Kenyatta was a land grabber, says PS Angote

By Beauttah Omanga, July 31 2008
A Permanent Secretary re-opened the highly emotive land issue and heaped blame on the Kenyatta regime for the problems bedeviling Kenyans today.

Lands PS Dorothy Angote accused founding President Jomo Kenyatta and senior members of his Government of allocating huge chunks of land to undeserving individuals at the expense of landless Kenyans.

Angote spoke on Thursday shortly after Deputy Prime Minister, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta, was interviewed by BBC TV in London and asked to comment, among other things, on land issues. But Uhuru avoided being drawn into the question by BBC TV Hard Talk anchor Stephen Sackur. More>>>

Marende reprimands Kimunya

By Bernard Namunane, July 31 2008
Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya was on Thursday chastised by Parliament for seeking to absolve himself from the controversial Grand Regency Hotel sale at a public rally. He was censured for demeaning the integrity of Speaker Kenneth Marende, referring to the House in a contemptuous manner, taking debate on the hotel to a public rally in defiance of the Speaker’s ruling, and using inappropriate language not befitting of MPs. However, Mr Kimunya escaped being dragged before the House committee on Powers and Privileges which has the power to deliver severe judgment. More>>>

Cabinet directs end to schools crisis

By Lucas Barasa, July 31 2008
The Cabinet has ordered the Education Ministry to work with boards' of governors, parents and teacher associations and students to enforce discipline and restore calm among students following weeks of unrest in schools. More>>>

14 Kenyans probed over fake US degrees

By Samuel Otieno, July 30 2008
Fourteen Kenyans are among 10,000 people being investigated by security agencies in the US for buying fake degree certificates with which they have acquired key jobs, including in the military. The Kenyans under investigation, alongside other foreigners, are now staring at long jail terms if found guilty, deportation or humiliation among peers and family when they return home. In total, the suspects being investigated spent a staggering Sh500 million ($7.3m) to acquire the fake documents.

The Kenyans under investigations are Amunga Justus Mully, who bought an MBA, Aseno George Onyango (BA), Gitau Patrick W (BA), Kirusara Mwandi Patrick (BA), a Mohammed (BA) and Muriithi Andrew Njeru (BA). Others are Oluchiri George (DBA), Omollo Joseph Odindo (BBA), Omukaba Martin (BS), Omukuenyi Hassan Nathan (BS), Omuluba Martin (BS), Ongunya Vitalis Omanyo (BBA), Oyer Omoro William (BBA) and Wachira Jenard Leo (MBA).

The revelations put the Commission for Higher Education (CHE) on high alert and it told employers to be on the lookout over the influx of foreign degree certificates. Thousands of other Kenyans holding fake degrees have since joined plum jobs back home where they are unfairly edging out competent, locally trained employees. The certificates, acquired from what are popularly referred to as ‘diploma mills’ in the US, have since landed the fake degree holders on lucrative jobs in America and other postings abroad. Others have been propelled to promotions in their respective places of work. More>>>

Army leaves Mt Elgon

By our correspondent, July 31 2008
The military has begun withdrawing from Mt Elgon after an internal report absolved them from claims of torture, rape and other human rights abuses. More police officers will be deployed in the area to beef up security as the army withdraws from active operations, Internal Security minister George Saitoti said.

The military has been in the operation in the last four months to help other security agencies in routing out the Sabaot Land Defence Force. A report on alleged abuse of human rights by security personnel in the operation in Mt Elgon has absolved them from the accusations. The Commissioner of Police Maj-Gen Hussein Ali said the report compiled by his juniors did not find any evidence on the torture allegations. More>>>

Kisumu prostitute frogmatches client to Police Station

By Winsley Masese, July 31 2008
With Kenyans feeling the squeeze of the tough economic times, a man in Kondele, Kisumu, thought he had used deceit to enjoy free services - only to be accosted by a woman demanding payment. "We spent a cosy Monday night together at a lodging and agreed the payment would be Sh2,000. But he sneaked out without paying," said the woman. However, two days later, on Wednesday, she spotted the runaway man, prompting her to hold on to him and demand her dues. At one point, the man, who looked dazed, nearly escaped, but the determined woman would not let go. More>>>

What's in Zain name?

By our correspondent, July 31 2008
Celtel Kenya is today expected to unveil its new name and identity in line with its mother brand Zain which is a leading mobile telecommunication operator in the Middle East and Africa. The change of identity will start with a re-branding exercise which has already kicked off among most of the Celtel shops locally and is expected to roll out in 14 other countries where the company has operations. More>>>

Women's Fund to be cleaned up

By Edwin Mutai, July 31 2008
THE Government is in the process of reviewing the management of the Sh1 billion Women Enterprise Fund (WEF) that was hurriedly put in place ahead of last year’s general election. Gender and Social Development minister Esther Mathenge told Parliament that the fund requires urgent restructuring to ensure that conditions for channeling funds to women entrepreneurs is friendly, efficient and easily accessible at constituency level. More>>>

Politics gives rise to child prostitution

By KLN and agencies, July 31 2008
This time last year, Janet Kimani spent her days at school and her nights fighting with her little brothers over what to watch on the family's flickering TV set. Now, she sleeps all day and sells her skinny, 14-year-old body at night for $3 an hour. "There are so many of us girls on the streets these days," Janet, dressed in a black miniskirt and white blouse, told The Associated Press in Eldoret, a western Kenya town that was a flashpoint of this year's deadly postelection crisis. More>>>

Five Dutch women raped in Kakamega

By Derek Otieno, KLN, July 30 2008
The Dutch Foreign Ministry has revised its travel advice for visitors to Kenya. It says travellers should be alert for sexual aggression as well as other forms of violence. This advisory throws into a quagmire, the efforts by the coalition government to restore hope in the country and might trigger another wave of advisories, depending on how western countries receive the information.

The warning comes in the wake of the rape of five Dutch women, aged between 17 and 25, on a working holiday in Kenya last Thursday. They were repairing a school in the village of Kakamega in western Kenya when ten men armed with spears entered the school compound and forced everyone into a room, where they were robbed and bound. The five Dutch women were then taken to a separate room and raped.

The women worked for Livingston, an organisation based in the Dutch town of Amersfoort. A representative for the organisation said it was "extremely shocked" by what had happened and that the school project would be stopped immediately. The International Herald Tribune reported yesterday that at least five men have been arrested following the heinous attack on the young Dutch women. The five women were helping build an orphanage and police in the Kakamega confirmed the incident and arrest on Monday. More>>>

Want a bouncer or fitness trainer?

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 31 2008
Muscleman, Mr Geoffrey Mang'ong'o Olianga from Bunyore who has previously won Mr Kericho title in body building competition is for hire as a bouncer in a night club, bar or restaurant.

Or if you are looking for a personal trainer to take care of your excess weight and embark on a fitness program, Mr Olianga is game too. Mr Olianga is due to defend his Mr Kericho Title on 9th September 2008.

If interested, contact Mr Olianga on Email: geoffreymangongo@yahoo.com or write to him using: P.O. Box 413 Kericho.

Mediation talks finally end

The mediated talks formally wound up on Wednesday with calls to Parliament to speed up the adoption of two Bills aimed at jump-starting the stalled constitutional review process. More>>>

School riots: parents to pay for damages

By our correspondent, July 30 2008
Tough conditions have been imposed on students seeking re-admission in schools affected by the recent wave of strikes. Parents will have to pay between Sh2,000 and Sh6,500 per student to cover for the damage caused when students burnt dormitories and destroyed other school property during the protests that rocked more than 300 schools countrywide. In other schools they will have to sign declarations that they will not take prohibited items to school. Personal interviews will be conducted to establish who led the arson attacks in which schools lost millions of shillings in properties. More>>>

Khalwale queries army promotions

By Philip Mulee, July 30 2008
The controversy surrounding promotions and retirements within the Armed Forces found its way on the floor of Parliament yesterday, with Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale demanding for a statement from the Ministry of Defence. Dr Khalwale sought an explanation from Defence Minister Yusuf Hajji on the criteria used by the Defence Council in the recent ranking, promotions and retirement of senior military officers. Khalwale further wants the Defence Minister to clarify whether the rules on military promotions and retirements introduced by retired Chief of General Staff (CGS) Daudi Tonje are still operational.Said he: "The House would want the Minister to clarify whether the Tonje rules met international standards and further clarify if indeed the military is held hostage by corruption, nepotism and tribalism." More>>

Kenya losing fight against HIV

By our correspondents, July 30 2008
The new Aids statistics released Tuesday by the Government are bound to disappoint Kenyans who in the last few years have been made to believe that the virus was on the retreat. A three per cent rise in prevalence rates announcement came as a shock because Kenyans were of the opinion that Aids control agencies had finally found a formula to contain the pandemic. In the last three years Kenya has come in for special praise from global Aids agencies for managing to bring down prevalence rates from a high of 10 per cent in the 1990s to about 7 per cent in 2003 and 5.1 per cent last year. But now according to the 2007 Kenya Aids Indicator Survey (KAIS) prevalence rates in the national population stands at 8 per cent, indicating an almost four point increase. More>>>

Ex Budalang'i MP Wanjala mentioned in love triangle case

By our correspondent, July 30 2008
Former Budalang'i MP, Raphael Wanjala has been mentioned in a case in which a West African embroiled in a love triangle with his Kenyan wife has obtained orders stopping his estranged wife from interfering with his multi-million-shilling estate. Mr Anthony Chinedu Ifedigbo got the court orders on Wednesday against his wife, Ms Joyce Akinyi.

Akinyi told the court the issues raised by Chinedu require evidence in a full trial for the court to determine. In the case, Chinedu wants to safeguard his alleged multi-million-shilling estate. He also wants Akinyi or her agents stopped from interfering with his unregistered grey Hummer H3 and other properties. The businessman further claims former Budalang’i MP Raphael Wanjala, who is a co-respondent in a divorce suit, has been driving the posh vehicle. More>>>

Tourism revenue drops by 32%

By John Oyuke, July 30 2008
The tourism industry lost Sh11 billion in the first half of this year due to effects of post-election violence, the Kenya Tourism Board has said. The board said tourism revenues dropped by 32 per cent to Sh23.12 billion by June compared to Sh34.08 billion estimated earnings registered last year. Chief Executive Ongong’a Achieng said the fluctuation and inconsistency of the dollar and the shilling had a major effect on the performance of the sector during the period. More>>>

Mt Elgon forest to be degazetted

By our correspondent, July 29 2008
The Government will soon de-gazette part of Mt Elgon forest to expand the controversial Chebyuk settlement in Mt Elgon District. Western PC Abdul Mwasserah said the move was part of the reconstruction initiated by the Government after security personnel restored peace. He said various authorities, at the national level, were handling the matter to ensure land allocation controversies do not recur during the scheme’s phase three re-allocations.

