Merkel’s visit to Kenya from July 12 is expected to usher in new investments from Germany and the rest of Europe into Kenya’s “green energy” sector and spur trade between the two countries.

“This visit is a vote of confidence,” said Kennedy Osinde, Kenya’s ambassador to Germany. “It tells not only Germans but the entire world that Kenya is a safe place and it is open for business. We see this as a selling point to investors mostly from Europe,” said the ambassador.

As reported by People’s Daily Online, Chancellor Merkel’s visit is expected to re-ignite German business interests in Kenya’s energy sector, especially the wind power, which the state-run Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KENGEN) has lately been laying fresh emphasis.

“The main agenda of this visit is to explore investments on either side. For us, it is very important because it will help us unlock new markets,” Ambassador Osinde told Xinhua in a recent exclusive interview in Nairobi.

The Kenyan embassy in Berlin, Germany, says Kenya’s exports to the European Union (EU) is the second most important to the country since 1993, accounting for between 40 and 50 percent of the total exports.

The trade volumes with the EU have however taken a deep plunge since 1994, with the rest of the East African region becoming the preferred export destination for Kenyan products.

Germany is Kenya’s second largest export destination after Britain. The main export to Germany has been coffee and horticultural products.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell and African leaders like Kenya’s President Mwai Kibaki, his Prime Minister Raila Odinga, President Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and Jakaya Kiwete of Tanzania were in attendance under a blazing sun as South Sudan President Salva Kiir hosted the noon-hour ceremony.

As reported by Kenya’s Sunday Nation President Salva Kiir Mayardit used the historic occasion of the entry of South Sudan into the world’s community of states to tell his people that they would never again wilfully return to war.
“This is a day that will be forever engraved in our hearts. Citizens in every village and county of South Sudan are celebrating. “We give praise to the Almighty God for making it possible for us to witness this day which we have waited for more than 56 years,” he said.
President Kiir told his war-weary citizens that the new nation, which was home to a conflict that claimed the highest number of civilian casualties since the Second World War, that South Sudan would now be a maker of peace and never a wager of war.
“We will live at peace with our neighbours in the north, east, west and south. We shall be part of endeavours to strive for freedom, dignity and peace.
Read more at the Sunday Nation

And another Kenya’s newspaper, The Standard on Sunday reported thus: a sea of humanity waving miniature flags erupted into delirium to celebrate the birth of a nation, after 21-years of civil war that threatened to throw into uncertainty the future of this oil-rich region.
In an ordinate defiance to Mother Nature, South Sudanese braved the scorching heat and danced, clapped, shouted and beat away drums to mark their secession from the North.
Women clad in South Sudan’s flag wept by the giant statue of liberation hero John Garang De Mabior, some holding bibles and small crosses, invoking God’s name for the blessings of a new baby.

A medley of tunes from all sorts of instruments reflected a poignant frenzy that reached its climax as the country’s flag was hoisted on a 32-metre pole and a three-stanza new anthem sung to signify the birth of the Republic of South Sudan.
Sovereign state
The crowds estimated to be more than 500,000 had trooped to the De Mabior Mausoleum grounds four hours ahead of the ceremony to witness the birth of the world’s newest nation and reflect on the effects the civil war pitting the South against the North; a war triggered by the struggle over control and sharing of resources.
Read the Standard’s version

How the media reported South Sudan’s birth
Sunday Nation
Free at Last: History mad as South Sudan becomes the latest member of family of nations
Standard on Sunday
Ecstacy in Juba as South Sudan joins club of nations
BBC online
South Sudan: World leaders welcome new nation
Leaders across the globe have been sending their congratulations to South Sudan on the day it became the world’s newest nation.
Read more from the BBC

CNN online:
South Sudan Celebrates nationhood
South Sudanese celebrate the birth of their nation
Read more here

New York Times:
After Years of Struggle, South Sudan Becomes a New Nation
JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight. Thousands of revelers poured into Juba’s steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars.
“Freedom!” they screamed.
A new nation was being born in what used to be a forlorn, war-racked patch of Africa, and to many it seemed nothing short of miraculous. After more than five decades of an underdog, guerrilla struggle and two million lives lost, the Republic of South Sudan, Africa’s 54th state, was about to declare its independence in front of a who’s who of Africa, including the president of the country letting it go: Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan, a war-crimes suspect.
Read more at New York Times

That they did so peacefully is a credit to both the North and South Sudanese leadership.
Yet nationhood has come at steep cost: A staggering number of lives lost and people displaced in a 21-year civil war that ended only in 2005. When the assembled presidents and prime ministers board their official planes to return home, the challenges that remain will be daunting indeed
Read more in the link below:

What top leaders said:
US President Barack Obama said in a statement he was “proud to declare that the United States formally recognises the Republic of South Sudan as a sovereign and independent state upon this day, July 9 2011″.

