By: Keith Campbell
10 Dec 08
South Africa’s Sumbandila microsatellite is scheduled for launch on March 25 next year, which will be a Wednesday.

The launch will be on a Soyuz launch vehicle of the Russian Roscosmos space agency, from the renowned Russian-operated Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.

SumbandilaSat will form a secondary payload for the rocket, the primary being a Russian Meteor M weather satellite.

SumbandilaSat was originally meant to have been launched last year, from a Russian Navy submarine, on a converted Shtil submarine- launched ballistic missile. That arrangement fell through, for reasons that have never been officially divulged (but see Engineering News February 8, 2008).

The South African microsatelllite has been designed, developed and assembled by SunSpace, a specialist microsatellite technology company spun-off by the University of Stellenbosch, to exploit the expertise developed in the design, assembly, and operation of the university’s own private-initiative satellite, SunSat, which, in 1999, became the first South African satellite to reach orbit.

SunSat had a mass of 64 kg and carried a fairly small multispectral imager, operating in three bands (red, blue, and green) with a resolution of 15 m (that is, one pixel equating to 15 m x 15 m on the ground) at an altitude of 600 km – the first of its kind on a small satellite in any country.

Sumbandila is a low Earth orbit observation microsatellite and its main payload is a 6,5 m multispectral imager – that is, the imager has a resolution of 6,5 m x 6,5 m at an altitude of 500 km. This imager was also designed, developed, and made by SunSpace.

Sumbandila means “lead the way” in the Venda language.

Edited by: Creamer Media Reporter

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/final-launch-date-set-for-sa-satellite-2008-12-10

– – –
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 12:47:28 +0300 [03:47:28 AM CST]
From: Robert Alai
Subject: Final launch date set for South Africa’s satellite

— On Sat, 12/13/08, scania wrote:

From: scania
Subject: The Media bill
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2008, 10:10 AM

I the 9th Parliament we saw The President Reject the media Bill and he had several recommendations for the same. I am supprised that this bill was sneaked back into the house without a single change and a handfull MPs voted it in.

Iam just wondering why the Ministers/Mp are like joking with us, what do they want to hide from us cause I believe what ever they do is in our interest and we should have to informed of anything they do and the only way we get to know this is through the media.

if this bill is signed into law, media houses will be treading with fear lest their equipments be seized without notice.

I’m wondering if we still need the Media Council, because as per the provision of the bill the minister can act without consulting anyone not even the Media Council

Please Wana Bidii help me understand this.

And for the president, I’m urging him to make an informed decision of whether to sign this bill or not.

– – – – – – – – – – –

Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 06:15:36 -0800
From: grnyongesa@ . . .
Subject: Re: The Media bill

I think Wanabidii should call for a press conference and issue a statement to implore President Emilio Kibaki not to assent to that draconian bill and also show solidarity with initiatives spotlighting MPs refusal to pay tax, unchecked food and fuel price increase etc. I think very soon with this culture of impunity the political class will come up laws to gag e-meetings.

George Nyongesa
Bunge la Mwananchi

– – – – – – – – – – –

The Media Bill is the kind that, after legislation, returns to haunt those who happily give support to their kind. A former AG Chief Justice happily support a bill to remove their own tenure of office. During the Kenyatta error, Kibaki, Matiba, Rubia, Moi (by coercion), Njonjo, gave detention without trial support that haunts them to date. Some of them tasted their own poison and they are living examples of leaders so intoxicated by power they don’t realise when their own exhaulted towers of Babel are crambling.

The current parliament will be demonstrating an obscene degree of myopia if they let this Bill become law. 2012 is not far and they’ll regret ever been legislators when a draconian piece of law was passed.

We are watching.

Mathias.

– – –
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:21:18 +0000 [12/13/2008 11:21:18 PM CST]
From: mathias aguta
Subject: RE: The Media bill

The last thing one should imagine is the detention without trial for any democratic seeking citizen. Kenyans have spoke and we cannot rest to see the very leaders we voted in to help us be released from the rule of dictatorship have turned against us. I have said several times that the current parliament is gangsterion bunch of street fashion designers. Selfish lot and mere opportunists. We have seen the very government official asking another government to solve issues bedevilling the same government. They are incapable. From the Members of Parliament to Cabinet Ministers.

Its parliament that passed the motion to censor the media. The voted it and therefore no MP should come out of that building and cheat 32 million Kenyans. They threw out the taxation proposal and therefore they should not think we can listen to theri big mouths.

I have called upon the media previously not to cover this people. We do not want to see them on our television. Can the media not cover their functions? Is there law that will require a certain media to go and cover Jamhuri fucntions? Stop covering their homecoming parties. Try this for a month and you will see how powerless they will.

