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Kenya’s Presidents office State House on Friday denied media reports alleging interference in the formation of political coalitions by President Mwai Kibaki and his confidants.

A statement released by the Presidential Press Service said President Kibaki has vowed to respect the choice of Kenyans at the ballot.

“We wish to state that President Kibaki remains focused on his service to the nation and peaceful elections and transition and should not be dragged in ongoing political activities,” the statement read.

The statement says that the president is a democrat and will respect the wishes of the Kenyan people now and after the March 2013 General Election.

“The president reiterates to Kenyans that elections come and go. What’s indeed fundamental is that Kenyans continue to enjoy better and greater development, peace and security now and after 04/03/2012,” the statement indicated.

There was wide speculation initially that Musalia Mudavadi who is the United Democratic Forum (UDF) party leader is “a State House Project.”

Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto and Mudavadi agreed on Tuesday evening that Ruto would remain the coalition’s running mate but that Kenyatta and Mudavadi would within 14 days face off in nominations for the Jubilee Coalition’s presidential ticket.

They agreed the person who loses out in the nominations will be the House Majority Leader in Parliament.

There was palpable tension on Thursday within the TNA-URP-UDF alliance after a group of 40 MPs allied to Kenyatta threatened a mass walk-out if the Gatundu South MP is not the presidential candidate.

The Kenyatta-allied MPs read mischief at what they said was a scheme by powerful individuals to have the DPM step down in favour of his fellow Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, in the March 4 elections.

The MPs accused a group of powerful individuals of working behind the scenes to have Mudavadi as the alliance presidential candidate and warned that they would not succumb to the pressure.

Riots have engulfed Juba city of South Sudan following the cruel murder of a Ugandan motor taxi operator who was shot dead by a Policeman.

It has been reported that Traders operating from Jebere Market have been engaged in running battles with Police protesting the murder of Moses Baguma.

Salif Yiga, a colleague, said Baguma was riding a motorcycle today (Thursday) morning when he bypassed a policeman.

Because it was still dusk Baguma had on lights and as he passed by the policeman they flashed in his face.

Salif says when Baguma passed; the policeman turned and shot him in the back in an unprovoked senseless attack.

“Once Baguma’s lights shone in the policeman’s face he turned and shot him in the back killing him on spot,” Yiga said.

NV

Islamist extremists attacked an army post in northeastern Somalia, killing 12 soldiers in one of the deadliest attacks in recent months by the al-Qaida-linked group, al-Shabab, an official said Wednesday.

The attack occurred in Galgala Mountains, in the semiautonomous Puntland region, where the al-Shabab rebels are trying to expand their influence.

The militants attacked the post and blew up a roadside bomb on Tuesday night, killing the soldiers, said a Puntland official, who insisted on anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the press.

Al-Shabab rebels have been pushed out of the cities of southern and central Somalia by African Union forces. The Somali government says the militants are consolidating in Galgala.

The rebels’ northern flight to the Galgala Mountain comes after months of increasing pressure from the African Union force, made up of troops from Uganda, Burundi, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Al-Shabab this year merged with a Puntland warlord — Mohamed Said Atom — and clashed with government forces in Puntland several times. Al-Qaida and al-Shabab — the most powerful Islamist militant group in Somalia — merged earlier this year.

Galgala is an ancient mountain town in Puntland has been a key rebel stronghold for years. Fighters led by former arms trader Atom have been fighting the Puntland government from bases in the mountains for years.

A 2010 report by the U.N. accused Atom of importing arms from Yemen and receiving consignments from Eritrea, including mortars, for delivery to al-Shabab forces in southern Somalia. Atom’s supporters say he is fighting for more equitable distribution of revenues from oil exploration deals with foreign companies.

Puntland authorities have long blamed Atom’s group and al-Shabab for carrying out bombings and assassinations in their region, but outright assaults on government positions have been rare.

Al-Shabab relies on several hundred foreign fighters — some with experience in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Al-Shabab formally joined al-Qaida earlier this year, and seeks to recruit new soldiers from Somali communities overseas.

