Category Archives: HEADLINES

KENYA: THOUSANDS OF MOURNERS GAVE A TEARFUL SENDING OFF A PROMINENT LADY FARMER IN KASIPUL-KABONDO WHO HAD PIONEERED INTO MODERN FARMING.

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Writes Bob Ndira-Uradi in Oyugis Town.

THOUSANDS of mourners on the Easter Monday gave a tearful farewell to a prominent woman farmer and church leader in Kaipul-Kabondo in Rachuonyo South district within Homa-bay County.

Mrs Dorcas Akeyo J.Oyugi-Ogot was laid to rest next to her late husband James Oyugi-Ogot near their palatial home near Mikaye market in Kakelo Location, Kasipul-Kabondo, Rachuonyo South district within Homa-Bay County.

The deceased husband the late James Oyugi Ogot, was a top educationist who rose through the ranks from a classroom teacher and retired as the District Education Office {DEO} in Siaya district about ten years ago.

The couple had pioneered into modern farming three decades ago. They introduced top grade dairy cows in their farm, which is located next to the main Oyugis- Kisumu road as early as 1967.

The couple had also pioneered into other cash crops, and for many years the farm has served as the roll model in the region. It is layout and plan was late to attract the Ministry of Agriculture and the Provincial Administration in Nyanza which on many occasions had used the farm as an Agricultural Field Day where many farmers from other parts of the greater Southern Nyanza region were invited for training on new method of farming technology and better crops husbandry.

A devoted Christian Mrs Oyugi was a staunch member of the SDA church and had acted on many occasions as the church leader, making her the most influential woman within the community.

The otherwise a solemn burial ceremony of a highly respected woman was almost marred by political confrontation between women leaders n the area who vehemently objected and protested against the derogatory remarks by the ODM Coordinator in Nyanza Mrs Monica Amolo who was engaged in sharp exchange with Ker Meshack Riga Ogalo of the Luo Council of Elders and Mrs Roselyn Onyiuka who is contesting the Homa-Bay Women representative seat.

The burial brought together the largest number of politicians in the region. Among them was the former two times MP for Karachuoyo Dr Mrs Phoebe M Asiyo, Prof Otieno Muga, the Vice Chancellor o the Great Lakes University Kisumu, the chairman of the Luo Council of Elders Ker Meshack Riaga Ogalo,former Nyanza PDE, Mrs Roselyn Onyuka who is contesting the Homa-Bay County women Representtive in Parlament, her rival for the sme position Mrs Gladys Wanga and others.

Other included several aspirants for the newly created Kasipul-Kabondo constituency, which was recently separated from the old Kasipul. They included Hebert Ojwang’ who acted as the master of ceremony, Enock Ogutu, Prof. Otieno Muga, the former MP for the old Kasipul-Kabondo William Oloo Otula, who declared to the huge crowd that he would be contesting the election in the old Kasipul constituency.

In her address Dr Mrs Asiyo advised the leaders in the region to rebrand themselves and move to the neighboring community and canvass for Raila Odinga’s presidential votes. “You should stop the petty political squabbles among yourselves to other regions to campaign for the ODM leader to realize his presidential ambition.

Ker Meshack Riaga Ogalo also gave similar advice to the mourners telling those able to move out of the region and elates well with the residents of the neighboring communities like the Kisiis, Kalenjin, Luhyia with the mission to persuade them to support Raila Odinga and the ODM to win the next general election.

The burial ceremony nearly got marred by chaos following the derogatory remarks made by the ODM Coordinator in Nyanza Mrs Monica Amolo. The mourner accused Mrs Amolo of bad mouthing other leaders, particularly when she scathingly criticized the former PDE Mrs Roselyn Onyuka who is vying for the position of the County woman representative in parliament.

The attack on high profile former PDE did not go down well in an area which is her home ground provoking strong protest by the mourners followed by wildcat calls.

Mrs Onyuka who was born in Mbita in Suba region is marred in Kasipul-Kabondo and her people had to be restrained from acting violently against Mrs Amolo, though some women were heard hurling insults to her.

In her address to the mourner Mr Onyuka narrated her past achievements during her services as the senior Principal of St. Albert Ulanda Girls High School and later how she struggled and revived the hitherto run-down Asumbi Teachers Training College and later how her position as the Nyanza PDE saw schools in the region rejuvenated and shinned again coming on top of other regions in the national exams. She received standing ovation fro the mourners who endorsed her candidature and gave her go ahead signals.

She told the mourners that she has what it takes to be called track record of achievement an diligent service to the community.

During the meeting mourners were heard blaming some vernacular FM Radio stations which some people have been frequently using to malign their perceived political opponents on patent. Other mourners were heard shouting that the CCK should investigate those station wh9ch are used by politician to slender their rivals and by engaging in destructive political propaganda. One man shouted the names of several FM Radio Station which he said were notorious for allowing sponsored propaganda materials and pack of lies saying they should be shut down b y he government unless those running them at responsibly not to allow their stations to be used a instrumental tool of distortion

The confrontation started following the remark made Prof.Muga who inadvertently referred to the Ker Meshack Riaga as the “Former Ker of the Luo Council of Elders. But Mzee Riaga in a foot-note reaction stood on his feet and protested saying that his role and status quo as the “Ker” has remained unchanged. The other Ker Opiyo Otondi, he said was make up of politicians, whereas he remained the true Ker of the Luo community until his death an that is what the Council’s constitutions says.”

The late Mrs Oyugis was the mother of Dr Kenneth Kambona a top agronomist who is the regional adviser to the UNDP and prospective contestant for the Kasipul-Kabond parliamentary seat. She left behind eight children all of them grown up.

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KENYA: “SELF IMPOSED ARCH BISHOP” REJECTED IN KISUMU BY CHURCH MEMBERS,

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By Our Reporter

Tension is high within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Kisumu with the members of the congregation accusing Bishop Winnie Owiti wife of the ailing church’s founder Archbishop Silas Owiti of up surging his roles which is leading to mass walkout of members of the church saying Winnie’s move is aimed at “overthrowing” Archbishop Owiti from the church leadership.

The members says that the church which has its branches within the entire East and Central Africa is likely to disintegrate if the current goings on by Bishop Winnie is not checked and stopped by the church’s trustees.

They accuse Bishop Winnie of recently conniving with her sycophants to endorse her as the predecessor of her ailing husband under the guise that he was senile and incapable of running the church actively.

“The dust has not settled when she declared herself as the head of our church and again she has brought some quarters to grant her an honorary doctorate so that it puts her at par with her husband so that her leadership becomes legitimate” one angered member of the church who never wanted her name revealed who is opposed to her leadership style lamented.

The members are also accusing their self-imposed Bishop Winnie of discarding elders of the church who had steered the church to its present state through reshuffles which has not been endorsed by the church organs and without the knowledge of Archbishop Owiti whom she says has lost his memory and has made sure that no any church adherent nor officials can access him at his Kisumu’s Milimani home where she has hired goons to keep vigil on her husband so that no one sees Archbishop Owiti and only through her advice and consent.

A cross section of church members interviewed in regard to the goings on within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church are also accusing Bishop Winnie of subjecting her husband to her current state as she has really frustrated the old man and abandoned him at a time the man of God needed her physical support most.

“She has a tendency of staying away from home for as a long as one month or more under the guise of doing missionary work which the church leadership has not sanctioned nor is aware of leading her to abandon her husband under the care of maids who cannot handle the old man better” one official of the church who never wanted his name be published lamented saying they cannot access Archbishop Owiti and they do not presently know his condition nor his whereabouts saying perhaps their Archbishop might be “dead”.

Older members of the church who were in the steering committees of the church have so far been replaced by Bishop Winnie’s “yes men” as she says that she is restructuring the church’s organization.

“We are not against the church being geared for better organization but divine intervention should be upheld and not physical orchestration whose aim is to make one the church’s leadership through unorthodox means” one elder of the church added.

Meanwhile a cross section of Nyanza Clergy has won Bishop Owiti to go slow and stop antagonizing and divided men of cloth within the region as she expand her “reign and territory ”.

“After messing Voice Of Salvation and Healing Church she is now targeting respective churches dividing members and selecting people whom she is so safe to work with, we are soon calling her to reprimand in love and tell her the teaching of the bible in regard to leadership, should she refuse then we will not count her as one of our own” one clergy based in Kisumu said.

Efforts to get comment from Bishop Winnie were fruitless as she never replied back short messages written to her not called back as she promised.

USA, GA & KENYA: WIDOWS IN SIAYA COUNTY GIVEN FREE SEEDLING BY SALEM MINISTRY AS EAST GATE CHURCH BASED IN ATLANTA GEORGIA HELPS KENYAN WIDOW.

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By Agwanda Saye

Over six hundred widows within Siaya County have received free maize seedlings for planting and free tilling of their lands ahead of this planting session courtesy of Kisumu based Christian organization called Salem Ministries.

