Monday 30 July 2018

BALALA PRESS BRIEFING

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PRESS STATEMENT BY HON. NAJIB BALALA, EGH, CABINET SECRETARY MINISTRY OF TOURISM & WILDLIFE DURING THE RELEASE OF RESULTS OF THE INDEPENDENT INQUIRY INTO THE DEATHS OF RHINOS TRANSLOCATED FROM NAIROBI AND LAKE NAKURU NATIONAL PARKS TO TSAVO EAST RHINO SANCTUARY
As I had indicated in my last address to you following the death of nine rhinos translocated from Nairobi and Lake Nakuru National Parks to Tsavo East National Park Rhino Sanctuary in an operation which started exactly one month ago, I established an independent inquiry team to investigate the circumstances that resulted in the loss of these rhinos.
The team’s mandate was to establish the circumstances under which the rhinos died after arriving and being released in the Tsavo East National Park Rhino Sanctuary.
The team included:
1. Mr. Benson Omondi Samson (Assistant Suprentindent of Police, Criminal Investigation and Chairperson of the Inquiry Team); 
2. Prof. Peter Karuri Gathumbi (Professor of Veterinary Pathology, University of Nairobi); 
3. Dr. Kuria Gachungia (Officer in Charge Pathology lab, Directorate of Veterinary Services); 
4. Dr. David Zimmerman (Senior Veterinary Manager, Veterinary Services of SanParks); 
5. Dr. Patrick Omondi (Ag. Director, Research & Innovation, State Department for Wildlife); and
6. Chief Inspector of Police Peter Thiane Kilemi (In charge Criminal Intelligence Bureau, Eastern Bureau.

The loss of the nine rhinos in a protected area arising from an exercise run by Kenya Wildlife Service, with the support of partners, has shocked the Nation, the Global Conservation World and, more importantly, even the KWS staff themselves.
The former Board of Trustees had, for the record, approved the translocation of the rhinos to Tsavo East subject to the timing and monitoring of the water supply for suitability at the time of the translocation.
According to the Inquiry team, the cause of all the deaths was due to multiple stress syndrome intensified by salt poisoning and complicated by the following conditions: dehydration, starvation, proliferation of opportunistic bacteria in upper respiratory tract (Pasteurella species), gastric ulcers and gastritis.
The independent inquiry further showed there were areas of clear negligence that occurred post translocation at the release site in Tsavo, especially in the holding BOMA at the sanctuary. These included poor co-ordination and communication among officers that were responsible for pre-translocation studies, including biomass assessments; environmental impact assessments and water quality assessments. The results of the water assessments were hardly considered before execution of the operation.
The investigators found unacceptable professional negligence among the following officers, who are forthwith suspended pending further disciplinary action to be taken as appropriate by the Board of KWS:
1. Dr. Samuel Kasiki - Deputy Director Biodiversity, Research & Monitoring, whose portfolio includes co-ordinating line departments and providing final advice on best science on management. Poor Co-ordination between various research line departments and its field and HQ staff hampered the proper decision making in execution of this exercise. For example, the Ecological Monitoring Department failed to provide water quality assessment testing results to the Head of Veterinary Services before the final decision on translocation was made. The Species Ecological Monitoring and the Veterinary & Capture Services Department worked in parallel in most instances.
2. Dr. Francis Gakuya - the Head of Veterinary and Capture Services - Chaired the final translocation planning exercise and disregarded the checklist of pre-translocation exercise. He also failed to advise the DG to stop the Nakuru rhino translocation and shows total disregard to the welfare of the animals. He also failed to ensure co-ordination of Veterinary Officers, particularly after the animals were released in Tsavo.
3. Dr. Isaac Leekolol - Head of Capture Services to take responsibility on the improper care of the animals at the holding boma with total disregard of the welfare of the animals.
4. Mr. Felix Mwangangi the Senior Warden Tsavo East to take responsibility for showing total disconnect on this crucial exercise between Tsavo East National Park management and the capture operation team at the sanctuary.
5. Dr. Mohammed Omar - Head of Ecological Monitoring for having failed to provide the salinity level moniting to the translocation planning team.
6. Mr. Fredrick Odock Lala - Senior Scientist Tsavo who was responsible for advising and monitoring of all aspects of suitability of the area.
In consultation with the Chair, I am appointing the following officers to KWS:
1. Dr. Charles Musyoki, who is currently the Principal of the KWS Training Institute, as the acting Director-General with immediate effect.
2. Dr. Patrick Omondi, who is the Director Research, Monitoring and Strategic Initiatives at the State Department of Wildlife and previously Deputy Director of Species Conservation and Management Division, as the acting Director of Biodiversity Division.
3. Mr. Julius Kimani to revert to his previous position as Director of Parks and Reserves.
I also direct the KWS Board to comprehensively examine the general weaknesses in the command and control structure of the organization, which has shown serious anomalies evident from this debacle. In addition, the Board will also review the senior management structure to align clear reporting lines.
I am also direct the Board, through the Chair, to examine the involvement of NGOs and establish clear protocols of engagement.
I, likewise, direct that two temporary positions created by the former Board of Chief Operating Officer and Advisor to the DG be abolished immediately.
-ENDS-

