Today marks the first time the World Vasectomy Day is being held in Kenya, highlighting a subject rarely discussed especially among men.

In any relationship, there comes a time when a couple decides to talk about family planning. Such conversations are usually held if a couple wants to space their children or if

they feel the number of children they have is enough.

Some of these conversations are held in a classroom setting, where one party represents the teacher and the other the student.

The student in this scenario is a woman in a society that assumes family planning is her responsibility.

Which begs the questions: What happens if the tables are turned and the man opted to take the bullet? Would his actions be viewed as an act of love or would he be the laughing

stock of the society?

Some 30 men will undergo free vasectomy at the Kenya National Theatre today free of charge.

Five doctors from the US together with a few local doctors will carry out the procedure on men whose families are complete.

Zachary Kagiri, 45, is among those who decided to undergo the operation.

He said it will ease the burden his wife has been facing for 10 years.

“I made up my mind when my wife told me that she was going to remove the family plan she had an implant. She would always complain that it made her feel dizzy and have mood

swings, but all that was music to my ears,” Kagiri said.

Zachary has four children, two of whom are with his wife. He said he was always embarrassed whenever he went out with his wife because everyone knew the family option

she was using because of the type of clothes she was wearing.

“I tried picking dresses for her but she would not wear them. She opted for the sleeveless clothes which allowed everyone to see the mark on her hand,” Kagiri added.

As the man of the house, Kagiri researched about the family planning options available to men in the market, and by sheer luck, he met the founder of World Vasectomy Day,

who explained to him why a vasectomy would be the best option for him.

“When I met Jonathan and his team in Kangemi and told them about my predicament, they explained to me what a vasectomy is and where I could do it. It is at that point that I

kept asking myself why I can’t save my wife,” Kagiri said.

When he told his wife about his decision, she said it was the best news. “It shows that you really love me and I will support you,” she said.

MYTHS ABOUT VASECTOMY

Jonathan Stack, 59, is the founder of the organisation. He came to Kenya in August with the aim of learning about the uptake of family planning options in the country, especially

among men.

Jonathan, an Emmy Award-winning and two-time Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker, and also the founder of World Vasectomy Day, got his vasectomy five years ago. He has six children.

“Before the procedure I asked a friend of mine what he thought of men who got a vasectomy.” His response made him delay his decision to get a vasectomy. “He said men who

got a vasectomy are not alpha men but alpha lite.”

However, when he told his wife about his decision, she responded with a question: “What took you so long?”

Jonathan says it was the only statement she made apart from being happy. Previously, she has used an IUD and hormonal pills.

His organisation has marked three World Vasectomy Days in different countries, the fourth one being celebrated in Kenya today.

“Kenya, like many countries, faces challenges of cultural, religious and economic differences. A lot of men fear getting a vasectomy because of the negative perceptions from peers

with no awareness from both national and county governments,” Jonathan said.

He said his procedure, which took about 20 minutes, did not affect his life. Most men think that if one gets a vasectomy, it will affect his sex lifeand make him less of a man.

“Women put up with a lot in life that we men take for granted. Men should be embarrassed of how wimpy we are. If men had to give birth to babies, there would never be a second

child because they cannot tolerate the discomfort women go through,” Jonathan said.

According to a report by the National Council and Population Development, men rarely get involved in family planning matters because the information being relayed only focuses on women.

The 2014 report, titled Male Involvement in Family Planning and Reproductive Health, also indicated that men fear talking about it.

“The results indicate low male involvement in the matter. This is mainly due to the stigma associated with family planning and maternal and child health clinics being perceived as a woman’s issue,” it read.

The report showed most men support a family planning option chosen by their spouses by providing financial support or transport to and from the clinics.

“The findings further indicate that condoms are mostly used as an alternative to long-term methods, such as vasectomy.

In all the regions, the men and women, both young and old, were in agreement that vasectomy is the least popular family planning method.

Few men were willing to go through the minor operation, while their women thought that men who undergo vasectomy may not have an erection any more, or worse still, may

become impotent,” the report stated.

WHAT PROCEDURE ENTAILS

A vasectomy is a surgical procedure performed on men in which the vas deferens (tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the seminal vesicles) are cut and tied.

Once cut, the semen will no longer contain sperms, so conception cannot occur.The testicles continue to produce sperm, but they are absorbed by the body.

Before the procedure is done, the physician will first assess the patient’s general health to identify any potential problems that could occur.

The doctor will then explain to the patient what the procedure entails.

After that, the patient will sign a consent form stating he understands the information given to him and gives the doctor permission to perform the operation.

“The procedure only takes 15 minutes. It is done under a local anesthesia,” vasectomy specialist Charles Ochieng’ said.

Dr Ochieng’, who practises at Winam Safe Parenthood Initiative (Wispivas), has conducted more than 1,000 procedures. He said after the procedure, the patient is not allowed

to strain himself by doing any hard labour. He is also advised not go have sexual intercourse until after 72 hours or when he is comfortable to reduce any chances of the wound

being infected.

TUBAL LIGATION

Dr Ramon Suarez, who is among the five doctors who will be carrying out the vasectomies at KNT, cautioned men not to opt for a vasectomy if their partner opts for tubal ligation.

“Th failure rate of a vasectomy is 2 per cent, and if it fails, the worst that can happen is getting your spouse pregnant. However, if tubal ligation fails, your spouse may die,” Suarez

said.

Tubal ligation is a surgical procedure for sterilisation, in which a woman’s fallopian tubes are clamped to prevent eggs from reaching the uterus for implantation.

Both Suarez and Ochieng’ added that vasectomies are reversible but very few men opt out of it.

“Vasectomy is not for people who still want to have children. This is one of the simplest family planning options because the process of dividing the tube is fairly simple compared to

the process of reversing it,” Suarez said.

“In Kenya, men are said involved in family panning matters because the government has not been creating awareness about vasectomy. That is why most of them think that it is castration.” Ochieng added.

SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVES

Women have more than 10 different types of family planning methods while men have two: condoms and vasectomy.

A study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and metabolism shows that scientists are trying to come up with male-equivalent female contraceptives like pills and

IUDs.

A hormonal pill for men is in the offing after researchers said that the injectable drug is 96 per cent effective.

Out of the 320 who took part in the study, only four of them got their wives pregnant. The trial, however, ended prematurely after some men complained of developing some

side effects to the pill, such as mood swings, muscle pain, acne, among others.

Ochieng’ noted that the roles of men in fertility and family planning should not be overlooked, as it is important in the context of raising contraceptive prevalence and reducing

level of fertility.

A weekend rally is touted as a massive thanksgiving prayer assembly for Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto, but the convergence of key opposition chiefs on Sunday signals the birth of the national super alliance, NASA.

The alliance is a potentially formidable initiative uniting them against President Uhuru Kenyatta and the Jubilee Party machine next year.

It aims to undermine Deputy President William Ruto's influence in his South Rift Valley backyard, where some leaders are shepherding the key region's voters away from the ruling Jubilee coalition.

Sources familiar with the planning said the meeting will be the first public appearance by opposition leaders to assure the public Uhuru will face a united team.

They tell the Star the super alliance is to be announced, though the deal is expected to be signed in December.

Expert comment: Rutto's massive face-saving strategy

The rally beamed live on nationwide television is likely to send jitters through Jubilee, especially as it is set squarely on Ruto's turf.

The rally will celebrate Governor Rutto's return this evening to great fanfare from a South African hospital where he underway surgery for facial injuries suffered in a confrontation with police.

Loaded with political symbolism, the rally will take place at historic Bomet Stadium, which seats 37,000.

Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Amani National Congress boss Musalia Mudavadi and his Kanu counterpart Gideon Moi will address the crowd.

ODM leader and Cord chief Raila Odinga, who has been giving university lectures in Nigeria, could return in time for the rally.

However, ODM Executive Director Oduor Ong'wen said Raila will visit Kericho on Sunday, not Bomet.

Key speakers include Jubilee rebels led by Kuresoi South MP Zakayo Cheruiyot.

Cheruiyot, formerly a powerful Kanu man, this evening leads a big delegation to welcome Governor Rutto at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.

Rutto was airlifted to South Africa after sustaining injuries below his right eye during a fight between his supporters and those of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, his chief opponent in the Bomet governor's race.

Read: [VIDEO] Rutto rushed to Nairobi Hospital after scuffle with police

Yesterday, Mudavadi's spokesman Kibisu Kabatesi and Bomet county Communications director Kiprotich Samoei separately confirmed to the Star the thanksgiving rally was on.

“It's true, local churches have organised an interdenominational prayer for the governor this Sunday and many leaders are expected,” he said.

Kabatesi said his boss will attend.

Cord affiliate parties ODM, Wiper and Ford Kenya have been negotiating with ANC, Kanu and Chama Cha Mashinani to form the National Super Alliance, NASA, to face Jubilee in 2017. K

Kanu and Rutto's CCM refused to dissolve and join the Jubilee behemoth.

The unity attempt rekindled memories of 2002 when Narc toppled Kanu, endings its 24-yeas reign.

In a coordinated strategy to send a strong message to DP Ruto, the Isaac Ruto homecoming is to be an extravagant affair.

After a grand airport reception, the motorcade of leaders and Kalenjin professional will travel to City Cabanas where leaders will address the media before driving to the city.

On Saturday, the convoy will drive to Bomet town with stops in Suswa, Narok town and Mulot.

Mudavadi has been the public face of NASA and has reserved the name with the Registrar of Political Parties.

The ANC boss, who was duped by Uhuru and Ruto ahead of the 2013 polls, says NASA is an outfit for those who want a better Kenya.

“Muungano Maalum is a space for all those against misrule by Jubilee, which is characterised by condoning rampant corruption; a ruinous and extravagant economic model of borrowing to eat while protecting economic saboteurs; arrogant ethnic exclusionism; and ruining our youth with the hustler mentality while stealing billions meant to empower the same youth,” ANC said in a statement last month.

On October 28, Cord CEO Norman Magaya told the Star the super alliance deal could be sealed by December. This was corroborated by Kanu's Salat

“The relationship among all principals is very cordial, all are working aggressively to galvanise the alliance. They consult very regularly and plans are underway to put pen to paper and agree on a campaign plan of action from December to August 2017,” Magaya said.

Despite its benefits, the coming together of the opposition is likely to compound an existing headache: Who should be the flagbearer to face Uhuru?.

Already, Cord co-principals Raila Odinga, Moses Wetang’ula and Kalonzo Musyoka are having a hard time deciding who will head the coalition ticket.

Just this week, Kalonzo and his erstwhile confidant Johnson Muthama have been in the news as the former VP accused the senator of working in Raila's interests.

