Iko Nini Bwana Seed?

WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY - EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST THE POUND TODAY IS KSHS. 123.39

 KAMEME RADIO IS BACK AGAIN

A man in the United States popped out to his local petrol station to buy a pack of cigarettes - only to find his card charged $23,148,855,308,184,500. That is $23 quadrillion (£14 quadrillion) - many times the US national debt. "I thought somebody had bought Europe with my credit card," said Josh Muszynski, from New Hampshire. He says his appeals to his bank first met with little understanding, though it eventually corrected the error. It also waived the usual $15 overdraft fee. "It was all back to normal," Mr Muszynski told his local television station, WMUR. "They reversed the negative balance fee, which was nice." His nightmare began when he checked his online bank account a few hours after buying the cigarettes. He thought he would be a couple of hundred dollars in the black. But his overdraft had pushed him into the red - by an amount equivalent to many times the entire US national debt. "It is a lot of money in the negative," he said. "Something I could never, ever, afford to pay back. "My children could not afford it, grandchildren, nothing like that." In panic, Mr Muszynski rushed back to the petrol station, but they were unable to help. He says he then spent two hours on the phone with the Bank of America. Eventually, it assured him it would be fixed - and the next morning, it had been. But no-one has yet explained to Mr Muszynski how such a astonishing error could have been made.

The moderator of this website Mr. Jackson Karanja Njiiri married on Saturday 11th July, 2009 in London. He was escorted to the ceremony by the entire Seeds family and friends. The bride - Miss Sharon Njeri Thiongo was also escorted by her parents. (see below).

Dressing to escort their son to the altar

From top left: Jackson Njiiri the bridegroom, his mother Pastor Jane Njiiri, his grandmother Mrs. Margaret Karanja, Daughter Seed Margaret Njiiri, Mr. Seed's sister Esther Kamanu and lastly Mr. Seed and his next son Mr. Joseph Njiiri.

Dressing to escort their daughter to the altar

The family of the bride (Sharon Njeri - above top left) then her mum and dad Mr. Ken Nganga

Biggest jump in unemployment since records began

London, Thursday 16th July, 2009. The jobless count rose by 281,000 last quarter - the biggest jump in nearly 40 years.  Today’s official unemployment figures were even more gruesome than expected: the number of people out of work in the UK jumped to 2.38m in the three months to May, equivalent to 7.6% of the workforce. This amounts to a rise of 281,000, the biggest quarterly increase since records began in 1971. It’s hardly a surprise to hear that unemployment is still headed in the wrong direction, but nobody expected the numbers to be quite this grim. And with higher unemployment likely to equal lower spending, it doesn’t bode well for the UK’s chances of a speedy recovery...

Equity Boss Mr. Munga to join a church event on Saturday 18th July, 2009

Interdenominational World Revival Ministry (I.W.R.M) invites you to our thanksgiving luncheon on Saturday 18th July 2009 at 5.00pm in our Church premise, Manor Park Community Centre, 524 High Street North, Manor Park, London, E12 6QN. This will be to thank you for your support and update you on our church building project. Your presence will be highly appreciated. Nyama choma kwa wingi. Equity Bank chairman Mr. Munga will be in attendance and people will be opening Equity bank accounts at the venue: For more information click below: http://www.iwrm.co.uk/Thismonthatiwrm.html

British must work until 70 and pay more tax

That's the only way the Government can get public debt under control in the next decade, a think tank claims.  We're all going to have to suffer if the Government wants to balance the books in the coming years, according to the National Institute for Economic and Social Research. The influential think-tank reckons there are only three possible ways to plug the giant hole in the public finances: extend the retirement age to 70 (eek), hike the basic rate of income tax by about 15p (ouch), or slash public spending by about 10% (yuck). Either way, we'd all be feeling the pain for a long time to come...

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Starehe School Golden Jubilee Dinner in London is on 18th July, 2009.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE

For dinner ticket contact or more information Office 02079347023 or 07715109559.

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KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1921- Rika ria Munanda - Cattle dip.

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FREE NYAMA CHOMA IN SOUTH LONDON ON 18TH JULY 2009

You are invited with your friends and family for an Open Day Nyama Choma. Venue: Crystal Palace Park, SE19 2BB as from 2.00 p.m. 5.00 p.m. All welcomed. For more information please contact 07903984578.

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London, Wednesday 15th July, 2009. UK unemployment rose by a record 281,000 to 2.38 million, in the three months to May, the Office for National Statistics has said. The jobless rate increased to 7.6%, the highest in more than 10 years. The number of people claiming unemployment benefit increased by 23,800 in June to 1.56 million, which was less than analysts had forecast. Businesses have been cutting jobs as they seek to reduce costs in the wake of the global downturn. Young people - those up to 24 years old - have been particularly hard hit with unemployment leaping to a 16-year high of 726,000. And the number of those out of work for more than a year rose by 46,000 to 528,000, the highest for 11 years.  TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "It's particularly worrying that over half a million unemployed people have been out of work for at least a year, including 133,000 young unemployed people."  "With a new generation of school and college leavers soon starting to look for work, our unemployment crisis will get even bigger. Separately on Wednesday a BBC survey showed two-thirds of people across the UK know someone who has lost a job in the recession, a BBC survey suggests. A further four in 10 fear losing their job in the current climate, the survey of 1,048 people by ComRes indicates.

Even though economic conditions may be stabilising, economists expect unemployment to continue rising this year, as financial uncertainty persists. Vicky Redwood of Capital Economics said the latest figures contained "conflicting signals about whether conditions in the labour market are getting better or worse". "The claimant count measure of unemployment in June posted its smallest rise in a year. However, the wider ILO measure posted its biggest rise on record." But, she said, unemployment was unlikely to fall until economic growth returned to its trend rate, and this would take a long time. Average UK earnings including bonuses increased at their highest rate since December, up 2.3% in the three months to May from a year ago. However, excluding bonuses average earnings rose at 2.6% - the lowest rate since records started in 2001. David Kern, chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce described the figures as "grim reading". "On the basis of these numbers, we reaffirm our forecast that unemployment will peak at around 3.2 million next year." The number of unemployed men increased by almost 200,000 to 1.46 million, and 84,000 more women were out of work, putting female unemployment at 923,000.

WHAT THE UK PAPERS SAYS ON WEDNESDAY 15TH JULY, 2009

LEFT: The Daily Star reports on what it calls the "emotional public salute" seen in the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett. CENTRE: The Sun says the hearses "passed slowly through a human corridor in a heartbreaking homecoming" in Wootton Bassett. RIGHT: The Daily Express claims swine flu panic is sweeping the UK.

Kenya concern over pill popping

In a radio advertisement at the centre of a controversy in Kenya, a distraught teenage girl asks for help after having unprotected sex." What shall I do? I'm still in college. What happens to my future, my friends, my family, my life?" she sobs. The assistance offered is the emergency contraceptive pill - or morning-after pill. The so-called "e-pill", which is also being advertised in popular magazines with a free bookmark, is now the buzz-word in town among young sexually active women. "I do use e-pills," Florence, a university student in Nairobi, told the BBC. "The main reason is because sometimes I have not considered having sex with my boy and then we just find ourselves [having it], so that calls for the use of e-pills." Gillian, also a university student, says she uses them as one of her main forms of contraception. "Sex is very sweet. You cannot go having sex with a condom - so why go for the condom when I know the e-pills are there? I know I won't get pregnant," she said. It is this attitude which is worrying various organisations. They believe the advertising campaign is influencing young people to be sexually reckless. Many young people are now using the e-pill routinely, some even buying the pills in advance. Josephine Kibaru, head of family health in the ministry of health, is a strong advocate of contraception. But she has some reservations about the intense media campaign promoting the emergency pill. "The impression I get is that university girls are using these pills irresponsibly... If they are needing them it means they have had unprotected sex," she said. "My concern actually is about the HIV/Aids… it is something that will ruin their lives forever." "I would rather those adverts showed more mature women. And I would want to see the message go beyond the emergency." The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya has also voiced concerned about long-term use of the e-pill. Besides side-effects, like nausea, heavy bleeding and cramps, regular use of the emergency contraception may cause infertility and in some instances increase the risk of cancer.

"The youth are getting the message that it's OK to go out and have fun because you won't get pregnant," says Dominic Karanja, chair of the Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya. "They have changed the attitude of the youth even shifted them from thinking about STDs [sexually transmitted diseases] - about HIV/Aids - to thinking about getting pregnant." There is a notable increase in the sale of the pills during school holidays and weekends, Dr Karanja says. According to Kenya's Pharmacy and Poisons board, it is against Kenyan law to advertise such drugs to the public. However, the US non-governmental organisation funding the campaign - Populations Services International - says it has the government's approval to run the adverts. In fact the advertisements that have been appearing in local newspapers have been endorsed by the government. The Pharmaceutical Society of Kenya has also asked the PSI to stop the adverts. But PSI country director Daun Fest says it is not promoting specific products but creating awareness in Kenya, where it is illegal to have an abortion. She argues that the use of the emergency pill decreases the high incidences of unsafe and botched abortions. "The reality is that we're presenting choices," says Ms Fest. "Research shows young people start their sexual lives at about the age of 17 - and they're starting without correct information, without knowing what the options are." She disagrees with critics who argue that the e-pill increases the risk of contracting HIV by encouraging unprotected sex. "No research has ever proved that any reproductive health product has increased promiscuity. "In fact much of the research shows that the younger you start education, the more likely you're likely you're going to have lower teenage pregnancy." Health experts in Kenya believe that the government is not able to stop such campaigns because they depend on organisations like PSI to fund some of its health programmes. Like abortion and other reproductive health issues in Kenya, the debate over the use of e-pills will continue to be divisive and controversial.

Umbrella bicycle jousting at the Chap Olympiad

Umbrella jousting and cucumber sandwich discus at Bedford Sqaure, Bloomsbury, London. It's a very British affair as men wearing bowler hats joust with brollies while riding bicycles at the Chap Olympiad. Staged in Bedford Square, in Bloomsbury, London, it also included the cucumber sandwich discus, quill throwing and the Martini knockout relay. Hosted by Chap Magazine, the event claims to be a 'celebration of athletic ineptitude and immaculate trouser creases'.

The great migration of wildebeests from Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the Masai Mara Game Reserve is on. And the spellbinding exodus has kicked off the annual tourist peak season in the game reserve. An estimated 1.5 million gnus are expected to cross the crocodile-infested Mara River into Kenya as more than 160 hotels forecast high bed occupancy. In 2006, the annual migration was named the Seventh Wonder of the world by an American TV station, ABC, which beamed the event live as the animals crossed the river from Serengeti National Park. The Narok County Council estimates that about 500,000 tourists have visited the famous reserve in the last three years. A check in most hotels at the weekend, indicated bookings would reduce in early October, when the wildebeests cross back to Serengeti to calve. At this time of the year, there is high concentration of lions and other scavengers, which prey on the gnus. "The forecast is good and if all goes well, we will have many guests visiting the Mara this year compared to last year," said Council Clerk Joseph Malinda. Last month, the council raised park entry fees from 40 to 60 dollars.  In the current financial year it projects to collect 95 per cent revenue from tourism activities, while five per cent will come from other sources including markets and agricultural activities. The council also plans to increase bed occupancy in the hotels inside the park from 600 to 1,000 in line with Vision 2030. Mr Malinda said from next month they would introduce an electronic payment system to check on corruption by some officers manning the gates. "A big per cent of park entry fees are stolen and that is why we want to introduce a system that is tamper-proof," he said. The system, he said, has worked well in Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, adding that a management plan for the park was ready and hoped the council would adopt it at the full council meeting.  - The Standard.

The ICC's headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands. Kenya’s Cabinet Tuesday disagreed over whether those suspected to hold higher responsibility for post-election violence should be tried at The Hague or by a local tribunal.

A key measure of inflation has fallen below the Bank of England's target rate of 2% for the first time since 2007.  Lower food prices caused the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) to drop to an annual rate of 1.8% in June from 2.2% in May, official statistics showed. The Retail Prices Index (RPI) inflation measure, which includes mortgage interest payments and housing costs, fell to -1.6% from -1.1%. The RPI is now at its lowest since ONS records started in 1948. The Bank of England aims to keep inflation at 2% to maintain price stability and more broadly, economic stability. Lower prices for meat, milk and fruit last month were the main reason for the fall in inflation. "A significant downward effect also came from furniture prices, which rose by less than last year," the Office for National Statistics said. It also pointed to a large upward pressure on the CPI rate from the recreation and culture sector, with computer games in particular rising by more than a year ago.

The CPI is far below what it was last September, when the rate hit 5.2% because of high oil and food prices. The Bank of England is now predicting CPI will fall below 1% this year, as the downturn hits demand and sends prices lower. "The figures are bang on consensus," said economist Philip Shaw of Investec. "We note that food prices fell back on the month and the increase in petrol prices was a little less than we'd factored in." He added that the RPI measure was negative because of "aggressive" cuts in interest rates since last autumn. Interest rates are now at a record low of 0.5%. "To call this a period of deflation would be totally wrong," he said But not everyone agreed. David Kern, head economist at the British Chambers of Commerce said: "The figures confirm the BCC's assessment that in the short-term, the main policy priority must be countering the risks posed by recession and deflation". In the near future the BBC is urging the Bank of England to expand the scale of quantitative easing well beyond £125bn. Having lowered interest rates sharply the government has aimed to increase the amount of money circulating to boost the economy, though quantitative easing. Stephen Bell, of hedge fund GLC, said: "Underlying inflation will remain low for some time, which is good news for home [loan] borrowers." While it will be a "long hard struggle to recovery" he said the positive message was that the UK economy was recovering faster than other economies.

Music at the Seeds wedding was supplied by Simba Sounds

DJs: Josh Paps & Mann Jeff from Milton Keynes.
Contacts: 07838 818994, 07838 856291, 07828 913597.

Swiss court releases Mobutu money

A Swiss court has ruled that the assets of Mobutu Sese Seko, former leader of Zaire, now the DR Congo, who died in 1997, be returned to his family. The court rejected an appeal to extend a freeze on assets worth more than $6m that are held in Swiss bank accounts. Switzerland had repeatedly blocked the release of the funds, which were said to have been gained illegally. But the court said the Democratic Republic of Congo had waited too long to seek the return of the money. The appeal was brought by Mark Pieth, a criminology professor at Basel University. He described the court's decision as a "harsh setback" for DR Congo, and for all those who had sought the return of the money. Mobutu seized power in Congo in 1965 and changed its name to Zaire in 1971. He governed for nearly 32 years, living in extreme luxury whilst most people lived in poverty. He was overthrown in 1997 by Laurent Kabila, the father of DR Congo's current President Joseph Kabila. Mobutu died a few months after his overthrow while in exile in Morocco. The Swiss banks blocked his accounts, starting years of legal wrangling. The DR Congo government said the money had been stolen. But Swiss prosecutors said the DR Congo authorities took too long to ask for the return of the money, under the statute of limitations.

A judge in the US state of South Carolina has ordered the closure of a funeral home where an employee cut off the legs of a 6ft 7in (2m) body. The worker used an electric saw to sever James Hines's legs at the calf to make his body fit the coffin in 2004. The owner had contested the revocation of his licence, saying he was absent when the incident happened and pointing to an otherwise unblemished record. But after a brief hearing, the judge confirmed the business should close. Earlier this year the owner of the funeral parlour in Allendale admitted that his father, who helped with cleaning and embalming bodies, had sawn off Mr Hines's legs. The admission came after a former employee told police about the incident, four years after it happened. In April South Carolina's funeral board exhumed the body and found the severed legs in the coffin. Mr Hines has since been reburied in another coffin.

Kenya seizes coffin-stashed ivory

Kenyan authorities have seized 300kg (660 lbs) of illegal ivory hidden in coffins on a plane bound for Laos. The haul included 16 elephant tusks and black rhinoceros horns. Officials said the blood on the ivory suggested the animals had been killed very recently. The flight - which stopped in Nairobi - originated in Mozambique and was bound for Thailand and then Laos. The haul of ivory may have had a value of about one million dollars (£614,000,000), Reuters reports. Officials from Kenya's Wildlife Service said the ivory might have come from Tanzania or South Africa. The black rhino is found only in eastern and southern Africa. The international ivory trade has been banned since 1989. The sale of ivory is illegal if the ivory is not from pre-1989 stockpiles. However, some countries have done little to enforce the ban.

Hole in US plane forces landing

The US carrier Southwest Airlines has inspected about 200 planes after a hole opened up in the passenger cabin during a flight, forcing an emergency landing.  The one-foot-square (30cmx30cm) hole appeared as the Boeing 737 was flying from Nashville to Baltimore on Monday.  Passenger Brian Cunningham told NBC television he had been woken up by "the loudest roar I'd ever heard", and saw the hole above his seat.  People then calmly put on oxygen masks, he said. No-one was injured.  The plane, with 131 passengers and crew on board, made the emergency landed in Charleston, West Virginia.  "After we landed... the pilot came out and looked up through the hole, and everybody applauded, shook his hand, a couple of people gave him hugs," Mr Cunningham said.  The cause of the damage is not known.  On Tuesday Southwest spokeswoman Marilee McInnis told the Associated Press news agency that the airline had inspected 200 Boeing 737-300 jets across the country overnight. No similar problem was identified and Southwest is operating a normal schedule of flights, she said.

Inside the stalled Cabinet talks

During the Cabinet meeting Tuesday, PNU reportedly insisted it wants a local tribunal to be headed by Chief Justice and trials to be conducted through national institutions. Others argued Kenya is a sovereign State and should not take orders from outsiders. Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno is said to have led the onslaught against the formation of a local tribunal saying it would create more chaos. Internal Security Minister George Saitoti is said to have reminded his colleagues what happened to Kanu and take international community seriously. Saitoti appealed to his colleagues to stop demonising Annan, saying his experience had taught him that people like Annan are so networked that by the time they take a position, the entire world is behind them. Saitoti reportedly said his view was the international community was on Kenya’s case just as it were during push for multipartism and Kenya would not escape. Other ministers reasoned that the fighting is over and politicians who once fought each other are now sharing one Cabinet table. Some are said to have supported The Hague saying it takes forever, and that in Congo and Uganda, after decades of war, only about four people have been charged. A minister who was in the delegation that signed an agreement with Ocampo argued the Government had signed an agreement that the special tribunal must borrow from the international principles of ICC. - The Standard.

Cases of kidnappings in Kenya have grabbed media headlines in the recent past with Kenyans living in fear of the emerging crime wave. However it is now turning out that some fraudulent Kenyans might be staging self kidnaps to counter the ongoing economic meltdown.  This emerged following the tracking and subsequent arrest of a woman who police believe had feigned an abduction to extort 150,000 shillings from her family.  29-year-old Maureen Achieng' Odera, a primary school teacher in Nairobi is the subject of police investigations after she was apprehended after reports were filed that she had been kidnapped.  Odera and her two male companions were allegedly kidnapped on the third day of this month by 8 armed gangsters. She claims that she underwent torture at the hands of the alleged abductors. However police have dismissed her account as a swindling project gone sour. Police are said to have become suspicious of the distress calls that she made after inconsistencies were detected in her signal location. Police also noticed that she could easily communicate with her family.

Maureen Achieng Odera has been arrested for reportedly faking her own kidnapping

Police investigations indicate that on the day of the purported abduction Odera travelled from Garissa to Nairobi using an E- coach bus before checking into a city lodging.  The records also indicate that she then embarked on a journey to Migori using Lavender Coach the following day and spent a night at Cally Lodge under the false name of Jacqueline Adhiambo.  According to police, at the time Odera was making these journeys she was still alleging to be at the mercies of her abductors.  Police are said to have arrested her outside a bookshop in Migori town before transferring her to Nairobi where she will be charged with giving false information to the police. Police might have cracked Odera's mystery kidnap but the incident has brought into the fore the possibility of a new form of crime that might emerge in the Kenyan society probably to break even from the effects of the global economic meltdown.  Hers seems to be a mockery of the kidnapping cases that have been on the increase causing untold suffering to the families of the victims. Recently a similar case was reported in Nyanza Province where a teacher faked his own kidnap and tried to extort 150 000 shillings from his family. However police were able to trace him when he presented himself to the bank to withdraw the money that the family had paid as ransom. Upon being questioned the man claimed he had taken the drastic step as he was facing financial woes and had seen no other way out.

One of the Seeds says "I do"

A colourful wedding took place in London on Saturday 11th July, 2009 between Mr. Jackson Karanja Njiiri (web moderator) and Miss Sharon Njeri Thiong'o. The wedding took place at Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church, Prayer Temple, Docklands, London, 119 East India Dock Road, Poplar, London at 11.00 a.m. It was officiated by Pastor Patrick Thuku of CCBC Swahili Service, Bishop Francis Sarpong and Bishop Samuel Kamuri Muya from Elburgon, Kenya who delivered the word of the day. The Kenya High Commissioner in the UK HE Joseph Muchemi and his wife Mrs. Cecilia Muchemi also attended the ceremony. Later the reception followed thereafter at Pavillion Banqueting Suite, 324 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 9PX as from 2.00 p.m. Over 1,000 guests attended the ceremony. Left photo - The High Comissioner HE Joseph Muchemi and his wife Cecilia being welcomed by Mr. Seed and Bishop Sarpong and on right photo - Mr. Ken Nga'ang'a and his wife escorting their daughter (Sharon Njeri) into the church. (Full story and photos coming soon).

Dressing for the occasion

The bridal party (left) and CCBC Swahili Service Choir (right) who provided the music

in the church caught up with the colours of the day - the boys were not left behind

Nairobi, Monday 13th July, 2009. Politician Nazlin Umar Rajpoot was on Monday charged with stealing.  Nazlin who vied for presidency in 2007 pleaded not guilty and was released on a cash bail of 400,000 shillings.  Nazlin was arraigned in court after spending the weekend at Muthaiga police station.  It is alleged that on unknown dates between 24th April and 7th July this year in Nairobi she stole three unregistered Range Rovers all valued at 21 million shillings which she received on account of Tariq Mahmood Hussain for sale.  She faces another count of stealing mobile phones all valued at 75,000 shillings. Nazlin who is also accused of stealing a certificate of insurance policy pleaded not guilty arguing that her constitutional rights are being violated by police for not releasing her on a bond and not allowing her access to medical check ups.  The prosecution however dismissed the allegations. She was released on a cash bail of 400,000 shillings. Police arrested Umar last Friday afternoon and took her to Muthaiga Police Station after doubts were raised over who is the legitimate owner of the cars.  His lawyers claimed his client had been denied access to a hospital even after she raised concerns over her health. Armed with documents from the Kenya Revenue Authority, the family said they were the rightful owners of the motor vehicles under investigation.  Detectives are said to be investigating how the politician acquired the three top of the range cars even after the bill of landing showed that the vehicles were on transit to Uganda.  However, her lawyer says a consensual agreement between his client and the vehicle owner was reached after the latter failed to honor the terms of payment of a loan.  He said his client's arrest could be a plot to derail an earlier suit on threats to her life. Police are also said to be investigating the authenticity of one of the vehicles' registration numbers after it was impounded outside a city hotel.  Elsewhere in Thika, nine Mungiki suspects were charged with holding an illegal assembly and being in possession of dangerous weapons in a manner to commit felony.  They pleaded not guilty and were released on a cash bail of 100,000 shillings each.

Nazlin was arraigned in court after spending the weekend at Muthaiga police station.

Louis Njenga (Baba Alicia of Luton), UK And Irine Wairimu Ngugi Of Birmingham has lost their father back in Kenya the  late  Samuel Ngugi Njenga of Gachie, Kiambu, Kenya on Saturday 11th of July, 2009 in Kenya. Friends and family are meeting at Njenga's house, 78 Elm Park Close, Houghton Regis, Luton, LU5 5PW.  Evening Prayers will be held on Monday 13th; Wednesday the 15th from 06.00 to 09.00. You may contact Louis Njenga  at 07903833011, Irine Wairimu at 07958204970.

Witnessing water technology

After arriving in London for the Seeds wedding on Thursday 9th July, 2009, some of the visitors visited London for the final shopping. They took time to visit the Mayor of London area on Tower Bridge where they experienced a state of art water pattern.  One minute the water is gone and the next minute the world is sprinkling everywhere. From right is Mr. George Kiratu from Elburgon, Kenya (Tel:  07536825991), Mr. Derick Kibe from Gilgil (Tel: 07536201057) and Mr. Ken Ng'ang'a from Kitengela the father of the bride (Tel: 07536825995).

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MEDICAL FUNDRAISING FOR MRS BEATRICE WANGUI KIMARU ON 25TH JULY 2009

The Kimaru's family and the organising committee would cordially invite you to a fundraising in aid of their mum who has been admitted in Agah Khan Hospital.  Mrs Beatrice Wangui Kimaru (55) is the mum to Jane Kabochi (Mama Waringa) of Chessington Surrey, Felister Wainaina (Kabura) of Tolworth Surrey and Anthony Gathogo (Kasongo) of Coventry.  She was taken ill on the beginning of March 2009 and admitted to Masaba hospital for three weeks.  She continued ailing and was admitted at the Aga Khan hospital on the May 23rd 2009 into the high dependency unit for 3 weeks and onto the medical ward for four weeks.  After several tests she was diagnosed with cancer. She had her first cycle of chemotherapy and her kidneys failed. She is still undergoing dialysis and continues cancer treatment at the Aga Khan hospital and the bill is now over 1.6 million Kenya shillings.

Therefore we will be holding a fundraising in aid of the above on Saturday 25th July, 2009 at:

BRITWELL PARISH COMMUNITY CENTRE

FURLONG DRIVE, SLOUGH, SL2 2PH

Your prayers, support and generous contributions are highly appreciated.  You can also deposit your donations:

Mrs V W Ngari, Nationwide Bank,

Sort Code 07-44-56, Account 04147404.

RSVP: G Kabochi (Koki)  - 07908786715

Zeph Mwangi (Boro) - 07898248575

Any queries you can contact me through this email or on the phone

Yours Faithfully

Joseph

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Pastor Joseph Njuguna - from pulpit to the front cover

Criminal gangs 'costing UK £40bn'.

The UK has about 30,000 criminals who are members of organised crime gangs, and who cost the country up to £40bn a year, a report says.  The Home Office is planning a new strategy to tackle criminals, using tax powers to prosecute them.  And the joint Home Office and Cabinet Office report also said criminal gangs were using new technology.  Home Secretary Alan Johnson said the strategy "goes further than ever before" in fighting organised crime.  The report also warned that gang violence would increase during the downturn as gangs battled for market share, and said the recession would create "new opportunities" for organised criminals.  And it also suggested there was an increasing level of co-operation between organised gangs and failed states such as Somalia. The report includes plans for a new strategic centre within the Home Office, which would improve monitoring of efforts to tackle the problem.  And the new strategy includes plans to use tax powers to pin down elusive criminals, shutting down "front" businesses like saunas and massage parlours used for criminal ends, and seeking to block the use of mobile phones in prisons.  The strategy would also investigate the UK-based assets of overseas criminals and step up the approach to international organised crime through better co-ordination overseas.  This will target the emergence of criminal networks in weak and failing states, the Home Office said.  The Serious Organised Crime Agency (Soca), set up in 2006 with the specific aim of tackling the problem, estimates there are 6,000 major criminals in the UK.  But Soca admits not all can be prosecuted for their crimes, which include drugs and people trafficking and money laundering.  As a result, ministers plan to target criminals for non-payment of tax.

A new pilot project involving officials from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC), Soca and Acpo will launch later this year, aimed at increasing the number of gang bosses prosecuted through tax laws.  Mr Johnson said the UK is known as a "world leader" in the fight against serious organised crime.  He also said the threat of criminal gangs "continues to evolve and it is right that we update and strengthen our response to match it.  "This strategy goes further than ever before in taking the fight to organised criminals - from the hard-to-reach criminal bosses to the lower-level players that are harming our communities."  But deputy chief constable Jon Murphy, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, said political decisions could be behind the "gap" between the scale of the problem and the ability of law enforcement agencies to tackle it.  Mr Murphy said: "I think we all acknowledge that gap does exist. Why does it exist?  "Arguably, it could be because it's a political decision. I think equally it's because of the changing nature of criminality."  He added: "British organised crime gangs are fluid, flexible and opportunistic. There are no set ranks, rules or structures which you can see with international crime gangs.  "At the very top level, the number of 'Mr Bigs' is relatively small, and those individuals and groups associated with the most harm are subject to the highest level of enforcement and intervention."

KIKÛYÛ AGE GROUP

1966 - Rika ria Coka migunda-ini - Go back to land

Motorcross star jumps across Tower Bridge

Freestyle Australian motocross star Robbie Maddison leaping over the open span of London's Tower Bridge and Robbie Maddison on his bike over an open expanse above the Thames

Robbie Maddison sailed through the air more than 100 feet over the Thames and Robbie Maddison celebrates his jump

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Chovya - chovya yamaliza buyu la asali.

Constant dipping will empty goud of honey

Illegal immigrant caught on wedding day

Home Office, 09 July 2009

An illegal immigrant was today removed from the United Kingdom after being arrested on his wedding day last week. UK Border Agency officers arrested a 29 year old man from Jamaica just before he was due to marry his British fiancée on Friday 3 July at Birmingham Register Office. The illegal immigrant, who was living in Birmingham, had overstayed his visitor's visa. Acting on intelligence, immigration officers arrested him outside the Register Office on Holliday Street before the ceremony could take place. The man was then taken to an immigration detention centre where he remained until being returned to Jamaica today. The arrest of the man who never made it up the aisle came hot on the heels of UK Border Agency officers catching two illegal immigrants working at a clothing retailer in Birmingham. Acting on intelligence, officers swooped on Sweety Fashions, Alum Rock Road on Tuesday 30 June. They sealed all exits and searched the premises before questioning the workforce and checking their identity documents. An Indian male and a man from Afghanistan were found cutting cloth despite having no permission to work in the United Kingdom. The UK Border Agency is now taking steps to remove both men from the United Kingdom as soon as possible. The business was issued with an on-the-spot penalty notice for employing illegal workers and may now face a fine of up to £20,000. To avoid a heavy fine, the business must prove to the UK Border Agency that they carried out the correct right-to-work checks for employing workers from outside the European Union. Gail Adams, UK Border Agency regional director, said:

'We will not tolerate immigration abuse and will punish those who break the immigration laws.

'These cases show how effective identity cards will be in preventing immigration abuse. Individuals will be locked down to one identity through their facial image and fingerprints.

'Foreign nationals must obey the laws of this country in the same way as everybody else. Last year we removed someone every eight minutes and this year we will deport more foreign law breakers than ever before.'

"Faith is stepping on the hand of God when you cannot see his face." - Sanity, Grace, Njeri Oxford - gracenjeri77@yahoo.com

Beat That! Drummers Smash World Record

Wannabe rock stars from across the UK have turned out in their hundreds to smash the world record for the most drummers playing the same beat at one time. A total of 582 drummers assembled at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena keen to make their way into the Guinness Book of World Records and raise money for charity. The group of celebrities, band members and children broke the record shortly before 4pm. Among the participants were Slade's Don Powell and Cold Feet star John Thomson. Organiser Craig Glover said: "It's been absolutely fantastic. Everyone has really enjoyed themselves - it was a really good atmosphere. "We did a simple rock groove and played for at least 10 minutes. "We have video evidence and certificates, which we will now send off to get verified by Guinness (World Records)." The event, named Stick It To MS, has so far raised £20,000 for the Multiple Sclerosis Society but organisers are hoping that number will rise to £50,000. The record was previously set by 533 musicians in America three years ago.