The arrest is still a show of impunity. We have forgotten the ills that were committed during the post election violence. We have forgotten how they ganged up to thrash the Waki Report. Now the scenario is little changing. ICC will resume on Jan 5th 09 and then we can expect another press release. We are a nation with two illegal leaders: a rigged President and a Prime Minister created from streets demos. Its a disaster.

Let the government not harrass Bunge la Wananchi members -the net strugle for our third liberation is now – and we will shouldier on until justice prevail. These genration of politician should ideally be long gone story come 2012…and we must act NOW.

Kombo Elijah

– – –
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 11:56:48 -0800 [12/13/2008 01:56:48 PM CST]
From: Elijah Kombo
Subject: Arrests: Where is the Law now

– – – – – – – – – – –

Indeed let us start NOW by giving them a black out as you propose…… Its indeed sad.

How about a coup?

– – –
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 01:53:53 -0800 [03:53:53 AM CST]
From: joseph nyongesa
Subject: Re: Arrests: Where is the Law now

Finally, ECK staff see the merit in telling truth

Updated 11 hr(s) 34 min(s) ago

By Juma Kwayera

Fresh details are emerging about how the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK) bungled last year’s presidential election, with subordinate staff confirming the widely held view that the electoral body was party to “cooking” of the presidential results.

The man on the spot is the information and technology manager who was in charge of the computer room at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC), where the tallying of presidential results was done.

When the 600 striking met on Wednesday, the manager (name withheld), was kicked out of the meeting amid accusations that he colluded with some commissioners to alter presidential results from polling centres, which in turn has put their jobs on the line.

They also claimed the manager went underground as soon ECK chairman Samuel Kivuitu declared President Kibaki winner. The staff we spoke claimed the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) officers were hired to alter results submitted by returning officers, adding that they lacked the capacity to stop the apparent breach of procedure as the rigging was in full view of some commissioners.

Fresh allegations

“When the returning officers arrived at the KICC, which was the command centre of the presidential poll, they were directed to report to the NSIS desk before handing Form 16(a) to ECK officials,” one of them said and cited Juja constituency, where presidential votes were “topped up” in the open. The fresh allegations contradict the findings of the Independent Review Commission (Irec) chaired by retired South African judge Johann Kriegler, which investigated the conduct of the elections. Kriegler concluded that there was no rigging at KICC.

However, the allegations that NSIS took part in the electoral fraud corroborate the findings of the Waki Commission, which investigated post-election violence. The commission, chaired by Mr Justice Philip Waki, noted that NSIS was deeply involved in activities that constituted “partisanship on the part of a state security organ and are examples of activities that clearly fall outside the mandate of the agency.”

In his report, Waki noted that the security service acted outside its mandate, which included attempts to secure ECK accreditation for NSIS officers to be part of the election process.”

One of the workers who requested anonymity narrated how he protested to a commissioner from western Kenya about the alterations of the results by security agents. “It was happening in the absence of the chairman, Mr Samuel Kivuitu, who was bedridden,” she said. The source added the commissioners at KICC took advantage of Kivuitu’s absence to alter the figures with the help of NSIS.

In a statement copied to Parliament, foreign envoys, United Nations, Law Society of Kenya and the EU head of Mission in Kenya, the workers said: “It is a cardinal rule of natural justice that no none shall be condemned unheard. None of the secretariat staff afforded any hearing at the Kreigler Commission.”

Our sources said all the polling clerks at KICC were recruited less than a week to the December 27 elections and were not conversant with the procedures, hence lacked the skills and confidence to question some to hold their supporters to account.

“They were recruited by the commission and having contributed to the electoral fiasco, have conveniently melted into thin air.”

Against this backdrop, the ECK subordinates want to be given an opportunity to name and shame their colleagues, commissioners, senior government officials and security chiefs who subverted the electoral process.

“We want to hold office until the interim commission is in place. The new commission should then vet the staff and fairly judge who to retain,” the statement reads in part. It is at this stage that they hope to shade light on how some of their senior colleagues abetted electoral fraud.

The workers, frustrated by Justice and Constitutional Minister Martha Karua’s stand that the dismissals be executed immediately, want to be given a chance to tell what they saw and know before they are shown the red card. Although the workers say they saw some of the 22 commissioners take part in the rigging of the presidential poll, they could not offer a convincing explanation why they did not raise the alarm at the time.

They defended their silence citing the election laws that vest all the powers in the commissioners, who make policy decisions.

