Putting Lipstick on a Pig...

Latest Partnership for Change publication is out and a must read and share...the horror has not stopped...

Click on the image below to download full publication of visit the Partnership for Change website HERE

The new MARS Group Portal

As one person remarked, the government now, "know's they're more closely scrutinised by one small organisation than by an entire parliament (not to mention an entire chain of Treasury officials)..."

The homework has been done now it's time for the rest of us to rise up to the challenge...

Let the looting go on!

Looting the Budget – Ksh 9.6 Billion Missing, and the fraudulent unjustifiable approval of an amount of kshs 26.7Billion from the Supplementary estimates of Recurrent Expenditure of the Government of Kenya for the year 2008/2009

May 5th, 2009 by Mars Group Kenya

This afternoon Gitobu Imanyara, MP, will request for a statement from the Minister of Finance regarding glaring discrepancies in the documents presented to Parliament for approval of the Supplementary Budget last week.

Mars Group Analysis of the Supplementary Budget and comparison of figures within the Approved National Budget show systematic differences which caused Parliament to vote additional funds to the Government when additional funds were not necessary as Parliament had approved the expenditure in June last year.

Click HERE to read the rest...

Call to Action!

Budget Campaign 2009: Walking the talk, the Citizens of the Republic of Kenya take charge and ask the Friends of Kenya to join hands to save Agenda 4 of the National Accord; This is a Call to Action by the Partnership for Change

Apr 17th, 2009 by Mars Group Kenya

Following the political and economic crisis triggered by the disputed announcement of the election of President Kibaki for a second term on December 30th 2007, it was hoped that Parliament would have used the opportunity presented by the National consensus on Agenda 4 to appropriate tax money for the benefit of the poorest of the poor and curb wasteful expenditure by the Government. The 10th Parliament’s first two sessions have been a disappointment and unless public pressure is brought to bear the third session threatens to be a repeat. Rather than using the parliamentary recess to promote national cohesion and consultations on necessary reform such as national budget realignment, MPs have spent the period heightening tensions amongst the population, and raising possibility of political and ethnic conflict.

Click HERE to read more...

Anglo...lease....fleece...freeze

The global economic meltdown is obviously beginning to threaten the snow on the Swiss Alps and has got this little "neutral" country swinging into action. "The era of banking secrecy is over..." say the big fish at G2O...

The US is turning up every stone in search of loose change and scripting new Hollywood blockbusters is well underway following the recent arrests of two bankers from the world's largest manager of private wealth by assets: UBS

So justice is indeed poetic if not pro-active and this change in global climate is turning the heat up a few notches even in downtown Nairobi. Guess who's loot just got frozen?

Ours!

Alas, we have more to offer the world than just hard cash: Kwani taught us How to Write About Africa very well and now we can tax lyrical too: "The veil on the shadowy figures behind the Anglo Leasing..."


Too well in fact. And now it's not just all the metaphors that are turned upright. Figuratively speaking: one + one DOES NOT = two (anymore)...

Interested to know how it all really works? Then you have to learn how to creatively deconstruct non-fiction. I admit: I am one of those stupid is as stupid does kinda guys but I am learning which piece of chocolate to pick...

Lesson No. 1: Spot the difference...

Click on image to enter...

Say NO to more government debt!

Whilst they refuse to pay taxes and some demand an increase in pay, they are begging for more loans...

Click on the image below to read the Open Letter from the Partnership for Change to the International Monetary Fund on the Loan Request by our government for One Hundred Million Dollars...


You can download a pdf copy of this HERE. Please try and circulate this far and wide to the international community through your own networks. We must not allow them to fill the coffers with borrowed money when we all know why the coffers are empty...

Why the government is broke

It's pretty obvious to most of us that Kenya's so-called government is broke because they ate it all amongst themselves in tax free salaries, flowers for their offices, holidays for their wives and mistresses and billions of shillings in ostentatious cars...but for those of you who would like a little extra reading and even more proof in just how this happened, the MARS Group as always go through lengthy and necessary research to show us Kenyans that we are getting screwed.

Click on image below for the erudite facts and
WAKE UP KENYA before its too late...

Coming Soon...

Click on image to view table of content

If you would like to place your order for this special edition of Wajibu Magazine, email dpinkenya (at) yahoo (dot) co (dot) uk

Video Confession by Kenyan Police Officer

Click on image to watch.

A video confession by a Kenyan Police Officer who witnessed extra-judicial killings of 58 suspects by his colleagues under orders from their superiors. The confession was taken by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights on June 25th 2008. The officer, Bernard Kiriinya was shot dead in Nairobi on October 16th 2008. He was 43 years old. He was killed when he was out to move his family.

RIP Kenya...Rest in Peace Kenya...

Click on image from MARS Group to read full statement and more on the sorry state of Kenya...

RIP Kenya... Rest in Peace...