London, Sunday 12th July, 2009. A Kenyan man has been found dead in his flat at Yeovil UK. The man has been identified as Fred Gichuhi. Sources say that, Fred reported at work on Saturday the 5th July 2009. He was sent home as was complaining of feeling unwell. Fred passed by a friends house, he told the friend that he was not feeling well and that he needed to go to his flat for a rest. That was the last time Fred was seen. On the Friday the 10th, colleagues at work became concerned that Fred had not turned up to work  and that he had not contacted them as to when he goes back to work. The colleagues decided to call on his phone, but there was no response, they therefore decided to call at his (Freds) flat. They knocked on  door but there was no response. Police were contacted and on arrival, the police broke into the flat but  sadly they found him lying dead on the floor. After browsing  his mobile phone the police managed to get the contacts of  a Kenyan friend in London. The late Fred's body is at the hands of the police and the coroner as investigations has been launched to find out the cause of his death. His family in Kenya has already been informed. Contact details at the moment: Shiromaish on 07930137606. - You can deposit your help through Account no. 2003 8555, Sort code 20-96-55, Barclays Bank, J W Njogu. Where is Yeovil in UK? - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

The late Fred Gichuhi

State admits Kenya crime soaring

Nairobi, Kenya, Jul 13 – Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti on Monday publicly admitted that the country’s security had deteriorated. Prof Saitoti told reporters that the government was concerned at the soaring crime in the country and assured that adequate measures had been taken to stem it. “Indeed we (the government) are aware there has been a rise of that carjacking and other criminal activities but we have taken measures,” he said without divulging any statistics. It was the first time the government admitted that there has been rising crime. Previously, the Internal Security Minister and Police Commissioner Major General Mohammed Hussein Ali have insisted that the security status of the country was at manageable levels.  When taken to task by Capital News to explain the specific measures taken, he said: “A number of criminals have actually been arrested and others have been dealt a blow whenever they have tried to kill other people.”  Prof Saitoti said law enforcement agencies were under instructions to devise ways of reducing the emerging trends of sophisticated crime like kidnapping, mainly in Nairobi where police recently announced they were investigating 11 new cases. “Kidnapping is another nuisance, a new one that has come in and we are dealing with it,” he said.

There have been a high number of armed robberies and murders targeting high-profile personalities in Nairobi which include the killing of the Youth and Sports Permanent Secretary Kinuthia Murugu who was shot by gangsters in June but died last week at the Intensive Care Unit in Nairobi hospital. Police are yet to make any head way in the investigations into Mr Murugu’s killing. A female companion who was with the PS on the night he was shot was briefly detained for questioning by the police and released later. No charges were preferred against her. Two weeks ago, three CID officers who bumped onto a robbery at a fuel station in Athi River while on patrol were gunned down and their rifles stolen by gun men. Head of the Special Crime Prevention Unit (SCPU) Richard Katola whose department was assigned the task of searching for them told Capital News that three of them have since been killed and two firearms recovered while the fourth one was arrested. Two others are still at large. A week ago, five gun men stormed the home of Assistant Justice Minister William Cheptumo in Lang’ata and held him and his family hostage for more than three hours before they grabbed some Sh300,000, electronic goods and fled using his vehicle which was later recovered at the crime-infested Mathare slum. None of the suspect has been arrested, police said. And on Saturday night, gangsters shot and seriously wounded a city businessman Ashit Sharma who led Operation Reduce Crime (ORC), one of the most vibrant community policing initiative for Parklands residents.

Mr Sharma was attacked on Forest Road as he stood at an accident scene involving two vehicles. Police said the businessman who was driving a vehicle fitted with high frequency communication gadgets which he had just parked at the scene to talk to the motorists was shot by gangsters whom they believe recognised him and his vehicle. “It appears they knew him because they just opened fire at him and stole his licensed pistol,” Gigiri divisional police chief David Kerina said. Mr Sharma is recuperating at the Aga Khan Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Police records show that at least ten carjacking and armed robberies occur in Nairobi every week. Three or more of these involve cases where people are wounded by gun shots or just killed by the gangsters. Meanwhile, Kenyans have been urged to use their mobile phones to improve their security by putting a trusted friend or a security agency on their speed dial. KK security manager Sasha Nginja stated on Monday that doing this would help other people to be aware when one is in trouble. “It really makes a difference. If you are being attacked or whatever the case may be it is calling and someone is hearing what is going on,”  he said. He further cautioned against panic when under attack saying that it may aggravate the situation. - CapitalFM

Is Working Online At Home The Way to Financial Freedom?

As part of our ongoing series: "Jobs and the Recession: What you need to know" we examine an industry that, despite the recession, seems to be booming

Are online jobs the next big thing? As the U.S. economy continues to free-fall, millions of American are finding themselves without jobs, sufficient retirement or paychecks coming in. In March alone the number of unemployed increased by 694,000 to 13.2 million. Throughout history those on the cutting edge have adapted and prospered by knowing how to adapt to current economic climates, and this trend may once again be taking place on the internet. With more time on their hands, many document.write(state); London, City of residents (And people around the country and world) are getting creative and turning to the online world for help. For years we've all heard the stories of people making internet millions and now, it appears you don't have to be a technology guru at all to quickly get started making a decent income online. It's called Google Money Master and it's taking the internet and business communities alike by storm. While researching the online-job phenomenon for this article I found countless stories of every day people making between $250 - $1000 a day from their homes. They explain that they're posting links on websites using hugely popular text advertising applications like Google Adwords, Yahoo Search Marketing and MSN Adcenter.

Below is an excerpt from one site.

"Basically I actually make around $5,500 to $7,000 a month from Google. Not a ton of money. But, very solid and good. I was able to replace my previous job's income, working less than 10 hours a week on my computer at home." - Kevin H.

Nairobi, Monday 13th July, 2009. The Kenya government has appointed 36 new District Commissioners (DC) bringing their total number to 254.  The Commissioners' responsibilities will involve coordinating government business effectively and efficiently at the district level. Speaking Monday Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security, Prof. George Saitoti, told the new administrators to take a leading role in tackling security challenges, resolving conflicts in society and fostering development through effective coordination of government activities. "You must monitor and ensure proper utilization of government resources and be at the fore front in the campaign against corruption and other social ills," added Saitoti. He said the government had allocated Ksh 435 million for ongoing projects and Kshs. 2.1 billion to build 70 district head quarters. The funds will be channelled through the Ministry of Public Works within the next six months, Saitoti added. Speaking during the commissioning of the D.C's, the Permanent Secretary, Francis Kimemia, emphasized that they should conduct at least two public baraza's per month and schedule days when wananchi can consult them in their offices. This is to ensure free flow of information between the government and the citizens. All the newly appointed commissioners are to get a phone to be able to communicate and a computer through which they will later be able to access the internet to mould them into the appropriate culture of an administrator of the 21st Century, Kimemia added. He challenged them to  be well informed and be interested in the activities and performance of the people, institutions  and general environment  to ensure fairness and accountability . "Your role is to operationalize the plans to attain the level of zero tolerance to corruption" Kimemia said adding that each district and province has developed Corruption Prevention strategy customized from Ministerial corruption plan.

We don’t Twitter, says London teenager who shocked internet’s biggest bosses

A London teenager's report into his friends' media habits has caused a sensation among some of the world's most powerful internet bosses.  Matthew Robson, 15, who is doing work experience at Morgan Stanley, was asked by the bank's European media analysts to write a research note into the media consumption of his peers.  When he revealed that teenagers don't use Twitter, have little time for TV and find advertising “annoying”, his report was described by Morgan Stanley as “one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights”.  This led the City bank to publish Matthew's findings — and it became the talk of the Allen & Co conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. The annual event — held behind closed doors — features some of the most influential figures in new media, including Google's Eric Schmidt and Larry Page, Twitter boss Evan Williams, Facebook's Mark Zuckerburg, and media moguls Barry Diller and Rupert Murdoch. Matthew's research note said: “Teenagers do not use Twitter. Updating the micro-blogging service from mobile phones costs valuable credit” and “they realise that no one is viewing their profile, so their tweets are pointless”.  He said his peers find it hard to make time for television, instead watching online, and would rather listen to advert-free music on websites such as Last.fm than tune into traditional radio.

“Even online, teens find advertising extremely annoying and pointless,” Matthew added. “Their time and money is spent instead on cinema, concerts and video game consoles which now double as a more attractive vehicle for chatting with friends than the phone.”  Edward Hill-Wood, head of Morgan Stanley's European media analysts, revealed that Matthew's report generated six times more feedback than the team's normal reports. He said: “It was one of the clearest and most thought-provoking insights we have seen. So we published it.  “We've had dozens and dozens of fund managers, and several CEOs, e-mailing and calling all day.” Matthew also said in his report that none of his friends regularly reads a newspaper as most could not “be bothered to read pages and pages of text”, rather than seeing summaries online or on TV.  The teenager's verdict that tomorrow's consumer may be using more media but is increasingly unwilling to pay for it has been seen as confirming doubts raised this weekend by some of the executives at the conference. Many are speculating whether popular but expensive-to-run sites such as Twitter and YouTube could ever be profitable. There had been speculation that the event could spark a deal to buy the micro-blogging site Twitter, but those attending said the economic slump had deterred possible buyers.

Crisis spurs people to work for free - good or bad?

NEW YORK (Reuters) - With U.S. unemployment at a 20-year high, some Americans are working for free while looking for a job, but experts are split over whether it is a sign of dedication or desperation. Unpaid job seekers can keep their resumes fresh by boosting their experience and learning new skills, experts say, but others warn businesses may take advantage of the jobless and that it is illegal for commercial companies not to pay workers. Dana Lin, 22, is one of the 14.7 million unemployed workers in the United States. She lost her marketing job at a technology company near San Francisco in April and since then has been working for free for about five hours a week for Internet company Jobnob.com. "Every company has thousands of people applying for each job, and I realized I needed more appeal," said Lin, a graduate of Cornell University. Since being laid off, she has applied unsuccessfully for about 50 jobs. "In some cases companies might be getting the better end of it (by having unpaid workers)," she said.

"But it's nice to have something occupy yourself with and when speaking to prospective employers it's nice to say 'I haven't just been sitting around all day, I've actually been doing something.'" It's not only the unemployed taking on free work. Some employed people are being asked by bosses to go without pay. British Airways last month asked its British-based employees to volunteer for up to a month's unpaid work. Some companies and U.S. state and city governments have made staff take unpaid furloughs, but some employees still work anyway to keep up or because they are worried about losing their job. Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Washington D.C.-based Economic Policy Institute, warns that while people can volunteer time for non-profit groups and government, it is illegal for commercial companies to not pay workers. "It's not just a bad idea, it's illegal," Eisenbrey. "The law says (companies) may not suffer or permit employees to work for less than the minimum wage. "The more desperate people get, they will do things like this to try and make themselves more appealing to an employer," he said. "The short-term prospects for most of the unemployed are very bad. They aren't going to be made much better by working off the books or working for nothing."

BUILDING TALENT PIPELINE

Job seeker Lin started working with Jobnob.com, a website that tracks salaries, after the company held its first so-called "happy hour" -- to link unemployed people with mostly start-up businesses that have work but are unable to pay. "The job seekers have time," said Julie Greenberg, co-founder of Jobnob.com. "It's really dangerous for them because once you are unemployed for a few months, there's this proverbial white space on your resume that's growing." "They immediately see the benefits, they need references, they need to keep their skills sharp, a lot of people are learning new skills," she said. "I don't think there's anybody who feels taken advantage of because they understand that ... we wish we had revenue, we wish we could pay you." Greenberg said more than 300 job seekers attended the first two "happy hours" and more such events have been planned.

WHAT SOME OF LONDON PAPERS SAY ON MONDAY 13TH JULY, 2009

LEFT: The Daily Mail says that a number of senior soldiers have launched an attack on Gordon Brown over his handling of the war in Afghanistan. CENTRE: The Daily Express says that energy bills are set to rise by more than £200 a month because of 'green' taxes. RIGHT: The Daily Star says that La Toya Jackson has named the people she alleges are responsible for the death of her brother Michael.

London, Sunday 12th July, 2009. The driver of a black cab decapitated himself in his taxi today after tying one end of a rope to his neck and the other to a lamp post. The man, believed to be in his thirties, is said to have then driven off at full speed shortly after midnight. His head was found yards from the vehicle in Great Suffolk Street in Southwark near an informal depot for taxi drivers. One of his colleagues, who preferred to remain anonymous, said: “One of the drivers was at the scene just afterwards. He saw the cab all smashed up against a pillar, with the driver's body still inside the vehicle. “He then saw the head lying on the side of the road next to some rope. It is horrific.” He added: “The driver who arrived at the scene just afterwards alerted the police and ambulance service. Some people from the flats nearby also came running out of their homes when they heard the crash.” The death happened at the entrance to a disused Texaco petrol station which has a café and a number of spare parts shops on it. Witnesses said the cab was surrounded by police tape and ambulance crews after the incident. One, who asked not to be named, said: “It is unbelievable he would do that.” Mark Wilson, 43, was working in the nearby Union Jack pub when the driver committed suicide. He said: “I was clearing tables when I saw ambulances turn up. “I looked up and saw the taxi jutting out from the garage with police tape across the entrance. “At first I thought there had been a stabbing but now I know it wasn't.” The dead driver is believed to have been working a night shift before apparently killing himself. Scotland Yard said the death was not being treated as suspicious but it was investigating. Ambulance services attended at 12.40am and the man was pronounced dead at the scene. Police were trying to trace the driver's next of kin today. They were also trying to establish if the dead man was a genuine black-cab driver.

Climbing into bed the hard way

Artist Tiago Primo climbs into bed, positioned just above his dining room table. He and brother Gabriel have bemused onlookers by spending up to 14 hours a day in their 'house' on the side of an art gallery in Rio.

A boy of 12 collapsed after downing a one-litre bottle of energy drink. Reece Stiddard suffered severe chest pains after drinking caffeine-based Red Rooster. 'He collapsed on a path and was lying on the floor holding his chest, short of breath and crying,' said his 35-year-old father Grant, from Bristol. The pains on Friday were caused by a racing heartbeat, tests showed. 'The product label clarifies that it is not suitable for children, pregnant women and persons sensitive to caffeine,' said a Red Rooster spokesman.

LEFT: Stunning photos from space have been released by NASA, including this breathtaking image of the Sarychev Volcano on the Kuril Islands, seen from the International Space Station. RIGHT: NASA's Terra satellite took this natural-color image of Saharan sand blowing off the coasts of Mauritania and Senegal.

A 33-year-old Kenyan man has admitted to using the identities of dead people to rort about $330,000 from Centrelink and sending some of the money overseas. Bernard Monyenye on Friday 10th July, 2009  pleaded guilty in Perth Magistrates Court to a range of fraud charges including 23 counts of dishonestly obtaining financial benefits from Centrelink, one count of exporting money which were proceeds of crime and attempting to obtain money from Centrelink. When the Australian Federal Police charged Monyenye last November, they said he used his position at Medicare to access Centrelink records of dead people to obtain tax file numbers and create false claims for baby bonus payments for 58 fictitious children. It is understood Mr Monyenye defrauded the Federal Government of about $318,000 while he tried to obtain another $10,000. Commonwealth prosecutor Patricia Aloi said between about mid-August and mid-November last year, Mr Monyenye transferred more than $19,000 overseas It is understood the money was sent to more than one country - which included his home nation Kenya. The charge of attempting to dishonestly obtain a financial advantage from Centrelink stems from an incomplete transaction about the time of Mr Monyenye's arrest late last year. Mr Monyenye initially faced 48 charges, but the court was told that prosecutors decided to drop 23 charges because of "no evidence". The charges that were withdrawn included the abuse of public office while he worked for Medicare. Outside court, Ms Aloi said the prosecution was proceeding with the more appropriate charges based on their evidence. Magistrate Pamela Hogan ordered pre-sentence and psychiatric reports before she renewed Mr Monyenye's bail until his sentencing in the Perth District Court next month.

"Forgive a wife-slammer if you can. But you don't have to live with him. Forgive a husband who is abusing your children if you can. But only after you kick him out of the house. And if you can't get him out, get help. It's available. In the meantime, don't let him near the kids, and don't let anyone tell you that if you forgive him it means you have to stay with him. [There's an important difference between forgiving a person and tolerating their bad behaviour.]" - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

A drunk German sparked a slow-speed police chase after stealing a tractor to get home from a nightclub after his girlfriend left without him, said police, who used pepper spray to try to stop the vehicle.  'After his girlfriend abandoned him in a night club, the 23-year-old driver, who doesn't own a licence, commandeered the vehicle to make his way home,' a police spokesman said on Monday. Six police cars began trailing the tractor, which was chugging along at 12 miles an hour, after they were alerted to the theft at about 5 am on Saturday.  Officers tried holding up stop signs and directing pepper spray through the open window to bring the driver to a halt.  They then tried unsuccessfully to end his getaway by throwing nail belts on the road, but the tractor's tyres proved too thick, said the police spokesman.  The 40-minute chase finally came to an end when officers shot at the tractor's tyres after it rammed into a police car and collided with another vehicle.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kazi mbaya siyo mchezo mwema.

A bad job is not as worthless as a good game

Weird Fact of the Day (that you probably didn't know)

Thursday, June 25: It only takes eight minutes for sunlight to travel from the sun to the earth, which also means that if you see the sun go out, it actually went out eight minutes ago and if the sun stopped shining it would take eight minutes for us to realise.

Wednesday, June 24: King Charles VI of France - also, rather aptly it seems, known as Charles the Mad - suffered from the delusion that he was made of glass. He had protective iron bars sewn into his clothing to prevent him from shattering if he fell.

Tuesday, June 23: The inventor of the light bulb, Thomas Edison, is said to have been afraid of the dark.

Monday, June 22: In space, no one can hear you cry. Because you can't. Astronauts are unable to cry properly because there is no gravity and tears cannot flow properly as they would on Earth. It is possible to produce tears in space - but they would leave the eye and float around.

Friday, June 19: The first modern dishwashing machine was invented by wealthy American socialite Josephine Cochrane in 1886 - not to reduce the amount of kitchenwork she had to do, because she never did any, but because she was annoyed with her servants chipping her china.

Thursday, June 18: In addition to achieving fame with his tales of Sherlock Holmes, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle also helped to introduce skiing to Switzerland in 1894. 'I am convinced that the time will come when hundreds of Englishmen will come to Switzerland for the skiing season,' he wrote.

Wednesday, June 17: Charles Dickens always slept facing north, in an effort to battle insomnia - when he travelled, he would carry a compass with him and move his bed around so it was correctly aligned. He also liked to face north while writing, believing it aided his creativity.

Tuesday, June 16: From the bizarre experiments file: in 1960, sleep researcher Ian Oswald of the University of Edinburgh performed an experiment to see if volunteers would be able to fall asleep even if he tape their eyelids open. The answer, it turned out, was yes.

Monday, June 15: The first ever blood transfusion in a human was performed on June 15, 1667 – when French physician Jean-Baptiste Denis treated a feverish young man by giving him about 340ml of lamb's blood. The patient apparently recovered well.

Friday, June 12: At the party to celebrate the drafting of the United States constitution in September 1787, the bar bill included 60 bottles of claret, 54 of Madeira, 22 of porter, 12 of beer, 8 of cider, 8 of whiskey and 7 large bowls of punch. That was for 55 people. Hardcore.

Thursday, June 11: The earliest known chain letter in history spread around America in 1888 - asking for people to donate a dime to the education of poor children in the Cumberlands region of Tennessee, and asking the recipient to forward the letter to four friends.

Wednesday, June 10: Le Bateau, a piece by the great French artist Henri Matisse, was accidentally hung upside down when displayed in the New York Museum of Modern Art in 1961. Nobody noticed the error for forty-seven days.

Tuesday, June 9: The first picture anybody ever clicked on the web was a promotional photograph of Les Horribles Cernettes, a girl group formed at particle physics research centre CERN, who sing about high energy physics. They had an office next door to web creator Tim Berners-Lee.

Monday, June 8: Nicotine gum was invented in Sweden in the late 1960s, after the Swedish government asked a pharmaceutical company to investigate ways of preventing sailors in their navy becoming grumpy after spending days at sea on their smoke-free ships.

Friday, June 5: King Charles II is said to have had a fondness for collecting the dust that fell from the skin of Egyptian mummies, and rubbing it on his own skin - under the belief that the greatness of the ancients would rub off on him.

Wednesday, June 3: When an iceberg melts, it makes a loud fizzing noise, caused by all the trapped high-pressure air bubbles in the ice being released. This noise has the rather wonderful name of 'Bergy Seltzer.'

Tuesday, June 2: In 1970, baseball pitcher Dock Ellis played an entire match while high on LSD, following a mix-up about when he was playing. Despite having difficulty feeling the ball or seeing the batter, he threw a 'no-hitter' (preventing the opposition from ever hitting the ball) and his team won.

Friday, May 29: King Otto of Bavaria - who 'ruled' from 1886 to 1913, and was quite mad - is reputed to have exercised his right to shoot one peasant every day. Luckily for Bavaria's peasants, his attendants gave him pistols loaded with blanks and dressed up as peasants, playing dead whenever he 'shot' them.

Thursday, May 28: Bacteria have an impressive, if unfortunate, tendency to get everywhere - last year, Japanese scientists discovered a new species of bacteria, Microbacterium hatanonis, which lives in hairspray. It's not yet known if it could infect humans.

Wednesday, May 27: The city of Richmond, Virginia is a historic one in the world of beer cans. The very first canned beer was sold there in 1935 (a can of Krueger's Finest Beer), while the 'stay-on tab' ring pull was invented there by Dan Cudzik of Reynolds Metals in 1975.

Tuesday, May 26: The equals sign was invented by a Welshman - physician and mathematician Robert Recorde, who created the = sign in 1557, on the grounds that writing 'is equal to' repeatedly was 'tedious'. He chose two parallel lines because 'noe 2 thynges can be moare equalle'.

Thursday, May 21: The first lighter was invented before the first friction-based match. The lighter, known as 'Döbereiner's lamp', was created by German chemist Johann Wolfgang Döbereiner in 1823 - three years before English chemist John Walker invented the friction match.

Wednesday, May 20: The small town of Codell in Kansas was hit by a deadly tornado on May 20th, 1918. Not especially remarkable - except it had also been hit by tornados at around the same time in the evening, on the same day, in 1917 and 1916 as well.

Monday, May 18: It is reputed that when John Hetherington, the inventor of the top hat, first wore his creation in London, it caused a riot in which a child's arm was broken. He was prosecuted for his hat crime, on the grounds that the design was 'calculated to frighten timid people'.

Friday, May 15: The microscopic parasite Toxoplasma gondii has an interesting effect when it infects rats and mice - it makes become unafraid of cats. This is pretty helpful to the Toxoplasma, which can only sexually reproduce if its host is eaten by a cat.

Thursday, May 14: When the Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in Paris in 1911, one of the people arrested on suspicion of its theft was Pablo Picasso. He'd been implicated by his friend, the poet Guillaume Apollinaire; both men were questioned, and eventually released.

Tuesday, May 12: The 'Sinner's Bible' is a version of the Bible printed in 1631 which, thanks to a typesetting error in the Ten Commandments, said 'Thou shalt commit adultery' instead of 'Thous shalt not commit adultery.' The printers were fined £300, and almost all the copies were destroyed.

Monday, May 11: In 1809, a rise in ticket prices at the newly rebuilt Covent Garden Theatre caused such outrage among theatre-goers that it sparked an ongoing series of riots - the 'Old Price Riots' - which lasted for almost three months.

Friday, May 08: Prompted by Atlanta's 1886 prohibition of alcohol, chemist John S. Pemberton decided to market a non-alcoholic version of his popular medicinal wine, which also included kola nut and coca leaves. As a result, on May 8 that year, the first Coca-Cola in the world was sold.

Thursday, May 07: The oldest condoms ever discovered by archaeologists date back to the 1640s. They were found in a former toilet in Dudley Castle in the West Midlands. They are thought to have been made from fish bladders or animal intestines.

Wednesday, May 06: King Charles VI of France, also known as Charles the Mad, suffered from the delusion he was made of glass. He even had protective iron bars sewn into his clothes to prevent him from shattering if he fell.

Tuesday, May 05: In 1988, Tiáo, a bad-tempered chimpanzee at Rio de Janeiro Zoo, who had a habit of flinging excrement at visitors, was nominated by a satirical magazine to stand in Rio's Mayoral election. He got over 400,000 votes, coming third out of twelve candidates.

Friday, May 01: On May 1st 1978, the first spam email was written by a man named Gary Thuerk. Sent out two days later to around 600 unwilling recipients, it advertised open houses on America's west coast for computer company Digital Equipment Corp. And so a phenomenon was born.

Thursday, April 30: While everybody's worried about a global pandemic, here's something to take your mind off those fears: since 1945, it's thought that at least 50 nuclear weapons have been lost around the world, and were never recovered.

Wednesday, April 29: The largest raindrops ever recorded were almost 1cm in diameter, spotted by scientists over Brazil and the Marshall Islands in 2004. Normally, raindrops over 5mm in diameter break apart - it's thought the 1cm drops may have been formed around large soot particles.

Tuesday, April 28: The legendary baseball player Babe Ruth was reputed to have an innovative method of keeping cool during games - he was said to place an iced cabbage leaf on his head, hidden under his cap.

A bridegroom and his parents who invented injuries to claim compensation after a minor crash on his wedding day have each been jailed for a year. Andrew Singh, 26, his father Graham, 53, and mother Niramella, 49, were caught out when a video showed them dancing just hours after the accident. Manchester Crown Court heard they tried to sue Hollins Travel for whiplash. All three, from Old Trafford, had admitted perjury and conspiracy to defraud, at an earlier hearing. Recorder David Heaton QC was told that on the day of the wedding, in July 2004, two of their wedding coaches were involved in minor crashes. The first collided with a car, with only the driver receiving serious injuries and the second coach crashed into a wall in the car park of the wedding venue in Preston, Lancashire. The court heard that all of the guests involved in the collisions managed to enjoy the wedding party that evening. Singh, the bridegroom, was even lifted up in the air and carried by the crowds while his parents danced on energetically. Their deceit was only uncovered when the Singhs handed in the wedding video as part of their case against the travel firm, Hollins. They used it in their evidence against the coach firm to show they were on board the vehicles when they crashed. However, shots of them partying after the footage of the collisions sparked suspicions. The Singhs' attempts to claim £1,500 each for their non-existent injuries were dismissed by the civil court and instead they were each ordered to pay £73,000 in court costs. The case was then passed to the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Crown Prosecution Service who decided the three should face criminal charges. Speaking after the sentencing, Det Con Chris Harrison said: "These claims may well have caused Hollins, a small, local company, to go bust. "This was not only an attempt to make a false insurance claim for money; this was also an insult to the civil courts system. These three family members knowingly lied during a civil hearing in front of a judge. "False insurance claims are criminal, fraudulent offences. The Singh family is lucky that the sentence was not more severe, as new legislation does not apply to this case."

The Singhs admitted perjury and conspiracy to defraud and on right the Singhs tried to claim £1,500 for their fake injuries

Ntimama cries for Mau complex

Nairobi, Kenya, July 10 - Cabinet Minister William ole Ntimama on Friday criticised the government over what he termed as a slow system in protecting the ecosystem, especially the Mau complex. Mr Ntimama said the destruction of the water tower was going on daily despite the concerns that had been raised over the years. “I have been yelling, screaming, talking and writing articles.  That is the best I can do,” he said. “The Mau complex is so large but I am particularly interested on Southern Mau which is in my constituency (Narok North) and the direct effects and suffering of our own people is being felt right there on the ground,” he added. The Minister was speaking at an annual luncheon of the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya, where the Chairman Jackson Maingi said Kenyans were the greatest threat to their own environment.  Mr Maingi called for balance between environmental conservation and human interest. “Government policies, societal values and norms must be positively geared in order to avoid wanton destruction of the environment which would in turn create a negative impact on sustainable environmental management,” he said. “By destroying the environment, the human race seems headed towards self destruction and this is tragic,” Mr Maingi added.  The Minister on the other hand noted that the Mau complex which is the biggest water tower in East and Central Africa apart from the Congo rain forests has suffered invasion from local communities. “This has actually been encouraged and facilitated by government officials in Narok and Nairobi, local and national leaders,” he claimed. Prime Minister Raila Odinga is yet to make public a report by a 21- member Mau taskforce he set up to make recommendations on the conservation of the forest. The taskforce was set up mid last year to formulate concrete actions of restoring the forest. It was also expected to develop a time bound implementation plan for conserving the forest including eviction of the people living in the forest. - CapitalFM

A day after former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan handed over the envelope with the list of post-election violence suspects to The Hague, the International Criminal Court (ICC) swung into action and set up a team to deal with the Kenyan case. - MORE

Muthaura in stable condition

Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura who underwent a heart surgery in South Africa is in stable condition. His physicians Frank Mwongera and Charles Kariuki said Muthaura would leave ICU to the ward later Friday.  "He has continued to make excellent progress and is in good cheer. His family and doctors are happy with his progress" his doctors said in a statement. Muthaura who is admitted to Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg had a successful heart surgery on Wednesday morning. Muthaura 61 was taken ill on Monday and was rushed to the Nairobi Hospital where he was hospitalized for three days before being flown to SA.  Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua said Muthaura had narrowed arteries to his heart. 

Nairobi, Kenya, July 10 - Former UN chief Kofi Annan has now sent the envelope containing the list of post poll violence perpetrators to prosecutor at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Capital News has learnt that Annan dispatched the secret list to Luis Moreno Ocampo following his meetings with Kenyan officials in Geneva recently. He said his action follows talks he held with government officials led by Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Lands Minister James Orengo and Attorney General Amos Wako last week. Mr Annan says in a letter dated July 9 to Prime Minister Raila Odinga:  “I wish to inform you that the Panel of Eminent African Personalities has handed over to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, the sealed envelope and supporting materials entrusted to me by the Waki Commission on 17th October 2008.” The chief mediator further avers:  “I have written in similar terms to President Kibaki.” Mr Annan recalled the meeting he held with the Kenya Government delegation last week:  “We discussed the status of the implementation of the National Accord and progress on Agenda Item Four reforms including modalities of the establishment of a Special Tribunal, as recommended by the Commission of Inquiry into the post election violence in Kenya.” The envelop has been handed over to Mr Ocampo together with supporting materials that were given to Mr Annan by Justice Philip Waki last October. When Mr Kilonzo, Mr Orengo and the AG left the country a week ago, it had been expected that they would plead with Mr Annan to suspend sending the names to The Hague.  The three later met Mr Ocampo in the Netherlands. The government made a bid to introduce a Bill to establish a local Tribunal but it was defeated by backbenchers. The backbenchers have recently made it clear that they will shoot any similar Bill taken to the House, insisting that the perpetrators of the violence should face trial at The Hague. It had been feared that a local Tribunal would be susceptible to manipulation whereas The Hague option provides a real opportunity to end the culture of impunity.

The final team arrives

The final wedding team for the Seeds wedding arrived in London on Thursday 9th July, 2009. The team of five arrived at Heathrow Airport in the morning via Dubai. On the photo taking a cup of tea after arrival is from right is Mr. George Kiratu a businessman from Elburgon, Kenya, Mrs. Esther Kamuri (wife of Bishop Muya), Bishop Samuel Muya and Mr. Joe Mwai who went to welcome them. The wedding takes place on Saturday 11th July, 2009.

London, Friday 10th July, 2009. A young man - reported to be British - has been gored to death in the traditional running of the bulls in Pamplona, northern Spain.  The man was gored in the neck on Friday, during the fourth bull run of the San Fermin festival. Three other runners were injured in the incident.  Spanish media said the British man had emergency surgery in hospital but died of his injuries. He has not been named.  The last fatal goring at the week-long festival was in 1995.  A light-brown bull called Capuchino ploughed into a group of runners and spectators on Friday after getting separated from the main pack. The BBC's Steve Kingstone in Madrid says the running of the bulls - opposed by animal rights activists - is a defining event in Spanish culture. Popularised by the writer Ernest Hemingway, it attracts thousands of foreign tourists each year - many of whom choose to take part. Friday's incident happened close to the start of the 850-metre (yard) run through the streets of Pamplona.

On each morning of the San Fermin festival six bulls are released

Janet Buerki Narh sadly passed away on 20th June 2009 at a West London hospital at 2.30pm. This site is dedicated to celebrating the life of Janet Narh and is an official source of information for all her viewers, listeners, supporters, friends and family. - MORE

DAKS RESTAURANT (Safari taste)

14 St. George’s road, Forest Gate, London, E7

A place where the great old flavour of East African cuisine come alive, at a relaxing and family friendly environment. We’ll be serving Kenyan dishes on Friday, Saturday & Sunday come & enjoy nyama choma, githeri, chapatti, mukimo, fish, matoke, kuku fry.etc. There will also be a buffet every Sunday afternoon, bring your family & friends “eat as much as you can” at a reasonable price. Starting this weekend of the 10/07/09.

We also offer outside catering, birthday parties, wedding or any other events.

Karibu sana!

For more information contact (chef) Joe on 07508018091.

