DIPLOMAT East Africa - Volume 17

>> Obasanjo's take on Africa's retired Presidents PG. 50

July 2011

Door to Region, Window on World

RI EM nK rt o po Re ial ec Sp

September 2011 Volume 017

Door to Region, Window on World

Unusual Suspect Amos Wako's 20-year tenure finally ends

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•DIPLOMATIC LICENCE

Libya Must Not Go the Iraq Way

T

he Arab Spring of Discontent in North Africa is pretty much over with the fall of Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. While the African Union watches in dismay as its main benefactor scurries for safety, US President Barack Obama must be beaming with satisfaction.

But is this a foreign policy triumph for Washington? We think not. The Obama administration is still struggling to extricate itself from the debacle in Iraq, which his predecessor GeorgeW Bush, had celebrated as a victory for democracy. Unless Bush was a pyro-maniac who enjoyed watching fires burn out of control, Iraq and indeed, even Afghanistan were not, and most probably, will never be a success for US foreign policy.

What the US has succeeded in doing, perhaps as a misguided strategy, is to violently pursue a regime change and then let others carry the burden of cleaning up.

Mercifully, this strategy has so far been confined to oil producing Muslim countries under the guise of fighting Al Qaeda and global terror. In the short term, the US may have achieved its objective of knocking out the Gaddafi regime with no casualties to itself and the costs shared with its NATO allies.

But that is the easy part.

We at Diplomat East Africa hold no brief for Gaddafi; he was a dictator of the first order who probably deserved what he got; our concern is the atrocities being committed by the triumphant rebels and slow pace of humanitarian intervention.

Obviously, humanitarian assistance needs a safe and secure environment within which to operate and that must be provided by those who encouraged and backed the violence in the first place.

Unless that protection is provided and soon, Libya will be another pyrrhic victory for the UN, NATO and the Obama administration, and the last thing that Africa and the greater Middle East region needs now is another failed state; not with the crisis in Somalia still unfolding. So we ask that the UN, Washington and its NATO allies step up to their international obligation under the military enforcement of the Responsibility to Protect norm. The Libyan experience was unique and should have been treated as such. First, circumstances and timing conspired to hand over all the trump cards to Washington. As the UN, NATO, and the Obama administration debated intervention, the Middle East was still reeling from the Arab Spring and many Arab leaders, who ordinarily

would have closed ranks around one of their own, found they were suddenly vulnerable.

Gaddafi, belligerent and unpredictable at the best of times, was his own worst enemy, so when it came to the crunch, the Arab League, the Organisation of the Islamic Conference, and Gulf Cooperation Council all endorsed the UN's no-fly zone over Libya, and the use of "all necessary means" to prevent mass atrocities.

Even China and Russia, the two permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC), who traditionally would have been averse to allowing military intervention under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, had no interests or relationship with Gaddafi to want to save him, and so withheld their veto. So Gaddafi is out, but there is no guarantee that those replacing him have a better agenda, other than lining their pockets and settling scores with those perceived to have been Gaddafi loyalists. It has happened elsewhere, in Iraq, for example, and there is no doubt it will happen again.

And examples of such atrocities abound. Admittedly, Gaddafi did issue threats against those opposed to his regime. Indeed, he did launch a vicious and callous counter attack on Benghazi fueling fears that if unchecked, Libya risked going the way of Sri Lanka or even of the Democratic Republic of Congo where so-called unspeakable atrocities were committed. The US and NATO policy of regime change might have stretched the UN resolution a bit too far, but the real threat to the Libyan people and region lies in what happens next. The application of UN-sanctioned protection of civilians in conflict situations has become highly selective and highly contingent on political considerations.

Admittedly, the humanitarian imperative to stop a catastrophe is a growing global impulse but the obligations that go with that responsibility must be respected. The UN, NATO and the Obama administration, therefore, have a Duty of Care to guarantee the safety of Libyans under the rebels, just as they undertook to protect them from Gaddafi. Unless that is done, Libya risks being the new haven for anti-Western terror groups and, given the country’s position on the doorsteps of Europe, the consequences are unthinkable.

A safe and secure Libya is, therefore, not a subject of debate. Those who gave support to the rebels and superintended over the ouster of Gaddafi owe us that much. Libya must not go the Iraq way

September 2011

11

•IMMUNITIES & IMPUNITIES

Heard and Quoted “There is no online and offline organising. There is organizing”, - Jeremy Bird, US President Barack Obama’s National Field Director, over reports the President’s campaign is targeting Facebook, with some 500 users worldwide to woo voters.

When I shave my hair this way, then it means there is fire ahead. I warned my opponents that there was fire ahead and you can see what happened- 29-year Hezekiel Kemboi (of

his mohawk hairstyle) on winning the men's 3,000 steeplechase championships in South Korea.

“We could get the guns and we know how to use them but if we do that, then we will need to use the guns to keep ourselves in power” – Kizza Besiggye, President,

Opposition Forum for Democratic Change responding to pleas to overthrow Uganda President Yoweri Museveni by force.

“I see Barack (Obama) make choices he knows will affect every American family. That’s no small task for anyone – and that’s more proof that he’s earning every last one of those grey hairs – Michelle

Obama on her husband’s 50th birthday, August 4th.

2

September 2011

Volume 2 Its Right,

Bright and Brilliant

Best of Kenya Volume 2 e-book at Read

www.gvpediablog.com and www.gvpedia.com

Coming Shortly, the print version

•DIPLOSPEAK Have Your Say

Why the Secrecy...

I have always been interested in any and everything surrounding the field of diplomacy, partly because I always desired to become one myself if only all factors had remained constant and worked in my favour. But that is not the reason I am writing to you. I am writing to give my two cents on the just concluded Biennial Ambassadors/High Commissioners Conference by Kenya’s top diplomats.

Let me begin with my displeasure about the venue: Leisure Lodge all the way in Ukunda? I am yet to understand why our leaders prefer to retreat into seclusion every time they hold meetings of national interest.

I am sure many other Kenyans, would have loved to interact with our diplomats and exchange ideas especially regarding commercial endeavours. After all, aren’t ambassadors meant to support efforts of other groups to contribute to the economic vitality of the state?

I respect the fact that it was a closed door meeting that notwithstanding there should have been some kind of flexibility for us to better understand our country’s representatives to the world community.

The use of ambassadors today is widespread. They are our diplomatic representatives, who deal with matters within our international system. They are politically effective and trusted, enabling them to accomplish goals of their host country. Moreover, ambassadors are ministers of the highest rank, with plenipotentiary authority to represent their head of state. With this, we are witnessing a change in the role of diplomacy mostly because a vortex of issues has arisen, involving the environment, economic and social development, science and technology, nuclear

4

MUST SOMALIA CONTINUE THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL?

RANT/RAVE >> Uchumi's Rise from the Ashes PG 35 August 2011

Volume 016

The use of ambassadors today is widespread. They are our diplomatic representatives,

who deal with matters within our international system

Door to Region, Window on World

Sheikh Sharif's Unfinished Business

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energy among others. No doubt issues of great importance with which a diplomat today must be conversant. Ambassadors no longer engage in state-to-state relations but deal with matters of international trade, culture, etc, which I hope our ambassadors are conversant with.

Another feature of modern diplomacy is the structure that now comprises political, military, economic, cultural and a host of other departments. This goes to show that an ambassador’s role is multi-faceted. Like I mentioned before, I would have loved to meet with our Kenyan diplomats but unfortunately this opportunity was not forthcoming. I guess I will have to wait until 2013. But my appeal to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to adjust their programme and include a ‘meet and greet’ session with the wananchi. That is not asking too much or is it?

Ririma Argwings KENYA

September 2011

IGAD'S Worst Nightmare

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WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU: Send your letters to, letters@ diplomateastafrica.com.

Submission of a letter constitutes permission to publish it in any form or medium. Letters may be edited for reasons of space and clarity.

DISCLAIMER: All letters submitted to Diplomat East Africa are presumed to be intended for publication. The editor reserves the right to edit all letters. Readers are advised to keep their letters short and to submit their names and addresses even when these are not to be published.

I read with great concern the story on ‘Somalia’s curse of a failed leadership’ in the August issue of Diplomat East Africa. Any discerning reader has cause for alarm and anxiety. Rightfully so.

Somalia’s long drawn state of lawlessness and anarchy, which started soon after rebels toppled strongman Mohamed Siad Bare in 1990 continues on a downward spiral. The piracy menace and the proliferation of small arms is more prevalent than in any other country in the world: it is safe to say the anarchy in Somalia poses the biggest threat to security in the region.

I am a strong believer that in order to find a permanent and lasting solution, one needs to address the genesis of the problem. Going back, the ouster of Siad Bare’s government by rebel groups culminated in disorder, characterised by killings, rape and warlordship that caused sharp reactions from the world community, leading to an international intervention in 1992 led by the US government.

However, the intervention was short-lived. Supremely, the number one problem that continues to haunt and plunge the nation further into anarchy is “clan primacy”. This continues to make Somalia what it is today - a failed state. It is high time the international community started to rethink its strategy on Somalia.

The United Nations peace-building mission in Somalia, AU, IGAD among others, I have lost count: all these have failed in their attempts at peace keeping and they need to tell us why.

Abdi Sharif KENYA

>> Obasanjo's take on Africa's retired Presidents PG. 50

Volume No 017 • September 2011

Door to Region, Window on World

Unusual Suspect Amos Wako's 20-year tenure finally ends

Free Supplement (KEMRI Special Report)

How Kenya's film industry is poised for take-off ...Pg. 30 The true cost of America's wars ...Pg. 54

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DIPLOMATIC LICENCE Libya Must Not Go the Iraq Way........….........................1

IMMUNITIES AND IMPUNITIES...................2

Yahya Mohamed

THE REGION

CONTRIBUTORS

Amos Wako Bows Out...............................................6-10 Muigai’s Turn to Tackle Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing............... ............................................... 11 EAC’s Poorly Rankings on Ease of Doing Business....................................................12-13 Poor planning, graft to blame for famine.....................................................14-15 There is More to The Hague than Just ICC............................................................16-17 Few Cheers as Moses Wetang’ula Returns to Foreign Ministry..................................................18-19

Biko Jackson, Nairobi Godwin Muhwezi, Arusha Edward Githae, Kigali Silvia Rugina, Kigali Godfrey Musila, Johannesburg John Gachie, Juba John Mulaa, Washington DC Julius Mbaluto, London Manoah Esipisu, London Kennedy Abwao, Addis Ababa Mishaeli Ondieki, Los Angeles Rodney Muhumuza, Kampala Peter Mwaura, Nairobi Robert Mugo, Alberta, Canada Wangari Maathai, Nairobi

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Stephen Otieno

ADMINISTRATION Josephine Wambui, Charles Kimakwa

PRINTER Ramco Printing

DNA 'We are Happy to Support South Sudan'................22-23 Somalia’s New Roadmap to EndTransition and Restore Stability................................................ 24-25 Rebels Seeks UN Support in Rebuilding Libya.......................................................26

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The Seychelles: A Truly Magical Paradise..............28-29

Economy

New Plan to Save Rare Sea Turtles .............................36 CITES Explores Strategies to Tackle Decline in Wildlife........................................................37

DEA HOTELS Pearl at the Kenyan Coast.......................................38-39

CONFERENCING Huge Potential for East Africa’s Regional Conference Tourism................................40-41 We can do it! ............................................................42-43 Bright Future for Unique Sector...................................44 Meetings Galore...

Its Time for Africa!...................................................46-47 Sarova Hotels ‘Motivator’ Conferencing Solution............................................48-49

GLOBAL STAGE Ex-Presidents Owe Africa, says Obasanjo..........................................................50-51 When Not to Shoot the Messenger................................................................52-53 The True Cost of America’s Wars............................54-55

HEALTH Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Ranked World’s Biggest Killers...............................56-57

ENVOYS OF SPORT

Movie-Making in Kenya Poised for Take-Off.........30-31

2011 Rugby World Cup is here!...................................................58-59

Green Agenda

DIRECTORIES......................................60-66

Global Investments in Green Energy hits $211 billion Mark ............................. ..............32-33

DIARY..........................................................67

September 2011

55

•THE REGION

PHOTO BY: YAHYA MOHAMED

Eastern Africa Beat

Amos Wako: Former Attorney General

6

September 2011

September 2011

Amos Wako Bows Out CASE RESTS

The former AG was either a consummate reader of the political signs or a sworn companion of the prevailing winds of convenience; whatever the case, he was the ultimate survivor

BY MOHAMMED WARSAMA

F

or a man who came into the State Law Office with so much promise when he was appointed Attorney General on May 13, 1991, Amos Shitswila Wako, who quit at the end of last month, did not live up to that billing.

Indeed, for a lawyer with such a formidable academic and professional pedigree, Wako was expected to stand above and apart from the motley crowd of Kanu men and political careerists surrounding the then President Daniel arap Moi. He did not and for that he earns himself the dubious distinction of being the Unusual Suspect among the usual suspects - politicians and wheeler dealers - who for many years had formed the infrastructure of the Moi administration. But the fact that he presided over the State Law Office for the last two decades, must imply that he did a few things right, contrary to the opinion of many lawyers who felt that he personified cynical disregard for the law and good order. He did manage to distance himself from the then ruling Kanu party but was not a

friend of the opposition parties either, though at a personal level he did get along well with many of the opposition leaders, including Mwai Kibaki, who became Kenya’s third president.

CREDIT AND IRONIES To his credit, Wako is the longest serving AG in the history of Kenya and the Commonwealth, and was untouched by the corruption scandals that tainted so many of his Cabinet colleagues, nor did he abuse his office in the manner that was so reminiscent of major players of the Moi regime.

He was born in 1946 and was educated at the prestigious Alliance High School. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Economics from the University of London and a Bachelor of Law degree from the University of Dar es Salaam before returning to the University of London for a Masters of Law degree.

He was made a partner at the high street law firm, Kaplan & Stratton, at a young age and has served in several professional organisations, such as the African Bar Association, where he

September 2011

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•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

was secretary general from 1978 to 1980, and the Inter-African Union of Lawyers. He has been a member of the Faculty Board of Law at the University of Nairobi.

It is his tenure at the State Law Office that is so riddled with irony; despite doing nothing about the corruption cases swilling around him, top of which was the Goldenberg Scandal, he led the Kenyan delegation to the International Conferences Against Corruption in Durban, South Africa, and Prague in 1999 and 2001 respectively, and to the Global Forum in Fighting Corruption and Safeguarding Integrity held at The Hague, Netherlands, in May 2002.

Wako has suffered the indignity of being the first AG in the Commonwealth to be banned from entering the USA after he was slapped with a visa ban in October 2009 for being “the biggest obstacle to the fight against corruption and impunity”.

For a lawyer who was neither accused of working for drug dealers nor organised crime, the ban was the height of indignity. But he dismissed it and charged that the then US ambassador to Kenya, Mr Michael Rannerberger, was driven by mischief.

He also had to fight similar charges by the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, Prof Philip Alston. Wako again defended his record, saying that in most jurisdictions, criminal investigations fall under the AG’s office, but not in Kenya, where it falls under the minister for Internal Security and that Alston had failed to make this distinction.

Wako portrays himself as a reformer, but the evidence on the ground points in the opposite direction.

ORIGIN OF PROBLEM So where did he go so wrong? Indeed, questions have been raised on whether he actually understood what was expected of him as Kenya’s fifth AG, or whether the environment under which he worked made it difficult for him to maintain fidelity to the rule of law and his oath of office.

8

A former cabinet minister, now deceased, once gave an anecdote of an incident involving Moi and Wako at State House Nairobi in the mid 1990s.

Apparently, Wako seemed reluctant to implement an instruction from Moi. The then President turned to the AG and asked a pointed question: “Whose AG are you? To whom do you answer?” Wako looked up, blinked and answered: “To you, sir.”

Perhaps he should have added: “I will do all the things a regime of this nature will require of me” because, according to the legal fraternity, that is exactly what he did throughout his tenure.

The anecdote became relevant when lawyers started questioning his integrity, his fidelity to the Constitution and his grasp of his terms of reference in the heated debates prior to his departure from office. In fact, questions were asked as to whether he should have served under Moi in the first place given his high profile and good standing in private practice, with lawyers saying that even if the retired president had had a saint for an AG, the results would have been the same.

September 2011

Moi was always going to find a lawyer to serve him as AG, says Mwangi. The

question is whether he would have found one with more disregard for the rule of law and good order

But according to Mr Paul Mwangi, a Nairobi lawyer and author of the book The Black Bar, even Adolf Hitler had lawyers working for him and that did not insulate them from observing the rule of law and being faithful to their professional calling.

“The only good thing you can say about Wako is that he survived for too long,” says Mwangi.

Moi was always going to find a lawyer to serve him as AG, says Mwangi.

The question is whether he would have found one with more disregard for the rule of law and good order.

Indeed, says Mwangi, this question must be asked: Was Wako a bad AG because he worked for Moi or did he use the excuse of working for the retired president as a cover for his mischief?

Wako, it would seem, either by design or default, had trouble making a distinction between his client and the true beneficiaries of his presence in government. The government, as his employer, was his instructing and paying client, but the beneficiary of his services was the public on whose behalf the government had retained

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

him in the first place.

In effect, he was not on the government side but on the side of justice; he was paid to defend the government not protect it when it committed an injustice against the people.

INJUSTICE According to lawyers who spoke to Diplomat East Africa, an AG, for example, cannot in good conscience, stand in the way of a settlement once it was awarded by the courts just because he is the representative of the government. Yet Wako has challenged most awards made against the governments, including those made to the victims of the infamous Nyayo House torture chambers by police, in 2010. This caused an irate Prime Minister Raila Odinga to declare that Wako’s actions were not sanctioned by the Cabinet.

Indeed, unlike all his four predecessors - Mr Charles Njonjo, Mr James Karugu, Mr Joseph Kamere and Justice Guy Muli - Wako has come under the harshest criticism, partly because he came into office in 1991 with so much promise. A wind of change was sweeping through the world in 1989 and 1990 pushing back dictatorships and, secondly, the country was headed for multiparty politics and the agitation was intense.

Whatever the case, Wako was either a consummate reader of the political signs or a sworn companion of the prevailing winds of convenience; in a word, the ultimate survivor.

But according to the Executive Director of the International Commission of Jurists and a former secretary general of the Law Society of Kenya, Mr George Kegoro, Wako had his good side too.

“He has been accessible, a fact that made him the linkman between the public and the less accessible part of the government, for example, the Ministry of Internal Security. “Wako had the courage to publicly take positions on behalf of the government including on controversial issues.

This is because he did not mind being blamed. The government will miss this aspect of him.”

In some ways, too, Wako was the voice of reason in the Moi regime.

“During the Moi years, which were extremely difficult, Wako played the role of moderating the hardliners and softening their blows, though he was not always successful. Besides, his international standing has remained relatively intact.

“For example, the African Group, which is an informal grouping of the 31 African member states of the Rome Statute views Wako as their leader, a position from which he exerts huge amounts of influence over the group,” said Kegoro.

To his credit, Wako is said not to have undertaken any malicious prosecutions based on political affiliations and that he allowed his staff to go about their work without undue interference.

But not many people share such charitable views. Early into his tenure, Wako is said to have shown his more insidious side in 1992, when he used a formal procedure to amend the National Assembly and Presidential Elections Act to shorten the time of nomination of candidates knowing that only the opposition parties would be disadvantaged.

Justice Tom Mbaluto disallowed the amendment and, more ominously, ruled that the changes by the Attorney General could “only be construed to have been a misuse of if not abuse of the powers conferred on his office and is illegal.”

Wako disagreed with the ruling, stating that it was made ex parte, since he was not given a chance to explain his action. He did not appeal though and let matters rest.

Even more interesting, is the fact that he walked right into the tribal clashes of 1992 which broke out just before and after the multiparty elections of the same year, and saw no evil, heard no evil, and spoke no evil.

Indeed, it raised serious doubts as to

whether Wako, for all his brilliance (he is, according to his contemporaries an outstanding lawyer with an enviable human rights record) was more interested in feathering his own nest at the expense of his bigger calling.

His position on many local issues contradicted sharply with his international reputation as a human rights defender of the first order. Was it because it was safer for him to take a position on matters away from Kenya, where his safety was guaranteed?

To his credit, Wako is said not to have undertaken any malicious prosecutions based on political affiliations and that he

allowed his staff to go about their work without undue interference

GOLDENBERG SCANDAL Already on the slippery path to infamy, the corruption case known popularly as the Goldenberg Scandal was hatched and nurtured on his watch. Indeed, it is on record that he did pen a legal opinion giving the deal a clean bill of health.

The scandal, the longest running case of massive high level corruption in Kenyan history, was exposed in 1993 and involved a fraudulent scheme in which the government was defrauded of hundreds of millions of dollars in public funds under a fictitious gold export compensation scheme. Almost two decades later, none of those culpable has been punished.

The execution of the scandal was simply stunning. Mr Kamleshi Pattni, described by some as a businessman, devised a scheme in which his company, Goldenberg International Ltd., purported to have exported gold and diamonds worth hundreds of millions of dollars. He then presented fictitious, fabricated export compensation claims for payment by the Central Bank of Kenya as required by law, which had been amended to accommodate such schemes.

Soon the whole country was feeling the pain of the mega theft when the International Monetary Fund (IMF), which was angered by the level of official graft, suspended funding to Kenya in 1997.

Wako’s use of the power of Nolle prosequi to stop prosecutions in the

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•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

Goldenberg matter looked more like a protection racket for high-ranking officials. Clearly, the power to discontinue a prosecution should not be used to conceal or prevent the punishment of a crime by a public official or to thwart the rule of law, but Wako appeared to have invoked this power when he discontinued two suits on the Goldenberg matter for precisely these reasons.

SUITS

In the first case, Mr Raila Odinga, then an opposition politician, had filed a suit against the then Vice President George Saitoti and six other senior officials for conspiracy to defraud the government in the scandal.

In the other, Wako stopped an effort by the Law Society of Kenya to privately prosecute senior government officials implicated in the scandal. It was only after a parliamentary committee investigation and the insistence of foreign donors that he initiated a half-hearted prosecution, apparently to blunt domestic and international pressures. Wako used his office to shackle the judiciary portending a bleak future for the state and the country.

A repeat of the politically-instigated violence erupted in 1997 and again Wako saw no evil. He, therefore, prosecuted no one and despite the clamour for justice, he went about his business with his trademark smile on his face.

History favoured him a second time and in January 2003, he oversaw the transition from one government to another through a free and fair election in which the ruling Kanu party was defeated by the opposition National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) in December 2002.

Surprisingly,Wako kept his position as AG through the transition from Moi to Kibaki. But his tenure was never going to be an easy one, especially after another gigantic scandal committed during the Moi era followed him into the Kibaki government; the so-called

10

Anglo Leasing Scandal, named after the shadowy UK firm that was paid millions of dollars for contracts and goods that were never delivered.

The first of the shady 18 security contracts was signed in 1997 and the last one just before Moi left office in 2002. These were eagerly adopted and nurtured by the Kibaki administration when it assumed power in January 2003. Wako was still in office and, as it turned out, was of great help to the new Lords of Impunity.

But it was in the country’s search for a new Constitution that Wako had mixed results. He drafted the law limiting presidential term to two-five year terms, but squandered the goodwill by opining that Moi begins his first term after the 1992 multiparty elections.

He also published the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill on March 3, 1992 that led to the overhaul of the old Constitution, but squandered the opportunity to redeem himself when he appeared to side with the new powerbrokers in town.

These were the so-called Mt Kenya Mafia – politicians from President Kibaki’s native Mt Kenya region who had comfortably filled the vacuum left by the departing Kalenjin elite that was part of the Moi regime’s inner circle. But he faced enough scares of his own too. Apart from the occasional fight with the director of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission Justice Aaron Ringera, who was appointed in 2004, over prosecution powers; the High Court of Kenya in July 2005 asked President Kibaki to appoint a judicial tribunal to suspend Wako over alleged misconduct after the LSK filed a private case against him over allegations of abuse of office and failure to prosecute corruption cases.

Wako used his powers to terminate the case, but the legality of this move – when he himself was the subject of the indictment – has never been settled and might never be settled.

But one thing is settled; he will not be missed

September 2011

WAKO’S UNFINISHED BUSINESS Amos Wako wants to be remembered as a reformist. He was not. At best he will be remembered as the voice of reason in President Daniel arap Moi’s often vicious political machine. But he will also be remembered for the unfinished business he has left behind.

Both the Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing Scandals in which millions of dollars of public funds were stolen took place under his watch. He left both cases stuck in court with no prospect of satisfactory conclusion as he headed home.

But that is not the only business he left unfinished. The Triton Oil scandal involved the unauthorised releasing of oil by the Kenya Pipeline Company without informing financiers. The scandal became public in January, 2009, but the oil was released in 2008 when Triton Oil Company was allowed

by KPC to withdraw oil worth Ksh 7.6 billion.

The company collapsed shortly after withdrawing the oil and selling it to the market.

Triton Oil was owned by Yagnesh Devani and is being held in London after the Kenya government Kenya has issued a warrant for his arrest.

