The Financial Times has just put together a special feature report on Kenya. The FT has done a number of great articles on Kenya this year so I’m looking forward to reading the report – includes articles on the wave of kidnappings to hit Nairobi (just heard from a person in the know that the incidents are actually seriously under-reported); the Mau Forest; and the dithering stock exchange.
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Kenyan Pundit
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Financial Times Special Report on Kenya
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Blog find of the week: Africa is a Country
» Kenyan Pundit Africa is a Country – as tongue in cheek as it’s title, and great links to African artistes.
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On the Ibrahim Prize for African Leadership
» Kenyan Pundit Dear Mo Ibrahim,
If you were to ask me, I’d just scrap the prize altogether.
There’s been a lot of debate in the past week about the Prize Committee’s decision not to award a prize this year. From those who feel that this says a lot about the dire state of leadership in Africa, to those wondering why Kufuor the former president of Ghana didn’t qualify for the prize and what this means as far as the idea that the prize is meant to serve as an incentive.
And lets not forget the brouhaha about the governance index and how (whether?) to “Africanize” it. My two cents, while I’m at it, why not feed it to the Nepad African Peer Review Mechanism? It’s still slow but most countries are cooperating, there’s a whole infrastructure supporting it, and there’s that slight advantage of you know – the data being compiled in places that are not Cambridge, Massachusetts and Washington DC.
But I digress.
As far as the motivations behind the prize, you have written:
I have faced some criticism, with people suggesting I am trying to bribe leaders to do their jobs, and therefore patronising them, to others asking me why I have not spent the money on bed nets and boreholes. The critics are failing to take into account how central governance and leadership are for Africa’s development. In addition, western leaders have a future after their time in office – they can sit on the boards of companies, take up speaking engagements or write memoirs. But what do decent, hard-working African leaders have to look forward to once they retire? This is part of the importance of our prize. It provides African leaders with the option of continuing a life in public service.
I don’t get how the prize enhances governance and leadership in Africa – the problem is that most African leaders today are thieving, corrupt, buffoons who spend their time in office lining up their pockets so deep that the Ibrahim prize is chump change and that issues of legacy are irrelevant (see e.g. “I have no regrets”Moi), but I do get the part that decent leaders need a plan B – post retirement…although the fact is that most of them are voting themselves very nice “exit” packages anyway (see Mozambique, Ghana) . But, rather than rewarding African leaders for doing what they should be doing as a matter of course, why not set up a fund where e.g. if they want to build a library, or write a book, or set up a business – they have to apply for the money. So they have a plan B, it’s just not automatic.
Better still. Just shift the foundation’s focus away from things that have a minimal impact on the future of African leadership…I mean the index and the prize are just as about as impractical you can get if you are serious about changing the face of African leadership…if you ask me.
What should you be doing then you ask?
Well, any organization that is trying to do any serious work around leadership in Africa has make young people the core of any programming. Otherwise you haven’t looked the demographics of Africa yet and seriously thought about the implications. Convincing the Mugabe’s of the world to step down, is only part of the problem – you have to ask who is replacing the old guard? Is there a pipeline? Are the replacements different? Or are they just a younger, hungrier, more cynical version of the same (see Kenya’s parliament today).
I see that your foundation does offer scholarships to rising leaders, that’s a good start. But if the intention is to grow leaders at home, I would offer scholarships to enable students to attend local institutions as well.
And scholarships are so inside the box.
How about a fund for young Africans who are running for office – they have to come up with a plan, sign a commitment to good governance, and commit to being open with their campaign and if they get elected with their voting records in Parliament, public declarations etc….sound a bit crazy? Maybe. But in comparison to a index of democracy…hhhm.
Or if that’s too political – a travel fund/scholarship for young Africans to travel within Africa and spend a month or 6 months or a year – living in a different country, doing community service, writing a book, taking pictures…whatever – the underlying idea being that they would have the opportunity to get to know their own continent, to expand their worldview in a different way, to network with their fellow Africans, and to start building cross-border relationships which are critical to the future of the continent (think trade, ease of travel, etc.). Really, the AU shouldn’t be the first thing that comes to mind when you think of opportunities for Africans to engage meaningfully.
Or, if that’s too wish wishy – an Africa corps then – sort of like a peace corps for Africans by Africans – open to those in Africa or the diaspora.
You get the point. The Mo Ibrahim foundation needs to jazz it up and be more disruptive, if you are really serious about more Mandelas, and not Mobutus.
Regards,
Ory
*KP readers, what you do differently? Indulge me please.
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Glad I dodged that bullet
» Kenyan Pundit A reminder of how grim Biglaw life can be.
Though I’m not so sure I’m under less pressure nowadays as a social entrepreneur in the tech space…the pressure to keep up and stay informed is intense.
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Former Mayor of Bogota to speak at University of Nairobi
» Kenyan Pundit The Institute for Transport and Development Policy, Institute for Development Studies (IDS)*, at the University of Nairobi and the Center for Sustainable Urban Development (CSUD)* at Columbia University’s Earth Institute are honored to invite you to a public lecture by Former Mayor of Bogotá, visionary politician and urban strategist, Enrique Peñalosa.
