DIPLOMAT East Africa - Volume 18 by Sven Boermeester

>> Eritrea Takes on Ethiopia PG. 13 October 2011

Volume 018

Door to Region, Window on World

Mother Courage Tribute to Prof Wangari Maathai 1940-2011

Special Feature PG. 19 Kenya KSh300

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Nagasaki University

Nagasaki University, which was formed from Japan’s oldest medical school, has achieved its remarkable development of today after overcoming the unbearable sorrow at the loss of hundreds of precious lives of students, faculty and administrative staff due to the atomic bomb. The basic objectives of the University may be expressed as follows:“ Nagasaki University continues its role as a‘ center for the transmission of intellectual information’ which is indispensable for the world,” aiming at the world's best research for the contribution to global peace as well as the education of personnel competent to make such a noble goal possible. URL：http://www.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/ International Students URL：http://www.nagasaki-u.ac.jp/ryugaku/index_en.html The Peace Statue, The Peace Statue's right hand pointing skyward represents the threat of atomic bombs, while the left hand stretching out horizontally represents world peace.

Ukraine

Kenya

Vietnam

【Outline of University】 Nagasaki University originated from Japan's oldest medical school established in 1857. The University was newly founded on May 31, 1949 after emerging some existing schools and colleges and reorganized as a National University Corporation in April, 2004. It consists of eight faculties, five graduate schools, and one research institute, and promotes distinguished research such as tropical medicine, infectious diseases, and radiology. It has research centers in Kenya, Vietnam, and the Ukraine, and has concluded academic exchanges with 104 overseas research institutions to boost academic and student exchange. 365 international students from 37 different countries are currently studying at Nagasaki University, which provides them with a support system to facilitate their study and research. The University has also opened a one-year short program. Dr. Osamu Shimomura, who is an alumnus of Nagasaki University, won the Nobel Prize Chemistry in 2008 for the discovery of Green Fluorescent Protein from Aequorea victoria.

Undergraduate & Graduate Courses Faculty of Education

Graduate School of Education

Faculty of Economics

Graduate School of Economics

School of Medicine

Graduate School of Science and Technology

School of Dentistry

Graduate School of Biomedical Sciencess

School of Pharmaceutical Sciences

Graduate School of International Health

Faculty of Engineering

Development

Faculty of Environmental Studies Faculty of Fisheries

•DIPLOMATIC LICENCE

Post 9/11: The World is Not Any Safer

repetitive narrative of the decade since 9/11 is that the War on Terror is a war without end and that any means is justifiable as long as it helps achieve its ends. This war started at Ground Zero in New York City on September 11, 2001, after Al Qaeda forever breached US’s false sense of security, and is still going on. To avert questions about its legitimacy, Washington had the ingenuity to make its war on terror global by getting the Security Council to unanimously pass Resolution 1368 condemning the attacks on American soil and asserting the Universal Right to Self-Defence of victim states. The terms of the Resolution explicitly state that those found to be supporting or harbouring perpetrators, organisers and sponsors of these acts will be held accountable. Its ambiguous language enabled it get passed Muslim countries such as Bangladesh and Tunisia. It also received the nod from the five members of the Security Countries and other countries which sympathised with the US. Washington, it would seem, then decided that it had all the legitimacy it needs to take its socalled war on terror anywhere it wanted and, in a show of its insufferable arrogance, sought out countries with dodgy human rights where it could torture and abuse terrorism suspects. In a sense, President Barack Obama’s government is involved in two wars; “a war of choice” in which it picks its victims seemingly at random and “a war of necessity”, for example, its raid on the home of Al Qaeda chief and terror king pin Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad, in Pakistan. It is the damage that the so-called “war of choice” is doing to legitimate and necessary attempts to rid the world of the terrorism menace that we are concerned about. We, at Diplomat East Africa, have cast our lot with the war on terror. As a region, we have suffered enough at the hands of brutal terrorists who brought their senseless war to our doorsteps in 1998, when they attacked the US

embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, killing over 250 people and leaving more than 5,000 seriously injured. In 2002, Kenya was again attacked when a hotel in Kikambala, at the Coast, was targeted. But we feel duty bound to protest when the muchneeded “war on terror” is turned into a “war of choice” in which international crimes are committed against nonUS, British or Israeli citizens. Rendition of suspects to third countries for purposes of torture and to extract information is a case in point. It is illegal and an affront to civilisation, even when committed by washington. Kenyans have been illegally renditioned to Ethiopia and Uganda; two governments with suspect human rights records. Indeed, there is growing evidence that Washington has established a secret “Guantánamo” camp in Kampala where terrorism suspects are held. This has raised questions about the integrity of the Obama administration. Obama cannot in one breath state that his government is determined to close down the highly detested Guantanamo Bay and, in the other, clandestinely open up another one in Uganda where agents from the FBI and the British intelligence service, MI5, have a free rein to torture suspects. The British government too should be honest; it cannot promise to investigate past incidents of torture, yet remain complicit in abusive practices and, in some case, even outsource some of its worse practices to Africa. If the UK’s treatment of the Kenyan and Ugandan suspects of the July 14, 2010 Kampala bombings is anything to go by, its condemnations of torture are hollow. What will it take to getWashington and London to abide by their international legal obligations and condemn torture and abuse of victims any where in the world? If they can to that with a straight face, the obvious starting point would their immediate cessation of renditions and torture. We will not accept anything less

October 2011

•IMMUNITIES & IMPUNITIES

Heard and Quoted It’s really amazing. You plant a seed; it germinates and looking so fragile, and within a very short time it becomes a huge tree. It gives you shade and if it’s a fruit tree it gives you fruit if it is timber it gives you timber you are able to build your houses…it transforms lives of the very women who planted the trees… We want to see many Africans really demonstrating their commitment to their region by planting trees. There is absolutely no excuse to stop desertification because this is something that is doable and cheap.

It is very important for young people not to be afraid of engaging in areas that are not common to the youth. Get involved in local activities, get involved in local initiatives, be involved in leadership positions because you can’t learn unless you are involved. And if you make mistakes, that’s alright, too, because we all make mistakes and we learn from those mistakes. You gain confidence from learning, failing and rising again.

We’re constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. We should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I don’t want to be like the other animals watching the planet go down the drain. I’ll be a hummingbird, I’ll do the best I can. In a few decades, the relationship between the environment, resources and conflict may seem almost as obvious as the connection we see today between human rights, democracy and peace.

It is important to nurture any new ideas and initiatives which can make a difference for Africa. Quotes by Prof Wangari Maathai

October 2011

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•DIPLOSPEAK Have Your Say

When Shall We Learn Our Lessons? In September alone Kenya has been victim to numerous disasters that have led to many deaths. The fire tragedy at Sinai slum, gas leak at Shauri Moyo and the numerous road accidents continue claiming lives. The country’s disaster preparedness leaves a lot to be desired. Am talking about the hospitals, fire brigade and community at large. Our health institutions are especially wont to ask for assistance from the public when they are overwhelmed. It is not wrong but if it becomes a habit then we really need to evaluate our preparedness strategy. Our hospitals should have already learnt their lessons from other previous tragedies and put effort towards being prepared. It does go to show that their resources are stretched thin, which is unfortunate. Borrow from the scouts motto “be prepared” and put efforts towards it. The community is not left out in this as well we should have the sense to run away from tragedies when we see them. We all know petrol is dangerous no matter how valuable it is. We have also witnessed scores of others dying while trying to siphon fuel. Why should we then gamble with our lives? Can we learn how to predict danger and avoid it then we can stop all this senseless deaths? Grace Njoroge KENYA

KENYAN CURRENCY ON A FREE FALL I have been following keenly business reports from Kenya and i must say what is happening is sad. These are hard economic times for East Africa especially Kenya. Inflation has is over 16 per cent. The Kenyan currency is in what is called a free fall. The Kenyan, shilling has

October 2011

RANT/RAVE

This will prove to be hard times as everything will be sky rocketing.

This will not only hurt the common mwananchi but the country’s economy will be adversely affected

>> Obasanjo's take on Africa's retired Presidents PG. 50 September 2011

Volume 017

Door to Region, Window on World

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

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How Kenya's film industry is poised for take-off ...Pg. 30 The true cost of America's wars ...Pg. 54 Kenya KSh300

dropped 20 per cent making it the worst worldwide. This will prove to be hard times as everything will be sky rocketing. This will not only hurt the common mwananchi but the country’s economy will be adversely affected. Some blame Central Bank of Kenya, saying it was too slow in reacting, which aggravated the situation. This poses a risk to Kenya and it would be good if the blame game is put aside and focus directed on helping the ailing economy. Is it possible that the Central Bank is holding foreign reserves in greater quantities than is necessary? Can something be done about this? Mark Owiti Kisumu, KENYA

RETURN THE FAVOUR I was pleased with the interview in the september issue of Diplomat East Africa on the role of expresidents in giving back to Africa. The excerpts from former Nigerian president HE Chief Olusegun Obasanjo were really insightful. Any citizen would agree with me that ex-presidents really do owe Africa and it’s good to see that the former

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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.

Nigerian president is aware of that. The former president was shown to be involved in projects that would help change African leadership in future by mentoring the youth. One of the issues that were mentioned was incumbent leaders. As his excellency put it, “the successor generation would have nobody to succeed unless we tackle the issues of the incumbent leaders.” I ask the question: Should we blame the leaders in office or ourselves? Aren’t we the ones hellbent on tribalism, always ready to accept bribes to do our leaders bidding? We should evaluate ourselves because if we did then these ‘incumbent leaders’ would probably not be in office now. We should strive to elect more leaders who have the interest of the country at heart rather than those whose only interest is to line their pockets as is most common with leaders. We do not want a repeat of the same mistakes lest we stagnate as the rest of the world moves forward. The leaders should borrow a leaf from Obasanjo and return the favour which saw them in office. We are the ones who voted for them, so, would it be asking too much if they did something for us that will be remembered in the long run? I do not mean erecting a building and having your name as the person who officially opened it, we want long lasting solutions. For instance, putting up a fight against corruption would be a start. Imagine if every leader in office was keen on fighting corruption then we would have already kicked it out of Africa. Let our leaders think of posterity and not just the five year term they are in office. Llian Muhwezi Tororo, UGANDA

>> Eritrea Takes on Ethiopia PG. 13

Volume No 018 • October 2011

Door to Region, Window on World

Mother Courage Tribute to Prof Wangari Maathai 1940-2011

Special Feature PG. 19

PUBLISHER Global Village Publishers (EA) Limited PO Box 23399-00625, Nairobi Vision Plaza, Ground Floor, Suite 19, Mombasa Road, Nairobi

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EDITORIAL Editorial Director: Kwendo Opanga Associate Editor: Mohamed Warsama Chief Sub Editor: Patrick Wachira Culture Editor: Ngari Gituku Contributing Editor: Bob Job Wekesa Staff Writers: Wycliffe Muga, Jane Mwangi, Baron Khamadi, Carol Kiiru, Ronald Bera,Kiishweko Orton, Rabura Kamau

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BUSINESS EXECUTIVES Joseph Ngina, Derrick Wanjawa, Irene Mwangi

DESIGN TEAM Daniel Kihara Raphael Mokora

DIPLOMATIC LICENCE

HEALTH

Post 9/11: The World is Not Any Safer........…..................1

World Heart Day.......................................................46-47

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

PHOTOGRAPHY Yahya Mohamed

CONTRIBUTORS 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

CIRCULATION & SUBSCRIPTION Stephen Otieno

THE REGION Salute to Greatness....................................................6-10 World Salutes Fallen Icon............................................. 11 Date with Maathai that Never Was................................12 Eritrea’s Gambit..............................................................13 Ethiopia behind our Troubles, says Eritrea................................................................14-16 Ethiopia, too, has its Counter-claims......................17-18 Bringing German Businesses Together........................19 Setting the Agenda for German Investors ...............................................20-21 BMW -The Ultimate Driving Machine..........................24 EALA's Great Strides.................................................25-26 AMISOM to Raise an Extra 3,000 Soldiers....................27 Capacity Woes Dog the AU.......................................28-29

ADMINISTRATION Josephine Wambui, Charles Kimakwa

PRINTER Ramco Printing

DISCLAIMER: Diplomat East Africa may not be copied and or transmitted or stored in any way or form, electronically or otherwise, without the prior and written consent of the publisher. Diplomat East Africa is published at Vision Plaza, Ground Floor, Suite 19, Mombasa Road, by Global Village Publishers (EA) Limited, Box 23399 – 0625, and Telephone 020-2525253/4/5. Registered at the GPO as a newspaper.

DNA 'I am Not Intimidated by my Wife’s Success'................................................36-37 Zambian 'King Cobra Strikes'....................................... 38

Green Agenda Emerging Threats to EA Tourism and Natural Heritage ..............................................48-52 New Study Shows Benefits of Fencing the Aberdares ..................................................53

DEA HOTELS Exotic Luxury Refined..............................................54-55

CULTURE …Of Music and Spirituality......................................56-58

REAL ESTATE A Walk Through Nairobi’s Gigiri Area.......................................................59

WORLD POSTAL DAY Universal Postal Union Leads in Global Communication........................................................60-61

GLOBAL STAGE US Credit Downgrade 'No More Than Hot Air'............................................62-63

Economy

ENVOYS OF SPORT

World Tourism Day in Style!..........................................39 Graft Switches off Power in Dar...............................40-41 'Lion Man' Adamson’s Legend Still Lives on..............................................................42-44

Muscles Flex for 2011 Stanchart Marathon...................................................................64-65

DIARY..........................................................66

October 2011

â&#x20AC;¢THE REGION Tribute To Greatness

PROF WANGARI MAATHAI 1940-2011

October 2011

Salute to Greatness Prof Wangari Maathai’s death, though a sad occasion, gives us another opportunity to recall what a rich and meaningful life she led. We are all the richer for her BY MOHAMMED WARSAMA

n many ways Nobel Laureate Prof Wangari Maathai, who passed away on September 25, 2011 in Nairobi, epitomised true courage and, in the words of UNEP Executive Director Mr Achim Steiner, “was a force of nature”. Her life story is a portrait of an uncompromising belief in environmental sustainability, human rights, pursuit of excellence and democracy. In an interview with Radio France International on her death, Diplomat East Africa’s Editorial Director Kwendo Opanga called her a “force for good”. Maathai was more feted abroad than she was at home. At a Hollywood luncheon hosted by American film producers following her 2004 Nobel Peace prize, a Kenyan CEO in attendance was struck by the way movie, political, corporate and social glitterati paid homage to her. Her courage in the line of fire was the most admirable of all her great qualities. She wore the courage of her convictions like a badge of honour. She also had the physical courage to stare down the most formidable foe of her time; the relentless and merciless Kanu tyranny. For that we, at Diplomat East Africa,

salute her. But she was a survivor too, re-inventing herself when fellow women leaders, women organisations and even the University of Nairobi appeared to shun her in the late 1970s. She stood tall where many would have wavered in the wake of her highly publicised and acrimonious divorce. Maathai took her crusade for environmental conservation as an article of faith, tackling politicians head-on often against the wishes of her friends. She was, on several occasions, blessed with a second chance after she was knocked down by the forces she took on. Against all odds, she survived the dark days of Kanu rule and the repressive government of President Moi in the 1980s. She even cheated death when she suffered serious injury at the hands of hired goons and security agents in her campaigns against human rights abuses in the 1990s. In the lead-up to the 1992 General Election it became clear to her that the opposition would not dislodge Moi and Kanu if it did not rally around a single candidate. She formed the Middle Ground Group which attempted to bring together opposition parties. She

October 2011

•THE REGION

Tribute to Greatness

failed, but her courage had shown through again. Her objective was noble, but it would seem the political class at the time; many Kanu handovers; were unhappy with her stubborn streak and determination to get things her way. This streak was patently evident when she singlehandedly opposed Kanu’s plan to build a 60-storey monolith in Nairobi’s Uhuru Park and came into direct confrontation with Moi and his retinue of Kanu praise singers. Moi in a burst of anger referred to her as “mama mmoja anajitokeza” (woman who has stepped up to the plate) in opposition to Kanu’s plans “kujenga jumba la fahari” (build a prestigious building) in Nairobi. It was a signal to the Kanu machine to fight Maathai. It failed. But now she was evidently, in the language of the time, Kenya’s Leading Green. And she remained relevant, locally and globally, even after the government of President Mwai Kibaki snubbed her in 2003. IRONY

Contrary to public expectations, Kibaki appointed her an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources after the 2002 elections, but surprisingly failed to appreciate the irony of his actions. Here was a world class environmentalist tasked to deputise for a minister who knew a lot less about the environment! It would appear Kibaki and his cronies were not particularly fond of her partly because of her acrimonous break-up with their business and political confidant Mwangi Mathai, and also because she did not compromise easily, particularly when she felt she was right; which she often was. But she received recognition where it mattered most; on the

October 2011

world stage. For her life-long commitment to environmental sustainability and the empowerment of women she received the 2004 Nobel Peace Prize. She became the first African woman and first environmentalist to receive the prestigious award. It was not the only first she achieved; hers was a life of firsts and distinctions. She was the first woman in East and Central Africa to earn a doctorate degree, obtaining it from the University of Nairobi in 1971, and the first woman to run a university department in Kenya. So how do you pay a fitting tribute to a talent and personality as outstanding as Maathai? This is the challenge we faced as a publication as we sought to pen a tribute in her memory. She was a dear friend of this news magazine and, indeed, one of our cherished, founding and expert contributors.

WORTHY CAUSE:

Wangari Maathai planting trees in the degraded Aberdare Forest, Kenya. (RIGHT) AND (LEFT) with President Barack Obama, then a Senator, when he visited Kenya

Just before she was re-admitted to the Nairobi Hospital in midSeptember, she had most graciously agreed to be interviewed for the November issue of this publication. But it was not to be; it would seem the Great Editor up there had other assignments for her. Maathai was also a patron of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the inspiration behind the agency’s Billion Tree Campaign that encourages people across the world to plant trees for the benefit of their communities. More recently, Maathai, 71, served as the UN’s Messenger of Peace as well as a member of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Advocacy Group, which Ban Ki-moon set up last year to advance progress on the Millennium Development Goals – the globally agreed targets for slashing hunger, poverty, disease and lack of access to education, all by 2015. Since then, the movement has planted an estimated 45 million trees in Africa and assisted nearly 900,000 women to establish tree nurseries and plant trees to reverse the effects of deforestation. This is “the force of nature” UNEP’s Steiner was referring to, and he was right HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

Maathai started her journey to the top in humble circumstances, She founded the Green Belt Movement in 1977 to encourage women in rural Kenya to plant trees to improve their livelihoods through better access to clean water, firewood for cooking and other resources. It would seem adversity brought out the best in her. She was born near Nyeri in Kenya’s Central Province (now Nyeri County) in 1940, and received her education in Kenya and the United States. Her qualities included an incredible ability to surmount any obstacle and though, by her

•THE REGION

Tribute to Greatness

own admission, often she had to will herself up when the going got tough, and it did. For instance in 1997, she decided to plunge into Kenya’s murky mainstream elective politics when she vied for the presidency under the Mazingira Green Party of Kenya, previously known as the Liberal Party of Kenya (LPK) in that year’s polls. Urged on by admiring women leaders from around the world at a conference attended by, among others the late Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere, at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Maathai hinted that she would have a stab at the presidency. Perhaps giving currency to the saying that a prophet is seldom recognised at home, Maathai failed dismally, losing both the presidential and parliamentary bids. Unbowed and undeterred, she moved on, happily returning to her Greenbelt Movement and for another round in her unending war with the Moi government. This time the battle was over its illegal excision of the Karura Forest, which in a peculiar twist, neighbours UNEP’s headquarters on the outskirts of Nairobi. For her troubles, she was clobbered senseless in 1999 and had to be hospitalised with serious injuries. I had an encountered with her during the violence at the entrance to UNEP’s headquarters, which humbled me. Watching her being clobbered by policemen and security agents posing as watchmen and workers at a construction site, made me wonder at the kind of life she lived. It must be hard, I thought to myself, to live with what you know and remember, cut off from what you hope for; it must be the bleak sterility of a life without illusion. But I was wrong. She had her illusions alright and was determined to make her voice heard.

Her Nobel Peace prize two years later, though a remarkable moment, left many politicians and governments shocked as they could did not see the “peace” connection between human rights and the environment. But it gave Maathai an international profile and a strong platform to travel the world, pressing home the message that ecology and democracy were inseparable. REFERENDUM

ONCE A POLITICIAN

I was then an editor on a regional publication and asked her the only question that came to my mind: “Why?” She looked at me and my photographer, Patrick Olum, and simply answered: “Because somebody has to do it.” I quietly signaled Olum to stop taking pictures and watched helplessly as she was pushed into the UNEP complex, bleeding and wounded to escape arrest. Indefatigable to a fault, she returned to politics in the 2002 General Election as part of the National Rainbow Coalition (NARC) party that routed Kanu. She had won the Tetu constituency parliamentary seat on her Mazingira Party.

For instance in 1997, she decided to plunge into Kenya’s murky mainstream elective politics when she vied for

the presidency under the Mazingira Green Party of Kenya

Despite her new status, she still served in the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources as a junior minister until November 2005, when she quit after the government failed to rally the country to approve a New Constitution in a referendum. In the wake of the referendum fiasco, Kibaki dissolved his government leaving out a faction allied to Mr Raila Odinga, who had earlier ganged up with him to form the Narc party in the first place. Maathai decided to sit out of the new government named in December 2005, hoping to reconcile the feuding factions, but the schism was too deep and wide to fill and bridge. She later confessed that she had planned to run for president in 2002 but was tricked out of it. In her later years, she took her campaign to Asia, turning her attention to the giant commercial palm plantations that have destroyed so much of Indonesia and Malaysia and badgered politicians to address climate change, which she said was hurting women the most. Her belief in trees and what they symbolised at times bordered on the hilarious, but her convictions were undeniable. In many ways, she was lucky too; escaping the Mau Mau rebellion that devastated Central, Nairobi and parts of the Rift Valley

October 2011

•THE REGION

Tribute to Greatness

Provinces and was sent to a primary school run by Italian nuns. Her magic touch blossomed and she excelled in academics. In 1959, she won a scholarship to study in the US, as part of the airlifts in which 300 Kenyans, including Barack Obama Snr were chosen to study at American universities in the 1960s. In her writings, she fondly recalled her further studies in Germany and her return to Kenya in 1966. Five years later, she was awarded her historic PhD. She ran the Veterinary Department at the University of Nairobi. But there were the dark moments too; a tumultuous personal life saw her marriage to Mathai, a young Kenyan politician who had also studied in the US, collapse in bitter acrimony. Mathai left her in 1977 and filed for divorce. A highly publicised and damaging divorce case ensued in 1979/80. The court found against her in 1980 and perhaps to vent her frustration, she gave an interview to the defunct Viva magazine in which she referred to the late Justice Zaccheaus Chesoni as “either incompetent or corrupt”. The magazine was then edited by Mr Salim Lone, currently a media advisor to Prime Minister Odinga. Maathai was charged with contempt of court and sentenced to six months in prison. Strong willed and still defiant, she only served a few days before paying up the fine. But Mathai, who was the Member of Parliament for Lang’ata in Nairobi, was not done with her yet and demanded that she drops his name. She did not. She simply added an extra ‘a’ to the Mathai to make it Maathai. If she thought her troubles were over, she was sadly mistaken. She was forced out of the National Council of Women of Kenya, which she chaired over her divorce. She saw the hand of Moi and Kanu

October 2011

behind her woes, and one never known to back down from a good fight took him on. She also left her job at the University of Nairobi and concentrated her efforts on the Green Belt Movement – a Non- Governmental Organisation - she had set up. Despite her woes, it grew beyond her wildest imagination. Her visits to the countryside seeking to empower women drew the anger of the powerful provincial administration, and she was soon being monitored by the dread Special Branch since renamed NSIS. It was simply a matter of time before she fell foul of Moi and he obliged her sooner than she thought. In 1988/89 Kanu which owned the newspaper - the Kenya Times partnered with the notorious British media tycoon Robert Maxwell and proposed putting up a 60-storey office complex in Maathai’s beloved Uhuru Park in Nairobi. She saw it as a call to battle. DEMOCRACY

For Moi and Kanu; she had crossed the line. As long as she planted trees and gave eloquent speeches about conserving the environment, they would tolerate her. When she expanded her repertoire to include demands for political space, freedom for detainees and a return to democracy, she was

WORLD GREATS: Paul Martin, former prime minister of Canada, Ban ki-Moon, UN Secretary General, and Wangari Maathai

She also left her job at the University of Nairobi and concentrated her efforts on the

Green Belt Movement – a Non- Governmental Organisation - she had set up

courting trouble. In a moment of genius Maathai and other like minded individuals took Kanu to court. Besides the court case, she also ran a vigorous international campaign against the tower of prestige. Her campaigns paid off. Moi backed down, but it was simply a matter of time before they met again in battle. In the meantime, fortune smiled on her again; Maxwell’s’ media empire collapsed. Maathai took part in a hunger strike in Uhuru Park in 1993 at a place after christened Freedom Corner in defiant recognition of her efforts to combat oppression and the release of political prisoners who included a former MP for Subukia and outspoken opponent of Moi’s dictatorship, Koigi Wamwere. But despite her troubles at home, her international profile rose by the day making her champion of environmental conservation and democracy in Africa. She is survived by two daughters, Wanjiru and Muta, and a son, Waweru, as well as her granddaughter, Ruth. Despite the challenges Prof Wangari Maathai faced, she rose to become a national and international icon. She has passed on but her legacy will live on for ever

•THE REGION

Tribute to Greatness

World Salutes Fallen Icon

Tributes and acknowledgement of the late Nobel Peace Prize laureate and one of Africa’s foremost environmental campaigners, Prof Wangari Maathai, have been fast and furious.