He said: “A proud flag flies over Juba and the map of the world has been redrawn. These symbols speak to the blood that has been spilled, the tears that have been shed, the ballots that have been cast, and the hopes that have been realised by so many millions of people.”

Sudan’s President Omar al-Bashir attended and called on the US to end sanctions against his country.
In his speech to the independence ceremony, Mr Bashir said: “We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state. We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected.”

He added: “We call on US President Barack Obama to deliver on his commitment he announced to lift the unilateral sanctions on Sudan to open to way to normalise his country’s relations with Sudan.”
UK Prime Minister David Cameron issued a statement recognising South Sudan, saying: “This is an historic day, for South Sudan and the whole of Africa.”

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev sent a telegram of congratulation and China’s special envoy sent President Hu Jintao’s “warmest congratulations”.

South African President Jacob Zuma said: “We have always aspired to witness the dawn of peace, security and stability prevailing in the whole of the Sudan. That dream is coming to fruition.”

Wearing his trademark black cowboy hat, the South’s new President Salva Kiir was sworn in and pledged better times ahead.

He told guests including UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, US ambassador to the UN Susan Rice and EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton: “Our martyrs did not die in vain… We have waited for more than 56 years for this day. It is a day that will be forever engraved on our hearts and minds.”

“This is a day that will be forever engraved in our hearts. Citizens in every village and county of South Sudan are celebrating.

“We give praise to the Almighty God for making it possible for us to witness this day which we have waited for more than 56 years,” he said.

President Kiir told his war-weary citizens that the new nation, which was home to a conflict that claimed the highest number of civilian casualties since the Second World War, that South Sudan would now be a maker of peace and never a wager of war.

“We will live at peace with our neighbours in the north, east, west and south. We shall be part of endeavours to strive for freedom, dignity and peace.

“Having been at the receiving end of injustice for the better part of our post-colonial history, the people of South Sudan will never accept to be aggressors.

“We have experienced what it is to be a refugee. We hope that this has been our last war and that our people will never have to leave the country to flee from insecurity,” he said.

Kenya’s President mwai Kibaki said: “I urge North and South Sudan to take advantage of the age-old links they have developed as one entity, to nurture close bilateral relations even as they assume separate sovereign identities. “This will no doubt contribute immensely to consolidating stability in the region.”

Snippets from the crowd

“My whole body feels happy,” said George Garang, an English teacher who lost his father, grandfather and 11 brothers in the war.

By sunrise, the crowds were surging through the streets of Juba, the capital, to the government quarter, where the declaration of independence would be read aloud.

Thousands of soldiers lined the freshly painted curbs, tiger patches on their arms, assault rifles in their hands. This new nation is being built on a guerrilla army — the Sudan People’s Liberation Army, whose field commanders are now South Sudan’s political leaders — and the amount of firepower here is unnerving.

By 9 a.m., the sun was dangerous. The faces, necks and arms of the people packed thousands deep around a parade stand built for the occasion were glazed with sweat. A woman abruptly slumped to the dirt and was whisked away.

“She fainted because she’s happy,” said a man in the crowd. “There will be many others today.”
“Our people fought for this day with our blood,” said 14-year-old Samuel Maniak. “This is a great day for all of us.”

Mary Muortat, one of hundreds of former refugees who spent years in exile after their parents were uprooted by the conflict, said citizens of the new nation were not daunted by the task ahead.

“After what we have been through we can no longer be shaken by anything. What others see as insurmountable challenges we view as tasks that are far easier than what we overcame in the past,” she said.

Ms Muortat, who is now a senior government official, is a daughter of Gordon Muortat, one of the founders of the first Anya-Nya war waged by Southern forces in protest at the decision by the British to thrust the North and South together at independence in 1956.

He passed away two years ago but a few other fellow fighters such as Joseph Wagu and Chagai Atem took their place on the podium on Saturday.

Citizens can now access data and participate in constitutional implementation process as well as hold the government accountable, President Kibaki said.

The government has released several large datasets, including the national census and statistics on government spending at national and county level to enhance transparency in governance and access to information.

The data presented in user-friendly format is now available online via an open data portal (www.opendata.go.ke).

see full story here

or see related video and story at Nation Newspaper in Kenya

Currently much of the public data is in hard copy and other static formats that make their use close to impossible.

Worse still, to access such data one has to seek clearance from authorities in relevant ministries or purchase it from the Government printer after going through a bureaucratic clearance process.

In an interview with Nation, Dr Ndemo said the website will be one of the first and largest government data portals in sub-Saharan Africa.

“With the open data portal, such obstacles will be a thing of the past. Information is power and we are aiming to empower citizens by enhancing their access to usable data that was not accessible easily to the public,” said Ministry of Information Permanent Secretary, Dr Bitange Ndemo.

