Category Archives: HEADLINES

KENYA: RONG RESIDENTS CALLS FOR KIBAKI AND RAILA TO SUSPEND MINISTER DALMAS OTIENO TO FACILITATE THOROUGH INVESTIGATIONS OVER POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN HIS CONSTITUENCY

Reports Ndira-Uradi In Rongo Town.

Residents of Rongo district have sent a passionate appeal to the two principals in the coalition government urging the to effect the immediate suspension of the Minister for Public Service Dalmas Otieno in order to facilitate thorough investigations over last weekend politically related violence deaths of five people.

The residents said they were unhappy with the directions the ongoing investigations over latest political violence was taking The incident resulted in the death of five hired goons at Kitere Village in Kamagambo South location, Rongo within Migori County.

So far the Minister has yet to issue any comment either absolving himself from the heinous crime committed by political goons, suspected to have been hired by closely connected to him, nor has he come out and condemned he acts of political thuggery within his backyard.

Investigators have been busy picking he wrong people, particularly those perceived to be his potential opponents and parliamentary aspirants for 2012 and taking them into custody. Whereas the culprits, suspected to have hired half a dozen of vehicles which ferried the goons to the venue of the meeting organized by the Minister’s opponent, are walking scot-free.

“This is not the first time goons, suspected to be operating at the instruction of politicians allied to he Minister, unleashed violence to innocent people within Rongo town and its environs. In the last incident the goons had beaten delegates who had gathered in the town to deliberate on ODM elections matters and violently dispersed them.

Some of the delegates ended up being hospitalized, but the attackers, who appeared to be immune and enjoying patronage of someone higher, left the scene of crime unmolested. The police and the Administration police were seen protecting them. Some of the delegates were fished out of Matatus and beaten up senselessly.

Last Sunday, however, those who masterminded a plan and hatched the plot to unleash violence on peaceful people in the name of politics got it wrong in that they dispatched the hired goons to go and attack, beat up and maim innocent people in the remote village of Kitere. The goons and their master would have foreseen the danger of attacking people in their rural homes, and the possibility of the villagers turning heir weapons on them.

“Moreover the raider were hired from distant places like Ndhiwa,Rangwe and Oyugis who had no idea about the land train around the place wee they were assigned to carry out their heinous actions of disrupting an dispersing the so-called unlawful ODM meeting. And even if the meeting organized by a faction opposed to their man was not lawfully convened [MW1] , it could have been wise for the goons and their masters to seek for the police assistance and help. However the same action could have amounted gross violation of the freedom of speech and that of association which are all well entrenched in the new constitutional dispensation.”

Meanwhile the newly elected ODM Migori County branch John M Magaiwa has called for peace and tolerance among the political leaders in the region.” leaders should respect each other and adopt the spirit of tolerating one another irrespective of their diverse opinions. He said the death of the five youths has robbed the ODM of the five votes it needs so dearly.

Magaiwa added that Rongo incident had painted Migori County in wrong footing. We must strive to correct the bad impression created by the last week murder if the youths in Rongo,” he said adding that the cold blooded killings were the act of big shame. Which all the sane leaders in the must be condemned unreservedly and which must not be allowed to reoccur again.

Across sections of Rongo residents interviewed agreed in principles that the area MP Dalmas Otieno and his overzealous supporters should be held responsible for the death of the hired political goons.

They want members of both Provincial Administration and police authorities’ in Rongo behave professionally when discharging their duties and they should not allow themselves to be compromised.

Speculations and rumor making the round within Rongo say some the victims had mobile phones containing vital information and SMS messages and MPESA money transfers sent to them by some known characters.

The residents are up demanding that the police should surrender all the mobile phone handset, found on the bodies of the dead goons, be handed over to the experts for thorough examination and analysis which could reveal the names and numbers of those who had sent them the money and for what purpose.

The Miiste Otieno could not be reached for his immediate comment about the last weekend’s violent orgies, and that the mounting pressure that he should steps aside to enable proper investigations to be carried out within view to establish the truth abut who was responsible for the violence at Kitere which left five people dead scores hospitalized after the brutal machetes and panga attacks

During the constitutional campaign for the constitutional referendum one man, an aide to the Uriri MP Cyprian Ojwang’Omolo, was stoned to death. The group of hired goons were sent to disrupt with intention to dispersing a meeting organized at Sibuoche about 15 kilometers away from Rapogi Trading Center. There, Another similar meeting was going on with several MPs in attendance. There were protests that the rally had been called by the faction of leaders opposed to the area MP. The incident was in similar fashion in the Kitere blood bath incident. The attackers had purchased new pangas and hoes handles, rungus and sticks.

Instead of the police pursuing the attackers, who were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the villagers who sent them to their heels,and detaining the vehicle they had hired for the job, the police tuned on the conveners of the meeting whom they arrested.

The on-going investigations about Kitere’s mayhem ae being conducted in biased and unprofessional manner that it only targeted the victims instead of the aggressors and planners of the bloody incidents. They want those found to be responsible for financing it to be disqualified from contesting any elective point in the 2012 general election on the party’s ticket.

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Kenya: Rongo Residents call for a full scale inquiry into political killing of six people last Saturday

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town.

RESIDENTS of Rongo and Awendo districts have called upon the government as a matter of uttermost urgency to institute a commission of inquiry to publicly inquire and establish the root cause of the last Saturday mayhem in the area which claimed the lives of several people and left more injured.

They appealed to the government to ensure that police officers serving in the region were neutral and not politically biased hen it one to handling volatile situation like the one which occurred at Kitere in North Kanyajuok sub-Location,Kamagambo South, Rongo district in Migori County.

They blamed the police for having helped the owners of the motor vehicles used by the attackers pull them out of the scene of the crime, before proper investigations were launched to established who had hired the vehicles which ferried the raiders to the scene of the crime.

The purpose of pulling the disabled vehicle out of the scene of the crime with the help and assistance of the police, they claimed was meant to conceal the crime.

Late in the afternoon of last Saturday a group of ODM leaders an members had converged into Kitere Center, a small shopping center located close to the Moi University Rongo Campus to deliberate and strategize how they would approach the campaigns for the area’s ODM sub-branch election scheduled for next month, and also to open and paint the party office with its colors.

The ODM elections which were held in the same sub-location two weeks ago were among those nullified by the party’s headquarter and a fresh repeat of the elections called for January 10, 2012.

As the group sat down in serious discussions and having refreshments of soft drinks, six vehicles comprising of two Nissan Matatus, two salon cars and two pick-up vans full of occupants pulled up at the venue of the meeting. At first the conveners of the meeting thought they were ODM members who had come to join them in the meeting.

But this was not the case. All of a sudden, the passengers merged out of these vehicles brandishing pangas, rungus, sticks and other crud weapon and ordered those conducting the meting to disperse at once or l they be dispersed forcefully. And the hell broke out as those in the meeting resisted and refused to obey the dispersing order arguing that the men were not policemen and as such were not mandate to disperse anybody.

Those at the meeting grabbed soda bottles and used them to defend themselves. They hit the attackers with the bottles. Some of the attackers hit the ground dropping their machetes {pangas} which their opponents picked up and used in hacking some of the to death. Three of the attackers were killed on the spot.

Outnumbers as the villagers joined in the fray some of the attackers took their heels and fled into the nearby sugar plantations, but were hotly pursued resulting in father deaths and injuries.

The people at the meeting raised the alarm and the villagers came to their rescue armed with all sorts of crude weapons and the mayhem broke loose. Sensing the dangers the attackers fled in all directions by foot leaving their vehicles behind. Chairs tables and public address system were destroyed.

It has been established that some of the youths ferried in the vehicles were hired from outside Rongo district. One of the victims who died in the blood birth was an ODM youth called Onjiko Asianje came all along from Gem Asumbi in Rangwe constituency a distance of about 20 kilometers away from the scene of the crime.

Tension remain high in the area with increased police presence patrolling areas around Kitere and its environs and also along the Rongo-Awendo Migori Highway even by Monday afternoon. Score of ODM leaders and supporters in Kitere area who became the instant suspects were rounded up and taken into police custody for questioning.

One of the leading contenders for the Rongo Parliamentary seat in the 2012 general elections Joseph Ong’ondo Ng’ani called upon the government and local politicians. He also accused the police in the area as being biased and siding with unnamed politician who is suspected to be responsible for the numerous acts of violence.

Ng’ani said the police should preformed their duties without bias or siding with one side of the warring groups as it has been established in the case of the last Saturday incident whereby the police arrested only local leaders they found at the scene, but did not bothered to investigate and trace the root cause of the violence.

Rongo is an area which is prone to political violence. In 2007 several people lost their lives during the hotly contested election campaign which pitted the immediate former MP for the area George Ochillo Ayacko and the incumbent Dalmas Otieno who is the Minister for Public Service.

The residents have appealed to the ODM leader the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to take a tough stance and ensure that any politician whether a cabinet Minister or not who is guilty of fuelling political violence be expelled and barred from contesting any public elective office during the forthcoming general elections.

The latest massacre of six people in Rongo with close to ten other sustaining serious wounds came about as the result of the much flawed ODM grass root elections in the area, which was evidently manipulated by the sitting MPs. Several people who are perceived to be eyeing for various elective positions in the impending general elections were deliberately locked out of the ODM elections. Others were branded traitors or being moles of PNU and G& alliance without an iota proof laid bearer against them.

Other stakeholders have appealed to the area MP Dalmas Otieno to come out clean and exonerate himself from the chaos being witnessed in Rongo. A couple of months ago ODM officials who had converged at a venue in Rongo town were violently dispersed by youths suspected to be the supports of Dalmas Otieno. One of them was beaten savagely and had to be hospitalized in a Kisii hospital for a couple of days. The beating took place in Rongo town in full view of the forces of law reinforcement, but the policemen did not take any actions.

The two Rongo political giants and arch-rivals Dalmas Otieno and his nemeses George Ochillo-Ayacko could not be reached for their immediate comments.

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Kenya: Raila’s sister is being accused of practising nepotism by importing her kins from Bondo and supporting them to grab ODM branch leadership to the chagrins of the indigent Kisumu people

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By Ndira Uradi in Kisumu City

INDIGENOUS residents of Kisumu County have voiced concern at the just concluded ODM grass root and County branch elections accusing the younger sister of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga of practicing nepotism by importing her relative from their Bondo background to come and grab various elective positions within the County to the chagrins of the indigenous.

