Fight for power takes new forms as Kenyan elections approach - report from Reuters today about Kisumu.

A crowd of elated young men danced outside the market in Kenya’s southern Kisumu city, waving the crisp new 200 shilling ($2) notes that a local politician was distributing from behind a dusty speaker that pounded out music. Shoppers paid scant attention. Cash handouts are common during African elections; in Kenya, the devolution of power to 47 counties has made them ubiquitous in the run up to polls for president, parliament and counties due on Aug 8.

The counties, which manage local infrastructure, were introduced five years ago after a government-appointed international commission concluded power was too centralized in the country and partly to blame for violence that killed 1,200 people and crippled the economy following elections in 2007. The process has been backed by international loans as a way to spread democracy and accountability within a vital Western ally. But devolution has also fuelled local corruption, officials and transparency campaigners say, and with it the prospect of more localized violence come election time. The prize of county budgets worth billions of shillings mean this month's party primaries for the county elections are hard-fought. Candidates often got into debt to try to buy votes, counting on future riches once in office.

Clashes have already broken out, and violent elections could threaten stability in a country that borders two others in turmoil: Somalia and South Sudan.

The interior ministry said on Monday that politically instigated violence had been recorded in 12 counties so far. "Politicians and their supporters have engaged in acts of violence, destroying property and creating disturbance in polling stations," it said. At least 14 civilians and four policemen have been killed in the drought-hit northern Laikipia region. A local politician is charged with inciting violence and arson after invasions of private land by cattle-herders and a spate of attacks on farmers and owners of safari parks.

Kenya's ruling coalition annulled 21 county primaries held on Friday amid widespread anger over shortages of voting materials. It began rerunning them on Monday. The opposition will also rerun some primaries after allegations of rigging.

Rose Onyango, who was selling dried fish in the market near the rally in Kisumu last week, said three members of the county assembly and two aspiring governors had given out cash in the market over the past few days, hoping to win votes. “We just had a woman aspirant an hour ago but she gave it to someone to distribute," the 24-year-old said. "The crowd tore her clothes and the money was splashed everywhere.”

Kenyans are haunted by the disputed 2007 presidential poll. Dozens of men, women and children were burned alive in a church. Others were hunted down by machete-wielding gangs during the widespread ethnic violence that followed. More than half a million people fled their homes. Some never returned. Protests also broke out after elections in 2013, but they were much smaller. A case at the International Criminal Court against powerful politicians, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, helped dampen violence.

That case has now collapsed. Kenyatta is running for a second term and his old nemesis Raila Odinga is building an opposition alliance. Odinga has said mass protests are possible if elections are rigged. But this time it is not winner-takes-all. Devolution is designed, in part, to ensure there will be many winners. "Devolution can defuse massive violence, although it can intensify it in individual counties," said Titus Ogalo, head of the local anti-corruption Transparency International chapter. "People feel, 'Even if we lose the presidency, we have something to fight for at the local level'." The counties get around 20 percent of national revenues. They can also raise local taxes. In return, they must provide most health facilities, preschools, and local infrastructure. Halakhe Waqo, CEO of the government-run Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, said mismanagement is rife. "Every procurement process is a problem. Funds are given to relatives, contracts are given to relatives and tribesmen,” he said.

Kisumu, Kenya’s third-largest city perched on the green shores of Lake Victoria, is Odinga’s stronghold, dominated by his Luo ethnic group. Residents complain the central government has neglected them for decades. The port is choked by water hyacinth, stranding sun-bleached boats at the docks. The rusting railway has not seen a train for years, and the new international airport has no international flights. Football authorities have stopped holding international matches at the city's stadium because of a rubbish dump nearby.

Reuters interviewed more than two dozen voters: all supported devolution as a way of wresting power and resources from the central government. Many also complained that Kenya's powerful Kikuyu tribe dominates that central government. Devolution, some said, was already helping. Kisumu boasts a few new street lights, freshly erected cement market stalls, gravelled roads and newly painted clinics. Governor Jack Ranguma said he had given 530 schoolchildren bursaries and started a free ambulance service. "I have many top achievements," he said. "The investment in medicine and the investment in physical infrastructure is huge … but a lot of money still remains with national government. That’s a serious challenge that we have."