“For the first time, Kenyans will have information about their community at their fingertips allowing them to make informed decisions at a personal level—currently most decisions people make are not scientific since they are not based on data yet data is available but inaccessible,” he added.

The PS said the portal is part of an initiative of pushing local content to the Internet and to offer over 70,000 Kenyans who graduate from Kenyan colleges annually to manipulate the data for beneficial use.

“By creating a knowledge society, you create a knowledge economy…we do not want to lag behind as we watch other countries releasing data to their people for profitable use…we have not even scratched the surface in terms of data, we are working on data centres, which was our last piece of infrastructure development,” he said.

The information on the portal is from published government data available from the ministries of Finance, Planning, Local Government, Health, Education and the Kenya National Bureaus of Statistics.

According to Dr Ndemo, much of this information is also available at the World Bank and the United Nations thus it beats logic why it has not been openly availed to citizens.

Dr Ndemo said globally, governments are adopting the concept of open data to reap benefits of a more informed citizenry.

This, he said, would deter public servants and politicians from vices such as fraud that thrive in situations where secrecy and monopoly of information abounds.

Dr Ndemo said data users will be able to create maps and other visualizations and directly download underlying data for their own uses.

“Data is not information until it is converted to make sense to users…that is what we have done at the portal,” Dr Nemo said.

This has never happened before and it welcomes an era of openness where the citizen will be empowered to put leaders to account in the use and distribution of public resources.

For instance it will now be near impossible to misuse public funds since all records pertaining spending shall be available online for citizens to scrutinise and ascertain if ‘what is on the paper tallies with what is on the ground’.

For decades, it has been the practice of some unscrupulous government officials to misuse public funds and misinform that the money has been spent to implement ‘non-existent’ projects.

Through the Kenya ICT Board, the Ministry will make a Call for Proposals for ideas on how to use government data.

The Call for Proposals is open from July 8 – August 8; the best proposals will receive $50,000 each (for companies) and $10,000 (for teams and individuals). At least 30 grants will be awarded in 2011.

The portal is managed by the Kenya ICT Board in partnership with the World Bank and Socrata, a US-based developer and provider of Open Data Services, that enable federal, state, and local governments to improve the reach, usability and social utility of their public information assets.

Local input

Private web and content developers also played part in setting up the portal.

Media Council of Kenya Chairman Levi Obonyo said the government’s move portends well for Kenya in general but will particularly boost the work of the media industry.

“It means that journalists will be able to access a lot of information that they need for their work easily unlike previously. Since media plays the watchdog role this is very facilitative in that function and I think most journalists will or should welcome this launch,” said Mr Obonyo.

Mr Obonyo said the new constitution provides for expanded freedom to information access but much needs to be done to ensure the Freedom of Information Bill (FOI), which is in the pipeline, becomes law.

“With the new constitution there is obviously a greater opening and emerging forthrightness in providing information. But this culture is not yet entrenched,” said Mr Obonyo.

Mr Obonyo said certain sectors of the civil service are yet to fully embrace the spirit of openness.

“…We should not look only at the civil service. Withholding information takes place both in the public and private sector and both sectors need as much openness as this is is good for the society,” he said.

FOI bill

However, Dr Ndemo said the FOI bill is currently at the cabinet level before it goes to Parliament for debate.

According to Michael Murungi, an ICT legal expert, the new constitution obliges government and Parliament to ensure free flow of information and the FOI will outline the processes to be followed to achieve the objective.

“Democracy dies behind closed doors. This historic event marks the end of a siri kali (top secret) era constructed on a colonial relic that founded, facilitated and perpetuated a hitherto information access caste society,” argues Alex Gakuru, Kenya ICT Consumers Association chairman.

Mr Gakuru says top echelons in the government thrived on concealing information secretly for personal gains making the public lose faith in political leaders and public institutions.

“The power class had sanitised corruption as ‘standard operating procedure’ ridiculed and punished honest officials who acted in public interest … one may be excused for reading this government openness ceremony as a major step in reclaiming our long lost national
values direction with far reaching social transformation implications,” said Mr Gakuru.

Echoing Mr Obonyo’s sentiments, Mr Gakuru said journalists’ agenda-setting stories will be based on solid official data and information translating to improved media professionalism and reduced speculative reporting due to insufficient information.

“Public Servants will henceforth live in glass houses, everything they do will be seen, everything they say will be heard and every expenditure scrutinised,” said Mr Gakuru.

World Bank Communications Officer, Mr Peter Warutere, said data availability to the public is key for development and building a knowledge economy.

“It is important that you provide the right data and it must be in the right format. This is the starting step of a long journey to creating a knowledge based economy,” said Mr Warutere.

