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The length of time during which job applicants are required to disclose criminal convictions is set to be reduced. Prison terms of up to six months would be deemed ‘spent’ two years after the end of the sentence, compared with seven years after conviction now. Only jail terms of four years or longer would never be considered spent, compared with all those of 30 months or longer now. Justice minister Lord McNally said: ‘First and foremost, criminals must be suitably punished for their crimes. ‘But it is no good for anyone if they go to jail and come out and then can’t get an honest job and so turn back to crime again.’ He said the reforms will give ex-offenders ‘a fair chance of getting back on the straight and narrow’ while ensuring safeguards protect the public. Paul McDowell, chief executive of the crime reduction charity Nacro, said the amendments to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act were ‘a big step in the right direction’ but called for the government to go further. He added: ‘The act will still present barriers to people who have put their offending behind them, particularly those who have served four or more years in prison.’ Other changes include a fine being spent one year after conviction, instead of after five years as now. Juliet Lyon, head of the Prison Reform Trust, said the government should consider ‘wiping the slate clean’ for young offenders who have committed petty crimes.

Crucify him, crucify them, the crowd shouted, but William is the man
By Macharia wa Gakuru

Koech, not his real name is a man who loves politics. I came to know him in around 2002 when I was publishing Eastern Africa Magazine, the days of Moi must go. He was a very trusted lieutenant during Mois regime, a man who helped Moi invest in Britain.
I like to have a chat with this man who knows Moi men in and out. What we found out early in our meetings is that we had same common ground on taste of exotic African food, Ethiopian Ijera.
It is a political season in Kenya and therefore Koech and I longed to see each other, as we normally have an informed political debate. He wanted to know from me why I came so strongly in support of Hon. Raila and why I told him Uhuru has a spoiled child of Kenya with no development, investment or charitable or reform record that I could refer to. I had told him Uhuru is hard to sell at the moment except for being Kikuyu, funding Mungiki, and being the son of Jomo. I wanted his analysis on William Ruto, a man he knew well. I wanted to know who is this man, what drives him how has he managed to steal the limelight of the Professor of politics Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi and how he managed to survive Kenyan abrasive politics at such a young age.
Thursday evening this week at six oclock we agreed we meet at a restaurant owned by a friend of mine in Caledonian road. It was easy for us to meet there, as he would leave whatever time he wished to catch his train back to Leicester in the midlands in the UK. read more>>

It is my pleasure to invite you to this great recovery conference. The Lord spoke to me that, this year 2012 is the year to Pursue, the year to Overtake, the Appointed year, the year of Fulfilment, the year of Recovery, the year of Discovery, the year of Establishment and the year of Recovering All, 1 Samuel 30:8.
Guest Speaker "Bishop J.B Masinde"

2012 - “THE YEAR OF RECOVERY”
1 Samuel 30:8 (PURSUE FOR YOU SHALL SURELY OVERTAKE THEM AND WITHOUT FAIL RECOVER ALL)

Venue: DEPTFORD PRIMARY SCHOOL, SAPPHIRE ROAD, LONDON, SE8 5RJ
Date: 3RD – 5TH February 2012
Time: 6:00PM – 9:00PM (Every Evening), 9:00AM – 11:30AM (Sunday Morning), 6:00PM – 9:00PM (Sunday Evening)

Come and receive your blessings as you get charge to go forth unstoppable. Please do not hesitate to call in case you need any additional information on the following contacts:
07944 827 781 OR 07944 815 755. Remain Blessed. Yours Humble Servant, Pastor Joseph Odima

ITS TIME TO CELEBRATE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE!!
A PARTY FOR THE COUPLES AND THE SINGLES.A PARTY RICH AND FLOWING WITH ELEGANCE.
LADIES!! THIS YOUR CHANCE TO WEAR THAT BEAUTIFUL OUTFIT YOU'VE BEEN DYING TO SHOW THE WORLD TOO AND GENTS, ITS TIME TO UP YOUR SWAG A NOTCH HIGHER.
WE HAVE NUMEROUS AMAZING DEALS;

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>BEST DRESSED COUPLE WINS A BOTTLE OF BAILEYS
>£5 BEFORE MIDNIGHT & £10 AFTERWORDS

FOOD WILL BE SERVED ALL NIGHT AS WE PARTY TILL SIX IN THE MORNING.
DEEJAYS ON THE NIGHT;
>DJ CYMOH (LUTON FINEST), >DJ KEN (YES PEOPLE,THE ICONIC DJ KEN WILL BE PLAYING)
>DJ CATHY (1ST LADY OF DIGITAL DREAMS, TOTAL AWESOMENESS)

Tenants are being driven out of their homes during the Olympics so their landlords can cash in on soaring rents.

Even long-term residents have been told they will be evicted because of the shortage of accommodation expected in London in July and August. One east London private tenant has allegedly been told to move out for a month during the Games – or sign a new contract permanently increasing the rent by £500 a month. Antonia Bance. from Housing charity Shelter, told Metro the Olympics were creating a ‘perfect storm’, exacerbating the shortage of homes in east London. She said: ‘It’s a strong possibility that a large number of east London tenants may face eviction, rent hikes and losing their homes as a result of the Olympics.’ Property experts believe the temptation to cash in on the Games boom will be too strong for some landlords. Most could get tenants out legally by giving them notice in April or May. Monthly rent on a two-bedroom flat in Tower Hamlets or Hackney would normally be about £1,400. However, properties are being advertised for the Games at up to £7,500 a week. Shelter has reports of landlords writing clauses into new rental contracts so tenants must be away during the Olympics. Ms Bance added a ‘high number of rogue landlords’ would simply kick out tenants without giving notice. The Department of Communities and Local Government said it had no evidence of the practice and warned landlords would have to operate within the law.

FEBRUARY 18th and 19th YOUR SET TIME TO RECOVER ALL CONFERENCE. FEBRUARY 19th WE ARE CELEBRATING OUR APOSTLE JOSEPH NJUGUNA'S BIRTHDAY , THERE AREN'T ENOUGH WORDS TO APPRECIATE OUR APOSTLE. WE WELCOME ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO GRACE THE OCCASION FEBRUARY 19th 5pm -8.30pm
is the time for the BIRTHDAY see YOU there , 1 BISHOPS AVENUE, NEWHAM ,LONDON,E13 0RB, OFF PLAISHET ROAD.

http://www.manofgod.co.uk
http://youtu.be/lpByL9Fb6uI
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'This is not football, this is a war': At least 74 dead after Egypt stadium riot

Three days of national mourning have been declared in Egypt after a pitch invasion at a football match in the seaside city of Port Said left at least 74 people dead and hundreds injured.

Inferno: Fans flee from a burning stand as fire takes hold in Al-Masry’s Port Said Stadium (left) and (right) the visiting Al-Ahly players, who were airlifted from the Stadium, flee from the pitch (Picture: Reuters)

Al-Masry supporters stormed the pitch after their 3-1 home win against top side Al-Ahly last night. Stones, fireworks and bottles were thrown, with fans setting fire to stands and injuring players. Visiting players described ‘an atmosphere of terrorism’ after they were airlifted out of the Port Said ground. ‘This is not football. This is a war and people are dying in front of us,’ Al-Ahly’s Mohamed Abo Treika said. Egypt's state prosecutor ordered an immediate investigation into the incident, and the Egypt Football Association has suspended the annual championship indefinitely. Emergency meetings of the cabinet and parliament have been called, with three days of mourning declared. Egyptian health ministry official Hesham Sheiha said most of the deaths were caused by concussion, deep head wounds and suffocation from the stampede. He added 40 people remain in serious conditions and undergoing surgery. In the capital Cairo, fans angered that another match between Al-Ismaili and Zamalek was halted because of the Port Said violence set fire to the stands at the main stadium but no injuries have so far been reported. The violence at the football grounds yesterday does not appear to be directly linked to the current political turmoil in Egypt but has raised fresh concerns about the ability of state police to manage large crowds and demonstrations in the country.

Facebook has filled paperwork to go public, seeking to raise $5bn (£3.1bn) on Wall Street in the largest ever by an internet company.

In its filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Facebook reported a net profit of $668m (£421m) last year on revenue of $3.7bn (£2.3bn).

The world's largest social network had previously been expected to raise $10bn in what would have been the fourth-largest IPO (initial public offering) in US history, after Visa Inc, General Motors, and AT&T Wireless.

But Facebook's hopes of raising $5bn (£3.1bn) would be the most for an internet IPO since Google and its early backers raised $1.9bn (£1bn) in 2004.

The final amount is likely to change during the next three to four months as Facebook's bankers gauge investor demand.

The world's largest social network launched eight years ago and was created by Mark Zuckerberg in his dormitory room at Harvard.

In a letter accompanying the documents, Mr Zuckerberg said: "Simply put: we don't build services to make money; we make money to build better services. And we think this is a good way to build something.

"These days I think more and more people want to use services from companies that believe in something beyond simply maximizing profits.

"By focusing on our mission and building great services, we believe we will create the most value for our shareholders and partners over the long term - and this in turn will enable us to keep attracting the best people and building more great services.

"We don't wake up in the morning with the primary goal of making money, but we understand that the best way to achieve our mission is to build a strong and valuable company.

"This is how we think about our IPO as well. We're going public for our employees and our investors. We made a commitment to them when we gave them equity that we'd work hard to make it worth a lot and make it liquid, and this IPO is fulfilling our commitment.

"As we become a public company, we're making a similar commitment to our new investors and we will work just as hard to fulfill it."

Facebook's long-awaited submission kicks off a months-long process that will culminate in Silicon Valley's biggest coming-out party since the heyday of the dotcom boom and bust.

The company has appointed Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan its lead underwriters.

Sky News reporter Hannah Thomas-Peter in New York said: "It is interesting that Facebook's value comes from sharing and knowing a lot about its individual users, but there is a sharing of a different type that is going to have to go now that Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook want to be public.

"They have investors and shareholders that they have obligations to and it means opening the doors to a previously secretive company.

"They will now be under obligation to tell people about their growth, spending, their profits and losses."

A Teenager who claimed he killed a classmate after rejecting his sexual advances has been convicted of murder. Craig Roy stabbed 16-year-old Jack Frew 20 times and slit his throat. The killer claimed that, after previously having a sexual liaison with his victim, the 16-year-old had tried to blackmail him by threatening to tell his lover that he had been unfaithful. Roy, aged 19, told the High Court in Glasgow he admitted carrying out the attack but claimed he could not remember it. He said that, on May 6, 2010, he had taken a knife with him to "scare" his classmate when the pair headed into woods at East Kilbride, South Lanarkshire. "Not only has Jack had his life snatched from him but his good name has been tarnished by wicked words and lies which were unfounded", Statement from Jack Frew's family.

He claimed that Jack Frew exposed himself and he recalled pulling out the knife. The next thing he could remember, he said, was Jack Frew lying seriously injured on the ground. In evidence, the court heard that Roy told a psychiatrist he "felt like a monster". Roy was in the same class as his victim at Duncanrig High School in East Kilbride. His defence team had pleaded guilty to culpable homicide due to diminished responsibility, claiming he suffered from a personality disorder, but this was rejected by the jury. In a statement, Jack Frew's family welcomed the verdict. "The verdict could have been none other than murder because that's what it was. Cold, calculating and planned murder. "Not only has Jack had his life snatched from him but his good name has been tarnished by wicked words and lies which were unfounded.

"The family can only take comfort from the fact that those who knew Jack know and remember what he really was like.

Area Procurator Fiscal for Lanarkshire Janet Cameron said: "Craig Roy armed himself with a knife and carried out a violent, sustained and murderous attack on Jack Frew. "Jack Frew died because Craig Roy had a knife and had no hesitation in using it and using it repeatedly. "This crime yet again demonstrates the devastating consequences that can follow from carrying a knife. "The senseless loss of such a young life is tragic and caused shock and concern not just to the local community in East Kilbride but across our country. "Today's conviction should act as a warning to anyone thinking of leaving home with a knife or using a knife that prosecutors, working together with the police, will ensure that those people are caught, prosecuted and brought to justice."

Late Steven Kariuki Kinyanjui

It’s with great sadness that we announce promotion to glory of a dear son, husband, dad, brother, uncle and a friend to many, Steve Kinyanjui formerly of London Deptford . He hails from Magumu, South Kinangop, Nyandarua Kenya.

passed away after an alleged shooting in Nairobi on Wednesday 01/02/2012 on his way home. He was son to Jacinta Wangui Kinyanjui and late Charles Kinyanjui Kiriti. Steve leaves behind his dear wife Charity Njagi, and daughter Kelly-Anne Kariuki of London UK.

Steve was brother to the KINYANJUIS, Paul and Timothy of Deptford UK, Peter and the late Harun both formerly of Deptford UK, John, Joseph, Francis and Lucy of Kenya. Family, friends and well wishers will be meeting daily for prayers and support from Thursday 2nd February at his brother’s (Paul) residence from 19:00-21:00 hrs.

Address 6 Mermaid Tower, Deptford, SE8 5ST. Contact Paul 07904705669, Timothy 07940964108 and Charity 07960206881.
There will be a funds raiser on Sunday 5th February, 2012 at 3.00pm at above same address.

The body will leave Lee Funeral Home on friday 10th Feb 2012 for burial which takes place at Magumu location, South Kinangop, Nyandarua Kenya.
For financial support please use Barclays bank, Camden branch, Account no.40663727, sort code 20 44 86, Account name Paul Mbugua Kinyanjui.

2 Tim 4:7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. May his soul Rest in Peace till we meet again.

FOR ALL YOUR UK IMMIGRATION, VISA APPLICATIONS, ADVICE AND ASSISTANCE IN NAIROBI, KENYA AND THE EAST AFRICAN REGION.
SERVICES INCLUDE:
1. Advice and Assistance in Completing all Visa Applications to the UK
2. Appeals to the Tribunal Court
3. Judicial Review
4. Administrative Reviews
5. Assistance with Visa applicationS to attend the Olympic Games
More Details contact: MartynsRose Solicitors,
Tel: 0208 538 1397, 07931 116 124
Martynsrosesolicitors@yahoo.co.uk

President Kibaki was moved to tears on February 01, 2012 as beneficiaries of Equity Group Foundation's 'Wings to Fly' scholarships narrated their stories of triumph over adversity. PHOTO / JARED NYATAYA

A woman puts her marriage on hold to return to school...Two girls escape forced marriage to pursue education and better themselves.

Guests and an audience watching the live broadcast of the event on NTV were moved by the story of Roseline Nadicho of Nayopong Primary in West Pokot County. According to Equity Bank managing director James Mwangi, Nadicho’s determination to continue with her education had been thwarted by forced marriage. She said during the commissioning of the multi-billion shilling scholarship programme sponsored by Equity Bank, MasterCard Foundation and USaid that she had no father while her mother was jobless. Nadicho who comes from a community where forced marriages are the norm, scored 356 marks in last year’s Kenya Certificate of Primary Education exams and was one of 2,144 students selected to benefit from the Sh6 billion scholarship programme.

President Kibaki, who was accompanied by Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Education Minister Sam Ongeri and acting Finance Minister Njeru Githae, could not hold back tears as the girl narrated the difficulties she underwent in pursuit of education.

Ms Naurelia Atiang, 28, from Trans Nzoia County stunned guests, who included US deputy ambassador to Kenya Lee Brudvig and MasterCard Foundation President Reeta Roy, when she said she left her husband with two children and returned to school.

“I was born out of wedlock and stayed with my maternal grandparents because of poverty,” Ms Atiang said, adding that she first sat KCPE examination in 1998 and scored 412 marks but could not join secondary school due to lack of fees. Last year, she returned to school and scored 348 marks. She was admitted to St Joseph’s Girls, Kitale. “I had told myself that even after 50 years I will still go back to school if I get sponsorship. I have now left my husband with two children,” Ms Atiang said. Her dream is study law in the niversity to enable her fight for the rights of destitute children.

Another beneficiary of the scholarship, Douglas Kiptum, boarded a truck in Kitale and was abandoned in Nakuru where he lived as a street boy for years. However, after learning of Equity scholarships Kiptum returned to school and scored 369 marks last year’s KCPE.

Abel Oguchu, who is an orphan and had to fend for himself, overcame all odds and scored 391 marks. Oguchu, however, missed being admitted to Starehe Boys Centre by nine marks. Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru, who is also Housing assistant minister, promised to intervene. “I now have a reason to smile and will be there in Vision 2030,” he said. An orphan and former street girl, Agnes Wanjiku from Kariobangi who eked out a living at Nairobi’s Dandora dumpsite, was all smiles after scoring 363 marks in last year’s KCPE.

On 2nd February 2012 the immigration Minister confirmed the introduction of a new route for international graduate entrepreneurs - international students who have engaged in innovative entrepreneurial activity during their studies and want to stay on afterwards to develop their business ideas.
More details: www.martynsrosesolicitors.co.uk
martynsrosesolicitors@yahoo.co.uk
Tel: 0208 538 1397/07931 116 124

Flesh-eating bug spread by sneezes and coughs
Coughing and sneezing on crowded trains and buses can spread deadly flesh-eating superbugs, commuters are being

Deadly flesh-eating strains of MRSA can be caught by sneezing (left) (Picture: PA), and right, USA300: The deadly MRSA strain which can cause large boils on the skin

The bacteria are more virulent than the infamous hospital MRSA, can affect otherwise healthy people and are spreading across Britain.

They can be transmitted through skin-to-skin contact and hugging as well as sneezing and coughing. One strain, called USA300, can lead to blood poisoning or a form of pneumonia that eats away at lung tissue. The bacteria are usually resistant to several types of antibiotics and can cause large boils on the skin. Chris Williams, professor of molecular genetics at the University of Birmingham, said: ‘It breaks down tissue. If it gets into your heart, bacteria can get into your bloodstream and take hold of different parts of your body. That could lead to death quite easily.’ The dangers of the ‘community- acquired’ superbugs are raised in a new study, examining the way they spread. Researcher Dr Ruth Massey said USA300 was ‘causing huge problems in America and is being reported here increasingly’.

She added: ‘These community- acquired strains seem to be good at affecting healthy people – they seem to be much better than the hospital ones at causing disease.’ Dr Massey said there were 1,000 cases of so-called PVL-positive community-acquired MRSA in England in the last year, of which 200 were USA300 strains. Prof Williams added: ‘If you’re on a crowded tube or bus and you sneeze you can spread the bacteria. ‘But your sneeze can also land on a metal surface and when someone else gets up from their seat and steadies themselves on the hand rail they can catch it.’ However, MRSA was also prevalent in the nose and the hair so might be spread by scratching the head and then shaking hands, he said.The Health Protection Agency said it had been aware of the strains for more than a decade but it was ‘not a major public health issue in this country’.

Our today's newspapers front pages start (left) with daily Express whose main is 'Title is Britain Faces A Week of Snow', Daily Mirror,' One Law for the Rich', the guardian, 'Watchdog calls for safeguards on police spies' and The Independent, 'Outcry at student loan boss's tax dodge'.

THE MAGERO FAMILY INVITE ALL RELATIVES, FRIENDS,THE CAMBERWELL COMMUNITY AND KENYAN FRIENDS OF FRIENDS TO A GET TOGETHER TO COME AND CELEBRATE THE LIFE OF OUR FATHER,UNCLE,HUSBAND,BROTHER, GRANDFATHER ,COUSIN AND FRIEND, THE LATE JD OTIENO MAGERO( UNCLE JOHN).
THIS WILL BE A THANKSGIVING AND A FAREWELL EVENING OF POETRY, SONGS , MUSIC AND DANCE IN HONOUR OF MZEE.
AFRICAN FOOD AND DRINKS WILL BE SERVED.
FREE AMPLE PARKING.
24 HR PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
VENUE: THE CARIBB CENTRE, CAMBERWELL, 166 BENHILL ROAD, (OFF PECKHAM ROAD AND ST. GILES CHURCH), LONDON SE5 7LL

Kibaki Opens Upgraded Kisumu Airport

President Mwai Kibaki (right) flanked by Prime Minister Raila Odinga unveils a commemorative plaque to mark the official opening of Kisumu International Airport on February 02, 2012. PHOTO / PPS

President Kibaki on Thursday opened the expanded Kisumu International Airport which previously only handled domestic flights.

Disclosing that the first phase of the Kisumu International Airport upgrading project was implemented at a cost of about Kshs 3 billion, the President said the Government has already set aside Kshs 1.9 billion for the implementation of phase two of the airport upgrading project. This phase will include the construction of a parallel taxiway, cargo apron and associated facilities,” President Kibaki said.

The Head of State was addressing wananchi at Moi Stadium in Kisumu after he opened the Kisumu International Airport and Commissioned the rehabilitation of the Nyamasaria-Kisian road. President Kibaki particularly singled out air transport and the aviation sector as a strategic industry in the global economy because of its critical role of providing quick transportation of people and goods.

The President pointed out that the Government has put emphasis on the development of aviation infrastructure in the country.

Said the President: “Indeed, the expansion of facilities at Kisumu International Airport is part of an Airport Infrastructure improvement
programme.” In this regard, President Kibaki said the two projects were important not only for the residents of Kisumu County but also to the country and the region as a whole.

The President expressed satisfaction that the successful upgrading of the Kisumu Airport would enhance its capacity to handle increased air traffic both from within the East African Community and internationally. He said: “The largest type of passenger and cargo aircraft will now be able to land at this Airport. This presents enormous opportunities for trade and investments.” In this connection, the President challenged entrepreneurs engaged in the import and export business to explore new avenues of business within Kisumu and its environs so as to attract international cargo carriers. The Head of State further encouraged stakeholders in the tourism sector to aggressively market tourist destinations such as Rusinga Island and Kakamega Forest so as to attract increased domestic and international tourists in the airport. Such efforts, the President asserted, would go a long way in improving the economic and social welfare of the residents in the country’s western region and beyond. “I wish to challenge residents of this region to take advantage of the investments we are making. In particular I wish to see increased production so that the expanded airports and improved roads can be used to better the lives of the people, ” President Kibaki observed. On road network improvement, the President said the rehabilitation and reconstruction of a 33 kilometre road around and within Kisumu City at a cost of about Kshs 6 billion would ease the movement of vehicle traffic in and out of the city. Read more....

Thousands of people could die as the big freeze keeps a tight grip on the UK, the Department of Health fears. While the mercury continues to plummet every day, the Department has estimated that the excess death toll could be as many as 1,560 per week with the elderly – especially women and hospital patients – the most vulnerable in adverse weather conditions.
Professor Dame Sally Davies, the Department of Health’s chief medical officer and chief scientific adviser, said in a report: “Mortality rises by 19% in winter months in England, amounting to 27,000 excess deaths or 1,560 more people per week.”
Forecasters predict that by Friday the country will see temperatures as low as -10°C at night – with sub-zero temperatures lasting through February. Lows of -6.2°C have already been witnessed in Pershore, Worcestershire, with a Level 3 cold weather alert in force for England meaning a 100% probability of ‘severe’ cold weather. Icy winds from Siberia are triggering the freezing conditions – which broke the recent spell of unseasonably mild conditions. 180 pensioners died every day as a result of cold conditions during the 2010-11 winter months in England and Wales, according to an ‘Excess winter mortality report’.
An estimated 21,800 people over the age of 65 died as a result of adverse conditions, in the four months from December 2010 to March 2011, the report found. The shocking projection of cold weather-related deaths comes as the big freeze, which has been sweeping the continent, claimed the lives of more than 60 people in eastern Europe. More than 600 in the region have been treated for frostbite and hypothermia. Temperatures reached -16°C during the day and -26°C at night in some parts of Poland, the Czech Republic, Serbia, the Ukraine and Romania. Michelle Mitchell, Charity Director General at Age UK said: “It may have been relatively mild so far this year but the winter can be a dangerous time for older people. Many people believe that the only risk of winter weather is getting a cold but the risk is much greater. “Low temperatures raise blood pressure which puts people at a greater risk of heart attacks and strokes and well as increasing the likelihood and severity of flu and other respiratory problems.” There are plans in force to help the ‘at risk’ stay warm and well – including shopping, path clearing and meal deliveries.

Unemployment in the eurozone hit a record high at the end of last year, the Eurostat agency has said. The jobless rate in the 17 countries that use the single currency was 10.4% in December, unchanged from November's figure which was revised up from 10.3%. Some 16.5 million people were out of work in the eurozone in December, up 751,000 on the year before. The highest unemployment rate remains in Spain (22.9%), while the lowest is in Austria (4.1%). Unemployment has been rising throughout 2011, as the debt crisis in the region has continued. In December 2010, the unemployment rate in the euro area was 10%.

Guillaume Menuet, economist at Citigroup, said he expected the number of people out of work to increase throughout 2012. "If you think about the direction of employment expectations that you see across various business surveys, the outlook for employment doesn't look particularly enticing, simply because the uncertainty is very high. "In many cases you find firms continuing to delay investment projects. For those that are still making profits, hiring is being frozen, and for those which are under pressure to hit results or losing money, job losses are becoming the only solution that they have," he said. In the 27 EU countries, the unemployment rate was 9.9% in December, with 23.8 million people out of work. November's figure was also revised up from 9.8% to 9.9%. The biggest increases over the past year were seen in Greece, Cyprus and Spain. The largest falls took place in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

The issue of jobs and economic growth was a key area for discussion at this week's summit of EU leaders in Brussels. On Monday, figures showed that the Spanish economy shrank by 0.3% in the last quarter of 2011. It is now widely expected that Spain will enter recession in the first quarter of this year. Also on Monday, France cut its growth forecast for this year to 0.5% from 1% "to take into account the deterioration of the economic situation". At the Brussels summit, 25 of the 27 member states agreed to join a fiscal treaty, aimed at much closer co-ordination of budget policy across the EU to prevent excessive debts accumulating. The UK and the Czech Republic did not sign up to it. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said he had "legal concerns" about the use of EU institutions in enforcing the treaty, while the Czechs cited "constitutional reasons" for their refusal.

A Kenyan man has passed away in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. The family of Daniel Kwambai, along with the organizing committee, regret to announce the untimely death of Mr. Daniel Kwambai of Baltimore Maryland USA on Thursday January, 26 2012 following a short illness. He is survived by a 3 yr. old daughter Sasha. Friends, Families and well-wishers will be meeting daily at 26 Warren Park Dr, Baltimore MD 21208 from 7 pm. Viewing of the body will be held on Friday, February 3 2012 from 3 pm to 8pm at Vaughn Greene funeral home East location which is located at 4905 York Road, Baltimore Md 21212. The number for the funeral home is 410-433-7500. There will be fundraiser on Saturday, February 4 #2012 at All Nations Outreach 9600 Pulaski Park drive suite 115 Middle river Md 21220 at 4pm.

Your prayers and Financial Contributions will be highly appreciated, Checks should be made to: Rachel Chebichii Fisher, you can also deposit your contribution at Bank of America, ACCT# 446022168209 routing#541520162 payable to Rachel Chebichii Fisher. There will be a Memorial service on Sunday, February 5 2012 at Vaughn Greene funeral home East location which is located at 4905 York Road, Baltimore Md 21212. The wake will start at 2pm followed by a service at 3pm. For More details and additional information, please contact Pastor Peter Mugweh 410-236-5401, Thomas Mwaura 410-409-9340, Felix Cheruiyot 410-710-8610, Stephen Kibii 574-386-2920, Joe Kobia 443-527-8217 or Anthony Tenai 443-965-6707. "Blessed be God even the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the farther of mercies and the God of all comfort; Who comforts us in all our tribulation. that we may be able to comfort them who are in any trouble, by the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God''. (2 Corinthians 1:3-4. - Diasporamessenger.com

A man in New Haven, Connecticut, suffered third-degree burns after a car crashed into his house and landed on top of him during a police car chase. Michael Sweat, 34, was asleep in bed when a sports utility vehicle BMW X5 tore through the front of his house and into his bedroom. Mr Sweat was trapped under the car for about an hour as firefighters tried to free him, a police spokesman said. With the car fully lodged inside the house, the driver fled from the scene. Police gave chase shortly after midnight on Tuesday in Hamden, Connecticut, on suspicion that the driver was wanted for motor-vehicle offences.

Equity bank CEO James Mwangi has denied allegations that his bank receives favors from the government and that he had any influence on the decisions made by the Central Bank of Kenya before and after the depreciation of the shilling. While appearing before the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Depreciation of the Shilling, Mwangi said that his bank was not a major beneficiary following the depreciation of the shilling last year. Equity bank has been highly rated by the International Finance Corporation and Financial Times as the 16th most stable and sustainable bank in the world with a capital base of over Sh200 billion. The parliamentary select committee on the depreciation of the shilling however questioned how the bank had advanced so fast. The committee claimed that Equity has been receiving state support including winning concessions to fund expansions at the Kenya power and lighting company, Rift valley Railways and emerging geothermal projects. The committee also wanted to know what role Mwangi played in the key decision making of the Central Bank of Kenya when the shilling was on a downward streak against the dollar. According to the MD a steep rise in interest rates and offloading of shares by foreign investors on the Nairobi Securities Exchange were the immediate triggers of the depreciation. He also claimed that preceding low interest rates spurred expanded borrowing by an emerging Kenyan middle class with a propensity to consume imported goods. Mwangi defended his bank saying Equity was not a big player in the market adding that Equity's total income earned has never exceeded 4% compared to the 35% earned by other major banks in the country. When asked by committee member Shabil Shakir if equity was earning from foreign exchange, the MD said his bank did not have any clients holding huge balances of dollars in his bank. CBK governor Njuguna Ndung'u is expected to appear before the committee Tuesday afternoon.

Take a close look at your small change, because lurking at the bottom of a pile of insignificant-looking coins could be some serious money. It’s time to tip out your piggy bank, empty out your loose change jar and take a close look at the contents. Because, while you might think you’re staring at a mountain of pretty low-grade change, you could be in for a pleasant surprise. Lurking at the bottom of your jar of old coins could be a rare piece worth far more than its face value. And you don’t have to unearth a Queen Anne farthing to be in the money. Some far more recent coins can fetch equally large amounts from collectors willing to part with some serious cash. Top of the list is an undated 20 pence piece (pictured above) that could fetch you at least £100. Not a bad return on a piece of loose change that wouldn’t even buy you a bar of chocolate.

When the Royal Mint struck a batch of 20 pence coins in 2008 an error in the minting process meant that some accidentally had no date printed on them. Find one and you could get £100 for it from The London Mint Office, or try your luck on the likes of eBay and you could possibly get even more. Tim Banks from the London Mint Office says these rare coins still turn up today, although the odds of finding one are longer than they were. “The quality at the Royal Mint is amazing, so this is the first time something like this had happened in something like 300 years. It’s quite extraordinary and it doesn’t happen that often, which is what made them so rare and therefore collectable.”

The prospect of finding a 20p worth £100 certainly got the nation rifling through their wallets in the hope of finding one of the rare coins. Tim says: “The day we revealed the minting of these rare coins was the same day Michael Jackson died and the undated 20p story got more hits on the Sky News website than the Michael Jackson story. It captivated the audience.”

And the future value of these coins could be even greater. “In the world of numismatics, dealers are by nature, hoarders, and there may be private dealers out there who have hoarded these rare 20p pieces in the knowledge that in 20 years time, when this has all gone away and there are fewer pieces around, they will be worth even more,” Tim adds.

More new rare coins
While it’s incredibly rare for the Royal Mint to make errors, it’s not the first time it has happened. In 1983 a two pence coin was minted that incorrectly had ‘new pence’ printed on the reverse side of the coin. It fetched £600 at auction. It’s well worth taking a look through your pile of coppers to see if you have any of these two penny ‘mules’. If you do find a coin dated 1983 that has the word ‘new’ on the reverse side you’ve got a rare coin in your hand.

So what are the odds of a coin minted today, maybe for the Olympics, being worth a small fortune in the future? Tim says: “It’s really difficult to say for sure what value a coin will have in the future. The world of numismatics is based partly on metal content but mainly availability. So if a coin was to be struck for the Olympics that was in pure gold and there were only five or so struck then it would make that coin collectable, because of the lack of availability. But because they have been struck in such large quantities they aren’t necessarily going to appreciate in value.”

The rule of thumb is, the rarer the coin, the greater the potential future value. “The further back you go in history and the rarer the coins are, particularly gold coins, then you move into a slightly different world. Those sorts of coins make their own market because the limited availability makes them highly desirable,” he says.

Old money still good
However, you don’t need to be fortunate enough to find a rare coin to get something back for what looks like worthless old money. Find a pile of pre-decimal shillings and florins and most of the high street banks will give you something for them. But find a stash of old cash and you might be better off contacting a dealer first to see if you can get a little more for it than face value. Go to www.bnta.net for a list of members of the British Numismatic Trade Association.

Member and coin dealer Chris Perkins of predecimal.com, says post-1947 silver coins are better off exchanged at the bank, but if you find any silver coins that date back to before 1947 you’re in luck. These coins contain silver, which, at its current two-month high, makes these coins worth substantially more than face value. Take them to auction where they will be treated as bullion.

Holiday money too
And don’t forget that jar of coins that you’ve been saving as a souvenir of sunny days in Ibiza back in the 1990s. The great news is that you can convert those old pesetas into cold, hard cash, just as you can many other European currencies from pre-euro days. Former national banknotes and coins, like the German mark and Spanish peseta, can still be exchanged for euros at the relevant national central bank.

Also worth hunting for are old French franc notes, but you’ll have to hurry, the deadline for exchanging them at the Banque de France is 17 February and only five particular notes are eligible for exchange. They are the 500 franc note with Pierre et Marie Curie on it, 200 francs depicting Gustave Eiffel, the 100 franc notes featuring Cézanne, 50 francs adorned with Saint-Exupery and the 20 franc note featuring Debussy. As for Italian lira, if you’ve got any lira you may as well stick them in your scrapbook because you can’t exchange them any longer. For a full list of the European notes and coins that are redeemable look on the European Central Bank website.
So the next time you find a pile of old coins in a drawer, take a close look, because you could be in for a pleasant surprise.

Holidaymakers have been warned to watch their words after two friends were refused entry to the US on security grounds after a tweet. Before his trip, Leigh Van Bryan wrote that he was going to "destroy America". He insisted he was referring to simply having a good time - but was sent home. Trade association Abta told the BBC that the case highlighted that holidaymakers should never do anything to raise "concern or suspicion in any way". The US Department for Homeland Security picked up Mr Bryan's messages ahead of his holiday in Los Angeles.

Some water companies' business plans for the next five years will bring unaccptable price increase for custoers, a consumer body has warned.

Warning about the rising price of water, whose rate are set to rise from April, comes ahead of Ofwat decision on 'how much is too much

The Consumer Council for Water said the proposed bill increases range from inflation only to almost 30% above inflation. The regulator, Ofwat, is due to use the data in the second stage of its price setting process to determine the maximum amount each company will be allowed to raise prices between 2010 and 2015. The Consumer Council for Water spokeswoman said: "While some companies have based their plans around what their customers would find acceptable, others clearly have not.

"Reasons given by the water companies for the price increases vary, but they include tighter environmental and drinking water quality standards, higher energy costs, new financial pressures and work needed to protect assets from natural disasters such as flooding." She added: "At first sight the Consumer Council for Water is still pleased with plans produced by Dwr Cymru Welsh Water, Severn Trent Water and Yorkshire Water. "Other water companies, such as Cambridge Water, Three Valleys Water and Southern Water, have revised their plans to bring them more in line with what their customers would find acceptable, although there is still more work to be done. "However, the proposals by a few companies still fall short of many customers' expectations. "Despite pressure from the Consumer Council for Water, some companies' plans, such as Bristol Water, Sutton and East Surrey Water, and South East Water, remain out of line with what many of their customers would find acceptable." Suggested increases in water company average bills from 2009-10 to 2014-15 include 29% in Bristol, 27% in Sutton and East Surrey and 23% for South East.

The way we shop for mobile contract could be about to change, thanks to Britan's first ever totally unlimitted phone plan from T-Mobile.

T-Mobile is launching an all-you-can-eat bundle of calls, texts and unrestricted mobile internet usageThe P2i has a liquid-repellent nano-coating technology which invisibly repels water and other liquids

T-Mobile is launching what it calls The Full Monty, promising an all-you-can-eat bundle of phone calls, text messages and – crucially – unrestricted mobile internet usage. Richard Melville, editor of What Mobile, welcomes the news. He says: ‘Consumers can forget about varying bills at the end of the month but, importantly, it’s a scheme that meets the needs of smartphone users and takes away some of the concerns associated with new technology, such as “What’s my limit?” and “How much does it cost?” ‘Unlimited data opens up a world of features but it’s also important for everyday data-hungry apps such as Google Maps, Spotify and email functions,’ he says. ‘Ultimately, it’s a massive change in the way the phone industry treats mobile phone contracts and the consumer wins. If someone is buying a smartphone or looking for a new contract, any data and call limits on a contract suddenly look very unappealing and old-fashioned.’

Ben Fritsch, head of propositions at T-Mobile, says: ‘Over the past two years, we’ve seen a rise in mobile internet use of more than 250 per cent, which reflects the consumer trend of being “always on” wherever they are. However, consumers also still want to retain a more personal level of communication by calling or sending a text. ‘The Full Monty has been designed for customers who want peace of mind that there are absolutely no limits placed on their allowances, while also knowing they’re getting market-leading value for money. We believe our Pay Monthly portfolio offers plans to suit anyone’s needs, all at accessible prices – and we’re really proud to be the first to offer a plan such as The Full Monty in Britain.’ However, customers must commit to a 24-month contract and the deal doesn’t include overseas roaming or premium rate services – so no entering The Gadget Show competition thousands of times or hour-long calls to Babestation. But, you can use the internet for whatever you like, including tethering (using your smartphone as an internet connection for your laptop or tablet), streaming and unlimited downloading. Picture messaging is also excluded but images can, of course, be sent for free over the internet. Handsets on offer include the iPhone 4S, Samsung Galaxy SII, HTC Sensation XE and Blackberry 9900, and unlimited tariffs start from £41 a month.

