Democracy cartoon: Obama comes to Africa

Source: Friday, July 10, 2009, Patrick Gathara, www.afrika.no

Kenyan Stocks Climb: Kenya Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered

From Bloomberg by Eric Ombok, Friday 07 August 2009:
Kenyan Stocks Climb: Kenya Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered

Kenya’s price-weighted All-Share Index climbed 0.11 points, or 0.2 percent, to 57.75 points at close of trading in Nairobi after two days of declines. The measure gained 0.1 percent in the week.

The shares of 14 companies advanced, 14 fell and 27 were unchanged. The following were among the most active stocks on the Nairobi Stock Exchange today.

Kenya Commercial Bank Ltd. (KNCB KN), the East African nation’s biggest lender by assets and outlets, climbed 3.6 percent, the most in six weeks, to 21.75 shillings.

The lender said July 30 first-half net income declined two percent to 2.41 billion shillings as expansion costs rose.

“Demand is coming from high net-worth individuals and institutional investors,” Snehal Shah, head of research at Nairobi-based Kestrel Capital East Africa Ltd. said in a phone interview. “They are discounting these results and looking ahead at future growth.”

The lender, which has 156 outlets in Kenya and 26 in four neighboring nations, plans to increase the number of outlets in Southern Sudan to nine from five and seven in Rwanda from one currently, it said July 30.

Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Ltd. (SCBL KN), a unit of Standard Chartered Plc, gained 2 shillings, or 1.4 percent, to 149 shillings. The share price has risen 8 percent since Aug. 5 when the company said first-half net income jumped 46 percent to 2.34 billion shillings.

“Stanchart looks good, the balance sheet is strong.” Shah said. “Most people were surprised positively because they did not expect such good results”.

To contact the reporter on this story: Eric Ombok in Nairobi at eombok@bloomberg.net

Last Updated: August 7, 2009 09:14 EDT

What is going on in NE Kenya? Update on Isiolo/Samburu: must read by Ory Okolloh

From Afrika.no - The NCA Africa Blog Forum:
Update on Isiolo/Samburu: must read
Sunday, July 19, 2009 by Ms. Ory Okolloh

I’m posting reports that I’ve received in response to my earlier post, I’ve not verified the information but the sources appear credible and at the very least warrant further investigation.

Kenyan media. Again. Please step up. What the frick is going in in North Eastern Kenya?

Citizen reporters, please keep the info coming.

REPORTS:

- On Tuesday, July 1, the Samburu community of Sera, population 300, was attacked by Somali and Borana forces as villagers slept. Sera is located approximately 83 miles NW of Archer’s Post in Samburu North. 15 people were shot in the attack, leaving 8 critically wounded and 5 dead, including a young girl. Over 1000 cattle were taken from 8 herds. The cattle, originating from the Samburu West community of Laisamis, had been herded through this area in search of a place to graze because of the widespread drought. The attacks were reminiscent of the February attacks by the Kenyan police which resulted in the loss of thousands of head of cattle. Similarly, large lorries and Landcruisers were used to transport the stolen cattle and raiders. There has been no investigation or response by the Kenyan authorities to recover the cattle or to arrest those responsible for the murders and injuries in this attack. The Samburu East MP Raphael Letimalo gave a press conference on 3rd July which has not yet been published in the Kenya press.

- On the evening of Monday July 6, Samburu moran warriors successfully defended their people and cattle from a similar raid SE of Lerata in Samburu East, the 2nd attack in just days. This attack occurred at the Nachamune area near the Ewaso River, 40 km east of Archers Post. Borana and Somali raiders surrounded the bomas at dusk, just after their livestock came into the boma, and began shooting at women and children. One group of moran escorted all children and women out of their homes to hiding places while the remaining moran fought off the attackers. They requested back up from local government officials such as the area MP, DO, councilors, and others to assist when the Kenyan police refused to intervene.

- On Monday July 13 at approximately 6 PM, a group of Somali Borana raiders attacked a Turkana community in Ngara Mara, between Archers Post and Isiolo, accusing the Turkana community of sympathizing with the Samburu tribe. They stole 450 cattle and kidnapped 2 children, reminiscent of the first attacks in February of this year on a Samburu community near the Kalama Wildlife Conservancy 6 km from Lerata, where 300 cattle and 2 children were kidnapped. Those children were later found dead with their throats slit.

