By Miguna Miguna. Advisor To The Kenyan Prime Minister.

William Ruto is a spoilt brat with a laser sharp tongue. He is also a cry baby. In another life, he would have made an excellent second-hand car salesman. Ruto changes colour more frequently and far better than a chameleon. At university, he sang his lungs out at the Christian Union Choir. That's before he discovered that
such talent was cherished by the Moi-Kanu dictatorship.

Turning his vocal cords to the Kanu tingiza song, Ruto became a choirmaster. Together with other YK'92 goons, he cultivated a reputation as a ruthlessly efficient operator. Whether it was mobilizing for the 1988 mlolongo farcical elections or using the crisp Sh500 notes, Ruto proved to be a cut above the rest.

In the process, he made loads of millions without breaking a sweat. Using such means in North America would have easily landed someone in jail. But this is Kenya. So, Ruto quickly graduated into national politics. The YK'92 skills he perfected, the millions he minted and political connections certainly paid off. He quickly scaled the heights of power and became a cabinet minister. He then felt entitled.

Many have credited Ruto's sharp and forked tongue for the steep rise. Others have said it is due to the efficient ruthlessness and chameleon traits. Recently, the unhinged tongue has been doing battle with all kinds of imaginary enemies: Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the ICC, the Kenya National Human Rights Commission, Hassan Omar, Justice Philip Waki, Kofi Annan, Raila Odinga, ODM - name it.

It's difficult to determine the precise nature of Ruto's 'grievances'. His allegations tend to shift depending on the environment and audience. The local press gives acres of coverage to Ruto. Some say he 'buys' coverage. While I can't confirm or deny those claims, it is true that the Kenyan press follow Ruto's antics with an unprecedented keenness. It's probably because controversy sells.

Recently, a major newspaper reported that Ruto had written to the President, demanding reappointment into the cabinet. He claimed that he had been suspended due to a criminal case that had ended in his 'acquittal'. And because 'he has no outstanding criminal cases before the courts', he deserves to be reappointed into cabinet. The letter was copied to the Prime Minister. Predictably, Keriako Tobiko and Amos Wako have 'confirmed' that 'Ruto faces no criminal charges'.

That's deceptive. Ruto was acquitted primarily because he had given a job to a star prosecution witness. The witness 'decided' not to testify against Ruto. In functioning judicial systems, Ruto and the witness would have been promptly charged with obstruction.

Not surprisingly, Tobiko, Wako and Ruto conveniently omitted to mention the serious charges Ruto is facing at the ICC. Apparently, to them, the ICC isn't a court. They don't consider mass murder, torture, rape and displacement of civilians 'criminal' in nature. The trio thinks the ICC proceedings are 'wedding processions' that lead directly to Ruto's and Uhuru Kenyatta's joint 'coronation' in 2012. It's difficult to understand how two people would become president in one election; not unless they are planning something sinister!
Such thoughts are only possible in failed or narco-states.
Ruto remains an ODM MP. But you wouldn't know that from the way he speaks and acts. He votes against ODM positions in parliament. He publicly and regularly attacks his party leader. He has repeatedly declared to have decamped to UDM, whose interests he is busy promoting while undermining ODM. Ruto has also announced that he is recruiting new members for UDM even though there is pending court case over the party 'ownership'. That's contempt of court. In any other democracy, Ruto would no longer be an MP; leave alone demanding to returned to cabinet.

He knows that the Political Parties Act and the Constitution don't allow him to be in two political parties at the same time. If he has joined or 'taken over' the UDM as many newspapers have reported, the law requires him to resign from ODM and forfeit his parliamentary seat. Because he has refused to resign, the Registrar of Political Parties should petition the Speaker of the National Assembly to declare the Eldoret North seat vacant. In other words, Ruto ceased being an MP from the moment he started promoting the interests and principles of a political party other than the one that sponsored him to parliament.

This is not about Ruto's freedom of association. It is about the principles of multiparty democracy, the rule of law and constitutionalism. The Constitution guarantees everyone freedom of expression and association, provided that they don't violate the Constitution. Our freedoms are not unfettered. We aren't allowed to belong to more than one political party at the same time. Although we are allowed to change parties, there are rules governing how and when that may occur. One is required to have been a member of a party at least six months prior to elections. Similarly, the Constitution bars 'appointed state officers' from participating in active electoral politics. These rules guarantee order, discipline and stability in a democracy.

Ruto was appointed a cabinet minister by Raila Odinga. He is aware that the National Accord does not give the President power to appoint, shuffle, replace or reappoint ministers for the PM. Constitutionally, the President can only appoint, suspend, shuffle or dismiss PNU ministers. Similarly, the PM can only appoint, suspend, shuffle or dismiss ODM ministers. The cabinet isn't Ruto'sKosgei.

