The internet market is set to be more competitive as Airtel Networks Kenya has finalised payment for its 4G LTE licence. The Communications Authority yesterday confirmed Airtel Kenya had paid in full, the $25 million (Sh2.53 billion) licence fee for the 4G LTE 800 MHz signal.

Although the firm is yet to officially launch the high speed network, Airtel Kenya has been testing the signal across the country since April 2017 with an aim to grow sites covered by the spectrum to 65 sites. The firm, later in October applied to extend its 4G trial licence. At the start of 2017, Airtel and Telkom Kenya were under pressure from the CA to install infrastructure that supports high-speed 4G internet services. This, coupled with the failure to pay the $25 million licence fee limited their chances of obtaining permits.

Airtel had also come under fire from the CA demanding the payment of Sh2 billion for renewal of the firm’s operating licence for its 2G spectrum. The firm found relief when the High Court in December quashed the CA’s demand with Airtel claiming it had acquired its licence when it bought out Yu Mobile from Essar in 2015.

In mid-2015, Airtel acquired subscribers of the Essar-owned Yu Mobile in Kenya in a Sh8 billion shared deal with its rival Safaricom, which took over Yu’s network infrastructure.

Not exiting

The huge investment further cements the firm’s position to continue operating in the country after sections of the media claimed its plan to exit the East African market.

“It was never said that we were looking at exiting these markets. Our focus continues to be either number one or two in each country where we operate, through market consolidation,” the statement said.

Telkom Kenya and Jamii Telecom have also rolled out 4G offerings for home broadband and mobile telecominications respectively in a bit to increase their market share.

CA data shows during the June-September period Airtel Networks Limited recorded a market share of 15.7 per cent in mobile data subscriptions, second to Safaricom’s 76 per cent market share.

The CA has been keen to switch to the high-speed 4G network from 3G, saying it will enable the telcos to offer broadband-based TV broadcasts.

An illuminating story I often tell my friends is of how back in the early ‘90s I knew a man who had just been elected to Parliament, and who had great plans for his constituency. He would talk endlessly about the new clinics, the water projects, the bursary funds, etc, that he was going to set up to improve the lives of his constituents.

Nor was this just empty talk. The MP was a man who previously had a long and distinguished career in the private sector. But even as he rose up the corporate ladder, he had not forgotten his humble roots. So many a child from a poor family in need of school fees had benefited from my friend’s generosity over the years. He had also helped build churches and schools “back in the village”.

And so it was that his good deeds paved the way for an easy landslide victory, when his name appeared on the ballot.

Very likely, some of you readers imagine that this story had a happy ending. If so, then you do not know very much about Kenyan politics.

In fact, my friend never ran for reelection. Depressed and frustrated, he gave up on politics after just one term. And was thereafter eloquent on the nightmare that he had found waiting for him in the political arena.

What I remember most clearly is a phrase he kept repeating: That for every problem he solved, 10 more problems would appear immediately.

For now that he was “mheshimiwa”, he was not approached cautiously by clansmen and acquaintances only, as had been the case during his corporate career. Virtually every weekend, he had to receive a delegation from the constituency who came bearing an extensive shopping list of “development projects” that they expected him to prioritise.

If he drilled a well, then 10 delegations of village elders would turn up, each claiming that their need for clean water was in fact greater than that of the village that had received that well.

For every child he sponsored through secondary school, 10 others turned up to beg for his help, their eyes brimming with tears of desperation. And so on.

It was this Sisyphean quality of the burdens that had descended on his shoulders once he was elected to Parliament which gave him sleepless nights. No matter how hard he tried, the problems that yet awaited his attention were always so much greater than those he had been able to resolve.

This was a totally disorienting experience to a man in whose previous corporate career it had been possible to complete all manner of projects, within budget and on schedule, and to thereafter be rewarded with a promotion.

I thought back on this friend of mine recently as I watched President Uhuru Kenyatta struggle to focus the nation’s attention on his “Big Four” national priorities, which are supposed to define his “legacy”.

On the face of it, the President had a fairly logical set of priorities, and by now our national debate should have been on ways and means of delivering on these pledges. But — as my friend found out two decades ago — Kenyan politics is the realm of hydra-headed nightmares, not Cartesian logic.

The only thing getting any attention now is the purely symbolic (but incredibly potent) ‘swearing-in’ of the opposition leader Raila Odinga.

Somehow this has put the President on a slippery slope, very much like what my MP friend experienced all those years ago:

Every attempt the President makes to counter the opposition’s manoeuvres only seems to energise opposition leaders as well as their supporters.

With every day that the TV stations that reportedly defied the President remain off the air, the only news about Kenya in global media is of “a descent into authoritarianism” and “the trampling of fundamental rights”.

At this rate, the point will soon be reached — if it has not been already — where the question of Uhuru’s “second term legacy” projects will not be about affordable housing, or food security, or industrialisation. It will be about what he does to keep the country united, amidst all this political turmoil.

The spectacular display of Executive defiance of judicial authority exhibited in the Miguna Miguna case compels us to return to the subject of court orders.

Regardless of what crimes Miguna is alleged to have committed, there is no excuse for the contempt of courts exhibited by State officials at very high levels.

The erosion of judicial authority is the beginning of a very slippery road to lawlessness. It is even more disturbing when the culprits are those charged with law enforcement: the Inspector General of Police and Director of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

We join Chief Justice David Maraga in reiterating that no individual or entity is above the law. The Judiciary is the protector and arbiter of competing state and individual rights. It must be respected.

The optics of the government’s treatment of Miguna, from the beginning to the mischief of deporting him when a judge was waiting for him to be produced in court until 9pm is simply wrong. This not only sets the two arms of government on collision but sends a bad signal to the public. Its an invitation to anarchy the state must avoid by all means.

So popular a job creator were boda bodas in Homa Bay that Governor Cyprian Awiti would preside over harambees for their saccos. The honeymoon ended after one bus was torched and another stoned by riders, leading to a ban on their night operations.

This headache is not unique to Homa Bay. Counties countrywide are struggling to tame what once seemed a panacea to youth unemployment but is now becoming a law unto itself.

The use of boda boda as a means of inland transport can be traced back to the 1960s, when it joined the more popular buses and matatus. It all began with the use of bicycles on the border of Kenya and Uganda, in the towns of Busia and Malaba.

This means satisfied the need for quick transport across the border through no man’s land. The trade flourished and more bicycles plied this route.

More riders set up camp along this route, and they had to call out to clients from a distance. To do that, they shouted “Boda! Boda!” — a corruption of the phrase border-to-border.

Years later, towards the new millennium, motor cycle boda bodas replaced bicycles. Though bicycles still operate in remote parts of the country, the motorcycle is now the king of fast public transport.

Thousands of youths are currently earning a living from this industry, since motorcycles have infiltrated all major towns, cities, villages and estates; boda bodas are everywhere.

The boda boda industry flourished in 2008, when the national government exempted tax on motorcycles under 250cc, prompting many young Kenyans to join the boda boda business.

According to Capital Business, the motorcycle business in the country generates an income of Sh400 million daily.

The Motorcycle Assembly Association of Kenya says an average of 14.4 million people ride boda bodas every day, signifying the importance of the sector in growing the economy.

MAAK chairman Isaac Kalua says the industry has contributed over Sh2.2 billion to the Exchequer in form of direct taxes, with over 500,000 motorcycles on the Kenyan roads.