U.S. and British officials in particular fear that young recruits from Somali communities in Minneapolis, Minnesota or London could train in Somalia, and return to their home countries to carry out attacks.

Somalia is trying to establish its first functional government after two decades of chaos since 1991, when warlords overthrew Said Barre— a longtime dictator— and then turned on one another.

Congo’s M23 rebels are sending a delegation to Kampala, Uganda, to negotiate with the Congolese government on Thursday, the rebels’ president said.

“Our delegation will drive to Kampala for talks,” M23 president Jean-Marie Runiga said thursday.

Runiga said the talks with representatives of President Joseph Kabila’s Kinshasa government must be wide-ranging negotiations to cover constitutional and governance issues and should include the Congolese opposition and civic organizations.

“Kinshasa cannot impose its agenda,” said Runiga. “We must discuss the agenda with the opposition, civil society and Congolese outside the country.”

Runiga spoke in Bunagana town, on the border with Uganda. He sat in a field outside the town, flanked by three armed guards.

When asked why the M23 have only withdrawn to positions 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from Goma, instead of the 20 kilometers (12 miles) agreed upon, Runiga insisted that the rebels had retreated 60 kilometers from Masisi, which more than fulfills the 20-kilometer retreat required by the Kinshasa government.

Runiga denied that the government said the rebels must move 20 kilometers away from Goma.

The prospect of negotiations in neighboring Uganda comes as the strategic eastern Congo city of Goma, with 1 million people, struggles returns to normal life.

Goma was held for two weeks by the M23 rebels, who now remain just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away in the hills above the city.

Although many shops in Goma have reopened, most banks have remained closed, paralyzing the city’s business.

The M23 rebels have threatened to retake Goma unless Kabila’s government starts negotiations.

Despite the rebels’ retreat from Goma, which was a prerequisite set by the DRC government for negotiations, the government has not yet confirmed if it will talk with the rebels.

On Sunday, government spokesman Lambert Mende said Kabila would listen to M23’s grievances and then respond.

“I hope for Kabila’s sake that the negotiations happen, because we have nothing to lose,” said M23 political officer Stanislas Baleke. “Next time we won’t stop at Goma, we’ll go all the way to Uvira (350 kilometers or 218 miles to the south).”

The rebels say they are fighting for better governance and democracy in Congo.

Despite the uncertainty, the U.N. peacekeeping force is working with the Congolese government to get Goma back to normal life.

“We are projecting to reopen the airport tomorrow (Thursday), but we cannot guarantee 100% at this stage,” said Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman of the U.N. peacekeeping mission, known as MONUSCO.

Mounoubai said he did not think the presence of M23 rebels just 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) away poses a threat to getting the airport to operate again.

Wirestory

One person admitted to the Kenyatta National Hospital following Wednesday night’s explosion in Eastleigh has died.

According to the hospital’s communications manager Simon Ithai, six others out of the eight who were admitted to the hospital were treated and discharged.

Nairobi police chief Moses Nyakwama confirmed that the blast was caused by an Improvised Explosive Device although no suspect has been arrested.

“The explosion was caused by a roadside bomb which had been placed in a hole in the ground by the roadside. No arrest has been made so far but we have confirmed it was an improvised bomb,” he added.

The blast, which occurred on Wednesday at around 7:30pm while the streets crowded as people returned home from work, happened in Joska area near a supermarket.

The latest incident comes less than a month after 10 people were killed and more than 30 others wounded when an explosive went off aboard a minibus in the same estate.

At the time, police said that it was likely that the improvised explosive device was planted in the vehicle and was detonated from a safe distance.

Police have so far charged 15 suspects over the bus explosion in November, while the hunt for the prime suspect is still on, according to Nyakwama.

The Nairobi police chief says they are working hard to determine the reasons behind three successive attacks in the area.

Kenya has suffered a string of attacks often blamed on Al-Qaeda-linked Shabaab militants since it sent its troops, now integrated into an African Union force, into Somalia.