It’s a busy time in the industry as everyone gears up for next month’s Mobile World Congress (MWC), essentially the world’s biggest mobile phone show, in Barcelona. Around the same time, a milestone six billionth handset is expected to be connected globally. Meanwhile, in Britain, we’re gearing up for 4G coverage and services surrounding the Olympics, such as Wi-Fi on the London Underground and Near Field Communication for contactless payments with handsets. The Smart UK project is searching for Britain’s most innovative mobile company. Last week, 20 companies were invited to give one-minute Dragons’ Den-style pitches to an audience at UK Trade and Investment (UKTI).

Ubislate: the world’s cheapest tablet PC, connecting schoolchildren in developing countries for $35 (£22) each.

Pyreos: Touchless control of your smartphone by using a heat-seeking infra-red technology embedded in the handset to track hand movement.

P2i: A liquid-repellent nano-coating technology, derived from a Ministry of Defence brief to protect soldiers’ clothing against chemical attack, which invisibly repels water and other liquids from gadgets.

Guardian24: A tracking and emergency response system for lone workers, such as district nurses, who secretly activate microphone recordings sent to a secure location if things turn violent.

Florence: An SMS text message service between patients and doctors for sending and receiving vital medical readings.

QRpedia: A language-detecting code that connects worldwide museums to Wikipedia when visitors scan the code with their smartphone. All 20 companies will be represented at MWC and a winner will be revealed at the show on February 29.

With today (Tuesday) being the last day for the ICC defense teams to file appeal notifications, sources have confirmed that all the four suspects whose cases were confirmed to go trial at The Hague have filed notices of appeal against the ICC ruling. According to sources, the notices will be filed in two parts. The first is meant to inform the Court. The second notice, which will be directed to the ICC Appeals Chamber, will seek to challenge the global court's jurisdiction over the crimes that were committed during the post-election violence. The Pre-Trial Chamber will either allow or reject the request by the defense teams to appeal against the ruling. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta confirmed in public that his appeal was filed at The Hague on Friday. Last Monday, Judges Trendafilova and Cuno Tarfusser ruled that the prosecutor has presented adequate evidence to commit Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, MP William Ruto, former head of public service Francis Muthaura and journalis Joshua Arap Sang to trial. However, Judge Kaul dissented, declaring that the crimes should be tried by Kenyan courts. The judges unanimously dropped charges against Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and Postmaster General Hussein Ali.

The suspended Deputy CJ had complained to court that the tribunal had no jurisdiction to probe her since President Kibaki had violated the law when he constituted the panel

The High court has issued orders barring a tribunal set up by President Mwai Kibaki to investigate the conduct of the suspended deputy chief justice Nancy Baraza from summoning her until the matter is heard. The court ordered the tribunal to keep off Baraza pending the determination of a petition filed by the suspended judge that seeks to stop the probe team from inquiring into accusations that she assaulted a security guard Rebecca Kerubo at Village Market shopping mall on New Year's Eve. Justice Mohammed Warsame ruled that the matter be heard by a three judge bench appointed by the Chief Justice. The High court had earlier declined a petition filed by the suspended deputy chief justice Nancy Baraza through her lawyer John Khaminwa, seeking to stop a tribunal appointed by President Kibaki from investigating her alleged gross misconduct. Justice Warsame said he could not issue the orders at first instance because the matter was weighty one, where both parties in the case needed to be heard. Baraza has named JSC and the attorney General as respondents. In the petition Khaminwa had argued that the President has no powers to expand the investigation of the suspended deputy chief justice stating that it is illegal, unacceptable and wrong under the constitution. The lawyer faulted a decision by the Commission to petition the president to constitute a tribunal over a simple dispute Baraz and security guard Rebecca Kerubo.
Justice Warsame has directed that the case be mentioned on the 3rd of February this year and the petition lodge by the suspended deputy CJ be heard within 45 days. President Kibaki last week suspened Baraza and appointed a seven member tribunal to investigate her conduct. The team is chaired by former Tanzanian Chief Jusctice Augustino Stephen Lawrence Ramadhan. Meanwhile, a Muslim preacher who was arrested on Sunday day with a a cache of arsenals at his Kikambala home in Kilifi was Monday arraigned in Mombasa Law Court where he denied all the charges facing him. Abu Rogo was arraigned before Mombasa Chief Magistrate Lilian Mutende. ogo however denied the six counts of being in possession of illegal fire arms and explosive materials. The Muslim cleric was arrested in a raid in the early hours of Sunday following a tip off. He was found in possession of AK 47 riffle, Ceska pistol, Revolver pistol, 113 rounds of ammunitions, two hand grenade and 102 detonators without a valid fire and certificate. The accused was named in a United Nations report Last year as having links with Somalia's Al- Shabab militia. The preacher was first arrested in 2003, alongside three other Kenyans, accused of involvement in the November 2002 suicide bombing of the Israeli-owned Paradise Hotel, but was acquitted two years later.

Twenty-five of the EU's 27 member states have agreed to join a fiscal treaty to enforce budget discipline. The Czech Republic and the UK refused to sign up. UK Prime Minister David Cameron said his government would act if the treaty threatened UK interests. He still has "legal concerns" about the use of EU institutions in enforcing the fiscal treaty, he said. The Czechs cited "constitutional reasons" for their refusal, France's President Nicolas Sarkozy said. Czech President Vaclav Klaus, a Eurosceptic, may be reluctant to sign the treaty, analysts say. The goal is much closer co-ordination of budget policy across the EU to prevent excessive debts accumulating. Germany - the eurozone's biggest lender and most powerful economy - was particularly keen to get a binding treaty adopted to enforce budget rules. The treaty will empower the European Court of Justice to monitor compliance and impose fines on rule-breakers. The treaty also spells out the enhanced role of the European Commission in scrutinising national budgets. The Czech Republic is not yet in the euro, but like the other new EU member states it is committed to joining. European Union leaders also discussed ways to stimulate economic growth despite the stringent austerity budgets in many countries - and focused on how to reduce unemployment across the eurozone.

The UK and Denmark are the only states with explicit opt-outs from the euro. Mr Cameron said "it's good that the new treaty is absolutely explicit and clear that it cannot encroach on the competences of the EU". "They must not take measures that in any way undermine the EU single market," he said, adding: "we'll be watching like a hawk". He insisted that the treaty would impose "no obligations on the UK". Mr Cameron used his veto last month to opt out of the treaty, arguing that the UK needed to keep its authority over financial services in the City of London. The eurozone crisis dominated Monday's summit, with debt-laden Greece still at risk of defaulting. A general strike in Belgium, paralysing transport, reminded EU leaders of public discontent with austerity as they arrived for the summit.

The talks also concentrated on reducing unemployment, which is averaging 10% across the eurozone, though youth unemployment is often much higher. There are fears that wide-ranging budget cuts will harm enterprise and training.

The leaders discussed measures to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), many of which complain of excessive administrative costs imposed by Brussels. In a joint statement on economic growth they noted that cutting budget deficits was "not in itself sufficient". "We have to modernise our economies and strengthen our competitiveness to secure sustainable growth," the statement said. The EU will help to fund schemes to get young people into work or training in member states with the highest youth unemployment levels. They pledged to speed up measures to develop the EU single market, including:

The European Commission says 82bn euros (£69bn; $107bn) of EU money is available for countries to spend on projects to boost jobs and growth.

Bonus Q&A: Will All Bank Heads Waive Bonuses?

With Stephen Hester foregoing his bonus for the year, and the rest of the UK's banks due to announce their remuneration soon, Sky News looks at the issues that still remain.

:: Is there more pressure on other banking bosses to follow suit and waive their bonuses as well?

The banks' reporting season is almost upon us when the big financials reveal how they performed over the past year and there will be a renewed focus on how much they pay their staff. Apart from RBS, the spotlight will also be on bonuses at Lloyds Banking Group, in which the taxpayer holds a 41% stake. However, its chief executive has already said he will not accept a bonus payment this year after taking a two-month leave of absence to recover from exhaustion.

The Governor of the Bank of England, Sir Mervyn King, recently appealed to banks to show restraint during the upcoming bonus period, highlighting the "profound importance" of the issue of bankers' pay while taxpayers feel they are subsidising high pay.

Barclays and HSBC were not bailed out when the financial crisis hit in 2008 but it is often said they benefit from an "implicit" state guarantee that they would be rescued if necessary. Expect attention to be paid to the pay packages for their top brass, particularly in light of the recent moves by the Government to reign in corporate pay.

With the results and bonus season just beginning in the UK, we do not yet know about the bonuses that will be paid to other bank bosses this year but we can look at what happened in 2011. Last year, RBS paid Stephen Hester a shares bonus of £2.5m on top of his £1.2m salary. This compared with the £1.45m bonus given to Lloyds Banking Group's outgoing chief executive Eric Daniels on top of his £1.035m salary, which Mr Daniels will decide whether or not to accept in 2013. HSBC paid its global chief executive, Stuart Gulliver, a £5.2m bonus on top of his £900,000 salary in 2011, while Barclays boss Bob Diamond was awarded a £6.5m bonus on top of his £250,000 salary.

Not necessarily. There is said to be a long list of other executives at RBS who will be entitled to a bonus worth more than Stephen Hester’s £1m and chairman Philip Hampton's £1.4m bonus. RBS is reportedly preparing to pay between £400m and £500m to its investment bankers however any criticism of that may be mitigated by the fact that 3,500 are due to lose their jobs. The annual bonus pool will officially be published, along with the bank’s results for the year, on February 23.

Generally across the sector, those in the global banking and markets division of banks, which brings in the largest part of the bank’s profits, are paid the highest.

No, since the financial crisis of 2008, banks have clamped down on cash bonuses. Last year, RBS put a £2,000 cap on the cash portion of bonuses for all their staff. The rest was awarded in shares. A senior City recruiter told Sky News that this was a stricter situation than that at rival banks where between 50% and 70% of annual bonuses were paid out in cash.

Share bonuses generally have staggered vesting dates, when a proportion of the stock can be sold. If the employee leaves the firm before the shares mature, they lose them.

'THE WEAPONS WE FIGHT WITH...HAVE...POWER TO DEMOLISH STRONGHOLDS.' 2 CORINTHIANS 10:4

The power you have over anyone who hurts you is the power of forgiveness. Forgiving sets both sides free from the negative bond that exists between you. As long as you do not forgive someone you take them with you, or worse, carry them like an albatross around your neck. Jesus said, '"Come to terms quickly with your enemy..."' because the best healing is a quick healing. Bitterness does more damage to the one who carries it, than the one toward whom it is directed. Constantly fighting for your 'rights' is a no-win proposition and a source of depression. Think: have you ever been wronged? Have there been times you have not gotten everything you deserved? Sure! We live in an imperfect world, and as long as we do we will not see a time when everything we do is justly rewarded. Even when truth is on your side you may never be able to right all your wrongs. Continually fighting for your rights can make you downright resentful. Such destructive emotions sap your strength. And besides, when you are focusing on your rights you are usually looking backwards, not forwards. You cannot make progress when you are facing the wrong way. Only when you turn your focus in the right direction and forgive, can you move ahead. That does not mean you do not recognise the wrongs; it means you choose to forgive and focus on what you can control - your attitude and your responses. Doing that increases your energy, builds your potential and improves your prospects. It also honours God!

Adoboli, pictured here (left) leaving a previous court hearing, has been remanded in custody and an inquiry by the Financial Services Authority is under way into why the USB failed to sport the allegedly fraudulent trading

City traderKweku Adoboli has denied fraudulently gamling away a record £1.5bn while working for Swiss bank UBS. Adoboli, of Clark Street, east London, will go on trial accused of losing the cash in Britain's biggest banking fraud. The 31-year-old spoke only to enter not guilty pleas to two counts of fraud and two counts of false accounting when he appeared in the dock at Southwark Crown Court in London. Wearing a tailored grey suit and dark blue tie, he sat forward in his seat and took notes as pre-trial arrangements were made.

Adoboli worked for UBS's global synthetic equities division, buying and selling exchange traded funds, which track different types of stocks, bonds or commodities, such as metals. He is accused of dishonestly using his position to try to make a personal gain, and causing UBS losses or exposing the bank to the risk of loss. City watchdog the Financial Services Authority and its Swiss counterpart have launched an investigation into why UBS failed to spot allegedly fraudulent trading. The charges relate to the period between October 2008 and last September. Prosecutors allege Adoboli gambled away the cash while buying and selling exchange traded funds. He has hired London law firm Bark & Co, which specialises in fraud cases, and is represented by Paul Garlic QC. A provisional trial date has been set for September 3. Adoboli was remanded in custody until then.

The impending trial of four Kenyans at the International Criminal Court is likely to be a pivotal issue in the next General Election with two of the accused already showing their intention to turn it into a referendum on the trials. At the rallies they addressed in Eldoret on

http://www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/ICC+Why+Raila+is+walking+tightrope+/-/1064/1315704/-/o17si6/-/index.html

Friday and in Kiambu on Saturday, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto painted the race to succeed President Kibaki as a battle to stop Prime Minister Raila Odinga from ascending to the presidency. That emotive pitch to their supporters in their respective backyards is likely to provide the key story line of the succession battle in the months to come.

Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, who have both said they will be running for president, are in a loose alliance of politicians identified with their opposition to Mr Odinga. However, they have yet to find a formula to pick one candidate to run against the PM.

The duo have consistently attempted to cast the PM as having something to do with the trials, although they have not provided proof for their claims. (READ: Uhuru blames violence on Raila)

Political analyst Karuti Kanyinga warns that such mobilisation could easily take the country back to the dark days of 2007.

Prof Kanyinga points out that the efforts by politicians to use the International Criminal Court (ICC) as an election issue threatens stability. “The continuing mobilisation of communities and grouping of leaders along ethnic lines is a stark reminder that this can easily push the country to the precipice,” he says.

“The offhand attitude of the leaders towards the ICC ruling and a similarly cavalier attitude to the new Constitution and its institutions are likely to fail the country yet again.”

On Saturday, a group of ODM MPs defended the Prime Minister against attacks by MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto.

Assistant minister Alfred Khangati said these individuals were being dishonest because most of them had supported the ICC process in Parliament. “They were loud in saying let’s go to The Hague and now they are accusing Mr Odinga of scheming for the downfall of some of those whose charges have been confirmed by the court,” Mr Khangati said during the burial of Paul Luyali Khaniri, brother to assistant minister George Khaniri at Kapsotik in Vihiga.

Mr Odinga was among the mourners. Others who spoke in defence of Mr Odinga were MPs Josphat Nanok (Turkana South), George Khaniri (Hamisi), Yusuf Chanzu (Vihiga) and Justus Kizito (Shinyalu).

They were apparently responding to remarks made by the entourage of MPs who accompanied Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto to their weekend meetings.

LLUSTRATION/J NYAGA Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura’s decision to step aside after his declaration has left Prof Muigai with egg on his face and opened a window for the most livid criticism and interrogation of his record at the State Law Office.

Granted, pinching somebody’s nose has never been a career- threatening matter in Kenya. Yet, for the “simple” allegation that Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza pinched a security guard’s nose at a shopping mall, she has been suspended from office, awaiting an investigation into her conduct. Last Thursday Ms Baraza’s lawyer Dr John Khaminwa had a most hilarious characterisation of the altercation between Ms Baraza and Rebecca Kerubo. He wondered how a “simple misunderstanding between two women at a marketplace” can lead to suspension of a person, no less a judge of the Supreme Court. Times have changed. A simple misunderstanding between two women at a marketplace is no laughing matter. If in doubt, Dr Khaminwa should ask Chief Justice Willy Mutunga and Attorney-General Prof Githu Muigai. The two eminent law scholars are members of the commission that recommended Ms Baraza’s suspension. (READ: Kibaki suspends Baraza).

Even then, Dr Mutunga was keen to clarify that the Judicial Service Commission’s decision was not a criminal trial. What is mind-boggling, however, is Prof Muigai’s position in response to calls for suspension from office of the two of the four Ocampo suspects.

Unlike Ms Baraza, who has not been subjected to any criminal proceedings, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura have been indicted by the International Criminal Court. The ICC has committed them to trial for charges of crimes against humanity, including murder, rape, persecution and forcible transfer of population. In what was has been criticised as a case of double standards, Prof Muigai relied on a different set of laws and stressed that the two would stay in office until they exhausted their right of appeal. “As you all know, cases against the four were confirmed, and they have indicated they will be lodging appeals; at this stage the government cannot take any action until those appeals are exhausted,” he said. He insisted there was nothing contradictory in the decision, saying the law presumed the two men innocent until proved guilty.

Three babies have died at Pumwani Maternity Hospital, with the mothers blaming nurses for the deaths. In a survey conducted at the hospital by the Nation during the afternoon visiting hours on Sunday, patients complained of nurses unwilling to serve them and neglect by doctors throughout Saturday. (READ: Doctors issue new strike notice)

Mr Ernest Mwangi was at pains to explain how his new-born died on Friday from what he says was neglect by nurses. “It is painful to pay the maternity bill and take my wife home with no baby yet they are to blame for ignoring her,” said Mr Mwangi.Tears rolled down his wife’s cheeks and she broke down as she tried to explain the events of what has now become a black Friday. The mothers were still admitted in ward two as they waited for their relatives to clear their pending bills. The second mother told the Nation that she was pregnant for seven and a half months and her baby was in distress for an hour before the hospital staff came to her aid. “The baby was born and taken to the nursery but I was later informed that it had passed away due to difficult labour,” she said. “If they had come earlier, my baby would be breastfeeding now,” she added.

The third mother declined to talk much to the Nation as she waited for her husband and relatives. “My baby is no more” is all she managed to tell say. The patients said the poor service and insults they were subjected to made them regret why they had sought services at the hospital. “We are miserable and have no one to turn to,” said Ms Agnes Moraa, one of the mothers who has been at the health facility since Tuesday last week awaiting delivery. She was referred to the hospital after she reported at a clinic that her baby was no longer kicking. She was scheduled for a Caesarean section on Thursday. The hospital superintendent, Dr Lazarus Omondi, declined to comment on the matter.

Deputy Prime Minster Uhuru Kenyatta (left) with Eldoret North MP William Ruto being anointed during prayers at Ruiru Municipal Stadium on January 28, 2012. Photo/STEPHEN MUDIARI

The Narc Kenya Nairobi branch has supported the bid by deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto to vie for presidency in the next general election. While launching the county branch in Nairobi on Sunday, the leaders drawn from the eight constituencies in Nairobi, said that deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto have a right to vie for presidency by the fact they are Kenyans.

“The ICC process has created a lot of tension, but the accused persons are still Kenyans, and we will pray for them because like us, they are also politicians,” the chairman of Nairobi County branch, Mr Livingstone Obuga said. The branch treasurer, Mr Henry Wamangata questioned why the International Criminal Court (ICC) issue had become so important now when the country is about to conduct a general election.

But speaking in Mombasa on Saturday during a gender forum, Party leader Martha Karua, emphasised that Mr Kenyatta has to relinquish the position of deputy Prime Minister because the ICC had confirmed charges against him.

“According to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, both offices must be voluntarily relinquished failing which the President must suspend him. The law does not say that one can step aside from one office and remain in another,” Ms Karua said.

Cases against Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto were confirmed together with Joshua arap Sang and Mr Francis Muthaura, who has also stepped aside from the position of Head of Civil Service.

Viola Caon left her Italian home to find work. Now she returns to see how her former classmates are faring… and in the week that shocking figures showed how badly Europe's youth is being hit by the unemployment crisis, we also talk to hard-hit twentysomethings in Athens and Madrid.

Left to right, the classmates of Civita Castellani: Martina Rossitto, Viola Caon, Maria Francesca Zozzi, Elisa Di Pietro Paolo, Michele Stentella, Michela Moretti and Elena Cirioni. Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi/For The Observer

Maybe being young is never easy. But being a twentysomething young European has rarely been more stressful. More than a quarter (28%) of Italians between 16 and 24 are unemployed. Others are struggling to get by on unpaid internships or poorly paid jobs with little security.

Italy's new prime minister, Mario Monti, has vowed to help the younger generation, promising among other things to help them start businesses, but as austerity bites deep the future is uncertain, even terrifying, for many. It's not just Italy, of course. Eurozone unemployment is at a record. According to Eurostat, the EU's statistical office, 16.3 million people are out of work in the 17 countries that joined the euro. The story of a lost generation is becoming the scandal of a continent. In Spain, 51.4% of those aged 16-24 are jobless. In Greece, the figure is 43%.

As the eurozone crisis worsened, I went back to my hometown of Civita Castellana, 65 kilometres north of Rome, to meet my classmates from the Giuseppe Colasanti high school. Michela, Maria, Elena, Elisa, Michele, Martina and I were in the class of 2005.

When Monti announced his €30bn austerity package, he said: "Sacrifice will be required." In Civita, those sacrifices are being made. It is one of the largest industrial centres in the region. Since the end of the second world war, about 90% of people been employed making bathroom fittings and crockery, for which Civita is renowned. What everyone now calls "the crisis" arrived here earlier than elsewhere, as the town suffered the consequences of globalisation and competition with China, where similar products were being made more cheaply. Many factories have closed; thousands are out of work.

The debt crisis that began in 2008 means redundancy hangs over many of those who have kept jobs. Then there are the young. Getting a foot on the ladder has never been simple in Italy, where who you know is often key. But with the country facing austerity for the foreseeable future, and eurozone GDP as a whole predicted to shrink by 0.5% in 2012, the outlook is bleak.

So meeting my schoolmates again was quite an experience. My decision six months ago to live and work in London was partly to do with the economy. But how had my schoolmates been getting on? Read More.....

PHOTO/FILE Sheikh Rogo (left) and some of the weapons police say they recovered following a raid at his home in Kikambala

Mr Aboud Rogo was arrested on Sunday morning in Kikambala by the Anti Terrorism Police officers. During the raid at his home, the suspect who is out on bond in connection with terrorism activities was found to be in possession of 102 bomb detonators, an AK-47 gun loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition, a ceska pistol loaded with 10 bullets, a revolver and 82 rounds of ammunition.

Coast Provincial Police boss Aggrey Adoli says numerous intelligence on the suspect has been gathered following a fierce confrontation between police officers and suspected Al-Shaabab militants in Lamu where three people were gunned down and several weapons recovered. “Special police force has been trailing links after the Boni Forest attack in Lamu East where three suspected terrorists were killed and six AK-47 guns and 358 bullets recovered,” said Mr Adoli.

Mr Adoli said the suspect will be arraigned in court on Monday after interrogated. “We hope to get more information leading to more arrests involving his accomplices on the run,” said Mr Adoli.

If charged in court, this would be a third similar case facing Mr Rogo. Already, the suspect has been charged with engaging in organised criminal activities by being a member of the Al-Shabaab militant group. The accused was charged on December 22, 2010 alongside Mr Abubakar Shariff Ahmed and both denied the charges before a Nairobi court. The were charged of engaging in organised criminal activities by being members of Al-Shabaab, an outlawed organised group as per the Kenya Gazette Notice of November 3, 2010.

The trial court rejected their bail application, but they successfully appealed to the High Court where Justice Fred Ochieng released the suspects on a Sh3 million bond with two sureties of similar amounts. The judge also ordered the two to report to the nearest police station every Tuesday within their area of residency. In 2005, Mr Rogo and two other people were acquitted by the High Court on charges related to the Kikambala Paradise hotel bombing.

Meanwhile, Anti-terrorism operations in Kenya suffered a setback last week after a British woman suspected to be an Al-Shabaab financier eluded a police raid in Mombasa and sneaked out of the country. The escape of the suspect, identified as Ms Natalie Webb, has raised deep concern within the security organs as the circumstances point to possible complicity.

The Nation has reliably learnt that a senior officer with the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit involved in last Tuesday’s botched operation has been summoned to Nairobi and an investigation ordered into how the suspect escaped. Top police officers in the region declined to comment on the issue, terming it “sensitive”.

Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe confirmed that they had raided an Al-Shabaab safe-house and recovered 60 rounds of AK-47 ammunition, but no arrests were made. He added that it was unfortunate that the occupants managed to escape. “We knew the general location, but got the exact place just after the suspects had escaped,” said Mr Kiraithe. He said the suspects were on the run but police had a lot of details about them, including DNA. Coast police boss Aggrey Adoli confirmed that a joint force raided a house in Mombasa.

However, according to impeccable sources within the terror fighting unit, the woman was actually found in the house, but was allowed to escape under mysterious circumstances. Read More..

The House committee wants Major General Gichangi to explain if he knew of any cartels that led to the rapid erosion of the value of the shilling –from Sh85 to Sh107 against the dollar, between August and November 2011.(Photos/FILE).

Kenya’s spy chief and executives from leading banks are some of the people expected to appear before a Parliamentary committee investigating the depreciation of the shilling. National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) Director-General Michael Gichangi, the Central Bank Governor Prof Njuguna Ndung’u, and Equity Bank Chief Executive James Mwangi are expected to shed light on the currency fluctuation when they appear before the committee this week.

The House committee investigating the rapid decline of the shilling wants Major General Gichangi to explain if he knew of any cartels that led to the rapid erosion of the value of the shilling –from Sh85 to Sh107 against the dollar, between August and November 2011.

The chairman of the committee, Mr Adan Keynan (Wajir West), said all of them have significant information that could help the House find out the cause of the shilling slide against major international currencies.

“We have to be ready with the report before the House returns from recess,” Mr Keynan told the Nation on Sunday.

The intelligence boss will testify in camera due to the sensitive nature of the matters that he will present before the committee.

The committee’s bile, if the mood of the hearings are anything to go by, is reserved for the CBK governor. Prof Ndung’u has been accused by some of the witnesses of sleeping on the job. Experts such as eminent economist David Ndii said Kenya’s monetary policy was “incoherent” and asked why the Monetary Policy Committee had not rectified the situation. A former governor, Mr Micah Cheserem also criticised CBK for its inaction.

English language tests for applications under Tiers 1, 2 and 4 of the points-based system in UK

Today we have made some amendments to the list of approved English language tests for applications made under Tiers 1, 2 and 4 of the points-based system and for spouse or partner applications.

You can download the revised list from the right side of this page. When you make an application in an immigration category that requires you to demonstrate your English language ability, you must show that you have passed an appropriate test on the list.

FORMER Kiambaa MP Njenga Karume can now rest easy after a claim by his alleged son was dismissed by the High Court yesterday. Striking out the suit, Justice David Majanja said that the case by Edwin Thuo was settled three years ago through an agreement by all parties. The judge said that the case cannot be reopened because litigation must come to an end. Majanja also said that Thuo was trying to circumvent the consent order signed between him, his mother Lucy Muthoni and Karume before their lawyers in April 2008. The consent was later endorsed by the Registrar of the High Court eight months later on December 15, 2008. And since he and his mother had not applied to set aside the order, it was still valid. “In whatever manner the prayers are couched, it is still the same case; revolving around paternity. In my view the addition of the Attorney General (in the current case) and the exclusion of the petitioner’s mother, who was present in the first suit are merely cosmetic changes which do not affect my conclusions. The issue of paternity of the petitioner is the common thread running through both suits and it is the matter that was compromised by the agreement endorsed by the court. “It cannot be re-opened merely by elevating the issue to one of public law and packaging it differently as an enforcement action and thereafter adding the Attorney General as party to evade the general principle,” said Justice Majanja. – The Star, Kenya.

Online services replace phone lines for postal biometric appointments and help with biometric residence permits in the Home Office

As part of our strategy to move our services online, we are replacing our phone line for postal applicants in the UK who want to book appointments to enrol their biometric information. From 1 February 2012, postal applicants will need to book these ppointments online.

Before you can book an appointment online, you must register by creating a customer account on our 'Apply online' service. You will need a valid email address. You will then be sent password details, which will allow you to access your account and book your appointment. For more information, see our Booking an appointment (postal applications) page.

Also from 1 February, an email service will replace our biometric residence permit helplines (0300 123 2412 and 0300 123 4699). You will need to email:

If you do not have email access, you will be able to send your enquiries by Freepost to:

Sudan says it will release detained crude oil shipments belonging to South Sudan to help end a bitter dispute. The laden vessels would be allowed to leave Port Sudan as soon as possible, a Khartoum negotiator said. The move followed South Sudan's threat to halt production, as talks on the row over oil transit fees broke down. The newly independent state currently has to use Sudan's infrastructure to export its oil, but halting production would hurt the economies of both. South Sudan seceded in July 2011, taking with it the lion's share of Sudan's oil - but without agreement on oil transit fees. The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says Sudan needs these oil transit fees to cover the gap in its budget caused by South Sudan's secession. It has started seizing oil in lieu of the fees. Three ships carrying 2.2 million barrels of oil have been detained, AFP news agency says. South Sudan has accused Khartoum of taking oil worth $815m (£518m) in total.

"President Bashir is ready to make this gesture. Sudan is going to release the vessels detained in Port Sudan," Sayed el Khatib told a news conference in the Ethiopian capital, where talks have been taking place. Mr Khatib said releasing the ships should open the way for what he called a "cover agreement" between the two countries to be signed - and that Khartoum was ready to do this by the end of Saturday. There was no immediate reaction from South Sudan. Late on Friday, South Sudan's lead negotiator, Pagan Amum, said a deal had fallen through because Sudan was "stealing" his country's oil.

He also said the shutdown of South Sudan's oil production would be complete by the end of Saturday. Oil accounts for an estimated 98% of landlocked South Sudan's budget - but it currently has to use Sudan's pipelines and export terminal to export the oil. Reuters news agency cited industry sources as saying Sudan had already sold at least one cargo of crude oil seized from South Sudan at a discount of millions of dollars, and was offering more. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and his South Sudanese counterpart, Salva Kiir, have been holding talks in Addis Ababa, brokered by the leaders of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Somalia. Observers say the oil row has created the greatest crisis between the two states since South Sudan became independent, and has stoked fears of a return to war.

No gay marriage says Archbishobof York Dr.JohnSantamu (left), Church must avoid being "too middle class". centre and right, Cartoons and demo-post attacking gay marriages.

The Archbishop of York said David Cameron will be acting like a "dictator" if he allows gay couples to wed. The Government will launch a consultation on the issue in March, and David Cameron has indicated he wants it to be a defining part of his Premiership.

He said at last year's Conservative Party Conference: "I don't support gay marriage despite being a Conservative. I support gay marriage because I'm a Conservative" But the Archbishop, the second most senior cleric in the Church of England, said it is not the role of the state to redefine marriage, even if the weddings only take place in secular venues. He said: "Marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman and that's marriage. I don't think it is the role of the state to define what marriage is.” Video

The kikuyu saying ‘ugi wi mbere ya hinya’ (wisdom is stronger than muscular person) - A Kikuyu or Kalenjin president? It makes me sick. Let’s negotiate.
By Macharia wa Gakuru
- ‘wisdom is stronger than strength’ - Kikuyu – English, I hope this lightens your mood for the week.

‘Gakuru I want to leak the ruling for ICC to you before anyone else,’ a friend of mine rang me to inform me of the ruling at Criminal court in the Hague, Netherlands, ‘Uhuru Kenyatta, William Ruto, Francis Muthaura and Mr Sang are to face trial. Koskey and Ali are free. Bye.’ I knew who had called me and I was very pleased that our many hours of analysing Kenyan politics on ICC issue was now mature enough to predict the outcome vey close to the judges ruling.I started to look for news from all the websites that I knew that had interest in this case. BBC was the first to put the news on their website, five minutes after I had received the call. From here I started putting a news piece together but the story line kept changing. Shortly after the President announced a commission team to deal with ICC suspects and then a shocking Attorney General Prof. Githu Muigai came on with a very silly announcement. Mr Githu Muigai said that the government would wait for the outcome of the appeals that the suspects have said they will file against the International Criminal Court ruling before deciding whether to ask them to leave office. “The suspects are appearing in their individual capacity. The government cannot speak on their behalf on what to do and what not to do,” said Mr Muigai. My heaven broke loose.

I thought the ‘smiling man’ the former Attorney General Amos Wako was a joke but now we have a ‘serous clown’ in the Attorney Generals’ chamber. I knew Kenya had made a mistake. This Attorney General might be another DCJ, Nancy Baraza who this time round pinched the Kenya Law’s ‘nose’ and he needs to be kept under watch. If he is not careful his days may be numbered. By this pronouncement he committed a crime against the constitution of Kenya as quoted by a courageous Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo and I quote, “I am totally convinced that Chapter Six and Article 75 of the Constitution demands that someone who is accused of such offences steps aside pending determination of the case. Their stay demeans the integrity of their offices.” I think that Prof Githu’s case is decided. ...read more

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A walker battles through the snow at Nenthead, Cumbria, as the country braced itself for a spell of cold weather (Picture: PA)

Forecasters said the vast pool of cold air from Russia is expected to affect Britain for up to four weeks due to easterly winds - raising fears about the cold weather death toll. The Department of Health issued a rare England-wide level 2 cold weather health warning running from 6pm Sunday night until 9am Tuesday - which is expected to be extended as the cold is due to persist through next week. Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland do not have the warning system.

The alert was issued as there is a 60-70 per chance temperatures will remain below a bitter 2C for 48 hours or more.

A Met Office spokespeerson said: 'There is a 70 per cent probability of severe cold weather between 6pm on Sunday and 9am Tuesday, which could increase health risks to vulnerable patients and disrupt the delivery of services.

'There is a good chance this alert will be extended beyond 0900 Tuesday over the coming days.' The warning instructs NHS Trusts, hospitals and health and social care workers to expect to be busier than usual.

The cold weather health watch system, launched this winter, is aimed at slashing the total of 25,700 more people who died last winter han in similar periods in other months of the year, described as 'shocking' by pensioners’ groups.

Experts say people most likely to die during cold weather are those in fuel poverty or living in cold and damp accommodation, the elderly and anyone with underlying health conditions.

Doctors say cold weather can cause thicker blood, increased blood pressure and tightened airways, increasing deaths from heart attacks and respiratory illnesses.

Forecasters urged people to keep up to date with health and weather warnings and follow their advice.

Age UK’s charity director Michelle Mitchell said: 'Winter deaths figures are shocking. Around 3.5million older people live in fuel poverty and one in three over-60s live in houses which fail the decent-home standard.'

The Met Office said more than two inches of snow was understood to have fallen today over the Pennines and Cumbria, while Twitter users reported snow in the Peak District, Derbyshire, and Exmoor, in Somerset and Devon.

Nigel Hester tweeted: 'Sharp snow showers on Exmoor but quickly melting - brilliant weather for a walk.'

Next week will see biting daytime temperatures at 2C or lower and nights below -5C.

BEDFORD MEETING - AN EVENTFUL DAY

The Kenya High Commissioner H.E Ephraim Ngare, and the High Commision team will be addressing the Diaspora in Bedford.
Any one wishing to be attended to privately, on a one on one session about PP, ID, reclaiming Kenyan citizen OR any consular issue that you would like the High Commission team to address is most welcome from 4pm prompt (first come first served).
Douglas Wamburu a Kenyan Solicitor based in London will provide free immigration one on one sessions.
The recruiter for Olympic jobs will be in attendance.Entertainment by the very gifted Judy Wanizingira and the Africa Gospel Sounds.We extend invitation to all Kenyans. Venue Queenspark Community Hall from 5.00PM PROMPT.
Invitation courtesy of New Salt Ministry, Kenyan Community Rebuild & Kenyan Community Bedford.For more info: Please contact Pastor Leonard Kibaara 07946221261/Jane Kiguru 07886785412

Stephen Slevin at the time of his arrest (left) and nearly two years later on his release (right)

A US jury has awarded aman $22m (£12m) after he was kept in solitary confinement without trial for nearly two years over an alleged drink driving. Stephen Slevin, 58, was arrested in August 2005 in Dona Ana County, New Mexico. He was charged with possession of a stolen vehicle, aggravated driving while under the influence, driving with a suspended licence, possession of an open container of alcohol in a vehicle and improper use of registration. But his case was not resolved until June 2007, when it was dismissed without prejudice after a district judge found him "incompetent and not dangerous". Mr Slevin's lawyer said his client had been kept in virtual "false imprisonment" and been left to "decay" in jail. During his incarceration, he says, he was even forced to pull out his own tooth after he was refused a visit to a dentist. A picture taken when Mr Slevin was released showed he had grown a lengthy grey beard during his time in jail. Dona Ana County authorities argued that the length of Mr Slevin's 22-month stay was "entirely" in the hands of the then-istrict attorney's office, the public defender's office and state District Court. They pointed out that Mr Slevin's criminal history at the time of his arrest was 26 pages long and said they intended to appeal against the award.

