Four rogue police officers yesterday injured a child while arresting a boda boda operator at the Keni stage in Kamacharia, Murang’a county. The child fractured his right leg when the cops pushed down the motorcycle, which was carrying him and his mother. Those who asked the officers to take the child to hospital were threatened with arrest. The officers were drunk and drove off with the child and his mother in a Land Cruiser, plate number GKB 379 E, which belongs to the OCPD, Murang’a East. === It seems former Inspector General of Police David Kimaiyo is now appreciating the power of social...
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Corridors of Power
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Narok Uwezo boss resigns
The chairman of the Narok West Constituency Uwezo Fund, Joseph Sayagie, has resigned. Sayagie said there is lack of transparency and accountability in the fund. Speaking to the Star on Saturday, Sayagie accused MP Patrick Ntutu of issuing cheques that have not been signed by all signatories. “I don’t want to be part of a defective process. [He] has also turned the whole process into a political charade for his own selfish political survival,” said Sayagie. “The cheques issued in Siana and Naikarra wards have not been signed by the district accountant and I. This means they cannot be cashed by...
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Cassava virus alert
The cassava brown streak disease has affected more than 50 per cent of the crop in the country, the Food and Agriculture Organisation has said. Several African countries have been affected by the fast-spreading cassava mosaic virus, said Edwin Adenya, FAO agriculture and field schools consultant. “West African countries have managed to contain the disease, which has ravished hundreds of acres in other parts of the continent,” he said. Adenya spoke at the start of a study on the spin-off effects of the Farmer Field Schools in Kenya for the last 10 years. The disease first broke out in Asia.
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Top students at Temudo hope to join the field of medicine
The best-performing KCPE candidates in Temudo Academy, Kisumu have spelled out their ambitions. The top candidate, Victor Arwa, scored 409 marks. Erick Onyango was position two with 408 marks. He wants to be a doctor. Hasfa Sharrif scored 404 marks and wants to be a pharmacist. Brian Ibrahim, who scored 400 marks, wants to be an animator. Director Carmeline Tado enrolled 16 candidates, who scored a mean of 344 marks. She said the ban on ranking will end competition. “Children will lack motivation and teachers may also relax in discharging their duties.”
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Fight cattle theft - MP
Suna West MP Joseph Ndiege has asked police in Migori county to end cattle rustling. Ndiege, a former chief, said he will help police combat cattle rustlers in his constituency and neighbouring Kuria West. He urged residents of Oruba-Ragana ward, which hosts Migori town, to work with police to stop crime. “Police should put an end to rampant incidents of ferrying stolen cattle to other regions as that discourages small-scale investors,” Ndiege said. He spoke at Ragana Primary School on Saturday during a fundraiser. Ndiege was accompanied by area MCA Hezron Okello.
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Njenga backs ruling on security laws
FORMER Mungiki sect leader Maina Njenga has suppoted last Friday’s High Court’s suspension of sections of the contested security laws. Justice George Odunga upheld preliminary objections against the amendments passed by Parliament on December 18. Njenga, who heads Hope International Ministries Church was speaking after celebrating his 47th birthday in his farm in Isinya’s Millennium Estate on Friday. He said he is a victim of the flawed laws. During the party, several police vehicles from Isinya and Kitengela milled around Njenga’s home. Njenga jokingly invited the officers to join him in the...
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Governors call for full devolution
TWO governors have called for devolution of all national government functions to counties. Bomet’s Isaac Rutto and Kericho’s Paul Chepkwony said counties have capacity to handle issues affecting Kenyans. They said the functions should be devolved alongside allocation of more than 45 per cent resources to the counties. They were speaking on Saturday at Midillwet market in Sigowet-Soin constituency in Kericho county. Rutto said the push for Pesa Mashinani should not be mistaken for a political fight with the national government. Chepkwony said he will not withdraw his suit against players in...
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Groups want Embu matatu punished
THE government has been asked to discipline the sacco that owns the matatu, that killed 10 people in Embu last week. Speed Governor Association and the Road Safety Association said investigations into the accident established that the matatu belonging to Neno Sacco was errant. The association’s chairman Edward Gitonga and his Road Safety Association of Kenya counterpart David Kiarie said the sacco should own up. Gitonga and Kiarie spoke to the press in Embu on Saturday. The accident occurred at Kiangima area on the Embu-Meru road on Friday. “The matatu was overtaking a cyclist on a continuous...
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Private schools warn Knut, Kuppet over strike
THE Busia branch of the Kenya Private Schools Association has warned Knut and Kuppet against interfering with their operations when schools re-open today. Executive secretary Michael Ikolak said they will take legal actions against top officials of the unions if their members interrupt the opening of private schools. He was speaking yesterday at Chelelemuk Catholic Church in Teso North. “All private schools are not involved in the planned Knut and Kuppet strikes. We have no relations with the two rival unions to warrant us to join them in the strike,” Ikolak said. He told the pupils, teachers...
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PAC, EACC on spot over graft investigations
THE Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Parliamentary Committee on Public Investment have been accused of not investigating an alleged multimillion-shilling scandal at the Geothermal Generation Company. Several MPs have accused the agencies of not probing the allaged scam The alleged under-deal was revealed by former GDC chairman Simion Gicharu. The expose put him on a collision cause with GDC chief executive officer Dr Silas Simiyu. Parliament started investigating GDC in April last year after Gicharu raised the claims. He said there was massive corruption in the company with...
