Category Archives: HEADLINES

KENYA: REPORTS SAY CHEMELIL SUGAR COMPANY IS INSOLVENT AND IT IS ONLY A MATTER OF WEEKS AND DAYS BEFORE THE FIRM IS PLACED UNDER THE OFFICIAL RECEIVERSHIP

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

Chemelil sugar company in Muhoroni district within the in Kisumu County within the Nyanza sugar belt is on the verge of total collapse.

It has yet to pay its workers of their salaries for the month of August, 2012, the company owed its suppliers millions of shillings of unpaid bills. Only unionized workers were paid something a small fraction of their salaries for the month of August on fear that they could go on strike and cause havoc with the company’s properties.

Management staff and other workers received Kshs 1,500 each to keep them a float. The company has yet to pay the cane suppliers ever since April this year. The same is with the transporters.

An insider told this writer that Chemelil Sugar owed the Kenya Revenue Authority {KRA} a colossal amount of money estimated to be in excess of Kshs 600 million. It has yet to remit the power bill which is also said to be running into millions shillings.

A private firm contracted for cleaning the company’s compound ad factory is owed Kshs 50, million in arrears and is said to be just about to walk out of the firm.

Chemelil Sugar Company, which for many years was known to be the center of excellence and a roll model in the ailing sugar industry has sunk went down on its knees to an extent that cane farmers within its sugar cane growing zone have now boycotted delivery of raw material at its factory.

They prefer making direct delivery of their cane crops to the neighboring Muhoroni Sugar Mills and Kibos Sugar and Allied industries in Kibos near Kisumu.

A member of the board of director of the Chemelil Sugar Company, a wholly-government owned firm who had requested that his name should not be mentioned said explicitly that he company went burst several months ago, but it is only waiting for the arrival of the official receivers.

The company’s cane yard is empty with not even one single tractor queuing for the delivery space as it used to be before. The situation was described by one disappointed cane farmer as the most pathetic he has ever come across ever since the company inception in 1966.

Other reports say that the Kenya Sugar Board, which is the regulating authority in the sugar sub-sector of the economy is just about to disburse a colossal amount of money estimated at the tune of Kshs 470 million to the management of the Chemelil Sugar Company for its annual mechanical maintenance and further Kshs70 million to offset its payment arrears to the cane suppliers.

Members of the farming fraternity, however, have appealed to the government and the KSB not to disburse cash money to management of the Chemelil Sugar company but instead to hire and contract consultants and experts to carry out the annual maintenance work and pay the consultants their money directly fearing the same could be vandalized and embezzled the same way the firms coffers has been drained dry.

The KSB is as blamed over its choice and appointment of the managers in the public owned firms in the sugar industry. The farmers have also called for the Ministry of Agriculture to appoint external auditors to carry out forensic auditing of the company books of account.

The farmers have also appealed to the head of the inspectorate of the pubic corporation together with the Head of Public and Secretary to the cabinet to move with speed to ensure sanity is restored within the management of Chemelil Sugar Company.

As the company’s sugar production come to halt, the lives of close to 20,000 contracted and non-contracted farmers operating within the company’s sugar cane growing zones are doomed and facing a total ruins.

Although the three weeks teachers strike has come to an end, and pupils are back to school, the farming fraternity within Chemelil zone are facing myriad of problem not to be able to pay fees or their school going children having gone for close to five calendar months without receiving their cane bills.

Interviewed farmers have demanded for the immediate dissolution of the board of directors at the Chemelil Sugar Company and its replacement with qualified individuals who could turn the company around.

The popular rumors making the round within the industry is that some of the KDB directors need to have their activities put on heck. Some of the board directors are said to be in hurry of getting rich quickly and cold be collaborating with top managers in vandalizing the resources within the sugar industry. A contingent machinery of vetting the appointment of KSB directors should be done on an equal term to those of managing directors so as to avoid embarrassing situation similar to the on-going situation at Chemelil sugar company.

The closing don o this important facility would see the sharp rising in the poverty index within the Nyando,South Nandi, Lower Belgut and Muhoroni districts. A visit at the usually busy Chemelil Market at the round-about trading center witnessed those previously heavily stocked shops and stores having empty shelves. Similar phenomenon is being experienced in Kopere, Awasi and even far field at Ahero. If Chemelil goes into official receivership the number of sugar miller in official receiver would be increased to four. Both Miwani Sugar Mills are currently under the official receivership with Miwani having been closed down ten years ago.

The Managing Director of the Chemelil sugar chares Owelle could not be reached for his immediate his immediate comment the chair person of the board of director who is understood to e a lady-lawyer.

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KENYA: LUO NYANZA REGION TO RECORD MORE CIRCUMCISED MEN,

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By Agwanda Saye

Nyanza Provincial Director of Public Health and Sanitation has expressed optimism that the region will record major improvement when National Aids Control Council releases the new Aids indicator survey results.

Dr.Kioko says the intervention of voluntary Male Medical Circumcision which is still ongoing in Nyanza as a means of reducing HIV/AIDS seems successful.

“Figures of new HIV infections have reduced in most parts of Nyanza and we will not relent in encouraging men of between 15 to 49 years to go for the cut” he added.

Speaking to Journalists in Kisumu Kioko however said they are worried that men above 25 years are reluctant to go for the cut citing myths and misconceptions.

He urges the media to continue sensitizing the public on the importance of VMMC as a way of reducing HIV prevalence in Nyanza which stands at 14%higher than even the national prevalence.

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KENYA: UHURU KENYATTA’S TNA PARTY IS REPORTED TO HAVE SPENT A COLOSSAL AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THE NDHIWA BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN AND ONLY HARVESTED PALTRY 216 VOTES IN RETURN,

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writes Leo Odera Omolo In Homa-Bay Town.

STARTLING revelation has surfaced that Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta’s TNA party might have pated with colossal amount of money in excess of Kshs 5 million in the just concluded Ndhiwa by-election campaign, but shocking harvested only paltry votes of 216.

Other sources disclosed that when Kenyatta visited Ndhiwa a week earlier to drum up support for his party candidate Mrs Rumo before the poll date, those in is entourage were treated to an executive luncheon at the luxury and posh Ndhiwa Village Resort, which is owned by the former MP for the area the late Joshua Orwa Ojode.

Mr Kenyatta who is known to have been a close of friend of the late Ojode took his supporters national and local party officials to the hotel for lunch. His guests are sad to have incurred close to Kshs 65,000 in hotel bill, which Kenyatta I said to have paid promptly, but the hotel management has yet to receive any money. This was has been confirmed by Hesbon Omolo the party coordinator in Nyanza.

The campaign money which was made available for the by-election campaign logistics has caused a lot of jittery among the party national and local officials. Omolo confirmed of an incident when the group went to Kisumu Airport to see Kenyatta off to Nairobi.

Omolo, reported he shoved around by goons and almost got assaulted at the VIP lounge while he was briefing Mr Kenyatta about his trip to Nyanza.

He was shoved around by hired goons were acting on the advice and instruction of an unnamed one of the TNA national officials, who had his roots in Nyanza and was only rescued by the Embakassi MP Ferdinand Waititu who had accompanied Kenyatta during successful campaign tour of Ndhiwa.

On Tuesday this week the unpaid TNA’s polls agents had ganged up and threatened to lynch the candidates blaming them for having received the campaign money, but declined to disburse it to them.

The candidates travelled to Kismu City and met Hesbon Omolo who hurriedly arranged for a press conference so that they could explain the position. The aborted press conference was called at the Public Servant’s Club in the posh Milimani estate within Kisumu City.

But before the assembled journalists could take the notes, hired political goons suspected to have been hired by one of the national party official stormed the venue. Assembled journalists took to their heels and scampered in all direction for their safety while the goons menacingly hurled insults to Hesbon Omolo. The latter and the defeated candidates drove towards the Kisumu Police Station, with the goons in hot pursuit on boda boda motorbikes. Omolo and the candidates recorded statements.

An otherwise ugly situation was only averted after the timely intervention by he proprietor of the Club ho warned the marauding youths that he could have them arrested if they would dare to assault any of his guests and customers.

On Wednesday evening Mrs Debra Onyango Oloo, the wife of Onyango Oloo, the TNA’s Secretary General who drove a four-wheel Nissan double cabin van full of goons to the Ofafa Memorial Hall bar in Kisumu City where Hesbon Omolo and some friends were taking freshmen’s. The goons descended on Omolo with kicks and crude weapons. Omolo who sustained injuries on is left eye and reportedly suffered internal injuries following the beating. However, the hostilities between the two groups within Nyanza branch of the TNA continued unabated forcing both sides to record statements with the police.

By the time of writing this report no arrest was made by the police.of any member of the goons who had assaulted Hesbon Omolo at the Ofafa Hal and those who had violently disrupted the press conference at the Public Servants Club the previous day.

In the civic by-elections all held in the larger Kasipul-Kabondo, the TNA performed better than they did in the Ndhiwa bv-election where the party had harvested a paltry number of 216 votes which even fell short of the number of its 292 polls agents the part had hired to man its polling stations. In Wire / Migwa Ward in Kasipul, the NA candidate garnered 980 votes, while in Wang’chieng Ward, the TNA’s candidate polled 350 votes, the figure which was much better than what the party harvested in the Ndhiwa parliamentary by-elections.

Insiders confided to us tat TNA boss Kenyatta who is also the party’s presidential candidate seemed to have entrusted the campaign resources with some power brokers and political conmen who scrambled for the money and did no perform any meaningful campaign work for the party. Pundits sad they had expected Kenyatta’s party to perform better due to its enormous resources and campaign logistics it had ad put In place. The money is said to have evaporated and got into the pockets of individuals political conmen.

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KENYA: TENSION UP IN AWENDO TOWN AS THE COUNCIL WORKERS THREATENED TO PUT DOWN THEIR TOOLS IN PROTESTS AGAINST THE NEWLY POSTED TOWN CLERK.

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Reports Bob Ndira-Uradi.

Tension is building up in the small farming town of Awendo in Migori County after the dozens of the Council workers threatened to down their tools in protest against the newly posted Town Clerk.

The workers had mobilized themselves and locked the gate to the Council offices ,which are located in Awendo Town. They insisted that the new Town Clerk a Mr. Alia was not welcome in the Council on allegation and accusations that he is a non-performer.

Alila a former Mbita Town Clerk swabbed the position with the former long serving Awendo Town Clerk who has been transferred to Luanda Town Council in Western Province.

