As a multi-skilled woman who operates between Daystar's Athi River campus and Valley Road campus, Hellen Mtawali's day is clogged with activity. She is a teacher of music, a linguist, music director, preacher, singer and she still finds time to be a mother, wife and get sauna. 5am: I wake up everyday at 5am and depending on the semester, I will either start my day at Daystar Athi River Campus or Hurlinghum Campus. 8am: On Monday, I arrive at Daystar Athi River at 8am where I work at the public relations office...
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Day In The Life: Hellen Akoth Mtawali - Music director, choreographer, lingust and teacher
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The Shame Of Kenyan Leadership
When the National Rainbow Coalition swept into power in 2002, Kenyans were rated the most optimistic people all over the world. As it happens with the installation of new leadership expectations were at a record high that the incoming administration would unveil a new style of leadership that would inure to the benefit of all Kenyans. This sense of enthusiasm and anticipation did not, however, last long...
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Of dreams and demons in African Divine church
A joke for you: there was a prophet, God and a young British man in a room filled with fervent Kenyan worshippers, hoping for a means to improve their Church. Who do you think they asked for support? I’ll let your imagination complete the gag. Faith is spiritual but results are empirical; this I learnt while standing in front of Prophet Alufayo deep inside the Aficani Divine Church in Kangemi. The very first Christian buildings were very small and simple constructions; reflecting the size and wealth of what was a generally impoverished community...
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Curtain falls on primary schools presentations at drama festival
Presentations for the Primary School category at the 54th annual Kenya Schools and Colleges National Drama Festival ended yesterday. This year's edition brought together over 65 primary schools from the all 47 counties in the country.The festivals, held at various institutions in Mombasa, saw schools separated depending on their seniority. Mbaraki Hall served primary school pupils, the Agha Khan Hall was set aside for secondary schools students, while colleges, universities and technical institutions had their presentations at the Chandaria Hall in Tudor...
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Are we taking gender parity the wrong way?
Tracey walked into the café looking frazzled and ready to tackle any pit bull that may charge her way. Every once in a while, our group of five would make up an excuse so as to leave work early and meet up for a session of ‘laugh-like-you-don’t have bills to pay’ which proved to be quite therapeutic, warranting everyone’s attendance as was the case today. “You would not believe what just happened to me!” Tracey exclaimed as she took a seat, “Some guy refused to hold the door for me despite my obvious rush. But that’s not the shocking part...
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KNCHR tells off MPs over pay
The human's right commission has condemned the plan by MPs to disband the salaries panel. Anne Ngugi, the acting chair of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, said the move is uncalled for because the panel was created to correct salary injustices and reduce the wage burden for Kenyans. On Thursday, Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi said he will table a petition in Parliament next week on Tuesday to disband the Salaries and Remuneration Commission for breaching constitutional provisions...
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Four Books Uhuru And Ruto Should Read
We are still in the early days of President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. However, these are the top four books that I will recommend to him, and to his deputy, William Ruto. 1. From Third World to First: The Singapore Story, By Lee Kuan Yew. Singapore’s charismatic and controversial founding father, Lee Kuan Yew, offers his insights on the journey that Singapore took from being a forsaken and underdeveloped port city, to transform into fledging city- state with one of the highest standards of living in the world...
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Uhuru, Ruto Will Not Save Sheep From Slaughter By Carnivores
ICC is a national problem that all Kenyans must discuss openly, truthfully and publicly without shame or recrimination. How can President Uhuru govern responsibly without debating his most serious handicap? On March 4, a majority elected Uhuru Kenyatta as Kenya’s fourth president of Kenya. The joy with which some people received his victory and inauguration made me think the celebrants were thinking of only two things. First God had sent them the savior who would redeem them from all their problems...
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Give reasons for pay rise, Nyachae to MPs
The Commission on Implementation of the Constitution has criticised MPs for demanding a pay rise without following the right process. CIC chair Charles Nyachae said MPs have not provided reasons why they deserve a raise. Nyachae said there were channels that they could use to advocate for an increase instead of a motion in Parliament. “They are not wrong in calling for higher salaries, but I find no reason at all as to why they put a motion in the House without following the right process,” he said...
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7 Deadly Sins of Dating
There are seven commandments that women should not break but we do. They have never been written on a stone tablet or preached to us from a pulpit but we know them by instinct, word of mouth, numerous advice columns and through painful experiences with men. So why do we commit sin? Why do we do things that we know we should not do? The answer is as simple as what Mark Twain said: “The more things are forbidden, the more popular they become." However, this idea works for everything except a woman’s honour...