“More than 90 per cent are boda bodas earning more than Sh1,000 per day, with 80 per cent of the riders under the age of 35 years,” Kalua says.

LIFESAVER

Homa Bay Boda Boda Association chairman Ken Dede says the industry helps many young people outside the formal job market.

He says there are an estimated 43,000 bike riders in Homa Bay county. “We have around 12,500 bikes operating in Homa Bay town alone,” Dede told the Star.

The chairman, who has been in the business for about 15 years, says he has managed to put up a corrugated iron-roofed house in his rural Kanyada home and educate his three children to higher levels.

“From my savings, I have built a modest, two-bedroom brick house in our rural home. This business is not easy, but it has enabled me to improve my economic status,” he says.

Dede sees boda bodas as a lifesaver to youths not only in the county but nationally. “Without the business, I do not know how many people without jobs would have fed families and educated their children,” he says.

Dede says in an effort to improve their lives even further, many riders have registered a savings and credit co-operative society. He says Governor Awiti has been in the forefront of supporting them. “Awiti has presided over many fund drives for boda boda sacco groups,” he says.

The saccos give loans to members at an interest rate of 2 per cent, with the lowest amount one can borrow being Sh20,000. “Many operators can now own their motorbikes in this way,” Dede says.

SECURITY THREAT?

Despite the growth and benefits, boda boda business has brought forth a number of challenges to the country, as well as to other road users.

A number of boda boda operators are now perceived as a threat to security due to the actions they take regardless of legality.

Critics include Homa Bay Bunge la Wenye Nchi speaker Walter Opiyo and Kisumu Residents’ Voice Association chairman Audi Ogada.

Opiyo says most cases of defilement and teenage pregnancies are linked to boda boda operators. He says the riders take advantage of the susceptibility of underage girls to engage them in early sexual activities, contributing to the spread of HIV and other STIs.

“Most of them make a good amount of money every day, which they should use wisely to empower their families economically, but instead use to induce teenage girls to sex,” Opiyo says.

The speaker says riders are fond of illicit brews. “All riders should desist from taking chang’aa because they endanger the lives of their passengers and other road users,” he says.

Ogada says boda boda riders have become mourners for hire. He says the riders are ‘bought’ to participate in mourning dead people, even if they are not their relatives.

“Most of them throng mortuaries during removal of dead bodies and cry on top of their voices in major towns in the country,” Ogada says.

He says the behavour made the Kisumu government ban them from accessing Kisumu town. “They caused traffic jams, while some took advantage to loot nearby shops,” he says.

Ogada says nowadays, anybody who needs criminals for hire seeks the services of boda boda riders. “During electioneering periods, goons who are hired for assault in political rivalry are boda boda riders,” Ogada says.

The chairman says the hooliganism perpetrated by some riders could be associated with indiscipline and lawlessness.

He cites the recent burning of Otange Bus Service and stoning of Water Bus in Mbita town, which led county commissioner Kassim Farrah to ban night operations for the riders. “If some behavours in boda boda riders are not tamed, then people will fear investing in some parts of the country, where chaos is rampant,” Ogada says.

SITUATION COUNTRYWIDE

In Nairobi, boda boda operators have been banned from transporting people to and from the city centre. City Hall senior inspector Peter Mbaya says the boda boda operators are rogue and do not respect traffic rules.

“Some of these boda boda riders work with gangsters and organise crimes. We cannot risk allowing them to continue operating within the CBD,” he says.

Mbaya says the ban on boda bodas helps decongest the CBD, making passenger movement easier. However, the ban has been ignored by the riders, who have previously resisted attempts to evict them.

In Kilifi, Simba Coach Bus suffered the same fate as Otange, after angry boda boda riders torched it, in another example of their unruliness.

Last year in Kisii, NTSA launched the Nyanza region road safety awareness campaign, targeting motorcycle riders. Director Lee Kinyanjui said most boda boda operators in the country do not have valid licences and don’t know the Highway Code.

The aim of the campaign was to address the problems faced on Kenyan roads. “One thing we have noted is the lack of basic skills among the motorbike riders,” Kinyanjui said. “The best thing riders can do is to ensure they acquire proper training and licences.”

A storm brewed in Homa Bay last year when a bus driver found himself on a collision course with a boda rider rider. It all started when Felix Omondi, a boda boda rider, left a Homa Bay town hotel at 5.30am on December 10, after attending a night dance.

Omondi had a female passenger who had also attended the show, which was hosted by a benga musician. The two rode towards the CBD. Omondi saw a bus belonging to a Otange Bus Service parked by the road about 600m from the hotel.

The bus, which was travelling from Nairobi to Homa Bay, was parked to allow one of the passengers to alight. But Omondi failed to stop his motorbike or take a different side of the road to evade the vehicle, which was right ahead of him.

He went ahead and rammed into the vehicle with the motorbike, leading to serious injuries. Omondi was rushed to Homa Bay County Referral Hospital, where he later died while receiving medication.

Boda boda operators stormed the bus and began quarrelling with the driver. The driver ran for his life after realising the riders wanted to lynch him.

The impatient boda boda operators failed to calm down. They resorted to draining petrol from their motorbikes and set the bus on fire.

The bus, worth Sh12million, was burnt alongside passengers’ luggage. A number of passengers inside the vehicle got injured while escaping from the fire.

MORE ACTS OF ANARCHY

On the same day, another group of boda boda operators stoned a water bus in Mbita town, Suba North subcounty. The water bus operates in Lake Victoria from Mbita town to Ringiti and Mfangano islands.

The riders destroyed its window panes and a door to prevent it from docking, in what is associated with hooliganism.

Moreover, some of the boda boda operators are accused of raping schoolgirls. Recently, one rider was accused of defiling a class seven pupil in Homa Bay town.

The rider had been transporting the girl’s aunt to her workplace for the last five years, but one morning, he decided to defile the girl at her aunt’s house in Homa Bay town.

Boda boda operators are now perceived as a threat to security.Some people term them a force that can take the law into their hands.

County commissioner Kassim Farrah says the boda boda sector has turned from a business enterprise to a gang. “The sector is no longer a business enterprise because it is where criminals hide to perpetrate their criminal acts,” Farrah said.

He said criminals hiding in the boda boda sector must be weeded out to enhance security. “I have directed all security personnel to crack down on criminals hiding in the business. We must deal with them to streamline the sector,” Farrah said.

He called for boda boda operators to separate themselves from criminals. “I acknowledge the fact that boda boda sector was meant for job creation for our young people. My warning is that the youths must now decide to become business entrepreneurs or criminals, so that we take them to where they should be,” the commissioner added.

SCARING INVESTORS AWAY

County police commander Marius Tum said one of the measures of taming the riders is to prevent them from operating beyond 8pm.

This comes as 16 motorbikes have been confiscated while two riders have been arrested in connection with the bus burning.

Residents fear the unruly conduct of bodaboda operators will wreck their businesses.

Homa Bay Town East MCA Juma Awuor said the uncouthness of riders will hinder development if left unchecked.

“Our boda boda riders have to be tamed because they will make people fear investing in our town,” Awuor said.

Jack Nyambega, secretary general of the Homa Bay Giant Traders’ Association, called for increased protection of businesses.

“We want our security personnel to boost their operations so that traders are free from the criminal acts of boda boda operators,” he said.

From "The Come, Baby Come", Miguna warns, “I will be back.”

Combative lawyer-politician Miguna Miguna who was forced out of the country on Tuesday night has said he is a Kenyan by birth and will be back.