Mt Elgon residents defend army operations

By Robert Wanyonyi, July 29 2008
Residents of Mount Elgon District demonstrated against an international human rights group, accusing it of demonising military operations against the Sabaot Lands Defence Force.Angry residents accused the International Human Rights Watch of engaging in a hate campaign against the military.

Waving placards, the residents said the military had curtailed insecurity and restored sanity. On Monday, the right body released a report which indicted the military for gross human rights abuse in Mount Elgon. More>>>

Govt abandons Agenda Four

By our correspondents, July 29 2008
A forlorn figure of chief mediator Prof Oluyemi Adeniji, waiting alone at the Serena Hotel for eight Cabinet ministers who never showed up, was a gloomy indicator that the Government may no longer be interested in the final part of the peace process. Body language of the ministers and other drawbacks that have dogged what is termed Agenda Four showed the process might have stalled. More>>>

Bungoma girls school shut after mysterious fire destroys dorm

By our correspondent, July 29 2008
Over 700 students of Khachonge Girls Secondary in Bungoma were sent home to pave way for investigation after a dormitory was burnt in mysterious circumstances. Area Deputy OCPD George Kaindi said panic gripped the institution after the incident, forcing the administration to close down the school.

Kaindi said students’ personal effects were burnt in the Monday fire. He said police were investigating the cause of the fire. Kaindi said no arrests had been made, so far. The Bungoma incident is part of the current crisis gripping secondary schools across the country with four more schools shut in Nyeri and Kangundo in Ukambani. More>>>

Forget new constitution; it's not in MP's interests

By Peter Opiyo, July 29 2008
Constitutional experts have warned Parliament is unlikely to endorse a new constitution within a year for fear of fresh elections. The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) constitutional committee says a new constitution would also mean the end of the Grand Coalition Government.Consequently, it has presented incremental amendments in two crucial Bills to the Parliamentary Committee on the Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs.

LSK Chairman Okong’o Omogeni said the National Accord and Reconciliation Act says the coalition would not hold once the new constitution is in place. More>>>

Gaddafi resists plans to repossess Grand Regency

By David Ohito, July 29 2008
Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi has sent a stern message to the Kenya Government that the Grand Regency Hotel belongs to his country, despite efforts to repossess it. Gaddafi fought back on a week when investigations that would determine the fate of the sale started taking shape.

The Libyan leader sent a top government delegation with his verbatim message that was read to both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. "The hotel is sold, gone and file closed!" were Gaddafi’s words to Kenya delivered by his right-hand man, Mr Bashir Saleh Bashir, the Libyan Head of Public Service. More>>>

Major General Sasia - highest ranking Luhya in the military

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 30 2008
The retirement of immediate former Armed Forces Training College Commandant (AFTC), Major General Geoffrey Lukale Okanga from Bunyore leaves only one other Luhya of the rank of Major General. He is Major General EM Sasia, currently the director of the National Defence College in Karen, Nairobi. The other high ranking Luhya military personnel include Brigadier Okwaro and Colonel Josphat Bukhala.

Major General Okanga's exit caught many officers and soldiers alike by surprise amid suspicions of nepotism. Okanga, the only key person in the Department of Defence to be sent home, is among 120 other officers of the rank of Major and above who are set to retire.

Danger looms for Kenyans in Tanzania as 100 homes are torched

By Oloo Janak, July 29 2008
More than 100 Kenyan families who settled in Musoma, Tanzania, have been left homeless after their homes were torched in communal violence at the weekend. The Kenyan immigrants from Nandi in the Rift Valley, who have been living in Musoma for decades, had their homes set ablaze on Friday by their Tanzanian hosts over claims of involvement in cattle rustling.

By virtue of their long stay in the country, many have since become Tanzanian citizens. Reports by Tanzanian media indicated that the burning was sparked off by an incident in which 200 livestock, including cattle, goats and sheep, was stolen last week. More>>>

Sh3b CDF money unclaimed

By our correspondents, July 29 2008
Sh3 billion disbursed by the government for Constituency Development Fund (CDF) projects is still lying in accounts uncollected since last December. Planning and National Development and Vision 2030 Minister Wycliffe Oparanya has warned that any constituency that has more than Sh10million in its account will not receive more funds. The minister, who was speaking to CDF committee members in Mombasa, said the government had allocated Sh34.1 billion to local projects. He said his ministry would make constituency strategic plans, as one of the requirements for disbursing funds to ensure there is transparency and accountability. Oparanya noted that one constituency had not used Sh60 million due to a pending court case. More>>>

Sasha in Rocky Monster show

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 29 2008
Sasha Bulimo flanked by her back up group, performing as member of the Superb Music Group at Willen Primary School end of year leaver's variety production dubbed Rocky Monster Show last week. The entertaining one and half hour show is an annual event in which pupils in Year Six put on a production to showcase their acting talents. The show was attended by parents, teachers and board of governors of the Milton Keynes school. To see more of the performance, CLICK HERE.

Body buried after five years

A widow whose body has been in a mortuary for the last five years following a dispute on where she should be buried, could finally be laid to rest. The body of Esther Nzakwa Kitivo, who died on August 31, 2004, aged 85, has been at a morgue in Machakos, after a tussle over whether she should be buried next to her late husband. More>>>

Orengo stirs hornet's nest on coastal land

By Patrick Beja, July 29 2008
Lands Minister James Orengo has said all leases on government land which have expired will not be renewed. Orengo also said that the Government would revert freehold titles on first-row beach plots at the Coast to leasehold. Individuals will not be allowed to own such prime land, he said.

He was addressing squatters at Msambweni Secondary School in Msambweni District on Friday evening. “Some individuals were allocated beach plots on leasehold basis but they later converted them to freehold titles,” he said. “This is unacceptable.” More>>>

Cultural exchange program begins with Kalenjin in Nyeri

By Francis Ngige, July 29 2008
The Government has started a cultural exchange programme among different communities to foster cohesion. The joint initiative between the ministries of Justice, Constitutional Affairs and National Cohesion and that of Gender, Youth and Sports will facilitate exchange tours between members of ethnic groups. In the programme, "Tuelewane", the Government is collaborating with the United Nations Development Programme to foster reconciliation after post-election violence. The programme, launched on Sunday saw youth from Marakwet East pitch tent in Tetu, Nyeri to integrate with local youth for a fortnight with a return visit planned for Tetu youth. More>>>

Dr Ndengu elected ODM vice chair

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 28 2008
Dr Musa Mwendwa Ndengu was yesterday elected vice chairman of ODM UK. The elections took place at Jimi's College and Immigration Centre in Wembley, London in a general meeting whose agenda was specifically to elect or confirm the newly co opted officials and rafify constitutional amendments in view of coming into law the Political Parties Act of Kenya. Dr Ndengu swept past the post unopposed and so was Gatheru Rwamba, who with Musa, share the deputy chair's slot. They will serve for two years and were merely filling the slots left vacant last year after a faction led by Charles Bosire splintered. Chairman is Isaac Aluochier. Other officials will be elected during next year's AGM. Dr Ndengu said of his election: "My role is to serve my people in whatever capacity necessary to facilitate socio-economic and political emancipation."

Major General Okanga retired in a cloud of suspicion

By Ben Agina, July 28 2008
Recent promotions and retirements are said to have caused disquiet in the military. Succession wars on who will replace Chief of General Staff General Jeremiah Kianga have not made things better. There are claims that nepotism and favouritism are rife. Just last week, the Armed Forces Training College Commandant (AFTC), Major General Geoffrey Lukale Okanga, was retired. An accomplished officer to boot, his exit caught many officers and soldiers alike by surprise. Okanga, the only key person in the Department of Defence to be sent home, is among 120 other officers of the rank of Major and above who are set to retire. Okanga has been replaced by a Brigadier Haji, who despite his new posting, was not promoted to the rank of Major General, as should be the case.

Beauty pageant produces surprise winner

By Shad Bulimo, Monday, July 28 2008
Miss East Africa Beauty Pageant Finals 2008 produced a surprise winner in the name of Vicky Njoki over the weekend. No one expected Vicky to win and she did not use any of those all too familiar tricks models emply to catch the eyes of the judging panel or attract catcalls from the audience.

Instead, throughout the pageant, all you saw of Vicky was this steely, serious-looking young African woman rich in style, regalia and character.  It was a poise that created clear blue water between the 23-year old and a coterie of African beauties drawn from Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Ethiopia, Sudan and Eritrea.

Whatever the judges saw in her, we will never know. Suffice it to say, that judging panel were unanimous in crowning Vicky not with one but two accolades as earlier she had already been declared the winner of Miss Kenya UK. “It is a dream come true,” she sobbed, before being mobbed by an army of family and friends on stage. Vicky, who takes the crown from last year’s winner, Maureen Nyakaira has a monumental task ahead of her.

Founder and CEO of Miss East Africa, Pauline Long said this year’s theme is to promote Africa as a rich rather than a basket case continent through the “Shout Campaign” in which every opportunity should be grabbed to urge African leaders to enact policies promote inclusivity, economic independence and self esteem.
Besides being the face of the “Shout Campaign” Vicky is also expected to do the rounds in orphanages in the East African capitals.

This year’s show also featured for the first time, Mr East Africa which was won by 21-year old Alan Semugabi from Uganda, a business studies student at Birmingham University.  A new category of Mr Popularity went to Samuel Mulindi also from Uganda.

The successful show was hosted by the comedian and BBC TV Presenter, Kojo and supermodel/TV Personality, Anya James. In between the girls and boys sashaying on the catwalk, the rest of the evening entertainment was provided by Tanzania’s music sensation, Ali Kiba featuring his hit single Cinderella assisted by local DJ Dubwise aka Frank Ambeyi.  

Some members of 300-strong audience felt the end was a bit rushed citing lack of pomp to accompany the pageantry. Although one other girl was cromed Miss Popularity, critics felt that the format should have taken the form of third and second run up. Then there was the issue of the bouquet: There was none. This writer, however understands that the end was rushed because the management of Bloomsbury Theatre where the show took place were very strict with time. The Curtain had to come down at 23.00 hours GMT   To view more amazing photos, CLICK HERE.

Band founder is dead

By Shad Bulimo, July 26 2008
The founder of the famous 1960’s band, Symekher Sons is dead.  Mr Morris Joseph Opember Symekher from Bunyore died on Friday, July 18 2008 in Nairobi. He sang with the late music maestro, Daudi Kabaka and Fadhili Williams of the “Malaika” fame with whom he collaborated on various projects promoting indigenous music. His band released chart-topping hits like ‘Guerilla Farewell’, ‘Kasumba’, ‘Welcome to Africa’, ‘Solinjila’, ‘Kingsize Woman’, etc.
Born September 27 1940, Symekher was educated at Ebusiratsi Elukongo Primary School, Emusire and Friends School, Kamusinga in Bungoma. He later proceeded overseas for further studies in Stockholm, Sweden and United Kingdom.
He worked as a Principal Customs Investigations Officer in Uganda and Tanzania under the aegis of the East African Community. When the Community broke up, he returned to Kenya where he worked in the Ministry of Transport and Communications, Water, Cooperatives and Finance where he retired on medical grounds while holding the post of Under Secretary.