Nairobi, Kenya, Jul 9 - Youth and Sports Permanent Secretary Kinuthia Murugu who was admitted to the Nairobi hospital following a shooting incident three weeks ago has died. Hospital sources told Capital News that the former PS succumbed to the injuries at 3.35 am while at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua later said the government was saddened by the death. "The Govt is sad to announce that PS Murugu succumbed to his injuries and passed away at 3:35 am this morning (Thursday) at Nairobi hospital. May the Lord rest his soul in eternal peace," he said in a statement.  Mr Murugu was shot by gangsters who accosted him on Muringa road in the upmarket Kilimani area three weeks ago. Police said that the PS was shot after he allegedly tried to reverse his vehicle to escape the gang that had waylaid him. "The suspects then opened fire, wounding him on the shoulder and made his vehicle to land in a ditch," Deputy Police Spokesman Charles Owino said. He has since remained in the ICU after undergoing an operation to remove a bullet that was lodged in his body. Carjackings have been on the rise in the city in the recent past. On June 9, Khwisero MP Evans Bulimo Akula was carjacked and robbed but was later freed unharmed after a three-hour ordeal. He described the crime to Capital News as "the worst incident in his life" but said he was lucky to be alive for cooperating with the heavily armed gangsters. The lawmaker said he was attacked as he was about to enter his compound on Rhapta Road at about 11 pm. "When they asked for money, I said I could get them Sh50,000 and that was what was in the ATM. They stopped the vehicle and one of them asked for my PIN and went to the cash point," he said. "That is what saved me because when they got the money, they drove to Upper Hill and said it was a convenient location to abandon me," he said. The MP's vehicle was recovered the next day at Kamai area in Kahawa West.  No arrests have been made yet. - CapitalFM.

Youth and Sports Permanent Secretary Kinuthia Murugu is dead

The number of people in UK drinking themselves to death has soared by 40 per cent in the past ten years.  There were 7,341 deaths last year compared with 5,287 people who died in 1999, figures showed.  Worryingly, the number of women who lost their lives to drink has risen by 32 per cent to 2,501 while the number of men has soared by 43 per cent to 4,840.  There has also been a 24 per cent rise in the number of young adults - under the age of 40 - who died from alcohol.  Shadow home office minister James Brokenshire, who obtained the figures following a Parliamentary question, said the government 'seemed completely unaware of the enormity of the problem'.  He added: 'The impact on services like the NHS really can't go on.'  Liberal Democrat health spokesman Norman Lamb said Britain's 'drinking culture' was to blame.  'This is horrifying evidence of the scale of the alcohol crisis,' he added. 'Ministers cannot continue to ignore the fact that thousands of people are dying because of excessive alcohol consumption.'  Alcohol Concern said the price of drinks should be raised as a deterrent.  Chief executive Don Shenker said: 'There's no magic bullet to change our drinking culture but putting a stop to the irresponsible sale of low cost alcohol would be an effective step in the right direction.'  Ministers said they were spending millions educating people to the dangers of alcohol with every pound spent saving the public purse £1.20.  'Alcohol is one of the most challenging public health issues we face. We are working harder than ever to reduce alcohol-related hospital admissions and to help those who regularly drink too much,' said a government spokesman.

The second Wedding team arrives in London from Kenya

Several guests have already arrived for the Seeds wedding in London on Saturday 11th July, 2009. Over 10 relatives and friends managed to get visa and several others from US other areas are on their way. Some guests from New Zealand made a surprise call that they are already in UK. The wedding of Jackson Njiiri and Sharon Njeri takes place on Saturday. (See below). Arriving at Heathrow Airport are five family members while another team of five arrives on Thursday. Bishop Samuel Muya and his wife will be arriving on Thursday 9th July, 2009. The team was caught at Dubai airport on Wednesday morning as they await a connection to London.

The  Seeds wedding is on 11th July 2009

The Wedding of Jackson Karanja Njiiri (Mr. Seed's son) and Miss Sharon Njeri takes place on Saturday 11th July, 2009 at Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church, head office Prayer Temple, Docklands, London, 119 East India Dock Road, Poplar, London E14 6DE as from 10.00 a.m. A reception will follow thereafter at Pavillion Banqueting Suite, 324 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 9PX as from 2.00 p.m. till late. All guest are requested to be seated by 4.00 p.m. as the food service will take place between 4.00 and 5.30 prompt. The reception hall is 2 minutes walk from Wathamstow underground station. All cars will be parked at Wathamstow Central Station Public Car Park where they will be security upto to midnight. The park charges £2 for the full day.

Mr. Jackson Karanja Njiiri and Miss Sharon Njeri

Ngugi wa Thiongo's son visiting youth in Luton

Luton Young Leaders Academy (LYLA) invites you to attend an evening with Mukoma Ngugi, Nominee Of The Kain Price Awards 2009, son of the renowned African writer/author Dr Ngugi Wa Thiongo, Professor of Languages & Cultures at Irvine University, California.   Poetry will be followed by a discussion. Books and other items will be on sale.  Refreshments will also be available.   Venue: Lewsey Farm Learning Centre Trust, 92 Tomlinson Avenue, Luton LU4 0QQ Time: 6:30 - 9:30 Entry: Free   Contact Juliet 07957 147547 and Allan 07887 518131.

WHAT SOME OF THE UK NEWSPAPERS SAY ON THURSDAY 9TH JULY 2009

LEFT: The Daily Express leads with claims that a new pill could extend the lifespan of people by up to 23 years. CENTRE: The Daily Mail claims British taxpayers are providing £1m for a jail in Nigeria for people whose crimes were committed in the UK. RIGHT: A 16-year-old girl who is facing a life sentence after luring a teenage boy to his death in an horrific "honey trap" murder.

The UK government is considering "no fee degrees"

The government is considering "no fee degrees", in which students in England would not pay tuition fees - but would not get any loans or other support. These could be aimed at university students living at home with their parents, allowing them to avoid debt. The proposal is in a draft framework for the future of higher education. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills says it might not be in the final version - and discussion of the plan remains "speculative". But university leaders suggest the radical idea remains active and under consultation. The no-fee degrees proposal would offer students the option of avoiding the cost of paying tuition fees, which are £3,225 per year from next year.  If fees were to be waived in this way, in exchange students would not be able to claim the package of financial support which can include low-interest loans and means-tested bursaries. It is anticipated that this might be of interest to the growing number of students who now live at home while studying for degrees. It might also appeal to students taking higher education courses in further education colleges. The director general of the Russell Group of prestigious universities, Wendy Piatt, said there were concerns that such approaches should not reduce the quality of university courses. The chair-elect of the 1994 Group of research-intensive universities, Paul Wellings, says he welcomes "a diverse range of higher education provision", but emphasises the importance of maintaining quality. "To ensure quality any new proposals must be fully funded by government - we will be cautious of any new proposals that result in cut-price, lower quality degrees of a lower value to students, particularly in terms of graduate employability," said Prof Wellings.

But a spokesman for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said: "As part of the higher education framework we are considering a number of measures to increase access to higher education and maintain our sector's world class status. "Ahead of its publication any discussion of the proposals it will contain are purely speculative."  As well as the framework setting out future priorities, the government is to begin a separate review of student fees in the autumn - trying to reconcile the demands for more funding from the universities with the unpopularity of raising tuition fees. At present, universities are not allowed to raise tuition fees above the fixed cap - and the fees review will have to decide whether this upper limit should be raised or removed altogether. The proposal for a no-fee degree would provide another option - saving the government the expense of financial support, while allowing students and their families to avoid fees and student debt. This would depend on students having families that are able and willing to support them. For parents, it would mean that in financial terms, sending a child to university would be similar to their being in the sixth form at school or college, with the family typically providing accommodation but with no fees for tuition. There have been warnings that students from poorer families are more debt averse and this could have the appeal of a simple system, with no debts attached. But it is also likely to raise concerns about inequalities in the student funding system - with different students facing different levels of debts. There is growing pressure on the university system - and increasingly urgent calls for more funding. The downturn in the jobs market has sparked a surge of applications for university, with warnings that this is going to create a demand that cannot be met.  Universities have been calling for extra funding to provide more places, but the government faces its own pressures on public spending.

Giant cucumber shatters world record

A pensioner has broken Britain's Guinness World Records after somehow managing to produce a giant cucumber that's still growing.  Former bus driver Yitzhak Yizdanpana, has grown a goliath 1.2 metre cucumber that is still growing at 2 cm a week. Yitzhak said that he did not use any fertiliser or add anything to the soil and that when the cucumber stops growing he will put it up for a Guinness World Record.  His neighbour's son five-year-old Yanir loves to measure his height next to the green giant.  The previous world record for the Longest Cucumber was a 91cm cucumber which was grown by Alf Cobb of Nottinghamshire.

Kibaki rejects new State House limos

State House on Tuesday rejected eight new luxury cars, signalling the government’s determination to observe austerity measures. A statement from State House quoted President Kibaki and First Lady Lucy Kibaki saying they did not order and were not aware of the purchase of the cars that had just been delivered.  The Nation learnt that the cars — four luxury Mercedes Benz limousines, three 4-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser Prados and one Nissan Hardbody — were bought last month. The purchase of the vehicles appears to have been part of last month’s last-minute spending by ministries and government departments to avoid returning unused funds to the Treasury. The Presidential Press Services (PPS) said that the decision was meant to give support to measures announced by Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta to cut down government expenditure. The minister, in his Budget speech last month, announced that Cabinet ministers will be limited to cars of not more than 1800cc. The number of cars allocated to each minister was also reduced, but some ministers have openly ridiculed the measure and announced that they would not surrender their limousines and fuel-guzzling 4x4s. “State House will support austerity measures announced by the Minister for Finance on a freeze in the purchase of new vehicles. As an immediate measure, we are ordering the return of the eight vehicles that were purchased without our knowledge. We also appeal to all ministries to support the efforts by the Finance minister to cut down on government costs,” said the President and the First Lady. - Daily Nation.

A 'honeytrap' which saw a boy stabbed to death

A two-timing schoolgirl who lured her 16-year-old boyfriend into a 'honeytrap' which saw him stabbed to death was facing a life sentence yesterday.  Wearing a short see-through dress, Samantha Joseph, 15, tricked lovestruck Shakilus Townsend into following her to an alleyway where he was ambushed by a gang of six masked and hooded teenagers.  The youngster bled to death after being beaten with a baseball bat and stabbed six times in a 'relentless and merciless attack' led by a jealous love rival who was also dating Joseph. One of the killers was out on bail at the time. - FULL STORY
 

UK set to reform bank regulation

The UK government is set to announce its plans to reform the financial system to prevent future crises. But the White Paper will leave many questions unanswered about the role of the key regulators. The Lib Dems say it is unlikely to go far enough. New powers will be proposed to curb bank lending and prevent asset bubbles, such as the housing boom, undermining the real economy. The government has put up more than £1 trillion to bail out failing banks. The aim, according to Chancellor Alistair Darling, is a "significant toughening up of the regulatory system" in order to "learn the lesson of what went wrong... and make sure we reduce those risks".  However, many of the detailed proposals in the White Paper will need further discussion with international regulators and the financial services industry, so only a limited number will be included in parliamentary legislation this autumn - leaving the next government to sort out many tricky issues. Angela Knight, head of the British Bankers' Association, said that the government should move cautiously in order not to make the recession worse. The government plan will build on the proposals made by Lord Turner, the head of the FSA, in March, and endorsed by the G20 summit in April. The US is expected to introduce broadly similar legislation later this week.

Vince Cable, Liberal Democrat Treasury spokesman, said the reforms expected in the White Paper were unlikely to go far enough. "The big issue of the day, which I don't think this White Paper will address at all, is that since it took over the banks... the government's let the situation drift," he told the BBC. "An enormous amount of taxpayers' money's gone in. It's not clear that credit is coming out to perfectly good solvent companies. "We've still got a credit crisis. The bonus culture is running amok and the government is adopting an entirely passive role through its shareholding body UKFI and that's not good enough." BBC business editor Robert Peston says the government will endorse the current tripartite system - where responsibility in a financial crisis is shared between the Bank of England, the Financial Services Authority, and the Treasury - but will also give the Bank of England increased responsibility for assessing financial markets. The governor of the Bank of England, Mervyn King, has said that without increased powers his role is merely to "preach sermons". However, our correspondent says it is uncertain whether the governor will think he is getting the powers he needs from the Treasury. The FSA, which currently has the power to declare individual banks insolvent and trigger a government takeover, says it is more important to resolve how banks are regulated than by whom. However, if the Conservatives win the next election, they have pledged to give the Bank of England a lead role in financial regulation.

The key issue in the White Paper will be how to implement the new objective of "macro-prudential" regulation, which aims to ensure that the whole system, and not just individual banks, is prevented from collapse. One approach, which will be endorsed by the White Paper, is to raise the capital requirements of banks so that they have to put aside more of their funds for a rainy day - and also hold more in cash equivalents, to prevent a bank run. But there will also be a discussion of other ways to prevent risk - such as self-insurance by banks; more open and transparent derivatives markets; and further restrictions on bank lending. Another important issue that is unlikely to be resolved by the White Paper is whether banks should be allowed to grow so big that they pose a risk to the global financial system. Last month, Mr King said: "If some banks are thought to be too big to fail, then, in the words of a distinguished American economist, they are too big." But although the crisis has produced a wave of consolidations within banking, it could prove legally and economically difficult to unravel bank mergers. One possibility would be to tax big banks more heavily, perhaps with some form of windfall tax to cut their profits in good times. Another would be a return to the US-style separation of investment banking and retail banking, as in the Glass-Steagall Act which was repealed in 1999.

What do you get when you mix the world's longest legs with the world's smallest man? A fantastic photo opportunity that's what.

A Kenyan has passed away in the UK. Ms Regina Njeri Mwangi 44, passed away on Monday 6th July, 2009 after a short illness at the Leicester Infirmary Hospital UK. Regina was originally from Gathera, Maragua, Muranga, Kenya.  She was the loving mother to Kevin Mugambi of Leicester UK. Regina was the daughter to Charity Wangeci Macharia, of Kimathi Estate, Thika, Kenya, and the late Newton Mwangi Macharia.  She was sister to Peter Kariuki, a businessman in Nairobi, James Macharia, Samuel Muchugu, of Thika, sister to Alice Muthoni, sister in law to Peter Muturu, a businessman in Thika.  Regina was cousin to Jane Wanjiru Mburu, UK, Denis Njuguna ,of UK, Teri Mwangi of Milton Keynes, UK,  Esther Kariuki of Grove Park, London, UK, Susan Mwangi, Kenya and Charles Njonjo Kenya. We are appealing to all Regina’s friends to help raise the money to send her body back to Kenya for burial. Donations can be sent to Jane Mburu, Natwest Bank, Account No. 58739521 sort code 60-23-36. Meetings and prayers are being held at 22 Brunswick Park Gardens, New Southgate, London N11 1ES from 6pm. You can contact Jane Mburu on 07956271641 and 0208 361 8490. Regina’s friends and well wishers in the Midlands are meeting at 34 Guild Road, Coventry, CV6 5PH from 6pm. Contact Connie on 07886 824 287.

The late Regina Njeri Mwangi

A LUO PROVERB

Wendo ma pod ok owendo ok igone dhako.

Don't beat your wife over a visitor who hasn't arrived.

Don't get into disagreement over a mere proposal.

New agreement with France on border controls

Home Office, UK - 07 July 2009

The United Kingdom government is to invest a further £15 million to strengthen its border controls in France, under a declaration signed with the French government yesterday. The additional funding will be used to pilot extra security controls and technology at Calais, which will be rolled out to other French ports if successful. In return, the French government will increase the number of flights used to return illegal migrants home from northern France. Since 2004, an agreement on 'juxtaposed controls' has enabled United Kingdom immigration officers to carry out immigration checks at certain locations in France. Now the UK Border Agency will work alongside French police to create a single control point in France, using advanced technology to increase the number of vehicle checks. If they suspect untoward activity, our officers will then search the vehicle (using body detection dogs and other equipment) to locate and remove any illegal migrants. Additionally, UK Border Agency officers will come together with the Serious Organised Crime Agency and police agencies on both sides of the Channel in a single intelligence unit, which will crack down on the criminals behind illegal migration through Calais. Cooperation between the United Kingdom and France has already turned Calais into one of the strongest border crossings in the world. In the past five years, almost 90,000 attempts to enter the United Kingdom illegally have been stopped by our immigration staff in France - and more than two-thirds of these attempts were stopped in Calais. Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas, who was one of the signatories to the 6 July declaration, said:

'We have one of the strongest borders in the world, and today's agreement has made it even more secure.

'An extra £15 million has been invested to pay for new technology as part of a hi-tech pilot in Calais. This will see the latest state-of-the-art technology being used to boost searches of vehicles and goods heading for Britain. The UK Border Agency will roll out the latest detection technology to ports in Boulogne, Dunkirk and Coquelles.

'The French government is determined to return more illegal migrants by stepping up removal flights. The UK recognises this effort and maintains its own commitment to removing foreign nationals with no right to be in the UK.

'Last year we stopped 28,000 individual attempts to cross the Channel, and searched one million lorries - these changes will further strengthen the ring of steel that protects Britain.'

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kuambizana kuko kusikilizana hapana.

Giving advice but no one listens.

VITIMBI GOING TO USA

MAMA KAYAI, OJWANG AND NYAMBANE ARE COMING TO AMERICA-A

CITY NEAR YOU. DETAILS COMING VERY SOON.

Justice Nicholas Ombija, (right), and Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya. They hit it off as willing seller and willing buyer but from Monday they’ll be in court over a piece of property in Nairobi’s leafy suburbs.  High Court judge, Justice Nicholas Ombija and Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya struck a Sh13.5 million deal for a house on ‘as-is’ basis. Ombija is arguing Oparanya ‘vandalised’ the house after selling it to him.  - MORE

Ghanaian TV Star is dead

Mrs. Janet Nana (abave right)  is dead.  The OBE TV presenter and Ghanaian Media Star passed away in London on Saturday 20th June 2009. Janet a resident of London is well known in the Kenyan community circles where she has been acting as a master of ceremony in many occasions. She was last seen acting as master of ceremony last year at the residence of the Kenya High Commissioner HE Joseph Muchemi (above photo) next to Mrs. Muchemi during the Commonwealth Party last July. Janet was a campaigner for the current Ghana government and she was offered a diplomatic post last month. She fell ill while in Ghana and she was diagnosed with cancer. She passed away last month in  a London hospital. Her husband passed away two years ago. She has left behind a 14-year-old daughter.

The Kenya  government will phase out the P1 teachers’ training course, whose graduates account for 170,000 of the instructors in public primary schools countrywide. Once the course is scrapped, all the 18 primary teachers’ training colleges will be upgraded to offer diploma courses with the graduates being hired to work in primary schools. The announcement came as it emerged that the number of applicants to the colleges had hit a record 39,000 this year although only 7,000 will be admitted.

Cocaine swallower gets six years

Home Office, UK - 06 July 2009

A Nigerian man who tried to smuggle cocaine into the West Midlands has been jailed for six years at Manchester Crown Court. Edwin Atuegwu Mbonu was stopped at Birmingham International Airport by UK Border Agency officers on 7 June, when he arrived on a flight from Nigeria via Amsterdam. Officers searched Mbonu's luggage and found 60 small packets of cocaine concealed in tubs of hand cream. They also discovered that he had swallowed another 25 pellets of cocaine. Almost 1kg of the Class A drug, estimated to be worth £45,000, was recovered from him. Mbonu was carrying around £2,000 in cash, which was seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. He claimed that he was planning to use the money to buy women's clothes in Birmingham for his business back in Nigeria. Mike O'Grady, assistant director of investigation for HM Revenue & Customs, said:

'We are working at the forefront in the fight to stop drugs entering the country, alongside our partners in the UK Border Agency. It never fails to amaze that people take such huge risks with their health and freedom to try and make what they think is easy money. This shows, yet again, we will catch and prosecute anyone attempting to smuggle drugs through our regional airports - our stance is one of zero tolerance.'

Mbonu was sentenced on 3 July, and will be deported after serving his sentence.

Rush to view Kenya's wildebeest migration

Part of a herd of some 1.5 million wildebeests crosses the Mara River in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve during an annual migration in August, 2006. More than a million snorting wildebeests, and media endorsement of their migration, may well cause a tourist stampede in the Maasai Mara. The wildebeest migration season is here once again, and the number of visitors is set to increase as the spectacle unfolds. The first crossing of wildebeests across the Mara River, according to Mr Brian Heath of the Mara Conservancy, was witnessed on Monday, signalling the beginning of the event many people now categorise as a wonder of the world. “In a few days, we shall witness the crossing in full swing,” Mr Heath told the Nation by telephone.  But concerns are being raised that the continued destruction of the Mau water catchment area will have a disastrous effect on the marvel that has put Kenya on the world tourism map. Kenya Wildlife Service corporate communications manager Paul Udoto said the destruction of the forests would indeed have severe effects on the migration soon.  Statistics show that more than one million wildebeests are usually on the move during the event that occurs between June and October.  The wildebeest migrate between the Serengeti and Mara Savannah in Tanzania and Kenya respectively, in search of pasture and water. - Daily Nation.

Baby Seed (Dennis Njiiri) holding the gun as the family awaits the crossing of the wildebeests at the Mara River in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve during the family tour in in July 2006. It was a such a spectacular scene as the animals crossed the river where about 5,000 animals died while crossing. All the lodges are usually fully booked during this season.

"How many times should you forgive your household bruiser? You should not even think about forgiving him. Not yet. Not as long as he has his foot on your neck. Your problem at this point is not forgiving. Your problem is how to get out of his reach. Once you get away from him, you can think about forgiving him." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Man jailed for six years for human trafficking

Home Office, UK - 01 July 2009

A man has been jailed for six years for attempting to bring eight people into Britain illegally. 48-year-old Ghulam Ahmadi, a naturalised British citizen, was unanimously found guilty of eight counts of facilitation on 24 June by a jury at Isleworth Crown Court. The investigation followed the arrival of eight Afghan nationals who claimed asylum at Heathrow airport on 6 December 2008. They had travelled on a flight from Paris. Further enquiries made by the UK Border Agency's Heathrow Immigration Prosecution Unit established that the group had boarded a flight to the United Kingdom using the identities and passports of Mr Ahmadi's family, and that he had travelled with them.

Trafficking is an appalling crime, and we are doing everything possible to make the United Kingdom a hostile environment for the perpetrators of it Philip Astle, UK Border Agency

Just a few days later, he was arrested by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on an address in Summers Lane, North Finchley. Around £6,000 in cash was also seized. The UK Border Agency's Heathrow director, Philip Astle, said:

'This prosecution, and the sentence handed down as a result of it, shows how seriously we and the courts take this form of crime.

'My officers, often working with colleagues from the police and other law enforcement agencies, have had a great deal of success in stopping traffickers bringing people into the country illegally.

'Trafficking is an appalling crime, and we are doing everything possible to make the United Kingdom a hostile environment for the perpetrators of it.'

New immigrants occupy just two per cent of social housing

London, Tuesday 7th July, 2009. There is no evidence that immigrants jump the housing queue, an authoritative report found today. Research for the Equalities and Human Rights Commission showed that just 11 per cent of new arrivals to the UK managed to get low-cost public homes. Only two per cent of social rented homes and flats are occupied by immigrants who have moved to Britain in the past five years. Once immigrants gain residency, exactly the same proportion live in council homes as UK-born tenants. Gordon Brown was accused of giving in to the BNP last week after he announced moves to allow local people to get greater priority for social housing. EHRC chairman Trevor Phillips today blamed a "failure of social housing supply" for concerns that migrants jumped queues. The report - based on figures from the 2007 Labour Force Survey -was carried out by the centre-Left Institute for Public Policy Research think tank. According to the study, 64 per cent of people who arrived in the UK within the past five years live in private rented accommodation. After five years, when many immigrants become entitled to government help, one in six live in social housing. Mr Phillips said "Much public concern about the impact of migration on social housing has, at its heart, the failure of social housing supply to meet the demands of the population." Housing minister John Healey today agreed it was a "myth" that migrants jump queues, but said "perceptions" of bias must be tackled. He added that councils would get powers to give a better chance to those who live locally, who have been on lists for a long time or who have specific skills.

Queen to travel in her own £3million aircraft

The Queen is to have her own £3million private plane - under plans to cut the royal family's travel costs. The royal family currently uses two planes from 32 Squadron at RAF Northolt but the aircraft are more than 20 years old and deemed unreliable.  In the past year, the royals have spent £193,000 chartering aircraft because the RAF planes had either broken down or were being used elsewhere. It also emerged today that Prince William is to embark on his first official overseas visit to Australia instead of the Queen. He will go as the representative of Buckingham Palace at the request of the Foreign Office. The prince let the plans for the visit slip to an Australian tourist at the Tower of London.  After posing for a picture with Camilla Doyle, 15, he asked: "Where are you from?" The teenager replied Melbourne, to which Prince William said: "I'm visiting there soon."

Foreign Office minister resigns

London, Tuesday 7th July, 2009. Lord Malloch Brown, the minister for Africa, Asia and the United Nations, has resigned from the Government. In a statement, the minister said he had always maintained he would "never do the job forever". He stated that "personal and family reasons" were behind his decision and stressed that his move was not motivated by the political situation. Lord Malloch Brown said he "greatly admired" the prime minister and continued to support the government. "I came into government as a professional not a politician," he said. "My decision to step down at the end of July is not in any way a commentary on the political situation. "I joined the Government at his invitation to help promote his international priorities. It has been a great privilege to do that, and to work with him and with David Miliband." The peer worked under Kofi Annan as deputy secretary-general of the UN from April to December 2006 and was previously his right-hand man. He was also in charge of the UN Development Programme from July 1999 to August 2005. Gordon Brown's government has been hit by several, recent high-profile departures including Communities Secretary Hazel Blears and Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell.

The worst of the UK's recession is over, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) business group, but talk of a recovery is premature. Its report, based on a survey of 5,600 companies, found there had been "welcome progress" in confidence levels between April and June. But the BCC still expects unemployment to reach 3.2 million by 2010. However, official data showed that manufacturing output fell 0.5% in May. Analysts had forecast a rise of 0.2%. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the monthly fall was driven by a 2% decline in the paper, printing and publishing industries. Industrial production, a wider measure which includes energy supply, mining and oil and gas as well as manufacturing, fell 0.6% against forecasts of a rise of 0.2%.

Kenya Airways (KQ) is expected to launch a direct flight between Nairobi and Gaborone in the next four weeks, press reports say.  Botswana private weekly, The Monitor reported on Monday that Kenya Airways officials are expected to hold a press conference in Gaborone on Tuesday (7-7-2009) about the development.  The paper said Kenya Airways plan to operate three flights a week between Nairobi and Gaborone. It reported that the Nairobi-Gaborone route is one of several routes that Kenya Airways want to introduce after it acquired a new Boeing aircraft.  The Gaborone route is tentatively scheduled to be launched in the next three weeks, subject to the timely delivery of the new aircraft. Last year, Kenya Airways established a sales and ticketing office in Gaborone.  Direct flights between Nairobi and Gaborone by Air Botswana and Kenya Airways were halted in the 1990s due to un-profitability. Kenya and Botswana has been trying to revive the flights since 2000.  The Monitor reported that Kenya Airways is looking at the Johannesburg-Gaborone route, which is currently operated by Air Botswana, South African Airways (SAA) and South African Express.  It is said that Kenya Airways has ambitious plans to launch flights from all the African capitals to save the continent’s travelers the inconvenience of multiple connecting flights.  - Daily Nation.

Elephants defeat humans in non-shock eating contest victory

Making the most of their not insignificant weight advantage, three circus elephants scored a decisive victory over three human competitive eaters at a cross-species eating contest on Friday.  The elephants triumphed by forcing down down 505 hot dog buns in six minutes - while the humans could only manage 143 buns in the same time, in the contest at Brooklyn's Coney Island.  The elephants, Bunny, Susie and Minnie - all in their 40s - ate at what appeared to be a leisurely pace from behind a table piled high with buns. They even paused to eat some fresh fruit, which was not counted toward scoring. Their human competitors were far more focused. Eric 'Badlands' Booker, a New York City subway conductor who is the world champion in corned beef hash eating, took a double-fisted approach, dipping two buns at once into liquid to make them go down easier. Juliet Lee, a petite 43-year-old, pushed several buns into her stretched mouth simultaneously.  Contest organizers called the results a 'setback for humanity'. Originally from China, Lee is the world cranberry sauce champion, a title she won by eating 13.23 pounds of the sauce in eight minutes.  Tim 'Gravy' Brown, whose claim to fame is having eaten 8.47 pounds (3.84 kilograms) of blueberry pie in an eight-minute, handsfree competition, rounded out the team. 'We went all out, hungry and focused,' said Booker, who like the others was preparing for Saturday's annual Fourth of July hot dog eating contest.  Contest organizers called the results a 'setback for humanity,' but it wasn't an entirely fair match. The humans weigh about 500lb collectively, while the Asian elephants weigh about 9 tons, the organizers said.

Britons who have been enjoying the sunshine should brace themselves for 'much more changeable and considerably cooler' weather.  Rain is also likely as the country waves goodbye to temperatures of more than 30°C (86°F) and prepares for 'fresher and more typical British weather', according to weatherman John Kettley.  'It could be a wise move to jet off sooner rather than later if you've been waiting for a dip in Britain's weather fortunes before venturing abroad,' he said.  August shows little hope of bringing the sunshine back, with a mix of good and bad weather expected, he added.

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America to remove HIV visa ban after Briton's protest

Campaigner persuades Washington to alter laws that forced travellers to lie on entry forms

Guardian Newspaper, London, Sunday 5 July 2009

His statement read: "The US government gives people who have HIV one of two choices. The first is to actually be dishonest on the visa application or visa-waiver form, commit a felony by lying to US immigration, and become a criminal. The second choice is to be honest, and have a visa rejected because you are considered an undesirable person, and unfit to enter the US. To my mind either being a criminal or an undesirable isn't much of a choice. I don't want to be either." Michael Birt, executive director of the summit, said he had been "saddened" by the news that Thorn was unable to attend. "However, his absence made an even greater statement about the challenges we still face to address HIV policy. And the impact, it seems, is that real change is under way so that perhaps others will not face a similar predicament in the future." McDermott, a Democratic party representative for Washington state, acknowledged that George Bush had begun the process of repealing the law while president, but said the changes had never been implemented. "I am very pleased with this decision because it enables the United States to fully assume its proper leadership role in combating the scourge of HIV/Aids," he told the Observer, praising the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Clinton Foundation.

Thorn, who campaigns for HIV and TB sufferers to gain access to treatment, said that he was amazed how quickly things had moved: "I am an advocate and I am used to advocacy being a very long process." He said he had written the statement in anger: "I tried to keep it as unemotional as possible, but it is quite barbed in places and it was clearly designed to cause embarrassment." As someone who has been HIV positive since 1988, Thorn said he found the policy undermining: "I want this legislation to be in its grave for good." He pointed out that the question asking whether he was HIV positive on the visa-waiver form was alongside those asking if he was a terrorist or Nazi. Rowan Harvey, parliamentary and campaigns manager at the Terrence Higgins Trust, said the law was unfair. "Imagine if you're HIV positive and you've not told your employer and you are then required to travel for work purposes," she said. She described one case in which a group of activists who were HIV positive were even banned from changing flights in the US. Harvey said no other western countries imposed such a ban. However, China, Iraq, Sudan and Yemen were among a handful of countries that discriminated. "The idea that the ban might go within a couple of months is absolutely fantastic," she said.

Six MPs warn of violence over 2012 polls

Six MPs from both PNU and ODM have predicted fresh violence if the constitution review process is not concluded before the 2012 General Election. Mr Peter Kenneth (Gatanga), Dr Julius Kones (Konoin), Mburi Muiru (Tharaka), Barnabas Muturi (Kiharu), Elias Mbau (Maragua) and Thomas Mwandeghu (Wundanyi) said a repeat of the mayhem was inevitable unless new laws were adopted. Speaking at a funds drive at Matakiri Secondary School in Tharaka District, the MPs said Kenyans would only feel at ease with each other after a new constitution is adopted. - Daily Nation.

Failure to circumcise men 'may have cost millions of Aids deaths'

Guardian Newspaper, London, Sunday 5 July 2009

World Aids experts say the failure to act upon 25-year-old evidence that male circumcision plays a major role in preventing transmission of the human immuno-deficiency virus (HIV) may have cost "millions of lives", especially in Africa. In 1985 researchers discovered that circumcised men who visited prostitutes in Kenya were much less likely to contract HIV. Some 30 studies on the issue were done during the 1990s, but it was not until 2004 that formal double-blind trials were commissioned by international Aids agencies. As a result of "overwhelming results" from these, pilot programmes for mass circumcision of men began in a number of African countries late last year. It is now accepted by the World Health Organisation and other bodies that circumcision reduces chances of HIV infection by about 60%, and that up to 3 million deaths and 5.7 million infections could be prevented over the next 20 years. About 30 million people are thought to have died from Aids-related illnesses since 1981. Dr Catherine Hankins, the chief scientific adviser to UNAids, the United Nations special agency for the epidemic, said that the failure to test the findings in the 1990s was "hard to explain".  "There's a good question to be asked of the research agencies: why they did not start the trials earlier," said Hankins. "We had 20 years of observational data on circumcision. I can't think of another product, or a technique, that waited for so long before trials." Circumcision has now been proved a very cost-effective way of reducing the rate of HIV infection, she said.

