Iko Nini Bwana Seed?

WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY - EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST THE POUND TODAY IS KSHS. 125.22

 KAMEME RADIO IS BACK AGAIN

'Half-fro' mug shot of dealer caught mid-haircut

A drug dealer hauled in by the cops was furious after having an extremely bad hair day recorded on his mug shot. Marcus Bailey, 25, is accused of foolishly stepping out mid-haircut to conduct a drug deal. His giant afro was being turned into braids meaning he looked likes someone had taken a shearer through a third of his hair. But cops were waiting for him to make the deal and pounced, refusing to allow him to clear up his hair for prison.

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Mr. Seed,

23rd June, 2009

Hope you are well.

REF: 300 BANDARI APARTMENT IN BELLE VUE, NAIORBI

This is to update you on the Bandari project and inform you that we had a successful ground breaking ceremony on June 16th 2009 at the site. The chief guest was the minister of transport Hon. Amb. Chirau Ali Mwakwere EHG. MP.

The website www.bandariapartments.co.ke is already up, just a few items remaining to make it fully serve its purpose but you can proceed and create a link in your website.

Those abroad interested in buying this property can contact us through the email.

Thank you,

S. Maigo - smaigo@pinnac

Pinnacle Projects Ltd

Loita House, 3rd Flr, Loita Street

P.O Box 61562 - 00200

NAIROBI

Tel: 318756/7/8;

Mobile: 0721 77 90 44

www.pinnacleprojectsltd.com

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

Want to prove yourself the king of strange trivia when you're down the pub? Every day (well, most days), we'll be regaling you with an odd fact about the world - each one of them guaranteed 100% absolutely probably true, and not just taken from Wikipedia*.

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.

Monday, April 27: Everybody has unique tongue print. Attempts to use it as a method of biometric identification, however, have been hampered on the grounds that it's a bit messy. But researchers are still working on developing tongue scanners...

Friday, April 24: Contagious yawning - the irresistible urge to yawn when you see someone else do it - isn't confined to humans. Studies of chimpanzees and stumptail macaques suggests that they do it too - in fact, they can be prompted to yawn just by seeing a video of another animal yawning.

Thursday, April 23: In 1869, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Ward Hunt turned up in parliament to deliver the budget, only discover that he'd left his speech at home - thus starting the tradition of Chancellors holding up their red box for everyone to see before leaving.

Wednesday, April 22: The slow loris might be an incredibly cute animal, but it's also poisonous - in an incredibly convoluted way. It secretes a toxin from glands in its elbows, which it must then lick off, coating its teeth in the toxin before biting its target.

Tuesday, April 21: The largest jellyfish ever discovered (a lion's mane jellyfish washed up in Massachusetts Bay in 1965) had a body 7 1/2 ft in diameter, and tentacles a staggering 120ft in length. That's longer than the largest blue whale ever found.

Monday, April 20: Before the invention of modern toothpaste, from Roman times up to as recently as the 18th century, there is evidence that people used to whiten their teeth using urine. Sometimes their own, but mostly other people's.

Friday, April 17: The Schmidt Sting Pain Index is a scientific scale measuring how badly insect stings hurt entomologist Justin Schmidt. It ranges from sweat bees at 1.0 ('Light, ephemeral, almost fruity') to over 4.0 for the bullet ant ('Like fire-walking over flaming charcoal with a 3-inch rusty nail in your heel.')

Thursday, April 16: On April 16, 1943, Swiss chemist Dr. Albert Hoffman got a tiny amount of a substance he was working with on his skin. He was forced to go home, feeling dizzy and restless, before seeing 'extraordinary shapes with intense, kaleidoscopic play of colors.' He'd just accidentally discovered the psychedelic properties of LSD.

Wednesday, April 15: The Vatican has a cash machine that has instructions in Latin - thought to be the only one in the world to use the language. 'INSERTIO SCIDULAM QUAESO UT FACILUNDAM COGNOSCAS RATIONEM' is how it asks for your card, in case you were wondering.

Tuesday, April 14: The phrase 'steal my thunder' comes from dramatist John Dennis, who in 1704 was very proud to have invented a new method for producing thunder sound effects in plays. He was less happy when his play was shut down, and a new production of Macbeth nicked his sound effect technique.

Thursday, April 09: The rings of Saturn fascinated and puzzled skygazers for many centuries. In the late 17th century, theologian Leo Attalius published 'De Praeputio Domini Nostri Jesu Christi Diatriba' - his theory that the rings were actually the circumcised foreskin of Jesus Christ, ascended to heaven.

Wednesday, April 08: The 17th century English free-market economist Nicholas Barbon may have pioneered both fire insurance and the modern fire brigade, but he's probably best known for the magnificently unwieldy full name that his father, Praise-God Barbon, gave him: Nicholas Unless-Jesus-Christ-Had-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Hadst-Been-Damned Barbon. (He normally just went by Nicholas.)

Tuesday, April 07: The first ever recorded sale of a friction match took place on this day in 1827 - invented by British chemist John Walker, they originally sold under the catchy name of 'Sulphurata Hyper-Oxygenata Frict.' (This was quickly shortened to the more manageable 'Friction Lights'.)

Monday, April 06: People are asked to say 'cheese' when having their photo taken because it turns the mouth up, making them smile. In the 19th century, the fashion was for stern, tight-mouthed expressions instead - one studio made people say 'prunes' to achieve the desired effect.

Friday, April 03: In the Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919, a huge tank of molasses burst on a warm day, sending a 15ft high wave of sweetener through the neighbourhood at an estimated 35mph. The molasses flood killed 21 people and injured around 150.

Thursday, April 02: Ernest Vincent Wright's 1939 novel 'Gadsby: Champion of Youth' is notable for not using the letter 'e' once in its 50,000+ words. This, in turn inspired other novels that did the same thing - most notably, George Perec's 'La Disparition'.

Wednesday, April 01: The first commercial product ever bought with a barcode was a ten-pack of Wrigley's Juicy Fruit gum, at a store in Ohio, on June 26th 1974. The historic packet of gum now resides in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.

Tuesday, March 31: A U.S. Park Ranger called Roy C. Sullivan holds the record for being hit by lightning the most times - surviving an impressive seven strikes between 1942 and 1977. Which makes him either very lucky or very unlucky.

Monday, March 30: The Torino Scale measures how likely an asteroid is to destroy the Earth - it runs from the comforting 1 ('no unusual level of danger') to the less-cheerful 10 ('may threaten the future of civilization as we know it'.) Fortunately, nothing's ever ranked more than a 4... so far.

Wednesday, March 25: Newsreel wars! In the 1930s, when Pathé won the rights to film a cricket test match at the Oval, rivals Movietone put up large mirrors to reflect the sunlight into their cameras, and tried to distract the players with a hot-air balloon.

Tuesday, March 24: Film actress Hedy Lamarr, who starred in many Hollywood films in the 1940s, was far more than just a glamorous face - she also helped invent a communications system that led to much of today's wireless technology. (This fact is part of our contribution to Ada Lovelace Day - see here for more details.)

Monday, March 23: Tzar Paul I of Russia, who was assassinated on March 23 1801 by being stabbed, strangled and trampled to death, had a profound aversion to English-style hats, and banned 'round hats' during his reign - a law aggressively enforced by the police.

Friday, March 20: From the crazy scientist files: Russian biologist Ilya Ivanov spent most of the 1920s trying to breed a human-ape hybrid. Unsurprisingly, he wasn't successful (and was eventually arrested after he fell out of favour in Stalin's Russia).

Wednesday, March 18: If you've ever wondered what the term for the little dot above lower case 'i's and 'j's is: it's called a tittle. (Technically, a tittle is any small printed mark.)

Tuesday, March 17: While St. Patrick's Day is often associated with copious drinking, until the 1970s pubs in Ireland were actually closed on March 17. (Also, if you're wearing green today, you might like to know that traditionally St. Patrick was associated with a dark blue colour.)

Monday, March 16: The Haskell Free Library and Opera House holds the unusual distinction of having its stage in a different country to the audience - it straddles the USA/Canada border, so the singers are performing in Quebec to an audience sitting in Vermont.

Friday, March 13: In the early 1800s medical student Stubbins Ffirth attempted prove (wrongly) that yellow fever wasn't contagious, by sitting in a 'vomit sauna' filled with fumes from the sick of yellow fever sufferers. Amazingly, this was least disgusting vomit-related experiment he performed.

Thursday, March 12: The path that led scientist Joseph Priestly to discover oxygen was started when he moved next door to a brewery, became fascinated by the bubbles rising in the beer vats, and asked the brewers if he could do some experiments with it.

Wednesday, March 11: George de Mestral, the Swiss electrical engineer who invented Velcro (after being inspired by burrs sticking to his clothes while out hunting) spent ten years labouring on the idea before he had a working product.

Tuesday, March 10: The ancient Greek colonial city of Sybaris had their plumbing priorities in the right place. They are said to have had pipelines that brought wine from the countryside vineyards directly into the city and their homes.

Thursday, March 5: The crow's nest of a ship is so called because, in the early days of seafaring, crows were kept atop the mast as a navigational tool in case of bad weather - the sea-hating birds would always head straight for land.

Wednesday, March 4: In 'The Descent Of Man', Charles Darwin described monkeys with hangovers after drinking beer left out by trappers: 'On the following morning they were very cross and dismal; they held their aching heads with both hands, and wore a most pitiable expression.'

Tuesday, March 3: If you took all the approximately 60,000 miles of blood vessels out of a human body and laid them end-to-end, they would stretch around the world twice. And you would probably be arrested.

Monday, March 2: Napoleon Bonaparte's wedding night ran into some trouble when, as he and his wife Josephine tried to consummate their marriage, Josephine's dog bit him hard on the leg. Apparently the animal was unhappy at having a new person sharing the bed.

Local government minister Musalia Mudavadi has promised to repossess all grabbed land within Nairobi city.His assurance follows public protests over the grabbing of land meant for a fire station in Gigiri and a study center in new Muthaiga estate, Nairobi. In a ministerial statement over the matter Musalia told parliament that a building in Gigiri has already been demolished and the land repossessed while a case is pending in court over the one at new Muthaiga.A query in parliament by Kamukunji member of parliament Simon Mbugua over mass grabbing of public land and utility by private developers in the city compelled local government minister Musalia Mudavadi to assure the house of his ministry's intervention. The land in dispute included a piece of land meant for a fire station in Gigiri which had been grabbed by an auto mart dealer but has been already demolished and repossessed by the city council and another one at Imara Daima estate. On the Muthaiga piece of land Mudavadi said Hussein Chatul, the private developer has already been taken to court after allegedly grabbing the public study center and turning it into a shopping mall against the city councils regulations against construction of commercial buildings in a residential area. The minister promised the house that the ministry would undertake an audit of all grabbed public land in the city meant for public utility and repossess them.

"God invented forgiving as a remedy for a past that not even he could change and not even he could forget. His way of forgiving is the model for our forgiving." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

A milk tanker lost control Tuesday 23rd June, 2009 along Nairobi's Outer Ring Road. In recent days, news of tanker accidents send fear among Kenyans over who may die or injured. Hundreds of Kenyans scrambled for its content leaving authorities less enthusiastic in taking action. Police only made half hearted efforts to stop the residents from making way with gallons of milk that had been destined for the KICC depot in Dandora. Some residents took to drinking the unprocessed milk without worry of the implications on their health. Officials from the Kenya Co-0perative Creameries could be seen counting their losses.

The Mau Mau veterans outside Royal Court of Justice, London

The Mau Mau veterans were on Tuesday 23rd June, 2009 joined by other Kenyans in the UK as they issued the claim for compensation for torture against the British Government at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, London. The team arrived at the court at about 2 p.m. accompanied by a large number of Kenyans, their lawyers in Kenya Mr. Paul Muite and Hon. Gitobu Imanyara together with the UK lawyers from Leigh Day & Co Solicitors. The were met by a media team who had camped outside the court where they took photos and interviews of the team. The team and their supporters were allowed into the courtroom where they handed over the claim at court no. 16. The whole group consisted of more than 100 people who jammed the corridors of the court to the amazement of the staff working in those offices. Before entering the court the Mau Mau team danced and sang freedom fighters songs while holding posters which hammered their message home - 'Britain's Gulag in Kenya, Justice Now for Brutality at end of  Empire.' The court will communicate to the team within 28 days to fix the date of hearing.

LEFT PHOTOS: Some Kenyans in London who came to support the team and on right photo is Lawyer Paul Muite, Lawyer Hon. Gitobu Imanyara (centre) and KMDJ chairman Mr. Ngethe Mbiyu (right) outside the court after the team presented their claim

The Claim of Compensation reads:

The claimants have suffered severe physical and psychiatric damage and financial loss as a result of the aforesaid treatment. The Defendant is liable to them as alleged by causing and/or permitting, and/or failing to take adequate measures to prevent, their torture and/or inhuman and degrading treatment and false imprisonment by employees and agents of the Colonial Administration.

The Claimants claims damages for:

(1) Negligence;

(2) False imprisonment;

(3) Trespass to the person;

(4) Torture.

The claimant seeks.....

UK expels two Iranian diplomats

The UK has ordered the expulsion of two Iranian diplomats in a tit-for-tat action after Tehran also ordered two UK diplomats to leave the country. Prime Minister Gordon Brown told MPs he had no choice but to respond after Iran had made allegations that were "absolutely without foundation". The two British diplomats had been effectively accused of spying by Iran officials, the Foreign Office said. Mass unrest on the streets of Tehran has been blamed by Iran on the UK. The prime minister told the House of Commons: "Iran yesterday took the unjustified step of expelling two British diplomats over allegations which are absolutely without foundation. "In response to that action, we informed the Iranian ambassador today that we would expel two Iranian diplomats from their embassy in London." The protests, which erupted after the results of presidential elections were contested, have left at least 10 people dead in the capital. Mr Brown added that the outcome of the elections should reflect the aspirations and choices of the people there. "The onus is on Iran to show the Iranian people that recent elections have been credible and that the repression and curtailment of democratic rights that we've seen in the last few days will cease," he said. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) did not specify the identities of the individuals being expelled from Iran, except to say they are diplomats, rather than support staff, and the British Ambassador is not one of them. An FCO spokesman said the Iranian Ambassador was summoned to the Foreign Office earlier to be told two Iranian diplomats holding equivalent positions in London were also being asked to leave by the end of the week. He said the action was "regrettable" but the UK had been forced to respond.

UK expels two Iranian diplomats

He added that Tehran had claimed the British diplomats had been "involved in activities incompatible with their status". The BBC's James Robbins said the allegation, which the UK rejected, is usually cover for an accusation of espionage. He added that the British Ambassador pressed Iranian authorities to give specific examples of what "incompatible activities" the British diplomats had been involved in, but they did not offer any. Conservative leader David Cameron supported the decision to expel the Iranian diplomats.He said: "The expulsion of diplomats by Iran is clearly not acceptable and the British government was absolutely right to respond." Iran has singled out the UK in its widespread condemnation of what it calls meddling by foreign powers in its affairs. The BBC's decision to start a Persian language TV service, earlier this year, has also angered the authorities. The service has no correspondent in Tehran, but on Sunday the government expelled the BBC's English language correspondent, Jon Leyne.

If you complain about your transport system, how about them?

Nyahururu, Kenya, Jun 23 - Residents from Nga’rua and Ol-Moran divisions of Laikipia West district held a day long demonstration on Monday to protest against rising cases of insecurity in the area. The protestors were up in arms over security agents, whom they accused of doing very little to contain crime. The protest came barely days after an Assistant Chief and one other person were shot dead by heavily armed gangsters at Ol-Ndonyo Loip village. The protestors carried twigs and placards blocking the busy Nyahururu-Kinamba-Sipili road and marched to the area DO’s office where they presented their grievances in a memorandum. Business activities in both Kinamba and Sipili trading centres remained closed for the better part of the day with the demonstrators demanding that police officers attached to the Kinamba police station be transferred for failing in their duty of protecting the locals. Led by area civic leader Wilson Kinyanjui, the irate residents claimed that the station lacks police vehicles to carry out 24-hour security patrols saying criminals were taking advantage and terrorising innocent wananchi. He said that most businessmen and young people were now being forced to close their businesses as early as 7pm for fear of being attacked on their way home. The Kinamba ward councillor also expressed his concern over what he termed as police harassment of youth operating motorcycle taxis in the area, claiming they were being arrested on flimsy grounds and are never taken to court. He said accused the police officers of demanding Sh200 daily from the boda boda operators as a daily protection fee. Mr Kinyanjui added that rarely a day passes by without criminal activities being reported and called on the Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti to intervene. He said challenged them to cooperate with the security agents in the area so as to help in the fight against crime noting that security matters called for a concerted effort by all the stakeholders. At the same time, the councillor assured the residents that the government would soon give the area police station a vehicle that will enable the officers conduct regular patrols. Ol-Ndonyo Loip assistant chief Patrick Njenga and a matatu conductor John Maina were shot dead on Saturday night as they went home from Sipili town, after being confronted by a six man gang. - CapitalFM.

LEFT: The Express leads on claims that millions of British workers could have their pensions cut by new EU rules and on right the Labour party is facing a mass defection of voters, says the Metro.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kuku mgeni hakosi kamba mguuni.

A new fowl always has string around its legs

Kenyan veterans in UK court bid

London, Monday 23rd June, 2009. A case against the British government brought by veterans of Kenya's independence struggle will be heard at London's High Court later. Three men and two women have launched a compensation claim for alleged human rights abuses in the 1950s and 1960s. Thousands of people were rounded up and forced into camps by the British during what was known as the Mau Mau uprising. The UK says the claim is not valid because of the amount of time since the abuses were alleged to have happened. The five Kenyans - aged in their 70s and 80s - are the lead claimants in the reparations case. They want the British government to acknowledge responsibility for atrocities in the pre-independence era and to compensate them. The government has indicated that the claim is invalid because of the time that has passed and that any liability rested with the Kenyan authorities after independence in 1963. An armed movement began in central Kenya during the 1950s with the aim of getting back land seized by British colonial authorities. Veterans of the war say they suffered barbaric treatment, including torture, as the British suppressed the rebellion. The Kenya Human Rights Commission has said 90,000 Kenyans were executed, tortured or maimed during the crackdown, and 160,000 were detained in appalling conditions. Historians say the Mau Mau movement helped Kenya achieve independence.

An estimated 160,000 people were detained during the insurgency - the team posing with church members at CCBC Swahili Service in London on Sunday 21st June, 2009

"It is not that I support "mungiki" - it is that I respect the rule of law. Kenya is on it's knees because nobody respects law in Kenya. I oppose killing of "munguki", they are human beings like any other human beings and they should be taken to the court of law and then the court of law will decided whether they are guilty or not. This also applies to any other Kenyan - he is innocent until found guilty." - Hon. Martha Karua speaking in a public meeting in London on Saturday 20th June, 2009

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1900 - Rika ria Ng'aragu ya ruraya - Famine - No circumcision was done

The Kikuyus thought that the white people are the one who brought famine

Some friends are separated by time. Some are separated by differences. Some by distances, some by pride. But no matter how far you are or different we may be, you'll always be a friend to me!

UK  is set to swelter in a heatwave this week with temperatures pushing 30C (86F) - hotter than Tenerife. Britain is expected to experience the warmest weather so far this year with blue skies, bright sunshine and summer light breezes until the weekend. Tennis watchers at Wimbledon will be relieved to hear there is no chance of rain until Friday - meaning Andy Murray will be able to battle out his first matches in glorious sun. And revellers at Glastonbury can look forward to warm weather as the music festival kicks off on Wednesday. Thursday is set to be the hottest day of the year so far with temperatures hitting 30C - beating May 31, when thermometers in the Solent area peaked at almost 27C (81F). Most areas will then experience short thundery showers on Friday, although the warm weather is set to continue until well into next week. If showers fall on the club in west London, the state-of-the-art roof will take between eight and 10 minutes to close.  Spectators will have to wait another 20 and 30 minutes for the new air-conditioning system to remove condensation from the arena before play can resume. Tournament organisers have said the roof will only be shut if absolutely necessary. A decision will be taken each day, 45 minutes before the start of play, as to whether to start with the roof open or closed. The Summer Solstice celebrations at Stonehenge passed without a drop of rain this weekend. Good weather meant record crowds flocked to the event, although the sun did not make an appearance as dawn broke in an overcast sky. Around 36,500 people gathered at the ancient stone circle on Salisbury Plain, Wiltshire. The sunny weather follows on from last month - which was unusually sun-kissed. Forecasters MeteoGroup found England and Wales had basked in higher than average levels of sunshine - enjoying a total of 226 hours, the highest for eight years. Forecaster Paul Mott said: 'It was warm over much of the UK, particularly towards the end of the month. 'It was also sunnier than average.'

On left is a  teenager jumps from a diving board to cool off from the sun in Plymouth on Sunday 21st June, 2009 and on right is a man soaks up the sun in Plymouth yesterday The warm weather is set to continue this week as forecasters predict soaring temperatures

"I am certain that people never forgive because they believe they have an obligation to do it or because someone told them to do it. Forgiveness has to come from inside as a desire of the heart. Wanting to is the steam that pushes the forgiving engine."  - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

One hundred Romanians who fled their homes in Belfast after a spate of recent attacks have decided to leave Northern Ireland and return home. Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie said 25 people had already left and a further 75 were going to leave as soon as they could. Mrs Ritchie said just 14 people had decided to stay in the country. The Housing Executive has said it is paying for the families to return to Romania through emergency legislation. City Church, which last week provided temporary overnight shelter for the ethnic Roma, was targeted by vandals on Monday night. Pastor Malcolm Morgan said the church was covered in broken glass. "I arrived this morning to find windows smashed at the front of our church and our main glass doorway smashed as well," he said. "Stones were lying scattered on the floor inside and outside and obviously broken glass was everywhere. "It would be easy to conclude it was carried out by someone who didn't like our response to the Romanians, but that is only guess work.

Seven injured as Qantas plane hits turbulence

London, Monday 22nd June, 2009. Seven passengers have been injured after a Qantas plane hit turbulence and suddenly lost altitude over Malaysia, the latest in a series of in-flight incidents to affect the airline.The Airbus A330, which was carrying 219 passengers and crew, was flying from Hong Kong to the Australian west coast city of Perth overnight when it struck "severe turbulence" over Malaysian Borneo, Qantas said in a statement. Passengers later described the panic and confusion in the darkened cabin as passengers who were not wearing seat belts were thrown from their seats. "It appeared like we'd just dropped out of a 30-storey building," Keith Huxtable, a passenger, said. "It was dark ... people screamed." Michelle Knight, who was onboard at the time but was not hurt, said the crew told her that the plane had plunged 100 feet. Six passengers and a crew member were treated on board for minor injuries, David Epstein, Qantas corporate affairs manager, said. The captain also reported minor damage inside the cabin, Mr Epstein told Fairfax Radio. Australian government safety officials were investigating the incident. "There is no reason to link the incident to other recent in-flight incidents involving A330 aircraft," the Qantas statement said. A computer malfunction on a Qantas A330 flying from Singapore to Perth in October caused the jet to nose-dive twice, leaving 12 passengers and crew seriously injured. The Australian airline underwent a safety review last year after a series of problems, including an oxygen tank explosion on a Boeing 747-400 that ripped a hole in the jet's fuselage last July, forcing it to make an emergency landing in the Philippines. No one was injured.

If you think you suffer in life, do you suffer as much as he does?

If you don't care where you're going any road will get you there

Varsity don shot dead after defying gang

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 18 - Kenyatta University Lecturer Professor Peter Francis Kenya was shot dead by gangsters in Nairobi’s Kamiti area on Wednesday outside his gate at Maziwa Area, police and witnesses said. A night guard Ole Kelami Melau said he was just about to open the gate when a saloon car pulled up behind Prof Kenya’s four-wheel drive vehicle. “Three gangsters immediately emerged and ordered me to lie down. One of them went on to attack a neighbour while the other came for Prof,” Melau said. “I heard one of them ordering Prof to open his vehicle, but he did not. He was hooting continuously. That is when the third man in the car ordered that Prof be shot,” he added. “Wewe unangoja nini bwana? Piga yeye (what are you waiting for, shoot him),” the guard said, quoting one of the thugs who spoke in Kiswahili. He recalled hearing a gun shot before the thugs drove off.  The victim was immediately rushed to the Guru Nanak hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Prof Kenya’s son Tedd told Capital News he was telephoned at about 11 pm and informed that his father had been shot. “When I received the call, I rushed to hospital and found him already dead. I can not believe my father is dead,” he said. But Prof Kenya was not the only one at the mercy of the thugs that night. The Kenya’s neighbour was also waylaid by the group and bundled into a car. “They did not go far with him because they threw him out of the vehicle a few metres from our gate,” the guard said. Another victim of the attack was a female motorist. “The vehicle the gangsters were using was stolen because the owner was inside. I saw a woman inside the vehicle and she kept pleading with them,” the guard continued. Prof Kenya was a renowned lecturer who contested unsuccessfully for the Kisumu Rural constituency in the last General Election. His body now lies at the Thika Road Funeral Home mortuary within the university he served. Police said they had not arrested any of the late Prof’s killers. “No suspect has been arrested but investigations have been launched. We are following very crucial leads,” Kasarani Divisional Police chief Jasper Ombati said.

Prayer is the key that opens your day to every blessing. It also is a lock that closes the night to keep you safe while sleeping. So what you have to do is "use your key all the time."

Nairobi, Tuesday, 23rd June,2009. Eighteen ministries are headed for the chop if a proposal to cut the size of the government are accepted by Parliament. A new government Bill expected to be tabled in Parliament seeks to set the maximum number of ministries at 24, nearly half of the current 42.

In effect, the Bill seeks to limit the power of a president or a prime minister to create ministries to reward allies or for other political interests. If passed, the Bill will also see MPs who do not have degrees locked out of the Cabinet because it makes advanced education a condition for appointment. The law as it now exists merely says that the President shall appoint his Cabinet from among MPs; it says nothing about qualifications.

