WASHINGTON–In shifts both subtle and significant, Barack Obama has begun looking past Hillary Clinton to a general election matchup with Republican John McCain, telling voters how his presidency will change the world’s perception of America.

He is doing so as the perception of the Democratic race is also changing, a reassessment fuelled by Obama’s fourth victory of the weekend yesterday in the Maine caucuses and a shakeup at the top of the Clinton campaign.

Obama’s Maine victory comes on the heels of sweeping victories he racked up Saturday in Washington state, Louisiana and Nebraska and amid expectations he could repeat the feat tomorrow when Maryland, Virginia and the District of Columbia all vote in the so-called “Potomac Primary.”

The Clinton camp sought to couch the resignation of campaign manager Patti Solis Doyle as part of a “seamless” transition. But it comes in the midst of what is promising to be a grim month for the New York senator, who has fallen behind in pledged delegates and the money race to her younger challenger from Illinois.

She had sought her port in her February storm in Maine with its 24 delegates, but Obama won the caucus handily.

Solis Doyle, a long-time aide to Clinton, will remain with the campaign but will be replaced at the top by Maggie Williams, another close confidante of the candidate.

At a rally yesterday in a Virginia suburb of Washington, Obama fleshed out his policy on Latin America and Africa and said he would have credibility in the Muslim world that no previous president had.

He also addressed a voter from his native Hawaii who said her heart was “torn” because her 9-year-old son adored the Illinois senator, but her husband was knocking on doors in support of Clinton.

“The day I am inaugurated, I think this country looks at itself differently,” Obama told the woman.

To put the exclamation point on the weekend, Obama even won a Grammy award for the spoken edition of his book The Audacity of Hope, beating out, among others, former president Bill Clinton.

Obama also appears to have now taken the lead in delegates chosen by voters, while Clinton maintains a slim lead overall thanks to her support among the so-called “superdelegates” comprised of elected Democrats and party brass.

She is attempting to tread water until March 4, when she believes Ohio and Texas can revive a flagging campaign.

Obama stressed his electability yesterday. Clinton, he said, starts with 47 per cent of the country against her. “That’s a tough place to start,” he said.

Obama said he has the ability to bring people together because he refuses to “demonize” opponents and can forge the working majority needed in the U.S. Congress to enact his policies.

“It is very hard for Senator Clinton to break out of the politics of the last 15 years,” he said in Alexandria, Va. He also reminded his backers that Bill Clinton was president in 1994 when Democrats lost the House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, a number of governors and state houses in mid-term elections.

“Regardless of what policies they wanted to promote, they didn’t have a working majority for change,” he said.

His ability to reach out to independents and disaffected Republicans is the reason why he consistently outperforms Clinton in polls testing Democratic support against McCain, Obama said.

“That’s where it matters.”

In Manassas, Va., Clinton told supporters she is constantly asked by supporters why she is being so specific in her stump speeches.

In an apparent swipe at Obama, she said she has taken that campaign tack because she wants voters to hold her accountable.

“People come to me all the time and say, `why don’t you just give us one of those great rhetorical flourishes and get everybody all whooped up?’” she said.

Obama, in a question-and-answer with supporters, said the U.S. had neglected Latin America under George W. Bush and he said he would meet Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.

He said Chavez was consolidating power, had “despotic tendencies” and was using oil money to fan anti-Americanism, “but it is not enough to say `I oppose (Cuba’s Fidel) Castro and I oppose Chavez and that’s the end of it.”

He said Latin America will no longer be a junior partner in its relationship with Washington, and he will travel the region to talk to leaders about human rights, political prisoners in Cuba and hemispheric trade ties.

He also accused Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki of being unwilling to ensure votes were properly counted in that country’s recent election which sparked ethnic tension and tribal clashes that killed thousands, damaged tourism in the country and drained its coffers.

“The transitioning of power peacefully is something African leaders must embrace,” he said.

The most poignant moment of the day, however, came when he tried to sell the woman from Hawaii on his candidacy over Clinton’s, bringing her 9-year-old son up on stage.

He spoke of his birth in Hawaii, to a Kansas mother and a Kenyan father, as well as his childhood time spent in Indonesia.

Her son, one day, will look at America’s 44th president and think, “hey, he’s got a funny name like me,” Obama said.

He said he would change the perception of the presidency in the U.S., but also the perception of America in the world because when he travels to Africa, he would have credibility not just because he knows the leaders, but he knows the people. And when he travels to Muslim countries, he could say he knows the leaders but also the culture of the Muslim nations he visits.
http://www.thestar.com/World/Columnist/article/302351

The architects of the ongoing political violence appear determined to push all the buttons they can to turn Kenya on its head. When they are not setting houses on fire or chopping up people from unwanted communities, they are subjecting their victims to rape and sexual harassment.

