Reviving talks on thorny issues key to lasting peace

By KIPCHUMBA SOME

In Summary

Unless matters that sparked poll crisis are solved, violence can erupt before 2012

The Government has been asked to revive talks on Agenda Four of the National Peace Accord to resolve some of the issues that fuelled the post-election violence in which 1,133 people were killed.

Agenda Four, also known as “Mwananchi’s Agenda”, deals with long-standing injustices and covers legal and institutional reforms; reducing poverty and redressing inequality and regional imbalances.

Other issues to be addressed include unemployment, land reforms, ending impunity and promoting national cohesion and unity.

Talks on these issues collapsed soon after the formation of the grand coalition Government in April last year, following mediation talks led by former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan.

Other members of the team were eight Cabinet ministers — four from PNU and four from ODM.

Left the country

The mediation team suspended the talks on Agenda Four after Mr Annan’s successor, Prof Oluyemi Adeniji of Nigeria left the country in May.

The team comprising ministers Martha Karua, William Ruto, Sam Ongeri, Musalia Mudavadi, Sally Kosgei and Moses Wetang’ula became pre-occupied with their ministerial duties and abandoned further negotiations.

Now, an NGO and the Government’s human rights watchdog have warned that violence could erupt before the 2012 General Election should these issues not be resolved to the satisfaction of all parties.

“The Government must show commitment to addressing issues raised in Agenda Four of the mediation talks. The starting point is to put in place a new constitution as soon as possible,” said Mr Hassan Omar, vice-chairman of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, a public watchdog.

Mr Omar also asked the Government to resolve the land distribution issue, which was cited as one of the main factors that fuelled post-election violence in Rift Valley Province. The province was the epicentre of the violence that also displaced 350,000 people from their homes.

Mr Omar said failure to resolve the conflicts sparked by land disputes in the province would make it difficult for peace to be achieved between the Kalenjin and the Kikuyu.

Land conflicts between the two communities stem from the perception that the Kalenjin, who regard the province as their ancestral home, had part of their land given to the Kikuyu, who are regarded as an immigrant community.

This perception was strengthened by a belief that the government of President Kenyatta helped Kikuyus to buy land at throw-away prices in the heartland of the Kalenjin community.

Many myths

However, research being carried out by the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, an NGO based in Eldoret, indicates that this is just one of the many myths surrounding land ownership in Rift Valley.
In its report titled “Demystifying Historical Injustices Around Land,” the NGO examines the nature and history of land conflicts in Uasin Gishu, Trans Nzoia and Nandi districts in the North Rift which were hardest hit by the violence.

In its findings on Uasin Gishu and Nandi districts, the NGO found that the Kenyatta administration played a marginal role in helping the Kikuyu acquire land in the region.

“This is a common misconception often used by Kalenjins to justify attacks on Kikuyus: That the land Kikuyus occupy in Rift Valley was given to them free by Kenyatta’s government,” said the NGO’s executive director, Mr Ken Wafula.

In his view, research involving members of both communities indicate that more than 80 per cent of the land in the two districts was in the hands of the Kalenjin at independence, with the other 20 per cent being Government Trust Land.

At independence, Kalenjins formed groups and bought land from white settlers who were leaving, which they later sub-divided among themselves. The transactions that took place thereafter were on a willing seller-willing buyer basis.

At independence, most of the Kikuyus in Central Province found that they had been dispossessed of their land which had been turned into cash-crop plantations. They too formed groups and went out looking for new parcels of land.

“The Kikuyus might have been facilitated financially or logistically by the powerful forces in President Kenyatta’s government to acquire land in other areas. But that is as far as the assistance went,” said Mr Wafula.

However, Mr Wanjohi Ndung’u, chairman of the Internally Displaced Persons at the Eldoret showground said they never received any assistance from the Kenyatta government. His family moved from Kiambu to Eldoret in 1963, when he was just four years old.