Reduce spending

Many Kenyans who have served in the Cabinet, some quite successfully, did not have degrees. According to The Offices of Minister Bill 2009 dated June 19, many of the current ministries will merged, reducing government spending on salaries, allowances, security and staff for ministers and permanent secretaries. Among the major casualties of the proposed law will be the ministries of Medical Services and Public Health, which will be merged into one – Health. A new giant ministry of Finance, National Planning, Cooperative Development and Regional Authorities will be formed, bringing together three current ministries. The Labour Ministry will be merged with Immigration while Defence will be joined with Provincial Administration and Internal Security. Education will be merged with Higher Education to form the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology. MORE

Inside story of Kenya's killer gangs

Security experts say weapons are being smuggled in from war-torn Somalia

Nairobi, Monday 23rd June, 2009. Saturday’s shooting of permanent secretary Kinuthia Murugu is the latest demonstration of a resurgence of gun crimes in the country, especially in Nairobi. Other high-profile cases in the past week include the killing of a university lecturer and the shooting dead of three people in the city’s Eastlands, on suspicion of being police informers. Prof Peter Kenya was shot dead on Wednesday night in Zimmerman estate as he frantically hooted. Earlier, a top police investigator in Nyeri, Jonah Nzau, was killed in an incident which has been linked to organised crime involving fellow officers. Then there was the carjacking of Khwisero MP Evans Akula outside his house on Rhapta Road as he waited for his gate to be opened at 10.30 p.m. He was held hostage by the gangsters until 2.30 a.m. after being driven through city estates and being robbed. The incidents have once again put the spotlight on the proliferation of illegal firearms, especially in Nairobi. Investigations by the Sunday Nation have found that illegal guns are easily available across the country. Their prices have dropped drastically. Among the small arms, which can be hired on an hourly basis by crooks, include the Ceska pistol, Smith & Wesson pistol and AK47 rifle. Though admired by criminals for its lethal fire power, the G3 rifle is not popular because of its size but it is occasionally hired during major missions such as bank robberies. One supplier in Eastleigh is reported to even offer grenades which criminals refer to as mahindi (maize). According to our investigations and interviews with some “reformed” gangsters, the cost ranges from Sh3,000 to Sh15,000 an hour for a Ceska pistol or AK47 rifle. One can also hire the same for a day with the option of buying it. A bullet, christened msumari (nail), goes for Sh500. The AK47 rifle comes in three versions -- wooden, plastic and metallic -- and goes for Sh15,000, Sh12,000 and Sh10,000 respectively. The wooden one is the most popular as it is said to be accurate and comfortable to handle. Bullets for an AK47 are priced at between Sh1,000 and Sh1,500 each. The older models of pistols can be hired for less, as they are not considered as reliable as the Ceska, which is now a pistol of choice for police officers. Also on hire at Sh20,000 are bullet-proof vests usually snatched from security firms and police officers. While Eastleigh and Dandora are the key areas where guns for hire are available, Kibera has joined the trade since the post-election violence. But our source said Kibera is not very popular for the business because the residents of the expansive slum “talk too much”. According to our informers, who would not reveal their identities for fear that they would be targeted by police officers, urban crime has undergone major changes, with criminals elaborately plotting their moves. MORE

WIVES: ’We are not slaves’ 

Following the overwhelming response we received from an article carried two weeks ago on why women are losing their homes to their house-helps, we decided to let the women air their views. They were a startling eye-opener that men will want to consider.     Read more.

Centre Youth Club

Memorial Community Church,

(Former Memorial Baptist Church)

395-387 Barking Road,

London, E13 8AL

The Project: Kenya 2009

The Project, 'Kenya 2009', will take 11 young people from The Memorial Community Church,  Swift Centre Youth Club, (the former Memorial Baptist Church), plus one leader to Nairobi, Kenya from 8th August - 29th August 2009.

This is an opportunity for young people from East London to engage in an overseas expedition with the following aims: MORE

Please help these girls

Please help these girls After posting this story and the appeal for help, one lady was touched so much that she swung into action with a deliberate aim of helping the two girls. Wambui Kamau of Virginia was able to get a contact in Nairobi who has been assisting in monitoring the girl’s situation and delivering the immediate help needed. Read more>>

Help this boy

A couple at an IDP transit camp in Eldoret Kenya is agonising over their three-year-old child who suffers from a rare ailment.       Read more

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s sister, Dr Wenwa Akinyi, has been appointed Consulate General in Kenyan mission in Los Angeles, US. And a former assistant minister for Internal Security Stephen Tarus has been appointed the Kenyan High Commissioner to Australia.  The Standard can reveal. Tarus, who lost his bid to be re-elected the MP for Emgwen in the last General Election was appointed by the President in changes made in selected foreign missions. Impeccable sources at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tarus’ appointment was made following weeks of consultation. The High Commissioner to Caniberra John Lepi Lanyasunya has been recalled to the ministry headquarters. The source, who wished not to be named, further revealed the Consulate General in Los Angeles, Ms Nyambura Kamau, has also been recalled to Nairobi. Akinyi is a lecturer at the department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi. Kenyan Ambassador to the US is still Peter Rateng and our source disputed claims he has been recalled. It also emerged that the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Joseph Muchemi, has been recalled. Mr Muchemi’s replacement has not been announced, but he has until the end of August to leave. It is expected that he will hand over to his deputy, Mr Addison Chebukaka. The High Commissioner made the UK Kenyan Embassy more open during his term. The appointment of representatives in foreign missions has been an issue for the Grand Coalition principals, as each side demanded equal representation. Insiders say there are four vacant positions in foreign missions to be filled. Among them are Vienna, Seoul and Kigali. - The Standard.

Hon. Martha Karua public meeting in London

Hon. Martha Karua's arrived in London from US on Saturday 20th June, 2009. After arrival she attended a well attended public meeting in Holiday Inn Hotel, King Cross, London. The former Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister explained that the problem with Kenya today is that there is no respect for the rule of law. She explained that what we call ethnic violence in Kenya is not ethnic violence - it is class violence. The poor fights the poor. Where did you see the rich people with hundreds of acres being fought? It is only the poor people with one, two three, five, ten acres who fights. Have you ever seen a fight in the rich Muthaiga area? It is only in the slums where they fight because of poverty. When we go to parliament, we don't fight each other - we shake hands although we have been calling each other names outside." she explained. She explained that she is giving a notice that she will be a presidential candidate during the 2012 general elections. I give notice early so that you can have enough time to judge me before the day More later.

Hunt for man over child abuse case

This is the face of a man wanted in relation to the sexual abuse of a child in Reading.  John Kamau Maina will appear on BBC’s Crimewatch Top 10 Most Wanted on Monday, June 29. Police spokeswoman Andrea Bennett said: “He’s wanted in relation to the sexual abuse of a child in Reading. “As well as Reading, he has links to Watford. He’s an illegal immigrant, is probably using a new identity and could be working in a care home looking after vulnerable adults.”

I am a Maasai "Guka!"

Master Jonathan Karanja Kamau (left) posing as a Maasai Warrior when he visited Mr. Seed's house with his grandfather Mr. Jonathan Karanja. The right photos from right to left is Rev. Joseph Karanja of Proclaimers Sanctuary Church in Grays, Essex, UK, Mrs. Damaris Kamau his wife and their two children, Rev. Karanja's father Mr. Jonathan Karanja, Bishop Samuel Muya and Rev. Karanja's mother Mrs. Karanja. The parents of Rev. Karanja are currently visiting UK. They come from Ndenderu, Kiambu, Kenya. You can contact them on 07903157897 and Bishop Muya on 07507828987.

Hon. Martha Karua attended a church service on Sunday 21st June, 2009 at Jesus Celebration Ministries in Leighton Buzzard where Bishop Samuel Muya was the guest speaker

The Mau Mau spokesman Gitau wa Kahengeri

The Mau Mau Veterans spokesman in London is Hon. Gitu wa Kahengeri. The 79-year-old man is a man you can admire. The former MP for Juja speaks English language fluent with a beautiful accent. The smartly dressed man has a sharp mind and explains all the points without repetition.  The man was given a chance to speak at Hon. Martha Karua's meeting in London on Saturday 20th 2009 and he took the guests by surprise because of his wide knowledge about Kenyan politics. "I am a fighter and I can tell you that Hon. Martha Karua is a fighter", the man explained. The man explained that the Mau veterans are in the UK to be compensated by the British Government who mistreated and killed most of them during the struggle for independent. He explained that he was detained for 10 years in Takwa, Lamu together with his father the late Mzee Kahengeri wa Gitu. He surprised the guests when he explained about the root cause of the Kenyan politics and problems. "Kenya has a problem, if Mr. Kamau wakes up at 2 a.m. in Nairobi and start breaking people's houses stealing their households. Then at 8 o'clock the same day he start selling the goods he has stolen - people will buy. After the sale he joins the political campaign - buying drinks to the people he has stolen from - the people will still vote for him. That is the kind of Kenya parliament we have." the man explain as the guests cheered. " He explained that the land issue is another problem which should be solved. "The land was given to us by God from Mombasa to Ugandan border from Namanga to Somalian border -  it is for us all - then how come some people owns almost half of Nairobi while over one million people lives in 10 acres in Kibera? Something should be done." the man concluded. MORE

Requesting Kenyans in London to join them on Tuesday

A team of 22 Mau Mau Veterans arrived in the UK on Saturday morning to issue a claim for compensation for torture against the British Government. On Sunday morning 21st June, 2009 the team attended a church service at CCBC Swahili Service in Barking where they addressed the congregation and later in the afternoon they visit the popular Kenyan joint - Thatched House where they were happy to meet Kenyans while eating Nyama choma and Ugali.  On Tuesday 23rd June, 2009 the team will be holding a a press conference at The Law Society, The Law Society's Hall, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL, London/Chancery Lane) at 11am. Thereafter at 2 p.m. the team lawyers, Leigh Day & Co will issue a claim for compensation for torture against the British Government on behalf of 22 Kenyans. The claims will be formally issued at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand, Strand, London, WC2A 2LL. The team has been helped to come to the UK by Kenya Human Rights Commission.

The team is requesting  a large number of Kenyans in UK to join them. The claimants are now in their 70s and 80s and have travelled to London from rural Kenya in order to issue the claims in person.  Above all the claimants are seeking an official apology for the torture they were subjected to. The Mau Mau Veterans team include their spokesman Mr. Gitu wa Kahengeri, Mrs. Jane Muthoni Mara, Susan Ciongombe Ngondi, Wambugu Nyingi, Paul Muoka Nzili, Mucheke M'Mucheke Kioru, M'Njau Ndei, Espon Makangaa (Western), Njeru Mugo, Ndiku Mutwiwa, Stephen Kipkering Sugut (Rift Valley), Nyambane Gekonde, Emmanuel Musakari, Habil Omolo (Kisumu), Mburu Ngugi, Joseph Mwarandu (Coast) and Leonard Murithi M'Imanyara (Meru). The Kenya Human Rights Commission team include Muthoni Wanyeki, Goerge Morara, Olga Mutoro, Davinder Lamba, John Nottingham, Zahid Rajan, Anne Kariithi and Paul Muite. Their contact while in the UK is 07868172976. Those who would wish to take them around can contact the above number. They will be in UK for the whole week.

18 June 2009

Press Release

Mau Mau Claims to be issued on 23 June 2009

On Tuesday the 23rd June 2009, Leigh Day & Co will issue a claim for compensation for torture against the British Government on behalf of 22 Kenyans.  The claimants are now in their 70s and 80s and have travelled to London from rural Kenya in order to issue the claims in person.  Above all the claimants are seeking an official apology for the torture they were subjected to.
  The Kenyan claimants allege that they were assaulted, tortured and unlawfully imprisoned for a number of years during the brutal repression of the Kenyan independence movement by the British Colonial Government in the 1950s and early 1960s.   These test cases are representative of the wider community of thousands of Kenyans who were detained and tortured during the fight for independence.

A press conference will be held at The Law Society at 11am on Tuesday 23 June 2009.

The claims will be formally issued at the Royal Courts of Justice on the Strand at 2pm the same day.  Photographers are invited to attend a photo call which will take place with our clients at the steps of the Royal Courts immediately prior to the issuing of the claims.   If you are able to confirm your attendance by contacting Nisha Patel on 020 7650 1272 or by email npatel@leighday.co.uk it would be appreciated.

Press Conference: Time: 11am Date: Tuesday 23rd June 2009

Venue: The Law Society, 113 Chancery Lane, London WC2A 1PL

For further information, contact:

Daniel Leader                                               Nisha Patel Barrister                                                         Press OfficeLeigh Day & Co                                            Leigh Day & CoT: 020 7650 1247                                         T: 020 7650 1272

E: dleader@leighday.co.uk                         E: npatel@leighday.co.uk

Tears as fire burns down tourist villas in Malindi

More than 250 private villas and cottages in the tourist haven of Malindi were gutted by fire on Sunday 21st June, 2009. The fire, the biggest in the history of fires in the town, started at 1 pm and by 4 pm. Over 60 vehicles were also burnt in the incident. The Italian owners of the villas, who had arrived a few days ago to prepare for the opening of the tourist high season next week, desperately tried to have the fire extinguished.  Palm Tree Club hotel and the prestigious Kibokoni Riding Centre, a popular horse riding place for foreigners, were among the property razed by the fire. Four foreigners who had locked themselves in their villa with their workers and refused pleas by police to move out. Area police Chief Peter Kattam said police had to break into the villa to save the Italian owners and their employees. “We have also arrested four people who were looting property in one of the villas and locked them in the police cells,” said Mr Kattam.  Fighting back tears, the general manager of Palm Tree Club, Ms Lidia Filini said: “I just came from Italy two days ago to prepare for the opening of the high season next week. This is now all shattered. We are back to square one.” She said the hotel had been fully booked from July and the season looked “wonderful”. “I was having lunch in one villa with my friends when I saw smoke coming from this direction. When I drove here, I only saw smoke, smoke, smoke and fire, fire, fire. Everything was down already,” said Ms Filini. According to a guard at the Palm Tree Club, Mr Francis Makazi, the fire was started by an electric fault at Rajo Villas, near where he works. “We just saw blue tongues of fire along the electricity cables and in a flash of a second, everything was engulfed in a ball of fire,” said Mr Makazi. The fire was fanned by strong ocean winds and took only minutes to jump from villa to villa.  - Daily Nation.

A live cow for the price of 3 kg of meat

The rains have failed again, and residents of Kitui West in Eastern Province have been hit hard by the dry spell. Across the district rivers have evaporated, and residents spend most their time searching for water.  Food, too, is hard to come by and when it is available, it is beyond the reach of the majority of families that have exhausted their resources dealing with the challenges of the drought now in its third consecutive year. With no respite in sight, people are selling off their livestock in a desperate attempt to put food on the table. And the sun-scorched farms have no food for the farmers or their livestock. The once lush grazing areas are now barren. For those residents with a little money to spare, getting fodder for livestock is a major task.  People fetch hay wherever it is available by pick-ups or donkey carts. A bale of hay sells for between Sh400 and Sh600. This is just enough to feed a cow for a day. A thin sheaf of grass sells for Sh10. “What we do is literally cheat the cows. We use dry banana fibres to conceal sisal so that cows don’t know the difference,” said Titus Nyanzu. The options for many of those who own livestock have narrowed to this: sell now – at a throwaway price – or watch the animals starve to death. Many of the farmers are not only selling their animals at ridiculously low prices but are also putting paid to any hopes of ever restocking. When the Sunday Nation visited Kabati Town in Kitui West on Thursday, it was the livestock market day, and there was a lot of livestock on sale.  - Daily nation - MORE

LEFT: The Daily Mail says the number of British passports given to migrants is set to hit a record 220,000 this year.The Daily Mail says the number of British passports given to migrants is set to hit a record 220,000 this year. RIGHT: Experts warn that energy bills will go up to £5,000 a year and strike a blow to millions of struggling families, the Daily Express reports.

British passports to be given to a record 220,000 migrants this year

The number of British passports given to migrants is set to hit a record 220,000 this year. In the first three months of 2009, 54,615 citizenship applications were approved - up 57 per cent on the same period in 2008. At that rate, the number receiving passports - and with them the right to full benefits - this year will smash the record of 164,540 set in 2007.

British citizenship has rocketed by almost 500 per cent under the Labour Government (file picture of a woman outside a Home Office building in Croydon)Last year the total was 129,310, and when Labour came to power in 1997, just 37,010 people were given citizenship. It means approvals have rocketed by almost 500 per cent under the current Government. Officials blame the massive increase on the fact that ministers are introducing a 'tough' new system of earned citizenship next year. They say migrants are rushing to obtain their passports before they have to undergo an extra probationary period. Under the new system, obtaining a passport will take six to eight years from a migrant's arrival in most cases, rather than the current five. Critics said the rush shows just how lax the current system is. They also point out that, by handing out so many passports, the Government is changing the make-up of Britain without any public debate.

Immigration minister Phil Woolas (L) says extending earned citizenship from five to eight years will save taxpayers £2billion while shadow immigration minister Chris Grayling branded Labour incompetent at managing the flow of migrants

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said: 'This is yet another example of the Government's incompetence in managing our immigration system. They openly admit they are introducing a new system and that everyone is rushing to get in before it. It just smacks of ministers having no idea what they are doing.' Grants of settlement, the stage before citizenship, were also up in the first three months of 2009, running at an annual rate of 190,000. Sir Andrew Green, chairman of Migrationwatch UK, said: 'At this rate, grants of settlement will have trebled under Labour. At this rate, grants of settlement will have trebled under Labour'

'We are on course for a massive increase in the population which nobody wants and on which nobody has been consulted. No wonder people are so angry with the political class. It is not just fingers in the till, it is fingers in their ears when the public have a serious concern.' The top five native countries of those gaining citizenship in the past two years have been India, Pakistan, Iraq, Somalia and Zimbabwe. India and Pakistan are historic sources of migration, particularly via marriage to a British citizen. The large numbers of Iraqis, Somalis and Zimbabweans reflects the fact that asylum seekers who arrived at the start of this decade have now been in the UK long enough to receive citizenship.

The introduction of the earned citizenship scheme was recently delayed by nine months, to Decemember 2010. Immigration minister Phil Woolas claimed yesterday that it would save taxpayers up to £2billion in benefit claims. He said the new rules will deter some migrants from travelling to the UK or staying long enough to obtain citizenship and benefits. Until a passport application has been approved, migrants do not have access to child benefit, council and housing tax benefits and income support. Mr Woolas insisted: 'The pull factor of coming to the UK is to be taken away.' The Home Office said last night: 'The increase in settlement grants reflects the success of UK Border Agency staff in clearing outstanding applications. It also reflects the Home Office's decision to tighten up the criteria for settlement. 'In 2006 we raised the qualifying period for settlement from four to five years, which meant that migrant workers who wanted to stay permanently had to wait an extra year. 'We have also set out our plans for earned citizenship which demand that people earn the right to stay.

'We are now looking at raising the bar further by applying a pointsbased system to the path to citizenship and we will consult on this in the summer.'

Nairobi, Saturday 20th June, 2009. Kenyans abroad will be able to vote from  their host countries in the next election, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has promised. Speaking to Kenyans in Berlin Germany where he  is attending the International Berlin Prayer Breakfast, Musyoka said as part of the envisaged electoral reforms, Kenya will  join other countries in the community of nations, whose laws allow their citizens resident abroad to vote while away. The VP also informed the Kenyans that the Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank  were working out the modalities of facilitating cheaper money transfer from Kenyans overseas to Kenya. This was after they complained that it was too costly to send money through the existing services such as the Western Union and  MoneyGram. ‘We are concerned that due to the financial crisis hitting the world, remittances from Kenyans in the Diaspora has fallen from a high of 70billion shilling to only Ksh 40 billion at present. As to voting rights we will  ensure that  your right to vote abroad and for that vote to be counted, is part of the new electoral laws ' He said. Musyoka said the Grand Coalition Government and Kenyans are determined to put the country on the right path. "We are determined to build a strong and united country. The healing and reconciliation process is under way, we will attain a new constitution and by devolving development money to the constituency, the Government is seeking to create jobs, accelerate growth and stop rural to urban migration" he added. The Kenyans in Germany under the leadership of Chris Bwire, expressed strong concerns over the new phenomenon, where foreigners were being allowed to buy properties and land in Kenya's major town. The MP for Budalangi, Ababu Namwamba, who is among MPs accompanying the VP assured the Kenyans in the diaspora that there was consensus on to provide for dual citizenship in the new constitution. Namwamba who is also the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional Review, said Kenya will get a new constitution soon. "Kenyans from any part of the country have learned the futility of trying to move alone, that is way I am sure we will arrive at a new constitutional dispensation sooner than later" he said.

My mom always told me that we could never measure our wealth by money but by our friends. She would surely be glad to meet you and know how rich I turned out to be!
 

Bishop Dr Mophat & Donah Kilioba  Visits London

Bishop Dr Mophat & Donah Kilioba and on right are the hosts Rev Antony & Caroline Kimani

Bishop Dr Mophat Kiioba and his wife Donah  are in London.  The couple arrived in London on  Friday 19 June 2009 where they will be preaching for the next three weeks. The Bishop first came in London in 1978 and ever since he has been visiting different part of UK and on his last visit in London last March he spoke to a couples dinner in Dagenham. The bishop will be the guest speaker at  ‘Spice Up your Marriage’ conference on Saturday 20th June 2009 11:00 am at New City Christian Centre (Lenwoodhall) Coronation Rd Plaistow E13 9QB. Dr Kilioba is the Senior Pastor of Donholm  All Nations church; He is also a Bishop with PEFA churches and the Chairman of National Churches Council of Kenya in Nairobi Region.  Mophat is the author of one of the best selling book ‘Marriage on the crossroad which will be launched officially during the marriage seminar. He is hosted by Rev Antony & Caroline Kimani of likewise Christian Ministries Ilford. Bishop  Itinerary is as follows:19.06.09   17:00 pm      Arrival In UK 

20.06.09   11:00 am     Spice up Your marriage seminar at New City Christian Centre (Lenwoodhall) Coronation Rd Plaistow E13 9QB.

20.06.09   4:00 pm        Mrs Kilioba speaks at Ladies of Prayer (Highway Church Stratford) Address: 88A, Romford Road, Stratford, London, E15 4EH.20.06.09   7:00 pm        Bishop at Likewise Christian Church www.likewiseministries.org Church Hall 14 granville Road, Ilford Essex IG1 4JY21.06.09  11:00 am       Preaching at Proclaimers  Santuary – Grays School Media Arts College Harthaway RD  Greys Essex RM 17 5LL.21.06.09  3:00  Pm          Bishop  preaching at Likewise Christian Ministries – Ilford Kings Church Hall 14 granville Road, Ilford Essex IG1 4JY.24.06.09  7:30 pm          Preaching at likewise Christian Ministries  Ilford. Kings Church Hall 14 granville Road, Ilford Essex IG1 4JY.25.06.09 &  02.07.09  6:30 pm   Speaking at Living Waters Ministries –Estuary House 115 Ballards  Rd RM10 9AB.28.06.09  10:00 am       Preaching at Coventry. Glory Restoration Ministries. Contact Pastor Jane Wamuita on 07852343601,07846859210.03.07.09  4:00 pm   Donah Kilioba speaking to Pastors Wives – Contact Caroline on 07949556194.04.07.09    11:00 am Bishop preaching at Rhema Covenant Ministries – Derington Community Centre SW17 8HZ  contact Rev Geoffrey  Macharia  07877211908.05.07.09    3:00pm Bishop preaching at Likewise Christian Ministries – Ilford Kings Church Hall 14 granville Road, Ilford Essex IG1 4JYContact :  Rev Antony Kimani 07984796879                 Bishop Kilioba 07503863369 http://efmdg.org

Have a backbone not a wishbone

The Jesus and Mary claims

MSN Odd News reveals a selection of the most bizarre sightings of Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary in unlikely locations around the world. Images that observers believed bore a striking resemblance to Jesus Christ and the Virgin Mary have been discovered in strange places over the years prompting international media interest and, in some cases, pilgrimages to the locations in question.

On February 28 2006, Thomas Haley, an employee of Hardy’s Hardware in Manchester, Connecticut, was hard at work unloading supplies from a truck when he discovered a piece of sheet metal he believed bore the image of Jesus Christ. Haley and a co-worker subsequently auctioned the piece of metal on eBay, where it was viewed more than 120,000 times. It was purchased for US$1,500 by online casino GoldenPalace.com.

Chef sees Virgin Mary on a restaurant griddle

In April 2009, an outline of the Virgin Mary was spotted on a food griddle at a restaurant on the California/Mexico border.
 Hilda Maciel, a chef at the Las Palmas restaurant in the small border town of Calexico, discovered the image when cleaning the griddle. The restaurant’s general manager Brenda Martinez told Associated Press that, after local churchman Reverend Gerardo Fernandez confirmed the image was a true likeness of the Virgin, more than 100 people flocked to restaurant to view it. Among the onlookers was a group of masked Mexican wrestlers in town for an exhibition.

Face of Jesus seen in office doorway

The offices of West Midlands company EMS Maintenance Services were evacuated following flooding caused by a torrential downpour in November 2006. When staff returned to work the next day they discovered an five-inch image of the face of Jesus Christ left behind in the cement of the factory floor. The Divine likeness was made from the remnants of dried mud and concrete left behind by the flash flood at the company’s factory in Willenhall, Wolverhampton.

Worker discovers chocolate Virgin Mary likeness

In August 2006, workers at a luxury chocolate makers in Fountain Valley, California, discovered a two-inch dropping of chocolate that bore a striking resemblance to the Virgin Mary. Cruz Jacinto, a kitchen worker for Bodega’s Chocolates, was the first to spot the lump of melted chocolate when she began her shift cleaning up drippings that had accumulated under a large vat. It looked just like the Virgin Mary on the prayer card she was carrying in her pocket. The uniquely-shaped chocolate dropping was initially displayed in the front of the company’s gift shop but now rests in a back room and is brought out only for curious visitors.

Jesus image spotted on an Australia railway platform

In January 2007, a sleepy railway station on Sydney’s North Shore became a religious attraction after commuters became convinced they were could see a likeness of Jesus Christ on the side of the station’s platform. The image of a bearded man appeared in a patch of eroding paint on platform two at Waverton when afternoon sunlight reflected off the station’s white fence. While some argued it looked like an image of Jesus, others felt it bore a closer resemblance to William Shakespeare.

