Category Archives: Kenya

PRESIDENT UHURU HAS POWER TO DICTATE WHAT HE WISHES

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2014

Joshua from Nairobi writes: “Fr Beste you said categorically in one of your recent articles that President Uhuru will have to pay Anglo Leasing whether Kenyans like it or not, and it has just come true. Kenyans cry is just like the cry of frogs which cannot prevent cows from drinking water in a river.

Now he is saying that he is taking the issue back to anti-corruption team to start a fresh investigation and people responsible will be charged. Do you think Uhuru does not know people responsible of the scam surely?”

Absolutely, President Uhuru knows people responsible Joshua. You have rightly put it, telling him not to pay is just like telling cows not to drink water from the river because of the noise of frogs. Joshua, president is a president and can dictate anything. Furthermore, which court will you take him?

On 20 September 2006, the former Minister for Justice and Constitutional Affairs Ms Martha Karua released what she termed as the Anglo Leasing list of shame. President Kibaki could not act on the list because it included names of two ministers and close ally in his Narc government.

President Kiaki could also not act on the list because they included eight former ministers both in former President Moi’s government (Kanu) and his government. Prominent and untouchable people mentioned in the list included Vice-President and Minister for Home Affairs Moddy Awori and Minister for Roads Simeon Nyachae.

The former ministers in the Kanu government mentioned were Musila Mudavadi, William Ruto, who is currently the Deputy President, Chris Okem, Julius Sunkuli, Chris Obure and William ole Ntimama. Those in the Narc government were David Mwiraria and Dr. Chris Murungaru.

The permanent secretaries mentioned in the list included Sylvester Mwaliko, Sammy Kyungu, David Mwangi, Joseph Magari, Ali Korane, Margaret Chmengich, Zakayo Cheruiyot, Mwaghazi Mwachofi, Simeon Lesirma, Moses Obudo and S. K. Bondotich (financial secretary).

Anglo Leasing corruption scandal involves a total of 20 shady government contracts. Anglo leasing scam began during Moi’s era and continued during Kibaki’s rule. Ministers named in the scandal exonerate themselves claiming that they were not guilty because they did not sign the contracts.

Even though under the legal perspective, the issue of guilt is a matter of interpretation by the court, Kibaki could not order the arrest of the ministers named to be proven guilty or not guilty as required by law.

That is why the threats by opposition coalition Cord that they plan to name the Kenyans behind the Anglo Leasing companies and who stand to benefit from the Sh1.4 billion that Uhuru has paid out is absolutely a waste of time.

According to Cord, four powerful businessmen are among the key figures involved. Some were major donors to the Jubilee campaign. Businessman Deepak Kamani, who still lives in Nairobi, was one architect of Anglo Leasing but has publicly boasted that he is untouchable because of his high level contacts. President Kibaki could not touch him either.

Although Aruna Pereira, a Sri Lankan businessman, is mentioned to be behind First Mercantile, he cannot be touched because he is working closely with another Kenyan businessman linked to Ruto’s party, URP. Cord had planned to table the list of names in the National Assembly on Wednesday afternoon until government withdrew its motion asking MPs to approve the controversial payments.

On Wednesday many Jubilee MPs walked out on Treasury Secretary Henry Rotich after he failed to name the beneficiaries of the payments. Jubilee MPs, mainly from the Mount Kenya wing rather than the Rift Valley wing, were in open rebellion because they feared that they could become unelectable if they approve payments to Anglo-Leasing.

Uhuru Kenyatta himself is fully aware of the deal since he chaired the Public Accounts Committee in 2005 that recommended that all payments to Anglo-Leasing should be cancelled or suspended. This could be one of the reasons why the MPs feared that Cord could exploit this apparent hypocrisy to destroy Jubilee and TNA.

Cord claimed they had obtained the names of the Kenyans behind Anglo Leasing and I would name and shame them when the report was tabled again. To avoid this happen Jubilee MPs were to discard debate in parliament.

According to Cord, the beneficiaries of these millions are here in Kenya but they are using foreign figureheads to push for these payments. It means that it is another way of corruption and not what Rotich told the National Assembly that British and Swiss courts have ordered the government to pay Sh1.6 billion to First Mercantile Securities which agreed to forego Sh204m, in interest, making a final amount payable of Sh1.4 billion.

Although Cord MPs have vowed to shoot down any attempts to pay the Swiss company, as I have said present is above the law and can dictate what he wishes is right according to him. That is why, whether to pay Anglo-Leasing is to reward impunity it did not matter to him.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

THE POLICE SHOULD HAVE RECORDED DR.OBURU OGINGA STATAMENT

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo.

FOR snubbing Dr. Oburu Oginga and sending him away without recording his statement on a highly sensitive assassination claim and referring to a relatively smaller police station at his Bondo home turf is a clear indication that our policemen e insensitive and not trustworthy.

Oginga had voluntarily volunteered to shade light on his most disturbing allegation touching on the safety and security of his younger brother and should have been given a hearing at the CID headquarters.

There is the need for good citizens to develop rapport and cordial working relations with the security personnel in this country as one way of stamping out the up surge in crimes

Reacting over the issue, the leader of the majority in the Migori County Assembly Johnson Omolo Owiro said the police in Nairobi should have acted with speed and immediately launch thorough investigation with the view to unearth the claim. Any claim touching on the life of a Kenyan citizen should be treated as a serious matter.

The Oburu Oginga allegation area aggravated by the fact that it also touch on several heads of states of the East African Community who met in the Kenyan capital two weeks ago to deliberate on the Inter-governmental Agency for Development {IGAD} on far reaching development policy affecting the EAC member states.

Those politicians and other busybodies who attacked Dr Oburu Oginga for having expressed his fears on the safety of his highly treasured brother erroneously played petty politics on otherwise a very serious issues.

Taking into account the old age saying that “Blood is Thicker than Water” the police were insensitive and erroneously played petty politics on otherwise a very serious issues.

Taking into account the old age saying that “Blood is thicker than Water’, those criticizing Dr Oburu ought to have known that there was no way the MP could have controlled himself and kept quiet after being told that the life of his younger brother was in danger, and that some prominent politician in the region had hatched a heinous plot to eliminate Raila Odinga. “Instead of vilifying the MP they should have shown him some amount of sympathy and pressurized the forces of the law reinforcement in this country to speed up the investigation about this sensitive matter, “said Owiro.

The MCA reminded Dr Oginga’s critics to remember that all the past political assassinations in this country had some elements of rumor before the perpetrators of the heinous plot executed their plans. The information about the impending plans and plots hatched to eliminate a senior, Kenyan politician had become common and reached the public domain.

Owiro who represented Central Sakwa ward in Migori County assembly praised Dr Oburu for being straightforward by voluntarily visiting the CID headquarters to record a statement, and the police in turn should have a courtesy of treating him fairly. This is what is required of a good citizen.

The police should have given the MP a hearing so that he could give his version of the matter and cleared the air. The air in this country is currently with thick cloud of rumor, taking into that Raila has a largest constituency and huge following in many parts of Kenya therefore any rumor and speculations touching on his life touched the hearts of many.

MCA Owiro reaffirmed that Migori County is the ODM stronghold and warned those involved in political tourism in the area to desist fro m doing son. He cited the leader of the PDP Omingo Magara, who is the former South Mugirango MP who recently visited the area and declared that Migori was a PDP stronghold under the false assumption that because the County governor \Zachary Okoth Obado was elected on the party ticket during the Mar4,2013 elections. He added that Obado was an ODM member ans still a member of our party.He on ly contested on PDP ticket after the much flawed ODM nomination system which had sent many other members packing and looking for green pasture in other parties.

He advised Omingo Magara not to export his PDP politics into MIGORI. He should prove his claims by producing the register containing the names of members of his party in the region failure which he should shut up his big mouth and steer off Migori

Ends

KENYA: KISUMU COUNTY GOVERNMENT CONCERNED ABOUT INSECURITY IN THE REGION.

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu CITY.

MEMBERS of the Kisumu County Assembly carried a heated debate earlier this week about the upsurge insecurity in the region.

They were debating on the report compiled and tabled by a special committee on security. The report mapped out ten security hotspots within the county.

The ten areas described as the most dangerous hotspot where the insecurity is so rampant. These areas included Sondu, Kondele, Aqasi, Ahero, Manyatta, Nyalenda,,Pandpieri,Otonglo,Milimani, KACHO junction, KIbuye and the Central Business district {CBD] and suggested that close Circuit television cameras be installed as well as street lights.

The report revealed that rape and sexual attacks are also rampant within Kisumu County,However, the report fell short of mentioning the rampant unemployment which is the major contributing factor to the state of insecurity in the region and how it could be solved.

