Conference to adopt new international treaty on wreck removal opens in NairobiInternational Conference on the Removal of Wrecks: 14-18 May 2007, Nairo

A Diplomatic Conference to adopt a new international convention on wreck removal was opened in Nairobi, Kenya, by the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), Mr. Efthimios E. Mitropoulos, on Monday (14 May 2007). The new convention will provide the legal basis for States to remove, or have removed, shipwrecks that may have the potential to affect adversely the safety of lives, goods and property at sea, as well as the marine environment.If adopted, the convention will fill a gap in the existing international legal framework. Neither the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea nor IMO's Salvage Convention deals in substance with the problem of wreck removal, leaving States unclear as to the legal position, particularly with regard to wrecks located beyond the territorial sea.Although the incidence of marine casualties has decreased dramatically in recent years, mainly thanks to the work of IMO and the persistent efforts of Governments and industry to enhance safety in shipping operations, the number of abandoned wrecks, estimated at almost thirteen hundred worldwide, has reportedly increased and, as a result, the problems they cause to coastal States and shipping in general have, if anything, become more acute.These problems are three-fold: first, and depending on its location, a wreck may constitute a hazard to navigation, potentially endangering other vessels and their crews; second, and of equal concern, depending on the nature of the cargo, is the potential for a wreck to cause substantial damage to the marine and coastal environments; and third, in an age where goods and services are becoming increasingly expensive, is the issue of the costs involved in the marking and removal of hazardous wrecks. The convention attempts to resolve all of these and other, related, issues.The five-day Conference, being held in the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON), is taking place under the auspices of the IMO, the United Nations specialized agency with responsibility for safety and security at sea and prevention of marine pollution from ships, and is being organized with the support of the Government of Kenya and UNON. The Conference is the first such event that IMO has held in Africa and is being attended by delegations from some 60 IMO Member States.The draft convention is the result of many years' work in IMO's Legal Committee. In his opening remarks, IMO Secretary-General Mitropoulos commended it to the Conference, telling delegates, "The draft convention submitted for your consideration this week combines the benefits of uniformity with flexibility; it also carefully balances the rights and obligations assigned to States Parties and shipowners through a skilful combination of private and public law provisions."The Conference was addressed on its second day by the President of the Republic of Kenya, His Excellency the Honourable Mwai Kibaki, following a national day of prayer, on Monday, 14 May, in memory of the victims of the recent Kenya Airlines accident in Cameroon.

The following were elected as officers of the Conference:

President
Hon. Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Minister for Transport (Kenya)

Vice Presidents

• Admiral Miguel Angelo Davena, Permanent Representative of Brazil to IMO (Brazil)
• Mr. Eddy Pratomo, Director General for Legal Affairs and International Treaties, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Indonesia)
• Mr. Rafal Sylwester Wiechecky, Minister of Maritime Economy (Poland)
• Mr. Jassim Mohamed Al-Manai, Assistant Chairman for Marine Ports Affairs, Customs and Ports General Authority (Qatar)
• Professor Lee-Sik Chai, Dean of Korea University Law School (Republic of Korea)
  

Chairman,
Committee of the WholeMr. Jan De Boer, Senior Legal Counsel, Ministry of Transport (Netherlands)

Vice Chairmen, Committee of the Whole

• H.E. Mr. Julio Cesar González Marchante, Ambassador of Cuba to Kenya and Permanent Representative of Cuba to UNEP and HABITAT (Cuba)
• Mr. Kofi Mbiah, Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Shippers' Council (Ghana)
  Chairman, Drafting Committee
• Mr. Mark Gauthier, Acting General Counsel of the Maritime Law Secretariat of the Department of Justice (Canada)
• Other officers will be elected as the Conference progresses.

Briefing 11, 16 May 2007
For further information please contact:Lee Adamson, Head, Public Information Services on 020 7587 3153 (media@imo.org) orNatasha Brown, External Relations Officer on 020 7587 3274 (media@imo.org).