Virgin Mary likeness spied in grilled cheese sandwich

Florida resident Diane Duyser’s prized possession was a 10-year old toasted cheese sandwich that amazingly never decayed and, even more amazingly, bore the image of the Virgin Mary. In November 2004, Diane decided to cash in on her sacred sarnie by auctioning it online. By the time her unlikely auction closed the listing had received over 1.7 million hits. The winning bidder, online casino GoldenPalace.com, paid US$28,000 for the sandwich.

Face of Jesus appears in baby scan

In August 2006, mother-to-be Laurna Turner was shocked to discover an image of the shrouded face of Jesus appearing in the background of a scan of her unborn baby. The 20-year-old nursery nurse was so amazed that she decided to give her son the Biblical name Joshua.

Face of Jesus spotted in clouds

Here’s a heavenly vision of Jesus if ever there was one. This cloud formation, that arguably bears some resemblance to the traditional bearded visage of Jesus Christ, was captured by amazed onlookers in Spain in September 2005.

Mungiki kill 2 people in Kirinyaga

Written By:Rosalia Opondo, Posted: Fri, Jun 19, 2009
 

At least two people were killed on Thursday night after a suspected Mungiki attack in Kagumo market of Kirinyaga district. A five year old child was burnt beyond recognition after an estate was set on fire by unknown people suspected to be members of the outlawed sect. An eyewitness Fred Maina said a group of suspicious looking people had earlier been spotted at the market in a Nissan Matatu and residents raised an alarm to keep vigil. He said later in the evening at around 9 pm a huge fire broke out in the estate , sending  confusion around the market with residents alleging an attack. Kirinyaga district OCPD Francis Kumut disputed claims that the estate was torched. Four other children who were in the house sustained serious injuries The mother of the children is being sought by the police. The residents conducted a search and found a man believed to a sect member hanging from a tree in the village. Although the cause of the fire is not yet known, residents in the area live in fear of mungiki attacks following recent killings that left up to 28 people dead.

The Lord is waiting above to give you His grace and send you His love. Whatever your cross, whatever the pain, God always sends a rainbow after the rain.

Iran's Supreme leader on Friday 19th June, 2009  launched an astonishing attack on Britain — calling the Government the “most treacherous” in the world. Breaking his silence on the disputed presidential election, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei insisted there was no vote-rigging and blamed “enemies” in the West for the unrest. In his address to the nation, the country's ultimate authority said: “The enemies (of Iran) are targeting the Islamic establishment's legitimacy by questioning the election and its authenticity before and after (the vote)”. He then singled out Britain as “the most evil” of Iran's enemies and vigorously defended the ruling system. The Iranian ambassador to Britain was summoned to the Foreign Office immediately after the ayatollah's speech.

World hunger 'hits one billion'

One billion people throughout the world suffer from hunger, a figure which has increased by 100 million because of the global financial crisis, says the UN. The UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said the figure was a record high. Persistently high food prices have also contributed to the hunger crisis. The director general of the FAO said the level of hunger, one-sixth of the world's population, posed a "serious risk" to world peace and security. The UN said almost all of the world's undernourished live in developing countries, with the most, some 642 million people, living in the Asia-Pacific region. In sub-Saharan Africa, the next worst-hit region, the figure stands at 265 million. Just 15 million people are left hungry in the developed world. "The silent hunger crisis - affecting one-sixth of all of humanity - poses a serious risk for world peace and security," said Jacques Diouf. "We urgently need to forge a broad consensus on the total and rapid eradication of hunger in the world and to take the necessary actions." The increase in the number of hungry people was blamed on lower incomes and increased unemployment, which in turn reduced access to food by the poor, the UN agency said.  But it contrasted sharply with evidence that much of the developed world is richer than ever before. "It's the first time in human history that we have so many hungry people in the world," said

FAO spokesman Kostas Stamoulis, director of the organisation's development department. "And that's a contradiction, because a lot of the world is very rich despite the economic crisis." Mr Diouf urged governments to provide development and economic assistance to boost agriculture, particularly by smallholder farmers. "Investment in agriculture must be increased because for the majority of poor countries a healthy agricultural sector is essential to overcome poverty and hunger and is a pre-requisite for overall economic growth," he said. Urban poor would probably face the most severe problems in coping with the global recession, the UN warned, because lower export demand and reduced foreign investment were more likely to hit urban jobs harder. Many migrants to urban areas would be likely to return to rural areas, it added, transferring the burden. Incomes have also dropped "substantially" in some developing countries where families depend on remittances from relatives working abroad. With the financial crisis hitting all parts of the world more or less simultaneously, developing countries have less room to adjust, the UN agency says. Among the pressures is the reality that borrowing from international capital markets is "more limited" in a global crisis, the FAO said. Food costs in developing countries now seem more expensive, despite prices in world markets declining during the food and fuel crisis of 2006-08, it added. They remained on average 24% higher in real terms by the end of 2008 compared to 2006. "For poor consumers, who spend up to 60% of their incomes on staple foods, this means a strong reduction in their effective purchasing power," the FAO said.

Man jailed for stealing identity

Home Office, 18 June 2009An illegal immigrant has been jailed for two-and-a-half years for stealing another man's identity and pretending to be him for 12 years. Sukhjiwan Singh Burham, a 37-year-old Indian national of Erica Close in Slough, was arrested by UK Border Agency officers during a raid on a catering firm in Southall, west London on 2 April 2009. He claimed to be a British national named Avtar Singh, and a later search of his property by immigration officers uncovered a marriage certificate and driving licence in that name. However, they also found letters and other documentation in his true name.  We have teams of specialist police and immigration officers working side by side to investigate this kind of crime. Gareth Redmond.  UK Border Agency checks revealed that the real Avtar Singh is a British citizen living in Canada, who was interviewed by officials at the British High Commission to establish his identity. Burham later admitted that he had entered the country illegally in 1996, and had paid £3,000 for an illegally obtained United Kingdom passport. He had then used that passport to enable his wife, whom he married in India in 2003, and three children to enter the country.On 16 June he pleaded guilty to fraud, deception and a series of immigration offences at Reading Crown Court. He was jailed for two-and-a-half years, with an automatic recommendation that he be deported. Burham's wife and children are now awaiting removal from the United Kingdom.Gareth Redmond, area director for the UK Border Agency, said:

'This conviction shows how seriously the UK Border Agency takes criminals who use false or fake identity documents.'We now have teams of specialist police and immigration officers working side by side to investigate exactly this kind of crime. This is another example of their success.

'We will continue to work shoulder-to-shoulder with the police and other enforcement partners to identify criminal activity and remove those who have no right to be in this country.'

Burham was one of nine people arrested during a UK Border Agency enforcement operation at KMB Catering in Southall. The firm was warned that they face a fine of up to £90,000 for employing the men without carrying out the correct right-to-work checks.

Nairobi, Thursday 18th June, 2009. Commuters along Nairobi's Mbagathi Road Thursday morning got an early morning scare when three lions escaped from the Nairobi National Park and prowled on the roadside.  The big cats were reportedly spotted by motorists at around 6am, almost opposite the gate to the Multimedia University College, before Kenya Wildlife Service officers arrived minutes later to drive them back into the park. However, Park Warden Elizabeth Leitoro who supervised the exercise told the Nation that the lions had returned into the park by the time KWS officers got to the scene.  She said that the the last of the cats jumped over the parks outer barbed-wire, sneaking back into the park beneath live electric inner fence.  Last April, a leopard was spotted in Nairobis Eastlands, causing panic among residents. It had killed and seven sheep and several dogs in the area, forcing terror-stricken residents to head for home earlier than usual. Unlike then when the wild animal eluded KWS officers for more than a week, the Nairobi National Parks lions went back into the bushes in less than two hours.

Bishop Samuel Muya arrived in London from US on Thursday 18th June, 2009. The bishop will be in the UK for a few days before going back to Kenya next week. He will be preaching at the weekend of 20th and 21st June 2009 at Jesus Celebration Ministries, Duncombe Drive, Leighton Buzzard, LU7 1SD. He will be hosted by Pastors Steve and Ann (See advert). Posing with bishop above left is a long time friend Mr. Joe Mwai, Bishop Muya and Mr. Duncan Kamanu. On the right photo Bishop Muya and Mr. Eli Njuguna Kuria after enjoying a dinner in a Dallas Restaurant in May, 2009. His contact while in the UK is 07507828987.

Somalia's Security Minister Omar Hashi Aden has been killed in a suicide car bomb attack north of the capital Mogadishu, witnesses and officials say.  Somali diplomats were also reportedly among at least 10 people killed in the blast at a hotel in Beledweyne.  Somalia's president blamed al-Shabab - accused of links to al-Qaeda - which later claimed the attack.  Al-Shabab is among militants who have been trying to topple the fragile UN-backed government for three years. On Wednesday, at least 10 people died when a mortar hit a Mogadishu mosque. The city's police chief was killed in a separate attack.

Gakuru Macharia launches a book about Controversial Biography of Gilbert Deya

You can buy a copy of this book through www.mumbibooks.com

It was Thursday 8th January 2009. I went to see Archbishop Gilbert Deya in his offices at Ormside Street, Peckham as previously arranged. He was otherwise engaged and asked me to wait. I waited while reading Jeffrey Archer's book-A Prison Diary. After about 45 minutes he finally he came out, picked up my computer bag and led me into his office.

Once we were inside and seated he started, ‘you have became my enemy, how comes you don’t pick up my phone when I call’. ‘I have been busy finishing your biography’ I replied and added ‘after four years I can now say it’s done’. ‘I want to see it. Maybe it can help my extradition case. I hope there is nothing much in it about miracle babies?’ he enquired. ‘Yes there is a full chapter on it’ I replied. ‘Then I need to see it. I need to read every word of this book. Do not print before I read it or else I will sue you.’ He threatened me.

‘That’s what I want’, I joked as we looked at each other and laughed. I reminded him of his vow to me in 2003. ‘You vowed: nitakuosha ****** mpaka siku ya mwisho maana ulinipeleka kwa Malikia (I will take care of you to the end even if it means washing your bum as you made it possible for me to meet Her Majesty the Queen). He was referring to the Queen’s jubilee celebrations which I had helped organise and this had somehow formed a bond between us. He had milked the occasion to the core and he must have made millions out of the portrait with the Queen! Anyway he continued: ‘Even God also changes his mind. I have replaced you with a new Ukuyu (a common reference to a person from my tribe). I don’t need you anymore,’ he replied arrogantly. ‘Even when I came to know you, you had cases in court, you have been in the courts for the last four years fighting your extradition, maybe this will not be any different’, I responded. We then tried to discus the selling of the book but we could not compromise. Deya wanted it all. As I left his office it was clear to me that I did not have his clearance to publish despite our prior agreement and knew that I would have to proceed without his authorization.

Deya is a man who has been accused of child trafficking to UK through a member or members of his congregation, a man who promised ‘miracle babies’ to childless and desperate members of his congregation pursuant to which he allegedly had Mr. and Mrs. E bring into the UK a dead child (baby D), a living child (baby C) and had the same mother go to a third mission to get another child (baby G) when she barely managed to escape with her own life from the Kenyan police. Details of the case concerning baby C brought by the Borough of Haringey versus Mr. and Mrs. E, which was heard by the respected Mr. Justice Ryder of the Family Division of the Royal Courts of Justice are included in this book. But Deya’s alleged co-conspirators were not so lucky: his wife Mary, her friend Mrs. Cheserem and a British/Ugandan national, Mrs. Nyeko were convicted of children related offences and jailed in Kenya. They have just completed their sentences, as we go to print. This book contains Mrs. Nyeko’s confession following completion of her sentence in Kenya and her return to the UK.

Also in the book is East African Standard London reporter Gitau wa Njenga’s experiences with Deya, Deya meeting with former Liberal Democrat-UK- President Simon Hughes, Deya’s contact with NARC government of Mwai Kibaki and his meeting with and laying hands on the current Kenya’s Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga. All episodes are accompanied photographs.

I have known Gilbert Deya since we met on 22 October 2001. Since then I have seen his and his ministries' best and ugly sides. This book aims at giving you an insight into the man; the circumstances surrounding his birth, his family, an insight into what motivates him, his ministries, the miracle babies saga- including his demeanor during and after the story broke and how he managed to meet some of the most powerful people in the world.

Controversial Biography of Gilbert Deya (Paperback)
by Gakuru Macharia (Author)
Paperback: 274 pages
Publisher: Gakuru Macharia (31 Jan 2009)
ISBN-10: 0956178103
ISBN-13: 978-0956178107 and at
1 Wahu Shop.
2 Safari money transfer ,Upton lane
3 Uganda money transfer, uupton lane
4 Safari money transfer,woodgrange rd
5 Railway Tervernforest gate
6 Thatch house , dagenham
7 Mimi Boutique - Deptford
8 46 Deptford Broadway London SE8 4PH
The book is sold by ACMC Please contact www.mumbibooks.com

A team of 22 Mau Mau victims will be arriving in the UK on Saturday morning 20th June, 2009 to the petition UK government for compensation for the injury and mental torture they experienced during the emergency time in Kenya. The team will be accompanied by Lawyer Gitobu Imanyara, Paul Muita and a Mau Mau victim Mr. Waira Kamau. After arrival the group will join Hon. Martha Karua at the Kenyan meeting  which will be held at the Holiday Inn, I Kings Cross Road, London, WC1X at 5.00 p.m. On Sunday morning the team will be attending a church service at CCBC Swahili Service, Greatfield Church, King Edwards Road, Barking, IG11 7TR as from 9 a.m. to 11.30 a.m. On Sunday (21/06/09) afternoon the team will be meeting Kenyans at Thatched House, Ripple Road, Barking, Essex, IG11 9PG. The team will be busy throughout out the week attending interviews with different media houses in London including BBC and Aljazeera (see below). For more information you can contact 07868172976. -

THE MAU MAU CASE

1.0 ABOUT THE MAU MAU CASE

Kenya largely owes its independence to the valiant struggle of the Mau Mau. The Mau Mau struggle raised the cost of colonization and forced the British to hand over power to an African ruling elite. The brutalities and atrocities inflicted on the Mau Mau and the African communities that supported them have been well documented by historians. Summary killings, forced labor, torture, rape, forced evictions, detentions, beatings, destruction of property, and other forms of pillage defined the British scorched policy against the Mau Mau. Thousands of Africans were killed, maimed, or displaced, and over the last few months, we have come across irrefutable evidence of torture, forced labor, and extra judicial executions, most of it in British archives. Yet, despite the scale and severity of these atrocities, both the British and successive African governments in Kenya have refused to either acknowledge these barbaric abuses, or provide some relief to the survivors. In fact, there has been a conspiracy of silence between the British and various Kenyan governments. A national amnesia now threatens to bury the history of one of Africa’s most seminal anti-colonial struggles.

The legacy of the Mau Mau is inextricably linked to the reform of the Kenyan state. In particular, we believe that the Mau Mau Project would play a key role in addressing the long standing problems of impunity for past abuses, developing a basis for implanting the tools and instruments of transitional justice in Kenya, and buoying efforts to litigate against the atrocities committed in the name of colonialism. It is not credible, nor is it defensible, to argue that the post‐colonial Kenyan state can be reformed without a proper accounting for colonial atrocities, the most poignant of which involved the Mau Mau. What's more, the Mau Mau reparations suit provides us an excellent opportunity to broaden the debate on reparations for slavery and colonialism in general.

2.0 WHERE THE CASE IS AT NOW a) Taking of Statements:

We have now finalized the taking of statements from all potential witnesses. The group identified is only for the purposes of the filing of the suit. From this, the Lawyers will identify the victims to be included in the legal suit.

2 b) Archival Research and Other Antecedents:

We have finalized research at the Kenya National Archives to corroborate the generic [and specific] claims in the Case. Further, this research will also be part of the publicity materials for the Case/Campaign. A Publicity Strategy will be circulated in subsequent communications, and the Mau Mau Documentary produced by the KHRC in February this year.

c) Filing of Suit:

All factors remaining constant, we intend to file the suit on 23rd June 2009 at the Royal Courts of Justice, London. Additionally, meetings will be held with the relevant stakeholders and actors during that period.

3.0 ACTIVITIES PROPOSED FOR LONDON 2027TH JUNE, 2009

i. Meeting of with Kenyans/Church Service in London: On the Sunday preceding the suit filing, a church service is proposed. The day’s events could be officiated by the Ugandan born. Archbishop of York who may be contacted by Kenyan clergy/ people based in Britain. There would be prayers for the Mau Mau case and the people who were affected by Britain’s colonial violence. (Not confirmed)

ii. Media Engagements/Press Conferences/Publicity (among them BBC Focus):

(Monday 22nd– 26th June 2009) iii. Symbolic Suit Filing at Royal Courts of Justice: In order to capture the attention of the public in Britain, it is proposed that Kenyans join the Mau Mau Claimants and Solicitors/Barristers at the suit filing ceremony in the High Court Registry (Old Bailey) (Tuesday 23rd June 2009) iv. Handing Over of Petition at 10 Downing Street: (Wednesday 23rd June 2009) (Not confirmed) v. Meeting, House of Commons Kenya Caucus, Westminster: (Wednesday 23rd June) (Not confirmed)

vi. Visit to Kew Gardens/ Whitehall and Lancaster House: (Thursday 24th June 2009)

vii. Public Forum in London: A public forum has been proposed to feature among others experts whose contributions would clarify the debates and issues entailed in the Mau Mau Case. Kenyans could help with the publication of this event. Requests will be made to School of African and Oriental Studies (SOAS), through its relevant Centres and Royal African Society (RAS). (Not confirmed).

Photos of Romania... And I Thought Kenya Was Bad

Public Accounts Committee report - Government response

Home Office, 16 June 2009The Government has responded to the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report 'Management of Asylum Applications', which was published today. Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said: 'I'm pleased the Committee recognises we're making significant progress, and have already addressed many of their recommendations. 'The public have made it clear they expect us to target the most harmful people first - that's why we removed a record 5,400 foreign criminals last year.'But that doesn't mean we're resting on our laurels in other areas. In 2008 over 66,000 people were removed or voluntarily departed - that's a 5 per cent increase on the previous year. We're also expanding our detention capacity to create 60 per cent more places, and now have nearly 3,000 bed spaces. 'The UK Border Agency has already strengthened checks on decision-making, recruited more staff and reached a key milestone to conclude over 60 per cent of new asylum cases within six months.' The UK Border Agency has always focused on removing those who could cause harm to the United Kingdom, and record numbers of foreign national prisoners were removed in the last couple of years.We expect to increase our rate of overall removals by

• concluding more new asylum cases within six months - an extra 270 case owners will soon be in place following a successful national recruitment campaign, and further campaigns are being planned;making use of our increased detention capacity (including 426 new beds for single males at Brook House near Gatwick, which opened in March 2009);improving our processes for securing travel documents, booking flights and escorts - following a successful pilot, we will be rolling out a new process nationally from next month; and
• building sustainable arrangements with overseas countries to return foreign prisoners, failed asylum seekers and other immigration offenders.

By reducing the time taken to conclude new asylum cases, we are reducing our costs - asylum support costs are £550 million lower than they were in 2003/4, and we expect to be able to reduce them further. We are also taking action to reform the appeals process to speed up appeals, control abusive legal challenges and deliver more effective immigration control.To improve the quality of our asylum decisions and reduce the number of cases that go to appeal, senior caseworkers and line managers are now reviewing at least 10 per cent of all asylum decisions. A dedicated team conducts regular quality assessments, and we work closely with the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), which has praised the quality of our asylum as exemplary. Over 155,500 older, 'legacy' asylum cases had been concluded by January 2009, and we are confident that we are going to meet our target to conclude all the legacy cases by 2011.cases by 2011.

A book has been published a Kenyan entitled “Murimu uyu wa Cukari”. The book which is written by Kikuyu about diabetes   is very informative about how to prevent and avoid this disease that afflicts millions of Kenyans. Copies are available  here in UK at £5 pounds plus postage through jcpressbooks@yahoo.com

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Pastor and Mrs Leonard Muchiri are in preparation of celebrating their 25 years in marriage. There will be a meeting on 18th July 2009 at 6pm at their address which is  107 EXETER ROAD, DAGENHAM, ESSEX, RM10 8TP.

You are all invited to participate.

Contacts: 07984282749 or 07949047563 - Email:  pastorlkimani@yahoo.co.uk

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Viagra now available on high street

Viagra can now be bought on the high street at Boots stores across the country. Men will be offered a half-hour consultation to asses the root causes behind the problem and pharmacists will be able to give them a course of the prescription-only drugs. Pharmacists will do a pre-screening questionnaire, take a medical history and conduct a series of blood tests, including checking men's glucose, blood pressure and cholesterol levels to rule out a more serious health problem. The service will be available in a private consultation room in 29 stores and will cost £55 for the initial screening and then £26.59 for four tablets. Patients can return for a check-up and get further supplies During a pilot in Manchester, men travelled from all over the country to use the service, said pharmacist James Longden, who led the trial. He said: "We had men coming not just from the North West but from all over. They were really positive about it. Sometimes it can be a bit of an embarrassing subject to talk about and many didn't know where to turn to for help." He said that some men, whose family doctor was part of a small village practice or a personal friend, wanted to talk to someone they would not see again about the problem. Others accepted it as an inevitable part of the ageing process and thought they should not bother their doctor with it. Yet erectile problems can indicate a more serious health problem. During the Manchester pilot, 288 men were referred back to their GPs after tests revealed abnormal glucose, cholesterol or blood pressure levels. Erectile dysfunction affects one in ten British men and it is estimated that only 10 per cent of the estimated 2.3 million men who suffer with it are being treated. But research by Boots has indicated that 47 per cent of men would prefer to suffer in silence rather than discuss erection problems with anyone.

How fibre optic will have you all wired up

“I don’t know what fibre optic cables are all about or how they will affect my life and work,” she confesses, despite working as a cyber cafe attendant.  However, she admits that the internet service of her employer is disappointing to clients because of its low speed, especially during lunch and evening hours. Indeed, she considers the ‘going down’ of the services several times a day as “normal”. According to Ms Kerubo, the thought of a very fast, reliable and cheaper internet connection is too good to be true.  Her perception is not surprising, for many Kenyans like her have been used to slow internet speed, which is not only frustrating, but also expensive, especially to those who use the cyber cafes that charge per minute for their services. But this situation is about to change after President Kibaki flew to Mombasa last week to officially commission the landing of the East African Marine Systems (Teams) submarine cable from Fujairah in the UAE. In readiness for the landing of Teams and another cable, Seacom, which is also expected to land this month, the government and various service providers have been laying terrestrial cables to various parts of the country. These include interior places such as Lokitung, Loitoktok, Mandera and Malindi where the government has been laying cables under the National Optic Fibre Backbone Infrastructure (NOFBI) project. The two cables will further be boosted once the third one, the Eastern Africa Submarine Cable System (Eassy) coming through Southern Africa lands. Once hooked into the optic cable, Ms Kerubo’s employer and the country at large are expected to get connection to the rest of the world via higher speed and adequate broadband. Currently, Kenyans use satellite connection, which is expensive and hence offers a limited broadband capacity.   However, in what amounts to an indictment to both the government and the private sector players, little seems to have been done to create awareness about the cables even as they land at the country’s coast. “Satellite-based internet connection is unreliable and expensive, but many Kenyans do not know it yet as they have not had a chance to experience anything better,” says Jackline Mwai, the regional sales manager of Seacom. The fiber optic cable is made of pure glass drawn into a very thin strand, with a thickness comparable to that of a human hair but can transmit digitalised data through light pulses in milliseconds and in very high capacity, allowing more information to be transmitted. One such strand of optical fibre is capable of transmitting 25,000 gigabytes per second of information, which is about three million books per a second. Unlike the satellite based connection, which is transmitted through out of space stations and are subject to interruptions and data loss, the undersea fibre optic cables’ glass strand is coated in two layers of plastic avoiding any data loss during transmission.  The fibre technology, according to information from Nairobi Stock Exchange-listed ICT firm, AccessKenya, will also allow for secure flow of information as they are more immune to electromagnetic inference, making it harder to tap into. The cables are also not susceptible to weather conditions unlike the satellite based connections, where communication can be affected by dense cloud cover or heavy rainfall. - Daily Nation

A New York man has been arrested for impersonating his dead mother in order to claim $115,000 (£70,500) in social security benefits and rent subsidies. Thomas Prusik-Parkin, 49, is accused by prosecutors of regularly dressing up in a wig, dress and make-up in order to fool the authorities. The alleged scam has been going on ever since Mr Prusik-Parkin's mother, Irene Prusik, died in 2003 at the age of 73. He faces charges of grand larceny (theft), forgery and conspiracy. "I held my mother when she was dying and breathed in her last breath, so I am my mother," Mr Prusik-Parkin said when he was arrested, according to police. Using a walking stick, heavy make-up and fake ID, and accompanied by a man posing as Mrs Prusik's nephew, Mr Prusik-Parkin would, according to prosecutors, collect benefit checks, visit banks and even appear in court. When Mrs Prusik died, Mr Prusik-Parkin is accused of giving her funeral director a false social security number and date of birth so that her death would not show up in government records. He is then alleged to have started claiming $700 a month in social security benefits in her name on top of his own disability benefits. Mr Prusik-Parkin has also been accused of filing for bankruptcy in his mother's name, and then collecting $39,000 in rent subsidies from the city government. Another man, Mhilton Rimolo, 47, is accused of pretending to be Mrs Prusik's nephew, and was accompanying Mr Prusik-Parkin on 29 April when - posing as Mrs Prusik - he renewed a driving licence in her name. Brooklyn police are reported to have been alerted to the alleged scam by a tip-off.

Welcome to dot.com shoes

"When was the last time I've heard from you? Well, I just want you to know that I miss you so much. How I'd wish that you would talk to me again. I love you." Sender: Jesus.
 