The late Osama Bin Laden

He had cheated death for long but finally he is gone with the wind.

The terror mastermind and feared leazder of Al-Qaeda link, Osama Bin Laden is no more. He has been brough down by US forces and already buried at Sea.

Word of Osama bin Laden’s death rocketed through the Internet in rapid-fire Twitter messages, Facebook updates, and YouTube video clips.

According to an analyst in San Francisco, the barrage of tweets was among the highest message-sending outbursts at Twitter, which handed a record high number of 6,939 tweets-per-second when New Year’s Eve 2010 arrived in Japan. Messages tagged with “#osama” and “obl” quickly jumped to the top two spots in a list of the hottest topics at the global microblogging service.

In Kenya, where Osama’s terror killed and maimed many in 1998 US embassy bomb attack, there was ‘joy’ with Government Spokesman, Alfred Mutua saying victory for the victims has finally been partly secured.

US media reported that Osama bin Laden buried at sea, according to Islamic customs.

Mutua said death of Osama Bin Laden is “a defining moment in the fight against terrorism.”

“As a country and a region, we are realistic that terrorism is an ideology that will not end overnight due to Osama Bin Laden’s death but hope that his death will be the beginning of the end of terrorism.

Kenya President Mwai Kibaki said Osama’s death is an “act of justice” .

“On behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Kenya I commend all those people behind the successful tracking down and killing of Osama bin Laden,” the President said on Monday in a statement to the Press.

The killing of Osama has taken place nearly thirteen years after the terrorist bombings in Nairobi that led to the death of over two hundred people, in an act believed to have been masterminded by Osama.

“His killing is an act of justice to those Kenyans who lost their lives and the many more who suffered injuries,” sad Kibaki.

The Associated Press reported a U.S. official saying Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea.

That after bin Laden was killed in a raid by U.S. forces in Pakistan, senior administration officials said the body would be handled according to Islamic practice and tradition.

That practice calls for the body to be buried within 24 hours, the official said. Finding a country willing to accept the remains of the world’s most wanted terrorist would have been difficult, the official said. So the U.S. decided to bury him at sea.

The official, who spoke Monday on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive national security matters, did not immediately say where that occurred.

Businesses and the media can shun online platform at their own peril as consumers spend more time on the Internet. Research shows consumers are increasingly heading online for goods and services as traditional forms of distribution lose grip.

Traditional forms of media including newspapers, television, radio and outdoor advertising are headed to a crossroads as mobile and Internet platforms gain prominence among users. According to the largest global research project into people’s online activities and behaviour – Digital Life – launched recently in London by TNS, the world’s biggest custom research company, Kenyans are now spending on average 6.5 hours per week on social networking sites including Twitter and Facebook.

The study reveals that 78 per cent of online consumers expect their use of social networking on a PC to increase in the next 12 months compared to 84 per cent who will be looking to their mobile to increase usage.

In an interview recently in Germany see videos, Chief Editor of UK-based Guardian newspaper, Alan Rusbridger, said even audiences are increasingly shifting their allegiance from traditional media to the online platform. The Guardian is one of the most read newspaper online, with more than 32 million online consumers per month. Rusbridger said the Guardian has managed to market her products through social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook unlike in the recent past when online platform was merely a preserve of a few elites.

He said prominence of mobile phones, especially in Africa, means business must change tact if they have to remain in business.
The online guru cited the success of Safaricom’s M-PESA as a strong signal of how powerful the mobile platform is becoming. This means marketers must head online and devise new strategies to meet the increasing population of online consumers.

The TNS research further shows that over half of those in Kenya (55 per cent) have written their own blog or forum entry, compared to four out of five online users in China (88 per cent) and only 32 per cent in the US. rapid growth Online consumers in rapid growth markets have overtaken mature markets in terms of engaging with digital activities. Kenya is emerging among the rapid growth markets along with Egypt and China.

Kenya’s rapidly growing online market is at 51 per cent, within touching distance behind Egypt at 56 per cent and China at 54 per cent. This means mature markets such as Japan (20 per cent), Denmark (25 per cent) or Finland (26 per cent) are now lagging behind in terms of online behaviour. Activities such as blogging and social networking are gaining momentum at huge speed in rapid growth markets. The study says the change in trend and growth in social networking has been fuelled by the transition from PC to mobile.

According to the study, mobile users spend on average 3.1 hours per week on social networking sites compared to just 2.2 hours on email. messaging formats The drive to mobile is driven by the increased need for instant gratification and the ability of social networks to offer multiple messaging formats, including the instant message or update function. When looking at how the digital landscape will change in the future, research shows consumers expect their use of social networking on mobiles to increase more than use through PC.