Mudavadi too has been urging all other opposition chiefs to drop their bids and instead back him.

When Rutto was injured, Raila and Gideon were among the first to visit him at the Nairobi Hospital and strongly condemned the attack.

"The attack on the governor continues a worrying agenda of hate and intolerance that has taken root in the country as the Government's way of dealing with dissent and opponents, real or perceived," Raila said.

Kanu secretary general Salat earlier told the Star,"The (alliance) talks are already at advanced stages, with a tight timeline, and I believe in December this year we will sign an agreement with other opposition parties to embark on countrywide campaigns in January."

Salat said the opposition wants to run the campaign based on the issues that concern all Kenyans, in a development likely to change the national political landscape.

Esther Passaris has urged women not to be discouraged by men out to discredit them while going for leadership positions.

Miguna Miguna has dismissed a video clip of an exchange with her during KTN’s Jeff Koinange Live Show on Wednesday night.

In the clip the Nairobi governor aspirant is shouting with his hands in the air “everybody is raping Esther...Esther is so beautiful... everybody wants to rape her ...”

The Media Council of Kenya yesterday said although it believes in media freedom, the comments made on the show violated the law on tone, taste and obscenity.

Chief executive Haron Mwangi said, “The guests used disparaging remarks against each other on air.”

He advised producers and host Jeff Koinange to be mindful of what transpires in their shows and moderate guests.

Watch [VIDEO] Outrage after Miguna, Passaris rape talk video on JKL emerges

Passaris, who is also an aspirant for governor, did not take Miguna’s comments lightly.

“You are so sick...You are so jealous and I can’t even look at you... really...really... you are so disgusting,” she said. But undeterred by the “soft” words from Passaris, Miguna continued talking, gesturing at the operator recording the video.

“You are chasing men all over... Esther, nobody wants you. ..you are too old... nobody wants you..who wants you ..who wants you...?” he said.

“Esther... nobody wants you ... you think you are beautiful... you are not.” Clad in a black suit and red tie, Miguna told Passaris all she has is the colour of her skin.

“It’s just colour...Esther, it’s just colour... Without the colour you are nothing...you are absolutely zero...you are zero...you are not beautiful... You have nothing...,” said the lawyer.

“The cartels who think you are beautiful... they sent you here.” Koinange and the crew are seen unshaken and laughing at the argument as they go on with the show.

But Passaris, who was left speechless, got more furious as time went by.She told Miguna off, saying, “Get used to the idea that you will never be the governor. Shut up, really...you are so racist....”

In a post on Twitter yesterday, Passaris urged women not to be discouraged by men like Miguna.

“Men like Miguna have no place or role to play in our empowerment. He is part of the problem. Let’s be even more determined to take our place at the table,” she said.

Passaris said women are not perfect but continue striving for more.

“I encourage women not to shy away from leadership for fear of victimisation, character assassination and prejudices of patriarchy,” she said.

But Miguna said via Twitter that some parts of the video were omitted.

“The video omits the portion where Passaris accused me of rape... She did not specify whom I allegedly raped,” he said. “The cartels are out in full force with falsehoods, propaganda and threats. Let’s stick to the truth.”

Miguna said “the cartels” are trying to besmirch his reputation with edited and contrived videos, adding, “but the people of Nairobi have decided.”

“Esther Passaris purports to be vying for Nairobi governor as Esther Passaris ... she cannot therefore project herself merely as a woman,” he said. Noting he has immense respect for women, Miguna said he does not respect hypocrites and opportunists.

“...those who use their gender to seek or obtain advantages that they don’t deserve,” he said.

Has Kiambu County Doubled its Revenue to Sh4.7 billion?

Or is this just an exaggeration as local leaders claim?

Several articles, including this one published in the Star have reported claims made by the Kiambu Governor, William Kabogo, that the county has increased it’s revenue collection to Sh4.7 billion.

This increase, he further claims, has been due to the county’s transition to automated systems for revenue collection including the ability for residents to use mobile money and credit cards to make payments to the county.

However, a Member of the County Assembly (MCA) from Kiambu county, went to Twitter to state that these claims were false.

The MCA insisted that the county has only managed to raise Sh2.2 billion through local revenues, a figure that is far below the revenue collections made by the now defunct Kiambu town council prior to 2013 when devolution was implemented.

So, we ask: Is Governor Kabogo’s claim of increased revenues due to automation true and is the MCA justified in calling him out for making a false claim?

PesaCheck has researched the issue, with input from the International Budget Partnership in Kenya, and finds that the claim made by Governor Kabogo is FALSE.

According to the annual county government implementation review reports prepared by the controller of budget, between 2013 and 2016, Kiambu County collected revenues amounting to KSh1.2 billion, KSh 2.11 billion and KSh2.46 billion respectively from local sources.

While this indicates a year-on-year increase in revenue collection, Governor Kabogo’s claim that the county’s revenue collections have increased to KSh4.7 billion is FALSE.

The highest amount of local revenues collected was in the last financial year when the county received KSh2.47 billion, which is KSh2.2 billion short of Governor Kabogo’s claim of KSh4.7 billion.

Do you want us to fact-check something a politician or other public figure has said about public finances? Write to us on any of the contacts below, and we’ll help ensure you’re not getting bamboozled.

This report was written by PesaCheck Fellow Leo Mutuku, who is co-founder and chief executive at a data-science consultancy in Nairobi. The infographics are by PesaCheck Fellow Brian Wachanga, who is a Kenyan civic technologist interested in data visualisation. The report was edited by veteran investigative editor and PesaCheck co-founder Catherine Gicheru, with fact-checking by IBP-Kenya country lead Dr Jason Lakin.

PesaCheck is East Africa’s first fact-checking initiative. It seeks to help the public separate fact from fiction in public pronouncements about the numbers that shape our world, with a special emphasis on pronouncements about public finances that shape government’s delivery of so-called ‘Sustainable Development Goals’ or SDG public services, such as healthcare, rural development and access to water / sanitation. PesaCheck also tests the accuracy of media reportage. To find out more about the project, visit pesacheck.org,

PesaCheck is a joint initiative of Code for Africa, through its local Code for Kenya chapter, and the International Budget Partnership (Kenya), in partnership with a coalition of local media organisations, with additional support from the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ).

Samuel Macharia Njoroge, 42, refers to his earlier years as the dark ages.

“This is a period that I faced a lot of hardship and stigma while undergoing psychiatric treatment and rehabilitation both residential and out-patient for quite some time. I was in and out of it for about 11 years, ” says Njoroge

Njoroge says he developed Substance Abuse Disorder on top of a pre-existing mental health disorder .

It would make him reckless getting him arrested for the first time on his 24th birthday in 1998 while causing mayhem with college friends at night.

He spent two days in jail, but Njoroge would end up in prison numerous more times after this incident.

It is common for persons with psychosocial disabilities or mental illnesses in Kenya to come in conflict with the law, particularly for petty offences.

Experts say that this is because of social stigma, surrounding mental illness as well as lack of access to care and medical treatment.

Kenya’s Ministry of Health released a Mental Health Policy in April. The policy is meant to provide a framework for creating awareness on the disability and providing better health care and other forms of support for both those living with psychosocial disabilities and their families.

According to Silent Minds, a 2011 study by the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights published in 2011, up to 25 per cent of out-patients, and 40 per cent of in-patients in Kenya’s health facilities suffer from some form of mental illness.

The study states that patients seeking out-patient services for mental health suffer from disorders such as depression, Post Traumatic Stress Disorders (PTSD), panic and anxiety disorders as well as alcohol dependence.

Lack of awareness and professional help

Despite the prevalence of Mental Health Disorders, the report by KNHCR estimates that Kenya has just over 77 psychiatric consultants, 418 psychiatric nurses and 30 clinical psychologists for a population of about 42 million.

Persons with psychosocial disabilities face stigma and discrimination, which is attributed to a lack of awareness .

Elizabeth Kamundia, a rights lawyer specialising in mental health says, most people with psychosocial disabilities will be arrested for petty offences.

Offences such as begging, causing a breach of the peace and indecent acts are penalized under Section 182 of Kenya’s Penal Code.

These acts are further outlawed in county by-laws. Offenders can spend up to a month in prison if they fail to pay a fine of Sh100, or a year for subsequent offences.

Kamundia says, persons with psychosocial disabilities will come in conflict with these laws for offences such as indecent acts, like taking off one’s clothes or causing a disturbance because of a tendency to sometimes get aggressive as a result of the disorder.

“The question is whether our society’s response is to throw that person in prison or to give care? Responding to a crisis like that is a disproportionate response for someone exhibiting their impairment. Police, chiefs and others called to the scene need to be trained on how to de-escalate the crisis," Kamundia adds.

People found guilty and insane are not granted a definite system after sentencing.

“There are two situations,” explains Kamundia. “Where someone gives a defense of insanity, claiming they were of unsound mind at the time of committing the offence, the second situation is if someone is insane during the trial, where the judge says, this person is of unsound mind.”

Kamundia explains that most petty offenders end up in jail. However, a presidential order can be made to move offenders to a mental hospital.

Person’s found to be of unsound mind during trial can be detained by order of the President, according to Section 166, of the Criminal Procedure Code.

Njoroge is today the Head of Programs advisor of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry (USP) Kenya, an advocacy group for people with psychosocial disabilities.

USP sensitises communities about mental illness including police officers and chiefs in order to eradicate stigma and eradication.

An Audience gathered during World Mental Health Celebrations in October. /Lydia Matata

He says that during the time of his numerous arrests, he was out on the streets having been rejected by his family because of his illness.

“I would find myself in odd places during odd hours. Sometimes the police would find me in Changa dens. They would arrest me for being drunk and disorderly, or touting.

"Sometimes I was lucky not to see beyond the police station because they would let me go after one or two days. Other times I would find myself in court and I would be sentenced for one month or three months If I could not raise the fine," Njoroge adds.

If sentenced to imprisonment, his family would intervene to avoid the embarrassment, but stigma would drive him out on the streets again, leading to further run ins with the police. Njoroge believes being in jail made his condition worse.

Suffering ridicule and violence

“It really compromised my esteem even further, because of having to conform to prison regulations like taking off your shoes, under wear and jacket. Medical assistance would also take a really long time if one needed it. I would also suffer in their because of the crowdedness and sleeping on the filthy floor.” Njoroge says.

Njoroge says he also suffered ridicule and violence from hardened criminals at the jail.

"When a person is found guilty and insane, this person first and foremost is kept in the prison, these are a special category called Special Psychiatric Offenders.

"They are moved to the mental hospital through a process called an instrument which is under section 166," Pamela Onyango, the Chief Probation Officer at the Mathari Hospital says.

