WHEREAS, John Anthony Kaiser, MHM, of the St. Joseph's Missionary Society, also known as the Mill Hill, was a priest for 36 years; AND
WHEREAS, having attended and received a degree from Saint Louis University, Fr. Kaiser received his First Degree at Bishop John N. Wurn Council, formerly Clayton Harty University City Council, in 1973 while parochial vicar at All Souls parish in Overland, and remained a member of the Missouri Knights of Columbus for 27 years, AND
WHEREAS, Fr. Kaiser, while serving since his ordination as a Missionary in Kenya, fought tirelessly for the human rights of his parishioners and for all Kenyans, including bringing the attention of the world to the mistreatment of internally displaced Kenyans in a camp at Maela through his testimony before the Akiwumi Commission; and in another incident, finding assistance for a number of young girls in his parish who were alleged victims of sexual abuse, which allowed at least one of them to keep her baby and avoid an abortion; AND
WHEREAS, Fr. Kaiser was the recipient of numerous awards for his human rights work, including the Human Rights Award from the Law Society of Kenya, an award subsequently renamed in Fr. Kaiser's honor; and the Milele Lifetime Achievement Award, received posthumously, from the Kenyan National Human Rights Commission; AND
WHEREAS, Fr. Kaiser was found dead on August 23, 2000; and on August 1, 2007, a Kenyan court found that Fr. Kaiser had been murdered by unknown assailants; AND
WHEREAS, the Most Rev. Giovanni Tonnucci, former Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Kenya called Fr. Kaiser's death "a religious assassination," and Fr. Kaiser himself "a martyr;" and the United States Congress agreed by adopting a resolution in its 106th session, twice referring to Fr. Kaiser's death as an "assassination;"
RESOLVED, THAT the Missouri State Council continue to use its resources to tell the story of Fr. Kaiser's dedication to human rights and heroic service to his parishioners, and of his murder; AND
RESOLVED, THAT the Missouri State Council of the Knights of Columbus encourage all of its members to annually set aside August 23 as a remembrance to our deceased brother Knight and priest; AND
RESOLVED, THAT copies of this resolution be forwarded by the State Secretary to Mrs. Carolita Mahoney, Fr. Kaiser's sister and next of kin; to Fr. Hans Boerakker, archivist for the St. Joseph's Missionary Society; to Bro. Eugene Hippe, State Deputy of Minnesota, Fr. Kaiser's home state; and to the Supreme Council for their consideration.
Saturday, June 07, 2008
Wednesday, June 04, 2008
Kenya elections
ODM alleges plot to rig polls
Story by NATION TEAM
Publication Date: 6/4/2008
ODM Tuesday claimed that an elaborate scheme had been hatched to rig the Kilgoris by-election in favour of the PNU candidate.
According to the party headquarters, the rigging scheme involves the use of incitement, tampering with the by-election result forms and deliberate delay of the voting process to ensure only a few voters took part, especially in Kirindon, Lolgorien and Pirrar divisions.
The latter, said ODM secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o, was meant to frustrate voters and provoke them to violence.
“Police will then move in and poll officials will leave the venue pretending to be under threat,” claimed the ODM official.
ECK, however, dismissed the claims as baseless.
Chairman Samuel Kivuitu said it was untrue that ECK was training officers to falsify results in the June 11 by-election.
The presiding officers, their deputies and polling/counting clerks, the chairman said, were recruited on merit “and not on basis of party or ethnic affiliation.”
“The 344 POs and DPOs have been trained at Maranatha Catholic Church Hall in Kilgoris Town while the 688 polling/counting clerks will be trained at three venues; Fr Kaiser Hall in Lolgorian, Abosi Catholic Church Hall and Maranatha,” Mr Kivuitu said in a statement released in Nairobi last evening.
Prof Nyong’o told the press at Orange House that the party’s intelligence team found that the returning officer and election coordinator had drawn a special list of about 20 presiding officers and their deputies from communities perceived to be friendly to PNU, to aid rigging.