Ruth Adhiambo Odinga, who is the marketing director of the Odinga’s family business flagship, the Spectra International, which is managing the Otonglo market based Kisumu Molasses plant is said to have taken an active part in the elections in the Kisumu Town West constituency sub-branch and in the Kisumu County ODM branch elections which took part at the Tom Mboya Labour College, specifically to ensure that only her relatives were elected in the positions of influence.

It is being claimed that she made it sure that only people whose homes are located within the Odinga family Bondo home turf were elected into two key important positions in Kisumu ODM County branch.

Dave Okwatch a native of the Odinga’s Sakwa Bondo home backyard was propelled by Adhiambo to win the Kisumu County branch of the ODM, while Mrs Rosa Buyu also an indignant of Bondo was imposed n women to become the chairperson of ODM branch in Kisumu County.

The Odingas, it is further alleged that Odinga family has always made it sure that Okwatch is always planted to the ODM nominated Councilor in the Kisumu Municipality despite the fact that he had no grass root support from the indignant in the region apart from doing errand job for the family.

Kisumu Count comprises of six parliamentary constituencies, namely Nyakach, Muhoroni, Nyando, Kisumu Town East, Kisumu Town West and Kisumu Rural. And during the election, delegates from those districts and constituencies were coerced an forced to vote for the two were correct ones wanted at the helm of the County branch.

Aspirants from the above mention rural constituencies with the blessing from their localities were locked out of the race

The matter has since elicited bitter complaints and allegation that the Odingas were out t marginalized the Luos by denying them their democratic birth rights.

Hat has aggravated the situation is the reports making the round that Raila’s sister Ruth Adhiambo Odinga is eying the lucrative position of governor for Kisumu County while Rosa Buru a woman born in Sakwa Bondo, but married to a husband a man of Kisumo Location is said to be eying the Kisumu Town West parliamentary seat, which she contested in 2007,but lost narrowly t to the incumbent Jon Olago Aluoch who beat her hand down during the ODM preliminaries, but she crossed over and into Narc of Charity Ngilu whose ticket she used in contesting the election proper against the ODM official candidate.

She has since been recycled in the government appointed Commissions after the other starting the defunct Andrew Legale led the Interim Electoral Boundaries .Commission

The locals are up in arms and now seeing the hands of the Odinga dynasty in full practice at the ODM leadership at all levels. People are wondering how Raila could win the hearts of the electorate in this region, where he has enjoyed massive supports of the voter with such complaints going unaddressed.

Ruth Adhiambo’s concerted effort to ensure the victory of Dave Okwatch and Rosa Buyu has given credence to unconfirmed allegation that she spent most of her time anointing her favorite candidates with those with potentiality of leadership being locked out.

Those who were vehemently oppose to the idea of electing an expatriate to be elected the party official in Kisumu were simply branded “traitors” an outmoded and stale word which was coined by the pro-Odingas during the old KANU-KPU rivalries of the 1960s..

Despite of the manipulations and nepotism, the locals have vowed that the seat for Kisumu County governor must be won by an indignant person with the family root in one of the six constituencies and not an imported person from Bondo even if this would mean mass walkout of Raila’s ODM party.

Meanwhile the race for Kisumu governor position party is slowly picking up and it favor the Mumias Sugar Company Marketing and Sales Director Peter Hongo who has also declared his interest in the powerful regional position.

His other credible challengers include an Insurance guru in Kisumu Simon Ogendo, former executive with the KRA Jack Ranguma, a Nairobi businessman Tom Otieno Alila, another Nairobi business executive with the Microsoft International Luis Otieno Ogingo, all of them indigenous people of Kisumu County.

To crown up the Odinga’s dynasty the other rumors making the round is that Raila’s elder brother the Bond MP who the Finance Assistant Minister Dr.Oburu Odinga is to abandon his Bondo parliamentary setf0r the Siaya Senate seat, while Mrs Ida Raila Odinga will go for the left vacant Bondo parliamentary seat. And furthermore Raila’s son Fidel Odinga is to intending to contest and inherit his father’s Lang’ata constituency seat in Nairobi.

Political pundits Kisumu City and observers alike were quick in pointing that if the proposed arrangements were to be implemented it would portray members of the Odinga’s as a family which is exhibiting excessive arrogance which could work against and stir up rebellion and sectional backlash.

Other rumors making the round in the lakeside City s that the Odingas were not comfortable with another Luo man winning the Nairobi City governor position in the forthcoming general elections. Political hirelings closely associated with the family have been heard saying that a Luo cannot be a governor in Nairobi while Raila Odinga is the President of the republic of Kenya, and those not supportive and ascribing to this school of thought have chipped in their opinion citing the reign of the founding President Jomo Kenyatta when his daughter Miss Margaret Kenyatta was the Mayor of Nairobi while her father was the Head of State and the President therefore whoever insisting that a person from Lu-Nyanza cannot be elected to become the City governor is merely advancing selfish argument.

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Kenya: Secrets behind Kamanda, Waititu bitter wars in Nairobi politics

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bly: Joseph Mwangi

Political supremacy wars between current and former MPs allied to President Mwai Kibaki’s PNU in Nairobi has turned nasty ahead of the 2012 general elections.
According to sources well versed with PNU Nairobi politics, two camps have since emerged and the borne of contention is over control of the party programmes in the city and the party’s candidate for governor and senator in the forthcoming elections.

The behind-the-scene political war has now divided the party into two camps with even a third camp expected to emerge. One camp is led by former Starehe MP Maina Kamanda and the other one by Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu.
Nairobi. Former Starehe MP Betty Tett is also in the Kamanda camp.

Kamanda and former Makadara MP Dick Wathika are said to have been edged out by Public Health minister Beth Mugo and Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu. Inside sources divulged that Mugo and Waititu have been in different for a referring to Kamanda and Waititu as losers and spent political forces who have outlived their usefulness for PNU and by extension Nairobi politics.

The matter is now even threatening to spill over to State House. Sources say Kamanda who is president Kibaki’s trusted lieutenant has now vowed to take the war to Kibaki’s door-step at State House.

To further show how nasty the war is, even Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta has also been dragged into the matter. Analysts say should the war continue, it will jeopardize Uhuru’s chances of controlling Nairobi politics as a presidential candidate.

Uhuru to begin with is a cousin to Mugo who is fighting Kamanda who is Kibaki’s trusted lieutenant. Although Uhuru has not publicly spoken on the matter, sources within PNU’s corridor of power has it that Uhuru and his allies from Mount Kenya region have vowed to distanced themselves from Waititu. Last week, there were reports that Waititu has been spotted at a meeting with Uhuru’s opponents and word spread like bushfire that he has decamped from Uhuru to a rival presidential candidate.

Kamanda on the other hand has no soft landing spot for Uhuru considering that he has been secretly supporting Mugo in their fight over control of Nairobi politics. During the Starehe by-election, Waititu and Mugo never stepped their foot in the constituency to campaign for Kamanda who eventually lost to Bishop Margaret Wanjiru.

In Makadara, the two also abandoned Wathika and just watched from a distance as he was being trounced by Mike Sonko of Narc-Kenya. Interestingly, Sonko who is allied to PNU and has soft spot for both Uhuru and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka has steered off the controversy. He is in the middle ground and has never linked himself to any of the warring camps. Sonko has never publicly declared his support for either Uhuru or Kalonzo but has been working closely with the two under the G7 alliance. At one time when he hosted both leaders for a fund raiser, he categorically stated that whoever is nominated as the G7 or PNU flag bearer will be assured of his support.

Back to the bitter wars, it has been blame games, mudslinging and revenge between the two camps. It was the Kamanda, Wathika axis who first played games of revenge during the Nairobi mayoral elections. The two who still wield a lot of power at City Hall successfully campaigned for ODM’s George Aladwa to beat PNU’s James Gakuya who had the support and blessings of Mugo and Waititu.

Sonko on the other hand though is not allied to any of the camps also campaigned and lobbied for Aladwa’s election. The two are known political buddies and Sonko according to sources was just reciprocating on the support Aladwa gave him during the Makadara by-elections. Aladwa also campaigned for Sonko despite that his party ODM had sponsored former MP Reuben Ndolo. Even attempts by Prime minister Raila Odinga to reconcile Aladwa and Ndolo fell on deaf ears as Aladwa went ahead to lobby his supporters to vote for Sonko.

This was the first mayoral elections in the city where ODM had won convincingly despite having the numerical strength before. Also, it was a first, as ten PNU councilors voted for the ODM candidate. Previously, PNU has been poaching from ODM.

Waititu on his part, blamed the PNU loss of the mayoral seat squarely on Kamanda and was quoted saying “This war is bigger than what is being seen, its about 2012,” But in a quick rejoinder, Kamanda harshly reacted saying “Beth and Waititu are sidelining some leaders who still have influence in city politics, we only have ourselves to blame”.

But another school of thought has it that the in-fighting has something to do with the senator and governorship positions in 2012. In the Kamanda camp, they have settled on him as the best candidate for Nairobi senate seat while the Waititu camp has settled on Mugo. Mugo is a close ally of Uhuru while Kamanda according to our sources is now a close ally of Prof. George Saitoti.

Also in the race is Sonko who has also declared his interest in the seat. Although Sonko is Narc-k Kenya and is allied to PNU, it is still not clear if the three will agree to nominate one of them to face ODM’s candidates.

Analysts say should the three go for a joint nomination; Sonko is likely to pull surprises going by the past voting patterns in Nairobi politics. Both Kamanda and Mugo will split the Kikuyu votes while Sonko will take the Kamba votes as a block. Unlike Mugo and Kamanda, Sonko’s political influence cuts across party and tribal boarders. He enjoys overwhelming support among the youth and women across the political divide and his lobbying skills coupled by financial muscle can easily see him floor seasoned politicians like Kamanda and Mugo.

This was the case with Makadara by-elections in which despite PNU’s financial muscle and lobbying, Sonko still managed to beat both the PNU and ODM candidates despite the fact that this was his first time in elective politics.

In ODM, Westlands MP Fred Gump is also set to battle it out with Kasarani MP Elizabeth Ongoro who has also declared interest for the seat.

Kenya: Ojode tells the Luo to discard the politics of hero worshipping and patronage and elect only leaders who are focused to eradicate poverty

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In MigoriTown.

POLITICS of hero worshipping and patronage at the elections time are some of the major obstacles retarding development and progress inside Luo-Nyanza.

This was sated at the weekend by the abrasive Ndhiwa MP Joshua Orwa Ojode who pointed out that the political patronage is denying the community the right to elect mature and credible leaders to the various elective positions.