What is a Good City: Public Space, Transport, and Quality of Life
A talk by Enrique PeñalosaVENUE: Education Building, Main Campus, University of Nairobi
Friday, October 16, 2009
9AM – 12PM
During his tenure as mayor of Bogotá, Mr. Peñalosa was able to successfully transform a city defined as chaotic and hopeless into a city that is now an international model for urban development. Mr. Peñalosa will discuss how he championed this transformation through various efforts, including increased citizen involvement, creating a new and highly successful bus-based transit system, and turning a dilapidated downtown avenue into a dynamic pedestrian public space. Mr. Peñalosa will share the obstacles experienced, many of which are similar to those facing Nairobi, lessons learned during his tenure as Mayor of Bogotá, as well as the critical elements needed in urban development to achieve a higher quality of life.
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Blog find of the week: Al Jazeera Blogs
» Kenyan Pundit Al Jazeera TV is my first stop for wider and deeper coverage of international news on TV, especially when it comes to Africa. I think I can safely argue that no mainstream international news channel is covering Africa the way Al Jazeera is today (an aside: I think CNN’s Inside Africa is vastly improved).
So it’s fitting that I recommend Al-Jazeera blogs, for those of you interested in international news as seen from a different lens.
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Does Parenting Make you Better at Work?
» Kenyan Pundit Interesting article in the NYTimes.
In my experience parenting has made me better at work…how so?
- a lot more focused…no time to dilly-dally if you are managing a household with two kids under three;
- much better at seeing the bigger picture…kids give you perspective;
- better at multi-tasking (I’m mum, nurse, story-teller, cook, psychologist, arbitrator, negotiater, fixer of bubus, Teletubbies watcher, decider, etc.);
- better at decision making (is this worth going to the ER to or not?),
- and much much better at trusting my intuition (there is no playbook for parenting, 99% is trusting your gut).
What about you KP readers, has parenting made you better at work?
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Update on the Reconciliation agreements
» Kenyan Pundit The South Consulting report on the implementation of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) agreements, covering the period July-September 2009, can now be found on: [www.dialoguekenya.org]
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Blog find of the week: Discover JKUAT
» Kenyan Pundit Wow, what an eye-opener. We rarely think of Kenyan public universities as centers of innovation anymore (at least I don’t). So discovering the JKUAT blog has been a revelation. Plus so much of the news around Kenya is negative nowadays, hard to remember why we love our country so much some times.
Highlights for me - insights into mobile development classes taking place there and seeing just how impactful the partnership with MIT-AITI is (different model for aid perhaps…teach skills rather than support corrupt govts?).
It’s relatively new, a little over a month old so I hope they keep up with the content.
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Quick Hits: Oct 7
» Kenyan Pundit - Can Cape Town become South Africa’s Silicon Valley (interesting debate in the comments as well)? And Nairobi for East Africa?
- Is it just me, or is gender-based sexual violence now a requisite part of political violence (not just war) in Africa?
- Cave-dwelling blogger hasn’t spent money in 9 years. Um. OK.
- What entrepreneurs can learn from activists. Occasionally we can be practical
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African Fashion Mags In NY Times
» Kenyan Pundit 
Nice profile of African fashion magazines in the NYTimes, but the writer
should have consulted Binyavinga’s “How to write about Africa” piece before constructing that first paragraph
Sub-Saharan Africa does not bring to mind an image of a woman with perfectly manicured nails flipping through glossy magazines in search of the latest handbag or celebrity haircut.
…yeesh!
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Personal Maxims
» Kenyan Pundit Trying to get my blogging mojo back, and I have been spending quite a bit of time lately mentoring young students, and it occurred to me that as I’m settling into my 30s I’m developing a set of maxims that guide me…thought I’d share some of them.
- If you want to make something happen, I really believe in speaking it. Over and over again. No matter how long it takes to get there. Not just to yourself but to others. It makes it real, it forces you to develop a practical game plan and you become accountable.
- The word no won’t kill you. Learn to ask for what you want or go for what you want (women especially).
- On the flip said, learn to say no when it comes to things you don’t want.
- Lately I get asked about my work/family life balance or how I juggle. I don’t balance and I don’t juggle. Everything has to work around my family or it’s not happening.
- When you have children, remember that they are an addition to the family that is you and your partner – without this center the family is nothing…do not make your lives revolve around your kids.
- On the light side. No kiddie CDs in my car. Ever.
- If you don’t give back to your community/to society…it’s all meaningless.
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Our Turn to Eat Available via M-Pesa
» Kenyan Pundit Michaela Wrong’s book, “It’s Our Turn to Eat” is still not being openly sold in Nairobi in most book stores, so a small group of enterprising Kenyans have got together to import some copies of “It’s Our Turn to Eat” into Nairobi and sell them via the web, using Mpesa. They’re starting off with an experimental 150 copies, if it works they’ll step up the numbers. The books are available now, on: [www.thekenyashop.com] -
Reconciliation agreements report
» Kenyan Pundit The full South Consulting report on the implementation of the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation (KNDR) agreements covering the period May – June 2009 can be found here.
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Nairobi Book Fair Sep 23-27
» Kenyan Pundit Click here for more details.
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For Caroline Mutoko fans
» Kenyan Pundit She speaks at MINDSPEAK tomorrow (Saturday August 15th)
Time: 0930 am onwards:
Location: Nairobi WestGate Cinema -
Full Mau List
» Kenyan Pundit Supposedly full list of Mau beneficiaries who want compensation.
This is just pure thievery!
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African Arguments Online
» Kenyan Pundit If you haven’t been to African Arguments Online, definitely worth a visit. There’s an interesting series going on right now about post-election violence and justice in Kenya.
