Kenya Stockholm Blog

After Obama, Kenyans Think They Can “Resurrect the Dead”

At this rate, may be the Kenya Bagarmossen Church members need to begin prayers for the Swedish snow to cool down and disappear altogether. It would be spectacular to see them shout “In the name of Jesus… we pray that the almighty God send heat and melt all snow in Stockholm that has created traffic chaos across Stockholm city”.

This is because in Kenya, members of the faithful have reached the stage where they can begin to think about praying for “the dead to resurrect”. At first, I thought it was fiction but later, I had to settle down to the reality that it was real – the faithful were praying for some Church leaders who had perished in a road accident to come back to life. Imagine people praying continuously for three days for some dead body to hit the roof of the coffin and rise back to life in a moment of resurrection! This is Kenya! Surely, our people are unique! Let us celebrate!

After the Obama miracle, in Kenya, we think that another “Change has come” to Kenya because we can now pray “Live” for the dead to come back to life. Kenyans watching this video should begin to question what religion has done to our people. Surely, what is happening here because as a Kenyan, I feel like another foreign spectator.

Okoth Osewe

February 22, 2010 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 2 Comments

Body of Kenyan Seafarer Stuck in Tanzania

“Kenya Won’t Interfere With Tanzanian Laws” – Kenya High Commissioner to Tanzania

High Commissioner Mutiso Mutinda

On 20th February, 2010 relatives and next of kin of the late Mr Juma Kumbu whose body is lying at the Muhimbili National Hospital Mortuary, Tanzania travelled back to Kenya empty handed.  The relatives of the deceased Kenyan seafarer travelled to Dar es Salaam on 16th February to collect the body for burial but they could not afford to pay for transport, mortuary fees, and embalmment charges amounting to Tshs. 2 million.

They went to the Kenya High Commissioner to ask for financial assistance but they were given a cold shoulder by the deputy head of mission Madam Muthoni Mwithiga.

In my presence Madam Muthoni demonized the other two Kenyan seafarers who are still in custody by saying that the High Commissioner cannot visit criminals in Tanzania remand prisons.

She further echoed what the High Commissioner Mutiso Mutinda told the local media in Tanzania recently that Kenya won’t interfere with Tanzanian laws neither interfere in dead seaman’s probe just because a Kenyan seafarer has died in a Tanzanian remand prison.

This is contrary to the services offered by the mission in Tanzania .

Services offered by the mission includes interface with law enforcement and immigration officials in cases where Kenyans get into trouble while in Tanzania .

Given that the High Commissioner has abandoned the relatives of the deceased we call upon well wishers, all women and men of good will to assist them so that they can remove the body from the mortuary for burial in Kenya .

Information indicates that a post mortem was done on 9th February, 2010 we ask the government of Tanzania to provide the relatives and the next of kin of the deceased with Coroner’s report and Post Mortem report. This is per the Inquest Act Cap 24 R.E 2002 Sections 4(I) (C) and 6 (I) of the Tanzanian Laws.

As a sign of good faith we ask the government of Tanzania to allow an independent pathologist carry out investigation and a post mortem.

The late Juma Kumbu and 35 other crew members of a Taiwanese fishing vessel TAWARIQ-1 were in March 2009 captured in Tanzania ’s EEZ for illegal fishing.

The case is coming up for hearing on 11th March 2010.

35 Crew members of FV TAWARIQ-1 and the Mombassa based ship agent of the fishing boat and his friend will on 11th March 2010 appear before Dar-es-Salaam court of law charged with fishing without license against section 18(1) of the Tanzania Deep Sea Fishing Authority Act. Cap.388 (R.E.2002) as amended by Act No.4 of 2007 read together with regulation 67 of the Deep Sea Fishing Authority (Regulations) 2009 G.N.48 of 2009.

The first count on the Statement of offence signed by the state Attorney on 4th May 2009 states that on or about March 8th 2009 they were found fishing 296, 32 tones of fishing valued at Tshs 2,074,240,000 without valid license within the EEZ of Tanzania.

The second count states that on or about 8th March 2009 within the EEZ of the United Republic of Tanzania they exploited the resources and captured fishing without there being agreement with the government of the Republic of Tanzania .

Those in custody are composed of 15 Chinese, 5 Vietnamese, 5 Indonesians, 2 Taiwanese, 8 Filipinos and 2 Kenyans.