The Nairobi Women’s Hospital reported last week that it had treated 94 children who had been sexually abused. Of the 242 patients, 213 were female and 29 male. Most of those attacked had been gang raped. These statistics refer to Nairobi and its environs alone, only our good Lord knows how much damage has been done in other parts of the country. Movements from one town the other have been hampered, it is a challenge.

As if that is not enough, the militia groups have now decided to enforce a dress code for Women. If you wear trousers or mini skirts in Naivasha, Nakuru or Limuru, you do it at a great risk. Women in those areas have been humiliated, robbed and beaten for exercising their freedom of choice. Not only that, they are extorting money from the public vehicles and from individuals as security fee on a daily basis.

It is our prayer that the Koffi Anan talks will bear fruits for our lovely country. There is alot lawlessness being experienced in most parts of the country.

CHEPKIOYO, Kenya – Kenya’s opposition leader demanded Saturday that the president resign and new elections be held, dropping a conciliatory stance that had brought hope for a political settlement to end weeks of postelection violence.

Raila Odinga, who accuses President Mwai Kibaki of stealing the Dec. 27 election, spoke in his traditional power base in western Kenya before cheering supporters at the funeral of a slain opposition lawmaker.

Kibaki “must step down or there must be a re-election — in this I will not be compromised,” Odinga shouted in East Africa’s common language of Swahili.

It was a sharp turnaround from comments he made in English two days earlier in the capital, Nairobi. He indicated he would not insist on Kibaki’s resignation, saying “we are willing to give and take.”

The next day, former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan struck an optimistic note after mediating negotiations between the two sides, and Odinga’s own political party said a power-sharing agreement was in the works. Annan said he hoped to complete work on a settlement early next week.

But Odinga returned Saturday to the themes that have rallied supporters, repeating a comparison of which he is fond: “You cannot steal my cow, and I catch you red-handed, and then expect me to share the milk because the cow is mine.”

More than 1,000 people have been killed and 300,000 forced from their homes since the election, which Kenyan and foreign observers say was rigged. The fighting has pitted members of Kenya’s rival ethnic groups against one another, gutted the economy and left the country’s reputation as a budding democracy and a top tourist destination in tatters.

Only 8,000 people visited Kenya in January, far short of the 100,000 officials had expected, Ong’onga Achieng, the managing director of the Kenya Tourist Board, told hotel owners and travel agents meeting in the port city of Mombasa.

Saturday’s funeral for legislator David Kimutai Too was the first mass public gathering since the government lifted a ban on rallies imposed after the election. Nearly all of Kenya’s major opposition attended.

The opposition and international community had for weeks been urging the government to lift the ban, which had been enforced by police using live bullets, tear gas and water cannons. Scores of people were killed.

In lifting the ban Friday, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti urged legislators and others to hold meetings “to promote peace and national reconciliation” and not to use rallies as “avenues to incite violence.”

But there was nothing conciliatory in statements at Too’s funeral. Police say he was killed in a crime of passion, but the opposition insists he was assassinated.

“The blood of David Too must run to the door of those who stole the election,” said Anyang Nyongo, secretary-general of Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement.

“We are not going backward. We only want Raila to lead this nation,” said Najib Balala, another leading opposition politician.

On Friday, about 5,000 people fled a makeshift camp in the western town of Kericho, fearing there would be violence at the funeral in Chepkioyo only 10 miles away.

Those fears were not realized, but the mood of the crowd was deeply anti-government.

“I believe he was assassinated by the government to paralyze the opposition and make it weak,” said Alfred Kipkoech, a 31-year-old shop owner.

Authorities say the traffic policeman who killed Too acted because he believed the lawmaker was involved with his girlfriend. The family denied that and accused police of a cover-up.

Associated Press writer Heidi Vogt in Nairobi and Philip Mwakio in Mombasa contributed to this report.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080209/ap_on_re_af/kenya_election_violence_195

Ndungu not only lied blatantly but she also unashamedly twisted facts to suit, support and defend Mwai Kibaki’s actions.In the end she found that trying to defend Kibaki was like trying to turn around the sinking Titanic in the middle of the ocean! It was indeed surprising that it is Congressman Payne who seemed to understand the feelings of most Kenyans when he said the people of Kenya voted for change but what they were given was the status quo. While Payne knew and said clearly that the General election results announced by the ECK do not reflect the wishes of the Kenyan people Njoki Ndungu never admits anywhere in her report that the election was stolen. Instead she keeps on insisting that the election was “too close to call” and that either candidate could have won! This is ridiculous. In the end she stumbles in her thinking and states that both sides rigged the elections. She forgets that only Kibaki had control over the ECK Chairman and his commissioners.