World Maritime Day 2007The theme for World Maritime Day 2007 is "IMO's response to current environmental challenges". The theme was chosen to give IMO the opportunity to focus on its environmental work (both of the past and present) and thus intensify its efforts to add our contribution to that of the international community to protect and preserve the environment before it is too late. World Maritime Day will be celebrated on Thursday, 27 September 2007.

Coast Leaders now defend shift in politicsWritten

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Leaders from the Coastal region now say the current political realignment in the province is meant to provide a political base for the region to have a greater bargaining power and claim a larger stake in national politics.

Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere said the move is a major boost and joining Shirikisho Party of Kenya whose leadership has in the past failed to convince the Coastal leaders to support it be able to become tangible in the national political landscape.

Two Cabinet Ministers and two Assistant Ministers from the coast Sunday led local grassroot leaders from the region to decamp from Narc Kenya and joined Shirikisho Party.
Cabinet minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, his tourism and wildlife counterpart Morris Dzoro, Assistant Ministers Joseph Kingi and Anania Mwaboza declared that they will no longer support

Narc Kenya since it has failed to address problems facing the region.
Addressing delegates from 21 constituencies, in Mombasa, the ministers however, said they will support president Kibaki to be re-elected the president in this year's general elections.

By:Wesley Rutto:

Mon, Jun 25, 2007

Original Narc is back

An elaborate political scheme could be under way to repackage the faded National Rainbow Coalition (Narc) into a formidable machine that would spearhead President Kibaki’s re-election.
Narc — which two years ago had been written off as a coalition bereft of constituent parties — could get a new lease of life from the so-called ‘Kibaki-friendly’ parties.

The strategy involves calling in all the regional parties friendly to Government and enticing them to coalesce around Narc as the vehicle for Kibaki’s shot at a second term in office.

The plan would see Narc-Kenya, which had hitherto posed as Kibaki’s party of choice, become part of the revived Narc — the coalition on whose ticket the President was elected in 2002.
One Cabinet minister told The Standard: "We would like him (the President) to remain in Narc then we revamp it because we don’t want him to become the first President to decamp from a party that sponsored him."

Already, a meeting of like-minded pro-Kibaki parties has been scheduled for Friday. The parties so far listed are Narc-Kenya, Ford-People, Ford-Kenya, Shirikisho, DP, Sisi kwa Sisi and the National Party of Kenya (NPK).
The organisers have left out LDP, which was a key member of the original Narc coalition.
The organisers hope to form a coalition strong enough to face off with ODM-Kenya, in which LDP is a key player.

Convergence strategy

A team close to the President has tasked the former Narc co-ordinating committee chairman, Dr Noah Wekesa, to convene and co-ordinate a meeting of Kibaki-friendly parties.
Three Cabinet ministers, Wekesa, Njeru Ndwiga and Mutahi Kagwe on Tuesday confirmed that all parties friendly to President Kibaki were working closely to a "convergence strategy" for the incumbent’s victory.

Ten Cabinet ministers are among key officials of political parties invited to the first such meeting in Nairobi this Friday.
"We have been having meetings which have culminated in the formation of the interim committee to push President Kibaki’s re-election agenda," added Wekesa.
"We have invited two representatives of each political party in our circle to the meeting to discuss how to strengthen the team around President Kibaki in a coalition," said Wekesa.
Sources also confirmed that the organisers would like to have parties from across the country to give the camp a national face.
Health minister Mrs Charity Ngilu, who is the Narc chairperson, remains a crucial entity in such a coalition.

Asked by The Standard if she had been approached about the plan to revamp Narc, Ngilu said without elaborating: "I am open to negotiations."
Ngilu would have to accede to the plan to have Kibaki as the party’s first among equals for the plan to run smoothly. Her refusal in the past to cede the top position is what forced Kibaki’s allies in Government to form Narc-Kenya as a safety net for the incumbent’s re-election after the ruling coalition fell apart over an unfulfilled pre-election Memorandum of Understanding.
Structures to be activated

Insiders said the recent defection of several Coast ministers into Shirikisho was part of an elaborate strategy to create regional blocs that would rally around the Narc coalition.
Several party leaders confirmed that they had been contacted by Wekesa and would attend the Friday meeting.
Assistant minister Ms Cecily Mbarire, a close Ngilu ally, confirmed that NPK had received an invitation.

