IGAD Summit on Sudan postponed...

 According to Sudan Tribune, the meeting of the Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) on Sudan has been postponed indefinitely.

 "It has been postponed, it is now scheduled tentatively for the 6th and 7th (of November) in Addis," an official at the Kenyan foreign ministry told Agence France Presse (AFP).

The Summit was originally supposed to take place in Nairobi On October 30, but it was rescheduled this week in Addis Ababa. 

Most observers claim it was over unease at Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir’s possible attendance in Kenya. Last Monday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) asked Kenya "to take any necessary measure to ensure" Bashir is arrested or to explain "any problem which would impede or prevent" his arrest.

Kenya is a signatory of the ICC’s founding treaty and therefore theoretically under obligation to arrest Bashir if he enters the country. Ethiopia is not.

The Sudanese leader faces two arrest warrants against him from the ICC for war crimes and genocide he allegedly committed in Darfur.

Kenya interior minister George Saitoti appointed acting Foreign Minister

 Kenyan Interior Minister George Saitoti was appointed today acting foreign minister. This nomination comes a day after Moses Wetangula's resignation over corruption allegations.

According to a state house statement, "President Mwai Kibaki has today appointed Professor George Saitoti as the acting minister for foreign affairs".

George Saitoti is a former vice president. Born in 1945, he is a mathematician and a politician involved in many governement since 1983.

On August 30, 2002, he was dismissed as Vice-President by President Daniel arap Moi for "disloyalty". He was also removed from his post as Vice-Chairman of the Kenyan African National Union (KANU), then the main party in the country.

AFP stated that he will also continue to serve as the interior minister, the statement said.

Wetangula, a member of President Kibaki's party, resigned as foreign minister on Wednesday amid corruption allegations over the purchase of embassy land in Japan and other countries.

Saitoti has expressed his desire to run for the Kenyan Presidency in 2012.

IGAD's summit moved to Addis, as ICC pursues al-Bashir... (Daily Nation)

                             

 Sudden news: according to the Daily Nation's website, the regional meeting scheduled in Nairobi this weekend will now be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after the International Criminal Court asked Kenyan authoritiesto arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir. 

The Daily Nation is one of Kenya's main newspaper. It is quoting "sources" who "said Inter-Governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) summit organisers transferred the meeting to Ethiopia to shield al-Bashir who has an arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court".

As mentioned earlier today, ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has requested this Tuesday the Pre-Trial Chamber to make a ruling that would oblige Kenya to arrest al-Bashir after receiving information that the Sudanese president would attend the IGAD meeting.

“The Chamber (Pre-Trial), renewed its request to the Republic of Kenya to take any necessary measure to ensure the President of Sudan, Omar al-Bashir, in the event that he travels to Kenya, be arrested and surrendered to the court in accordance with its obligations as a State Party to the Rome Statute,” a statement by the ICC stated this evening.

Prosecutor Ocampo has issued two warrants of arrest against al-Bashir.

The IGAD meeting is reported to be crucial to Omar al-Bashir while the scheduled January referendum is approaching and has to determine the fate of South Sudan.

Sudanese Vice-President Salva Kiir, who is also the President of Southern Sudan, has warned that the region will inevitably vote to secede. Others fear that the North might sabotage the referendum.

Even though Kenya is a state party to the Rome Statute, founding the ICC, it refused to arrest Omar al-Bashir during his previous visit to Kenya late August to attend the promulgation of Kenya's new Constitution.

William Ruto formally charged in court

 Barely a week after being suspended from cabinet, former Higher Education minister William Ruto was in the dock today to face charges over a 96 million shillings corruption case.

Ruto has been formally charged with obtaining money from the Kenya pipeline company through an illegal sale of land in Ngong forest.

The fraud case against former Higher Education Minister will now be heard early next year before Nairobi chief magistrate Gilbert Mutembei.

According to the television station KBC, twelve days have been booked for the hearing of the case in January and February next year, and Mutembei has asked the defense lawyer not to apply for any adjournments during the hearing.

The prosecution intends to call a total of 24 witnesses.

Kenyan stadiums closed over tragedy

Nyayo National Stadium and City Stadium have been banned from hosting any football activities until a set of conditions are met.

This is the verdict of Football Kenya Limited, FKL, three days after Kenya's worst sports tragedy , leaving 7 deaths after a stampede at Nyayo Stadium.  It occured during a match between rivals Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards.

Gor Mahia FC has distanced itself from any blame in the matter saying it did all that was required as the home team during the ill-fated derby. 

The decision by FKL is the first communication of any kind from the body since the tragedy. It  seems to be meant to pre-empt action from world soccer governing body FIFA.

Some of the measures FKL wants to see before Nyayo and City stadiums resume football activities include safety enhancement at the area around the stadium, perimeter wall erection around the field of play, guided entry into the field and clear definition of an unobstructed emergency exit.

These are to be ascertained by Sports Stadia Management board providing conformation certificates issued to them by the local authority.

Both AFC Leopards and Gor Mahia are planning a solidarity prayers day in memory of the victims. They are also planning to open an account through which contributions to assist victims of the tragedy could be made.

ICC requests observations from Kenya on the enforcement of warrants of arrest against Omar Al Bashir

 Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested on Monday the Republic of Kenya to inform the Chamber about any problem which would impede or prevent the arrest and surrender of Omar Al Bashir.
The request ask the information to be sent no later than 29 October. 