He was the son of the late Rev. Joseph Khatima Simekha and Mama Leah Luda. He was the husband to the late Odilliah Symekher and Anasiah Symekher. Father to Kennedy Symekher ( Seattle, Washington, USA), Leah O.V. Symekher (California, USA); Allan Symekher (USA); Joseph Symekher (Nairobi), Flemming Symekher (Nairobi), Samuel Symekher (Nairobi), Zephaniah  Martin Symekher (Canada), Leah (mdogo) Symekher (Nairobi), David Symekher (Nairobi) and Amos Ochieng Tetema (Nairobi). He will be buried on Saturday 2nd August, 2008.

SDA weathers evangelical storm in Rachuonyo

By Jack Nduri, July 26 2008
The Seventh Day Adventist Church (SDA) has had a strong presence in Rachuonyo District for more than a century. This is despite infiltration of other religions, churches and ministries - such as Islam, Catholic, Roho Israel, Roho Mowar, and Legio Maria. Some of the ministries, mainly steered by individuals, have posed a major challenge to SDA and other main churches because of the large amount of resources they have and their soul searching tactics in the villages. They appeal mainly to the village poor, the down trodden, the less exposed and the old.

To counter the emergence of other churches, the SDA Church resorted to initiating and maintaining institutions of learning and other firms to accommodate students and create employment opportunities. To date, it has 20 church-sponsored secondary schools, 13 primary schools, two teacher-training colleges, one nursing training college, 46 health institutions, a printing press and a guest house, among other ventures.More>>>

Chetambe offers refuge to the Bukusu

By Paul Chetambe, Bungoma, July 25 2008
The photograph shows the original setup of the traditional homestead and giant fort on the slopes of Chetambe Hills which is 1685 metres above the sea level north of the present Webuye town, Bungoma East District in Western Province. The fort was founded by the ruler of Abangachi, Chetambe Yifile.

There were seven gates around the enclosed circumference of the fort. The Fort had cattle kraal, houses for the families where other close relatives also lived. The centre was a sacred tree (Omutoto) which is regarded holy and the elders prayed and paid their respect to their ancestors to bless their lives by offering an animal sacrifice. The community living here was the family of Abangachi or “Ngachi”. The community practiced sacred activities that were conducted during funerals by the traditional priest, called “Omusena Omusee”.

Lumboka alive and strong in cyberspace

By Mwalimu Wangila Mukhwana, Australia, July 30 2004
Baana befwe, Mulembe mwesi mwesi buli niho muli nga bemu Lumboka. Naaye sima lukali po khukoosi niko mulabolanilanga. Mwikumia murio mala mutinyilisie babandi. Mukhakelaho mwaba nga “Bungoma Professionals” tawe. Yaba bamenyeela mu khwifumia busa. Kalolelekha enywe (Bemu Lumboka) mulikho lukano. Khwinye wamanyakho liosiliosi, akhayole ne ekesiangakho babasie be Tolondo ye Lumboka. Kamuchuli somanya ta, busia buri balala khwifwe khwalotile nihe Babefwe bachia. Niko kakila nemubolelakho niko ese khebulila. Nekakandi kaindiba. Khulwako malala ngamaanyiila khwinywe sikila mukila nemukhebusia. So please, allow me to pay glowing tribute to some of you particularly Babalimu befwe Fulbert Namwamba, wo Mukananachi Kukubo Barasa, Wafula Okumu, nende Wandabwa, Ben, John Wafula, Mitati Kinisu, papa Henry Soita, yaya Edith Musukuya, Jane Namusia, Sara, Eve Wamalwa, nomusakhulu simakulu we Bakananachi, wandayase Zephaneah Wekesa. All of you have stimulated our minds in different ways. Consequently, I share the following with the entire Lumboka membership from the best of my
recollection and knowledge. More>>>

One dead as Western schools go on rampage

By our correspondents, July 24 2008
At Bungoma’s Teremi Boys High, students went on the rampage in protest over the death of a sick student in a local hospital as part of a nationwide breakdown of law and order in secondary schools. Western PDE Kenneth Misoi said the school was closed after boys protested the sudden death of the Form Two colleague at the nearby Chwele Sub-District Hospital.

Teachers’ unions are now asking the Government to shut down all secondary schools to end the mayhem, but Education Minister Sam Ongeri has ruled this out, saying it would postpone the problem. The unionists called for tough measures with no sign of let-up in the chaos that has paralysed secondary education. More>>>

Ndung'u report to be actioned next week

By Patrick Beja, July 24 2008
The Government will start implementing the Ndung’u report on irregular land allocation from next week, Lands Minister James Orengo has announced. Orengo said he has studied the report and does not need to consult Prime Minister Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki or form another commission to implement it. “I will take action on the Ndung’u report from next week. Those who were allocated public land with impunity will have themselves to blame,” Orengo told leaders at Kwale County Hall in Kwale District, on Thursday. More>>>

Karua means business on tribalism

Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua has promised to introduce tougher sanctions to a proposed law aiming to tackle tribalism. Karua agreed with members that the Bill to create the National Ethnic and Race Relations Commission lacked an enforcement mechanism. More>>>

Rent justice in Western delayed for 10 years

By Kepher Otieno, July 24, 2008
The rent tribunal that serves Nyanza and Western provinces is stuck with thousands of disputes due to a biting shortage of staff and vital facilities, The Standard has learnt. Investigation shows that about 10,000 cases, some dating as far back as ten years ago, are pending at the only tribunal in the two provinces.

On Thursday, we found landlords and tenants queuing at the tribunal’s office to find out the fate of their cases. We unearthed massive rot at the department, whose mandate is shrouded in mystery. Even as the Government toys with decentralising services to boost service delivery, the Rent Tribunal Act has largely been ignored.

The slow pace of resolving the dispute has negated the investment spirit of prospective real estate investors. Affected landlords and landladies appealed to the Government to revise the Act so that disputes that threaten their investments are dealt with speedily. They accused tenants of taking advantage of the rent tribunal law to frustrate them and defaulting in paying rent. They alleged that some bribed tribunal officials so that the disputes could stay on after the 60-day expiry period. More>>>

Turkwell Gorge Power Generation plant in Turkana

Turkwell 'grabbed' by Kengen

By Vincent Bartoo, July 24 2008
The Turkwel power plant may revert back to the Government if it is established KenGen acquired it irregularly. The Government announced it would intervene in an ownership row between KenGen and the Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) over the gorge. Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo said investigation would be launched into the acquisition of the company by KenGen, now a private company. More>>

Church intercedes on Agenda Four

By Lucianne Limo, July 24 2008
Religious leaders have accused MPs of frustrating implementation of the legal framework for the National Accord. The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) said MPs were undermining and delaying Bills published by the Serena team. “It is our considered opinion that if Parliament fast-tracked creation of the legal framework for the National Accord, there is no reason why the implementation of Agenda Four items should take long to be created,” said NCCK Secretary-General Peter Karanja. More>>>

Western impoverished, says UK

By INGONEWS Reporter and agencies, July 24 2008
Western Province remains one of the most disadvantaged regions of Kenya alongside Nyanza and Rift Valley, according to the British Government. British Secretary of State Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Lord Malloch Brown, said Raila and President Kibaki must embark on a course of political reform that should address the economic and social imbalances that played a part in triggering the post election violence that consummed what gains had been made over the last five years .“The most disadvantaged regions were associated with the violence: Nyanza, Rift Valley and Western provinces. An inclusive democracy will not run deep until underlying inequalities begin to be addressed,” he said. More>>>

Maragoli's declare: 'To hell with tea'

By Roselyne Obala, July 21 2008
Some tea farmers in Western Province are uprooting the crop, citing poor returns. Majority of the farmers, who are members of Mudete Tea Factory in Vihiga District, have now ventured into horticultural farming. Mr Bernard Moyego, a tea farmer in Vihiga, has uprooted the crop from his 1.5 acre piece of land.

"I could not afford to provide for the basic needs of my family, especially school fees. I was making only Sh4,000 a year, after spending Sh17,000 in production costs," he said. Moyego has uprooted more than 2,000 of his 3,200 tea bushes to make room for maize, sukumawiki and napier grass.

He also blamed the poor returns to high cost of fertilizer, which he said had shot up from Sh1,200 a bag to Sh3,600. Apart from the high costs of inputs, labour is also expensive, especially during tea picking periods, Moyego said.More>>>

Luos tackle the big 'cut' question

By Obote Akoko, July 21 2008
When Paul Nyakanja, a primary school boy in Kisumu heard about the value of male circumcision two months ago, he sneaked out of classroom and went straight to a local health facility. He was promptly circumcised.

Perhaps thrilled by his bravery, the schoolboy prematurely removed the dressing to expose the wound, letting out the secret. His penis became swollen and the unbearable pain forced him to confess to his mother. Shocked, the concerned mother took him to hospital where he got help. More>>>

Law catches up with bogus army officer involved in jobs racket

By Alphonce Mung’ahu, July 21 2008
A BOGUS Kenya Army officer charged with demanding a Sh50,000 bribe from a job seeker is scheduled to be produced in court this morning. The accused, who is also facing charges of impersonating a military recruitment officer will appear before a Nairobi court for further orders.

Martin Waswa Wanjala, who on Thursday appeared before Kibera Senior Magistrate Judith Wanjala, was remanded at Kilimani Police Station until today when he will be produced in court to renew his bond application. The magistrate remanded him at the police station for four days to enable police complete investigation. The accused is said to be a member of a three-man gang that had been exploiting youths wishing to join the Army. More>>>

Schools in Kenya burning

By Obadiah Ayoti and Joseph Mambili, July 21 2008
Alarmed by a wave of deadly incidents of student riots and unrest in the country’s secondary schools, Education minister Prof. Sam Ongeri has convened a two-day crisis meeting for all education stakeholders at the Kenya Institute of Education (KIE) to address cases of school arson that threaten the fabric of the education sector. The minister immediately formed a sub committee, comprising representatives from various stakeholders to establish the cause of student strikes that have wrecked havoc in over two dozen secondary schools in a spate of one month. The meeting comes in the wake of a series of violent strikes that have rocked schools resulting in wanton destruction of property and paralysing learning activities.And even as the meeting opened in Nairobi, at least 20 students had been arrested in Thika and Kericho in connection with riots in their respective schools. More>>>

Khang'ati deputises for Raila

By Oanga Oyugi, July 21 2008
PRIME Minister Raila Odinga says the Government will rehabilitate all agricultural training centres. The projects aims to equip farmers with modern technological skills to improve on crop husbandry.