President Mwai Kibaki: “With the passing on of Prof Maathai, the country and the world has not only lost a renowned environmentalist, but also a great human rights crusader.”

US President Barack Obama said he learned of her death “With great sadness. “On behalf of all Americans, Michelle and I, send our deepest condolences to Prof Maathai’s family and the people of Kenya at this difficult time.”

Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete: “She was a great woman, an inspiration for many women across Africa, a magnificent visionary and embodiment of courage.”

A former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan: “Wangari Maathai will be remembered as a committed champion of the environment, sustainable development, women’s rights and democracy.”

Fellow Nobel Laureate Bishop Desmond Tutu: “One can but marvel at her foresight and the scope of her success. She was a true African heroine.”

South Africa’s founding president and an icon in his own right, Nelson Mandela: “She has left a lasting legacy in greater awareness and work in protecting our environment.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton: “She was a tireless advocate for the environment, for women and for all those in the developing world who are unable to realise their potential.”

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon: “Her passing is a loss for the people of Kenya and the world,” Ms. Maathai was known throughout the development and human rights community not just for her inspirational eloquence, but for her human warmth.”

Jan McAlpine, Director of the Secretariat of the UN Forum on Forests; “She was a visionary who saw over the tree canopy, but never lost sight of the roots:” Ms. Maathai was a great woman and a wonderful leader who made a difference both in Kenya and around the world, one tree at a time."

UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner: “Wangari Maathai was a force of nature, While others deployed their power and life force to damage, degrade and extract short term profit from the environment, she used hers to stand in their way, mobilise communities and to argue for conservation and sustainable development over destruction."

Compiled by: GRACE NJOROGE

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•THE REGION

Tribute to Greatness

CHERISHED EXPERT

Date with Maathai that Never Was

'We are constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed. We should always feel like a hummingbird. I may feel insignificant, but I don’t want to be like the other animals watching the planet go down the drain. I’ll be a hummingbird; I’ll do the best I can,' -Maathai By CAROL KIIRU ºCONFERENCE meetings & events

CONSERVATION: Copenhagen Climate Conference

Deadlock in Denmark On the sidelines of the Summit, our Special Correspondent PROF WANGARI MAATHAI argues the case for consideration for poor nations in mitigating environmental challenges. UN Secretary General Ban ki-Moon appointed Prof Maathai the UN Ambassador on the Environment, citing her work in conservation, women’s rights and clean government

FORCE OF NATURE:

A cut-out of Maathai's article in the firat issue of this magazine

egions, blocs and individual countries had many and diverse expectations in Copenhagen. Africa, which scientists say will be the most negatively impacted by climate change, expected that the rich or developed countries would commit to a legally-binding agreement. That agreement was expected to ensure that these countries would provide finances so that the poor countries could mitigate and adapt to climate change. Finances would allow the poor countries to access technology to

improve their capacity and sustain their livelihoods. The Group of 77 and China negotiated cooperatively and put pressure on the rich countries to agree to an ambitious and fair deal. This is because the rich countries are largely responsible for the emissions, which come from their lifestyles, which largely depend on the burning of fossil fuels. Non-industrialised countries, many of which are in Africa, have contributed a negligible amount of greenhouse gases precisely because they are not developed and therefore

January - February 2010

ONE MORE FEATHER:

The author and Nobel laureate was appointed the United Nations Envoy for the Environment during the Copenhagen meet escalating the number of honorifics she has collected over the years in recognition for her commitment to Mother Nature

t was quite a challenge getting through to Prof Wangari Maathai; but I did. On September 2, 2011 I had called and later e-mailed her office in Nairobi. Her personal assistant told me she would find out if and when I could interview her for a column in the current issue of Diplomat East Africa, and then get back to me. Maathai was a not a stranger to this publication; she was one of our founding contributors and a cherished expert on environment and governance, so when my editor asked me if I could get her to grace our column - At Home With

October 2011

…- in which we engage diplomats and public figures on their lives outside the limelight, I jumped at the opportunity. Not many people knew about her life out of the limelight, so when she came on the line, I was thrilled. I explained to her about the column and that the last person I had featured was Alice Macaire, wife of the British High Commissioner to Kenya on her work on Karura Forest. I knew Karura Forest occupied a special place in Maathai's heart and I easily detected the warmth in her voice when she spoke about Alice. “She is passionate in what she does. Alice is a great woman with a lot of zeal when it comes to Karura Forest. She is tireless in her endeavors towards the forest and also the person who adds that strength when you want to give up.” I could barely hide my joy when she told me: “I will be leaving Kenya and be back on October 12 and then I will have you come over and do this interview the following week. Arrange it with my assistant Lucy who will accord you the necessary help.” So you can imagine my shock when I learnt of her untimely death. To say I was stunned would

be an understatement. Just three weeks after I had spoken to her? I felt as is I had lost a close acquaintance and could only imagine how the article would have read. What did she do when she not attending international conferences, addressing the media, meeting dignitaries? Did she ever take time off her busy schedule? Did she bring the“green campaign” that catapulted her to such greatness and, ironically, caused her so much distress in her battles with the Kanu and the President Danial arap Moi regime, home? What were her views on the Kibaki administration’s environment agenda? And did she think about these weighty matters when she was having her cup of tea after a hectic day? How did she wind down? The tragedy is that now I will never know. But I found consolation in President Kibaki’s decision to acknowledge her. It was a befitting gesture. The fact that he had also declared Thursday September, 29 and Friday September 30, 2011 as days of national mourning in her honour, and that during the two days, the national flag would fly at half mast, gave me some peace. It was a major change of heart for a government that would not even appoint her to the Cabinet after she was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004. She was still retained as an Assistant Minister in the ministry of Environmental and Natural Resources as the rest of the World feted her. She lived her life to the full, and the fact that her “green agenda” is now fashionable worldwide, is enough proof that her life was not in vain. She will be missed; but “Tree Lady” the Earth is richer for your existence

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

UNNEIGHBOURLY CONDUCT

Eritrea’s Gambit... After years of sullen silence in the face of an onslaught in the international media and in diplomatic circles by the more savvy Ethiopian government, Asmara has launched its own charm offensive. But not all the answers add up says Ethiopia. MOHAMMED WARSAMA reports

T In May 2008, Afewerki announced that elections would be postponed for

“three or four decades” or longer because they “polarise

society.”

he Eritrean government has come out fighting after years of being portrayed as the bad neighbour in the Horn of Africa region. The government in Asmara points a finger at the more media savvy Ethiopians as the cause of the sanctions imposed on it by the UN, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and, even more significantly, Washington, on the grounds that it was supporting terrorism in the region. Initially, unwilling or more probably unable to defend itself, Eritrea played into the hands of Ethiopia when it recalled its ambassador to the Addis Abababased-African Union and later quit IGAD. The very two institutions it needed most to argue its case. After the July 4, 2011 IGAD extraordinary meeting that saw Asmara, again, accused of destabilising the region by supporting the ragtag Al Shabaab militia in Somalia, the Eritrean government seems to have quickly read the signs and launched a charm offensive. Matters took on a new urgency after the influential UN Monitoring Group issued a highly damning report on Eritrea’s alleged misadventures in Somalia, and the fact that the UN Security Council

was preparing to vote on adopting its recommendation. Asmara came swinging off the blocks. Eritrea countered the report point –by- point, announced its returned to IGAD and President Isaias Afewerki responded with alacrity to an invitation from President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda. It is a gambit that may or may not pay off; either way Asmara has raised the stakes in its border and supremacy battle with Addis Ababa. The fact that Afewerki is using the entire arsenal at his disposal simply underlines the point. Indeed, he has even used his envoy to the UN to engage the BBC and other international media to explain his government’s position. It seems to be working. Ethiopia has threatened to fan rebellion in Eritrea and a return to arms over the disputed border area Diplomat East Africa secured an exclusive interview with the Eritrea ambassador in Nairobi, Mr Beyene Russom, who explains the genesis of his government’s problems with Addis Ababa and dismisses the UN report’s allegations that his embassy was a conduit to fund the Somalia militia. He explains why his government does not hold election (see accompanying interview). Ethiopia too has its say. When contacted by this news magazine,

as part of our responsibility to give anyone adversely mentioned the Right of Reply, the Ethiopian Embassy in Nairobi responded. We also carry that interview. Despite their intense and mutual hatred for each other, Afewerki and his Ethiopian counterpart Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, are, in many ways, a cut from the same cloth. Both are regarded as some of the worst dictators on the African continent. In May 2008, Afewerki announced that elections would be postponed for “three or four decades” or longer because they “polarise society.” All forms of media are controlled by the government. In October 2008, the U.S. government banned the sale of arms to Eritrea, accusing Afewerki of “not fully cooperating with antiterrorism efforts.” It is a tyrannical trait that he shares with his Ethiopian counterpart and fellow former guerrilla leader, Zenawi too, shows no signs of sharing power with anyone. Despite his excesses, for instance, extreme human rights abuses as documented by human rights groups, the US considers him an important regional ally in the war on terror and continues to train and arm his military

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IPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: Is it true that the Eritrean Embassy in Nairobi is used as a conduit to fund terrorism in Somalia? HE BEYENE RUSSOM: No, our Embassy is very clean and it has not been involved in any such activities. The accusations are baseless. I challenge anybody to come with any proof that this Embassy is involved in activities that go against the Laws of Kenya. We have always stood firmly against terrorism in principle and deeds. Let alone as a government, even during our long years of liberation struggle there is no element or trace of terrorist activity in our history. It is against our tradition and our principle. Q: But why is Eritrea facing the accusations? A: All this is the work of Ethiopia. They make us look as the aggressors while we, in fact, are the victims. They refused to honour the verdicts made by the Eritrean-Ethiopia Border Commission in 2002. They are still inside our territory (in Eritrea) and in Badme with their troops and tanks in violation of the UN, AU, the USA and the European Union-sponsored Algiers Agreement and the final and binding verdict of the EEBC HE BEYENE RUSSOM:

Eritrean Ambassador

COUNTER ATTACK

Ethiopia behind our Troubles, says Eritrea In the face of growing accusations over Asmara's alleged role in the Somali violence and links to terrorists in the Horn of Africa region, the Eritrean ambassador to Kenya HE BEYENE RUSSOM sets the record straight. He spoke to DEAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s RONALD BERA. Excerpts: 14

October 2011

Q: Did the UN Monitoring Group that compiled the report contact you before making it public? A: They did not contact me. Where they conducted their investigation is a mystery to me. They might have been in Eritrea and worked discreetly. We should have been given a chance to defend ourselves. To ask them where the proof is, where did you see this? Why are you doing that? In fact, they leaked it to the media before it reached the Security Council because Ethiopia has been part and parcel of the socalled 400 page document of the UN monitoring group. Q: How comes Eritrea is not defending itself against the accusations?

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

A: We are defending ourselves, but the accusations keep piling up. While we are too busy trying to defend this accusation, another wild one is created. But sometimes we wonder why such wild, senseless, illogical and bogus accusations and delusions manufactured in Addis Ababa reach the heads of journalists. Why for example, should Eritrea try to destabilise South Sudan and why should we train people to bomb Kampala? What would be the interest of Eritrea? Any credible journalist should ask and try to find out why, before publishing a marketable and sensational story like ‘Eritrea accused of training terrorists to bomb Kampala, the AU seat in Addis’…etc and endless accusations linked with Al Shabaab and Somalia. Why doesnt the media ask where the proof is? And why would Eritrea waste so much money and effort to destabilise South Sudan for which it has worked tirelessly and for years to reach this amicable solution of the long conflict between the southern and northern peoples of Sudan? And why Kampala, so far away from the Eritrean borders? We are even very worried that these accusations will spill further in the region to Chad, Congo or Rwanda. If something happens in Rwanda now, they might accuse Eritrea again. No country can prepare itself against such outrageous lies unless you have such kind of behaviour and tradition. Unfortunately, Eritrea doesn’t have such history or tradition and that might be the reason why we are always being taken by surprise. They (Ethiopia) are succeeding in manipulating the media and creating a bad image of Eritrea because the ruling regime of Ethiopia - the Meles Zenawi group - has such a notorious tradition which has destabilised the whole region and succeeded in creating a negative but temporary image of Eritrea.

Q: What steps have you taken to clear yourself of the accusations? A: We are appealing to the UN and are speaking to the Governments in the region. It is not only that the accusations are baseless and without proof and evidence, but they don’t emanate or originate from the countries of the region. Uganda has never accused Eritrea of any wrong doing in Kampala and neither did the SPLM of South Sudan. We opened our Embassy in Juba long before any country in the region. Kenya has never pointed a finger at us over the accusation that our Embassy finances or transfers weapons to Al Shabaab. The paradox is that you are accused without an accuser and without the evidence. The only origin of all these ill-intentions and lies against Eritrea is Ethiopia on behalf of other countries. This would be a very interesting but funny case in the law. But now that we are back in IGAD, it will not be long before we are able to assert our proper position and work for the benefit of the region. Peace and development as the name IGAD stands for. Q: Did the Kenyan government conduct any investigations? A: I have spoken to Government officials and told them that my job here is to work for the interest of both countries within the context of diplomatic rules and norms and within the Kenyan laws as well. We have never done anything that jeopardises our relationship and or against my diplomatic duty by transferring money or weapons to Al-Shabaab. The Government of Kenya has never accused me of such things. They must have done their investigations in their own way. Q: Is it true that Eritrea is supporting rebel groups inside of Ethiopia?

A: No. In fact, on the contrary, in March Meles Zenawi, the Ethiopian leader, said publicly that his government shall use all means available to see a regime change in Eritrea. Ethiopia, while asking the international community for millions of dollars as aid for the famine in the country has purchased 200 tanks and other armaments again announcing the purchase publicly as if the weapons of destruction are tractors and tools for farming. To everybody’s surprise the donors, international community and the media have said nothing or very little. The Government of Ethiopia has been very active for the last decade arming Eritreans and conducting terrorist activities against my country. They have tried creating groups from some of the Eritrean living in Ethiopia and even in the Diaspora. But, of course, to no avail. Q: Why has Eritrea rejoined IGAD? A: With the emergence of South Sudan, the problems of famine and drought in the region, the further fragmentation of Somalia and also the factor of peace and development of the region, we think we can now play our role more actively in IGAD. And we are not joining IGAD now. We have been there since early 1990s. We are only reactivating our membership.

We are defending ourselves, but the accusations keep piling up. While

we are too busy trying to defend this accusation, another wild one is created

Q: What is Eritrea’s response on the recent IGAD meeting where the Eritrean Representative was blocked from attending? A: It is very sad to hear such kinds of stories. It is only Ethiopia that is trying to block us against the charter or the law of IGAD - the reactivation of our membership. In protest at the Ethiopian invasion of Somalia in 2006, we froze or suspended our membership and now when we have decided that it is the right time to be back in IGAD,

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we are, according to the rules and regulations, automatically there. And to that effect, the countries in the region have not only accepted us happily but they have been asking Eritrea to come back to IGAD because we are part of the region. They wish to see Eritrea in peace and developing and most important because Eritrea has never withdrawn its membership from the organisation. No wonder Ethiopia is fighting hard to prevent Eritrea from coming back. Q: Your Excellency, you cover diplomatic duties in the whole of East Africa? A: Yes, but now we are upgrading our diplomatic presence in Kampala to Embassy level. I cover Tanzania. Q: Do you have an embassy in Ethiopia? A: No, we do not have diplomatic relations with Ethiopia since they invaded Eritrea in 1998 when they expelled our Ambassador who was also our representative to the African Union. They also expelled the whole embassy staff and ransacked and confiscated our properties, vehicles and all documents against international laws and norms. Since Addis Ababa is the seat of the AU, we could not be represented in the organisation because the Ethiopian Government refused to allow the presence of any Eritrean diplomat in the capital. That is why we were not also active in the AU. Q: What happened between Meles Zenawi and Isaias Afewerki, they used to be allies? A: Yes well, we collaborated with Meles’ group, the TPLF along with other Ethiopian organisations to liberate Ethiopia. The then new Ethiopian Government supported our referendum. We had, say, good neighbourly and diplomatic relations until they suddenly invaded Eritrea in 1998 under the pretext of a border conflict.

October 2011

We don’t believe election without full process of democratisation

is functional or beneficiary to the people

Q: Eritrea has never had an election. How come? A: We drafted our constitution and elections were also included in it, but Ethiopia suddenly invaded us. We have not had a chance to hold elections ever since because we are in a ‘no war no peace’ situation. Imagine! After the Algiers peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2000 and after the EEBC border conflict verdict of 2002, the Ethiopian army is still holding our territory including the town of Badme, which was established to be in Eritrea in the final and binding verdict of the EEBC. The world should understand that we enjoyed only a few years of peace. With such an obstacle for peace as the presence of foreign Ethiopian troops, tanks and heavy weapons, how can a country manage to conduct elections? We have time and again told the AU, the UN, the European community and the USA, who are the guarantors of the Algiers peace Agreement, that they should compel the Ethiopian troops to withdraw from our sovereign territory and force Ethiopia to honour the verdict to which we both signed to be final and binding. If this is done, then we are ready to normalise the relationship with Ethiopia the next day and continue the democratisation process that we started earlier the way we think is fit to our society. We don’t believe election without full process of democratisation is functional or beneficiary to the people. Q: Is it true that Eritrea and Ethiopia have now taken their border wars to Somalia? A: Is that the so-called proxy wars? We had very good relations with Somalia. We were both colonised by Italians. Until 2006, we were working together with Ethiopia, Kenya and the region for

peace and stability in Somalia until Ethiopia again suddenly invaded Somalia violating the UN Security Council resolution 1726 that prevents frontline counties to intervene militarily in Somalia. And as a manifestation of protest, because IGAD didn’t stop or condemn Ethiopia we suspended our membership from IGAD. Then on the contrary we were accused of supporting the Islamic Court Union of Somalia. If you remember, we were accused of having a 2000-strongman army in Somalia but it was just a fabrication. No single soldier was found. Since then every now and then without respite, accusations of lies and fabrications pile one over the other against Eritrea mainly by the Ethiopian Government, only to camouflage its illegal occupation of part of Eritrea, it’s wrong doings inside its own country and the bullying of the region. Q: Of Ethiopia’s accusations against Eritrea, will it reach a point where Eritrea will say enough is enough? A: No. It will come to an end. I believe it will come to an end because at some point people will see through it all. If serious media people, not those bought, try to find out what is wrong, it will end. Q: What is the human rights situation in Eritrea? A: I can talk at length about the meaning of human rights. People should know their human rights for equal opportunity, for their right services to health and education, for their right to participate in the daily social and administrational affairs. The freedom of speech should be linked with these things. They just should not be hollow and without meaning

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

ON RECORD

Ethiopia, too, has its Counter-claims Contacted for comment over Eritrea s allegations, the Ethiopian Government exercised its Right of Reply to tell its side of the story. Excerpts below:

IPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: Is it true that Eritrea and Ethiopia have now taken their border war to

Somalia? ETHIOPIAN EMBASSY: It is now common knowledge that since its independence Eritrea has been involved in one sort of conflict or another with literally all its neighbours. Today, the regime in Asmara is actively involved in the exporting of terror far beyond its immediate neighbours and its destabilising activities in the whole region have reached an unprecedented level. It trains, arms and deploys terrorist groups throughout the region and there seems to be no end in sight to this continuous campaign of violence. Ethiopia has always stated that it does not have the slightest intention to go to war with Eritrea and all the evidence supports this contention. The 1998 war, of course, was the result of the PFDJ government’s persistent ambition to dictate terms to others by force. After its successful defence against Eritrean aggression in 2000, Ethiopia actively sought a workable arrangement to normalise relations and to find amicable solutions to any of the differences that might exist between the two countries. It has continued to do so ever since. Ethiopia shares a big border with Eritrea but Eritrea shares no border

with Somalia. If Ethiopia wants to score a point on Eritrea it would prefer to engage with Eritrea directly than go to Somalia. The notion that Eritrea and Ethiopia have now taken their border wars to Somalia is a deliberate attempt to cover up Eritrea’s aggressive behaviour towards its neighbours. Q: After the Algiers peace agreement between Eritrea and Ethiopia in 2000 and after the EEBC border conflict verdict of 2002, the Ethiopian army is still holding Eritrean territory including the town of Badme. Is this accurate? A: Ethiopia has always reiterated its readiness to demarcate the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea in accordance with the delimitation decision of the Boundary Commission and resolve all outstanding issues between the two countries through dialogue. It’s been more than seven years now since the Ethiopian parliament passed a resolution in 2004 not only accepting the Boundary Commission’s delimitation decision but also to “resolve the dispute between Ethiopia and Eritrea only and only through peaceful means” and to “start dialogue immediately with a view to implementing the Ethiopia-Eritrea Boundary Commission’s decision in a manner consistent with the promotion of sustainable peace and brotherly ties between the two peoples.”