Njoki lists places and provinces where Kikuyus were evicted but she deliberately does not mention the violence vested on Luos, Luyiah and Kalenjins by the Kikuyus. Then when she starts to trace the historical background to the current problem, our “learned” sister either ignores or diminishes the magnitude of some critical events. She changes direction over the MoU and plays down the fact that it was a major cause for the fall-out between Kibaki and many of the Narc leaders. To her the issue of the MoU was immaterial. She does not even acknowledge that it led to great mistrust between Raila and Kibaki.Njoki Ndungu even claims that there were two MoUs!

To add salt to injury, Njoki incorrectly misleads the audience on the reasons for the denunciation of the Wako Draft without stating that Kibaki had rejected the Bomas draft and written his own for a referendum. If she were a credible lawyer Njoki could have done better to explain why all the possible drafts were not presented to Kenyans to choose from.

Unlike Njoki Ndungu, Lawyer Maina Kiai, head of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights came out as an exemplary citizen and true leader of Kenya. He rose above petty tribalistic tendencies and defended justice, truth and democracy. He supported neither ODM nor PNU. He only presented facts without any fear. At the end of his report many of us were left wondering if he is indeed a Kenyan. That smart lawyer has no particle of tribalism in his blood!

Announcement:
The leadership of the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students (NAGPS) led by Tonia Compton and Ruqaiyah Rogers are meeting with Congressional leaders here in Washington DC with the aim of advancing the causes of graduate students. This is a chance for international graduate students to meet these great leaders.

Gerald Baraza
International Student Affairs Coordinator,
Midwest States.

The announcement of election results and Kibaki’s inauguration was followed by widespread outrage and violence in many parts of Kenya, particularly in Nairobi, Nyanza Province, Western Province, the Rift Valley and Coast Province. This violence has involved many incidents of one-sided attacks on members of the Kikuyu tribe, often with machetes, stones and clubs. A significant part of the violence was also criminally motivated, exploiting a period of lawlessness to steal, rape, and displace people from land and property. Informal roadblocks quickly sprung up in many parts of Kenya, and numerous areas became no-go zones for members of the wrong ethnic group, as reprisals for the violence continue. More than 600 people have been killed through communal violence and police killings, with the UN stating that over 250,000 people are displaced. Thousands others have crossed into Uganda and Tanzania as refugees.

Amnesty International has called upon the Kenyan government and political party leaders to take all possible measures to ensure an immediate halt to the violence and to commit themselves publicly to the respect and protection of the human rights of all citizens. Political leaders must not explicitly or implicitly condone violence against supposed supporters of their rivals.

The government has deployed security forces to many areas. Police and troops began to protect people from violent mobs in some areas and dispersed violent protesters in others. However, police have been responsible for the deaths of scores of people in different parts of Kenya. While the police have been trying to contain what in some cases have been violent protests in Kenya, the methods they have employed, such as firing live ammunition into crowds, exceed acceptable use of force and cannot be justified. On January 16-18 alone, at least twelve individuals, including a 13-year old boy, were shot and killed by police bullets during protests called by the opposition party. In one incident, captured on video by a local television station, an unarmed protestor in Kisumu town in Western Kenya was shot at close range by a Kenyan police officer who then kicked him while he lay wounded on the ground. The man reportedly died later from the bullet wound.

Under the UN Code of Conduct for Law Enforcement Officials and the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law Enforcement Officials, police may use force only when strictly necessary and only to the minimum extent required by the circumstances. Lethal force should not be used except when unavoidable in order to protect life. The Kenyan government must immediately send clear instructions to the police to stop this excessive use of force, conduct an independent and impartial inquiry into the police killings, and prosecute any police officers who have used excessive force against protesters.

As political tension mounted, the government banned live broadcasting by the Kenyan media, although the ban is in practice widely ignored. The government banned all demonstrations called by the opposition in Nairobi and other towns and has since prevented demonstrators from gathering, using tear-gas , water-cannon and, in some incidences, firing live ammunition into crowds which have at times been violent. There are also reports that journalists covering the protests and the police response have been harassed, and that human rights defenders protesting the use of excessive force by Kenyan security forces have been arrested.