Asked about vote buying, Ochien'g Obiero Philip, the governor's director of political affairs, said many voters would not show up unless they received a cash payment. "It's something that the voters expect," he said. "It is one of the challenges of democracy in Kenya. People expect handouts to be motivated to vote. It is widespread and the legal framework has never acted on it so it's a loophole."

Some Kisumu residents said construction was sometimes shoddy or projects sat unused, like the padlocked new clinic at Dunga beach where goats lounge on the porch. Ranguma said there was no money for staff. Locals said the contractor locked the clinic because he was not paid. "Devolution has failed here because we have had bad leaders. Many just want the money," said a doctor in the county hospital. He declined to be named for fear of repercussions. Hotel receptionist Victoria Ochieng disagreed. "Do you think those people in Nairobi will do better?" she asked. "We used to have one president and now we have 47. The governor is our president ... At least we can see him and make a request." Each governor makes around 14,000,000 shillings per year ($135,000), including perks, according to the International Budget Partnership (IBP), a global organization that works with civil society groups to analyse budgets in developing countries.  A regular member of the county assembly makes about a third of that, still a premium on the average annual salary in Kenya of 134,000 shillings ($1,300). Officials justify the salaries by saying constituents often seek funds for events like funerals. Many local legislators also take hefty travelling allowances; Kisumu's lawmakers have travelled to Singapore and Dubai, among other places. Ranguma said they were learning about agriculture and devolution.

Waqo from the anti-corruption authority said it has charged more than 300 officials from various counties and is investigating more than 40 of the 47 governors. Charges have been brought against six. After the counties got power and money, many feared violence could follow. "The governors are mini-presidents and those who have muscle or money have the advantage over those with a reputation for integrity," said Kisumu political activist George Ogada. "If the situation does not favour them, then they would prefer to disrupt the election."

Contestants in party primaries are already accusing rivals publicly of rigging. "It starts as propaganda, then it takes on its own life. Each camp prepares to counter the other," Ogada said. "There is a lot of hatred between the candidates."

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It is not my intention to make this blog into a political commentary blog, but I get news from Reuters and the Kenyan Daily Nation most days, which shows me that my feelings of unease before I left  Kenya in March were correct.   I really do fear for the future of this beautiful country that holds my heart; it seems to be on a path of self-destruction.  

Kuki Gallmann shot in Laikipia.

Report from Reuters, 23rd April, 2017

Gunmen wounded Italian-born conservationist Kuki Gallmann at her conservation park on Sunday in the latest of a string of attacks during land invasions in drought-stricken northern Kenya, which residents say are intensifying as August polls approach.

The 73-year-old author of the memoir "I Dreamed of Africa" was shot in the stomach after the vehicle she was driving in was ambushed by a group of gunmen, a family friend said.   She was going to inspect fresh damage to her property after invaders burned down a retreat there on Saturday. A luxury hotel there had already been burnt down last month.

She was ambushed when she was forced to stop by a tree laid across the track, the friend said. The gunmen shot her, but Gallmann was saved when rangers from the Kenya Wildlife Service intervened and fought off the attackers.

Gallmann was first flown to a hospital in the nearby town of Nanyuki to be stabilized. British military medics accompanied her on another helicopter to receive surgery at a hospital in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, a friend said.   Kuki's daughter Sveva -- who herself was shot at in an incident in March -- said that her mother was able to speak.

The Gallmann family own the 100,000-acre (400 square km) Laikipia Nature Conservancy and employ 250 Kenyans on the luxury lodges, ranch, and other businesses on the land.

They also run the Gallmann Africa Conservancy and Gallmann Memorial Foundation, conservation groups focusing on bringing people and wildlife together sustainably.

A wave of violence has hit Kenya's drought-stricken Laikipia region in recent months as armed cattle-herders searching for scarce grazing land have driven tens of thousands of cattle onto private farms and ranches from poor quality communal land.