“At independence, my family found itself as squatters since their land had been converted into a tea plantation. But President Kenyatta’s government assisted us in no way to acquire new land. It is out of personal struggle that my father acquired a piece of land in this region which was still being sold cheaply,” he said.

Mr Ben Sirma, a director of the Emo Community Development Foundation, absolved the Kikuyu community of any wrongdoing. He instead blamed the local community for dispossessing itself of its land.

“Our people sold land in the belief that it would never get finished. But the rapid population increase our country has witnessed over the years has brought the reality that indeed land gets finished. Our people do not want to accept this truth,” he said.

In his view, the land disputes between the Kalenjin and the Kikuyu in Rift Valley is as a result of distorted facts on land ownership. This distortion of the truth has played on the fears of the Kalenjin youth.

“We must appreciate that land disputes between the two communities is a fairly recent phenomenon, starting from 1991. This is when the Kalenjin realised that their land was dwindling fast,” he said.

“Majority of the Kalenjin youths do not understand the history of land ownership. That is why it is easy for them to blame a third party with which they have cultural and political differences,” he said.

Both Mr Bett and Mr Wafula blamed Kalenjin leaders for disinheriting their own people. The leaders, most of who served in President Moi’s administration — which was in power for 24 years — fraudulently acquired land in Rift Valley instead of giving to it to the masses.

“We discovered that nearly 80 per cent of arable land in one constituency in Nandi District is owned by seven prominent politicians.

One of the pieces of land — more than 3,000 acres — was actually meant for squatters. However, it is now in private hands and its lease period has been extended from 99 to 999 years,” said Mr Wafula.

And Mr Bett said: “Our leaders are our greatest enemies as concerns land issues. This is a fact that our youth do not want to accept for now. When they do, the explosion of conflict against the political class will be unprecedented unless measures are taken to address this inequality.”

Agenda Four of the National Accord seeks to redress some of these issues but it had been thrust to the back banner.

Courtesy of;www.nation.co.ke

By Hillel Italie, The Associated Press

NEW YORK - Oprah Winfrey has yet to comment on Herman Rosenblat and his debunked story of meeting his future wife in a Nazi concentration camp. But a brief disclaimer has been added to her website, www.oprah.com, which still devotes substantial space to the Rosenblat romance.

“On December 27, 2008, Herman Rosenblat admitted to fictionalizing portions of his life story, including how he met his wife,” reads the update, which was posted Monday. “Based on this admission, the publisher of his forthcoming memoir - ‘Angel at the Fence’ - cancelled plans to print his book.”

The update appears at the bottom of the first of three pages about Rosenblat, his wife Roma and their two appearances on Winfrey’s television show. Winfrey spokeswoman Angela DePaul, when asked Tuesday why Rosenblat’s story - listed on the site as the first example of “Love Lessons From Amazing Couples” - wasn’t removed, referred to the update posted by “the oprah.com editorial team” and declined further comment.

Rosenblat, 79, a resident of North Miami Beach, Fla., was a Holocaust survivor who for years had endeared himself to Winfrey and others by recalling how he and his wife met on opposite sides of a barbed-wire fence at a sub-camp of Buchenwald in the 1940s and were reunited more than a decade later on a blind date in New York. Berkley Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA), had planned to release his memoir in February.

But after scholars, friends and family members challenged him, Rosenblat acknowledged the story was untrue and Berkley pulled the book. A planned feature film is still scheduled to begin production this year, with producer Harris Salomon saying that the script may note the “fabricated elements of their wartime love story.”

Winfrey’s site also refers to another discredited guest, James Frey. In 2005, Winfrey chose Frey’s “A Million Little Pieces” for her book club, but later brought him back on the show and chewed him out after he had acknowledged fabricating substantial parts of his memoir.

“A Million Little Pieces” remains on the list of Winfrey picks, but the website emphasizes the memoir’s fall, including a transcript of Frey’s unhappy return. The text for an earlier, more favourable link to Frey’s book, labelled “A Powerful Story,” has been removed.