Open letter to the Nation and the Standard

Dear Managing Directors of the Nation and the Standard,

As one amongst millions of Kenyans that support your business, I am rather disappointed in you. Actually, I am disgusted. I know that in the past you have often submitted to eating a piece of the stolen pie but I was under the impression that it was all over after you realised that those strange feelings of guilt and sleepless nights caused by your willingness to give money precedence of morality were just not worth it. Correct me if I am wrong but the real wake up call came when your so-called friends decided to put you in your place and legitimize their right to raid your offices and put a whole in your business - yes, yes, that bit of paper called the ICT Bill.
Do you remember how angered you were by it? But do you also remember who stood by you? Allow me to jolt your memory:

I would like to draw your attention to the tshirts those very brave chaps are wearing. I am sure you will recall where they came from and what it was all about but in case you don't, they are part of a campaign launched by a handful of very tired Kenyans. Tired of our money being stolen by politicians, tired of waiting for justice, tired of watching criminals walk scot free, tired of Kenyans facing starvation, tired of poverty, corruption, judicial incompetence, violence...the list is endless.

You will recall that it so turned out that the government decided to put a sock in your mouth around the same time that Kenyans were being arrested for wearing those tshirts and we all took to the streets in solidarity. We were all tired together and we all wore those silly tshirts and shouted, "Freedom" together. Remember scenes like these:

Forgive the long winded narrative but I have learnt that our memories are notoriously short. I will need to jolt your mind and take you back a little bit further. You might recall that in the Sunday Nation Publication Date: 2007/05/27, you published an article entitled, "Vexing Matter of Promissory Notes" in which you stated the following:

"The Sunday Nation would like to place on the public record its strong objection to the conduct of the Treasury regarding the promissory notes corruptly issued to suspect security contractors. The statements made by Treasury officials thus far show that it is either trying to play Kenyans for fools or is unsure about what it is doing, or probably both...."

That was a long long time ago and far too complicated for me but from what I understand, the government stole lots of our money (they called in Anglo-leasing), got caught with lots of dollar bills stuffed in their underwear and now they are refusing to give it back. Fortunately, there a few people in this country who have much better memories than me and you so have been causing Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta and his cronies a bit of a headache which I am sure you are very pleased about but then instead of getting your black t-shirt out and taking to the streets like the good protectors of freedom of speech and freedom from impunity, you went and did this:

Click on image to read full press release
Click HERE to read something with substance

Did you actually read what you printed? How much did they pay you to print this garbage? Did you ask us if we thought this was a good use of our tax? Did you ask your wife and kids what they thought? Or is this your idea of a clever little way to get some of your tax back from the thieves. Come on man!

I know, I know, what you will say. "We are the media and everyone has a right to say what they want to say. Even criminals have a right to defend themselves." Sorry, but when you throw things like morals and values and ethics (all those things our mother's taught us and we conveniently forgot), this argument does not hold any ground. The least those bureaucrats could have done if they felt they had to respond is to use our hard earned money to print something with substance. Read it and read again. And it has appeared at least three times in your papers. I know for a fact that has cost us several hundred thousand shillings!

Shame on you Mr. Managing Directors of our newspapers. Shame on you! You gave us the impression that you will no longer accept to be paid legitmately or through kick-backs to front criminals. And what have you done? If we can't trust the government, and we can't trust our parliamentarians and we can't trust the media, who then shall we trust? You tell me.

GRAND FAILURE

Click on image to download full publication

We Won't Pay...

Click on image to read more

TAX ALL OR NOT AT ALL

Do Kenyans really understand where their taxes go? Do we know why we are led by a bunch of begging millionaires? Click on the image below to watch the video. KNOW WHERE YOUR TAXES GO AND THEN ASK YOURSELF WHETHER YOU SHOULD BE PAYING AND WHAT FOR?

If you can read this, then you can help

The bottomline is that all this blogging and all this screaming and shouting within our own incestuous little upper-class circles does nothing for anyone. We need to take this one step further.

Most Kenyans have no idea what the government is really up to, where money goes to, why they are so poor. So let's do our little bit to take this one step further. The Partnership for Change is distributing thousands of informative and factual newspapers for free across the country. All I ask is you download a copy of this, print it out and give it to one person who does not have the same luxury of reading online as we do. It can be your househelp, the nightguard, the manamba or driver on your regular matatu, anyone!

Click on the image below to download a copy of the newspaper.

And PLEASE NOTE: I don't work for the Partnership for Change; I don't work for MARS Group, I don't work for any institutional civil society movement before anyone thinks I am downloading my Terms of Reference on to you. I am doing this because I am a Kenyan who does not share the same values that our politicians do. And I know there are many out there. So let's just do what we can...

In the name of...tshirts...and teargas...

Our struggle with stupidity goes on...

Updates on a government scared of tshirts...

Via Bunge La Mwananchi:

Police bar civil society and media from visiting Frederick Odhiambo:

By way of update - when a number of Bunge la Mwananchi members, accompanied by the press, attempted to visit Frederick Odhiambo earlier this morning at the Nairobi Women's Hospital, we were barred from seeing him by the police who are guarding him. As I write, we have still not been able to see Odhiambo. This is an apt example of the rampant government heavy handedness that Kenyans have had enough of.