Their release, from prison or from a mental hospital, requires a presidential pardon.

Onyango’s office is in charge of putting together reports for offenders with mental illness who are going through trial, or are supposed to be released from prison, once the hospital believes they have adequately gone through treatment.

There are 117 probation stations in every court jurisdiction.

The officers are relied upon to visit communities of offenders in order to produce reports on their status. Onyango’s office also deals with offenders who are unable to plead because of their mental illness.

These suspects can be let out of bail, if it is a bailable offence to seek treatment come back to stand trial.

But, if the suspect cannot afford bail, or the case is for a more serious offence, they can be detained until a psychiatrist finds them fit to plead. However, this too is a bureaucratic process that can take a long time.

Onyango says that for offenders found guilty to get a presidential pardon, a petition to the Power of Mercy Committee must show certain requirements have been fulfilled certain requirements including having a community and family that will accept them should they return.

“We have so many patients here whose relatives do not want them because they consider them a burden or others have been disinherited and the relatives do not want to say what is wrong. The family creates so many roadblocks until eventually you find out that this is why they do not want to address the issue which makes reintegration difficult,” she says.

Mental illness in conflict with the law

Acting Director of Mental Health Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Simon Njuguna, says prevention is key in ensuring people living with mental illness do not come in conflict with the law, through access to health care before the disorder becomes a severe disease.

However due to stigma and discrimination, he says, people are not getting proper mental health care. Njuguna adds that there are gaps in the current Mental Health Act when it comes to protecting the rights of those with the disorder.

“There are disparities in mental health particularly to do with access to equal opportunities and rights including the right to health care and employment. We need to bridge those gaps and ensure that patient and even care – giver is protected,” says Njuguna.

The Ministry is planning to amend the Mental Health act, one suggestion is the first tracking of legal processes by establishing a special tribunal for people with a mental illness. Njuguna notes however, that for the new laws to work, more capacity needs to be built.

“If you are talking about Mathari Hospital, it has eight psychiatrists, dealing with offenders from prisons including Kamiti and Langata Women’s Prison. These doctors have other duties, aside from the forensic psychiatry. We need to train officers of the justice system and correctional officers. Kenya also lacks a doctor trained in forensic psychiatry, we only have general psychiatrists.” He says.

Speaking during an interview on World Mental Health day in Karatina, Nyeri County, local chief George Wanjohi says his office has managed to deal with offenders who have mental health disorder before their matters go to court following sensitisation by USP.

“Most of them commit petty offences like damaging property, and of course they run away. But these days they run to us or the police so we deal with the disputes before they go any further. ”Wanjohi says.

He says that such acts are usually committed because someone made the offender angry by making fun of their condition, calling them mad or throwing stones at them.

“Before we did not know that this condition was a disability, we were not even considering them for the funds that the government makes available for persons with disabilities. But after sensitisation we understand what this illness is.” Wanjohi adds.

Njuguna says through the new policy, the Ministry has identified 11 priority actions including the need to build human resource and have health care facility at both national and community level.

“The next item, is to actualize the policy, by making investment in those areas, we have a five year action and investment plan which will bring in partners from the community and government to assist in implementation. A taskforce has began work on the plan.” he says.

“Never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups.” A friend in the UK sent me this quote the day after Hillary Clinton’s stunning loss to Donald Trump in the U.S. elections.

A white standup comedian, George Carlin ( 1937-2008 ) from New York said so.
But another white friend in her 60s, who voted for Clinton in the same state, wrote to me a note that, typical of New Yorkers, was as subtle as a train wreck.

“Look, too often people of colour [she meant blacks] protect white people from themselves. Last night they just couldn’t do it because Trump got the angry white person to actually vote. Let’s just call it like it is, [it was] the power of stupid white people!” she said.
There, you have it.

Did the United States last week elect a terrible President because stupid voters ran all the good guys out of town? Well, what else could explain why the painstakingly planned campaign of the experienced Clinton lost to the no-rules, I-don’t-care campaign of her opponent, the bombastic billionaire with zero political experience, Trump?
After the votes were counted, the guy who lost the popular vote was declared the winner. Well, that’s because of the madness (or is it wisdom?) of the US Constitution.

The rule of the game here is that people don’t actually vote for a President. They vote to tell some 538 members of the Electoral College whom they want to be President.

The number 538 mirrors the sum of all 535 members of Congress plus three electors allocated for the District of Columbia, a tiny special federal district that hosts the nation’s capital and does not elect a representative to Congress.
Then, in the first week of this December, each state will write to the US Senate, formally telling Washington which candidate their electors want to be President. The candidate to first reach 270 votes, the majority threshold in the Electoral College, becomes president.

For illustration, take Kenya.

Let us assume that our Constitution allocated each county a number of presidential electors. The sum of these privileged electors, decided by political party officials, should total 416, to mirror the sum of our MPs and senators. (Yes, you can fit Kenya into Texas and still leave room to fit half of Uganda. But while Texas where I voted has 36 electoral districts or constituencies, Kenya has 290. Add our 47 elected senators, Woman reps, nominated MPs and senators, special groups, and we reach 416 in Parliament.)

Now let us say we had two major presidential candidates, James ole Kiyiapi and Mohammed Abduba Dida. Say the Constitution allocated three Electoral College votes to Kajiado county, where I will vote in 2017. Regardless of whether 300,000 of us show up to vote in Kajiado, all our votes would be to decide whom between Kiyiapi and Dida gets our three Kajiado electors. The first candidate to lay claim on 209 electors, the majority threshold in the country, would be declared President.

This is how a presidential election is decided in America’s 50 states, albeit with minor variations in Maine and Nebraska.
It sounds like crooked democracy, right? Well, the framers of the US Constitution did not want “uninformed” people electing the President of the United States.
But this year, a mad man showed up. And all hell broke loose. An unprecedented surge of so-called “uninformed” voters, mostly rural people who don’t usually vote, suddenly came out of the woodwork. And the mad man got enough electors.
Now the dust has settled. Anti-Trump protesters have had their day in the streets. The reputations of pundits, the oracles on television and radio, are tattered. Ostriches have taken their heads out of the sand. Now we can start with the questions.

What the hell happened? What brought on the surge of “uninformed” voters?
The list will fill books. Oh, Hillary Clinton was damaged goods from the start. Oh, she is like our Raila Odinga who has worked long and hard for his country, whose relentless courage through the decades helped bend Kenya’s arch of history towards justice, inclusion and open governance, but whom large swathes of the country either love or hate in equal measure.

Oh, Clinton was no match in personal charisma, especially coming after the inspirational orator and effective mobiliser President Barack Obama, who connects effortlessly with even people who disagree with him.
Oh, Clinton just had endless bad luck. Russia and WikiLeaks kept leaking email secrets of her campaign strategy and her issues to the opponent. A day after the elections, Russian diplomats astonishingly admitted on record that Vladimir Putin’s administration was actually in contact with Trump’s campaign, MSNBC reported.
Or oh, a random laptop belonging to a raving sex-scandals addict called Anthony Weiner from New York, whose estranged wife worked for Clinton, screwed everything. The FBI discovered, too close to Election Day, over half-a-million emails associated with Clinton, prompting a fresh look into how the former secretary of state handled official government emails.
None of this matters now. The answer is in the data on who came to vote.
The United States with all of its 320 million citizens is a data-driven country. Government and private research data knows where you live, where you like to shop, what airline you like to fly, what TV channels you like to watch, when you watch them, how often you change jobs, etcetera.

Really? Oh yeah. They don’t spy on you — it’s illegal — but the Internet-connected gadgets you use, the discount shopping cards for which you apply, the cameras used to control traffic that read your number plate as you drive home, the ATM machine that knows your biographical info, all leave a long trail of who you are and what you like to do.
Based on what you’ve done in the past, computer simulations can predict how you are likely to act in the future, who will likely move to your neighbourhood, where your children will likely go to school, what hospital you’re likely to go to, heck, even when you’re likely to die.

On the good side, all of this data helps the government to project people’s movements for 10, 20 years and, hence, services to you. On the bad side, Uncle Sam is always watching.
Given this amount of data, experts know if or how you’re likely to vote. Campaigns design strategies to raise money from you, and to execute a massive get-out-the-vote drive on D-Day.
Up till the last day, data analysis and poll of polls, an average of all polls, consistently showed that Clinton would win by a landslide.

Then Trump’s voters showed up.

They were mostly from the Rust Belt states, the region cutting through the upper northeastern USA, the Great Lakes and the Midwest states, where economic decline, population loss, and the once-humming industrial sector have left in its wake urban decay.

In their days, a high school diploma was sufficient to get you job security for life. Not anymore.
These were people who had had it. They knew pain. And for at least six election cycles, elite America ignored their pain. Trump told them he would make America great again, and they took this to mean he would make their pain go away. Nothing else mattered. They wanted change, regardless of what that change looked like. So they brought a hand-grenade to Washington, Trump.

Last week, a former steel mill worker in the state of Ohio who said he voted for Trump told National Public Radio that he was laid off for years after their plant closed, because Chinese steel was now cheaper in America.
He couldn’t get it. “We invented steel (sic), why is it over there?” he said.
Another retiree was asked if he cared about trade wars, or the reality of living in a world that’s now a village. Economists say that to stay relevant in the new order, people should focus on stuff at which they excel. Stick to your competitive advantage. If you’re Germany or Japan, make cars; don’t grow nduma.

If you make great rat poison, become the best damn maker of rat position, we’re now told. While you’re at it, make it so your prices are competitive, more affordable than the next alternative. If this means having machines replace your workers, so be it. The world will clear bushes on the way to your house, to buy your rat poison.
But to this retiree in Ohio, it was all very simple. “Oh we don’t care about trade wars,” he said, “we gotta take care of ourselves, that’s what’s important.” How do you argue with that? This is the working class America for whose pain Trump became a very precise and effective vehicle.

Wait. The pain of the “uninformed” voter is not unique to America. Every country has its own.
But the US election revealed something extraordinary. Trump single-handedly succeeded in depressing the vote of the “informed” middle-class, while simultaneously ramping up the vote of the people that his opponent regrettably called, “a basket of deplorables.”

On the other hand, thanks to quirks in the Electoral College system, this election did a tailspin on democracy. Trump, who won the Electoral College majority, did not only get fewer votes than Clinton; he got fewer votes than Mitt Romney, who lost to Obama in 2012. Read that again. Trump got fewer votes than the last loser.
My New Yorker friend put it this way: “What’s wrong with democracy when the person who came second wins?” As it turned out, exit polls showed that 60 per cent of those who voted for Trump actually didn’t like him. Just think about that for a minute. You don’t like a guy, but you still vote for him, anyway.
Hell, why?