According to impeccable sources within Awendo, the issue had divided the civic leaders in Awendo Council right in the middle with half of them in solidarity with the protesting workers, while the other half had accepted the new Town Clerk.

There were unconfirmed allegations and rumors that money had changed had. Three of the Councilors said to have been compromised, it was reported had secretly traveled with the new Town Clerk to Nairobi where hey pleaded with the Ministry of their acceptance of the new chief officer. While the other were I solidarity with the chairman of the Council Johnson Omolo Owiro

The Councilor who were reported to have traveled to Nairobi to persuade the Ministry to stand their ground and withheld their posting included Adera Awene {Nominated]. Roselyne Arucho [ [Sakwa East} and Martin Ondong’ {Sakwa South}

Both teams made hastily arranged trips to the Ministry headquarters in Nairobi and after what is e believed to be widely consultations it was resolved that the new Town Clerk be accepted by he Council. This, according to sources was only after the intervention of both the Awendo D.C. and the Minister for Public Services Dalmas Otieno, who is the incumbent MP for Rongo constituency in whose jurisdiction Awendo Town Council falls under.

But finally the new Town Clerk Alia was driven into the Council offices by he Nyanza Provincial Local Government Officer {PLGO} who is based in Kisumu under tight security.

Alila, who hails from Suna East near Migori, according to reports had previously served in the same capacity in the nearby Migori Municipality was served in the same capacity, but was ejected from there under very controversial circumstances following the allegation that he is a non-performer . Alila had also served in Rongo Town, Kehancha and other local authorities within the region.

The Awendo Town Council workers are also up in arms demanding for the immediate transfer of the Town Treasure Pete Aoro arguing that he was another non-performer and that the positions of the Councl the Chief officer could be filled with’ Deadwoods”.

The have workers urged the Ministry to post the right men for the job or else they would what they termed as the mother of all protests and strikes in the near future if the government continued dumping only chief officers who have already been rejected and rejected by other local authorities.

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KENYA: NYONGO’S CAMPAIGN TOUR OF KASIPUL-KABONDO TURNED CHAOTIC AS LOCAL ODM PARTY OFFICIALS TURNED THE HEAT ON THEIR ODM MP ALLEGING HE WAS SYMPATHETIC TO UHURU’S TNA PARTY.

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Writes Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo in Oyugis Town

The Orange Democratic movement {ODM} top brass team led by the party’s Secretary General Prof. Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o made an extensive tour of Ndhiwa constituency to drum up the support for the party candidate Augustine Neto Oyugi who is embroiled in the by-election campaign. The group successfully addressed a series of public rallies at the various marketplaces, trading centers and in Ndhiwa town.

Prof Nyongo’ was accompanied by he local ODM MPs from the greater Southern Nyanza region.

They included Martin Otieno Ogindo {Rangwe} John Mbadi {Gwassi] Eng.James K .Rege {Karachuonyo}, Land Minister James Orengo local party branch leaders, several aspirants for the various elective positions within the Homa-Bay County governance, parliamentary constituencies and aspirants for Senates seats and women parliamentary representatives County Ward’s representatives etc.

However, Prof Nyong’o’s team encountered a chaotic situation when the it visited Oyugis Town in Kasipul-Kabondo constituency Rachuonyo South district as the head of ODM campaign team to drum up support for the party candidate in the civic by-election in Wire Migwi Ward.

This is the most controversial Ward in the region where the late Ogweno Ong’ondo, the former Oyugis Mayor who had won the election in 2007 o a ticket of a party known as KUNAP which has since ceased to exist.

The ODM official candidate is David Ochieng’Abuor who is facing stiffest opposition from a TNA candidate David Dache Akuku. The latter had lost ODM nomination primaries, and later switched side and hopped to the TNA to the chagrins of ODM leadership since the law has since outlawed party hoppers.

Allegations and rumors have also emerged that some of the parliamentary aspirants in the area are only giving lip-services to the ODM while privately funding the campaign activities of the rival parties candidates

Nyong’o’s team was met by party officials from Kasipul and Kabondo Kasipul constituencies at Kosele district headquarters of the Rachuonyo South district and dove to Oyugis town in a convoy of sleek car at the Oyugis-Kendu-Bay junction.

It was here where the signs of troubles ahead started surfacing.

The Kasipul-Kabondo incumbent MP Joseph Oyugi Maguwanga met with the group. The MP insisted that the team had to go to Nyadendi Hotel, but party officials in the area had earlier made some tentative arrangement that Nyong’o and is team would first of all visit the ODM office in town, sign visitor’s book and addressed the officials and others at the office. Bitter argument ensured and Nyong’o concurred with the local branch officials that his team would visit the party office first. The MP persuaded some of the MP who branched off from the Nyong’o’s entourage and went Nyadendi Hotel to the displeasure of the party local officials who viewed the MP’s action as that armed at undermining the ODM in the area..They stayed at the hotel for close to one hour, while Nyong’o conducted the meeting in the ODM office.

At the party office in Oyugis town Pro Nyong’o’s group also met a large number of aspirants vying for the various elective positions on ODM tickets in Kisii and Nyamira Counties as ell as the local aspirants and addressed them.

And while the meeting at ODM office was in progress the area MP burst in accompanied by track-load of unruly an rowdy youths.

The MP came to the office at the tine when one of the parliamentary aspirants for Kasipul seat Charles Were Ong’ondo was addressing the gathering inside office. Ong’ondo extended a gesture of welcoming the MP into the office, but some how cracked a joke by saying that the MP has never set his foot into the party office in Oyugis ever since he and his team were roundly defeated during the party’s grass root election the previous year.

These remarks did not go down well with the MP who stared shouting that some people were hell bent in spreading dirty propaganda aimed at undermining him Chaos broke lose with some party branch officials shouting back at the top of their voices alleging that MP Maguwanga is working with TNA.

The bi – election polls in both Atela and Wire / Migwa Wards are secheduled for September 17, altogether with that of Ndhiwa parliamentry by-elections

At this point the youth who had been sitting inside a land rover vehicle jumped out and menacingly rooting for a fight. Local party branch officials physically pushed the MP at the office and Prof.Nyong’o called off the meeting and told those in attendance to proceed to the venue of the campaign rally at Kagak-Nyalenda.

More chaotic situation erupted at the rally forcing Prof Nyong’o to forcefully grab the microphone from MP Maguwanga who was increasing under siege by the paltry crowd at the rally.

The MP told the rally tat he was firmly in ODM and only his detractors who are making things difficult for him by heaping false accusation against him. The remark did not go down well wit the crowd shouting back saying he the MP was undermining ODM in the area.
The situation was the same when the team visited Atela Ward in Kabondo Kasipul constituency with some voices coming from the crowd accusing the MPs of conspiracy with other unnamed people who are allegedly engaged in subverting the ODM and allegedly supporting TNA civic candidate for Wire/Migwa Ward in the on-going by-election campaign.

At the Oyugis OM office it took the political magnanimity Hebert Ojwang’ the Nairobi based businessman who is vying for the Kabondo-Kasipul parliamentary seat to calm down the engaged ODM officials who were menacingly rooting for a fight with MP Maguwangag they would support TNA or URP.It later emerged that MP Maguwanga is having a lean time and under siege ever since the populous Kasipul –Kabondo was sub-divided by the IEBC

The expansive constituency has now been renamed Kasipul I its lower part, while the upper part, maily Kabondo region is renamed Kabondo –Kasipul constituency.
MP Maguwand whose home is near Oyugis hs the oughest choice ahead, because most of his relatives and loyalsupporters among them the resident of Kojwaha and Kaelo have been transferred and included in Kabondo Kasipul together with the resident of KokwanyoLocatins. His parens are living around Dudi/Ober-Mikaye area in Kakelo location, while the MP had established his own home at East Kamaak Konyango near Oyugis. In this part of lower Kasipul, he appeared to have lost the support of the resident who are are hell-bent I backing their own sons and daughters.

The lower part of the old Kasipul-Kabondo, which is, in this case is the original Kasipul comprises sub-clans of Kokal/Kanyago, Kotieno, Kodera, Kachien, Konyango in Kamagak West a well as large number of immigrant settlers from other Luo regions.

MP Maguwanga present problems appeared to have emerged and came about because he is a member of the minority Wasweta sub-clan whose origins could as well be traced in Suba regions of Suna/Migori and Suba regions But had settled among the Jo-Konyango, one of the largest sub-clans in the region.

His parent’s home is in Kakelo in the eastern part of the old Kasipul-Kabondo. He has a tough choice to make either to defend his seat in the old Kasipul or switch his political camp to kabondo-Kasipul in the east where he can join his Wasweta sub-clans and his uncles the Jo-Kojwach sub-clans for votes hunting.

The MP’s position is made precarious due to the fact that each one of the major sub-clans in Kasipul is fronting their own son to grab the seat. In this clans rivalries arithmetic,

The Jo-Konyangoroup have Eng. Tom Okoko, while the Jo-Kokal/Kanyango have the former MP William Oloo Otula, Kevin Odoyo Owidi , the younger brother of the former MP the late Eng.Peter Owidi, and the youthful businessman Sam Kotiende, at the same time the Jo-Kotieno and the Nairobi based lawyer Samuel Ochilo who is now a resident of Kokech location withi the larger Jo-Koteno. Ochillo, however, originally from Wasweta in Kamagak East, but has since settled in Kokech. The Jo-Kodera sub-clans Also vying for the same seat is Captain John Omolo an ex-Kenya Navy soldier from Kodera North, Eng Ogwang and Paul Mboga from Kodera North. have the Norway based senior university lecturer.

Dr.Otieno Mbare, and the Jo-Kachien have fronted the populist Meru-based businessman Charles Were Ong’ondo whose candidature appeared to be making major in-roads across the board into all sub-clans small and larger.

The MP is said to be disillusioned, though he had written to the ODM head office at the Orange House indicating that he would defend his seat, but he is reported not to have specifically mentioned as to in which constituency he is going to contest the election, because of the sub-division which has caused a lot of political intrigues I the region.

MP Maguwanga rivals in both constituencies being aware of his predicament are said to be making a big kill, hence the accusation that he is not genuine ODM loyal member. He is not to be warmly welcome in the newly created Kabondo-Kasipul constituency where his family lived and has a home in Kakelo Dudi area.

