Kenya: Bitter Lessons from the Supreme Court Ruling on Raila Odinga’s Petition
The anger and frustrations could easily be translated into political rebellion
In a political environment dominated by ethnic politics, political theory dictates that one ethnic group cannot dominate the political life without resistance
As had been expected by pundits whose eyes have been riveted on the unfolding drama in Kenya following the rigging of Presidential elections, the Supreme Court was eventually compromised by the Mount Kenya Mafia (which masterminded election rigging) to uphold Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya’s next fake President after Kibaki. From election rigging to Supreme Court theatrics which culminated in the subversion of justice by turn-coat Willy Mutunga and his cohorts, there are bitter lessons which observant Kenyans will have to live with as a huge political and social crisis also awaits to begin unraveling in Kenya. Suspected war criminals have taken over the reins of power abetted by political mafia.
As I have mentioned in several of my writings, the corrupt capitalist ruling elite in charge of the Kenyan State machine will never hand over power voluntarily to anybody or any new class which could distabilize the status quo and threaten their political and huge economic interests. On the surface, Kenyans went to elections to elect the Jubilee coalition led by Uhuru Kenyatta or the Cord coalition led by Raila Amolo Odinga. In reality, the real contest was between the Kikuyu mafia cartel that has ruled Kenya for the last ten years under Kibaki and the Cord ruling class which was seeking to take over power for the first time through mass support.
What happened is that the Cord ruling class won elections but the Kikuyu Mafia cartel took advantage of their control of the State machine to rig elections in order to retain power. Ordinary Kenyans who voted have nothing to do with it or anything to gain from the so called Jubilee victory. Conversely, if Cord had carried the day, ordinary voters could have had very little gains but the democratic process could have moved forward. What will happen now is that the democratic gains of the last 30 years will be rolled back with the risk that Kenya might disintegrate along ethnic lines in the next few years. What is the basis for this pessimistic perspective?
The Constitution is a piece of paper
Despite its supposed sanctity, and under rotten capitalist class rule, that document called the Constitution remains a piece of paper as long as its implementation is on the hands of a thieving elite whose pre-occupation in government is to amass wealth by looting tax payer’s money through State bureaucracy. From a Socialist perspective, the capitalist ruling class in control of a decayed system like that of Kenya will always violate the Constitution with impunity as long as its interests are at stake. Kenyans are already witnessing this inclination.
According to the Constitution, Kenyans have the right to free Assembly and the right to peaceful demonstrations. Between the rigging of elections on 4th March 2013 and the Supreme Court ruling on 30th March 2013, the right to free Assembly was violated repeatedly by the Kikuyu ruling class mafia because they were afraid that any public gatherings may “threaten the peace” at a volatile time when they had just rigged elections. They violated the Constitution with impunity because the implementation of the document is on their hands and not on the hands of the people of Kenya.
During the Supreme Court hearings, massive evidence was adduced to demonstrate that elections were rigged in contravention of the Constitution which guarantees free and fair elections. Because the Kikuyu mafia was afraid of losing power to the Cord ruling class, this mafia arm-twisted a supposedly “impartial” and reformed Supreme Court to deliver a fake judgement which favoured the interests of the Kikuyu mafia cartel. In court, it was demonstrated severally that the presidential election was not conducted according to the Constitution but the evidence was set aside, the Constitution raped and power handed over to suspected war criminals who candidated after the Constitution was openly defiled to allow them to present themselves for election. The Constitution has now become another piece of paper and any disenchanted Kenyan is free to tear it without guilt and throw it in a pit latrine because that is where it currently belongs until the day it will be redeemed. The immediate consequence of raping the Constitution is even more catastrophic for the Republic and its citizens. Why?
Elections have become meaningless
If next elections are called with the current mount Kenya Kikuyu mafia status quo in place, it will be rigged again and I can pontificate, almost with certainty, that the election will be boycotted in Nyanza, Western, Coast and Eastern provinces in that order. Next round, frustrated Cord supporters wailing on cameras will, most likely, refuse to register as voters and campaign for a boycott of elections on grounds that the vote no longer counts. With the open rigging of presidential election, and with the fraudulent ruling of the Supreme Court, the ballot has effectively failed because elections have become meaningless.
The Supreme Court is a tool of Kikuyu ruling class Mafia cartel
Although I did warn that the Supreme Court is part of the ruling class power structure, millions of Kenyans (especially Cord supporters) believed that the Supreme Court could deliver justice with regard to Raila’s petition. This confidence was generated by Raila Odinga himself who sent signals that he believed in this Court. Raila banked on SC’s President, forgetting that Mutunga was surrounded by “status quoists”.