In Kenya, for example, 78 per cent of online consumers expect their use of social networking on a PC to increase in the next 12 months compared to 84 per cent who will be looking to their mobile to increase usage. In Uganda, the figures are 66 per cent and 74 per cent respectively and in Tanzania 71 per cent and 69 per cent. The heaviest users of social networking though are in Malaysia where consumers spend nine hours per week, Russia 8.1 hours per week and Turkey at 7.7 hours per week. Ugandans spend an average of 1.5 hours per week while Tanzanians do 1.6 hours per week of social networking — currently the lowest users in the world.

The study further reveals that online consumers are, on average, spending more time on social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn than on email, despite the former only becoming mainstream in many markets over the last few years. Covering 88 per cent of the world’s online population through 50,000 interviews with consumers in 46 countries, the study reveals that globally, people who have online access have digital sources as their number one media channel.

“We believe that our research data, which we intend to do on an annual basis, will become the new benchmark for information on online consumer behaviour,” says Melissa Baker, TNS Research International CEO East Africa. “Providing some of the data to the world was an important first step for us and obviously we have a wealth of further information behind those basic statistics.”

That 61 per cent of online users use the Internet daily against 54 per cent for TV, 36 per cent for Radio and 32 per cent for Newspapers. default option The Internet has also become the default option for photo sharing among online users in rapid growth markets, particularly in Asia and Sub Saharan Africa.

The number of online consumers who have ever uploaded photos to social networks or photo sharing sites is 92 per cent in Thailand, 88 per cent in Malaysia, 87 per cent in Vietnam, 74 per cent in Kenya and 72 per cent in Tanzania while developed markets are more conservative.

See original story here and here

Leaders have, however, cautioned that although East Africa has ushered in the new regime, full implementation will be a gradual and could take as long as five years.

BY JAMES RATEMO IN NAIROBI

After a long wait, the East African Community (EAC) Common Market is officially here, ushering in a seamless regional to the estimated 130 million citizens of the region.

The treaty that comes into force on July 1 2010, sets the stage for free movement of persons, labour, services and the right of establishment and residence across the five partner States — Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi.

It also marks the entry of the critical phase, when the EAC partner States, must begin to determine how free movement and establishment of companies and businesses should be effected.

A road map for the establishment of the East African Monetary Union (EAMU) is already in place, and all work is expected to be complete before the 2012 deadline set by the East African Community (EAC) secretariat. This is the third stage of integrating the economies of Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

When all the five countries in the region begin using a single currency, experts argue, the cost of doing business across the East Africa community will fall.

“With a single currency, the costs of having to transact in different currencies and the risk of adverse exchange rate movements, which could impede intra-regional trade within the EAC Community, would be removed,” Professor Njuguna Ndung’u, Central Bank of Kenya.

Some prerequisites for the establishment of the EAMU include convergence across the single currency area, including GDP growth rates, inflation rates, exposure to external shocks, public finance, balance of payments, interest and exchange rates,” says Jumuiya News, a March issue of the Ministry of East African Community newsletter.

The protocol

The EAC Common Market Protocol has provisions that will eliminate capital restrictions that continue to impede free flow of capital among the EAC Countries.

“The cardinal principal of free movement of capital ties with the next level of integration that is the East African Monetary Union,” said Professor Njuguna Ndung’u added.

The 6th Extraordinary Summit of EAC Heads of State held in Arusha, Tanzania on August 20, 2007, underscored the need to move expeditiously towards establishing a Monetary Union by 2012.

A draft final report of a study on the Monetary Union among the EAC Partner States, was validated at a workshop held in Kampala, Uganda in January. Subsequently, and after incorporating the comments of the validation workshop, the final report was submitted and considered by the Joint Session of the Monetary Affairs Committee, Fiscal Affairs Committee, Capital Markets, Insurance and Pensions Committee held in Arusha on March 1.

When did it begin?

Negotiations for the Common Market — a merger or a union of two or more territories to form one common territory in which there is free movement of goods, labour, services and capital — commenced in February 2008, and were successfully concluded in September last year, when the Multi Sectoral Council of Ministers adopted the Draft EAC Common Market Protocol.

The treaty is the beginning of decisive steps by the EAC Council of Ministers, in determining what regional-based interventions should be undertaken to speed up the process of integration mainly through a legislations.

Leaders have, however, cautioned that although East Africa has ushered in the new regime, full implementation will be a gradual and could take as long as five years.

According to Kenya’s local daily, (The Standard), EAC Secretary General, Juma Mwapachu, said although the conversion of the region into a single market begins today, the ride is likely to be complex and long.

He said unlike the Customs Union, which had a ‘big bang’ start with the Common External Tariff and zero rating of Customs duty in respect of intra-regional trade, effecting the Common Market, was complex.

