Kenya’s nightmare.

Kibaki’s seizure of power has led to tragedy in Kenya, since his rushed and illegal swearing in ceremony 900 citizens have died.  Ethnic cleansing is sweeping the nation as tribal extremists exact destruction and murder on fellow Kenyans. What on earth can justify fellow citizens destroying homes and inflicting more suffering on Kenya’s population? This madness must stop. There is nothing wrong with legitimate and peaceful protests but clearly gangs of killers, including mungiki, the Kikuyu extremist criminal gang are involved.

Kofi Annan is at least making an effort to bring the parties together; the main political leaders, to talk on a solution, but it would seem the best solution is the re-run of the presidential election under international supervision this formula might seem the best way forward.

Comments on the week’s news.

Kenya: the crisis has deepened, not surprisingly, due to the inept response to electoral fraud and weaknesses of the democratic nations in failing to act to deny Kibaki legitimacy. The tragedy is that now tribal strife is spinning out of control; the total senselessness of destroying homes and property belonging to suffering Kenyans and murders of innocents is dreadful, all political and community leaders in Kenyan should act now to stop rampaging mobs.

Macdonalds and other businesses will be able to issue qualifications to trained staff, we suppose now their will be NVQs in McFurries or A Level McFlurries, who know perhaps even a BSc MacFlurries Studies. Should we be legitimazing a company that contributes to mass obesity? Legitimate companies we have no dispute with.

Listening to Martin Amis this morning, on Andrew Marr’s Stop the Week radio programme, he reports that recently at a conference he asked an audience of 500: “hands up those who think they are morally superior to the Taliban” Shock horror, he said “only 40 trembling hands were seen”. We would like to add two more hands we also think we are morally superior to the Taliban and Al-Qaeda and morally superior to other rag bags of islamic fascists.

Zimbabwe continues its inevitable decline into total economic ruin. Banks cannot get their demands for cash from the Zimbabwe Reserve Bank; ministers and party bosses are known to be hoarding local currency notes to speculate on black market transactions. Trying to send money to relatives and friends in Zimbabwe is now virtually impossible; sooner or later this means the Mugabe regime is going to run out of foreign currency. Mugabe’s rambo economics has led to the total ruin of the country.

Kenya’s Tragedy.

Sometimes in history there are key moments; special moments when the international community of democratic nations presented with dilemmas have an opportunity to act and act decisively. The current farce in Kenya has been one such missed opportunity.

Prevarication, hesitancy and weakness has resulted in the situation where the candidate who lost the presidential election has been able to govern as if the presidential elections had not occurred. The Foreign & Commonwealth Office in London has been partly responsible for failed diplomacy in this case.

It was well known that the election results were riddled with examples of fraud. A firm and strong intervention by the democratic states may well have rescued Kenyan democracy instead we are witnessing the inevitable magic hat solution, this has resulted in failure; the magic hats being: Archbishop Tutu, John Kufour and recently Kofi Annan: perhaps someone should resurrect the ghost of Neville Chamberlain?

The idea this crisis could be resolved by banging heads together, rather patronizing, by inviting the parties into coalition government, as if this was merely a playground squabble, has led to a blind alley.

Meanwhile, what message does all this send to the Kenyan electorate - that democracy is a farce? That the big man can always win?

Kenya - African Union a failure.

So news arrives now that John Kufour the Ghanaian President cannot go to Nairobi to intervene , to mediate on behalf of the African Union - the reason - he has not been invited by the usurper, Kibaki to do so. This situation is absolutely pathetic. Between the democratic countries and the African Union Kenyan democracy has been broken.

Failure to act decisively has now enabled Kibaki to gain time to solidify his power. A peaceful demonstration yesterday, in Nairobi was crushed by brute force. All, this could have been avoided if only the democratic countries had acted swiftly to denounce Kibaki’s seizure of power and isolate him.

We are concerned though that all Kenya’s political leaders act to stop the inter ethnic violence and the destruction of property, clearly criminal elements and frustrated citizens, are taking advantage of the chaos Kibaki has caused. Kenya’s history is littered with outbreaks of inter tribal violence such dreadful crimes are not new, it is appalling, all Kenya’s leaders should distance themselves from such acts and condemn them.

The democratic nations should not be calling for a national unity government as there is significant evidence Kibaki lost the election. The democratic nations are really recognizing Kibaki’s coup. The opposition gained most of the seats in parliament and therefore this body should be called to meet.

The democratic nations should in unity inform Mr. Kibaki he must step aside to allow an immediate clarification, under international control of results or a new supervised presidential election.