With this fraudulent judgement, the big lesson Kenyans must learn is that in its reformed state, the Supreme Court still remains a tool of the Kikuyu ruling class mafia which they will continue to use to rubber stamp their illegal activities in government as the looting process of the State continues. Under capitalism, the judiciary, the police, the army, the paramilitary and the Intelligence (key instruments of power) serves the interests of the capitalist ruling elite, not the interests of voters including those celebrating.
The Democratic process has come to an end
In governance, there is something called the “democratic process”. Put in context in the current situation in Kenya, it means registering as a voter, and on the basis of the conduct of the election, results are announced with both voters and contestants accepting the results as the will of the people. In case of complaints, an institution called the Supreme Court was established to arbitrate. If the whole process is successful, the “democratic process” can then be said to have worked in the interest of the people.
In 2002, this process worked like clockwork, Moi lost power in a democratic election and Kibaki became the President. No one complained and Kenyans believed that the era of election rigging was over. It was a huge leap forward for the democratic process. However, in 2007, the democratic process failed. The reasons for this failure were well understood, institutions were reformed (IEBC, Supreme Court, the Constitution etc) but what has happened in 2013? Elections have been rigged again despite all the work.
In short, the rigging of the 2013 elections has effectively ended what is called the “democratic process”. Next time, no one will contest Presidential elections expecting it to be free and fair. Likewise, there will be no more cases to the Supreme Court because it has been tested and found to have been compromised in accordance with capitalist ruling class conspiracies to retain power at all costs. Any Kenyan who does not understand this point can proceed to stand for election next time and the result will be the same. This is my verdict.
Ethnic politics will eventually lead to Kenya’s fragmentation
There is no political formation in Kenya that bases its politics on solid ideology. All major Coalitions in the political market place can be characterized as rudimentary capitalist contraptions which base their politics on a deformed variant of capitalism. In paraphrase, the Coalitions base their politics on capitalism (the profit system) but in its deformed state. While on this platform, these Coalitions bank on an ethnic support base and this tendency is what has given Kenyan politics its ethnic character. The big difference is that Cord had the capacity to widen the democratic space while Jubilee will, most certainly, shrink it and even roll back some of the democratic gains of the past.
In a political environment dominated by ethnic politics, political theory dictates that one ethnic group cannot dominate the political life without resistance. If there is a possibility of a democratic change of government to enable members of other ethnic groups to come to power (as in 2002 when the Kalenjin lost power to the Kikuyu), the cycle can continue peacefully, probably until the ethnic groups awaken to the reality that elections benefit the ruling classes alone.
However, if the democratic process is tampered with to enable one single ethnic group to dominate power without possibility of aggrieved ethnic groups having a say in the running of government, conflicts could begin to brew before exploding in an inter-ethnic war that may fragment the country into different ethnic enclaves. With the rigging of the 2013 elections and the imposition of a president on the people, Kenya may soon approach a rebellion against the government by ethnic groups which feel left out of the power structure. The anger and frustrations could easily be translated into political rebellion. This is the ground upon which Kenya may begin to fragment in the future along ethnic lines.
This process may not be an instant event and may be long drawn depending on the level of organization. In the coming period, Kenyans should expect a surge in regional ethnic rebellions with citizens who have lost confidence in the elections like the Luo, Luhya, Kamba and Coastals seeking to rule themselves or voicing aspirations of breaking away from Kenya.
Armed struggle is inevitable for liberation of oppressed ethnic groups
In a working democracy, the democratic process is the most popular method of changing regimes through free and fair elections. Although Raila Odinga spoke about “other peaceful means”, there is none apart from civil disobedience, mass uprising, mass insurrection or armed struggle. Because the enemy is armed with the State machine, armed struggle may be the only option. Once again, armed struggle is a process and given the existing political circumstances, it is unlikely that millions of Kenyans will accept to be left out of political leadership by an ethnic mafia cartel bent on looting the economy as the rest of citizens continue to undergo untold human suffering.
With the rigging of the 2013 elections, democracy is now dead in Kenya while the democratic process has come to an end until further notice. The Constitution can now be torn into pieces because it is a useless piece of paper. Going to the Supreme Court with an election petition in future will be a hopeless exercise. The Court is an appendage of the thieving ruling mafia cartel while its Judges are stooges installed to maintain the status quo.
Voting at elections is worthless because the ballot has effectively failed. The vote no longer counts. All illusions about a democratic Kenya have been crushed. When the ballot fails, the bullet is usually inevitable. These are the bitter lessons Kenyans will probably learn from the rigged 2013 Kenya elections. Anybody celebrating this sad moment for the Nation is either politically unconscious, ethnically chauvinistic or just ignorant about key elements of the situation.