Raila said agriculture is the backbone of the economy and adding that there is need for more investment in the sector to ensure farmers reap maximum profits from produce. He said the Government has allocated Sh200 million for agricultural research to ensure the country comes up with new technologies to cope with the changing trends of seed varieties, chemicals and fertilisers. Raila made the remarks in a speech read by an Assistant minister in his office Alfred Khang’ati during the official opening of the Agricultural Society of Kenya, Southern Kenya branch Kisii show at the Gusii stadium. More>>>

Shs20m fish plant rotting in Funyula

By INGONEWS Reporter and correspondents, July 20 2008
A Sh20m fish ice plant in Funyula has collapsed and is rotting away in disuse. The plant which was established nearly six years ago stalled after all its seven ice making machines broke down. Now the local MP who is also the minister for fisheries over the weekend announced that Co-operatives minister Joseph Nyagah would soon visit Bunyala Fishermen Co-operative  Society to asses the losses that fishermen are incurring due to the collapse of the society’s Sh20million ice plant. The minister encouraged beach management units to consider establishing facilities that will produce ice rather than opting for big ice plants which were expensive and had little economic value to the local fishermen. More>>>

Atwoli defies PM over teachers

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions has criticised the Government for putting pressure on teachers to sign performance contracts, even as the State pledged to first seek dialogue over the matter. More>>>

UK firm appointed NSE agent

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 21 2008
Kenyans in the UK can now invest on the Nairobi Stock Exchange without travelling to Nairobi or making expensive long distance calls. Elekom Marketing has been appointed the UK agent of Suntra Investment Bank Limited, one of the leading stockbrokers on NSE, to facilitate the involvement of Kenyans in the Diaspora to join their fellow countrymen in investing in the Nairobi Stock Exchange. Invest in Kenya and take advantage of impressive tax free returns.

Rose Shiundu, Elekoms's Managing Director said of the new service: "As an investor, you'll see your investment grow with minimal effort using unit trusts, the new investment product where professional Suntra Fund Managers seek to grow your investment for you."

For more information and to request electronic CDS account opening forms contact Rose Shiundu on telephone: +44 7984 959 303; Email: rose@elekom.co.uk
Website: Suntra.co.ke

Large order for maize from WFO but do we have enough?

By Vincent Bartoo, July 20 2008
The Government has secured a deal with the World Food Programme (WFP) to sell 10 million bags of maize annually. Agriculture minister William Ruto said maize farmers in the country now have a reason to smile. "We will now have a ready market for 10 million bags. This means farmers should now up production of the cereal," he said. Saying that the country produces an average of 35 million bags of maize yearly, Ruto said it was not enough for the increased market for the produce. More>>>

Shame as Mumias squanders CDF

By our correspondent, July 20 2008
Out of the 196 CDF projects initiated in Mumias constituency, only 80 have been completed. In Shinyalu constituency, construction of five rural roads has ignited controversy after contractors were issued with completion certificates before the work was completed. Millions of shillings allocated by the Government for various development projects in Nyanza and Western provinces have gone to waste, an audit has revealed. Funds have been wasted on health facilities, schools, rural electrification, roads, bridges, and irrigation schemes, among others. More>>>

Kombo's party refuses to be swallowed by PNU

By Joseph Murimi, July 20 2008
Unity talks for the Party of National Unity (PNU) resume Monday as President Kibaki’s allies seek ways of salvaging the coalition from collapse. The talks come at a time when three Ford-Kenya MPs said they would rather face a by-election than have their party dissolved to strengthen PNU. Dr Simiyu Eseli (Kimilili), Mr Wakoli Bifwoli (Bumula) and Mr Eugene Wamalwa (Saboti) said Ford-Kenya would not be dissolved simply because it was an affiliate party of PNU. More>>>

Deadly weed sends panic across western Kenya

By Robert Nyasato, July 19 2008
A crop production crisis is looming large in parts of Western Kenya following rapid spread of the deadly striga weed. A Kenya Agricultural Research Institute (Kari) report says the weed threatens crops in at least eight districts. The report further says high population growth in some of these districts has interfered with crop rotation, which in turn has promoted the spread of the weed.

In Sub- Saharan Africa, it infests approximately twenty to 40 million hectares of farmland cultivated by peasant farmers causing huge yield losses. Some of the districts affected include: Kisii, Nyamira, Gucha, Kuria, Bomet, Trans Mara, Suba and Homa Bay. More>>>

Chinese counterfeit costs Kenyan firms Sh4b per month

By our correspondent, July 19 2008
Counterfeit goods are costing the country more than Sh4 billion a month, Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) Managing Director Kioko Mang’eli has said. He attributed the losses to low quality imported products such as cosmetics, solar panels and batteries. “Factories have been adversely affected and people have lost jobs,” he said. The Kebs boss was addressing the business community at Hotel Saphire in Mombasa, on Friday. He said most counterfeits originate from China and other Asian countries and find their way to the country through Mombasa port and illegal sea routes at the Coast.

“Counterfeits flooding our markets cost us more than Sh40 billion annually. We must bring down the level of these goods because some of them are dangerous to our health,” he said. More>>>

Korogocho's first in internet

By our correpondent, July 19 2008
The first model digital village was launched on Friday at a Nairobi slum setting in motion an initiative to replicate the trend countrywide. The project, launched at Altaawon community based youth organisation at Korogocho slums, is part of a larger Sh210 million project to enable e-learning in slum areas. The project was initiated at a cost of Sh300,000 and aims among other things, at creating employment for the youth through making it a self-sustaining business. More>>>

Civil servants impoverished

Kenya’s civil servants are increasingly walking to work and skipping lunch because their salaries can no longer meet their basic needs, investigations by the Saturday Nation have found. More>>>

Ida Odinga to meet women in business

London, July 19 2008
Mrs Ida Odinga will meet Kenyan women entrepreneurs on Tuesday, 22nd July 2008 at The Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch, W1A 4RF between 1.00pm to 5.30pm. The following is the programme of the event:
                                                                                         
1.00pm - 2.00pm    -           Reception
2.00pm - 2.30pm    -           Welcoming remarks and Introductions

2.30pm - 3.30pm    -           Presentation by Women Entrepreneurs
3.30pm - 4.15pm    -           Message by chief guest on:                        

Raila, Karua in bed over corruption in govt

By David Ohito, July 16 2008
Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Justice Minister Martha Karua on Wednesday tore into the anti-corruption policy of the very Government they serve. By the virtue of their positions, the statements only added to the confusion that has characterised the war on corruption.

As Prime Minister, Raila is charged with supervising and coordinating functions of Government, which has been the breeding ground for corruption. On her part, Karua is the custodian of the Justice machinery. In principle, the two should serve as the fulcrum around which the battle must be fought. Raila pleaded lack of political will, but Karua attacked the Executive for failing to live up to its promises. More>>>

Grand Regency: Libyan firm can now trade

By Wahome Thuku, July 16 2008
A Libyan company that bought the Grand Regency Hotel from the Government can now transact business without court restrictions.

The High Court has removed a temporary order stopping the company from selling or transferring the hotel and declared the injunction lapsed. Only a caveat put by the Land Ministry stops it dealing with land on which the five-star hotel stands. Lady justice Ruth Sitati rejected an application by former receiver-manager Hezekiah Gichohi, to extend the order stopping its sale or transfer. More>>>

Battle looms between teachers, govt

By our correspondents, July 16 2008
A fresh battle looms between the Government and teachers over performance contracts. The teachers have dared the Government to implement the contracts, only a day after Education Secretary George Godia declared the issue a closed chapter.

The Government maintained its hard stance, saying teachers must sign the performance contracts and ruled out negotiating with trade unions over the matter. But the Kenya National Union of Teachers (Knut) vowed to reject signing the contracts. More>>>

Bulls coil as tough woman appointed chief executive

By our correspondent, July 16 2008
The bourse is gearing for a tough overhaul after the confirmation of the first-ever woman chief at the Capital Markets Authority. If Ms Stella Kilonzo’s six-month stint in an acting capacity, after former CEO Edward Ntalami opted to retire is anything to go by,  she is cut out for the task. Sections of the male-dominated market are already fuming at her determined push to safeguard public interest. More>>>

UK Kenyans in Sh8b housing project

By our correspondent, July 16 2008
A group of UK investors of Kenyan origin are set to begin a Sh8 billion housing project in Nairobi’s Starehe area.

Housing minister Soita Shitanda said the work, which will result in the construction of 5,000 housing units, is aimed at easing the accommodation crisis among civil servants in the city. The houses will also be available for the general public. More>>>

Kajwang summoned over foreign passport saga

By our correspondent, July 16 2008
Cabinet minister Otieno Kajwang’ has been summoned for questioning over corruption reports at the Immigration department. Mr Kajwang’, permanent secretary Emmanuel Kisombe and Immigration Services director Joseph Ndathi, are required to appear before the parliamentary committee on National Security on Friday. The committee is chaired by Mt Elgon MP Fred Kapondi, who confirmed thesummons. More>>>

Kibaki flops at unity bid

By our correspondents, July 15 2008
President Kibaki was met with open defiance as he proposed that his Party of National Unity (PNU) be transformed into a single united party. In response to the proposal Kibaki made during a council meeting he chaired on Tuesday, PNU affiliate parties said the coalition should be democratic enough to allow them to strengthen themselves.

The meeting at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre failed to agree on the way forward. Instead, a 15-member committee was set up to look at “contentious issues”. Wildlife minister Dr Noah Wekesa will chair the committee. More>>>

Spurned lovers in dramatic car chase

By Cyrus Ombati, July 15 2008
There was drama on Tuesday when two former lovers were involved in a car chase on the streets of Nairobi. The two - a Nigerian-cum-Ivorian man at the centre of a love triangle exchanged bitter words with his former Kenyan wife before the dramatic car chase.

The car chase began near City Market in the city centre at 1pm and ended a few metres away from Kileleshwa Police Station where the woman’s car stalled. According to witnesses, Joyce Akinyi confronted her former lover Anthony Chinedu claiming he had sinister plans against her. The two exchanged words before Chinedu rolled up his window and sped off towards University Way as she pursued him. They turned towards Arboretum area and ended up near Kasuku Centre where Chinedu allegedly stopped, reversed and hit Akinyi’s Toyota Harrier, slightly damaging it before he sped off. More>>>

Orengo, Kimunya sharpen knives

By David Ohito, July 15 2008
The stage is set for a legal battle between Lands Minister James Orengo and former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya over the Grand Regency Hotel sale. Their lawyers sent demand notes seeking compensation for alleged defamation and threatened to sue each other.

Orengo’s lawyers wrote to Kimunya over a public statement that was aired and published in local media alleging that he had sought Sh3 million bribe from a city lawyer on July 6. Through lawyer Pheroze Nowrojee, Orengo said: “The statements are untrue and constitute grave defamation. The allegations, which are completely unfounded and are of a serious character, have already been refuted by the other person mentioned in connection with it.”

