Raif Badawi Exclusive: Nobel Laureates urge Saudi academics to condemn flogging of writer jailed for daring to criticise clerics
The international outcry over restrictions on freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia escalated last night as an array of Nobel prizewinners published an open letter calling on the country’s academics to condemn the public flogging of the blogger Raif Badawi.
In their letter, passed to The Independent, the 18 Nobel Laureates urge their Saudi peers to be “heard arguing for the freedom to dissent” by standing up for Mr Badawi, whose case they say has “sent a shock around the world”.
They also hint that if the country’s academics are unable to stand up for free speech they risk being internationally marginalised – a veiled threat that will be of serious concern to the Saudi authorities, who have been keen to market the country as a burgeoning research hub.
The letter – signed by a collection of Nobel Laureates including the novelist J M Coetzee – is addressed to Professor Jean-Lou Chameau, president of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). A multibillion-dollar graduate research institution, it opened to great fanfare in 2009. It warns: “The fabric of international co-operation may be torn apart by dismay at the severe restrictions on freedom of thought and expression still being applied to Saudi Arabian society.
“We have no doubt that members of KAUST share that concern, aware that the cruel sentence passed for example on Mr Raif Badawi, who established a forum for open discussion, sent a shock around the world.”
In May last year Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes – to be administered at the rate of 50 per week – for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. His case was referred to the country’s Supreme Court at the end of last week, shortly after his second round of flogging was delayed on medical grounds.
“We are confident that influential voices in KAUST will be heard arguing for the freedom to dissent, without which no institution of higher learning can be viable,” the letter continues.
“The time is ripe for new thinking after millions in Paris, supported by the government of Saudi Arabia, demonstrated on behalf of minority views.”
The targeting of KAUST is significant because one of its key aims was to enable Saudi Arabia to compete internationally in science and technology. The Independent understands that many prominent Western scientists are already uncomfortable collaborating with the university due to the country’s disastrous record on human rights – and may begin refusing to co-operate altogether if the letter is ignored.
The university is named after the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who said he hoped it would become “a beacon for peace, hope, and reconciliation” when he spoke at its inauguration ceremony five years ago. An increasingly well-regarded research institution, its campus is mixed-gender – making it unique in Saudi Arabia – with female students permitted to drive, mix freely with their male colleagues and remove their veils during classes.
One of the letter’s signatories is the British biologist Sir John Sulston, who was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002. He told The Independent that Mr Badawi’s case carried important implications for the “importance of free speech and of academic freedom in particular” – not just in Saudi Arabia but across the world.
“We think it’s right to point out that the environment of a good university has to be one of openness, of discourse,” he said. “This guy, as far as one can understand, has been an entirely peaceful blogger proposing things which are at odds with current Saudi Arabian methods – but nevertheless absolutely consonant with academic freedoms. So we think it’s right to support him in this way.”
He said that while Western governments might condemn Saudi Arabia’s punishment of Mr Badawi in public, any action they might take was often constrained by “commercial interests” which made it even more important for academics to take action. “We all have to work all the time for freedom of speech,” he added.
Amnesty International, which is campaigning for Mr Badawi’s release, welcomed the letter. “It’s long overdue that the Saudi government comes under sustained international pressure from all quarters to open up and allow its population peacefully to express their views without fear of arrest, jail or a public flogging,” said Kate Allen, the human rights group’s UK director.
“Freedom of speech ought to be defended and celebrated in Riyadh just as much as anywhere else in the world, and we’d like to see KAUST issuing a statement in support of Raif Badawi. Meanwhile, the Saudi authorities should call off the remaining 950 lashes for Mr Badawi and release him immediately. Raif is a free-speech activist and a prisoner of conscience, not a criminal.”
At the weekend Mr Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar, who fled to Canada with the couple’s children in 2011, called on governments across the world to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to release him. In Britain, Amnesty has accused the Government of “wearing the Saudi muzzle” over the issue.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We remain seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. We have raised Mr Badawi’s case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities.
“The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed freely to speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.”
The signatories
Martin Chalfie, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
J M Coetzee, Nobel Laureate Literature (Australia/South Africa)
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Laureate Physics (France)
Richard Ernst, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Switzerland)
Gerhard Ertl, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Germany)
Sheldon Lee Glashow, Nobel Laureate Physics (US)
Dudley Herschbach, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Brian Josephson, Nobel Laureate Physics (UK)
Martin Karplus, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Harold Kroto, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (UK/US)
Yuan Lee, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Taiwan/US)
Rudolph Marcus, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Canada/US)
John Polanyi, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Canada)
Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (US)
John Sulston, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (UK)
Jack Szostak, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (US)
RE: GRABBING OF LANGATA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
As a concerned Kenya citizen, I hereby draw your urgent attention to the above specified subject matter and consequently appeal for your intervention for purposes of securing Langata Road Primary School Playground for the beneficial use of current and future generations of Kenyan children of school going age. Sir, with the reported involvement of a top official in the Jubilee Coalition in this fraudulent and irregular practice of grabbing public land, this act is not only a direct challenge to fighting corruption but also runs contrary to the constitutionally entrenched national values and principles of governance in the Country as clearly stipulated in Article 10 of the Kenyan Constitution.
Your Excellency, the following background information in respect of the subject matter are necessary for your attention to enable you fully understand the said land issue and consequently intervene as requested herein.
First, it is in public records that Langata Road Primary School has existed and operated since 1963, with the school playground which has now been grabbed as its part and parcel. The school management is in possession of official documentary evidence (including title deed) to that effect.