Courtesy of:http://www.yahoo.ca

USENGE POLICE ON THE SPOT

By JEFF OTIENO

A fish trader by the name William Ngeso Wate is battling for his life at the Bondo District Hospital after a contingent of five uniformed policemen attached to the Usenge police station battered him.

According to eyewitnesses, the 29 years-old fishmonger was in the company of his wife together with two other friends on 3rd Jan 2009 at 9pm while enroute to a relative’s funeral., the brutal officers accosted them and went the full throttle of robbing him of Ksh 6,700.

His wife and two other friends however managed to sneak their way out from the merciless batterings of these notorious heartless police officers.

William who is a father of four sustained massive soft tissue injuries during the ordeal, surprisingly, the police in a bid to camouflage their dirty tricks are instead contemplating charging the hapless William for resisting arrest and assault amongst other trumped-up charges.

A spot-check by a group of journalists at Bondo District Hospital revealed how since admission, William has not answered any call of nature, a clear manifestation of the magnitude of the battering he received a round his kidney and the upper part of the abdomen, according to a nurse who spoke on condition of anonymity.

William is further having facial and soft-tissue injuries on his lower and upper lips.

More absurd and worrisome even to the hospital fraternity is that despite his poor state of health, William is handcuffed and a police officer by the name Joseph Njoroge who was part of the brutal squad has been assigned 24 hours to keep vigil as if he is a notorious hardcore conduit in the police hit list.

Kisumu based criminal lawyer Sam Onyango who got the plight of this fishmonger, immediately rushed to the hospital and vowed to take stern legal proceedings against the said officers.

Bondo District Medical Officer of Health (MOH) was however not in the station and instead referred the press to the Medical Superintendent who appeared non-committal to talk to the press.

ENDS

By Scott A Morgan

Currently the main focal point regarding US Interests towards Somalia just happens to be Piracy. A Close second just happens to be restoring a functioning Centralized Government. But there is one group that has been reaching out to Washington but it is apparent that the reply is Silence.

Since the collapse of the last Somali Government back in 1991 the country has been plagued by Anarchy. Several Attempts to restore order have failed. On more than one occasion Ethiopian Forces have been introduced into the situation in a vain attempt to restore law and order. At this time the neighboring country is pulling out its forces.

Unlike Puntland and the Area around the Capital Mogadishu the Region known as Somaliland has been relatively peaceful. A previous attempt by a Transitional Government saw the Regional Capital Hargeysa attacked by the pro-Government Militias. Since that time this particular region has prospered economically.

Unlike the rest of the impoverished and decimated parts of Somalia reports indicate that the Country has not been a source of or targets of the piracy that plagues the Gulf of Aden. French Special Forces used the former US Naval Base at Berbera to launch a successful rescue mission on a hijacked luxury yacht.

In 2007 the President of Somaliland and his Prime Minister made a visit to the United States. They were attempting to get the United States to determine that Somaliland was an independent state and to send Financial and Military Aid as well. In 2008 the US Undersecretary of State for African Affairs paid a visit to the Somaliland Capital and that is the last we have heard of any contact.

So why should the US be interested in this? First of all there are Elections scheduled to take place during the first part of this year. The Fact that democratic elections will be taking place and that they are multi-party elections should be heralded inside the beltway. The Registering of independent political parties should also garner the interest of both the IRI (International Republican Institute) and the NDI (National Democratic Institute.)

This Electoral Cycle in what has the potential to be an emerging Democratic State in a Region that is plagued by Islamist radicals has to be taken at face value. The Defense Department is currently the only part of the Government that has any contact with the Somaliland Government. So this factor could lead to attacks by those who have sympathy to Al-Qaida.

What has to be an area of concern is what appears to be a lack of movement by the Bush Administration. Why no action regarding any potential contact has been taken in 10 months is mind-boggling. This however could become a viable solution when/if it is determined that supporting the Transitional Government in Baidoa is a Fool’s Errand.