Okoth Osewe
Secretary General
Kenya Red Alliance
RELATED
Kenya Stockholm Blog 
Democracy died on 4th march watch this Gema corrupt Army has maimed this young boy before molesting him.This is in NFD Garrissa where somalis of Kenya has been regarded as third class Refugees by Kikuyu ruling Army> REvolution is the answer .
http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/ktn/video/watch/2000062271/-news-kichapo-cha-jeshi
Spoken good words from a woman democratic fighter in Kenya With very (high iqs) than millions of Kenyan men and women with slave mentality >To: KPTJ-communications@fahamu.org
Dear all.
[…]
It is not clear how and where we, as a human rights community, should now move. I am sure everybody is making personal and institutional choices. To determine our obligations at this point. To stay in the human rights community or not. To stay in the country or not. To continue to work when engaging the government is unconscionable, unthinkable. My choice is this. I do not accept what the IEBC has done to us. It was wrong. I do not accept what the Supreme Court has done to us. It was wrong. I do not accept that Uhuru Kenyatta is our legitimate President. He is not. And I will spend the next five years conscientiously objecting and resisting in whatever ways I can.
[….]
As for the half of the country that wanted this, the IEBC, the Supreme Court…I hope this devastation was worth it. I hope they will find themselves able to sleep with themselves at night in this bed that they have made.
Muthoni.
I agree with you on this matter but am afraid most people are not alive to the consequences that will follow this ruling by the SCOK
What sort of President UHURUTO Who are like( Caged Chimpanzees)Monkeys in a cage hence they both cannot fly out of Kenya without being arrested and handed to ICC in Hague!
People of Central Province(Kikuyus) should turn to Their President (Elect)Uhuru Kenyatta and Beg him to Pay their Hospital bills like this one >Hence they all Voted their King Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta!Nyeri hospital detains diabetic patient for not settling bill
Posted by admin on Sunday, March 31, 2013 · Leave a Comment
Nyeri, Kenya: A 50-year-old single mother is ushering the Easter weekend in pain after a private hospital in Nyeri detained her son, 28, over an unpaid bill
A teary Mary Wanjiku King’ori says all her pleas to the Outspan Hospital to release the diabetic Gerald King’ori has fallen on deaf ears, even as his bill — following an admission on February 2 — continues to mount, and by Sunday stood at Sh247,000.
Hospital invoices she showed us indicate the hospital was demanding Sh178,382 from her after 45 days of admission on March 19.
The charges include nursing and bed fees, which the family claim could have been avoided had the hospital released the patient after he stabilised, following a dental operation in the hospital shortly after admission.
Other charges include those for the dental clinic, consultations, drugs, doctor’s fees and ward procedures.
Hospital receipts
A hospital source said the Chief Executive, Dr Macharia Kiruhi, was in Mombasa attending the East African Surgeons conference. He is the only one who speaks for the hospital, but Kiruhi did not answer our calls.
Ms King’ori, who is a subordinate staffer in a government agency, says her pleas to the hospital management to release her son pending arrangements to clear the bill had been turned down severally, and she is worried that the more the bill escalates, the more it will be difficult to clear it.
Hospital receipts show she has only paid Sh26,000. “My son has been diabetic since 1999 and we only took him to the private hospital after his sugar levels deteriorated on February 2 because of a tooth infection,” said King’ori.
She showed us a copy of a letter by her employer urging the hospital to release the son pending arrangements to pay the bill. But the letter was allegedly turned down by the hospital on the grounds that it “didn’t carry any weight”.-The Standard
True
The diff btw proffessors from Ghana and Proffessors from Lala-Land (kenya) where degrees are bought in black-markets !Kenya’s Supreme Court Renders a Bad Ruling
By George Ayittey
I respect Kenya’s Supreme Court Justices but I beg to disagree with the Justices. They rendered a bad decision on Saturday. Here are 6 reasons why.
First, given the highly charged political atmosphere, they should have stayed above the fray, instead of inserting themselves into it by declaring or confirming Kenyatta or Odinga as the winner. Now they risk being seen as “compromised” or “partisan,” favoring one candidate over the other.
Second, the SC ordered a re-tally of votes from 22 polling stations out of a total of 33,400. The sample was too small. Admittedly, the Supreme Court had only 6 days to make a ruling and, further, CORD (the Odinga camp) may have suggested a scrutiny of those 22 polling stations. However, if that small sample revealed evidence of irregularities, logic suggests that the large remainder must also contain irregularities that must also be scrutinized. If a portion of the meat is spoilt, would you cut it off and eat the rest?