Equity Bank has placed most of its diaspora accounts in dormant status claiming lack of transaction for a period of 6 consecutive months .Customers are forced to fill a dormant reactivation form and send it to a physical address in Kenya a process that is cumbersome and inconveniencing. Here below is the notice from Equity Bank. Please be advised that your above referenced account is now in dormant status. An account is flagged dormant if there are no customer initiated transactions for a period of 6 consecutive months. Please note that you will be able to make deposit transactions into the account, however withdrawals are not allowed in the current status. Should you want to re-activate your account, kindly fill a dormant reactivation form and send it to the physical address below or through our agents. Click on the link below to download a dormant reactivation form and to view our agents contacts. – CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Tragedy struck the Kenyan community in Sacramento California as a sixteen year old girl was hit by a car while crossing the road. Michelle Wanjiku Murigi who was to celebrate her seventeenth birthday in 5 days was coming from school when the accident happened on January 19th 2012. Michelle was rushed to the hospital immediately after the accident but passed away later due to serious injuries. She was the daughter of Mary Watiri Murigi and Stanley Murigi of Sacrament California, sister to Juliet Murigi of California, Nduta, Muthoni, and Michael of Nairobi Kenya. Evening prayers are held daily at Murigi’s residence at 9190 Tuolumne Drive #22 Sacramento CA 95826 from 6pm. There will be fundraising at Capital Christian center,9470 Micron Avenue. Sacramento, CA 95827. on 1/28/2012 to assist the family with funeral expenses and the funeral will take place in Sacramento CA on 2/4/2012. People wishing to send donations can direct it to: safe credit union account # 496676 to Michelle wanjiku murigi. Contact for Mary and Stanley Murigi is 916-509-6698 or 916-822-4023. – Diasporamessenger.com

PRESIDENT Kibaki struggled to accept a decision by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and the Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura to step aside when they went to inform him yesterday at State House. State House sources told the Star that he was hesitant "because he was worried of the political implications on his administration." "It was not an easy decision for the president to let his two most trusted people go. You could see from both his body language and his statement that he was very unhappy," said an officer in State House.

Uhuru and Muthaura decided to step aside on Monday soon after the International Criminal Court confirmed charges of crimes against humanity against them. However they opted to meet Kibaki in person to inform him of their decision. A statement from the Presidential Press Service on Thursday afternoon indicated that Metropolitan Minister Njeru Githae will act as Finance Minister, while Francis Kimemia is now the acting head of the civil service and secretary to the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta will lead more than 50 MPs in a major peace rally at the 64 Stadium in Eldoret on Friday. The MPs will then proceed to Thika for another rally on Saturday. Police in Eldoret have already licensed the rally, which is aimed at preaching peace and praying for the four suspects whose cases in connection with the 2007/2008 post-election violence have been confirmed by the International Criminal Court, Hague.

Thieving Vicar Over Sham Marriages

A Church of England vicar has been jailed for two-and-a-half years after carrying out sham weddings. The Rev. Canon Dr. John Magumba helped with 28 bogus marriages. He also stole more than £8,000 from the Church Councils by not declaring income from weddings and funels. the scam normally involved marriages between EU citizen and non-Europeans wanting to gain the right to live in the UK. The weddings involved were carried out at two Rochdale Churches and regularly involved Nigerian nationals and Eastern Europeans. But the Cleric was caught out when a Church warden noticed that the same woman got married twice in seven days.

Magumba, 58, lied and falsified official records to cover up the dishonesty. He did carry out at least one legitimate wedding but overcharged the couple by several hundreds pounds for the service. At one Church the number of weddings taking place increased year-on-year by 2,400 percent. A father-of-six Magumba worked as a team Vicar for three Churches. His barrister told the court that he had "spectacularly fallen fromgrace" and was deeply ashamed and embarrassed. The scam ran for almost three years until it was uncovered by a Border Agency investigation. Magumb, a Ugandan nationalwho lived in Rochdale, was suspended by the Diocese of Manchester after his arrest lat March, 2011.

The number of deaths from heart attacks has halved in less than a decade, a new study has found.

Researchers say the dramatic decline has been sparked by fewer people smoking and improvements in hospital care. Better management of high blood pressure and high cholesterol has also helped to cut the number of people having an attack. Writing in the British Medical Journal (BMJ), researchers from the Department of Public Health at Oxford said after studying over 860,000 heart attacks from 2002 to 2010, they found the death rate had fallen by about half. The results showed there was a 50% drop in the number of men dying from an attack and a 53% drop in women. The rate of occurrence of heart attacks also fell by 33% in men and 31% in women. Overall, 61% of the people who experienced a heart attack were men, 36% of heart attacks resulted in death and 73% occurred in those aged 65 and over.

Professor Peter Weissberg, medical director at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), which funded the study, said the fall in death rates was "impressive". "This impressive fall in death rates is due partly to prevention of heart attacks by better management of risk factors such as smoking, high blood pressure and cholesterol and due partly to better treatment of heart attack patients when they reach hospital," he said. "But far too many heart attack victims still die from a cardiac arrest before medical help arrives." He said many deaths could be prevented if bystanders performed "hands-only" CPR if they saw somebody suffering a heart attack.

The CPR technique is part of a new BHF television campaign - fronted by footballer-turned-actor Vinnie Jones - that aims to encourage people to pump on a victim's chest to the beat of Stayin' Alive without giving mouth-to-mouth.

Mungiki leader Maina Njenga leaves Nyeri High Court in 2009. The Attorney General, through state counsel

Charles Orinda, terminated the case through the nolle prosequi against Mr. Njenga and 21 other suspects who faced 29 counts of murder. Photo/ JOSEPH KANYI

International Criminal Court judges say they are convinced Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and President Kibaki met Mungiki members at State House in Nairobi. However, State House has denied the claims and President Kibaki even sent a personal statement to the International Criminal Court (ICC) during the confirmation of charges hearings against Mr Muthaura, delinking himself from the Mungiki. (READ: Kibaki’s personal statement read in Muthaura defence).

But the judges, in their ruling on Monday, poured cold water on President Kibaki’s denial, saying that they approached his statement and that of former State House Comptroller Hyslop Ipu “with reservation” and considered that they could not be regarded as decisive in the determination of whether a Mungiki meeting never took place at State House. “The evidence placed before the Chamber provides substantial grounds to believe that, following these preliminary contacts, Mr Muthaura and Mr Kenyatta directly participated in a number of meetings with Mungiki leaders.

In particular, the Chamber is satisfied that there are substantial grounds to believe that on 26 November 2007 a meeting was held at Nairobi State House between Mr Muthaura, Mr Kenyatta, Mungiki representatives, President Mwai Kibaki, and others,” they said in the ruling. (READ: State House and city club linked to chaos)

The judges say that the evidence presented by anonymous prosecution witnesses proved that the first of such meetings aimed at securing Mungiki support for the President was held on November 26, 2007.

The judges say that Mungiki was represented by Mr Maina Diambo and two other individuals they have blacked out on the ruling. The PNU side was represented by President Kibaki, Mr Muthaura, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Hyslop Ipu, Mr Isaiya Kabira and Mr Stanley Murage. Also present but whose name has been blacked out by the judges is a former central Kenya MP. “The occurrence, purpose and subject of this meeting are established, to the requisite threshold and in considerable detail, by the statement of Witness OTP 4, who was present at this meeting as a Mungiki representative,” the judges said in the ruling.

The Mungiki demands included the cessation of extrajudicial killings of its members, the release from prison of Mr Maina Njenga and the recruitment of Kikuyu youth into the security and armed forces. The judges said that Witness OTP 4 stated that, after hearing the Mungiki demands, the President addressed Mr Muthaura, telling him “something to the effect of: ‘You have heard what the youth want, so now it is upon you’”. During the hearings, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura argued that the evidence from the witness should be disregarded due to inconsistencies in his testimony to the Waki Commission and that given to the ICC.

However, the judges said in their ruling that some of the inconsistencies cited by the defence were errors of omission that did not alter the substance of the evidence.

The judges said that the inconsistency raised in relation to Mr Kenyatta’s involvement in the meeting was to be “more appropriately qualified as an omission” since the witness did not state to the Waki Commission that the Deputy Prime Minister was not present at the meeting at State House.

“In regards to the difference in the time of the alleged commencement of the meeting (11am versus 11.45am), the Chamber considers this difference as minimal and as such immaterial. “Similarly, the Chamber considers as immaterial the alleged inconsistencies in relation to the amount of money received by the witness,” the ruling reads.

The judges also say that the witness testimonies brought to the court by Mr Muthaura’s defence from youth who met President Kibaki on the same day do not contradict the prosecution witness. Daily Nation.

President Moi when then UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher visited Kenya (left). Mr Moi owed a lot to the whites, but he constantly blames them for Africa’s problems. Right, Minister for Foreign Affairs, the late Robert Ouko addressing the 37th session of the UN General Assemly in New York on October 6, 1982. Photos/File.

The murdered former Foreign Affairs Minister Robert Ouko met former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to discuss political ‘tension’ in Kenya just months before the attempted coup in 1982. Secret minutes relating to that meeting have just been released by the British government in London. While the official record of that meeting is bland, referring to a wide range of discussions including politics in Kenya, it is the minutes of the briefing given to Mrs Thatcher both by the Foreign Office in London and the UK High Commission in Nairobi which make fascinating reading.

The meeting took place on May 21, 1981, at No 10 Downing Street, the home of the British Prime Minister, just before Kenya was about to take over the chair of the Organisation of African Unity. Taking place against a backdrop of a serious decline in the world prices for coffee and tea, which had led to a halving of GDP growth in Kenya, the report said that the country’s economy was “under increasing signs of strain,” and this was “exacerbated by one of the highest population growth rates in the world,” and “serious food shortages.” That strain was also reflected in the political arena where the High Commission report spoke of widespread “corruption, inefficiency and political infighting.” The Foreign and Commonwealth Office expressed fear that the presidential election, which was then due in 1984, “may provide a focus for discontent,” warning that “there could be a serious challenge to a second term for President Moi.”

The High Commission briefing warned of a “complicated internal scene” and of a “sharpening of existing strains and rivalries” particularly following (the late Jaramogi) Odinga’s “fall from grace.” It also said that while “there is no group of people capable of wresting power from him (Moi) as things are… the odds against his re-election in 1984 are shortening. “The whole tone of politics in Kenya has become unhappier,” it adds. “Every politician from Moi downwards lashes out at unwanted trouble-makers, disloyal element and ‘anti Nyayo’ men. The Cabinet is united only by lip service to Moi and the rewards of office.”

The UK Prime Minister was also warned that although Kenya was “a politically mature and comparatively liberal society,” none of this was “immutable and we should not be complacent about Kenya’s future”. “Certainly Moi’s assurance of a second term as President looks less secure than it was,” it said. The pervasive influence of former Attorney General Charles Njonjo is also mentioned and the High Commission report says that only he had “emerged” from the deteriorating political situation “as a winner.”

But the High Commission report also warned that former President Moi “may in time come to feel that he has put too much faith in Njonjo’s advice.” Daily Nation. Read more........

ICC Appeal Must be Done on Monday

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 24 – The four Kenyans accused of crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have up to Monday to notify the court of their intention to appeal against the ruling that confirmed their charges. ICC Outreach Coordinator in Kenya Maria Kamara told Capital News that the defence teams are allowed five days from Tuesday, to give the Pre-Trial Chamber convincing reasons for their intention to appeal. “They (defence) have five days to file an application requesting the Pre-Trial Chamber to grant them an appeal based on the decision. The judges will then review the application and make a decision,” she asserted.

The five-day count starts a day after the date the judges delivered their verdict on the confirmation of charges. There is no timeline by when the judges should respond to the applications. “I don’t know how long the judges will take to answer them,” she said.

According to a Nairobi lawyer who is well versed with the ICC process; “the notice should be filed within five days and the brief within 21 days.” The brief will contain extensive information on the issues in the ruling that the defence teams want to appeal against.

“No such leave has ever been granted either to the prosecutor or the defence,” the lawyer added.

The defence teams also have an automatic right to appeal on jurisdiction and admissibility based on the fact that the crimes they are accused of do not meet the ICC threshold. Such an application is lodged directly at the Appeals Chamber.

Last year, the defence teams had made several applications challenging jurisdiction of the court and admissibility in which they claimed a local process had been initiated to investigate them. If the judges decline to grant them an appeal, they will then ask the ICC presidency to constitute one or two chambers that will comprise three judges each but not including Hans Peter Kaul, Ekaterina Trendafilova and Cuno Tarfusser who handled their case at the Pre-Trial stage. Kenyan Judge Joyce Aluoch who sits in the Trial Chamber cannot hear the Kenyan case.

On Tuesday, ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo said he would not appeal Monday’s ruling, expressing concerns that the move could derail the conclusion of the confirmed cases. It was highly expected that he would appeal against the acquittal of Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and Postmaster General Hussein Ali. Although he acknowledged the four accused were free to appeal, he said it would delay the trials but hoped the judges will give their verdict on the appeals in less than two months. Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, radio presenter Joshua arap Sang and Eldoret North MP William Ruto expressed their dissatisfaction with the court ruling and expressed their intention to challenge it. On his part, Uhuru Kenyatta has said he will co-operate with the court.

President Kibaki honoured at Makerere University

KAMPALA, Uganda, Jan 24 – President Mwai Kibaki was on Tuesday bestowed with the prestigious Honorary Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) of Makerere University. The Honorary Doctorate was conferred upon President Kibaki on a special convocation of the 62nd Congregation of the University of Makerere held at the Freedom Square of Makerere University. It was conferred on President Kibaki in a colorful ceremony which was graced by President Yoweri Museveni of Uganda and presided over by the Chancellor of Makerere University, Professor Mondo Kagonyera.

The Chancellor hailed President Kibaki for his distinguished academic and leadership achievements, his contribution to public life, his laudable educational, economic and political reforms as well as affirmative actions taken to empower women across social and political spheres. In the citation justifying the conferment, the Orator, Professor Bantebya Kyomuhendo, noted that the Honorary Doctor of Laws was awarded in recognition of President Kibaki’s distinguished contribution to public life at national, regional and international levels.

Professor Bantebya lauded President Kibaki for his exemplary performance in education noting that he excelled with distinction at all levels of education most notably in Makerere University where he graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Economics and the London School of Economics where he set the record of being the first Kenyan to be awarded a first class honours degree in Economics and Public Finance.

Prof Bantebya further noted that President Kibaki has one of the longest and most distinguished careers in public service having started as an Assistant lecturer at the Economic Department of Makerere University before becoming the Chief Executive Officer of the Kenya African National Union (KANU) from 1960 to 1962.

On political leadership, Prof Bantebya noted that President Kibaki began as an Assistant Minister of Economics, Planning and Development in 1964, Minister of Commerce and Industry in 1966 and Minister of Finance in 1968.

She noted that President Kibaki served as Kenya’s Finance Minister for 14 years during which period he earned the reputation of being one of the most successful ministers of finance in Africa.

To crown his political career, President Kibaki, she further noted, served as the Vice President of the Republic of Kenya for ten years before he was elected President of the Republic of Kenya in December 2002.

Speaking during the ceremony, President Museveni of Uganda described President Kibaki as an intellectual giant whose leadership has laid a firm foundation for the social, economic and political transformation of the country.

He congratulated President Kibaki on the conferment of the Honorary Doctor of Laws noting that during his leadership, Kenya has undergone a transformation epitomized by the promulgation of the new constitution in August 2010.

In his acceptance speech during the occasion, President Kibaki noted that the event has triggered a deep sense of nostalgia of the many days he studied and lectured at Makerere University saying the institution was a place where his academic and intellectual foundations were laid.

Said the President, “Many of my leadership skills were developed and nurtured here. Now, fifty two years after my departure from Makerere, I reflect with gratitude on my long career, starting here as an Academic, continued into politics and public service in Kenya, and culminated in my election by the people of Kenya as their President.”

Saying he shall cherish the award for the rest of his life, President Kibaki observed that the award was a great honour not only to him and his family but to the nation of Kenya. He added that the honour bestowed on him is also reflective of the cordial relations the people of Kenya continue to enjoy with the people of the Republic of Uganda.

Said the President, “Our ties are made stronger by being rooted in a shared sense of common destiny, helping us to strive together for the greater good of our people and our region. Indeed Uganda is the number-one trading partner with Kenya and therefore we cannot take for granted this cooperation as we collaborate in many areas.”

Noting that the wave of independence was blowing across the African continent during his time as a student and lecturer at Makerere University, the Head of State said education provided the basis of challenging colonialism and preparation for independence.

In this regard, President Kibaki pointed out that like in the early days of independence when universities were tasked with the responsibility of producing a workforce for building of the newly independent states, today the same institutions have the important task of training human resources required in political, economic and social transformation of the African continent.

He, therefore, expressed hope that young people in the East African region and Africa at large would play their rightful role in nation building by putting their countries interests above selfish ambitions.

The President, at the same, commended Makerere University for demonstrating its mastery in science by way of developing an electric car and expressed hope that such ideas will not be stored away in workshops and laboratories.

Calling on other institutions across the region and the continent to emulate Makerere University, the Head of State expressed his belief that the enormous challenges facing Africa can be solved by a careful mix of home grown and borrowed solutions.

In this connection, President Kibaki urged institutions of higher learning to take lead in this process, noting that the African transformation will be faster when entrepreneurship and technological innovation form the cornerstone of universities major activities.

President Kibaki emphasized that Africa has no choice but to industrialize as a way of transforming its economies and improving the livelihoods of its people in the shortest time possible.

He, therefore, called on entrepreneurs to commit their capital to ensuring that African scientific and technological innovations are developed into mass products for the regional and global markets.

The Head of State expressed his desire to work closely with Makerere University in the advancement of knowledge and innovations, as well as in supporting the university to enhance its partnerships and collaborations with industry and other institutions of higher learning in the region.

Us carried out Somali hostage rescue

WASHINGTON, Jan 25 – President Barack Obama said Wednesday that US special forces had carried out a daring pre-dawn raid in Somalia that rescued two hostages, including an American aid worker, held since October. “The United States will not tolerate the abduction of our people, and will spare no effort to secure the safety of our citizens and to bring their captors to justice,” Obama said in a statement issued by the White House.

“This is yet another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people.”

Obama said he had personally authorized the mission on Monday in order to rescue Jessica Buchanan, who was kidnapped along with Poul Thisted, a Dane. The two worked for the Danish Refugee Council Demining Group.

The two were rescued unharmed after helicopter-borne US commandos swooped in on remote scrubland in central Somalia and battled the kidnappers, killing at least eight of them, according to a local Somali official.

The White House statement did not say whether any US troops were wounded in the operation.

Obama appeared to have hinted at the mission ahead of his State of the Union address late Tuesday (early Wednesday in Somalia), when he told Defense Secretary Leon Panetta: “Good job tonight. Good job tonight.”

In his annual address to the US Congress Obama had praised the US Navy SEALs team that killed Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a daring raid in Pakistan last year, offering it as model of unity for bitterly-divided Washington.

The White House did not specify which special forces were behind Wednesday’s raid, but a regional security source told AFP it was carried out by Navy SEALs.

Somalia has been among the most lawless and dangerous countries in the world since its last effective central government collapsed two decades ago, plunging the country into civil war.

Some of the UK Newspaper's Front Pages

From left, Daily Express with 'Now Petrol to hit £7 a gallon, Evening Standard with a heading of 'Dami killers should have been hanged' and Independent with a heading of 'Britain facing boom in dishonesty'.

President Mwai Kibaki has directed the Attorney General Professor Githu Muigai to constitute a legal team to review the ICC verdict on the post-election violence suspects and give the way forward. He asked Kenyans to be calm and reiterated his Government's commitment to speedily resettle IDPs.

President Kibaki addressed the nation shortly after the ruling by Pre-Trial Chamber that decided that four suspects' cases proceed to full trial. They included some top members of his government Uhuru Kenyatta and Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Muthaura. In his statement, President Kibaki said the Government would step up reconciliation efforts to ensure Kenyans embrace each other and live in harmony. The President at the same time directed relevant ministries to fast track the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons who are still living in the camps. The Head of State asked Kenyans to remain calm and peaceful as the country ponders over the ruling that will see four out of the six Ocampo suspects stand trial. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in a news statement to newsrooms said he hoped that the final outcome would deliver justice to both the Kenyan Nationals before the ICC and the victims of the post election violence. He added that it was important for Kenyans to await the final outcome of the process stating that the Kenyan nationals before the Court were still innocent until proved guilty. He appealed to Kenyans to remain calm and peaceful during this time. Video

KENYA DIASPORA INVESTMENT FORUM 2012

Reference is made to an advertisement on www.misterseed.com and www.nation.co.ke websites informing Kenyans in Diaspora and Kenyan institutions and corporate bodies the about the Kenya Diaspora Investmenmt Forum scheduled for February 24th and 25th 2012. The High Commissioner would like to clarify that the the said KDIF is purely an initiative of Kenyan groups in the Diaspora in the UK and that the Kenya High Commission in London is not involved in any way in its organisation or management.

Michael S. Mandu
Commercial Counsellor, Kenya High Commission, United Kingdom, London. 45 Portland Place, W1B 1AS, Tel: 020 7636 2371 Ext 202; Fax: 020 7323 6717

END ON LEGACY BACKLOG CLEARANCE CASES FROM 13TH FEBRUARY 2012

The government has announced that Para 395C of the immigration rules will be abolished from 13th February 2012 and this raises questions about applications by Long term Overstayers, Human Rights claims and rights of appeal following Sapkota case. This will render chapter 53 of the Enforcement Guidance redundant by the changes as a consequence the end of the legacy backlog clearance exercise which was based on rule 395c.
If you have a pending application or you are an overstayer and you have never made an application to the Home Office, this may be your last chance to make an application to the Home Office. It is advisable that if your case under the backlog is pending, seek legal advice immediately as once the Para is abolished; you will not be able to submit application on this basis.

For more details contacts: MartynsRose Solicitors, Tel: 0208 538 1397,
Mobile: 07931 116 124,
Web: www.martynsrosesolicitors.co.uk
Email:martynsrosesolicitors@yahoo.co.uk

Kenyan Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta (2ndL), and Cabinet secretary Francis Muthaura (2ndR) attend a hearing, at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, on April 8, 2011.(File Photo)

Kenyan lawyers and MPs reacted sharply to indications that the two International Criminal Court suspects holding public office will not immediately be required to step aside.

A day after ICC pre-trial chamber confirmed the charges against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Kass FM presenter Joshua arap Sang, Attorney-General Githu Muigai said that appeal against the indictments will have to be exhausted before the two are required to vacate office.

Prof Muigai said he would discuss with Chief Justice Willy Mutunga the possibility of setting up a special division of the High Court to deal with the crimes committed during that period.

“We in government are confident that under the stewardship of Chief Justice Willy Mutunga, the Judiciary is robust and capable of undertaking this challenge,” he said.

This came as pressure mounted on President Kibaki to suspend Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura from office until they are cleared of charges of crimes against humanity.

Prof Muigai said it was not yet time for the two to leave office since they had have not exhausted appeal options against the ruling.

“Our understanding is that the confirmations have been made against the four and the four are going to appeal. We cannot make a precipitate decision.

“We cannot determine any issue until the four citizens have exhausted their rights of appeal,” said Prof Muigai at a press conference in his office. Pressed to explain the suitability of the pair heading critical government departments in the face of the charges, the AG said:

“The persons appearing in the ICC are appearing in their individual and private capacity. They have very competent legal counsel and the government cannot speak on what they can do or cannot do.”

However, ODM MPs demanded their resignation, citing the agreement for the implementation of the Waki report signed by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. (READ: ODM legislators now want Uhuru, Muthaura sacked)

“The Parties (Kibaki and Raila) shall ensure that any person holding public office or any public servant charged with a criminal offence related to 2008 post-election violence shall be suspended from duty until the matter is fully adjudicated upon.

“The parties shall ensure that any person convicted of a post-election violence offence is barred from holding any public office or contesting any electoral position,” says the agreement.

Mr Ababu Namwamba, who is ODM parliamentary group’s secretary-general, said: “There is no reason for another committee.

‘‘The matter should have been handled by the sub-committee on ICC chaired by the two principals unless they tell us it has ceased to exist.”

Law Society of Kenya chairman Ken Akide said the calls for resignation were not founded in the letter of the law.

“On a strict interpretation of the letter of the law, they can’t leave office as they are not accused under the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, which would require them to vacate office,” said Mr Akide.

But he added: “In as far as the spirit of the Constitution is concerned, one can argue that under Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity, the people facing the charges would not meet the requirements for a State Officer to hold office.”

Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara dismissed the move by the AG as waste of time.

“I wish to remind Kenyans that The Hague was not imposed on us. It was suggested by Justice Waki and we domesticated it when we unanimously adopted the Waki Report in Parliament,” said Mr Imanyara.

The team comprises Sir Geoffrey Nice, Mr Rodney Dixon, Mr Fred Ojiambo, Mr Joe Okwach, Mr Waweru Gatonye, Ms Betty Murungi, Ms Lucy Kambuni, and Ms Grace Wakio, Dr Henry Mutai and Dr Godfrey Musila. The secretariat will be led by Mr Ahmed Mohamed and Ms Caroline Wamaitha from the State Law Office. Sir Geoffrey and Mr Dixon led the government’s failed admissibility challenge against The Hague cases last year. Daily Nation. Video.

Death has occurred in London of Mzee John Otieno Magero (1930 – 2012) on 20 January 2012, a Kenyan with one of the longest residency in UK. Mzee Magero from Bunyala first came to England in 1962 for further studies and remained for permanent settlement. He was the youngest head teacher in Siaya District. His nephew, Fred Gumo, minister for regional development flew to London to visit him at the hospital when he heard that he was severely ill.
Friends of the late John Denis Otieno (JD) will meet on 29th January 2012 at the YE OLD SWISS Pub at 14:00 Swiss Cottage.
The pub is right above the Swiss Cottage Tube Station.

The funeral service takes place on 6th February 2012 at St.Wilfreds Church, Lorrimore Road SE17 at 09:00 hrs and Burial at Camberwell New Cemetery, Brenchley Gardens, Camberwell, London, SE23 3RD thereafter.
You are welcome to celebrate the life and contribute to the funeral arrangements of the late JD at the above address.
Those unable to attend may contribute through the account below:

Paul Otieno (Bob), National Westminster Bank, Sort Code: 60-22-27, Account Number: 34698817

Faith in God doesn't exempt you from life's trials; it sustains you in them and you grow stronger as a result of them. Trials come in different areas such as sickness, unemployment, relational conflict, and personal challenges. And trials have different time lines; some last a short season, others a lifetime. And trials, like storms, have different intensity levels. But most trials have one thing in common: they make you say, 'If only I could understand why this has happened.' The Bible answers this question in two Scriptures: 'Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivers him out of them all' (Psalm 34:19 NKJV); and '...for a little while... you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honour, and glory...' (1 Peter 1:6-7 NKJV). God is not Santa Claus or your concierge. It's not His job to give you everything you want, exactly when you want it. Yes, God has promised to bless us, but when you focus on 'getting', by implication you question the faith of those who may not have as much as you. That's a mistake. Claiming God's promises doesn't mean you will escape adversity. Who told you that anyway? Not God! His Word says, 'Do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you.' Real maturity often takes place in the crucible of pain. The truth is, you'll never know how strong your faith is until you've been there.

Britain has deported over 1,670 Kenyans, including 107 children for contravening various immigration rules since 2006, an official of the UK Border Agency, Mr Paul Feakins told The Standard.

Responding to a written request for the information, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, Mr Feakins, said that 277 Kenyans including 21 children, were deported from Britain in 2006. Some 330 Kenyans, including 22 children, were sent home in 2007 while 362, including 23 children, were thrown out from the UK in 2008.

The highest single number of Kenyans deported from London was done in 2009 when 375 Kenyans, including 27 children were returned.

The lowest number of Kenyans deported from the UK was 328 Kenyans, which included 14 children in 2010. Mr Feakins said that the number of Kenyans deported so far could be much higher since his information provided did not include the 2011 figures, which were still being worked out.

The Standard had sought to have a conclusive statistics data of all the Kenyans convicted by the UK courts for the last five years, those still in the UK prisons, number of children with the Kenyan nationality being held in prison or correctional facilities.

The Newspaper also sought to know some of the most serious crime ever committed by the Kenyans in UK, the number of those deported for the last five years for immigration purpose, number of adult Kenyans sent packing from Britain for committing crime, number of children deported from the UK, and number of Kenyan unaccompanied children being held in the immigration facilities.

But Mr Feakins, however said that his department didn’t have conclusive statistics data of all the Kenyans convicted by the UK courts for the last five years, or those still in prisons, and other correctional facilities saying that such information could only be obtained from the UK’s Ministry of Justice.

Two poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast is best for slimmers

START the day with a decent meal and you’ll be slimmer, cheerier and more focused but too many of us just eat the same old food. ANGELA DOWDEN offers some ideas that add variety and meet your body’s needs.

Two poached eggs on a slice of wholemeal toast spread with low-fat spread and grilled tomato and a cup of green tea,

Women who ate a couple of eggs for breakfast reduced their total food intake over the day by around 400 calories according to American researchers at the Rochester centre for Obesity. Repeated every day for just over two months adds up to a weight loss of around half a stone. The satiating ingredient appears to be protein which one theory suggests may stimulate the release of hunger-controlling hormones in the gut. Team with a slice of wholemeal or grainy toast to give slow release energy and add mushrooms or tomatoes to make one of your five a day. Swill down with green tea which helps boost fat burning

Kippers, one slice of wholemeal toast with low-fat spread and grilled tomatoes, 529 calories, 32.9g fat.

Kippers are packed with omega-3s, and you only need to breakfast on them once a week to cover your body’s requirement of these fats which help reduce the risk of a heart attack by improving blood flow and reducing clotting risk. To maximise the benefit, team with lycopene-rich tomatoes – also linked with lower risk of cardiovascular disease – and spread an accompanying slice of toast with a low-fat spread that also has cholesterol-reducing properties such as Benecol Light. The average smoked kipper supplies half your daily maximum of blood pressure-raising salt however; so don’t have this breakfast too often.

Bowl of porridge made with semi-skimmed milk; two reduced-fat sausages and grilled mushrooms and tomatoes,

Carbohydrate-rich porridge and lower fat sausages make the ideal combination for a demanding lifestyle. Oats are particularly useful as slow release fuel for both physical and mental tasks, and they also contain beta glucan, a substance that helps to keep cholesterol levels in check. Sausages provide protein for repair of muscles and to help keep appetite curbed. Add at least one of your one of your five a day – three tablespoons of mushrooms and/or tomatoes for example – to make a balanced start when you need plenty of stamina to get you through the morning.

Two slices of soya and linseed toast spread with low-fat spread, bowl of low-fat natural yogurt with blueberries,

Breads made with soya and linseeds (such as the Burgen or Vogel brands) are a good source of “phyto” or plant oestrogens. Although many times weaker than normal oestrogen, these plant versions of the hormone may help to give a minor boost to flagging hormone levels, in turn easing hot flushes. A bowl of calcium-rich low-fat natural yogurt is the perfect partner because falling oestrogen levels can also compromise bone strength. Add a handful of blueberries - in animal studies, extracts of these berries have been shown to protect neurological function and even prevent memory loss.

Two eggs scrambled with milk and low-fat spread, two slices of black pudding and a glass of orange juice

In total, this breakfast supplies over 90 per cent of the Recommended Daily Allowance of iron. Black pudding is an excellent source of “haem” iron – the type that is absorbed more readily by the body and therefore of particular value in guarding against iron-deficiency anaemia. Eggs also supply iron but in the “non-haem” form that isn’t so easily absorbed. Teaming with a source of vitamin C (such as orange juice), improves intake of this less available form.

Berry smoothie, sugar-free fruit and nut muesli with semi-skimmed milk and chopped banana plus a pot of probiotic drink

Nuts, dried fruit and berries are antioxidant-rich foods to eat more of when you’re looking to optimise your immune system. This breakfast supplies two of your five a day and the berry smoothie in particular provides lots of anthocyanins, which appear to have antiviral effects and to miminise inflammation damage. Teaming with a daily pot of probiotic drink tops up good bacteria in the gut, whilst a banana contains prebiotic fibres which feed these bacteria, helping them thrive. Approximately 70 per cent of our immune system is in our digestive system which is why it’s so important to maintain a healthy gut flora.

Bowl of fortified wholegrain cereal (such as bran flakes) with semi-skimmed milk, pot of fruit yogurt, plus a glass of orange juice

Breakfast during pregnancy needs ideally to be a light, non fatty and high carbohydrate meal to boost energy and alleviate nausea. During the first three months it’s essential to get enough folic acid to reduce the risk of birth defects. Opt for a fortified cereal such as bran flakes or Special K which contains 50 per cent of the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of this vitamin per bowl (remembering also to take a 400 microgram supplement during the first three months). This breakfast also supplies 25 per cent the RDA of iron, needed to build the baby’s blood supply which will be better absorbed by teaming with vitamin C-rich juice. A yogurt adds calcium, important for the bones of both mother and baby.

Hallelujah! Archbishop blasts clerics who oppose welfare reform and declares REAL moral scandal is our £1trillion debt

Attack: Lord Carey (left) has blasted the bishops who tried to derail the Government's £26,000-a-year benefit capScathing: Lord Carey reserved his most outspoken criticism for the Anglican bishops, who led the rebellion in the House of Lords (right).

Former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey today launches an astonishing attack on the five bishops trying to derail the Government’s £26,000-a-year benefit cap. In an article for the Daily Mail, Lord Carey insists the sheer scale of Britain’s public debt – which yesterday hit £1trillion – is the ‘greatest moral scandal’ facing the country and warns the welfare system is rewarding ‘fecklessness and irresponsibility’.

He is scathing about all opponents of the proposed limit on benefits – who include Labour peers and Liberal Democrat rebels – but reserves his most outspoken criticism for the Anglican bishops, who led the rebellion in the House of Lords. He said they encouraged the culture of welfare dependency which led to ‘poverty of aspiration’, and warned them that they could lay no claim to the ‘moral high ground’. ‘If we can’t get the deficit under control and begin paying back this debt, we will be mortgaging the future of our children and grandchildren,’ he writes.

Lord Carey hails Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith as a ‘committed Christian’ who is trying to reform a welfare system which is ‘fuelling vices and impoverishing us all’. Downing Street insisted last night that its plan to impose an annual limit on welfare payments would be implemented ‘in full’ despite the dramatic defeat in the Lords. Labour leader Ed Miliband’s decision to try to derail Government plans for a cap, designed to ensure workless households cannot receive more than the average working family, was branded a ‘total disaster’ by his own shadow ministers.

Amid accounts of chaos and confusion in the run up to a crunch vote, several frontbenchers expressed despair that the party had appeared to put itself on the side of benefit claimants over working families. Read more....

Builder and his wife who won £41MILLION Euro lotto

. Huge win: Gareth and Catherine Bull (left) celebrates after scooping almost £41million last Friday, (seen - centre), being sealed with a kiss. Right, that is where they live now, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. Mrs Bull said she already has her dream home and her ambition only stretch as far as buying a new carpet after they scooped almost £41 million.

A self-employed builder and his wife were celebrating today after scooping a bank account-busting £41m EuroMillions win - and they revealed while he plans to buy a box at Manchester United she will be happy splashing out on a new landing carpet. Gareth and Catherine Bull, from Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, told how they bought the ticket on a whim before last Friday's draw - when rain stopped him from working. Mrs Bull, 35, said she discovered they were multi-millionaires when her husband walked into the bedroom 'white as a sheet' with the ticket 'shaking in his hand' on Saturday morning. But the couple then calmly put the win to the back of their minds and took their two sons, aged nine and 10, to their football matches as normal. They said they have not yet told their sons about the win but would do later after they finish school. Read more..

PUZZLES BEAT ALZHEIMER'S

Doing puzzles regularly throughout life could be the simplest way of staving off Alzheimer’s disease (left) These images (right) represent a cross-section of the brain as seen from the front. The cross-section on the left represents a normal brain and the one on the right represents a brain with Alzheimer's disease.

READING or doing puzzles could be the simplest way of staving off Alzheimer’s disease. Keeping the brain active and stimulated has been found to have a dramatic effect on reducing the build-up of harmful proteins in the brain. These destructive fibres, known as beta-amyloid, clump together in plaques, killing off nerves and leading to the symptoms of memory loss and confusion typical of Alzheimer’s. The condition is incurable but experts believe the key to tackling it – and even stopping it completely – lies in early detection, treating people before the plaques even form.

While previous research has suggested that mentally stimulating activities may help stave off Alzheimer’s, the latest study identifies the biological mechanisms at work and heralds a new way of thinking about how keeping the mind active affects the brain.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that brain scans on people with no symptoms of Alzheimer’s who had engaged in stimulating activities all their lives revealed they had fewer deposits of beta-amyloid.

Lead investigator Dr William Jagust said: “These findings point to a new way of thinking about how cognitive engagement throughout life affects the brain. “Rather than simply providing resistance to Alzheimer’s, brain-stimulating activities may affect a primary pathological process in the disease.

This suggests that cognitive therapies could “Rather than simply providing resistance to Alzheimer’s, brain-stimulating activities may affect a primary pathological process in the disease. This suggests that cognitive therapies could have significant disease-modifying treatment benefits if applied early enough, before symptoms appear.”

Susan Landau, research scientist at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the Berkeley Lab, who led the research which is published in the journal Archives of Neurology, added: “Amyloid probably starts accumulating many years before symptoms appear.

“The time for intervention may be much sooner, which is why we’re trying to identify whether lifestyle factors might be related to the earliest possible changes.” Researchers asked 65 healthy, normal adults aged 60 and over to rate how frequently since the age of six they did mentally engaging activities such as reading books or newspapers, and writing letters or email.

Their memories and other brain functions were assessed and their brain scans were compared with those of 10 Alzheimer’s patients and 11 healthy people in their 20s. A significant link was found between higher levels of cognitive activity over a lifetime and lower levels of beta-amyloid.

Dr Simon Ridley, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “The authors of this small study suggest there may be benefits to keeping an active mind throughout life. While the study found an association between cognitive activity and levels of amyloid protein in healthy volunteers, we cannot conclude one directly causes the other.”

Dr Anne Corbett, research manager at the Alzheimer’s Society, said: “This is an interesting initial finding. The research involved only a very small number of people and we do not know if they went on to develop dementia. However, we would encourage anyone who enjoys reading, writing and playing games to keep it up.”

