For a Grandmother

Like many South Asians in Kenya, our great grandfathers crossed the Indian Ocean in dhows at the turn of the 20th Century in search of new opportunities. Three generations later, South Asians who settled initially in East Africa can be found in every corner of the world. With little or no connection to India, East Africa and in the case of my family, our roots are in Kenya.
My father chose to stay on. Many of his brothers settled in the UK and his oldest brother went as far as Australia. My grandmother was born in Kisumu, settled in Kitale where she married my grandfather and eventually emigrated to the UK.
When she passed away, her sons brought her back to her motherland by taking her ashes to India where they were spread across the Ganges. But she was more Kenyan than anything else, hence, my mother and father suggested that a school should be built in her name.

As the founder of Ladies in Action, my mother was keen that her memory should be marked through life and what better way to do it than provide a space for children to receive what they deserve.

The Pabari brothers and their one sister came together and funded the construction of an entire school on the outskirts of Kisumu. It's almost ready and and I know my grandmother would be smiling with joy, ear to ear...

In addition, students have been provided with decent school uniforms and all classrooms have been furbished with desks and chairs. Sue Deans, our partner who runs the Kisumu Orphans Education Fund and was instrumental in helping us with the post election crises appeal and support also contributed £2,500. Thank you Sue...


It was my father's sixtieth birthday the other day. He retured just before christmas last year which was days before the country exploded with senseless violence due to the elections. He has since dedicated his time to charity and him and my mother now run Ladies in Action with the assitance of volunteers like Tobias and Ren and support from well wishers all over the world. For his birthday, he planted 300 trees at the school. I am truly proud to be a Pabari...

Truth Be Told...

Truth Be Told This Cabinet is Bad news for Kenya - Quite apart from who is in it.
By Mwalimu Mati
Mars Group Kenya

In 2007, the Kenya National Budget was set at about Ksh 700 billion (about USD 10.7 billion). Of this amount, the Government has to make loan repayments and pension payments (for retired civil servants) to the tune of Ksh 141 billion (or USD 2.1 billion). Of the remaining Ksh 559 billion (USD 8.6 billion), the Government planned to spend Ksh 300 billion (USD 4.6 billion) on running 34 Ministries.

After catering for Government's running costs (salaries, equipment, furniture both office and household), there is only Ksh 260 billion (or USD 4 billion) for Development Expenditure available. However not all this money comes from the Government. In fact it borrows about Ksh 52 billion (or USD 800 million) for building roads, improving infrastructure, providing health and education services etc… from international donors. In the past the Government has misused loans and left Kenyans to repay.

At the end, only Ksh 200 billion (USD 3.2 billion) will remain for spending on the people of Kenya - the majority of whom live below the poverty line. Now that the Cabinet has been increased to 43, the Government must spend more. Back of the Envelope Calculations say that the average recurrent cost of running a Ministry is Ksh 8.8 billion – or USD 130million. Therefore 9 new Ministries would cost 9 times Ksh 8.8 billion equivalent to Ksh 79.2 billion or USD 1.2 billion. This increase wipes out the Ksh 50 billion, the Ministry of Finance will raise from selling some of its Safaricom shares.
The money for the new Ministries will, of necessity, be deducted from the Ksh 200 billion development budget (USD 3.2 billion). So at the end of the day, having 43 Ministries means that Kenyans are not likely to have more than Ksh 130 billion (USD 2billion) spent on them for Education, Health, Road Construction and Water to take a few examples of what Government is meant to actually be doing to develop Kenya.

It is tragic that a 43 member Cabinet means that Kenyans will expect only about 19% of the Ksh 700 billion national budget to be spent on developing the country. It appears as if the GOK has ceased to have a development function and exists only to tax Kenyans, and spend taxpayer's money on GOK recurrent costs (salaries, loans and pensions).

What will those who pay for all this (taxpayers and donors) have to say to this economic mismanagement knowing that Kenyans:

- live with inflation above 20%

- want an end to the sad situation whereby well over 150,000 IDPs live in tents (supported by the Red Cross – not the GOK)

- will soon suffer from food shortages this year and have to rely on charity

- thought that the National Accord was intended to facilitate relief to the poorest and worst off – and not to construct a bloated government

- have heard that the Government has asked donors for Ksh 31 billion (USD 476 million) to resettle the IDPs, because the GOK is unable to raise this amount from its own resources.

And to cap it all, Parliament will now have to scrutinise the budget for this leviathan Grand Coalition with only 129 MPs not in Government. Last year over 36 vote heads were guillotined, and passed unscrutinised, for lack of debating time. This included the budget for the Ministry of Finance, which prepared the budget for 2007, and suspiciously doubled its own budget. The death knell is being sounded for parliamentary check on executive authority.

Finally, are the Kenyan people architects of their own misfortune, or victims of rapacity in the political elite?

Truth Be Told This Cabinet is Bad news for Kenya - Quite apart from who is in it.

Mwalimu Mati

www.marsgroupkenya.org

watching out for you

The Grand Collusion (a la Gado)

What else is there to say...

Haki Yetu

Your Greed is Obscene. Shame on You.

The National Civil Society Congress (NCSC),

Kenyans for Peace with Truth and Justice (KPTJ) and

The Movement for Political Accountability (MOPA):

Mr. Kibaki and Mr, Odinga:

As Kenyans, we gave our mandate to ONE of you to govern this country for the next five years. However, the OTHER one of you attempted to STEAL this mandate. Massive and brutal repression of protests ensued. Hundreds of lives were lost. Hundreds of thousands of Kenyans were displaced. They remain so to this day. To prevent further killing and disruption of lives, Kenyans accepted the imperfect but timely solution offered by the mediation process. This gave you both a LIMITED AND TRANSITIONAL mandate for reform, reconciliation, and reconstruction. However, we now see politicians misusing the crisis to create illegitimate sinecures at our expense.

THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE.

SHAME ON YOU BOTH.

We emphasise the following points:

1. Kenyans reject blackmail: We will not allow Mr.Kibaki and Mr.Odinga to mobilize the political class to black mail us. There is an unstated threat that if Kenyans do not accept the greed of the ruling class, then the country will once again be allowed to descend into anarchy. This is our country. We will not allow politicians to blackmail us.

The overwhelming majority of Kenyans want NO MORE THAN 24 MINISTERS. Some have endured tear gas for this demand.

94% of Kenyans reject the appointment of corrupt officials and urge vetting of prospective appointments.

We urge all MPs with a conscience to join tax payers in rejecting the blackmail.

The time has come for a TOTAL RENEWAL OF LEADERSHIP and for the people's voice to be heard and respected.

2. Kenyans reject impunity: We note the attempts to entrench impunity in this country by the current elected officials.. It is now clear that the ruling class in Kenya has solidified to the point where politicians think that they have a right to rule, even without our consent.

3. Kenyans reject the abuse of public office by politicians: In the democracy we are building in Kenya, we, the people, are the masters. Elected politicians and public officials are the servants. Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga have negated this fundamental principle. They want to bully Kenyans to accept servanthood. We reject this subversion of our sovereignty.

4. Kenyans will not pay for the greed of the political class: 21 million Kenyans live on less than Kshs. 60 a day. Inflation has hit the 21% mark and is still rising. The cost of unga, kerosene, petrol, fares, house rent, milk and sugar has already risen beyond the means of the masses of Kenya. To alleviate this situation, we propose that;

- All MPs pay taxes, like other Kenyans

- VAT be reduced to 4-5% on food and consumer goods, like cooking oil, petrol and kerosene

- The lower limit for taxable income be raised to Kshs. 20,000

- MP salaries be cut from Ksh. 800,000 to Kshs. 400,000

- The number of Ministers be fixed at a maximum of 24, but ideally, less

- Only one Deputy minister, with a clear job description, be assigned to each ministry

A cabinet fixed at a maximum of 24 accommodates the need for political negotiations in the post-election crisis. It is an EMERGENCY TRANSITIONAL measure. As an urgent measure of Constitutional reform, Parliament must establish a lean cabinet with defined portfolios in keeping with Section 16 of the Constitution.

Mr. Kibaki, Mr. Odinga:

The people of Kenya will not be blackmailed, bullied, or looted, by you and your political allies. For you to build wealth and political power on the bodies of over a thousand Kenyans killed, on the suffering of half-a-million Kenyans who are refugees in their own country, is an obscenity that beggars description.

We, the people of Kenya, will use every peaceful and democratic means available to us to build the Kenya that so many have suffered and died for. Our first steps in a sustained ongoing campaign of pressure:

1) We will petition all international donors, and the international community, to withhold every form of non-humanitarian aid to Kenya

2) We will create platforms and forums for Kenyans to have the substantive debate they should have had at Independence on the number and portfolios of ministries Kenya really needs. They were deprived of this debate by the greed of politicians.

3) We will launch a national and international sms and mail campaign, for Kenyans and friends of Kenya to say directly to every parliamentarian:

YOUR GREED IS OBSCENE. SHAME ON YOU.

KIBAKI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES!

KIBAKI BABA AND THE FORTY THIEVES!

GRAND COALITION EXPOSES ITS TRUE COLOURS

IN SCANDALOUS CABINET FORMATION

THE KENYAN NATION EXPRESSES SHOCK AND DISMAY

THE DEVILS ON THE CROSS WILL RESURRECT ON SUNDAY

(Coined by a fellow activist, Zahid Rajan)

Tales of an (ex) Nairobian Ostrich

Prior to the 2007 elections I was quite comfortable in my bubble of “ Kenya is a beautiful country”. Sure the roads were a mess and the electricity supply erratic – but hey, there aren’t many other cities in which all you need is half an hour and a good tent to be in the middle of paradise! Besides, I could always get rid of any frustrations I might have through a good long complaining session over a fine glass of wine at dinner!!

And then – my bubble burst and I found myself feeling quite naked and infuriated in my awakening.

Which is how I came to be staring up at a tear gas cannister this morning (but only for an umph of a second)!

Democracy you say? Your electorate takes responsibility for how this country is governed and speaks to you. Your response? Tear Gas?? Well – I suppose we ought to thank you for it as you put us on the front page of the news! But the only suitable response is “shame on you”! And really – what is your message exactly? That you don’t agree with the call for a leaner, more efficient Cabinet…or…you don’t agree that we should start re-channeling our resources away from lining the mansions of a very few to…well…perhaps the IDPs or the impending famine…or maybe even the security…roads…Or perhaps – you simply don’t like the tree that our Nobel Prize Winner planted? Oh …I know – you’ve got an endless suppy of tear gas cannisters that you simply must use before they expire. Yes. That surely must be it.

And to the trigger & rungu happy Police. Did it occur to you that we might actually be on the same side? I understand that your lives must be miserable…. Earn very little in order to terrorize and be terrorized by the Wananchi….but stop…listen. The Wananchi are calling for more funds for security…believe or not – that means You!

And to the rest of ye Ostriches…come out of your middle class bubbles….Surely even you can see the futility of an educated discourse in the safety of your homes…

Don’t you think it’s time we gave back to Kenya a little of what she’s given us?

Mine Pabari - An (un) Usual Suspect

(Photos courtesy of Georgina Goodwin)