Thursday, January 03, 2008

Pakistan, Kenya &

"The ruling elites are concerned that anger over the assassination will take on broader political aims including demands for genuine democratic reform and improved living standards. The political crisis has already impacted on the economy with the Karachi Stock Exchange benchmark 100-share index slumping by 9.6 percent since Monday amid warnings that investors will pull out of Pakistan. Any economic decline will only exacerbate the deep social divide between rich and poor—one third of the population lives below the poverty line of less than $US1 a day. Prices for some essential items, such as vegetables, doubled over the past week amid fears of a transport breakdown and shortages."
THe transport problems and price hike is the one caught my eye in this article. The prices doubling over is worrying. And a very basic food item which grows in your back yard. So, in a country like Pakistan how can that happen. That is due to vegetables not been transported to the markets on time. Read more here.

"The Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki families are among the three richest in Kenya and have dominated Kenyan politics since independence. According to Africa Confidential, there is talk of a secret succession pact in which Uhuru would take over from Kibaki in 2012. Odinga has been able to appeal for support among sections of the ruling class excluded from this narrow circle around Moi."

Do I see a similarity in the two country systems? This is about the democracy forworded by the WEst (WE in the west) in Kenya. The British were routed out of Kenya in 1963. It was Jomo Kenyatta who became the first President in the new independant state. He was a member of Kikuyu people, who are about 22% of Kenya's total population. Just a local boy whose grandfather was the medicine man of the tribe. To be contd


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