IKO NINI BWANA SEED SEPT one 2011

A Kenyan man was hospitalized in a critical condition after he was attacked in St. Petersburg last week. The man suffered wounds to his head and body, Interfax reported. A day later, police detained a 39-year-old suspect, who allegedly attacked the Kenyan citizen in order to help the owner of a store reclaim debts owed to him by the Kenyan man. The man attacked the Kenyan with a baseball bat and then disappeared. The motive for the crime was the Kenyan’s failure to pay back a debt owed to the store owner, according to the city’s investigative committee. - www.times.spb.ru

Pastor Joseph Njuguna's visitor from USA arrived in London on Friday 2nd September, 2011 for several conference in UK. The first conference takes place this weekend. See below:

http://youtu.be/1OPNvDPLaP8
Saturday 3rd September 2011:
4pm to 6pm - WOMEN CONFERENCE,WAILING WOMEN WIN
6.30pm to 8.30pm - PROPHETIC REVIVAL CONFERENCE
Sunday 4th September 2011:

1.30pm to 4pm - PROPHETIC REVIVAL CONFERENCE
VENUE: One Love Centre, 1 Bishops Avenue , Newham, London ,E13 0RB,
OFF PLAISHET ROAD.

speakers. Prophet Enrico Link Sr & Evangelist Euranda Link from FL - U.S.A

Apostle Joseph Njuguna
Presiding Bishop of Shekinah Glory Tabernacle International Church
Member of the International College and Council of Bishops, UK, USA
Cell/Mobile: +44(0)7852256427 - Web Site: www.manofgod.co.uk
Email : info@manofgod.co.uk

A man is in custody in California after being accused of biting a python in what police said was an apparently unprovoked attack on a pet snake

The Python (left) which was bitten by a man who said he could not remember what he had done as he was drunk. The python (right) is now recovering at an animal sanctuary after losing a few ribs.

David Senk, 54, was arrested on suspicion of unlawfully maiming or mutilating a reptile, Sacramento police Sergeant Andrew Pettit said. The badly injured snake underwent surgery after losing a few ribs. Speaking from prison to KOVR-TV in Sacramento, Senk said he had no recollection of the incident after having blacked out from drinking but felt "horrible as hell about it". Asked why he might have bitten the snake, Senk replied: "I get drunk, I get crazy. I don't know. I've been an alcoholic for a long time." Senk was taken into custody after police, responding to a report of an assault, found him lying on the ground with blood on his face. Officers were told by another man and a woman that Senk had taken two large bites out of their python when they let him hold the snake, Sgt Pettit said. "There was nothing to indicate that the snake provoked him at all. He (Senk) just out of the blue took a bite," he added. "From what I understand, he didn't say anything. He was pretty incoherent." The beige and brown-coloured snake, measuring three to four feet in length, was reported to be recovering after a vet stitched it up. Senk said he was "not too fond of snakes (but) I try not to bite them. It's the other way around usually," he added. "They bite me."

Last weekend, I had an interesting conversation with a gentleman who told me that he has finally figured out why there are so many unmarried women. According to him, today’s marriage has been fashioned by and around women and it is no longer as attractive as it was in the past. Back then, marriage delivered serious social mileage for men, who would end up being treated like demi-gods and lived blissful lives of being served by (usually more than one) woman. How things have changed.

Today’s women are accused of making marriage a most unattractive proposition for the average man. To begin with, every woman wants to start her marriage with a fairy tale wedding. She wants to leave all her friends luminously green with envy as she decks herself out in the grandest dress possible. She wants to be ferried to church in the longest stretch limo possible and to have a reception that shatters all records – never mind what it does to the bank balance of a fellow just starting out on his career. Most brides today will squeeze all their fiancé’s pores and financial wells to ensure that their wedding earns the title of being best and most lavish. Bagging a man is not enough for today’s bride – she must also lead him to the altar in the grandest, most expensive manner.

What is driving most men nuts today is that the man is expected to pay for all of this. Brides conveniently forget the 50-50 sharing rule when it comes to wedding spending. They also shift the goal posts when it comes to traditions and modernity. Only on matters wedding to brides insist that traditional rituals of paying ridiculously high amounts of bride price and having endless ceremonies be adhered to. So even when a man meets a girl he wants to marry, he almost always knows he is going to be skinned and rendered broke come wedding day.When you add expense to commitment phobia, you understand why men are shying away from becoming grooms.

Men, on the other hand, believe that their sweeties should instantly become compliant and malleable wives who pander to all the whims and needs of their newly acquired husband. In the past, most wives abandoned all their girlish ways to devote their entire lives and days to their wazees. Today’s wives refuse to shed the ‘gal’ tag when they become wives. They demand their space and right to spend all day in a spa and all night with the girls. The 21st century wife refuses to put all her eggs in the mothering basket, and she views herself as entrepreneur, corporate queen and diva. She has no qualms with delegating most of her wifely duties to the ever present nanny, house-help and even to her hubby. She feels nothing if she is domestically inept and cannot scramble an egg or iron her man’s shirt; outsourcing is her panacea for all chores. So the chic wife demands and expects that her husband learn how to take care of the kids and house in her absence. He must be perfectly at ease with her girls’ nights out especially when she comes home too sodden to be of any use to him or her house.

Today’s husbands must learn how to servant spouses, unlike in the past where they were lord and king. To a man, the idea of marriage has lost a lot of its allure.

What irks men most today is that women are impatient and allergic to misery and suffering. Their mothers felt so blessed and lucky to have the hubby-home combo that they often put up with chauvinistic, overbearing, ill-mannered men who happened to be their husbands. Social convention had taught them to put up and shut up so that their children would grow up in a family setting, no matter how fractured and dysfunctional. The wives of today have zero tolerance for men who fall short – especially those who fall short of fortune and affection. Men of today know that very few women will look upon them with any form of favour if they are lacking financially.

‘Broke and married’ is so not on nowadays. In the event that the woman overlooks such matters on wedding day, she usually expects the man to make monetary good and make it very fast. By the time baby number one comes along, the woman wants to be assured that her children can attend those expensively priced kindergartens and that she has a family residence in the leafy suburbs. She expects that the hubby provides a car that leaves both his bank account and her friends’ mouths wide open.

Today’s marriages are not about waiting for things to happen in the long-term; it is about expecting them to happen now. Most marriages today come with an unspoken exit clause; you had better make this marriage be for better because if it gets worse I will take off very fast. Men today know that they have to bear all manner of brunt whenever they do not meet the material and emotional expectations of their spouses. The wives of today do not believe in ‘till death do us part’. They would much rather part, taking half their hubby’s earnings with them. According to most men, today’s marriage has been set up to punish men for centuries of domination over women. Women are trying to render the man mentally, emotionally and physically bankrupt. The challenge is how to be a relevant husband to a wife who sees herself as an empowered chick who can exit at any time and take the man to cleaners for good measure.

Police in Greater Manchester have said they are now investigating seven deaths, and potentially 40 suspicious poisoning, at a hospital in Stockport. Prosecutors have dropped all charges against nurse Rebecca Leighton in connection with three deaths on two wards at Stepping Hill Hospital. Ms Leighton, who spent more than six weeks in custody, said she had been "living in hell", locked up in prison for something she had not done. Prosecutors said it was "no longer appropriate" to continue proceedings against the 27-year-old, who was accused of contaminating saline drips. It was so frustrating for me knowing that the person who actually carried out these terrible acts is still out there, Nurse, Rebecca Leighton, said.

Former Met Police Detective Peter Bleksley told Sky News the investigation would be "resource-intensive" as they potentially had so many victims. "This is a low-tech crime," he said. "These (saline) bags are not checked in and checked out, they do not have independent serial numbers. "At the bottom of the bag there is a one-way valve - they are designed to have things injected into them." Four of those whose deaths are being probed have yet to be named but their families are aware that the cases have been referred to police by Stockport coroner John Pollard.

Detectives had previously announced they were looking at the suspicious deaths of Tracey Arden, 44, Arnold Lancaster, 71, and Derek Weaver, 83. Two other patients, George Keep and Vera Pearson - both 84, were also linked to the inquiry but their deaths were later ruled out as not suspicious. Ms Leighton left HMP Styal in Cheshire on Friday and went home to her parents David and Lynda after spending 45 days in custody following her arrest. Speaking on her behalf, her solicitor Carl Richmond said: "It was so frustrating for me knowing that the person who actually carried out these terrible acts is still out there." Last month at a bail application hearing, her barrister told a judge at Manchester Crown Court that the case against her was "weak" and she had "no case to answer". CPS prosecutor Nazir Afzal said that "on the evidence currently available there is not a case in law which could proceed". VIDEO

President Mwai Kibaki Friday at State House, Nairobi, witnessed the swearing-in of 28 newly appointed Judges of the High Court. The colourful ceremony which was conducted Friday by Chief Registrar of Judiciary Gladys Boss Shollei was also witnessed by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. During the occasion, President Kibaki urged the newly appointed judges to focus on executing their mandate in accordance to the laws of the country and not to be distracted by prophets of doom. President Kibaki expressed confidence that the Judges were equal to the task ahead of them and urged them to use their vast knowledge and skills to restore Kenyans' faith in the country's judicial system. Noting that Kenyans accomplished a milestone by passing the new Constitution, the Head of State expressed joy that important legislation and creation of important constitutional commissions had so far been achieved in order to consolidate the implementation of the constitution.

In this regard, the President congratulated the new judges on their appointment through a transparent and very competitive process and called on the Judiciary to play her rightful role in the remaining phases of the constitution implementation process. In his remarks Chief Justice Willy Mutunga underlined that with the recruitment of the new judicial staff, the cornerstone of a transformative judiciary had been entrenched while the process of recruitment was expected to continue to lower echelons of the institution. The Chief Justice also confirmed that vital dialogue between the three arms of the Government was taking place for the benefit of the nation which he asserted was bigger than any of the three branches. Of the 28 appointed judges, 13 are women while 15 are men. Also in attendance were Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Lands Minister James Orengo, Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb Francis Muthaura, Chief of Defence Forces Julius Karangi, Attorney General Prof Githu Muigai, members of the Judicial Service Commission, senior Government officials and family members of the newly appointed judges.

An amateur taxidermist has caused controversy over his hybrid animal stuffings which combine body parts from creatures that have been killed on the roads. Andrew Lancaster, 57, took up taxidermy in his spare time 14 years ago – shortly after moving from England to New Zealand. Entirely self- taught, Mr Lancaster has experimented with animal creations for the last two years, regarding the work as ‘art’.

“Some people call me sick and some think it’s pretty good,” Mr Lancaster told New Zealand website Stuff. “I saw heaps of dead things on the side of the road and thought it was a waste. When I’m driving along the road and see something I pull up and go back for it,” he admitted.

Mr Lancaster, now living in Tauranga, New Zealand, sells the animal hybrids on Trade Me – the Kiwi equivalent of Craigslist. Working during the day as a marina caretaker, he creates his custom animals in the evenings and on days off. The amateur taxidermist said he collects birds, pheasants, rats, ferrets and has even found possum babies – discovered inside of their mother’s pouch. Mr Lancaster insists that he only works on animals he finds dead and would never hunt an animal.

The unique hybrids have developed a following as his Facebook site ‘Andrew Lancaster Taxidermy Creations’ currently has 241 fans. Mr Lancaster’s wife has stopped him from keeping many of the animals but he admitted to keeping a pheasant that he “picked up from the road one morning”.

The second day of confirmation hearings at International Criminal Court kicked off as scheduled with the prosecution giving evidence against the suspects. The Prosecution lawyer Cynthia Tai told of how Eldoret MP William Ruto and Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey funded youths to attack and evict the Kikuyus from Rift Valley. The prosecution said Ruto as a powerful Kalenjin leader headed a multifaceted network that also financed by a local business man. The prosecution said evidence by witnesses revealed that youths who attending meeting by convened by the suspects were each paid Sh 4000. The funds Tia said funds were used to compensate people for attending meetings, purchase weapons. She said Ruto elders enlisted the support of elders to carry out the attacks. According to the witnesses there were three generals s who in charge of three different in Rift Valley. Prosecution says ex military generals Koech was commander North Rift, Cheruiyot South Rift and GSU's Cherambos Central Rift. They worked with direct perpetrators and other subordinates responsible for the attacks. They in early December moved identifying Kikuyu homes for the attacks and also burnt their homes and property . The generals were appointed in a meeting held on 13th December . Ruto is said to have supported them by giving logistical support. To motivate the perpetrators who carried systematic attacks, the two MPs promised them immunity assuring them they will be in power and nothing will be done to them. The attackers were each promised Sh50,000 and land for every Kikuyu killed. The Prosecution also addressed systematic PEV attacks against civilian population displaced in the Rift Valley. The Prosecution will address in detail the eight meetings that the Network used to execute the plans. Hearings continues......

Galatians 5:22-23 (Bible in Basic English)

There are two kinds of people: the controller and the self-controlled. Which one are you? Let's find out: The controller believes that 'the devil does it to them,' or people, or circumstances, so they respond by blaming, resenting, or projecting frustration. They keep trying to manipulate people and circumstances to their advantage. But people and circumstances usually don't submit to our control, so their attempts only intensify their pain and turn their relationships into power struggles. The more they try to control, the worse they feel; the worse they feel the more they try to control. Refuse to live that way. The self-controlled understand that the devil can do nothing to them without their co-operation, and that they don't have to give it. They understand that people and circumstances aren't their problem either - how they deal with them is. So they respond by reminding themselves of three things: 1) The person I need to control is me. 2) Sometimes I must turn the people and circumstances in my life over to God and allow Him to deal with them. 3) I must draw daily on the Holy Spirit's power in order to control my reactions and follow the 'sound mind' principles of Scripture for staying in charge of my life (See 2 Timothy 1:7). As a result they avoid engaging in blame-games, self-inflicted pain, and turning relationships into war zones. Knowing that 'the fruit of the Spirit is...self-control' they understand that the Spirit won't control them, or help them control others and manipulate circumstances, but He will empower them to control themselves. Spirit-empowered people are freed from being part of the problem, and become part of the solution God is bringing about!

I take this opportunity to invite you in our pray Conference Prayer every Morning from 6-7a.m. call this local number in UK Tel 02030042084 pin No.67299# and you will be able to join us for prayers. It is a free number with landline in UK.

Acts of Compassion Project of Dublin, Ireland, launched a new information leaflets on tackling issues of mental health and harm of drugs in communities on Thursday 25th August, 2011. The charitable organisation is headed by Pastor Amos Ngugi (centre, holding two green leaflets) who officiated the launching where he invited Mr. Seed (far right) and his wife Pastor Jane Njiiri (centre in red jacket). The organisation is doing a good job of helping the community in Dublin. If you would like more information on this you can contact Pastor Amos on 0876929777 or actsofcompassionproject@yahoo.com

Florida wildlife officials searched Thursday for an alligator that attacked a 90-year old woman and nearly severed her leg, which doctors later had to amputate. Longtime resident Margaret Webb was walking near her home in a small southwest Florida community Wednesday when an eight-foot long alligator lunged out of a canal and bit Webb's leg. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Gabriela Ferraro said a neighbor was driving by and saw the alligator trying to drag Webb into the water. The man — Dwyane Daniels, who Ferraro called "a good Samaritan — pulled out a gun and tried to shoot the gator. The reptile crawled away and Daniels dialed 911. Webb was airlifted to a Naples hospital, where she is in critical condition. Ferraro said officers initially thought the alligator had swallowed Webb's leg, but that wasn't the case. Her leg was "barely attached" after the attack and was later amputated, Ferraro said. Officers want to find and trap the alligator, she said. "When a person is bitten, our priority is to remove the suspect alligator," she said. Because Daniels shot at the alligator, it's possible that it is already dead. Daniels is an airboat operator in the Everglades and has known Webb his entire life. Residents describe Webb as being "like a grandma" to everyone in the small community. About five people are bitten each year in Florida by unprovoked alligators, officials said. The attack happened in Copeland, a small town in Collier County with a population of 275 people that is located in southwest Florida near the Everglades. - VIDEO

Meet Salome Mbugua the CEA of Akidwa (Akina Dada wa Africa) in Dublin, Ireland. Salome is the National Director of this Charitable organisation. Seen above on left is Salome in her office and on right welcoming Pastor Jane Njiiri in her office in Dublin. Akidwa, a Swahili for sisterhood is an authoritative, minority ethnic-led national network of migrant women living in Ireland, unique domestically and one of only a few such networks in Europe. The lady from Githunguri, Kiambu, Kenya is a shinning star in Ireland. Her contact is is 00353-874150906 or info@akidwa.ie or visit www.akidwa.ie

To create your tomorrow, go over your day when you are in bed tonight just before you fall asleep, and feel gratitude for the good moments. If there was something you wanted to happen differently, replay it in your mind the way you wanted it to go. As you fall asleep, say, "I will sleep deeply and wake up full of energy. Tomorrow is going to be the most beautiful day of my life."

The Netherlands is to spend thirty years and as much as £270 billion building a fake mountain to help the famously flat country become a winter sport superpower. The idea came from a Dutch sports journalist called Thijs Zonneveld, who suggested in a tongue-in-cheek article that a man-made mountain should be built to help overcome the lack of decent hills in his homeland. But his cheeky suggestion was taken seriously by Dutch architects' firm Hoffers and Kruger, who drew up plans for a 7,000ft mountain - that's twice the height of Snowdon, and far bigger than 4,409ft Ben Nevis. The plans caught the imagination of the Dutch, and quickly received backing from the Dutch Ski Association, Dutch Climbing and Mountaineering Association and Royal Dutch Cycling Union. Now, local authorities and several major corporations are getting involved in the idea, with sponsorship deals on the horizon that could help start the far-fetched plan on the road to fruition - and the man who had the original idea is delighted. "This plan is serious," insisted Zoneeveld. "All kinds of big companies have now stepped in, various municipalities and investors are interested."

The project is provisionally named "Die Berg Komt Er", or "The Mountain Comes", presumably in a reference to the phrase, "bring the mountain to Mohammed". A working group has already been set up to look further at the feasibility of the project, which is projected to cost anywhere between £40bn and £270bn and take up to 30 years to build. The basic plan is to construct a skeleton which would then be covered in organic material using technology which already exists to create a truly living mountain - one which, perhaps even more unbelievably, could be located on land or out at sea. Even more surprising, perhaps, the hollow mountain could become a city in itself, with houses, shops, arenas and even roads and railways within. And while the mountain will eventually be used for power production, housing and water supply, Zonneveld insists that it is the love of sport which will make it happen. "Sport is perhaps the main reason why there is so much attention for this mountain," he said. "Sport captures the imagination.”

The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday rejected a request by the Kenyan government to have two representatives present in court, during the ongoing confirmation of charges hearings in The Hague. Presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova ruled that the Kenyan Government had no role in the proceedings. “With all our due respect to the Government of Kenya, we took a decision rejecting the request. “The reasoning goes to the lack of any submission before the Pre-Trial Chamber raising an issue in the pending proceedings and this means the government of Kenya has no procedural standing before this chamber with regard to the proceedings that are running before Pre-Trial Chamber II,” she asserted. In her opening remarks, judge Trendafilova also informed parties in the case that the court would not amend the schedule of hearings as requested by Eldoret North MP William Ruto and radio personality Joshua arap Sang who wanted five more days to respond to the allegations they are facing. The judge further reminded the parties to stick to the rules and procedures of the court as she warned; “any deviations will not be tolerated.” She further clarified to the parties that the confirmation of charges hearings were not a mini-trial; “This chamber does not decide on guilt.”

Mr Ruto, Mr Sang and Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey appeared before the world crimes court as hearings opened on Thursday at The Hague to confirm if they should stand trial for allegedly masterminding the deadly Kenya post-election violence of 2008. The three faces charges including murder, forcible transfer and persecution committed against perceived supporters of Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity following disputed poll results. A potential presidential candidate in 2012, Mr Ruto, 44, as well as Mr Kosgey, 64, and Mr Sang, 35, were supporters of opposition candidate – now Prime Minister – Raila Odinga’s Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and are alleged to have targeted supporters of President Kibaki after the disputed 2007 polls. The hearings, during which prosecutors will try to convince the court they have enough evidence to go to trial, are scheduled to run until September 12. The three men arrived earlier on Thursday at the court’s building in The Hague where Mr Sang told some 20 journalists waiting at the entrance: “I am feeling good, I have just come to explain myself here today.”

“I’m innocent, I’ll always be innocent,” he said. Kenya was plunged into violence after the December 27, 2007 general elections in which then opposition chief Mr Odinga accused President Kibaki of having rigged his way to re-election. They are believed to have been part of a plan “targeting members of the civilian population supporting (Kibaki’s) Party for National Unity (PNU), in order to punish them and evict them from the Rift Valley with the ultimate goal of gaining power and creating a uniform ODM voting bloc.” Prosecutors said some 1,300 people were killed and more than 600,000 displaced in the east African country’s worst outbreak of violence since independence in 1963. A second set of hearings will start on September 21 for three other suspects, including Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Postmaster General Hussein Ali and Head of Civil Service Amb Francis Muthaura. – CapitalFM - VIDEO

A family in Kilifi is in mourning after a relative was killed and her body hidden in a freezer for three months in Saudi Arabia. Ms Mariam Abdalla said she learnt of the death of her daughter, Ms Mwanahamisi Mwitani, a few days ago after her body was found by co-workers in a locked freezer in the home where she worked. The workers said Ms Mwitani, who was preparing to travel back home, was clutching her travel documents, including her passport. The family said she had been reported missing three months ago. Ms Abdalla told the Daily Nation that she spoke to her daughter only once since she went to Saudi Arabia in May 2009. “My daughter travelled using genuine documents and the agent who recruited her is well known. I am asking the government to help me get back my daughter’s body,” said Ms Abdalla. The Nation has established Ms Mwitani was recruited by Al-Shiraa Agency in Kisauni, Mombasa. A few days ago, the Kenyan Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Mr Mohammed Saleh, said some Kenyan workers complained of being treated inhumanly by their employers. Mr Saleh said the government returned home more than 450 workers, most of them househelps, after they were recruited by bogus agents. The Kenyan National Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Omar Hassan, urged the government to act. “We shall take action to ensure rights of every citizen are not infringed,” said Mr Omar. Saudi Arabian labour laws have also been blamed of ill-treatment of foreign workers. Formation of workers’ unions and strikes are strictly prohibited and workers’ travel and movements highly restricted. - Daily Nation.