Daniel Halperin, a senior lecturer in public health at Harvard Medical School, who used to advise the US government on HIV prevention, says international Aids agencies such as UNAids and the World Health Organisation avoided the circumcision issue because they wanted a technological solution to the epidemic. "If you had a trial that showed a vaccine had a 75% success rate, you wouldn't hesitate to get it into production."There were also cultural and political factors involved, said Elizabeth Pisani, a former epidemiologist with UNAids, and the author of a book on the international Aids "industry". Agencies did not want to prescribe the "self-mutilation" of men, and they feared blurring the message that safe sex and abstinence were the best ways to avoid HIV/Aids. "Epidemiologists come across some evidence, and then decide the public is too stupid to be trusted with it. Essentially it was thought that, if people knew that circumcision made sex safer, they would not bother to use condoms. We didn't want to distract them," she said. Professor Francis Plummer, who led the University of Nairobi research team that first discovered the circumcision-HIV link in Kenya in the 1980s, said millions of lives might have been saved if his research had been acted upon sooner. "There's been a failure of global public health institutions. We haven't done it very well. It's a frustration I've lived with for a very long time," Plummer said.  Halperin and Pisani agreed with Plummer's estimate that millions of lives could have been saved by earlier action. UNAids insisted last week that it "has consistently promoted and encouraged research into male circumcision as a tool for HIV prevention".

Dear Friends,

In unity, determination and resilience, I have found the ability to make many of my dreams come true. My wife AlyceJo Mwangi and I have been able to reach our 33rd year of marriage as a result of God's love, His unmerited favor and faithfulness. 

On July 3, 1976 AlyceJo and I wedded in what proved to be a union that has led to the achievement of providing a safe haven for our three children. Almost 200 orphans in Kenya are educated, given hope and an unbreakable bond of love, care, and family.

     We came together a day before American Independence Day 33 years ago, and 200 years after our forefathers took their leap of faith together, to create this great country.  The parallels between the events may not seem significant, but to me they are symbolic of unity, hope and what is possible.  Neither they nor I could have anticipated the times that we find ourselves in today, July 3, 2009-- but on those respective days we both made stands for what we believed in.

This is a crucial time for the people of America and especially the citizens of California.  In these hard times, the people of California are having their moral fiber tested, and fighting to maintain a quality of life that is a part of the American way.
I, Joe Mwangi Symmon, hereby make the announcement of my intention to become the next Governor of the State of California in 2010 and am reaching out to you to ask for your support in my candidacy.

      In a time of uncertainty and struggle, I wish to become the leader who can provide hope for those who need it and a moral voice for those that believe that together we can achieve strength, stability, and success in California.  Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are those values which were the vision of the forefathers of our country; and as Americans we seek to honor their vision and continue to build upon their dreams.

      It was July 4, 1776 when America decided to declare independence and seek the values that we are still striving towards today.  I would like to honor the dreams of our forefathers and wish to all of my associates a Happy Independence Day this Fourth of July. 
     It has taken 233 years for our country to get to where we currently find ourselves today and the struggles which we faced then, we are still facing today.  Like then, we are seeking to support our families, a quality of life, and the ability to make a living.  The hard work, hope, love, and sacrifices that our ancestors demonstrated, are the methods that we must continue to live by in these hard times.  We must band together and stride towards the dream of prosperity that our forefathers fought so bravely for.  With unity, California and the rest of America will be able to achieve stability and get back to prominence.    

     Thirty-three, and Two-Hundred and Thirty-three years later I can say that my marriage and our country are still standing strong and in goo d faith.  On this day I ask that you all make a stand for what you believe in and embrace me and my wife AlyceJo as we embark upon our journey to Sacramento. 

     As we begin this endeavor I hope that we may gain your support and that together, the people of California can extinguish the charades in Sacramento, and bring the values that we believe in back to Sacramento.  Thank you and God bless!

Joe Mwangi Symmon.

A record-breaker for running while on fire

Some like it hot. Others like it stupidly hot and daredevil nurse Keith Malcolm is one of them. The part-time stuntman loves nothing more than dousing himself in petrol and setting himself on fire. And the 39-year-old was celebrating breaking the world record for running the farthest distance while on fire. Clad in four layers of fire-proof underwear, a Formula One fireproof jacket, three pairs of overalls, three fire hoods and a motorcycle helmet, he managed 79m (259ft) to set the record. 'It was amazing, a textbook run which could not have gone any better,' he said. 'I have always wanted to do two things in life: being set on fire and breaking a world record and I have done both.' He took up his bizarre hobby only last year after photographing veteran stuntman Mark Stannage. 'I will never forget when one day he turned to me and said he would set me on fire a little bit. I said: “What do you mean a little bit?” We struck up a friendship from there and that was it and I have had the bug ever since.'  Mr Malcolm, from Widley, Hampshire, was cheered on by his wife, Anna-Marie, at the Alton and North East Hampshire Show when he broke the record.  'The risks are obvious but I am not mad. It is about having a respect for fire and its unpredictability,' he added. 'When I am running I can see and hear everything and the crowd was absolutely phenomenal.'

Nairobi, Sunday 5th July, 2009. Swine Flu: 34 British students leave Kenya. The 33 Nottingum University students and their supervisor who were quarantined at a Kisumu Hotel after one of them was diagnosed with the H1N1 influenza or swine flu virus Saturday evening left Kisumu Town for Nairobi amid tight security.  The students traveling in three Mololine Prestige Shuttles left town at around 8.30 pm under the watchful eye of Kenya Police.  They were also accompanied by relatives of the owner of the charity organization that had invited the medical students for humanitarian works in Alendu Primary School in Nyando Constituency.  The students were on a volunteer mission near the lakeside town when of them was positively diagnosed for the H1N1 flu. As they were transported to the bus station, journalist pursued the group that has so far been kept away from the media since news of the first case of swine flu broke out early this month in the country.  The group was expected to board a British Airways plane destined for Britain on Sunday morning. Elsewhere, Medical personnel in Garissa are on high alert following the detection of eight suspected cases of the HINI virus.  Anxiety gripped the district after news that a family from Britain had been detected with the virus. According to the district medical officer of health, Dr. Abdullahi Abagira initial tests from members of one family had shown traces of the virus. Since detection of the virus the government intensified its surveillance at all airports, screening all persons entering into the country even as the world health organization declared the virus as unstoppable.

Meet a relative of Wangu wa Makeri in London

Ms Mary Wanjiku Ndirangu (left), Ms Elizabeth Muthoni (Aunt Mso, Barking, UK (second left) and Esther Wangari (third left) has lost their brother the late Daniel Ndachi Ndirangu back in Kenya on Friday 3rd July, 2009. Seen on far right comforting them is Ms. Mary Waruinu a relative of the famous Wangu wa Makeri of Koimbi, Weithaga, Muranga who ruled from 1902 to 1909. Family and friends are meeting in London, Bedford and Leeds for prayers and arrangements. In London the meeting takes place every day at 60 Marsia House, 104 Hart Lane, Barking, IG11 8LP.  Those in Bedford the meeting takes place at 58 Brittania House, Palgrave Road, Bedford, MK42 9BY. Those in Leeds the meeting takes place at Victoria Pub, Leeds - 192 Saltaire Rd. Shipley, BD18 3JF. For more information contacts in London - Aunt Mso 07950508993, Ngina 07985379065 or Mwangi 07960605057. Bedford contact is Esther 07904469015. Leeds contact is Aunt Mary 07544660285.

The grandchildren of Wangu wa Makeri the famous Kikuyu ruler (Kenyans in the UK refers the Queen of England as Wangu wa Makeri) lives in the UK. A close source from the family describes them as tough and with self conference. We are try to trace them and we will bring their profile here.

US community fears serial killer

People in a rural part of South Carolina have cancelled Independence Day events and are arming themselves in fear of a killer after five shootings. A girl of 15 injured in an attack which killed her father on Thursday has died in hospital, the Cherokee County coroner announced. Police are linking their deaths to the shooting of two women and a man days before, and suspect a serial killer. They believe the suspect is a man in his 40s, driving a Ford Explorer. The killings have taken place in or around the small town of Gaffney. For some residents, the recent events are a reminder of the "Gaffney Strangler", who terrorised the community in the late 1960s. The strangler, Lee Roy Martin, killed four women over 10 days in 1968 and vowed to kill more, before being arrested. Police have released a sketch of a male who is said to be tall with salt and pepper hair. "We're knee-deep in the investigation," said County Sheriff Bill Blanton. "There's fear and concern here and there should be concern." He would not say how the five deaths were related but it is known that all victims were shot:

• Abby Tyler died on Saturday after being wounded on Thursday as she worked with her father in an appliances store in Gaffney; Stephen Tyler, 45, was found dead at the scene

• Relatives found Hazel Linder, 83, and her daughter Gena Linder, 50, bound and shot to death in their home on Wednesday, seven miles from the scene of the Tyler shootings

• Peach farmer Kline Cash, 63, was found dead in his home by his wife on Saturday (27 June)

The shootings all occurred within about 10 miles (16km) of each other in Cherokee County, a rural community of 54,000 people set amid peach orchards and farms some 50 miles west of Charlotte, North Carolina. Dozens of local, state and federal investigators have been assigned to the case. Cherokee County resident Hazel Smith, 47, told the Associated Press news agency her neighbours felt vulnerable. "If he killed once, he'll kill again," she said. "Tonight, I'm going to stay inside and pray, pray a little harder that he gets caught."

Pastor Sammy Nene of Kimende Akorino Church is on a mission to the United States with a message of hope and faith in God. The ministry of this big-hearted but humble musician has taken him to Boston and Lowel in Massachussetts, St. Louis Missouri and Dallas Texas. Last Sunday, Nene attended All Nations Worship Service at Highland Park Presbyterian Church in Dallas where he was joined by other Akorino from Texas. His song Geithia Mundu electrified the congregation who responded by greeting and hugging one another. Pastor Nene will be in Austin Texas this weekend before returning to Dallas to preach at a service on July 12. His last service which this gospel music star will do will be in All Nations Gospel Outreach in Baltimore Maryland (http://www.ango.us/) where he will be hosted by Pastor Patrick Kibui. Wherever he has preached and sung, Kenyans are acknowledging that just as The Standard had described him, Nene is “arguably the most accomplished Akorino gospel musician.” His life story can be read in the Standard at http://www.eastandard.net/mag/InsidePage.php?id=1144004830&cid=499&.

Nairobi, Saturday 4th July, 2009. Kenya and the International Criminal Court have agreed on a new deadline to set up a special tribunal to try the ringleaders of post-election violence. Kenyan ministers promised to establish the tribunal by July 2010 and in the meantime provide the ICC with the details of their investigations. An ICC spokesman said ministers also promised to refer the case to the ICC if they failed to establish a tribunal. About 1,500 people were killed in violence following the 2007 elections. Chief mediator Kofi Annan had warned the Kenyan government he would hand over a list of suspects to the ICC if Nairobi failed to form the tribunal before the end of August 2009. Mr Annan, the former UN secretary-general, brokered a power-sharing deal last year to end the violence. ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo told the BBC he was satisfied with the new agreement. "They will do the case themselves or, if they don't do that, they will refer the case to me," he said. Many will view this development as an indication that the Kenyan government is lacking the will to investigate the violence, the BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says. But the pressure is certainly off the government, our correspondent adds. With the next elections due in 2012, there is a danger that none of the problems that triggered last year's violence will have been dealt with by the time the politicians are once again out campaigning. Rioting erupted after President Mwai Kibaki was declared the winner of the December 2007 presidential poll, triggering claims of electoral fraud from the then opposition leader Raila Odinga. The rivals signed a power-sharing deal in February 2008 to end to the violence and formed a coalition government - but not before 1,500 people died in clashes and another 300,000 fled their homes. Also last month, Amnesty International accused the Kenyan government of having done nothing to end the impunity for "widespread and serious human rights violations committed by the police and security forces" after the election.

HOW GOOD IS YOUR KIKUYU? Try this one below: Answer tomorrow.

Kikuyu Dance - "GITIIRO" - A woman only song-dance often performed during marriage ceremonies.

What is "KIBAATA?"

Aunt Muso, her sisters and brothers in London has lost their brother in Githunguri, Kenya Mr. Daniel Ndachi on Friday 3rd July, 2009. Family and friends are meeting for arrangements and prayers at 60 Mersea House, IG11 8LP. For more information contact 07950508993.

Boy With Heart Outside His Chest

A four-year-old Chinese boy born with a protruding heart has undergone five hours of surgery as doctors try to correct the defect. Zhang Weiyuan has Pentalogy of Cantrell, which means the heart does not have a sternum or muscles to protect it and is covered only by skin. It is so rare it occurs in around five in a million births. After the operation, doctors at Shenjing Hospital at the Chinese Medical University said that Weiyuan would have to be in intensive care for three days before they could find out if the operation was a success. "We organized a team of doctors from different departments to do the surgery. It was a challenge for everyone," said chief consultant Dr Li Dongyu. The little boy, from Hetai Village in China's Liaoning Province, was not taken to hospital earlier because his parents could not afford it. Instead, they wrapped him up in clothes with extra padding to protect his heart and stopped him playing with other children in case of accidents. His father, Zhang Xianzhen, says he feels guilty for not taking his son to see a doctor sooner. "My wife and I are both garbage collectors, and we don't make much money," he explained. "So we didn't take our son to the doctor because we couldn't afford the fees." Sky News health correspondent Thomas Moore says: "This is a very rare condition. Only 90 cases have been reported worldwide. "Sadly, most children born with it die. There is a good reason for the heart to be protected by the ribcage, and this little boy is extremely vulnerable to any blow to his chest. "But the condition can also result in defects within the heart that affect its function." Only two other cases have ever been reported in China.

Wangu wa Makeri was such a powerful and harshness towards men that when she coughed, men answered. Her participation in the Kibaata dance naked in 1909 is, however, shown to have been a grievous mistake which brought her downfall. More later.

A man jumps into a canal running through Lahore, Pakistan. The temperature reached 39 degrees Celsius in the eastern city on Sunday, according to the Pakistan Meteorological Department and on right a boy bathes in a tube well to beat the heat on the outskirts of Chandigarh. Temperatures reached 42 degrees Celsius in the northern Indian city.

Blinded Man Regains Sight With Tooth For Eye

A blinded man has seen his wife for the first time after surgeons gave him back his sight using one of his teeth. Martin Jones' canine was pulled out so a tiny optical lens could be fitted to it, then the tooth was inserted in his eye socket. The 42-year-old lost his left eye and was totally blinded in the right 12 years ago when a tub of molten aluminium exploded in his face at the scrapyard where he worked. He fell in love with care worker Gill, 50, and the pair married four years ago and settled down in Rotherham, South Yorkshire. But he had never dreamt he would be able to see what she looks like. Then he heard about these amazing operations performed by surgeon Christopher Lui and his team in Brighton, East Sussex. He said when the bandages came off the first person he wanted to see was Gill. "The doctors took the bandages off and it was like looking through water. "Then I saw this figure and it was her, it was unbelieveable," Mr Jones told The Sun newspaper. The tooth was implanted in his cheek for three months to grow blood vessels and new tissue. Once it was moved into his eye it was under two weeks until Mr Jones could see. "When I tell friends I see through my tooth they don't believe me. "But then I take off my glasses - and my eye looks like something from a sci-fi movie," Mr Jones told The Sun.

What is swine flu?

Swine influenza is a disease in pigs. The virus currently transmitting among people is now generally referred to as swine flu, although the origin of the disease is still under investigation. There is no evidence of this strain of the disease circulating in pigs in the UK. There are regular outbreaks of swine influenza in pigs worldwide. It does not normally infect humans, although this occasionally does occur - usually in people who have had close contact with pigs. Swine influenza viruses are usually of the H1N1 subtype. The swine flu that has spread to humans is a version of this virus. - MORE

KIKUYU PROVERB

Gakiyoha niko koi uria kariruga

When preparing for a dance you know how to dress yourself

Ultra-Orthodox Jews pray at Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus. The Israeli army allowed hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Jews to visit Joseph's Tomb, a holy shrine considered by many Jews to be the burial place of the biblical patriarch and on right residents search for their belongings after their huts were damaged in a fire in a slum in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

"When a man cheats on you once, shame on him; when he cheats on you twice, shame on you." - Wisdom of Africa, Nigeria

"Spoken forgiving, no matter how heartfelt, works best when we do not demand the response we want. I mean that when we tell people we forgive them, we must leave them free to respond to our good news however they are inclined. If the response is not what we hoped for, we can go home and enjoy our own healing in private." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Serena top in Williams' sister act

Serena Williams won the battle for sibling supremacy in the women's Wimbledon final. The 27-year-old American beat her older sister Venus 7-6, 6-2. Serena fell to her knees on the grass before going to the net to hug her sister, who looked despondent. The Duke of Kent, the president of the All England Club, presented the trophies. After accepting the Venus Rosewater Dish, Serena said: "It feels so amazing. I'm so blessed. I feel like I shouldn't be holding the trophy, I can't believe I'm holding it and Venus isn't. "It's named for her and she always wins. It hasn't settled in that I won yet." Her father, Richard Williams, has flown home and apparently prefers to mow the lawn than watch his daughters play against each other. Serena told him: "Thank you for putting up with me. Venus and I want (the lawn) to be well kept so we always try to do our best in these tournaments." She described her sister as "the greatest" of champions. Speaking before her, Venus said: "Today she was too good. She had an answer for everything. She played the best tennis today so congratulations. I don't think the loss has set in yet because I'm still smiling. I've had so many great times here, of course I'm looking forward to next year and also to the doubles final." It was the fourth time the sisters have faced each other in the Wimbledon final and Serena now has a 3-1 winning record.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kinga na kinga ndipo moto uwakapo.

One fire brand after another keeps fire burning.

Tom Mboya: The untold story

It will be 40 years this July 5, since Tom Mboya was assassinated outside a pharmacy on Government Road (now Moi Avenue). Up to this day, neither the real assassin nor the sponsors of it are known. The trial of the suspected assassin, Nahashon Isaac Njenga Njoroge, a one-time KANU youthwinger who occasionally made money on the side by harassing businesspeople with threats of his connections with powerful politicians, was so tightly controlled there can be little doubt that it was stage-managed. - MORE

Police kill six robbery suspects in Nairobi

Written By: Doreen Apollos, Posted: Sat, Jul 04, 2009

Six suspected gangsters were Saturday morning gunned down by police in Gigiri area in Nairobi. The six and two others were ambushed following a tip off from members of public as they attempted to break into a house in the area.  Two suspects however managed to escape though police recovered two guns and 20 rounds of ammunition. The gang of eight had jumped into a compound along Thigiri road and held a gardener and house help hostage but not before alarm went off catching the attention of the public and law enforcers. Their bodies were taken to the City mortuary.

Secrets of Ruto, Raila battles

After months of relative calm, ODM is hanging precariously — yet again — on a cliff. And the man being watched closely is Agriculture Minister and deputy party leader William Ruto. But what is frustrating ODM members is the minister’s continued display of mixed signals. Indeed, members of rival PNU are equally watching, from the wings, the goings-on in ODM.  Whether the Eldoret North MP plots to quit the party or lodges an endless war with Prime Minister and party leader Raila Odinga, the developments are welcome in some quarters. Against the backdrop of a frosty relationship between Raila and Mr Ruto, ODM, which enjoys a parliamentary majority, is paying dearly for pulling in different directions. Its majority in parliamentary committees notwithstanding, the party lost out to PNU in the leadership contest. ODM further faces an acid test in the ongoing mayoral elections. Already, it has lost the Bungoma seat to a Ford-Kenya councillor. Although the party gives a public display of unity, ODM MPs privately confirm the relationship between Raila and Ruto "is poisoned". In the meantime, a verbal war between politicians allied to the two leaders rages on.

Cherang’any MP Joshua Kutuny concedes as much: "There is no denying there is a frosty relationship between the two."  Mr Kutuny, who blames the current woes in the party on poor leadership, accuses Raila of using Nominated MP Musa Sirma to fight Ruto. Konoin MP Julius Kones said other forces are behind Ruto’s political fight: "He is under intense pressure to contest the presidency and we feel that this is the ripest time." Mr Sirma, however, has called on Ruto to shelve his ambition for the presidency in 2012 and instead throw his weight behind Raila’s bid. The self-styled ‘governor of Rift Valley’ warns the Kalenjin risk political isolation should they abandon ODM.  He says: "In 1992, we fought the Luhya. Last year, we fought the Kikuyu, and now we are rebelling against the leadership of a Luo. I ask my colleagues who are going to be our friends at the end of it all?"  Since the disputed 2007 presidential election, which ODM maintains its candidate won, Ruto has sustained pressure on Raila. Talk of Rift Valley being short-changed in Cabinet appointments, and thorny question of conservation of Mau Forest have been on the lips of some Rift Valley leaders. What has baffled many is that in all the instances, Raila has remained mum — opting not to take on Ruto head-on.  Last year, the party yielded to Rift Valley MPs’ demands and created two slots of deputy party leader to accommodate Ruto and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi. Political researcher Tom Wolf describes Ruto as a witty go-getter political strategist. Dr Wolf is "amazed at his design to use Raila to cleanse himself politically". Says he: "After decades of Kanu leadership, most Kenyans frowned upon party members. But Ruto changed all that in a short time by joining Raila and others at the referendum, and the 2007 General Election."

Separately, a senior ODM official close to the PM says Ruto’s differences with Raila are a result of post-election question. According to him, Ruto feels that Kenyans fought because "Kibaki stole elections" and Raila should accordingly drop The Hague or local tribunal idea. "The bigger picture, however, is that Ruto believes that after (Vice-President Kalonzo) Musyoka used the Kamba vote to negotiate and be VP, he could also use the Rift Valley vote to negotiate something for himself in 2012. The problem is that, a number of big names who lost last elections in Rift Valley are waiting for him to formally move out of ODM so they can move in and subdue him," he claims. Part of Ruto’s problem, some MPs from Western Province say, is the fear that should Raila become President, he would prefer Mudavadi as his successor. Amid the quiet battle, a group of middle-ground MPs determined to forestall unity has come to the fore. One MP at the forefront of the initiative is Fisheries Minister Paul Otuoma.  In the past two months, he has hosted Ruto at his Funyula constituency, a move that has led to speculation in some quarters he is warming up to the Agriculture minister’s camp. "Ruto is my deputy party leader and Cabinet colleague. With the PM, I work very closely with the two. Ruto’s recent visits to my constituency should not raise an eyebrow," says Dr Otuoma. The Funyula legislator explains that "single moments cannot define a serious political calendar" as the 2012 polls.

"We are doing our bit to ensure that the bridge is sealed and the party holds," the minister says. Noting that differences of opinion are a political reality, Otuoma says the biggest challenge for ODM is how to accommodate divergent views and look at them as points of strength and not weaknesses. Echoing such sentiments is Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo: "We have raised this question with them several times, privately and during meetings. And because they both assured us that theirs is purely an occasional difference in opinion, then who are we to doubt them?" But he pointedly says: "For some individuals in ODM, it is not if they leave the party, but rather when they would do so."  But what annoys the MP is that some MPs have already stopped their monthly contributions to the party. "If I do not want to help a party grow, why would I insist on being sponsored by it to sit in House committees? For me — and as matter of principle — I would not seek such a favour the moment I withdraw my financial support," Mr Gumbo says.  On this matter of discord in ODM, a number of MPs are willing to either speak for, or against Ruto, but the minister is hardly willing to defend his positions. Attempts to reach the Eldoret North MP on his known mobile telephone number failed yesterday. He did not pick calls to his number even when it rang. Neither did Ruto reply to short text messages sent to him, either through ‘The Standard on Sunday’ journalists in Nairobi and Eldoret. - The Standard.

An internally displaced girl, who fled a military offensive in the Swat valley region, wears a food pot over her head while waiting for food rations at the UNHCR (United Nations High Commission for Refugees) Jalozai camp, about 140 km (87 miles) northwest of Islamabad June 4, 2009 and on right a Pakistani local tribal people visit houses hit by alleged security forces in Datta Kheil, North Waziristan along the Afghanistan border on Friday, July 3, 2009. Strikes on suspected militant hide-outs, killed at least four insurgents and wounding seven others, intelligence officials said. - (AP Photo)

London, Friday 3rd July, 2009. The Home Secretary has asked the UK Border Agency to review its successful rollout of compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals, to see how it can be accelerated. With 50,000 identity cards for foreign nationals already issued to people who are legally living and working in the United Kingdom, the UK Border Agency is helping to tackle illegal working while supporting legitimate workers and businesses to play by the rules. Under current plans, within three years all foreign nationals from outside the European Economic Area (EEA) will need to have an identity card if they are coming to the United Kingdom for more than six months or extending their stay here. The Government has also announced plans to speed up the rollout of identity cards for British citizens. In addition to residents of Greater Manchester, who will be able to apply for an identity card before the end of this year, residents in locations across the North West will be entitled to apply from early in 2010. Additionally, the Government has decided to make identity cards voluntary for airside workers. Under an 18-month evaluation scheme at Manchester Airport and London City Airport, airside workers will be encouraged to obtain an identity card free of charge, making it quicker and simpler for background checks to be carried out to verify their identity as part of the airside pass-issuing process. Obtaining an identity card will also improve the movement of reference checks between employers and airports, creating greater flexibility for employers and staff. An independent Identity Commissioner will be appointed in the near future to oversee the National Identity Service, but compulsory identity cards for foreign nationals will continue to be overseen by the Information Commissioner and the Chief Inspector of the UK Border Agency.

MAASAI PROVERB

Ejo tunani shaat ena naa torrono ena, kake meeta enayiolo te pokira.

A man says this is good and that is bad but he knows nothing of the two.

(i.e. only God can judge good and bad).

One of the best ways to improve your health is to take more exercise each day. This doesn't mean running marathons or joining expensive gymns - just walking a little more each day can bring health benefits

WHAT SOME OF THE LONDON'S PAPERS SAY ON SATURDAY 4TH JULY, 2009

LEFT: The pop legend will be buried in a velvet-lined, £15,000, 14 carat gold-plated coffin, according to the Daily Express. CENTRE: The Telegraph says British Telecom is going to drastic measures to cut staff costs. RIGHT: The Guardian says a British embassy employee will stand trial in Iran for his role in last month's protests in Tehran.

Italy adopts law to curb migrants

Italy's parliament has given final approval to a law criminalising illegal immigration and allowing citizens' patrols to help the police keep order. The new measures have been strongly criticised by human rights groups and the Vatican. Illegal immigration will be punishable by a hefty fine and those who knowingly house illegal migrants will face up to three years in prison. The law also extends detention periods for illegal migrants to six months. It was passed in the Senate (upper house) on Thursday, with 157 in favour and 124 against. The lower house passed it in May. The unarmed citizens' patrols are among the most controversial measures. A right-wing uniformed group called the Italian National Guard was set up last month, likened by some to Benito Mussolini's Fascists. It vowed to start patrolling the streets. But Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the group, which sports beige uniforms and black military-style hats, would not be allowed to mount street patrols. Mr Maroni, a member of the anti-immigration Northern League, has steered the legislation through parliament. The party is a key ally of Italy's right-wing Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, and made tougher measures against immigration a condition of its support for his re-election last year. The new law makes illegal immigration punishable by a fine of 5,000 to 10,000 euros (£4,276 - £8,553). It also requires parents registering a birth to present documents proving that they are legal residents. Italy has just introduced a policy of returning boatloads of migrants to Libya before they can claim asylum. The government says it faces an unmanageable flood of immigrants, many arriving on outlying islands which do not have the means to cope. More than 36,000 migrants landed on the shores of Italy last year - an increase of about 75% on the year before. Critics say the government is targeting especially immigrants and Roma (Gypsies). The Vatican said the new law was "focusing on crime and leaving integration completely out of the picture".

Ron Kenoly show in London on Thursday 2nd July, 2009 was fantastic. Ron Kenoly might look elderly but his voice still sounds like that of a young man, He promised he will be back.  Kenoly was hosted by Dr. Stan Wangenye of Eagles’ Gathering Christian Centre. The concert took place at East Barnet Baptist Church, Corner of Crescent/East Barnet Road, East Barnet, North London. A large number of guests attended including Kenyans. Dr Kenoly is arguably one of the most influential gospel singers and worship leaders of our day! To quote Dr. Myles Munroe “The Ministry of Ron Kenoly was the anointed spark that ignited the explosion , acceptance, expansion, and global invasion of Praise and Worship throughout the nations like no other in our generation” and Cesar Castellanos, President of the Missionary Charismatic International Church in Bogota, Columbia, named Ron Kenoly “Psalmist of the Century”!

"He will bless them that fear the LORD, both small and great. The LORD shall increase you more and more, you and your children." - Psalm 115: 13-14

Visa requirement for South Africa enforced today

Home Office, 01 July 2009

From today, visitors to the United Kingdom from South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland will only be able to travel with a visa. Visitors will now be fingerprinted and checked against watch-lists before being issued with a visa to travel. The new rules were introduced to counter passport and identity fraud, and follow Britain's first global review of who needs a visa to come to the United Kingdom for a short-term visit. Visa regimes for visitors have now been imposed on five new countries - Bolivia, Venezuela, South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. This follows a global assessment by the Government of all non-European countries to determine the level of risk their citizens potentially pose to the United Kingdom in terms of illegal immigration, crime and security.

Kenyan exchange student goes missing after being expelled from school

A Kenyan exchange student expelled from Toyokawa High School in Aichi Prefecture has gone missing, after running away from school authorities trying to send her home. The 17-year-old girl, a member of the school's long-distance relay team and the lynchpin of its 2008 national high school ekiden race-winning team, was last seen on April 26. School authorities say the girl was expelled on March 31 for failing to regularly come to school. The school then recommended she return home, and bought a plane ticket back to Kenya for her. However, when they went to pick her up from school and take her to Kansai International Airport, she ran off. In a similar incident, a 20-year-old Kenyan former student at Chukyo High School in Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, who went missing in 2007, was found in spring this year in Nagoya, it's been learned. The man, a member of the school's track team, went missing after leaving his dormitory in September 2007. He would have been deported.

US President Barack Obama has strongly criticised Kenya’s leadership, expressing concern about the country’s political and economic direction. Explaining why Ghana was chosen as his first official destination in black Africa, President Obama singled out the slow pace of reforms as a key impediment in Kenya.  In his most pointed comments on the country of his father’s birth, the US President tore into Kenya’s leadership saying that “political parties do not seem to be moving into a permanent reconciliation that would allow the country to move forward.”  - MORE

Michael Owen has completed his surprise move to Manchester United after the free agent signed a two-year deal with the Premier League champions. The 29-year-old ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid striker's contract with Newcastle ended earlier this week. "Michael is a world-class forward with a proven goalscoring record at the highest level," said United boss Sir Alex Ferguson. Owen had also been linked with Everton, Aston Villa, Stoke and Hull. But instead he becomes United's second summer signing after the recent addition of Antonio Valencia from Wigan.

Meeting Somalia's al-Shabab

Southern Somalia is a dangerously unpredictable place.We flew into the region, unsure what reception we could expect from the commanders of al-Shabab, the radical Islamist insurgent group, viewed by some as al-Qaeda's proxy in the Horn of Africa. Our plan was to stay overnight in a town called Wajid - until we learned that al-Shabab had just publicly beheaded three men in the area and shot dead a community leader. We changed our schedule fast. We were travelling with the United Nation's World Food Programme, which, despite operating in one of the world's most dangerous environments, is managing to feed some 3.5 million Somalis. "It is very, very difficult," said WFP's deputy country director Denise Brown.

The things men will do to keep their girlfriends... Ang Qiang was born with two penises but has had one of them surgically removed after his lover said either it went or she would. 'When we first started going out she was amazed but in the end she thought it was a bit creepy,' said the 23-year-old from Guangzhou.