The MCAs report also failed to mention the filthiness with which Kisumu is currently grappling with. In many part of the lakeside city refuse collection is something of the past. Heaps of waste papers and refuse littered all over the city centre in some places giving out stinking while discharging bad.odour.

The report failed to mention that ever since the County government took over the administration of Kisumu City from the former Municipal Council, the refuse collection, regular outbursts of sewerage lines, some of them at times passes through the residential estates are so common.

At the main bus terminal stinking refuse are littered everywhere.

As for security, there are several places within the City centre which have since been classified by the residents as no go areas

Despite the thorough checks at the three major gates leading into, the Tusky Mall, These checks are only good in preventing terrorists m but not the bands of pick-pockets and muggers targeting those leaving the Mall through the Tuk Tuk gate. one gate which is close to the Simba Club and overlooking the main Kondele road has become the most dangerous spot. Bands of youths masquerading as touts for the Tuk uk taxis, which are parked outside that particular gate and the motorbikes boda boda taxis parked at this particular gate fleeces the pockets of customers leaving the facility.

Those MCAs who contributed on the report of th county’s special Committee also raised the issue of the alarming increases in the incident of cattle rustling along the Kisumu Nandi County and Kisumu Kericho County. The Kisumu MCAs would arrange for the joint meeting to harmonize relations with the neighboring Counties and workout the modalities on how to stamp out the menace f cattle rustling in the region. with their Nandi and Kericho counterparts.

During the debate on the security report, Nyalenda Ward representative James Were said his ward ought to have been included in the report because thiis in areas where nine people have been stabbed and wounded within the last one week. Were further alleged that some of the village elders in his ward are colluding with criminal elements. These elders are the same people who are known to be alerting the thugs about the impending raids by the police giving them room to escape police dragnet

Another MCA cited the traffic snarl on Kondele road during busy hours as something which is contributing to day .

Another MCA attributed the insecurity in Muhoroni sub-County as caused by the landless squatters and pleaded with the County government to ensure there are no landless people anywhere in the region.

The report further revealed the rampant cases of rape and sexual attacks. She urgent the MCAs to ensure that the Sexual offence Act is reinforced to the letter within the county in order to reduce the menace.

Ape cases in the recent past have gone bringing to question the effectiveness of the gender k report desk at kisumu police Station ad at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital.

The report did not mention anything to do with the alleged existence in Kisumu if a hit squad, the gun men who have recenttly imposed dawn to dusk curfew on Kisumu City residents. The gun totting hit squad gangs is frequenting bar and restaurants and all popular eating houses. They are involved in carjacking and even in some cases have shot the motorists to death. Stolen motor vehicles are hardly recovered, and nearly all the public joins in the town have had a visit by the gun totting hit squad.

ENDS

KENYA: INSIDE STORY OF ANGLO LEASING

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2014

Brian from Vihiga, Kenya writes: Dear Fr Omolo, thank you for your inspiring and informative articles, especially your homilies which I like reading very much. It is good you send them on Saturdays so I go to Church well informed.

My problem Father is with Anglo Leasing scandals. Honestly I don’t understand it. Can you give me its background and if possible people who were implicated. I heard Waweru Mburu of Citizen Radio with his yalio tendeka program saying even President Uhuru knows about it very well, Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Francis Muthaura and many others currently in this government.

Surely Father, if they know it is a scandal why do they push for illegal payment? Don’t you think as Waweru Mburu fearlessly says that this is just another way of stealing money from taxpayers? Mburu says these cartels are in Uk to be paid money, only to share it back to individual and powerful Kenyans in this government. Surely let us pray for Kenya.”

I can understand your sentiments Brian. This is the concern of Kenyans that this money must not be paid because it will add burden on them. The scandal is alleged to have started when the Kenyan government wanted to replace its passport printing system, in the year 1997, but came to light after revelation by Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics John Githongo on January 22, 2006 when he named Vice-President Moody Awori as one of four top politicians in Kibaki government involved in the scandals.

Others he named were Kiraitu Murungi, Energy Minister; Finance Minister David Mwiraria and Chris Murungaru as being involved in scams worth $600m – known as the Anglo Leasing scandal. He also claimed that President Kibaki was complicit in the affair.

Githongo claimed that the money raised would have funded the government’s forthcoming election campaign which was due in December 2007. Although these allegations were denied by Awori and Murungaru, the promise by Kibaki government that they would investigate the matter was never done.

This was an indication that actually Githongo was right to say that the money was meant to rig 2007 general elections in Kibaki’s favor. It was alleged that part of this money was used to mobilize, coordinate, finance and provide logistical support for the Mungiki during the Post Election Violence (PEV).

The key preparatory meetings include those held in Nairobi on or about 30 December 2007 (at the State House), on or about 3 January 2008 (at the Nairobi Club) and in early, mid and late January 2008. It was also alleged that there preparatory meetings in Central Province on or about 31 December 2007, in Nakuru in early to mid January 2008 and in Naivasha in late January 2008. Francis Muthaura’s name features because it was alleged that he was the chief organizer.

It was alleged that the attacks entailed a high level of coordination between different Mungiki groups as well as between local and non-resident Mungiki members and pro-PNU youth. The attacks involved the distribution of weapons to direct perpetrators; transportation of foreign Mungiki and pro-PNU youth from Central Province and Nairobi to the Rift Valley; identification of perceived ODM supporters by local pro-PNU youth; and perpetration of acts of violence by groups of attackers moving together.

Since the electoral system in Kenya is based on constituencies whose boundaries are congruent with the boundaries of tribal areas, is one of the reasons why a lot of money is needed towards general elections. Former President Moi used to do exactly that.

Moi exploited the Kenyan diversity and politicised ethnicity to levels where he could instigate clashes in districts and provinces with mixed groups, a practice he perfected in the 90’s in order to discredit the onset of multiparty democracy in Kenya.

Politically motivated ethnic clashes were used to disrupt and displace populations and groups that supported the opposition (mainly the Kikuyu in Rift Valley, Luo in the slums of Nairobi and Mombasa). He also used divide and rule tactics, pitting on group against another and at times bought politician through patronage in order to have more support in parliament. These tactics ensured that that the opposition lost the elections of 1992 and 1997.

Such tacticts was also seen in 2005 when people’s disgust with Kibaki’s regime was expressed at the 2005 referendum in which the Wako Draft (a diluted version of the Boma’s draft, which was a constitutional product of a people led process) was defeated. Seven provinces made up of diverse ethnic groups voted for “NO” while the Yes vote was only represented by central province. It could explain why, even though John Githongo told President Mwai Kibaki about the corruption that involved Anglo Leasing, but the president failed to act.

Githongo said he made the tape secretly during a meeting with Kiraitu Murungi, who was Kenya’s justice minister at the time of the meeting. Kiraitu was later removed from Justice Ministry to Energy Minister.

On the tape heard by the BBC, the minister was heard telling Githongo that the loan was owed to a businessman with links to powerful politicians and that if he went slowly on his investigation the businessman would also go slow. These powerful politicians form part of cartels of corruption in Kenya.

Mr Githongo says government money was being paid to companies that did not exist or to others which were massively overpricing their contracts. He believed the finance was being given to business figures close to the government, who were then re-directing some of it back to the ruling elite for political campaigning.

These individual but powerful Kenyans used Deepak Kamani to achieve this goal-Deepak Kamani is the son of Chamanlal Kamani and brother to Rashmi Chamanlal Kamani and Sudha Ruperell. Deepak Kamani is involved in the Kamani family businesses of Kenya, including the flagship company Kamsons.

In 2006, he and his brother Rashmi had a bounty of Sh100, 000 placed on their heads by the anti-corruption detectives. They were wanted for questioning about the Anglo Leasing. After being captured, he was released, without further problems. He later filed a lawsuit against Star newspaper for character assassination for running a story that he owned Sh 3.8 billion to the Kenyan taxpayers. This tells a lot of type of the government Kenya has.

Since David Mwiraria was accused of warning off investigations into Anglo Leasing, it can explain clearly why Deepak Kamani and his brother Rashmi were captured but later released without further problems.

Again, since the multimillion dollar “Anglo Leasing” corruption scam involved contracts for a company that existed in name only, is a reason to conclude that Mr Mwiraria, who was one of President Mwai Kibaki’s key allies, warned the Anglo Leasing deals could not be investigated.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com

Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

KENYA: WHY PRESIDENT UHURU WON’T ALLOW KARANGI JAILED

Leave a reply

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2014

Robert from Nairobi writes: “Fr Beste, what is your opinion, do you think President Uhuru can allow Chief of Defence Forces Julius Karangi be committed to civil jail after reportedly ignoring a court order directing release of 27 former soldiers on bond?

