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Concern in Kenya over the cost of Somalia operation grows
Stephen Mutoro, an official of the Consumer Federation of Kenya, says the country should brace itself for hard economic times.
“Locally we are going to borrow from the private sector which is going to make it very difficult for the economy because when government is borrowing from the banks, the banks find it very difficult to deal with individuals,” Mutoro said.
Mutoro said there was little preparation for the military mission in Somalia and that’s why the government is now sending officials to Israel, the Middle East and Europe to ask for financial support.
Maina Kiai, a Kenyan lawyer and human rights activist, said the government violated the constitution by choosing to bypass parliamentary approval for the military operation in Somalia. Such a move removes oversight of how the funds are being used.
“Parliament needs to approve (the military incursion), as war always cost more money than is in the budget,” Kiai said. “It also helps transparency in these situations, where it is proven the world over to be an easy source of corruption and pilfering,” he said.
Oburu Odinga, the deputy finance minister, told parliament this week that the government will relocate surplus money from different government ministries to fund the operation in Somalia. He said that the government will seek parliamentary approval later.
Muga K’Olale, the secretary general of the University Academic Staff Union that launched the lecturers strike, said they’ve been demanding a salary review for two years. The military operation in Somalia cannot be an excuse now not to raise salaries, he said.
On Thursday, the lecturers agreed to postpone their weeklong strike to allow for negotiations. Students just want them to get paid, so they can sit for exams, graduate and find jobs.
“This issue of al-Shabaab is a security concern, so whatever the government did is good, said Babu Owino, the chairman of the Kenya Universities Students’ Association. “But on other hand it should also pay the lecturers so that things can resume. … It is really wasting the time of the students.”
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.
