Kenya Stockholm Blog

George Boddie’s Father Is Dead

George “Boddie”, a Kenyan resident in Stockholm, has lost his dad back home. There is an “Open House” at George’s place daily to console him during this difficult moment.

A fund raising will be held on Saturday December 30th at Finstastigen 78 located at Bro (Surface train to Bålsta). To locate the address, get off at Bro station then take bus number 555 to Kungsängen. Alight at Finnstaöstra. Further info: 070 403 5806 or 076 271 91 47.

KSB sends deep condolences to Ndugu George during this tragic moment and hopes that he will have the courage to get through this difficult moment.

Okoth Osewe

December 28, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

Embassy Land Grabbing Case To Go To Swedish Foreign Affairs Committee

Two Officials of  ODM-K Scandinavia have met Ms  Bodil Ceballos, a prominent Swedish MP of the Green Party, and raised the case of land grabbing at the residence of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi.

Mr. Dancan Munala, the Party’s Secretary and Mr. Jared Odero, a Committee member, met Ceballos in her office at Parliament buildings as a follow up to the November 15th African Union Conference that was held at the Swedish Parliament and that was also attended by ODM-K Scandinavia officials.

The purpose of the meeting with Cebello was for ODM-K Scandinavia to identify common grounds for collaboration with the Green Party, update the Party about ODM-K Scandinavia activities in Sweden and to present the Party’s working documents to the Green Party.
 
During the meeting, Mr. Munala presented the legislator with ODM-K Scandinavia’s 12 Point program, Constitution and registration certificate.

LAND GRABBING AT AMBASSADOR’S RESIDENCE
Mr. Odero took the opportunity to present the case of alleged land grabbing at the residence of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi.

“Ms. Ceballos took the issue with a lot of seriousness, noting all the fine details, from the moment the criminal activity was detected by the former Ambassador’s gardener Mr. Njenga Muirani to the steps that have so far been taken by ODM-K Scandinavia”, Mr. Odero told KSB soon after the meeting.

The Party has since obtained an original map of the land which contradicts the current boarders, organized a tour of the residence to get further details, interviewed the neighbor who said he spent Ksh 2 million on the deal, took still photos and video footage of the crime scene, connected with the Kenyan media to expose the scandal and kept the Embassy constantly on toes over the land theft.

Mr. Odero said that Ms Ceballos “was left agape after gathering details to the effect that the section of land which had been hived off was awarded to a Swedish neighbor due to some repair costs he had incurred after fixing the fence”.

“In her opinion, this was tantamount to corruption and she promised to take up the matter with the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee, in which she is a member”, Mr. Odero said.

According to protocol, the Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee is expected to examine the allegation, look at the evidence and institute contacts with the Kenyan Embassy through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for an explanation.  

The introduction of the land grabbing case to Ms Ceballos was the first move in a series of planned exposures by ODM-K Scandinavia which has vowed to ensure that the grabbed land is repossessed by the Kenyan government and the new tree fence that marks the new boundary is pulled down.

POOR ORPHANS IN KENYA’S KIBERA SLUMS
According to a report filed by Mr. Odero and presented to ODM-K Scandinavia’s Executive committee, the two officials also discussed the role of ODM-K Scandinavia in promoting social and environmental justice, key issues that the Green Party holds dearly.

On the social front, the two officials presented a project to assist a grandmother in Kenya’s Kibera (Africa’s largest slum) who is not only widowed but also takes care of her four orphaned grandchildren.

The woman survives on less than a Dollar a day by scrapping through garbage mounds of Kibera, picking plastic bags to sell and feed the orphans. The plight of this family was brought to the attention of the world by Christiane Amanpour (the Chief International Correspondent of CNN Television) during the World Aids Day on December 1, 2006. The documentary exposed a glaring paradox of Kenya’s booming economic growth, currently at 5.8%.

Ms Caballos was updated on  how the widow and her family stand out as a pathetic example of how majority of Kenyans are not enjoying the much publicized “Najivunia kuwa Mkenya” (I am proud to be a Kenyan) catchphrase.