Ethiopia has stated time and again that it is prepared to live with the regime in Asmara in spite of existing differences. But the regime in Asmara would have none of it; rather choosing to try and bring destruction in Ethiopia and in the region in the vain hope that it might one day achieve its main goal of bringing about the total disintegration of the Ethiopian State. Eritrea’s nauseating claim that everything that it does to destabilise the region is the direct outcome of ‘the border dispute’ can thus only reflect the aggressive and lawless nature of the regime. The main problem with Eritrea is not a border problem. It is rather the behaviour of the Eritrean regime towards the region as a whole. Eritrea’s policy in the region, which is guided by the rule of the jungle and only raw power, is the main problem. It also emanates from its own internal policies, where lack of democracy and economic well being are completely absent, where its people are subjugated to inhumane treatment. Q. Eritrea states that when it drafted its constitution and elections were included in it, but Ethiopia suddenly invaded it. Your comment, please? A.This aggressive behaviour of the regime is not confined to

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WARNING SIGNS

its neighbours or to countries in the region. In fact, this is a regime that has been terrorising its own people for close to two decades now. This is a regime that has incarcerated thousands of its own officials without due process and held incommunicado for having simply expressed their concern that the leadership in the person of President Isaias Afewerki might not always be right. Because of the repressive activities of the regime in Asmara, very significant number of the population has been leaving the country in droves, often at the risk of being shot on sight if caught by the authorities. Despite the obvious danger, hundreds of thousands are stampeding to leave Eritrea at any cost. We know how many Eritreans risk their lives to cross to Ethiopia because we host tens of thousands of them. In this respect, Eritrea is one of the largest contributors to the world’s refugee population. The people of Eritrea have suffered enough. It has now become common practice in Eritrea for the government to incarcerate parents for the simple reason that their children have left the country or failed to show up for military service. Q. Ethiopia and Eritrea do not have diplomatic relations since it is alleged that when Ethiopia invaded Eritrea in 1998, it expelled Asmara's Ambassador who was also its ambassador to the African Union, all the embassy staff, ransacked and confiscated its property. Your response? A. Ethiopia has never invaded any country in its entire history. It is Eritrea that invaded Ethiopia in 1998. The Ethiopia-Eritrea boundary commission in its final decision has clearly stated that Eritrea invaded Ethiopia. Eritrea’s leaders are endowed with a perverse logic of blaming everyone for their frustration with what they claim is the international community’s failure to force Ethiopia to implement the demarcation of the border between the two countries. Q. Is it true that Eritrea is supporting rebel groups inside of Ethiopia? A. The regime’s lawlessness has deeper roots as evidenced by the fact that Eritrea’s mere two decades of existence as an independent State is punctuated by totally uncalled for wars. It has so far gone into war with Yemen, Djibouti (twice), Sudan and Ethiopia

October 2011

'Never Again' to Hunger and Famine BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

‘Never Again’ campaign to end extreme hunger in Eastern Africa and the Horn Region has been launched in the wake of the realisation that the warning signs of impending disaster were evident, but ignored, long before drought and famine began killing tens of thousands of people. The United Nation has announced its support the initiative. “Not only must the international emergency response system become more flexible in responding to early warnings, we must have more regular support for risk reduction at national and community level,” sais Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Special Representative for Disaster Risk Reduction Margareta Wahlström. The campaign is a non-governmental organisation (NGO) initiative and was launched at a mini-summit on Somalia at UN Headquarters at the end of Sepember 2011. The campaign – Never Again: A Charter to End Extreme Hunger – has five essential elements: fixing the flaws of the international emergency system; supporting local food production; ensuring services and protection for the poorest; making available food everyone can afford; and reducing armed violence and conflict. Tens of thousands of Somalis have already starved to death and more than 3.2 million others are on the brink of starvation in a drought and

famine that has affected 13.3 million people there and in three other countries, Djibouti, Ethiopia and Kenya. “The Horn of Africa crisis is a wakeup call for aid agencies, governments and donors alike. Given the collective experience of responding to drought emergencies over the last 50 years it seems almost beyond belief that we are once more desperately fighting a drought-fuelled famine which is threatening the lives and livelihoods of 13 million people,” said Ms. Wahlström, who heads the UN’s disaster risk reduction office (UNISDR). “As Oxfam, Save the Children, ONE and others rightly point out in this charter, all the warning signs were there in the Horn of Africa two years ago but the warnings were not acted on. The result is that more lives will be lost and more money will be spent because there was little or no support to timely and low-cost measures that would have reduced the risk of drought turning into a famine.” She particularly welcomed the charter’s call for disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation to be put at the heart of sustainable development. The signatories commit to linking non-political, needs-based early warning signs of disasters with a timely and appropriate response, with donors supporting national and community preparedness plans to avert the worst effects such as acute malnutrition

•THE REGION Special Report

PARTNERSHIP

Bringing German Businesses Together BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

Eng THOMAS BRINKEN:

Secretary GBA

Membership to GBA is open to any company, development

or aid agency, institute or any person involved directly or indirectly in trade and other activities between Kenya and Germany.

he German Business Association (GBA) brings under one cover German and Germanspeaking companies, institutions and foundations as well as Kenyan firms and individuals with commercial or other links to German. Indeed, even as Germany looks increasingly to the European Union, its Association is playing a pivotal role in enabling its members establish and expand business links between themselves and other companies, institutions and persons both in Kenya and German. GBA is non-political and has four main objectives. It fosters, promotes and discusses improved trading relationships, opportunities and measures between businessmen, businesses, companies and agencies involved in trade and commerce between the Federal Republic of German and the Republic of Kenya. The second objective is to meet, discuss, advise on and generally resolve problems and issues affecting members, their businesses and their commercial and trading activities with regard to Kenya and the neighbouring countries. The Association also elects steering groups to meet with, on behalf of members, Government departments,ministriesand relevant Kenyan trade organisations, to give voice to members’ suggestion and concerns towards the improvement

of both the public, private and NGO sectors in Kenya and East Africa. The final objective is to publicise and inform members of any relevant trading and commercial trends and Government measures that are likely to be interest to its members. Membership to GBA is open to any company, development or aid agency, institute or any person involved directly or indirectly in trade and other activities between Kenya and Germany. GBA co-operates and liaises with authorities such as the German Embassy, the Afrikaverein in Hamburg, the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Germany Trade and Invest (GTAI) and other public offices. It also responds to enquiries from trade and industry received from both German and Kenyan parties. The chairman of the Association is Mr Tillmann W. Proske, who is also the Group Chief Executive Officer of City Clock Ltd, and the Assistant chair is Dr Inge Hackenbroch. The Association membership covers various sectors of the economy. Notable among them is Achelis Kenya Ltd; the African Trade Insurance Agency; Bayer EA Ltd; City Clock Ltd; D.T. Dobie & Co. Ltd; Fairmont Hotels & Resorts; German School Society; GTZ Office; Goethe Institute, Nairobi; Henkel (Kenya) Ltd, among others

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LEVEL PLAYING FIELD

Setting the Agenda for German Investors

The chairman of the German Business Association Mr TILLMANN W PROSKE discusses with DEA’s CAROL KIIRU the organisation and its role in assisting investors in Kenya and German pursue common interests. Excerpts

iplomat East Africa: Kindly tell us about German Business Association in Kenya? Mr Tillmann Proske: We started about 25 years ago when some entrepreneurs thought of forming a group to cater for the interests of German businesses in general. The companies were about 100 at the time but, due to technology and new ways of managing interests, the numbers have gone down. Essentially, we are a Business Association for German and German-speaking companies, institutions and foundations as well as for Kenyan companies and individuals with commercial or other links to Germany. We aim to keep our members informed of business opportunities, but also to create awareness on our activities among the Kenyan business community. We also seek to facilitate, establish and expand business contacts between our members and other companies, institutions and persons both in Kenya and in Germany and respond to enquiries on trade and industry received from both German and Kenyan stakeholders.

October 2011

Q: What is the membership? A: The membership stands at about sixty seven (67) so far. The opportunity is open to any firm, company, development or aid agency, institute or any person involved directly or indirectly in trade and other activities between Kenya and Germany. Q: What are the objectives of GBA Kenya? A: GBA’s objectives are to foster, promote and discuss improved trading relationships, opportunities and measures between businessmen, businesses, companies and agencies involved in trade and commerce in the two countries.

Mr TILLMANN W PROSKE:

The chairman of the German Business Association

GBA is a networking hub where ideas are discussed and technicalities about them are addressed. We also meet on a monthly basis to discuss, advise on and generally attempt to solve problems and issues affecting members, their businesses and trading activities in Kenya and neighboring countries. In addition we elect steering groups to meet, on behalf of members, with Government departments, ministries and relevant Kenyan trade organisations. These voice members’ suggestions and concerns towards the improvement of public, private and NGO sectors in Kenya and East Africa. Moreover we publicise and inform members of relevant trading and commercial trends and Government measures likely to be of interest to the members. Q: As the Chairman of the Association what are the main concerns with regard to the business relationship between Kenya and Germany? A: The main stumbling block, and this relates to everyone, is the issue of citizenship, visas and work permits which are sometimes expensive and complicated to obtain. More effort should be put by the Government into facilitating

•THE REGION Special Report

these for foreign investors in order to encourage direct foreign investment. Other issues such as a weak regulatory framework in certain areas of business, lack of coordination of law enforcement agencies and slow clearance of goods at the entry ports are still concerns the German community is struggling with. Q: How do you help the Kenyan and German business discuss and pursue common interests? A: Through regular meetings, networking and exchange of ideas. Very often we go for cocktail parties and find someone who is interested in the same business. We don’t focus much on for a, but the ones we have held have been successful in meeting the needs of our members. Q: The Kenya shilling is weakening and the cost of doing business is rising. How has this affected the German business community and their mutual business partners? A: I feel sorry for the ordinary people. There must be a way of controlling the currency better. On the 27th August the shilling was standing at Ksh93. Now it has fallen to Ksh 104. That’s Ksh 11 in one month. What does this mean for business? If you were to import something that you want to sell in three months how do you calculate your prices? How does one plan ahead? The government should enhance its efforts in addressing this issue which is threatening the business community, and not just the German community. Q: What are some of the success stories German Business Association has achieved over the years? A: I go back to the Nairobi Trade Fair, which is something we were involved with for many years. How-

ever, German interest in the Fair has dwindled, not because of the ASK, but due to an increased use of the internet in promoting companies and their products. If you want to promote something to Kenyans, say, a combine harvester from Germany, it has become too expensive to bring it physically to Kenya, like it was in the past. But, we do have success stories where, as a group we are able to gain access to the Kenyan leaders much more easily to present our concerns than as individuals. It has opened doors for us to have matters pertaining to our community addressed and we entertain good and cordial relations with the Kenyan administration. Q: Kenya has an influx of counterfeits, given that Kenya is a well endowed market. What is the impact on the economy? A: The government should implement the Kenya Anti-Counterfeit Act to curb the influx of sub-standard goods which adversely affect both foreign investments and local businesses. I always think of textile industries such as Raymond and Rivatex, where are they now? Imported items are sold at highend value. Does everyone have the buying power? Of course not, and this unfortunately opens the door for counterfeits which are sold at lower prices. They copy them so incredibly well that it is hard to tell the difference, but at what risk? Q: How has the organisation dealt with this problem? A: It is being done in the same way as with other problems; that is by meeting with the relevant authorities and finding a way to curb it. Counterfeits and sub-standard products have cost the region enor-

mously over time and a lot needs to be done. This is a battle for both private sector and the government. The GBA is happy that the government has created a special unit within the Kenya Bureau of Standards as well as the Anti-counterfeit Agency. Q: What is your take on the East African Community? Has it affected the association in any way? A: I feel that the EAC should open up more in regional business ventures. The East African Community looks really good, but in its true sense it is just on paper. The Community needs to implement the policies it has put in place. There remains a consistent lack of action by regional governments to adequately address and enforce EAC legislation. Q: The invasion by Chinese and Indian businesses in the East African Community market has taken a toll on GBA interests. What is your perspective on this? A: Indeed that is true, but that has also come with the problem of Intellectual Property Rights. The case of a company such as Isuzu comes to mind. It has taken more than 10 years to develop their brand and now another country is producing a spitting image of the same vehicle. Once they are put out on the market, one cannot tell the difference, but one is definitely cheaper. Competition is healthy but requires a level playing field to ensure there is sustainability in the alternative goods and services being offered and a proven aftersales record. The market opportunities are vast and enough for all investors. We are all sitting in the same boat! 

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•THE REGION Special Report

Leader in Tourism

rivate Safaris is East Africa’s premier Destination and Events Management Company, internationally experienced and locally competent. Our product range from Leisure Travel, Adventure tours to Meetings and Incentives covering Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Ethiopia. We have offices in Nairobi and Mombasa, in Kenya and Arusha, Tanzania. Our ultra-modern head office in Nairobi is located Muthaiga suburb, and is equipped with the latest technology and modern servers, with all our staff having access to the latest application software, VOip telephony and high speed internet connection. Our staff compliment of 170 well trained and boasts of many years of experience. We have a pool of multi-lingual staff with extensive knowledge of local culture, flora and fauna. Safari being one of our prime products, our safari drivers are carefully selected, and highly trained in all areas, including defensive driving and first aid. We own a fleet of locally assembled vehicles (minibuses, 4X4s, and

October 2011

coaches), all comprehensively insured. Our in-house maintenance department ensures the highest operational condition of vehicles is maintained at all times. All safari vehicles are fitted with two way radio communication, binoculars and reference materials and real-time satellite tracking system. We are comprehensively covered for all risks, public liability, fire and perils, as well as theft. The coverage includes International Cover – in Switzerland of 10 Million Swiss Francs (CHF). All our clients are covered by Flying Doctors evacuation service for medical emergencies. Private Safaris is at the forefront of responsible tourism. We pride ourselves in our efforts to maintain and protect the natural environment and show respect and support of local culture. Our corporate responsibility is primarily engaged in four strategic areas with an objective to reduce the negative impact of tourism locally by protecting children and adolescent’s exploitation and abuse, ensuring fair working terms and conditions within the industry, Improving water supplies in our destinations and mitigating the impact of climate change

TRADITIONAL BEER FAIR COMES CALLING!

Oktoberfest is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world’s largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The Oktoberfest is an important part of Bavarian culture, having been held since 1810. Other cities across the world also hold Oktoberfest celebrations, modeled after the Munich event. The festival is held in an area named the Theresienwiese (field, or meadow, of Therese), often called Wiesn for short, located near Munich’s center. Kenya has not been left behind with its first ever Oktoberfest being held at Windsor Golf Hotel Nairobi. The festival is fun and celebrates a very, very old Bavarian (South German Tribe) tradition. The event will host 700 people. Friday, 7th October is the opening ceremony of the fest through the traditional tapping of a wooden barrel filled with traditional beer by a member of the German Embassy. As the day progresses, a Bavarian band, Zugspitzquintet, from Munich will be playing traditional Bavarian folk songs. Drinking of the traditional yeast beer, Weizenbier and sampling of traditional food will then follow. On the following day, the final day, entertainment reaches its zenith with German/Bavarian traditional sports team landing at the event sponsored by German Safari Company. BMW and Mercedes will showcase their cars and then the Hootenannies, a local band with Irish roots, perform. The event will be streamed live on internet.

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•THE REGION Special Report

STYLE

BMW -The Ultimate Driving Machine

ouldn’t you rather think of what you’ll do when you get there than how you’ll get there?” ask Stavros Diamantis, General Manager of BMW importers, Bavaria Auto In many ways, it is business as usual: the classy, sporty, pretty look synonymous with BMWs. However, with any BMW vehicle or any other automobile traversing the road, it is what is under the skin that makes it distinct and worthwhile. Luxury, agility, transmission and suspension will give you a splendid car. Throw in one more item, the BMW service inclusive package, and you get pure bliss. With the new BMW service inclusive that comes with the new 3 series, 5 series, X3 and X1 – to be launched in Kenya between late 2011 and early 2012, you only get to fuel your car. There are no service costs incurred. Summarily, you have absolute convenience. “You will not have to

October 2011

worry about any service costs for five years,” says Diamantis. With the BMW service inclusive ultimate, you acquire the vehicle-related right to have maintenance and repair work on the vehicle performed during the agreed term of validity once you purchase the car from a BMW Service authorized workshop. The package has been specifically designed for a variety of environs. The African design for instance, has specifics majoring in shock-absorbers, filters among other trifles, to match Africa’s environs. The service package consists of wear-and-tear repairs as well as maintenance work and services on the factory-made vehicle – including oil, labour and all necessary original BMW parts. If you decide to sell the car, the package is transferable to the next owner – provided the vehicle is sold during the term of your contract. BMW Service Inclusive Ultimate, which covers maintenance, wear-andtear repairs plus the extension of the statutory warranty right, allows you to

experience a truly unique driving experience. It is what you’d call the ‘epitome of the ultimate driving machine’, in true sense of the phrase – not as a marketing tool. With the package you get to have an engine oil change including oil filter; replacement of the air, fuel and micro filters and spark plugs; brake fluid service; service vehicle check; front and rear brake pads and discs; the clutch – if its worn out; if necessary, windscreen wiper blade inserts within the framework of the engine oil change; and you get an extension of statutory right of repair for vehicle defects. And you get to decide where you want to have your car serviced anywhere in the world. Additionally, the cars are fitted with the efficient dynamics technology. It has become trendy among automobile manufacturers and dealers to talk about efficiency dynamics (ED). However, in this case, the only costs you will be incurring will be cut down almost halfway – while still enjoying your normal drive, no diminutions. The auto start stop function economizes fuel and emission levels by automatically switching-off the engine if it’s not running or if it’s in neutral gear. It then restarts as soon as the clutch pedal is pressed. Brake energy regeneration. Every time you step on the break, the kinetic energy is captured and then used to charge the car battery. This reduces the amount of power the battery takes from the engine and hence lowers fuel consumption. Electric power steering. This is supported by an electric motor which helps to ensure that energy is only used during actual steering moves. Other ED workings include ondemand operation of water pump and alternator; lightweight material (aluminum) and body components, while at the same time balanced; fuel efficient. With High engine precision, fuel consumption and emission levels have been reduced considerably. The choice is yours. Actually this is the only choice

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

TAKING STOCK

EALA's Great Strides

Regional assembly has passed crucial bills which will fast-track integration as the clock ticks towards a political federation in three years By LUIZA KAMAU

President Mwai Kibaki signs the visitor's book flanked by Mr Ken Marende (left) Speaker of the Kenyan parliament, and (right) Mr Abdirahim Abdi, EALA speaker

he East African Legislative Assembly has made commendable progress in popularising the EAC integration process across the region. During its 1st Meeting of the 5th Session at the Parliament of Rwanda in Kigali recently, the EALA Elections Bill (2011) passed the Third Reading. It now awaits assent by the EAC Heads of State before it becomes law. The object of the Bill, moved by the Chairperson of Legal Rules and Privileges Committee, Mr Frederic Ngenzebuhoro, is to provide a framework for the laws, regulations and procedures relating to election of members to the EALA. EALA also debated and approved the Report of the Committee on Communication,

Trade and Investment on Capital Markets Regionalisation. Debated and adopted too was the Report of the Workshop on Policies and Strategies on Education, Research, Science and Technology in East Africa for the enhancement of Innovations and Appropriate Technology. Presenting the findings, Mr Sebtuu Nassor, Chairperson of the Committee on General Purpose, noted that Science Technology and Innovation (STI) policies and legal frameworks in the region were at an infancy stage. “This is coupled by lack of highly trained Science Technology and Innovation human resource and poor retention schemes of human capital,” Nassor said. The Committee present-

ed 12 key recommendations, terming budgetary allocation as the priority for the region. Other Bills included; The East African Parliamentary Institute Bill (EAPI) 2011, The East African Community Human and Peoples’ Right Bill 2011 and The East African Community Polythene Materials Control Bill 2011. EALA also deliberated on the following; the Inter-University Council of East Africa (Amendment) Bill and the EAC Transboundary Ecosystem Management Bill 2010. In May, public hearings on the Trans- Boundary Ecosystems Bill 2010 were held in Arusha. “The objectives of the public hearings are to undertake a comprehensive review of the EAC Transboundary Ecosystem Bill 2010 and to solicit the stakeholders’ input to enrich the EAC Bill,” said EALA spokesman Bobi Odiko. Another Bill that is of great significance is the EAC Service Commission Bill 2010 which offers guidelines on staff appointments, their terms and conditions of service. The proposed Commission will handle recruitment, retention and deployment of all staff within the regional body. Mr Gervase Akhaabi, Kenya’s representative to EALA said the Bill will do away with arbitrary arrangements of recruitment that have characterised the body. “This Bill will guarantee procedural appointments and thus woo more professionals,” said Akhaabi. The General Purpose Committee of EALA met in May this year to assess the progress and challenges for the EAC budget for Financial Year 2010/2011 and also analyse the pri-

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•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

The EAC Bill on Civic Education, on its part, aims to make provision for the establishment of a directorate to disseminate

properly coordinated civic education in the East African partner states to promote peoplecentredness

orities set for the EAC Budget for the Financial Year 2011/2012. At the same time, another EALA Committee, the Committee on Regional Affairs and Conflict Resolution (RACR) convened to consider the EAC Bill on Conflict Prevention and the EAC Bill on Civic Education. The Bill on Conflict Prevention seeks to establish within the East African Community, a Conflict Management Commission responsible for among others, the identification of potential sources of conflict and devise response options, operationalise a conflict early warning system and response mechanism for the region. The Bill seeks measures to address conflict situations and develop capacity for mediation and negotiation to forestall and diffuse conflicts. The EAC Bill on Civic Education, aims to make provision for the establishment of a directorate to disseminate coordinated civic education in the East African partner states to promote people-centredness. EALA is currently marking its 10th Anniversary. The commemoration, which commenced in April, saw the 10th EALA Symposium, the launch of Bunge la Afrika Mashariki magazine, tree planting and participation in the anti-nyakatsi campaign (eradication of grass thatched houses, commonly known as Nyakatsi, in Rwanda). The climax of the celebrations is set for Bujumbura, Burundi on November 29, 2011. EALA Speaker, Mr Abdirahin Haithar Abdi says the celebrations are key in recognising progress made by EALA while calling for a time of appraisal of the Assembly’s effectiveness and reflection as it sets the mood for the next decade. Ms Irene Ovonji, East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member, says implementation of the integration agenda requires the joint effort and effective participation by all stakeholders in the region.“We need to have a clear mental picture of where we want to go in the EAC inte-

October 2011

gration,” she asserted. An area of concern for EALA now is the famine in the region, the worst in over six decades. In this regard, EALA has recently joined hands with the global parliamentarians from 30 countries under the aegis of the Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA) in appealing for aid to address the extreme hunger threatening the lives of more than 13 million people in the Horn of Africa. In order to find lasting solutions to famine and drought and become food sufficient, the region must improve agricultural systems, modernise crop production and find better storage systems to improve food security. At the opening of the EALA session at the Rwandan parliament recently, President Paul Kagame expressed concern over the periodic droughts, floods, natural disasters and food shortages in the region, mainly occasioned by climate change and poor management of the environment. AVERT

