Peace for Kenia

Comment

Comment by Mohdhar on June 23, 2009 at 9:03am

Hello everybody,I was thrilled to find out that Kenya is represented here although we need more members and get healthy discussions.

Comment by vania on December 24, 2008 at 5:14am

is not a shame?? so much development..so much descovering ..we still like in stone time as a human bean..so much destroctions, crimilalitys...doing so much terible things only for ambition...to don´t let people living thay lifes the way that thay like better becouse is not as the same way that we pretend that is better?? why we don´t let people in peace.. the earth is so big ..have a pleace for ever one...shold be so great if every one start start to respect the the others as thay deserve.....and stop to took of the bllod needs in your soul?
is a shame that same people cold be more cruel them worse bacteria..

Comment by Daniela on October 2, 2008 at 1:09am

Comment by Daniela on October 2, 2008 at 12:39am

Comment by Daniela on September 30, 2008 at 9:29pm

Country profile: Kenya


Situated on the equator on Africa's east coast, Kenya has been described as "the cradle of humanity".

In the Great Rift Valley palaeontologists have discovered some of the earliest evidence of man's ancestors.

In the present day, Kenya's ethnic diversity has produced a vibrant culture but is also a source of conflict.



Overview
Overview Facts Leaders Media
After independence from Britain in 1963, politics was dominated by the charismatic Jomo Kenyatta. He was succeeded in 1978 by Daniel arap Moi, who remained in power for 24 years. The ruling Kenya African National Union, Kanu, was the only legal political party for much of the 1980s. AT-A-GLANCE

Politics: Presidential elections led to widespread unrest, denting the country's reputation for stability. A power-sharing government is now in place.
Economy: The economy has been recovering over recent years
International: Kenya has mediated in conflicts in Somalia and Sudan


Timeline

Violent unrest - and international pressure - led to the restoration of multi-party politics in the early 1990s. But it was to be another decade before opposition candidate Mwai Kibaki ended nearly 40 years of Kanu rule with his landslide victory in 2002's general election.

Despite President Kibaki's pledge to tackle corruption, some donors estimated that up to $1bn had been lost to graft between 2002 and 2005.

Other pressing challenges include high unemployment, crime and poverty; most Kenyans live below the poverty level of $1 a day. Droughts frequently put millions of people at risk.

Kenya has been a leading light in the Somali and Sudanese peace processes.

With its scenic beauty and abundant wildlife, Kenya is one of Africa's major safari destinations.

The lucrative tourist industry has bounced back following the slump that followed bomb attacks in Nairobi in 1998 and Mombasa in 2002. And in 2006 tourism was the country's best hard currency earner, ahead of horticulture and tea.

Facts


Full name: The Republic of Kenya
Population: 34.3 million (UN, 2005)
Capital: Nairobi
Area: 582,646 sq km (224,961 sq miles)
Major languages: Swahili, English
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 48 years (men), 46 years (women) (UN)
Monetary unit: 1 Kenya shilling = 100 cents
Main exports: Tea, coffee, horticultural products, petroleum products
GNI per capita: US $540 (World Bank, 2005)
Internet domain: .ke
International dialling code: +254


Leaders


President: Mwai Kibaki

Political veteran Mwai Kibaki entered into a power-sharing deal with rival Raila Odinga after they both claimed to have won the December 2007 presidential election.
Mwai Kibaki


Shortly after the election Mr Kibaki was sworn in for a second term in office, prompting a wave of unrest across the country.

Months of negotiations resulted in a coalition cabinet, which was sworn into office in April 2008.

Mr Kibaki first came to power when he won a landslide election victory in December 2002, promising to fight endemic corruption and to address Kenya's economic woes.

His election victory marked the end of almost 40 years of Kanu party rule, and it was third time lucky for Mr Kibaki, who lost two elections in the 1990s. The constitution barred his predecessor, Daniel arap Moi, from standing. Mr Kibaki's National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) won a parliamentary majority.

Economic recovery has accompanied Mr Kibaki's leadership. Economic growth in 2006 was 6.1%, compared with 0.6% when he took over.

But despite the tough talk about graft, his government has become mired in a major corruption scandal. Former and current ministers have been implicated in an alleged scam involving shadowy deals and large sums of public money.

The president was thwarted over another key policy when voters rejected a proposed new constitution in 2005. Mr Kibaki had portrayed it as modernising measure; critics said the charter left too much power in his hands.

A respected economist, Mwai Kibaki served as finance minister and vice president in the 1970s and 1980s. He left Kanu in 1991 and founded the Democratic Party.

Mwai Kibaki was born in 1931 and hails from Kenya's largest tribe, the Kikuyu. He studied in Uganda and Britain before joining the push for Kenya's independence in the 1960s. He became an MP in 1963.

Prime Minister: Raila Odinga

Opposition leader Raila Odinga was sworn in as prime minister in April 2008, fulfilling a key step in a power-sharing deal aimed at ending a violent political crisis.
Raila Odinga claimed the presidency, but in the end settled for new post of premier


Profile: Raila Odinga

More than 1,000 people died in fighting and 300,000 were displaced following the elections in the previous December which both Odinga and President Kibaki claimed to have won.

With the violence escalating, the rivals agreed in February to share power - but then wrangled for weeks over how to divide up their coalition cabinet.

Eventually 40 cabinet ministers took up their positions, 20 each from Kibaki's and Odinga's camps. Kibaki's party retained the key finance and internal security ministries.

Mr Odinga leads the Orange Democratic Movement.


Media

Kenya enjoys a more diverse media scene than many other African countries, with a large middle class providing a base for substantial advertising revenue. The Kibaki government came to power promising further media liberalisation, but some incidents since then have alarmed observers.

