Milking the Rhino Trailer

 

A ferocious kill on the Serengeti… dire warnings about endangered species… These clichés of nature documentaries ignore a key feature of the landscape: villagers just off-camera, who navigate the dangers and costs of living with wildlife on a daily basis. When seen at all, rural Africans are often depicted as the problem — they poach animals and encroach on habitat, they spoil our myth of wild Africa.

Milking the Rhino tells a more nuanced tale of human-wildlife coexistence in post-colonial Africa. The Maasai tribe of Kenya and Namibia’s Himba — two of Earth’s oldest cattle cultures — are in the midst of upheaval. Emerging from a century of “white man conservation,” which turned their lands into game reserves and fueled resentment towards wildlife, Himba and Maasai communities are now vying for a piece of the wildlife-tourism pie.

Community-based conservation, which tries to balance the needs of wildlife and people, has been touted by environmentalists as “win-win.” The reality is more complex. “We never used to benefit from these animals,” a Maasai host of a community eco-lodge explains. “Now we milk them like cattle!” His neighbor disagrees: “A rhino means nothing to me! I can’t kill it for meat like a cow.” And when drought decimates the grass shared by livestock and wildlife, the community’s commitment to conservation is sorely tested.

Charting the collision of ancient ways with Western expectations, Milking the Rhino tells intimate, hopeful and heartbreaking stories of people facing deep cultural change.

Visit the official website: http://www.milkingtherhino.org

Visit the film’s official website, http://www.milkingtherhino.org

http://intercontinentalcry.org/milking-the-rhino-conservation-in-post-colonial-africa/

 

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Why young morans are spoiling for war

Published on 27/11/2011
By ted malanda

Morans-in-training are in trouble. Not too long ago, they ambushed a village trading centre, beat up everyone in sight and stabbed an elder who tried to intervene.

Weeks later, they paid a hormone-induced courtesy call on a girls’ secondary school that sent girls scampering into the bush. They were hunting for wives.

“We shall return,” they warned darkly when the principal, with the aid of a few elders, managed to disperse them.

Now everyone is frothing. One newspaper columnist went so far as to refer to them as ‘morons’— not morans. Maasai leaders, all women, now want moranism scrapped because it’s ‘backward’ and affects ‘education standards’.

But we are getting it all wrong. We cannot expect morans to be defenders of the Maasai community and culture.

Morans cannot wake up today and go fighting the Meru or the Kamba for practice. They will be shot dead by GSU personnel. Equally, that old tale of moving from one place to another with livestock is suicidal because when your wives are out grazing the goats on ‘communal land’ in Syokimau, bulldozers come and flatten your manyatta because it’s on the airport flight path.

The reason you are grazing your goats in Nairobi is because the very same Nairobians have taken over your ancient grazing lands and converted them into real estate in Ongata Rongai, flower farms in Naivasha and wheat and barley plantations in Narok.

Spear a lion
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Initiation itself is not easy. Ideally, you need to spear a lion or two and kill many birds before senior elders give you the power to read. But any moran who tries spearing a lion will find himself answering tough questions from the Kenya Wildlife Service people.

Not that getting a wife is any easier. With everyone worrying about the girl child, all potential brides have been hustled away from the village to schools — far away from circumcisers — while the morans cool their heels in the bush. Every donor is channeling funds into these ‘special’ schools but nobody is developing special schools to teach morans how to elevate pastoralism to the dot.com age.

No war to fight

It doesn’t help that the Kenya Defence Forces and the police have hijacked the role of defending the community. So we have a situation where highly trained morans, hot blooded men skilled in the art of war, have no war to fight. Is it any surprise that they are inventing war by attacking women and village markets?

But then again, what those young morans are doing is no different from what university students do every now and then when they go on the rampage, looting, beating up people and robbing motorists.

So we all want to ‘save’ young Maasai girls and match with our potbellies to 2030 yet we expect morans to remain as they always have: Lean and handsome, standing arrogantly on picturesque plains with a spear in one hand — the perfect postcard picture for foreign tourists.

Come on!

The tittle should actually read something like this:
Unfair distribution of natural resources, The case of Wildlife Conservation in Laikipia County
Unfair distribution of natural resources in laikipia county is generating a negative attitude towards wildlife conservation especially following the Eland land saga. ……

The Maasai/Samburu and other pastoral communities DO NOT(EQUALLY) benefit from natural resources in their midst.
Anglo Maasai Treaties have violated our rights to lands and natural resources thus minimizing our chances of surviving any kind of change.
Keeping our normal lifestyle is no longer an alternative since we do not own any land neither do we have resources to buy any while our population is expected to rise. The lands were sequestered to British ex servicemen and mobility.
There was no compensation for, neither was there restitution after independence.
Those acts violated the Indigenous Maasai rights to natural resources like grazing spaces for their livestock.
We are requesting the president to recognize our plight particularly regarding the Eland case which is still in court. The President of Kenya should not allow the Maasai/Samburu land in Laikipia to be donated to, sold, or converted to a National park before the court case is settled.
The history of the said land does not begin from the forceful and brutal eviction of the people who occupied it.To better understand the case, we need to gather facts from the country’s 100 years history.

Although the people from Eland land ware kicked out without a proper compensation or re-allocation in place,the community managed to open a case in court asking for the land sale or donation from AWF to the KWS to be stopped til the case in court is settled.
The government of Kenya’s main purpose by constitution is to protect the Kenyan people against internal and external enemies at all times.
All the Maa/Samburu people who occupied the Eland land may not be able to write this open letter or join the ongoing social network discussions to seek a honorable re-dress. Therefore, as a community Para-legal Worker, I have taken the mandatory obligation to initiate a dialogue. Injustice committed against one of us is injustice against all of us.
The Maa people who were made squatters have been among the most significant actors in protecting the wildlife in their neighborhood. These people have not yet seen the financial benefit of wildlife conservancies because the solid foreign income the country generates from tourism is yet to trickle down to the main protectors of this national treasure we’ll inherited. Since independence, it has been the government and the private settler and other native entities who have continued to enjoy the conservation revenues.
Aside with the economical injustice against the Maa indigenous and protectors of the wildlife, the nominal effect of the eviction is that the now made squatters shall have to move themselves to some place.
And where will that “place” be?
My personal guess is as good as your, may be Mukogodo colonial reserve of 1934 will be the new home for the forcefully evicted Samburu people.
As I write this, the systematically marginalized Mukogodo reserve residents are asking the president to give (us) land. This community have a viable land case that should be addressed and especially within the context of our homegrown constitution.
We have a lot of faith for our new constitution that it will have a lasting political solution for this borne of contention.
Unequal allocation of land before and after the colonial era is the bases of all injustices in Kenya. Land is the basis for our survival as a people, an inextricably linkage to self determination.
We believe that it is the root cause of tragic occurrences as the 2007 Post election violence that left more than 1.500 people dead and more than 600.000 people displaced.
Poor management and crime against the people of Kenya with impunity has fostered a culture of the strong feeding on the poor and ignorant. The ignorance of the masses, the negligence of the elected leaders and the systematic suppression of our unitary government is reflected on the plight of many Kenyans and in particular, the even more marginalized indigenous Maa/Samburu ethnic groups.
The Maa people have not been successful in pursuing land legal cases ever since their territorial lands were robbed from them before and after the colonial era.

The Maa/Samburu people find themselves on the loosing side because of notoriously poor leadership and, yes, ignorance of the masses and the silence of the good men and women out there.
Land case is a good example for serving justice but justice is not served in our formal legal systems. You need to be aware of the formal law and wealthy enough to “buy” justice. If you don’t have enough money to “buy” yourself a good lawyer, you’ll most likely loose.
Suppose the Samburu people of Laikipia looses the court case? Where shall all the forcefully evicted people go?
Laikipia is completely patched with animal sanctuaries and parks. The only human accepted areas are townships and Mukogodo colonial reserve.
If you ask anybody, those Samburu who’re now squatters, kept cows therefore they’ll not re-allocate to townships. They’ll most likely end up in Mukogodo reserve.
However,the land on which Mukogodo people occupy is barren. It can not take more people neither can it take any wild or domestic animals. It is dead.
That land can only be used for modern hybrid farming. That is if the government, community or other wealthy entities introduce green houses irrigation schemes and maybe zero grazing as a change of lifestyle among the Laikipia Maasai.
Given a good and just hearing, we might turn a tragic systemic injustice into an orchestrated harmony of peace and tranquility.
But still, Mukogodo has limited chances of supporting our community. It has become over grazed by both goats,sheep, donkeys and cows. The Eland eviction might end up creating resource based violence between the The Maa/Samburu in Laikipia in the very near future. Worse though, the Samburu cows from Eland will not survive the dry weather in Mukogodo.
Maasai domestic animals who’ve adapted to the harsh conditions in arid and semi arid weather still die during long droughts and famines due to various reasons. There is no proper grazing management due to lack of land.
The Maasai in Mukogodo can not follow their old seasonal migratory roots because they’re enclosed in small patch of dead land between huge White settler ranches. Moreover, poor animal marketing leads to the death of many animals who would otherwise be sold before the onset of the dry season.
The non existence of a meet industry in the neighborhood does not help the Mukogodo situation either. The prices are controlled by buyers.
The desperate seller will eventually have to submit to the buyer’s terms.

The pastoralist feels they are smoothly robbed in which ever business they venture into.
What do you do with your cows if you have no one to sell them to?
We produce a lot of raw material but we can not depend on them for a living.
For us, it’s like giving away a heifer for a peace of moccasin shoe for a school child.
I know of many resilient families who’re traumatized by the death of their animals but they keep on repeating the same process. Personally, I know this is near to insanity because we can not continue repeating the same traumatizing process and expect to get different results. Mukogodo people must embrace change or they die off like the big animals who may have been to big to change. That is the height of my personal self criticism.
But how then can we move on when we have limited resources.?
One idea could be:
Masses of unused land must be acquired by the government and be relocated to the needy people.
Then there after: Programs to develop acquired land to be formulated and implemented for the common good.
People must be activated to be more productive. How can we do that in Mukogodo?
Our people are living on handouts and relief food. It is a shame to our government when Maasai culture is as valuable to the tourist department as any other resource. Given the acquired productive land, the Laikipia population shall be re-organized in schemes for irrigation and eco-tourism programs under the watchful eye of our unitary and regional governments.
Animal and human Rights::We belief in the notion that all human beings are created equal. We all have the right to quality living. Animals too, have the right to be protected by us and respected as very reliable allies in our existence. Therefore, the acquisition of land must be done under stewardship of the constitution placing significance on balance sharing of our common natural inheritance.
Regarding the Maasai culture and the need for diversity: Our culture is vital but it is dying out at an alarming rate. It is almost only practiced for tourist entertainment. Maasai people must be given equal opportunities to integrate their culture with that of the modern world. This is in line with the right to multiculturalism and bio-diversity in both Animal and human kingdom. We confirm this to be an essential pillar for our liberties ,respect and equal acknowledgement between human and animal kingdoms.We therefore affirm that we can not conserve one life at the expense of another. The locally available resources are enough for all of us, we managed properly.
Recommendation
The Anglo-maasai treaties that led to the lost of land and natural resources such as The white highlands violates our social-cultural, economic and political rights. The Constitution of Kenya must find a long lasting political solution for such land sharing injustices in laikipia county. It’s very significant that the government refrain itself from perpetrating such injustices by not allowing itself to be manipulated like in the case of Eland farm. The government should denounce the land sale or donation by AWF to KWS or any other related purchase until the court case is settled. The Government should, even after the court case is settled, supervise a long lasting political solution for the land crises in Laikipia and else where. This step is to prevent future occurrences of such tragic violence like the 2007 post election violence.
2. More significantly, the government must with immediate effect compensate, and settle the forcefully evicted Samburu population. Failure to this, will lead to resource based violence wherever the Samburu Eland population will seek refuge.

3. Community owned fair-trade eco-tourism.
The idea of moving people for the sake of animals is perilous to the main idea of conservancy. Conventional knowledge dictates that if the community is involved in wildlife conservation and they get to utilize the generated wealth, the result will be obvious. The moment the population see their lives changing to the better due to the wealth generated by proper management of their wildlife, the more they’ll want to be involved.
A positive attitude will be projected when the community feels that they have full control of ownership, access and utilization of the solid foreign currency generated from the conservancy.

4. So far, the Maasai feels entirely excluded in terms of access, control, ownership or utilization of any conservancy Revenue from tourism and other natural resources from Maasailand. The revenue must be re-invested to improving the lives of Maasai people and those other communities living within the region.

The region must benefit from resources within their jurisdiction. Tricky point: The government should consider to fully ratify and implement the international convention that observe the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. The UN draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Kenya should not reserve itself on the ILO convention 169(108) regarding the rights of indigenous peoples.
In case of impossibilities to return lost land to Maasai, then restitution and compensation should be mandatory.

5. Similarly, private companies that are operating in Laikipia County must create employment opportunities to locals instead of importing workers When 99.9 percent of the Laikipia youth are jobless.

The game park and privately own huge lands surrounding Mukogodo shall contribute to our well-being.