The overjoyed widows thanked the head of the Salem Ministries Bishop Pheobe Adhiambo Onyango hfor her kind gesture in helping alleviating the poverty within the area.

“We have large tracts of land but seedlings and cost of farming has been our major impediment now that we have been given a shove in regard to the matter we ill be able to sustain ourselves and we will not be queuing for handouts from our leaders” said one widow.

Bishop Onyango said that she had been touched by the widow’s struggles while looking for food sufficiency that is why she was touched and offered to give them free seedlings as well as tilling for them their farms.

“They were incapacitated by finances to purchase seedlings as well as tiling their lands when I asked them why their lands were idle they told me that they did not have money to till as well as buy seedlings and they asked me to assist them and that’s why I offered to do it”Bishop Onyango added.

She added that she will be using her tractor as well as her driver to plough for the said widows their lands and what will remain for the is just to do the planting.

She at the same time called on the area leadership to come in and assist the widows in any way they can so that they sustain themselves.

The area government Provincial administrator Julius Owuor thanked Salem Ministries and Bishop Onyango for her kind gesture saying that the initial pilot project had yielded fruits and was on the right course

“I will get in touch with the area leadership to supplement Bishop Onyango’s efforts in regard to this project, more so the area CDF project” he added.

Meanwhile it was all joy as a group of youths from East Gate Church based in Atlanta Georgia led by their Pastor Geanne Wilde through Salem Mistries Constructed a house at their own expenses for a widow within the same county and even bought two cows for rearing purposely for milk supply.

According to Bishop Onyango, their action was touched by the pathetic condition the old widow lived in and they volunteered to construct for her a house.

“I THANKED THE ALMIGHTY God for seeing me in old age, I now have a roof over my head”,she jumped in joy

KENYA: NEW HOTEL COMPLEX THAT WOULD CHANGE THE FACE OF THE ENTIRE HOMA-BAY COUNTY AND ATTRACT THE NUMBER OF TOURIST TO THE REGION IS ESTABLISHED AT NDHIWA TOWN.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Ndhiwa Town.

A new hotel complex that is likely to change the ace of the entire Homa-bay County in the greater Southern Nyanza has been established near Ndhiwa district headquarters.

The Ndhiwa Village Resort Complex, which is located about two kilometer outside Ndhiwa Town has the state of the art finishing with extra facilities such as swimming pool, gymnastic wing and a dozen luxury cottages.

The Ndhiwa Resort complex is built right in the middle of the hitherto sleeping health care club and has changed the face of the nearby Ndhiwa Town.

The Resort has started with 40 rooms and can accommodate up to 80 visitors, but plans are a foot to increase the number of the accommodation facilities up to 100 beds.

The hotel has a standby van which is given as supplementary services to the guest and can ferry them to the nearby Ruma National Game Park in Lambwe Valley which is about 20 kilometers away. And also to other pre-historic sites at tourists attraction scenery along the shorelines of Lake Victoria.

Other features of attraction include the large number of tamed and domesticated Guineas Fouls roaming about and at times flying overheads within the hotel compound. Well, fenced and secure for the safety of visitors, their vehicles and other valuable property.

Ndhiwa town is located on the main Rodi-Kopany-Karungu Bay road, which has recently underwent through re-carpeting and. Visitors wishing to travel to through the Game Park back to Homa-Bay town may also follow the forest road that is leading to the KWS head offices and the main gate to the park, which is also equipped with a modern lodge with the accommodation, food and alcohol beverages.

The hotel has other special features such as two conference halls, one for 100 people and the second or 70 people plus the poolside bar, a discotheque hall and a residents bar, several restaurants.

The Ndhiwa Village Resort, which is arguably the largest investment next to the Sukari Sugar Mills a white sugar factory, which is located 15 kilometers away at Wachara near Oria maket. The market is standing right on the border of Ndhiwa and Uriri districts, and can also be accessed via Awendo-Rapogi –Oria on all weather murram road.

The hotel complex is the brainchild of the Assistant minister for internal security Joshua Orwa Ojode who is the MP for Ndhiwa. The MP, however, could not explain as to what would be the cost of the project when completed, saying that would be done by experts from the government when they come to conduct the grading exercise. Experts have moderately estimated the hotel complex to run into thousands of millions shillings when completed. At the moment some final touches of work are still gong on the complex which is built to close to 4 acres of land all fenced with chain-link wires. It is surrounded by native villages making look sitting I the middle of typical African village.

And the next important building is the still under the construction District Commissioners officer which is also close to the multimillion shillings CDF office complex and Ndhiwa Law Court.

These two institutions have changed the faces of Ndhiwa, which was hitherto a sleeping dusty rural market with only an old building housing the colonial tribal court.

The Assistant Minister is the single investors, but other investors and shareholders might join him in the near future. However, for now the hotel is the exclusively property of Ojode family property.

It has created employment opportunities for close to 30 skilled and unskilled workers with several highly qualified chefs to cater for both for foreign and local tourists and will serve as gateway to the interior and wildest parts of he greater Southern Nyanza such as Suba North, Suba South, Nyatike, Uriri, Awendo and Homa-Bay districts. And also to the various fishing islands along the shorelines of Lake Victoria. to the interior parts of Nyatike, Gwassi, Mbita, Homa-Bay and even to far places like Awendo Uriri and Migori

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KENYA: AN OPEN LETTER TO THE CHIEF WHIP OF KENYA PARLIAMENTAND GEM MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT HON.WASHINGTON JAKOYO MIDIWO.

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By Agwanda Jowi,

Dear Mheshimiwa or is it Muishiwa?

It’s really long since I last you,may be its not all that long coz sometimes last month I saw you at West End hotel in Bondo, I was on my “very personal serious errands” and I never thought of exchanging pleasantries with you.

Anyway that’s not why I have opted to address you via an open letter, the reason why I have done so is because of what I am told you said yesterday during the burial of Dr.Al Gondi in Miguena within Siaya County located in Bondo district.

As a journalist I have never found anything worth writing about in regard to any gathering of you Orange Democratic Party “leaders”, for you guys always seem to appear like excited school boys on an outing heading to an adventure tour or to a girls’ secondary school for an exchange programme, you do not have what captures a journalist mind and that’s why to a point most of your news items are usually covered the way they were conveyed .

Back to why I am addressing you, if I am right , I have seen in one of the country’s leading daily publication “that you surprised” many including the Prime Minister Raila Odinga by your allegation that some quarters wanted to kill him.

I am a theatre student and to jog your memory a bit in plays, movies or dramas there are usually casts and characters that is to say those who makes the whole play come out the way the Director wanted to be for consumption.

To me whatever was scripted and you made the lead cast was the worst ever done by any worthwhile theatre director, to allege the death of the Prime Minister in a rural village funeral platform to me was the worst goof ever.

Due to the magnitude of the allegation I would have advised whoever wrote the script to have picked on someone who is not only respected countrywide but by Kenyans and for them to have picked on you to convey such a “a shocking revelation” as one journalist made it made me laugh to a point that my ribs were almost cracking with laughter.

If I were behind your said allegation I would have picked on a police officer of the rank of An Assistant Commissioner of Police to convey such but for them to you have picked on you I await what the police will say but I hope they will trash your allegations down the toilet sewer.

By the way, if anybody was to think of assassinating Raila who happens to be your cousin I wonder why they would do it now and they never did it in 2007, of what benefit would it be now? Gentleman sober up with age and be advice accordingly by your script writers I would have thought that “wine gets better with age” something which seems unlikely in your instance?

If this whole “non sense” death threat on Raila’s life was true why did Raila himself not pick up the issue and address it with the concerned?

To begin with doesn’t Raila “Supervise” the guy in charge of Security called Prof.George Saitoti?is not Investigations and Intelligence under the same docket?, surely Jakoyo someone else ought to have aired what you said and not you, I heard many smiling with sarcasm as you were parroting about the whole thing did you read the mood of the mourners? With the magnitude of the allegation why didn’t you collect the whole bunch of ODM legislatures known for the parroting of non sensical issues like Gwasi MP John Mbadi in a press conference within the capital city to officially you guys raise concern over the said?

I have heard how you have previously addressed Deputy Prime Minister Muslaia Mudavadi in regard to his declaration of Presidential nominee on ODM and you have always scored lowly within your listeners.

If you cannot grasp whatever I am telling you, in short what I am saying is that no serious Kenyan takes you with any seriousness, t o them you are just a sycophant of your cousin Raila who has nothing to tell them as a leader.

I really wonder why anybody would wish or harbor any thought of killing Raila due to the forthcoming general elections, why would anyone want to have Raila dead yet he is not a threat to the Presidency?

Are you aware that KAMTUSA, GEMA,sections of Luhyas, Coastals and the minorities in Kenya will never vote for Raila?

Then on what platform is he a threat to a point that his elimination is the only option?

I have been in politics longer than you , what I want to tell you is this;Raila will never lead this country and when his politics is extinguished you will be in political oblivion, if I were you I would start chatting for my own political destination.

Lastly, why bellow about Bondo DC and OCPD summoning you to corroborate? Why wail louder than the bereaved? How about telling Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere and CID boss Ndgewa Muhoro to summon you about your allegations?

During my college days I was a political activist, I can recall one time in Ugenya during the burial of the late Wiliam Omoga , we accompanied the current Lands Minister James Orengo who told Raila straight in his that he will never lead this country and that Raila’s father Jaramogi Odinga was given an opportunity and he screwed himself with it, did I hear that Orengo also spoke on the “serious issue” you raised?

Nobody can think of harming Raila as he is not a threat to any politician presently but perhaps he might be a threat to your ilk who sees no life after his exist from politics

Kenya: KISUMU CHURCH MEMBERS UP IN ARMS AGAINST ITS BISHOP WINNIE OWITI.

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By Our Reporter

Tension is high within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church in Kisumu with the members of the congregation accusing Bishop Winnie Owiti wife of the ailing church’s founder Archbishop Silas Owiti of up surging his roles which is leading to mass walkout of members of the church saying Winnie’s move is aimed at “overthrowing” Archbishop Owiti from the church leadership.

The members says that the church which has its branches within the entire East and Central Africa is likely to disintegrate if the current goings on by Bishop Winnie is not checked and stopped by the church’s trustees.

They accuse Bishop Winnie of recently conniving with her sycophants to endorse her as the predecessor of her ailing husband under the guise that he was senile and incapable of running the church actively.

“The dust has not settled when she declared herself as the head of our church and again she has brought some quarters to grant her an honorary doctorate so that it puts her at par with her husband so that her leadership becomes legitimate” one angered member of the church who never wanted her name revealed who is opposed to her leadership style lamented.

The members are also accusing their self-imposed Bishop Winnie of discarding elders of the church who had steered the church to its present state through reshuffles which has not been endorsed by the church organs and without the knowledge of Archbishop Owiti whom she says has lost his memory and has made sure that no any church adherent nor officials can access him at his Kisumu’s Milimani home where she has hired goons to keep vigil on her husband so that no one sees Archbishop Owiti and only through her advice and consent.

A cross section of church members interviewed in regard to the goings on within Voice of Salvation and Healing Church are also accusing Bishop Winnie of subjecting her husband to her current state as she has really frustrated the old man and abandoned him at a time the man of God needed her physical support most.

“She has a tendency of staying away from home for as a long as one month or more under the guise of doing missionary work which the church leadership has not sanctioned nor is aware of leading her to abandon her husband under the care of maids who cannot handle the old man better” one official of the church who never wanted his name be published lamented saying they cannot access Archbishop Owiti and they do not presently know his condition nor his whereabouts saying perhaps their Archbishop might be “dead”.

Older members of the church who were in the steering committees of the church have so far been replaced by Bishop Winnie’s “yes men” as she says that she is restructuring the church’s organization.

“We are not against the church being geared for better organization but divine intervention should be upheld and not physical orchestration whose aim is to make one the church’s leadership through unorthodox means” one elder of the church added.

Meanwhile a cross section of Nyanza Clergy has won Bishop Owiti to go slow and stop antagonizing and divided men of cloth within the region as she expand her “reign and territory ”.

“After messing Voice Of Salvation and Healing Church she is now targeting respective churches dividing members and selecting people whom she is so safe to work with, we are soon calling her to reprimand in love and tell her the teaching of the bible in regard to leadership, should she refuse then we will not count her as one of our own” one clergy based in Kisumu said.

Efforts to get comment from Bishop Winnie were fruitless as she never replied back short messages written to her not called back as she promised.

KENYA: KISUMU BUSINESSMEN TELLS OFF FORMER MASENO UNIVERSITY VICE CHANCELLOR OVER HIS REMARK.

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By Our Reporter,

Former Maseno University Vice Chancellor Prof.Fredrick Onyango has come under attack from Kisumu businessmen of Asian origin over a remark he made that “it’s only a matter of time “ before members of the Asian Community doing business are evicted from Kisumu as he alleged that even the Country’s Prime Minister Raila Odinga did not want them within Kisumu.

Speaking during a golf function at the Nyanza Golf Club Prof Onyango had lamented that the said Asians had sponsored people to oppose his team for the leadership of Nyanza Club.

“I want to tell you that since some of you are opposed to my leadership and you are interested in seeing me out of the leadership of Nyanza Club, I will go down with you, you will be evicted during the forthcoming general elections and even Prime Minister Odinga has assured us that you must go” he said during the Chairman’s speech.

Led by Atul Joshi the Asian fraternity termed Onyango’s statements as reckless, uncalled for and not worth his level saying his ouster at the said position must have been due to his performance and should not blame anyone and accuse any quarters of supporting his opponents.

“We are surprised and demand immediate and unconditional apology from Onyango over his remark and he should stop dragging the Prime Minister’s name in his own issues , where doe he expect us to go yet we are Kenyans, whereas Kenyans are trying to heal from tribal and groupings animosity seems Prof.Onyango is hell bent in promoting the same, we have a recordings of the said even and we will pursue with all those who are concerned to make sure that he is brought to book and justice takes place” Joshi added.

They accused Onyango of looking for scapegoats as he is sensing defeat in the said elections, “after the elections had aborted and him and his team sensing defeat they started looking for scape goats which to us is of very little bearing” he added.

Onyango had warned the Asians that since he was one of Raila’s top advisers within the region , failure by the said Asians to re-elect him would be catastrophic and would not auger well for their businesses as Raila had assured him that the Asians will be evicted from Kisumu if he Raila won the elections.

They called on Raila not top deal with such saying they were eroding his leadership credibility and vowed that should Onyango not apologise for his remark then they have so many options open.

Kenya & Uganda: Fresh troubles erupted in the disputed Migigo Island in Lake Victoria between Kenyan and Ugandan authorities

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Sori/Karungu Bay

FRESH troubles have erupted on the volatile and disputed Migingo fishing island in Lake Victoria a Uganda marine police arrests and detains Kenyan fishermen.

The issue of the disputed rocky island has been the source of discontent and diplomatic thaw between the two partners states of the East African Community for close to eight years ever since the Ugandan authorities invaded the island and posed its revenue officers now collecting taxes from Kenyan fishermen in their own c0ountry. The Island according to 100 yer old colonial maps dawn in 1912 is virtually on the Kenyan side of the border.

Ugandan authorities are demanding that an assistant Chief posted to administer the island on behalf of the Kenya government be withdrawn immediately until such a time when the ownership issues are resolved.

Kenya has kept a contingent of Administration Policemen numbering about 30 on the tiny island. But they Kenyan policemen just sat down as the Ugandan authorities rounded the fishermen over the weekend and warned them not to fish on Ugandan territorial water.

Fishermen have told this reporter over the phone that on Monday morning three Kenyan fishermen were arrested by the Ugandan security personnel who accused them of trespassing into Ugandan waters.

The Ugandan authorities accused Kenyan fishermen for deliberately defying the orders and directive.

Three Kenyan fishermen were picked up by the officers on the disputed tiny fishing island as they returned from fishing expedition. Their boats and their engines intact and the catches were also confiscated.

The arrest of Kenya came barely three days after the Ugandan officers warned Kenyans against stepping into the Ugandan waters unless the Kenyan Assistant Chief recently deployed as an administrator on Migingo Island is removed.

The arrested Kenyans were then whisked away to the nearby Lolwe Island which is situated on the Ugandan side o the disputed waters of lake Victoria and b the time of filing this report, their fate remained unknown.

Armed Kenyan administration policemen on the island could only watch in disbelief as the sh90cked fishermen were bundled into a new speedboat brought in from Jinja town in Eastern Uganda.

Last Saturday, according to the chairman of Migingo Beach Management Unit Juma Omnboori, the Ugandan authorities rounded up all the Kenya fishermen operating on the island and told hem that from now onward they will not be allowed to fish on Ugandan waters.

A to Uganda policeman Agustino Choti told the Kenyan fishermen that a decision to ban Kenyans from he Ugandan water had been taken following of Kenya government having taken unilateral decision of posting an Assistant chef to Migingo while the negotiation to have the island ownership resolved was still in progress. As for now the waters around the island belonged no one, but Kenya should have been patient and wait for the matter to be resolved amicably by the two countries.

Consequently Uganda has sent more marine police and new patrol boats to the island, perhaps to ensure its order was completely enforced. Kenyan fishermen and fish traders operating on Migingop Island have since sent out an gent appeal to the government of Kenya to responds urgently and rescue them from further embarrassment.

“We are also surprised that our policemen who are supposed to protect us on this Island just sat down and watched as Kenyan businessmen and fishermen were being arrested and harassed”, said Juma Ombori.

The Saturday incident too pace while the area MP Edick Omondi Anyanga was a tor of his lakeside constituency, and he immediately appealed to the government of Kenya to expedite talks aimed at resolving the problems of Migingp Island. The legislator also appealed to the Ugandan policemen to treat Kenyans with a lot of respect and not to antagonize them.

Ends

Kenya: The biggest shopping complex in Awendo Town is gutted by fire started from unknown source

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo in Awendo Town

MIDIMO HOUSE the three store biggest business complex in Awendo Town was partly gutted by fire whose source has remained a mystery.

The fire started in the eastern wing of the multimillion shilling property which is standing magnificently and the tallest and the biggest building in this farming town at about 5.30 later in the afternoon. Traders and businessmen operating shop in the building ruled out the possibility of the fire having been ignited by electrical fault.

The said the incident took place on Monday at the time when the eastern area of the building had most of its power supplies disconnected a couple of week ago. They suspected foul play.

Traders operating in the building and the kiosk owners around put a brave fight in a concerted effort to put off the fire in a Town which has no fire fighting engine. However, the few goods that they were able to retrieve from the burning shops were looted by the onlookers and standby who turned thieves.

The building belonged to Dr. Simeon Owuor Odede, a local businessman-cum-farmer and a former chairman of the Board of Director of the Awendo based SonySugar Company.

Dr Odede, however, could not be reached to give the estimate of the loses incurred and a to how mn8ch money the repair work would cost, but viewing the building from outside, one could just make the guesswork that the loss caused is enormous.

At the same the traders operating shops inside the building were seen counting for their loses. Three shops located downstairs were the most affected,

Ends

Kenya: Power brokers are ruining the ODM chances of winning elections in Southern Nanza region

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Writes Bob Ndira-Uradi In Homa-Bay Town

The emergence of too many political power brokers gravitating around aspirants who have declared their candidature for the various elective positions within the County governance could seriously hurt the ODM gains and popularity within the greater Southern Nyanzaregion.

Residents say that there is an alarming upsurge and increase in the number of what one local MP described as “political banditry and mercenaries”

These political mercenaries have penetrated into the activities of many aspirants vying for the various elective seats such as Senate, Parliamentary, County governors and County civic wards representatives.

“These are the people responsible for chaos at public gatherings including funeral places. They have perfected in the art of minting money through peddling pack of lies with sole aims of earning free money or attracting cheap handouts from unsuspecting aspirants.

They are said to be on the running traveling all he time between Nyanza and Nairobi in search of cheap handout from the would be candidates and by doing so in the region.

These power-brokers are making the lives of the would be candidates mes arable .because this is not only extortion, but at me demanding money with menaces.

The residents have pointed out four administrative districts where the political mercenaries are said to be in full control as Migori, ndhwa, Awendo, Rongo and Kasipul Kabondo.

The brokers would be seen this week traveling in the some vehicle accompanying one aspirant to a public function, but within a week or they could be spotted boarding jumping onto the vehicle of the aspirants, depending on whose pockets are well lined up with currency notes.

And once a candidate run short of cash for handout, the mercenaries could be heard branding him as either PNU sympathizer or an agent of Uhuru Kenyatta, William to and Raphael Tuju, and what is strange that someone who has been so close to an aspirant, but only ate the company the other day after cash handout had dried up shouting at a public gathering.

Our investigations have revealed the startling and most intriguing activities of the so-called ODM power brokers. During week days, the group members are always found at the various public joins in Nairobi discussing politics the whole day while waiting for their favorable aspirants to come out of he work places and join them for the evening. At the weekend, the groups began teaming back to Nyanza were they do accompanying their favorable candidates as cheer up teams during public functions and funeral gatherings.

The next Monday the power brokers boarded country buses heading for Nairobi and only returning to Nyanza at the weekend, an yet none of them has any business or engaged on a gainful employment or business in the city.

A wealthy professional man from Nyanza who is working in Nairobi and who had made an early announcement that he would be vying for an elective position is said to have given up his original plan to contest the election after his pockets got dried up. The man’s pockets were milked to the ground forcing out of the prematurely. The would be a candidate is now said to have gone underground and even hanged all his mobile phone numbers or not answering any phone call at all from any person he suspected to be one of the power brokers an political mercenaries.

Another professional and had declared his intention to contest an elective position in Southern Nyanza is said to have lost everything including his firms offices which were closed down by troop of auctioneers. The would be a candidate for political office is also said to have lost his mortgaged house in Nairobi and he is now a tenant in one of the filthy City housing residential estates.

The ODM must also move with speed to install discipline on its officials at the branches. The same could be applied on its civic leaders at the various County Council, Town Councils and Municipalities A case in point is the deadly rumors to have been manufactured by a civic leader in Awendo town where Councilors are said to be sponsoring political goons. The hired goons go full throttle singing derogatory songs while driving through the town in a van while making slanderous remarks on a market day, when in office by the ODM if the party is serious about maintaining highly respect political movement with its disciplinary intact.

An incident which occurred last year at Kitere area of Kamagambo South in Rongo constituency where a rival leader working in cohort with other ODM sub-branch officials had hired political goons and dispatched them aboard several hired vehicles to go and physically disrupt and forcefully disperse. The incident resulted in the death of six youths who were hacked to death by the enraged villagers.

So far the hires of the close to six vehicles which ferried the deceased to their death trap have yet to be brought to book to answer the criminal charges. Nor have the drivers of the said motor vehicles been arraigned in court.

He ODM as one of the parties with the largest following in the country need to put in ace a stringent disciplinary measures aimed at deterring the money hungry political opportunists and mercenaries like party officials.

Ends

two ODM parliamentary aspirants on votes canvassing mission in Rangwe and homa-Bay constituencies

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

Two leading contenders for various elective seats within Homa-Bay County were on a vote canvassing mission over the weekend which covered the newly created Homa-Bay Town and the old Rangwe constituencies.

Mrs Gladys Wanga an aspirant contesting Homa-Bay Women representative and one George Oner who is vying for the old Rangwe parliamentary seat address series of joint meeting in Central and East Gem Locations within Rangwe and also several women groups within Homa-Bay Town constituency.

Addressing the women groups in East Gem, Mr Wanga urged the women to ensuy4e that their daughters received good secondary and university education. She decried the rule of that stipulates that only women with secondary education may contest for the electives positions as being discriminative.

She said thee were many women of high leadership quality h0 could vie for elective position, but the new regulations would not permit them to do so.

She said women leaders should come out and contest all the elective position either in the County governance, parliamentary or Senate as one way of affirmative action for gender equality.

Mrs Wanga urged women to compete for all the elective positions even in the party branch leadership. She added that she was pleased that the new person who would be voted in as the first MP for the newly created Homa-Bay Town constituency will be starting a new home and must work yard to ensure the area receive faster growth of the ton and make it hub of business activities in the region. The Town has been chosen as the new administrative headquarters for the new Homa-Bay County and as such would require someone who works so hard.

Mr Wanga also spoke about the need for the electorate to go in for only the enlightened leaders whose kn0owledge and experience goes beyond the County and constituency levels, and who could go out there and attract financial and other assistance from foreign sources for the rapid development of the region.

KANYA: MINISTER’S HOME PARTY MARRED BY FIST FIGHTING AS ODM DELEGATES FROM SPLINTER BRANCHES WENT FOR EACH OTHER’S THROAT

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By Bob Ndira Uradi in Bondo Town

A FIGHT broke out at the Bondo rural home of the Finance Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Oginga in which scores of people sustained minor bodily injuries.

The gathering at the Opoda Bar Opuk rural home of Dr. Oburu Oginga who is the Bondo MP was originally intended for home-coming party meant specifically for the inauguration and endorsement of the longest serving MP’s candidature for the Siaya County Senate seat in the forthcoming general election.

ODM delegates from all the branches within the five parliamentary constituencies of Ugenya, Gem, Alego-Usonga,Bondo,Rarieda an the newly created Uganja constituency which was recently hived of the old Ugenya constituency.

Two MPs were in attendance.They were Eng.Nichola Gumbo
{Rarieda} and Edwin Ochieng’ Yinda [Alego Usonga} together with civic leaders from Bondo and Siaya County Councils. Also in attendance were civic leaders from Bondo, Yala and Ugunja Town Councils.

He gathering turned chaotic after the Siaya ODM County branch Vice chairman Akelo Gwela who was acting as the master of ceremony called and recognized the presence of party delegation from Rarieda constituency. Another delegation of a splinter party branch stood up and insisted that they were de facto delegation and that those whose names had been called were fake and not genuinely elected pay officials.

The group insisted that they must be allowed an opportunity to address the gathering. Gwela was caught up in a catch situation and pleaded with the delegation to be patient and wait patiently as time will come when they will be called to speak. But members of the splinter delegation cold not hear of this and it was at this juncture when things broke loose. The delegates went for each other throat in a free-for-all which lasted for close to 40 minutes.

Other delegates too to their heels and scampered for safety as the puzzled Minister and the two other MPs watched in disbelief of their eyes.

Rarieda MP Eng Nicholas Gumbo too to the podium and started chanting ODM slogans, asking the rowdy party members to calm own.”This is the County in this country which is expected to produce the next President of the Republic of Kenya and therefore we must set good example and cannot afford to fight in this home.”, the MP shouted the loudest.

But the combatants could not hear of this. However, most of them took the MP words serious and slowly calmed down. After Eng Gumbo pleas the fighting stopped.

Chairs flew up across the tent whole tables were turned upside down and used as shield during the melee. The fighting rages on as members of the public fled in all directions.

The seemingly puzzled and shocked Dr. Oburu Oginga took over the microphone and try to appeal for calm in vain. “ I am appealing to you not to embarrass me and my family in my home. I had invited you to come and feast not to fight each other,” Dr Oburu pleaded, but no one heeded his pleas.

Source confided to us that the source of discontent was the leakage made in certain quarters that Dr.Oburu Oginga who has represented the Bondo constituency ever since the death of his father the late freedom fighter Jaramogi Oginga Odinga in 1994 has switched to contest the Senate seat, but it is rumored that the same Odinga family has secretly earmarked one of their own to replace him as the MP for the area in what like the dynastic politics.

In the same rumor it is said that a Mr Ogutu Jaoko who is the national treasurer of COTU{K} is the one tipped by the Odinga family to contest for the Bondo seat. Ogutu is a close member of the same Odingas family. But other rumors’ making the round says that Mrs Ida Raila Odinga would be the one to being fronted by the family to succeed her brother-in-law.

There is a strong feeling among the electorate in Bondo that t was time someone else from another clan and community be chosen to represent the constituency which ha remained the exclusively the preserves of the Odinga family dynasty ever since its inception in 1963.

Bondo constituency is inhabited by people of diverse sub-clans, the Jo-Yimbo from Usenge and Usigu Divisions being the second largest sub-clan, but with others like Jo-Kagwa and several; smaller immigrant sub-clans, there is, however, a strong common feeling is that if Dr. Oburu Oginga has voluntarily chosen to relinquish the seat and go a notch higher by contesting the Senate seat, someone from Yimbo should be allowed to contest the seat in rotation basis as one way of protecting the minority group’s rights of representation.

ODM members in the entire Luo-Nyanza are unanimous that the party leader Raila Amolo Odinga should be voted in to realize his presidential ambition. However, the community is not comfortable with another of the Odingas contesting any other elective position in the region apart from Raila an his elder brother Dr.Oburu Oginga.

The other information making the round that Raila’s youngest sister Ruth Adhiambo who is the managing director of the family business flag the Spectre International, which is managing the Kisumu Molasses would be running for the Kisumu County governor position is not well received. It is viewed in the context that the Odingas are greedy people who wanted to control almost every senior political position in the region. Adhiambo’s candidature is strongly being resisted by the indignants resident of Kisumu County who consider her as an outsider.

Ends

Kenya: The contest for the Homa-0Bay County Senate seat is expected to produce the fireworks

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The campaign by aspirants vying for the Homa-Bay County Senate seat has kicked off in a high note with the potential contestants criss crossing the full length and width of the region in canvassing for votes.

The battle for the senate seat in this region has promised a lot of fireworks given the kind of the political elites and personalities involved in the race.

Two of the aspirants co so aggressively and his campaign style is sending shock-waves to other established politician in the region.

The politically well established contestants include the Immigration and Registration of Persons Gerald Otieno Kajwang, who is the MP for Suba South {formerly Mbita}, and the abrasive MP for Ndhiwa Joshua Orwa Ojode who is an Assistant Minister for Internal Security.

The third force is the populist and youthful Nairobi and Kampala based businessman Hilary Ochieng’Alila whose waves of popularity in the region has become a matter of serious concern by other aspirants.

The 37 year old Alila originally hail from Rapedhi area of Ndhiwa district, But he has made Homa-Bay his permanent resident and campaign center, Alila is so popular with youth and women groups and has mobilized big following in all the eight parliamentary constituencies, which include Suba North, Suba South, Ndhiwa, Homa-Bay Town, Rangwe, Karachuonyo, Kasipul and Kasipul-Kabondo.friends, but later turned bitter enemies..Ojode with close to 100,000- registered voters in his Ndhiwa home turf could easily tame Kajwang’. if he could garner close to 75 per cent of votes in his Ndhiwa home turf, then he would be hard nut to crack.

Kajwang’, however, hail from the Suba region, which could only account for about 55,000 or 60,000 after the fresh registration of he new generation of voters after the next registration of voters exercise due before the next polls.The Minister, however, has recently brushed shoulders with the members of the Suba communities in the two constituencies of Suba South and suba North folowing renaming of the two constituencies by the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission {IEBC} which did not go well with his personal interests. He faulted the IEBC for having renaming Mbita, the Suba North arguing that there were more Luo population residing in the constituency than those of Suba origin.

Pone civic leader in Rusinga Island has since filed a legal suit against the IEBC arguing that renaming of the constituency was not in the best interest of all the residents. The civic leader in question was present during the hearing conducted by the IEBC in Homa-Bay and the presentation of memorandums by the people from the two Suba constituencies. But the civic leader has since developed cold feet and moved to court as a lone ranger against the majority of the residents of Rusinga Island.

The most interesting feature of the impending suit against the Suba population was filed by none other than Otieno Kajwang’ younger brother who is a lawyer in Nairobi, and the residents says they are seeing Kajwang’s hidden hand in the matter. The elders and residents who had requested for the change of the names of the two constituencies have vowed to render the support to the IEBC during the hearing of the case.

Another aspirant is a Mr Enock Aduke, who hails from Kodumo in Kabondo, but a resident of Kosele Town. His political clout and influence in the region, however remained unknown as he is a new comer to the game.

The former Kasipul Kabondo MP William Oloo Otula who had earlier announced that he would contest the Homa-Bay County Senate seat is reported to have chicken out and has since declared the would be trying his hand in his old Kasipul seat Otula made the announcement during the weekend burial at Kojwach village hoe near Ringa Market of a former PNU parliamentary candidate for Kasipla-Kabondo Akira Ngadi who was aid to rest last Saturday.

It is now clear that all the four aspirants for the Senate seat will be battling for the votes in the vote rich Rachuonyo region, which has registered close to 150,000 voters, but this figure could be increased to close to 180,000 after the next voters registration exercise before the polls.

The expected political scenario is that the real battle will be between Kajwang’ and Ojode, though the Ndhiwa MP will have the advantage of having a safe home constituency, while Kajwang’ home support has dwindled following the controversies with the Suba communities.

The man to watch is the youthful Alila whose influence is said to have gone higher notch and cut across the parliamentary boundaries. He has mobilized good following in far ends of the County like Kasipul-Kabondo, Mfangano and Rusinga islands. He is said to be a skillful operative who works with local women group and the fact that the youths are the majority of the voters, his popularity cannot be ignore. If the established politicians choose to ignore him they may do so at their own peril

Both Kajwang’ and Alila recently visited Wachara in Kwabwayi area of Ndhiwa which is Ojode’s stronghold for separate public functions, and the residents have since been speaking well in favour of the youthful Alila as the man of the man to watch.

What is likely to play on the ground is clans alliances within the and in the absent of any aspirant for the Senate seat from the votes rich Rachuonyo districts, Kajwang’ could be advantaged if he chooses to work closely with the area MPs like Eng James Rege {Karachuonyo? Joseph Oyugi Maguwanga {Kasipul-Kabondo}.He is the curret ODM chair for the Homa-Bay County branch, but he ius said not to be in good terms with the former Rangwe MP Phillip Okundi who is the ODN electoral board chairman, Okundi is still a power to reckon with in the old entire Rangwe region.

The coming months will reveal who is the real power in the contest, however, Alila is currently leading the pack with his flamboyant approach.

Ends

Kenya: Motorbike thief is lynched in a grisly killing in Oyugis Townas his relatives and friends watched helplessly

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

Residents OF Oyugis town in Rachuonyo South district within Homa-Bay County are still in a state of shock after witnessing one of the most cruel and grisly day light killing of a suspected motorbike thief.

The incident which sounded like a Hollywood movie story, according to sources had started in Oyugis Town a couple of months ago. The motorbike thief in his early 30-s, had stolen a boda boda motor bike in Oyugis his home town and rode it towards Sondu and Ahero and disappeared with no trace.

A report filtering in says he was using the stolen bike at Ahero town and its environs where he had take refugee to the home of his elder sister who is married there. After doing business for about four months, the suspect thief sold the bike and got paid money. The next thing he stole was another bike at Ahero and rode it back to his Oyugis home town.

The owner of the motorbike which was stolen in Ahero raised alarm and mobilized close to 40 other boda boda riders. The group rode towards Oyugis after receiving some information that the man was now using the same stolen bike as a boda boda in Oyugis Town.

They were armed with small axes, machetes and other crude weapons which they had hidden on their bikes. Upon reaching Oyugis they visited the home in Kokal village near Mithui .But the in the company of some policemen hoping to have the suspect arrested. But the suspect was nowhere to be found at home, so they arrested his father and took him to Oyugis police Station so that he could help in the investigations and search for his son and the stolen bike.

The group pursuing the suspect motorbike thief got the tip that he was hiding inside a friends house in Oygis Town. The group arrived and the suspect’s friend saw them first at took off, but the thief was caught red handed while changing the motorbike tyre within the compound.

He was frog matched to the Town Centre and upon reaching the tarmac road, he was hacked with axes and machetes, rungus and all sorts of weapons. His pursuers were armed with several liters of petrol. They doused him and necklaced him with a tyre and set him ablaze. It was a such a cruel death that even the policemen who had accompanied the group fled and took to their heels.

There has been an alarming increases in cases of boda boda motorbike getting stolen and at time violently which resulted in the riders getting killed before the thieves got away with the bike to unknown destinations. The situation is said to be so pathetic within Homa-Bay and Migori Counties as well as Kisumu county.

The badly mutilated body of the lynched thief was later collected by the police after it cooled of from the fire. The incident took place in full view of the deceased relatives and friends who witnessed it, but were helpless and could not help.

Ends

Ruto’s supporters in a great panic following the ICC request for the detailed account of the land grabbing court case in Kenya

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Writes Bob Ndira Uradi In Edloret Town

FRESH panicking mood has gripped this fast growing farming town I the North Rift following the revelation by newspaper reports that the International Criminal Court at the Huge is keenly following events related to a court case in which the area MP William Samoe Ruto is involved in another legal tussle in a case connected to land grabbing from an internally displaced person.

Local media house reported on Tuesday this week that Ruito is again on spot following revelations of his acquisition, owning up and controversy surrounding a piece of 100 acres of land allegedly grabbed from an internally displaced person.

The report revealed that the International Criminal Court has stepped in to acquaint itself with a court case that pits Ruto against an IDP over a large tract of land which the MP had acquired after post-election violence.

Ruto supporter in this town could be seen engaged in low tone discussions in groups while looking visibly wearing worrying faces. On of them intimidated that more case of similar nature against their MP could sprung up in the near future.

The newspapers had reported that the ICC head of investigation has formally written to the government of Kenya on behalf of the Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo.

In the letter addressed to the Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti dated March 22, the ICC Head of Investigations Division Mr Michael De Smedt had noted that they had learnt of the existence of a civil case between one Andrew Gilbert Muteshi and William Ruto over a land dispute.

According to a report appearing in the Kenya’s most influential and authoritative, the STANDARD, the Internal Security Minister has sine forwarded the letter to the Kenya’s Attorney general Githu Muigai seeking to have the Ruto case file for onward transmission to the ICC.

Smedt had said the case might contain information that is relevant to Ocampo’s investigations into conduct of Ruto during the period of post-election violence of 2007/2008.

“The OTP hereby request the assistance of the competent authorities of the Republic of Kenya to transmit the following documents,” he added.

According to the ICC request, they want to be furnished with a copy of the full civil case file containing all documents filed in the case between Muteshi and Ruto concerning the disputed land in Uasin Gishu district.

Ocampo is also reported as seeking copies of the new or additional documents that would be added to he case file subsequent to the execution of this request.

Mr Smedt promised that all information given to the prosecutor’s office would be dealt with confidentially.

“In accordance with Article 87{3} of the Rome Statute, the competent authorities of Kenya are requested to keep the request for assistance and any supporting documentation confidential except to the extent that disclosure is necessary for the execution of the request,” Smedt added.

Smedt further appealed to the Kenyan government to treat the matter with the utmost urgency so as to facilitate investigation by the prosecutor’s office.

Last week, Ruto beat a hasty about- turn following an earlier pledge he had made to return the 100-acre piece of land he allegedly acquired illegally from Muteshi.

The abrupt change of heart occurred after the MP and the IDP failed to agree on certain conditions.

The case is now set to go to full hearing paving way for tabling for details on how Ruto acquired the land Kaptebei Settlement Scheme in Turbo area in 2008inside Ruto’s parliamentary electoral area.

Also on Monday last week Muteshi who was allegedly forcibly evicted fro the piece of land, told the court that Ruto who had agreed to surrender the land and relinquish the title deed for the property he bought from a woman said he was not ready to accept that he acquired it illegally.

Muteshi had indicated through his lawyer Antony Lubulelah that he would only accept the property back if Ruto also catered for the expense he had incurred filing the case.

Due to failure to record an agreement before the High Court Judge Lady Justice Rose Ougo as ordered two weeks ago, the Judge ordered the matter to be heard on April 25 and 26.

RUTO had prior to court brief appearance during which he had his accused were expected to sign the formal settlement agreement had convened pre conference and tired to put up a spirited defensive words how he had acquired the piece of land and detailed account of the transactions. But legal experts were quick in cautioning hi against putting up his defense via the media instead of making them before the court.

Ruto’s supporters have expressed fear that the particulars contained therein the civil case could furnish the ICC with fresh ammunition with which the ICC prosecutor could use during the forthcoming trials at The Hague with which the court could justify the claim that Ruto ha caused illegal eviction of people from their farms and homes during the post-election violence.

Ends

Deaths and injuries caused by unexploded World War 11 bombs left behind by British soldiers is a menace around Lake Victoria

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

SIXTY Seven years down the line ever since the Second World War Two ended in 1945 its effect and deaths are still being felt by resident of Suba region in Southern Nyanza.

Fishermen working along the shorelines of Lake Victoria have in the recent past fished out some the metal objects which some of the ignorantly took to their home a souvenirs, but which later turn out to be the most deadly and lethal explosives suspected to be part of unexploded bombs dumped in the lake waters and left behind by the British soldiers.

Towards the end of last year, an object fished out of the lake at Ngodhe Island , which is adjacent to Rusinga Island killed a fourteen year old teenager who touched the object.

Unexploded bombs dumped in the lake at the end of the Second World War 11 in 1945 have of late turned out to be the lethal weapons killing, maiming and injuring people stumbled onto them.

The recent series of bomb explosions cause by these unidentified metal objects fished out of the water have claimed lives of several people.

These series of incidents have forced the police chiefs in the region to issue stern warning to members of the public who tumbled on such objects to report to the police, who in turn would quickly summoned the experts to come and have them detonated.

The region’s police chief Cherono Gidhinji said on Monday that some people are keeping these bombs sin their homes as souvenir after fishing them out of the lake during their fishing expedition exposing their families to a great danger.

One man had ignorantly kept the bomb in his kitchen near fire.A number of people have sustained serious bodily injuries after the metals objects they picked along the shoreline of the like turned out to be explosives. The incident has been reported from other location bordering Lake Victoria and its suspected that the departing British soldiers might have dumped a lot of the explosives in the water.

Adult and children have been warned against picking any metal objects washed ashore either by fishermen or by waves as such objects could cause sudden death when they exploded.

Ends

KENYA: GOVERNMENT MIGHT LOSE 18 MILLION IF CONTRACT FOR POLICE PROJECT IN NDHIWA IS SIGNED-DC

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By Our Reporter.

The fate of a controversial Sh. 118 M Kenya police housing project in Ndhiwa , the backyard of internal security assistant minister Orwa Ojode will be known on Thursday when the public procurement oversight authority meet to look at the issue.

The project which seeks to ease the biting housing problem for the police officers working at Ndhiwa police station in Homa Bay county had a false start last month following a controversy over the award of the tender which saw one of the 12 contractors who participated in the bids petitioning the public procurement administrative review board to review the award citing alleged anomalies of procedure in procurement .

According to documents in our possession ,the tender for the proposed 16 units type E flats was advertised in the newspapers and opened on February 8th this year at the boardroom of the DC, Kisumu East district by the district tender committee chaired by the area DDO.

Twelve tenderers returned their tender documents amongst them, a firm known as Cell Arc Systems. It is this firm which petitioned the board for review of the tender award accusing the procuring entity of irregularly awarding the tender to a firm whose bid they claim was higher than theirs.According to documents we obtained while investigating the matter, Cell Arc Systems was the lowest responsive tenderer out of the four companies which were found to be responsive after evaluation.

The project had been estimated to cost Sh.118.7M by the quantity surveyor from the ministry of public works in Kisumu who prepared the bill of quantity for the project and according to the documents relating to the tender , Cell Arc Systems had a tender sum of Sh107,082,999.80.

Interestingly, the company whose details and name we also obtained and which won the disputed tender had quoted sh.128,336,019.20 which was the highest.

Other two companies which also prequalified after evaluation whose names we can not reveal for legal reasons quited sh.110,045,512.06 and sh 118,120,215.05.

In their petition, Cell Arc advance that the tender committee was required according to section 66(4) of the procurement Act to award them the contract being the lowest” responsive tenderer at Sh 107,082,999.80.

Instead, the committee awarded the tender to the winning company at Sh 128,336,019.40, a bid which was higher that that of the petitioner by a difference of sh 21.2 M.

Part of their letter to the review board dated 10th of March this year read in part ” the decision by the procuring entity to declare our bid unsuccessful was arrived at without due regard to the evaluation procedure and criteria as set out in the tender documents and the Act”.

It went ” under section 50(3), tenders shall be ranked according to their evaluated price and successful tender shall be the tender with the lowest evaluated price in accordance with section 66(4)of the Act”

The petitioner also states to the board that according to the technical evaluation committee report , the contractor who was given the job has only completed a project of Sh. 9M while Cell Arc has successfully completed a project Of Sh 59.4M and also implementing another worth sh 75.5M project within Kisumu.

” It is therefore inconceivable and in total breach of the Act and rules of natural practice to award contract to a firm whose bid was higher and also less experienced and technically qualified. Financial analysis also indicate that most of the rates of the contractor were high” read the letter to the board.

In fact following the appeal, the Kisumu East DC Mabeya Mogaka, in his letter to the Nyanza PPO Njue Njagi dated 14th March, which was also copied to the Nyanza PC and the regional commissioner Central Nyanza, informed the provincial police boss that the contract agreement for the proposed residential units for Ndhiwa police station should not be signed until he is notified that the complaint raised has been adequately addressed by the public procurement oversight authority who have been petitioned.

Notable is the DC’s comment in the same letter and we quote ” Indeed the highest tenderer was awarded the contract while it is prescribed that it is the lowest tenderer who should be awarded”.

Mabeya in fact cautioned in his letter to the PPO that ” from my quick observation I note that the government will lose Sh 18 M if this particular contract is signed”.

Most of the contractors we talked to during our investigations claimed officers from the public works inflated the cost of the project with some insisting the project could not be over Sh 70 M. Our efforts to very the claims by the quantity surveyors from the ministry were futile.

In his reply to the grounds of the appeal, the procuring entity on their part insisted it did an evaluation as per the relevant provisions in the Act and regulations by converting preliminary , technical and financial evaluation.

According to his response in a letter dated 16th March , the district procurement officer Mr. Luke Midamba said the award was not based on the lowest tenderer alleged by the applicant rather it was based on lowest evaluated tender after considering the criteria set in tender advertisement.

whether the project will be allowed to proceed to full implementation with issue raised by both the parties now remains to be seen as the board sit to review the award today at a Kisumu hotel.Based on their findings, the tender will either be nullified or be given green light.

ENDS.

Kenya: Sharp disagreement as Kenyan MPs probed the forged UK dossier while a British Minister flew into Nairobi and disowned the alleged memo

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Reports By Leo Odera Omolo.

INVESTIGATIONS into the validity of the alleged UK memo tabled in Kenyan Parliament three weeks ago stated on Monday this week

The probe is being conducted by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Defense and Foreign Relations, is investigating the matter, adjourned two weeks ago.

Earlier on Monday morning, the committee adjourned he session with the former Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula to allow him to “bond with his family after the Bamako ordeal. The minister as stranded in the West African state of Mali following a military take over which occurred while he and other Minister from the African Union were attending a ministerial Council meeting on security in Africa, and thereafter could not find flight home because the coup leaders had closed the Bamako International Airport. The Minister was later flown to Abuja in Nigeria after being evacuated by a pane charted by the Kenya government from where he took a flight to Nairobi.

Internal Security Minister Prof.Geore Saitoti appeared before the committee in his capacity as the chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee on the ICC, But the Minister asked for more time because it was important “ all the six members of the committee are present.”

The document tabled in the House by Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo, alleges among other things that the UK was planning to put pressure on the ICC to indict President Kibaki. The memo further said in part that the UK planned to install Prime Ministr Raila Odinga as president.

These allegations prompted the Whitehall to dispatch the British Minister in charge of Commonwealth Affairs and Africa Henry Bellingham to Nairobi. The British Minister flew into the Kenyan capital, Nairobi two days ago and categorically denied his government involvement.

Bellingham on Monday this week met with the heads of security intelligence and electoral body to forge what he described as a “working meeting on bilateral relationship.”.

Bellingham also refuted the popular claims making the round in Nairobi that he had been snubbed by President Mwai Kibaki, saying his visit to Kenya was mooted at a London conference on Somalia between Kenya and UK Prime Minister David Cameron.

The UK Minister sentiments were supported by the new Trade Minister Moses Wetangula who until yesterday was Kenya’s Minister for Foreign Affairs.

Wetangla said at a press conference hurriedly convened after around table meeting, to deny claims that Bellingham visit was related to a document touching on the ICC cases that was presented in Parliament.

“I am aware of speculations about my visit. I have made it clear my visit is to discuss the many shared interests such as Somalia. It was planned for several weeks and never in response to the alleged document,” said Bellingham.

The UK Minister was speaking on the very day investigations by a parliamentary committee into the dossier got of to a heated start after an MP who is allied to the Prime Minister Raila Odinga ODM party accused the panel of trying to intimidate her.

“ I feel I am being treated like a hostile witness, said Nominated MP Rachel Shebesh in the wake of a barrage of questions from members of the Defense and Foreign Relations Committee..

Members of the committee included Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni and Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa who within hours was appointed to the plum government slot of in the Ministry of Justice and Cohesion who had accused the nominated MP for trying to tarnish the reputation of the Yatta MP Charles Kilonzo who was the whistle blower who tabled the alleged UK dossier in the House.

Wetangula has made it clear that Mr Bellingham had not requested to meet Kibaki. Instead he had sought for a meeting with the head of the national Security Intelligence boss Michael Gichangi, the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission chair Isaack Hassan and several ministers to talk about security, the coming general elections and bilateral trade relations between the two countries.

Bellingham reiterated that he had made it clear to Wetangula that the said ICC document were not genuine. He described them as malicious and aimed at destabilizing bilateral relations between the two countries and damages the political atmosphere ahead of the impending general elections in Kenya.

He went on, “ I am concerned that among other preposterous allegations, President Kibaki and Prime minister Raila Odinga were dragged into this I an attempt to create division and instability just when Kenya needs a stable and peaceful environment to conduct elections and implement the new Constitution, “said Bellingham.

The visiting British Minister said that the UK government had made t clear that London had no interest in any particular outcome in the Kenyan elections and as such would not back any candidates or parties instead, it would remain non-partisan.

“We in the UK support transparent, credible, peaceful elections which produces results that the people of Kenya of whatever political persuasion, accept as the legitimate expression of the will of the people.” Bellingham added.

Among the top Kenyan government official the British Minister met on Monday was the Prime Miister Raila Odinga.

Other issues discussed touched on the ongoing war in Somalia, tourism, immigration, regional stability, trade and the elections.

Ends

Kenya: daggers are drawn in the battle for Sigowet/Soin new parliamentary seat

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Sondu Market
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The newly created Sigowet/Soin parliamentary constituency could prove to be the biggest hub of more economic activities in the South Rift Region.

The area is unique in that it produces a lot both green leave tea bushes and sugar cane at the same time making it an area where the money could be in the highest circulations.

Sigowet/Soin is also an area where the border is proximity for inter-communal barter trade to flourish between the three major communities in Western Kenya. These are members of the Kipsigis, Luos and Kisiis.

The fast growing Sondu Market could be developed into an area of a booming trade. Sondu has half it is land with parts of it and right in Sigowet/Soin and the other half in Nyakach district. It is situated in a beautiful location between several hills overlooking Sondu/Miriu River.

The busy market is also serving the interest of the residents of North Mugirango Borabu who are living just across Sondu Mriu River separate only by the main Sonu-Oyugis road to the residents of Kabondo East in Rachuonyo South district.

Soundu Market is surrounded by five administrative districts, namely Sigowet/Soin, North Mugirango Borabu,Kasipul-Kabondo and Nyakach. Business people and trades from all the five districts have stake in the business and commercial activities of the market, thus the source of rapidly mushrooming new commercial buildings now springing up everywhere in trading center, though in the past its development was for many years hampered by intermittent tribal conflicts of interest and violence.

Insecurity around Sondu Trading Center could be partly attributed to excessive cattle rustling on both sides of the borer, especially between Sigowet/Soin and Nyakach. But with the newer generations of highly educated lots, this primitive culture is slowly being discarded by and replaced by commercial minded people, who prefer putting up beautiful commercial buildings and hotels in the center for the purpose of improving economic activities of the Center.

Unlike the neighboring Belgut and Ainamoi constituencies which boast of several green leave tea manufacturing factories under the management of the Kenya Tea Development Agency, and the multinational foreign tea plantations and factories, this new constituency has only one small size Soin Sugar Factory. A lot of cane produce in the area are finding their ways t the nearby Muhoroni and Chemelil Sugar Mills.

The green leave teas re sent to Mamul, Tegat,Kabianga and other factories in Belgut and Cheptororit in Ainamoi and also crushed by factories owned by multinational tea factories in both Kericho,Konoin and Bureti districts..

The old larger Belgut constituency has had close to seven or eight different MP ever since its inception in 1963. Its first legislator was the late Alfred Kericho who won the 1963 independence general election on a KADU ticket. He was dethroned by Walcey Rono in 1969, but Kerich bounced back in 1974.but was again sent parking by the late Ayub Chepkwony in 1979.

Chepkwony lost the seat in 1983 to Kiptarus Kerior in 1988, but the latter was beaten by Chepkwony again in 1992 only to for Kerior to reclaimed the seat in 1997 and in the 1990, the constituency was subdivided into two with the creation of the Ainamoi constituency.

Eng.Kipng’eno Arap Ng’eny the former Minister for Water Development became the first MP for Ainamoi in 1997, while the former Finance Assistant Minister Charles Kirui captured the old Belgut. However Kirui lost the Belgut seat to his brother in law Charles Keter in 1997.

In 2002 the former CID Director Noah Nondin Arap Too dethroned Ng’eny, while Keter made a history of becoming he first MP to have successfully defended his Belgut seat.All the previous occupants of the seat served only for one time and nobody had served for the consecutive terms, though some of the were sent to the cold and later recaptured the seat, but only after a five year break.

In the coming elections the man who is favored by most of the electorate and is tipped to wit the seat is Justice Kemei, the former Marketing and Communication Director with the Chemelil Sugar Company in Nyando district. He lost narrowly to Charles Keter in 2007 the much flawed ODM nomination system which was open to massive rigging, especially during the preliminaries.

Kemei is now in consultant business in Mombasa and Western Kenya,but frequenting the area almost every weekend while widely consulting with the electorate. He has one of the most attractive track record of development due to the fact that while he was serving at the nearby Chemelil he initiated a lot of development project and also helped many youth secured jobs.

Rumors making the round is that the former MP and Assistant Minister Kipatarus Kerior who is now a member of the Kenya Sugar Boa of service to the constituents. But when reached Kerior evaded questions about his entry into the race, only saying it will depend on the interests of the residents.

Also rearing to go is a senior lecturer at Eggerton University, NjoroDr. Malawi. The other aspirant is the Kericho business tycoon Kenneth Mutai who is a cousin of Keter.

Other potential contestants include the former Agricultural Services Manager at Chemelil Sugar Company Eng. Richard Koech who is currently in consultancy business in East and Southern African regions. The retired former top manager of Finlays Tea and Flower Company Mr Soi and an ex-high shoo teacher Mr.Kemei.

Other areas of economic activities within Sigowet/Soin constituency include the fast growing Soliat border market, which s close to Kericho Nyando border and also Muhoroni Town.

ENDs

PHOTO OF Mr Justice Kemei, one of the leading contenders for the newly create Sigowet/Soin seat.

Kenya: Invitation of Kenyatta and Ruto to officiate in Harambee at Jaramogi home is roundly condemned by Luo politician and civic societies and clergymen

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Writes Leo Odea Omolo In Kisumu City

The much highlighted big catch of support in Luo-Nyanza by the G7 allies having netted one of Raila Odinga’s step brother who has promised to host the group’s two presidential aspirants for fund raising in the rural Kang’o Kajaramogi home in Nyamira Sakwa Central, Bondo district could turn out to be the work of conmen and fraudster out to fleece the two of their campaign resources.

George Ayugi “Mbuta” who had brokered the relations used to be an ODM operative with no significant following inside Luo Nyanza,but known as one of the many political hirelings.and sycophants relying an leaning heavily on MPs for survivals.

His relations with the Eldoret North MP William Samoei Arap Ruto came while the latter was the Minister for Agriculture and had appointed him to sit in the Sugar Arbitration Tribunal, though he is a semi-illiterate person.

The relationship between the two is nothing but an act of belly-begging. Ayugi who hails from Ugenya constituency cannot even host Kenyatta and Ruto in his own home turf, leave alone inviting them to the home of Jaramogi Oginga Odinga.

Councilor Omondi Odinga, the step-brother of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga is heavily indebted civic leader and not a very forthright person to be relied upon.

So far a number of Luo personalities whose names appeared in the invitation cards as the chief guest and deputy chief guest respectively have come out strongly and denounced the planned fund raising meeting.

One of them is the Mumias Sugar Company Chief Executive Dr. Evans Kidero who has strongly denied having any link with the planned Harambee meeting. Kidero who is currently in the Unite States where he had gone on official duties disassociated himself from the planned fund drive.

“I do not even know the man {Coun Omondi} in person,”Dr Kidero retorted angrily, adding that he is a staunch supporter of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and cannot conduct any fund drive function at his parent home without his blessing.

Another personality whose name is also appearing in the invitation card Poycarp Ocholla Kamili a prominent businessman in Mombasa and Muhoroni went into the air via local vernacular FM Radio Station denying having any knowledge about the planned Harambee fund rising for Omondi Odinga. He said he had at no time ever discussed the issue with the Councilor and wonder why his name has been printed in the card without his knowledge.

He threatened to institute legal action against the Milimani Councilor.

The planned Harambee meeting in question is scheduled for April 6,and the Councilor has invited Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta and William Samoei Ruto as some of the principal guests.

Meanwhile Kisumu City was over the weekend a wash with rumor that the late Jaramogi has sent a dream to his youngest son Coun Omondi Odinga telling who will be the next President of the Republic of Kenya.

Early last year, Coun. Omondi Odinga was reported o have lured one of the candidate aspiring for the Kissumu County Senate seat into the Milimani home of the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, the place where his mother is living for a ma blessing ceremony party. The aspirant, is said to have spent a fortune in lavishly entertaining the invited guests with food and alcohol beverages believing that the blessing ceremony had Raila and the entire family blessing

The whole exercise turned to be an air balloon, and the said aspirant was conned colossal amount of money. There were other reports alleging that the younger Oinga had received colossal of money from some women working at the main Kisumu Jubilee Market on the promise to secure jobs for the in the Municipality.The woman have since threatened to stage street demo ageist the Councilor and on one occasion cornered him in a building forcing him to flee through the back door as they women were baying for his blood.

In another incident, it is being alleged that Coun Omondi Odinga had purchased a motor vehicle from a group of local dealers and issued them with a bank cheque that was later not honored by the bank, and the dealer are said to be still pursuing him over the matter.

. There are also numerous reported cases of extortion and irregular dealing with the City business men, an the Asian traders are the most victims.

However, one clergy man who preferred to remain anonymous said that Omondin Odinga needs prayers because rebuking him will not help him in anyway.

On political pundits in Kisumu said that for many years those close to Raila Odinga in Luo-Nyanza have been branding those with diverse opinion as traitors and other derogatory names, but this time around the real and true traitor has emerged within the Odinga’s household..

“We are closely watching how the Prime Minister is going to handle this volatile issue where his own step brother has disassociated from his political leadership and has invited his rivals and political enemies to the Jaramogi homestead” remarked one civic leader in Kisumu.

Omondo Odinga has called for Harambee to fund raiser the money for his election campaign. He is eyeing the Bondo seat which he currently represented by his elder brother Dr. Oburu Oginga, who is an Assistant Finance Minister. The late Jaramogi had represented the seat ever since it inception in 1963.Thereae unconfirmed report that the Assistant Minister is now eyeing for the Siaya Senate seat.

Other sources from those versed with the Odinga family affairs says the disagreement has come about following the alleged plan to turn the late Jaramogi’s Milimani House, which the two elder brothers Raila and Oburu had planned to turn into a public institution. There could be more meet the eyes than the true picture of the situation on the ground.

Other leading personalities in Nyanza have said that the tour and possible pubic address by Kenyatta and Ruto in the region is okay and would be most welcome. However, judging from the malice and damages it has caused to the Prime Minister in his backyard, the tour would not be feasible. The two will have to wait and re-arrange for their tour of Nyanza separately from that of Omondi Odinga’s invitation which could turn out to be not very peaceful because the residents of the region view such invitation to be full of malice and political intrigues.

So far Omondi Odinga’s action has been roundly condemned by all level minded Luos politicians who view it as a betrayal b y a lone ranger and a man full of mischiefs.

Ends