Second, Langata Road Primary School Management acknowledges the critical role the threatened playground plays towards the physical development of the children (680) through extra-curricular activities and outdoor learning sessions.
Third, the school playground under grab is estimated to be one acre in size and the school has no alternative land for extra-curricular activities and out-doors learning of the children.
Fourth, according to the school management, the construction of the wall by the so-called private developer to separate the school from the nearby Weston Hotel took place from December 19th, 2014 and was carried out day and night for four days.
Fifth, the school management did lodge a formal complaint with the Police in December, 2014 and also wrote an appeal to Nairobi City County Government to have the playground field made accessible to the pupils upon their return to school at the start of the New Year, 2015.
Sixth, the information from the school management is that the playground has been grabbed by the nearby Weston Hotel allegedly for purposes of putting up a car park.
Seventh, the playground was first fraudulently and irregularly allocated to a former Nairobi mayor, and then transferred to a businessman of Asian origin before being finally transferred to Weston Hotel in a matter of days to create the impression that the hotel bought the land from the open market. Fencing of the grabbed plot to separate it from the school was subsequently undertaken in a span of four days.
Eighth, reliably both the Nairobi City County Government and the National Land Commission are aware of the fraudulent and irregular act, yet they are unwilling to come to the rescue of the school due to political pressure from the top echelon of your government.
Further, Langata Road Primary School being a public facility located on a public land is presumably protected by both the Nairobi City County Government and the National Government and administered by the NLC as per Articles 62(2) & (3) of the Constitution. Such land is also subject to the following Constitutional provisions: -Article 62(4) stipulates that “public land shall not be disposed of or otherwise used except in terms of an Act of Parliament specifying the nature and terms of that disposal or use”. This has not been followed in the case of the grabbed playground.
In conclusion, it is my considered view that the National Government, Nairobi City County Government and the National Land Commission, all have a role to play in securing the Langata Road Primary School Playground on the basis of Articles 62(2)&(3) of the Constitution of Kenya. Equally, Article 254(2) of the Constitution allows the President to demand a report on a particular issue from any of the independent commissions (in this case NLC). Accordingly, therefore, your prompt intervention in this matter will not only be appreciated by Kenyans but will also serve as an effort towards eliminating impunity by ensuring accountability in the management of public resources. It is also imperative that you reign in on lesser personalities within your Government so that they abandon forthwith this apparent perpetual culture of Land Grabbing.
I remain, hoping for your expeditious action.
Sincerely,
ELIUD OWALO,
A Kenya Citizen acting in the public interest and also as an agent of necessity.
C.C.
1. Director, Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission
2. Chairman, Commission on Administration of Justice
3. Chairman, Kenya National Human Rights Commission
4. Governor, Nairobi City County Government
5. Director, Criminal Investigations Department
6. Inspector General, Police Service
7. Chairman, National Land Commission
8. Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 – 00:00 — BY FRANCIS MUREITHI
Eldoret North MP William Ruto reacts to his UDM supporters.photo Elkana Jacob ELDORET North MP William Ruto yesterday said he has enough wealth to fully finance his 2012 presidential campaigns. Ruto said he has nothing to hide although people have questioned the source of his wealth and how he finances his campaigns. Ruto is conservatively estimated to be worth several billions of shillings. “I can account for every coin that I have. My wealth declaration forms are available for scrutiny. I have paid mortgage since 1996, sometimes two or three mortgages for whatever properties I own. The records are available from the financial institutions and banks. I have painstakingly bought shares in companies including some that I have built up from scratch through sheer had work. The records for these are also available,” said Ruto on his Facebook page. Ruto, the probable United Democratic Movement presidential candidate, said he can show how he legally acquired every property and business he owns today and dared anyone with contrary information to take him to court.
Ruto wondered why questions were now being raised about his wealth yet in 2007 he helped to raise half of the fund for the ODM party and its presidential candidate Raila Odinga. “I sold chicken at railway crossing near my home as a child. I built my father a house using my university boom. I paid fees for my siblings. God has been kind to me and through hard work and determination, I have something,” Ruto said. “If I had acquired anything illegally with the kind of ‘friends’ I have, I surely would be rotting in jail. Many people believe erroneously that you must be poor merely because your parents were. Some say ridiculously that there are people who were born to be poor. That is the gospel according to the devil,” said the MP. In April, Ruto, Joshua Kulei and others were acquitted of defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company out of Sh272 million in a land purchase deal. The state claimed that Ruto fraudulently obtained Sh96 million from the KPC in 2001 claiming that he was in a position to sell 1.745 hectares of land belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources situated in Ngong Forest. Ruto is competing for a presidential ticket with wealthy Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, whose riches were recently estimated by Forbes at $500 million (Sh45 billion).
Other possible PNU Alliance opponents include Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa who are not considered wealthy. The PNU chairman Prof George Saitoti has said he hopes to stand in 2012 and will seek the alliance’s presidential ticket. Saitoti is thought to be wealthy as is ODM leader Raila Odinga. Yesterday Ruto, a former minister in both the Moi and Kibaki governments, explained that he took several mortgages from Housing Finance Company of Kenya to finance acquisition of his real estate assets. He said his palatial home in Karen and flats in Ongata Rongai were backed by HFCK. He says he has repaid a loan from the Bunge Sacco to acquire a house in Elgon View in Eldoret. His apartments on Jogoo Road in Nairobi cost him about Sh60 million to build in the 1990s, he says. Amaco Insurance has a turnover of hundreds of millions of shillings annually and is one of Ruto’s most successful businesses. Ruto owns an uncompleted hotel near Wilson Airport in Nairobi. He owns Sugoi home and farm in Eldoret. The MP is also said to have invested in the transport industry. Yesterday, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Isaack Hassan said the commission has now been empowered to monitor campaign funding including investigating the origin of such money. Hassan said the commission may hire its own personnel for the job or outsource it to an independent company.