“Partner states should prioritise sustainable management of the shared natural resources to avert the effects of climate change, and at the same time develop agricultural policies, practices and land management systems to ensure food security in the region,” he said. Another challenge has been in the implementation of protocols signed in the past 10 years. In spite of partner states making various commitments with regard to integration, implementation has been moving at a slow pace. President Kagame pointed out that East African business people, investors and ordinary citizens still have to deal with non-tariff barriers and obstacles to free movement across the region, despite signing the Customs Union and Common Market Protocols. Another challenge is significant political differences between the states. The single-party dominance in the Ugandan and Tanzanian par-

liaments is unattractive to Kenyans, while Kenya’s ethnic-politics is not noticeable in Tanzania. Rwanda on the other hand has a distinctive political culture with a political elite committed to building a developmental state, partly in order to safeguard the Tutsi group against a return to ethnic violence. Other problems involve states being reluctant to relinquish involvement in other regional groups. Tanzania’s withdrawal from COMESA but staying within the SADC bloc for the Economic Partnership Agreement negotiations with the European Union points towards rebellion. Many Tanzanians are also concerned, because creating a common market means removing obstacles to the free movement of both labour and capital. Free movement of labour may be perceived as highly attractive in Uganda and Kenya, and have important developmental benefits in Tanzania. However Tanzanians are resisting the idea of surrendering land rights to foreigners, including citizens of Kenya and Uganda. The legislative organ of the East African Community, established under Article 9 of the EAC Treaty, has a total membership of 52. Of these, 45 are elected (nine from each Partner State) and seven are ex-officio members (the Ministers responsible for EAC Affairs from the Partner States, the Secretary General of the Community and the Counsel to the Community). EALA has legislative functions, approval of the budget as well as oversight of all East African Community matters. The enactment of legislation of the Community is effected by means of Bills passed by the Assembly and assented to by the Heads of State, and every Bill that has been duly passed and assented to, becomes an Act of the Community and takes precedent over similar legislations in the Partner States

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

MARTIAL BOOST

AMISOM to Raise an Extra 3,000 Soldiers BY GRACE NJOROGE AND RONALD BERA

he African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) is seeking to reinforce its 9,000-strong troop in Somalia with another 3,000 before December this year, a senior AU official says. Deputy Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, Wafula Wamunyinyi said in Nairobi that

the additional troops will be sourced from Sierra Leone, Djibouti, Uganda and Burundi to help secure areas of Mogadishu and other parts of the country still under the control of the Al-shabaab militia. “We’re getting a battalion plus 100 trainers from Djibouti. And we are getting a battalion from Sierra Leone and another from Burundi and Uganda,” Wamunyinyi said during

Wafula Wamunyinyi:

Deputy Special Representative of the chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia, speaks to journalists in Nairobi.

celebrations to mark the International Day of Peace, where AMISOM received the International Peace Advocate Award. Other African Union member states have still not indicated a willingness to contribute troops to AMISOM - which relies heavily on funding and equipment from the international community, but Wamunyinyi says the AU is still optimistic that they will act. The UN Security Council in December last year authorised AMISOM to increase its number of peacekeepers in Somalia to 12,000 from 8,000 – of which a significant number come from Uganda and Burundi. The council, while appealing to UN member states and regional and international organisations, also extended AMISOM’s mandate through to September 2012. Wamunyinyi, who is also head of the AMISOM troops in Somalia, revealed that securing Mogadishu was the first phase of the now four-year old AMISOM operation in the lawless Horn of Africa nation. Rwanda’s ambassador to Kenya, George Kayonga said that his country will continue to provide technical support to the mission in Somalia. “Having secured Mogadishu, we are embarking on consolidating the defenses and making it secure, dealing with environs and neighbourhoods of Mogadishu,” he said, “Then we’ll eventually embark on the next phase.” AU forces have managed to wrestle back over 90 per cent of Mogadishu from the Al-Qaida-linked Alshabaab. The militants, however, still lay claim to most of Somalia which the UN reports, is the worst hit by the ongoing drought. “But more important is not deployment, but working on rebuilding Somalia’s security forces. We would like the Somali themselves to take responsibility for the security of their country,” said Wamunyinyi

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•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

REALITY CHECK

Capacity Woes Dog the AU

Addis Ababa has acquired the reputation of being the political capital of Africa, owing to its historical, diplomatic and political significance. KENYA’S AMBASSADOR TO ADDIS ABABA, HE DR MONICA JUMA spoke to DEA’s JANE MWANGI on her mission’s involvement in AU, IGAD, UN, peace and security Recently we had the opening of the UN African liaison office led by Ambassador Muita Muburi which adds to the UN community in Addis Ababa. At the bilateral level we have a range of international organisations domiciled here that are of critical importance to us. These are the WFP regional office, the International organisation of Migration and the regional office of the Red Cross. We, therefore, see Addis Ababa as the fulcrum of Africa’s diplomatic thrust and I think this has been given meaning by our foreign policy orientation which emphasises that Africa is the frontline as far as our policies are concerned.

HE DR MONICA JUMA:

Kenya’s Ambassador to Addis Ababa

IPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: The Kenyan embassy in Addis Ababa was the first to be set up after Kenya gained independence. How does this add to its status and is this significant? DR MONICA JUMA: Indeed, the Addis Ababa mission was the first mission of the independent Republic of Kenya and this underscores the special relationship between Kenya and Ethiopia. A lot of panAfrican ideas were born in Addis Ababa, which becoming the link of the Pan-Africanism movement. Emperor Haile Sellasie was one of the few enlightened leaders to come up then. His biggest effort was his contribution towards the realisation of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) in 1963, and his offer to host this multilateral institution in Ad-

October 2011

dis Ababa in 1964 and we were then accredited to Ethiopia. Later when the UN created the East African Economic Commission, it was again hosted in Ethiopia and the mission was accredited once again. Q: The Addis Ababa mission is a strategic post accredited at three major levels. Kindly shed more light on this A: This mission is both bilateral and multilateral. It is a multilateral mission because is accredited at three levels; the IGAD level which is the regional level and very important to us, the African Union level, which is the continental premier organisation and finally at the UN level because the ECA has been fashioned as a think-tank in providing policy options for all non-political issues relating to the African continent.

Q: Tell us the mission’s involvement at the IGAD level in as far as Sudan and Somalia are concerned? A: At the IGAD level, we as the rapporteur have been monitoring very closely the Sudan Peace process in addition to looking at Somalia and the whole range of international threats that are associated with the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean belt be it terrorism, piracy or any nature of trafficking and marine threats. We are hoping to consolidate our strategy on peace building in Sudan and how IGAD can insulate South Sudan from the pressure it’s going to face now and going into the future. Q: In the prevailing conflict situations on the continent, the area of peace and security is very fun-

•THE REGION Eastern Africa Beat

damental. You sit in the peace and Security Council of the AU. What are some of the decisions that you have been able to make? A: We are one of the five members tasked to sit in the peace and Security Council for the next three years. Difficult issues are happening concurrently but I think our consistency continues to bear us out. We chaired the Security Council in October last year where we prioritised Somalia and South Sudan. For the first time ever, maritime security issues were brought to the table. In the case of Somalia, we probably made the most far-reaching decisions yet and adopted a new concept of operations which formed the basis of what was going on. We called very specifically on the Security Council to do two things - to blockade Kismayu and to put a no-fly zone. It was on the basis of this that we began to see a turnaround in Somalia. I was also part of the high-level panel of the Under Secretary-General (USG) among whose recommendations was that there must be a way of accessing UN resources in order to deliver on peace and security on the continent by the AU. It was from there that we began to see the Security Council release more money to AMISOM operations and the increase of troop levels to 12,000 but we still thought this was a small number because the level that had been recommended by the military experts was 20,000. However, we have made significant progress, which is evident from the initial inertia that had gripped the world regarding Somalia, something that is no longer there. Now, Somalia has somewhat come back. Q: IGAD and AU were major players in the run-up of the inde-

pendence of South Sudan. Comment on their contribution. A: The combination of IGAD and the AU level panel led by HE Thambo Mbeki has been very instrumental. In many ways, the referendum was delivered by the AU, more than anyone else in conjunction with IGAD. A big debate began on whether the independence would really happen and this was what gripped us for quite a while. I recall that for a long time negotiations became very difficult and protracted and even went on until independence day. In my view, the success of IGAD at that point stemmed from the solid intent that those celebrations would happen without incidences and, fundamentally, that negotiations on outstanding issues would continue even after independence day. I remember part of the negotiating team was still in Addis Ababa even as the independence celebrations were going on. From an AU perspective, this has been a very defining year around the strategic relationship between the AU and UN Security Council and furthermore, underscores the value of cooperation between the AU and regional economic communities. Q: The capacity of the AU to deliver has been brought into question. Do you feel that there is need to increase its capacity more so financially?

A: The AU has four main pillars - Governance and Human Rights, Integration and Development, Capacity Building and Peace and Security. Due to the structure of the AU majority of its commissions are thin. So there is a necessity to increase the capacity and this need is very urgent. The resourcing of the AU is a headache because we are paying very little into it and this is the problem because a large proportion of its programme activities are funded by outsiders. What that means is that you have cherry-picking, no rationalisation, incoherence and all sorts of things that go with little pockets of money. That in itself denies us the coherence and a multiplying effect. So the question about financing is a big one and its even made worse now because in the last seven months three of the five countries that contribute highly to its budget are having great difficulties. So, the question that begs is whether these countries will meet their obligations. We must speak about the resourcing of the AU because it is impossible to think that you can have a peace and security agenda that is being paid for by someone else. Secondly, the value of the AU must be clarified and its roles and responsibilities made clear because it must be a value chain and Kenya will only pay into the AU if it sees the value

Juma has served as Kenya’s envoy to Addis Ababa for 12 months. Before this she was the Executive Director for Research at the African Institute of South Africa that drove the renaissance agenda and rebirth of the AU. In 2008, she served on the UN secretary General’s high level panel on resourcing African peace-keeping missions. In 2005, she served on the

We called very specifically on the Security Council to do two things

- to blockade Kismayu and to put a nofly zone

World Refugee survey board and before that at the International Peace Academy in New York - a thinktank formed by the UN to advise on policy matters. She is also credited for having started the centre of Refugee studies at Moi University where she was a lecturer

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Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company Ltd. ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company Ltd. Improving Reliability ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION Improving Reliability Chairman’s and Ag. Managing Director’s Message Chairman’s and Ag. Managing Director’s Message

Mr. Peter Kuguru

Eng. Philip Gichuki

Board Chairman

Ag. Managing Director

Mr. Peter Kuguru On behalf of the board of

directors, I take this opportunity to Board Chairman congratulate all the staff of NCWSC for their dedication, hard work and commitment towards the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification. This On behalf of that the NCWSC board ofhas directors, takefew this opportunity to demonstrates over theI last years continually congratulate the effectiveness staff of NCWSC dedication, system hard work improved onallthe of for itstheir management in and commitment the ISO 9001:2008 This accordance withtowards the requirements of there-certification. ISO 9001:2008 demonstrates that NCWSC has over the last few years continually International Standard. improved on the effectiveness of its management system in accordance with the requirements the in ISO 9001:2008 NCWSC recognizes quality as a criticalofaspect its operations. International The companyStandard. has therefore provided effective mechanism for its production system: from determination of customer requirements to NCWSC recognizes quality a critical in its operations. the evaluation whether the as needs have aspect been satisfied. This will The company has therefore effective mechanism offorour its support our efforts towardsprovided our vision of ‘’satisfaction production system: of customer requirements to customer with waterfrom and determination sewerage services’’ It will also ensure that MR. KUGURU thePETER evaluation whether themillennium needs have been satisfied. will NCWSC contributes to the development goal onThis access BOARD support our efforts our 2030. visionThis of ‘’satisfaction of our to safeCHAIRMAN drinking watertowards and vision cannot be achieved customer with water and sewerage It willstakeholders also ensure that without the support of our devotedservices’’ customers, and NCWSC millennium development goal on access staff. We contributes thank themto forthe their continued support. safe drinking water and vision 2030. This cannot be achieved Ontobehalf of the board of directors, I take this without the support our devotedofcustomers, stakeholders and Recognizing that the of recertification ISO is not an end opportunity to congratulate all the staff of 9001:2008 NCWSC for staff. We for their support. in its self,thank the them company will continued continue to examine the QMS and their dedication, hard work and commitment towards institute measures to ensure continual improvement. In line with the theWater ISO 9001:2008 re-certiﬁcation. This demonstrates Recognizing the recertification of ISO 9001:2008 is not remain an end sectorthat reforms, NCWSC will through team spirit thatvigilant has over thenecessary lastcontinue few years inNCWSC its self, company will to continually examine the QMS and andthe ready to take measures to maintain the lead institute measures to improvement. In line with the improved on the effectiveness its management in the water sector in ensure regardscontinual toofservice delivery. Waterinsector reforms, NCWSC will through of team spirit remain system accordance with the requirements the ISO vigilant and ready to takeStandard. necessary measures to maintain the lead 9001:2008 International in the water sector in regards to service delivery.

Eng. Philip Gichuki

As we mark the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, we acknowledge Ag.unwavering Managingsupport Director the from our customers, members of staff and stakeholders in the water sector. NCWSC shares a platform with As wecustomer mark thefocused ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, acknowledge other organizations around the we globe. the unwavering support from our customers, members of staff and stakeholders NCWSC decision shares a taken platform The adoptioninofthea water QMS sector. is a strategic by with the other customer focused organizations aroundcustomer the globe. company in order to position itself to exceed expectation by offering quality service. As such, NCWSC pays attention to the The adoption of a QMS is a strategic taken by time the effective management of scarce resourcesdecision and at the same company the in order to position itself to exceed customer expectation maintain requisite level of quality. Achieving higher levels of by offering quality service.inAs NCWSC pays attention to the performance is important allsuch, sectors of the economy. effective management of scarce resources and at the same time maintain requisite level of quality. continues Achieving to higher levels of The top the management of NCWSC demonstrate performance all sectors of and the economy. commitment; istoimportant maintainineffectiveness improvement of the ENG. PHILIP GICHUKI management system in order to enhance overall performance, MANAGING DIRECTOR TheAG. top management of NCWSC continues to demonstrate achievement of commitment; to maintain effectiveness and improvement of the organization’s policy and objectives including continual review of management the system. system in order to enhance overall performance, achievement of the ISO 9001:2008 re-certiﬁcation, As we mark organization’s policyService and unwavering objectives continual As we a leading Water Provider, including we reiterate our commitment acknowledgethe support from ourreview of the system. improve to continually on service guided by our customers, members of staff delivery and stakeholders in vision “ Satisfaction all our customers with water and sewerage the waterofsector. NCWSC shares a platform with services” As a leading Water Service Provider, we reiterate our commitment other customer focused organizations around the to continually improve on service delivery guided by our vision “ globe. of all our customers with water and sewerage services” Satisfaction

The adoption of a QMS is a strategic decision

taken by the company in order to position itself to Road map to ISO certification

exceed customer expectation by offering quality NCWSC recognizes quality as a critical aspect in documentation and to internal audits. For Nairobi The Water, the path ISO commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the NCWSC service. As such, pays attention the its operations. company hastotherefore provided Where non conformities were identified, 9001:2008 certification has at times, development, and maintenance of themanagement system Roadimplementation map to ISO certification effective of scarce resources and effective mechanism for its production system: appropriate corrective and seemed to be a long and bumpy road on 1st June 2006. at the same time maintain the requisite level of preventive from determination of when customer requirements to the documentation internalAll audits. For Water, the path ISO commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the actions were putand in place. these but Nairobi nevertheless the toboard quality. Achieving higher levels of performance is Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the evaluation whether the needs have been satisﬁed. This Where non conformities 9001:2008 has at times, development, implementation and maintenance of the system efforts culminated with were the identified, first ISO initiated the certification project, management and important in all sectors of the economy. organization followed by the identification of processes, willstaff support our road vision ‘’satisfaction appropriate certification corrective of and seemed toour beefforts a long and 1st June 2006. 9001:2000 thepreventive company embarked on towards the bumpy journey to ofon actions wereMay put 2008. in place. All these but customer nevertheless when and the sewerage board of our withmanagement water services’’ on the 29th This certificate achieve a quality system, Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the The top managementran of for NCWSC efforts with May the 2011. first ISO initiated the management 3culminated yearscontinues until 28th knowing that project, there would be twists and It will also ensure that NCWSC contributes to the organization followed by the identification of processes,commitment; to demonstrate to certification maintain of the company 9001:2000 staff and embarked on detours the to to safe turns even few along the millennium development goaljourney on access drinking on the 29thofMay 2008. certificate achieve a quality management system, effectiveness and improvement the A recertification audit wasThis conducted in way.and However from the Nairobi water vision 2030. Thistime cannot be achieved without ran for 32011 years until 28th May 2011. knowing that there would be twists and March to evaluate the continued Water set out to walk the road to ISO management system in order to enhance overall the support of our devoted customers, stakeholders and turns and even detours alongof the fulfillment of the requirements certification, thefewcontributions a performance, achievement of organization’s policy of the staff. WeHowever thank them forthe their continued support. A recertification audit was conducted in way. from time Nairobi relevant management system standard devoted staff have at long last bore fruit. and objectives including continual review of the March 2011 tocontinued evaluate conformity the continued Water set out to walk the road to ISO and to confirm and system. Recognizing thecontributions recertiﬁcationofof aISO 9001:2008 fulfillment of the requirements of the certification,that the Any

company

operating

is not an end its self, thelast company will continue to devoted staffinhave at long fruit. cosmopolitan environment likebore NCWSC examine QMS measures to ensure has to the come up and with institute its management Any company operating in thea Water sector strategicimprovement. tools to maintain its relevance continual In line with cosmopolitan environment like NCWSC in the business market. One ofteam the said reforms, NCWSC will through spirit remain vigilant has tothe up withundertook its management is the to maintain the andtools readycome to company take necessary measures strategic tools to maintain System. its relevance Quality Management lead in the water sector in regards toAs service delivery. in the business market. One of the said evidence tools the Quality evidence

30 1

of the top management company undertook is the Management System. As of the top management

NCWSC ISO Department Staff members

effectiveness of the management relevant management system standard system as a whole taking into As a leading Water Service Provider, reiterate and to confirm continued conformity consideration thewerelevance of and the our commitment to continually improve service effectiveness of on the management scope. NCWSC demonstrated its a whole taking into delivery guided by oursystem vision “as Satisfaction continued conformity andofitsall QMS based consideration the re-certified relevance of May the on ISO our customers with water and9001:2008 sewerage services” on scope. 13, 2011. NCWSC demonstrated its continued conformity and its QMS based on ISO 9001:2008 re-certified on May 13, 2011.

NCWSC ISO Department Staff members

KAMPALA RD, P. O. Box 30656-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 3988598/000 Fax: +254 20 552126 www.nairobiwater.co.ke

October 20112011 September KAMPALA RD, P. O. Box 30656-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 3988598/000 Fax: +254 20 552126 www.nairobiwater.co.ke

Mr. Peter Kuguru

Eng. Philip Gichuki

Board Chairman

Ag. Managing Director

As we mark the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, we acknowledge On behalf of the board of directors, I take this opportunity to Mr. PeterallKuguru Eng. Philipsupport Gichuki the unwavering from our customers, members of staff and congratulate the staff of NCWSC for their dedication, hard work stakeholders in the water sector. NCWSC shares a platform with and commitment towards the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification. This Board Chairman Ag. Managing Director other customer focused organizations around the globe. demonstrates that NCWSC has over the last few years continually improved effectiveness of its I management system to in As we mark the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, we acknowledge On behalf on of the board of directors, take this opportunity The adoption ofsupport a QMS is our a strategic decision taken by and the accordance with the of requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 the unwavering from customers, members of staff congratulate all the staff NCWSC for their dedication, hard work company in order to water position itself NCWSC to exceedshares customer expectation International Standard. stakeholders in the sector. a platform with and commitment towards the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification. This by offering quality service. As such, NCWSC attention to the other customer focused organizations around pays the globe. demonstrates that NCWSC has over the last few years continually effective management of scarce resources and at the same time NCWSC quality as a of critical aspect in its operations. improved recognizes on the effectiveness its management system in maintain the requisite levelisofaquality. Achieving of The companywith has therefore provided effective for its The adoption of a QMS strategic decisionhigher takenlevels by the accordance the requirements of the mechanism ISO 9001:2008 performance is important in all sectors of the customer economy.expectation production system: from determination of customer requirements to company in order to position itself to exceed International Standard. the evaluation whether the needs have been satisfied. This will by offering quality service. As such, NCWSC pays attention to the The top management managementofofscarce NCWSC continues support efforts quality towardsasour vision aspect of ‘’satisfaction of our effective resources and attothedemonstrate same time NCWSC our recognizes a critical in its operations. commitment; to maintain and improvement of the customer with water and sewerage services’’ It will also ensure maintain the requisite leveleffectiveness of quality. Achieving higher levels of The company has therefore provided effective mechanism forthat its management in in order to enhance overall performance, NCWSC contributes to the millennium development goal on access performance issystem important all sectors of the economy. production system: from determination of customer requirements to achievement of to drinkingwhether water and be achieved thesafe evaluation the vision needs2030. have This beencannot satisfied. This will organization’s policy andofobjectives continual review of without our devoted customers, stakeholders support the oursupport efforts of towards our vision of ‘’satisfaction of and our The top management NCWSCincluding continues to demonstrate the system. to maintain effectiveness and improvement of the staff. We thank themand for their continued support. customer with water sewerage services’’ It will also ensure that commitment; management system in order to enhance overall performance, NCWSC contributes to the millennium development goal on access As a leading Water Service Provider, we reiterate our commitment Recognizing thatwater the recertification of ISOThis 9001:2008 an end achievement of to safe drinking and vision 2030. cannot is benot achieved to continually improve on objectives service delivery guided by ourreview visionof“ in its self, company continue to examine the QMS and organization’s policy and including continual without the the support of ourwilldevoted customers, stakeholders Satisfaction institute to ensure improvement. In line with the the system. of all our customers with water and sewerage services” staff. Wemeasures thank them for theircontinual continued support. Water sector reforms, NCWSC will through team spirit remain vigilant and ready to take necessaryofmeasures to maintain As a leading Water Service Provider, we reiterate our commitment Recognizing that the recertification ISO 9001:2008 is notthe an lead end in the sector in regards service to delivery. to continually improve on service delivery guided by our vision “ its water self, the company will to continue examine the QMS and Satisfaction of all our customers with water and sewerage services” institute measures to ensure continual improvement. In line with the ISO Department members Water NCWSC sector reforms, NCWSC willStaff through team spirit remain vigilant and ready to take necessary measures to maintain lead to ISO certification Roadthemap in the water sector in regards to service delivery. documentation and internal audits. For Nairobi Water, the path to ISO commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the Where throughout non conformities 9001:2008 certification has times, implementation and maintenance the system For Nairobi Water, theatpath to ISO development, 9001:2008 certification Awareness onofQMS was conducted the were identified, appropriate corrective and preventive seemed to be a long and bumpy road on 1stRoad June 2006. map to ISO certification has at times, seemed to be a long and bumpy road organization followed by the identification of processes, actions were put in place. All these but nevertheless when the board Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the audits. but when theand board initiated the project, documentation and internal efforts culminated the firstaudits. ISO initiated thenevertheless project, documentation andwithinternal For Nairobi Water, management the path to ISO commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the organization followed by the identification of processes, management staff on the journey to achieve and maintenance of the system 9001:2000 the identified, company staff embarked on and thehas journey to Where non certification conformitiesofwere 9001:2008 certification at embarked times, development, implementation quality system, Where non conformities were identified, on the 29thappropriate May 2008. and This preventive certificate achieve quality management system, appropriate corrective seemeda ato be a management long and bumpy road knowing on 1st that Junethere 2006. would ran for 3 were years 28th May 2011. knowing there would bethe twists andfew detours along the way. bethat twists and turns and even corrective and preventive actions were put inuntil place. All actions put in place. All these but nevertheless when board Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the turns and few along the Water efforts with the first ISO initiated theeven project, management and However fromdetours the time Nairobi set out tofollowed walk theby the these efforts of culminated with the first culminated ISO 9001:2000 organization identification processes, A recertification audit was conducted in way. from the Nairobi certification of the company staff However embarked oncertification, the time journey road to ISO thetocontributions of a devoted staff certification of the company on9001:2000 the 29th May 2008. This March to evaluate the continued Water out to walk the roadsystem, to ISO on the 2011 29th May 2008. This certificate achieveset a quality management have at long last bore fruit. certificate ran for 3 years until 28th May 2011. fulfillment of the of the certification, the contributions a ran for 3 years untilrequirements 28th May 2011. knowing that there would be twistsofand relevant management system standard devoted staff have at long last along bore fruit. turns and even few detours the Any company operating in a cosmopolitan environment like A recertification audit was conducted in March 2011 to and to confirm continued conformity and A recertification audit was conducted in way. However from the time Nairobi effectiveness the the management Any company operating in with a its management strategic NCWSC tothe come evaluate the continued fulfillment of the requirements of March 2011 to of evaluate continued Water set out to has walk roadup to ISO system as a requirements whole takingof into cosmopolitan like NCWSC fulfillment of the the certification, the contributions of a in the business market. One tools toenvironment maintain its relevance the relevant management system standard and to confirm consideration the relevance of the has to come up with its last management relevant management system standard devoted at long bore fruit. undertook is the Quality ofstaff the have said tools the company continued conformity and effectiveness of the management scope. NCWSC demonstrated its strategic tools to maintain its relevance and to confirm continued conformity and Management System. As evidence of the top management system as a whole taking into continued consideration the relevance conformity and itsmanagement QMS based in the business One of the effectiveness of the Any companymarket. operating in said a commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the of the scope. NCWSC demonstrated its continued on ISO 9001:2008 re-certified on May tools the company undertook is the system as a whole taking into cosmopolitan environment like NCWSC conformity and its QMS based13, on2011. ISO 9001:2008 reQuality Management As and maintenance of the consideration the relevance of the has to development, come up with implementation its System. management evidence of to the topJune management NCWSC ISO Department Staff memberscertified on May 13, 2011. system on 1st scope. NCWSC demonstrated its strategic tools maintain its 2006. relevance continued conformity and its QMS based in the business market. One of the said on ISO 9001:2008 re-certified on May tools the company undertook is the 13, 2011. Quality Management System. As KAMPALA RD, P. O. Box 30656-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 3988598/000 Fax: +254 20 552126 www.nairobiwater.co.ke evidence of the top management NCWSC ISO Department Staff members

