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By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
October 29, 2010

A study published earlier this month by the Berlin-based group, Transparency International shows that 97 percent of Kenyans view corruption as a big problem in a country. Kenya is sending an anti-corruption message to the highest levels of government.
Transparency International’s 2010 Corruption Index ranks Kenya eight places lower and nearer to countries on the bottom rung of the list of 178 states. Two high profile Kenyan government ministers faced corruption charges; Minister of Foreign Affairs Moses Wetang’ula, and Higher Education Minister, William Ruto. Both of them are off the job and the allegations are under investigation.
“I have made a personal decision to step aside from my responsibilities and my appointment as Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kenya to give room and pleasure to those who have been haunting and tormenting me for the last three, four weeks, to give room to the very able arms of investigation.”

Analysts say Kenya has made strides towards democracy. Executive power has been lessened and the legislature and judiciary have better autonomy. But observers say abuse of power continues. Kenya’s president, Mwai Kibaki came to power in 2002 on an anti-graft platform, but his fight against graft has failed to impress critics. Mr. Kibaki credits a new constitution with giving Kenya new muscle to wrestle corruption. During his speech to parliament this year, the president assured Kenyans that the country is on the right track.
“We, as the grand coalition government, have resolved to deal with the matter decisively. I am calling on the august House to work with the government in this endeavor. In order to win this war, we must apply the law in a manner that is impartial and just.”
In October alone, four senior officials in Kenya have been named in corruption scandals. No government minister has ever been convicted of graft in Kenya, where corruption is widespread. Dr. Migai Akech, a Kenyan political analyst, says that there is culture of impunity in Kenya.
“It’s a culture that laws don’t apply and I mean just look at drivers on the streets in Nairobi… Many people don’t follow traffic rules. So I believe it has much to do with the mind set, I think the education system has much to do with it in that sense but also rules matter.”
Nairobi residents say the new anti-corruption drive is long overdue and has generated optimism.
”I think with the dispensation of the new constitution, I think this is high time that Kenyans should wag the dog and I think this is high time that we should eradicate corruption completely in Kenya. The culture of impunity and corruption are issues that have been hunting us down”.
”There has been some progress, but mainly the big fish are being arrested, but the normal corruption that usually occurs like in the transport sector and local authorities like in the city council, they should take also charges, maybe they should put more people in investigation.”
Kenya’s coalition government vows to work together to establish a plan to fight corruption and bring about promised reforms. But surveys show most Kenyans view corruption as endemic, and analysts say corruption has stifled economic growth.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
October 27, 2010

Uganda’s electoral commission on Monday and Tuesday cleared eight candidates to run in next February’s presidential poll, including long-serving leader General Yoweri Museveni. The international community and Uganda’s opposition have criticized the Ugandan government for keeping in place an electoral commission that has allegedly failed to organize free and fair elections.
Security is very tight in Uganda’s capital, Kampala, as the parties launch their presidential campaigns. The nominations kicked off the official campaign period, a season that can be characterized by excitement, or marred by harassment of the opposition. Uganda’s President General Yoweri Museveni, who has ruled the East African Nation for over two decades, is running for the fourth time as the candidate of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM).
“Now that we have got Uganda out of so many problems and we are heading to the dry land having crossed a big ocean of problems, how can it be that any other group can be entrusted with this duty of concluding the emancipation and transformation of Uganda? That is why I told them and they all agreed unanimously that it must be the NRM.”
The election, which pits Mr. Museveni against his closest rival, Kizza Besigye, in the third face-off between the two, is seen as a test of democracy in a country about to start producing oil. Dr. Kizza Besigye is the leader of Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC), a coalition of four parties. President Museveni defeated Besigye in elections in 2001 and 2006 that were marred by accusations of widespread fraud. Besigye used the nomination ceremony to criticize Uganda’s last two elections, promising to fight corruption and to invest in agriculture.
“We believe that one can win an election even with a biased electoral commission. It’s far more difficult but it is not unattainable and it is what we are going to rally the entire population to do and if the unfairness continues and if the violation of our rights continue under their watch, we are going to be prepared to confront it, we do not believe to have our rights by permission, we believe to have them by right.”