- According to Samburu District County Council officer Raphael Leilikei of Archer’s Post, the 2 young Turkana children, ages 8 and 9, from the community of Ngara Mara were also found murdered the following day in a similar fashion, throats slit. (They were badly mutilated, there are pictures) – The cattle have not yet been recovered and there has been no police response to the murders or thefts.

- At approximately 1 PM on July 17, fighting broke out in the northern Kenya town of Isiolo, according to Kenya army leiutenant James Lerinainen. Armed Borana and Somali gunmen opened fire in a marketplace, targetting Turkana and Samburu tribesmen trading in the city center. 15 people are dead and many more injured. 3 police were shot and killed by the Borana and Somali gunmen, as well as 3 Turkana. In the fighting that ensued, 12 Borana were shot by Turkana. Fighting took place in the marketplace, at a petrol station, and at the bus station.

- At 7am the following morning, July 18th, 4 more Turkana were again shot dead by Borana and Somali gunmen in the marketplace. 3 lorries filled with police arrived tonight July 18 in Archer’s Post to reoccuppy the outpost.

- “I believe the marked increase in intensity and impunity of the Pokot raids against the Samburu that you summarise so well in Western Laikipia during the past three years has mainly to do with the fact that cattle are now fetching~ $1000 USD per head in So Sudan as cattle markets resume and So Sudan Pastoralists now have access to money and are able to refinancing of the herds that the lost in more than 30 years of civil war.”

OTHER REPORTS OF GOVERNMENT INTERFERENCE ON ONE SIDE

- ” The raids of our cattle in the west by the Pokot supported by the government in the background which have gone on for over 3 years and still continue are one problem and are connected to the raids that took place more recently in the east.”

-”A total of 4122 Samburu cattle were reported taken by the recent GOK raids, and these were taken to pay back the 52 which the Samburu attempted to return to the DO and the OPCD before the raids started. But the government officers said they didn’t want the Meru cattle. We think this was because the raids against us were already being planned.”

- “If the governemt wants to solve this problem, the first thing they must do is remove Hassan Noor Hassan as the Provincial Commissioner for the Rift Valley Province.”

- “The Government should also be aware that the so-called Borana MP for Isiolo is in fact a Somali, and he manipulates the Borana to attack us. Both Borana and Samburu suffer because of this.”

Further reading

Historical context of Isiolo/Samburu raids/violence
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 by Ms. Ory Okolloh

Kenya: Microfinancing - Launch of new Mobile Money Transfer Directory will focus on Sub-Sahara Africa

A new Mobile Money Transfer Directory at http://creditsms.org launches in 2 wks focus on Sub-Saharan Africa (by @CreditSMS)

Source: White African Erik Hersman via Twitter 04 Aug. 2009
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Snippets from CreditSMS website:

In December 2009, CreditSMS will launch several pilots throughout Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Additional pilot requests have been submitted for Kenya, Sudan, and Sierra Leone. Uganda and DRC have 87% and 66% rural populations respectively, constituting a nascent market of as many as 76 million potential clients and consumers. By enabling MFIs [microfinance institutions] to reach and meet the demands of this market, CreditSMS will facilitate a form of 'bubble up' development whereby the income of microloan recipients will increase and the price of newly-available goods and services will trend toward market equilibrium. All pilot results will be made free and accessible via CreditSMS.org as they become available.
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The Beginning...
By Ben Lyon
Published: July 14, 2009

Formal banks were hesitant to give "the bottom billion" loans because they didn't have collateral. Today, microfinance institutions (MFIs) fill that void by providing collateral-free loans to micro-entrepreneurs. In order to compete with traditional moneylenders, however, those MFIs had to charge exorbitant interest rates, mostly to absorb the high transport cost of making weekly visits to rural areas to collect loan repayments. With teledensity penetration and mobile commerce growing faster by the day, one has to wonder: why are loan officers still making the trip? Read More...
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Increasing revenue and impact through technology
By Ben Lyon
Published: July 22, 2009
[article written for Project Diaspora]

Aaron Ewedafe wakes up every morning at least one hour before the sun rises. Donning his satchel full of client records and repayment schedules, he hails the nearest okada driver and races into the surrounding countryside to begin a long day of loan group meetings. The trip from headquarters in Oshogbo to the village of Ojudo and back can take all day. Aaron rarely makes it home before nightfall. Altogether, Aaron spends 112 hours and 5,000 naira a week to manage 350 microloan recipients. His profit is negligible. Read More...
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The 'Phone as Cow' Model
By Ben Lyon
Published: August 1, 2009

Mobile phones are quickly becoming the hottest topic in development. Everyday, waves of new innovations are rolled out to connect 'bottom of the pyramid' (BOP) entrepreneurs to markets and information. But many advocates and implementers seem to neglect a fundamental question: What good are mobile innovations if BOP entrepreneurs can't afford handsets? According to Iqbal Quadir of Grameenphone, the answer is to issue the handset as the first microloan. Read More...