Kenya - Trashing Democracy.

So now the British government’s line on the curent crisis in Kenya is reconciliation, negotiation between the parties with a view to creating a coalition government - so what’s the point of holding an election. Deals like this being voiced by the democratic countries are going to make people in Kenya, yes and in Africa even more cynical about the values of democracy.

It is our duty to support democracy and promote it, not to do deals behind closed doors. One again the mandarins at the F&CO have made a very bad decision, we are selling out democracy for the sake of a deal at any price and accepting Kibaki’s coup.

So we are now in the business of dumping the NEPAD principles and dumping transparency and democracy

It is disgraceful that our prime minster should be seen to be validating Kibaki’s seizure of power. Kibaki has seized the presidency without the mandate of the electorate. There should be no attempt to give credence to Kibaki he has seized office illegally in a fraudalent counting of the votes. We now have enough evidence from 4 out of 5 Kenyan Electoral Commision Commisioners and the EU observers report, the counting of the votes was an exercise in fraud.

Kenya - time for action.

Kenya is tearing itself apart - the reason because the man who seized power Mr. Kibaki has acted illegally. Whilst the UK government twiddles its fingers people are dying and Kibaki gains strength due to the inability of the democratic countries failing to take a hard line. BBC correspondent, Karen Allen, yesterday took a camera crew to the site of a church near Eldoret, where many people died horribly, she made the comment this sort of event is not normal in Kenya, unfortunately, many of us remember former president Daniel arap Moi often exploited tribal tensions for his own end and his years in power were years dotted with ethnic cleansing and tribal violence.

We write with concern because of the political dallying, had the democratic countries acted with meaning and insisted Kibaki resign we may have been faced with a situation of hope, right now we have despair.

Who the heck advises Gordon Brown on African affairs?

Kibaki Must Go!

As time passes the political situation in Kenya is increasingly serious. Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, is appealing for compromise between Kenya’s political leaders, this policy is crass. The UK government cannot be seen to be giving any sort of approval to Kibaki’s seizure of power. Instead it is far better to insist Kibaki resign power now, this is not the time for weak and flabby appeals.

There is clearly muddled thinking amongst the mandarins at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office. We need to talk to opposition leaders and listen to their suggestions in resolving the crisis. The election results cannot stand. There should be either an internationally supervised recount or fresh elections under international organization and supervision.

Mr. Brown would be better advised to insist Mr. Kibaki resign his illegally seized presidency immediately. Meanwhile everything needs to be done to stop criminal actions on the streets but allowing peaceful protests.

No deals with Kibaki.

It is now very clear following revelations by Electoral Commission of Kenya commissioners and international observers that there were serious irregularities in Kenya’s recent general and presidential election. This means that there must be no deals with the Kibaki regime as it has no legal basis.

Mr. Kibaki must now grapple with his conscience as his actions have brought in there wake over 200 deaths. Mr. Kibaki should resign rather than wait to be kicked out of power. The UK government has a responsibility to promote good governance and not a penny of aid be given and no attempt must be made to make any deals with an illegal regime.

We know there are weasels in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office who wish this nastiness could be swept under the carpet, these civil service mandarins would want a deal with Kibaki just as much as they would with Mugabe. Mr. Brown could seek better advice, his attempts to make any deal with Kibaki will be a betrayal of Kenyan citizens.

We would ask Mr. Brown to consult with opposition leaders as to how best to resolve the crisis and bring an end both to the illegal Kibaki regime and an end to violence.

Kenya’s election farce.

I suppose the idea of getting Mr.Gordon Brown on the ‘phone to both Kibaki, the man who seized power in Kenya and Odinga the main opposition leader was predictable. Mr. Brown’s advisors in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office do not like disruption in the normal manner of things, for these mandarins with comfortable lives really don’t like their teas being delayed due to minor difficulties in Kenya. It would be a dreadful betrayal of all that has been said on good governance in Africa for Mr. Brown to attempt to act as an negotiator in Kenya. Mr. Kibaki and Mr. Odinga are not on equal terms. Mr. Kibaki has seized power by illegal methods - by fixing the election result. The UK cannot accept the result of this election farce. There has been a complete lack of transparency in the counting of the votes. The way forward may be through a fresh internationally supervised election not by doing deals and cheating Kenya’s citizens. 

Kibaki seizes power.

The Kenyan election results have been rigged to preserve Kibaki in power. This is unacceptable and British & Commonwealth & European governments must withdraw aid and support.  The police and general service unit are being used as instruments of repression by Kibaki.