A Political Kenya: Latest Politics and Kenya Economy News

Following the recent unfortunate developments in the country, the insurance industry wishes to express its deepest sympathy and solidarity with all Kenyans for the injuries suffered, loss of life, destruction of property and the displacement of persons.

The industry is aware that a number of insured properties were lost or damaged during these unfortunate disturbances. Insured lives have also been lost, and serious injuries suffered.

The industry would like to advise members of the public in general and those who have insured their properties in particular, that loss or damage arising from political risks is not covered.

However, Insurance Companies are willing to discuss the claims arising from the disturbances positively.

To facilitate this process, policyholders who may have suffered loss or damamge to their properties are advised to contact their insurers with claims details and supporting documents for further guidance and advice.

Call for Peace

Kenya has made great strides in the establishment of peace and tranquillity since independence. We must continue on this path of peace for sustained development running to future generations.

We join other Kenyans in solidarity and empathize with all those who have been directly or indirectly affected by the disturbances as we call on leaders to embrace dialogues as a crucial factor for peace restoration in Kenya.

Signed

Association of Kenya Insurers

Mr. Ben Wairegi (Chairman-AKI)

Association of Kenya Reinsurers

Mr. George Otieno (Chairman – AKR)

Members of parliament are laughing all the way to the bank this week as they collect their first gross salary of Sh 750,000 after working for just a day.

The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) is in the process of dispatching the January salary for the 207 MPs sworn in last Tuesday.

This is despite the fact that the MPs have officially worked for a single day, Tuesday January 15, when they elected Kenneth Marende as the Speaker and Farah Maalim as his deputy before they were sworn in.

President Kibaki has since prorogued parliament until March.

The cash includes a basic salary of Sh 300,000 and a minimum commuted mileage (Sh 75,000), entertainment allowance (Sh 60,000), extraneous allowance (Sh 30,000), house allowance (Sh 70,000) and monthly car maintenance allowance (Sh 247,000).

The MPs will also get as part of January remuneration, mileage calculated at sh 115 per kilometre and gym membership allowance of sh 2,000.

An MP is also entitled to vehicle fixed cost allowance (Sh 336,000), monthly committee meeting attendance allowance (Sh 40,000) and constituency allowance (sh 50,000).

And since they were sworn in, the legislators have been flocking the clerk's office as well as the cash office to fill the required forms for a raft of other allowances they are entitled to.

These include Sh 3.3 million car loan and sh 10 million loan to buy a house, both of which are interest-free.

"I cannot tell you anything about salaries. You are always sensational when it comes to our salaries," said one MP who also served in the ninth parliament as he left the cash office yesterday.

Unlike in most other countries, where an independent committee sets salaries for MPs, Kenyan MPs determine their own pay.

Towards the end of the ninth parliament, the lawmakers voted themselves a sh 1.5 million gratuity, making the Kenyan parliament probably the only institution in the world in which employees are paid both a gratuity and a pension.

Further the vice-president, official leader of opposition, ministers, assistant ministers, whips and Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) members are paid extra allowances, sometimes amounting to sh 300,000 a month.

Around 500,000 workers have lost their jobs over the last two weeks due to post election violence.

And now the Central Organisation of Trade Union is warning that more workers are likely to be jobless unless things return to normal quickly.

On Friday, the union separately met president Mwai Kibaki and ODM leader Raila Odinga and pleaded that they enter into talks to end the impasse and save the country's industries.

COTU boss Francis Atwoli said majority of the job losses were caused by companies which have laid off staff because of low business or closure. Workers have also been forced from their homes and jobs because of insecurity while some have been killed or injured.

Worst affected are workers in the tourism, agriculture and construction sectors where it is estimated more than 250,000 people have become jobless.

The tourism sector has particularly been adversely affected with thousands of casuals and other workers laid off as hotels close down due to lack of visitors. Majority of the hotels are recording less than 20 per cent occupancy forcing some of them to lay off nearly 95 per cent of their workforce.

"According to the Kenya Hotels and Allied Workers union, 30,000 people have so far been sacked in the toruism sector following the violence," COTU secretary general Francis Atwoli said.

