabe regime immediately restore the freedom of the press, freedom of expression and other fundamental rights;

6.
We support the efforts of the African Union to broker peace and foster democratic development in Zimbabwe but call for change of approach. Specifically we call upon the AU and its member states:

a) Not to recognize Robert Gabriel Mugabe's illegitimate presidency;

b) Declare the purported run off scheduled for June 27, 2008 as illegal, illegitimate and inconsequential;

c) Note that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission is discredited and should be reconstituted for a fresh election;

d) Take decisive action to intervene in the Zimbabwe crisis up to and including the "Anjuan Option";

e) Send in a peace-keeping force to stop the spate of violence, atrocities, especially crimes against humanity;

f) Replace President Mbeki from spearheading the negotiations because of his overt bias towards Mugabe and dismal failure to oversee a credible mediation process.

7.
The AU must take immediate steps to adequately address the human rights and humanitarian crisis in Zimbabwe among them;

a) Put together a major regional fact-finding mission on gross human rights violations; with special attention to questions of sexual violence and abrogation of the rights of women and children;

b) Call upon the Peace & Security Council of the AU to hold an urgent and special session on Zimbabwe;

c) Demand for the postponement of t he run off election of the 27th June, 2008.

8.
The people and government of Kenya are fully behind the recent UN Security Council unprecedented and unanimous decision to censure the Mugabe regime's anti-democratic determination to hold fraudulent elections in a climate of fear and intimidation as he holds the people of Zimbabwe at ransom;

9.
We call upon and encourage the victors and the losers in the March 29 elections in Zimbabwe to embrace dialogue in order to work out a framework for a sustainable democratic transition on the basis of electoral results, truth and justice;

10.
We pledge to use all democratic methods to protest the human rights violations and repressive policies of the discredited Mugabe-ZANU PF regime And we will take all steps within the law to promote the human rights, political freedoms and peace in Zimbabwe;

11.
We reaffirm our solidarity and support for Zimbabwean IDPs inside the country and Zimbabwean refugees and exiles outside the country. In this connection we call upon the AU member states to make special provisions for any Zimbabwean asylum seekers and refugee claimants seeking protection anywhere within the continent.

12.
We call upon the international community to impose targeted sanctions on Mugabe, and his coterie both in government and ZANU PF and their immediate families by:

1.
Revoking and or denying visas of any kind;
2.
Freeze their assets anywhere in the world;
3.
Hold Mugabe culpable for the violent use and abuse of Zimbabwean youth in perpetrating violence, crimes against humanity, repression and economic sabotage in the country;
4.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) should institute investigations against Mugabe for crimes against humanity.

13.
We condemn all the world leaders and states that are coddling and condoning the pariah Mugabe regime while African citizens in that country are dying and languishing in Mugabe's dungeons;

14.
We call upon all democracy seeking human rights defenders around the world to pitch camp outside the diplomatic missions of Zimbabwe around the world on Friday June 27th, 2008 in solidarity with the people of Zimbabwe;

Signed for the Government of Kenya;
Rt. Hon. Raila Amolo Odinga, Prime Minister of Kenya
Hon. Moses Wetangula, MP, Minister for Foreign Affairs

Signed for Centre for Multi-Party Democracy-Kenya
Prof. Larry Gumbe, Chairperson
Njeri Kabeberi, Executive Director

Signed for the National Civil Society Congress
Ann Njogu
Kepta Ombati

Signed for Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice
Harun Ndubi
Mugambi Kiai

Signed for Bunge la Mwananchi
George Nyongesa
Kelly Musyoka

Is It Okay For A Drug Baron To Be In Government?

See the more recent: Visa Ban And Drug Barons in Government

Even as thousands of Kenyans flee the country mainly as economic refugees, many others know this republic as a land of unlimited opportunity and potential. Several continue to grow fabulously rich literally overnight.

Sadly this does not happened from doing legitimate business. And as the leaked Kroll report confirmed, the business of illegal drugs is very closely linked and intertwined to the politics of the land. The Kroll report names one of retired President Moi's sons as a major drug dealer during his dad's long reign in power. Actually the contents of that report came as no surprise to those who know Kenya well.

Take the town of Malindi as an example. What kind of business do all those fabulously wealthy Italians do there exactly? What is it with the numerous planes that land and take off on the exotic Kenyan holiday town every day? What are they carrying? Does anybody bother to search them? Who cares that the aroma of narcotics will hit you in many parts of the town at any time of the day or night? Is the government aware of all this? Of course it is. Please don’t ask the naïve question of why they are not doing anything about it. This is Kenya.

Indeed one has to be extremely careful when asking such questions and even writing about them in the public domain as Kumekucha’s own Chris found out recently. Even an anonymous blogger writing too deeply about the drug business in Kenya and naming names cannot quite stay hidden within the borders of our republic. In fact one of the quarters Chris suspected that threats on his life were coming from was from drug kingpins he has written about in the past.

But the question I would like to pose in this post is this; Is it okay for drug barons to be in government and to even sponsor major political parties in Kenya (name with-held here because I plan on staying in Kenya)?

We have seen in this forum that most Kenyans do not think that the private life and behaviour of a public figure has any bearing on their possible performance in office. Indeed if the comments posted in this blog in recent times are to be believed then Kenyans would care less if they are led by a high class prostitute or international drug dealer as long as the person is charismatic and well-liked and must absolutely have plenty of cash. Ethics and a good name count for nothing in these shores. Perhaps that is why total man Nicholas Biwott once said that the only thing he fears is poverty. Implying at the time he made the remarks that a good or bad name was of no consequence as long as you had the money. Time has proved those remarks to be fairly accurate. Although he is out of parliament Mr Biwott continues to run the businesses he did not have when he took public office and allegations against him (some of which adequate evidence exists to prosecute according to people who should know like retired Scotland yard sleuth, John Troon) are not being pursued by anybody. In sharp contrast people with a good name like former ethics PS John Githongo remain in exile. So it is true. Whatever you do in Kenya, just don’t be poor.

More evidence that Kenyans care less about the character of those who lead them can be found in the composition of the 10^th parliament. Although the electorate did the commendable thing of throwing out one well known drug dealer, Kenyans elected numerous other crooks to replace him.

Yesterday I felt like throwing up (as Chris would put it), as I watched legislator Stanley Githunguri tell a local TV presenter (on Citizen or K24, can’t quite remember which TV station) that we must now fight corruption in the country as a matter of urgency. He added that a fortune can be saved by dealing with corruption. How did Mr Githunguri make his money? When most readers of this blog were either unborn or too young to know what was going on, this man embezzled a fortune in public funds from the National bank of Kenya. He stayed out of the courts and jail because of corruption. Indeed corruption got him where he is today.

So now the same chap wants to fight corruption? Give me a break!!

The most frightening thing in all this is the fact that politics in Kenya is controlled by money, meaning that nobody really cares where that money has come from. Drug money, blood money, money from human trafficking? Who cares?

Lete pesa.

How much money are you losing daily because you cannot be found on Google by people eager to give you money? Find out, you'll be shocked!