March 22, 2006

Tourism (2) Peter has a Ferrari red Trabant

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This Ferrari red Trabant has a happy second life at the coast in Mombasa. Peter is the proud driver/owner. He gets a lot of tourists among his customers. But the engine is not as healthy as Peter wishes it would be. Luckily, Peter found a new engine for his Trabant on the internet. He has only one problem: the Kenyan government is asking him more tax than the new engine will cost him. So Peter has to be patient.
March 22, 2006

Tourism (1) Night birds of Mombasa

They come from every where. Hoping to full fill their dreams. You will find them flying out at nighttime, visiting the steamy bars of Mombasa. Flirting with Germans, Italians, Dutch old and young men. Giving the men what they are longing for. At daytime, they send their fruits up country. To brothers going to college, sisters maybe, mothers in need. A little left over they have to spend to keep their feathers shining in saloons as this one. One day, they will fly out, with shiny feathers, to the future of their dreams.
March 5, 2006

James T. Morris (WFP): More food assistance needed in Kenya to avoid worse (Podcast)

Just visited a press conference of World Food Programm. James T.Morris executive director of the WFP is just back from a tour through the region. “I have seen many bad situations.” Morris was not able to visit Somalia because of security reasons and praised the Kenyan government and thanked them for their excellent cooperation. So far Kenyan government has distributed 60.000 tons of mais and rice, but more is needed. Kenyans are complaing about the fact that the there are stocks of food in the Western part of their country, but accoording to Morris is that not enough. The 60.000 tons of rice and mais is enough for march and april. WFP needs 189 million usdollar for the finacing of logistics and food for the coming months. Listen top part of the press conference (MP3) here. Press Conference James T.
March 4, 2006

Beautiful(l) Girl (Podcast)

Africa is full of beautiful girls. Elsewhere in the world they would have had good jobs, equal rights and chances. Reality here is that a lot of girls are living just to survive, often with a kid, no parents and a husband or father who has left. The stories behind the beautiful faces of Africa are often very said. But they survive, somehow. Beautiful Girl (MP3)
March 4, 2006

Shell Durban is going to replace pipeline (Podcast)

I visited South Africa last december for reports on the Shell/BP refinery SAPREF in surf city Durban. Doing a report for the series “Forgotten stories” broadcast by public broadcast organisation Llink in Netherlands. Local people have more than average astma there and are complaining about the flaring, burning of poisonous gas. Last week Shell/BP made a statement in which they said they are going to renew the pipeline that runs through the domestic area. Report in Dutch/English with local South African Musicians Shell refinery in Durban (MP3)
March 4, 2006

Maputo weddings (Podcast)

On a trip last year, bumped into a weddingparty in Maputo. In Mozambique people are marrying on saturdays. Near the parc photographers with good old camera’s are offering their services to the fresh couples. Other Mozambiquans are selling soda’s and making hamburgers. Young and happy people are arriving in cars, followed by their singing families. Sometime singing families meet on the way. Maputo Weddings at the Parc (MP3)
March 2, 2006

CEO of raided Standard Group Mshindi: "…angry and surprised"

Reporting in local media on the raid on KTN and The Standard is going on. This morning the board of directors (picture) gave a press conference (click here for Windows Media file, streaming comment of an angry Group CEO Paul Mshindi (right on picture and Paul Mely (Group Deputy Chairman). Standard and Nation Dailies came with extra editions on the raids this morning and afternoon. KTN is on air again and everybody is having his say including opposition leader Uhuru Kenyatta who said that this act by the Kenyan government is putting back Kenya two decades into time, thereby indirectly critisizing his former leader Daniel Arap Moi. Others like the responsable Minister of Security Muchucki uses the words: “If you rattle a snake, you should expect to be bitten”, where as his colleague Minister of Information repeated that he is
March 2, 2006

Kenyan Newspaper Standard raided by police last night

At around 1 a.m. last night, printing presses and and editorial rooms of Kenya’s leading television station KTN and privately owned newspaper The Standard were raided by armed man. Printing presses were damaged and the complete edition of tens of thousands of newspapers were burned. The complete program was taken and computers were taken. Nobody until now has claimed any responsibility. The attack came as a surprise according to the management team of the The Standard Group, that just gave a press Statement. Last week three Standard-journalists were jailed because of an story about a meeting between president Kibaki and a Kalonzo Musyoka. The three journalists were jailed because the story was alleged not to be true.