Eight candidates have been cleared to run against General Museveni, but analysts say only Besigye has an outside chance of beating Museveni. The poll will be closely watched by the West for signs of repression.
Earlier this month, a United Nations report accused Mr. Museveni’s troops of committing massive human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1993 and 2003. Uganda reacted angrily to the report and said the accusations were unfounded and that the report should not be taken seriously.

http://i.cdn.turner.com/cnn/.element/apps/cvp/3.0/swf/cnn_416x234_embed.swf?context=embed&videoId=international/2010/10/19/ia.uganda.comedy.bk.d.cnn
Herbert Ssegujja is a Ugandan local comedian who has made a name by perfectly mimicking President Yoweri Museveni.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
October 21, 2010
A United Nations study released recently recommends diversification of African economies, to reduce reliance on natural resources and encourage growth in sectors such as telecommunications, agriculture and tourism.
At a news conference in New York for the U.N.’s report, Eckhard Deutscher, Chair of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) calls on governments and media to help change a negative perception of African economies.
“In the most of the OECD countries the picture on Africa is still that this is a continent disintegrated, lagging behind and that there are not enough private investments coming from those countries, the OECD countries to Africa. And I can only call to the press, to the governments, to change this picture urgently. Africa will become an important player in the future without any doubt.”

The U.N. study also calls for recognition of the increasingly
important contribution of Africa to global economic growth.
Ibrahim Assane Mayaki, CEO of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), stresses the importance of south-south cooperation, or, emerging nations bypassing trade with rich northern nations.
“This south-south cooperation – because it can be called south-south cooperation – is both in the interest of – because at the end of the day is a question of interest – in both the interest of the emerging economies and the interest of the African continent. And I can assure you that question of interests are absolutely key and essential.”
Under-Secretary-General and UN Special Adviser on Africa Cheick Sidi Diarra, notes that good relations with China and India can spark further investment in Africa.
“The relations between emerging countries like China and India give more room to maneuver to African continent in their negotiation with traditional donors in their policies to attract foreign direct investment in order to ease the conditions and to take more benefit out of this foreign direct investment. Because the competition for natural resources is something that is real and it will be even much stake in the future.”
Some countries such as Gabon are diversifying their economy amid declining oil production. Gabon depended on timber and manganese until oil was discovered offshore in the early 1970s. But the country’s oil output has been declining for years, and Gabon is attempting to renew itself by developing an economic trade zone to attract investment and spur growth.

By Paul Ndiho
October 7, 2010

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights last week released a 550-page report listing more than 600 of the most serious violations of human committed by both state and non-state actors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). In the late 90s and early 2000s I was a reporter embedded with both Ugandan and Rwandan troops in Eastern Congo and I recorded some of the killings that took place. Please be advised that some video is very graphic and viewer discretion is advised.
After interviewing more than 1200 witnesses, analyzing more than 1500 documents, over the course of two years, the United Nations released a report last Friday, detailing massive human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo between 1993 and 2003.The report said, tens of thousands of people were killed, and numerous others were raped, mutilated or otherwise victimized during the decade of War.
“The mapping of the events that occurred during that 10 year period are significant because the consequences are still evident today. Because these crimes have never been addressed justice has not been delivered but there has been impunity and lawlessness so very many rebel groups have cropped up who continue to take the law into their own hands and rape and pillage. Most recent example is the rapes that occurred in eastern DRC in August over which my office and the joint Human Rights office issued a report a few days ago.”
Seven Africa countries are named in the report but Rwanda and Uganda are singled out for committing mass killings, rapes and possible genocide of Hutus as they pursued them into the Congo. Rwanda reacted angrily to the report and said that they reserve right to review U.N. relations. Rwanda’s foreign Affairs minister.
“In fact the eventual pull out of our troops will not be only thing we will do, if Rwanda was ever to find in this report that there are accusations of deliberate killings by our troops who are keeping peace all over the world, we intend to take a serious actions starting by disengagement with UN.”

