Good People,
It
is truly refreshing to hear different approach of communication coming from
Leaders giving directives of things that must be seen to be done in public
service delivery, away from daily
politics that have stalled people into economic failures with serious fatigue of
hopelessness.
African Nations request also is well
put. I think this is a positive way to
look at things needed to save bad precedence that would affect taxpayer
adversely with capital flights. This
approach will save Kenya big sums of money.
Ideally, God will be seen to have intervened for Kenya and most
definitely, things will work for good and the truth shall be known only when
Kenyans stay positive in exposing the real enemy of the people by speaking the
truth.
With
what I see, I am positive that after navigating through teething discomforts,
there shall be light and good prospects will soon get on the right perspectives
for Kenya.
If
Government system would engage on serious public service delivery and focus on
Security, Job creation Opportunities with Economic reform; this shall be the
beginning for peace and stability, social welfare and economic recovery where
crucial areas of concern are prioritized and Government Leadership begin to
engage on more sustainable factors, planting seed for better life moving
forward.
What we can read is that, it looks like Ruto
is aware that the idea to improve people’s lives through service deliver is
already there and the Government workers are not doing enough to get things going. What is left is Public Service Commission who
must engage to put the plan into practical action to reality by engaging Right
Thinking public facilitators to get involved on the ground with the local
community doing positive projects for the community moving forward.
I am impressed of this positive thinking, and
I hope things will be made available to the people in due course on the road to
improve their lives away from engaging in cheap politics that are of no
substance with no value to the people’s daily needs. Indication to get started
is better than people getting stuck in the mad cheap politics with no hope of
any progressive development agenda that benefit people socially and
economically.
If GG Kariuki still look this strong, I
trust, Kenya is Blessed with good water and soil that add life to old age and
Kenyans must stand their ground to fight evils that push Kenya
backwards.
Judy Miriga
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
Diaspora Spokesperson
Executive Director
Confederation Council Foundation for Africa Inc.,
USA http://socioeconomicforum50.blogspot.com
Thursday, September 12, 2013
DP William Ruto urges Principal Secretaries to develop solid strategies
Deputy President William Ruto is received by supporters at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi September12, 2013 when he arrived from The Hague. Mr Ruto has told Principal Secretaries to develop specific and realistic plans for their ministries. WILLIAM OERI
In Summary
- Mr Ruto warns the principal secretaries against setting unrealistic targets that could compromise service delivery.
- Principal Secretaries should work closely with Cabinet Secretaries to speed up service delivery in their ministries.
Deputy President William Ruto has told Principal Secretaries to develop specific and realistic plans for their ministries.
Mr Ruto told the PSs that their ministry strategies must be achievable within a reasonable period.
Speaking when he presided over the first roundtable meeting of Principal Secretaries in his office Thursday, Mr Ruto warned the principal secretaries against setting unrealistic targets that could compromise service delivery.
"You must be realistic in setting your targets. And you must have a clear plan otherwise you will fail in your work," Mr Ruto said.
"You must realise that public expectations are high and as a government we cannot afford to let the people down."
The Deputy President met the PSs hours after he returned to the country from The Hague.
Mr Ruto attended his trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for two days. The court adjourned after the prosecution indicated it would put to the stand the first witness on Tuesday.
EMBRACE KEY VALUES
On Thursday, Mr Ruto restated the government’s commitment to transform the country and challenged the secretaries to embrace the key values and principles of public service.
He urged the Principal Secretaries to work closely with Cabinet Secretaries to speed up service delivery in their ministries.
"You are lucky you have Cabinet Secretaries who are not Members of Parliament. They now have all the time to work in the ministries without worrying about constituencies," said Mr Ruto.
He asked the officials to be “innovative, prudent and resourceful” in the new dispensation to enable the Jubilee government fulfil promises made to Kenyans.
Mr Ruto told the PSs to ensure quality services and efficiency in their respective ministries and avoid rhetoric.
"There is no need to do a lot of seminars which are not followed by implementation of projects," he said.
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Business people stealing from Kenyans using VAT - State House Spokesman
Updated Thursday, September 12th 2013 at 19:59 GMT +3
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| Commodities prices hiked Photo: Standard |
The recent rise in the prices of various commodities in Kenya as a result of the coming into effect of the Value Added Tax ( VAT) should not happen.
According to the Secretary of Communication and State House Spokesperson Mr. Manoah Esipisu business people who have raised prices have “infact been stealing from ordinary citizens”. Speaking at a press briefing from State House Nairobi on Thursday, Mr. Esipisu clarified that all unprocessed food stuff are tax exempt.
According to the spokesperson, the prices of some processed food should also not have been hiked.
