20110424
Nation

Nairobi — Victims of post-election violence want the government stopped from responding to their submissions on its case challenging The Hague trials.

20110423
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Any Kenyan court set up to try suspects accused of violence after a disputed election in 2007 would be unsuitable for high profile cases but could handle the hundreds of lesser crimes, the U.S. ambassador said on Saturday.

20110423
reuters

ISIOLO, Kenya (Reuters) - Kenyan police said on Saturday they had arrested three Somali al Shabaab rebels in the nation's northeast and seized bomb making materials, a day after giving an alert on possible attacks during Easter.

[b]20110423 - AFRAN Kenya

Leaders of five East African nations in a stalled regional bloc admitted this week to broad concerns over the union, with Uganda's unrest and a monetary union among the sticking points.

The presidents of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda met in Dar es Salaam to review the status of the East African Community, a regional economic and trade union similar o ones elsewhere in Africa.

The leaders said in a final statement the team tasked with finding out what their citizens thought about the bloc had "identified fears, concerns and challenges".

The statement did not elaborate but said the team would draw up "concrete prposals on how to address those fears, concerns and challenges" before the next summit scheduled for November in Burundi.

A federation would necessarily mean that members lose some degree of sovereignty and some diplomats worry that constitutional reform i several countries, notaby in Kenya, is complicating moves towards integration.

There are also concerns about the democratic credentials of some of the oartners such as Uganda, said Tanzanian opposition leader and economist Ibrahim Lipumba.

Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has in recent weeks clamped down on opposition protests, tarnishing his democratic image.

20110422 – AFRAN Kenya

Kenya will strengthen its fight against international crime following the signing of a new partnership agreement with France.

The deal also calls for closer cooperation in climate change, economic partnership, development aid, education and scientific collaboration.

Prime Ministers Raila Odinga and Francois Fillon of France signed the declaration for a strengthened France – Kenya partnership in Paris on Wednesday.

International crime, including piracy, terrorism, drugs and human trafficking, corruption and money laundering, are some of the areas the agreement hopes as closer cooperation can fight.

In the pact, the two countries also reaffirmed their commitment to the creation of a world environment organization to be located in Nairobi. It is expected that the environment organization will reflect the central role that the environment occupies and will continue to occupy.

The PM was in Paris for a two-day visit, where he joined officials from the French and African governments to launch the Paris-Nairobi Climate Initiative for clean energy for Africa.

The Paris-Nairobi Initiative aims to contribute to the ability of the vulnerable nations to secure funds to finance climate initiatives, and develop sustainable electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

Kenya and France have drawn up a white paper on access to sustainable energy. (A white paper is an authoritative report that helps to solve a problem).

The paper identifies energy and climate projects that can be prioritized for quick gains.

20110422 – AFRAN Kenya

President Mwaki Kibaki has no intention of running for another term, the government said yesterday.

The clarification came on a local daily, The Star, in its lead story claimed that the president, who is serving the last of constitutionally-allowed two terms, would consider running again if Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta is barred by the ongoing ICC cases.

The newspaper quoted unnamed sources within the Office of the President as well as Environment minister John Michuki as supporting the third term bid for President Mwaki Kibaki. It claimed several informal meetings had been held by four officials to explore the third term possibility.

“President Mwai Kibaki does not intend to run for re-election, contrary to sensational and manufactured media reports. The President has served this country for most of his life and worked hard to ensure passage of a new constitution, which does not allow a person to serve more than two terms,” the President said in a statement through Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua.

“The government wishes citizens to know that there are no plans being hatched anywhere to extend the President’s term and media reports to that effect are cheap propaganda,” the President added.

The Constitution bars, in Section 12 (3) of the transitional Clauses, the President from running for the State House job at the next General Election expected next year.

20110420 - Afran Kenya

Kenya Airports Authority has unveiled araft of investment opportunities at Kisumu Airport.

These oportunities range from provision of aviation fuel and associated support services, provision of ground handling services as well as development and management of an automated car park centre.

Other opportunities include management of a garden restaurant, snack shops, a coffee-tea lounge, a duty free shop and bookshop.