This bid occurs while the Sudanese President, Omar Al Bashir, is likely to visit Kenya on 30 October, 2010.

The Chamber has been seized on a notification of the Prosecutor informing the Judges of the possibility that Omar Al Bashir might travel to Kenya for an Inter-governmental Authority for Development (IGAD) summit on 30 October.

It then renewed its request to the Republic of Kenya to take any necessary measure to ensure that the President of Sudan, Omar Al Bashir, in the event that he travels to Kenya, be arrested and surrendered to the Court in accordance with its obligations as a State Party to the Rome Statute since 1 June, 2005.

On 27 August, Pre-Trial Chamber I already had issued two decisions informing the Security Council of the United Nations and the Assembly of States Parties to the Rome Statute about Omar Al Bashir’s visits to the Republic of Kenya and the Republic of Chad, ‘in order for them to take any measure they may deem appropriate’.

And on 4 March, 2009, Pre-Trial Chamber I issued a first warrant of arrest against Mr Al Bashir. It is considering that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the suspect is criminally responsible for five counts of crimes against humanity and two counts of war crimes. 

A second warrant of arrest was finally issued against Mr Al Bashir on 12 July, 2010, for three counts of genocide.

Nairobi mayor arrested / Arrestation du maire de Nairobi

Le Maire de Nairobi, Geophrey Majiwa, a été arrêté ce lundi par des agents de la Commission kenyane de lutte contre la corruption (KACC), pour sa présumée implication dans l'achat controversé d'une parcelle de terrain.

Les agents de la KACC, la Commission kenyane de lutte contre la corruption, ont arrêté le maire de la capitale dans sa résidence à 7h du matin ce lundi.

Le porte-parole de la Commission, Nicholas Simani, a confirme qu’ils se sont présentés en compagnie d'officiers de police, et l'ont conduit au quartier général de la Commission où il est actuellement détenu.

Le Maire est susceptible d'être traduit mardi en justice pour faire face à deux accusations de corruption.

Le scandale concerne l’achat de terrain près du bidonville de Mavoko en 2009 devant devenir un cimetière, achat au cours duquel des membres de la municipalité de Nairobi auraient détourné quelque 283 millions de shillings, soit 3,5 millions de dollars.

Jusqu'à présent, 14 personnes, dont l'ancien Secrétaire général du gouvernement, Sammy Kirui, ont été accusées de détournement de ces 283 millions de shillings entre décembre 2008 et avril 2009.

Ce scandale défraie la chronique au Kenya depuis des mois, et l’arrestation du maire Majiwa intervient en plein débat sur la corruption dans le pays. La semaine dernière, le ministre de l’Enseignement supérieur William Ruto a été suspendu du gouvernement pour une affaire de vente de terrain dans la forêt de Ngong à une entreprise pétrolière.

Et vendredi dernier, le ministre des Affaires étrangères, Moses Wetangula a été entendu par une commission spéciale du Parement concernant les accusations de détournement de fonds lors d’achat de terrains pour des ambassades, notamment au Japon.

Kenyan Prime Minister orders an investigation into a stampede at a Nairobi football match

Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga has ordered an immediate investigation after the stampede at a Nairobi football match on Saturday evening.

Raila Odinga visited the injured in hospital; he said that both the police and the football authorities would be involved in investigating the accident. 

Seven fans died in the stampede; they were trying to get into a league match at the Nyayo National Stadium on Saturday. Nearly 20 others are still fighting for their life in hospital. 

The incident happened at the stadium, which was hosting a match between two of the country's most popular teams, Gor Mahia and AFC Leopards. 

Nairobi deputy police chief Moses Nyakwama confirmed that the stadium was not packed to capacity during the game. Jack Oguda, CEO of the Kenya Premier League, said he couldn't understand why fans couldn't get in properly because the stadium wasn't full. 

Police on Sunday began investigations into circumstances that led to the deaths. Over 380 police officers including a 100 man anti riot police contingent had been deployed to Nyayo National Stadium to provide security during the match. Reports say tension was high throughout the game.

At the same time, President Mwai Kibaki sent a message of condolence to the families, relatives and friends of the football fans who died. He also directed those charged with stadia safety to enhance safety in all the country's stadia.

In 2005, one person died during a World Cup qualifier between Kenya and Morocco at the 35,000-capacity Nyayo National Stadium. The incident led to a two-year Fifa ban. The stadium was then limited to 25,000 people. 

About the cinema industry in East Africa and the "Kenya time"

 This Thursday I went at the Opening Ceremony of the Kenya International Film Festival, the KIFF. It was all taking place in a mall called the Junction in Kilimani, where stand one of the most popular movie theatre in Kenya.

I was looking forward to see a Kenyan movie that was announced as a big film, a movie that could travel abroad, which is, as I imagine you know, pretty rare. The film by Bob Nyanja is called 'The Rugged Priest"; it is inspired of the true story of Father John Kaiser, an American catholic priest who came to preach in Kenya in the 1990s. He started fighting for more rights for his community and against corruption, and ended risking his own life.

More about Father Kaiser:
http://www.nairobiliving.com/component/content/article/15-presscentre/740-kiff-2010-opening-night-ceremony.html?directory=5

The screening was scheduled at 6.00pm, but it was wishful thinking to imagine it would start on time. As we were standing in the movie theatre's hall, I started talking with people from the crowd. Young filmmakers, directors of film schools, journalists, diplomats, all this crowd started patiently waiting for the guest stars. I was thought about the 'Kenyan time', meaning no event ever starts on time in Nairobi, we have to get used to it. It turned out that we were not only waiting for some cinema stars, the Kenyan Vice-President has been invited at the last minute to perform a speech...

