Tag: GreatLakesNews

International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has said she has evidence of bribery of a key witness in the case of Kenya’s deputy prime minister, Uhuru Kenyatta.

In her submissions, Ms Bensouda claims the critical Witness Four, a former leader of the dreaded Mungiki militia group, and who withdrew his testimony after charges confirmation hearings, was paid to do so.

This is the witness who said he was present at meetings in the country’s State House and at the members-only Nairobi Club where Mr Kenyatta and former civil service boss Francis Muthaura allegedly planned the violence that followed the disputed presidential election of 2007.
In a later statement to the ICC, the witness said he lied about his presence in the two meetings.

“Witness Four revealed in an interview in May 2012 that he had been offered and accepted money from individuals holding themselves out as representatives of the accused to withdraw his testimony and provided e-mails and records that confirmed the bribery scheme,” said the prosecutor.

Ms Bensouda was responding to an application by the defences of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura which are calling for dismissal of their case due of the withdrawal of evidence by the key witness.

Mr Kenyatta, a presidential candidate in Monday’s election, and his running mate, Mr William Ruto, are charged with crimes against humanity.

The other accused is journalist Joshua arap Sang.

The prosecution maintains that despite the withdrawal of the testimony, it had sufficient evidence of Mr Kenyatta’s alleged participation in violence planning meetings at Blue Post Hotel in Thika, central Kenya and Nairobi’s Yaya Centre, a shopping mall.

NMG

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has consented for trials against four Kenyan post-election violence suspects to be held in August instead of April.

Two of the suspects, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and Mr William Ruto, are the flagbearers for the Jubilee coalition, a leading contender in Kenya’s presidential election that takes place next Monday.

The other accused are former Civil Service boss Francis Muthaura and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang.

Ms Bensouda proposes that the trails should start “immediately after the Court’s summer recess”.

In a letter to the Court, Ms Bensouda states that she is still ready to proceed with the trials should the judges reject the suspects’ requests for an adjournment.

“The Prosecution suggests that a start date immediately after the Court’s summer recess may be appropriate, although it is ready to start trial earlier, should the Chamber so order,” said the Prosecutor.

The court’s three judges now have to rule on the suspect’s request for adjournment.

Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto, Mr Muthaura and Mr Sang are facing charges of crimes against humanity allegedly committed at the height of Kenya’s post-election violence in 2007 and 2008.

Africa must now strategically reposition itself and build alliances in a bid to promote a new and just world order, a high level African thematic consultation on the Post- 2015 Development Agenda taking place in Midrand, South Africa has learnt.

Consequently, calls for a new African (and global) development agenda that emphasizes poverty eradication and highlights sustainability for human development is considered key.

In her opening remarks earlier today, Betty Maina, Chief Executive, Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) and a Member of the High Level Panel on the Post 2015 Agenda stated that the globe was at cross-roads with respect to the development agenda and called for a multi-dimensional approach as the new framework is developed.

She termed the role of various stakeholders including that of Parliaments, civil society and media as fundamental in the dispensation.

“The role of Parliament cannot be over stated. We need to enhance dialogue to find solutions to the disempowerment of youth, gender imbalance and other overarching contentious issues especially in the emerging nations and the poorer countries”, Ms Maina noted.

The President of the Pan African Parliament (PAP), H.E. Bethel N. Amadi noted that substantial progress had been made since the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) set in thirteen years ago.

He cited the reduction of HIV/AIDS transmission, enhanced infrastructure and increased enrollment of primary school youth – as some of the benefits propelled by the MDGs.

The Speaker of EALA, Rt. Hon Margaret N. Zziwa noted that Parliamentarians’ accessibility to (and by) constituents were key in keeping the ‘developmental conversation’ alive.

The Speaker cited open access policies and pairing schemes between Parliaments and stakeholders as a pre-cursor towards enhancing performance for better MDGs attainment and governance.

The Speaker called on Parliaments to enact relevant laws geared towards the realization of the objectives of the MDGs.

“If you ask me, various laws should have been passed in at least each of the MDG goals, such as Education for all (MDG number 5&6) ; poverty eradication, Maternal Health and HIV eradication (MDGs number 2&3),or Shelter for all (MDG No: 11)”, Rt Hon Zziwa remarked, while calling for the validation of existing laws.