And then there is the ongoing maize scandal that has refused to go away. In late 2008, the government lifted a ban on importation of maize to allow businesses to supplement the local produce that was short of the minimum require to satisfy the local market. In a typical Kenyan fashion, briefcase millers, most existing only on paper, were awarded large quantities of maize by the Strategic Grain Reserve.

The matter came into public in January 2009 and investigations were commenced, but the trail seems to have gone cold. Also gone cold is the trail of the Libyan acquisition of the Grand Regency Hotel under controversial circumstances that claimed the scalp of the then Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, who was forced to step aside by parliament.

But even before the Libyan African Investment Company (LAICO) came in to the picture and acquired the hotel, it was the subject of a protracted battle between shaddy businessman Kamlesh Pattni and the Central Bank of Kenya

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

MR Githu Muigai:

The new Attorney General

NEW BROOM

Muigai’s Turn to Tackle Goldenberg, Anglo Leasing

BY MOHAMMED WARSAMA

I

t was second time lucky for Nairobi lawyer, Mr Githu Muigai after he was nominated afresh to the post of Attorney General to replace Mr Amos Wako who vacated office at the end of last month in line with the new Constitution.

He comes into a diminished office without the security of tenure enjoyed by his predecessor and minus the formidable prosecutorial powers, which were transferred to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. The directorate was then hived off and made independent of the State Law Office. The prosecutorial function made the

State Law Office one of the most powerful departments in government. Muigai’s earlier nomination in January this year collapsed after Prime Minister Raila Odinga protested that it had been made in the absence of consultation between him and President Mwai Kibaki as stipulated in the National Accord that formed the coalition government.

Apart from Muigai, a respected lawyer and law scholar, other nominations aborted by the same controversy were those of Alnasir Vishram as Chief Justice and Nairobi lawyer Kioko Kilukumi as Director of Public Prosecutions. Mui-

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitartors (UK) and is a member of the

American Association of Trial Lawyers

gai holds a Bachelor of Law Degree from the University of Nairobi and was called to the Bar in 1985. He holds a Masters Degree in International Law from Columbia University’s School of Law in New York and a PhD in Constitutional Law from the University of Nairobi, where he has taught law for the last 20 years. He is an Associate Professor of Public Law, Human Rights and trans-national legal practice.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitartors (UK) and is a member of the American Association of Trial Lawyers. He was elected the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and intolerance.

He comes to the high office with impressive credentials, but whether he lives up to its expectations remains to be seen.

He has publicly pledged to revive the civil litigation side of the Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing cases, which means that his predecessor, Wako, will still have to face the demons of the two scandals that haunted his two-decade tenure at the State Law Office (see cover story)

September 2011

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TALKING SHOP

EAC’s Poorly Rankings on Ease of Doing Business “If the East African countries were to adopt best practice in each of the Doing Business indicators, the region’s average ranking on trade would be 18 rather than 117, comparable to Japan,” - SABINE HERTVELDT, World Bank’s Senior Private Sector Development specialist

By CAROL KIIRU

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES:

An artist's impression of a housing project in Nairobi

K

enya has dropped three places in the World Bank ranking for ease of doing business, handing other East African countries an upper hand in the battle for attracting foreign direct investments.

Rwanda, however, retained its position as the easiest place to do business in East Africa for the second year in a row, according to the World Bank.

Slow licensing processes, complex taxation procedures and high cost of registering property have been cited as Kenya’s reason for dropping to number 98, down from position 95 last year out of 183 economies surveyed globally. Rwanda improved its position to 58 from last year’s 67.

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September 2011

“If each East African country was to adopt the region’s best practice for each business indicator, East Africa would rank 18, bringing the community closer to the global top performers,” said Sabine Hertveldt, the World Bank’s senior Private Sector Development specialist and co-author of the report.

The survey was launched in Arusha by the World Bank’s Private sector lending wing, the International Finance Corporation. The report shows companies that have invested in Kenya fault a heavy regulatory burden that includes lengthier documentation for exports. It takes an average of 33 days to finalise the 11 procedures for licensing a business in Kenya. It takes three days in Rwanda.

Investors have also cited Kenya as the most expensive destination in the region for those aspiring to own property. Investors’ part with 4.2 per cent of property value to cover cost of registration compared to Uganda’s 3.2 per cent and Rwanda’s 0.4 per cent. Kenya though, has some of the most business-friendly regulations for dealing with construction permits, and Rwanda is among the fastest places to start a business, said the report.

Which then begs the question: Should the costs of owning and doing business be downgraded (at least in Kenya) or is there relevance to the prices quoted for the same? These costs have raised the average cost of starting a business in Kenya to 38.3 per cent of the per capita income, compared to Tanzania’s 30.9 per cent and Rwanda’s 8.8 per cent.

REGULATIONS “Although the common market has opened several opportunities for businesses in the region, it still requires an investment climate that is properly suited to catalysing additional trade and investment,” said Ms Agatha Nderitu, Executive Director, East African Business Council.

Rwanda, with 58 points, emerged first among the East African Commu-

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nity (EAC) states in the 10 indicators used to rank 183 countries globally.

It has also featured globally among the 10 economies that had most improved the ease of trading, moving up from 70th position in 2010 to 58th this year.

The study took a closer look at business regulations and environment such as the ease of setting up a new business, securing credit and permits, paying taxes and the enforcement of contracts. It, however, adds that critical obstacles to entrepreneurship in the bloc still remain and that reforming business regulations would accelerate their growth.

Kenya, East Africa’s strongest economy, is second in the Doing Business in East African Community 2011 report while Tanzania is placed fourth after Uganda, putting Dar es Salaam on the spotlight in view of the oftenquoted pitch that the country was a favoured destination for investors and a reliable partner in global trade.

Even though the East African Community (EAC) continues to deepen and widen its co-operation among its five member states Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, a notable drop has been seen in the region in global ranking as an environment fit for business.

“Despite the progress made in East Africa, the region has not kept pace with improvements in business regulation globally. The average ranking on the ease of doing business in East Africa, at 117, is not much higher than the average for sub-Saharan African overall at 137,” the report states.

World Bank Investment Climate Advisory Service operations manager, Maria Miller, said East Africa could benefit from sharing good practices.

In the past five years, all East African Community economies made it easier to do business.

Spurred by the need to expand markets, boost competitiveness and attract investment, East African economies have continued to take steps to make it easier for local firms

to start up and operate. Continuous improvement of the business environment is important for countries seeking to benefit from increased trade and investment through regional integration. How easy or difficult it is to start and run a business, and how efficient courts and insolvency proceedings are, can influence how quickly firms are able to seize new opportunities.

The report breaks down the reforms undertaken by countries in trading across borders.

Kenya embarked on its far-reaching Revenue Administration Reform and Modernisation Programme in 2005. Replacing its old customs system (Boffin) with a new one (Simba), Kenya modernised its customs clearance. The new system allows traders to submit customs declarations electronically and pay duties directly.

Selective post clearance verifications and risk analysis techniques save time by eliminating unnecessary inspections.

CLEARANCE In 2009 Rwanda border posts extended their operating hours by four hours, closing at 10:00 pm rather than 6:00pm. Customs increased the number of declaration acceptance points and introduced automatic clearance of goods at selected border posts. It also established a risk management and intelligence unit to implement new risk-based inspections and clearances. Pre-arrival clearances and pre-payment systems have also been implemented.

Tanzania introduced UNCTAD’s Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA++) in 2005. In this new system, traders, inspection agencies and shippers can submit information directly to customs. The system has the potential to validate entries by users within minutes, thereby correcting erroneous entries and saving time. But much remains to be done to achieve effective functioning.

Tanzania also introduced a risk

Spurred by the need to expand markets, boost competitiveness and attract investment, East

African economies have continued to take steps to make it easier for local firms to start up and operate

management system. Risk assessments undertaken by the destination inspection company (TISCAN) can share information with port authorities and customs, reducing clearance times for most traders carrying lowrisk cargo.

In Uganda a new secure system of seals for transit goods was put in place in 2009. Seals placed at the point of entry are removed only at the point of exit, reducing the need for inspection at different stages of transit and thus saving time and money.

In Uganda the ASYCUDA++ system has been extended to enable electronic declarations at additional customs stations around the country.

And in some stations (such as Busia) the ASYCUDA++ system has been linked with banks’ payment systems so that traders can make payments at their banks, sending an electronic receipt to customs.

Uganda has also implemented an electronic bond-cancellation system between border stations and a self-assessment module for customs duties. To complement all these efforts, border cooperation at Malaba has been enhanced with the implementation of joint inspections by customs authorities from both Kenya and Uganda.

“If each of East African country were to adopt the region’s best practice in each of the Doing Business indicators, the region’s average ranking on the ease of doing business would be 18 rather than 117. In other words, if the best of East Africa’s regulations and procedures were implemented across the board, the business regulatory environment in EA would be comparable to that of Japan,” said Hertveldt.

The Report was supported by the World Bank Group and PRO¬INVEST, a partnership programme developed and undertaken by the European Commission on behalf of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of states, as part of the EAC Investment Climate Programme

September 2011

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FOOD SECURITY

Poor planning, graft to blame for famine Kenya Freedom from Hunger Council has, for many years, been involved in the country’s food security sector. Although it operates as a non-governmental organisation, it was actually set up by the government.

DEA’s MOHAMMED WARSAMA engaged secretary general MICHAEL OJIAMBO on the current famine in the region DIPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: In your view, how bad is the drought and resultant hunger situation in the Kenya and the region?

MICHAEL OJIAMBO: The current hunger situation in Kenya and East Africa region as whole is serious, it comes when the country was recovering from effects of earlier droughts of 2009 and 2010 that caused a lot of ripples within the government and the maize scandal that was said to have been sold to Sudan.

If the problem was confined to Kenya alone it could have been easy to tackle but it is affecting Ethiopia and Somali, which means that the donors are stretched.

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Q. We know both the short rains last October and the long rains in April this year were inadequate.

Should we not have been better prepared?

A. Short rains in October 2010 and long rains of March 2011 have been erratic and poorly distributed; the metrological department warned the country about the rain distribution this year, it meant that we needed to plan properly. You will realise that when some quarters in the country indicated that there is going to be maize shortage, the government through the ministries concerned indicated that we are expecting to harvest 18 million bags of maize from the short rains of 2010 and there should be no panic. It took the government

September 2011

DISASTER:

Arid land (inset) Mr Michael Ojiambo

a long time before it started purchasing maize in the Rift Valley despite the outcry from the farmers in the region about the poor prices. This gives an opportunity to middlemen to buy the maize cheaply from farmers and look for market such as Sudan where they can make a kill.

You will also recall that the population of Kenya has been growing but the strategic grain reserve has remained at 3.5 million bags of maize. There was enough time to prepare as a country to deal with current food shortages without waiting for Kenyans to start starving.

Q. How do we, as a country and region, mitigate against such situations in future?

A. As a country, we have to raise our strategic reserves to last at least one year in case of drought and stop relying on rain fed agriculture and start irrigation projects using rivers. Frequent droughts should be used to produce food instead of being seen as disasters. We also need to rehabilitate rangelands to save pastoralist communities and have well distributed water resources by constructing sustainable dams.

Agropastoralist communities need to have water harvesting and soil conservation mechanisms in place so that they can do small scale irrigation to enable crops to mature. The pastoralists should

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

sell the animals when their body weight is good and can fetch good price whenever there is alarm of impending drought.

Q. How does Kenya and the region move away from rain-fed agriculture? What would be the strategies?

A. Kenyan has many seasonal and perennial rivers, which, if well harnessed, will provide enough water for irrigation. Communities at household levels should develop water harvesting and soil conservation structures so that they can use small scale irrigation that will cushion them when rains fail by watering plants during moisture stress periods to ensure that there is no total crop failure.

Q. What became of our strategic food reserves? And in your opinion, how does the country improve on these reserves?

A. There is to need to increas strategic grain reserve to a level we can avail food for at least one dry season whenever rain fails without importing food. Some countries also use strategic grain reserve to stabilise market prices. We need to have more than one crop for strategic grain reserve so that when one crop fails there is an alternative. At household level, postharvest losses need to be minimised.

Q. What would be the cause of the shortage in food reserves? Is it poor planning or poor leadership?

A. The shortages can be attributed to poor planning and lack of vision. We have relied on one crop, say, maize, while we know that diversifying our eating habits would create alternatives. When we talk of grain reserve that can’t last one year; what is that? We should be able to have a reserve that stabilises markets. We have not also learnt that droughts in Kenya have

become more frequent than before. There are vested interests in terms of some influential people who take advantage of the situation to import products to enrich themselves.

Q. What does the country need to do to move away from such a situation in future?

A. As a country we need to invest in water and other infrastructure and agriculture technologies that are productivity related to be able to intensify agriculture production under irrigation. Drip irrigation has proved to be an effective and efficient water user that, when adopted, can produce food throughout the year on even a quarter acre of land.

Q. Egypt, Israel and Australia grow crops despite the harsh weather in their regions? Where have we, as a country and region going wrong?

A. Israel, Egypt and Australia decided to invest in irrigation technology to be able to feed their people despite the fact that they have little rainfall compared to Kenya. The heads of African states, during one of the NEPAD regional meetings, urged member countries to allocate 10 per cent of national budgets to agriculture. Currently, Kenya allocates less than 5 per cent. We know that investing in agricultural infrastructure is expensive but it pays in the long term.

that we have household selfsufficiency. The national food security does not grant household food security. Kenya’s farmer is 80 percent small scale. He lacks inputs to be productive and grows wrong crops for some agro-ecological zones. Most of the country, being arid and semiarid, is suitable for growing drought tolerant crops such as cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas, sorghum, millets, cassava and sweet potatoes. These crops have less postharvest losses as compared to maize and some of them should be part of our food reserve.

Recently, we witnessed the massacre of Turkana people who had crossed to Ethiopia to buy sorghum for food, this is the crop to be promoted in that region and used as relief food instead of maize. The support to smallscale farmers with regard to inputs such as fertiliser, certified seeds and technical support is key to increased food production. We depend on donors who are now focusing more on governance issues than in agriculture. KFFHC has implemented input projects that increased food production by over 300 per cent. Malawi increased its food production when it supported smallscale farmers with farm inputs and Kenya has just imported maize from them

Q. KFFHC has been involved in the food security sector for many years. Where in your view is the challenge in meeting our food needs?

A: The problem in meeting food security depends mainly on government policy and support to small scale farmers by assisting with farm input programmes so

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MULTILATERAL TIES

There is More to The Hague than Just ICC The confirmation of charges hearing in September of the Ocampo Six turns the spotlight on the ICC yet again and more so on Kenya.DEA’S JANE MWANGI talked to H.E. PROF. RUTHIE RONO, KENYA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE NETHERLANDS about the Hague and discovered that it is not just about the court.Below are excerpts.

D

IPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: Share with us the structure of the Kenyan mission to The Hague?

H.E. PROF. RUTHIE RONO: Kenya mission to The Hague is both a bilateral and multilateral station. It is accredited to the Netherlands with concurrent accreditation to the Czech Republic. Multilaterally we have five international institutions - The International Criminal Court, International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY), the Special Tribunal for Lebanon and the Organisation of the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons where am Kenya’s representative and the Common Fund for Commodities which is an international organisation that looks into the development and expansion of commodities in member countries of which Kenya has also benefitted from.

Q: The Hague is what comes to mind whenever the Netherlands is mentioned; however, there are projects that you are involved in aimed at strengthening the co-operation between the two countries. Which are some of these?

A: Bilaterally, we have a strong trading relationship with the balance

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September 2011

of trade in favour of Kenya with our main flagship area being horticulture particularly floriculture where about 60 per cent of the roses sold in Amsterdam comes from Kenya. We also have vegetable produce sold in approximately 700 main supermarket chains in the Netherlands. We also have over 100 NGO’s who have

projects in Kenya.These are partially supported by government grants through the International co-operation department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for the activities they are engaged in here in Kenya. As an embassy, we try our best to give them information about Kenya in addition to knowing that the projects in question are viable and sustainable and focussed on sectors that are of anchored towards development. These projects mainly range in the area of water, health, microfinance and schools. We connect them with the Ministry and also other government agencies. In education, there are quite a number of Kenyans who have benefitted from Dutch scholarships in the fields of engineering, medicine, water technology and agriculture. In the Czech Republic we have students who have benefitted from scholarships in IT, engineering and medicine. We also have short courses for civil servants tailor-made through MoU’s and partnerships between various ministries. We have quite a number of tourists coming from the Czech Republic. Their Chamber of Commerce is interested in working with the Kenya Chamber of Commerce to further develop other avenues for business promotion and we are currently working on that.

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

Q: What is the composition of the Kenyan diaspora in the Netherlands?

A: We don’t have a large number of Kenyans residing in the Netherlands mainly due to the language barrier.

Our diaspora mainly comprises students, Kenyans working for international organisations ranging from the top-level like Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch of the ICC and others who hold key senior positions.Only 400 have registered with the embassy.

Q: Now more than at any other time, The Hague has generated a lot of interest among many due to the case involving the Ocampo six. But the ICC is not just about the court, right?

A: The ICC is now very well known by most people especially Kenyans because of the publicity the media has given to the case involving the six Kenyans. Indeed, the ICC is not only about the court, the seating of the court is at The Hague but we also have the assembly of State parties, these are all the countries who are accredited to the ICC and they act as overseers of the workings of the ICC. So our mission is also involved in committees, meetings, in annual assemblies of State parties to practice oversight of how the court matters are carried out. In these committees and in the annual assembly of state parties we deliberate on issues affecting the court and we give our views and the Kenyan position as far as the various issues under discussion are concerned. We have had opportunity to be in the committee that is now discussing the establishment of the permanent premises of the court as the courts currently in leased premises.

Q: You have also sat in the committee on complementarity that works on enhancing the capacity of member states to be able to carry out their own trials in

their own countries. Any progress?

A: Yes, we have also been members of the committee on cooperation and complementarity that looks into ways in which the court can work with member states to enhance the capacity for member states to be able to carry out their own trials in their own countries and determine and define how member states can benefit from the court. In the discussions of this committee, Kenya came up as to why we accepted to invite Sudanese President Al-Bashir for the promulgation of the constitution and in these committees we discuss Kenya’s position in addition to issues like what happens to states that refuse to cooperate. We put our voice as Kenya and Africa in order to defend our interests and protect it as much as possible.

Q: Is your voice really heard as you defend the interests of Kenya on such a global platform as it were?

A: Yes it is heard. We have sent our message even to the host country and we sit in these committees and articulate our opinion. We are a sovereign state and as such we make our decisions based on our interests and so it is our duty to explain our position.

Q: Despite the confirmation of charges hearings in September of the Ocampo six, many still argue that the ICC prosecutor, Morenoocampo is not acting fast enough.

What is your take on this?

A: The Rome Statute has very specific, laid out procedures that the court should follow in their deliberations so Ocampo cannot act out of his own initiative or using his own processes and speeds. There are laid out steps on how any case should follow in ensuring due process is followed. So as much as we want Ocampo to hurry up, he has to follow procedure.

I think the ICC case is one aspect of the process of puting the events to rest. There

are many activities that have to be put in place other than the trial

will put to rest the events surrounding 2007/8 general elections?

A: I think the ICC case is one aspect of the process of puting the events to rest. There are many activities that have to be put in place other than the trial. I think we also have to include other home-made activities to reconcile people, to get neighbours to work together towards healing and many other things that we need to address locally. ICC alone is not the solution, it is only one of them, and there are lots of other things we need to do nationally and at the grassroots level. We should not think that the ICC will wipe away all the problems that we ever had with the post-election violence.

Q: How it is like being Kenya’s representative to The Hague?

A: It has been quite interesting for me. Starting off, the post-election violence was the very first thing on my desk and overcoming that hurdle and all the publicity surrounding it was quite an experience. Working on building up Kenya’s image from that time onwards albeit difficult at the beginning but we have heard very good results and currently we have very good relations with the host country. Am pleased that we have surpassed our tourist numbers from where we were before 2007. And it also helps that the Netherlands is only eight hours away from Kenya.

Any Dutch national who has come to Kenya always wants to come back.

There is nowhere in the Netherlands that I go to and fail to find someone who has been to Kenya and that gives me a lot of pleasure

H.E. Professor Ruthie Rono has served as the Kenyan Ambassador to the Netherlands for 4 years. Prior to her appointment, she was Dean for the school of Arts and Sciences at USIU for 10 years and before that worked at the Kenyatta University.

Q: Do you think their prosecution

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PHOTO BY: YAHYA MOHAMED

M

MR MOSES WETANGULA: Minister

for Foreign Affairs

TURBULENCE

Few Cheers as Moses Wetang’ula Returns to Foreign Ministry His legal background, firm grasp of issues and eloquence, were sorely missed as the region and the African continent went through some dramatic changes, writes MOHAMMED WARSAMA

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September 2011

r MosesWetang'ula is back in Cabinet after a mini-reshuffle saw him reinstated as Minister for Foreign Affairs, but his reappointment has run into a strong headwind of opposition, with MPs vowing to make it difficult it for him to discharge his duties.

The MPs who cut across party lines; including his own Party of National Unity and its coalition partner, the Orange Democratic Movement; claim that Wetang'ula and his Permanent Secretary Mr Thuita Mwangi were recalled to office before they had been cleared of corruption charges and expressed surprise that Parliament had not been given an opportunity to discuss the matter.

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) had completed the local phase of the investigation and had apparently cleared the minister of any wrongdoing, but the international one, which includes a visit to Japan, was still ongoing.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is one of the most important departments of government and is charged with promoting foreign investments and trade. It also promotes tourism and protects national interests in regional security and economic blocs.

EMBARASSING

It, therefore, came as something of a surprise that Kenya could go for 10 months without a substantive Foreign Minister, with Prof George Saitoti, who was holding the post in an acting capacity, clearly out of his depth. This became evident as Kenya sought to have its voice heard in the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on the issue of lawless Somalia and Eritrea’s perceived support for terror. In the

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

end, it was Ethiopia which managed to have its script on the situation in Somalia and its wars of attrition with Eritrea on the agenda.

Also embarrassing to the government was the rendition of Kenyan terror suspects to Uganda, which Saitoti supported in the face of marked opposition from his Cabinet colleagues Mr James Orengo and Mr Mutula Kilonzo of the ministry of Lands and Justice respectively. Both are ministers are lawyers.

In Wetang’ula’s case, Kenya also suffered the indignity of having its Foreign Affairs minister step aside over corruption allegations involving the alleged misuse of his ministry's funds for several land deals abroad in October 2010.

But even before his exit, his grasp of the ministry’s loaded agenda was not as impressive as should have been due partly to the constant wrangling in the coalition government of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Most government departments suffered the same fate.

But it was his legal background, firm grasp of issues and eloquence that were sorely missed as the region and the African continent went through some dramatic changes.

The spring of chaos in the Arab world that saw the governments of Tunisia and Egypt toppled and that of Libya fighting for its life seemed to have caught Nairobi by surprise.

Indeed, when the US government demanded that Kenya cuts links with Libya and that assets owned by Tripoli be frozen, the government seemed lost for words.

Wetang’ula seems to have used his absence from government to build his political powerbase in preparation for his presidential bid, having declared his intention to run for the highest office in the land.

He managed to wrest control of the Ford Kenya party from its long

serving chair Mr Musikari Kombo, who fled to the New Ford Kenya in the face of the relentless push for his replacement.

In this, he joins a growing list of politicians who have declared similar intentions.

STEPPED ASIDE

Wetang’ula, who maintains his innocence, stepped aside as MPs were set to vote on his suspension. A parliamentary report recommended his removal until the claims over deals for new embassies were fully investigated.

Wetang’ula is a key Cabinet figure and helped to form the coalition in 2008 that ended the post-poll violence. The scandal at the Foreign Ministry is the latest in a series of high-level corruption allegations involving government officials.

According to a parliamentary committee report, Kenya lost $14m in a land deal in Japan. The foreign ministry is alleged to have refused an offer of land from the Japanese government in central Tokyo for a new embassy, opting instead for a building further away, against the advice of an estate agency. Taxpayer money was also allegedly lost in embassy deals in Egypt, Nigeria, Pakistan and Belgium.

Wetang’ula was nominated as a Kanu MP after the 1992 General Election serving until 1997. He was elected to the National Assembly in 2002 and again in 2007. In the Cabinet appointed by President Mwai Kibaki on January 8, 2008, in the midst of a crisis over the results of the polls, Wetang’ula was named Minister for Foreign Affairs.

After a power-sharing agreement was reached between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga, Wetan’gula retained his post in the Grand Coalition Cabinet named on April 13, 2008

SOUTH SUDAN FINALLY HOISTS ITS NEW FLAG It was a day much awaited with baited breath and a growing sense of excitement and when it finally came, the world embraced Southern Sudan and welcomed it as the 54 state in Africa.

Dance, praise and tears were aplenty as the flag of South Sudan was raised where the Sudanese flag had once flown.

The event, which was held at the new South Sudan embassy in Kenya, also marked the opening of the mission in Nairobi and its promotion from a liaison office to a full Embassy.

The ceremony was packed with members of the diplomatic corps and dignitaries, and was moderated by Samuel Mate, the country’s Ambassador to South Africa.