Sunday 29 July 2018

Trust Jarabuon at your own risk:Banana Peddler

Dear "Other" Kenyans, In Love And Politics, Trust KIKUYUS At Your Own Risk
-By The Albert Nyakundi Amenya aka The Banana Peddler Himuselefu

Shakespeare said in Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear 
Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves”

When I tell my fellow compatriots not to trust Kikuyus in anything political, they never trust me. Kikuyus are hypocrites and cannot be trusted. They will only bring you closer when they want something from you. If you see a Kikuyu bringing you close, it is because there is something they are gaining from you. Even their women, if you are a non-Kikuyu man for instance, and have a beautiful Kikuyu wife or girlfriend, what binds you is your money. Not love. – Please.
Show me one black-broke-Luo man successfully that married a beautiful brown-skin Kikuyu girl and lived happily after. If you are a Westerner and happen to be espoused to a Yellow-Yellow Kikuyu woman, know from today that she doesen’t love you. She loves your money and that is the truth. I am not asking you to divorce her, I am only reminding you of the time bomb that might explode the moment you are officially declared bankrupt, hence, resourceless. If you want to confirm my statement, go back in the evening and tell her you’ve lost your job. She will never be the same again.
I nonetheless take courage to admit that we men from Western Kenya are idiots. We know the consequences of marrying these people but we still do it anyway. To confirm our stupidity, a Luo man marries a Kikuyu woman but the only Language known and spoken by ‘his’ children are Gikuyu. The only thing they know about Luo is that their father is one. If you ask them their tribe, they will proudly tell you they are Kikuyus. Isn’t that stupidity?
A Kisii man marries a Kikuyu woman but all the second names of his children are Matheri, Wanugu, Nyambura, and Nyagothie, amarieta ye’ Chisimbiri nyamoibi. There is nothing like Nyakundi, Kwamboka, Osoro, Nyangeti, Onkubokia or Nyabicha, very beautiful names. Isn’t that the highest degree of foolishness? A
Luhya man marries a Kikuyu woman and they live in Nairobi but the only Ushago his children know is that of their mother’s side, Nyeri and not Khwisero. The only grandmother and grandfather they know are their mother’s parents. Worse still, they refer to their grandparents as Guka and Shosho – whatever the spellings – but not in Bukusu or Maragoli.
You see, if you are a Luo man married to a Luo woman, or are a Kisii man married to a Kisii woman, or are a Luhya man married to a Luhya woman, no man, money or lack of it, will put you asunder. With, or without food in the house, the situation remains normal. The love remains uninterrupted. She will make love to you as usual without making any changes. But my friend, if you are married to a Kikuyu woman and she sleeps hungry once, that night be sure that the atmosphere will change. There will be no peace in that house. She will either take it to sleep on the couch, or sloop with you on the same bed with her face glued to the wall.
Any attempt to touch her will be met with maximum force of rejection. She will avoid you as if you were suffering from leprosy. The next morning, she will pack everything, take all your children and go rent her house. Funny enough, the most intriguing nuance about Kikuyu women is how they bewitch your children that even if they are over eighteen, they will pick her side when you disagree. If you fight with their mother, they will join forces and beat you like mburukenge. If you divorce, they will go with their mother. 
KIKUYUS Are Hypocrites In Politics Too..

