Google News Alert for: Kenya
3:02 p.m.
Kenya peace vital for African democracy -churches
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
By Robert Evans GENEVA, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Rescuing Kenya from its violent post-election crisis is vital for democracy in Africa, church leaders from the ...
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Kenya factions sign agreement
The Times - Johannesburg,Gauteng,South AfricaNAIROBI - Kenya’s rival parties signed an agreement today during talks mediated by former United Nations (UN) chief Kofi Annan after weeks of bloody unrest, ...
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Google News Alert for: Kenya
12:56 p.m.
Hope in troubled Kenya starts at home [NB: this link does not work. Try searching for story on Google.]
Radio Netherlands - Netherlands
by Paddy Maguire
In the midst of the tensions and violence that have wracked Kenya following the disputed elections at the end of last year, ...
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Kenya: Amnesty International Calls on Government and African ...
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
As Kofi Annan prepares announces the results of the political mediation in Kenya and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights begins an ...
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Google News Alert for: Kenya
10:54 a.m.
Kenya Crisis Mediator Annan to Brief on Negotiations
Voice of America - USABy Scott Bobb
The chief mediator of the Kenya reconciliation talks, Kofi Annan, is due to announce a partial agreement between the Kenyan government and ...
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Kenya Political Rivals to Review Vote
The Associated Press - NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's political rivals have agreed on the need for a new constitution and an independent review of the disputed presidential ...
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Kenya Considers German Coalition to Resolve Political Crisis
Deutsche Welle - Germany
Kofi Annan, chief mediator between Kenya's feuding parties, has asked a German politician to explain the workings of Berlin's left-right coalition as a ...
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African Tea Prices Rise to Record on Kenya Violence (Update3)
Bloomberg - USA15 (Bloomberg) -- Tea prices rose to a record at the Mombasa auction after ethnic violence and dry weather curbed production in Kenya, the world's largest ...
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Update from UN's IRIN service on another peace process underway next-door in Uganda:
UGANDA: Military action an option if peace talks fail - governmentKAMPALA, 15 February (IRIN) - Renewed military action against the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) would be an option if peace talks between the insurgency and the Ugandan government did not lead to an agreement by the end of February, a spokesman for the state delegation said.
"The February 29 deadline is still on and I can tell you in no uncertain terms that [the] government has no plans of renewing or announcing other deadlines," Captain Chris Magezi told IRIN on 13 February. "After the expiry of the deadline, the government will have an array of options, including the military option," he said.Magezi repeated the government's assertion that the talks, which been going on intermittently for 18 months, must have a conclusion.
"These talks have gone on for this long because the LRA is not serious. But it is our view that they [the talks] cannot go on for ever," he added.
The LRA was accused of an attack on a village in Southern Sudan on 30 January, which further heightened tensions.
The talks are aimed at ending two decades of a brutal civil war that killed thousands and displaced more than a million people in northern Uganda. Civilians were the main victims, with the LRA widely accused of untold atrocities, including massacres, mutilations and the abduction of children and young adults for conscription and sexual slavery.
Commenting on the latest ultimatum by the government, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Gulu in northern Uganda, John Baptist Odama, urged the government to maintain its commitment to the peace process.
"They should not be impatient. Patience pays. They should stay the course. Enough of violence as violence profits nobody. It is wasteful," the bishop said.
"Both parties should know that the people of northern Uganda would not want a bloodbath again after both the government and the LRA took the decision to go to peace talks. Those who propagate war should be ready to answer for the lives that would be lost and be ready to face the consequences of the resumption of war," he added.
Some progress has been made in the latest round of the peace talks, which resumed in the Southern Sudan capital of Juba in late January. An agreement has been reached to set up a unit within the Ugandan High Court to try crimes committed during the war, including murder, abduction of children and rape. The decision is an attempt to allay LRA fears about the group's leadership being handed over to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for trial on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The ICC has indicted five LRA commanders, including the leader Joseph Kony.
The special unit of the High Court would not hand down the death sentence to LRA suspects on conviction, according to Magezi. It would only pronounce prison terms, he said.
"We did agree also on the implementation modalities of accountability and reconciliation. We have not signed the agreement because the LRA wants to make consultations with their leaders. But we have made reasonable progress. In fact we have also discussed the implementation modalities of comprehensive solutions and we had embarked on considering agenda item number four, which is a final ceasefire," said Magezi.
The LRA could not be reached for comment.
vm/jn/mw
[ENDS]
http://www.irinnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=76774
Friday, February 15, 2008
Ethnicity: 'Referendum on Majimboism' - Fri 2/15/2008
Friends: 3 pieces on the conflict's effects on ethnic distribution in Kenya:
1 - Signs in Kenya of a land redrawn by ethnicity - IHT
International Herald Tribune
By Jeffrey Gettleman
Friday, February 15, 2008
OTHAYA, Kenya: Sarah Wangoi has spent her entire life — all 70 years of it — in the Rift Valley. But last month, she was chased off her farm by a mob that called her a foreigner. She now sleeps on the cold floor of a stranger's house, seeking refuge in an area of Kenya where her ethnic group, the Kikuyu, is strong.
"I am safe now," said Wangoi, though the mob still chases her in her dreams.
Across the country, William Ojiambo sat in a field where the ground was too hard to plow. He, too, sought refuge with his ethnic group, the Luo. He used to live in an ethnically mixed town called Nakuru but was recently evicted by a gang from another ethnic group that burned everything he owned.
Kenya used to be considered one of the most promising countries in Africa. Now it is in the throes of ethnically segregating itself. Ever since a deeply flawed election in December kicked off a wave of ethnic and political violence, hundreds of thousands of people have been violently driven from their homes and many are now resettling in ethnically homogenous zones.
Luos have gone back to Luo land, Kikuyus to Kikuyu land, Kambas to Kamba land and Kisiis to Kisii land. Even some of the packed slums in the capital, Nairobi, have split along ethnic lines.
The bloodletting across the country that has killed more than 1,000 people since the election seems to have subsided in the past week. But the trucks piled high with mattresses, furniture, blankets and children keep chugging across the countryside, an endless convoy of frightened people who in their desperation are redrawing the map of Kenya.
The United Nations and Western powers are pushing for a political compromise, and President George W. Bush said he would send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to "deliver a message" to Kenya's leaders.
On Thursday, officials here said that Kenyan government and opposition leaders had agreed in principle to join together in a coalition government but that they remained bitterly divided over the specifics, especially how much power the opposition would have. Two officials close to the negotiations said the government had rejected the opposition's offer to split power between the president, who would remain head of state and the military's commander in chief, and a newly created prime minister position.
Whatever deal is struck will have to address the growing de facto segregation, since a resettlement of the country may further entrench the political and ethnic divisions that have recently erupted.
"How can we, when it was our friends who did this to us?" said Joseph Ndungu, a shopkeeper in the Rift Valley, who said that men he used to play soccer with burned down his shop.
The government is lending a hand in the country's separation, at least for the moment. Police officers are escorting people back to their 'ancestral homes,' as the government calls them, which seems to be thinly veiled language for ethnic separation.
Alfred Mutua, a government spokesman, said this was only temporary until it was safe for people to live together again.
"Kenyans have the right to reside anywhere in the country," he said.
Take Joseph Mwanzia Maingi, a retired teacher who was just driven out of Narok, a town in the Rift Valley, by a gang of local men with bows and arrows. He fled to his father's farm in an area that is a stronghold of the Kamba ethnic group, his people. He is now building a house. And not looking back.
The ethnic segregation is pulling students and teachers out of schools and leaving thousands of jobs vacant across the economy. If it continues, said David Anderson, an African studies professor at Oxford University, "it'll be an utter disaster."
The roots of the problem go deeper than the disputed election, in which the incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, was declared the winner over the top opposition leader, Raila Odinga, despite widespread evidence of vote rigging.
Part of the trouble is the winner-take-all system in Kenya, which happens in much of Africa, where leaders often favor members of their own ethnic group and in the process alienate large swaths of the population. Many people in Kenya saw this coming even before independence in 1963.
"We were worried about the smaller tribes getting dominated by the bigger ones," said Joseph Martin Shikuku, a 75-year-old opposition figure. "And you know what? That's exactly what happened."
Shikuku was one of the founders of an independence-era political movement that embraced a philosophy called majimboism that has been around in Kenya since the 1950s.