Research last year revealed that doing a daily crossword or sudoku puzzle, like those found in today’s Daily Express, could halt the advance of dementia as effectively as some drugs. At least 820,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia with more than half having Alzheimer’s.

Somali refugees wait in the registration area of the Dagahaley refugee camp (left) which makes up a part of the giant Dadaab refugee settlement and an aerial view of the Dagahaley camp in Kenya. (Oli Searff - AFP/Getty Images)

The government has threatened to revoke refugee status of Somali’s found to have links with the Al Shabaab militant group. Internal Security PS Francis Kimemia said those found to have links with the militant group, especially at Dadaab and other camps, will be prosecuted and repatriated back to Somalia. “I wish to warn that refugees who do not abide by the law, or collude with Al Shabaab or any other criminal groups will be prosecuted, their refugee status revoked and will be repatriated back to Somalia,” Kimemia said yesterday.In a statement to media houses, Kimemia said the government will no longer tolerate refugees who are out to destabilize the country. Kimemia observed that heavy burden of hosting over 600,000 refugees over the last 20 years is already sagging and getting out of hand and Kenya cannot afford these increasingly criminalized refugee camps.

We, the family of JIMMY ICHANGAI (WAKARIMA) wish to express our sincere and profound gratitude to all of you who stood by us at this difficult time of sorrow. We are humbled by your overwhelming love and kindness.
We thank the entire Kenyan community and friends who have supported us spiritually as well as financially since Jimmy was taken ill. We especially thank Pastor Steve, Pastor Ann, Pastor Sammy, Pastor Moses, Rev Kibathi and all other pastors who joined us in prayer. We also thank the staff of the Luton and Dunstable hospital and the Royal Free hospital London.
We also thank the organizing committee for your work that made a very difficult journey that little bit easier.
Since we are not able to thank each one of you individually, kindly accept this message as our heartfelt appreciation.
May God continue to shower each one of you with his abundant blessings.

Dante Autullo posted an X-ray of a nail embedded in his brain on Facebook, left, and Dante Autullo (right) after he underwent surgery to remove the nail

Doctors in the US have removed a three-inch nail from a man's brain after he accidentally fired it into his head.

Dante Autullo remained conscious after the self-inflicted injury and initially believed he had only brushed his nail gun against his head.

The 32-year-old, who is recovering in hospital, even continued doing handiwork around his Chicago home for the rest of the day and chatted to his family. But he was taken to hospital the following afternoon after waking up from a nap feeling ill. An X-ray revealed the nail lodged in his brain – but Mr Autullo was still well enough to post an image of the scan on Facebook during an ambulance ride between hospitals. Doctors explained the nail had barely missed the portion of the brain that controls motor function, meaning he was able to carry on with his day. Although there are pain-sensitive nerves on a person's skull, there are none in the brain itself. Following the surgery on Friday, Mr Autullo's wife Gail Glaenzer, with whom he has four children, said: "He feels good. He moved all his limbs, he's talking normal, he remembers everything. "It's amazing, a miracle."

File picture of a crocodile. The girl was attacked as her father watched in horror

A 10-year-old girl has been eaten by a crocodile as her father watched on helplessly. The child was swallowed by the giant saltwater reptile after it sprang from a river in Indonesia. District official Victor Mado Waton said the victim was searching for turtles with her father and brother in East Nusatenggara province at the time of the tragedy. Mr Waton said villagers found pieces of the girl's clothing several hours later but there was no sign of her body. The girl's father was a few metres away when the reptile attacked but there was nothing he could do, Mr Waton told journalists. Last month, a boy was killed by a crocodile in the same river. Villagers living nearby have reported a loss of livestock in recent weeks as well.

"My home is my castle" is one of the most famous English expressions. Well, when it comes to one's home, most people care and tend to it with detailed attention.

However, the fact is that the average Kenyan spends much more quality time in his office rather than his home. So why treat the office less than a castle? Moreover, offices tend to be clattered, busy and messy. The jams on the way to the office and the everlasting problem of finding a parking in Nairobi is adding a lot of stress and not helping the situation too.

Once in the office, what view are you getting from the window? Is it the grey wall of the neighboring office block or the noisy and busy street underneath your office? Research shows that a well-planned and peaceful office environment with open view, greenery and fresh air improves the quality of work substantially. The answer to all this is: The Greenhouse.

Anyone passing Ngong Road nowadays cannot ignore one of Nairobi's new landmarks. This is a newly opened office park with ground-level shopping. The U-shape complex with green lively plaza in its midst is state of the art novelty. The building is engulfed in green balconies and the view of Nairobi treetops from the pent-offices is immaculate. The concept of open and green space for commercial centre in the busy but not congested Ngong Road with abundant of parking was created by top London architect firm and comes as breath of fresh air to the Kenyan business community.

Rated as one of the best investments in Kenya, it shouldn't have come cheap. Surprisingly, it comes at a very reasonable price. At ksh 13,000 per sq. feet and excellent annual return of 12% + capital growth, The Greenhouse is a fantastic business opportunity. The existing occupants are reputable companies, NGO's and professionals, high-end shops and top restaurants.

A visit to www.thegreenhouse.co.ke reveals a tasteful design, sea of information, useful contacts, international expertise and local knowledge.
So next time you are in Nairobi, why not pay a visit to The Greenhouse family and tie your future with it?
The developer - Jericho Development Company, has gained excellent reputation in its five projects so far. With its motto of “no rounding corners” its followers are getting great value for their money. It has representative in London (Tel. 07805 300031) and Nairobi (Tel. 0733 660010, 0728 647350).

Yet, time is on the essence as the complex is almost sold out. There are only few pent units left for sale and a supermarket at the ground level, where the tenant, one of Kenya's leading brands, is ready to move in.

Left, Health secretary Andrew Lansley's bill has received much opposition as a report finds that hospitals are resorting to 'salami-slicing' as they try to save £20bn by 2014

The Government's controversial NHS shake-up is hindering efforts to find ways of slashing health spending without cutting vital services, MPs have warned.

In a highly critical report, the health select committee said hospitals were resorting to short-term "salami slicing" as they try to save £20bn by 2014. The committee found "disturbing evidence" that NHS bodies were "making do and squeezing existing services simply to get through the first year of the programme" rather than looking for long-term reforms to practices.

In a stark warning, the MPs concluded that it was "far from certain whether the targets...will be met, even with trusts stretching themselves". Indeed, in our opinion the bill has created such turmoil that it should be stopped.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN), the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) and the British Medical Association (BMA) want the reforms to be scrapped - and are holding a summit to discuss the bill on Thursday.

RCN chief executive Peter Carter said: "Indeed, in our opinion the bill has created such turmoil that it should be stopped."

Unite's head of health Rachael Maskell said the select committee's report should be "the final nail in the coffin for this bill".

The bill has copped much criticism since it was introduced into Parliament by Health Secretary Andrew Lansley a year ago.

The latest attack is especially wounding as the committee is chaired by one of Mr Lansley's Tory predecessors, Stephen Dorrell, and is dominated by Conservative and Liberal Democrat MPs. Mr Lansley said: "As the report acknowledges, our modernisation plans allow us to make significant savings, not least in reducing the needless bureaucracy.

"Only when we give nurses and doctors more power will we see local NHS services reshaped to suit patients so they can see who they want where they want." The planned reforms would see power over commissioning handed to groups of GPs and the role of other providers increased. Ministers believe the bill will improve choice and accountability and "liberate" the service. But opponents fear it will lead to privatisation by the back door.

Ministers are braced for a clash with the House of Lords over the Government's attempts to cap benefits at £500 a week.

Church of England bishops and rebel Liberal Democrats are threatening to derail Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith's flagship benefit reforms when peers vote on the measure later. The controversial plans to limit the total payments any household can receive to £26,000 a year have been met with fierce criticism. An estimated 50,000 famlies would be affected.

Prime Minister David Cameron said he wanted to "call time on these excessive welfare payouts" and described it as a "basic issue of fairness". Asked about the impact the move might children in big families into poverty, he replied: "The way children suffer today, there are far too many children in households where no-one is working. "And one of the reasons why in some households no-one is working is because welfare has become so available." Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown is the most high-profile figure to speak out against the reforms, denouncing them as "completely unacceptable" as they stand.

He told Sky News' Dermot Murnaghan he favoured a benefit cap - but that he would not vote for the proposals.

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg said that while there was scope to look at the "transitional arrangements" for introducing the benefits cap, he fully supported the principles behind it. He flatly rejected an amendment tabled by the Bishop of Ripon and Leeds, the Rt Rev John Packer, which would exclude child benefit payments from the changes.

Ministers appear determined to ride out the opposition, believing there is strong public support for their plans, to curb the benefits dependency culture and "make work pay". But the vote poses a dilemma for Labour who have to decide whether they want to try to inflict a damaging defeat on the Government, even if it means taking the blame for blocking a measure that is popular with much of the public. Party officials have been tight-lipped on whether they would back the bishop's amendment, saying they would be focusing on their own compromise amendment designed to protect families facing losing their homes.

"Labour won't be voting against the benefits cap because we support the principles and the responsibility to take a job if you can work," a spokesman said. "But we will be seeking to amend the Bill, to bring a compromise between the bishops and the Government because we don't think council taxpayers should be hit with a massive bill for homelessness."

A January 19 image provided by NASA shows an M3.2 solar flare captured by the Solar Dynamics Observatory. A potent solar flare has unleashed the biggest radiation storm since 2005 and could disrupt some satellite communications in the polar regions, US space weather monitors said Monday

A potent solar flare has unleashed the biggest radiation storm since 2005 and could disrupt some satellite communications in the polar regions, US space weather monitors said Monday. The event started late Sunday with a moderate-sized solar flare that erupted right near the center of the Sun, said Doug Biesecker, a physicist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Space Weather Prediction Center. "The flare itself was nothing spectacular, but it sent off a very fast coronal mass ejection traveling four million miles per hour (6.4 million kilometers per hour)," he told AFP.

A rush of radiation in the form of solar protons already has begun bombarding the Earth and is likely to continue through Wednesday.

The radiation storm is the largest of its kind since 2005 but still ranks only a three on the scale of one to five, enough to be considered "strong" but not "severe," he added.

NOAA said its website the S3 ranking means "it could, e.g., cause isolated reboots of computers onboard Earth-orbiting satellites and interfere with polar radio communications." Biesecker said that when it comes to radiation storms, the polar regions are affected most.

For instance, the storm could spell disruptions to airline flights, oil operations, Arctic exploration and space satellites.

Night-sky viewers in Asia and Europe may be able to witness the aurora, or Northern Lights, late Tuesday as a result of the storm.

"We don't expect major impacts from an event like this," Biesecker said. "It's the people who need GPS (global positioning system) accuracy of centimeters who have to worry, not people who want to know if you're going to turn the car 30 meters (100 feet) ahead."

Pre-trial Judges at International Criminal Court on Monday confirmed charges against four of the six Kenyan suspects claimed to have played the biggest role in the 2007 2008 post-election violence that took the country to the precipice of civil war. In a majority decision, the Judges confirmed charges against Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret MP William Ruto, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and journalist Joshua arap Sang. Charges against Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali were not confirmed after the Judges found insufficient grounds for sustaining the charges against them. Judges Ekaterina Trendafilova and Cuno Tarfusser voted to the affirmative while Judge Hans-Peter Kaul dissented. "The Chamber by majority decided to confirm charges against four of the six suspects. Judge Hans-Peter Kaul gave a dissenting opinion with the view that the crimes were common crimes that could be handled by the Kenyan law," Judge Trendafilova said while delivering the judgement.

UN leader Ban Ki-moon is "appalled" by the wave of bomb attacks in Nigeria and called for transparent investigations into the scores of deaths, his spokesman said. Ban "condemns in the strongest terms the multiple attacks that have taken place across the northern Nigerian city of Kano, causing large-scale casualties and massive destruction to property," said Ban Ki-moon in a statement released by his spokesman late Saturday. "The secretary general is appalled at the frequency and intensity of recent attacks in Nigeria, which demonstrate a wanton and unacceptable disregard for human life." Ban expressed "solidarity" with the Nigerian government and people and called for "swift and transparent investigations" into the attacks.

'...LET US NOT NEGLECT OUR MEETING TOGETHER...' HEBREWS 10:25

The church has to be the number one reason why Christians don't want to be Christians. How many times have you heard yout church mates complaining and winging about the church, the people, the worship, the youth group, the preaching, the preacher, the building, the weak tea.... The list goes on and on and on. And when the church winds us up, what do we do? We moan, we sulk, we find another church, or we just leave. 'I love God, I just can't stand church. ' WHAT?? It's totally understandable that we get wound up with church, it's run by people! People don't like change, we like our routines, our security, our comfort zone, we want to know what's going to happen. We worship a God that never changes but we seem to forget we're not God, we're SUPPOSED to be changing to be more like Him! The church, scarily enough, is God's answer. It doesn't really matter what the question is, the church is the way God created to answer it. So when we're fed up, frustrated, bored and want to quit, what do we do? We put in our all. We pray for our leaders, encourage our mates, turn up for meetings (even prayer meetings), tell the organist she was great today, play the part God has given you to play. A body would not be better off if the heart decided 'I don't like this body. I'm going to leave and beat alone'. It's the only way the church will ever 'improve'.

Ocampo and the two Principals, Kibaki and Raila, left, the Ocampo 6, centre and Eldoret North MP William Ruto during the church service at St Patrick's Catholic Church in Burnt Forest on January 22, 2012. Photo/JARED NYATAYA

It was a day of prayer on Sunday for some of the six Kenyans who will on Monday learn whether they will be committed to stand trial for crimes against humanity at the International Criminal Court (ICC).

And leaders across the country called for calm ahead of the ICC ruling as Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti said adequate security measures had been put in place. (READ: Kenya pledges adequate security after ICC ruling)

Anxiously awaiting the decision of the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber are Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto, suspended Cabinet minister Henry Kosgey, Postmaster-General Hussein Ali, public service head Francis Muthaura and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.

The verdict will be made public at 1.30pm East African Time. (READ: How ICC will change the future of Kenyan politics). In Eldoret, Mr Ruto said the much-awaited ruling would be a defining moment, but one that should not be used to threaten peace and stability.

“We made a commitment that nobody will ever take arms against another Kenyan and it is this promise that will be demonstrated whatever the outcome of the ICC ruling will be,” he said.

Mr Ruto was speaking at a thanksgiving service at St Patrick’s Catholic Church at Burnt Forest in Uasin Gishu County. Burnt Forest bore the brunt of the 2007/2008 post-election violence in which more than 1,000 people lost their lives and hundreds of thousands were run out of their homes.

Mr Ruto was accompanied by assistant minister and Marakwet East MP Linah Kilimo, Keiyo South MP Jonathan Kiptanui, Mosop MP David Koech and Eldoret East MP Peris Simam. Mr Ruto was later scheduled to address youth at the Eldoret Town Hall.

Speaking in Nyamira on Sunday, Mr Kenyatta urged Kenyans to remain calm even if the cases are confirmed.

“Hata kama tunangoja hii mambo ya kesho, nataka Wakenya wajue kwamba yatapita na tutaendelea(Even if we are waiting for the outcome of these things tomorrow (Monday), I want Kenyans to know that it will come and pass and we will continue)”.

Mr Kenyatta asked Kenyans to maintain peace. “Kenyans should reject leaders who are out to divide them along tribal lines,” he added. Daily Nation. Video

The today's Daily Mail talks about patients dying in the wards, left, Telegraph, middle left, talks about Killer bug found on skin of five babies, while Daily Express, centre right, talks about Pension Boost for Millions and Independent, right, talks about Ashdown leads Lib Dem revolt on welfare reform.

Two key witnesses of ICC prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo who were under protection abroad have decided they no longer want to testify.

One of the witnesses has left the European country where he had been placed under protection while the other is seeking asylum in a different country. The witness seeking asylum is said to have been under pressure from his family to return home but he feared for his life and decided to settle elsewhere. He is now surviving in a European country with support from good Samaritans who pay for his upkeep as he waits for the asylum application to be processed. "I have credible evidence but I cannot testify in a hostile environment. I have been under pressure from my family to return home but I think it is unsafe and that is why I want asylum so that I can organize to go back home later," the witness told the Star on phone.

Reports indicate that the other witness has already arrived in Kenya. Last week, it was revealed that another prosecution witness had been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a protection officer following an argument. The two differed over whether the ICC should pay for the education of the witness's children while he was under the court's protection awaiting the start of the cases. The witness claimed the protection officer was disrespectful to him. The protection officer had accused the witness of nagging. The director of the Centre for Human Rights and Democracy Ken Wafula confirmed that he had received a report on the detained witness.

Yesterday Wafula said they had asked the ICC to carefully handle its witnesses and restructure the witness protection unit. "It is an issue which the ICC has to tackle because it affects the lives of the witnesses and the ICC process itself," he said. Several witnesses were flown from Kenya to Europe ahead of the confirmation of charges hearings. Some of their families in Kenya have received threats after the identities of some the witnesses was established.

The witnesses who either testified or presented witness statements used by the defence fear their families may be targeted and intimidated in the event that the cases go to full trial. People looking for United Nations Ambassador Yvonne Khamati tried to gain entry into her Nairobi family home last year. Khamati gave a witness statement in support of Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Muthaura who is facing charges of crimes against humanity at The Hague.

A group of men raided her Nairobi home on October 23 and threatened to attack the family with a grenade. Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta and Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, former police chief Hussein Ali, journalist Joshua Sang and Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey are the suspects before the ICC. Khamati was mentioned as one of Muthaura's witnesses during the pre-trial hearing at The Hague. However, she did not give her testimony before the pre-trial judges.

The incident came a month after the home of a witness in Nandi was invaded by villagers who attempted evict them. The family then escaped from Nandi and sought refuge at a relative's home in Eldoret town. A group of youths stoned the house belonging to the witness at his father's home in Nandi North. The windows were broken but no one was injured. The ICC judges could confirm the charges against the Ocampo Six, ask for more evidence or drop the charges altogether.

The judges could also confirm charges for some of the suspects and drop charges against others or ask the prosecutor to carry out further investigations. The problems affecting the witness have emerged just days before the ICC judges make their ruling on the fate of the six accused of perpetrating the post-election violence of 2007-08.

The ruling is to be delivered on January 23 and has caused anxiety among the suspects and their supporters. Uhuru and Ruto are presidential candidates and their political ambition could be derailed should the judges decide to confirm the charges. The two have declared their innocence and hope that they will be cleared so that they have smooth run for the top seat in elections later this year. Nairobi Star.

DO NOT GET WORKED UP! GOD WILL HELP YOU DEAL WITH WHATEVER HARD THINGS COME UP! Mathew 6:34

Nairobi — All transactions in public property, including transfer of land and buildings, have been frozen ahead of the next General Election.

The freeze will also affect councils, which cannot sell or transact in any dealings involving public land until the proposed National Land Commission has been set up.

The decision was taken during a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Kibaki at State House in Nairobi on Thursday but details were released on Friday.

Though the freeze seems to take into account changes to the management of public land and property introduced by the Constitution, illegal transfers of such assets has historically occurred close to a General Election as politicians try to buy influence.

It means land owners whose leases have expired will now have to wait until a National Land Commission is established to know whether they will have them renewed or they will have to give up their land.

The decision was announced on Friday afternoon by the Presidential Press Service, which normally transmits resolutions of the Cabinet after its meetings, at State House in Nairobi.

At the same time, the Cabinet has stopped the sale of public assets by both the central government and local authorities as Kenya prepares for the devolved system of government, which should start after the next General Election.

A Bill to ease Kenya's transition from the central to the devolved system of government was also approved for publication in the meeting on Thursday, where it was also decided that an inventory of all the assets would be undertaken.

But it is the freezing of the processes related to the renewal of land leases that is likely to have a bigger impact as it would affect all agricultural, commercial and residential leases issued for government land.

It will take over the role played by the formerly powerful Commissioner of Lands, the President and registrars, and whose abuse is said to be the main cause of the problems related to land in Kenya.

Going by the communication from the PPS, it is still possible to transfer leases, as that has not been stopped, and transactions involving freehold titles would also not be affected.

But while the PPS statement said the renewal of leases on trust land would also be affected, the minister said this would be provided for under a different Bill as control of this land is vested in the county governments.

The National Land Commission is also mandated to initiate investigations by itself or based on complaints into present or historical land injustices and recommend ways in which they can be redressed.

Mr Mwathane said there are chances that unscrupulous individuals exploited the vacuum that existed between August 27, 2010, and on Friday to selectively renew or refuse lease extensions, thus the caveat that those that may have been renewed would be reviewed.

MPs at the meeting held at the Pangoni Resort resolved to support the Cabinet decision to freeze renewal of land leases until the proposed National Land Commission is operationalised.

The chairman of Parliament's Committee on Land and Environment Mutava Musyimi asked the government to ensure that the commission is formed by March as proposed by the team in its report on demolitions in Syokimau last year.

Closing the meeting, House Speaker Kenneth Marende said Parliament was equal to the task and would give the proposed laws the attention they deserve and beat the deadline for enactment.

"I urge all of us to rise to the occasion and do it for Kenya. If we implement the Constitution to the letter, we can say goodbye to the problems that surrounded the land question in our country," Mr Marende said.

Mr Odenda Lumumba, who chairs the Kenya Land Alliance lobby group, said the Cabinet decision is good as it would give the government the opportunity to control development on its land.

He said the establishment of the commission would give some communities the opportunity to have their perceived injustices on land addressed. Nairobi Star.

Haji Hassan Mustaf is a wholesaler selling imported clothes at Eastleigh’s Garissa Lodge. He gets his clothes from China and Dubai, often travelling there to buy the clothing items himself.But it has not been business as usual for him in the last three months since the Kenya Defence Forces launched an operation to wipe out the Al-Shabaab militia group in Somalia. “Business has slowed down considerably for everyone in Eastleigh,” says a dejected Hassan. “In my case, I have been affected most by the fact that people are now afraid of coming to Garissa Lodge for fear of an explosion or some terrorist attack,” he says.

Hassan says that most of his clients were businessmen from the Coast, Eastern and north-eastern Kenya. “I have lost almost all my customers from North Eastern,” he says.“They say that business is not good for them either. Very few from the Coast have been brave enough to come to Eastleigh. These are all people that our business depends on for survival.”

Eastleigh, one of the busiest districts in Nairobi, is feeling the heat generated hundreds of miles away at the battlefront in Somalia.

With its unbeatable wholesale prices on goods ranging from clothes, shoes, sugar, electronics and much more, Eastleigh has been a favourite shopping destination for businesspeople from all over the country. But some of the goods sold in Eastleigh, especially sugar, crosses into the country as contraband from Somalia. They can be traced back to Kismayu, where an elaborate commercial cycle generates millions of dollars in taxes for the Al-Shabaab terror group. Kismayu became a lifeline and a key source of income for the Al-Shabaab in 2009 when the terror group won a battle over control of the port from the pro-Transitional Federal Government Ras Kamboni militia.

According to the latest UN Monitoring Group report on Somalia and Eritrea, “Al-Shabaab generates between $35 million and $50 million per year in port revenues”. A considerable part of this revenue - at least $15 million - is from the cycle of trade between charcoal and sugar — shipping companies deliver sugar from the Gulf to Kismayu and collect charcoal for their return trips.

A good portion of the sugar brought into Kismayu ends up in Kenya, smuggled in through the porous border, or thanks to corrupt border point officials, is loaded onto trucks and into Eastleigh where it is re-packaged and sold. The document points a finger at the Transitional Federal Government, saying it is complicit in maintaining the Kismayu trade corridor. “The Monitoring Group has confirmed that most commercial motor vessels transporting goods to the port of Mogadishu discharge only part of their cargoes in order to deliver the remainder to Kismayu and collect charcoal destined to Gulf Cooperation Council countries — with the full knowledge of the Mogadishu port authority,” read the strongly worded document. But with the ongoing Kenyan military offensive against Al-Shabaab, the charcoal trade, and effectively the sugar trade as well, have been disrupted with bags of charcoal destined for Dubai piling up at the port.

This follows a ban on boats that are used to ferry the bags of charcoal at the port. The KDF fears that the boats might be used by the Al-Shabaab to launch an attack. Back in Eastleigh, sugar traders and wholesalers will not agree to an interview. “This is a very sensitive matter,” says one through a fixer. “They can not trust anyone now. Not even a journalist. They are afraid that they might be accused of involvement with the Al-Shabaab,” the fixer later explains. And perhaps rightly so: The Monitoring Group report argues that import and export businesses that opt to use the port of Kismayu where they pay taxes to Al-Shabaab do so consciously and perhaps all too aware that their commercial transactions are accruing a significant financial benefit to Al-Shabaab. This is because they have the option of using alternative ports like Mogadishu for their imports. On the other hand, the rest of the business community, including Hassan Mustaf, is only hopeful that the operation will come to an end soon. “I support the Kenyan Army like any other citizen would,” says Hassan. “But I hope that the government will solve this problem with Somalia soon. We are suffering and our businesses are going down because customers are now afraid of coming here to do business with us. And even though police officers are seen here patrolling the streets, people are still not very sure that they will do their shopping safely,” says Hassan.

Left, the Building of the International Criminal Court in the hague and right, outgoing International Criminal Court Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo. The ICC ruling on whether Uhuru, Muthaura, Ali, Ruto and Sang stand trial is expected on or before January, 23, 2012

The much-awaited verdict by the Pre-Trial Chamber II of the International Criminal Court on the six Kenyans is expected to permanently alter the political landscape as the country prepares for the next General Election. (READ: ICC Judges to decide fate of Ocampo six on Monday).

If the charges are confirmed on Monday, it is likely Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Civil Service Chief Francis Muthaura and Postmaster General Hussein Ali may be found unsuitable or unable to discharge their official functions.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga may also have to fire suspended Industrialisation minister and ODM chairman Henry Kosgey if the charges against him are confirmed.

The departure of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthaura from the Kibaki court would mean that the Head of State, who retires later in the year, would have to appoint new faces to these key government positions.

Mr Muthaura is Kenya’s highest ranking civil servant and is perceived to be the powerful fulcrum around which the presidency operates.

Mr Kenyatta, Mr Muthaura, Maj-Gen (rtd) Ali and Mr Kosgey were named alongside Eldoret North MP William Ruto and radio journalist Joshua arap Sang on suspicion of bearing the greatest responsibility for the most serious crimes committed during the post-election violence.

They have all protested their innocence and assembled top-notch legal defence teams to fight the charges.

On Saturday, the suspects were guarded about how they would prepare for and where they would receive the court’s ruling.

The International Crisis Group, a global anti-conflict watchdog, says in a report on the Kenyan case that the ICC verdict would have a direct bearing on Kenya’s political landscape.

“The ICC’s action is now an inescapable element of the political process as Kenya heads to elections.

Even if an early confirmation of charges may not legally prevent the suspects from running for office, the risk of conviction would affect supporters and allies. The timing and framing of proceedings and decisions can lower or increase volatile tensions,” the International Crisis Group says.

On the other hand, the crisis group estimates, if all the charges are dropped, it is likely that the alliance between Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto would not hold and each would run their own presidential campaign.

On the other hand, at the hearing in The Hague, Mr Kenyatta told the judges that Mr Odinga bore political responsibility for the iolence. The message that the case was politically motivated would be repeated at the campaigns.

It remains the discretion of the ICC whether, if charges are confirmed, the suspects will remain free men or be taken into custody if they are found, for instance, to be interfering with witnesses or demeaning the court.

Since their return from the confirmation of charges hearing, the suspects have avoided speaking ill of the court in public rallies or news conferences. Read more...... and Video.

School Education Secretary Michael Gove's £377,000 plan to send a King James Bible to every school 'founders over funding'

Michael Gove(left) said the King James Bible is 'has helped shape and define the English language'. Mr Gove's plan would see 20,000 schools receive a copy of the King James Bible (right).

The Education Secretary has run into his second public funding row in a week after he was today forced to deny that his plan to send every school in Britain a copy of the King James Bible - at a cost of £377,000 - has run into trouble over funding.

The Prime Minister had reportedly told Michael Gove that while he supported the idea, he should avoid using taxpayers' money, according to sources.

It follows Mr Gove's suggestion that a replacement for the Royal Yacht Britannia should be commissioned using taxpayers' money to mark the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.

The Education Secretary has yet to find a private sponsor for his project, with some Whitehall sources reported as saying he has been told he cannot distribute the book until he does so.

But Mr Gove said talks were under way with a number of individuals and organisations that might 'share some of the burden' - but the taxpayer would underwrite the cost.

'The taxpayer is there to underwrite the costs but we are in conversation with a number of individuals and organisations that may share some of the burden,' he said.

Mr Gove said the Bible was the most 'important book written in the English language' and had major cultural and historical significance.

He said a 'low cost' deal had been struck with the publisher to provide the Bible - a move he described as a 'powerful and potent' way of highlighting the historical significance of the anniversary.

The Bibles will be sent out to more than 20,000 schools to mark the 400th anniversary of it translation.

It has been claimed thousands of copies may already have been printed and will be left in a warehouse without the funding, but Department for Education said it did not know if the copies had yet been printed, or where the copies might currently be stored.

And they said the aim was to distribute the Bibles to schools at Easter, so the timetable had not been affected by the lack of a sponsor and they would be distributed even if no sponsor is found.

A senior education department source told the Guardian enough public money was available for the scheme to go ahead, but No 10 had merely indicated that 'sponsorship was desirable'.

But Whitehall sources said Mr Gove was told that it would be wrong to spend nearly £400,000 on the project at a time when the government was in negotiations with teaching unions over cuts to their pensions.
A Department for Education official said in a statement: 'The Prime Minister was clear in his speech in December about the importance of the King James Bible, and marking this important anniversary.

‘The Prime Minister supports the plan to send a copy to every school. We continue to seek philanthropic sponsorship.'
The 400th anniversary of the publication of the Bible was in 2011.
In a speech in December, Mr Cameron celebrated the importance of the King James Bible giving three reasons for its relevance.

He said: 'The King James Bible has bequeathed a body of language that permeates every aspect of our culture and heritage.

'Second, just as our language and culture is steeped in the Bible, so too is our politics.

'Third, we are a Christian country. And we should not be afraid to say so. Let me be clear: I am not in any way saying that to have another faith – or no faith – is somehow wrong.'

Government ministers have always been careful to avoid controversies surrounding religion with Tony Blair's former communications chief Alastair Campbell famously once declaring: 'We don't do God'.

But Mr Gove said: 'It's a thing of beauty, and it's also an incredibly important historical artefact. It has helped shape and define the English language and is one of the keystones of our shared culture. And it is a work that has had international significance'.

When the scheme was announced the National Secular Society suggested that the Department for Education could put a message on its website and save 'tens of thousands of pounds'.

NSS president Terry Sanderson said: 'It's not as if Bibles are in short supply in schools. But if Mr Gove intends to go ahead with this, will he also please ensure that a copy of On the Origin of Species is sent out on Darwin Day?

'This book is much harder to find in schools and would be in line with his policy of promoting science and evidence-based education. I'm sure that he could write an excellent foreword to this too.'

Richy Thompson, campaigns officer at the British Humanist Association, added: 'Either the Government is funding this initiative itself at a time when it is making severe cuts elsewhere, or the Church is finding it but using the Government as a vehicle through which to promote Christianity - both are unacceptable.'

In the small hilly Indian state of Meghalaya (left), a matrilineal system operates with property names and wealth passing from mother to daughter (right) rather than father to son - but some men are campaigning for change.

When early European settlers first arrived here they nicknamed it "the Scotland of the East" on account of its evocative rolling hills. Coincidentally, today the bustling market in the state capital, Shillong, is awash with tartan in the form of the traditional handloom shawls worn ubiquitously since the autumn chill arrived. Not far from here the village of Cherrapunji once measured an astonishing 26.5m (87ft) of rain in one year, a fact still acknowledged by the Guinness book as a world record. But the rainy season is over for the time being and it is Meghalaya's other major claim to fame that I am here to investigate.

It appears that some age-old traditions have been ruffling a few feathers of late, causing the views of a small band of male suffragettes to gain in popularity, reviving some rather outspoken opinions originally started by a small group of intellectuals in the 1960s.

I am sitting across a table from Keith Pariat, President of Syngkhong-Rympei-Thymmai, Meghalaya's very own men's rights movement.

He is quick to assure me that he and his colleagues "do not want to bring women down," as he puts it. "We just want to bring the men up to where the women are." Mr Pariat, who ignored age-old customs by taking his father's surname is adamant that matriliny is breeding generations of Khasi men who fall short of their inherent potential, citing alcoholism and drug abuse among its negative side-effects.

"If you want to know how much the Khasis favour women just take a trip to the labour ward at the hospital," he says.

"If it's a girl, there will be great cheers from the family outside. If it's a boy, you will hear them mutter politely that, 'Whatever God gives us is quite all right.'" Mr Pariat, who ignored age-old customs by taking his father's surname is adamant that matriliny is breeding generations of Khasi men who fall short of their inherent potential, citing alcoholism and drug abuse among its negative side-effects.

"If you want to know how much the Khasis favour women just take a trip to the labour ward at the hospital," he says.

"If it's a girl, there will be great cheers from the family outside. If it's a boy, you will hear them mutter politely that, 'Whatever God gives us is quite all right.'"

Mr Pariat cites numerous examples of how his fellow brethren are being demoralised. These include a fascinating theory involving the way that gender in the local Khasi language reflects these basic cultural assumptions.

"A tree is masculine, but when it is turned into wood, it becomes feminine," he begins.

"The same is true of many of the nouns in our language. When something becomes useful, its gender becomes female.

I talk to Patricia Mukkum, the well-respected editor of Shillong's daily newspaper. She assures me that her heritage is only one of the reasons why she has risen to the level she has and points out that the tradition of excluding women from the political decision making process is still very strong in their culture.

As a mother of children by three different Khasi fathers however, she is the first to admit that their societal anomaly has afforded her ample opportunities to be both a mother and a successful career woman.

Making reference to the routine problems facing women just over the border in West Bengal, Miss Mukkum is resolute.

I decide to see for myself in a remote village in the East Khasi Hills. After two hours walking through thick jungle I meet 42-year-old Mary.

She is a "Ka Khadduh", the youngest daughter in her family and consequently, the one destined to live with her parents until she inherits the family house. Her husband, 36-year-old Alfred, lives with them.

When I talk to her inside their home, Mary tells me that women do not trust men to look after their money so they take control of it themselves. I glance at Alfred for a response but he musters only a smile.

Mary goes on: "Most men in our village leave school early to help their fathers in the fields. This is a great detriment to their education." I turn to Alfred once more. He responds with another shy smile.

What should we make of recent news reports speculating about whether mobile phones cause cancer? It's all about how we deal with uncertainty, says Michael Blastland in his regular column.

How risky is it if you don't know the risks? Daft question? Possibly. But perhaps it helps define who we are. Here is an exercise which invites you to a little self-diagnosis of your attitudes towards risk. M obile phones may cause brain cancer. "Shock warning!" said one newspaper when it reported this last week. "Shock U-turn" said another. Others seemed more sanguine. Why the difference? Because all were reacting in their own way to ignorance. As this BBC report and others, like the Guardian's Ben Goldacre, pointed out, we simply don't know how risky mobile phone are. So the word "may", as in the BBC headline "may cause cancer", is everything. Is it scary? Or reassuring? What if we turned it round and said "may not cause cancer"?

Risk often isn't about hard numbers - often there are no hard numbers - it's about how we react to uncertainty, given how the uncertainty is presented to us. The graphic below is based on an illustration famously used by Prof John Adams, a writer about risk, for the cover of a book - called Risk, naturally. As this graphic suggests, what we know is negligible. The rest, as Prof Adams puts it, is darkness. The data he cited - about five million known chemicals (the whole area of the graphic), 7,000 tested for carcinogenicity (the yellow rectangle), 30 known to cause cancer in humans (the tiny orange area at the top left) - is a little old now. But his argument stands. Scroll down. Mobile phones may cause brain cancer. "Shock warning!" said one newspaper when it reported this last week. "Shock U-turn" said another. Others seemed more sanguine. Why the difference? Because all were reacting in their own way to ignorance. As this BBC report and others, like the Guardian's Ben Goldacre, pointed out, we simply don't know how risky mobile phone are.

So the word "may", as in the BBC headline "may cause cancer", is everything. Is it scary? Or reassuring? What if we turned it round and said "may not cause cancer"?

Risk often isn't about hard numbers - often there are no hard numbers - it's about how we react to uncertainty, given how the uncertainty is presented to us.

The graphic below is based on an illustration famously used by Prof John Adams, a writer about risk, for the cover of a book - called Risk, naturally.

As this graphic suggests, what we know is negligible. The rest, as Prof Adams puts it, is darkness.

The data he cited - about five million known chemicals (the whole area of the graphic), 7,000 tested for carcinogenicity (the yellow rectangle), 30 known to cause cancer in humans (the tiny orange area at the top left) - is a little old now. But his argument stands. Scroll down.

On December 13 last year, Ms Caroline Maina lost Sh124,755 within six minutes to conmen who tricked her into sending them the money through Safaricom’s mobile money transfer system M-Pesa. Ms Maina, the proprietor of Generations Electronics Mobile Outlet Ltd, had received a call from a person who claimed to be an employee of Safaricom before being swindled. She is among many unsuspecting Kenyans who are losing millions of shillings through mobile cash transfer-related frauds and thefts.

Police investigations have revealed that mostmobile phone cash fraud is mostly conceptualised and executed in prisons. Police are now warning the public to be careful when they receive calls from people pretending to be officials or agents of mobile phone firms.