6. Dormant land must be allocated to landless combating appraisal schemes like community irrigation and green house farming programs.Land acquired through criminal means must be returned to the people of Kenya.Infrastructure development.

7. Roads and social services establishment. Pri-schools, polytechnic, colleges and heath facilities should be considered a priority for a prior maintenance of our people while the local government establishes itself in the new county head quarters.

8. Training, health and veterinary personnel in pastoral areas should also be prioritized . People should feel they run their own-community appraisal issues. The main issue is to attain a natural co-existence between the Human and The Wildlife Kingdoms with both parties gaining from the peaceful nature of the other.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

How can we eradicate the practice, when people ignore the mechanism and continue to uphold myths and misunderstandings?

Below is Ngais’ reaction following a question put across by

Simone Schwarz

“FGM is among the most systematic and most widely spread forms of mistreatment and violation of children’s rights in the world – with over 3 million victims every year in Africa alone. How can we erradicate the practice, when people ignore the mechanism and continue to uphold myths and misunderstandings?”

Thanks a lot for the support. Knowledge base anything has proven to be the most effective way of creating, upholding and inheriting to the next generations, any kind of positive change and development. Take for example me, My brother Paraga Paraga Memusi Ole Ngais, my daughter, his daughters when he gets them, will for sure not be cut. Why? Because we have, through awareness and boldness, widen the boundaries of our imaginations. We have, like many others in our situation, seen our sisters getting cut, not really because my father or mom are evil people, but because they did not have a better alternative. Now, the greatest woman on earth, the woman who knows the rights of woman and who taught my brothers and I, to always stand up for them, is coming to Stockholm soon. She attain the first opportunity before our father to visit us and widen her perspective on issues and share the new boundaries of our imaginations they so much fought with all what they had to buy to us. They sold all what they had to send us to school that is why we can now stand up and say to them, daddy mommy, you wanted us to be enlightened in the formal way, you dearly paid for it? oh well, here we are, the product of your sweat, the ENLIGHTENED LOT, ready to pull down any wall that separate any individual in our society from their inalienable(can not be given or taken away) rights and those provided unto them by their constitution. Most of our parents have agreed with us and they have given us the mandate by, for example, voting green in the last constitutional referendum in Kenya, to help the youth to pass a homegrown constitution which is modern fair and just to all, unlike the colonial one we were oppressed under. The key word here is ENLIGHTENMENT, EMPOWERMENT WITH ENLIGHTENMENT IS THE KEY TO ANY POSITIVE CHANGE AND DEVELOPMENT IN ANY CORNER OF THE WORLD, AS LONG AS HUMAN BEINGS ARE CONCERNED. Look what is happening now in the Arab world, Men, democracy is coming in with all force courtesy of the youth with Facebook as a powerful tool to reckon with. YES, IT IS POSSIBLE AND IT WILL BE DONE. Creation of awareness, the most lethal weapon against any enemy is our brains. I am not sure where the human soul resides, but am sure it resides in the same residence whether you’re black, white, brown, yellow, female, male,gay,lesbian, evil, good, passive,violent or name it or if you are Christian, Muslim, Jew, Buddhist or Atheist… The soul of human beings knows what is right and what is wrong!! Given proper environment, responsible social cultural, economical and political governance, all human beings can shed their less favorable traditions to embrace those new once which are functional and which helps them to survive. The Maasai for example, use to cut their girls, to be able to create a system netted together with blood and trust that even if the men migrated with their cows following weather patterns, their trustworthy women shall not invite in the the enemy or potential enemy/neighbor to sleep in their marital beds and corrupt the society. FGM, in my interpretation, was used as a political tool to govern and control society against any intruder even if it is painful to a few, say, women. They used the knife to make age groups, age sets and ensure community unity around the ceremony of the knife and a long lasting celebration of age grouping and setting. This is tragic to many but many who knows the societies from which fgm is practiced can deeply explain the deeper picture, structures and also be able to approach the problem. In Samburu for example, Women are not allowed to conceive if they are not cut, the reason you see such forced abortions like what was highlighted n the David McKenzie’s CNN story of “The Rape beads” and discussed at length on facebook, follow link here; 
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_148792435182413&view=permalink&id=167244913337165
So How can we eradicate fgm when societies don’t listen, educate their children!!! Sponsor their professionals to be agents of positive change and development, capture the moment by empowering the victims in a very respectful way, to tap in their potential to influence their own culture, Create awareness from day one until the end of such practices. Have some cultural exchange, invite 100 Samburu or Maasai, or Muslim women for exchange, build a vocational center or polytechnics, adult education facilities so that parents don’t have to long for dowry as a desperate alternative for income for their families.The writer was educated with dowry, a thing that has brought him a long lasting trauma. His daughters shall not be cut and his siblings have also understood that fgm is nothing for us. His indigenous knowledge has been combined with the formal western knowledge and a hybrid of awareness has been installed in the head of this local boy, who became a warrior, and who carries with him, both the childhood trauma and the sacred words of his mother, to always be on the side of the weakest, and always, uphold dignity at all cost. What other way is better? Lets dialogue ahead to our common goal, an FGM free EARTH.

To get perspective, I feel I need to have input from the following FGM active agents. Kindly provide your approach below so that we can learn from each other or even formulate a working paper together. Maybe someone begin to arrange an international ANTI FGM agents meeting? On SKYPE??? OR Physical meeting? Thanks a lot. 1.
https://www.facebook.com/MashuaAgainstFGM
. 2.
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=7878728044
. 3.
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_123894040958251
. 4. 
https://www.facebook.com/ENDFGMNOW?ref=ts&sk=wall
. 5. 
https://www.facebook.com/stopfgmnow?ref=ts&sk=wall
. 6. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/STOP-STOP-FGM-NOW/130520246988025?ref=ts&sk=wall
. 7.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mashua-Against-FGM-Australia/127460027268155
. 8. 
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Somali-Men-Against-FGM/201581039881000
. 9.
https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=316126483841
. 10. 
https://www.facebook.com/dosomething?ref=ts&sk=wall

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You are the architect of your owner destiny; you are the master of your own fate; you are behind the steering wheel of your life. There are no limitations to what you can do, have, or be. Accept the limitations you place on yourself by your own thinking. (Brian Tracy)

The making of an indigenous programmer

Ngais at playground

Ngais and kids at playground in Bagarmossen. Autumn is getting to its end and winter snow has already fallen. Paraga has experienced his first time in snowy weather-he thinks its a lifetime memory registered both in his brain image box and in his Nikon D60! He loves it and he wants to see even more snow. I am not sure how he’ll react to the darkness though. That is the only part I sincerely can’t get used to in this country.
Winter snow and Ice is OK as long as I dress well but I can’t protect myself from 6 moths of the darkness.
Anyway enjoy the pics.
Saidimu.

After a prolonged period of unnecessary confinement, one of the pillars for democracy in Asia has been released. Aung San Suu Kyi‘s  suppression by the Burmese Junta was aimed at denying Burma the right to a democratic and legitimate governance. I expect her release to be full and that she ‘ll be allowed to take-up her endeavor for a democratic Burma. I join hands with the rest of the world leaders in asking the Burmese Junta to release all other political prisoners with immediate effect.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

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African theme in Bagarmossen

From Theme Africa in Bagarmossen 2010

From Theme Africa in Bagarmossen 2010

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

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Sankale: Traffic, pot-holes, elections and Kenya island in Sweden.

In the video: Sankale tells about his personal experience during his September 11 visit to Sweden where he met and entertained Diaspora Kenyans for free.
Sankale and his co-worker Makoha gave account of of all the culture shock and other direct experiences they were faced with directly from Arlanda Airport. Take and listen to him cracking diaspora Kenyans ribs at the Kenyan house in Nacka Forum Stockholm.

From 2010 dk constitutional promulgation

Olexander Sankale rib cracking in Stockholm: Traffic, pot-holes, Swedish election and Kenya island in Nacka.
Olexander aka Peter Sankale entertains Kenyans at the Kenyan house in Nacka Forum in Sweden during the Diaspora Kenyans Promulgation ceremony hosted by the Embassy on September 11th 2010.
Video by Ole Ngais.

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Diaspora Kenyans in Scandinavia: Your photos for download.

Friends, Find photo’s from the Constitutional promulgation ceremony in Stockholm hosted by the Kenyan embassy in Stockholm septermber 11th 2010 in Stockholm.

More pictures will be uploaded gradually. Get in touch If you want to have a full CD of the entire ceremony presented on  a pictorial slide.

Find your pics and download them for your personal consumption. Please give credit to the Ngais brothers, Photoman.se or simply indicate photo by Ngais and in that way you and us will be happy for many years to come.

Thank you for giving us the opportunities to show you how photogenic you all are!
The Ngais brothers,
Photoman.se

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This announcement  is in Swedish only targeted for Swedish speakers only. An English translation will be available in due time. We ask for your understanding.

Bli medlem i Stödföreningen  Anna Lindhförskolan i Kenya!

Sedan fyra år tillbaka får föräldralösa och fattiga barn gå i Anna Lindhförskolan i Kampi ya Moto i Kenya.  I förskolan, som drivs under mycket enkla förhållanden, går ett 80-tal barn och fler står i kö för att få plats. Förskolan behöver byggas ut och det finns stort behov av ekonomiska resurser till lärare och studiematerial. Många av barnen har föräldrar som avlidit i Aids och de bor hos släktingar – ofta morföräldrar – som gör stora insatser för sina barnbarn, men som själva har det ekonomiskt svårt. Drömmen är att hjälpa barnen till en bättre framtid genom utbildning.

Anna Lindhförskolan har startats av och drivs av Beatrice Kamau Lundgren som kom till Sverige som flykting och som nu bor på Skarpnäcksfältet i Stockholm. Beatrice är bland annat ledamot i kyrkorådet i Skarpnäcks församling. Skolan har fått sitt namn efter godkännande av Anna Lindhs make Bo Holmberg.

För att stödja Anna Lindhförskolan har några intresserade personer startat ”Stödföreningen Anna Lindhförskolan i Kenya”. Stödföreningen är ickepolitisk och religiöst obunden.  Föreningen leds av en styrelse, som väljs vid medlemsmöte, och föreningens ekonomi granskas av vald revisor. Alla insatser i stödföreningen sker på ideell grund. Inga arvoden utbetalas.

Du kan stödja Anna Lindhförskolan i Kenya genom medlemskap i stödföreningen och/eller genom ekonomiska bidrag via plusgiro 550920-3 eller bankgiro 621-6980. Skriv namn, adress och gärna e:postadress. Medlemsavgiften är 100 kronor per år.

Pengarna sänds av stödföreningen direkt till skolans föreståndare Fredrick Waweru Njhia. Just nu är läget akut, lån har tagits för att klara lärarlöner och mat till barnen!

Information om förskolan och Stödföreningen Anna Lindhförskolan i Kenya ges av Beatrice Lundgren tel  08-6044185 pastor_bea@hotmail.com,  Anne-Marie Wohlin, ordförande, tel 08-659 5190 annemarie.wohlin@telia.com och  Lars Asker, sekr/kassör, tel 08 384855 lars.asker@telia.com

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Anna Lindh Nursery School Kampi ya Moto, Kenya höstmöte torsdag den 14 oktober Kl 19 -21 samlingssalen Bagarmossens kyrka, Laga plan 6 i Bagarmossen* Program

• Information om förskolan Anna Lindh Nursery School och stödföreningen
• Massajer – föredrag om folket i södra Kenya
• Kenyansk förtäring och te/vtn /kaffe
• Lotteri, smyckesförsäljning

Med tanke på förtäringen vill vi gärna ha anmälan till Lars Asker tel 08384855 alt 0705852310 alt lars.asker@telia.com Kostnad 50:- för allt. Ev överskott går till förskolan. Välkommen! *T:bana nr 17 till Bagarmossen, förbi korvkiosken och snedda över torget, tar ett par minuter Stödföreningen Anna Lindhförskolan Kampi ya Moto, Kenya c/o  AnneMarie Wohlin Dalgårdsvägen 28 121 33 Enskededalen tel 070 5761044 Org.nr 802450-9229  Plusgiro 550920-3  Bankgiro 621-6980   20100507.

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Höstmöte Anna-Lindh Nursery School Kampi ya moto.

Anna Lindh Nursery School Kampi ya Moto, Kenya

höstmöte

torsdag den 14 oktober

Kl 19 -21 samlingssalen Bagarmossens kyrka, Laga plan 6 i Bagarmossen*

Program

• Information om förskolan Anna Lindh Nursery School och stödföreningen
• Massajer – föredrag om folket i södra Kenya
• Kenyansk förtäring och te/vtn /kaffe
• Lotteri, smyckesförsäljning

Med tanke på förtäringen vill vi gärna ha anmälan till Lars Asker tel 08384855 alt 0705852310 alt lars.asker@telia.com Kostnad 50:- för allt. Ev överskott går till förskolan.

Välkommen!