The Democratic Party of Kenya secretary-general, Mr George Nyamweya, said DP had been invited to the meeting, to be held at Palacina Hotel.
It also expected that Agriculture minister Mr Kipruto Kirwa would be attending as he is the President’s key pointman in the populous Rift Valley Province.
Last week’s State House meeting between Kibaki and Ford-Kenya MPs led by chairman Mr Musikari Kombo agreed that the coalition would be structured on similar lines to the 2002 one.
They also agreed that the structures of the original Narc, including the Council, be activated.
According to the source, they agreed to field one presidential candidate with different parliamentary and civic candidates.

The Ford-People leader, Mr Simeon Nyachae, vowed to fully support President Kibaki’s re-election bid.
"As far as I know, I remain the party leader of Ford People and we have taken a decision. We will support Kibaki in the General Election. I cannot exclude myself", he said in Nairobi.
Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK) said it was open to the idea of forming a coalition, with Kibaki as their presidential candidate.

Although SPK National Chairman Mr Mwashengu wa Mwachofi said the party had not received the invitation to the meeting, he did not rule out joining the initiative.
Wekesa said Kombo and his party’s secretary-general, Mr John Munyes, have confirmed attendance of the meeting.
He said he had invited Narc-Kenya, whose chairman is Foreign Affairs Minister Mr Raphael Tuju.
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Reported by Standard Team : Ayub Savula, Andrew Teyie, Joseph Murimi, Patrick Wachira and Mathias Ringa

Mwakwere’s alliance with Narc-Kenya is finally over

Amb. Mwakwere

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The end of the game is on for the Government of National Unity (GNU). It is now obvious the union is bursting at the seams.
Transport minister and Matuga MP, Mr Ali Chirau Mwakwere, could go down in history as the first Cabinet member to quit Narc-Kenya.
The soft-spoken Matuga MP, who celebrated his 62nd birthday last week, is today expected to lead a group of leaders from the region in making a major announcement at Chandaria Hall in Mombasa.

"Narc-Kenya did not treat Coast leaders as an integral part of the party," said Mwakwere. The minister has been presumed to spearhead President Kibaki’s re-election campaign and has acted as a major stabilising force in the GNU.
By yesterday, sources said 16 of the 21 Coastal legislators will join Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK), among them three Cabinet ministers.

Shirikisho secretary-general, Mr Yusuf Abubakar, said the party would create the post of party leader and deputy leader for the newcomers.
‘’This is not in our constitution but we have deemed it fit to create the posts to absorb the newcomers,’’ said Abubakar. He reiterated that SPK was committed to ensuring unity among all Coast leaders. He said Shirikisho stood for unity of all Coast residents irrespective of their colour, religious background or ethnic group.

No replacement yet for Maitha

At the same time, he said the party was still affiliated to ODM-Kenya. "We will still talk to other parties that are ready to work with us,’’ he added.
Since the death of the former Tourism minister "Hurricane" Karisa Maitha — a political power horse who rose from Mombasa streets to the Cabinet and to regional supremacy by his pushy personality — there is yet to emerge a replacement. Currently many are nostalgic Coast politicians who don’t hide their ambitions to slide into the late Maitha’s big boots.
GNU members Makwere, Cabinet colleagues Mr Morris Dzoro, Mr Suleiman Shakombo and Assistant ministers Mr Ananiah Mwaboza and Mr John Kingi have lately talked in a manner to suggest that their duty in the unity is over, or they desire revised terms of engagement.
With Mwakwere acting as their spokesperson, the leaders have twice this year demonstrated their determination to deal with President Kibaki and his political projects on their own terms and not taking instructions from State House.

Their clearest signal yet was their decision to snub the just concluded Narc-Kenya grassroots polls, dismissing them as "Chama cha Mungatana", to spite Assistant minister Mr Danson Mungatana, who has emerged as the face of the party in the region.
But this did not come as a surprise, considering the group managed to blackmail and threaten senior Narc-Kenya leaders and Government officials into backing Magarini MP, Harrison Kombe, during the by-election in April.