"No one will take away my constitutional right," he declared, vowing to mount a titanic legal battle to recover his confiscated Kenyan passport.

As Miguna issued a statement during an Amsterdam stopover on his flight to Canada, back home, his deportation kicked up a huge storm over the government's action.

Read: Miguna’s days in police cells were full of drama and insults, say cops

In response, the government yesterday issued a statement saying Kenyans who lost their citizenship as a result of acquiring other nationalities before enactment of the 2010 Constitution were required to reapply for citizenship.

“Miguna never did this and therefore continued being a Canadian citizen,” claimed Interior ministry spokesman Mwenda Njoka.

The new Constitution does not specify if Kenyans need to do so.

The government statement faulted late Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang', for ordering that Miguna be issued with a Kenyan passport in 2009 without due process.

“At the time Miguna was unlawfully issued a Kenyan passport he was working as an adviser to the then Prime Minister Raila Odinga,” the statement said.

“When Miguna acquired a Kenyan passport in March 2009, he deliberately failed to disclose the fact  he had acquired citizenship of another country and therefore the Kenyan passport he acquired then was and still remains illegal.”

The government explained that Miguna left Kenya in 1988 using travel documents.

A year before, as a student leader at the University of Nairobi, Miguna had been barred from travelling to Cuba at the height of single-party repression.

He was subsequently expelled from the university before fleeing into exile in Canada where he obtained citizenship.

On Monday, the Canadian High Commission in Nairobi wrote to the government, seeking access to Miguna amidst rising fears about his health and whereabouts.

“The High Commission of Canada requests immediate consular access to the Canadian citizen as required by Article 36 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” it said to Kenya's Foreign Ministry.

The Commission said it had tried in vain to obtain information from the police, amidst reports of Miguna’s deteriorating health.

The Commission had attempted to visit Miguna at Lari police station on Sunday after receiving reports he was being denied access to lawyers and was being mistreated.

The commission says the police officer refused to identify himself or confirm Miguna’s status.

Miguna's deportation triggered heated debate on social media, with some condemning and others supporting his expulsion after being held incommunicado by police for five days.

Some lawyers and human rights crusaders warned that the country was sliding into a dictatorship.

“We are rapidly retrogressing to the dark painful eras of our past," warned the state-funded Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

In its advisory to the government yesterday, KNCHR asked Interior CS Fred Matiang'i to operate strictly within the law and stop issuing unconstitutional orders.

“The office of the DPP should seize its functions under Article 157 of the Constitution and direct the Police IG to investigate any allegations of criminal conduct within the strict confines of the law,” KNHCR chair Kagwiria Mbogori said.

“In addition, this office is the sole organ that institutes criminal proceedings against civilians and being officers of the court must effectively facilitate the respect and the rule of law in such proceedings.”

The Judiciary, which has been at the center of the row over court orders, came out in defence of the rule of law.

Chief Justice David Maraga said that disregard of Court orders is not only a violation of the Constitution but a dereliction of public duty by state officers.

And in a strongly worded editorial, The Washington Post, one of the most influential US newspapers, asked President Donald Trump to impose sanctions on the Kenyan government.

"The Trump administration should warn him (Uhuru) of US punitive actions, including sanctions, if he does not stop," the editorial board said on February 6.

Miguna was forced into a KLM flight to Amsterdam on Tuesday night after a day of high drama. He had first been presented in a Kajiado court and charged with consenting to the commission of an act of treason by Raila Odinga (the swearing in) and participating in an unlawful assembly.

He refused to plead to the charges and demanded to be taken before High Court Judge Luka Kimaru, who had ordered the police to produce him. The Magistrate ordered Miguna be taken to Nairobi but the Police duped the court and spirited him to the airport, where Miguna says he was kept for five hours.

In court, the judge ordered that Miguna who was absent be freed, and when challenged by his lawyers, opted to wait in his chambers until the police complied. After waiting for hours in vain for the police to comply with his order, he issued fresh orders late in the evening, prohibiting Miguna’s prosecution in any court in the country until he is produced before him. Two hours later, Miguna was spotted on a KLM flight being deported to Canada.

As Miguna was sent to exile, Henry Mien, another Raila ally and member of the Opposition strategy team, was reportedly blocked from travelling to Berlin, Germany.

Sources said Mien had his passport confiscated at JKIA, although he was not among the 15 NASA personalities whose passports were suspended on Tuesday.

“He was told the passport cannot be used and they confiscated it. We suspect the list of people whose passports were suspended is bigger,” a Raila ally told the Star.

The government is suspected to have suspended passports of about 40 Kenyans allied to NASA.

Challenge

Legal experts poked holes in the government’s narrative that Miguna was not a Kenyan citizen.

They questioned how Miguna was cleared to run for Nairobi contest for Nairobi governor last year and how he was registered as a voter.

The Constitution limits voting or contesting in a general election to Kenyan citizens.

The absurdly unlawful deportation of Miguna Miguna is a travesty of justice. Let's defend our liberties. If we condone these illegalities, future generations won't forgive us,” protested former political detainee Koigi Wamwere.

The 2010 Constitution accepts dual citizenship under Article 16, and a citizen by birth cannot lose their nationality by acquiring that of another country.

“Under Article 16, a Kenyan by birth even if a dual citizen, can never lose his citizenship,” explained lawyer Donald Kipkorir. “Under Article 17, a foreigner who acquired Kenyan citizenship can lose it. Miguna’s deportation violates our Constitution.”

Miguna was born in Magina village, Kisumu County.He went to Apondo Primary, Onjiko High school and the University of Nairobi before fleeing into exile.

Immediately after landing in Amsterdam,  the defiant, self-declared NRM general was fighting back.

Terming Uhuru and his Deputy William Ruto s despots, Miguna narrated how he was “treated as a beast” since his arrest Friday last week.

“I have been treated as a beast. I was given food twice. I was not allowed to sleep and kept standing for more than 24 hours,” Miguna told the BBC.

In an interview published in Canadian news magazine Macleans, Miguna's wife, Jane Miguna, said she feared her husband had been murdered.

“That really worried me, because the (Canadian) High Commissioner was not even able to get information from the Kenyan government to assure her that they are holding him and he’s alive. They just say they are aware of the case and they are working on it."

Miguna said he never renounced his Kenyan citizenship and his deportation was illegal and a violation of his rights.

“The Constitution is crystal clear: no one can invalidate or purport to cancel the citizenship of a Kenyan-born citizen. So, Matiang’i has no authority — and I didn’t request him to “take me home” as he shamelessly claimed,” he said.

“Even if one had intended to deport me anywhere for whatever reasons, there are well laid legal procedures that must be followed and fundamental rights that must be upheld but which Matiang’i and his illegitimate thugs have violated,” Miguna went on.

Also read: Where is Miguna? Raila leads vigil at Milimani courts as questions fly

Click here for the latest political news 

Senator Kipchumba Murkomen on Thursday found himself in hot soup after claiming that CJ David Maraga was interfering with the independence of the judiciary.

He was referring to the statement issued by Maraga on Wednesday regarding state officials, and institutions that flout court orders.

The CJ said disobeying court orders is inimical to the rule of law.

He spoke after IG Joseph Boinnet and DCI George Kinoti defied orders to release lawyer Miguna Miguna from police custody.

Read: All Kenyans must follow court orders, Maraga says after Miguna drama

But the Elgeyo Marakwet senator took to twitter saying the Chief Justice should not interfere with a matter that is 'alive in court'.