How 200 officers rescued boy from abductors

Even when police knocked the door for Eugene Ochieng’ to open, the 15-year-old boy declined to do so and instead hid in vegetable sacks. Probably because his abductors had earlier on ordered him to sleep until Friday morning when they would come for him, and, again, he was hungry and tired. The police had to break the door to rescue him. Eugene was rescued by the police from a house in Nairobi’s Dandora estate, three days after gunmen took him captive and demanded Sh1 million ransom from his father. He was found locked in a room full of sacks of vegetables where, he said, he had been relocated minutes before police arrived. "That was the third house they had taken me to and it seems they knew police were looking for me. They really tortured me for the period I was in their hands," he said after his rescue. The joyous boy urged police to rescue other individuals in the hands of kidnappers because "it is torturous". "I pray that all those out there in the hands of kidnappers are rescued. Police need to catch up with the remaining kidnappers because they are many," he said outside Buru Buru Police Station. At the station he got counselling from experts. When police found the boy in the house, could not trust them even after they identified themselves. He could not trust anyone, anymore.  He said some of his abductors were armed with AK47 rifles and police walkie-talkies. It was after he heard the commander of the squad brief his bosses on phone that he looked relieved and hugged the commander."He hugged our commander and thanked him for rescuing him saying his abductors had threatened to kill him and his family," said one of the officers.

Eugene Ochieng’ with Police Spokesman Eric Kiraithe after security officers rescued him, Friday

Eugene told the officers he had been surviving on a loaf of bread and soda. To make sure his identity would not be known, the thugs gave Eugene their clothes and took away the uniforms he wore when he was abducted. And even though the criminals got his father’s phone number from him, they did not make more demands from him (father). More than 200 police officers were involved in the operation. Some officers had sealed off the area after being informed the abductors, who may have had information that detectives were looking for them, had shifted the boy to the house. In the three-storey residential building, police said they only found women and children, as all men tenants had taken cover on getting wind of the operation. It was a 10-year-old girl who told the police of a ‘stranger’ locked in one of the rooms. Eugene was later rushed to Nairobi West Hospital where doctors gave him a clean bill of health and later joined his family. Police spokesman, Eric Kiraithe linked the abduction to eight suspects who were arrested in the area and Githurai 44 area. "Four of them have been linked to a series of robberies and murder incidents in the city and Athi River. We are building up a case against them," he said. He said two of the suspects are women who occupied the room where the boy was hidden. Also found in the Githurai house were 40 mobile phone SIM cards, including two belonging to Eugene’s father. Kiraithe said preliminary investigations reveal that one of the suspects — known as OCS — is a commander of Mungiki in Dandora and a matatu driver in Nairobi.

Tenants and neighbours peep in the house Eugene Ochieng’ had been held in Dandora, Nairobi.

He said police have gone hi-tech in their operations. "We understand they (criminals) have stopped using mobile phones but that will not mean we will not get them. We will get them dead or alive and the operation is on," he added. Kiraithe said the rescue of the boy is an indication that police can track criminals however sophisticated their syndicate may be. He urged car hire dealers to take details of all their customers as a safety measure after it was realised the criminals are now using taxis in their operations. Eugene, a student at St Teresa’s Secondary, was abducted from Saika estate on Tuesday, as he headed for school at 6am. His father was robbed of Sh13,000 during the incident. The thugs, who were armed with rifles, shot and injured Eugene’s neighbour who was driving from his compound.  They escaped with the boy in their car and abandoned it in Dandora. The incident came days after police rescued a banker from kidnappers who were demanding Sh4 million ransom from his family last weekend. In May alone up to seven such incidents occurred, mainly in Eastlands.  A couple was shot and seriously wounded after they resisted abduction. A Form Two student in Kayole was rescued from an abduction den after he sneaked out a note to neighbours.  Three suspects were arrested in the incident and have been charged in court. On Friday police said many incidents go unreported since affected families give in to the demands of the abductors without involving security officers. - The Standard.

London, Saturday 4th July, 2009. A teenager has become the first London patient to die after contracting swine flu. The 19-year-old man, from Lewisham, died on Wednesday after complaining of flu-like symptoms. It is understood he was already seriously ill with a rare long-term health condition which left him with serious chest infections. Paramedics took him to Lewisham hospital by ambulance after his family called the emergency services but doctors were unable to save his life and he was confirmed dead on arrival at accident and emergency. Test results last night confirmed that the teenager was infected with the H1N1 virus and an inquest into his death is now expected to be opened.

Nairobi, Friday 3rd July, 2009. Eight more British students quarantined in a Kisumu hotel have tested positive for the contagious H1N1 influenza (swine flu), heightening fears more people could be infected. At the same time, Uganda health authorities confirmed its first case of the disease. The victim had travelled from London to Kampala via Nairobi. At Kisumu’s Alendu Primary School where the 34 visiting British students from Nottingham University Medical School had toured remained wary, as they had played football and attended classes with the visitors.  Subsequently, one of the medical students, 20, became the first to test positive for swine flu. "I am praying that my son who was among those screened turn out negative. It will be bad if he contracts the flu," said one parent, Wilkista Ouma. Yesterday, Ministry of Public Health officials remained tight-lipped about the tests on Kenyan pupils and British students, but sources at the Kenya Medical Research Institute confirmed more people had tested positive. Public Health Director, Shahnaaz Shariff confirmed the tests results of the British students were out, and more had tested positive. "It is true some more students were found to have the HIN1 flu. I can’t remember the exact number of those found to be positive," Shariff told The Standard on the telephone.

A British website www.thisisnottingham.com reported that nine students had tested positive for the disease, even as Nottingham was declared a swine flu hot spot. The website also reported the students would fly back on Sunday if the Government lifted their medical quarantine. Dr Shariff said the quarantine would be lifted tomorrow. A source at Kemri warned: "It is true that if anyone comes in contact with an individual with the swine flu, or even share the same room, he would definitely get it. It would be wise for anyone who suspects contact with the students to go for tests." The students had come to Kenya on a two-week charity trip, where they visited Kenyan schools in Kisumu and Nyando districts. They have been isolated at the Duke of Breeze Hotel in Kisumu, where doctors were closely monitoring them. Public Health and Minister Beth Mugo visited the students at the hotel on Wednesday, but journalists were not allowed in. The minister also visited the two institutions the medical students had visited — Alendu Primary School and Hovic Children’s Home in Kisumu. For now, pupils are waiting anxiously for the tests. Nyanza Provincial co-ordinator of Division of Disease and Surveillance Control Elly Nyambok, said the results could be out next week. "We have forwarded the results to Kemri/CDC and Influenza Laboratory in Nairobi for in-depth analyses and by next week the results will be out," he said, in an interview with The Standard. But the Alendu school head teacher, William Nyambua said he was confident the pupils were out of danger. "We are waiting to see the results of the lab tests that will be out anytime next week, but we are sure the pupils are safe," he said. Another parent, Ruth Otieno posed: Where in East Africa has someone died of flu? It’s only Aids and other diseases that kill, not flu). - The Standard.

Ms Esther Wairumbi of Barclays Bank London (right), and  Peter Kinyanjui Wairumbi (UK) (centre) has lost their father Mr. JOHN WAIRUMBI MUNUGU back in Kenya on Sunday 28th June, 2009. Family and friends will be meeting  at 100 Swiftsdens, Way, Bromley, BR1 4NT for prayers. Those wishing to help can do so through BARCLAYS BANK, A/C name E. WAIRUMBI, A/C NO.  50096164, SORT CODE 20-14-33. For more information please contact Esther on 07949187852, Kinyash on 07868312067 or Stacey on 07983992250.

Kenya is the most corrupt nation in East Africa, according to the first regional bribery report. Transparency International’s Bribery Index says Kenya has the most incidents of corruption at 45 per cent followed by Uganda (34 per cent) and Tanzania (17.8 per cent). The Kenya Police, at 66.5 per cent, is rated the most corrupt institution in East Africa. The force remains at the top for the eighth year running although Tanzania and Uganda police also rank high at 62.5 and 58.3 per cent.

What the London Independent Newspaper says about Kenya - See below:

Kenya's decline and fall

The streets are no longer burning, but smouldering corruption at every level of government threatens to rip the country apart. Once the pride of East Africa, it has now been judged a failure of a state, writes Daniel Howden Symbols rarely come as obvious or appropriate as Nairobi's Integrity Centre. A stone's throw from State House Avenue, the headquarters of Kenya's Anti-Corruption Commission (Kacc) is both a rusting hulk and a public joke. It was built to project the arrival of a brash new world but its metal panels have oxidised and bled, scarring its bronze facade with rivulets like the tracks of filthy brown tears.  In a country so traumatised by the consequences of corruption this ought to be a hive of activity. Instead it is a place which most experts would be happy to see closed. "They should be locked in and paid to stay there," says Mwalimu Mati, an anti-corruption campaigner. "They're not ever going to fight grand corruption. They are managers of scandal and no action is ever taken."

The Kacc is not the exception, it is the rule. Kenya is replete with commissions and authorities, hollow institutions that the ruling elite has long known how to manipulate when using "process" to paralyse reform.  Eighteen months after East Africa's island of stability was brought to the brink of civil war by the fallout from a stolen election, there is a temptation to assume that if the country is not burning, it must be healing. That would be wrong, according to the annual index of failed states, issued yesterday, which put Kenya in the critically failed group, one place below Burma. The appearance at 14th in the respected rankings compiled by the US-based Fund for Peace has shocked some in Nairobi but others are clear where the failures lie. "If a state exists to provide security, maintain its borders, provide food and a system of arbitration, then you can make the case that Kenya doesn't do those things," says Mr Mati. The bloated unity government that emerged from the violence is not helping. Remarkably, there is only one MP in parliament who was left outside of government, a situation that has left the job of opposition to foreign envoys. "There was real hope that we'd get a new Kenya. That has not happened," is the verdict of one Western diplomat. "There are no political hopes out there. There is no one with a clean pair of hands." Foreign aid supplies roughly eight per cent of Kenya's budget but using that leverage to bring change is complicated by venal politicians, the diplomat argue. "If we pull that money, it means no bore holes in Garissa, it doesn't hit them [the politicians]."

While the daily theatre of scandals, meetings and reconciliations in the unity government dominates the Kenyan papers, the symptoms of an extraordinary crisis are present just beneath the surface. The rule of law is collapsing and the UN has accused the police of a wave of extra-judicial killings. Watchdogs say the grand coalition has launched a "feeding frenzy" of corruption. International agencies are feeding one-quarter of the population. An ethnic criminal sect, the Mungiki, is in open war for the Central Province. And there has been no progress on any of the keystones of the 2008 peace plan brokered by Kofi Annan.  While these crises multiply, corruption is all that holds the government together, according to John Githongo, Kenya's most famous whistleblower. "The glue is greed," he explains. He predicts the government will hold together for only as long as it takes rivals to build up "big enough war chests" to literally fight all over again.  The cosy consensus voiced by the Prime Minister, Raila Odinga, that "Kenya looked over the edge of the abyss and stepped back," is wishful thinking, according to Michela Wrong, the British writer whose critique of Kenya's ruling elite, It's Our Turn To Eat, has been effectively banned from bookshops. Interest in her book – which charts the recent history of the former British colony through Mr Githongo's story and argues that high-level corruption destabilised the country – is such that an underground movement has been set up to get it out to the public. Four hundred people turned up to hear a reading from the book at the National Theatre, the podcast of which is now a popular Kenyan download.

The book drive is evidence of the interest of ordinary Kenyans in finding out about the history of looting of the state coffers by their political leaders. The Goldenberg scandal of the 1990s which cost the country at least 10 per cent of gross domestic product found a sequel in the Anglo Leasing scandal under the so-called anti-corruption administration of Mwai Kibaki. Efforts to punish the guilty and recover the lost millions have in both cases frozen. The consequences for the rest of the region of an outright failure in Kenya were brought home during the post-election fighting that killed more than 1,500 people last year, when fuel prices in Uganda and Rwanda went up nearly 20 per cent. The Waki Commission, appointed to identify the culprits behind the political violence has long since delivered its report. But the names it contains remain hidden and the deadline for setting up a local tribunal has passed, raising the prospect of government leaders being taken before the International Criminal Court. Mr Githongo has said that the only cause for optimism is that the grand coalition is proving to all of Kenya's 42 tribes that having their respective "ethnic baron" in power does not improve their lives. He hopes this could break the mould which has seen elections amount to little more than a periodic ethnic census. Meanwhile, the political void is exacerbating Kenya's tendency to look for "political messiahs", Mr Mati argues. Mr Githongo, the former graft tsar who worked for the current president for two years before fleeing to London with a caseload of evidence of grand corruption, is even being touted as one of them.

Back in Kenya and working as a consultant, Mr Githongo has been engaging in what he calls "conversations with the grassroots" across the country. An editorial in The Nation said the effort to circulate Wrong's book was a new political movement. Murithi Mutiga, a younger political commentator in Nairobi, is part of a generation that everyone hopes will find a way out of the crisis. He believes the country has come to resemble the banks that have shaken the global financial system. "Kenya is in the curious position of qualifying to be a failed state but for the big Western powers, it's too important to fail." The telephone directory of Kenya's non-government organisations weighs enough to remind anyone that Nairobi is the region's hub. It is the UN's third most important base after New York and Geneva and hosts the region's largest US diplomatic mission. Nairobi's elite and the international agency staffers, known as "two-yearers", are living in what Mutiga calls an "imaginary stability". Not many people here perceive themselves to be living in a failed state. And yet "Kenya is a failing state", in his view. And it was this complacency that prompted the shocked response to the Kenya's descent into violence last year. - The Independent Newspaper, London

Emirates increases checked luggage allowance

From today (May 6) Emirates passengers in all classes can check in 10kg more checked baggage than previously allowed, with no extra charges. The move means that economy passengers now have a baggage allowance of 30kg, while business class customers can check in baggage up to 40kg without charge, and first class passengers are allowed 50kg. These new limits also apply to codeshare passengers travelling on Emirates operated flights.

WHAT SOME OF THE LONDON PAPERS SAYS ON 3RD JULY, 2009

The Daily Telegraph leads with the death of Lieutenant Colonel Rupert Thorneloe - the highest ranking officer to die in action in almost three decades and on right Britain is at the mercy of a full-scale swine flu outbreak, warns the Daily Express.

Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura is likely to undergo a heart surgery any time from Friday in South Africa. The Kenyan medical team had reviewed the situation with South African counterparts and agreed on the treatment, Dr Charles Kariuki told the Nation by telephone on Thursday. “It looks like the most favoured management strategy right now,” he said of the planned surgery. Dr Kariuki, who together with Dr Frank Mwongera accompanied Mr Muthaura to South Africa, said the patient was in high spirits and expressed confidence that the treatment would be successful.

A family has been left distraught after a huge pet snake escaped from its cage and strangled their young child. Two-year-old Shaiunna Hare was already dead by the time a rescue crew arrived at her family home near Oxford, Florida, on Wednesday morning. The family's pet Burmese python, measuring more than 8ft long, had broken out of its terrarium sometime during the night. Charles Jason Darnell, the snake's owner and the boyfriend of Shaiunna's mother, discovered the snake missing and went to the girl's room, where he found "the snake on the child" and bite marks on her head. Mr Darnell dialled emergency services pleading for help. "Our Burmese python got out of the cage last night and got into the baby's crib and strangled her to death," a tearful Mr Darnell told the emergency operator. The 32-year-old grabbed a knife and stabbed the albino snake until it loosened its crushing grip on the toddler. Authorities later found the animal under furniture and removed it from their small home - bordered by cow fields - along with another six-foot snake. Two other children and Shaiunna's mother, 23-year-old Jaren Ashley Hare, who were sleeping in the small tan-coloured bungalow, were not harmed.

Mr Darnell told deputies he placed the larger snake in a bag, which he put in an aquarium on Tuesday night and then discovered the snake had escaped when he woke on Wednesday morning. "This is a very sad situation," Sumter County Sheriff Bill Farmer said. "To keep a large, unsecured snake in the house is just asking for trouble." Mr Darnell did not have a permit for the snakes and a vet is determining whether the reptiles should be put down. No charges have been laid but investigators are looking into whether there was child neglect or if any other laws were broken. More than a dozen people, including five children, have been killed in the country by pet pythons since 1980, according to the Humane Society of the United States. Burmese pythons are not native to Florida but suit the steamy climate, and have flourished in the Everglades after pet owners freed them into the wild. Scientists speculate a number of the animals escaped from pet shops battered by Hurricane Andrew in 1992 and have been reproducing ever since. They have been known to grow to lengths of 26ft and tip the scales at more than 14st.

A Kenyan Carer admits pensioner sex attack in Edinburgh

A male carer at an Edinburgh nursing home carried out a serious sex assault on an infirm 76-year-old woman as she held on to her walking frame. The distressed victim later told another employee that Joseph Sinja had "done things her husband wouldn't do". Sinja, 32, admitted carrying out the attack on 26 April this year, when he appeared at the High Court in the city. He is due to be sentenced later but THE Kenyan national was warned he could be deported. Advocate depute Alex Prentice QC told the court: "The victim describes feeling dirty and sick as a result of the incident and that the accused had done something to her that her husband had never done. "Her age makes the offence particularly distressing and embarrassing to her and any mention of it causes extreme upset," he said. The prosecutor told the court that the woman, who has suffered strokes, irregular heart rhythm and reduced mobility, remains at the home run by Edinburgh City Council, but is now treated by female carers only. Sinja, who was allowed into Britain on a student visa, was employed as an assistant at the home through Family Circle Care Ltd, which provided the agency staff. Mr Prentice said: "Male carers are authorised to provide intimate care to female residents if the residents do not choose otherwise, although residents can opt for only same sex carers to carry out these tasks." Sinja had responsibility for the area of the home where the victim was staying. She was awake in bed when he went into her room about 0900 BST to help wash and dress her. Mr Prentice said after washing her Sinja took the partially dressed pensioner by the hand and got her to stand up and hold onto her zimmer frame, before carrying out the sex attack and leaving the room. The prosecutor told the court the victim was shocked and in pain following the assault. The victim had her lunch but a domestic assistant noticed that there was blood on the chair where she had been sitting. The victim was seen by a doctor and was found to have injuries, including an internal graze consistent with blunt force trauma. Lord Kinclaven told first offender Sinja that he would be remanded in custody, while sentence was deferred for background reports and a risk assessment.  He also ordered that he be placed on the sex offenders register.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard the woman had suffered internal injuries

Michael Jackson had a long-standing secret girlfriend and developed an addiction to drugs supplied by unscrupulous doctors, his bodyguard has told Sky News. The astonishing claims were made by Matt Fiddes, the tragic singer's friend and UK bodyguard, who told how he and Uri Geller found and hid drugs and even needles from his room. He also quashed rumours that Jackson was gay and said he had met the secret girlfriend on several occasons although he refused to identify her. "I'm not going to name who she is but I think the family were aware that there was someone special in his life who he loved and adored and had his ups and downs with," he said.

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Starehe School Golden Jubilee Dinner in London is on 18th July, 2009.

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For dinner ticket contact or more information Office 02079347023 or 07715109559.

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KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1921- Rika ria Munanda - Cattle dip.

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FREE NYAMA CHOMA IN SOUTH LONDON ON 18TH JULY 2009

You are invited with your friends and family for an Open Day Nyama Choma. Venue: Crystal Palace Park, SE19 2BB as from 2.00 p.m. 5.00 p.m. All welcomed. For more information please contact 07903984578.

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More than a half of Kenyans still want suspected perpetrators of post election violence tried

Nairobi, Kenya, Jul 1 - More than a half of Kenyans still want suspected perpetrators of post election violence tried at the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague, according to a new survey. The report by consultants hired by the African Union Panel of Eminent Personalities shows that 53 percent of respondents support the ICC route as opposed to 33 percent who vouch for a local tribunal. According to South Consulting, most of those interviewed believe the local Tribunal would be corrupted and trust they will only find fair judgment at The Hague.  These fears, they say, are due to the recognition of weaknesses in the national legal and judicial system and the fact that successive Kenyan governments have lacked political will to prosecute influential persons for serious offences, including political violence. “This politicisation of the process to establish a Special Tribunal may lead to people losing confidence in the Tribunal. For the Tribunal to work, therefore, it will require that it is independent and that this independence is guaranteed through a legal framework. Credibility, objectivity and impartiality should be the main principles and values guiding its operations,” the report states in one of its conclusions. South Consulting said politicians who fear that they were named in a secret list by the Commission of Inquiry into Post Election Violence were politicising the debate and poisoning Kenyans for their personal benefits.  The commitment by the government to deal with impunity has also been put to question given that prosecution of suspects who may have committed crimes during the period has been slow and highly politicised.

The monitors said that the country had failed to bring the offenders to account although the police made some arrests in early 2008. “Further delays will have the effect of reducing people’s confidence in the process, particularly if the victims continue to see inaction on the part of the government. Significant, of course, is that the suspects will develop a sense of impunity and feeling of victory against the State for their violent behaviour,” the report concludes. Parliament in February rejected the tribunal signaling their resolve to have the suspects tried at the ICC. The government is in a rush to start a second bid amidst threats by Chief Mediator Kofi Annan to hand over the list of suspects to The Hague-based court should the country fail to establish the tribunal by August.  A government delegation was due to leave for consultations with Mr Annan on the issue on Wednesday evening. The Consultants regret that although the country has established structures for the much needed reforms the momentum of the reforms has been lost.  The team has warned that without undertaking fundamental reforms, another violent civil conflict could recur. “Reforms that tend to appease the political leaders will not address the root causes of the country’s problems. The survey findings show that ordinary citizens prefer not only institutional reforms but also those that will improve their well-being. For this reason, it is important that reforms focus on a constitution that is desirable to the majority of the people,” the team advised. South Consulting further warns that disagreement over distribution of power and patronage is likely to spill over into the constitutional review process and frustrate delivery of a new constitution. The team has also raised concerns over the disbandment of illegal armed groups who they say are growing in number owing to internal factionalism and general mutation. - CapitalFM

KIKUYU PROVERB

Iri murungu igitagia hari iri hia

The ox which has no horns, relies for help on the one that has them

He who feels weak relies on the friend he knows is strong.

LEFT: Student loans and grants will be frozen next year thanks to the economic downturn, says The Daily Telegraph. CENTRE: A pioneering treatment that blasts prostate cancer with ultrasound is the lead story in the Daily Express. RIGHT: Michael Jackson will be buried at his favourite spot on his former Neverland ranch and his coffin encased in concrete to deter grave-robbers, reports the Daily Star.

Power rationing at hand as Masinga dam shuts operations

Kenya's largest hydro-electric dam has been shut down because of low water levels, raising fears that power prices may rise in the East African country. The Kenya Electricity Generating Company said poor and late rains had forced the closure of the 14 megawatt Masinga plant on the Tana River. It is only the second time in 28 years Masinga has closed. Its remaining water is to be released to a dam downstream in an effort to reduce any impact on the national grid. KenGen, the country's main power supplier, said it hoped Masinga would reopen by the end of the year. "Masinga dam water level has been declining steadily due to poor hydrology for the past two years from 1,956.5m in May 2007 to the current level of 1,035.5m," KenGen said. Kenya has two rainy seasons - the first lasts for a month and begins in October. The second usually starts in March and lasts until May. Businesses in East Africa's biggest economy say there are already frequent power blackouts, which increases the cost of doing business, Reuters news agency reports. The national power distributor - Kenya Power and Lightening Company - told the BBC it did not foresee an immediate impact on supply, but said it may have to rely more on diesel power in the future. Correspondents say this would push up the price of electricity for consumers. A drought three years ago forced neighbouring Tanzania to introduce daytime power cuts.

"I worry about fast forgivers. They tend to forgive quickly in order to avoid their pain. Or they forgive fast in order to get an advantage over the people they forgive. And their instant forgiving only makes things worse...People who have been wronged badly and wounded deeply should give themselves time and space before they forgive...There is a right moment to forgive. We cannot predict it in advance; we can only get ourselves ready for it when it arrives...Don't do it quickly, but don't wait too long...If we wait too long to forgive, our rage settles in and claims squatter's rights to our souls." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Immigrants in US are asking for money from home

By SAMANTHA HENRY, Associated Press Writer Samantha Henry, Associated Press Writer – Tue Jun 30, 5:20 pm ET

FAIRVIEW, N.J. – For five years, immigrant day labourer Leo Chamale wired money twice a month from New Jersey to his family in Guatemala. Recently, he stepped up to the money transfer window for a different purpose — to ask that his family send some of his savings back to him. "I hadn't worked for five months, and I was two months behind on rent, so I had them send $1,500," the 21-year-old Chamale said in Spanish. "My mother said, `That's a lot of money!'" With the U.S. economy in a ditch, money transfer agencies have been reporting a decline in the wages immigrants are sending back to their home countries. Now, it appears some immigrants are going a step further — asking their relatives to wire them money back. "We've never seen this before," said Marlen Miranda, manager of Peerless Travel in Fairview, which runs a money transfer service. "I mean, one or two people might receive money for a special reason, but not this quantity of people." Miranda said she has seen her customer base dwindle from 200 people to 75 who regularly use her money transfer services each month. Of those 75, Miranda said, about 20 now come in to receive money instead of sending it home.

"They can't send them much, because the economy in their countries is so bad," Miranda said. "Sometimes people only receive $20 from home." It is not clear how much money is being sent back to the U.S. or how widespread the phenomenon is. Large money transfer agencies, such as Western Union, said they do not disclose how much money is sent or received by their field offices. Banks in foreign countries often track only money sent into the country by their citizens living abroad. But clearly, these "reverse remittances" — as the money wired back to the U.S. is called — are extremely small when compared to the money immigrants send home. Immigrants working in the U.S. sent more than $50 billion back to their native countries last year, according to the World Bank, which predicts the amount will drop 5 percent in 2009. Mexico's central bank said remittances sent to that country are down more than 18 percent in the past year, and registered their biggest decline on record in April. Alejandro Tejada, manager of Tenares Communications, a Western Union office in Passaic, said he, too, has noticed money flowing in reverse, into the U.S. — a phenomenon he rarely, if ever, saw before. It began around late March, Tejada said, after a tough winter in which construction projects and other ventures that usually employ immigrant day laborers ground to a halt.

World Bank economist Dilip Ratha said he devised his own measure of how much money is sent back to immigrants living in the U.S. and other countries. Analyzing foreign currency deposits in the Dominican Republic, Mexico and India from February 2008 to January 2009, Ratha found that immigrants from those countries tapped into their savings accounts — money they had previously wired home — at an accelerated rate as the global economy worsened. The amount of foreign currency on deposit declined 7 percent in the Dominican Republic, 12 percent in India, and 6 percent in Mexico during the 12-month period, Ratha said. Nevertheless, "people are sending far, far, far more back home than what they are taking out," he said. Ratha said the surge in money wired back to the U.S. will not last long. "The ability of, let's say, a Mexican family or a Nepalese family to be able to send dollar remittances to maintain somebody to pay for living expenses in the U.S. or in Europe is very weak, because they are very poor," Ratha said. "And the savings that are there of the migrants are also not very significant in most cases — so those savings will run out very quickly." Standing on a street corner a recent morning in Palisades Park, looking for work, Chamale said he is now hoping to earn just enough for a plane ticket home. "I was forced to ask for money from home during the winter months," he said. "After that, I said to myself, `That's it — I'm heading back to my country.'" - AP – In this Friday, June 19, 2009 photo, Alejandro Tejada, manager of Tenares Communications, a Western Union …

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Fumbo mfumbe mjinga mwerevu huligangua.

Put a riddle to a fool a clever person will solve it

Credit card cheques are set to be banned and a new post created to help ripped-off consumers get their money back, the government has announced. Measures to assist people facing difficulties with debt and at risk from rogue traders are also in the plans. Figures from the Bank of England show that UK residents owe £233bn on credit cards, overdrafts and other loans. The government plans - laid out in a White Paper - include the creation of a Consumer Advocate. Under the plans, he or she would raise awareness of consumer issues and take cases of "national importance" to court on behalf of groups of consumers seeking compensation and refunds.

Forced marriage plea to schools in UK

New guidance is being published urging schools to identify signs of forced marriages ahead of the holidays.  The guidance comes as an official report raises questions about how some schools and councils have failed to act on suspicions or evidence of abuse.  The report calls on schools to play a greater preventative role, saying some are clearly reluctant to get involved.  The government's Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) says it has received 770 calls for help this year - up 16% on 2008.  Experts say the coming month will be critical because there is growing evidence that abusive families use the school summer holidays to coerce daughters and sons to marry abroad.  The new guidance published by the FMU urges teachers to be aware of signs of a possible forced marriage because school or college is often the only place where the potential victim can speak freely.

A coalition of over 300 organizations in US pressures on Congress

Something you might not have known: comprehensive immigration reform has a real chance of passing this year! A coalition of over 300 organizations, the major labor unions included, have teamed up to put pressure on Congress to fix the immigration system as soon as possible.

During his campaign for President of the United States of America, President Obama pledged to pass comprehensive immigration reform (http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/). With his pledge, along with a broad, national effort to make it happen, comprehensive immigration reform will very likely get passed in 2009!

That said, the anti-immigration groups are very loud and organized in their hopes of it not passing. President Obama and Congress need to know that when the time comes to stand up for immigration reform, the supporters of reform will be equally loud and organized to help pass immigration reform for America!

Need more help understanding the issue? American-born workers suffer if there is a vast pool of undocumented workers, because they can be easily exploited by employers who seek unfair advantage. All of us are stronger if we all have rights. Rogue enforcement agents at all levels are terrorizing immigrant workers and dividing families without making us any safer, and worse than that - they AREN'T fixing the real problems with our immigration system! Our out-of-date laws force many American families to remain separated for years (or even decades for some) because of backlogs and barriers to family unification in the United States immigration system.

As hinted at previously, our outdated immigration laws are on the verge of being unenforceable. Why is this a problem? It drives too much immigration into the black market, and very little through the proper legal channels for those who want to work in this country. The result is hundreds of thousands of immigrants being detained and deported. People who are simply trying to make a better life for themselves and their families, just like we as Americans do every day, are being forced to take life-threatening risks because they cannot enter legally, and endure severe hardships worse than most have ever had to experience. We as Americans believe in freedom. We believe in life, liberty, and we certainly believe in the pursuit of happiness. We must practice what we preach! We can and must do better.

To ensure that comprehensive immigration reform is passed this year, we need YOUR help! Please visit the website below to learn more about comprehensive immigration reform, and go ahead and sign on for the cause. Your support means the world to people just like you, trying to create a better life for themselves and their families.

Best Regards,

Chuck

http://www.ReformImmigrationFORAmerica.org

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 1 - The Head of the Public Service Francis Muthaura has now been flown to South Africa for specialised treatment, three days after he was first taken to hospital for treatment. Capital News has established that Mr Muthaura left Kenya at 9.15am for Johannesburg. Government spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua was due to hold a media briefing at 0800GMT to give further details on his condition. Earlier on Tuesday, doctors decided to bar visitors from seeing Mr Muthaura at the Nairobi Hospital. His personal Physician Dr Frank Mwongera told reporters that they were still running tests to determine his ailment. “We have carried out some tests since Sunday and we are still carrying out more. I can assure you that within 24 to 48 hours, we will have finished our investigations,” he said. Dr Mwongera said Amb Muthaura had complained of minor pains in the stomach and chest. “He called me on Sunday and I advised him to come to the hospital,” he said. “Indeed he drove himself to the A and E department of the hospital and that is where we met him.”

The Head of the Public Service Francis Muthaura

WHAT SOME OF UK'S PAPERS SAY TODAY 1ST JULY, 2009   

LEFT: But The Guardian says British citizens who apply for passports will be automatically registered on the ID card database. RIGHT: New plans could see an end to the elderly being forced to sell their homes in order to pay for care, according to The Daily Telegraph.

To All Kenyan Churches and Ministries

You are being warned to be extra careful of a very plausible, well spoken, biblically literate white man in latter middle age claiming to be Henri St. Aubin and a Missionary in East Africa, with citizenship in the Seychelles. He had a plausible but hard to verify account of lost passport. This man, recently, approached Memorial Community Church, (former Memorial Baptist Church, Plaistow), Management with a story that he is a Missionary in East Africa and a citizenship of Seychelles. He visited families within the Church over the period of a week, borrowed money, accepted lifts to hospital appointments which were later discovered that they were not real, and then he did a bunk-disappeared. The man is very plausible but he is definitely a fraudster and Rev'd mark Janes, Minister-in-Charge Memorial Community Church, MCC, thought it wise to give a warning  that could be shared with other Churches in Transform Newham and the London Baptist Association. After disappearing from MCC he contacted  Little Ilford Baptist Church, Manor Park office over the telephone and asked whether they knew of any Kenyan congregations in the area. When he gave his name, he was asked whether he had approached the  Memorial Community Church, Plaistow or the Minister in-charge, Rev'd Mark Janes. He denied knowing either, and said that he had just arrived in the country. He did not call again. Be on look-out for this bogus  'Missionary' white man. The matter has been reported to the Police.