They were intercepted by a South African patrol boat some 180 nautical miles off the Tanzanian coast with over 200 tons of Tuna fish.

The crew members and the ship agent currently detained in Keko and Ukonga prisons in Tanzania are suffering from skin diseases and they are in urgent need of medical attention, supply of toiletry, reading materials and prison visit by the port chaplain.

We would be glad if the Dar-Es-Salaam port chaplain could be regularly allowed to visit the seafarers in prisons.

The vessel was found to have both fresh and frozen tuna and tuna-like species as well as fresh offal and other remains cut from fish on board. The vessel has no flag hoisted; radar was switched off; she has no license or permit and port of registry.

Multiple names were found on the vessel; on the superstructure, lifesaving equipment, and the vessel monitoring system transponder and in documents found at various locations on the vessel.

The name No.68 BU YOUNG was found embossed on the port and starboard bows as well as on the stern of the vessel and at the upper part of the wheel house.

On the said locations the name TAWARIQ was painted over the name BUYOUNG to mask the embossed name. Information further indicates that the life-rings, the service record of one of the life-rafts and other documents found onboard bore the name of a Korean fishing vessel No.11 INSUNG.

We are informed that TAWARIQ 1 flies Oman flag and her previous name was ODINE MALAGASY her ex-flag sate was Madagscar.It is said that her last port of call was Mombassa port. Without a hoisted flag or port of registry and without any authentic certificate of registration found on board the vessel it is impossible to establish the true identity of the vessel and the owner of the vessel.

Illegal and unregulated fishing takes away huge earnings estimated at 20% of total catch for Kenya and 15% total catch for both Tanzania and Mozambique.

In accordance to the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission resolution 06/01 and 09/03 we humble request the Kenyan, Oman and the Korean authorities to help Tanzanian government in identifying the owner of the vessel so that the court case could be brought into conclusion.

We would be glad if the Taiwanese government and the Sultanate of Omani could tell us the where abouts of a Taiwanese fishing vessel INTMAS-6 and her multi-national crew.

There was actually a fleet of 4 large fishing vessels operating illegally in Tanzanian territorial waters, when TAWARIQ-1 was impounded in March last year.

Upon hearing that their sister ship had been arrested the other three fake named TAWARIQ 2, 3 and 4 immediately left and escaped the dragnet.

Andrew Mwangura , Seafarers’ Assistance Program, Mombasa.

February 22, 2010 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | Leave a Comment

Chebet Calling on Kenya-Stockholm Teachers

Hello Kenyan teachers! I’m a Kenyan woman who came to Sweden December 2006. I was a trained teacher back home and had a four year teaching experience in high school. When I came to Sweden, I  was forced to go through the normal language learning procedure , i.e SFI, SSAS grund, Svenska A and Svenska B.

Armed with my tools of trade, I sent them to Högskoleverket and it did not take long before I became  certified to teach in all Swedish primary and secondary schools. Today i teach in upper primary school (högstadiet) in Stockholm. I would like to get in touch with Kenyan teachers who are living in Sweden. I have a feeling that there are so many Kenyans who are trained teachers and they are not teaching in Sweden just because they have missed vital information.

Lots of brains are going to waste yet opportunities are there. These opportunities are waiting for us to grab, but before we do that we need to meet and lay down some strategies.  I would also like to meet Kenyans who are in the teaching field. It would be nice to share the experiences we go through in the teaching proffession.

It is high time Kenyans came together and tried to uplift one another. As we all know, Kenya has produced so many intelligent people and going abroad can force one to settle for less in the name of “hapa si nyumbani, hizo kazi siyo ya wageni,l azima uwe na connections ndiyo upate kazi na kadhalika”.

Yes, it is not nyumbani, but for how long are we going to dwell on such negative thoughts while watching opportunities pass by?

Wake up Kenyan teachers and let us use the powers we were given to do what we are good at doing: Imparting knowledge! Did we not receive the powers during that colourfull graduation ceremony? When Kenyatta, Moi etc said “By the powers vested on me, I give you the power to…these powers were not limited!

Remember that no government can say no to an educated person. Language should not be a barrier, if we made it through the Kenyan hectic education system, I believe we can make it anywhere in the globe. Please get in touch with me if this sounds interesting! Long live Kenyans!
 
The thirst for knowledge keeps hunting me. I will not rest until the thirst is quenched!(Chebet, 21.02.2010)

February 22, 2010 Posted by makozewe | News & Analysis | 25 Comments