The Jo-Kabondo groups have also lined up their own sons and daughters for the new seat and would not hear of the Maguwanga’s name. What a dilemma a political dilemma is facing the MP facing?.

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The killing of a prominent journalist last week has dented Tanzania’s good immage and reputation before the international community an human rights groups

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The mysterious death of a prominent Television journalist under mysterious circumstances while he was filming a chaotic confrontation between the police and members of the Chadema opposition has seriously damaged and dented that country’s long held record of peace and cool handling of political crisis ever since it attained its political independence in 1961.

Tanzania, the most populous Eastern African nation got its political independence from its former colonial masters Great Britain in 1961,and has had no record of brutal killing of its journalists.

The country’ immediate neighbors, Uganda, Kenya and the Republic of Somalia in the Horn of Africa is reputed as the record holder in cases related to the killing of journalists both local and those representing media houses abroad, in both print and electronics.

The slain journalist David Mwangozi died two weeks ago while covering a demonstration by members of the opposition Chadema party in the country’s Southern Region of Iringa.

The late Mwanngozi was at his death, the regional representative of the Dar Es Salaam based poplar Television Station known a Channel TEN.A team appointed by the government of Tanzania to probe the killing of the scribe a week ago got off to a shaky start after the country’s media fraternity and the opposition parties rejected it out rightly for its composition which included police office who are among the suspects for the most grisly murder incident.

Instead, the Media Owners Association is no counting on a parallel investigations initiate by fellow journalists to unravel the truth on the horrific killing of David Mwangozi that has left Tanzanian petrified.

Mwangozi was blown up in an explosion during an altercation between police and Chadema opposition party members, in the Southern highland Region of Iringa. And according to Henry Muhanika , the executive secretary of the Media Owners Association before arresting the suspects- as they were caught in cameras as they assaulted the journalist was raising suspicion among Tanzanians of a possible cover-up.

The opposition Chadema party on its part, through its legal constitution an human right director Tindu Lisasu has asked President Jakaya Kikwete to form Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the killing, arguing it rejected the probe team formed by the Home Affairs Minister Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi because it included the police officers”who are also suspects in the murder case.

Mwangozi killing has sparked outrage in the country, with the media practitioners, executive secretary Kajubi Miganja saying that media fraternity was in the state of great shock

According to the varied and conflicting accounts of some eye witnesses, the slain journalist had attended the press conference on the morning of his death,and asked a question that was no appreciate by the police commander ,fielding questions.Later the journalist was seen filming a chaotic scene of police waving clubs and teargas canisters into the crowd of rowdy opposition supporters..

Though not much detail has come out this far, there is general agreement among he eye witnesses that Mwangozi was briefly apprehended by the police who proceeded to rough him up before something tore his body into pieces exposing his internal organs and leaving what had been Mwangozi a few minutes earlier to a heap of carrion flesh.

Pictures of the mingled remains posted on social media were hard to look at, especially the one with that crimson lump in the back of a pick up track. This singularly violent revolting killing has, understandably, fired up emotions.

There have been demands for the head to roll. A number of incidents have been cited, including killings in Arusha, Morogoro, and Singida regions.

The media fraternity in Tanzania is up in arms. A teargas canister firing device and letting it exploder in Mwangozi’s body at a close range.They reject any suggestion that this could have been an accident occasioned by an overzealous police officer mishandling

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Kenya: Three women and two former Nyakach MPs are among the ten political personalities eyeing Kisumu County governor position

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Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

THREE prominent women leaders, two former Nyakach MPS are among the 10political personalities who are eyeing the lucrative and powerful elective position of the Kisumu County governor.

The number of aspirants for this particular position got swollen up last Sunday following a meeting of members of the Jo-Kisumo from the various sub-clans of representing all clans of the indignant Jo-Kisumu Community which endorsed the candidature of the former regional manager with the Agricultural Finance Corporation {AFC}for Nyanza and Western Provinces Mrs Rhoda Ahonobadha to contest the Kisumu Count governor seat.

THe entry into this seemingly crowded field now bring the total number of contestants for this particular position to 10.

Armed with the wealth of experience in senior managerial level, Mrs Ahonobadha is an individual with the most illustrious academic background and the highest profile in top management and practical experience.

She is a graduate of the Nairobi University between 1974 and 1977 and later between 1978 and 1981 where he graduated with the Bachelor of Science degree in Botany, Zoology and Masters of Science in Animal production. She later joined the AFC in senior managerial position between the years 1983 and 2006 when she retired after reaching the mandatory retirement age.

Mrs Ahonobadha is a mother of five children three sons and two daughters- all are grown ups. She is the wife of Ambrose Ahonobadha retired a former IT communication engineer with the defunct Kenya Posts and Telecommunications.

He home in Nyahera near Ogada Secondary School in Kisumu East Location is only a kilometer from that of another contender for the same position Ms Ruth Adhiambo Odinga the younger sister of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who has settled near Dago Market and even built a modern restaurant near her home.

Another woman candidate is Mrs Ateno Otieno a Nairobi based lawyer and business woman whose home is near Ahero township.

Also in the race are two former Nyakach MPs, Ojwang’ Kombudoand Peter Ocheng’Odoyo – – all of the them hail from Kabodho clan in Nyakach. Had also served Kisumu City as the record longest .Kombudo serving Town Clerk before venturing into parliamentary politics in 1979.He had also served as a cabinet Minister for Regional Development during in the last KANU Regime of the retire President Daniel Arap Moi.

K’ombudo lost his seat to Odoyo in 1997. Odoyo had also served in the cabinet briefly during the short-lived KANU-LDP merger as an Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, but lost the seat to the incumbent Polyns Ocheng’ Daima in the hotly contested and controversial 2007 general elections.

Other aspirants include the US based university lecturer Dr. Barack Abonyo who also hails from the Jo-Kano clan, and the former senior accountant with the Kenya Revenue Athoroit {KRA] Jack Ranguma fro Kano Kobura sub-clan.

A senior insurance executive in Nairobi and London Simon Ogendo is also in the race. He is the son of the former Kisumu Mayor, the late Ogendo Von Ponge. He hails from Kasagam around Nyamasaria suburb of Kisumu City.

Another aspirant who candidature is sending shock-waves to the spine code of other aspirant is the populist senior manager with the Mumias Sugar Company Peter Hongo who hails from Kusumo Kogony near the Kisumu International Airport. Also in the race is Prof. Menya Kariaga who is reported to be working in Australia or Canada, but currently back in the country mainly to be involved in the impending general elections. He had once contested Kisumu Town West parliamentary seat

The youthful Kisumu medics Dr Makobewa who is reported to have withdrawn his candidature following heavy pressure from other undisclosed quarters is reportedly being urge by his supporters to switch his candidature to the Kisumu Town Eat parliamentary constituency which is currently represented by the colorless Shakiil Ahmed Shabir. Dr Makobewa has yet to respond to the popular demand by the electorate. He is said to be keeping his option to his chest.

The entry of Mrs Ahonobadha into the race for Kisumu County governor now bring the total number of aspirants vying for the same position to 10. After leaving the services of the AFC, Mrs Ahonobadha became involved in various key community development activities within Kisumu County. She is the current deputy chairperson of the Agricultural Society of Kenya {ASK} ever since 2009 to-date.

photo of Ms Rhoda Ahonobadha who is the latest entry into the race for Kisumu County governor has caused a lot of panicking among the close to a dozen aspirants.

She is also an active member and Vice Chairperson of the Kenya Society of Agriculture professional.{KESPA}, a professional body which advocates for the rights and welfare of the farmers as well as its members. She is also a member of the Moi University Council, Kisumu Polytechnic Board of management.

She has been a director of the Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company {KEWASCO} Ltd, A member of the board of management of the New Nyanza General Hospital an also a member of the Kisumu Girls High School board of governors.

Mrs Ahonobadha, who is a the daughter of the former District Commissioner {D.C} during the post independence period the late Mr. Richard Alai is also credited for having worked closely with farmers, women groups, co-operative societies, NGOs and other community-based organizations and common interest groups in promoting livestock development and production for food security.

For many years she is known to have been involved the implementation and management of the development programs aimed at enhancing food security in the country and integrated agricultural development programs such as ‘Bull schemes”.Cockeral exchange programs.

After retiring from her lucrative job ,she has been actively involved extra mural curriculum lecture at Kabianga University in Kericho County as a part time and also at the Great Lakes University in Kisumu City.

A huge crowd of members of the Jo-Kisumu Community who included the former Kisumu , a former Human Resources Manager I several companies in Nairobi Mzee Sammy Oyombe, and several personalities including chiefs, retired Dos, D.Cs, church elders, women leaders gathered for a meeting at her Nyahera home where they unanimously passed resolution to have her as their candidate for the governor position.

Mrs Ahonobadha in accepting the endorsement by community, she promised to campaign hard against he opponents for the same job and asked the community to rally behind her .She also pledged that if elected the governor of Kisumu County she would work with other leaders to deliver the goods to the electorate.

She asked her audience to remain steadfastly in ODM and support its flag bearer for the presidency the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to realize his presidential ambition.

Ends

Regional heads of states to meet in Kampala this weekend to search for peace and stability in the DR Congo

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

REGIONAL heads of state in the Great Lakes Region are due to return to Uganda’s capital, Kampala this weekend exactly one month since they were last there for another two-days crucial summit starting on September 7,2012 as they seek to find a lasting solution to the security in the DR Congo.

The meeting follows a presentation by Madame Louise Mushikiwabo, the Foreign Affairs Minister of Rwanda to the UN Security Council on August 27, 2012, disputing allegation that Rwanda is backing the M23 rebels led by one Bosco Ntaganda.

Ms Mushikiwabo’ presentation followed a recent rebuttal of Rwanda issued in July against the interim report by UN Group of Experts of DR Congo, which first made the accusation.

Rwanda’s presentation a the UN was preceded by a meeting between Presidents Paul Kagame and Mozambican President Armendo Emilio Guebuza, the new chairperson of the Southern African Development Community {SADC] I Kigali of August 28, 2012.

While concluding its 32nd summit on August 18, to propose urgent actionable steps completely in Eastern DR Congo, and for the consolidation of peace and security but also for SADC but also for SADC region.

The meeting in Kampala this coming weekend will review recommendations of the sub-committee of Council of Ministers of Defence who met in Goma on August 16th to propose urgent actionable steps to ensure that fighting stops in Eastern DR Congo and to allow for consolidation of peace, security and stability; {and to} provide details on the operationalisation of the neutral International Security Force.