He was speaking during a funds drive at Kadika in Wasweta East, Migori district where he helped raise over Kshs 2 million. The money would go towards the construction of Kadika SDA church.

Ojode who is also an Assistant Minister for the Internal Security echoed the feeling being nursed by many people that the region will continue to be lagging behind in competitive development unless the leaders rose above “political party worship”.

The MP said only people who were able to change the livelihood of the electorates should be elected to the position of MPs, Senate and local authority representatives in the next year’s polls.

He went on,” Many unfit people had been elected to the various offices in the past for merely being in the ‘correct party’ though most of the later turn to be the biggest liability than asset to the party and the electorate.”

The weekend utterances by the independent minded has since provoked sharp reaction from various quarters with most people agreeing with his sentiments terming them positive views, while ODM supporters and local leader who have been mooting for “Uniform Voting” in the region have described them as “Divisive”

The hard working Ndhiwa MP of late has been viewed as silent critic of the Luo political kingpin, Raila Amolo Odinga. This is so because for close to four years now Ojode has been conspicuously absent from the many functions presided over by the ODM leader.

The Assistant Minister recently told this writer during an exclusive interview that he is against Raila Odinga.” I am not war with ‘Agwambo’ except some idle talkers and busy bodies feel I am a threat to be I the local Luo succession politics.”

“These people view me as a potential successor to Raila in Nyanza politics due to my attractive of development in my home turf of Ndhiwa and also my contributions in the region’s development activities plus my young age.

The Assistant Minister scathingly criticized the management f the Awendo-based Sony Sugar Company”for seeking the service of the police to protect itself from competition with other millers over cane supplied.”This particular fir has been in business for close to 30 year and should now embrace in the industry.

“Sony Sugar should stop blaming others and complaining that the operation the new rival, the Sukari Industries limited, which is located in Ndhiwa district for cane ‘poaching’ by the new factory. Moreover another sugar mills has already commence its production I the neighboring Trans – Mara district- also a short distant from Awendo-based millers bringing the number of sugar mills in the region to three.

The Assistant Minister said he will not accept SONYSUGAR to misuse officers from his Ministry to fight unnecessary wars and this trend must stop.

“Under the liberalized sugar industry, farmers were now free to take their cane to a better paying factory and should never be held hostage in this age of liberalized market.”he added,

Ojode reaffirmed his support for the new factory saying that “because of this competition the sugar can farmers in the region can now reap the full benefits of their sweat.”

The Ndhiwa based Sukari Industries Limited a private owned enterprise is paying out Kshs 5,097/- per ton of delivered sugar, whereas only Sugar based at Awendo is now paying Kshs 4,500 the prices which was increased only last week from the previous Kshs 3,5oo per ton. But it is deducting further some of money t for transport and harvesting expenses, whereas the Ndhiwa based does everything including transport and harvesting costs without levy anything o a farmer. The increase I the price set by Sukari Industries Limited is 46 per cent, and many farmers are happy with them and wanted t switch their allegiance to the new firm.

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Kenya: Cow thief is beaten to death as he tried to sell the stolen animal to the slaughter house in Rong town leaving the town without beef for several days

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Rongo Town

An ugly incident occurred in Rongo Town on Tuesday this week in which a suspected cow thief was beaten to death by a mob of angry residents.

As the result of the ugly incident, a large number of meat traders from Nairobi who have invaded the town in recent months fled the area in disarray running for their own dear lives.

It all started at a village called Kasere Winyo, which is located on the main Rongo-Homa-Bay road about six kilometers from Rongo town. One farmer woke up on Sunday morning and found one of his cows missing. He raised the alarm and villagers joined hi in search for the missing animal with no trace.

On Monday night the same cattle rustlers went back to the village and stole another three animals. Meanwhile a resident of Rongo town who is living in a rented house had by Monday sold the cow which went missing last Sunday to the meat traders who are said to have been camping in Rongo town from Nairobi.

But the cow could not be slaughtered on Monday as there were too many animals waiting on the line to be slaughtered. The meat trader who had bought the cow advised the thief to take it back to his house and deliver it the next morning {Tuesday}, which he obliged.

The next morning the unsuspecting thief delivered the animal at the slaughter house early in the morning. One of the residents, who had been made aware about the missing of animals, using his mobile phone called the owner of the cow. By this time, the owner of the animal and other villagers were armed while searching for the three other missing animals. The group rushed to Rongo with their crude weapons ready for a bloody confrontation with the meat traders.

The meat traders and the owner of the slaughter house whose name was given as a Mr Migawo were roughed by he mob, forcing them to show the villager the rented house of the suspect. The suspect had apparently left his house very early in the morning not expecting any trouble, and he walked toward Missadhi on the main-Rongo-Migori Kisii road.

Members of the searching team visited the house and found three other missing animals tie inside a room. They sent for the suspected thief using motor bike taxis. They caught up with him and forced him onto one of the back by tying him to the rider who brought him back. At this time, the mob had already dismantled the house, removed the roof made of iron sheets, windows and doors and were bout to set the house alight, but it was raining heavily.

They frog matched the thief to the Rongo police station half a kilometers away and beat up senselessly. At this time, a huge crowd of onlooker had formed and members of the public joined the fray an the beating of the suspect intensified. They used all sort of crude weapons such as rungus, stones, walking sticks, spears and machetes. By then time the police arrived the man was already unconscious. He was rushed to Migori Hospital where he died.

It was later established than the suspect had moved to Rongo in the recent months and established himself as a cattle dealer, but was only using gents while visiting the surrounding villages by nightfall. Most of the cattle slaughtered at Rongo slaughter house were slaughtered during the darkness.

There has been upsurge of meat traders from Nairobi who transport beef and carcasses of the slaughtered animals all along from Rongo to Butcheries in Nairobi.

The exercises started in the neighboring Migori Town, but after numerous complaints by farmers who have lost their animals including the highly prized graded dairy cows, the police intervened in Migori sending the meat traders packing, but they immediately established contact with cattle thieves around Rongo who are reported to have been selling the stolen animals at throw away prices.

For the last two days Rongo has been without meat. All the butcheries remained closed and so was the privately owned slaughter house {Abattoir}.The government has placed the immediate embargo that anyone wishing to have his animal slaughtered in the town must bring the permit along with the animal which is duly signed by the Assistant Chief and the chief of the location certifying that the animals is his or hers.

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horrifying photo of a man suspected of be a cow thief being beaten up savagely in Rongo town, Migori County in Kenya.The man later died in Hospital after h was taken unconscious by the police who come to his rescue.

Kenya: Mutindwa market traders want alternative land

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By Joseph Mwangi

Following a report in parliament by Roads Minister Franklin Bett that a consultant is due to conclude his work on March, 2012 to undertake expansion of Outer Ring road, traders operating at Mutindwa market are now appealing to the Local Government Minister to allocate them alternative land to put up their businesses.

Bett was replying to a question by Makadara MP Mike Sonko who wanted to know if the minister was aware of the frequent traffic snarl-ups on Outer Ring Road, especially at the Donholm and Kariobangi roundabouts, and what immediate and longterm measures will the Government take to remedy the problem.

In his reply, the minister categorically stated that Mutindwa market traders will be given notice to vacate to pave way for the expansion of the road. It is this answer which provoked Sonko who stood on a point of order and asked “Could he give a further undertaking that when the construction works on the Outer Ring Road begin, we will not experience another Syokimau demolition and that the Government will issue notices and compensate all property owners whose properties will be affected by the extension of this road, including the Mutindwa Market?”

On his part, Bett replied “Mr. Speaker, Sir, I will not give an undertaking not to demolish structures on the road reserves. If structures are on the road, bona fide road reserves, they will have to be removed. My Ministry will, however, endeavour to give notice to the illegal occupants of the road reserves”. Sonko is now demanding that apart from giving notice, the traders should be reallocated to an alternative land.

The traders are now demanding that their MP should pile pressure on the Local government Minister Musalia Mudavadi to ensure the Mutindwa traders are allocated alternative land before they are given notice to demolish the structures.

Sources say, Sonko has agreed to take up the matter with the Government to ensure the families who were earning their living from the market continue with their daily activities uninterrupted. Sonko is known to be defending the rights of his constituents as had been previously seen

In a related development, last week’s ODM polls for Makadara constituency was a do or die battle for former MP Reuben Ndolo whose camp lost to Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa. The elections saw officials allied to Aladwa sweep clean all the seats at the sub-location and location levels as Ndolo and his team sent packing.

Aladwa was elected Nairobi ODM branch chairman but unconfirmed reports said the party’s elections board had called for a repeat poll after Ndolo and Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru claimed that Aladwa was favoured by the returning officer a claim that Aladwa and his supporters have vehemently denied.

In a quick rejoinder, Aladwa has categorically said that he is ready for a repeat poll and has warned the two politicians to prepare themselves for a devastating defeat.

Some of Aladwa’s supporters were overheard bragging that those are signs of things to come in 2012 elections. Aladwa has been under pressure to contest the Makadara seat in 2012.

Sources now say Ndolo is blaming his political opponents from PNU for lobbying their supporters who are not ODM members to vote against him. He is in particularly pointing accusing finger at Makadara MP Mike Sonko whom he acussed was spotted late in the night holding secret meetings with his supporters where he allegedly distributed huge sums of money to his supporters to vote for Aladwa. According to sources, Sonko was reciprocating on the support Aladwa gave him during the Makadara Constituency by-election when he campaigned for Sonko against Ndolo.

Sonko had earlier reciprocated this when he also lobbied Nairobi councillors allied to PNU to vote for Aladwa during the mayoral elections in which Aladwa was overwhelmingly elected. Ndolo, according to sources is said to be giving up on Makadara politics and is said to have confided in his close allies that he could switch his political base from Makadara to the new Nairobi West constituency or Kibera Constituency.

It will however be interesting to see how Sonko and Aladwa will face off in 2012 elections for the Makadara seat considering that the two are political buddies. But going by Sonko’s development record in Makadara, it will be a near impossible task to unseat Sonko who has made inroads even in what for many years have been perceived as Ndolo and ODM strongholds.

Although pressure is mounting on him to go for the Senate seat, in that event, Aladwa will definitely win the Makadara seat but with Sonko in the race, he better relocate his political base to another constituency. However, Sonko has kept his supporters in the dark as to whether he will defend his Makadara seat or upgrade his political interest in 2012.