Apart from the Elections Act 2011 and the Political Parties Act 2011, a new Campaign Finance bill is currently being fine tuned by the Constitution Implementation Commission, the Justice ministry and the Attorney General’s office. The bill will cap how much money a politician can spend in an election and block the use of public money from parastatals and elsewhere. Ruto was born at Kamagut village, Uasin Gishu District in December 1966. He went to Eldoret’s Wareng High School for his O levels before proceeding to Kapsabet Boys High School for A levels. He graduated in 1990 with a BSc Botany and Zoology from the University of Nairobi. At university, Ruto was elected the leader of the University Christian Union Choir. He met his mentor President Moi when the choir was occasionally called upon to entertain the Head of State. He was briefly a teacher after leaving college before going into business and politics. In the 1992 election, Ruto joined the campaign team Youth for Kanu 92. He was first elected to Parliament in 1997 on a Kanu ticket. He became Home Affairs minister in August 2002 but lost the post after the December 2002 election when Kanu was defeated by the Narc coalition. He later joined ODM and became a member of Raila’s Pentagon team.
Before the December 27, 2007 election, Ruto sought the ODM presidential nomination but lost to Raila. He was appointed Agriculture minister in the coalition government in 2008. In February 2009, Ruto survived a censure motion in Parliament over the maize scam. He was later moved to the Higher Education ministry only to be suspended months later. Ruto has since fallen out with Raila and is now popularising the UDM in the run-up to next year’s general election. “I am determined to run for President because I understand what hustlers go through and can assemble the will to give a real chance to the ordinary Kenyan to be something. This election we will prove that even the children of paupers can be something in Kenya,” said Ruto yesterday. – See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-38511/my-cash-clean-ruto#sthash.tsQQtKXX.dpuf
William Samoi Arap Ruto is undoubtedly one of the richest men in Kenya. Ruto is a young politician in his early 40s but today few people can compete with him when it comes to wealth. His story can be described as that of grass to grace because he was just an ordinary man before becoming a millionaire in an overnight.
It’s believed that Ruto’s journey of joining the richest people in Kenya started in 1997 when he first met President Daniel Moi. 1997 was an election year in Kenya and Moi was seeking his last term of being the president of Kenya and what may have been used to contribute to that course in exchange for financial gain.
In the year 1992 Ruto and moi ally Cyrus Jirongo teamed up together to form the once famous kanu youth lobby group or simply yk ’92 in short. Ruto and Jirongo were tasked with winning the support of the youth for the former president who was seeking reelection on a kanu ticket.
So to cut a long a long story short, how rich is William Ruto or what is some of the things that he owns? Let’s have a look at them
Ruto may most likely unable to compete with the likes of the kenyattas and mois but no one can deny he is also a rich man even though he was from a poor background.
•He owns Oseng properties limited.
•Orterter Entreprises Limited
•Residential Property along Jogoo Road Nairobi.
•He is the major shareholder in Amaco insurance,
•Osere flats in Rongai belong to him.
•Weston Hotel, Nairobi
•His Karen home is also said to be worth millions of shillings.
I thank you in advance for warning me I am debating with a woman. The son of Ramogi had no idea about your gender and that it was this crucial to your views. Consider me well warned.
On the substance: Let me try not to be rude by explaining that the areas you have listed – Kakamega, Kisumu, Thika, Ruiru are either urban centers perse or have a large metropolis within their boundaries. Kisumu county is both a rural and urban center as is Kakamega.
I have nowhere denied or tried to misrepresent Thika and Ruiru as not being part of Kiambu County. I have stated the reasons why there are likely to be some non Kikuyus in those places. The key reason is employment. Whether it is a Luhya in Ruiru or a Kikuyu in Kakamega, his motive for being there is employment (self or other).
What you cannot prove is the ethnicity of the people simply by the way they vote. If you can please share with me what scientific magic you employ
I appreciate you are incapable of multitasking and you therefore marvel at my ability to undertake so much. I thank you for the compliment and urge you to try harder. If you partake of alcohol or abuse substances, I would advice you drop that and see you capacity to think and work improve and with that your envy will diminish
Speaking of shifting goals: When you posted what you called Raila Votes, the insinuation was that the people who had voted for Raila were definitely Luos or / and Luhyas. You are free to walk away from that anytime. However from that it is possible to gain an insight into your thinking which is: Luos for for a Luo and so on. That Madam Mheshimiwa is the explanation you seek;
Let me repeat: You have no basis to conclude or establish the ethnicity of anybody merely by the way they have voted. It is foolish to keep on harping at it because it makes you more stupid than I had earlier imagined
I have underlined what is a clear error below. By 1978 the colonists had been out of leadership for fifteen years. I assume you made and error and that it is not a reflection of some intrinsic ignorance. Of course for most people from the West of Kenya, Kenyatta’s government was slightly worse than the colonial regime
I note the excuses you provide for why your tribesmen always vote for their own tribesmen. I do not wish to address any of them because in my opinion they are all spurious and counterfactual;
Here is a fact you cannot contest:
1963 – Luos vote for Jomo Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
2002 – Luos vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
1963 – Kalenjins vote for Ronald Ngala – Miji Kenda
2002 -Kalenjin Vote for Uhuru Kenyatta
2013 – Kalenjin vote for Uhuru Kenyatta
Compare with:
1963 – Kikuyus vote a Jomo Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
1992 – Kikuyus vote for Matiba and Kibaki – two Kikuyus
1997 – Kikuyus vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2002 – Kikuyus vote Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2007 – Kikuyus vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2013 – Kikuyus vote Uhuru Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
(I understand they are LYING to Ruto that they will vote for him in 2022)
You claim that GEMA have stayed with the Odinga family since independence. That is where I confirmed you tribal credentials. How about the Kikuyu and the Kenyatta family? Let’s look at the facts:
1963 – 1978 – Kenyatta controls the Kikuyu agenda (15 years)
2002 – 2015 – Uhuru Kenyatta takes over (13 years) Draw your own conclusions Madam Mheshimiwa
I can on my part conclude that you will remain firmly under the control of the Kenyatta Family for the foreseeable future. When Uhuru Kenyatta dies of an overdose of crack, his son will take over.