The country needs reminding that this is a grand coalition government and neither party nor principal can govern alone without the other. And that includes all new appointments under the Constitution!
The writer is the Prime Minister's advisor for coalition affairs. The views expressed here are his ownCareer Point Admin Comment. This guy is paid a salary from your taxes. Whether its true or not on whats he's written about Ruto, don't we have more pressing problems to write about than focusing on one man. 

Terms of Reference

Baseline Survey for Child Rights Governance Project in Somaliland

1. Introduction

Somaliland broke away from main Somalia during the country’s civil war in the 1990s. It has a young government that is struggling to maintain a fledgling piece and the country’s young democracy.

Somaliland has yet to be recognised by the international community, and the country has continued to suffer from huge capacity gaps at all levels of governance, civil society and the maintenance of human rights.

Majority of the children who survive are denied their rights and they suffer various forms of rights violations, abuse and neglect perpetrated by both state party actors and community individuals, including family members and traditional leaders.

Some entrenched negative traditional practices tacitly sanction certain violations as a norm.

For example, female genital mutilation and marrying off girls as young as fourteen years is customary, even if it means terminating their education. Children’s opinions have no space.

The situation requires external support since the government clearly lacks the technical capacity to raise awareness on the issue of rights and to promote the agenda of child participation.

Most of the issues stated above were vividly analysed in the Save the Children Alliance and UNICEF Child Rights Situation Analysis in 2003, and in a recent CRSA exercise (2010) commissioned by Save the Children, UNICEF, SOS ADRA, CESVI and other actors including the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs.

These reports, past experiences and the results of consultations with a wide range of stakeholders including children themselves have informed the SCiSom programme strategy planning over the years, and shall inform the implementation of the Child Rights Governance project.

2. Child Rights Governance project

“Space for Children’s Voice” project (2011-2013) seeks to enhance the realization of all children’s rights in Somaliland. The project’s primarily focuses on improving governance through strengthening civil society and child participation.

The indicators in the project logical framework closely follow Save the Children International Global Indicators for Child Rights Governance and Child Participation. The project is financed by the Finland Ministry for Foreign Affairs through Save the Children Finland.

Expected outcomes and outputs of the programme:

I. Children influence decisions affecting their lives in the project target areas.

Output 1: Active child rights groups and children’s forums in project target areasOutput 2: Child rights groups have improved life skills and educate their peersOutput 3: Local governance structures incorporate child participationOutput 4: Children have capacity to advocate for their rightsII. Active civil society in support of child rights.
Output 5: Networks of child rights organisations established/strengthened and functionalOutput 6: Improved capacity of civil society to support the realisation of children’s rights3. Purpose and Objective of the Consultancy

The purpose of the consultancy is to generate comprehensive information on the current situation on child rights governance as per the project indicators in the project’s implementation locations in Hargeisa, Berbera and Borama in Somaliland.

The baseline should provide empirical evidence on project specific indicators and benchmarks for monitoring and evaluation. It is hoped that this information will inform child participation in the above stated regions and support Child Rights Governance (CRG) and the project team and the management to understand and monitor the progress and results of their child rights interventions in the regions.

Objective: To assess the situation of child rights to participation, child rights governance and the previous work on child rights governance and child participation and generate baseline data that will set benchmarks for the project take off and provide the overall direction for the Child Rights Governance project.

The specific objectives of the consultancy are to:

1. Generate baseline data that will set benchmarks and milestones in order to provide an analysis from the data collected to inform implementation of the CRG project and to better monitor and measure progress achieved through its child rights and child participation (CP) interventions in the targeted regions.

2. Produce contextually relevant set of CRG monitoring tools for use by SC in Somaliland.

3. Impart CP/CRG project staff and partners participating in the baseline survey with relevant skills in monitoring, collecting and analyzing data and effectively reporting. This will be gained through training and working together with staff and partners during the consultancy.

4. Scope of Work

The baseline survey will therefore focus on generating relevant data in the locations stated, with specific emphasis on baseline information relevant to the objectives, targets and indicators of the CRG interventions and the proposed strategies in the project document.