“Processed food including maize floor, wheat floor, bread, rice, infant food preparations including milk, medicines, pharmaceuticals, sanitary pads,fertilizers and some seeds are exempted from VAT”, said Mr. Esipisu adding that he expected traders to end that “stealing,” he clarified.
Other than the traders adjusting their prices, electricity supplier Kenya Power has also raised VAT charged on all consumptions backdated to September 2.
At the same time Mr. Esipisu has disclosed that a new committee that will oversee the Kenya at 50 celebrations has been formed. The committee which is chaired by Sports, Culture and Arts Cabinet Secretary Hassan Wario has been directed to work with a budget of sh500 million a fifth of the sh2.5 billion that had been budgeted for by a previous committee disbanded by President Kenyatta.
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Thursday, September 12, 2013
African nations press William Ruto’s case at the ICC
PHTO| DPPS Deputy President William Ruto chats with Senators Kindiki Kithure (right) and GG Kariuki at JKIA in Nairobi on arrival from The Hague, The Netherlands, on Sept 13, 2013. The DP returned to the country after the ICC adjourned the hearings following a witness hitch.
In Summary
- On Monday, Tanzania’s Attorney General Fredrick Mwita said exempting the Deputy President from some of the hearings would enhance cooperation between the court and state parties.
By DAVE OPIYO
Five African countries have written to the International Criminal Court to exempt Deputy President William Ruto from attending all hearings of his case in The Hague.
Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda and Eritrea want the court to allow Mr Ruto room to execute his constitutional duties. They also want to contest the interpretation of Article 63 of the Rome Statute, which disposes that ‘the accused shall be present during the trial.’
“The court has so far received requests from five African countries asking for leave to submit amicus curiae filings…the filings, if authorised, will present their views on the correct interpretation of the Rome Statute article 63,” the court’s spokesman, Mr Fadi El Abdallah, said Thursday.
The hearing of cases facing Mr Ruto and radio presenter Joshua Sang started on Tuesday, but was adjourned on Wednesday until next Tuesday after ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her witnesses were not ready.
Mr Sang and Mr Ruto face charges of murder, deportation or forcible transfer of population and persecution over the 2007/8 post-election violence that left 1,133 people dead and displaced 650,000 others.
SUSPENDED RULING
The applications follow Ms Bensouda’s appeal against the Trial Chamber V(a) decision granting Mr Ruto leave to be away during the trial — except for specified hearings. The prosecutor argued that justice for the victims required the accused to be present in court throughout the trial.
The court then suspended the ruling pending the appeal.
“For the time being, Mr Ruto is requested to be present at all the hearings in his trial before Trial Chamber V (a), pending a final determination of the Appeals Chamber on the appeal against the excusal decision,” Mr Abdallah said.
Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania want the ICC to strike a balance between its jurisdiction and the responsibilities of those who occupy high office.
Rwanda, which is yet to ratify the Rome Statute, argued that its submissions will help the ICC clarify how people who hold high office will be treated while facing trial.
The country’s Attorney General and Justice Minister Johnston Busingye said granting Mr Ruto his request would bolster the effectiveness of the court “by demonstrating that the court’s framework can accommodate a flexible and pragmatic approach…in proceedings by those occupying high office within the court.”
On Monday, Tanzania’s Attorney General Fredrick Mwita said exempting the Deputy President from some of the hearings would enhance cooperation between the court and state parties.
Meanwhile, the witness who forced the court to adjourn was expected in The Hague yesterday. On Tuesday, Mr Ruto’s lawyer Karim Khan challenged the prosecution to drop the charges for lack of evidence.
The same line was taken by lawyer Katwa Kigen for Mr Sang, who argued that there were major gaps in the prosecution case.
President Kenyatta’s case is expected to start on November 13.
The charges against three other suspects — former head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, former Commissioner of Police Major-General Hussein Ali and former Cabinet minister Henry Kosgey — were dropped for lack of evidence last year.
REQUESTING A REFERRAL
Last evening government officials conversant with an initiative by African countries to put pressure on ICC over the Kenya cases said the African Union had written to the President of ICC, Judge Sang-Hyung Song, on the matter.
Last evening government officials conversant with an initiative by African countries to put pressure on ICC over the Kenya cases said the African Union had written to the President of ICC, Judge Sang-Hyung Song, on the matter.
The letter alerts the ICC President on the decision of the 21st Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of AU requesting for a referral of the Kenya cases.
-------------------------------------------
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Deputy President William Ruto jets back from The Hague
Deputy President William Ruto on arrival at JKIA from The Hague on September12, 2013. He was received by leaders among them Senator Linet Kemunto (right). PHOTO/WILLIAM OERI
In Summary
- Ruto left the country on Monday to attend his trial at the International Criminal Court
- The case resumes on Tuesday next week
By DAVE OPIYO
Deputy President William Ruto jetted back into the country on Thursday morning from The Hague, Netherlands where he attended his trial before the International Criminal Court.