Impetus for the probe came after UN peacekeepers in the DRC discovered three mass graves in the country’s Northern Kivu province in 2005. The report also examined in detail various options for truth and reconciliation, as well as for bringing those responsible for serious crimes to justice. Jonathan Elliott, Africa Advocacy director, Human Rights watch says ending a climate of near-total impunity and bringing Justice to the victims is very critical.
“There is great evidence that impunity creates more violence. If you look at sexual violence for example it’s a major problem now in eastern Congo and probably worse now than way back in the 1990’s…. if the international community prosecutes those responsible for sexual violence perhaps the next generation or next commander might have think twice about committing those crimes.”
From 1998 – 2001, I was embedded on and off with the Ugandan and Rwandan forces in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. But nothing prepared me for the violence I witnessed there in 2000 and 2001. One morning I was caught in the middle of the Lendu militia attacks against the Hema in Nyakunde, south of Bunia. A village that is also mentioned in the U.N report where hundreds of people were killed and thousands were driven from their homes.
What started as a land dispute between two normally peaceful groups grew into a larger clash when foreign forces entered the region. Some forces sided with
the Hema, and this favoritism caused a backlash from the Lendu, leading to the widespread killing.
“Crimes against women, children, the elderly or against ethnic groups it’s a horrific story in some ways the findings weren’t a surprise because there been previous studies on what happened in the 1990s there was a U.N report in 1997 which eluded to some of the crimes we see described now in the report.”
A cloud of heavy smoke covered the village. The stench from the burning bodies was unbearable. That same night, the Lendu militia also invaded Nyekunde hospital, where hundreds of people were hiding and cut them into pieces. Scores of other nearby villages were burned to the ground. I saw several mass graves where a hundreds of people were being buried, and the Hema was armed with bow and arrows, ready to defend their village.
It was this kind of carnage against Hutu refugees and other unarmed civilian populations in the Congo for which the UN had tried to investigate notably in 1997 and 1998, but these investigations were repeatedly blocked by the Congolese government, then headed by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, father of the current president. Despite those efforts, information about massacres, rapes, and other abuses against Rwandan refugees and Congolese citizens in the late 1990s was published at the time by the UN and by human rights organizations. However, no action was taken to hold those responsible to account.

By Paul Ndiho
September 29, 2010

The U.S. has the world’s largest international student population, with approximately 660,000 students. Paul Ndiho recently sat down with one African student who has chosen to pursue his higher education and life experiences in Washington D.C.
Max Jordan Nguemeni, is a first year Civil Engineering international student at Howard University in Washington D.C. He arrived here nearly 18 months ago from the West African Nation of Cameroon.

“I picked Civil Engineering as my major. Coming to the United States, you know, we have more opportunities here after college or grad school. If I ever want to go back – to Cameroon I think I have somehow more chances to be successful.”
Many colleges and Universities offer international students great opportunities for learning and enrichment. For Jordan choosing Howard University was not an extensive and exhausting process.
“I applied here, because my uncle, who I used to live with … but I live on campus now
Went to Howard for grad school, he did Mechanical Engineering and his wife went here for law school.”
Even though there are many cultures in America, there is still an “American culture” that may be quite different from your own. While much of American culture is exported through television, film, and consumer products, but there are some aspects that you do not encounter until you actually live in the US.
“People have this thing called personal space. I had never heard of personal space before… You don’t have to stand too close to people… “
In an age of globalization, the presence of foreign students is being perceived by universities around the world as an effective instrument in the diversification of their campuses. With their exposure to international students, domestic students are strengthening their knowledge of global issues and being better prepared to live and work in a global community. The exposure is also helping students to better understand each other and overcome negative attitudes toward other peoples and cultures.
“They make fun of us because of our accents maybe it’s a joke maybe it’s no not understanding other peoples accents sometimes they speak very fast for me to understand them too.”
However, Jordan says he enjoys living on campus life because the students and the professors are nice but jokes that there is no diversity.
“Everybody is black. Or almost everybody is black.
Because of the prohibitive cost of going college in America, there are certain scholarships programs that he cannot afford. He say these extra programs would beneficial to him helping people in his home country.
“To an African Society Civil engineering is very applicable, we need roads, we need bridges, we need buildings, we need better transportation systems, and we need to take care of the environment. And where I’m from the environment isn’t taken care of… so those are some areas where I can apply my degree.”
When asked about what he thought are about joining politics in Cameroon and playing a role in building his country. Jordan flatly rejects the idea saying politicians in his home country are greedy and don’t want to work for the advancement of the community but rather themselves.
“We need organization, we need to manage time, and we need to manage people and to learn how to manage money and improve service delivery for the communities.
Approximately 40 percent of all the international students at Howard University are from Africa. The New York based Institute of International Education says number of foreign students attending American colleges reached an all-time high of 671, 616 during the 2008-2009 academic year, an increase of almost 8 percent from a year earlier. First-time-student enrollments grew even more robustly, by nearly 16 percent.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
September 22, 2010