Majimboism has always had a strong following in the Rift Valley, the epicenter of the recent violence, where many locals have long believed that their land was stolen by outsiders.
"Majimboism was submerged but it never really died," Anderson said.
It pitted today's majimboists, represented by Odinga, who campaigned for regionalism, against Kibaki, who stood for the status quo of a highly centralized government that has delivered considerable economic growth but has repeatedly displayed the problems of too much power concentrated in too few hands — corruption, aloofness, favoritism and its flip side, marginalization.
Because Kibaki is a Kikuyu, the largest and most powerful ethnic group in Kenya, and Odinga is a Luo, a group that feels it has never gotten its fair share, the political and ethnic tensions aggravated by this election have often blurred — with disastrous results.
Other African countries have struggled with ways of defusing ethnic rivalries. Ethiopia set up a system in the mid-1990s called ethnic federalism, which carved the country into ethnic-based regions, each with broad power — at least on paper — including the right to secede. But Ethiopia's leaders soon concluded that too much regional autonomy would tear the country apart, and Ethiopia is now more or less centrally controlled by members of a small ethnic group.
Tanzania took the opposite approach. It de-emphasized ethnicity. It encouraged people to speak Kiswahili, and not their mother tongues, as a way to build Tanzanian-ness. The government sent children to high schools in different areas to expose them to different communities. Tanzanian election law even makes it illegal to campaign for office based on ethnic group.
In Kenya, such campaigning has been dangerous. Human rights organizations have accused several politicians this election season of using hate speech to incite their supporters.
Land became the explosive issue, and after the election, opposition supporters rampaged against people who they perceived had not only voted for the president but had also taken their land long before then. To members of the Kalenjin ethnic group, this meant Kikuyus, even if they had lived next door for generations.
The small town of Londiani in the Rift Valley is just one example. Kikuyu traders settled here decades ago. In early February, residents said that hundreds of Kalenjin raiders poured down from the nearby scruffy hills. Even the Good Start nursery school was burned to the ground. The next morning, children with flakes of ash in their hair picked through the rubble, salvaging what they could — a mosquito coil here, a dented lantern there. With no fire engines in town and with running water scarce, all people of Londiani could do was run outside and watch the school burn.
Kikuyus have since taken their revenge, organizing into gangs armed with iron bars and table legs and hunting down Luos and Kalenjins in Kikuyu-dominated areas like Nakuru. "We are achieving our own perverse version of majimboism," wrote one of Kenya's leading columnists, Macharia Gaitho.
Kenyan government officials say that they are compiling evidence that Ruto instructed his supporters to kill and that he may soon be charged with murder.
Ruto, 41, denies any involvement.
"They will not touch me," he said. "My hands are very clean."
Still, hundreds of thousands of Kikuyus have fled the Rift Valley, followed by members of other communities displaced by revenge killings.
The United Nations estimates that at least 600,000 people have been uprooted. About half have gone to camps in churches, police stations, stables and prisons. The living conditions are often horrible.
"Now they're eating rats," read a headline in a Kenyan newspaper.
In Othaya, in the hilly green center of Kikuyu-dominated Central Province, residents mobilized to absorb their relatives from the Rift Valley — and any other Kikuyus who escaped with them.
"I was expecting five or six people," said Miriam Wanjiku, one of the hosts. "Then a whole bus showed up."
Wanjiku found houses and abandoned stores for dozens of people to sleep in. She helped able-bodied men — many were wounded — get jobs at the local tea plantations that roll across the hills like one giant, verdant hedge. The children were put in school.
But there was little for the elderly to do. Wangoi spends her day on a couch, staring at the floor.
"They were sliced like meat," she said, when asked what happened to her neighbors.
Wanjiku listened closely, looking distressed.
"I think she needs counseling," she said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/15/africa/15kenya.php
2 - Strive for Ethnic Diversity
Business Daily (Nairobi)
EDITORIAL
15 February 2008
Posted to the web 15 February 2008 Nairobi
As the country slowly recovers from the political turmoil that followed the controversial tallying of the presidential vote, another monster is also slowly creeping in: hiring and deployment of staff based on ethnicity and preference of location.
As a country we cannot stand by and allow ethnicity to take the place of meritocracy when hiring personnel. Selective employment, which appreciates ethnic background, might hurt productivity as firms are likely to resist hiring and deploying their staff in position where they are needed most.
It is true that firms have absorbed huge losses following the displacement of some of their key employees, but this should not act as an excuse for executives to tilt their employment based on regional preferences.
In doing so, we will reverse the gains the country has made over the past five years in slowing down the dishing of jobs based on ethnicity, patronage and through corrupt dealings that was rampant in the two decades to 2002.
Instead, employers should strive for ethnic diversity within their staffing ranks as well as enhance the regional mix of their staff to boost the country's social fabric. In sum, we call for speedy policy interventions to erase these emerging employment preferences in the interest of having a united country.
Copyright © 2008 Business Daily. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802150371.html
3 - 200 Suspects Being Probed Over Violence
The Nation (Nairobi)NEWS
15 February 2008
Posted to the web 15 February 2008 Nairobi
Police investigating criminal incidents during post-poll violence are targeting 200 prime suspects.
Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said "200 prominent personalities" were under investigation for the roles they played.
He, however, declined to reveal their identity saying they would be known after they are charged in court.
At the same time, he released photographs of 15 people captured during violent demonstrations in Kibera, Ngong Road and Mathare, among other parts of the city.
Photos taken
The photos were taken by police officers equipped with cameras who joined their colleagues deployed to quell the riots which started on December 30 and continued into last month.
The team of police photographers concentrated on the demonstrators who carried offensive weapons like machetes and clubs.
Mr Kiraithe said they were not after those captured carrying twigs or placards.
And police in riot gear returned to Nairobi streets Thursday after a week of absence.
Contacted, Mr Kiraithe said they were acting on intelligence reports to forestall any form of criminal acts.
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802150132.html
1 - Signs in Kenya of a land redrawn by ethnicity - IHT
International Herald Tribune
By Jeffrey Gettleman
Friday, February 15, 2008
OTHAYA, Kenya: Sarah Wangoi has spent her entire life — all 70 years of it — in the Rift Valley. But last month, she was chased off her farm by a mob that called her a foreigner. She now sleeps on the cold floor of a stranger's house, seeking refuge in an area of Kenya where her ethnic group, the Kikuyu, is strong.
It is, supposedly, her homeland.
"I am safe now," said Wangoi, though the mob still chases her in her dreams.
Across the country, William Ojiambo sat in a field where the ground was too hard to plow. He, too, sought refuge with his ethnic group, the Luo. He used to live in an ethnically mixed town called Nakuru but was recently evicted by a gang from another ethnic group that burned everything he owned.
"We came here with nothing, like cabbages thrown in the back of a truck," Ojiambo said.
Kenya used to be considered one of the most promising countries in Africa. Now it is in the throes of ethnically segregating itself. Ever since a deeply flawed election in December kicked off a wave of ethnic and political violence, hundreds of thousands of people have been violently driven from their homes and many are now resettling in ethnically homogenous zones.
Luos have gone back to Luo land, Kikuyus to Kikuyu land, Kambas to Kamba land and Kisiis to Kisii land. Even some of the packed slums in the capital, Nairobi, have split along ethnic lines.
The bloodletting across the country that has killed more than 1,000 people since the election seems to have subsided in the past week. But the trucks piled high with mattresses, furniture, blankets and children keep chugging across the countryside, an endless convoy of frightened people who in their desperation are redrawing the map of Kenya.
The United Nations and Western powers are pushing for a political compromise, and President George W. Bush said he would send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to "deliver a message" to Kenya's leaders.
On Thursday, officials here said that Kenyan government and opposition leaders had agreed in principle to join together in a coalition government but that they remained bitterly divided over the specifics, especially how much power the opposition would have. Two officials close to the negotiations said the government had rejected the opposition's offer to split power between the president, who would remain head of state and the military's commander in chief, and a newly created prime minister position.
Whatever deal is struck will have to address the growing de facto segregation, since a resettlement of the country may further entrench the political and ethnic divisions that have recently erupted.
Shattered trust is much harder to rebuild than smashed huts, and many people say they will never go back to where they fled.
