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Post by Onyango Oloo on May 29, 2015 22:45:16 GMT 3
President Uhuru Kenyatta and Jubilee Regime Should Stop Vicious Attack on Civil society in Kenya
International Center for Policy and Conflict(ICPC) expresses its deep concern that President Uhuru Kenyatta intolerant regime is alarmingly shrinking the space of civil society by attempting to hinder their access to funding, profiling and blacklisting prominent human rights organizations in Kenya.
Civil society workers are been harassed, attacked, and even murdered to stop them from carrying out their work and to intimidate others from pursuing similar efforts to stand up for citizens’ rights or take on entrenched socio-political and economic interests that are depriving Kenyans of their dignity and access to quality services.
It must never be forgotten that President Kenyatta and his increasingly authoritarian government are direct beneficiaries of Constitution that civil society painfully initiated and struggled for. Civil society organizations provide critical services to the citizens, create massive jobs and enrich public policy discourse. The future of democratic secure, inclusive, prosperous and tolerant Kenya will be build by state engaging in constructive, consensus and consent dialogue but not high handedness.
Since its election on April 2013, President Kenyatta regime has led a smearing campaign against human rights NGOs and is striving to gain control over them or silence them. The Jubilee government is deliberately reducing the room for operations of human rights NGOs, known for being critical of its policies.
What should be a straightforward process between donors and receiving association is transformed into a repressive State interference to stifle NGOs. By labelling human rights groups as ‘terrorism agents’ acting against national interest, President Kenyatta undemocratic government is acting in ways known of authoritarian regimes. Freedom of expression and association in a democratic society include dissent and at times controversial debates on human rights and development.
The struggle for new constitution and the macabre violence of 2007/8 was consequent of many years of gross human rights violations, erosion of independent institutions and bad governance. President Kenyatta’s government has abandoned the transitional justice processes i.e. justice, truth, reparations and guarantee of non-recurrence and institutional reforms path to return Moi-Era dictatorial rule.
President Kenyatta is steadily returning Kenya to new era of authoritarianism. His government has severely been attacking constitutionally guaranteed independent press. It has gone extra mile of trying to muzzle judiciary and arm-twist County Governments. It has bluntly failed to implement the Public Benefits Organizations Act and instead initiated a series of repressive policy actions aimed at progressively restricting the space of civil society, civil liberties, media freedom and independent critical voices in Kenya.
The International Center for Policy and Conflict reminds President Uhuru Kenyatta that the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders provides that everyone has the right, individually and in association with others, “at the national and international levels […] to form, join and participate in non-governmental organizations, associations or groups” (Article 5) and “to solicit, receive and utilize resources for the express purpose of promoting and protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms through peaceful means” (Article 13).
President Kenyatta and his government must move from a system where the State assumes the right to restrict civil society’s work to one where it fulfills its obligation to support, directly or indirectly, the civil society activities. This implies that State recognizes the crucial role played in society by civil society to ensure better compliance with its own domestic and international human rights obligations.
Civil society and state work in complimentarity. It is therefore very disturbing for Jubilee Government to wage unnecessary propaganda against civil society without providing any iota of evidence to back its claims. It only communicates Jubilee government’s palpable fear for public scrutiny. When one cannot address the people's legitimate grievances, it's rather expected to revert to unfounded accusations of foreign sabotage, supporting terrorism and any other external factors that distract the population from domestic problems.
The civil society mandate does not derive from the government but rather from the constitution. Attempts to introduce new regulations and laws go against both the constitution of the country and international law. The existing laws in the country provide an adequate framework to ensure civil society act within the established legal system freely without state interference. By curtailing civil society activities, the government is attempting to silence defenders of democracy and inclusive participatory development while leaving the Kenyan people reliant solely on the authorities for state ‘parachuting’ development.END// International Center for Policy and Conflict Ambank House 13th Flr, University way off Utalii lane P.O.BOX 44564 00100 Nairobi Tel +254 202219757(2223188) admin@icpcafrica.org icpc.afric@gmail.com www.icpcafrica.org
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Post by kamalet on May 30, 2015 8:31:34 GMT 3
Every morning I get up to go to work to earn my keep and feed my family. If I had my way I would live off my own passion for things agricultural and investment, but the environment is not exactly too kind to allow me that freedom and my employer sees me as an asset he does not want to lose. So he takes good care of me as I work for him but then my passion lies elsewhere!
It is not any different to these 'hactivists' earning their keep from claims of defending human rights etecetra! They are no different to the Kanyaris of this world who think they can make money by proclaiming God as the cure of all ills and they are his chosen apostles to do that for him on this earth. The equivalence of the Kanyaris of this world and the Ndung'u's of this world is that they are not motivated by the sufferings of the people in Mukuru Kaiyaba, but by the amount of money they will make. It is therefore inevitable that they will always come out with all barrels b;azing when you threaten that. You see without these donor funds, they cannot have their lofty offices, fuel guzzling 4WD machines and the Kaunda Suit. That is why they will come to the defence of one of their own even when the accusations leveled against the NGO is of such a serious nature as terrorism. 147 young students were brutally murdered by terrorists in Garissa and it is claimed that they actually could have been beneficiaries of funding by some of the NGOs in question.