*T:bana nr 17 till Bagarmossen, förbi korvkiosken och snedda över torget, tar ett par minuter

Stödföreningen Anna Lindhförskolan Kampi ya Moto, Kenya

c/o  AnneMarie Wohlin Dalgårdsvägen 28 121 33 Enskededalen tel 070 5761044

Org.nr 802450-9229  Plusgiro 550920-3  Bankgiro 621-6980   20100507.

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Kenyan in Sweden looses both father and little brother.

Our sister Lillian Peyianoi from Narok Kenya who resides in Stockholm  lost her father and younger brother in Kenyan. The family is deeply troubled by the lose of two family members who departed one after the other.

The Kenyan family informed Lillian by phone that her beloved father died instantly following a very short illness.

The old man was  driven from his home in Narok to Nairobi  for  routine medical checkup .  At the arrival the driver (his son) reported that the father  suddenly started sweating furiously in the car.
With his mobile phone, the son called for first aid help from a Nairobi clinical expert who advised him to give him something to drink and drive him immediately to the Nairobi casualty.
The father sat in the car and simply slept in. He was later admitted to the ICU where he was confirmed dead the following day.
On another incident, Peyianoi little brother was found dead following what is reported as a road accident.
Reports from villagers  indicates though that the situation from which Peyianoi’s brother died leaves more questions than answers. Forensic experts are still working with the case.

Friends and family are mourning with our sister and her family during this very difficult times.

Saidimu Ole Ngais and his family would like to send heartfelt condolences to the entire deceased family.

We share your sorrows. We may never understand the emptiness you are facing today, but be assured that we know and feel the pain of loosing a loved one.

May the two members of our community find peace in eternity.
May you find strength to go on.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

Inga Rasister i vår Riksta

Upcoming demonstration against far-right in Stockholm. Come and demonstrate with us on October 4th 2010 by the Swedish parliament. The demonstration train starts at 18 hours from Sergeltorps and goes all the way to the parliament. Let us isolate Jimmy and his Racist party. Let them change mind and come back to sanity. Let them realize that all human beings are created equal.
Come and be part of this history together with all people of sound moral and political opinion against Far-Right-Anti Immigrant Swedish democrats

Stop racism. People’s parliament against SD
Swedish Muslim against racism.

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People’s parliament against SD part 6

Slide show: Pictures from people's parliament against Swedish democrats.

Slide show: Pictures from people’s parliament against Swedish democrats.

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

People\’s parliament against Extreme Right SD party part 4

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People’s parliament against Extreme Right SD party part 1

http://widgets.vodpod.com/w/video_embed/Video.4481799

Sweden: People’s parliament against far right a…, posted with vodpod

People’s parliament against Extreme Right SD party part 3

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Sweden: People's parliament against far right anti-immigrant party

Stockholm is on sale! There will be very high chances that the Alliance will be selling off more of the national property as they have done for the last 4 years while in power. This human friendly universal system build upon principles of equality and solidarity where man and woman produces according to their ability and receives according to their need is now being dismantled by the capitalist oriented Alliance.

With this knowledge at hand, you may join the wave and enrich yourself. It’s now time if you have money to invest on property. Stockholm is a very well organized city with very attractive and durable property including Swedish Churches and church houses, City hall maybe on sale soon, roads and water system, central heating system.
The conservancies and parks, or the tunnel system in the city. You can also buy the King’s castles or the city halls if you can afford.

Postal system is long gone, public housing is continuously on sale, schools are on continuous auction while children in public schools increase in number, proportionality of teachers in public schools  decrease and private schools multiply.

Children from middle class families may start to migrate to private schools when they become more attractive than the public schools. Schools will be choosing children instead of children choosing schools.

You can buy the voting system and manage it privately. Let us now do like what they do in America, the rich shall be richer and the poor shall for sure be poorer. With the Alliance in power(although in minority government) The class ridge is increasing.

The sick, the jobless, children from non wealthy categories, old people, public schools and many more shall have to pay from their pockets to buy queue numbers and jump those who don’t have money. Tax payers money shall go to financing rich-men and women house keepers while public health care and public chemists are sold to other States or rich men.

Free tax zones shall be introduced where immigrants may go and spend their little coins and avoid the major cities where the havs shall find their luxuries. This is a modern Sweden.
Where is the world ending to?

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

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Photo by Ole Ngais

A very dangerous wave is sweeping through Europe. It’s like Europe is revisiting the 1930′s politics. Now Sweden has its own racist party. SD (Swedish democrats. They got access to parliament for the first time according to the yesterday’s general election results. They (SD-) won 20 seats in parliament out of 349 seats.

My party Social democratic party together with Left and Green parties won 154 seats while the incumbent alliance of Centre-Right party won 172 seats way short of their own majority in parliament.

Now the Far right party will be a balancing force in parliament. Sverigedemomcrats

The problem is who is going to cross borders and cooperate with the far right anti-immigrant party. So far they  the Red-Green block closes all doors? The Moderates are saying no too but how is it going to work practically?

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Mobile cam: Photo by Ole Ngais

Four more years with the Moderates will be a disaster for our Universal social welfare.  Now is your turn to turn things around and stop the Moderates and their Alliance from selling of the country to other countries. Imagine they say that the State should not own but they can sell State’s property to China, to America, to Netherlands and other nations. Tomorrow is the day and your voice is your most powerful weapon-Use it properly.

The most important issue is to go and vote tomorrow. You voice will determine who will govern you and me for the next coming 4 years. Do you want to have a non friendly racist party coming in to OUR parliament, or do you want to retain a party that does not consider SOLIDARITY as necessary any more?

Moderates don’t care about the needy, they care about the rich and powerful. They consider SOLIDARITY as beneficial for the poor and weak or for those who, due to lack of money, cannot buy their needs.

Social democrats loves the word SOLIDARITY! They build this nation together with immigrants with the help of among other this word called SOLIDARITY.

They have practically worked to fulfill the demands of this powerful terminology. Social democrats knows that we need to be more solidarity now than we have ever been.

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

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You need your photos? Check with Ole Ngais

Photo by Ole Ngais

http://picasaweb.google.com/s/c/bin/slideshow.swf

I have very nice photos of you. Photoman.se is in the business of Multimedia production. If you deposit 200 kr to My Paypal account: olengais@gmail.com I will send 10 pictures to you.

Next time we have a function I make sure I focus my Nikon D500 on your direction and ensure I record memories of you in the society for future generations.

Support Ole Ngais photoman.se to support you in this endeavour.

Alternatively, deposit 200kr to My Nordea account Number which will be sent to you at request:

Our prices are competitive. You can ask for SINGLE-IN-2010 discount  if you have a single income (less than 25.000 kr.)

Single mothers will always enjoy our discounts.

You’ll pay 1.000 kr less for every service.G

For photography, we use a D 5000 Nikon with a 18-200 lens.  We can capture exactly every moment.

The picture above was taken with a Nikon D60. We know how to play with light.

Video & Still Photography
Packages.

Video with editing.

SKR 3.000
1. Graduation ceremony

Still photo without editing.

SKR 2.500

1. Birthday  ceremony.

SKR. 1.500.

Children photography including before and after ceremony: 5 hours at SKR. 1.500

We work according to your demands. We will be very happy to follow your instructions to ensure you attain maximum satisfaction with our photo and video services. We want you to get the value of your investment.

Do not hesitate to make a price quotation request photome@photoman.se or call +467 374 20566.

Note that many of our prices are approximate. Sometimes negotiation is applicable.

All digital pictures delivered on CD / DVD or memory card. You will make your own copies as you wish.

Photoman.se must be contacted first before any photo is used in any other way other than personal use. Photoman.se or Photo by Ole Ngais including website link must used in conjunction with the use of our photos in any other way apart from what was intended before.

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Rödgrön regeringsplattform

NU vinner VI!

Photo by Ole Ngais

Photo by Ole Ngais

• Socialdemokraterna
• Valet 2010
• Rödgrön regeringsplattform

Den rödgröna regeringsplattformen är presenterad. Vi tar ansvar för framtiden. Sverige ska tillbaka till överskott i de offentliga finanserna. För en ny rödgrön regering står jämlikheten i fokus.

Priset för regeringens skattesänkarpolitik är en farligt hög ungdomsarbetslöshet och cirka 25 000 försvunna jobb i skola, vård och omsorg. Nu vill de borgerliga fortsätta på den inslagna vägen i fyra år till. Det skulle leda till att Sverige slits isär och på så sätt äventyras de långsiktiga förutsättningarna för jobb och tillväxt.

Sverige behöver en ny färdriktning. Vi väljer nya jobb istället för klyftor. Vi väljer bättre skola, vård och omsorg istället för skattesänkningar för dem som tjänar mest. Vi väljer aktivt klimatarbete istället för passivitet. Vilket Sverige väljer du?

Nya jobb och stark ekonomi eller skattesänkningar till varje pris?

I en ny rödgrön regering vill vi:

• Ta Sverige tillbaka till överskott i de offentliga finanserna
• Skapa 100 000 nya jobb, praktik- och utbildningsplatser
• Slopa arbetsgivaravgiften för arbetsgivare som anställer unga utan jobb
• Förbättra villkoren för småföretag genom sänkta socialavgifter, sänkt moms i restaurangbranschen och ökad tillgång till riskkapital
• Skapa en effektiv a-kassa som alla har råd att vara med i och som ger en rimlig inkomsttrygghet. Stärka rätten till trygga jobb och fasta anställningar.

Välfärd i världsklass eller skattesänkningar till varje pris?

I en ny rödgrön regering vill vi:

• Investera minst 12 miljarder mer i skola, vård och omsorg
• Sänka maxtaxan i förskolan med 360 kronor för första barnet och 240 kronor för andra – det vill säga 600 kronor för en tvåbarnsfamilj
• Anställa 6 000 fler lärare i grundskolan
• Genomföra ett kompetenslyft i förskolan och sätta upp ett nytt mål om max fem barn per anställd i förskolan
• Avskaffa pensionärsskatten. Pension är uppskjuten lön. All inkomst av tjänst ska beskattas lika
• Vård efter behov, inga gräddfiler. Fler hemläkarbilar, närakuter och kvällsöppna vårdcentraler. Fri tandvård för personer upp till 25 år
• Stupstocken i sjukförsäkringen ska avskaffas. Utförsäkrade som behöver det ska återförsäkras. Ersättningen för sjukskrivna ska förbättras. Ingen blir frisk av att bli fattig.

Klimatsmart Sverige eller skattesänkningar till varje pris?

I en ny rödgrön regering vill vi:

• Investera 100 miljarder i infrastruktur, kollektivtrafik och höghastighetståg
• Behålla ROT-avdraget hela mandatperioden och utvidga det med en klimatbonus
• Införa ett klimatavdrag så att fastighetsavgiften tas bort i tre år för de hushåll som investerar i sin bostad och sänker energiförbrukningen med 30 procent
• Nytt Klimatinvesteringsprogram – för att stimulera lokalt klimatarbete
• Stöd till dem som vill göra om sin bensinbil till en miljöbil

Kortversion – Rödgrön regeringsplattform

Läs hela den rödgröna regeringsplattformen

Sidan uppdaterades senast: 2010-09-04 15:46

Det hänger på dig och mig!

Nu är alla debatter tagna, alla knappar tryckta och de flesta opinionsundersökningar gjorda.

Men det återstår fortfarande 32 timmars kampanjande. 32 timmar glädjefullt slit i trappuppgångar och på torg, i radhusområden och där människor möts.
Själv är jag idag i Stockholm och i morgon i Norrköping ochLinköping.

Slaget är inte avgjort, avståndet till motståndarna minskar i alla undersökningar. “Hade vi bara tagit med det senaste dygnets intervjuer, från torsdag eftermiddag till fredag eftermiddag, så hade det varit princip jämnt mellan blocken.” Det säger United Minds opinionschef i Aftonbladet idag.

Vi kan alltså vinna om vi alla gör vårt yttersta!

I vågskålen ligger vilket Sverige vi vill ha. Fler lärare, lägre ungdomsarbetslöshet och en anständig sjukförsäkring eller stora skattesänkningar, mest åt de som redan har.

Påminn vänner och bekanta, släkt och alla du möter att rösta. Varje soffliggarröst är en röst för ökade klyftor och den sittande regeringen.

Nu tar vi dom!

Ibrahim Baylan

PS. Glöm inte att påminna om att den som ångrat sin förtidsröst kan rösta i sin vallokal som vanligt och att det är den rösten som räknas. D

Summer 2010- Natolu Esha tour-guides Paraga in town.

From Araga in town!

Kenya: Census results and the tribe factor

Image via Wikipedia

I would like to thank my brother from Canada brother Joel Ole Purkei for such a nice conversation we had on phone hours ago. It was really motivating and you make me belief more now than ever, that we the systematically marginalised pastoral population of Kenya shall soon rise to claim our God given rights from bad governance. Olepurkei is a political science graduate currently studying Aviation in Canada. The brother found this blog and went on to search for my phone. It was really  a warm conversation. Thank you.

Well, below is  foot-prints of you (Purkei) on internet.

Like you, I  feel that there is a political motive behind this move by the bureau. Read what Purkei wrote on Standard newspaper on 02/09/2010;

As a Kenyan working and living in Canada, the census figures on the number of Maasai left me shocked.