World leaders attending the U.N general assembly at the United Nations in New York kicked of the Millennium Development Goals Summit by discussing methods to keep their promise to cut world poverty in half by 2015.
World leaders are meeting this week in New York, to assess the status of the eight millennium development goals they committed to in 2000. Analysts say Africa has made progress in reducing poverty, despite the global economic downturn that has affected many donor programs. Annika Soder, Assistant Director General, U.N Food and Agriculture Organization says, world hunger must be tackled now.
“More than 900 million, almost one billion people suffer from undernourishment. It’s possible to do something about it and we want to support the voices of those hungry people to make governments take action in order for them to be able to grow their own food or buy their own food.”
In most parts of Africa, food prices continue to soar. Prices of major food commodities in the markets across Africa have increased sharply and many households have poor access to basic food needs. Friday Abechi, a petty trader in Lagos, Nigeria says things are tight and she no longer can afford the luxury of three meals a day.
“Common ‘garri’ (cassava flour) if you don’t have money you can’t buy it, when I was growing people would take beans, it was the cheapest thing any poor man could eat, but now, the poor cannot afford it.”
Experts say that rising oil prices and increased production are expected to drive Nigerian economic growth higher this year although headline inflation is seen remaining in double digits. Sub-Saharan Africa’s second-biggest economy, grew by over 6 percent in 2009, is expected to grow 7.0 percent this year. Grain trader Abudulmalki Jibril says that the price of maize has continued to increase, and there are fewer buyers.
“In January a big of maize cost 5,500 naira (36 US dollars), in March 6,000 (naira) (40 US dollars), March to April to May 6,500 (naira) (43 US dollars), May till now, yellow maize costs 7,500 (naira) (50 US dollars) till now.”