Note that Jaramogi did not gain total control over the Luo electorate until 1969 after Mboya was murdered. Even then he was not a free man
1966 – 1978 – Jaramogi Odinga was either in detention or house arrest ordered by Jomo Kenyatta
Luos were therefore leaderless exactly as Kenyatta wanted.
Moi would release Jaramogi for a few months and then place him under house arrest again well into 1991,
Jaramogi would therefore be Luo Leader from 1992 – 1994 when he died (2 years)
Between 1994 – 1995 – There was a leadership vacuum
Not edited for errors.
Mheshimiwa wrote:There you go again with your predictable slither dithering. Having a debate with Madam is pointless. Peri-urban this, large urban center that, negro Kisumu is a freaking CITY complete with an international airport while Kakamega is more than double the size of Thika geographically & population-wise…try harder negro.
1. Whether or not Thika is connected to Nairobi doesn’t remove it from Kiambu okay, the debate was about demographics in Kiambu or Central in general, you are not going to just sit there & defend yourself by dictating that some regions are not Kiambu enough NKT! This is utterly pointless! Don’t you get tired of blatantly moving the fucking goal posts all the time. I understand lawyers always have to argue their case came what may but jeez! (although I am yet to meet anyone who is seriously involved in the legal profession that has time to blog on sites like this all day, let alone facebook, but ofcourse that is none of my business..moving on.)
2. Who said anything about the electoral figures representing the exact ethnic census or that all people only vote for their tribesmen
Its clear from comparing the election results of Kiambu to Kakamega/Kisumu where “political representative diversity” can be found
I made it very clear I was referring to political diversity but ofcourse you jumped onto anything you could take out of context just for the sake of replying. Ofcourse some of the Odinga votes in Central were cast by gema but It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that alot of those votes were also cast by people from western Kenya sheesh!
3. The tried & tested “Kikuyus only vote for their tribesmen” gospel..as if Kenya is some old republic that has gone through many electoral cycles.
Other tribes like Kambas/Kalenjins/Luyhas have the right to say this but not a Luo. Context is important.
1978 – After being detained by the British Kenyatta rises in popularity & is then effortlessly elevated to power by his peers including Odinga Oginga, everyone had jumped onto the KANU Harambee Kenya bandwagon but Oooh! the Kikuyus should have insisted on voting someone else outside their tribe. 🙄
The next real election cycles were in the 90s after multipartism returned but the opposition was split along tribal lines instead of uniting against Moi.
Then came 2002, it was either everyone continues voting along their tribal tuparties or unite under one coalition & choose a single opposition candidate. The opposition leaders settled on Kibaki, so were Kikuyus to turn around & insist on voting a Samburu when Kibaki was the clear leading candidate?
Yes Luos voted outside their tribe in 2002 but that was bcoz it was critical in avoiding KANU retaining power & most importantly, Odinga said Kibaki tosha! after signing the MOU to secure his portion of the carpet. Otherwise if Raila vied in 2002 it would be business as usual.
In 2007 Luos voted to the man for Raila like-wise gema -Kibaki.
2013 Luos & gema continued their trend, they just switched political partners here & there.
But atleast gema change their kinsmen regularly, we’ve gone from Jomo to Matiba to Kibaki to Uhuru, Luos have only moved from Odinga to Odinga since 1
Kenya Stockholm Blog 
Raif Badawi Exclusive: Nobel Laureates urge Saudi academics to condemn flogging of writer jailed for daring to criticise clerics
The international outcry over restrictions on freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia escalated last night as an array of Nobel prizewinners published an open letter calling on the country’s academics to condemn the public flogging of the blogger Raif Badawi.
In their letter, passed to The Independent, the 18 Nobel Laureates urge their Saudi peers to be “heard arguing for the freedom to dissent” by standing up for Mr Badawi, whose case they say has “sent a shock around the world”.
They also hint that if the country’s academics are unable to stand up for free speech they risk being internationally marginalised – a veiled threat that will be of serious concern to the Saudi authorities, who have been keen to market the country as a burgeoning research hub.
The letter – signed by a collection of Nobel Laureates including the novelist J M Coetzee – is addressed to Professor Jean-Lou Chameau, president of the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). A multibillion-dollar graduate research institution, it opened to great fanfare in 2009. It warns: “The fabric of international co-operation may be torn apart by dismay at the severe restrictions on freedom of thought and expression still being applied to Saudi Arabian society.