About the website:
Africa has long been the locus and the focus for the most impassioned and intellectually-informed debates. But for many years, specialist Africa coverage in the world’s media has been in decline, alongside the withering of many African journals and magazines that used to provide a forum for debate and opinion. African news and views have moved to the web, notably with the spectacular success of www.AllAfrica.com. But there has been no comparable Africa-wide site which provides in-depth analysis and debate of the issues and controversies that animate the continent today. With the launch of African Arguments Online we intend to fill this gap.
Three years ago we launched the book series ‘African Arguments’ with the International African Institute and Zed Books and distributed by Palgrave Macmillan in the USA. Our aim was to bring vigorous debates on the most pressing African issues to a wider audience. With eight books published and two more due shortly the series has quickly become a lively and high-quality imprint.
In launching African Arguments Online, we will bring these issues to a wider audience with the rapidity of a news magazine and the reach of the internet. We have asked a number of leading public intellectuals—writers, scholars, activists—to contribute regular columns.
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Documentary on Mungiki now on Youtube
» Kenyan Pundit Click here to watch this eye-opening documentary on Mungiki. I had blogged about the documentary a few months ago, I think it was airing on Discovery in the US.
As I keep saying, one of my big concerns is that this scenario is replicating itself all over Kenya.
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CDF Review Task Force Meetings
» Kenyan Pundit Public meetings being held in Nairobi tomorrow, see here for details.
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Kenya on the Brink Conference Video
» Kenyan Pundit In case you needed confirmation that Kenys is in the hands of a bunch of jokers (to put it mildly). Conference video is up here.
Hat tip @nairobinotes.
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Storymoja Hay Festival: 31st July – 2nd Aug
» Kenyan Pundit This looks AMAZING! Wish I could be there…
What is the Storymoja Hay Festival?
A three day international celebration of stories, ideas, writing and contemporary culture through storytelling, mchongoano, music, books, live discussion forums, demonstrations, workshops, open-mike sessions, debates, exhibitions, live performances and competitions. It is organised as collaboration between the Hay Festival (UK) and Storymoja, a young publishing company formed by five local writers.
The Storymoja Hay Festival will be held in a temporary ‘tented city’ at the Impala grounds and will include a main stage for live performances and competitions, and twelve themed tents in which twelve x 90 minute events will be held concurrently. Each event will be headlined by star guests in each particular field.
What is the purpose of the Storymoja Hay Festival?The festival hopes to encourage us to ‘own’ our problems by exploring our situations and stories, and search for solutions by generating platforms for discussion and debate. To achieve our 2030 vision, we need to read widely, discuss ideas, and exploit our diversity of stories/backgrounds for nation building. Simply put, the Storymoja Hay Festival is a celebration of ideas expressed in many forms.
Who is invited?
Day-long fun for the whole family with multiple events targeting men, women and children. Programmes will be published in the Nation, and distributed at ticket sales outlets including bookshops and Silver Bird Cinemas.
Where and when?Venue: Impala Club, Ngong Road, Nairobi
Dates: Friday 31st July, Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd August, 2009.
Cost
Adults: Ksh 500/ per day or buy in advance for Ksh 1000 for 3-days (has to be bought by 30th July)
Kids 6-12 yrs: Ksh 200/day or buy in advance for Ksh 400 for 3-days (has to be bought by 30th July)
Full programme online at Story Moja’s website. You may also contact: info@storymojaafrica.co.ke; or Millie@hayfestival.com. Telephone Millie, Carol, Liz or Sheila 0722 838 161 or 0736 758 392
Some highlights:
- Come listen and chat with an array of forty plus African and international writers, thinkers, filmmakers including Nobel Laureates: Wole Soyinka and Wangari Maathai, as well as academy award nominee Hanif Kureishi, million-book selling author Vikram Seth, BBC War Correspondent Kate Adie, professional UK storytellers Jan Blake and Daniel Morden, Head of UNEP Achim Steiner, rising African stars on international scene Petina Gappah, Mukoma wa Ngugi, Tony Kan, Chika Unigwe, Monica Arac, Judy Kibinge, Doreen Baingana, Dayo Forster, Parselelo Kantai, Sitawa Namwalie.
- Storymoja Master Storyteller Competition finals (hosted by Eric Omondi formerly of Churchill Live who won this title while still a student at Daystar)
- Mchongoano Challenge hosted by Xavier Nato, better known as Jemo on Wash and Set. Open to everybody. Come with your sharpest mchongoanos.
- Men Under Attack, a provocative discussion on the changing role of men in our society led by Oyunga Pala
- Fab at Forty Plus – Terry Mungai of Ashleys, Mildred Awiti and a host of fabulous women offer tips on how to look and stay Fab at Forty Plus
- What’s Hot/What’s Not on the Nairobi Stock Exchange? Aly Khan Satchu, author of Anyone Can Be Rich offers hot tips.
- Be Inspired Before You Expire: renowned motivational speaker from Congo, Pepe Minambo will renew your spirit!
- Rasna Warah proposes that International Aid Does More Harm than Good for our Country’s Development. Come join the big debate.
- Makini School will run a spelling Bee for children that anyone 6-14 years can register to join.
- Missing Voices: A discussion led by Hon Njoki Ndungu about those not/under represented on the political scene and what needs to be done to accommodate them.
- What is Kenya? ask those from marginalised communities in the North. Come join this important discussion and contribute your views about forming ONE Kenya.
- Green Profits: Biofuels, organic farming and eco-tourism are earning green profits for innovative eco-friendly entrepreneurs. Join Lorna Omuodo of the Jatropha Project and be inspired to seek green business solutions.