"How can we, when it was our friends who did this to us?" said Joseph Ndungu, a shopkeeper in the Rift Valley, who said that men he used to play soccer with burned down his shop.
The government is lending a hand in the country's separation, at least for the moment. Police officers are escorting people back to their 'ancestral homes,' as the government calls them, which seems to be thinly veiled language for ethnic separation.
Alfred Mutua, a government spokesman, said this was only temporary until it was safe for people to live together again.
"Kenyans have the right to reside anywhere in the country," he said.
But the mass migrations and resettlements that have been set in motion may be hard to reverse.
Take Joseph Mwanzia Maingi, a retired teacher who was just driven out of Narok, a town in the Rift Valley, by a gang of local men with bows and arrows. He fled to his father's farm in an area that is a stronghold of the Kamba ethnic group, his people. He is now building a house. And not looking back.
"I don't see any peace agreement that can guarantee our security there,"
Joseph Mwanzia Maingi, retired teacher
Speaking of Narok, where he had lived happily for 40 years.
The ethnic segregation is pulling students and teachers out of schools and leaving thousands of jobs vacant across the economy. If it continues, said David Anderson, an African studies professor at Oxford University, "it'll be an utter disaster."
"You'll never be able to reconstitute the state in a meaningful way. You'll have undone 50 years of work."
David Anderson, Oxford University
The roots of the problem go deeper than the disputed election, in which the incumbent president, Mwai Kibaki, was declared the winner over the top opposition leader, Raila Odinga, despite widespread evidence of vote rigging.
At the heart is a tangle of long-festering political, economic and land issues.
Part of the trouble is the winner-take-all system in Kenya, which happens in much of Africa, where leaders often favor members of their own ethnic group and in the process alienate large swaths of the population. Many people in Kenya saw this coming even before independence in 1963.
"We were worried about the smaller tribes getting dominated by the bigger ones," said Joseph Martin Shikuku, a 75-year-old opposition figure. "And you know what? That's exactly what happened."
Shikuku was one of the founders of an independence-era political movement that embraced a philosophy called majimboism that has been around in Kenya since the 1950s.
Majimboism means federalism or regionalism in Kiswahili, and it was intended to protect local rights, especially those connected to land. But in the extreme, majimboism is code for certain areas of the country to be reserved for specific ethnic groups, fueling the kind of ethnic cleansing that has swept the country since the election.
Majimboism has always had a strong following in the Rift Valley, the epicenter of the recent violence, where many locals have long believed that their land was stolen by outsiders.
"Majimboism was submerged but it never really died," Anderson said.
In some ways, the election in December was a referendum on majimboism.
It pitted today's majimboists, represented by Odinga, who campaigned for regionalism, against Kibaki, who stood for the status quo of a highly centralized government that has delivered considerable economic growth but has repeatedly displayed the problems of too much power concentrated in too few hands — corruption, aloofness, favoritism and its flip side, marginalization.
Because Kibaki is a Kikuyu, the largest and most powerful ethnic group in Kenya, and Odinga is a Luo, a group that feels it has never gotten its fair share, the political and ethnic tensions aggravated by this election have often blurred — with disastrous results.
Other African countries have struggled with ways of defusing ethnic rivalries. Ethiopia set up a system in the mid-1990s called ethnic federalism, which carved the country into ethnic-based regions, each with broad power — at least on paper — including the right to secede. But Ethiopia's leaders soon concluded that too much regional autonomy would tear the country apart, and Ethiopia is now more or less centrally controlled by members of a small ethnic group.
Tanzania took the opposite approach. It de-emphasized ethnicity. It encouraged people to speak Kiswahili, and not their mother tongues, as a way to build Tanzanian-ness. The government sent children to high schools in different areas to expose them to different communities. Tanzanian election law even makes it illegal to campaign for office based on ethnic group.
In Kenya, such campaigning has been dangerous. Human rights organizations have accused several politicians this election season of using hate speech to incite their supporters.
Land became the explosive issue, and after the election, opposition supporters rampaged against people who they perceived had not only voted for the president but had also taken their land long before then. To members of the Kalenjin ethnic group, this meant Kikuyus, even if they had lived next door for generations.
The small town of Londiani in the Rift Valley is just one example. Kikuyu traders settled here decades ago. In early February, residents said that hundreds of Kalenjin raiders poured down from the nearby scruffy hills. Even the Good Start nursery school was burned to the ground. The next morning, children with flakes of ash in their hair picked through the rubble, salvaging what they could — a mosquito coil here, a dented lantern there. With no fire engines in town and with running water scarce, all people of Londiani could do was run outside and watch the school burn.
Kikuyus have since taken their revenge, organizing into gangs armed with iron bars and table legs and hunting down Luos and Kalenjins in Kikuyu-dominated areas like Nakuru. "We are achieving our own perverse version of majimboism," wrote one of Kenya's leading columnists, Macharia Gaitho.
Many Kenyans blame William Ruto, a charismatic, smooth-talking opposition leader and a Kalenjin elder, for starting the violence in the Rift Valley.
Kenyan government officials say that they are compiling evidence that Ruto instructed his supporters to kill and that he may soon be charged with murder.
Ruto, 41, denies any involvement.
"They will not touch me," he said. "My hands are very clean."
Still, hundreds of thousands of Kikuyus have fled the Rift Valley, followed by members of other communities displaced by revenge killings.
The United Nations estimates that at least 600,000 people have been uprooted. About half have gone to camps in churches, police stations, stables and prisons. The living conditions are often horrible.
"Now they're eating rats," read a headline in a Kenyan newspaper.
In Othaya, in the hilly green center of Kikuyu-dominated Central Province, residents mobilized to absorb their relatives from the Rift Valley — and any other Kikuyus who escaped with them.
"I was expecting five or six people," said Miriam Wanjiku, one of the hosts. "Then a whole bus showed up."
Wanjiku found houses and abandoned stores for dozens of people to sleep in. She helped able-bodied men — many were wounded — get jobs at the local tea plantations that roll across the hills like one giant, verdant hedge. The children were put in school.
But there was little for the elderly to do. Wangoi spends her day on a couch, staring at the floor.
"They were sliced like meat," she said, when asked what happened to her neighbors.
Wanjiku listened closely, looking distressed.
"I think she needs counseling," she said.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/15/africa/15kenya.php
2 - Strive for Ethnic Diversity
Business Daily (Nairobi)
EDITORIAL
15 February 2008
Posted to the web 15 February 2008 Nairobi
As the country slowly recovers from the political turmoil that followed the controversial tallying of the presidential vote, another monster is also slowly creeping in: hiring and deployment of staff based on ethnicity and preference of location.
Though most firms have called this a temporal measure, danger lurks that this uncouth hiring preference might take root and influence future human resource policies.
As a country we cannot stand by and allow ethnicity to take the place of meritocracy when hiring personnel. Selective employment, which appreciates ethnic background, might hurt productivity as firms are likely to resist hiring and deploying their staff in position where they are needed most.
It is true that firms have absorbed huge losses following the displacement of some of their key employees, but this should not act as an excuse for executives to tilt their employment based on regional preferences.
In doing so, we will reverse the gains the country has made over the past five years in slowing down the dishing of jobs based on ethnicity, patronage and through corrupt dealings that was rampant in the two decades to 2002.
Instead, employers should strive for ethnic diversity within their staffing ranks as well as enhance the regional mix of their staff to boost the country's social fabric. In sum, we call for speedy policy interventions to erase these emerging employment preferences in the interest of having a united country.
Copyright © 2008 Business Daily. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802150371.html
3 - 200 Suspects Being Probed Over Violence
The Nation (Nairobi)NEWS
15 February 2008
Posted to the web 15 February 2008 Nairobi
Police investigating criminal incidents during post-poll violence are targeting 200 prime suspects.
Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe said "200 prominent personalities" were under investigation for the roles they played.
He, however, declined to reveal their identity saying they would be known after they are charged in court.
At the same time, he released photographs of 15 people captured during violent demonstrations in Kibera, Ngong Road and Mathare, among other parts of the city.
Photos taken
The photos were taken by police officers equipped with cameras who joined their colleagues deployed to quell the riots which started on December 30 and continued into last month.
The team of police photographers concentrated on the demonstrators who carried offensive weapons like machetes and clubs.