Two hours and 30 minutes later, the Vice-President's delegation arrived, and we were lucky enough to be given a wonderful speech from the Alliance Francaise's director, partner of the festival, another speech from the Minister of Culture, and finally the long-awaited speech from the VP... Lucky us.

One of the important point of all this seriousness is probably the will to develop a real film industry in East Africa, and in this project Nairobi really wants to become a leader. The Kenyan film industry has the potential to generate 40 billion of Kenyan schllings to the economy and 250,000 jobs annually, according to the Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka. 

The film itself deals with Kenya's deepest and strongest flaws... Corruption, violence, sex abuses in politics, but also poverty and a malfunctioning justice system. It was a bit ackward to watch it with all the Ministers and civil servant in the theatre, but maybe it is going to help fighting against those drifts.

The festival will last until October 30. This year is the 5th edition. Many African films will be presented as well as European and American movies. It is also hosting a few conference about cinema in Africa and a competition. The main venues are the Alliance Francaise, the Silverbird Cinema at the Junction and Westgate. You can get the programme on the Festival website: http://www.kifftrust.org/.

Enjoy. 

Somalis fleeing fighting in North Eastern Kenya (BBC)

The BBC in Northern Kenya reports that dozens of Somali people have crossed over into Kenya following heavy fighting overnight in the Somali town of Buula Haawo.

There are also reports of dead bodies lying on the streets of the Mandera border town, in North Eastern Kenya.

Al-Shabab militants are said to have recaptured the Somali town of Buula Haawo, near the Kenyan border which was seized by Somali government forces,early this Friday morning. 

Al-Shabab's Spokesman Shaykh Ali Mahmud Rage aka Ali Dheere said "they inflicted severe losses" to the government forces during the fighting.

The BBC correspondent in North Eastern Kenya is following. More to come.

New heavy fighting

Fighting between Somalia's islamist insurgents and a pro-government militia in a southern region bordering Kenya and Ethiopia is said to have left 16 dead overnight; officials and elders in the region have commented this Friday.

The clashes erupted late Thursday. Fighters from the Al Shabab rebel group have clashed against a pro-government clan militia led by a local warlord, recently trained by Ethiopian forces.

Mashujaa day

Kenyans celebrate this Wednesday the first Mashujaa Day.

Celebrations are taking place throughout the country today. This day honours heroes and heroines of the nation’s liberation struggle.

The day used to be previously referred to as Kenyatta Day, from the name of Kenya’s first President, Jomo Kenyatta. But it was renamed for this year, especially with the new Constitution to come into force soon. Prominent members of the government asked Kenyans to seize the occasion to be proud of their heritage.

"Now more than ever, our country calls on us to love one another and to put aside once and for all the historical mistrust that has existed between us... above all, our country needs hope,” the Prime Minister Raila Odinga emphasised on Tuesday.

"Time has come for all of us to realise the dreams our fathers had for this nation,” said the Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

Recognised as heroes of this struggle for freedom are the Kapenguria Six, who include Kenya’s founding father Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Paul Ngei, Bildad Kaggia, Achieng’ Oneko, Kungu Karumba and Fred Kubai.

Nairobi Provincial Commissioner Njoroge Ndirangu also said that over 100 Kenyans who have made remarkable differences in the country will be feted.

Three years ago, the government constituted a task force to carry out a countrywide data collection on the criteria for identifying, recognising and honouring independence heroes, especially members of the Mau Mau movement.

President Kibaki announced a national monument will be erected in their honour next year. The National Heroes Monument will be established at Heroes Corner in Uhuru Gardens in Nairobi.

Trying to fight against corruption

                                 

 So, as expected, Mwai Kibaki suspended his Higher Education minister this Tuesday, William Ruto.  

Kenya's president has announced in a House statement he has suspended him, after Friday's High Court ruling stating that he must stand trial over corruption allegations. A panel of three high court judges dismissed his plea that he would not get a fair trial.

The President appointed the minister for East African Community Hellen Sambili to remplace him.

 

William Ruto is charged with defrauding a state corporation of KSh 272 million, i.e. $1.2m (or £750,000) nine years ago over the sale of forest land.

Or according to the new constitution adopted in August, anyone facing criminal charges should not be allowed to hold public office.

Earlier this year, Ruto faced another suspension over another corruption scandal. He denies all accusations however.

Media say Ruto is a controversial figure in Kenya's coalition government that took power in 2008 after post-electoral unrest. He apparently intended to run for the next presidential election in Dec. 2012.

Mungiki members arrested (story for BBC Afrique, in French)

La police kenyane a annoncé avoir  arrêté près de 120  membres présumés du gang criminel des Mungiki à la suite d'un vaste coup de filet dimanche soir à Nairobi et dans ses environs.Le gang était à l’origine connu pour ses activités religieuses sectaires parmi les jeunes Kikuyu, ethnie majoritaire au Kenya. Il a depuis évolué en mafia violente, et la police tente de mettre à mal son réseau depuis des années. Melissa Chemam, Nairobi, BBC Afrique. 

Les arrestations ont eu lieu dimanche soir et lundi matin, à Nairobi, et dans le quartier de Dandora, un des bidonvilles situé près de la capitale kenyane. La police a confirmé l’information ce lundi.