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THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY HAS PROPOSES NEW SYSTEM OF FUNDING MODEL FOR ITS ACTIVITIES AMID GROWING BUDGETARY CONSTRAINTS.

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The East African Community {EAC] has proposed a new funding model for its activities in the member states amid growing budgetary constraints.

Presently, partner states make equal contributions to the regional bloc, but the new system proposes that such money be based on percentage of either a country’s GDP or revenue collection.

The judicial and legal sectoral committee sitting in Bujumbura last week with the aim of amending the EAC Treaty proposed the changes.

If amended bigger economies like Kenya with close to USD 30 billion GDP will contribute much more than smaller ones like Burundi at USD2.33 billion

Benard Mulengani, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly said the amendments will boost the resources available to the regional bloc,that is largest dependant on donor funds.

Mulangeni said partner states can contribute up to 10 per cent of their total budget to the EAC as determined by the Council of Ministers, compared with the present practice where countries give less than 3 per cent.

The member said this had forced the bloc to rely on donors for up to 72 per cent of the USD 138 million EAC budget.

However Safina Tsungu Kweke, a former general propose committee chairperson at EALA said most donor funds don’t benefit the region. He added the money was gong to workshops, travel and consultations while infrastructure projects remained stuck at the feasibility study stage.

The department of infrastructure has the disease of getting large amounts of money which doesn’t seem to do any work,”She said. Infrastructure and energy projects of the EAC have been on paper for the past 10 years.

Critics say money that goes into workshops and studies revert back to the donors since they employ their own experts.

According to EALA members of the general purpose committee, the Lake Victoria basin Commission LVBC} is another great beneficiary of unbalanced funding.

The LVBC had been criticized especially in Uganda for putting up projects that don’t create any real impact on the lies of the people in the region. LVBC has a total budget of USD 40 million in the current financial year- the second biggest appropriation after that of the EAC secretariat.

Veronic Bathirye a member of Uganda parliament’s committee on East African Affairs pointed out the Mt Elgon regional ecosystem conservation programme that has been running since 2006, as among those that had not made any real impact in peoples lives.

The Mayuge water project also funded in Uganda by LVBC is also among hose leaders in Uganda including those officials at the Ministry of East African Affairs who believes is ineffective. Money from donors for the LVBC cannot be reallocated to projects leaders consider as more worthwhile.

Several EALA representatives said full funding of the community by partner states would weed out some of these irregularities.

But the proposal to have contributions based o the GDP or revenue collection has its problems like creating inequality among member states, critics warns.

Prof Fredrick Sempabwa, a constitutional law expert in Kampala said the EAC is an equality based arrangement and countries contributing higher quotas would cause them to feel as though they had bigger stake in the community.

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Kenya: Six fishermen die in Lake Victoria after hippo attack in which they drowned

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SIX FISHERMEN DIE IN LAKE VICTORIA FOLLOWING ATTACK BY A ROGUE BULL OF HIPPO AS THE BEAST OVERTURNED THEIR BOAT UPSIDE DOWN.

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu city.

A small fishing Goye village in Yimbo Location,Usenge Division,in Bondo district was yesterday in mourning mood after six young fishermen from the village drowned and perished on Monday morning following an attack by a rogue bull of hippopotamus.

Four of the fishermen survived and were rescued. The incident occurred on Monday morning in their home-made canoe when they encountered the beast. It overturned the boat upside down spilling the ten men occupying into the deep water.

The four managed to swim and clung on the overturned boats for several hours. they were later rescued by the crew of another boat and taken ashore to Usenge Beach fishing landing site. Local rescuers had retrieved only one the body of the victims but by Tuesday after five bodies were still yet to be recovered and the search was continuing.

The incident came only hours after close to 100 fishermen who were marooned inside the lake for three days after their path to the shore was blocked by huge water hyacinth weeds for more than twenty four hours were rescued alive and taken to safety.

The incident took place in Rachuonyo North district where dozens of boats carrying close to 100 fishermen were marooned inside the deep water part of Lake Victoria. The rescue was successful following a joint combined effort Kenya Wildlife Service helicopter and the Provincial Administration in Nyanza Province.

Reports emerging from Bondo say the ten men were fishing in the morning when their boat encountered a huge of a rogue bull of hippo that attacked them and overturned their boat.

The area Chie Daniel Tiang’was quoted as saying that the four survivors had lung on to the overturned boat and signaled for help. By the time the help and assistance came, the six had already drowned.

By y the time of writing this report, Bondo police chief said he had yet to receive the report, but promised to dispatch a team of policemen to the scene of the incident t find pout what had gone wrong.

However, the area civic leader Councilor Agrey Dimo decried the increase incidents of hippos attacking and killing his people unabated.

He appealed to the official s of the Kenya Wildlife Service to control the population of hippos in the area to avoid more deaths.

He alleged that thirty people have been killed in hippo attack in a span of three months. The figure of the alleged victims of hippo attack could not be immediately confirmed with both the police and members of the Provincial Administration within Siaya County. However, observers were in total agreement with the civic leader that the number of incidents of attack and killing by hippos have increased I the recent past.

In the neighboring Mbita district in Homa-Bay County, the residents of Rusinga Island have lost five of their loved ones within last year and early this as the results of hippo attacks.

One knowledgeable and long time resident of Rusinga Island narrated t this writer that hippos had no history of harming people quite often. But he attributed the increases of hippo attacks on human being saying it could be attributed to the lost of green pasture and grass along he lake shorelines and weeds also the lake shore to which the hippos feeds too. They are hungry and liked the weeds and grass on which they feed on. One five ton hippo can feed on between one and two tons of grass per day in the normal circumstances. But due top over farming along the lake’s shorelines these docile and heavily built animals are no longer feeding well and hence sudden change of their temperament.

The only incident whereby the hippos can attack human being is when the female that is nursing a male calf which must be hidden to the dominant male father up t it obtain enough strength to fight the father o some time these animals are so destructive in destroying maize or sorghum millets farms that is next to the lake sore. in such a cases a dominant male hippo if provoked by a farmer guarding his farm can urn hostile an attack. But these are rare cases,” he, added.

The incident only came one day after close to 100 fishermen who were marooned inside Lake Vitoria without water and food for three days were rescued by the government using helicopters.

The fishermen had their path back to the fish landing beaches o the lake shorelines blocked by water hyacinth and weeds for three days without water and food were rescued.

The incident occurred in Karabondi Rambira location and Rakwaro Kamwala sub-location in Karachuonyo East location, in north Rachuonyo district within the County of Homa-Bay.

On of the fishermen who was among dozens of fishermen who rescued from the ordeal Joel Atieno Ogola narrated the three harrowing days which they were tapped for close to three days inside Lake Victoria.

He said most of the fishermen were from villages like Kotieno Gumba, Seka, Karabondi, Rakwaro Kamwla and Kogweno Kobala villages as well as around Kendu-Bay Pier. He said he and his team set for the lake on a fishing expedition last Thursday at about 4.30 P.M.

This was after the water hyacinth weed and cleared away from their beaches. Five hours into the lake waters, the previously calm weather was interrupted all of a sudden by a strong winds and storm that triggered panic among his boat’s crew.

Ogola explained that it was like the scenes and situation similar to those seen in the movies. Suddenly we could see from the dim moonlight that were being marooned by the weed that was being blown from both sides.

From that moment, everything turned dark because of the rains that rapidly increased every minute had also started drenching them.

‘All that they could to is to get anything that could protect them fro the rains,” said another fisherman Sam Okoth. When dawn on the next morning and there was enough light, they realized that they had been driven into the deep part and middle of the lake by the storm.

Okoth and his team were shocked to discover they wee not only in the deep part of the lake but they had also been encircled by the thick blanket of weeds,” he said.

They also discovered that they wee not alone in the lake after they counted about 30 boats and canoes which had between three and four fishermen aboard.

One of the fishermen in their boat had a mobile phone. They tried to use it in contacting the Beach Management Units, but the phone had run short of power and could not offer full conversation with the men on the beach. Crew of another boat had a working cellphone and managed to reach the men on the beach. In the middle of the same day, they D.C for Rachuonyo North and the Police chief arrive at camped at Rambira beach. But all of a sudden they saw a helicopter flying low over their heads. At an earlier attempt to raise the alarm for help they stood on the boat and used their jacket and shirts waving so that they cod catch the eyes o those n shoreline but I van.

The helicopter arrival was as the result of combined efforts by the Kenya Wild Life Services “{KWS}and the Provincial Administration. It was decided that energizing food and water be dropped to them as they were increasingly and rapidly become weaker and weaker.

After having been fed the helicopter dropped winch cable which pulled the boat up, but it got broken somewhere, and the gripped them.

It came when they were increasingly getting worried of the huge weeds, which moving also closing in because of the common stories that these weeds is the home habitat of big and dangerous snakes, and they fear had settled on their minds of possible attack, but noting e that happened.

Ogola denied the rumor that one fisherman man had died of exhaustion an hunger. He said they were only getting weaker, but thanks good all were rescued alive and heathy.

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KENYA: NEWS FLASH

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From: Lee Makwiny

The ODM Parliamentary Group meeting at the party headquarters in Nairobi today set the pace for a vigorous campaign for the party and it’s Presidential flag bearer.

The meeting at Orange House attended by 30 Members of Parliament under the …chairmanship of Industrialization Minister Mr. Henry Kosgey created campaign clusters that will be headed by appointed personalities to spearhead the campaigns for the party and it’s presidential candidate.

The clusters are as follows;

Nyanza Region
North Rift
South Rift
North Eastern
Western
Coast
Eastern
Central
Nairobi

The clusters will be headed by Conveners who will be in charge of the party campaigns in their respective regions. The Conveners will organize and coordinate the campaigns.

A meeting for the appointed Conveners is scheduled for the coming week to plan for the campaigns and set the pace for the same.

The ODM plans to launch its vigorous countrywide campaigns next month (September).

At the same time, the ODM has called on Kenyans living at the Coast to maintain peace and tranquility in the region following the chaos that erupted after the killing of Islamic Preacher Sheikh Aboud Rogo on Monday this week.

Parliamentary Group Secretary Mr. Ababu Namwamba told the press after the Party Parliamentary Group meeting that although the party condemns the murder of Sheikh Aboud Rogo but urged the residents of Mombasa to be peaceful as the government investigates the motive behind the cold blood murder.