The same applies when it comes to politics. Kikuyus are hypocrites. They are political vultures and opportunistic. They are masters at deception. Before the re-election of Uhuru Kenyatta as President, members of the Kikuyu community confessed that through Jubilee, Uhuru and Ruto would rule for 20 years, 10 for Uhuru and the remaining 10 for Ruto. Because Kikuyus wanted the electoral support of Kalenjins, they baptized their son William Ruto in waters of accolades. It was evident that minus the Kalenjin vote, Uhuru would not have been re-elected as President.
Kalenjins delivered and now they want to kick them out. One might castigate me for unmasking political opportunistic tendencies of the Kikuyus but I believe it is imperative to stand on the right side of history and believe in the courage of your conviction. The problem with Kenyans is that when you behave normal in an abnormal society, they say you are abnormal. But when you exhibit abnormal behaviors in a normal society, they canonize and glorify you. Kenya is a nation full of contradictions.
After using William Ruto and Kalenjins, now they are dumping them. In order for them to successfully do it, they realize they need the backing of Raila and Luos. As a result, they have purportedly accommodated Raila and Luos in their government. But Raila and Luos seem to have shorter memories. They have fallen to their hypocrisy and sunk with their heads. But one must ask, are these Kikuyus not the same people that used to admonish Raila and Luos, calling them all sorts of names when they were fighting over power?
The other day Moses Kuria was given a heroic welcome in Kisumu by Luos. But isn’t this the same Moses Kuria that gave machetes to his brothers – members of the Mungiki – and ordered them to circumcise and kill all Luos starting with Raila? What changed? Yesterday Moses Kuria was the greatest enemy of the Luos but today he is their dearest friend. What changed? The fact remains that Kikuyus have never, and will never love Luos, unless for temporary political convenience. Kikuyus have never, and will never love Kalenjins unless for temporary political convenience. In fact, Kikuyus have never, and will never love non-Kikuyus (including their slaves Merus) unless for temporary political convenience.
As a humble Banana Peddler from banana land, I wish to caution members of the Luo community not to make fun of the Kalenjin rejection by Kikuyus. Sio ati nyinyi ni wazuri saaana. Sio ati wakikuyu wanapenda saana vile mnajidanganya. Unless you are fools but the clever ones know I am right because they are aware of whom they are dealing with. The same fake love they are showing you, they showed it to Kalenjins when they we dealing with you, before turning against you.
Now they are showing the same love while dealing with Kalenjins but its just a matter of time. When their mission is done, when they get rid of Kalenjins and take full charge of government as we head to the next elections, they will kick you out again and invite Kalenjins afresh to deal with you. But until then, time will tell. Otherwise, you’ll come looking for me here in Kisii town where I merchandize my bananas and tell me I was right.
albertamenya@yahoo.com
(The writer sells bananas in the streets of Kisii town)