Similar ceremonies were held at the United Nation Complex in Nairobi, which host, UNON, UNEP and UNCHS (Habitat) and at the UN headquarters in New York. It symbolised South Sudan’s final admission to the community of sovereign and independent nation states in the world, having emerged from decades of war, whereby infrastructure and vital assets were destroyed.

Though simple, the ceremony marked the culmination of a long and difficult march to freedom that was begun by the Anyanya pioneer guerrilla warriors in 1955 before the South Sudan Liberation Movement and the later Sudan People’s Liberation Army took up both the political and military struggle.

September 2011

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FRIENDLY HAND

Closer Sino-Kenyan Cooperation can Help Counter Food Crisis

By LIU GUANGYUAN

MR Liu Guangyuan:

China's ambassador to Kenya

20

T

he worst drought in the Horn of Africa in 60 years has sparked a severe food crisis in the past few months. Close to 13 million people are threatened by the famine and many died of hunger. In Kenya, the number of the people facing starvation has reached 3.5 million people.

The worsening condition facing famine victims in the region in general and particularly in Kenya has caused great concern among the international community, the Chinese Government and people included.

Such are times when a friend in need must become a friend in deed. The Chinese people and the African people have formed traditional friendship of reaching out to each other and pulling together in times of trouble. Much as China has had a share of natural disasters, in particular drought and floods this year, the Chinese Government donated 90 million RMB (about 1.36 billion Kenya Shillings) worth of emergency food aid to the affected countries in the Horn of Africa last month. To ensure that as many lives as can be saved are rescued from starvation, the Chinese Government has announced an additional 353.2 million RMB (about 4.94 billion Kenya Shillings) of emergency food and cash assistance to the countries affected by famine in the region.

September 2011

So far, the assistance from the Chinese Government to the region amounts to 443.2 million RMB (about 6.2 billion Kenya Shillings).

Meanwhile, the aid to Kenya has increased from 30 million RMB to 130 million RMB (about Ksh 1.82 billion).

DELIVERY

China’s Ministry of Commerce has started the delivery of the food aid destined for the Horn of Africa region last month. Most of the food aid will be shipped to the affected countries through bilateral channels, while the aid in cash to Somalia will be delivered through the United Nations World Food Programme. The onus to purchase and distribute food to Somalia will be WFP’s. We hope to deliver the food aid to disaster areas by the end of next month.

The Chinese Government is keen and has put appropriate measures to ensure that all food aid reach the affected people the soonest possible. China is also ready to provide drinking water, medicine, medical equipment and tents at the demand of the affected countries.

The people of China and NGOs from China are participating actively in offering humanitarian support to the Horn of Africa.

The Red Cross Society of China, for instance, has allocated 8 million RMB (about 112 million

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

Kenya Shillings) of humanitarian aid to drought-affected areas in East Africa. Of that aid, 2 million RMB (about 28 million Kenya Shillings) will be donated to the Kenyan Red Cross. This particular aid was donated by charitable organisations, NGOs, companies as well as ordinary people in China.

This is their way of expressing their friendship with their African brothers and sisters.

KENYANS FOR KENYA

Disaster may be merciless but human beings are intrinsically attuned to affection. Nothing proclaims this better than the initiative dubbed ‘Kenyans for Kenya’ supported by the media, corporate organisations and individuals to feed the people of hunger-stricken northern Kenya. Chinese companies, small business owners and expatriates in Kenya, who regard this great nation as home, have also made their donations to the victims in order to fulfill their social responsibility by reaching their Kenyan brothers and sisters. So far, the donations from the Chinese fraternity amount to over Ksh 22.5 million.

One old Chinese saying goes, ‘Food is the base of people’s lives’.

Food being key to survival, the Chinese Government has always attached great importance to grain production and done its best to promote all-round development of the rural areas. That’s why China can feed 22 per cent of the world population with only 7 per cent of the planet’s arable land and achieved basic self-sufficiency in grain.

To solve the food crisis sustainably, the key lies in boosting the development of rural areas.

African countries have superior natural conditions for agricultural development, with abundant fertile arable land and plentiful rainwater in most parts of the continent.

One old Chinese saying goes,

‘Food is the base of people’s lives’

Besides, Africa is not short of labour force. On the other hand, Africa also faces many challenges in the area of agriculture. To find the solutions to food shortages, African countries can borrow a leaf through enhanced international cooperation.In my view, there are broad prospects for agricultural cooperation between Africa and China. As the largest developing country in the world, China has been traditionally dependent on agriculture. In the course of time running into thousands of years, China has gathered critical experience and forged technologies to boost agriculture development.

TECHNOLOGY

Africa, a continent with the largest number of developing countries in the world, is now in need of ways of raising its grain yield. Indeed, with regard to agriculture, there are many avenues for knowledge and technology transfer, an area of cooperation that begs development.

To start with, China and Kenya can strengthen exchanges and collaboration in the fields of agricultural policies, water conservancy and irrigation, agricultural technologies as well as processing. Another key area is marketing of agricultural products, itself a suitable suitable road towards agricultural development.

Innovation in agricultural production and marketing will, no doubt, benefit the African farmer and make major contributions to human development on the whole

EAC States Agree on Uniform Axle Load Controls A decade-long attempt to harmonise vehicle weight limits within the East African Community region has received a major boost after the Kenyan government agreed to adjust its vehicle axle load maximum limit from 48 to 56 tonnes (weight per tyre).

This means that, once implemented, trucks on transit will spend less time at weighbridges and move a lot faster through border points, which are often turned into by corruption zones by officials manning the weighbridges.

Reports indicate that a truck from the Mombasa port enroute to Kampala over a distance of about 1,100 km takes five days, of which 19 hours are spent crossing borders and at weighbridges.

Kenya’s announcement came during the closure of the third EAC stakeholders meeting where a resolution was passed that all partner states apply a uniform limit.

Variance in the limits, EAC Director for Finance, Mr Philip Wambugu said, was frustrating gains made towards integration which is ‘a vital component of the larger EAC trade and transport facilitation programme.’

Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and Rwanda had agreed on the 56 tonnes axle load over a month ago. Previously, Burundi and Rwanda both had axle load limits of 53 tonnes each with Uganda and Tanzania at 56 tonnes.

Initially, Kenya had opposed the adjustment and insisted on between 48 and 52 tonnes.

Wambugu said the present situation of differentiated axle weight loading requirements where some Partner States were imposing a 56-ton requirement while others applying 48-ton was counter to the spirit and objectives of regional integration and untenable.

He said that without a single agreed limit, the benefits of regional integration being promoted under the EAC Common Market will remain elusive.

“Infrastructure services are an inherent ingredient in the integration agenda and we, therefore, need to be decisive on how we want to promote it,” he said

(The author is the Chinese Ambassador to Kenya)

September 2011

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

D

iplomat East Africa: Your Excellency, what are some of the areas of cooperation that you are most upbeat about in your diplomatic

agenda?

H E KAMAL ISMAEL: I will be highly concentrated in building strong contacts with the Kenyan government and members of the Kenyan community.

Owing to our historic ties, I would like to register a vote of thanks to the Kenyan government for midwifing the 2005 CPA agreement. Am particularly focussing on furthering social and cultural relations between our two countries and also hope to improve on the economic and trade relations with Kenya. I hope to achieve a balance of trade between Kenya and Sudan.

Q: In light of the fact that you are relatively new in this post, what will you do differently from your predecessor HE Majok Guandong?

A: The mission is the same but the difference will be the style. H E Majok did a great job and is no doubt more familiar with Kenya. I will do my best to carry on the same mission but with different techniques and style. I am not new to Nairobi, having come here as a university student back in 1977 and then in 1992 and again in 2004. I am, therefore, already familiar with this fine weather city of Nairobi. Kenya is a very beautiful country and I love being here.

VIEW FROM KHARTOUM

On the birth of the new Republic of South Sudan DEA’s JANE MWANGI spoke to the Sudanese Ambassador to Kenya, HE KAMAL ISMAIL SAEED on topics ranging from, the oil-rich Abyei region, development support and the future of Sudan. YAHYA MOHAMED took the pictures.

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September 2011

PHOTO BY: YAHYA MOHAMED

'We are Happy to Support South Sudan'

Q:July 9 was a defining moment for Sudan as it has now been split into two. President Omar El-Bashir has pledged the government’s full support to the new state of South Sudan. Your sentiments?

A: Our position was very clear from the on-set because initially the people of South Sudan were given a chance to decide their destiny and we accepted their choice to secede. They have their own country now and President Bashir said whatever kind of assistance within

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

our capacity, we are more than willing to give it. We will be more than happy to render our support to our brothers in the south whether it’s in education, infrastructure and health sector development.

Q: Radical change will not come rapidly as the new state is likely to take many years to develop its government, infrastructure and an identity apart from the north.

Will the north lend its support in aiding the south in its development course?

A: It depends on what they need and expect from us. On July 20, a delegation went to Khartoum to negotiate some economic-based issues in terms of facilities sharing. They first of all have to prioritise their needs and we will respond in accordance to our capacity. In education, the scholars studying in the North will continue as well as those in the oil fields and private sector jobs. My government has made it favourable for all the government employees who have been given a good retirement package for the more than 6,000 employees.

It was a very emotional moment at the farewell ceremonies due to the apparent social attachment to the North and her people.

Q: Do you think the move for separation was too rushed?

A: During the negotiations, my government had suggested a 10 year transition period rather than five years but they insisted on the latter.

However had they allowed the 10 year period to pass, it would have been vital in the development of infrastructure and governance structure, but they were so eager for the separation and we accept that. And now it’s up to them to work hard to develop the necessary infrastructure. The people of South Sudan are at a stage where the jubilation is still rife but once it dies down the reality will dawn and it is my sincere hope that they will be up to the task of building the new nation.

It requires extreme and very effective efforts in order to establish a state from scratch. We hope this will be conducted in a stable environment contrary to what most observers think, because the stability of South Sudan reflects on us as well. Our policy is that a stable, strong neighbour is better than a fragile, weak neighbour.

Q: Are we likely to see a dramatic foreign policy shift from Sudan now that it has been split into two?

A: No, but the world can expect more effective foreign policies that have to deal with relations with neighbouring countries, the region and the international community at large.

We shall have more effective and objective based type of diplomacy, a quantitative rather than a qualitative change, a more scientific approach that will safeguard our interests in the region and above.

Q: Is the separation an asset or liability to the North?

A: It was widely thought that the sessecion of South Sudan would hamper the development of the North but this is not so. Contrary, it makes our country more slim and homogenous not to mention more effective. The fact that we agreed on peace is because war is very expensive.

The peace dividend reflects positively on our economy as well. Our total GNP is 34 billion dollars and the amount of oil we lost is 7 billion dollars; previously, the people were 41 million but now we are 30 million so if we divide this by 34 billion the individual per capita has increased. Financially we are now better off because the budget is less, having trimmed all the extravagant expenditure and streamlining government operation besides directing all the resources to other productive sectors.

Q: Escalating violence in Abyei is threatening the viability of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). What do you foresee as a

It was widely thought that the sessecion of South Sudan would hamper the development of the North but this is not so. Contrary,

it makes our country more slim and homogenous not to mention more effective

permanent solution in as far as Abyei is concerned?

A: Abyei remains part of the north until a future referendum is held to determine its fate. My government is responsible for all people of the region. We are ready to implement the protocol of Abyei and ready also to implement the outstanding points left from the CPA. Currently, the situation is very calm but the ultimate solution for Abyei is to apply the protocol of Abyei as stipulated in the CPA agreement in which the people in Abyei have to go to the polls and decide. According to the protocol all the residents in the area, not only the Dinka tribe will have to vote. Our brothers in the south feel that only the Dinka should decide but we are asking for the protocol to be applied properly and this will solve the problem. Why should we apply one part of the CPA agreement and not the other parts?

My government will have no problem with the outcome of the referendum.

If they reject the agreement and want to have a deal, we are open for negotiations.

Q: Is your relationship with the new South Sudan, in light of the past realities of war, likely to improve?

A: We have heard grudges, conflicts and disagreements and now we have to look forward rather than be prisoners of our past. It is high time we looked into the future in a positive and objective manner in order to have a win-win situation as opposed to a win-lose situation. And this not only applies to us but to the entire region as well. It is time for us to get rid of our bitterness and build up rather than tear down. This region has a lot of potential and we need to accommodate different views in order to end up with a safe, secure and prosperous region, shedding off the conflict-prone and droughtravaged image that dominated the region for quite sometime. We have to address our challenges and promote our social ties

September 2011

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

SOLUTIONS

Somalia’s New Roadmap to End Transition and Restore Stability The three-day Consultative Meeting held in Mogadishu, considered four priority tasks for ending the transition – security, constitution, reconciliation and good governance

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

SHEIKH SHARIFF AHMED:

Besieged Somali President

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elegates attending a United Nations-backed meeting on ending Somalia’s transitional period have endorsed a roadmap that spells out priority measures to be implemented before the current governing arrangements end in August next year.

The three-day Consultative Meeting on Ending the Transition,

September 2011

held in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, considered four priority tasks for ending the transition – security, constitution, reconciliation and good governance.

Delegates also agreed on certain principles for the implementation of the measures leading to the end of the transition on 20 August 2012.

The principles include Somali ownership of the process. The cur-

rent Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is called upon to lead the process of the implementation of the roadmap, working with the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP), regional entities, and all sectors of society, including women, the business community, religious leaders, elders and youth.

The Federal Transitional Government is headed by President Sheikh

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

Shariff Ahmed.

The statement endorsed at the consultative meeting also stresses that implementation of the process shall be inclusive with participation of the TFG, the TFP, the semi-autonomous region of Puntland and Galmudug, as well as the Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a group and civil society.

The Transitional Federal Institutions (TFIs) and the international community are called upon to provide timely support for the implementation of the roadmap in line with a “Resource Mobilization Plan” with milestones to be agreed within 21 days, according to the document.

“Financial support by the international community shall be on a results basis and contingent upon the implementation of the priority tasks in the Roadmap,” it states.

“In view of the limited time and resources, the TFIs and international community should, to the extent possible, hold meetings inside Somalia to allow the TFIs to devote more time to the implementation of the Roadmap.”

The statement also notes that the roadmap’s implementation shall be monitored on a continuous basis and appropriate measures taken to ensure compliance with the benchmarks and timelines in accordance with the Kampala Accord, the pact reached in the Ugandan capital in June under which the terms of the country’s President and Speaker of Parliament were extended for one more year.

It also envisages the creation, within two weeks, of technical committee made up of the TFIs, regional entities, Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a, and regional organizations, as well as the League of Arab States, European Union and the UN to facilitate cooperation and collaboration among the Somali parties and with its international partners to implement the roadmap.

Delegates included members of the TFIs, representatives from Punt-

land and Galmudug and Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a. About three dozen representatives from the international community participated in the proceedings, including regional organizations and the EU, the Arab League and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).

The meeting was facilitated by Augustine Mahiga, the Special Representative of Secretary-General for Somalia. Meanwhile, the UN says that Children are bearing the brunt of the Horn of Africa crisis and constitute the majority of all Somali refugees in neighbouring Ethiopia.

The latest demographic data shows that people under the age of 18 account for 80 per cent of the 121,000 refugees in four camps in the Dollo Ado area of south-eastern Ethiopia, according to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

ORPHANS

In Kobe camp, children comprise 88.6 per cent of the estimated refugee population of more than 25,000.

Most families are female-headed households with large numbers of children, including young relatives or orphans, Adrian Edwards, a spokesperson for UNHCR, told reporters in Geneva.

“We remain concerned about the high mortality rates due to severe acute malnutrition and diseases,” he said. “Also worrying is the number of separated or unaccompanied children.” The number of unaccompanied children could be as high as 2,500 in the four camps in Ethiopia.

“We are carrying out a screening this week in refugee camps in Dollo Ado to better understand the scope of the problem and determine what may be in the best interest of these children,” Mr. Edwards added.

Women in the camps have told UNHCR staff that it is not safe for Somali men to travel because they feared that armed group might forcibly conscript them. Men have also

been opting to remain in their villages in Somalia to protect whatever property their families may have, care for those too sick to travel and to tend to any remaining livestock.

“Some families simply have no means for everyone to travel together, so women and children are sent first. However, over the past few weeks our staff have observed that there are more single men arriving from Somalia to join their families,” said Mr. Edwards.

Meanwhile, UNHCR continues to provide other relief items to people receiving food aid from other agencies in the famine-stricken areas of southern Somalia.

“We are preparing to distribute 7,500 emergency assistance packages consisting of plastic sheets, sleeping mats, blankets, jerry cans and kitchen utensils for nearly 50,000 people in the Bay region, where famine has just been declared,” said Mr. Edwards.

An estimated 70,000 people will be assisted in Lower Shabelle, which is also in a state of famine, while more than 50,000 people will be reached through distributions in Mogadishu and 30,000 in the Gedo and Lower Juba areas.

By the end of August, UNHCR had reached almost 220,000 people with emergency relief and aims to assist an additional 180,000 by the end of this month. According to UNHCR Somalia representative, Bruno Geddo, it is crucial that aid be distributed in large amounts and as quickly as possible inside Somalia to maintain the recent downward trend in the number of refugees arriving in Ethiopia and Kenya.

Mr. Geddo, who recently visited Dollow on the Somalia-Ethiopian border and Mogadishu, said that internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Somalia had expressed to him their desire to remain in their own country rather than cross the border in search of assistance

September 2011

The meeting was facilitated by Augustine Mahiga,

the Special Representative of Secretary-General for Somalia

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CRUNCH TIME

Rebels Seeks UN Support in Rebuilding Libya

BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

BEFORE THE STORM:

A decked out Gaddafi salutes

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he new Libyan authorities - the National Transitional Council (NTC) - have requested United Nations support for several postconflict tasks, including elections, transitional justice and national reconciliation, according to a senior UN official who is in Tripoli to begin laying the groundwork for the world body’s operations.

“We’ve already been given some very clear priorities by the leaders of the NTC,” Mr Ian Martin, the Special Advisor to the Secretary-General for Post-Conflict Planning for Libya, told reporters in the capital.

September 2011

These include support for the electoral process, as well as advice and assistance regarding transitional justice and how to strike a balance between accountability within the law for the most serious human rights violations while also seeking national reconciliation.

Martin was dispatched to the North African nation last week by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to discuss the kinds of support the new authorities want from the UN in the weeks and months ahead.

At a meeting of world leaders in Paris on Thursday, Mr. Ban stressed that it will be essential to work closely with the Libyan leadership to identify their needs and priorities.

“Once those needs are identified, we will have to act in harmony and in a coordinated manner to ensure effective, collective action,” he stated.

After arriving in Tripoli, Martin first met with senior NTC representative Ali Tarhuni, who outlined the body’s priorities for urgent action and asserted that “we want the UN to be partner in this process.”

The Special Advisor also discussed key challenges in public security with the Interior Minister and other interlocutors such as getting the police back on the streets and weapons off the streets and building a democratically accountable police force.

This is “not an easy matter in any society let alone one that is just coming out of 42 years of oppressive security and [six months of] armed

conflict,” Mr. Martin stated.

As part of his five-day visit, which began on Saturday, the Special Advisor held discussions with various groups in Tripoli, including lawyers, judges, youth, women and human rights activists, and briefed representatives of the international community and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) on the nature of his visit.

He also visited, at the invitation of the authorities, two police stations and the Al-Jedaida prison, where he spoke to both Libyan and non-Libyan prisoners, including sub-Saharan Africans detained during the fall of Tripoli.

Mr. Martin stressed the urgent need for the basis of detention to be reviewed by public prosecutors, and to inform the prisoners’ families of their whereabouts. The relevant NTC officials confirmed their commitment to justice and the rule of law and said that any mistakes would be rapidly rectified, adding that everyone would be treated fairly and equally.

The Special Advisor will travel to Benghazi tomorrow to meet NTC Chairman Mustafa Abdel Jalil and Ahmed Al-Jehani, Minister of Reconstruction and Stabilization.

Libya has been in turmoil since February when opposition forces rose up against the regime of Colonel Muammar al-Qadhafi as part of a wider pro-democracy movement across North Africa and the Middle East

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•ODYSSEYS People & Places

MAGICAL ALLURE

The Seychelles: A Truly Magical Paradise The smallest country in the world pulsates with art of all genres but music and dance stand out. And although these have played a prominent part in its culture and in all types of local festivities, they are rooted in African, Malagasy and European cultures

By CAROL KIIRU

A

rrival at the Mahé International Airport brought a surreal moment to me with the coastal breeze and a salty taste in my

mouth.

“Welcome to Seychelles” the stewardess said as she showed us down the stair case. Truth be told, I was holding my breath waiting for that sense of paradise the island has been accredited with and is famous for.

The blue, blue-green and yellow colours on the brochure came to life and the smile worn by the lady on the brochure was exactly that - alluring.

For a moment I was taken aback, and it took me a while to remember I was holding my breath.

Located in the Indian Ocean south of the equator, with a land area of 455 square Kilometres, the Seychelles is technically the smallest continent. The capital, Victoria, is on the main island, Mahé, at a spot

28

September 2011

where the island of Saint Anne creates natural harbour.

The official languages are Seychelles Creole, French, and English. Seychelles Creole has a strong resemblance to the Creoles of Mauritius and Reunion and those of the Caribbean. There has been disagreement about the use of French versus English and the extent to which Creole should be used. Most people speak Creole at home. The EnglishFrench divide occurs in debate about how new words should be integrated into Creole.

On arrival at our hotel, we were met by four fine belles who hid to our bidding. The Creole cuisine was set on the table and our anxiety was palpable. A tropical mix of flavours of the orient and the subtleties of French cooking based around the diet of the fruits of the ocean and of the garden. The basic ingredients are freshly picked or caught from the ocean that very same day. The staple

is curry and rice, which may be eaten two or three times a day. Grilled fish or octopus basted with a sauce of crushed chillies, ginger and garlic are national favourites as are a variety of delicious curries lovingly prepared with coconut milk and innovative chatinis made from local fruits such as papaya and golden apple.

SOLITARY

Alcoholism has been prevalent, partly because a few centuries ago it was used as payment and as an incentive. Among the working classes drinking tended to be solitary.

The typical drink being palm wine, fermented sap tapped from coconut palm frond is almost the mnazi we drink in Kenya. There are no specific foods for ceremonial occasions, but meat is preferred.

Religious denomination co-exists harmoniously, and being a Sunday, most Christians were preparing to go to church. Having slept through

•ODYSSEYS People & Places most of the morning, the city was so quiet you could hear yourself think.

This only lasted about two hours and then songs and conversations broke the sense of tranquillity that had embraced me. The metropolis was coming to life.

I decided to venture out (accompanied by Tania, one of our hostesses) and see the beauty the island beholds. There are new and traditional houses all around.

Traditional architecture had two distinct forms: plantations and town houses. The plantation is focused on a Lakou (courtyard with an owner’s or manager’s house), the Kalorife (drying oven for copra), and storage houses.

Separate from the courtyard are the workers’ houses with thatched roofs.

A typical town house has a general Victorian form, but both the roof and the walls might be made of corrugated iron sheets. The traditional layout of courtyards is quickly disappearing with the decline of the plantation sector and agriculture in general. New houses are often constructed in an architecture common to many former British colonies, such that there is often a flat roof with a slight slope and windows with many horizontally arranged panes that can be tilted in order to allow easy circulation of air. E We finally went to the market in Victoria and it is a sight to behold.

The array of freshly picked fruits and vegetables are in rich variety of form and colours, fused together like a painting. At a corner, there is a much heated argument and after five minutes of floating, Tania tells me it’s about politics. Tourism is focused on the upper part of the market. Tuna fishing and canning are becoming increasingly important, as is aquaculture.

We got to Market Street, the crowded shopping street in Victoria.

It is comparable to Nairobi’s Biashara Street, only with more shops. After spending 50 Seychelles rupee (SCR) that is around Ksh 370 on souvenirs I was elated to go back and share with

the rest.

Seychellois are usually described as laid-back and easygoing. Dress codes are relaxed, and formal clothing is seldom worn. Greetings are simple. Simplicity is the norm and everywhere you go there is something about colours that adorn the island.

The colours and casual dressing are linked to the tropical island.

DANCE

For a small country, the island itself is a work of art. The island pulsates with art of all genres but music and dance caught my eye. Although music and dance have always played a prominent role in Seychelles culture and in all types of local festivities, they are rooted in African, Malagasy and European cultures. It is played to the accompaniment of drums such as the Tambour and Tam-Tam and simple string instruments.

The lively Sega dance with its elegant hip-swaying and shuffling of the feet is still popular as is the traditional Moutya, a mysterious, erotic dance dating back to the days of slavery when it was often used as an outlet for strong emotions and as a way of expressing discontent. This, I joined in and the shuffling of feet was hard as the music keeps on picking

tempo.

Then there is the authentic Kanmtole, a foreign dance import, accompanied by banjos, accordion, violin and triangle and reminiscent of a Scottish reel while the Contredance with its intricate movements has its origins in the French court and is danced to the strains of banjo, triangle and to the instructions of the ‘Komandan’ or Commander who calls the sets.