Customers, for example, have been defrauded of a lot of money by people who call to inform them that they are ‘winners’ of an ongoing promotion. The fraudsters are then able to access one’s details and even withdraw money by ask ing simple questions about the account holder. Some of the questions the fraudsters ask their targets include, for example, how much their last top-up was, when they last used M-Pesa to send or receive money, and the account balance. Central Investigations Department director Ndegwa Muhoro on Wednesday warned the public against receiving calls from suspcious people, who advise them to enter the numbers 555 555, pretending that it is a procedure of getting the money they have won. “This supposedly winning number is actually the number used when one wants to make an M-Pesa withdrawal through any ATM,” he said.

According to Mr Muhoro, the fraudsters are target clients of all mobile phone service providers that operate the money transfer services. He urged Kenyans not to entertain strangers nor divulge any personal information on phone. “Let no one take any unsolicited instruction especially regardingcompetitions that they never participated in,” added the CID boss. Safaricom’s director of corporate Affairs, Mr Nzioka Waita, says the surge in crime targetting M-Pesa clients is not as a result of a lapse in the integrity of their system but the conmen were taking advantage of the gullibility of some customers. Read more..

Farmers clean and package carrots at Wanjohi trading centre in Nyandarua county. The region is one of Kenya’s biggest producer of fresh produce. Photo/SULEIMAN MBATIAH

Nyandarua lags behind other counties simply because it lacks the means to realise the potential of its vast fertile soils, favourable climate and rivers that never run dry.If only its massive resources could be properly exploited it could feed the entire country with its Irish potatoes, cabbages and other vegetables that grow in plenty. Presently most of the fresh produce eaten in Nairobi is grown in Nyandarua.

Nyandarua is surrounded by the Aberdares, one of the country’s water towers. And several major rivers originating from the mountains cut across the county making it one of the best watered lands in Kenya. And since rains are received all the year round, dairy farming also flourishes. But without the right infrastructure — power and roads — most of these resources remain unexploited.

Improvements have been seen in the last two years following completion of the 100-kilometre Dundori-Ol-Kalou-Njabini highway that has opened up the agriculture-rich southern part of the county to Nairobi and other towns. However, transporting food and milk to the highway is still a problem and county leaders have been under pressure to have the smaller feeder roads rebuilt. For years Nyandarua has experienced slow growth compared to other counties in Central Kenya because of what some people claim is poor leadership.

But others blame the state of affairs on the fact the county was deliberately ignored by successive regimes because its leaders, starting from Josiah Mwangi Kariuki, who was assassinated in 1975, were government critics. Then there is the fact being a settlement region, most of its early elected leaders had divided loyalties with their places of origin. Nyandarua was created in 1963 by President Kenyatta who carved it out of Laikipia and Naivasha, which are in the Rift Valley province. He positioned it in Central Province.

Before Independence, Nyandarua was occupied mainly by European settlers and their workers.

The first leaders who were born and brought up in the county started seeking elective positions only in the late 1980s.

Perhaps the most influential politician from the area was JM. MP for Nyandarua North, he had the motivation to champion the interests of the people in the county but was killed at the height of his political career. Read more

Eastman Kodak, the US-based company which brought photography to the masses over a century ago, has filed for bankruptcy protection after years of failing to become a profitable seller of modern consumer products. The 130-year-old photographic film pioneer said it had also obtained a $950m loan from Citigroup, the US financial firm, to help keep it going. "The board of directors and the entire senior management team unanimously believe that this is a necessary step and the right thing to do for the future of Kodak," Antonio Perez, the chairman and chief executive of Kodak, said in a statement. The company said that it, and its US subsidiaries, had filed for Chapter 11 business reorganisation in the US Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York. Non-US subsidiaries were not covered by the filing, it added.

Kodak once dominated its industry, but it failed to quickly embrace more modern technologies such as the digital camera - ironically, a product it even invented. The company's downfall has already hit its hometown of Rochester, New York, with employment there falling to about 7,000 from more than 60,000 in Kodak's heydays. In recent years, Perez has steered Kodak's focus more towards consumer and commercial printers. But that failed to restore annual profitability, something the company has not seen since 2007. Perez said bankruptcy protection would enable Kodak to continue to work to maximize the value of its technology assets, such as digital-imaging patents it licences for use in mobile and other devices, and its printing technology. The company said it was being advised by US investment bank Lazard, which has been helping Kodak look for a buyer for its 1,100 digital patents. Other advisers included business-turnaround specialist FTI Consulting, whose vice chairman, Dominic DiNapoli, would serve as chief restructuring officer for Kodak, supporting existing management.

Webuye based Pan Paper Mills has been closed following disconnection of power after failing to settle the electricity bill. The firm's managing receiver Munialo Wafula says although the factory has been manufacturing and selling paper, proceeds are deposited at the Central Bank and bureaucracy in accessing the funds to settle bills are behind the latest closure. The Paper mill has a power bill of 73 million shillings. Last year, the government injected 1.6 billion shillings to revive Pan Paper mills after more than two years of closure. The firm's managing receiver Munialo Wafula says there is a high demand for paper. Following the closure, over a 1,000 workers of the firm have been sent home. "All operations have been stopped but we will resume as soon as power is restored. The bill was supposed to be settled any time this week but this has not been done due to government bureaucracy," Wafula said. The managing receiver is confident that the paper mill can sustain its operations and is calling for the lifting of the receivership. The factory's monthly bill increased to 73 million shillings up from the 9 million it had been paying since revival.

The Kenya Cabinet has approved two bills critical for the operationalisation of county governments. The two bills approved after a meeting chaired by President Mwai Kibaki at State House Nairobi Wednesday will create the legislative framework for the successful devolution of government to the county level. The bills approved are the transition to Devolved Government Bill 2012. The bill deals with a three year transitional period from the day of enactment until full implementation of the county governments. It creates a Transitional Authority that will deal with all matters that will see a smooth transition to devolved government. The authority will undertake the preparatory work before the general elections and will assist county governments to full take-off soon after the elections and for the three year transition period. The Inter-Government Relations Bill 2012 outlines the relations between the national and county governments and the inter relations between the various county governments. It proposes the creation of a summit that brings together the President, Vice President and the 47 county governors in a bi-annual meeting. It also outlines the relations between the 47 governors and the dispute resolution mechanisms among the counties. The bill also creates the County Governments Council that will create the framework for relations among the 47 county governors. The Cabinet meeting also approved the Pharmaceutical Industry Sessional Paper. The policy paper provides the institutional framework for the administration of the local pharmaceutical industry.

A 57-year-old man stunned villagers of Toloso in Bungoma West when he ate a venomous snake in revenge for biting him. Yoham Simiyu Mwatili ate the snake halfway through as family members watched in disbelief and failed to develop any complication. Anticipating the worst, the family members wanted to rush him to Sirisia health centre but he declined. Instead, Simiyu went on with his duties as if nothing had happened. Eyewitnesses said the man was seated near the fence of his compound when he was beaten by the snake locally known in kibukusu as "ekhanga". Simiyu vented his anger on the serpent and killed it. He then cut it into pieces and started eating it while still raw. Dangling a head of what was once a live snake; Simiyu boasted that he was a total man to devour the serpent. Asked why he opted to eat a poisonous snake, the man said he was irked by its move to bite him. Relatives said the man had no history of mental illness and wondered the implications of his actions of eating a dead snake.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is cautioning Kenyans to remain calm after the fate of the six prominent Kenyans is announced by the Pre-Trial Chamber. In a video interview, ICC Spokesman Fadi el Abdallah said the Pre-Trial Chamber led by Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova has asked Kenyans to accept the court’s decision and restrain their actions or utterances likely to provoke tension in the country. “The judges reiterated their appeal to all Kenyans to refrain from engaging in any actions that may endanger the security, the property or the safety of any victim or witness, and to also refrain from engaging in actions likely to raise tensions in the country,” Abdallah said. In case the charges are confirmed, the spokesman stressed that the suspects would remain innocent until conclusion of their trial. The Head of the ICC’s Public Affairs Unit explained; “The defendant is and continues to be presumed innocent until guilt is proven after a trial beyond any reasonable doubt.” Not confirming the charges also doesn’t mean the end of the case, Abdallah explained, saying the prosecutor can ask the Pre-Trial Chamber to allow him to appeal against their decision.

Abdallah also said the suspects will not be under the custody of the ICC but they will have to be present during the trials. He also said the ICC had no stake in determining if the suspects should run for political office or not. “The question of elections and conditions for eligibility of candidates is a matter for the Kenyan Constitution and is not governed by the Rome Statute. It is up to the Kenyan authorities to give interpretation of the law,” he maintained. If the charges are confirmed, the court may request the government of Kenya to assist in identifying assets belonging to the suspects. He said one of the reasons is to ensure their property will be used to compensate the victims if they are convicted. “It is a protective measure that prohibits the suspect from disposing the property and assets to ensure reparations to victims if the person is found guilty,” he clarified.

The City of London Corporation has won its High Court bid to evict protesters from outside St Paul's Cathedral. The demonstrators, who are campaigning against corporate greed, have been occupying the central London site since 15 October 2011. The corporation sought a possession order after the Occupy London group ignored an order to clear its tents from the public highway. Occupy London will appeal in the Court of Appeal on Thursday. The protesters will approach the appeal court after the High Court judge refused them permission to appeal but accepted they can renew their applications directly to the court.

Seven suspected Al shabaab militia men were on Wednesday sentenced to two years in prison for being in the country illegally. The accused persons were arrested on the 31st of December 2011 at Mvundeni village in Lamu county as they attempted to enter the county. Chief Prosecutor I.Kiptum told the court the men of Somalia origin, were armed with firearms and explosives indicating they they were armed to commit a crime. The court heard that the suspects were found with six AK47 rifles,one rocket luancher,501 rounds of ammunition and 21 AK47 magazines. Principal Magistrate Richard Kirui sentenced them to two years and set 2nd February 2012 as the next hearing for other charges brought against the seven including illegal possession of firearms, illegal possession of ammunition without firearm certificate and engaging in criminal activities which they denied. Meanwhile CID officers in Mombasa paraded weapons seized from suspected Al Shabaab militia men who were arrested on the new year's eve. Ambrose Munyasi, Provincial CID officer said the suspects were armed with six AK 47 rifles, five hundred and one rounds of ammunition (501 ) and 21 AK 47 magazines at the time of arrest. Speaking to the press on Wednesday at the provincial CID office in Mombasa, the senior security officer said a rocket launcher was also among the weapons confiscated from the seven. The provincial CID officer said seven men of Somalia origin have already been arraigned in a court of law to answer to charges of being in the country unlawful as well as being in possession illegal of firearms, possession of ammunition without firearm certificate and engaging in criminal activities . He called on residents in the Coastal region to be vigilant and report any suspicious characters along the Coast as the Kenya Defense Forces ( K.D.F) continues its fight against the outlawed group in Somalia.

Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo left the country last Friday to seek preventive cancer treatment in the United States. The medical care is meant to hinder recurrence of breast cancer that she was diagnosed with last year. The minister was accompanied by her personal assistant Rossalind Murimi, and two close relatives. Mrs Mugo’s physician, Dr Robert Mathenge, told the Nation that the disease was diagnosed at an early stage and that she had since undergone further evaluation. The heart specialist at the Equatorial Heart and Blood Vessel Clinic confirmed that his patient would be away for several weeks. “I would, however, appeal to Kenyans, especially the media, to let her have treatment peacefully,” he said. The ministry’s permanent secretary, Mr Mark Bor, said that the minister’s visit to the US was private and could not comment on the issue.

Sources within his docket alleged that the trip cost the ministry Sh27.5 million, which Mr Bor also refused to comment on. One of the people who accompanied Mrs Mugo is said to be her bodyguard but police headquarters said that they were not aware of that. Deputy police spokesman Charles Owino said that so long as the officer had acquired the necessary clearance from the Office of the President, he was free to accompany the minister. In 2005, MPs reviewed their medical cover to include two spouses and eight children, implying that they could be admitted to any hospital in the world recommended by their doctors. The government recently opened cancer management centres at Homa Bay and Webuye district hospitals. The Cancer Prevention and Control Bill, if passed will decentralise cancer treatment facilities further so that Kenyans throughout the country can access proper care. – Daily Nation.

China's economy, the world's second-largest, grew at its slowest pace in more than two years, latest government figures show. Gross domestic product expanded by 8.9% in the three months to the end of December, from a year earlier. That is down from 9.1% in the previous quarter. The statistics bureau data showed that growth for the full year was 9.2%, down from 10.3% in 2010. Analysts said they expect the economy to slow further this year. "Looking at the rest of 2012, you are going to see an even sharper slowdown in the first quarter because of the effect of monetary tightening," said Arjuna Mahendran, chief Asia strategist at HSBC Private Bank. "It will pick up later in the year."

China has previously been one of the fastest-growing economies in recent years. However, stimulus measures implemented by the government have created the risk of asset bubbles developing and China is looking at ways of gently slowing growth to what it sees as more sustainable levels. These measures have included a curb on lending to prevent overheating in the property and investment markets, and tightened monetary supply. Tuesday's data showed that real estate investment in China rose 27.9% in 2011, down from an annual growth rate of 29.9% between January and November, the National Bureau of Statistics said. However, it is not just domestic factors influencing growth. Another reason for the slide is the slowdown in exports because of weakening demand from Europe and the US. Data showed output from factories and workshops in the country rose 13.9% for all of 2011, which is a slower pace than in 2010. Some analysts are now calling for China to alter its growth strategy towards more sustainable levels, even if it is slower. "If you look at the composition of the growth, it is overwhelmingly delivered by an investment boom," said Patrick Chovanec, associate professor at Tsinghua University's School of Economics and Management in Beijing. "They have to focus on a sustainable development path, away from investment and more focussed on domestic markets here in China". Chinese authorities have been trying to boost levels of domestic consumption to reduce the country's reliance on exports.

UK unemployment rose by 118,000 in the three months to November to 2.685 million, official figures show. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the unemployment rate also rose to 8.4% from 8.3%, the highest since January 1996. The number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance in December rose by 1,200 to 1.6 million. The number of young people looking for work hit a new record of 1.043m, taking the rate for 16-24 year-olds to 22.3%. The number of people in employment rose slightly in the three months to November by 18,000 to 29.119 million. The figures support the picture of a flat UK economy, with other data released on Wednesday showing average weekly earnings, including bonuses, grew at just 1.9%. The Prime Minister, David Cameron, said the figures were not good news: "Any increase in unemployment is disappointing and obviously a tragedy for the person who becomes unemployed - that is why we are taking action to get people back to work". He pointed to an increase in the number of people in work, to new private sector jobs and a small fall in the long-term unemployed.

'REMEMBER TODAY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THE LORD THROUGH YOUR EXPERIENCES WITH HIM...' DEUTERONOMY 11:2

A woman was recently in a local newspaper announcing with immense pride that after years of study and hard work she had achieved a Phd in her greatest passion; air guitar. There was nothing she didn't know about the history, the various stances and how to identify a truly great air guitarist. Most people reading that article had identical reactions; what a tremendous waste of time! Sadly, for many Christians the same can be said of their Bible study. You see in churches we love Bible Studies. They are less effort than prayer meetings and certainly easier than making any attempt to meet people outside of church. You sit, you listen, you drink tea, you go home. Now of course Bible study is absolutely essential to our faith! Without gaining God's wisdom from his word we're absolutely stuffed. But, if we take His word and don't act upon it, it's as useless as a Phd in air guitar. In fact it's worse because we can become judgmental and very proud. By taking a scripture we know from the Bible, applying it to our lives then living an experience, the Word comes alive! We can relate to the characters, we can understand the tests of faith. James writes 'Do not deceive yourselves by just listening to His word; instead put it into practise' (James 1:22 TEV). You wouldn't read a holiday guide and think 'I've read the book, now I don't need to go', you read the guide to get the best possible experience from your adventure! The Bible is exactly the same - a guide book to living life to the max, not a substitute for it!

Detectives investigating the deaths of two warring neighbours are trying to establish whether one man killed the other and then suffered a heart attack following a row over parking.

The Green house was the home of Alan Taylor, and the other body was found in number 7 next door Photo: Peter Lawson/Eastnews Press Agen

The bodies of Alan Taylor, 59, and Richard Wight, 55, were discovered in their adjoining bungalows on Sunday afternoon.

Neighbours said the pair had been “at war” in recent weeks over a parking dispute on the tiny lane where they lived in Braintree, Essex. Mr Taylor was discovered by family members who called an ambulance to say he was having a heart attack.

When police arrived, he was dead. Mr Wight’s body was discovered more than an hour and a half later by a police officer doing house-to-house enquiries.

It is believed the pair had an altercation but police last night refused to confirm the extent of any injuries sustained by the two men.

It is thought officers are investigating the suggestion that Mr Taylor killed Mr Wight before returning to his own home where he later died. Ch Supt Michelle Dunn of Essex Police confirmed a murder inquiry had been started. She said: “Both deaths are being treated as suspicious at this time. A full forensic examination is taking place at the properties of both deceased men. Inquiries are continuing to establish the sequence of events leading to the both deaths.”

Last night a post mortem examination of Mr Taylor was under way. Mr Wight’s post mortem is expected to take place today. Neighbours said the two men had been involved in an ongoing dispute. One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: “Something had been going on between the pair of them. We said it looked like they had been rowing, it was as though they were at war over something. “There was definitely tension there when I saw them.”

Another former resident of the lane said that Mr Wight, who is understood to have been a lorry driver, had previously complained about parking issues in the street. The neighbour said: “Richard did not have any family and I believe there was only one person who used to come and visit him. “He was something of a loner and when we lived there he would come out and shout at delivery drivers when they dropped takeaways off.

“Somebody bumped into his van once down the lane and he put a big note in his window, stating the date and time that the accident happened, which me and my partner thought was quite odd at the time. “He was always worrying about his van which was parked in the lane.” Mr Wight’s white Fiesta van was removed from the scene and placed on a police low-loader for forensic examination.

On the vehicle’s dashboard a bright red notice, measuring 12in by 9in, states: “Concealed CCTV cameras operate on these premises.”

Ed Miliband and Ed Balls are both under fire in the latest attack: but will there be change at the top?

Unite leaders Len McCluskey doesn't pull any punches in his critismof two Eds at the helm of the party - Mr. Miliband and Mr.Balls.

In Mr McCluskey's view, Labour's refusal to reverse cuts - including the controversial public-sector pay freeze - has Blairite fingerprints all over it. It is "a victory for discredited Blairites at the expense of the party's core supporters" and as a consequence "we will be fighting the Labour frontbench as well as the Government".

But - I feel - the spectre of a credible Blairite challenge to Ed Miliband is unlikely to become a reality in the short term. Consider Labour's record of getting rid of leaders. In addition, there is no credible Blairite candidate. Yvette Cooper, the shadow home secretary, is the favourite to take over but she can't be described as New Labour. There are no signs that David Miliband is ready to mount a leadership challenge - particularly if it involves stabbing his brother in the back.

That said, it is clear that the split within Labour on economic policy - the subject of many discussions around the shadow cabinet table - is proving corrosive. There will be some in the party who agree entirely with what Mr McCluskey says. Others will disagree just as vehemently. One Labour MP articulated this view to me this morning, when he said that taking on the unions would improve Ed Miliband's standing with the public. After years of Blairite/Brownite divisions, the party is still struggling to unite.

Ed Miliband is spending too much time trying to convince people in his own party about the merits of his policies - rather than the electorate. And that will be a problem if Labour is to have a chance in 2015.

Britannia CAN rule the waves! Cameron and senior royals back the Mail's campaign to replace Queen's yacht in honour of Diamond Jubilee - at no cost to taxpayers

Left, how the Royal Yatch Britannia will look. Centre, Monarch's transportation: The yacht will be a fitting tribute for the Queen on her Diamond Jubilee this year Grand history and right, the original Royal Britannia sails under Tower Bridge in London in its full glory

The Mail’s campaign for a new privately funded royal yacht to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee won the backing of David Cameron yesterday. The plan is also being privately ‘supported’ by Prince Charles and Princess Anne.

Mr Cameron and senior Conservatives have swung behind the idea of a replacement for Britannia – scrapped as Labour came to power in 1997 – as a ‘fitting way’ to mark the Queen’s six decades of service to her country. The Prime Minister has pledged his ‘full support’ for the ‘truly inspiring’ and ‘splendid’ initiative. The backing from Mr Cameron and senior royals represents a major boost for the Mail’s campaign for the national flagship, which started last October.

The £80million, 600ft royal yacht, funded by private donors and individual donations, would be among the largest sailing ships in the world. The four-masted vessel would have state apartments for use by the monarch, but there would also be an exhibition hall and room for 220 youngsters because the vessel would also be used for trade and business events and by disadvantaged young people for science education and training. Last night’s rousing words of support from Downing Street represent a major step forward for the trustees of the plan who have been quietly developing the idea of a UK flagship for several years. Then, last year the Daily Mail gave its full support to the project and announced a campaign to bring the idea to life. Many readers responded with letters of support and even donations, although no fundraising scheme has even been formalised.

Last night’s dramatic developments followed a day in which it first appeared that Education Secretary Michael Gove had advocated public funding for a new royal yacht. The story was based on a ‘leaked’ letter to The Guardian. This soon backfired after it emerged that Mr Gove had said no such thing, a point he underlined in the Commons yesterday afternoon. The ship has been designed by the internationally renowned British naval architect Colin Mudie, whose designs have included sail-training ships for several navies. It has been codenamed FSP21 (Future Ship Project for the 21st Century) or ‘University of the Oceans’, underlining its educational role.

It is also understood that cross-party support will be forthcoming for any project which does not involve public funds. As a carbon-neutral project which would be built in modular form all over the United Kingdom, there is little scope for controversy provided that the taxpayer is not involved. Mr Cameron has ruled out using taxpayers’ money for the new yacht, saying it would be inappropriate in the current economic climate. But he has written privately to the charitable trust behind the national flagship scheme: ‘This is a truly inspiring initiative. I am always keen on projects that look to inspire people from all backgrounds, tapping the skills and energies that Britain needs for future growth and prosperity. Read more....

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga were on Sunday under pressure to resolve the general election date issue following Friday’s court ruling that polls can only be held this year if the two agree to dissolve the grand coalition government. Leaders from different parts of the country were of the view that although the High Court did not give a definite date for the polls, it had given the two principals powers to resolve the issue.
Constitutional Court judges Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi gave two options on when the elections can be held. If they are to be held this year, it will only be “within sixty days from the date on which the National Coalition is dissolved by written agreement between the President and Prime Minister” according to the National Accord and Reconciliation Act.
The second option is “within sixty days from the expiry of the term of the National Assembly on 15th January 2013.” That would push the election date to mid-March next year. (DOWNLOAD: Election Date Ruling). While agreeing with the court ruling, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka said that the next elections could still be held in December as the government had proposed in a constitutional amendment Bill that was pending before the court gave its verdict.
Mr Musyoka was speaking at St Emmanuel Cathedral grounds in Kajiado town where he witnessed the consecration and enthronement of the Rev Gaddiel Katanga Lenini as the second ACK Bishop of Kajiado Diocese. The ceremony was conducted by the head of Anglican Church of Kenya, Archbishop Eliud Wabukala. Others who attended the ceremony included ministers George Saitoti (Internal Security), William ole Ntimama (National Heritage), area MP Joseph Nkaissery, Masinga MP Itwiku Mbai, Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko and Kenya Airways CEO Titus Naikuni.
Elsewhere, Cotu secretary-general Francis Atwoli warned of a national uprising if the General Electionsis not held by December, describing the court ruling as dangerous. Mr Atwoli warned that if elections are not held by the end of this year, Cotu will on January 1, 2013 lead Kenyans in an uprising to take over power. Speaking at the weekend in Kobala in Rachuonyo North District during the burial of the secretary-general of the Kenya Shoe and Leather Workers Union, Mr Joseph Bolo Awach, Mr Atwoli termed the ruling as an illegality against natural justice which can plunge the country into chaos.
Bishop Beneah Salala of the Anglican Church, Mumias Diocese said President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga must read the mood of the nation. “The court’s ruling was just but an interpretation of the law and it is now up to the two to show statesmanship by ensuring that Kenyans cast ballots this year and not 2013 since that is what the electorate wants,” Bishop Salala told the Nation. His sentiments were echoed by Bishop Rashid Nanjira of the Prayer Warrior Centre Churches who said it is time the president and the PM rose to the occasion. “The ball is in their court and the pair must act sparingly because any deviation from the expectations of the electorate may not be received well by the people,” he said. Read more...

The High Court on Friday declined to give a definite date for the next elections, placing the task in the hands of President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. A three-judge bench of the Constitutional Court, in a landmark ruling, declared that unless President Kibaki and Mr Odinga dissolved the government by the end of October, the next elections could be held in early 2013. Should the President and the PM opt not to bring to an end their mediated political marriage, the judges ruled that the elections date would be hinged on the term of the current Parliament, which comes to an end on January 14 next year.

The ruling by Justices Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi added more uncertainty to the date of the next elections which has been a subject of heated debate, with the Cabinet seeking to move it permanently to the third Monday of December in the fifth year after last General Election. The Constitution fixes it on the second Tuesday of August. (DOWNLOAD: Election Date Ruling)

Aware of the impact of their ruling, they said: “We are conscious that our findings may be unpopular with a section of Kenyans who have preconceived notions about the elections but we hasten to remind Kenyans that our undertaking is not to write or re-write the Constitution to suit popular opinion. Our responsibility is to interpret the Constitution in a manner that remains faithful to its letter and spirit and give effect to its objectives.”

Litigants John Harun Mwau, Mugambi Imanyara, Lawrence Gumbe and Martin Gitonga had separately placed before the judges two options for the elections date — August 14, 2012 and March 2013.

But in their ruling, the judges were categorical that the dissolution of the coalition government established by the National Accord on February 28, 2008 was a key determinant. The accord states that the coalition government stands dissolved when either of the coalition parties agree in writing or one coalition partner withdraws from the mediated arrangement. “If the elections are to be held in 2012, it must be done within 60 days upon the dissolution of the National Coalition Government by written agreement between the president and the PM in accordance with Section 6 of the National Accord and Reconciliation Act,” ruled the judges. If the two principals do not dissolve the government, it is likely that Kenyans will go into the polls next year, after the term of the current Parliament ends on January 14.

“The 5th anniversary of the day the 10th Parliament first sat is designated by a legal notice as January 15, 2008. The term therefore expires on January 14, 2013 and the elections shall be held within 60 days from January 15, 2013,” the judges said. But even this interpretation drew mixed reactions with Gichugu MP Martha Karua, a former Justice minister, and her successor, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, differing over the matter. While Ms Karua felt that the ruling did not push the election date beyond January 14 next year, Mr Kilonzo was of the view that the elections date could be pushed to March next year. Another point of contention was whether this utomatically pushed President Kibaki’s term to March next year. Read more... Video...

HQ - UNIT 92 THAMES INDUSTRIAL PARK, PRINCESS MARGARET ROAD, EAST TILBURY, RM18 8RH

Incorporate these six principles into your life: 1) don't worry, when you're doing your best. God accepts no less, but He demands no more. 'Trust in the Lord, and do good...and He shall give you the desires of your heart!' (Psalm 37:3-4 NKJV) 2) don't hurry, when success depends on accuracy. 'Good planning and hard work lead to prosperity, but hasty shortcuts lead to poverty' (Proverbs 21:5 NLT) 3) don't form conclusions until you have all the facts. Everyone you meet has unmet needs, unhealed wounds and unfulfilled hopes. If you want people to evaluate you by your best qualities, rather than your worst, 'Do to others as you would like them to do to you' (Luke 6:31 NLT) 4) don't believe a thing is impossible without trying it. When you are in God's will, doing things God's way, sensitive to His timing and willing to persevere, your problems are just a platform for Him to work on your behalf '...we must wait patiently and confidently.' (Romans 8:28 NLT) 5) don't waste your time on trivial matters. In order to put first things first, you must ask yourself, 'What is it that only I can do, or do best?' Only when you've answered that question will you know what you should do 6) don't think that good intentions are an acceptable excuse for doing nothing. Examine your life; are you a 'talker' or a 'doer?' Get specific about your diet and your devotions, your finances and your family, etc. Write these words on a card and read them regularly: 'If it's to be, it's up to me.' James writes: '...faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead' (James 2:17 NKJV).

Samuel Muturi (Died 9th January 2012) and Lucy Muturi (Died 21st Nov 2011)

We regret to announce the death of Mr Samuel Muturi who died on Monday 9th January 2012 after a long battle with Kidney problems. He is from Murang’a in Kenya.
He was the loving husband to late Lucy Muturi, dad to Helen, William and Mark Muturi, brother to many and cousin to Benson Mutuota Mwangi from Swindon (UK), Julius Maina Ndirangu from Oxford (UK) and many more and a friend to many.
Samuel Muturi will be laid to rest on the Tuesday 17th January 2007 in Murang’a.
Lucy Muturi died after a short battle with cervical cancer on 21st Nov 2011 and was laid to rest on the 29th Nov 2011 in Murang’a.
Mr. Samuel Muturi (Ndugu) and Lucy Muturi who were in their forties previously lived in East London (Plaistow) and thereafter Swindon, Wiltshire before returning to Kenya (Office: Ruprani House- Nairobi) in 1998.

We the organising committee of Mr Samuel Muturi Kidney transplant fundraiser would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank the family, friends & people of goodwill who helped him raise funds on 30th July 2011 In Swindon or supported the family in any other way. Your support was not in vain. It is man who proposes but God disposes.

For more information please contact : Benson Mwangi (Swindon-UK)-07584026099; Julius Maina (Oxford-UK) - 07789295687, George Kiboro (Luton-UK) – 07824835066

Members of the United Republican Party (URP) William Ruto (left), Chirau Ali Mwakwere (centre) and Omigo Magara during a press conference on January 12, 2012. Photo/JENNIFER MUIRURI/NATION

Eldoret North MP William Ruto on Thursday launched the party he will use to vie for the presidency after he ditched United Democratic Movement on Monday. The United Republican Party (URP), whose slogan is ‘Sema na Utende’ (Say and Do) was unveiled at Serena Hotel in Nairobi. The party, whose headquarters will be at the former UDM offices in Lavington, Nairobi, brings together rebel ODM MPs and other leaders including Trade Minister Chirau Mwakwere, Turkana Central MP Ekwee Ethuro, his Wajir South MP Mohammed Sirat and Mr Cyrus Jirongo of Lugari. “From today henceforth we shall be distinguished from all others by our unique identity as Republicans of Kenya,” they declared in a statement read by Mr Ethuro.

“The changes were necessitated by challenges we faced as we tried to join the UDM. A few of the UDM officials were unwilling to accommodate the changes that came with the apparent interest by our supporters,” he said. The MP said it became apparent that UDM was infiltrated by external forces that “were out to cripple the party by all means by refusing our suggestion to have a democratically elected governing body.” (READ: Ruto blames ‘external forces’ for UDM woes) And they had a message for their former party and their perceived backers: “although our competitors intended to harm us, we have today established a vibrant and people-centred political party that denotes a fresh start that we yearn for.” In what echoes what the ‘No’ campaign stood for during the 2010 referendum on the Constitution, Mr Ethuro said the party respects the family as the basic unit of the nation.

“We subscribe to the family values based on African principles, especially marriage being between man and woman and the sanctity of life from conception,” said Mr Ethuro. The nascent party is set to hold a launch-cum-recruitment drive on Sunday at the Bomas of Kenya. Mr Ruto, who sat between Mr Ethuro and Mr Mwakwere, did not speak to the press and questions addressed to him were answered by Mr Duale, the party spokesman. Mr Ruto rushed to register the new party which has been issued with a provisional certificate, after it emerged that time was running out for him to put his house in order in his quest for presidency. Video

Pirates managed only four hijacks off the Somali coast but were prepared to travel much further afield

A suspected pirate ship with pirates and hostages that was stopped by the Danish navy. Photograph: JENS DAMHOJ / HANDOUT/EPA

Somali pirates managed only four successful hijacks off the coast of the country last year as a crackdown involving the Royal Navy forced the criminals to travel much further afield to target merchant ships. In one failed attack, the pirates went to within 200 miles of India – a trip of more than 1,500 miles each way. Their willingness to take more risks is a concern for Nato, which is helping to co-ordinate international efforts to push back against activity that has caused havoc on major sea routes in recent years. The pirates have also secured hundreds of millions of dollars from private companies that have often defied government advice by paying substantial ransom demands to free hostages.

However, newly aggressive anti-piracy tactics appear to be having an effect, with the latest Nato figures showing there was a sharp drop-off in successful attacks in 2011. Pirates captured only four vessels off the coast of Somalia last year, compared to 26 in 2010, and the same number in 2009. They launched failed attacks against 52 other ships, 16 fewer than the year before. The pirates managed just one hijack further north in the Gulf of Aden, compared to 12 in 2010. Instead, the criminals appear to have focused to the east and the distant waters of the Arabian Sea, where they successfully captured 19 ships last year, and attempted to take 48 others. But even when they have taken ships, the pirates are struggling to keep hold of them; Nato believes there are only six vessels being held at the moment, with a total of 175 hostages. More than 1,100 suspected pirates are now in custody, mostly in the Seychelles or Kenya awaiting trial.

The Royal Navy has been helping to spearhead the effort – including a dramatic chase last month that ended when a sniper on a navy helicopter began firing at pirates who had attacked a Spanish fishing vessel. Seven Somalis were arrested. A small number of British special forces have been operating from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Fort Victoria, which has also helped give more bite to anti-piracy efforts. Defence sources said there were three main reasons why the pirates were less successful last year. "Ships are protecting themselves more effectively, by putting up barbed wire to make it more difficult for the pirates to get on board," said one defence source. "Nations like China and Russia are also protecting some vessels by making them travel together in convoys. Thirdly, the taskforce has also been targeting the so-called mother ships. These are the bigger vessels the pirates use to launch smaller skiffs for the attacks."

A Nato official added: "Our trend lines are improving because our allies and partners are getting better at disrupting attacks. But the piracy threat remains a persistent one." That sentiment was echoed in a report by the foreign affairs select committee. It noted average ransoms had risen from $600,000 (£390,000) to $4.7m per vessel over the last four years. In all, $135m was paid to the pirates in 2011. The report said this was "an alarming [figure] which should be a matter of deep concern to the British government and to the entire international maritime community". Despite the rise in the number of people in custody, MPs said an estimated 90% of suspected pirates were released without charge. It urged the British government to start prosecutions in the UK if necessary. A number of Britons have been taken hostage by pirates, including Paul and Rachel Chandler, who were freed in 2010 after being held for a year.

Last September, pirates murdered a British businessman, David Tebbutt, and kidnapped his wife, Judith. The couple were on holiday at a beach resort in Kenya. Tebbutt, 58, died from a single gunshot wound to his chest. His wife has not been seen since.

Judges Mumbi Ngugi (left) Isaac Lenaola (centre) and David Majanja (right) when they delivered their ruling on the elections date case at the High Court, Nairobi January 13, 2012. BILLY MUTAI

The date when Kenyans will vote in their next president is yet to be known after a court ruling on a case seeking interpretation of the first General Election under the new Constitution gave two options. Judges Isaac Lenaola, David Majanja and Mumbi Ngugi, sitting as a Constitutional Court, delivered the landmark ruling Friday.

They ruled that the General Election can only be held in 2012 if President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga agree, in writing, to dissolve the Grand Coalition Government. This would be 60 days after the Principals agree to terminate the National Accord that holds the coalition parties, PNU and ODM, together.

The other option would see Kenya go to the polls in 2013 after the expiry of the Tenth Parliament. This would be 60 days after the House first sat on January 15, 2008. The judges also ruled that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) will be the body to determine the exact date. The Constitution envisages that elections be held on the second Tuesday every fifth year, which translates to August 14, 2012.

The Chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Charles Nyachae welcomed the ruling saying that only the courts are mandated to interpret the contentious issue and not individuals. However, Gichugu MP Martha Karua disagreed with the ruling. "I totally disagree with the court ruling. Term of office must include the election period and that's the interpretation world over," she said on her Twitter account.

The three-judge bench gave its judgment on two cases which were filed separately but were heard together because they all sought to have the court’s interpretation on the right date of the polls. When the dispute over the date of the next General Election was argued before the three judges in December last year, parties in the petition proposed three different dates. Whereas Attorney General Githu Muigai rooted for December, Kilome MP Harun Mwau proposed March 2013 while lawyer Mugambi Imanyara, Prof Lawrence Gumbe and Martin Gitonga submitted that the elections should be held in August 2012.The The Commission on the Implementation of the Commission (CIC) also supported the August date

The AG asked the judges to consider precedents from other jurisdictions in similar situations, maintaining that December was the most practical date. He submitted that the court’s final decision should not be arbitrary but balanced to incorporate the views of bodies mandated to organise the next elections. His position was supported by the IEBC which submitted that they require time to prepare and organise the elections, which cannot happen before December. Mr Imanyara and his co-petitioners said the polls should be held on the second Tuesday in August of every fifth year in accordance with Article 101 of the Constitution.

They said this was the only date stated clearly in the Constitution, adding that it could only be changed through a referendum.

The Commission on the Implementation of the Commission (CIC) supported the August date, saying that Parliament alone cannot change the election date unless there is a referendum.

Mr Mwau based his argument on the transitional clauses in the Constitution which provides for election 60 days after the expiry of the term of the current Parliament.

The Kilome MP said he was sworn in on January 15, 2008, therefore, his term should end on January 14, 2013.

Section 9 of the Sixth Schedule states that the first elections for the President, National Assembly, Senate, County Assemblies and Governors shall be held within 60 days after the dissolution of Parliament at the end of its term.

The ruling will not only impact on the political scene but also affect the civil service which has several of its top officials declaring that they will run on the forthcoming elections. Electoral laws require any public officer who intends to contest an election to resign from public office at least seven months before the date of election.