I am asking this because Karangi was due to retire after serving a one-year extension to his contract given by then President Mwai Kibaki so that the transition in the military would not coincide with the General Election. President Uhuru Kenyatta also chose to keep him for 12 more months – perhaps to buy time as he assessed who among the ranking generals to promote.

After buying time elapsed, President Kenyatta quietly extended the contract by a year, due to end next year. My worry Fr Beste is who will succeed Karangi when he retires next year? Who is legible to succeed him? Could it be another Karangi in making? Thank you”.

Thank you for seeking my opinion Robert. With impunity in Kenya, I don’t see President Uhuru allowing Karangi jailed. Remember Robert, the Chief of Defence Forces (CDF) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Kenya Defence forces and the principal military adviser to the President of the Republic of Kenya and the National Security Council.

As such, Uhuru like any other president must retain chief of defence forces, not only because he comes from his ethnic community, but also because he close to him, and indeed a friend. In Kenya you are forced to go tribal. I am sure even if Raila were to be the president he would be forced to assign this duty to the man from his ethnic community and close ally.

The rank of CDF is very important because it outranks all respective heads of each service branch and has operational command authority over the service branches. He leads the meetings and coordinates the efforts of the Service Commander, comprising the CDF, the Commander of the Kenya Army, Kenya Air Force, Kenya Nevy and the Commandant of Military Intelligence.

That is explains why President Kibaki forced to extend Kianga’s term for two-and-a-half years despite the fact that the terms of service for the CGS provide for only four years. Karangi heads the board that sit to appoint, promote, and post senior officers from the rank of major to lieutenant-general.

Your second question as to who can succeed Karangi is a bit tricky. Those who could succeed Karangi include Lt-Gen Samson Mwathethe, the Army Commander, Lt-Gen Joseph Kasaon and Lt-Gen Jackson Waweru who heads the National Defence College, Kenya Air Force Commander, Maj-Gen Joff Otieno and Kenya Navy Commander Maj-Gen Ngewa Mukala. They cannot succeed Karangi because they are two ranks below the top position to succeed him.

Succeeding Karangi can only be possible if President Uhuru can do reshuffle in the military as soon as possible. Uhuru is probably following the footsteps of his predecessors, Mr Kibaki and Mr Daniel arap Moi, who did not always make changes when time was due.

The appointment of key military officers is an elaborate process which begins from the lower ranks all the way to the National Defence Council, which advises the President on the top appointments. The National Defence Council is normally chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Defence, Ms Raychelle Omamo.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

[The Future] Wait a Minute

Leave a reply

From: Emmanuel Dennis

Wait a Minute!!
This week has been a dramatic one when it comes to the performance of our legislators and Leaders at large.

It is the week we saw a not so useful discussion on the Order of Precedence Bill 2014. This Bill will soon become an Act of Parliament to provide for the order of precedence for officials, leaders depending on their standing in society based on Hierarchy. Starting from the President all the way to Constitutional Commissioners and Citizens at large. What it basically does is set the standards of how leaders will be called and what order will be followed when they are addressing gatherings of functions.

This is what Members of parliament are thinning is a priority bill in the wake of so many ills happening in society today. You may also remember that there was a heated debate on whether Governors should be called Exellencies and the fact that they should fly flags on their Vehicles. Again, our members of Parliament find this as a very important matter in the wake of very crucial ills happening to Kenya today.

In my upbringing and also based on the African Context, we are expected to treat each other with respect. The younger members of society are supposed to obey the older members of society. It begs no question the wiser and the more responsibilities one has been able to achieve in Society, they are accorded the mutual respect they deserve irrespective of their standing in society.

When members of parliament decide to put themselves higher on the hierarchy of order ahead of Governors, I find that as a self seeking and selfish Bill that the public needs to condemn.

This week we saw the number of people who died for consuming poison laced alcoholic brew in Central Kenya. The Government through the Ministry of Interior moved with speed and interdicted/sacked the Chiefs, County Commissioners and all administrators in the regions affected. I remember sometimes back, the President gave stern warnings to Chiefs and Administrators of the Illegal Alcohol prone regions to ensure they strictly Maintain Law and Order and report to him on the reduction of the consumption of the lethal brews. But as this happens, how come the Cabinet Secretary in the Ministry of Health hasn’t taken responsibility?

We all know too well that so many Kenyans due to unemployment and many other social problems have turned to alcohol as the only solace and hope for their livelihoods. I thought instead of our Legislators, Members of Parliament discussing stupid Laws that will not add value to the livelihoods of the citizens, should be discussing on how
1. Making sure the livelihoods of Kenyans are improved and protected.
2. Improving the Economy from the surging wage bill
3. Improving Health Care, Education, Infrastructure, Food Security and all other very pertinent issues that need fixing.

Why did we elect our Leaders again?

—
………
Emmanuel Dennis Ngongo

—
Posted By ED to The Future at 5/08/2014 11:15:00 PM

—
—
We are calling on all the Youth to get engaged in County Governance. Please visit and Like our Facebook Page at www.facebook.com/NYSAKenya
Thanks for Supporting the National Youth Sector Alliance
—
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups “NYSA” group.
To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to nysa1+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.From: Emmanuel Dennis

FIRING CHIEFS WON’T END ILLICIT BREWS IN KENYA

2 Replies

From: joachim omolo ouko
News Dispatch with Father Omolo Beste
THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014

Maurine from Sagana, Kenya writes: “Fr Beste thank you for your moving article on illicit brews that continue to kill many Kenyans. Now I am just wondering, do you think the move by Embu County Commissioner Amos Gathecha to fire Embu Municipality Chief Titus Mugambi and his assistant Catherine Wanja during a visit to Shauri Yako slums where the illicit brew was being sold is going to solve the problem of illicit brews in Kenya?”

Thank you for this important question Maurine. The problem with illicit brews is not with the chiefs, so firing them won’t help anything. Early this Kirinyaga county government set aside Sh1.5 million to combat the consumption of illicit brews in the area, since then nothing has improved.

County Commissioner Joseph Keter said the security team would spend the money to map out illicit brew dens and crackdown on brewers and consumers. He declared a major operation to weed out illicit brewing and consumption dens which he said had retarded development in the county.

He said the operation would be intensive and thorough. The operation was to target more than 300 brewers who he described as “notorious” in brewing and selling illicit alcohol in the area. He said illicit brews are selling like hot cake in the area because sellers collude with chiefs and their assistants.

There are several reasons why Kenyans drink illicit and deadly brews. The major one is to do with grave dangers of unemployment in the country, leading to higher poverty levels. Some Kenyans desperately look for cheap source of livelihood including brewing and consumption of the deadly liquor.

Economic conditions and the increasing sense of hopelessness is making people take recourse to cheap brews. Sellers of brews take opportunity of this condition to make money and they can do whatever they can to make their business go on. That is why they are able to bribe government agency that looks after the food and drink beverages.

The story by Meja Mwangi, Kill Me Quick gives an overview how unemployment in Kenya is a crisis. The story depicts two young boys who move to the city after obtaining their secondary school diplomas. They hope to find jobs in order to support their families back home.

Initially unsuccessful, the pair live in dumpsters, eating rotten fruit and stale cakes, unable to return home as failures. Eventually, they obtain jobs at a farm working for a very rich family. Mania causes problems in the house while blaming Meja, who suffers the consequences.

Meja is put on half rations, moved from job to job, and then has his rations almost completely revoked. After Mania’s biggest episode, the pair loses their jobs. Mania and Meja split after Mania steals from a store and gets Meja in trouble.

Meja flees home only to return to the city and work in a coal mine. Mania joins a gang in “shanty land,” lead by a boy named Razor who claims they went to school together. Here, Mania attempts to run a scheme selling milk to clients in the area, which he has stolen from the rich neighborhood. Eventually, he is caught. The pair meets up again in prison, but soon go their separate ways. Meja continues to go in and out of prison, and Mania ends up on trial for murder.

Women are depicted as objects for sexual pleasure, or as Nici Nelson puts it, only there as “screws for the main characters. This is because of unemployment and poverty. Sara, Razor’s girlfriend, is there for the sole purpose of allowing him to obtain pleasure in front of his gang. Mania’s girlfriend Dehliah is mentioned briefly, and she works as a “barmaid,” also known as a prostitute.

Against the background that Kitengela town is reeling from the shock of a man alleged to have been teaching children to perform various sexual acts for pornography industries. He teaches children sexual acts, including oral and anal sex for little pay, which I believe they take home to their parents for their survivals.

That is also why, even after the Teachers’ Service Commission dismissed 600 teachers over allegations of sexual abuse in our primary and secondary schools, pupils still engage in sex, getting pregnant every term.