It is believed that the situation in Somalia will be one of the first Foreign Policy tests for the incoming Obama Administration. I pray that He passes this one.

The Author publishes Confused Eagle on the Internet and comments on US policy towards Africa. Confused Eagle is at morganrights.tripod.com

By Agwanda Jakorando

EVERY Leader who has been yearning for the prosperity of this nation is not very much happy with the recently enacted controversial Kenya Communications[Amendment] Bill 2008,Central Organizations of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli has said.

Atwoli said that COTU has been opposing the signing of the Media Bill into law by the President, saying the Bill should have been brought back before the House for serious debates before being passed into a law.

President Kibaki Last Friday ignored public opinion and signed the controversial Bill, terming it a national tool for regulating the Media Industry.

“We might not be now competent enough to advise the President on the issue,” said the Cotu Boss.
The Workers Union’s Boss appealed to all Members of Parliament to go back to the House when it reconvenes and revisit the just enacted law.

However, the Cotu Boss has supported the teachers’ nationwide strike schedule for this month, saying that teachers countrywide has a right for their salaries’ to be increased and harmonised with those of the other civil servants as demanded by the Kenya National Union of Teachers and the Kenya Union of Post Primary Education Teachers respectively.

Atwoli was addressing mourners in Butere District at a funeral ceremony of Harry Mabunde Obare, a former Politician in Butere Constituency.

Planning, National Development and Vision 2030 Minister Wicklife Oparanya read the message of condolence from Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Knut has called for a nationwide strike on January 19 while KUPPET has declared January 15 as the day when all its members will down their tools.

Kenya media says No to govt talks

BY SIMON NDONGA and JUDIE KABERIA

The Media Owners Association and the Editors Guild on Tuesday said they would snub calls by the government for dialogue on the contentious sections of the controversial Kenya Communications Amendment Act 2008.

The Media Owners Association (MOA) arrived at the decision after a meeting to map a way out of the dilemma that the new law presents to free speech and press freedom.

Speaking during a press conference, the MOA Chairman Linus Gitahi said that previous meetings with the government had been fruitless and that the one called by Information Minister Samuel Poghisio and scheduled for Monday would not have any effect.

“We have held many meetings with the ministry and as we held those meetings, the Bill continued to move from one stage to the other and we have not seen any fruitful outcome,” Mr Gitahi stated.

He further stressed that they would not attend talks on the controversial law unless its implementation was suspended.

“We want to throw a challenge to the Minister; if indeed (he is) genuine about holding this meeting, we would then want a public proclamation about suspending the operationalisation of this Act,” he emphasised.

Mr Gitahi however stated MOA’s commitment to participate in a workshop where views from both sides will be considered and a way forward charted out.

“What however we are committed to is to look at a bi-partisan approach through having a workshop with members of Parliament so that we can flush out the issues that we all have and give opportunity when Parliament reconvenes to have amendments that we feel are necessary to be enacted,” he explained.

Secretary of the Editors Guild David Makali said they were considering legal action to have the Kenya Communications Amendment Act 2008 suspended.

“The Editors forum is considering and exploring the option of taking this Act to court to ask for that Act to stay or to be suspended pending the determination of whether infact it is not unconstitutional,” Mr. Makali said.

On his part, Chairman Macharia Gaitho pointed out that the Act ignored the role of other statutory organs which were responsible for issues to do with standards and complaints about the media.

They (statutory organs) are there by law and they are well established,” he said adding that they needed time to be able to function properly.

Mr Gaitho said it was disturbing that under the Act, the control of all such organs was put in the hands of the Minister for Information.

“When these things are put under the ambit of the Minister, they are put in a way that is not regulated,” he said.

The meeting with the government was due on Monday at the invitation of Information Minister Samuel Poghisio.