Details of ex-Sudan VP John Garang's death

John Garang
Former South Sudan rebel leader John Garang. PHOTO | THEMBA HADEBE 
By RISDEL KASASIRA 
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On Thursday July 28, 2005, South Sudan Liberation Movement/Army leader, Col John Garang, rang President Yoweri Museveni and told him he wanted to meet him over important issues about the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed with the Khartoum government in January 2005 in Naivasha, Kenya.
Garang had only three weeks earlier been appointed First Vice President of Sudan as part of the implementation of the CPA.
Garang left Juba, South Sudan, the next morning on July 29 by chartered Ilyushin aircraft, arriving at Entebbe International Airport at about 12pm.
He was received at Entebbe by then vice president Gilbert Bukenya and then State minister for Regional Cooperation Augustine Nshimye.
'SECRET' TRIP
He was ushered into the VIP Lounge as preparations were finalised to fly him to President Museveni’s country home in Rwakitura.
Mr Museveni had returned to his country home to vote in the referendum on the return of political parties that was held the previous day.
After a one-hour wait, the presidential chopper taxied next to the VIP Lounge and Garang boarded; seen off by Mr Bukenya and Mr Nshimye.
His chartered plane remained parked at the airport; it was expected to fly him back at 6pm.
As the First Vice President of Sudan, a position he had held for only three weeks, he was entitled to a State aircraft, but sources say he didn’t inform the Khartoum government about his trip to Uganda.
RWAKITURA TALKS
There are reports that he had told Khartoum that he would spend that weekend at New Site (New Cush), near the border with Kenya, an area he had used during the civil war as his headquarters because its forest cover was good concealment against bombardment by the Sudanese planes.
John Garang
This file photo taken on July 9, 2011 shows a large crowd waving the flag of the new Republic of South Sudan during the unveiling of a statue of late South Sudan rebel leader and first Vice-President John Garang during a ceremony celebrating the independence of South Sudan from Sudan in the capital Juba. PHOTO | ROBERTO SCHMIDT | AFP
But he spent two days in Rwakitura, according to Museveni’ narration during the funeral services of the crash victims at Kololo Airstrip.
During the same funeral service President Museveni said: “My fallen comrade rang me on Thursday (July 28) and said he wanted to talk to me about some very important things about his people, Africa and beyond...”
They spent the two days together. Mr Museveni and Garang discussed the CPA signed in January the same year between Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, which marked the end of the second Sudanese civil war that had started in 1983.
GARANG PRESSURED BY US
The agreement gave a six-year interim period, at the end of which the people of South Sudan were given the right to vote in a self-determination referendum to decide whether to remain united with Sudan or to secede.
On July 9, 2011 the interim period would come to an end and South Sudan would vote to become the world’s newest nation, six years after Garang’s death.
President Museveni, who had strongly supported SPLA/M for many years, was quoted in the media saying then Army Chief Lt Gen Aronda Nyakairima was later summoned to attend the meeting in Rwakitura.
There is scanty information about what was discussed in that meeting but on August 8, Mr Museveni told the mourners at the funeral service of the Ugandan victims at Kololo Airstrip that they talked about the SPLM negotiations with Khartoum and how the then US president George W. Bush’s official envoy for Peace in Sudan, John Danforth, had been putting Garang under pressure before the agreement was signed.
AFRICA'S AUTONOMY
Before the agreement was signed, Garang had insisted – and told President Bush’s administration – that there were key issues that had not been concluded and, therefore, it was not the right time to sign the accord.
President Museveni would later write to President Bush explaining Garang’s position and the US president agreed to stop pressuring Garang to sign the agreement.
He even took time during the funeral service to chide the West for pressuring Garang to sign the peace deal when the parties had not agreed on key issues.
“Why guarantee a bad agreement when you can sign an acceptable one? I don’t accept this idea of Western countries guaranteeing for us.