"On what legal basis does a CJ issue a press statement on a matter which is alive in court? Isn’t the CJ interfering with Judicial independence? can’t he wait for his time to hear the matter in SCORK?"

He added: "Judges speak from the bench through rulings and judgement not press statements."

With 240 re-tweets and 646 likes, Murkomen's post elicited mixed reactions from his followers and critics alike.

"You're lucky that Twitter has granted you a platform to address the CJ. In SCORK when the CJ speaks from the bench you would be struggling to stay awake among spectators," @ErickFwaya said.

@itsnyakoecaleb said: "You lack a tacit legal mind to question CJ @dkmaraga perspective. Your despotic regime will crumble someday."

"@kipmurkomen each time I digest your careless utterances, I gravitate to question your law background. After a keen watch of your KTN interview, i can ink the inferences,"@mogirejason said.

@MigaiAkech said: "What you are saying is crap of the stinkiest variety. The CJ wears two hats, president of the the supreme court and administrative head of the judiciary. His statement, although tepid, is rightfully made in the latter context."

"A man behind a keyboard is more dangerous than a soldier in the battlefield," @slimmey_tev said.

@Paperboyrocks said: "So, when a CS messes up the President should keep mum. Lawyers should be reading huge books and appearing in court and not 280 characters in social media."

"Wait even you Murkomen a junior from just the other day thinks you can interpret the law better that the CJ? Or rather you already think that you’re above the law? You support the Despots. Quite unfortunate," @IvetaLemo said.

@HayangaKelvin said: "You can’t talk in court but out here you really pretend to know the law pretty well hmm it’s true little knowledge is really dangerous."

The apex court president said courts are temples of justice and places of refuge for those seeking protection, and must never be despoiled through acts of physical transgressions or blatant disregard of their pronouncements.

Also read: No two ways about it: Courts must be obeyed

Click here for the latest political news

Businessman Jimmy Wanjigi has described the supposed death announcement published in the Daily Nation's Wednesday edition as horrific.

He says the publication did not hurt him as such but has affected his family a great deal.

"I don't take it lightly and I must say what they did was horrific...it did not hurt me as much as it hurt my family," Wanjigi said.

Addressing journalists at the DCI headquarters on Thursday, Wanjigi said he will take legal action against Nation Media Group.

"I have my international lawyers and we are taking all this matter against Nation. I have children schooling abroad who were called with information that their father is dead," he said.

Daily Nation ran an obituary which announcing a businessman James Wanjagi's death, causing an uproar after it emerged the picture used was that of Wanjigi.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of James Richard Wanjagi...which occurred after a failed armed robbery in Nairobi’s Karen estate," it read in part.

The death announcement was published on page 49 of the newspaper's daily edition.

More on this: Did 'Jimmy Wanjigi' die without Kenyans knowledge? - KOT

Wanjigi, who was accompanied by some NASA leaders, said it was inhumane for the announcement to be made on a newspaper and yet he is still alive.

"It is not just an advert. I am alive contrary to the wishes of Nation. Yesterday, they issued a death promise on somebody who is alive."

"If you think that is a humane thing to do, then we are living in a different Kenya," he said.

He said Kenya is going through a twilight phase adding that 'anything can happen to us (members of the opposition) any time.

"...but dawn is not far, the dawn is coming and not far away. The injustice perpetuated by the Jubilee regime that is supposed to adhere to the law is coming to an end, very soon," he said.

Wanjigi said he is not worried about his life adding that: "God's time is the best."

"...I am not worried about myself, God is the one who gives and takes life. Many Kenyans have died since August 8," he added.

"If police killed 200 during elections, I will be just another statistic if they do that to me. And if they do that, then Nation knows who they are because they were a messenger."

 He said the Nation Media Group's acting CEO had apologised to him but noted that he wanted investigations done.

"Acting CEO came to see me and apologise and I told them to tell me who the individual was," he said.

He said there is a process one follows before an obituary or any advert is published.

"You go there, leave your ID and phone number and they charge you. My face is known so they cannot say they don't know my face.. it was not an error, it was intentional."

The obituary in question named Wanjagi as the son of a James Maina and Wambui Magari and a husband of an Irene - names which are coincidentally of the Wanjigis.

The puzzling thing is his funeral was to be yesterday February 6. The ad further mentions Kwacha Industries, which is Wanjigi's franchise.

In a statement on Wednesday, Nation Media Group apologised to the family of Wanjigi for any harm caused by the obituary.

More on this: They want to execute me yet government was formed at my home - Jimmy Wanjigi

Click here for the latest political news

Star newspaper journalist Joseph Jamenya is set to run 400km from Vihiga to Nairobi to raise Sh60 million to build a cardiac centre in the county.

He hopes to raise awareness of the rising number of cases of heart conditions. Jamenya's father died of a heart attack last year and his mother soon afterwards developed a heart problem.

''These complications have become common and [they are] very expensive to manage for most common people," he said yesterday. Jamenya spoke at the Vihiga County General Hospital boardroom. The centre will be put up at the hospital.

The run will begin on March 5 and it has been named #JJ heart run. The theme is 'Your heart your life'.

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o plans to declare February 8 as Baby Samantha Pendo Human Rights Day.

Nyong’o, who is still in the US for treatment, yesterday instructed his legal officer to draft a bill for the county assembly.

“When Baby Pendo was murdered by state goons last year, I said Kisumu county would dedicate February 8, Samantha’s birthday, as the Samantha Pendo Human Rights Day,” he said in a press statement.

Nyong’o said because of many political problems, not much progress has been made with the bill. “We are certain, however, that during this calendar year, the bill will be presented to the assembly and we shall, from next year, commemorate February 8 as a special Human Rights Day in Kisumu,” he said.

At her time of death, Pendo was six months old. She was allegedly killed at Nyalenda slum by riot police as they engaged demonstrators following the August 8 General Election.

She was hit on the head and slipped in a coma for two days before dying at Aga Khan Hospital in Kisumu. The postmortem report showed her scalp was cracked and she had internal bleeding. Her parents said she was asleep in her mother’s arms when police stormed into the home and beat her. They were looking for protesters. Governor Nyong’o also condemned the killings of protesters in Ahero, whom he said were peacefully exercising their rights as enshrined in the Constitution. He said speedy investigations should be conducted so families get justice.

Police say they are aware of only one death, while leaders say three people were killed by police.

“Ipoa, independent human rights organisations and the international community should act swiftly and look into the police brutality in the region. It makes me extremely sad to see how cheap the Kenyan police take our lives,” Nyong’o said

“What I have seen in social media regarding our people who have been wantonly killed by the police in Ahero and Kisumu must be condemned in the strongest terms possible.”

Nyong’o said his administration will follow up on the killings as they did the others last year. “However long it takes, the culprits must be brought to book and appropriately punished,” the governor added.

New York Stock Exchange-listed firm Seaboard Corporation has proposed to buyout minority shareholders of Unga Group Limited and delist it from the Nairobi bourse. In a press notice issued yesterday, the American firm, which currently holds a 35 per cent stake, proposed a cash offer to acquire the ordinary shares owned by minority shareholders which sum up to 14.07 per cent.