Meanwhile, the ODM Parliamentary Group has congratulated Mr. Noor Sheikh Abdillahi, the party’s candidate for the vacant Nana Ward in Moyale of Marsabit County for sailing through unopposed.

Mr. Abdillahi went through unopposed after the other political parties failed to field a candidate for the seat in the September 17 by-election.

Mr. Namwamba while conveying the MPs congratulatory message to Mr. Abdillahi appealed to Kenyans to vote for the party candidates in all the vacant positions in the by elections across the country on 17th of next month

Kenya: popular and powerful doctor is stopped by ODM from contesting for Kisumu County governor

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Reports Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo In Kisumu City

An excessively wealthy Kisumu based medical doctor who had declared his intention of vying for the elective position n of County governor in the region has hastily beat the retreat after allegedly being prevailed upon by the ODM leadership in unclear circumstances.

Dr Hezron Makobewa o is the director of the Kisumu based OGRA FOUNDATION AN Ngo which is heavily funded by the UK sources with the support of the British government, however declined to name the emissaries who conveyed the message to him, but multiple source have hinted that the message came from two influential Luo MPs mandarins of the ODM believes to be close to the party leadership.

Dr Makobewa had launched his elaborate campaign strategy and established a secretariat to oversee and spearhead his campaign activities, which he is reported to have quickly dissolved and abandoned.

The medic who was recently appointed by the Heritage and Cultural Minster William Ole Ntimama to head the Council of NGOs hails from Kano Kowuor Kamaaga in what used to be the North East Kano location, which is located between Ahero-Miwani and Masogo within the Kisumu County. He is know to be a astute businessman who runs a chains of medium sizes, but ultra modern hotels facilities in the lakeside City of Kisumu.

Prior to the 2007 general elections an excessively wealthy unnamed and popular Nairobi based business magnate, from Mbita constituency in Suba region of the larger Southern Nyanza was prevailed upon not to contest the Mbita parliamentary seat in a similar fashion.

Multiple sources had revealed that the businessman who is also still working in the public service was posed to inflicting heavy defeat to the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otieno Kajwang’ the incumbent Mbita MP. The populist and youthful business tycoon reluctantly withdrew his candidature to the chagrins of the electorate and pulled out of politics altogether saying he would concentrate in his civil service job and to improve his chains of businesses spanning from Nairobi to Luo-Nyanza.

Dr Makobewa could not be reached for his immediate comment about the rumor which hit Kisumu city lie tsunami, provoking wholesale condemnation by the electorate in general and his people of the populous Kano clan in particular.

Political pundits and observers alike were quick in terming the ODM action undemocratic and dictatorial which must not be allowed to go on as it is likely to poison the electorate in other electoral areas in the region.

The ODM’s alleged action in preventing the medics fro contesting the election for the Kisumu County governor, which is his constitutional and birthrights is an amounting to a mockery of the essence an tenets of democratic principles.

‘The party must embrace democracy ad stop the bad habit of imposing unpopular candidates on the electorate in Luo-Nyanza and elsewhere countrywide,” said a party operative in Kisumu who requested for his identity to remain anonymous for fear of possible reprisal.

The recently flawed Ndhiwa preliminary nomination of the party candidate I the by-election, which s scheduled for September 17,2012 has exposed a lot of weaknesses in ODM electoral system.

The nomination to fill the vacant Ndhiwa parliamentary seat followed the death of the former are MP Joshua Orwa Ojode in an aircraft accident left close to 60,00 voters disfranchised as they were unable to cast their votes or due to poor logistics and unavailability of election materials to the polling stations and non-arrival of election officials who included clerks and the returning officers in time. This dismal performance by the ODM board of election only facilitated d 7,800 hundred voters in a populous and votes rich Ndhiwa constituency with record registration of close to 85,000 voters.

Whoever won the primary nomination in Ndhiwa does not enjoy the confidence of the majority of the voters who were denied their democratic right of choosing a candidate of their own choice

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Kenya: Two Kenyan policemen killed as Muslim youth intensified rioting protesting the killing of the radical Islamic cleric

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

Two Kenyan policemen are feared dead and scores of other people injured in Kisauni suburb of the coastal port City of Mombasa after hand grenade is hurled at a contingent of policemen battling rioting youth protesting the yesterday morning shooting to death of the controversial Islamic cleric Sheikh Aboud Rogo by unknown gun-men

The hand grenade was hurled onto a police lorry carrying a contingent of policemen on patrol of the violence infested Kisauni suburb of Mombaa injuring 16 others

It has since been established that before his death in hails of bullets, the controversial Islamic preacher who is suspect of having close link with the Somalia based terrorist group of al-shabaab, which is bankrolled by the Alqaeda an international terrorist group had lived on fear of his life and safety.

On July 25, this year, the US administration of President barrack Obama in Washington had sactio six people, including Sheikh Rogo, Eritrean external security intelligence chief Twokle Habte Negash and senior military officer Taeme Abraham Coftom for their alleged roles in supporting Somalia’s militia group Al-Shabaab.

Sheikh Rogo was accused of raising funds for Al-Shabaab and helping recruits travel to Somalia to join the main groups fighting the Transitional Somali government inside Somalia.

The other two Kenyans were Omar Awadh who is currently awaiting trial in Uganda for his alleged role in a July 2010 attack on restaurants showing World Cup football matches in Kampala that killed 74 people.

Ahmed was arrested in Kenya in 2010 on suspicion of involvement I the bombing at a Nairobi bus terminal.

The US has since he frozen all assets of the six suspects in world-wide terrorism activities after they were accused of providing financial and logistical support to Al-Shabaab, which is blamed of numerous attacks against civilians in Kenya, Somalia and Uganda.

Eritrea has been accused of fomenting violence in Somalia, in part to keep its archival neighbor Ethiopia In constant check..

The slain Islamic cleric Sheikh Rogo had been a Muslim preacher in the Kena coastal port city of Mombsa ever since 1997 and was said to have introduced one Mohamed Kubwa Mohamed to Fazul Abdullah Mohamed and two others.

They wee late indicted by a US-based court as the masterminds of the August 1998 attack on the US Embassy in Nairobi and Dar –Es-Salaam simultaneously.

The late Sheikjh Rogo was once arrested in 2002 for allegedly playing a role in the Paradise Hotel bombing in Kikambala near Mombasa simply because the hotel is owned by Israeli investors. The attack on the hotel killed 13 people and left scored seriously injured and maimed.

Fazul Abdullah was killed when an American pilotless drone plane hit his hideout in Somalia last year.

During the hearing of the case almost two weeks ago, the court heard that assorted weapons of destruction allegedly found at his house were to be used to attack a Catholic church, Likoni Ferry and the Nyali Bridge in Mombasa. A police officer who has testified in the case told the court that police did not “plant” the weapons at the preacher’s house.

Mr Kamati said the raid by the police on Sheikh Rogo’s homestead on January 29, 2012 was conducted after a tip off given to Kilifi CID offices. The Islamic preacher who was out of a Kshs 5 million bond wit three sureties on similar amount also faced four other charges of being in possession, of an AK47 rifles, 113 rounds ammunition, two hand grenades ands of ammunition and that of being I possession of firearms without certificates and that of being n possession of explosives.

The hearing of the case was adjourned to October 15 this year. However the controversial Muslim cleric died in hails of bullets yesterday morning in the attack which also left his wife injured in her right knee.

The mainly youth supporters of the slain preacher rent their angers on Christian churches an public institutions run by the churches which they vandalized an destroyed property worth millions of dollars.

ends

Kenya: 8 prominent personalities including Raila’s sister are to battle it out for Kismu County governor

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Repots Arrum-Tidi Ogonglo in Kisumu City.

The contest for the lucrative position of Kisumu County governor has taken a new and most interesting political dimension which is likely to see the inter-clan political rivalry.

Already one of the clans, the Jo-Kano has produced five aspirants for the contest of the same position, something which is likely to raise high political temperature in the region.

Kisumu County comprises of four major Luo sub-clans of Jo-Kano, Jo-Nyakach, Jo-Kisumu and Jo-Seme.

The Jo-Kano group is arguably the largest and dominant sub-clan which is well spread into three administrative districts of Nyando, Muhoroni and Kisumu East.

The Jo-Kano group are currently represented in the tenth parliament by Fred Outa {Nyando} and Prof.Patrick Ayiecho Olueny {Muhoroni}, but due to disunity and inter-sub-clans rivalries the jo-Kano community surrendered another possible additional seat, when the Kisumu East parliamentary seat was easily grabbed from them by Shakil Ahmed Shabbir a Muslim Indian who is a Kisumu City dweller who won the election on an ODM ticket in purely Luo rural constituency in the 2007 general elections to the surprise and chagrins of many people.

The contest has now been complicated with the new entry into the ace by the Deputy Clerk to the National assembly Owino Omolo.

Omolo who is commonly known to his peers as the P.C is originally from Agoro in Nyakach and his parents had settled in the north East Kano around Awasi town. His father the late Tom Omolo was a retired ship captain who served with the defunct East African Railways and harbors.

Omolo is also the brother to the prominent news radio and television news caster Elizabeth Omolo and also the brother to the former Kenya Times investigative reporter Onyango Omolo {Troon} and an uncle to another Television personality Luis Otieno.

Omolo launched his candidature an impromptu Kisumu Airport news conference last Saturday and disclosed that he would resign his parliament job on September 3rd, 2012 to carry out with his campaign for the governorship on an ODM ticket. His influence and political clout could not immediately be assessed.

Other aspirants from the same Kisumu County governor position included the former op accountant with the Kenya Revenue Authority [KRA} Jack Ranguma who hails from Kano Kobura in the Jo-Kano clan

A Nairobi based lawyer-cum-business woman Atieno Otieno who s also eyeing the governor position hails from the Jo-Kano clan.

A senior lecturer at an American University in the US Dr. Barack Abonyo is also a member of the Jo-Kano clan and so is a Kisumu based medic Dr. Makobewa, who is an executive with a Kisumu based NGO known as OGRA FOUNDATION with heavy financial backing from the UK has also declared his interest in the Kisumu County governor position.

Dr Makobewa is also running a chain of medium sizes modern hotels in Kisumu city when making the announcement a couple of weeks ago disclosed that his candidature had already been endorsed by the clan elders from his Kano clan to contest the seat.

Another aspirant fro the same Jo-Kano clan who is also contesting the same seat I the youthful issuance executive based in Nairobi and London UK Simon Ogendo who hails from Kano-Kolwa near Nyamasaria suburb of Kisumu City. He is the son of the former Kisumu Mayor the late Coun Ogendo Von Ponge.

The five aspirants who hails from the Jo-Kano clan will battle it out with, the long time and most successful Kisumu Town Clerk Ojwang’ k’ombudo from Nyakach. He is the former one time two time mp for Nyakach and had served as the Minister for Regional Development in the last KANU regime of the Retired President Daniel Arap Moi.

Kombudo is a man of means and already tested administrative skills. He is currently an entrepreneur running chain of guest houses and hotels in Kisumu City as well as having invested heavily in real estate business, He is also a prominent farmer in the Nyanza sugar belt where he had several large and small scale sugar cane farms spreading from Kibos, Miwani and Muhoroni areas.

Another key man in the race for the Kisumu County governor is he top manager with the Mumias Sugar Company Peter Hongo who hails from the Jo-Kisumu clan. He is credited for having been at the helm of the successful marketing of sugar produced by the largest sugar processing mill in this country {Mumias Sugar Company}for many year.

Hongo has all the quality that is take t be a good governor of an economically powerful County like Kisumu.Hongo is standing in the race alone from the vote-rich Jo-Kisumo clan is a resident of Kogony near Kisumu Airport, and he is also banking on the support of Kisumu City dwellers and cosmopolitan voters most of them workers and businessmen from the outlaying districts of Southern Nyanza, Kisii,Luhyias, Somalis ad Indians and their workers as ell s the Swahilis residents of Kisumu city.

If the clans arithmetic could work well, Hongo and Kombudo could be the two men to watch.

Also in the ace is Raila Odinga sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga who is the managing director of the family business flagship the Spectre International which is owning and managing the multi-million shillings Kisumu Molasses plant, located at Otonglo Market in the six kilometer in the outskirt of Kisumu City.

The employment a the plant is controversial with allegation of nepotism at glare Nearly 90 per cent of the workers at the plant are people who are related to the Odinga family in one way or the other or politically connected to the family. There are close to 130 workers at the alcohol producing plant, but non of the indigenous people hose land were take and converted into the Kisumu Molasses pant is employed there even as casuals and laborers, something which Ms Ruth Odinga will have to explain satisfactorily to the voters if at all she is serious in her candidature.

Ruth Odinga is considered as a greenhorn in Kisumu politics. Pundits are quick in dismissing her as a big joke. She hails from Sakwa Bondo and is said only to be banking on her family big name to win this coveted position.

Ms Odinga candidature is also causing jittery in some quarters where it is being claimed that the Odingas wants to grab each an every available elective position inside Luo-Nyanza

The dwindling sugar production is the main stay of the Kisumu County economy. There are four major sugar processing mills in the region, namely Chemelil Sugar Company, Muhoroni Sugar Company, Mwiani Sugar Mills and Kibos Sugar and allied Industries at Kibos.

He region business opportunities were recently boosted by the opening of the new Kisumu Airpor, which can now take on bi passenger planes and aircraft ferrying fresh fruits to overseas destinations making the lakeside city a the major gate away to the East Africa region with daily flights connections to other cities in the region like Mwnza,Kampala, Addis Ababa, Dar Es Salaam, Kigali, Bujumbura and juba.

Kisumu is sitting right on the middle of o the Northern Corridor road networking linking it to the landlocked African countries like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, DR Congo, Tanzania, Zambia, South Sudan and Ethiopia of Mombasa and the capital Nairobi

The local farmer like the business community could benefit a great deal by intensifying their fruits and fresh vegetable farming in the region which could be ferried by air to European destinations by the increase number of daily flights. Also sand to mint money are the processors of fish fillets from the highly prized Nile perch which are said to be very popular in oversea markets and in the Middle East, US and Japan. These and the likely to be improved earning from tourism are some of the biggest challenges facing the residents of the region to redouble their efforts in farming and fishing activities.

Other big challenges which the new County government will, have to grapples with daunting task of the resuscitating of all the stalled projects which include the manufacturing industries both small and of large scale. Kisumu City has none at the moment.

All the major industries went burst decades ago and coed down spilling hundreds f thousands of workers into the streets as jobless people. They included the multi-million shillings Kenya Breweries plant, which has since been turned into a milk depot by Brookelin Dairies, Kisumu Cotton Mills wit all its spinning and yarning machineries worth billions of shilling laying idle inside now semi dilapidated building

It is for these reasons why the County governance would require upright individuals to the governorship position, Senate and Country wards representatives. It would need the men and women of sound and good education unlike the previous Councils which were filled by party youths, power brokers and semi-illiterate ODM political operatives.

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KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY GETS ANOTHER CONTENDER AS THE DEPUTY CLERK NATIONAL ASSEMBLY JOINS RACE FOR GOVERNOR

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By Dickens Wasonga.

The Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly, Owino Omollo who is aspiring for the Kisumu County Governorship has said that poverty in the region was politically induced by the past leadership and regimes.

Speaking in Kisumu soon after landing at the International Airport to stamp a mark as one of the potential contenders to the high office this morning, Omollo pledged to work to be known for fighting corruption by putting structures and systems in place to ensure projects initiated during his tenure benefits the local residents.

Owino said he was confident to win the gubernatorial seat owing to his vast experience spanning over 34 years during which he served in the government in different capacities before becoming the Deputy Clerk to the August House.

He challenged Kisumu County voters thoroughly probe the records of all those aspiring to various elective positions to ensure that they have committed people in the right places to spur economic growth of the County.

Referring to the 1993 Parliamentary Investment Committee (PIC) Report, Omollo disclosed that it depicted an interesting disclosure that a police post in Rongo which was purported to have been built at a cost of 300 million yet nothing was done on the ground, describing this as unfortunate and corrupt activities that will be history in Kisumu County if elected.

“If we fight corruption from a united front we will not only save government money but also double wealth production across the Country”, he said exuding confidence.

Omollo said that with the completion of Kisumu International Airport, he will prioritize the production of horticultural crops on a commercial scale so as to fully capitalize on the use of the facility to export outside the country.

He pledged to ensure that the government posts agricultural extension officers to work closely with the local farmers in a bid to boost food security,paraphrasing former Tanzanian president the Late Julius Nyerere that “Kazi kwa bidii bila maarifa ni kazi bure” (You need to work smart and hard to realize returns).

The Kisumu County Aspirant Governor who hails from Awasi in Nyando District of Kisumu County decried sugar cane farming which has turned out to be commonly referred to as ‘cursed’ crop which has continued to impoverish farmers even more instead of improving their economic status over the decades.

“It will be my first priority to ensure that the Kenya Sugar Board (KSB) decentralizes its headquarters fro Nairobi to the sugar belt (Kisumu and Kakamega) so that they can bring services closer to the target group”, he argued.

Omollo said it was unfortunate that some fellows who have never seen what sugar cane looks like have become billionaires and hails from outside Western Kenya region and as such have not been able to effectively promote the interest of farmers other than staying focused on enriching themselves.

“Our sugarcane farmers should also be discouraged from planting the ratoon but instead be provide with certified and fast maturing quality seeds, apart from promoting the use of irrigation in the vast area of Kano plains and the entire sugar belt covering Western Province as well to maximize income” , he said.

Omollo said that with credit, fertilizer and certified seeds the farmers will greatly transform their economic status and kick out poverty from their midst and as well as facilitate the growth of Kisumu County’s economy as anticipated by the various stakeholders fro within and outside the region.

The politician said it was unfortunate that farmers were being deducted millions of shillings in terms of cess fro cane delivered in various to the various factories but the road networks were still in a pathetic state thus forcing them to continue meeting the increased cost charged on cane production.

Apart from sugar cane, the politician stated, Kisumu County has huge potential in the rice fields in Kano, the fishing industry, Lake Victoria and numerous rivers which can all be tapped to help facilitate economic growth under the new devolved system of government Kenyans eagerly await to usher in come next year.

On the recent fire incident which razed a dormitory in Homa Bay County where eight pupils perished,Omollo appealed to teachers to put in place measures aimed at ensuring safety of the learners and restore hope in the parents who have entrusted them with the noble responsibility.

While condoling the bereaved families,Omollo said he shared in their pain and anguish while at the same time urging respective headteachers to strive to make their schools safe havens.

The Deputy Clerk to the National Assembly revealed that he has already submitted his application for retirement which has been accepted and he is set to leave office by December 3, 2012 to start his campaign proper.

END.

KENYA: MIGUNA’S ATTACKS PRIMITIVE SAYS UHURU’S PARTY.

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By Dickens Wasonga

Leaders continued to condemn attacks on Raila Odinga’s former adviser on coalition matters Miguna Miguna by those opposed to a controversial book ” PEELING BACK THE MASK” which he authored.

The National Alliance Party Secretary General, Onyango Oloo has condemned attacks on former Odinga’s aide across the country terming it as primitive and a manifestation of political intolerance among some Kenyans.

Speaking in Kisumu on Monday Oloo whose party is led by Uhuru Kenyatta said the attacks and humiliation Miguna was subjected to in Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa was unwarranted and asked those opposed to his views in the controversial book “Peeling Back the Mask” to keep off the meetings instead of disrupting them.

He said every Kenyan had a constitutional right to freely express their opinion, especially on issues touching on leadership and integrity without being harassed and as such, Miguna should be allowed to enjoy such rights.

“Kenya has institutions that can effectively deal with Miguna if anybody feels he has infringed on their rights. The police and other security agencies can be called upon if necessary but hooligans have been left to have a field day visiting terror on the man”, he said.

Oloo said it was unfair for the police to fail to prosecute those who were captured on TV footage molesting Miguna in the three towns he visited in a bid to promote his book.

Since he embarked on his mission to promote the book in the counties a month after it was launched in Nairobi, Miguna has got very hostile receptions across the regions so far visited with Nyeri, president Khaki’s home turf being the only exception.

The TNA Secretary General said Kenya should not be allowed to go back to the dark days when freedom of speech was curtailed through unorthodox means and even state machinery.

He took issue with the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga for not coming out to condemn the attacks on Miguna by people believed to be his supporters.

Other leaders who have since spoke against attacks on the author includes Nark- Kenya presidential candidate Martha Karua, Eugene Wamalwa of New Ford Kenya, William Ruto of United Republican Party among others.