I cannot believe Oparanya could read out such low numbers that are obviously untrue. The average Maasai woman gives birth to at least six children. Their population has been steadily rising although this increase is not captured in the census results.

It appears we have been taken for a ride for political reasons yet unknown. The Maasai leaders and the community must stand up and reject these ridiculous figures that raise more questions than answers.

Anybody who has visited Maasailand can attest to the fact that community numbers have exploded in the last few decades. One only needs to go to places like Kiserian, Narok, Kajiado and Transmara to get the true picture.

Credible estimates from respectable sources here put the community numbers at between 1.5 to 2.1 million and rising. There are correct ways of carrying out a broad-based national census that must be adopted.

Joel Ole Purkei.

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The only Kenya vying for the councillor seat in a Swedish community. Mwaura Njuguna is Social democratic Diaspora Kenya who is a devoted politician and a charismatic family man. Mwaura, also known as Daniel  is now in the line-up to be voted for in the forthcoming general election in Sweden. Please go and vote for the Re-Green parties and above all, for Mwaura in Botkyrka. It is significant to know that if you don’t go and vote, the Swedish demokraterna (Extreme right) party may get access to the parliament and you all know what they stand for. Don’t give the racist a chance by not voting.

I always say, this country is mine too and I love it as much as I love my mother Kenya. Take care of it against the racist who wants to destroy it. They should know that Sweden is a country of immigrants. Things would fall apart if it were not for the heroic contribution by immigrants who takes all the jobs the natives it’s not clean for them. Many immigrants also sells the image of this country out there in the world at very high levels for example Zlatan Ibrahimovich, the King Carl the 16th Gustav, Her highness the Queen of Sweden and all her royal family.

Immigrants are the motor in the engine of this nation. They deserve a better representation. Jimmy Åkersso..what-his-name-may-be and his SD party politics are really tiring to think about.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

Mwaura Njuguna

Originally uploaded by Diasporakenyan

Mwaura Njuguna

During Kenya’s Constitution promulgation ceremony for Diaspora Kenyans. Photo by Ngais brothers.

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Diaspora Iranian civil society activists

Moses Troubadour. One man guitar entertaining guests at the support party for Annah-Lind Kampi ya moto nursary school in Kenya.

A Nursary school constructed and supported by the spirit of solidarity with the most needy ones. Beatrice Lundgren runs the children nursery school together with Lars Asker and other active as well as paid up members. Kindly get in touch with Beatrice or Lars through through this blog and you will be immediatelly connected with them.
Listen to the clip below to learn more about the Annah-Lindh Kampi ya moto Nursery school.

Ta tillbaks Skarpnäck torget.MPG
Community members protesting against the waythe township streets have been planned. They simply want to have the cars out of their street so that their children can cross the roads to and from the railways station without danger of car accidents including polution.

Jag har titlerat artikeln nedan annars är den stulen från min partiets hemsidan. Följ länken hem till oss socialdemokraterna.

Socialdemokraterna tar ansvaret nu!

2010

Så röstar du

Förtidsrösta från och med den 1 september

Du måste ha med dig ditt röstkort och en id-handling när du förtidsröstar. Alla som har rösträtt får ett röstkort med posten senast den 31 augusti. Om du inte fått något röstkort eller tappat det kan du beställa ett nytt från Valmyndigheten.

Här hittar du var du kan förtidsrösta>>

Har du en iPhone? Då kan du ladda ner vår app “Rösta 2010″ i appstore och där hitta lokal för förtidsröstning.

Om du röstar utanför din hemkommun och vill personrösta måste du ta med dig valsedlar så att du kan rösta på partiets kandidater för din hemort.

Varför ska jag rösta på Socialdemokraterna?

Valet den 19 september blir ett avgörande vägval. Ska vi ha fyra år till med skattesänkningar för de mest välbeställda eller ska vi ha ett Sverige där vi använder resurserna till att investerar i bättre förskola, fler lärare i skolan och i sjukvården?

Läs mer om våra förslag för fler jobb, bättre skola och sjukvård>>
Mer information om röstning
Rösta i vallokal på valdagen den 19 september

Du kan bara rösta i den vallokal som står på ditt röstkort. Där står också adressen till vallokalen och vilka tider den har öppet.

Vem får rösta?

För att ha rösträtt till riksdagen måste du vara svensk medborgare, ha fyllt 18 år senast på valdagen och någon gång ha varit folkbokförd i Sverige.

1. 1För att ha rösträtt till kommun- och landstingsfullmäktige måste du vara folkbokförd i kommunen/länet och ha fyllt 18 år senast på valdagen. Om du är medborgare i annat land än Sverige, Europeiska Unionens medlemsländer, Norge eller Island måste du ha varit folkbokförd i Sverige tre år i följd före valdagen.
2. 2De uppgifter som finns om dig i folkbokföringen 30 dagar före valdagen bestämmer om och var du får rösta.

Kontaktuppgifter till valmyndigheten

Valmyndigheten Tel: 020-825 825 (från utlandet: +46 8 635 69 00)

1. 1Hemsida: www.val.se
2. 2E-post: valet@val.se
3. 3Kommunen: Kontaktuppgifter står på röstkortet
4. 4Länsstyrelsen: Kontaktuppgifter står på röstkortet

Socialdemokraterna kan inte vänta längre!

2010-09-03

Mer information om röstning
Rösta i vallokal på valdagen den 19 september

Du kan bara rösta i den vallokal som står på ditt röstkort. Där står också adressen till vallokalen och vilka tider den har öppet.

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• Your photoman (diasporakenyan.se)

Visit  Samburu East Development Facebook Forum

Tom Lolosoli August 27 at 8:36am.

Samburu East Development Forum would like to wish all its members, Kenyans and stakeholders a happy new constitution promulgation day.

We took the initiative together of spearheading the YES campaigns in web based Medias among an array of other ways. It is our big pleasure to be reminded of the land slide win of the August 4, 2010 referendum and now the promulgation of the new constitution today on Friday, 27thofAugust2010. This will mark exactly two years to general elections to be held on 27thofAugust2012 and not Decembers as it had been.

Many dignitaries have already arrived in Uhuru park including the savior of this nation from post election violence former UN chief Dr. Koffi Annan alongside the panel of Africa eminent personalities like former Tanzania President Benjamin Mkapa and Graca Machel. Several African leaders are in attendance and it is just a matter of minutes before the ceremony begins.

Stay tuned and keep checking www.nation.co.ke and www.eastandard.net and many other real-time medias like TVs that is covering the ongoing at Uhuru park live.

Celebrations

Tom Lolosoli
Secretary SEDF

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Opportunity for the U.S. to Show Commitment to Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples

Image by wwarby via Flickr

I commend you for your decision to review the U.S. position on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and strongly urge you to endorse the UNDRIP.

Sign your Amnesty International petition here

Such a change would send a strong message to Americans and the international community that the United States seeks to lead by example, by recognizing and upholding the human rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide, including here at home.

In the United States almost 24% of Indigenous peoples live in poverty. Native American and Alaska Native women, in particular, face egregious violations of their rights – Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the U.S. in general.

One in three Native women will be raped or sexually assaulted in her lifetime and according to Department of Justice statistics, at least 86 percent of perpetrators are non-Native men.

As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United States is required to “uphold the highest standards” regarding human rights.

I welcome your administration’s decision to rejoin the Human Rights Council, and in so doing, your commitment not only to shaping, but also to championing human rights standards. Endorsing the UNDRIP is a concrete action that would signal that the U.S. intends to lead by example and live by the human rights standards set by the international community.

Your recent signing of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 was a commendable step to help fulfill these commitments.  The Act will help decrease rates of sexual violence in Indian Country and I am deeply grateful for the attention that you have given to this important issue.

I also applaud your recent effort to ensure that federal agencies consult with Indigenous communities and urge you to continue ensuring that tribes are fully engaged at all levels in determining federal policy issues which have implications for tribes. I urge you to expand on these important domestic efforts by embracing the international standards set forth in the UNDRIP “for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world.”

Mr. President, thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to addressing the historic and long-overdue issues that Indigenous communities face in the U.S.

I urge you to put the weight of your Presidency behind these efforts and embrace the UNDRIP without qualifications as a step toward respecting the human rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide, including here in the United States.

Thank you for your time and consideration of this request and I look forward to seeing the U.S. endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Thank you,

I commend you for your decision to review the U.S. position on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and strongly urge you to endorse the UNDRIP.  Such a change would send a strong message to Americans and the international community that the United States seeks to lead by example, by recognizing and upholding the human rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide, including here at home.  In the United States almost 24% of Indigenous peoples live in poverty.

Native American and Alaska Native women, in particular, face egregious violations of their rights – Native women are more than 2.5 times more likely to be raped or sexually assaulted than other women in the U.S. in general. One in three Native women will be raped or sexually assaulted in her lifetime and according to Department of Justice statistics, at least 86 percent of perpetrators are non-Native men.

As a member of the United Nations Human Rights Council, the United States is required to “uphold the highest standards” regarding human rights. I welcome your administration’s decision to rejoin the Human Rights Council, and in so doing, your commitment not only to shaping, but also to championing human rights standards. Endorsing the UNDRIP is a concrete action that would signal that the U.S. intends to lead by example and live by the human rights standards set by the international community.
Your recent signing of the Tribal Law and Order Act of 2010 was a commendable step to help fulfill these commitments.  The Act will help decrease rates of sexual violence in Indian Country and I am deeply grateful for the attention that you have given to this important issue.  I also applaud your recent effort to ensure that federal agencies consult with Indigenous communities and urge you to continue ensuring that tribes are fully engaged at all levels in determining federal policy issues which have implications for tribes. I urge you to expand on these important domestic efforts by embracing the international standards set forth in the UNDRIP “for the survival, dignity, and well-being of the Indigenous peoples of the world.”
Mr. President, thank you for your continued leadership and commitment to addressing the historic and long-overdue issues that Indigenous communities face in the U.S. I urge you to put the weight of your Presidency behind these efforts and embrace the UNDRIP without qualifications as a step toward respecting the human rights of Indigenous Peoples worldwide, including here in the United States.
Thank you for your time and consideration of this request and I look forward to seeing the U.S. endorsement of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Thank you,

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

Saidimu signed the petition above through the Amnesty international.

Sign your Amnesty International petition here

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Rebtel On The iPhone

Rebtel makes international calls to friends and family much cheaper. You can call fixed and mobile phones all over the world with great voice quality. You pay only for the time you talk – no contract, no hidden fees.

Saidimu Ole Ngais Diaspora Kenyans can now call home for free.
Make free international calls with Rebtel from your regular phone. No need for headsets or downloads. Check out Rebtel!
http://www.rebtel.com/u/01005422424

Pick a contact from your address book and Rebtel gives you a local number to call for a fraction of your international rate. The local number is saved to your address book so that you can use it anytime, anywhere. No need for WiFi coverage or internet access.

Rebtel for the iPhone is free to download and easy to use. Reduce the cost of your international calls by up to 90%.

• Cheap international calling!
• Manage all your Rebtel numbers
• See available call time for all your buddies
• Check Rebtel rates to other countries
• Check your call and credit history
• Add credit directly from your iPhone

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Ngais political colours according to svt online test.

Image via Wikipedia

So this is me politically!

V (Left party) 73%

S (Social democratic party) 69%

MP (Green party) 74%.

See the grafics here

Visit http://svt.se/valpejl

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Ditt resultat

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• V 73%
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• MP 74%

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Du måste välja kommun nedan för att kunna se dina valbara riksdagskandidater.

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After attending the meeting in Märsta with Dr. Athu Owiti hosted by ODM Scandinavian branch, I had to hurry back and put up my Social democratic  party‘s postas at our Bagarmossen village at midnight..
My colleagues and I from the local Social democratic branch in Bagarmossen did a good job in taking the best positions to display our parties postas.

This morning out of curiosity, I took a round in the area to enjoy the good job we did and take some photos.

To my disappointment someone probably rogue kids in the village  gone around taking down almost all  postas including those of other parties . We had to regroup and hang the campaign postas up again.

We had to do the job again.

The struggle for voters is getting hotter and hotter by the day here in Sweden with the elections coming soon in September.  The last Sifo opinion figures shows Social democrats really doing good together with the Greens, and the Left party.

The majority of us are convinced that we’ll be back soon.  What is awaiting us is a big list of a mess created by the Capitalist oriented alliance of  Moderates, Folk party, Christian democrats and the Centre party.

Everyone who loves justice, equality and equal respect and recognition is involved in the struggle to take back powers from the alliance and the likes of  Nyamko Sabuni who things that a segregated and unequal  Sweden is what we should have. Where mothers with immigrant background should be treated with less respect, universal child support be taken away from them, a strategy to increase their opportunities to employment, as Nyamko Sabuni, the Alliance minister for integration and equality puts it.

The Red-Green  cooperation will soon bring sanity to the Swedish politics and rectify the major destruction cause by the Reinfelt regime on the countries welfare. The social democratic politics is not just good for Sweden and Swedes, but also for international relations.