Amnesty International calls on the Kenyan government to respect the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly throughout Kenya. It is only through the respect for human rights that the country will be able to resolve the political crisis it is now facing.
http://www.amnestyusa.org/By_Country/Kenya/page.do?id=1011181&n1=3&n2=30&n3=931

The BBC’s Karen Allen in Nairobi says it is a significant development which could pave the way to power-sharing. Some 1,000 people have died in clashes since the 27 December elections.

Mr Annan said: “We are all agreed that a political settlement is needed, that a political settlement is necessary and we are working out the details of such a settlement.”

We cannot afford our people using bows and arrows, people being pulled out of buses to be asked ‘which language do you speak?’ and then being chopped .His comments followed Friday’s second face-to-face talks between President Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga – only the second time they have met since the disputed elections.

President Kibaki’s side said there had been an “agreement in principle”, while the opposition spoke of a “positive development”. The apparent breakthrough came as a policeman accused of shooting dead two protesters pleaded not guilty to murder at a court in Nairobi.

Footage of Constable Edward Kirui confronting protesters in the western city of Kisumu in January had been broadcast on Kenyan television. Mr Odinga has previously rejected any suggestion of power sharing, while President Kibaki has insisted he is Kenya’s duly elected leader.

Speaking at a prayer service in Nairobi earlier on Friday, Mr Kibaki said he was “encouraged by the commendable progress” at the peace talks. Government negotiator Mutula Kilonzo was quoted by Reuters news agency as saying: “We cannot afford our people using bows and arrows, people being pulled out of buses to be asked ‘which language do you speak?’ and then being chopped.”

Hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the violence .Mr Kibaki was declared the winner of the election, which observers said was deeply flawed and the opposition Orange Democratic Movement claimed was rigged.

More than 300,000 people were displaced in the ensuing violence as both sides traded accusations of ethnic cleansing. Mr Annan arrived in Kenya last month accompanied by ex-Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela. UN under-secretary for humanitarian affairs John Holmes is due on Saturday to visit Kenya’s Rift Valley, which has witnessed some of the worst violence in recent weeks.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7235038.stm

Related:
Though Kumekucha summarized it well, but the body languages of ODM and President-elect Raila was encouraging. Even Mutula looked like wants to mend fence with him…

Something went wrong at the last minute.

I am not speculating but if you guys knew Kibaki as well as I do…

I too wud love for them to agree but…

But I know the man…

Let’s go through the events of this evening again;

Anan, Raila etc head to Harambee house and Ruto talks to BBC and tells them there is a breakthrough. Even gives details of a joint govt arrangement. We are told that both Kibaki and Raila will address the press outside Harambee House. Even the diplomatic corps turn up to see the news of the year for themselves. Then suddenly, everything cancelled. Anan, Raila and team leave without saying anything, (Anan tells press he will talk to them at Serena).

PNU negotiating team goes in for a meeting with Kibaki and emerge about an hour later.

Later a nervous looking Anan addresses the press at Serena to say nothing except that they should wait for next week. Fill in the blanks folks.

We need to pray harder for Kenya, we are in a very dangerous place.

-Kumekucha-

7:31 AM
http://kenya.rcbowen.com/talk/viewtopic.php?id=62988

James Swan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for African Affairs
Statement Before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Africa and Global Health Subcommittee Hearing
Washington, DC
February 6, 2008

INTRODUCTION

Good morning, Chairman Payne, Ranking Member Smith and Members of the Committee. While I am always pleased to come before you to discuss Africa, the events that have led to this hearing are sorrowful and will someday be written as one of the darkest chapters in Kenya’s history. To begin, I’d like to give you an overview of U.S. government interests in Kenya. I will then brief you on the background of the current situation in Kenya and on what our policy is in response to the crisis. Finally, I would like to share with you U.S. views on elements that we believe Kenya’s leaders should consider as they seek a resolution to this crisis.

U.S. GOVERNMENT INTERESTS IN KENYA

The United States has long had a close and productive relationship with Kenya, and we value this partnership highly. Our core interests in Kenya include promoting democracy, human rights, and good governance; supporting Kenya’s economic development; maintaining its role as a stable partner and contributor to peace and security; and expanding regional counterterrorism cooperation. Kenya functions as a regional platform for U.S. programs elsewhere in the region (for example, it hosts USAID’s regional program in East and Central Africa, which covers 16 countries). Food aid for seven other countries transits Kenya. It is also a regional center for trade, investment, and tourism.