Some of the UK Newspaper front news from left, Evening Standard with Olympic rush to rent out homes, Daily Express with its heading Morgages are cheapest ever, Daily Mail with the heading Oxford Don is quized over the death of Professor and Daily Mirror with its heading as Our hearts are broken forever.

Old age officially begins when people reach the age of 54 and youthends when people turn 32, a Government survey has found.

According to the DWP’s research, one in three people have experienced some form of prejudice in the last year because of their age Photo: Alamy

People under the age of 25 believe old age starts sooner than those over the age of 50, a survey of British attitudes by the Department for Work and Pensions has found. On average, Britons believe that old age starts at 59 while youth ends at 41.It found that people over 80 believe that youth ends at 52 while old age starts at 68. Steve Webb, the Pensions Minister, said that attitudes towards age must change due to Britain’s rapidly ageing population. With the retirement age for men and women reaching 66 by 2020, the minister said that people must alter their perceptions of when people become ‘old’.

“The idea that we are ‘old’ at 59 belongs in the era of Downton Abbey – not in 2012,” said Mr Webb. He said that the country is “on the brink of a new world”. “People today are living longer, working longer and contributing more in their later lives. This is great news and it is important that our perceptions of age keep up with the reality of our increasing longevity,” the minister said. The DWP report, called Attitudes to Age in Britain, found that old people have the opposite attitude towards young people. The DWP based its analysis on an Office for National Statistic survey of almost 2,200 people. The report concluded that "age-related stereotypes are rooted in British society”.

According to the DWP’s research, one in three people have experienced some form of prejudice in the last year because of their age.

One in seven people said that having a boss in their 70s is “completely unacceptable”, while just one in 20 were unwilling to accept a boss in their 30s. Despite this, the survey found that people over 70 are viewed as more friendly, more competent and as having higher moral standards than people in their 20s. The DWP said that the ageing population presents a number of challenges to society.

These include social exclusion, whereby older people are left feeling “isolated and excluded from opportunities”. The DWP also said that the economy could suffer due to lost productivity if older workers are not given jobs that they are willing and able to perform.

“It is imperative that a fuller understanding of attitudes to age is sought if the Government is to successfully develop and implement strategies to ensure social inclusion of older people,” the report said. The report found that young people also suffer age discrimination.

Under-25s were found to be twice as likely to have experienced age discrimination as other age groups. As well as different age groups having different ideas of what constitutes old and young, differences in attitudes were found between genders. Men think that people stop being young earlier than females do, the DWP found. Men also believe that old age starts sooner than women do.

Britons eat too much of this and not enough fruit and veg, found the report comparing European diets Photo: PA

Only those in Finland, the Czech Republic, Sweden and Iceland eat less, found the report by the European Food Information Council.

On average, Britons eat 258 grams, or 9.1 ounces, of fruit and vegetables a day - significantly short of the 400g (14.1oz) minimum recommended by the World Health Organisation (WHO). That figure - and those measured in the report - excludes potatoes and other starchy vegetables. The study suggests successive attempts to get people to eat 'five-a-day' items of fruit and veg have had limited impact - although consumption has increased since the 1970s.

Only four of 19 countries surveyed reached the WHO target, with Poland (577g) coming top of the class, The Grocer reported. It was followed by Italy (452g), Germany (442g) and Austria (413g). High consumption of fruit and vegetables has been associated with lower risk of developing a range of chronic diseases, including a range of cancers such as those of the bowel and throat, and cardiovascular disease, the report noted. It also identified a 'north-south divide' when it came to consumption, with northern European nations tending to eat less than those in the south - feted by public health experts for its "Mediterranean diet". "Consumption varies, with higher intakes in southern compared to the northern regions," according to the report. However, it also discovered that people in northern nations such as the UK were more likely to eat their vegetables raw, which tends to conserve their nutritional value, while those in the south tended to consume them more in soups. Tam Fry, a spokesman for the National Obesity Forum, commented: "It is disastrous that we eat so little fruit and veg. "It is hugely important in terms of nutrition, and they are also foodstuffs that don't tend to have lots of calories."

The cost of household gas has soared

Pressure is mounting on energy companies to cut household bills after new researc shows that the price of gas and electricity on world markets has tumled in recent months.

Household bills should fall by as much as £135 a year as a result of falling prices on the so-called wholesale market, according to Energyhelpline.com. Last year, the average household dual fuel bill stood at around £1,200 after big energy firms increased prices due to the rising cost of gas and electricity. The increase put a squeeze on household budgets and saw a large rise in the number of families living in fuel poverty. However Energyhelpline.com said that the UK’s ‘big six’ energy companies – British Gas, Npower, EDF, Scottish Power, Eon and SSE – should now be in a position to start cutting bills due to the fall in wholesale prices. “Residential price cuts of between 5 and 10 per cent could be just around the corner,” said Mark Todd, a director at the price comparison website.

Energyhelpline.com said that the current cost of gas on the wholesale market is 53p a therm, a fall of a third from 78p a therm in September. As the wholesale gas price makes up just under half of an energy company’s cost of supplying gas to a home, it said that the fall should shave 15 per cent off a household bill.

Meanwhile wholesale electricity prices have fallen by 27 per cent since the summer. The wholesale price makes up 40 per cent of the cost of supplying electricity to a home, meaning that the fall should reduce bills by around 11 per cent, Energyhelpline.com said. “Gas price drops of up to 15 per cent and electricity price drops of up to 11 per cent do not look unaffordable to energy suppliers, though whether they will materialise is another question entirely,” said Mr Todd. Recently The Co-op and Ovo, which are both small suppliers, have announces price cuts. The large energy companies said that they have no immediate plans to cut prices. Many of them buy their wholesale energy months in advance at fixed prices, meaning that short-term changes in the wholesale price do not affect their tariffs. An Npower spokesman said that there are “no plans” to change prices, although it “constantly monitors” long and short term wholesale energy prices.

A spokesman for EDF said that the company has had the lowest dual fuel prices for two winters in a row and that it was the last of the major suppliers to increase its prices last year. “Our prices are continually under review and we will continue to provide competitive prices,” the spokesman said. British Gas said: “Wholesale price movements are clearly a matter of public record, however we do not comment on – or speculate about – future retail pricing movements.” Meanwhile an Eon spokesman said: "We have no current plans to change our prices but continue to monitor the wholesale market. The unfortunate reality is that, over the longer term, global wholesale energy prices are expected to rise."

Hebrew 11:6

What God Expects from You-Faith

The Bible says, 'But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.' Do you know what God expects of you? Faith! He wants you to trust His Word, His character and His track record of faithfulness. It is impossible to please Him if you don't. The difficulty you're dealing with right now may have to do with where you are in your faith walk with God. That doesn't mean if you're going through trouble, you don't have faith. But while it may not be a lack of faith that got you into trouble, it's the strength of your faith that will bring you through it. You say, 'But shouldn't I be rational?' Yes, but don't be so rational that you fail to leave room for the supernatural. Narcissism is the worship of our own intellect. We say, 'If I don't understand it, I don't believe it.' Then, in essence, you are your own god! You don't really believe in God, you believe in you. What are you going to do when life hands you a problem you can't solve? Before Christ raised Lazarus from the dead He asked Mary and Martha to take Him back to the grave, the place where they stopped believing, the point at which they gave up because of human limitation. Why? Because only when you reach that point, do you discover that God '...is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that [you] ask or think...' (Ephesians 3:20 NKJV).

Our Guest Singer today is Mr. Dennis Mutara from the Republic of Kenya - CLICK HERE

Isaac Wale | NATION Nabongo Japheth Wambani Rapando’s son, Japhath William Wambani (right), inspects the coffin at a workshop in Kisumu on January 11, 2012. Nabongo Wambani will be buried on Saturday.

When Nabongo Japheth Wambani Rapando, the departed king of the Wanga, is laid to rest on Saturday, he will have made history not because of his short reign but because he will be the first to break the community’s traditional burial rites. According to Wanga customs, kings are buried while seated, wrapped in animal skin with a stool, the symbol power, placed on their head. Wambani’s burial will be done in the modern way but still uphold the tradition. The coffin that will be used to bury the king has been built like a chair to comply with the tradition. Its design was drawn even before the king died. One of the royal’s sons, Mr James Wambani, says he gave instructions on the design last November when he realised his father’s health was deteriorating. “I knew the old man was not going to live long and started the preparations of having his coffin made,” explains Mr Wambani. He went on: “I constantly kept checking the progress and reminded the designer that he had to make something unique.” Mr Wambani, who is the fifth of Nabongo Rapando’s 11 sons, says his father left a will spelling out how he wanted to be buried.

According to the coffin designer, Mr Christopher Omondi, it is one of a kind. “I was amazed at the design since I have never made such a coffin before,” says Mr Omondi. Mr Wambani says it took him time to think of a design. “I had a picture in mind and this is it,” he says. The coffin is 6.3 feet and comes with a trolley.

“I will give them (the family) two of my aides to help them handle the coffin when they come for it,” says Mr Omondi. He says it took him two weeks to make it. The coffin cost Sh40,000 and the trolley Sh5,000, bringing the total price tag to Sh45,000. “I am impressed with the work and I think it is good value for money. It is a coffin befitting a king,” says Mr Wambani. Mr Wambani explains that he had to travel all the way to Kisumu to have it made. “It is said that if you want something nice or a great piece of art, go to Kisumu,” he says.

Noble Laureate Wangari Maathai’s hyacinth casket was also made in Kisumu. The coffin drew a huge crowd at Kibuye market.

Mr Wambani says the Wanga elders were opposed to the coffin initially as they wanted tradition to be followed to the letter. They wanted Nabongo Wambani’s body to be wrapped in animal skin instead of being buried in a coffin. This, according to Mr Wambani, was not possible because of health reasons. He explains that the family also imported a suit and shoes worth Sh20,000 to dress the king’s body. The coffin will be picked tomorrow morning and taken to St Mary’s Hospital mortuary in Mumias, where the king’s body lies, before they embark on the funeral procession to his home in Emulambo village, Mumias District.

According to Mr Wambani, viewing of the body will be at his home on Friday. Only immediate family members will be allowed to view the body. In a break with the Wanga tradition, the church is expected to lead the funeral service before the burial rites are performed. About 6,000 people are expected to attend the burial, including politicians. The successor of Nabongo Wambani will be decided before the burial. Community elders will lead the succession rites.

According to the Wanga traditions, the elders will anoint the successor from among the sons, who will then be expected to spear an animal. The animal is supposed to fall next to the body, confirming that the king has approved his successor. Failure means the elders have to make another choice. Nabongo Wambani, 88, died on January 1 at his home after a long battle with sickness.

A Fire Station in Yorkshire just big enough to fit a single 4x4 fire truck is due to be named the world's smallest.

Little alarming...Goathland is only big enough for a Land Rover and a filing cabinet

The nine volunteers who work from the 13ft by 20ft stone garage in Goathland, near Whitby, have applied to Guinness World Records to have their tiny station recognised. The brave men and women — who include a youth worker, a farmer and a salesman — can man the mini-station within four minutes of an alarm being raised. There they find their fire-fighting Land Rover equipped with tools. Engineer Chris Barker, 41, said: "The station was built by the people in the village and the land was given by a local resident. It's just a garage with a double door.

"There is a filing cabinet in the back and that's the stop point for the Land Rover. "Our gear is hanging up on the sides and there is a desk but we have no running water or toliet. "We don't have the snooker table or big kitchen that you find at other stations but we do have a kettle." The hardworking team — aged in their 20s and 30s — is equipped and trained to deal with most emergencies, from house fires, to car crashes and blazes on the moors. And they deal with an average of 25 to 50 call-outs a year. Chris said: "It's a real passion this. We take it very seriously.

We are a professional unit, if we go to the pub after a drill it is never with uniforms on and none of the drivers would drink when they are on call. We absolutely do this for the village." Despite the vast area that makes up North Yorkshire, the county's fire service is unique due to its rural economy and low population and is the only one in the country to use volunteer fire stations. A spokesperson for Guinness World Records said: "I can confirm that Guinness World Records did indeed receive an application from Goathland Volunteer Fire Crew to be recognised as the world's smallest fire station. "Guinness World Records does not currently hold the title. As this is a new category we are researching the claim and will respond in due course."

According to new research half of all foreign professionals would consider immigrating to London if they ever looked to work overseas. Next on the list of popular destination cities was New York at 28 percent, Singapore at 16 percent, Paris at 15 percent and Sydney at 10 percent. Dubai, Tokyo, and Shanghai were also in the top destination Cities for foreign professionals. 160,000 job-seekers in a range of sectors from banking to telecommunications participated in the survey. The survey findings revealed that London with its banking, legal and creative industries is still a major attraction to workers from all over the world. According to the statistics, the majority of the professionals immigrating to London are foreign workers from countries facing economic difficulties - particularly from Portugal, Ireland and Greece. Additionally, nearly half of survey participants also cited the higher standard of living in the UK as the main reason to move to and work in London.
"Jobseekers have become more flexible on where they'll work, and with English as their first language they have a advantage," said Mike Booker of totaljobs.com, which conducted the survey. Interestingly the report also found that 63 percent of UK professionals would be happy to work abroad, up from 47 percent from two years ago; Many are looking for higher living standards abroad.

The DoomsdayClock has beenmoved one minute closer to mid-night - meaning that the world is theoretically onestep closer toa huge globaldisaster. This week, the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists (BAS) moved the hands of the symbolic clock from six to five minutes before midnight to reflect the world’s lack of progress on battling climate change, and new states pursuing nuclear weapons that could spell Armageddon.Japan’s Fukushima accident last year was also a deciding factor in the clock’s change. In a formal statement issued at the time of Tuesday's announcement, the BAS noted: “It is five minutes to midnight. Two years ago, it appeared that world leaders might address the truly global threats that we face. In many cases, that trend has not continued or been reversed. For that reason, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is moving the clock hand one minute closer to midnight, back to its time in 2007.”

The tower block in Hathaway Crescent Manor Park (left) and it is the same block where 15-year-old Kristy Bamu (right) was found dead just over a year ago. Picture: Steve Poston

Manor Park residents have told of their horror as they watched a man fall to his death from a high rise block of flats. The dead man, identified as Abdul Hakim Abubakar, fell from the 14th floor of a tower block in Hathaway Crescent last Wednesday. Incredibly, it is the same block where 15-year-old Kristy Bamu was found dead just over a year ago. And 24 hours after this latest tragedy at Old Bailey jury heard how he was tortured and drowned in a tale of horror. A sister and her partner are on trial for murder.

Last week paramedics from the ambulance and air ambulance services failed to revive Mr Abubakar, 34, and he was pronounced dead at the scene at 9.16am.

Tracy Beadle, who lives in low rise flats next to the tower block, said: “At first we thought it was a coat falling out because it was flapping about. “But then we realised it was a man. He fell such a long way, you could really see how far he fell, it was from really high up. “He was clearly still alive when he hit the floor. The police said that he was still alive when he landed when they came knocking afterwards.” Tracy added: “There’s something about those flats, everything happens in them. Last year, there was a murder on Christmas Day and this year it’s this. It’s always something. It’s just so sad.” Bernadette Mulhurn, who lives on the floor Mr Abubakar fell from, said she was also saddened by the death. She said: “We don’t know him because he wasn’t from here, he didn’t live in the Crescent.

“But it’s still just awful, really sad to have that happen.” Even Mukid Mir, who lives in a block on the other side of the Crescent, said it caused a scene. He said: “I didn’t see it, my sister came in and said there were loads of police cars outside, about three or four of them. “I thought someone must have been getting arrested for something but then an ambulance turned up and we heard what had happened. “I heard it was a man who fell from that tower block over there, it’s the tallest one around here as well so it must have been pretty bad.” The post-mortem examination will take place in due course and the police are not treating the incident as suspicious.

The 2012 Olympic Games are fast approaching; It is expected that there will be a huge increase in the number of visitors travelling to London to watch the games and take part in the festivities. Beginning 1 January 2012 UK immigration will start processing visitor visas for those coming from outside the UK to watch the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Not everyone will need a visit visa. Normally, this is only required for nationals of Countries who already require a visit visa to visit the UK. The press release from UK Border Agency noted that the Games are expected to be the biggest event that the UK has ever hosted and that many extra visitors will arrive during the busy summer period in 2012.
We advise you to apply as soon as possible so UK immigration officials can process your application in a timely manner. If you meet the requirements, you will be issued a UK visitor visa with a start date that will cover you for the whole Olympic and Paralympic Games period. Once you receive your UK visitor visa, you can then travel to the UK for the Games from the beginning of 2012.

The family of a young mother killed by an express train after she apparently jumped onto the track to retrieve her mobile phone have said their "world has been shattered". Charlene Pickering, 23, mother to four-year-old Toby, was hit by the 7.15pm Waterloo to Exeter service at around 7.30pm on Sunday. She is believed to have dropped her phone on to the tracks at Wimbledon station and jumped down to retrieve it, British Transport Police said.

In a statement issued by police, her family said: "Our world has been shattered by the tragedy that occurred on Sunday.

"Charlene was the light of our lives and with her infectious smile she brightened the world of all who knew her. "She is survived by her four-year-old son Toby, who will fortunately have the support of his loving father Owen and his many family and friends to help him through this traumatic time." I really am not looking forward 2 spending my life without you... we had made so many plans and they have been so cruelly taken. I am so lucky to (have) had you in my life. Daniel Pickett, Charlene Pickering's boyfriend

Miss Pickering's boyfriend Daniel Pickett also paid tribute to his partner on Facebook, posting a message which read: "If only heaven had a phone babygirl I would love to hear your voice just once more.

"I really am not looking forward 2 spending my life without you we had made so many plans and they have been so cruelly taken. I am so lucky to (have) had you in my life even though it was only nearly 4 months." He added that he would never forget her and that her son Toby was lucky to have her as a mother. "He will be so proud of you and he will also make you proud," he wrote. "Love you beautiful sleep well xx." Earlier in the day he had written on the social networking site that he was "on the way to Stamford Bridge with my gorgeous gf to watch Chelsea vs Pompey." A spokesman for British Transport Police (BTP) said: "Officers were called to Wimbledon railway station on Sunday January 8 after a woman was struck by a train.

"London Ambulance Service paramedics also attended but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. Her death is being treated as non-suspicious." Chief Inspector Alison Evans said: "We believe at this stage that the woman went on to the tracks to retrieve her mobile phone before being struck by the train. "This appears to have been a tragic accident and our thoughts remain with the woman's family at this very difficult and sad time for them." Police investigators are preparing a report for the coroner, the spokesman said.

It is with humble acceptance to the Lord, as we announce the promotion to Glory of our beloved father Mr Joseph Ndereva Gichuki on Wednesday 11th January 2012. He is from Ngorano, Mathira in Nyeri. He was the loving father to Mrs Lucy Githinji and father-in-law to Mr. Francis Githinji. The memorial service, in London, will take place on Sunday 15th January 2012 at PCEA UK Church, Stratford, Brickfields Christian Centre, Welfare Road, Stratford, London E15 4HT from 2.00 p.m.

Family and friends are meeting for prayers from today, Thursday 12th January, 2012 at:

For more information please contact Mr Githinji 07838 912 852 or Mrs Githinji 07949 238 898.

A FATHER of two dropped dead - minutes after proposing to his girlfriend of 20 years. antony Bentley finally proposed to long-term lover Tracy Sellers, 45, at a pre-Christmas family gathering. but after she agreed to many the 46-year-old, he suffered a suspected heart attack and paramedics were unable to revive him. Miss sellers, who lived with her print assistant boyfriend in Cheadle, Staffrdshire, said,:'Mybrother had been teasing him into making an honest woman out of me that night. 'He asked me to marry him and I said ''yes''. Then he just sat down and passed away.' He leaves two daughters, aged 17 and ten.

The pony seems settled and contented for the moment (left) and Ms Noble accepts the situation is not ideal (right).

A woman has adapted her home to make way for a new stable mate - her pony, Grey Lady Too. Stephanie Noble had the idea to put up her beloved pony in her house on the Isle of Lewis after a fallout with the people who were originally stabling the animal. The row fell on Christmas Eve and, because of the holiday period, Grey Lady Too's Irish-born owner could not find replacement accommodation. Ms Noble wrapped the animal in blankets to protect her against the cold for the night and tried to find alternative lodgings on Christmas Day. After unsuccessful efforts, the animal lover instead decided to clear some furniture and convert part of her sitting room into a stable for the three-year-old pony. To the consternation of her neighbours, she converted her front room by nailing planks in place to make a pen, bracing the ceiling tand using four dining room chairs as railings. "This was the safest option," said Ms Noble. "No one else will allow me to use their sheds or barns and I don't want her roaming free where she could damage property or hurt someone.

"I am hoping it's a temporary arrangement but who knows? "I had arranged boarding for her a few miles along the road but they let me down." She explained how she protected the property from the potential difficulties of having a pony in the house. "Under the hay on the floor, I have put thick rubber mats and boards help spread her weight. They protect the floor. "There is also a lot of cat litter to absorb any urine and other spillages. I do change the straw and disinfect every day." However, one neighbour said: "We are all shocked in the street that the environmental health or animal cruelty people have not intervened, even if it is Ms Noble's own home."

Another said: "There are potentially serious health issues. I believe Western Isles Council is wrong to play softly-softly and is completely failing in its duty to the rest of us by allowing this farce to continue. "She has been here for eight or nine years and has upset many people in that time." Western Isles Council said it believed it was limited in what it could do because the property was rivately owned. A spokesman said: "The council cannot comment on an individual case. However, the council would not advise anyone to keep a horse in a domestic property." The authority has promised, though, that it will investigate any concerns regarding animal welfare or public health nuisance and act accordingly.

New police officers mount a parade during the passout at Kiganjo Training College. Photo/FILE

As the country waits for the establishment of the Police Service Commission, debate has already started on the direction the Kenya olice will take once the new body starts rolling out much-awaited reforms in the force. Many believe that a spruced-up Vigilance House would usher in an era of civility, professionalism and responsiveness within the force, and that this new epoch would complement other reform initiatives across various arms of the government in the spirit of the new Constitution. What many do not ause to think about, however, is the current status of the Kenya Police, a force that has served this country for decades with minimal support from the government. While the new Inspector General would work with a top command that is completely different from the current one, there are indications that, unless more effort goes into equipping, retraining and generally professionalising the force, little will be achieved in terms of reforms.

Writing in the Sunday Nation this week, police spokesman Eric Kiraithe rightly argued that “professional policing is more about reducing opportunities for crime and securing freedom for the majority”, but unless the squalid conditions in which officers live and work are looked into, it is unlikely that the envisaged security will be achieved. For the force to “secure freedom for the majority”, imely response to criminal incidents is core. But within the Kenya Police, lack of transport and other equipment has, in most cases, prevented this much-needed response. In November last year, Internal Security minister George Saitoti identified transport as the major hindrance to police operations as he revealed that the Ministry had a shortfall of 7,203 vehicles against the required 9,779. A total of 100 District Commissioners, 438 Divisional District officers, 480 OCPDs and OCSs, and 220 District AP commanders have no official vehicles. During that same month, 69 vehicles valued at Sh170 million were handed out to provincial administrators and the AP, while another 19 lorries were distributed to the police.

Though, in the last financial year, the Ministry was allocated Sh1.449 billion for the purchase of motor vehicles for use by the two police services — Sh1 billion for police, Sh400 million for the AP, and Sh49 million for the Provincial administration — Saitoti said the money was not adequate to properly equip his officers. The challenges faced by the police in this regard are inadequate budget allocations and irregular and unpredictable funding that prevents effective planning and development. Prof Saitoti says the existing rocurement procedures are cumbersome, bureaucratic and too slow.

Because of the bottlenecks created in the funding of police work, some stations are forced to hire taxis to take their prisoners to court, while traffic officers use breakdown trucks within their station areas for transport. Housing has also been a major problem area for the force. Across the country, officers are housed in leaky hovels and, even though there has been a spirited clamour to improve this situation since 2009, progress has been snail-paced. In the late 2000s, for instance, the Government approved the construction of 27,000 housing units for the force. Read more..

Rebecca Kerubo (centre) is accompanied by her husband Morara Ogweche (in checked shirt) when she appeared before the Judicial Service Commission for grilling at the Supreme Court in Nairobi. PHOTO/STEPHEN MUDIARI

Ms Rebecca Kerubo, the security guard who has accused Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza of assaulting her on New Year’s Eve now wants the matter to go to trial. The apparent change of heart came only a day after she was quoted as having said she was willing to meet and forgive the judge. But on Tuesday, through lawyer Katanga Irungu, Ms Kerubo said all she wanted was “justice” for her case. “The matter should go to a criminal trial. We are prepared to go there and give our testimony,” said Mr Irungu, shortly after appearing before a Judicial Service Commission sub-committee that is investigating the matter. Ms Kerubo was interrogated by six members of the sub-committee that is being chaired by the Rev Samuel Kobia for one hour. Lady Justice Baraza, who is also the Deputy President of the Supreme Court, later appeared before the sub-committee.

She, however, remained tight lipped over what transpired and refused to say whether she would give in to pressure to resign.

“Let the matter go to court. Imagine if it was the other way round and Lady Justice Baraza was the victim, my client would have been in prison as we speak,” added the lawyer. “We want the law to be applied uniformly, be it to the common mwananchi or any other important person in the community.” Ms Kerubo arrived at the Supreme Court buildings in Nairobi shortly after 2pm, but had to wait until 3pm to be interrogated by the committee. She was accompanied by her husband, Mr Bernard Morara, and Mr Anthony Makhanu, her co-worker as her main witness who will be interrogated on Wednesday. The team could not take evidence from Ms Kerubo’s husband because of time. This means the two will give their account of the incident which occurred at the Village Market shopping mall on Wednesday, said their lawyer. “I also want to clarify that my client has not demanded money from the Deputy CJ as it is being claimed. That is not true,” he said. Lady Justice Baraza arrived early for the interrogation looking composed. She entered the Supreme Court’s boardroom only to find her accuser still being interrogated.

She then walked out and waited outside and was offered a seat by journalists which she declined saying: “Let the great Kenyans sit.”

She was then escorted to another room awaiting her turn. And an hour after being interrogated, Lady Justice Baraza emerged out of the room tight- lipped. Among charges likely to be preferred against Ms Baraza if the matter goes to trial are unlawful possession of a firearm, illegal use of firearm and threatening to kill. On Monday, the Police Commissioner, indicated that the investigation report and the recommendations had been sent to the office of the Director of Public prosecutions.

Down we go: The balloon bursts to start the descent back to Earth (left) and the iPad seems to be in working order after landing on a hillside (right) Pictures: RexCase proven.

Theablet computer was still in excellent working order after being dropped from a weather balloon at 30,000m (100,000ft). The experiment was conducted by G-Form, which claims to have invented the world’s most protective tablet casing. The company strapped a video camera to record all the action, including when the iPad crashed on a rocky hillside in Nevada. However, some critics are sceptical about the video. Smartplanet.com claims an independent test of the shock-absorption technology revealed an iPad encased in it did not survive a drop from a three-storey building. The G-Form case weighs less than 170g, is water-resistant and finished with what is described as military-grade ballistic fabric, according to the company. Demonstration videos by G-Form have previously shown iPads withstanding high-speed impacts and blows from kung-fu experts. The company said it was not urging owners to throw around their iPads, saying it doesn’t ‘encourage or recommend intentionally dangerous stunts’. Video

One 'British' job is lost for every four immigrant

At least 160,000 British workers have lost out on jobs to foreigners in the last 15years. There were 23 fewer jobs for British workers for every 100 migrants who came from outside the EU from 1995 to 2010, said the Migration Advisory Committee. Jobs in IT, retail and healthcare were most likely to be affected by immigration, said Prof David Metcalf, chairman of the Mac.Migration from outside Europe will lead to a demand for an extra 112,000 homes to be built by 2017. That will cause house prices and rents to rise across Britain, it predicts. But migrants are less of a burden on health services because they tend to be young and in good health. In total, immigrants cost taxpayers £2,216 a year in education, £2,450 in healthcare and £708 in social services. But they were often ‘net contributors’ because they paid more than that back in taxes. Crime rates have also fallen because of migration because migrants are less likely to offend. Average wages remain the same, the Mac said but it added: ‘Migrants are found to increase wages at the top of the UK wage distribution and to lower wages at the bottom of the distribution.’ The National Institute of Economic and Social esearch claimed yesterday immigrants had little or no impact on unemployment.

A SHAMBA/FARM ON SALE AT KAIMBAGA, OL KALOU, KENYA

A 30 Acre Shamba/Farm is on sale at Kaimbaga near Bahati Primary School in Ol Kalou area, Nyandarua, Kenya @ a price of Kshs. 170,000 per Acre o.n.o (or nearest offer). Contact, in Kenya, Mr. Stephen Nguru Kimani, Mble No.00254720597101 or Mble No. +44 7405438468. To view the Shamba in Kenya, please, contact the above person, Mr. Nguru.

THREE PLOTS FOR SALE IN RUIRU, KENYA

Three plots for sale at Ruiru near Thika Super Highway 1.5 kilometres, and 3rd row from Eastern Bypass. Asking price is kshs.2.5million.each the plots measures 50x100. Owner in UK mobile no.07928636805 email no.r.wacera@yahoo.com. To view the plots in Kenya please contact Fred on 00254-720845642 or Wangui 00254-722839502.

Police headquarters has trashed an alert purported to have originated from United Nation's human resource department to the effect that Nairobi could be attacked by terrorists. Police say there is no indication that the alert which was circulated in the social media was issued by the UN. While the police traces the origin of the fake alert, initial indications point at a possible propaganda by the Al-Shabaab to instill fear on the members of the public. Following the purported alert issued by a UN arm, fear gripped many residents of Nairobi forcing many to leave work early to escape any eventualities. As the police get down to unearth the origin of the false alert, Police spokeman Eric Kiraithe says the police force is conducting investigations on reports that two senior Al-Shabaab leaders could have sneaked into the country with unknown intentions. The police department has now asked members of the public to ignore the alert and rely information given by the police. A similar alert had been issued over the weekend by the British high commission. Meanwhile, Six al Shabaab fighters were killed Tuesday and 30 others injured in Tabda area in Somalia after Kenya Defense Forces on patrol established contact with the militia group. Military Spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir says the patrol was moving from Beles Qooqani to Dobley when the incident occurred. He said one Kenyan soldier was killed while two others sustained minor injuries. Major Chirchir called on administrators of nearby medical centers to report any suspicious characters seeking treatment in their facilities especially those suffering from bullet wounds. Kenyan forces entered Somalia in October to push back al-Shabab, which controls large sections of southern and central Somalia, and is blamed by Kenya for a series of cross-border kidnappings. About 700 Al-Shabaab militants have been killed since the launch of Operation Linda Nchi while many others have been injured in the operation.

Ephesians 1:11 reads: “In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” Before you were born, God already had a plan for your life. 'we were...chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with...his will.' The Message puts it this way: '...he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.' Notice, it says 'had designs.' That includes the things you want to run from! When Jonah tried to run from God and go to Tarshish, God said, 'No way. My plan is in place. If I let you escape I wouldn't be God. If I have to I'll send a storm, rock your boat and put your life on hold in order to accomplish My purpose.' When Jonah could go no lower he prayed and God answered him, just in time to go and preach in Nineveh, his original destination. You can go the easy way or the hard way, but you'll go! The Psalmist said, '...Your way...is in the sanctuary...Your way was in the sea [storm]...' (Psalms 77:13 & 19 NKJV). The choice is yours. Understand this: you have been picked for a purpose; God has too much invested in you to let you get away with things. If you have to come on a stretcher when He calls you'll come. If you have to leave behind a relationship, or an addiction, or a personal agenda, you'll come. And you'll know it's God, because you'll be willing to leave behind those things which now mean nothing, in order to live for those things which now mean everything. So, for your own good, make up your mind to walk with Him and follow His plan.

PLEASE NOTE: I am off to Kenya for a few weeks and I will be back. Sio kwenda kabisa. Stay blessed.

I take this opportunity to invite you in our Prayer Conference every Morning (Monday to Friday) from 6.00-7.00a.m. call this local number in UK Tel 02030042084 pin No.67299# and you will be able to join us for prayers. It is a free number with landline in UK.

Our Guest Singer today is Mr. Charles Kingori from the Republic of Kenya - CLICK HERE

Ms Susan Njeri Maruri has been awarded an award by the Grate British care award body for the best registered manager category, in London. Susan clinched the award emerging on top of several other candidates. She was quick to explain that she comes from the land of Hakuna Matata na Hakuna Matata kumaji watu.

They all came ready for the year at The Kingdom Church in Edinburgh with Bishop Climate Ministries. The members came dressed as soldiers. This was to remind them in the New Year that as Christian, you are Christ’s soldier. The service was well attended where everyone welcomed the new year with praise and worship.

THE THEME FOR 2012 IS FROM ISA. 43:2.

N.B. This prophecy may not be word for word. In case you need to hear every detail, you may purchase a CD/DVD from Faith Evangelistic Ministries (FEM) under EV. T. WAIRIMU, SNR.PST of FEM. The prophecy is meant for Kenyans.

In case you are affiliated to a congregation/fellowship/prayer group etc, please mobilize them to pray for the nation of Kenya since the church which is the body of Jesus Christ has authority over the government. National misfortunes can be changed through prayers.

2012 PROPHECY

1. No stone will be left unturned in the year 2012

2. Economy will be shaken and the standard of living will continue to go high and poor people will be affected and the gap between them and the rich will persist

3. There will be some changes and they will not be comfortable for the country of Kenya

4. As a believer, avoid unnecessary borrowing because banks will entice people to borrow but when the economy shoots up, interest will also escalate

5. The cost of living will be so high. Therefore, avoid living beyond your means.

6. Kenya has chosen to become a secular nation. We Kenyans have been pushing God out of our nation so that we become a society without God because of accommodating different faiths to make them comfortable and if we continue with the trend, then we will adapt new doctrines

7. The Lord also gave a warning as pertains the changing educational system which may be problematic. It is therefore, imperative for Christians to pray for the same.

8. The war which is in Somalia will take us too far than we needed to go. We only needed to get Alshabab out of Kenya because their leaders are already in Kenya. This calls for relentless prayers.

9. Alshababs are still intending to bring the buildings down thus it is also vital to pray for God’s divine intervention.

10. Pray for schools because they will be target for evil.

11. Parents should watch over their teenage children because they will be recruited into awful vicious groups whereby some of them are religious based.

12. Parents should make a point of praying and laying hands on their children before sending them to school

13. There will be death of three (3) leaders in Kenya.

14. If Kenyan leaders would be listening to prophecies/prophets of God some of the mistakes/problems in this country would not have been experienced

15. Most of the political leaders will do more harm that before because they will be dividing this nation in terms of tribes

16. Strive will continue and confusion will be the order of the day. Selfishness and greed will continue. There will be false merging of parties in pursuit of power. collectively appoint one person not because of love but out of fear of war

17. The church of Kenya “wake up and prepare to vote”!. The church will be given the last opportunity. You will live with what you choose for ten (10) years. Unity will be the key thing because it will stop every nonsense since God commands a blessing where there is unity. Politicians must love Kenya more than themselves.

18. Tribalism in churches will be witnessed but if the church gives God a chance there will be purging

19. There will be hunger for God and of the Holy Spirit. God will protect His people from the wolves and many who have given up the faith and are discouraged, God will draw them to Himself. The weak shall be strengthened and people will be restored. In these days, you will call upon the Lord and He will answer. He will carry you through and hide you in times of danger. You will be warned of the things ahead.

20. God is giving us a chance to build our nation. When Israel was given a chance to choose a leader, they rejected God’s own. Likewise, the next president of Kenya will entirely depend on your own choice. What you ask for as a church is what you will get.

21. “Preachers” the way you want to build the church, you will see the fruits and whatever is not build in the foundation of the Lord Jesus Christ will fall.

22. In 2012, God has given Kenyans to build their country, marriages etc. In 2012 God will leave you to be/do what you want.

23. As a church, your foundation should be right. Teach your children the things of God and pray for your teenagers.

24. If there is something missing in your life as a Christian, stop complaining and getting annoyed God is about to bring your miracle. Whatever you are doing, you must build it under the foundation of Jesus Christ otherwise what is not build under Him will definitely fall.

25. In 2012, partner with God as a church because whatever is built under Him cannot fall.

26. What Kenya is refusing is the Chief Corner Stone i.e. Jesus Christ. Therefore, Kenya should pray God for restoration. The church should partner with God for it to stand and pray against the political madness.

27. The church should also rebuild the altar of repentance. We must die to our will because many people in the church want to have things their own way.

A Kenyan lady has passed away in London. The late Mrs Mary Njeri Ndirangu passed away on Saturday 7th January 2012 at the Royal Free Hospital London after a short illness. She was a loving wife to Mr Gerald Ndirangu Kariuki and mum to Beatrice Kinyua, Richard Kariuki, Martha Wairimu, Esther Wangari, James Mwangi and Pauline Shiro all of UK and grandchildren Florence Njoki, Gerald Ndirangu, Maureen Njeri, Josephat Njuguna, Anton Kihoto, Maryann Njeri, Jacqueline Njeri, Ryan Karanja, Samuel Mwarangu, Nathaniel Githiomi, Mother in law to Tony Njenga, Anthony Macharia, Sammy Thiong'o, Catherine Muchai and Beatrice Nyambura. Burial will be in Nyeri, Kenya and the date will be announced later when the body is repatriated to Kenya later this week. Family and friends are meeting at 26 Hemington Avenue London N11 3LR from 6.00pm. The memorial church service on Friday 13/01/2012 at 2.00 pm at St. John's Church, Friern Barnet Road, London N11 3BS. Followed by a fund raising at 26 Hemington Avenue, London N11 3LR from 5.00pm. To support the family please use the account below, Account name: Martha O'sullivan, Bank: Halifax PLC, Account No: 00633914 and Sort code: 110268. For more information please contact Beatrice 07929178337, Martha 0794772986, Richard 07950313456, Esther 07946728623 and Pauline 07951006343.