In 2003 there was a crackdown on unregistered newspapers. Months later, a court criticised the information minister for harassing popular private radio station Kiss FM. Then in March 2006 armed police, acting on government orders, stormed the offices and presses of the Standard media group.
Kenya has one of Africa's liveliest media landscapes


2008: Kenya's vibrant and critical media
2007: Kenya's media in gagged protest

Amid the violence that followed disputed elections in late 2007, the authorities imposed a ban some live broadcast output.

There is a tradition of a relatively independent press, although newspapers often had to practise self-censorship during the era of Presidents Kenyatta and Moi. The print media is dominated by two major publishing houses, the Nation and Standard, both of which also have substantial broadcasting operations.

Most Kenyans rely on the broadcast media, particularly radio, for news. Until recently the liberalisation of broadcasting had a limited impact outside Nairobi but some private radio and TV networks now have wide coverage of much of the country. TV viewing is substantial, but few Kenyans are regular internet users, owing to cost and access problems.

Full-time FM relays of the BBC World Service are on the air in Nairobi (93.9), Mombasa (93.9) and Kisumu (88.1), and some BBC programmes are also rebroadcast by private Kameme FM. The Voice of America has an FM relay in Nairobi and Radio France Internationale is relayed on FM in Mombasa.

The press


Daily Nation - published by the Nation Media Group, the paper claims to have three quarters of the Kenyan newspaper market. It is widely regarded as being independent and balanced
The Standard - privately-owned daily, and Kenya's oldest newspaper
East African - English-language weekly published by the Nation Media Group

Taifa Leo - Kenya's only Swahili-language daily, published by the Nation Media Group
Kenya Times - Kanu party paper, daily
The People Daily - owned by veteran politician Kenneth Matiba
Television


Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) - state-owned, channels in English and Swahili

Metro TV - KBC-operated Nairobi station targeting younger viewers

Kenya Television Network (KTN) - first TV station to break state broadcasting monopoly; available in Nairobi, Mombasa, Nakuru, Eldoret, Kisumu
NTV - Nairobi-based, operated by Nation Media Group
Citizen TV - privately-owned
Stella TV (STV) - privately-owned
Family TV - Christian
Radio


Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) - state-owned, services in English, Swahili and 15 other indigenous languages
Metro FM - national music-based station operated by KBC

Coro FM - KBC-operated Kikuyu-language station in Nairobi

Capital FM - private, music-based
East FM - private, targets Nairobi's Asian listeners

Easy FM - operated by Nation Media Group, relays in Nairobi, Eldoret, Kisumu, Mombasa, Nakuru, Nyeri
Kiss FM - private, music-based

Kameme FM - private, targets Kikuyu speakers in Nairobi and central highlands

Radio Citizen - private, also operates Kikuyu-language Inooro FM and Luo-language Radio Ramogi
Rehema Radio - private, Eldoret, programmes in Kalenjin
News agency


Kenya News Agency - state-owned, English-language

Comment by Maria on September 20, 2008 at 11:40am

Hi Hans,
I don't know in detail the problems from Kenia. I suspect are similar to the hole Afrika. I will make some researches and see what I find out of it.
Thank you for creating this Group.
Maria

Comment by Hans Mertens on September 19, 2008 at 9:52pm

Dear friends ,

Today I got another crie for peace from Kenia from sima Community Based Organization :
I want peace in Kenya
And as a Kenyan I have every right to ask for that.
And you Mr. President have the given duty
To ensure I get it.

I want peace in Kenya
Because you Mr. President are going to bed
Resting comfortably in my share of peace
While I cry, I grow angrier, I feel helpless
As I watch my mother, my brother, my grandmother
My cousin, my friend, my neighbor
Die, loose all and become
A people of despair
A people of rage
A people of hate
A people they are not!!!
I want peace!

I want peace,
Just as you do my friend.
Put down that Machete
Set aside the anger, the urge to violence
And let us take a moment to converse.
Sit with me my fellow Kenyan
Because you and I are Kenya.
You and I build this nation.
It is home.
It is our home,
It is our children’s home.
We have always wanted a fair, non-corrupt government
But not had the pleasure of experiencing it yet.
What we have had is lives of fellow Kenyans lost
For a cause our government has never delivered.
So tell me my friend,
Should the fight be against you and me,
Or us against the government?
For our rights,
For our toil,
For the lives of our fellow Kenyans!!!
So let us march down the streets of Kenya, UNITED
To the members of parliament
To Mr. Opposer
To Mr. president
And let them know,
We want PEACE! We want PEACE!

I want peace,
You who we voted into parliament.
You who made promises to me and my fellow Kenyans
On all the positive changes we'd see.
On how you would fight to ensure our safety,
But now watch as thousands die...
I want my peace.

I want peace in Kenya
Because the lives that have been lost,
The homes that have been destroyed,
The businesses that are no more
Are as a result of you and your Opposer, Mr. President.
I want peace in Kenya
Because after all the despair.
After no change to our cries will be incorporated,
It will be up to you and me fellow Kenyan.
Yes, you and me to rebuild our Kenya.
We want peace NOW in Kenya.

I want peace in Kenya.
So Mr. President, Mr. Opposer
Mr. Opposer, Mr. President
Sit and speak not of your need for power
But of the people who are dying,
Of those left behind grieving..
ENOUGH!! ENOUGH!!
We want PEACE in Kenya.

Mr. Johnstone Sikulu

Please let us help mr. Johnstone Sikulu for peace in Kenia
and join this group.

Peace from Holland,

Hans Mertens
www.hansmertens.nl
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