ON Friday a Vietnamese man was fined Sh40,000 for smuggling Sh5.7 million of ivory through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. This ruling was totally ridiculous. It as if a robber steals $1,000,000 from a bank and is fined $10,000 after he is caught. The punishment should fit the crime. If the dealer is caught with Sh5 million of illegal ivory, he should be fined Sh50 million, or five years in jail. There should be a rule that the fine is ten times the value of the ivory or rhino horn. This is not an isolated case...
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Poaching fines must be made punitive
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Ruto donates Sh1million for AIC's prayer centre
The African Inland Church will build a Sh350 million conference hall in Kasarani. The project which is being spearheaded by women in the church kicked off in 2011. The facility will be known as AIC National Prayer Centre. The church held a fund drive yesterday at AIC-Kasarani.The ceremony was attended by the deputy president William Ruto who was accompanied by his wife Rachael Ruto. Ruto gave a personal contribution of Sh 1 million.The sermon was presided by Ruto's long time friend Rev Silas Yego. He said Ruto is generous...
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Supreme Court Decision Exposes Legal Minefield
The recent Supreme Cour decision was not only historic as it involved the office of the presidency which is the highest symbol of majoritarian democratic power in Kenya. It also provided the court with a real opportunity to lay down a marker on the role of judicial review of the actions and conduct of state organs under the new Constitution. In my view the ultimate decision —rejecting the main petition filed by the former Prime Minister —was predictable by and large because of high legal evidentiary thresholds embodied in the required legal burden of proof...
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My Agenda For Education Secretary
According to article 53 of our constitution, children have a fundamental right to free and compulsory basic education. Our government has pledged to uphold this right. However, although we know that our children are attending school in impressive numbers, perhaps the question we have to ask ourselves is, are our children learning? What is the quality of education actually being received in the classroom today? Although many children are attending school, they are benefiting less from schooling...
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Kudos Uhuru, Raila For Moving Kenya Forward
There is no doubt that some Kenyans will take a while to move beyond the results of the last elections. This is a right that should be respected by all, as long as it does not interfere with those who have moved on. I also know that some are struggling with their spiritual faith after the results. Again, this they must be allowed to deal with. Maybe they will understand how God’s ways are not our ways in the process. Personally I had my moments of self-doubt, wondering how I did not see that more Kenyans would vote looking forward rather than back...
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Insulin pen comes to the rescue of diabetes patients
UNTIL recently, diabetes was seen as a rich man's disease. However, with changing lifestyles, the disease is quickly ripping the society apart, as more cases continue to be reported across ages and status. Diabetes is defined as a metabolic disorder caused by different factors that are characterised by a chronic high level of blood sugar, with disturbances to carbohydrate, fat, and protein metabolism resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both...
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Why Justice Is Crucial In Uhuru's Mission For Peace
Kenya experienced its darkest hours in 2007/08, close to one thousand five hundred people lost their lives, 600,000 others were displaced and property worth millions of shillings destroyed. Five years down the line the victims of Post Election Violence are still waiting for justice. Attempts to establish a local Tribunal to try those most responsible for the post election violence have failed, only recently did the government reveal plans to establish an International Crimes Division in the high court to serve justice to the victims, this is yet to materialize...
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HELB CEO and chairman's farewell cocktail
The Higher Education Loans Board held a farewell dinner on Friday night for the outgoing CEO, Benjamin Cheboi, and chairman Prof Joseph Kimura at the Nairobi Safari Club. The event brought together personalities from the education industry among them the PS, Ministry of Higher Education, Crispus Kiamba and vice chancellors from various universities. Former CEO Benjamin Cheboi, who is now the governor for Baringo county, said he was exiting the institution a happy man...
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Police reshuffle after 10 killed in Garissa
The government has announced immediate interdiction of security and administrative officers in Garissa following the Thursday night shootings in which 10 people were killed at a hotel. A curfew has also been imposed in the town with boda boda operators and taxi-drivers being allowed to operate only between 6am and 6pm. And in a move to win public support against insecurity Garissa, the government also announced a cash reward of between Sh50,000 to Sh100,000 to any member of the public who shall provide information on members of the criminal gangs operating in the town...
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Health and the seasons of life
In 1968, at the summer Olympic games, Kipchoge Keino won the 1,500 metres gold. Not only did he win gold but he also did it in style, beating the then world record holder by the largest winning margin in the history of the event. He led the generation that announced Kenya on the athletics map. Today in any athletic event run for more than one minute, it is expected as a matter of course that a Kenyan will feature among the winners. You might imagine that 1968 is such a long time ago but it is well within living memory...