Et ce sont plus quelques 119 membres de la secte MUNGIKI, aussi connue pour être un véritable gang mafieux au Kenya, qui ont ainsi été mis hors d’état de nuire. 

Selon le porte-parole de la police Anthony KIBUCHI, 115 personnes ont été arrêtées dans la nuit de dimanche à lundi dans différents quartiers de la capitale ; 3 autres ont par la suite été arrêtées au matin. Enfin un membre de la secte a été tué quant à lui dans le bidonville de Dandora alors qu’il essayait d'échapper à ses assaillants. Il aurait alors tenté de poignarder un des policiers qui le poursuivait ; celui-ci a répliqué. 

La police kenyane mène depuis plusieurs semaines des opérations sérieuses contre le mouvement Mungiki ; 74 membres de ce groupe ont par exemple été arrêtés jeudi dernier également. La police aurait à présent arrêté plusieurs centaines de ses membres depuis début 2010. 

Mungiki – ‘multitude’ en langue Guikuyu - est un groupe hors norme au Kenya. Il est originellement connu pour être une secte religieuse rassemblant essentiellement des jeunes issus de l’ethnie Kikuyu, pratiquant un mélange de rites traditionnels et de pratiques xx. Le groupe se serait formé à la fin des années 1980. 

Puis le groupe a progressivement évolué pour devenir un véritable gang violent, notamment dans les années 2000. Ses crimes ne se comptent plus, parmi lesquels meurtres, mutilations, et transactions financières illégales. 

Depuis avril 2010, les autorités ont lancé des vastes opérations contre le gang qui semble de plus en plus fructueuses. 

Mais certains de ces dirigeants restent très influents dans le pays, comme l’ancien leader Maina NJENGA. Arrêté en février 2006, il est sorti de prison l’an dernier et est revenu sur le devant de la scène politique. Il envisagerait même selon certaines rumeurs de se présenter aux élections législatives de 2012 avec son propre parti.

On corruption in Kenya's government

 Kenya has known two noisy corruption affairs last week, and the consequences of those scandals don't seem close to fade away.

This Sunday, Attorney-General Amos Wako backed the government on the case of the criminal charges that is facing William Ruto, the Higher Education Minister. 

The government chief legal advisor said he would advise President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga soon on the action to take against the minister. He won't reveal for now what that advice will be. 

“As you know, I cannot make comments like other ministers and politicians. I have my clients, the two principals, and will advice them as required,” Mr Wako told journalists in Nairobi.

On Friday, the constitutional court ruled that the minister has a case to answer over the controversial sale of the Ngong forest land to the KPC nine years ago.

William Ruto and four other persons face fraud charges over the alleged sale of a piece of land in Ngong Forest to Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd for a total of Sh272 million. The minister allegedly received 96 million of Kenyan Shillings at various intervals during the alleged transaction.

On a press conference Saturday, the Minister alleged political vendetta... He stated that he was not a beneficiary of the transaction and that he never received money from Kenya Pipeline Company.

William Ruto has been Minister for Higher Education since 21 April 2010 after a cabinet reshuffle. He is also one of the two deputy party leaders of the Orange Democratic Movement, the party led by the Prime minister Raila Odinga. 

He is known for his presidential ambitions for 2012.

Now his career is on the line following Friday court ruling

According to the law

Section 62 of the Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Act stipulates that “a public officer who is charged with corruption or economic crime shall be suspended at half pay, with effect from the date of the charge.”

The President Mwai Kibaki has also always wanted to prove he really intends to tackle corruption. He has already been asking ministers — including his allies such as George Saitoti, Kiraitu Murungi and Amos Kimunya — faced with serious allegations of corruption to step aside until they are cleared.

Embassies scandal

Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula is targeted by MPs for another case of corruption - BBC Afrique reported on it last Wednesday. 

Many MPs accuse him of misleading the government in a case of KSh 1.18 billion affair over buying some land in Japan for an Embassy. He is said to said to have ignored advice from the lawyer, architecture, the valuer and the Kenyans working in the Japanese Embassy.

Wetangula is thus to face the Parliament, but he managed to postpone the hearing scheduled on next Tuesday. The debate on the House report has been shelved at the last minute, and for the second time...

Affaire a suivre... 

WORLD FOOD DAY FROM NAIROBI, OCT. 16

 

Le 16 octobre est consacré à la journée de l’Alimentation dans le monde, alors que tous les rapports montrent que de nombreuses régions du monde souffrent encore de sévère malnutrition, comme le Sahel mais aussi plusieurs régions d’Inde, de Thaïlande ou du Mexique. Selon les derniers rapports de Médecins Sans Frontières, MSF, 195 millions d’enfant sont touchés par ce fléau, alors que la malnutrition peut être évitée et traitée. MSF invite donc les bailleurs de fonds, notamment en Europe et en Amérique du Nord à réexaminer le contenu de leur aide. L’organisation a organisé une conférence à ce sujet à Nairobi.

Chaque année dans le monde, la malnutrition provoque près d’un tiers des décès chez les enfants de moins de 5 ans, soit près de 2 millions et demi. Et plus de 195 millions d’enfants souffrent chroniquement de malnutrition.

Et pourtant, selon Nathalie Ernoult, responsable des politiques de nutrition pour MSF, ce fléau est facile à prévenir si les recommandations en matière de nutrition des plus jeunes sont respectées. Car selon elle, une trop grande partie de l’aide alimentaire internationale ne respecte pas ces critères, alors qu’il suffirait que les jeunes enfants aient accès à du lait et des œufs par exemple pour prévenir toute crise.