Well, consider what I heard on the radio a week before elections. An evangelical pastor was preaching Jesus. He asked his audience to think what Jesus would do. He concluded that in this election, Christians might have to hold their noses and vote for the candidate whose identity he left no doubt about, Trump. And now a man that people held their noses to vote for will become the 45th President of the US. An ominous oracle from 1920 could come true in our time.
“As democracy is perfected, the office of president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people,” wrote Henry L Mencken, a German-American journalist and satirist. “On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last and the White House will be occupied by a downright fool and a complete narcissistic moron.”

Except Donald Trump is not a moron. If anything, he could be a true, honest-to-God genius. Okay, an evil genius.

RAILA Odinga is the ultimate political choke artist. In American sports, to choke is the failure by an athlete or team to win a game they were highly expected to. We could, for example, say that Hillary Clinton choked at the last minute. A history of Raila’s “would have beens” has now ultimately led to the National Super Alliance, the latest of his political formations that will soon enough choke at what some analysts think is a slam dunk for him.

Nasa is a restive mix of contradictions in political careers, intentions, the law, strategy and sponsors. It has a generous history of betrayals between its leading lights thrown in with a huge motivational deficit. The alliance, fronted by Musalia Mudavadi, to be anchored by Raila Odinga with Kalonzo Musyoka, Gideon Moi, Moses Wetang’ula and Isaac Rutto expected to waltz in later, presents an equation more difficult than quantum theory. Martha Karua has already bolted, declaring her candidature for Kirinyaga Governor and backing President Uhuru for reelection; a big blow to its aesthetic national appeal. Kalonzo Musyoka has already said that the inclusion of the others in the pool of candidates for the presidency is “...the beginning of betrayal” and has already ratted on his chief enforcer Johnson Muthama as a Raila Odinga mole and asset.

Nasa appropriates its form from the 2002 Narc dream that came a cropper barely a year into its life. The history of Narc itself should stand out as harbinger to the expectations around the newest political animal in town. In contrast though, Nasa has high expectations in its supposed strongholds but not half the enthusiasm that Narc had and none of the euphoria. The circumstances that created Narc are completely absent this time around, unless Jubilee breaks up and one of its core partners moves in to energize Nasa. The Nasa strongholds are in more of a despondent state than an angry one or a fed-up one, making it almost impossible to mobilize emotions the same way Narc had. All the actors in Nasa are too well known to the people, a familiarity that has led to contempt in certain sections of the population. The lack of a non-confrontational but able leader in the mould of Mwai Kibaki also presents a huge character deficit for Nasa. It is at best a shadow of what Narc was.

The political careers of Nasa’s leading lights have little to inspire a meaningful union. Raila is fast approaching the end of his occupation and is in the injury time of an illustrious if divisive career that has few friends left. For him it is now or never. Mudavadi is a lethargic politician who squandered his biggest Presidential opportunity in 2013, when the Jubilee duo had passed the baton to him for a few hours. While the blame has been placed on “mashetani” for the lapsed opportunity, truth is the blame lies squarely on Mudavadi for failing to enforce the biggest decision ever made in his political career. His clear lack of awareness on what was on the table, lack of political acumen and capacity were very well demonstrated in that episode. Had Mudavadi wanted to become President as badly as he would like us to believe, he would be President today. But Mudavadi failed and to this day the feeling is that his political career is more a happenstance of history than a real ambition for it. His heart and gut are not in this game. It is just a matter of time before he is completely eclipsed by other Luhya leaders who have what it takes to lead a nation.

Kalonzo Musyoka is a lonely and entitled politician completely isolated from the centre of things. He has managed to hang on to his Ukambani base out of loyalty and a looming sense of pity is creeping into it. His latest political masterstroke in calling out his chief enforcer Johnson Muthama for betrayal is perhaps the biggest sign that Kalonzo still has what it takes to play in the game. His career has been one not used to hard decisions as fate has favoured and buoyed him into his current position. Five years out in the cold have however weathered the man, who now seems to have a sense of urgency but clearly no sense of direction yet. He is completely suspicious of Nasa and is unlikely to follow through with it unless he is the candidate or deputy at the least. His rhetoric, however, increasingly points to a man who is likely to end up on the ballot outside of any of the big two formations both for his own dignity, pride and a post-election pact; a huge gamble that may fail and render him political history. Running on his own is the easier decision, but what will ultimately save Kalonzo’s career is a hard political decision, for which his disposition is currently not ready for.

Moses Wetang’ula lies between the anvil and hammer of his enemies. A resurgent Raila feels he does not need any proxies to secure Western for him. Raila indeed feels Wetang’ula owes him his current position and unlike another previous Raila proxy, William Ruto, Wetang’ula has failed in claiming the Bukusu Luhya cluster for himself. On the other side are two leading Jubilee lights in the Bukusu base; Bungoma Governor Kenneth Lusaka and Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary Eugene Wamalwa. Governor Lusaka is perhaps today Western’s most buoyant leader, with a sense of confidence that is impossible to miss in his wry smiles and juicy anecdotes. He is strutting through Western, an avowed Opposition stronghold, like a man with a trick on his palms. His approval ratings in Bungoma are impressive, despite some bad press that has accompanied him. The confidence and political positioning he is getting in Jubilee and the political money that will be available to him will squeeze Wetang’ula so thin he might readily snap before the big day. Water CS Wamalwa and his city political experiment, should that work, will deny Wetang’ula the platform to promise any commensurate goodies to his people. Wetang’ula is yet to become Presidential material and with so many chips against him, Nasa is probably his only opportunity to salvage his political career.

Gideon Moi is a prince who is yet to convince the country he is more than that. For Gideon, his title is all the politics he seems to want. A political reluctance and insipient entitlement contradict the man for any political observer, leaving many to believe that his father, former President Daniel arap Moi, is still the player in this game. It is the older Moi who is politically disturbed by Gideon’s future and has, according to sources, brought together the Nasa idea to provide his son a platform to challenge William Ruto for Kalenjin supremacy. Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto is a veritable political enforcer, only surpassed by Aden Duale, and is being lined up to enforce the Nasa idea in the Rift Valley on Gideon’s behalf.

Speculation as to who is the ultimate sponsor of Nasa is still rife. Its foremost advocate is Mudavadi, who is slowly being edged out of the news cycle with his newfound gospel. Mudavadi completely lacks the capacity to conceive and execute such a grand plan. He is unwilling to stake his political money on his career and doesn’t have the think tank capacity for such political strategy. Mudavadi is simply a canary of a real think tank whose brainchild the whole idea is. Raila’s continued pursuit of his ambition under ODM, though he has spoken of a bigger alliance, also completely puts him out of ownership of the idea. The Mois on the other hand are the unseen hand in the whole scheme, with both the capacity and intention to see Nasa through. In Nasa’s triumph would lie William Ruto’s fall and Gideon Moi’s projection to the top of Rift Valley politics. When you follow the money, it all ultimately ends up at the Mois’ gate.

An analysis of the historical interaction between all these actors in Nasa however leaves a huge trust shortfall that is its biggest undoing. The glue and fuel that would keep Nasa together is Raila. He is critical for this formation to take off and have any chance at power. His history with its chief sponsors the Mois however fails the test of loyalty. The history between the two political dynasties does not inspire confidence. It is the Mois that effectively replaced the Odingas and the Luos from the centre of power when Daniel Moi took over the vice presidency in 1967 and thereby entrenched Kalenjin and Kikuyu power. Any time Moi power has faced a threat from Kikuyu power, it has called on the Odingas to salvage them. In 1980, Daniel Moi approached Jaramogi Odinga for a detente that miscarried almost immediately and ended in the 1982 attempted coup. In 2002, Daniel Moi approached Raila for a political pact that ended with the humiliation of Moi at Uhuru Park as he watched and listened to his own evisceration. In 2007, Raila effectively stole the Mois’ Kalenjin leadership birthright and handed it over to William Ruto. It is too deep a history of betrayal to warrant the trust and confidence needed to deliver a joint political enterprise like Nasa.

Even trying to use proxies, one hand removed, like Musalia Mudavadi and Isaac Ruto does not cover up a history of political bloodletting between the two dynasties.

The contradictions in Nasa are both genetic and environmental. The expectations for it are high and may very well be the only reason it may come to life. It is made up of so many without a political base that shore its support to rival of any of Jubilee’s core. It requires too much for it to work out with the distinct possibility that once one chip fails, the domino effect will leave it obliterated. This explains Raila Odinga’s watch and see attitude towards Nasa. It is the kind of enterprise that once it pulls anchor, it must sail to harbour. The prospect of a ship wreck mid voyage is too large to ignore. Should Nasa take off then collapse, it will bring down with it all careers on board and lead to a political whitewash by Jubilee.

In paradox, a political motivational deficit, almost apathy, to Jubilee domination is palpable in sections of the population. An angry opposition political class is however slowly managing to mobilize that anger in the people through the constant allegation of corruption and creation of a wedge between jubilee’s core support and the country. Even inside Jubilee’s core are political murmurs of disillusionment, with apathy being the main target. The contradictions in Nasa however make it completely incapable of seizing the moment. Nasa will choke even before the real game is on.

Presidential results will first be announced at polling stations and instantly posted online for all to see, as the IEBC seeks to reduce disputes over next year's election.

This time, electronic transmission of presidential results will not wait until they are tallied at the constituency level as in the past. In the disputed 2007 polls, presidential results were first announced at the constituency and results sent by road or air to the National Tallying Centre.

All forms declaring the tally of all polling stations in the constituency will also be scanned and uploaded as soon as they are signed by all candidates and party agents.

These plans are contained in the draft Elections Results Management Framework (ERMF) outlining how results will be transmitted. The aim is to achieve transparency, credibility and reduce claims of rigging that plagued the last polls.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has invited public input.

"The ERMF will ensure the process of counting, tallying, collating, announcing, transmitting and declaration of election results is transparent, verifiable, secure and complies with the law," electoral agency CEO Ezra Chiloba said in a statement yesterday.

The draft says the commission "shall establish ERMF at national, county and constituency levels to provide regular updates on progress of the electoral process, respond to enquiries and provide a feedback mechanism on incidents management."

"Election results have consequences that go beyond who wins and who loses. Even among election observers and analysts, there are those who view the process of election results management with suspicion and skepticism," the document states.

Declaration of unclear and confusing results led to rigging claims in 2007, followed by violence that killed 1,650 people and displaced 300,000 others.

In that last election, a failure in electronic transmission and delayed receipt of some forms were cited by the opposition in challenging the results before the Supreme Court.