Third, the decision does not erase the widespread suspicion that there were nefarious attempts to manipulate the results and rig the election. It is a bit of a stretch to attribute the irregularities to “clerical” or “human error.” How does one explain:
1. The sudden break-down of IT or electronic transmission of results, necessitating manual tabulation?
2. The break-down of biometric equipment, necessitating voting without biometric verification?
3. The mysterious expansion of over 1 million voters in the electoral register for the presidential election but not for the parliamentary?
I am afraid, these suspicions will linger and no one knows what they will morph into.
Fourth, Kenya is dangerously polarized politically. Uhuru’s win of 50.07 of the vote is one the narrowest majority and the “minority” is nearly 50 percent of Kenyans who did not vote for him. That means nearly half of Kenyans are not going to like the Supreme Court decision and will still feel aggrieved. This is dangerous because, in Africa, it takes a small group of determined mal-contents to wreak havoc and mayhem — let alone half of the electorate.
In 1985, the late General Samuel Doe held elections in Liberia. When it appeared that he was losing, he ordered the vote count halted. Ballot boxes were then transported to a secret location at the army barracks where the votes were tallied and Doe declared the winner. Charles Taylor refused to countenance this contumely and started a “bush war” with only 100 men. The rest is history. Similarly in Uganda, Yoweri Museveni started out with only 27 men.
Fifth, the Supreme Court decision does not ease but would rather exacerbate tension in the country. Kenya is also deeply polarized along tribal and religious lines. Gikuyus voted for Kenyatta, Kalenjin for Ruto and Luo for Odinga. Religion or tribal politics is a very dangerous proposition in any African country. In Kenya, there is a perception that the Gilkuyus have dominated both the political and economic scenes. Of Kenya’s three presidents since independence in 1963, two – Jomo Kenyatta and Mwai Kibaki — have been Gikuyu; Daniel arap Moi is Kalenjin. Further, the Kenyatta family are the largest land owners in Kenya and among the richest in Africa.
In Nigeria, tribal politics led to the Biafran War (1967-70). The Igbo, through their own hard work and determination, had become very successful, dominating senior positions in government, educational institutions, etc. But it bred tribal resentment and persecution, which propelled the Igbo to secede. Over 3 million – mostly Igbos – died in the ensuing war. In Rwanda, tribal politics led to the 1994 genocide, in which 1 million Tutsis were slaughtered. In Ethiopia, tribal politics has stunted that country’s growth prospects. In Ivory Coast, it was the politics of religion. The country was split into the Muslim North and Christian South after the Nov 2010 elections. Similarly in Mali, where the Muslim Tuaregs have long chafed under Christian South domination and discrimination. In Kenya, the Mombasa Republican Council, a Muslim group, is demanding secession. They were responsible for a series of attacks on polling stations in the March 4 elections. Clearly, the Kenyan Supreme Court cannot claim to be unaware of these developments. Note: Nearly all the civil wars in post colonial Africa were started by politically marginalized or excluded groups.
Sixth, the Supreme Court’s decision – wittingly or not – pokes a finger in the eye of the ICC, which has indicted Kenyatta and Ruto for crimes against humanity. To be sure, the ICC indictment was not the issue being challenged at the Supreme Court but by confirming that Kenyatta and Ruto won the elections, the Supreme Court has indirectly passed judgment on the case. It is as if the Supreme Court is saying the ICC can take a hike. The Supreme Court will not cooperate in bring Kenyatta and Ruto to justice as it has certified them as winners of the March 4 elections. And, further, the ICC indictment does not disqualify Kenyatta to be president of Kenya when in fact the Supreme Court should have debarred the two from contesting the presidential elections until they cleared their names.
The ICC indictment puts Kenya in a diplomatic quandary if Kenyatta becomes president. He may be shunned diplomatically and risks arrest if he travels to Europe. It is unlikely President Obama will ever invite him to the White house or be seen with him.
At any rate, the SAFEST decision the Supreme Court could have rendered was to order the Electoral Commission to re-tally the votes in ALL polling stations since the sample of 22 polling stations showed some irregularities and if neither candidate secured 50 percent plus one, to schedule a run-off.
A run-off would mop up the stench of tribalism as it would force candidates to canvass for votes or court tribal groups other than their own. It would also put to rest the suspicion that the March 4 vote was manipulated or rigged. My preference would be a re-run of the entire elections because of the high number of rejected ballots. Voters were confused. This time, however, a new Electoral Commissioner should be employed. [The current one, Isaack Hassan, cannot be trusted.] The difference in cost of running a run-off and a complete re-run is likely to be same as it is the same electorate voting again. If a portion of the meat is spoilt, the entire meat should be thrown out.