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What Would Populism Be Without The People
Nicolás Maduro’s narrow victory in Venezuela’s presidential election raises an important question (quite apart from the opposition’s question as to whether Maduro really won): Can populism thrive without a genuinely popular, charismatic leader, or are movements like Chávismo doomed to fade into insignificance once they have lost their quasi-deities? For many observers, populism is unthinkable without a strong, direct bond between an anti-establishment leader and citizens who feel neglected by mainstream political parties. Yet the role of leadership in populism is vastly overestimated...
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Make Friends With A Book Today
The school holidays are on and I’m hoping that students are spending a good portion of their time with their noses buried in a good book. Not a text book, but a fun, well-written, absolute page turner. If they are not, then we – teachers, parents, friends, relatives – have truly failed in meeting their educational needs. For as long as I can remember, I have always had a book with me. In fact I got to a point where I had two books going at the same time. My loo book (the one you read when you are in there doing your thing) and my bedside book...
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Systemic failures of local governments a thing of the past
The Association of the Local Government Authorities of Kenya has been in existence since 1962. To be in sync with the new constitutional order, the organisation is now called the Association of County Governments, Cities, Municipalities and Towns of Kenya. Our writer Ibrahim Oruko spoke to Algak secretary general Hamisi Mboga. What is Algak and what does it do? Algak stands for the Association of the Local Government Authorities of Kenya. This year we are celebrating 51 years since the association was founded and we achieved a lot during this period...
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Ex-city chief Gakuo to join Kidero team
Nairobi governor Evans Kidero is this week set to unveil the team who will implement his Seven Point Agenda. The governor and his close circle of advisors were locked up in his office over the weekend. A top aide confided to the Star that among those being floated were former town clerk John Gakuo, former City Engineer Christine Ogut currently at the Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the acting Director of Planning Rose Mwema. Also proposed for a cabinet slot according to our highly placed sources is former Telkom Kenya Marketing Manager Anna Othoro...
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Watch 'Shackles of Doom', Uhuru urged
Mombasa senator Hassan Omar has urged President Uhuru to watch the Butere girls' play Shackles of Doom even if it doesn't make it to the gala. Thousands of people turned up to watch the controversial play at the Aga Khan High School hall yesterday as word went round that it addresses most of their grievances. There were protests from the residents after Kenya National Drama Festivals locked out hundreds several minutes before the girls took to the stage at about 4.30pm...
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RUTO ORDERS AUDIT OF PM, VP OFFICES
Deputy President William Ruto has ordered a thorough audit of all the furniture, staff and equipment previously assigned to the Office of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga andVice President Kalonzo Musyoka as well as the official residence situated in Karen Nairobi. Ruto's directive follows reports that some of the staff working in these offices may have carted away some crucial equipment including, laptops, printers, printing papers, office and house furnishings bought with taxpayers money for the office and the former VP's residence...
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MPs lobby to vet Uhuru Cabinet list
MPs were last night lobbying to be included in the 28-member committee that will vet the 18 people President Uhuru Kenyatta will nominate to the Cabinet. The appointments committee, which is expected to be named tomorrow,w will comprise of National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi as chairman and will include Deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, Majority Leader Aden Duale, his deputy Naomi Shaban, Minority Leader Francis Nyenze and his deputy Jakoyo Midiwo. The Jubilee Coalition which is the majority in the House, will appoint 12 of its MPs to sit on the committee while Cord will take up nine slots...
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Kidero, NEMA to clean up Nairobi
Nairobi governor Dr evans Kidero has announced plans to work with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to clean up the county. The Nairobi Governor will work with NEMA to tackle various challenges facing the city including poor waste management, non - adherence to zoning specifications, the mushrooming of illegal structures, noise and vehicle pollution as well as pollution of rivers by Nairobi residents...
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LSK to appeal Pattni acquital, question Justice Mutava's credibility
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has said it will lodge an appeal with the courts over the recent ruling by Justice Joseph Mutava that acquitted businessman Kamlesh Pattni of criminal charges in the Goldenberg scandal that lost the country millions. The LSK has further asked the Judicial Service Commission to hastily conclued investigations into Justice Mutava’s conduct following nine complaints that the LSK lodged against Mutava, a majority of which involve his handling of the Goldenberg case...
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University summons students over poll violence
Twenty-seven students from the Kenyatta University have been summoned by the institution’s disciplinary team over chaos that ensued on March 15 after students found election materials on campus. A section of students went on the rampage following the discovery of the materials belonging to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries commission, smashing windows and breaking into the Business Students Service Centre where the documents were kept...
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