According to the draft, presiding officers must announce presidential results at polling stations before electronically transmitting them to the constituency confirming successful transmission.

The results, marked ballot boxes and counter foils will then be forwarded to the constituency returning officer.

Earlier, when voting ends, polling station presiding officers will convert the voting room into a counting venue and ensure the space and the arrangement guarantee transparent and effective counting.

"The counting venue should be secure and only minimal movement of people should allowed until the counting process is concluded," the draft says.

The draft provides a floor plan of the polling station where the presiding officer will arrange desks or tables into a rectangle.

They will use barriers to ensure ensures no ballot paper slips onto the floor.

"Prior to counting any ballot, the PO seals all ballot boxes and makes a Statement of Ballot Counts as provided for in Regulation 73(2)," the draft says.

The statement will include numbers of ballots issued to the presiding officer, unused ballots, ballots issued to voters, spoilt ballots, the number of issued minus spoilt ballots and number of registered voters.

The next step for declaration of presidential elections will be at the constituency level where the returning officer prepares a presidential ballot accountability report.

The returning officer will deliver copies of election results Forms 34s and 36 from the constituency to the National Tallying Centre with the original presidential results.

Form 34s are the Declaration of Presidential Election Results at Polling Station, signed by the presiding officer, deputy and all party agents present.

Information from Forms 34s is transferred into Form 36 and tallied as the result from that constituency.

In this election, the returning officer will be required to immediately scan Form 36 into the Electronic Document Management System as soon as results are certified by all agents.

The next stop for the results will be the National Tally Centre whose returning officer is the chairperson of the IEBC.

Here the chairperson will tally and verify results from polling stations.

He or she will compare results with constituency tabulation and "alert agents for any discrepancy for joint correction."

The chairperson then will compute the per cent vote count of each candidate in each county and then declare the presidential results.

"The returning officer will preserve all Form 34s through scanning and secure storage and prepare results for publication," the draft framework says.

The chairperson the delivers written notification of results to the Chief Justice and incumbent President.

The National Tallying Centre will have four specialised teams to ensure information is collated accurately before declaration.

The Receiving Team, code D001, receives returning officers and directs them to the results preparation desk.

The Data Processing Team, code D002, receives all results from constituency returning officers.

It will verify that all results forms have been submitted and ensure all results have been captured electronically.

"In the case of presidential results, the team will forward the result forms to the quality assurance team for verification before announcement," the draft says.

The Quality Assurance Team, code D003, reviews presidential results forms to ensure the results are consistent.

"In the event of any discrepancy, the team shall notify the commission through the CEO. In the presence of the returning officer of the respective electoral area and the chief agents, corrections shall be effected," the document says.

The last team is the Records Management Team, code D004, responsible for filing, packaging and storing all elections results forms received at the National Tally Centre.

"Further, the team shall ensure all results forms have been scanned and uploaded onto the ERMS (System)," the document says.

IEBC says the framework aims to ensure at least 75 per cent of Kenyans perceive the 2017 General Election as free, fair and credible.

It aims to ensure at least 75 per cent perceive the IEBC as an independent, impartial, and efficient electoral management body.

The IEBC also hopes to maintain voter turnout at a minimum of 80 per cent and the proportion of invalid ballots reduced to 0.40 per cent.

The national ERMS will serve as a public election hotline centre to open lines of communication to voters, candidates, political parties, observers and the media.

Facebook Inc, facing withering criticism for failing to stem a flood of phony news articles in the run-up to the US presidential election, is taking a series of steps to weed out hoaxes and other types of false information, chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a post Friday evening.

Facebook has long insisted that it is a technology company and not a publisher, and rejects the idea that it should be held responsible for the content that its users circulate on the platform.

Just after the election, Zuckerberg said the notion that fake or misleading news on Facebook had helped swing the election to Donald Trump was a "crazy idea."

Zuckerberg then said last Saturday that more than 99 percent of what people see on Facebook is authentic, calling "only a very small amount" fake news and hoaxes.

But in his Friday posting Zuckerberg struck a decidedly different tone. He said Facebook has been working on the issue of misinformation for a long time, calling the problem complex both technically and philosophically.

"While the percentage of misinformation is relatively small, we have much more work ahead on our roadmap," Zuckerberg said.

He outlined a series of steps that were already underway, including greater use of automation to "detect what people will flag as false before they do it themselves."

He also said Facebook would make it easier to report false content, work with third-party verification organizations and journalists on fact-checking efforts, and explore posting warning labels on content that has been flagged as false.

The company will also try to prevent fake-news providers from making money through its advertising system, as it had previously announced.

Zuckerberg said Facebook must be careful not to discourage sharing of opinions or mistakenly restricting accurate content.

"We do not want to be arbiters of truth ourselves, but instead rely on our community and trusted third parties," he said.

Facebook historically has relied on users to report links as false and share links to myth-busting sites, including Snopes, to determine if it can confidently classify stories as misinformation, Zuckerberg said.

The service has extensive "community standards" on what kinds of content are acceptable.

Facebook faced international outcry earlier this year after it removed an iconic Vietnam War photo due to nudity, a decision that was later reversed.

The thorniest content issues are decided by a group of top executives at Facebook, and there have been extensive internal conversations at the company in recent months over content controversies, people familiar with the discussions say.

Among the fake news reports that circulated ahead of the U.S. election were reports erroneously alleging Pope Francis had endorsed Trump and that a federal agent who had been investigating Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton was found dead.

The ministry of transport has come under fire from Kenyans on social media after a picture showing part of the SGR washed away by flood waters emerged.

The incident has sparked outrage among Kenyans who have lashed at the Chinese contractors and the government for the error on the much expected railway line.

The Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) is tipped as one of the Jubilee Administration's flagship projects under the Kenya Vision 2030.

Most of those who reacted to the photo are now questioning the durability of the railway line after its showed weak points even before its official use.

They castigated the China Road and Bridge Corporation - the company contracted to build the line - of doing a shoddy job.

SGR is scheduled to be officially commissioned for use by December 2017.

Read: SGR project to be completed December, six months ahead of schedule

"These Chinese builders can't be serious. This is the situation of SGR even before Kenyans can use it. Did we pay billions for such a shoddy job?" Patrick Safari, a twitter user, said

Others called on Kenyans to be patient till the completion of the project and avoid criticising it just because of a mere photo.

"Any damage on the line will just be repaired we just need to wait for its completion not start blowing things out of proportion," a user, identified as Son of Nganga, said.

Teddy Nderitu also called on the government to stop wasting money into the project citing that it is draining of the country's resources.

"I do not know what will happen when the project fails to kick off. We may end up paying for loans on a ghost project now that it has already started to fall apart," Nderitu said.

The 609km-long line is being built to transport passengers and cargo transportation between Mombasa, the largest port in East Africa, and Nairobi.

The first phase of the SGR project aims to connect Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan and is the biggest infrastructure project in Kenya since independence.

Transport Principal Secretary Irungu Nyakera on Sunday said the protection works is currently the main activity currently going on within SGR Mombasa to Nairobi.

"The rains came before everything was tied up and hence this is normal in any ongoing construction site. The contractor will fast track while ensuring integrity of the line is beyond question," he said in a statement.

Read: Conservationists protest SGR's Nairobi National Park route

CORD leader Raila Odinga yesterday launched a scathing attack on Deputy President William Ruto, urging President Uhuru Kenyatta to fire him over the NYS scam.

The ODM leader said the fact that Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet and his close ally Senator Kipchumba Murkomen have been linked to the scandal is reason enough for the DP to take political responsibility.

Both are reported to have received cash from NYS suspects and have recorded statements with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

“Those two are his people. Kibet received cash. We need to know on whose behalf and exactly how much he recieved. Ruto cannot continue to walk around and attack other suspects when his own office has been linked to the scandal.

“He must take political responsibility”, said Raila.

There has been a blame game between former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, and businesspeople/NYS suspects Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi and Murkomen.

Waiguru has mentioned Murkomen and Kibet many times in relation to the multiple billion-shilling scandal and both have strenuously accused her of lying.

Expert comment:Raila out to make graft a 2017 issue

On Friday, Murkomen launched into a tirade against Waiguru that included singing our loud. Among other things, Murkomen, a lawyer, said Waiguru should be arrested and face the consequences or the law should be changed and grand theft be declared lawful.

When attacking Waiguru two weeks ago, Ruto said those behind the NYS scam should be behind bars, adding that some of the corruption evidence is in the public domain and “there is no need for investigations” because there is evidence that money was lost on her ministerial watch.

“Give us a break. Those behind theft of public funds cannot be cat-walking around freely, giving Kenyans a lot of ‘English lectures’ on what actually transpired. Let us be honest and call a spade a spade: It is open public funds were lost,” said an agitated Deputy President.

“Surely, when a hairdresser [a reference Kabura] registers 20 companies and confesses that she actually carried away millions in sacks, what else do you want?”

Kabura is one of the key suspects in the giant scam, and she has also linked Waiguru to the series of thefts.

Yesterday Raila said the Deputy President needs to tell investigators what he knows about the scam.

“Either the President cracks the whip or he tells us if they are together. On whose behalf was Kibet collecting the cash? It is clear that the people in the dock are small fish,” said Raila.

Raila once again called for a lifestyle audit of Ruto, “So that we can understand where he is getting the millions he is distributing all over every day”.

Demanding Waiguru’s arrest and prosecution, he declared there was evidence she engineered the irregular payments at the NYS.

An agitated Murkomen urged the EACC and Directorate of Criminal Investigations to charge Waiguru, or corruption might as well be legalised in this country.

He said the evidence tabled by Kabura when she appeared before the PAC was enough to sustain charges against Waiguru.

In his first public response after being linked to the NYS scandal, Murkomen said his law firm did not receive money from Gethi, who is accused of irregularly receiving money from the NYS. He however confirmed that Gethi is his client.

“Those who carried away money in sacks should carry their own crosses. I want to tell Waiguru that the NYS is your own cross. I will not carry it for you. The only thing I can do is to represent you in court,” he declared.

The onslaught from the Deputy President’s side was started by Nandi Senator Stephen Sang, who said the linking of Murkomen and Kibet to the NYS scandal was a scheme to tarnish Ruto’s image.

Sang urged relevant state agencies to prosecute the culprits of the NYS theft.

Read: Waiguru links DP Ruto’s office to NYS scandal

Speaking in Narok on Saturday, Raila asked Kenyans to vote out the Jubilee government at the 2017 general election on the basis of runaway corruption.

The former Prime Minister was speaking during a Thanksgiving service for the election of Anglican Church of Kenya Archbishop Jackson ole Sapit, held at his Olenteem rural home in Narok North constituency. He was adamant that the time was ripe for Kenyans to send the Jubilee government home.