BACKGROUND ON THE SITUATION IN KENYA

The roots of the current crisis are long and old. From Kenya’s 1963 independence from the United Kingdom, 29 years elapsed before Kenya’s first multiparty elections in 1992. Former President Daniel arap Moi served from 1978 to 2002. From 1992- 2002, he was able to hold power largely because the opposition was weak and divided. In both the 1992 and 1997 elections, ethnic violence flared in many areas of Kenya during the campaign and electoral process. It has also flared independently of the electoral cycle, particularly around questions of land ownership. In 2002, President Moi was constitutionally barred from running for reelection and President Mwai Kibaki was elected in what are largely regarded as Kenya’s first free and fair competitive multiparty elections. The 2002 elections were generally peaceful, although some isolated incidents of violence did occur. Since the advent of multiparty elections in 1992, Kenya had been on a trajectory towards increasingly credible and competitive elections. Between 2002 and 2007, Kenya experienced a significant increase in the growth of independent civil society and in freedom of the press.

Election planning and management in Kenya is the responsibility of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), which has 22 commissioners and a permanent professional staff. There was a pre-existing “gentlemen’s agreement” dating from the Moi era that the President would consult with Parliament on the appointment of commissioners, although Kenyan law does not require consultation with Parliament. However, in 2007, Kibaki broke with that tradition when he alone appointed new commissioners as the terms of the previous commissioners expired. The political opposition and donor partners, including the United States, raised concerns about this trend and its potential impact on the credibility of the election. In early December 2007, he reappointed ECK Chairman Samuel Kivuitu, who enjoyed broad respect at the time, for an additional term. Apart from Kivuitu, who was originally appointed to the ECK by Moi in 1992, all the commissioners were selected by Kibaki without consultation with Parliament. We would also note that in June 2007, the ECK rejected a U.S.-funded computerized results reporting system on the grounds that human staff were more reliable at reporting results than computers.

On December 27, 2007, Kenya held presidential, parliamentary, and local government elections. More than 2,500 candidates contested for 210 parliamentary seats. The parliamentary elections in most constituencies were judged to be credible by local and international observers. Similarly, few problems were reported with the local government elections, which received less scrutiny by observers. There were nine candidates for President, although only three (President Kibaki of the Party of National Unity (PNU), Raila Odinga of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), and Kalonzo Musyoka of the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K)) were considered serious contenders, and Musyoka trailed far behind the two leading candidates. The campaign season in Kenya is fairly short, with the most intense activity during the last three months before the election. Overall, the campaign period was peaceful and orderly. We monitored the press closely during the campaign, and noted an increase in hate speech disseminated primarily by text messages. There were some minor incidents of violence during the campaign with scuffles between supporters of different parties, although the campaign was generally peaceful. For example, both PNU and ODM held peaceful campaign rallies throughout the country, including rallies in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park with more than 200,000 people in attendance. One disturbing trend we noted was violence targeting women candidates. Several female candidates were attacked in incidents that appeared to be politically motivated and resulted in serious injuries. Ambassador Ranneberger spoke out strongly and immediately against these attacks, and visited one of the victims in the hospital.

In view of Kenya’s history of ethnic violence, during the campaign period, the United States engaged in advocacy efforts aimed at promoting credible, peaceful elections with competition based on issues, not ethnic affiliation. For several years before the elections, USAID programs provided capacity building and technical assistance to the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK), political parties, youth and women candidates, and civil society groups. The United States was the largest donor to the UN Development Program’s (UNDP) $11.3 million comprehensive election assistance program. Components of the program focused on combating election-related violence, which included working with the ECK’s district-level Peace Committees to get early warning of problems and to respond to incidents of violence. Other key elements of the UNDP program included civic education, media training and monitoring of media coverage, and enhancing the effectiveness of domestic observation efforts. We also engaged in public awareness and advocacy activities. For example, Ambassador Ranneberger gave a major speech at the University of Nairobi in May 2007 highlighting the need for peaceful participation in the democratic process. The Mission fielded observer teams for the party primaries in November (a first for international observation efforts in Kenya) and sent over 100 people into the field to observe the elections on December 27. U.S. observers were sent to every province in Kenya. Prior to Election Day, the Secretary of State made calls to the three main candidates to urge them to call on their supporters to participate peacefully and to honor the results as announced by the Electoral Commission of Kenya. Assistant Secretary Frazer and Ambassador Ranneberger were also in frequent contact with the leading presidential candidates.