September 2011

October 2011

31 31

Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company Ltd. ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Improving Reliability Company Ltd. ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION Chairman’s and Ag. Managing Director’s Message Improving Reliability Management Representative Message NCWSC continues to demonstrate its commitment customer expectations and to maintain an edge in to its customers by putting in place systems that the water service providers’ fraternity. realize improved service delivery in a sustainable manner. This includes the determination of The sustenance of this edge is directly related to customer requirements deploying appropriate the upkeep of quality of services offered to the NCWSC continuesand to demonstrate its commitment to its customers customer focused strategies to achieve the same. customer. this fact and has by putting in place systems that realize improved serviceNCWSC deliveryappreciates in Peter Kuguru Eng.which Philip WeMr. acknowledge that customer requirements are continued to implement a QMS, is aGichuki a sustainable manner. This includes the determination of customer dynamic and as such, there is need to continually customer centric, sets management policies that Board Chairman Ag. Managing Director requirements and deploying appropriate focused strategies to statistical control, partner with our customers and put in place customer a deliver quality through achieve responsive management capable procedure design, policy deployment As we and markhuman the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, we acknowledge On behalf the of same. the board system of directors, I takeofthis opportunity to delivering the desired resource management techniques. the unwavering support from our customers, members of staff and congratulate all the results. staff of NCWSC for their dedication, hard work Wecommitment acknowledge that customer requirements are dynamic stakeholders in the waterMr. sector. NCWSC shares a platform with and towards the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification. This and as such, Paul Omondi Asdemonstrates athere customer focused management system, Ascontinually stakeholders realization of customer the country’s focused organizations around the globe. that has partner over thewith lastISO few is need to NCWSC continually our years customers and putininthe place a other NCWSC ISO 9001:2008 has the NCWSCof toitsenhance improved on enabled the effectiveness management system development agenda,results. we are committed to play responsive management system capable of delivering theindesired Management Representative customer experience through The accordance with and the satisfaction requirements of the ISOour9001:2008 role using thehas ISOenabled 9001:2008 as adoption a platformoffora QMS is a strategic decision taken by the As a customer focused management system, ISO 9001:2008 delivery of quality service. Some of the initiatives company in order to position itself to exceed customer expectation International Standard. the NCWSC to enhance customer experience and satisfaction through continual improvement throughbythe use quality of bestservice. As such, NCWSC pays attention to the undertaken by NCWSC include the opening of offering thecustomer delivery of quality service. Some of the undertaken by more contact points response to initiatives practice. effective management of scarce resources and at the same time NCWSC recognizes quality as in a critical aspect in itsmanagement operations. NCWSC include the opening of more customer contact in response maintain the requisite level of quality. Achieving higher levels of The company has therefore provided effective mechanism forpoints its performance is important in all sectors of the economy. production system: from determination of customer to to customer expectations and to maintain an requirements edge in the water service the evaluation whether the needs have been satisfied. This will providers’ fraternity. The Board top management of NCWSC- NCWSC continues to demonstrate support Quality our efforts towards ourStatement vision of ‘’satisfaction of our of Directors Policy commitment; to maintain effectiveness and improvement of the customer with water and sewerage services’’ It will also ensure that The sustenance of this edge is directly related to the upkeep of quality management system in order to enhance overall performance, NCWSC contributes to the millennium development goal on access services offered thevision customer. appreciates this fact and achievement of toofsafe drinking water to and 2030. NCWSC This cannot be achieved Water Company is hasNairobi continued to implement a QMS, whichlimited is a customer centric, sets organization’s policy and objectives including continual review of without the City support of and ourSewerage devoted customers, stakeholders and the system. staff. We thank them forquality their support. management policies thatcontinued deliver quality through statistical control, committed to providing Water and Sewerage Services

design, andofhuman resource management thatprocedure meet and exceed thepolicy needsdeployment and expectations it customers. Recognizing that the recertification of ISO 9001:2008 is not an end techniques. committed to continual improvement of itsthe quality inIt is itsfurther self, the company will continue to examine QMS and institute measures to ensure continual improvement. In line with the management systems (ISO 9001:2008).

As a leading Water Service Provider, we reiterate our commitment to continually improve on service delivery guided by our vision “ Satisfaction of all our customers with water and sewerage services”

As stakeholders in the realization of the country’s development agenda, we Water sector reforms, NCWSC will through team spirit remain are committed our role using the ISO 9001:2008 as a platform for vigilant and ready to to play take necessary measures to maintain the lead Incontinual pursuit of improvement this commitment, the quality havemanagement been in the water sector in regards to service delivery. through theobjectives use of best practice.

Mr. Paul Omondi NCWSC ISO - Management Representative

established at various functions and communicated to all employees. The objectives are being implemented, measured, monitored and Peter Kuguru Dr. Mary Kimani H.W. Cllr. Philip Kisia Road map to ISO certification Board Chairman Vice Chair George Aladwa Director shall be reviewed regularly within appropriate frameworks and Director documentation and internal audits. For Nairobi Water, the path to ISO commitment, a dedicated team was selected to steer the quality management systems requirements.

Quality Policy Statement

Where non conformities were identified, 9001:2008 certification has at times, development, implementation and maintenance of the system appropriate corrective and preventive seemed to be a long and bumpy road on 1st June 2006. actions were put in place. All these but nevertheless when the board Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the efforts culminated with the first ISO initiated the project, management and Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company limited is organization followed by the identification of processes, 9001:2000 certification of the company staff embarked the journey to Water committedon to providing quality and Sewerage on the 29th May 2008. This certificate achieve a Services quality management that meet system, and exceed the needs and ran for 3 years until 28th May 2011. knowing that there would be twists and expectations of it customers. turns and even few detours along the A recertification audit was conducted in way. However from the time Nairobi further committed improvement of its March 2011 to evaluate the continued Water It setis out to walk the roadtotocontinual ISO fulfillment of the requirements of the certification, the management contributions systems of a (ISO 9001:2008). quality Erastus Omollo Prof. Joseph Kimura Cllr. Hellen Katangie Stephen Mutoro relevant management system standard devotedIn staff have of at long last bore fruit. the quality objectives pursuit this commitment, Director Director Director Director and to confirm continued conformity and have been established at various functions and effectiveness of the management Any company operating in a communicated to all employees. system as a whole taking into cosmopolitan environment like NCWSC consideration the relevance of the has to come up with its management implemented, measured, scope. NCWSC demonstrated its strategicThe toolsobjectives to maintainare its being relevance continued conformity and its QMS based in the business market. of the said monitored andOne shall be reviewed regularly within on ISO 9001:2008 re-certified on May tools theappropriate company undertook is and the quality management frameworks 13, 2011. Quality Management systems System. As requirements. evidence of the top management NCWSC ISO Department Staff members

Rehabilitated Kikuyu Springs

KAMPALA RD, P. O. Box 30656-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 20 3988598/000 Fax: +254 20 552126 www.nairobiwater.co.ke

32 3

September October 20112011

Cllr. Michael Ogada Director

Prof. Mwangi Gathenya Director

John Ngugi Director

Eng. Philip Gichuki Ag. Managing Director

y a f

customer centric, sets management policies that deliver quality through statistical control, procedure design, policy deployment and human resource management techniques.

O e e s f o

As stakeholders in the realization of the country’s development agenda, we are committed to play our role using the ISO 9001:2008 as a platform for

ent

Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company Ltd. Mr. Paul Omondi NCWSC ISO ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION Nairobi City Water & Sewerage Company Ltd. ImprovingManagement Reliability Representative ISO 9001:2008 RE-CERTIFICATION continual improvement through the use of best Improving Reliability management practice. Chairman’s and Ag. Managing Director’s Message Management Representative Message

Board of Directors - NCWSC

NCWSC continues to demonstrate its commitment customer expectations and to maintain an edge in to its customers by putting in place systems that the water service providers’ fraternity. realize improved service delivery in a sustainable manner. This includes the determination of The sustenance of this edge is directly related to customer requirements and deploying appropriate the upkeep of quality of services offered to the customer focused strategies to achieve the same. customer. NCWSC appreciates this fact and has We acknowledge that customer requirements are continued to implement a QMS, which is a Mr. Peter Eng. Philip Gichuki dynamic and asKuguru such, there is need to continually customer centric, sets management policies that partner with our customers and put in place a deliver quality through Ag. statistical control, Board Chairman Managing Director responsive management system capable of procedure design, policy deployment and human delivering results. resource to management techniques. As we mark the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification, we acknowledge On behalfthe ofdesired the board of directors, I take this opportunity the unwavering support from our Paul customers, members of staff and congratulate all the staff of NCWSC for their dedication, hard work Mr. Omondi As customer focused management system, ISO As stakeholders in the realization of the country’s stakeholders in the water sector. NCWSC shares a platform with anda commitment towards the ISO 9001:2008 re-certification. This NCWSC ISO 9001:2008 hasthat enabled the has NCWSC to enhance customer organizations around the globe. demonstrates NCWSC over the last few yearsdevelopment continually agenda, we areother committed to focused play Management Representative customer and satisfaction through the improved experience on the effectiveness of its management system in the ISO 9001:2008 as a platform for our role using delivery of quality Some of the initiatives The adoption of a QMS is a strategic decision taken by the accordance with service. the requirements of the ISO 9001:2008 continual improvement through the use of best undertaken NCWSC include the opening of company in order to position itself to exceed customer expectation Internationalby Standard. more customer contact points in response to management practice. by offering quality service. As such, NCWSC pays attention to the effective management of scarce resources and at the same time NCWSC recognizes quality as a critical aspect in its operations. maintain the requisite level of quality. Achieving higher levels of The company has therefore provided effective mechanism for its performance is important in all Kisia sectors of the economy. production system: from determination Peter Kuguru of customer requirements Dr. MarytoKimani H.W. Cllr. Philip - NCWSC the evaluation whether the needs have been satisfied. This will Quality Policy Statement Board Chairman Vice Chair GeorgeBoard Aladwa of Directors Director The top management of NCWSC continues to demonstrate support our efforts towards our vision of ‘’satisfaction of our Director commitment; to maintain effectiveness and improvement of the customer with water and sewerage services’’ It will also ensure that management system in order to enhance overall performance, NCWSC contributes to the millennium development goal on access Citywater Waterand andvision Sewerage limited achievement of to safeNairobi drinking 2030.Company This cannot beisachieved organization’s policy and objectives including continual review of without the support of our devoted stakeholders committed to providing quality Watercustomers, and Sewerage Services and the system. staff. We thank them for continued support. of it customers. that meet and exceed thetheir needs and expectations

limited is age Services of it customers. of its quality 8).

es have been to all employees. monitored and ameworks and ents.

ngs

It is furtherthat committed to continualofimprovement of itsisquality Recognizing the recertification ISO 9001:2008 not an end in its self, the company will continue examine the QMS and management systems (ISO to 9001:2008). institute measures to ensure continual improvement. In line with the Water sector reforms, NCWSC will through team spirit remain In pursuit this commitment, the quality objectives have been vigilant and of ready to take necessary measures to maintain the lead in the wateratsector regards to service delivery. to all employees. established variousinfunctions and communicated The objectives are being implemented, measured, monitored and shall be reviewed regularly within appropriate frameworks and Road map quality management systems requirements.

For Nairobi Water, Erastus the path Omollo to ISO 9001:2008 certification has at times, Director seemed to be a long and bumpy road but nevertheless when the board initiated the project, management and staff embarked on the journey to achieve a quality management system, knowing that there would be twists and turns and even few detours along the way. However from the time Nairobi Water set out to walk the road to ISO certification, the contributions of a devoted staff have at long last bore fruit.

Peter Kuguru

Dr. Mary Kimani

Board Chairman to ISO certificationVice Chair

H.W. Cllr. George Aladwa Director

Philip Kisia Director

Prof. Joseph Kimurateam was Cllr. selected Hellen Katangie Mutoro and internal audits. documentation commitment, a dedicated to steer the Stephen Where non conformities were identified, development, of the system Director Directorimplementation and maintenance Director appropriate corrective and preventive on 1st June 2006. actions were put in place. All these Awareness on QMS was conducted throughout the efforts culminated with the first ISO organization followed by the identification of processes, 9001:2000 certification of the company on the 29th May 2008. This certificate ran for 3 years until 28th May 2011.

Rehabilitated Kikuyu Springs

Erastus Omollo Director

Any company operating in a cosmopolitan environment like NCWSC has to come up with its management strategic tools to maintain its relevance in the business market. One of the said tools the company undertook is the Cllr. Michael Ogada Prof. Mwangi Gathenya Quality ManagementDirector System. As Director evidence of the top management NCWSC ISO Department Staff members

A recertification audit was conducted in March 2011 to evaluate the continued

Prof. Joseph Kimura Cllr. Hellen Katangie Stephen Mutoro fulfillment of the requirements Director Director Director of the

relevant management system standard and to confirm continued conformity and effectiveness of the management system as a whole taking into consideration the relevance of the scope. NCWSC demonstrated its continued conformity and its QMS based on Philip ISO 9001:2008 Eng. Gichuki re-certified on May 2011. Ag.13, Managing Director

John Ngugi Director

John Ngugi Michael OgadaFax: +254 Prof.20 Mwangi Gathenya KAMPALA RD, P. O. Box 30656-00100, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254Cllr. 20 3988598/000 552126 www.nairobiwater.co.ke

September 2011

Director

October 2011

Eng. Philip Gichuki Ag. Managing Director

33 33

•PICTORIAL Lights•Camera•Action

1. HAPPY: Mr and Mrs Matere Keriri, former State House comptroller, at the Korean National Foundation Day celebrations. 2. LISTEN: Chinese Ambassador to Kenya, HE Liu Guangyuan giving his speech at the National Day Reception of the 62nd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. 3. SMILE: Ian Stamp (Hillcrest International), Maria Cunningham of UNEP and Ivonna Rummel Bulska of the Polish Embassy during the 62nd Anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. 4. GLAD: Egyptian Ambassador to Kenya, Kagri Fadhi Abdel Mottaleb, his wife Inas Kadri and the Embassy’s Counselor Mr Ahmed El Ansary pose for a photograph at the Korean National Foundation Day at the Korean Residence. 5. ELEGANT: From left, HE Javier Garcia- Canturi, Spanish Ambassador, Canadian Ambassador to Kenya, HE David Collins and Australian High Commissioner to Kenya, Mr Geoff Tooth listening to the proceedings at the Korean Residence. 6. ATTANTION: Korean Ambassador to Kenya, Chan-Woo Kim addresses guests. 7. BROTHERLY: HE Constantinos Eliades, Cyprian Ambassador, Algerian Ambassador to Kenya Saad Maandi and Sudanese Ambassador HE Kamal Ismail Saeed enjoying themselves at the function.

October 2011

•PICTORIAL

Lights•Camera•Action

8. LOOK HERE: From left, Hungarian Ambassador to Kenya, Sandor Juhasz and his wife, Mr Owour of MPFA and the Slovakian Ambassador to Kenya Josef Bandeuch Dhoy enjoy the Korean event. 9. CHEERS: The Chinese Ambassador, Liu Guangyuan and Kenyan Vice President, Kalonzo Musyoka, toast to mark the 62nd anniversary of the Founding of the People’s Republic of China. 10. HERE YOU GO: Maina Muturi (left), the Vice President of the FIM AFRICA presents the permit for the AccessKenya Africa Concours d'Elegance to Mike Kirkland (right), the Patron of the 2011 Concours. This is an FIM, AFRICA, recognized and sanctioned international event held on September 25th at the Nairobi Racecourse 11. HERE WE GO: Bill Lay (right), the Chief Executive Officer of CMC Motors Group, and David Wamathu (left), the Divisional Manager for Ford, launch the Figo four door saloon at a function in the Lusaka Road showroom. The Figo is the latest addition to the Ford Range for Kenya and is a stylish competitor in the compact car market segment.

October 2011

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•DNA

Diplomacy•News•Analysis

SPOUSAL BLISS

'I am Not Intimidated by my Wife’s Success' He is the silent force behind the outspoken and high-spirited German Ambassador, Margit Hellwig - Boette. GERD BOETTE chats with DEA’S JANE MWANGI about life away from the spotlight. She uncovers a charming personality underneath his silent facade

October 2011

he wind suddenly picks up and a cool breeze hits us as we drive into the tastefully designed residence of the German ambassador; one that conveys taste and class, all woven into elegance. The home is built on a slope overlooking plush greenery and we venture forth and soak up the clean, crisp forest air as we listen to the twitter of monkeys and birds chirping all around us. Before I get a chance to fully take it all in, our host joins us. Meet Gerd Boette. From a first glance, I thought it would take a bit of time to get into Gerd’s space but my reservations are, thankfully, misplaced. Beneath the exterior belies a personality that’s unpretentious and welcoming. Not many are allowed the privilege of slipping behind the walls of a career diplomat’s significant other –and in this case, the husband, no less. So I get right to the all-important query, “so are you a house-husband?” He is at once forthright and unruffled. The forthrightness comes, perhaps, from the realisation that his wife’s accomplishments as a highly successful and respected diplomat relegate him to the background. “My wife became a diplomat in the German Foreign Service while I have always been a librarian. It is for the first time that we team up now as I have taken some sort of a sabbatical -an unpaid leave so to speak.” So, how did they meet? I ask. The way he tells it, they met while travelling on a commuter train from their respective villages to the school situated in the next big city. He was 16 while she was 17 and the German rail system played cupid into what was to

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

become a classic love story. “She was my fiancée for 12 years before we got married; we put it to a thorough test you know,” he says with a chuckle. He readily admits that the past 20 years with HE Margit Hellwig Boette have been interesting and also quite demanding. “As you can imagine with I being a librarian and she a diplomat in the many stations including Conakry, London and Bonne, all the while I was always in Germany. Back in those days things were difficult because technology was not as advanced as it is today, telephone lines were so weak. We kept our separate jobs for many, many years.” He is surprisingly frank. “I lumped all my holidays together in order to be with her as often as possible. It demanded a lot of flexibility. And so now that we are getting older we decided to slow down a bit with one of us being a back-up force while the other took a break. Hence our current arrangement. “Our arrangement is a breakaway from tradition, even in Germany, although there is a certain tolerance towards greater acceptance but the general gender stereotype is that it is the husband who brings home the bacon. My wife is in the public domain and am behind the scenes; it’s basically team work and you have to accept the roles and responsibilities that come with being a leading ambassador’s spouse. “Have you ever felt intimidated or overshadowed at any one point?” I pose. He candidly replies: “ I have never at one point felt intimidated, I am delighted to see that she is successful and she is accepted by many in the diplomatic circles as well as in this country. When you regard it as teamwork, then you conclude that the two of you as a team have done well and we share the suc-

German embassy. We do a lot of travelling, something that we really enjoy. We often go down to Malindi, Lamu, Fort Jesus, around Lake Victoria and the rainforest in Kakamega. “We also like to go to extremes, being the sponsors of the Loyangalani Turkana Festival. We occasionally go by road, 10 hours of tough driving. I am also a bit of a hobby-hose gardener where I grow tomatoes- that is if I get a chance to harvest them before the birds do,” he says with a chuckle as he proudly shows us his not so large tomato farm.

cess.” He recalls, rather humorously, an incident in a remote Kenyan village where they had gone for a meeting with the elders and afterwards, the chief thanked him for having brought his wife! HUMOUR

“It shows you also have to have a certain degree of a sense of humour because, let’s be honest, diplomacy can be boring at times; when you are negotiating for a comma here and a full-stop there and brooding over papers; it’s not much fun but you have to take it as it comes.” Then in a rather dramatic shift from the romantic to the occupational, he says, “I am a librarian, an expert of printed cultural heritage dealing with very old and precious books. I was for many years in-charge of antiquarian acquisitions in many libraries across Germany. Librarians have a certain sense of thoroughness about them which certainly helps in our present arrangement as I am a sort of a back-up force in a way dealing behind the scenes, with the text office in Germany for which my wife would certainly not find the time to do.” Gerd readily admits that he is not much of a club member neither does he play golf despite the many inquiries from every other guy he meets.“I mean there is nothing wrong with golf but my sport is badminton, that’s what I did regularly in Germany and there’s a number of us who play at the German school twice a week.” He says he is also an organiser for the many functions held by the mission; Gerd is in-charge of preparing, overseeing as well as co-ordinating. “I also love to accompany my wife as often as possible when she is going around the country for the many development aid projects under the

AUTHOR

“My wife became a diplomat in the German Foreign Service while

I have always been a librarian. It is for the first time that we team up now as I have taken some sort of a sabbatical -an unpaid leave so to speak.”