Interested firms are buying tender documents at the KAA headquarters in Nairobi or at te Kisumu Airport. Airport Manager Joseph Okumu urged investors to take advantage of the business opportunities ceated with the airport's expansion.

The tender process, he said, is a manifestation that the expansion of the airport to international standards is on course. The scope of the work, set to cost of Kshs. 3 billion, includes rehabilitation and extension of the runway, taxiway and apron.

A new terminal building will handle 700 people per hour - about two million a year once the expansion is done. Large aircraft like the Boeing 737 and B767 will also be able to land at Kenya's third busiest airport.

20110420 - Afran Kenya

The East African Community secretariat should address the handling over of seven Kenyans to Uganda and the continued detention of human rights activist Sheikh Al'Amin Kimathi in that country, Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo has said.

The secretariat should also be asked to investigate Uganda's "blatant violation of the East African Community treaty" in last week's detention and eventual expulsion of Mr Hassan Omar Hassan from the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the minister said.

Mr Hassan was among four Kenyans who were arrested and deported from Uganda last week as they headed to a meeting with Uganda Chief Justice.

He admitted that the rendetion of Kenyans to Uganda was illegal and said it was "outrageous and unacceptable for a friendly country to treat the commissioner the way it did".

Failure to get an explanation from the Ugandan government or the EAC on the rendetion and the detention, he said, should be necessitate the filing of a case at the East African Court of Justice. The court would then address the matters of "compensation, repatriation and welfare" of the detained Kenyans.

Sheikh Al'Amin, the executive coordinator of the Human Rights Forum, is among eight Kenyans being held in Uganda over their alleged connection to twin bombings in Kambala on July 11, 2010.

20110414 - A Kenyan Muslim woman who was accused of harboring terror suspect Fazul Mohammed in Malindi died in the coastal city of Mombasa on Monday night after allegedly being tortured by the police.

Relatives of the 53-year-old Mrs. Lutfiya Abubakar Bashrahil are now blaming the authorities for her death.

The police arrested Mrs. Lutfiya together with her husband and son in 2008 for harboring terror suspect and al Qaeda operative, Fazul Mohammad in Malindi.

The woman, according to the postmortem report which was conducted on Tuesday, succumbed to psychiatric trauma and depression. Blame has now been shifted to the government, which is being accused of being behind the death and the relatives have threatened to take legal action.

Hundreds of Muslims on Tuesday held demonstrations in the streets of Mombasa before her remains were buried.
The deceased, her husband Mahfoudh Ashour Hemed and their son, Ibrahim Mahfoudh were facing charges of harboring Fazul, an al Qaeda leader wanted by the United States for a string of deadly attacks, in Malindi, in a case that has span for over three years. The matter was to commence on Friday, with two Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) officers from United States expected to testify before the case could be finalized.

According to the relatives, they claimed the police had failed to get enough evidence linking the suspects to the crime, and had intended to withdraw the charges and release the family members.

Dr. Mahfoudh Mohammad, a nephew to the deceased, said the postmortem report indicated that the woman had succumbed to psychological trauma, depression, chest infection and general infection and had been treated for some months before her condition deteriorated. The family said they decided to conduct the postmortem early so that in case any legal hurdles arise, the government would not order for her exhumation.

"We don’t want the government to say she be exhumed, we already have the report and have all our certificates in place," Dr. Mohammad said.

The woman had for months been receiving psychiatric treatment from a psychiatrist, Dr Joseph Mahero.

It was claimed Fazul evaded capture ever since his indictment by the United States for the twin attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 240 people on Aug. 7, 1998. Kenyan authorities also wanted Fazul for a 2002 blast at an Israeli-owned hotel in Kikambala, paradise Resort, that killed 15 people and a simultaneous but failed rocket attack on an Israeli passenger jet.

The trio was arrested by police after a raid late on their private villa in the resort town of Malindi, after which they were charged in Mombasa. It was also claimed that Mohammad, the Comorian-born leader of al Qaeda’s East African cell, had sneaked into Kenya from nearby Somalia for treatment of a kidney ailment.