In Nyanza where poverty is said to be a major problem, cases of sexual abuse have been on the rise, with 15 cases been reported in Migori, Rongo, Rachuonyo, Kuria and Nyatike districts. These areas due to poverty men target pupils for sex, luring them with as little as Ksh 20 to buy mandazi (pan cake). These children are hungry.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail obolobeste@gmail.com
Omolo_ouko@outlook.com
Facebook-omolo beste
Twitter-@8000accomole

KENYA: LET THE GOVERNORS BE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT

Leave a reply

THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT IS NECESSARY TO HAVE THE COUNTY GOVERNORS BE APPOINTED BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA.

Commentary by Leo Odera Omolo.

For the devolution government to succeed, the Jubilee government should use its majority numbers in parliament and introduce a comprehensive constitutional amendment that would make the County governors become the appointee of the President

The present system in which governors of the Counties are placed under the whims of the MCAs is unworkable.

The County governors are the m0ost frustrated lots. The MCAs cannot allow them to discharge their constitutionally mandated duties and responsibilities unless the governors succumb to their whims and vested interests.

The move to impeach the Kericho governor is vehemently opposed by the electorate, while local politicians are pointing their finger at a senior politician in the region who its being all said to be holding night meetings with MCAs inciting them to start the impeachment process against the governor. Once the Kericho MCAs are through with Prof. Chepkwony similar motion will be sponsored against the outspoken Bomet governor Isack Rutoin the same fashion.

THe case in point is the last week’s motion moved by the majority leader in the Kericho county Assembly that call for the impeachment of the hard-working Kericho governor Prof. Paul Chepkwony. The reasons advanced for this action are the most trivial. The MCAs threat to the governor has provoked harsh comments from senior politicians in the region.

A Kericho veteran politician William Kipkemoi Kettienya has come out and blasted the MCA telling them not to make things difficult for the governor. He said the move has no blessing of the electorate in the region.

According to his definition of the present devolution system, Senators are In lane one, followed by MPs in lane two while the MCAs are in third lane. As such let every one stick to his constitutional mandate. If a senior politician in Kericho want the governor out, such a move could not destabilize the county governance alone, but cold as well destabilize the \central government, therefore the Kericho MCAs must leave the governor alone.

Kettienya was reacting on rumors and speculation that an agent of a senior Kericho politician has been receiving money via a local bank in town which he is dishing out to the MCAs abd locally based journalists for the purpose of inducing the scribes to write stories that is tarnishing the good name of Governor Chepkwony. According to an eye witness the last transaction of such money was done last weekend in one of the posh hotels in town.

There is urgent need to have the constitution changed so that the County governors should fall under one appointing authority who should by President Uhuru himself.

In the old constitution, the Provincial Commissi9ners, the Mayors of the local municipalities and chairmen of the County Councils were working in harmony.

In the present system, however, the County governors are at the mercy of the greedy MCAs, some of them allegedly demanding to be paid the devolved money meant for development projects, some want their kith and kin to be appointed in plum jobs in the Counties while other have variety of vested interests such as the demanding that their relatives and friends be given tenders in the County projects. All these are the major sources of conflict of interests and hence increased demand for impeachment f governors. The song is the same from Embu, Nandi, Kiambu ,Bomet, Meru and other places.

The devolution system can only work if the County governors are all safe in their tenure of office and given maximum protection by the Central government. It is even sad that all these are happening when the office of the Attorney General and the Ministry in charge of the Devolution are silent as the impeachment song rent the air. And th whole system goes silent as the governors are being subjected to blackmail and intimidation.

ENDS

Kenya: President Uhuru Kenyatta Speech, during the 5th Northern Corridor Integration Summit

Leave a reply

From: Sam Muigai

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. UHURU KENYATTA, C.G.H., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER IN CHIEF OF THE DEFENCE FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON 5TH NORTHERN CORRIDOR INTEGRATION SUMMIT AT SAFARI PARK HOTEL, NAIROBI ON 2ND MAY, 2014

Your Excellencies, Heads of State and Government,
Heads of Delegation Present,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Let me begin by thanking you for honouring my invitation to this important Summit. It is a pleasure for me to welcome you all to Nairobi and in particular to this Forum. We highly appreciate your presence as it bolsters our bonds. Karibuni Nairobi!

Let me also commend the Ministers and senior officials who have been meeting during the last two days, for their diligence in preparing for the Summit. We look forward to reflecting on your report, and to advancing the work you have done.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our region still faces a significant infrastructure deficit challenge:we must,therefore, continue to construct the infrastructure we need to raise our economies to the path of higher growth. In the near term, we will need to expand, upgrade and rehabilitate the transport network throughout our entire region to open wider economic opportunities for our peoples.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Since our first Summit in Entebbe last year, we have made remarkable progress in the priority areas we identified as crucial to our engagement. This builds on the longer history of the summits, which have seen a successive expansion of the scope of our cooperation – animated, as always, by our long-term aim of full integration. Allow me to mention some of our signal achievements so far.

As you know, our region remains beset by serious deficiencies in energy production. We chose to deal with that difficulty by investing in several generation and transmission projects, particularly in the production of geothermal power, in the construction of oil pipelines, in power interconnection and in the construction of an oil refinery. There is progress to report: the Memorandum on Geothermal Energy was signed in Februarythis year, while the electricity inter-connections between our countries are on track for completion by April next year.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We long ago recognised that we would need to build our people’s skills if we were to achieve our ambitions. It is, therefore, my pleasure to remind you that, at our last summit, we resolved to identify priority skills needed in the Integration Projects, through a regional skills audit for each sector. We also agreed to consider allocating funds for capacity building for various institutions across the region; the aim was to rehabilitate and upgrade their facilities.

Ladies and Gentlemen,
These measures will enliven the training programmes we must have, if we are to meet the demand for skilled men and women that will follow the expansion of our infrastructure.

I wish also to recall our resolution to cooperate in the development of our commodities exchange.To hasten the integration of Commodities Exchange in the region, we agreed to establish a Joint Technical Committee at the regional level. I look forward to hearing from our Ministers on the advances they have made in this task.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the Fourth Summit in Kampala this year, we launched the East African Tourist Visa and agreed to permit the use of each other’s identity documents for travel within the region. These two initiatives have been rolled out successfully;a real evidence of the region’s desire for deeper integration. The advent of the single tourist visa eased the travels of our visitors, and effectively turned the participating countries into a single tourist destination.

Our acceptance of ID cards for travel across our borders substantially eases our peoples’ travels, opening new opportunities for cross- border trade, as well as integration at the level that matters most – between citizens. In the same spirit, we also set out to operationalize the One-stop Border Post Concept and to budget for e-visa, e-identity card and e-border management systems. I am informed that work on these matters continues at the experts’ level.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Congestion at our ports and diverse barriers along the main transport corridors have long hindered the movement of our goods. Since our first Summit, considerable improvements in the movement of cargo along the Northern Corridor have been realised. Containers from Mombasa once took 18 days to reach Kampala; that has now been reduced to 4 days. Equally worth noting is that the journey from Mombasa to Kigali now takes six (6)days in contrast to 22 days not long ago.

But this is not all about our achievements:I note with satisfaction that multiple customs declarations for fuel have since dropped by 90%. These

are great achievements; but to sustain them, we also agreed to remove all technical and non-tariff barriers to trade. Today’s Summit should therefore aim to build on these achievements by agreeing on new measures to remove the obstacles that remain.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our achievements so far are threatened by the insecurity and terrorism that has recently caused so such concern in our region. We, the Heads of States, signed the Mutual Defence Pact and the Mutual Peace and Security Cooperation Pact during the last Summit.

These pacts expressed our common commitment to take the fight to those who prefer violence and theft instead of honest toiling to earn prosperity and freedom. Allow me now to encourage the partner states to hasten the full enactment of these agreements.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen, Let me now touch on other infrastructure programmes we are working on.

Some time ago, we set ourselves the goal of developing a standard gauge railway system byMarch 2018. For my part, I can report that work on the Mombasa-Nairobi section was launched in Novemberlast year.

Full construction is expected to begin in July this year, and the line from Mombasa to Malaba is on schedule for completion by March 2018. The LAPSSET project, which we all expect to multiply the opportunities for trade and interaction between our nations, continues to make steady progress.

We also agreed to establish seamless operations across our air space – whether in the management of our air traffic, or in the use and sharing of the information and resources held in trust by our institutions. These plans are backed by, and depend on, our commitment to partner in the development of an ICT infrastructure-related concept.

Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen, In conclusion, I wish to note that these projects and initiatives are extraordinarily ambitious. But we have no choice if we desire to fully exploit the potential of our region. We agreed to undertake those initiatives confident that we are equal to the task. It remains only to rededicate ourselves to completing what we have begun.