- The Kids Zone will host a range of organised and supervised activities including art & craft, song, dance, storytelling, puppet shows, face painting, bouncing castles etc. run by Storymoja in concert with a specialist children’s entertainment company, Motion and Arts. Those five and under need to be accompanied by an adult.
- Music concerts by East African artists: Matonya (Tanzania), Peter Myles (Uganda), Sauti Sol, Ground Zero and Antony Mwangi (Kenya ) will be the climax of each day’s entertainment.
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Commissioners for the Kenyan TJRC announced
» Kenyan Pundit Pretty solid line-up (see I’m not always critical of the govt!).
Amb. Bethuel A. Kiplagat – Chairman
Ms. Betty Murungi – Vice – Chairperson
Tom Ojienda
Ms. Margaret Wambui Ngugi Shava
Ms. Tecla Namachanja
Maj. Gen. (Rtd) Ahmed Sheikh FarahInternational Experts:
Ms. Gertrude Chawatama – Zambia
Berhanu Dinka – Ethiopia
Ronald Siye – United States of America -
Historical context of Isiolo/Samburu raids/violence
» Kenyan Pundit Underlying the recent flare-up of violence in the area is a complex history, and though the natural inclination is to dismiss the news reports as the typical “banditry” and “cattle-rustling” that goes on in Northern/North-Eastern Kenya and point to the current drought as the trigger (lack of water / pasture is playing a role but it’s not the full story), I think it’s helpful to try and unpack the reports that are coming in and offer the context that the mainstream media won’t offer. So I’m posting a bit of historical background from one of my sources below…feel free to add and/or challenge in the comments. You’ll realize that we know so very little about this Kenya of ours…where are our documenters? Writers? Story-tellers? Journalists? Historians?
My point with these posts is not to highlight the victimization of one side vs. the other (though victimization is happening), but to point out the following bigger picture concerns with an eye towards 2012: government interference on one side; the troubling easy access to arms; the implications growing spread of ethnic-based militia around the country; the disturbing role of Somalia/s; the powerful role of a provincial administration (grown exponentially under Kibaki) that is accountable to no one; the inability of the govt to secure the place.
P.S. Anyone looking to help get the story out, help in other ways please email me: kenyanpundit-at-gmail
On to the history…
Families close to my own first came back to Laikipia in very small numbers in the drought of 1980. After every 4-5 years most often in response to drought more and more Samburu families moved onto Western Laikipia. Many like bought land others just came. They all thought that they were coming back Home to the land they call Ndororr from which they had been evicted in 1922-23. When Kiliako age set were Warriors. Some Mekuri were initiated just on the Western boundary of P&D ranch in 1936 but after that Samburu settlement stopped on Laikipia stopped for nearly 50 years. except for those who still worked on the large commercial cattle ranches . The Samburu return was slow and steady and remarkably peaceful but by the mid 1990s there were a number of Government led initiatives to burn Samburu houses and bomas and force them to go back North and East. None of these efforts to move the Samburu was very effective. Until the Pokot finally got support from State actors.
In the mid 1990’s large numbers of Pokot and their cattle also moved onto western Laikipia where for several years they coexisted peacefully as, Latia, neighbors, with only minor exchanges of small stock theft. But at that time the Pokot were carrying out increasingly effective cattle raids against the Turkana in South Turkana district. These armed raids were going strongly already in the mid 1970’s and escalated dramatically after the Kenya police commissioner at the time Bernard Hinga went into partnership with the main Somali trading family based in Maralal and headed by Yusuf Mohammed Ismael where they shared a 5000 acre ranch in North Central Laikipia. At that time guns and ammunitions were being sold to both sides to speed up the incentive for both Turkana and Pokot to step up their cattle raiding to both steal and recover from raids on both sides.
It took nearly twenty years but the Pokots with greater access to political protection and power vastly reduced the herds held by the Turkana. The bulk of the Turkana poulation was driven into towns. The raids by Pokot were initiated in the very late 1990s as Turkana was destocked and attention shifted from raiding Turkana to raiding Western Samburu.
The Pokot boasted that they would “urbanize the Samburu” the same way we drove the Turkana off their range lands. After the Ogaden conflict of 1982-83 the Borana pastoral people lost their cattle being squeezed between Samburu and Somali and this surely set the stage for the recent attacks.
The past 3-4 years have been devastating to Samburu cattle herds with at least 11,000 herd being driven off by Pokot raiders without significant recovery or compensation. The raids are often described as reciprocal, mutual and traditional but in fact these days successful large scale cattle raiders require partnering with individuals who can support the raids with State Power.
In one incredible case the Samburu DC at the time was in the air in a police or GSU helicopter when the Pokot raiders (whom he was supporting) knocked him out of the sky with a lucky RPG round (they thought that since they had raided Samburu and were running off stolen stock that the Helicopter was trying to recover stolen stock so they killed the DC by mistake when he was just trying to be sure that the Pokot raiders got away unharmed! The widely shared Samburu reaction was that the DC had been cursed by Samburu women whose houses had been burnt six moths before in operations the DC had OK’d. He was quoted in the press at the time saying “It is not possible that any Samburu houses have been burned in the recent operations to get these nomads to go back to their home district since it is well known that the Samburu have no houses, instead they live in tiny huts made just of mud and sticks”!
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Kenya on the Brink: Democratic Renewal or Deepening Conflict?
» Kenyan Pundit For DC folks, sorry for the late notice just got this yesterday. Marende and other parliamentarians expected to be in attendance.