Mr Poghisio had made an appeal for dialogue as more political parties beat a hasty retreat from the new law they passed.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) announced that it would sponsor amendments to the controversial Communications Act.

Cabinet Minister Otieno Kajwang told a news conference at Parliament building that ODM was against the Act as it was a threat to press freedom promising to bring amendments as soon as Parliament reconvenes.

“We may have to bring certain amendments to the House, if they cannot be brought by the Cabinet, this is a matter we will fight as a political party, but this matter will definitely be in the House as soon as it resumes,” he said.

He said the provision that allowed the Internal Security and the Communication and Information Ministers to determine media content was a motive of personal interests.
“The Ministers have interests, some personal, political or power relations interests and if you allow them to regulate the media, then there is a possibility that power maybe abused,” he noted.

The Mbita MP said regulating the media was important but the question was who should regulate the industry without personal interests.

On Monday, the Party of National Unity coalition also said it was ready to support amendments that would be tabled by the media fraternity to ensure the freedom of the press was protected. 
 
Courtesy of:www.capitalfm.co.ke

WASHINGTON - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama pressed congressional leaders on Monday to pass his huge spending and tax-cut package amid signs the centerpiece of his economic stimulus plan may face delays.

“We are in a very difficult spot,” Obama told reporters after a meeting his economic advisers. “The situation is bad. The situation is getting worse.”

Obama said he wants to sign a bill approving his economic stimulus package - now put at about $775 billion over two years - shortly after taking office on Jan. 20.

He took the time to personally push the proposal on Monday, meeting with top leaders on Capitol Hill in an effort to forge bipartisan support for the deal that some Republicans are now questioning.

“It is clear that we have to act and we have to act now to address this crisis and break the momentum of the recession, or the next few years could be dramatically worse,” he said.

Earlier Obama met Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, and said new economic jobs data expected this week would likely be “sobering” and further underscore the need for action.

The current U.S. recession began in December 2007 and, according to a Reuters poll, economists are expecting Labor Department data on Friday to show payroll jobs dropping by 500,000, bringing job losses for 2008 to about 2.5 million.

Obama moved to fill another key job in his administration. He picked Leon Panetta, former chief of staff for President Bill Clinton, to head the CIA, according to Democratic officials.

And Obama’s fundraising prowess was highlighted again in a new donor report that showed the president-elect - who brought in a record-shattering $639 million during his presidential campaign - was on track to raise a targeted $12 million to cover transition costs.

But the dollar figures in focus on Monday as Obama made his first visit to the Capitol since the Nov. 4 election were much higher.

The new Congress, which convenes on Tuesday, is expected to wrestle with Obama’s recession-fighting stimulus package as its first major order of business.

Obama’s fellow Democrats had hoped to have such a package ready for the new president to sign as soon as he takes office. But they now say it will take at least a month or so longer to put together the bipartisan support needed to clear a possible Senate Republican roadblock.

Republicans - who have objected to government moves to bail out the financial industry and U.S. automakers - are raising concerns the Obama stimulus plan may presage a new era of uncontrolled government spending.

But they are certain to face public pressure, following the widespread repudiation of Republicans in the November elections, to find common ground with Obama and clear the way for passage of a stimulus package.

Obama was to meet later on Monday with Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid and then hold talks with key lawmakers of both parties, including including Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and House Republican Leader John Boehner.

An Obama aide said that later this week, possibly on Thursday, Obama is expected to give a speech to stress the urgency of the crisis and what is needed to respond to it, warning that the jobless rate was at risk of rising to 10 percent if action is not taken.

Obama’s appearance on Capitol Hill underscored his campaign promise to work with members of both parties to curb mounting partisan bickering and congressional gridlock.

U.S. President George W. Bush took office in 2001, declaring himself to be “a uniter, not a divider.” Yet during his eight years in office, battles between Democrats and Republicans escalated.

Obama vows to work with members of both parties on a range of issues, including an economic stimulus package of about $775 billion. Critics charge the figure will likely swell and Republicans have raised concerns it could top $1 trillion.