The consultant will be expected to undertake the following tasks:

Participate in briefing and consultative meetings on the assignment at Nairobi and in the field.Familiarize with the local child participation context, the CRG Country Plans, and the CRG projects implemented by SCiSom in Somaliland.Design the baseline survey tools based on the CRG project plan, project monitoring plan, CRG log frame indicators and the projects’ M&E requirements and share with SCISOM for approval.Advise on the need of revising and/or specifying the project indicators in the monitoring plan.Design and deliver a one day training for the CRG project staff, partners and field researchers on key aspects of the baseline survey including how data will be collected (process, methods, and tools), analyzed, interpreted, and reported.Constitute the survey team (staff, partners and others).Set off the survey team to pre-test and refine the data collection tools and to collect required data.Collect data from the identified target persons/groups by administering the tools in the three target areas and at the national level.Make an analysis of the baseline data (jointly with selected CRG/CP project staff and partners – for learning purposes).Facilitate a validation workshop for the outcome survey report and input the feedbackDebrief CRG/CP Programme management (including partners) and the respective staff from the Ministry of Labour (MOLSA) on the process and preliminary findings of the consultancy.Prepare and submit comprehensive report of the baseline survey in soft and hard copies to Save the Children.5. Deliverables

The following are the key deliverables for the evaluation process;

Detailed baseline survey design and implementation plan agreed with the SCiSom and partners.Detailed and comprehensive baseline survey tools to be used in capturing the required information in all the project locations. The tools should be discussed and agreed at the project level before utilization and thereafter be annexed to the baseline survey report.Orientation/ training of the CP/CRG project staff (and partners participating in the survey). The baseline survey tools will be discussed and finalized during this workshop.Comprehensive draft and final baseline survey reports. Data on the indicators listed in the CRG project log frame and M&E plan, among others identified by the consultant and the CRG project team should be covered and reported on.Report of a validation workshop in HargeisaThe three hard copies of the final report and a soft copy in CD-ROM to SC officeThe consultant will submit the final report, 2 weeks after receiving consolidated comments from SCISOM.

The Program Manager will approve the report if it meets organizational minimum standards.

The report should be between 30-40 pages (excluding the annexes) and should contain relevant parts such as an executive summary, findings per each project indicator, lessons learnt, recommendations and annexes.

6. Time Frame

The entire exercise will take 19 days on June 10th – 28th, 2011.

SN: 1
Activity: Briefing and Document review
# of Days: 2
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 2
Activity: Development of the baseline survey tools
# of Days: 2
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 3
Activity: Training/orientation of project staff & partners
# of Days: 1
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 4
Activity: Pre-testing/revision of the tools
# of Days: 1
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 5
Activity: Fieldwork
# of Days: 7
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 6
Activity: Data analysis & report writing
# of Days: 2
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 7
Activity: Validation & debriefing meeting
# of Days: 1
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 8
Activity: Preparation and submission of first draft Baseline Survey Report
# of Days: 1
Responsible person: Consultant

SN: 9
Activity: Travels between Nairobi and Hargeisa
# of Days: 2
Responsible person: Consultant

Total: 19 days

Support Available: Save the Children will

Coordinate meetings and workshopsAssign one project officer to support the consultantEnsure prompt payment of professional fee and other costs arising from the contract;Provide logistical support (transport, accommodation, food, etc during the assignment)Provide guidance and support during the exerciseComment on the draft reportTerms and Conditions Logistics:

The consultant’s travel from base to the field and back after the end of the contract (including airport tax), food, and accommodation will be covered by Save the Children (if the consultant is hired form outside Somaliland).

Professional fee: The consultant will come up with his/her own rate as part of the financial proposal. However, SC will be guided by the daily rates as provided for under its finance and consultancy policy

Tax and insurance: The consultant shall be responsible for his/her income tax and/or insurance during the assignment.

Code of conduct: Because Save the Children's work is based on deeply held values and principles, it is essential that our commitment to children's rights and humanitarian principles is supported and demonstrated by all members of staff.

Save the Children's Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.

The consultant is bound by the principles and conditions of Save the Children’s Code of Conduct (This includes Child Safeguarding Policy, Fraud and Dishonesty Policy, Anti-Terrorism, Anti-Corruption. A contract will be signed by the consultant before commencement of the action.

The contract will detail terms and conditions of service, aspects on inputs and deliverables.

Location: The consultancy will take place in Hargeisa, Berbera and Borama in Somaliland.

Application Requirements:

All expressions of interest should include: Cover letter: A short (maximum three pages) letter addressing the base line criteria.

Technical Proposal: brief explanation about the Consultant with particular emphasis on the previous experience in this kind of work; profile of the Consultant, understanding of the TOR, the task to be accomplished as well as base line analysis framework and plan.

Financial Proposal: The financial proposal should provide cost estimates for services rendered including daily consultancy fees excluding: accommodation and costs of living; transport cost; stationeries, and supplies needed for training and costs related to the participants during the exercise.