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Kebs 2015 motor inspection tender award stopped
The Kenya Bureau of Standards has been blocked from awarding a multi billion shillings tender for the pre-export shipment of motor vehicle inspection services pending an appeal by one of the losers. The Public Procurement Administrative Review Board issued the directive after Japan Export Vehicle Inspection Centre Company Limited contested the award to Quality Inspection Services Inc. Japan. Also contesting the award is the East Africa Automobile Services which has raised five grounds through their lawyer Tom Ojienda. The Board secretary P. O. Opiyo notified Kebs that an application for...
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Road carnage down by 9.7%, says NTSA
THE number of road deaths dropped last year by 9.7 per cent due to tough measures by traffic police and the National Transport and Safety Authority. NTSA director general Francis Meja said yesterday the authority will continue enforcing measures to reduce road carnage. “We will continue monitoring major highways especially now that many are travelling back from the countryside. We will continue to have speed guns as well as breathalysers on our roads,” he told the Star on the phone yesterday. Meja said 2,907 people died in accidents last year, compared to 3,218 in 2013 representing a 9.7 per...
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Abducted ICC witness found murdered, tongue and ears chopped off
THE ICC witness kidnapped last week has been found murdered and his eyes gouged out, tounge cut off, genitals chopped off and shot in the head. The bizarre ritual style killing has left his Turbo village in shock and mourning. The body of Meshack Yebei, 34, bore other marks of barbaric torture - his ears were chopped off and his head had deep knife or machete wounds. Yebei's mutiliated and burnt body was retrieved on Saturday from the River Yala bridge by police in Nandi county. The bridge is about 15km Southwest of Kapsabet town. On Wednesday last week, the Star exclusively reported how...
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HOW FIDEL ODINGA SPENT HIS LAST DAY BEFORE DYING IN HIS FATHER'S ARMS
FIDEL Odinga, who died in his father’s arms on Sunday morning in his Karen home, had told friends on Friday that he was recovering from food poisoning after an outing in Naivasha the previous weekend. Fidel turned down an offer of drinks from a friend last Friday, shortly after having lunch with eight friends in Nairobi, saying he was recovering from the food poisoning. Two of his longtime friends, former Kenya Football Federation official Tom Alila and a lawyer who sought anonymity, said Fidel had told them about his mild illness. Fidel died in his father Raila Odinga’s arms in his residence...
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Tong'i differs with predecessor Monda
NYARIBARI Chache MP Richard Tong’i on Friday differed in public with former lawmaker Robert Monda over the management of the constituency. Mondi had accused Tong’i of not managing the constituency well. Tong’i, however, told off Monda as the cause of all problems facing the constituents since he cannot account for what he did during his five-year tenure. They were speaking at the burial of teacher Christopher Nyamache in Rianyamwamu village. Monda said Tong’i is to blame over the poor state of roads in the constituency. Tong’i replied: “You failed to do the same roads you are complaining of...
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Magwanga roots for Moses Kajwang
Homa Bay residents have been urged to support ODM candidate for senator Moses Kajwang’. Kajwang’s campaign team chairman Oyugi Magwanga said he will best fit the seat that was previously held by his late brother Otieno Kajwang’. The by-election is set for February 12. Magwanga said the seat requires a leader who has not been tainted politically and who will champion the county’s fast growth and prosperity. He was speaking at an awareness forum in Agoro Sare High School on Friday. The race has attracted five candidates; former Rangwe MP Philip Okundi (Maendeleo Party), Fred Rabong’o (National...
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Be accountable, leaders urged
MP Oyugi Magwanga has urged leaders to be accountable. “In this 21st century, we all need to be accountable leaders. We have to tell our people the way we use the resources they have put in our hands without any ulterior motive,” Magwanga said at Agoro Sare High School on Friday. He urged leaders to embrace servant-hood leadership characterised by accountability and transparency. “We all have the equal task of leading our people in a manner that is responsive and convincing to them.”
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Schools’ fury over ranking
A school manager has accused the government of targeting private schools following the ban of ranking of schools in national examinations. The director of Temudo Academy in Kisumu, Carmeline Tado, said whereas the banning of ranking will help reduce exam cheating, it will end competition, which leads to high marks. “Children will lack motivation and teachers may also relax in discharging their duties,” she said. Tado spoke at the school on Friday during the celebrations of the KCPE results.
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Ojaamong honoured
Teso North University Students’ Association has crowned Governor Sospeter Ojaamong patron and honorary comrade. During a meeting at Hotel Levantes in Amagoro on Saturday, about 500 students pledged to support the governor’s bid for a second term in the 2017 elections. Association president Vitalis Omulepu said, “whoever will oppose Ojaamong will receive all manner of resistance from us”. “Ojaamong is the single-strongest Teso in the world and no one from the community should oppose him when that time comes.”
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Five die in Nambale road crash
FIVE people died after a lorry transporting sugarcane overturned at Nambale junction on Saturday. Three people were seriously injured. Witnesses said the driver of the lorry, ferrying sugarcane from Busidibu to Nambale, lost control and landed in a ditch. They said eight cane loaders were perched on the lorry and five of them died on the spot after they fell off. The injured were rushed to Nambale Subcounty Hospital. The accident caused a major traffic snarl-up on the Busia-Mumias road. Nambale deputy county commissioner Francis Lenyangume warned cane transporters against speeding. “I am...
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