The policemen guarding him have informed us that they are under strict instructions not to allow anyone, especially the press, to visit him. We have further been told that we must have permission from "the police officer", although they will not clearly say who this police officer is.

We are still making attempts to get in and see him and once we are successful, I will update you on how he is faring.

Thank you all for your continued support as Kenyans continue to join in solidarity in fighting against high food and basic commodity prices, high fuel prices, the MPs resistance to pay tax and the general culture of impunity of the political elite, including attempting to muzzle the freedom of information through the Media Bill.

Latest update: Mwalimu and Mrs Mati released from Langata police station:

Thanks to people power, Mwalimu Mati and his wife have just been released from the Langata police station. They have been released pending investigations since the police did not have adequate evidence to charge them with incitement. Thank you for everyone who lobbied for and kept vigil until their release.

In the meantime, we have still not been able to visit Frederick Odhiambo who is under tight secuity at the Nairobi Women's Hospital where he was admitted yesterday following police brutality inflicted upon him at the time of his arrest. I urge you to continue lobbying with Bunge la Mwananchi for access to and subsequently the immediate release of Mr Odhiambo from police custody.

Kenyans have been empowered to recognise their rights and freedoms of conscience, thought and information. We shall not be cowered by police heavy handedness and brutality and will not let up until we have the Kenya that Kenyans want. Let us remain bold to condemn any segregation of Kenyans by the political elite. Let us remain resolute to fight impunity. Let us keep up the people power that we have had all along and must exercise for ours and our children's welfare.

In solidarity,

Bunge la Mwananchi

URGENT: appeal for release of Mwalimu Mati and others

From members of Kenya for Peace, Truth and Justice:

As you know, many were detained yesterday following attempts to peacefully protest during Jamhouri Day celebrations.

Most of those detained have since been released.

However:

1. Mwalimu Mati of the Media Analysis and Research Services (MARS) Group and his wife Jane remain in custody at Langata Police Station Nairobi...they have not yet been charged (at which point they could apply for bail) more than 24 hours after their detention...we are deeply concerned that the intent is to hold them for no apparent purpose up to the maximum of 48 hours.

2. Fred Odhiambo of Bunge la Wananchi was just brought to Langata Police Station from Nyayo Stadium, where he'd been detained overnight. He has been badly beaten and has just been moved to Nairobi Women's Hospital for treatment, still in detention.

3. Four colleagues in Garissa remain in detention for simply trying to present the Provincial Commissioner with a memorandum.

Please:

1. Use any influence you have in government to demand all's unconditional release...the rights to the freedoms of assembly and expression have been violated by their continued detention;
2. Focus attention on the Commissioner of Police, where the directive for their contined detention seems to be coming from;
3. Focus attention on the President and Prime Minister for having utterly failed to demonstrate enlightened leadership during yesterday's events;
4. Ensure this sad story gets to the media, here and elsewhere as well as to any and all diplomatic contacts we have.

Click HERE to read the full statement from the Partnership for Change

Arrested for wearing a tshirt!

I PLEDGE TO WEAR THIS TSHIRT EVERY DAY UNTIL THE MPS ADMIT THEY HAVE RAPED OUR COUNTRY - SUKUMA KENYA

Breaking news from Bunge La Mwananchi: Caroline Mutoko, Mwalimu Mati, 60 others arrested at Nyayo Stadium

Caroline Mutoko of Kiss FM and Mwalimu Mati of Mars Group Kenya have this morning been arrested at the Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi. The two have been taken to the Langata police station. 60 other Kenyans are also being bundled into waiting police vehicles and it appears that it is planned to distribute those arrested in various police stations across the city. The 62 are part of a larger group of Kenyans that had gone to attend the national event at the Nyayo National Stadium as we mark Jamhuri Day today and use the forum to address our leaders, making the Kenyan citizen’s grievances heard. They were all wearing black T Shirts with the message “No Tax for MPs, No Tax for Us” which is part of the campaign being run in conjunction with Kenyans who care and university students to protest against MPs refusal to pay tax. Picture taken by Mentalacrobatics. More pics available HERE The black T Shirt campaign forms part of a larger campaign where Kenyans have over the past few days held demonstrations, rallies, boycotts as they are protesting against the ongoing food crisis, the escalating prices of basic commodities, the high price of fuel and the MPs culture of impunity. The urgent help required is: legal representation, cash bail for each person arrested, tracing and visiting all the arrested at the various police stations where they have been taken, lobbying for their immediate release, and any other help you are able to render. Let us all join together to keep up the pressure against the culture of impunity in Kenya and protect our hard earned rights that were so valiantly fought for by our independence heroes. Together in solidarity, Bunge la Mwananchi

Enough is Enough!

The MARS Group have been working relentlessy to bring out the buried facts of corruption, greed, theft - not that we need any more convincing that Kenya has been hijacked by a thieves. Click on the image below to watch the documentaries and promos. Spread the word and write to MARS Group if you would like a copy of all the videos. Help get them out to your neighbourhood...