International and domestic observers concur that the balloting and tallying processes at the level of the local polling stations appeared to meet international standards although there were constituencies in both ODM and PNU areas where rival parties were not able to observe due to intimidation and one case in Nyanza province where a PNU observer was killed. Kenyans turned out in large numbers to vote (turnout was over 70 percent nationwide), and the voting itself was generally peaceful. Once votes were counted at the polling station level, the ballots and results were sent to the constituency-level tallying center. The reporting officer for each constituency then tallied the results and transmitted them to the national tallying center in Nairobi. At the national center (located at the Kenya International Conference Center), ECK officials were to tally and announce publicly the constituency-level results. The consensus among observers is that serious irregularities likely occurred primarily at the national level. There were also concerns about tallying irregularities at the constituency level, and about long delays in transferring reporting documents to the national center. While some local-level ballot stuffing likely occurred (as evidenced by exceptionally high turnout rates in some areas), the serious flaws in the election took place at the national center as reporting results forms from the constituencies appear to have been altered, destroyed, or otherwise manipulated. A major pause in the counting on December 29, at a point where opposition candidate Raila Odinga was leading the vote tally at the ECK center, sparked widespread concerns among voters and neutral observers. As late-reporting constituency results were announced, ending the pause, Kibaki pulled ahead. Even if the pause was innocent, it provoked suspicions and decreased popular faith in the electoral process. Observers also noted discrepancies in some cases between the results as publicly announced at the constituency level and the results announced by the ECK from the national center for the same constituency. Observers also alleged the direct involvement of some ECK officials in election fraud at the national level.

Unfortunately, due to tampering with reporting documents and the destruction of most physical ballots before the official results were announced, it is impossible to determine who would have won the presidential election in the absence of the noted irregularities.

The ECK announced Kibaki as the winner of the presidential election around 6:00 p.m. local time on December 30. The Kenyan Constitution prescribes that a person elected as president in accord with the Constitution shall assume office as president as soon as he is declared the winner; therefore, Kibaki was sworn in as president a short time later. Almost immediately after the announcement, rioting intensified at the Coast, in Nairobi, Kisumu, and the Rift Valley and the government announced a ban on live media broadcasts and on public demonstrations. The ban on live media broadcasts was lifted on February 4. From December 30 on, Kenya has experienced violence throughout the country, although the most heavily affected areas are western Kenya (Nyanza and Western provinces), the central and southern parts of Rift Valley province, and the Nairobi area. There have been several types of violence. The first wave of violence was generated by disorganized and spontaneous protests before and in the immediate wake of the ECK announcement. These protests led to killings, looting, arson, rape by civilians, and killings of civilians by police. At this time, demonstrations have largely subsided, but can easily be reignited by events on the ground. For example, the January 29 murder of Nairobi-area member of Parliament Merlitus Were (ODM) touched off riots in his constituency. On January 31, member of Parliament David Too (ODM) was murdered near Kericho. Too represented a constituency in an area of Rift Valley province that has experienced serious inter-ethnic violence. The deaths of these two members of Parliament reduced the opposition’s slim majority in Parliament from a margin of five seats to three. Beginning on December 30, but continuing up to the present, there was also planned and organized activity aimed at driving out members of certain ethnic groups from their homes. This type of civilian violence was concentrated in the central part of Rift Valley province and was carried out by Kalenjins against Kikuyu residents and business owners. Another type of violence that continues to occur is the excessive use of force by police against civilians. This type of violence was particularly noted in Kisumu, in western Kenya, where police shot unarmed civilians. An additional type of violence, which began to flare up in earnest around January 25, is retributive, community-based violence sparked in part by the harrowing testimonies of internally displaced persons who were affected by the wave of violence in Rift Valley province and elsewhere. Precise statistics are unavailable, but we find estimates of more than 900 killed and 250,000 internally displaced to be credible. Throughout the crisis, the President, the Secretary of State, and others in the Administration condemned all forms of violence, calling on politicians to urge their supporters to remain calm, and urging the police to maintain public safety and refrain from the excessive use of force.

U.S. POLICY IN KENYA

Given the events I have outlined, it is apparent that Kenya is at an unprecedented critical juncture in its history. As a longtime friend and partner of Kenya, our top priority is to help bring an end to the terrible violence that I have described, so that a measure of peace and stability can return to Kenya and so that the economic activity that is the lifeblood not only of Kenya but of the entire region can resume. Kibaki, Odinga, and other political leaders all have a responsibility to stop the violence, and we expect them to live up to this responsibility. We are also encouraged by and support the role of civil society in peace building and interethnic reconciliation. Second, Kibaki and Odinga need to reach a political agreement that will allow the country to move forward and that will create a platform for addressing critical longer-term institutional reforms and interethnic reconciliation. Stability in Kenya requires immediate action from both Kibaki and Odinga: 1) that the President and his party offer tangible access to power and authority to the opposition, 2) that Raila Odinga and his party engage seriously with the government in an effort to find a compromise, and 3) that both make every effort to denounce and delegitimize the violence perpetrated in their names. The closeness of the election and its deep flaws make a winner-take-all solution to the government a non-starter. Power sharing is an essential element to a viable short-term solution for Kenya. Kenyans themselves should determine the precise nature and framework of the resulting political solution. Critical reforms for Kenya should include constitutional reform, land reform, and reforms of the electoral commission, police, and judiciary.