Date: July 22, 2009
Location: National Endowment for Democracy, 1025 F St, NW Suite 800, Washington, DC 20004
Agenda
8:30– 9:00 Continental Breakfast
9:00– 9:30 Opening Address by Congressman Don Payne
9:30– 10:45 Panel: “The Urgency of Democratic Reform:Summoning the Political Will”
10:45– 11:00 Coffee Break
11:00– 12:15 Panel: “Righting Kenya’s Course: The Urgent Tasks Ahead”
12:15– 1:00 Lunch
1:00 -2:00 Luncheon Address by Assistant Secretary of State for Africa Johnnie Carson
“Kenya and the U.S. – Meeting the Growing Challenge in East Africa”
2:00 Adjournment
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Update on Isiolo/Samburu: must read
» Kenyan Pundit I’m posting reports that I’ve received in response to my earlier post, I’ve not verified the information but the sources appear credible and at the very least warrant further investigation.
Kenyan media. Again. Please step up. What the frick is going in in North Eastern Kenya?
Citizen reporters, please keep the info coming.
REPORTS:
- On Tuesday, July 1, the Samburu community of Sera, population 300, was attacked by Somali and Borana forces as villagers slept. Sera is located approximately 83 miles NW of Archer’s Post in Samburu North. 15 people were shot in the attack, leaving 8 critically wounded and 5 dead, including a young girl. Over 1000 cattle were taken from 8 herds. The cattle, originating from the Samburu West community of Laisamis, had been herded through this area in search of a place to graze because of the widespread drought. The attacks were reminiscent of the February attacks by the Kenyan police which resulted in the loss of thousands of head of cattle. Similarly, large lorries and Landcruisers were used to transport the stolen cattle and raiders. There has been no investigation or response by the Kenyan authorities to recover the cattle or to arrest those responsible for the murders and injuries in this attack. The Samburu East MP Raphael Letimalo gave a press conference on 3rd July which has not yet been published in the Kenya press.
- On the evening of Monday July 6, Samburu moran warriors successfully defended their people and cattle from a similar raid SE of Lerata in Samburu East, the 2nd attack in just days. This attack occurred at the Nachamune area near the Ewaso River, 40 km east of Archers Post. Borana and Somali raiders surrounded the bomas at dusk, just after their livestock came into the boma, and began shooting at women and children. One group of moran escorted all children and women out of their homes to hiding places while the remaining moran fought off the attackers. They requested back up from local government officials such as the area MP, DO, councilors, and others to assist when the Kenyan police refused to intervene.
- On Monday July 13 at approximately 6 PM, a group of Somali Borana raiders attacked a Turkana community in Ngara Mara, between Archers Post and Isiolo, accusing the Turkana community of sympathizing with the Samburu tribe. They stole 450 cattle and kidnapped 2 children, reminiscent of the first attacks in February of this year on a Samburu community near the Kalama Wildlife Conservancy 6 km from Lerata, where 300 cattle and 2 children were kidnapped. Those children were later found dead with their throats slit.
- According to Samburu District County Council officer Raphael Leilikei of Archer’s Post, the 2 young Turkana children, ages 8 and 9, from the community of Ngara Mara were also found murdered the following day in a similar fashion, throats slit. (They were badly mutilated, there are pictures) – The cattle have not yet been recovered and there has been no police response to the murders or thefts.
- At approximately 1 PM on July 17, fighting broke out in the northern Kenya town of Isiolo, according to Kenya army leiutenant James Lerinainen. Armed Borana and Somali gunmen opened fire in a marketplace, targetting Turkana and Samburu tribesmen trading in the city center. 15 people are dead and many more injured. 3 police were shot and killed by the Borana and Somali gunmen, as well as 3 Turkana. In the fighting that ensued, 12 Borana were shot by Turkana. Fighting took place in the marketplace, at a petrol station, and at the bus station.
- At 7am the following morning, July 18th, 4 more Turkana were again shot dead by Borana and Somali gunmen in the marketplace. 3 lorries filled with police arrived tonight July 18 in Archer’s Post to reoccuppy the outpost.
- “I believe the marked increase in intensity and impunity of the Pokot raids against the Samburu that you summarise so well in Western Laikipia during the past three years has mainly to do with the fact that cattle are now fetching~ $1000 USD per head in So Sudan as cattle markets resume and So Sudan Pastoralists now have access to money and are able to refinancing of the herds that the lost in more than 30 years of civil war.”
OTHER REPORTS OF GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE ON ONE SIDE
- ” The raids of our cattle in the west by the Pokot supported by the government in the background which have gone on for over 3 years and still continue are one problem and are connected to the raids that took place more recently in the east.”
-”A total of 4122 Samburu cattle were reported taken by the recent GOK raids, and these were taken to pay back the 52 which the Samburu attempted to return to the DO and the OPCD before the raids started. But the government officers said they didn’t want the Meru cattle. We think this was because the raids against us were already being planned.”
- “If the governemt wants to solve this problem, the first thing they must do is remove Hassan Noor Hassan as the Provincial Commissioner for the Rift Valley Province.”
- “The Government should also be aware that the so-called Borana MP for Isiolo is in fact a Somali, and he manipulates the Borana to attack us. Both Borana and Samburu suffer because of this.”
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What the hell is going on in Isiolo/Samburu?
» Kenyan Pundit Two days ago, I received an email from a friend of a friend asking if I had any knowledge of what was going on in the Samburu area as far attacks on indigenous Samburu people by government forces. I had vaguely recalled seeing the usual “government chasing cattle rustlers” story in the newspapers over the last few weeks, but confessed that I was essentially clueless.