The Speaker urged the media to promote values of good governance, while adhering to objectivity and accurate reporting.

The Director of Political Affairs at the African Union, Dr George Mukundi challenged Parliamentarians to fully use the existing powers to play their oversight roles.

Hon Geraldine Fraser- Moleketi former Minister of Public Service in the Republic of South Africa noted that elections often bore conflicts calling for a re-look and re-think into the electioneering systems.

“The winner-takes it all modality as practiced in many constitutions, can present obvious challenges and peculiarities. We should re-look into the models”, she noted.

A civil society activist, Ms. Namhla Mniki-Mangaliso noted that grassroots communities were often satisfied when issues affecting their livelihoods are solved.

“There is an intolerable feeling on the ground about the lack of democratic space that define the direction citizens want to take.

Majority of these perspectives as raised by people include democratic governments, education and peace and security among others”, she added.

Rt. Hon Cyril Ndebele, Speaker Emeritus from the Parliament of Zimbabwe noted that paradigm shifts in the post 2015 development agenda dispensation must be home-grown.

The former Speaker remarked that historical and cultural identities were important in the context of the future and added that it was vital to work with traditional governance institutions including the chiefdoms.

He further reiterated the need for free and fair elections and open access policies in nations to spur democracy.

In attendance were Parliamentarians, high ranking officials from the EAC and the continent, media, community based groups, faith based organisations, intellectuals, youth and the women groups.

During plenary, discussions delved on the need to scale up rule of law, equality and empowerment of the various groups.

The delegates remarked that it was necessary to evaluate the successes and challenges of the MDGs and the way forward.

The aim of the two day consultation is to bring together the African experience on governance so that this may inform the new global development agenda.

At least 35 people have been killed in a grisly road accident in Mwingi on Wednesday morning.

The accident involved a Garissa-bound bus which lost control and rolled several times at about 3am, according to Traffic Commandant Samuel Kimaru.

Eleven people were killed on the spot while the rest were trapped under the wreckage and it took rescuers more than four hours to help them out.

“It was a very bad accident, it took a lot of time for them to be rescued because the bus was badly damaged,” he said.

Kimaru said more than 20 other passengers have been admitted to the Mwingi District Hospital.
The Traffic Commandant said they have not established the exact cause of the accident that occurred at Tulimani area.

“We don’t know what exactly happened but we are urging motorists to be careful to avoid such accidents. We could not have lost the 35 people, if drivers were careful on the road,” added Kimaru.

Over the weekend, at least 17 people were killed and scores injured in two separate road accidents in Voi and Kilifi on Saturday morning.

In the first accident that happened at Ndii near Voi, 12 people died on the spot after a bus and trailer collided.

The dead included 10 men and two women as well as drivers of both vehicles.

Fourteen other people were injured and were rushed to the Voi District hospital for treatment.

Police said that the bus which was heading to Mombasa from Nairobi was overtaking another vehicle before it collided with the oncoming trailer.

“This is purely a case of human error, the bus driver was trying to overtake when there is a trailer approaching,” Kimaru told press following the 4am accident last Saturday.

The second accident in Vipingo area in Kilifi that claimed five lives involved a matatu and a private van that had previously operated as tour van.

CapitalFm

A Kenyan International Criminal Court suspect and former radio journalist Joshua arap Sang has endorsed Cord’s presidential candidate Raila Odinga ahead of the general elections next Monday.

Sang, according to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office, dismissed the Jubilee coalition between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto as incapable of bringing peace between the Kikuyu and the Kalenjin who have fought during elections since 1992.

The endorsement marks a breakaway between Mr Sang and his fellow suspects at the International Criminal Court Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. The three face various counts of crimes against humanity committed at the height of the 2007 – 2008 post-election violence.

In a recorded message to air on radio, Mr Sang says that it is only a president who is not a Kalenjin or a Kikuyu who can bring peace between the two communities.

Sang says he recorded the message because of “heavy feelings in my heart.”.

In his message, Mr Sang also dismisses as lies the perception in Rift Valley that it was Mr Odinga who sent him to The Hague. He claims that senior government officials who were in office before the formation of the coalition had coached witnesses to testify against him and Mr Ruto in the case at the ICC.