So is this Librarian an avid reader? He becomes animated as he goes on to make this point. “The Kenya Library Associationrecently held their ‘Maktaba’ awards celebration sand I was called upon to give a short speech. During that speech I quoted an Austrian Author who once said, ‘A librarian who reads is lost’. It may appear as an irony, but a librarian’s role has a lot to do with organising, administrating and if you start reading the books, you will never organise or process. “A typical day for me demands having breakfast with my wife unless she has very early appointments after which I get to work on my desk. If we are preparing a lunch or dinner reception, I take the cook to the market- I am mainly in-charge of transport logistics. Occasionally, I go to the embassy to take part in a meeting or other, of course once a week we get our diplomatic mail from Germany. Sometimes we get family and friends visiting from Germany and I am the one who gets to show them around. I am very happy to be here, it’s an interesting country and it’s never boring here,” he says in contentment

October 2011

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Diplomacy•News•Analysis

CHANGING TIMES

Zambian 'King Cobra Strikes' BY SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT

r Michael Sata, a Zambian Opposition leader and one-time strong ally of retired President Kenneth Kaunda, has won Zambia’s presidential election in a tight race against incumbent Rupiah Banda, ending his several unsuccessful stabs at the top office. Sata, a 74- year-old with a fiery temper was declared winner in an election that was marred by riots in Zambia’s northern mining region, after a ban was announced stopping the media announcing results not verified by the electoral commission. The electoral commission said it had taken the step after its website was hacked to falsely record a landslide for Mr Sata, but it was also feared that the media might raise expectations leading to the Kenya-type of violence that was partly blamed on live coverage of the tallying of the results. Mr Banda’s Movement for Multiparty Democ-

October 2011

racy (MMD) has ruled Zambia for 20 years, since 1992 when it ousted the independence part of Kaunda, the United National Independence Party (UNIP). This was the fourth time Patriotic Front (PF) leader Sata had run for the presidency. He lost the last election, in 2008, by just 35,000 votes which sparked rioting by some opposition supporters in the party’s urban strongholds. KING COBRA

Sata who reportedly used to sweep floors at London’s Victoria Station, started his lengthy career in politics as governor of Lusaka under Zambia’s first President, Kaunda. In 1991, he resigned, along with dozens of other politicians keen on riding on the crest of the euphoria raised by opposition politics and joined Frederick Chiluba’s newly-formed MMD. He served as MMD minister of Local Government, Labour, and Health and was later Minister without Portfolio, the third-highest post in government. He formed his Patriotic Front in 2001, losing an election that year and in 2006 and 2008 He is known as “King Cobra” for his venomous tongue and apparent dislike for foreign mining companies, mostly Chinese, which he has frequently targeted because of their poor working conditions. Though his party has disputed media reports it is anti-Chinese, it is likely to shake up the way con-

tracts are awarded, partly because of claims that the Chinese companies bankrolled Banda’s re-election campaign. CRITICISM

The MMD also came under criticism from international election observers over abuse of state resources during its campaign and noted serious media bias on the part of the state broadcaster. However, the PF’s promises of more jobs and better education appear to have won over the electorate. He is said to be a great admirer of Zimbabwean strongman Robert Mugabe and his governing philosophy. But in his first major statement since being declared the winner of the presidential elections, he struck a gentler line, albeit a still skeptical one. “The rule of law and justice will be the cornerstone of my rule. I hope investors will abide by Zambia’s labour laws.” he said at his inauguration ceremony at the Supreme Court in Lusaka. However, he also acknowledged that foreign investment is key to Zambia’s future growth and promised that his government would continue to partner with foreign investors during his term in office. Despite his reassurances, markets were rocked by the announcement. Investors began selling off Zambian currency, the kwacha, signaling nervousness that Zambia would become a riskier investment climate under the populist president with strong opinions on foreign investment. In Chingola, a city in Zambia’s northern Copperbelt region, Indian and Chinese businessmen closed their shops, a sign of concern that Sata’s victory might encourage his supporters to riot and loot shops

•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

LINKING CULTURES

World Tourism Day in Style!

he world celebrated World Tourism Day on the 21st September. As a member of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO), Kenya marked the day in Baringo County as part of the Kenya Tourism Week. This year’s theme is “Tourism Linking Cultures”. Kenya’s aim is to enhance the cultures in the country. The event is aimed at fostering awareness among international and local communities on the importance of tourism and its social, cultural, political and economic values. Kenya has been a member of UNWTO and has been observing this day for the last 26 years. It has been geared towards creating understanding about tourism among Kenyans and promoting domestic tourism. In that regard the Ministry of Tourism has domesticated the event and dubbed it “The World Tourism Day/Kenya Tourism Week.” In his speech, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the World Tourism Day is an opportunity to reflect on the importance of tourism to global well-being. “This is a call to all those involved in tourism to act in a way that is conscious and respectful of culture, which promotes intercultural dialogue and ensures that local communities fully participate in, and benefit from, the development opportunities of tourism. As we travel, let us engage with other cultures and celebrate human diversity. On this observance, let us recognise tourism as a force for a more tolerant, open and united world.”

With millions of people travelling the world each year, never before have so many people been to so many places, nor been so exposed to other cultures. This interaction between individuals and communities, and their diverse cultures, leads to tolerance, respect and mutual understanding. These are the building blocks for a more peaceful world. Kenyan boasts of cultures and traditions from over 40 tribes. There was a fact finding mission in August 2011 to identify various tourist attraction sites in the county and these include Lake Bogoria National Reserve, various community based museums and conservation areas. There were other activities that saw planting of trees, cultural extravaganzas and exhibitions plus boat racing and an excursion at Lake Baringo. The

SUCCESS: Sarova MD JS Vohra (third right) joins his staff in celebrating its clean sweep at 1st Kenya Tourism Awards

celebrations came after an awarding ceremony held at the Carnivore Restaurants in Nairobi. Graced by the UN-WTO Secretary General, Dr Taleb Rifai. It was well attended by tourism players, stakeholders and partners in the industry. The event saw Sarova Hotels, Resorts and Game Lodges win four top awards. In the first ever tourism awards the company scooped Best Accommodation Facility Award in both the City and Beach category. This event helped Kenya gain additional significance as the United Nations World Tourism Organisation’s Executive Council met for the first time in the country and also concluded their visit to East Africa’s most significant tourist destination by attending the Award celebrations

October 2011

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•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

DOUBLE JEOPARDY

RUDE SHOCK

Graft Switches off Power in Dar The heavy loss of revenue from the punishing power-rationing regime is only half the woes facing Tanesco; it is also required to pay Dowans Holding SA and Dowans Tanzania Ltd US$124 million BY MOHAMMED WARSAMA

October 2011

f anyone wanted evidence of how corrosive corruption can be to national interests, they only need to look at Tanzania where a crippling 12-hour power crisis has entered its nineth month. The crisis has set off a punishing power rationing regime that has sent manufacturing and production grinding to a halt. This, ironically, even as the government of President Jakaya Kikwete seeks excuses to pay a vulture fund, Dowans TZ Limited and Dowans SA millions of dollars for contracts not delivered. Both firms are associated with Tanzanian politician and controversial tycoon, Rostam Aziz, which bought the debts from Richmond Development Company; another of his companies. The Tanzanian government has blamed the power crunch on a drastic drop in water in the Mtera hydro-electric dam in Ruaha river in Iringa Region. Even as the country goes through the crisis, the irony of the Dowans power plant at the Ubungo Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) lying idle cannot be ignored.

Besides the heavy loss of revenue from the punishing power rationing regime, Tanesco is required to pay Dowans Holding SA and Dowans Tanzania Ltd US$124 million for breach of contract, which has been backdated to June 2010. It will also pay the two companies $1.7 million for their legal and other expenses. The saga claimed the scalp of a former Premier Edward Lowassa and two cabinet ministers and saw the architect of the deal, Aziz resign as Igunga MP in July 2011. He also resigned from all his posts in the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi(CCM) to concentrate on what he called “private business.” A fabulously wealthy man, Aziz is a close confidant of President Kikwete and was one of the main fund-raisers for both his presidential campaigns in 2005 and 2010. But his deep involvement in the Tanesco/Richmond/Dowans deals struck close home, leading the party, where he was Treasurer, to shed him in a desperate bid to save itself from public ire. In his resignation, he did allude to this fact when he declared that he was quitting as a member of CCM’s National Executive Committee (NEC) because “gutter politics”. He had served for 17 uninterrupted years in Parliament and was such a prominent fixture in the Kiwete regime that all radio and television stations in the country interrupted their regular programmes to break the news about his abrupt

•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

departure to the nation. Aziz apparently left his troubles behind in Parliament and the ruling party, where he was the subject of adverse attention, to concentrate on his multi-billion shilling business empire which ranges from media, mining, a motoring and heavy earth- moving equipment franchise, finance, to a giant road and construction company, among others. But Tanesko risks sinking deeper into trouble, unless it rains soon to fill up the dams and it manages to raises the funds required to pay off its disputed debt to Dowans. The power rationing has greatly affected the economy, with many businesses being forced to invest in generators. Besides, the utility firm is yet to repair the turbines at Ubungo. DOWANS SA

Tanesco lost the long running case filed against it by Dowans SA Limited in a ruling made by the London-based International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in November 15, 2010. The issue is a typical Vulture Fund case in which opportunistic companies buy distressed debts owed by government or state corporations at throwaway prices and then demand triple the original amount. But the Tanzanian case is even more intriguing because of the ownership of the companies involved and how the debt came about in the first place. Under the controversial contract with Richmond Development Company, Tanesco was supposed to pay the $150,000 (Tshs 152 million) daily for emergency power. Even as Tanzanians struggle to cope with the power-rationing, many are yet to grasp how they came to this point. Document made available to Diplomat East Africa trace the problem to 2005 when the country faced of its worst droughts. As the government grappled with the problem, Richmond Development Company,

which is owned by Aziz, proposed to supply emergency generation turbines for 12 months to mitigate against the power shortfall. The government, under President Benjamin Mkapa at the time, agreed with the proposal but decided to contract Songas Limited instead, which had won a tender to install a gas-based plant at Ubungo. But after some consideration, Songas, in January 2006, stated that it was unable to undertake the project on its own and passed on the invitation to its major shareholder Globeleq Limited. Richmond was not about to give up the lucrative deal without a fight, notwithstanding the fact that it was yet to deliver on another major government contract it had won in 2003 – to design and construct a pipeline from Dar es Salaam to Mwanza. It was to complete the contract in 18 months, but by 2006, was still behind schedule, leading to a mighty row with the government. Ultimately the project was opened up to other investors. For the power generation project, Tanesco continued negotiation with Globeleq/Songas on their proposal and a five-year rental agreement was signed on January 30, 2006, just as Kikwete was settling in office having won the 2005 elections. Power rationing started in all regions of mainland Tanzania that was connected to the national power grid on February 8, 2006. Two days later, the government cancelled the contract between Tanesco and Globeleq/Songas, despite the arrangements they had made to meet their contractual obligation. It directed Tanesco to submit proposals for the purchase of emergency electricity generators. But Tanesco insisted on procuring emergency supplies by renting additional capacity. The ministry of Energy and Mining ordered the utility firm to immediately advertise for tenders for the supply of either new

Power rationing started in all regions of mainland Tanzania that was connected

to the national power grid on February 8, 2006

or secondhand generators. Eight bids were shortlisted, including one from Globeleq/Songas, Richmond and Agreco International Limited. After much lobbying, Richmond was awarded the contract, and Tanesco was ordered to sign up the company within an hour and the power-off-take (POA) came into force in June 2006. However, in just two months, by August, it was obvious that Richmond was in no position to honour the contract and the Citi Bank, which was underwriting the project, pulled out citing ethical issues and its own due diligence rules. As the government and Richmond haggled over the delivery deadlines and the possibility of an extension, the firm quietly sold off the debt to Dowans SA, which then sued the government for breach of contract. But when the issue of the company’s domicile and whether it had the locus standi to sue the Tanzanian government came up, Dowans Tz Limited was quickly registered and Aziz surfaced with the Power of Attorney authorising him to represent the company in Tanzania. Tanzania Attorney General then issued a legal opinion stating that the government was under obligation to pay Dowans SA and Dowans Tz for the breach of the contract. But as the government prepared to pay up, environmental and human rights groups stepped in and sued the government over the manner in which the matter had been handled. Dowans Tz sought a way out of impasse by signing a deal with the US-based power giant Symbion for its plant at Ubungo, but this was stopped in its tracks by environmental groups who dashed the court to protest at the manner in which it was done. Whatever the case, it is highly likely that the government will pay up, giving Aziz the last laugh

October 2011

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•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

IMMORTAL PRESENCE

'Lion Man' Adamson’s Legend Still Lives on

Kora National Park, where George Adamson lived and died, along with Meru National Park, is billed as the next Masai Mara as the area opens up to bigger tourist presence, showcasing his works, mementos and memorabilia, as part of a planned museum By PATRICK WACHIRA

t was a paradox of sorts that the marking of the death of George Adamson, the world famous “Lion man” of Kenya’s wild, turned out to be a celebration of his times, successes and exploits. The date was August 20th, the day Adamson met his death in the middle of the wilderness where he had lived and spent timeless moments caring for and tending to lions, in 1989 in the deep of Kora National Park.He was on a mission to rescue his assistant and a young

October 2011

European tourist at Kampi ya Simba (Camp of the Lions) when he was shot by Somali bandits. In that unfortunate instant, a bullet shattered the tireless effort by an individual to rehabilitate and care for scores of lions, some of which he literally lived with, gaining world fame and acclaim. His death still serves as a central rallying point for conservationists and lovers of nature, many of whom cherish the work he started from scratch and built to a world-famous endeavour, now immortalised in

books and movies. It was in Kora, still largely unexplored, largely unknown that hundreds of nature enthusiasts gathered to commemorate the death of Adamson, watching his movies as a slow breeze fanned guests under a moonlit night, just metres from the River Tana. It was here that the guests remembered the man who lived a truly rugged lifestyle, completely at peace with nature and in perfect harmony with the demands and nuances of the wild. And it was here that the Kenya Wildlife Service declared that the next Masai Mara will be, hosting the Big Five, countless species of other animals and birds and the graves of George, his brother Terence and the Lion. Indeed, KWS Deputy Director in charge of Education, Conservation and Extension, Paul Mbugua said the Kenya government was committed to developing the entire area as part of the northern tourism circuit. “We will popularise Kora (National Park). George Adamson had foresight. He came here in 1968 but “Born Free” had been

•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

shot here in 1966. It is apt that he was warden for the then Northern Frontier District”, said Mbugua. Indeed, almost as a fitting tribute to the Adamsons, Kora was gazetted as a national park a year after the death of George. “Kora will open up. It is unexplored, unlike the Mara, Amboseli or Nakuru”, said Mbugua. Kora Warden, Mr Wilson Njue regretted that Kora was yet unfenced and this posed challenges of livestock herding, which compounded other challenges such as drought. “We hope to make Kora a destination of choice for local and international tourists,” said he. Already, said Njue, roads had been graded and murramed to ease access and a groundbreaking ceremony had been done for the establishment of a 30-bed facility to accommodate visitors. And security had been stepped up. Njue said the George Adamson Fund would work with researchers to save about 2,000 lions in Kenya. “We will start by doing an inventory so that we can see how to increase the numbers,” he said. Immediate former Kora Warden,

now at Nairobi, Mark Cheruiyot, said communities in the adjacent areas were now engaged in the fight against poaching. Apart from game viewing, visitors can engage in memorable team-building activities, such as climbing the Kora Rock, an outcrop raised almost 80 feet above the ground, where Adamson would hold “assemblies” with his lions at the crack of dawn. This writer tackled the rock and confirmed that the climb is a daunting task, testing resolve, strength and resilience in the space of the one hour that it takes to go up the steep incline, revel in the photo session on top, savour the breathtaking sunrise, and the tricky, slow, tortuorous descent back to normalcy. And the rule was to venture on this dawn assignment before breakfast! George had retired as Senior warden of Meru National Park in April 1961 to devote his life entirely to working with lions. He assisted many lions to cope independently in the wild and earned the name “baba ya samba” (Father of lions). George lived a truly rugged lifestyle, shirtless in a bush camp

AT HOME: (Top Left) a file photo of George Adamson with one of his cubs. (Right) The writer "samples" Adamson's "ecofriendly" toilet seat, made from an animal skull. (Bottom) The toilet seats used by Adamson, which will be pert of a planned museum

with few conveniences. He lived in harmony with nature, protecting the environment in which he lived and developing a unique relationship with lions. Indeed, even his “toilet” seats were animal skulls! George met and married Joy three years after he became a Game Warden and they lived in Isiolo, which became their home for many years. In 1956, the couple acquired three lion cubs after their mother was shot over suspicion she was a man-eater. Two of the cubs were moved to a zoo in Western Europe while the third, the youngest was retained and named Elsa. It is documented that the lioness was trusting and intelligent and was to change not only the lives of George and Joy but also promote huge interest in animals and Kenya and largely changed the way the Western world viewed wildlife

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•ECONOMY

Investment•Technology•Prosperity

MARVELS OF MERU NATIONAL PARK

REPOSE: Adamson's grave inside the Kora National Park

and conservation. When Elsa was about three, the couple trained her for her release back into the wild. This was an incredible feat. She was encouraged to develop her instincts to hunt successfully. It was hard at first to survive in the wild but she did succeed and continued her bond of trust and affection with the Adamsons. Elsa lived in two worlds: on the one hand in the wild lion community in Meru, and on the other, making regular visits to the Adamsons’ camp on the banks of the Ura River. Elsa’s first litter of three cubs, named Little Elsa, Jespah and Gopa would often accompany Elsa to the camp. The lioness remained George’s beloved companion until her unfortunate death, believed to be from tick fever in 1961, on George’s laps. George wrote in his diary that “it may seem absurd but Elsa meant more to me than any other living creature has ever done. My Elsa gone. Gone the most wonderful friend and part of my life, which nothing can replace. Why should it

October 2011

be? Something which has created nothing but goodwill and love in the world”. Elsa’s cubs were then trained to become hunters, since they were still too young to be released into the wild. Eventually, they were released into the Serengeti. Elsa was buried in Meru near the Ura River where her grave is an attraction of all time. Adamson’s bestselling book, “Born Free” which was later made into a move, complete with two sequels, “Living Free” and “Forever Free” put Kenya squarely on the world map. “Born Free” was largely based on notes George made about Elsa and won an Academy Award and has since been spread in many languages globally. The acclaimed movie stars Bill Travers and Virginia Mckenna. George Adamson’s pictures, few conveniences, open-air “bathroom”, animal skull toilet seats and other curious belongings are now part of what is billed to be a grand museum at Kora. Truly, his legend lives on. Beyond him

Meru is a rugged, beautiful, untouched wilderness. It is a component of a single extensive ecosystem, encompassing the Bisanadi, Kora and Rahole reserves. Meru National Park spans over 870km2. To the west it nestles in the foothills of the Nyambene Range, and to the south, it borders the Tana River. The region is crosscrossed by a network of 13 rivers and streams, and therefore has an extraordinary array of habitats, from open grassland, acacia woodland, commiphora bush land, riparian forest and even pockets of rain forest in the west. The incredible diversity of species found within follows suit. In the 1970s, with as many as 50,000 tourists visiting the park and adjacent conservation areas nearby, Meru was the jewel of Kenya’s National tourism. Then disaster hit. Between 1980 and 1990, poachers slaughtered 90 per cent of the Park’s elephants; rhinos were completely wiped out to the point of extinction; disease took a terrible toll on wildlife; and lawlessness and land conflicts devastated the area. The park’s infrastructure took a beating as well and with a horrendous blow to conservation, tourism plummeted. Since then various factors, including improved security, increased conservation awareness (especially domestic) and marketing methods, have helped to restore Meru’s ecosystem and are thankfully bringing the Park back into the spotlight. Security is of paramount concern in the park. In

recognition of this, the KWS Wildlife Protection Unit (WPU) has brought together conservation agencies and the surrounding communities in a concerted and all inclusive undertaking to improve security. Poaching incidents have, as a result, hit an all-time low. To ensure such safety and security, an extensive security system is now in place. There has been an increase in the number of tracks being opened, 24hour rhino surveillance was introduced in 2003, patrols have been intensified, and an efficient revenue security check system implemented. A KWS pilot has been trained specifically for the park, and a specialised unit for intelligence gathering (regarding poaching) has been established. Such activities have managed to radically reduce poaching. In addition, CITES (the Convention on International trade in Endangered Species) has chosen the park as a site for Monitoring of the Illegal Killing of Elephants (MIKE), which has further increased the protected status of the park. Tourism has increased steadily since the 1990s. The National Park boasts 17 airstrips and a total of 1,200km have been cleared in an attempt to open up the park since restoration efforts commenced in 1999. An efficient and well sign-posted road network ensures excellent game viewing. It is certainly possible to see the three renowned big cats – lion, leopard and cheetah, with approximately 109 lions in total over the entire park

•HEALTH Mind•Body•Soul

World Heart Day

“We are aware of that cardiovascular diseases can accrue high medical bills, and

to counter this, we are offering the above procedures at affordable fees,”

ardiovascular diseases are the world’s biggest killer, claiming up to 17.3 million lives a year, the World Heart Federation says. Unfortunately this number is set to rise even higher as more people consume junk foods, which contain high fat and cholesterol levels. As demonstrated by the proliferation of fast food joints – a goldmine in the Kenyan market, there is an increase in consumption of fatty foods, as well as reduced physical activity, with many people opting to spend their weekends watching television. Smoking, lack of exercise or body inactivity, limited fruit and vegetable intake, high blood pressure, obesity, eating food that

October 2011

contains high fat and cholesterol levels – are just some of the factors that expose one to cardiac anomalies such as heart disease and stroke. Ideally heart diseases, listed by the United Nations as Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), can be prevented by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. They can also be controlled if diagnosed early enough with qualified doctors and in a specialised institution. One such institution is the Karen Hospital with its state of the art cath-lab and theatres as well as experienced cardiologists, cardiothoracic surgeons, anesthetists and ICU teams. As the World Health Day was commemorated the world over on September 29, The Karen Hospital – the regional Heart Treatment specialists, in conjunction with the Kenya Cardiac Society, found

it more meaningful to have the event run throughout the month of September as they sought to engage the people more on the topic. The Hospital offered to hold an interventional cardiac camp including a number of open heart surgeries and interventional catheterisations. The procedures, which will also go through the month of October, involve various activities such as public education through the media on matters concerning cardiovascular health, CVS screening camps, and interventional cardiac camps that would include cath-lab interventions as well as surgical including open heart surgeries in the technically capable institutions. “We are aware of that cardiovascular diseases can accrue high medical bills, and to counter this, we are offering the above

•HEALTH Mind•Body•Soul

procedures at affordable fees,” said a statement from the six-year old medical facility. Unfortunately obesity in children is increasing as well as in adults and therefore more people will ultimately suffer from more cases of heart diseases especially coronary artery diseases. A Health Screening Programme that provides comprehensive and superior check-ups can be found at The Karen Hospital. A dedicated team of specialists – present at the hospital – will take the patient through a series of tests and then give guidance on how well to live a healthy lifestyle

STATE OF THE ART:

A cardiovascular machine

Mega Importers Co ltd is proud to be a partner of Karen Hospital since its inception. Over the years, Mega Importers co ltd on behalf of our principals have supplied to the Karen Hospital fraternity world class products and services in the area of personal care products. Being the sole partners of SCA co of Sweden we service the incontinence care category with services and products to meet all consumer needs as below;

The Seal of Unbroken Promise Our Services Include: x Risk Management Services x Insurance Programme Design and Implementation – both General and Life x Medical Insurance and Fund management x Claims Management Services x Administration of Retirements Benefits Schemes for both individuals and Corporates bodies

Contact: The Insurance Centre, Rose Avenue, Off Denis Pritt Road - Kilimani P. O. Box 50565 -00200 Nairobi, Kenya Tel: 254-20-2717187/4/5, +254 722 204478 Fax: 254-20-2717182/2717437 Email: info@pacific-group.co.ke URL: www.pacific-group.co.ke

We at Mega are happy to be associated with Karen Hospital.