Oloo at the same time called on political leaders to preach peace as the country heads to the general elections, adding that violence so far witnessed in certain parts of the country such as Wajir , Moyale and Tana River areas which left several people dead and others displaced could be traced to careless utterances by some political leaders.

He said it was this kind of charged political environment flamed by reckless rhetoric that saw Kenya plunge into chaos after the 2007 general elections.

The TNA Secretary General challenged the State security agents to be proactive rather than wait until people get killed before they deploy officers to the ground when the damage is already done.

About working as G7 alliance Oloo said his party TNA was yet to enter into any legal merger or coalition with any political party and as such they were strategically placing themselves to capture the Presidency.

END.

Sh 15 million needed to boost tourism in western Kenya.

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By Dickens Wasonga.

The Western Kenya Tourism Circuit requires 15 million shillings to fully exploit its vast potential, the Chairman, Lake Victoria Tourism Association (LVTA), Daniel Okumu has revealed.

Okumu said during an interview held at Parkview hotel that they plan to hold a cultural dinner next Friday in the lakeside city expected to run from 6pm to midnight and will promote traditional dishes, African attire and music.

Accompanied by Parkview Hotel Manager, Robinson Anyal and LVTA CEO, Anthony Ochieng’, the chairman and Anyal disclosed that the event seeks to promote not only African culture but also food security, research activities on traditional foodstuff as well as cultural tourism which is sustainable.

However, Anyal admitted that although the area has relied on Eco-tourism, it was not one of its strong areas and so the need to focus on the promotion of cultural tourism which will be done every week.

Anyal decried the fact that western culture has been slowly killing the African culture and this has given them a new impetus and zeal to strive to change our eating habits if we stop young people aged as low as five years currently dying from cancer related complications.

The CEO disclosed that the Region’s cultural Event is also set for November 21to 23 at Jomo Kenyatta sports Ground and will culminate in a gala night after a boat racing competition.

“During the much anticipated event we have lined up many activities including cock fights, wrestling and tero buru (traditional event) usually conducted using animals to exorcise demons after burying a prominent person among the Luo community”, he explained.

Anyal pointed out that the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit has for decades been neglected thus making foreign and local visitors prefer going to the coast and so appealed to the media to help showcase and effectively market the region to fully exploit its abundant potential.

Ochieng on his part disclosed that they have projected a budget of 10 million shillings to fund the Western Kenya Cultural Festival and has worked closely with the ministry of tourism, Culture and Heritage among other government agencies who are also expected to come on board.

It emerged at the forum that the organizations and government agencies charged with promoting tourism activities in the area have not effectively tackled the water hyacinth menace as has been done in the neighboring countries of Uganda and Tanzania to open up the lake for sports tourism.

According to LVTA chairman, Okumu the hyacinth weed has been made to spread faster owing to the persistent dumping of waste products from Kisumu Water and Sewerage Company (KIWASCO), Kisumu City Council and effluent from the numerous industries within Kisumu.

Okumu remembered with nostalgia the good old days when a steam boat from Kisumu to Homa Bay could take a very short time as opposed to now when some of the big ships have been marooned in the lake owing to the water hyacinth.

“ We cannot continue allowing the Western Kenya Tourism Circuit to be neglected but must play a proactive role to jump start the abundant potential by encouraging locals to invest in the sector by building modern hotels to provide accommodation before looking up to foreign investors.

END.

THE KENYAN COASTAL PORT CITY OF MOMBASA IS UNDER SIEGE FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF A RADICAL ISLAMIC PREACHER LINKED TO THE Al-SHABAAB TERRORISTS IN SOMALIA BY UNKNOWN GUNMEN.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The Kenyan coastal port city of Mombasa on the Indian Ocean is under siege following the shooting to death of the radical Islamic preacher Aboud Rogo this morning by unknown gun-men.

The preacher who is suspected of having link with the Alqaeda backed Al-Shabaab Islamist terrorists in the neighboring Somali was sot sixteen times at close range by unknown assailants.

The incident took place at a place called Majengo King’orani suburb of Mombasa. The attackers shot Aboud Rogo at close range while he was sitting inside his car with his wife who he was taking to the hospital, Hs wife sustain gunshot wound on her leg, but survived and was rushed to the hospital for treatment.

The controversial Islamic preacher was driving his car with hi wife in the passenger seat along the Mombasa-Malindi highway this morning when he attacks occurred.

A vehicle suspected to have ferried he unknown attackers over took his vehicle and the gun-men hiding inside the second car opened fire on him. He was shot sixteen times according to the police who launched investigations immediately.

Immediately the news of the slaying went round through this busy port city, Muslim enraged youth rioted and engaged the antiriot police for the better part of the day.

One man was killed in the process, Salvation Army church was torched, a police vehicle was set ablaze and reduced into ashes, and Evangelist Center was attacked vandalized and looted.

The youth mainly from the Muslims seemed to have targeted establishment with Christianity connections. The police and other security apparatus were beefed into the city center where the massive looting and destruction o property of unknown quantity took place.

Businesses in the Central Business District {CBD} quickly closed down and remain inaccessible for the better part of the day as police engaged the youth in a running street battle for the whole day.

Mombasa which situated along the shore of Indian Ocean is Kenya’s second largest city. It is housing he busiest port, which is also serving most of the landlocked African nations of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, DR Congo, Northern Tanzania, Central African Republic and to a lesser extent Zambia.

The slain radical Islamic preacher died while had a court pending case in which he was facing serious criminal charges of conducting terrorism related activities n Kenya. He died when he was under twenty four hours security surveillance on suspicion of allegedly having close link with Somalia based Al-Shabaab militia groups suspected of being funded by Alqaeda international terrorist group from the Arab nations.

Meanwhile, Kenya the Eastern African nations which has enjoyed relatively calm, political stability ever since it gained its political independence from its former colonial power, the Great Britain in 1963 is currently bleeding to death.

Close to 70 people died last week in various parts of the country as the result of politically motivated ethno-politics.

In the coastal remote district of Tana River I an area commonly known as Tana Delta, 31 women and 11 children were massacred last Wednesday following the tribal skirmishes between the nomadic Orma tribesmen and their agriculturally rich Pokomo tribesmen.

Close to 100 dwelling houses were set ablaze. Properties of unknown value were destroyed. The midnight attack saw the attackers slashing and spearing livestock to death. More than 100 houses were razed down and turned into ashes.

In Nairobi last Thursday the Acting Internal Security Minister Yusuf Haji told the hushed house that an Assistant Minister in the same government was the principal suspect as the one who had incited his community into violence against their neighbors.

The Minister disclosed that he had ordered the police security and a team of the Criminal Investigation Department [CID} of the Kenya police to investigate the incident and tae the most appropriate legal action against the inciters.

Haji who is also Kenya’s Defense Minister pointed an accusing finger at the Assistant Minister for Livestock Dhadho Godhana who was present in the House at the time. The Assistant Minister is the Mp for the affected area in Tana River. As the Minister was addressing the most attentive MPs they shouted “Sack him! Sack him!”

The Minister accused the Assistant Minister for having adamantly refused to take part in a reconciliation meeting called by the government to reconcile the warring communities.

The next day the Assistant Minister defiantly told newsmen that he would not such a meeting if it is chaired by Minister Haji whom he accused of having vested interests in the Tana Delta.

Meanwhile 20 other Kenyans have died in the past wee in towns located along the volatile Kenya-Somalia border, and also along the Kenya-Ethiopia border.

Most of the killing occurred in areas whose inhabitants are people of Somali origin suspected of being sympathetic to the cause of Al-Shabaab militias in Somalia.

The most affected border towns included Garrissa, Wajir, Mandera, Marsabit and Lagdera all located in the semi-arid North Eastern Province of Kenya. The province is also housing thousands of refugees from Somalia, Uganda ad Ethiopia.

These Kenyans have died either of gun-shot wounds, hand grenade and explosive devices hurled at them by suspected Somali terrorists.

Kenya is rapidly losing its status as the haven of peace tranquility. During the same week that ended last Sunday, reports from the Southern part of the country says, there was an outbreak of fighting between the Kenya Maasais and the Tanzanian Sonjo tribesmen

The usually calm an quiet Kenya-Tanzania border burst into fighting and bloodbath when Tanzanians crossed the border while armed with guns, arrows, spears ad other crude weapons and made incursion into Narok South district along he border of the two countries.

Naro South District Commissioner Chimwaga Mongo confirmed the incident. He said Sonjo peasants from Tanzania crossed into Kenta and burned down houses in a small trading center seriously injuring scores of people in the villages.

The D.C said Sonjo peasants from neighboring Tanzania invaded Olorte area, in Loita Division, Narok South district. The invaders burnt down a Manyatta leaving close to 500 people homeless The Manyatta cuts across Kenya-Tanzania border’

The armed tribesmen invaded the area fired several shots in the air to scare way the residents. The left two people with serious gun-and arrow wounds

The D.C said after the attack the invaders invaded the farms and harvest maize I the field. However they invader were confronted by the armed Administration Police stationed t the nearby chief’s camp who repulsed them.

The motive of the dawn attack is not y known, but it could be linked to perennial rivalry between the Sonjos ad the Maasais over the grazing field. To Keya government officials are reported to be in the process of dispatching delegation to Dar E Salaam for a dialogue with Tanzanian authorities. At the local level the community leaders from both sides would soon meet next week to try and iron out the differences.

Ends

Kenya: Minister Nyong’o in a political dilemma as he tied to win the coveted Kisumu County Senate seat against the odds

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City.

The weekend endorsement for the Health Services Minister Prof Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o to vie for the Kisumu County senate seat has been received wit mixed reaction by the electorate in the region.

Observers and political pundits were quick in pointing out that Prof. Nyong’’s quest for the senate seat would be a daunted if not an uphill task, while others have described the move as political suicide.

Nyong’o is the current MP or Kisumu Rural, a rural constituency, which has since been disbanded by the IEBC, which has realigned and splinted into three, namely Seme, Kisumu town West and Kisumu Central.

The Minister has represented Kisumu Rural eve since 1992 first multi-party elections on a Ford Kenya ticket, but was rested by the voters in 1997 and was only re-elected back to parliament on an n LDP ticket in 2002 after a five years in political limbo only after reportedly being reconciled with Raila Odinga.