Selon elle, le développement n’évite pas non plus la persistance de la malnutrition dans certains pays… L’Inde, la Thaïlande ou encore le Mexique en souffrent toujours, tout comme le Sahel et le Nord du Kenya.

Le docteur Modeste Tamakloe est le directeur de la section de MSF à Djibouti. Il explique que les causes de la malnutrition en Afrique de l’Est sont chroniquement mal combattues.

Médecins sans frontières a ainsi lancé une campagne d’alerte sur ce sujet depuis Nairobi cette semaine. Celle-ci aura au moins été entendue par les quelques  personnalités et députés kenyans présents.

            Melissa Chemam, Nairobi

Nairobi – London - Port-au-Prince

 When you are new in a city, people generally ask you the same kind of questions, where you come from, where you have been before and whom you are working for. All these interrogations can seem pretty common and you would think they don’t involve particularly complicated answers. Well, it depends… 

First, when in Africa, where you come from doesn’t have the same meaning than in France for instance. Like, to me, I came from London, this is where I lived when I was sent to Nairobi, and this is where I took the plane. London is one of the main capitals of Europe, and to me Europe is where I am from. Otherwise I was born in Paris and I have a French passport. For my interviewers, where I am from is more like where my grandparents are from, where does my name come from, where is my family living.

Then where I have travelled to implies: where else have I been in Africa? And is it my first visit in Africa? Well, I always answer, I have been to Algeria a few times and to Egypt. But ‘where in Africa’ actually means where in Sub-Saharan Africa. ‘Because North Africa is not really Africa’… you will hear. ‘Egypt is Middle East’, another will add. Well, this is not completely untrue, but geographically both countries are on the African continent, aren’t they?

Where I have lived before includes France, Czech Republic, the US, I mean Florida, and the UK. Here I don’t even bother mentioning Czech Republic, people generally don’t have much to comment about that.

About France, people here know the country has colonised a huge part of Africa, that Paris has the Eiffel Tower, and that terrorists now threaten to target the country.

About the UK, well it is the former coloniser, London has Big Ben, and terrorists targeted London in July 2005. And people from Britain are supposedly cold, distant and closed up, Kenyans say. Or rigid. They are the opposite of African, to sum it up. But British influence remains huge in Kenya, from the driving side to the language, including the plugging system and the administration and the way they name streets and houses, and so many other things. And British Kenyans are very well integrated in the country as well as Indian Kenyans, whose ancestors arrived from British Indies during the colonial times, especially to work on the Mombasa-Nairobi railway.

People from Europe are called Mzungus in Swahili. It means White people but it also carries a lot of associated ideas. Like most East Africans think a Mzungu can’t dance or drink like an African, and that Mzungus don’t adapt very well to Africa. My Burundian friend says I am not a typical Mzungu woman; he says I got adapted very quickly. And he thinks other Mzungus wouldn’t have come with him in the typically African places he took me too. Well, there is no generic answer to this.

About my travel, I’ve recently been to Georgia and Armenia, I say, the cigarettes I smoke come from Armenia so I mention it when I offer one to a new encounter. Oh, where is that? They reply. Not easy to explain in East Africa... Eastern part of Europe, Southern from Russia, at the border with Turkey? Former Soviet Union? Not very relevant for my new East African friends. Next.

Well, when we start talking about whether Africa is a cultural shock or if we talk about food specialities, I noticed I starting talking about my trip to Haiti. I did it a few times. Oh, I only went once, for a week. But then people get more interested. Oh really, Haiti? How is it like? Great people; the first ever Black nation to become independent, etc. 1804! Haiti’s food I reminded it as delicious. When I was there, I was reporting on the food crisis, I visited Cite Soleil townships and I remember the food as delicious, how strange is that? But from the amazing fruit plates from the Montana Hotel to the little house that tried to be a restaurant at the corner of Delmas Road, the food was available for foreigners like me and was absolutely delicious. The taste of paradise. I must say the Burundian meat I have tried is nothing compared to a Haiti fishmeal. Tusker has no taste at all compared to a glass of Haitian Rum. And people I have met want to know how is Haiti and there are proud of its people. They connect with the destination.

And then I interviewed a Haitian man at the UNICEF building on prevention against diarrhoea in East and Southern Africa. He asked me where I was from and if I had already been in Africa before, etc. When I said I had been to Egypt, he said it’s not really Africa… When I quoted Haiti, it opened a new door in the conversation. 

I mentioned the people I know from there, he almost knew all of them, writers, filmmakers, and journalists. I said I had only been to Port-au-Prince once, in Petionville and in Cite Soleil, but that I wished to go again, especially in Cap Haitien and Seau d’Eau… I remember reading an article of the pilgrimage in this part of the island. He said he was from Seau d’Eau, that he grew up just very near the place and one of his dreams was to buy a house there; he said he thought it was paradise and that he’d like to take his wife. She is from Morocco and she has never been to Haiti, her husband’s homeland. She is actually scared to go, according to him. 

Well, maybe North Africa isn’t part of Africa, after all, and maybe Haiti is. It’s emotional geography that matters here. 

About alcohol, relationships and African music

 So it’s been three weeks I have been in Nairobi. I’ve been working pretty much every day since I arrived and it took me through a few part of the city. And I’m supposed to have my first trip outside Nairobi tomorrow. 