"Africans should guarantee their own destiny. I told them that how can they guarantee when their governments are seasonal,” he was quoted as saying in the media.
RETURN FLIGHT
The meeting was supposed to have taken only a few hours on Friday and Garang would fly back the same day.
John Garang
South Sudanese President Salva Kiir (left) and his Ugandan counterpart Yoweri Museveni pay their respect at the mausoleum of war hero John Garang, during celebrations marking three years of independence in Juba on July 9, 2014. PHOTO | NICHOLE SOBECKI | AFP
However, there was a change of schedule and Garang’s chartered aircraft was instructed to fly back on the evening he arrived.
His return flight the next day [Saturday] would be arranged by his host.
After the meeting on Saturday, Garang was supposed to travel direct to New Site (New Cush) in South Sudan, not Juba where his incoming flight originated.
The task to fly back Garang fell on the shoulders of the pilot of the presidential helicopter, Lt Col Peter Nyakairu.
According to our sources, Lt Col Nyakairu did not like the idea of flying direct from Rwakitura to New Site (New Cush) because he didn’t want to carry too much fuel.
'PERFECT' PLANE
He decided to fly from Rwakitura to Entebbe to refuel and then continue to New Site (New Cush).
President Museveni told the mourners in Kololo that before the plane took off, him, Garang and Nyakairu had sat under a tree and talked about the journey.
The MI-172 helicopter had extra fuel tanks and had been freshly overhauled, Mr Museveni said.
Earlier on Thursday, President Museveni had flown on the same helicopter to Mbarara and returned to Rwakitura before Garang used it.
“I told Garang that the plane was very well-equipped with modern gadgets. It also had extra fuel tanks. Nyakairu was confident but did not like the idea of carrying too much fuel,” Mr Museveni said during the funeral service.
PASSENGERS
The plane took off at 5:30pm, one-and-a-half hours before sundown; and Mr Museveni advised that if it got late, Garang could sleep anywhere in Uganda like Gulu, Soroti or Mbale.
From Rwakitura, the helicopter landed in Entebbe to refuel before setting off for New Site (New Cush).
On board, there were three flight crew members, one cabin attendant and nine others.
They were: Col Nyakairu (pilot), Capt Paul Kiyimba (co-pilot), Major Patrick Kiggundu (flight engineer), Lt Johnson Munanura (jet officer), Corporal Hassan Kiiza (signaler), Lillian Kabaije (stewardess/hostess) and Samuel Bakowa (protocol officer).
The Sudanese were: Dr Garang, the man who fought Khartoum government for years, Lt Col Mayin, Lt Col Amat Malwa, Lt Aboki Abur, Lt Juma Mayin and Lt Majok Deng Knany.
SPLA CRISIS MEETING
They set off from Entebbe and headed for South Sudan with hope of safe travel but after one hour, the plane went off the radar.
It is not clear at exactly what time the utility chopper went off the radar but it crashed in the Zulia Mountains, 11 miles from the Ugandan border.
After the plane went missing, President Museveni said he called Garang’s wife, Rebecca Nyandeng Garang, and the SPLA leadership.
After his phone call, the SPLA leadership went for a crisis meeting in Rumbek as panic and uncertainty gripped the SPLA rank and file, an army the late Garang had founded and controlled for 21 years.
John Garang
Sudanese vice-president Ali Osman Taha (left) and Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) leader John Garang celebrate after signing an agreement on security issues, seen as a key step in reaching a comprehensive accord to end Africa's longest war, in the Kenyan town of Naivasha on September 25, 2003. PHOTO | SIMON MAINA | AFP
At the same time, Khartoum was also not sure what would happen.
Garang had just signed the peace deal for power-sharing but some SPLA leaders wanted to secede, not-sharing power with Khartoum.
SEARCH MISSION
There was a possibility that the group that didn’t agree with the power-sharing agreement would cause internal revolt within SPLA/M.
Officials in Khartoum were making frantic calls, trying to find out what was happening at the SPLA meeting in Rumbek.
Ugandan and Sudanese forces started searching for the missing plane on Sunday morning.
On Monday, President Museveni said the search had been ongoing in Kidepo without success.
“Since [Sunday] morning, we have been searching the Kidepo area to locate the chopper without success,” a statement issued by Museveni said.
NO SURVIVORS
Later on Monday, the wreckage was found with no survivors.
The SPLA, Ugandan, US, Russian and Kenyan investigators visited the crash site, inspected the bodies and recovered the black box.