Two pupils were killed on Monday by a motorist at Kahawa, Nairobi, on the Northern bypass as they were going to school. Ongamo Sinaida and Stanley Mwangi were in Standard One and Standard Three, respectively at Kahawa Primary School. Another Standard Three pupil, Selina Saore, escaped death narrowly during the 6.50 am accident after the saloon car ran over them. She was rushed to Ruiru District Hospital but was later transferred to Kiambu District Hospital where she is admitted in critical condition. An eye witness, James Wahoro, said the driver lost control before his car veered off the road and hit the three who were on the roadside. “The children were yet to cross the road before the vehicle ran over them,” he said. Following the accident, parents and residents of the area barricaded the road at Kahawa satellite town. Several vehicles were stoned during the three-hour paralysis after the demonstrators vented their anger on innocent motorists. Police who arrived at the scene had to fire in the air and lobe tear gas canisters to disperse the demonstrators.

Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu who was among the people who arrived at the scene said he would rally the government to erect bumps at the area. Kasarani police boss Mwenda Muthamia confirmed the death of the two and called on the area residents to be careful when approaching the section. Video

An investment conference for Kenyans living in the UK and Europe is to be held on Saturday 25th February 2012 in London UK. The Forum is being jointly organized by the Kenya Diaspora Investment Forum groups,

The main aim of this exiting initiative is to mobilize Kenyans living in the United Kingdom Europe for greater investment in their home country. The organizers of the Forum hopes to attract about (1000) thousand participants, who will be addressed by key speakers who include Senior Government officials, and representatives of major investment houses in Kenya, including the Nairobi Stock Exchange, Kenya Investment Authority, and several banks among others.

According to Africa Recruit surveys conducted between 2003 and 2005 commissioned by the DFID, African countries have become more heavily reliant on the stable foreign direct investment and the increasing remittances from its indigenous population abroad as a Source of finance. In 2002 remittances to Africa accounted for 15% ($12bn) of the total remittances to the developing countries ($80bn). For Kenya, Kenyan Diaspora remits more than USD$500million every year.

Majority of the remittances were sent from Europe, North America and Asia reflecting the migration pattern of African’s e.g. North African’s migrating to Asia countries such as Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Sub Sahara African’s migrating to Europe and North America. Top African receiving countries are Egypt ($3.4bn), Morocco ($2.2bn), Nigeria (1.7bn), and Tunisia (0.8bn). In 2002 remittances to Nigeria ($2bn) accounted for 5% of the GDP playing a large part of the economy positively helping the balance of payments.

It is estimated that at least 70,000 or more highly qualified Africans leave their country of origin annually for western countries. In 2002, some 2,297 medical doctors and nurses left Zimbabwe in the first nine months, in that same year South Africa lost more than 300 specialist nurses to developed countries every month. In Ghana the ratio of doctor to people is 1:22,970 as against 1:420 in the United States and 1:810 in the United Kingdom. It is estimated that up to 68% of medical staff trained in Ghana between1993 and 2000 have left the country.

It’s estimated that there is in excess of 150,000 Kenyans living and working in the UK alone. According the Africa recruit survey, the pace of Africa’s brain drain has accelerated with 23,000 academics, over 40,000 Africans with PhD’s and 50,000 middle and senior management personnel leaving the continent each year Wide range of professions from the arts to science e.g. rural development, Healthcare professionals, teachers, economist, criminologist, banker, editor, telecommunication, information technology consultants and social scientist in addition to numerous others.

These migrant population remit quit a sizeable amount of their incomes to their mother countries. There is an argument that African migrants contribute to the income of their countries of origin through remittances. According to the Africa Recruit Survey, remittances are used for;

· Adhoc contributions – most common form of remittance. Structured form of family support to meet specific needs back home.

· Family subsistence – most likely migrants who arrived within the past three years

· Building and infrastructure projects – those settled in the UK may look for business opportunities in their homeland.

· Building a house in a family homestead – as migrants from the 1960’s and 1970’s enter retirement phase, may chose to build a home in their country of birth.

For more information on the full agenda, venue and how to register for the event please visit www.kenyans4kenya.com

A Deposit of Kenya Shillings One Million Six Hundred Thousand (Kshs. 1,600,000) is payable on signing the letter of offer. The balance of Kenya Shillings One Million Six Hundred Thousand (Kshs.1,600,000 ) is payable on signing of sale agreement. The balance of Kenya Shillings Twelve Million Eight Hundred Thousand (Kshs.12,800,000 ) is payable upon the completion of the project.

Watch as the Events takes place in Kenya right from your house with NJIIRIS JUA KALI TV.

News, Politics, Business, Adverts and Comedies among others. Latest Kenyan News.

Mrs. Yolande Maude Salvara (Mother of Sydney Salvara) a friend of Kenyans has passed away in Plaistow, East London. Salvara passed away on Monday 2nd January, 2012. She is well known for hosting Kenyans pastors whenever they arrived in the UK in the early 90s and has been doing so until her death. Family and friends are meeting for prayers and arrangements at Hollybush Road, Plaistow, London, E13 9DZ. The funeral services takes place on Friday 13th January, 2012 at Plaistow Memorial Baptist Church, 389-395 Barking Road, Plaistow, London, E13 8AL as from 11.00 a.m. The burial will follow afterwards at St. Patrick's Catholic Cemetery, Langthorne Rd, Leytonstone. E11 4HL. After the burial there will be a reception at Plaistow Afro Caribbean Centre, 627/633 Barking Road, Plaistow London, E13 9EZ. For more information please contact Sydney Salvara on 07852 440 244.

It was a fabulous night for fans of the Gospel Diva Emmy Kosgei as she appeared impromptu in Virginia water, Surrey, United Kingdom, to have an audience with her fans. Emmy came to UK to receive Africa gospel Music Award, an award for overall best female African artist for the year 2011. She was awarded in summer 2011 but did not appear to receive it until now, due to her busy schedules. Emmy with her Gospel contemporary moves, accompanied by her cultural attire, beautiful smile and cheeky humor delivered her music exceptionally to an audience of mixed cultures. She was so in control of her voice, as she tangled with children, Kenyans, Britons, Singhs among other represented cultures. She danced with the audience, sang to them and just engaged fully, avoiding the stage to be with the people! She left them beaming ecstatically! At the mini concert, Christ church senior pastor echoed the need for being a good neigbour, insisting that God gave us people to love, and things to use, but of late it’s the reverse order, people are used and things are loved.

Kenya High Commissioner to the UK H.E Ephraim Ngare presents African Gospel Music Awards (AGMA) Best Female artist awards to Emmy Kosgei, award won in her absence in summer 2011. Other awards brought to the mission was for MileleFM Gospel Radio Programme and Daddy Owen won Best Artiste (East Africa). On right Emmy Kosgei chatting with TV Presenter Janet Wainaina of Africanacts, London

The interactive session, where Emmy was put on stage to answer questions from fans portrayed that she is not only talented but a very intelligent young lady. Asked if she is single, her surprise answer was "yes single but taken", a disappointing answer to some who came with hope of impressing the beautiful iconic singer. Emmy acclaimed Esther Wahome, who according to Emmy, has been pushing and mentoring her to reach to the international recognition she now command through her music Thumbs up to the organizers, especially Betty Sang, who in eight days, managed to pull such a crowd for Emmy. They promise a summer concert tour with Emmy and her band, rand to be honest, it looks like it will be a blast, if her debut entry in UK is anything to go with. – Source: Ukentv.com - VIDEO

The 100 land is Namanga Town. The land has been divided into 5 and 10 acres and you can either buy 5 or 10. You can join in as a group and buy. 55 acres has been bought by some people in UK and only remaining 30 acres. The land is touching the main Nairobi -Namanga Road. After the sub-division the land is going between KShs. 600,000 to KShs. 700,000 per acre expected to be more than a million in less than a year after the groundwork kick starts early next year.

WHO IS THE OWNER: The owner is an Maasai Elderly man. (All documents verified in all areas).

WHO IS SELLING? After verifying all the documents and Title Deeds (the old A3 titles) the documents has been given to a Nairobi lawyer to mediate between the seller and the buyer. Mr. Seed and another business partner has been entrusted with selling this land. You pay the money to the lawyer and the owner will collect the money from the lawyer.

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT NAMANGA NOW: An East African Business Centre has been earmarked for Namanga where the centre is being built on the border. 50 per cent on Kenya side and 50 per cent on Tazanian side. To create the space, Namanga town is being relocated towards Nairobi and the owners have been informed and will be compensated. The same case to the Tanzanian side and already the Tanzanian Government have started compensating those affected.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS: Pay 30 per cent deposit and you complete the rest within 60 days.

This is an initiate to unite Kenyans in the UK and more so to rebuild us a a nation!

The Judicial Service Commission has Monday formed a sub-committee to look into Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza's gun drama at village market and report back by Friday 13th January, 2012. Addressing journalists after a JSC consultation meeting, Chief Justice Willy Dr Mutunga said that other reports and any evidence submitted by members of the public will form part of the basis by which the committee will make its recommendations. Mutunga promised that the Commission will handle the matter with utmost fairness, independence, and fidelity to the constitution. Security guard Rebecca Morara Kerubo who made the allegations against the Deputy CJ, is expected to be a key witness to appear before the seven member sub-committee chaired by Rev. Samuel Kobia. The committee shall among other things receive and interrogate any available evidence regarding the matter. Other members of the sub-committee are JSC chairlady Christine Mango, Justice Isaac Lenaola, Florence Mwangangi, Ahamednasir Abdullahi, Titus Gateere, Emily Ominde and Gladys Sholei. Baraza has acknowledged the incident statement saying she had received security threats since her appointment and that she was concerned for her safety. Lady Justice Baraza is also accused of pinching the security guard's nose.

Baraza was grilled at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday, seven days after a guard at the Village Market shopping mall, lodged a complaint that the DCJ had assaulted her and threatened her with a gun. CID boss Ndegwa Muhoro said the outcome of investigations into claims would be ready by the end of the week. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Thursday called an emergency session of the Judicial Service Commission to discuss the matter Monday afternoon. On Wednesday, Ms Baraza denied threatening, Rebecca Kerubo, with a gun during a scuffle at the mall, however admitting there was a confrontation with the guard. Dr Mutunga directed the matter be dealt with conclusively and satisfactorily. Meanwhile, the National Youth Council leaders Monday held peaceful demonstrations demanding the resignation of Deputy Chief Justice (CJ) Nancy Baraza. Led by William Momanyi, a youth developer, the leaders said that Kenyans had lost faith in Baraza's ability to deliver. "We have lost faith and trust in her and we do not think that she has our best interest in protecting our rights," said Momanyi. This comes after an incident last week where the deputy CJ allegedly threatened Rebecca Kerubo, a security guard at the Village Market with a gun. Momanyi said that it was irresponsible of the deputy CJ, adding that it was abuse of power. "A person holding such a high office should lead by example and not misuse the powers given to her in intimidating the ‘common mwananchi'," added Momanyi. The group later presented a protest letter to Chief Justice Dr. Willy Mutunga.

For the first time in memory, unmarried Americans will soon outnumber those who are married, according to the latest research. So is this a watershed moment? At first glance it would appear that, in common with many Western countries, marriage is in terminal decline in the United States. In 1960, 72% of all American adults were married; in 2010 just 51% were, according to the Pew Centre. The number dropped sharply by 5% in the most recent year, 2009-10. "I think we are on the cusp of seeing marriage becoming less central to our life course and in framing the lives of our nation's children. So I think it is a major moment in that regard," says Bradford Wilcox, director of the National Marriage Project and a sociology professor at the University of Virginia.

A general strike in Nigeria over the elimination of a fuel subsidy has brought the country to a standstill. Shops, offices, schools and petrol stations around the country closed on the first day of an indefinite strike. In Lagos and other cities, thousands marched against the removal of the subsidy, which has doubled fuel costs. Police fired on protesters in Kano in the north, reportedly killing two and wounding many. Another demonstrator died in a clash with police in Lagos. President Goodluck Jonathan has said the subsidy was economically unsustainable. In the commercial capital, Lagos, police and demonstrators clashed as about 10,000 people took part in a rally against the rising fuel prices. Some protesters waved placards bearing an effigy of President Jonathan with devil horns and fanged teeth, and showing him pumping fuel at a gas station "Our leaders are not concerned about Nigerians. They are concerned about themselves," protester Joseph Adekolu told the Associated Press news agency.

Fear of job losses has gripped tea farm workers in Nandi County after frost destroyed hundreds of acres of the cash crop in the area. Multi-national tea firms and tea farmers in the tea zone are counting losses after their plantations were affected by frost following a stint of unusually low temperatures. Tea experts have warned that the situation could result in job cuts and threaten food security in the county since other crops like maize have also been affected. However, by Sunday some of the multi-national tea firms that have suffered assured their workers that no one would be laid off due to the natural catastrophe. According to the general manager of Nandi Tea Company, Mr Abdi Noor, the frost attacked 300 acres out of more than 1,000 acres of tea estate. He said that the company had so far made losses amounting to Sh20 million. He told the Daily Nation that already 30 per cent of tea in Nandi is under attack from frost but assured employees that they would be assigned duties of clearing and plucking down destroyed tea plants. The affected trees would take about two months to fully recover. Mr Joseph Lagat, a tea expert and former director of EPK Tea Company, recalled that when frost first occurred in the area in 2005, most companies made loses amounting to millions of shillings forcing some of the them to venture into business of growing trees for environmental protection. He added that crops like potatoes, tomatoes, maize, fruits, beans and vegetables of all kind and perish whenever frost comes calling. Williamson Tea Company, The Eastern Produce Tea Company of Kenya, Tindiret Tea, Kapchorwa Tea Company and Kaimosi Tea Company are some of the multinational tea firms which own thousands of hectares of tea plantations in Nandi County.

Police pursue politicians in connection to clashes

Police in Eastern Province are pursuing number politicians in connection to recent clashes in Moyale and Isiolo that have left nine people dead. Eastern Provincial Police Commissioner Marcus Ochola says the said politicians have fled the area since the clashes began but warned them that they will soon be brought to book. The police boss said that he has sufficient evidence indicating that these politicians had been inciting the area residents into violence. Speaking to KBC on phone, Ochola said that the nine victims of the clashes were laid to rest Monday amid tight security and he assured the area residents that security has been beefed up to avert further clashes. The PPO's comments come a day after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission -NCIC said that the ongoing clashes in parts of Upper Eastern Kenya may be linked to this year's general elections. NCIC chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia on Sunday said a recent survey conducted by the commission in those areas indicates that the conflicts are politically motivated.

Elsewhere, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) is currently meeting to discuss the conduct of Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza in the wake of allegations that she harassed a security guard. Baraza was grilled at the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Nairobi on Saturday, seven days after a guard at the Village Market shopping mall, lodged a complaint that the DCJ had assaulted her and threatened her with a gun. CID boss Ndegwa Muhoro said the outcome of investigations into claims wouldbe ready by the end of the week. Chief Justice Willy Mutunga on Thursday called an emergency session of the Judicial Service Commission to discuss the matter this afternoon at 2.30pm. The critical part of the JSC inquiry will be the questioning of Lady Justice Baraza against her written statement and review of CCTV footage at the shopping mall. On Wednesday, Ms Baraza denied threatening, Rebecca Kerubo, with a gun during a scuffle at the mall, however admitting there was a confrontation with the guard. Dr Mutunga directed the matter be dealt with conclusively and satisfactorily.

Onyango Obama, once known as Omar, faced a drunken driving charge in Framingham.

For almost 50 years, the president’s uncle has lived in relative obscurity. Now – facing possible deportation – he may wish for a less-famous name. Stephen “Hummer’’ Holmes, the soccer coach at the former Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge, was standing on a wind-whipped field in 1963 when he met the most talented soccer player he would ever work with. A new student at school, that young man had loped on to the field barefoot and without shin guards, ready to play just as he did back home in Kenya.

“He had been playing without shoes for so long that the bottoms of his feet were so deeply calloused they were like shoe leather. And his feet were so wide that he had to have special shoes constructed for him,’’ recalled Holmes. “But he never liked the shoes. He’d say, ‘Coach, I need to take the shoes off. Please, coach, I can’t feel the ball.’ ’’Onyango Obama played soccer and joined the debate and newspaper clubs at the former Browne & Nichols School in Cambridge. That same Obama is now more famously known as the uncle of President Obama. He is an enigmatic presidential relative who rocketed into the news in August when he was arrested on charges of drunken driving in Framingham, and told the booking officer, “I think I will call the White House.’’ As immigration officials consider whether to deport him, Obama, 67, finds his life in the United States the subject of intense curiosity not just by government officials and the media but among some family members and his old Cambridge classmates as well.

That spotlight has found him in the twilight of a meager life, nearly 50 years after he joined his older half-brother, Barack Obama Sr., the president’s late father, in Cambridge to seek an education. Notwithstanding the now-famous surname, his life here has mirrored that of countless others who have immigrated legally, but then simply stayed on, barely making do at the margins of American life. Obama, who assumed his father’s name, Onyango, when he was a young man, seemed destined for much more. One of a hand-picked group of young Kenyans dispatched to the United States at the time their country achieved independence, Obama had the potential to be a key player in his country’s unfolding story. But when their homeland became riven by political infighting in the late 1960s and the great promise of independence appeared to founder, some Kenyans grew bitter. Like Obama, more than a few of those who left to further their education never returned home.

As the decades passed, Obama gradually lost contact with many of his childhood friends and family members. For the past twenty years, he has ignored a deportation order, living quietly under the radar until he allegedly ran a stop sign in front of a Framingham police officer. Obama, who works in a Framingham liquor store, now faces the possibility of an abrupt return to the country he left as a teenager, a place radically altered in most every respect. It is something he distinctly does not want. A solemn figure as he strides into his court appearances, Obama never married or had children during the years he has been in the United States, according to his lawyer, P. Scott Bratton. He lives with a Kenyan family in Framingham near the liquor store where he has worked as a clerk for 10 years. Although he has a vast number of relatives living near Lake Victoria in western Kenya, many know nothing of him. He has never met his famous nephew, according to the White House.

While the White House says it has taken no action in the matter, the elder Obama’s link to the president means that he has lost all hope of anonymity. Ironically, his prospects of remaining in the United States, of being given a second chance, might have been far greater if he did not have such a world-famous last name. While his case inches through the courts, talk show hosts and opinion makers periodically weigh in on his fate. Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney, for example, declared in a radio interview last month that Onyango Obama should be deported. That’s not what happened to the last Obama relative found to be living in the country illegally. When the president’s aunt, Zeituni Onyango, was granted asylum in 2010 after she was found to have been living in the country illegally for several years, many objected that she had received preferential treatment due to her relationship to the president. Her lawyers, who are also representing Onyango Obama on immigration matters, will not discuss his case. It is conceivable that they could argue that the president’s uncle should be eligible for the same treatment as his aunt. But immigration experts believe that they are more likely to emphasize the unusually long duration of Onyango Obama’s stay in the United States.

Federal immigration law includes a little-used provision that allows immigrants who have been in the country continuously since before 1972 to be considered for permanent residence even if they are here illegally. But they must also be of “good moral character.’’ If Obama is convicted of the drunken driving charge and the two related driving offenses he is charged with, he could be disqualified due to character issues. But if he has not been convicted of any other criminal charges, immigration experts say authorities are more likely to take stock of the larger arc of his life in the United States in deciding whether he can remain. Bratton, of Lowell, said Obama does not have a criminal record. “The question becomes, is he an upstanding citizen? Is he somebody who will not do harm in the US, someone you want to remain here,’’ said Crystal L. Williams, executive director of the American Immigration Lawyers Association in Washington, D.C. “It becomes a subjective inquiry.’’

Some Obama family members, closely watching the progress of his court case in their local newspapers, say they would welcome their long-lost brother back. But they wonder if they would recognize him. “When my brother left he was a young man with large hopes, but he has never come back,’’ his half-sister, Hawa Auma, said in Dholuo, the language of her Luo tribe, as she sold coal at the side of the road in the Kenyan village of Oyugis. “Even when his brother Barack died, he did not come back. His mother, Sarah, used to blame Barack for throwing Omar away to the whites. She has been mourning for him for years.’’

One of seven children born to the president’s grandfather, Hussein Onyango, Omar Obama arrived in the United States with the help of his half-brother Barack, who was working toward his doctorate in economics at Harvard University and paid $300 towards his traveling expenses. Omar was directed to Browne & Nichols, a prestigious private boys school, by Ellen Frost, a friend of the elder Barack’s whose father was the preparatory school’s treasurer. Frost recalls the 19-year-old Omar on his arrival in Cambridge as, “a happy, bubbly outgoing boy. He loved to tell stories about lions and the wild animals of his youth. I don’t know if they were true, but the other boys were completely fascinated by him; he was so completely different from everyone else at the school.’’

The only African student at the school, Obama stood out in a number of other respects. Not only was he three years older than most of the boys in the sophomore class, his arch colonial accent immediately marked him as different. That he initially lived with his brother in a rented apartment in Cambridge, a place often churning with visiting Kenyan students, added to his exoticism. But within a few weeks the normally reserved Obama had made a large number of close friends, many of whom remember his sunny disposition nearly half a century later. “Omar was great, friendly and very open,’’ recalled classmate Robert Krim, an assistant professor of management at Clark University in Worcester. “This was a time of civil rights and I was a white kid from Newton. So here comes Omar, black and African. I found this fellow completely exciting. It was as though he dropped in from somewhere completely different, which I guess he had.’’

Nonetheless, Obama seemed to fit right in. He joined the debate and newspaper clubs. He posed for class photographs of the Class of 1966 in his crisp white shirt and tweed blazer. And when the varsity soccer team headed to the field, with Obama as its lead striker, many on campus flocked to watch him. “People were fascinated to see him play: students, faculty, everyone,’’ said Stephen Burgard, a classmate and now the director of the School of Journalism at Northeastern University. “They would sort of divert on campus if they had a moment to go watch him handle the ball.’’

“We are still waiting. If my brother returns I would welcome him with love. I have missed him,” said Hawa Auma, who lives in Kenya.

By the time Obama was pulled over by the Framingham police, some members of the Class of 1966 had largely forgotten their old classmate. The Obama in the newspapers had a different first name, and the dour mug shot looked little like the amiable young man they once knew. But they soon realized it was indeed their Omar. As e-mails flew among a group of his classmates keeping abreast of the matter, they debated whether to step forward to help their friend of years past. A couple of lawyers in the class expressed concern that Obama be provided good legal representation. Another lawyer in the group raised a flag of caution, pointing out that none of them had any idea what sort of life Obama had led or if he had any criminal involvement. In the end, classmate Ben Bradlee Jr., a former editor and reporter for The Boston Globe, spoke with Bratton. “I was not offering help but just telling him that some of his former classmates were asking about Omar,’’ said Bradlee. “Bratton seemed interested and happy that people were inquiring and said he would pass the message along. And that was that.’’

Bratton said that Obama is considering talking with some of his classmates whom he remembers fondly. But for the moment, he is focused on matters in court and has been given permission to return to his job as a clerk at Conti Liquors. Obama has been granted a temporary stay of deportation, according to Bratton, and has a hearing before US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Bratton has said that he intends to challenge the legality of the traffic stop that resulted in Obama’s arrest on the drunken driving charge. For Obama, the call from Bradlee must have triggered memories of a very different phase of his life. Despite his initial success at the Browne & Nichols School, Obama’s star did not shine long. His brother returned to Kenya in the summer of 1964, leaving Omar to be hosted by a Newton family. For reasons that are unclear, Obama withdrew from Browne & Nichols in the summer of 1965 and enrolled in what was then Newton High School, according to Beth Jacobson, director of alumni programs for the Buckingham, Browne & Nichols School. Obama stayed at the Newton school for barely a year. He left abruptly in 1966, apparently because his host family moved out of state, and did not graduate, according to a school spokesperson.

Obama returned to Cambridge to live with Kenyan friends and remained there for many years. Then in his early 20s, he told others that he was enrolled in what was then Boston State College. Obama, like his older brother, was an acquaintance of the prominent Kenyan political leader Tom Mboya, a member of the Luo tribe like the Obamas. Mboya was an ardent advocate of education and the organizer of the famed airlifts of young Kenyans to the United States that had brought Obama to Boston, according to a list of the 1963 airlift participants in Mboya’s records at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, Calif. In a 1968 letter to Mboya, Obama asked for help in finding a financial sponsor for his continued education. Referring to an earlier conversation between the two of them, Obama wrote, “I am just finishing my first year at Boston State College . . . I would really appreciate it if you can find or suggest a way possible for my next academic year sponsorship.’’

It is unclear whether Mboya, who was assassinated the following year, responded. But, according to the University of Massachusetts Boston, which merged with Boston State, there is no record that Obama graduated. Obama moved to another Cambridge building occupied by Kenyan friends in the early 1970s, but his path during the decade is unclear. By the late 1980s, he began to encounter multiple problems, most of them financial. In 1987 and 1988, “Omar H. Obama’’ failed to pay the IRS $3,876, according to a lien filed at the Registry of Deeds for Southern Middlesex County. The agency later filed another lien against Obama, identified as Obama O. Onyango, saying he failed to pay $971 in taxes for 1990. The court has no record that Obama paid either debt. At the same time, immigration officials were also looking askance at Obama. In 1989, an immigration judge ordered Obama to leave the country voluntarily. It is unclear if the judge issued the order in response to Obama’s tax debts or for some other reason. Obama appealed the order to the Board of Immigration Appeals but lost and was ordered deported in 1992.

As the years passed, Obama’s contact with family members back home began to diminish. Hawa Auma said her brother wrote to her regularly after he left Kenya and sometimes sent her money after he got out of school. Auma keeps the e-mail address of the family her brother lives with on a tiny piece of folded paper, but she said she has not heard from him in more than a year. Once, in the early 1990s, Obama’s mother, Sarah Ogwel, traveled to the United States and tried to get her son to return to Kenya with her. “Omar told her to go back home,’’ said Auma. “He lied to his mum that he would follow her after two weeks but of course he did not come. We waited and waited for Omar’s return. And we are still waiting. If my brother returns I would welcome him with love. I have missed him.’’

By the early 1990s, Obama Onyango had became the treasurer of a small convenience store in Dorchester called The Wells Market, according to state corporations records. Despite his immigration problems, Obama often worked there as a clerk and in 1994 he was attacked during an armed robbery. According to a police report, two masked males wearing black hoodies and armed with a sawed-off rifle assaulted Obama and robbed the store before taking off on foot. Obama, then 50, was treated for a head wound at the hospital and released. In the same year as the assault, Obama got a new landlady when Gail Greenberger bought the four-story Roslindale building where he rented an apartment. In an interview with the British Times Online, Greenberger said she remembered Obama as “being decent but then I think he lost his job.’’ When Obama failed to pay his rent, Greenberger attempted to evict him and ultimately filed for unpaid rent of $2,200 in Boston Housing Court in 1999. Obama fled from the apartment, and when he did not appear in court a judge ordered him to pay the outstanding sum. At some point, Obama moved into a small house in Framingham with another Kenyan family. For the past decade he has quietly worked the afternoon shift at the Conti liquor store on busy Route 126 six days a week, according to his lawyer.

Even as the name Obama became internationally known in recent years, no one in the small store ever linked the weathered clerk with the man at the helm of world power. When reporters flocked to the store after Obama’s arrest, staffers there were shocked. “We call him Obama,’’ said one clerk who asked not to be identified. “But we didn’t know that this Obama was related to that Obama.’’ This Obama is staying quiet for now. He declines to speak with the reporters who trail him when he shows up in court. And his lawyers have refused all requests for interviews. But every now and then he calls his old friend in Nairobi, Moses Wasonga, with whom he shared an apartment in Cambridge in the late 1960s, to discuss the situation. Wasonga, who arrived in the United States a year before Obama, has closely monitored developments in Obama’s case in the Kenyan newspapers. He would like nothing more than to have his old friend back in Nairobi. But, like some Obama family members, Wasonga wonders what sort of life he would have as an old man returning to the country of his childhood. “What does he have here?’’ asked Wasonga, a retired computer programmer. “He has few friends and only his old mother here. Why after 48 years in America does someone decide you must suddenly leave? It makes no sense.’’

Why the Kikuyu myth about fear of an Odinga Presidency holds much less water than the Luo dread of Mt Kenya dominance – and what this portends for 2012

For an office widely billed as being on the verge of losing most of its imperial trappings and becoming much more a chairmanship of the nation’s Board than a command and control centre, the Kenyan presidency is still attracting many of our most assertive political operatives. They are falling over themselves in a headlong dash, seeking after a de-fanged national CEO-ship that looks suspiciously like a hankering after maximum power and influence. The presidency will, of course, still be the apex office in the land. It may no longer prorogue Parliament at will, it may no longer decide the carving up of the national development and opportunities’ cakes and even its nominees to the Cabinet and most other public sector offices will be subject to fairly autonomous vetting. But it will still retain the command-in-chief of the Armed Forces, the intelligence communities, both local and international, will be at its disposal, the Treasury and administrative structures will still, in many key respects, defer to State House and Harambee House.

What’s more, even a comparatively toothless presidency can still play the political scene like a chess master, impacting both regions and the nation powerfully and enduringly. The presidency is still the top office, even when shorn of certain 'personal rule' characteristics enjoyed by Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki. Finally, an Odinga - Prime Minister Raila Amolo Odinga - a man who hails from a political dynasty that has spent the bulk of its career ensuring that the office is indeed shorn of its immense powers, looks poised to make an unassailable bid for the presidency. Given Raila’s game-changing endorsement of Kibaki in October 2002 and the fact that the two men are now the power-sharing principals of the Grand Coalition regime, the outgoing PM ought to have a much easier time of stepping into Kibaki’s shoes. Instead, some of the stiffest opposition to Raila becoming president emanates from Kibaki’s own political backyard of Central Kenya where it has long been conventional ethnic wisdom that the presidency must under no circumstances go to a Luo.

The Kikuyu-Luo rivalry is one of those abiding tribal hatreds that are underpinned by passionate prejudices of a blood-feud-like intensity, which, however, when examined in the clear light of day by rational minds, can barely stand scrutiny. What does it consist of, beyond the fact that Kenyatta and the Jaramogi led Kenya into Independence in one of the most inspiring and triumphant political alliances in our history and then had a dramatic falling out? The sense of betrayal on both sides of the fence would be laughable if it did not have such dire consequences over the years. The Kikuyu felt betrayed in that the Jaramogi took on the foremost of his fellow founding fathers, Jomo, so soon and so openly after Independence; the Luo felt betrayed that the Kikuyu elite gathered around Jomo were divvying up the new nation among, excluding everyone else and buying out the White Highlands and other assets of the fleeing colonists across the nation. The Kikuyu settlement in the Rift Valley took the ominous pattern early of Kiambu Kikuyu, Kenyatta’s own people, not of Nyeri or Meru people, for instance.

And then the fallout turned deadly. On February 24, 1965, Jaramogi's right-hand man, Pio Gama Pinto, a nominated MP of Indian (Goan) descent who had also been jailed as a Mau Mau sympathiser by the British, was gunned down in the driveway of his residence on Nairobi’s Lower Kabete Road (near where Sarit Centre now stands). This killing came a month after the slaughter in Nyeri by elements of the army and the paramilitary General Service Unit of the Meru Mau Mau general known as Baimungi and his supporters, who were threatening a return to the forests if their ragtag forces were not absorbed into the Armed Forces. The same week Pinto was gunned down, in the faraway US, five armed men rose from a crowd and mowed down Malcolm X, the firebrand American civil rights leader. It was the age of high-profile political assassinations. Barely 20 days before Kenya’s Independence, in Dallas, Texas, the 35th American President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was shot dead as he rode in an open limousine on November 22, 1963. In 1968, two great American leaders were assassinated within two months. First came Dr Martin Luther King in April of that year and then, on June 6, presidential brother and candidate Robert Francis Kennedy, who had served his brother JFK as Attorney General in 1961-63. That was the year that the first post-independence general election was scheduled in Kenya, but it was postponed for a year after Kenyatta fell seriously ill while holidaying in Mombasa.

The following year, 1969, was the flashpoint year for Kikuyu-Luo relations. Between January and early November that year, the Luo community lost two senior Cabinet ministers and suffered the imprisonment without trial of the Jaramogi himself. First to go was Foreign Affairs Minister CMG Argwings-Kodhek, one of Kenya’s first and most courageous African lawyers and a nationalist of note in a road accident near the Pan Afric Hotel. The accident has remained suspicious to this day. And then came Thomas Joseph Mboya, gunned down like his friends from Boston, the Kennedy brothers, allegedly by a lone assassin on Saturday July 5, 1969. Mboya’s nationalist credentials were of the first water. A murderous top cabal somewhere at the very top in Kenya in the 1960s was mimicking the worst and most sinister of American events and literally getting away with murder. After the riotous incident at the Russia Hospital in Kisumu in October in which the president’s motorcade was stoned and Odinga’s detention as well as that of the entire top leadership of the Kenya People’s Union was ordered, Kikuyu-Luo relations lay in tatters that have yet to be mended to this day.

The Kikuyu elite around Kenyatta at the time, widely referred to as the “Kiambu Mafia”, even went to the extent of organising the first oathing ceremonies in the Mt Kenya regions since the early 1950s, when Kenyatta had been jailed by the British for “managing Mau Mau”. These ceremonies enjoined all Gikuyu, Embu, Mbeere and Meru people aged 12 and over to ensure that bendera ndikoima Nyumba ya Mumbi (the flag [the Presidency] will never leave the House of Mumbi]). Most of the rest of Kenya sleepily initially assumed that all this open-secret oathing was pointedly aimed at the Luo and the Luo only. Kenyatta, who was Mboya’s elder by 40 years, lived another nine years after 1969, during which he consolidated his imperial Presidency in ways that alarmed not only the Luo but much of the rest of the nation. In their classic study of the African phenomenon of “personal rule” in the 1960s to the 80s, Why Africa’s Weak State Persists, US analysts Robert Jackson and Carl Rosberg (the latter co-wrote The Myth of Mau Mau with John Nottingham) noted that its key characteristics were, “Widespread removal of constitutional rights and protection from political opponents, the elimination of institutional checks and balances, the termination of open party politics and the regulation and confinement of political participation, usually within the framework of a ‘single party’ ’’.

This was the route Kenyatta took after Mboya’s assassination and Odinga’s banning and detention, all the time taking the greatest care not to remove the constitutional guarantee of a multiparty state but in practice making Kanu the only legitimate political entity in the land. When the bendera finally left the House of Mumbi in 1978 upon Kenyatta’s death and Moi ascended to the presidency, the new Big Man proceeded to give Kenyans an object lesson in the “personal rule” paradigm that would last 24 years and become even more egregious than the Jomo model. Moi actually removed the constitutional clause that allowed for more than one political party and then, using Vice President and Minister for Finance Mwai Kibaki and Attorney General Charles Njonjo in early 1982, inserted the nefarious Section 2(a), explicitly making Kenya a one-party state and the Kenya African National Union the only legal political organisation. Kibaki moved the motion and Njonjo, although no ally of his, seconded him. The Moi era had well and truly begun. In the political sector at that time, the only voices heard in opposition to this draconian move were those of the Jaramogi and George Anyona. On August 1, 1982, elements of the Kenya Air Force mutinied and attempted a coup. It was brutally crushed.

According to Jackson and Rosberg, the constituent components of the system of personal rule include clientilism, patronage and purges to perpetuate rule. Kenyatta and Moi wielded these components with abandon. And although he has managed a presidency that was distinctively different from that of the Kanu chieftains, Kibaki has nonetheless also exercised a degree of clientilism, patronage and purges. For instance, he purged the entire Cabinet after losing the first national referendum on the then proposed new constitution in November 2005, firing the whole lot of them except Vice President Moody Awori and Attorney General Amos Wako.

The next President of Kenya will, constitutionally speaking, exercise much more restricted options than even the outgoing Kibaki’s. The presidency is unlikely ever to regain its clout of the Kenyatta era or of the Moi era until the removal in November 1991 of Section 2(a). The next President will not even enjoy Kibaki’s largely unused clout. If the Kikuyu myth of why a Luo should not be President is that because he would avenge the terrible falling out of the 1960s, the very context of such revenge has been removed by constitutional evolution and bitter experience. The prospects of personal rule inside the presidency have receded forever, however powerful and overwhelming a personality he might possess – and Raila does possess a political persona like none other, a fact that will increasingly come to the fore the nearer Kibaki’s exit from the scene looms.

The Luo myth of why another Kikuyu must not succeed Kibaki is an inhibition that is shared by many other communities beyond Luoland and seems to hold more water than the mere fear of reprisals expressed by many a Kikuyu in reference to the prospect of a Luo ascendancy to the presidency. The Luo, like many other Kenyans, fear that an Uhuru Kenyatta presidency would last a decade, taking all the way to 2022 and bringing the number of years that a Kikuyu will have been the occupant of State House to 35 (including Jomo’s 15 and Kibaki’s 10). Perhaps the sum of all these fears is basically unfounded, given that the new constitutional order has moved Kenya beyond the fiat of personalised rule. Jackson and Rosberg’s long-ago conclusion, that, in most African states, non-institutionalised governments “where persons take precedence over rules” prevail, may be effectively out of date now, certainly with reference to Kenya. President Raila Odinga will not necessarily preside over the destruction of Kikuyu Cabinet ministers nor will he detain anyone without trial just because such things happened 40-plus years ago, much less a Kikuyu communal figurehead of his father’s standing. Nor would a Kikuyu president replay the Great Betrayal of the 1960s and re-oath the Nyumba regarding the bendera. It is high time two of Kenya’s most iconic communities exposed their most deep-seated fears to rational scrutiny and watched them wilt in the light of day. – Source: The Star, Nairobi, Kenya.