Ruto arrived at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly after 6am and was accompanied by his wife Rachel.
He left the country on Monday to attend the trial against him and radio presenter Joshua Sang but the case was adjourned Wednesday because the prosecution could not get her first witness in time.
Ruto was received at JKIA by Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi, Centre for Multiparty Democracy chairman Omingo Magara, Senators Kipchumba Murkomen and Linet Kemunto among other leaders.
Seeking adjournment in the case, Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said the unidentified witness was travelling from an undisclosed location elsewhere in Europe and was expected to arrive at The Hague on Thursday.
The adjournment on just the second day of the highly-anticipated trial came at the end of a hard-hitting opening statement from Mr Sang’s lawyer Katwa Kigen, who adopted Mr Ruto’s stance in calling on the prosecution to abandon the case early for lack of evidence.
Picking up from where Mr Ruto’s lawyer Karim Khan had concluded the previous day, Mr Kigen dwelt in detail on what he charged were major gaps in the prosecution case for which the only remedy was withdrawal of the charges before any more time was wasted.
Monday is a public holiday in the Netherlands so the court will reconvene next Tuesday.
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Thursday, September 12, 2013
President Kenyatta, Ruto to continue ICC cooperation- spokesman
Secretary of Communications and State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu addresses a media briefing at State House, Nairobi September 12, 2013. He said President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto will continue cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC), JENNIFER MUIRURI
In Summary
- President deeply saddened by the whole ICC episode considering that promotion of national cohesion and unity has been at the heart of his approach to politics.
President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto will continue cooperating with the International Criminal Court (ICC), State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu has said.
However, Mr Esipisu said the cooperation must be within the context of the country’s Constitutional requirements.
In his inaugural media briefing Thursday at State House, Mr Esipisu said the President watched the opening arguments by ICC Prosecutor and defence lawyers with a lot of interest.
"In the past few days, many of you have sent me messages concerning matters in The Hague. But you will understand that this is a matter about which I can say little to nothing. I can certainly tell you that it was a distressful day for the President," said Mr Esipisu.
DEEPLY SADDENED
He said the President was deeply saddened by the whole ICC episode considering that promotion of national cohesion and unity has been at the heart of his approach to politics.
On both Houses of Parliament voting for Kenya to opt out of the Rome Statute, Mr Esipisu pointed out that the government will remain sensitive to voices of the people as articulated by their elected representatives.
The President and his government have yet to apply themselves to that question, he said.
Mr Esipisu briefed the media on a wide range of issues including Agriculture, Infrastructure, Devolution, IDPs, Uwezo Fund, parastatal reforms, Energy, Kenya @50 and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
He said the President remained committed to the broad agenda of delivering economic growth to improve on the welfare of Kenyans.
On infrastructure, Mr Esipisu said the Port of Mombasa has now been included among the world’s top 120 performers, alongside only 5 others in Africa including Morocco, Egypt and South Africa adding that this is good progress.
RIGHT DIRECTION
He said the country was headed in the right direction as new Berths, 20 to 23, are now under construction and will further increase capacity at the Port.
Mr Esipisu said turnaround time for trucks along the Mombasa - Malaba road has reduced from 13 days to 4.8 days.
He said the transit cargo dwell time for Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi has also significantly reduced from about 10 days to 6 currently.
To hasten movement of goods and services in the region, Mr Esipisu said work on the Standard Gauge Rail is due to start in two months’ time.
Mr Esipisu also said unscrupulous traders have randomly raised prices based on the VAT Act on goods exempted from the law and asked them to stop the practice which amounts to stealing from innocent citizens.
Some of the exempted goods include unprocessed and processed food, medicine, sanitary pads, fertilisers and some selected seeds, he said.
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Case against my client Joshua arap Sang a big mistake, says lawyer Katwa Kigen
Updated Wednesday, September 11th 2013 at 23:35 GMT +3
GLANCE FACTS
— Lawyer Katwa Kigen
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| Radio journalist Joshua arap Sang (right) consults his lawyer Katwa Kigen Wednesday. |
His lawyer Katwa Kigen said the Prosecution had no evidence against him and that there was no motive for Sang to be involved in the crimes he was charged with. Here are parts of the opening remarks by lawyer Kigen:
“Mr President, your honours, my client, Mr Sang, wishes to express profound solidarity with and sympathy for all the victims of post-election violence. This trial highlights another phase of their situation as victims, to the extent to which the Prosecutor did not conduct proper investigations in relation to this issue, and to give witness to those victims.