Raila said every time he has unearthed a corruption scandal, he has been dismissed by Jubilee politicians as playing cheap politics only to be vindicated later.

‘’We are not going to allow them to get back to power in 2017, since they will make the country bankrupt,’’ declared Raila.

Raila’s sentiments were echoed by Kajiado Central MP Elijah Memusi and Narok North MP Moitalel Kenta, who urged their Maasai community to rally behind him on Election Day 2017, since the ODM leader was a true champion of a corruption-free country and will steer the nation to its rightful place as one of the fastest developing nations in Africa.

Speaking at the same function, Baringo Senator Gideon Moi and Nairobi Governor hopeful Peter Kenneth defended the Jubilee government against blanket condemnation over corruption, saying that it was only a few individuals who were tainting the government image and corruption has also been reported in the county governments managed by Cord.

“I have known President Kenyatta since my childhood and I can say that he means well for this country since he is a goodhearted person who loves Kenya and would be the last person to want to see it go to the dogs, it is the people who are around him who are failing him,’’ said Moi.

Kenneth said that corruption was an ailment which should be fought by all Kenyans, irrespective of their political affiliations, and it is deeply embedded in all sectors of the economy and not only in the Jubilee government, since it has also been seen in the counties managed by the Cord governors.

“It is time for all leaders in Jubilee and Cord to stand up against corruption and not play cheap politics with it, we have seen corruption cases across the board, which means that all Kenyans should stand up against the vice if we want to be a developed country, since we have the potential,’’ said Kenneth.

The Thanksgiving service was also attended by Narok Governor Samuel Tunai, Narok West MP Patrick Ntutu, Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya, Kajiado West MP Moses Sakuda, among other leaders and top government officials.

Read: DP Ruto aide's name dropped in NYS mystery

Jubilee yesterday threw heavy punches at Cord as it accused Mombasa and Kilifi counties, led by ODM governors, of corruption and massive landgrabbing.

More than 20 MPs and governors accompanied Deputy President William Ruto for a rally in the Tononoka Grounds, which doubled as the launch of the Jubilee Party Coast chapter. Ruto, who had been on a four-day tour of the Coast, said Mombasa is key to Jubilee’s plans of making Kenya a better nation.

He defended the government against corruption allegations, saying all the projects Jubilee has undertaken would not have been possible with the amount of corruption Cord “desperately tries to smear the administration with”. “We are not available for propaganda,” Ruto said.

He enumerated the initiatives Jubilee has taken in Mombasa and the entire Coast to make life better for residents, including issuing more than 600,000 title deeds and solving the Waitiki land headache. “The opposition only raises land questions, but Jubilee has answers to the questions,” Ruto said.

He said Jubilee has allocated the largest amounts of money for water projects at the Coast, including Sh42 million for the Mzima Springs in Taita Taveta county, Sh13 billion for the Mwache Dam in Kwale county and Sh3 billion for the Baricho Waterworks in Kilifi county.

“But the opposition will always spread propaganda to discredit the projects. As we speak, they are planning to politicise Mwache Dam and Mzima Springs projects. Cord should stop destructive politics,” Ruto said.

He said it would only be fair that Coast residents open their eyes and see the development projects being undertaken so they determine which political wing is friendly to the region.

Ruto said the health sector in Mombasa has greatly benefited from the Jubilee government through the healthcare modernisation programmes, which delivered a new intensive care unit, radiology and RDU machines.

The rally elicited an immediate reaction from ODM, whose governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Hassan Joho (Mombasa) sent out messages of a planned rally in Mtwapa. Ruto and National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale said ODM leader Raila Odinga and his brigade plan violence and blackmail against the IEBC.

Jubilee yesterday threw heavy punches at Cord as it accused Mombasa and Kilifi counties, led by ODM governors, of corruption and massive landgrabbing.

More than 20 MPs and governors accompanied Deputy President William Ruto for a rally in the Tononoka Grounds, which doubled as the launch of the Jubilee Party Coast chapter. Ruto, who had been on a four-day tour of the Coast, said Mombasa is key to Jubilee’s plans of making Kenya a better nation.

He defended the government against corruption allegations, saying all the projects Jubilee has undertaken would not have been possible with the amount of corruption Cord “desperately tries to smear the administration with”. “We are not available for propaganda,” Ruto said.

He enumerated the initiatives Jubilee has taken in Mombasa and the entire Coast to make life better for residents, including issuing more than 600,000 title deeds and solving the Waitiki land headache. “The opposition only raises land questions, but Jubilee has answers to the questions,” Ruto said.

He said Jubilee has allocated the largest amounts of money for water projects at the Coast, including Sh42 million for the Mzima Springs in Taita Taveta county, Sh13 billion for the Mwache Dam in Kwale county and Sh3 billion for the Baricho Waterworks in Kilifi county.

“But the opposition will always spread propaganda to discredit the projects. As we speak, they are planning to politicise Mwache Dam and Mzima Springs projects. Cord should stop destructive politics,” Ruto said.

He said it would only be fair that Coast residents open their eyes and see the development projects being undertaken so they determine which political wing is friendly to the region.

Ruto said the health sector in Mombasa has greatly benefited from the Jubilee government through the healthcare modernisation programmes, which delivered a new intensive care unit, radiology and RDU machines.

The rally elicited an immediate reaction from ODM, whose governors Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Hassan Joho (Mombasa) sent out messages of a planned rally in Mtwapa. Ruto and National Assembly majority leader Aden Duale said ODM leader Raila Odinga and his brigade plan violence and blackmail against the IEBC.

ODM has demanded the electoral agency halts the Sh2.5 billion tender award for printing of ballot papers to a Dubai-based company.

It wants the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission to initiate transparent, foolproof and properly secured tendering. The tender was awarded to Al Ghurair printing firm.

The Orange party alleged that state-sponsored mercenaries are being recruited to join the ICT department at the IEBC secretariat to manipulate election results in next year’s polls.

In a statement signed by director of elections Junet Mohamed, ODM questioned why the IEBC is in a hurry to procure 130 million ballot papers, election declaration forms and poll registers, “for an election only expected a year later”.

The party said it is surprised that the IEBC has already started procuring ballot papers before voter registration is completed and the actual number of registered voters published.

According to the contract terms, Al Ghurair is to supply the ballot papers within 21 days after the window for political parties to nominate their candidates closes on May 8, three months to the August 8 elections.

The Dubai printer was the only one out of nine bidders that went past the technical evaluation stage and was thus picked automatically. The party demanded full disclosure of the directors of the company, including names of the local agents.

Watch: [VIDEO] DP Ruto dismisses Cord as failed, 'NGO' coalition as he woos Kwale vote for Jubilee

After the High Court in Uganda on November 6 ordered the country’s Bridge International Academies closed over poor sanitation and curriculum, Kenya’s BIA senior public relations manager Jackline Walumbe defends the operations of Bridge’s 405 academies in Kenya.

What are the gaps BIA has tried to fill in Kenya’s education sector?

Bridge provides education to the unreached and underserved communities. Public education infrastructure in informal settlements and rural pockets of poverty is inadequate to meet the demands of these communities. Given the income levels of these communities, they cannot access high cost private schools. Bridge provides a viable alternative that ensures a quality education at affordable cost.

What is BIA’s success story in Kenya and other parts of the world?

Kenya is the cradle of operations for Bridge and when talking about Bridge’s success, there’s no better place to go to other than Kenya. In Kenya, Bridge educates around 100,000 pupils. In the 2015 KCPE, Bridge had a national mean score of 264 marks out of a population of around 1,800 pupils.

Bridge International Accademy at Mukuru on January 27,2014.Photo/File

Is Kenya still pushing to close Bridge schools for non-compliance to regulations, and where have you reached in terms of complying with new APBET (Alternative Provision of Basic Education and Training) regulations?

There is no push to close our schools. Bridge has taken great strides on compliance. Almost 70 per cent of our schools now meet the APBET threshold on teacher qualifications at time of registration, and about 100 of our schools have now been inspected for quality assurance purposes.

What makes it difficult for the Kenyan government not to deliver adequate education in the informal settlements?

There is limited access to land for establishing schools, teachers shortage occasioned by limited budget, limited learning resources occasioned by limited budget and the cost of running public schools is transferred on parents. In some instances it has been attributed to a systemic failure, which is not true. It is mainly a budget limitation.

Why has BIA been misunderstood yet it attracts support from the likes of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, World Bank and Mark Zuckerberg?

The attraction by those entities is simply based on the potential for social enterprises to release universal goals in education on a large scale.

How is BIA’s operational envirionment in Kenya different from Uganda’s?

In Kenya, for a long time, we did not have a regulatory framework that best accommodates low-cost private schools, in terms of appreciating the challenges obtaining. With the release of the APBET guidelines, now all that remains is compliance, timelines and the speed in attaining the same.

In Uganda, the situation is a little different. Much of the concerns raised have to do with miscommunication, misinformation and negative perceptions springing from uninformed perceptions. Bridge has since realised this and embarked on a serious engagement plan to ensure better communication and transparency in its operations.

What next after the court’s decision in Uganda?

While we are appealing the decision on behalf of the more than 20,000 parents, we are consulting the ministry in Uganda to reach an amicable working understanding in the interest and welfare of our pupils. Bridge’s intention is not to avoid regulation, but rather to come under regulation. Bridge is doing everything it can to ensure that this is attained.

What are your school fees?

On average, Bridge charges around Sh600 per pupil per month, although the actual fees is pegged on income indicators for households in the target population.

Does the ministry of education acknowledge the fact that there are fewer public schools in urban areas, and that Bridge’s presence fills the gap?

The ministry does acknowledge the same and this is the reason it has created room for establishment of private and non-formal schools.

The Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development is on record saying that your schools do not use the approved national curriculum. What are you doing to ensure you use the approved curriculum?

We have equipped all our 405 academies with approved books from the Orange Book as we seek approval of all our learning materials and teacher guides with KICD. We submitted ECDE print supplementary support materials to KICD for vetting and approval.

Out of 19 titles, nine passed conditionally, while 10 were asked for additional editing to the language level and other criteria — as is common.

Pupils study at Bridge International School in Mukuru Photo/file

WHAT BRIDGE PARENTS SAY

Lister Mokeira from Kisii county said, “I would advise parents to enroll their children at Bridge because your child will learn everything they need and get a good foundation in their education. This prepares them even for higher learning. Bridge should be adopted by governments and education institutions.”