We view the ongoing negotiations mandated by former African Union Chairman John Kufuor and led by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan and the panel of eminent African experts (Benjamin Mkapa of Tanzania and Graca Machel of Mozambique) as the best avenue for bringing the parties together in dialogue. To that end, the Secretary has been in contact with Mr. Annan. From January 4-10, Assistant Secretary Frazer visited Kenya and conducted intensive meetings with the parties, where she reiterated the message that they must stop the violence and both come to the table with flexible and constructive positions to find a way forward for the benefit of the Kenyan people. She also met with civil society and business leaders and visited Eldoret and Kisumu to meet with church leaders and victims of the violence. In the immediate post-election period, Ambassador Ranneberger also engaged in intensive meetings and dialogue with the principals and their close advisors. He remains in constant contact with Kibaki, Odinga, and their inner circles, as well as with civil society, business leaders, religious leaders and other influential figures in Kenya.

THE WAY FORWARD

Some Kenyans and other advocates in civil society and elsewhere have called for a recount of the votes, as well as for new elections. For the reasons I discussed earlier, we believe that an accurate recount is impossible. However, an impartial investigation into the nature of electoral fraud perpetrated would help pinpoint necessary reforms and, if such reforms were enacted, might help to restore the faith of the Kenyan people in the democratic process. We believe the focus should remain on the Annan mediation effort that includes addressing the political crisis resulting from the elections. Given that the ECK now lacks credibility with the Kenyan people some sustained effort would be required to stage a new and credible election. We would caution against moving toward a poorly-prepared or administered election, though we see the decision on how to proceed in this area as fundamentally for Kenyans to decide.

As we observe the Annan negotiations unfold and remain optimistic that they will bear fruit, we are also looking at a range of options to pressure individuals, particularly those who incite or support violence, as well as those who might prove obstructive to the negotiations. The decision to act will depend on events on the ground and how certain key individuals contribute or fail to contribute to devising a political solution to the crisis. The negotiations remain an African-led effort, but with strong U.S. support and leadership in the international community. We continue to work closely with our partners in the international community, including the UK, EU, and individual EU member states, to support Annan’s efforts and to consult on the way forward. Our statement that there will be “no business as usual” with Kenya absent a resolution to the crisis has since been echoed by our international partners.

OUR MESSAGE

As a friend and partner of Kenya, we urge its leaders to put the common welfare of all its people and national interests first. As they seek to resolve this crisis, they must ensure first and foremost, an end to the deplorable violence and suffering of the Kenyan people. Second, there needs to be an equitable political solution to the crisis that reflects the fact that both sides have significant support among Kenyan voters. In the longer term, institutional reforms are needed so that critical Kenyan institutions like the judiciary and electoral commission can play the constructive roles they were designed to fill. Concerns of civil society and the business community must be heard and respected. Kenya needs meaningful constitutional reform that redresses the current imbalance of power among the three branches of government. The ECK will need to be completely overhauled to ensure that it is credible, transparent, and impartial.
The United States and Kenya have a long tradition of partnership. We want to continue our close ties to Kenya, but this requires that its leaders take the necessary steps to quell the violence and make political compromises. Past failure to address some of the issues outlined above (notably the balance of power in government) have contributed to the current crisis. We call on Kenya’s political leaders to honor their obligation to the Kenyan people and tackle these difficult but necessary reforms.

Released on February 6, 2008
http://appablog.wordpress.com/2008/02/07/kenya-usa-the-political-crisis-in-kenya-a-call-for-justice-and-peaceful-resolution/

(Washington, DC) – Africa Faith and Justice Network is both saddened and incensed by the news reports and stories coming out of Kenya. As an Africa advocacy organization, we feel it is important to address the issue and to engage in some serious analysis about the situation there and how it affects the democratic process in Africa. However, as our primary mission is to influence US policy toward Africa, we have struggled to determine a proper course of action. In many ways, we feel it is the Kenyan people and the Kenyan political parties who must procure peace for themselves. We also hope that the US heeds the warning from Kenya and commits to a more comprehensive development policy toward Africa in the long-run – one that de-emphasizes defense and boosts diplomacy and civilian engagement.

As such, we call on
–The people of Kenya to halt all violent acts in order to allow incumbent Mwai Kibaki and opposition leader Raila Odinga to come to an agreement. The violence that has pervaded the post-election process is only further ethnicizing the political process in Kenya.