Expertise Required

The following attributes are required for the selection of the Baseline Analyst:

Postgraduate qualifications in social sciences or another discipline relevant to this assignment with a minimum of 5 years work experience.Competent and experienced researcher including in designing and conducting baseline surveys.Knowledge and experience of using participatory methodologies in child rights work in a developing country context.Excellent report writing skillsExperience of working in post conflict contextsKnowledge of Child rights Governance and Child Participation frameworksKnowledge of Somali culture and the social political dimensions of CRG & CPInterested and eligible applicants can send copies of their CVs, testimonials and at least two copies of reports of similar work, Technical proposal and Financial proposal to:

Applications should be forwarded to;

Human Resources Manager
Save the Children Somalia/Somaliland
email: vacancies@scsom.org

Latest date for receiving applications is 6th June 2011.

Please quote kenyanjobs.blogspot.com as the source of the job advert

Congratulations… you got a new job offer that you like! Then, when you went back to give notice to your current employer they said: “Hey wait! We don’t want to lose you, we’ll add you a few thousands or give you that promotion!”

Great news… right?

Maybe… but probably not!

More money always sounds nice… but here are some things to consider before accepting that counter-offer and staying at your current company…

Why were you willing to interview in the first place? Although it’s not necessarily a bad thing to consider other opportunities that may be available to you, people that are fulfilled in their current job rarely take the time to interview for something else. The prospect of more money can be attractive, however, overall job satisfaction is rarely a function of someone’s salary. Getting a significant raise in your current job is not likely to address the other reasons you were open to interviewing for a new position in the first place. The culture hasn’t changed, your boss hasn’t changed, the job responsibilities haven’t changed, your co-workers haven’t changed, the stress, hours, and expectations haven’t changed… so will the extra money really improve your situation? Not likely!

Statistically, you’re doomed! Depending on which research you believe, somewhere between 50% and 80% of people that accept a counter-offer from their current employer, are no longer employed at that company within 6 months! There are a number of reasons for this, including:

Un-kept promises by the employer made in the counter-offerCareer growth is hampered because the employer now questions your loyaltyGreater frustration at things that haven’t changedIncreased rivalry with peers due to them seeing you getting a better dealNew projects or opportunities are withheld because your commitment is in question…and many others

Your employer made a counter-offer only to buy time to create a better transition. When an employee submits an unexpected resignation, an employer often panics, wondering how they will get projects and deadlines met while they are short a person. Finding, hiring, and training a new employee takes time and things can fall behind in the meantime. The quickest, easiest, and usually most cost-effective solution is to offer more money for the existing person to stay until a smoother transition can be made.

Employers know the statistics of people that accept counter-offers as well, and know it’s not likely the person will stay long. However, by making the offer, and keeping the person for a while longer, they can plan a transition that will keep things from falling behind. No matter how much they value you as an employee, they now know you are dissatisfied in your job and a great flight risk in the near term. They no longer view you as a long-term employee, but as someone they need to keep only until they can figure out their “Plan B”.

Although a counter-offer may feel flattering, and look attractive on paper, it virtually never makes sense to accept it. Once you’ve come to a point that you decide to accept another job, the best path for your career is to follow through regardless of what your current employer may offer. Ultimately, your career will benefit.

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A friend of mine recently left his position at an IT company to start his own business. He has 15 years of excellent work experience, including 10 years of managing others, and an MBA. His former job is now advertised online,and over the week I met a woman who had applied for it.

This woman was unhappy with her current company and had noticed that my friend’s former position paid really well. Interestingly, she failed to notice much else about it.

I talked to this woman about the position opening at length, and was surprised to realize that she had barely read the job description before deciding to apply. She told me about her previous work experience, which was only vaguely related to the requirements of the advertised job. She was stunned when I told her that the position required managing a department of 10 people, and then it started to sink in that her lack of supervisory experience might hurt her chances of getting the job.

She also mentioned that the opening had asked that applicants have knowledge of a specific online database system. She then asked me the most surprising question of all: “Do you think they’re really serious about only hiring someone who has experience with that system?”

At this point, I couldn’t help but feel sorry for this woman. So I will offer you the same advice that I gave her. There are dozens of candidates applying for most open positions these days. Believe me or not a simple Daily Nation advert will attract no less than 600 applications and for some professions this can run to thousands. The worst are those that require applications to be sent via email. HR managers have testified to receiving over 3,000 job applications for a single position.

Kenyan HR managers will tell you that one of their main job duties is “shortlisting” these applications into a small pool of qualified applicants—in other words, disqualifying everyone they can in order to whittle the list down to only the best candidates for each job.

Many times, companies find themselves ruling out perfectly qualified candidates simply because they have too many from which to choose. With this in mind, please do yourself the favor of not applying for jobs if you’re just not qualified.

Serious employers purposely write their job descriptions in order to attract candidates who are a good match. If the ad says they’re looking for X, Y, and Z qualifications or experience, I can guarantee you one thing: Yes, they really mean it!

Those in HR or management, is this the case?

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