Thank you. God bless you all, and may He bless and lead East Africa.

CHINESE MASSIVE BUSINESS INFLUENCE IN KENYA MAY SOON COME TO AN ABRUPT END

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo

SO they came with thud winning mega construction tenders worth billions of dollars on road networks, government buildings and institutions construction while carrying brief-cases swollen with bribe cash money. However, the days of massive influence by big business people from Bringing who have dominated the construction industry in Kenya for decades is soon coming to an abrupt end.

Under the reign of the retired President Mwai Kibaki, the Chinese big business people invaded the Kenyan market

The Chinese contractors fizzled out the traditional Kenya in business partners from Western Europe, especially those from the EU nations which had dominated the construction industry ib Kenya in the pre-independence and post-independence period between 1963 and 2002,

Major construction firms like Mowlem Construction of the UK, Sterling Astaldi of Italy, Israelis solebhonen and other were swept away, as the generous Chinese big business people visited government offices in Nairobi with their hands well oiled with bribe money.

President Mwai Kibaki made several official tours and state visit of China in the company of top government officials and cabinet ministers where he signed numerous bilateral agreement on trade. These missions opened floodgate, and no sooner, the streets of Nairobi, the Kenyan capital and other urban centers were swarmed by Chinese hawkers, hawking with petty wares such as ball pens, mobile phones, radios, watches and other cheap items.

At first, the indigenous Kenyan hawkers in Nairobi streets staged a near violent protest against the Chinese hawkers,

Kenyan businessmen of African origins are up in arms against any more Chinese. The National Construction Authority, the state body that is tasked with the responsibility of regulating guidelines to check on the construction sector and to check the growing Chinese influence on the oriental’s on local construction scene last month came out with the gun blasting.

The authority’s action came as the result of numerous complaints lodged by the local African contractors that the Chinese contractors were taking the lion’s share in nearly all the big construction projects.

The authority recently issued a statement saying that the local construction companies are now edged of public infrastructure work to private virtues. The Authority said it would lobby parliament and the House Committee on delegated legislation to have rules aping the Chinese contractors participation in Kenya building industry.

It reported that both house and the team have agreed that the regulation be published after Easter Monday before being tabled by Parliament.

Among the key concerns raised in the regulation is that at least 30 per cent of the monetary value of a project should go to the locals. This will made possible through joint venture or sub contracting.

Some of the Chinese construction firms undertaking major infrastructure projects in Kenya include China Road and Bridge Corporation and China Wu Yi was to constructed to build the Kshs 4.47 billion standard gauge railway line between Kenya’s port city of Mombasa and Nairobi. But already the parliament is demanding detailed account of how this particular tender contract was dished out and has called for a probe team to be setup

China WU WAS last year named the contractors University of Nairobi’s 22 story Building Complex valued at Kshs 2.3 billion ad another Chinese company China Jiangxi International is the main contractor for the proposed tallest building in Nairobi Hazina Trade Center..

The authority regulation dictate that recruitment or employment of foreign technical or skilled workers on such contracts shall be done on occasions when skills by the foreigners are not avoidably locally..The dishing out the tenders for such project must be approved by the regulating authority. Compulsory training of lower carder construction by the NCA upgrade their standards.

All these strings now being attached to construction industry retargeting to put in check the Chinese excesses.

ENDS

KENYA: TWO SDA PASTORS WET ON THEIR TROUSERS AFTER BEING FISHED OUT OF LODGING WITH TWO MARRIED WOMEN

Leave a reply

Reports Our investigative reporter.

REPORTS reaching us say there is a total moral decay at Kendu-Bay SDA mission. This follows the rumors and speculations that two senior pastors who hold coveted and plum jobs at the oldest SDA mission in Southern Nyanza were recently fished out of a lodging with their pants down while making love to two married women. The incident, according to an impechable source occurred at Nyakoe Market, 26 miles away in Kisii district. The two senior pastors are said to have driven their vehicles all along from Gendia SDA mission, which is located near Kendu-Bay town in Karachuonyo constituency to Nyakoe Market in kitutu Chache constituency, central KISII district in Kisii county.

Apparently unaware that their enemies had set a trap and hired several boda boda motorbike riders for their hot pursuit, the senior clergymen are said to have booked themselves rooms in several lodging outlets at Nyajkoe which is about 10 kilometers to the northwest of Kisii town on the main Kisii-Oyugis road.

Same reports say that local residents of Gendia Mission and its environs have been writing letters to the Lake Conference headquarters of the SDA complaining about the immorality perpetuated by senior pastors, directors and others. But no action has been taken.

On this particular occasion, the two errand pastors were caught red-handed while in action at their usual sexual hideouts, the hired boda boda motorbike riders are reported to have patiently waited for the pastors to finish their sexual mission and escapades with the married women before they struck. In a big panick while heavily sweating the two pastors are reported to have coughed out a colossal amount of money totaling Khs 60,000 to bribe the boda boda men in order to regain their freedom.

Other reports note the decaying immorality at this, one of the oldest SDA mission in the region, which is reported to have been established by the white American missionaries way back to 1902. Of late there are reports of protracted confrontation and witch-huntw pitting pastors working at the Mission, but who hail from the neighboring locations outside Karachuonyo constituency with local priests. This witch-hunt has intensified and recently saw one pastor from the locality being summarily sacked following allegation that he had swindled and misappropriated the mission of millions of shillings.

The names of the two senior pastors caught red-handed while making love to two married women from within the villages around Gendia mission are withheld and could not be quoted for legal reasons. However, the news about the Nyakoe incident has spread within the locality like bush-fire and has become the common knowledge after reaching the public domain. One of the pastors allegedly involved in the sexual escapade when reached by phone, dismissed the reports as part of the blackmailing effort being spreading against him ad his colleague by the fired pastor who has ganged up with his kins within the locality, and now hell-bent to tarnish their names He said he suspected the disgruntled pastor as the one who had hired the boda boda to motorbike riders to follow them in the hope that once the two are dismissed from the plum mission jobs, and the new directors appointed he might stand a slim chance of being reinstated back on his job. The whole affairs at Gendia Mission is now portraying a picture of total confusion and moral decay.

The locals have also put their weight behind those accusing pastors working at the Mission as promoting immorality instead of giving the church members spiritual nourishment. Instead they are said to be involved in sexual escapade with no respect to married women.

Reached the two boda boda motorbike taxis riders confirmed how they followed the two pastors and their secret lovers for close to26 miles and caught up with them at Nytakoe Market which is located a few miles from Kisii town and while watching from a safe distance saw the pastors booking the hotel rooms. They idled themselves around the market and gave the two something like 40 minutes before they struck and surprised the two as they were just about to leave their hideout. They, however, denied that they were hired by someone to follow the pastors saying they did so on their own volition following numerous complaints about the misconduct of the two priests which has become common in the public knowledge. Within the villages around Gebduia Mission.

Ends

KENYA: THE GOVERNMENT MUST ENSURE THAT ALL FUNERAL GATHERINGS IN LUO-NYANZA ARE LICENSED BY THE POLICE

Leave a reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Migori Town.

The time is ripe for the Cabinet Secretary for the internal security to work in collaboration with the Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo to collaborate together to ensure that all funeral gatherings in Luo-Nyanza are officially licensed by the police for security reasons.

This suggestion is very valid and in time. The government should act much faster before innocent blood of the peace-loving Kenyans are spilled at such gatherings. The police should be informed in advance of the individual personalities expected to deliver eulogies.

The event of last weekend when Nyanza politicians turned funeral homes into a political platforms and forums is pointing out clearly the new political dimension now taking shape inside Luo-Nyanza. And as such the government should not wait until after bloodbath is witnessed. It should act now before it was too late.

It would be too late to consider licensing all funeral gatherings in Luo-Nyanza only after some people have already been butchered to death, The Migori incident should be an eye opener. It is believed that millions of shillings was spent in hiring drunken goons and vehicles that ferried them from distant places to the funeral home at Kakirao, while some of the thugs were sounding war-cries while praising their masters and insulting their perceived political enemies.

What happened at Kakirao village near Migori on the weekend could have resulted in bloodbath had Migori OCPD and his team not acted swiftly and with speed. in averting the bloodbath.

Political goons were ferried into the funeral home in Matatus, pick-ups and hundreds of boda boda motorbikes from as far field as from Kaler in southern Kadem near the Kenya-Tanzania borders. Some of the goons looked drunkard and heavily intoxicated menacingly threatening mourners.