He claimed the presiding officers had been undergoing secret training at Shade Hotel in Ngong, where they are being lectured on how to facilitate rigging. The lecturers are allegedly being led by three ECK commissioners.
Some of the polling centres said to be targeted include Angata Barigoi, Kapsasian, Ololmasani, Emurwa Dikkir, Ilkerin, Njibiship, Mogondo, Chemamit, Kapueria, Murkan, Chebulu and Kapolecho.
Mr Kivuitu, who has been highly criticised in some quarters over ECK’s handling of last year’s General Election, said two commissioners from Kilgoris were in the area to monitor the polls. ECK would also accredit local and international observers and journalists for the elections, he said.
Campaign team
And the Party of National Unity was Tuesday asked to form a team to pitch tent in Embakasi and campaign for their candidate, Mr Ferdinard Waititu.
“ODM has already started their campaign and so we also need a campaign team from our party,” Mr Waititu told Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua.
He asked Ms Karua to lead the team.
PNU is yet to form a campaign team to drum up support for its candidates in the five parliamentary by-elections.
By-elections are being held in Embakasi, Emuhaya, Ainamoi, Wajir North and Kilgoris as well as in 52 civic wards.
Reported by Caroline Wafula, Muchemi Wachira and Lucas Barasa
Story by NATION TEAM
Publication Date: 6/4/2008
ODM Tuesday claimed that an elaborate scheme had been hatched to rig the Kilgoris by-election in favour of the PNU candidate.
According to the party headquarters, the rigging scheme involves the use of incitement, tampering with the by-election result forms and deliberate delay of the voting process to ensure only a few voters took part, especially in Kirindon, Lolgorien and Pirrar divisions.
The latter, said ODM secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o, was meant to frustrate voters and provoke them to violence.
“Police will then move in and poll officials will leave the venue pretending to be under threat,” claimed the ODM official.
ECK, however, dismissed the claims as baseless.
Chairman Samuel Kivuitu said it was untrue that ECK was training officers to falsify results in the June 11 by-election.
The presiding officers, their deputies and polling/counting clerks, the chairman said, were recruited on merit “and not on basis of party or ethnic affiliation.”
“The 344 POs and DPOs have been trained at Maranatha Catholic Church Hall in Kilgoris Town while the 688 polling/counting clerks will be trained at three venues; Fr Kaiser Hall in Lolgorian, Abosi Catholic Church Hall and Maranatha,” Mr Kivuitu said in a statement released in Nairobi last evening.
Prof Nyong’o told the press at Orange House that the party’s intelligence team found that the returning officer and election coordinator had drawn a special list of about 20 presiding officers and their deputies from communities perceived to be friendly to PNU, to aid rigging.
He claimed the presiding officers had been undergoing secret training at Shade Hotel in Ngong, where they are being lectured on how to facilitate rigging. The lecturers are allegedly being led by three ECK commissioners.
Some of the polling centres said to be targeted include Angata Barigoi, Kapsasian, Ololmasani, Emurwa Dikkir, Ilkerin, Njibiship, Mogondo, Chemamit, Kapueria, Murkan, Chebulu and Kapolecho.
Mr Kivuitu, who has been highly criticised in some quarters over ECK’s handling of last year’s General Election, said two commissioners from Kilgoris were in the area to monitor the polls. ECK would also accredit local and international observers and journalists for the elections, he said.
Campaign team
And the Party of National Unity was Tuesday asked to form a team to pitch tent in Embakasi and campaign for their candidate, Mr Ferdinard Waititu.
“ODM has already started their campaign and so we also need a campaign team from our party,” Mr Waititu told Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs minister Martha Karua.
He asked Ms Karua to lead the team.
PNU is yet to form a campaign team to drum up support for its candidates in the five parliamentary by-elections.
By-elections are being held in Embakasi, Emuhaya, Ainamoi, Wajir North and Kilgoris as well as in 52 civic wards.
Reported by Caroline Wafula, Muchemi Wachira and Lucas Barasa
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