OVERHEARD BY MR. SEED: "Gûkû Ireland, andû nî matuthagwo mûno" - A Kenyan in Ireland referring to beer drinking which is referred "mûtutho" because of Mûtutho law

Young Jomo Kenyatta arrived in UK in 1928 and was living in a house in Victoria, Central London

MAI MAHIU: This is a upcoming town because two reasons. There is a road being constructed to run from Salama, passing through Ngong, Kijabe and then to Mai Mahiu. Next to Mai Mahiu is where the proposed container deposit is coming. Due to the fact that heavy lorries are destroying the Mombasa, the containers will be coming with railway upto to the proposed deposit. This will be a joint with 4 roads - Road to Narok, Ngong Road, Limuru Road and Naivasha road.

SALAMA -MOMBASA ROAD: A major road parallel to Thika Road is in the pipeline to run from Salama, west of Machakos, Kilimambogo, Gatuanyaga, Punda Milia Sababa and Sagana.

GATUANYAGA THIKA: As Thika spread its wings Gatuanya will be a junction for a road from Thika, To Garissa and to Salama.

BASIL - NAMANGA ROAD: As Kitengela town spreads its wings with high priced plots people are now eying plots in Basil on Namanga Road. This is an upcoming town because it is now the biggest Maasai cattle market.

KENOL ON THIKA ROAD: This town is the end of the Thika Motorway. There is a junction coming up from Kilimambogo for the new Salama-Sagana Road.

White maize is now ready in Mwanaka Farm, Enfield London. The manager Mr. David Mwanaka from Zimbabwe is the first person to experiment this kind of a project where many people disagreed with him. You can get your order from their Farm Shop on 619 Hertford Road, Enfield, London, EN3 6UP. Contact - Shop: 01992 765668 - Mobile: 07708 572914 or 07859 813238 and Email: info@mwanakafreshfarmfoods.com As the United Kingdom is colder than most places where white maize is grown, their maize has a unique taste. Because of this taste many people think that white maize has a better taste than normal sweetcorn. It is usually served in the same way as corn on the cob, but also tastes great when roasted. The kernels can also be crushed to make all kinds of dishes. Try it and you will be pleasantly surprised. They also grow many varieties of large sweet pumpkins. From the pumpkin plants we also supply pumpkin leaves which are a popular nutritious delicacy in many countries including China, Malaysia, India, large parts of Africa and South America. Directions: From M25 exit at junction 25 towards London Enfield. At traffic lights turn left into Bullsmoor Lane. If you are coming from London along the A10, turn right into Bullsmoor lane at the last set of traffic lights before the M25. At next junction with Esso filling station on left, turn right into Hertford Road. Number 619 is opposite the Co-Op. Free parking up to 2 Hrs. Nearest Train Station: Enfield Lock and Turkey Street (a few minutes walk). Buses: Buses 279 and 121 run past the shop.

A dress made from crisp packets, a cow that goes shopping in Austria and the dangers of being a TV reporter. It's the week's weird and wonderful video stories in Newsbeat's Odd Box with Dominic Byrne. - VIDEO

Manchester United has reported a record annual operating profit of £110.9m. Revenue rose to £334.1m for the year to the end of June 2011, also a record, up £45m on the previous year. Headline pre-tax profit came in at £29.7m, compared with a loss last year. The football club is preparing a partial flotation on the Singapore Stock Exchange to raise up to £600m. Last season, Manchester United won the Premier League and reached the final of the Champions League against Barcelona. Turnover in all three major areas of the business increased against a year earlier, with matchday revenue rising to £108.6m from £100.2m, media revenue climbing to £119.4 from £104.8m, and commercial revenue growing to £103.4m from £81.4m. The club was bought by the US-based Glazer family for £800m in 2005. Critics say the family has saddled the club with massive debts, which led to high-profile protests by supporters' groups last season. The latest figures show that net debt has fallen to £308.3m, down from £376.9m a year earlier.

A lightning strike gives a vivid backdrop to the iconic Eiffel Tower, while the Paris landmark is illuminated in vibrant blue lights. Amateur photographer Bertrand Kulik captured the shot which will appear in an exhibition titled "Lumieres celestes, lumieres des hommes", in Issy L'eveque, Burgundy. It was taken 21:02 GMT, 28 July 2008 during a storm in the French capital.

A view of Auckland, New Zealand, is the first image released from the Nigerian spacecraft

Nigeria's latest Earth observation satellites have returned their first pictures. The spacecraft, launched on 17 August, give the African nation a powerful new capability to map its own lands and other parts of the globe. NigeriaSat-2 and NigeriaSat-X will also assist the Disaster Monitoring Constellation. This UK-managed fleet of spacecraft is used to picture regions of the Earth gripped by natural calamities. These might be catastrophic floods or a big earthquake. Images sent down from space will often be critical to organising an effective emergency response. The first picture released from the Nigerian pair is of New Zealand's biggest city, Auckland. It was acquired by NigeriaSat-X, and reveals the buildings and the landscape surrounding this major urban centre.

It is just possible to see the wakes of ships passing under the harbour bridge that joins downtown Auckland with North Shore City. The satellite is equipped with a multi-spectral imager for general mapping, agricultural monitoring and disaster relief work. The resolution in this picture is 22m per pixel. Vegetation is picked out in red. Both NigeriaSat-X and NigeriaSat-2 were designed and built by Surrey Satellite Technology Limited (SSTL) in Guildford, UK. What is interesting about NigeriaSat-X is that the work was undertaken by Nigerian engineers themselves. The skills they have learnt will now be taken home so that they can build future spacecraft in their own country. It is a model previously followed by Turkey. Its engineers received their education at SSTL as well, and the same rocket that launched the Nigerian platforms also launched Rasat.

This remote sensing satellite (7.5m resolution) is the first to have been developed and manufactured in Turkey by Turkish engineers. SSTL Executive Chairman, Sir Martin Sweeting, commented: "NigeriaSat-X is the product of Nigeria's training and development programme here at Surrey. "It is a great credit to NASRDA (National Space Research and Development Agency) and their engineers that this satellite is performing well and its operations are progressing so quickly. "These highly skilled engineers will not only help Nigeria to manage its resources, but also bootstrap its fledgling high-tech economy alongside a growing nucleus of highly trained people." A first picture should be released from NigeriaSat-2 in the coming days. This is a much more powerful platform, able to resolve details on the Earth's surface just 2.5m across. Few countries in the world have access to such a capability.

The International Criminal Court Pre-Trial Chamber says it will retain the confirmation hearings schedule despite calls by MPs William Ruto, Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang to amend the program. In her opening remarks, Presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova invited the defense and prosecution teams urging them to be concise in their presentations. She also warned the parties against unprofessional conduct. Trendafilova said the government of Kenya has no role in the proceedings clarifying that the confirmation hearing is not a mini-trial since the chamber is under no obligation to assume the role of the trial court. The charges against Ruto, Kosgey and Sang are murder, forcible transfer of population and persecution. They allegedly committed the crimes at Kiambaa, Kimumu Turbo and Yamumbi among others. Hearings continues...

Hon. Ruto was on Thursday 1st September, 2011 refused by ICC Court in Hague to return home until the hearing is over

Zimbabwe’s male cabinet ministers have agreed to be circumcised as part of a government programme to encourage more men to campaign in the fight against HIV and Aids, Deputy Prime Minister Thokozani Khupe has said.

''Circumcised men are eight times less likely to contract HIV,” deputy prime minister Thokozani Khupe said.

The southern African country in 2009 launched an ambitious health programme that seeks to circumcise at least five million men. Khupe who heads the social cluster in President Robert Mugabe’s cabinet said she had been met with little resistance from the ministers.  She said ministers were supposed to lead by example if the fight against Aids was to be won. MPs and councilors will also be targeted under the programme. “Our target is to have zero deaths emanating from HIV and Aids. We can only achieve that when the opinion leaders are setting the pace,” she told journalists at the weekend. “People need to understand that HIV is there and no one should think that talking about male circumcision is taboo.” There are 33 male cabinet ministers and deputies and it is not known how many are already circumcised. Khupe said her office had invited a South African health institution to demonstrate circumcision procedures to ministers. Zimbabwe is one of the countries worst affected by the HIV/Aids pandemic. But the rate of infection has gone down, almost halving from 29 percent of the population in 1997 to 16 percent in 2007. Zimbabwe is one of 13 countries in East and Southern Africa participating in a US$2.5 billion programme to circumcise 38 million men – 80 percent of the male population under 49 years old – over the next 15 years. DN

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) has strongly condemned gross violation of human rights of immigrant workers by their employers especially in Saudi Arabia. KNCHR commissioner Omar Hassan said that gross violations such as murder and racism will not be condoned. Hassan said that reports on violations have been on the increase as over 400 Kenyans from United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been repatriated to Kenya over the last four months which is alarming. The commissioner said that the report of the lady found murdered and stored in a freezer for two months is shocking and the matter should be addressed urgently. Speaking at an immigrant workers forum in Mombasa, Hassan said that KNCHR was able to document around 70 statements during a fact finding mission in Mombasa recently. Around 30,000 registered Kenyans work in the UAE, but the number may be more, said Commissioner Hassan, adding that the government should ensure rights of the citizens working in foreign lands is upheld. The KNCHR commissioner noted that MUHURI (Muslims for Human Rights) has so far documented 25 cases and the organization will be used as the vocal point to collect information on such matters. Hassan also recommended that the government vet all recruitment agencies and hold them accountable, and the suspects be charged in court and ordered to compensate victims.

“The greatest revolution of our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives” - William James quotes

Greetings from the Republic of Ireland where we have been visiting for the last one week. There are over 3,000 Kenyans living in the Republic of Ireland. Unlike in the UK, Kenyans in Ireland are concentrated on one area but they spread across island in all areas. Notably is Kenyan village Balbriggan on M1 junction 5. This is the village where most of Kenyans live in Dublin. The road connecting Dublin and Belfast in North Ireland is called M1 just like the M1 in UK. The cost of living in Ireland is high than in UK. Food is also expensive than in the UK for a 1 litre bottle of water going for 1.75 euros while in UK it costs about £1.20. No free plastic bags when shopping and the shops charges 0.22 euro per bag. The houses and roads are copy of UK. The Irish are more friendly. We take this opportunity to thank our hosts in Ireland especially Pastor Amos Ngugi of Acts of Compassion Project in Ireland who hosted us in Dublin and Maryanne Wangari who hosted us in Galway and all Kenyans in Ireland for their hospitality. The Kenya Ambassador in Dublin Mrs. Catherine Mwangi was away in Kenya. We did not visit the embassy in Ireland because it was a public holiday in Kenya on the day we had planned to visit on Wednesday 31st, August, 2011.

A man watches as smoke billows from City Hall basement after a transformer is said to have exploded on September 01, 2011. Business was disrupted at Nairobi’s City Hall after a mysterious fire broke out in one of its wings Thursday. Fire fighters and personnel from Kenya Power were called in to put out the fire that originated from the building's basement. Town Clerk Philip Kisia told reporters that a basement transformer burst into flames due to an overload but the fire was immediately contained and no one was injured. "We cannot, however, establish the immediate extent of the damage," he said. Mr Kisia also suspended activities at City Hall especially those at the cash office. He said services such as payment of parking fees and single business permits will resume Friday.

Eldoret North MP William Ruto's defense team will Thursday take to the stand at the International Criminal Court as the confirmation of charges for three of the six implicated in the 2007/2008 post election violence kicks off at the Hague-based court. Ruto's lawyers will begin making their submissions as from 3.30pm Kenyan time. He faces charges of crimes against humanity along with former industrialization minister Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua arap Sang. The defense team for the three will each have an hour to make their observations on the jurisdiction, admissibility and procedural matters. Prosecutor Louis Moreno-Ocampo will them give his response for half an hour starting from 8pm Kenyan time before the close of court business at 9pm, Kenyan time. Kosgey's lawyers will take to the stand from September 6th as Sang's team prepares to present their oral submissions from September 9th to 10th. Ocampo is expected to question the defense witnesses. Defence lawyers had presented a list of 48 witnesses but the court only allowed two witnesses each. The hearings which run up to September 12th creates an opportunity for the Pre-Trial chamber judges to review Ocampo's evidence against the three and rule if they have a case to answer or not. Confirmation hearings for Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura and former Police Commissioner Hussein Ali will begin on September 21st. The six are accused of various war crimes, including murder, forced deportations and rape during the 2008 post-election violence in which about 1,300 people were killed.

A teenager who survived an attack by a polar bear has been speaking about his escape. Student 17-year-old, Horatio Chapple, died in the attack, during an expedition in Norway, but Patrick Flinders managed to fight the bear off, even though it had his head in its jaws. - VIDEO

Britain’s debt levels are dangerously high and are damaging the economy, according to one of the world’s leading financial watchdogs. Debt in the UK grew faster than in any other major economy in the last decade to £180,000 per household. It means the country is in the danger zone following a ten-year borrowing binge under the last Labour government, a hard-hitting report from the Bank for International Settlements has revealed. Its chief economist, Steve Cecchetti, said: ‘Beyond a certain level, debt is bad for growth. At low levels, debt is good. It is a source of economic growth and stability. But at high levels, private and public debt is bad, increasing volatility and retarding growth.’ The BIS said government, corporate and household debt in Britain jumped from 223 per cent of gross domestic product in 2000, or £2.18trillion, to 322 per cent, or £4.68trillion, in 2010. That is the equivalent of £180,000 per household. The 99 percentage point increase was the biggest of any leading economy and left Britain deeper in the red than any country in the Group of Seven industrialised nations except Japan. The watchdog warned that debt levels in Britain ‘will explode’ unless it gets to grips with future spending on health and pensions as the population gets older.

John 11:22 (Bible in Basic English)

An 11-year-old boy has been given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order for stealing a bin during the recent riots. The child, from Romford in east London, is the youngest rioter in London to face prosecution, according to police. He committed the offence just five days after being given a referral order for arson and criminal damage over an unrelated incident. The youngster took the waste bin, which was worth £50, from Debenhams in Romford on 8 August. Havering Magistrates' Court was told a group of "males" had smashed the windows of the store, causing £6,000 of damage. A policeman spotted the boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, reaching in to take a bin that was on display, magistrates heard. The boy, who admitted burglary, was given an 18-month youth rehabilitation order and told that his local authority would dictate where he lives for the next six months. He was already under a referral order, put in place at the same court on 3 August, for an incident in July when he cut the seats of a bus with a Stanley knife and tried to set fire to the exposed foam.

Banks paid out £215m to compensate customers for the mis-selling of Payment Protection Insurance in the six months to June, the City regulator has said.

Lloyds, RBS, HSBC and Barclays have all had to set aside to cover PPI costs(left), and Customers (right) said they were 'unaware' they were being sold PPI by the banks

The UK's major banks had to return £102m in May and June, after the British Bankers' Association lost its High Court challenge against Payment Protection Insurance (PPI)compensation rules being applied retrospectively. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) said the monthly totals have been gradually increasing and that huge levels of PPI redress are expected in the coming months. Lloyds Banking Group set aside £3.2bn to cover compensation, Royal Bank of Scotland made a provision of £850m, HSBC recorded a £270m hit and Barclays allocated £1bn. Last week, it emerged that profits at Santander had halved after the bank allowed £731m to cover the cost of PPI claims. The figures are based on 16 firms, representing 92% of PPI complaints made in the six months to June. Customers complained they were unaware they were paying for PPI, or did not need the insurance. Margaret Cole, interim managing director of the FSA's conduct business unit, said: "The treatment of PPI complainants has left an indelible stain on the financial industry's record. "By releasing these figures we're providing a useful measure of firms' progress that can be tracked on an ongoing basis." The FSA will continue to publish this data every month. It said it remains 100% committed to ensuring that where consumers were mis-sold PPI they will receive the appropriate compensation from firms.

Wambui (left) has died aged 75 years and on the right she is seen getting married in 2003 to Peter Mbugua, 28, when she was 67-year-old.

Former freedom fighter and controversial politician Virginia Wambui Otieno Mbugua died in Nairobi Tuesday. Mrs Wambui Otieno Mbugua, 75, captured the attention of the entire nation in July 2003 briefly when she married stonemason Peter Mbugua who was then only 25. She first rose to prominence in 1986 following the death of her husband and prominent criminal lawyer SM Otieno when she waged a court battle against the Umira Kager clan over Mr Otieno's final resting place. She claimed that he had wanted to be buried at his farm at Ngong on the outskirts of Nairobi but the Umira Kager clan, represented by retired Appeal Court judge Justice Richard Kwach citing longstanding tribal traditions claimed the body. The case was fought both within the court corridors as well as outside in the political arena. The Umira Kager clan eventually prevailed in court when the Court of Appeal granted their wish to bury SM Otieno. VIDEO

FILE| NATION Uhuru Kenyatta (foreground), William Ruto and Kalonzo Musyoka (right, partially hidden) at a past event.

Five politicians on Monday held talks on strengthening their alliance ahead of the 2012 elections. Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Eldoret North MP William Ruto attended the meeting that was held at the Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi. Others in attendance were Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa and Trade minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, who is said to have represented Internal Security minister George Saitoti. Aides of the five politicians said the meeting reviewed the PNU alliance victory in the just- ended Kamukunji by-election and explored ways of joining forces to defeat Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM in future political contests. The politicians, who declined to speak to the press after the meeting, are said to have discussed various strategies on how to remain united as the country gears towards the next General Election expected next year. “It was purely political. They wanted to send a clear signal to doubting Thomases that the alliance can work. The victory during the Kamukunji by-election proved that the PNU alliance was alive and strong and this is what they want to build on,” said a personal assistant to one of the politicians privy to the meeting’s deliberations. The meeting comes on the eve of Mr Ruto’s trip to The Hague for the International Criminal Court’s confirmation hearings on allegations that he, alongside five others, bears the biggest responsibility for the post-election violence. (READ: Ruto group in prayers ahead of ICC hearing). The five politicians refused to talk to journalists who had camped outside the hotel but their aides revealed that they had discussed various ways of strengthening their unity and penetrating regions still dominated by ODM. “Even though many of them want to run for the presidency, they have agreed to remain united and work together up to the next General Election. They are really determined to make the unity work,” said one of the aides. Of the five, only Mr Mwakwere has not declared his intention to run for the presidency during next year’s election. Two weeks ago, Mr Odinga poured scorn on his rivals’ unity, saying it was doomed to fail.

A Sky News investigating has uncovered evidence High Street banks deliberately mis-sold interest rate protection, leaving hundreds of firms struggling to meet repayments.

Mr Ducker (left) reveals his concerns to Sky's special investigations team while Mr John (right) says he was forced to sell a property to end the arrangement

In an interview with Sky News, ex-Hbos and Lloyds TSB employee James Ducker claims banks flouted guidelines and put profits before customers' interests. The products are known as 'swaps' because the bank and customer exchange or 'swap' loan repayments. If interest rates rise, the bank covers the increase in repayments for the customer. If rates fall, the customer pays a fee back to the bank. The banks contacted by Sky News said they always provided enough information to highlight the potential risks of any products they offer. But investors who entered into 'swap' arrangements claim the risks of low interest rates and exit fees were not explained to them. In an interview with Sky News, ex-Hbos and Lloyds TSB employee James Ducker claims banks flouted guidelines and put profits before customers' interests. The products are known as 'swaps' because the bank and customer exchange or 'swap' loan repayments. If interest rates rise, the bank covers the increase in repayments for the customer. If rates fall, the customer pays a fee back to the bank. The banks contacted by Sky News said they always provided enough information to highlight the potential risks of any products they offer. But investors who entered into 'swap' arrangements claim the risks of low interest rates and exit fees were not explained to them. If rates go up, the bank wins. If rates go down, the bank wins. Was it ever explained to the customer in that way? No. Former bank employee James Ducker Mr Ducker told Sky: "We were selling protection against rates increasing with a lack of consideration if rates fell. "The bank was protected more than the customer and it was normal practice to emphasise the rewards and de-emphasise the risks.

"The pressure to sell these products was immense. We weren't there to help customers or mitigate their exposure.

"My manager described it to me as giving the customer an umbrella, then when it starts raining taking the umbrella away.

"If rates go up, the bank wins. If rates go down, the bank wins. Was it ever explained to the customer in that way? No."

But it is claimed they were marketed to amateur investors, who did not understand the risks. Ex-Welsh rugby national Spencer John turned to property investment after an accident left him unable to play. When I missed a couple of payments, Barclays said I’d broken the deal and charged me £95,000. Ex-rugby player Spencer John. He claims Barclays offered him a development loan but only on condition a 'swap' was part of the deal. When interest rates fell and Mr John could not afford the higher payments, Barclays charged him a fee of £95,000 to exit the 'swap' - something he insists he was not warned about. "Barclays put a 'swap' presentation in front of me but it could have been written in Latin for all I knew; I didn’t understand it. "When I missed a couple of payments, Barclays said I'd broken the deal and charged me £95,000."

Mr John had to sell one of his properties to pay the fee and is now taking legal action against the bank.

Dail Express leads with the news that houses prices in Britain will soar by over 20% in the next five years while Daily Mail claims that last year Scots received £10, 212 per person from the Government - some £1,624 per head more than according to the newspapers. The Times claims that lack of desire by professionals is scuppering thousands of children adoption plans.

Police are appealing for help to identify a man seen running from the scene o a stabbing during the Notting Hill carnival.

The man, who appears to be holding a knife, (left) can be seen fleeing the scene in shots taken by a photographer sent to cover the event. A member of the public can be seen trying to trip the man (left) as he leaves the scene. The victim of the attack in Ladbroke Grove can be seen in the background of the picture. Police say the 20-year-old suffered stab wounds to his abdomen and hand. He is being treated in hospital in central London where he is said to be in a serious but stable condition.

Three men aged 20 and one aged 21 have been arrested in connection with the incident. -Despite the stabbing, Scotland Yard said this year's carnival was "very peaceful", (right). A record 6,500 officers were deployed to police the second day of the event, which saw a total of 214 arrests over the two days, fewer than the 2010 event. The carnival had been subject to an earlier finishing time of 7pm to reduce the risk of trouble following the riots which affected the capital.