Amnesty for illegal migrants - UK Border Agency response

Home Office, 17 June 2009The UK Border Agency has responded to a new report published by the London School of Economics, which claims that an amnesty for illegal migrants would benefit the United Kingdom economy by £3 billion.A UK Border Agency spokesperson said:'The policy on an amnesty for illegal immigrants remains unchanged and is very clear - there will be no amnesty, those here illegally should go home.'We have a proud tradition of offering sanctuary to those who truly need our help, but to grant an amnesty would create a significant pull factor to the UK and would undermine the asylum system as a whole.'

ODM’s coup in Parliament

Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement’s bloodless coup in Parliament saw it seize control of key House committees and a majority representation in seven others. From the vantage positions on the saddle of committees that influence operations of Parliament on the basis of its delegated authority, ODM could further flex its muscle in the House on matters of national interest such as the reform agenda. ODM’s leverage in the tussle came from the fact that slots reserved for President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity were doled out to its individual affiliate parties such as Narc-Kenya, which has all but on paper splintered, and ODM-Kenya. - MORE

Drugs Tunnel Found Under US-Mexico Border

A huge drug smuggling tunnel discovered on the US-Mexico border is one of the most sophisticated the authorities have seen. Agents from America's Border Patrol found one end of the uncompleted tunnel, which snakes 45 feet into the US and 38 feet into Mexico, in Nogales, Arizona. A local resident tipped them off after he heard the noise from building work in a neighbouring building but saw no sign of construction activity. Officers entered the building and arrested two men who were digging a hole connected to the tunnel, Fox News correspondent Adam Housley said from the scene. The tunnel was about three feet high and wide with bricks and wooden boards on the sides and metal bars holding up the ceiling, he said. Border Patrol agent Michael Scioli said: "This is one of the most elaborate tunnels I've seen. "It's elegant in the sense it has electrical work wired into the Mexico side. It even has a hose for ventilation and lighting." Housley said the tunnel, which will now be filled with cement, was believed to be financed by the violent Gulf drugs cartel, one of the strongest in Mexico. Another 16 drug smuggling tunnels have been found in the Nogales area since October, the Border Patrol said. The US government has admitted the "insatiable demand" for drugs in America is partly to blame for the ongoing drugs wars in Mexico. More than 7,700 people have been killed in the violence between rival cartels and the authorities since the start of 2008

Unemployment in UK has soared to a 12-year high of more than 2.2 million

after a record number of people lost their jobs in recent months.

The jobless total increased by 232,000 in the three months to April to reach 2.26 million, the worst figure since the end of 1996. The number of people claiming jobseeker's allowance increased by 39,300 in May to 1.54 million, the highest total since the summer of 1997. The so-called claimant count has now increased for 15 months in a row. Other figures from the Office for National Statistics showed that youth unemployment has reached its worst level since 1994 after a 74,000 increase in the number of 18 to 24-year-olds out of work to 695,000. Long term unemployment, counting those out of work for more than a year, increased by 54,000 in the latest quarter to a ten-year high of 515,000. Meanwhile, the number of people in work fell by 271,000 over the three months to 29.11 million, the biggest quarterly slump since comparable records began in 1971. Public sector employment increased by 15,000 to more than six million - the highest since comparable records began in 1999 - although most of the increase was because of banking work switching from the private sector under the Government's rescue. More than 300,000 people were made redundant in the three months to April, an increase of 36,000 on the previous quarter and the highest total since records began in 1995. The number of workforce jobs was 31 million in March, down by 108,000 on the quarter, while vacancies fell by 38,000 in the quarter to April to 444,000, another record low. The number of people classed as economically inactive, including those who have given up looking for work, increased by 92,000 in the latest quarter to 7.89 million, a fifth of the working age population. Average earnings increased by 0.8 per cent in the year to April, an increase of 1.1 per cent on the last month's record low. Excluding bonuses, wages rose by 2.7 per cent, down by 0.3 per cent.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Chamlevi huliwa na mgema.

The drunkard's money is being consumed by palm-wine trapper.

Drugs Catch Of The Day: Coke-Stuffed Sharks

Mexico's navy has seized more than a ton of cocaine stuffed inside frozen sharks by smugglers. Military pressure is forcing drug gangs to go to greater lengths to conceal narcotics bound for the United States. Navy officers cut open more than 20 shark carcasses filled with slabs of cocaine after checking a container ship in a port in the southern Mexico state of Yucatan. X-ray machines and sniffer dogs had helped uncover the drugs. "We are talking about more than a ton of cocaine that was inside the ship," Navy Commander Eduardo Villa told reporters. "Those in charge of the shipment said it was a conserving agent but, after checks, we confirmed it was cocaine." Gangs have been hiding drugs in sealed beer cans, religious statues and furniture, as Mexico's military cracks down on the cartels moving South American narcotics north. President Felipe Calderon has sent 45,000 troops and federal police across Mexico to try to crush powerful smuggling organisations. But traffickers armed with a huge arsenal of grenades and automatic weapons are far from defeated, worrying Washington as violence spills over into US states, such as Arizona. Some 2,750 people have died in drug violence in Mexico this year, a pace similar to that of 2008, when 6,300 were killed. Led by Mexico's most wanted man, Joaquin 'Shorty' Guzman, smugglers from the Pacific state of Sinaloa are fighting a turf war with rivals. Guzman seeks to control Mexican and Central American smuggling routes into the US.

A campaign to encourage people to grow bee-friendly flowers in their gardens has been launched at Kew Gardens.

Around 20,000 honeybees have been released into two hives in a wildflower meadow at the world famous botanical gardens in London, marking a return after a year without the insects. Bees in Kew's hives died at the same time as many colonies across the country - with the widespread losses thought to be as a result of problems including disease and environmental pressures. Bees play a vital part in pollinating many of the crops grown in the UK, but have been hit by agricultural changes which have reduced the availability of the wildflowers that are so important in providing food for the insects. Diseases such as the varroa mite have infected hives, killing the bees, while climate change and pesticide use have also been suggested as possible factors in the insects' decline. The number of honeybees has fallen by 10 to 15 per cent in the last two years, according to the Government. But a survey of British Beekeepers' Association members suggests losses could have been as high as 30 per cent between November 2007 and March 2008. Annette Dalton, horticultural manager at Kew Gardens, said: "No English garden is complete without its bees and Kew Gardens is no exception."

"Forgiving is an affair strictly between a victim and a victimizer. Everyone else should step aside...The worst wounds I ever felt were the ones people gave to my children. Wrong my kids, you wrong me. And my hurt qualifies me to forgive you. But only for the pain you caused me when you wounded them. My children alone are qualified to forgive you for what you did to them." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

A Belgian girl is taking a tattoo artist to court after he left her with

56 stars on her face instead of the three she says she asked for.

Kimberley Vlaeminck, 18, claims she fell asleep in the tattooist's studio and awoke to find half her face covered in the black stars. She said: "I closed my eyes and didn't feel any pain. I fell asleep and was woken up from the pain on my nose, when he was busy applying a big star. And so I woke up with 56 stars." Miss Vlaeminck is pressing charges of assault and battery against tattoo artist Rouslan Tounamiantza, allegations he strongly denies. He claims the teenager asked for the facefull of stars and only changed her mind after her dad saw them. Tounamiantza said: "The father came just when we had just done the outlining and from that moment it was bad for her. But before she was just doing what she wanted to do." Miss Vlaeminck is devastated and says she has lost the will to try and make herself look beautiful. She said: "Before I used to do my make-up myself in front of the mirror, but now I don't put on make-up at all any more.I just use the mirror now to put on some ointment, that's all. I don't dare to look at myself any more."

Police in Kenya have launched an investigation into eight cases of alleged sexual abuse

Police have launched an investigation into eight cases of alleged sexual abuse of children after arresting a suspect with photos of the naked children and searching his house, police sources said on Tuesday. The investigation moved into high gear after parents of some of the children recorded complaints with police after seeing photographs of their naked children on an NTV report on Monday night. The police investigation comes as one of the best known priests in Kenya, Father Renato Kizito, defended himself against allegations of sodomising children in his care. Fr Kizito, a jouranalist and missionary said: “I have not sodomised any child. I am ready to face anybody who can prove the opposite.” He said the allegations were part of a plot to take the property of over his mission, which he said is worth Sh3 billion. Reports of abuse of children poured in as the Day of the African Child was marked. In Mukuru Kaiyaba, police raided a one-room iron sheet house after questioning a 30-year-old African man whom they picked up June 12 at a photo studio on Gaberone Road when he went to collect photos of naked children he had taken for processing. Police sources said among items found at the house was a diary in which the date and time of sexual acts with children had been noted down. The ages of the children were also recorded. The first entry was on an unspecified date in 2000; the last recorded act took place on June 10, just a week ago. Also recorded in the hardcover diary was a list of the names of 71 women believed to be prostitutes. Detectives also found pornographic DVDs and glossy magazines with photographs of naked women as well as photographs of the naked suspect and naked children. The sources, who cannot be named because they are not authorised to comment on ongoing investigations, said the suspect told them during questioning that taking pornographic photographs was his hobby. - Daily Nation.

War criminals in the United Kingdom - UK Border Agency response

Home Office, 17 June 2009The UK Border Agency has responded to a new report on suspected war criminals in the United Kingdom, published by the Aegis Trust.The report claims that, under United Kingdom law, people who are 'resident' in the United Kingdom can be prosecuted but those who are 'present' here cannot. This means, it says, that suspected war criminals in the United Kingdom cannot be prosecuted if they have been refused asylum, do not have residence and cannot be returned to their country of origin because they will be tortured or killed.A UK Border Agency spokesperson said:'We are determined to ensure that the UK does not become a safe haven for war criminals or those who have committed crimes against humanity or genocide. Any suggestion that someone applying to enter or remain in the UK has been involved in war crimes is taken extremely seriously and is referred to specialist caseworkers.'We do not give refugee status to war criminals, and our aim is to remove such people as quickly as possible.'We are introducing "special immigration status" which will allow us to deny leave to remain to people who are excluded from international protection and other serious criminals who the courts have determined cannot be removed from the UK. They will be denied the right to work, and denied access to social housing and the mainstream benefits system.'The UK Border Agency has a war crimes unit, and since 2007 every asylum claimant has been screened for suspected war crimes.

The US government has announced a major reform of banking regulation to prevent future financial crises. The overhaul will require big banks to put more money aside against future losses to curb excessive risk taking. Consumers will get a special agency to protect their interests and regulate mortgages and credit cards. In outlining the reforms, President Barack Obama described them as the biggest shake-up of the US system of financial regulation since the 1930s. The US central bank, the Federal Reserve, will be given the authority to monitor major financial institutions. The US President said the lack of oversight among finance firms prompted systemic abuse causing risks for both companies and individuals. "We are working hard to build a new foundation for sustained economic growth. This will not be easy" he said. "We know that this recession is not a result of one failure but of many. And many of the toughest challenges we face are the product of a cascade of mistakes and missed opportunities which took place over a course of decades."

Nairobi, Wednesday 17th June, 2009. One person has died after succumbing to serious burns sustained on Tuesday night when a fuel tanker exploded in Kaitui, on Kericho-Muhoroni road.  The Kenya Red Cross in a statement said 47 people who were burnt as they siphoned fuel from the tanker are undergoing treatment at the Kericho District Hospital, and some at Siloam Hospital where they are admitted.  KRCS Communication Manager Titus Mung'ou said the victims include three women and three children all aged 13 years. He assed that doctors from Kenyatta National Hospital's Burns Unit are expected at Kericho District Hospital to assess the condition of 8 patients who sustained critical burns, before recommending those to be referred to KNH for further treatment.  Witnesses said the driver of the tanker traveling towards Kisumu from Kericho lost control and plunged into a valley before area residents rushed to scoop fuel. The huge crowd that had gathered around the tanker to scoop fuel was engulfed in the flames after the tanker exploded. The Kenya Red Cross personnel have been on the ground assisting in rescue and recovery activities. ''At the moment, KRCS staff and volunteers are assisting the local leaders in combing villages and during the headcount undertaken to ascertain if any person is missing after the incident." said Mung'ou. The incident comes barely four months after the Sachang'wan fuel tanker tragedy in which more than 130 people died. - VIDEO More than 100 Romanian people who were forced to flee their homes in south Belfast have been moved to a leisure centre in the city.  The group of about 20 families spent Tuesday night in a church hall after a spate of racist attacks on their homes over the past week.  Belfast City Council, the police and social services are due to meet later.  Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness said it was a "totally shameful episode" in the city.  "We need a collective effort to face down this criminals in society who are quite clearly intent on preying on vulnerable women and children," he said.  Most of the Romanian families, including one with a five-day-old girl, have been taken to the Ozone Leisure Centre in south Belfast, where they will spend the rest of the day.  They said they did not want to return to their Belfast homes.  Lord Mayor Naomi Long said she did not want to see families "driven from Belfast".  "They have a right to be in Belfast. They are part of the fabric of this city. I want to see them treated with the respect and dignity that I would demand for any other citizen," she said. - MORE

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London, Tuesday 16th June, 2009. An amnesty for an estimated 618,000 ­illegal immigrants in Britain would provide a £3bn boost to the economy, ­according to a London School of Economics study commissioned by the London mayor, Boris Johnson. The study, published last night by the London assembly, dismisses fears that an amnesty would trigger ­further large-scale illegal migration, arguing that ­Britain's border controls would be an effective deterrent. "So, far from a financial burden, as some suggest, this new research has found an amnesty could be worth up to £3bn a year to the country's economy," the study said. Johnson welcomed the report, saying it had introduced some hard evidence and academic rigour into a debate dominated for too long by myth and anecdote. The research estimated there are 618,000 illegal migrants in Britain, with more than two-thirds, 442,000, in ­London. But if their position was ­regularised, £846m a year would be raised in taxes. The short-term public sector costs of giving them indefinite leave to remain in Britain at about £410m a year, according to the study, rising to a possible £1bn a year in the long term if they received welfare benefits and public sector housing. The study found that about two-thirds of those living in Britain as illegal migrants would be eligible for an amnesty which granted legal status to those who have been resident for at least five years as part of a regularisation programme. The detailed estimates suggest that regularisation could raise an individual's earnings by 25% and employment rates by 6%, and imply an additional £3bn a year boost to national gross domestic product.Johnson first called for an amnesty for long-term migrants last April. It provoked accusations of naivety from Phil Woolas, the immigration minister, and claims that it would lead to more people-trafficking. The study says amnesties and regularisation programmes have been common in many countries in recent years, including the US, France, Spain, Italy and Greece. The LSE research came as a Commons public accounts committee report showed it would be at least another four years before the UK Border Agency reached its "optimum capacity" to remove failed ­asylum seekers. Only 12,000 were removed last year. The MPs' report said Home Office staff on asylum cases are still using fax machines, paper files and handwritten interview notes and will not have a better IT system until 2013. It will also take four years to expand the availability of detention spaces to the 4,000 needed to step up the pace of removals. The Home Office told the MPs that it was on track to finish working through the backlog of 400,000 to 450,000 cases, some of which date back years. The backlog will finally be cleared by 2011. Edward Leigh, chairman of the public accounts committee, said: "The process of coming to decisions on whether to grant asylum is still too slow."

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Evangelist Wairimu's daughter weds in the US

Evangelist Teresa Wairimu's daughter tied a knot last month. Catherine Wambui who is one of the partners of Faith Evangelistic Ministries in US married Mr. Felix James Mwangi in a colourful wedding in Dallas, Texas on Sunday 31st May, 2009. The wedding was well attended by preachers from all walks of life. On left Catherine walking hand in hand with her man Mwangi, while on the right photo from left is Pastor Nelson, Pastor Kiuna and Mrs. Kiuna among other guests. The wedding was officiated by Pastor Denny Davis and Pastor Wanda Davis - Pastor of St John Baptist Church.

What Cathy had to say:
I was born and raised in Nairobi. I graduated from Rosslyn Academy in 1995. Later that year I attended college in Nyack College, Nyack, NY. Then went to Glendale college in Glendale, CA. I now work as the administrator for Teresia Wairimu Evangelistic Ministry (TWEM), in Dallas, TX.

What Felix had to say:

I was born and raised in Nairobi. Incidentally we were both born at the Aga Khan hospital. I finished high school at Nairobi School 1995. After school I went on several tours for Youth for Christ as a Keyboard player, then as a music director. I attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA majoring in, music productions and engineering. I am currently the owner of 12th Note Productions which provides recording, producing, live sound and other music related services. I also serve as a music minister at my church Twelfth Baptist Church.

Guests arrived to see three colours - blue, purple and gold. Why? 

Blue is the priestly color, Blue is also associated with the commandments of God, the importance of remembering them and also the heavenly calling of those who had been chosen by God to be His people (Numbers 15:38-40).Purple: The colour purple is associated with royalty and status for example: "So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad." Esther 8:15 Gold: The colour Gold in scripture is translated from the Hebrew word 'zahab' meaning gold as a precious metal or of brilliance and splendour. The Greek word used in the New Testament is 'chruseos' meaning something golden, made of gold or overlaid with gold. A related word is 'chrusion' meaning gold or that which has been smelted and wrought such as coins or ornaments made of gold.

What are their future plan

An American aviator by the name Charles Lindbergh said that "Life is a culmination of the past, an awareness of the present, an indication of a future beyond knowledge, the quality that gives a touch of divinity to matter"Felix's Father is and has been a Rev. Canon and pastored the St Francis Archdeaconry, St Stevens, St Marks and many more. He has served the Anglican Church of Kenya for more then 40 years. Cathy's Mum has served in the ministry for over 25years.  She has lead hundreds of thousands to Christ through her ministry Faith Evangelistic Ministry. We come from a rich heritage of pioneers and shakers. We were fashioned by our upbringing and destined for greatness. It is by God's design that He put both of us together.  Felix being a music producer, and a music director and Cathy being a prophetic teacher of God's word and a worshiper.  We will put our talents and abilities together to better serve God, the community around us, and the world.  As we join together to begin a new family our hearts desire is to serve the Lord.  We believe that God has anointed us for this generation.  We will take the message of this Gospel to the nations. Our generation is not a lost people.  We know that the message never changes but the mode of delivery evolves with each generation. We are a new priesthood. Pray for us as we start a new life, a new family, in a new city, with a renewed vision in ministry and a common purpose to touch the nations, for it is our inheritance!  
God Bless
Cathy&Felix

Praise God Friends and Family!We want to take this opportunity to appreciate all those who supported us in this wedding.  Many of you were there on the wedding day and many of you that could not make it took time to pray for us.  God was faithful to answer every prayer lifted on our behalf on that day.  We have no words to thank you but we pray that the same seed you sowed that you would reap the rewards a thousand fold.
God Richly Bless you
Cathy & Fj 

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A NEW DAWN FOR KENYA

Is it possible for young people to be united towards a common agenda for Kenya? Have you thought about being part of the people working towards eminent change of Kenya? We are seeking for views from Kenyans from all walks of life around the world that have a passion and vision towards Kenya. Please send us an email at newkenya@live.com

When prayers are needed fast

A horse does an amazing headstand during a fall — leaving its jockey needing hospital treatment.  Incredibly, Nagor de la Roche was unscathed after this spectacular spill at a water jump. But rider Faith Cook, of Oxfordshire, broke bones in her neck and back at the Bramham International trials in North Yorkshire. Happily, she is expected to fully recover — but her horse brought new meaning to the betting term “on the nose”.  Maybe it should run in the head-STAND NATIONAL.

MPs warn over failed asylum seekers

London, Tuesday 16th June, 2009. Prioritising the deportation of foreign national prisoners is leading to a reduction in the number of failed asylum seekers being removed from the UK, MPs have warned. They said by putting more emphasis on removing convicted criminals, the Home Office has reduced the detention space available to house those whose applications for asylum have failed. While a new programme for managing applications had brought improvements, the process had "some way to go" in its aim to reach an initial decision in 80% of cases within two months and concluding cases within six months. The Commons Public Accounts Committee said it is important to ensure enough detention spaces are available for failed asylum seekers so they can be "removed from the UK expeditiously once their case is decided". But there will not be the 4,000 spaces the Home Office says it needs until at least 2013. In its latest report, the committee calls on the department to review all the cases of foreign national prisoners at the beginning of their sentences so they can be immediately be deported once they are released. Tory chairman of the committee Edward Leigh said: "Giving priority to the removal of foreign national prisoners has reduced the amount of detention space available for failed asylum applicants. The result is that few failed asylum applicants are yet being removed from the UK under the new asylum model. "The Home Office is certainly finding it difficult to achieve the tipping point, where more failed applicants are removed than there are unfounded applications. "In order to free up detention spaces, the Home Office must review all foreign national prisoner cases at the start of their sentences, to prepare for the immediate removal of those recommended for deportation on their release from custody. "The enforced removal of a failed asylum applicant is also often made very difficult by obstacles outside the Home Office's control. The department needs to work with the courts, foreign governments and other bodies to make the process of enforced removal more tractable." Mr Leigh said the new programme for managing applications, called the new asylum model, had brought a "lot of improvements to the management of new cases". But the process of reaching decisions on whether to grant asylum is still too slow, he warned.

Speech by the chairlady of Kenya Nurses in the UK Mrs. Nelly Munga during the Madaraka Celebrations Day in London by the Nurses on 6th June, 2009 which Mrs. Cecilia Muchemi wife of the Kenya High Commissioner in the UK was a guest.

CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDEO THE KENYA MADARAKA DAY CELEBRATIONS - 6TH JUNE 2009
The Kenya High Commissioner to the UK
His Excellency, Joseph Muchemi,
Madam Cecilia Muchemi,
Rev Peter Wangaruro,
Lawyer Douglas Wamburu,
Distinguished guests,
Colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I take great pleasure to welcome you all to the Kenya Madaraka Day Commemoration event that marks 46 years since the nation of Kenya achieved self-internal Government from the British rule, which colonized Kenya from 1888 to 1963. As most of you are aware, this event was celebrated with colour and pomp in Kenya on the 1st June, which was last Monday, however, in our case, we had to postpone the event to this Saturday to give as many people a chance to attend. Happy belated Madaraka Day to you all.We appreciate that you found time to observe this day of great importance to the nation and the people of Kenya. Looking back into the 46 years of independence, we have so much to thank God for because, the far we have come, He has brought us. We witnessed a period of great growth and development, peace and stability in the past 46 years and we thank Him for protecting, preserving and sustaining our nation even through the very traumatic time that followed the violence that erupted following the last general elections.As we gather together today, let us remember to continue praying for God to heal our land, according to His promises, pray for those living in destitution, in particular, the IDPs, let us remember those affected by the increasing poverty following the global economic crisis, those affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic, and many others facing challenges in their lives back home in Kenya and even in this country. Let us continue to pray for divine intervention and God’s wisdom for the proper functioning of the Grand-Coalition, and for His blessings upon our nation as a whole. I’m convinced that the God who began a good work in our nation will come to accomplish, but we must pray.
Your Excellency, we are so pleased to have you and your wife blessing our occasion once again today. We do want to confirm that we have continued to access good support and help whenever we have approached the Mission and thank you very much for sorting out all the issues we raised with you personally during our first Madaraka Day Event.
Kenyan Nurses’ Association in the UK continues to grow in strength and numbers and we are ever so pleased to be your host for today’s occasion. For those new to the event, Kenya Nurses’ Association is a group of Kenyan Nurses practising in the UK, our aim is to enhance high professional standards of nursing in our practise and also provide social support to each other in times of need, as well as facilitating social interaction with a Kenyan cultural touch, such as the kind of event we are celebrating today. We also have a long-term goal of improving the nursing standards in our motherland.Your Excellency, allow me now to briefly address my nurse colleagues because this a great chance to meet those who are not yet members of our Association. I wish to encourage all my nurse colleagues who are not yet members to register with our Association so that we may grow and develop together. This is the most effective way of realising our dream of improving the nursing standards, not only in Kenya but in Africa as a whole. I know you ask how? Remember the enormous opportunities at our disposal, given the fact that we are able to work anywhere in the globe, the training opportunities in highly specialized nursing and medical fields, much subsidized fees if you have your resident status (pay as a home student) etc. Imagine the kind of force we would be if we each took up training in specilized areas and then transfer knowledge and skills to Africa? My dear colleagues, know that with God on our side, we have power beyond measure, but we have to focus and dream new dreams. Nurses have often expressed limitations especially regarding undertaking further studies such as: they find it hard to have to retrain in specialized areas because their skills in these very areas were not transferable; priority being making the best in earning the Sterling Pound; family cares and burdens; difficult working circumstances. I guess too alot of it has to do with some fatalistic attitudes. Whatever the case, I challenge you today to overcome your circumstances and grab the opportunities while they are still available. God gave you the opportunity to come to the UK not only for your own sake or your family but He also expects you to engage in reaching out in your mission field.I cannot emphasise enough the need for nurses in the diaspora to take up personal responsibility in leading in transforming health care in mother land. Start from where you are! Have some development goals that reflect self improvement in the area of capacity building and aim at working smarter and not harder.
The Kenya Nurses Association has put a corporate development programme place, again I wish to request you to join this venture so that we can put our resources together for the greater good of all the eligible members.
To my fellow Kenyans, I want to thank you for the great work you are all doing evidenced in personal development and also documented by our Government. It is well in record that Kenyans in the Diaspora remit about Ksh 50 billion per year that goes to family support and other investments. This is amazing and shows clearly the great love, value and commitment towards family and your nation.Your hard work has not gone unnoticed, quoting from an article by a  lecturer in one of the UK Universities and cited in the misterseed.com website, ‘the more than 150,000 Kenyans living in the UK have been clasified as one of the most economically active, productive and successful of all the immigrant communities to the UK’. Hongera Wakenya!
 
Your Excellency, we are aware that our Government does recognize this great contribution by the Diaspora community in the nation’s socio-economic development however, we would like to see the Government's goodwill and committment by passing a legislation to legalise the dual citizenship. Please take our message once more  to our Kenyan Government.
As I wind up my speech this evening, I wish to thank our Guests of Honour, HE Joseph Muchemi and Madam Cecilia Muchemi; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen for making this event a day to remember. My gratitude also goes to the entire Kenya Nurses’ Association for facilitating the event, and to the Entertainment Committee for organising such a great event. Finally, I wish to recognize the dedicated service and hard work rendered by the outgoing Secretary to the Executive committee, Mrs Veronica Mbogoro, who has served the Association since the inception in 2004, and subsequently, introduces you to the new Secretary to the Executive Committee, Mrs Jane Kimani. 
God bless you and all the very best of the remaining part of the celebrations.Yours in Service
Nelly Munga
Chairperson
Kenya Nurses’ Association in the UK.