To avoid an acrimonious fallout, Narc-Kenya gave in to their demands and supported Kombe after the MPs threatened to sponsor a Shirikisho candidate against a Narc-Kenya at all costs. Keen on a Coast-specific political brand, the leaders have raised the stakes a notch higher, and expectations are high about what party they choose to join or enter into alliance with.
It is this realisation that perhaps drove Mungatana to say Mwakwere’s departure was long overdue and the party was happy they had left.
Assistant minister and Narc-Kenya insider, Mwangi Kiunjuri, warned the two to quit their hostilities and ensure their wars did not spill over into Government operations.
Perhaps Kiunjuri had in mind the reckless and ugly exchanges between Tourism minister and his assistant, Mr Kalembe Ndile, which have spilled into the streets.
Kalembe’s jarring salvos into Dzoro are said to have been encouraged by the hostility the Coast Cabinet members have generated due to their insistence on joining another party to compete with Narc-Kenya.

However, Immigration Assistant minister, Mr Ananiah Mwaboza says they have no apologies to make and put Mungatana and Narc-Kenya on notice about a repeat of the referendum vote in 2005 when the Banana campaign associated with Narc-Kenya lost.
It is significant that Narck-Kenya has never launched the party at the Coast like it has done in other regions through public rallies.
The referendum defeat by the Orange campaign left Government–leaning Coastal MPs shaken, and they are said to have sponsored registration of United National Democratic Alliance (Unda) as a fall back should talks with Shirikisho fail.
It was particularly sobering that despite rigorous campaigns by Government, led President Kibaki, who liberally distributed goodies like land and titles, Coast voted "No" to the Wako Draft.
Signalling Mungatana that they will be taking the fight to Garsen, the Mwakwere group has invited leaders from Garsen and Tana River District. "Mungatana has only two choices: either join us or face us at the General Election. We will not be used as rubber stamps anymore. Any Coast MP who is not with the majority will have himself to blame," says Mwaboza.
Only occasionally tossed to the limelight like when caught accepting suspect offers from hotels as Labour Minister, being cast in unflattering light associated with Nairobi night life, denouncing a notorious British envoy who accused Cabinet members of vomiting on his shoes, Mwakwere has largely kept his peace, hardly ever noticeable in a crowd.

He is a complete opposite of his predecessors at Transcom House, former Cabinet minister, Dr Chris Murungaru, and Internal Security minister, John Michuki.
Mwakwere’s rebellion seems to be blooming late in life and is now the centre of attraction in the evolving political events at the Coast, and which have potential to influence things beyond the region, as they decide to enter into horse trading alliances with political groupings like ODM-Kenya, Narc-Kenya or Kanu. Until the Narc-Kenya brigade stirred the Coast last month with the just concluded grassroots poll, Mwakwere’s presence or absence never registered on the national radar.
Until 2002, he served in the Foreign Service, doing stints in Washington, Zambia, Qatar, Dubai, among others before coming home in 2002, and getting elected to Parliament through Liberal Democratic Party’s and Narc.

In Kibaki’s first Cabinet, he was an Assistant minister for Foreign Affairs, serving under Kalonzo. Top dogs like Maitha and Mvita MP, Mr Najib Balala, cast a shadow on him, until unexpected events beyond his control came to rescue him. Following the Busia plane crash, in mid 2003, that claimed then Labour minister, Ahmed Khalif among others, Mwakwere was elevated to a full minister, replacing Khalif. It is around this time that Mwakwere hit the headlines, when he was caught accepting complimentary treatment at a Coast hotel, whose management and employees had a labour dispute before his desk.
During the LDP insurgency that followed the MoU dispute, Mwakwere played good boy, for which he was rewarded with the plum Foreign Affairs docket following the demotion of Kalonzo to the relatively colourless Environment ministry.
His stint at Foreign Affairs coincided with the lowest point in relations with the increasingly assertive Kibaki’s State House and foreign envoys, who resented newly introduced etiquette for ambassadors and high commissioners to clear with Foreign Affairs before seeing the President, unlike before.