Brits to swelter as temperatures hit new high

Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Baking Britain is set to hit record temperatures again as the country sweltered in the grip of heatwave conditions. Temperatures soared to 31.8C (89.24F) in Wisley, Surrey, on Tuesday, as June became the hottest month in three years. The weather has prompted the Government to set up a heatwave advice page on its own Directgov website as NHS Direct received hundreds of calls from patients suffering symptoms related to the heat.

Chicago, Wednesday 1st July, 2009. A  Kenyan couple based in Chicago  plead guilty to scamming nuns in Wisconsin and elsewhere out of more than $1 million while masquerading as Kenyan refugees, spending most of it at a casino, according to federal court documents. Angela Martin-Mulu, 35, and Edward Bosire, 39, each pleaded guilty this month to fraud. The couple are behind bars and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Charles Clevert in October. Judge Charles Clevert could sentence the couple to more of less than the jail time provided by federal guidelines. Under federal sentencing guidelines, each faces 33 to 41 months in prison, Martin-Mulu and Bosire also agreed to pay $984,000 in restitution, according to documents. According to court documents, Bosire and Martin-Mulu came to the United States in 1999 under temporary visas and were later granted asylum in 2007. The couple targeted monasteries, churches and other religious groups, saying they were homeless siblings who would be killed if they were deported to Kenya, according to documents.

Angela Martin-Mulu, 35, and Edward Bosire, 39, each pleaded guilty this month to fraud

Martin-Mulu used a story line to the effect that her father was a government official in Kenya assassinated, along with his two bodyguards, which on futher investigations turned out to be untrue, according to documents. According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gordon Giampietro, the couple scammed a dozen other religious groups and churches including an order of Illinois nuns who gave them $200,000, he said. Martin-Mulu's attorney, Susan Karaskiewicz, defended their action saying, "There are definitely mitigating circumstances that will come out at the sentencing hearing,"  On Christmas 2004, The couple had earlier on visited a Pewaukee monastery of the Discalced Carmelite nuns, claiming to be homeless and living on the streets, but didn't ask for money then, the documents said.  Later, they visited again and started making calls, asking for money to pay rent, medical bills, tuition and an "international fine," according to documents. The Wisconsin order gave the couple $815,000, which came out of a health fund for the nuns' care. This was after a head nun had at one point asked to to make payments directly to their doctors, but Angela Martin-Mulu said the doctors would not provide bills because the two were in the country illegally, documents said.  During the scam, Martin-Mulu and Bosire gambled away almost $1 million at a casino, documents said. - www.jambonewspot.com

"Fear the Lord, and depart from evil. It shall lbe health and thy navel, and marrow to thy bones." Proverbs 3:7-8

Kenyans among detainees from over 20 nations still at Guantanamo

Washington: Approximately 229 detainees from "about two dozen countries" are still held in Guantanamo, according to the latest Pentagon figures, provided to AFP. Of the remaining detainees, the largest group – about 100 men – is from Yemen. The next most represented nationals are Afghans and Algerians, with about 20 from each country, according to the US Department of Defence. In addition, the Pentagon said there are roughly 10 Saudi detainees and 13 Chinese Muslim ethnic Uighurs left at the detention facility in the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay in southeastern Cuba. There are between five and ten detainees each from Libya, Pakistan, Syria and Tunisia, according to the figures. Other detainees still being held at Guantanamo come from Azerbaijan, Canada, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Kenya, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritania, Morocco, the Palestinian territories, Tajikistan, the United Arab Emirates and Uzbekistan. Since US President Barack Obama took office on January 20, one Yemeni detainee has committed suicide, a Tanzanian man was transferred to the United States to face trial before a federal court, a British resident of Ethiopian origin was transferred to Britain and four Chinese Uighurs were sent to Bermuda. In addition, a young detainee with dual Chadian and Saudi nationality was sent to Chad and an Iraqi and three Saudis were sent to their home countries.  - AFP/so

Ministers walk out of ODM meeting

Nairobi, Wednesday 1st July, 2009. A meeting designed to forge ODM’s unity ended in disarray when ministers sharply differed with party leader Raila Odinga on the handling of post-election violence suspects. Ministers and their assistants walked out of the meeting convened by Mr Odinga at his Treasury office to protest his push for a special tribunal to try key suspects. Only Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey remained as Sports colleague Hellen Sambili led the walk out. Mr Kosgey, who is the ODM chair, led the onslaught on Mr Odinga by telling him to his face that his push for the tribunal was meant to “arrest” Kalenjins. The chairman was supported by ministers Dalmas Otieno, Otieno Kajwang, Paul Otuoma and Aden Duale as Mr Joseph Nkaissery and Mr Orengo jumped to Mr Odinga’s support. Sources at the meeting, who asked not to be named, said the ministers were adamant that they will vote against the tribunal if the matter is brought to Parliament. The government has been under pressure from the international community to form the tribunal before chief mediator Kofi Annan’s August deadline or the list of suspects be handed over to the International Criminal Court. “We told him the tribunal will finish him and the party and that the Waki Commission which investigated the violence did a bad job,” an assistant minister, who asked not to be quoted, said. Deputy party leader Musalia Mudavadi and chief whip Jakoyo Midiwo also said the tribunal was not the “way to go.” Mr Odinga is said to have been saddened by the happenings and remained quiet as the ministers openly castigated him. The ministers also disagreed on eviction of squatters from Mau Forest Complex. Although the new constitution was part of the meeting’s agenda, it was never discussed due to the sharp difference. However, the ministers agreed that the party nominations for the Shinyalu and Bomachoge seats be handled in a free and fair manner. The 5pm meeting stretched late into the night with those in attendance keeping quiet on the agenda. This comes at a time when sharp internal differences have threatened to wreck the party ahead of the 2012 elections. After the meeting, there was a power blackout at Treasury building The backup generator failed and some people at the meeting on the 14th floor, including Mr Odinga, walked to the ground floor.

A child was rescued from the Indian Ocean today Tuesday 30th June, 2009 after a plane crashed amid fears that everyone else on board has died. The sole survivor, a five-year-old boy, was plucked from the sea after the jet vanished during a violent storm last night. Rescuers began pulling bodies out of the sea today but so far none of the other 152 people — 141 passengers and 11 crew — has been recovered alive. Flight IY626 from Paris, operated by Yemenia airline, was trying to land on the Comoros Islands but crashed just off the coast. The plane, an Airbus A-310, had failed numerous safety tests in France only two years ago.

UK scraps compulsory ID cards

Published: London, June 30 2009

Alan Johnson, the home secretary, has shelved plans for the eventual introduction of compulsory ID cards for British citizens, dealing another blow to the government’s controversial £4.9bn national identity scheme. Mr Johnson also said on Tuesday that pilots and airside workers at Manchester and London City airports would no longer be forced to carry the cards, after unions had objected strongly to their introduction. The Home Office also confirmed that a long-term contract for the large-scale production of the cards, which will now only be offered on a voluntary basis, was being delayed until 2011 or 2012. The Tory opposition has promised to scrap the ID card scheme in the event that it wins the forthcoming general election, which must take place by next spring.  Charles Clarke and Jacqui Smith, two former home secretaries, had said they expected to reach a “tipping point” of 80 per cent of British people using ID cards by 2018, at which point their use would have been made compulsory by law. However, when asked on Tuesday whether that was still the case, Mr Johnson stated a categoric “no”.

Mr Johnson stressed that he remained convinced that the cards offered “significant benefits”, and announced plans to extended the voluntary ID card scheme taking place in Manchester to the rest of the north west.  He said it would be useful for young people to provide proof of age and for tackling anti-social behaviour. He also said the government would offer the cards free to the over-75s. Nevertheless, the government has only received 3,500 expressions of interest in the cards so far from around the country. Commenting on the announcement, David Davis, former shadow Home secretary, said: “Alan Johnson has signalled the final stages of the descent into chaos of the government’s ID card scheme. The cancellation of the compulsory airside workers test of the scheme, in the face of fierce resistance from pilots and trade unions, shows that the Home Office had lost their stomach for the fight. He added: “The abandonment of the requirement for the ID card to be compulsory as the final stage shows the government has lost its belief in the ID card as a universal check on identity. One of the fundamental design flaws in the system was that it had to be compulsory for it to work as advertised. Otherwise, how could any public servant, be they police, immigration officer, or welfare provider, demand to see it?”

While on a visit to Dallas, US last May, Dr. Solomon Waigwa took us to a Homestead Restaurant in Weco - a farm where Christians live like the Garden of Aden. Everything organic including drinks. The farmers does not depend on outside world. They grow and manufactor everything in the farm where they 12 industries. From left is Mr. Seed, Bishop Muya, Professor Waigwa (Muroti) and the farm Bishop. While in Dallas we were all hosted by a very kind Kenyan lady by the name Mrs. Noel Njeri Mugo (far right on the right photo, Mr. Elly Kuria Njuguna (Mukurino centre with white) and Bishop Muya. The restaurant is all made of wood and there is no nails used to construct. (see photo below).

Home Office delays ID card contract

Published: June 18 2009

The government's controversial ID cards scheme appeared to have been kicked "into the long grass" last night, after the Home Office backed away from a commitment to award a key contract to produce the cards for British citizens this autumn. The so-called "card design and production" contract - for which Fujitsu, IBM, and Thales UK were bidding - would have been one of the costliest stages in the £4.8bn project to introduce a national identity card scheme. The Home Office conceded the delayed contract may not be awarded until autumn 2010. Given that the Tories have pledged to scrap the scheme, however, it would be unlikely to see the light of day in the event of a Conservative victory in the next general election. The delay comes as the government is facing record levels of public debt and examining ways to slash costs across all departments. It follows a warning yesterday from Chris Grayling, shadow home affairs secretary, that companies involved in the ID scheme should not sign further contracts because of the Tories' intention to abandon it. "I am increasingly concerned the government is putting in place contractual arrangements that are designed to tie the hands of a future government," Mr Grayling said, "and I want to make the contractors absolutely aware that we do not intend to complete this work." The Home Office has already signed four contracts in the ID programme: a pilot scheme run by Thales; a passport and ID card application system being developed by US-based CSC; an IBM contract to build a database to store fingerprint and facial biometrics; and a De La Rue contract to produce biometric passports.

These, however, could be left largely untouched by the Tories, because much of the technology would be needed to introduce biometric passports, which the party supports. The contract to develop and produce the bulk of the cards, which had been scheduled for the autumn, was set to be far more controversial, since it was the first part of the programme exclusively addressed to ID cards. Edgar Whitley, a leading IT expert at the London School of Economics Identity Project, a research unit, said yesterday that he had heard "rumours two or three weeks ago that ID card production was being kicked into the long grass", which he ascribed to a combination of political factors and delays in the contract process. Mr Whitley said there were mixed messages coming from the government on the ID scheme, which has met with some opposition in the cabinet. "If everyone knew what hymn book they were reading, then I'm sure they would be singing the same hymn," he said. Alan Johnson, the home secretary, said this week that the ID cards were a "manifesto commitment". The Home Office said yesterday that it had a small contract in place to deliver the ID cards needed for a pilot scheme in Manchester, which expires next autumn. As for future plans for the bigger contract, the department said: "We will have a new contract in place by the time this contract comes to an end."

Agency report defends migrants

London, Tuesday 30th June, 2009. Developed countries must resist any temptation to shut the door to immigrants now that recession is creating greater competition for fewer jobs, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said today. The OECD published a report on international migration in which it highlighted that unemployment among immigrants had almost doubled in the United States, Spain and Ireland since the start of the economic crisis. No governments had so far announced drastic plans to close borders, but Italy has slashed an entry quota for non-seasonal immigrant workers to zero from 500,000 and Australia has cut a similar quote by 20 percent, OECD chief Angel Gurria said. “Migration is not a tap that can be turned on and off at will,” Gurria told a news conference. Extremist political parties had made gains in EU parliament elections in June, he said. “The anti-immigration discourse seems to be popular. Why? Because conditions are difficult and this situation is reflected in public discourse. People talk about the ‘threat of migrants who will be taking our jobs or who already have’,” Gurria said. “We have to do everything possible to combat that tendency. We have to avoid taking deliberate migration policies which would close the doors of developed countries.” In Spain, the jobless rate among immigrants was 27.1 percent in the first quarter of this year, compared to 15.2 per cent for natives, the OECD, a think-tank funded by governments from 30 mostly wealthy countries, said in its report. Governments needed policies on migrant labour that can be adjusted easily to both good and bad times, and programmes to help integrate foreigners should be maintained if not indeed strengthened when times were tougher, as now. “In tackling the jobs crisis, governments need to make sure that immigrants do not fall prey to increasing xenophobia and that discriminatory practices do not worsen an already difficult situation for them,” Gurria said. Foreigners are often on the frontline in downturns because they often work in sectors such as construction and catering. Egyptian police, for instance, over the weekend shot dead an African migrant and wounded two others, security sources told Reuters. (Reuters)

Gloomy U.S. consumers clip housing recovery hopes

Washington, Tuesday 30th June, 2009 -  (Reuters) - U.S. consumer confidence took an unexpectedly steep slide in June, figures released on Tuesday showed, suggesting the 18-month-long recession had yet to loosen its grip on the economy. A separate report on April house prices in major cities offered some encouraging signs that the worst of the housing slump may be over, but that was not enough to lift investors' spirits. Another crop of economic data showed business activity in New York City and the Midwest remained weak, while retail chains slogged through a rough June. Billionaire investor George Soros added to the cautionary tone, saying that rising borrowing costs posed a threat to any eventual economic recovery. "As markets revive, fear of inflation will drive up interest rates, which will choke off recovery," he said at a breakfast hosted by the Wall Street Journal. Major stock market indexes fell after the Conference Board's consumer confidence index showed households felt gloomier about their current situation and less optimistic about what the coming months might bring. Kevin Kruszenski, head of listed trading at Keybanc Capital Markets in Cleveland, said the confidence data "kind of took the wind out of things a little bit." Investors had been in a somewhat better mood since an early March trough as economic data suggested the pace of the recession was slackening. But with no clear sign that growth is about to resume, sentiment has begun to fade in recent weeks.

The consumer confidence index fell to 49.3 in June from 54.8 in May. Economists polled by Reuters had expected a healthier reading of 55.0 for the month. Standard & Poor's/Case Shiller home price indexes showed prices of single-family homes declined in April from the prior month, but the pace of the slide moderated. The 20-city price index dipped 0.6 percent from the previous month, which was far less dire than the 1.8 percent decline that economists polled by Reuters had predicted. There were a few more glimmers of hope as 13 of the 20 metropolitan areas tracked showed some improvement. The laggards included Las Vegas, Phoenix and Miami, which were among the cities that saw the biggest run-up in house prices in the middle part of this decade. "While one month's data cannot determine if a turnaround has begun, it seems that some stabilization may be appearing in some of the regions," said David Blitzer, chairman of the index committee at S&P. "We are entering the seasonally strong period in the housing market, so it will take some time to determine if a recovery is really here." Bill Schultz, chief investment officer at McQueen, Ball & Associates in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, said less-bad news was certainly a relief to investors, but noted their patience may soon start to wear thin. "To get the markets moving to the next level you're going to have to see prices stop falling and begin to rise here at some point in the not-so-distant future," he said.

London, Tuesday 30th June, 2009. The UK economy contracted 2.4% in the first quarter of 2009, its biggest quarterly decline in 51 years, according to the latest official data. The decline was more severe than the earlier estimate of a 1.9% fall, and worse than analyst expectations. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) blamed the sharp revision primarily on weaker output in the construction and manufacturing sectors. It also said the recession started earlier than first thought last year. The ONS now says the recession began during the second quarter of 2008 rather than during July to September, so that the recession has now been running for a whole year. The ONS said economic output shrank 4.9% during the first quarter of 2009 compared with the first quarter of 2008, the biggest year-on-year fall on record. The figures will make it more difficult for the Treasury to reach its forecast of a 3.5% decline in the UK economy for the year, made in the April Budget. But the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Liam Byrne, said it would not be revising its forecast. "There have been some tentative signs that the fall in output is moderating and I remain confident but cautious about the prospects for the economy," he added.

January to March's quarterly 2.4% decline was the sharpest contraction since the second quarter of 1958. Analysts had only expected a 2.1% fall. Construction output decreased between January and March by 6.9%, while the service sector contracted by 1.6% - led by the banking and financial industries, which saw output slip 2.5%. Quarterly manufacturing output fell by 5.5%. Meanwhile, real household disposable income fell by 2.4%, while the savings rate dropped from 4% to 3%. Andrew Goodwin, senior economic advisor to the Ernst & Young Item Club, said the figures were much worse than expected. "We had expected a downward revision to GDP, given the plunge in construction output since the last quarter, but the scale of revision comes as a real shock, and highlights the extreme weakness of the economy in the early months of the year," he said. Fellow analyst, Ross Walker, economist at RBS Financial Markets, said the latest figures were "disappointing". "We knew about the construction revisions in advance and the fall wasn't quite as big as the ONS had indicated," said Mr Walker. "But we've got a much bigger fall in services output."

Despite the economy's big downward revision for the first quarter of 2009, the expectation is that the official figures for April to June will be nowhere near as bad when the first estimates are published at the end of July. Earlier this month, the ONS said industrial production rose in April, its first month-on-month climb since February of last year. A growing number of reports from business organisations such as the CBI have also predicted that the worst of the recession is over. The CBI said earlier this month that the economy was now stabilising, and would begin a "slow and gradual" recovery from early next year. Separately, a key service sector survey reported a growth in business in May for the first time since April 2008. The PMI service index from the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply rose to 51.7 in May, up from 48.7 in April, with a measure above 50 indicating growth. Martin Weale, director of the National Institute for Economic and Social Research, whose organisation estimates GDP on a monthly basis, recently told the BBC that he expected second quarter GDP to be flat.

The first biggest wedding ever held in Kenya was by Chief Karuri wa Gakure in 1915 in Tuthu, Murang'a. An Asian businessman from Nairobi provide his car for the wedding and it was the first time for many guests to see a car

A LUO PROVERB

Ng'ama odenyo ok mosi.

A hungry person is not greeted

If you greet a hungry person he/she may not respond because he is tired, hungry and angry.

Yemen jet crashes in Indian Ocean

A Yemeni airliner with more than 150 people on board has crashed in the Indian Ocean near the Comoros islands. Some bodies have been found and a child rescued alive, officials from the carrier, Yemenia, said. The Airbus 310 flight IY626 was flying from the Yemeni capital Sanaa, but many passengers on the plane began their journey in France. The cause of the crash is not clear. A French minister said faults were found on the plane during a check in 2007. "The A310 in question was inspected in 2007 by the DGAC [French transport authorities] and they noticed a certain number of faults. Since then the plane had not returned to France," Transport Minister Dominique Bussereau was quoted as telling French TV.

Killers roam slums as police watch helplessly

Nightfall in two residential estates of Juja town, Thika district, brings with it chilling fear among residents who have lately been subjected to terror attacks by gangsters. Gangsters in this former sisal belt have resorted to using petrol bombs on their victims to force them to open their doors and be robbed. At least five houses have been petrol bombed in the past one month at Gachororo and Sewerage areas and owners badly injured in fires started by the bombs when they declined to open. Resident have sent out a cry for help to the police but many say the security machinery appears lax, letting thugs spread a night reign of terror. Thika OCPD Patrick Mwakio denies allegations of laxity calling on residents to volunteer helpful information, but the attacks have escalated. "It is not possible for police to work alone, we need support from members of the public to curb these criminal activities," he said. One resident recalls in horror last May 27 when, at around 1am, the robbers struck her home at Gachororo. She says the criminals broke her bedroom window and demanded she hand them money and a mobile phone or else they would set her house ablaze. An attempt to raise an alarm was met with a stern warning that if she dared continue, she would be killed.
 
To drive the point home, one criminal, whom she could see well through the window, sprayed her with petrol, drenching her. "I knew it was not a laughing matter when he showed me a match box which he threatened to strike. I had no option but to hand them my phone and Sh10, 000," she recalls. She says the men proceeded to her neighbours house and repeated the same tactic. A week ago, on June 19, the thugs attacked the house of a man only identified as Otieno. The victim and his nursery school son, Glen Washington Otieno, were badly injured where a petrol bomb was hurled into the house, causing a fire that was later extinguished. Earlier the gang of about ten men petrol-bombed the house of Joy Wairimu and her husband David Gathua, after the couple declined to open the door for them. A neighbour, Mrs Judith Maina, says she first heard a bang behind their residence and thought someone was breaking into their house. Moments later, she heard Wairimu calling out in distress. "She called us to go and help screaming that their house was on fire and her husband was injured," she remembers. According to her, the criminals had set the house on fire from both the bedroom and the sitting room. Gathua sustained serious injuries as he tried to extinguish the bedroom fire in vain. Residents say the gang, suspected to be one group of thugs, has become daring by the day. "They bang on your door, shout at you to open up and threaten petrol bomb the house if you resist," said Maina. "When they strike, they tell you to choose between opening the door for them or being burnt in the house with your property. These are tough choices to make," said Maina. Residents alleged police laxity, saying despite the presence of an Administration Police post and Juja police station less than a kilometre away, criminal activities continue to thrive in the area. They say police have been given names of criminals but have not taken any noticeable action. -  The Standad.
 

Back in January our next guests travelled all the way from Kenya to Washington DC for the inauguration of Barack Obama. There 'The Kenyan Boys Choir' sang a tribal hero's welcome for the new president.  That was the beginning to a major break that led to a talent spotter who happened to see their performance on the internet and went on to sign them at Heathrow airport as they made their way home from Washington. Now they have an album coming out called "Spirit of Africa".  - VIDEO

Bulldog-mix Pabst crowned world’s ugliest dog

A prominent under-bite, scrunched face and floppy ears are the hallmarks of a winner – if your are competing in the World’s Ugliest Dog contest. Pabst, a boxer-mix rescued from a shelter by Miles Egstad of Citrus Heights, California, won the annual competition on June 26 at the Sonoma-Marin Fair in northern California.

If you are in the UK you can exchange a 20p coin with £50 (see below)

The undated 20p

Did you know that some of the shiny new 20p coins feature a rare error and The London Mint Office will pay you £50 for one?

Claim your place - REGISTER NOW – Only 10,000 registrations will be accepted – You don’t need to have a 20p to register but you will not be able to sell to us for £50.00 unless registered
 

How it happened: Last year there was an incredibly unusual lapse in the strict quality control at the Royal Mint. A batch of 20p coins were issued with mis-matched sides. The result is a number of 20p coins have entered circulation without a date.
Read more about how it happened here >>
 

Identifying one of these rare 20p coins: Not all the new 20p coins are error coins – in fact, very few of them are. To be an Undated 20p it must have the new design on the front, and on the Queen’s head side the date must be missing.
You can find help identifying the right coins here >>

Sell yours for £50: To sell yours for £50 to The London Mint Office you MUST register with us FIRST. We are only accepting 10,000 registrations so you should make your application without delay.
Register here now >>

Bernard Madoff jailed for 150 years

Crooked financier Bernard Madoff has been sentenced to 150 years in prison for swindling investors out of billions of dollarsCrooked financier Bernard Madoff has been sentenced to 150 years in prison for swindling investors out of billions of dollars. The 71-year-old American admitted masterminding a massive "Ponzi" pyramid scheme that duped thousands of investors. Madoff, who previously enjoyed a respected, high-profile Wall Street career, faces the prospect of spending the rest of his life behind bars. He pleaded guilty in a New York court in March to 11 charges of fraud, perjury and false reporting. The financier, a former chairman of the Nasdaq stock exchange, apologised for his actions, claiming the fraud began in the 1990s in response to the pain of recession. He told the court he was "deeply sorry and ashamed" about his crimes. He said he knew the fraud was "wrong" and "criminal" but added: "I believed it would end shortly and I would be able to extricate myself and my clients from the scheme." As time went on it proved "difficult" and then "impossible" to end, he said. Madoff and his wife Ruth lived a life of luxury, with homes in Manhattan, the Hamptons and Palm Beach, Florida. He was known for his charitable work and until his arrest in December he was seen as a champion of transparency and integrity. His investors included Madoff's friends and neighbours, as well as charities and banks such as HSBC and Abbey owner Santander. British businesswoman Nicola Horlick hit the headlines when it emerged she managed Bramdean Alternatives, which had 9 per cent of its funds invested with Madoff's scheme.

The recession-blighted UK economy shrank at its fastest rate for more than 50 years in the first three months of 2009, official figures showed today. Output fell by 2.4% in the first quarter of the year - much worse than the 1.9% drop previously estimated - the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. The quarterly decline equals a 2.4% slump seen in 1974 and is the worst since a 2.6% fall seen in 1958. The figures also showed the current recession began earlier than expected, with a 0.1% decline seen between April and June last year compared with previous estimates of zero growth. Following the revision - which also saw a deeper 1.8% decline in the final quarter of 2008 - the UK's output is now 4.9% below the level seen before the recession. The new figures for the first three months of this year reflect a much deeper-than-expected fall in construction activity during the period. The UK's powerhouse services sector - accounting almost three-quarters of output - also endured its worst quarter on record with a 1.6% decline.

President leaves for Libya

Written By: pps , Posted: Tue, Jun 30, 2009

President Mwai Kibaki traveled to Sirte, Libya Tuesday morning to attend the 13th Assembly of African Union Heads of State and Government. The plane carrying the President and his entourage departed Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly after 11.00 a.m. The President was seen off at the airport by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti, Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Chief of General Staff Gen. Jeremiah Kianga among other senior Government officials.

Lloyds cuts 2000 more employees

London, Tuesday 30th June, 2009. Lloyds Banking Group, the part-nationalised bank, is to get rid of another 2100 jobs taking the total jobs lost since Lloyds merged with HBOS and received £17billion of taxpayers' money to just over 7000. Today's announcement covers jobs in processing, administration and business banking with cuts spread across the UK. The union Unite, which represents bank workers, said it was "astonished" by the latest cuts. National officer Rob MacGregor said: "Morale is now truly low as employees across Lloyds are in a permanent state of anxiety as they see their employer announce hundreds of job losses every week." Lloyds said it would try to avoid compulsory redundancies with the cuts phased over three years and 700 of them to be from not replacing workers who have left or contract and agency workers.

'Kenya's H1N1 flu strain mild' says Govt

Written By:KBC reporters   , Posted: Tue, Jun 30, 2009
 

The ministry of Public Health has called on Kenyans not to panic over the confirmation of the first swine flu case in the country saying the strain detected in the country is relatively mild.  The ministry has however advised the public to take precautionary measures including maintaining high levels of self hygiene.  Addressing the press at a Nairobi hotel during the launch of a 5-year health plan, medical services director Dr Shahnaz Sharif said the ministry of health was monitoring the situation closely to ensure the disease does not spread. Dr Sharif called on people who have symptoms of the disease to seek medical advice from health centers near them.  On Monday the government confirmed that a British student who is on a field trip to the country had tested positive for swine flu. Samples taken from the patient for testing at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) laboratories proved positive for the H1N1 influenza virus.

Meanwhile a surveillance desk has been established at the Kisumu airport to screen incoming and outgoing passengers of the deadly H1N1 swine flu virus.  Speaking in his office, Nyanza Provincial public health and sanitation officer Jackson Kioko said medical experts had already been dispatched to the ground where the Nottingham University student had made contact with the local people to ascertain if there were any new infections.  Kioko also refuted claims that the medical students had been transfered to Nairobi for specialised treatment.  He said the group was still quarantined at the Duke Breeze Hospital in Kisumu where they were undergoing medical surveillance.  At the same time health workers in Western Province have been put on high alert following the confirmation of the swine flu case in the neighboring Nyanza Province. Provincial Public Health and Sanitation Officer Dr. Simon Kibias said public health officers have been deployed to Busia and Malaba border points to screen people entering the country and sensitize wananchi on the measures to take to avoid contracting the disease. Dr. Kibias said an isolation ward has already been set aside at the Kakamega Provincial General Hospital for probable swine flu patients.

Nairobi, Monday 29th June, 2009. The first case of swine flu has been confirmed in Kenya. Public Health and Sanitation minister Beth Mugo addressing a press conference on Monday said samples taken from a 20-year-old British student who is on a field trip in Kisumu tested positive. The student is at a Kisumu hotel which was immediately quarantined following the positive results. The tests were done by the Kenya Medical Research Institute - KEMRI and other agencies. However, the minister has  called on the public not to panic saying the country is well prepared to handle Swine Flu outbreak. She says the Flu is curable and the government has enough drugs in its stores. Mugo said public health officials were on high alert and are screening visitors at the airports and border points. On Saturday, Mugo allayed fears of a Swine Flu outbreak in the country. Samples taken from the patient for testing at Kenya Medical Research Institute (Kemri) laboratories proved negative for the H1N1 influenza virus.  Mugo said the patient suspected to have been infected with the flu was a 20-year old Kenyan lady who is a student at a university in London. The student who had arrived UK on Friday was rushed to AAR health clinic at sarit centre after she developed a slight fever and flu like symptoms similar to those of the swine flu. The doctors examined her alerted Kemri officials after she disclosed that she had been in contact with a friend who later tested positive for influenza A H1N1 in London.  The clinic was closed and the patient transferred to Kenya's main referral hospital, the Kenyatta National Hospital where she was placed in isolation ward as tests went on at Kemri. A press statement from AAR said the first results had ruled out presence of the H1N1, adding that the affected clinic had been reopened. Mugo assured the public during a press conference that the suspected case had been confirmed negative. The announcement by the minister came as a relief to Kenyans.

Minister Beth Mugo confirms the first case of swine flu is confirmed in Kenya. The case of Swine Flu of a  student who had travelled from UK over the weekend. Government to issue public health alert.

London, Monday 29th June, 2009. The property market continued to pick up in May, according to figures from the Bank of England. The number of mortgages approved for house buying rose to 43,414, up from the figure of 43,191 the month before. It was the fourth month in a row that approvals have risen, suggesting that the recent increase in sales is likely to continue. Recent evidence from lenders has also suggested that the slump in house prices is slowing down. The Bank of England's figures show that net lending for house buying, by all lenders in May, grew by just £324m the smallest monthly increase on record. Separately, the Building Societies Association (BSA) said approvals by its members in May were still about 35% lower than in May last year. "Therefore, while the mortgage market appears to have recovered slightly from the start of the year, levels of activity remain depressed," said the BSA's director general Adrian Coles. Building societies saw their savers withdraw more money than they put in, for the third month in a row. "Those banks that are supported by the state are able to compete unfairly for retail deposits, and steps need to be taken to ensure that government backing for some institutions does not distort competition for savings," complained Mr Coles. "These pressures are exacerbated by the current low interest rate environment; there is evidence that households are looking to repay debt rather than save," he added. Net lending by building societies shrank for the fifth month in a row, reflecting the fact that borrowers have been repaying their mortgages at a faster rate than they have been taking out new home loans. Most mortgage lending is carried out by banks, including the former building societies such as the Halifax.

Punic in Nairobi as the first case of Swine Flu is confirmed

Nairobi, Kenya, Jun 29 - Kenya on Monday confirmed the first case of Swine Flu. Public Health Minister Beth Mugo was due to give full details of the patient but sources say this is a new case separate from the one reported on Saturday. “The Minister of Public Health and Sanitation Beth Mugo will today (Monday) address a press conference on a confirmed case of AH1N1 flu in the country at Afya House at 11.30,” a dispatch from the ministry’s Public Relations Officer said. On Saturday a suspected case of Swine Flu in Kenya tested negative after momentarily spreading panic across Nairobi. Ministry of Public Health officials said tests conducted at the Kenya Medical Research Institute – based Centre for Disease Control produced no traces of the H1N1 influenza virus. Samples were taken from a female traveller who had arrived in Nairobi from the US on Friday and complained of sickness. She was rushed to the AAR Health Clinic at Sarit Centre, Westlands where doctors noticed that her symptoms were similar to those of the Swine Flu. AAR Public Relations Officer Juliet Ratemo says they immediately alerted KEMRI officials who took over the case. “We closed the AAR Health Centre and took all measures to ensure that our staff and other patients present did not come into further unprotected contact with the patient,” Ms Ratemo told Capital News News about the patient had spread across Nairobi via SMS overnight on Friday, spreading panic as people sought to know the authenticity of the text messages. In mid this month, the World Health Organisation (WHO) raised the Pandemic alert status from phase 5 to phase 6, which meant that the disease had reached the emergency level.