“ODM-K Scandinavia has contacted Christiane Amanpour and Ms. Sophia Njoroge, the Movement’s Vice treasurer, is already collecting money to assist this family and identify a sustainable project to help them”, Mr. Odero said. The two ODM-K Scandinavia Officials promised to keep Ms. Ceballos informed on progress being made to help the grandmother and her orphaned grandchildren.

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS
Other grassroots environmental activities that these two parties identified during the meeting include mobilizing rural women groups in Kenya who depend on agriculture, yet land degradation now deprives them of quality harvests.

“Of particular interest to Ms. Ceballos was how to raise awareness by emphasizing that improving the economy should go hand-in-hand with respecting the environment”, Mr. Odero told KSB.

Ms Caballos told the two ODM-K Scandinavia officials that the West has learnt the hard way on environmental issues from past mistakes and cited the case of China, whose economic growth, she said, is currently very rapid but without much concern for the environment.

The position of the Green Party is that dissemination of awareness on environmental issues should extend to the poor masses in the urban areas of Kenya.

Ms Ceballos gave the example of the Green Party’s joint twinning of Gävle (a town in Sweden) with Buffalo City in South Africa as a success story supported by the ANC government.  ODM-K Officials promised that if the Party seizes power, there would be many areas of cooperation between the new government and the Green Party in Sweden.

CURBING CORRUPTION ON DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
Ms. Ceballos was very interested in knowing the position of ODM-K Scandinavia in International development assistance and accountability.

“ODM-K Scandinavia suggested that since Kenya ranks very highly on corruption, Swedes should get the help of competent Kenyans who are aware of Swedish efficiency and honesty instead of depending on fabricated information by State agents on questions of accountability”, Mr. Odero said.

According to Mr. Munala, the practice of using Swedes to run in the fields for a few days inspecting projects has always failed because corrupt Kenyan officials keep devising new methods to enrich themselves thereby sabotaging projects.

“ODM-K Scandinavia offered to identify competent Kenyans resident in Sweden who could help device effective ways of curbing corruption rampant within the field of International development assistance”, Mr. Munala told KSB.

Okoth Osewe: makosewe@gmail.com
 

December 18, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

Selective Jamhuri Invitations: ODM-K Scandinavia Calls ”Strategy Meeting”

ODM-K Scandinavia has called a “strategy meeting” on Saturday December 9th at Hallonbergen to discuss what needs to be done after it emerged that the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi has selectively invited Kenyans to this year’s Jamhuri celebrations scheduled for Tuesday 12th December at Scandic Hotel (Sergels Torg) in Stockholm from 15 hrs.

Speaking to Kenya Stockholm Blog, Mr. Dancan Munala, the Party’s secretary, said that ODM-K Scandinavia sees it as its responsibility to organize a discussion on what Kenyans who are dissatisfied with the Ambassador’s selective invitation could do on Tuesday next week.

“As a progressive Party that is concerned with the welfare of Kenyans in Scandinavia, it is our duty to fight the emergent tribalism and discrimination of Kenyans being openly practiced by the Kenyan Ambassador as evidenced by the selective Jamhuri invitations”, Mr. Munala told KSB.

Mr. Munala said that the main agenda of the meeting is “political action” to address the issue, pointing out that it will be up to the meeting to decide on what is to be done.

Asked whether ODM-Scandinavia is planning a demonstration outside Scandic Hotel, Mr. Munala said: “All options will be on the table and I cannot go into details at the moment”.

A political action outside the Hotel will be the Embassy’s greatest nightmare because KSB has established that several foreign diplomats are among the guests who have been invited to the function. A scenario of Kenyan demonstrators confronting the “Special guests” outside the Hotel will, most likely, disrupt the tranquility of the function and embarrass the Ambassador to the hilt.

Mr. Munala said that fighting tribalism practiced by the Kenyan Embassy should be the duty of every progressive Kenyan regardless of their Party affiliations.

“We know the consequences of tribalism because we have seen it in our country. We will not allow for a duplication of tribalism in Stockholm by the Kenyan Ambassador who appears to think that Jamhuri day is a private tribal Party where majority of Kenyans from other ethnic groups have to be kept out”, Mr. Munala said.