In late 2005, Mwakwere was to hit the round again, this time across Uhuru Park, thanks yet again to unexpected events: the Anglo Leasing monster that claimed his predecessor, Dr Chris Murungaru, and the historic Referendum on the Draft Constitution, that saw the entire LDP brigade kicked out of Government.
After the Government lost the referendum vote, President Kibaki threw out the rebellious LDP members from his Cabinet. This ended with another Cabinet re-organisation, which saw Mwakwere deployed to Transcom House on Upper Hill.
Mungatana has displayed little regard for Mwakwere. On Friday, he described him as running scared, fearing he may not be re-elected.

"If you have not worked for your constituents, you will be voted out, regardless of whichever party you join," Mungatana mocked Mwakwere.
For some, it has been apparent that Narc-Kenya’s high command never forgave Mwakwere over the Magarini by-election saga with Shirikisho.
This is the reason, the party’s rank and file stepped over Mwakwere, picking Mungatana as interim secretary-general besides doing all party business through the younger Garsen MP.
Whatever happens today will have far- reaching implications for Mungatana, GNU and Mwakwere’s political evolution, and will determine losers and winners.
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The Sunday Standard
By Gakuu Mathenge, Caroline Mango and Philip Mwakio

Big blow for Narc-K as ministers, MPs defect

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By Ernest Ndunda and Joseph Murimi

Narc-Kenya suffered its severest body blow following its chaotic recent elections after four ministers and an MP from the Coast region defected from its ranks.
Tourism and Wildlife minister Mr Morris Dzoro and his Transport counterpart, Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, announced in Mombasa that they had joined Shirikisho Party of Kenya (SPK).
They were joined in the Coast-based party by Ganze MP Mr Joseph Kingi (Assistant minister in the Office of President), Kisauni MP Mr Ananiah Mwaboza (Assistant minister in the Ministry of Immigration) and Msambweni MP Mr Abdallah Ngozi.
The politicians defected as Vice-President Mr Moody Awori said Narc-Kenya would form the next Government despite the defections.
Awori, the Narc-Kenya Deputy Party Leader, said in Kiambu that the party was not worried about the defections.
But Mwakwere said they were ready to relinquish their positions in the Government for the sake of fighting for the rights of Coast people.
Mwakwere, who had last week tottered on the brink of defection, appeared to have wooed his colleagues to join the party whose symbol is a fish.
Mwakwere and Dzoro were immediately appointed as the Party Leader and Deputy Party Leader respectively.
The development is set to usher in a new political dispensation in the Coast, an area that had for long been regarded as a swing vote provider. Narc-Kenya is the most affected party by the scenario, which has taken away some of its staunch supporters.
ODM-Kenya, which has a lesser presence in the area, still has its Coastal house intact but speculations were rife that its MPs and those of Kanu would be approached in a grand scheme to form a united regional block in Shirikisho.
Mvita MP Mr Najib Balala, Changamwe MP Mr Ramadhan Kajembe, Bahari MP Mr Joe Khamisi and Malindi MP Mr Lucas Maitha form the ODM-Kenya presence while Kanu has Mwatate MP Mr Marden Madoka, Taveta MP Dr Naomi Shaban, Voi MP Mr Boniface Mghanga, Lamu East MP Mr Abu Chiaba and Lamu West’s Mr Fahim Twaha. The latter, however, had defected to Narc-Kenya.
The announcements were made during a Coast Leaders’ Forum at Mombasa’s Chandaria Hall.
Non-members are traitors
Political word in the region had it that the defectors would likely pool in with Narc-Kenya to back President Kibaki’s re-election, but act as an independent block outside the umbrella of the flower party.
But some insiders said consensus to rally all Coast MPs behind Shirikisho was still elusive.
The emerging block, which could grow bigger, might however attract the attention of both Narc-Kenya and ODM-Kenya, who would have to negotiate with it to make inroads in the region.
At one time, party leaders had said they wanted to join ODM-Kenya but during the Magarini by-election, Narc-Kenya backed the party candidate, Mr Harrison Kombe, who was present on Sunday.
Reading the defectors’ resolutions, Mwaboza said Shirikisho would enter into a coalition with other political parties of their choice, and any sitting Coast MP who would not have joined the party then would be considered a traitor.
Mwaboza said the party would field candidates at the civic, parliamentary and presidential level.
Mwakwere led Coast delegates drawn from all districts in passing 15 resolutions, which they said would be their campaigning tool ahead of the General Election due in December.
"There is no problem with Coast people having a party of their own and using it as a bargaining tool. Those who are not ready to join the wagon will be sidelined," he said.
He added: "Since independence, Coast people have been used as tissue paper by political parties but time is rife for us to have a say in Kenyan politics by having our own political party".
Dzoro said they had realised they were in the wrong party and their decision to join Shirikisho was overdue.
"We will not make any strong impact in the Kenyan politics if we do not have many registered voters. We intend to have one million registered voters in Coast before the expiry of the registration period," said Dzoro.
Shirikisho chairman Mr Mwashengu wa Mwachofi officially welcomed the defectors to his party and urged them to respect the party’s constitution.
Heritage minister Mr Suleiman Shakombo of Shirikisho sent apologies through Mwakwere.
In Kiambu, Awori said President Kibaki’s regime had greatly opened the democratic space and that Kenyans were free to join any party of their choice.
Awori further said the recent Narc-Kenya grassroots elections had strengthened democracy in the party.
He added that all the complaints raised would be addressed to the satisfaction of all parties.
In Nairobi, Information minister Mr Mutahi Kagwe dismissed as normal and constitutional the defection from the flower party by a section of ministers from the Coast.
Kagwe said the party was not shaken, saying the unfolding scenario was not unique to the party closely associated with President Kibaki.
"The ministers are free to join any party of their wish. It is their constitutional right. Why are you making a big deal over it?" he posed to the press.
Speaking to the press after presiding over the St John Ambulance annual parade at Uhuru Park, Kagwe said Narc-Kenya still remained strong despite the departure of his colleagues.