That email sparked my interest and I started doing a bit of research (on Google and my new handy resource for all and sundry Twitter) hoping I could come with at least a link or two to send the friend of a friend in the right direction. I also reached out to my contacts in the human rights field thinking perhaps that they may have a better sense of what was going on.
Turns out, my cursory research has unearthed more questions than answers. And very disturbing questions at that.
The first stories I came across in the local media, were the typical fighting over resources/pasture/bandits ones.
How six cops can be shot dead by cattle rustlers is a whole other can of worms relating to whether the government is really in charge of North Eastern province and whether it really cares…but I digress.
More recent stories begin to hint at an ethnic element to the fighting talking of organized forced evictions of the Samburu and Turkana from their grazing lands. The local PC appears to be, in not so many words, clueless. [In all fairness, if this older article from 2000 is anything to go by, the clan/ethnic/land/politics issues in that area are very complicated and it's easy for me to lob cheapshots]
A bit more digging plus stories from my local contacts and more complexities (and things that are worrying me) emerge.
First is the government’s reluctance to address insecurity issues in the area (a well-known refrain), and when the government does act, as the author points out the action is excessive, arbitrary, and without any follow-up of some sort.
Second, is the issue of government picking sides. It is now a well-known fact that the government has backed Kuti and his people (Borana) against the Samburu/Turkana, by arming the Borana. WTF? I’ll see it again WTF? Do we now have a government that is in the business of creating militias all over the country? In the post-2007 environment? These buffoons are so not very serious. From conversations I’ve been having with folks on the ground, the number of ethnic militias solidifying / growing throughout the country is very troublesome. Inspired by the “success” of Mungiki. See Baghdad Boys, who are slowly taking over Kisumu as a case in point; remnants of those armed in the Rift Valley who are “ready to emerge should Ruto be touched”; the Sabaot guys…the list is growing. Throw in the huge population of angry, unemployed young men all over the country (eh, hello rising crime) and you can see where this is going. And the government is arming folks in Isiolo?!
Third, more background reading I’ve done suggests that MPs in the area (on both sides) are playing a very significant role in fanning tensions and causing havoc. Again this leaves me wondering where we are headed as far as the next elections. 2007 is slowly becoming 2012 with no heads rolling whatsoever as far as politicians who orchestrated the chaos in 2007/2008. And yes, I unfortunately don’t think there is much hope as far as the Hague option (and can they just freaking open the damn envelope already).
Fourth, I’ve seen other reports of more complications being caused by Somalis from Somalia, both in terms of pouring in arms that are fueling the conflict and making the area a recruitment haven for themselves…young men being recruited from Isiolo to go and fight along with Somali insurgents in Somalia.
And amidst all this I’m wondering why I have not seen a decent story anywhere in the media stringing all these things together and raising awareness about it…if I’ve missed something, please send me a link and I’ll eat humble pie. Until then, honestly, the Kenyan media where the fricking hell are you? I’ve been able to cobble this post together from my bedroom in Johannesburg in a few hours. Did we learn nothing from 2007? Are we missing ticking time-bombs only to have editorials about “One Kenya” and “How did this Happen?”
As I write this more killings are happening on both sides…I really hope more media outlets will pick up the story and press those with the power to do something. I do know some local NGOs are working hard to resolve the conflict/address the issues but they need help in bringing attention to what’s going on.
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Piga Picha
» Kenyan Pundit 
Piga Picha
Event: A Century of Portrait Photography in Kenya
Starts: July 24, 2009 6:00 pm – runs until July 24, 2010
Entrance: Free (though museum charges apply)
Location: National Gallery (former PC’s office, next to Nyayo House off Uhuru Highway) -
It’s Our Turn to Eat Reading in Kisumu
» Kenyan Pundit Organized by: International PEN Kenya Chapter
When: Saturday July 18, 2009
Time: 11am to 4pm
Where: Aga Khan Sports Centre. -
Fun for kids in Kenya
» Kenyan Pundit During my last trip to Kenya, I realized that next time around I need to do more fun stuff with the kids instead of just shuttling them around to visit one rela to the next (and the Spur and Village Market doesn’t count). Beyond trying to catch up with family, I’m also guilty of trying to sneak in quite a bit of work and catching up and not spending enough time just chilling out and enjoying being back in Nairobi/Kenya. Then there’s the problem of having grown up as a “go out and play!” / create your own entertainment estate kid, where your parents’ involvement in entertaining you was limited to nyama choma and Shade/JKA/Hillock/Small World on Sunday
So when I land in Nairobi with two kids, my imagination as far as what to do with them is limited (and I’ve found my friends there to be similarly handicapped…or to use the trusty clutch of the “club”). Anywho, I’ve promised myself that the next trip home will be relaxing and enjoyable for all of us (Sunday at Tamasha doesn’t count hehehe), and so I was very happy to come across this link today with great ideas on stuff to do with kids in Kenya including short trips around the country and picnic sites where you can explore Mau Mau caves.
On y va!
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New (proposed?) Nairobi City by-laws
» Kenyan Pundit I know people have been looking for the electronic version, so here you go. Haven’t had a chance to peruse, but according to the twitterverse there’s lots of things that make you go hhmmm (and worse).
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Barcamp Diaspora
» Kenyan Pundit For US/DC folks, Barcamp Diaspora will be held at John Hopkins on July 25, 2009. The theme is “Investing our Talent Where it Counts.”
More details here.
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Quick Hits (Lazy edition)
» Kenyan Pundit Lazy, because the links are largely lifted from stuff I put up on twitter [yep, twitter still sucking dry my blogging mojo - it's like color tv vs. black and white].