Below is a photo of one of our social democratic party’s posta.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

From Nalotu forest walk

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Struggle to maintain father tongue

maintaining father tongue where mother tongue is dominant language.

>

Image of Tom Lolosoli

Story by Tom Lolosoli.

Electricity connection in Archer’s Post and Wamba has now gone live at long last. A few people have been connected in Archer’s and Wamba hospital will be the first point to be connected in Wamba. Those who were quick to apply and paying the initial connection fees were attended to, early.

The requirement of the lighting company is that you should only apply if you got a request letter of connection from them. That means you are near link points and passed their feasibility study test of getting a connection. You are also required to be certified by their wiring agents who are supposed to inspect and/or install wiring at your premises at your own cost. For those leaving far from link points are considered over distance case and they wouldn’t be attended to at this stage.

Thereafter, you merge all those paper work and application fees of Kshs 17,000 and forward them to Isiolo Kenya Power and Lighting offices. Thereafter the power men will land in your premises/house to do the installations. I realized many locals do not have Kenya Revenue Authority’s (KRA’s) Personal Identification Number (PIN) which is a must have requirement when applying. Getting a PIN is free of charge and all you need to do is get a copy and original ID and persevere the long queue in Times Tower in Nairobi’s KRA offices. But I heard that a KRA office in Meru is offering the same too and with no doubt doing it over there is far much easier and less costly than in Nairobi.

Thanks

Tom Lolosoli

Secretary SEDF

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Archer’s Post 5th of Aug2010

Story by Tom Lolosoli.

A British army amour car hit-and-run an 8year old girl near Archer’s Post livestock market selling yard on Nakwamor road. The car is said to have lost way when locating the camp in Laresoro training area on its way from Nanyuki base, and took Nakwamor’s road to deserted old base.

On its way back to join the main road to Laresoro, the vehicle is said to have cruised at a high speed as though racing against a set time. Just a few yards to Archer’s livestock selling market, there were a group of children crossing the road carrying water in jerricans from Waso Nyiro River.

The driver was ignorant enough not to have applied safety measures in avoiding the risk of hitting the young children. He rammed on one of them with a heavy 20 liters jerican on her back who was the youngest and the slowest to jump off the road quickly, and sped away.

When the news reached villagers at home, people flocked the scene and the victim’s body was rushed to hospital by Samburu game reserve’s Land Cruiser. But the girl was already dead and the body was later taken to Isiolo district hospital mortuary pending postmortem.

Several community leaders like Gabriel Lenkishili took charge to rush to British Army training base to identify the offenders. They ordered for gate-log to inquire for the latest British Army Land rover vehicle that just checked-in. The army men were identified prompting British Army Commanding Officer (CO) to report to police and filing a statement.

The following day a British army Major in charge of transport reported to police as well and promised that compensation would be made. But sources said they are intending to use the former bomb victims’ case compensation method to pay off the deceased’s family. The 2000-2002 bomb case that was spearheaded by famous British lawyer Martin Day, made an out of court settlement deal with Royal Department of Defense and death cases were quoted at Kshs 850,000 ($10897.44) each. The community people suggested a postmortem to be done on the body of the victim and extent of damage recorded. Thereafter a case should be presented to court to determine the verdict to offenders and compensation value to victim’s family. Postmortem was carried on Monday, 9thof August, 2010 and details are still to be released or pending court action.

On asking who will foot the bill of postmortem and hiring a lawyer, sources said Girgir group ranch may come in handy on this.

The father of the victim Lebashe Lenkare is a poor man with a low wage contract as a sand harvester. Sand harvesters get a paltry Kshs 100 ($1.28) per one trip of a lorry full of sand and they merely manage even four trips a day. In Archer’s, sand harvesters formed an association and they contribute a small amount monthly as their mutual insurance security. The association of sand harvesters headed by popular Aire-aire mollified the victim’s father by giving him a thousand shillings from their meager kitty.

With due respect and regrets we are passing our heartfelt condolences to the parents and entire extended family of the victim. May God rest her soul in eternal peace.

Thanks

Tom Lolosoli

Secretary SEDF

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Day of Indigenous People’s Celebration, August 9th by Meriwas.

 Indigenous Day celebration was held at Pois Rob. A settlement scheme inhabited by Samburu community who have been Internally Displaced as a results of ongoing conflicts in Isiolo, Samburu and Laikipia West.

This was a double celebration among the Indigenous samburu on August 9th, which coincided with ushering in a new dawn for them in the Kenyan history. The new Kenya constitution recognized and uplifts indigenous and minority communities their fundamental freedoms and rights.

Here are few goodies for IPs

Language and Culture

Article 7 of the new constitution obliges the state to promote and protect the diversity of language of the people of Kenya. The state is also obliged to promote the development and use of indigenous languages. Article 11 recognizes culture as the foundation of the nation and obliges the state to promote all forms of cultural expression through literature, the arts, traditional celebrations, science, communication, information, mass media, publications, libraries and other cultural heritage.

The state is also obliged to recognize the role of indigenous technologies in the development of the nation. Not only shall the state promote the intellectual property rights of the people of Kenya, Parliament is also required to enact legislation that will ensure communities receive compensation or royalties for the use of their cultures and cultural heritage, and legislation that will also recognize and protect the ownership of indigenous seeds and plant varieties, their genetic and diverse characteristics and their use by communities.

Under the Bill of Rights, Article 44 gives every person a right to use the language and participate in the cultural life of his/her choice.

Citizenship

By recognizing dual citizenship, the new constitution paves the way for indigenous communities, like the Maasai, that live across boundaries to benefit and too their mobility lifestyle.

 

Promoting the rights, voices, and visions of the world’s Indigenous Peoples

Action:  Send emails to Secretary-General of the Commonwealth before Nov. 26, 2009
See model letter
Kenya has had a deplorable record of violating the rights of its Indigenous citizens, both during colonization and after. Beginning in February of this year, the Kenyan government has carried out massive and well-organized attacks on Samburu villages by combined police and military forces and the use of government-funded mercenaries from Somalia. The government used helicopters, bombs, apparent chemical weapons, and ground forces on unarmed villagers, and they confiscated the people’s only food source, their cattle, prompting a famine that has killed hundreds more people. The mercenaries hired by the government have kidnapped and murdered children, beheaded sleeping adults, and seized even more cattle. Hundreds of Samburu women who live near police encampments have been raped. This ongoing violence and intimidation appears to be motivated by government oil leases recently awarded to Chinese companies to drill on Samburu land in violation of their rights.
Environmental concerns compound this humanitarian disaster. The Samburu pastoralists manage several wildlife conservancies in collaboration with environmental organizations, combining conservation with small-scale eco-tourism. Government forces brutally shut down these conservancies in February and confiscated all their anti-poaching equipment. Since then, over 50 elephants have been killed in the region, and the Samburu have been powerless to stop the poaching. Chinese companies that are building a road through Samburu territory may be associated with the poaching. 
Read background information on the situation.

What You Can Do:
The Commonwealth nations, including Kenya, will meet in Trinidad-Tobago November 27-29. The Secretary-General of the Commonwealth has invited citizens to send him their comments and concerns in advance of the meeting.
Please send a message today, urging the Commonwealth to demand an immediate end to the campaign of terror being waged against the Samburu people, and an independent investigation and prosecution for these atrocities.
Send your message to:
Mr. Kamalesh Sharma
Commonwealth Secretary-General
asksharma@commonwealth.int
and info@commonwealth.int
See model letter
NOTE:  We are currently receiving reports of further air and land attacks on the Samburu by hundreds of Kenyan police troops during the week of November 16.
Please keep visiting www.culturalsurvival.org for updates and for more actions you can take

English: Maasai shelter, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Tanzania (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Avaaz petition to stop the Tanzania government from forcefully eviction of Maasai of Loliondo

 Avaaz petition to stop Tanzania government from forcefully evicting the Maasai of Loliondo.

The case of Maasai of Tanzania is no difference with the case of Maasai of Kenya. Maasailand is under severe attack by the states they call their government. We believe it might be the last blow by the class based neocolonial system on the Maasai structures so they desist from existing as a people hence loosing their “rights to land as a people”. State machineries are jeopardizing our chances of winning over all historical injustices related to historical land grabbing by continuously forcefully displacing the Maasai.

Unequal allocation of land before and after the colonial era is the bases of all injustices in Kenya. Land is the basis for our survival as a people, an inextricably linkage to self determination.

 Maasailand is one, even when it transcends the imaginary national boundaries. Tanzania Maasai and those of Kenya are one nation recognized even by the Kenya’s constitution and international conventions for tribal and indigenous nations.

In Kenya, we believe that land is the root cause of the tragic occurrences as the 2007 Post election violence that left more than 1.500 people dead and more than 600.000 people displaced. We believe grabbing community land like Kisargei/Eland aka Kabarack farm in my Laikipia by Moi and the US based charity organizations AWF, NC, and KWS under Kibaki’s regime is a gross violation of the an alienated rights of the Maasai indigenous people of East Africa.

 We feel abused and discriminated, hated and destroyed by our own unitary governments of Kenya and Tanzania in the name wildlife conservation. What conservation? This wildlife and other natural resource mismanagement? ….and abuse due to greed and over consumption?

Maasai do not eat the wild, we do not trade on their parts, neither do we hunt them for sports luxury.

We stopped killing lions for circumcision ceremonies and we live side by side with the lives around us, mostly in peace ,till they forcefully try to move us to dead lands. We cannot take it anymore.

Poor management and crime against the people of Kenya with impunity has fostered a culture of the strong feeding on the poor and ignorant. This scenario is protected and distributed by the vehicle of the ignorance of the masses, the negligence of the elected leaders and the systematic suppression by our unitary government.  This is reflected on the plight of many marginalized communities of East Africa and in particular, the even more marginalized indigenous Maa/Samburu/Ogiek and Ndorobo’s ethnic groups.(Cor)

The Maa people have not been successful in pursuing land legal cases ever since their territorial lands were robbed from them before and after the colonial era.

The Maa/Samburu people find themselves on the loosing side because of notoriously poor leadership and, yes, ignorance of the masses and the silence of the good men and women out there.

Land case is a good example for serving justice but justice is not served in our formal legal systems or in our “homegrown constitution, nor under the legal guardianship of our “Supreme Court” Refer to the Kenya’s march 9th 2013 Willy Mutunga’s Supreme Court’s judgement of the election results. The stolen presidencies in Kenya are indicators of severe urge by the neo-colonial guards to retain all what they inherited from the colonial systems and continue to subject the powerless into even more misery.

We need a lot of help to preserve ourselves.You need to be aware of the formal law and wealthy enough to “buy” justice.

 If you don’t have enough money to “buy” yourself a good lawyer, you’ll most likely loose.

The Maasai may not have enough legal expertise and monies to pursue justice, but they have a lot of voices all over the world! We believe in your “shouts”. Good people of Avaaz of the world, help The tribal indigenous people of the Maasai to retain their land, a region, a sub nation between the imaginary national boundaries of the East Africa.

We have always preserved the wildlife and we shall  continue to do so, with all intent to continue existing as a people, hence retain our rights to our inheritance, as a people.

 That is our supreme goal as a Maasai people.

We will keep the wild and all the natural access just as it is, by ensuring we promote a sustainable livelihood that is ecological friendly and responsive th the natural demands of our nature.

 Yours, is to shout for us, ours is to live the real life with the wildlife and help protect them for you and your children. So you can travel for Safari and cultural exchanges, not to objectify us, as is now with the Big five and Maasai people, a situation parpetrated by our own governments, but in a decent and humane way, where all stakeholders are regarded as equal and significant to play a center role in conserving our natural asset for the world heritage.

Ours is to keep the best part of our Maasai culture and the lifestyle, for the richness of diversity.

Will you help us?

Sign the petition now please…….