According to intelligence gathered by KSB, majority of Kenyans who have been invited to the celebration are those known to be close to the Ambassador and other Embassy officials while they also belong to the Ambassador’s Kikuyu tribe. Kikuyus critical of the government have been kept at bay, just like other “odiangabuks” (Kenyans who do not matter).

Information reaching KSB indicate that members of a sect that was set up by an Embassy official are among those who have received invitation cards. The Embassy official is among key preachers who normally conduct services at the make-shift “fellowship”.

Okoth Osewe: makosewe@gmail.com

December 7, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

ODM-Kenya Scandinavia Registered

ODM-Kenya Scandinavia has been registered as a political Party by the Swedish authorities. The certificate of registration was picked up by the Party’s Secretary Mr. Dancun Munala from the tax Office.

According to Mr. Martin Ngatia, Vice chairperson of ODM-K Scandinavia, the registration will now make it easy for the Party to engage officially with Swedish authorities, political parties and organizations which the Party believes can further its political agenda.

Asked about the immediate priorities of the Party after its registration, Mr. Ngatia told KSB that the Party will mainly focus on the struggle to remove President Mwai Kibaki and his Mount Kenya Mafia gang from power in next year’s elections.

“The government of Kibaki has betrayed the Kenyan people and now, it has to be shown the door. The use of tear gas by police sent to brutalize innocent Kenyans is on the increase, brutal attacks on press freedom have been witnessed by Kenyans, corruption is rampant, tribalism is rife while freedom of Assembly is on the brink of being wiped out in our country ”, Mr. Ngatia told KSB.

The ODM-K Scandinavia leader said that the interference in the running of political parties by the Kibaki government should be a warning that the government might try to rig elections next year using all tricks available in the book.

“The government is trying to split and control opposition parties by creating puppets like Biwott and Shitanda because after losing in the November referendum last year, the regime is convinced that it will never win next year’s elections unless it becomes more ruthless, aggressive and brutal in its tactics”, he said.

He told KSB that ODM-K Scandinavia will always be on the frontlines in fighting for and defending the rights and interests of the Kenyan people. He pointed out that from the point of view of ODM-K Scandinavia, Kibaki should not be allowed to finish his term in Office because he has failed to honor his promise of allegiance to the Constitution and oath of Office which he took while sitting on a wheel chair.

“Kibaki should be the first President of Kenya to be removed from Office while serving because of betrayal, incompetence and failing the Kenyan people. It is for this reason that we are supporting Opposition’s notice to Parliament of a vote of no confidence in the Kibaki dictatorship”, he said.

Mr. Ngatia advised the opposition to “hold the bull by the horns” while he encouraged Kenyans to “withstand the last kicks of a dying horse” asserting that ODM-K Scandinavia will not relent until the monster regime of Kibaki and his cohorts is overthrown through democratic means.

Mr. Ngatia warned the opposition in Kenya that the Kibaki government is in control of the State machine and that the opposition must be ready to utilize its mass support to mobilize street protests and mass demonstrations across the country as a way of countering the monopoly of violence at the hands of the State.

“While the State can send riot police and Para-military forces to terrorize Kenyans and intimidate the opposition, no amount of force by the State can stop a people that is convinced about the need for political change”, Mr. Ngatia said.

“Kenyans said no to the Kibaki dictatorship during the Referendum and this is what will happen in December next year”, he added.

Asked about the current stand-off between ODM-K Scandinavia and the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi on the question of land grabbing at Muhindi’s residence, Mr. Ngatia said that the Ambassador is behaving in an old fashioned manner that has no place in a modern and civilized society.

“At a time when the Embassy is faced with a major scandal, the Ambassador has chosen to go underground thinking that the scandal will simply go away. This is amateurish”, he said.

“The position of ODM-K Scandinavia is clear on the land issue. If the Embassy fails to act, ODM-K Scandinavia will go to court to recover the land because the land was bought by tax payer’s money and therefore it belongs to the Kenyan people”, he told KSB.