In a separate incident, police shot dead three suspected gangsters in Nairobi’s Githurai area on Thursday.

Nyakwama said that they had recovered two pistols with several rounds of ammunition.

He said that three were cornered after they defied orders to stop and instead opened fire at police who were trailing them.

There has been an explosion in a mainly Somali neighbourhood in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, police say.

Up to nine people were injured in the blast in the Eastleigh neighbourhood, reported to have been caused by a roadside bomb.

Last month, a grenade blast in Eastleigh left seven people dead.

Kenya accuses neighbouring Somalia’s al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militant group of trying to destabilise the country.

Reuters reports that its correspondent at the explosion site saw pools of blood on the ground, as the wounded were swiftly moved away.

“The explosion was caused by a roadside bomb which had been placed in a hole in the ground,” Nairobi police chief Moses Nyakwama told the AFP news agency.

“No arrests have been made yet, and investigations are already under way,” he added.

Al-Shabab has not yet commented on the blast.

Last month, Kenya accused the group of launching a grenade attack on a bus in Eastleigh, killing seven people.

The attack triggered riots in the area, as angry youths burnt and looted Somali-owned shops.

Kenya’s government has blamed al-Shabab for a spate of explosions and kidnappings on its territory.

Kenyan troops are part of an 18,000-strong African Union (AU) force fighting al-Shabab in Somalia.

Wrangles within Chama Cha Mapinduzi have been cited by an international think tank as being among the major threats to the survival of the party.

The ruling CCM, one of the few independence era political parties in Africa still in power, is marred by various challenges including graft and bitter infighting pitting several factions within its rank and file that have hugely affected its popularity, says the South African-based think tank.A report published at the weekend by the Institute for Security Studies, which is a regional human security policy think tank, says:

“CCM, like the Africa National Congress (ANC) in South Africa, is one of several liberation parties in Africa that are still in power and, like the ANC, CCM is increasingly facing its greatest opposition from within,” the report, authored by Mashaka Lewela, Research Intern and Emmanuel Kisiangani, Senior Researcher, Conflict Prevention and Risk Analysis Division, says.

In a quick rejoinder, however, the CCM secretary general, Mr Abdulrahman Kinana, said yesterday issues raised in the report have are nothing new.

“There is nothing surprising (about the report) considering that these issues have already been discussed extensively in the media, in the academia and in the political circles,” he said when reached by phone.

The report entitled: “Tanzania’s CCM: Is the Benign Hegemony Crumbling?”, says this is the time for the CCM to rejuvenate itself by moving beyond electoral manoeuvres if it is to remain in power and become a real instrument for improving governance.

“Looking at 2015, it is unlikely that the CCM will lose its stranglehold on power, but it is probable that the Opposition will gain statistically,” added the report.

But Mr Kinana said the authors of the report sound like they aren’t sure of what they were talking about.

“They are in fact trying to find answers to their own question,” said the CCM supremo in reference to the title of the report, adding: “I strongly believe that Tanzanians are in a much better position to discuss and evaluate political developments and events in the country than foreigners.”

The report says though substantially fragmented as it comprises 20 different political parties, the Tanzanian opposition has been slowly growing in strength, as witnessed by its performance in the 2010 elections.

“For a party (CCM) whose leadership transition has consistently been seamless, the current perceptions and divisive internal wrangles are threatening its dominance ahead of the 2015 elections – in which President Kikwete will not run again after serving his two-year constitutional terms,” notes the report.

The report adds the President seems to realise the extent of the challenges and the threat they pose to his legacy.

“This explains his attempts to reform and restructure the party,” says the report, adding: “ In 2010 he initiated a CCM sloughing/rebranding drive (kujivua gamba), which entailed the ruling party touring development programmes, while in April 2011 the party asked several of its top brass – including the then secretary general, Yusuf Makamba – to resign voluntarily or face expulsion.”