Prof George Ayittey is a native of Ghana and teaches Economics at George Washington University, USA.
Someone to save us from these.
We will suffer
civil society,international community and patriotic kenyans who care about cherished faundamental values of good governance,democracy,rule of law,equality,merit,divesity should not be fooled by uhururuto alliance to emasculate and improvish kenya.this people have never had ideas and vision for kenya.they are parrots mimics and poor imitators.it is hard to think they will be different now.we cannot join hands with them to run down kenya.certainly we are the other side. we pay for services and goods and they eat,drink and travel with our money.we cant do this for the next years to our peril
There was a case with multi facets from outright rigging, denial of voting materials, unethical sharing of server by IEBC and Jubilee shredding confidentiality, intimidating judges with warnings of acocalypse if verdict went against the elect, absence of required documentation for tallting, arbitary tallying after kicking out party agents, ans so on and on.
I can only say the SC saw the easiest way out after pondering over the questions – Can this country withstand the heat of a repeat election? Does Kenya have the financial wherewithal to mount another round of election? If ruled otherwise would it be honoured by the current authority?Answers were negative.
24 hours before the so called finalization of results late by 4 days, Kenya Post predicted Uhuru win will be upheld quoting NSIS operatives. In 2007 ‘riggers’ looked like chicken thieves. We must be proud that after 5 years they are IT experts in 3 piece suits. Who says there is no progress?
The SC judges may have reasons to discard concrete evidence of election malpractices which they think they are doing in the best interests of the nation. But that doesn’t mean justice had been delivered edibly cooked. . Close to 5 million voters are no joke,
The SC has arbitarily adulterated the true meanings of Free, Fair, Credible, Valid ! There are millions in this country right now who hold the view illegality proper was legitimized twice, both times in respect of general elections, in the name of the country’s best interests.
I could not hold tears when the ruling was made. Indeed someone should organise for a coup. Am not comfortable with this government. Even the former speaker was locked out and the kikuyus took over. Sad
MPs, Senators to get Sh3 billion for breakfast, lunch
Updated Monday, April 01 2013 at 00:00 GMT+3
By Standard Reporter
Nairobi, Kenya: Despite the depressing fact that members of the 11th Parliament and the new Senate would take a salary cut, they will soon have a reason to smile and even laugh at the Salary Review Commission.
After the election of the two House speakers — Mr Ekwe Ethuro for the Senate and Mr Justin B Muturi for National Assembly on Tuesday — members agreed to top up their entitlement.
Though they are yet to be approved, since the two Houses have not set up departmental committees, members agreed that the new chain of luxuries which are aimed at cushioning them against salary shrinkage include free breakfast, lunches and dinners at their relevant cafeterias.
Already, the two Speakers are in discussions with the clerks — Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye for Senate and Mr Justin Bundi for National Assembly — and it has largely been agreed that diminishing earnings will make the members both ineffective and disinterested in long sittings since they will have to pursue other means of income, and even more scary, susceptible to corruption.
“We are trying to assure the members that disbanding Ms Sara Serem’s commission on salaries is a nullity in law and we have proposed ways to reduce the burden on their pay slips by catering for their foods and drinks daily,” said one of the clerks in confidence.
“We want every member to be entitled to free three square meals every day, for himself or herself, every day so long as it is within the two Houses,” explained Mr Ethuro.
Ten visitors
“We have also agreed with Muturi and the clerks that we would allow each MP and Senator to treat a maximum of ten visitors to free meals at each sitting,” added Ethuro.
This would mean that each of the 349 MPs and 67 Senators can treat 30 people to free meals, but ten in each breakfast, lunch and dinner session.
Given that lunch goes for an average of Sh1500, it would mean that the MPs alone would cost taxpayers an average of Sh1.2 million a day for lunch and dinner alone. This excludes breakfast, 10 and 4 o’clock tea and snacks.
“We project that once the new Parliamentary Service Commission is in place, it should set aside at least Sh3 billion a year for this arrangement,” said Muturi. He, however, refused to say more. “You know we have just been picked and consultations are still going on.
However, you ought to know that MPs and Senators can’t survive on the taxable Sh520,000 salary a month.
“I thought after spending millions to campaign for Senate, I would earn enough to buy a Sh20 million home in Karen or Runda and also purchase my dream car, BMW X5. But it makes no sense what we are being treated to,” lamented a senator from Rift Valley on condition of confidentiality.