On Thursday, retired President Moi said ECK commissioners and staff were induced to tilt poll results. Speaking in Naivasha, the former president blamed the poll fiasco and resultant violence on ECK

– – –
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 22:38:48 -0800 [12:38:48 AM CST]
From: otieno sungu
Subject: ECK rigging claims; necessary or too late??

On 12/13/08, Maurice Baraza wrote:

Just out of curiosity, what was the rush in demolishing nakumatt thika
road with items inside? Its now more than a month since the
demolisions and so far there’s nothing being seen in regards to road
expansion.
What keeps me wondering most is that only two buildings were
demolished the others were just given a notice and they are still
doing booming biashara while others lost jobs. Was the demolision
targeted?

—
Sent from my mobile device

—
MVP – Dertu
P.O. Box 958 – 70100, Garissa Kenya | Tel: +254(0)462103161 | Mob:
+254722853117 | Skype: mouriceb
——————————————————————–
You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.
—
Clayton Christensen

– – – – – – – – – – –

Wow! you think how long ago was the route for bypass cleared.

– – –
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:43:06 +0300 [12/13/2008 11:43:06 AM CST]
From: Kimutai Cherono
Subject: Re: Was the demolision along Thika road targeting afew

– – – – – – – – – – –

Hmmmm, one wonders. There is a residential apartment still standing tall and proud just next to the now demolished supermarket. Its even closer to the road. There is also a hotel just next to the now demolished petrol stations, a petrol station and a car bazaar. Seems there is no urgency to demolish these….

– – –
Date: Sun, 14 Dec 2008 05:10:22 +0000 [12/13/2008 11:10:22 PM CST]
From: Erastus Marugu
Subject: Re: Was the demolision along Thika road targeting afew

I have just received a red wire from Nairobi-Kenya stating that one of Kisii’s University dons has been murdered. The sad news say that, Prof. Maranga of Barlaton University of East Africa was murdered in front of his wife last night at his Kisii home. He was in Nairobi on Friday where he attended the Jamhuri Day celebrations and left for Barlaton University where he dropt off his car and left for Kisii arriving at his settlement home at around 9:00 pm Kenya time. Apparently the “hired” killers may have traced him from the city. The gang of six armed killers struck shortly after mid-night shooting him dead and left without stealling anything or hurting his wife. Nobody knows how these killers managed to gain entry into his compound because it has a heavely fortified perimeter. My heart and feelings goes to Prof. Maranga’s family hoping that someone is going to tell us this happened as it did.

More details later.

Tebiti Ogutu Isaboke

– – –
Date: Sat, 13 Dec 2008 14:54:41 -0800 [12/13/2008 04:54:41 PM CST]
From: Tebiti Oisaboke
Subject: Prof. Maranga

Guys

Do you believe the noise of ECK staff? They failed to blow the whistle when many fraudulent things including the printing of T-shirts which were never used. They failed to blow the whistle and now must be sent home

You see that lady making noise in TV while they are the ones who helped and kept quiet when the country was burning. ECK staff should and must go home

Brown

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 13:04:19 +0300 [12/09/2008 04:04:19 AM CST]
From: Brown Makele
Subject: ECK staff Must go home

– – – – – – – – – – –

Unless forth proven otherwise, i tend to think every staff in the ECK staff force has a role in ensuring that the ECK fulfills its obligated mandate, all the same we cannot sacrifice or discriminate people on ECK performance in way it conducted the 2007 election, i agree there is a great need to implement the so called krigler report but not to send uncessary guys home

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 13:25:48 +0300 [12/09/2008 04:25:48 AM CST]
From: Josy Ngatia
Subject: Re: ECK staff Must go home

– – – – – – – – – – –

Unless forth proven otherwise, i tend to think every staff in the ECK staff force has a role in ensuring that the ECK fulfills its obligated mandate, all the same we cannot sacrifice or discriminate people on ECK performance in way it conducted the 2007 election, i agree there is a great need to implement the so called krigler report but not to send uncessary guys home

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 13:25:48 +0300 [12/09/2008 04:25:48 AM CST]
From: Josy Ngatia
Subject: Re: ECK staff Must go home

– – – – – – – – – – –

Guys,

I do not find that logical .How is a tea girl concerned with the commissioners. she never had an idea on what was happening in the main offices.

I believe the employees should be given a chance to defend themselves independently.

Noreen.

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 10:28:06 +0000 [12/09/2008 04:28:06 AM CST]
From: noreen nipher
Subject: Re: ECK staff Must go home

– – – – – – – – – – –

Very true, a tea girl does not declare results but neither does a commissioner crook up databases and print out registers with certain names missing. ECK staff are not 100% clean, waende.