Others were brought in hired vehicles from the nearby Uriri district, Rapogi trading centre, Ranen market, Awndo and Rongo towns

Hundreds of motorbike taxis arrived at the funeral home while the Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo was addressing the mourners and the commotion that followed forced him to cut short his speech for close to 40 minutes.

Most of the VIP arrived while the area MP Mohamed Junet who was the master of ceremony was giving his speech. It appears as if governor Obado was not pleased with the ceremony being conducted by the MP. He took the microphone and made it clear that in accordance to the constitution, the governor was superior to the MPs in line with protocols. He said in the presence of the governor the MP should not conduct such ceremony.

Governor Obado invited Siaya Senator James Orengo who in a brief address told the mourners that Migori County was one of the areas which is under the ODM influence, and that most of the important jobs within the Migori County government should be held by the ODM members.

These remarks by Orengo did not go down well with Governor Okoth Obado who shot up from his seat and told Orengo in face to stop inciting people

Orengo’s security details sensing that their boss was in danger drew their guns at ready. Governor Okoth Obado’s body guards also moved menacingly closer with their guns at ready.

Speaking with the rage of anger governor Obado told Orengo that some of the people who have come here while claiming to be close to Raila Odinga ere the same people who were once opposed to Raila’s presidential bid in 1992. They are the same people known to be misadvising Raila and that is why he had lost the presidential race twice.

At this juncture Charles Oyugi Owino {alikowa} the host pleaded with the crowd to maintain calm and be orderly in vain. He was joined by the Migori OCPD. The pleas by both men went unheard as scuffles broke out an chairs started flying as the mourner fled in all direction.

Someone grabbed the public address system and disappeared with it, forcing governor Obado to drive to Migori town about 12 kilometers away and bought the new microphone, with which he continued addressing the mourners while Owino Jalikowa ushered most of the guests into his house.

The police threw a cordoned and created a de- militarized zone between the VIP tent and other tents to ensure that none was hurt as chairs and other missiles and objects flew all over the expansive compound.

Governor Obado supporters sung derogatory and insultive songs against Orengo referring to him as “raitor’ repeating the same words used by governor Obado.

The police were forced to call for reinforcement of more police officers from the nearby police stations in Awendo, Rongo, Kihancha andMacalder.

It was later established that the hired goons and thugs carried hoe-sticks, and stones stones in readiness for any eventualities.

The majority of goons had traveled from Uriri, the governor Okoth Obado’s home district and appeared to have received the briefing of the impending troubles before they were ushgere into the funeral home stead.

LAst Friday, a similar situation was witnessed at konyango Jieri village near Kendu bay town during th buria of Mrds Pamels Odondi Opar the former managing director of the Big Five chans of hotels in Kendu-Bay town. Fighting broke out and one local politician Whcliffe Odhiambo Ojijo was beaten up to the ground.

The hell broke out when the Homa-Bay governor Cyprian Otieno awiti had just arrived in the company of a number of VIP, mostof them members of the executive of his county government.

Hedais was parked to capacity and a local MCA Julis Gaya of Central Karachuonyo requested the local individuals to give the room so that guests from distant places could be settled at the VIP podium, Ojijo who appeared to have taken one or two and was tipsy flatly refused to give room for the visitors,

Tom Dola the rachuonyo North ODM branch chairman moved to the podium and politely requested ojijoto be have like a gentleman and move a bi so that the VIPs could be seated. Ojijo again refused and insulted Dola, As the two exchanged fists punches, ODM youth joined the fray and Ojijo was beaten up. THe commotion sent mourners scampering for their dear lives.

ends

13 MALAWIANS DIE IN BUS ACCiDENT IN MOZAMBIQUE

Leave a reply

From: Charles Banda

MBNG has been reliably informed that a total of 13 Malawians – 9 Male and 4 female – have perished in a bus accident near Tete in Mozambique as the bus overturned several times after driver lost control of it due to over – speeding.

The Bus was heading to Lilongwe from Johannesburg and belongs to “The Business Times.”

“There are fears that the number of deaths might rise,” said our informant.

May the Souls of the Deceased rest in peace

ZEITUNI ONYANGO WAS CONTROVERSIAL IN LIFE AND THE SAME FOLLOWS HER IN DEATH.

1 Reply

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo.

The planned burial of Zeituni Abong’o Onyango Obama, the US President Barrack Obama’s aunt has degenerated a lot of controversy following the sudden surfacing of the man who claim to be her legal husband and who was earlier reported to have died long before she moved to the US .

The 69 year old man Abell Mboya Okoko immediately launched the most scathing criticism of the Obama family for trying to sideline him over the burial of his wife.

Mboya Okoko the retired employee of the City Council of Nairobi narrated how he got married to Zeituni in 1969. They lived happily as a husband and wife in a House at the Uhuru Estate in Nairobi where two of his children are still living to date.

Speaking at his rural home near Lake Simbi Nyaima in Central Karachonyo, Homa-Bay County, Okoko said he had made a frantic effort to contact his in-law in Alego Kogelo so that they could work together in organizing the burial of his wife in her matrimonial home in vain.

He disclosed that their marriage was blessed with four children – – her sons and one daughter Rukia, Felix, Pascal and Shashi. The marriage was conducted in accordance to Luo tradition. He had paid three herds of cattle and large sums of money as bride price.

What annoyed Okoko most is the news footage based on information supplied to the US based newspapers in which Musrafa Obama the half brother of President Obama who is currently living in the US was quoted as saying that the family would have loved to have the remains of Zeituni buried at her matrimonial home at Kendu-bay, but this could not be fulfilled because her husband had died.

“I am very much alive, healthy and strong like any human being.” said Okoko.

He said after Zeituni who had worked with the defunct East African Airways before the Kenya Breweries Limited as the system analysis left their home and moved to the US. He got married to a second wife with whom they had another five children.

Okoko said he was contemplating seeking legal redress through the court, and would definitely sue Mustafa Obama for having imitating his death whereas is still very much alive and active.

As this report was being written, nobody new exactly the whereabouts of the body of Zeituni which is believed to have arrived in Kenya on Thursday morning. There were strong rumors that the body has already been disposed off and buried secretly at the Kariakor Muslim cemetery in Nairobi, while other sources say it was kept at the Lee Funeral Home pending the family decision as to where it could be buried. Security has been stepped at the Obamas home in Alego Kogelo in Siaya County and not even close relatives and friends were allowed.

It has also been established that Mama Sarah Obama is not the biological mother of Zeituni as has been perceived previously, but was just a foster mother. She could have been born by one of dozens of wives of the late Hussein Onyango Obama, who is on record of having married 13 wives with the Habiba Akmu the mother of Barrack Hussein Obama Snr being the first. But he had divorced most of them.

It has also been established that ever since the death of Zeituni in US reached Kenya relatives and friends have been flocking into the home oif Okoko with condolence messages. One of the early mourners who arrived there was Asha Auma the younger sister of Barrack Obama Snr who is living near Oyugis town. The majority of those who visited Okoko’s home were the Obamas relatives from the nearby Kanyadhiang’ while another bulk were reported to have visited the family home in Alego Kogelo, though most of them were turned away owing to tight security therefore they could no access the home to pay their homage to the family.

Okoko, however, vowed that he would fight to the bitter end through the courts in order to access the body of his wife and give it proper burial.He would persue this even if it means exhuming the body from where she may be buried at the whims of his in-laws. He will follow the law to the bitter and.

Ends

KENYA: HOW LAVEMP 2 HAVE CHANGED LIVES OF SIAYA FISHERMEN

Leave a reply

To: “jaluo@jaluo.com”

By Agwanda Saye

Residents and fishermen along Kamin Oningo Beach situated off Ndori-Luanda Kotieno Roard within Rarieda Sub County in Siaya County have something to rejoice about courtesy of Lake Victoria Environmental Management Project’s efforts to uplift living standards along the Lake Victoria shores.

To the fishermen long gone are the days when they were used to be marooned in the lake, incur post fishing harvest losses, use of ordinary boats for fishing and as well they don’t use natural fishing gears.

The beach which is run by a management unit headed by Tobias Ochieng’ Katete are thankful to LVEMP 2 for having granted them finance to have a safety motorized boat, fence their beach and improve the livelihoods of the residents within the beaches.

According to Katie , they presently collect harvested fish on time courtesy of the motorized safety boat as well as help in rescue missions in times of distress among the member fishermen within the Lake.

“The motorized safety boat does not only collects the fish from the boats in deep seas but also helps in transportation of the sick along the beaches and the islands as well as rescuing marooned fishermen in the Lake” Katete added.

He adds that previously there were incidences of boat capsizing and killing both passengers and fisher folk as a result of delayed rescue something which is a past now.

He further says that the motorized motor boat is usually on stand by for twenty fours and is ready to help in case of any lake accidents regardless of whether the victims are members or not but of course at subsidized fee which is going for the boats’ operational costs.