Tesco defies recession with fastest sales growth in years

London, Tuesday 16th June, 2009. Tesco's UK sales are growing at the fastest pace for two years as the supermarket behemoth shrugs off the recession. The company now looks ready to move back ahead of rivals after a period when it seemed to be falling behind Asda and others. Today it said that sales in the last three months rose 4.3%, up from 3.7% in the previous quarter. That is still well behind the 7% that J Sainsbury is expected to unveil tomorrow but analysts say the gap is closing rapidly. Clive Black at Shore Capital said: “It's an encouraging statement. Tesco is a growth company.” The shares rose 8.5p to 364.6p. The chain also reported that sales of its high-quality food range, Finest, are growing again, suggesting that the recession is truly over. Finance director Laurie McIlwee was reluctant to call an end of the downturn, however. “I think it is too early to call any signs of recovery. The upper market brands such as Finest are starting to do well but there's still downtrading happening in our business,” he said. “We are still planning on a tough year.” Tesco claims it has been discounting heavily — perhaps to counter the threat from Aldi and Lidl — a strategy which has hit sales performance in the short term but which should ensure customer loyalty over a longer period. Across the whole group, sales were up 12.6% — a number “that other companies would die for”, according to Tesco's executive director of corporate and legal affairs Lucy Neville-Rolfe. Sales at the Asian business leaped 44%, and at the embyronic US arm rose 174%. In April Tesco unveiled annual profits of £3 billion. But trading losses at the US business — Fresh & Easy — soared to £142 million from £62 million a year earlier.

Pound rises to year high as inflation refuses to budge

Inflation is falling at a slower rate than anticipated, prompting fears that interest rates might start rising sooner rather than later. News that inflation remained at a stubbornly high 2.2% last month - against 2.3% in April - sent the pound to a year high, up more than a cent against the dollar to $1.645. Foreign exchange dealers said the rise in sterling came on the back of an expectation that UK interest rates might start rising from their current record lows of 0.5%. The consumer price index still being up year-on year was said to be the fault of the Chancellor's Budget duty hikes on alcohol and tobacco in April and the re-emergence of £1 a litre at the petrol pump after a doubling of oil prices over the last six months. Economists are expecting CPI to fall maybe to below the Bank of England's target of 2%. Howard Archer of Global Insight said: "Even if the current improvement in economic activity is sustained, growth will not be strong enough for some considerable time to lift underlying inflationary pressures." James Knightley at ING said: "We remain fairly relaxed about the perceived threat of a rise in inflation given the lack of credit in the economy. We suggest that consumer spending will remain subdued for a prolonged period and inflation will soon break below 2% and stay there until late 2011."

Seed Capital Investment Ltd.

Seed Capital Investment Ltd. has developed a website www.seedcapitalinvestment.com which for the first time will make it possible for you to search and identify credible investment opportunities from all sectors across Kenya; including new business ideas from young entrepreneurs and business on Sale or on offer. Thousands of Kenyans abroad are looking for business opportunities and ideas to invest in or buy as part of their retirement or relocation plans or as an Investment. We all know the challenges we go through as we try to invest in Kenya not to mention the associated costs with some people having lost large sums of money in the process. Some people for a very long time have sent money that went towards non income generating projects. The issue of unemployment in Kenya can not only be left to the Government. Many of us will agree that our first jobs abroad and to many their current jobs are in small privately owned businesses or companies; something we need to initiate in Kenya. Thousands of Kenyans some of whom are graduates have viable business ideas that only require minimal funding for them to be established. Our website will make it possible for you to take advantage of these ideas and be part of those pushing towards reducing the number of unemployed Kenyans. The people you will see on Seed Capital Investment site are real individuals in need of funding or selling their businesses and not marketing materials. Our company has set its self to market these entrepreneurs and businesses to Kenyan and foreign investors worldwide. This funding will go a long way to helping a real person make great strides towards economic independence and improve life for themselves, their family, and their community.  

We believe that our website www.seedcapitalinvestment.com is currently the only website that has been developed taking into account our experiences abroad to make it possible for you to locate and invest in Kenya in a more comfortable and secure way. We have put vetting systems in place to make sure that the information presented is credible and we verify ALL investment proposals to confirm their credibility and minimize abuse of the website by people with negative motives. We have also taken time to create a section where you can get legal advice before making payment for any investment, something that most people take lightly and yet very crucial. 

As you go through our website www.seedcapitalinvestment.com we would appreciate your feedback and comments on:* What we should improve on to make the website more effective

* What we should add or remove in the website

* Any other suggestion that will make the use of the website more user friendly and comfortable to all.

Please send your feedback through: email at admin@seedcapitalinvestment.com or you can use our website contact form at www.seedcapitalinvestment.com or Tel: +447926922386We also welcome any groups or individuals who would like to partner with us.Thank YouMr. Joash Wena

Seed Capital Investment

Safaricom fired another shot in the race to reap fully from value added services, when it signed an agreement yesterday to stream live television to its subscribers. The agreement with Nokia, and pay television firm Digital Mobile TV (an arm of DStv), will see the mobile phone services provider beam DStv channels to subscribers with high-value Nokia handsets, configured to receive such broadcasts.As the market opens up, and with the launch of the Teams and Seacom fibre-optic links later this month, the mobile phone market is set to experience a significant increase in new services. While Safaricom’s latest offering is already available to subscribers with N97, N77 Nokia phones, others with the N79, N85, N86, N97, E75 and Nokia 5800 Xpress must buy a Nokia mobile TV receiver to access it. The N97 and N77 are what are called Digital Video Broadcasting –Handhelds (DVB-H), phones enabled to receive digital broadcasts. "The service will enable us deliver personalised TV to people on the go," said Mr Peter Arina, chief commercial officer Safaricom. The service is currently available in Nairobi and Mombasa, but will soon be rolled out to major towns across the country. The three partners are banking on the football craze and huge fan base in the country, for a quick uptake of the service, with promotional materials centered on the ongoing Confederations Cup, and next year’s World Cup. Subscribers will pay Sh1,000 every month for the mobile TV service  "We are looking at offering different packages, depending on individual preferences. We also want to capture the mass market so pricing is unlikely to go over Sh1,000 a month," said DMTV General Manager Felix Kyengo. Safaricom customers subscribing to the service now will, however, get the content free until April next year. The lowest priced handset through which one can get the service goes for about Sh23,000 but Nokia Head of Marketing East and Southern Africa Regina Karani said the company is expecting DBV-H enabled phones retailing at between Sh10,000 and 15,000 in the Kenyan market by the first quarter of next year. "This will enable more people access the service. In addition, as technology evolves, there will cheaper handsets with the function coming into the market," she said. - The Standard.

Former Deputy High Commissioner in the UK Mr. Abel Kenyoru is back in the UK. This time not as a diplomat but as "Mkenya mwema". He arrived in the UK last week to pick up his family after he was forced into retirement. He was deported from the UK in January this year after the Kenya government withdrew his diplomatic passport while on air from Nairobi. He arrived at Heathrow airport to find his diplomatic passport withdrawn. He contested in court in Nairobi but judge ruled against him explaining that he has no power to force the government to reinstate his passport. All the same the judge explained that he should be allowed to pick up his family in the UK. His family has been in the UK and his children are in school. What next for Mr. Kinyoru?

Facebook Swahili version launched

The social-networking website Facebook has launched in Swahili, targeting more than 110m speakers of the language. A group of Swahili scholars launched the new version with the permission of the California-based internet firm. Facebook use has spread over the past five years in East and Central Africa, where most Swahili-speakers live. Analysts say a Hausa version could be launched next in West Africa and Zulu for southern Africa. Facebook already exists in Afrikaans. Symon Wanda, one of the project's initiators, said they wanted to launch a Swahili version to safeguard the future of the language. "The youth, the future generation, if you look at the biggest percentage of users on Facebook, they are the youth," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme. "They can easily navigate through when it's maybe a language they understand, which makes it easier to use the Swahili than to use the English." The BBC's Ruth Nesoba, in Nairobi, says the Swahili site has already been on trial for some time and word has spread quickly. Facebook's Simon Wanda says they have been monitoring the take-up and says more than 60% of Facebook users in East Africa are already using the Swahili version. The bulk of Swahili-speakers live in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, parts of the Horn of Africa, Malawi, Mozambique and the Indian Ocean islands. Facebook already exists in some 50 language versions.

Competitors put their best toe forward for the World Toe Wrestling Championships.  Last year's winner, the Toeminator, lost his title to Alan 'Nasty Nash', a six-time champion of the charity event held in Ashbourne in Derbyshire.

"Observe and hear all these words which I command thee, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee for ever, when thou doest that which is good and right in the sight of the Lord thy God." - Deuteronomy 12:28

Serpent Spy: Israel's New Robotic SnakeSerpent Spy: Israel's New Robotic Snake

The Israeli military has reportedly designed a robotic snake which can spy on enemies and plant bombs. The remote-controlled reptile is able to sneak through cracks in buildings to gather information on enemy combatants, according to Israel's Channel 2 TV. It can even stretch its neck up vertically to peek over obstacles in its way. Researchers studied the movements of snakes to ensure that the robotic equivalent mimics them correctly. A soldier controls the snake from a remote laptop and can follow what it sees via video cameras. Footage posted online shows the six-foot long snake in camouflage gear, winding its way through rocks and tree stumps. The video is getting thousands of hits on YouTube after a user called "Korozzz" posted it. The Israel Defence Forces plan to equip combat units with the models, which could also be used to find survivors trapped in collapsed buildings. The TV report said the snake is in the experimental stage and the cost of producing multiple versions is as yet unknown. Researchers at Israel's Ben-Gurion University inspired the design after undertaking a robotic animals project. The university not only developed a robotic snake but also a cat and a "dog-droid" - which can respond to human movements.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1913 - Rika rĩa Kĩhiũ Mwĩrĩ

Prince appeals over Kenya brawl

Princess Caroline of Monaco's husband has launched an appeal against his conviction for assaulting a hotel-owner in Kenya in a drunken rage. Prince Ernst August of Hanover was found guilty in 2004 of causing serious bodily harm and fined. The court ruled he had repeatedly hit Josef Brunlehner on Lamu Island with a metal object in January 2000 after becoming angry at noise from a disco. Kenyan authorities did not arrest him, but the case was pursued in Germany. The 55-year-old - a distant relative of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and great-grandson of the last German emperor, Wilhelm II, was fined 445,000 euros ($620,000; £380,000) when convicted five years ago. During the trial, hotel-owner Mr Brunlehner, like the prince, a German national, testified that the royal shouted abuse and struck him several times with a metal ring, causing multiple injuries that required emergency-room treatment. The prince's lawyer at the time told the court his client regretted the incident, but was not fully accountable because he had been drinking and was a person "who flares up under the influence of alcohol and loses control of his actions". Ernst August, who maintains he only slapped Mr Brunlehner twice, appeared at the district court in the German city of Hildesheim on Monday to challenge the conviction. The prince and his wife had been in the Indian Ocean coastal resort for the millennium celebrations, and left Kenya immediately after the incident. It was not the first time Ernst August had courted controversy. In 1998 he was fined after breaking the nose of a TV cameraman. And in 2000, he was photographed urinating outside the Turkish pavilion at the World's Fair in Hanover.

Longest pants record is broken

Long legs: A 60m-long pair of trousers is displayed to break the longest pants record in Almoloya del Rio, Mexico.

Cabinet minister Charity Ngilu was Monday 15th June, 2009 blocked from entering Kitui town hall when she accompanied protesting small-scale traders whose wares had been confiscated by council askaris during an operation. Ngilu and the protesting hawkers and grocers camped at the town hall gate for two and half hours as the council officials declined to open the gate fearing an invasion by the irate traders. However the traders managed to cut the chain used to lock the gate enabling the minister to gain entrance. Councillors Billy Mwendwa, Elvis Muluvi and Ngungu Ngava were also blocked from entering the town hall and had to jump over the perimeter wall to gain entry. Trouble started after the council askaris impounded the hawkers goods in a bid to streamline business operations within the town. Ngilu said the civic body should build more stalls for petty traders instead of forcing them out of business in the face of harsh economic times. "The civic body should not use force in its enforcement of duties but should build more stalls to promote smooth trading within the town," she said. Council chief officers allowed the traders whose goods had been confiscated to take them after the intervention by the minister. Kitui mayor Patrick Makasi told the press that the civic body had decided to crackdown on arbitrary trading within the CBD.  Meanwhile the Kisumu Municipal Council has sent the town clerk Benjamin Orwa on compulsory leave following protests by angry youths over his handling of the Kazi kwa Vijana programme.  During a hurriedly convened special full council meeting chaired by the Mayor Sam Okello, the meeting resolved to replace Orwa with his deputy Henry Momanyi  The move followed Monday morning's protest in which the former clerk was accused of frustrating the start of the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme under which the government has released about 60 million shillings for employment of 2 650 youths. The youths, who were led by local civic leaders stormed the DC's office but were later referred to the council offices where their grievances were to be addressed. They claimed the clerk was a stumbling block to the implementation of the project in the town since he had declined to sign the cheque for the release of the funds. The protesters who had earlier brought down the perimeter wall of the town hall threatened to storm the offices and evict the town clerk.

Spread of Mungiki

The story of the virtual take over of rural communities in central Kenya by the Mungiki is one of injustice, resistance and the vilest atrocities. In a journey of a week, the Nation followed the route of expansion of the sect and heard stories of unmentionable horror, of atrocities committed by the criminal sect and those who have risen against it. In Maragua, Mukurweini, Othaya, Mathira and other places, Mungiki has grown in the last 10 years in leaps and bounds, taking over communities and subjecting them to the worst economic and the most inhuman violation. - MORE

Citi's Levkovich: Not in new bull market

NEW YORK (Reuters) - While stocks have recovered from March lows, the market has not entered a new long-term bull market, Tobias Levkovich, chief U.S. equity strategist for Citigroup, said on Monday. Absent some new and unforeseen shock, the market should not revisit the March lows, Levkovich said at the Reuters Investment Outlook Summit in New York. "We don't believe we're in a new secular bull market," Levkovich said. "Do I think we're seeing the March 9 lows again? Not without exogenous variables at this point. Can we have a pullback in markets? Of course." He sees the benchmark S&P 500 index hitting 1,000 by year end. That would be an 8.7 percent increase from the 920 level the index traded at on Monday. On Monday, stocks tumbled, with each of the three major indexes falling more than 2 percent. Data showing New York factory activity shrank at a more severe rate in June than the previous month weighed on stocks, along with a slide in commodity prices. The S&P index has gained about 40 percent since the 12-year closing low of March 9, but investors are keen for more definitive signs that an economic recovery will be strong enough to sustain a rebound in corporate profits. Levkovich sees U.S. corporate earnings down in the second and third quarters, but up in the fourth quarter. He expects earnings gains of 10 percent in 2010. Data compiled by Thomson Reuters shows a 34.6 percent decline in S&P 500 earnings in the upcoming second quarter, a 21.6 percent decline in the third quarter and a 165.9 percent jump in earnings in the fourth quarter. Levkovich also expects that U.S. government stimulus and industrial activity may be the key drivers for an economic recovery, and thinks Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke "has done a decent job under the circumstances. "It's theoretical to think that someone could have done it better," he said.

A couple at an IDP transit camp in Eldoret is agonising over their three-year-old child who suffers from a rare ailment. Ndung’u Mbuthia’s parents are baffled by his condition, which has left his tongue swollen to almost five times its normal size. Every morning, Ndung’u wakes up to bloody beddings due to wounds on his tongue that ooze throughout the night. His father, John Mbuthia, 26, and mother Esther Nyambura, 24, were displaced by the post-election violence and now live at Yamumbi transitional IDP camp. "When he was born, we noticed his tongue was attached to the upper side of the mouth and he would breast feed on the lower side of the tongue," says his mother. Overwhelmed by the joy of having a bouncing baby, the couple did not know the condition would degenerate into the current problem. - The Standard.

Vivendi Universal has emerged as one of the suitors for Zain’s operations in Africa. The deal would be worth an estimated Sh936 billion ($12 billion). If Vivendi succeeds, it would mark an ironical return of the company to the Kenyan market, after selling its 60 per cent stake in KenCell — the predecessor of Zain Kenya — to Celtel in 2005, for $230 million. Celtel in turn sold the business to the Kuwait-based company, Zain, in August last year, as part of the larger Celtel Africa, which spans 12 African countries, for $3.4 billion. South Africa’s MTN is said to be another contender. Vivendi is one of the largest European entertainment companies. It has a 56 per cent stake in a French mobile network — SFR — that offers mobile services in Re-Union Islands and Morocco, and it is likely that this is the brand the African operation will don.  MTN has operations in much of the region, but Kenya has remained elusive for it. It unsuccessfully attempted to buy KenCell in 2004. Zain has grown the Kenyan operation.  It has, for instance, built the 13 per cent market share it had at the time of the takeover, to over 20 per cent currently.  However, it sill remains a distant second to Safaricom with a market share of about 70 per cent. For Sh930 billion, Zain could make a handsome profit for the company it bought for $3.4 billon.  However, Zain Kenya refused comment on the latest developments, saying they were awaiting instructions from the head office in Kuwait.  Zain Group has posted record results for the financial year ended December 31, last year, with revenues increasing by 26 per cent to reach $7.441 billion, although fourth quarter results were hit by currency fluctuations, according to an unnamed company official. Zain, which has operations in 22 countries across the Middle East and Africa, increased its customer base by 50 per cent to reach 63.5 million subscribers, while net profit increased by 6 per cent compared with 2007 to reach $1.2 billion. - The Standard.A teenager was hit by a meteorite travelling at 30,000mph - and lived to tell the tale. Gerrit Blank was on his way to school when he saw a massive fireball heading straight towards him from the sky. The white-hot meteorite bounced off the schoolboy's hand and hit the ground so hard it left a foot-long crater in the tarmac - as well as a three-inch scar on his hand. Gerrit, 14, said: "At first I just saw a large ball of light and then I suddenly felt a pain in my hand. "Then, a split second after that, there was an enormous bang like a crash of thunder." "The noise that came after the flash of light was so loud that my ears were ringing for hours afterwards. "When it hit me it knocked me flying and then was still going fast enough to bury itself in the road." Scientists are now studying the pea-sized meteorite, which crashed to Earth in Essen in Germany. Chemical tests on the rock have now proved it is from outer space. Ansgar Korte, director of Germany's Walter Hohmann Observatory, said: "It's a real meteorite, therefore it is very valuable to collectors and scientists." Chances of being struck by a meteorite are around one in 100 million. Mr Korte said: "Most meteorites don't actually make it to ground level because they evaporate in the atmosphere. "Of those that do get through, about six out of every seven of them land in water." There is only one other known case of a human being surviving a direct hit from a meteor. A grapefruit-sized meteor crashed through the roof of a house in Alabama, in the USA, in 1954. After smashing through the top of the building, it bounced off furniture and then hit a woman who was asleep at the time.

The meteorite struck Gerrit on the hand, and buried itself in the

"Whether the egg crashes on the coconut or the coconut crashes on the egg, it is the egg that suffers." - Wisdom of Africa, Nigeria

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INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BEING HUNTED (USA)

IF YOU ARE AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT AND HAVE MISSED ATTENDING CLASSES FOR A SEMISTER OR QUARTER, THEN YOU ARE AT RISK OF BEING PICKED  BY IMMIGRATION AND DEPORTED. THE COLLEGES ARE MANDATED TO REPORT IMMEDIATELY AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DOES NOT SHOW UP FOR CLASSES.WHEN SUCH STUDENTS GO TO GET THEIR F1 VISA RE-INSTATED, THEY ARE ISSUED WITH ANOTHER I-20 AND TOLD TO GO BACK TO THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN FOR THE VISA. IF YOU HAVE THIS PROBLEM, SEE AN ATTORNEY BEFORE YOU HEAR A KNOCK AT THE DOOR.  CHANGE OF ADDRESS DOES NOT HELP MUCH BECAUSE THEY CAN STILL GET YOU FROM YOUR WORKPLACE.INFORM EVERYBODY ABOUT THIS......Here are telephone numbers of lawyers you can call to confirm the above and possibly get help.
1.  Barbara Karuri  -    (Kenyan)           404-257-1777 (Atlanta)2.  Noel                  -    (Kenyan)         302-397-1235 ( New York)3.  Tiku                   -    (Cameroon)     770-272-9486 (Atlanta)

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WHAT SOME OF UK PAPERS SAY ON MONDAY 15TH JUNE, 2009

LEFT: The Metro says male unwillingness to see a doctor is making men 70% more likely to die of cancer than women. RIGHT: The Daily Express warns new research has found millions of Britons are risking cancer by eating red meat.

London, Sunday 14th June, 2009. An air cadet and an RAF reservist died when their light trainer plane and a civilian glider collided in mid-air and crashed to the ground.  Witnesses said they heard a thud before seeing both aircraft spiralling nose down towards the ground at Sutton Courtenay, Oxfordshire.  The glider pilot parachuted to the ground and survived.  The RAF personnel were in a Tutor single-engined training plane, the Ministry of Defence said.  James O'Neill, who lives nearby, said: "We heard the noise of an aircraft come very low over the house followed by a thud. "My wife who had actually seen it spiral down came running in to say that the plane had crashed and then very quickly she saw a second aircraft, which was a glider also spiralling nose down into the ground."  Stuart Wilson who was in a field outside his house nearby said he saw a plane coming down.  "There was a big impact noise when it hit the ground," he said.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1946 - Rika ria Njata - Stars

A banana and coffee plants grown in the UK

Tropical plants does not grow in UK. Many have tried to bring some plants but all in vain especially when it comes to winter. A banana plant is one of the most experimented plants which grows well in summer but disappears in winter. This time Kew Gardens in South West London has successfully grown tropical plants in their green house projects. Notably is the banana (above left) which has now reached maturity. Coffee plants (above right)  are also doing well among other tropical plants. A day out to the Kew gardens in West London with your family can give you a treat for the day. - MORE

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6

A grizzly bear chased and bit a 60-year-old jogger who had forgotten to bring the protective spray he usually carries. The bear sunk its teeth twice into the calf and thigh of Thomas Nerison's right leg, as he ran through Glacier National Park in Montana. He has now been released from hospital following surgery - but is likely to need a second operation later. Nerison was attacked from behind by two bears chasing him on Sunday morning, on Lake McDonald Valley Trail to the west of the park. He told rangers he thought the bears themselves were running from something, as they appeared agitated. After being bitten, he struggled to stumble to a nearby road, where a passer-by gave him a lift to his own car, which he then drove to hospital. He also said that he usually carries bear spray to protect against attack - but was not carrying any this time. His wife Doreen said: "The bear pierced him in his calf and his thigh. He's lucky to have had so few injuries."

Players for a nude French rugby team prepare for their match against a New Zealand side in Dunedin.  The game is held every year as a fun prelude to the country's Test season and is traditionally interrupted by a 'streaker' who is (of course) fully clothed.

"A wise judge may let mercy temper justice but may not let mercy undo it." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Family’s agony as son loses his sight overnight

Michael Kung’a, centre , stands with his mother Joan and father John. The Kung’as are appealing for help to figure out why 20-year-old Michael suddenly went blind.

“It was April 17. I woke up and saw nothing. Only darkness. I thought I had something over my face, but I was wrong. I tried to pry my eyes open by pulling on my eyelids, but I still couldn’t see,” Mr Kung’a said. He ran out of his room in panic and bumped into his father who was preparing to go to work. “I told him I couldn’t see. Then I broke down in tears in his arms,” he recalled.  John Kung’a, his father, finally breaks his silence during the interview. “We have done all we can. We have sold our farm. We can’t afford consultations any more, but as a father, I know there’s more I should do. I am even ready to donate both my eyes to him just so he has a bright future,” he said. The father was laid off over a decade ago from the Kenya Bus Services and now works on contract for various transport companies. When he is not working, he acts as his son’s eyes to and from their rented house in Nairobi’s Innercore estate, Umoja. “I depend on my family for everything. I used to get out, do small jobs around the estate and bring home some money or some food. Now I just stay here waiting,” the young Kung’a said. Everything we get goes into the next doctor’s appointment. At times, not enough money remains to buy food,” Mrs Kung’a said. “But he is ours. We will do all we can for him.” Elder sister Nancy has had to forego weeks of her college education to stay home with her brother and says she is prepared to spend more days looking after him. “I used to hold his hand while we were children. It wasn’t a job then, and it isn’t one now,” she said.

The pursuit of happiness is the chase of a lifetime

The truth about Roswell?

UFO watchers believe that in 1947 a flying saucer with aliens on board landed outside the New Mexico town of Roswell and that an elaborate cover-up by the authorities followed. The BBC's Kevin Connolly went to Roswell in pursuit of the truth about the Roswell incident. There is a lunar quality to the landscape of New Mexico which seems somehow appropriate for a state which is our portal to the heavens. It is here on a dried-up lake bed high above sea level that the radio telescopes of the US government's Very Large Array (VLA) send signals to the outer edges of our expanding universe, chasing the very moment of the Big Bang through the trackless void of time and space. And of course it is also here - perhaps - that 62 years ago a flying-saucer crashed to earth on a ranch outside the town of Roswell, killing its alien crew and prompting one of the most elaborate and protracted cover-ups in history. The power of that possibility and the darkness of the nights here so far from the light pollution of the big cities are what draw scientists and curious tourists alike to this entrancing place. And it is what motivates watchers of the skies to keep, well, watching the skies, obviously. - moreOthaya police boss Jonah Nzau was gunned down by suspected gangsters in Nyeri South district, Central Province on Friday night 12th June, 2009. According to detectives, Mr Nzau, who was in charge of the CID, was killed at around 11.30 pm soon after he was dropped home by a motorbike taxi. They said he was shot once in the stomach with an AK 47 rifle and twice in the head with his pistol. “This is a unique crime because it’s about some people who wanted to eliminate him. They knew him and knew where he lives and where to ambush him. They must have been trailing his movements,” area district commissioner Mr David Koskei said. According to Mr Koskei, the detective had earlier in the night received information from a caller, saying that there had been a crime incident at one part of the town but it later turned out to be a hoax, when the CID boss went to investigate.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta handed the Defence ministry Sh44 billion in this year’s Budget, the second highest allocation to an individual ministry after Education which received Sh133 billion. Now the decision has come under severe criticism from politicians and economists, with accusations of misplaced priorities by the minister. And the move promises to trigger a heated debate in Parliament when MPs start debate on the Budget.