On his part, Kimunya’s lawyer, Mr Wachira Mari, similarly sent a legal notice to Orengo, accusing the Lands minister of libel and slander. The former minister accuses Orengo of maliciously speaking against him on diverse dates in June and July and falsely claiming that the Grand Regency Hotel was sold secretly, undervalued and in contravention of the law. Kimunya’s lawyer argues that Orengo’s words had disparaged his client as a Minister for Finance, MP and professional as a certified public accountant. Kimunya alleges Orengo’s words portrayed him as corrupt, criminal, fraudulent and unfit to serve in the Cabinet. More>>>

New rules for wheat import drawn

By Fredrick Odiero, July 15 2008
The Agriculture ministry has drawn rules to govern the importation of wheat under the Mutual Tariff Concessions for the Common Market of East and Southern Africa (COMESA).

 In a Kenya Gazette notice published last Friday, Agriculture minister William Ruto drew out rules meant to bring sanity in the market.

In the new rules, the auction right to import wheat under the COMESA tariff concession will be open to all bidders and participation shall be through the catalogue process.

 Bidders will be required to purchase the catalogue at Sh200,000 which will be paid at the ministry’s headquarters. The deposit will paid in banker’s cheque and addressed to the Agriculture PS. More>>>

Kenyan prisons corrupt, rotten, says report

By our correspondents, July 15 2008
The rot that led to the unprecedented strike by prison warders earlier this year has been exposed in an official report seen by the Daily Nation. The report compiled by a team led by former MP Marsden Madoka details cases of corruption, mismanagement, land grabbing, nepotism and other ills that have bedevilled the country’s correctional services over the years.

Promotions and even recruitment to the service are sold to the highest bidder; diligent officers are either frustrated to leave or to retire early because they are not in the right camps, and relatives of well-placed officers are recruited even if they lack the qualifications to join the disciplined force, according to the report. More>>>

Estate ruled by drug cartels

The cartels are in it for the money, the police in it for protection fees and the drug abusers are hooked to it. Now residents of Bahati in Nairobi are up in arms against the evil axis. More>>>

Political uncertainty stalls bonds issue

By James Anyanzwa, July 14 2008
Uncertainty over Kenya’s sovereign credit rating is pulling Treasury mandarins into a dilemma over when is the right time to issue the long-awaited international bond so as to maximise on subscription. For the second time running, the Government has rescheduled the issue to the second-half of the 2008/09 fiscal year, citing erratic investor confidence after the post poll violence.

The bond proceeds are expected to cover part of a Sh127 billion budget deficit for the current financial year. According to the 2008/09 Budget, the overall fiscal deficit that stands at 5.3% of the GDP would be partly financed through the sovereign bond so as not to rock the domestic money market. More>>>

Budalang'i MP, Ababu Namwamba

Raila to meet Kenyans in UK

Prime Minister, Hon. Raila Odinga, is scheduled to address Kenyans on Tuesday 22 July 2008 at 6:30 pm at the Cumberland Hotel, Marble Arch in Central London.

Namwamba accused of bringing down Kibaki

By INGONEWS Reporter and correspondents, July 14 2008
Ababu Namwamba has been named by PNU legislators from Central Kenya as being in the service of enemies of President Kibaki. The outspoken Budalang'i MP's relentless crusade for grand opposition has shot him into centre stage of parliamentary politics.

Yesterday four Central Kenya MPs alleged that they will resist attempts to bring down Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Environment Minister John Michuki and his Energy counterpart Kiraitu Murungi through any parliamentary censure such as that which decimated Amos Kimunya, the immediate former finance minister..

The finger-pointing MPs, Elias Mbau (Maragua), George Thuo (Juja), Jamlek Kamau (Kigumo) and Ngata Kariuki Kerugoya Central) claimed that the same individuals who had brought down Kimunya were now targeting the three Cabinet ministers "…due to their undiluted support for President Mwai Kibaki". They charged that the unnamed clique of individuals were allegedly using Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba to achieve their goal. More>>>

Kenyan refugees starving

By Stephen Makabila, July 14 2008
Kenyan refugees in Uganda face hunger after running out of food rations. The victims, who fled their homes during the post-election violence, are appealing for more food supplies. Their spokesman, Mr Joseph Githu, said the 1,800 refugees were last supplied with food rations over a month ago by the World Food Programme. The refugees had been allocated land in Kiriandongo scheme in Masindi District of Western Uganda following their relocation from the Mulanda transit centre near Tororo town. Most of them fled from Western Province into Uganda at the heat of post-election violence in January. More>>>

Human waste dumped in Kisumu school

By Winsley Masese, July 14 2008
Public health authorities in Kisumu now face a new sanitation crisis - flying toilets and careless disposal of human waste. As the officials are still reeling from a fresh cholera outbreak, residents are emptying their toilets and septic tanks and dumping the waste near schools, churches and private plots, fuelling fears of yet another outbreak of cholera in the town.

The reason behind the predicament is lack of toilet exhauster facilities. A school in the town has resorted to conducting lessons under trees after unidentified people poured several litres of human waste beside classrooms. More>>>

Rising costs of cholera

By Elizabeth Mwai, July 14 2008
Medics have warned of escalating costs of treating cholera amid outbreaks that have so far claimed more than 60 lives this year. Health experts have summed up the treatment cost of a single patient to about Sh1,000 in Nyanza, Naivasha and Nakuru districts, where fresh outbreaks have been reported. In the last two months, the Ministry of Public Health has spent Sh20 million in a hygiene campaign. The Director of Health Promotion, Dr Nicholas Muraguri, said serious cost-cutting measures should be adopted to redress the situation. More>>>

Maj-Gen Okanga retired

By Ben Agina, July 13 2008
Armed Forces Training College Commandant Maj-Gen Geoffrey Lukale Okanga has been retired with immediate effect, The Standard has established. Okanga is the only key officer in the Department of Defence (DoD) to be sent home.

Another 100 officers in the rank of Major and above are set to retire between now and next year following recommendations by the Defence Council, which met last Tuesday and Friday.

The council meets twice a year, in May and November, but had not done so since May last year.

Okanga has been replaced by Brigadier Haji, who despite his new posting, was not promoted to the rank of Maj-Gen, as should be the case. Brigadier Simon Karanja, who was Okanga’s deputy, has been promoted and will replace Maj-Gen PJO Opiyo. More>>>

Meet Kenya's first Aids warrior

By Judy Ogutu, July 13 2008
Her strong voice, charming nature and resilience is outstanding. Apart from the slow trudge in her step, the widow is full of life. She has weathered many a storm, including bruising court battles, all in an attempt to stamp her rights as an HIV positive woman. Her petite frame does not betray her strong will and spirit to sail through the turbulences of life.

Mrs Justine Adhiambo Ombuor becomes the first woman in Kenya’s legal history to challenge her sacking due to her status and get compensated for it. In 2003, she sued Home Park Caterers Ltd, Metropolitan Hospital and Dr Primus Ochieng claiming she was unfairly dismissed due to her status.

Five years later, last week, an out of court settlement was reached to rest the dispute that had dogged her life like a shadow - with a Sh2,250,000 compensation. More>>>

Michuki replaces Kimunya at Treasury

By Ben Agina, July 11 2008
President Kibaki has appointed Environment Minister John Michuki, 68, to act at the Treasury. The Public Works Minister Chris Obure was also appointed the acting Roads Minister following the death of Kipkalia Kones in air crash last month. Michuki, of the "rattlesnake fame", takes over from Amos Kimunya who resigned early this week, to pave way for investigation over the Grand Regency saga. Kimunya resigned from the office on Tuesday to pave the way for investigation over the Grand Regency sale. Michuki will be remembered for ordering a raid of The Standard Group offices in 2006.

He was among individuals who two parliamentary committees recommended to be removed from public office and charged over their involvement with the Armenian brothers, Artur Margaryan and Artur Sargasyan. More>>>

Spy chief said NO to Grand Regency

By our correspondents, July 11 2008
Spy Chief Maj-Gen Michael Gichangi has denied any complicity in the controversial sale of the Grand Regency, saying the Government sold the luxury hotel against his advice.

The Director General of the National Security Intelligence Services said the relevant authorities defied his advice that the sale “would put the image of the country in bad taste”.

Gichangi said he wrote to the Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, the Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Finance Minister Amos Kimunya and Attorney General Amos Wako, arguing against the sale, which he noted contravened the Public Procurement and Disposal Act and the Privitisation Act. More>>>

LET'S LEARN LUHYA

By Gilbert Ongachi, Mulembe FM, July 11 2008
I very much appreciate your work. Keep it up. I am proud of you because you have brought back the Luhya  roots to the  current and future generations. I  work for  Mulembe FM, the Luhya  radio station  and produce  a weekly  one  hour talk show programme called 'Khweche Oluhya'  - LETS LEARN OUR LANGUAGE. We invite elders from the various Luhya sub tribes  to come  and educate, remind and inform the community  of meaning of words in various dialects - its tenses, vocabulary and correct usage. I notice  that  we hardly  have  Luhya  publications in our libraries, home shelves , bookshops and even on streets.  

However as a  Luhya  speaking radio, we have the opportunity  to create forums, where  various Luhya sub-tribe can interact and strengthen their language base. We are grateful to Abeingo's website as at the  station we  use much of your data/information  on the origin of the community. We appreaciate  and look forward  to working with you to  promote and  protect our heritage  and culture.

Presenter and Producer, Mulembe FM

16 commissions in five years yield no results

By Alphonce Shiundu, July 10 2008
Since 2003, the Government has formed various task forces and commissions of inquiry to investigate several misdeeds - both past and present. Until now, at least 16 such inquiries have been formed. The various inquiries - task forces, judicial and parliamentary committees included - delved into a variety of issues ranging from political assassinations, illegal land allocations, and ethnic clashes to grand corruption. Right now three commissions of inquiry are operating simultaneously - Post-election Violence, Kriegler Commission and Grand Regency hotel. More>>>

Okemo unearths another Sh20bn scandal

By Odhiambo Orlale, July 10 2008
An MP said Thursday that the Government gave some unnamed individuals and companies a staggering Sh20 billion last year through the state-run National Bank of Kenya. Rising soon after Question Time in parliament, Mr Chris Okemo (Nambale, ODM) further claimed that the loan was given contrary to a legal opinion by attorney general Amos Wako that it was irregular.