Okoth Osewe: makosewe@gmail.com
 
 

December 6, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

Storm Gathering Over Stockholm’s Jamhuri Day Celebrations

As the land grabbing scandal at the residence of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia continues to unfold in Stockholm, a new storm is gathering at the Embassy’s back yard.

A group of Kenyans have buzzed Kenya Stockholm blog attacking Ambassador Purity Muhindi for selective invitation of Kenyans to the Jamhuri day celebrations scheduled for Tuesday December 12th at Scandic Hotel located at Sergels Torg in Stockholm.

Speaking to KSB, Pastor Beatrice Kamau accused the Ambassador of trying to divide Kenyans through her selective invitation to the function.

“We thought that former Ambassador Kinyanjui had already ended this menace of inviting Kenyans to Jamhuri days selectively. Kenyans should not allow the Ambassador to drag us backwards because Jamhuri day should be celebrated by everybody”, she told KSB.

Pastor Beatrice wondered who was advising the Ambassador, saying that whoever gave her the idea of selective invitations was actually creating more problems to the Embassy.

According to a survey by KSB, a cross section of Kenyans loyal to the Ambassador have already received invitation cards to attend the function while a vast majority have been kept out. Almost all members of ODM-K Scandinavia have been kept out while members of Narc Stockholm have been invited.

SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Dancan Munala, Secretary of ODM-K Scandinavia, said that the Chairperson, Vice chairperson, Secretary, Vice secretary and other ODM-K Scandinavia top brass have all not been invited to the function.

“I believe that the Ambassador is not happy about the land grabbing scandal that our Party unearthed a few days ago and this could explain why top members of the Party have not been invited”, Mr. Munala said.

“If this is the case, the Embassy is using the wrong tactics because Jamhuri day is a national day which should be celebrated by all Kenyans across the world if they so wish”, he added.

Mr. Munala said that the short-sightedness of the Ambassador on the question of Jamhuri invitations carried serious consequences which will later come back to haunt the Embassy.

Mr. Gerry Midenyo, Treasurer of ODM-K Scandinavia, said that the Ambassador was using Jamhuri day to promote tribalism in Stockholm.

“I called the Embassy over this issue last week and they said that they would get back to me. Up to now, I haven’t heard anything”, Mr. Gerry said.

Mr. Gerry, who is also the head of “Wazee Hukumbuka Group” told KSB that almost every Kenyan who has been invited to the function “comes from the Ambassador’s tribe”.

“This is unacceptable and I am appealing to all Kenyans who have been kept out of the function to co-ordinate and decide on a strategy on how to address the issue”, he said. Mr. Gerry said that one option is for those who have been kept out to plan an action outside Scandic Hotel to expose the Ambassador’s dirty tactics and to shame her.

“Since I came to Stockholm more than two decades ago, the Embassy has never failed to invite me to Jamhuri and this is the first time that I have failed to get an invitation card”, he said.  Mr. Gerry has worked at the Embassy before and he told KSB that the Embassy was committing a big mistake by taking other Kenyans for granted.

JAMHURI DAY NOT ABOUT SPENDING TAX PAYER’S MONEY
KSB has contacted the Embassy on several occasions to get a comment from the Ambassador but failed. She has either been out of Office or in a meeting. In the past, when KSB managed to track her down, she said that questions should first be written on a piece of paper then mailed to her so that she could respond.

The Embassy has, in the past, argued that the institution has no resources to entertain all Kenyans in Stockholm and that it was for this reason that not all Kenyans could be invited. This argument was however disputed by Mr. Martin Ngatia, a leading politician in Stockholm.

“Kenyans in Sweden are not poor and they can afford to buy their own food and drinks at the function. The truth is that the Ambassador is a hand picked representative of the corrupt Kibaki government and what she is doing now is that she is practicing the same tribalism and discrimination we are witnessing within the Kibaki government”, Mr. Ngatia told KSB.

Mr. Ngatia said that each year, Kenyans normally organize a huge grill feast during the summer where Kenyans and friends from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Kenya, UK and United States have attended in the past.