The offer, a price of Sh40 for each ordinary share of UGL, is about 26.87 per cent more than the millers last trading price of Sh29.25 yesterday. With this development, the Nairobi Stock Exchange yesterday suspended trading in UGL shares. Through this acquisition, Seaboard which values UGL at about Sh3.03 billion, seeks to bundle up its shares with those of Victus Limited to hold not less than 90 per cent of the animal feed and human nutrition product manufacturer’s ownership.

link with ex-cbk governor

Victus, an investment company associated with the family of former Central Bank governor Phillip Ndegwa currently holds 50.93 per cent stake in UGL. If the transaction is successful, Seaboard will own a 49.07 per cent stake in Unga Group Limited, while Victus will maintain its 50.93 per cent stake, a status likely to make them equal partners, owning 99.07 per cent of the firm.

Seaboard, whose headquarters are in the US, runs operations in agribusiness and the transport industry. It is majority owned by the family of Steve Bresky, who have been investors in the flour milling industry since 1918. It is one of the largest companies in Pork and Turkey production and processing in the US. Apart from Kenya, Seaboard owns 100 per cent stake in Flour mills of Ghana Limited, Zambian National Milling Corporation, Congo Flour Milling and The Mills of Madagascar and Senegal. Also, it has a stake of at least 35 per cent in national milling firms of Mozambique, Mauritius, Gambia, Lesotho, the DRC, and South Africa.

Conditions

However, the offer comes with a number of conditions which include a recommendation by UGL directors that UGL shareholders accept the offer, that no regulatory body makes the acquisition illegal, impose restrictions on how the business is to be carried out prior to the issued notice or makes proceedings that may affect UGL or Seaboard profits or prospects.

If the acquisition is approved by the Capital Markets Authority, UGL will be delisted from the Nairobi Securities Exchange.

Youths from Nyamira county have threatened to protest, following increased insults targetting Interior CS Fred Matiang’i.

Led by Caleb Motari, youths said if leaders, especially those allied to NASA, don’t stop insulting Matiang’i, they will call for peaceful protest.

Matiang’i has ordered the crackdown on many NASA leaders, arresting some, taking away their security, guns, passports and expelling Miguna Miguna out of the country.

“We are not happy with the way opposition leaders, are abusing Matiang’i. We are warning them, especially Embakasi East MP Babu Owino who has been referring to Matiang’i as a dead person, yet he is alive,” Motari said.

They said the CS should be respected as he is entitled to ensure all Kenyans are safe. “Don’t joke with the Interior minisitry,” Ben Mogaka said.

A debate recently arose on the stringent demands by the Constitution aimed at blocking individuals with questionable integrity from public office. Fresh university graduates and poor form four leavers seeking entry level jobs in the public service have been subjected to Chapter Six demands.

The same demands were made of individuals running for office last year. One is required to get clearance from police in the form of a certificate of good conduct that costs Sh1,050, the Helb clearance certificate costs Sh1,000, the Credit Reference Bureau clearance costs Sh2,200 and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission one Sh500. This totals to Sh4,750. Sometimes the cost may go up if the request for Kenya Revenue Authority tax compliance certificate has due penalties.

Many fresh graduates have missed opportunities as they struggle to raise funds to acquire these documents. The application of this requirement has been punitive and a hindrance to many unemployed but qualified young persons. While absolute strictness is applied to entry-level jobseekers, some leniency is shown to wealthy people seeking public office and clearance is granted with one eye closed.

In the August 8 General Election, for example, those seeking elective positions were required to undergo thorough vetting before Chapter Six clearance was granted. Yet the authorities given the responsibility of conducting the vetting cleared individuals facing criminal charges, jailbirds, suspects of economic crimes and those engaging in various forms of corruption at the county and national governments.We saw funny characters known to have dropped out of school without sitting or passing the requisite national exams change their names, enrol for degree courses using adopted names and bombard us with graduation photos to prove their qualification. Several governors and a senator have been dragged to court over alleged fake academic certificates long after they were elected.

The NGOs Board chief executive officer Fazul Mahamed is one of those alleged to have fake papers.

Looking at the many fake people presiding over our state corporations and top public offices, you realise it is completely unnecessary to condemn fresh university graduates and other entry-level jobseekers to joblessness on account of documentation that does not say much for their true character.

Why should a jobless person be compelled to pay for not being corrupt? Why should a jobless person be forced to pay for not having taken a loan? Vetting is indeed a good idea to ensure those seeking to run public resources are people of high integrity. However, it will make more sense to restrict vetting that requires many permits and certification(s) to individuals seeking higher state offices.

The Public Service Commission, County Public Service Boards and the various human resource committees should spare vulnerable Kenyans seeking lower cadre jobs this unnecessary and expensive vetting mechanism.

There should be a pocket-friendlier way of ensuring those hired into the public service are individuals of high integrity. I have seen many Kenyans particularly raise complaints about being denied clearance by the CRB after being listed for small mobile loans or for undeclared bank service charges for inactive bank accounts.

It is important to legislate on this matter to stop Kenyans from being denied opportunities because of such listings. It is incredibly painful that even after one has cleared with the listing authority, the CRB would want to keep one’s name in the blacklist for more than three years.

Someone in the National Assembly or the Senate should come up with legislative ideas to control the use of some of these vetting tools to ensure they are not used to kill the future of our young people while enriching wealthy people and institutions.

I’m glad to see recent job adverts, especially from state corporations, deliberately exclude the requirement for CRB clearance. It is important to invest in post-recruitment vetting, especially during the probation period, to ensure small issues do not cost individuals jobs.

The important exercise of vetting nominees for Cabinet and ambassadorial postings commenced yesterday. To the disappointment of many Kenyans, NASA MPs stayed away, rendering the process a one-party charade.

By so doing, the MPs have abdicated a crucial responsibility of representing their electorate in the constitutional duty of interrogating the integrity and competence of the Secretaries who will run the country for the next five years. It would be naive to expect Jubilee MPs to query the President’s nominees with the same rigour as the Opposition.

The boycott exposes the hypocrisy of our MPs; the same MPs who have boycotted the vetting and budget sittings are quite happy attending induction sessions in luxurious hotels at the Coast where they pocket hefty per diems.

 Some, like Minority Leader John Mbadi, earn a responsibility allowance which includes their membership to such committees as the vetting one, that they don’t abjure.

NASA leaders must make up their minds. They cannot continue enjoying their perks and not perform the corresponding duties. That’s tantamount to defrauding the public. It is unethical and immoral.

Their emoluments must be gauged against performance of their job description and not how much they agitate outside Parliament, their electoral grievances notwithstanding.

A mix of old and new advisers around President Uhuru Kenyatta is being credited with the tough decisions that are drawing strident criticism from sections of the public and the Opposition.

Sources close to the Presidency, however, say Uhuru is a different man from the President of the first term.

Since his controversial re-election on October 26, 2017, Uhuru has transformed into a firm-fisted politician, often taking solitary decisions that find his advisers and close allies wrong-footed. 

Read: Uhuru 'rewards' loyal Nakuru ex-boss Kinuthia Mbugua with State House job

When he took the oath of office for his second term on November 28, Uhuru made it clear that it will not be business as usual.

He has set his sights on driving his agenda without the burden of reelection politics weighing heavily on his shoulders.

Unlike his first term, his close advisers say he has developed a much tougher approach to issues that is detailed and systematic.

People around him told the Star that his talk revolves around development, especially the Big Four agenda he has prioritised: Food security, housing, health and manufacturing.

The President is also said to be placing a high premium on law and order, corruption, general discipline in government and high loyalty from those he has given jobs.