“It’s not killing more people, it’s not more aggressive than before so don’t think because we have elevated the phase to 6 the disease has become more severe, no! It is about geographical spread. We have been expecting the worst, we are lucky it’s not that bad,” Dr David Okello, WHO Kenya Director had said. After the alert was raised, Public Health Minister Beth Mugo said the government had stepped up surveillance of the influenza H1N1 and over 50,000 doses of the drug Tamiflu was in the stock pile for use in case of an outbreak in the country. She had also said there was a ready isolation facility at the Kenyatta National Hospital in case of an outbreak. The first case of influenza H1N1 virus was reported in late April in Mexico.  According to the WHO website, by Friday, there were 59,814 confirmed cases of the swine flu around the world. 263 people have died of the disease. The H1N1 strain is a new type of virus that has not circulated previously in humans. The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another and from one country to another.  Young people under the age of 25 years are the main casualties in all the countries. A similar outbreak occurred in 1918 but was more severe than the current epidemic but the WHO warned that this may change hence the need for more vigilance. Kenyans can get more information on the disease through the following contacts: 0722- 331 548,020-204 0542, 271 8292.

Sunday 28th June, 2009

Good Morning Misterseed,

I am writing to you to respond to an article on the Daily Nation's Saturday edition titled "Kenyans embroiled in new US crackdown of immigrants. I feel that this article did not depict a clear picture of what is happening here and it did not balance out by giving both sides of the coin. I have attached my article and you can go through it and if possible, you can publish it so that your readers in the UK can also get the true story. We have had relatives calling their people here worried about the implication of that article and I believe that it should be set straight. The link is..

http://www.jambonewspot.com/Immigration_reforms_debate.htm

London, Monday 29th June, 2009. The Met Office in UK has issued a heat warning for this week as forecasters predicted temperatures could rise above 30C. Muggy conditions will dominate the UK on Sunday and for the rest of the week, according to Meteogroup, the weather division of the Press Association. Forecaster Rachel Vince said the warm weather will last until Wednesday and beyond. She said: "It continues through the first half of the week, very warm and very muggy. We might see temperatures picking up to 30C by Wednesday. But it's not going to be wall-to-wall sunshine, as showers will break out in the afternoon. "The areas most prone to showers are through the central part of the country." The weather will be similar towards the end of the week and into next weekend, she said. A "heat health" warning was issued by the Met Office because night time temperatures could remain as high as 18C in some areas. Chief Forecaster at the Met Office, Andy Page, added: "The very warm conditions will last well into next week, with the hottest days of the summer so far and a 60% chance of reaching 32C." The hottest day of the year so far was recorded at Heathrow Airport last Thursday, when the mercury reached 28C. The Department of Health said that the elderly and young children are most at risk from heat stroke in hot weather.

Many people in the UK have a saying: "Twikwa wangu" - (Queen's kingdom) without knowing its origins. She was such a tough woman especially with men. Instead of asking a chair to sit on, she would call a man to bend down and sit on him. (Full story coming in the new book which Mr. Seed is writing about his grandfather Chief Njiiri).

Wangu wa Makeri, 1856-1936

Wangu wa Makeri was born in the second half of the nineteenth century into traditional Gikuyu society. She underwent customary rites and married. In 1901, she was appointed the 'headman' of Weithaga Location, Murang'a, the first and only female headman of the entire colonial period. The author outlines her character and background, and the kind of leadership Wangu showed her community; and discusses to what extent the stereotypical portrayals of her as a leader - as a whore or personification of evil - are true. The study also assesses the significance in her fall from power of the conflict between traditional society and the colonial political framework within which Wangu worked, as against her own role in her downfall. It was the favourite stop-over for Chief Karuri wa Gakure the famous chief of Tuthu, Murang'a on his way to Murang'a. Wangu wa Makeri as a chief used to make preparation for Chief Karuri a week in advance and with her tough instructions especially with men  - Karuri's visit was like a punishment to the workers. It is thought that the workers poisoned Karuri in one of his many visits and when he returned to his base in Tuthu on the slopes of the Aberdare ranges he passed away. Chief Karuri wa Gakure was also a tough chief and that is the why the Kikuyu proverbs goes "Tuthu wathanagwo ni Karuri". " Meaning a  man is the king in his homestead. Tuthu Location is a small location in Murang'a where no other chief could rule. He is the first Kenyan to hold the biggest church wedding in Kenya with a car in 1915. More later.

Gospel Musician Rachel Njeri makes a comeback

Rachel Njeri from Nottingham, UK comes back to the music industry with a new album "KIONEKI" which has hit TOP ten in all the Radio Stations in Kenya. Rachel who lives in Nottingham, UK compiled the songs in UK but recorded in Kenya. The song talks about expanding your vision. The message of the song comes from I Samuel 2:19. She launched her CD in London on Sunday 28th June, 2009 at CCBC Swahili Service.  You can get your copy on rachel728@hotmail.co.uk or 07984561425. - CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO

WHAT SOME OF THE UK PAPERS SAY ON MONDAY 29TH JUNE, 2009

LEFT: The Sun has claims about Michael Jackson's post-mortem results. The paper says the 5ft 10in singer weighed just 8st 1oz, had nothing except pills in his stomach and was almost totally bald. RIGHT: The Daily Express reports Jackson has left his children a £60m secret treasure chest of unpublished songs.

Nakuru, Kenya, Jun 28 - Former President Daniel Arap Moi has expressed concern over conflicting and hard-line positions being taken by political parties in the constitution review debate. Mr Moi said on Saturday that public outbursts and various preferences from the political divide may lead to another impasse of the review process as has been experienced previously. The former Head of State said the major contention in the current constitution making process will be the choice of the system of government while the other issues formerly regarded as contentious such as devolution of power appear to have been pushed to the periphery, a reflection of the current political interests. He says the ongoing bickering and emotional exchanges between the rival partners in the coalition betray well-calculated designs by both to exploit the process and ensure that it yields governance structures that best serve their political ends. Speaking at the Nakuru’s Nyayo Garden while presiding over a peace meeting, Mr Moi called on the government and the committee of expert looking into the new constitution to speed up the process so as to avoid a second impasse. He observed that some politicians were out to derail the process saying they should instead leave it to the committee of experts. “Some people used to shout out demanding that the constitution be reviewed to allow the formation of multiparty rule under the guise of fighting for democracy. These political parties however divided Kenyans along tribal line and we have already seen the consequences on what happened after the last general elections. It was total bloodshed,” he said. He accused politicians of being dishonest saying they could not be trusted with the new constitution as they were the same leaders who were involved in the Bomas Draft and were now unwilling to tackle contentious issues for selfish reasons.

While addressing a mammoth crowed that turned out for the meeting, Mr Moi at the same time recommended that key offices such as that of the Prime Minister be amended so as to allow the P.M be elected right from the grassroots saying that living the matter to Parliament would jeopardise its operations. He said Parliament cannot be trusted with such powers since it was already divided along political set up. Addressing the crowd, Co-operative and Development Assistant minister Linah Jebii Kilimo said that the only solution to the many problems facing the country was for the government to give Kenyans a new constitution. "The country must change to the new constitution or perish. Selfish political leaders must change now and give the country a new constitution," he said. "Only sober minds and dialogue between various stakeholders and experts will give a new constitution. It's time to reason together, PNU and ODM should sit down with Non- Governmental Organisations, religious leaders and other stakeholders if they are genuine leaders," he said. She urged the young people to shun leaders who incite them to cause mayhem and instead should engage themselves on activities that would help them grow positively. Others who attended the fete were Saboti MP Eugine Wamalwa, as well as former legislators Mark Too, David Manyara and Paul Muite. Mr Muite said the system of governance in the country remains a major contentious issue is the process of creating a new constitution. He however urged politicians to give the committee a chance to deliver on its mandate without placing so many roadblocks on its way.

KIKUYU PROVERB

Murimi tiwe murii

A farmer is not the consumer of his farm products

You hard labour is usually enjoyed by others

Children thought Jacko was playing a trick as he lay dying

Trembling with panic Jacko's little daughter Paris screamed: "Where's Daddy?" as a team of paramedics burst into their palatial Hollywood home on Thursday. Her thick brown hair matted with tears, the 11-year-old clutched her brothers Prince Michael and Prince Michael II and together they cried for their father who was lying unconscious in the bedroom. These were the chaotic moving scenes that faced emergency services when they raced into Jacko's £100,000-a-month rented pad in upmarket Carolwood Drive, Los Angeles. The three children, who led sheltered lives as part of the King of Pop's entourage, were suddenly thrust into a nightmare their superstar dad would not survive. But, like every chapter in the troubled music legend's life, his final moments were riddled with macabre twists and turns. We can reveal:

• THE kids and Jacko's personal doctor Conrad Murray thought he was playing a practical joke by PRETENDING to be dead.
• JACKO morbidly told a close friend he wanted to "go out like Elvis".
• HE had REFUSED rehab for his addictions.
• THOSE drug habits DESTROYED his sleep patterns and turned him into an insomniac walking around like a zombie from his Thriller video.

Medics descended on Jackson's house at exactly 12.30pm, just nine minutes after the frantic 911 emergency call was made on Thursday. A source in Jackson's staff told us: "An air of crisis swept through the house like a whirlwind. "The three children had been taken to another room by their nannies, but they thought their dad was just fooling around. He often played dead and would then jump up and surprise them, so they thought he was just having a bit of fun. "But when they saw the emergency trucks arrive, that really shook them. There were paramedics running upstairs and ambulance sirens blaring. The kids were terrified and started crying and howling for their dad." To save them the trauma of seeing their motionless father carried out of the house with an oxygen mask strapped to his face, the children were quickly hustled into the back of a waiting car by Jackson's sister La Toya and mum Katherine. Paris, 12-year-old Prince and six-year-old Prince Michael II were then driven to the UCLA Medical Centre.

On arrival at the hospital the kids were comforted by the family who handed them crayons and paper as a distraction and got them to draw their daddy 'Get well soon' pictures - even though he already lay dead in an operating theatre. At one point they hugged their older relatives and prayed for their father. Speaking exclusively to the News of the World, Jackson's "spiritual advisor" Deepak Chopra said: "There were a lot of people there and the children were very distraught, screaming and crying." After Jackson was pronounced dead at 2.26pm weeping relatives whisked the kids back to the Jackson family's main compound-style home in Encino. It was only three short hours earlier that Jacko had been given the shot of Demerol - a powerful morphine-based painkiller he called his "health tonic" - that has been linked to his death. Chopra - who is also a well-respected medical doctor and Fellow of the American College of Physicians - confirmed to us the jab was administered. He said: "It was the most inappropriate thing you could think of. To me it's very obvious that he was given a drug overdose." But we can reveal that Las Vegas-based cardiologist Conrad Murray, the personal physician who was by Jacko's side at the time of death, also thought his celebrity patient was just PLAYING dead. "It was terrifically sad," said our inside source. "Murray told us he thought Michael was joking around, as he often did to entertain the kids. But this time, tragically, it was real. Murray tried to talk to Michael to rouse him but soon realised it was no joke. It suddenly dawned on him he was in deep trouble."

Shocked that his friend and patient was fighting for life, Murray then tried frantically to resuscitate him, yelling at him to wake up. Our source added: "As he got louder he called out to other staff to help him. Others came in and saw Michael looking sickly white, collapsed on the bed. He was then dragged off the bed and another few attempts were made to resuscitate him. "Murray looked close to tears and could barely speak. That's when the 911 call was made. But Murray suspected Michael was already dead. "We were told that Michael had also been given a tranquilliser shot in the night and was pacing around the house frantically. "He'd had a long day at his show rehearsals, which had ended after midnight. Weirdly the work left him completely wired - he was so exhausted he couldn't sleep. "He couldn't sit down or stay still for a second and asked for a shot to calm his nerves. "Lord alone knows how many sleeping pills he'd also popped to try and nod off. Michael was just on edge, a wreck and a complete mess. He complained that his heart and chest were pounding." Friend Chopra also revealed the star was in a morbid mindset before his death, adding: "He used to say to me he wanted to go out like Elvis, not like Marlon Brando. And I think on some subconscious level he had an inkling.

"He might even have had what they call a death wish." Elvis famously died aged 42 amid huge drama at his Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tennessee. Brando died at 80 due to a string of medical problems. Jackson, who blew a whopping £10 million on medication, met Chopra in 1988 and the pair remained close until his death. The medic had been determined to help the star kick his addiction to drugs. He revealed: "After the child abuse trial in 2005 Michael came and spent a week with me at my house. "At one point he suddenly asked me for a prescription. He knew I was a physician and asked me for a narcotic. I said, 'What the heck do you want a narcotic for?' And it suddenly dawned on me he was ALREADY taking these and probably had a number of doctors giving him prescriptions." Jacko told Chopra he took the painkillers for backache. But the medic said: "He wasn't confronting his addictions, which is the big problem." Chopra pleaded with Jackson to go into rehab but the singer brushed him off. "I was really desperate to help," added Chopra. "But you can't help somebody who goes into denial. "I think that drug addiction was responsible for his death. It was THE thing that caused his cardiac arrest." - News of the World.

CLICK HERE FOR MICHAEL JACKSON STORIES

WHAT SOME THE UK PAPER SAYS ON SUNDAY 28TH JUNE 2009

LEFT: The Mail on Sunday claims Michael Jackson's family hired a doctor and coach that would stay with him constantly when he came to Britain to try to wean him off drugs. RIGHT: The News of the World claims a close relative of Michael rang his children's nanny just hours after his death asking where he had hidden money.

Singer Michael Jackson passed away leaving a debt of over half-billion dollars

The Cabinet on Thursday approved the Draft National Land Policy, setting the stage for a historic overturning of more than 100 years legacy of colonial structures that govern access, ownership and control of land. If Parliament passes a sessional paper supporting the new policy, the Law Reform Commission will draft new laws to replace the current ones, and align them with the new policy.  At Independence, in 1963, the British colonial government vested the power to decide who enjoys access, ownership, and control of land in the President. He exercises the power through the Commissioner of Lands. The Cabinet endorsed the Draft National Land Policy that proposes a radical review of powers vested in the President and Commissioner of Lands, and devolve them into new institutions. The new institutions are the National Land Commission, the District Land Board and Community Land Board. The draft also targets the patriarchal property ownership inherent in the cultural and legal systems. It infuses progressive clauses that put both spouses and children in the centre of land ownership and transactions. The draft has provisions for restitution and compensation to settle historical injustices and claims, an emotive and long drawn matter that has refused to go away for generations. Institutions like churches, Government agencies like the Kenya Wildlife Service and the military are among entities that face restitution claims for using their corporate muscle and proximity to State to secure land without compensation.  The bold step by Government to face up the demons of the land question will not come cheap.

Lands Minister James Orengo says it will cost Sh6 billion over six years to implement.  Institution of Surveyors of Kenya Chairman Mwenda Makathimo, however, says the Sh6 billion is a small price to pay. "The Ministry of Lands collects Sh1 billion in revenue every year. ISK is willing to provide its expertise to Government to expedite the process. With creative harnessing of resources and some help from development partners, the Government can do this in one and half years. Executive and Parliament should not delay in delivering the benefits of a new land policy," he said. To resolve convoluted land disputes, the Draft Land Policy proposes special land courts — along the lines of specialised commercial and family courts — to speed up justice. Land grabbers have also been put on notice: "To secure tenure of public land, the Government shall identify and keep inventory of all public land and place it under the National Land Commission to hold in trust for the people of Kenya… repossess any public land acquired irregularly… Establish an appropriate land taxation system to discourage land speculation and mobilise revenue," The draft says in chapter 3.3. If Parliament passes the sessional paper to make the draft policy official, speculators holding on to vast swathes of idle land will have to release it, or pay tax for keeping it. For the first time, local communities, especially minorities, will have community land boards. These are local institutions through which they can make decisions affecting land taken away from them during the colonial times. At independence, this authority was vested in the Central Government, which has remained less sensitive to local needs. Many communities have resented conversion of their lands into national game parks, military cantonments, public or foreign investment zones, and individual holdings for the rich and powerful, among others, with little recourse for redress. This has generated hostilities among communities and between communities and State or private institutions. By endorsing the Draft National Land Policy, the Cabinet also seeks to address the grey area of national sovereignty and independence from Britain on the one hand, and retention of 999-year leases granted by the colonial government to British nationals and commercial interests.

The draft sets 99 years as the maximum leasehold period, saying: "The Government shall ensure the duration of all leases does not exceed 99 years, but nevertheless sufficient enough to encourage long-term investments in land… Government shall establish an appropriate mechanism for the surrender of interests currently held beyond 99 years in exchange for the proposed standard leasehold term." In the grabbing of land to create the so-called White Highlands, the colonial government confiscated more than nine million hectares from communities in Central, Rift Valley, Western and Eastern Provinces. At independence, and through a UK government funded willing-seller willing-buyer programme, the settlers surrendered only two million hectares in the 1960s and 1970s, and the rest is still in the hands of original owners and their descendants. Simmering resentment against this legacy is largely blamed for the cyclic ethnic violence in the Rift Valley and the Coast Province, which has claimed thousands of lives, destroyed billions of shillings in investments, and stoked ethnic tension. The most drastic impact of the new policy will be felt at the Coast Province, where majority of communities have squatted on their ancestral lands for over a century after Arabs acquired the so-called Ten-mile Coastal Strip. Land has remained in the hands of the absentee landlords — Arab owners who registered it long before independence but who have since relocated to Middle East.  If Parliament endorses the policy, it will be possible "to repeal the principle of absolute sanctity of the first registration under the registered Land Act," the draft says. Under colonial laws still applicable today, the principle of "first registration" is inviolable and absolute. -  Sunday Standard.

A Kenyan man has passed away in Arizona, US. The late Martin Mungai Njogu passed away on Monday June 22, 2009 at Tempe St. Luke's Hospital in Tempe, AZ. His body rests at Harpers Funeral Home pending transfer to Kenya. Martin Njogu hails from Tabuga sublocation, Lanet, Nakuru District. He attended Bemidji State University (MN) from 2001 and later moved to Phoenix, AZ in 2003.  He is the son of the Late David Mungai Njogu and Jane Nyawira Njogu.  Funeral arrangements will be announced later. Your support, prayers and contributions are appreciated. Contributions may be wired to: Act Name: Pauline Wangui Njogu (sister). Bank Name: Wachovia, Act Number: 1010123201607. For further information and updates, please call: Pauline W. Njogu - 480.894.5422. - Diaspora Messanger

The late Martin Mungai Njogu

Relatives of Michael Jackson will seek a second autopsy on the star because they still have unanswered questions about his death, family friends say. Veteran politician Rev Jesse Jackson, who has been counselling the family, said they were upset the official cause of death might not be known for weeks. He said the family wanted answers from the star's personal doctor, Conrad Murray, who was with him when he died. Coroners ruled out foul play after an initial autopsy on the 50-year-old. But they gave no cause of death, saying the results of toxicology tests could take weeks to come back.

Three policemen shot dead in dawn attack

Three policemen were on Saturday morning shot dead by armed gangsters near Athi River Police Station. The gangsters ambushed the police who were on patrol and took their guns during the early morning attack. Machakos region CID boss Mr Mabrouk Seif said the three arrived at Zahra petrol station near Devki Steel Mills off Mombasa road not knowing that armed gangsters had taken control of the fuel station. The gangsters had taken workers captive and were in the process of robbing the night duty staff, my officers oblivious of the danger they were in, dutifully asked whether all was fine. Little did they know that they were talking to robbers", said Mr Seif. According to Mr Seif, the gangsters opened fire catching the three detectives by surprise. "They (the police officers) died in a hail of bullets, they (the gangsters) took their official firearms", Mr Seif said.  Mr Seif said the gangsters escaped in two vehicles and that police have are now searching for the gangsters. - Sunday Nation.

Minister Mr Soita Shitanda yesterday hinted that his New Ford Kenya Party could support Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi for the presidency come the 2012 polls. Shitanda said it’s high time the luyhia community produced a presidential candidate as other tribes in the country had already tested the highest political seat in the country.Shitanda said his party was ready to work in a coalition with Orange Democratic Party (ODM), if only Mr Mudavadi showed seriousness to vie for the presidency. Speaking at the Amalemba Primary School in Kakamega, after launching several housing projects initiated by the National Housing Corporation (NHC) in Kakamega and Vihiga Districts, Shitanda said he was ready to support Mr Mudavadi but with some conditions.  But in a quick rejoinder to the sentiments of the Malava Member of Parliament (MP), Mr Mudavadi said that he had already vied for the presidency and he would do it again.

Mudavadi chided Mr Shitanda not to prod him too much on the issue of the presidency but instead concentrate on development matters as the next General Election was too far.  Mudavadi challenged Mr Shitanda to contest for the seat if he so wished but know that he would receive a formidable challenge from him. “If Mr Shitanda wants to vie for the presidential seat let him do so. But that I leave the seat for him it can’t happen as am strong and ready to face him as a man,” the Local Government Minister said.In what looked like a popularity contest in the heart of Luhyia land , Mudavadi stuck to his guns that with or without the support of New Ford Kenya he would still battle it out for nomination on ODM ticket come  2012 Elections. - Kenya Times
 

Animal fats pancreas cancer link

Eating a diet high in red meat and dairy products is linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer, a US study has suggested. Researchers followed 500,000 people who had completed a food diary for an average of six years. The Journal of the National Cancer Institute paper found those who had the most animal fats in their diet had a higher risk of developing the cancer. UK experts said cutting down on the fats was a way of reducing risk. There has previously been confusion over whether there was a link between animal fats and pancreatic cancer, with different studies reaching opposite conclusions. About 7,000 people are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in the UK each year, with smoking being the biggest risk factor. The prognosis is poor - the time between diagnosis and death is usually about six months. This latest research was carried out by the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, which felt earlier studies had been too small to give reliable results. The participants were being followed to see if they developed a range of diseases. Of the half a million studied, 1,337 developed pancreatic cancer. Men who consumed the highest amount of total fats had a 53% higher relative rate of pancreatic cancer compared with men who ate the least. In women, there was a 23% higher rate of the disease in those eating the most fat compared with those who ate the least. Overall, people who consumed high amounts of saturated fats had 36% higher relative rates of pancreatic cancer compared with those who consumed low amounts.

Red meat is a source of animal fats

Writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, the researchers led by Dr Rachel Stolzenberg-Solomon, said: "We observed positive associations between pancreatic cancer and intakes of total, saturated, and monounsaturated fat overall, particularly from red meat and dairy food sources. "We did not observe any consistent association with polyunsaturated or fat from plant food sources. "Altogether, these results suggest a role for animal fat in pancreatic carcinogenesis." In an editorial in the journal, Dr Brian Wolpin, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, and Dr Meir Stampfer, of the Harvard School of Public Health, said the study was a "welcome addition to the understanding of a disease that is in great need of new insights". Josephine Querido, senior science information officer for Cancer Research UK, said: "This large study adds to the evidence that pancreatic cancer is more common in people who eat too much fat, particularly saturated fat. "Understanding ways of reducing the risk of pancreatic cancer is very important because it can be very difficult to treat. "Apart from stopping smoking, the best way to reduce your risk of cancer is to eat plenty of fruit vegetables and fibre, and to cut down on fatty foods, red and processed meat and limit your intake of alcohol."

Nairobi, Friday 26th June, 2009. The police department has effected a major reshuffle among the force's top brass.  Leo Ijora Nyongesa has been appointed the new Coast Provincial Police boss replacing Kingori Mwangi who has moved to Western Province in the same capacity. Francis Munyambu who was the PPO Western Province has been appointed the new Rift Valley PPO. Antony Kibuchi will retain his office as PPO Nyanza Province while John Njue Njagi has also retained his post in Nairobi province.  John M'Mbijjiwe has been appointed PPO Central Province while Marcus Ochola has been transferred from North Eastern Province to the Eastern Province as the new PPO there. Jonathan Koskei retains his North Eastern portfolio.  The reasons for the reshuffle have not been given but it comes at a time when a task force on police reforms is looking into modalities of transforming the force into a more responsive unit.  The force is also under intense scrutiny over the increasing insecurity across the country and accusations that the force has been involved in extra judicial killings.  The police force is also faced with a damning report by UN special rapporteur Philip Alston over human right violations. The department also announced the appointment of several deputy PPOs. These include David Baya-Rift Valley, Philip Ndolo-North Eastern, Edward Mbugua-Eastern, Henry Barmao-Coast and Okello Thwere-Western. Also appointed were PCIOs in various provinces.

NEW POLICE APPOINTMENTS

The noose is tightening on millions of illegal immigrants in the US, including thousands of Kenyans

The noose is tightening on millions of illegal immigrants in the US, including thousands of Kenyans. On Thursday, Senators from President Obama’s Democratic Party outlined plans to overhaul immigration laws to ensure all workers in the US verify their identity through fingerprints or an eye scan. An estimated 12 million illegal immigrants live in the US. Majority of Kenyans who are in this unlawful loop are at the greatest risk of joining a steady stream of returnees. - MORE

The Kenyan Boys Choir are in London

The Kenyan Boys Choir are in London. The team are arrived in the UK on Thursday 25th June, 2009. The team has many things planned for them – some of them being:

 -          BBC Breakfast News (29/06)

-          GMTV (26 June; interview and performance)

-          Sky News (with Eamonn Holmes, Sunrise interview)

-          LBC radio interview (30 June)

-          BBC World Service

-          Friday Night Is Music Night (BBC Radio 2)

-          Good Morning Sunday (BBC Radio 2)

-          Sunday AM (05/07; BBC 2)

-          Africa Today magazine main feature

-          The Independent

-          The Voice

-          The Times (27/06 large feature spread)

-          TV advertising has begun and will continue this week for approx 4 weeks.

-          Online advertising on various websites

-          The Telegraph (feature)

-          Massive flyering campaign throughout the UK and The Lion King dates

-          Leaflets and a CD sampler were sent out to The Thatched House last week.

-          Leaflets and a CD sampler were also sent out to 150 Afro-hair salons throughout the UK

Their contact while in the UK are  tumi.soyinka@umusic.com - Tel: +44 (0)020 7149 1032

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO CLIP OF THEIR PERFORMANCE IN UK

Jean Rivel Fondjo sent this photo of an athletic bride in the sports stadium in Tamale, northern Ghana to the BBC's Focus on Africa magazine

Attorney General Amos Wako and the Chief Justice Evan Gicheru were last night among top civil servants handed a 100 per cent pay raise. This was after Parliament approved new salaries for constitutional office holders at a time Kenyans have had to tighten their belts amid the harsh economic downturn. The Government flexed its numerical strength in the House to fend off an attempt by backbenchers to shoot down the amendment to the Constitutional Office (Remuneration) Act to enhance the salaries of constitutional office holders. Besides the AG and CJ, who will pocket double their current basic pay, others who will benefit from the substantial pay hike include the Controller and Auditor-General, judges, electoral and Public Service commissioners. The new pay deal is contained in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2009, which passed the committee stage in Parliament last evening. It now awaits presidential assent. However, the Attorney General’s proposed amendments handing the Vice- President and Prime Minister a monthly Sh300,000 responsibility allowance each, was rejected (see separate story). The amendments also proposed Sh200,000 monthly responsibility allowance for Deputy Speaker, Joint Coalition Whips, Leader of Government Business, and Cabinet ministers. Their assistants were to receive Sh100,000. Under the new pay deal the AG’s new basic pay will rise to nearly Sh1 million a month (exclusive of allowances), up from Sh531,650. And when allowances are added at current rate, the AG and CJ will take home up to Sh1.7 million a month if they have served in their posts for at least 10 years. AG Amos Wako has served for 18 years and automatically qualifies for the new top rate. Gicheru, who is doing his fifth year, will have to wait a little longer. The new salary scale classifies the Attorney General and the Chief Justice under Band A1, with a minimum take-home pay of Sh399, 440 per month, and a maximum of Sh916,500 per month, depending on one’s seniority, based on the number of years served in a particular office, and the differences in skills, workload and responsibilities. - The Standard.

If your society is unfair to you, how about her?

MAU MAU VETERAN SPOKESMAN HON. GITU KAHENGERI IN LONDON
  http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=pichavision&view=videos
 

KARUA MEETING IN LONDON VIDEO
  http://pichavision.com/2/79304/#/gallery/hon-martha-karua-in-a-meet-the-people-tour-in-london-uk/

  MAUMAU PHOTO`S
  http://pichavision.com/2/78d20/#/gallery/mau-mau-veterans-in-the-uk/

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Avumaye baharini papa kumbe wengi wapo.

Shark is the famous one in sea the but they many others

The future is purchased by the present

Kenyan Man Dies in Worcester, MA, USA

A 38 year old man in Worcester has died. Mr. David Muhia who lives in Worcester, MA and hails from Kiambu, Kenya died on Wednesday 24th June, 2009. According to reliable sources in Worcester, Mr. Muhia developed a blood clot after an injury in one of his arm. He sought medical help and was put on Coumadin (A drug that helps in dissolving a clot, namely blood thinner). Friends believe he has been on this drug for over a year now.  On this particular night, our source reveals, he felt sick and very dizzy in the middle of the night. He was alone in his apartment, as he is unmarried. He called 911 when he felt like it was getting worse and was unable to get out of bed. He actually told the 911 dispatcher that they would even break in as he was so sick to get out of bed. The ambulance arrived shortly after 4.00am in the morning on Wednesday. The EMT staff tried all they could but it was too late, he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the St Vincent Hospital where he was taken. Mr. Muhia has no known close relatives in the USA. Friends are meeting daily at the Compassionate Gospel Church on 70 James Street Suite 139B from 6.00 pm for prayers and arrangement to transport the body to Kenya. A condolences book and a funding raising book have been opened and one can find it at Safari Cafe on Chandler Street, Worcester, MA. A major prayer has been scheduled for Wednesday July 1st 2009 at the same venue, 70 James Street suite 139B starting at 6.00pm. The main harambee/ fundraising has been tentatively been scheduled for Sunday July 5th 2009 at the same aforesaid venue. Kenyans and all well wishers are requested to come forth and assist in this very tragic and untimely death of one of our own. For more information please call: Allan Waigera: Tel 508-769-3180 - Diaspora Messanger.

Pre-Wedding of Isaac Muniu and Sylvia Mwangi. Venue: Memorial Baptist Church, 394 Barking Road, London E13 8AL. Time: 6.00 p.m. Contact 07985324388.

London, Friday 26th June, 2009. Thousands of Michael Jackson fans today demanded to know when they would get a refund for tickets. Nearly a million tickets have been sold across the world for the 50 concerts at London's O2 arena.  But as it emerged that promoter AEG Live faces a £300 million insurance liability and a loss from empty nights in the venue, there were fears it could be some time before fans get their money back.  Official agents Ticketmaster and secondary ticketing agency Viagogo were unable to reassure customers, who spent up to a £1,000 for a ticket, when they would be refunded.  David Campbell, chief executive of AEG Europe, refused to comment. In an interview with the Standard on Wednesday he said: “People have said I'm a greedy bastard because Michael is doing 50 shows. The truth is we could have sold out 120.” Mr Campbell spoke of how “fantastic” the deal had been for the O2 and joked that he would have to go on stage and perform if Jackson failed to turn up.

A race horse trainer surprised his neighbours by riding a zebra to the pub.

A race horse trainer surprised his neighbours by riding a zebra to the pub. Bill Turner, who lives near Sherborne, Dorset, bought the animal, named Zebedee, because he was curious to learn if they could be trained like horses. He said: "I ride him with a saddle and I take him out to the village. "The first time I did it a few people outside the pub ran back in thinking their beer was a bit strong. "Now he really likes going out and along the country lanes and his ears prick up." The 51-year-old paid £4,500 to buy and import the zebra from a Dutch game reserve. At 14 months old, Zebedee is only half grown, but can already canter and Bill hopes he will learn to jump. Bill said: "At first I thought I had bitten off more than I could chew because he saw everything as a predator. "So we have not chastised him and have been encouraging him and he is now doing very well." Bill has been training race horses for 30 years and works with Zebedee for two hours a day on his 400-acre farm. He said: "He is not a lover of horses and he gets frightened, but over time we'll hopefully change that. "He doesn't need to be shod and he eats just what the race horses eat - but not in the same quantities."

Polish couple living in Germany fell out after tying the knot and decided to end their marriage on the same day.  "He said he never wanted to see her again and wanted an immediate annulment, and she said the same thing," a spokesman for police in the northern city of Hanover said.