–

Saidimu Ole Ngais

Sweden

___

Note: Saidimu Ole Ngais sent you this message as part of an Avaaz campaign to save the Maasai of Loliondo at 
http://www.avaaz.org/en/save_the_maasai_sam_ns/?reply
. To respond, please e-mail reply+maasai@Avaaz.org

Conserving the wild and poverty among the indigenous! The truth about Wildlife conservation in Kenya. By Ole Ngais.
Dear Mparakuoni, I address this to you as a person because for many reasons, unlike our friends over there at k4w, KWS and all their ad-hocs curtails, you Susanne Nordlund, and our Australian and English allies deserve to hear it from the horse’s mouth. Nevertheless I’m 7000km away from grassroots, a lot is happening in my homeland Kenya many of which I could no way see unless I received the revelation I have now.
Not many of our fellows can put it like the way you’ve put it above. I know where you derive your position from and this makes me a better community advocate!
I know I’m worth and I’m delighted to enjoy a worthy friend and ally like in Tina, S. Norlund, and our Australian Cee4life friends!
In this transition, every Maa individual find themselves in a dynamic process of enlightenment. For many of us, the process is so painful to the point of disillusionment. Many of us bare scars and trauma from the childhood that was robbed from us, and that is still being systematically taken away from all coming generations until the truth about the root cause of poverty is genuinely tackled in Kenya. The most dis-heartening thing in all this though, is the fact that these injustices and inequalities, are smartly planned for, and choreographically implemented by those we look up to for protection. Those whom we have collectively entrusted our security, future and all trust upon, in trust and humbleness that they’re on our side.
Understanding the philosophy of poverty in Kenyan and around the human species is one of the most paining experiences a human being can be exposed to. To many, an easy problem free death is preferable than a systemic suppression of the people, one that decays the resilience and good will of the toughest human rights advocates even in the most indigenous people of our time. Seeing your very own government willingly collaborating to terminate you not only as a person but also as a people, reaves off trust and self control even from the most moral of all of us. No wonder the wildlife is now paying the price in Amboseli! If you asked anybody, it is certain that killing wildlife is not what the Maasai wants- in fact, the Maasai do not even pray on the wild, even it times of hunger and utter poverty. They love their wild as much as they love their domestic animals. They live in symbiosis relation with the wild, the reason we’re able to enjoy them today. Yet, it is the Maasai and the wildlife that pays the ultimate price for poor governance of our common heritage, the only global ecological asset of which the current human species is borrowing from the coming generations. Ours, as Maasai, as you too well is aware of, is always based on transferring what we have today, to the coming generations, in wholeness. The reason the Maasai do not shank and slice land for commercial porpoises as opposed to the neo-liberal open market-controlled system.

At times, we prefer that we all remained ignorant of the neo-colonial system sucking our common heritage as if they were the only owners. Seeing the truth is painful my friend but the truth cannot be ignored when the power to see it is revealed to you. That nasty feeling of the poison that you don’t know does not kill you? About it’s-better-not-to see the truth or pretend as if everything is alright… Because that way, your life and that of many of around you is silently lived. Rather than face it, fight against it. Than silently watch as all these injustices are systematically choreographed on you and your coming generations by the entity that was meant to protect you. My friend, our government is against the interest of the Maa people, and just about the lives of all working class citizens of Kenya. As a member of that systematically marginalized and exploited class, I feel that the survival of the Maasai people and is jeopardized by our government in cohorts with its alleys camouflaged as friends and lovers of wildlife in Kenya evident to thek4w and KWS and they shaping and inaction of the policies governing wildlife resources.

It is with a lot of sadness I say this, but KWS is an Anti-Maa corporate! It has for ages used us as cheap labor and watchmen of the wild they have taken from us to begin with. We were the main host of the wild kingdom, which our forefathers (God give them peace) hosted and protected by their ecological and sustainable lifestyle. The one the-so called civilized societies of our modern democracies ignorantly perceive as primitive.
We wake up every day; one after the other, in the rhythm and change much of which we as a people is yet to have control- or at least participate in shaping it to our benefit. We wake up daily in different levels of knowledge of these revelations which embrace various ways.. It is painful to go through what Maasai are going through and in particular when it is perpetrated and sanctioned by our very own government. For the Maasai and all other communities including the working class, the new constitution is yet to mean anything but an official way of silencing the masses in the pretext of hate speech, and other sanctions clarified in the unwritten laws of the corrupt system we’ll support and hold in place. We hold ourselves hostage when we support such movements as k4w or have our most enlightened fellows long compromised by the system
You see, there is nothing as wrong as being compromised by a bad system… As witnessed here in, our politicians are clearly not on our side. Or what is the reason n why the Maasai politicians and other leaders not talking about the unconstitutional Amboseli KWS punishment of the Maasai by the government? Or the Samburu East mass punishment where families were left in misery when their cows were driven away by the government during the worst droughts of February 2009-2010?
… I feel talkative tonight……

 

The Holly Month of Ramadan is here. Ramadan Kareem to all my fellow Muslim brothers and sisters. May the Almighty Allah strengthen you through this tough but humbling month. May your thoughts and deeds reflect the good peaceful idea of this Sawm.

May the good Lord support you not only to refrein from food during light hours, but also to re-evaluate life in light of Islamic guidance.

The Holly Book teaches the Mulsim and scholars of the word, to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits.

Moreover, the Word calls our brothers and sisters to essentially clean up their lives, thoughts, and their feelings. A Maasai religion believer, I pray for you my Muslim brethren.
Peace Be With You!

 

Urgent help is needed on this cause. I a m calling on my friends to give a voice and help survival international facilitate the cry of the Omo Tribal people agains the Gibbe Dam in Ethiopia. Please follow the story here and contact your nearest authority to solicit voices agains the Chinese sponsored Omo river dam construction which will most likely bring our indigenous brothers and siter to extinction. (Read more) Source (SI) China’s largest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), has agreed to fund part of the construction of the dam.

After carrying out preliminary evaluation studies, both the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the African Development Bank (AfDB) announced in 2010 that they were no longer considering funding Gibe III.

In March 2011, the Ethiopian government withdrew its request for aid credit from the Italian government. The request had raised great concern amongst many Italian NGOs, which urged the Italian Foreign Minister not to support the controversial dam.

Survival and various regional and international organisations believe that the Gibe III Dam will have catastrophic consequences for the tribes of the Omo River, who already live close to the margins of life in this dry and challenging area. We are calling on potential funders not to support this project until a complete and independent social and environmental impact study is carried out and the tribal peoples have been fully consulted and given their free informed and prior consent. Resource: 
http://www.survivalinternational.org/tribes/omovalley
 
http://www.internationalrivers.org/resources/ngos-call-for-investigation-of-gibe-iii-dam-3132

NGOs Call for Investigation of Gibe III Dam

http://www.internationalrivers.org

On April 22, 2009, International Rivers and allies submitted the following request for investigation to the Compliance Review Mechanism Unit of the African Development Bank.

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Paraga and Sokoyian on a summer winter day.

A CORNER OF A FOREIGN FIELD

Around 50 kilometres outside Nanyuki, up on the dry and dusty northern slopes of the Lolldaiga hills in the Great Rift Valley, sits the little village of Il Polei. Anyone who makes the journey there can expect to see all sorts of rare and fantastic things: buffalos and elephants, gerenuks and baboons, and, if they’re very lucky, possibly even a group of 20 or so Maasai warriors practicing their cover-drives on a freshly cut cricket strip.

 

Cricket came to this corner of Kenya only a few years back, entirely because of the efforts of one South African woman. Her name is Aliya Bauer, and she is the coach of a team called the Maasai Cricket Warriors. Bauer is what the Australians would call a ‘cricket tragic’, a player, a scorer, a coach and a fan. Seven years ago she was posted to Il Polei to work on a research project about baboons. “I was out here in the bush. I didn’t have any chance to see any cricket, because I didn’t have a TV,” Bauer says, chuckling at the memory. “I really missed it. So I thought if there’s no one here to play with, I’ll just have to teach the people here how to play it.”

 
She got some basic equipment and a few soft balls from back home, and went in to the local school to do an introductory session. The boys took to it, and she agreed to come back and coach them twice a week. The Maasai tribesmen passing the playing field were intrigued by this novel new sport, and would stop to watch. Their curiosity soon turned into a desire to have a go themselves. One of them was Nissan Jonathan Ole Meshami. These days he is the captain of the Cricket Warriors, but back then he was a cowherd, the youngest child of a family of 11, who spent his days “wandering long distances with his cattle in the blazing heat in search of grazing and water. It was through chance and luck that I witnessed some cricket taking place at the school,” Nissan says. “And after watching I wanted to try it out. I was fascinated by the bowling, and silently I was confident that I could master it especially with my powerful arm and spear-throwing ability.”

 

Nissan grew up herding his family’s goats and sheep. “While out in the bush I developed the skills to protect myself from wild animals,” he says. “I mastered the art of throwing a spear at a very early age and I also became good at throwing stones long distances. If required I chased the animals away by throwing stones at high speed in their direction. This regular practice of throwing stones allowed me to develop a strong and powerful throwing arm.”

 
He was, in short, a bit of a natural, particularly as a bowler. So Bauer drove off to an expat cricket tournament that was being held 90 minutes drive away, begged some proper kit off the players, and started coaching the Maasai men as well as the children. “With each passing week it got to a few more people coming,” Bauer says. “And we pretty much had enough to make up a whole team. Maasai warriors have a naturally competitive nature, they want to prove themselves better than their friends, so they persevered. Especially with the bowling, which they saw as being a little like spear-throwing.”

 

In the holidays some of the children in Il Polei who were studying at another school joined in with the training sessions, and soon they too wanted to take it up. Bauer realised she needed a little more help, and made contact with the charity Cricket Without Boundaries. Last November they organised a coaching clinic for 56 locals, and secured enough kit to introduce the game to eight new local schools. In February CWB came back and targeted eight more schools and ran a proper Level One coaching course. Cricket is now being played by 15 primary schools, five secondary schools and three youth groups in the area.

 

The Masaai Cricket Warriors had also started to play proper matches. They lost their first ever game, to an expat side from Tanzania, by two wickets. “They had the upper hand in the bowling, but their catching let them down,” sighs Bauer. “They dropped six chances.”

 

“I have worked hard to master the basics and it is my wish to improve even more and to become the best,” Nissan says. “Bowling is my greatest asset and my spear-throwing abilities have ensured that I can deliver a cricket ball with some fast pace on it. I also enjoy batting, but nothing is more frustrating than getting out.” He now has his Level One coaching qualification. “This was the first time in my life that I have ever received a certificate for anything!” Nissan says. “As a qualified coach I am now able to teach children my community how to play this wonderful game.”

 

Better yet, being the person she is, Bauer has been using the cricket programme to target social problems in the Maasai community, such as the spread of Aids. The Maasai are traditionally polygamous, which has contributed to the syndrome’s growth. “The teachers also taught us how to incorporate HIV/Aids awareness into cricket and coaching,” Nissan says. “I now integrate HIV awareness into cricket. I teach the ABC approach – Abstinence, Be Faithful and Condom Use. Abstaining from sex is like a batsman abstaining from hitting balls in the air so he is not caught. Being faithful to ones partner is like how batsmen must communicate to decide whether to make a run or not. And use of condoms is like how batsmen must protect their wickets.”

 

More pleasing still for Bauer is how the schoolgirls have responded to the coaching. Maasai girls as young as 11 or 12 can be married off, and even if they are not they are still overburdened by onerous domestic duties at a similar age. “At first the girls were very reluctant, because in Maasai culture girls and women can be very oppressed. So they were very shy and very reserved,” Bauer says. “Just trying to communicate with them was a challenge, because they couldn’t even look at you. Then something remarkable happened, when they saw me coaching the guys every week they plucked up the courage to have a go. They came out of their shells and started expressing themselves through play. You could feel the sense of enjoyment, and that is something that is often denied them because they don’t really have time to be children.” Bauer finds that when the girls are in that more relaxed mindset it is easier to get them to open up and talk about taboo subjects like sex.

 

The Cricket Warriors themselves are now becoming role models for the community. They have been invited to play in the Last Man Stands Twenty20 Championship in Cape Town, and Bauer is desperately trying to raise the funds for them to go. “Many of the men have never even been to Nairobi,” she says. “And for them to get to play on proper grounds on well kept pitches, that would be a totally different cultural experience, cricket going beyond boundaries.”

 

As for their skills, well, Bauer admits they still have a little to learn about batting. “They’re so competitive that they all want to hit the ball as far as they can. Sometimes that kind of overrides the fact that we have to focus on technique and so they start going out and having a big slog. If you have only ever seen cricket on videos it can be hard to understand that it is a game of patience. They haven’t grasped that.” Her gentle exasperation will be familiar to amateur coaches everywhere. Some things about the game are always the same wherever you are, whether it’s a village green in Wiltshire, or a mud strip in the middle of the Great Rift Valley.

 

If you would like to find out more about the Masaai cricket warriors you can read about them on Facebook, follow them on Twitter or visit their website. You can also donate money through the site, if you would like to help the team are still trying to raise funds to travel to Cape Town. And if you are part of a particularly adventurous touring side, you could even arrange to go out on tour and play a game against them in Il Polei. So long as you think you can stand up to Nissan’s spear-throwing honed fast-pace bowling, that is.

 

• Thursday 1 December is World Aids day. Think Wise is a joint initiative between the ICC, Unaids and Unicef to promote HIV prevention and reduce stigma and discrimination towards those living with HIV

 

• This is an extract taken from the Spin, the Guardian’s free weekly cricket email. To sign up, click here.

Source: The Guardian

With all due respect to the host, i’m getting to experience the inability to have a balanced debate at the K4W’s forum. To my best understanding the K4W is too “nationalistic” in their approach while I consider myself as a patriotic animal lover.

That is where I see the difference between myself as an indigenous animal lover and the artificial conservationists for instance. Their “nationalistic approach blinds them from the greater good for both animals and human life at large.

Nationalists are entirely subjective while patriots are objective in approach. For the wildlife to be truly conserved, you got to be a patriot, and objectively consider the preservation of both human and animal life… My point of entry to solving and preventing the conservation little dirty secrets, has always been JUSTICE for both human and animal life.