These he has entrusted to a coterie of appointees who hold key portfolios.

Over the past three months, since he assumed his second term in office, it has emerged that the President is increasingly working with a small team of aides with whom he is constantly in communication, delegating the implementation of executive decisions. 

It is this team that was meeting and advising the President in the countdown to the January 30 oathing by Nasa leader Raila Odinga.

The same team is credited with the withdrawal of Police from Uhuru Park, and the clampdown on the media. It was also instrumental in the decision to deport Miguna Miguna to Canada on Monday this week.

DEPUTY PRESIDENT WILLIAM RUTO

Although his absence from State House when the President first named his Cabinet nominees caused a lot of speculation, Ruto remains a key member of Uhuru’s inner team. He remains the principal adviser to the President and is by his side most of the time when he is consulting others or making decisions. Uhuru allows his deputy to deal with a litany of political issues and to drive his administration’s agenda.

In the last two weeks, Ruto has presided over crucial meetings aimed at jump-starting the Big Four agenda at his Karen residence.

On Tuesday, he hosted governors for the Intergovernmental Budget and Economic Council (IBEC) and yesterday he met with the in-charges of the ministries of Water and Agriculture. Last week, he also chaired another IBEC meeting before going to commission roads in Murang’a.

The constitutional second-in-command is a hair's breath from his boss, and still enjoys the traditional chemistry that was strained by the Cabinet appointments. To his credit, the DP has learnt how to play along as he strategises for the succession battle ahead.

JUSTIN MUTURI

The National Assembly Speaker is a close friend of the President and worked for many years in Kanu and in Parliament when Uhuru was the Leader of the Official Opposition between 2002-2007.

When Uhuru was looking for his new Cabinet nominees, Muturi, was among the people he was consulting. He, together with CSs Fred Matiang’i, Joe Mucheru, Intelligence director Philip Kameru and Attorney-General Githu helped the President decide the initial nominees to the Cabinet that DP Ruto was uncomfortable with.

The same team met and decided to withdraw the police from Uhuru Park and allow NASA to go on with their swearing-in ceremony last week, while the President was in Ethiopia.

Matiang’i. Kameru, Mucheru and some other senior government officials made the decision to deport Miguna.

Muturi takes care of the President’s interests and executes his agenda through the Jubilee-dominated Parliament. As Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission and chair of the Appointments Committee of the National Assembly, Muturi is the President’s gatekeeper in the Legislature.

He is consulted and prepares the ground for smooth-implementation executive decisions that require legislative backup. His role is likely to be amplified in the implementation of the Big Four plan.

FRED MATIANG’I

Referred to derisively as the 'super minister' by his former Cabinet colleagues, the new Interior Cabinet Secretary has wormed his way into Uhuru’s Kitchen Cabinet because of his abrasive and decisive style of prosecuting government policy.

He sees and speaks to the President daily on various issues and it is understood that the President has a lot of time for and trust in the former Education Cabinet Secretary. Matiangi’s rise is attributed to the backing of Simeon Nyachae, and the work he did while working on a capacity building programme for the Kenyan legislature by the City University of New York.

JOE MUCHERU 

The pint-sized ICT Cabinet Secretary is by virtue of his portfolio among the President’s inner circle. He earned the trust of the President for his role in mobilising the voter turnout in Nyeri County and, together with Matiang’i and other government agencies, delivering clean national examinations in a record turnaround time because of the application of information technology.

When newly elected Nyeri Governor Gakuru Wahome died, it was Mucheru who was put in charge of the funeral committee.

He is among the few Cabinet Secretaries engaged in the execution of the recent crackdown, his role being to manage media, as key decisions on how to deal with Raila’s oath-taking ceremony were made.

GITHU MUGAI

Although seen by many as a man on his way out, the AG seems to have regained the confidence of the President on legal matters. Since the President was sworn in, the AG has been spending many hours in State House ensuring Uhuru makes legally sound decisions. It is his advice that has been queried by critics who have faulted many of the President’s actions, including the recent creation of the position of Chief Administrative Secretary and the subsequent nominations that have been challenged in court.

KINUTHIA MBUGUA

The new State House comptroller is reputed to be a stern administrator from his days as the Commandant of the Administration Police. He is not only in charge of who sees the President but sits in key meetings and follows up to ensure decisions are fully implemented. The former governor of Nakuru is known to send fear among staff, and is seen as part of the reason the president’s easy-going demeanor has began to wear off.

PHILIP KAMERU

 The Director-General of the National Intelligence Service is characteristically the quiet member of Uhuru’s Kitchen Cabinet. He has the president’s trust and is said to be responsible for some of the operations that have raised political hue and cry recently. His service has recently been involved in covert operations, and it is believed to be doing more than just gathering intelligence.

SAMSON MWATHETHE

 Like his Intelligence counterpart, the Kenyan Chief of Defence Forces remains a key member of the inner circle since Uhuru began his re-election campaigns. He is a frequent visitor to State House to brief the commander on various security operations in and out of the country.

JOMO GECAGA

 The President's private secretary and nephew has been by his side for years. Along with Mbugua, he is the one who often transmits the president’s directives and brings back the feedback. He is instrumental in deciding have been calling the shots on who attends what meeting.

Additionally, the President often consults with his pal and Jubilee Vice-Chair David Murathe, Jubilee party Secretary General Raphael Tuju, and Chief of staff and head of the Presidential Delivery Unit Nzioka Waita, and the party’s Majority leaders in both the National Assembly and Senate, Aden Duale and Kipchumba Murkomen.

While announcing his Cabinet, Uhuru said that he had co-opted Tuju into Cabinet on a need to basis. Insiders say this role will be key to ensure that the Cabinet operations are in line with the Jubilee manifesto and to align Jubilee MPs to the party position.

The first signal that he will not entertain those who will not toe the line was the drastic action of whipping MPs from his Jubilee Party to strip those who had defied his line up to be elected chairmen and vice chairmen of Agriculture, Labour, Environment and Broadcasting committees of the National Assembly.

With the recent crackdown on the Opposition and media, Uhuru immediately cut the image of a strongman, drawing cautionary statements from western countries.

The Opposition, civil society groups and the international community criticized as dictatorship and violation of the constitution and human rights the shutdown of four leading television stations — KTN, NTV, Citizen and Inooro — on the orders of Interior CS Fred Matiang’i for a week. 

So was the treatment of the suspended Communications Authority Director General Francis Wangusi, who was last Friday barred from accessing his office, despite a High Court order reinstating him.

The arrests of opposition leaders who participated in the swearing-in of NASA leader Raila Odinga as the “People’s President” and deportation of self-styled NRM “General” Miguna MIguna on Tuesday night to Canada are seen as the first step by President Uhuru to fully take charge of the country and neutralize the opposition.

ANC leader and NASA co-principal Musalia Mudavadi described the clampdown as “a call to all Kenyans who value the freedom to rise against martial law rule by the Jubilee regime”.

“The struggle has entered another phase resulting from the sadistic defilement of civil rights. This struggle is not about parties because the Jubilee dictatorship ruins all Kenyans. Police brutality, media shutdown and installation of a police state hurt all Kenyans,” he said in a press statement.

Also read:

Ruto speaks out on Uhuru Cabinet list

Political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi has condemned the 'fake obituary' for Jimmy Wanjigi saying his wife should be kept off 'wars of men'.