So what is it like to live in Nairobi? And more what did I learn from Kenyans’ way of life? Because my way of life in Nairobi isn’t really relevant… But my observations took me to learn a few things about Kenyans already. I work with some Kenyans in the BBC but most of my colleagues are not typical Kenyans. Our office manager is a British Kenyan; our office editor is from England and here in a mission for 2 years, just like the BBC World’s correspondents, and our marketing officer is originally from Uganda and grew up partly in Tanzania and in Kenya. A quarter of the producers is actually Somali and work on the Somali programmes. So to focus on the Kenyans… All of them are bilingual; they work both in English and Swahili. But most of them also speak their own tribal language, Gikuyu, Luo, etc. They mostly come from Nairobi. Most of them are men. About half of the women are Muslim and very discrete; you would never hear them giving there opinion out loud in the office or talk to someone they don’t know, while Somali Muslim men are pretty loud and outspoken; one of them never stops talking, his phone never stops ringing and his radio set keep pouring the Somali news to everyone around. 

Kenyan women in their thirties have children but husbands are another issue. One of them told me she was divorced, but she didn’t talk about it with the colleagues; she says she doesn’t want to go through the bother to explain why they split up. She says most Kenyan women struggle in the relationship; men don’t commit or they leave someday and never come back to take care of the family. One of the drivers I’m working with admits he thinks the same. He is the only one of his brothers to be married and he knows they don’t want to. Men from the neighbouring countries usually come to leave in Nairobi without their wife’s, and they live with other women in Kenya in the meantime. What strikes me is that they talk about it so openly. In the UK and in Europe, monogamy is considered a norm, at least officially. In the US cheating is considered a really serious misbehaviour and couple split up regularly over extraconjugal relationships.

About nightlife

My francophone colleague working for the Great Lakes Service is from Burundi. He is married with no child and his wife still lives in Bujumbura. He took me to most Rwandan and Burundian places in Nairobi and introduced me to human rights activists from Rwanda or businessmen from Burundi, as well as single women. They all have the same habits. They work mostly for money, and they talk much about money. Then they live mostly in the evening and during the night. Life really begins after darkness and it begins with a beer. They like to meet up in regular places where they know they can meet theirs folks, meaning men from their country, speaking their language, Kirundi, or at least Kinyarwanda, which is almost identical from what they told me, and they manage to understand each other without effort. So when we go out to have dinner in a Great Lakes style restaurant, we say hello in English to the waiters, we order in Kirundi and / or in Swahili, we chat in French and in Kinyarwanda, with a bit of expressions coming back in English, because basically I would say it doesn’t translate. Men drinks Tusker, the local Kenyan lager beer. Women including me drink bad house wine or South African wine when there is, but most of the time we don’t know what we are served, it doesn’t really matter.

My colleague’s favourite restaurant in Parkland; it’s named the Capricorn (my astrological sign, by the way). Their specialty is grilled goat meat on barbecue, and the tasty ones are ‘zingaro’, meaning intestines, and heart meat. I’ve tasted both and I definitely dislike zingaro… It’s usually served with ‘matoke’, grilled bananas or manioc. It all takes ages to be served and even if there is a menu, there is no need to check it, there is high risk for they won’t have what’s offered there. And when they don’t have the drink or the side dish you order, it’s embarrassing because they won’t tell you; they will just bring something else. That’s just how it is, no need to make a fuss about it.

From Wednesday night on, the weekend fun is beginning. Bars get full, people get out and nightclubs take over the activity instead of restaurant. My colleague told me, he doesn’t care so much about food at night, he needs to drink and to dance. I’ve tried a bunch of clubs in town, in Westland, the wealthy neighbourhood where live and go out most expats, and in town, where I was most of the time the only White person around. I noticed that most African women like to dance together, and men move around and watch them. It’s a big show: Congolese women wear their traditional colourful skirts; Kenyan ones go for tiny skinny shorts to colourful sexy dresses. There is always a mix of nationalities in Nairobi’s clubs. Downtown, it’s mostly Kenyans and neighbouring nations, Congolese, Burundian, Rwandan, and Ugandan. Dolce plays only African music, mostly Congolese; Congo is widely known for its musicians, as you may know. In Westland, you will find a mix of R’n’B and modern African rhythms. 

Crazy nights, busy days

What local people like so much about nighttime is the cooler weather and the absence of traffic jam, because during the day, Nairobi can get pretty hot, and the traffic can be horrible. I remember spending an hour and a half to come back to the office, near the Norfolk Hotel, from Upper Hill, where are a few conference centres. It normally takes 40 minutes to drive there. And there are very few public transportation systems. Nairobi has a few national bus lines and the famous matatus. Matatus are small buses taking about 20 seated people know for their crazy and very inventive way of driving. They can take the road on the other side of traffic if the path is free. They don’t stop at crossroads or traffic lights. They don’t know about priorities and other rules usually admitted by drivers. They make everyone crazy on the roads. Most people drive their own 4x4 car. Rare people like me use cabs or drivers. Everyone wants to have a car. It’s easier to have a car in Nairobi than in other African cities apparently, because the banks give credit loan to a lot of people.

And Friday is the worst day. People go to work later and most of them then leave the city for the country for the weekend, in the middle of the afternoon, so from 7am to 8pm the traffic gets absolutely horrible on the main highways and in the city centre.