Mr Okemo, who is the chairman of the parliamentary committee on finance and planning, said: “I am seeking a ministerial statement from the minister for Finance on information we have received that some individuals and private companies were given a loan of Sh20 billion.” More>>>

Nyong'o sacks medical supplies boss

By Mike Mwaniki, July 10 2008
The Government Thursday dissolved the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency board because of inefficiency in the supply of drugs to public hospitals. Medical Services minister Anyang’ Nyong’o also sent Kemsa chief executive, Dr Charles Kandie on forced leave with immediate effect. Dr Kandie has been replaced by his deputy, Mr John Munyu in an acting capacity. More>>>

Randy athletes destroy girls' lives in Iten

By Vincent Bartoo, July 10 2008
They are rich and arrogant, thanks to the millions they are raking and glory they are bringing after winning athletics races abroad. But while many make good use of their hefty income, others are using their fame and money to ruin the education of girls in the North Rift region.They are trotting the villages of Keiyo like peacock, impregnating gullible school girls with reckless abandon and demanding the girls undertake abortion, sometimes openly threatening them. More>>>

Gay bishops keep Kenyans away

By Lucianne Limo, July 10 2008
Kenyan Anglican bishops have joined their counterparts in Uganda, Rwanda and Nigeria in boycotting the Church conference that begins on Wednesday in London. The 14th Lambeth Conference will take place in Canterbury between July 16 and August 4. The conference meets at Lambeth Palace, London, every ten years to discuss doctrinal, disciplinary, ecumenical and missionary matters.

ACK Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi on Thursday reaffirmed that the local Church would not attend the conference to protest against the presence of pro-gay bishops. "We won’t attend the forthcoming Lambeth though we have not broken away from the communion," Nzimbi said. More>>>

Pokomo reject Mumias sugar project

By Daniel Nyassy, July 8 2008
A Cabinet minister Tuesday criticised leaders from the pastoral community opposed to the Sh24 billion sugar project in Tana River District. The leaders said at a meeting at Minjila that they opposed the project because it would rob them of pasture for their livestock and displace thousands of villagers. But Regional Development minister Fred Gumo told them to change their attitude, “embrace change and welcome development”. “Even Dubai was a camel centre but now it is an international business hub,” he said.

Earlier, Tana River county council chairman Salim Kolo Gure said the pastoralists were not involved in the Mumias Sugar Company project.Mr Gumo said the sugar factory would open up the area, create employment, improve the road network and general infrastructure. He said the Luhya community had initially opposed Mumias Sugar Company but today they have the best schools, roads and hospitals. More>>>

Zambian president not dead, just needs surgery

Xinhua, July 8 2008
Zambia’s President Levy Mwanawasa needs an operation to improve his breathing, his deputy says, once more dispelling reports Mr Mwanawasa had died. Zambia’s leader is in a Paris hospital after suffering a stroke at the recent African Union summit.

South Africa’s President Thabo Mbeki last week said he had died, although he later retracted his statement. Reports of the death sparked anger in Zambia. Vice-President Rupiah Banda said Mr Mwanawasa was in a stable condition. He remains in intensive care in the Percy military hospital in Paris, Mr Banda said. More>>>

Libya unhappy about Grand Regency controversy

By David Ochami, July 8 2008
The Libyan Government has no role in disgraced Finance Minister Amos Kimunya’s resignation, its embassy announced.

The embassy insisted it bought the Grand Regency Hotel legally but acknowledged the Tripoli Government was unhappy with the adverse publicity generated by the controversial sale leading to Kimunya’s fall.

Hisham Ali Sharif, the Charge de Affaires at the Libyan Nairobi embassy, who left for Libya as the hotel affair unfolded, returned to Nairobi on Monday.

He arrived armed with a press statement from the Libyan Government, restating Tripoli’s purchase of the hotel amid reports the Libyan Government had protested to the Government over the damage caused to Libya’s investments by adverse publicity. More>>>

Kimunya blames PNU: Curtain falls on arrogant Kimunya whose resignation on Tuesday came as a surprise for a man who had just a few days earlier vowed he would rather die than quit. By his own admission, high-level intrigues forced the former Finance minister out of office.He wondered why, despite the PNU ministers having met on Tuesday evening and agreed to back him in Parliament against the Motion, none raised a finger, except Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka who wanted the Motion deferred. More>>>

Odinga's statement on hotel saga

By our correspondent, July 8 2008
"On April 23, I received a call from the Governor of the Central Bank (Njuguna Ndung’u) who told me there was something he wished to share with me as Prime Minister concerning adverse stories appearing in the media. I met him in my office that evening. The Governor presented me with an eight-page, undated, unsigned, typed document which purported to give a background to the Central Bank’s involvement with Kamlesh Pattni and the case of the Grand Regency Hotel, in which the bank had a charge over the land and buildings.

I will be placing this document and others in my possession in the Library of the House. The document noted that the Bank had held a board meeting on April 7, to chart the way forward. The Governor told me a deal had been concluded on April 23, with the Libyan investors, who had paid 10 per cent of the purchase price of $45 million but the deposit was not made until May 8...". More>>>

Govt embarks on international PR program

By James Anyanzwa, July 8 2008
The Government has embarked on a programme to re-market Kenya abroad through a series of annual publications following the shocking outcomes of post-election violence. The publication dubbed ‘Best of Kenya’ depicting only the positive aspect of the country would be circulated in all foreign missions abroad. "This book is a platform on which to market, advertise and position our country as a potential investment haven," said Kwendo Opanga, Editorial consultant for Intermarc Communications, the firm contracted to rollout the publication. More>>>

Kimunya quits - than dies

By our correspondent, July 8 2008
Kenyan Finance Minister Amos Muhinga Kimunya is stepping down during an investigation into the controversial sale of a luxury Nairobi hotel. Mr Kimunya said he had asked President Mwai Kibaki to allow him to step down "to facilitate this inquiry." A government spokesman said the resignation was only a temporary move.

The controversy over the sale of the hotel has split the coalition cabinet formed to end weeks of violence after Kenya's presidential election. Mr Kimunya is a close ally of President Mwai Kibaki. He has denied reports that the hotel was sold to a local company with Libyan interests for a third of its value.

"As I stated before, my conscience is very clear, and I maintain the position that I am open to an independent inquiry into the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel," Mr Kimunya said at a press conference. More>>>

Friends turn against Kimunya

By Daniel Luseno and Maryann Njuguna
FINANCE minister Amos Kimunya’s refusal to resign following the no-confidence vote against him is affecting the operations of the House Business Committee, an MP has said. But despite the refusal, the chairman of the Parliamentary Budget Committee Otieno Ogindo told Mr Kimunya that not even President Kibaki can save his skin. More>>>

Meanwhile, one of the strongest supporters of PNU outside Central and Eastern provinces, Assistant Medical Services minister Danson Mungatana has demanded the resignation of embattled Finance minister Amos Kimunya. Mungatana said Kimunya was undermining Parliament and government institutions by failing to step aside. Speaking in Mombasa, the minister called on those implicated by the minister in the scandal including Prime Minister Raila odinga, Attorney General Amos Wako and Lands minister James Orengo to also clear their names. More>>>

Obama involved in plane mishap:
Presidential candidate Barack Obama’s plane landed unexpectedly in St. Louis yesterday after experiencing a mechanical problem. The pilot of the plane told passengers the problem had to do with “controllability of the pitch” before landing safely in St. Louis. Obama, an Illinois Democrat, was on his way from Chicago to Charlotte, North Carolina, to give an economic speech. More>>>

Simotwo roasts Kibaki

By INGONEWS and agencies, July 7 2008
President Mwai Kibaki came in for roasting during the Kriegler Commission seating at Eldoret yesterday. The President was censured for going against the 1997 Inter-Party Parliamentary Group (IPPG) rules on the independent appointment of the commissioners by political parties.

"He helped draft the rules in 1997 when he was in the opposition but blatantly flouted them as President in 2007, resulting in the political crisis in January," said Mr Daniel Simotwo, a Political Science lecturer at Moi University. More>>>

Church is tribalist and corrupt - Moderator

By Francis Ngige, July 7 2008
Church leaders can no longer speak for the people on governance, the outspoken Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa (PCEA) says. "To say it crudely, corruption has found its way into churches and some leaders are compromised with money to take certain political stands," said the Rev Dr David Githii. Githii said tribalism had infiltrated the Church, and clergy were making decisions based on ethnic considerations. The Church was once viewed as the strongest defender of a just society, especially in the clamour for multi-partism, when all other institutions had either been compromised or intimidated by the Government. More>>>

Wife okays co-wives

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 7 2008
Mr John Otieno Magero, who has lived in the United Kingdom since 1958 has never abandoned the cultural traditions of his Banyala people. Mr Otieno has four wives and 11 children. He told INGONEWS recently that he sought permission from his first wife, Agnes from Ukwala, Siaya District, before marrying his second wife, Beatrice from Bunyala Busia, third wife, Ruth from Bunyala Busia and fourth wife, Leocadia from Morogoro, Tanzania. The tradition of seeking permission from first wife is largely practiced by the Luo from whom the Banyala of Busia borrow heavily.

Mudavadi faults Kenyatta

By Peter Atsiaya, July 6 2008
Local Government minister Musalia Mudavadi has reiterated that his predecessor Mr Uhuru Kenyatta did not follow the law in nomination of councillors.

Mudavadi said he would be objective in conducting fresh nomination. "I have embarked on rectifying the mistakes and am guided by the law," he added.

Speaking at Chamakanga Girls’ High School during an annual general meeting, Mudavadi said there was extensive lobbying after the announcement of plans to revoke the nomination of councillors picked by Trade Minister Uhuru Kenyatta , while he served at the Local Government ministry early this year. More>>>

Kenya rejects Mugabe

By Roselyne Obala, July 6 2008
Kenya has joined African countries that have declined to recognise the government of President Robert Mugabe. Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula said Kenya would not recognise Mugabe’s government as legitimate.

Wetangula said the presidential election re-run in Zimbabwe was not free and fair. He urged Mugabe to demonstrate political maturity and look for "real solutions" to the crisis facing his country. More>>>

Wetangula loses relative

By INGONEWS Reporter, July 6 2008
Foreign Affairs Minister, Moses Masika Wetangula who is also the MP for Sirisia in Bungoma, has lost his uncle. Mr Francis Wabuke, the former managing director of Nzoia Sugar Company was laid to rest in his Sirisia home over the weekend. Mr Wabuke made a foray into politics by seeking nominations on an ODM ticket but lost to Alfred Khang'ati who dislodged the incumbent, Wafula Wamunyinyi to become the new Kanduyi MP

Co-operative Minister Joseph Nyagah joins Wayowayo Traditional Dancers during Ushirika Day celebrations at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, on Saturday. The co-operative movement marked 100 years in Kenya.

Mandela finally free

The United States has removed former South African president Nelson Mandela and his African National Congress from a three-decade old immigration watch list for possible terrorists. More>>>

Standard editor dies

By Robert Wanyonyi, July 6 2008
The Standard Group editor who died in a road accident last week has been laid to rest. Joshua Mukuba Sinjiri, who until his demise was KTN’s Kiswahili Editor, was buried on Saturday at his home in Ibinda, Mumias. Friends and relatives at the funeral eulogised Sinjiri as a ‘man of the people’. Standard Group Assistant Director in charge of Legal and Human Resources Nelly Matheka described Sinjiri as a hardworking and dedicated man. In a message read on her behalf by KTN Managing Editor Katua Nzile, she said Sinjiri’s demise is a great loss to the family and the Standard Group.