Many residents of the area accuse local politicians of inciting the violence ahead of the August elections. They say the men are trying to drive out voters who might oppose them and win votes by promising supporters access to private land.

National police spokesman George Kinoti said a local politician was already facing court charges for inciting violence and arson in the area.

"We also wish to caution certain politicians to refrain from making statements that amount to encouraging ranch invasion," he said in a statement.

At least 14 civilians have been killed, including local resident Duncan Murimi, who was shot in the stomach by militias and who died three days ago on a neighboring property. Another Kenyan, Ethaju Eloto, was killed 10 days ago in the same area.  Last month, Tristan Voorspuy, a British military veteran who ran a safari company in Kenya, was shot dead at a private ranch in Laikipia after he went to inspect the remains of a friend's home that had been burnt down.  Laikipia county police commander Ezekial Chepkwony said four policeman had also been killed in a week in the area.

Martin Evans, head of the Laikipia Farmers' Association, condemned the attack on Gallmann and said "dozens of people have been killed or wounded and subjected to robbery and vandalism of their property. Kuki is a world famous author and conservationist -- but the LFA urges sympathy for all."

Raila Odinga, the country's veteran opposition leader, also condemned the attack and said "we have watched in bewilderment as hooligans take advantage of the drought to subject these ranchers to unwarranted attacks ... the government is clearly unable or unwilling to bring these attacks to a stop."

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Kuki Gallmann - such a tragic family - her husband Paulo was killed in a car crash, and their son Emanuele died from a puff adder bite a year or so later.   I briefly met her in the 1970's at a friends house - a very bubbley expressive Italian lady, enthusiastic about Africa and its peoples and wildlife.

The election chaos starting ...........

(From BBC  Africa news)

Kenya election: Kenyatta blames primaries chaos on turnout

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta has blamed huge voter turnout for the chaos at his party's primaries on Friday, which led to them being cancelled.

In many areas across the country, there were delays, with some skirmishes also reported as contestants accused their opponents of rigging.

Mr Kenyatta admitted to reporters that not enough election materials had been provided.

The primaries are in preparation for August's national poll.

The election will take place nearly a decade after disputed election results fuelled violence that left more than 1,000 dead and 500,000 displaced.

However elections in 2013 passed off relatively peacefully.  

Mr Kenyatta said his Jubilee Party had underestimated the number of people who would turn out for the nominations.

"Let us avoid pointing fingers," he said in a series of tweets.

Image copyright@JUBILEEPARTYK

Mr Kenyatta called on voters and contestants to be patient as the party prepared to repeat the vote in the affected areas.

The Jubilee party was holding primaries in 21 out of the 47 counties on Friday, most of them party strongholds.

Nominations in the capital Nairobi had already been pushed back to Monday. The remaining counties will nominate their candidates on Tuesday.

Parties must hold their primaries by Wednesday, the election authorities have said.

Last week, similar polls for the opposition Orange Democratic Movement led by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga witnessed violence, particularly in the western Kenya region.

Mr Kenyatta is seeking a second term in office.

He is being opposed by a coalition of opposition parties known as the National Super Alliance, which is expected to announce its presidential candidate next week.

Update from Kisumu on Sylvanus ... and about a Christmas pudding !

I hope all my friends who read this had a much blessed and happy Easter.  Χριστός Ανέστη !!

Over Easter I heard from Sr. Bernadette at Pandipieri; she says Sylvanus is visiting the clinic regularly for treatment for his leg ulcer, and that there is progress.   These things, especially in an older man, take a long time to heal, but its has stopped getting worse, which is good.   The money I left with her for his treatment is lasting out, but I'm now trying to raise a little more from friends and people at church, (even a pound or two will go a long way) as his treatment may continue for several months.  Bernadette is going to inform me of the safest way to send her money.   