Mwakwere Quits Narc Kenya

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Abdulsamad AliNairobi

Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere has ditched Narc Kenya and will this weekend announce his new party.
Speaking to the Nation in an exclusive interview on Monday, Mr Mwakwere who is also the Matuga MP, said Narc Kenya did not treat Coast leaders "as an important ingredient of the party."

Although he did not want to speculate to which party he was shifting, rumour has been rife in the region that he and other leaders from the region were moving to the Shirikisho Party of Kenya.
"I have never been wanted by Narc Kenya even though I am one of the vice-chairmen and that is why I am seeking an alternative party that will see the Coast represented in national politics," he said.
The minister said over 2,100 delegates from all the 21 constituencies are expected to converge at the Jubilee Hall on Sunday to chart a new direction for Coast.
Mr Mwakwere and others including, Heritage minister Suleiman Shakombo and Kisauni MP Anania Mwaboza are some of the local leaders who have refused to hold Narc Kenya grassroots elections insisting that they would only do so when the national organising secretary, outspoken Garsen MP Danson Mungatana, is removed.
Lamu West, Lamu East, Bahari, Mvita, Mwatate and Garsen are the few branches that have held their elections in the province.
Lone ranger
Mr Mwakwere said he has been "mistreated by the party", starting from the day that it was launched in Nairobi because his delegates from Kwale were blocked from travelling following the arrest, by Kwale police, of the organiser for the trip.
"I had prepared two buses and mandated the Kwale mayor to ensure that everything went according to plan, but she was arrested," he said, claiming that it was a plot to finish him politically by making him seem like a lone ranger.
He, however, maintained that the new party would support President Kibaki's candidature in the forthcoming General Election.
"I will ensure that Coast Province votes for President Kibaki to the last man through the new party that we will announce," he said.
He ruled out joining established parties that include Narc, ODM Kenya and Kanu and could not confirm or deny that the new party was Shirikisho Party of Kenya.
There has been a growing rift in the leadership of Narc Kenya at the Coast with Mr Mwakwere demanding the removal of Mr Mungatana as organising secretary.
"Mr Mungatana showed disrespect to the Coast people by fronting a foreigner to replace a local who had the blessings of the Government," he said.
Mr Mungatana backed an Italian, Mr Franco Esposito, against the Shirikisho candidate Mr Harrison Kombe during the Magarini by-election. Mr Kombe went ahead to retain his seat in the by-election.
The minister said he had no respect for all the parties that sponsored candidates in the Magarini by-election against Mr Kombe.
Political survival
Mr Mungatana, however, dismissed the minister's act saying his new move was meant for political survival more than anything else. "Him moving is inconsequential in Coast politics because he lost relevance a long time ago.
"This move is meant to revive his political ambitions and I am just a scapegoat," Mr Mungatana said on phone.
Mr Mwakwere said he was putting up for sale all the Narc Kenya membership cards and green T-shirts that he had bought to popularise the party.