20110414 - Politicians were accused of engaging in premature campaigns for the 2012 general elections to the detriment of urgent issues facing Kenyans.

Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims secretary-general Adan Wachu identified implementation of the new constitution, resettlement of the internally displaced people, drought, extrajudicial killings and repatriation of the 13 Muslims held n Uganda as some of the issues that should be prioritised.

He warned that food insecurity was likely to result in more deaths following the poor rains.

Sheikh Wachu also demanded that the 13 Muslims being held in Uganda be repatriated to face any charges against them in Kenyan courts.

Separately, a Muslims human rights group has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue warrant of arrest against the suspected masterminds of the 2007 post-election violence.

The Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) said this was the only way Kenyans could be assured of peace and security, which, they said, had been threatened by the tension that the suspects were creating.

The organisation's executive director, Hussain Khalid, said that there was a likelihood of violence erupting if the situation was not handled properly.

He also called on the suspects holding public offices to resign until their cases were heard and determined.

The six suspects made their initial appearance at the ICC last week. They are scheduled to go back in September.

20110412
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's suspended cabinet minister William Ruto was cleared of corruption charges on Tuesday by the High Court, removing one of the cases that could have foiled his bid to run for presidency.

20110411
Nation

Nairobi — Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto returned from The Hague on Monday promising to preach against election-related violence.

20110411
reuters

NAIROBI (Reuters) - The two leading suspects in Kenya's post-election violence took a conciliatory tone on Monday when they addressed supporters at a noisy rally after returning from a court hearing in The Hague.

20110411 - That the relationship of the African Union and the International Criminal Court has hit the rocks is not in doubt.

The Union has stated that it would consider withdrawing from the Rome Statute en masse should Kenya’s request for deferral of the post-election violence cases at the ICC fail.

As of October 12, 2010, 114 countries were state parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Of these, 31 are African States, 15 are Asian states, 18 are from Eastern Europe, 25 are Latin American and Caribbean, and 25 are from Western European and elsewhere. Thus, African countries constitute the majority based on continental figures.

The frosty relationship between the African Union and the ICC started when chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo, issued an arrest warrant for Sudan’s President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir last July, accusing him of war crimes in Darfur.

At the time, several African countries, including Comoros, Djibouti and Senegal, called on African states to withdraw en masse from the statute in protest, saying the court targeted Africa. To date, the AU has resisted calls to cooperate with the Court in arresting President al-Bashir.

The ICC’s active cases all target crimes against humanity committed in the African states of Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic, Uganda and Kenya.

The Security Council has also authorized the prosecutor to conduct preliminary investigations in Libya while Cote d’Ivoire could be another pick for the ICC.

Mr Jean Ping, the chairman of the African Union Commission, says the ICC has double standards. At the 2010 AU Summit that approved Kenya’s deferral request, Mr Ping said, “We African and the International Criminal Court. That should be clear. But, we are against Ocampo who is rendering justice with double standards.”

Recently at the conclusion of the second leg of the shuttle diplomacy, Nairobi Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae insinuated that Kenya would propose to the AU to consider setting up a continental criminal court.

The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (Igad), a building block of the AU, has also dropped the hint of mass withdrawal.

20110409
reuters

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council shelved on Friday a request by Kenya to defer International Criminal Court (ICC) proceedings against six Kenyans charged with inciting violence after the country's disputed 2007 elections.

20110409 – A nominee for US ambassador to Kenya has said his country will oppose the request for a deferral of the Ocampo Six cases.

Retired Maj-Gen Scott Gration, President Barrackl Obama’s pick to succeed Mr Michael Ranneberger, told US Senate panel on Tuesday that Kenya’s bid did not meet the conditions for a United Nations- sanctioned reprieve.

Because the US holds veto power in the Security Council, Maj-Gen Gration’s statement signals doom for Kenya’s schedules appeal to the council.

The country must persuade the council that trials at The Hague would jeopardize international peace and security.

But Maj-Gen Gration suggested that the opposite could be true. A UN deferral of the cases “may in some ways exacerbate the situation.”
Hi did note that “other avenues” were open to Kenya, saying it could appeal directly to the International Criminal Court for the cases to be tried at home.