Health officials have confirmed the first death in the UK from the swine flu virus. The patient had underlying health conditions and was one of ten people being treated in hospital in Scotland. A Scottish government spokesman confirmed the fatality on Sunday night, following the news that a further 61 cases of swine flu had been confirmed in England, bringing the UK total to 1,226. Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said: "I'd like to express my condolences to the patient's family and friends. This is a tragedy for those concerned and they have my heartfelt sympathy. Tragic though today's death is, I would like to emphasise that the vast majority of those who have H1N1 are suffering from relatively mild symptoms.

Starving Pokot residents cross to Uganda

Written By:Irene Wangui, Posted: Sun, Jun 14, 2009

Over 500,000 people are faced with starvation in the greater Pokot region.  According to Kapenguria MP Rev. Julius Murgor  and his Sigor counterpart Wilson Litole, prolonged drought in the region has left many families in dire need of food aid.  The food situation in the area has forced hundreds of residents to cross over to Uganda in search of food. Speaking during the commissioning of a borehole in Kacheliba, the MPs called on the government to intervene and increase relief food allocation to the area.  Sigor MP Wilson Litole said currently, only 80,000 people are receiving food aid, despite reports showing that an even larger number of Pokot residents are in need of food and water.  His Kapenguria counterpart Julius Murgor asked relief organizations working in the area to conduct a proper survey to determine the amount of food relief required to sustain those worst affected. The leaders said 13 people are said to have died in the region in the last three months due to hunger. The residents have also been feeding on poisonous wild fruits.

NAIROBI, Kenya June 14- A lobby for political parties on Sunday demanded that Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta revise his budget to factor in funding for political parties.  Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) Chairman Professor Larry Gumbe said by failing to announce the allocation in his budget speech, Mr Kenyatta ignored provisions of the Political Parties Act that provides for State funding to improve internal democracy and the status of political parties.  “The law is very clear if it says the Finance Minister must give funding to political parties he must,” Prof Gumbe said.

Budget plan wins praise from leaders

Nairobi, Sunday 14th June, 2009. A cross-section of leaders have welcomed Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s first budget but urged him to be vigilant on the use of devolved funds.

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta reads the 2009/ 10 Budget at the Parliament Building on June 11, 2009.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former President Daniel Moi and Tourism minister Najib Balala all praised proposals outlined in the budget. Mr Odinga said the estimates were “the kind we (ODM) have been fighting for all along”. The funds, Mr Odinga said, have been allocated to specific projects within the constituencies as opposed to the previous approach in which funds were brought up to the district level in bulk. Government, he said, can only absorb 250,000 people in the civil service, leaving millions of others jobless. “All these vacancies have been filled up therefore we have had to look at other ways of generating jobs,” the PM said during the burial of Archbishop Matthews Ajuoga of the Church of Christ in Africa in Kambare, Gem on Saturday. The PM urged MPs to ensure that the resources allocated to the constituencies are used fairly to uplift living standards. Mr Moi praised the proposals while cautioning MPs against abusing privileges bestowed upon them in the management of devolved funds. He asked MPs not to favour their strongholds in their constituencies. Speaking during the 30th anniversary of Moi High School, Kabarak, Mr Moi said any MP who allocated the funds impartially would struggle to gain re-election. “As a leader, you should strive to administer the millions of money being channelled by the government wisely and not reward political supporters.”

Puzzle over Sh 44 billion budget for Kenya's military

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta handed the Defence ministry Sh44 billion in this year’s Budget, the second highest allocation to an individual ministry after Education which received Sh133 billion.

MPs and economic experts query Uhuru’s huge allocation to Defence at the expense of crucial ministries such as Agriculture, Housing and Tourism

Now the decision has come under severe criticism from politicians and economists, with accusations of misplaced priorities by the minister. And the move promises to trigger a heated debate in Parliament when MPs start debate on the Budget. Financial analysts have described the massive outlay to Defence as wasteful and imprudent at a time when the country is struggling to pull out of a dual crisis inflicted by the global economic downturn and last year’s post-election violence. MORE

"Thine is the Kingdom"

The fourth Global Day of Prayer London, which was held on the Pentecost Sunday, 31 May 2009, saw Christians cover London in prayer as they met across the capital in their churches.

In the morning, churches prayed a specially written GDOP prayer for the world and the Lord’s Prayer in their Sunday services, while GDOP prayer gatherings took place in each of London’s 33 boroughs in the afternoon.

A Prayer for the World For God so loved the World…”   - John 3.16

Lord Jesus Christ,We lift our voices in unison with believers from Africa and Asia,from the Middle East and Europe, from North and South America, and fromAustralia and Pacific Islands.May people from every tribe and language become Your followers,so that Your blessing brings tranformation among all peoples.Let Your kingdom be established in every nation of the worldso that government will rule with righteousness and justice.May Your Name be great, from the rising of the sun to its setting.Amen.

                                          They all came, young and old, to pray together for peace and oneness in Jesus Christ. The young girl, Miss Comfort Ngari, left centre, praying for Africa at a one of the GDOP prayer's gatherings which took place at Elim Church, Barking, right.

Over 50 prayer celebrations took place throughout all 33 London boroughs and greater London. We joined together with Christians in 220 Countries, (every nation under the Sun!!) in lifting Jesus as Lord over the whole Earth. MORE   

London, Saturday 13th, 2009. Peter Mandelson was at the centre of a new controversy last night after it was revealed that three of Gordon Brown’s most powerful allies have been left out of a ‘Magnificent Seven’ Cabinet team set up to advise the Prime Minister. Chief Whip Nick Brown, Climate Change Minister Ed Miliband and International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander have all been omitted from a new strategy group in the latest evidence of Lord Mandelson’s increasing power. The trio are long-standing members of Mr Brown’s inner circle but have been sidelined in a Downing Street shake-up masterminded by Lord Mandelson, Deputy Prime Minister in all but name.

Power: Peter Mandelson at Cabinet last week. Right, sidelined Douglas Alexander

Supporters of the peer say the change follows Mr Brown’s pledge to Labour MPs to be ‘more inclusive’ and pay more attention to senior Ministers from all wings of the party and less to his cronies. Critics say it merely strengthens Lord Mandelson’s hold over the Prime Minister and means that there is now a two-tier Cabinet. The ‘Magnificent Seven’ Ministers in Mr Brown’s new Cabinet ‘A-team’ are Lord Mandelson, Harriet Harman, Jack Straw, Ed Balls, David Miliband, Alan Johnson and Alistair Darling. They will make all the key decisions between now and the next Election at regular Monday meetings – with other Cabinet Ministers reduced to rubber-stamping them at formal Cabinet meetings.

Down to work: Gordon Brown gathers ministers for the first Cabinet meeting since the recent reshuffle

Only one member of Mr Brown’s ‘Magnificent Seven’, Schools Secretary Mr Balls, is from the coterie who have advised him since Labour came to power. Labour MPs say Mr Balls has been defeated in a bitter power struggle with Lord Mandelson for access to Mr Brown. When the peer returned to the Cabinet he was put in charge of strategy – only to discover months later that Mr Balls was heading a secret rival group made up entirely of allies of Mr Brown. The recriminations over the attempt to topple Mr Brown flared up again yesterday after Foreign Secretary Mr Miliband said he had considered resigning along with Cabinet rebel and hard-line Blairite James Purnell last week – but was talked out of it by Lord Mandelson. Meanwhile, Lord Mandelson openly admitted Mr Brown could face another leadership challenge in a few months. The failed coup has sparked a schism among Mr Blair’s supporters. Some claimed Blairite Lord Mandelson had ‘sold his soul’ to Mr Brown in return for a massive Whitehall empire making him the most powerful man in the Government.

Nairobi, Saturday 13th June, 2009. Lack of affordable housing has led to mushrooming of slums in Nairobi and other urban centres in the country. Housing Minister Soita Shitanda said Friday that currently there is a housing shortage of 120,000 units every year in the country, leading to the increase in informal settlements. Shitanda was speaking when he launched the Madaraka Estate Housing Scheme in Nairobi, marking the end of a tussle that started way back in 2006 soon after the sale of the estate was advertised.  The housing scheme will see over 500 units constructed in the area by the National Housing Corporation which was given the mandate of managing the estate as per the Housing Act by the cabinet.  However the project has seen opposition from the tenants who were previously under the Nairobi City Council but the minister says its launch marks a milestone for all parties involved. Shitanda said the acute shortage of housing in urban areas requires urgent attention with plans now underway to construct at least 1,000 housing units annually for the next 5 years. He said the ministry plans to revive the construction of houses by the Nairobi City Council after the flop of the last such initiative which was launched in 1977. The bursting population he said is a big challenge for the government with the population of Kenya expected to rise from 33 to 47 million by 2030. The number of those living in slums currently stands at 2.4 million.

The name of the Kenyan student who passed away in a Coventry University  is Cecil James Ngaruiya Mbugua. He was the Student Ambassador for Kenya in the school. He passed away on Friday 5th June, 2009. He is the son of Mr. Godwin Wangong'u and Mrs. Patricia Wangong'u. He is a brother to Annette Gathoni of USA. Burial takes place at Langata Cemetery on Tuesday 16th June, 2009.

MERU, Kenya, Jun 13 - A suspected chicken thief is fighting for his life in hospital after he was set ablaze by a mob in Chuka on Friday, police said. The 30-year-old man suffered serious burns on the head and arms and was only saved by police officers who rushed him to the Chuka District Hospital. Police said the suspect was stoned and later set on fire when he was allegedly found in possession of two stolen chicken which had been reported missing. “He suffered serious injuries but he is out of danger,” a police officer said of the incident that occurred at Kirubia village. “He was burnt when he was found in possession of two chickens which had been reported missing,” another officer said. Separately, police in Meru impounded bhang worth Sh400,000 on Friday and arrested two suspects in separate incidents. One of the suspect described by police as a notorious drug trafficker was arrested at Kooje estate within Meru municipality as he prepared to transport the bhang to Mombasa, police said. The suspect was found with bhang worth Sh126,000. “This is one of the biggest drug and narcotics dealers in Meru. He is a very dangerous man,” are police Chief Paul Ruto said. The second suspect was arrested as he transported bhang worth Sh240, 000 in a saloon car. Mr Ruto said the man was arrested on the Meru-Isiolo road near Subuiga. “The car which he was using to transport the drug was involved in an accident. At first, he tried to hide the cargo in the bush on the roadside but we were tipped off about it,” Mr Ruto said. He said the suspects will be arraigned in court on Monday to face drug trafficking-related charges. - CapitalFM

SOME OF THE UK PAPERS ON SATURDAY 13TH JUNE 2009

LEFT: The Daily Mirror leads with the news that Madonna has been given the go-ahead to adopt her second child from Malawi, and quotes critics who say the decision was down to the cash the star has given to aid projects. RIGHT: Lord Mandelson's claim that replacing the pound with the euro is an "important objective" for Britain is front page news for the Daily Express, which also has a picture of actor Christopher Lee, who is being knighted.

Hon. Martha Karua leaves Kenya for US and UK on Saturday 13th June, 2009. He will be addressing several meetings in the US before coming to the UK for a Public Meeting on Saturday 20th June, 2009 and Dinner on Sunday 21st June, 2009. Narc Kenya Members Dinners on Sunday 21st June 2009 at the Thistle City Barbican hotel in London as from 3.00 p.m. Address is Thistle City Barbican, Central Street, Clerkenwell EC1V. There are very limited places. To book please call 07946833116. If you want to join Narc Kenya, call this number too. You can also join on the Dinner day. You can also attend the dinner as a guest. The entry to the dinner is FREE. You will just pay for the food and drinks. For a 3 course meals, it is £40 all inclusive. Kenya will only change if all our political parties are grass root based. We need idealistic people to help create a party based on strong ideals and not personalities or ethnicity. 2012 Presidential candidate Martha Karua  is scheduled for a candid chat in Washington DC and Massachusetts as follows- Washington DC: Candid Chat at Safari (6/17:6:30pm - 9:00pm), Massachusetts: Candid Chat at Safari (6/18:6:00pm - 7:00pm), Massachusetts:Town Hall Meeting, MLK Jr Center (6/18:7:30pm - 9:00pm) and New Jersey: Town Hall Meeting, Tumaini Lutheran Church ( 6/19: 7:30pm - 9:00pm). During the burial of the late Vice-President Kijana Wamalwas mother, Karua lectured Kibaki and Raila on the slow pace of reforms, splintering in the Grand Coalition, rogue police and the Judiciary. She was quoted as saying "I left your Government a few months ago, I am in the opposition and I will push you into action,Karua told Kibaki and Raila they signed the National Accord to lead from the front and as such they should contain their political lieutenants in the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, who have taken a hard-line stand on constitutional review. This will be her first visit to the U.S since she resigned.   Kenya is now on the super highway to a major technological take-off after the much-awaited East African Marine System (Teams) fibre optic cable landed in Mombasa. The cable, launched by President Kibaki yesterday at Fort Jesus, connects the East African region to worldwide cable networks.  In Kenya, the cable will improve Internet connectivity and reduce the cost of data transmission — and create thousands of jobs, especially in the telecommunications sector. Until yesterday, East Africa was the only region in the world that lacked fibre optic connection to global communications networks. Previously, satellite technology was the only means of connecting to the other parts of the world. - MORE

Premier League - Ronaldo's £106m pay bonanza

Cristiano Ronaldo is set to earn £106 million from his six-year deal at Real Madrid, with a mind-boggling final salary of £556,000-a-week. The Portuguese star is on the verge of a move to the Bernabeu after Manchester United accepted a world record £80m bid for him on Thursday. He will discuss a contract with the Spanish giants when he returns from holiday in Los Angeles, and will land the biggest contract in football history. Real are expected to offer a structured deal starting at £183,000-a-week, but with a 25 per cent rise every season seeing his pay soar above half a million pounds every week in the final year of his contract. Based on current exchange rates, Ronaldo's will be the fifth-largest contract in sports history behind four baseball deals. The biggest belongs to Alex Rodriguez, who signed a 10-year, $275m (£167m) deal with the New York Yankees in 2008, equating to an average annual salary of £16.7m; slightly less than Ronaldo. Rodriguez's previous $252m (£153m) contract with the Texas Rangers comes in at number two, while A-Rod's Yankees team-mates Derek Jeter ($189/10 years) and Mark Teixeira ($180m/eight years) both exceed Ronaldo, whose likely £106m contract is worth $174m. Football's highest earner is David Beckham, who rakes in £27m per year, but only £4m comes from his club LA Galaxy; the rest is sponsorship and merchandising. Ronaldo was fourth on a recently-published France Football list of the sport's highest earners behind Beckham, Lionel Messi and Ronaldinho, but he can expect his £15.5m total earnings from 2008 to increase significantly following his move to Madrid.Ronaldo's possible £556,000-a-week wage in the last year of his contract works out at:

£79,428 a day£3,309 an hour£55 a minute92p per secondOr, if Real Madrid play two games in a week:£51.48 per second on the pitch.What can Ronaldo buy with his total £106m Real Madrid contract?- A Big Mac for every man, woman and child in the United Kingdom.- 530 new Ferrari 599 GTBs, like the one he wrote off in a crash earlier this year.- Himself, with enough change for Carlos Tevez.- Newcastle United Football Club.- 588,000 hours in a tanning salon.- 34,754,098 tubes of Brylcreem wet look hair gel.- 42,400 ceiling mirrors.- The most expensive house in Los Angeles, which belongs to TV producer Aaron Spelling, a three-story mansion with 56,500 square feet of space and a 4.6 acre estate.- 163,077 bottles of Cristal champagne for himself and Paris Hilton at Hollywood nightspot My House.- 26,500,000 inflatable donkeys.- 10,610,610 pairs of Cristiano Ronaldo pyjamas.

- 706,666,667 telephone votes for Cristiano Ronaldo as Overseas Sports Personality of 2009.

• Early Doors: Right move for United? Calderon: Ronaldo signed six months ago Ronaldo: This deal is historic Perez: Real can afford spending spree
• United accept world record Ronaldo bid

The family of former Kabete MP, Paul Muite, is under siege at their palatial Karen home after auctioneers raided the house place, took property and securely locked the gates. The auctioneers reportedly accessed the home without any prior notice on Wednesday evening over a controversial accumulated debt that the former legislator owes the National Bank of Kenya (NBK). Muite's wife, Edith Muite, told journalists that a group of 200 young men, guided by police officers stormed the compound, broke the door and windows of the house on a mission to collect goods worth Shs.900,000. "The house was sold by the bank to a  Kinyanjui without our knowledge and when the auctioneers were instructed to invade our property they took everything from the house including foodstuffs like flour and rice from the store," she said. Muite said a group of guards from a security firm called Secure Homes have been surrounding the compound and locked the gates with instructions not to allow anybody enter or leave the compound. Journalists had a difficult time to interview Muite's wife as they could also not access the premises.  They struggled to force their microphones and cameras through the small openings of the locked gate. "There has been a court case of over 10 years concerning this matter. It surprises us that the bank refused our offer of sh 150 million but accepted this man's lower offer of sh 112 million ," she said. At the time of going to press we were informed that Muite had rushed to the court to obtain court orders. In April this year, the former MP claimed that a police squad called KweKwe squad had instructions to kill him. He said that he had written to the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor  Louis Moreno - Ocampo over the same and also asked for investigations on extra-judicial killings in Kenya.

Bwana Muite mwenyewe alichokosa nyuki

"It is said an Eastern monarch once charged his wise men to invent him a sentence to be ever in view, and which should be true and appropriate in all times and situations. They presented him the words: "And this, too, shall pass away." ~ Abraham Lincoln

MAASAI PROVERBOre oloany oltoilo loo Itunanak nelo anin ololmenena.He who dies the sound of the living will hear the sound of the dead.

(ie. He will be damned for eternity).

The way that's best for your child (1)      -     

'Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.' Proverbs 24:3You say, 'I raised all my children the same way, how come this one is a problem?' 1) Congratulations on succeeding with your other kids! You're ahead of the curve. A good family rule is: Pray about your shortcomings; focus on your successes. Don't obsess over one particular child, short-changing the others of your time and attention. Though it doesn't feel natural, reduce your intense concentration on your problem child. Stop 'fixing' them, enjoy all your children, and watch things improve. 2) Children develop at different rates and in different ways. Many problem children are just late arrivers; give them the time they need. 3) Most families have a 'black sheep.' They make us uncomfortable by not doing life like the rest of us. Accept what you don't like about them until God either changes them or teaches the family mature, unconditional, non-controlling love through them. 4) You do your best as an imperfect but loving parent, then your children, not you, make their own choices. The prophet Samuel's sons 'did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice' (1 Samuel 8:3 NIV). Embarrassing and disappointing, yes! But no charge of spiritual or parental failure is laid on Samuel's doorstep. As godly a man as ever lived, he 'walked the talk.' But when push came to shove, his sons had their options and chose not to do likewise. However dysfunctional your child may be, under God their greatest asset is a parent who responds by faith, not by fixing, by praying, not prying, and who gets out of God's way and lets Him work. - 12 Jun 2009

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We are yet to get official confirmation but it is said that as from Monday 8th June, 2009 flights flying from Kenya are having unusual extra checks after arrival. Sources confirms that immediately the doors are opened the UK immigration officials have been questioning some people holding British Passports. An eye witness says he saw some being detained. The checks has happened in all the terminals - Terminal 4 with Kenya Airways, Terminal 5 with British Airways and Terminal 3 with Virgin. If you have travelled from Kenya this week you can tell us your experience through misterseed@yahoo.co.uk.

EYE WITNESS - KENYAN BISHOP"It is very true Mr. Seed. What you have written about people arriving from Kenya being stopped. We arrived with my wife from Kenya last week with Virgin Atlantic Airlines and we were surprised that immediately the plane door was opened there were over 20 immigration officers at the door. In fact we thought something was wrong somewhere. They were asking for passports and we saw several people being detained." - A Kenyan Bishop living in UK narrating what he saw on arrival at Heathrow last week (12th June, 2009).

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METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kila mwamba ngoma, ngozi huivuta kwake

Every who stretches a skin on a drum, pulls the skin own his own side

Photos purportedly taken just before the crash of Air France

Photos purportedly taken just before the crash of Air France:

The two photos attached (above) were apparently taken by one of the passengers in the aircraft, just after the collision and before the aircraft crashed. The photos were retrieved from the camera's memory stick. You will never get to see photos like this. In the first photo, there is a gaping hole in the fuselage through which you can see the tailplane and vertical fin of the aircraft. In the second photo, one of the passengers is being sucked out of the gaping hole.

These photos were found in a digital Casio Z750, amidst the remains in Serra do Cachimbo. Although the camera was destroyed, the Memory Stick was recovered. Investigating the serial number of the camera, the owner was identified as Paulo G. Muller, an actor of a theatre for children known in the outskirts of Porto Alegre . It can be imagined that he was standing during the turbulence, he managed to take these photos, just seconds after the tail loss the aircraft plunged. So the camera was found near the cockpit. The structural stress probably ripped the engines away, diminishing the falling speed, protecting the electronic equipment but not unfortunately the victims. Paulo Muller leaves behind two daughters, Bruna and Beatriz.

Salim Junior visit in Zurich

My wife (Wambui) and me are big fans of your website. Salim Junior from Kenya visited Zürich/Switzerland on 29.5.2009 and we had a nice time together. Many greetings from Stefan and Lydia Wambui, Zurich.

Anonymous Encouragement Poem:

~ Unknown

Madonna has been granted permission to adopt a second child from Malawi, its highest court has ruled. The Chief Justice overturned a previous decision because it was 'out of touch with the times.' Madonna's commitment to helping disadvantaged children should have been taken into account, the court said. The pop star appealed after a lower court rejected her application to adopt Chifundo "Mercy" James, a four-year-old girl, in April.  Previously, a judge and a lawyer told reporters that the 50-year-old did not meet a requirement that prospective parents must be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months.

An inmate at Kisii GK prison Thursday died after he was shot by prison warders in an escape bid gone awry.  Eye witnesses claimed the prisoner was cornered by police officers at a stream near the penal facility and after shooting in the air and scaring away curious onlookers, they allegedly shot him dead. The warders are then said to have carried the body to Kisii Level 5 hospital mortuary about 300 metres away. Irate spectators protested outside the mortuary castigating the officers for killing the escapee instead of re-arresting him.  Details of the prisoner could not be immediately established as Kisii prison commander Patrick Aranduh could not be available for comment but sources from the prison indicated that the deceased had been sentenced to life imprisonment for defiling his 10-year-old daughter. It is however not clear how the prisoner managed to escape from the institution.

"It takes one person to forgive, it takes two people to be reunited." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Kenya men cry foul over Budget

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 12 - Kenyan men were crying foul on Friday for what they termed as ‘discrimination’ in the Budget delivered by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday. An organisation championing men’s rights said men were the biggest losers because their commodities were not zero-rated as was the case for those used by women. “We were the biggest losers. Women were the winners because their cosmetics and jewellery were zero-rated,” Nderitu Njoka, chairman of the Maendeleo ya Wanaume told Capital News. Mr Njoka said he had expected Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to “do better than he did in catering for men’s needs.’  “Prices of beer could have been slashed much more than what the Minister did, to ensure men do not resort to drinking cheap illicit brews which have serious effects on men,” he said in a telephone interview. “There was no equity in the distribution of resources in the family. It is the women and children who were left smiling,” he added.

Life is not no much a matter of position as of disposition

Going by incessant applause that punctuated his first Budget speech, it was obvious even before he finished the task that Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta had already won the hearts of colleagues in the House and occupants of the public gallery. When Uhuru Kenyatta concluded his one-hour fiscal ritual, the House erupted in prolonged, thunderous foot thumping and fellow ministers and MPs rushed to congratulate him.  Apparently prompted by the overwhelming reception the Deputy Prime Minister’s star performance drew - on his first budget day - even President Kibaki stopped by on his way out of the Chamber to shake hands with his man at Treasury.

And when Speaker Kenneth Marende, escorted by the Sergeant-at-Arms bearing the mace, the symbol of authority, left the Chamber, MPs mobbed Uhuru like footballers do to a colleague who had scored a last-minute winner. The scene was exhilarating and Uhuru was evidently savouring his moment. Among those to mob Uhuru was his predecessor who never got to read the speech this year, Mr Amos Kimunya. The reason for the rave reaction was evident: The Finance Minister in his speech had dished out goodies like confetti, across all sectors and particularly to constituencies and the lowly wananchi.  It was also a rare style of Budget delivery, short on the usual complicated economic jargon and expressly simple in the way it directly dwelt with crucial issues that touch on the people. Indeed, such was Uhuru’s generosity that even consumers of alcohol - often targets of Government fundraising through the so-called ‘sin tax’, were spared. Instead, Uhuru announced cuts in excise duty for wines and spirits, saying the reprieve would discourage consumption of illicit brews.

EXCISE DUTY

The Minister’s generous hand touched all round.  He drew a clap from women MPs as he slashed excise duty on cosmetics so that "beautiful women" can flourish in a healthy nation. He also zero rated raw material for manufacture of sanitary towels. And acknowledging the hard economic times will keep Kenyans off from expensive clothing stores, Uhuru reduced import duty on second hand clothes so that people can stay warm in mitumba.  All along he injected some sense of humour into a day the nation waited with bated breath for some respite from hard times.