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 10:46:43 +0000 [12/09/2008 04:46:43 AM CST]
From: jude ogulla
Subject: Re: ECK staff Must go home

– – – – – – – – – – –

The ECK staff wether involved in the fraudelence or not if ECK is to be disbanned and all the commissioners go home then all the MPs , PM & President should also go home.

The same MP’s who are making the judgement are the same people who pigad domo n wanted to demonstrate in the streets Kivuitu abaki so that he could favour them during election, pigad domo when the president elected new commisioners without their approval then if ECK was so wrong then think so are the MP’s parliament should be dissolved the PS’s run the show & lets go back to the ballot box with a new interim ECK planning the election.

The MP’s cant cast a stone to the same people who helped them & announced them as the winners. Its tym they stopped playing around with our minds & start debating on bills that will take our country a step forward & not bills that affect them & for that they should even be taxed if the Wanjiku n e.t.c can pay tax on even allowances why not them who have been chosen by the people to serve the people.

Rgds

Sharon Wanyeki

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 02:53:31 -0800 [12/09/2008 04:53:31 AM CST]
From: sharon wanyeki
Subject: ECK staff Must go home

From: amenya gibson
Sent: Tuesday, 2 December, 2008 7:42:10
Subject: The coming Hunger Name Dear people

When I was growing my grand ma gave names to all hunger that occured
Mostly were in mother tongues I know all can recall those days

Now how can we call this hunger we have currently in Kenya

I will suggest KIRAKA hunger and U

Bye
Gibson Amenya

Global Young Greens

– – – – – – – – – – –

2008/12/2 Duncan Kagika

Yes, its true that all ‘hunger sessions’ during those, original old days, had a name and it is true they were in our mothers’ tongue-tribal name. In Kikuyu land I remember we had ‘Ngaragu ya Mwanga’ between 1940 and 1942, (can someone correct me please), which means that the only food available at that time was Mwanga-sorghum, I guess-correct me! Mr Amenya, what does ‘KIRAKA’ mean in simple to-day’s dot com-modern english?

– – – – – – – – – – –

—– Original Message —–
From: “Maurice Baraza”
Subject: Re: The coming Hunger Name
Date: Tue, 2 Dec 2008 14:16:52 +0300

I guess NJAA MSETO sounds good. its occuring during a coalition government and as a result of combined causes, poor governance, high inflationary tendency, poor planning, and its affecting all regions combined. we usually hear of hunger in NEP, Lodwar but not in Nairobi, mara hii tunaiona.

So NJAA MSETO sounds good and easy to pronounce

On Tue, Dec 2, 2008 at 1:01 PM, Daniel Wachira wrote:

Let me correct you sir, Mwanga is not sorghum but Cassava. So the only available food then was cassavas due to their drought resistance ability.

Dan

—
—
MVP – Dertu
P.O. Box 958 – 70100, Garissa Kenya | Tel: +254(0)462103161 | Mob: +254722853117 | Skype: mouriceb
——————————————————————–
You may hate gravity, but gravity doesn’t care.
—
Clayton Christensen

—

– – – – – – – – – – –

Wanabidii,

I remember my folks telling me about njaa ya Nyayo. Must have attacked the country when

Mr. Moi was newly in office, around 1984?

So get a famous personality- one with influence to change our lives- but in their watch we are dying of hunger- then condemn them to infamy!!(just words)

PETER MAKANDA

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 04:12:30 -0500 [12/09/2008 03:12:30 AM CST]
From: Peter Kadima
Subject: Re: The coming Hunger Name

– – – – – – – – – – –

Because hunger is not pleasant and we need a fitting name for it; we could maybe christen this hunger “Kivuitu”. We will remember two things at the same time, the demise of the Kivuitu let ECK for their bugling and the hunger we face now.

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 02:26:20 -0800 [12/09/2008 04:26:20 AM CST]
From: otieno sungu
Subject: Re: The coming Hunger Name

On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 2:01 AM, Elijah Kombo wrote:

I have just woke up now.

As everyone else, I get pissed off the broadcaster airing the likes of Kalonzo Musyoka and others asking the government to find quicker solutions to problems they created. Kalonzo led a full contigent of political senile individuals to ask the government to halt all other activities to resettle the victims of post election violence. Some guys tell me that i am always taking them back to last general elections when i talk about this. Its still fresh in my mind and i hope a lifetime lesson has already been learned here. Imagine the VP asking the government in which he sits to act fast? As well Uhuru sending an SMS to a political function – requesting the government to act. Which government are they asking? Kibaki and Raila? Or which government officials – PSs and Security? I conclude that they dont know what they are doing and its time God forgives them. We can send them home – but that constitution – yes it the one with the very opportunistic grounds to survive on. Maybe Kalonzo and others have forgotten ‘kama ngili’ that they are in government already. Idiotism, hypocrisy, pretences…the order of the day…..i hate my television airing these guys but i have no option – just to see the same news now and then.