Complex process

“Indeed, the process itself is complex in terms of what is required to be undertaken at the levels of the Partner States and, in certain respects, at the level of the EAC itself,” Mwapachu added.

“Some people think that on July 1 all borders will collapse, allowing free movement of goods, yet there is a lot that will still need to be done,” he said on Tuesday. He explained that the amendments to individual laws could take longer periods.

“This week will be a show of commitment by member states, but full implementation and removal of barriers may be realised around 2015,” said Kingi.

While the latest move is notable and that to most ordinary citizens of the EAC Partner States July 1, infers the free movement in the region, national passports and the East African passport travel documents minus visas would still be required.

This free movement will, however, be further facilitated when all the Partner States introduce Third Generation (Machine Readable) identity cards. Only Rwanda has such an ID in use.

Kenya is about to introduce one in July this year. Tanzania and Uganda are in the process of introducing such IDs as well. Burundi has stated it would be in a position to follow later. Currently Rwanda and Kenya are leading the elimination of work permits, at a bilateral level, between them.

Work permits in Rwanda

In the case of Rwanda, the elimination of work permits is extended to citizens of EAC Partner States.

An important element in the process of elimination of work permits, wholly or partially, is the conclusion of the Mutual Recognition of Academic and Professional Qualifications.

The EAC, through its institution, the Inter-University Council of East Africa, has reached an advanced stage in setting up a mechanism through quality assurance that will form the basis for determining such mutual recognition.

A related issue is mutual recognition of accreditation of higher education institutions, which would remove the regulatory requirement of tertiary education institutions moving across borders applying for fresh accreditation.

The EAC is also working towards the harmonisation of social security benefits to support the free movement of labour. Negotiation is already at an advanced stage in this area.

Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), Nairobi-Kenia's premier meeting place where ICANN held its 37th meeting

The 37th meeting for Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) closed in Nairobi on Friday 12th March 2010 in Nairobi with a clear indication that issue of new top level domains shall be delayed.

Rod Beckstrom (left), CEO ICANN leads ICANN's 37th meeting in Nairobi

The much awaited resolution on .xxx domain was also deferred to June for the board to consult wider. I followed the meeting closely. See all that transpired here

In the new law, the PM shall be the leader of a party with the majority in Parliament or one endorsed by Parliament and President.

Remember Kenya has in recent times been on the news for the bad reasons.

If the draft is turned into law, Kenya’s President shall not be a member of Parliament and will have less powers since part of the powers shall be vested with the PM.

You can down load the draft from here too

Highlights

Election of State President

162.      (1)       The election of the State
President shall be by direct adult suffrage through a secret ballot and
shall be conducted in accordance with this Constitution and any Act of
Parliament regulating presidential elections.

(2)       An election of the State President shall be held—

(a)   on the Tuesday immediately preceding the twenty-one days before the expiry of the term of the State President; or

(b)  in the circumstances contemplated by Article 171.

Qualifications and disqualifications for election as State President

163. (1)       A person qualifies for nomination as a presidential candidate if that person—

(a)   is a citizen by birth;

(b)  is qualified to stand for election as a member of the National Assembly; and

(c)   is nominated by not fewer than one hundred thousand voters who
shall include not fewer than five thousand voters from each region.

(2)       A person is not qualified for nomination as a presidential candidate if that person—

(a)   owes allegiance to a foreign state;

(b)  holds or is acting in any office as a State officer or is an officer in the public service; or

(c)   is a member of Parliament

(3)         Clause (2)(b) shall not apply to—

(a)   the State President; and

(b)  the Deputy State President.

Procedure at presidential election

164.     (1)       If only one candidate for State
President is nominated, that candidate shall be declared elected as
State President.

(2)       If two or more candidates for State President are nominated, an election shall be held in each constituency.

(3)       In a presidential election—

(a)   all persons registered as voters for the purposes of parliamentary elections are entitled to vote;

(b)  the poll shall be taken by a secret ballot on the day specified
in Article 162 at such time, in such places and in such manner as may
be prescribed by or under an Act of Parliament; and

(c)   after counting of the votes in the polling stations, the
Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall tally and verify
the count and declare the result.

(4)       The candidate for State President who receives—

(a)   more than half of all the votes cast in the election; and

(b)  at least twenty-five per cent of the votes cast in a majority of the regions;

shall be declared elected as State President.

(5)       If no candidate is elected, a fresh election shall be held
within thirty days of the previous election and in that fresh election,
the only candidates shall be—

(a)   the candidate, or the candidates who received the greatest number of votes; and

(b)  the candidate, or the candidates  who, received the second greatest number of votes.

(6)        Where more than one candidate receives the greatest
number of votes, clause (5)(b) shall not apply and the only candidates
in the fresh election shall be those contemplated in clause (5)(a).

(7)       The candidate who receives the greater number or the
greatest number of votes, as the case may be, in the fresh election
shall be declared elected as State President.