Maasai Rd., Off Mombasa Rd., Warehouse G2 P. O. Box 16605- 00620, Nairobi – Kenya . Tel 020-550940 fax: +254 020 3545720 Email: info@megaimporters.co.ke

October 2011

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•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

BAD GOVERNANCE

Emerging Threats to EA Tourism and Natural Heritage

Two neighbouring ecosystems are on the verge of being destroyed for good by shortsighted “development” policies of two of Africa’s tourism giants, writes DEA SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT, WYCLIFFE MUGA

hen he was campaigning for reelection late last year, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete promised the people of northern Tanzania that he would have a new road built to connect remote parts of that region to the more densely populated areas east of the country. “This is more or less the kind of thing that any shrewd politician seeking re-election would do. But often in this part of the world, such promises are forgotten as soon as they are made. So it seems remarkable that, since then, the plans for this road have reportedly moved into high gear, with Chinese contractors said to be standing by, ready to begin on the construction (though, admittedly, there is as yet no confirmation that a contract has been signed). However, far from bringing forth songs of praise, this attempt by the Tanzanian Government to link the farmers of northern Tanzania to the markets in the east, has led to a raging controversy both within Tanzania, and, to a lesser degree, also in Kenya. This is because the proposed road goes straight through the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania’s most famous tourist attraction and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. But, world heritage site or not,

TANZANIA'S PRESIDENT:

Jakaya Kikwete, (inset) map of Serengeti

October 2011

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

Kenyans normally do not concern themselves much with what roads are being built within Tanzania. So what really is the reason for this serious opposition to this roadthrough-the-Serengeti by Kenyan tourism stakeholders? Well, it is that although the Serengeti is entirely within Tanzania’s borders, in purely scientific terms, it is actually just the larger part of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. WONDER

The Masai Mara National Reserve in southern Kenya is a continuation of the same savannah grasslands which form the Serengeti. And for the millions of herbivores which live on this vast plain, national borders have no meaning, hence we have the famous annual wildebeest journey from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara, and back, the Great Migration now also dubbed the Seventh Wonder of the World. Most credible scientific reports have it that if this road is built exactly as currently planned, it will in the end destroy both the Serengeti and the Masai Mara, as the essential migration pathways will be effectively blocked

by the ever increasing number of cars and lorries using it. This famous Mara-Serengeti ecosystem would quite abruptly go from being “robust” as it has been for many decades since it was first studied by the legendary German ecologist Bernhard Grzimek in the 1950s, and become “fragile”, with the certainty of immediate deterioration, and the likelihood of eventual collapse. In short, the road to be built may be entirely within Tanzania, but the devastation it is guaranteed to bring will be felt as much in Kenya as in Tanzania. It bears comparison with two other major environmental disasters that threaten Kenya, through what is being promoted in a neighbouring country as a necessary development project the building of the Gilgel Gibe Dam on the Omo River of southern Ethiopia, the source of about 80 per cent of the water that flows into Lake Turkana in Kenya; and the proposed mining of soda ash on Lake Natron in Tanzania. Oddly enough, the objective of the giant hydroelectricity project on the Omo River is to sell of JONATHAN CIANO a good part of the power generated to Kenyan consumers. So the Turkana

community, already one of the most marginalized and neglected communities in Kenya subject to repeated patterns of drought and famine would effectively be paying with their lives and livelihoods for the additional power supplied to Kenya through this dam (as and when it is completed). The area around Lake Turkana is also quite rich in wildlife, and before the current levels of insecurity in that area discouraged casual visitors, it was a thriving tourism destination, marketed as the Jade Sea. But any possibility of the revival of such tourism would end abruptly with the completion of the dam on the Omo River.

WONDER:

The Wildebeeste migration , now recognised as one of the wonders of the world

ALTERNATIVE

But back to the Serengeti, in a statement issued last year, Jake Grieves Cook, emphasised the importance of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem as one of the world’s premier wildlife reserves and as a major contributor to the economies of both Tanzania and Kenya. He argued that, because of this, Tanzania should consider an alternative route passing around the outside of the

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â&#x20AC;˘GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

Serengeti. He further pointed out that such a road would also link more towns and villages than a highway through a national park in which there is no human settlement. More recently, the German Government, reportedly influenced by the Frankfurt Zoological Society (which has had a longstanding affiliation with the Serengeti), has stepped in and offered to help by financing a study for an alternative route, which would involve building the longer southern road, which avoids any crossing through the Serengeti. And the World Bank is reported to be ready to help finance the building of that longer route which as has been pointed out would actually link far more people to the farm produce consumer markets in the east of the country. But so far the Tanzanian Government has not yielded to any pressure applied locally or internationally, nor accepted this offer of funding for an alternative route, and the official word, thus far, is that the road will be built right through the Serengeti National Park. Now any Kenyans who imagined that this kind of thing could only happen in neighbouring nations would have been woken from their slumber in mid-May, when Kenya's own Ministry of Roads announced a plan to build a key road a portion of the road linking Nairobi to the western part of Kenya, all the way to the border with Uganda once again right through a game park. In this case, the park involved is the Lake Nakuru National Park, which admittedly is not the Masai Mara, or the Serengeti, but is still a valuable environmental asset which neighbouring countries like Uganda and Rwanda can only dream of having. Now what Lake Nakuru is most famous for are the hundreds of thousands of flamingoes, both Lesser and Greater Flamingo, which make it their home of which

October 2011

CAPTIVATING:

A map of the Serengeti

the Lesser Flamingo are by far the greater in number. And while at first it may appear that a road would be a greater threat to large carnivores and herbivores, the flamingoes too are likely to be at risk from disturbance and loss of habitat In any event, there is a far more serious threat to flamingoes in the East African region than this proposed road. Back to Tanzania, we find that Lake Natron, the one lake which actually has more flamingoes than Lake Nakuru, also happens to have soda ash (also known as sodium carbonate) which is used in making glass, chemicals, and detergents, and is definitely a valuable mineral. Kenya too has large deposits of this soda ash on Lake Magadi, and has long had a successful mining operation there, which even has its own connecting railway line to facilitate the delivery

of the raw product to the main Nairobi-Mombasa railway. And while Lake Magadi also hosts occasional populations of flamingoes, it is not a tourist attraction and not a flamingo breeding ground either. So while Kenya broadly speaking has its soda ash in one alkali lake (Magadi) and its flamingoes in another (Nakuru) Tanzania unfortunately has both flamingoes and soda ash in the same lake Lake Natron. Furthermore, it is on the breeding grounds of Lake Natron that all the Lesser Flamingo seen and enjoyed by so many tourists at Nakuru and other places in East Africa are born and raised. In effect, all of Kenya's Lesser Flamingo originate from Lake Natron, and anything that has a substantial negative impact on the flamingo population of Lake Natron threatens

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

Lake Nakuru as well. The fact that the two lakes are separated by hundreds of miles while the Masai Mara and the Serengeti are one continuous grassland ecosystem does not change the basic fact that here, too, a decision made in Tanzania could have catastrophic effects on Kenya's tourism. In any case, after having temporarily abandoned plans for extracting this soda ash in 2008, early this year, Kikwete revived plans for setting up an extraction plant for this plentiful supply of soda ash in Lake Natron. According to the online environmental newsletter Mongobay.com, This is the crux of the problem for conservationists: researchers suspect mining activities would critically disrupt breeding, but lack the research necessary to know for certain. While the forthcoming Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) may shed some light on the issue, the government has already signaled the mine will go ahead no matter the study’s findings. PLANNING

All four cases the proposed road though the Serengeti; the Gibe Dam; the proposed road through the Lake Nakuru National Park; and the proposed mining of soda ash on Lake Natron are examples of what happens when environmental considerations are left out of a government's planning process. In attempting to establish development infrastructure, or to exploit a mining concession, the government concerned ends up destroying a valuable natural asset. The governments of both Kenya and Tanzania seem keen to throw away what they have (a vibrant tourism sector) in pursuit of their dreams of industrialization. For both countries have leaders who are determined to take their nations beyond the traditional Third World dependency on tourism and primary agricultural goods, to some kind of

advanced service or manufacturing economy, of which the improved infrastructure is supposed to be a key facilitator. Under the influence of such dreams, it is easy to begin to see environmental considerations as a troublesome barrier to the nation's march towards prosperity, forgetting that the natural environment that will be ruined by your plans and schemes is itself an asset, and a source of existing jobs and foreign exchange. More significant yet, it is not as if there are no alternatives. Although the Gibe Dam is expected to be one of Africa's largest hydroelectric power projects, within the same zone in which it is located is the Lake TurkanaWind Power Project, which is expected to provide clean power to Kenya’s national electricity grid by taking advantage of a unique wind resource in northwest Kenya near Lake Turkana. It is estimated to have the potential to satisfy up to 17 per cent of Kenya’s planned total installed power upon commissioning in 2012. And there is plenty of room for more such wind power projects, both in Kenya and in Ethiopia. As for the soda ash mining, there are conservationists who claim that far from being a case of œdevelopment versus nature conservation , it is little more than a colossal destruction of unique resources for the sake of something that may actually never work. They point out that a previous investor who showed interest in 2008 made it a condition that the Tanzanian Government had to build a railway from remote Lake Natron all the way to the Tanga port to export the soda ash. Any new potential investor will presumably set the same conditions, because, after all, soda ash is not a rare mineral, and can be exploited at much less costs elsewhere, including in China. QUESTIONABLE

Furthermore, there are experts

IN DETAIL:

Affected area in the Serengeti

who argue that the yearly production of Lake Natron would not be 500,000 metric tons as alleged, but much less, maybe 200,000 metric tons, and thus even less reason to build a railway for transporting this mineral to the ports in the east of the country. And just as we can say that the road through the Serengeti could be built around that park (in the process benefitting many more people than would otherwise be the case), so too is it that building the Nakuru bypass road round the Lake Nakuru National Park would be far more useful than taking it right through the park. In all, the picture painted is one of development projects which are either of questionable value yet environmentally destructive, or which could well have been handled differently, and with even greater success, if only due weight was given to the environmental considerations. Taking a purely Kenyan perspective,

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â&#x20AC;˘GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

ON ALERT:

A pride of lions

MARVELS

the parallel which comes to mind is Egypt's tourism sector, which is as central to that country's economy as Kenya's tourism is to Kenya. What would you think if you heard that the Egyptians proposed to build a major highway that cut right through the Valley of the Kings, which is the place where many of the famous tombs of the pharaohs are found, and which is visited by between 5,000 to 10,000 tourists a day? However important that road might be, could it possibly justify bringing an end to these visits which necessarily involve many jobs for Egyptian tour guides and others who provide services to these visitors? Of course Kenya is nowhere near Egypt when it comes to tourism numbers, with the Egyptian tourism sector being roughly ten times as large as Kenya's: Kenya gets about 1.2 million tourists every year, while Egypt averages about 12 million. But the greater lesson that Kenya could learn from Egypt is that of conserving the national treasures which bring the prosperous visitors to our shores. Egypt has its ancient wonders and its Mediterranean and Red Sea shorelines: Kenya has its game parks and the beaches down by the Indian Ocean.

October 2011

These are every bit as valuable as mineral reserves or factories. They help to create jobs, and also bring in foreign exchange. No nation, sanely governed, would ever toss aside such prime environmental assets as Lake Nakuru or the Maasai Mara or indeed Lake Natron or the Serengeti. When Egypt built the Aswan High Dam in the 1960s, an entire temple complex of some 18 individual temples built into a mountainside was carefully dismantled and relocated, so that it might not be submerged under the newly-created Lake Nasser the huge reservoir of water which resulted from the building of the dam. The temples were moved to a new site on higher ground, called Abu Simbel, which is today one of Egypt's top tourist attractions, and also a Unesco World Heritage Site, just like the Serengeti National Park. And the Serengeti, as we have seen, famously adjoins Kenya's Masai Mara National Reserve, and these parks are essentially two parts of the same ecosystem, neither of which can thrive without the other. Unfortunately we cannot relocate the wildebeest migration to a more convenient corner of the country, any more than we can tell

the animals within the Lake Nakuru boundaries to be careful when crossing a broad bypass highway full of speeding lorries, or ask the Lesser Flamingo to breed somewhere other than Lake Natron. If Kenya loses the Masai Mara, or the Lake Nakuru National Park, and if Tanzania loses the Serengeti or the flamingos of Lake Natron, they will be lost for good. In his best-selling book, Serengeti Shall Not Die, written in 1959, well before mass tourism as we now know it came to East Africa, Prof Grzimek prophetically asserted, Large cities continue to proliferate. In the coming decades and centuries, men will not travel to view marvels of engineering, but they will leave the dusty towns in order to behold the last places on earth where God's creatures are peacefully living. Countries which have preserved such places will be envied by other nations and visited by streams of tourists. There is a difference between wild animals living a natural life and famous buildings. Palaces can be rebuilt if they are destroyed in wartime, but once the wild animals of the Serengeti are exterminated no power on earth can bring them backď&#x20AC;ź

•GREEN AGENDA Planet Earth

SECURITY

New Study Shows Benefits of Fencing the Aberdares

400 km of electric fence around the national park has improved livelihoods, land values and biodiversity, reports PAUL UDOTO

he now completed 400 km electrified fence enclosing the Aberdare Ranges has improved the livelihoods of millions of people in central Kenya, according to study launched recently in Nairobi. The study, The Environmental, Social and Economic Assessment of the Fencing of the Aberdare Conservation Area, also attributes improved forest cover, safer living conditions for local communities and greater security for wildlife to the fence, which was completed in 2009. The construction of the fence took nearly 20 years of planning, fund raising and mobilisation of government, donor, private partners and adjacent communities’ resources The study was requested by The Rhino Ark Trust, the Kenya conservation charity that has pioneered the fence project, with funding support from thousands of Kenyans and friends of Kenya overseas. The study was co-funded by United Nations Environment Programme, Rhino Ark and Kenya Forests Working Group and supported by the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Forest Service and the Greenbelt Movement. Speaking at the launch, UNEP Executive Director, Achim Steiner said: “The Aberdares conservation efforts underline the extraordinary

and wide-ranging returns possible when a more creative, decisive and sustainable approach to managing nature is undertaken-they also offer a model for exemplary public-private partnerships”. “Indeed, Kenya’s new policies on renewable energy to conservation of its water towers including the Mau complex, Mt. Elgon, Mt. Kenya, the Cherangany, and the Aberdares, is demonstrating practically and politically that a transition to a Green Economy is as relevant to a country in Africa as it is to countries across the world,” he added. INCOMES

“The study affirms that the fence has proved a prime management tool in the process of both conservation integrity and ensuring better incomes for all - fence edge farmers, as well as the national and global interests that are derived from the Aberdares as a prime water, forest and biodiversity hot spot,” said Colin Church, the Rhino Ark Management Committee chairman. “The study re-affirms that the Aberdares is offering a management and policy blue print for the precious ‘water towers’ of Kenya and other tropical mountain ecosystems and upon which so much human resource is increasingly dependent”, he added. Over the last 15 years, UNEP has been highlighting the vital role of

Over the last 15 years, UNEP has been highlighting the vital role of Kenya’s “water towers”, such as the Aberdare

Ranges and the Mau Forests Complex, in securing environmental stability, economic development and human well-being

Kenya’s “water towers”, such as the Aberdare Ranges and the Mau Forests Complex, in securing environmental stability, economic development and human well-being. UNEP provides financial and technical support. Key findings in the report confirm: A 20.6 per cent increase in forest cover between 2005 and 2010 A 54 per cent decrease in open areas (grassland and cultivation inside the now fenced 2000 km square Aberdare Conservation Area) A 47 per cent increase in exotic plantations outside the fenced area The report attributes these improvements to the effects of the fence and associated fence management guidelines as well as more assertive policy interventions. It emphasizes that there should be an integrated management plan for the Aberdares and by inference that future government policy should incorporate holistic approaches to the way high value mountain forest ecosystems are managed. The study also recorded socioeconomic effects, such as higher household incomes and land values (as high as 300 per cent in some cases) due to improved farmland security, crop yields and safer living conditions. Wildlife crop destruction has been all but eliminated and children travelling to school face fewer risks from animals

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•DEA HOTELS Lifestyle & Hospitality

STYLE:

Part of the Elsa's Kopje lodge

PERFECT GETAWAY

Exotic Luxury Refined The first time Stefano went up the rocks on foot to the position where the Bar is now, he was charged at by a lioness and quickly came back to the camp site in three huge bounds. He had found the site for his bar! By PATRICK WACHIRA

he inspiration behind the setting up of the award-winning Elsa’s Kopje Lodge was thus inspired by this incident, which exemplified both proximity to nature and the adrenaline of adventure in one breath. The couple behind the idea, Liz and Stefano, had traversed the length and breadth of Meru National Park for years, setting up mobile camps and living in the wild. The couple, who are the names behind the magic of Cheli and Peacock, had tasted the flavour of success in the hospitality industry with their first lodge, Tortilis Camp, in Amboseli in 1994, and had set their minds to grow the idea. They viewed many prospec-

October 2011

tive sites, from Mkomazi in Tanzania to Meru National Park. But Meru, hitherto unknown and uncharted territory in Kenya’s tourist circuits, was their favourite and they set up camp in 1994 at George Adamson’s old campsite under the Kopje and explored the site. That was when Stefano climbed the rock and a lioness charged at him, triggering a rush of adrenaline like he had never experienced in his life. The question of where to locate the lodge had just been settled! Of course, permits had to be obtained from the Kenya Wildlife Service before any work could start, never mind that there were no existing, functioning lodges in the park and there was talk of degazetting the park

to make way for rice plantations. Owing to incidents of banditry, the park and most of its facilities were in a state of disrepair, so prospects looked bleak then. Being the government body that owns and runs parks and game reserves in the country, KWS had to tender the process to ensure transparency. And the entire process took four years. Stefano sited and designed all the rooms, lounge, dining room and swimming pool. In many cases, as evidenced by the final magical results, the design and structure were influenced by the natural features, rocks included, which eventually became part of the eventual construction. And so Stefano went on, his attention to detail and design ensuring that nothing was left to chance. The site, full of solid rock was fun and exciting to work with and every room was different. There was a massive Kenyan team of almost 90, led by a fine site manager, Mark Glen, then only 24. Glen, after this experience, went on to become a find builder in his own right. A friend of the couple, Lesley Rowley assisted to source the fabrics from England and the launch was set for July 1999. Sue Heath managed to landscape the grounds in the last 48 hours.

•DEA HOTELS

Lifestyle & Hospitality

The launch was a fun-filled affair, with the then KWS Director, Dr Richard Leakey bouncing across the suspension bridge using his prosthetic legs and quipping: “Elsa’s Kopje has put a spring back in my step!” Which is true for many a tourist and visitor, for the place offers many delights that are both extraordinary and exceptional. For instance, every room is different from the others and features may include solid rock forming part of the walls, thus completing the feeling of being outdoors and indoors at the same time! During my visit, Manager Philip Mason tells me the Lodge can accommodate a maximum of 26 guests at any one time, so, prospective visitors are advised to book in advance. There are 12 bedrooms. Elsa’s Kopje has won various awards, including the Best Inland Lodge 2011 (Kenya Federation of Tourism), Best Safari Property in Africa (2010), best Safari Property in East Africa in 2009. Cgheli and Peacock has similar properties in Shaba, Mara, Lewa and of course, Amboseli. Barman Moses Muriithi, who has worked here for 12 years, says the exceptional service ensures that the Lodge receives repeat clients who can hardly wait to visit the Lodge time and again. It has been described as the first

eco lodge in East Africa, having been built using local materials. Its impact on the environment was, therefore, reduced. It is built to offer high ecological standards and offers an exhilarating view of most of Meru National Park, one of the oldest in Kenya. Mason says the level of service and food is second to none. Presently, we sample just that. “The rooms are built on rock to make them fit in with the environment”, says Mason. It has received the silver eco-rating award for this. The Park is itself an added advantage, offering the Big Five with the confines of its 807 km2 area. Within the local circuit are four parks: Meru and Kora (national parks) and Mwingi and Bisanadi (game reserves). Visitors are guaranteed that on any morning, they will see at least three of the Big Five. Meru Park hosts the second largest rhino sanctuary in Kenya and the security of guests is assured by a strong force of some 140 rangers, formed into four platoons of 35 rangers each. The rhino sanctuary is guarded by an entire platoon, says the Senior Park Warden, Benard Koruta. And the rhinos enjoy a 24 hour security surveillance system, started in 2003

October 2011

•CULTURE

Reviews•Raves•Revues•Repasts

SOUL FOOD

…Of Music and Spirituality SHRI HIMANSHU NANDA, a celebrated Indian artist has won many awards for his dynamism in flute playing. He has been able to elevate his music to achieve relevance and spirituality. Here, he discusses his performance, The Whisper of the Bamboo Flute BY CAROL KIIRU

IPLOMAT EAST AFRICA: Kindly give us a brief biography of yourself. HIMANSHU NANDA: During my childhood I used to sing but I never trained in classical music. When I was in college I heard of an institute that trains in classical music and I went to enroll there for vocal music. Fortunately when I arrived I found a flute class going on and I was so infatuated with the Bamboo flute. I tried it out and that was the start of my love for the Bansuri (Bamboo) flute. Q: There was no going back after this… A: No, I got the boost from these competitions. I participated in various competitions and won a few prizes and my desire and inspiration grew from there. From college, which is in Odisa, I knew since there was no music school to pursue my career, I decided to take up a course to get me a job and so I did my Bsc and BA in Education. In the year 2000, I went to Delhi to take my father for his by-pass surgery. I came across an advertisement that Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, a famous Bansuri maestro was performing. I got a pass and approached him backstage. I told him I wanted to be his disciple and I don’t know what he saw in me but he agreed. He said I should go to Mumbai and for the last 11 years I have been with him. My journey is on. Q: Who has been your inspiration considering the fact that you come from a musical lineage? A: It’s always been Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia. When I was younger I used to listen to his music and he has been a great source of inspiration for all time. Being my Guru also has been an outstanding motivation for me to keep at my music.

SHRI HIMANSHU NANDA

October 2011

Q: The Navrang Fine Arts Association is the platform that links you to the Kenyan audience. What is your opinion of the association? A: The first time I came to Kenya was in 2006 to visit a friend who had asked me over. The Navrang Foundation started later and to tell you the truth I feel Kenya is my second home. What they do is great as they fill the gap in Indian music for the public in Kenya.