“We have no doubt that members of KAUST share that concern, aware that the cruel sentence passed for example on Mr Raif Badawi, who established a forum for open discussion, sent a shock around the world.”
In May last year Mr Badawi was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 1,000 lashes – to be administered at the rate of 50 per week – for using his liberal blog to criticise Saudi Arabia’s clerics. His case was referred to the country’s Supreme Court at the end of last week, shortly after his second round of flogging was delayed on medical grounds.
“We are confident that influential voices in KAUST will be heard arguing for the freedom to dissent, without which no institution of higher learning can be viable,” the letter continues.
“The time is ripe for new thinking after millions in Paris, supported by the government of Saudi Arabia, demonstrated on behalf of minority views.”
The targeting of KAUST is significant because one of its key aims was to enable Saudi Arabia to compete internationally in science and technology. The Independent understands that many prominent Western scientists are already uncomfortable collaborating with the university due to the country’s disastrous record on human rights – and may begin refusing to co-operate altogether if the letter is ignored.
The university is named after the King of Saudi Arabia, Abdullah bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, who said he hoped it would become “a beacon for peace, hope, and reconciliation” when he spoke at its inauguration ceremony five years ago. An increasingly well-regarded research institution, its campus is mixed-gender – making it unique in Saudi Arabia – with female students permitted to drive, mix freely with their male colleagues and remove their veils during classes.
One of the letter’s signatories is the British biologist Sir John Sulston, who was jointly awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2002. He told The Independent that Mr Badawi’s case carried important implications for the “importance of free speech and of academic freedom in particular” – not just in Saudi Arabia but across the world.
“We think it’s right to point out that the environment of a good university has to be one of openness, of discourse,” he said. “This guy, as far as one can understand, has been an entirely peaceful blogger proposing things which are at odds with current Saudi Arabian methods – but nevertheless absolutely consonant with academic freedoms. So we think it’s right to support him in this way.”
He said that while Western governments might condemn Saudi Arabia’s punishment of Mr Badawi in public, any action they might take was often constrained by “commercial interests” which made it even more important for academics to take action. “We all have to work all the time for freedom of speech,” he added.
Amnesty International, which is campaigning for Mr Badawi’s release, welcomed the letter. “It’s long overdue that the Saudi government comes under sustained international pressure from all quarters to open up and allow its population peacefully to express their views without fear of arrest, jail or a public flogging,” said Kate Allen, the human rights group’s UK director.
“Freedom of speech ought to be defended and celebrated in Riyadh just as much as anywhere else in the world, and we’d like to see KAUST issuing a statement in support of Raif Badawi. Meanwhile, the Saudi authorities should call off the remaining 950 lashes for Mr Badawi and release him immediately. Raif is a free-speech activist and a prisoner of conscience, not a criminal.”
At the weekend Mr Badawi’s wife Ensaf Haidar, who fled to Canada with the couple’s children in 2011, called on governments across the world to put pressure on Saudi Arabia to release him. In Britain, Amnesty has accused the Government of “wearing the Saudi muzzle” over the issue.
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: “We remain seriously concerned by Raif Badawi’s case. The UK condemns the use of cruel, inhuman or degrading punishment in all circumstances. We have raised Mr Badawi’s case at a senior level with the Saudi authorities.
“The UK is a strong supporter of freedom of expression around the world. We believe that people must be allowed freely to speak out against violations of human rights wherever they occur.”
The signatories
Martin Chalfie, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
J M Coetzee, Nobel Laureate Literature (Australia/South Africa)
Claude Cohen-Tannoudji, Nobel Laureate Physics (France)
Richard Ernst, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Switzerland)
Gerhard Ertl, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Germany)
Sheldon Lee Glashow, Nobel Laureate Physics (US)
Dudley Herschbach, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Roald Hoffmann, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Brian Josephson, Nobel Laureate Physics (UK)
Martin Karplus, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (US)
Harold Kroto, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (UK/US)
Yuan Lee, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Taiwan/US)
Rudolph Marcus, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Canada/US)
John Polanyi, Nobel Laureate Chemistry (Canada)
Richard Roberts, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (US)
John Sulston, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (UK)
Jack Szostak, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (US)
Eric Wieschaus, Nobel Laureate Physiology or Medicine (US)
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/raif-badawi-exclusive-nobel-laureates-urge-saudi-academics-to-condemn-flogging-of-writer-jailed-for-daring-to-criticise-clerics-9989037.html
To:
H.E. PRESIDENT UHURU MUIGAI KENYATTA,
The President of the Republic of Kenya,
State House,
NAIROBI.
Dear Your Excellency,
RE: GRABBING OF LANGATA ROAD PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND
As a concerned Kenya citizen, I hereby draw your urgent attention to the above specified subject matter and consequently appeal for your intervention for purposes of securing Langata Road Primary School Playground for the beneficial use of current and future generations of Kenyan children of school going age. Sir, with the reported involvement of a top official in the Jubilee Coalition in this fraudulent and irregular practice of grabbing public land, this act is not only a direct challenge to fighting corruption but also runs contrary to the constitutionally entrenched national values and principles of governance in the Country as clearly stipulated in Article 10 of the Kenyan Constitution.
Your Excellency, the following background information in respect of the subject matter are necessary for your attention to enable you fully understand the said land issue and consequently intervene as requested herein.
First, it is in public records that Langata Road Primary School has existed and operated since 1963, with the school playground which has now been grabbed as its part and parcel. The school management is in possession of official documentary evidence (including title deed) to that effect.