:: Anyone who saw the incident or has information that may assist police can call the incident room on 020 8246 9386 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Dr. Lumumba (left) the KACC current bosss is out and Omogeni (right) said the move will not affect ongoing graft investigations and court cases(PHOTO/Elijah Nyandoro)

The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) has been disbanded following the passage of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission Act. KACC Director PLO Lumumba and his assistant directors have been ordered to hand over office to Principal Officers at the anti-graft body with seven days. Addressing a press conference on Monday, the chairman of the KACC Advisory Board Okong'o Omogeni said the action was to pave way for the composition of the new anti graft body, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. The bill that sealed KACC fate took effect Sunday when it was assented to by President Mwai Kibaki. Mr Omogeni said the board would manage the transition for the next 90 days, or until new directors are named. " The Advisoty Board shall oversee the operations of the Commission for the next three months or until the new commissioners come in" said Omogeni. He assured that investigations, court cases and other activities of the Commission shall continue as usual. The KACC Chairman further said the assests, records, documents of the Commission will be fully safeguarded. "We assure all the remaining staff that the Advisory Board has confidence in their work and the nation expects them to continue with achieving their performance goals". Lumumba has been in office for barely one year, having been sworn in on August 6, 2010. Others to leave office are Dr John Mutonyi who has been Deputy Director in charge of Investigations and Asset Tracking, Prof Jane Onsongo, the Assistant Director Preventive Services, lawyer Pravin Bowry Assistant Director for Legal Services and Asset Recovery and Wilson Shollei is the Assistant Director in charge of Finance and Administration. Kaca was reconstituted in 1999, with the appointment of a new director and a new advisory board. In September 2003, the KACC Advisory Board appointed Justice Aaron Ringera as the first director of KACC. Ringera left office last year. KBC

This man, said to be Khamis Gaddafi, (left) was filmed by Libyan state TV weeks ago, and on the right is Muammar Gaddafi's wife Safiya, who, along with three of his children, have reportedly escaped to Algeria. Photograph: Ramzi Haidar/AFP/Getty Images

Rebel commanders say one of Colonel Gaddafi'smost feared sons has been killed in air strike 60km away from Tripoli - as it emerges other members of the dictotor's family have fled to Algeria. Khamis Gaddafi is said to have been in an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser when it was reportedly blasted off the road by a missile apparently launched from a Nato Apache helicopter. Sky's chief correspondent Stuart Ramsay, who is at the scene in Tarunah, southeast of the capital, said a man claiming to be Khamis' bodyguard confirmed that he had died in the vehicle.

The explosion incinerated the 4x4 and was so intense it set nearby trees on fire, Ramsay reports. A senior rebel officer in Tripoli said Khamis had been badly wounded and taken to hospital, where he died of his wounds. Meanwhile, the Algerian foreign minister has said the dictator's wife and three of his other children had escaped to the country earlier today. The rebels' National Transitional Council (NTC), which is in the process of forming an administration to run the country, has said such sheltering of Col Gaddafi's family members was an "act of aggression". It said it would seek the extradition of wife Saifa, daughter Aisha and sons Mohammed and Hannibal. The British Foreign Office said it was aware of the situation, which it said was "a matter for the NTC". Mahmoud Shamman, spokesman for the NTC, said: "We are warning anybody not to shelter Gaddafi and his sons. We are going after them in any place to find them and arrest them." If the battle for Sirte comes down to street-to-street fighting, it is possible that the local population will take up arms themselves, said by Sky's security editor Sam Kiley. Earlier, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Luis Moreno-Ocampo, said Khamis addafi may join his father and brother, Saif al Islam, on the court's most-wanted list. They and Libyan intelligence chief Abdullah al Senussi face arrest warrants on charges of crimes against humanity. Although the whereabouts of Col Gaddafi himself are unknown, there is widespread speculation among rebels that he is holed up in Sirte, 220 miles (360km) east of Tripoli. Rebel commanders say they readying themselves to enter the the former leader's home town for a final battle to gain full control of Libya. Over the weekend, anti-Gaddafi fighters captured Bin Jawad, 100 miles (150km) to the east of Sirte, before they pushed on to the town of Nawfaliyah, 50 miles (75km) away. VIDEO

Kenyan women runners changed a sermon at the weekend. Reverend Father Bill Breslin of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic church in Boulder, Colorado in the US, had to change his sermon midstream after Kenya’s Edna Ngerinwony Kiplagat won the women’s marathon gold medal at the World Championships in Athletics here. It has been a tradition for 32-year-old Kiplagat, a devout Catholic, to visit Fr Breslin’s church for special blessings before embarking on a huge mission, as was the case when she won last year’s Los Angeles Marathon, and again last November, before she went on to clinch the New York Marathon title. Kiplagat’s victory on Saturday started off what ended up being Kenya’s most successful day ever in women’s athletics, the marathon team sweeping the podium, thanks to silver and bronze medal performances by Paris Marathon champion Prisca Jeptoo and Sharon Cherop, the Toronto Marathon champion.

At the end of Saturday, Kenya was on top of the world with a perfect six medals after pint-sized policewoman Vivian Cheruiyot led US-based dark horse Sally Kipyego and defending champion Linet Masai to a sweep of the women’s 10,000 metres title. Only Catherine Ndereba had won the women’s world marathon title before, twice — in Paris in 2003 and in Osaka four years later — but never before have Kenyan women dominated global competition with such devastating effect.

Not even the failure by the Kenyan trio of Peter Kirui, Paul Tanui and Martin Irungu Mathathi to clinch a medal in yesterday’s men’s 10,000 metres final could take the gloss off the women’s performance. “Kenya is very strong, congratulations,” is the ubiquitous line the non-English speaking Koreans will greet you with here thanks to Saturday’s performance. Then they will politely ask if you have a Kenyan flag, pin or any Kenyan souvenir. Kiplagat does some training in Boulder and her American manager, Brendan Reilly, says she is as famous there as in Iten where she lives with her husband, former athlete Gilbert Koech, and their two children. “After winning the New York Marathon last year, Edna had a special Mass dedicated for her and Fr Breslin made her the subject of her sermon. Now almost everyone in Boulder knows her or knows about Kenya,” Reilly told the Nation. Cheruiyot will be out to defend her world title in the 5,000m this week and only the brave can wager against her winning. She will become the first Kenyan woman to win two gold medals at the championships. “The women have opened a window of opportunity for us and we should take advantage and use this window to brand Kenya,” Kenya’s ambassador to South Korea, Ngovi Kitau, said on Sunday. “They have raised the Kenyan flag sky-high and improved our relations with South Korea almost instantly, through sports,” added Kitau who, along with his very helpful secretary, Korean Heena Suh, has shifted his operations from Seoul to Daegu to make sure all of Team Kenya’s needs are met during the championships. Indeed, Kenya’s performance attracted keen interest from the Seoul administration. South Korea’s president Li Myung-Bak, impressed by the Kenyan dominance in the marathon, paid a surprise visit on Saturday to the Team Kenya camp at the Athletes’ Village in the Housing Development District of Dong-gu on the outskirts of Daegu city specifically to congratulate the team.

The UK Border Agency said three Jamaican women, two Jamaican men and a Nigerian man were found to be working illegally and for an agency that supplied workers to the bar

Six cleaners have been arrested by immigration officers following a raid on a city centre bar. Officers from the UK Border Agency made the arrests at Tiger Tiger in the Printworks in Manchester. The operation followed a tip off and is part of a nationwide campaign to tackle illegal immigration. Eddy Montgomery, operations director at the UK Border Agency in the North West, said: "This is the latest in a series of operations we’ve carried out to tackle immigration crime in Manchester, and more are planned. "Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work. Businesses which operate outside the law should be warned that they will be found and they will be punished." -Officers from the agency carried out the raid at 8am yesterday. A spokeswoman said the owners of Tiger Tiger were fully co-operative. The agency said three Jamaican women, two Jamaican men and a Nigerian man were found to be working illegally and for an agency that supplied workers to the bar. Five people have been detained while they await deportation. A 79-year-old man from Jamaica was found to have overstayed his visa and was released on immigration bail.

The agency that supplied the workers could now face a fine of up to £60,000. To avoid the fine, it would have to prove that employment checks were carried out on those arrested. A spokesman for Tiger Tiger said: "We can confirm that our Tiger Tiger bar in Manchester was visited by the UK Border Agency and 6 subcontracted cleaners were detained on suspicion of working illegally in the UK.

"The individuals concerned were not employed directly by ourselves, but via a third party agency. "We have worked with the agency in question for five years to date and have never before encountered such an issue. "We would never knowingly allow any party to work in one of our premises, who was not legally eligible to do so." A spokesman for the agency, Morris Morris UK, said it had taken on the workers from another company. He said he was unable to comment further.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga (left) with the eldest widow of Mr Elijah Masinde, founder of the Dini Ya Msambwa sect, during the commemoration of the freedom hero’s death. Mr Masinde was buried on his farm at Kamkuywa in Kimilili 24 years ago. Looking on is National Heritage minister William Ole Ntimama. Geoffrey Mwanyanya | PMPS

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said those who want his deputy Musalia Mudavadi to launch a separate presidential bid are out to divide the Orange Democratic Movement. He said his unity with Mr Mudavadi to rally behind a single presidential candidate will make ODM stronger. A section of leaders from Western Province have been calling on Mudavadi to ditch ODM and contest the presidency. Raila said the new Constitution has created a level playing ground for all candidates eyeing the presidency pointing out that an able team will be appointed to manage the elections. He appealed to all presidential candidates to accept and respect the winner of next year’s elections to avoid plunging the country into chaos. “All those who want to compete are welcome but we shall have only one winner,” he said.

Raila recalled that poor management of elections by the disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya had plunged the country into chaos. “We scored but they said it was offside, now we are preparing our team to ensure we score and emerge victorious,” he said. Mr Mudavadi said Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa’s presidential bid is bound to fail because even if nominations were held in the G7 Alliance he will be the last. “He has no chance of contesting the presidency under the G7 Alliance,” Mr Mudavadi said. The two leaders, who led more than 20 MPs, were speaking in Bungoma County at the home of the late Elijah Masinde the founder of Dini ya Musambwa sect. Raila said Masinde is a national hero who deserves recognition as provided for in the Constitution. He directed that a mausoleum be built at Masinde’s grave and his house also be made a museum. “We should not forget our freedom fighters who were our defenders or else we shall also be forgotten,” he said.

The elusive malaria mosquito may have just played another masterstroke or finally thrown in the towel, but definitely it has scientists dancing in circles. In Kenya, scientists and project managers believe nets, effective medicines and good management practices are responsible for a big drop in malaria cases but Tanzanians believe the mosquito has just disappeared. Malaria is said to have declined by about 50 per cent in the last five years in several parts of Africa, including Kenya. Until now, the decline has been attributed to mass distribution of nets, more effective malaria drugs and better managed prevention measures. But at the weekend, a Danish-Tanzanian research group tabled evidence showing that the malaria mosquito had disappeared from villages, even those without any organised control programmes. For more than 10 years, the researchers collected and counted the number of mosquitoes in Tanzanian villages. “The number in our traps fell from 5,300 in 2004 to just 14 in 2009, and these were from villages without mosquito nets,” says the lead researcher, Prof Dan Meyrowitsch of the University of Copenhagen, in a statement. These findings, he says, suggest that the pronounced decline in malaria mosquito vectors is not a consequence of bed net use or indoor residual spraying. Prof Meyrowitsch explains that the 99 per cent fall in the malaria mosquito population during the end of the 1990s seems to be connected to a fall in the amount of rainfall received. This, he says, may be due to global climate changes. While the researchers are categorical about the declining number of malaria mosquitoes they are not sure why this is happening and are suggesting more research be carried out.

Officers from the UK Border Agency have uncovered around £2 million worth of cocaine among a shipment of vegetables at Manchester Airport. The 65 kg of class A drugs were discovered yesterday (24 August) in a consignment of 329 boxes of vegetables that arrived from the Dominican Republic. Colin Brown, UK Border Agency assistant director for Manchester Airport, said: 'As this detection shows, our officers are on constant alert to keep drugs and other banned substances out of the UK. 'Anyone with information about activity they suspect may be linked to drug smuggling should call our hotline on 0800 59 5000.' Three men from Oldham were arrested on suspicion of being knowingly concerned in the importation of a controlled Class A drug, namely cocaine. They were later released on bail pending further enquiries.

Bishop Kiogora Magambo of Jesus House of Praise prays for Eldoret North MP William Ruto in Meru town on August 28, 2011. Mr Ruto leaves for the confirmation hearings at The Hague, Netherlands, on August 31, 2011. CHARLES WANYORO/NATION

Pray for us. That was the parting shot of former Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and radio presenter Joshua Sang as they prepared to leave for The Hague. Mr Sang left on Sunday night, Mr Kosgey leaves on Monday night and Mr Ruto on Tuesday for the confirmation hearings starting on Thursday. They are among the six Kenyans accused of bearing the greatest responsibility for the post-election violence that left 1,133 people dead and displaced over 650,000 others. (READ: Kenya's big day as Ocampo set to name six suspects in chaos case). The other suspects are Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasury boss Uhuru Kenyatta and Postmaster-General Hussein Ali, whose hearing starts on September 21. “I have had a praying session with elders from Tinderet today and I urge you to continue praying for us,” Mr Kosgey told mourners at Lelgotet village in Tinderet, Nandi County, on Sunday. Belgut MP Charles Keter asked the Kalenjin to pray for the trio, claiming they were paying the price of supporting ODM in the 2007 General Election. “This problem has been caused by our support for ODM and if we had known we would not have supported the party,” he said. Speaking in Cheborgei at the burial of seven relatives who died in a road accident last week, Mr Ruto blamed their woes on power rows in ODM. He called for prayers for ODM leaders “not to write other letters to the International Criminal Court (ICC) claiming no local court could prosecute me”. At the same time, lawyers of Mr Ruto and Mr Sang have opposed Saturday hearings scheduled by presiding judge Ekaterina Trendafilova. The lawyers said this “far exceeds the bounds of what is reasonable” and questioned the “excessive speed” at which the judge feels the case must be conducted. They argued that the gruelling schedule would deny them time to consult with their clients and attend to personal commitments such as child care and travel. “The single judge recalls the limited purpose of the hearing and reminds all parties and participants to avoid repetitive arguments and to confine themselves to what is strictly necessary in order that the Chamber, which has carefully read all the material available, discharge its functions,” Justice Trendafilova said on Friday. She also ordered the parties to use witness codes or pseudonyms to protect their identity. Only the prosecutor and his team, the defence, the common legal representative of victims, the registrar and members of the Division of Court Services will be in court. The judge has also limited defence witnesses to two and cautioned lawyers against turning the hearings into a mini-trial. Daily Nation.

The study shows an increase in women claiming jobseeker's allowance and the increase follows a spate on high street stores closing

A study carried out by analysts SSentif showed that 129,000 female retail workers were claiming jobseeker's allowance (JSA) last month compared with 94,000 a year ago - a jump of 27%. The increase followed a spate of high street stores going into administration, as well as job cuts in the banking industry. The most recent rises show us that the ongoing pressure on high street spending is resulting in significant female job losses. Judy Aldred, managing director of SSentif, said. The number of women in the domestic and catering sectors who were claiming JSA in July increased by 16% compared with a year ago, the research showed. Women working as care assistants in public firms and the private sector have also been badly affected, with an 18% increase in JSA claimants in those areas, said the report. Judy Aldred, managing director of SSentif, said: "There is no doubt that Government cuts are more likely to affect the jobs of women than men due to more women being employed in the public sector."However the most recent rises in female unemployment show us that the ongoing pressure on high street spending is resulting in significant female job losses. "It is also interesting to see across the board, in both the public and private sector, that it is the lower paid, more administrative-focused jobs that are being hit, with middle-management jobs appearing to be spared at the moment." Sky News

The man behind the world's biggest solar-powered boat has said there is a "huge pontial" to use alternative energy in the industry as ship docks in Hong Kong. Merchant shipping accounts for 4.5% of the world's total greenhouse gas emissions, according to figures from the United Nations. The boat, which can carry up to 50 passengers, travelled from the Philippines to Hong Kong. It began the world tour in Monaco last September.

A boy who crossed a railway track to speak to a girl on the other side has had a narrow escape after being pinned against the platform wall by a 100mph train. CCTV footage from the station shows the 12-year-old boy jumping onto the tracks in Sydney, Australia - but when a train approaches, he bolts back across to catch it.

But the train is not the one he has been waiting for and is in fact a city-bound express which does not stop. The boy then finds himself pinned between the carriages and the platform wall as he fails to scramble out of the way in time. Miraculously, after the train passes, the boy clambers out of the small cavity he has been hiding in, under the lip of the platform.He makes his way to a bench, where he is eventually found by station staff and emergency services are called. The youngster escaped with just a broken elbow, broken leg and cuts and bruises. VIDEO

A performer takes part in the Notting Hill Carnival children's day in London while Police officers stand guard as spectators look the Notting Hill Carnival children's day.

London's colourful Notting Hill Carnival got off to a peaceful start on Sunday, defying fears that Europe's biggest street festival could be marred by a repeat of this month's devastating riots. The two-day, Caribbean-flavoured extravaganza draws up to a million revellers out onto the west London streets to watch troupes of dancers in exotic costumes perform on floats as powerful sound systems pump out music. But there were few early arrests amid a beefed-up police presence Sunday as revellers vowed to put the riots behind them and show off a better side of London life. It's healing for the riots," care worker Graham Randall told AFP.

"It shows everybody who comes here that we can have a good time in the streets, without rioting!" In the weak sunshine, dozens of floats and shimmering dancers in feathers paraded through the Notting Hill neighbourhood on what is traditionally "children's day" at the carnival. "Most of the people rioting were young people, and young people do love events like this. So no, I don't think it (the riots) is going to ruin it," said carnival-goer Shenika Roban. If anything, it'll make it big. I think a lot of people will come here. I don't think anyone will be deterred." Revellers milled between the stalls and thumping sound systems, drinking, dancing, and tasting jerk chicken as the smells of open-cooked Caribbean food wafted through the air. The carnival's history is steeped in a positive response to rioting. It was founded in 1964 following the disturbances in Notting Hill six years earlier that saw clashes between whites and newly arrived immigrants from the West Indies. But the festivities could have been scrapped following England's worst riots since the 1980s. The urban unrest, arson and looting, which started in north London on August 6 before spreading across the capital and to other cities, caused enormous damage and left five people dead. Add to this the Notting Hill Carnival's reputation as a magnet for troublemakers, and many questioned whether the event should go ahead. However, police chiefs and the organisers came to an agreement to keep it on -- including closing early at 7:00 pm (1800 GMT) to allow revellers to disperse before darkness falls. Scotland Yard deployed 5,500 officers on Sunday and 6,500 on Monday, about a thousand more than last year. Around 4,000 extra officers are also on duty around the capital. "This event takes place in the shadow of the disorder we saw across London, so we have reviewed our plans," said Metropolitan Police spokesperson Commander Steve Rodhouse. "It's a very calm day, we've had great fun so far, the sun's shining, people are enjoying themselves, we've made a very small number of arrests, and we're confident in our planning," he added. Police said they had made 33 arrests as night fell Sunday, including for drugs-related offences, thefts, public order offences and assaults. London Mayor Boris Johnson said the carnival would "let the true spirit of London shine through". "We can show the world that the overwhelming majority of London's people are decent, law-abiding citizens who respect the law, love their city and want to celebrate our vibrant, diverse and historical culture," he said. Nevertheless, several shops had boarded up their fronts as a precaution and the authorities were primed. Scotland Yard told AFP it had made 40 arrests ahead of this year's event, targeting known thugs planning to exploit the festival for violence and criminal activity. "We do have intelligence that some gangs do want to come to the carnival and create trouble for us," Rodhouse said.

Probability of Hurricane Irene force service winds (1-minute average > = 75mph) from tropical cyclones (left) and (right) a part of Ney York city

New Yorkers are breathing a sigh of relief as the city escaped the full force of the hurricane that has battered America's East Coast, killing at least 14 people. The dead, from North Carolina, Virginia and Florida, included an 11-year-old boy who died when a tree crashed through an apartment. A 55-year-old surfer who had defied warnings to stay out of the waves was also killed. The tropical storm, which was downgraded from a category one hurricane on Sunday, knocked out power supplies for homes and businesses up the coast, affecting some four million people. One million of those affected live in New York and New Jersey. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie told NBC news that the damage caused by the storm would cost billions "if not tens of billions" of dollars to repair. Torrential rain and winds were reported throughout New York and the National Weather Service issued a tornado alert. The National Hurricane Centre had warned of a storm surge of up to eight feet in the Long Island and New York area.

New York - 'the city that never sleeps' - is rarely hit by big storms and has an ageing infrastructure, leading many to issue dire warnings before Irene struck.

Authorities had taken unprecedented steps to prepare, including mandatory evacuations and a total shutdown of transport systems.

About 370,000 city residents who had been ordered to leave their homes were told they could return on Sunday afternoon.

The New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), the Nasdaq Stock Market and the alternative BATS venue have all said they open for business on Monday as usual.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomburg said no deaths or injuries had been reported but he warned trains and buses may not be running again until Monday afternoon.

"All in all we are in pretty good shape," Mr Bloomberg said, adding that while it would be a "tough commute" to work there had been no long-term damage to the subway system. All flights in and out of New York were cancelled as Irene approached, causing travel chaos across America and internationally.

Air travel in and out of New York area airports remained suspended on Sunday and was expected to resume late Monday afternoon "at best", according to Chris Ward, executive director of the Port Authority. Oil refineries and nuclear power plants along the east coast were set to resume production after suffering little serious damage.

FILE | DAILY NATION President Kibaki is welcomed to 64 Stadium in Eldoret for a rally in January this year by Eldoret North MP William Ruto (left) while on the right, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Eldoret North MP William Ruto shake hands at a past function. File | Nation

President Kibaki surprised his allies and opponents by consenting to the midweek reshuffle that significantly complicated the playing field ahead of the 2012 elections while highlighting a warming of relations between the President and Prime Minister Raila Odinga. The departure of Mr William Ruto and his key allies from the Cabinet and the reappointment of Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula was seen as a setback for the G7 coalition, an alliance of presidential candidates which political analysts thought enjoyed the tacit backing of Mr Kibaki.

The President’s decision to consent to changes that were demanded by Mr Odinga while declining to hand the Foreign Affairs docket to the G7-leaning politician Eugene Wamalwa demonstrated Mr Kibaki’s complex approach to politics and his manoeuvres to protect his legacy. It has also been viewed as a pointer that the President may not play a direct role in the next elections. Prof Peter Kagwanja, a consultant for the government, says the reshuffle left key members of the G7 essentially orphaned, something he argued will play to their advantage since they will contest the next elections as members of the “opposition” without the burdens of incumbency. He said the reshuffle would be seen as a victory for Mr Odinga in the court of public opinion but argued his opponents had also been strengthened.

