Date: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:53:28 -0500
  
I came across these statements as I was reading  The Standard online dated 1/21/08 found at the following link:
http://www.eastandard.net/news/?id=1143980731&cid=4&PHPSESSID=8d7748dd1e2111ea9950233b595ea4ed

*Quote*

The donor community has threatened an aid cut if the political crisis is not settled. Both the EU and the US have cautioned that it will not be business as usual until there is a political compromise that leads to a lasting solution “that reflects the will of the Kenyan people, wins their confidence and helps return Kenya to stability”.

*Unquote*
I wonder whether the poor Kenyans who voted on 12/27/07 are aware that the  current political crisis in Kenya is due to the fact the interests of the so called donor community supersede the Kenyans voting rights.

A number of Kenyan citizens have paid the ultimate price so that these donors can enjoy their God-given right, which happens to be having total control of Kenya’s natural resources. Apparently, the God that gave them this right seems not to be the same God they brought to Kenyans in the 19th century. It is the kind of God which allows them to manipulate the truth even if they are conversant with the facts that plunged Kenya into
current crisis. The art of deception is a major quality admired by this God, but only if it is applied by the donor community.

- Lucia

At least Kenyans will have a chance of knowing who the owners of 5% are at Safaricom.

So economic boycott is the best.

Go to Eldoret and find all companies with branches there.

Then do a head count and conclude for yourself which communities are working there.

Go to Kisumu, Mombasa, Kericho, Malindi, Homabay, Kisii, Marsabit, Machakos, Kitui, Voi, Kwale, Magadi, Narok and do the same.

This will make you agree with me that economic boycott the Mahatma Gandhi style is the best.

Since the will of majority was abused, this is another very effective chance for you mwananchi (or Mwana nichi as one calls it) to be heard.

George

Dear friends of Kenya,

Please open link and cast your vote to push for economic sanctions on the Kibaki regime.

Send the link to as many friends of Kenya as possible so that our voice may be heard.

Democracy has a price. As Kenyans we consider this a small price to pay.

Sande
HR Activist
VIHIGA

http://www.pollpub.com/vote-for-sanctions-on-kenya.aspx

    Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:26:21 +0200
   
Kenyans,

I did tell you the other time that the Finnish government had decided to stop all economic aid to Kibaki`s government because of corruption and present political situation, well it is true. Even today, in Finland`s leading news paper`Helsingin Sanomat page B 5, the same news was written very clearly.

On the same page also the head of EU member states economic aid to Kibaki`s government was also mentioned as saying that the EU- member states are considering ending all economic aid to Kibaki`s government until the present political situation is solved.

The paper adds that there is already a group of Kibaki government supporters who are now organising to cause problems in the country. They are trying to organise contra demonstrations towards the opposition groups. According to this information, the EU member states are thinking that Kibaki is not doing enough to solve the problem Kenya is facing right now.

Paul Nyandoto

Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:43:15 -0500
  
Sooner or later Kenya’s economy is going to start feeling the pinch as international financial aid starts to dry out. As you can see in the article below, the EU is calling on European governments to cut aid to Kenya until this crisis is solved. Kenya’s government and police may have the upper hand in quelling public dissent on the outcome of this election, but in the long run outside economic pressure from western governments will bring the warring parties to the negotiating table.
-Dan
————————————————————————

    EU Parliament Calls for New Vote in Kenya, Demands Aid Freeze

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3072196,00.html

European lawmakers have said the result of Kenya’s election was not credible and called for a fresh vote if a fair recount was not possible.

They also want to temporarily freeze aid to Kenya as violence there continues.

In a nonbinding resolution, adopted on Thursday, Jan. 17, the 785-member EU assembly meeting in Strasbourg called for new elections in Kenya if a “credible and fair recount” of votes cast in the disputed elections proves impossible.

After the election on Dec. 27, 2007, current President Mwai Kibaki declared himself the winner despite widespread voting irregularities.

The European assembly said it deplored “the fact that Kibaki … appointed his cabinet unilaterally, which severely undermined mediation efforts.”

The assembly also voted to ask the EU to stop the 383 million euros ($562 million) of EU aid to Kenya planned for 2008-2013 “until a political resolution to the present crisis has been found”, the parliamentarians said in a resolution.

Lawmakers criticized the EU executive for disbursing 40.6 million euros of budgetary aid to the east African nation a day after the election. EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel said the aid had been given out before doubts over the results had emerged.

 *UN calls for aid*

On Wednesday, the United Nations launched an urgent appeal for 28 million euros ($41 million) in humanitarian aid to help an estimated 500,000 people affected by post-election violence in Kenya. The UN also stressed that aid should not be subject to any political conditions.

Meanwhile, earlier on Thursday police have killed at least two people protesting against Kibaki’s reelection in the western port city Kisumu, the heartland of the opposition.