Here is an idea of people’s life in Nairobi, a first overlook from a newcomer. As I mentioned earlier, tomorrow I’ll see another part of the country for the first time since I moved here. In the Masai country… My knowledge on Kenya might seriously increase. Talk to you when I’m back.

HANDWASH DAY, UNICEF NAIROBI, OCT. 15

L’Assemblée générale des Nations Unies a décrété l’année 2008 année de l’assainissement et de là est venue l’idée d’une journée mondiale du lavage des mains.

Pour la 3^e année consécutive cette journée a pour but de faire passer le message de l’importance de la propreté des mains pour lutter contre de nombreuses maladies, et notamment l’usage du savon.  Des maladies diarrhéiques, mais aussi les pneumonies, qui sont responsables de nombreux cas de mortalité chez les enfants. En Afrique et au Kenya en particulier, cette journée est l’occasion de nombreux événements pour toucher les enfants et leurs proches.

Depuis le Kenya, l’UNICEF travaille à faire passer le message dans toutes les régions de l’Afrique orientale et de l’Afrique australe. Selon, David Delienne, responsable de l’organisation pour les questions liées à l’eau et à l’amélioration sanitaire, il serait faux de penser que partout dans le monde les enfants et leurs parents savent à quel point le lavage des mains au savon peut permettre de lutter contre des maladies mortelles…

Chaque année, le manque d’hygiène des mains contribue à la propagation de maladies diarrhéiques et respiratoires qui provoquent la mort de près de3 millions et demi d’enfants de moins de 5 ans.

Et en Afrique orientale et australe, 250 000 enfants en sont victimes par an, soit 15% des enfants de moins de 5 ans qui meurent chaque année.

Au total, les maladies diarrhéiques sont la 2^e cause de mortalité chez les enfants en Afrique subsaharienne, et selon l’UNICEF, des nombreuses études démontrent que l’usage de savon pour se laver les mains réduit de façon conséquente la transmission de la diarrhée.

C’est pourquoi l’UNICEF et ses partenaires locaux utilisent de nombreux canaux pour faire passer leur message et populariser la journée du Lavage des mains en Afrique.

Un message qui peut permettre de sauver de nombreuses vies, grâce à une pratique des plus simples.

Also this week in Nairobi... The launch of the African Women's Decade

African Women’s Decade - Nairobi Oct. 15, 2010

The occasion is supposed to be highly significant on the African Union calendar for 2010. The AU Heads of State and Government declared 2010-2020 as the African Women’s Decade at their February 2009 Session in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Consequently the Launch of the Decade has been planned to coincide with the International Rural Women’s Day, on 15 October. It is also in line with the theme of the Decade which is “Grassroots approach to Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment".

The objective of the African Women’s Decade, according to the AU, is to "re-invigorate commitments to accelerated implementation of agreed global and regional commitments of gender equality and women empowerment (GEWE)".

Special focus will be on these ten themes: Fighting Poverty and Promoting Economic Empowerment of Women and Entrepreneurship; Agriculture and Food Security;  Health, Maternal Mortality and HIV&AIDS; Education, Science and Technology; Environment and Climate Change; Peace and Security and Violence Against Women; Women In Decision Making positions; etc.

Here is my story in French for BBC Afrique...

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La décennie des Femmes africaines est officiellement lancée depuis Nairobi au Kenya ce vendredi 15 octobre. L’événement est parrainé par l’Union africaine, et pendant toute cette semaine, des femmes et des hommes de toute l’Afrique se sont rencontrées à Nairobi autour de nombreux forums et pourparlers sur l’égalité hommes / femmes en Afrique. Notre correspondante au Kenya, Melissa Chemam, s’est rendue au Centre International de Conférence Kenyatta de Nairobi pour rencontrer les déléguées et militantes présentes.

Plus de 3.000 femmes représentant divers pays africains sont actuellement réunies au Centre international Kenyatta pour discuter des progrès à accomplir pour les femmes d’Afrique.

Le thème principal de cette décennie des femmes africaines est la prise de pouvoir des femmes dans le domaine politique, mais aussi dans les économies du continent.

Mais toutes les participantes sont d’accord ; il reste beaucoup à faire pour parvenir à une égalité entre hommes et femmes en Afrique, c’est pourquoi, elles attendent beaucoup d’un événement d’une telle ampleur.

Pour Agnès LUSAMBA FULABANTU, secrétaire générale de l’Association d’appui aux groupements des femmes et familles à Kinshasa, en RDC, il n’y a pas de développement sans respect des femmes.

Agnès Lusamba, comme de nombreuses participantes des pays ou subsistent toujours des conflits, met aussi l’accent sur le rôle des femmes dans la pacification du continent.

Pour beaucoup de femmes conviées lors de ces forums, il faut surtout que ces déclarations ne restent pas lettres mortes…

Thérèse MUKANDOLI, juriste au sein de l’association HAGURUKA pour la défense des droits de la femme et de l’enfant au Rwanda, espèrent que les recommandations de l’Union africaines seront appliquées par les gouvernements, locaux et nationaux...

Lors des débats entre les représentantes des délégations, certains pays ont aussi soulevé la question de la représentativité des petits Etats, comme la déléguée du Bénin…D’autres ont enfin insisté sur les besoins financiers des ONG, comme la déléguée algérienne. 

Ces débats se sont poursuivi toute cette semaine au Forum de Nairobi. Ils se poursuivront même au-delà, selon ces militantes des droits des femmes. C’est du moins ce qu’elles espèrent, pour obtenir une véritable amélioration de la situation des femmes sur le contient.