Sixty percent of Obama’s proposal would go to federal spending on such basics as roads, bridges, education and health care, with the remainder, about $310 billion, in tax cuts for the middle class and businesses, party aides said.

As Obama proposed during the campaign, workers would get a $500 payroll tax credit and businesses would receive tax incentives aimed at job creation.

The tax relief is designed to help draw support from fiscal conservatives on Capitol Hill, who prefer cutting taxes to increasing federal spending and the already record deficit.

Courtesy of:  http://www.canada.com

By The Canadian Press

OTTAWA - Canadian officials say they’re concerned that Israeli authorities have prevented Canadians from escaping the warfare in the Middle East.

A Canadian Foreign Affairs official says the Israeli Defence Force prevented 36 Canadians from leaving Gaza on Monday, citing “security concerns.” Canadian officials say a list of 36 Canadians who requested help to leave Gaza was given to Israeli and Jordanian officials Friday.

Their departure from the region was scheduled for today, but Israeli officials cancelled the move.

There are 58 Canadians in Gaza registered with Canadian consular authorities.

Since June 2007, Canada has launched half a dozen operations to help Canadians get out of Gaza.

Prior to the most recent outbreak of violence in the region, a total of 155 people had been evacuated to safer locations.

For the last eight years, Foreign Affairs has formally advised Canadians to stay out of Gaza.
Courtesy of:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com

By Nidal al-Mughrabi 

GAZA (Reuters) - Israeli troops backed by air strikes fought to seize ground from Hamas militants deep inside the Gaza Strip on Monday despite international calls for a ceasefire in a conflict that has killed more than 540 Palestinians in 10 days.

Israel’s defense minister said the operation, aimed at stopping Hamas rocket attacks on southern Israel, could get more difficult before the mission was accomplished.

Hamas vowed to fight on in “every street, every alley” and threatened to fire more rockets across the border into Israel.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy, on a peace-brokering trip to the Middle East, and U.S. President George W. Bush, in his final weeks in the White House, both appealed for a ceasefire.

But disagreement on who should stop shooting first and on what terms made the chances of a pause soon remote.

Israel made clear its priority was to secure the safety of its citizens, while Hamas called for a lifting of the blockade of the enclave, crammed with 1.5 million people whose lives are growing ever more squalid. Many lack food, water or power.

The death toll in Gaza rose to at least 541 people, many of them civilians. Among Monday’s victims were 13 members of a Palestinian family killed in an Israeli strike on their home in a refugee camp, Palestinian medical officials said.

The Israeli army said dozens of Hamas fighters had been killed since ground troops invaded on Saturday following a week-long air blitz.

Israel launched the offensive after Hamas called off a six-month truce last month and stepped up its rocket attacks in response to Israeli raids and blockade of the enclave, which the Jewish state occupied from 1967 to 2005.

Israeli soldiers and Islamist militants fought throughout the day and into the night on Monday. Militants fired mortars and grenades and detonated mines and tried to lure Israeli soldiers into built-up areas, witnesses said.

The Israeli air force bombed dozens of targets, including homes of Hamas members used as weapons depots.

As night fell, Israeli troops were trying to capture a hill overlooking Jabaliya town and refugee camp and Hamas fighters were resisting them strongly, witnesses said. Heavy Israeli air and artillery strikes concentrated on that area.

Israel’s advances into Gaza have carved the 40 km (25 mile)-long coastal territory into two zones and forces have surrounded its largest urban area, Gaza City.

Defence Minister Ehud Barak told parliament’s foreign affairs and defense committee Hamas had been dealt a heavy blow.

“But we cannot say that its fighting capabilities have been harmed … Hamas did not seek a direct confrontation with our forces and wants to drag our forces into urban areas,” he said.

“Difficult moments lie ahead in this operation and the main test could still be ahead.”