The said boat is also used in monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities within the lake incase of any eventuality within the lake.

Katete adds that their objectives seems to have yielded fruits as fish yields have gone up by 50% as their statistics in November 2013 shows that they goat 2800 kg of Nile perch while in October the same year they could only harvest 2130kgs.

The fishermen further have something to cheer about as the Beach Management Unit has made it sure that they remit a certain percentage of their earnings to their savings as well as their safety is guaranteed within the lake as there is a mobile phone hotline’s number which they can use in any form of emergency.

“Our women and youths have not been left behind as we have youths sports and some small errands run by the youths and our women are contracted to ferrying the fish from the boats to our banda.

ja1k0425.txt

KENYA: PRESIDENT KENYATTA SHOULD FIRE KAZUNGU KAMBI TO RESTORE THE CONFIDENCE OF KENYANS IN HIS JUBILEE GOVERNMENT

Leave a reply

Commentary By Leo Odera Omolo

By sanctioning for the registration of Posetu as the second new umbrella of trade unions this country to rival the central Organizations of trade unions[ COTU{k},The Jubilee government has erroneously shoot itself in the leg.

COTU[K} under its ablest leadership of Francis Atwoli has served the Kenyan workers diligently TO Cot ever since its inception in the middle of 1960s and after its transformation from the all powerful Kenya Federation of Labuor {KFL} to Cotu {K}, COTU{K} was established by an act of parliament, which had mandate it as the sole representatives of the Kenyan workers.

All the previous holders of its coveted position of secretary General were the most illustrious sons of Kenya. They included the late Clement Kalani Lubembe, Peter Kibisu, James Karebe and J.D.Akumu.

These were the giants who had contributed immensely towards the liberation of Kenyans from the colonial yokes.

Moreover, the Cabinet Secretary for KLabor Kazungu Kambi appeared to unfit and totally a politically mediocre and not fit to the task and heavy responsibility bestowed on him.

In this context, I maintain by allowing for the registration of Posetu to destabilize the workers organization, the jubilee government due to lack of foresight has unknowingly destabilizing itself and hence risking rejection by Kenyans.

Judging from his utterances and actions, it appears as if the Labour’s CS is not fully conversant with his role in the government, hence the uncalled for conflict of interests between the ministry and the COTU [K}’

Kazungu Kambi is openly displaying his political mediocrity and the sooner President Kenyatta shown him the exit door the better. The CS is totally ignorant of the task before him. He is more of a liability than being an asset to the government.

From the look of things, Kenyans have resolved to work closely with the jubilee government under the leadership President Uhuru Kenyatta and his equally ablest Deputy President William Ruto. This is the main reason why Kenyans from all walks of life irrespective of their political party of affiliation supports fully the government effort to stamp out terrorists groups, which has become the real menace to the peace loving Kenyans.

However, the time is ripe for President Kenyatta to crack the whip and remove the rotten eggs from his cabinet in order to restore the confidence of Kenyans and the investors alike.

There are two rotten eggs in the jubilee cabinet who should be kicked out for the sake of good governance.. These are in the names of Kazungu Kambi and Charity Kaluki Ngilu.

Why should the two be indispensable whereas their performance appear not to be up to the standard/?

The messes seen in the ministry of Lands, particularly in its district offices countrywide, which operates on photo copies without not even one single official stationery forcing the staff to install photocopying machines of their own. These offices lacked the official land transaction form or any official documents. He staff uses their own photocopying machines to produce filthy forms and document, which they are charging exorbitantly therefore fleecing the poor taxpayers, and yet the ministry has its annual allocations in the budge to cater to stationeries?

Distraught and frustrated staffers ever asking for bribe money for typing any simple document without which a member of the public may spent the whole days waiting for a simple document to be typed out and signed by the designated official. In fact the ministry of Lands offices looked like the government ministries in Ugandan government during the reign of Idi Amin in the early 1970s

Why should Kenya, a country which has trained and turned out thousands of highly educated men and women since it attained its political independence in 1963 continued to be served by inefficient and incompetent people like Kambi and Ngilu.Is it for political expediency/’ It is is indeed for regional balancing purposes, can’t President Kenyatta find suitable persons from the regions where Kambi and Ngilu hails from and appoint such persons to the cabinet.?

Many Kenya are now left wondering as to what has happened to the law of the cabinet reshuffle?

The on-going controversy whether it is COTU {K} or Posetu which workers organization should host the Labour Day celebrations is another source of shame on Kenya.

COTU[K} is a workers organizations which is recognized all over the world. It is affiliated to major world workers organizations, which have funded socio-economic projects such as the construction of the magnificent building Solidari Building now standing on the Digo road in Nairobi,and the multi-billion shilling Tom Mboya Labuor College in Kisumu. Thousands of Kenyan workers have benefited from these institutions

ENDS

KENYA: OTIENO KAJWANG’S LOOSE TANK COULD COST RAILA THE MASIVE BACKING BY THE LUOS

Leave a reply

MAJOR POLITICAL FALLOUT IN LUO-MYYANZA OVER OTIENO KAJWANG’S LEADERSHIP IS INEVITABLE.

News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo.

What was originally thought to be a simple matter and an internal political wrangling within the ODM appeared to have taken a new dimension which could consign the party to its political dustbins and doldrums unless a quick solution.

It all started last when the officials from seven sub-branches from seven parliamentary constituencies that forms Homa-Bay County converged at theHoma-Bay Farmers Training School and unanimously voted out the branch supremo Senator Gerald Otieno Kajwang’

Sen. Kajwang’ was kicked out together with his acting vice chairperson Mrs Monica Amolo. And a new branch executive commitee was formed headed by the former Homa-Bay MP Martin Otieno Ogindo with a Kasipul politician Charles Ong’ondio Were as his deputy.

Homa-Bay County has eight sub-branches representing eight parliamentary constituencies of Mbita, Suba, Ndhiwa, Karachuonyo, Rangwe, Homa-Bay Town, Kasipul and Kabondo-Kasipul. Only Ndhiwa sub-branch was notably absent at the meeting.

The original agenda of the meeting was meant to welcome back to the party those members who had crossed over to other parties and contested the March 4, 2013 elections using those parties nomination certificates. Members had taken the nomination certificates from parties which preconceived to be friendly to CORD Coalition. The exodus was caused by the much flawed ODM Primary nomination system which was so chaotic.

However, the mood at the meeting abruptly changed and the name of Senator Otieno Kajwang’ featured prominently when some delegates accused the former Immigration and Registration of Persons minister in the Kibaki-Raila coalition government.

The songs of “Kajwang’ Must Go” rent the air with some of the delegates accusing the Senator of bad-mouthing other elected leaders. The other key position in the branch which was left untouched is that of the branch general secretary the position which is held by the Karachuonyo MP Eng. James K Rege.

Racting to the move the ODM acting leader Prof. Anyang Nyong’o was quick in dismissing the ousting of Kajwang’ as illegal and not in line with the ODM constitution. Nyong’o said that the headquarters will under no circumstances ratify the removal of the Senator from the County branch leadership. countered Prof Nyong’o’s remarks by issuing a threat that if Otieno Kajwang’is indispensable then they would walk out of ODM en mess, and leave the party to its owners who included Otieno Kajwang’.

Signs of Otieno Kajwang’ surfaced last weekend when hundreds of mourners at Konyango Jieri village near Kendu-Bay violently heckled and booed his deputy Mrs Monica Amolo forcing her to cut short her speech. He had made a veiled criticism of the Nairobi governor dr. Evans Odhimbo Kidero who waves is sweppng the luo-Nyanza region like tsunami. Mrs Amolo had cautioned the Luos against readily accepting the money whose sources is not known to them.”If one of your children brought home a huge sums of money please do not just accept it blindly without quarrying about its original source. It could turn out to be stolen money.” She thundered amid massive murmuring of disapproval.

The charged crowd jumped to their feet and began heckling, booing and making wild-cat calls.

The incident occurred during the well attended burial of Mrs Pamela Atieno Ezra Odondi Opar the managing director of the Big Five chain of hotels in Kendu-Bay town. She was buried at her family home at Konyango Jieri village about one kilometer from the town. The burial ceremony was attended by Homa-Bay County governor Cyprian Otieno Awiti in the company of dozens of his County executive members, the Area MP James K. Rege, the chairman of the Luo Council of Elders Mzee Meshack Riaga Ogalo and many ODM local and regional luminaries.

Those in attendance felt that Mrs Amolo was directing her veil criticism to the Nairobi governor Dr Evans Kidero who of late has been criss-crossing the the entire Luo-Nyanza conducting high profile and successful fundraising for the various socio-economic development projects.