Nyakundi, a parent at Bridge Kiserian, said, “When I received a call from Bridge about Josephine going to study abroad; I was amazed I could not contain my joy. When Bridge started in Rongai, most people never cared about it but I had a good feeling about it and that is why I transferred my children to Bridge. I would ask all parents and education stakeholders to support Bridge because they are doing a great job.”

WHAT BRIDGE PUPILS SAY

Jeldah Makori, 12, of Majengo Mapya Bridge International Academy in Likoni, Mombasa county, Joined the school in 2014, one year after it had been established. Jeldah, now in class five, recalls that in a nearby public school, teacher absenteeism was a common happening.

“My present performance compared to the school I was after shifting has improved. Teachers here are close to learners and it has helped improve my performance,” she said.

Jeldah, who aspires to be a journalist, said it was hard to get help from a teacher in her former school. “Pupils were always told to go back to class,” she said.

Mutheu Wayua, 12, Majengo Mapya Bridge International Academy, talked of enough books at Bridge. Wayua, a standard seven pupil, says they have three-chair desks, which means that a book is conveniently shared. She also points to close monitoring by teachers, which is “a mark to quality education”. Wayua would like to proceed to Alliance Girls and later become a university lecturer.

Daniel Mungeria, former Bridge pupil and current student at Nova Academies, said when he came to Bridge, he found all the textbooks he would need to read. “My performance also improved drastically. Teachers never used to come to class and we never had any special revisions. The KCPE revision camp is something so exciting I never saw this happen in my previous school.”

Josephine Nyakundi, former Bridge pupil in Rongai currently in RabunGap School in the US, said: “At Bridge, teachers are always in class, we never get to miss lessons. Bridge uses advanced technology, Its teachers are concerned about the pupils because they want them to succeed in future. Teachers are also ready to answer our questions, unlike the previous schools I went to.”

Shannon May Co-Founder, Chief Strategy & Development Officer Bridge International Academies.

WHAT BRIDGE TEACHERS SAY

“I have worked with Bridge for over two years. What I can say is that Bridge is the best organisation you can work at. We are a company that is disrupting education. We were the first to use ICT in schools in Kenya. I am proud to be part of this winning team!” said teacher Alice.

“Bridge has transformed my life; before I joined it I was unemployed, since most institutions will only hire you if you have experience. Bridge has given me a chance to transform the lives of children through education. Now I am making a change in the community I come from by ensuring children are getting quality education,” said teacher Elizabeth

“Before I joined Bridge, I was a high school teacher. I did not feel satisfied with what I was doing, so when I heard that Bridge was recruiting in my neighborhood, I applied and they took me in. Today I teach children from low-income communities and there is no gratification higher than seeing these children’s lives change,” said teacher Julian Kimani.

Nominated MP Sarah Lekorere’s accusation that Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel is among those behind the insecurity wave in Laikipia is what may have led to the altercation that saw Lekorere seek medical attention Monday.

The nominated MP claims Lempurkel slapped and kicked her in the stomach after a fracas over the issue.

More on this: MP Lempurkel fights woman colleague at Nkaissery's office

In a memorandum presented to Interior CS Joseph Nkaisserry and seen by the Star, Lekorere and her delegation believe Lempurkel and other leaders from Samburu are behind the wave of cattle raids and killings with a motive to displace residents for political reasons.

“It is quite clear that what is affecting the people of Laikipia North is a well-planned strategy by politicians both in Laikipia county and a bulk in Samburu which is aimed at displacing the residents for obvious political reasons,” the petition read in part

They said the wave of insecurity started in mid-2013 in Mukogodo East and West, and quickly spread across the other sub counties in Laikipia.

They claim efforts by government to hold meetings and carry out disarmament exercise have borne no fruit as the raids and the killings are still ongoing.

They also said certain leaders are claiming that the Samburu community is being targeted by the ongoing operation which has been stopped.

“On that occasion you made a commitment to deal firmly with the aggressors, but immediately you left a local politician who did not attend your meeting, visited the area and promised to return the stolen animals, in a move that was aimed at scuttling any action by government," the memo read.

"To date nothing came out of it. The question is does he know who stole the livestock?” the delegation said.

Lekorere and her delegation said they will not attend a meeting slated for Wednesday which they said will be turned into vilification of the leaders of Laikipia other than those defending the aggressors.

“We therefore has no intention to attend that meeting as we believe that nothing much will come out of it as the meeting is intended to sanitize criminal activity by a few,” they said.

Following the altercation, Lekorere recorded a statement with the police.

Lempurkel refused to address journalists after recording his statement at the station. He also did not answer the Star's phone calls for comments.

Lempurkel and Lekorere have been disagreeing over how to handle the invasion of Laikipia by Samburu pastoralists from the north.

Lekorere supports the disarmament of the pastoralists, as ordered by the Cabinet in October.

But Lempurkel says police are abusing the pastoralists' human rights and has been pushing Nkaissery to go slow on the disarmament.

More on this: Don’t stop seizure of illegal arms, we want peace, CS told

Governors have presided over the likely loss of billions of shillings in unsupported expenditure, ghost projects, irregular payments and faulty procurement, the Auditor General reported yesterday.

The spotlight on corruption now turns to counties at a time of mounting outrage at plunder within the national government. The Jubilee administration and Jubilee Party are fighting back, saying corruption is a national cancer, not one restricted to the central government. Counties too are culpable, they say.

The report bears this out.

The Office of Auditor General Eduard Ouko yesterday was uploading to its website a massive audit report for 2014-15, county by county. The audit for Central Kenya was not immediately available.

In Kilifi county under ODM Governor Amazon Kingi, for instance, Ouko questioned why the county paid a total Sh133.2 million through the recurrent account without using the Ifmis financial management platform as required by law.

The Auditor says the expenditure could not be confirmed, as county finance officers failed to explain why Ifmis had not been made fully operational.

Read: Nairobi spent Sh1 billion in legal fees, overshot budget by Sh5bn

Expert comment: Wanted: Citizen action against corruption cartels

The county is at the centre of a Sh51 million graft storm. Funds allegedly were siphoned off and paid to two Nairobi-based companies through Ifmis.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho, an ODM star, is on the spot for operating four parallel revenue collection accounts: two accounts in KCB, one in National Bank of Kenya and another in the Cooperative Bank.

The county is also accused of running 22 bank accounts, including those for defunct local authorities, with balances totalling Sh193.7 million.

“In the circumstances, the validity, accuracy and completeness of the balances amounting to Sh299 million as at June 30, 2015, could not be ascertained,” reads the report.

The county is also accused of failing to bank into the county revenue fund Sh165 million collected between January and June 2015.

The Public Finance Management act requires each county Treasury ensure all money raised or received or on behalf of the county government goes into the county revenue fund.

The Auditor General also cast doubt on expenditure amounting to Sh24.8 million to fund the Council of Governors, despite the fact the council's budget is funded by the national Treasury.

The amount was also not included in the approved budget estimates for 2014-15.

In Nakuru, under Jubilee Governor Kinuthia Mbugua, Ouko said five County Service Board members and the secretary have gobbled more thanSh3 million in overpaid salaries neither earned nor merited.

“Besides drawing overpaid salaries, the gratuity payable at the expiry of the contract period is likely to be overstated,” the report states.

In Garissa, under ODM's Nathif Jama, the county government paid Sh24 million to officers attending seminars and workshops outside their duty stations without documentation.

“No supporting documents, such as bus tickets or invitation letters, were attached to the the payment vouchers...The nature and purpose of the journey made by the officers was also not specified, while some officers collected money on behalf of others without authority,” the report says.

According to Ouko, Garissa paid Sh50 million to a company known as Fatco to prepare its Spacial Development Plan. However, the money that was part of a Sh172 million contract, was paid three months in advance before any work began.

“In view of the forgoing, it has not been possible to ascertain weather the county government got value for money for project implementation and expenditure of Sh5 million," the report says.

In Homa Bay under ODM Governor Cyprian Awiti, Ouko identified at least two projects worth more than Sh12 million, in which contractors ac where contractors have been paid but no work has been done.

The county paid Sh4,927,290 to construct changing rooms and VIP toilets at e Homa Bay stadium.

However, audit verification on October 9, 2015 — six months after the supposed handover date of May 1, 2015 — revealed construction was still ongoing.

The county also paid more than Sh8 million for the Ranen Water Pan Project. However, physical verification revealed the contractor was not on site.

In Siaya under ODM Governor Cornel Rasanga, Ouko raised the red flag on procurement of air tickets. One firm was paid Sh3,769,600 and another Sh2,986,130.

However, procurement procedures for identifying the air service providers and the payment vouchers supporting the payments were not availed for audit.

“Consequently, it was not possible to confirm whether the beneficiaries actually traveled and whether the services were provided and value for money received,” the report says.

In Nairobi, under ODM Governor Evans Kidero, the Auditor General raised questions about millions collected in parking fees and other issues.

“The parking spaces are usually always double-parked, implying that all parking slots are taken up and even exceeded, which implies that revenue collected should have been more than expected revenue from all parking slots,” Ouko says.

But the county only collected Sh23 million from off-street parking lots at the Law Courts, Sunken Car Park and Intercontinental, with total parking slots of 530. However, with a 100 per cent occupation only, the county ought to have collected over Sh36 million from the three parking slots.

Ouko also raised questions about repayment of loans worth over Sh735 million.

According to the Auditor, no documentation was provided for acquisition of the loan and the loans were not approved either by the assembly or national Treasury.

“In addition, no information was availed to verify when the facilities were started, the principal amounts, interest terms and the duration of the loans,” the report states.

Kakamega under ODM's Wycliffe Oparanya is blamed for making irregular payments of Shs200 million to pay cane farmers of Mumia Sugar Company.

The county also spent Sh64 million for domestic and subsistence travel without supporting documents.

Payment vouchers amounting to Sh13 million did not indicate the voucher number and the payee.

Payments vouchers of Sh34.7 million indicated the voucher number but not the payee, while vouchers amounting to Sh15.9 million indicated only the payee and not the voucher number.

Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho is an academic dwarf and has a questionable degree that makes him oppose the set up of a dry port, Deputy President William Ruto has said.

He spoke at Mombasa Women Hall and also during the official launch of Jubilee Party, Coast chapter at the historic Tononoka grounds.

The office of the governor has refused to respond.

Calls to Joho's mobile phone went unanswered and by the time of going to the press, he had not responded to a text message sent to him.

Joho has been rejecting plans to set up a dry port in Naivasha.

He has consistently claimed jobs will be lost if a dry port is set up and the clearing agents will be the most affected lot.

ODM luminaries especial from Mombasa have echoed his sentiment.

Kakamega senator Bonny Khalwale also echoed supported Joho during ODM 10 at 10 celebrations in Mombasa.