•CULTURE

Reviews•Raves•Revues•Repasts

Q: You are a disciple of Hariprasad Chaurasia. Is he your mentor? What is it that stands out about him? What have you gained from this experience? A: I have not only learnt music from him but I have come across the beautiful personality he has. He is a person with knowledge and is very humble. A saying we have in India says that a tree that has a lot of fruits bows down. With him the greatest part is that knowledge and humility goes hand in hand. He taught us that what we have is nothing or not ours as it is a gift from God. But what we give to others/society is a gift to God from us. He never keeps anything for himself but is very generous. This has been the highlight in my stay with him. Q: You have been able to visualise and composed a Musical Orchestra based on different ragas, depicting the journey of a spiritual seeker, titled “Chinmaya Vani Vadya Vrinda in Mumbai and also co-directed “PARIKRAMA” – A Journey through Spiritual India, a musical. How does music and spirituality connect? A: I totally thank Chinmaya mission and my spiritual guru, Swami Tejomayananda, who initiated me to spirituality. In my workshop I mentioned that the first form of creation is in the form of sound. From this sound other elements have come from it. In philosophy we call that sound as Omkara. Music is not for entertainment for us but it connects us with that primordial sound called the Omkara. Here is where you understand the principle of creation and your own Self. Music is the medium to reach the Self state. Q: This is your third time to perform in Kenya. What is it that stands out with the audience? A: They are very receptive. Even in my workshop they are willing to participate openly. I asked them (audience) to sing the swara (notes) which is Sa. They sang it correctly and I realised that the Kenyan audience has their ears tuned to music and they appreciate it. Once they did this, the need for music grew

owned. This is my mind but I am not it. Music is a journey that helps you look into yourself.

and I will say they are the best ever audience I have seen. Q: The WHISPER of the BAMBOO FLUTE.Why this title? A: We look at the subtlety of the whole thing when we are deciding on these titles. Bamboo flute has been associated with Lord Krishna and we wanted our title to be fine. It is like when someone is playing the flute is like a whisper from the lord. When we are communicating we don’t do so by shouting as we will not hear each other. When we are both calm and quiet only then can we understand each other even in whispering. Music brings us closer to the silence where we can feel His presence. Q: In your workshop you stated that “Music is something that takes us to ourselves.” Please expound on that. A: We all need to know the basic principle of practising music. In the workshop we were practising rhythm and when I asked people to clap on the 4th, 7th, 11th, 14th 15th and 16th and it was a mess. Why? Because it was hard for people to concentrate. The mind is that which always takes you away from what you want to do as it has its own path. Music brings back our mind to the present. This is preparing the mind to serve you and not vice versa. Once your mind is trained only then can you reach your own Self. This is because the mind will cease to deviate and remain calm and then you will be able to be with yourself. The owner of a thing is not the same as the thing

Q: The music school in India is a plus for the music fraternity in India. What are its objectives and core values? A: Chinmaya Naada Bindu’s tagline is Swara to Ishwara meaning through the notes to the lord. The motto of the school is “to raise the level of art, artists and audience. The approach of teaching and learning music is that music is not solely for entertainment but to journey them to attain and realise their own self. We not only teach music but we also teach the philosophy that accompanies music. Q: What has music taught you over the years? A: First of all music has integrated my personality and has made me humble. I was practicing a raga in the morning and my host came and told me that I had to go and have breakfast. I was so engrossed in my music that I lost track of time. This experience is what I am talking about. Being one with the music makes a very humbling experience for everyone. You forget every other thing even your existence and be with your music. It takes you to a higher level of association with one Self. This is exceptional. Q: A word to the upcoming artists, parents and the general public. A: Music is for a lifetime. If one practices performing art that person will never be lonely in their lifetime. It becomes a support system, if you hold on to music it will take care of you throughout your life. I say to the parents to always encourage their children to love music and take up initiatives to learn, not only for the sake of it but to the highest depth both spiritually and musically. I am happy with Navrang Fine Arts Association for what they are doing in propagating, preserving and creating awareness in Indian music in the country. This is something really good and I applaud them for that

October 2011

•CULTURE Reviews•Raves•Revues•Repasts

COMPLETE DISCLOSURE

Teach Like a Champion By NGARI GITUKU, CULTURE EDITOR AUTHOR : TITLE : PUBLISHER : DATE : PAGES :

aking errors is normal, and making mistakes is a necessary part of learning. In Teach Like a Champion, Doug Lemov’s brilliant distillation of 49 techniques for teachers to use to improve student performance, he writes that teachers should normalise error and avoid chastening students for getting things wrong. (Lemov’s book has application far beyond the classroom): “Error followed by correction and instruction is the fundamental process of schooling. You get it wrong, and then you get it right. If getting it wrong and then getting it right is normal, teachers should normalise error and respond to both parts of this sequence as if they were totally and completely normal. After all, they are.

WRONG ANSWERS: DON’T CHASTEN; DON’T EXCUSE “Avoid chastening wrong answers, for example, ‘No, we already talked about this. You have to flip the sign, Ruben.’ And do not make excuses for students who get answers wrong: ‘Oh, that’s okay, Charlise. That was a really hard one.’ In fact, if wrong answers are truly a normal and healthy part of the learning process, they don’t need much narration at all.

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“It’s better, in fact, to avoid spending a lot of time talking about wrongness and get down to the work of fixing it as quickly as possible. Although many teachers feel obligated to name every answer as right or wrong, spending time making that judgment is usually a step you can skip entirely before getting to work. For example, you could respond to a wrong answer by a student named Noah by saying, ‘Let’s try that again, Noah. What’s the first thing we have to do?’ or even, ‘What’s the first thing we have to do in solving this kind of problem, Noah?’ This second situation is particularly interesting because it remains ambiguous to Noah and his classmates whether the answer was right or wrong as they start reworking the problem. There’s a bit of suspense, and they will have to figure it out for themselves. When and if you do name an answer as wrong, do so quickly and simply (‘not quite’) and keep moving. Again, since getting it wrong is normal, you don’t have to feel badly about it. In fact, if all students are getting all questions right, the work you’re giving them isn’t hard enough.

RIGHT ANSWERS: DON’T FLATTER; DON’T FUSS “Praising right answers can have one of two perverse effects on stu-

dents. If you make too much of fuss, you suggest to students - unless it’s patently obvious that an answer really is exceptional - that you’re surprised that they got the answer right. And as a variety of social science research has recently documented, praising students for being ‘smart’ perversely incents them not to take risks (apparently they worry about no longer looking smart if they get things wrong), in contrast to praising students for working hard, which incents them to take risks and take on challenges. “Thus, in most cases when a student gets an answer correct, acknowledge that the student has done the work correctly or has worked hard; then move on: ‘That’s right, Noah. Nice work.’ Champion teachers show their students they expect both right and wrong to happen by not making too big a deal of either. Of course, there will be times when you want to sprinkle in stronger praise (‘Such an insightful answer, Carla. Awesome’.) Just do so carefully so that such praise isn’t diluted by overuse.” [Editor’s note: We were reminded of this principle recently when touring the Franklin Institute’s nationally recognised Science Leadership Academy and finding that the powerful learning mantra of the engineering department was “fail early, fail often.”]

•REAL ESTATE A Walk Through Nairobi’s Gigiri Area Property giants Knight Frank walk DEA’s JANE MWANGI through one of the capital city’ most prized districts, explaining the growth of the area and what the future holds for it

alking through the plush Gigiri area - a secluded and private diplomatic district in one of Nairobi‘s up market neighbourhoods - is like to stepping into another era where the air was still fresh and invigorating. Gigiri is home to the UN headquarters in Nairobi and also to a huge section of the diplomatic community. The area covers Rosslyn estate, Muthaiga, Spring Valley, Kileleshwa and Gigiri. It is against this backdrop that we examine the breadth and depth of Gigiri’s magnetism and charm. And to take us on this voyage of discovery, we sought the help of real estate giant Knight Frank, which manages over 600 residential units and over 3,000,000 square feet of commercial property in Kenya. The firm’s managing director, Ben Woodhams says that the Gigiri area is highly sought after because of its proximity to the UN complex, the American and Canadian embassies which are located in the area. Knight Frank’s Executive Director, Maina Mwangi concurs, adding that, due to the fact that it is a low density, high income residential area has played a big part in it being highly priced. “The zoning of Nairobi has also highly contributed to making it a Diplomatic community district and hence we are likely to see more activity towards that area.” The area has also attracted businesses that feed off the diplomatic community. According to Wood-

Mr Ben Woodhams:

MD Knight Frank Kenya

Maina Mwangi:

Executive Director, Knight Frank Kenya hams, the large tracks of land in the area can be developed into big projects and Gigiri is gradually going to be greatly transformed by the northern by-pass and the link road to Waiyaki way. This is because the two roads make a big difference to the accessibility of Gigiri and to Gigiri’s accessibility to the Westlands area and to the airport. “We have a large residential complex within the Rosslyn lone tree and Muthaiga area. We are constantly doing lettings and sales within the residential market in the whole of that

area,” says Maina, adding that until recently, they developed and managed the US embassy housing complex in Rosslyn on the other side of the valley towards the Village market. “We have been involved in development advice for the acquisition of the US embassy, and also involved in feasibility studies-research and marketing for the projects that come up within that area.” There is not much commercial development in the area, but the experts foresee a change as there are a number of speculative developments in the pipeline. NGO’s, which feed off the US and Canadian embassies are currently operating out of residential houses in the area. This, says Woodhams, is not convenient and, therefore, any speculative developer might decide to meet their demands. “That is a change we expect to see in Gigiri over the next five years,” he says. “Knight Frank’s role in Kenya was to build a local presence of an international organisation and we were very lucky in a sense because we inherited a powerful brand. Knight Frank Kenya was formed in 1998 while the one in the UK was formed over 100 years ago,” say Woodhams. According to the firm, the property sector has become attractive as an investment area, and we are seeing more investment in this sector for the purposes of diversification and security. “It is well recorded how volatile the property market has been in the first world during the global financial crisis, however, in Africa and Kenya specifically the market was largely unscathed hence we saw that stability in the housing market,” he said. “Our goals are to continue the rapid expansion we are undergoing and maintain the high standards of quality for our clients,” says Woodhams

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•WORLD POSTAL DAY 9th OCTOBER Special Feature

Universal Postal Union Leads in Global Communication

h e World Post Day befittingly takes its position on the international calendar with the express mandate of creating awareness on the role of the postal sector in everyday lives of people and businesses; and its contribution to the social and economic development of countries. The celebration encourages member countries to undertake programme aimed at generating a broader awareness of the post’s role and activities among the public and media on a national scale. The Day is earmarked as a global observance and not a public holiday, though in some countries it is referred to as a working

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holiday. Every year, more than 190 countries celebrate World Post Day in a multiplicity of ways. In many international organisations and countries, high ranking officials make speeches or issue proclamations on the history or achievements of national or international postal services. On the other hand, Postal administrations may issue special postage stamps to commemorate the ideals, history or achievements of the national postal service on or around World Post Day. These are prized by stamp collectors and philatelists (people who study stamps). From the earliest times in history, “postal services” existed in

the form of messengers who travelled long distances on foot or on horseback. In the 1600s and 1700s, many countries set up national postage systems and entered into bilateral agreements for the exchange of mail between countries. By late 1800s, there was a large web of bilateral agreements that made the distribution of international mail complicated, nontransparent and inefficient. In 1863, Montgomery Blair, Postmaster General in the United States of America, organised a conference of representatives from 15 European and American countries. During this conference, the delegates laid down a number of general principles for mutual agreements on international postal services but did not create an international postal agreement. On September 15, 1874, Heinrich von Stephan, a senior postal official in the North German Confederation (an area that now forms parts of Germany, Poland and Russia), opened a conference in Berne, Switzerland, with delegates from 22 countries. On October 9, 1874, the delegates signed the Treaty of Berne and established the General Postal Union. The number of countries that were members of the General Postal Union grew rapidly and the union’s name was changed to the Universal Postal Union in 1878. In 1948, the Universal Postal Union became a specialised agency of the United Nations. The 16th Universal Postal Union Congress was held in Tokyo, Japan, from October 1 to November 16, 1969. During this

•WORLD POSTAL DAY 9th OCTOBER Special Feature conference the delegates voted to declare October 9th each year as World Post Day. The work of the Universal Postal Union continues to be important to global communication and trade, even in the era of digital communication. In areas and communities with a high level of access to digital communication, postal services are important for distributing goods bought in Internet stores. In communities with lower levels of access to digital communication, postal services remain vital for the distribution of information and goods. Post offices and trucks used to deliver mail to outlying areas are also becoming service points to bring digital communication to many more people. Moreover, the Union is working on ways of bringing electronic money transfer services to rural areas in countries in the Middle East and in North-east Africa. International Letter-writing Competition The Universal Postal Union (UPU) organises the International Letter-Writing Competition for Young People annually. The competition was created by the 1969 Tokyo Congress and officially launched in 1971. Since then, millions of young people all over the world, below the age of 15 have participated in the competition at national and international levels. The competition is an excellent way of making young people aware of the important role postal services play in our societies, develops their skills in composition and the ability to express their thoughts clearly. Moreover it fosters their enjoyment of letter writing and helps strengthen the bonds of international friendship – one of the basic missions of the UPU. Each year, the UPU International Bureau chooses a theme. Participating countries organise the competition at the national

level through the post, often with the support of education authorities and the media. All entries must be submitted through the national Post. Each country chooses a national winner and submits one entry for the UPU international competition. Entries must reach the UPU International Bureau no later than April 30 each year. The theme retained for the 2011 competition is: “Imagine you are a tree living in a forest. Write a letter to someone to explain why it is important to protect forests”. This theme coincides with the International Year of Forests, celebrated this year. In proclaiming 2011 the Inter-

national Year of Forests, the United Nations is inviting governments, organisations of the United Nations system and related nongovernmental organisations, the private sector and other actors to make concerted efforts to raise awareness at all levels to strengthen the sustainable management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests. These efforts will benefit current and future generations

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•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World

DOOMSDAY CONSPIRACY

US Credit Downgrade 'No More Than Hot Air'

…Downgrade or no downgrade, the US treasury bonds are still going to be the benchmark. The market would assume the safest asset you could buy in a portfolio was still US Treasuries. By JOHN MULAA

etween July leading to August this year, the chatter and hoopla over the intended downgrade of the United States credit rating by Standard and Poor’s raised American and international anxiety about the potential effects of the move to stratospheric heights. Standard and Poor’s is the New

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York city - based rating agency that not too long ago gave top rating to mortgage backed securities that brought turmoil in financial markets. In the context of a bruising political tug of war between the Republican - controlled House of Representatives and the Democratic held White House, the move was seen as a commentary on what is increasingly viewed as a dysfunctional American political system that is prepared to sacrifice economic common sense to Payrric political games and victories. In the event, I travelled out of the United States in early August destined for rural Kenya backwoods as far from the epicentre of word economic fireworks as possible and waited out the apocalypse after the inevitable downgrade happened which I did not learn about until after the fact. I had deliberately escaped the cacophony of credit rating downgrade all the time in every news outlet by opting out. Hardly mentioned was the fact that two other leading credit agencies, Moody Investors Service and Fitch rating, decided to keep top rating for US debt for now. When I finally rejoined the mainstream, I scanned the horizon for the immediate possible damage of the credit rating development. From where I sat in rural Kenya there

•GLOBAL STAGE Window on World

was nary a ripple likely because few of its denizens were aware what was happening and the fewer who may have gleaned from the news that something was afoot were too preoccupied with existential issues to bother about such esoteric developments far removed from their horizons. The rhythm of their lives is as unrelated to international developments as can be even in this age of globalisation. To a degree. But first, how many dominoes fell in the aftermath of Standard and Poor’s downgrade? Alarmists must have been disappointed by the absence of signs of immediate collapse triggered by the action. For weeks, doomsayers, some with several political axes to grind, had been issuing dire warnings of doom that would follow the United States and the international economy in the wake of the downgrade. They prophesised the international economy would be dragged in the mire of recession, uncertainty, downward slide, and would eventually collapse in a hopeless heap. Those on the political right aimed their barbs at President Barack Obama, whom they accused of deliberately stoking America’s decline in furtherance of a nefarious goal to eventually bring the mighty country to its knees! After all, they wailed almost in unison, the man is Manchurian president –incidentally a similarly titled book by Aaron Klein and Brenda J Elliott purporting to demonstrate Barack Obama’s ties to communists, socialists and other anti-American extremists, rose to No. 10 on the New York Times list. The President and his team fought back, accusing the accusers of naked brinkmanship and hostage taking that paid no heed to the

likely damage the techniques they had embracedwould unleash. But president’s team, too, was not entirely shy at playing politics milking the debacle for all it was worth by casting opponents as reckless and selfish individuals for whom the country come last. DISSATISFaction

Both sides succeeded in painting their opponents negatively. Polls immediately after and subsequently reveal the American public’s dissatisfaction with both bands of politicians. The American public appears particularly aghast at the legislative arm of government. Nonetheless, America’s internationalcreditorswererattledby the move. The Chinese government suggested international supervision over the issue to the US dollar should be explored and warned America about letting its domestic politics take the global economy hostage. The sabre rattling aside, China has shown little inclination to effect what it proposed although there are reports China is engaging in heavy buying of gold as a hedge against the possible collapse of the dollar. Reality anchored analysts steadfastly maintained the downgrade would do little or limited damage. Pointing to history, they reminded the less alarmed that Japan, Canada, Australia, Taiwan and other countries have endured the credit rating downgrade without cataclysmic results. The last time they checked the market was exhibiting plenty of confidence on those countries’ economies. And the market consists of more than credit rating agencies. The head of an American investment bank said at the time: “The US downgrade or no downgrade, (US treasury bonds) are still going to be the benchmark.

The market would assume the safest asset you could buy in a portfolio was still US Treasuries.” Indeed, the market reaction to the downgrade was extremely muted. The anticipated upheaval in global financial markets did not materialise. The US dollar’s special place as the world’s reserve currency remained and remains unshaken. As if Kenyans need a lesson regarding the dollar’s special place, they have watched almost helplessly as the Kenya Shilling has slid against the dollar with possible far reaching ramifications that will be felt in the days, weeks and months to come. In the United States, the downgrade will eventually effect small interest rate changes on mortgages, student loans and the like. In rural Kenya, where I spent my summer gateway, the impact of a faltering Kenya shilling, unrelated to the US credit rating downgrade, was already being felt by the time I left. Villagers will now have to stretch the little they earn by coaxing a living from farming. In fact, the vagaries of a hostile economic climate might just push them to withdraw even more from the money economy, back into subsistence economy from which the majority had barely escaped. On the other hand, Standard and Poor’s rating agency is already paying the price of what US government officials said was a rash move to cast doubt on the country’s credit rating. Deven Sharma, president of the agency, stepped down; some say he was pushed off the cliff, in mid-September. This came after the Timothy Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, said the agency had shown terrible judgment and handled itself poorly

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Those on the political right aimed their barbs at President Barack Obama, whom they accused of

deliberately stoking America’s decline in furtherance of a nefarious goal to eventually bring the mighty country to its knees

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•ENVOYS OF SPORT NOBLE CAUSE

Muscles Flex for 2011 Stanchart Marathon

Preparations for the largest corporate sporting event in Kenya, the Standard Chartered Bank Nairobi marathon are underway, with organisers hoping to raise up to Kshs20 million this year, up from the Kshs16 million raised last year By RONALD BERA

START OFF: Runners

in full flight at a past event

n estimated 20,000 participants are expected to take part in this year’s event - the ninth since the inaugural race was held in 2003, with the proceeds going towards the ‘Share the vision’ project. This year’s event is meant to alleviate avoidable blindness and restore sight to children, majority aged nine and below. Standard Chartered Bank is the sponsor of the

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hugely porpular event. The race, an annual signature occasion that brings together runners from all over the world and is fast becoming popular for its charity efforts and for nurturing world-class athletics, recently received Kshs95 million from Standard Chartered Bank as it commemorated its 100 years existence in Kenya. The earnings, collected through registration fees and donations, are used in paying for surgeries, buying medicine, and setting up eye clinics all over the country. Registration for the October 30 race got underway at the beginning of September at all the Standard Chartered Bank offices countrywide. The registration runs through to October 23 – seven days prior to the big day. Same as last year, winners in the men’s and women’s categories will each get prize money of kshs1.5 million. Interested participants in both individual races and the family fun run will pay ksh1,000, while participants for the corporate challenge will pay kshs100,000. SCB sponsored over 800 surgeries,

•ENVOYS OF SPORT purchased state-of-the-art equipment and put up a friendly nursery and playroom at the Lighthouse for Christ mission school with proceeds from last year’s marathon. The bank also launched a pilot project where children who had undergone surgeries received followup treatment until they turned seven years old. Currently, the programme has 30 children. The organisers, Athletics Kenya (AK) and the official sponsors, Standard Chartered Bank have worked towards making the Stanchart Nairobi marathon the only athletics event on the calendar of the IAAF. The marathon is fully accredited by IAAF and complies with their rules to the highest level including having international-level timing capabilities. Since its inception, the ‘Seeing is believing’ programme – the dynamic force behind the Stanchart Nairobi Marathon launched in 2003 during the Standard Bank’s 150th anniversary celebrations – has given more than two million people their sight back. According to the WHO statistics, someone goes blind every five seconds; 39 million people across the world are blind; 80 per cent of blindness is avoidable; 90 per cent of avoidable blindness occurs in the developing world; one child goes blind every minute and 60 per cent of children die within one year of going blind. Without effective, major intervention, the number of blind people in the world could increase to 76 million by 2020. The statistics are simply horrific and that is why Standard Chartered Bank decided to get involved and lend a hand in the eradication of avoidable blindness. In the initial six years, over KShs30 million raised from the marathon has been used to sponsor ‘Seeing is Believing’ Initiatives in Kenya. Funds raised in the marathon’s first year, 2003, were used to fund 60

cataract operations for children under five at Kikuyu Eye Hospital. This number gradually increased over the years as more operations were performed in other parts of the country. At the moment, about 600 operations are being done on children nationwide. The prevalence of blindness in children is about 10 times lower compared to adults. Childhood blindness remains a high priority because of the expected number of years to be lived in blindness. When the Bank embarked on its mission, the initial objective was to raise funds to restore eyesight to 28,000 people. The staff adopted the challenge and with so much enthusiasm that they achieved twice what the initial target was. The Bank then started-on on Phase II of ‘Seeing is Believing’with an initial target of restoring sight to a million people. The goal was achieved by the year 2007 where US$6 million was raised, just as the world was celebrating World Sight Day. The third phase of “Seeing is Believing” aimed to raise US$10 million to make a difference to the lives of 10 million people across 20 countries by 2010. Thanks to the hard work of the Bank’s employees, the Bank

ON COURSE:

Runners on the final stretch. (inset) podium finish for the winners

exceeded its target of US$10 million, three years ahead of schedule by implementing 32 projects in 17 countries through the funds raised in the third phase. In 2008, the theme ‘A New Vision’ was launched, marking an evolution in the Bank’s strategy as it progressed from funding surgeries and medicine to developing systems and processes to ensure the long-term sustainability of the programme. The bank has committed to invest US$20 million to provide sustainable eye-care services for 20 million people in 20 cities across the Standard Chartered Bank footprint by 2014. It plans to raise US $10 million which will it match. So far, US $ 8 million has been raised towards the target of US $ 10 million. Many athletes have used the race as stepping stone for plunging into the international limelight. And they still come back to race almost every year. The race will start at the Nyayo National Stadium, through to Uhuru Highway and turn at the University way round-about into Kenyatta Avenue, Harambee Avenue and Haile Sellasie Avenue, then back to Mombasa Road and finish at the starting point

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•DIARY INTERNATIONAL OBSERVANCES OCTOBER 1 October

International Day of Older Persons

13 October

World Sight Day [WHO]

2 October

International Day of Non-Violence

15 October

International Day of Rural Women

3 October

World Habitat Day

16 October

World Food Day [FAO]

5 October

World Teachers’ Day

17 October

International Day for the Eradication of Poverty

9 October

World Post Day

24 October

United Nations Day

10 October

World Mental Health Day [WHO]

24 October

World Development Information Day

13 October

International Day for Disaster Reduction

27 October

World Day for Audio Visual Heritage

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