(8)       A presidential election shall be cancelled and a new election held if—

(a)   no person has been nominated as a candidate before the expiry of the period set for the delivery of nominations;

(b)  a candidate dies on or before any of the days on which the election is held or is to be held; or

(c)   a candidate who would have been entitled to be declared
elected as State President, dies after the taking of the poll has began
but before the candidate is declared elected as State President.

(9)       A new presidential election under clause (5) shall be held
within sixty days of the date set for the previous presidential
election.

(10)    Within seven days of the presidential election, the
chairperson of the                  Independent Electoral and
Boundaries Commission shall—

(a)   declare the result of the election; and

(b)  deliver a written notification of the result to the Chief Justice   and the incumbent President.

Questions as to validity of presidential election

165.     (1)       A person may file a petition in the Constitutional Court to challenge the election of the State President-elect.

(2)       The petition shall be filed within seven days after the
date of the declaration of the results of the presidential election.

(3)       The Constitutional Court shall, within seven days of the
filing, hear and determine the petition and the decision shall be final.

(4)       If the Constitutional Court determines the election of the
State President elect to be invalid a fresh election shall be held
within sixty days of the determination.

Assumption of office of State President

166.    (1)        The swearing in of the State
President-elect shall be before the Chief Justice, or, in the absence
of the Chief Justice, the Deputy Chief Justice and in public.

Appointment of Prime Minister

180. (1)      Within seven days following the
summoning of the National Assembly after a general election, or
whenever necessary to fill a vacancy in the office of Prime Minister,
other than on the occasion of a vote of no confidence, the State
President shall appoint as Prime Minister—

(a)   the member of the National Assembly who is the leader of the largest political party or coalition of parties, represented in the National Assembly; or

(b)  if the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties has
been unable to command the confidence of the National Assembly, the
member of the National Assembly who is the leader of the second largest
political party or coalition of parties represented in the National
Assembly.

(2) Each party participating in a general election
of the National Assembly shall designate a person as the leader of that
party for purposes of clause (1).

(3)       Where neither of the persons contemplated in clause (1)(a)
or (b) has been able to command or retain the confidence of the
National Assembly, the State President shall propose to the National
Assembly the name of a member who, in the State President’s opinion,
may be able to command the confidence of the National Assembly.

(4)       On receiving a proposal from the State President under
clause (3), the Speaker shall summon the National Assembly and
introduce the proposal from the State President.

(5)       Within seven days of the Speaker receiving a proposal from
the State President, the Speaker shall call a vote in the National
Assembly to confirm the appointment of the person proposed by the State
President.

(6)       A vote contemplated in clause (5) passes if it is
supported by more than half of all the members of the National Assembly.

(7)       If the National Assembly fails to confirm the appointment
of the person proposed by the State President, the National Assembly
shall by a vote supported by a majority of members present and voting
nominate a member of the National Assembly for appointment as the Prime
Minister.

(8)       If, within sixty days of the State President first
appointing a person to be Prime Minister, no person has been confirmed
or nominated for appointment, the National Assembly shall stand
dissolved and the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission shall
conduct a fresh general election for the National Assembly.

Term of office

181.     (1)      A person whose appointment as Prime Minister has been confirmed, or who has been nominated for appointment, by
the National Assembly shall assume the office by taking and subscribing
the oath or affirmation for the due execution of the functions of the
office prescribed in the Third Schedule, before the Speakers and
members of Parliament.

(2)    The term of office of the Prime Minister continues until—

(a)   the Prime Minister dies, resigns or is dismissed from office; or

(b)  the next person appointed Prime Minister following an election assumes office.

(3)    A person shall not serve as Prime Minister for more than two terms.

(4)     For the purposes of clause (3), a person who has
continuously served as Prime Minister for at least two and half years
shall be deemed to have served a full term.

Resignation of Prime Minister

182. (1)       The Prime Minister may resign from office by delivering a written notice of resignation to the State President.

(2)       The resignation of the Prime Minister takes effect—

(a)   on the date and at the time specified in the notice, if any; or

(b)  at noon on the day after it is delivered, in any other case.

Remuneration and benefits of Prime Minister

183.     (1)       The remuneration and benefits payable to the Prime Minister shall be a charge on the Consolidated Fund.

(2)       The remuneration, benefits and privileges of the Prime
Minister shall not be varied to their disadvantage while in office or
on retirement.

(3)       The retirement benefits payable, and the facilities
available to and privileges enjoyed by a former Prime Minister shall
not be varied to the disadvantage of that former Prime Minister during their lifetime.

Cabinet and Deputy Ministers

184. (1)       The Cabinet shall consist of—

(a)   the Prime Minister;

(b)  the Deputy Prime Minister; and

(c)   not fewer than fifteen and not more than twenty other Ministers.