Nevertheless, this forum is for K4W and I respect that.
If you’re a patriot, who loves animals and human life, who consider fair conservation of our wild as an inevitable responsibility for all patriots, well, then,(Tu)Funguaeni ye(tu)nu for that matter ama vipi jamani?

This video may well be blocked in certain parts of the world. If it is, i suggest visiting the channel 4 website and seeing if they are still showing it for free on there  

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has suffered a setback in its plans to build a new national park in Laikipia on a 17,000-acre land parcel it had bought from former President Moi after a court order barred it from developing the plot.

Dr Noah Wekesa, the Forestry and Wildlife minister on Tuesday told parliament that KWS has ceased all activity on the land which the ministry will not gazette as a national park until the matter is resolved by the court.

This means that KWS will have to wait longer to build the park it is banking on to boost its financial health that has been hit by high operating expenses.

“KWS will accept the court orders and will not gazette the proposed park (Laikipia National Park),” Dr Wekesa said.

KWS had bought the land for Sh400 million with the help of Nature Conservancy, a US-based organisation. But 248 residents of the area, who have locked horns with Mr Moi over the ownership of the land, successfully obtained court orders restraining the wildlife custodian from implementing its plans until the matter is determined .

The residents allege that Mr Moi has been trying to forcibly evict them from the land which they claim to have lived on for over 90 years. Last week, the US-based Centre for International Human Rights Law and Advocacy threw its weight behind the community activists, threatening to sue KWS should it go ahead with its plans.

Laikipia is a tourism circuit popular with high-end visitors keen on luxury offerings such as tented camps and is home to prominent resorts such as Ol Pejeta, Lewa and Loisaba.

It has hosted prominent visitors such as British royals Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton. KWS currently has 33 national parks and reserves spread across the country.

The state-owned corporation that relies heavily on government support this year raised its park entry fees to cope with rising staff costs, park maintenance, animal stocking and migration.

In the latest increase, the fees were raised to $80 (Sh8,000) from a minimum of $60 (Sh6,000) on premium parks. In the special gazette notice, Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa also reviewed the fees structure by eliminating low and high season fees and introducing a flat rate charge in a bid to boost revenue.

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Foreign visitors previously paid $75 (Sh7,500) at Amboseli and Lake Nakuru parks during the peak seasons, which run from January to March and July to October.

Dr Wekesa said the review is aimed at boosting KWS coffers to allow it meet its conservation obligations, arguing that the efforts are becoming costly, causing the corporation to run a huge deficit.

The review comes less than a year after KWS increased its fees in January in what led to a 47 per cent rise in its turnover to Sh2.8 billion in the year to June 2010.

Its expenses rose to Sh4.6 billion from Sh3.7 billion –which left it with a deficit of Sh1.54 billion that was plugged by government (Sh860 million), donations (Sh170 million) and donor funding (Sh198 million).
vjuma@ke.nationmedia.com

The tittle should actually read something like this:
Unfair distribution of natural resources, The case of Wildlife Conservation in Laikipia County
Unfair distribution of natural resources in laikipia county is generating a negative attitude towards wildlife conservation especially following the Eland land saga. ……

The Maasai/Samburu and other pastoral communities DO NOT(EQUALLY) benefit from natural resources in their midst.
Anglo Maasai Treaties have violated our rights to lands and natural resources thus minimizing our chances of surviving any kind of change.
Keeping our normal lifestyle is no longer an alternative since we do not own any land neither do we have resources to buy any while our population is expected to rise. The lands were sequestered to British ex servicemen and mobility.
There was no compensation for, neither was there restitution after independence.
Those acts violated the Indigenous Maasai rights to natural resources like grazing spaces for their livestock.
We are requesting the president to recognize our plight particularly regarding the Eland case which is still in court. The President of Kenya should not allow the Maasai/Samburu land in Laikipia to be donated to, sold, or converted to a National park before the court case is settled.
The history of the said land does not begin from the forceful and brutal eviction of the people who occupied it.To better understand the case, we need to gather facts from the country’s 100 years history.
Although the people from Eland land ware kicked out without a proper compensation or re-allocation in place,the community managed to open a case in court asking for the land sale or donation from AWF to the KWS to be stopped til the case in court is settled.
The government of Kenya’s main purpose by constitution is to protect the Kenyan people against internal and external enemies at all times.
All the Maa/Samburu people who occupied the Eland land may not be able to write this open letter or join the ongoing social network discussions to seek a honorable re-dress. Therefore, as a community Para-legal Worker, I have taken the mandatory obligation to initiate a dialogue. Injustice committed against one of us is injustice against all of us.
The Maa people who were made squatters have been among the most significant actors in protecting the wildlife in their neighborhood. These people have not yet seen the financial benefit of wildlife conservancies because the solid foreign income the country generates from tourism is yet to trickle down to the main protectors of this national treasure we’ll inherited. Since independence, it has been the government and the private settler and other native entities who have continued to enjoy the conservation revenues.
Aside with the economical injustice against the Maa indigenous and protectors of the wildlife, the nominal effect of the eviction is that the now made squatters shall have to move themselves to some place.
And where will that “place” be?
My personal guess is as good as your, may be Mukogodo colonial reserve of 1934 will be the new home for the forcefully evicted Samburu people.
As I write this, the systematically marginalized Mukogodo reserve residents are asking the president to give (us) land. This community have a viable land case that should be addressed and especially within the context of our homegrown constitution.
We have a lot of faith for our new constitution that it will have a lasting political solution for this borne of contention.
Unequal allocation of land before and after the colonial era is the bases of all injustices in Kenya. Land is the basis for our survival as a people, an inextricably linkage to self determination.
We believe that it is the root cause of tragic occurrences as the 2007 Post election violence that left more than 1.500 people dead and more than 600.000 people displaced.
Poor management and crime against the people of Kenya with impunity has fostered a culture of the strong feeding on the poor and ignorant. The ignorance of the masses, the negligence of the elected leaders and the systematic suppression of our unitary government is reflected on the plight of many Kenyans and in particular, the even more marginalized indigenous Maa/Samburu ethnic groups.
The Maa people have not been successful in pursuing land legal cases ever since their territorial lands were robbed from them before and after the colonial era.
The Maa/Samburu people find themselves on the loosing side because of notoriously poor leadership and, yes, ignorance of the masses and the silence of the good men and women out there.
Land case is a good example for serving justice but justice is not served in our formal legal systems. You need to be aware of the formal law and wealthy enough to “buy” justice. If you don’t have enough money to “buy” yourself a good lawyer, you’ll most likely loose.
Suppose the Samburu people of Laikipia looses the court case? Where shall all the forcefully evicted people go?
Laikipia is completely patched with animal sanctuaries and parks. The only human accepted areas are townships and Mukogodo colonial reserve.
If you ask anybody, those Samburu who’re now squatters, kept cows therefore they’ll not re-allocate to townships. They’ll most likely end up in Mukogodo reserve.
However,the land on which Mukogodo people occupy is barren. It can not take more people neither can it take any wild or domestic animals. It is dead.
That land can only be used for modern hybrid farming. That is if the government, community or other wealthy entities introduce green houses irrigation schemes and maybe zero grazing as a change of lifestyle among the Laikipia Maasai.
Given a good and just hearing, we might turn a tragic systemic injustice into an orchestrated harmony of peace and tranquility.
But still, Mukogodo has limited chances of supporting our community. It has become over grazed by both goats,sheep, donkeys and cows. The Eland eviction might end up creating resource based violence between the The Maa/Samburu in Laikipia in the very near future. Worse though, the Samburu cows from Eland will not survive the dry weather in Mukogodo.
Maasai domestic animals who’ve adapted to the harsh conditions in arid and semi arid weather still die during long droughts and famines due to various reasons. There is no proper grazing management due to lack of land.

The Maasai in Mukogodo can not follow their old seasonal migratory roots because they’re enclosed in small patch of dead land between huge White settler ranches. Moreover, poor animal marketing leads to the death of many animals who would otherwise be sold before the onset of the dry season.
The non existence of a meet industry in the neighborhood does not help the Mukogodo situation either. The prices are controlled by buyers.
The desperate seller will eventually have to submit to the buyer’s terms.

The pastoralist feels they are smoothly robbed in which ever business they venture into.
What do you do with your cows if you have no one to sell them to?
We produce a lot of raw material but we can not depend on them for a living.
For us, it’s like giving away a heifer for a peace of moccasin shoe for a school child.
I know of many resilient families who’re traumatized by the death of their animals but they keep on repeating the same process. Personally, I know this is near to insanity because we can not continue repeating the same traumatizing process and expect to get different results. Mukogodo people must embrace change or they die off like the big animals who may have been to big to change. That is the height of my personal self criticism.
But how then can we move on when we have limited resources.?
One idea could be:
Masses of unused land must be acquired by the government and be relocated to the needy people.
Then there after: Programs to develop acquired land to be formulated and implemented for the common good.
People must be activated to be more productive. How can we do that in Mukogodo?
Our people are living on handouts and relief food. It is a shame to our government when Maasai culture is as valuable to the tourist department as any other resource. Given the acquired productive land, the Laikipia population shall be re-organized in schemes for irrigation and eco-tourism programs under the watchful eye of our unitary and regional governments.
Animal and human Rights::We belief in the notion that all human beings are created equal. We all have the right to quality living. Animals too, have the right to be protected by us and respected as very reliable allies in our existence. Therefore, the acquisition of land must be done under stewardship of the constitution placing significance on balance sharing of our common natural inheritance.
Regarding the Maasai culture and the need for diversity: Our culture is vital but it is dying out at an alarming rate. It is almost only practiced for tourist entertainment. Maasai people must be given equal opportunities to integrate their culture with that of the modern world. This is in line with the right to multiculturalism and bio-diversity in both Animal and human kingdom. We confirm this to be an essential pillar for our liberties ,respect and equal acknowledgement between human and animal kingdoms.We therefore affirm that we can not conserve one life at the expense of another. The locally available resources are enough for all of us, we managed properly.
Recommendation
The Anglo-maasai treaties that led to the lost of land and natural resources such as The white highlands violates our social-cultural, economic and political rights. The Constitution of Kenya must find a long lasting political solution for such land sharing injustices in laikipia county. It’s very significant that the government refrain itself from perpetrating such injustices by not allowing itself to be manipulated like in the case of Eland farm. The government should denounce the land sale or donation by AWF to KWS or any other related purchase until the court case is settled. The Government should, even after the court case is settled, supervise a long lasting political solution for the land crises in Laikipia and else where. This step is to prevent future occurrences of such tragic violence like the 2007 post election violence.
2. More significantly, the government must with immediate effect compensate, and settle the forcefully evicted Samburu population. Failure to this, will lead to resource based violence wherever the Samburu Eland population will seek refuge.

3. Community owned fair-trade eco-tourism.
The idea of moving people for the sake of animals is perilous to the main idea of conservancy. Conventional knowledge dictates that if the community is involved in wildlife conservation and they get to utilize the generated wealth, the result will be obvious. The moment the population see their lives changing to the better due to the wealth generated by proper management of their wildlife, the more they’ll want to be involved.
A positive attitude will be projected when the community feels that they have full control of ownership, access and utilization of the solid foreign currency generated from the conservancy.

4. So far, the Maasai feels entirely excluded in terms of access, control, ownership or utilization of any conservancy Revenue from tourism and other natural resources from Maasailand. The revenue must be re-invested to improving the lives of Maasai people and those other communities living within the region.

The region must benefit from resources within their jurisdiction. Tricky point: The government should consider to fully ratify and implement the international convention that observe the rights of indigenous peoples and minorities. The UN draft declaration on the rights of indigenous peoples.
Kenya should not reserve itself on the ILO convention 169(108) regarding the rights of indigenous peoples.
In case of impossibilities to return lost land to Maasai, then restitution and compensation should be mandatory.

5. Similarly, private companies that are operating in Laikipia County must create employment opportunities to locals instead of importing workers When 99.9 percent of the Laikipia youth are jobless.

The game park and privately own huge lands surrounding Mukogodo shall contribute to our well-being.

6. Dormant land must be allocated to landless combating appraisal schemes like community irrigation and green house farming programs.Land acquired through criminal means must be returned to the people of Kenya.Infrastructure development.

7. Roads and social services establishment. Pri-schools, polytechnic, colleges and heath facilities should be considered a priority for a prior maintenance of our people while the local government establishes itself in the new county head quarters.

8. Training, health and veterinary personnel in pastoral areas should also be prioritized . People should feel they run their own-community appraisal issues. The main issue is to attain a natural co-existence between the Human and The Wildlife Kingdoms with both parties gaining from the peaceful nature of the other.

Saidimu Ole Ngais.

NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 10 – President Mwai Kibaki has affirmed government’s commitment to step up conservation activities in the country to protect the country’s wildlife as a national heritage.

President Kibaki asserted that the government would in collaboration with key stakeholders facilitate the creation of protected areas where the country’s wildlife would roam freely and minimize human wildlife conflict.

The President was speaking at his Harambee House Office when he received a title deed for a 17,100 acre piece of land which has been designated as Laikipia National Park.
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Appreciating that the government recognises the role of conservation and tourism in the country’s economy, he said that priority would be given in the process of opening relevant corridors for wildlife migration.