COMPLIANT MODEL

When he announced that Ministers and permanent secretaries would be limited to one 1800cc car, he took note that yesterday he had arrived in a compliant model – a Volkswagen Passat. Applause from MPs was like a scorecard for Uhuru’s focus on constituencies where he voted Sh60 billion for various projects.  As usual on the important day, members had turned up early, resplendent in sharp attire, for the second budget announcement of the Grand Coalition Government. Speaker Marende, in ceremonial maroon robes and horse-hair wig, entered at 2.35pm signaling the start of the session. Uhuru, flanked by his assistant Oburu Odinga and Planning Minister Wycliffe Oparanya, strode into the Chamber for his historic ceremony five minutes later, clutching the court-of-arms plated briefcase to loud applause. The crisis of seats resurfaced as Oburu stood stranded with the front bench full. Water Minister Charity Ngilu moved to the next bench to create space for him.  At 3.45pm Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim and Joint Government Whip Jakoyo Midiwo checked in. Once again there was confusion over sitting arrangement when Kalonzo beat Raila to the far right seat on the front bench, traditionally reserved for the Leader of Government Business in the House.

SITTING ARRANGEMENT

Raila, who tussled with Kalonzo over the position, declined to take up a seat at the front bench and moved to the third bench. Maalim also gave way for Gichugu MP Martha Karua to take up a seat on the opposite side, symbolically meant for the Leader of Official Opposition. President Kibaki then strode into the Chamber at exactly 3.50pm then Uhuru moved to the dispatch box and began his speech, which was interrupted intermittently by applause and brief pauses as he sipped water. Not even a cold could dampen his day. Outside, it was a complete lockdown with security forces lining up Parliament Road and Harambee Avenues. To wrap up the event, guests and MPs mingled at the gardens while President Kibaki and Raila sat at the VIP tent surveying the mingling of their lieutenants. - The Standard.

Kennya's Budget - Thursday 11th June, 2009

KENYA BUDGET 2009 IN FULL - CLICK HERE

KIKUYU PROVERBWainaga nieroragira

Remember that even if you are good dancer there will come a time for your to watch others dance

The Road To Success Is Always Under Construction

Bishop Bishop Jeremiah Pallangyo from Naivasha, Kenya is in London

Bishop Bishop Jeremiah Pallangyo from Naivasha, Kenya is in London. The Bishop arrived in London last week. He  is on a mission to preach in various churches here in Britain. He is the Bishop of New Hope for all Nations Churches in Kenya. He is the Senior pastor of New Hope for all nation Church in Naivasha which is 700 strong member  church which projects to grow up to 5000 members by 2011. As the Bishop he is involved in various ministries such as planting churches, prison ministries, reaching and establishing orphanages for the disadvantaged children hence giving them new lease of life. Every August he holds FIRE CONFERENCE for 14days in Naivasha where all churches and leaders meet for prophetic direction. He is also a reknown world wide speaker in many conferences by invitations. Currently he is in United Kingdom and was speaking in East London (Likewise Christian church –Ilford) His programme is as follows:12/06/2009  7:30 PM Preaching at WCC Greenwich courtesy of Bishop Climate Irungu.14/06/2009  10:30 AM Alders Brook  Baptist church Wansted “ Rev Peter Norris”14/06/2009 3:00 PM Likewise Christian Church Ilford  “ Bishop Oheneba Cofie & Pst Kimani Antony17-21st June 2009 5:30-7:00PM Swindon Baptist church 22-28 June 2009 6:30-8:00PM Aldersbrook Baptist Church28/06/2009 2:00PM Apostolic Faith Church – Katherine Road EastHam29-30th June 2009 Preaching in Dubai enroute to Kenya.Bishop can be contacted in UK on 07536601029 - Email: Jere.beth@kenyaweb.com - Facebook: Bishop Jeremiah Pallanngyo. 

Thanks and after Kidney transplant…..

" …..and the child will be named as Macharia wa Gakuru for he is in
his second life with three kidneys….” and the angel left.

By Macharia Gakuru

It must have been in the late sixties in a mission hospital in Northern Kinagop a hospital called Kwangothi. Gakuru not long had he married Wanjiru and then being staunch Catholics and serving as alter boy he could not do a ‘back street wedding’ or an African traditional wedding. So in those days they had to face Italian born Father Kavinato – if I can remember his name. A quick wedding was arranged as the young man had put his fingers in the ‘honey pot’.

The sweet one had come from the slopes of mount Kenya – very near the forest. Despite having not seen much of her father as he was killed early in the Mau Mau struggle for Kenyan independence. He was an activist. She could still remember her dad. They drunk their water from Ragati river which runs down to Karatina up from Kagochi by the forest – a very lovely part of Kenya. I love it.

Before anyone could discover that the baby was on the way the wedding was done. Macharia – the ‘old man’ (guka) did not attend the wedding as now very religious and educated teacher ignored his arrangement for Gakuru to marry another preferred girl. The mother to Gakuru (cucu) being the only boy had to catch the only bus in this then remote part of the country and attend the wedding. On the other had on brides side only a sister (Wambui) was to attend. This is the sister where Wanjiru was spotted by this teacher (Gakuru) and promised heaven before she became pregnant.
Arranged weddings then were common. It is known that women within Kikuyu land are labeled by the men in the same region with their characters and men experiences with them. Muranga women scoring the highest as honest, respectful and are able to keep their marriages even in very difficult time (anyway it maybe only to stereotypes). It must be the same for women to men.
So late that year I in the early hours of the 14th ( don’t ask me what month or year) I was born. My name was then Macharia wa Gakuru as I am the first born in the family named after guka.
As I grew I took more responsibility – not from my father –no – but for my self. I felt an adult before my age and sense of wanting to do more. In my primary school CPE exams as it was called those days in early ’80 when I was asked to fill my name in the form I wrote my name as Gakuru – taking over from my fathers name  and ever since I have been known by this name.

In May 27th 2008 my life changed. I travelled back in time. For the next one year until may 21st 2009 I underwent a transition period I would not wish that anyone who reads this article, their friends, children or their relatives  would undergo the same. During this time I was diagnosed with kidney failure and I was under dialysis treatment of which many of you know. Now I have a third kidney – the one that my sister Njoki donated to me on May 21st  at Guys hospital and I am very grateful.
With this new kidney I am reborn. I am a child again. I am Macharia wa Gakuru and Gakuru (my dad) can  take all his responsibilities that I had assumed in my thoughts. I just want to be a young man – run away from trouble, emotional issues, when I can, have fun, have a laugh, enjoy myself, eat well, and relax more. I want to give more to my
people, teach them of kidney problems, tray and solve this growing epidemic, and now that I have found what I can do for my country – I want to do it. I am living my second life and now I will tell you that I value living than I did before. I want to live well. I would have left others enjoying this paradise as I went to ‘heaven’ that we are only promised but even the preachers don’t want  to go. So I want a good life here on earth.
I will not take anything more seriously than I should – even if its my own children. I will not allow stresses of life to overcome me. I will shut up when I need to, walk away, refuse to explain and just chill in. I will hold loosely anything I own and value only my own life first before anyone else.
I know for sure these issues are easy to write and say than to do them. It is difficult to escape from who I am. Even when you pretend to be good, if you are made as a man or woman full of grudges you will always pick them. If you are born being selfish and self cantered even if you pretend to be someone else for a short time you will always go back to who we are. We are a product of our past, our values and our environment – we are what we eat hear, see and participate in. This time I will try to choose wisely. 
I want to thank you all Kenyans and friends for your prayers and well wish to my sister, my family and I. My fellow Kenyans you sent me your angels to guard us in the Guys hospital theatres, to make sure that all that was planned went as we all wished and that we would recover at record time. This is exactly what is happening. We are all well and in the next two to three weeks we will be much better. I am still being monitored as they (doctors)  want to balance non rejection drugs but all is going well. I also want to thank the members of PCEA outreach church Pastor Kibathi and the new Moderator Rev David Gathanju for finding time to come and give thanks over my transplant operation.  I want to thank the doctors at Kings and Guys hospitals, Kenyan born renal nurse Mercy for being in the theatre during the whole process,  the members of ACMC ( African Community Media Centre) for all their support  and Misterseed for providing a forum to communicate. I also cannot forget to thank all that voted me as the most outstanding writer, publisher and broadcaster of 2009. I am truly grateful.

This brings me what I am doing with my second life. This Friday 12th June 2009 is the day that my first book in a series of several books that I have been writing for several years will be coming out in print (if printers don’t let us down). The book is 284 pages and a size of H 198 x 128 W and 20 mm in thickness entitled ‘Deya and the miracle babies’ with 10% of the profits going in support for kidney patients in Kenya. The book has relevant picture in each of the 4 chapters and a contribution from Gitau wa Njenga experience with Deya as he covered the story for the East Africa standard newspapers Kenya.  The book is published by Mumbi books and being sold and distributed by ACMC 46 Deptford Broadway London SE10 4PH and is being sold for £10.00. Please address your cheques to ACMC plus £2.00 postage and package (£12) if you want us to post the book to you.

I worked with Deya as a business partner for a long time and we had agreements over writing  his biography though he changes his mind like a ‘yoyo’ or as he puts it ‘God also changes his mind’. This book looks at Deya with a critical eye giving into insights of who this man actually is. It gives background information from his birth place to
where we are today. It is unauthorized biography- worth your reading. Please buy this book to help in our fight against kidney disease in Kenya. It will be available from all major local Kenya shop outlets and websites.

Sad story of Children painful struggle with tumour - VIDEO

We've brought you kittens that act like dogs

We've brought you kittens that act like dogs, pigs that act like dogs, bunnies that act like dogs – and you're still not happy.  Well, now here is a story of a dog who behaves – you've guessed it – like a dog. Well, sort of.  Ulrok the rottweiler has fallen for a baby wolf... which, of course, looks like a dog, howls like a dog and to all intents and purposes is a dog. The 18-month-old and his young consort Beldaran, an eight-week-old wolf, have become inseparable since she was rejected by her parents.  'It's a true love story that has touched the hearts of everyone who visits,' said Heather Grierson, director of the Kisma Preserve in Maine, America.  'You just can't be in a bad mood when these two are around.'  Since Ulrok adopted Beldaran, who was rejected by another nursing dog days after her birth, he has acted as a very protective father. Ms Grierson added: 'Ulrok stepped up. It worked out brilliantly. He would clean her and, when she was making whimpering noises he would bound over to investigate.'

Kenyan Community Bedford’s young people’s club

Kenyan Community Bedford’s young people’s club continues to register growth with adoption of the “Learning outside the Classroom” initiative to help raise attainment.  Recently the club toured the CBBC experience at the BBC Television Centre, House of Commons, National Science Museum and the Royal Albert Hall. As well as learning Swahili and other cultural activities the organisation has adopted the programme which enables and gives the children opportunity to transform learning and raise achievement. Learning outside the classroom allows participants to learn in context, to learn by practical engagement, and to learn by personal discovery. They can master new skills, work collaboratively with others and develop a better sense of themselves and their potential. KCB is at the fore front of using the Learning outside the classroom to succeed and is pursuing experiential approach that is practical, dynamic and exciting. The experiences are challenging and powerful learning opportunities. 

Feed back and outcome of the above tours is amazing; children have become much more engaged and enthusiastic learners, giving teachers another resource to help bring the curriculum to life with parents reporting significant interest in learning and behaviour improvement. KCB’S Swahili club has developed from a play group to a more serious and focused. Early Intervention Programme where children are engaged in meaningful activities to inspire and help create and develop an interest with an aim of providing knowledge, skills and self confidence to enable them make healthy informed choices about their future in a fun filled cultural environment. Click here to view photos of the tours http://www.kenyancommunitybedford.org.uk/

WHAT THE UK PAPERS SAY

LEFT: The Guardian notes that several leading mortgage lenders have raised the cost of their most popular deals, in a move that the paper says could see off early recovery in the housing market. RIGHT: Huge tax rises could be the order of the day if Labour wins the next election, the Daily Express reports, after Treasury minister Liam Byrne warned of 'difficult decision' to be made on taxation in the future.

Kenyans given a feel good budget

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 11 - In his maiden speech as Finance Minister, Uhuru Kenyatta seems to have broken from tradition and taken into consideration various proposals from the public and the private sector.  In what may be described as a ‘feel good budget’ the Minister tried all possible means from not increasing taxes to, announcing cost cutting measures and reducing VAT on items like mobile phone handsets while attempting to make everyone comfortable. “I did receive as many suggestions as possible and I have tried to incorporate in my budget proposals as much as I can to ensure especially that the masses are happy,” Mr Kenyatta said. Among the first measures announced by Mr Kenyatta in his bid to cut cost and raise funding for the budget include a Transport Policy that will see a moratorium on the purchase of government vehicles. Government officials will now be provided with fuel cards, an act that the Minister is convinced will highly reduce fuel expenses for the government. In a bid to curb excess government spending and wastage Mr Kenyatta directed that all accounting officers including Cabinet Ministers be barred from using vehicles with a bigger engine capacity than 1800 cc. “Treasury under my leadership has already complied with this directive and I must say I used a vehicle that fits within these parameters,” Mr Kenyatta said. He further announced that all additional vehicles would be withdrawn from accounting officials with Cabinet Ministers who previously enjoyed more than one fuel guzzlers allowed only one vehicle.
 

And unlike in previous attempts the Minister has committed to sell the repossessed vehicles by September 2009 and use the funds to settle Internally Displaced Persons. “I have discussed all this measures with the Prime Minister and the President and let me clarify that no official vehicle is exempt,” he said Touching on ICT sector  Mr Kenyatta noted  that the first undersea fibre optic cable would be launched on Friday and announced an allocation of Sh1.3 billion for mobile computer software in support of the rollout of the digital villages all over the country. In the meantime, the Minister is promising to underwrite funding for the purchase of laptops and computers for all constituencies in the country to stimulate better interventions for the youth through education. However constituencies seem to be the biggest beneficiaries’ of the current budget with the Finance Minister setting aside for Sh12 billion for CDF with each particular constituency at Sh60 million. Furthermore each constituency will benefit 22 percent of the road levy will go to the maintenance for rural roads. “As you can see I want to focus on local level budgeting and that’s why funding for the constituencies has gone up from Sh10 billion to Sh18 billion, this should further ensure equitable development,” he said.  Other gainers were the Youth and Women Funds that received an additional Sh500 million and an additional funding of Sh2.2 billion for IDP’s while small business received Sh500 million. Mr Kenyatta seems to have listened to the tourism industry pleas on the proposed 69 percent cut and provided Sh400 million as opposed to the previously proposed Sh250million.
 

The sector further received Sh800 million through the Kenya Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC). The Minister  further removed import duty on all four wheel drive vehicles a move that should act as an incentive for more operators to bring tourists in the country making the destination as competitive as its counterparts in the East African Region. Unlike expectations that the Finance Minister’s most obvious option would be to increase taxes Mr Kenyatta very cleverly steered off raising funds through both direct and indirect taxes.  Mr Kenyattta said he took into account most tax proposals conferred to him by different parties while ensuring the biggest benefit to the common man.   “Unlike in the past where most of the basic commodities are zero rated and it ends up only benefiting some few people especially traders, this time round I want to ensure the benefits are to everybody,” the Minister noted.  Among his proposals were the removal of the sugar levy and import duty on asbestos and a number of raw materials to inspire the manufacturing industry. The biggest gainers were the mobile phone manufacturers whose constant campaigns on the zero rating of handsets seem to have touched the minister’s heart. “Mobile telephones have become an essential aspect of our lives and in response I propose to remove VAT on these handsets as a way of inspiring growth in this particular sector,” the Minister said. In concluding his budget speech the minister was keen to note that this particular budget was hugely intended to balance between growth and providing social benefits and stimulus for the ordinary man. - CapitalFM.

Diplomacy is the art of letting someone else get your way

London, Thursday 11th June, 2009. Sterling has reached its highest level against the euro since the start of the year after data suggested the UK recession may be over.  One pound was worth 1.1745 euros in morning trading before falling slightly to 1.1731 euros. On Wednesday the National Institute of Economic and Social Research estimated that the economy grew in April and May. The pound was also boosted by data showing industrial output rose in April - the first monthly rise in 14 months. In addition, the pound's rise was aided by a survey on attitudes to inflation by the Bank of England, which showed inflation expectations for the coming year rose to 2.4% in May from 2.1% in February, the first rise since August. Sterling was also up against the dollar, rising 0.2% to $1.6383, having earlier climbed as high as $1.6438. The pound had fallen against both the euro and the dollar last week and at the beginning of this week amid concerns about possible challenges to the leadership of Gordon Brown. However, in the past couple of days the political situation appears to have stabilised.

Manchester United have accepted a world record £80 million bid from Real Madrid

Manchester United have accepted a world record £80 million bid from Real Madrid for Cristiano Ronaldo. After warding off the Spanish club's interest in the Portuguese World Player of the Year this time last year, United said in a statement on Thursday that talks could begin over a possible transfer to the nine-times European champions. "Manchester United have received a world-record, unconditional offer of 80 million pounds for Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid," the club said. "At Cristiano's request - who has again expressed his desire to leave - and after discussion with the player's representatives, United have agreed to give Real Madrid permission to talk to the player.

Annan gives Kenya tribunal deadline

Written By: BBC, Posted: Thu, Jun 11, 2009

Former UN boss Kofi Annan says Kenya has until the end of August to set up a special tribunal to try the ringleaders of post-election clashes. Mr Annan brokered a power-sharing deal last year to end the violence in which some 1,500 people were killed.  A commission of inquiry then said the court should begin hearings in March.  Mr Annan told the BBC that if the new deadline is not met, he will hand over the sealed list he has of the key suspects to the International Criminal Court.  In February, MPs rejected the bill to establish the tribunal despite intense lobbying by President Mwai Kibaki and his former rival, Prime Minister Raila Odinga.  A further two-month extension granted by Mr Annan has also passed.  "I'm in discussions with the two leaders... and they told me they're going to make a second attempt to get the tribunal established," Mr Annan told the BBC's Network Africa programme.  "I've also made it clear that if it is not established within a reasonable period, which I would say [is] up to the end of August, I will have no option than to hand the envelope over with the names to the ICC to take it over from there."  Opponents of the bill said they had no faith in Kenya's justice system. Some politicians have been accused of trying to delay the hearings until the 2012 elections. Mr Annan said he hoped this was not the case as it was important for the accused "to be tried in the community [where] they committed the crime". Failure to do so, he said, would be a "big blow to the fight against impunity". "I think Kenya would be much better off with that trial taking place in their midst," he said, urging parliamentarians to pass the legislation. "They are collectively and individually responsible and they should work with the speaker and their fellow parliamentarians to establish the court for the sake of justice - the victims deserve justice." The violence broke out soon after the results of the 2007 presidential election were announced, leaving over 1000 people dead and over 300,000 others displaced. After two months of violence, Mr Annan brokered a deal which saw the setting up of a coalition government with Kibaki remaining as President while Odinga became the Prime Minister.

Kenyans will soon enjoy dual citizenship if a new policy on immigration is adopted. Children born outside the country by Kenyan mothers with non-Kenyan fathers also stand to benefit.   Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang was present during the debate by stakeholders of the draft policy at Laico Hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday. If accepted, the draft developed through the assistance of International Organisation for Migration (IOM) will be taken to Mr Kajwang’s ministry before being forwarded to Cabinet and Parliament. "There is no right moment other than now when we should address the issue of dual citizenship that continues to bother our diaspora population," Mr Kajwang said. He added that the policy will also support broad national economic, social and human interests through effective border policing while still encouraging international trade, foreign investments, social interaction and regional integration. Under the policy, people married to Kenyans will also have opportunity to become Kenyan citizens after fulfilling certain conditions. An advisory committee on citizenship is also envisaged under the new policy. The department of Immigration has operated without a government policy on immigration since 1950. Mr Kajwang, who was accompanied by the IOM regional representative Mr Ashraf El Nour, said his ministry has developed an integrated "one stop shop border management concept backed with up to date technology that will enable all border agencies share information and process data within the reasonable times." "The credibility of our performance in this front shall be measured by a simple yardstick: Ensuring that people, who should get in, do get in cheerfully; people who should not get in are kept out zealously; and people who are judged deportable are returned gracefully," he said. He said the government’s duty was to make Kenya a destination of choice for everyone. He restated plans by his ministry to compile a data base with photographs and fingerprints of all children above 12 years "so that when they get 16, they will get national identification cards automatically." "This is the reason why we are developing an integrated population data base so that we can easily know who our citizens are and curb cheating," he said. Mr Kajwang has previously announced plans to reduce the age at which Kenyans can acquire national IDs from 18 to 16 years. - Daily Nation.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1963 - Rika ria Uhuru - Freedom

Former champion boxer Mike Tyson has married for a third time

Former champion boxer Mike Tyson has married for a third time - two weeks after his four-year-old daughter died in a tragic accident, it emerged. The ex-heavyweight champion exchanged vows with bride Lakiha Spicer in a Las Vegas wedding chapel on Saturday, the chapel's owner Shawn Absher said. County marriage records in Las Vegas show 42-year-old Tyson and 32-year-old Spicer got a marriage licence about 30 minutes before their ceremony.  Last month Tyson's daughter Exodus died after accidentally strangling herself. She was found hanging from a cord dangling from a treadmill at her home in Phoenix, Arizona, on May 25. Mr Absher said the former boxer and Spicer, of Henderson in Las Vegas, asked for a simple ceremony with "nothing special". "They just wanted to say the vows and be married," he said. "It was very sincere." Tyson was previously married to actress Robin Givens in 1988, and Monica Turner in 1997. His first marriage ended after one year when Givens filed for divorce and said in a televised interview that she was afraid of Tyson. His marriage to Turner lasted five years. Tyson last boxed competitively in 2005.

LEFT: The economic downturn is over, according to a report from one of Britain's most respected think tanks in The Independent. CENTRE: But The Times describes the Government's decision to hold back funds for hospitals as the first sign the NHS is facing severe cuts in the recession. RIGHT: The Daily Express leads with a mother-of-two who has been charged with abusing children at the nursery where she worked.

London, Wednesday 10th June, 2009. Cocaine worth £800,000 left in an unclaimed bag at Heathrow. It's one lost item that's not likely to be claimed. UK Border Agency officers at Heathrow Airport have found 20kg of cocaine, worth an estimated £800,000, on a luggage carousel. The cocaine was in a suitcase that had arrived on a flight from Mexico. The suitcase has been passed to HM Revenue & Customs investigators to pursue enquiries. Stuart Robinson, a senior officer in HMRC criminal investigation, said: "At present we have not identified a passenger for this baggage. Our investigations into this matter are ongoing."

LUO PROVERB

Kik iluw jaluoro nyaka ei ode.Don't chase a cowardly fellow to his house.

Judge how far you can carry on with a plan even if the goal seems to be achievable with ease.

The Royal Navy has stopped a suspected gang of armed pirates after a chase through the Indian Ocean off the coast of Somalia. HMS Portland detected the ship while patrolling the Gulf of Aden. Two suspicious skiffs were then stopped and boarded. The multi-national patrol group found grappling hooks, rocket propelled grenades (RPGs), machine guns and ammunition on board. Despite the dodgy cargo, the 10 pirates were released because of "insufficient evidence". But the patrol team admitted they weren't the kind of items found on an "innocent fishing vessel". HMS Portland then destroyed one boat, letting the pirates disappear on the other skiff. The Gulf of Aden is one of the world's most important shipping lanes, crossed by 20,000 ships a year. The captured pirate boat then exploded before sinking. Commander Tim Henry said: "HMS Portland has once again demonstrated the Royal Navy's commitment to keeping the sea lanes open."

Scientists believe the Earth could one day collide with Mars or Venus, because of the unpredictable orbits of planets. Experts say there is only a tiny chance of it happening and it would be unlikely to happen for billions of years.

PLOT AND LANDS FOR SALE IN KENYA

Kahawa Wendeni  40 x 80  Plot - Price KShs. 2 million. Runda Mimosa - Half an Acre - Price KShs. 8 millionKaren 5 Acres - Price 30 millionMombasa Road - 5 Acres - Price 75 millionThika Ngoingwa - 50 x 90 - Price KShs. 600,000.

For more information contact Charles in Kenya on 0712469944. Finance can be arranged.

$1m mattress dumped by mistake

A woman mistakenly threw away a mattress containing her live savings worth almost $1million. Her awful moment of realisation set off a frantic search through Israeli landfill sites - with no joy so far. The woman in Tel Aviv said she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present and threw out the old one. The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. The woman, who asked not to be identified, said: "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened." The mattress had already been hauled away by rubbish collectors, and searches at three different landfill sites were in vain. The woman said the money was in US dollars and Israeli shekels, though refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she added. Yitzhak Borba, manager of one of the dumps, said his staff were helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate". He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away. The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate. She said she was trying to remain hopeful the money would be recovered, but she feared someone may already have found it. But she philosophically added: "People have to take everything in proportion, and thank God for the good and the bad." London, Tuesday 9th June, 2009. Rising interest from potential buyers coupled with falling numbers of sellers is stabilising UK house prices, according to surveyors. New buyer inquiries increased for the seventh month in a row in May - at the fastest rate since 1999, said the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. But there were fewer sellers, continuing a trend of the last two years, the survey found. Two other surveys recently reported a rise in house prices in May. The Rics survey, which has been running since 1978, takes a snapshot of the degree of confidence in the market from surveyors and estate agents across the UK. They reported that average sales were at their highest level since August last year. However, at 11.8 properties sold per surveyor in the last three months, this remained 31% down on the same period a year earlier. Rics members again suggested a further increase in potential new buyers window shopping for property, most notably in Scotland, London and the south-east of England. Alongside this, there were fewer people asking agents to sell their homes in May, which was having a logical effect on house prices. "On the face of it, the housing market does appear to be close to bottoming out with activity picking up in a material way and prices at last stabilising," said Rics spokesman Ian Perry. "However, it is important to remember that the lack of supply has been as important in underpinning prices as the rise in demand." Some 11% more surveyors were now expecting property prices to fall rather than rise, the survey found. In addition, 40% more were predicting sales to increase than fall. Yet, Mr Perry stressed that the troubled state of the economy could still constrain any housing market recovery. "With the economic backdrop still quite uncertain, unemployment is set to continue increasing sharply and finance for first time buyers is still in short supply, there are a number of significant obstacles for the market to overcome over the coming months," he said. Some surveyors pointed to the seasonal nature of property sales. "[There are] definite signs of early recovery but we are hoping the usual summer seasonal downturn does not now occur," said Ian Shaw, who operates in Lincolnshire. On 4 June, a survey by the Halifax said that UK house prices rose by 2.6% in May compared with April but activity remained low in the market. This came shortly after the Nationwide building society reported a 1.2% rise in prices in May compared with April - the second rise in three months.