Thessalonians 5:11 reads: “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” A famous singer in Kenya was to perform at the Concert Hall. The concert hall was packed. Suddenly the house manager announced, 'Ladies and gentlemen I regret that due to illness our special guest will be unable to perform this evening. But we've found another singer, an equally great talent, so would you please give her a warm welcome.' The crowd groaned so loudly that nobody even heard the singer's name. You could feel the disappointment everywhere. The stand-in singer gave it everything she had but when it was over all she got was brief scattered applause followed by uncomfortable silence. Suddenly in the balcony a child stood up and shouted, 'Mummy, I think you're wonderful!' Realising what had happened, the crowd jumped to their feet and gave her a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes. There are people in your life today who are bleeding emotionally, crumbling under the load they silently carry, who never hear the words, 'I think you're wonderful.' Why? a) because we never learned how to say them. But we can learn; it's not too late! b) we don't think they need to hear them because they seem so strong. Paul writes, 'There was no rest for us...Battles on the outside and fear on the inside. But God, who encourages those who are discouraged, encouraged us by the arrival of Titus. His presence was a joy...so was the news he brought' (2 Corinthians 7:5-8 NLT). Even the Apostle Paul needed encouragement! So God sends in Titus. 'His presence was a joy...so was the news he brought.' God needs more encouragers like Titus. Today you can be one of them!

Our Guest Singer today is Stellah Mwadilo from the Republic of Kenya – CLICK HERE

A Kenyan Boxer, Mr. Erick Ochieng will be fighting in London on Saturday 28th January, 2012 at York Hall Bethnal Green E2 9PJ. The doors opens at 6.00 p.m. and boxing will start as from 7.00 p.m. to 11.00 p.m. The tickets are going for £35. People will be able to buy tickets on my website @ www. ErickTheEagle.com, is under construction it will be ready soon.

Having been born in Gacharage Sub-location in then Ruchu Location, Kandara District in Murang’a County, Kenya, I grew up as Kenya was emerging from the colonial rule. My parents did their best to bring us up, even though they had to work extra hard to ensure that I got the best education at Thika High School and later at the University of Nairobi. Through their sacrifice and efforts, it has made me be what I am today. They instilled in me many virtues among them hard work pays, respect and to be God fearing.

Through hard work, I have risen through the ranks to become a development Economist and Project Management specialist. I work for the Commonwealth Secretariats Governance and Institutional Development Division. In my line of work, I have travelled all over the world mainly in the Commonwealth, advising Governments and organisations on development issues. I have spent the last twenty (20) years working on community development, managing small and Micro enterprise (SME) programmes, Co-ordinating and managing development programs within national and international organizations. I am a specialist in strategic planning, project planning and management, capacity building, monitoring & evaluation, child rights, women and youth development programming.

In the course of my job, I have come to realise that my home, in Murang’a has a great potential that has not been realised. I have vowed to use my skills and knowledge to make Murang’a. Today, 1st of January 2012, I offer myself as a candidate for the Governor Murang’a County and to share my skills and knowledge in the making the County, the best developed County in Kenya, East Africa and in Africa, and indeed in the world. Kindly see my manifesto on my website www.kaberere4muranga.co.ke

A 15-year-oldgirl from Texas has been reunited with her family seven months after being deported to Colombia as an illegal immigrant.

Jakadrien Turner was deported by US officials in May 2011 after running away from her home in Dallas and being arrested for shoplifting in Houston. The Colombian foreign ministry released the girl to US consular officials after documents were shown proving she was an American citizen. She was flown home to Dallas on Friday where she was met by her family and friends looking subdued but smiling for the cameras. A family spokesman at the airport said: "The family is ecstatic. We are planning to get some rest; planning to do what we can to make sure that she is able to get back to living a normal life. "But we are so happy and we are ready to get her home." Video

There are moves to make labels on alcohol products clearer The Government wants to tackle binge-drinking

Drinkersare being advised to avoid booze for at least two days a week. A committee of MPs has found current drinking guidelines are unclear and need to be revised. Currently the "sensible limits" for drinking, which were defined 25 years ago, are 21 units of alcohol a week for men and 14 for women . But the report by the Science and Technology Committee found many people do not know how much a unit is. Andrew Miller, committee chair, said: "Alcohol guidelines are a crucial tool for Government in its effort to combat excessive and problematic drinking. "It is vital that they are up to date and that people know how to use them."

The Labour MP told Sky News: "Over the course of time alcohol has become cheaper. "One of the more recent phenomena is drinking among some sections of society and indeed other people drinking much more regularly than they did in the past. "All of the scientific evidence very strongly points in favour of the argument to have at least two alcohol-free days in each week." The advice has been welcomed by Eric Appleby of campaign group Alcohol Concern, who told Sky News abstaining from alcohol at least twice a week helped the liver recover and could prevent "what is perhaps becoming a habit" from leading to dependency. He said: "What we need to do now is not just look at the guidelines themselves but how we can communicate them in such a way that people don't feel lectured at but feel that these are a helpful guide." It has been suggested in the past that alcohol consumption might help prevent heart disease but the new report has found a lack of expert consensus on the health benefits of alcohol. It concludes that any protective effects would only apply to men aged over 40 and post-menopausal women.

The report also backs work being carried out by the Government with the drinks industry to ensure more than 80% of alcoholic products will have labels displaying alcoholic content and drinking guidelines by December 2013. The Wine and Spirit Trade Association, which represents more than 340 companies, welcomed the MPs' "recognition of the important role the alcohol industry has to play in communicating sensible drinking messages". The Department of Health said it would consider the committee's recommendations and "look at whether it is necessary to review our guidance". Sky News. Video

An Australian woman has miraculously survived plunging into crocodile-infested waters after the cord snapped during her bungee jump over the Zambezi River. Erin Laung Worth fell from the Victoria Falls bridge, 111m above the river on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia. She was forced to swim through the rapids with her feet still tied from the jump on New Year's Eve. "I landed with my legs tied and then had to swim to the Zimbabwe side (of the river) through the rapids," Ms Worth told Australia's Channel 9 News. "It was quite scary because a couple of times the rope actually got caught on some rocks or debris. "I actually had to swim down and yank the bungee cord out of whatever it was caught on to make it to the surface." Southern Province police commissioner Brenda Muntemba told the Post Zambia that Ms Worth was treated at Victoria Falls clinic in Zimbabwe before being evacuated to South Africa. The jump was organised by a company called Safari Par Excellency. - VIDEO

A couple from Bradford who tied the knot in 1925 could be the UK's longest married husband and wife. Karam Chand was born in a small rural village in the Punjab in northern India in 1905. His family worked in farming and, in keeping with the custom of the time, he married at a young age. His bride Kartari was born in the same district in 1912. According to their passports, that currently makes Mr Chand 106 and his wife 99 years old. They wed in a typical Sikh ceremony in 1925 and have just celebrated their 86th year together as a married couple, which they think may qualify them as the UK's longest married husband and wife.

Mr Chand, who came with his family to Bradford in 1965, said there was no real secret to living a long married life. "Eat and drink what you want but in moderation. I have never held back from enjoying my life," he said. Mr Chand smokes one cigarette a day before his evening meal and also drinks a tot of whiskey or brandy three or four times a week. His daughter-in-law Rani said it was something he looked forward to. Many Asian people in the UK live within traditional extended families and the Chands are no exception. They live with their youngest son Satpal, together with his wife and two of their four children. "We really feel blessed that our parents are still here with us and every day is a bonus," Satpal said. "I think that keeping the minds of older people active is the key to them staying alert and healthy."If you have been given the privilege to look after your parents you must involve them fully in family life and never get angry with them, keep them happy and they will then look forward to getting up the next morning."

Kartari Chand is looking forward to getting a letter from The Queen later this year when she celebrates her 100th birthday, but is more cautious about staying fit and healthy. "We have always eaten good wholesome food, there's nothing artificial in our diet but things like ghee (clarified butter), milk and fresh yogurt are what we like. "We know that being married for 86 years is a blessing, but equally we will be ready to go when it's time, it's all up to the will of God, but we really have lived a good life." Mrs Chand said that she and her husband enjoyed doing many things, such as eating meals together and going to the temple. However, she said some aspects of old age were difficult.

"My eldest son died and that was hard for us because you don't expect to outlive your own children. "We have seen many other close family members depart and that's something we just have to live with." Mr Chand is now unable to walk any distance without assistance and needs a lot more care than his wife, who remains active and still has her own teeth. She said: "When you get so old your eyesight and hearing starts to get weaker and you ache more when moving about. "But considering our age and the hard work we have undertaken during our lives, we're not doing so bad." Satpal Chand said he was not sure if his parents were the longest married couple in the UK, but would like to think that they are. "Breaking records is not so important to us, it's all about living together as one family and respecting each other's values. "if my mother and father are record breakers then they've made us even more proud of them than we already are."

“Kenya National Youth Association (KeNYA) is a national voluntary, nonpartisan, and membership-based empowerment organization whose mission is to “Serve the Nation and empower the in and out of school youth with skills and know-how as well as teach and engage them in creativity, innovation , volunteerism and civic education in the areas of democracy, human rights, entrepreneurship, independence , peace and non-violent conflict resolution, and to combat negative ethnicity in rural-urban Kenya’’

Under the Kenya Democracy Project(KDP),a program Promoting Peace, Community Service, Interdependence & Non-violent Conflict Resolutions, KeNYA and partners are implementing a Civic and Voter Education Project /Every VOTE Count Project (GOTV Campaign) with an overarching and overriding goal of educating the youth about the Constitution, Voter Registration, and Voting Rights. We believe that for Kenya to avoid violence, the votes of every voter must be counted, and that the process must be free and fair.

Furthermore, the citizenry including the Kenyan Diaspora, must be fully educated about the elections, and the electoral laws and rules that will govern the Electoral Process for Presidential, Gubernatorial, Senatorial, Parliamentary, and Women/County Representative seats.

The Kenyan Constitution must be full implemented so that Government institution can be felt at the grassroot level, and there would be a smooth transition at the end of President Kibaki’s two term in office. This can be confirmed by excerpt from President Mwai Kibaki's New Years Speech: “2012 will be a transitional year. We begin a transition from a centralized to a devolved government. We start the journey of empowering 47 county governments that will be charged with managing the affairs of the people, at the grassroots level. I see this as a great opportunity to devolve responsibility to the people. Let us embrace this new concept of governance with a renewed sense of hope and confidence”

Effectively, KeNYA has embarked on the 12 Month (January 1-December 31 2012 Period) Every VOTE Count Project 2012 (GOTV Campaign), where we shall educate everyone about the electoral process, without bias, partisanship, or inclination, beginning with a Petition:

‘We, the Undersigned members of Kenya National Youth Association (KeNYA), partners, and the stakeholders, call upon the free and patriotic citizens of the Republic of Kenya, the Government, and the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), to conduct a FREE and FAIR Elections in 2012 General Elections, free of violence, with sufficient CIVIC EDUCATION, and where EVERY VOTE will be COUNTED, including that of the YOUTH, WOMEN, DISABLED, and most important, that of the Kenya Diaspora, in the eyes of the Civil Society, Local and International OBSERVERS.’’

As it can be confirmed by one of the youths we have been engaging across the country, there would be a huge voter apathy in the next elections unless State and Non-State Actors restore trust in the voting system, most of the youth may opt not to vote, unless there is a proper civic education, and an assurance that all their votes will be counted. A Free democracy will enable Kenya will bring stability and even restore trust to Kenya's investment opportunities, and stop brain drain of Kenyans, going to the Diaspora. By doing so, we shall have achieved Kenya Government's Vision 2030, same way Rwanda, with the firm leadership of President Paul Kagame, are achieving Vision 2020.

Therefore, we encourage members of the public and the Diaspora to sign the petition, and enlist their membership to KeNYA, so that we can amplify our voices, multiply our efforts, and mobilize towards our mission :http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/i-support-every-vote-count-project-2012.html

We believe that Kenya is greater than any one individual.

Thank you!”

We're constantly warned of the dangers of our bad habits, swearing (left), drinking (centre) or gambling( right) or something else.

They’re called bad habits for a reason, but treat them differently and they can occasionally be good for you. We're constantly warned of the dangers of our bad habits, whether that's drinking, gambling, swearing or something else. And of course, it's right that we are. These habits are bad because they do us harm, making us more unhealthy, more miserable, or just much less fun to be around. Or at least they do if we do them too much, or in the wrong circumstances. But some bad habits can actually be good for us, if you know how to treat them. Here's how.

Swearing
At best, swearing can make men seem inarticulate. At worst, it can make them seem angry or aggressive. Nobody likes to hear loud swearing in a public place. But on occasion, a well-chosen profanity doesn't just feel like the only word up to the task - it can even be good for you. Researchers at Keele University's School of Psychology found that volunteers who repeated a swear word throughout the ordeal were able to keep their hands in ice cold water longer than participants who repeated a non-swear word. It adds to previous evidence that swearing, on occasion (when you stub your toe, for example), can be an effective form of pain control. But the Keele researchers warned that swearing works best when it's done in moderation.

"People who don't swear very much in daily life can keep their hand in roughly double the amount of time when they swear compared to when they don't swear," said Keele's Dr Richard Stephens. But the research found that swearing is less effective as a painkiller in people who swear regularly at other times.

Drinking
Excessive drinking ups your risk of various cancers, obesity, heart disease and a host of other unpleasant ailments. But alcohol doesn't have to lead to ill health. It can be good for you. There's actually quite a lot of evidence that moderate drinking is healthy. Most recently, a study from researchers at Calgary University found that people who drank moderately were 14% to 25% less likely to develop cardiovascular disease than people who didn't drink at all. That chimes with a ten-year study on Irish and French men, which found that regular, moderate drinkers had a lower risk of heart disease than both non-drinkers and binge drinkers. Bear that last line in mind, though. Only modest drinking - four units a day for men at most, up to a maximum of 21 a week - seems to confer health benefits. Heavy drinking is always bad for you.

Fighting
Brawling on the street or in the pub is never a good idea. You could get seriously hurt. You could get arrested. You could get shunned by everyone you know. But studies show that training to fight in a controlled environment actually makes people less violent. The research has largely been done with martial arts, but it may be true of boxing too. When you fight in a structured environment, you release aggression safely, connect with others socially, and give yourself something to do on boring nights when you might otherwise be out looking for trouble (if you're that way inclined). In fact, research from a Gentle Warrior martial arts training programme in the US found that teenagers were less likely to be bullies the longer they participated in the programme, and they were also more likely to help others who were being bullied. These positive results were only reported in boys. In other words, structured training in martial arts helps boys develop a better attitude to violence and aggression. Fighting - in the right way - was good for them.

Gambling
Gambling is undoubtedly bad for you if you become addicted to it or if you need to gamble to try and pay the rent. But moderate gambling, like your monthly poker night with friends, can be healthy in all sorts of ways. For a start, you enjoy it, and having fun is good for us. You also do it with friends, and having strong social relationships is, according to research, one of the keys to happiness.

In fact, research published in the American Journal of Psychiatry found that, among older people, gambling is a positive boon. It found that between 80 and 90% of all recreational gamblers over 65 claimed to enjoy excellent health, compared with just 62% of non-gamblers.

You may not be over 65, but the reasons the researchers found for this positive effect are relevant at any age. Gamblers were more stimulated (they enjoyed it - a lot) and sociable than non-gamblers. A paper from the University of Salford concluded that, though more research needs to be done, contrary to popular opinion recreational gambling might actually be beneficial to the vast majority of us. What all this suggests is that, outside of illegal activity, there is very little in life that is bad for you in every circumstance. As these examples show, even so-called bad habits can be good for you, if you stick to a few simple rules - and of course remember that moderation is key.

The Country's mobile phone subscription has recorded a mobile penetration rate of 67.2 per cent, Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) ICT sector statistics have revealed. The country had 26.4 million subscribers by September 30 last year, the report released by CCK public relations office pointed out. Assistant PR manager Christopher Wambua, the statistics were obtained between July and September 2011. Wambua pointed out that prepaid subscription remained the preferred service representing 99 per cent of the total subscribers. "The number of SMS per subscriber per month went up by 124 per cent," the statistics indicated. At the same time, the number of internet subscribers increased to 5.42 million during the period as the number of internet users rose to 14.3million

Embattled Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza may not have to wait for long to know her fate following the village market gun drama. The Judicial Service Commission will hold an emergency session on Monday next week,to discuss the saga that has generated public outrage. Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga says the law will be followed duly. And as the CJ spoke, the lady accusing Baraza says she is willing to forgive, if the deputy chief justice is sincere with her apology. Brenda Wanga has that report.

An aerial photograph shows a break in highway BR 356 that was washed away after several days of heavy rains swelled the Muriae River in Campos, 230 km (142 miles) northeast of Rio de Janeiro. Civil Defence officials said the 4,000 residents of the town were evacuated and they expect the flooding to continue for three to four months. On right is Icicles cling to oranges in a small grove in Seffner, Florida. Temperatures in central Florida dipped into minus figures overnight. Farmers spray water on their crops to help keep them around 0°C protecting them from possible freeze damage.

Singer and former radio presenter Talia Oyando almost had her holiday at the coast ruined on Tuesday afternoon. The former Emmy award winner together with a friend fell victims of what they branded “racism in their own country” after they were asked by a manager of a hotel in Diani “not to swim at the beach” as it was reserved for white people only. Angered by this incidence Talia took to Twitter, to express her anger and disappointment. “Oh wait and there's also a place in Diani where Africans are not allowed to swim, ” she wrote. “Just experienced racism on Kenyan soil. In 2012 apparently we are not in Kenya. Breathes in and out,” read another one of her tweets. As if being told off was not enough the German manager who could not be identified went on to insult them. “He really abused us, things I cannot repeat and told us we are not in Kenya but German Park and to F*** off.” When she reported the matter to Diani police station the manager was still arrogant and refused to get out of the premises telling the police that he was eating and claimed to not speak English. He however apologised to Talia and her posse after spending some time at the police station writing a statement with the help of a translator.

British nationals in Kenya have been warned to be vigilant after the Kenyan authorities alerted the public to a heightened threat from terrorist attacks in the capital city, Nairobi. The Foreign Office said it believed terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks. Britons are strongly advised to "exercise extra vigilance and caution in public places", it said. The Kenyan authorities have increased security in Nairobi. The Kenyan army is engaged in military action against al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab militants in southern Somalia. The warning comes after the Kenyan army said it had killed 60 Somali al-Shabab militia fighters in air strikes and was determined to "break their spine completely". But al-Shabab responded by promising to defeat the Kenyans.

In an update to its travel advice on Saturday, the Foreign Office said: "The Kenyan authorities have alerted the public to a heightened threat from terrorist attacks in Nairobi. "We believe that terrorists may be in the final stages of planning attacks. Attacks could be indiscriminate and target Kenyan institutions as well as places where expatriates and foreign travellers gather, such as hotels, shopping centres and beaches. "We strongly advise British nationals to exercise extra vigilance and caution in public places and at public events." The BBC's world affairs correspondent Caroline Hawley said the wording of the Foreign Office update suggested it was based on intelligence. She said it followed a warning, two days ago, from Kenyan police that al-Shabab in Somalia had teamed up with al-Qaeda to plan attacks. A team of British counter-terrorist officials have also recently returned from Kenya, she added. The BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner said UK government officials say they believe "a serious and credible terrorist plot" has been disrupted recently in Kenya. He added that the targets were most likely to have been Western.

Col Cyrus Oguna, a Kenyan military spokesman, told news agency Associated Press that Kenyan authorities had thwarted attempted attacks by al-Shabab over Christmas and the New Year. He said Kenyan troops in Somalia had amade pre-emptive strikes on different targets in Somalia. Three suspected al-Shabab militants were killed by Kenyan police on 31 December, he said, while three other suspects were arrested. Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent, said Kenya, and in particular Nairobi, had an awful history of terrorist attacks, and there was a "very, very strong fear about al-Shabab". In 1998, 200 people died in an attack on the US embassy in Nairobi, and in 2002, there was an attack on a hotel used by Israeli tourists in Mombasa. Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October after a string of kidnappings and cross-border attacks which had threatened Kenya's tourism industry.

Mexico has opened the world’s tallest bridge, which is so tall that the Eiffel Tower could easily fit under its central span. Built over a deep ravine in the Sierra Madre Occidental Mountains of northern Mexico, the 403m-tall (1,322ft) Baluarte bridge was opened by President Felipe Calderon on Thursday. Guinness World Record officials were on hand at the opening ceremony to present an award officially recognising the bridge as the tallest in the world. The 1,124m-long (3,687ft) bridge is part of a new highway that crosses Mexico’s highly rugged terrain, from Mazatlan in Sinaloa on the Pacific Coast to Durango – an inner state of the country. The bridge, marking 200 years of the country’s independence from Spain in 1810, was also built to unite the people of northern Mexico – by reducing journey times between states by as much as six hours. As the highest cable-suspension bridge in the world, it has surpassed France’s Millau Viaduct. Its record-breaking height is measured from its tallest point to its visible base where it emerges from the ground. It took four years to build and cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

A relationship where two people must listen, compromise, and respect. It’s an arrangement that requires a multitude of decisions to be made together. Listening, respecting, and compromising go a long way toward keeping peace and harmony.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said a representative of Kenyans in the Diaspora will play a cabinet level role in the next administration. The Vice President also disclosed that his campaign team together with partners in the PNU alliance would open a coordinating office for the Diaspora vote in South Africa soon. The office will coordinate the South African region. While addressing Kenyans working and living in South Africa at the Johannesburg hotel he told Kenyans abroad who wish to come back to do so as job creators and not job seekers. "We will create an enabling environment for you to come and invest in the expansion of the economy", Mr. Musyoka said. There are fifty thousand Kenyans working and living in South Africa alone. "Let your vote count this year it's the year of the defining moment for our country", He said. Mr. Musyoka asked the Kenyans gathered at the Michelangelo hotel in Sandon, Johannesburg to support his bid for the Presidency this year. "Walk with me on this journey and I promise you, you will not be disappointed. Some ask what does he stand for? Am a social democrat who is interested in expanding the economy to create jobs, banish hunger out of Kenya and lead a cohesive and harmonious nation", Mr. Musyoka said.

Mr. Musyoka said it was his Wiper Democratic Movement (WDM) stood for a new beginning for the Kenyan nation while at the same time carrying on the legacy of positive achievements of the current administration.

I've seen the pitfalls and excesses of our past and that's what I seek to correct", He said. Assistant Minister for Cooperative Development, Jebii Kilimo who is accompanying the Vice President described him as a visionary leader who has gained experience for the last twenty five years and encouraged the Kenyans living in South Africa to listen to him in order to judge him by his message and his record. Former Cabinet Minister Moses Akaranga said his Progressive Party of Kenya is considering supporting the Candidature of Mr. Musyoka. The Chairman of the Kenyans in South Africa said it was encouraging that as one of the leading candidates in this years election has come to sit and share a meal with Kenyans in the Diaspora in order to hear the issues that are closer to their hearts. Student leader Kendi Mwabila said Kenyans living abroad were interested in supporting leaders who would help create jobs and deliver service on critical areas like education and health. Rev. John Ndung'u prayed for Musyoka's presidential ambition and wished him success during these years' general elections. Mr. Rottok Chesaina the managing director of the Expatriate magazine told the Vice President that the Professionals who are working abroad are keen to make their contribution towards the realization of the vision 2030 by providing solutions in I.T and infrastructure. The Vice President is representing President Kibaki at the ANC centenary celebrations where he will be joined by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.

Another written statement was taken on Friday from Ms Rebecca Kerubo, the security guard who accuses the Deputy Chief Justice of pointing a gun at her on New Year’s day. A colleague of Ms Kerubo also recorded a statement on the incident at the Village Market mall which will now be the subject of an emergency Judicial Service Commission (JSC) hearing called by Chief Justice Willy Mutunga. A member of the commission, who did not wish to be named, told the Saturday Nation that Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza was also expected to write a statement of her own ahead of the JSC hearing on Monday. Ms Baraza will be the first witness to appear before the emergency JSC meeting on Monday from 2.30 pm. Dr Mutunga summoned the JSC on Thursday saying no person or institution was above the law. “This is the creed that we seek to uphold in the judiciary,’ he said in a statement. A member of the commission who did not want to be identified by name said the JSC had the powers to recommend sanctions ranging from removal to reprimand depending on the analysis of events by the witnesses.

He said the JSC would also review CCTV footage of the Village Market incident. Ms Baraza denies threatening the security guard with a gun during the New Year’s Day incident in the northern Nairobi suburb of Gigiri. Though she admitted that there was a confrontation with the guard, she has denied the gun claim. Ms Kerubo, a mother of three, said she had only worked at the mall for one month and has occasionally encountered mall goers who resisted screening. Most businesses have enhanced security following threats of an Al Shabaab attack after Kenya sent its military inside Somalia to end incursions into the country by the militants. Ms Kerubo claims that Ms Baraza walked past the screening desk and when asked to undergo security checks she pinched her nose and confronted her. Ms Baraza has also denied pinching her. Ms Baraza has described the incident as “unfortunate” but insisted that she has never been issued with a gun. A member of the commission who spoke to Saturday Nation on condition of anonymity cited possible outcomes of the probe and gave insights into what is likely to transpire during the Monday meeting.

First, the meeting will give Ms Baraza an opportunity to give her side of the story as the commission seeks to establish the truth over the incident. “If it is established that the she pulled a gun and threatened the security then that could amount to gross misconduct,” said the commissioner. But if the commission, which has powers to discipline judges, finds that Ms Baraza only pinched the security guard’s nose as claimed, then the options might range from suspension, reprimand, chastisement or even a financial penalty. Article 168 of the Constitution says a judge of a superior court may be removed from office for gross misconduct or misbehaviour. The removal may be initiated only by the JSC acting on its own motion, or on the petition of any person to the commission. If the JSC is satisfied that the petition discloses a ground for removal, then it will be sent to the President. The President shall, within 14 days of receiving the petition, suspend the judge from office and appoint a tribunal to probe the matter. Meanwhile, a citizen has petitioned the Chief Justice and the JSC to sack Ms Baraza. Mr Peter Gichira Solomon says in a petition that Ms Baraza failed to uphold the values of leadership expected of a state officer as provided for in the Constitution, during her recent dramatic encounter with a guard at a Nairobi mall.

“My petition for the removal of the Deputy Chief Justice from office is informed by my worry that, on one hand, public dissatisfaction with the way this issue is dealt with may strike a fatal to confidence on the Judiciary and the rule of law at the very inception from the New Constitution,” he says. “On the other hand, if the law is given the highest priority and justice is done, then a reputation for the Judiciary and the new dispensation will forever have been established.” Mr Gichira says that the matter is “the real litmus test” for the Judiciary, adding that he had played his role as a citizen by writing the petition. Civil activists have also warned they will not accept the findings of the Judges’ disciplinary unit looking into the conduct of the besieged judge unless she steps aside to pave way for independent investigations. “Failure to do that, we hope that the emergency session of the JSC that chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga has called will suspend the DCJ pending investigations,” said Mr Okiya Omtatah, Executive Director of Kenyans for Justice and Development. – Saturday Nation. - CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Proverbs 24:26 says: “An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips”. It's much easier to remain silent when others around us are messing up but it's not the loving thing to do. A lot of people have no one in their lives that love them enough to tell them the truth, so they continue going the wrong way. Usually we know what needs to be said but fear keeps us from saying it. 'An honest answer is the sign of true friendship.' Sometimes caring means confronting! Paul writes, 'If someone in your group does something wrong, you who are spiritual should go to that person and gently make him right again' (Galatians 6:1 NCV). That's what 'spiritual' people do! The trouble is when an issue pops up that might cause tension; it's immediately glossed over in order to preserve peace. The big brother or sister jumps in and tries to smooth everyone's ruffled feathers, the issue is never resolved and everyone lives with an underlying feeling of frustration. 'No more pretence. Tell...the truth. In Christ's body we're all connected to each other...When you lie to others, you end up lying to yourself' (Ephesians 4:25 TM). Now frankness is not a licence to be rude and say anything you please. Thoughtless words wound people. 'Never use harsh words when you correct an older man, but talk to him as if he were your father. Talk to younger men as if they were your brothers, older women as if they were your mothers, and younger women as if they were your sisters' (1 Timothy 5:1-2 GWT). Bottom line: whether in a marriage, a friendship, a church or a business, until we care enough to confront and resolve the underlying barriers, we'll never grow close to each other!

Our Guest Singer today is Rose Muhando from the Republic of Tanzania - CLICK HERE

Somalia's government has launched an investigation after a punch-up in the parliament in the capital, Mogadishu, over the election of a new speaker. Punches were thrown, MPs hit each other with chairs, some used pens to stab one another. Three were taken to hospital. A new speaker was eventually voted in late on Wednesday, but the president has since denounced the election. Somalia's interim government has international backing, but has faced criticism for its factional infighting. With the help of African Union peacekeepers, it now controls Mogadishu but al-Shabab, which has links to al-Qaeda, runs many central and southern areas of the country. The country has been convulsed by war for two decades and has not had a functioning elected national government since 1991.

The US economy created 200,000 jobs in December, marking the sixth month in a row of gains, official figures show. The rise was much more than expected. Analysts had forecast an increase of about 150,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 8.5%, which was the lowest level in nearly three years, from a revised 8.7% in November, the Labor Department said. Large job gains were seen in retail, manufacturing, transportation and warehousing and healthcare. For 2011 as a whole, some 1.6 million jobs were created, which was the highest since 2006, led by rises in the private sector. Employment in the private sector rose by 212,000 in December and by 1.9 million over the year.

Jamaica's new prime minister has threatened to drop the Queen as the island's head of state, saying the time had come for a change. Portia Simpson Miller, who has just been sworn in, was filmed by the Jamaica Observer newspaper making the pledge last month, before she was elected. She described the Queen as a "wise and wonderful lady" but the said the government and opposition were putting constitutional reforms in place to make the change before the country turns 50 on August 6. Ms Miller told a crowd: "I have long believed that if we are to have a Queen it must be a Jamaican Queen." Prince Harry is due to visit Jamaica in March as part of celebrations for his grandmother's Diamond Jubilee. It is one of many foreign tours being made by the royal family to mark the milestone. Jamaica is set to loosen colonial ties with Britain by moving to replace the Queen as head of state with a president, the country's new prime minister has indicated. Nearly fifty years after independence, Portia Simpson Miller, a charismatic populist who won a landslide election victory last week, said Jamaica would move to cut links with the monarchy and become a republic. "I love the Queen. She's a beautiful lady," Simpson Miller told 10,000 guests on Thursday at the residence of Jamaica's governor-general, the Queen's representative on the island. Switching to patois, she added: "But I think time come." The move reflects an accelerating drift towards republicanism among Commonwealth Caribbean countries. Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have both dropped the Queen as head of state, while opting to remain in the Commonwealth.

Intervention from the Central Bank Thursday saw the shilling gain three percent off its session lows against the dollar. Reuters news agency reported that the CBK sold an unspecified amount of dollars to commercial banks and mopped up liquidity through sale of repurchase agreements that saw the shilling strengthen from 89.10 against the dollar to 86.40. The earlier figures had placed the Kenyan shilling amongst the worst performing currencies in 2012 having lost 4.26% in front the Hungarian forint and the Polish Zloty both of which have lost 3.9% and 2.4% respectively. The depreciation that had seen the shilling lose by 5 shillings in just a week had been blamed on increased imports and banks that were leveling losses from a period when the shilling strength was overstretched according to experts. The 89.10 trading to the dollar was also the highest that the shilling had traded in the past 3 weeks following earlier measures that had been taken by the central bank such as increment of the Central bank rate, interbank rate and interest rates. The measures saw the shilling almost magically appreciate by 30% in a month from an all time high of 107 to under 90 shillings to the dollar. And with the monetary policy committee set to meet next week on Wednesday it is unclear on which measures it will take with earlier predictions being that the MPC might retain the earlier rates.

Hard work. It means chores, disagreements, misunderstandings, and times when you might not like each other very much. When you work at it together, it can be the greatest blessing in the world.

All communities who are African, have African roots, love Africa or those that want to have a taste of the true African delicacy are welcome to the Slough East African Café which specializes in East African food. You can view our full menu at http://www.kenyatopup.com/africafood.html . Our delicacies include Ugali Sukuma and Lamb Fry, Chapati, Sukuma and Lamb Fry, Chapati, Sukuma and Lamb Fry, Chapati, Spinach and Lamb fry or you can have the same Ugali or Chapati with sukuma and Fish (Tilapia) or with Nyama Choma (BBQ Meat). We also specialize in Mazondo or Cow foot and also Maguru or Matumbo. The East African Café sometimes does a special which includes Githeri Karanga which has received great demand. Mukimo and Kachumbari is also a must on the East African Café menu. We serve a portion of free Kachumbari (African Salad). As you enjoy your meal you can indulge in conversation and enjoy a drink.

The East African Café is situated at the Berkshire County and resides in a very clean and well presented Chalvey Community Centre in a the City of Slough. We have ample parking that will fit up to forty vehicles and counting. We provide a family atmosphere with easy listening music from our selected Zilizopendwa, (Daudi Kabaka, Remy Ongola, Les Wanyika, Mushrooms and Virunga), Genge, Bongo, Lingala and if you have a special request and come with the CD we will accommodate a song or two for you.

East African Café is open to all communities in the UK because we would like to showcase the East African food to all other communities. This food has a wonderful taste and is prepared by our outstanding chef. We also cater for family parties, large gatherings, meetings and any other event that you may want to hold at our venue.

You can also find out about our other services offered by the hosts of the East African Café such as M-Pesa money to Kenya from UK by Kenyatopup, Send Kenya Mobile phone airtime to a loved one in Kenya from UK (http://www.kenyatopup.com ) and if you are seeking employment or a new business venture then discuss with Equator Consultancy Director (http://www.equatorconsultancy.com )who will be at the venue.

Doors open on Saturdays' and Sundays' at 1400hrs to last orders at 2130hrs making this a suitable environment for families to come and spend some quality time in the afternoon eating coupled with some easy listening and chatting. We look forward to seeing you on Saturday and Sunday every Saturday and Sunday in this family atmosphere venue.

For more info and directions please contact Josh on 07933505880 or John 07837582166.

Ministry of State for Immigration and Registration of Persons Hon. Otieno Kajuang issuing the IDs to the Kenya High Commissioner in the UK HE Ephraim Ngaire (left) and Immigration boss Mr. Abraham Mwaura during the launching of the Kenya Identity Cards in the UK in November last year.

The Kenya High Commission in London is now processing issuance of National Identity Cards. The processing of a National Identity Card will take approximately six to eight weeks from the date of application. All applicants are required to pay a processing fee of thirty Pounds (£30) and each applicant has to appear in person. Applications for the National ID’s will only be accepted on Monday & Tuesday of the week. There are four (4) categories of application listed below as follows:

Replacements: This category involves those persons who had acquired the previous first generation Identity Cards and have not been able to replace them with the current 2nd generation Identity Card. The 1st generation Identity Card was invalidated in April 2009. A registered person will need to produce proof of the previous registration i.e. produce the 1st generation Identity Card or its copy. Alternatively a search/confirmation will be undertaken prior to the replacement application.

Duplicates: This category involves persons who are holding the second generation identity cards and have been lost or rendered unserviceable due to one reason or another. Evidence of registration in terms of Identity Card number will be needed before the filling of the application forms i.e. produce the Identity Card or copy.

Change of Particulars: This category of registration deals with female applicants who desire to change their names due to change in marital status. Applicants for categories (i) to (iii) who have previously held Identity Cards and they need to replace them should visit the Kenya High Commission for the necessary procedures. They are not required to fill form Reg.136A. They will however be required to complete form Reg. 136 C which will be provided at the Kenya High Commission.

Not Previously Registered (NPR): These are the children of Kenyans born outside Kenya or may have been born in Kenya and travelled with their parents and have now attained the eligible age of 18 years and above. For this category there will be need to determine the citizenship status before registration. This category will be required to complete form Reg.136A which can be downloaded on line.

Form Reg 136A- To be completed by persons who have not been previously issued with an Identity Card. The top section of form Reg.136A referring to Photo, Serial No., Identity No., Fingerprint Classification is for official use only. Applicant to complete Form Reg 136A from No.1 to No.22. - CLICK HERE FOR ALL THE INFORMATION.

Three plots for sale at Ruiru near Thika Super Highway one and half kilometre and third raw from Eastern Bypass. The plots measures 50 ft x 100 ft. Asking price is KShs.2.5 million. Owner in UK Tel:07928636805, email r.wacera@yahoo.com. To view the plots in Kenya contact Fred Tel.0720845642 or Wangui tel.0722839502.

On behave of all the staff of Kesom Freight International Ltd, I would like to wish

Abdi, Kesom freight International Ltd
Unit 5, The Arches Business Centre,
Merrick Road, Southall, UB2 4AU
T: 020 8571 9523
M: 07930508058/07932450835
www.kesomfreight.com

Bishop Samuel Kamuri Muya of Talents Revival Church, Kenya would like to take this

Thousands of offenders could have their past convictions cleared from their record under plans by justice secretary Kenneth Clarke.

Late Steven Kariuki Kinyanjui