“The reshuffle has consolidated G7 as a de facto opposition. It has been dismissed by both principals. It is very clear that the leader of the opposition will emerge to be William Ruto and the leaders of the G7 will contest the next elections essentially from the standpoint of opposition.” (READ: Ruto unmoved as Raila acts on party rebels). Prof Kagwanja said President Kibaki had acted to preserve the stability of the coalition. “He has one year to go and so much to do before he retires,” he said. “He has no direct interest in the next election. He wants a stable country with a new constitution that is implemented and needs his coalition partner to achieve that. Those are the considerations that might have come into play.”

The Sunday Nation understands that President Kibaki and Mr Odinga settled on the Cabinet changes more than a month ago. But the announcement of the reshuffle was postponed many times, apparently following strong lobbying of the President and key members of his circle by Mr Ruto’s allies. The other main players within the G7 are Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka. The reshuffle was viewed as the clearest demonstration in months that Mr Kibaki and his coalition partner Mr Odinga are working together more closely than they have since the coalition was formed.

Mr Odinga’s spokesman Dennis Onyango said the President and PM were reading from the same script as they enter the final year of their five-year partnership. “The relationship between the PM and the President is at its strongest. The PM has made a decision to work with the President to help him secure his legacy. He feels he is part of that legacy, too. An honourable exit for Mr Kibaki will be good for the PM because they have worked together for most of the last decade and campaigned together in 2002. The PM believes government works well when they discuss one-on-one and agree on things and problems arise only from other quarters.” Read on...

Parenting style is one of the strongest influences on how much alcohol a child will drink as a teenager and young adult, new research has revealed

Parenting style is one of the strongest influences on how much alcohol a child will drink as a teenager and young adult, new research has revealed. Independent think tank Demos found that bad parenting at 16 made children more than eight times more likely to become binge drinkers at that age and twice as likely to drink excessively when they were 34. While bad parenting at 10 doubled the chances of children bingeing on alcohol in their mid-30s. Researchers analysed data from more than 15,000 children born in Britain over the last 40 years as part of the study. They found the "tough love" style of parenting, which combined warmth and discipline, was the most effective in ensuring against children developing an unhealthy relationship with alcohol. Less effective styles were "authoritarian" parents, who set high standards and employ strict discipline, "laissez faire" parents, who are emotionally engaged but do not set rule or boundaries, and those who are "disengaged" with their children. Demos called on parents and the Government to work together to curb "an entrenched binge drinking culture" among Britain's young people. It recommended that parents develop a warm and loving relationship in the early years of their children's lives and assert discipline and supervision at the ages of 15 and 16. Parents should also set firm boundaries, avoid getting drunk in front of their children and not take a relaxed attitude to under-age drinking, the think tank said. It called on the Government to enforce under-age drinking laws and invest in alcohol-related school programmes that involve parents.

Two people rescued from a sailboat pull themselves to shore (left) after Hurricane Irene (right) causes distruction (Pic: AP)

Hurricane Irene claimed its first victims as it stormed along the east coast of America yesterday. One man died after being hit by a falling branch and another was washed away and feared drowned. A third died of a heart attack while trying to board up his house, according to North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue. The death toll later rose to eight, with one victim a 55-year-old surfer who died in Florida after being injured by heavy waves whipped up by the storm." And last night Manhattan faced being plunged into darkness after New York City’s biggest energy company said it could cut power supplies to prevent damage to underground cables.

Two million people were told to flee as emergency measures were declared in seven US states, prompting the biggest lockdown the country has ever seen. British holidaymakers preparing to fly to the US yesterday faced cancellations, and thousands of others due to fly back to the UK were stuck there. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic were among the airlines forced to suspend passages to New York and other eastern US cities. A BA spokeswoman said: “We are keeping the path of Hurricane Irene under constant review. Due to the predicted impact of the storm, we have taken the decision to cancel a significant number of services to the eastern seaboard.” As many as 6,000 flights into and out of the US were cancelled and, for the first time ever, the entire New York transport system was shut down. “This is probably the largest number of people that have been threatened by a single hurricane in the US,” said Jay Baker, of Florida State University. President Barack Obama cut short his holiday saying he believed the “historic” hurricane could be “extremely dangerous and costly”. He urged residents of the eastern US to “take precautions now” and obey any evacuation orders. The hurricane began lashing the shoreline near Jacksonville, Florida, packing winds of 100mph at its centre. Officials further up the coast feared it could wreak devastation as storm surges pushed seawater ashore and heavy rainfall caused flooding. National Hurricane Centre specialist Mike Brennan said: “The emphasis for this storm is on its size and duration, not necessarily on how strong the strongest winds are.”

Meanwhile surfers were spotted trying to catch the giant waves and people were reported to be still sitting on the sand. Horrified New Jersey governor Chris Christie warned them: “Get the hell off the beach.” Click here for more information.

The toppling of Libya strongman Muammar Gaddafi by rebels has left the African Union sidelined, members divided and anger high at a Western-led bombing campaign, analysts say. The AUstands in a contradictory position: several African states have individually acknowledged the rebel National Transitional Council (NTC), but the pan-African bloc has shirked from recognition itself.

A Libyan rebel celebrates after his forces defeated Gaddafi's loyalist troops in Al-Jamil, western Libya, on August 27, 2011. Photo/AFP

Misguided efforts for talks between the rebels and Gaddafi -- plans rejected by rebels and ignored by the West -- damaged the bloc's credibility, said Aloys Habimana, of Human Rights Watch. "Failing to realize that Gaddafi's killings undermined his legitimacy and made him better suited for an international tribunal than for a negotiating table was a terrible mistake," Habimana said. "The AU leadership was torn between the option of doing the right thing, and that of standing in solidarity with a prominent peer whose acts clearly stood in stark contrast to the AU’s own principles and values," Habimana added.

Several African leaders may have been keenly aware of their own internal domestic divisions, avoiding discussion on revolution when they themselves are often decades-long serving presidents elected on shaky grounds. Some leaders, such as Zimbabwe's President Robert Mugabe, found allies in Gaddafi based on their anti-Western stance. The AU reacted quite slowly to the crisis for many reasons," said Paul-Simon Handy, from South Africa's Institute for Security Studies, noting Gaddafi had regularly contributed substantial funds to the AU. "Not least was because some heads of state were embarrassed by their close personal relationship with Gaddafi," Handy added. But it was Western air raids that infuriated many on the continent, who felt NATO attacks have gone "far beyond the spirit, if not the letter, of the UN Security Council resolution," said Tom Cargill, of Britain's Chatham House. "African leaders were infuriated by NATO's snub," Handy added. "They felt their advice and role had been entirely ignored." "So often they have been pressurised by the international community to find African solutions to African problems," added Cargill. "Yet when such a problem arises, the Western nations came in and sidelined them."

Instead of protecting civilians, the NATO raids are seen by many as effective regime change, "perceived as Western military intervention of neo-colonialist powers," Cargill added. It raised anger even in governments whose roots lie in revolutionary change, who might otherwise be expected to welcome a popular rebellion by the Libyan people. "External observers might find it nonsensical, but there was a real feeling of the need to stand up for African solidarity," said Cargill, noting the intense anger from South African leaders, who overthrew apartheid rule.

While the fall of Gaddafi and the loss of the generous funds he provided has shaken the AU, it is hoped the bloc can learn from the crisis, said Habimana. "Institutions like the AU should exist to safeguard peoples’ aspirations, rather than serving to protect tyrants rightly challenged by citizens in search of freedom and the rule of law," he said.

"With Gaddafi's fall, Libyans have a unique opportunity to build a better country based on human rights and the rule of law -- the AU’s role in assisting the Libyans to tap that opportunity will be critical," Habimana added. Relations ahead between the NTC and the AU will be tricky, but both sides will have to work with each other, added Handy. "The AU will have to work hard to prove to the Libyan authorities it is legitimate after its ties with Gaddafi," he said. "But it is in the vested interests of both sides for good relations and to move forward." VIDEO

Two children, aged four and six, have been filmed apparently shoplifting while being encouraged by their mother.

Above video of CCTV footage is without sound CCTV footage shows the girl jumping onto a fridge in Muskars newsagent on Dale Street, Liverpool, and moving small cans of an energy drink to get at a larger one. Her mother was apparently at the door of the shop, guiding her. The pictures also seem to show the boy helping himself to cereal bars before the pair ran out of the shop. Shopkeeper Sammi Mohammed said: "I fear for the future of these kids. "If they are shoplifting at four and six, what do you expect they are going to be like in the future?" He said he was shocked when he saw the children. "Parents should be setting a good example to their children," Mr Mohammed added. VIDEO

Edna Kiplagat (right) of Kenya celebrates after winning the women's marathon event ahead of compatriots Priscah Jeptoo (left) and Sharon Cherop (centre) at the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Daegu on August 27, 2011. AFP

Distance running powerhouse Kenya completed a historic clean sweep of the world championships women’s marathon on Saturday as Edna Kiplagat recovered from a tumble to win in 2hr 28min 43sec. The 31-year-old, who crashed to the ground with about seven kilometres to go, found the strength to fend off team-mates Priscah Jeptoo and Sharon Cherop to clinch the first gold medal of the championships in South Korea. Kiplagat, who won last year’s New York marathon, collided with Cherop at a water stop but recovered quickly to ease to victory a comfortable 17 seconds ahead of Jeptoo (2:29:00) and 31sec clear of Cherop (2:29:14) “Representing my country in the world championships, I’m very happy because I didn’t know I was going to be the winner,” said mother-of-two Kiplagat, who is coached by her husband. “When I fell down I tried to run and pick up my form as much as I could and so when I ran one kilometre I found I’m picking up again so I tried to run my best.”

Cherop said after Kiplagat’s tumble she slowed down to wait for her team-mate to check if she was okay and words were exchanged between the Kenyans. Silver medallist Jeptoo said: “When she fell down I felt very bitter and I went to her. She told us to give her a few minutes to recover and after one kilometre she recovered and she was even stronger than before the fall. “At that point I knew she was going to win gold. We are very happy, especially for her to have won gold after falling down.” Kiplagat, a police officer, said her strategy to run the second half of the race faster than the first had paid off although her time was much slower than her personal best of 2:20:46 set at this year’s London marathon, where she finished third. Jeptoo, who said the humid conditions were tough, said the Kenyans used teamwork on the city streets of Daegu to achieve the medals sweep, the first in the marathon at a world championships for men or women. “We talked to each other and we decided to go, not to retreat again,” she said, adding: “We were ready to fight for our country.” In a cagey race under cloudy skies with temperatures in the mid-20s Celsius, nobody was willing to take a risk and strike out alone in the early stages. Even at the 25km mark of the course along a largely flat circuit through wide city streets, the leading pack of 26 runners were separated by just two seconds, with Jeptoo marginally in front. But shortly before the two-hour mark a group of four runners broke away including the three medallists. And the Kenyans then made their move, pulling away to establish a clear lead before Kiplagat struck out on her own. The marathon course is divided into two laps of a 15km course and one lap of 12.195km through Daegu, South Korea’s fourth largest city with a population of more than 2.5 million. Daily Nation.

Apostle Francis Motari delivers a sermon at his Light Centre Ministries church in Mowlem estate, next to Komarock, Nairobi. The church allows polygamy among its members. Photo/FILE

Tucked inside Mowlem estate in Ogopa, overlooking Komorock in Nairobi, is The Light Centre Ministries, a Christian ministry that looks like seven others in the vicinity. The similarities, however, end there. The message preached inside The Light Centre would shock many Christians: the church implicitly urges them to embrace polygamy. The founder and director of Light Centre, Apostle Francis Morisi, says his church’s message is based on the Bible. Talking to Saturday Nation recently, Mr Morisi said he received a message from God to pass on the polygamy message to the world. “If our lives are to be what God wants them to be, we must be open to His will, whatever it may be. A church is one big family where every woman needs a man and a man is naturally polygamous,” he says. Mr Morisi holds a diploma in theology from the Voice of Prophesy Bible School, a Seventh Day Adventist college. He says he got saved in 1993 and served in three ministries before God gave him the polygamy message three years ago.

The church has two other branches, in Lunga Lunga and Mugumu in North Tanzania. It has over 400 members. Mr Morisi has written a book, Love is Supreme in a little Heaven on Earth, which warns men to stop being hypocritical by staying in monogamous marriages while they kept mistresses and girlfriends on the side. The book encourages men to marry more wives to bridge the gap that has given rise to many single women. Mr Osborn Nyanaro, an elder in the ministry, says only polygamy can reduce immorality in society. “This church recognises celibacy, and monogamous and polygamous marriages. We have polygamous men in our ministry and more are still coming in,” said Mr Nyanaro, a polygamist himself. Pastor Duncan Otieno of Great Commission Ministries in Kayole agrees with Apostle Morisi about the Bible not expressly rohibiting polygamy, but notes that the same Bible does not allow church leaders to practice it. “Any member of the church can marry more than one wife but church leaders cannot enjoy that provision. They are called upon to serve the Lord with dedication. That is where I disagree with Apostle Morisi,” says Pastor Otieno, a former church leader at South B Tabernacle.

However, Rev Paul Wangondu of the Light Centre’s Sinai branch in Lunga Lunga says the Bible only prohibits bishops and church overseers from marrying more than one wife, but not pastors and reverends. The Rev Wangondu, who is married to two wives, says the Bible encourages polygamy and points to great men who communicated with God, including Abraham, David, Jacob and Solomon, among others, who were polygamous. “It is very clear that polygamy is allowed in the Old Testament. It is just that some churches with roots in the West have condemn it,” says Rev Wangondu. Born in a Catholic family before he moved to Tabernacle Ministries in South B in the 1980s, Mr Morisi wonders about the plight of the many single women and widows. “You see even the women who are in the streets are not necessarily looking for money. There are many of them who are looking for love and companionship,” Mr Morisi says. “God showed me how he church has lost touch with society, with regard to marriage, family and love. For this cause, He called me and commissioned me to go and proclaim this to His people. Let he who has ears hear what the spirit is saying to the church,” he adds. “Marry as many as you want,” he encourages.

A crisis in accommodation has prompted one university to urge students to defer entry for a year and another to put them up at a Pontin's holiday camp. Aberystwyth University has written to all the non-UK European students it has offered a place to ask if they would mind waiting until September 2012. It warns it cannot guarantee to find them accommodation this year.

Meanwhile, Edge Hill University in Ormskirk, Lancashire, is placing some of its students in holiday apartments at Pontin's in Southport after campus halls have filled up. The students will have an en suite swimming pool and supermarket. Bedrooms will also be fitted with TVs – for which the licence will have already been paid. The emergency measures come as universities have seen the biggest ever scramble for places as thousands of candidates try to enrol before new fee charges of up to £9,000 a year kick in. Aberystwyth is likely to have more luck persuading European students to delay. Under European Union regulations, they will be entitled to the same subsidy as Welsh domicile students for whom the Welsh Assembly is picking up the tab for any charge above £3,000 a year from September 2012. The university is charging the full £9,000.

A university source said: "Aberystwyth is prone to these sorts of problems. It is a small town and it only takes a bit of a nudge – a few hundred students – and it cannot find places." At Edge Hill, the university has seen applications increase four-fold over the past decade. Peter Mercer, vice-president of the National Union of Students, said: "It is irresponsible for universities to offer places to students when there is

not enough local and affordable accommodation in either university or private premises." Research published yesterday, though, indicates that the same problems are unlikely to occur again. According to the National Foundation for Educational Research, only one in five students say they will not be changing their plans to go to university next year as a result of the fees rise. In what is probably the most authoritative insight into the impact of the new fees regime, 26 per cent said they would look to a local university so they could stay at home, 17 per cent said they would study for degrees at local further-education colleges – which will charge less – or go abroad to university and 15 per cent had changed their mind about higher education, while 19 per cent said they would only consider universities charging less than £9,000.

*Accommodation crises have become part and parcel of university life as the percentage of young people enrolling in igher education rises. About 45 per cent of this year's school leavers are going on to university, compared with only 6 per cent in the 1960s.

*Three years ago, about 100 students at Aberdeen ended up in a Premier Travel Inn when the university could not find accommodation for them.

*St Andrews University suffered a unique housing crisis five years earlier, when a sudden spike in student numbers was caused by Prince William enrolling as a student. Large numbers of first-year students had to sleep in common rooms, reading rooms and offices as a result.

*The previous year, students at Southampton University found they had to share single rooms with a stranger because of a shortage. Students complained that it was no better than sleeping in a boarding school dormitory. Others were temporarily housed in hotels.

Shopkeepers were today boarding up their windows over fears that the Notting Hill Carnival could descend into the violent scenes that rocked London earlier this month.

Protection: Workers board up shops (left and centre) on the Notting Hill Carnival procession route amid fears that the violence during the riots will be repeated (right).

Carnival organisers said about 500 stewards will be on duty, around 100 more than last year, to ensure there is no repeat of the violence seen during the London riots. The carnival begins tomorrow with J'Ouvert, a parade in which pan music is played and mas (masquerade) performers are daubed with mud paint and chocolate. On Monday thousands of musicians, dancers and DJs take part in a feast of colours and sounds of the Caribbean with 300 stalls selling food and drink.

London Mayor Boris Johnson posing for a photograph to promote the carnival with dancers wearing colourful costumes (left)

and on the right the street is packed with revellers partying at the carnival last year.

Record numbers of police will take to the streets in a desperate bid to deter the rioting and looting that spread across the capital. There were fears that the carnival could become a focal point for unrest which lead to suggestions that the annual event could be cancelled. But instead the annual carnival will see the highest number of police officers on duty in the event's 47-year history in the wake of the London riots. Double the number of officers that policed the Royal Wedding will be on duty at the carnival next weekend, with the Met planning 20,000 shifts split over the two-day event, it is understood.

It is Scotland Yard's biggest public order test since the riots during an unprecedented security operation at the two-day carnival. Businesses were boarding up their shop fronts earlier today as a precaution in the wake of the widespread violence and looting. Police received criticism about their handling of the riots and will be keen to ensure there are no repeat disturbances. More than a million revellers are expected to descend on the capital over the coming days for what is Europe's biggest street festival. Commander Steve Rodhouse said he was 'really confident' he has the resources at his disposal to protect the event tomorrow and Monday. A total of 5,500 officers will be on patrol in the carnival area on Sunday while 6,500 will take to the streets on Monday. In addition there will be more than 4,000 additional officers elsewhere in London 'as well as the thousands who are normally on duty', Mr Rodhouse said. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's April wedding day saw 5,000 Metropolitan police officers on duty in London.

Landfall: The hurricane is expected to make landfall at 9am as category two hurricane in North Carolina at 9am EDT before weakening to a category one (left) and President Barack Obama, first lady Michelle and their daughters Sasha and Malia (left) arrive home at the White House after cutting their holiday short whilethe picture on the right shows .

A storm surge could grow up to 15ft high and 2,900 miles of roads in the Brooklyn and Queens regions would be flooded, while the subway would flood in around 40 minutes. Three tunnels linking Manhattan to New Jersey and New York’s boroughs would also flood, while a million people would lose electricity. ‘We've been very, very lucky because we haven't had that (direct hit),’ Cynthia Rosenzweig, of the NASA Goddard Institute in New York, said. ‘But the potential vulnerability for that is very high.’ Workers would spend weeks pumping water out of transport tunnels and the salt could corrode power lines, transformers and switches on train lines, reported Popular Mechanics.

President Barack Obama addressed the nation yesterday, urging Americans to 'take the storm seriously' and warning it is set to be 'a historic hurricane'. 'You need to listen to your state and local officials,' he said. 'If you're in the way of this hurricane you should be preparing now. If you're instructed to evacuate please do so.' He said disaster response agencies have millions of litres of water, millions of meals and tens of thousands of cots and blankets - and the Red Cross has begun preparing shelters in North Carolina. 'The more you can do to be prepared now, the quicker we can focus our resources after the storm on those who need them the most,' Mr Obama added. 'One of my greatest nightmares was having a major hurricane go up the whole Northeast Coast,' said Max Mayfield, ex-chief of the National Hurricane Center. 'This is going to have an impact on the United States economy.'

President Mwai Kibaki signs the new constitution into law at Uhuru Park, Nairobi on August 27, 2010. Photo/FILE

The new Constitution has ushered in changes that have dramatically altered Kenya’s socio-economic and political landscape.

Known as “Wanjiku’s constitution” to capture the aspirations of the ordinary citizen, the letter and spirit of the document has hit government systems like a thunderbolt, shaking its hitherto entrenched foundation of Executive authority, judicial lethargy and generally bullish insensitivity. Some have likened the realisation of the new Constitution after nearly two decades of struggle to a bloodless revolution. (Read: Constitution heralds new dawn for Kenya- Kibaki). Saturday Nation brings you some of the key provisions:

The promulgation of the new Constitution this day last year sounded the death knell to the omnipotent presidency that characterised the reign of presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi and the better part of the Kibaki administration and gave immense power to citizens over their government. The powers of the president have been significantly whittled down — his or her appointive powers have been subjected to consultations with various commissions and approval by the National Assembly. This is a key departure from the past when then President Moi stopped by the roadside at a rural outpost and announced that he had appointed Prof George Saitoti the new vice-president and sarcastically asked the country “if that would add ugali on their sufurias.” The president also no longer enjoys the unbridled prerogative of dismissing a State officer.

No less a personage than President Kibaki, considered the last monarch, has faced the might of the new Constitution.

In February, he ate humble pie and withdraw a list of nominees to four constitutional offices after a public outcry over the manner of the nominations, which many said were not proper.

For the first time since independence, ministers, who will be called cabinet secretaries, will be appointed from outside the National Assembly. The first real separation of power between the legislative and the executive arms of government, the change will bring professionalism into the running of government as the secretaries are expected to come from the areas they are trained in. This is a major departure from the past in which an army general has held the medical portfolio. More..

Forgotten PINs, cards swallowed, unexpected charges and mystery transactions on your on-screen mini-statement — there are plenty of reasons to feel frustrated when at a cash machine. However, unlike one woman in Wiltshire, most of us don't respond by hitting it almost 50 times with our shoes. The unidentified lady attacked the Barclays bank cash point in Chippenham marketplace with her high-heeled footwear shortly after midnight on 2 July "rendering it useless", police said on Wednesday. "This was a completely senseless and inane act which caused sufficient damage to make the machine unusable for other customers," Detective Constable Richard Gardner said. Gardner said the police would like to hear from anyone who has any information about the incident. If you do know something, you can contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111. There is also a reward of up to £25,000 for people offering information on cash machine crime from Crimestoppers and LINK, the UK's cash machine network. VIDEO

Sabotage not ruled out: some batches of Nurofen Plus contain individual blister packs of another drug, Seroquel XL 50mg

Thousands of packs of an over-the-counter painkiller could contain a potentially harmful anti-psychotic drug, a watchdog has warned. People are being warned to check Nurofen Plus packets after the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) issued a safety alert following reports that some batches of Nurofen Plus contain individual blister packs of another drug, Seroquel XL 50mg. Seroquel XL is a prescription-only anti-psychotic drug used to treat several disorders including schizophrenia, mania and bipolar depression. Nurofen Plus is for pain relief and contains codeine. The makers of the drug today said it was too early to rule out sabotage. Angie Wiles, joint chief executive of Virgo Health, which represents Nurofen Plus, said: "We are not ruling it out but we are considering other options as well. I think that is pretty unlikely."

People who accidentally take Seroquel may experience sleepiness and are advised not to drive or operate any tools or machinery until they know how the tablets have affected them. The mix-up is believed to have happened at a wholesaler's and thousands of packs could potentially be affected, prompting the MHRA to urge extra vigilance. The packs have been found in pharmacies across the UK. Reckitt Benckiser, manufacturer of Nurofen Plus, said there have been three cases identified so far which have all been confined to south London. It said "serious investigations" are under way to establish how the mix-up occurred, especially as Seroquel XL is manufactured by another drug firm, AstraZeneca. "After careful review of the manufacturing system, manufacturing errors by the makers of Nurofen Plus or Seroquel XL are not thought to be part of the cause at this stage," the statement said.

"We are taking this matter very seriously and are working closely with the regulatory authority, the MHRA, and pharmacies.

"The MHRA are investigating the issue, and have considerable law enforcement powers.

"Nurofen Plus is a pharmacy-only medicine which means it is behind the pharmacy counter.

"It is not available for self-selection from the shop floor - and therefore pharmacists are able to check packs and greatly reduce the likelihood of affected packs being sold." Dr Aomesh Bhatt, medical director for Nurofen Plus, said: "We are taking this matter extremely seriously and we are working closely with the MHRA to investigate fully.

"Additionally, we are in the process of working to ensure the Nurofen Plus packs are double-checked by pharmacy staff before they are handed to customers.

"We encourage consumers of Nurofen Plus to be vigilant and, while it is very unlikely, should they find they have a suspect pack or if they have any other concerns, we advise them to speak to the pharmacist where they purchased the product."

A spokeswoman for AstraZeneca said people who have mistakenly taken the drug should contact their GP and take the medicine back to the pharmacy where they purchased it. Side effects of the drug include dizziness, headache and sleepiness.

The affected packs of Nurofen Plus all contain 32 tablets and carry the following details:

Each batch contains between 4,000 and around 7,500 packs, amounting to around half a million tablets. However, not all packs are affected. The large capsules of Seroquel XL 50mg tablets have gold and black packaging while the Nurofen Plus tablets are smaller and have silver and black packaging. Ian Holloway, from the MHRA's defective medicines report centre (DMRC), said: "People should check to see if they have any affected packets of Nurofen Plus.

Due to unavoidable circumstances, Kinjo and Mwangi's Wedding Reception venue on coming Saturday, 27/08/2011, has been changed to Worshipville, 640 Ripple Road, Barking Essex IG11 0SR, BUT the Church ceremony remains at its original place, Revival House, 500 High Street North, Manor Park, London E12 6QN and same time 11am. Please inform all of your friends and text this to as many people as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and look forward to a glorious occasion. You can contact Kinjo on 07506781219 or Mwangi on 07904497674 or Stan on 07930699006. We hope to see you there.

By Train: Barking underground then take bus 287 from across the station. Alight or get off the bus at
Bus number 287(STOP N) from barking towards Abbey Wood Lane.
Driving directions:

Mr. Seed and his wife Pastor Jane Njiiri left for Republic of Ireland yesterday, Thursday the 25th of August, 2011 and will be in Dublin and Galway until Wednesday, 31st August, 2011. During their visit they will attend several functions and they will also be meeting Kenyans in Ireland. For information and where to meet them in Dublin, please contact Pastor Amos on 00353876929777 and for Galway contact Wangari on 00353877514895.

Two more Bills –the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill together with the Employment and Labour Relations Bill—were scheduled for approval last evening.

Two more Bills –the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill together with the Employment and Labour Relations Bill—were scheduled for approval last evening. The Commission on Revenue Allocation Bill was also introduced into the House and quickly debated. The CRA Bill together with the two Bills that the CIC has issues with, plus the Elections Bill and the Kenya Citizen and Foreign Nationals Management Service Bill, are set to be voted on this morning (Friday) and sent to the President for assent. The MPs on Thursday took some 150 minutes to amend and approve the six Bills, which they had discussed up to the previous midnight. The approval of the Bills is an indication of a promises by Speaker Kenneth Marende; chairman of Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee Abdikadir Mohammed and the Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, that the August 26, 2011 deadline will be met. The Constitution set out a criteria for Parliament on the Bills to be passed within a year after Promulgation Day (August 27, 2010). “It looks like the tenth Parliament works well under pressure,” said Dr Boni Khalwale, who presided over the approval of the Bills as Temporary Deputy Speaker. Deputy Leader of Government Business Amos Kimunya was all smiles at the MPs commitment to ensure that the Bills are enacted before Saturday and thanked them for their support in saving the coalition government the embarrassment of failing to meet constitutional deadlines. He lauded the MPs for sitting up to midnight to pass the key laws and also thanked the House staff for facilitating the compilation of amendments.

Parliamentarians worked until midnight on Tuesday. On Wednesday they did not leave for home until 10pm.

Last night a tired lot of MPs were expecting to again burn the midnight oil, and then come in early for a rare Friday session.

But as Members of Parliament worked overtime to beat the deadline for laws critical to the new Constitution, another threat loomed in the form of a lawsuit seeking to block debate and passage of key legislation. (Read: Extension of Bills deadline ruled out) The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) chaired by Mr Charles Nyachae want to stop Parliament from debating and passing Bills in which it was not involved. The legal challenge came as MPs burnt the midnight oil to pass a record six Bills in two days in the rush to meet the deadline for laws that must be enacted within one year of promulgation of the Constitution. The unusual rush by MPs may be grounded on fear that their terms could be cut short prematurely if the Bills are not passed. The new Constitution provides that should some legislation not be passed within the time limit, any citizen can petition the Courts to have the House dissolved. CIC, through lawyer Njoroge Regeru, wants the National Government Loans Guarantee Bill and the Contingencies Fund and County Emergency Funds Bill halted on grounds that the commission was not involved.

The CIC has named Attorney General Amos Wako as the first respondent and National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende as the second respondent. It says of the AG: (He) has prepared two Bills, namely, the Contingencies Fund and County Emergency Funds Bill, 2011 and the National Government Loans Guarantee Bill, 2011 without due consultation with the Petitioner as required under the Constitution.” Parliament had chosen to ignore the CIC protests and introduced two Bills in the House in preparation for debate on Friday. Treasury and Local Government failed to strike a common ground on the Public Finance Management Bill which has now been shelved.

On Thursday, sources disclosed that the Ministry of Local Government was accusing Treasury of extracting sections from the controversial Bill to create the National Government Loans Guarantee Bill which guides borrowing both at the national and county levels. MPs worked almost overnight to pass the National Police Service Bill, the Commission on Administrative Justice Bill, the Power of Mercy Bill, the Environment and Land Court Bill, the Urban Areas and Cities Bill, and the Citizenship and Immigration Bill, in that order. The Bills join the Political Parties Bill which was approved on Tuesday.

Civil society members during the launch of faces of impunity in Kenya report at a Nairobi hotel on August 24, 2011. The report implicates prominent Kenyans in human rights violations and grand corruption. Photo/TOM MARUKO

Eight Cabinet ministers are among prominent Kenyans named as the faces of impunity in a human rights report. The Kenya Human Rights Commission list comprises former and serving permanent secretaries, MPs, provincial administrators, senior police and military officers, political activists, diplomats and Cabinet ministers. Others are a prominent psychiatrist, CEO of a leading bank, former and serving High Court judges, a former broadcaster, Parliament employees and businessmen. ccording to the Lest we forget; the faces of impunity in Kenya report released on Wednesday, those named are said to have either been involved in gross human rights violations, grand corruption and other economic crimes. The list was compiled from various commissions set up by the government to investigate human rights violations, including the Akiwumi report on land clashes and the Ndung’u report on irregular public land acquisition. Others are the Kiliku report on ethnic clashes, parliamentary report on the Artur brothers and murder of Dr Robert Ouko, and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights report on the 2008 post-election violence. According to senior Kenya Human Rights Commission programmes officer Tom Kagwe, those mentioned must be investigated afresh and if found guilty sent to jail. The report also recommends that the individuals be barred from holding public office. Mr Kagwe called on Parliament to prioritise the passing of laws and the establishment of institutions to deal decisively with impunity. “How do we for instance let one person rob three governments of taxpayers’ money? This must stop. Those found guilty must be taken to jail.” Mr Kagwe added: “This culture of stepping aside must also be stopped if we are to end the culture of impunity in the country. If you have been found guilty you have to resign.” Former Constitution of Kenya Review Commission chairman Yash Pal Ghai said the report showed that some government officials had no respect for the law. “The government is full of people who like illegalities. This must be stopped,” said Prof Ghai. Daily Nation.

Hurricane Irene has a huge span, with winds stretching some 500 miles across(left) and (right) Residents in North Carolina have been boarding up their homes

A swathe of states along the east coast of the US, from North Carolina to New York, have declared emergencies ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irene. The first hurricane of the Atlantic season is now a category three storm, packing winds of 115mph (185km/h), with "some strengthening" expected. Mandatory evacuations have been ordered in parts of Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey and North Carolina. Irene, now leaving the Bahamas, has already caused havoc in the Caribbean.

States of emergency have been declared in six states: North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia, Delaware, New Jersey and New York. President Barack Obama also declared an emergency in North Carolina, where Irene is due to make landfall first, on Saturday afternoon. The move allows greater co-ordination between state and US federal disaster management authorities. "In this emergency I am activating all levels of state government to prepare for any situation that may be caused by Hurricane Irene," said New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. In Washington DC, which is under a tropical storm watch, Sunday's scheduled dedication of the newly opened memorial for Martin Luther King Jr - which President Barack Obama had been expected to attend - has been postponed until at least September.

At 20:00 EDT on Thursday (00:00 GMT on Friday), Irene was gradually moving away from Abaco Island in the Bahamas, and remained 550 miles south south-west of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, said the US National Hurricane Center. The huge storm boasts hurricane force winds extending 80 miles from its centre, and tropical storm winds reaching up to 295 miles from the eye. Forecasters said Irene could strengthen slightly throughout Thursday night and Friday ahead of its expected arrival in North Carolina on Saturday. It is then expected to weaken as it moves up the east coast, diminishing in strength to a still-powerful category two storm on Sunday.

US authorities are warning of dangerous storm-surge seas, high waves and rip-tide currents along the coast stretching up from North Carolina, through Chesapeake Bay and Maryland's Eastern Shore. Further north still, New Jersey, New York City and Long Island - densely populated areas not usually prepared for hurricanes - are expected to take a buffeting.

Amtrak, America's passenger rail service, announced it was cancelling train travel south of Washington on the east coast, and airlines predicted widespread disruptions to air travel at the weekend. In Virginia, the US Navy ordered its Second Fleet to leave Norfolk Naval Station in Virginia on Thursday morning and head out to sea.

"The forecasted destructive winds and tidal surge is too great to keep the ships in port," said Vice Adm Daniel Holloway, the fleet's commander. "There is a much greater potential of not only the ships being damaged, but also the pier infrastructure. "Having the ships under way also makes them ready and available to respond to any national tasking, including any needed disaster response efforts."

In New York City, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he was preparing for the worst Click to play

North Carolina emergency officials have extended evacuation orders to include more than 200,000 tourists and residents in three coastal counties. Visitors to the region have been leaving the area, while residents are preparing to ride out the storm by stocking up on food, water and fuel. "Businesses are boarding up. Nobody can guarantee their safety," Dare County emergency management spokeswoman Sharon Sullivan told the Associated Press. New Jersey Governor Chris Christie warned would-be holiday makers to avoid the shore, and urged people to evacuate ahead of the storm's anticipated arrival on Saturday night. In New York City, more than 1,000 miles north of the storm's location on Thursday morning, Mayor Michael Bloomberg urged residents of low-lying and beach-front areas to find a place to stay on higher ground ahead of Irene's anticipated arrival on Sunday. The New York Police Department, the nation's largest, moved 50 small boats to low-lying areas to be ready for rescue missions. The city's social services agencies are doubling their efforts to ensure homeless New Yorkers have access to shelter. Crews were also clearing the city's drainage system to make room for the torrents of rain expected when the storm passes to the city's east. The exact track of the hurricane is uncertain, but US emergency officials said the east coast from the Carolinas to New England was preparing for its impact. "This is going to be a big storm," said Craig Fugate, the head of the US Federal Emergency Management Agency. "Just because it hits one area doesn't mean it's not going to cause damage further up the coast." BBC

The United Nations has called on all sides in the Libyan conflict to take steps to ensure there are no acts of violence and revenge. It comes as reports emerge of abuses and alleged summary killings by both rebels and troops loyal to Col Gaddafi. The UN has also agreed to release $1.5bn (£1bn) in Libyan assets - which had been frozen under sanctions - to help with immediate humanitarian needs. Fighting has continued in Tripoli, which is now largely in rebel control. Thursday saw gunfights erupting in the city's Abu Salim district, one of the few remaining Gaddafi holdouts in the capital. The rebels have also been attempting to reach Col Gaddafi's hometown of Sirte but have been met with fierce resistance. There were reports that Nato planes carried out air strikes on the city overnight. Late on Thursday, the National Transitional Council (NTC) said it had now moved its political base from the rebel stronghold Benghazi to the capital.

UN human rights spokesman Rupert Colville said it was difficult to confirm reports of summary killings and torture, but said such incidents would be investigated by the existing Commission of Inquiry on Libya. "We urge all those in positions of authority in Libya, including field commanders, to take active steps to ensure that no crimes, or acts of revenge, are committed," he told Reuters. The UN has previously said some military action in Libya could amount to war crimes or crimes against humanity. Earlier this week, the NTC's chairman, Mustafa Abdul Jalil, urged rebels not to engage in revenge attacks against pro-Gaddafi fighters, threatening to resign if his warning was not heeded. The BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes visited a hospital in the Mitiga district of Tripoli which had received the bodies of 17 rebel fighters.

Doctors said the group had been prisoners of Gaddafi troops in Tripoli and were tortured and killed as the rebels seized the capital earlier this week. Dr Hoez Zaitan, a British medic working at the hospital, said about half the bodies had bullet wounds to the back of the head while others had disfiguring injuries to their limbs and hands.

He said the bodies had been examined for possible evidence to be used at a war crimes tribunal. Meanwhile, the bodies of at least a dozen pro-Gaddafi fighters - two of whom had their hands tied behind their backs - were found on a roundabout in the centre of Tripoli. There were reports that one body had an intravenous drip in the arm, and that others were badly burned. Amnesty International says it has "powerful testimonies" of abuses by both sides in the coastal town of Zawiya, including allegations of violence by rebels against African migrant workers accused of being mercenaries. On Thursday evening, the UN reached an agreement to release $1.5bn in Libyan assets after the motion was modified to remove a reference to the NTC. South Africa had stalled the move, raising among its concerns that giving money to the NTC indicated officially acknowledging it as Libya's leaders - something it and the African Union has yet to do. BBC.

With a title deed securely in your possession, you might think that the piece of land you bought some time back is yours for keeps. The truth is; a wily person could have already transferred it to himself and is now holding a ‘valid’ title deed. It really doesn’t matter who you are when it comes to land deceit — even Minister for Justice Mutula Kilonzo is in court fighting to repossess his land. People have used all manner of weapons such as gangs, hit men and even witchcraft to sort out land problems which instead of reducing, keep on rising by the day thanks to poor laws that have been the bedrock for corruption in this sector. On any day, the Ministry of Lands headquarters at Ardhi House in Nairobi is chaotic. The place teems with people who arrive as early as 3am from every corner of the country to be heard by the Public Complaints Resolution Committee, the only one of its kind that receives complaints from citizens and forwards them to the Minister and Permanent Secretary for action. Cases before the committee, which usually sit from early morning up to late at night, range from double land registration to fraudulent land acquisition and evictions. The committee consists of experts from different fields and does not arbitrate land disputes but carefully notes the grievances and advises the complainants on the way forward. Fraudsters normally use forgery to acquire land. Ismail Saidi was before the committee claiming that his aunt’s land in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate had been taken by unknown people. Yet he still pays land rates for the land which somebody else occupies and Saidi has the original documents belonging to his aunt who passed on.

"Any attempt we make to get to the land is repulsed by armed gangs," he says forlornly. Saidi, like many others who have been in a similar situation, is questioning how the same piece of land can have two owners. Such cases are common as landowners discover, usually too late in the day, that the land they are occupying has two title deeds — from the same ministry. Sometimes, the land can be sold many times without the owner knowing it. A member of the committee says in case there is an issuance of a title deed, then the previous one has to be revoked. But this has not always been the case. Mzee Harrison Njoroge, 97, lost his land after his title deed was allegedly stolen by a house help. The land was sold without Mzee Njoroge’s knowledge. He denies ever signing any document to have his land transferred, for he has never had a reason to dispose off his land. "I have wealth, including houses, so I don’t see what would drive me to sell off my piece of land even where my own house stands," he says. The level of the racket deepens when he produces bank statements showing that money was deposited into his account and later on withdrawn without his knowledge. When the alleged buyer, by the name Margaret Njoki, is contacted on phone by the committee, she confidently states that the old man sold her the land at the end of last year and says all the transaction is legal since it was carried out by the ministry. "I picked my title from the Ministry of Lands," she affirms to the listening committee members and journalists. The family heaps all the blame on the ministry for allowing the transaction that has caused them to lose property.

Another complainant, Lucy Tofani from Kipini in Tana River breaks down as she narrates how land she has known to be home ever since she was born has been the cause of a protracted court battle against a well-established transport entrepreneur from Mombasa. The case has dragged on since 2004. Wiping her tears, she says since 1983, she has tried in vain to get an allotment letter from the ministry only for the ‘grabber’ to be given a title deed in 2006 while the case was still on. "We are being evicted now that new title deeds have been issued," laments a disheartened Tofani, as she wonders what next for her and her family. She has tried many avenues to get back the family land and when she sought police help in Tana River, the officers curtly told her: You don’t have as much money as the grabber. With an endless case and lack of help from the police, she says, she has reached a dead end. Tofani cries to the committee, "My problems neither started in the courts nor the police, but here in this ministry; so they must end here." There are many such cries. Who will come to the rescue of these hapless landowners? Who will stop the fraudsters? - The Standard.

Acts 6:3 (Bible in Basic English)

Good leaders practise four qualities. First, submission. Only a leader who has followed well, knows how to lead others well. Connecting with people becomes possible because you've walked in their shoes. Leaders who've never submitted to authority tend to be proud, unrealistic and autocratic Second, self-discipline. To make consistently good decisions requires character and self-discipline. To do otherwise is to lose control of ourselves. British essayist John Foster writes, 'A man without decision of character can never be said to belong to himself. He belongs to whatever can make a captive of him.' Peter writes, 'Knowing God leads to self-control' (2 Peter 1:5-6 NLT) Third, patience. Leaders look ahead, think ahead and want to move ahead. That's what makes them leaders. But the true goal of leadership is not to cross the finishing line first, but to take as many others with you as you can. For that reason you have to deliberately slow your pace, stay connected to your people, keep them informed and inspired, enlist the help of others to fulfil your vision, and keep going. And you can't do that if you're running too far ahead of everybody. Solomon writes, 'Finishing is better than starting. Patience is better than pride' (Ecclesiastes 7:8 NLT). Finally, accountability. Many people feel that accountability is a willingness to explain your actions. In reality, real accountability begins long before you take action. Most wrong actions come about because we are not being accountable early enough.

A German woman is being investigated by tax officials after hoarding more than €40,000 (£34,880) in loose change she gathered from public toilets. The woman, who operates 50 toilets across Germany, paid cleaners minimal wages while pocketing the change they collected from the toilet floors and didn't declare the income. But her policy looks to have backfired after it was reported that one of the cleaners tipped off the state prosecutor who launched a tax investigation. When visited by police at her home in Bonn, Germany, the suspect resisted arrest before finally giving in. When she finally gave in police found her garage knee-deep in coins. The bags of coins had to be loaded away by shovel into a 7.5 tonne truck. Though the haul seems astounding, it is estimated that there is more than £42.9 million in loose change down the back of British sofas alone, with £385 million squirreled away in change jars. Research from Halifax has found that there is an average £1.61 caught down each sofa in Britain, while figures from Money.co.uk show the nation's coin jars have an average of £24.54 in them each, making the toilet floor find look like small change.

While in UK, Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga took time to play for Pastor Elijah Kimani of Huduma Ministries. During the ordination of Rev. Moffat and Jayne Kaaria of God's Love Mission Church in Chatham Kent, UK on Saturday 20th August at Hook Meadow Community Centre, King George Road, Chatham, Kent, UK the Arch Bishop shifted his attention to prayer the humble man of God. Pastor Elijah Kimani of Coventry has been on a wheel chair for a while after being attacked by a stroke on his left hand side. He is recovering well. Seen above right is Arch Bishop Kitonga and Bishop Venesa conducting the prayers. You can encourage Pastor Elijah on 07507155469.