World mourns pop legend Jackson

Celebrities and fans pay tribute to music superstar Michael Jackson, who has died at the age of 50 after suffering a cardiac arrest at his Los Angeles home. Michael Jackson's unique blend of soul, funk and rock made him the biggest pop act in the world. Beyond this, his business acumen and intuitive understanding of the music market allowed him to showcase his remarkable talents. Michael Jackson sold records by the million - and broke records too. With the soulful vocal presence of Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder and the dance moves of James Brown, Jackson's appeal crossed both national and racial boundaries. His first break came in 1968, when the Jackson Five signed to the Motown label, and he was just 11 when the group released its first single. Hits like I Want You Back, ABC, The Love You Save, and I'll Be There, which all went to number one in the United States in 1970, made the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Before long, the youngest member of the Jackson Five was beginning to outstrip his brothers. A series of solo hits, including Got To Be There, Rockin' Robin and Ben - the maudlin, yet chart-topping, paean to a rat - had shown that the promise of early years had come to fruition. By the mid-1970s, both Michael's, and his brothers', careers were beginning to stall. Motown has ended its interest in the group, which had re-signed - as the Jacksons - to the Epic label. But it was while Michael was working on the film musical The Wiz, an all-black retelling of the Wizard of Oz - in which he played the Scarecrow to Diana Ross's Dorothy - that he met the man who would turn him into a superstar and transform the world of popular music. Music producer, composer and arranger, Quincy Jones, who could already boast a formidable track record, having created hits for artists like Frank Sinatra, Aretha Franklin and George Benson, took Jackson's raw talent and moulded it into an awesome new sound.

Jaguar Land Rover made a loss of £280m ($462m) during the 10 months to the end of March, owner Tata Motors has said. The loss came as worldwide sales fell sharply in the global recession. A spokesman for Jaguar Land Rover said the firm was now continuing talks with the UK government about the possibility of some form of financial assistance.

Somali insurgents amputate thieves

Written By : EarthTimes, Posted: Thu, Jun 25, 2009
 

Somali insurgent group al-Shabaab on Thursday chopped off the right hands and left feet of four young men found guilty of stealing in the capital Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab, which along with allied group Hizbul Islam is battling the weak central government, has been implementing strict Islamic law in areas it controls. The four young men were on Monday found guilty of stealing guns and mobile phones and sentenced to the amputations. An al-Shabaab spokesman told journalists in Mogadishu that the sentence was carried out in public on Thursday morning. The insurgents have carried out amputations in other areas it controls, but this was the first in the capital.More then 300 people, mainly women and children, watched as masked men cut off their limbs with a machete. The amputations have shocked many Somalis, who traditionally practice a more moderate form of Islam. Eyewitnesses estimate the age of the four men - Aden Mohamud, Ismail Khalif , Jeylani Mohamed, and Abdulkadir Adow - to be between 18 and 25. Somali's government is wobbling under an intense insurgent onslaught, which began in early May. Since then, over 300 civilians have died in battles in Mogadishu, while over 150,000 have fled, including over one hundred MPs. President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, who was appointed this year as part of a United-Nations backed peace process, has introduced Islamic law. However, the move failed to appease the insurgents, who say he is too close to the West. Some 4,300 African Union peacekeepers are based in Somalia, but they have no mandate to pursue the insurgents. The Somali government is now appealing for foreign intervention, but so far no help appears forthcoming.

This is the moment a woman was mauled by a polar bear after she jumped into its enclosure at Berlin Zoo. The intruder was attacked just yards away from Knut, the abandoned bear who became famous around the world. Zookeepers managed to push the bear away and carry the woman from the cage. The mauling took place inside an enclosure occupied by four polar bears not far from Knut's home. Heiner Kloes, a Berlin Zoo spokesman, said the enclosure is surrounded by a fence, a line of prickly hedges and a wall. The woman was taken to a hospital for treatment. Police did not say why she jumped in with the bears. "The woman has proved herself to be careless by jumping into the enclosure," a police spokesperson said. "Logic tells us that polar bears will do this type of thing in this situation." Last December, a man who later described himself as "lonely" jumped into the cage of the zoo's most famous polar bear. But he emerged unscathed after zookeepers managed to distract Knut with beef. The celebrity bear won the world's sympathy after being abandoned by his mother shortly after his birth. A spokesman for the zoo said Knut, now two years and four months old, would never harm a human.

London, Friday 26th June, 2009. Michael Jackson died from a massive heart attack caused by the pressure to perform at London's O2 Arena, his family and friends said today. Jackson, 50, collapsed at his rented home in Los Angeles yesterday and despite the frantic efforts of doctors, including his personal physician, he could not be resuscitated. A post-mortem examination was being held today amid claims that Jackson, the greatest pop star of his generation, may have suffered a cardiac arrest, triggered by an injection of the painkilling drug Demerol ahead of his comeback concerts, due to start in London on 13 July. Family lawyer Brian Oxman today blamed “enablers” for pushing Jackson too hard physically in preparation for the 50 shows. Former Jackson 5 publicist Arthur Phoenix, said he had warned his family that Jackson was too frail to perform at the O2 - and claimed they agreed with him. Speculation will also turn to the fate of his three children - Prince Michael, 12, Paris, 11, and seven-year-old Prince Michael II, who were being looked after by Jackson's mother Katherine. There were claims today that Jackson wanted their nanny Grace Rwaramba to become their primary carer in the event of his death. Mr Oxman said: “This was something which I feared and something which I warned about. This is a case of abuse of medication, unless there is another cause that I don't know about.

UN shows scale of UK cocaine use

The UK has more cocaine users than any other European country, according to the UN's latest report on drugs. More than one million people regularly use the Class A drug in the UK - although Spain has more users per head. The World Drug Report for 2009 said purity levels were falling and prices rising, leading to a stabilisation or decline in use. The UN Office On Drugs and Crime said there was clear evidence that cannabis use was falling in the UK. In its annual review of the trade, the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said there were an estimated 860,000 cocaine users in England and Wales and a further 140,000 in Northern Ireland and Scotland combined. It said: "The UK thus continues to be - in absolute numbers - Europe's largest cocaine market, with its second highest cocaine use prevalence rate." The report said that the price of cocaine had been rising thanks to law enforcement agencies taking greater action against traffickers. In turn, the UNODC said British customs officials had seen the purity of cocaine seized fall from 67% in 2007 to 56% in the first three months of 2009. British police have told the UN that almost a third of their street seizures now had purity of less than 9%. In some cases purity had fallen to as low as 5%. "The increased dilution of cocaine within the UK also suggests the establishment of large international trafficking activities in cutting agents which are usually legal substances when they are not used to adulterate cocaine.

"The Serious Organized Crime Agency (SOCA) seized some 15 tonnes of such cutting agents over the last year, which is more than the amount of cocaine seizures. "The cocaine wholesale prices rose over the same period from some £30,000 per kg in 2007 to £45,000 per kg in the first quarter of 2009." The report found that there was now a "clear downward trend", in the use of cannabis among young people in the UK. It found that in the year to April 2008, just over 7% of the population had used cannabis, down from almost 11% in 2002-03. Overall, the report said that global demand for cocaine, opiates and cannabis was declining - but production and use of synthetic drugs is up. There are the "first signs" of the cocaine market stabilising in some parts of western Europe. While cocaine use in the UK has consistently risen since the mid-1990, the latest figures for 2008 showed a slight drop in users. Some 2.6% of people in England and Wales aged between 16 and 59 used cocaine in 2007 - a figure that fell to 2.3% the following year. Responding to the report, Home Office Minister Alan Campbell said: "The latest data from the British Crime Survey is encouraging and suggests that cocaine use amongst adults in the UK is starting to fall after remaining stable for several years. "We are however not complacent; we are taking comprehensive action to tackle cocaine use from increased enforcement to reduce the supply, along with effective treatment, education and early intervention for those most at risk. Evidence suggests our approach is working."

Michael Jackson, the child star turned King of Pop who set the world dancing to exuberant rhythms for decades, died on Thursday aged 50 after he collapsed at his rented mansion in the exclusive Los Angeles neighbourhood of Holmby Hills and was rushed to hospital by paramedics before being pronounced dead at 2:26 pm (2126 GMT) on Thursday. One of the most influential figures in pop history whose career included the highest-selling album of all-time, "Thriller," Jackson had been preparing for a concert comeback in London next month he had dubbed "the final curtain."

Michael Jackson (centre) left, made his debut on the music scene as a child, performing with his brothers - The Jackson 5. Centre, Jackson in action and on the right when he was here in London.

News of his death triggered an outpouring of grief as shocked celebrities, foreign governments and devoted fans from Beijing to Beverly Hills paid tribute to the troubled star. Lieutenant Fred Corral, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County Coroner's office, said an autopsy would likely be carried out on Friday and would not speculate on the exact cause of death. Jackson's brother Jermaine, the family's official spokesman, later revealed physicians had battled for more than an hour to revive the star after his arrival at the UCLA Medical Centre before he was pronounced dead. "Our family requests that the media please respect our privacy during this tough time," Jermaine Jackson said. "May Allah be with you, Michael, always." As the sun began to sink over Los Angeles, a coroner's office helicopter bearing Jackson's body took off from the UCLA Medical Centre, where hundreds of media and fans had gathered throughout the day. Meanwhile police motorcycle riders surrounded Jackson's gated mansion as crowds of tourists and fans congregated. Pop diva Madonna was among dozens of celebrities who struggled to cope. "I can't stop crying over the sad news," the singer said in a statement. "The world has lost one of the greats, but his music will live on forever!" The star's first wife Lisa Marie Presley, the daughter of Elvis Presley, said his death had left her speechless. "I am so very sad and confused with every emotion possible. I am heartbroken for his children, who I know were everything to him, and for his family," Presley told MTV News in a statement. Michael is survived by three children: Michael Joseph Jackson, Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince "Blanket" Michael Jackson II. MORE

 The 19th Presbyterian Church of East Africa, PCEA, General Assembly resolved that their University, Presbyterian University of East Africa (PUEA) should raise funds for its operations and development both national and inter-nationally. This was said by the University's Vice-chancellor, Prof. Kihumbu Thairu, when he was addressing a group of UK Friends of Kenya in A Methodist Church in Central London yesterday. Prof. Thairu, who is in UK to sell the idea and explain the needs of the fund raising for the University, said that the University is an institution of higher learning that recognizes its foundation upon Christian principles. 'The University, which is located 25 km from Nairobi in a serene environment., endeavours to ensure that admission of students into the University is free, fair and without discrimination with respect to Faith, Gender, Creed or Race'. he added.

A group photograph of the UK Friends of Kenya and the Vice-Chancellor of Presbyterian University of East Africa Prof. Kihumbu Thairu, 2nd right front row. His wife, Prof. Dr. Rhoda Wanja Thairu is 3rd right front row. Presbyterian Church of East Africa UK Outreach, London, Minister-in-charge, Rev. Edwin Mbugua Kibathi is on the right, 2nd row.

Prof. Thairu, also, addressed the meeting on the situation in Kenya at the moment. He said that the two top leaders, Mwai Kibaki and Raila Ondinga, are determined to get on as per coalition agreemwnt. He, also, touched about theEconomy and Politics in Kenya, Genesis of the Situation-Economy-2 and the Sponsored Enthic Violence which he said that they were brought about by the speeches which were made from the very top to the bottom. Genocide was advocated openly under the need to eradicate the 'lice and all nits (eggs) from the Rift Valley region, but at the individual level, ordinary Kenyans, (Wananchi watukufu), got on well with each other and went on intermarrying and working together.

Own up, apologise and pay up for the sins committed by your predecessors.  This is the message a group of Mau Mau war veterans presented on Wednesday 24th June, 2009 when they walked into British Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s office.  And they are claiming £300,000 (Sh35 million) each for the pain they suffered during their incarceration by British colonialists. They also want the British government to admit that what they did was wrong and inhumane.  “Sir, this is not a case about colonialism or politics. It is about a group of people who were tortured and who struggle to live with the consequences of that torture to this day. We seek recognition of the historic wrong which was done to us and an apology from the British Government,” the group said in its plea. In their case filed on Tuesday at the Royal Court of Justice, they also want the British government to order an inquiry into the number of elderly Kenyans living with effects of ill treatment by the British colonial regime and establish a financial scheme to help them and their families. The veterans invited Mr Brown to Kenya to meet them and their families. In a two-page petition, the war veterans said that in their 70s and 80s, they had travelled to London to tell the world of the torture and trauma they went through at the hands of the British. They said that during the struggle for Kenya’s independence in the 1950s and 1960s, they were detained, tortured and moved from one detention camp to another. They said that at no time were they subjected to the due process of law through the courts. But the British government will challenge the case, saying that Mau Mau issues cannot be tackled now because the veterans had waited too long to lodge their claims, which were now barred under the statute of limitations. The war veterans said that they wanted to see the issue resolved while they were still alive. The case is likely to be heard in October 2009. - Daily Nation.

=========================================================

ANNOUNCEMENT

The family of Charles Maina Ngare, a long time Kenyan Educator, who taught Math at Chinga Boys’ Sec School, Moi Nairobi Girls’, and as a senior lecturer at Kenya Technical Teachers’ College (KTTC), wishes to announce that he is battling a very rare medical condition: Multi-centric Castleman’s Disease - a rare non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Charles had been unwell since the beginning of the year. He was hospitalized on April 2, 2009 at the Good Samaritan Hospital and was transferred on April 9 to Hershey Medical Center PA, for 11 weeks where he underwent various biopsies - bone marrow, Axially lymph node, kidney, liver, Ulcer; then Axillary Aspirate, LF and Burhole into the subdural bleed.

At present, he is at Manor care, MD for rehabilitation, under the care of Dr. Catherine Broome, MD Specialties Hematology/Oncology-Georgetown University Hospital. His current diagnosis (18 in number) include: Liver fibrosis, Acute on Chronic Renal failure, Bilateral Subdural hematoma, Perivascular dermatitis, Axillary Pseudocyst, Hyperlipidemia, DM-Type 2, Chronic Renal Insufficiency, Third Cranial Nerve palsy, Hypertension, …  and the list goes on. These diagnosis’s call for back-to-back on doctor’s appointments, procedures and medication.

As a family, we covet your continued prayers for we believe that God is able to heal completely for “He is the Lord that heals us.” Pray also for strength and grace to go on. Your moral and financial support will therefore be highly appreciated. All well wishers can wire their contributions to Ruth Maina (wife). Bank of America - Routing #  052001633,Account # 446016073999

Cheques can be made payable to Charles Maina Ngare, 1793 Faulkner Ave, San Jacinto, CA 92583.

For further information please contact:

Rev. Dr. Ruth Maina (wife) – Pastor KICC San Jacinto CA, on 951-445-9086

Pauline Ngugi, Upper Marlboro, MD on 301-793-1803.

Christopher Karue, Silver Spring, MD on 202-290-6356.

Ephantus Wachira, Moreno Valley, CA on 951-567-9568.

Grace Maina, Richmond, VA on 973-710-2889.

Michael Wahome,  Laurel, MD on 240-547-7945.

Nancy Maina, Los Angeles, CA on 717-813-3411.

Email: p_maina@hotmail.com

WHAT SOME OF THE UK'S PAPER SAYS ON THURSDAY 25TH JUNE, 2009

LEFT: The man behind the global ban on trading illegal 'blood' diamonds from Africa warning the scheme is on the verge of collapse is the lead story in The Independent. RIGHT: The Guardian reports that should they win the general election the Tories are planning a two day summit meeting shortly after they gain power to decide large-scale spending cuts.

Paralysed man golfs with £10,000 gadget

A paralysed golf fan can finally swing a club and play on a real course, thanks to a high-tech machine which supports his legs. Graham Hunt, who is paralysed from the waist down, fell in love with the game after playing a simulated version in his living room on his Nintendo Wii. But he never dreamed he could play on a real course because a neurological condition paralysed his legs three years ago. However, the 24-year-old has now discovered the £10,000 Paragolfer machine, which enables him to be held upright. Mr Hunt, from Great Holland in Essex, said: 'When I first became disabled, I spent the year having a very big downer. 'I had bought myself a Nintendo Wii console and the game that came with it was Tiger Woods 2008. 'I thought, “If I swing a Wii around, why can't I swing a golf club too?”' But experiments in his garden from a chair proved unsuccessful before he discovered the Paragolfer. Now Mr Hunt is working with the Coastal Golf Academy to set up a community organisation to bring golf to more disabled people of all ages in the area.

It is a big challenge to those with hands and legs. SEE THIS VIDEO

The National Defence and Security Council met under President Kibaki to assess the situation in war-torn Somalia and possible danger it may portend for the country.  Later yesterday, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti repeated the Government’s official position it would neither attack Somalia nor deploy troops across the common border. But senior field security officers were separately instructed to strengthen vigilance along national boundaries and at border-points. Instructions also trickled to police outposts vetting at border points must be more rigorous. - MORE

An Imperial Stormtrooper mistakes a chipmunk for a speeder bike. It's all part of amateur photographer Chris McVeigh's 'Crossover' project, in which he tamed animals in his garden to make them pose with Star Wars toys.An Imperial Stormtrooper mistakes a chipmunk for a speeder bike. It's all part of amateur photographer Chris McVeigh's 'Crossover' project, in which he tamed animals in his garden to make them pose with Star Wars toys.

A Somali politician has been killed by gunmen in the capital, Mogadishu, the government has confirmed. Mohamed Hussein Addow's killing is the third of a high-profile public figure in as many days. A suicide attack killed the country's security minister and 34 others a day earlier in Beledweyne, in the north. Mogadishu's police commander was also killed this week. Pro-government forces have been fighting radical Islamist guerrillas in the city since 7 May. Friday's fighting happened in the Karen district of northern Mogadishu - the area Mr Addow represented. Earlier, the funeral of Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden was held. He was an outspoken critic of al-Shabab, the militant Islamist group which said it carried out Thursday's suicide attack. A combined force of radical Islamic militants, including al-Shabab, which is accused of links to al-Qaeda, has been trying to topple the fragile UN-backed government for three years. A moderate Islamist president took office in Somalia in January but even his introduction of Sharia law to the strongly Muslim country has not appeased the guerrillas.

An American evangelist was charged before a Kibera court with distributing obscene publications. Mr Thomas Kelvin Manton denied the charge, but will be remanded for three days pending conclusion of investigation in the case. He was charged that on February 25, at Runda Estate, for the purpose of distribution, he produced an obscene compact disk with the intention of corrupting morals. Kibera Court prosecutor Joseph Musyoka objected to his release on bond, saying investigation was not complete. Thomas Kevin Manton, an American evangelist, at the Kibera Law Court, Wednesday 24th June, 2009. - The Standard.

Somali journalist: 'I saw my boss shot dead'

Ahmed-Tajir Omar Hashi saw his colleague shot in the head

Somali journalist Ahmed-Tajir Omar Hashi was walking in Mogadishu's Bakara market with his boss, the head of one of the country's leading broadcasters, Radio Shabelle, recently when he heard the crack of gunfire.

"I was hit in the left hand and the bullet passed into my left side above the kidney. It felt as if I was hit with a little stone. I did not know what it was because I had never been shot before," says Mr Hashi who is recovering from his injuries in hospital.

"When I looked back, I saw Muktar Mohamed Hirabe lying on the ground and a man with a hand-gun standing above him. Then, I realised that I was in trouble and ran for my life.

Mr Hirabe became the fifth journalist to be killed this year in Somalia, which has become one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists to work.

Anonymous threats

"I touched my left side which was wet with blood. I felt a twinge in my stomach, probably where the bullet came out and when I ran my hand over it, one of my fingers went into the bullet hole," says Mr Hashi.

"I was running fast but I glanced back and I saw the young gunman shooting my colleague in the head again. He then fired a shot in my direction. I went into a building to escape."

The main Islamist insurgent groups have denied killing Mr Hirabe

Many journalists have received anonymous phone calls from people asking them to massage facts to work for what they say is "the defence of the country". Sources told the BBC that in the week he was killed, Mr Hirabe also received these calls. He was asked to give money to help what was described as the work of the "mujahideen" (holy warriors) in Somalia. He refused and contacted leaders from the hardline Islamist group al-Shabab to check with them whether their people had made the threats. Al-Shabab asked to see the phone numbers so they could check them out, but before he could do that he was killed in broad daylight in a Mogadishu street controlled by al-Shabab. To show their respects, most media organisations stopped broadcasting and 14 of the best known Somali journalists said they would stop working until security improved. They said that threats and assassinations made it impossible for them to work. The editor of Radio Voice of Peace, Abdu-Aziz Mohamud Guled, said most of the journalists had been murdered in insurgent strongholds and seemed to be operating with impunity.

Holy war

Both main insurgent groups, the Islamic Party and al-Shabab, have denied involvement in the murder of Mr Hirabe, blaming what they call the enemies of the Somali people. But some question the willingness of the hardline Islamists to catch those responsible for the murder of journalists. The Islamists control Bakara Market where the murder took place and while they seem to be able to catch thieves with relative ease, a murderer has been able to walk away free.

A reliable analyst told the BBC Somali Service that the anonymous callers are accusing journalists of carrying out anti-Islamic work and would be held accountable. They are demanding that al-Shabab be known as Harakatu al-Shabab al-Mujahideen; which would effectively mean that journalists have to accept that al-Shabab are fighting a holy war for the benefit of all Somali people. Faced with threats, kidnappings, beatings and even death, many journalists are turning their back on the profession or even fleeing the county.

The Somali government has condemned the latest killings and sent its condolences to the family of the deceased journalist.

Information Minister Farhan Ali said that the government knows that the killings are the work of groups that are against peace in Somalia and there will be a day when they will be held responsible for their actions.

Nairobi, Kenya, Jun 24 - Roads Minister Franklin Bett has backed a move by five Kenyans who have launched a compensation bid against the British government over claims that they were tortured and unlawfully imprisoned during colonial rule half a century ago. The veterans of the Mau Mau revolt, which led to a series of bloody battles between Kenyan nationalists and British forces throughout the 1950s, left Kenya for the first time in their lives this month to make their claim in person in London. Bett said that the move by the veterans should set a precedent for claims for other similar injustices. “I support the Mau Mau people, those who were actively involved or engaged in activities for purposes of the independence of this country. They should be compensated,” he stated. The three men and two women are also hoping to shake off the label of terrorists given to them by their British rulers, and want to be seen as freedom fighters who helped liberate their country from the shackles of colonialism. While the UK said that the claim was not valid due to the amount of time since the abuses were alleged to have happened, Mr Bett emphasised that no amount of time could dull such injustices.

 “The land on which the Tea estates are sitting be they in Kericho or in Nandi were formally occupied by people who were forcefully removed and their animals taken away and their houses burnt,” he stressed. “We do not care whether the person who did it is no longer there. It is your great grandfather who did all this so you have to pay up.”  The UK government has argued that any liability rested with the Kenyan authorities after independence in 1963. Historians say the Mau Mau movement helped Kenya achieve independence, but their actions have also been blamed for crimes against white farmers and bloody clashes with British forces throughout the 1950s. The armed movement began in Central Kenya with the aim of recovering land seized by British colonial authorities. Veterans of the war said that they suffered barbaric treatment, including torture, as the British suppressed the rebellion. 90,000 Kenyans were executed, tortured or maimed during the crackdown, and 160,000 others were detained in appalling conditions. Ndiku Mutua, one of the five, said that he still lived with the physical and mental scars of his ordeal. Mr Mutua said that in 1954 he was arrested, severely beaten and castrated with pliers at the Lukenya Detention Centre. Another claimant, Paulo Nzili, also said he was castrated, while Wambugu Wa Nyingi said he was tied upside down and beaten. Jane Muthoni Mara and Susan Ngondi said they were sexually assaulted. - CapitalFM

The  Seeds wedding is on 11th July 2009

The Wedding of Jackson Karanja Njiiri (Mr. Seed's son) and Miss Sharon Njeri takes place on Saturday 11th July, 2009 at Calvary Charismatic Baptist Church, head office Prayer Temple, Docklands, London, 119 East India Dock Road, Poplar, London E14 6DE as from 10.00 a.m. A reception will follow thereafter at Pavillion Banqueting Suite, 324 Hoe Street, Walthamstow, E17 9PX as from 2.00 p.m. till late. All guest are requested to be seated by 4.00 p.m. as the food service will take place between 4.00 and 5.30 prompt. The reception hall is 2 minutes walk from Wathamstow underground station. All cars will be parked at Wathamstow Central Station Public Car Park where they will be security upto to midnight. The park charges £2 for the full day. Several guests are coming from Kenya, US, South Africa and others parts of Europe.

Mr. Jackson Karanja Njiiri and Miss Sharon Njeri

LUO PROVERB

Gweng' ka gweng' nigi janeko ne.

Every locality has its mad person.

Every person has some weakness.

No human community or person without faults.

Quiz Night

at

Swift Centre Hall

Memorial Community Church

(former Memorial Baptist Church)

387-395 Barking Road,

London,E13 8AL

To raise funds for

The Memorial Community Church

Swift Centre Youth Club

Expendition to Kenya 2009

Project2009

Saturday 27th June 2009

Starts 7.30 pm

Cost £10 per person with complimentary hot food (meat or veggie)

Sorry, no booze but soft drinks available.

For tickets contact Cllr. Clive Furness, Mble No: 07769748010

or

Duncan K. Kamanu (Baba Kevin), Mble No: 07960358795

What is happening with Kenyan politics - it is turning out to be newspapers politics - The Standard newspaper two months ago wrote that the Kenya High Commisisoner in the UK HE Joseph Muchemi has been recalled home and should be out of UK by 10th June, 2009. (HE Joseph Muchemi is still in the office). On Monday the same newspaper wrote that Muchemi has been recalled and should be out of office by August 2009 - When contacted the High Commisisoner says that he has not received any communication from Kenya about his recalling. "This is the propaganda of the newspapers - come August they will say that I will be going in December. I want to put clearly that I have served Kenya in the UK for several years now and I thank God and the President for giving me this opportunity. It is the prerogative of the President to appoint and to fire. If he recalls me back I will just pack up and go. Since I have not received any communication from the President, I am still the boss. I cannot work with what the newspapers are saying." Mr. Muchemi concluded.

HE Joseph Muchemi - "I am still the boss, I have not been adviced otherwise by the President"

London, Wednesday 24th June, 2009. Stricken banking giant Citigroup was today planning to raise base salaries for employees by 50% to compensate for the sharp reduction in annual bonuses. The Wall Street firm, which has hundreds of thousands of staff worldwide including almost 10,000 in Canary Wharf in London, was ordered to curb its bonus payments after a $45 billion bailout by the US government. A host of other US banks were also told to abandon bonuses after taking money from the Troubled Asset Relief Programme but many, including Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan, have repaid the funds and are now free to make lavish payouts. It has left Citi and other apparently weak banks fighting to retain their best staff. The biggest pay rises at Citi will go to investment bankers and traders while workers in consumer banking, credit cards, legal and risk management will see smaller increases. "Citi continues to examine ways to ensure its employees compensation practices are competitive in this very challenging market environment," said Citi spokesman Stephen Cohen. "Any salary adjustments are not intended to increase total annual compensation, rather to adjust the balance between fixed and variable compensation."

It was a nice day for an, er, weight(less) wedding.

Erin Finnegan and Noah Fulmor floated, fumbled and tumbled into matrimony in the world's first ceremony in zero gravity conditions. The couple paid more than £10,000 to have their wedding in a converted Boeing 727 jet that uses roller coaster-style dives to create 'weightlessness'. But trying to kiss and exchange rings at Saturday's event was not easy. 'The physics were off for our kiss,' admitted Mr Fulmor, 31, who ended up bumping his bride's nose. 'I could feel where I was going, I knew where I needed to be, but it was hard to reconcile the differences.'  He was relieved he didn't drop the ring – but there was confusion when someone else's wedding band floated off a finger. And the new Mrs Fulmor, who wore a white jumpsuit under her dress to protect her modesty, enjoyed every minute of the hour-long flight, thousands of metres above the Gulf of Mexico. 'It was weirder than I expected,' said the 30-year-old, from New York. 'I've been to a lot of boring weddings – so I wanted to do something different.'

A £1 million UK Government scheme to help failed asylum seekers return home was "mismanaged from start to finish" and resulted in just one family leaving the UK. The Children's Society said the scheme, which ran for less than a year, failed because of the Government's flawed and confused approach. But the Government said it was a "a complex issue with no one-size-fits-all remedy" and lessons had been learned. Lisa Nandy, of the Children's Society, said the project was "mismanaged from start to finish". It wasn't clear what the UK Border Agency was trying to achieve with the project, which caused considerable confusion from the outset," she said. The news comes after it emerged earlier this month that just two homeowners had been helped to hold onto their properties by a flagship £285 million initiative to save families from repossession five months after it was launched. The report by Ms Nandy described the project, known as the Millbank pilot, as a "missed opportunity" and said its design, which involved coercion and confusion about referrals, was "flawed". It found there was a "climate of fear" within the centre and the "threat of destitution for those who did not agree to move... meant the families who went did so under duress". It also described families' moves into the centre as "traumatic" and added it involved "serious lapses in communication and confidentiality". Phil Woolas, Border and Immigration Minister, said: "The Children's Society and other lobby groups have pleaded with the UK Border Agency to pilot alternatives to the detention of children. This is exactly what we are doing. Only one family who participated in the Kent pilot returned home - despite the fact that they were free to come and go and had access to all services they required. "The lessons we learnt have been used to design a new pilot currently running in Glasgow. This demonstrates our commitment to keep exploring alternatives to detention which increase voluntary returns and provide value for money to the taxpayer. This is a complex issue with no one-size-fits-all remedy, which is why these pilots are so crucial."

Worship with Ron Kenoly @ Eagles’!, London

Eagles’ Gathering Christian Centre is very humbled and highly honored to host one whom many consider to be a modern day Apostle of worship. Dr Kenoly is arguably one of the most influential gospel singers and worship leaders of our day! To quote Dr. Myles Munroe “The Ministry of Ron Kenoly was the anointed spark that ignited the explosion , acceptance, expansion, and global invasion of Praise and Worship throughout the nations like no other in our generation” and Cesar Castellanos, President of the Missionary Charismatic International Church in Bogota, Columbia, named Ron Kenoly “Psalmist of the Century”!

A Ph.D. graduate in Ministry of Sacred Music, Dr. Kenoly began his full-time ministry in 1985 when he became Minister of Music at the Jubilee Christian Centre in San Jose, California. He released his first gospel album for Integrity Music, Jesus Is Alive in 1991 and his first eight live albums with Integrity sold over four million copies! In the United States he regularly attracts congregations of 15,000 people, while in Bangalore, India, he performed for over 200,000 worshippers at a single meeting. For the performance recorded on his Majesty album (1998), Kenoly assembled a choir of 300 voices and a full orchestra to worship with a congregation of 8,000. In 2008, he led 6 million people in worship in a single meeting in Nigeria. Glory to God!

Since graduating with a Ph.D. in 1997, Kenoly has been dubbed "The Professor of Praise." He has won many awards for his music and his worship meetings, including being nominated five times for the GMA Dove Award for gospel music, and winning it once, for Welcome Home (1996). Kenoly has made guest appearances on The 700 Club, Trinity Broadcasting Network, Hour of Power, Gospel Music Association Dove Awards, and Benny Hinn's This Is Your Day. Two of his albums and three of his live videos have hit "gold" status for sales, a remarkable achievement for Christian music recordings.

Selected celebrated Albums

• Jesus Is Alive, 1992.
• Lift Him Up, 1993.
• God Is Able, 1994.
• Sing Out with One Voice, 1995.
• Welcome Home, 1996.
• High Places: The Best of Ron Kenoly, 1997.
• Majesty, 1998.
• We Offer Praises, 1999.
• The Perfect Gift, 2001.
• Dwell in the House, 2001.
• Solo Para Ti, 2002.

For one night only, he is ministering at Eagles’ Gathering Christian Centre. To attend this event, you need to register at www.eaglesgatheringcc.org.uk REGISTRATION IS FREE BUT REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND.  ENTRY BY REGISTRATION NUMBER ONLY.

Event host: Eagles' Gathering Christian Centre  www.eaglesgatheringcc.org.uk)
Worships Sundays @ 2pm
East Barnet Baptist Church,
Corner of Crescent/East Barnet Road
East Barnet EN5 8PS
+447908225336
skype: pastor.eagles

Event Venue:EastBarnet Baptist Church,
Corner of Crescent/East Barnet Road
East Barnet
EN5 8PS

Date:  July 02, 2009

Time: Doors open 6:30pm. Event start at 7pm prompt

Dr. Stan Wangenye
Senior Pastor
Eagles' Gathering Christian Centre
www.eaglesgatheringcc.org.uk
+447908225336.

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IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? JUNE 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NIN BWANA SEED? JUNE 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? MAY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - MARCH 2009

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - THREE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009 - ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009  - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER, 2008 ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER TWO, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - OCTOBER, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - SEPTEMBER 2008