KENYA: THE IRON LADY LOCKED OUT OF THE ODM GRASSROOT ELECTIONS THE BIG NAMES AND SEASONED POLITICIANS IN KISUMU FROM THE SUB LOCATIONS TO THE COUNTY LEVEL

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The just concluded Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} grass rots election in Kisumu County produced shocking and surprising results in some places while it also created happiness in other places.

From Nyakach constituency, also within the Kisumu County one iron lady did the impossible. She sent several big names within the region’s political circles tumbling to the ground locking the men from the sub-locations, locations, and district to the finish at the County level.

Grace Adhiambo Akumu had joined the election race as an underdog. There were big names who include former Minister, the sitting MP and former Chairman of Gor Mahia Football Club in the race.

She is the wife of a veteran trade unionist and former CXOTU {K} Secretary General J.D.Akumu, who was a two time MP for Nyakach. She managed to lock out of the party election the former MP for Nyakach and one time an Assistant Minister Peter Odoyo, the sitting MP Polyins Ochieng’ Daima and Eng. Evans Kodera who hails with her from the same Koguta sub-location in Nyakach.

MRS Akumu who has already declared her interest in vying for the Nyakach parliamentary seat in the forthcoming genera election won the position of the Women Orange Democratic at the Kisumu County ODM branch in the violence marred elections held at the Tom Mboya Labour College in Kisumu which saw some of the ugliest incidents.

During the violence orgies, the Nyakach MP Ochieng Daima was assaulted and punched by a civic leader from Nyakach and scores of people were injured in a knife attacks & fist attacks. Mrs Rosa Buyu from Kisumu West constituency won the chairperson of the ODM Women Democrat wing.

In Homa-Bay County, the branch chair was clinched by the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Otieno Kajwang’ in a controversial election carried out by consensus after delegates had sharply disagreed with the mode of the election. The Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo who had earlier been rescued from the attacks by rowdy youths forcing his personal bodyguard to fire in the air was named the vice chairman; while Karachuonyo MP Eng James K Rege was named the branch Secretary and the position of the branch treasurer went to Mrs Monica Amolo from Ndhiwa.

Mrs Benedater Yambo aka Nyaseme from Gwassi became the County Women representative while Mrs Patricia Ouma from Kasipul-Kabondo and another person Mourice Aguko Mayora Jamumbo was named the Assistant branch secretary.

The outspoken Gwassi MP John Mbadi was locked out of the race all along from the sub-locations level as was his Kasipul-Kabondo counter part Jseph Oyugi Magwanga.

Looking jovial, Mrs Akumu thanked the ODM members in Nyakach and also within Kisumu County and promised to deliver. She said she was grateful for that she had had come all along from the sub-location to the County level an indication that party members both men and women have confidence in her.

photo of Mrs Akumu

She said that while campaigning in her rural Nyakach, she had come to realize that most women folks do not understand what the meaning of the new constitution commonly dubbed “Women Katiba” due to the extensive inclusion of the gender issues therein the new document.

Mrs Akumu made a pledge that she would be consulting with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and some NGOs with the view to seeking funds for the translation of the new Constitution into various vernacular languages so that ordinary men and women could under stand what it says.

Akumu said she will thrive to work hard toward the empowerment of women economically and look for market outlets for the primary farm products.

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Kenya Scores diplomatic double against Al-Shabaan terrorists in Somali as it secured approval and support of two key important regional bodies

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

KENYA has scored doubles by winning the support of two key regional bodies for its military operations in Somalia to flush out the Islamist terrorist Al-Shabaab militants.

It secured the backing and approval if the Intergovernmental Agency on Development {IGAD}, a regional organization which groups Kenya, Uganda, Sudan, Ethiopia, Southern Sudan, Djibouti and now the suspended Eritrea.

Nairobi has also won the support and approval of the five-nation member countries of the East African Community {EAC}. The community groups together Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.

The EAC is schedule to hold its extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit in Bujumbura Burundi next Wednesday and top on the agenda for discussion will feature he war in Somalia.

Already the EAC Secretary General Dr. Richard Sezibera from Rwanda has hinted the community support from Kenya. Individual member states have also expressed their support for Kenya, and most important of all being the neighboring Uganda and Burundi which have contributed close to 9,000 troops serving in the AU peacekeepers under the unified force called AMISOM.

An urgently convened summit of the regional presidents held in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa at the weekend unanimously endorsed Kenya’s military operation in Somalia code named “Operation Linda Nchi”.

The IGAD leaders pitched for regional solidarity and enhanced coordination between Kenya Defense Forces, AMISOM and TFG to defeat Al-Shabaab and restore stability I the Horn of Africa’s devastated country.

The regional leaders who in attendance at the Summit chaired by the Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi were Presidents Mwai Kibaki of Kenya, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi of Ethiopia, President Ismael Omar Gulled of Djibouti and President Shariff Sheikh Ahmed for Somalia.

In a final communiqué released to the media after the 19th extraordinary IGAD Summit, the regional leaders stressed the need for the organization and the African Union {AU}to galvanize international support for the onion g military operation. The Summit further called on the Transitional Government of Somalia and endorsement of national security to expedite the finalization and endorsement of national security and stability process.

The summit expressed concern that Kenya carried the heaviest refugee burden and called on the international community to develop modalities for burden sharing.

The Summit further urged humanitarian agencies to relocate to the secure parts of Somalia to stem the influx of refugee into the neighboring countries, and further called o the UN Security Council t revise its resolution 2020 extending for 12 months authorization for countries cooperating with TFG to use necessary means to combat piracy and armed robbery.

At the same time the Secretary General of the East African Community Dr Richard Sezibera in a statement issued in Bujumbura, Burundi where the Council of Ministers of the bloc are meting together with the members of the East African Legislative Assembly a head of the Summit slated for next Wednesday, said that the partner states f the EAC were clear on their support for Kenya’s military operation “Linda Inchi” meant t flush out the al-qaeda backed Al-Shabaab terrorists in Somalia.

“Somali will be to on the agenda of the Council of Ministers and Heads of State Summit slate for next Wednesday, will seek to provide a long lasting solution on the Somalia conflict.”.

On the possibility of the entry of Southern Sudan into the EAC, Dr Sezibera said the lingering state f insecurity in Africa’s youngest nation should be n obstacle.

He made these remarks on sideline of the 24th ordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers. He said Southern Sudan is just coming of conflict and there are residual problems with countries emerging from conflicts. ”We have Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. EAC has lots of wisdom borne out of experience with which it can assist South Sudan become stable.”

On recent ban by Tanzania on maize exports to Kenya, the Secretary General said the issue had already been resolved. “Tanzania has lifted the ban on maize exports to Kenya while Kenya on its part is working to do the same.

“The East African Community Customs

In the battle front, Kenya has so far lost ten men with one missing in action an the Al-Shabaab appeared to have resorted not to challenge the mighty Kenya military forces on conventional war, but have resorted to urban guerrilla tactics which is similar to the fashion used by Vietnamese during the Indochina War of 1960s of hitting enemy target in strategic places behind the line. It has strike once in Garrisa Town near the Kenya Somali border when its agent attacked a police station killing one police man and escaped with his G3 rifle and by waylaying land mines on strategic roots aimed t Kenya’s military vehicles movements.

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Kenya & ICC: Former Mungiki leader spilt the beans and disclosed that he had been threatened by a senior politician linked to ICC suspects

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The Criminal cases pending against senior Kenyan politicians and top government official at the International Criminal Court of Justice at The Hague may soon take a new legal dimension following the shocking claims by the for leader of the dreaded and outlawed Mungiki religious sect.

Members of this sect were extensively mention by the ICC Chief Prosecutor Moreno Ocampo during the confirmation hearing before the ICC judges two months ago as having played key role in planned and well executed attacks, maiming and killing of innocent people for political expediency during the post-election violence which erupted in Kenya after the dispute presidential election results in December 2007.

The violence orgies that followed post election periods of 2007 and 2008 claimed the lives of more than 1500 Kenyan citizens, destruction of property worth billion of dollars and internally displaced people estimated to be numbering about 3500 whose homes were torched and forcefully evicted from their farms.

Six top politician and senior government official have appeared before the ICC judges t The Hague for the confirmation hearing as to whether they will have cases to answer leading to a full scale trials in the same ICC court. The politicians and top official hired some of the best lawyers in Kenya, UK and US for their defense team.

Among the suspect were former Minister for Higher Education and Eldoret North MP William Ruto, the suspended Industrialization Minister Henry Kosgey who is the serving MP for Tinderet in Nandi South district, a local FM Kass Radio Station presenter Joshua Arap Sang. The trio are suspected for committed criminal offences against humanity, causing illegal eviction of people from their homes and destruction of property and mass murder.

The second bunch of the suspect include the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta who is also the MP for Gatundu South, the Head of civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Ambassador Francis Muthaura and the former Commissioner of Police Maj-Gen Hussein Ali, who is currently serving the government as the Postmaster General.

The latest revelation by the former Mungiki leader Njenga Maina is likely going to incriminate and hurt the Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who is also the one of the leading contender for the next year Kenya’s presidential race,Ambassador Muthaura and the former police Commissioner Hussein Ali.

Evidence were presented before the ICC Judges that the three had planned the arming and use Mungiki militias for retaliatory attacks against members of the communities considered hostile to the government leading to the killing of dozens of members ODM supporters, mainly Luos, Kalenjin, Luhyia and Kisii who were living in Naivasha and Nakuru towns in the Rift Valley Province.

The former Mungiki leader Njenga Maina told newsmen early this week that he fear his life is in danger because a senior politician linked to the ICC suspect want to kill him.

He claimed that the unnamed politician from Central Kenya believes that it was he {Njenga} who had sent a prosecution witness to the Hague with incriminating information about the retaliatory attacks against members of Kenya tribes who supported the opposition ODM party in Naivasha an Nakuru during the post-election violence.

Njenga Maina who is now a born again Christian and Preacher, said he fear for his life after strangers claiming to be officers from the dreaded anti-Mungiki police unit visited his two homes the previous week.

He told reporters in Karen Estate, a suburb of the capital city, Nairobi that a motor vehicle with the government registration number plate went to his Karen residence last Sunday with five unidentified occupants.

“The men claimed they were officers from the dreaded Kwekwe Squad and that they want to talk to me.”

Another Nissan van visited my Kitengela home and told my workers that they want Kshs 2 million to pardon me over crimes I do not know,” Njenga aid.

“Some people are asking why I had sent former Mungiki people to The Hague to testify for Ocampo. I am truly tell you the pressmen that I do not know who I at the ICC as a witness,” said Njenga

Njnga Maina believes that he unnamed politician from Central Kenya become angry with him after he {Njenga} had demanded that the senior politician honor his pledge to offset an outstanding mortuary bill for his {Njenga’s} wife Virginia Nyakio Njenga and her two bodyguards who were mysteriously murdered in 2008 according o other sources.

The politician in question had made a pledge to give Kshs 7 million and had initially made down payment of Kshs 4 million. After the politician allegedly told Njnga that he woud not pay the Kshs 3 million balance at the Umash Funeral home where the bodies of his wife and two other victims had remained uncollected for burial for well over two years.

The bodies of Virginia Nyakio Njenga, her bodyguard and her driver remained at the funeral home because the Mungiki followers had said they could not bury the three while their former Mungiki leader himself was still in prison.

Njenga Maina now felt threatened because the politician has said that he {Njenga} would not live to see the ICC suspect being locked in at The Hague because the Mungiki had implicated him in crimes against humanity.

The Mungiki informer is now hiding somewhere in Europe. H is expected to give testimony in The Hague against Deputy prime Minister an Minister for Finance Uhuru Kenyatta, Civil Service Head Ambassador Francis Muthaura and the former Police Commissioner Maj-Gen. Hussein Ali who are jointly accuse of organizing the Mungiki attacks in Naivasha and Nakuru Towns.

The politician close to the susect apparently believes that the Ocampo witness was sent to The Hague by Njenga.

Njenga told journalists suspicious cars have been trailing him since the heated exchange of words with the unnamed senior politician linked to the ICC suspects.

The story about Njenga Maina outbursts at the press conference, which he called at Karen was completely given the black out by the mainstream media houses in Kenya, but prominently mad a front page headline by the upcoming and aggressive Nairobi daily, The STAR.

Njenga disclosed that n Asistant minister had called to threaten him with dire consequences over the decision he made in supporting the former Defense Minister Mzee Njenga Karume as the sole spokesman of the Kikuyu community.

He said he had so far recorded statements at the Karen and Athi River police stations over the threat, a claim which the Police Spokesman Erik Kiraithe was quoted by he STAR as having been confirmed and that the police were actively investigating the matter.

Virginia Nyakio Njenga was buried with three others in January 2010 in Njenga’s home at Kitengela ia few kilometers in the outskirt of Nairobi City. Mrs Njnga was murdered with her driver and a bodyguard in April 2008 in Ngong’ Forest near Nairobi possibly by suspicion implicating the Kwekwe Police Unit Squad could have been secretly involved.

Former Defense Minister Njenga Karume and former MP Ferdinand Waititu were among the high ranking individuals who contributed money towards the Kshs 9 million mortuary and burial expenses for Nyakio. During the funeral Njenga Karume told the mourners that Starehe MP and an Assistant minister for Housing Bishop Margaret Wanjiru and Nairobi business tycoon Irshad Sumra had also contributed to the mortuary fee along with other donors who sent money through MPESA money transfer outlet.

Ends

Kenya: Cane poaching war has intensified between the two sugar millers in Awendo area in Migori County

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

The cold war of words over the disputed raw cane supplies to the two sugar mills based in Migori and Homa-Bay Counties.

The situation is rapidly growing from bad to worse and now call for the government intervention to have the supplies of raw cane to the Awendo based South Nyanza Sugar Company Limited and Sugari Industries Company Limited based in Ndhiwa based within the County of Homa-Bay.

The distance between the two facilities is moderately estimated to be between 15 and 20 kilometers apart. The new factory is located at Wachara Markat in a pace previously reserved by the surrounding communities for common cattle grazing known as Paw Otange. It has been on the running test for sometime, but went into full blast production early last week with a prime rice of Kshs 5,093 per ton of raw cane and not charging any transport cost.

On hearing of the frightening prices being offered by the new Mill, he SONYSUGAR managing director Paul Odolla unilaterally without consulting other stakeholder announced that Sony Sugar would now pay Kshs 4,500 per ton, but still charges other expenses such as harvesting and transportation fees on farmer’s cane.

Both the planners within the government and the investors stands equally blamed for having failed to strictly observed the rule set by the Kenya Sugar Board, which is the regulating authority in the sugar industry that require anyone intending to establish a new sugar factory must ensure that the new facility is located 40 kilometers away from the existing facility in order to avoid the scrambling over the raw cane, hence the existing pathetic situation.

Furthermore, the Sukari Industries should have been prevailed upon to identify and developed its own cane firm twenty months before the completion of the construction work and installation of the factory, though it has no nucleus estate farm of its own for the steady supplies of raw cane, it could have contracted its own farmers within its can growing zones.

The Sonysugar management blames the new Mill for targeting its own cane, which it had advanced the fa contracted farmers a colossal of money on credit facilities. Such facilities restrict the farmers to deliver the cane to the Sonysugar shat the company could recover the money it had advanced he can farmers for cane development and husbandry.

But within the same cane is delivered to another factory, SonySugar books of account and records remained and the company stand to incur loses running into millions of shillings.

The Sukari Industries ltd, however, countered this line of argument by saying that it has only targeted non-contracted cane farmers, though such farmers are located within the Sonysugar cane growing zones. But Sonysugar insists that even in the case of non-contracted farmers, it had supplied its own cane seedlings to the farmer for planting, therefore it has the monopoly rights to harvest such can farms.

The on-going war has come about due to sharp differences in what is believed to be the cut-throat-prices per tonnage for cane. For a long time SonySugar Company has been accused of poor plan of can harvisting programme, which has led to thousands of tons of mature rotting in the field un-harvested.

The company manager with total impunity were involved in corruptive harvesting practices common called “Helicopter Harvesting” in which they were only harvesting cane selectively on farms where the owner had paid out ”Kick-Backs” or bribe money and jumping hose which belonged to unknown poor farmers. They completely ignored the plight of poor rural peasants who depended on their small scale farms for their livelihood.

Thousand of small scale and contracted cane farmers become disillusioned and frustrated when their crops got rotten in the field un-harvested and go into the waste. Some of the farmers abandoned cane rowing for other cash crop such as tobacco, maize and others.

The situation is also aggravated by payment of cane bills. Whereas the Sukari Industries Limited of Ndhiwa pays promptly on cane delivery, whereas Sonysugar of Awendo pays after two months of cane delivery. In the past payment from SonySugar were not forthcoming even after six months, sometime even one year.

Other accusation and claims against SonySugar is its poor public relations between its top managers and the ordinary cane farmers.

Immediately after getting wind of the impending scramble for can, Sonysugar went into can harvesting spree, clearing nearly all mature cane in Sakwa South area, but some of the cane which were harvested in hasty remained rotting and drying in the filed due to shortage of transportation fleet.

SonySugar then moved to the Trans-Mara district in Narok County in Maasailand where most of the cane belonging to its top manager and sent the fleet of transporting tractors. The move has also elicited anger and criticism.

The woe of SonySugar could even be worse when another sugar factory slated to go into production in the first week of December began crushing cane. The Trans-Mara Sugar Company is currently on the running test and would soon start the actual cane crushing work.

Sonysugar company has also began panicking that he new mill, which like the one in Ndhiwa has no nucleus estates of its own for steady supplies of raw cane for crushing. The new Mill is also targeting the cane grown in Maasai land with the financial backing to individual farmers by SonySugar. And once it commences crushing, the two mill would push SonySugar to the wall.

In order to make its operation continue uninterrupted SonySugar will have to usher in some kind of radical reforms in its management in order to make it incentive to do business with.

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Kenya: Cut-throat competition over raw cane supplies is threatening to disrupt sugar production in Southern Nyanza

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town

A bitter dispute has erupted between the Awendo based SONYSUGAR Company an the newly established Sukari Millers Ltd over supplies of raw cane for processing.

On Friday last week a fleet of tractors carrying a gang of cane harvesters from the newly established Sukari Millers Limited based in Ndhiwa district and agents of the Awendo-based SONYSUGAR had confronted each other at a farm which is located near Ranen market in Kogelo Sub-Location of Sakwa East Location in Awendo district within Migori County.

The agents, purporting to have been sent by sonysugar company management to stop any outsider from harvesting and transporting raw cane out of its exclusive cane growing zones, provoked the villagers to quickly arm themselves with crude weapons ready for a bloody fight.

A gang of people confronted the tractors and had a plan to puncture their tyres on claims that they were encroaching on SonySugar Company cane growing zones. The youth suspected to have been sent to the scene by agents of SonySugar menacingly threatened to burn the tractors and beat up he drivers, cane cutters and loaders on claims they were trespassing on an area which is within the sugar cane growing zone of SonySugar.

The confrontation almost turned bloody, spurred on by the villagers sympathetic to the owner of the cane farm. It was later established that the farm was contracted not to SonySugar, but an out grower outlet.

As the situation threatened to turn into violence, the police were called. After this, the owner of the cane farm put up his argument that the reason why he wanted his cane to be harvested by Sukari Millers Limited was due to several factors including the price of raw cane per ton. The Ndhiwa based firm is paying out to farmers at Kshs 5,093 whereas SONYSUGAR is still paying the old prices of Kshs 3,500 per ton.

Cane farmers in Awendo cane growing zones also alleged that SonySugar for years has been harvesting cane selectively and corruptively, at time leaving some farmers to go up three or four years without their cane being harvested until the crop become overgrown.

The next incident occurred at Pi Kwar area also within the same location when a farmer Oluoch Okongo’ Gumo who claimed to have invited the SONYSUGAR management to harvest his mature crop for close to one year in vain. He then contacted and invited the management of the Sukari Millers Limited who responded promptly and sent a gang of workers ready to harvest the cane followed by a fleet of tractors ready to have the cane transported to their mill in Ndhiwa.

For the second time within two days people who claimed to be agents of Sony Sugar Company tried in vain to stop the harvesting of Mr Okong’o’s farm. A bitter argument ensued as the police were invited to maintain law and order and peace After documents related to contracting cane farmers in the area were perused it was established that the cane was grown under the non-contracted cane farm program commonly know as out growers. And in pursuit of the existing liberalization the farmer was allowed to have his cane harvested and taken to the Ndhiwa based mill.

The farmer In question had successfully argued his case that he had on many occasions approached the management of SONYSUGAR with the request to have his mature cane harvested in vain, but then needed the money to pay some family overhead.

Residents of the areas, especially the out growers cane farmers from the areas previously classified as SonySugar company cane growing zones, moved in with speed and harmonized the cane harvesting system that would make the two facilities run smoothly without any hitches.