Narc Kenya meetings in the UK

Martha Karua and Senior Narc Kenya Officials will be in the UK on 19th June and 20th June 2009. We are holding a Narc Kenya Members Dinners on Friday 19th June 2009 at the Thistle City Barbican hotel in London. Address is Thistle City Barbican, Central Street, Clerkenwell EC1V. There are very limited places. To book please call 07946833116. If you want to join Narc Kenya, call this number too. You can also join on the Dinner day.You can also attend the dinner as a guest. The entry to the dinner is FREE. You will just pay for the food and drinks. For a 3 course meals, it is £40 all inclusive.

Public Meeting.

We are also holding a public event on Saturday 20th June 2009 to discuss issues affecting our country. Again the hall is limited to 200 people only. Members will be guaranteed entry. If you are not a member and you would like to reserve your place, call 07946833116. The meeting will be held at the Holiday Inn, I Kings Cross Road, London, WC1X 9HX

Kenya will only change if all our political parties are grass root based. We need idealistic people to help create a party based on strong ideals and not personalities or ethnicity.

Martha Karua to visit the United States in June

2012 Presidential candidate Martha Karua will be in the U.S in the month of June. She is scheduled for a candid chat in Washington DC and Massachusetts as follows-·Washington DC: Candid Chat at Safari June 17th :6:30pm - 9:00pm) ·Massachusetts: Candid Chat at Safari June 18th :6:00pm - 7:00pm) ·Massachusetts: Town Hall Meeting June 18th :7:30pm - 9:00pm) · During the burial of the late Vice-President Kijana Wamalwas mother, Karua lectured Kibaki and Raila on the slow pace of reforms, splintering in the Grand Coalition, rogue police and the Judiciary. She was quoted as saying "I left your Government a few months ago, I am in the opposition and I will push you into action,Karua told Kibaki and Raila they signed the National Accord to lead from the front and as such they should contain their political lieutenants in the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, who have taken a hard-line stand on constitutional review. This will be her first visit to the U.S since she resigned.  

Washington DC: Candid Chat at Safari (6/17:6:30pm - 9:00pm)

Massachusetts: Candid Chat at Safari (6/18:6:00pm - 7:00pm) Massachusetts:Town Hall Meeting, MLK Jr Center (6/18:7:30pm - 9:00pm)

New Jersey: Town Hall Meeting, Tumaini Lutheran Church ( 6/19: 7:30pm - 9:00pm)

Perivale firm faces huge fine after UK Border Agency raid leads to ten arrests

Home Office, 10 June 2009Ten people have been arrested after officers from the UK Border Agency raided a catering firm in Perivale. Following an intelligence tip-off, immigration officers swooped on the premises of Delicious Catering on Walmgate Lane at around 1000 on Tuesday 9 June. They questioned those inside and checked their documents to see if they were entitled to work. Six men and four women from India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan were arrested for immigration offences and now face removal from the country. Three remain in custody, while the remainder were bailed while travel documents are sought for them. Delicious Catering now face a potential fine of up to £230,000 for failing to carry out the proper right-to-work checks on the ten workers, and 13 others for whom records were discovered. The company has 28 days to prove to the UK Border Agency that it did follow regulations.Gareth Redmond, the UK Border Agency's West London and South East England Area Director said:

'We're committed to tackling illegal working in West London. This is the latest in a series of operations my officers have carried out in the area. 'As long as there are illegal jobs, the United Kingdom will be an attractive place for illegal immigrants. That's why we have to put a stop to rogue employers who don't play by the rules. 'The majority are law-abiding, but to tackle those who fail to carry out the necessary checks on identity documents, we've introduced fines of up to £10,000 per illegal worker. 'In cases where employers are found to be employing illegal workers, we often find they are also undercutting the minimum wage and by-passing health and safety laws'.

Civil penalties for businesses who fail to carry out the proper checks when employing migrant workers from outside Europe were introduced by the Government in February 2008, allowing fines of up to £10,000 per illegal employee. The UK Border Agency has recently started naming on its website employers who have been fined under the new rules. Employers unsure of the steps they need to take to avoid employing illegal workers can visit www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/employers or they can call the UK Border Agency Employers Helpline on 0845 010 6677. Anyone who suspects that illegal workers are being employed at a business can contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 where anonymity can be assured.

Somali pirates are expanding their range of operations far beyond the East African coast, the US Navy has warned. One attack has been confirmed on a ship as far north as the Red Sea. The gangs have also extended their raids down beyond the Seychelles. The pirates were able to strike further away from the coast with the help of bigger mother ships, said the US Navy. It also warned that an increasing number of attacks were being carried out at night. Somalia has been without a stable government since 1991, allowing piracy to flourish.

A man being sought over the grisly discovery of a body in a wheelie bin has contacted police from Malta about giving himself up. Peter Wallner, 33, and his partner, 23-year-old Lilia Fenech, had not been seen since the badly decomposed body was discovered hidden among rubbish outside a home in Cobham, Surrey, on Saturday afternoon. The pair are staying with Miss Fenech's family in Malta and Mr Wallner is now making arrangements to return to the UK. The body, believed to be that of a white woman in her 30s, was only discovered after a human foot was spotted protruding from the bin of the semi-detached house. Mr Wallner, from Germany, rented the property in Hamilton Avenue until roughly three weeks ago. The senior investigation officer, Detective Chief Inspector Maria Woodall, said: "We appreciate the assistance of the media and the public in helping us locate Mr Wallner. He has now made contact with us and is keen to return to the UK to help us in our investigation." He added: "As he has now been located, we ask that his privacy - and that of Ms Fenech and her family - is respected."

Criminal gangs in UK target car buyers

Criminal gangs are duping car buyers out of millions of pounds each year by using adverts on reputable trade websites. The "virtual vehicle" scam also involves fake shipping websites that promise to safeguard the buyer's money. The Metropolitan Police say 21,000 fraudulent sites were shut down in the UK last year. The Met warn that unless buyers see the car for themselves, it is likely to be an offer that is too good to be true. According to BBC correspondent Fiona Trott, criminals will place an advert on a reputable website, like Auto Trader or E-Bay, but for a vehicle that does not belong to them. But the ad looks legitimate and the websites themselves are none the wiser. Then, the fraudsters direct you to another website that is supposed to look after your cash until the car is shipped to you. But this one is fake and the money goes straight into their bank accounts, our correspondent added. Zimbabwe could be heading for a new wave of violence, a minister in the country's unity government has warned. Sekai Holland, a member of the former opposition MDC, told the BBC opponents of the power-sharing government were drawing up assassination lists. She said she believed the worst violence was being planned to coincide with the country's next election. Her comments echo earlier claims by PM Morgan Tsvangirai of ongoing political intimidation and abuses in Zimbabwe. Ms Holland, Zimbabwe's Minister for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, told the BBC that she and other members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), including fellow ministers, were receiving threatening phone calls every day. They had been told that Zanu-PF hardliners are adding their names to a lengthening assassination list. "We are told that they do have a list of people that they will kill," she said. "No-one feels safe in Zimbabwe, no-one - and I mean no-one. We haven't reached a ceasefire. We are still at a point where people have their guns cocked." Ms Holland is a senior member of the MDC and was badly beaten by Zanu-PF supporters two years ago.

Mogadishu carnage devastates lives

Cradling her baby brother in stick-thin arms, eight-year-old Halima Mayow says little about the incident which wiped out their family in Mogadishu.But, at a camp on the outskirts of the Somali capital, the only word she does utter - "Mortar! Mortar!" - sums up the tragedy which has spawned two more orphans in this war-torn country. A neighbour of the family tells me a shell landed on the children's family home at a slum in the Siisii area, north of the city. "It killed the father, the mother and three of the children," Shamso Abdulle said. "We took these two children with us after their family was buried by the villagers. "They will live with us because we don't know where their relatives are and we couldn't leave them there." Intense fighting between forces in favour of the UN-backed government and radical Islamist guerrillas has triggered a human exodus from the bullet-pocked capital since the second week of May. The UN refugee agency says more than 100,000 people have been forced out of their homes during the recent bout of bloodletting.

Two found guilty of human trafficking offences

Home Office, Tuesday 9th June, 2009A Mauritian-born couple have been found guilty of four counts of human trafficking and three counts of employing illegal workers. Shamila and Anbanaden Chellapermal of Queens Gate, London were accused of trafficking three women and a man into the United Kingdom last year. Yesterday, following a three-week trial, a jury returned a unanimous verdict against them. During the trial, the court heard that officers from Sussex police received information in June 2008 that a Mauritian woman working at a care home in Worthing was being exploited. This prompted an investigation by the joint UK Border Agency South East Region and Sussex Police immigration crime team. Officers found that three women and a man had been recruited in Mauritius by an employment agency promising work abroad. They had each been given an invitational letter to show to immigration officers in case they were asked about their reasons for coming to the United Kingdom - one letter said that the purpose of the visit was to visit the Chelsea Flower show, and another referred to Christmas shopping and sightseeing.All four had been brought into the United Kingdom via Heathrow airport, where they had been met by either Mr or Mrs Chellapermal. Mr Chellapermal had driven two of the women to Glen Eden care home on Richmond Road, and Mrs Chellapermal had placed the other woman and the man on a train to Worthing, where a taxi had picked them up and taken them to the Carleton House care home on Lawrence Road. All the victims were working between 70 and 90 hours a week for only £450 per month. They did not receive pay slips or national insurance numbers, were not allowed to leave the addresses unescorted, and were prevented from seeing doctors or attending hospital for treatment. They received very little time off, often working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. One of the female victims had been told, by Mrs Chellapermal, that she needed a French passport to work in the United Kingdom. Mrs Chellapermal had charged her £2,200 for it, deducting £100 per month from her wages. Mr and Mrs Chellapermal were charged in July 2008. Following their conviction yesterday, Detective Inspector Andy Cummins of the joint UK Border Agency and Sussex Police immigration crime team said:'Human trafficking is an appalling crime where people are treated as commodities and traded for profit. It is a modern form of slavery. The joint immigration crime team's overall aim is to make the UK a hostile environment for trafficking and protect victims and potential victims from this abhorrent crime. 'In this case, the Chellapermals have not only knowingly and willingly exploited these people but have blatantly flouted the immigration laws of the UK. 'The UK Border Agency and Sussex Police will not tolerate this type of abuse and will work closely to prosecute those responsible.'Roxy Boyce of the Care Quality Commission, which regulates care services for adults in England, said the residents of the care homes had been assessed and transferred to other homes. At present, both homes are empty. John Dixon, West Sussex County Council executive director for adults and children, said the prosecution had 'demonstrated exemplary partnership working between the agencies involved'. Sentencing of Mr and Mrs Chellapermal is expected on 17 July 2009 at the Inner London Crown Court. Mauritius is a 'non-visa' nation. This means that Mauritian nationals who want to visit the United Kingdom do not need to go to the British Embassy in Mauritius and apply for a travel visa. When they arrive at a United Kingdom airport, if they can satisfy the immigration officer on entry that their visit is for holiday or visiting friends or family, they will be given six months' entry clearance with no entitlement to work or to claim public funds.It could be addiction to and affliction of power, paranoia or the legitimate fear for one’s life in high office. For public office earns one friends and enemies in equal measure. It could also be a status symbol or fear you never know when your head is on crosshairs of a gunman’s binoculars. For out there could be lying a vile criminal or lunatic baying for your blood. Whichever the case your average Kenyan politician is not far from a concealed gun that could be whipped out anytime to his defence. He could be the wielder or the mean face around him. But dig deeper into the entourage of our leaders and you will be surprised: they are well guarded, pampered and flattered. Matters of the economy that last year grew slower than that of lawless Somalia and barely outpaced Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, behind the faÁade of untaxed huge salaries, razor-wired homes, with heated swimming pools, the palatial homes that only pale in comparison to Microsoft founder Bill Gate’s, your leader could be living on another planet. MORE

It could be addiction to and affliction of power, paranoia or the legitimate fear for one’s life in high office. For public office earns one friends and enemies in equal measure. It could also be a status symbol or fear you never know when your head is on crosshairs of a gunman’s binoculars.  For out there could be lying a vile criminal or lunatic baying for your blood.  Whichever the case your average Kenyan politician is not far from a concealed gun that could be whipped out anytime to his defence. He could be the wielder or the mean face around him. But dig deeper into the entourage of our leaders and you will be surprised: they are well guarded, pampered and flattered. Matters of the economy that last year grew slower than that of lawless Somalia and barely outpaced Robert Mugabe’s Zimbabwe, behind the faÁade of untaxed huge salaries, razor-wired homes, with heated swimming pools, the palatial homes that only pale in comparison to Microsoft founder Bill Gate’s, your leader could be living on another planet. - MORE

Thanks for your support

The Seeds family would like to take this opportunity to thanks family and friends of the Seeds who joined to us at our Pre-Wedding ceremony on Saturday 6th June, 2009 in London. Your generous contribution helped us to raise enough money for the wedding and breaking the record of any other pre-wedding ever held in London within our community. Thanks once again to all the Guests of Honours. We would also like to thank Mrs. Cecilia Muchemi the wife of the Kenya High Commissioner, Bishop Climate Irungu, Bishop Njuguna Warui and the Bishop Jeremiahr from Naivasha. The same goes to the pastors and all those present. Not forgetting the Nottingham and Oxford team. You are true friends.

LUO PROVERB

Jarikni kata mirikni kideny.

He/she who is ever in a hurry never goes without food.

An early bird catches the worm.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Maneno makali hayavunji mfupa.

Words alone wont break bones.

What is the world's largest underwater mountain? The world's largest underwater mountain is Mauna Kea, which is a dormant volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Mauna Kea rises 19,678 feet or 5,998 meters from the ocean floor before breaking through the surface and then rising another 13,796 feet or 4,205 meters to it's peak. In total , from is base to it's peak, Mauna Kea is a mountainous 33,474 feet or 10,203 meters tall. - MORE

Kenyans and good thinkers as well good copy cats - see below

Watch and laugh your head off at the creativity of Kenyans!!!!! (its not vioja mahakamani!!) -  http://vioja.com/play.php?vid=758
 

LEFT: The Sunday Express believes Gordon Brown has just four days to save his Premiership. RIGHT: What time the Prime Minister has left in office could depend on the European election results, according to the Observer.

"Many times if you set your mind on the surroundings your carnal mind will speak defeat to you." - 7 Pillars of successful marriage book by Rev. Wangaruro

Members of the public in Kisii where a building under construction collapsed and trapped several people underneath on Saturday.

Witnesses reported seeing at least 10 construction workers trapped between building blocks. There were frantic scenes after a freak downpour forced rescuers to suspend their operation. Relatives of the victims, some communicating to their kin by mobile phone, milled the scene in Kisii town. Nyanza deputy police boss Larry Kieng’ told the Nation that it was unclear how many people were in the building at the time it collapsed. “We do not want to speculate, I do not want to say that there were 10 or five. All I know is that four people were rescued while one has been confirmed dead.” He was reacting to claims by a section of the members of the public that the death toll could be as high as 10. Mr Kieng’ said that structural engineers had been dispatched to the scene to investigate the cause of the disaster. “The engineers are going to give us a report on what could have happened before we possibly prefer charges against any body,” he said. A man believed to be the owner of the premises took off after members of the public threatened to lynch him. Saturday’s incident took place at about 2 pm, when the top floors came tumbling down, trapping the masons who were working on the ground floor. The Kisii disaster is the latest in a series of such incidents, which have raised questions about enforcement of the building code. A building in downtown Nairobi collapsed in January. There were several other such incidents last year. The most serious collapse in recent times occurred in 2006 when a building with over 280 construction workers in Nairobi came down, killing nine. There was drama in Kisii town after residents who were fetching water at a stream near the scene of the collapse screamed after the ill fated building came down. Workers of a road construction Company H Young, abandoned their work and offered four earthmovers to help in the rescue operation. Four ambulances were also at hand to rush those rescued to hospital.

Blood wars: Fathers and sons battle it out for family wealth

A silent war over property pitting children against their ageing wealthy parents is raging in Kenya.

The battle is largely being fought in the courts where children of wealthy individuals have filed cases seeking a share of their parents’ property while their elders are still alive. However, reports show that some disputes are turning violent. One such case ended in tragedy two weeks ago when a man in his 50s was arrested in Igoji, Meru, after he slashed his son to death in a succession dispute. Neighbours said the man had clashed with his son after the son demanded a share of the father’s property.

Although property disputes are a common fixture in the courts, children suing their living parents for a share of their wealth is a new phenomenon. Interviews with children of parents who acquired their wealth in the 1950s and 1960s reveal bitter discontent with what they say is the meanness of their fathers who are in their late 70s and 80s. But the men who are entering their sunset years say their offspring should work for their own wealth rather than merely wait in the wings to claim their fathers’ riches.The most recent case involves former Starehe MP and city tycoon Gerishon Kirima and his 52-year-old son, Wanjau Kirima.

The younger Kirima is demanding a share of rental income from five properties in Nairobi. He is seeking court orders to be allowed to jointly collect rental income with his father. In his sworn affidavit, he says his father is his business partner in Kirima & Sons, which trades as land and estate agents, auctioneers and general merchants. He claims that his father, who is over 80 years old, suffers from health complications, and that his condition has deteriorated. “He is currently diabetic and suffers from prostate cancer, is impaired on one eye with less than 50 per cent vision in the other eye” the younger Kirima says in the affidavit. He said that his father’s poor health coupled with the fact that he is semi-illiterate makes him completely unable to run and manage the affairs of the partnership. MORE

The First Interaction of the Newest Member of Your Family with the Church...'Baby Dedication'

The arrival of a new baby is a time of rejoicing for any family. The newness of life often brings a special freshness toward all of life. Often, during this time, parents want to do something in the church building to celebrate their joy with others and to present their child to God for blessing. Children are a gift from God, and like everything good in life, they come from God and they belong to him. Parents are caretakers of the children God has given to them. The joy of Jesus' birth was shared with the people of God in the house of God, and like most Jewish parents in those days, Joseph and Mary brought Jesus to the temple to be presented to God. Long before this time, godly parents presented their children to God. And to this day, parents bring their children to God, asking for his blessing. Recently, Rev. & Mrs Anthony Gichuhi of Remnant Christian Centre, Stratford, London, and two other parents had their children dedicated at a very colourful ceremony in the Christian Centre on 31st May 2009.

Pastor Anthony Kimani, left, of Likewise Christian Church, Ilford, dedicating Rev. & Mrs. Anthony Gichuhi's son, Abenezar Kimani Gichuhi. The Remnant Christian Centre's Sunday School children, right, entertaining the guests during the dedication ceremony. MORE

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga went to bury the mother of their late compatriot in the ‘Second Liberation’ but got a tongue-lashing instead. The two leaders were attending burial of Mama Esther Nekesa, mother of late Vice-President Kijana Wamalwa. Standing on the graveside of Nekesa’s grave, the two leaders rekindled memories of the many wars they fought with Wamalwa, including the struggle for a new constitution, and the successful removal of Kanu in the 2002 General Election. Among those who roasted Kibaki and Raila was immediate former Justice Minister Martha Karua, particularly over the slow pace of reforms, splintering in the Grand Coalition, rogue police, and the Judiciary. "I left your Government a few months ago. I am in the opposition and I will push you into action," Karua said. Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale, Cyrus Jirongo (Lugari) and Assistant Minister Wakoli Bifwoli and Karua turned the burial at Sichei village, Bungoma West District, into a forum to upbraid the two principals. Karua told Kibaki and Raila they signed the National Accord to lead from the front, and as such they should contain their political lieutenants in the Party of National Unity and the Orange Democratic Movement, who have taken a hard-line stand on constitutional review. The two principals listened pensively but picked up the gauntlet when given the chance to speak. Those in the VIP tent included Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet Ministers Moses Wetangula, Fred Gumo, Noah Wekesa and Soita Shitanda. - MORE

Kenya Airways posts Sh5.6 bn loss

National carrier Kenya Airways (KQ) reported a loss of 5.66 billion shillings in the year to end March on Friday due to fuel hedge costs, after a revised pre-tax profit of 6.52 billion a year earlier. The airline's Finance Director Alex Mbugua blamed the performance on the collapse of the oil price: "In September 2008, all hell broke loose, it fell like the Titanic." One of Africa's leading carriers, Kenya Airways has a fuel hedge policy where it has fixed the price it will buy jet fuel until December 2010. During the year to March, it reported a loss of 1.37 billion shillings from fuel derivatives after a 1.89 billion gain the previous year. It also included an unrealised fuel hedging loss of 7.5 billion for the period to the end of next year. Kenya's post-election violence in the first quarter of 2008, last year's high oil prices and the effects of the global downturn also contributed to the loss. Despite the difficult climate passenger traffic rose 2.3 percent, with strong growth of 15.7 percent in West and Central Africa. Passenger yields were up 6 percent. The carrier declared a dividend of 1 shilling from its cash reserves, he told an investment briefing. Like other airlines across the world, Kenya Airways was hit hard by last year's record high prices of crude oil, which peaked at $147 per barrel in July, before retreating this year on the global financial crisis.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1911 - Rika ria Ûgimbi (Millet)

MALI'S TIE DYE

10 dead as another building collapses in Kisii

Ten people are feared dead after a three-storey building under construction collapsed in Kisii town. The building caved in on the victims at Gudka, near Daraja Moja, at midday on Saturday 6th June, 2009. Witnesses said majority of those trapped in the rubble were construction workers. Rescue efforts were under way by the time of going to press. Good Samaritans, though unequipped, rescued three workers from the rubble and rushed them to hospital. The incident brought business to a standstill as residents rushed to witness the incident. A survivor, Mr Momanyi Nyatome, told The Standard on Sunday at the scene ten of his colleagues were trapped inside. "More people could be trapped in the debris, but I only remember about ten of my workmates. They were still alive by the time I escaped," Nyatome said.  A shaken Nyatome said they were plastering the house when it collapsed.  Mr Methuselah Sereti, who works with Kenya Seed Company next to the ill-fated building, said he heard a bang while in office. "I rushed out only to see people escaping from the collapsing building under construction," he said. Police arrived 30 minutes later in plainclothes and could not control the crowd.  Angry residents almost lynched a man said to be the owner of the building. He was watching the rescue from a safe distance. But police shielded him and took him away from the crowd. Local OCPD Augustine Kimantiria and District AP Commander Isaac Alimaa took charge of the operation.  The building was said to have been erected on a road reserve. Kisii District Environment Officer Jasper Maranga said the building was sitting on a wetland, adding they had warned the developer to conduct an environmental impact assessment in vain. Maranga said most buildings in the area were constructed on wetland and was risky. "Private developers in this town don’t want to follow the right channels but prefer short cuts thereby endangering the lives of many," Maranga said. By the time of going to press rescue operation was still going on. - The Standard.

All internet and phone traffic should be recorded to help the fight against terrorism, according to one of the UK's former spy chiefs.  Civil rights campaigners have criticised ministers' plans to log details of such contact as "Orwellian".  But Sir David Pepper, who ran the GCHQ listening centre for five years, told the BBC lives would be at risk if the state could not track communication.  Agencies faced "enormous pressure" to keep up with technology, he said.  "It's a constant arms race, if you like. As more technology, different technology becomes available, the balance will shift constantly."  The work of GCHQ, which provides intelligence on foreign and domestic threats, is so secretive that until the 1980s the government refused to discuss its existence.

Barbers are banned from shaving off people's beards by the Taliban

Men who have fled the fighting in the Swat valley between the Pakistani military and the Taliban have little to cheer them. They have left their homes, lost their jobs and gone though the ordeal of becoming displaced people in their own country But some have found freedom to pursue their profession only after arriving in camps set up to provide people fleeing the fighting food and shelter. These people are the barbers who were banned from shaving off people's beards by the Taliban. There are about seven barbers in Rangmala, a camp for displaced people which is a couple of kilometres from Malakand Top. Although they want to go back home once the Taliban have gone they are relishing the chance to work without being threatened.

Gunmen kill Somali radio director

Nairobi, Sunday 7th June, 2009. Gunmen in Somalia have killed the director of influential Radio Shabelle. Moqtar Mohamed Hirabe was shot several times in the chest and head, one of his colleagues - who was injured in the attack in Mogadishu - said. The colleague, Ahmed Omar Hashi, remains stable in hospital. Somalia is one of the most dangerous countries for journalists. The attack comes amid uncertainty over the fate of influential Islamist leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. A pro-government militia claimed on Saturday that Mr Aweys had been killed in fighting. A spokesman for his militia said he was still alive. But the fact that there has been no word from Mr Aweys himself has fuelled rumours that he was killed by pro-government fighters, says the BBC's Will Ross. The opposition leader returned to Somalia in April after a two-year exile. Somalia has not had a functioning national government for 18 years. Journalists working for Radio Shabelle have often come under attack since the independent station began broadcasting in 2003. Hirabe, 48, is said to be its third journalist to be killed this year. Some reports suggest he may have been killed by members of Mr Aweys' militia, angered at the report that their leader had been killed.

Nairobi bids Nzimbi farewell

Nairobi, Kenya, June 7 - A farewell service for outgoing Anglican Church Archbishop Benjamin Nzimbi was held on Sunday in Nairobi with calls on the church leadership to remain focused. Reverend Stanley Ntagali who delivered the sermon at the All Saints Cathedral said church leaders were accountable to the people they served and to God, hence the need to be responsible. He urged the clergy to emulate Archbishop Nzimbi whom he termed as a true servant of God. “You preach the gospel with no compromise, your Grace you will always be remembered for that and you are one of the few leaders in the global south preaching the gospel to transform the Anglican Church,” Rev. Ntagali said. “You led the house of Bishops here in Kenya and the clergy and Christians of the church of Kenya to stand in truth and to reject and condemn sin.”

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IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

IKO NIN BWANA SEED? JUNE 2009 - PART ONE 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 2009IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - PART ONE IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - TWO IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - THREEIKO 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, 2008IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008 IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - OCTOBER, 2008 IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - SEPTEMBER 2008