Second, Langata Road Primary School Management acknowledges the critical role the threatened playground plays towards the physical development of the children (680) through extra-curricular activities and outdoor learning sessions.
Third, the school playground under grab is estimated to be one acre in size and the school has no alternative land for extra-curricular activities and out-doors learning of the children.
Fourth, according to the school management, the construction of the wall by the so-called private developer to separate the school from the nearby Weston Hotel took place from December 19th, 2014 and was carried out day and night for four days.
Fifth, the school management did lodge a formal complaint with the Police in December, 2014 and also wrote an appeal to Nairobi City County Government to have the playground field made accessible to the pupils upon their return to school at the start of the New Year, 2015.
Sixth, the information from the school management is that the playground has been grabbed by the nearby Weston Hotel allegedly for purposes of putting up a car park.
Seventh, the playground was first fraudulently and irregularly allocated to a former Nairobi mayor, and then transferred to a businessman of Asian origin before being finally transferred to Weston Hotel in a matter of days to create the impression that the hotel bought the land from the open market. Fencing of the grabbed plot to separate it from the school was subsequently undertaken in a span of four days.
Eighth, reliably both the Nairobi City County Government and the National Land Commission are aware of the fraudulent and irregular act, yet they are unwilling to come to the rescue of the school due to political pressure from the top echelon of your government.
Further, Langata Road Primary School being a public facility located on a public land is presumably protected by both the Nairobi City County Government and the National Government and administered by the NLC as per Articles 62(2) & (3) of the Constitution. Such land is also subject to the following Constitutional provisions: -Article 62(4) stipulates that “public land shall not be disposed of or otherwise used except in terms of an Act of Parliament specifying the nature and terms of that disposal or use”. This has not been followed in the case of the grabbed playground.
In conclusion, it is my considered view that the National Government, Nairobi City County Government and the National Land Commission, all have a role to play in securing the Langata Road Primary School Playground on the basis of Articles 62(2)&(3) of the Constitution of Kenya. Equally, Article 254(2) of the Constitution allows the President to demand a report on a particular issue from any of the independent commissions (in this case NLC). Accordingly, therefore, your prompt intervention in this matter will not only be appreciated by Kenyans but will also serve as an effort towards eliminating impunity by ensuring accountability in the management of public resources. It is also imperative that you reign in on lesser personalities within your Government so that they abandon forthwith this apparent perpetual culture of Land Grabbing.
I remain, hoping for your expeditious action.
Sincerely,
ELIUD OWALO,
A Kenya Citizen acting in the public interest and also as an agent of necessity.
C.C.
1. Director, Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission
2. Chairman, Commission on Administration of Justice
3. Chairman, Kenya National Human Rights Commission
4. Governor, Nairobi City County Government
5. Director, Criminal Investigations Department
6. Inspector General, Police Service
7. Chairman, National Land Commission
8. Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Lands and Housing
MY CASH IS CLEAN, RUTO
Wednesday, December 7, 2011 – 00:00 — BY FRANCIS MUREITHI
Eldoret North MP William Ruto reacts to his UDM supporters.photo Elkana Jacob ELDORET North MP William Ruto yesterday said he has enough wealth to fully finance his 2012 presidential campaigns. Ruto said he has nothing to hide although people have questioned the source of his wealth and how he finances his campaigns. Ruto is conservatively estimated to be worth several billions of shillings. “I can account for every coin that I have. My wealth declaration forms are available for scrutiny. I have paid mortgage since 1996, sometimes two or three mortgages for whatever properties I own. The records are available from the financial institutions and banks. I have painstakingly bought shares in companies including some that I have built up from scratch through sheer had work. The records for these are also available,” said Ruto on his Facebook page. Ruto, the probable United Democratic Movement presidential candidate, said he can show how he legally acquired every property and business he owns today and dared anyone with contrary information to take him to court.
Ruto wondered why questions were now being raised about his wealth yet in 2007 he helped to raise half of the fund for the ODM party and its presidential candidate Raila Odinga. “I sold chicken at railway crossing near my home as a child. I built my father a house using my university boom. I paid fees for my siblings. God has been kind to me and through hard work and determination, I have something,” Ruto said. “If I had acquired anything illegally with the kind of ‘friends’ I have, I surely would be rotting in jail. Many people believe erroneously that you must be poor merely because your parents were. Some say ridiculously that there are people who were born to be poor. That is the gospel according to the devil,” said the MP. In April, Ruto, Joshua Kulei and others were acquitted of defrauding the Kenya Pipeline Company out of Sh272 million in a land purchase deal. The state claimed that Ruto fraudulently obtained Sh96 million from the KPC in 2001 claiming that he was in a position to sell 1.745 hectares of land belonging to the Ministry of Natural Resources situated in Ngong Forest. Ruto is competing for a presidential ticket with wealthy Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, whose riches were recently estimated by Forbes at $500 million (Sh45 billion).
