Kenyan Pundit

[I'm off to Istanbul for a digital activism conference, will probably be offline till Friday. The post below has lots of opportunities where people can help, please contact those listed directly or send me an email - kenyanpundit-at-gmail if you want to help]

BY SHALINI

* A Kenya map, littered with yellow post it notes pointed to areas here people have volunteered to work to help those in need. It will also be circulated by email. Some funds from IDRC will go towards transport for those trying to get to destinations. Central and Nairobi well covered. Need more volunteers to go to Mombasa and Rift Valley. There are linkages with Peacenet and with organisations on the ground to help facilitate trips. Anyone keen? Contact Mercy on mercy_gichangi@yahoo.com

* CEO forum. About 300 people attended. Speech made by Kofi Annan (multi-part agenda for corporate to offset the negative aspects of globalisation. Also South African High commissioner who said a) politicians don’t have people’s interest at heart (in general worldwide), b)They must be told what they don’t want to hear and c) Private sector has very big muscles. Flex them. Psychiatrist Frank Njenga spoke about how Kenya society is socialised to accept violence in the home and said neglected groups (police, journos, politicians(!!) need help. A draft resolution was adopted by CEO forum which demanded (rather than their previous use of urge – they were buoyed by SA high commissioners speech), to be a major player in sorting out peace.

* Bata is considering closing as it is unable to sustain itself. Suggested we all buy Bata to help and that aspirants for Limuru should go with press there to highlight how the unrest is affecting some industries. Mediation team should also include such visits in their itineraries

* Couples valentine plots being hatched for Feb 14th. Idea to spread flowers all over Uhuru Park. Suggestion however that it would be better to reach other areas, such as slums and to take flour (unga) instead/as well as flowers so as to be more useful. More on that as it emerges. Also whole of DFID laid flowers. Contact 0722 364629 for more info

* Nation ran a scathing piece about CCP taking water to the police at Uhuru Park and accused CCP of doing it just for picture value and ignoring the problems those who really need help. CCP aims to be more balanced in future with such initiatives but acknowledges cannot cover everyone with each gesture of help.

* Brand Kenya – group of organisations that came up with ways to create an identity for Kenya products. They are organising a blood drive due to chronic shortages countrywide, along with a campaign to highlight then when sick, nobody takes account of which tribe blood comes from, just that it is there. Launch is at Bombsite (former American embassy at 10am tomorrow) People can give blood from 10am to 5pm until Saturday at Bombsite, Mama Ngina Street and Kencom bus station. So please go along and drop off a pint.

* Formalisation of CCP as an organisation that can raise funds continues. The technical committee still meeting to work out core proposals. No objections made to draft documents.

* Meeting was held at Dagoretti with DC. This was a follow up to last week’s PC meeting and aimed to put structures in place to help with admin, security and peace messages. Committees being formed for Nairobi and the initiatives on the ground are going to meet to prevent duplication, as there are many organisations. Civil society still wary of working with govt though.

* Rape in camps – this is a problem. Dept of Reproductive Health is trying to get counsellors on the ground – They need about 1000, and have only 400 so far. Anyone who can help, please get in touch with Auxilia on 0736 587408

* We have been chucked out of the Serena Hotel! Boo, hiss at their mercenary money motives! Basically they wouldn’t give us a larger room at same price (a discounted 7500/=) and then moved the UN into our meeting room from this Friday. I spoke to GM Mark Gathuri who explained what a great favour he was doing to have reduced the rate before, and moaned about loss of business. He had nothing to say about civic duty in this time of need. Anyone fancy a little story for the papers on this? You can contact Serena on 2822000. The CCP meeting on Friday has moved to All Saints Cathedral, NP8 Room 4 for Friday. No tea sadly as it is lent and they are fasting. Any help with a new venue close to Serena (so that meetings with Annans and similar high-ups can be easily reached now that traffic is back to normal levels) is welcomed.

* Moi Uni opening on Friday. Concern about maintaining peace. Talks to be held, but security needed also to accompany students to campus. 120,000/= needed. Dr Kinanjuyi is going to try to raise the Vice Chancellor Bethwell Ogot for the funds, as volunteers have been unable to raise him. Kenya Pipeline also contacted and student leaders. Plan to put a peace corner into the university.