It is truly phenomenal and a sight, Seychelles is. Seated in the plane headed back to Nairobi I could only revel in the sights and sounds the island had accorded me with. In a nut shell, Seychelles is truly magical

September 2011

FRUIT BASKET:

TOP: The food market at the capital ABOVE: Victoria Street, the most popular shopping bazzar

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•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

PICTURE PERFECT

Movie-Making in Kenya Poised for Take-Off

PETER MUTIE:

KFC Chief Executive Officer

30

M

PHOTOS BY: YAHYA MOHAMED

On September 23 the great and good of Kenya’s film industry will be decorated at the Kalasha Awards, the country’s equivalent of Hollywood’s Oscars. In the lead up to this eagerly awaited event DIPLOMAT EAST AFRICA’S KWENDO OPANGA interviewed MR PETER MUTIE, the Chief Executive O icer of the Kenya Film Commission, which is tasked with, among other things, attracting film-makers to Kenya and developing the country as a film-making destination. YAHYA MOHAMED took the pictures. Herewith excerpts

r Peter Mutie, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya Film Commission, looks at his interviewer, makes eye contact and picks his words carefully. It is for effect and to ensure that Diplomat East Africa

September 2011

gets the message in very simple but emphatic and effective terms: “The film industry in Kenya is capable of, has the potential, of delivering Sh40 billion every year to the exchequer. It also has the potential of creating 250,000 jobs per year and, therefore, bring about a substantial difference in the lives of many Kenyans.”

And, Mutie says, film-making is Kenya’s industry of the future because, thanks to technology, there are varied and valued platforms for films from the small (television) to the big screen (silver) and on mobile phones to computers and varied internet-based networks.

Mutie, however, knows his work is cut out for him because, in his own words, Kenya’s film industry is not even doing half of what it could do in terms of remittance to the exchequer and creation of jobs: “Last year, the exchequer received Sh1.92 billion from the Commission in direct contributions. Indirectly, the Commission’s contribution was Sh71 billion, which accounts for 3 per cent of Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product.”

And what is indirect contribution to the exchequer? Diplomat East Africa seeks clarification. Mutie answers that this is in respect of

jobs created, hotel accommodation, car hire services, hire of equipment and visits to tourist attractions, for example, by film-making teams.

The message is that Kenya has a long way to go before it can begin to optimise the benefits that filmmaking offers. The question then is: what is the Commission’s strategy towards realising this potential?

First, Mutie explains, the Commission is underfunded and the way forward is for the Government to create a funding scheme to enable the Commission actualise and develop the many brilliant ideas it has generated on its own, with local film makers and by the film-makers on their own.

“Going forward we want the industry prioritised in resource allocation; to produce Sh40 billion, we need to have at least Sh2 billion. We are struggling currently, but this can be reversed. For example if money is collected and is used to service budgets as is the case with Kenya Power, for example, we will make it.

“But what we generate goes to the Treasury and is allocated elsewhere.

If I get Sh800 million out of Sh1.9 billion, you can rest assured Kenya Film Commission will generate more money,” Mutie promises. In the

•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

same vein, says Mutie, Kenya needs schools of film-making excellence to train Kenyans in film-making.

The challenge right now is that the schools or institutions in Kenya are mainly involved in the business of video editing and production.

The graduates of these schools of excellence will be immediate because film-makers who come to Kenya will require proven skills sets among locals to be hired for varied jobs.

Conversely, local film-makers will have ready pools of skilled workers and professionals to turn to when making films.

“We are talking,” says Mutie, “about training in virtually every skill necessary to produce a film. If for example, one does not know how to script, then one can have a film idea but is not able to tell one’s story. We need to produce trained or skilled or professional script writers, to name but one area of this vast industry.”

A third way is for a deliberate policy of incentives and rebates to be put in place to encourage international film-makers to consider Kenya a film-making destination of choice.

“Film-makers are attracted by incentive-driven and centred policies.

South Korea and South Africa are two countries which have such a policy and it works favourably for them,” says Mutie.

He explains that South Korea gives a 25 per cent rebate to international film-makers on their budgets. “This means a film-maker has his or her budget reduced by 25 per cent. Many film-makers find this attractive because those who go there save on the budgets and still bring in money to the Korean economy,” says Mutie.

South Africa is a pursuing a similar policy and, according to Mutie, its turnover from this industry is way ahead of Kenya’s because it is, like South Korea, attracting many film-makers. “To attract big movies, we need a scheme with financial

rebates. This is good investment because when Kenyan movies or movies made in Kenya hit global screens, we will as a country attract more international film-makers to the country,” a thoughtful Mutie says.

Mutie, looking confident, but never losing his train of thought, then gives a good example of what he means by incentives attracting film-makers. Sometime last year, the Ministry of Immigration increased charges imposed on each member of a visiting filming team from Sh2,000 to Sh25,000.

The thinking of the ministry would appear to have been that this was a good way of raising revenue for the government. But the ministry reckoned without the fact that if a visiting team is made of 10 people the film-makers would be expected to pay up Sh250,000 where previously they would have paid Sh20,000.

The upshot of it is that Kenyan delegations overseas would be told that the country had become too expensive as a filming destination.

Mutie took up the matter with the Ministry of Immigration and the huge increase was reversed.

Immediately, he says with a smile, the number of applications by film-makers seeking to visit Kenya shot up from 1,000 the previous year to 4,000 within months. “This is clear proof that the Sh25,000 charge inflated budgets and scared away investors,” Mutie says as the smile on his face fades. Fourth, continues Mutie as he turns thoughtful again, the Kenya Film Commission fully supports the 40 per cent local content policy in television programming and is ready to play an active role in its enforcement and fulfillment.

“The simple way to explain why the Commission is enthusiastic about this policy is that when Kenyans watch a foreign soap opera, for example, this is 100 per cent capital flight. When they watch Tahidi High, JONATHAN CIANO (a local production) there is no capital flight.” “Indeed, at another level, the

“Film-makers are attracted by incentive-driven and centred policies. South

Korea and South Africa are two countries which have such a policy and it works favourably for them,” says Mutie

frequencies on which TV stations broadcast are national or local assets and it follows that or it is fair, that local people, local makers of films, should reap maximum benefits from them.

“Thirdly, it is now proven that local programmes have given local stations that have invested in them a competitive edge because they have attracted more viewership. These shows are popular with local viewers and that in turn is an advert for investing in more local productions,” Mutie declares enthusiastically.

At number five, but not necessarily in that order, of course, is investment in modern film infrastructure. Mutie is clearly saddened when he tells Diplomat East Africa that “Kenya is deficient in post-production labs” and that “Kenya does not have facilities to do a 45 millimetre production for theatres and Kenyan film-makers have to take their work to India or Dubai.”

It is why the Kenya Film Commission is committed to investing in modern film-making infrastructure in the forthcoming ICT Metropolis to be situated in Kwanza in terms of studios and post-production equipment.

Mutie is upbeat when he talks about the ICT city, which is itself a key component in Kenya’s development of Information Technology as a major driver of its Vision 2030, the blueprint for transforming Kenya into a middle income country.

He says the film-making infrastructure at the ICT city will serve Kenya and the East African region.

This fits in perfectly with his vision of making Kenya the region’s filmmaking hub. The infrastructure will put the country on the road to that status.

Strategic partnerships with countries with developed film industries are the sixth way of taking filming in Kenya to the next level, says Mutie. The glint in his eye betrays his excitement as he introduces the topic

September 2011

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•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

NOVEL ENDEAVOUR

Global Investments in Green Energy hits $211 billion Mark China and developing countries are now biggest investors in large-scale renewables while Germany surges ahead on rooftop solar By SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

W

ind farms in China and small-scale solar panels on rooftops in Europe were largely responsible for last year’s 32 per cent rise in green energy investments worldwide, according to the latest annual report on renewable energy investment trends issued by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP). Last year, investors pumped a record US$211 billion into renewables -- about one-third more than the US$160 billion invested in 2009, and a 540 per cent rise since 2004.

For the first time, developing economies overtook developed ones in terms of "financial new investment"-spending on utility-scale renewable energy projects and provision of

32

equity capital for renewable energy companies. On this measure, US$72 billion was invested in developing countries against US$70 billion in developed economies, which contrasts with 2004, when financial new investments in developing countries were about one quarter of those in developed countries.

The report, Global Trends in Renewable Energy Investment 2011, has been prepared for UNEP by the London-based Bloomberg New Energy Finance.

It was launched by UN Under-Secretary-General and UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner and Udo Steffens, President and CEO of the Frankfurt School of Finance & Management as it was also announced that a new

September 2011

SOLAR POWER:

Giant panels in Germany

South and Central America: up 39 per cent to

UNEP Collaborating Centre for Climate & Sustainable Energy Finance is being inaugurated at the Frankfurt School. China, with US$48.9 billion in financial new investment in renewables (up 28 per cent), was the world leader in 2010. However, other parts of the emerging world also showed strong growth:

Middle East and Africa: up 104 per cent to

India: up 25 per cent to US$3.8 billion, and Asian developing countries excluding China and India: up 31 per cent to

US$ 13.1 US$5 billion billion US$4 billion.

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

Another positive development, highlighted in the report with implications for long-term clean energy developments, was government research and development. That category of investment climbed over 120 per cent to well over US$5 billion.

Mr Steiner said: “The continuing growth in this core segment of the Green Economy is not happening by chance. The combination of government target-setting, policy support and stimulus funds is underpinning the renewable industry’s rise and bringing the much needed transformation of our global energy system within reach.’’

“The UN climate convention meeting in Durban later in the year, followed by the Rio+20 summit in Brazil in 2012, offer key opportunities to accelerate and scale-up this positive transition to a low carbon, resource efficient Green Economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication,” he added.

“The finance industry is still recovering from the recent financial crisis,” adds Udo Steffens, President of the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. “The fact that the industry remains heavily committed to renewables demonstrates its strong belief in the prospects of sustainable energy investments.”

“The investment activity in the developing world is not only leading to innovations in renewable energy technologies. Furthermore, it will open up new markets as first mover investors are facilitating a range of new business models and support entrepreneurship in the developing world,” explains Udo Steffens.

The report points out that not all areas enjoyed positive growth in 2010: there was a decline of 22 per cent to US$35.2 billion in new financial investment in large-scale renewable energy in Europe in 2010. But this was more than made up for by a surge in small-scale project installation, predominantly rooftop solar.

Michael Liebreich, chief executive of Bloomberg New Energy Finance, said: “Europe’s small-scale solar energy boom owed much to feed-in

tariffs, particularly in Germany, combined with a sharp fall in the cost of photovoltaic (PV) modules.”

Investments in Germany in “small distributed capacity” rose 132 per cent to US$34 billion, in Italy they rose 59 per cent to $5.5 billion, France up 150 per cent to US$2.7 billion, and the Czech Republic up 163 per cent to $2.3 billion.

The price of PV modules per megawatt has fallen 60 per cent since mid2008, making solar power far more competitive in a number of sunny countries.

By the end of 2010, many countries were rushing to make their PV tariffs less generous. Indeed, Spain and the Czech Republic both moving to make retroactive cuts in feed-in tariff levels for already-operating projects “damaged investor confidence,” the report says. “Other governments, such as those of Germany and Italy, announced reductions in tariffs for new projects - logical steps to reflect sharp falls in technology costs.”

Nevertheless the small-scale solar market is likely to stay strong in 2011, the report suggests.

COMPETITION Further drops in costs for solar, wind and other technologies lie ahead, the report says, posing a growing threat to the dominance of fossilfuel generation sources in the next few years.

Throughout the last decade, wind was the most mature renewable energy technology and enjoyed an apparently unassailable lead over its rival power sources.

Wind turbine prices have fallen 18 per cent per megawatt in the last two years, reflecting, as with solar, fierce competition in the supply chain.

In 2010, wind continued to dominate in terms of financial new investment in large scale renewables, with US$94.7 billion (up 30 per cent from 2009). However, when investments in small scale projects are added in solar is catching up, with US$86 billion in 2010, up 52 per cent on the previous year. With US$11 billion invested, biomass and waste-to-energy come

The price of PV modules per megawatt has fallen 60 per cent since mid2008, making

solar power far more competitive in a number of sunny countries

in third in front of biofuels, which boomed at US$20.4 billion in 2006, but fell off dramatically -- to US$5.5 billion last year.

The sharpest percentage jumps in overall investment were seen in small-scale projects -- up 91 per cent year-on-year at US$60 billion, and in government-funded research and development, up 121 cent per at US$5.3 billion, as more of the “green stimulus” funds promised after the financial crisis arrived in the sector.

Two areas of investment showed a fall in 2010 compared to 2009: corporate research, development and deployment (down 12 per cent at US$3.3 billion, as companies retrenched in the face of economic hard times) and provision of expansion capital for renewable energy companies by private equity funds (down 1 per cent to US$3.1 billion).

Clean energy share prices fell in 2010, with the WilderHill New Energy Global Innovation Index (NEX) down 14.6 per cent, under-performing wider stock market indices by more than 20 per cent. This showing reflected investor concerns about industry overcapacity, cutbacks in subsidy programs and competition from power stations burning cheap natural gas.

Acquisition activity in renewable energy, representing money changing hands rather than new investment, fell from US$66 billion in 2009 to US$58 billion in 2010. The two largest categories of M&A – corporate takeovers and acquisitions of wind farms and other assets – both fell by around 10 per cent.

The low price of natural gas— which was between US$3 and $5 per million BTU for almost all of 2010-hurt the growth of renewables, the report says. The price of natural gas was far less than it was in much of the mid-2000s, before it peaked at US$13 in 2008.

“This gave generators in the US, but also in Europe and elsewhere, an incentive to build more gas-fired power stations and depressed the terms of power purchasing agreements available to renewable energy projects,” says the report

September 2011

33 33

•PICTORIAL Lights•Camera•Action

1. ELEGANT: From Left: S. Kathiravan, Second Secretary High Commission of Malaysia, Kosit Chatpaiboon, H.E. Ambassador Royal Thai Embassy, Domingo D. Lucenario JR, H.E. Ambassador Embassy of the Republic of Philippines, Wisnu T. Mahendra , Charge d. Affaires Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia during the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Day, 2. CHARITY: Grain Bulk Handlers Limited representative, Aliabbas Jaffer (Left) and Joseph Otin, the Human Resource and Administration Manage (centre), present the firm's donation of Kshs 2,269,810/= towards the Kenyans for Kenya initiative.

Kenya Red Cross Director General Abbas Gullet received the donation.

3. POSE : FROM LEFT: Monalisa Chinda Nigerian actress, David Kiarie of Diplomat East Africa and Patience Ozokwor Nigerian theatre icon during Nollywood Road show in Kenya. They were presented with copies of Best of Kenya 4.HAPPY : H.E. Mr. Kadri Fathi Abdel Mottaleb, Egyptian Ambassador, his wife, Inas Kadri and the Deputy Ambassador Ahmed Hares in a reflective pose 5. CHEERS : H.E. Mottaleb poses for a photo with Egyptian Embassy officials and staff during the Egyptian National Day celebrations.

34

September 2011

•PICTORIAL

Lights•Camera•Action

6. MIRTH : Professor Luis Mariano Jou Bertt Mata, Ambassador Bolivaria Government of Venezuela breaks into laughter during an interview 7. OFF YOU GO : S. Kathiravan, Second Secretary High Commission of Malaysia flagging of Peace World Explorer Expedition for Malaysia – Africa at Nairobi. The trip ran from Cape Town to Cairo.

8. FOOD DONATION: Dipan Mediratta (left), the Chairman of PG Bison Kenya Limited and Nishit Mediratta (second left), the Commercial Director hand over one tonne of food to the SSDS temple, Lower Kabete Road for famine relief distribution by Action Aid. The food was received by Deepak Mediratta (centre), the Temple's Convenor for Charity, Omi Bij (second right), the Chairman and Keshavji Kumar Arora (right), the Treasurer.

9. HEAR ME OUT : EAC Assistant Minister Peter Munyi (second left) makes a comment during the 9th meeting of the Sectoral Council of Ministers for the Lake Victoria Basin in Kisumu. With him are from left the Director of Water Resources, Mr John Nyaoro, Environment and Natural Resources PS Mohamed Ali and Forestry and Wildlife PS Mohamed Wa-Mwachai.

10. JAGUAR FASHION FESTIVAL: Noreen Shariff (left), the Sales and Marketing Manager of the Jaguar Land Rover Division of the CMC Motors Group and Sonu Sharma (right), a top Kenyan fashion designer, pose for a photo during the Trendz Kenya Fashion Festival 2011 at the Sarit Expo Hall which was sponsored by Jaguar.

11. ATTENTIVE : Youssou N'Dour (left in white)..with UNICEF Regional Director El Hadj Assy.

September 2011

35 35

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

RESCUE PLAN

New Plan to Save Rare Sea Turtles

Kenya’s marine tourism got a boost with the launch of a sea turtle conservation strategy as an independent study at 18 sites across the world found that marine turtle tourism brings in three times as much money as the sale of turtle products - meat, leather and eggs, writes PAUL UDOTO

AFLOAT:

Turtles are worth more alive

36

E

fforts to conserve the rare and endangered sea turtles in the Indian Ocean got a shot in the arm with the launch of a national conservation strategy. With support from the World Wide Fund for Nature and the American development agency USAID, Kenya becomes the first country in Africa to have a national strategy for the conservation of the sea turtles.

Marine turtle tourism brings in almost three times as much money as the sale of turtle products such as meat, leather and eggs, according to a new economic study Money Talks: Economic Aspects of Marine Turtle Use and Conservation by the international conservatyion organisation WWF. It shows that the worldwide decline in sea turtle populations jeopardizes jobs, tourism, and coastal economies, especially in developing countries, two-thirds of which have sea turtles.

September 2011

The study — the first to assess the economic value of sea turtles on a global scale — compared the revenue generated from killing turtles or collecting their eggs with that generated from tourism at a total of 18 sites in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean.

Speaking during the launch at the Malindi Marine National Park beach, US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger said his government had spent about US$300,000 in developing the strategy.

He added that his government spends more than US$ 6 million on environmental conservation in Kenya.

The strategy provides a coordinated framework for the conservation of sea turtles in Kenya and guides efforts in conservation and management of sea turtles and their habitats.

The main tools to be used in the strategy include advocacy, communication, education, public awareness, targeted research and monitoring, and threats

mitigation. Ultimately, the strategy includes wider participation of the local communities and other stakeholders, including scientists, government and non-governmental institutions. The strategy builds on ongoing efforts and initiates changes that will add value to sea turtle conservation efforts. The strategy is also aligned to international and regional conservation conventions and agreements. It also contributes to the Vision 2030 development blueprint, which recognises tourism as a major sector towards economic empowerment and to the increasing international value of eco-tourism in relation to species conservation.

Five species of sea turtles are found in Kenya; the Green turtle (Chelonia mydas), Hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), Olive Ridley turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea) nest and forage in Kenya while the loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and the leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea) use Kenya’s waters as migratory routes and foraging grounds.

The cultural and socio-economic values of sea turtles drive illegal harvesting of sea turtles for meat, oil and eggs. Degradation of sea turtle habitats is also a major threat. The most exploited species’ include the green turtle, the olive ridley and the hawksbill. Sea turtles also face the most critical threat from fisheries through incidental capture in set gillnets and trawl nets. These fishing gears cause either drowning through entanglement or sea turtles are opportunistically harvested by the fishermen. Additionally, other threats include loss and degradation of nesting and foraging grounds from coastal developments, pollution from land based sources, marine debris, oil spills, oil and gas exploration, predation of hatchlings and juveniles, diseases and emerging threats related to climate change.

Due to their unique ecology and migratory nature, the myriad of threats sea turtles face has led to drastic global population declines. Two of the species using Kenya’s territorial waters are listed as critically endangered while three are listed as endangered

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

ZOOMING IN

CITES Explores Strategies to Tackle Decline in Wildlife Rhino and elephant poaching, timber trade, bush meat and livelihoods were key on the agenda of the CITES Standing Committee meeting in Geneva.

PAUL UDOTO reports

T

he search for innovative financial solutions to help countries regulate wildlife trade effectively took centre stage at the 61st meeting of the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) held in Geneva from 15 to 19 August.

Some 300 participants from all over the world, including observers from Parties, intergovernmental bodies, business community and specialised non-governmental organisations attended the meeting.

The CITES Standing Committee oversees the implementation of rules for the international trade in over 34,000 species between the triennial meetings of the 175 CITES member States. Top issues on the agenda included new financial mechanisms, elephant conservation, measures to reduce current levels of rhino poaching, tigers and other big cats, mahogany and other timber species, sturgeon and caviar trade, and the sourcing of reptile skins used in the leather industry.

“Innovative financial solutions are required to achieve the huge conservation task before us,” said CITES Secretary-General John E. Scanlon. “With nearly seven billion people consuming biodiversity every day in the form of medicines, food, clothes, furniture, perfumes or luxury goods, a robust CITES is

more relevant and needed today than ever. Enhanced cooperation with other organisations and initiatives is crucial to bridge the financial gap between the cost to implement CITES regulations effectively, the resources currently allocated and the services provided to stakeholders,” he added.

“CITES is one of the most important nature conservation instruments in the world because it works in a very focused and operational context at the country level. But its operational nature can also result in CITES not connecting to other related events, and processes and slipping off the higher level political radar screen, which in turn impacts negatively on the flow of resources to the Convention. The implementation challenges are vast and now is the time to ensure CITES is on the higher-level political agenda and attracts the level of resources it deserves and needs,” added the new Chair of the Committee, Mr Oystein Storkersen from Norway.

ELEPHANT CONSERVATION The Committee considered recent findings concerning African and Asian elephants, poaching levels and illegal trade in ivory. A report prepared by the CITES programme for Monitoring the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE) indicates that 2010 has seen the highest levels of elephant poaching since 2002, with

Central Africa being of highest concern. The MIKE analysis also found that poverty and poor governance are the most important influence on elephant poaching together with patterns of consumption in China.

The Committee considered targeted measures for tightening ivory trade controls all along the illegal trade chain in key African and Asian countries, and for raising awareness in Asian markets and transit countries.

Another important measure than can assist in conserving elephants is the recent creation of an ‘African Elephant Fund’ to finance a comprehensive African elephant action plan and a proposal for the creation of an expert committee on elephants.

RHINOCEROSES The Committee examined rhino poaching and illegal trade in their horns. According to a report submitted by the South African Government, a total of 174 rhino have been illegally killed in that country alone during the first six months of 2011. South African poaching levels have therefore risen dramatically in recent years: 13 rhinos poached in 2007, 83 in 2008, 122 in 2009 and 330 in 2010. A total of 122 suspected rhino poachers have been arrested in South Africa since January 2011, 60 of them in the Kruger National Park, which is the protected area that has suffered the biggest losses

September 2011

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•DEA HOTELS Lifestyle & Hospitality

N

HAVEN OF PLEASURE

Pearl at the Kenyan Coast The Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort is a world-acclaimed get away that hosts presidents, international film stars, dignitaries from around the world and avid golfers

By JANE MWANGI 38

September 2011

estled in Diani on a coral reef, with a breath-taking view of the sea, lies one of Africa’s exclusive havens that offers world-class beach and golf resort experiences; designed with the pure intention to amaze and aptly decorated with wild bougainvilleas and towering coconut trees, the Leisure Lodge Beach and Golf Resort is nothing short of a pristine paradise.

With an exclusive beach front presenting spectacular views of the Indian Ocean, the resort offers the ideal surroundings for a perfect stay.

It is not just the 18-hole golf course that attracts the guests, but also the flora and fauna unique to Diani Beach, the amazing underwater world for divers, and the sand and sun that shines all-year-round, not forgetting the exciting casino, a relaxation centre and four large swimming pools. Everything, from the décor to facilities, has been chosen with comfort and pleasure in mind.

The resort has 253 guest rooms, suites and villas that combine re-

laxed elegance with traditional quality and service. Spacious, Bustani Club garden rooms, Bahari Wing rooms feature ocean views, while Oasis Villas feature private pools and sundecks. The four spacious and elegant suites offer breath-taking views of the garden and sparkling free form swimming pools below.

All suites have a large en-suite bath and shower, satellite TV, mini bar and safe.

The Rooms Division manager, Kristine Da Silva said: “We are renowned for the personal service we offer in order to ensure that every guest experience is memorable. We have four main restaurants whereour guests can enjoy a light meal or soothing cocktail.” Situated atop a beautiful coral cliff, the Diani Restaurant and Terrace rests on a spacious, palm-leaf covered pavilion overlooking the Indian Ocean and the Pango swimming pool. Coral Cove Grill & Beach Bar proposes quick meals, sandwiches, burgers, pizzas and salads.

