Today's headlines - Wed 2/27/2008

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Feb. 27 - 8 a.m.

Kenya's opposition cancels protests at Annan's request
USA Today - USA
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya's opposition leader backed off plans for mass protests Wednesday at the request of former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya's marathon star handed one-year ban
Xinhua - China
27 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's female marathon star, Susan Chepkemei has been handed a one-year ban after failing a drugs test, a global athletic body said on ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Talks Suspended As US Threatens to Act
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Mediation talks between the Government and ODM were suspended Tuesday as the United States warned that it would take action against whoever obstructs the ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Feb 27 - 5 a.m.

Setback in Kenya
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Hopes were dashed again in Kenya on Tuesday as former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan suspended mediation talks between presidential rivals Mwai Kibaki and ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Feb 27 - 3 a.m.

Annan suspends mediation talks in Kenya
Boston Globe - United States
(Bernat Armangue/Associated Press)
NAIROBI - Complaining that efforts to resolve Kenya's political crisis have stalled, former UN secretary-general Kofi ...
See all stories on this topic

Uganda: Kenya Crisis National, Says EAC Delegation
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
THE East African Community (EAC) secretariat is not directly involved in brokering peace in Kenya because it is a national conflict. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya Power and Lighting First-Half Profit Advances 4.3%
Bloomberg - USA
27 (Bloomberg) -- Kenya Power and Lighting Co., the country's monopoly power distributor, said first-half profit rose 4.3 percent as it boosted customer ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Feb 27 - midnight

Annan Suspends Talks in Kenya
Washington Post - United States
A farmer works on a maize plantation in Maraguoa, Kenya, Monday Feb. 25 2008. Kenya's warring political parties resumed their lengthy and often bitter ...
See all stories on this topic

Rice: 'No excuse' for Kenya stalemate
CNN International - USAWASHINGTON (CNN) -- The failure of rival political parties in Kenya to reach agreement on power sharing is inexcusable, US Secretary of State Condoleezza ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Feb 26

Kenya: Blood of Innocents Will Be On Your Hands
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Tuesday's suspension of the talks to end the two-month political crisis in Kenya marks another dark moment in the history of his country. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya Post-Electoral Violence Wipes Out Businesses; Jobs
Voice of America - USA
By Scott Bobb The violence that swept across Kenya following December's disputed elections severely affected the Kenyan economy, wiping out hundreds of ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: City Mayor Case Goes to Court
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA... jurisdiction failed to appoint Ms Esther Passaris as a councillor despite her verification and confirmation by the Electoral Commission of Kenya. ...
See all stories on this topic

Amnesty plans protests for action on Kenya
Daily Nation - Nairobi,Kenya
Street protests and Internet activism are being encouraged worldwide today as part of Amnesty International’s Day of Action for Kenya. ...
See all stories on this topic

Uganda: Poor Leadership Behind Kenya Crisis, Museveni Says
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
President Yoweri Museveni yesterday condemned the recent political violence in Kenya and attributed it to poor political leadership and ethnic divisions. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: The Question of Leadership in Kenya
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The dark cloud of political and economic crisis hanging over Kenya did not spare our discussion on leadership. 'Pray tell'... a student interrupted my ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Integrity of Capital Markets Dented
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Last year, Francis Thuo and Partners closed shop, with its seat at the Nairobi Stock Exchange later being bought by Renaissance Capital (Kenya) Ltd. The ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Centre Warns of Doom If Talks Fail
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Kenya, the agency noted, was at a crossroads and if political protagonists do not find a common ground, the country could be thrown into disastrous ethnic ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.


Google News Alert for: Kenya
As talks break down, army is Kenya's best hope
Guardian Unlimited - UK
The EU statement emphasised "that a means of effective power-sharing in Kenya must be found and that individuals who obstruct the dialogue process will have ...
See all stories on this topic

Editorial: Distasteful
Arab News - Jeddah,Saudi Arabia
Obama’s father was born in Kenya, which borders Somalia. He was in Kenya when offered the chance to wear traditional Somali clothes. So what? ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya’s economy, recovering from violence, to grow 7%
Tehran Times - Iran
NAIROBI (Bloomberg) – Kenya’s economy, the largest in East Africa, has recovered faster than expected from post-election violence and will probably expand ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

More headlines - Tues 2/26/2008

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Tues 2/26/2008 - 3:30 p.m.
Some of these articles appear below list, with full text:

Annan Tries to Spur Kenya Talks
New York Times - United States
By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN NAIROBI, Kenya — Kofi Annan suspended day-to-day mediation talks in Kenya on Tuesday and said that he would now take up the remaining ...
See all stories on this topic

Obama turban photo causes stir
Toronto Star - Ontario, Canada
The Associated Press photograph portrays Obama wearing a white turban and a wraparound white robe presented to him by elders in Wajir, in northeastern Kenya ...
See all stories on this topic

US Disappointed Over Kenya Impasse, Weighs Penalties
Voice of America - USA
By David Gollust The United States is expressing disappointment over the continued political impasse in Kenya following last December's disputed election. ...
See all stories on this topic

Annan Suspends Talks to End Kenya Crisis
Newsday - Long Island,NY,USA
NAIROBI, Kenya - Mediator Kofi Annan said he has suspended talks between Kenya's government and the opposition to end the country's deadly postelection ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya's finmin maintains 7 per cent GDP forecast for '08
Economic Times - Gurgaon,Haryana,India
26 Feb, 2008, 2005 hrs IST, PTI NAIROBI: Kenya's finance minister maintained the government's 7 per cent GDP growth projection for 2008 and said on Tuesday ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Annan Tries to Spur Kenya Talks - NY Times

By JEFFREY GETTLEMAN
Published: February 27, 2008

NAIROBI, Kenya — Kofi Annan suspended day-to-day mediation talks in Kenya on Tuesday and said that he would now take up the remaining divisive issues with Kenya’s leaders directly.