Kenya eyes new aviation status

Kenya is on course to acquire the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (Icao) and the US Government’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)’s ‘Category One’ status that will allow direct flights from Nairobi to US.
Transport minister, Mr Ali Chirau Mwakwere told an international aviation conference in US, last week, that the requisite programmes aimed at improving safety and security in Kenya’s civil aviation were being implemented.
Already, he said, Kenya has completed the flight safety regulations related to Icao’s Annexes One, Six and Eight, which deal with personnel requirements, rules of the air, and air worthiness. Aviation security (Annex 17) and aerodrome regulations (Annex 14) have also been finalised.
Presenting Kenya’s position in aviation development during the just concluded US - Africa Air Transport Summit in Miami, Florida, the minister urged the American travel consumers to change their perception of Kenya.
He said a regional approach for flight safety and security has been adopted in the East African Community.
‘‘The Community has established a Regional Safety and Security Agency for East Africa. The Executive Director and a Technical Director have already been appointed," he said. Mwakwere said that technical support provided by FAA in development and harmonsation of civil aviation regulations are in place. ‘‘The approach is to ensure the optimum utilisation across the three countries," he said.
"Most of Kenya Civil Aviation Authority inspectors have acquired the basic Government Inspectors Course. The group will boost the technical assistance in the on going inspection of major airports," he said.
‘‘As a country, we are faced with a lot challenges such as retention of trained flight safety inspectors whom after training opt to look for employment outside the region".
Mwakwere said lack of well-developed intra-African infrastructure of roads and railways will boost air transport in Africa.
The conference aimed at developing strategies to increase Africa to US air services. To date, only South African Airways, EgyptAir and Ethiopian Airlines provide direct services from Africa to the US.
Africa has 36 direct weekly flights to the US compared to Asia (927), Caribbean (2, 155), Europe (2,303) and Latin America (3, 158).
Kenya’s Ambassador to Washington DC, Mr Peter Ogego, the US Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs, Ms Susan McDermott and Mr Cornel Wilson-Hunter, manager Safe Skies for Africa Programme attended the meeting.

THE STANDARD
Story by: Brian Adero
Wed, June 12, 2007

Virgin Atlantic arrives at JKIA today

Sir Richard Branson

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Virgin Atlantic’s inaugural flight to Nairobi from London is due to touch down at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) this morning. The A340-300 Airbus, carrying international journalists on a brief weekend visit to Nairobi, will be the first of regular daily flights between London’s Heathrow airport and JKIA, and will add competition to the services already offered by British Airways and Kenya Airways (KQ).

Sir Richard Branson, the chairman of Virgin Atlantic and head of the Virgin Group of Companies will be aboard the airline’s inaugural flight that arrives today.

He will join Vice President Moody Awori and Transport minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere at a Press conference called to mark the launch of Virgin Atlantic flights in Kenya, at the airport.
A statement said the conference will link the arrival of Virgin to tourism and the economy
Tourism experts believe the extra capacity is needed, as Kenya continues to see a rapid growth in UK tourist numbers. The UK accounts for among the largest number of European tourists that visit Kenya each year. The latest statistics for February of this year continue to show a rising trend in UK arrivals, with 16,779 Britons visiting, an increase of over 20 per cent on the previous February.
Overall, 2006 saw another increase in UK arrivals with 171,409 arrivals from the UK a near 11 per cent increase on 2005.
Potential
The new travel focus tends to be on safaris and eco-tourism lodges, highlighting the need for extra capacity at Nairobi rather than Mombasa.
Virgin will offer a full range of services on its flights, from the upper class option featuring flat beds and a private massage zone, to an economy class offering that provides seat back televisions for all passengers and video on demand.