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Supreme Court Ruling Shameful
When the Supreme Court dismissed former Prime Minister Raila Odinga's and Africog’s petitions on March 30, 2013, more than half of the country went into shock hoping to recover after the court issues a written explanation for the decision. The written decision has now been issued. It is, however, a disappointment, for those who anticipated a cogent, well-reasoned, sound judgment. What the public has instead been served is an intellectually shallow, poorly reasoned,10 page attempt to disguise the truth of the matter...
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A Sacrifice For Peace And Unity In Kenya
When the curtains of the just concluded general election in Kenya fell, one Raila Amolo Odinga was, together with his supporters, left disillusioned. Raila Odinga, without a shadow of a doubt is the enigma of Kenyan politics. To his admirers, Odinga cuts the image of a strong pan-Africanist, a champion of reforms and a force of good with admirable credentials. What of strong ideals and consistency in the push for good governance in Kenya? To have taken Moi’s regime head on was not for the faint-hearted...
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Cord MPs grumbling over Nyenze
DISQUIET is intensifying amongst Cord MPs over their leadership in the National Assembly. With presidential candidate Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka outside Parliament, several Cord MPs are quietly revolting against the decision to hand over its leadership in the House to former cabinet minister Francis Nyenze. Some Cord MPs from the Cord believe that their leadership is too weak and unable to put President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee government to task to deliver its election promises...
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Nine killed in Garissa shooting
Nine people were killed when two masked gunmen walked into the lobby of a hotel in Garissa and sprayed the guests with bullets as their three accomplices kept guard outside. Four people were injured during the 7 pm attack. This is the third time that gunmen have attacked the hotel popularly known as Kwa Chege in the recent past. Twenty two people have so far died from these attacks. The hotel is less than 400 meters from the Garissa police station. However, it took the police 45 minutes to get to the hotel...
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HISTORY AND OBJECTIVES OF DEVOLUTION
Significance of devolution Though limited in some ways, devolution represents a major transformation of the state and undoubtedly, in course of time, of society. It reverses the system of control and authority established by the colonial powers and perpetuated by successive presidents. Two major, interrelated, defining features of that system were the centralisation of power in the president and the battery of state coercive power...
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DON'T CALL ME 'PRIME MINISTER', SAYS RAILA
CORD leader Raila Odinga yesterday asked Kenyans not to refer to him as Prime Minister. He was attending the burial of former KNUT secretary general David Okuta in Ahero, Kisumu county with President Uhuru Kenyatta. Raila said it was time to reconcile the country while the President reiterated that he was ready to work with everyone including the former PM. Raila wondered why people were unable to call him just by his name. Several leaders during the ceremony referred to him as Right Honorable the Prime Minister while others were confused over which title to use...
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Floods kill 56, displace 80,000
At least 56 people have been killed and more then 85,135 displaced by the heavy rains. Statistics released by the Kenya Red Cross yesterday show that four people are missing, 19 injured while 13,042 households have been affected by floods caused by the heavy rains. Seven people have died in Upper Eastern, five are injured and 1,605 households d isplaced. There are no deaths in North Eastern but 2,062 households, a total of 26,558 people, have been displaced. In Central Kenya, two people have been killed, two injured and 96 households displaced...
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Security operation to kick-off in Garissa
Fear has gripped some residents in Garissa town after the government announced a massive security operation to find those behind the recent spate of killings that have left dozens dead in the past few months. Some residents have already began moving from settlements on the outskirts of the town. Speaking during a tour of the area with top security officials on Saturday, Internal Security Permanent Secretary, Mutea Iringo said a massive operation will be carried out in a bid to restore order in the town...
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Facebook users launch campaign to recall Linturi
The Igembe South Legislator Mithika Linturi could soon find himself outside parliament after Facebook fans initiated a page to recall him back from Parliament. The page which was initiated barely a week ago ‘1 million likes to recall MP Mithika Linturi from Parliament’ has already received more than 20,000 likes and is expected to generate more even as the debate on MP’s salaries rages on...
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State to decide Raila, Kalonzo security detail
Raila Odinga and former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka will have to wait for a government directive on how many security officers they will retain after losing the March 4 polls. Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia is expected to issue a directive today after the abrupt withdraw of armed police officers who were deployed to guard the two politicians. Close to 100 police officers and government vehicles assigned to Raila and Kalonzo were withdrawn a few days after President Uhuru was sworn in...
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