Mr. Annan, the former United Nations secretary general, seems to be growing increasingly frustrated with the pace of the negotiations, which have ground on for more than a month and are intended to solve a political crisis in Kenya that has cost more than 1,000 lives.

“We cannot continue on the current basis,” said Mr. Annan, who is shepherding the talks. “It’s important for the leaders themselves to take charge.”

Mr. Annan said it was crucial to reach a comprehensive solution and not “a patch-up job.” Kenya’s troubles started in late December after the national election commission declared Mwai Kibaki, the incumbent, the winner of a presidential election over Raila Odinga, the top opposition leader, despite widespread evidence of vote rigging. The turmoil that followed pitted supporters of Mr. Odinga against those of Mr. Kibaki in brutal battles that spread across the country and split many areas along ethnic lines. Mr. Odinga and Mr. Kibaki are from different ethnic groups, and the election seems to have kicked the lid off simmering political, ethnic and economic issues.

Mr. Annan has been meeting nearly every day with negotiators for Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga, searching for a political compromise that will calm the country. Mr. Annan said Tuesday that he was not giving up, but that a conclusion would be reached much faster by bypassing the negotiators and speaking with Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga themselves.

The two sides have agreed on many points. Last week, the government acquiesced to the opposition’s demand to create a position of prime minister for Mr. Odinga, who claims to have won the election.

But this week the two sides seem to have split over the details of that position, and Mr. Annan said that barely any progress was made on Tuesday. The talks seem to alternate between promising and hopeless, and whenever progress is blocked, the two sides start hurling accusations at each other, as they did on Tuesday.

The government now claims that the opposition is refusing to budge. From the government’s perspective, it has conceded much. Mr. Kibaki’s team rejects the accusations that the government rigged the elections to keep Mr. Kibaki in power, as some election observers have suggested. Mr. Kibaki’s team believes that offering the opposition posts in the government is a generous compromise.

“We tend to feel we have been railroaded,” said Mutula Kilonzo, a negotiator for the government.

But the opposition says the government has been stubborn, and that beneath all the talk it does not want to share power in a meaningful way.

“We have been extremely frustrated,” said Musalia Mudavadi, an opposition leader. “There are moments we believe we have made ground, but we realize the following day that there is a reversal.”

The pressure for a deal is steadily increasing. Opposition leaders have threatened to resume nationwide protests on Thursday, and such events have turned bloody before. Foreign powers, like the United States, are demanding that Kenya’s leaders find a political solution fast.

On Tuesday, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice issued a threatening statement saying, “There can be no excuse for further delay.”

“We are exploring a wide range of possible actions,” she said. “We will draw our own conclusions about who is responsible for lack of progress and take necessary steps.”

Kennedy Abwao contributed reporting.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/world/africa/27kenya.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

US Disappointed Over Kenya Impasse, Weighs Penalties - Voice of America

By David Gollust Washington
26 February 2008

Gollust report - Download (MP3)
Gollust report - Listen (MP3)

The United States is expressing disappointment over the continued political impasse in Kenya following last December's disputed election. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says the Bush administration is considering penalties against those responsible. VOA's David Gollust reports from the State Department.

U.S. frustration was reflected in a written statement by Secretary Rice, who said she is disappointed by the failure of Kenya's leaders to resolve remaining issues, and that there is no excuse for further delay or any more violence.

Rice, who is traveling in Asia, issued the statement after a telephone conversation with former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, who has been trying to mediate the dispute and has now suspended his talks with the rival parties.

Rice went to Kenya a week ago at the request of President Bush and met with both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, whose party claims the December vote was rigged. Post-election violence has killed at least 1,000 people and displaced hundreds of thousands more.

The Secretary said both leaders assured her then of their commitment to work out a power-sharing plan, and that she in turn had pledged additional U.S. assistance to help Kenya rebuild, reconcile, and carry out reforms.

In a clear warning to the parties, Rice said the future of the U.S. relationship with both sides, and their legitimacy, hinges on their cooperation in achieving a political solution, and that the United States is exploring a wide range of possible actions. She said U.S. officials will draw their own conclusions about who is responsible for the lack of progress, and take "necessary steps."

In a talk with reporters, State Department Deputy Spokesman Tom Casey declined specifics, but said there are a number of punitive steps available to underline U.S. displeasure over the state of affairs in Kenya:

"I do not want to define it for you, anymore than to say that you have heard from us previously that we cannot conduct business as usual in the absence of an agreement among the parties, and we will be looking at a full range of options that are on the table," said Casey."There are a lot of tools in the tool kit."

Casey noted the United States has already sent letters to several Kenyan political figures, believed to have incited post election violence, warning them they may be declared ineligible to travel to the United States.

The spokesman did not rule out cuts in the U.S. aid program to Kenya.

But he said the great majority of that program is devoted to basic humanitarian projects including dealing with HIV/AIDS. He said no one in Washington believes the Kenyan people should be punished for the failure of their political leaders.

http://voanews.com/english/2008-02-26-voa29.cfm

Annan Suspends Talks to End Kenya Crisis - AP

By ELIZABETH A. KENNEDY Associated Press Writer
1:51 PM EST, February 26, 2008

NAIROBI, Kenya - Mediator Kofi Annan suspended negotiations on Kenya's deadly postelection crisis and said Tuesday he would personally appeal for a power-sharing deal because talks were "turning around in circles."

Annan said he would consult with President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga, who are being pressed to share power and move Kenya beyond a dispute over who won the Dec. 27 presidential election.International and local monitors say the ballot results were manipulated, making it unclear who actually won.