STREET FIGHTING

Hamas leaders rallied their combatants with defiant rhetoric. Thousands of fighters were waiting “in every street, every alley and at every house” to tackle them, Hamas military spokesman Abu Ubaida said in a broadcast speech.

Hamas would increase its rocket strikes on Israel if the Israeli attacks on Gaza continued, Ubaida said.

A rocket hit the Israeli port city of Ashdod, damaging a building and wounding two people, police said. Four Israelis have been killed by salvoes fired into Israel since the offensive began.

An Israeli soldier was killed in fighting on Sunday and 48 have been wounded since the ground invasion began.

In Ramallah in the Palestinian-ruled West Bank, French President Sarkozy called for a ceasefire as soon as possible and said that “time is running against peace.”

“The guns must fall silent, there must be a humanitarian truce,” Sarkozy said.

He said he would tell Israeli leaders the violence must stop but he also condemned Hamas for its attacks on Israel.

Czech Foreign Minister Karel Schwarzenberg, heading an EU peace mission, sounded more resigned to prolonged fighting.

“We do not have a specific plan for a ceasefire because the ceasefire as such must be concluded by the involved parties,” he said in Jerusalem.

U.S. President George W. Bush, speaking in Washington, blamed Hamas for provoking the bloodshed and said any ceasefire must include provisions to stop its rocket attacks.

“Instead of caring about the people of Gaza, Hamas decided to use Gaza to use rockets to kill innocent Israelis,” he said.

Saudi Arabia said the international community should do more to stop Israeli “barbarity” and should not ignore the history of its occupation and settlement of Palestinian territories.

Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni rebuffed European proposals for international observers in the Gaza Strip after any ceasefire, pushing instead for teams that will help search out and seal off tunnels that could allow Hamas to rearm.

At the United Nations, Arab countries were drafting a resolution to demand an immediate end to “Israeli aggression.”

The situation for Gaza residents grew more fraught. People badly needed food, medical supplies and other aid but the hostilities were hampering relief efforts, aid agencies said.

In all 29 Palestinian civilians were killed on Monday, medical officials said.

Bombs hit a tent where a family was mourning a paramedic killed in an air strike on Sunday. Three people were killed and 17 wounded, medical workers said.

“We were sitting in the mourning tent when suddenly they bombed us, we ran to rush the casualties to hospitals but they bombed again,” Abdel-Dayem said.

(Writing by Angus MacSwan; editing by Andrew Roche)

Courtesy of:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com

NAIROBI (AFP) - Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga criticised a controversial communications bill Monday, saying he was surpised the president had signed into law a measure opponents claim will stifle press freedom.

President Mwai Kibaki last week signed the Communication Amendment Act, arguing the main issues of concern were not contained in the legislation passed by parliament last month, but in an older law.

Local media and other press freedom watchdogs have repeatedly protested against the bill.

“There were no consultations on this issue. Personally I felt it was not advisable to pass such a bill and I even talked to the president about it. I was surprised to learn that he has signed it,” Odinga told reporters.

“I intend to meet President Kibaki to discuss this contentious media bill because it is oppressive to the democratic gains achieved in the country,” he added.

In newspaper advertisements, the government on Monday defended Kibaki’s move, saying it was “in keeping with similar provisions in developed democracies.”

Kenyan media owners have argued the bill confers to the country’s communications regulator and the information minister powers to control newspaper, radio and television content.

“This is an opinion of the media and is not based on the reality of the act,” the government said in its publicity.

It said the law allows the Communications Commission of Kenya to “set standards for the manner, time and type of programmes to be broadcast under the this act.”

The government also rejected arguments that the law gives powers to enter, search and seize media equipment, saying that provision already exists in the constitution and not in the new law.

“In a democracy, it is vital for there to be checks and balances to protect society from a rogue government, a rogue parliament, a rogue judiciary and a rogue media,” the publicity said.
Courtesy of:  http://ca.news.yahoo.com