There were reports the pilot tried to make an emergency landing at New Kush region of southern Sudan but failed because of bad weather and headed back south.
Mr Museveni said weather reports showed rain in the area.
Garang’s body was later taken to New Site (New Cush) for rebel fighters and civilian supporters to pay their respects to their leader, who swore to die fighting for the “liberation” of black Sudanese.
On August 7, SPLA/M held Garang’s funeral in Juba.
FUNERAL SERVICE
South African President Thabo Mbeki, Kenya’s Mwai Kibaki, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and former Kenyan president Daniel arap Moi attended the funeral.
President Museveni had on August 5 gone to Yei, viewed the body of his former ally and returned home.
He told mourners in Yei that there could have been “external factor” that caused the crash.
When asked why President Museveni didn’t attend, the then Information Minister, Nsaba Buturo, said the president was devastated.
Mr Buturo, who is currently the MP for Bufumbira East told the media that President Museveni could not comprehend “a situation where you have just been with someone, given him your helicopter and manpower, then he just perishes like that”.
MEDIA BELEAGUERED
But during the funeral service of the Ugandan victims at Kololo, President Museveni dismissed Buturo’s remarks, saying: “Freedom fighters don’t get devastated over tragedies otherwise you lose direction or bearing.
"We must maintain constant vigilance, constant mistrust and constant mobility. Let us be thorough in our investigation.”
He warned the media over what he called “meddling in security issues without consulting authorities” because of the stories that had been written about the crash.
He described some media houses as vultures.
In the same week, KFM radio was closed and Andrew Mwenda, who was the host of Andrew Mwenda Live show, was arrested for questioning, after he claimed Uganda was responsible for Garang’s death.
INVESTIGATION
President Museveni set up an investigations team co-chaired by the former Minister John Nasasira, former army boss the late Maj Gen James Kazini, the then Internal Affairs and now Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda and the former Minister Beatrice Wabudeya.
The team visited the crash site, analysed the flight data record/cockpit voice recorder in Uganda, Russia and the US, interviewed key UPDF personnel, and Civil Aviation Authority.
John Garang
Kenya's president Mwai Kibaki (centre) talks to Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) leader John Garang (right) on April 2, 2003 as Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir (left) looks on, when the two met at the state house in Nairobi. PHOTO | SIMON MAIAN | AFP
JSC Kazan helicopters, the manufacturers of the helicopter were also interviewed.
One year later, the report was released and it indicated a string of pilot errors was to blame for the helicopter crash.
The report cited a decision to fly without the aid of electronic navigation equipment in deteriorating weather and failure to take note of how close the helicopter was to the terrain of the crash.
The report, issued simultaneously in Sudan and Uganda, also said the flight AF 602 accident was partly caused by inadequacies in operational systems.
The report identified the probable causes of the crash as failure to maintain horizontal and vertical situational awareness of the helicopter as proximity to the surrounding terrain, resulting in inadequate clearance and controlled flight into terrain.
The Uganda team, and US expert Dennis Jones of the US National Transport Safety Board - who was in charge of the investigation - was part of the probe team.
****
TIMELINE
ARRIVAL
  • On Thursday July 29, 2005, Garang arrives in Entebbe to meet President Museveni over important issues.
  • After one-hour at the VIP Lounge, he is flown on the presidential chopper to Rwakitura to meet Mr Museveni
  • He spends two days in Rwakitura with President Museveni. Then army chief Aronda Nyakairima attends part of the meeting.
  • After meeting Mr Museveni, Garang is flown back from Rwakitura on July 30, 2005, with a stopover at Entebbe to refuel enroute to New Site (New Cush) in South Sudan.
  • The chopper sets off from Entebbe and heads for South Sudan with hope of safe travel but after one hour, the plane goes off the radar.
  • On Monday, the wreckage is found with no survivors. Investigators visit the crash site, inspect the bodies and recover the black box.