Maj-Gen Gration’s comments reaffirmed the earlier US position articulated by Mr Ranneberger and State Department officials.”

The nominee’s reamarks on other Kenya-related topics also suggest he will carry on with Mr Ranneberger’s approach. Mr Ranneberger’s involvement with the Kenyan youth has attracted sharp criticisms from politicians.

Maj-Gen Gration also deplored what he said was widespread graft in Kenyan society. He said corruption is so pervasive that it is keeping Kenya from having access to development grants given by the US-sponsored Millennium Challenge Corporation.

Maj-Gen Gration is a fluent Kiswahili speaker has been raised partly in Kenya by his missionary parents.

20110409 – The United Nations secretary-general has urged the international community to speed up the arrest and prosecution of the remaining fugitives of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.

Mr Ban Ki-Moon said an effective healing process had to start with justice and added that the UN was committed to preventing the recurrence of such tragedies as the only way to honour victims of the genocide. His remarks were contained in a speech read on his behalf by the director-general of the UN Office in Nairobi, Dr Achim Steiner at the Rwandan High Commission in Gigiri.

The UN boss also said the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the International Criminal Court and other international courts were sending strong signals that the world will not tolerate impunity and gross violations of human rights.

The 17th commemoration is the first time the Rwanda High Commission partnered withy the UN Information Centre to jointly mark the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 genocide in which more than a million people were massacred in 100 days.

The guiding theme for this year’s commemoration is “Up-holding the truth, preserving our dignity”. The UN secretary-general further paid tribute to the people of Rwanda and their government for the resilience and dignity they had shown towards national healing and recovery.

Kenya has so far surrendered 11 key suspects of the genocide, including war time Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, however it is still widely believed that Felicien Kabuga is in Kenya.

20110409 – top security officials from Coast and North Eastern regions have resolved to increase security on the Kenya-Somalia border to ward off al-Shabaab extremists and other militants groups.

The team also recommended proper screening of aliens fleeing the war-torn country daily. The team comprising of Regional Commissioners Earnest Munyi (Coast) and James ole Serian (North Eastern), as well as Regional Police Commanders Aggrey Adoli (Coast) and Leo Nyongesa (North Eastern) also discussed security challenges facing the two regions.

An official privy to the meeting said the team further agreed on thorough patrols along the 800km porous Kenya–Somalia border that stretches from Kiunga in the Coast to Mandera in the North Eastern region.

According to the official, the meeting was convened because the two regions share common security problems. The team agreed on proper coordination of intelligence and community policing for the good flow of information between security agencies and the public.

In addition, the thorny issues of recruitment of youths into Somalia-based insurgency groups were raised during the meeting.

Fighting spilled over

Muslim leaders recently raised concerns over cases of youths at the Coast being targeted for recruitment by al-Shabaab.

Sheikh Hassan Omar Hassan of the Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya (CIPK) said that dozens of those recruited had died in the battle between the militants and the Transitional Federal Government’s forces.

Conflicts in Somalia have sometimes spilled over into some areas of North Eastern Region, causing deaths and injuries.

20110409 – Hundreds of Muslim women from Mombasa, Kwale and Kilifi counties took to the streets to condemn the alleged recruitment of youths by al-Shabaab militants.

The placard-waving protesters converged at the Makadara grounds in Mombasa before marching along the town’s streets.

The Muslim women called upon the government to take action against those behind the ferrying their youth to the war-torn country to join the illegal group.

Ms Farida Rashid of Mombasa Muslim Women Alliance said that those youths who have been rescued from the secret recruitment have been brainwashed by “immoral” messages delivered by some Muslim preachers.

The demonstrators presented a memorandum to Mombasa District Commissioner Abdi Hassan outside his office. They asked him to forward their message to the Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti for immediate action.

20110408
reuters

THE HAGUE (Reuters) - Kenyan Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and two other top-ranking officials appeared at the International Criminal Court on Friday charged with inciting the violence that erupted after Kenya's 2007 disputed elections.