* The varied youth projects need funding – eg transport for youth leaders to a meeting at All Saints on Saturday to meet with media. Also for people attending the peace football match at Mathare on Saturday.

* Doreen Ruto is training youth also to be councillors to take their skills to their respective areas

* National Youth Violence Protection Week. 800 young people (mostly scouts) met with UN Habitat and laid flowers at the UN. There will also be a peace messages at Founders day 21-24 Feb in Nyeri. Scouts are helping in the IDP camps in Tigoni, Nakuru and Jamhuri to pitch tents, crowd control and assisting in registration. Funds have been requested internationally.

* Mombasa model of keeping peace, which involves close co-operation of faiths, business, local govt etc is being implemented here. There’s a need to have peace and security committees in every area.

* A serious look at deep seated issues especially land policy is necessary to stem the violence.

* Critical to recognise the youth factor in elections and also in society as a whole. They must be able to access income. Criminal subcultures need to be dismantled and alternatives provided for young people.

* 30 days of CCP meetings have passed. A diary with photos, news stories, achievements, details will be put together. What would we like to say about CKW. Deadline is Friday for this. (short piece of 300 words)

* Soiya Gecaga is to arrange an event in UK to create awareness and funds. And possibly a UK chapter of CCP. Also Bethwell Kiplagat is in Nigeria currently and may initiate a Nigerian chapter – its going global!

* Update put together on current media possibilities through ICRC and Mediae trust to use Makutano Junction, Radio, TV, billboards, sms to disseminate messages. What can we do to contribute to this? Funding is available and more to be got from DFID.

- The ban on live media broadcasts has been lifted. I’m really finding hard to see what it achieved….wouldn’t it just have been easier to go after individual broadcasters who were inciting violence if that was the main concern?

- Haiya, I thought this story was just another nai-rumor when it was doing the SMS rounds. I’ll start taking rumors a bit more seriously now I can confirm that Murage was indeed given marching orders by Lucy for taking it upon himself to negotiate with Kufour on behalf of State House (when the ‘baks was still dithering) and then injecting himself into the World Bank / Colin Bruce memo fiasco.

- I was being interviewed a couple days ago about my hardline stance on my crappy local coverage of the crisis in Kenya has been, I still think the coverage has been crappy but I’m reminded of some exceptions - I hear K24 has been doing a good job of at least reporting on the facts and going a bit deeper, I also acknowledge that it might be difficult for local journalists (vs. international journalists) to report from some areas depending on their ethnicity.

- Why is Jirongo the only one doing this? And yes, I am surprised to see Jirongo stepping up…Kenyan politics is strange that way. That “we can’t go back to our people without a message on how things will be resolved” excuse is bullshit. I’ve heard/read several stories over the last few days about how lives have been saved and temperatures cooled just by talking to people. Uhuru was in Kikuyu and Tigoni cooling temperatures, which were very hot over the weekend (although he’s also doing other shady things which will be blogged about at some point…the goings on in Kenya are really just exasperating). Can these MPs get out of Serena and go talk to their constituents? Maybe if Serena / Nakumatt Junction was attacked, or teargassed? I’m working hard on getting contact info for the new Parliament up on Mzalendo over the next few days so that people can petition them directly for action. Not sure it will help much but every little bit counts.

- As I reported before, David Kobia has shut down the Mashada forums due to all the hate speech that was going on there. He is instead redirecting Mashada users to a great new initiative, I Have No Tribe - where people are posting their thoughts on tribe and what it means to them.

- The tough road ahead when this is all over.

Finally, this quote has been repeated in lots of places: “Let Annan do his bit but there’s going to be no resolution. The clashes will continue,” a youth manning a roadblock near the town, who gave his name as Lefty, told the agency. This is what worries me…the politicians have unleashed something that might be impossible to quell. It’s easy for us to sit and pontificate and ask how can they, but we are missing something. Two must reads on the role of Lefty/the youth, their long persistent disenfranchisement, and the dangerous sense of empowerment they are getting from killing and burning with impunity are here and here.