Mr Kiraithe said they were not after those captured carrying twigs or placards.
And police in riot gear returned to Nairobi streets Thursday after a week of absence.
Contacted, Mr Kiraithe said they were acting on intelligence reports to forestall any form of criminal acts.
Copyright © 2008 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802150132.html
Today's Headlines - Fri 2/15/2008
UPDATES:
Annan to outline Kenya deal - Sydney Morning Herald (AU)
Kenyan rivals agree to independent review of disputed poll - Guardian (UK)
Amnesty International Calls on Government and African Commission to Act
1 - Kenya's political rivals agree to independent review disputed of election - AP
2 - Annan set to unveil Kenya 'deal' - BBC
3 - Kenyan opposition frustrated by talks - CNN
4 - Kenya parties agree to independent poll probe - Reuters
5 - Google News (various)
6 - Africa - Confidential (excerpts) - Full text requires subscription
===============================
UPDATE: Annan to outline Kenya deal - Sydney Morning Herald (AU)
Former UN chief Kofi Annan was on Friday to reveal details of a deal agreed by Kenya's rival parties to pull the country out of deadly turmoil, but more tough negotiations lay ahead.
Negotiators for President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition signed an agreement on Thursday during talks with Annan to end weeks of violence since a disputed December 27 election in which more than 1,000 people have died and 300,000 have been displaced.
Talks are to resume on Monday when US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice arrives to deliver a US message to Kenya's leaders that "there must be a full return to democracy".
Sources close to the talks said the sides had agreed to constitutional reforms and to bring opposition members into the government but differences remained, hampering Annan's efforts for a comprehensive deal.
Nairobi's Daily Nation newspaper carried the headline: "Annan's team strikes half-way deal in talks," while the Standard sounded a more pessimistic note: "48 hours later... and no deal yet."
Kenya descended into crisis when Kibaki, 76, was declared the winner of the vote, which opposition leader Raila Odinga, 63, maintains was rigged.
Annan has been pushing for a power-sharing deal that would bring together the government and the opposition to oversee reforms and pave the way for fresh elections, possibly in two years.
But during talks, Kibaki's camp balked at proposals for "power-sharing", saying it would only appoint opposition members to a government under the strong executive leadership of the president, a top government official said.
The opposition has pushed for the appointment of Odinga as prime minister with full powers as head of government, a post that would require changes to the constitution.
The parties agreed to launch a one-year constitutional review that could address many of the grievances that fueled the violence -- which appears to have subsided over the past seven days.
But constitutional reforms would be conditional on a deal on the makeup of the new all-inclusive government, said the official, who asked not to be named.
"We are still talking and we have not agreed conclusively," said Martha Karua, justice minister and the government's lead negotiator.
The text of the agreement signed by the two sides was to be released during Annan's news conference scheduled for 5:00 pm (1400 GMT).
The rival leaders have been under international pressure to make concessions, with the United States and Britain threatening visa bans, an assets freeze and other sanctions.
US President George W. Bush announced ahead of a five-nation Africa tour that he had asked Rice to travel to Kenya -- which is not on his own itinerary -- to deliver a strong message.
"There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse, and there must be a full return to democracy," Bush said.
Former colonial power Britain angered Kibaki's camp when High Commissioner Adam Wood said London did not recognize the government "as presently constituted."
At the request of the African Union, Annan -- who arrived in Nairobi on January 22 -- launched a mediation to end the violence that saw Kenyans hacked to death by machete-wielding mobs, burnt in churches where they had sought refuge and driven off their land.
The turmoil has laid bare tribal rivalries as well as simmering resentment over land issues and wealth disparities in Kenya.
Kenya's world-famous safari resorts and beach hotels have suffered a bruising loss of business while the country's economic upswing, with growth at seven percent, could soon flatten out.
© 2008
This story is sourced direct from an overseas news agency as an additional service to readers. Spelling follows North American usage, along with foreign currency and measurement units.
http://news.smh.com.au/annan-to-outline-kenya-deal/20080215-1sig.html
1.30pm GMT update
UPDATE: Kenyan rivals agree to independent review of disputed poll
guardian.co.uk,
Friday February 15 2008
Kenya's rival political factions have agreed to an independent review into last year's disputed election, according to details of a deal revealed today.
The Associated Press has obtained a copy of the preliminary agreement, which was signed yesterday.
It does not resolve the thorny issue of power-sharing, but the government has for the first time dropped its insistence that the election results can only be challenged in court.
Negotiators representing the president, Mwai Kibaki, and the opposition leader, Raila Odinga, have been in secret talks for two days, with mediation from Kofi Annan, the former secretary general of the UN.
Odinga maintains that Kibaki stole the December election. The subsequent violence has left about 1,000 people dead in ethnic violence, displaced more than 500,000 people and severely undermined Kenya's reputation for stability.
The agreement calls for an independent review committee "to investigate all aspects of the 2007 presidential election", with advice from Kenyan and international experts.
It will start work on March 15 and produce a report within six months.
In the agreement, the government acknowledges that the dispute cannot be resolved in court because the deadline for complaints has already expired.
Kibaki and his supporters had previously insisted the opposition use the legal process for their complaints, while Odinga said Kibaki stole the election and should step down.
"We agree a political settlement is necessary to promote national reconciliation and unity," the preliminary deal says.
The agreement also calls for the two sides to write a new constitution within a year. Kenya's constitution was drawn up ahead of independence from Britain in 1963 and has been revised repeatedly, giving the president sweeping powers.
Other issues in the 10-point deal include comprehensive reform of electoral laws and institutions and the creation of a truth, justice and reconciliation commission.
"We have only one outstanding issue ... the governance structure, which is being actively discussed. Several options have emerged," according to the agreement, which added that the negotiators would now consult Kibaki and Odinga.
That issue is likely to prove much more difficult to resolve, with an opposition member with close ties to the talks telling AP that "the talks deadlocked over the discussion of government structure."
On Tuesday, it emerged that the opposition had offered to share power with Kibaki, in return for fresh elections in 2010.
It is understood the Orange Democratic Movement opposition party has demanded more than half of the cabinet seats to reflect its vote in the parliamentary elections.
George Bush, the US president, announced yesterday that his secretary of state, Condoleezza Rice, would visit Kenya on Monday to encourage a political compromise.
Bush said Rice would tell Kenya's leaders and people: "There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy."
Salim Lone, an opposition spokesman, welcomed Rice's visit as a sign of growing recognition within and outside the US that Kenya's crisis is far from over and international pressure is still needed.
"We should not be fooled by the current relative calm to believe that peace is around the corner," Lone said. "Already we can see that the government has consistently tried to undermine the negotiations on this core issue and even if Mr Annan succeeds in forging a settlement, the world will have to be very vigilant in insuring the government implements it."
The US embassy in Nairobi said Rice would meet Kibaki, Odinga and Annan, as well as civil society and business leaders to press for an end to the violence, justice for victims of abuse and a "full return to democracy".
Several countries have threatened unspecified sanctions against hardliners who might derail the negotiations. They also have said they will cut aid, impose travel bans or freeze the assets of anyone suspected of inciting violence.
Odinga, who served as a cabinet minister in Kibaki's administration for two years before being thrown out in December 2005, fell out over a previous attempt at constitutional reform.
More on
World news
Kenya
Related
Feb 15 2008
Kofi Annan and the art of intelligent intervention
Feb 14 2008
British colonial policy is not to blame for Kenya's troubles
Feb 14 2008
Kenya leadership rivals sign peace deal
Feb 14 2008
Bush to send Rice to Kenya to demand a halt to violence
UPDATE: Amnesty International Calls on Government and African Commission to Act
Amnesty International
PRESS RELEASE
15 February 2008 Posted to the web 15 February 2008
As Kofi Annan prepares announces the results of the political mediation in Kenya and the African Commission on Human and Peoples Rights begins an extraordinary session to discuss the human rights situation in the country, Amnesty International called on the Commission and Kenyan government to prioritize an investigation into the human rights violations and abuses perpetrated during the post-election period.
The African Commission will be meeting in an extraordinary session in Banjul, Gambia to discuss developments in Kenya, amongst other issues, between 15 and 24 February.