“Kenyans are capable of feeding themselves at the function and the question of money should not arise because Jamhuri day is not about spending tax payer’s money”, he said.

“We in Stockholm are democratic and we admire democracy in this country. Dividing Kenyans because of their membership in ODM-K Scandinavia or trying to create enmity between ODM-K Scandinavia and Narc-K Scandinavia will fail because Kenyans in Stockholm are politically mature”, he said, adding that the main difference between the two Parties was ideological.

“We are all Kenyans. The Ambassador is proving that she is primitive and uncivilized. As an Ambassador representing a great country like Kenya, she should seek to be a role model. If Narc-K Stockholm has not told the Ambassador that she is making a big mistake, then members of the Party might have been brain washed by the Embassy”, charged Mr. Ngatia.

Mr. Ngatia said that the Ambassador has never organized any function to meet Kenyans in Stockholm and pointed out that it was disturbing that her first meeting with Kenyans is at Jamhuri day where majority of Kenyans have been side lined.

“While my Party welcomes the Ambassador to Stockholm, awache fitina. She should not practice politics of division if she doesn’t want to get into unnecessary trouble”, he said.

“Kenyans in Stockholm should stop taking things for granted. They should tell this Ambassador on her face that she is Kibaki’s boot-licker who is being used by the Mount Kenya Mafia to divide Kenyans in Stockholm because this is what she is doing”, he added.

“We are talking about an Embassy which has already grabbed land at the Ambassador’s residence and transferred it to a neighbor. After committing this crime, the Ambassador has now invited former colonial masters together with her lap dogs to squander tax payer’s money on Jamhuri day while Kenyans have been left out. The Ambassador should be told that there are people who are not going to accept her divisive tactics”, Mr. Ngatia told KSB.

Several Kenyans who did not get invitations and who were contacted by KSB were equally outraged although they did not want to be quoted.

“I hope that at the end of next year, we will have a new government which will recall this Ambassador immediately. She has started on the wrong foot”, a Kenyan DJ told KSB.

Okoth Osewe makosewe@gmail.com

December 5, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

Land Grabbing At Residence: Neighbor Spent Ksh 2 Million On The Deal

A Swedish neighbor of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia has told Officials of ODM-K Scandinavia that he spent more than Ksh 2 million (over 200.000 kr) in the process of acquiring a triangular piece of land that was hived from the compound of the Kenyan Ambassador to Scandinavia Mrs Purity Muhindi. The revelation came up during a tour of the residence by members of ODM-K Scandinavia and other interested Kenyans.

The neighbor said that it cost him Ksh 60.000 (6.000 kr) to pull down the old fence while it cost another Ksh 20.000 (2.000 kr) to plant small trees which marked the new boundary. Speaking to Sofia Njoroge, ODM-K Vice Treasurer who put him on the carpet, the neighbor said that the deal was sealed by Mr. Daniel Mukiri Kinyanjui, the former Ambassador, before he left for Kenya a few months ago.

When ODM-K Scandinavia team arrived at the residence, they found the iron-stripped metallic gate locked with a padlock while a car had been packed strategically to block the view of the grabbed land which could have been visible even if one was standing outside the gate.

The ODM team arrived at the residence in a convoy and when they noticed that the gate was locked, a quick decision was made that two Committee members approach the neighbor politely and request him to allow the Kenyans to view the grabbed land from his compound and take pictures.

After the Officials introduced themselves as ODM-K Scandinavia leaders and spelling out their mission, the neighbor did not just allow Kenyans to view the land but also accepted to field questions which were being asked by Ms Sofia Njoroge.

NEIGBOR’S BOAT COULD NOT DOCK PROPERLY
The neighbor said that when he accepted the deal, he did not think that it would be a very big thing. “I was coming home when I was told that the issue is now in the Internet”, he said.

“The main reason why I wanted the land is because it has been difficult for my boat to dock at the shore. Now, everything is alright”, he said. “There is nobody using the land and I thought it was OK to have it after I fixed the fence”, he added.

The neighbor said that the old fence between the residence and his villa was almost falling apart and when he was asked why he had to chip in to fix a property which belonged to a government, he said that his belief was that the Embassy had no money to invest in mending the fence.