Saturday 28 July 2018

Betty Murungi new diplomatic job puts Kenya in odd position

Human rights lawyer Betty Murungi.
Human rights lawyer Betty Murungi. She will serve as a member of Commission of Inquiry on the 2018 protests in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP 
By KITAVI MUTUA
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The appointment of human rights lawyer Betty Murungi to the UN Commission of Inquiry into the 2018 protests in the occupied Palestinian territory has put Kenya in an awkward diplomatic position.
Kenya opposed the UN resolution that established the commission to investigate alleged human rights violations and abuses in the Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip.
When the resolution No S-28/1 came for debate on May 18, during the 28th Special Session of UN Human Rights Council, Kenya abstained from voting, in apparent solidarity with Israel which lobbied hard against it.
According to records from the United Nations Human Rights Council on how member states voted, Kenya abstained from the vote, alongside Croatia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Panama, Republic of Korea, Rwanda, Slovakia, Switzerland, Togo, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
VOTED AGAINST
However, the resolution was adopted by a majority recorded vote of 29 to 2, with 14 abstentions — where Australia and United States voted against it.
After Human Rights Council President Ambassador Vojislav Šuc (Slovenia) this week announced Ms Murungi’s appointment, Kenya’s stand against the establishment of the commission of inquiry came into scrutiny.
Ms Murungi was on Wednesday chosen together with David Michael Crane (United States) and Sara Hossain (Bangladesh) to serve as members.
Her appointment came as a surprise to Foreign Affairs ministry in Nairobi and Kenyan diplomats to the United Nations headquarters in New York as she had not been presented as a candidate nor lobbied for the job.
US-based law scholar Prof Makau Mutua said the appointment was a great honour for Ms Murungi but a shame for Kenya because it opposed the commission.
“It’s recognition of her towering status as a global human rights champion and authority. Unfortunately, Kenya cannot take credit for the appointment because it opposed the resolution establishing the commission,” Prof Makau tweeted.
MILITARY ASSAULTS
Efforts to get comments from Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Monica Juma were futile, but the Kenya’s deputy permanent representative to the UN, Koki Muli, said Ms Murungi’s appointment was welcome.
She explained that the stand that Kenya took during the vote should be looked at based on the broader picture, context of foreign policy.
“We’re truly proud of Betty and we are also aware that her work in new assignment is going to be extremely difficult but Kenya will play its active role to lobby and persuade member states to support the new team” Ambassador Muli told the Nation in an interview.
Ms Muli downplayed reports that Kenya’s Mission to the UN didn’t expect her appointment saying the Human Rights Council President cannot appoint anyone without the support of the host country.
The commission of inquiry will look into the context of the military assaults on the large-scale civilian protests that began on March 30, this year, whether before, during or after; to establish the facts and hold to account those responsible.
TOP LAWYER
It has been directed "to establish the facts and circumstances, with assistance from relevant experts and special procedure mandate holders, of the alleged violations and abuses, including those that may amount to war crimes and to identify those responsible", a press release on its website says.
The Commissioners, who will serve in their personal capacities, were also requested by the Council “to make recommendations, in particular on accountability measures, all with a view to avoiding and ending impunity and ensuring legal accountability, including individual criminal and command responsibility, for such violations and abuses, and on protecting civilians against any further assaults”.
The Commission is scheduled to present an oral update to the Human Rights Council at its 39th session in September 2018, and a final, written report at its 40th session to be held in March 2019.
Ms Murungi is a lawyer who has practiced law at national, regional and international levels, and has experience in the management of non-governmental and non-profit organisations.
VAST EXPERIENCE
She served on the board of the Kenya Human Rights Commission and the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice, among others. She has background in international human rights in the context of violent conflict with experience in international criminal justice and accountability mechanisms.
The lawyer has also worked in Sierra Leone, Rwanda, Northern Uganda and South Sudan and served for a short period as Vice Chairperson and Commissioner to the Kenya Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission, and as the Africa representative on the Board of Directors of the Trust Fund for Victims at the International Criminal Court (2010- 2013).
The members will also be required to make recommendations aimed at ending impunity and boosting legal accountability of perpetrators of the violence.
The UN Human Rights Council is made of 47 Member States, which are elected by the majority of members of the General Assembly of the United Nations through direct and secret ballot.
The General Assembly takes into account the candidate States' contribution to the promotion and protection of human rights, as well as their voluntary pledges and commitments in this regard.

Tuesday 24 July 2018

West guilty of poll mess, says Kizza Besigye


Kizza Besigye
Uganda opposition leader Kizza Besigye during the launch of ‘Kenya: The Failed Quest for Electoral Justice’, at Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi on July 16, 2018. He praised Kenyans for their resilience. PHOTO | MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP 
By IBRAHIM ORUKO
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Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye has urged the West to rethink its strategies if voting is to have an impact on Africans.
Dr Besigye was delivering a keynote address during the launch of a book on last year's General Election in Kenya.
Kenya: The Failed Quest for Electoral Justice was written by Mr John Onyando, through a grant from the Kenya Human Rights Commission.
Dr Besigye said Western governments have had a negative influence in African elections out of a desire for stability.
SUSTAINABLE PEACE
“Let Western nations revisit their template on elections and invest in sustainable peace and stability underpinned by justice. There can never be peace and stability without justice,” Dr Besigye said at Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi.

Kizza Besigye
Uganda opposition leader Kizza Besigye (left) and John Onyando, author of ‘Kenya: The Failed Quest for Electoral Justice’, during the books' launch at Hotel Intercontinental, Nairobi on July 16, 2018. PHOTO. MARTIN MUKANGU | NATION MEDIA GROUP

The book examines the political events around the election within a historical framework and concludes that what was to be Kenya’s most free vote turned out to be its most tainted in the multi-party era.
Earlier, Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo said the insistence on placing stability ahead of legal and constitutional processes undermines the quest for justice.
DEMOCRACY
“We have succeeded in placing into our laws the idea of democracy and the requirement that every vote should count but we do not live by it,” Mr Amollo said.
Dr Besigye hailed the Kenyans for their resilience and the civil society for remaining steadfast, adding that they have made "a significant step in the democratic struggle".
The event was attended by Narc-K leader Martha Karua and former CJ Willy Mutunga.