“A human rights agenda must be central to any resolution of the political crises – which means that those responsible for the violence must be brought to justice, and the victims receive reparations. Impunity for human rights violations will only store up problems for Kenya’s future, and we hope that the African Commission will play its role in ensuring that this does not happen” said Erwin van der Borght, Director of Amnesty International’s Africa Programme, who has just returned from a fact-finding mission to Kenya.
Amnesty International called on the African Commission to:
* Urge the Kenyan government to investigate all allegations of human rights violations and ensure that suspected perpetrators are held responsible through trials that comply with international standards.
* Undertake an investigative mission to Kenya to assess the human rights situation. The Commission's Special Rapporteur on Refugees, Asylum Seekers, Internally Displaced Persons and Migrants in Africa and the Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders in Africa should be an integral part of the mission. The report of the mission with specific recommendations should be submitted to the African Union's Heads of States Assembly soon after the visit and subsequently be made public.
* Call on the Kenyan government and opposition to ensure the full respect for human rights by their supporters.
Background information
Since 30 December, more than 1,000 people have been killed in politically motivated or ethnic attacks in Kenya. This number includes numerous people shot dead by the police, who were deployed to quell the violence or break up mass protests called by the opposition against the results of the presidential elections.
According to estimates, over 300,000 people have become internally displaced [UN now estimates as many as 600,000] as a result of the violence and more than 10,000 others have fled to Uganda as refugees.
Copyright © 2008 Amnesty International. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).
http://allafrica.com/stories/200802150765.html
============================
1 - Kenya's political rivals agree to independent review disputed of election - AP
Friday, February 15, 2008
NAIROBI, Kenya: Kenya's political rivals have agreed on the need for an independent review of the election at the center of their dispute, but the difficult question of sharing power has yet to be resolved, chief mediator and former U.N. chief Kofi Annan said Friday.
"Let me assure you that there is real momentum," Annan told reporters, one day after the agreement was signed. "We are at the water's edge and the last difficult and frightening step, as difficult as it is, will be taken."
The deal included a call for a new constitution, and marks the first time government officials have agreed to a review of the election results. It is clear progress weeks after the dispute triggered nationwide violence that has killed more than 1,000 people.
Talks were to continue Monday.
Power sharing, the solution the rival camps have been under pressure to adopt, remained a thorny issue.
The preliminary agreement calls for the two sides to draw up a new constitution within a year, which could pave the way for a prime minister's post or another way to share power.
"We have only one outstanding issue ... the governance structure, which is being actively discussed. Several options have emerged," said the agreement, adding that the negotiators will now consult President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga.
The agreement called for an independent review committee "to investigate all aspects of the 2007 presidential election." The committee will include Kenyan and non-Kenyan experts, start work March 15 and submit its report within three to six months. The report will be published two weeks later.
In the agreement, the government also acknowledged that the dispute cannot be resolved in court because the deadline for complaints has expired earlier this year. Kibaki's government had insisted the opposition take its complaints to the courts, while Odinga had argued he stole the Dec. 27 vote and should step down.
The 10-point agreement also provides for a comprehensive reform of electoral laws and institutions and the creation of a truth, justice and reconciliation commission.
The report also said politicians must examine how long-standing land grievances, accusations of ethnic favoritism and frustration over poverty and corruption all contributed to the violence.
In the western town of Kisumu, where anti-government sentiments run high and scene of some of the worst bloodshed, residents said they were getting restless about the seemingly drawn-out negotiations.
"Why are they not hitting the main issue so we can have a normal life in Kenya?" demanded a 35-year old taxi driver, Dan Omondi, who lives in Kisumu. "When you are hungry you need food not appetizers."
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/15/africa/AF-GEN-Kenya-Election-Violence.php
2 - Annan set to unveil Kenya 'deal' - BBC
Former United Nations head Kofi Annan is set to announce the details of an agreement reached after two days of talks to end Kenya's political crisis.
Both teams have returned to the capital from an exclusive tourist resort after the talks were adjourned on Thursday.
A BBC correspondent says the teams may have agreed in principle to share power but details still need to be finalised.
President Mwai Kibaki was formally declared the winner, but the opposition says the count was rigged.
At least 1,000 people have died and more than 600,000 have been displaced during the post-election violence.
If patients cannot access their medication, HIV could kill more people [in this crisis] than injuries from bullets
Walter Kizito, MSF
The international community is pushing for a deal which would see Orange Democratic Movement leader Raila Odinga share power with President Kibaki.
On Thursday, government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo said the two sides had agreed to write a new constitution within a year.
This could pave the way for the creation of the post of prime minister, which Mr Odinga could take, however the opposition team says the issue of power sharing needed to be resolved first.
'Not a colony'
The BBC's Karen Allen in Nairobi says other details which would need to be worked out are the division of ministerial portfolios in a grand coalition.
During the talks, German's Foreign Minister Gernot Erler briefed both teams on how the country's grand coalition works during a session on power-sharing.
The teams are expected to get further briefing from their leaders, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga, before the talks resume next week.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is due to arrive in Kenya on Monday to help put pressure on both sides to reach a deal.
Mr Annan had expressed optimism that a political settlement that will end the crisis would be reached within three days.
Police accused
Foreign diplomats have warned representatives of both sides of dire consequences if they scuttle the process.
But Justice Minister Martha Karua, who heads the government side, has asked them to refrain from threats as Kenya charts its own course.
"I would like to remind them we are not a colony and they should adhere to the diplomatic convention of not interfering with sovereign states," Ms Karua told reporters soon after arriving in Nairobi from the talks.
Meanwhile, human rights activists have accused police of "sleeping on the job" for allegedly failing to investigate claims of criminal behaviour at the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK).
They presented a list to the Attorney General of 22 ECK officials and other staff, who they believe were involved in forgery, subverting the rule of law and failing in their statutory duty during the 27 December election.
International election observers say there were numerous discrepancies in the way the votes were counted and results announced.
The human rights groups have urged the Attorney General to order an investigation and warn that if their pleas are ignored they will opt for a private prosecution.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7246461.stm
Published: 2008/02/15 11:18:07 GMT
© BBC MMVIII
3 - Kenyan opposition frustrated by talks
February 14, 2008 -- Updated 2207 GMT (0607 HKT)
Story Highlights
- Kenyan opposition frustrated at pace of talks to resolve crisis, official says
- Negotiators have reached some sort of agreement; talks to continue next week
- Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan due to outline the agreement
- President Bush has said Condoleezza Rice will fly to Kenya to support talks
NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- A senior official from Kenya's opposition party says its camp is "frustrated with the pace of the negotiations" to settle the political crisis in Kenya.
The official, from the Orange Democratic Movement, said the government mediation team has not put details of a "power-sharing agreement" on the table and could be "stonewalling Kofi Annan to tire him out."
Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general, is leading the mediation effort to settle the violent dispute that boiled over into bloodshed after the Dec. 27 presidential elections.
Also, the assertion of "stonewalling" jibes with a Kenyan TV report that the government mediation team on Thursday asked for a seven-day recess from the negotiations. The report said Annan told the mediators they had to continue their work.
Alfred Matua, spokesman for the government, told CNN that "those statements are incorrect" because the government team has come up with three different political framework options.
The Orange Democratic Movement said it proposed a separation of powers plan with a prime minister and the president retaining significant powers.
A spokesman for the Kenyan negotiators on Thursday said mediators have reached some sort of a political agreement and will continue talking next week.
A government spokeswoman said the agreement isn't substantive but the talks are progressing. Annan is to outline the agreement at a news conference Friday in Kenya.
On Thursday, U.S. President George W. Bush announced U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would visit Kenya in the coming few days to support efforts to end violence there. announced the mission in Washington on Thursday.
Don't Miss
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School torched in violence
Kenyan opposition party spokesman Salim Lone said that Rice's trip to Kenya is a "very positive step."
Earlier this week, both sides in the disputed December 27 presidential election in Kenya agreed not to pursue a recount or audit of the votes.
Incumbent President Mwai Kibaki won the elections [?], but the opposition said it was rigged. That disagreement sparked violence countrywide between members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe and other groups, including opposition leader Raila Odinga's Luo tribe.
Both sides have agreed on the creation of an independent committee to investigate irregularities in the election and suggest reforms.
On Thursday, chief government negotiator Martha Karua was also asked about reported comments from the British high commissioner to Kenya that the British government does not recognize the current government as legitimate.