Other possible PNU Alliance opponents include Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa who are not considered wealthy. The PNU chairman Prof George Saitoti has said he hopes to stand in 2012 and will seek the alliance’s presidential ticket. Saitoti is thought to be wealthy as is ODM leader Raila Odinga. Yesterday Ruto, a former minister in both the Moi and Kibaki governments, explained that he took several mortgages from Housing Finance Company of Kenya to finance acquisition of his real estate assets. He said his palatial home in Karen and flats in Ongata Rongai were backed by HFCK. He says he has repaid a loan from the Bunge Sacco to acquire a house in Elgon View in Eldoret. His apartments on Jogoo Road in Nairobi cost him about Sh60 million to build in the 1990s, he says. Amaco Insurance has a turnover of hundreds of millions of shillings annually and is one of Ruto’s most successful businesses. Ruto owns an uncompleted hotel near Wilson Airport in Nairobi. He owns Sugoi home and farm in Eldoret. The MP is also said to have invested in the transport industry. Yesterday, the chairman of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, Isaack Hassan said the commission has now been empowered to monitor campaign funding including investigating the origin of such money. Hassan said the commission may hire its own personnel for the job or outsource it to an independent company.
Apart from the Elections Act 2011 and the Political Parties Act 2011, a new Campaign Finance bill is currently being fine tuned by the Constitution Implementation Commission, the Justice ministry and the Attorney General’s office. The bill will cap how much money a politician can spend in an election and block the use of public money from parastatals and elsewhere. Ruto was born at Kamagut village, Uasin Gishu District in December 1966. He went to Eldoret’s Wareng High School for his O levels before proceeding to Kapsabet Boys High School for A levels. He graduated in 1990 with a BSc Botany and Zoology from the University of Nairobi. At university, Ruto was elected the leader of the University Christian Union Choir. He met his mentor President Moi when the choir was occasionally called upon to entertain the Head of State. He was briefly a teacher after leaving college before going into business and politics. In the 1992 election, Ruto joined the campaign team Youth for Kanu 92. He was first elected to Parliament in 1997 on a Kanu ticket. He became Home Affairs minister in August 2002 but lost the post after the December 2002 election when Kanu was defeated by the Narc coalition. He later joined ODM and became a member of Raila’s Pentagon team.
Before the December 27, 2007 election, Ruto sought the ODM presidential nomination but lost to Raila. He was appointed Agriculture minister in the coalition government in 2008. In February 2009, Ruto survived a censure motion in Parliament over the maize scam. He was later moved to the Higher Education ministry only to be suspended months later. Ruto has since fallen out with Raila and is now popularising the UDM in the run-up to next year’s general election. “I am determined to run for President because I understand what hustlers go through and can assemble the will to give a real chance to the ordinary Kenyan to be something. This election we will prove that even the children of paupers can be something in Kenya,” said Ruto yesterday. – See more at: http://www.the-star.co.ke/news/article-38511/my-cash-clean-ruto#sthash.tsQQtKXX.dpuf
William Ruto Net Worth
By kenyaentrepreneur
Weston Hotel in Kenya
One of the Richest Men in Kenya
William Samoi Arap Ruto is undoubtedly one of the richest men in Kenya. Ruto is a young politician in his early 40s but today few people can compete with him when it comes to wealth. His story can be described as that of grass to grace because he was just an ordinary man before becoming a millionaire in an overnight.
It’s believed that Ruto’s journey of joining the richest people in Kenya started in 1997 when he first met President Daniel Moi. 1997 was an election year in Kenya and Moi was seeking his last term of being the president of Kenya and what may have been used to contribute to that course in exchange for financial gain.
In the year 1992 Ruto and moi ally Cyrus Jirongo teamed up together to form the once famous kanu youth lobby group or simply yk ’92 in short. Ruto and Jirongo were tasked with winning the support of the youth for the former president who was seeking reelection on a kanu ticket.
So to cut a long a long story short, how rich is William Ruto or what is some of the things that he owns? Let’s have a look at them
Ruto may most likely unable to compete with the likes of the kenyattas and mois but no one can deny he is also a rich man even though he was from a poor background.
•He owns Oseng properties limited.
•Orterter Entreprises Limited
•Residential Property along Jogoo Road Nairobi.
•He is the major shareholder in Amaco insurance,
•Osere flats in Rongai belong to him.
•Weston Hotel, Nairobi
•His Karen home is also said to be worth millions of shillings.
Kenya a country of people with distorted brains>
Jameni tuwaheshimu wanawake (Respect women)
This is how oppressed people fight and defends their land not gossiping>
The Dp William Ruto owns the Weston Hotel that grabbed School Children’s playground !
Here is the prove from the architect whom was given Contract by DP William Ruto.
http://www.kenyan-post.com/2015/01/ruto-is-owner-of-controversial-weston.html
To Revisionists of Kenya:
I thank you in advance for warning me I am debating with a woman. The son of Ramogi had no idea about your gender and that it was this crucial to your views. Consider me well warned.
On the substance: Let me try not to be rude by explaining that the areas you have listed – Kakamega, Kisumu, Thika, Ruiru are either urban centers perse or have a large metropolis within their boundaries. Kisumu county is both a rural and urban center as is Kakamega.
I have nowhere denied or tried to misrepresent Thika and Ruiru as not being part of Kiambu County. I have stated the reasons why there are likely to be some non Kikuyus in those places. The key reason is employment. Whether it is a Luhya in Ruiru or a Kikuyu in Kakamega, his motive for being there is employment (self or other).