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Yes, its a Christmas pudding !   Sitting in a puddle of brandy after the flames died down !   The last several visits, I have each time taken a pud out with me for the fathers at Mill Hill, and especially for Father Hans, who loves Christmas pud !   I gave it to them, suggesting that as it was Lent while I was there, that they should save it and eat it at Easter; intentions were good but the flesh was weak, and the fathers decided it would be best eaten on the day they celebrate the mass for St Joseph, 20th March, so Rachel in the kitchen was trusted with the job of steaming the pudding.   

Three of the fathers (two Dutch, one from Austria) tucking in .... 

... and Fr. Hans on his second helping !   

(He finished the left over pud the following day for breakfast !!)

Father Hans is reluctantly returning to Holland permanently at the end of April, as at the age of 88 and with his Parkinsons getting worse, he needs the (free) health care that is so much better in Holland.   He has been in Kenya working as a priest for more than 65 years, and it was his dearest wish to die there and be buried among 'his' people in the slums, but it is not to be, and as a missionary priest, who presumably has taken vows of obedience, he has to return to his native Holland.   He will live in the Mill Hill residential home near Oosterbeck, which Father Gerry retired to last year; Hans has a large family of nephews and nieces in Holland .... but not his African 'family'.   

I have promised to send a Christmas pudding to him in Holland for next Christmas.  And maybe visit Gerry and Hans ... I haven't been to Holland since I was in my 20's, so perhaps it is time for another visit !

Hans had previously given me copies of his two books; one about the origins of the Catholic church in western Kenya, and the other, 'Words of Passage' about the pilgrimage he made one year from his native Holland to Compostella and back again, on foot, to test out his new hip replacement ... he must have been over 70 at the time !   (I think he had actually done the pilgrimage before when in his 60's).   An incredible man ...........

The forty-ninth year ....

Its almost three weeks since I returned from Kisumu; I've been having long 'thinks' about the current political situation in Kenya; about the past and future of this wonderful country; how the ever-increasing population will be fed; will the elephants and other wildlife survive the poaching epidemic and the year long drought .... and so on.   I've also been fighting some mysterious gut infection and having various tests done.   

In addition, I've got many more photos to put on here .... 

My favourite 'bad taste' home furnishing street stall !

Frangipani flowers with their pure white waxy flowers and a wonderful scent. 

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So, politics !   There is to be a general election this year on 8th August, to appoint  the President and his deputy, members of Parliament (Senate and National Assembly) and devolved government members (county governors and ward representatives).  Kenya is in theory a democracy .... but corruption is rife; the newspapers state that politicians off-shore bank accounts are full of Kenya shillings.   I understand from the Daily Nation that hundreds of thousands of people haven't bothered to register to vote; a young man I was talking to in a Kisumu supermarket said there was no point in registering or voting .... like most of the population he knew who would win, and it wouldn't be anyone from western Kenya.   

Previous elections, pre-election campaigning and protests have ended in violence, thefts of property and hundreds of deaths, imprisonments and torture.   I myself unwittingly got caught this last visit on the periphery of a peaceful demonstration by people from the slums who were complaining about several days lack of water supply.  A peaceful group at the Water Office .... yet they were tear-gassed and driven away by police or the army .... I don't know which, as I was trying to escape but I caught some of the tear gas.   Not nice.    So you can imagine what might happen if it was an enthusiastic political rally.  

To quote an al Jazeera article from 2013:-

"There is no one single answer. Blaming the violence merely on blind tribalism is too simple. True, the historic social and economic divides between ethnic groups in this country did contribute to the brutality, but long-running frustration and disenchantment with political leadership undeniably played its part as well.

Between independence in the 1960s and the 2007 election, Kenya's constitution was amended around 30 times, each time bolstering the power of the presidency at the expense of the judicial and legislative branches of government, and, ultimately, at the expense of the Kenyan people.

By the mid-2000s, the national police force was widely viewed as corrupt, committing abuses with apparent impunity, journalists were frequently harassed, as were rights activists. Opposition rallies were banned - and extrajudicial killings appeared to be official policy."

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2013/03/201333123153703492.html

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Another photo, to restore my nerves to calm !

(P.S.   I'll explain the title of this posting another time !)