My client, Mr Sang, does not belong to this court. Indeed, this is because he never belonged, as alleged, to any network. And we would like to underline at this point that we observed that the Prosecution has two factions of the allegations of organisation.One is that the organisation is constituted of the Kalenjin as a community; the second allegation, which is contained in respect to the Kalenjin, is what was alleged or stated by the Prosecutor when they were making their opening address and in other circumstances.
However, the public pre-trial brief indicates that the allegation is founded on an organisation in the name of the ODM. He never belonged to an organisation which he served as a media liaison, whether it is ODM or Kalenjin, or served in a function of advertising meetings of illicit nature or inciting the perpetrators of crimes against either the Kikuyu or the PNU supporters, as the Prosecutor alleged.
The picture painted of Mr Sang, my client, by the Prosecution does not resemble the real Mr Sang, on the one hand, and his intentions and actions in the period 2007/2008, around the unfortunate event of the violence.
Mr Sang, contrary to what the Prosecution claims, is a law-abiding citizen. He was instrumental in calling for peace and calm in the period of violence, and his character is greatly and extensively governed by the Christian values which he was brought up in. In short, he’s innocent of contributing to the commission of the crimes, and has confidence in his innocence and his vindication.
It is acknowledged that the allegations against Mr Sang arise against an unfortunate backdrop of political competition which has continued in Kenya and beyond to this court. The ICC process has been politicised since the beginning and political opponents of his friend, Mr Ruto, the first accused, have capitalised on this forum as another way to frustrate his influence and his political career. At this point, I would like to reflect the concerns that Mr Sang has asked me to especially address to your honours.
The Prosecution says that Mr Sang sought to exploit the historical tensions between the Kalenjin and Kikuyu for his own political and personal ends. The defence says there is none. There were no political ends he sought, there were no personal ends he was seeking, and there was no benefit he would get from that violence.
Why would it be in Mr Sang’s own political and personal interest to seek to exploit these historical tensions? What was there to gain for him personally? The defence says “nothing.” Why is Mr Sang here waiting for trial to commence before the ICC?
The defence submits that while there may have been political reasons for targeting Mr Ruto in Case 1 and Mr Kenyatta in Case 2, Sang was the unfortunate victim of unfortunate collateral damage. The Prosecution needed an even number on both sides in Case 1 and 2, and being a popular presenter at Kass FM, a major Kalenjin radio station, as the prosecutor pointed out in her opening address, Mr Sang was so unlucky as to become the third suspect on the Kalenjin side.
Integrity is intact
Until almost three years after his name was publicly disclosed as an ICC suspect, the case against him remains empty, and as earlier explained, there is no material against him to contradict his position that he is innocent, that his integrity is intact, and that there is no material to dispose, to displace what he has always maintained.
When the Prosecution landed in Kenya to conduct investigations, her predecessor came into contact with some Kenyan political brokers, civil societies — zealous civil societies — and some ethnic-minded individuals who wished to use the ICC to shape Kenya’s political future. The people the Prosecution met were opportunists and who seized the chance to use ICC process for their own purposes.
We submit that the Prosecution should have been aware of these undercurrents and made more conscious effort to remain neutral and independent and not to be used as pawn of Kenyan politics.
The Prosecution has subsequently used the allegation of witness security and welfare matters to attract donor funds through partner organisation. The Prosecution has not been very forthcoming with the disclosure of expenses incurred on behalf of the witnesses, and this makes it more difficult for your honours to assess their candour. We trust that in the course of time, this will come out.
As it turns out, it is evident that the witnesses were collected by political forces and NGOs and this forms the core of the prosecution’s case. The prosecution relies on the representations made before domestic processes dealing with post-election violence as well as assertion — and these are the same assertions that are made in this court.
However, the Prosecution has failed to sufficiently investigate its own witnesses as a separate issue and their motivation for participation in this process.
At the close of the case, we will invite a reflection on the question of whether the witnesses are a fair representation of Kenya as a society as a whole and/or a fair sampling of the Kalenjin community who constitute the bulk of the so-called linkage witnesses and organisation.
We would also like to draw attention to the fact that all linkage witnesses are associated with the political party at that time, Party of National Unity. A reasonable person Mr Sang comes out as a voice of peace, as a voice of reason, as a voice of balance, and we would invite the Prosecutor, in view of all the material that there is, including what we have played and what more we have in stock, to consider withdrawing the charges against Mr Sang.
It is very clear, in closing, that this case brought against Mr Sang is one big mistake.
On all those grounds, your honours, we propose that, if the Prosecutor insists on proceeding with this case, to show that in fact, Mr Sang is innocent and that it is an insult to the intentions of the Rome Statute to have presented him to this trial. Thank you, your honours.
Transcribed by Wahome Thuku
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