Monthly Archives: May 2011

Government to Control Opinion Polls

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MP Jamleck Kamau(Kigumo), on 11th May, 2011, moved a motion before the house urging the government to “develop a framework that includes an Opinion Polls Controls Board for the regulation and conduct of the opinion polls…” MP for Naivasha, John Muthutho seconded the motion saying, “the pollsters were to blame for the political chaos that rocked Kenya in the 2007 elections,” allAfrica.com reported.

Jamleck who is the PNU (Party of National Unity) Vice-Chairman, in his statement made in parliament pointed out that “propaganda and misinformation are potent tools for destabilization of peace and stability especially during the electioneering period…” The Bill which Jamleck, Muthutho and a team of allied lawyers are working on purposes to “put discipline and restore professionalism in the operations of research so far as opinion polls are concerned,” Jamleck said.  The Bill will create an Opinion Polls Control Board that will be under the office of the Vice-President according to the proposed legislation. In response to this developing story, the Managing Director of Synovate Kenya, George Waititu said that in Kenya, research companies work under the Market and Social Research Association that regulates their operations. The proposed legislation will “require research companies to declare to the Board the sponsor of the survey and the organization behind the survey. The Board will require that the research company declare the date of the survey, the population from which the sample respondents were drawn, the number of people contacted to participate, and the margin of error in the obtained data.” allAfrica.com reported.

Laws and Regulations Restricting the Publication of Electoral Opinion Polls introduces that, “one specific area in which restrictions on freedom of expression have been imposed to protect the integrity and fairness of the electoral process is in relation to the publication of pre-election opinion and exit polls. Pre-election polls are public surveys which assess the views of the electorate on various election-related matters while exit polls take place immediately after people have voted and assess the level of support for the various parties and candidates. Media coverage of such information can, at times, be controversial. This is particularly true of polls and projections commissioned or conducted by a source that is not impartial. Furthermore polls may be subject to manipulation at many levels; in the choice of questions, the choice of sample, the time that the questions are asked, and so on. It is often perceived, therefore, that polls and projections may have a distorting effect on the vote, rather than simply reflecting public sentiments.” What the MP’s are proposing is appropriate only that they are not doing it the right way. Many democratic governments have tried it in their respective jurisdictions but failed because this issue is pertinent to and touches on the delicate issue of freedom of speech and expression. Instead, the government should find ways to strengthen relations and build trust with civil institutions (including research institutions) through the various established regulatory bodies, and be a government that works for, and with the people.

References:

Ban Opinion Polls-PNU allAfrica.com 12th May,2011

Ban Opinion Polls Mynucleus.org 12th May,2011

Laws and Regulations Restricting the Publication of Electoral Opinion Polls Google Docs (as of) 12th May,2011

Mixed reactions to PNU plan to ban opinion polls The Star 13th May,2011

 

Unexploded Ordnance Kills Five Children

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Four children aged between six and twelve were killed on Sunday following a fatal detonation of what has since been said to be an anti-personnel bomb. A fifth child involved in the same incident succumbed to injuries while undergoing treatment at the Kenyatta National Hospital. The explosion occurred 25 kilometers north of Ngong Town, while the five youngsters were out grazing cattle in Ole Maroroi village, Ewaso Kedong.

Police have revealed that the bomb was an unexploded munition from the nearby Ngong Range, used for training by the military and police. This incident is related to similar accidents reported in Samburu, where there have been explosives left behind after military training sessions by the local and military personnel from Britain. News From Africa reported that, “more than 200 accidents have been recorded in the area where the British forces have been carrying out exercises.” Unexploded ordnances, sometimes brightly coloured, are compared to toys that attract children. These unexploded ordnances are “explosive weapons (bombs, bullets, shells, grenades, land mines, naval mines, etc.) that did not explode when they were employed and still pose a risk of detonation…”- Wikipedia.org. Human Rights activists have indicated that, “one in four casualties resulting from sub-munition that fail to explode on impact are children who often pick up and play with the explosive canisters…” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon spoke of “not only the world’s collective revulsion at these abhorrent weapons, but also the power of collaboration among governments, civil society and the UN to change attitudes and policies on a threat faced by all humankind”, referring to his contribution as the Convention on Cluster Munitions, Dublin, entered into force.httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1p82jNCJNlk Kenya signed the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM) in Oslo, Norway in December 2008 to express her “commitment to support efforts aimed at limiting the indiscriminate effects to civilians of Cluster Munitions as areas affected are not suitable for economic development and growth.” However, Kenya has not yet ratified the treaty. The Attorney General’s office alleges that competing priorities have stalled the process, and that ratification of the treaty in Kenya requires approval by the cabinet. Nobel peace prize winner Jody Williams called the convention “the most important disarmament and humanitarian convention…”

Capital FM website reported on May 9th that, Military Spokesman Bogita Ongeri was “non committal when asked if families of the children killed will be compensated by the Department of Defense.” The government should speedily ratify the CCM such that Kenya joins other States Parties who have “resolved to do their utmost in providing assistance to Cluster Munition victims, including medical care, rehabilitation and psychological support, as well as providing for their social and economic inclusion.”httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlcGHj5sosY&feature=player_embedded#at=25

 

References:

Tragedy as four boys are killed in bomb blast DAILY NATION May 11th,2011

Military on the Spot over Death of Five Boys News From Africa May 10th,2011

KENYA’S RESPONSE TO THE UNITED NATIONS SECRETARY
GENERAL’S REQUEST FOR VIEWS ON INTERRELATION
BETWEEN ARMED VIOLENCE AND DEVELOPMENT Google Docs (as of) May 11th,2011

Kenya Cluster Munition Ban Policy Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor (as of) May 11th,2011

DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE FOR
THE ADOPTION OF A CONVENTION
ON CLUSTER MUNITIONS Google Docs (as of) May 11th,2011

 

 

Americans Kill Osama bin Laden in Pakistan

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After a 10 year manhunt in Afghanistan for Osama Bin Laden it is finally over. In a 40 minute Navy SEALs operation, Osama was killed with one shot to the head.  Osama was the leader of Al-Qaeda and the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 (9-11) terrorist attack on the world trade center buildings in New York, the Pentagon and Pennsylvania. In Kenya Osama Bin Laden was responsible for the slaying of innocent victims in the 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Nairobi.

In a dramatic late-night appearance in the East Room of the White House, Obama declared that “justice has been done.” After he refused to surrender, Bin Laden used a woman in the compound as a human shield to no avail.  Bin Laden was killedby the hands of the elite forces of the Navy SEALs and the CIA at a lush compound about 1.5 hours away from the Pakistani capital in the city of Abbottabad. Immediately following his killing, special forces conducted a live DNA test on Osama’s body. The process was watched in real-time by CIA director Leon Penetta. Bin Laden’s body was later buried by American forces at sea within 24 hours of his death as is required by Islamic tradition.

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Kenya suffered the wrath of Al-Qaeda terrorist attacks in 1998 with the killing of over 200 people in Nairobi and subsequent attacks in Kikambala and Mombasa. As leaders and the world rally to congratulate President Obama and the US forces, we should all pause to remember all the innocent lives lost in East Africa, America, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq under al-Qaeda and the hunt for their fallen leader, Osama Bin Laden.  Obama’s administration has done justice for not only Americans, but for all world citizens.

References:

Osama’s death is being featured on My Nucleus: http://www.mynucleus.org/featured