It notes further that those who resigned were replaced by a set of politicians with a cleaner reputation, although this did not dramatically change the party’s image.

“Interestingly, the majority of CCM supporters seem to remain confident about the party’s fortunes on the basis that it has done better than previous leaderships to improve the economy and living standards of Tanzanians, despite the difficult global economic situation,” says the report.

Reacting to these observations, Mr Kinana dismissed the report’s reflection that CCM was facing more challenges than ever before, noting that the challenges the ruling party faced in the 1995 General Election were much more daunting.

In that year, he said, Mr Augustino Mrema, the then presidential candidate on the NCCR-Mageuzi platform, got bigger percentage of votes than what the Chadema presidential candidate, Dr Willibrod Slaa, bagged in 2010.

He, however acknowledged that the authors were right by pinpointing in their conclusion that factors that were likely to weaken CCM were mostly from within than from outside the party.

Mr Kinana mentioned internal challenges as factionalism, wrangling and alleged corruption, but was vehement that CCM won’t lose in 2015.

He said many of the constituencies which CCM lost to the Opposition in the 2010 elections was a result of the party’s mishandling in choosing candidates and disunity within the party.

CCM held its 8th national congress in Dodoma last month at which President Kikwete was reelected as the party’s national chairman.

The report said mindful of diminishing public approval for the party that has dominated the politics of the Union of Tanganyika (Mainland) and Zanzibar (island), President Kikwete initiated a restructuring process in 2010 that culminated in the recent national congress.

Among those elected were Philip Mangula (vice-chairman mainland) and Dr Ali Mohamed Shein (vice-chairman Zanzibar).

Former East African Legislative Assembly speaker Abdulrahman Kinana was elected secretary general, while former Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations Asha Migiro became secretary for foreign relations.

CITIZEN

Close to six million people have been registered as voters in two weeks according to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

A statement from the commission on Monday said the number represented 33 percent of the estimated Kenyan voting population.

Nairobi County leads with the most number of those registered at 632, 145 out of an estimated voting population of about 1.5 million people followed by neighboring Kiambu County with 329, 340 people registered out of 756,773 estimated eligible voters.

Nakuru County comes in third place with 307,687 registered voters.
Counties in Northern Kenya still have low numbers with Marsabit recording the lowest numbers at 14,344; Lamu County with 22,272 out of an estimated voting population of 47,337 while Samburu County has so far registered 34,980.

Wajir County has 56,728 registered while Mandera has achieved 57,534 voters in two weeks.

Other counties with steadily rising numbers include Kakamega with 266,155, Meru which had registered 202,388, Bungoma County with184, 479, Kisii with190,259, Busia, 123, 615 and Siaya County with 178,243.

Tharaka Nithi County has registered 68,889, Baringo 81,768, Machakos 125, 685, Makueni 108,365, Kitui 115,669, Laikipia 65,844, Garissa 54, 838 and Vihiga 91,600.

At the coast Kilifi has recorded 126, 285, Tana River 32,962 while Mombasa has 146,876 out of an estimated half a million voters.

Out of the 22 million eligible voters, IEBC aims to register at least 18 million Kenyans by the end of the 30 day period on December 18.

Meanwhile, Vice president Kalonzo Musyoka who registered on Monday in Tseikuru once again appealed to Kenyans to vote for leaders irrespective of ethnic and political backgrounds in the next elections.

He expressed concern at the manner in which residents in many parts of the country were turning up in small numbers to register barely two weeks before the deadline of the exercise.

The VP made a passionate appeal to all Kenyans to make use of the ongoing biometric voter registration to enlist in large numbers so as to participate in the forthcoming General Election.

He said the biometric voter registration exercise will ensure names of ghost voters do not appear in the register.

Musyoka at the same time directed the department of Registration of
Persons to move with speed and ensure Kenyans over the age of 18 and who have applied for IDs are given within the shortest time possible so that they can participate in voter listing exercise.

“It has become clear that thousands of Kenyans are yet to get IDs especially now that the country is preparing for elections,” he said.