“The fence was making the place look ugly and I just wanted something good”, he told Sofia.

By entering into a transaction that left him with a piece of land belonging to the Kenyan government, the neighbor believed that he was helping the Kenyan Ambassador to improve the beauty of the compound and that the piece of land he acquired in return was more of a “thank you” gift.

Responding to a question, the neighbor said that the transaction was not yet legal as the land office has not been informed and that he was ready to be part of a solution as long as the Kenyan Embassy could also sort out the financial aspects of the problem including a settlement of the bill for pulling down the fence which, he said, he also footed.

The neighbor, who appeared very cooperative, calm and collected, said that he also footed the bill of erecting the new wooden fence at the compound and that this bill was part of the Ksh 2 million he spent on the project. He accepted to work out a break down of what he spent in the deal if that would help solve the problem. He clarified that he discussed “everything” with the former Ambassador before embarking on the project.

After talking to the neighbor, the Kenyans walked into the neighbor’s compound to gain access to the grabbed land in order to view it and take pictures. At the moment, there is no fence between the neighbor and the residence and once one is in the neighbor’s compound, it is possible to walk into the residence without hindrance.

POLICE CALLED BY EMBASSY 
The group of Kenyans had carried a map of the compound and it was very clear that the straight boarder line shown on the map had been tampered with. Kenyans were amazed that what ODM-K Scandinavia was saying to the effect that land had been grabbed was actually true. “I did not believe that this is possible”, said Mr. Jacob Opande who was also at the scene.

Top ODM-K Scandinavia officials who led the operation were Mr. Martin Ngatia, the Vice chairperson, Mr. Dancun Munala, the Secretary, Mr. Gerry Changa Midenyo, the Treaurer, Ms Sofia Njoroge, the Vice treasurer and Mr. Jared Odero, a Committee member.  

As the ODM-K Scandinavia Officials engaged the neighbor while other Kenyans waited patiently, people who were at the residence called police and within a few minutes, two police officers arrived at the scene in one police car.

When police tried to ring the bell at the gate to find out whether there was any problem, the occupants refused to open or to show their faces. The two policemen later engaged the Kenyans in light conversations before getting into their car to relax and to watch events from a distance. When the operation was complete, the Kenyans left the scene as police also drove away.

ODM-K SCANDINAVIA TO SUE KENYA EMBASSY
After gathering evidence at the scene, ODM-K Scandinavia leadership has resolved to make an initial report to police about a “land grabbing case” if the Embassy does not take any action to try and resolve the issue.

“ODM-K Scandinavia has given the Kenyan Embassy 14 days from Monday December 4th 2006 to address the issue or face legal action”, said Mr. Dancun Munala, the Party’s secretary.

“If no action is taken by the Embassy by the 24th of December, our Party will begin the process of suing the Embassy to reclaim land which belongs to the Republic of Kenya”, Mr. Munala added.

Mr. Munala accused the Ambassador Mrs Purity Muhindi, of incompetence, cowardice and insensitivity because of her failure to address the land grabbing scandal at her residence.

“The fact that the Ambassador decided to padlock the gate and block the view of the grabbed land with a car shows that the Embassy has something to hide but it is too late because the truth is already out while ODM-K Scandinavia has the evidence”, Mr. Munala said.

“Our Party will not rest until land that belongs to the Kenyan people is returned”, he told KSB. “ODM-K Scandinavia would like the Kenyan Embassy to get the message very clearly – that this matter will not go away until it is resolved”, Mr. Munala said.

He said that the grabbed land was just the tip of an iceberg, adding that ODM-K Scandinavia is investigating cases of visa fraud, human trafficking and money laundering at the Embassy.

Okoth Osewe: makosewe@gmail.com

Related Stories:

• Evidence Shows Land At Ambassador’s residence Was Grabbed
• ODM-Scandinavia To Organize Tour Of Ambassador’s Residence
• “Investigate Kenya Embassy” – ODM Scandinavia
• Kenya Embassy Worker Fired Under Mysterious Circumstances

December 4, 2006 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment