Tag: GreatLakesNews

{{My fellow Kenyans, thank you.

Thank you for all your patience and your support along the way

Asanteni Sana.}}

I thank God for sustaining us and for bringing us this far.

I thank all those who have remained vigilant in prayer for our nation during this time.

I want to thank the people of the republic of Kenya who have shown patience over the last few days as we all awaited the outcome of this election.

I thank the thousands of officials who worked with the IEBC to make this, the most free and most fair general election in our nation’s history.

Despite the challenges that you faced, you managed to keep the trust of Kenyans and to do your job professionally.

While we look forward to a day when electoral results are relayed in real-time to curb anxiety, we acknowledge that every process can be refined and I pledge to give you my support as you seek more efficient ways to conduct future elections.

I would also like to acknowledge and thank the police and all security agencies for their diligence and commitment to ensuring security.

I would especially like to acknowledge the police officers who lost their lives on the eve of the elections. They made the ultimate sacrifice, laying down their lives,in the name of democracy.

To their families, I offer my sincere condolences for your loss and I assure you that I, and the people of Kenya are standing with you in prayer.

The incidents that took the lives of our officers are a reminder that security remains one of the biggest challenges in our nation. It is unacceptable to see such violent and unnecessary loss of life. As we move forward, I pledge to meet all threats to our national security with the full force of Kenya’s resources and with utmost urgency.

To the Kenyan media – you have shown remarkable responsibility as this country’s fourth estate. You have shown sensitivity in the dissemination of news and impartiality in your treatment of the results. You have no doubt helped to keep the country calm.

We are grateful for this, and we will continue to consider you our true partners as we embark on our journey.

To the presidential candidates – I salute you all.

You have contributed to ensuring a robust democratic process.

I in particular want to single out my brother, Raila Odinga, for his spirited campaign.

I know that all the candidates have made tremendous personal sacrifices for the progress of our country and today, I welcome them to join us in moving our nation forward.

My fellow Kenyans today, we celebrate the triumph of democracy; the triumph of peace; the triumph of nationhood.

Despite the misgivings of many in the world- we demonstrated a level of political maturity that surpassed expectations.

We dutifully turned out; we voted in peace; we upheld order and respect for the rule of law and we maintained the fabric of our society.

That is the real victory today. A victory for our nation. A victory that demonstrates to all that Kenya has finally come of age. That this, indeed, is Kenya’s moment.

I am honored and humbled that in a free and fair election- you, the people of Kenya, have placed your trust in me- to lead our nation as your next President.

I am here because of you.

I am here because of the unyielding support of millions of Kenyans, from all walks of life, from every corner of our nation, who sacrificed their time, energy and resources to make this campaign a success.

Thousands of you volunteered through Team Uhuru. Hundreds of you mobilized through grassroots organizations. Hundreds of you campaigned through your university associations and millions of Kenyans across the nation engaged us through our various online platforms.

Throughout this process you, the people, have remained unwavering in your belief not only in me – but in the possibility of a stronger, more prosperous Kenya.

A Kenya that has room for all our hopes and aspirations.

Last but not least, I am here because of my family:

My wife, Margaret; our children and all the members of my family.

However, this is has never been about me, this has been about you- about the people of Kenya. You have put your faith not in one man , but in a team.

In our Deputy President – Elect: Hon William Ruto. A man with a proven trackrecord, who has demonstrated to all of us, his ability to both speak and act with un-matched zeal and energy.

You put your trust in my sister, Charity Ngilu and my brother, Najib Balala both of whom have remained committed to serving the people and putting our nation first.

You put your trust inTNA, URP and the wider Jubilee family.

And because you gave us this trust, I am proud to say that the majority of women who were elected to parliament come from the Jubilee Coalition – a fact that demonstrates this teams commitment to supporting women and to supporting the full implementation of all the provisions within our constitution.

I want to say to all the Jubilee aspirants- those who won, and especially, those who did not – you have done your parties, and this coalition- proud.Your dedication, to the ideals that the Jubilee Coalition represents has been an inspiration to me. We came together as a team, and we will continue to work together as a team- for the good of all the people of Kenya.

However , today is about more than one Coalition or Party.

It is about all Kenyans: those of you who voted Jubilee and those who did not.

My fellow Kenyans, My pledge to you is that as your President, I will work on behalf of all citizens regardless of political affiliation.

I will honor the will of Kenyans and ensure that my Government protects their rights and acts without fear or favor; in the interests of our nation.

To all those who won various seats –regardless of what party or coalition you may belong to – let us remember that we are , first and foremost, Kenyans, and that the people have bestowed upon us the responsibility to work for them.

I extend a hand of friendship and cooperation to you so that together, we can truly serve the Kenyan people.

In the nearly 5 decades since independence, we have made great strides as a nation.

Kenya has experienced huge success but there have also been enduring problems.

In the last 10 years, under the Presidency of Mwai Kibaki we have begun to overcome many of our national challenges.

We are indebted to his leadership and grateful for the services he has rendered to our country.

As I assume office, my task, and the task before us all is to secure the gains we have made while focusing on solving the challenges that remain.

My fellow Kenyans, the elections are now over.

Today, in itself, is not an end ; it is a beginning and there is much work to be done.

That work begins with all of us taking personal responsibility for the future of our country- the inheritance of our children.

For those who are celebrating let us be modest in victory. To those who voted for any of my opponents – let us keep in mind the broader victory of Kenya, and continue to uphold peace. Let us remember that while, in a democracy, some contestants must, inevitably, lose – the citizens of a country never do. In this election, every vote mattered and from this moment, every voice that contributes to the national dialogue- will be heard.

Fellow Kenyans, our duty now is to return to our lives. To return to our jobs, our businesses; our farms – and continue making the daily decisions that will transform Kenya.

I promise to do my part, but I need every Kenyan to play their part as well.

To our brothers and sisters in the region and in Africa as a whole we appreciate your support and encouragement before, during and after the elections. This is the true spirit of Africa. We look forward to playing our rightful role in the region and in the continent. The African star is shining brightly and the destiny of Africa is in our hands.

To the nations of the world I give you my assurances that I and my team understand that Kenya is part of the community of nations and while as leaders we are, first and foremost, servants of the Kenyan people, we recognize and accept our international obligations and we will continue to co-operate with all nations and international institutions– in line with those obligations.

However we also expect that the international community will respect our sovereignty and the democratic will of the people of Kenya.

Indeed it is the desire of the people of Kenya to be a nation that is at peace with itself, at peace with her neighbors, at peace with our continent and at peace with the world at large.

We will pursue this ideal – upholding the values enshrined in our constitution and continuing in the spirit embodied in the words of our national anthem

Oh God of all creation

Bless this our land and nation

Justice be our shield and defender

May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty.

Plenty be found within our borders.

Thank you,

God bless you And God bless the Republic of Kenya.

{{The International Criminal Court (ICC) has postponed trial case for William Ruto and Joshua Sang to May 28.}}

Ruto is Uhuru Kenyatta’s presidential running mate in the Jubilee coalition and together with Mr. Kenyatta were expected to appear before the court next month to begin challenging cases related to violence which rocked the country five years ago.

More than 1,200 people died during the violence and over 600,000 people displaced.

The latest news from ICC is positive to Ruto and Kenyatta looking towards forming the next government should the hotly contested election whose results are expected anytime fail to come out with an outright winner in the first round.

As at 6.33 pm Kenyan time, Uhuru’s Jubilee Coalition had garnered 5,159,344 votes ahead of his closest rival Raila Odinga of CORD coalition whose vote count stood at 4,516,660 same time.

If the two fails to garner 50 per cent plus one of the votes cast, they would be headed for a run-off to determine winner on April 4.

ICC on Thursday also postponed Uhuru Kenyatta and Francis Muthaura –the former head of civil service permanent secretary’s-case to July 9, three months below the initial date.

Judges Kuniko Ozaki, Christine Van den Wyngaert and Chile Eboe-Osuju set the new provisional date for Kenyatta and Muthaura on grounds that issues raised by the defense teams in the application seeking to refer their matter back to the Pre-Trial Chamber, must be resolved before the trial proceeds.

The judges pointed out that these issues may not be resolved before April 11, the date that was initially set for the opening of the trial.

“Without prejudice to the Chamber’s determination of the issues raised by the defence applications and related fillings, and in order to ensure sufficient time for their resolution, the Chamber provisionally sets the new date for the commencement of trial as 9 July 2013,” Justice Ozaki stated.

The trial chamber also took into consideration Kenyatta and former Head of public service Francis Muthaura’s argument that they would not have adequate time to prepare for their defence if the hearing kicks off in April.

The defence teams had argued that this is because the prosecution disclosed its evidence to them late and they needed enough time to prepare.

Muthaura wants the issue on whether the case against him should proceed to trial when the only prosecution witness who alleged at the pre-trial stage that there was a core planning meeting, had been dropped, referred back to the court presided by Lady Justice Ekaterina Trendafilova.

{standardmedia}

{{The Sudanese foreign ministry on Thursday summoned the Canadian charge d’affaires in Khartoum Dominique Rossetti to protest a statement by Ottawa which condemned the ruling against a man convicted of a 2006 highway robbery.}}

Last month the 30-year old Adam al-Muthna was subjected to amputation of his right hand and left foot by doctors at al-Ribat hospital after the constitutional court affirmed the sentence imposed by judges in lower courts.

The Canadian foreign minister John Baird issued a statement this month calling the sentence ” a barbaric expression of Shar’ia law, as cruel and inhumane punishments that are completely at odds with international norms”.