Nyong’o is facing Equally powerful, influential, resourceful Nairobi base businessmen in the name of En Maxwell Otieno Odongo of Otieno Odongo and Partners Engineering Company and a Nairobi base architect Ocholla Ogoda the former poplar Gor Mahia Football Club chairman.

Local pundits say his chances of clinching the Kisumu County Senate seat are very remote if not a pipe dream.

Information reaching us says Prof Nyong’o has never been a highly performer MP at the local political derby. His detractors are accusing of being a very mean and extremely thrift person tot worth to be a politician.

His lackluster and dismal performance at the constituency level has contributed a great deal to his poor performance resulting in bad blood between him and his constituents.

At the national political area, the Professor has been the principal spokesman of the ODM o mater related to the party policy and ideological guidance. He had always had the sole of the most formidable defender on the part leader Raila Odinga. Perhaps this is what has prompted the Minister to shift his political base from his Seme Rural constituency to Kisumu County an area with the largest cosmopolitan voters in the hope that Raila Odinga will come to his aid and bail him out of shameful d Senate.

The MPs move in backing and endorsing Nyong’o or the Kisumu County Senate seat, however, is faulted by many people who described it as an attempt impose leadership on the voters. Some o the MPs who came to Kisumu to drum up the support for Nyong’o, however, are themselves facing lean time in their respective constituencies, and quite a few of them will be kicked out. So they would only cause Pro Nyong’o more trouble.

One of Prof Nyong’o’s most credible opponents is Eng. Maxell Otieno Odongo, who hails from the populous Kano sub-clan, which is well spread I the three administrative districts of Nyando, Muhoroni and part of Kisumu is arguably posing a real threat to Nyong’o’s ambition. It is said that if the clans arithmetic could work in Odongo’s favor then Prof Nyong’o is going to nowhere.

The other aspirant, Ochola Ogoda hails from another populous clan of Nyakach. He has settled in Muhoron Settement scheme where the presence of people whose original home is from Nakch is formidable. Ogoda, would therefore claim most of the voter fro Nyakach district, while Nyong;o whose relations with the electorate in hi s home turf of Seme s aid not to be all that much cordial could face uncertain political future if cannot re-brand himself.
Otieno Odongo is a flamboyant industrialists-cum-business tycoon who had employed so many people in his own establishment, which span from large scale sugar cane farming, tourist hotels, engineering firm with an international outlet, milling and also involve in the rice milling business in Ahero and elsewhere.

Immediately after the launching of Prof.Nyong’o Senate campaign, the dreadful rumor went around that the six ODM who attended the ceremony had agreed on an MOU called to mount a joint campaign aimed at scuttling Engineer Odogo’s campaign or the Senate seat Stop Otieno Odongo [SOO} campaign to scuttle Eng. Odongo elaborate campaign. The Engineer had launched his own campaign at the same venue two weeks ago, which attracted thousands of people from all the seven constituencies that form the Kiumu County.

The constituencies are Nakach, Muhoroni, Nyando, Kisumu Town East, Kisumu Central, Kisumu Tow West and the newly created Seme constituency.
Commonly known to his peers as “The Aga Khan” as the result of his generosity towards the down trodden poor people.Eng Oteno Odongo one of the wealthiest Luos is said to be very generous and had helped in paying school fees for hundreds of students from the poor families acquire education, ad is known for making hefty donate towards the local community projects.

Ends

Kenya: No end to rogue contractors, as sugarcane farmers cry foul.

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By Reporter

Despite the recent signing into law, the National Construction Authority Act, by the president that seeks to regulate the building and construction industry by setting up the National Construction agency (NCA) to oversee the sector-charged with registering and accrediting contractors and regulating their activities, the move still appears to be an elusive task and far from being realized.

Sugarcane growers and residents of Kakamega County are up in arms over a Kisumu based contractor for having allegedly done shoddy work: for the construction of culverts which was meant to serve and facilitate cane farmers in accessing their huge chunks of farms, during the period of cultivation, harvesting and transportation of their canes.

Maurice Omondi of GOGNI RAJOPE group of companies headquartered in the lakeside city of Kisumu, and with branches in other major towns, who “won” the tender last year April through one of their sister companies,WADICH construction and engineering company, was tasked with the building of culverts of KWABA area to the tune of over Kshs 4.5 million.

And it was among the nine projects which also included the building of bridges and access roads in the western sugar belt funded by National Sugar Development Fund (NSDF), through Kenya Sugar Board (KSB).The projects kicked off June, same year.

Speaking to a legion of reporters, the angered farmers, who have vowed to take to the streets to protest against the contractor for non performance which has hampered their farming activities thus leading to hefty financial loses, are now questioning the criteria that was applied that earned Omondi and its company the tender and yet he doesn’t harbour the requisite technical prowess and monetary capacity to do a work, of such magnitude.

Threatening unspecified legal action if the relevant authorities fail to crack the whip, the fire spitting farmers now wants the NCA as an authority which is also tasked with promoting professionalism by ensuring that only trained contractors, construction workers, and site supervisors are registered, to invoke its act and blacklist him, saying the contractor is associated with a spate of dubious work in different parts of the country “We will soon move to court if the work is not redone and completed to our satisfaction” said the relentless farmers.

Ahead of court action, the enraged farmers and other stakeholders in the industry, are reportedly planning to lead a high-powered delegation to the ministries of agriculture and roads to petition Hon. Sally Kosgey and Franklin Bett respectively, to address their myriad grievances over the besieged contractor whom they say has been, not only eluding them, but also evading the taxman over alleged non-remittances of taxes amounting to millions of shillings, running to years.

In an earlier interview with some professional contractors, who are registered engineers and also members of Architectural Association of Kenya, read from the same script with the farmers and expressed their disgruntlement with the contractor whom they strongly loathed his works and behaviours saying that he is a perennial disgrace to their fraternity, worth deregistration, since he rarely honours his contractual obligations “we strongly concur with the farmers’ move, its long overdue” they said, demanding for thorough audit, into their umbrella body to weed out the quacks.

The Act states that, a person shall not carry out the duties of a contractor unless that person is registered by the board to be established under new law. In case of a firm registration can only be given if at least one of the partners or directors possesses the qualifications, technical skills, or experience prescribed by the board. The Act further states that any person who decides to operate as a contractor without registration “commits an offence and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding Sh 1million”, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years.

Any contractor too found guilty of unprofessional misconduct will also face the same consequences. Failure also by the contractor to discharge duties, responsibilities and obligations shall have his or her names expunged from the register and shall not be registered afresh under any other new name.

Sources privy to the mother company, Gogni Rajope’ mode of operations, which also owns and runs CEABUD, RADO and HANRAJ among other chains of companies, revealed that procurement procedures were flouted with impunity during the tendering and subsequent award of the tender (read single sourcing).

That these outfits will hardly win any tender fairly and they ever, allegedly thrive on greasing the hands of the prospective procurement officials and tender board committees to land cream tenders, both locally and internationally. The art, which they say, have been indisputably perfected, per- excellence.

And in a bid to execute their well orchestrated clandestine deals in advance, they book state-of-the-art hotels, far away from the hawkeyed interested parties for the officials to put up, where the cartel covertly converges with them over special finger- licking foodstuff, to strategize on how to canvass, compromise and bag the contracts-pre or post the advertisement of the tender.

At the centre stage of this racket, that allegedly deprives other competent firms’ contracts unjustifiably, is the notorious Omondi of WADICH Company in question, who is assigned with nosing for the tenders, flapping and hawking the profiles of these companies.

And to achieve this effectively, all their bids, will always find their ways into the tender box, after the advertisements “to compete” for the awards, alongside other unsuspecting competent bidders (contractors), who only bided for one.

Something, that the contractor, when approached for verification, vehemently denied and instead advised this writer to go ahead and publish the story: “ You can go and write whatever you want I don’t bother whether you are president or prime minister” He yelled, waving cigarette stick and directing smoke, to a battery of journalists.

And a spot check at the site of the work, confirms some of the allegations since the workmanship is very poor, yet to be fully done and it’s past the stipulated timeline, with the areas already “completed” dilapidating at alarming rate “He is ever drunk and rough even to us whenever we dare raise our concern over some poorly done areas” regretted some dozen of the hapless construction workers, glued at the site waiting for their meager dues, adding that he hardly pays.

Independent sources from KSB reliably averred that the contractor, out of the total fee earmarked for the tender, has been paid a whooping ksh 3.5million in two phases, with the deficit being over ksh 1million and yet the work done so far is not reflective.

Owing to the unfolding dossier unmasking these outfits underworld activities, which flies in the face of the procurement rules, regulations and procedures, its also worth noting that the quintet companies which are now under spotlight, are currently engaged in a string of works across the country, further raising eyebrows whether they were awarded fairly or not.

According to knowledgeable inner sources, all the companies are the brainchild of one of the topnotch engineer who is said to be the proprietor and elder brother to the alleged cowboy contractor and, with a well networked syndicate buttressing across the boarders, hence according credence as to why they recently clinched a lucrative tender in southern Sudan for the construction of the road, among other plum jobs, to the chagrin of other potential lowest bidders.

The farmers move comes hot on the heels of the recent remaks, in some cross-section of the press, by the minister of public works Hon. Chris Obure that the NCA law will be implemented to the letter and, further read the riot act to the rogue contractors that the law will be slapped unto them, since their days are numbered.

The authority is also charged with, among other things, researching on any matter relating to the construction industry, promoting quality assurance as well as encouraging standardization and improvement of construction techniques and materials. It will also develop and publish a code of conduct for the industry.

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Category Archives: HEADLINES

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KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY GETS ANOTHER CONTENDER AS THE DEPUTY CLERK NATIONAL ASSEMBLY JOINS RACE FOR GOVERNOR

KENYA: MIGUNA’S ATTACKS PRIMITIVE SAYS UHURU’S PARTY.

Sh 15 million needed to boost tourism in western Kenya.

THE KENYAN COASTAL PORT CITY OF MOMBASA IS UNDER SIEGE FOLLOWING THE KILLING OF A RADICAL ISLAMIC PREACHER LINKED TO THE Al-SHABAAB TERRORISTS IN SOMALIA BY UNKNOWN GUNMEN.

Kenya: Minister Nyong’o in a political dilemma as he tied to win the coveted Kisumu County Senate seat against the odds

Kenya: No end to rogue contractors, as sugarcane farmers cry foul.