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Follow Credit SMS on Twitter

Check out Mobile Money Africa - Africa's leading online resource for mobile financial inclusion: mobilemoneyafrica.com

Ocampo to open Waki envelope

From The Standard by Ben Agina, News Editor, 11 July 2009:
Ocampo to open Waki envelope

International Criminal Court Prosecutor Louis Moreno Ocampo will on Monday open the envelope containing the names of key Government officials and prominent businessmen suspected of perpetrating post-election mayhem.

Mr Ocampo has confirmed he will open the envelope and other documents handed over to him by former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Dr Annan gave the documents to Ocampo on Thursday. The former UN chief has had the documents since he received them from Justice Philip Waki in October, last year. Justice Waki chaired the commission that investigated post-election violence.

Ocampo said: "On Monday (tomorrow), I will be back in my office and probably open the envelopes to understand what they say. But I will seal them again."

The news of the opening of the envelope will further heighten the anxiety that has gripped the country.

Up to now, it is only Justice Philip Waki who knows the contents of the envelope he gave Annan when he completed work of the Commission of Inquiry Into Post-Election Violence.

Justice Waki’s mandate was to investigate the facts and circumstances surrounding the violence, the conduct of State security agencies, and to make recommendations on these and other matters.

Speaking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) on Saturday, Ocampo recalled the visit by a Kenyan delegation to his offices at The Hague, late last month.

"They confirmed the commitment of Kenya to end impunity for the crimes committed during the post-election time, "said Ocampo, in the interview, with The Standard on Sunday stringer, then in the DRC.

He said the delegation comprising Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Attorney General Amos Wako, and Lands Minister James Orengo, informed him the Government plans to establish a local tribunal to try the suspects.

But Ocampo said, they also told him Parliament had a different position and wants suspects of post-election chaos referred to the International Criminal Court.

Post-election violence

"In the meantime, they commit themselves to provide all the information they have, on the allegations and crimes committed," said Ocampo.

It was after this, Ocampo disclosed, that Annan called him, saying: "Hey, look. I also have to give you the information I have. And he handed over boxes with documents and an envelope with names of persons under suspicion that the Waki commission considered we have to investigate."

While handing over the envelope to Ocampo, Annan "welcomed the Government’s renewed efforts to implement the recommendations of the Waki Commission and to establish a special tribunal".

Annan said: "Any judicial mechanism adopted to bring the perpetrators of post-election violence to justice must meet international legal standards and be broadly debated with all sectors of the Kenyan society to bring credibility to the process."

The former UN chief, who headed the Panel of Eminent Persons that brokered peace in Kenya early last year, said it "reaffirms its conviction that combating impunity and bringing to justice the perpetrators of the post-election violence in Kenya is fundamental to the country’s reform agenda".

Mr Annan added: "Justice delayed is justice denied. The people of Kenya want to see concrete progress on the fight against impunity. Without such progress, the reconciliation between ethnic groups and the long-term stability of Kenya is in jeopardy."

On Monday, Ocampo will be back at The Hague after a tour of African countries that took him to Ethiopia and the DRC.

"So on Monday (tomorrow), I will open the envelopes to understand what they say, but will seal them again. It is just advice. I have to make my own impartial judgement," he said, in Kinshasa, the DRC capital.

He reiterated that Kenya is committed to deal with the post-election atrocities. But he pointed out: "If they cannot do it, assuming it is clear they cannot do it, and they refer the case to me or not I will be ready with all the information I need to start a very fast investigation".

War crimes

At least 1,200 Kenyans were killed in the violence, 600,000 displaced, and many jobs lost. Most of those displaced in the post-2007 General Election violence are yet to be resettled.

Ocampo spoke as an African Union (AU) panel led by former South Africa President Thabo Mbeki backed the ICC indictment of Sudanese officials, including President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, for war crimes.

The panel’s recommendation showed the differences around Africa over the indictment for crimes in the Darfur conflict.

An AU summit in Libya last week voted to suspend co-operation with the ICC on the matter.