"I will remind them that we are not a colony and we will not take pressure from any other country," she said. "Can you imagine a Kenyan envoy telling the British what to do? They are throwing their non-existent weight around."
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/02/15/kenya.election/
4 - Kenya parties agree to independent poll probe - Reuters
Fri 15 Feb 2008, 14:28 GMT
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding political parties have agreed to set up an independent review of the disputed Dec. 27 presidential election, mediator Kofi Annan said on Friday.
Annan, reporting on progress at this week's talks, also said it was essential for the parties to form a "broad coalition" to agree on constitutional and electoral reforms going forward.
Talks will resume on Tuesday, he said, in search of a political pact most expect to be power-sharing between President Mwai Kibaki's party and opposition leader Raila Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement.
Annan said "considerable" progress was being made even though his goal of reaching a political accord this week had passed. "The momentum is with us," he told reporters.
"I will stay as long as it takes to get the process to an irreversible point."
© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved.
http://africa.reuters.com/wire/news/usnL15332002.html
==========================
5 - Google News Alert for: Kenya
Kenya's political rivals sign deal on new constitution, negotiator ... [TEXT ABOVE ITEM 1]
International Herald Tribune - France
AP NAIROBI, Kenya: Kenya's political rivals agreed to write a new constitution — a move that could allow for power-sharing — as part of a deal to end weeks ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya: Wetangula Reacts to British Envoy Claim
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Relations between Britain and Kenya's political elite have swung between cordial and frosty depending on the issues at hand.
See all stories on this topic
Kenya: EU Warns of Sanctions If Talks Fail
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The European Union (EU) has warned that it could sever trade and bilateral links with Kenya if political leaders do not move fast to resolve the political ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya: Econet Wireless Hiring Staff Ahead of Roll-Out
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Econet Wireless Kenya, the country's third cellular phone operator, is recruiting staff ahead of its planned roll out in Nairobi and Mombasa. ...
See all stories on this topic
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
=======================
Vol 49 Number 4, 15th February 2008
Signs of progress, however elusive, are boosting hopes for a deal but the militias are rearming - just in case.
The announcement of a political deal on 14 February at talks at a Kilaguni Game Lodge mediated by former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan boosted morale but may not change the fundamentals. There is much scepticism about the plan for a 'grand coalition' in Nairobi's fractious parliament.
There is still more concern up country about whether a top-table agreement in the capital will staunch the violence on the ground and end the forced evictions and arson.
Many Kenyans suspect that both sides will renege on a compromise deal once Annan and his advisors have departed, and the bitter cycle of attacks and counter attacks will restart.
Vol 49 Number 4, 15th February 2008
Outsiders have been belatedly increasing pressure on Kenya's feuding politicians as former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan moved the negotiating teams to the secluded Kilaguni Safari Lodge in the Tsavo West National Park. The cacophony of mixed messages from Western governments - with officials within the same government contradicting each other - is changing into a more coherent position: anyone who sabotages the talks mediated by Annan will face visa bans, asset freezes and perhaps criminal investigation.
http://www.africa-confidential.com/browse-by-country/id/25/KENYA
Africa-Confidential requires a subscription to view full text of an article.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
The trouble with Kenya... - 2/14/2008 at 3:00 p.m.
Kenya crisis talks adjourn, Rice expected
Thu 14 Feb 2008, 16:31 GMT
By Daniel Wallis and Andrew Cawthorne
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding political parties adjourned talks for the weekend on Thursday, dashing chief mediator Kofi Annan's hopes of having a final political settlement to the post-election crisis this week.
In a bid to shore up Annan's mission, U.S. President George W. Bush has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to head to Kenya to tell its leaders there must be a return to democracy.
"There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy," Bush said.
International pressure has mounted to end turmoil triggered by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed Dec. 27 re-election, which has killed at least 1,000 people and uprooted 300,000 more, shattering the east African nation's peaceful image.
Kenya's troubles have disrupted crucial supplies of fuel and other goods to neighbouring countries, raising fears about the economic impact of the crisis on the region.
A spokesman for Annan indicated some progress had been made during two days of closed-door talks at a luxury safari lodge and that the former U.N. boss would give details on Friday of an agreement signed by both sides.
He said talks would resume on Monday morning in Nairobi.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses Kibaki's team of rigging the vote, while Kibaki says he won fairly.
Both sides have agreed in principle to some form of power-sharing and have been focusing on the details in private.
The negotiators flew back to the city together on a presidential plane. A source from one party, who asked not to be identified, said the talks had ended in acrimony and that the delegates would now consult their bosses.
"Optimism is not the same as reality, but we are making progress," Justice Minister Martha Karua, the top government negotiator, said on her return to Nairobi, where reporters asked her why a final deal remained elusive.
"We are making progress, we have not reached agreement."
TRUTH COMMISSION
The two parties are also expected to set up a South African-style truth, justice and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses including ethnic attacks and killings of protesters by police.
On Thursday, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said ringleaders should not be forgiven.
"The worst perpetrators and planners of the types of violations that have taken place over the recent weeks must never be exempted," KNCHR commissioner Hassan Omar Hassan told a news conference. "To do so would be a travesty of justice."
The group's call added to international pressure for the perpetrators of violence to be held accountable.
Various Western nations have threatened travel bans or freezing of assets against guilty parties, and have also said that anyone derailing the Annan talks will face "consequences".
Kenya's foreign minister lashed out at Britain's high commissioner on Thursday after the envoy said on local TV the government did not reflect the democratic will of the people.
Moses Wetangula said Adam Wood's comments had shown "total disregard" for diplomatic etiquette, and he threatened to take unspecified action if the incident was repeated.
A spokeswoman at the British High Commission in Nairobi said Wood was only reiterating the British government's position.
The trouble has exposed deep rifts over land, power and wealth that date from the British colonial era and have been stoked by some Kenyan politicians ever since.
On Thursday, the government said it was setting up a resettlement department to help return displaced people to their homes. To encourage them, it said it was also building 32 new police stations in areas afflicted by the violence.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/top/news/usnL14774808.html
Kenya rivals to rewrite constitution: govt
Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:35pm EST
By Katie Nguyen and Andrew Cawthorne
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding parties have agreed to rewrite the constitution within a year in an effort to end post-election violence, but have yet to strike a deal on power-sharing, a government negotiator said on Thursday.
Talks were earlier adjourned until Monday, dashing chief mediator Kofi Annan's hopes of a final political settlement this week to resolve a crisis sparked by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.
More than 1,000 people have died and 300,000 have been driven from their homes in turmoil that has shattered Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies.
"Both parties reached agreement on a wide-ranging sphere of issues affecting the country ... among them being to write a new constitution within a year," government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo told Reuters.
But the two sides have yet to strike a deal on the most contentious issue -- the structure of the government.
Kilonzo said the parties agreed on "serious constitutional, legal and institutional reforms" in a four-page document, but gave no further details.
Opposition officials declined to comment on the record. Annan's spokesman also declined to comment.
The former U.N. chief is due to brief the press on Friday.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses Kibaki's team of rigging the December 27 vote while Kibaki says he won fairly.
Kenyans have been calling for a new constitution since the early 1990s to replace one dating back to the eve of independence from Britain in 1963, which critics say fosters graft and tribalism because of the president's immense powers.
The last attempt to pass a new constitution failed in 2005 when Kenyans rejected a government-backed draft in a referendum.
OPTIMISM VS REALITY
In a bid to shore up Annan's mission, U.S. President George W. Bush has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to head to Kenya to tell its leaders there must be a return to democracy.
"There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy," Bush said.
Party sources say both sides have agreed in principle to some form of power-sharing and are focusing on the details in private. After returning from the talks at a luxury safari lodge, the government's top negotiator played down expectations.
"Optimism is not the same as reality, but we are making progress," Justice Minister Martha Karua told reporters. "We are making progress, we have not reached agreement."
The two parties are expected to set up a South African-style truth, justice and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses including ethnic attacks and killings of protesters by police.
On Thursday, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said ringleaders should not be forgiven.
"The worst perpetrators and planners of the types of violations that have taken place over the recent weeks must never be exempted," KNCHR commissioner Hassan Omar Hassan told a news conference. "To do so would be a travesty of justice."
The group's call added to international pressure for the perpetrators of violence to be held accountable.
Various Western nations have threatened travel bans or the freezing of assets of guilty parties and have also said anyone derailing the Annan talks would face "consequences".
The trouble has exposed deep rifts over land, power and wealth that date from the British colonial era and have been stoked by some Kenyan politicians ever since.
On Thursday, the government said it was setting up a resettlement department to help displaced people return to their homes. To encourage them, it said it was also building 32 police stations in areas afflicted by the violence.
(For special coverage from Reuters on Kenya's crisis see:
http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/)
(Additional reporting by Jack Kimball and Daniel Wallis in Nairobi and Tabassum Zakaria in Washington)
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1477480820080214
Thu 14 Feb 2008, 16:31 GMT
By Daniel Wallis and Andrew Cawthorne
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding political parties adjourned talks for the weekend on Thursday, dashing chief mediator Kofi Annan's hopes of having a final political settlement to the post-election crisis this week.
In a bid to shore up Annan's mission, U.S. President George W. Bush has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to head to Kenya to tell its leaders there must be a return to democracy.
"There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy," Bush said.
International pressure has mounted to end turmoil triggered by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed Dec. 27 re-election, which has killed at least 1,000 people and uprooted 300,000 more, shattering the east African nation's peaceful image.
Kenya's troubles have disrupted crucial supplies of fuel and other goods to neighbouring countries, raising fears about the economic impact of the crisis on the region.
A spokesman for Annan indicated some progress had been made during two days of closed-door talks at a luxury safari lodge and that the former U.N. boss would give details on Friday of an agreement signed by both sides.
He said talks would resume on Monday morning in Nairobi.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses Kibaki's team of rigging the vote, while Kibaki says he won fairly.
Both sides have agreed in principle to some form of power-sharing and have been focusing on the details in private.
The negotiators flew back to the city together on a presidential plane. A source from one party, who asked not to be identified, said the talks had ended in acrimony and that the delegates would now consult their bosses.
"Optimism is not the same as reality, but we are making progress," Justice Minister Martha Karua, the top government negotiator, said on her return to Nairobi, where reporters asked her why a final deal remained elusive.
"We are making progress, we have not reached agreement."
TRUTH COMMISSION
The two parties are also expected to set up a South African-style truth, justice and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses including ethnic attacks and killings of protesters by police.
On Thursday, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said ringleaders should not be forgiven.
"The worst perpetrators and planners of the types of violations that have taken place over the recent weeks must never be exempted," KNCHR commissioner Hassan Omar Hassan told a news conference. "To do so would be a travesty of justice."
The group's call added to international pressure for the perpetrators of violence to be held accountable.
Various Western nations have threatened travel bans or freezing of assets against guilty parties, and have also said that anyone derailing the Annan talks will face "consequences".
Kenya's foreign minister lashed out at Britain's high commissioner on Thursday after the envoy said on local TV the government did not reflect the democratic will of the people.
Moses Wetangula said Adam Wood's comments had shown "total disregard" for diplomatic etiquette, and he threatened to take unspecified action if the incident was repeated.
A spokeswoman at the British High Commission in Nairobi said Wood was only reiterating the British government's position.
The trouble has exposed deep rifts over land, power and wealth that date from the British colonial era and have been stoked by some Kenyan politicians ever since.
On Thursday, the government said it was setting up a resettlement department to help return displaced people to their homes. To encourage them, it said it was also building 32 new police stations in areas afflicted by the violence.
© Reuters 2007. All Rights Reserved.
http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/top/news/usnL14774808.html
Kenya rivals to rewrite constitution: govt
Thu Feb 14, 2008 2:35pm EST
By Katie Nguyen and Andrew Cawthorne
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's feuding parties have agreed to rewrite the constitution within a year in an effort to end post-election violence, but have yet to strike a deal on power-sharing, a government negotiator said on Thursday.
Talks were earlier adjourned until Monday, dashing chief mediator Kofi Annan's hopes of a final political settlement this week to resolve a crisis sparked by President Mwai Kibaki's disputed re-election.
More than 1,000 people have died and 300,000 have been driven from their homes in turmoil that has shattered Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable democracies.
"Both parties reached agreement on a wide-ranging sphere of issues affecting the country ... among them being to write a new constitution within a year," government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo told Reuters.
But the two sides have yet to strike a deal on the most contentious issue -- the structure of the government.
Kilonzo said the parties agreed on "serious constitutional, legal and institutional reforms" in a four-page document, but gave no further details.
Opposition officials declined to comment on the record. Annan's spokesman also declined to comment.
The former U.N. chief is due to brief the press on Friday.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga accuses Kibaki's team of rigging the December 27 vote while Kibaki says he won fairly.
Kenyans have been calling for a new constitution since the early 1990s to replace one dating back to the eve of independence from Britain in 1963, which critics say fosters graft and tribalism because of the president's immense powers.
The last attempt to pass a new constitution failed in 2005 when Kenyans rejected a government-backed draft in a referendum.
OPTIMISM VS REALITY
In a bid to shore up Annan's mission, U.S. President George W. Bush has asked Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to head to Kenya to tell its leaders there must be a return to democracy.
"There must be an immediate halt to violence, there must be justice for the victims of abuse and there must be a full return to democracy," Bush said.
Party sources say both sides have agreed in principle to some form of power-sharing and are focusing on the details in private. After returning from the talks at a luxury safari lodge, the government's top negotiator played down expectations.
"Optimism is not the same as reality, but we are making progress," Justice Minister Martha Karua told reporters. "We are making progress, we have not reached agreement."
The two parties are expected to set up a South African-style truth, justice and reconciliation commission to investigate abuses including ethnic attacks and killings of protesters by police.
On Thursday, the government-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said ringleaders should not be forgiven.
"The worst perpetrators and planners of the types of violations that have taken place over the recent weeks must never be exempted," KNCHR commissioner Hassan Omar Hassan told a news conference. "To do so would be a travesty of justice."
The group's call added to international pressure for the perpetrators of violence to be held accountable.
Various Western nations have threatened travel bans or the freezing of assets of guilty parties and have also said anyone derailing the Annan talks would face "consequences".
The trouble has exposed deep rifts over land, power and wealth that date from the British colonial era and have been stoked by some Kenyan politicians ever since.
On Thursday, the government said it was setting up a resettlement department to help displaced people return to their homes. To encourage them, it said it was also building 32 police stations in areas afflicted by the violence.
(For special coverage from Reuters on Kenya's crisis see:
http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/)
(Additional reporting by Jack Kimball and Daniel Wallis in Nairobi and Tabassum Zakaria in Washington)
© Reuters 2007. All rights reserved.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSL1477480820080214
Breaking News - Thurs 2/18/2008 updated 2:00 p.m.
Google News Alert for: Kenya 11:40 a.m. 2/14/2008
Kenya rivals sign agreement in crisis talks
AFP - NAIROBI (AFP) — Kenya's rival parties on Thursday signed an agreement during talks mediated by Kofi Annan to end a crisis sparked by disputed presidential ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya rivals sign agreement in crisis talks
6 hours ago
NAIROBI (AFP) — Kenya's rival parties on Thursday signed an agreement during talks mediated by Kofi Annan to end a crisis sparked by disputed presidential elections, a UN statement said.
No details were given but Annan has called a news conference for Friday to "outline what was agreed in 48 hours of discussion at a location outside the capital", said the statement.
"Mr Annan will make available the text of the agreement signed today between the two parties," it added.
The former UN secretary general had been pushing for a power-sharing agreement to resolve the dispute over the December elections that unleashed violence in which more than 1,000 people have died.
Talks were to resume on Monday in Nairobi, the statement added.
Kenya descended into violence after President Mwai Kibaki, 76, was declared the winner of the December 27 vote that the opposition said was rigged. International observers also found flaws in the tallying of ballots.
According to the Kenyan Red Cross, more than 1,000 people have died in rioting, tribal clashes and police raids since the vote and 300,000 people have been displaced, shattering Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable countries.
In an address to parliament this week, Annan put forward the idea of a "grand coalition" government that could oversee reforms and pave the way to elections, possibly in two years.
But Kibaki's lead negotiator Martha Karua sent a protest letter to Annan, saying such a power-sharing arrangement had never been discussed in the mediation talks or "agreed upon."