“We are away in a foreign land with my brother because of allegations made against us. The truth must be told. In my opinion, the people who masterminded and planned to have me and my brother taken to The Hague did not include Raila Odinga,” Mr Sang says in the recorded message.

Mr Sang appeals to the Kalenjin community not to trust the power sharing deal in the Jubilee coalition, saying such agreements have twice been disowned after elections.

He cites the MOU signed between Mr Odinga and Mr Kibaki in 2002 and the 2007 power sharing deal that brought the Grand Coalition Government into force as instances of broken promises that should make residents of the Rift Valley wary of the deal between Mr Ruto and Mr Uhuru.

“Today, some of our people want us to enter into an MOU again through Jubilee. They never respected the MOU signed in 2002 and the power sharing deal agreed on in 2007. Why should we expect that the one our community has signed in Jubilee will be respected,” Sang says in a recorded message set to air on radio.

According to Mr Sang, the doubts whether the pact between Mr Ruto and Mr Uhuru will fare any better.

He says that although President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were supposed to share power on a 50-50 basis, it never really happened and only one side of the coalition ran the country.

Just a Day after the signing of the DRC Peace Deal in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, factions within M23 Rebel movement have reportedly clashed owing to power struggle.

Reports indicate that at least 8 people have been killed in the first clashes between rival factions of the M23 rebel group in DR Congo.

The violence was linked to a power-struggle between M23 political leader Jean-Marie Runiga and military chief Sultani Makenga.

However, M23 denied that it was hit by dissent, our reporter says.

It blamed the violence on the FDLR rebel group, which is made up of Rwandans accused of involvement in the 1994 genocide that left about 800,000 people dead, he says.

The M23 is involved in separate peace talks with the DR Congo government in Uganda.

In January, it declared a unilateral ceasefire. The talks could run into trouble if the M23 mediation team splits between supporters of Mr Runiga and Col Makenga.

Over the weekend on Sunday, regional leaders signed a UN-brokered accord to end conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

About 80,000 people have been displaced in fighting since May 2012.

Reports from Kenya indicate that a renowned Laikipia conservationist and a journalist were killed when a light aircraft they were travelling in crashed near Mount Kenya.

Also killed in the mishap was a Canadian journalist who was the only passenger on board.

Mt Kenya national park senior warden Simon Gitau said the aircraft, which was owned by the Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF), crashed on Sunday afternoon about 14,500 feet above sea level near Lake Michaelson.

The aircraft had been reported missing before it was traced near the mountain lake where a similar accident occurred in 1976.

The proprietor of Tropic Air Jammie Roberts, who worked closely with Dr King, said the accident could have been caused by strong winds.

“The two-seater plane was mechanically okay when it left for the mountain,” he said.

Dr King once served as the LWF executive director and was recently involved in the development of a wildlife conservation strategy for the county.

He was also the manager of Ngolale ranch in Rumuruti.

Members of Mt Kenya tourist circuit association eulogized him as a real hero and champion of conservation who will be remembered by many.

NMG

The UN Security Council said Sunday it is deeply concerned by worsening unrest in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo despite a new attempted peace accord for the troubled region.

The 15-member council, which currently includes Rwanda, renewed its condemnation of the M23 group which has seized territory in eastern DR Congo and is one of the key targets of the UN accord signed Sunday by 11 African countries in Addis Ababa.

The council welcomed the accord, brokered by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, but envoys said they “remain deeply concerned by the worsening security and humanitarian situation” in Eastern region.

“They reiterate their demand that the M23 cease immediately attempts to establish an illegitimate parallel administration,” said a statement released by the council.

The council also demanded that M23, the ethnic-Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) and other armed groups end “all forms of violence and destabilizing activities.”

The head of the UN mission in DR Congo, Roger Meece, warned Friday that serious conflict could erupt at any time. “The overall situation is volatile and precarious, and could break down at any time into large-scale conflict without much, if any, prior warning,” Meece told the Security Council.

DR Congo, South Africa, Mozambique, Rwanda, Congo, Tanzania, Uganda, Angola, Burundi, Central African Republic and Zambia signed the accord which calls on regional nations to refrain from interfering in each other’s affairs.

It also aims to reform DR Congo’s weak institutions and could lead to the establishment of a special UN “intervention brigade” in eastern DR Congo as well as the naming of a special envoy for the Great Lakes region.