Saturday 21 July 2018

This CEO Found Out His New Employee Had Walked 20 Miles to Work. His Response Was Extraordinary

A CEO gave his car to the new employee who walked all night to get to his first day of work on time.


The internet has been abuzz over the past day or two over a great motivational story. A new employee took an overnight 20-mile walk to avoid being late for his first day of work, and when the CEO heard about the employee's dedication, he gave the new worker his personal car to keep.
The young man's name is Walter Carr, and his resilience seems extraordinary--as does the generosity of his boss, Bellhops Moving CEO Luke Marklin. Moreover, the gift was strategically brilliant.
It likely raised the bar on employee dedication--a key part of a healthy work culture--and will attract other potential hires who want to work for a boss like that. The lesson here, however, isn't necessarily to give away your car.
Marklin's move was brilliant because it put Carr in the spotlight. That's because Carr demonstrated the two most important qualities all entrepreneurs must have: an internal locus of control and a high adversity quotient.

The two most important qualities all entrepreneurs must have

A person's "locus of control," a term from psychology, indicates the degree to which they believe they exert control over the outcomes of events in their lives.
If you have a high internal locus of control, then you fundamentally believe that good things happen because you work for them. It means you think the things that happen to you aren't your fault--they're the result of factors outside of your control. (Granted, there's a line between a high locus of control and self-delusion.)
Individuals who have a strong internal locus of control:
  • Are confident that success is possible. 
  • Assume leadership positions.
  • Exhibit greater control over their behavior.
  • Are lifelong learners, always looking for self-improvement.
  • Believe they're personally responsibility for both their actions and the outcomes of those actions.
  • See challenges as opportunities to come out stronger than before.
As entrepreneurs, we must believe we can "fix things." Otherwise, we'd lack the motivation to pursue change. Carr demonstrated his internal locus of control by taking matters into his own hands and walking.
Then, there's the "adversity quotient." All great entrepreneurs must be extremely resilient, or else they'd fold at the first sign of adversity.
My father used to describe a similar concept when he said: "Greatness isn't defined by how many times you get knocked down. Only how many times you get up." Carr clearly demonstrated resilience in his 20-mile walk.

How to develop these two qualities.

To increase your adversity quotient, I recommend three strategies:
  1. Take non-material risks. Pursue things that you will likely fail at. For me, that was basketball--it's fun, but I have zero athletic ability. Playing reminds me of the role failure plays in our lives. It keeps me humble.
  2. Talk to others. This is one of the reasons I love co-working locations: They allow you to "share your pain." Yes, misery loves company. More importantly, seeing others struggle similarly can be extremely powerful.
  3. Read deeper into your heroes. Read biographies of successful entrepreneurs you idolize. Nobody changes the world without struggling along the way. Expose yourself to the truth's hardships--the reality behind the success.
Developing an internal locus of control is slightly more difficult. It's also the single most important thing you can do to reduce the frequency, intensity, and duration of emotions like anger, anxiety, depression, and guilt. To develop your internal locus of control, I recommend focusing on the following mantras:
  1. Accept that you have a choice. You don't control the outside world, but you control how you react to it.
  2. Choose to take responsibility. At least for yourself, if not any outside factors.
  3. Eliminate any self-talk that undermines this, including "it's not my fault," "I have no choice," and "there's nothing I can do." Imagine how different Walter Carr's life would have been if he'd used any of these.
  4. Rinse, lather, repeat. Changing fundamental internal perspectives won't happen overnight. You'll need to work on this for a while.

Where to find employees with these qualities

If you can recognize these qualities within yourself, you can recognize them within potential employees. Workers with these two traits will go above and beyond, as Carr proved.
Where can you look to find them? Look to their recent pasts. Carr was no stranger to adversity and hardship: His family lost their home in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina, an experience I'd speculate hardened Carr's resolve.
That's why I think you should hire veterans, refugees, ex-cons, bursary winners, and people originally from impoverished neighborhoods. If you're handed two similar résumés but only one of them shows proof of resilience through lived experience, you should seriously consider choosing that person.
This brings us back to the CEO's response. What was so brilliant about it? It put an employee like Carr in the spotlight, associating the company with the key entrepreneurial traits of resilience and self-motivation.
Your turn.