Zuma Zuma got a spot on the semifinals of America’s Got Talent early on during the quarterfinals. On Tuesday night they once again took the stage of the popular reality competition to show when they deserve a place in the finals. The Kenya group hasn’t been home in ten years, but tonight they were seen around the world. With the chairs precariously stacked in the center of the stage the men were poised on top in a way never seen before on television. The bending around each other had the group had unique pyramids and phenomenal to watch but didn’t impress Howie Mandel or Sharon Osbourne. The dangerous but unique act was first seen in the Atlanta auditions. Combining gymnastics, jumping, juggling, balancing and contortionism the crowd loves the moves as well as the costumes. Keeping it fresh, the group performs one stunt after another, barely letting the audience catch their breath. The Zuma Zuma performance had America making some tough choices. The strong act would be a good choice for Las Vegas, but the 12 acts seen on Tuesday night all had potential leaving the decision makers in America following their heart before picking up the phone. The results show on Wednesday night will reveal the fate of Zuma Zuma. Along with a Demi Lovato performance, the audience will see who takes the slots for the final AGT competition.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga severed links with Eldoret North MP William Ruto by casting the last die — sacking him from the Cabinet. The Prime Minister and his allies had tried for months to pull Ruto back into the ODM-fold without success. The former Higher Education Minister defiantly declared he had moved on. Prof Margaret Kamar replaced Ruto as the Minister for Higher Education. In a mini-reshuffle President Kibaki and the Prime Minister announced on Wednesday, another Ruto ally, Hellen Sambili, was also sacked. Nominated MP Musa Sirma replaced her. The changes had been anticipated since last year, when ODM MPs allied to Ruto defied the party, and started working and voting with President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity. On Wednesday, Ruto said, "I’m not surprised about the sacking. I left the Cabinet a long time ago. I wish Sirma and Kamar well. I now have enough time to prepare for the battle ahead."

Ruto has declared presidential ambition, and says he is running for State House next year. Sirma, popularly nicknamed ‘The Governor’, is an ally of Raila. He has been a key defender of the Prime Minister in the Rift Valley. By picking Sirma, Raila wanted to have a person he can work with. The nominated MP has often dismissed Ruto’s alliance with MPs from central Kenya.District forester The MP, who rose from an assistant district forester, MP, assistant minister, and now a Cabinet minister, has defended Raila against accusations that he shortchanged MPs from Rift Valley, when the Coalition Government was formed. Ruto was appointed to the Cabinet as part of the power sharing arrangement on the ODM side of the Coalition Government in 2008. The move ends the suspense game the two principals have been playing with Kenyans over Cabinet reshuffle. And in a surprise move, Sirisia MP Moses Wetangula returned to the Cabinet, as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. But a report on whether he was culpable in a probe of Sh1.2 billion scandal involving sale of the Kenyan Embassy in Tokyo, Japan, has not been made public. Wetangula and his Permanent Secretary, Thuita Mwangi, stepped aside last year, following a parliamentary report. The House adopted the report that demanded Wetangula step aside to allow the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to investigate the scandal. KACC, under Director PLO Lumumba, is yet to conclude the probe. - The Standard. - VIDEO

Do you live abroad and are planning an event in Kenya, like a wedding or a holiday? Do you need someone reliable to source for vendors and suppliers on the ground?

The increase in the number of Kenyans living abroad has seen the rise for a need for them to access products and services in Kenya from wherever they live in the world. The event management sector has experienced a rise in requests from Kenyans living abroad to assist them in making contact with vendors and suppliers back home. This especially applies to individuals planning big events like weddings and family holidays. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Four more constitutional bills have been formally introduced in Parliament Wednesday, as government moved in to adopt strategies to beat the Aug 27th deadline. The Urban Areas and Cities, Environment and Land Court, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration and the Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Management Service Bills went through the first reading after parliament endorsed the move to reduce their publication period from 14 to two days. The bills were approved by cabinet last Saturday in a special session held to beat August 27thdeadline on key bills. MPs also agreed to have an extra sitting tomorrow morning to handle the piling legislative workload and the limited time. The Urban Areas and Cities Bill is a key legislation that gives effect to devolution as enshrined in article 184 of the Constitution. Its enactment will enable identification, classification, governance and management of urban areas and cities. It also provides for participation by residents in the governance of urban areas and cities. The Environment and Land Court Bill will see the establishment of a court to hear and determine issues to environment, and the use and occupation of and title to land, once enacted. The courts will enjoy the same status as the high court. The bills come up for debate Wednesday afternoon.

Due to the constitutional crisis in Kenya all the ministers cannot leave the country in order to facilitate the passing of the bills. For this reason most of the ministers meetings abroad has been cancelled. In this regard Minister Hon. Joe Nyagah breakfast in London scheduled for Saturday 27th August, 2011 has been cancelled. See below:

Hon. Joe Nyagah, Minister of Co-operative Development & Marketing in Kenya will be in London on the 27th August 2012. He would like to meet and interact with UK Kenyan Business Leaders at a free power Breakfast at the Crown Plaza Hotel, Heathrow at 9am.

He would like to explore possible synergies and business opportunities between successful Diaspora Entrepreneurs and SACCOS in Kenya.

*Did you know that he has a total of 9.1 Million members through all the SACCOS in Kenya, Who control billions of shillings in the Cooperative and Marketing Sector?

Kindly call us to confirm your attendance ASAP as spaces are limited and admission will be based strictly on Your confirmation.

Contact: Steve Mburu on 07702886550 BS24 Group email Stephen@bs24.co.uk or Becky Karanja on +254 723603939 mailto:becky@new-bold.biz

British America Investment Company's Initial Public Offering was undersubscribed by forty percent raising 3.5 billion shillings, 2.3 billion less than the amount the company was targeting to raise. This in turn reflects the touchy investment mood of the Nairobi Stock Exchange. In a statement, the company pointed to the European and American debt crises and the high inflation as the possible cause of the IPO's poor performance. Managing director Benson Wairegi said the company will have now to go back to the drawing board to prioritize areas of investment. BA received bids for 60 percent of the shares on sale in its initial public offering as demand was curbed by the debt crisis rocking the first world economies the financial-services company said.

The company raised 3.5 billion shillings compared to the 5.6 billion shillings it had sought to raise reflecting perhaps the investment mood on-shore and off-shores. The 650 million shares attracted only 23 foreign investors and 72 institutional buyers snapping up 390 million shares. The offer which opened on the 12 of July seeking to raise 5.6 billion shillings closed on the 5th of this month. The results give an indication as to how the investment mood is at the stock market which has been on a losing streak since the beginning of this year. Battered by a weakening currency, escalating fuel prices, a surge in local liquidity prompted by heavy bank lending to the private sector, and food inflation caused by the region's persistent drought, the NSE's All Share Index has fallen 31 percent over the past 12 months leading to severe burns on investor fingers. The shares will begin trading on the NSE on September 2nd. The company said earlier this monththe funds raised will be used to finance its expansion strategy in the regional market. The board of directors will now have to prioritize on some of our projects and the timing for their implementation Wairegi said in today's statement. The company now has 28,000 shareholders compared to seven before the IPO.

President Kibaki in consultation with Prime Minister Raila Odinga have nominated Agnes Nangila Odhiambo Controller of Budget and Edward Ouko as Auditor General Kibaki, through the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet, forwarded the names to Parliament for consideration.Odhiambo will now be subjected to vetting by the Parliamentary Budget Committee while Ouko will be vetted by the Finance, Planning and Trade Committee.National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende acknowledged receipt of the names from the executive forwarding their curriculum vitae to the committee.The committee has a short time to scrutinize and approve the names before Parliamentary approval owing to the August 27th deadline specified in the constitution for the establishment of these crucial constitutional offices. Article 228 of the constitution provides for the office of the controller of budget who shall hold office for a non renewable term of 8 years. The office is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the budgets of the national and county governments by authorizing withdrawals from public funds as outlined in the constitution. The Auditor General's office is anchored in article 229 and requires that the holder of the office shall have extensive knowledge of public finance or at least 10 years experience in auditing or public finance. The office holder shall also serve for non renewable term of 8 years. The office will be tasked with auditing and filing reports within six month after the end of each financial year. They will consider accounts of the national and county governments, all funds and authorities of the national and county governments, of all courts, every commission and independent office, national assembly, senate and county assemblies, political parties, public debt, accounts of any other entity that legislation requires the auditor general to audit.

Meanwhile Parliament will soon begin debate on nominees for the judges and magistrates vetting board. The constitutional implementation oversight committee approved nine nominees who include 3 foreigners who must receive parliament's endorsement before their appointments. The committee has approved Sharad Rao as chairperson of the vetting board, members Justus Maithya, Roseline Odhiambo, Prof Ngotho Wa Kariuki, Meuliei Maburki Iseme, and Abdirashid Abdullahi. The three foreign judges nominated for the position are Sir Stephen Sedley,a Briton who has practiced at the bar of England and Wales for 28years specializing in Public law and discrimination law. He has also served in the Queen's bench as a judge of the high court. He is regarded as one of the most left wing of current judges and a strong supporter of human rights. The other nominee is Justice Georgina Wood a Ghanaian. She served as Chief Justice of Ghana in 2007, she is a member of the International Bar Association and has engaged with Kenya at the invitation of the Kenya Law Society on judicial reforms in September 2010 under the international legal assistant consortium to Kenya. Louise Otis is the third foreign appointee. She has served as a judge to the Quebec Superior Court. She regularly participates in international governance and justice reform missions. Their endorsement by parliament will set the ball rolling for a radical surgery in the judiciary in attempts to reform the institution.

President Kibaki nominates Prof. Githu Muigai as the new Attorney General to replace Amos Wako

On the eastern side of Samburu county where one woman is defying the odds to save children deemed by society as evil. An old cultural practice demands the killing of children born out of wedlock or by uncircumcised women. NTV's Lindah Ogutu visited Mary's home and she is really going against the grain. It is a huge struggle in a society where culture is deeply rooted and the war against illiteracy is still far from won. Here is her story. - VIDEO

Psalm 103:14 (Bible in Basic English)

Any weakness you refuse to deal with will draw you towards the wrong things and set you up for defeat. To live victoriously you must recognise that, first, your weakness can emerge at any time. What you allow to take root, will grow within you. What you fail to master now, will master you later. The Psalmist prayed, 'Do not cast me away when I am old; do not forsake me when my strength is gone' (Psalm 71:9 NIV). Second, God's Spirit will repeatedly warn you. Jesus told Peter: '..."Satan hath desired to have you... But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren"' (Luke 22:31-32 KJV). Imagine the Lord praying for you. He does! '...If anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous' (1 John 2:1 NAS). He intercedes for you, clothes you in His righteousness, and draws you back to Himself. Third, God will continue to use you even while your weakness is growing within you. He provides opportunity after opportunity to reach for His help. Jesus warned Jerusalem, '..."How often I have longed to gather your children together... but you were not willing... your house is left to you desolate"' (Matthew 23:37-38 NIV). When you neglect God's grace, what's left? Your consequences! You ask, 'What can I do?' Turn to God. He's neither shocked by your weakness nor unwilling to help you. Acknowledge your weakness. Become an enemy to it. Let God's Spirit empower you. Not only can He deliver you, He can turn your greatest weakness into your greatest weapon.

Mrs. Alice Wambui Mwangi is in London. She is in London visiting her son James Mwangi (Jimmie) of North West London. She lives in Nairobi but originally she comes from Karatina, Ndima-ini, Nyeri. James is a consultant with Giant Step Enterprises in Borehamwood. Her contact in UK is 07407325842.

Mike Rua the King of Mugiithi in Kenya arrives in London on Thursday 25th August, 2011 for one of the biggest Kenyan concerts in UK. The naught boy from the land of hakuna matata will be performing in several towns among them London, Bristol, Coventry and Reading. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

The Tsukiji Fish Market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world. It’s also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors. Tsukiji moves about five million pounds (2,268,000 kilograms) of seafood every day—seven times as much as Paris’s Rungis, the world’s second largest wholesale market, and 11 times the volume of New York City’s Fulton Fish Market, the largest fish market in North America. In dollar terms, that comes to about $28 million USD worth of fish per day. There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The inner market (jonai shijo) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place. It is also where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The outer market (jogai shijo) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood. There are also plenty of restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier. The market opens most mornings except Sundays and holidays at 3:00 am, with the arrival of the products by ship, truck and plane from all over the world. It imports from 60 countries on six continents. The market is the busiest between 5:30 and 8:00 am, and the activity declines significantly afterward. Many shops start to close around 11:00 am, and the market closes for cleaning around 1:00 pm. - FULL STORY AND PHOTOS

THE ABOVE EVENT WILL TAKE PLACE ON 28TH.08.11 IN LUTON 334SELBOURNE ROAD-LUTON LU4 8NU.SHE WILL BE MINISTERING IN THE MORNING 10AM-12.30PM THEN SHE WILL SING HER MUSIC FROM 4-7.30PM.SHE WILL BE BACKED UP BY ADETHERAPPER WHO RAPS GOSPEL MUSIC AND CONNECTS VERY WELL WITH THE YOUTH AND ALSO SOME OTHER CHOIRS.IT WILL BE A MEMORABLE SUNDAY IN JESUS NAME.GOD BLESS YOU.

Almost 18,000 university places have been secured through the clearing process, figures from admissions body Ucas have revealed.

A-Level relief: Overall, 425,487 students have confirmed their university or college places - an increase of 10,416 on last year (Picture: Reuters).

In total, 17,878 students have so far won a place through clearing – 4,281 more than at this point last year, Ucas said. Clearing, the process that matches students without places to courses with vacancies, usually lasts several weeks but could be shorter this year as applicants rush to fill places ahead of next year’s rise in tuition fees. Some 189,267 prospective undergraduates who do not hold an offer, have failed to make their grades or applied too late, are eligible for clearing – up by 1,779 on last year. Universities minister David Willetts suggested last week there could be 40,000 or more clearing places this year, down by 7,000 on last year. The decrease in the number of spaces could mean there are five applicants for each available place. Overall, 425,487 students have confirmed their university or college places, an increase of 10,416 on last year. There was a ‘direct correlation’ between the rise in acceptances and the lower number of vacancies through clearing, said Ucas. Some 61,737 students are still waiting to see if they have been accepted. In total, 684,098 people have applied for university this autumn, up by 8,633 on last year.

A rebel soldier fires his rifle in the air as tens of thousands of Libyans celebrate the news of the arrest of Col Gaddafi’s son, Saif al-islam, and the partial fall of Tripoli into rebel hands. Libyan rebels surged into Tripoli on Sunday in a final drive to oust Col Gaddafi. INSET: A portrait of the Libyan leader set on fire by demonstrators during a protest outside the Libyan embassy in Ankara, Turkey. PHOTO | AFP

Libya’s four-decade leader Muammar Gaddafi, a former revolutionary whose capital has been overrun by rebels, has gone underground after vowing to go down fighting. With his exact whereabouts unknown, he clung to power in Tripoli for months in defiance of Nato air strikes and a revolt that turned into civil war. Libyan rebels have acknowledged that victory will not be theirs until the capture of Gaddafi, the self-styled “king of kings” in the African continent and larger-than-life figure with an unorthodox style all of his own. “We will not, we will not abandon Tripoli to the occupants and their agents. I am with you in this battle,” the Libyan strongman said in an audio tape broadcast on Sunday. “We do not surrender and, by God’s grace, we will emerge victorious.” If he survives the revolution, the flamboyant Gaddafi is now more likely to return to the world stage at the International Criminal Court, which has indicted him for alleged war crimes. His two sons have been captured by the rebels.

Renowned for his extravagant dress sense and rambling rhetoric, the 69-year-old embattled Libyan leader, came up against an unprecedented challenge to his rule after anti-regime protests erupted on February 15. His appearances have since been reduced to scratchy audio tape appeals. While witnesses reported bloodshed, massacres and overwhelmed mortuaries after the indiscriminate shooting of civilians, Gaddafi dismissed the youth-led uprising and played up the revolution which brought him to power decades ago. As a young colonel, Gaddafi on September 1, 1969, led a coup overthrowing the Western-backed elderly King Idriss and quickly established himself as a belligerent and unpredictable leader. Reputedly born in a Bedouin tent in the desert near Sirte on June 7, 1942, Gaddafi alienated the West soon after seizing power, accusing it of launching a “new crusade” against Arabs. His idol was Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, and he also variously declared himself a fan of Stalin and Hitler. In February 2009, Gaddafi was elected chairman of the African Union, after having grown disillusioned with Arab unity and months after African tribal dignitaries bestowed on him the title of “king of kings.”

Meanwhile a group of Kenyan elders patronised by besieged Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi has condemned the ongoing advance of opposition forces in Tripoli. The House of Traditional Elders of Kenya, a group led by Goldenberg scandal

architect Kamlesh Pattni, condemned Nato’s help to the rebels. Secretary-general Phares Ruteere said they were condemning Nato as “democracy requires negotiations”. “I have been to Libya and think that Mr Gaddafi is a great ruler who has led his country to prosperity. “The only reason he is a target of the West is because he has been advocating a united Africa with one leader,” Mr Ruteere said.

French attack In March, the group also condemned the US, UK and French attacks on Libya that led to Mr Gaddafi going into hiding.

The Kenyan group has visited Libya three times and held talks with Mr Gaddafi. They all presented lists of projects they wanted funded, and in January, they crowned him the “King of Africa”. The House of Traditional Elders of Kenya was registered on December 22, 2009, with Mr Pattni as chairman and former Luo Council of Elders chairman Riaga Ogallo its deputy. (AFP).

A family has declined to conduct a burial for a relative who killed three family members. Instead, the family held a burial ceremony for the three victims of the killings in which the 25-year-old man killed his grandparents and younger brother. Read on...

Villagers place the body of Mr Wilson Machira Thiong’o in the grave at Githima, Mathira East, on August 22, 2011. He left a will barring his family from burying him in a coffin. A man’s unusual request to be buried on a stretcher and crops planted on his grave raised apprehension in his village. Mr Wilson Machira Thiong’o of Mathira East said in his will that he did not want to be buried in a coffin and instructed relatives to slaughter a ram and sprinkle its blood in his compound. He also directed them to sweep the compound clean or he would curse them from the nether world. There was uncertainty at Githima village when the body was brought from the Karatina District Hospital Mortuary. The convoy stopped at the local trading centre where Mr Thiong’o’s friends tried to force some alcohol into his mouth. The body was then taken straight to the grave without ceremony. The burial was disrupted for a few minutes when a brother, Mr Christopher Munyiri, threatened to stop the proceedings if money was not raised to buy a ram for slaughter. He was eventually persuaded to let the burial go ahead.

Because Mr Thiong’o had instructed that there should be no eulogies or crying at the graveside, mourners who could not control their emotions were escorted out of the compound. Speaking after the burial, his widow, Rose Wambura, said her husband’s last wishes had been fulfilled. “He was suffering from a throat infection and passed away on Tuesday. He had left written instructions that he wanted to be buried like in the olden days,” she said. Mr Munyiri said that his brother had said he did not want a church burial. He said they had buried their grandmother the same way. Instead of flowers, sweet potatoes and a banana stem were planted on the grave. “He wanted a traditional burial. I think he made the decision because he saw we are poor and could not have afforded a formal funeral,” Mr Munyiri said. A neighbour, Mr Robert Muriithi, said he was still in shock at the spectacle. “He did not want anything good to be said about him at the funeral. He even instructed that his grave be eight feet deep and nine feet long so that when God called him, he would not hear and wake up,” said Mr Muriithi. Other neighbours said despite the strange demands, Mr Thiong’o did not belong to any cult. - Daily Nation. - VIDEO

A group photo of pastors who attended the ordination of Rev. Moffat and Jayne Kaaria of God's Love Mission Church in Chatham Kent, UK on Saturday 20th August at Hook Meadow Community Centre, King George Road, Chatham, Kent, UK. Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga (seated between them in the centre) officiated the ordination. Pastor Elijah Kimani (4th left standing) was among the guests who attended.

Kenyans in the UK will be treated this August Bank Holiday weekend and September by MIKE RUA, East Africa most wanted and anticipated artist back by Public demand Touring UK this August and September. MIKE RUA best known for his MUGITHI dance songs and comical/satirical expressions.100% Confirmed, Mike Rua has promised to bring an electrifying event never seen before in the UK, that you will not want to miss.Performing in Bristol, Coventry, Reading and London, please spread the message and lets make the Tour a success. Soothing East African Music will be played by non other than Kenyas Metro Fm top DJ STANO and Thatched House veteran DJ Sparxx.

Or Advance Ticket Outlets CALL-07707 643432 / 07818 246540 / 07947 454755 / 07931 766476 / 07533 263167

Or To Collect Tickets CALL - 07707 643432 / 07818 246540 / 07748 971696 / 07824 391044 / 07875 560473

Caught at the ordination in Kent on Saturday was Pastor Jeff Munguy from Milton Keynes with his newly married wife.

1. 50x100’s Price: Kshs 350,000.00 (Three hundred and Fifty thousand shillings)

Whole Plot is Located 1st row after the railway line (also it is after the 30m reserved area for the railway line)

* The plots are located 150m from the proposed railway line depot that is coming up in Longonot town. The depot will be used for containers transported from Mombasa and will be distributed from Longonot town for further transportation via road to the greater rift valley region and Uganda, Rwanda etc.

* They are located 200m from the main central Longonot town centre which has a dedicated Police Unit with all the necessary Government offices required.

* Located near the Government’s nursery, primary and secondary schools as well as the public health centre, about 150m away.

* Behind the plots there is also another 9m wide road that enables additional access to the plots from the main road.

2. 3.5acres land in Mirera – 5kms from Longonot town between kshs 800,000 – kshs 1,000,000 per acre.

3. 5.5acres land in Kenton – 2 kms from the Longonot town at kshs 750,000 per acre.

Transfer of title deed – Done at the Land’s Registry Office which was recently opened in Naivasha County.

A sexual assault case against the former IMF chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn is set to be dropped after New York prosecutors asked a judge to dismiss the charges. Allegations against the one-time French presidential favourite were made by a hotel maid, 32-year-old African immigrant Nafissatou Diallo. Strauss-Kahn's legal team said he was "grateful" the New York prosecution team had concluded "that this case cannot proceed further". "We have maintained from the beginning of this case that our client is innocent," said lawyers William Taylor and Benjamin Brafman. The announcement came after the now-famous New York housekeeper and her legal team met prosecutor Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance amid a media frenzy.

The Judicial Service Commission (JSC) has nominated 28 judges to serve in the High Court. Chief Justice Dr Willy Mutunga said the JSC picked candidates of high integrity and professionalism but also considered gender, ethnicity and other forms of marginalisation. “We picked the best candidates using the various criteria set out by the Constitution and the law. We considered academic backgrounds, the professional experience of the candidates and (their) personal integrity…we have picked candidates from rich diversities decreed by the Constitution and law including gender, ethnicity, country, generation, minorities and other forms of marginalisation,” he asserted 14 of the nominees were women including Stella Mutuku who had applied from the Diaspora. Joel Mwaura was also another candidate who had been working abroad. The Commission has also picked Grace Mumbi who is an albino to serve as a judge of the High Court. Dr Mutunga said most of the candidates are within their 40s with the oldest being 66 and the youngest 38. The CJ appreciated that the new list will help ease the backlog in the Judiciary though he expressed the need for more judges to provide services in the country. Before attaining the appropriate team of 120 judges of the High Court, Dr Mutunga revealed that the Judiciary will rely on volunteer advocates to clear the backlog that is up to now unmanageable due to shortage of judges. He said the process of scrutinising the advocates from the Law Society of Kenya would begin in two weeks time.