I have started admiring Kibaki ( you think so?) for inviting the Iranian President – and Raila’s schedule for the Obama extravaganza in US…millions are going to spent on government entourage: a chartered plane, per-diems, executive suites/hotels, etc etc. If i were the President, I would have sent primary school children alongside Muungano choir to sing ‘Kenya Yetu’. That will be the best company Raila can go with to celebrate the victory of Obama. But i bet ask which choir will they prefer – ‘sisi ni majambazi’. I see Obama asking ‘what have you guys done to those guys who were slaughtered and others misplaced during the elections?’. I think Dr Mutua should also be in group – maybe he can apologize then and he can have millions wired without being sent by anyone. The messenger of lies: grand regency, anglo leasing, golden berg, post election violence, bracadabra.

Back to Kalonzo and a collection of his armies: A full VP with powers like that of a python, and an army of MPs and full Parliamentary Speaker – Marende cannot actually ask the question in a full Thursday cabinet meeting or Parliament to find a quicker and long lasting solution to re-settle those evicted from their home! Or did they ask the PCs, DCs and Chief to act. Who forms the government? Or i havent heard someone say ‘my government’, the government etc Kenyans need answers – quick ones. The guys in camps need a quick fix. The politicians will use this as a platform for the next election. They are slow to act and want to drag it on and on for some political mileage. They keep burrying very important issues – and address issues of national importance with little respect.

Still we are hurting back at home. But thanks to stars like hmmm NOBODY in the current bun….. Only a collection of fashion designers and street hooligans. They cant do anything – even a thing or carry unga back home…just sniffing where they can eat and sleep on their bellies. Oh God – cant you this cruelty and insanity and save our country. Over 220 mps? who cant pay tax but a mama selling ombuta has to be taxed heavily! The higher the income the lesser the tax. Kenya yetu inchi ya maendeleo.

Back to my math gain……i am attending an english lesson as from tommorrow. bye

Kombo Elijah

– – – – – – – – – – –

Elija, i rarely share your opinion but on this one, you have put it better than i cout ever put it. at times, i just wish i will sleep and wake up in another land where there are no politicians

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 08:10:09 +0300 [12/08/2008 11:10:09 PM CST]
From: Bernard ck
Subject: Re: VP, Speaker are both Stars!

– – – – – – – – – – –

Elijah,

Kwani unakijicho na Kalonzo. I find the guy cool and infact I do admire him. What has guys like Raila and the So called Speaker Mr. Marende done about their ODM Mps not paying taxes. At least Kalonzo has said his MPs will pay tax. Can you Imagine Someone like Marende, a person who we had accorded alot of respect saying nonsense during Raila home something party last Saturday.

This is pure crap you are talking about. I think if you do not have something useful do not participate

– – –
Date: Tue, 9 Dec 2008 02:25:32 -0800 [12/09/2008 04:25:32 AM CST]
From: peter wachiuri
Subject: Re: VP, Speaker are both Stars!

On Dec 8, 11:04 am, simon kabu wrote:

Wanakenya, Are our 210 Mps more brilliant than all of us combined?

The reason as to to why i think so is; We are so happy and claps when a politician stands infront of us and says; ” Mps must pay taxes according to the law”. What does the law say, The only taxable income is the basic- {Accountants can clarify this}. This means that Mp can only pay taxes on ksh 200,000 which is their basic and tax is 30% of this amount.

Now, an interesting point- SECTION 90 OF INCOME TAX LAW- states; Any person who is deducted any amount erroneously will have that amount refunded within three months.

ERRONEOUSLY- means that any amount that is deducted and is not stipulated by law.

This means- all the mps who are publicly claiming to pay tax now just needs to write to KRA behind our backs and claim, they were erroneously deducted some money and a cheque will be written to their favour.

This is because, legally, that tax was erroneously deducted from their salaries.

Kenyans, how can we salvage the situation?

SK

– – – – – – – – – – –

Truly they have taken us for fools because we are neither lawyers to interpret the law nor accountants to know exactly how much they pay to the tax man.

Please Kenyans let the professionals in this field help us out

– – –
Date: Mon, 8 Dec 2008 21:07:32 -0800 [12/08/2008 11:07:32 PM CST]
From: scania
Subject: Re: MP WILL GET REFUND OF TAXES THEY NOW CLAIM TO PAY .