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) remains a major challenge for Togo, like most countries in sub Saharan Africa.
Northern Togo is one of the poorest areas of the country, with a poverty level of 90 percent and little access to education and health care. Two years ago, MDG aid projects launched in several villages in northern Togo. But Seidou Kouanta says the project has not helped poor farmers like himself.
“Given that we don’t have the means to have good harvests, it is difficult. If you do not have the means to purchase fertilizer, farming becomes difficult. So we suffer a lot here.”
In the village of Timbou, Doctor Michel Kodom says the healthcare projects allowed nurses and doctors to access patients who cannot reach the hospital.
“Patients who live in the villages are unable to come to our healthcare facilities, maybe because of lack of roads, villages are landlocked and inaccessible, so patients stay home, and also because they are no healthcare practitioners in the villages.”
Analysts say so far, only one Millennium Development Goals – halving global poverty – is on track to be met by the 2015 deadline. The global financial and economic recession has complicated the MDGs, forcing rich nations to cut aid budgets and slowing growth in poor countries.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
September 20,2010
It is dangerous to drive while talking on a cell phone. Studies indicate it is equivalent to being drunk behind the wheel. But there is another danger: walking and talking or text messaging on a cell phone. Experts say its dangers are even more profound.
It’s become the norm for most people to walk and talk on their cell phone, but that doesn’t mean its safe, especially for pedestrians crossing a busy street. Talking or texting while walking is leading to increasing numbers of injuries. Ismael Kazedata, is one of many people who are always texting while crossing the street.
“I wasn’t paying attention. I was looking down on my phone.”
People are tripping, colliding with objects or even running into one another as they chat or type on their mobile devices. Even worse, they can be hit by cars and seriously injured. Randall Pearson constantly sees near-accidents involving distracted pedestrians and drivers. He says people should pay more attention to the road.
“The main thing is, when you’re on your cell phone, do it while you’re standing there, and pay attention when you’re walking across the street.
David Rodriguez, has been injured while talking on his cell phone while walking.
“Yeah I walked into a pole once and I tripped on the sidewalk and fell down because the curb had a bump in it that I didn’t see while I was talking on my cell phone. “
The American College of Emergency Physicians warned two years ago about the dangers of text messaging and talking on the phone while walking, and driving. Their information was based on anecdotal evidence from doctors. Eric Isaacs, a physician at San Francisco General Hospital, has seen several cases of pedestrians getting injured while distracted.
“We’ve seen a young woman who walked right off the curb while talking on her phone and was hit by a car. We saw another person who was texting while walking down the sidewalk and walked straight into a utility pole and were brought here. And then we saw a case of an elderly woman who was hit by a very large college age man who was texting, hit her on the sidewalk, knocked her over and was brought here as a result of her injuries.”
Stanford University researchers found that recent emergency room visits resulting from pedestrian cell phone accidents have been doubling each year, with more than 1000 visits in 2009. Injuries included walking into a pole while texting, or falling. And many more are likely to have gone unreported.
“So the use of multiple media technologies as one time – watching TV while reading, while surfing the web, doing multiple chats while watching videos, etc., is really affecting our brains in profound ways, in particular it is leading to a fragmented view of the world.”

In at least two American states, New York and Illinois, have considered laws limiting the use of personal electronic devices by pedestrians but no bills have been passed. Technology experts in California have come up with a new state of the art hands-free device that maybe able to help keep eyes and hands free while walking.
“We think people are more and more relying on their mobile devices. And again people have this desire to be connected at all times and we don’t see that going away. So we really think about anyone who has that desire to be mobile and out there and connected is who this will apply to because it’s about how do you enable them to not be distracted with their eyes and hands focused on this device but still achieve what they’re trying to do.”
Aliph’s Jawbone earpiece incorporates voice-to-text technology which eliminates the need to glance down at the keypad to send an e-mail or text message.
“This is an example of how I can send an email using my voice hands free.”
But even in fast-paced societies, there is one easy solution – putting the cell phone away and simply stop talking, talking, talking.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
September 15, 2010

To most Africans, peacekeeping conjures up positive and heroic images of soldiers operating in difficult and often tragic environments. But for Africa’s strongmen, say analysts, peacekeeping is about catering to Western interests and deflecting attention on themselves during war.
Rwanda has threatened to pull out all its troops from United Nations peacekeeping missions in Darfur, following a leaked draft U.N. report claiming Rwandan troops may have committed genocide in Congo. The U.N. Human Rights report details some serious crimes committed by various forces in Congo during the 1990s and Early 2000s. Richard Downie, a former professional journalist and now a fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, says contributing peacekeepers can help to build a leader’s popularity and international prestige.
“Contributing peacekeepers for many of these African leaders is very astute; it’s good political business especially where there is a shortage of peacekeepers in Africa. You have some big missions run by the African union and the United Nations in Somalia and the two U.N missions in Sudan spring to mind these are under strength missions any contributions of peace keepers by other African leaders are very welcome.”