"On the Jimi Wanjigi obituary, the Daily Nation has no excuse. He should sue them for failing to exercise "Duty of Care," Ngunyi said via Twitter on Friday.

Wanjigi, a businessman described the supposed death announcement published in the Daily Nation's Wednesday edition as horrific.

He said the publication did not hurt him as such but has affected his family a great deal.

"I don't take it lightly and I must say what they did was horrific...it did not hurt me as much as it hurt my family," Wanjigi said.

See: [VIDEO] Jimmy Wanjigi to sue Nation Media over 'fake obituary', says family horrified

Also read: Did 'Jimmy Wanjigi' die without Kenyans knowledge? - KOT

Ngunyi added:"And to Wanjigi's enemies, ".. keep his woman, and children out of our wars as men". I defend him as my 'Rika" (age-mate).

This post elicited mixed reactions from his followers who agreed and disagreed with him.

"Can't believe someone can sink this low, whether politics or otherwise. What exactly motivated the person to do such an evil thing?" @mwangicw said.

@dzombosamson said "But even this nation media house...Couldn't they just check. With family and friends before such. A print !! Clearly someone must seriously be held accountable."

 "That's better, people should fight against themselves maturely,"@AgosaPhoebe said.

@LMuhangani said "Mutahi Ngunyi, its okayi I concur with your sentiments on that obituary, having said that, the conspiracy was hatched long ago, and maybe other means have failed before, we know who broke into his House sometimes back."

 @Zuyder_reen said "For the first time in a VERY long time i see sense in your post."

"But it seems the ki kulacho ki nguoni. Its seem the "boys" are behind the Wars. Has deal gone sour with Jimi?For Jimi,it is eating with 'sword',"@MartoNjau said.

@evanort said "Atleast for once you have tweeted something that makes sense and healthy for many of us."

"‏It is only men who have nurtured cowardice within them, that use the fear-bullets, intimidation & false alarm. Surely since when did ladies of soldiers get dragged to battlefield. Children too! !?" @sir_grevin said.

Wanjigi told journalists at the DCI headquarters that he will take legal action against Nation Media Group.

"I have my international lawyers and we are taking all this matter against Nation. I have children schooling abroad who were called with information that their father is dead," he said.

Daily Nation ran an obituary which announcing a businessman James Wanjagi's death, causing an uproar after it emerged the picture used was that of Wanjigi.

"It is with deep sorrow that we announce the death of James Richard Wanjagi...which occurred after a failed armed robbery in Nairobi’s Karen estate," the obituary read in part.

The death announcement was published on page 49 of the newspaper's daily edition.

In a statement on Wednesday, Nation Media Group apologised to the family of Wanjigi for any harm caused by the obituary.

More on this: They want to execute me yet government was formed at my home - Jimmy Wanjigi

Click here for the latest political news

Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria feels the government is not doing enough to deal with opposition leaders who organized and attended Raila Odinga’s mock swearing-in on January 30.

The MP who is a fierce critic of Raila took to social media to express his disappointment that only one individual has been forced into exile over the ceremonial oath.

Read; Kenya crackdown on media, opposition attracts heavy criticism

The MP feels that officers mandated with dealing with lawlessness are sleeping on their job.

“After the April 2017 coup attempt in Turkey, the government of Tayipp Erdogan jailed 47,155 and banished the coup leader Fethullah into exile. Someone in Kenya is sleeping on the job. Only one deportation so far? Wacha nirudi nyumbani– let me go back home,” Kuria posted on his Facebook page.

His remarks are in apparent reference to the deportation of self-styled National Resistance Movement (NRM) General Miguna Miguna to Canada on Tuesday night.

Miguna’s deportation was sanctioned by Interior CS Fred Matiang’i who said the vocal pro-opposition lawyer was not a Kenyan citizen.

Miguna has since vowed to fight the deportation order saying he has never and would never contemplate renouncing his Kenyan citizenship.

Kuria’s post drew mixed reactions from Kenyans with some supporting his sentiments, others critiquing it while others made fun of the whole scenario.

Owuor Daktari simply said “Despot!!” while MacDonald Omondi wondered why action was yet to be taken against Raila for taking the oath.

“You said if Raila is sworn in he would be hanged. You said no swearing will take place at Uhuru Park because you and business community had booked the venue... NASA swore in their leader there. Now you are saying acha urudi nyumbani. Kwani umekuwa wapi hizo siku zote...this is loosely translated to mean Where have you been all these days?”

PK Macharia said “Mr Kuria, these pple who think they can talk to you the (way) they want should be apprehended, we have the technology that can nub them exactly where they are, it would be good for them to explain themselves and in the process shut them up.”

Kagi Samie said, “The coup plotters n the militia leader have twisted the coup to be a rehearsal of miscarriage oath!!I also can’t imagine my slogan wakiapisha tunanyonga imepotea hivo aki!”

Hillary Arap Sang Junior wondered how Raila, after taking the oath, was again talking of fresh elections when he’s supposed to be in “office”.

“When we say Raila is a comedian Nasarites wanasema tunamuonea.. Now which president in his right frame of mind would call for an election after swearing himself in.. I thought he was to name a cabinet Kumbe he still wants another election.”

In an exclusive interview with the BBC recently, Raila claimed that the re-election of President Uhuru Kenyatta at the October 26 election was an electoral coup.

He said NASA is pushing for a third election to be held in August after the necessary reforms in the electoral system are achieved.

Read: [VIDEO] 'General' Miguna gets heroic welcome in Canada, says Uhuru's downfall a must

Click here for the latest political news 

Braving the midday sun, Kenyan farmer Jane Njoki carries trays of lush, green sprouts to feeding troughs as her cows moo impatiently in a nearby shed.

"They can't wait to have their lunch," said the dairy farmer as she arranged the trays in a neat line. "But three years ago, they nearly starved to death as there was no pasture left."

Recurring dry spells across the country are destroying crops and pastures, starving animals and leaving millions of people at risk of food insecurity, say experts.

To guarantee livestock fodder even when pastures are dry, farmers like Njoki - working in Timau ward, central Kenya - are switching to hydroponics, a soil-less culture technology which uses less water and land and can yield up to 10 times the crop grown in an open field.

The method mixes barley, wheat, maize and other grains with water in trays and takes only days to mature – compared to months for ordinary fodder like Napier grass, said Donatus Njoroge, a researcher at Mount Kenya University and director at Hydroponics Kenya, a business that teaches the technique to farmers in the area.

"Barley and wheat sprouts are high in nutrients and proteins, so good for livestock," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

SAVING ANIMALS AND FOOD

Severe drought and a lack of pasture nearly forced Njoki to sell her five dairy cows in 2014.

"I was spending over 5,000 Kenyan shillings (about $50) per month on grass for my livestock," she said.

She started growing fodder using hydroponics after hearing about the technology at a training session, and says she now produces enough of it to feed her cattle, even during droughts.

"My cows' milk production is no longer affected by drought," she explained.

"I now earn between 15,000 and 20,000 shillings ($147-196) per month by selling milk to local hotels and residents, compared to less than 12,000 Kenyan shillings ($118) before," she added.

Njoroge said the fact that hydroponics uses cereals like barley, rather than staple crops like maize, ensures farmers do not need to deprive themselves of food to feed their livestock.

Samuel Mbugua, director of Grandeur Africa, another company that trains farmers to grow hydroponic fodder, thinks it also helps avert conflict between herders.

"Herders in arid areas often encroach on other farmers' land in search of grazing areas, if they don't have enough pasture," he said.