A catering officer in the National Assembly said the MPs had proposed that at each sitting for lunch or dinner, they be entitled to a free bottle of wine or spirit of their choice. “There is no way Treasury can stop us, not even Ms Serem. We are independent just like the Executive,” an MP boasted.
Terms of work
He argued that members of the Judiciary such as magistrates and judges now have better terms of work and have access to three per cent mortgage and car loans. “This is a war we will fight to the end, in fact there is already a proposal that small fridges stocked with soft drinks and water will be set up at strategic places in the two Chambers. We will not allow to be served with bottled water like the last parliaments,’’ he added.
Separately The Standard established that some of the new MPs are also mulling over how to stop the live coverage because they claim it exposes their limitations in debating and also reveals their absence from sittings.
The New Scramble for Africa
By Conn Hallinan
September 14, 2011
Is current U.S. foreign policy in Africa following a blueprint drawn up almost eight years ago by the rightwing Heritage Foundation, one of the most conservative think tanks in the world? While it seems odd that a Democratic administration would have anything in common with the extremists at Heritage, the convergence in policy and practice between the two is disturbing.
Heritage, with help from Joseph Coors and the Scaife Foundations, was founded in 1973 by the late Paul Weyrich, one of the most conservative thinkers in the U.S. and a co-founder of the Moral Majority. While the Moral Majority whipped up the culture wars against abortion and gays, Heritage lobbied for an aggressive foreign policy and American military supremacy.
In October 2003, James Carafano and Nile Gardiner, two Heritage Foundation heavyweights, proposed a major shift in U.S. military policy vis-a-vis the African continent. Carafano is a West Point graduate who heads up the Foundation’s foreign policy section, and Gardiner is the director of Heritage’s Margaret Thatcher Center for Freedom.
In a “Backgrounder” article entitled “U.S. Military Assistance for Africa: A Better Solution,” the two called for the creation of a military command for the continent, a focus on fighting “terrorism,” and direct military intervention using air power and naval forces if “vital U.S. interests are at stake.” Such interventions should avoid using ground troops, the authors argue, and should include the participation of other allies.
Almost every element of that proposal has come together over the past year, though some pieces, like African Command (Africom) and the Trans-Sahara Counterterrorism
Initiative, were in place before the Obama administration took office.
The Libya war seems almost straight off of Heritage’s drawing board. While the U.S. appeared to take a back seat to its allies, NATO would not have been able to carry out the war without massive amounts of U.S. military help. It was the U.S. who took out the Libyan anti-air craft systems, blockaded the coast, collected the electronic intelligence, fueled the warplanes, and supplied munitions when NATO ran low.
While the UN resolution forbade using ground troops, U.S. special forces and CIA teams, along with special units from Britain, France, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates organized the rebels, coordinated air strikes, and eventually pulled off an amphibious operation that sealed Tripoli’s fate.
The Heritage scholars were also clear what they meant by vital U.S. interests: “With its vast natural and mineral resources, Africa remains strategically important to the West, as it has been for hundreds of years, and its geostrategic significance is likely to rise in the 21st century. According to the National Intelligence Council, the United States is likely to draw 25 percent of its oil from West Africa by 2015, surpassing the volume imported from the Persian Gulf.”
It was a sentiment shared by the Bush Administration. “West Africa’s oil has become a national strategic interest,” said U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Africa, Walter Kansteiner in 2002.
The UN tasked NATO with protecting civilians in Libya, but France, Britain, the U.S. and their Gulf allies focused on regime change. Indeed, when leaders of the African Union (AU) pushed for negotiations aimed at a political settlement, NATO and the rebels brusquely dismissed them.
The NATO bombing “really undermined the AU’s initiates and effort to deal with the matter in Libya,” complained South African President Jacob Zuma. More than 200 prominent Africans released a letter Aug. 24 condemning the “misuse of the United Nations Security Council to engage in militarized diplomacy to effect regime change in Libya,” as well as the “marginalization of the African Union.”
The suspicion that the Libya war had more to do with oil and gas than protecting civilians is why the AU has balked at recognizing the rebel Transitional National Council. For much of Africa, the Libya war was a “shot heard `round the continent,” and there is a growing unease at the West’s “militarized diplomacy.”
Though the Defense Department’s African Contingency Operation Training and Assistance Program, the U.S. is actively engaged in training the militaries of Mali, Chad, Niger, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Gabon, Zambia, Uganda, Senegal, Mozambique, Ghana and Malawi, and Mauretania.
In June 2006, NATO troops stormed ashore on Sao Vicente island in the Cape Verde archipelago in operation “Steadfast Jaguar” (an odd choice of monikers, since
jaguars are natives of the New World, not Africa). The exercise, which brought together a host of nations, including France, Germany, Spain, Greece, the U.S. and
Poland, was aimed at “protecting energy supplies” in the Niger Delta and Gulf of Guinea.