Related links
Path of destruction in Kenya Video

Annan said he suspended the talks in order "to speed up action," as the negotiating teams "were discussing issues that the parties seemed incapable of solving. We were turning around in circles."

Postelection violence has largely subsided in recent weeks, but attacks that killed more than 1,000 people and forced 600,000 from their homes have left the country on edge and worried about the potential for more turmoil. The bloodshed has tarnished the reputation of a country once seen as a beacon of stability in Africa.

International pressure on the two sides has been mounting.

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who visited Kenya earlier this month to urge progress, said the U.S. relationship with any future Kenyan political leadership is at stake.

"I want to emphasize that the future of our relationship with both sides and their legitimacy hinges on their cooperation to achieve this political solution," Rice said in a statement, without elaborating.

Kenyan Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula criticized Rice's statement, saying the international community is welcome to make suggestions "but not to impose solutions."

The United States was disappointed that talks had had to be suspended, and will review the "full range of options" it might take, State Department spokesman Tom Casey said. He declined to discuss any specifics.

The delays have frustrated Kenyans, many of whom have seen their jobs and homes destroyed in the chaos.

"It is Raila and Kibaki alone who can solve this thing," said Ronnie Mdwawida, a 39-year-old social worker in the capital, Nairobi. "The future of Kenya is at the mercy of these two leaders."

Negotiators for Kibaki and Odinga have agreed in principle to create a new prime minister's post for the opposition, but sticking points remain over just how much power such a post would carry.Government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo said he objected to Annan's decision to suspend talks.

"We were making progress until tempers flared in the afternoon, but this is part of negotiations," he said.

Opposition negotiator Musalia Mudavadi said his party remains committed to the talks. "They have been suspended, and if the timing is right and we are required to get back to the negotiating table, we shall be there," he said.

Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement, meanwhile, filed papers Monday giving police the required three days' notice for mass rallies planned Thursday, raising fears of bloodshed. Past rallies turned violent as police pushed back the crowds.The government on Tuesday urged Kenyans to boycott the rallies.

Throughout the talks, low-level unrest has continued and Kenya's economy has struggled to recover from a severe drop in tourist dollars during the high season.

Adding more international pressure for a deal, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, the current head of the African Union, arrived in Nairobi on Tuesday to support the mediation process and meet with all sides.


Associated Press writers Tom Maliti, Heidi Vogt and Tom Odula contributed to this report

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-kenya-election-violence,0,532896.story

Kenya's children & trauma healing - Tues 2/26/2008

Healing the Children - IRIN

UN Integrated Regional Information Networks
NEWS
26 February 2008
Posted to the web 26 February 2008
Kisumu

One of the greatest challenges following the post-election violence in Kenya is to restore the physical and mental wellbeing of 150,000 displaced children, many of whom have witnessed atrocities and lost contact, in many cases permanently, with their families, humanitarian workers told IRIN.

"The future of Kenya is very dark because the children we are bringing up, the things they saw, we don't know how those things are going to [affect] their lives," said James Riako, a volunteer counsellor with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), working in a transit camp for displaced people in the grounds of St Stephen's Cathedral in Kisumu, the capital of Nyanza Province in western Kenya.

"The children are harbouring a lot. They were drawing pictures for us. One child said: 'Somebody came and killed my parents when I was there. We were burnt and I am the only one who survived.' Another one could not talk.

"They are harbouring a lot of anger, a lot of hatred, a lot of resentment and all their frustration. They know their people have been chased and that the other tribe is an enemy," he said.

"Some of them are very revengeful," agreed Rosemary Akoth Okomo, another counsellor. "If you ask them, 'if you happened to meet a Kikuyu, what will you do?', they will tell you, 'I can even kill that person'. They keep thinking of the way they lost their parents, the way they lost their property. It haunts them."

Evans Omondi, 13, a Luo who was displaced from Nakuru in Rift Valley Province when his house was burned down, said he did not want to see his former classmates, most of whom were Kikuyu, because "they might kill me".

Riako was adamant that displaced children needed counselling to cope with their ordeals. "If you just take them [to their relatives' homes], it will not help the nation. We need to draw out what is inside them. Then we make arrangements for following up with counselling so that we can get these things out of their minds," he said.

Pamela Sittoni, a spokeswoman for the UN Children's Fund, UNICEF, agreed. "A comprehensive counselling package has to be developed. [We'll be] looking at how we can follow up with these children and provide the psycho-social support they need. That has to be a priority."

Abandoned
Aside from the psychological risks, many children separated from their parents are in physical danger.

Kisumu resident Angeline Akayo found two boys, aged one and two, at the bus terminal as she was walking home from work one evening. "It seems the person [who brought them to Kisumu by bus] abandoned them there. I found street boys surrounding them. I tried to ask them where their parents were but they could not say. I am a mother myself and I sympathised with them. I decided to take them home with me for the night," she said.

The elder boy later told her they were from Naivasha, almost 300km away. Akayo took them to St Theresa's orphanage in Kisumu.

"It seems a man who was their neighbour saw their father killed and their mother taken to hospital. He knew they were Luos from Ahero so he put them on a bus to Kisumu," said Sister Philomena, who runs the orphanage.
She registered the children with the police and the children's department in the hope that their mother would look for them.

"The other day, the children's officers brought me two more abandoned children. They don't know whether the parents are dead or not. We expect more," said Sister Philomena.

At risk
Security lapses have allowed strangers to remove some children from the transit camp.

Kevin Otieno, 15, was taken by a woman looking for a domestic worker. Luckily, staff noticed Kevin was missing and the police managed to trace him. Kevin was the only member of his family to escape when their house in Naivasha was set on fire.

"There is a lady who came here today asking us to give her a child. She wants two children to adopt under five. We asked her, 'who told you children are being given away here?' Some people want to use the kids for business," said Teresa Agutu, one of the volunteers at the camp.

The KRCS was trying to trace the families of about 30 unaccompanied minors in Kisumu. Counsellors believe there are many more children without adult protection because not all minors passed through the transit camps in western Kenya after they arrived from other parts of the country.

"We have three children who have been staying at the [Moi Stadium] camp for almost three weeks now," said Irene Owuor, tracing assistant with the KRCS. "We are liaising with the children's department to find a place for the children to stay while we trace their people. They were born in Nairobi. All they know is they are Luos but they don't know from which area [their families originally came].

"The children's homes that we trust are run by the government because the other ones might have ulterior motives. The government does not promote private institutions because some are not genuine," explained Owuor.

The KRCS had passed 13 children on to the children's department, which placed them in a remand centre in Kisumu. Most of the other 46 children in the centre were awaiting trial for criminal offences.

"In Kisumu, we do not have a charitable children's institution owned by the government apart from this one, which is a remand home," said Kenneth Mbito, manager of the remand home.

"We keep them here although they are not supposed to be here. This is a temporary place of safety. It's not the best place to keep these children because it is a place for children who have been charged with criminal activities. Mixing them is not the best but we have no alternative," he said.

If the KRCS fails to trace the children's families, the children will be put under state protection. The children's department will then find alternative care for them, either in charitable children's institutions or by offering them up for adoption.

Children who are placed with family members still face challenges, particularly if the relatives are poor. Owuor said the success rate for tracing children's families was 30 to 40 percent.

"Most of them unfortunately are ending up in children's homes," she said.

"Kids who are born in the towns find it rough in the villages. But those are their closest relatives so we have no alternative but to leave them there," said Owuor.

"Our main aim is to get the child to be in a safe place and we assume the child is safe with real parents or close relatives. But that is not always the case; you find a relative taking a child and using the child for manual labour instead of taking good care of it.

UNICEF has a cash transfer programme to support poor families that take on extra orphans. "We are looking at whether the new situation calls for us to expand that programme," said Sittoni.

[This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations ]

Copyright © 2008 UN Integrated Regional Information Networks. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com).

http://allafrica.com/stories/200802260609.html

Today's Headlines - Tues 2/26/2008

MORE ADDED MID-DAY * UPDATES IN RED

Tues 2/26/2008

Friends:

It does not look good today--talks stalled, Kofi Annan ready to throw in the towel, and threats of more demonstrations (calls for a "general strike") by the opposition party ODM to begin on Wednesday (ie, tomorrow!).

Action: write or call elected officials today for the US government to step up pressure on the members of the negotiating teams (high-ranking Kenyan politicians), to be issued with a travel ban, and to freeze their assets held in banks and investments abroad.

And keep praying!

Mary Kay

=======================================

UPDATES IN RED:

Google News Alert for: Kenya

2/26/2008 - 12 NOON

Kenya crisis talks suspended

Aljazeera.net - Qatar

Kofi Annan, the former UN secretary-general, has suspended talks in Kenya that were aimed at ending the country's political crisis. ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya World-Class Runners Accused of Fueling Violence

ABC News - USA

10, 2008, in Kuinet near Eldoret, western Kenya. Sang, who was a runner in the 1988 Olympics 4 by 400 relay, was killed by machete during recent troubles ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Healing the Children

AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

One of the greatest challenges following the post-election violence in Kenya is to restore the physical and mental wellbeing of 150000 displaced children, ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Roselyne Anyango - "If There is No Peace, We Kenyans Are ...

AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

Roselyne Anyango, 32, is an HIV-positive single mother who moved to Naivasha five years ago to work on a flower farm. When violence broke out after ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya's Bamburi Cement pre-tax profits up 42 pct

Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa

NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's Bamburi Cement Group, majority owned by France's Lafarge, posted a 42 percent increase in pre-tax profits to 5.4 billion ...

See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

1 - Bid to salvage Kenya peace talks - BBC

2/26/2008

Tanzania's President Jakaya Kikwete is due in Kenya to try to salvage deadlocked talks between the government and opposition.

President Kikwete, who is also African Union chairman, arrives a day after mediator Kofi Annan expressed his frustration at the lack of progress.

The talks stalled after the government changed its position on the question of power-sharing.

Police say at least 1,500 people have been killed since the disputed poll.

Opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Raila Odinga says he was cheated of victory by President Mwai Kibaki.

Military training
Tension is high as the says it will hold mass protests on Thursday unless parliament is reconvened to amend the constitution to pave the way for power-sharing.

In Kitale, in the west of the country, police have arrested some 200 youths believed to be undergoing military training on a private farm.

"We arrested the youth and recovered wooden carved guns but are still searching for real weapons. The boys say they were being trained as security guards," senior regional police investigator Issa Mohammed told the BBC.

Mr Issa said investigations were still ongoing to verify claims that militia groups were being formed in readiness for war if the mediation talks fail.

In Nairobi, Mr Annan held separate talks with both negotiating teams before the joint sessions resumed.

The former UN secretary general met both Mr Odinga and Mr Kibaki on Monday to urge them to reach an agreement.

Prisoner of peace
Mr Annan has been in Kenya for more than a month trying to resolve the crisis - the longest period he has spent on any conflict resolution.

Afterwards he said the mediation team had "done its work - I'm now asking the party leaders to do theirs".

Mr Annan is reported to have said that he feels like a prisoner of peace - unable to achieve an agreement but unable to leave Kenya.

Last week, both sides agreed to create the post of prime minister, which would be taken by Mr Odinga, leading to hopes of a final deal soon.

However, they still needed to finalise which powers he would have.

The government now says the president should appoint the prime minister, which would not be an executive post.

As well as how to divide powers between a prime minister and a president, the rivals are also split on sharing on cabinet positions and the possibility of a new election if the coalition collapses.

Story from BBC NEWS:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/7264612.stm

Published: 2008/02/26 11:22:01 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

2 - Rice demands action to end Kenya crisis - Reuters

2/26/2008

Tue 26 Feb 2008, 14:12 GMT
[-] Text [+]
(Updates with Condoleezza Rice statement)
By Duncan Miriri and Giles Elgood

NAIROBI, Feb 26 (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice criticised Kenyan leaders on Tuesday for failing to end their political stand-off and said Washington would take "necessary steps" if a solution was not reached.

Government and opposition negotiators were meeting in Nairobi with no clear sign of a breakthrough on a power-sharing deal, while the opposition has threatened to resume nationwide protests.

The talks being mediated by former U.N. chief Kofi Annan had come to a standstill on Monday with both sides saying President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga needed to step in to overcome the deadlock.

Rice, who is on a trip to China, said that while there had been some progress, "I am disappointed by the failure of leadership necessary to resolve all the remaining issues."

She added: "I want to emphasise that the future of our relationship with both sides and their legitimacy hinges on their cooperation to achieve this political solution.

"In that regard, we are exploring a wide range of possible actions. We will draw our own conclusions about who is responsible for lack of progress and take necessary steps."

She did not elaborate.

Rice, who visited Kenya earlier this month to urge progress, said the United States would also "exercise leadership" to press for a political solution through the United Nations, the African Union and the European Union.

Both Kenyan leaders have come under international and domestic pressure to compromise over Kibaki's disputed re-election in a Dec. 27 vote, an event that triggered ethnic violence in which 1,000 people have been killed and 300,000 forced to flee their homes.

"SOME AGREEMENT"
Annan met Kibaki and Odinga separately on Monday night but negotiators could not say whether the two men were any closer to a deal.

"I think there is some agreement on some (issues) and not on others but we are still talking," Kenyan Foreign Minister Moses Wetangula said after the two sides broke for lunch.

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete was due to arrive on Wednesday in his capacity as African Union chairman to talk with Odinga, Annan and Kibaki.

Mediator Annan, the former U.N. secretary-general, is ready to leave Kenya if there is no progress soon, according to a source close to the talks.

The opposition has said it will stage nationwide protests beginning on Thursday if there is no deal. Police had no comment on whether they would permit the demonstrations.

A top official of Kibaki's party said the protest call was not in the interests of the Kenyan people.

"When you say mass action the message that people hear is war. There has been enough suffering," said Danson Mungatana, Secretary General of the Party of National Unity.

Earlier protests descended into riots and looting that were met with a deadly police response, while simultaneous rounds of ethnic killings and revenge attacks took place in different parts of the east African country.

The bloodshed damaged Kenya's reputation as a prosperous trade and tourism hub and a haven of stability in a volatile region.

Against this background of violence, the government has agreed in principle to create a prime minister's seat demanded by the opposition.

But the parties are split on the premier's powers, the sharing of ministries and the possibility of a new election if the coalition collapses.

Police on Monday arrested at least 200 youths said to be undergoing military training at a farm owned by a former legislator, near the Mt. Elgon area, local media reported. A police spokesman gave no immediate comment.

(For in depth coverage on Reuters Africa Web site: http://africa.reuters.com/elections/kenya/ )

(Editing by Daniel Wallis and Ralph Boulton)
© Reuters 2008. All Rights Reserved.

http://africa.reuters.com/country/KE/news/usnL26004414.html

3 - Google News Alert for: Kenya

Annan: Kenya factions 'not capable' of agreement

CNN International - USA

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Kofi Annan has threatened to leave as mediator in the tense Kenyan power-sharing talks if a quick agreement is not reached, ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Annan - It's Now Up to Raila And Kibaki

AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

"I believe that the Panel of Eminent African Personalities working with the Kenya National Dialogue and Reconciliation has done its work. ...

See all stories on this topic

Senior UN official warns of fresh violence in Kenya

Xinhua - China

25 (Xinhua) -- A senior United Nations official warned here Monday that fresh violence could erupt in Kenya if there is no quick resolution to the political ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Chaos Mar Mayoral Elections

AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

Outside Central and Eastern - which was dominated by ODM-Kenya mayors - PNU only managed to capture mayoral seats in Kisii and Webuye. ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Kalonzo Acting Alone, Say MP

AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA

"ODM-Kenya was never consulted when the party joined the Government. Although there were a few discussions, there was no party stand on the matter," they ...

See all stories on this topic

Kenya chaos affected region

Daily Nation - Nairobi,Kenya

Recent political unrest in Kenya had spillover effects on neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania and even Southern Sudan, ...

See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

4 - Kenya can't solve it alone - Guardian UK

International help to end the crisis is not meddling but a moral duty, and our leaders must embrace it
Wangari Maathai
The Guardian,
Friday February 22 2008

This article appeared in the Guardian on Friday February 22 2008 on p35 of the Comment & debate section. It was last updated at 00:22 on February 22 2008.

The post-election crisis in Kenya remains unresolved. The damage being done to the country's economy is severe: tourism, horticulture, and other industries that depend on trade beyond the Kenyan border are reeling. Thousands of livelihoods, along with investments throughout the region, are threatened and collapsing.

As the situation in Kenya escalated - with murders, rapes, burning of property, looting, and the displacement of thousands of people throughout the country - the international community was urged to help. Many countries responded, providing essential humanitarian assistance and logistical support. For this, I and many other Kenyans are very grateful.