Anyway, on to the links:
- African Venture Capital Fellows: Program aimed at promoting venture capital in Africa by educating and training future venture capitalists and leaders of high-growth and early stage companies based in Africa. Initial target countries – South Africa and Nigeria.
- Stanford’s E-corner: free videos and podcasts of leading Silicon Valley thought leaders.
- What Google should do in Africa – support Open Spectrum
- Twitter for newbies.
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Mobile Tech for Social Change Camp Nairobi
» Kenyan Pundit Date: June 27th, 2009
Location: Strathmore University
Time: 10 a.m – 9:00 pm
Cost: $15:00 beforehand, Kshs 1,000 at the door
Organizers: The geek-chick triumvirate – Juliana (Afromusing), Katrin Verclas, Jessica ColacoWhat?
# A day-long camp on mobile tech 4 social change at Strathmore University in Nairobi
# Will explore mobile tech to advance social development and social change goals
# Will be participatory and interactive
# Is open to anyone with passion and interest in the topic
# Will include a fun afterparty with “Just a Band”More details, click here.
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Techsoup Kenya Launched
» Kenyan Pundit From the website: “Techsoup Kenya programme aims to assist NGOs in Kenya by providing software for very low fees in conjunction with ICT donor partners (currently Microsoft), as well as by supporting NGOs to make the most of their ICT purchases and infrastructure.”
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Podcast of It’s Our Turn to Eat Reading in Nairobi
» Kenyan Pundit As you might know there have been numerous efforts both by Michaela Wrong and others in Kenya to try and circumvent the self-imposed ban that book-sellers in Nairobi have put on the book, It’s Our Turn to Eat.
Among the efforts is a programme called “It’s Our Turn to Read” where readings of the book will take place throughout the country along with discussions as well as distributing 5,000 copies of the book through various channels e.g. media (the Nairobi Star campaign(, street vendors, churches and school).
The first reading was done at the Kenya National Theater in Nairobi where about 4,000 people showed up. You can catch a great podcast of the event here. Also see Rasna Warah’s op-ed on whether this campaign can be the beginning of something larger.
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Beyond the Romance of Micro-finance
» Kenyan Pundit -
World Economic Forum, Africa
» Kenyan Pundit I’m in Cape Town for the World Economic Forum. I’m a panelist on the Mobile Revolution panel tomorrow afternoon, along with Michael Joseph, Nick Nesbitt (Kencall), and Wolfgang Lehmacher (Geopost). You can catch a livestream of the panels here.
Let me know if there’s anything you’d like me to ask/discuss on the panel.
I won’t blog much, but will be tweeting lots so catch me on Twitter. Also search for #africa09 on twitter.
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Is Political Reform Possible in Kenya (event in DC)
» Kenyan Pundit Roundtable discussion with:
- Martha Karua, Member of Parliament, Kenya
- Paul Muite, former Member of Parliament, Kenya
- Makau W. Mutua, Dean and Distinguished Professor, University at Buffalo Law SchoolTuesday, June 16, 3:00-5:00 p.m.
B1 Conference Level Room B
Center for Strategic and International Studies
1800 K St, NW Washington DC -
Africa Diaspora Marketplace
» Kenyan Pundit For US-based diaspora folks, your chance to make a difference back home?
“The USAID and Western Union have launched a business-development program that will support U.S.-based African Diaspora in creating plans for sustainable start-up and established businesses in Sub-Saharan Africa. The program will also provide grant funding to 10-20 small-and-medium businesses with the strongest proposals for boosting economic opportunity and job creation in Sub-Saharan Africa through Diaspora-driven development.”
Deadline to apply is July 21, 2009.
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Alston report discussion webcast
» Kenyan Pundit Watch the webcast here. It will be interesting to watch what exactly the govt has to say in its defense (they sent a 30-person delegation to Geneva and only have 7 mins to speak WTF!!).
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New funny Kenyan blog
» Kenyan Pundit I was saving this for a Quick Hits post, but I can’t wait.
Peculiarly Kenya - hilarious blog. Enjoy.
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Revisioning Kenya 3 - June 4th
» Kenyan Pundit PERSEVERANCE AND RADICAL BEHAVIOUR CHANGE TO FEATURE IN REVISIONING KENYA 3
Details: Thursday 4th June 6.30 to 8.30pm with drinks afterward and music by Ugomatic.
Alliance France auditorium, Loita/Monrovia StreetFeatured Speakers:
- Filmaker Judy Kibinge’s film “From the Ashes”, Revisioning Kenya, organised by Beyond Words, will provide a platform for a series of stimulating talks given by visionaries drawn from Kenya, around the continent, and abroad.- Nation Media CEO Linus Gitahi will challenge our notions of giving back to the community at the forthcoming Revisioning Kenya forum, asking Kenyans to behave very differently in order to be more nation focused.Seems Impossible?
- The world’s oldest pupil Kimani Muruge will talk to us about flouting convention, following dreams and perseverance.
- Ex Hindu turned Christian lay preacher and committed material scientist Dr Kamau Gachigi will tell us why and how technology and spirituality match, and what this may have to do with solar powered cars.
- Fred Onesmo Okidi turns to the very practical nature of providing goodwill teaching in his corner of Mathare. With no government support, the committed team at MYTO of which he is part have found ways to harness Kenyan entrepreneurial spirit to foster education and to encourage peaceful interaction in their area.