Melissa Chemam, Nairobi, BBC Afrique.

WEEK 3: Political troubles for Foreign Minister and agreements on the International Criminal Court on Kenya's 2008 violence

This week shows how busy Kenya can be in its political life and in the news in general.

Since Tuesday, Kenya Foreign Minister, Moses Wetangula has been under increasing criticisms, especially from the members of Parliament. A few of them even ask for his dismissal on Wednesday, accusing him of misleading the government in an affair of diplomatic fields' acquisition in Tokyo... He has also been accused of nepotism in the recruitment of staff at

Kenya

’s missions abroad. Bad week for the Foreign Minister. I had interviewed him last week, on the Somali President's visit. Difficult to say who is a corrupt politician and who is not from the first meeting... Wetangula denies all this accusation. But the Parliament still intends to examine the report on the Japan affair and to hear the minister next week in a special audience. 

The other topic making headlines this week in Kenya is the preparation for the International Criminal Court investigations in the country to begin soon. The prosecutors will investigate on the post-electoral violence that followed the general and presidential elections on December 27, 2007. The riots led to the killing of about 1,200 people early 2008. Hundreds of thousands were displaced.  

A breaking happened this week; on Tuesday a Cabinet team approved that a set of minutes of security meetings had to be handed over to the International Criminal Court. This measure will considerably speed up the trials of the violence.

Then on Wednesday, media revealed that a prominent Kenyan personality had written to the International Criminal Court. He apparently volunteered to surrender to the court if he is cited as a suspect in crimes against humanity during the election violence. ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo declined to name the person or indicate whether it was a politician, businessman or security official, for legal reasons. Ocampo will come to Kenya next week. He promised that the Kenya case would be an unprecedented example of international justice.

Weel, to end the week softly, I am now working on two stories on health and nutrition. Today is the 3rd Global Handwash Day, and a lot of events are to take place all over Eastern and Southern Africa, especially organised by the UNICEF. The goal is to teach children to wash their hands with soap and at most critical moments to avoid fatal diseases as diarrhoea and pneumonia.

And tomorrow will be the World Food Day. For the occasion, I interviewed directors of various programmes at MSF (Medecins sans frontieres / Doctors without borders) from Kenya and Djibouti.

There is so much more to say about Kenya... I'll do my best.

Nairobi is talking Health and Women's Empowerment this week...

Hi everyone,

Just a few words in between many appointments...
My third week has started so quickly, and the BBC as well as Kenyan news keeps me busy.

Today, I visited for the first time the United Nations compound of Nairobi. I had a meeting with the UNICEF chief of communication. After crossing the beautiful forest of the Gigiri neighbourhood where are located all the UN offices, I just needed to go through security checking and a little 10-minute walk before I ended up in Block E, ground floor, room 101. The UNICEF documentation on children's safety and health is amazingly numerous and the generated a lot of story ideas for the coming weeks.

The UN was also hosting a conference on Health and Drugs' production on the African continent, organised by the World Health Organisation and the African Network for Drugs and Diagnostic Innovation, ANDI. I managed to do an interview with the Congolese Professor Wembonyama, researcher at the Lumumbashi University, in Katanga, on this issue.

Coming back from the UN, I started editing a package on the African Women's Decade to be launched in Nairobi this Friday. The whole week, the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, in downtown Nairobi, is hosting a large number of conferences on Women's empowerment and Genders equity. Yesterday, I went to listen to some of the debates and interviewed a few delegates from Benin, Rwanda, DRC or Kenya. The story should be on the BBC French Service in our 16.00 GMT Edition today, and in our evening programme, BBC Soir.

Yet, to follow, preparations around the International Criminal Court on post electoral violence (in 2007-08) and the Hand Wash day on Friday 15th. MSF / Doctors without Borders is also preparing a conference for World Food Day (october 16th)... More soon.

NGOs Cradle and Plan International publish a report on children safety online in Kenya

A survey conducted two months ago shows 26 out of 100 children interviewed had a face-to-face meeting with someone they had met for the first time on the Internet.

And more alarming is that none of them told their parents of these meetings. After surveying the online life of 135 children in Nairobi aged between 11 and 18 years, the researchers found out that children often accept friendship requests from strangers, who then make sexual advances.

"One girl wrote on how she accepted a friendship request from a man she didn’t know. Upon further scrutiny of his profile she realised he was a married adult. He asked to meet her, but she declined. He then started threatening her," the report says. 

The report, 'Beyond Borders: An Exploratory Study on Child Online Safety in Kenya', reveals how Kenyan children, especially girls, are vulnerable to sexual predators through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. Cradle, an NGO dealing with children, and Plan International commissioned the study, which is to be released officially this Friday or Saturday.

The report also warns many children are posting personal information like e-mail addresses, mobile numbers, home and school addresses online, making it easier for sex predators and traffickers to trace them. Sexually explicit or violent pictures and videos are also available to curious kids at the touch of a button. 

Cradle Programme Manager for Child Rights and Awareness, Brian Were said most parents do not keep tabs on what their children do online. ''Although most parents are aware their kids are online, they do not know what they are doing there and who they are communicating with.

The problem cannot be wished away," he said. Children access the Internet without restriction through mobile phones, cyber cafes and home computers.

The number of children online is rising fast, as the Internet becomes cheaper and more available. Urban children are also becoming tech-savvy at early ages.

The report urges parents to be more involved in the online life of their children by discussing the dangers of sexual predators.