“Sudan, a country with a terrible human rights record, has sunk to new depths of cruelty, having carried out amputations on a man convicted of a criminal offence” he said.

According to Sudan news agency (SUNA) the foreign ministry told Rossetti that this statement is a blatant and unacceptable interference in the country’s internal affairs and its judicial rulings.

The Sudanese Penal Code provides cross amputation as a penalty for armed robbery when it results in grievous injury or involves theft of property with a value exceeding SDG 1,500 or about $340.

However there have been very few cases in Sudan’s history when this form of punishment was actually implemented.

France and several human right groups lambasted the court order and called for reforming Sudanese laws.

(ST)

{{The International Criminal Court has postponed the trials of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former head of civil service to July 09, 2013.}}

The trial judges are however yet to decide on the trial dates for the William Ruto and Joshua arap Sang cases.

In a statement released on Thursday, the international court said trial judges had granted Mr Kenyatta’s and Mr Muthaura’s request to have the trials postponed from the initial April 10, 2013 date.

“Trial Chamber V of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to grant the Defence teams’ requests, to which the Prosecutor did not oppose, and to postpone the opening of the trial in the case The Prosecutor v. Francis Kirimi Muthaura and Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and set the new date provisionally for 9 July 2013,” said the statement.

The court, in explaining the postponement of Mr Kenyatta’s and Mr Muthaura’s cases, said that the April date did not give them sufficient time to make a ruling on a request by the suspects to have their cases referred back to the Pre-Trial Chamber.

“The Chamber considers that, in addition to Defence submissions related to delayed disclosure of information, the Defence teams’ applications requesting referral back to the Pre-Trial Chamber raise very serious issues that must be resolved before the trial can proceed and which may not be resolved before 11 April 2013, the date initially set for the opening of the trial,” the court explained.

“The Defence teams in the case The Prosecutor v. William Samoei Ruto and Joshua Arap Sang also submitted requests to postpone the opening of the trial, currently scheduled to being on 10 April 2013. Trial Chamber V will issue its decision on these requests in due course,” it added.

NMG

{{The manhunt for the two individuals who violently assaulted veteran Tanzanian journalist Absalom Kibanda Tuesday night has moved into high gear, as the editor was flown to South Africa for specialised medical care.}}

The senior journalist, who is the group managing editor of the private New Habari Corporation and the firebrand chairman of Tanzania Editors’ Forum (TEF), was grievously wounded following the vicious attack outside his house at Mbezi Juu in Dar es Salaam.

He suffered serious injuries to his left eye. His assailants also knocked several teeth off him and hacked off a finger from his left hand.

Just before he was flown out, Mr Kibanda told local reporters he believed the incident had something to do with his work as a journalist, for which he faces a treason trial.

After the incident, Mr Kibanda was rushed to Muhimbili National Hospital’s Orthopaedic Institute, where doctors referred him to a South African hospital for more treatment.

Following the brutal event, the Inspector General of Police, Mr Said Mwema, has assigned four detectives from the Police Force headquarters to beef up investigations, but no arrests have been made yet.

A statement by minister of Home Affairs Emmanuel Nchimbi said IGP Mwema’s decision is meant “to increase efficiency.”

NMG

{{The UN Security Council has unanimously voted to partially lift its ban on selling arms on Somalia for a year.}}

The embargo is the world’s oldest, having been imposed in 1992, and will be partially eased for a year in order to help the country’s new government.

The decision means the government will be able to buy light arms to help in its fight against Islamist militants.

Some countries had been reluctant to ease the ban for fear of fuelling insecurity in Somalia.

Correspondents say a compromise seems to have been reached: lifting an embargo on small arms for one year but keeping restrictions on heavy weapons.

The council also voted to extend the mandate of an African Union peacekeeping force in the country by a year.

The government of President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud had been pressing for the embargo to be lifted. He took office in 2012 after the first election of its kind since President Mohamed Siad Barre.

“The council has struck the right balance. It sends a positive signal to President Hassan Sheikh but it continues to give the council oversight of weapons flows into Somalia,” Britain’s UN ambassador Mark Lyall Grant said.

Many items will still be banned from Somalia, including surface-to-air missiles, large-calibre guns, howitzers and cannons.

The human rights group Amnesty International had said the move would be “premature”, saying tighter safeguards were needed first to ensure weapons did not fall in to the wrong hands.

The embargo was imposed after the fall of President Barre in 1991 and subsequent bloody infighting between clan warlords.

Recent years have seen conflict between a UN-backed government and the al-Shabab Islamist militia.

Al-Shabab, a group aligned to al-Qaeda, seized control of southern and central parts of Somalia before Ethiopian, Kenyan and African Union peacekeeping troops undertook a counter-offensive in 2011, supported by the US.

Al-Shabab has now been forced out of Somalia’s main towns but it still controls many smaller towns and rural parts of southern and central Somalia.

BBC