Present at the funeral were Mumias MP Ben Washiali, KTN Deputy Managing Editor Kizito Namulanda, Kiswahili scholars from University of Nairobi and representatives from Longhorn Publishers, where Sinjiri worked before joining KTN.

Sinjiri died in a road accident along the Mumias-Musanda Road in Western Province. The saloon car he was travelling in plunged into River Lusumu, killing all the five on board on the spot. The river bridge is black spot. Sinjiri leaves behind widow Rhoda Nyaga and two children, Fiona Kendi and Faraja Shirumbi.

Wako denies Kimunya's allegations

By our correspondent, July 6 2008
Mr Amos Wako, the Attorney General, who recently described Finance Minister, Amos Kimunya as a "drowning man holding onto every straw" , yesterday denied ever being involved in the fraudulent sale of Grand Regency Hotel. Mr Kimunya came out fighting to save his career on Saturday and dragged the names of the AG, Prime Minister, Raila Odinga and Lands Minister, James Orengo.

"The Attorney General cannot be used in the manner in which the minister is claiming. My job is to safeguard the interest of all Kenyans. I deny completely, in the strongest possible terms, his allegations."

Wako said a Central Bank of Kenya board of governors’ meeting had resolved that the AG be involved in the sale transaction, which he said he was not. "The issue Kimunya should be telling the public is why Treasury and CBK bypassed the AG’s office after it had been resolved to involve it. That is what should be a big part of the investigation," Wako said. More>>>

Kimunya offers to die

By our correspondent, July 6 2008
I would rather die than resign: That was Finance Minister Amos Kimunya’s answer to those who have been clamouring for his resignation. The embattled minister came out fighting and accused Prime Minister Raila Odinga of being part of a wider scheme to bring him down. Kimunya said if he had to resign, then Raila, Attorney General Amos Wako, Lands Minister James Orengo and anti-corruption commission director Aaron Ringera must also step aside to allow for investigation. More

Orengo wanted Sh3m bribe - Kimunya

By our correspondent, July 6 2008
The battle over the sale of the hotel promised to turn murky as the Finance minister, Amos Kimunya, sensationally claimed that Orengo blew the whistle after "his bid to solicit a Sh3 million bribe from a legal firm involved in the sale was turned down."

"Orengo went public after he was denied a bribe of Sh3 million he demanded from a Mr Adan, one of the lawyers involved," Kimunya said. He challenged Orengo to deny ever making the bribe demand. He claimed that a few days before the matter was raised in public by the Lands minister, the PM was first briefed and allegedly gave Orengo the go ahead.

Reached on the telephone, Orengo reacted angrily, saying he had instructed his lawyers to sue the minister for defamation. "Kimunya’s strategy of fighting back is backward and primitive. He should not try to pull along other people to sink along with him. Let him not trivialise an important national issue," said the Lands minister. Orengo added: "I have struggled for this country for a very long time. I cannot betray the cause and comrades we fought with while Kimunya was nowhere in the political radar." More>>>

Mumias licence cancelled

By Lucianne Limo, July 4 2008
The Government has cancelled all licences of sugar importers and exporters, in a bid to get rid off cartels in the sugar industry. On Friday, Agriculture Minister William Ruto said he had cancelled 55 licences. Mumias Sugar Company and Lubao Jaggery became the latest casualties to have their licences cancelled after being spared when the Minister revoked 16 licences last May. "Yesterday (Thursday) we revoked the licences belonging to Mumias Sugar and Lubao after we realized that they were involved in importation of sugar," he said. He was speaking to journalists after releasing 71 new crop varieties to the market at Kephis, Karen. In May the minister deregistered 16 companies licensed to export sugar. More>>>

Kakamega girl off to Brazil as top footballer

By Jacob Mulee, July 4 2008
This week five boys and one girl will be heading to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil’s capital, courtesy of Copa Coca-Cola Kenya. For more than a month, six coaches were involved in the process of picking the best girl or boy in each of the seven regions. The games were played in Nairobi, Nyanza, Eldoret, Nyeri, Kisii, Kakamega and Mombasa. Vivian Oyo Achieng from Kakamega emerged tops in a region known for producing renowned stars. More>>>

Masinde Muliro University’s Council Chairman Prof D Odhiambo and the Vice-Chancellor Prof Barasa Wangila robe President Kibaki during the institution’s inauguration yesterday. The President was installed as the university’s chancellor.

House team finds only 300 suspects in jail

By Vincent Bartoo, July 4 2008
There are only 300 suspects arrested over post-election violence in Rift Valley Province, Parliamentary Committee on Security has disclosed. But the figure contradicts politicians’ claims the number runs into more than 1,000. The Committee chairman, Fred Kapondi, said his team has established the claims are untrue. He added that out of the figure, 180 are out on bond. More>>>

Kimunya's Corruption Bureau of Kenya

Members of Mombasa lobby groups carry Mr Kimunya’s effigies (left) as they march along Moi Avenue to demand his resignation over the Grand Regency sale.

PNU plots to save Kimunya

By Gakuu Mathenge, July 4 2008
Besieged Finance Minister Amos Kimunya on Thursday afternoon met President Kibaki, whom the nation is expecting to shove him aside if he does not budge to pressure to resign. Censured by Parliament, disgraced by political critics and accused of corruption in the manner in which he handled the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel, Kimunya has refused to resign or step aside to allow for investigation into the saga. He has stood his ground he is innocent and challenged his critics to produce evidence there was something sinister in the deal with a company registered in Kenya, but which the minister claimed the Libyan Government owned. More>>>

Malaysian link in Grand Regency

By our correspondent, July 4 2008
A new twist has emerged in the Grand Regency saga, with yet another company claiming its stake in it. A Malaysian firm, Westmont Holdings SND.BHD now claims it paid Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) US3.7 million (about Sh220 million) for the purchase of the five-star hotel. The firm alleges it had intended to buy the hotel 10 years ago for US370 million (about Sh2.2 billion). The firm is seeking to reinstate the suit that was dismissed to allow the sale of the hotel to the Libyan firm. More>>

Court stops hotel transanction

By Judy Ogutu, July 4 2008
Controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel is now in court, with an order against transactions on it. The High Court sitting in Nairobi on Friday issued an injunction restraining Libyan Arab African Investment Company Limited and their agents from selling, changing, transferring or interfering with the ownership of the hotel. The order by Justice Alnashir Visram will be operational for 14 days. The judge issued the injunction following an urgent application filed in court by one of the hotel’s former receiver-managers Hezekiah Gichohi. More>>>

Man gives birth

By INGONEWS Reporter and agencies, July 3 2008
An American man who was born a woman is reported to have given birth to a baby girl. Thomas Beatie, who lives as a male after undergoing surgery and hormone treatment, gave birth at a hospital in Oregon on June 29, according to People magazine. Both he and the baby are said to be "healthy and doing well". Beatie, 34, kept female reproductive organs when he legally became a man 10 years ago.

The baby was conceived through artificial insemination using donor sperm and Beatie's own eggs."The only thing different about me is that I can't breast-feed my baby. But a lot of mothers don't," People quoted Beatie as saying. He has had his breasts surgically removed. He said that the baby was not delivered by Caesarean section, but no other details about the birth have been confirmed. Earlier this year, Beatie caused controversy when his pregnancy was revealed and he appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

His wife Nancy, 46, whom he married five years ago, was unable to conceive because she had already had a hysterectomy. The couple, who operate a T-shirt printing business in Bend, Oregon, are legally married and he is recognised under state law as a man. More>>>

Sister's tennis act

WIMBLEDON, July 3 2008
Venus and Serena Williams won in straight sets Thursday to set up their third all-sister Wimbledon final and seventh Grand Slam championship matchup.

Defending champion and four-time winner Venus beat Elena Dementieva then two-time champ Serena overcame two rain delays and served 14 aces to down China's Zheng Jie. It will be the first all-Williams final at any tournament since 2003, when Serena beat her older sister in the Wimbledon title match for the second year in a row.

Kibaki in Kakamega today

By Stephen Makabila, July 3 2008
President Kibaki visits Western Province today to inaugurate Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology as the seventh public university. Western PC Abdul Mwasserah on Thursday confirmed Kibaki’s visit and said he would preside over the university’s first graduation ceremony and installation of chancellor. The President’s trip will be the first to Western Province since the formation of the Grand Coalition Government.

Mwasserah said Kibaki was expected to land at the Kakamega Airstrip after 9am. The university’s first batch of 423 students, from the School of Open Learning and Continuing Education, Faculties of Education, Social Sciences and the Centre for Disaster Management and Humanitarian Assistance, will graduate during the Friday ceremony. More>>>

Environmental law on Mumias sugar project followed - Musembi

By Kaburu Mugambi, July 3 2008
The National Environment Management Authority says it followed the law before licensing the proposed Tana Delta Sugar Project. Nema said that contrary to claims by lobby groups that the project partners, Mumias Sugar Company and Tana & Athi Rivers Development Authority (Tarda) did not follow regulations, the opposite was true. Chief corporate communications manager, Mrs Ruth Musembi, told the Daily Nation on Thursday that the project, given its immense size did not require Mumias and Tarda to produce project document describing all aspects before environment impact assessment could be done. More>>>

Militia leader rises from the 'dead'

By Robert Wanyonyi, July 3 2008
Security personnel in Mt Elgon District have been put on a high alert following the emergence of a man claiming to be the commander of the outlawed Sabaot Land Defence Force (SLDF). John Sichei Chemaimak, a former police officer believed to have been killed at the beginning of a military operation in the district, shocked the public when KTN aired an exclusive interview with him in Uganda.

During the interview, Sichei, who deserted duty in August 2006 while working as a police constable at the Vihiga Police Station, said he was recruiting and was ready to face the security officers in the operation. "The world must understand now that I am the real commander of the Sabaot Land Defence Force. Wycliffe Matakwei was only the deputy commander and killing him did not shake my command at all," said Sichei. More>>>

Tribal law needs redrafting - MP

By our correspondent, July 3 2008
Members of Parliament last evening called for tougher sanctions to deter discrimination on the basis of race and ethnic background during debate on a Bill to foster national cohesion. They supported the spirit of the proposed law to set up a National Ethnic and Race Relations Commission, but said it was short in substance. Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo said although she supported the Bill, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua should withdraw it for re-drafting. More>>>

Govt blocks sale of Grand Regency

By David Ohito, July 3 2008
The Government has blocked the Libyan company at the centre of the Grand Regency Hotel saga from transacting or developing land on which the five-star hotel stands. This means the property cannot be used as collateral or sold unless. Ministry of Lands officials speed placed the caveat on the title deed, prohibiting any dealing on the land. The notice comes with special conditions, cautioning the Libya Arab African Investment Company Kenya Ltd and the public against developing or buying the land. More>>>

Sack Kimunya or else...