–President Kibaki to include Luo people in his government. The Kenyan people must accept Kibaki as the President but it is in Kenya’s best interest that Kibaki bring all parties into the government.

–The United States to recognize that peace is the end goal and to encourage it among Kenya’s political parties.

http://www.afjn.org/

more stories like thisAssistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer said Washington was examining how to treat those who had incited the ethnic violence that has convulsed Kenya since President Mwai Kibaki’s disputed re-election in December.

“Those options should include an impartial and independent investigation to ascertain individual responsibility, and future accountability to ensure impunity does not prevail,” she said in testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations African Affairs Subcommittee.

Frazer did not suggest in her prepared remarks who might conduct such a probe, but added: “A strong message of accountability, delivered now, will help to deter additional violence.”

Earlier in Nairobi, officials said the United States has barred 10 Kenyans suspected of being behind the violence — which has killed more than 1,000 people and uprooted some 300,000 others — from visiting the United States.

U.S. Embassy officials in Nairobi said five of those banned were politicians and the rest prominent businesspeople.

The violence started after a dispute over the December 27 re-election of Kibaki; opposition leader Raila Odinga says the election was stolen. But the violence has laid bare divisions over land, wealth and power dating from colonial rule.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan is leading international mediation efforts at a hotel in Nairobi where officials from both parties met on Thursday for more talks.

Frazer, who just returned from Africa, said the United States would stay engaged at the highest levels to support resolution of the crisis.

She warned: “On our part, we have made it clear that there will be ‘no business as usual’ with Kenya until there is a real concerted effort by both the Kenyan government and its opposition to resolve the issues that generated this tragedy.”

She did not elaborate. U.S. officials have said that while they are reviewing U.S. aid to Kenya, there is relatively little that could be cut because most of it is humanitarian.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday voted 405-1 to urge President George W. Bush to restrict all non-humanitarian aid to Kenya unless the parties are able to solve the crisis peacefully.

Frazer also suggested there be a probe into electoral irregularities that preceded the violence. She said the United States did not believe an accurate recount was possible, because election documents had been lost or destroyed.

“However, an impartial investigation into the nature of electoral irregularities might help to restore the faith of the Kenyan people in the democratic process,” she said. “New elections should not be considered before the ECK (the Electoral Commission of Kenya) is reformed and enjoys broad credibility.”

Frazer said the United States expected Kibaki, Odinga and other political leaders to stop the violence and reach a political agreement that allows the country to move forward.

“The president and his party must offer real acc
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/02/07/us_suggests_independent_probe_into_kenya_violence/

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/washington/articles/2008/02/07/us_suggests_independent_probe_into_kenya_violence?p1=email_to_a_friend

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I am making a suggestion that Kenyans contact the offices of Senator Russ Feingold, Chairperson on Sub-Committe for Africa and Congressman Payne, with their concerns about the situation in Kenya. Their websites are easily available on the web and this is an opportunity to have our voices heard. I don’t know about you but I have deep concerns that long-standing issues that we have lived with in Kenya for years are not being put on the table. I feel that this is a prime opportunity for all these issues to be brought into the light of day. The world needs to be clear that most Kenyans are the most peace-loving people tin the world, and that these recently reported grievances have been simmering under the surface for decades. For example RV is the bread basket of kenya, but generally the indigenous ethnic groups do not appear to have been benefitting from the resources. Additionally, the coast province enjoys a lot of tourism, but again, generally speaking, the locals don’t appear to benefit. Look at Nyanza, the gateway into central Africa and the transportation , roads and the general infrastructure are a nightmare because this region is not a priority for Nairobi. A blind man could have seen the simmering tensions underlying the veneer of peace and prosperity in Kenya. Kenyans have long endured ethnic and national origin discrimination from one group in Kenya ever since independence. Majority of Kenyans have never enjoyed equal opportunities in their own land. There has always been discrimination based on national origin, in education, the job market, housing, bank loans, land allocations, health care,etc , yet they have always dutifully pay their taxes. What we have had is taxation without representation. There should be laws enacted against discrimination based on national origin, birthplace, ancestry, culture, language and gender otherwise Kenyans will be forced to live under an “apartheid”-like government. I noticed asome Kenyan blogs quoting MLK Jr. Let everyone be reminded that MLK fought against discrimination in all its forms.

Achieng W.
USA
Via Email

Those of you who want to contact Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin you can do so on his website: http://feingold.senate.gov

The website for Congressman Donald M. Payne is: http://www.house.gov/payne