(2)        The Prime Minister shall present to the State President for appointment—

(a)   a Deputy Prime Minister from among the elected members of the National Assembly;

(b)  subject to clause (3), not fewer than fifteen and not more than twenty Ministers;  and

(c)   not fewer than fifteen and not more than twenty Deputy Ministers from among elected members of  the National Assembly.

(3) The Prime Minister may, in presenting Ministers
for appointment under clause (2)(b), include the names of  not more
than ten persons who are not members of the National Assembly but who
are qualified for election to the National Assembly.

(4)      The persons presented under clause (3) shall be persons—

(a)   who possesses such skills or qualifications as are relevant to
the Ministry to which they are proposed to be appointed; and

(b)  who must not have stood unsuccessfully for election to the
National Assembly or to a county assembly at an election immediately
preceding the presentation.

(5) In presenting persons for appointment under
this Article the Prime Minister shall ensure that the composition of
the Cabinet reflects the diversity of the people of Kenya.

(6) Persons appointed under clause (2) may attend
and speak in Parliament but may not vote or be entitled to any
remuneration or other benefit on account of such attendance.

(7)      A person appointed as Deputy Prime Minister, Minister or Deputy Minister—

(a)   assumes office by taking and subscribing the oath or
affirmation for the due execution of the functions of the office
prescribed in the Third Schedule, the Speakers and members of
Parliament;

(b)  may resign by delivering a written notice of resignation to the State President through the Prime Minister; and

(c)   continues in office until—

(i)    that person dies, resigns or is dismissed from office; or

(ii)  the next person appointed to that office, following a general election for the National Assembly assumes office.

(8)        The resignation referred to in clause (7) takes effect—

(a)   on the date and at the time specified in the notice, if any; or

(b)  at noon on the day after it is delivered to the State President, in any other case.

(9)       Whenever the Prime Minister, a Deputy Prime Minister or
any other Minister is charged with the responsibility of a Ministry,
they shall exercise general direction and control over that Ministry.

Dismissal of Ministers and Deputy Ministers

185. (1)          The State President shall dismiss
the Deputy Prime Minister, a Minister or a Deputy Minister on the
advice of the Prime Minister.

(2)       If the National Assembly, by a resolution supported by the
votes of more than half of all the members, passes a motion of no
confidence in a member of the Cabinet, other than the Prime Minister,
or a Deputy Minister, and the member does not resign within three days
of the passage of the motion, the State President shall dismiss that
member or Deputy Minister.

Vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister

186. (1)      A member of the National Assembly
supported by at least a third of all the members may, at any time
during a sitting of the National Assembly, propose a motion of no
confidence in the Prime Minister.

(2)      If the National Assembly, by a resolution supported by the
votes of more than half of all the members, passes a motion of no
confidence in the Prime Minister, the Prime Minister shall submit to
the Speaker of the National Assembly notice of the Prime Minister’s
resignation and that of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Cabinet
Ministers and the Deputy Ministers.

(3) If the Prime Minister does not submit the
notice required by clause (2), within seven days of the passing of the
resolution, the State President shall dismiss the Prime Minister, the
Deputy Prime Minister, the Cabinet Ministers and the Deputy Ministers,
and the relevant provisions of Article 180 shall apply regarding the
appointment of a new Prime Minister.

(4)       The State President shall not dismiss the Prime Minister,
the Deputy Prime Minister, a Cabinet Minister and a Deputy Minister in
any circumstances, other than those contemplated in this Article and
Article 185.

(5)      Despite a notice of resignation under clause (2) or
dismissal of the Prime Minister, the deputy Prime Minister, the
Ministers and the Deputy Minister under clause (3), the Prime Minister,
the Deputy Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the deputy ministers shall
continue in office until a new Prime Minister assumes office.

It was an experience to cherish especially for some of us who have had a chance to attend past IIJ courses in Berlin Germany.

We had great time and we learnt alot. I hope more of such would be coming to East Africa.

In case anybody wants to communicate to the group that attended the course, use the following group email address: budgetreporting@googlegroups.com

The members of the group also have a face book account (search this email on facebook budgetreporting@gmail.com) thanks to skills by some of us who attended a multimedia and online course in Berlin early this year. Our virtual meetings are helping us cement the group.

We had wonderful instructors and high-profile officials came to talk with us. We learnt all that apertains to Budget reporting and already the reporters who attended are unleashing insightful articles around public finance and the budget.

Although this was the first time such a course came to East Africa and in particular, Kenya, the organisers led by Alice Amayo and our able seminar assistant Bob, did a wonderful job.

Florence Kuteesa from Uganda and Jenny Luesby from Kenya had alot to share on budget reporting and we left the course enlightened.