Some analysts say African peacekeeping missions are helping African leaders build a cover against criticism over human rights abuses. Rwanda has four battalions of troops deployed in Sudan’s western Darfur region, where the United Nations says conflict has killed as many as 300,000 people since 2003. Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Louise Mushikiwabo says Rwandan forces did not commit any war crimes in the Democratic Republic of Congo:
“Seeing the seriousness of accusation against our army, we can’t continue having our army in peacekeeping operations. We made it very clear to highest authorities within UN and we are saying today the United Nations had leaked the draft of this report it has commented on leaked draft which is what we are commenting on it. Now we are saying that we are seriously considering withdrawing our troops from Darfur and we have instructed our commanders there to make contingency plans for our troops to come home.”
U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon made an emergency trip to Rwanda and met with Rwanda’s president:

“I decided to visit Kigali at this time to speak directly with president Kagame and his government about their concerns regarding the democratic republic of Congo human rights and mapping exercise commissioned by the office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights of the United Nations. Both the president and I are disappointed by (the fact that) the draft of the report had been leaked. The United Nations is interested in establishing all the facts relating to incidents in the DRC and covered by this mapping exercise.”

Critics say the meeting between the U.N secretary General and the Rwandan president was damage control – and that the United Nations is trying to protect Mr. Kagame’s image, since Rwanda is one of the few countries providing peacekeepers.
“It does show how politically astute it is to contribute peacekeepers where they are in short supply. Therefore, it gives you political leverage on the world stage. So when your domestic conduct is criticized as Rwanda most definitely has been in this draft UN report, then President kagame can turn around and say we will take our troops away if you don’t reconsider your findings. This is real politics.”
U.N. peacekeepers were widely criticized for failing to prevent the 1994 slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda that ended only after Tutsi-led fighters seized power. In the process, Rwandan forces invaded Congo following after Hutu militias, where it is alleged that Rwandan troops committed acts of genocide.

Uganda provides the bulk of troops to the African Union Mission in Somalia. For his efforts to extend his term in office, in 2005 Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni came under stinging attack by western governments, especially from then Ambassador Johnnie Carson, who is the current U.S Assistant Secretary of state for Africa. But with his troops now in Somalia, President Yoweri Museveni enjoys a good working relationship with the U.S government, though critics accuse Mr. Museveni of keeping a tight grip on power and not allowing adequate political space for his opposition.

By Paul Ndiho, Washington D.C.
September 6, 2010
Washington came alive this weekend with the Ugandan community Diaspora coming together for their 20th Annual, Uganda North America Association or UNAA. The Convention brings together Ugandans based in the United States and Canada.
The Uganda North America Association convention showcased Uganda arts and culture. Families enjoyed a display of traditional Uganda culture. There were, fashion, arts & crafts, and countless other activities. But the topic on nearly everyone’s mind was politics.
Last week President Yoweri Museveni announced that he will seek another team as president of Uganda. Opposition groups accuse the Uganda North America Association of being a mouthpiece for the ruling party. But Moses Wilson the president of UNAA says these allegations are unfounded.
“We have gone out of our way to come out as neutral. We understand that we are under a lot of scrutiny from the international community. We have invited observers including Americas to show that we are not biased in anyway.”
The leader of the Democratic Party in Uganda Norbert Mao says the Obama administration needs to hold President Museveni accountable as the democratic process moves forward.
“I am calling upon president Obama to call president Museveni to order so that Museveni holds free and fair elections. Because if we don’t have free and fair elections, we are going back to the cycle of violence that we thought was now behind us.”
The Opposition accuses the Ugandan government of putting in place an incompetent Electoral commission that has failed to organize free and fair elections. But Daudi Migereko the government Minister and Chief Whip dismissed those claims and said the NRM electoral commission is independent and will hold democratic elections 2011.

“I want to make it absolutely clear that the national electoral commission is independent, autonomous, and is not under the direction of the NRM as a party.”
A coalition of Ugandan opposition parties Kizza Besigye, as their joint candidate to run against President Yoweri Museveni in next year’s election.
The opposition parties formed the Inter-Party Cooperation (IPC) in July 2008 and agreed to field a joint presidential candidate against Mr. Museveni. Ronnie Mayanja, a US based Ugandan political analyst says that there is a need for change in Uganda.
“I strongly believe that there is a need for change. Surely if you been in power for more than 25 years there must be someone you can hand over power too or take over from you… But whether there is an opposition to take over also remains a challenge because of the divisions that I see within the opposition.”
President Museveni defeated Kizza Besigye in the 2001 and 2006 elections that were marred by accusations of widespread vote fraud.