One key result of the new competition could be a lowering of prices between London and Nairobi but Virgin Atlantic clearly feels there is enormous potential for growth in its new route. Announcing the launch last year, Virgin chairman Sir Richard Branson said Nairobi was Virgin Atlantics fourth service to its Africa routes which were expanding at a vast rate.
“Passenger numbers have doubled over the past five years and we predict its popularity will continue to grow in years to come.”

The flights start at Heathrow at 19.15 and arrive at 6.05 the next day.
Return flights depart at 08.20 and arrive at London Heathrow at 14.55.
Kenya’s Tourism ministry has been making efforts to persuade Virgin Atlantic to start its flights to Nairobi for some time. Permanent Secretary Rebecca Nabutola said that Virgin offered “quality and high standards” and was “one of the worlds premier airlines.”

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Story by PAUL REDFERN,

Nation Correspondent in London

Publication Date: 6/2/2007

Kibaki’s elections machine shapes up

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The face of President Kibaki’s re-election team has taken shape after his key political allies romped home with resounding victories in Narc-Kenya grassroots and branch elections.

"The President has already said he is not in Democratic Party nor National Rainbow Alliance. Why should you force him? It is no secret that Kibaki is with us," said Sports minister Mr Maina Kamanda, as reports trickled in that Cabinet ministers allied to Kibaki had triumphed.
Mr Kiraitu Murungi, Mr Raphael Tuju, Prof George Saitoti, Dr Chris Murungaru, Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, Prof Kivutha Kibwana, Ms Martha Karua, Mr Kipruto Kirwa and Mr Mutua Katuku started emerging as the possible pillars around which Kibaki’s re-election outfit would revolve.
Tuju (Foreign Affairs), Kituyi (Trade and Industry), Kiraitu (Energy), Katuku (Water), Kibwana (Environment) and Kamanda were elected branch chairmen in their respective constituencies.

Narc-K in crisis at the Coast

But Narc-Kenya appeared to be in trouble after a boycott of the recent polls by a rival group headed by three Cabinet ministers and assistant ministers.
Transport minister Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Tourism minister Mr Morris Dzoro, Heritage minister Mr Suleiman Rashid Shakombo are expected to attend a Coast leaders forum to decide their fate in Narc-Kenya.

Others expected at the meeting are assistant ministers Mr Ananiah Mwaboza, Mr Boniface Mghanga, Mr Joseph Kingi and Mr Abu Chiaba and MPs Mr Gonzi Rai, Mr Harrison Kombe and Mr Abdalla Ngozi.

Mwaboza, the Kisauni MP, said he did not recognise the elections backed by Assistant minister Mr Danson Mungatana, saying Coast leaders must reach a consensus on the polls.
Ironically, Mungatana is the man who campaigned for Mwaboza in the 2004 by-election occasioned by the death of then Tourism minister Karisa Maitha, which he won.
The differences between Mwakwere and Mungatana can be traced to the Magarini by-election, when the two sharply differed over the nomination of a candidate.
"We have the numbers and we will ensure Mungatana is out of Narc-Kenya," Mwakwere vowed, asserting that he spoke for all Coast communities.
Mungatana has since been elected unopposed as the Garsen branch chairman.
Election machine ready

Other Assistant ministers who romped home in elections held at the weekend are Mr Kalembe Ndile, Mr Stephen Tarus and Mr Mwangi Kiunjuri.
Katuku, who was elected Mwala branch chairman, said the grassroots elections would create a powerful election machine for President Kibaki’s re-election.
Said he: "We now have people campaigning for President Kibaki at the polling station level. We are setting up a powerful election machine that will deliver a landslide win."
Katuku is one of the eight Narc-Kenya vice-chairmen picked by Vice-President Moody Awori in an expanded National Executive Committee list last month.
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