Kibaki had steadfastly maintained that he won the presidential vote fairly and should not have to share power with his rival Raila Odinga, 62, who says he was robbed of the presidency.
A press conference was called for 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) Friday in Nairobi [NB: that is 9:00 a.m. EST in USA], said Nasser Ega-Musa, a UN spokesman who is also acting as the mediation team's press officer.
Annan had said he was hoping for a breakthrough on a power-sharing deal by the end of this week.
The former UN chief had been holed up with the two negotiating teams at a safari lodge in southern Kenya since Tuesday to finalise a deal far removed from the media glare.
Kibaki has been under mounting international pressure to agree to a power-sharing deal with the United States and Britain threatening visa bans among other sanctions if the Annan-led mediation failed.
The agreement was signed as US President George W. Bush prepared to embark on a five-nation Africa tour that his aides said would in part serve to "rally the continent" behind Annan's power-sharing plan.
Former colonial power Britain said Kibaki's government "as presently constituted" lacked legitimacy, serving notice that the power-sharing deal sought by Annan was the only option.
"Given the irregularities reported by observers around the presidential elections, we do not recognize the Kenyan government as presently constituted as representing the will of the Kenyan people," British High Commissioner Adam Wood said in an interview with Kenyan television.
Speculation on the deal centred on a possible power-sharing government in which Odinga, 62, could be named prime minister, a post that would have to be created by constitutional amendment.
The post-election turmoil has laid bare tribalism as well as simmering resentment over land issues and wealth disparities in Kenya, long considered a model of stability in Africa.
As Kenyans awaited details of the deal, relative calm has taken hold across the country for the first time in weeks, with no incidents reported in western Kenya, which had been the worst hit by the violence.
Copyright © 2008 AFP. All rights reserved.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5htoCpflDr4QZJpb-YQ628aoeBD8A
Violence-Torn Kenya May Lose Big Money on Rose Sales This Year
ABC News - USA
A vendor prepares bunches of red roses at a flower stall on Valentine's Day in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 . Kenyan flowers, mostly roses, ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya hits out at British envoy
BBC News - UK
Kenya may take "remedial measures" against the British high commissioner for failing to recognise President Mwai Kibaki's government, a minister says. ...
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Kenya: The Long Road to Democracy
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Kenya has been very lucky that the call to the international community was heeded through the intervention of the institutions and governments such as the ...
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Kenya: Beyond the Politics of Polarization
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The spectacular abdication of responsibility by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), Mr. Samuel Kiviutu, has perpetuated a general sense ...
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This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Google News Alert for: Kenya 2:00 p.m. 2/14/2008
Bush to send Rice to Kenya to boost peace bid
AFP - WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush said Thursday he plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya to support efforts to end ...
See all stories on this topic
Bush backs Kenya peace bid ahead of Africa trip
Africasia - London,UK
The president said he would dispatch Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to boost efforts toward political reconciliation in Kenya, and vowed to maintain ...
See all stories on this topic
BUSH SAYS HAS ASKED SECRETARY OF STATE RICE TO GO TO KENYA
Reuters - USA
Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya's Rival Parties Sign Agreement Before Adjourning Talks
Voice of America - USA
By VOA News
Kenya's rival political parties signed an agreement Thursday before adjourning talks aimed at resolving the dispute over December's presidential ...
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This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
Kenya rivals sign agreement in crisis talks
AFP - NAIROBI (AFP) — Kenya's rival parties on Thursday signed an agreement during talks mediated by Kofi Annan to end a crisis sparked by disputed presidential ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya rivals sign agreement in crisis talks
6 hours ago
NAIROBI (AFP) — Kenya's rival parties on Thursday signed an agreement during talks mediated by Kofi Annan to end a crisis sparked by disputed presidential elections, a UN statement said.
No details were given but Annan has called a news conference for Friday to "outline what was agreed in 48 hours of discussion at a location outside the capital", said the statement.
"Mr Annan will make available the text of the agreement signed today between the two parties," it added.
The former UN secretary general had been pushing for a power-sharing agreement to resolve the dispute over the December elections that unleashed violence in which more than 1,000 people have died.
Talks were to resume on Monday in Nairobi, the statement added.
Kenya descended into violence after President Mwai Kibaki, 76, was declared the winner of the December 27 vote that the opposition said was rigged. International observers also found flaws in the tallying of ballots.
According to the Kenyan Red Cross, more than 1,000 people have died in rioting, tribal clashes and police raids since the vote and 300,000 people have been displaced, shattering Kenya's image as one of Africa's most stable countries.
In an address to parliament this week, Annan put forward the idea of a "grand coalition" government that could oversee reforms and pave the way to elections, possibly in two years.
But Kibaki's lead negotiator Martha Karua sent a protest letter to Annan, saying such a power-sharing arrangement had never been discussed in the mediation talks or "agreed upon."
Kibaki had steadfastly maintained that he won the presidential vote fairly and should not have to share power with his rival Raila Odinga, 62, who says he was robbed of the presidency.
A press conference was called for 5:00 pm (1400 GMT) Friday in Nairobi [NB: that is 9:00 a.m. EST in USA], said Nasser Ega-Musa, a UN spokesman who is also acting as the mediation team's press officer.
Annan had said he was hoping for a breakthrough on a power-sharing deal by the end of this week.
The former UN chief had been holed up with the two negotiating teams at a safari lodge in southern Kenya since Tuesday to finalise a deal far removed from the media glare.
Kibaki has been under mounting international pressure to agree to a power-sharing deal with the United States and Britain threatening visa bans among other sanctions if the Annan-led mediation failed.
The agreement was signed as US President George W. Bush prepared to embark on a five-nation Africa tour that his aides said would in part serve to "rally the continent" behind Annan's power-sharing plan.
Former colonial power Britain said Kibaki's government "as presently constituted" lacked legitimacy, serving notice that the power-sharing deal sought by Annan was the only option.
"Given the irregularities reported by observers around the presidential elections, we do not recognize the Kenyan government as presently constituted as representing the will of the Kenyan people," British High Commissioner Adam Wood said in an interview with Kenyan television.
Speculation on the deal centred on a possible power-sharing government in which Odinga, 62, could be named prime minister, a post that would have to be created by constitutional amendment.
The post-election turmoil has laid bare tribalism as well as simmering resentment over land issues and wealth disparities in Kenya, long considered a model of stability in Africa.
As Kenyans awaited details of the deal, relative calm has taken hold across the country for the first time in weeks, with no incidents reported in western Kenya, which had been the worst hit by the violence.
Copyright © 2008 AFP. All rights reserved.
http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5htoCpflDr4QZJpb-YQ628aoeBD8A
=====================
Violence-Torn Kenya May Lose Big Money on Rose Sales This Year
ABC News - USA
A vendor prepares bunches of red roses at a flower stall on Valentine's Day in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, Feb. 14, 2008 . Kenyan flowers, mostly roses, ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya hits out at British envoy
BBC News - UK
Kenya may take "remedial measures" against the British high commissioner for failing to recognise President Mwai Kibaki's government, a minister says. ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya: The Long Road to Democracy
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Kenya has been very lucky that the call to the international community was heeded through the intervention of the institutions and governments such as the ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya: Beyond the Politics of Polarization
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The spectacular abdication of responsibility by the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), Mr. Samuel Kiviutu, has perpetuated a general sense ...
See all stories on this topic
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
=====================
Google News Alert for: Kenya 2:00 p.m. 2/14/2008
Bush to send Rice to Kenya to boost peace bid
AFP - WASHINGTON (AFP) — US President George W. Bush said Thursday he plans to send Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to Kenya to support efforts to end ...
See all stories on this topic
Bush backs Kenya peace bid ahead of Africa trip
Africasia - London,UK
The president said he would dispatch Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to boost efforts toward political reconciliation in Kenya, and vowed to maintain ...
See all stories on this topic
BUSH SAYS HAS ASKED SECRETARY OF STATE RICE TO GO TO KENYA
Reuters - USA
Reuters is the world's largest international multimedia news agency, providing investing news, world news, business news, technology news, headline news, ...
See all stories on this topic
Kenya's Rival Parties Sign Agreement Before Adjourning Talks
Voice of America - USA
By VOA News
Kenya's rival political parties signed an agreement Thursday before adjourning talks aimed at resolving the dispute over December's presidential ...
See all stories on this topic
This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.
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