The international community has also endeavoured to persuade the two rivals, Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga, to negotiate a political settlement in the wake of the contested presidential election. But a resolution still eludes Kenya, despite the efforts of Kofi Anan, the former UN secretary general, and his team, which includes the former Mozambiquan first lady, Graça Machel, and the former president of Tanzania, Benjamin Mkapa. Over the past weeks a number of other prominent Africans have participated in the mediation efforts, including Ghana's president and African Union chairman John Kufour, President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

However some Kenyan politicians claim these efforts represent an unwarranted meddling in the country's affairs. According to them, Kenyans should be left alone to solve their problems. While this may appear to be patriotic, it is just the opposite. These politicians know how dependent Kenya is on the international community - and the degree to which other nation states in the region depend on Kenya.

Moreover, to be worthy leaders of an independent and sovereign state, Kenya's politicians should have demonstrated a capacity to manage the crisis. Leaders of the business community, civil society and religious organisations, among others, appealed to politicians to end the violence. But they would not budge, even as the carnage escalated.

In Rwanda, the international community in large part left politicians to sort out the mess they had created, only for a horrific genocide to take place in which close to a million people were killed. When it was over, the world wondered why it had taken so long to react.

Today, millions of people are urging intervention in crises in Darfur, Somalia, Chad, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, to name only a few. In the 21st century, the world should not stand and watch as citizens are incited to kill and maim each other because politicians cannot agree on how to manage the state. The international community has a moral responsibility to intervene when life and human rights are threatened on such a scale.

To allow our egos as Kenyans to be offended by international involvement is a misrepresentation that can only give comfort to the hardliners in Kibaki's and Odinga's camps. As US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said while visiting Nairobi earlier this week: "The time for a political settlement was yesterday."

The focus must now be on and support given to the UN's Kenya national dialogue and reconciliation team so that a lasting solution is found. Responsibility for resolution lies in the hands of the rival presidential mediation teams. It is up to these leaders to put Kenya first. I, along with millions of other Kenyans, urge them to find an enduring settlement based on justice, fairness and the common good.

· Wangari Maathai, the 2004 Nobel peace prizewinner, was a member of Kenya's parliament from 2002 to 2007. She is the author of Unbowed: A Memoir

greenbeltmovement.org

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/feb/22/kenya

St. Louis Kenya event - coming Mon 3/10/2008

David Zarembka and Gladys Kamonya
of the African Great Lakes Initiative

Understanding the Crisis

and Violence in Kenya

Monday, March 10, 2008
7:00 – 8:30 pm

Sandwiches and sweets will be available

starting at 6:15 for all who wish to come early.

St. Louis Friends Meeting (Quakers)
1001 Park Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104

For directions go to http://www.stlouisfriends.org/

David Zarembka is the Coordinator of the African Great Lakes Initiative (AGLI), a Quaker organization whose mission is to support peacemaking activities at the grassroots level in Burundi, Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and Uganda.

AGLI is a project of the Friends Peace Teams.
Learn more at http://www.aglionline.org/

David and Gladys live in Kenya and will discuss the roots of the violence which erupted there following disputed elections last December.


For more information about the program,

contact Blair Forlaw (blair - at - bforlaw.com) or
Steve Tamari (steve.tamari - at - gmail.com)
or call (618) 288-8986


For more information about AGLI
contact Dawn Rubbert at
(314) 647-1287 or Dawn - at - aglionline.org

More headlines - Mon 2/25/2008

Google News Alert for: Kenya
2/25/2008 - 2:00 p.m.

Ethnic tensions split Kenya, pose risk-UN
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
By Louis Charbonneau
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Two months of violence in Kenya have split the country along ethnic lines and there is a risk of ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya Reconciliation Talks Hit Snag
Voice of America - USA
By Scott Bobb In Kenya, government and opposition officials have resumed talks on the country's political crisis. As VOA's Scott Bobb reports from Nairobi, ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Keep Politics Out of Varsities to Stop Brain Drain
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The current violence that has characterised Kenya after last year's elections has left one area, so important to the development of this country, ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Transport Costs Up 25 Percent On Northern Corridor
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The cost of transporting goods has risen by up to 25 per cent on Kenya's main Northern Corridor highway, caused by a sharp fall in the number of operators ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Diversity & reconciliation - Taizé 2/14/2008

How can we bring together diversity and reconciliation?

Reflecting on the Word - from Taizé website [a different way of looking at ethnicity and national unity for Kenya]

When it is a question of reconciliation between individuals or groups in the name of faith, sometimes the fear is expressed that this may lead to a uniformity that would damage what is distinctive about each party. Will we not lose what is most authentic in our own way? Still worse, is not the strongest party in danger of swallowing up the others by imposing its own vision of things?

This fear misunderstands the vision of unity which is characteristic of the Bible and which is at the opposite extreme from our customary ideas. Our world generally takes as its starting-point the autonomy of each individual or group and then asks how to bring these disparate realities into a relationship. Since the relationships are subordinated to the parts, it is not surprising that they are fragile, always in danger of dissolving. The only lasting unity would seem to be a union imposed by force.

In the Bible, however, relationships are the most basic thing. The parts find their identity and existence by the links connecting them to one another. If God is Father and Son in the unity of one Breath, it follows that each person of the Trinity subsists only in reference to the others. If God is the Creator, that means that the universe exists only insofar as it depends on its Origin. If Israel—and later on the Church—is defined as God’s people, their identity is determined by the divine call and the human response to it. Unity does not undermine the identity of each element; on the contrary, unity makes each one what it should be. That is what Saint Paul tries to get across by using the image of the body: “Just as in one body there are many parts, and all the parts do not have the same function, in the same way we are many and one body in Christ (…) with different gifts according to the grace that has been given us” (Romans 12:4-6).

We should therefore not imagine reconciliation with God and with others as a bringing together of originally independent beings. According to the first chapters of the Bible man, created in the image of God and thus implicitly his son (see Genesis 5:3), intends to become “like God” while separating himself from God. This attempt at illusory autonomy only leads to disaster, and causes human beings to become divided among themselves. If God does not resign himself to this state of affairs but sends his Son to reconcile the world to himself (see 2 Corinthians 5:18-19), this is in order to restore the true condition of human beings, turning them into what they are in him from all eternity. Each diversified element rediscovers its authentic meaning by taking its rightful place in the context of a reconciled universe.

Last updated: 14 February 2008

http://www.taize.fr/en_article6398.html

Today's Headlines - Mon 2/25/2008

Google News Alert for: Kenya

NEW * UPDATE - ADDED FROM CNN:

updated 2 hours, 55 minutes ago

Kenya talks reach standstill - CNN

Story Highlights:

• Negotiating teams for Kenya's government and opposition leave talks
• Clear sticking points caused standstill
• Opposition calling for prime minister's job and proportional sharing of powers
• Kofi Annan is chief negotiator in talks aimed at defusing political crisis
  

NAIROBI, Kenya (CNN) -- Negotiating teams for Kenya's government and opposition left their talks after only half a day Monday amid clear sticking points, sources close to the negotiations said.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is the chief mediator in the talks aimed at defusing Kenya's political crisis.

The negotiators left to consult with their principals about the current state of the talks, according to sources within the mediation team of former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, the chief mediator in the talks aimed at defusing Kenya's political crisis.

Annan had asked Friday for both President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to "give their negotiators clear instructions so that we can move swiftly to a conclusion," sources with Annan's team said. But sources close to the negotiations said there remain clear sticking points to finding a solution.

It was not immediately clear what those sticking points were.

Both sides said Monday the government had agreed to the opposition party's request to have the prime minister's job. The powers of that post and details of its creation were under discussion.

The opposition party has also said it wants a proportional sharing of powers in any new government.

Don't Miss
Kenya's opposition threatens mass protests
Negotiators near deal to stop Kenya violence
Kenya peace talks in disarray
Red Cross official: Violence is spreading

The opposition promised last week to embark on a mass civil disobedience campaign by Wednesday if its demands aren't met, employing such tactics as work slowdowns to apply pressure in the talks.

Violence erupted in Kenya after the December 27 presidential election, when incumbent Kibaki of the Party of National Unity (PNU) was declared victor. Odinga's backers said the election was rigged, and he and his supporters declined to recognize the election as valid.

The fighting that followed the election has broken down along tribal lines. Members of Kibaki's Kikuyu tribe and Odinga's Luo tribe have been in the middle of the ethnic clashes.

Both sides eventually agreed to talks and approved the creation of an independent committee to investigate irregularities in the poll and suggest reforms.

But the opposition parliamentary group has been accusing the PNU of "procrastination and obvious time buying games" at the talks, which Annan has overseen.

CNN's David McKenzie contributed to this report.

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/africa/02/25/kenya.talks/

OVERVIEW:

Kenya politicians back at talks, hoping to end crisis soon
International Herald Tribune - France
AP NAIROBI, Kenya: Kenya's opposition accused the government Monday of backing away from plans to share power to end a deadly dispute over the country's deeply flawed presidential election that sparked nationwide violence.

The two sides are engaged in lengthy and often bitter negotiations to end the deadlock over the Dec. 27 vote, which the opposition says was stolen. A power-sharing deal seemed imminent last week, but the breakthrough never came...

Government negotiators have said they expect a deal by Wednesday. The opposition has threatened mass protests if a deal is not reached by the end of the day Wednesday.
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Nakuru National Park Fire Spreads
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The fire spread to the eastern side as Kenya Wildlife Service warders and Kenya Army soldiers battled to put it out yesterday. It gutted down over 50km2 of ...
See all stories on this topic

BOC Kenya's Pre-Tax Profits Rise to Sh400m
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Gas Maker BOC Kenya, which for the last two years has been suspended from the Nairobi Stock Market over a controversial acquisition, has announced an ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Another Test As Mayoral Polls Get Under Way
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
However, the Party of National Unity was expected to dominate civic authorities in Central Kenya and parts of Eastern while partner ODM-Kenya was expected ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Millers Hassled As State Ups Sugar Imports Quota
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Through the notice, Treasury approved a new tariff arrangement that will guide trade in sugar between Kenya and the Common Market for Eastern and Southern ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Next Nairobi Mayor Has a Heap of Work Waiting
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USAA clique of ODM councillors meeting at the Bomas of Kenya two weeks ago picked the Baba Dogo ward councillor Godfrey Majiwa for the seat. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Subsidised Learning to Drag Day High Schools
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Jamhuri High School, just two kilometres from the City Centre, is a typical day secondary school in Kenya. With 24 classes, six laboratories and 60 teachers ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Country Far From MDGs
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Kenya is among the sub-Saharan countries that are not likely to meet their Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the 2015 deadline. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Investors Prefer Short Term Maturity Bonds
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
But senior funds manager at ICEA Asset Management Ltd Anthony Mwithiga says that the Government has taken advantage of good performance by the Kenya Revenue ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Good news from Richmond, Indiana! - Sun 2/24/2008

New * the latest figure for the event is over $5,200 total.

Friends in Richmond, Indiana, gathered Sunday evening for a Pitch-In Supper, followed by a presentation and discussion to raise awareness and relief funds for Kenya's post-election crisis.

The event was a huge success, thanks to many volunteers who provided food and washed dishes, made donations, and participated in the discussion.

Each table had a copy of the Talking Points (see right sidebar for link to the text). Filling baskets on the tables, and bidding on a silent auction of three Kenyan baskets full of souvenirs and fabric from East Africa, the group of about 70 people doubled their stated goal of raising $1,000! This sum will be matched with a $2,000 grant by the meeting.

About $4,000 was raised for Friends United Meeting's "Kenya Relief Fund" by the end of the Richmond event!

Terri Johns of FUM announced that so far, in addition to this, Friends have donated over $70,000 for relief and reconciliation efforts in Kenya!

Several local Friends with experience in Kenya were present and able to participate in the discussion:

Benson Khamasi, Friends Theological College faculty member, currently pursuing his M.Div. at Earlham School of Religion, provided background on Kenya's presidential elections and the role of ethnicity in the conflict.

Terri Johns, Friends United Meeting staffer, gave an update on the situation for all the FUM field staff in East Africa.

Roland Kreager, Director of Right Sharing of World Resources, fielded questions on how Quakers are helping Kenyans to help themselves--providing assistance beyond relief efforts, with income generation and self-help projects, through microenterprise.

Mary Kay Rehard, former FUM Field Staff, showed some photos of the crisis, the peace conference and relief efforts, with general information about the crisis. Earlier in morning worship, Mary Kay spoke about how the current situation in Kenya is a "Kairos" moment, at once a crisis and opportunity for the nation of Kenya and for the global body of the Friends church (Quakers). Her message is now available at the West Richmond Friends Meeting website. Click here to view the text.

Many Friends asked interesting questions about the crisis and various Friends provided answers and feedback.

Friends from Earlham College and School of Religion--faculty, staff & students--and members of all three Quaker meetings were present. Staff from several Friends organizations took part--in addition to the ones mentioned above, FWCC's regional rep Susan Lee Barton was present.

Thanks to all Friends in North America who have donated relief funds for Kenya!

One third of the gifts will help with the rising costs of essential goods (food, fuel, medicine, etc.) at all of the FUM projects in Kenya.

The bulk of the relief funds, the other two thirds, will provide significant emergency aid to be distributed to IDPs (refugees) who are being cared for by Kenyan Quakers in local communities, schools, and churches--including food, blankets, essential medicines, and clothing--and enabling field staff to rent and fuel the trucks required to deliver the material aid.

Friends, thank you for your generosity!

And if you didn't have a chance to give yet, it's not too late to add your gift or plan an event in your area.

> Contributions can be made online by clicking here for FUM's website, or by sending a check earmarked for "Kenya Relief Fund" to:

Friends United Meeting
Global Ministries
101 Quaker Hill Drive
Richmond, IN 47374-1980 USA

If you have questions about how you can help, or if you need advice for organizing an event in your area, contact Terri Johns at FUM:
(765) 962-7573.

Let us know about your event so we can include it in the growing list on the right sidebar!

Friends in Kenya, our hearts are with you! Photos of the Richmond event will soon be available at the FUM website.

Be blessed!
Barikiwe,

Mary Kay Rehard

Weekend headlines - 2/23-23/2008

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Sun 2/24/2008 - 7:00 p.m.

Kenya Remains Divided on Power Sharing
Wall Street Journal - USA
AP NAIROBI, Kenya -- Kenya's rival politicians remain divided over the details of forming a government together to end the postelection crisis, ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya faces new challenges in reuniting displaced families
Daily Nation - Nairobi,Kenya
New challenges continue to plague Kenya in the aftermath of violence that erupted over the disputed presidential poll results. One such challenge is that of ...
See all stories on this topic

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Sun 2/24/2008 - 11:00 a.m.

Kenya's Govt says power-sharing structure far from settled
Hindu - Chennai,India
NAIROBI (AP): Kenya's rival politicians remain divided over the details of forming a government together to end the post-election crisis, ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenyan airport union threatens strike in three weeks
Reuters South Africa - Johannesburg,South Africa
NAIROBI (Reuters) - Kenya's main airport workers union on Sunday threatened to strike in three weeks over working conditions in the east African nation, ...
See all stories on this topic

BOC Kenya’s pre-tax profits rise to Sh400m
Business Daily Africa - Nairobi,Kenya
February 25, 2008: Gas Maker BOC Kenya, which for the last two years has been suspended from the Nairobi Stock Market over a controversial acquisition, ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Sun 2/24/2008 - 8:00 a.m.

Kenya: Leaders Blame Officers for Rift Valley Violence
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Politicians and religious leaders have accused police of worsening the post-election violence by using excessive force. Police, they said, shot innocent ...
See all stories on this topic

Tourists flow back into Kenya
Travel Wires - Johannesburg,South Africa
Nairobi - Some 600 foreign tourists arrived in the eastern Kenya resort city of Mombasa over the past week, while 180 arrived via a cruise ship last weekend ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.

Google News Alert for: Kenya
Sun 2/24/2008 - 5:00 a.m.

Kenya: Country Edges Close to Deal
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
Should the deal be reached, it would herald a new Kenya, where Parliament, and not the President, as is the case now, will create ministries and assign them ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: President Commends Annan Team
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
In another development, the Law Society of Kenya says Parliament has the power to anchor any proposal agreed on at the talks. ...
See all stories on this topic

Kenya: Squad to Curb Illegal Logging
AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
The Deputy Commandant of the Kenya Forest Service (KFS), Mr Alex Lemargogo, leads the team. They raided Kipkabus, Benon, Kaptagat, Sabor, Kessup and Elgeyo ...
See all stories on this topic

This as-it-happens Google Alert is brought to you by Google.