By our correspondent, July 3 2008
Members of Parliament affiliated to the Grand Opposition have given President Kibaki four days to sack Finance Minster Amos Kimunya. The ultimatum ends on Monday, and the MPs protest to the Treasury to "evict" the minister from office. They have also scheduled another protest against the minister on Tuesday. MPs Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i), Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito), Joshua Kuttuny (Cherangany), Wilson Mwotiny Litole (Sigor), Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda (Alego Usonga) and Cyrus Jirongo (Lugari) asked the President to act against Kimunya, terming his acts a let down. More>>>

Demonstrators teargassed and arrested

By our correspondent, July 3 2008
A scheduled Cabinet meeting was called off suddenly. Then the Wako Committee summoned the National Security Intelligence Service chief and grilled him for hours - before returning the same verdict: He should step aside. On the streets of Nairobi and Mombasa, teargas was thrown to disperse protesting university students and civil society members. Three protesters were arrested.. More>>>

Zambian President is dead

By agencies, July 3 2008
Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa died in a Paris hospital on Thursday after suffering a stroke earlier this week, South Africa's Talk Radio 702 reported, quoting a Zambian High Commission spokesman. Officials in Lusaka had no immediate comment.

Mwanawasa, 59, was rushed to hospital on Sunday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh after suffering a stroke just before an African Union summit. He was later transferred to Paris for treatment. "He passed on this morning," Malone Zaza, identified as the high commission spokesman, told the radio.

Mwanawasa chaired the Southern African Development Community, which has been mediating between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition to try to end a political and economic crisis in Zimbabwe.

The Zambian leader is a favourite of the International Monetary Fund and other Western donors, who extended billions of dollars in debt relief after he cracked down on government spending and launched an anti-graft drive. He suffered a mild stroke in 2006 but said before being re-elected that year that he was fit to stand for office.

Mwanawasa was born in Mufulira, the second of 10 children. He holds a law degree from the University of Zambia. He worked in private law firms from 1974 until 1978 when he formed his own firm Mwanawasa & Company. In 1985 Mwanawasa served as Solicitor General in the Zambian government but he went back to private practice in 1986. President Frederick Chiluba appointed Mwanawasa Vice-President in December 1991. He left his firm in March 1992. Mwanawasa served as Vice-President until he resigned in 1994, citing gross abuse of office and corruption by some leaders and insubordination to him by some colleagues. In 1996 he unsuccessfully contested Chiluba for the presidency of the Movement for Multiparty Democracy. He lost. He retired from active politics again

Wako committee calls hotel sale fraudulent

By David Ohito, July 2 2008
Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u and Director-General of the National Security Intelligence Service, Mr. Gichangi should be directed to step aside - that is the verdict of a probe team constituted by Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.

The other public official who should also step aside to allow for investigation is the Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Central Bank, Kennedy Abuga. The committee report also recommends the repossession of the hotel at the heart of the grand scam as it was fraudulent and designed to deceive. More>>>

Varsity students to hold demo over scandal

By Marion Wambugu, July 2 2008
University students are planning to hold a demonstration to protest at the sale of Grand Regency. The University of Nairobi Students Union (Sonu) expressed anger over the sale of one of Kenya’s five-star hotels, terming the deal ‘dubious’. Speaking yesterday, Sonu representatives demanded the immediate resignation of Finance Minister Amos Kimunya over the sale. "As Kenyan taxpayers, we strongly condemn the underhand manner in which the hotel was sold to foreigners," said Sonu chairman, Dan Waithaka. The students demanded a clear and speedy action by the Government to ensure the ownership of the hotel reverts to the public. More>>>

Kimunya censured but do you expect Kibaki to sack him?

By our correspondent, July 2 2008
The Grand Regency saga went to the floor of Parliament as furious members censured Mr Amos Kimunya over the sale of the hotel even as he put up a spirited defense of his actions.

By adopting the censure motion, Parliament was asking that either the Finance Minister resigns or the President picks the cue and fires him. However, the President is not under obligation to go by Parliament’s decision. (Editor's notes) Kimunya is Kibaki's errand boy doing the President's bidding in Anglo Leasing II. Kibaki is therefore unlikely to sack him More>>>

Wako calls Kimunya's bluff

By our correspondent, July 2 2008
Attempts by the beleagured Finance Minister, Amos Kimunya to sanitise the illegal sale of Grand Regency by invoking the name of Amos Wako, the Attorney General, came a cropper after the AG denied any knowledge of the transanction. Cornered by Parliament, Kimunya said the hotel sale deal was never done in secret as has been alleged and was categorical in saying that Attorney General Amos Wako was in the picture and had met the lawyers doing the transaction "not less than six times."

But the Attorney General, speaking on the telephone to The Standard last evening, insisted that he had not been given any official brief on the matter and accused Kimunya of trying to pull him into his troubles. "When a man is drowning, he clutches at any straw," he said. More>>>

The Prince of Impunity

By our correspondent, July 2 2008
The chairman of teh Public Accounts Committee, Dr Bonny Khalwale took to the floor at 4pm and delivered a 20-minute stinging address in which he roundly condemned the minister whom he (Khalwale) sarcastically crowned the "Prince of Impunity."

Dr Khalwale listed a catalogue of ills allegedly committed by the minister including the controversial sale of the Grand Regency, privatization of Telkom and Safaricom in disregard of the Public Procurement and Disposal Act. Khalwale also accused Kimunya of complicity in a questionable multi-billion shillings money-printing deal awarded to De La Rue, arrogance demonstrated by his disrespect for fellow More>>>

Awori fights to protect his legacy

By Kenneth Ogosia and Shad Bulimo, July 1 2008
Dr Moody Awori, The immediate former Vice President has come out of retirement to fight off attempts to paint his tenure as Home Affairs Minister in charge of prisons as being more favourable to prisoners than the warders. In his first interview with a media house, Dr Awori tabled documentary evidence of development plans and pictures of the actual magnificent housing units he initiated. Early this year, Dr Awori declined to take up an appointment by Vice President, Kalonzo Musyoka to head prisons reform committee saying that everything that needed to be done in the prisons was documented and merely required implementation.

During his first interview with the media  since he lost his Funyula parliamentary seat, Uncle Moody, as he was popularly known, believed that since he is not in the powerful office, nobody is bothering to tell the truth or even wipe dust on the covers of  documents he left at Jogoo House office for implementation. More>>>

Some prisons housing projects initiated by former Vice-President.

Muscleman challenges Abeingo

A body builder from Bunyore has challenged Abeingo Community Network to organise a body building competition to tap latent talent in Luhyaland. Mr Geoffrey Olianga (right) has participated and won various body building contests.

Jirongo leads protest march over Grand Regency

By our correspondents, July 1 2008
Business at the beleagured Grand Regency Hotel in Nairobi came to a halt as MPs accompanied by hundreds of wananchi staged a protest against the controversial sale to a local firm with Libyan connections. The protestors were led by Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, Ms Rachel Shebesh (Nominated), Mr Charles Kilonzo (Yatta), Mr Mithika Linturi (Igembe South), Mr Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i), Dr Julius Kones (Konoin) and former Adopt-A-Light CEO Esther Passaris.

They asked wananchi to keep fighting until the sale was revoked. Calls by MPs for Kimunya to be relieved of his duties gained momentum when the civil society, too, gave Kibaki a four-day ultimatum to sack Kimunya and Wako over the saga. Also in the wish list for sacking was Ringera and Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u.

The civil society groups demanded that a tribunal be set up to investigate the conduct of public officers over the sale. Meeting under the auspices of Name and Shame Corruption Networks (NASCON), they demanded that the hotel reverts to the public since the sale was allegedly marred with corruption. More>>>

Members of the civil society protest against the sale of the Grand Regency.

Owners exposed

By Andrew Teyie, July 1 2008
The Libyans behind the Grand Regency saga have been unveiled. Mr Mohammed Shtewi Maawal and Mr Ahmed Mohammed Amaer are the two shareholders in Libyan Arab African Investment Company Kenya Limited that bought the hotel from Central Bank of Kenya. According to documents at the Registrar General’s office, copies of which are in our possession, Maawal, whose passport number is 001428/2006, was born in Tripoli, Libya on December 19, 1953. More>>>

MPs paralyse Kimunya's motions

By our correspondent, July 1 2008
Parliament suspended debate on a crucial Motion by Finance minister Amos Kimunya until he clears his name over the Grand Regency Hotel saga. And to further deepen the minister’s woes, the House will debate a censure Motion Thursday afternoon, seeking his resignation.

The other Motion calling for the nullification of the controversial hotel sale is pending approval by the House Business Committee. Mr Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem, ODM) sought the Speaker’s ruling on the Motion that required the House to approve a sessional paper to allow the Japanese Bank of International Cooperation to give Sh16.18 billion to the Kenya Ports Authority. More>>>

Post election violence cost Kenyans Shs90b

By James Anyanzwa, July 1 2008
The Government requires Sh90 billion in the next six months to complete urgent programmes meant to resuscitate the economy after the devastating effects of post poll violence. The proposed actions under the one-year Emergency Recovery Strategy include security, peace building and reconciliation, resettlement of internally displaced persons (IDPs), revitalisation of productive sectors-agriculture, tourism and business, restoration on infrastructure and positive engagement of the youth. More>>>

Gumo backs Mumias, Tarda sugar project

By John Oyuke and agencies, July1 2008
The Government supports the proposed Sh24 billion Sugar Project in Tana Delta, Coast Province despite opposition from environmental groups. Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo dismissed opponents of the project saying they ignored the needs of the residents. Tarda is facilitating the Sugarcane Project, which together with the nation’s largest sugar miller, Mumias, the Government plans to plant 20,000 hectares of cane in the Delta.

Mumias holds a 51 per cent stake in the project, the Government 30 per cent, while local communities and other investors will hold 19 per cent. He was reacting to claims by environmental lobbyists that the Tana sugar Project is not addressing environment protection, land ownership, social impact and water balances at a news conference in his Nairobi office on Tuesday. More>>>

The law says defect and lose your seat

By Beauttah Omanga, July 1 2008
The Political Parties Act came into effect on Tuesday, giving the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) powers to monitor and regulate parties. As a result, it will be politically suicidal for an MP to decamp from the party that sponsored him to Parliament, for he would automatically lose his seat.

The Act also puts ambitions by MPs to form a grand opposition in check, as they would be going against their political parties’ official position.

With the Coalition Government drawing members from almost all parliamentary political parties save for Kaddu, no MP can claim to be in the opposition. With the Act coming into force, the ECK will henceforth assume the responsibility of registering political parties and issuing them guidelines. More>>>