Category Archives: Leo Odera Omolo

Kenya: Migori governor in political war with odm leaders

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From: LEO ODERA

POLITICAL WRANGLINGS BETWEEN MIGORI GOVERNOR AND ODM LEADERS INTENSIFIED AS SUPPORTERS ACCUSED THE GOVERNOR OF practicing NEPOTISM

The political war of attrition has intensified between Migori governor Zachary Okoth Obado and the local ODM branch officials following accusation and allegations that the governor is hostile towards the supporters and leaders of the party.

Other sources have revealed that the Migori governor has employed his own two brothers (two in total).

The same source gave the names of governors two of them as Daudi Obada the head of revenue and Uhuru Obado market attendant. The two n belong to one father with the governor, the two shared one father with the governor bur from different mother

The governor is a besieged man following allegations and complaints that he had investigated the sacking of the county workers who are perceived to be the staunchest supporters of the ODM from the county services and replaced them with his own kins.

Governor Obado won the March 4, 2013 on the nomination ticket of the unknown People Democratic Party (PDP), which is led by the former South Mugirango Mp Omingo Magara. This was after he failed to secure the ODM nomination certificate at the Party’s primaries.

The ODM ticket was won by Prof Edward Okong’o Oyugi who was later beaten at the election proper by Zacahry Obado. Prof Oyugi thereafter moved to the High Court and filed a petition seeking for the nullification of Obado’s election on March 4, 2013.

The court however ruled in favour of Obado. Prof Oyugi and co-petitioners Mrs Omondi Anyanga the wife of Nyatike MP who was one of the election losers in the contest for Migori governorship. The petition is left pending before the Court of Appeal.

Back to governor Obado home town in Uriri Constituency a group of about 20 youths were his chief campaigners are so frustrated and disgruntled. About 12 youth are fully licensed drivers. But are presently idle, although the county recently purchased a fleet of 12 vehicles and employed drivers, none of the governor’s supporters were considered for employment.

These frustrated youth could be seen idling themselves around Rapogi Uriri trading centres with nothing to lay their hands on.

Nyatike Mp Edwin Omondi Anyanga is the one who fired the first salvo when he went public and accused governor Obado of being alone ranger who work in isolation without consulting with other elected leaders in the county. The working relations between governor Obado and the MPs representing various constituencies within Migori County except the Awendo MP Jared Kos within Migori County is said not to be so cordial, but the governor is reportedto be co-operating very closely with the Awendo MP Jared Kopiyo who also got into parliament through the ticket of Ford Kenya party

The seemingly governor’s supporters last week lamented that Obato has sidelined and short – changed them. He is no longer picking up their phone cells.

This writermade a frantic effort to reach governor Obato via his mobile phone no 0722467587 but the calls were unanswered.

These frustrated youth said they might be forced to consider the possibility of organization street demonstrations against the Migori governor for having short changed them.

Effort to reach the governor by the group has failed. He is no longer cropping at Rapogi or at Uriri Center. His relationship with other Migori MP is no longer cortias.

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KENYA IS HOSTING AFRICAN FISHERIES STRATEGIES MEETING

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

A new partnership for African development (DEPAD) will this morning hold a two days meeting in Kenya, which is expected to finalize strategy aimed at improving returns for small scale players for the fishing industry across African Continent.

The meeting scheduled to be held in the Kenyan resort town of Naivasha about 100 kilometers from the capital Nairobi on today and tomorrow, is expected to agree on fisheries policy for Africa that will then be localized by individual countries on the continent.

The December 17 and 18 meeting aimed at incorporating the views of the small scale sector and fishing dependent communities and generate a shared vision on a Pan-African strategy to guide exploitation of a gigantic resources. The meeting brings together policy makers, government representatives and non-state outers from across the continent.

The strategy expected to boost the management the fishing industry that for long been neglected.

The meeting is expected to finalize the Pan-African strategy is critical for once approved by stakeholders at the second conference of African Ministers of Fisheries and Africa culture (CAMFA), scheduled to be held in February 2014.

The strategy is expected to boost the management of Fishing industry that has long been neglected, according to NEPAD and African Union Interactrican Bureau on Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) statement.

A recent United Nations Food and Agriculture (FAO) state of Fisheries and aquaculture report noted that many fisheries in Africa are characterized by weak management system and threatened by over-exploitation in situation has gradually worsened since 1974 eroding initial successes seen in fisheries projects and turning them to failures.

The meeting is part of the wider efforts following the comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Progarmme which was endorsed by the African Heads of State and Government in Maputo Mozambique in 2003 as a framework for Agriculture – economic development.

Despite the potential of the fishing Industry in Africa it has largely been sidelined in the National Development Plans of many African Countries and players still use old fishing methods giving them original returns and at the same time causing damage to the breeding grounds for fish.

The statement adds that the meeting will respond directly to the CAMEA resolution urging African member states to urgently incline small scale fisheries their natural strategies.

ENDS

KENYA: VETERAN JOURNALIST MOURNS WARURU KANJA

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LEO ODERA OMOLO MOURNS THE LATE NYERI POLITICIAN WARURU KANJA

May take this opportunity to extend my heartfelt profound condolence to the family and friends of the late Nyeri fierce politician Waruru KANJA.

I Knew the late Waruru Kanja way back in 1957 when he led a group of hard-core Mau Mau detainees on Mageta Island, Bondo district, now Siaya County, who were involved in jailbreak after killing the European prison commander who was in charge of the camp.

After killing the prison boss, the group escaped MAGETA Island using a makeshift raft and swam across the Nyanza Gulf {formerly Kavirondo Gulf and landed at Ulugi, near Lihanda beach on Rusinga Island in what was then known as South Nyanza distric after swimming for more that 14 hours.

The fugitives were given shelter by the LUO Elders who gave the them accomodation and food inside hideout houses, but only after separating them in four groups. The colonial police launched an elaborate search for the jail breakers both aerially using the police air-wing and motor-boats. The search also went on into the villagers on the mainland locations of Yimbo, Sakwa and Uyoma.

The colonial authorities used motor-boats and even sent their agents to the twin fishing islands of Rusinga, but all in vain, Warurur Kanja and his friends had been issued with new clothes and were living safely in the villages.

I met the late ex-Mau Mau detainee in the 1980s while he was serving in the cabinet as a Minister and Nyeri Town MP in Parliament Building over a cup of tea, and I found his memory to be very fresh. He could easily recognize me, though many years had lapsed because in 1957 I was a young man of 18 of age. Mzee Kanja was a true nationalist and freedom fighter apart from being detribalized person and humanist

May Almighty God give his soul eternal peace.

LEO ODERA OMOLOO
veteran journalist-cum-Author

KENYA IS BLEEDING TO DEATH FROM AL-QAEDA SUPPORTED AL-SHABAAB TERRORISTS ATTACKS

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News Analysis By Leo \Odera Omolo

As millions of Kenyans celebrated the 50th Independence aniversarry marking December 12th the date in which the country gained its political independence from Great Britain in 1963, residents of Moyale District located in the far North and bordering Ethiopia and Somalia had nothing to celebrate.

The residents of this region did not celebrate the century’s 50th birthday with the rest of the country. Thousands of the residents were displaced during last week’s six days of gun battle that claimed more than 10 lives and led to loss of property worth millions of shilllings.

It was sad that some residents were not even aware that 12th December was a special day for Kenyans across the country and the world. Women and children were still camping in different refugee camps in Kenya and in Ethiopia. 90% of locals sought refuge in neighbouring Ethiopia following the attack Islamic terrorists.

The insecurity situation is now posing this threat to the country’s thriving tourism industry. This is because the Somali terrorists appeared to have infiltrated their agents deep inside Kenya, and making the country to bleed to death.

In the Coastal Kenyan city of Mombasa two British tourists narrowly escaped death early this week when a hand grenade was hurled at their vehicle. But the grenade failed to explode.

The two tourists who were traveling to the popular tourist destination of Amboseli National Game Park under the attack at 7.30 a.m (local time) in the Likoni area of Mombasa.

According to some words of the eye witness who spoke to the news men on strict condition of anonymity, the lone man who hurled the grenade at the vehicle carrying the British tourists, a land cruiser as the driver slowed down to negotiate a sharp corner near Mtongwe junction had been loitering around by the roadside at about 6 a.m.

The device hit the vehicle side window and rolled off. Luckily for the tourists, the device dropped onto the road without exploding. The attacker then escaped and fled from the scene. He disappeared in the sprawling village. He had earlier been observed loitering in the busy road as early as 6 a.m.

Meanwhile the police in Mombasa are holding a Kenyan woman who they are questioning in connection with the mysterious death of a British tourist.

The tourist whose age was assessed to be around 70 years tied under the most mysterious circumstance inside his one room rented house. The victim who is said to have been a regular visitor to the coastal city was found dead by the caretaker of the apartment. His mouth was sealed with plastic tape.

The local police chief Julius Wanjohi confirmed the incident and said the ralus were pursuing vital leads that could unravel the truth. The suspect who is said to have seen a girl friend of the deceased is now in police custody. The killing has angered the residents of Nyali neighbourhood who complained of the uprising insecurity in the area.

Kenya: multi-billion dollar project in siaya is facing myriads of problems

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NEGATIVE POLITICS AND GREEDINESS FOR THE CHEAP CHEAP HANDOUTS MONEY IS THREATENING TO DERAIL MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR US INVESTOR’S RICE PROJECT IN SIAYA COUNTY

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo

Negative politics and anti-development attitude of Siaya politicians is now threatening to derail a multi million investment by an American entrepreneur who has sunk close to Ksh. 10 billion in River Yala Swamp land reclamation project.

Mr. Calvin Burgess an American investor from Okhlohama, US has invested a lot of money in mixed Yala river swamp land measuring about 17,500 hectares in the farm which is located near Ratuoro in Central Alego, Siaya district, Siaya county.

Yala swamp land reclamation project is a multi purpose farm producing thousands of top grade rice, maize, beans, cotton, sorghum, millet, bee keeping, citrus fruits, fish ponds, and other cash crops.

The vast swamp land on both sides of Yala River is covering Bondo, Bunyala, Budalangi and Siaya district. Before Mr. Burgess started this multi billion dollar investment project the massive swamp, now farm land, was home to crocodiles, hippos, pythons, and highly poisonous snakes.

Dominion Farm Limited has now been turned into ultra-modern mixed farm which of late has become the hub of food production inside Luo-Nyanza. However, the work has not been going on smoothly as expected due to gross interference by lead politicians and some local NGOs, environmentalists and local civic leaders, who had turned this most important project into their punching box, thereby incessantly polarizing its progress and expansion.

The war of words intensified earlier this week after the outspoken Gem MP Washington Jakoyo Midiwo fired the first salvo by issuing threats that he will mobilize and lead a mob of ODM supporters to evict the company.

Meanwhile the Dominion Farm Limited has persistently come out to defend its clean record and dismissed numerous allegations of reneging on the agreement signed between it and the defunct County Council of Siaya and Bondo.

Midiwo’s threats prompted the nominated MP Dr. Oburu Oginga and Siaya County Commissioner Joseph Kimigwi to tell Midiwo off over his threats to lead the company’s eviction by the mob of ODM followers and supporters.

Oburu, the elder brother of the ODM party leader Raila Amolo Odinga said it is naïve to evict the investor who has sunk down Ksh. 10 billion in the Yala Swamp rice development project. The MP warned the County Reps and villagers who are reportedly harassing Dominion Group for cheap hand-outs, jobs and other goodies.

“Let us not fight the investor. This behaviour will scare away other potential investors” said the MP, adding that the Government of Kenya and Siaya County residents should instead protect the US Company which has also created job opportunities for thousands of locals.

Dr. Oginga said there are channels of addressing grievances raised by the residents and their leaders and which should be followed. “Because the investment is of great importance to Siaya County and cannot be wished away over petty issues”

“Such a multi billion shillings investment cannot be shut down at the whim of county leaders. It is inconcurrable”, said the administrators.

The commissioner defender the Dominican Group and vowed to beef up security around the project to thwart any attempt to disrupt its operations.

Mr. Kimigwi went on “ Infrastructure that has been brought up by the Dominican Group will always remain the property of the local community and residents should not just look at immediate gains or hand outs.

Midiwo had issued the threats to evict the US company for allegedly failing to comply with agreed and signed with the former County Council of Siaya and Bondo when it leased more than 6, 000 acres of the swamp land for a rice project.

Some local politicians demanded for fresh negotiations at the agreement arguing that the residents have allegedly been given a raw deal by the US multinational company.

The proprietor, Calvin Burgess, has however dismissed Midiwo’s claims saying the project has employed thousands of workers from the surrounding villages and locations both skilled and unskilled.

This US multinational firm has also revived the old ginnery in the region which went burst many years ago due to poor management by co-operative sorcery and is now encouraging cotton growing in the region

It has established the honey processing plant within its own compound. The firm is known to have freely supplied mosquito nets to the villagers in the malaria prone region for free.

Dominion has vehemently denied the allegations and claims that it is not helping the local RESIDENTS.

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KENYA: PROF LARRY GUMBE HAS JOINED THE ELECTION RACE IN CROWDED CONTEST FOR ODM SECRETARY – GENERAL

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu CITY

The impending ODM national officials party election, scheduled for February next year, is likely to be crowded by many contestants.

The coveted important position of the party Secretary – General is expected to be the most crowded. The position is currently held by the Kisumu Senator Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o who has held it for close to ten years. However, the post seemed to have attracted many party stalwarts, particularly the group of the younger generation, calling themselves the Young Turks.

The group comprising mostly first time members of Parliament has one old and experienced party stalwart in the name of Prof. Larry Gumbe and the Budalangi MP Ababu Namwamba.

Others reported to be interested in the same post to included the outspoken Gwassi MP John Mbadi, Kisumu Town West MP Ken Obura, Ndhiwa MP Augustino Neto Oyugi. Also reported by some unconfirmed sources to be eyeing the same position is the ODM Executive Director Magerer Lang’at who is the immediate former MP for Kipkellion.

The young Turks blamed the old guard for having largely contributed to the party’s devastating defeat in the March 14 general election due to their laxity and poor leadership.

The name of the Siaya Senator JAMES Aggrey Orengo has been featuring prominently in other quarters as the one who is likely to succeed Prof Nyong”o. The incumbent of late has been keeping low profile over party activities.

Speaking to this writer via the phone, Prof Gumbe said ODM needs principled and consistent leadership to guide the party become a true grassroots visionary and democratic political movement which will lead Kenya into industrialization.

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CHEMICAL FISHING IN LAKE VITORIA COULD HURT KENYA’S ECONOMY

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THE DANGEROUS USE OF CYANIDE IN CHEMICAL FISHING IN LAKE VICTORIA COULD HARM KENYA’S FISH EXPORT TRADE ABROAD

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town.

UNSCRUPULOUS fishermen in Lake Victoria have recently introduced the use of cyanide and other chemicals to improve their fish harvesting in a manner which could prove to be very harmful and a health hazard to the consumers.

The time is ripe for the government of Kenya, particularly the Fisheries Department in the Ministry of Natural Resources and Minerals – Kenya, especially the Department of Fisheries in the Ministry of Minerals and Natural Resources, to institute thorough investigation on these claims with the view to protect fish commodity from this region as its economic mainstay.

Fish is one of the most important assets, which is raking millions of shillings into the country and as such is playing a pivotal role in Kenya’s economic growth.

According to Homa Bay County Governor Cyprian Otieno Awiti the county is earning about Kshs. 7 billion annually from the fishing industry.

It is being moderately estimated that Kenya earns about Kshs. 15 billion per year,most of the money come from foreign exchange from its experts to foreign countries in Europe, Middle East, Japan, Israel and the US. A highly prized item is the delicious fillets from the economically important Nile perch.

Nile perch fillet dishes is said to be so popular with consumers in the EU countries.

However, the laxity and complacency with which the government of Kenya is treating the fish industry could hurt the fish trade and further force close to 20,000 fishermen currently employed in the industry out of jobs.

In Homa-Bay County alone fishermen harvest approximately 80,000 metric tones worth Kshs 2 billion. This represents about 50 percent of the total catches in Lake Victoria waters, especially along the narrow Nyanza Gulf which the Homa Bay County is sharing with the neighboring Siaya, Kisumu Busia and Migori counties.

According to available statistics out of the total fish landings, Nile Perch accounts for about 40,000 metric tonnes valued at Kshs 6 billion and Omena (Ndaga) accounts 33,000 metric tonnes worth Kshs 2 million.

The Lake Victoria region, however, now has 1,801 fish pounds covering an area of 540,3000 square metres. Annual fish production from aquaculture is about 50 metric tonnes worth Kshs 12 million.

Governor Awiti disclosed that his county government has launched a campaign to popularize aquaculture to help ease pressure on Lake Victoria and its natural resources and is working closely with the Fisheries department in concerted effort to stamp out the use of illegal fishing nets, a practice which is to blame for the sudden decrease of fish stocks in Lake Victoria.

However, the other practice which is proving to be the worse is the increase in cases where unscrupulous fishermen use very cyanide chemicals in poisoning the fish. The practice is so bad as it killed fish in thousands and then destroyed the breeding grounds.

Equally met into great danger are the consumers of those fish killed with chemicals

Overseas consumers of Kenya fish often are unaware of the chemicals fishing method used upon some of imported fish from Kenya. The practice is also posed as being a health hazard to the breed consumers, therefore must be discouraged at all cost.

Fish harvested through the use of chemicals becomes perishable within hours and rotten even before reaching the consumer kitchen.

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THE GOVERNMENT OF KENYA IS ACCUSED FOR BEING INSINCER WITH ITS EFFORTS TO REHABILITATE THE AILING SUGAR INDUSTRY

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A Special Feature By Leo Odera Omolo

The government of Kenya is being accused of insincerity in its declared plans to resuscitate the ailing sugar industry. Instead the sugar sub-sector which, is so vital in the country’s economic growth, is said to have been neglected and turned to a milking cow.

A recent tour of the Nyanza sugar belt by the cabinet secretary for agriculture Felor Koskei has provoked sharp criticism of the government whose sincerity to introduce a crash programme for the rehabilitation of the sugar sub-sector is now put into a big question mark.

Koskei announced that five sugar mills which are currently in public investments and under the parastatal management would be privatized soon.

He said the move will be to comply with a resolution passed by parliament in January this year. The five sugar factories included Nzoia, Muhoroni, Sony Sugar, Chemelil and Miwani.

The five sugar companies are heavily indebted to the turned US 525 million with their annual books of account not very attractive.

Koskei issued a directive that sugar cane farmers may now be forced to sell their crops to any millers without zonal restriction. This he said will be on willing seller willing buyer basis.

The cane farmers in Western Kenya through Kenya Sugar Cane Growers Association (KESGA) have reacted angrily and vehemently opposed the new directive.

Sugar cane farmers view the new directive as aimed at protecting the errant millers at the expense of cane growers.

The farmers in the sugar cane growing regions said they have a feeling that if Koskei directive is implemented it will automatically trigger chaos worse than the current pathetic situation in which cane poaching crisis has threatened to cripple the sugar industry.

Koskei, they said has missed the point. How do the farmers who are specifically contracted to sugar companies that had advanced them with millions of shillings in land preparation and development loans deliver their harvests to other millers that did not invest a cent in the same crops development, even if they are offering better terms?

For a farmer too develop an acre of sugar cane from the land preparation to harvesting cost approximately between Ksh. 40, 000 and Ksh. 50, 000 respectively which poor farmer can not afford, hence for partnership with the millers who can only recover their money upon the farmer delivering the cane to the same miller, who had advanced the m with the land preparation and cane development loan.

The government is equally blamed for not having put in place certain binding conditions when signing contract with new investors in the sugar industry especially on issues related to the employment of top management staff in the sugar companies.

There are five privately owned sugar factories which are currently operational. In all the five with the exception of one, Miwani sugar Mills which went burst and presently under the official receivership, all top managers are foreign expatriates recruited from either India or Pakistan.

Local African staff and workers in those factories are only engaged to work as casuals without letters of appointments. Local Kenyans are employed but earning discriminative salary scales in comparison to their foreign counterparts

The expatriate are the one earning the highest salary scales, but not subjected to mandatory deductions such as NSSF and NHIF, while their counterparts (Africans} are forced to pay the mandatory deductions.

Expatriates are employed on petty and odd jobs such as time-keepers, store-keepers, junior account clerks, cane yard clerks, casuals, messengers, accountants, electricians tractor drivers, sweepers etc.

Salaries for the expatriate varied from Kshs 30, 000 up to 80,000 per month. The highest paid African worker earns between Ksh 6000 and Ksh 15, 000 per month, but without being issued with letters of appointment.

In actual sense this is purely case of new slavery when indignant Kenyan workers are being discriminated in their own country.

All the jobs specifications on which foreign workers are doing can easily be filled by local personnel.

Kenya has trained and turned out thousands of skilled workers, in excess of its industrial needs therefore does not require any foreign workers of the above mentioned categories.

The Indian sugar companies, it is being alleged, are said to be spending fortunes in the way of corruptly obtaining the work permit for the expatriate workers, which runs into millions of shillings.

The Indian owned factories incTrans-Mara lude Butali, West Kenya, Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries, Trans Nzoia, Mara Sugar Companies and Miwani Sugar Mills. All are located in Western Kenya.

Some of these rules stipulates among other things that the new mills must be established at a distant of not less than 40 km apart from the existing one, cut the invest must provide to the KSB with evidence that they had acquired enough land acreage for sourcing continued cane supplies to avoid scrambling and cut throat cane poaching.

These r KSB regulations are defiantly and flagrantly ignored by excessively arrogant Indian investors and hence the source of discontent leading to near violence cane poaching that has been witnessed in Western province and in the Nyanza sugar belt and also Awendo sugar cane growing zone which Sony Sugar is violently competing for cane harvesting with Sukari Industries and Trans Mara Sugar Companies as located less than 15 km apart.

ENDS

KENYA: PLEASE LEAVE THE HARD WORKING BISHOP OGONYO NGEGE ALONE

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From: LEO ODERA
Date: Wed, 27 Nov 2013 13:49:13 +0300
Subject: PLEASE LEAVE THE HARD WORKING BISHOP OGONYO NGEGE ALONE
To: jaluo@jaluo.com,

BISHOP WASHINGTON OGONYO NGEDE IS AN UPRIGHT PERSON WHO DON’T DESERVE THE NEAR INSULT COMMENTS

I personally knew Bishop Dr Washington Ogonyo Ngede, the head of the organization, ‘Power of Jesus around the …’ from about 40 years ago.

The Bishop is an upright and honest person who got into priesthood from an humble background. He worked hard founded the church which he is heading.

I was disappointed and dismayed when I read two comments written in jaluo.com website. The two comments, one in Dho-Luo vernacular and the other one in English appeared to have come from an insane persons suffering from petty jealousy. All the heads of Christian churches are known to be using motor vehicles bought with money raised by their flocks. Therefore there is nothing wrong for the folliowers of Bishop Ogonyo Ngede have decided to do fundraising for the purpose of purchase a bran new car for their leader to easy his travellings while on the mission of spreading the gospel of Jesus around.

Of the authors of the two comments, one calling himself Jamach Piere Yindo and the other Onyango Otare. I am sure they are not members of the Bishop’s church. All the churches including tho old ones and well long established churches including the Roman Catholic and the Anglican Bishop are usuing the church facilities like vehicles etc. But we have heard or read no other comentators jealous because of the state of the art black Toyota Prado car Bishop Ogonyo Ngede is uysing. For close to more than two decades Bishop Ogonyo Ngede has been keeping a fleet of sleek cars, all well maintained at the expense of, church members.

It is also wrong and amounting to the campaign of hate for the two authors to drag in the names of highloy respected persons like Raila Odinga and another humble man of God, Bishop Silas Owiti, into their dispute with the Bishop.

Bishop Ogonyo Ngede has served the Kenyan community in general and the Luos in particular diligently with dedication. This is why we can now be proud about the magnificent church building standing by the roadside near Kachok/Nyalenda in Kisumu City. His tireless efforts also the church spreading iuts wing into many rural locations inside Luo-Nyanza and beyond.

Since its inception and when the God called him to the Ministry in 1977, the church has since established close to 200 churches affiliated to it, all built on permanent materials. This is no mean achievement.

Personally I am not trying to gag those who want to criticize the Bishop, but I believe in constructive and not destructive and subversive criticisms. Such criticism must be genuine and based on truth. The two critics of Bishp Ngede, judging from their names must be the servants of satanic idols.

I AM TOLD THAT Jamach PiereTindo is a sexist and is a sexist maniac, if so then my passionate message to him is that he should seek the salvation from Jesus Christ . But they should leave the hard working Bishop alone.

Leo Odera Omolo

KENYA: A MAASAI WOMAN AND HER CHILDREN HOLD HOSTAGE BY LIONS

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A TERRIFIED MAASAI WOMAN WHO LOCKED HERSELF IN THE HOUSE AS THE PRIDE OF SIX LIONS FEASTED ON THE FAMILY BULL

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

A Kenyan Maasai living close to the famous and popular tourist destinarion in Kenya, the Maasai Mara is counting its losses after a pride of six adult lions and their cubs invaded their homestead and killed one fat bull.

The beasts made a break into highly fortified Manyatta home and jumped into the cattle pen,. A young housewife and her young children were asleep when the incident occurred. Her husband was away at the time of the incident leaving the family behind at home, which is located close to the Mara Game Reserve,

The lions imposed a dawn to dusk curfew and held the family hostage for close to ten hours. After accessing the cattle pen. The woman said she was terrified when she opened her door during the day break only to find the six lions and their cubs feasting on the carcase of the family bull they had killed. She quickly locked the door and could not raise the alarm fearing the beasts on hearing any commotion w could be provoked to attack her and her children, The children were still sleeping and It didn’t alert them.

The woman and her children fearing they would be terrified on seeing the lions wondering in the homesteads next to their doorstep. She stay put inside the Manyatta until the neighbors, who sensed that something was wrong in the home, came. The neighbors wondered why the family cattle were still locked inside the pen whle the herds of cattle from the neighboring home were grazing outside They came with crude weapons such as arrows and speakers and chased the lions away . The beasts escaped into the nearby thicket and disappeared in the forest and game reserve. The woman and her family were late rescued by the neighbors. Mrs Christine Nakola 43 year old mother of six children.

The neighbors might have wonders that something is a miss, because there were no human movements in the usually crowded Manyatta, while the family herds of cattle were still locked in their pen.

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KENYA’S NEWEST WHITE SUGAR MILLING FACTORY EXPECTED TO START WORK NEXT JULY

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

Kenya is expected to commission its tenth white sugar processing factory next July. This will place the country to a near self-sufficiency in sugar products. Already the country has nine sugar mills most of them are located in the sugar growing region in Western part of the country.

Once fully operational, the new sugar mill, which is currently under construction in the Coastal district of Kwale will help the country cut-down its perennial deficit in sugar preproduction for its domestic requirement and needs.

Available statistics shows that Kenya is currently producing close to 500,000 of made sugar, while domestic needs stands at about 700,000 tons annually. This leaves about 200,000 tons, which the country is sourcing from foreign countries. At the present the bulk of these imports come from Egypt, a country which is outside the Preferential Trade ArEA for East and Southern African countries [COMESA}. However it has since been discovered that Egypt is a country which is producing less sugar for its domestic supplies, but only imports the commodity from Brazil, which in turn is re-exporting to Kenya.

Sugar products sale into the domestic and international market would boost the economy. The firm which is constructing the new factor is called Kwale International Sugar Company Limited [KISCO} The firm is expected to invest about USD 200 million which is equivalent to KJSHS 17 .1 billion. The project is also expected to generate 80 megawatt of electricity with 25 per cent being used to the plant and 75 per cent to be used for water supplies to the mill, and the rest would be connected to the national grid.

The new factory is expected to go into production on or about July 24, 2014 when its products would be introduced into the regional and local market. The project director Mr Harsil Kotwxha was recently quoted by the media as saying that that because sugar cane takes a year to mature in the coastal region due to unfavorable weather, compared to between 18 and 24 months in other sugar cane growing zones in Western KENYA.

The firm is currently embarked in constructing green field system of sugar cane growing. It started land preparation and cultivation in 2010 through the cultivation and plugging of a 5000 hectares nucleus estate farm.

The entire project is expected to cost Kshs 17.1 billion. It was launched by the retired President MWAI kibaki in 2007. It is owned by members of a family of business men through their family business flagship IPabari investment.

Endshich undertook the initiative following the collapse of Ramisi Sugar factory in 1980,which later sold 25 per cent share equity to Omni Sugar.

The project was partly financed by CPC/Stanbic and the PTA bank. At the same time about 1,200 local farmers were registered as the cane out growers. They have so far put about 4000 hectares of land read for sugar cane plantation2. The government of Kenya had leased 15,000 hectare of land for the same purpose..

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Uganda-Kenya Relationship

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News Analysis By Leo odera Omolo In Kisumu City

Kenya and Uganda governments have agreed to a mutual deal that when fully implemented will make it much easier to the citizens of the two countries have an easy access to border crossings, instead of the cumbersome going through tough immigration scrutinizes.

The agreement came at the conclusion of a week long consultative meeting held in Kisumu City. The meeting held at the posh Sun-Set Hotel on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria.

It will facilitate free movement of labor between the two countries. IN the new deal those nationals of the two neighboring nations moving to either for a period of six months will only be required to produce their national identity cards. This will apply to Kenyans crossing into Uganda while Ugandans travelling to Kenya will use heir voting cards as the official documents.

The Ugandan delegation headed by a r Mohamed Sadique arrived here last Monday during which time the two delegations deliberated on various contentious issues affecting the two countries. The two teams revived reviewed issues such as reviving the question of Migingo island in Lake Victoria, which has been the sources of endless political wrangling between the two nations for the last eight years.

The Kenya delegation was headed by James Ole SeriAN who is the Regional Co-coordinator Commissioner for Western Province. It asked the joint border survey committee which was established Five years ago to urgently embark on the review process to end the stalement. It became clear at the end of the discussions that the two countries wants Migingio ISLAND border survey reviewed quickly and the dispute between the two countries sorted out amicably and diplomatically. The same dispute has remained a thorny issue for the last eight years at times threatening he peaceful co-existence of the two countries.

Mr Ole Serian the head of the Kenya delegation had told the gathering that the long territorial spat over the disputed Migingo Island in Lake Victoria will soon be resolved in a peaceful manner. His counter part Mr Sadique said that the to countries have enjoyed cordial and warm relationship anf therefore needed to resolved all the outstanding issues harmoniously.

The joint survey team was established by the two nations in 2009 and undertook the joint inspection of the international boundaries in the region, But its work had stalled despite the two countries having made available the sums of Kshs 240 million in which each contributed half of the amount of. During another KENYA-Uganda Ministerial COUNCIL held in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi in 2011 it was agreed that the joint survey team would complete its work and come up with practical modalities to conclude the survey and demarcation of the common boundaries in Lake Victoria.

The initiatives, however, stalled due to what Mr Ole termed as failure to bring on board the stakeholders. NINTH KENYA-UGANDA JOINT BORDER TECHNICAL COMMISSION does bring on board all the stakeholders, and, that exercise among the many issues surrounding the true ownership of Migingo Island. Which were supposed to have been addressed adequately and sufficiently.

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KENYA: THE GOVERNMENT SHOULD ABOLISH THE INCOMPETENT KENYA SUGAR BOARD

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COmmentratry by Leo Odera Omolo

It is very encouraging that the government of Kenya has declared its reform exercise of its parastatals and other loss making – quasi-government organizations. However the inefficient and perennial loss making Kenya Sugar Board should be scrapped and axed and another vibrant body be established to perform the KSB duties.

The board was created by an act of parliament a few years ago to look after the sugar s-sub sector. At the time of its inception the performance of the industry was well, but gradually this got derailed such that it is not effective in making what used to be a robust industry almost totally collapsed.

The reasons for the decay in this important dub-sector include {1} Composition of a new board that include farmer representative elected more or less along a line similar to that of electing ward representatives to the regional assemblies. At the present electoral system, it is doubted if the farmers have got adequate and effective representation for improvement of their lot.

{2} The current Kenya Sugar Board has failed to achieve equity in financial returns from three tire industry. To – date there is no operating sugar cane payment formula and the poor farmers are so disadvantaged, especially when they have ineffective representation.

The sugar industry in this country could borrow a leaf from Mauritius or South Africa. In the Indian Ocean island of Mautirius, after all made sugar has been sold, about 75-76 per cent of the proceeds are given to the raw cane owners and 24-25 per cent shared by other stakeholders. In this way availability of raw material, cane is assured and there is equity.

As regards COMESA rule, total production of sugar in COMESA countries put together is far less than total consumption in the same region. He Sugar board has not addressed importation of sugar from Comesa countries, which are well known to produce much less than their domestic consumption.

In general, operation of the sugar regulating board should be devolved and placed under County Agriculture docket for close supervision.

In general, operations of the KSB should be devolved and made to fall under County. It is worth noting that this institution has changed names many times. Good agricultural work appear to be conducted in this institution. Effective extension programs need to be created to disseminate research findings to improve the industry. The institution, however should encompass work related to sugar factory as is done in the other sugar research institutions in Mauritius. Research should go to factory level as well. Composition of the board should include people with relevant professional experience, and strictly not seconded civil servants. All the parastatal sugar factories in this country have been run-down. From that time appointments of CEOs had little bearing on professional suitability. Selection criteria of CEOs must be reviewed. The same should go for departmental heads.

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KENYA: POLICE ARE PRAISED FOR IMPROVING SECURITY ALONG LUO-NANDI BORDERS

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The insecurity situation along the Luo – Nandi border that has been escalating in recent months is likely to improve following the gunning down of an armed thug by policemen in Nandi Hills town this week.

Jack Kispang who is suspected to have been ex-security personnel was on Monday this week trailed by detectives more than 10 hours from Cheptiret to Nandi hills town where he and his accomplices plans to stage a robbery of a supermarket were botched.

Detectives confronted the suspected robbers when they drew a pistol and threatened to shoot the workers at the supermarket and ordered them to surrender. Kipsang was armed with a Ceska pistol. The officers shot him several times at a close range. His companions fled and were still being hotly pursued by policemen.

A police source in Nandi County said the deceased is suspected to have been the leader of a heavily armed gang who were behind a spate of night attacks and killings in Nandi Hills Sub-County.

So far the gang has killed two senior managers in the tea estates within a period of two months.

The same gang, last Saturday, killed 70-year-old tea farmer Paul Malakwe Arap Rop. The wealthy farmer was attacked at his home, located at Chepotik village several kilometers outside Nandi hills town.

Police Chief in the area Jacinta Wesonga confirmed the incident. Seven people have been shot dead in the area in the last two months.

The police believe the culprits are behind six other murders and have appealed to members aware of the problem to volunteer information on those behind the worrisome and alarming killings.

Two weeks ago, the security Minister Joseph Ole Lenku in the company of the inspector general of police David kimaiyo toured the volatile Nandi-Luo and order and urged the two communities to maintain peace

The two top security officials assured tea and sugar cane farmers of the governments intention to improve security.

The first tea estate manager to die was was David Bivech of Chemartin Tea Estate who was attacked by the group armed with AK47 assault riffle in his house. Five other people who included Bivech’s wife, two administration police officers, a clerk and a night watchman were also injured in the attack on the manager’s house and were hospitalised for gun wounds which they sustained during the raid.

In the second raid incident William Nyongai an estate manager at Kapchoring Tea Estate received a gun shot wound and died while being treated at the nandi Hills Sub – District Hospital. Nyongai ‘s assailants escaped by cutting the barbed wire fence.

Three other deaths in the recent weeks were reported in the Muhoroni site of the border. They included 3 teachers, a retired teacher and a farmer. In the Nyanza incident, the three victims were shot to death by the assailants using poisoned arrows.

At the same time large scale sugar acne farmers in Kibos area near Kisumu and around Miwani, Chepsweka areas along the Nandi Escarpment have raised complaints about the want on destruction of their cane fields by herds men who are defiantly grazing herds of cattle in their farms thereby destroying young cane land.

Each time farmers who are members of the Indian community send watchmen to drive animals out of their farms, the herdsmen threatened them by shooting at them with arrows. The farmers have appealed to the government to bring the situation to an end and save their crops.

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WHY KENYAN PRESS IS FOND OF DISTORTING THE COUNTRY’S POLITICAL HISTORY?

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Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo

ANYONE reading through the columns of the Kenyan newspapers will not escape from reading malice and deliberate distortion and concoction of the the country’s political history, especially in regards to the role of those gallant freedom fighters of the past. I was so disgusted, perturbed and dismayed when I read the stories of Kenyan heroes of the yester-years

The photographs which were lined up as those of the freedom fighters during the hero’s day celebrations were mostly of former Home-Guards and boot lickers of the colonialists. I am particularly concerned with the several supplements carried out by some of the dailies.

Our papers showed only those who were well-known as the blue-eyed agents of the colonialists and white settlers, and the photos with dubious contributions to the real task for liberation war.

The list of the pseudo heroes were published either by design or malice that excluded the portrait of Mzee Harry Thuku, the fonder of the Kikuyu Central Kenya Association, which was later to became the mother of the defunct Kenya African Union {KAU}

The late Thuku, is arguably is the father of African nationalists uprising against the British colonial rulers in this country and their associates, the white settlers, Indian business moguls, and the Arabs. In the list of the past heroes of the independent struggle,the writers deliberately excluded the photo and name of Ronald Gideon Ngala, James Smuel Gichuru,Ex-Senior Chief Koinnange Wa Mbiyu, Wokesha Mengu of Taita/Taveta, Fred Kubai, Makan Singh, Walter Fanuel Odede,Daniel Ojijo Oteko of Karachuonyo, John Paul Olola from Alego, Jalmaya Okaka Rabala of Seme, of the Kavirondo Taxpayers Association { Piny Owacho}, John Kebaso of Kisii, JOHN andala of Bunyore, Lumadede Kisala of Maragoli, Elijah Masinde of Bukhusu, Rev Canon Awori , W.W.W.Awori, Eliud Wambu Mathu, Benard Mate , J.jeremiah Nyagah and Francis J.Khamisi.

Other freedom fighters who had the colonialists and their white settlers friends sleepless nights included Arap Koilagen the head of laibons in Kericho and the descendant of Kipnyige and Koitalel Arap Samoei. Arap K Mfangano Island after his entire Talai Laibon clan} Talai were forcefully evicted from their fertile ancestral land to pave thew way for the white settlers tea plantation in Keriucho and Bomet aregions and driven to the remote Gwassi Hills in the then South Nyanza in 1934. Koilagen died in 1956 and was buried on Mfangano Island while his two other cousins died in Nyeri prison where they were detained by the colonial government

The second regent generation of freedom fighters included Lawrence Gerald Oguda,Taaitta Araap Toweett, John Marie Seroney Josef Stanley Mathenge of Nyeri, Ambalal Patel [Ambu} , V.V. Patel.Daniel Moss oF Mt Elgot Congress, Kondit Ole Tiis, Dr Julius Gikonyo Kiano, J.D. Kali

Back to JAMES Samuel Gichuru, it was the latter who prior to the return of Jommo Kenyatta from Europe in 1948 became the first President of KAU. He relinquished this position and stood down for Kenyatta to resume the party leadership.,.

Again for the second time in 1941 Gichuru stood down as the President of KANU to give way to Commn Kenyatta to resume the party”s leadership after the latter”s release from the colonial jails in 1961,

About ODEDE, The Makerere trained veterinarian had stepped into Kenyatta shoes and resumed the presidency of KAU late in October 1951 only a week after Kenyatta and other top leaders of the party were rounded up by the colonial security personnel on the night of October 20. Kenyatta and five other were vanished in the remotest part of the NORTHERN Kenya before they were charged before a court in Kapenguria and jailed with hard labour on the framed charges of managing Mau Mau. Before the end of the same month, Odede hiukself was arrested while visiting South Nyanza and vanquished into detention camp in Maralal, Samburu from where he remained in the colonial detention and restriction camps until 1960s.

It would be good for the young writers to visit libraries before penning about history and they should stop sycophantic outbursts in which people whose contributions to the independence struggle are very insignificant.

The younger journalists must stop turning the history of this country upside down

– LEO ODERA OMOLO –
IN KISUMU.

KENYA: AWENDO RESIDENTS WANTS THE AUTHORITY TO STAMP OUT MOTORBIKE ACCIDENTS

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo TOWN

RESIDENTS of Awendo Town in Migori County have raised complaints against the increased number of Motorcyclists boda Boda operating in the area which have become the source of insecurity and many accidental deaths. They are demanding for the quick intervention of the Prov9ncial Administration and the police authorities because the numbers of deaths caused by these machines have reached the most alarming proportion.

Many deaths in the recent months have occurred in the recent months. These deaths have become the source of worries as a day hardly passed without someone loosing his or her precious lives. Some of the deaths are are caused due to business competition. A number of riders have been killed by their own passengers and their motorbikes stolen by passenger – turned thug.

The residents have also appealed to the government to ensure that the boda boda riders operates only during working hours and strictly not after darkness. Two riders had their throats sit open and killed within a week after the smartly dressed passengers who hired them after darkness turned thugs and killed them in grisly and cold blooded murder.

The two incident took places within SAKWA central. In the first incident, a motorbike rider was hired by a passenger art Dede Market and who wanted to be taken to Ranjira area. But the rider never saw the next light of the day. He was found dead the next day by the roadside with hid motorbike missing.

Two prominent sugar farmers and business have died as the result of motorbike accidents. The first who died was Mzee Nahashon Nyandiga Aloo of Ng’ong’a village in Sakwa South who met his end while traveling from his home to Awendo town.

Mzee Washington Ogweno Otata, a retired medic from Rinya village in Waware sub-location Sakwa East, was killed by a motorbike rider a month ago. Gun toting criminal thugs have also been reported as being ferried into the villages at night by boda boda motor cyclists with intention of committing a felonies..Quite often the motorbike riders whose numbers have tripled in the recent months.

In most cases these riders have no driving licenses and not qualified to ride their machines on the highway. Police traffic manning the feeder and access roads from the rural locations into the town normally allows the riders to ferry extra passengers so that they could earn 100 ij bribes money. Most of the boda boda who are licensed to carry only one passenger do carry between town and three passengers, putting their lives to a great risk. The riders overload their bike, and even some times carrying up two or three passengers instead of one while traffic police only demand 100 for their bribe money.

There are several access and feeder roads which are linking Awendo town with the surrounding rural locations and villages. They included Awendo-Rapogi-Road, Awendo-Mariwa-road, Awendo Kanyimach-road and the Kisii-Migori highway which passes through.On Market days, the traffic policemen mount road barriers and road blocks on these roads as early as 7.30 A.M ,but all these for the purpose of collection but no traffic offenders are booked.

It has been confirmed that close to 500 motorcyclists are operating inside this small farming town and this has become the source of insecurity

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KENYA: PLANS UNDERWAY TO HAVE THE ROAD TO TOM MBOYA MUSOLEIM IN RUSINGA TARMACKED

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay

THE Homa-Bay County government has envisages a plan to have the road from Mbita Point crossing to Rusinga Island termacked in order to give tourists and other visitors easy access to Tom Mboya Mausoleum, which is located at the late freedom fighter’s home near Matenga beach at Kamasengre, Rusinga West Location.

This was disclosed by the Homa-Bay governor Cypria. Otieno Awit. He further explained that ather road network earmarked from future improvement included Oyugis Kendu-Bay road and Rangwe-Rodi-Kopany Oyugis road. These roads are so important not only for easy communication, but would also facilitate easy travelling for traders and formers to access markets in the hinterland.

Other projects which are in the pipeline included tarmarcking the road which is traversing Mfangano, another fishing island which is also potential for tourist attractions.

Plans are also a foot for improving Kadongo-Gendia road and and the road that branches off at Kanyadhiang on the main Kendu-Bay-Homa-Bay rod and traversing Homa Hills via Pala as well as Kadel-Kowuor Pier road.

Prior to independence in 1963 Mboya used to walk from Mbita Point to his Kmasengre home on Rusinga Island.a distant of about eight miles. He used to cross Mbita Channel using a Dingy while leaving his car on the mainland, but this was later replaced by Ferry servicerr and after Mboya’s death in 1969, a Coasway was constructed. A permanent bridge is currently under construction The KENYA Museium services has since taken over the management of Tom Mboya Mausoleum.

Mboya, the most brilliant politician Kenya, has ever had is widely acknowledge as an uncompressed freedom fighter at the same time the architect of Kenya’s independence, died in hails of bullets fired by an assassin in a Nairobi street on July 5, 1969. HE HAD BEEN THE Secretary General of the independence party KANU ever since its inception in June 1960 up to his death while serving as Kenya’s MINISTER FOR Economic Planning and Development.

Governor AWITI said his government is busy initiating many socio-economic projects with far reaching to the electorate in the region. These projects are well spread in all seven parliamentary constituencies.

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KENYA: HOW URIRI D.C. PLACED HIS LIFE AT RISK OF DEATH IN THE LINE OF DUTY

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From: LEO ODERA

AFTER receiving a tip from good citizens that a wanted notorious criminal thug was planning to stage a night robbery in his district, the D.C., George Lagat in the company of two armed AP decided to lay an ambush to the heavily armed thug.

The D.C and his team drove from his residence at Rapogi Centre in the evening and stopped by toad side on the Awendo-Migori road. And at around 8.30 PM the notorious criminal thug while armed with an AK47 assault rifle pulled up from Migori direction. He was riding a motorbike and carrying two of his companions. UPON SEEING THE GK vehicle parked by the roadside, the notorious criminal thug made a sharp about-turn and rode back towards Migori town. Upon seeing the D.C. and his team getting closer to him while he run on foot, the thug opened fire aimed at the group. The policemen returned the fire hitting hitting him in the abdomen. The gangster fell down in the bush and threw his gun away. He also dropped a mobile phone handset, which the police took with them for further analysis to assist them in their investigation to unearth and establish the identities the thug’s contacts and accomplices.

The notorious thug died in a hails of bullets and his two companion fled on foot an disappeared inside sugar plantation.

It was later discovered that the firearm this thug was carrying is the same which had been used in killing a police officer in Awendo town a couple of months ago. As it was in darkness the D.C. sent for reinforcement of more policemen from the nearby Awendo, Rongo and Migori police stations.

It was policemen from Migori who arrived at the scene and recognized the felled criminal as Otieno, a notorious an wanted criminal thug, who has been terrorizing business people in Migori Town and its environs where he conducted day and night raids against businessmen.

It was established that Otieno hails from Ka-min-Olewe area in Central Kanyamkago location, Uriri district in Migori County. After staging a series of night robberies in the district he relocated to Migori town when he realized that the police were looking for him.

Otieno is said to have been the leader of a gang of notorious criminals in Migori which for the past four to five years gave the police sleepless nights. His body was taken to Ma Mortuary in Migori district hospital while the police were still pursuing his two companions who had escaped.

The shootout occurred only a kilometer from Urirri Centre and the market. It was not immediately established as the destination of the slained criminal thugs. It could have been Awendo, Ranen ,Mariwa or Rapogi trading centers,

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UGANDAN BUSINESSMEN WANTS THE ADMISSION OF SOUTH SUDAN INTO THE EAC BLOCKED BY COURT.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

REPORTS emerging from the Arusha based secretariat of the EAST African Community says that top Ugandan traders operating inside the Republic of South Sudan have moved to the East African Court of Justice and filed a legal suit asking the court to block the impending admission of that country into the East African Community as its sixth member.

The newest African nation had applied to join the regional trading unit. Its application for the entry into the Eac is expected to be top on agenda for the next summit of the EAC Heads of state and government, which is scheduled for April next year.

The businessmen have cited bad governance, lack of democracy, arbitrary and illegal arrests of its members and detention, rape, maiming and confiscation of merchant goods belonging to its members and confiscation of vehicles.

The legal suit is filed by members of the Uganda Traders Association comprising mainly Ugandans who are doing business in South Sudan. The Ugandans claimed that that country does not meet the criteria and lad down the rules stipulating by the EAC Treaty for admission of its membership. Their objection is on the ground that the juba regime does not met the prerequisite condition and requirements for admission into the EAC membership.

South Sudan government, they claimed has failed the test of good governance, democracy, the rule of law, observance of human rights and social justice. They further accused the Juba regime of failing to satisfy foreign investors operating businesses and trade in that country. Their members are allegedly being killed, maimed, raped and brutally beaten up by that country’s primitive and untrained security personnel. They laid claim of approximately 4.9 US dollars owed to them by South Sudan authorities related to unpaid bill on credit line and compensation for financial losses incurred due to the said violation of universally acceptable trade deals.

However, the Ugandan Minister in-charge of the East African Community Affairs Shem Rugena blamed the traders for having rushed to court, saying that they should have forwarded their claims to the EAC Council of Ministers before fling the court cases.

Meanwhile Kenyans arriving home from South Sudan alleged that close to ten Kenyans have died in that country under very mysterious circumstances. Some of them have disappeared without trace suspected of either held in illegal detention camps of killed.

Kenyans, they claimed, expect bare faced mass deportation and are being asked to finance the cost of their deportation. This is sometime exaggerated by the police, put at Kshs 200,200. Whereas the cost of travelling from Juba to the Kenya South Sudan border posts does not exceed Kshs 30,000 . Those under arrests or placed in police custody are tortured and at the same time being asked to pay colossal amounts of money to buy their freedom.

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KENYA: BOTH CORD AND JUBILEE COULD BE THE BIG LOSERS IN THE KISII BY-ELECTIONS

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News analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisii Town.

UNLESS Cord and Jubilee coalitions changes their tactics and abandon the idea of handpicking their preferred candidates without giving the electorate the free opportunity to nominate the most popular candidates through by conducting preliminary nomination process the two leading coalition parties could face an inevitable defeat in the two parliamentary by-elections.

The commonly popular opinion in this town and its environs is that the voters are unanimous that they will not vote for any candidate who is hand-picked by the either CORD or Jubilee headquarters.

The by elections are due to be held in Nyaribari Chache and in Bomachoge Borabu. Cord has already declared its support for the immediate former MP for the area Chris Bichage. Its principal partner, the WPD, is said to be in the process of choosing Richard Tongi,the man who had petition the high court and caused the by-election.

Rumours making the round here is that Ford People’ s party which was sounded by the former cabinet Minister Simeon Nyachae.However, the two leading parties appeared to have ignore the influence of the former Chief Secretary in Kisiipolitics. Leaders of these parties might not be in the know how that ignoring Nyachae waves of influence in Kisii , which is still intac, they re doing so at their own peril. Moreover Nyachae is highly respected member of one of the eight sub-clans, which are known as the kamba nane group in both Nyaribari Chache and in Nyanribari Masaba. He is still calling the shots within the two region Kamba nane which controls the majority of votes in Nyaribari Chance

The By-election in Nyaribari chache could be so complicated by the entry into other election race of Kennedy Omanga, who is the son of the former Nyaribari MP, the late Andrew John Omanga, who had also served as a cabinet Minister for many years. His mother Clara Omanga was once a Councilor in Kisii Municipality and rose through the ladder to became the rank of the town’s Mayor.Other credible aspirants included Ben Mogaka. In Bomachoge, Jubilee has settled on the former MP Joel Onyancha, while the Cord has declared its support to Peter Kimori. Another credible candidate who is likely top give Kimori a run for his Kimori a run for his money is Alfred Nyaundi,

This time around, the by-elections will be pitting the two Kisii political giants in two different opposing camps. These giants are Prof. Sam K.Ongeri who will be heading the Jubilee campaign team and Kisii Senator Chris M Obure of CORD. The two men have fought some of the fiercest election campaign battle in Kisii County before. They were involved in a bruising campaign for the Kisii senatorial seat which Obure won on March 4.

In 2008 Ongeri and Obure were locked in another by-elecion in Bomachoge after the High court in Kisii had nullified Oyancha election of 2007.Obure had succeeded in pushing John Ogari to victory in the consequent by election.

Obure and Onger were in the last Nyayo cabinet which was headed by the retired President Daniel ArapMoi. The two had supported different camps during the constitutional referendum voting of 2005. Ongeri Qa is the PNU torchbearer in Kisii and backed the Banana side, while the Narc government was headed by President Mwai Kibaki. Thereafter the referendum voting saw Kibaki beaten hands down with over one million votes.

Kisii County is an area where clan politics is still thriving and at times even supersede party politics. Clan politics is popularly known among the Abagusii as {\Obonyumba}This kind of clans politics gives advantages to those parliamentary aspirant from larger clans over their minority neighbors no matter how good is a candidate.

As far as the politics of Kisii is currently stand on the ground cord still control the largest parts of the region, but the coalition which is led by Raila Odinga who lost the presidential contest on March 4 to President Uhuru Kenyatta of the Jubilee has lost considerable ground to the waves of Jubilee which has made major inroads into many constituencies. Raila, however, must switch from his party’s usually flawed nomination system and give the voters their democratic rights of nominating the candidates of their own choice instead of dictating to them the handpicked canddate.

In the two by-elections, smaller parties including that PDP of Omingo Magara which had only one MP, namely Jared Kopiyo {Awendo},could make gains.

CORD and Jubilee must also watch the activities of the party independence KANU whose RESUYRGENCE IN Kisii region is unceasingly becoming visible.

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