MONEY, WATER AND SKILLS

Although it has helped improve farmers' fortunes, hydroponics is not without its challenges, said Njoroge.

Many farmers lack the financial resources to buy the trays and shelter needed to grow hydroponic fodder, he explained.

"A simple shed can cost 10,000 shillings ($100) to set up, but smallholder farmers often don't have that capital," he said.

And while hydroponic fodder needs less water than varieties like Napier grass to grow, it still requires about a litre per kilo of fodder, he added.

"So we encourage farmers to harvest rainwater from their rooftops or from the ground," he said.

More needs to be done to teach farmers the specialist skills associated with hydroponics, with not enough extension officers available to visit farmers, say experts.

Njoroge estimates that more than 5,000 livestock farmers are using the technique across the country. "With more training, that number could be a lot higher," he said. 

Sports Cabinet Secretary nominee Richard Achesa has pledged to establish football academies in each county in Kenya.

Achesa, who faced the Committee on Appointments on Friday, said the academies will be help improve standards of football in the country.

"I will create the academies by collaborating with county governments," he told the committee chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi.

The nominee said that being a sportsman, he understands the challenges that come with the docket.

"I understand the challenges that young sportswomen and men go through in this country," he said.

"What I can assure Kenyans is that through the skills that I have acquired through my experience, I will inject the same skills to make sure that the sports docket is turned around."

On heritage, Achesa said: "I come from the Nabongo clan of Mumia Nabongo. I am very conversant with the docket and feel that I'm fit for the job if approved."

'Affidavit political witch-hunt'

On an sworn affidavit by Esther Kabura who alleged that Achesa stole her vehicles, the CS nominee told the vetting panel that the woman was slandering him.

"I fail to understand how good one can be. I was only a witness to the sale agreement. If you look at that agreement I was merely a witness," he said.

Achesa said the woman's affidavit is purely political witch-hunt.

"She says I took her vehicles which is not true. The matter was investigated and it was found that the complainant sold her cars, even the receipts says the complainant received money," he said.

He said after investigations were done and the cars were given back to the buyers.

"If you go through that agreement, the complainant appended her signature including that of her daughter," he said.

Noting that Kabura likes interfering with his success, Achesa said during the elections the woman in question published the same allegations in some papers.

'Why Kenya did not host CHAN'

Achesa further told the panel that the absence of complete stadia in Kenya made it difficult for the country to host CHAN.

"I have established that the main reason we did not host the games is because most stadiums were not ready. Under my leadership, I will source for funds to ensure all stadia are up to the required standard," he said.

Achesa said he will source for the money through the National Treasury and sponsors to make sure the stadia are complete.

Kenya was last year stripped of the rights to host African Nations Championship by the Confederation of African Football.

CAF said the decision followed Kenya's slow pace in preparing for the tournament. This includes building new stadia and renovating existing ones.

'Athletes languishing'

The Sports nominee noted that when he is approved by the Parliament he will make sure that athletes do not languish in poverty.

"It is because of poor management that they languish in poverty. Under my leadership, I will ensure this is dealt with accordingly," he said.

Achesa assured Kenyan sportsmen that they will not be subjected to any mistreatment when he is at the helm of the ministry.

'Poverty my meal?'

Achesa further narrated how his family struggled through poverty to make ends meet during his childhood days.

"My mum and dad were poor people struggling to make ends meet, but with this, I later developed a passion in boxing."

"I joined the Mumias Boxing Club where I could do loading and train in the club," he said.

He said during this season, he realised that he had a talent in boxing.

"I competed in various platforms with boxing but since life was difficult, I decided to join Kenya Prisons to get some cash that I could send to my family," Achesa said.

The nominee said he was only being paid Sh3,000 of which he used part to send his sibling for school .

"In 2004, while a boxer at Kenya prisons, I came across to a very beautiful lady whom we got married. We are blessed with two children."

Also Read:Sports CS nominee Achesa pledges football academies in counties

Click here for the latest political news

Last year Nairobi was ranked the city with the world’s second-worst traffic congestion.

And that congestion nearly made it impossible to reattach the severed hand of a 17-year-old Kiambu youth, in a groundbreaking operation.

Time was of the essence. For the best results, the hand should be reattached in six hours. After 10 hours the chances of success diminish greatly.But it was a success, the first-ever such hand reattachment in sub-Saharan Africa.

Medics who reattached the hand have described the feverish moments as an ambulance, lights flashing, sirens blaring, rushed Joseph Theuri to Kenyatta National Hospital and they tried to beat Nairobi traffic to get to the facility.

Orunga said assembling the team was the most daunting part because this was an emergency. Doctors were stuck in the Friday rush-hour traffic.

“Ideally, we should have started early, but some doctors were still trying to beat the traffic at 5pm,” anaesthetist Leonard Orunga told the Star.

Preparations for the surgery began early on January 26 after doctors from Kiambu Hospital called KNH to inform them they had referred a patient with a severed hand. The hand was kept in a cooler box.

Theuri’s hand was severed by a chaff cutter in Kiambaa at 11am on January 26. For best results, the operation had to start by 5pm or at least by 10pm the same day.

Team of 15

He arrived at KNH at 1pm. Doctors determined the operation was possible because the severed hand was in good condition and the cut was clean.

“We began to assemble a team of microvascular specialists,” some were out of Nairobi and arrived late because of traffic,” Dr Wanjala Nang’ole said.

He led the surgery together with Prof Stanley Khainga, both of the University of Nairobi’s College of Health Sciences.

“If the body part was mangled, then it would be very difficult,” Nang’ole said. KNH is the only hospital with a microvascular team for such an operation.

Microvascular surgery refers to the use of an operating microscope in surgery and is often performed when a patient suffers from a detached body part, such as limbs and even genitalia.

Prior to this, partial limb reattachments have been performed at KNH, but never a successful full reattachment of a completely severed limb. The medics always believed they were capable of such a task, but no opportunity had presented itself.

Theuri’s parents were asked to give their consent for the surgery.

Regain 80-90% functions

Nang’ole and those present proceeded with tests such as determining the volume of red blood cells. They also conducted blood grouping and cross-matching and tested renal function.

Finally, a multidisciplinary theatre team of 15 was assembled. The operation began at 10pm. “Two teams were constituted with one team preparing the hand and the other team working on the stump. This was very important to save on time,” Nang’ole explains.

The surgeons first identified blood vessels, nerves and tendons. They then reduced the bones on both ends to allow realignment.

After joining the bones with screws, they repaired the arteries and veins. Finally, they also identified the tendons, which allow movement of the hand and repaired them.

Three hours after the hand was reattached, the medics pricked Theuri’s thumb with a needle. It bled. “This was a good sign the blood had started to flow,” Nang’ole says. The entire operation ended the following day at 6am.

Theuri can now move his fingers. Tendons will take about two months to heal completely. Nerves take four to five months. But he will be discharged in about 10 days and will undergo physiotherapy until the hand is completely healed and flexible.

Khainga says he will regain 80 to 90 per cent of the hand’s functions. However, he will not have a flexible wrist joint because some of the bones that allow for movement were destroyed in the accident. The NHIF will pay for the operation, whose cost is about Sh1.4 million.

Khainga explains Theuri will not be put on life-long drugs, because there is no risk that his body could reject the reattached hand.“We are out of the most critical period,” he says.

Read:KNH medics reattach boy's cut off hand in historic surgery