The cut-throat competition which is being witnessed between the two facilities,. They have expressed fear that this would hamper the sugar production in the region. Moreover the newly established Sukari Mills Ltd, is located within only 15 kilometers apart from the existing SonySugar factory.

Ever since its inception in 1977, the multimillion shillings Sony Sugar has had the monopoly of cane growing and harvesting in close to seven administrative districts stretching from Migori, Homa-Bay, Southern Kisii and Narok Counties. This caused laxity and poor planning of cane supplies system due to the fact that farmers who grow cane in most of the areas mentioned above, those unlucky ones have had their cane lost in the field without being harvest.

Due to the excessive arrogance exhibited by SonySugar for not harvesting he cane from the farmers within reasonable time after cane maturity, many farmers became disillusioned and abandoned cane growing for other cash crops with the quick return like tobacco and maize.

On other occasions cane farmers were being subjected to harsh treatment of going for many months, even over a year, without having their cane delivery bill paid in time, thereby contributing to their abject poverty instead of improving their standard of living.

Other complaints raised were that weighbridges in some mills were technically adjusted to be faulty for the purpose of cheating the farmers on the tonnage of their deliveries.

The Awendo-based SonySugar is facing stiffest cut-throat competition from two prong which is threatening to jeopardize its raw cane supplies. Another new white sugar factory, though a medium size, has gone into production at a place called Lang’ata within Trans-Mara district, but only 30 kilometers from Awendo Town.

The new facility s targeting cane grown in Trans-Mara, Southern Kisii and Kuria regions as well as those grown in Migori , Awendo and Rongo districts which were the exclusive monopoly of sonysugar’s cane growing zones. It had contracted close to 27,000 cane farmers.

The Trans-Mara Sugar Company has no nucleus estate farm of its own, but will depend on the out growers farmers. The same could be said of the Sukari Mill Limited in Ndhiwa, The two facilities simultaneously went into production last without proper plan involving the stable source of raw cane supplies. This made SonySugar to breathe fir when it discovered that the two new factories would be relying on canes grown in its exclusive zones.

For a reasonable white sugar to be sustained will require at leas 6,000 hectares of its on exclusive sugar cane growing farms with more than 10,000 hectares within its out growing zones.The KSB regulations and requirements were simply ignored by both investors and planners at the parent ministry.

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports making the round within Awendo and its environs says senior government officials, particularly from the Ministry of Agriculture are said to be involved in the sugar sales scam. The unnamed officials have been offered the sales brokerage altogether with some politicians thereby making it difficult for the local traders to get their supplies.

The names of the officials are used as rubber-stamp in the sales of the bulk of made sugar for which they enjoyed at percentage

The made sugar which is sold in bulk re taken away to far places like Kisii, Kericho Kisumu, and other towns for the local traders to get their supplies at an exorbitant prices, which they in turn sales to the retailers. This has contributed to the on going artificial and acute shortage of sugar in some parts of the country or making it unaffordable commodity by the rural poor population.

ends

Kenya: Rowdy parliamentary aspirant thrown out of meeting after fist exchange with an MP in Lower Kericho

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

An aspirant for Belgut Parliamentary seat was beaten up an thrown out of the meeting in Kiabinga Division of Lower Kericho district.

The incident took place at Kaptome Secondary School in Kabianga area of lower Kericho within Kericho County. The gathering which was also attended by the Eldoret North MP William Ruto was an inspection tour of the facility The MP the area Charles Keter accompanied Ruto

The MPs were due to open some extensions of new classrooms. The hell broke out when a Mr Nelson Koech who is said to be an aspirant for Belgut parliamentary seat in 2012 rose and demanded that he should be allowed to address the gatherings. He made an attempt to grab the microphone, but the instrument was wrestled out of his during a confrontation with Keter

The incident, according to an eye witness, sent many people at the meeting, most of the women from the nearby village, scampering for safety. running helter skelter

Koech was overpowered by the security details of several MPs present at he meeting and kicked out of the venue while protesting that he had the right to address the gathering.

He is reported to the son-in-law of the late populist Kipsigis political kingpin the late Kipkalia Kones who perished in an aircraft mishap in Narok district while he was serving as he Minister for Roads in the grand coalition government of PNU / ODM.

Of late, however, politicians in he South Rift especially are having lean time and getting it rough especially MPs and civic leaders as the more resourceful and youthful rivals seemed to be everywhere targeting the 2012 elections.

Both Kericho and the aspirant Nelson Koech could not be reached for their immediate comment.

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EAC: The anti-islamist militia war in Somalia and Khartoum’s application for joining the Eac are expected to be top of the agenda of the Summit next week

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo

The war in Somalia and the Sudanese government application to join the East African Community are some of the top agenda to be placed on the table the forthcoming Summit of the Heads of State of the EAC in Bujumbura, Burundi.

The Summit, according to information emerging out of the Community at its headquarters in Arusha, has in its place full of complex issues that will determine the fate of the regional integration process.

The 13th Ordinary Summit is slated for November 2011 under the chairmanship of President Pierre Mkurunziza of Burundi,will be attended by all the regional presidents, and government sources in Nairobi have confirmed that President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya will be in attendance at the summit an take over as the next chairman.

Top among the issues on the agenda are the Somali war, admission of the Sudan to the EAC and the ongoing war against the Islamist Extremists Al-Shabaab militia in Somalia.

Other issues that the sources at Arusha say need the guidance of the Summit are the concerns and challenges of the political federation. Khartoum’s application to the EAC ahead of South Sudan –its arch-rival- is said to have the backing of Rwanda, but faces vehement opposition from Tanzania and Uganda.

Kenya and the current chair Burundi, were reserved during the recent EAC Council of Ministers crucial talks held in Arusha.

Kharoum’s lack of proximity with other EAC member states to allow for sharing of services is one of the factors cited by Tanzania and Uganda.

Kampala has also been uncomfortable with Khartoum over allegations that Sudan hosted the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army {LRA} that waged a two decade insurgency in northern Uganda.

Khartoum’s poor human rights record also featured prominently during the meeting. Others, however, are of the view that Sudan can only join the community after Southern Sudan, which shares borders with Kenya and Uganda.

But President Paul Kagame of Rwanda was of the opinion that a bigger trade bloc offers more opportunities to regional economies.”We should be looking at it positively even though we are aware there are problems associated with this expansion,” President Kagame said at a press briefing recently in Kigali.

Lawyers and members of legal fraternity and Human Rights group Centre, said the head of states must remind themselves about the description the EAC before deciding whether it is rational to accept Khartoum or not.

“If the EAC it is just is just a name, then any country like Germany,. Nigeria Libya or France and even Italy could one day join the community. I really don’t whether EAC would still retain its name and the same meaning,” argues Miriam Matinda a lawyer with the Legal and Human Right Center.

The head of Information and Publicity at the EAC Secretariat Richard Okoth Owora was non-committal whether the green light for the Khartoum’s application to join the bloc was imminent.

The EAC Heads of state will look into the issues of economic sanction against the warmongering Somali politicians

Observers and analysts were however, quick in saying that economic sanction against Somalia are inevitable taking into consideration the recent Al-Shabaab activities inside Kenya.

The continue lack of security in Somalia is a threat to peace and security, EAC Sect oral Council on Cooperation in Dense recently proposed sanctions against all Somali politicians.

“Lack of engagement in the Somali crisis could lead to instability in the whole of East Africa region. Accordingly, there is urgent need to galvanize solidarity and more resource or this cause,” The Sectoral Council report says.

A recent meeting of the Council of Ministers held in Arusha adopted the decision of the Sectoral Council on Cooperation in Defense and forwarded the same to the Heads of state summit for consideration and guidance.

Though both EAC reports are silent on the form of sanctions to be meted out, sources say it will involve travel bans and probably a freeze on financial assets of politicians considered to be obstacles to the Somalia peace process.

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KENYA: RESIDENTS OF SIGOWET WANT RAILA ODINGA TO VISIT THE REGION AND REHABILITATE THE MULTIMILLION SHILLING LEVEL FOUR SUB-DISTRICT HOSPITAL NOW ABANDONED AND NEGLECTED.

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town.

SIGOWET sub-district hospital was built in 1985 / 1986 at an estimated cost estimated to be slightly in excess of Kshs 150 millions.

But the facility is semi-abandoned. It has resident doctors and is operating on skeleton staff, but cannot serve the local community adequately and sufficiently enough though, it has some of the best buildings and other facilities.

The hospital construction work was commissioned by he retire President Daniel Arap Moi and was later visited by President Mwai Kibaki in 2005.

Their magnificent building stands next to the main Sondu-Kericho road via Sosiot and Kapsoid trading centers.

It is also catering for patents from the surrounding districts of lower Kericho, in Belgut and Ainamoi constituencies and also catering for residents from the neighboring districts such as,North Mugirango-Borabu, , Kasipul-Kabondo, Nyakach and Nyando districts.

Despite the fact that the institution is serving thousands of patients from the areas mentioned above, the institution is grossly under-staffed, lacks reliable water supply and it is operating without a resident qualified medical doctor. Sigowet Hospital is only manned by two clinical officers, six nurses and two laboratory technicians.

The residents want the Prime Minister to visit Sigowet and see for himself how the institution is neglected and perhaps rehabilitate an opening, and even promote it to a level Four sub-district hospital status.

They told this writer who visited the institution that they wanted the Prime minster to visit in the company of the Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o and the Water Development Minister Charity Kaloki Ngilu so as to see for himself how the institution is in a pathetic state of total neglect,

Such a visit, said one resident, ”Would clearly give Raila Odinga a political mileage over his parrots like talking rivals in the 2012 presidential race.”

Despite the concerted efforts by Raila Odinga’s main challengers who have gone over draft polluting the air thinking they are fixing the Prime Minister, the residents of this region still believes and maintains that the Prime Minister is the only Kenyan politician who means well for the Kenyan people and their well being.

Sigowet residents heaped a lot of blames to their MP Charles Keter whom they scathingly criticized for spending his most valuable serving interests of the Eldoret North William Ruto at the expenses of his constituents.

Keter has since declared his interest in contesting the Kericho County governor position. This is meaning he is abdicating his responsibility as an elected MP after having failed to deliver.”In fact he is the one who should invite the Prime Minister to come and help us improve the facilities Sigowet hospital, which he has neglected and abandoned though he has represent he area ever since 2002″.