The huge crowd appeared to have been worked up when Mrs Amolo told the mourners that she was representing Senator Otieno Kajwang’ who was unable to attend the function himself. Earlier on during the week, Senator Kajwang’ had faced a near violent street demonstration by ODM youth at Rodi- Kopany town about 10 kilometers south east of homay-Bay town. The youth danced and blocked the junction of the road which is linking Ndhiwa, Rongo, Rangwe and Homay town forcing motorists to stop for close to two hours and sung anti-Kajwang’ songs using unprintable words.

Kajwang’ is a confidant of the Luo political kingpin Raila Amolo Odinga kicked off his anti-Kidero crusade last December during the end of the year get together party at the Opoda Bar Opuka rural home of Raila Odinga in Bondo when he said that people of Nyanza must question the source of the colossal amount of money the Nairobi governor was dishing out extravagantly at his Harambee fund raising meetings in Luo-Nyanza. Raila did not respond to Kajwang’s remarks, but the chairman of the Luo Council of elders {splinter Group Mzee Eli Otondi caution the people to be wary of those who might be using huge sums of ill-gotten money to divide the Luos.

So far Dr. Kidero and Raila have shared three plate forms on two occasions. and the two appeared to be getting well with no signs of suspicion on their faces. The first such meeting was the Harambee held in Kisumu City’s Kaloleni Ward and the second such meeting came last month during the fundraising in aids of the Jua Kali artisans in which close to Kshs 16 million was realized last month.

Anti Kajwang’ sentiments is so rampant in many parts of Luo-Nyanza, and if Raila Odinga cannot intervene in time and bring back sanity in the Orange party, it now threatens to split the community into two major political camps hostile to each other. The majority of Luos from the greater Southern Nyanza could easily jump the ship and join Dalmas Otieno in his still yet to be named new political party.

Raila must also instill some amount of discipline in his party by cautioning those members with loose tanks.

ENDS

Kenya: Deploring Death of Teenage Kenyan FGM Victim, Clitoraid Urges Kenya’s Health Ministry to Open a Clitoral Restoration Hospital and Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation

Leave a reply

From: News Release – African Press Organization (APO)
PRESS RELEASE

Deploring Death of Teenage Kenyan FGM Victim, Clitoraid Urges Kenya’s Health Ministry to Open a Clitoral Restoration Hospital and Eliminate Female Genital Mutilation

Clitoraid helps FGM victims obtain restorative surgery to reverse FGM effects

NAIROBI, Kenya, April 23, 2014/ — Following the tragic death of a 13-year old Kenyan girl who underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) last Monday, an organization that helps FGM victims obtain restorative surgery to reverse FGM effects, is urging Kenyan Health Secretary James Macharia to open Kenya’s first clitoral repair hospital.

Logo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/logos/clitoraid-1.png

Photo: http://www.photos.apo-opa.com/plog-content/images/apo/photos/nadine-gary.jpg (Clitoraid Communications Director Nadine Gary)

“FGM reversal surgery, which restores clitoral functioning, is a powerful deterrent to the barbaric, cruel and dangerous practice of female genital mutilation,” said Clitoraid (http://www.clitoraid.org) Communications Director Nadine Gary. “Why do something so unpleasant and painful when the results can easily be undone?”

[See “before and after” pictures of clitoral reversal surgery, courtesy of Clitoraid’s volunteer head surgeon, Dr. Marci Bowers, at: http://marcibowers.com/our-services/fgm/ ]

Clitoraid, which is in the final stages of opening a state-of-the-art clitoral repair clinic in Burkina Faso, also organized a humanitarian mission in Bobo Dioulasso last month in which 38 FGM patients recovered clitoral function.

“Four American volunteer doctors traveled to Burkina Faso to do those surgeries, and thanks to them, those 38 patients will now enjoy their lives as complete women,” Gary said. “The same humanitarian mission must be organized in Kenya without delay. Countless FGM victims have written to us from Kenya, and they’re begging us to provide the service in Kenya. They need our help to regain their sense of dignity and their capacity for physical pleasure.”

Gary said her organization has written to James Macharia offering to come and train a Kenyan surgeon to do the clitoral repair procedure free of charge if he or she is willing to learn the technique.

Noting that a pan-African FGM conference organized by Burkina Faso’s First Lady, Chantal Compaore, will be held April 24-26 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, Gary said Clitoraid is looking forward to the event.

“We’re looking forward to presenting our humanitarian project for Kenya at that gathering,” she said. “No time should be wasted, since we must act at once to save lives!”

Distributed by APO (African Press Organization) on behalf of Clitoraid.

Media contact:
Abibata Sanon
avfe@clitoraid.org
+226-78886092

About Clitoraid:

Clitoraid (http://www.clitoraid.org) is an international non-profit organization offering clitoral repair surgery to FGM victims.

SOURCE
Clitoraid

KENYA: SENATOR OTIENO KAJWANG’ IS KICKED OUT OF HOMA-BAY ODM BRANCH

Leave a reply

Reports Leo Odera Omolo

THE Homa-Bay ODM County branch chairman Gerald Otieno Kajwang was last Sunday kicked out of the branch leadership and the immediate former Homa-Bay MP Martin Otieno Ogindo elected in his place. Also kicked out was Mrs Monica Amolo, who has been the acting County branch chairperson wile Kajwang’ was contesting for the coveted office of the party’s chairman during the aborted party national elections. Mrs Amolo, however, will remain the branch treasurer.

Also named the branch vice chairman is the Kasipul politician Charles Ong’ondo Were, while the Mbita MP Miliie Odhiambo was named the branch organizing secretary. The position as the branch secretary is held by the Karachuonyo MP Eng.James K Rege whose status quo remained the same.

Delegats from all the eight parliamentary constituencies covering the entire homa-Bay county converged at Homa-Bay town where they carried out the elections to fill most of the vacant positions at the branch.

The officials also resolved to forgive all those party members who for one reason or the other had contested on March 4, 2014 using nomination tickets of other political parties and welcome them back to the ODM from now onwards.

Last Friday Mrs Amolo had faced the hostile crowd of mourners at Konyango Jieri near Kendu-Bay when she made veiled criticism of the Nairobi governor Dr Evans Kidero questioning the source of millions of shillings, which he has been dishing out at the numerous fundraising meetings in Luo-Nyanza. Apparently angered by the unwarranted attack on Dr Kidero the hostile mourner heckled Mrs Amolo booed her forcing her to cut short her speech.

The incident took place during the well attended burial of Mrs Pamela Ezra Odondi Opar,the managing director of the Big Five chains of hotels in Kendu-Bay. Mrs Amolo who had reported that’s he had gone to the funeral home to represent her boss Otieno Kajwang’.

The ball was set rolling by a hard hitting and electrifying speech by the chairman of the Luo Councilog elders Mzee Meshack Riaga Ogalo who questioned the rationale of branding those who have ditched the ODM TRAITORS.

Mzee Ogalo said that Kenyans had fought the bloody war in the second liberation battle while fighting for the democratic space and he was disturbed to hear other saying that those with diverse opinion were dividing the Luos The community has remained united for close to fifty years, but gained nothing from such unity if purpose except abject poverty.

He told the mourner to jealously guard against those who are hell-bent to destroy democracy in the country and also at the same timeto preserve the devolution system at all costs.

Ends

KUYO: ZEITUNI ABONG’O ONYANGO OBAMA’S BURIAL IN KENYA IS SET FOR THURSDAY.

1 Reply

Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

The burial of the US President Barrack Obama’s aunt Zeituni Abong’o Onyango Obama is set for Thursday, April 24,2014. It will now take place in a public Muslim cemetery I n Kisumu city.

Zeituni’s mother Mama Sarah Obama made an announcement in her Alego Kogelo home in Siaya County. She disclosed that the body of her daughter who died in the US two weeks ago will be flown from the US to the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi on Thursday morning and thereafter will be flown further to Kisumu about 400 kilometers south west of Nairobi.

From the Kisumu airport the body will be taken to the main Muslim Mosque in the city center for prayers and will then be buried the same day at the town’s Muslim public cemetery.

It was previously hinted that Zeituni was to be buried at her matrimonial home at Kendu-Bay. The place where she was married. She has four children three sons and one daugfter all grownups. And according to Luo traditional norm and virtue, a married woman either divorced, separated or otherwise is required to be buried in her matrimonial homestead. It could be that the negotiations between the two families which could have seen her being buried her Kendu Bay did not materialize.

Since the death of Zeituni in the US was broken at her rural home I Alego Nyang’ma Kogelo there has been a big influx of friends, relative and well wishers as well as mourners to the home to condolence the family.

ENDS