Major oil producers in the region include Angola, Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, Chad and Mauritania.
Protecting energy supplies from whom?
In the case of the Niger Delta, it means protecting oil companies and the Nigerian government from local people fed up with the pollution that is killing them, and corruption that denies them any benefits from their resources. Under the umbrella of the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), locals are waging a low-key
guerilla war that at one point reduced oil supplies by 20 percent.
MEND is certainly suspicious of American motives in the region. “Of course, it is evident that oil is the key concern of the U.S. in establishing African Command,” says the organization’s spokesman, Jomo Gbomo.
The Nigerian government labels a number of restive groups in Nigeria as “terrorist” and links them to al-Qaeda, including Boko Haram in the country’s north.
But labeling opponents “terrorists” or raising the al-Qaeda specter is an easy way to dismiss what may be real local grievances. For instance, Boko Haram’s growing penchant for violence is more likely a response to the heavy handedness of the Nigerian Army than an al-Qaeda inspired campaign.
Terrorism and the protection of civilians may be the public rationale for intervention, but the bottom line looks suspiciously like business. Before the guns go silent in Libya, one British business leader complained to The Independent that Britain was behind the curve on securing opportunities. “It`s all politics, no commercial stuff. I think that is a mistake. We need to be getting down there as soon as possible,”
The Spanish oil company Reposal and the Italian company Eni are already gearing up for production. “Eni will play a No.1 role in the future,” says Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini. Almost 70 percent of Libya’s oil goes to four countries, Spain, Germany, France and Italy. Qatar, which is already handing oil sales in Eastern Libya, will also be on the ground floor as production ramps up.
A major loser in the war-and some would argue, not by accident-is China. Beijing had some 75 companies working in Libya and 36,000 personnel, and accounted for about 11 percent of Libya’s pre-war exports. But because China complained that NATO had unilaterally changed the UN resolution from protecting civilians to regime change, Beijing is likely to suffer. Abdeljalil Mayouf, information manager of the rebel oil firm AGOCO told Reuters that China, Brazil and Russia would be frozen out of contracts.
Brazil and Russia also supported negotiations and complained about NATO’s interpretation of the UN resolution on Libya.
For Heritage, keeping China out of Africa is what it is all about. Peter Brookes, the former principal Republican advisor for East Asia on the House Committee on International Relations, warned that China was hell-bent on challenging the U.S. and becoming a global power, and key to that is expanding its interests in Africa. “In a throwback to the Maoist revolutionary days of the 1960s and 1970s and the Cold War, Beijing has once again identified the African continent as an area of strategic interest,” he told a Heritage Foundation audience in a talk entitled “Into Africa: China’s Grab for Influence and Oil.”
Beijing gets about one third of its oil from Africa-Angola and Sudan are its major suppliers-plus important materials like platinum, copper, timber and iron ore.
Africa is rife with problems, but terrorism is not high on that list. A severe drought has blistered much of East Africa, and, with food prices rising, malnutrition is spreading continent-wide. The “war on terrorism” has generated 800,000 refugees from Somalia. African civilians do, indeed, need help, but not the kind you get from fighter-bombers, drone strikes, or Tomahawk cruise missiles dispatched at the urging of right-wing think tanks or international energy companies.
My letter to Uhuru Kenyatta and William Ruto. Hope they will read it and deep down their conscience will be stirred and they make a public confession; lest GOD Almighty judges them very harshly:-
“Psalms 14:1 states “For the director of music. Of David. The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.”
Dear Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta, though you make appearances in Church to attend thanks giving sevice, am sure deep down in your heart you know you are pretending and putting up a show that you are “Clean”
All through the campaign period we witnessed you spewing unprintable abuses about Hon RAO and his community and spreading all kinds of lies e.g. RAO is the one who took you to the Hague. Your address on Saturday after the Supreme Court ruling was pretentious. That you will unite Kenyans! Stop lying to Kenyans, you and Ruto are the one who propagated all the lies and whipped up ethnic animosity by spreading starting all kind of lies read Mau Evictions, Hague ICC Cases e.t.c, e.t.c.
One thing is certain; we can lie to some people all the time but you cannot lie to all the people all the time. Most importantly you cannot lie to the One Man Up there who created all of us.
The Supreme Court made its ruling in Jubilee and IBEC’s favour as it had limited time and sadly did not consider the 997 page affidavit that was to show Kenyans the evil machinations that you and your team carried out.