- Molo based Samuel Muhunyu, who’s school’s garden initiative has been nominated for an Ashoka Changemakers award. He plans to talk to us about the importance of reconnecting to Mother Nature.
- Jessica Colaco will present her ideas on mobile technology Kenyan style, showing how she came to be listed as one of the of top 40 businesswomen under 40.
- Activist poet Jacob Oketch, who’s debut poetry CD is due out shortly, and who is interested on the impact of local languages on the spoken word performs from his latest work
For additional information contact: info@revisioningkenya.com or +254 721 465 858
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Supplementary Budget Scandal
» Kenyan Pundit The supplementary budget scandal continues with reports from Marsgroup (who broke the initial scandal) that the even the “revised” budget numbers don’t add up. Meanwhile, the House Committee has given the revised numbers a clean bill, Uhuru has taken to cracking jokes about the issue, and the usual suspects are looking for the bogeyman (read people who are out to finish Uhuru).
So in my two days in Nairobi I managed to score some good background gossip/story-behind-the-story info. I love the stuff just falls into my lap there
Apparently, this is a scam that has been going on for years by a cabal at Treasury in collusion with accounting officers at various Ministries and has little to do with Uhuru (hopefully the forensic audit that’s been ordered by the Parliament Committee will reveal that). Basically the civil servants, many of whom have been in their positions for years, would inflate budget numbers quietly and then generate fake invoices later on to cover their tracks. Biggest culprits are the Office of the President (according to my sources corruption central in govt) and the Ministry of Education.
The story only broke because someone at Treasury is leaking this information in terms of the raw numbers and the cooking to Mwalimu Mati. The reason for the leaks is unclear, although local papers & gossip rags point to frustration among junior budget officials as a result of the re-appointment of the Director of Budget, David Ngugi after he had reached retirement age. According to the tabloid Weekly Citizen, Ngugi boasts of being close to Kibaki ever since Kibaki’s days at Minister of Finance (I can’t even find a bio or pic of the guy!).
And for those wondering why MPs lack the capacity to do math, my source tells me that the budget MPs see did not contain the raw details that enabled Mars to break the story - what they see is a cooked version (not sure how true this is).
In any event, I hope the story continues to grow legs and doesn’t fade into the infamous siasi ya kumalizana.
It does point to a really huge challenge for trying to address corruption in Kenya. We often focus on the political leaders as the root of all evil, but as someone pointed out to me the other day in the last few years we have had a change of leaders but not a change of government - the well-oiled corruption machinery at below the PS level is still very much intact from Moi days and any new leader who really wants to address corruption in Kenya will have to tackle this monster. Does anyone have the courage to do so?
In the meantime, please lend Marsgroup Kenya your support - at the risk of being hyperbolic - I think they are really fighting a lonely fight out there and doing the hard work that many Kenyans don’t want to do.
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A Better Life Beckons In Africa
» Kenyan Pundit Story in the Washington Post about African immigrants moving back home after basically getting tired of the 24-7 hustle of life in the West and tired of worrying about the recession.
I’m definitely seeing this a lot with my friends / peers - you do give up luxuries and there are frustrations but you get to the opportunity to re-center, rest, and even have time to pursue things you are passionate about.
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Have Your Say…
» Kenyan Pundit In an ideal world, if Kenyan MPs were to embrace the use of technology, what kinds of things would you like to see?
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Quick Hits (easy on a Sunday morning edition)
» Kenyan Pundit - Rafiki Kenya’s superb review on places to eat, chill, and general ku-jienjoy in Nairobi. I wish more bloggers would write positively about Nairobi - so much good there, still.
- New blogs I’ve discovered/I like:
Musings of an Alien
The Gay Kenyan- For the mamas, especially new mamas (who Google everything tehehe), this is a great resource.
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KARA Bi-monthly talk series
» Kenyan Pundit Dear KP readers, I have neglected my blog lately. Sorry! Combination of kids, crazy travel schedule, getting back into the thick of work, training new nanny, and yes the fact that twitter is easier
I need a clone…Just came across this announcement in my in-box. Might be of interest. KARA stands for the Kenya Alliance of Residents Association - their website is quite informative.
Date: Monday, 18th May 2009
Time: 2.00 pm – 5.00 pm
Venue: Sarova Panafric Hotel (Simba Room)
Theme: Role of Civil Society in Realizing “Agenda 4”
Guests: Mr. Okong’o Omogeni, Chairman, Law Society of Kenya and Mr. Hassan Omar, Vice Chairman, Kenya National Commission on Human Rights. H.E Mr. Rob Macaire, British High Commissioner to Kenya will give opening remarks.
Entry : Members and Partners (Ksh. 100); Others (Ksh. 200)
Meal : Refreshments shall be served
Moderator : Dr. PLO Lumumba, Advocate of the High Courts of Kenya and Tanzania -
Feed & spam issues fixed
» Kenyan Pundit My feed issues should be resolved and you shouldn’t see any spam now on your mobile browser.
The blog had been hacked by spammers.
Thank you everyone who pointed out the errors.
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It’s Our Turn to Eat available as an e-book
» Kenyan Pundit From Michaela Wrong:
Harper Collins have finally come up with an e-book of “It’s Our Turn to Eat”. So Kenyans can buy the PDF file, and there’s no excuse for any further piracy or bootlegging. Please pass this around on your mailing lists and post it on your websites. We’ve tried to keep the price as low as possible - you’ll see that it is a lot cheaper than the hard copy.
We’re also hoping to make this something Kenyans who don’t own credit cards can buy on M-Pesa, but at the moment that’s proving a logistical nightmare.
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