The speciality restaurant, Fishermen’s Cove, offers contemporary

PHOTOS BY: LEISURE LODGE

•DEA HOTELS

Lifestyle & Hospitality

LUXURY:

A generic view of Bahari Bar (top) and one of the spacious Peponi rooms (bottom)

The speciality restaurant, Fishermen’s Cove, offers contemporary seafood in an elegant setting while the Vilindi Bar and Restaurant is a relaxing retreat before or after a round of golf.

seafood in an elegant setting while the Vilindi Bar and Restaurant is a relaxing retreat before or after a round of golf. Then there is the Bahari Bar, ideal for a cocktail as you soak up the magnificent views of the Indian Ocean.When it comes to conferencing, the resort continues setting new standards of excellence from international conferences to intensive training sessions to ensure its place as the leading venue for South Coast corporate meetings. “The Dr Meister Hall can accommodate up to 700 people, or if a more intimate space is desired, we provide smaller rooms ideal for specialised training sessions or board meetings. We have become one of the prime spots for conferencing due to the high demand for conferencing on the Kenyan coast,”

Kristine emphasised.

The resort has added to its impressive conferencing stable theKileleni conference centre, which has four main conference areas. “Only a few hotels along the Kenyan coast that can accommodate a large clientele offering both a business and pleasure experience package. We are in the process of connecting the entire hotel with Wi-Fi.” Majority of the repeat guests come from Switzerland, Italy and UK but mostly from Germany. According to the Chief Executive, John Mutua, the resort has played host to prominent individuals, right from the official opening ceremony in 1972 performed by Kenya’s founding President, His Excellency Jomo Kenyatta, to his successor former President Moi and President Kibaki.

The current president has not only been a repeat guest but has been staying over at the resort, something Mutua terms as a great honour for them. “We have hosted both local and international conventions and conferences especially in the last six months, including cabinet retreats, during one of which the President spent three nights with us. We are the only hotel to have hosted the World Trade Organisation (WTO) meet and also the EU commissioners.”

GOLF COURSE

The Leisure Lodge Golf Course was beautifully designed by Thomas (Tommy) Fjastad. The entire team at the Golf Club has coordinated their efforts into creating a golf course that works in harmony with the natural environments found in Diani.

As you enjoy your round, you will notice the native wildlife that makes the course their home. Take the time to enjoy the splendor of Diani’s Flora and Fauna. Palm, Cashew nut, Casuarinas and Mango trees are some of the natural wonders found on the course. The Leisure Golf Club is home to The Diani Masters

September 2011

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•CONFERENCING Special Report

NEW MARKETS

Huge Potential for East Africa’s Regional Conference Tourism

Infrastructure and huge investments are needed to spur this unique area into a growth spiral, making billions of shillings in the process By RONALD BERA

C

onference tourism in Kenya is looking up, staking a respectable claim to 10 per cent of all tourists coming to the country. This was the logic behind the decision to give a major facelift to the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), the hub of conference tourism in Kenya.

40

The 28-storeyed building receives bookings for international conferences reaching optimal levels and participants exceeding the available bed capacity in Nairobi.

This trend has convinced the government on the viability of establishing replica conference centres in other major towns in the long run. The government

September 2011

is reaching out to the private sector to invest more in tourism infrastructure, especially hotels and resorts to keep pace with the increasing demand. Various incentives are being given to private investors in the sector to facilitate such developments.

The county could benefit tremendously if the corporate sector invests more in conference

•CONFERENCING Special Report

tourism. Potential investors can also take full advantage of these opportunities through direct investments or joint-ventures with Kenyan entrepreneurs, by building conferencing facilities.

Currently, the tourism industry is mainly concentrated at the country’s coastal area and in the National Parks and Game Reserves and the government is strongly committed to regional diversification of this very important industry to other areas.

Similarly, the potential for the domestic market has not been fully exploited. Opportunities also exist in this sector in the construction of tourist hotels and game lodges all over the country.

Tanzania

Conference tourism is a booming industry in Tanzania, with groups wanting to take

advantage of the full range of facilities on offer and to tour the country’s spectacular sites once their work is done. From safaris in the Serengeti to days spent lounging on a tropical beach in Zanzibar, conference incentives take on a whole new meaning in Tanzania.

Conference coordinators provide an option of incentive packages to suit every itinerary, schedule and budget. For large functions, the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC) is centrally located within the city. With huge facilities for delegates, the AICC has hosted the United National Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and other high-profile international conferences.

Conference facilities are available at all of the major hotels, with special bookings and tour packages available all year round.

Annual conferences for UN agencies pan-African business organisations and special interest groups attract a growing number of delegates every year.

NGO’s and special interest groups from Tanzania, East Africa and around the world have chosen to host conferences in Tanzania, both to offer their conferencegoers a special experience in unique surroundings, and to take advantage of the tour packages and safari options the country has to offer.

Conference equipment such as whiteboards, data projectors, reliable computer and internet access, are widely available.

Most hotels will specially cater for a conference group, and meals on the Indian Ocean coast incorporate the freshest seafood with crisp highland produce from the Usambara Mountains. Snacks, tea breaks, and special surprises are all worked into speciallyplanned schedules.

Luxury hotels in Dar es Salaam and Arusha have state-of-the-art facilities in central locations.

Rwanda

Although Rwanda aims to be the premier eco-tourism destination on the African continent, the country is still keen on tapping conference tourism just the same.

The country’s development board has been ardent to promote Rwanda as a high quality tourism destination and to serve as a regional meetings and conference hub for Central and Eastern Africa.

Also, to enhance Rwanda’s diverse and unique tourism products in order to bring tourists to the country and generate revenues that contribute significantly to the country’s overall socio-economic development.

Rwanda is rich in biodiversity and leading in conservation, research and innovation.

Uganda

Conference tourism in Uganda has also been on the upsurge.

There is potential attractiveness of the conferences and incentives travel sector as a tourist product with studies showing that on average business travelers stay as long as three times as much as regular tourists. However, the international market is only starting to pick-up and it is still largely underserved in the country.

Uganda is still constrained by lack of adequate facilities both in accommodation and also in event and exhibition facilities.

With the country not having a single internationally recognised exhibition center to its name, Uganda possesses massive opportunities for investors to think about including worldclass accommodation and conferencing facilities

September 2011

Conference equipment such as whiteboards, data projectors, reliable computer and internet access,

are widely available

41 41

•CONFERENCING Special Report

We can do it!

MICE Tourism Success Factors

By DUNCAN MURIUKI

K

enya is ideally positioned to optimise on conference tourism due to a number of factors in its favour.

PRO-BUSINESS AND DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT The presence of numerous multinational companies in Kenya, together with the government’s support in nurturing businesses, contributes to a dynamic business environment. The introduction of co-investment and seed funding programmes further highlights Kenya as an environment in which ideas can be turned into businesses easily and profitably.

STRATEGIC LOCATION AND ACCESSIBILITY Over 30 foreign airlines operate to and from Kenya through the country’s international airports, namely the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) in Nairobi, the Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa and the Eldoret International Airport, in

42

Eldoret. All these airlines connect all over the world with respective code share partners making Nairobi a hub. Most of the Europe and Asia is 8-10 hours away and 5 hours from most African destinations.

Most of international associations with the command on international conferences are based in Europe.

Due to the importance of Nairobi as the commercial hub for eastern and central Africa, over 10 airlines with global network operate into and out of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on daily basis.

All these airlines connect Nairobi with major cities in Europe and Asia and more so to European and Asian air hubs of London, Amsterdam, Dubai and Doha. The local airline, Kenya Airways operated an extensive network within Africa and links east Africa with direct flights to Paris, China and Hong Kong.

Kenya Airways also operates in partnership with KLM Royal Dutch airline and thus able to provide a seamless flight from any point where each operates into Nairobi. This

September 2011

means that travellers from any part of the world are linked to Nairobi by either one or two airlines.

GEOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE/WEATHER Comparatively, the competing conference tourism destinations in Africa for instance, South Africa, is in one or several ways similar to Europe due to climate and weather advanced culture. The North African countries of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt are in the same climatic region as Southern European countries of Spain, Portugal, Italy, Malta, Greece and France among others.

MICE Council Chairman, Les Baille, says: “Kenya is a safe destination and government here is very probusiness.” The proximity to and relationship of the Northern Africa destination with terrorism bedrock in Middle Eastern countries and especially Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Iran reduces their palatability as conference tourism destinations.

The warm, all year round, weather of the Mombasa coast with no winters,

•CONFERENCING Special Report would beat Durban hands down if there was a large convention center in Mombasa. Hon Balala, during the MICE launch, said there were plans to build a new convention center in Nairobi & Mombasa.

EXOTIC DESTINATION Kenya is a safari country with a well developed tourism infrastructure and considerably unchanged natural environments (ecological and cultural). The country boasts of award winning tourist-class accommodation and diverse tourist attractions. The hospitality of the Kenyan people is next to none in the world.

Most of the tourist attractions are located within one to 2-hour flight from the city. The famous Nairobi National Park is only 20 minutes drive from the city centre where one can be able to see all tropical wildlife except; the elephant.

Extensive choice in Accommodation/Conference Venues With 140 hotels and over 65,000 beds, there is an answer to every budget and preference – from no-frills hotels to luxury beach resorts, and from grand historic accommodation to modern business hotels. Most hotels offer fully-equipped business centers, with meeting facilities, broadband Internet access and other conveniences for business travellers. The presence of KICC is also an added advantage PROFESSIONALISM AND EXPERIENCE Kenya prides itself in its efficiency as well as the professional services that the local industry can provide to business events. KICC together with industry partners work jointly to provide a customised solution for each particular event. Coupled with Kenya’s reputation for excellent hospitality and efficiency, event organisers can be assured of a successful business event.

EXHILARATING MIX OF BUSINESS AND LEISURE ACTIVITIES Constantly re-inventing itself with its vibrant, cosmopolitan landscape and exciting new developments, Kenya offers an exhilarating mix of business and leisure activities for the MICE visitor.

which should be vested with the responsibility of coordinating the national MICE marketing and promotion initiatives. The NCB should be a private sector driven quasi-government organisation.The Bureau Board would be composed of the following;

FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS OF KENYA’S MICE SPACE AND FACILITIES Mega tourism projects such as the Resort Cities planned for 2012 and beyond, will transform the business travel and MICE landscape in Kenya.

MICE has previously identified existing gaps in Kenya’s legal, regulatory, policy, and institutional frameworks as far as issues of land based sources of coastal and marine pollution of the Kenyan coast are concerned.

The section has also highlighted factors that have caused the physical alteration and destruction of the coastal and marine ecosystems the most notable being limestone quarrying, sand and salt mining, and development of tourism related enterprises.

• Government, including Office of President, Tourism, Foreign Affairs, Treasury.

• Nominee by the national MICE association.

• Appointee of Tourism Minister/ cabinet secretary

INDUSTRY ORGANIZATION AND SYNERGY The MICE industry lacks defined structures of organisation and coordination, and there is a great need for structures to enhance greater synergy amongst industry players, enhance responsibility and self regulatory mechanism.

This requires the following; • Establishment of the Convention Bureau at national level • Establishment of MICE business self- regulatory mechanism • Create synergy within the industry.

ESTABLISHMENT OF THE CONVENTION BUREAU AT NATIONAL LEVEL Like other MICE destinations, Kenya requires a National Convention Bureau (NCB)

The MICE industry lacks defined structures of organisation and coordination,

and there is a great need for structures to enhance greater synergy amongst industry players

Destination Africa was initially operating as conference division of Maniago Safaris under the guide of Duncan Muriuki the CEO of Maniago. He has now carved out of Maniago to specialise in this niche market by creating Destination Africa to handle the Maniago MICE based business as a separate company so as to enjoy the benefits of specialisation.

Muriuki was behind the 7,200 ICASA conference held in Nairobi in 2003; The 4,200 Africities Conference held in Nairobi in 2007; The 3,000 V Africa Conference held in Nairobi in 2006; COP 13 conference held in Nairobi; and the Commonwealth Association of Tax Authorities (CATA) amongst others.

Muriuki was involved as the hands-on man in all these conferences, from inception to post conference report writing, earning the title Master of conference Tourism in Kenya. He is backed by team of professionals who have been in the industry for over 15 years on average for each of them many of them having been drawn from key tour firms and trained specifically in conference handling. 

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•CONFERENCING Special Report KENYAN NICHE

Bright Future for Unique Sector Finding our potential in an untapped market

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ike his counterparts in the industry, Michael Riungu, Research and Development Manager at the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB), hopes that the recent surge in conference tourism is sustainable.

Based on KTB data, 2.5 percent of the 2.1 million arrivals registered at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport over the last three years arrived for conferencing. A low figure. But according to Riungu, the number is set to increase.

“There has been a slight increase in conference figures, contributing about 4 percent of total arrivals,” he says, adding that Kenya has huge untapped potential for investment in conference tourism.

According to Hillary Akoto, events and exhibitions coordinator at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), the facility holds meetings on a daily basis and an average of two major conferences and exhibitions in a month – half of which originate from Kenya.

Akoto says international conferences contribute just over 20 percent of the total conferencing volume, with the balance coming from the broader East African region.

Like Riungu, Akoto also expects international conferencing to grow in a big way. “Bidding is now being done for international conferences most of which originate from European countries that fund local organizations concerned with issues such as poverty, HIV/ AIDS and Malaria in Africa,” says

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Akoto. From this, Akoto expects an increase of about 50 percent from current levels. According to Mr. Nelson Mburu, sales manager of Sarova Panafric Hotel which draws 65 percent of its conference clientele locally, Kenya is not doing enough to tap into conference tourism. “Our (country) budget is too low. We need to do more to establish more conference facilities and improve security so as to retain existing business and attract new markets,” he says. Moreover, Mburu says he was witnessed an increase in the number of local corporate and non-governmental organisations – and their affiliates outside the country – looking for ‘perfect’ conference venues.

SECURITY

Based on queries raised by potential conference clients, Mburu says, many placed security and additional amenities – such as availability of (affordable) business centres – as top priority. He adds that since Kenya hosts a number of key international organisations such a UNEP, “we need to tap into this advantages to benefit as a city; it is also a sign that the country is secure.” Sarova Panafric Hotel recently modernised its conference facilities, which Mburu says is aimed at turning the hotel into a one stop conference shop. Like the Sarova Panafric Hotel, KICC was also transformed in 2001 into one of the largest conference venues in the region, with a capacity to host both large and small indoor or outdoor events. Its array of

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“Our (country) budget is too low.

We need to do more to establish more conference facilities and

improve security so as to retain existing business and attract new markets,”

features now includes a 900-seater ultra-modern amphitheatre, large parking space and several business centres.

“We’ve also formed partnerships with the private sector to ease registration procedures for international events that we host,” says Akoto.

“KICC has partnered with Xerox to conduct online registrations for major events.

While KICC can offer these facilities in Nairobi, “the potential to reap the same in other towns and cities remains untapped,” says Jake Grieves-Cook, Kenya Tourist Board Chairman. “KTB is unable to market Mombasa as a conference venue because it (Mombasa) lacks the capacity to handle big conferences…having additional conference facilities in major cities will help boost tourism earnings since conferencing is a non-seasonal event, unlike other forms of tourism.”

To tackle the issue of capacity, Grieves-Cook advises the government to play a leading role in wooing the private sector (through tax breaks, for example) to develop conference facilities in other parts of the country.

According to Grieves-Cook, other obstacles that need to be streamlined in order to facilitate this development, includes abolition of travel advisories and simplifying Visa requirements into the country.  This article was first published in MIKUTANO, the magazine of the KICC in March

•CONFERENCING Special Report

FAIRMONT MOUNT KENYA SAFARI CLUB – PERFECT COMBINATION FOR BUSINESS & LUXURY RETREATS Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club recently completed its 2 year refurbishment program to unveil a luxurious property that reflects the refined quality associated with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. The Club has been restored to its earlier grandeur providing an exceptional setting for relaxation as well as adventure on the equator. The charm and unique personality of the Club was preserved, however, given a modern touch to suit the sophisticated traveler.

The Club now has 120 newly refurbished guestrooms, suites and cottages and all rooms feature a fire place, in room safe, rain shower, fully stocked mini-bar, tea and coffee facilities as well as luxurious amenities.

The renovation program also flaunts a new addition - the Kirinyaga multifaceted room - which offers the best conferencing and meeting venue outside Nairobi, and has state of the art conferencing facilities. Kirinyaga conferencing room can cater for 150 delegates, or up to 200 cocktail guests.

Beside the Kirinyaga room is the Colobus room. It accommodates up to 80 people in theatre and has a pre-function terrace, also facing the equator courtyard. Opposite is the Tembo board room, seating up to 14 people around an antique, wooden boardroom table. Beside it is the slightly larger Chui meeting room. The Club also supplies state-of-the-art audio visual and IT equipment, with Wireless internet connection available throughout the Club.

For relaxation and team building Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club offers numerous luxury activities to indulge in including golf, game viewing on horseback, local excursions, helicopter rides, visit to William Holden’s animal orphanage and the Ol Pajeta Chimpanzee Center, nature walks with the Resident Naturalist and for the sturdy -climbing of Mt. Kenya. Or you could just simply relax and enjoy the beauty and serenity of the surroundings and the luxury of the Safari Club itself

KICC, KENYA HOSTS ICCA AFRICAN CHAPTER CONFERENCE For the first time, Kenya had the privilege to host the International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) Africa Chapter conference dubbed ICCA Africa Client Supplier and Educational Convention at the KICC, Nairobi.

The ICCA Africa Chapter is one of its kind that the KICC has hosted in the history of ICCA Africa Supplier and Educational Conventions.

I want to note that ‘‘Africa Congress and Convention representatives benefited from this workshop. The representatives agreed to work as partners to exploit the potential of meetings taking place in Africa. We lobbied for this workshop to raise Kenya’s profile as a host to ICCA meetings and events, create a platform to exploit the business potential of Meetings, Incentives, Conferences & Exhibitions (MICE) businesses that rotate in Africa and strengthen Kenya ICCA members to attract more Association businesses.’’

Kenya has established its niche in Conference Tourism to supplement her long time prestige in pristine white sandy beaches and dream wildlife safari. The country has immense potential that is yet to be fully exploited. It has the power to establish itself as a Prime MICE destination in International meetings market.

Through MICE Committee and Secretariat, stake holders in the meetings industry, and KICC, the development of this niche has

critically been addressed to increase tourism numbers to Kenya, especially the high-end niche in order to increase money accruing to Kenya’s GDP. Kenya’s rich MICE heritage in the region has seen it host a number of high profile conferences and exhibitions such as the World Bank conference way back in 1973 which took place at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, KICC and still holding major international and regional conferences.This is partly because Kenya is the Eastern Africa’s economic hub.

Following the number of International conferences and events Kenya hosts, the Country’s ranking in the industry has been rising exponentially and now the country stands at position three (3) in Africa closing in on South Africa and Egypt that occupy position one and two respectively.

This is an improvement from 2009 statistics that placed it at position four (4). At the global level, Kenya was placed 60 in 2009 but has now moved four places forward to No. 56. We were ranked number 623 in 2007. Nairobi city was second Africa in meetings behind Cape Town.

Beatrice Makawiti (Mrs) Managing Director

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•CONFERENCING Special Report NEW OPPORTUNITIES

Meetings Galore...

Its Time for Africa!

By DUNCAN MURIUKI

B

The real benefit of Africa’s warm weather & natural resources

lies in fully exploiting its business travel or conference tourism

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usiness tourism is the fastest growing sector in tourism, according to the World Tourism organisation, consisting largely of what is known as MICE - Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events or Exhibitions.

Countries, such as Singapore, draw 30 per cent of tourism revenue from MICE, while Africa has hugely lagged behind in taking advantage of the promising lucrative opportunity.

As the world reaps the benefit of conference tourism, Africa –is busy trying to sell a few more seats for its safaris and beach holidays, clearly chasing the hare, whilst the juicy antelope strolls leisurely, least disturbed.

Despite all the beautiful attractions and safaris that Africa is reputed for, it still sits pretty at the bottom of the rank as far as hosting and benefiting from this juicy subsector is concerned.

The real benefit of Africa’s warm weather & natural resources lies in fully exploiting its business travel or conference tourism.

In Kenyan for instance, you still need to take time to explain to people what MICE is all about and the opportunities therein.

The International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA) rankings place Kenya –having hosted 19 international meetings in 2010 - at position 56 in the world, and 3 in Africa after South

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Africa and Egypt. Nairobi takes position 2 after Durban, as a MICE destination in Africa.

ICCA says there is growing interest in Africa. According to the ICCA Africa statistics in 2010, there were 283 International meetings held in the continent – with 32 of them held in key destinations. The most important in Africa taking place in South Africa (86 meetings), Egypt (35), Kenya (27), Morocco (25), Tunisia (12), Ghana (9), Nigeria (9), Senegal (9) and Ethiopia (8).

There were an estimated 160,000 participants with the average number of participants in a single conference standing at 572.

DELEGATES

The economic spin off and job creation resulting from conference tourism is usually enormous once it gets rooted.

This is normally becauseCongress delegates spend two to three times more than ‘normal’ ; tourists, on average, spend more than US $ 350 per delegate per day; congress exhibitions and booths; pre and post conference tours to local attractions; induced tourism; relatively high multiplier, up to even 2.4 (depending on country); substantial contribution to GDP; direct and indirect jobs through increased consumption of goods and services like taxis, shopping, food; and foreign exchange, VAT and other taxes.

Only recently, a host of Kenyan hotels and institutions of higher

learning embraced MICE tourism.

Kenya, having realised that the power in exploiting this lies in its hands, embarked on formulating the strategy and finally after several months of hard work, launched the National Mice Strategy on July 6th 2011 at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC).

There had been heightened activity on the conference tourism front ahead of the visit by Secretary General of the World Tourism organisation (UNWTO), Dr Taleb Rifai, and it climaxed with the launch of the MICE strategy in July.

Rifai, who had held meetings with President Mwai Kibaki before the launch said the president agreed to conspicuously be the number one promoter of tourism in the country. Rifai’s mission in the region had been to sensitise governments in the region to do more and work towards optimising on conference tourism.

Shortly after the UNWTO Secretary General’s visit, the ICCAAfrica Chapter help its conference on how to help Africa scale up in this all important sector, at KICC. International conferences tend to be huge in numbers and also high profile and as a result, they have a great economic multiplier effect. They attract large numbers of people, many of whom are sponsored attendees to these conferences and therefore have a higher disposable income since the expenses are all paid for.

The attendees tend to be people of above average means, reasonably well off and have reasonable income and therefore, tend to have higher propensity to spend within the time the delegates are within the destination.

The various efforts seen in this front in the last couple of months are geared towards answering the questions: How we do we attract

•CONFERENCING Special Report these delegates? Why Kenya and not other countries for the next conference? We need to attract more conferences of regional and international nature. This, as has come out clearly, requires a major undertaking to overall the product and market development on conference tourism.

The greatest challenge is that most of international conferences are rotational in nature. This rotation can be cross-continental ie Africa, Europe, America and Asia.

It is also done on regional blocks such as Western Europe, Great Lakes, Asia-pacific, Atlantic coasts, Middle East-Africa (MEA), East Africa, Western Africa, Southern

Africa, and also the Caribbean. The future of Africa’s tourism growth is convention or conferencing. Our fragile game parks have a limit as to how many more thousands of tourism we can invite without compromising their survival.

Masai Mara, for example, this season was full to capacity and there was no extra room for the clients who were willing to go there.

So, how then do we increase our wealth creation from this sector if clients who want to come cannot go to our parks due to limited capacity, yet there is a limit to how much you can charge them? The key word here is conferencing. If the region wants to be on top in

tourism numbers, it must also be on top in facilities to cater for these numbers.

According to Tourism Minister Najib Balala during the launch of the MICE Strategy, a new convention center with a 5,000 delegate capacity is to be put up in Mombasa. Ideally centered on business, it is hoped that this should be a private sector or public sector initiative with the government acting as the facilitator The author is the CEO of Destination Africa

Conferencing at Crowne Plaza Crowne Plaza is designed as the place to meet for all your sales conventions, board meetings, informal get together, lunches/dinners and cocktail parties.

Meeting facilities feature: •

•

•

A pillar-less Ballroom to cater for 500 guests and can be partitioned into three smaller rooms with equal capacity.

Three ultra modern boardrooms accommodating 15 people each. The services offered are Full-day meeting package, Half day meeting package, Banquet, Lunches/dinners, Receptions, VIP tea/coffee breaks.

Equipment for the conference and meeting include (Smart Boards, Internet facilities,35mm slide projector, DVD player, Digital projector, Flip chart and markers, Group & Event packages,LCD projector and a Microphone and Whiteboard)

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Sarova Hotels ‘Motivator’ Conferencing Solution

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Sarova Hotels is a leading group in the hospitality business running hotels, resorts and game lodges in Kenya.

ith over a thousand rooms in eight hotels and lodges in unique destinations, Sarova caters for both leisure and business travelers. For the leisure traveler, Sarova offers a host of diverse experiences including wildlife game drives, balloon rides, water sports, health clubs, a spa and traditional and contemporary entertainment. For the visiting business executive, Sarova hotels provide up-to-date business facilities through the state of the art conferencing product – The Motivator- a complete conference solution.

Meeting rooms at Sarova Hotels, Resorts & Game lodges feature an all-encompassing set of facilities, strategically assembled to enable the client to effectively use any form of technology to present, brainstorm, coordinate teamwork and communicate with the outside world via a myriad of media. This inspiring set-up is complemented by the ultimate comfort created by superior furniture fittings, Air Conditioning and sound proofed rooms.