The Coast branch chairman of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers, Mohammed Hersi said 20,000 workers had been laid off by the industry as of last week. More lay-offs were expected later in the month unless there was a dramatic improvement in the situation.

In Eldoret 10,000 workers have so far been laid off by textile firms like Ken Knit and supermarkets which have been leased out.

"In Rongai and Bomet more than 60,000 employees in the tea and sisal industry have been laid off," he said.

Unilever which is one of the leading manufacturers of home care products laid off 20,000 workers while James Finlay which specializes in tea nad flower farming laid off 15,000 employees, he said.

"The situation is critical and unless calm is restored many more employers will be forced to lay off workers because of hostile business environment," warned Atwoli.

He said in Kisumu 100 workers have been killed while in Kericho 20 workers had died following the violence.

More than 10,000 workers in Kibera, Mathare and Dandora have been displaced, majority of them the people who work as casuals in the city's manufacturing and construction center.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers chief executive Betty Maina said employers had so far lost property and goods in excess of Shs 3 billion.

Those who did not have their buildings destroyed or looted are incurring losses as they have lost a big share of their supply outlets and are therefore unable to sell their products.

"The loss so far stands at two per cent of last year's GDP", she said.

They are still burning houses and mass murders of their Kikuyu neighbours. Other communities in the rift valley areas where they dominate are starting to be targeted too.

Only yesterday that they raped a pregnant woman? Roadblocks are the order of the day, with drank Kalenjin youths terrorizing motorists and their passengers. Woe unto you if you are a Kikuyu. Can William Ruto be trusted to bring peace in the region as he demonstrates and agitates for justice? Or will he turn a blind eye to the spilt blood of innocent Kenyans? Or will he fuel more violence against the Kikuyus by financing the massacre of innocent Kikuyus who never were at KICC altering form 16As to deny him the phantom prime minister position? Does he and Kosgeys of these world know that their sacred tribal soil is soaking with enemy blood?

In Coast, areas outside Mombasa town, MPs - those who won their seats through the orange democratic movement - are said to be paying their constituents money to eliminate Kikuyus among them and burn their houses and property. The reason being given is that whilst other opposition areas have massacred the enemy, these Coast areas have been silent. Security forces have been alerted.

Oh God of all creation, bless this land and nation
Justice be our shield and defender,
May we dwell in unity, peace and liberty
Plenty be found within our borders

ODM, ODM, ODM? Is this your sense of justice?

If there is one minority grouping that have made a strong case for their consideration in this year's presidential vote, it is the Muslim religious faith.

For the past two months, this group has managed to hit the headlines severally. No presidential candidate has managed to avoid them. With the exception of Nazlin Umar, the rest of the presidential candidates are assumed to have a Christian back ground. They are all going head over heels promising anything in their imagination to woo the Muslim vote. The three main contenders has been televised in numerous occasions dressed in kanzus and other clad normally associated with the Islamic-oriented culture.

In this campaign issue, Raila has a head start and wherever he goes that there is a muslim following, he resonates well with them. It is no secret that Raila Odinga will receive the lion's share of this vote. He has confessed to signing an MOU guaranteeing them that he will look into their interests when he gets into power. This MOU has been subject to various debates, with the Christian faithfuls been subject to propaganda from those opposing the MOU with Muslims. The impact as to whether Raila-Muslim MOU will make him loose a sizeable Christian vote has not been established. One strong factor is that Christians are not good at coalescing around a certain thinking line and take cardinal positions without splitting. The numerous church splits are a point to note.

Sometimes it is hard to distinguish Islam-faith related concerns to those of terrorism. The main contention of late has been the people who have been victimised by the Kibaki administration after being suspected to have been sympathetic to the global terrorist cause and anti-Somalia government (Islamic Courts government in Somalia). Some Kenyans of muslim faith have been allegedly expatriated to Ethiopia, Somalia and Cuba. This has been the major contention that the muslim vote has a beef with Kibaki. Other concerns are related to the 'marginalisation' of the coast and north-eastern Kenya communities which are predominantly muslim. It is good to note that in the 2005 referendum Kibaki campaigned for a constitution that allowed for kadhi courts, that the muslim vote wanted while Raila campaigned for its rejection.