The CJ said once certain amendments are made in regard to the recruitment of judicial officers, the process of hiring new judges will continue to ensure 120 judges are recruited by end of this year. Attorney General Amos Wako announced that the new amendments which are seeking to leave the decision of hiring judges to JSC will be published before end of this week. He says the amendments will enable the JSC to decide on the number of judges without having to go to Parliament for approval. “The amendment will do away with the maximum. This will help us because whenever we get to the maximum we have to go to Parliament almost every year, the people who really determine how many people we require are the JSC,” he informed. Dr Mutunga said computerisation of the Judiciary would be a key project in the reforms of the Judiciary. He noted that the Supreme Court will entirely be I.T compliant. “Computerisation already started, the issue at hand now is to speed it up. I can tell you that the Supreme Court will be entirely paperless from the word go. Courts like Eldoret are already computerised.” He said computerisation will be possible since the judiciary was receiving a budgetary allocation of Sh9.2 billion which was three times its previous allocations. - CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDE

Prof. Ngugi Joel Mwaura
Ms.Ngugi Grace Mumbi
Mr. Mutava Joseph Mbalu
Ms Nyamweya Pauline
Mr.Murithi E dward Muthoga
Mr. Kimondo George Kanyi
Mr. Majanja David Amilcar Shikomera
Mrs. Githu Cecilia Wathaiya
Mrs. Jaden Thuranira Beatrice Nthiori
Mr. Korir Weldon Kipyeron
Mrs. Grace Lidembu Nzoika
Mrs. Meoli Christine Wanjiku
Mrs. Ongu’ndi Hedwig Imbosa
Ms. Mutuku Stella Ngali
Mr.Wakiaga James
Mrs. Ougo Rose Edwina Atieno
Mr. Ogola Erick Kennedy Okumu
Mr. Odungo George Vincent
Mrs. Stella Munai Muketi
Mr.Havelock Jonathan Bowen
Mr. Chemitei Hilary Kiplagat
Mr. Makau James Aaron
Mr. Tuiyot Francis
Mrs. Korir Roseline Cherotich Lagat
Mr. Mwongo Richard Mururu
Mr.Mabeya Alfred
Mrs. Achode Lydia Awino
Mrs. Mschila Abigail

Arch Bishop Arthur Kitonga officiated the ordination of Rev. Moffat and Jayne Kaaria of God's Love Mission Church in Chatham Kent, UK. The ceremony took place on Saturday 20th August at Hook Meadow Community Centre, King George Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0TZ. You can contact 07852114894 or 07950218785.

The London 2012 Olympic Games has brought a lot of opportunities for London youth. Increase in employment opportunities in the capital in all sectors, especially the transport sector and also showcasing their sporting talents at the Olympic Games. Transport for London is a vital part of the London 2012 Olympics. Just Lawson UK ltd is a human resource training company based in London, UK, A company with a massive experience in training and developing skills especially in the Railway Engineering division. They offer well trained human personnel to work in the Railway industry, where many young people have gained meaningful employment through such training. Just Lawson UK, being a railway transport consultancy service has shown their support for the London 2012 Olympic Games, by sponsoring talented athletes. The company has provided training kits and accessories for Rosalind Kieran who is training for Marathon, Sunny Adebanji who is training for 400metres and Cathy Ansell who is training for the 10,000m race.

These youths are Olympic candidates who have been given an opportunity to show their talents in the once in a lifetime Olympic games, through sponsorship of companies like Just Lawson. The success of the three candidates also depends not only on the sponsorship availability but on the training and coaching they receive. The three are being trained by Phip Kissi MBE, who is also offering his expertise to enable the Olympic hopeful reach for the star. UK companies and individuals should borrow a leaf from such individuals reaching out to improve livelihood of London youths. The more people that get involved, the better the games will be for the Londoners. Corporate social responsibility are shown by the meaningful things companies do for their community, and Just Lawson UK has demonstrated that they are playing an active role in the community that they serve.
Janet Wainaina-Africanacts

Mrs. Anne Chege is in London. Mrs Chege (Centre) arrived in London last week with her daughter Catherine Njeri (right) and Cecilia Wambui who are taking over from Mrs. Chege when she retires. Mrs. Chege of New Orphans Home, Kenya will be in the UK for the next one month. Her contact where in the UK is 07947883505.

OVERHEARD BY MR. SEED: "Problem with Kenyans they never learn anything from the past mistakes. Ignorance is like cancer back home. They have been warned every now and then not to over speed especially near built up areas they do it anyway worse still they will overtake on these areas. They keep being told not to overload their vehicles all falls on deaf ears. Most road accidents in Kenya are due to human error. Overtaking anywhere oblivious of pedestrians and other road users. I really hope the super highway is not a death trap couz I foresee chaos. Already stupid matatus are driving on the wrong side of the road. My heart goes out to this family but lessons need to be learnt." Message Board contributor

The late President Jomo Kenyatta passed away on 22nd August, 1978 - by then it was an offence for a Kenyan to think that

Mrs. Gladwel Wathaiya Kamande is in London. Gladwel is from Kihingo, Kiambu, Kenya and she works with Nairobi City Council, Planning Department. She is the mother if Prissy Njoki (Kinjo) who is wedding Mr. Mwangi Njoroge on Saturday 27th August, 2011 at Revival house, 500 High Street North, Manor Park London. Her contact in UK is 07743253137.

Safaricom has urged the government to crack the whip on counterfeit mobile handsets. The company's Director of Corporate Affairs Nzioka Waita has said there is need for the Anti Counterfeit Agency (ACA), a government institution which champions for the eradication of counterfeits, to impose strict laws on importation of illegal mobile handsets. Speaking Monday at a Nairobi hotel during a media workshop on counterfeit devices Nzioka advocated for consumer education in a bid to enlighten the public on the impact of counterfeits. "Consumers must insist on buying devices from authorized dealers and ask for receipts and warranty so as to enjoy quality services," he said Addressing the same forum Safaricom's Senior Terminals Manager Eric Muthuuri said that there are one million fake handsets on the Safaricom network noting that most people cannot distinguish fake from original. Mr.Muthuuri pointed out that since January last year counterfeit mobile phones have enormously increased to high levels such that one in every five phones is a fake. Anti Counterfeit Agency (ACA) CEO Stephen Mallowah noted that counterfeit phones have penetrated the Kenyan mobile phone market and Sh3.2 million has been used in anti-counterfeit campaigns. In a speech read on his behalf by by ACA's Deputy Director for Research, Awareness and Preventive Services John Akoten, Mallowah pointed out that China, Hongkong and Taiwan are the world's leading countries in mobile hand set counterfeits with Nokia being the most counterfeited device. Mr.Mallowah decried the negative ramifications of counterfeits on the economy noting that they are a health hazard due to the high radiations they emit. He said to eradicate the vice there is need for ACA to partner with private sector, Communication Commission of Kenya (CCK), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), and the police. The government is said to lose close to 20 billion shillings in revenue through counterfeit products.

THEME: PROPHETIC SUMMIT CONFERENCE
Saturday 3rd September 2011:
4pm to 6pm - WOMEN CONFERENCE,WAILING WOMEN WIN
6.30pm to 8.30pm - PROPHETIC REVIVAL CONFERENCE
Sunday 4th September 2011:

1.30pm to 4pm - PROPHETIC REVIVAL CONFERENCE
VENUE: One Love Centre, 1 Bishops Avenue , Newham, London ,E13 0RB,
OFF PLAISHET ROAD.

speakers. Prophet Enrico Link Sr & Evangelist Euranda Link from FL - U.S.A

Apostle Joseph Njuguna
Presiding Bishop of Shekinah Glory Tabernacle International Church
Member of the International College and Council of Bishops, UK, USA
Cell/Mobile: +44(0)7852256427
Web Site: www.manofgod.co.uk
Email : info@manofgod.co.uk

President Mwai Kibaki is received by Mama Ngina Kenyatta on arrival at the Parliament Mausoleum where he laid a wreath to mark the 33rd Anniversary of the death of the late President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, Parliament Building Nairobi

President Mwai Kibaki Monday joined the family of the late founding father of the nation, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta for a memorial service at the Holy Family to mark the 33rd Anniversary since his demise. On arrival at the venue, the President was received by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende, Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Julius Karangi, Mama Ngina Kenyatta and Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura. During the memorial service celebrated by Bishop James Wainaina, the bishop noted that leadership and legitimate authority comes from God and equated leaders with shepherds. Bishop Wainana noted that although shepherding is mainly associated with preachers and religious leaders in general, he emphasized that it is a kingly function aimed at protecting God's flock which is also performed by leaders. The Bishop, however, noted that rulers should lead as servant leaders as exemplified by Jesus Christ and to mainly focus on creating opportunities for other people develop, add value and benefits to their lives. Citing the example of Mary the Mother of Jesus, Bishop Wainaina stressed that God raised her status among other women and was honored to become the King's mother. He emphasized that humility and selfless service to mankind is not a weakness but an understanding of the great responsibility bestowed upon the leader. The sermon was drawn from the first letter of St. Paul to the Thessalonians (Thess 1:1-5, 8-10) and from the letter of St Paul to the Romans (Romans 5:5-11). Earlier President Kibaki laid a wreath on the first President's mausoleum next to the Parliament buildings. In attendance were Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende, Chief of Defence Forces Gen. Julius Karangi, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta's family led by Mama Ngina Kenyatta, cabinet ministers Beth Mugo, Prof Sam Ongeri and Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura. Others who graced the occasion included the Mayor of Nairobi Cllr George Aladwa, and senior government officials.

Peter Njoroge from Uxbridge (London) Formerly of Stockholm Sweden and family regret to announce the death of their Dad Mzee Mburu Nunu Gachunga which occurred at Nairobi Hospital on Saturday the 20th of August after a short illness but bravely borne. He hails from Wangige Nairobi and was the husband to Mugure Nunu and Grace Nunu. He was loving father to Peter Njoroge Uxbridge London (UK), Eunice Njeri of Detroit (USA), Gladys Wahinya, Daniel Ngugi, Nancy Waithera, Esther Muchiku, Gachunga Nunu, , Hilda Nunu, Eunice Waithera and the late Wahinya ALL OF NAIROBI . Grandfather to many. The funeral will taking place on Saturday the 27th August 2011. Friends of Peter and Mercy are meeting daily from 6:30 till 21hrs for prayers and encouragement support. at 38 St. Helen Close, Cowley , Uxbridge, London UB8 3RS. For those wishing to make financial support please do so to Bank details as below and God will continue to bless and reward your kindness and generosity. Bank: Santander, SC: 09-01-27, Acc: 03701283 and Acc Name: Anne Kagumana. Peter 07932979133, Mercy 07898134675, Wanjeri- 07825813256 or Godfrey- 07903163658.

29 people died when the driver of the bus they were travelling in lost control and plunged into a river in Mbooni East district. Four family members were among the dead. Police said 34 other people sustained injuries and are admitted to hospitals in Mbooni, Machakos and Makueni districts. Nineteen others were treated and discharged in the incident that occurred Saturday night. Police had a difficult time retrieving the bodies and saving people from the mangled wreckage of the bus that plunged into River Kalingile at Mukimwani area. According to the traffic commandant Joseph Ole Tito, the group was travelling from Makueni to Kangundo for dowry negotiations when the accident occurred shortly before midnight. Among the dead was the groom Mr Richard Munene Makau, 60, his two sons and his grandchild. His wife (bride) opted to remain behind after the ceremony. Munene had gone for the last dowry payment ceremony in accordance with the Kamba culture, that is paid gradually when a couple begins living together. Some of the accident victims who sustained serious injuries have been referred to Kenyatta National Hospital. The police boss termed the accident as the worst this year. Statistics from the Traffic headquarters in Nairobi indicate an increase in the number of accidents in the country, particularly along the Nairobi-Nakuru highway, Thika Highway and Mombasa road where up to 20 people are killed weekly.

President Mwai Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka sent messages of condolences to the affected families. President Kibaki termed the accident as grim tragedy and wished all the affected families strength and fortitude to bear the great loss. "As this time when you mourn the death of your loved ones, our prayers and thoughts are with you. May the Almighty God give you strength during this very trying time" said Kibaki The Head of State also wished quick recovery to the accident survivors who are being treated at the Machakos District hospital. Elsewhere, Prime Minister Raila Odinga and an Assistant Minister for Youth and Sports Wavinya Ndeti visited those admitted to Machakos hospital to console them. He said that the government will foot the medical bill of the survivors and the mortuary fees for the deceased. The premier lamented the increasing number of accidents, and cautioned drivers not to speed and overload passengers. Meanwhile, Kalonzo said it shocking that such number of lives could be lost and called on drivers to be careful on roads to avoid such incidents, noting that a similar accident had claimed 10 Kenyans around Chuka recently. The VP noted that it was regrettable that as the roads were being improved countrywide, the numbers of accidents were on the increase. "Its very saddening that so many lives are lost on our roads every other day, all stakeholders in the transport industry should actively play their role in preventing accidents" he said. - VIDEO

The Cabinet on Saturday approved for immediate publication and presentation to parliament four constitution implementation bills. In a special meeting at State House chaired by President Mwai Kibaki, the Cabinet approved the Urban Areas and Cities Bill 2011, Environment and Land Court Bill 2011, The Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Bill 2011 and Citizenship and Immigration Bill 2011. The cabinet was sitting for third time this week in a bid to beat the August 27 deadline set out in the constitution implementation schedule.

The Urban Areas and Cities Bill 2011 seeks to give effect to article 184 of the constitution that aims to provide for the classification, governance and management of urban areas in the country. It also provides criteria for the management of urban areas and the participation of residents.

The Environment and Land Court Bill 2011 will give effect to article 162 of the constitution. It establishes the Environment and Land Court that is mandated to hear and determine disputes relating to the environment, the use, occupation and title of land. The court shall be accessible to all without undue cost or procedural technicalities.

The Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Bill 2011 establishes the Kenya citizens and foreign management service.

It provides for the creation and maintenance of national management, registration and laws relating to births and deaths, identification and registration of persons for connected purposes.

The Citizenship and Immigration Bill 2011 provides a legal framework for the administration of matters relating to citizenship, issuance of travel documents, immigration and for connected purposes.

Meanwhile, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has said that the Cabinet rare meeting is a demonstration of the government to fast-tracking and passing of crucial and implementation of Bills. Mr. Musyoka said the House Business Committee (HBC) during its deliberations on Tuesday will deliberate on how Parliament will extend seating hours in order to enable it debate more Bills ahead of the 27 August deadline. KBC News. VIDEO

District Officers have given the Government a three-week ultimatum to review their terms of employment or they seek legal redress.

The administrators said their scheme of service has not been reviewed over the last four years. Consequently, many of them have stagnated in job group J. They said more than 500 DOs are serving in job group J yet they are supposed hold the position for only two years. Their grievances are contained in a petition the officers presented to Prime Minister Raila Odinga last Friday and the Chairman of Implementation Commission (CIC). Speaking during a press conference in Eldoret on Sunday the DOs blamed the Provincial Administration and Internal Security Ministry for their woes. They said the ministry has failed to offer them relevant courses, which are a pre-requisite for their progress to the next job group. "This scheme of service is discriminatory and unfair. We demand it to be addressed to allow upward mobility," said the DOs, who requested not to be named.

Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia recently said there have been problems with training because of lack funds. He said a new scheme of service is being discussed with the Public Service Commission to address the issue. Through Eldoret-based Terer and Company Advocates, the DOs petitioned the Government to resolve the matter. They said, "In the event the Government does not act, we shall go to court and take other undisclosed measures." They claimed the Ministry of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security had announced through a circular they would be given their allowances but did not live up to its promise.

The DOs said some of their colleagues who were employed recently have overtaken those who had been in the service for many years due to skewed promotions. "There is no structured way of selecting officers for promotion courses as we have to wait for nomination from the Permanent Secretary," they added.Their entry job group, they said, was too low compared to the tasks they perform. They expressed concern that the restructuring and devolution process has been going on without their involvement.Their scheme of service, they said, should be scrapped and a new one, where officers are promoted according to the guidelines of the Public Service Commission, effected. "A new scheme of service should be worked on through sufficient consultation and structured formula," they added. The Standard.

There are millions of snakes in the flooded grassland around Tonle Sap lake in Cambodia; most are edible water snakes but some are venomous. Hunter, Vaana’s catch is destined for the biggest snake market in the world but not before his children have had a chance to play.

As Kenyans continue to achieve globally, UKAA continues to recognize and celebrate Kenyans in the UK achieving at the highest level. The third UKAA presented by it's ambassador Pauline Long is set to take place on Friday 7th October at the luxurious central London hotel Holiday Inn Bloomsbury.

The prestigious award ceremony will be attended by high profile Kenyan and non-Kenyan guests celebrating positive Kenyan achievements. Among the special guests on the night are H.E Ephraim Ngare (Kenya high commissioner UK), Lord Paul Johnson (Universal music) and more .

Entertainment on the night will be provided by the international superstar Jimmy Gait with an exclusive fashion show and complete with a delicious three course Kenyan style buffet. This year's award ceremony is very special as it will be donating proceeds to East Africa Famine Appeal by the charity Nile Africa Development(www.nileafrica.org)

Previous winners of UKAA include misterseed.com; a forum that provides news, information and brings together the East African community in UK & in the Diaspora, Ann Wafula-Strike; a remarkable author and Paralympics’ medalist who overcame disability to go on and become a world champion athlete representing Kenya. Janet Wainaina of African Acts TV, Sam Ochieng of SACOMA, Kesom Freight, Martin Kayobe and many others.

For more information on how to purchase your ticket to this award ceremony giving back to East Africa Famine appeal please contact:

Hivi majuzi ripoti kutoka meru ziliashiria kwamba ukeketaji upo baada ya wasichana saba kukeketwa na kupatikana katika nyumba ya mhubiri mmoja. Sita sasa wameruhusiwa na wauguzi kurudi makwao,mmoja aliyekuwa mjamzito wa miezi mitatu amesalia katika hospitali hiyo akiuguza majerhana. Haya yamejiri licha ya vita dhidi ya ukeketaji wa wanawake kuendelezwa humu nchini kwa miaka mingi, lakini yaonekana uovu huu au tamaduni kwa jamii zengine ungali unaendelea kwa usiri mkubwa. Na ndiposa tunauliza, ni kumaanisa vita hivi vinaambulia patupu? Au tubadilishe mbinu za kukabiliaa na uovu huu ambao unaendelea kulemaza na kukandamiza wanawake? Huyu hapa Damari Kitavi na taarifa kamili. - VIDEO

A Bromley man who bigamously married three women on Friday 5 August has been jailed for 3 years. Delroy Bryan, 46, of Reigate Road in Bromley was arrested by officers from the UK Border Agency in May 2010, after information was received suggesting he was involved in bigamous marriages to aid immigration applications. Bryan married Jamaican national Inez Downs at Islington Registry office in November 2000. She went on to claim British nationality. However, he failed to inform the registrar that he was already married at the time. Two years later he married wife number 3, another Jamaican woman, Alphina Brown at Merton Register Office. She also went on to claim British citizenship. It's thought he was paid just a few hundred pounds for each wedding. Bryan admitted 2 counts of bigamy and 2 counts of assisting illegal immigration during a hearing at Croydon Crown Court, and was sentenced to 3 years in prison. Inez Downs, 53, of Woodward in Crawley was found guilty of obtaining leave to remain by deception on Thursday 4 August.

She was jailed for a year. She stood trial alongside her son, Mark Bernard, 34, of the same address, who had helped process her immigration applications. He was also found guilty of 2 counts of assisting illegal immigration, and was sentenced to a year in prison. Alphina Brown, 38, of London Road in Mitcham, has admitted 3 counts of obtaining leave to remain in the UK by deception and will be sentenced on 19 August. Alex Ttaris, head of the UK Border Agency's criminal and financial investigation team in south London, said: 'Bryan was a conman and a liar. His motivation for getting involved with these marriages was money, but it is clear he knew the purpose was to help these women get round immigration laws. 'Downs and Brown both knew these marriages were a fraud, but were willing to cheat the system. 'We now have specialist teams of investigators cracking down on marriage abuse and other forms of immigration crime.'

Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo is one of the victims of the irregular land deals in Athi River area in the outskirts of Nairobi. Four people have been charged in court with obtaining Sh23 million from a businessman on pretence that they were in a position to sell a five-acre piece of land owned by the minister and his wife in Syokimau. A second piece of land owned by the minister and his wife in Syokimau has also been the target of con men who have sub-divided and sold it. The incident has been reported to police who are conducting investigations. The minister discovered recently that his five-acre piece of land had been sub-divided into 31 plots measuring one eighth of an acre each. The fraudsters had already sold 22 plots and were in the process of disposing of the remaining nine when the scandal was discovered. The deals were exposed when transactions on the five-acre farm sold for Sh23 million to an unsuspecting buyer were at the final stage. The buyer had contacted Mr Kilonzo Mutula Junior, a son of the minister, who is an advocate, to act for him in the land deal. The minister’s son was shocked to learn that the land held through his father’s company, Mai Mani Ltd, had been sold without their knowledge. After investigations four people, including the lawyer who acted for the two people who sold the land, were arrested and charged in court. The lawyer and the four others have been charged with obtaining money by false pretences.

They allegedly obtained Sh23 million from Adpro Ltd by pretending they were in a position to sell a parcel of land owned by Mr Kilonzo in Mavoko municipality. The lawyer faces a separate charge of forging a grant purporting it to be a genuine one issued by the Registrar of Titles in Nairobi. He is further accused of possessing documents resembling Kenyan identification cards. The case was set for hearing on Thursday but the lawyer did not turn up in court. The trial magistrate, Ms Lucy Nyambura, was informed that he was unwell. The hearing was deferred to October 18. The director of Adpro Ltd, Mr Enock Kinara, was scheduled to testify as the first prosecution witness. The Government recently suspended all land transactions in Athi River area. The Permanent Secretary for Internal Security and Provincial Administration, Mr Francis Kimemia, warned the public against buying land in the affected areas until outstanding issues are resolved. He ordered that developments and construction on all disputed parcels in the area be put on hold. The PS announced that a task force to investigate rising cases of irregular land deals had been launched. - Daily Nation.