In the capital Nairobi, and the towns of Kisumu and Eldoret, police fired teargas and bullets during rallies called by opposition leader Raila Odinga, but banned by police.

Odinga, who accuses Kibaki of stealing the presidential vote, had called for three days of nationwide demonstrations to start on Wednesday. The protests, however, appeared to be losing steam under a police crackdown.

Western nations have said Kenyans have a right to peaceful protests, but the Kenyan government has said the demonstrations would sink into looting and violence.

More than 600 people are thought to have died in election violence so far, and a quarter of a million left homeless.

 DW staff (kh)

Date: Thu, 17 Jan 2008 17:37:42 +0100
   
This document has been forwarded from the ReliefWeb site.

Sender: Omurwa

Comment from Omurwa:
Calling for Sanctions will do little

————————-

Source: Reuters
Date: 15 Jan 2008

By Tim Cocks

NAIROBI, Jan 15 (Reuters) – Western countries pressing Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki and the opposition to start talks and end weeks of chaos over a disputed election are likely to have limited influence because the West has little leverage.

Violence erupted across Kenya two weeks ago, when Kibaki was sworn in after a Dec. 27 presidential election that challenger Raila Odinga says was rigged. Donors are threatening to take tough action unless Kibaki and Odinga open dialogue.

And Kenya, in comparison to neighbours who get half their budgets from foreign donors, funds all but 5 percent of its budget from its own revenues.

With Western aid mostly focused on grassroots projects and an expansionist China ready to plug gaps left by sanctions, threats against Kibaki’s government will be largely symbolic.

“Their leverage is restricted,” said Ian Taylor, a professor of international relations at Britain’s St. Andrews University.

“Policy makers are not going to just pull the plug when the Chinese are playing a bigger role and can provide an alternative source of investment and political support.”

Post-poll turmoil has killed at least 612 people, hurt Kenya’s image as a stable country in a troubled region, cost the economy millions of dollars and dismayed foreign donors.

After praising a peaceful polling day, international observers condemned “serious irregularities” in the counting, which included blocking their access to tally centres and high turnouts in Kibaki’s core constituencies.

Odinga — whose party kicked out most of Kibaki’s cabinet and won 99 seats in parliament against the president’s 43 — was ahead until the last day, when several returning officers went missing while tallying results from Kibaki strongholds.

Diplomats say such misdeeds may have tipped the balance, although Odinga’s people also stuffed ballot boxes in his strongholds and threatened rival agents.

His supporters have since been accused of stirring up ethnic violence in parts of the country but diplomats say they there is little they can do to force Odinga to call off further protests starting Wednesday, as he does not have much to lose.

“VEILED THREAT”

Analysts say Kibaki is hoping to ride out the crisis.

“Kibaki … speculates that in the end this will be business as usual and the donors will shrug and say ‘oh well’,” said Richard Dowden of the London-based Royal Africa Society.

“If they (donors) did that, they’d be making a huge mistake.”

Former U.N. head Kofi Annan was due to fly into Nairobi on Tuesday at the head of a group of “Eminent Africans” to try and host crisis talks between Kibaki and Odinga, after African Union head and Ghanaian President John Kufuor failed to broker a deal.

In the most tangible threat from the West since the crisis started, the European Union said on Monday it might cut aid to Kenya. The United States warned that it “cannot conduct business as usual in Kenya,” unless both sides hold meaningful talks.

“Of course there was … a veiled threat of international action. We already plan to keep formal … diplomatic contacts with senior officials to a minimum,” said a Western diplomat.

This has angered Kibaki hardliners, who accuse Britain and other Western powers of neo-imperialism.

“We do not need foreigners to tell us what to do,” Roads Minister John Michuki was quoted on Monday as saying.

Donors are coy about what “action” might entail.

“There are measures that might be effected by a failure to communicate …  A lot of money comes into Kenya — investment, tourism, remittances,” said U.S. embassy spokesman T.J. Dowling.

SANCTIONS UNLIKELY

Punitive actions risk pushing Kenya into the open arms of a resource-hungry China vigorously courting Africa, analysts say.

China’s official People’s Daily made a provocative remark on Monday blaming Kenya’s troubles on Western colonialism — a common refrain among many Africans resentful at what they view as a patronizing and paternalistic attitude from the West.

Unlike oil-rich Sudan or diamond-producing Zimbabwe, Kenya doesn’t have raw materials but is “a gateway to central Africa,” says James Shikwati of the Inter Region Economic Network.

Aid cuts are also problematic because Kenya does not need or get much budget support.

“Most of the aid goes directly to projects,” said Tom Cargil of UK think-tank Chatham House. “Cutting that would negatively affect ordinary people … not the government.”

The other option is economic sanctions but these would again hurt Kenya’s populace more than the political elite, although diplomats say they may be willing to issue travel bans — which have been laughed at by a number of those targeted.

(Editing by Bryson Hull and Giles Elgood)

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