The Belgut MP, however has burned the bridges between him and the ODM leadership, which led to his sacking from the cabinet two years ago as an Assistant Minister for Energy. ”His continued representation of Belgut in Parliament is no quite irrelevant,” said Mr Soi a resident of Sosiot.

Asked whether he believes Raila can still garner a reason portion of the votes from the region in the forthcoming general elections (2012) Soi said the hearts of the majority of people in Kipsigis land still believes that Raila I the only politician who could turn the country around if given a chance.

“Millions of shillings of government devolving funds have been disbursed to Belgut constituency through the CDF, but our MPs seemed to have forgotten Sigowet Hospital and its role as an important Medicare serving a much wider areas and regions,” said another resident of Sosiot who requested his anonymity.

One civic leader within the County Council of Kipsigis said that MPs and Councilor allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto have been criss-crossing the region in the recent past while polluting the air by telling the people of how bad is Raila Odinga, but offering no alternative political agenda for the better future.

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Kenya: new system of graft by politicians acting as salesbrokers and middlemen at Awendo SONYSUGAR company reported

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NEW SYSTEM OF GRAFT HAS EMERGED AT THE AWENDO BASED SONYSUGAR WHERE POLITICIANS ARE SAID TO BE MINTING MILLIONS THROUGH THE SALES RACKETS.

Reports Leo Odera Omolo In Awendo Town.

Fresh complaints have emerged linking local politicians to the sales of processed sugar racket, of which traders within Awendo and its environment have raised complaints, saying the racket by middle-men has contributed immensely to the skyrocketing prices of the commodity within the locality making it unaffordable by consumers and retailers alike.

Complaints have been raised that phantom racketeers, operating as the sales broker and middle-men at the company warehouse and marketing and sales department, make it inaccessible to the local traders.

These middlemen have resumed the monopoly of selling SONYSUGAR manufactured products, making the commodity unaffordable by the locals.

Sugar price is now selling at around 250/- per kg or even 300/- and yet it is being manufactured next door,but the ordinary poor rural folks cannot afford it anymore.

Huge bulks of refined sugar are sold to the broker / racketeers telephone traders at the factory prices who then contact wholesalers from Kisii, . Kericho.Kisumu, Rongo, Homa-Bay and other big towns located with the greater Southern Nyanza regions.

These are the same people who are in turn selling the commodity to local retailers at a very exorbitant prices and the retailers in turn hikes the price threefold making sugar one of the most expensive commodities in the region.

Those allegedly involved in this kind of new graft and rackets are local politicians including former MPS. They are said to be permanently stationed at the Awendo-based company’s warehouse and marketing department offices waiting for the “Big Kill”

Big orders from wholesalers and big stores in towns must pass through them. Each kilogram of bulk sales of refined sugar must come through them. They are paying nothing to the company except their names. The payment is made directly to the miller, but they earn huge cut off sums of money on each kg sold through their names..

These racketeers and unscrupulous phantom traders run no known business premises, paying no taxes to the Kenya Revenue Authority, though they earn huge profits through sale percentages and are not even genuinely registered and licensed for that matter. They always gets away scout-free with the loot and their ill-gotten money.

An insider told this writer that the business is really booming to an extent that one of the racketeers is said to have become a millionaire over night. This kind of racket was booming around SONYSUGAR about eight years ago and had led the company to the verge of total collapse. It was, however, stopped when the government intervened by sending the top management team at the SONYSUGAR packing.

But those who knew the tricks before are back in business in a big way. And some of the unpatriotic managers and staff are also said o be involved in the racket.

The sweat-talking racketeers are the same politicians who go around defending Sonysugar to the hilt during the numerous funeral gatherings in the nearby villages, which are located within the company sugar growing zones. They never miss even the funeral of a small child, and have their ears readily open for any death announcements via local FM radio stations because such gatherings offer them an opportunity to defend the company against any complaints either by farmers of business community for the purpose f earning favor from the management so that they can continue racking huge profits from sugar sales brokerage.

The company level main managing director, Paul Odolla, could not b reached to verify these claims and complaints from local communities and traders. Phone calls placed on his mobile phone line went unanswered.

However, tension is building around Awendo town and its environs with traders up in arms demanding for the immediate kicking out of he sales middle-men and brokers at the facility. They want SONYSUGAR to sell its products directly to genuine dealers and licensed wholesalers and not through the racket of sales brokers, The scheme, they say is hurting the consumers mostly because they cannot afford a kilo of sugar which is manufactured and produced at their door step because of the interests of a few individual racketeers.

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Kenya: Government ordered death trap disused gold mine pits in Migori/Nyatie closed down

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo

The National Environmental Management Authority {NEMA} has ordered one of the companies prospecting for gold in Migori and Nyatike to close down its pit mines with immediate effect.

The NEMA action followed the recent series of deaths involving mine workers in the greater Southern Nyanza connection to unsafe condition of the mine pits and the safety of gold diggers.

A total of 9 people have died within one month, they included one foreign investor, a Whiteman gold prospector from Zimbabwe.

The three perished inside a gold pit at Nyahera in Central Kasipul Location, Oyugis Division of Rachuonyo South district in the County of Homa-Bay.

The investor is reported to have entered the 20feet deep mine pit in a bid to retrieve the bodies of two of his worker who had suffocated to death from exhaust fumes after the water pump engine they were using in pumping out water which had logged filled inside the pit developed mechanical problem.

The dead investor’s body has since been flown out for burial in his native Zimbabwe country. Th two Kenyan workers hail from within the local communities.

The first death of 3 miners, all members of one family, occurred earlier in the month at Kanyasrega village in North Sakwa Location, Awendo district within Migori County.The pit, a disused former gold mine which was in use in the late 195s and early 1960a. Another man who was rescued from the rubble and rushed to the Hospital later died bringing the number of total victims to four.

The police chiefs in the area later issued a stern warning to the local people to steer clear of the disused mine pits in the area, threatening to mobilize members of the local communities to have the mines sealed off.

It was previously part of Kitere Gold Mines Ltd, which was in later years run and managed by he Commonwealth Development Corporation {CDC} which closed shops in 1063 shortly before the country attained its political independence in 1963.

The white miners left the county in huff in anticipation that chaos and mayhem usually associate with African politics, particularly after or during the elections.

The abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyanga recently appealed to the government to reorganize the mining of minerals in his constituency and in the neighboring region in order toke up the proper account of gold being taken outside the country for exports, to avoid a situation whereby some unscrupulous foreign investor siphoning mineral and exporting them though neighboring counties to avoid taxation by the Kenya Revenue Authority {KRA.

The third death involving three mines diggers took place in Nyatike constituency where three gol miners were buried alive when the land around the pit paved the way hurling tons of soil and rock on the pit as a result of heavy rains which has incessantly pounded the region since October, weakening the ground which paved the way exposing miners to a great danger.

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Kenya: Sonko denies links with bomb squad

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By Joseph Mwangi

Makadara MP Mike Sonko has vehemently denied any links with a terror gang masquerading as his supporters. The terror gang has been terrorizing Makadara constituents and the MP harshly said he was not going to sit back and watch as criminals use his name to terrorize people he is supposed to protect.

According to Makadara residents who spoke to us, the group is made up of thugs and robbers and whenever they strike, they cliam they have been sent by the MP to break the law.

Sonko’s political nemesis has been claiming that the squad is funded by him, a claim that Sonko has harshly denied. He says his political arch-rivals have been spreading rumours in an effort to link him to the terror gang.

The matter is now being handled by Nairobi police after Sonko reported the matter to Nairobi police chief Antony Kibuchi. The said gang while armed with pistols and other crude weapons attacked people in Eastlands on Mashujaa day. He has announced that he will soon launch “operation Linda Makadara” to flush out criminal gangs from the constituency.

Cross-section of Sonko’s supporters have vowed to defend their MP’s representation and have warned politicians trying to link him to criminal gangs to avoid cheap politics and propaganda but to instead help uplift living standards of local residents.

Ever since his election in a hotly contested by-election, Sonko has been the darling of Makadara voters fighting for their rights. Recently, he went to court seeking a Sh25b compensation for residents of Sinai slums who lost lives and properties in a fire outbreak.

Apart from pursuing the compensation case, Sonko had contributed Sh1.2m personal contribution to families of those who lost their loved ones and survivors of Sinai fire tragedy.

Last week, he donated free exam materials for KCPE candidates in Makadara constituency and has promised financial rewards for KCSE students with B+ and above.

Churches, youth and women have also not been left behind in his development agenda. He has conducted harambees for all churches, youth and women groups in Makadara for the short time he has been in parliament.

On Narc-Kenya’s alleged expulsion from the party, Sonko who has since gone to court and obtained restraining orders has vowed to be independent minded on national matters and has vowed to continue associating with politicians of his choice.

On as to if a by-election is called, Sonko is confident that in whatever party he contests in the by-election, he will retain his seat without breaking a sweat based on high development standards he has set in Makadara. His support cuts across ethnic and political party affiliation and was once quoted that he is ready for a by-election anytime.

Already ODM is a divided house with party supporters proposing that Nairobi Mayor George Aladwa to be the party’s flag bearer while ODM top leadership wants Ndolo. Should the party go for Ndolo then just in case of a by-election, he will be for the second time whipped by Sonko hands down.

Immediately after the by-election, majority of Ndolo supporters mainly from Western and Nyanza provinces abandoned him and joined Sonko’s camp and were received by open arms. A visit to Sonko’s office will attest to this. Most of Ndolo’s supporters have benefited from Sonko’s regime compared to his tenure. He has conducted harambees for them to either boost or initiate income generating activities.

To further empower the youth, sources say Sonko is also set to launch an anti-chang’aa brewing and drinking in his Makadara constituency dubbed “Mulika chang’aa, okoa maisha”. The initiative is aimed at fighting trade in illicit brews in Makadara constituency which intends to target chang’aa brewers and working with them to abandon chang’aa brewing and begin alternative income generating activities.

According to Sonko, he intends to enter into a partnership with East African Breweries to supply every chang’aa brewer who voluntarily abandons the business and hand over his business items and replace them with Senator Keg. Those who voluntarily abandon the illegal business will not be charged in court of Law but after a grace period to surrender elapses; those who have defied will be arrested and arraigned in court.

With the clock quickly tickling towards the 2012 elections, Sonko has however kept his supporters guessing as to which seat he is eyeing. Cross-section of his supporters have been pushing him to go for either Governor or Senator for Nairobi County while majority of his supporters wants him to go for another term to finish development projects he has initiated and to even initiate more.

It is still not clear when he intends to publicly make this important announce but going by his recent activities across the county of Nairobi, chances are high that he is likely to raise his political status and go for a bigger seat in 2012.

Kenya: Kisumu Town Clerk joints the race for Migori County governor position

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Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The contest for the powerful position of Migori County governor is expected to be the toughest and most competitive come the next year polls time considering the number of high profile individual personalities involved.

The Kisumu City Town Clerk Christopher Odhiambo Rusana is the latest entry into he already crowded filed of contestants.

The 42 year-old graduate of the Nairobi University has the wealth of experience dating back to 1996 when he joined the Migori County Council a fresh from the University. He has since served as the Town Clerk in Mbita, Rongo, Kehancha and Kisumu.

Those close t him says Rusana is a no nonsense administrator par excellence and this could be an added value to his quest to be the governor of Migori under the new constitutional dispensation.

Born in Suna West Location, Suba West division of Migori district Rusana told this writer during an impromptu interview in Kisumu City that managing the County will not be an easy job as other might think. It will involve a lot of administrative skills, mobilization of the resource and revenue to supplement the 15 per cent expected as grant from the central, government.

The job will tough, challenging and will therefore require a lot of leadership skill, taking into account that Migori County residents are people of multiethnic society involving he majority Luos followed by Kuria,Suba an the minority groups like the Kisii, Luhya, and Somalis. All these must have their interests taken into account.

The Town Clerk will battle it out with he big names and political and academic luminaries such as Prof.Edward Akong’o Oyugi, Sam Onyango,a head of an auditing firm in Nairobi,Joseph Owiso Ojele, the proprietor of a private Hospital called Ojele Hospital Migori and Chacha Ogwe a former Provincial director of Education {PDE} Nairobi who is also a member of the board of director of the Awendo-based SONYSUGAR company.

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photo of Mr. Christopher Odhiambo Rusana, the Kisumu Town Clerk who has announced that he will be vying ft eh Migori County governor

Kenya: Orwa Ojode to battle for Homa-Bay Senate seat with Otino Kajwang’ in what could be billed as the battle of the Titans

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Reports Leo Odera Omolo.

The Orange Democratic Movement is likely to be in for big trouble comes the year 2012 should the party sticks to its usual tendency of nominating only individual candidates chosen and favored by its leadership.

A team of independent minded politicians operating within the County of Homa-Bay has vowed to ignore the ODM and defiantly have individual aspirants with high marks of credibility nominated to contest the various elective posts.

It was also learnt that the man who is favored by the Prime Minister Raila Odinga to clinch the coveted post of Homa-Bay County senate seat, the Immigration and Registration of Persons Minister Gerald Otino Kajwang’will face it off with the abrasive Internal Security Assistant Minister Joshua Orwa Ojode.

Kajwang’ is the incumbent MP for Mbita while Ojode represented Ndhiwa in the current Parliament.

Both men have been in Parliament ever since 1992 first multiparty elections. However, their performance varied with Ojode having very attractive track record of having achieved massive development for his constituents, while Kajwang’s record is not very attractive.

In the same context the former Kenya’s Ambassador to India and later High Commissioner to Namibia Lazarous Ombaye Amayo is tipped to clinch the lucrative position of the Homa-Bay County governor, while a Nairobi businessman Sammy Wakiaga is tipped to win the Deputy Governor.

Both Amayo and Wakiaga have yet to confirm their participation i the contest for elective political positions.The two are still serving the government i senior posts.

Amayo who is the youngest brother of the late David Okiki Amayo at one time served briefly as the MP for Karachuonyo under the KANU regime f the retired President Daniel Arap Moi following the untimely death of his brother and had proved to be a level minded politician and one of the most eloquent politician in public address in Dho-Luo.

If Amayo is still serving the government in senior capacity at the Foreign Ministry stands, his candidature would complicate matter for the populist former Country Director of Marie Stoppie Clinics Cyprian Otieno Awiti.

Both men hail from Karachuonyo constituency in Rachuonyo North district, where another credible aspirant in the name of Prof.Joseph Akeyo has already launched a very elaborate campaign for the same position in earnest.

Other leading personalities already in the race for the governorship include an executive with Microsoft Africa Dr.Mark Matunga, former Rangwe MP Eng.Phillip Okundi and the incumbent Rangwe MP Martin Otieno Ogindo.

In the new set up under the new constitutional dispensation Homa-Bay County is to cover the largest geographical areas involving seven parliamentary constituencies, five existing ones stretching from Kasipul-Kabondo and covering ,Karachuonyo, Rangwe, Ndhiwa,Gwassi and Ndhiwa and two additional seats which includes the newly created constituencies of Kabondo and Homa-Bay town and its environs.

The new group is reported to have vowed to contest the various seats whether with the ODM tickets or without. Those who have fallen out with the Prime Minister Raila Odinga who is the party leader have vowed to solder on even as independent candidate of the ODM nomination system will be seen to favor certain individuals.

The battle for the County Senate seat between Otieno Kajwang’ and Orwa Ojode however, is expected to be most interesting. Both men are seasoned politicians with the wealth of experience, though Kajwang’ will be leaving his Mbita constituents with very little and poor record of development and if not with zero blessing from the minority Suba community, which forms majority of the electorate in the constituency.

And yet, e Ojode still command the vote and populous Ndhiwa constituency where his development track record is the role model of the entire Luo-Nyanza.

Prior to the likely, but still unconfirmed entry of Lazarous Ombaye Amayo into the race for governor, two contenders were on the lead. These are Eng.Phillip Okundi and Cyprian Otieno Awiti, but this position is likely to change drastically, taking into account that Amayo,Awiti and Prof. Akeyo all hails from the vote-rich North Rachuonyo district.

The new alliance is said to have proposed to support still yet to be named prominent woman leaders as the Senate women representative to strike the gender balance. The rumor making the round says the women Senate representative position could go to the highly respected former Nyanza Provincial Director of Education {PDE} Mrs Roselyn Onyuka who retired recently as a TSC member.

Onyuka wh was born in Mbita, but married to her husband in Rachuonyo South is the darling of many people following her clean and very attractive and clean track records of service to the people, while the rumored candidature of Lazarous Amayo for the governorship has already caused great panicking among the other aspirant for the same position.

Amayo could not be reached immediately to confirm or deny the report linking him to the planned governorship. But Ojode confirmed that he would be vying for the Homa-Bay Senate seat insisting that he would stand whether the with the ODM ticket or without.

What is looked certain is the fact that the day when the Prime Minister Raila Odinga and his political surrogates would come and point out the character of people or persons they are favoring for certain elective seats inside Luo-Nyanza are long gone. This time around it would be the people to do the job of voting in any person of their choice.

It is also evidently clear that those aspirants who have already hit the ground while campaigning to capture various seats while purporting that they are the favorite of Raila Odinga will have it rough.

One politician in Homa-Bay who requested for his anonymity made the following remarks.”If Raila is serious in his presidential bid, we shall all vote for him, but on strict condition that he steered clear. He should give the breathing democratic space so that we could elect people of our own choice to the various positions in the County governance, parliament and the Senate,”

This tough stance taken by a number of politicians in the region follows the recent events whereby Raila Odinga was viewed as having launched indirect campaign in favor of the nominated MP Milie Odhiambo to clinch the Mbita Parliamentary seat in the next general election a opposed by the majority of the area residents.

Both Raila and his wife Ida Odinga while addressing the mammoth crowd of mourners in Rusinga Island during the tearful sending off the late Michael George Okeyo, former Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN spoke openly in favor of the nominated MP.

The Odingas had also spoken in favor of one aspirant vying for the newly created seat in Kabondo Herbert Ojwang’ during the burial of the latter’s father the former educationist Mzee Samson Ojwang’who was buried in Kakangutu East location, Rachuonyo South district three months ago.

In 2007 general elections, half a dozen of aspirants who had identified themselves as Raila Odinga’s political surrogates in Luo-Nyanza were defiantly voted out in several constituencies. They included Paddy Ahenda {Kasipul-Kabondo} who was beaten hands down by the youthful Joseph Oyugi Magwanga, Dr.Paul Adhu Awiti {Karachuonyo} who was defeated by Eng.James Rege, Peter Odoyo {Nyakach who succumbed to defeat by Polins Ocheng’ Daimas, George Ochillo-Ayacko {Rongo} who lost to Dalmas Otieno, Eng Phillip Okundi {Rangwe} who was handed down defeat by Martin Otieno Ogindo., and Charles Oyugi Owino {Jalikowa} who lost to John Pesa.

Those who won their seat on their own credibility and popularities have since proved themselves to be the best parliamentarians in the August House and hard working genuine representative of the people and even the staunchest supporter of the ODM inside and outside the August House.

Two other MPs from the region who won their seat o their own credibility and personalities include the abrasive Nyatike MP Edick Omondi Anyang and the youthful and technocrat Gwassi MP John Mbadi.

The likely political scenario is the expected political rebellion against those who will be fronted by Raila and his surrogates in the next polls. Watchers of the Odingas politics in the greater Southern Nyanza maintain that his brief sojourn in the office of the Prime Minister did not benefit the electorate in the region because all the important government appointments that came his way as one of the two principals I the coalition went o exclusively to his close relatives and friends.

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Category Archives: HEADLINES

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Kenya & ICC: Former Mungiki leader spilt the beans and disclosed that he had been threatened by a senior politician linked to ICC suspects

Kenya: Cane poaching war has intensified between the two sugar millers in Awendo area in Migori County

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Kenya: Rowdy parliamentary aspirant thrown out of meeting after fist exchange with an MP in Lower Kericho

EAC: The anti-islamist militia war in Somalia and Khartoum’s application for joining the Eac are expected to be top of the agenda of the Summit next week

KENYA: RESIDENTS OF SIGOWET WANT RAILA ODINGA TO VISIT THE REGION AND REHABILITATE THE MULTIMILLION SHILLING LEVEL FOUR SUB-DISTRICT HOSPITAL NOW ABANDONED AND NEGLECTED.

Kenya: new system of graft by politicians acting as salesbrokers and middlemen at Awendo SONYSUGAR company reported

Kenya: Government ordered death trap disused gold mine pits in Migori/Nyatie closed down

Kenya: Sonko denies links with bomb squad

Kenya: Kisumu Town Clerk joints the race for Migori County governor position

Kenya: Orwa Ojode to battle for Homa-Bay Senate seat with Otino Kajwang’ in what could be billed as the battle of the Titans