What you cannot prove is the ethnicity of the people simply by the way they vote. If you can please share with me what scientific magic you employ
I appreciate you are incapable of multitasking and you therefore marvel at my ability to undertake so much. I thank you for the compliment and urge you to try harder. If you partake of alcohol or abuse substances, I would advice you drop that and see you capacity to think and work improve and with that your envy will diminish
Speaking of shifting goals: When you posted what you called Raila Votes, the insinuation was that the people who had voted for Raila were definitely Luos or / and Luhyas. You are free to walk away from that anytime. However from that it is possible to gain an insight into your thinking which is: Luos for for a Luo and so on. That Madam Mheshimiwa is the explanation you seek;
Let me repeat: You have no basis to conclude or establish the ethnicity of anybody merely by the way they have voted. It is foolish to keep on harping at it because it makes you more stupid than I had earlier imagined
I have underlined what is a clear error below. By 1978 the colonists had been out of leadership for fifteen years. I assume you made and error and that it is not a reflection of some intrinsic ignorance. Of course for most people from the West of Kenya, Kenyatta’s government was slightly worse than the colonial regime
I note the excuses you provide for why your tribesmen always vote for their own tribesmen. I do not wish to address any of them because in my opinion they are all spurious and counterfactual;
Here is a fact you cannot contest:
1963 – Luos vote for Jomo Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
2002 – Luos vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
1963 – Kalenjins vote for Ronald Ngala – Miji Kenda
2002 -Kalenjin Vote for Uhuru Kenyatta
2013 – Kalenjin vote for Uhuru Kenyatta
Compare with:
1963 – Kikuyus vote a Jomo Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
1992 – Kikuyus vote for Matiba and Kibaki – two Kikuyus
1997 – Kikuyus vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2002 – Kikuyus vote Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2007 – Kikuyus vote for Mwai Kibaki – a Kikuyu
2013 – Kikuyus vote Uhuru Kenyatta – a Kikuyu
(I understand they are LYING to Ruto that they will vote for him in 2022)
You claim that GEMA have stayed with the Odinga family since independence. That is where I confirmed you tribal credentials. How about the Kikuyu and the Kenyatta family? Let’s look at the facts:
1963 – 1978 – Kenyatta controls the Kikuyu agenda (15 years)
2002 – 2015 – Uhuru Kenyatta takes over (13 years) Draw your own conclusions Madam Mheshimiwa
I can on my part conclude that you will remain firmly under the control of the Kenyatta Family for the foreseeable future. When Uhuru Kenyatta dies of an overdose of crack, his son will take over.
Note that Jaramogi did not gain total control over the Luo electorate until 1969 after Mboya was murdered. Even then he was not a free man
1966 – 1978 – Jaramogi Odinga was either in detention or house arrest ordered by Jomo Kenyatta
Luos were therefore leaderless exactly as Kenyatta wanted.
Moi would release Jaramogi for a few months and then place him under house arrest again well into 1991,
Jaramogi would therefore be Luo Leader from 1992 – 1994 when he died (2 years)
Between 1994 – 1995 – There was a leadership vacuum
Not edited for errors.
Mheshimiwa wrote:There you go again with your predictable slither dithering. Having a debate with Madam is pointless. Peri-urban this, large urban center that, negro Kisumu is a freaking CITY complete with an international airport while Kakamega is more than double the size of Thika geographically & population-wise…try harder negro.
1. Whether or not Thika is connected to Nairobi doesn’t remove it from Kiambu okay, the debate was about demographics in Kiambu or Central in general, you are not going to just sit there & defend yourself by dictating that some regions are not Kiambu enough NKT! This is utterly pointless! Don’t you get tired of blatantly moving the fucking goal posts all the time. I understand lawyers always have to argue their case came what may but jeez! (although I am yet to meet anyone who is seriously involved in the legal profession that has time to blog on sites like this all day, let alone facebook, but ofcourse that is none of my business..moving on.)
2. Who said anything about the electoral figures representing the exact ethnic census or that all people only vote for their tribesmen
Its clear from comparing the election results of Kiambu to Kakamega/Kisumu where “political representative diversity” can be found
I made it very clear I was referring to political diversity but ofcourse you jumped onto anything you could take out of context just for the sake of replying. Ofcourse some of the Odinga votes in Central were cast by gema but It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that alot of those votes were also cast by people from western Kenya sheesh!
3. The tried & tested “Kikuyus only vote for their tribesmen” gospel..as if Kenya is some old republic that has gone through many electoral cycles.
Other tribes like Kambas/Kalenjins/Luyhas have the right to say this but not a Luo. Context is important.
1978 – After being detained by the British Kenyatta rises in popularity & is then effortlessly elevated to power by his peers including Odinga Oginga, everyone had jumped onto the KANU Harambee Kenya bandwagon but Oooh! the Kikuyus should have insisted on voting someone else outside their tribe. 🙄
The next real election cycles were in the 90s after multipartism returned but the opposition was split along tribal lines instead of uniting against Moi.
Then came 2002, it was either everyone continues voting along their tribal tuparties or unite under one coalition & choose a single opposition candidate. The opposition leaders settled on Kibaki, so were Kikuyus to turn around & insist on voting a Samburu when Kibaki was the clear leading candidate?
Yes Luos voted outside their tribe in 2002 but that was bcoz it was critical in avoiding KANU retaining power & most importantly, Odinga said Kibaki tosha! after signing the MOU to secure his portion of the carpet. Otherwise if Raila vied in 2002 it would be business as usual.
In 2007 Luos voted to the man for Raila like-wise gema -Kibaki.
2013 Luos & gema continued their trend, they just switched political partners here & there.
But atleast gema change their kinsmen regularly, we’ve gone from Jomo to Matiba to Kibaki to Uhuru, Luos have only moved from Odinga to Odinga since 1
https://www.facebook.com/boniface.mwangi.35?fref=nf
Enjoy tumbili dance………
http://nipate.com/finally-catching-the-sauti-sol-craze-t52065.html
Enjoy the tumbili dance in mating mood……..