If you are GOD fearing and believe the Words of the Bible, though the Supreme Court called the election “Free and Fair” which many Kenyans know wasn’t the case, please repent infront of the whole World and God will surely forgive you and Bless your presidency. It would be the greatest mockery to hold the Holy Bible/ Holy Koran on 9th April 2013 yet you know you have secrets which GOD can see no matter how well they are camaflouged.
Lastly could you also explain to Kenyans what you meant at a certain rally when you shamelessly declared “Kuna watu wengi sana hii Kenya wanaweza kuwa marais but sio wewe”
Please note, it is only 2 provinces out of 8 provinces that deemed you fit to be our country. Very many Kenyans are aggrieved and saddened with the acts of impunity propagated by you and your backers. You should make a public confession as GOD’s judgement cannot be bought/ bribed.
GOD BLESS & PROTECT KENYA.”
It was vert easy to predict the outcome of the election in despite of the strong evidence. Democracy will never exist in Kenya. What is worse is how to explain it to the youth and the children who saw naked injustice. But it was apparent from the body languages of the Jury who was to win. It was merely a formal sitting they can replay videos and see a reflection of their own deceit. Well they do not have a good conscience with themselves coz “He who causes fear is not himself free from fear”
I would like to draw attention to one case involving the election of MP in Kajiado East. It was declared the Peris Tobiko won, the first Maasai woman elected to Parliament; however, there is very strong evidence of rigging from three polling stations in the Kitengela area. It was said that ODM and the elders said a woman had no business in politics and that the elders would place a curse on her if she ran. This claim is a gross exaggeration of what really happened but sounds good in the press, especially for a woman to overcome such disdain. I don’t doubt that this Ms. Tobiko faced obstacles along the way but the supposed claims made by ODM Maasais saying women shouldn’t be in politics is grossly exaggerated. One thing that comes to mind is that if there is a TNA conspiracy, which appears to be the case, one very clever way to do that would be to rig where women are running for political office. One would really look like an ass to contest that. It happened in Kajiado East. I do not know about others. It is rotten to rig under the guise of helping more women to get elected to parliament but damn clever if they did. Keep an eye on correlations between where rigging occurred and women were elected. As a woman, I am fully supportive of gender balance at all levels of government, so I don’t want what I’ve stated to be mistaken as misogynist. That is not the case at all. I’m just pointing out a potentially very clever way to do it, and the evidence in one jurisdiction points to that.
i pity the cowards and fools who expected to be given the presidency by the supreme court. it is logical to even a retarded toddler that kenyatta was poised to win the moment the kalenjins supported his candidancy for the two community alone plus meru and embu make up more than half the population of kenya and as for obama not inviting uhuru to white house, who cares about such a thing except those cowards who still worship the white people and you seem to be one of them. no one even talks about obama in kenya anymore, we realized long ago that he is a puppet of some forces in us.
reading through all the comments, i know from which community most of your readers are from and what level of education they have and that most are abroad
Oppen letter to you silly guy by the name Kenyan voice > Sir/madan how silly stupid and a nut-case i think you work with NSIS/CID or Upper-class toto (toto Ma-shetani)= People abroaf/Ulaya /Kwa Wazungu /Mo ndo lolaya (Those Kenyans Living (domiciled) in Mzungu-Land are Brain-washed by Mzungu! Kiss my black ass If you want to Know sopmebody is a Gay /Shoga You must have the following tools> Veener caliper, Micrometer- feet, ruler.etc otherwise how do you measure Mizenges(homosexuals ass to determine who is and who is not? For your information Many diaspåorians do not share Ujingas of Brain-washed wakenyans who cannot think like humans !Your Country is run by Mu8hindis/Muzungus/Arabs/Nigerians /etc withnout any youth raising a finger Go and try to establish you in South Africa /Nigeria /Lebanon / And see the consequencies of civilized people : Kenyans are just Rotten brains hence Bongos .Think big think Ape let UhuruTo think for You ! How long Asians /will think for you >Just Join Kenya police and shoot to kill a million of Jobless youth and robe them their dirty Nickers and Underwears!Then run like a mad man Praising Nyanga’us Ruto/Uhuru Kenyatta! As if both fell from heaven kama Maana /Pubavu wewe : Kachero- bure kabisa!
reading through all of your comments, i know from which community you kenyamavivoice comes from and what level of education you have and that mostly, you are in kenya. You need to be cut makende ya punda.
kenyanvoice elections are over and you should concentrate on how those two ICC flip-flopping indictees will be ruling. Mara no former political losers in Cabinet then they take some of the two worst ones in that lot – Ngilu and Balala. Bure sana hawo vijana. I know your community and political loyalty.I PITY YOU digital dwarf!!