Sarova provides a choice of diverse locations which offer unique experiences for the business traveler. Sarova Stanley, ideally located in the heart of the Nairobi CBD, has nine

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conference rooms all themed to bring out a unique character and identity. Conferencing at Sarova Stanley offers all guests a virtual journey through history while offering State of the art meetings equipment and support. Sarova Stanley’s Churchill Ballroom is named after the British statesman and later Prime Minister who, as Under Secretary for the Colonies, visited Kenya in 1907 and was hosted for a banquet at the hotel.

This grandiose room can seat 250 for elegant, sophisticated dining and host 350 for conferencing.

Sarova Panafric boasts of the finest state-of-the-art meeting and conference facilities. The hotel has seven fully equipped function rooms for different

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OUTDOOR CHALLENGE:

A team goes through Sarova Survivor Challenge (top) Right, the spacious and elegantly furnished conference rooms.

requirements with a combined capacity of 700 persons. If you are looking to hold a conference by the beach, look no further.

Sarova Whitesands Beach Resort & Spa offers some of the finest meeting and conference services in the country with state-ofthe- art equipment and facilities designed to meet the entire range of requirements from large meetings to executive off sites or board meetings. The resort boasts optional meeting venues ranging from the enormous Makutano amphitheatre, board rooms for more focused and smaller sized meetings, to outdoor lawn or beach meeting venues. Sarova Mara Game Camp, nestled in a lush enclave inside the Maasai

•CONFERENCING Special Report Mara National Reserve, is definitely one of those experiential conferences venues that leave lasting memories.

Sarova Mara Game Camp is well suited for meetings and incentives with extensive facilities and a wide array of dining options including bush dining.

Sarova Lion Hill Game Lodge is located on a hill side bordering Lake Nakuru with expansive views of the Lake in the heart of Lake Nakuru National Park in the Rift Valley Province of Kenya. The lodge has two conference rooms available and can host up to a 100 delegates.

Sarova Shaba Game Lodge is located in a natural oasis in the heart of the Shaba Game Reserve or “Born Free Country” that Joy and George Adamson called home for many years. The Doum Conference Room named after the dominant Doum Palm tree in the lodge is able to host a conference with a difference deep in the African bush. The Doum Room has open French windows overlooking the fishpond and veranda. “Sarova Survivor Challenge” the unique Team building product based at Sarova Shaba Game Lodge is one of the most interesting, funfilled and effective ‘Training’ and ‘Team Building’ programs ever! It is a unique concept that provides an effective experiential training venue as well as a menu of tried; tested and proven training and team building solutions that yield a practical action plan to implement learning back at the work place.

Sarova Taita Hills Game Lodge is located at the main entrance of the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary in South Eastern Kenya, 400 KM from Nairobi. The Game lodge has deep history that is embodied in the theme and experience at the lodge. Sarova Taita Hills Game Lodge offers modern facilities for

ELEGANCE:

Some of the conference rooms, tailored for varying client sizes, at Sarova

the perfect conference in the wild.

Kitchens of Sarova specializes in outdoor catering for a wide range of occasions including; national day celebrations, corporate events, business lunches, office parties, Christmas parties, onpremise conferences, social events and weddings.

For enquiries, contact Sarova Central reservations on 254 20 2767000 or email centralreservations@sarovahotels. com . Visit www.sarovahotels.com for further details.

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•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World Diplomat East Africa:Your Excellency, reflecting on your leadership and having been elected as president of Nigeria twice, do you think poor leadership is to blame for the stagnation of Africa’s performance?

HE Olusegun Obasanjo: Leadership is paramount. Looking back, after having been Head of State for almost 4 years, and subsequently travelled around the world before and immediately I ceased to be Head of State, I sat down to reflect on what I saw as a draAw back in Africa’s performance in all spheres of human activity. One thing I discovered as being very critical was leadership.

I therefore came to the conclusion that our leadership in Africa has two major handicaps; one, is the mistake of omission and second of commission.

The former is when those in positions of power make because they knew no better for the reason that their exposure, training and understanding was limited. While, the latter is the mistake they make in the full knowledge that it is bad and it is more often than not for various selfish reasons. So the totality of all that is embedded in the word corruption.

DEA PRESIDENTIAL INTERVIEW

Ex-Presidents Owe Africa, says Obasanjo A former Nigerian President, HE CHIEF OLUSEGUN OBASANJO talks to DEA’S JANE MWANGI about the principal role retired presidents should play in reclaiming the destiny of Africa and overcoming daunting challenges. Excerpts 50

September 2011

Q: You decided to take charge of transforming the face of Africa’s leadership through the formation of the Africa Leadership Forum. What did you have in mind?

A: Owing to my experience at the helm of Nigeria’s presidency, I decided to set up a civil-society organisation which will bring up and coming young African leaders from all walks of life; not only politics but public-private sectors and civil society as well and expose them to experienced and accomplished leaders across the World. While I was thinking of that, someone pointed out to me that I was working on successor generation of leaders, but doing nothing about the incumbent leaders. And yet the successor generation would have nobody to succeed to unless we tackle the issues of the incumbent leaders as

•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World well. So I decided to modify my plan. I then asked some of the accomplished World leaders like Jimmy Carter, James Callaghan among others and brought them in. Hence the African Leadership Forum was born in recognition of the urgent imperative for improving leadership qualities in Africa, a continent that has been driven by leadership crises. It was, indeed, in response to a number of very pressing challenges facing post-independence Africa. It aims at encouraging as much as possible, networking between the young and old generations of African leaders in the true spirit of experience-sharing and with the aim of establishing permanent channels of communication and co-operation. And also to foster complete understanding of the crisis of development and generate a consciousness of the socio-political problems of development within the framework of national, regional and global aspirations.

Q: The challenges confronting Africa remain daunting. A major challenge in the years ahead is the problem of poverty that continues to ravage a majority of Africans. How can the continent break free from this?

A: A majority of our countries have consistentlyrecordedoverfivepercent economic growth rate per annum over the last one decade, and also many countries have witnessed significant increases in both direct and foreign portfolio investments. However, most of Africa may not meet the Millennium Develop Goals. Indeed poverty is a major setback to the MDG’s. This is why I believe that this calls for a resurge of African renaissance, anchored in the principle of public-private partnership and driven by the spirit of enterprise. We can fight poverty.

Q: In 2005, while you were still in power the international community gave Nigeria its first pass mark for its anti-corruption efforts.

Corruption is still a major deterrent

A majority of our countries have consistently recorded over five per cent economic growth rate per annum over the last one decade, and also many

countries have witnessed significant increases in both direct and foreign portfolio investments

to development in Africa. Is there a formula for fighting corruption?

A: Fighting corruption is not an overnight work but what is important is that there must be passion at the highest level to combat it. The top government level has to lead by example and there should be no sacred cow as has been the norm in some countries in Africa. It is also very important to have an effective judiciary. However, there is no country in the World that is completely free from corruption but some have a way of dealing with it extra-judiciously.

We must never glorify corruption and anyone found guilty should be dealt with according to the law; there must never be instances where the government is seen to be condoning the vice. Sanctions must follow the offence immediately.

Q: Conflict has and continues to be a potentially explosive issue on the Continent. Even with regional bodies like AU and on a larger scale the UN in place. Do you think they have been effective especially drawing from your own experience as the UN special envoy to DRC? A: I applaud their efforts and acknowledge that we still have a lot to do. The UN established the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and Kenya was one of the first signatories to the convention. But that is not enough, after you have signed it, what next?

It remains for leaders at the national, local and community level to play their part. The problem is mainly with the countries themselves. We have achieved some progress where countries set up an anti-corruption law to punish their citizens who have been found to have fuelled or financed conflict. Conflicts have been one of the things dragging us back, with my own country having had to fight a civil war. You thought your own country was immune until the last general elections. Your neighbours too; Uganda has had to go through its

own experience not forgetting Sudan and Somalia. Conflict is strongly anti-development and should be condemned by all means. AU has established measures to be able to deal with conflict under the auspices of its peace and security organ. But there’s an urgent need to increase the capacity of AU. Watching, monitoring, reporting and giving early warning whenever problems arise.

Q: You are a member of the African Progress Panel (APP) and one of the founding members of Transparency International in addition to being the first chairman of its advisory council. The APP was aimed at focussing World leaders’ attention on delivering their commitments to the continent. How do you rate the scorecard?

A: Our job has always been to stir the conscience of the International community to meet their commitments, obligations and pledges to Africa. The subsidiary task is to point out the areas where they are performing inadequately, the deficiencies, corrections they have to make and we have been doing that. We have been pointing out that the international community is not meeting its obligations and pledges.

There are areas where many African countries have not gone far enough in their reforms and we aim to draw attention to that

Chief Olusegun Obasanjo (74) is a former Nigerian Army general and former President of Nigeria. A Nigerian of Yoruba descent, Obasanjo was a career soldier before serving twice as his nation’s head of state, once as a military ruler, between 13 February 1976 to 1 October 1979 and again from 29 May 1999 to 29 May 2007, as elected President. His current home is Abeokuta, the Capital City of Ogun State, where he is a nobleman and holder of the titles of the Balogun of the Owu Lineage and the Ekerin Balogun of the Egba clan of Yorubaland.

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•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World

DIGNITARIES: Ex-Nigerian President Olesegun Obasanjo (centre) with a former South African President Thabo Mbeki and Kenyan Cabinet Minister Anyang' Nyong'o (left) with other dignitaries at an African leadership meeting in Mombasa

ACCOUNTABILITY

When Not to Shoot the Messenger

BY BARRACK MULUKA

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as Chief Obasanjo’s anger against the media misplaced? The truth remains that Hosni Mubarak was dishonorably taken to court in an ignominious cage. It would not make any material difference if the media did not report the

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matter. Prof Chinua Achebe calls it the conflict between the poet and the emperor – the struggle between the raconteur and the king. It came up again, at the recently concluded Second Africa Governance, Leadership and Management Convention in Mombasa, last month. Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, was cut to the quick when the session moderator, Linus Kaikai, suggested that it was the role of the mass media to monitor the activities of the political class and to hold it to account.

‘Who holds you to account?’

Chief Obasanjo quipped. He went on to berate the African media and to accuse it of working against what is best for Africa. The media, he said, was ‘the enemy within’ while foreign powers that try to control the character and direction of civic events in Africa are ‘the

enemy without.’ Chief Obasanjo was particularly angry because of media images of former Egyptian president, Hosni Mubarak, being taken to court in a cage, for trial over allegations of graft and misrule. It is Chief Obasanjo’s view that the media is gleeful about Mubarak’s predicament.

A fundamental concern arises on the African condition and especiallyoncontinentalmultilateral approaches to the burning questions of the day. Indeed, is Chief Obasanjo’s anger against the media a case of shooting the messenger?

For, the truth remains that Mubarak was dishonorably taken to court in an ignominious cage. It would not make any material difference if the media did not report this matter.

The fact remains that Mubarak was in a caged being. It is also true that he was not caged by the media. It is the new political class in Cairo that caged him. Would Mzee Obasanjo’s disquiet with the media, therefore, appear misplaced?

On the other hand, it is not difficult to appreciate where Chief Obasanjo is coming from. Mzee Obasanjo is himself a former African head of state and government. He is one of the few who have voluntarily retired at the expiry of their term.

He also enjoys respect as an elder African statesman, who is widely consulted on continental and global issues, both at home and away.

Nonetheless, his sympathies for a disgraced leader who has held similar office are understandable.

It is easy for any African head of state – serving or retired – to see a reflection of himself in the image of Mubarak in a cage. It is a worrisome image. A man who has schemed the cream of the good life suddenly finds himself in the most dehumanising position. This could happen to just about any African leader, today.

But is this anonymity also a reward

•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World

for self-serving diplomacy by the continental political elite? Has African multilateral diplomacy lost relevance? As early as 1963, African founding fathers came together to form the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which became the pre-eminent diplomatic club on the continent. It was expected that through the OAU, Africa would address local and global issues for the benefit of the citizens. David Lamb has observed rather cynically in the book The Africans that the union deteriorated rather steadily into a dictators’ club. Every year, the leaders would assemble now in this capital city and then in that other city, to congratulate themselves for having survived yet another year in office. The union, in the fullness of time, lost relevance for the common African citizen.

It was thought that the transformation of the OAU into the African Union (AU) in 2002 would inject some freshness of focus and commitment to good governance in the continent’s leadership. The people at the forefront of this transformation included Chief Obasanjo himself, President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa and President Abdoulaye Wade of Senegal. Also prominent in this scenario was the new beleaguered Muammar Gadaffi of Libya. The overriding philosophy was that the continent required urgent rebirth. They spoke of an African Renaissance. They recalled ancient African history with nostalgia. They spoke of the learning centres of excellence that were once Timbuktu and Alexandria and of the great cities of Memphis and Thebes. Poor leadership and governance was blamed for the obtaining African malaise. It was strongly felt that African leadership needed peer prefecture. The notion of New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) was born.

From now onwards, African heads of state and Government would speak to each other and correct one another, for a better continent.

But NEPAD seems to have fizzled out – or is fizzling out – at any rate? Eleven years into the 21st century and the renaissance philosophy that welcomed it, Africa is inspiring only to the extent that there is the throbbing drumbeat of popular uprising. From Ivory Coast, to Tunisia, Egypt and Uganda, there is clear restlessness in Africa. Even societies that were once thought to be immune of political violence, such as Kenya and Tanzania, have had a whiff of popular civic unrest.

Sudan went into a wild orgy in Darfur, leading US Secretary of State Collin Powell to pronounce in 2004 that the Omar Hassan El Bashir Government was engage in genocide against its own people.

Bashir has since become a fugitive, wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have his day in court over crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

But Bashir enjoys protection from his peers. While the ICC has issued a warrant of arrest against President Bashir, the man enjoys unbridled freedom within what can now only be described as the expanded African prison. He hops from this country to the other with impunity.

Such is the bane of African diplomacy. It is such convoluted diplomacy that eventually drives people such as Laurent Gbagbo, former president of Ivory Coast, Zenadine Ben Ali of Tunisia and Hosni Mubarak of Egypt into ignominy. When they are in their element committing all manner of wrong against their people, their peers turn a blind eye. Concern only seems to arise when the boot is on the other foot and the royal man is now at the receiving end. This is why we are not about to stop seeing

It was thought that the transformation of the OAU into the African Union (AU) in 2002 would

inject some freshness of focus and commitment to good governance in the continent’s leadership

disgraced former leaders in cages all over the continent. This is unless the topmost leadership wakes up to live to the true promise of the African Renaissance.

This was the message that came out of the convention in Mombasa.

African diplomacy must reinvent itself to begin serving the people, rather than the ruling class. Trouble spots abound on the continent today. All is not well in Uganda, where President Yoweri Museveni rules by constitutional fiat.

Whenever the opposition raises its head, he unleashes the Uganda People’s Defence Forces to clobber them senseless in the streets of Kampala. In Malawi, Bingu wa Mutharika arrived wearing revolutionary outfit. Today, Mutharika has come of age. He rules his country with a heavy hand.

Like Museveni in Entebbe, he is scheming for a successor from his family, if he should eventually go into retirement.

Elsewhere in Zimbabwe, Africa takes it as a matter of course that Robert Mugabe will rule by fiat and that that is the order of things.

That is until the day one of these gentlemen will be dragged to court in a cage. Then the ruling elite will wake up to decry the sacrilege.

The debate is not, eventually, about the media showing images of a caged Mubarak. It is, rather, about the continental elite setting a benchmark for leadership and governance. The poet only talks about what the emperor is doing.

It is eventually up to the emperor to style up. The emperors’ club only does injustice to the emperors it the members do not whisper to each other that they risk stepping out naked The author is a Publishing Editor and a Media Consultant.

September 2011

53 53

•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World

REALITY CHECK

The True Cost of America’s Wars

BY JACK A. SMITH

D

uring his speech on Afghanistan June 22, President Barack Obama revealed that "Over the last decade, we have spent a trillion dollars on war." He knew this was a deceptive understatement, as did everyone who keeps close watch on the Bush-Obama wars all these years.

Few Americans, however, have closely followed Washington's 21st century wars of choice, so a trillion probably sounds right to them, but that amount in 10 years - when the annual cost of air conditioning alone for the U.S. in Afghanistan and Iraq amounts to $20.2 billion a year - is way off base.

(It's difficult to conceive of one trillion, so we'll repeat a method we've used before: Sixty seconds comprise a minute. One million seconds comes out to be about 11½ days. A billion seconds is 32 years. And a trillion seconds is 32,000 years.)

The latest objective estimate for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, made public June 29, is between $3.7 trillion and $4.4 trillion (140,800 years), according to the research project "Costs of War" by Brown University's Watson Institute for International Studies.

The university assembled a team of economists, anthropologists, political scientists, legal experts, and a physician to do this analysis, which included future costs for veterans care and interest on war debts to be paid over the next few decades.The medical costs are huge. "While we know how

54

September 2011

many U.S. soldiers have died in the wars (just over 6,000)," the report pointed out, "what is startling is what we don't know about the levels of injury and illness in those who have returned from the wars.

New disability claims continue to pour into the VA, with 550,000 just through last fall." This doesn't even include the thousands of deaths and injuries among quasi-military contractors. There are about as many contractors as troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

It's impossible to precisely predict the interest costs on these wars. In 2010, $400 billion of our tax money went toward paying off past war debts as far back as the Korean War of the early 1950s.

We'll pay war debts indefinitely because Washington is always borrowing to plan for or start new wars. So far, the U.S.-led NATO war for regime change in Libya is costing American taxpayers about a billion. The Pentagon has blueprints ready

for many different kinds of future wars, from small counter-terrorism escapades, to cyberspace and outer space conflicts, to nuclear war, all the way up to World War III. The Brown University figures may turn out to be underestimates.

A few independent studies over the years have been somewhat higher but were brushed aside by the White House and the mass media. This may happen to the Brown calculations as well.The respected Nobel Prizewinning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Harvard Professor Linda Bilmes wrote a book three years ago estimating the cost of the Iraq war only, based on data collected in 2006. It was titled "The Three Trillion Dollar War."

•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World They based their calculations on the "hidden" costs of the war that include enormous medical care expenses over the next 50 years for tens of thousands of badly wounded soldiers, other benefits, equipment replacement, and interest on war debts.

Stiglitz and Bilmes calculated in 2008 that the combined cost of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars would be between $5 and $7 trillion. They called these adventures the "credit card wars." Using a somewhat different methodology a few years ago, the Joint Economic Committee of Congress estimated the Iraq war ultimately will cost $3.5 trillion. They didn't include the Afghan war.

Assuming Obama is re-elected, the Bush-Obama wars - including Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen (and Somalia, where the U.S. is now engaged in drone strikes), plus the wars in Obama's final years - will certainly top $5 trillion in real costs.

In this connection, we cannot

forget that current Pentagon spending of around $700 billion a year represents a huge increase since 2001, when it totaled about $380 billion. (By comparison, during this same time period, military spending by Iran portrayed byWashington, Tel-Aviv and Saudi Arabia as the greatest danger to peace in the Middle East - dropped from $9 billion in 2001 to $7 billion in 2010.) But Defense Department expenses are only half the story.

Double the Pentagon's $700 billion for a true estimate of the amount of money the U.S. spent on war-related issues last year. That's $1.4 trillion a year for the United States. How is this possible? Instead of just discussing the Pentagon budget, it is essential to also consider Washington's various other "national security" budgets.

That of course includes the costs of Washington's 16 different intelligence services, the percentage of the annual national debt to pay for past war expenses, Homeland Security, nuclear weapons, additional annual spending requests for Iraq and Afghan wars, military retiree pay and healthcare for vets, NASA, FBI (for its war-related

military work), etc.When it's all included it comes to $1,398 trillion for fiscal 2010, according to the War Resisters League and other sources. It's not enough just to take note of the money Washington spent on stalemated wars of choice. It's fruitful to contemplate where our $5 trillion Bush-Obama war funding might have been invested instead. It could have paid for a fairly swift transition from fossil fuels to a solar-wind energy system for the entire U.S. - a prospect that will now take many decades longer, if at all, as the world gets warmer from greenhouse gases. And there probably would have been enough left to overhaul America's decaying and outdated civil infrastructure, among other projects.

But while the big corporations, Wall Street and the wealthy are thriving, globalwarmingandinfrastructurerepair have been brushed aside. States are cutting back on schools and healthcare.

Counties and towns are closing summer swimming pools and public facilities.

Jobs and growth are stagnant. The federal government is sharply cutting the social service budget, and Medicare et al. are nearing the chopping block.

Meanwhile, be assured that despite a bit of fixing here and there, the military and national security budgets will remain essentially unchanged Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Centre for Research on Globalization. © Copyright Jack A. Smith, Global Research, 2011 © Copyright 2005-2007 GlobalResearch.ca

September 2011

55 55

•HEALTH Mind • Body • Soul

LOOMING PERIL

Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs) Ranked World’s Biggest Killers Focus shifts to the health area of ailments which can not be transmitted, with revelations that it now accounts for slightly over 60 per cent of all deaths in the world

By RONALD BERA

M

ore than 38 million people die annually from Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) – which currently are, by far, killing more people than HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, Malaria and maternal causes combined.

This makes NCDs –medical conditions or diseases which cannot be transmitted, the leading cause of deaths each year, accounting for over 60 percent of all global deaths. Over half of these usually are premature and preventable.

In Kenya, the population is under threat with almost half of all people admitted in hospitals at any one time suffering from an NCD. A further 35 percent of those laying in hospital deaths - including those with injuries from road accidents – are attributed to them.

Non-Communicable diseases have emerged as a serious macroeconomic and development challenge around the globe especially in developing countries such as Kenya, where 9 out of every 10 people, under the age of sixty die from them, Kenya’s Medical Services Minister, Anyang’ Nyong’o, said during the launch of a four-day National Conference on Non-Communicable diseases forum in Nairobi late August.

A report on NCDs released by the

56

September 2011

World Health Organisation (WHO) in 2002 indicates that the diseases are becoming a major burden in developing countries and that the burden continues to grow each year.

WHO estimates that within the period 2015 – 2020, the number of deaths from the four leading NCDs - cardiovascular diseases, cancer,

diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases – would increase by 21 percent. Evidence available indicates that NCDs are on the rise and immediate interventions are necessary despite all the challenges Kenya faces as a nation, said Ngari Mary, the Permanent Secretary, Medical Services Ministry.

•HEALTH Mind • Body • Soul It is estimated that by the year 2030, 8 out of 10 leading causes of death will be linked to NCDs The World Economic Forum’s 2010 Global Risks Report identifies NCDs as one of the most severe threats to the global economy in terms of likelihood and potential economic loss.

GLOBAL RISK

The Global Risk Report says that NCDs are a global risk equal in cost to the current global financial crisis.

NCDs, which include cancer, heart diseases, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes, stroke, asthma, chronic kidney diseases, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, cataracts, trauma and much more, will officially join HIV on the UN agenda as one of the biggest health threats to the world on September 19 and 20 in New York at a UN High level meeting on NonCommunicable diseases.

Just like HIV/AIDS when it struck many years back, the size of the NCDepidemic, its diverse causes, and its universal impact –is now everyone’s problem and it is proving difficult even for governments to handle alone. That is the reason why several heads from different multi-sectoral levels need to be put together and come up with a tangible plan to combat it _ at the UN September meeting.

This meeting is just as important, probably more important than the ones held several years ago at the onset of HIV/AIDS which was a major threat to global health and development at that point in time.

“Thepromptandurgentattention that was given to HIV/AIDS needs to be replicated now with regard to NCDs,” said Raila Odinga, Kenya’s Prime Minister late August during the official opening and launch of the National Conference on NonCommunicable diseases in Nairobi.

“Indeed our commitment to meeting MDGs by 2015 is now substantially threatened by the major onslaught on our health systems by

The Global Risk Report says that NCDs are a global

risk equal in cost to the current global financial crisis

NCDs,” he said.

The Kenyan government attributes the problem to economic transition, rapid urbanization and modern lifestyle. These include widespread use of tobacco, unhealthy diets and alcohol use and abuse.

“Today, 18 percent of adult males (2 million men) in Kenya are cigarette smokers; half of these people will die of preventable tobacco related diseases. 18.7 percent of the Kenyan population is overweight while 5 percent are obese – causing over 20 percent of the population to be at risk of developing non-communicable diseases.Intermsofphysicalinactivity, 17 percent of the Kenyan population leads a relatively sedentary life while over 70 percent consume unhealthy diets which are high in sugars, salts and fats.”

GLOBAL RISK

These risk factors, it says, along with mental and neurological disorders, are conspiring with injuries and violence to overstretch the fragile and already overburdened health systems in Africa and other developing countries.

In 2008, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution endorsing an Action Plan reflecting the global strategy for the prevention and control of NCDs. The plan was to try and combat the spread of the epidemic by evaluating prevention interventions and creating global partnerships for the prevention and control. However, educating individuals on the need and importance of living healthy will do more than trying to detect and combat it later on

DEVELOPING COUNTRIES LAG BEHIND IN NEWBORN DEATHS, SAYS WHO RONALD BERA Global death rates among newborns under one-month old is waning fast, says a study by the World Health Organisation, but progress is too slow in developing countries, where disproportionately high levels of child deaths are still being reported.

“Newborn deaths decreased from 4.6 million in 1990 to 3.3 million in 2009, but fell slightly faster since 2000.More investment into health care for women and children in the last decade when the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were set, contributed to more rapid progress for the survival of mothers (2.3 per cent per year) and children under the age of five (2.1 per cent per year) than for newborns (1.7 per cent per year),” WHO said in a statement.

According to the study conducted by the WHO, Save the Children and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and published in the journal PLoS Medicine, 99 percent of all newborn deaths occur in developing countries, with India, Nigeria, Pakistan, China and the Democratic Republic of Congo accounting for half of them.

The study found that newborn deaths - that is deaths in the first four weeks of life (neonatal period) - today account for 41 percent of all child deaths before the age of five.

This is an alarming growth from 37 percent in 1990, and experts say it is likely to increase further.

The first week of life is the riskiest week for newborns, and yet many countries are only just beginning postnatal care programmes to reach mothers and babies at this critical time.

Kenya – ranked among the top twenty countries with the highest number of newborn deaths aged below one month old – annually loses more than 40,000 of these babies because they lacked simple provisions like enough warmth in their early days.

Africa recorded the slowest decline in newborn deaths, at a rate of just one percent per year, shows the study deemed as the most comprehensive newborn death estimates to date, covering the last 20 years and in all the 193 WHO member states.

India has more than 900,000 newborn deaths per year, nearly 28 percent of the global total, it shows.

Africa saw the slowest decline in newborn deaths, at a rate of just one percent per year, it said

September 2011

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•ENVOYS OF SPORT

CHAMPIONSHIP

2011 Rugby World Cup is here!

The world’s sporting fraternity congregates in New Zealand for the largest gathering yet to witness the tussle in the “game of ru ians played by gentlemen” this month, featuring some 20 nations from around the globe, including two from Africa

By RONALD BERA

T

he 2011 Rugby World Cup kicks off in New Zealand for the second time from September 9 in what will be the largest sporting event ever held in the island nation.

The high profile event will no doubt outshine previous ones, such as the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 1990 Commonwealth Games, 1992 Cricket World Cup, the 2003 America’s Cup and the 2005 British and Irish Lions

58

tour. Over 100,000 rugby fans from overseas will travel to New Zealand for the games, and another 3.4 billion viewers will watch the tournament on television which will be played over seven weekends from the weekend starting September 10 and culminating the weekend of the finals on October 23 at Eden Park. The event, a seventh quadrennial Rugby World Cup to be played since the competition was first inaugurated in New Zealand

September 2011

ALL READY:

PiriWeepu of the All Blacks leads the haka before the Tri-Nations Bledisloe Cup match against the Wallabies at Eden Park early in the year.

in 1987, will see the two-time hosts’ team, All Blacks, square it off with Tonga in the first game. The All Blacks, regarded by most pundits as the world’s leading team and famed for their expansive style of play and their scary “haka dance”- an ancient traditional motivational dance routinely recited before a match, will be seeking to win the elusive rugby union’s biggest prize - the Webb Ellis Trophy. Since the inaugural event, also in New Zealand back in 1987, the All Blacks have only come as close as a whiff to clinching the world title and being branded ‘World Champs’.

In 1991, it was against the Australian Wallabies in the semi-finals; in ’95, it was against the South Africa Springboks in the prehistoric finals; in ’99, it was France in the semi-finals; in 2003, it was Australia again in the semi-finals; and in 2007, it was France in the quarter-finals.

By contrast, South Africa – a favorite in the tournament, have won the World Cup twice and this time round, they will be seeking to go down in history as the first country to ever defend

•ENVOYS OF SPORT their title. The tournament will feature twenty nations from around the world with two teams from Africa – Namibia and the 2007 champions, South Africa.

Of the twenty, rugby analysts reckon, only a handful have a realistic chance of lifting the trophy at Eden Park on October 23.

In pool A, New Zealand are up against hard-knuckled France who have twice beaten them before in the pay-off rounds – but they have yet to lift the trophy, as well as Canada Japan and Tonga. Current Six Nations champions and the 2003 World Cup winners, England head pool B which also includes Argentina who finished third in the last tournament, Scotland, Romania and Georgia.

Favorites in Pool C are the 1991 and 1999 World Cup Winners, Australia who are stacked alongside Russia, Italy, Ireland and the US. Pool D features reigning champions South Africa, who also won the Cup in 1995, along with Fiji, Namibia, Samoa and Wales. Without doubt, this will be a thrilling tournament to watch as the All Blacks – on home soil - try and clinch what has been eluding them for six times in over twenty years.

Most impressive, however, is that the hosts have managed to pull-off organising the fourth-largest sports event in the world in terms of global television audience after the FIFA Football World Cup, the Summer Olympics and the Tour de France. New Zealand is still recuperating from the setback

of a deadly 6.3-magnitude earthquake that rocked parts of the country late February and killed more than 180 people, and forced the Rugby World Cup organisers to change venues for seven games because of the resulting damage to infrastructure, hotels and rugby stadia.

“For the first time the IRB World Rankings as of 30 November 2008 were used to seed the 12 qualified teams for RWC 2011. As in 2007, there will be four pools of five teams in RWC 2011. The top three positions, or bands, in each pool will be filled by the 12 pre-qualified teams from the last RWC. The 12 pre-qualified teams are: Argentina, Australia, England, Fiji, France, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Scotland, South Africa, Tonga and Wales,” says the IRB website.

The next Rugby World Cup tournament is scheduled to be hosted in 2015 in England

XXXXXXXXXXXXX:

Eden park, main sports ground in Auckland, New Zealand and venue of 2011 RWC final.

RWC 2011 KNOCKOUT STRUCTURE

Following the RWC 2011 pool matches, the knockout rounds will follow the same structure as RWC 2003 and RWC 2007. The full structure is as follows: Quarter

Final

1:

Winner

Pool

B

v

Runner-up

Pool

A

Quarter

Final

2:

Winner

Pool

C

v

Runner-up

Pool

D

Quarter

Final

3:

Winner

Pool

A

v

Runner-up

Pool

B

Quarter

Final

4:

Winner

Pool

D

v

Runner-up

Pool

C

Semi-Final

1:

Winner

QF1

v

Winner

QF2

Semi-Final

2

Winner

QF3

v

Winner

QF4

Bronze Final:

Lose

SF1

v

Loser

SF2

Final:

Winner

SF1

v

Winner

SF2

September 2011

59 59

•DIRECTORY Burundi

EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA The Ambassador of China : Xinsheng LIU Chancery: 2 Kajificheni Close P.O. Box 1649 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2667586, 2667694 Fax No: 2666353 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA The Ambassador of Cuba: Ernesto Diaz GOMEZ Chancery: Lugalo Road Plot No. 313Upanga , Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 211592 Fax No: 2115927 8 E-mail: embacuba.tz@raha.com DANISH EMBASSY Ambassador: H.E Bjarne Henneberg SORENSEN Chancery: Ghana Avenue P.O. Box 9171 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2113887/91, 2117510 Direct Line: 2111325 Telegraphic Address: AMBADANE Telex No: 41057 Fax No: 2116433 E-mail: daramb@um.dk EMBASSY OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT The Ambassador of Egypt: Masr UMMULDUNYA Chancery: 24 Garden Avenue P.O. Box 1668,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2113591/2117622/ 2111716 Telex No: 41173 Fax No: 2112543 E-mail: egypt.emb.tz@intafrica.com EMBASSY OF FINLAND The Ambassador of Finland: Jorma PAUKKU Corner of Mirambo/ Garden Avenue P.O. Box 2455,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2119170 Fax No:2119173 e-mail: finemb @twiga.com EMBASSY OF FRANCE The Ambassador of France: Emmanuelle D’ACHON Chancery: Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road/Kinondoni Road P.O. Box 2349 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2666021/3 Fax No: 2668435 E-mail: ambfrance@africaaonline. co.tz EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL

60

REPUBLIC OF GERMANY The Ambassador of Germany: Dr. Guido HERZ Chancery: NIC Building , 10th Floor,Samora Avenue P.O. Box 9541,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2117409 - 15 Fax No: 2112944 e-mail: german.emb.dar@raha.com HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF GUYANA Chancery: Design House , 2 Dar es Salaam Place P.O. Box 34889 ,Lusaka Telephone No: 73035/7 Telex No: 42960 UYCOMZA HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA The High Commissioner of India: Debashish CHAKRAVARTI Chancery: NIC Investment House 7th & 8th Floor Wing ‘’A’’Samora Avenue P.O. Box 2684 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2117175/6 2116551 Fax. 2118761 Telex. 41335 HICIND TZ E-mail. Hcitz@cats.net.com EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA The Ambassador of Indonesia: Trijono MARJONO Chancery: 299 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road P.O. Box 572,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2119119,2118133, 2115841 Fax No: 2115849 Telex No: 41575 INDON TZ Telegraphic Address: INDONESIADAR ES SALAAM E-mail: kbridsm@raha.com EMBASSY OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN The Ambassador of Iran: Abbas VAEZI Chancery: Plot 31 Upanga Road P.O. Box 5802 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No:2112255/2117623 Fax No: 2118804/5 Jihad Sazandegi: 2150505 Cultural Center: 2130475 EMBASSY OF ITALY The Ambassador of Italy: Marcello GRICCIOLI Chancery: Lugalo Road 316 P.O. Box 2106 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2115935/36,

September 2011

2123010/11 Ambassador’s: 2113741 Fax No: 2115938 e-mail: italdipl@raha.com EMBASSY OF JAPAN The Ambassador of Japan: Hiroshi NAKAGAWA Chancery: Plot No. 1018 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road P.O. Box 2577 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2117384, 115827/9, 2117384, 2117383 Fax No: 2115830 Telex No: 41065 TAISHI Telegraphic Address: TAISHI HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA The High Commissioner of Kenya: Zachary Dominic MUBURI Chancery: P.O. Box 5231 NIC Investment House 14th Floor Samora Avenue ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2112955/6, Fax No: 2113098 E-mail khc@raha.com EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA Ambassador : H.E Soon Chun LEE Chancery: Plot 8/1 Tumbawe Rd ,Oyster bay P.O. Box 1154 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2600496/2600499/2602000 Fax No: 2600559 E-mail rok@intafrica.com BUREAU OF THE SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S LIBYAN Arab JAMAHIRIYA Ambassador of Libya: Mr.Ahmed ABDULASALAAM Chancery: Mtitu Street No. 386 P.O. Box 9413 ,Dar es Salaam Telegraphic Address: ASHABI Telephone No: 2150166/ 2150188 Fax No: 2150068 Telex No: 4117 HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE The High Commissioner of Mozambique: Mr.Amour Zacharias KUPELA Chancery: 25 Garden Avenue P.O. Box 9370 ,Dar es Salaam Chancery: 25 Garden Avenue P.O. Box 9370 ,Dar es Salaam ROYAL NETHERLANDS EMBASSY The Ambassador of the Netherlands: Karel van KESTEREN

Chancery: ATC Town House Terminal Blg Ohio Street , 2nd Floor P.O. Box 9534 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2118566/8 2130428 Telefax No: 2112828 Fax No: 112828 HIGH COMMISSION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA The High Commissioner of Nigeria: Dr.TAFIDA Chancery: 83 Haile Selassie Road, Oyster bay P.O. Box 9214 , Dar es Salaam Tel No: 2667620/2666000/ 2666834/2666843 Telefax No: 2668947 Telex No: 41240 E-mail: nhc-dsm@raha.com ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY The Ambassador of Norway: Mr.John LOMOY Chancery: Plot 160, Mirambo Street P.O. Box 2646 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2113666 Fax No: 2116564 Telex No: 41221 NORAMB Telegraphic Address: NORAMB E-mail: ambassade-dar@norad.no EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE The Ambassador of Palestine: Fariz MEHDAWI Chancery: 612 United Nations Road P.O. Box 20307,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2150636/2150643 Dir. 2153257 Fax No: 2153257 EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND The Ambassador of Poland: Ryszard MALIK Chancery: 1/9 Chisiza Close P.O. Box 2188 Oyster bay, Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2667501 Fax No: 2668309 E-mail: polamb@twigas.com EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA The Ambassador of Rwanda: Zemo MUTIMURA Chancery:Plot No. 32 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Rd P.O. Box 2918 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2115889, 2117631 Fax No: 115888 Telex No: 41292

•DIRECTORY Burundi

Telegraphic Address: AMBARW TZ EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION The Ambassador of Russia: Mr.Valery ORLOV Chancery: Plot 73 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road P.O. Box 1905 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2666005/6 Fax No: 2666818 E-mail: embruss@intafrica.com SOUTH AFRICAN HIGH COMMISSION The High Commissioner of South Africa: HE Mr SG MFENYANA Chancery: Plot 1338/9 Mwaya Road ,Masaki P.O. Box 10723 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2601800 Fax No: 2600684 EMBASSY OF SPAIN Ambassador: H.E Mr. Gerran ZURITA Chancery: Plot No. 99B ,Kinondoni Road P.O. Box 842, Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2666018/9 Ambassador’s: 2666936

Fax No: 2666938 E-mail: embesptz@mail.mae.es EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SUDAN Ambassador: H.E Abdelbagi KABIER Chancery: 64 Upanga P.O. Box 2266 Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road, Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2117641 Tel:/Fax No: 2115811 E. mail - sudan.emb.dar@raha.com EMBASSY OF SWEDEN Ambassador of Sweden: Lennarth HJELMÅKER Chancery: Mirambo Street/Garden Avenue P.O. Box 9303 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2111235 Fax: 2113420 E-mail.www.swedemb-dar.com EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND The Ambassador of Switzerland: Emmanuel JENNI Chancery: 79 Kinondoni Road / Mafinga Street

HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF UGANDA High Commissioner: H.E Ibrahim MUKIBI Chancery: Plot No. 25, Msasani Rd , Oyster bay P.O. Box 6237 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No:2667391/2667009 Fax: 2667224 E-mail: ugadar@intafrica.com EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA Ambassador: H.E Alfonso E. LENHARDT Chancery: 140 Msese Road P.O. Box 9123 , Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2666010 Telex No: 41519 Fax No: 2666701 EMBASSY OF THE FEDERATION REPUBLIC OF YUGOSLAVIA Ambassador: H.E Richard VIIETZ Chancery: Plot No. 35/36 Upanga Road P.O. Box 2838 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2115891 - 2 Fax No: 2115893

E-mail: ambyudar@raha.com HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZAMBIA High Commissioner: H.E Inonge MBIKUSITA Chancery: Plot No. 5 & 6 ,Junction of Ohio/ Sokoine Drive P.O. Box 2525 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: Fax/Phone: 2112977 E-mail:zhcd@raha.com HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF ZIMBABWE High Commissioner: Major Gen Rt. John EDZAI Chimonyo Chancery: Plot 2097 East Upanga Off Ali Hassan Mwinyi Road P.O. Box 20762 ,Dar es Salaam Telephone No: 2116789 Fax No: 2112913 T Telex No: 41386 E-mail: zimdares@cats-net.com

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+254 20 2525253/4/5 September 2011

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•DIRECTORY Kenya

HONORARY CONSUL FOR MALTA Kennedy MUSEBE Daphton Court, B4 Riverside Drive, off Chiromo Rd Opposite PRIME Bank P.O.Box 2713-00100, Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel(Cell): +254 729 696 700 Tel(Office) : +254 20 2672822 Email:maltaconsul.nairobi@gov.mt EMBASSY OF THE DEMOCRATIC PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF ALGERIA Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Saad MAANDI Muthaiga Road , No. 37 P. O. BOX 53902, Nairobi Telegraphic Address: Ambalg - Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3755559 / 3752121 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3755560 / 375558 Email: algerianembassy@hotmail.com EMBASSY OF THE ARGENTINE REPUBLIC Ambassador & Permanent Representative of UNEP &UN-Habitat: H. E. Mr. Daniel CHUBURU Kitisuru Road (3.3 E. km) P. O. BOX 30283 – 00100 Nairobi Telephone No.: +254 (0) 20 - 4183119 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 4183054 Email: ekeny@bidii.com AUSTRALIAN HIGH COMMISSION High Commissioner: H.E. Mr. Geoffrey Peter TOOTH Riverside Drive (400 M, off Chiromo Road) P.O. BOX 39341- 00623, Parklands, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4445034 -9 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 4444718 Website: www.kenya.embassy.gov.au AUSTRIAN EMBASSY Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Christian HASENBICHLER 2nd floor, City House Corner Standard/Wabera street P. O. BOX 30560 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 319076/7/8 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 342290 Email: nairobi-ob@bmeia.gv.at AUSTRIAN HONORARY CONSULATE, Mombasa 3rd floor, Ralli House Nyerere Avenue P.O. BOX 84045 Mombasa Tel: +254 (0) 41 - 313386 Fax No.: +254 (0) 41 - 451084 Email: tabor@tgaalarchitects.co.ke HIGH COMMISSION FOR THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH High Commissioner & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT : Vacant Ole Odume Road, off Argwings Kodhek Road, Kilimani P. O. BOX 41645 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3870701 / 3870467 /

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3862816, Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3874133 Email: bdhc@bdootnairobi.com EMBASSY OF BELGIUM AMBASSADOR H.E. Mr. Igor HAUSTRATE Limuru Road, Muthaiga P.O. BOX 30461 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7122011 / 7122166 / 7122181 / 7123093 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 7123050, Consular Department - +254 (0) 20 - 4262130 Email: nairobi@diplobel.fed.be Website: www.diplomatie.be/nairobi HONARARY CONSULATE OF BELGIUM Eculines Mombasa Office: Sheetal Plaza 3rd Floor, Mohdhah M. Habib Road P.O BOX 91276, 80103 Mombasa Tel: 0736-394 298 Fax 041-222 31 46 E-mail consulbel @mombasa.be HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BOTSWANA High Commissioner and Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Charles T. MOGOTSI LR / Block no. 91 / 238 Gigiri Drive, Gigiri P. O. BOX 754 - 00606, Sarit Centre, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7123412 - 4 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 7123418 Mobile: +254 (0) 727 53222 / 733 605607 Email: botken@gov.bw EMBASSY OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-Habitat: H.E. Ms. Ana Maria Sampaio FERNANDES Tanar Center UN Crescent Road, UN Close Gigiri P.O. BOX 30754-00100 GPO Nairobi Tel: 7125765 / 6, Fax: 7125767 E-mail: embassy@brazil.or.ke EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI Ambassador: H. E. Ms Ntahonkuriye EMMERNECE Co-op Trust Plaza, Upper Hill (Off Bunyala Road) P. O. BOX 61165 - 00200, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 – 310826 / 310828 Fax : +254 (0) 20 - 310827 Email: embunai@yahoo.fr

REPRESENTATIVE TO UNEP & UN HABITAT H.E.Mr. Konrad PAULSE Riverside Drive No. 66 Riverside P.O.Box 45554 00100 Nairobi Tel: 254(20) 4452950, 254(20) 4452951 Fax: 254(20) 4443209 Email: echile@echile.co.ke

THE EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Ambassador: H.E. Mr.Guagyuan LIU Woodlands Road Nairobi, Kenya P.O. BOX 30508, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 2722559 / 2726851 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2726402 / 2711540 Email: chinaemb.ke@mfa.gov.cn Website: ke.chineseembassy.org EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF COLOMBIA Ambassador to Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania, P. Observer to the AU and Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mrs. Maria Victoria Diaz de SUAREZ 6th floor, International life House, Mama Ngina Street P. O. Box 48494 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2486982/ 69 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 – 7120850-7120304 Email: emkenia@colombia.or.ke EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA 5th floor, International Life House, Mama Ngina Street P.O. Box 198 - 00606,Sarit Centre, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2241003 / 05 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2241023 Email: embacuba@swiftkenya.com, acc. cuba@embacuba.or.ke HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS High Commissioner / Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Agis LOIZOU 6th floor, International Life House, Mama Ngina Street P. O. BOX 30739, 00100 NAIROBI. Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2220881 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 312202 Email: cyphc@nbnet.co.ke

HIGH COMMISSION OF CANADA High Commissioner: H. E.David B. COLLINS Limuru Road, Gigiri P. O. Box 1013 - 00621, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3663000 Email: nrobi@international.gc.ca Website: www.nairobi.gc.ca

EMBASSY OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN Habitat: Head of Mission Mrs. Margita FUCHSOVÁ 2nd floor, Jumuia Place, Lenana Road P. O. Box 48785 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2731010 / 11 / 12 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2701013 Email: nairobi@embassy.mzv.cz

AMBASSADOR & PERMANENT

EMBASSY OF THE DEMOCRATIC

September 2011

REPUBLIC OF CONGO Ambassador / Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Tadumi ON’OKOKO 12th floor, Electricity House, Harambee Avenue P. O. BOX 48106 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 – 2229772/1 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3754253 Email: nairobi@ambardcke.org EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CONGO Charge D’ Affairs: Mr.Jean-Pierre OSSEY 162,Wispers Avenue, Gigiri P. O. BOX 1722-00621, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 – 207121880/1 Email: ambacoken@yahoo.com ROYAL DANISH EMBASSY Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-Habitat: H.E. Mr. Mr. Geert Aagaard ANDERSEN 13, Runda-Drive, Runda Estate P.O. Box 40412-GPO 00100, Nairobi Tel: 7122848 - 51 Fax No.: 7120638 E-Mail: nboamb@um.dk Web: www.ambnairobi.um.dk DANISH CONSULATE IN MOMBASA, KENYA Mikanjuni Road, Liwatoni Bay P.O. Box 99543 Mombasa, Kenya Phone: +254 41 229241/2/3 Fax: +254 41 221390 Email: jhn@africaonline.co.ke EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF DJIBOUTI Ambassador: H. E. Mr. Aden Houssein ABDILLAHI 2nd floor, International Life House, Mama Ngina Street P. O. BOX 34446 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2122859 / 2101124 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 313120 Email: info@djiboutiembassyke.org EMBASSY OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT AMBASSADOR H. E. Mr. Kadri Fathi Abdel-MOTTALEB Othaya Road, Kileleshwa P. O. BOX 30285 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3870360 / 3870298 / 3870278 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3870383 Email: eg.emb_nairobi@mfa.gov.eg OFFICE OF THE SPECIAL ENVOY TO SOMALIA Charge d’ Affaires: H.E. Mr. Mohamed Ali NUR Nyeri Road, Kileleshwa P. O. BOX 30635, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3861060 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3865335 Email: egyptembassysomalia@yahoo.com Email: nairobi@tamseel-ecs.gov.eg

•DIRECTORY Kenya

EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF ERITREA Ambassador: H. E. Mr. Salih Omar ABDU 2nd floor, New Rehema House, Westlands P. O. BOX 38651 - 00623, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4443163 / 4443164 / 4448174 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 4443165 Email: info@eritreanembassy.or.ke eriembk@africaonline.co.ke EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Shemsudin Ahmed ROBLE State House Avenue, P. O. BOX 45198 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2732052 Mobile Nos.: +254 (0) 735 333035 / 722 207025 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2732054 Email: info@ethioembnairobi.org DELEGATION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA Ambassador: Lodewijk BRIET Union Insurance House, Ragati Road PO Box 45119 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2713020 / 1 / 2802000 +254 (0) 20 - 2712830 / 2713250 (Somalia Unit) Telefax: +254 (0) 20 - 2716481 +254 (0) 20 - 2710997 (Somalia Unit) Email: delegation-kenya@ec.europa.eu (Kenya Delegation) somalia@ec.europa.eu (Somalia Unit) Website: www.delken.ec.europa.eu EMBASSY OF FINLAND Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-Habitat: H. E. Ms. Heli Annikki SIRVE Block 3,6th floor, Eden Square Greenway Road, Off Westlands P. O. Box 30379 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3750721 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 3750714 Mobile: +254 (0) 722 541247 Email: sanomat.nai@formin.fi EMBASSY OF FRANCE Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP &UNCHS :

H.E. Mr. Etienne De PONCINS 9th floor, Barclays Plaza, Loita Street P. O. BOX 41784 - 00100, Nairobi Telegraphic Address: Ambafrance Telephone No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2778000 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2778181 Diplomatic Chancery Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2778680 Consular Section Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2778780 Cultural Section Email: ambafrance.nairobi@diplomatie. gouv.fr

EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY Ambassador: H. E Mrs Margit Hellwig-BOETTE Lugwig Krapf House, Riverside Drive 113 P.O. Box 30180 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4262100 Consular Department: +254 (0) 20 4262129 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 4262129 Consular Department Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4262130 Email: info@nairobi.diplo.de Website: www.nairobi.diplo.de HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF GHANA High Commissioner & Permanent Representative to AU & ECA: H.E. Yaw Konadu-YIADOM Karura Avenue, Muthaiga Tel: 020-8025265/2421801/3748974 Fax: 020 8025477 Email: info@ghc.or.ke HELLENIC REPUBLIC EMBASSY OF GREECE Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Dimitri LOUNDRAS 7th floor, Nation Centre, Kimathi Street P.O. BOX 30543 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 340722 / 340744 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 216044 Email: gremb.nai@mfa.gr HONORARY CONSULATE OF GREECE IN MOMBASA Honorary Consul: Mr. Panayiotis LAGOUSSIS 1st floor, Inchcape House, Archbishop Makarios Close P.O. BOX 88426 - 80100, Mombasa Tel: +254 (0) 41 – 2224482 / 2220898 Fax: +254 (0) 41 – 2222751 HOLY SEE APOSTOLIC NUNCIATURE IN KENYA Apostolic Nuncio: H. E. Archbishop Alain Paul LEBEAUPIN Manyani Road, west, plot no. 151, off Waiyaki way P.O. BOX 14326 - 00800, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4442975 /6/ 7 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4446789 Email: nunciokenya@nunciokenya.org EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF HUNGARY Ambassador: H.E Mr. Sandor JUHASZ Kabarsiran Avenue(off James Gichuru Road), Lavington P. O. BOX 61146 - 00200, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 – 4442612 Mobile: (+254)-738905187/736319078 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4442101 Email: mission.nai@kum.hu HIGH COMMISSION OF INDIA High Commissioner / Permanent

Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Sibrabata TRIPATHI Jeevan Bharati Buillding, Harambee Avenue p. o. box 30074 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2225667 / 2224500 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 316242 / 2248320 Email: hcindia@kenyaweb.co hcinfo@wananchi.com EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDONESIA Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary / Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-Habitat: H. E. Mr. Budi BOWOLEKSONO Menengai Road, Upper Hill P.O. Box 48868 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2714196 / 97 / 98 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2713475 Email: indonbi@indonesia.or.ke Website: www.indonesia.or.ke EMBASSY OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN Charge d Affairs: Mr. Mohammad Hossein Khosh AMADI Dennis Pritt Road, Off State House Road P.O. box 49170 - 00100, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 2711257 / 2710873 / 2715338 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2728686 / 2713966 / 2728891 Mobile: +254 (0) 722 974421 Email: nai.embarani@yahoo.com EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF IRAQ Ambassador /Head of Mission: H.E Dr. Adel Mustafa Kamil ALKURDI Off UN Avenue, Magnolia Close Lobelia Drive No. 52, Gigiri P.O. BOX 399 - 00621, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7122962 Fax Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 7122962 Email: narbemb@mofairqmail.net EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL Ambassador: H.E. Mr. Gil HASKEL Bishops Road, Opposite Fairview Hotel P. O. box 30354 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2722182 / 3 / 2710381 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2715966 / 2725946 Mobile: +254 (0) 722 208613 / 0735 888818 Email: info@nairobi.mfa.gov.il EMBASSY OF ITALY Ambassador / Permanent Representative to UNEP & HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Pierandrea MAGISTRATI 9th floor, International Life House, Mama Ngina Street P. O. box 30107 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2247750 / 224769 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2247086 Email: ambasciata.nairobi@esteri.it Website: www.ambnairobi.esteri.it EMBASSY OF JAPAN

Ambassador and Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Toshihisa TAKATA Mara Road, Upper Hill P.O. box 60202 - 00200, nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2898000 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2898220 / 2898120 Website: www.ke.emb-japan.go.jp THE EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA Ambassador : H.E. Mr. Lee HAN-GON 15th floor, Anniversary Towers, University Way p. o. Box 30455 - 00100, nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2220000 /2218888 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2217772 / 312317 Website: ken@mofat.go.kr Email: emb-ke@mofat.go.kr Website: Ken@mofat.go.kr EMBASSY OF THE STATE OF KUWAIT Ambassador: H. E. Mr.Yaqoub YOUSEF EID Muthaiga Road, Off Serengeti Avenue p. o. box 42353 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3767144 / 3761614 / 3763593 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3762837 / 3767053 Email: kuwait@wanainchi.com kuwait1@wananchi.com MISSION OF THE LEAGUE OF ARAB STATES Head of Mission Special Envoy to Somalia, Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: Amb. Salim Mohammed Al Mutundu Road, Muthaiga P. O. BOX 6274 - 00200, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3745311 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3740824 Email: nairobi.mission@las.int THE PEOPLE’S BUREAU OF THE GREAT SOCIALIST PEOPLE’S LIBYAN ARAB, JAMAHIRIYA Charge d’ Affaires: Mr. Hesham Ali SHARIF Jamahiriya House, Loita Street p. o. box 47190, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 2250380 / 2221625/2247848 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 243730 Email: jamahiriyanbi@wananchi.com HIGH COMMISSION OF MALAYSIA High Commissioner : H.E. Mr. Zainuddin RAHIM No. 58, Red Hill Road, Gigiri P. O. BOX 42286 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7123373 / 4 / 5 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 7123371 Email: malnairobi@kln.gov.my EMBASSY OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES Ambassador : H. E. Mr. Luis Javier CAMPUZANO Kibagare way, Loresho p. o. box 14145 - 00800, Nairobi

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Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4183009/ 4182850 / 4182593 ; 0728 389 813, 0737 681 219 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4181500 Email: embkenia@sre.gob.mx; mexico@ embamex.co.ke Website: www.sre.gob.mx/kenia EMBASSY OF THE KINGDOM OF MOROCCO Ambassador/ Permanent Representative to UN & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Abdelilah Benryane UN Avenue, Gigiri p. o. box 617 - 00621, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7120765 / 7120795 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 7120817 Email: sifmanbi@clubinternetk.com HIGH COMMISSION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOZAMBIQUE High Commissioner: H. E. Mr. Manuel Jose GONCAVES 3rd floor, Bruce House, Standard Street p. o. box 66923, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2221979 / 2214191 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2222446 Email: mozhicom@mozhighcom.or.ke Website: www.mozhighcom.or.ke ROYAL NETHERLANDS EMBASSY Ambassador / Permanent Representative to UNEP & Habitat: H. E. Ms. Laetitia van den ASSUM Riverside Lane, Off Riverside Drive p. o. Box 41537 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4288000 Visa - +254 (0) 20 - 4288333 Consular - +254 (0) 20 - 4288555 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4447416 Email: nlgovnai@africaonline.co.ke Web site: www.netherlands-embassy. or.ke

Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4451517 Email: emb.nairobi@mfa.no

Email: secretariat@romanianembassy. co.ke

Mobile: 0733 609565 Email: modigell@africaonline.co.ke

EMBASSY OF THE SOVEREIGN MILITARY ORDER OF ST. JOHN OF JERUSALEM OF RHODES AND OF MALTA Ambassador/Permanent Representative to the UNEP: H. E. Count Gianfranco Cicogna MOZZONI 209 Ndege Road, Karen P. O. Box 1556 - 00502, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 2397445 Fax: +27 (0) 86 505 7809 Email: kenyaembassy@orderofmalta.org

THE EMBASSY OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION Ambassador and Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Valery E. EGOSHKIN Lenana Road p. o. box 30049 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2728700 Visa Section Tel.: +254 (0) 20 - 2722462 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2721888 / 2722462 Telex: 25261 Email: russembkenya@mail.ru

EMBASSY OF THE SOMALI REPUBLIC Ambassador: Mr. Mohamed Ali NUR Jabavu Road, Hurlingham P. O. BOX 623 - 00606, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2736618 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2736619

HIGH COMMISSION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN High Commissioner: H.E. Mr.Masroor JUNEJO St. Michael’s Road, Off Church Road, Off Waiyaki way, Westlands P. O. Box 30045 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4443911 / 2 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4446507 Email: info@pakhc.or.ke

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF RWANDA Ambassador: H. E. Mr. George William KAYONGA Limuru Road, Gigiri p. o. box 30619 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7121321 /2 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 7121324 Cell (Office): +254 (0) 0735600537/0722207844 Email: rwanemba@wananchi.com ambanairobi@minaffetg.gov.rw

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES Ambassador Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary, Permanent Representative to UNEP &UN-HABITAT: H.E Domingo D. LUCENARIO, JR. State House Road p. o. box 47941 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2725310 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2725316 Telefax: +254 (0) 20 - 2725313 Email: nairobipe@philembassy.or.ke/ nairobi.pe@dfa.gov.ph

NEW ZEALAND CONSULATE, Honorary Consul: Mr. Tom Diju OWUOR Street address: Diju Investment, Mirage Plaza, Room 2C, Second Floor, Nairobi P.O.Box 48311, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 601074 Fax +254 20 601076 Email: dijuinvest@indus.co.ke

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND Ambassador: H. E. Ms. Anna GRUPINSKA 58 Redhill Road, Off Limuru Road p. o. box 30086 - 00100, nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 – 7120014/20 /7120106 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3872814 / 3874572 Email: ambnairo@kenyaweb.com nairobi@pol.emb.net Website: www.nairobi.polemb.net

HIGH COMMISSION OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA High Commissioner: H.E. Dr. C. W. WIGWE, fwc Lenana Road P. O. BOX 30516-00100, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 3864116 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3875871 Email: ng@nigeriahighcom.org Website: www.nigeriahckenya.org

EMBASSY OF PORTUGAL AMBASSADOR AND PERMANENT Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Alexander VASSALO 10th floor, Reinsurance Plaza, Taifa Road P. O. Box 34020 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2251879 / 313203 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2214711 Email: embassy.nairobi@portugal.co.ke Consular Section: consular.affairs@ portugal.co.ke

ROYAL NORWEGIAN EMBASSY Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H. E. Mr. Per Ludvig MAGNUS Lion Place, Waiyaki way p. o. box 46363 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4451510 – 6 / 4251000

EMBASSY OF ROMANIA Charge D’affairs’: Dumitru NEATU Street Eliud Mathu, Runda p. o. box 63240 - 00619, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 7120607 / 7123109 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 7122061

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ROYAL EMBASSY OF SAUDI ARABIA Ambassador / Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Ghorm Saeed MALHAN p.o. box 58297 - 00200, Nairobi Telegraphic Address: Najdiah, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 3762781 / 2 / 3 / 4 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 214527 / 243174 Email: keemb@mofa.gov.sa EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA Ambassador, Extraordinary & Plenipotentiary Permanent Rep. to UNEP & UN-HABITAT: H.E. Mr. Zdravko BISIC State House Avenue P. O. Box 30504 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2710076 / 2714016 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2714126 Email: nairobi@embassyofserbia.or.ke EMBASSY OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC Ambassador & Permanent Representative to UNEP & UN-Habitat: H. E. Mr. Milan ZACHAR Milimani Road P. O. Box 30204, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2721896 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2717291 Email: slovakembassy@jambo.co.ke HONORARY CONSULATE OF THE SLOVAK REPUBLIC Honorary Consul: Mr. Christoph MODIGELL Leopard Beach Hotel P.O. BOX 34, Ukunda Diani Beach Road -South Coast Mombasa Tel: 254 – 40 – 3202101 / 02 Fax: 254 – 40 - 3203424

SOUTH AFRICA HIGH COMMISSION High Commissioner: H. E. Mr. Ndumiso Ndima NTSHINGA Roshanmaer Building, Lenana Road, Kilimanu Area p. o. box 42441 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2827100 Immigration & Civic Affairs +254 (0) 20 - 28961791 General Fax Line: +254 (0) 20 - 2736393 Email: sahcadmin@africaonline.co.ke EMBASSY OF SPAIN Ambassador: H. E. Mr. Nicholás MARTÍN 3rd floor Commercial Bank of Africa Building, Upper Hill P.O. Box 45503 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 – 2720222/3/4/5 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2720226 Email: emb.nairobi@mae.es HIGH COMMISSION OF THE DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA High Commissioner: H.E. Mr. J.B.B DISSANAVAKE L. R. No. 1/1102, Lenana Road, Kilimani P.O. BOX 48145 - 00100, Nairobi Telephone Nos.: +254 (0) 20 - 3866681 / 3872627 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3872141 Email: slhckeny@africaonline.co.ke EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE SUDAN Ambassador: H. E. kamal Ismael SAAED Kabarnet Road, Off Ngong Road p.o. Box 48784 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2686868 / 2686888 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 3875187 / 38575159 Email: embassy@sudanembassyke.org Website: www.sudanembassyke.org EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN Ambassador: H. E. Michael Majok Ayom DOR 5th Ngong Avenue / Bishop Road p.o. Box 73699 - 00200, Nairobi Tel: +254 20 - 2711382/4 Fax: +254 20 - 2711387 Email: goss@iconnect.co.ke Website: www.sudanembassyke.org EMBASSY OF SWEDEN Ambassador: Her Excellency Mrs. Ann DISMORR Lion Place, Waiyaki Way -Westlands p.o. box 30600 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 4234000 Duty Officer Cell Phone: +254 (0) 734

•DIRECTORY Kenya

600851 Visa Section: +254 (0) 20 - 4234060 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 4452008 / 9 Email: ambassaden.nairobi@foreign. ministry.se EMBASSY OF SWITZERLAND Ambassador: H.E. Mr.Jacques PITTELOUD 7th floor, International Life House, Mama Ngina Street P. O. BOX 30752-00100, Nairobi

Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 2228735 Fax: +254 (0) 20 - 2217388 Email: nai.vertretung@eda.admin.ch CONSULATE OF SWITZERLAND Honorary Consul: Mrs. Claudia STUART C/O Orion Hotels Limited, Shanzu Beach P.O. BOX 10283 - 00100, Bamburi Tel: 0727 695452 / 0733 490209 Fax: 041 - 5486321

Email: claudia.stuart@orion-hotels.net HIGH COMMISSION OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Vacant 9th floor, Reinsurance Plaza, Taifa Road P.O. BOX 47790 - 00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0) 20 - 312027 / 311948 / 311950 Fax No.: +254 (0) 20 - 2218269 Email: highcom@tanzaniahc.or.ke

CONSULATE OF THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA Vice Consul General: Mr. Yahya Haji JECHA 12th floor, TSS Towers Nkurumah Road P. O. BOX 1422, Mombasa, Kenya Tel: +254 - 41 - 2228596 Telefax No.: +254 – 41 - 2222837 Email: tancon@africaonline.co.ke

Rwanda SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H E Mr. G D GWADISO P.o Box 6563 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252583185-89 Fax: +250(0) 252511760 Email: saemkgl@rwanda1.com www.saembassy-kigali.org.rw GERMAN EMBASSY H.E Ambassador: ELMAR Timpe-German Ambassador P.o Box 225 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 575222 www.konsulate.de/rwanda_e.php BELGIUM EMBASSY H.E Ambassador: Francois ROUX P.o Box 81 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 575551 Fax: +250(0) 252 575551 www.diplomatie.be/Kigali/default BURUNDIAN EMBASSY Burundian Ambassador to Rwanda:

H.E. Remy SINKAZI P.o Box 714 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 515512 CANADIAN EMBASSY Canadian Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Ross HYNES P.o Box 1177 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 573210 www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca/africa/ rwanda-contact-en.asp CHINESE EMBASSY Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Mr. Sun SHUZHONG P.o Box 1345 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 575415 Fax: +250(0) 252 576420 EGYPT ARAB REPUBLIC EMBASSY Egyptian Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Ahmed Rami AWAAD Tel: +250(0) 252 587510 Fax: +250(0) 252 576420

KENYAN EMBASSY Kenyan Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Mr.Alex.A.KETER P.o Box 6159 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 583336 Fax: +250(0) 252 51091 BRITISH EMBASSY British Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Nicholas CANNON P.o Box 576 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 584940 Fax: +250(0) 252 510588 www.britishembassykigali.org.rw RUSSIAN EMBASSY Russian Ambassador to Rwanda: H.E Chirinsky MIRGAIAS P.o Box 40 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 575286 Fax: +250(0) 252 503322 www.russianembassy.biz/rwan da-kigali NUNICATURE EMBASSY Apostolic Nunciature Ambassador to Rwanda-Apostolic

P.o Box 261 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 575293 Fax: +250(0) 252 575181 SWEDEN EMBASSY Swedish Ambassador to Rwanda: Her Excellency Anna BRANDT P.o Box 547 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 5753534 Fax: +250(0) 252 586808 TANZANIAN EMBASSY Ambassador: H.E Zeno MUTIMURA P.o Box 3973 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 505400 Fax: +250(0) 252 505403 USA EMBASSY U.S. Ambassador to Rwanda: W Stuart SYMINGTON P.o Box 28 Kigali Tel: +250(0) 252 505601 Fax: +250(0) 252 572128 http://www.usembkigali.net

Tanzania EMBASSY OF BELGIUM Ambassador of Belgium: Joseph SMETZ B.P. 1920 Bujumbura Phone: + (257) (22) 22.32.66 + (257) (22) 22.61.76 Fax: + (257) (22) 22.31.71 http://www.diplomatie.be/ bujumbura Email: Bujumbura@diplobel.fed.be CANADIAN CONSULATE Ambassador of Canada: Rejean FRENNET 4708, Boulevard de l’uprona,Bujumbura City: Bujumbura Phone: 257 22 24-58-98 Fax: 257 22 24-58-99 Email: bujumbura@canadaconsulate.ca

CHINESE EMBASSY Ambassador of China: Mr. Zeng XIANQI B.P. 2550 Bujumbura Phone: +257-224307 +257-216856 Fax: +257-213735 +257-224082 Email: chinaemb_bi@mfa.gov.cn COMORAN CONSULATE IN BURUNDI Phone: (257) 93-93-10-27 Fax: (257) 929-728-09 CYPRIOT CONSULATE IN BUJUMBURA, BURUNDI 1660 Bujumbura, Burundi City: Bujumbura Phone: (00257) 22 242630, (00257) 77735325 (Mob.) Fax: (00257) 22 223917

Email: cyprusconsulate.bjm@gmail.com DANISH CONSULATE 6, rue Nyabagare, B.P. 2880 City: Bujumbura Phone: 226099 Fax: 227786, 216697 Email: andersen@cbinf.com EGYPTIAN EMBASSY Ambassador of Egypt: Ahmed FADEL Kinindo, Avenue Nzero, NO. 12 Bujumbura City: Bujumbura Phone: (+257)22223161 Fax: (+257)22222918 FRENCH EMBASSY Ambassador of France: Laurent CONTINI

60 avenue de l’Uprona City: Bujumbura Phone: [257] 22 20 30 00 Fax: [257] 22 20 30 10 Email cad.bujumburaamba@d iplomatie.gouv.fr GERMAN EMBASSY Ambassador of German to Burundi: Joseph WEISS Hotel Source de Nil, Suite Nr. 301, Avenue de Stade, Bujumbura.

City: Bujumbura, Burundi.

Phone: (00 257) 22 64 12 / (00 257)22 64 16 GREEK CONSULATE IN BUJUMBURA Ambassador of Greek: Dimitri ALEXANDRAKIS

September 2011

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•DIRECTORY Tanzania

P O BOX 1660, Bujumbura, Burundi City: Bujumbura Phone: (00257224) 242532 KENYAN EMBASSY IN BUJUMBURA Kenyan Ambassador: Benjamin MWERI PTA Bank Building 2nd floor, West Wing Chaussee du Prince Louise Rwagasore B.P. 5138 Phone: +257-22-258160/62/ 63/67 Fax: +257 22-258161 Email: information@kenyaembassy.bi DUTCH CONSULATE IN BUJUBURA, BURUNDI Dutch Ambassador: Robert KRUEGER Consulate Honoraire du Royaume de Paya Bas

Avenue de Grece no. 5 1 etag City: Bujumbura Phone: 00-257-222082 / 223614 Fax: 00-257-2-22615 Email: conspaysbas@mapatro.com

SENEGALESE CONSULATE BP 382 City: Bujumbura Phone: (+257) 223771 / (+257) 222147

RUSSIAN EMBASSY Russian Ambassador: Vladimir TIMOFEYE Phone: +257 22-60-98 Fax: +257 22-42-37 Email: ustas@cbinf.com

SOUTH AFRICAN EMBASSY South African Ambassador: Mr. M.D. LEMBEDE Hotel Novotel, Chaussee du Peuple Murundi, Room 215 and 217 PO Box 185 Phone: +257-244650/+257-248219 Fax: +257-244650 / +257-248219 Email: saebujfin@usan-bu.net

RWANDAN EMBASSY Rwandese Ambassador: Remy SINKAZI Boite Postale 40024 Avenue de la République City: Bujumbura Phone: (+257) 223255, 226865 Fax: (+257) 223255 Email: arbuja@cni.cbinf.com. ambabujumbura@minaffet.gov. rw

SWISS CONSULATE Swiss Ambassador: Georges MARTIN. Also ambassador to Kenya, Rwanda,Uganada,Somalia, Seychelles Rue du Commerance 11 City: Bujumbura

Phone: (+257) 968471 Email: bruno_vincenti@heineken.nl BRITISH EMBASSY British Embassy Liaison Office: Building Old East, Parcelle No1/2, Place de l’Independance, City: Burundi Phone: (257) 22 246 478 Fax: (257) 22 246 479 Email: belo@cni.cbinf.com AMERICAN EMBASSY U.S.A Ambassador: Marcia S.BERNICAT B.P. 1720 Avenue Des Etats-Unis City: Bujumbura Phone: (257) 22-34-54/ (257) 21-48-53 Fax: (257) 22-29-26 Web Site: http://bujumbura. usembassy.gov/

Uganda EMBASSY OF ALGERIA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H. E Aziria ABEDELKADER P.O. Box 4025, Kampala Tel. No. 256-312-265212/3 Fax: 256-312-265214 Telex 61184, Jazaira E-mail: ambalgka@imul.com Ambassador's Line: 256- 41-232689 APOSTOLIC NUNCIATURE (VATICAN EMBASSY) Ambassador & Head of Mission): H. E. Archbishop Christophe PIERR Chwa II Road, Mbuya Hill P.O. Box 7177, Kampala Tel. 256-41-505619 Fax: 256-41-221774 E:mail: nuntius@utlonline.co.ug EMBASSY OF AUSTRIA Head of Bureau: (Charge d'Affaires a.i.)

Mr. Franz BREITWIEZER Regional Office for Development Co-operation of the Austrian Embassy in Kampala Crusader House, Annex 3rd Floor 3 Portal Avenue P.O. Box 7457, Kampala.

Tel. 256-41-235103/179 Fax: 256-41-235160 Email: franz.breitweiser@ada.gv.at

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ROYAL BELGIAN EMBASSY, KAMPALA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Jan DE BRUYNE Email: jan.debruyne@diplobel.org 3rd Floor Ruwenzori House Lumumba Avenue Plot 1 P.O. Box 7043, Kampala.

Tel. 256-41-349559/569/570 Emergency No. 256-772-704400 Fax. 256-41-347212 E-mail: kampala@diplobel.org , coop. kla@diplobel.org (development cooperation) Website : www.diplomatie.be/kampala.

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURUNDI Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Jean NGENDANGANYA Plot No.14 Hannington Road SM Chambers Building, 1st Floor P.O.Box 29214. Kampala Tel: 256-41-235850 Fax: 256-41-235845 Email: ambabukpl@utlonline.co.ug CHINA EMBASSY OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E Fan GUIJIN Plot 37 Malcolm X Avenue Kololo P.O. Box 4106, Kampala

September 2011

Tel. 256-41-231095/259881/234058 Fax: 256-41-235087/341463 E-mail: chinemb@infocom.co.ug

Telex: 61560 AMBADANE E-mail: kmtamb@um.dk Website: www.ambkampala.um.dk

EMBASSY OF THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO Minister Counselor/ Charge d'Affaires A.I. Mr. Biselele WA MUTSHIPAYI 20 Philip Road, Kololo P.O. Box 4972 Kampala Tel. 256-41-250099/232021 /230610 Fax: 256-41-340140 Email: amba_rdc_kla@yahoo.fr

EMBASSY OF THE ARAB REPUBLIC OF EGYPT Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Reda Abdel Rahman BEBARS E-mail: stibar@um.dk 33 Kololo Hill Drive P.O. Box 4280 Kampala Tel. 256-41-254525/245152 Telex No. 61122 EGYPT UGA Fax. 256-41-232103 Email: egyembug@utlonline.co.ug

EMBASSY OF THE REPUBLIC OF CUBA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Ricardo Antonio Danza SIGAS KAR Drive Plot 10 Lower Kololo Terrace P.O. Box. 9226, Kampala Tel. 256-41-233742 Fax. 256-41-233320/236438 E-mail: ecuba@africaonline.co.ug ROYAL DANISH EMBASSY Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Mr. Stig BARLYNG Plot. 3 Lumumba Avenue P.O. Box. 11243 Kampala Tel. 256-312-263211 Emergency Mobile: 256-772-221470 Fax. 256-312-264624

EMBASSY OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF ETHIOPIA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E. Terfa Mengesha REMCHIE Plot No. 3L, Off Kira Road, Kit ante Close.

P.O. Box 7745, Kampala Tel. No. 256-41-348340/ 256-41-341881 Fax. No. 256-41-341885 E-mail: ethiokam@utlonline.co.ug THE FRENCH EMBASSY IN UGANDA Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary: H.E Bernard GARANCHER Plot 16 Lumumba Avenue,

•DIARY INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCES SEPTEMBER 8 September

International Literacy Day

9 September

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Awareness Day

10 September

Suicide Prevention Day

21 September

World Alzheimer's Day

27 September

World Tourism Day

28 September

World Heart Day

Leukemia and Lymphoma Awareness Month

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