From where I sit, I would have asked the said NGOs to come out and clear their names before running to defend them as is the case with Ndung'u. The "human rights" of these NGOs cannot be ranked any higher than the parents who lost the promise of their children in Garissa. The mere allegation of association would have been the trigger for Ndung'u and his ilk to come out in public and ask the NGOs to clear their names. Don't we do this with politicians when allegations are made against them? If we can question a man of God like Cardinal Njue or even a pretender like Kanyari, what is so special about the NGOs in question? Is it a case of birds of the same flock flying together?
But then one has to do something that borders on the legal. There are three ways of making loads of money short of becoming a robber. One is to peddle drugs and not get caught - but my conscience tells me that I would hurt a lot more young people with drugs so that is a route I will not take. Becoming a Kanyari is quite attractive but then I was brought up a Christian child so I will not do anything unGodly as reaping from where I have not sowed in the name of the Lord. Which leaves me with the third option of making easy money and your conscience never comes to play and I do not even have to believe or have a passion for what I am doing! Become and NGO activist on some platform or other! The advantage is that there are many platforms still unexplored if guys are making money on issues such as jiggers, maendeleo ya wanaume and on the ills of wind power! All I need is come up with an idea, write a position paper or two, bribe some journalist to cover my presser on the issue and then use that as supporting documents in seeking donor funding! That easy and I can keep making noise on non-issues unrelated to my "cause" and am good. Sadly that is where the ICPC and such NGOs come in and you can bet it pays the bills!
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Post by Onyango Oloo on May 31, 2015 12:43:36 GMT 3
If you accuse me of something, the onus is on YOU to PROVE your allegations.
These ploys to criminalize dissent are not new.
On the first of November 33 years ago, David Onyango Oloo was sent to prison for five years because of a hand written draft of an undergraduate student essay.
Then as now, supporters of the status quo rushed to support repression.
Kamale, I applaud you in your persistence and consistency in defending EVERYTHING UNDEMOCRaTIC that the Moi, Kibaki and now Uhuruto regimes have done against the Kenyan people.
You have done this from the first time I encountered you online in the late nineties.
Kudos.
OO
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Post by einstein on Jun 1, 2015 1:18:58 GMT 3
If you accuse me of something, the onus is on YOU to PROVE your allegations. These ploys to criminalize dissent are not new. On the first of November 33 years ago, David Onyango Oloo was sent to prison for five years because of a hand written draft of an undergraduate student essay. Then as now, supporters of the status quo rushed to support repression. Kamale, I applaud you in your persistence and consistency in defending EVERYTHING UNDEMOCRaTIC that the Moi, Kibaki and now Uhuruto regimes have done against the Kenyan people.You have done this from the first time I encountered you online in the late nineties. Kudos. OO Poor OO!!Did you really have to take this long to applaud Kamale, in his persistence and consistency in defending EVERYTHING UNDEMOCRaTIC that the Moi, Kibaki and now Uhuruto regimes have done against the Kenyan People? It did not take me so long as in your case to know which side of Kamale's bread is buttered! Kamale has always had his owners and OO is not one of them. So, OO, just let Kamale roll on the Jukwaa blog the same way he has done it since the late nineties when you first encountered him online!
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Post by kamalet on Jun 1, 2015 9:58:54 GMT 3
If you accuse me of something, the onus is on YOU to PROVE your allegations. These ploys to criminalize dissent are not new. On the first of November 33 years ago, David Onyango Oloo was sent to prison for five years because of a hand written draft of an undergraduate student essay. Then as now, supporters of the status quo rushed to support repression. Kamale, I applaud you in your persistence and consistency in defending EVERYTHING UNDEMOCRaTIC that the Moi, Kibaki and now Uhuruto regimes have done against the Kenyan people.You have done this from the first time I encountered you online in the late nineties. Kudos. OO OO I am glad you finally see how consistent I have been!!!! Did I criminalise dissent? Certainly NOT. Did I disagree with the do-gooder sanctimonious behavior of activists? Big Yes! But is dissent equal to disagreement? I do not think so! So yes you can disagree with capitalism and preach socialism - that is not equal to dissent for the capitalists also have their reasons to disagree with socialism. Under the circumstances only examples of the failure and success of either win the argument! So when I equate 'hactivists' to drug dealers and evangelists it is just because they are not any different - they prey on people using modes that are totally dishonest and are not meant for good but personal benefit. So you are probably the odd one out that burns rubber on your soles, but you will appreciate that there are many of your industry who burn rubber on wheels from money intended for a good cause and which is diverted to personal benefit. If you indeed still support and defend them just because you are in the same industry, then you need to a bit of self re-examination to determine if what you still believe in is what they are doing and take the call to either join in the gravy train or walk away and seek other ways to save humanity from tyrants! Now if that is the status quo for you, it pays my bills in the most honest way! As for the other character from the deep whatever, it is advisable to crawl right back and write there....but always welcome to the dreary world of Jukwaa to see how we are doing!
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Post by jakaswanga on Jun 1, 2015 19:32:11 GMT 3
So when I equate 'hactivists' to drug dealers and evangelists it is just because they are not any different - they prey on people using modes that are totally dishonest and are not meant for good but personal benefit. Don't stop there Kamalet, please develop this thesis further, you will be surprised which avenues you open. ''Preying on people using modes that are totally dishonest and are not meant for good but personal benefit'' --how about advertisements for cigarettes? Or all those products are actually harmful chemicals but are portrayed as ''accessories'' of being ''cool''? Do they too earn your ire in equal measure as the ''hactivists'' and false prophets? Another gem, if you are ready to think through to the logical conclusions. 'Make a living ''from money intended for a good cause and which is diverted to personal benefit'!'' --hehe! What does the Kenyan politician specialise in? And the Kenyan bureaucrat? This is how we explain the position held by Kenya in the corruption league! R ampant diversion of funds meant for public good to private accounts. Primitive accumulation with impunity. Are you ready to turn your ire at the centre of all ''diversion''? The national treasury in a process called ''budget''. Most of us are in the same industry, servicing the neo-colonial structure tethering Africa to its pit of destitution. Population distribution world, 2012 2050 is below. Population projection world, 2050 It does not have to work out that way of course, but still, do we see Africa putting structures in place to punch its weight in population in 2050? That is the source of my pessimism!
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Post by kamalet on Jun 2, 2015 9:00:00 GMT 3
Jakaswanga
As for Tobacco companies and Mpigs...we at least know what we are getting ourselves into! We voluntarily buy their cigarettes and elect them Mpigs so we only have ourselves to blame. The 'hactivists' on the other hand write position papers to fleece donors under the guise that they are out to help mankind and without us knowing get loads of money for personal benefit! Is this not the same thing the evangelists of the Kanyari kind do?
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Post by podp on Jun 3, 2015 9:50:13 GMT 3
So when I equate 'hactivists' to drug dealers and evangelists it is just because they are not any different - they prey on people using modes that are totally dishonest and are not meant for good but personal benefit. Don't stop there Kamalet, please develop this thesis further, you will be surprised which avenues you open. ''Preying on people using modes that are totally dishonest and are not meant for good but personal benefit'' --how about advertisements for cigarettes? Or all those products are actually harmful chemicals but are portrayed as ''accessories'' of being ''cool''? Do they too earn your ire in equal measure as the ''hactivists'' and false prophets? State House spokesperson Manoah Esipisu’s opinion on Kenya’s trajectory to prosperity that appeared in the two leading dailies recently failed to point out what is wrong and inimical to faster development. These factors are lack of political humility, leader worship, lack of fidelity to clean governance, and paucity of fearless and progressive politicians. By now, President Uhuru Kenyatta also knows that it is not simple to govern, hold together a divided nation, and leave a positive legacy. The President and his deputy do not exude a cheerful confidence to inspire people to want to follow them. The presidency has allowed the likes of Aden Duale, Kipchumba Murkomen, Kimani Ichung’wa, and Moses Kuria, who are known for their chest-thumping heroics, daring opponents to political fights, and proffering divisive opinions, to be the face of this administration. Some of these people are sycophants who think that respect for leaders can be rammed down people’s throats. Respect is earned. For Kenya to prosper, the Presidency needs to espouse politics of reason and reconciliation. Corruption is one obstacle that the Jubilee administration needs to tackle. Our politicians suffer from the Christopher Columbus syndrome; they discover voters during campaigns and, with the gift of the gab promise everything, including ending corruption, only to get willingly ensnared by the extravagant trappings of power once in office. The war on corruption will not be won because of leaders who, once given the keys of power and the perks of the establishment, choose not to rock the boat for fear of the backlash from crony capitalists and special interest groups trolling the halls of power in search of favours.Kenya’s slow pace to prosperity is not stymied by politics but by politicians who lack the most important quality of a true politician: fearlessness, which entails being unafraid of big ideas, powerful interest groups, or impossible challenges. There is a paucity of fearless, honest, and progressive politicians in Kenya, with the exception of the likes of Raila Odinga, Peter Munya, Boni Khalwale, and Omar Hassan. The new Constitution and devolution were watershed and groundbreaking moments for Kenya. For us to prosper and remain united as a nation, we need to handle divisive issues with openness, fairness, and integrity. Let all leaders engage people whose minds are inclined towards problem-solving rather than those who are prone to gibberish and pettiness. In the end, good ideas and conviction will triumph over everything else. EMONG’OR EKISA, Busia www.nation.co.ke/oped/Letters/We-need-fearless-leaders/-/440806/2736642/-/srp11k/-/index.html
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