ODM leader Raila Odinga has said setting up a dry port is wider scheme by Jubilee to 'hurt' the Coast economy. He has said development will be stifled.

At present, 70% of Kenya’s imports end up in Nairobi, incurring higher transport costs and journey times from Port of Mombasa as well as inconveniencing businesses and pushing up prices for consumers.

The government said there is need to bring services closer to customers by, for example, introducing dry ports- Naivasha and others.

But Joho insinuated during ODM's 10th anniversary celebrations, saying the Jubilee government is out to "finish" the county. Joho said it does not make economic sense to create a dry port when there is an existing sea port in Mombasa.

Joho claims all crucial Port services will be transferred to Naivasha via the Standard Gauge Railway. The Coast city will be left without major port activities thus Mombasa will turn to a ghost town as thousands will be rendered jobless.

Ruto said only those with questionable papers cannot understand port's operations.

Joho has since 2013 had his academic papers challenged in court, after claims emerged that he forged papers and bought papers.

He was however cleared by the courts which declared that he had a genuine decree from Kampala International University.

Ruto said the port not only handles imported cargo, but also exports.

"I hear some people here in Mombasa are opposed to dry port. Those are the effects of buying (academic) papers," he said at MWH.

Ruto said the government is determined to establish dry ports in Nairobi, Naivasha and Kisumu.

He faulted critics for arguing unreasonably.

At Tononoka, Ruto accused Joho of consistently attacking him.

"Am not in contest with you," he said.

Speaking separately in Kilifi on Sunday, Joho said Ruto has no moral authority to start "lecturing" coast people.

Joho has been bashing Ruto claiming he is not his match.

The governor has been saying come 2022, he will defeat Ruto hands down if they face off on presidential race.

Joho intends to use ODM ticket to get to the top seat while Ruto is set to contest on Jubilee Party ticket.

Analysts say Joho scathing attack on Ruto is a wider plan to dicredit and place the DP of balance come 2022.

During the rally, Ruto alluded he cannot finacially compete with Joho who has been doing "that" business and boasts of having massive wealth.

"If you have money, briefcase or sack full of cash, that's yours. I don't have time for that," Ruto said.

Joho had told off JP leaders including President Uhuru Kenyatta and Ruto that he cannot be bought.

"I'm too expensive for you. You cannot buy me. I have my own money," Joho said during ODM '10 at 10' celebration held at Mama Ngina Drive.

ODM leader Raila Odinga has hit back at Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura who claimed his name was forcefully removed from the party's register.

Raila told the MP on Tuesday that the slot he held belonged to the party and that he needed to give it up.

"Unfortunately Mwaura has found it hard to leave ODM. Jubilee has its own slots... Mwaura is not in ODM," he told a meeting of persons livings with disabilities at Orange House.

"...We are justified to demand that the seats be given back to ODM."

The ODM leader said the "prostitutes" (rebels) were given a chance to change their minds but did nothing.

"The ball is no longer in our court but the government's," he said. "ODM appointed a committee to listen to all those prostitutes... the committee then recommended... They are no longer members and ate not entitled to represent ODM in parliament."

The party wrote to the Registrar of Political Parties on the expulsion of Mwaura and nine other rebels following a decision by the National Disciplinary Committee.

Mwaura attacked Raila last Friday saying ODM will not win the presidency as it lacks respect.

He also said Kenyans are tired of a party with double standards and a leader who gives them proverbs instead of concentrating on important issues.

More on this: MP Mwaura lashes out at Raila after name removed from party register

The decision to expel the rebels was made at an ODM governing council meeting on October 31 but some members appealed against it through lawyer Kioko Kilukumi.

[VIDEO] Rebel MPs Onyonka, Ogari return to ODM, apologise to Raila for joining Jubilee

Politicians in the list of the 10 expelled from the Orange Party included Budalang'i MP Ababu Namwamba, Kwale Governor Salim Mvurya and Sirisia MP John Waluke.

The disciplinary committee pardoned Marsabit Governor Ukur Yattani and Igembe Central MP Cyprian Kubai. Some of the politicians apologised to Raila and the party for defecting to JP.

Read: Ababu, Mvurya among 10 rebels expelled from ODM

Also read: ODM writes to parties registrar on expulsion of rebel members

Tharaka Nithi county government has not provided documents to show that development projects costing Sh694.6 million were implemented during the 2014/15 financial year and their status.

According to the Auditor General, the county had an approved budget of Sh1.9 billion and its financial statements says it spent Sh694.6 million, but there is no documentation.

The report also shows that a commuter allowance of Sh3 million was paid to eight County Executive Committee members and nine chief officer who has official vehicles contrary to the law.

Read: Embu MCA's, county officials pocketed millions in unjustified Tanzania trips

It adds that the details of the payments were never provided for audit and no recovery of the irregular commuter allowances had been done by the end of the exercise on December 4, 2015.

The report also says that there were no documents provided relating to acquisition of assets to the county executive and the assembly which the financial statements claimed was coming to Sh575.9 million.

It also shows that the outstanding imprests stood at Sh70.1 million with some officers having more than one, which is against the law.

The Tharaka Nithi government also said that it has pending bulls in respect to supply of goods totalling Sh801.3 million but the auditors say that there were no local purchase orders or invoices of payments voucher provided to confirm this.

The audit shows that due to lack of verifiable documents such as LPOs, invoices, cash receipts and delivery notes, it is not possible to confirm that the county assembly and the county executive spent Sh64.6 million for procurement of goods and services.

Also read: Siaya staff wages grew by Sh600 million in one year - Auditor General

The county financial records also revealed that payments totalling Sh7.6 million were not authorised by the accounting officer and no explanation was given.

The report also says the examination of the cashbook revealed that 25 payment vouchers totalling Sh45.7 million were paid bu the physical payments vouchers were missing.

The county records showed that various good and services amounting to Sh13 million were procured various firms to non-prequalified suppliers contrary to the law.

The audit also identified Sh29.1 million that was used to irregularly pay casuals as there were no details of how they were recruited, what they were working on and the terms and conditions of the employment.

Also read: Kakamega county spent Sh624 million on 'ghost' projects, Auditor General reveals

Fresh revelations have emerged linking Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Korir Sing'oe, a top legal aide in Deputy President William Ruto's office, to a controversial Sh302 million contract from the Ministry of Devolution.

The two are partners in Sing’oe, Murkomen & Sigei Advocates that was paid Sh15 million by Out Of The Box Solutions, a company contracted by the ministry to educate women on how to take advantage of the 30 percent procurement contracts reserved for women, youth and people with disabilities.

It is not clear what services the law firm rendered Out Of The Box Solutions, associated with former radio presenter Angela Angwenyi.

Anne Waiguru, whom Murkomen has recently attacked, was the Devolution CS when the law firm received the cash.

In a statement yesterday, Murkomen said the law firm received received the funds in its clients account on behalf of Out of the Box Solutions.

“This payment was not legal fees as alleged. We can also authoritatively confirm that our client was never at any time contracted by the NYS or its agents,” Murkomen said from London.

However, the law firm could not have been receiving the cash on behalf of Out of the Box Solutions because it was the company itself that paid the money cash into the law firm's account.

Ruto's personal assistant Farouk Kibet has separately been named in connection with the loss of Sh791 million from the National Youth Service.

Last month Ruto engaged in an ugly feud with Waiguru whom he accused of "cat-walking... when it's clear public money has been lost.”

Bank documents in possession of the Star indicate that Singoei, Murkomen and Sigei Advocates received payments amounting to Sh15 million in two batches. The money was transferred from the Out of the Box's account at GT Bank.

The first batch of Sh8 million was wired to the law firm's account at Cooperative Bank on 19 August, 2015, while the second tranche of Sh7 million was paid a day later to another account of the law firm at Family Bank.

Out of the Box Solutions was awarded the tender for Sh302,458,690 to conduct sensitisation campaigns targeting women, youth and persons with disabilities, and was signed on 5 December, 2015.

Before the Ministry of Devolution wired the initial Sh86 million to Out of the Box, its bank balance had been below Sh2,700 for months.

Family Bank where Murkomen's firm had a client account was linked to the loss of Sh791 million from NYS.

Family Bank staff in July wrote to DPP Keriako Tobiko asking him to prosecute a former top manager for fast-tracking accounts to launder NYS cash. Tobiko instead directed the CID to write to Central Bank Governor Patrick Njoroge to ask whether such a prosecution would harm the banking industry. Njoroge responded that it would not harm the industry and indeed would have a positive impact. The DPP has still not initiated any prosecution.

In their letter dated 29 July, the Family Bank staff said that a prominent Senator from Rift Valley frequently visited a top manager at the bank with millions of shillings in cash. The bank manager, the staff claimed, was now in the process of setting up a micro-finance institution with a seed capital of Sh300 million.

Murkomen has repeatedly denied receiving any NYS money including from key suspect Ben Gethi whom he represented as a lawyer.

“I have asked Waiguru and any Kenyan who has an iota of evidence linking me to payments including legal fees by Gethi and Kabura to come forward ASAP,” the Senator tweeted on Friday last week.

Murkomen said his law firm makes no apologies for representing its clients.

“When we charge our legal fees we don't ask our clients how they make their money just the same way Anne Waiguru's doctor (he who recommended light duties) didn't ask where she got her medical fees,” Murkomen said.

“Supermarket teller does not ask you to first account for your shopping money, neither does a matatu tout ask where passengers get their transport fees nor does your pastor ask where you got the sadaka before you offer. We are advocates and lawyering is our business,” he said.

Waiguru claimed that before she resigned in November 2015, Murkomen told her to tell the CID to drop investigations into the NYS scandal or “face unspecified consequences”.

“I pushed the DCI to conclude investigations. Soon thereafter proceedings for my impeachment by an MP from the URP wing of the Jubilee coalition and calls for my resignation peaked,” Waiguru said earlier this month.

Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee on November 3, Waiguru sensationally claimed the "cartel linked to Gethi" was responsible.

"We have already established some Sh200 million was used to ensure I am kicked out of government and spent in the media and social media, and it is still being used today," Waiguru said during over seven hours at the PAC.

Ruto's Chief of Staff Marianne Kaittany lost her job after she orchestrated an unsuccessful attempt to impeach Waiguru last year. She was questioned by the EACC over the alleged diversion of Sh100 million to the attempted impeachment of Waiguru.

On Sunday, Cord leader Raila Odinga asked Ruto to take responsibility for the losses at NYS.

“Those two are his people. Kibet received cash. We need to know on whose behalf and exactly how much he received. Ruto cannot continue to walk around and attack other suspects when his own office has been linked to the scandal. He must take political responsibility,” said Raila.