Mr Mbeki told reporters that the panel of eight eminent Africans had consulted widely in and outside Sudan.

"The consensus is that those charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity should appear in court and defend themselves," he said.

"The warrant has been issued. There is nothing that can be done."

The ICC has indicted Bashir on seven counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, rape and torture.

But he has dismissed the allegations as part of a Western conspiracy, and the AU has sought a deferment of the indictment, saying it has complicated peace efforts in Darfur.

UN officials say the Darfur conflict in Sudan’s western region has killed as many as 300,000 people since 2003.

—Additional reporting by Reuters

USA - President Obama's popularity slipping

From EU Digest, 09 July 2009 - excerpt:
USA - President Obama's popularity slipping

A recent Rasmussen poll shows hat 30% of the US voters now strongly approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Thirty-eight percent (38%) strongly disapprove, giving Obama a Presidential approval rating of –8. Thirty-nine percent (39%) now give the President good or excellent marks for handling the economy while 43% say he is doing a poor job. Overall, 51% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President's performance so far. Forty-eight percent (48%) disapprove.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo has his eyes trained on Kenya

Three Kenyan Government officials briefed the ICC's chief prosecutor on plans to prosecute those who committed violence during post-election upheavals. 

From The Standard, Nairobi, Kenya:
Candid talk with ICC prosecutor Ocampo

The International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo has his eyes trained on Kenya following the handing over of the envelope containing the names of suspects by Chief Mediator Kofi Annan.

KTN’s Beatrice Marshall interviewed Ocampo last week. Here are excerpts of the interview.

Question: You met members of the Kenyan delegation recently and reached an agreement on certain issues. Could you clarify?

Answer: Yes I met three Kenyan Government officials and they were briefing me on plans to prosecute those who committed violence during post-election upheavals. They informed me they have to go to Parliament to make a decision. However, they also expressed commitment that should they fail to pass a law, they will refer the case to the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Q: Following the meeting, there are details emerging in Kenya to the effect that the deadline has been extended to July 2010. Could you confirm this?

A: As a prosecutor I respect genuine national proceedings. Kenya has already conducted national inquiries including the work done by the (Justice Philip) Waki Commission. At the moment Kenya is not doing anything and that is why it was important to have the meeting. Since they have informed us they are doing something, I would like to respect this. In the meantime, I asked them to provide me with certain information, which they committed to do as soon as possible.

I am collecting information and building my case and should they fail then I will step in immediately.

Q: Is there a timeline provided?

A: Kenya is a sovereign country my duty is not to give timelines or guidelines. The Kenyan Government promised during the meeting that they would have a detailed plan presented to us in September. They further indicated they suspect the process of investigation would take one year, which I presume is from September once they hand over the plan on how they intend to implement the investigations.

Q: There has been concern in Kenya that if the case were referred to the ICC proceedings would take long. How much of a priority is Kenya to ICC and if you intervene how fast will the process be?

A: In the Darfur case, the government was against the process, so the case took 20 months. In the case of Lord’s Resistance Army, the Ugandan government co-operated and provided information and the case took nine months. Kenya is providing information that is already being consolidated. If they do not start genuine proceedings, by next year I will be ready to start the case.

Q: After your talks with the Kenyan delegation, do you think the Kenyan political leadership is unwilling or unable to set up a Special Tribunal because the deadline keeps shifting?

A: I cannot make that judgement and have to be objective and look at the national proceedings and establish if the process is genuine.

Q: Has ICC started investigations into the Kenyan situation?

A: I am already collecting information and preparing my case to establish whether crimes against humanity were committed.  In the next one month, in September, the Kenyan delegation promised to be back with a detailed plan.  For now, let us wait and see. However, it is better a country establishes national proceedings. Colombia has done it and they are doing quite well

Q: Does the Kenyan situation warrant ICC intervention?

A:  Serious crimes against humanity are systematic attacks against civilian population, and from what happened the crimes were probably crimes against humanity.

Q: It has been acknowledged the violence may have been as a result of the stiff competition between President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Based on the African Union position on the warrant of arrest for President Bashir of Sudan, is there hope for Kenyan people?

A: We have to differentiate between political responsibility and criminal responsibility. We are not doing a political analysis of the situation but rather want to prosecute those who did the crimes. No one is immune, no one is above the law and that is a promise to Kenyan people there will be no impunity. Depending on how it ends, it may end up being a classic model on how to handle conflict.