President Kibaki also underscored the importance to create awareness among wananchi on the need to support various conservation initiatives in the country.

He thanked the two leading international bodies for their role in the conservation efforts and for their kind gesture in donating the national park.

He asserted that the country had adequate land to create protected areas for the wildlife as well as for human settlement and farming.

“The government is convinced and committed to wildlife conservation in the natural habitat,” asserted the President.

The newest national park in the country which hosts hundreds of varied species of wildlife was donated by the African Wildlife Foundation in partnership with The Nature Conservancy.

The Laikipia National Park provides a critical link between neighbouring protected areas allowing elephants, rhinos, big cats and other species to safely navigate a wildlife corridor that spans Central Laikipia.

Laikipia National Park was acquired from private conservationists at a cost of Sh393 million and was targeted for acquisition and be put under government stewardship due to its strategic location in regional wildlife linkage.

The outgoing Chairman African Wildlife Foundation Dennis Keller presented the ownership documents to President Kibaki. He expressed delight and optimism that the handing of the national park to government would herald new levels of wildlife protection in the area.

The AWF Vice-Chairman and former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa thanked President Kibaki and the government for according the conservation bodies steadfast support in their endeavours.

Mkapa commended Kenya for being at the forefront of conservation efforts which he affirmed had made the country’s tourism sector world renowned thus becoming a model in Africa.

In attendance were assistant minister Josephat Nanok, Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura, Director Kenya Wildlife Service Julius Kipngetich and other senior government officials

Source: Capital News

Save $20 on Parallels Desktop 7–November 23st-28th


AN international human rights group is accusing the Kenya Wildlife Service for continuously trampling on the rights of the Samburu people and scheming to “illegally evict the community from Laikipia East District”.

In a letter seen by the Star and addressed to the KWS managing director Julius Kipngetich, the Center for International Human Rights Law and Advocacy is threatening to “pursue any legal means necessary to hold KWS accountable for its current unlawful actions against the Samburu people”.

The letter is among others copied to the Attorney General Githu Muigai, Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa and the Kituo Cha Sheria. The borne of contention is the decision by the wildlife body to purchase 17,000 acres of land in Laikipia to convert into a national park.

On November 1, the Business Daily reported that KWS had purchased 17,000 acres of land from former President Moi which it intends to turn into a nature conservancy called Laikipia National Park. “Since May of 2009, various groups have been trying to forcibly and illegally evict the Samburu people from this land you just purchased,” the letter says in part. It is signed by Travis LaSalle of the Centre

According to the letter, KWS purchase of the land was illegal because the Samburu have acquired rights to this land under the Kenyan Constitution and international law by residing on the land continuously for over 90 years. Besides, the said land is currently the subject of a lawsuit before Justice Joseph Sergon at the High Court in Nyeri reference number L.R. No. 10068.

The suit was filed by the Samburu against the African Wildlife Foundation and the former President to prevent illegal forcible evictions from their land. The Centre says KWS purchase of the land as well as actions taken before the purchase are indirect violation of the court ordered injunction. “KWS represents to the world that it is purchasing the land in the name of conservation, but neglects to disclose that in the process it will illegally remove whole communities of women, children, and elderly Samburu from the land leaving them homeless and without any place to go,” the letter says.

The letter further accuses KWS for failing disclose its true purpose which is to make millions of dollars in revenue from tourist visits to the conservancy. “The Center, the Samburu Community, and the international community are well aware of the true intentions and consequences of KWS’ recent purchase of the land and we will do everything within our means to continue to protect the Samburu people.

LaSalle says in the letter the Center is carefully documenting all actions taken by KWS and will pursue any legal means necessary in alliance to hold KWS accountable for its current unlawful actions. The actions includes filing to hold KWS in contempt of court. The Center has also vowed to report these actions to a variety of international human rights groups and governmental organizations.

Source: AllAfrica.com

This video may well be blocked in certain parts of the world. If it is, i suggest visiting the channel 4 website and seeing if they are still showing it for free on there

 

 

Moi sells land in Laikipia (By Business daily)

Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) has bought 17,000 acres of land in Nanyuki from former President Moi for Sh400 million to establish a national park as it seeks to grow high-end tourists.

Mr Moi has been using the land as a ranch and KWS says it will turn it into a conservancy awaiting accumulation of more land parcels in the area to eventually create a large national park.

“The park will be called Laikipia National Park and the land will in the meantime serve as a migration corridor for animals in the various private conservancies, including Ol Pejeta and Loi Saba,” said Julius Kipng’etich, the KWS director.

“We understand other owners of private game reserves in Laikipia are selling their land and we plan to raise money to buy the land establish a national park ,” said Dr Kipng’etich.

Laikipia is a tourism circuit popular with high-end tourists keen on luxury offering such as tented camps and it hosts prominent resorts such as Ol Pejeta, Lewa and Loisaba. It has hosted prominent visitors such as British royals Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton.

The transaction was funded with the help of a US-based wildlife organisation— Nature Conservancy.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta in the latest Kenya gazette has exempted KWS from paying the four per cent or Sh16 million in stamp duty on the transaction.

The deal set to spotlight land transactions by large land owners such as former president, who are racing to cash in outsized returns from rising demand of property. The former president acquired thousands of acres of land during his 24-year rule and has in the past few years come under pressure from the current administration and civil rights activists to revert some of it to the State.

Mr Moi, for instance, holds thousands of acres of land in Mau Forest which he said was given by the Narok County Council during his reign.

The coalition government has targeted Mr Moi and other owners of large tracts of land as it seeks to reclaim the Mau Forest. The new Constitution gives legal backing to cut back on excess holding of land for extended periods of time.

The proposed National Land Commission shall have powers to “repossess public land that was acquired through unlawful or unprocedural means.”

The policies expected to hit large land owners include a cap on land holding, tax on idle land and reduction of lease period for foreign land owners from 999 years to 99 years.

These policies have seen more large land owners sell part of the land holdings, a trend that is expected to gather pace in the medium term as institutions and laws addressing historical land injustices are set up.

For KWS, the setup of another national park will be a boost its earnings which had taken a hit from high operational expenses.

KWS currently has 33 national parks and reserves spread across the country. The state-owned corporation has relied heavily on government support and has raised its park entry fees this year to cope with rising staff costs and other operational expenses like park maintenance, animal stocking and migration.

In the latest increase, the fees were raised to $80 (Sh8,000) from a minimum of $60 (Sh6,000) on premium parks. In the special gazette notice, Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa also reviewed the fees structure by eliminating low and high season fees and introducing a flat rate charge in a bid to boost revenues.

Foreign visitors used to pay $60 (Sh6,000) during the low season at the premium parks—Amboseli and Lake Nakuru —and $75 (Sh7,500) during the peak seasons, which runs from January to March and July to October.

Dr Wekesa said the review is aimed at boosting KWS coffers to allow it meet its conservation obligations, arguing that the efforts are becoming expensive, causing the state-owned firm to run a huge deficit.

The review comes less than a year after KWS increased its fees in January in what led to a 47 per cent rise in its turnover to Sh2.8 billion in the year to June 2010.

Its expenses rose to Sh4.6 billion from Sh3.7 billion on higher salaries and park maintenance fees—which left it with a deficit of Sh1.54 billion that was plugged by government (Sh860 million), donations (Sh170 million) and donor funding (Sh198 million).
vjuma@ke.nationmedia.com

 

By Boniface Ongeri in Liboi and David Ochami in Nairobi

 

Kenyan troops were by Monday evening moving quickly to secure the town of Afmadow in Somalia, 100 kilometres from the border.

It comes just two days after the Kenyan armed forces captured another key town, Qoqani, following two days of heavy aerial and ground bombardment. Afmadow is the town where two Kenyan soldiers, Evan Mutoro and Jonathan Kangogo, captured by Al-Shabaab militia on July 24, were detained before being taken by their captors to the coastal town of Kismayu. The two soldiers are still unaccounted for.

“The Kenyan troops supported by tanks and other military vehicles have taken up positions near Qoqani,” Saleban Mohamed, an elder in a nearby village, told AFP news agency.

“I saw around 32 trucks and tanks, with hundreds of troops,” he added.

Military helicopter. Government says it is in Somalia for the long haul vowing to fight Al-Shabaab to the end. Photo: File/Standard

“The Kenyan soldiers are heavily armed and they have started digging trenches near Qoqani,” Abdulahi Sayid Adam, another witness said.
But there was some sad news after a military helicopter exploded seconds after take off from Liboi Airstrip in Garissa, killing five soldiers including the pilot.

Department of Defence officials blamed the crash on a technical fault. The soldiers, a major, a sergeant, two privates and a technician were killed when their China-made Dolphine helicopter crashed and caught fire, military sources told The Standard.

“It crashed while taking off and caught fire, all the five soldiers on board died. It was not brought down,” said Military Spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir.

Armoured vehicles

The soldiers were reportedly taking missiles to the war front inside Somalia when the incident occurred, the source said.

The helicopter exploded about 500 metres from Liboi Airstrip.

Kenya continued to flex its aerial prowess as it rained bombs on strategic Al-Shabaab strongholds, pushing its assault deeper toward central Somalia. At the same time, the Government announced it was ready to fight Al-Shabaab to its logical conclusion, adding that the military offensive against the terror group, dubbed “Operation Linda Nchi” (Operation Protect Kenya) would continue until the militia are subdued.

Kenyan troops combed villages in Somalia in hot pursuit of the militia with armoured vehicles, as its fighter jets overflew the enemy’s territory.

Witnesses said they saw dozens of Kenyan military vehicles pouring over the border, backed by planes and helicopters even as reports said Al-Shabaab, which denies kidnapping Kenyans and foreigners, had amassed more men to back up its militia in Afmadow where they were being pinned down by the heavy firepower of the Kenya army and air force.

Quoting witnesses, AFP reported that Al-Shabaab commanders confiscated at least 100 trucks late Sunday from the Lower Shabelle region, outside the capital Mogadishu, to transport gunmen southwards.

Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti and Defence minister Mohammed Yusuf Haji said military operations against Al-Shabaab would be sustained until “desired effects” are achieved, blaming the group for a spate of kidnappings, sea piracy and killings of Kenyans and foreigners.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula said troops went across the border on the request of Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government (TFG), which controls very little territory, but is backed by the international community.

“What we are doing is in pursuit of a request by the Government of Somalia, and also our own interest as a country to fight a group that is terror-based,” said Wetang’ula.

By “desired effects”, the ministers implied that Kenya’s military hopes to degrade Al-Shabaab’s capacity to launch cross-border attacks on land and in the Indian Ocean.

They justified that attacks on Al-Shabaab inside Somalia are legitimate self-defence acts to protect lives and the economy in accordance with the UN charter and international law.

Defence Minister Haji said that Kenyan police and military forces will pursue the Somalia extremist group in its bases in the centre and south of the war-torn country to eliminate immediate security threats near the border and protect shipping lines in the Indian Ocean from pirates who operate with support of the terror group.

Saitoti declared the operation a legitimate response of self-defence against “a chronology of provocation by Al-Shabaab.”

The two spoke after meeting Parliament’s Defence and Foreign Relations Committee to discuss the operation.

Saitoti enumerated a host of abductions of Kenyans and foreigners, which he blamed on Al-Shabaab and said the Government received intelligence that the extremist militia “continued to recruit Kenyans into its ranks.”

He said Al-Shabaab shelled a Kenyan security post near Liboi last month and was responsible for landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) found in Mandera in July. On September 8, Al-Shabaab claimed to hold two Kenyan officers in Kismayu, a coastal city in the Indian Ocean, after initially detaining them in Afmadow.

Haji did not name a third soldier in his account but said the two were abducted after “their vehicle broke down and they were sent to seek assistance.”

Saitoti said under Article 51 of the UN Charter, Kenyan forces will engage in security and military operations in “self-defence” and geared to “preventing aggression”.

Hideout

The minister said Kenya would step up aerial border surveillance and provide armed escorts to locals, tourists and expatriates.

Haji said that besides abducting the two soldiers, Al-Shabaab had tried to attack the port of Mombasa and ambush ships off the Kenyan coast in September.

The Defence minister said that lately, Al-Shabaab was acting in concert with pirates and had attacked vessels entering Kenyan waters.

In what appeared to be a well-calculated and aptly prepared military assault, more troops were lined up in strategic positions as aerial and ground combat forces launched missiles in the open sandy grounds of Somalia and hideouts of the terrorists. Kenya’s disciplined officers will be backing TFG forces in a bid to find a lasting solution to instability in the country that has been at war for two decades.

Maj Chirchir also confirmed that the chopper was part of a contingent of military personnel and hardware that had been deployed to pursue Al-Shabaab militia following insecurity on the Kenya-Somalia border.

The five are the first casualties Kenya has suffered in the onslaught against the militants in Somalia that heightened when they kidnapped two Spanish aid workers.

Kenya has military bases in Wajir, Liboi and Hulugho. GSU personnel are also at hand to support the army.

- Additional reporting by Cyrus Ombati
Source. http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000045042&cid=4