Proverbs 4:25 (Bible in Basic English)

Behind every success story you'll find sacrifices made to fulfil a dream, principles that govern lives in public and in private, the ability to turn a single victory into a system of success, and finally a relentless quest for personal growth. One Bible teacher writes, 'As a boy I loved to watch the older men play draughts. One day one of them invited me to play. At first it looked easy. I captured one, then another of his draughts. Then suddenly he took one draught and hopped across the board yelling, 'King me!' With that king he proceeded to wipe me off the board. That day I learned about long-range vision. Nobody minds losing a few draughts as long as they're headed for king territory!' What sustained Moses in the wilderness? His vision! '...He persevered because he saw him who is invisible' (Hebrews 11:27 NIV). A God-given vision will keep you going when nothing else will. The Bible says, 'Let your eyes look straight ahead... Ponder the path of your feet... Do not turn to the right or the left...' (Proverbs 4:25-27 NKJV). What do you see in your future? You'll never seize it until you see it! So, write down your vision and the reason you want to fulfil it, and what you're willing to go through to make it happen. Then write down every challenge you can think of that you'll have to overcome in order to pursue it. Do that, and you'll be prepared for much of what comes your way. The difference between winners and losers is in how they view failure. Losers see failure; winners see beyond it!

Egypt said Saturday it would withdraw its ambassador from Israel, insisting the killing of five Egyptian security personnel while Israeli forces pursued gunmen across the border was a breach of its 1979 peace treaty with the Jewish state. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said Israel regretted the Egyptian deaths, which followed attacks in its border area that had killed eight people and sparked the most serious crisis in ties with Egypt since Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in February. "We hope that the ambassador will not be recalled," said Yigal Palmor, an Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman. "He's still here." Egypt's Foreign Ministry later called in the Israeli charge d'affairs, delivered a protest and demanded a joint investigation into the deaths, the state MENA news agency said. It said the Israeli diplomat told Egyptian officials he had been asked by his government to read Barak's statement at the Foreign Ministry. The agency said the charge d'affairs was summoned because the Israeli ambassador was not in Cairo. The Egyptian cabinet decision followed a crisis meeting attended by army generals and intelligence chief Murad Muwafi.

Imagination they say makes us happy and currently there are seven very happy men among the Mulembe people, thanks to the thought of becoming president. That imagination is being fertilized by verses from the holy book and history, a history one Ferdinand Waititu seeks to write through the creation of a Ferdinand Waititu the second in Nairobi. It was a week when advice was not being taken so kindly and as Emmanuel Juma reports on Bull's-Eye, all players seemed to know which side of the bread is buttered. - VIDEO

There was drama at Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital where two women were fighting over a body, they both claimed to be that of their legal husband. The two women engaged each other in exchange of words. When the situation got out of hand, the police were forced to intervene and took away the body to where it was supposed to be buried. - VIDEO

The debt crisis in Europe has begun taking a toll on the tourism sector in the Kenya. Though the tourist numbers remain high their low spending habit is reducing the sector margins. The tourists are blaming the current debt situation in Europe for their low spending alleging that they do not have enough money to spend. Historically, tourism has demonstrated remarkable resilience and has emerged from past crises stronger and healthier. The current economic situation in the world has however threatened tough times for the sector as tourists decry lack of enough funds to spend even as they visit the country. Despite the high number of tourists booked in hotels, curio shop operators and tour guides have expressed their frustrations citing that the tourists are not spending money contrary to other seasons. Hassan Hassannali, a proprietor in Malindi town says the current economic situation in Europe has led to low spending by tourists. Being the only income earner in Malindi, residents largely depend on the tourism industry and are now urging the government to intervene and come up with alternatives that will cushion it against the economic downturn. The tourism sector has been a key driver of the economy with last year alone seeing the sector reporting 74 billion shillings in earnings. Tourist numbers also hit a record high of 1.1 million in 2010 and the sector players were hoping for even better earnings this year.

Arch Bishop Dr Arthur Kitonga the founder of Redeemed Gospel Church Nairobi has arrived in the UK on Friday 19th August, 2011 to officiate the eagerly awaited ordination service of Pastor Moffat and Jayne Kaaria of God's Love Mission Church in Chatham Kent. The ceremony will take place on Saturday 20th August as from 2.00 p.m. Archbishop will also minister at revival meetings on Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st August 2011, from 6:00 - 9:00pm on both days at Hook Meadow Community Centre, King George Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0TZ . For more information contact 07852114894 or 07950218785.

Equity markets slid anew and gold set a second-straight record high on Friday as fears of a possible U.S. slide into recession and concerns related to Europe's debt crisis kept investors on edge. Wall Street marked a fourth week of losses, pulled lower by a 20 percent plunge in Hewlett-Packard -- its worst day since the 1987 market crash -- after the Silicon Valley icon unveiled a dismal outlook and a difficult corporate shake-up. The benchmark S&P 500 index has shed 13.1 percent so far in August and is on track for its worst month since October 2008, when the financial crisis and deep recession mauled markets. The day's activity seemed mild when compared with Thursday, when the yield on 10-year U.S. government bonds plummeted below 2 percent for the first time since at least 1950 on fears the U.S. economy was careening towards a new recession. Those fears appear valid. Bill Gross, manager of the world's largest bond fund at PIMCO, told Reuters Insider that the week's rally in Treasury yields signalled "not only a potential for a recession but the almost high probability of recession."

The Dow Jones industrial average closed down 172.93 points, or 1.57 percent, at 10,817.65. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index fell 17.12 points, or 1.50 percent, at 1,123.53. The Nasdaq Composite Index lost 38.59 points, or 1.62 percent, at 2,341.84. Investors halted a rush into bonds but kept pouring into gold, which posted its biggest one-week gain in 2-1/2 years and remains on track for its biggest one-month rise in nearly 12 years in August. Bullion is up 30 percent so far this year. While rising commodity prices sapped some safe-haven buying of gold, it has gained 6 percent over the past five days. "Right now, gold is inversely correlated with fear and nothing else. When stocks are down, gold's up," said Frank McGhee, head precious metals trader at Integrated Brokerage Services LLC. Spot gold shot to a record $1,877 an ounce on volume that was the week's highest but below last week's pace. U.S. gold futures for December delivery settled up $30.20 at $1,852.20 an ounce. Commodity prices rebounded after the U.S. dollar plumbed a record low against the yen on speculation Japanese authorities will not intervene too much to halt the yen's surge. The dollar fell as low as 75.941 yen on trading platform EBS, but later pared most losses. It last traded at 76.500 yen, down 0.1 percent.

Currency traders were emboldened by a Wall Street Journal report citing Japan's top currency official as saying Japanese authorities do not plan to intervene in the market often. The dollar's slump turned commodity markets, where crude oil prices rose about 2 percent at one point. ICE Brent October crude closed up $1.63 at $108.62 a barrel. U.S. crude oil settled down 12 cents at $82.26 per barrel. The U.S. dollar index slipped 0.4 percent to 73.976. The euro was up 0.4 percent at $1.4392. U.S. stocks at first see-sawed but turned lower by midday as European stocks closed down on recession fears and skittishness about regional bank funding in Europe. "What I'm seeing right now is basically a crisis of confidence, more-so than an economic crisis or financial crisis necessarily at this stage," said Natalie Trunow, chief investment officer of equities at Calvert Investment Management in Bethesda, Maryland, which manages about $14.8 billion. MSCI's all-country world stock index was off 1.6 percent, while emerging markets stocks fell 2.5 percent. European shares flirted with two-year lows. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of top European shares closed down 1.7 percent at 909.79. U.S. Treasury yields inched up from a low of 1.97 percent on Thursday as some investors took profits. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note was up 1/32 of a point in price to yield 2.06 percent. Yields have dropped about 73 basis points on the 10-year note in August as disappointing economic data, the Federal Reserve's low interest rate policy and jitters over rising bank funding costs have driven investors to safe-haven bonds. Investors are awaiting Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke's speech on August 26 in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, for hints on how policymakers plan to address the weakness in the economy.

The motivational speaker explains: "no boyfriend or girlfriend before the age of 25 years well known as foundation years

Mr. Stephen Mugambi Waigitu and his wife Mr. Joyce Wambui Mugambi are in London. The couple arrived in London on Sunday 14th August, 2011 for a short visit. Mrs. Mugambi is minister of gospel specialising in "Fighting & Equipping Destinies to save Generations." Minister Joyce is a gifted motivational Christian counsellor and an instructor. She is also the founder and CEO of Stephjoy Girls Christian High School in Limuru, Kenya. For more than twenty years, Mrs. Mugambi has worked tirelessly to give meaning and perspective to the lives of many hopeless Kenyan Youth by inspiring them to have a hope for the future through education. She has also a burning passion to transform the country's future demographic landscape through her vision for education. Her vision is to fight and equip a child's destiny to become responsible men and women in society. The duration for knowledge acquisition that forms the foundation of a man is between ages 4 to 25 years. During this duration, no other business should be carried out by a child other than being in school and focussed for his or her education. No boy of girl should be engaged in love relationship during this first 25 years for they are for the foundation of a man. That relationship should come after the first degree for our God is a God of order he cannot give you a future spouse during the duration for education. Any kind of such relationship is from the enemy with a purpose to distract you from your focus. Mrs. Mugambi will be worshipping at CCBC Swahili Service Barking on Sunday 21st August, 2011 as from 9.00 a.m. and in the afternoon she will be at PCEA UK Outreach, Stratford as from 2.00 p.m. Her contact in UK in UK is 07415210333 and in Kenya is 0713695757 or email joyce_mugambi@yahoo.com for more information please visit www.stephjoyhighschool.org

Greetings in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is to introduce Minister Joyce Mugambi to you.

Minister Joyce Mugambi is the founder of The Wells of Hope Educational Ministries. President and Director of Stephjoy Girls High school in NAIROBI, KENYA. A motivational Gospel speaker with a remarkable gift that inspires faith in the believers that come across her. She specializes mostly on creating awareness to the world on the importance of education and what God meant when He proclaimed in Gen. 1:27-28 Go ye, be fruitful, fill the earth and subdue it.Knowledge is what brings in fruitfulness and accumulates wealth while wisdom brings in multiplication and invests the wealth accumulated by knowledge to sustain the wealth.. Therefore knowledge without God (wisdom) may also be useless.

We are living in a world where many people have been subdued, and lost dominion for they are lost for lack of knowledge Hosea 4:6 Anyone who rejects knowledge rejects what God has ordained. She teaches on how one is supposed to maximize potential for Prv.13:4 says no matter how much a lazy person may want something, he will never get it. A hardworker will get everything he wants. Maximizing potential and establishing kingdoms that others have branches to hang on as they establish their own.

Her calling to serve God began when she was only eight years old. She was inspired by her own mother who was a pioneer church founder of the Anglican Church at their rural home. The work was overwhelming and much of it was delegated to Joyce who performed it with much dedication especially in running of the church school.

Mrs mugambi is an administrator by profession and has trained at the University of Nairobi as a professional counselor and later on studied theology at the Word of Faith Bible Institute. She is a professional counsellor with a touch of excellence that encourages young people as well across the world to seek knowledge and pursue it, only then can God empower them with wisdom to become notable men and women in society. A wife of Stephen Mugambi, a mother of three girls, Dorcas, Rachel and Esther. Power and grace of God is manifested every time she rises to teach and preach the word of God. She has travelled extensively in several countries, among them, The United States of America, Japan, Switzaland, Spain and Denmark.

Her ministry has tremedously been received. She is visiting london for a few weeks and would love to connect and build relationships with other servants of God within the City of London and the Nation at large. Any opportunity given to her will go along way to expanding the Kingdom of God and the church at large. She can be reached through London number 07852438377 or Hse 02085200257. E-mail:joyce_mugambi@yahoo.com. School website:www.stephjoyhghschool.org.for fellowship and sharing, introduction and relation building as well as preaching engagement will be highly appreciated.

Her Kenyan contacts: +254713695757 Hse:020-2622101. We trust God to hear from you urgently. We can first meet for you to know her. God bless you mightly. I am based in Walthamstow East London presently.

OVERHEARD BY MR. SEED: "Talk of a cheerful giver. Think of Kenyan MPs with mega-salaries and bonuses yet crying of unmet commitments. They don't give to anyone, so it won't be enough for them." - Kenyan man in London

City Hall is reviewing existing building restrictions in parts of Nairobi, paving the way for construction of high-density settlements that could reduce the value of property in upmarket estates. The new by-laws, to be published in October, will open up exclusive neighbourhoods to developers of highrise flats in a drive to ease the cost homes that have nearly doubled in the past six years – buoyed by high land prices. Real estate agents say high density settlements, such as those that City Hall is opening the leafy suburbs to, enable developers to distribute the land costs over more units, ultimately pulling down prices.

Salt and Pepper, a pair of newborn non identical twin kangaroos born in Australia, are being cared for by a zoo. According to a zoologist, the twin joeys were a "one in a million" birth. He said: "It's rare enough that twin joeys are born, and to have one of those an albino is very uncommon". On right this chilling image shows an iconic double-decker bus on fire in Tottenham High Road, London, after youths protested against the killing of a man by armed police in an attempted arrest in a taxi.

The world is a paradox, that there are many parallels in nature with humanity. Like one- a giver always has more than a receiver. Yet, it might not appear so looked from the ordinary. Think of Tana River source up the Slopes, gaining volumes as it meanders through Nyika to the Indian Ocean. Obviously the Slopes have insignificant amounts compared to the massive ocean. Yet, were it not for the Slopes, the massive Tana at the delta would be nought.

Think of a kernel of wheat, dying in the soil but springing to yield bushels of wheat. Think of a beauty giving up her virginity and boobliciosity for the sake of a litter of ungrateful yobs (reverse for boys in terms of character!). Think of a young free and single prosperously gentleman giving up all that for a cold bed marriage and ungrateful family. Think of God giving up His only begotten Son for His love of the lost sinners- Babu and you and you and you...

Think of the neighbour who is forever borrowing from you and never returning or honouring pledges. Think of the desert receiving torrential rains yet not sprouting a leaf. Think of the gluttonous rich dying of poor health and obesity and with no family. Think of Kenyan MPs with mega-salaries and bonuses yet crying of unmet commitments. Think of your partner never happy despite all the care and devotion and support and love and sex and shopping and...

Many a cheerful giver would certainly have felt cheated of the misers who never pay back, yet are quick to say they can't make a sacrifice of taking tea without sugar. Many a cheerful giver would block the ears to cries of hungry Turkana and Somalis in the face of fighting amongst them for stupid reasons like cattle and some silly belief in martyrdom. Many a cheerful giver would turn away on the mungiki brother-out-law languishing in jail. Many a cheerful giver would walk away from a cheating partner when in need of just an ear to listen to misery.

Yet, cheerful givers, in obedience to God and Christ, never refer to misdeed, nor rejoice in fallen foes, nor cease being the better providences to the needy. They give, give and give without thinking of being used. Because they understand that giving is the medium of God to humanity.

Make yourself a cheerful giver and you will never lack, unlike the receiver who is forever wanting and never full.

Thousands of pounds in UK could be knocked off pensions after the FTSE fell by 5 per cent. World markets were rocked by more heavy selling as global recession fears resurfaced to send investors running for cover. London's benchmark FTSE 100 index plunged more than 5 per cent or 260 points at one stage, equivalent to around £74 billion, with heavy losses for banking stocks leaving Royal Bank of Scotland and Barclays more than 10 per cent lower. The sector was impacted by a report which suggested US regulators planned to take a closer look at the American arms of Europe's biggest banks as they worry about a spillover from the eurozone debt crisis into the US banking system. The latest markets slump also reflected fears that China is set to raise interest rates - a move which would curb demand - and was accelerated by a gloomy report from economists at Morgan Stanley. World markets have endured wild swings in recent weeks sparked by concerns over US economic health, sovereign debt fears and rumours over the financial position of several of France's leading banks. Kathleen Brooks, research director at Forex.com, said: "This could weigh on markets for some time as there appears to be no immediate solution to the eurozone debt crisis and there are growing signs that the UK, US and Europe are on the cusp of recession." Morgan Stanley downgraded its forecast for global economic growth to 3.9 per cent from 4.2 per cent in 2011 and to 3.8 per cent from 4.5 per cent in 2012.

President Kibaki has directed that the Government publish today (Friday) all Bills the Cabinet has approved. The directive was made even as it emerged the Cabinet meeting President Kibaki chaired Thursday evening, resolved that it would not be possible to enforce the one-third gender rule in the 2012 parliamentary elections. Sources told The Standard the President did not want the August 27 deadline to expire and he be blamed for violating the Constitution, whose first anniversary is eight days away. During the Cabinet meeting he chaired at State House, Nairobi, which Prime Minister Raila Odinga also attended, the Cabinet approved the crucial Elections Bill 2011, with some amendments. The Cabinet will hold a historic meeting tomorrow — the third sitting this week — to scrutinise four crucial Bills ahead of the August 27 deadline. The Cabinet amendments on Bill seen by The Standard include a sub- clause 14 (20), which bars a political party from changing a candidate whose nomination the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission has received. The Cabinet, however, gave the political parties a window to change the nomination of their candidates, if the nominee, either dies, resigns or is incapacitated, among other reasons, before the presentation of nomination papers to the commission. Apart from a possible failure to enact Bills that have a one-year timeline as set out in the Sixth Schedule, several constitutional offices, which are supposed to have been filled by next week, could prove hard. In the event the constitutional timeliness are not met, any person can petition the Chief Justice to advise the President, to dissolve Parliament for the violation.

The term of Attorney General Amos Wako ends next week, but the President Kibaki and the Prime Minister are yet to name Wako’s successor. The two principals, sources say, have agreed on the next AG, but they have kept the public guessing.

Only the Attorney General is mandated by the Constitution to forward all Bills to the Government Printer for publication.

Whereas the choice is not bound to cause ripples, since it is between the two principals, the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police and two deputies, due next Friday, could prove impossible. The Bill outlining how the appointment of the Inspector-General of Police should be done was published this week, but with an August 12, 2011 date. If parliamentary procedures are followed, the Bill is supposed to take 10 days to mature before it comes to the House for first reading, which will be on Tuesday next week, three days before the expiry of the one-year deadline. And yesterday the Government rushed to Parliament with the three police Bills, seeking to shorten the publication period from the mandatory 14 days, to six, to allow them to be debated and commence the process of appointing the Inspector-General of Police. However, according to the Bill the position of the Inspector-General is supposed to be advertised in at least two daily newspapers with national circulation, declaring the vacancy within 14 days from the commencement of the Act once the National Assembly enacts the legislation. While other police reforms have a timeline of two years after promulgation of the Constitution, the appointment of the Inspector-General was supposed to have been filled within a year of the promulgation. Other appointments, which have also not been made, include the Controller of Budget and the Auditor General. These are supposed to be approved by Parliament after the two principals pick the office bearers. And 14 Bills, which are supposed to have been passed by August 27, have so far not reached the House for debate. At the same time, there is also a standoff between the Treasury and the Ministry of Local Government over a Bill, which is supposed to guide funding of county governments. The Public Financial Management Bill, which is also supposed to have been enacted, by next week, is the subject of a clash between Deputy Prime Ministers Uhuru Kenyatta and Musalia Mudavadi on funding of counties. The two ministries have prepared two different proposed Bills and each side has maintained its positions. The Commission on Implementation of Constitution has also failed to resolve the dispute. The matter has since been referred to the two principals for arbitration. A meeting called by the PM on Wednesday, bringing together the two deputy premiers failed. And more than a month after the Cabinet approved the Commission for Revenue Allocation Bill from the Treasury, the Government Printer is yet to publish it.

Other Bills that have also not surfaced in Parliament include, Kenya Citizenship and Immigration Bill, Kenya Citizens and Foreign Nationals Management Service Bill, Environment and Land Court Bill, and Power of Mercy Bill. Also not in the House are the Elections Bill, Independent Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Bill, Public Financial Management Bill, the Employment and Labour Relations Court Bill 2011, and Urban Areas and Cities Bill. Meanwhile, Parliament voted to shorten the process of passing three crucial Bills on police reforms to beat August 27. And Deputy Leader of Government Business, Amos Kimunya would next week be asked to extend sitting hours to clear pending Bills to avoid violating the Constitution. Despite opposition by some backbenchers, the House yesterday endorsed a Government Motion to shorten the publication period of Bills on police reforms to hasten debate. The publication period of the National Police Service Bill, National Police Service Commission Bill, and Independent Policing Oversight Authority Bill was reduced from 14, to six days. Standing Order 107 permits the action to facilitate speedy enactment of urgent Bills. A Bill to establish the National Gender and Equality Commission was passed on Wednesday. Another to restructure Kenya National Human Rights Commission was approved last evening. On Thursday, the Motion to shorten publication period was resisted by MPs who charged the action was designed to shield the Bills from scrutiny. Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu), Ekwe Ethuro (Turkana Central), Abdi Nuh (Bura), John Pesa (Migori) and John Mbadi (Gwassi) opposed the Motion, alleging the rush could compromise the quality of laws. The Standard.

International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo is set to release the document containing charges (DCC) against the second batch of post-election violence suspects today (Friday). With the clock ticking towards September 21, the document containing the charges expected to form the basis of the confirmation hearing is to be filed today at the court. It contains charges against Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura and Postmaster General Hussein Ali, as per orders issued by Pre-Trial Chamber II Presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova. Just 19 days ago, the prosecutor released a DCC on Eldoret North MP William Ruto, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey and radio presenter Joshua Sang. The suspects will have more than a month to prepare their defence. The Standard.

Shimo la Tewa GK Prison inmate Peris Awuor (left) who is serving five years for trafficking bhang, serves ugali and sukuma wiki to Deputy Chief Justice Nancy Baraza (right), ICC judge Lady Justice Joyce Aluoch (second left) and Mombasa Resident Judge Justice Hannah Okwengu (second right) during a tour of the prison on Wednesday, when 158 prisoners were released through the Community Service Order. As inmates would attest, the experience of a judge or magistrate delivering a judgment that sends them to jail by the stroke of a pen remains etched in their minds. Judges and magistrates are the very face of the judicial system. The court room scenario with the judge occupying the elevated, expansive bench and the inmate-to-be cringing in the dock below, only serve to emphasise their different worlds. But these worlds merged on Wednesday when judges turned up at one of the country’s top prisons — Shimo la Tewa — to talk to and mingle with the inmates. The air was poignant with the irony that some of the judges present were actually the ones who sent the prisoners to jail after trying them for their various offences. - Daily Nation.

Matthew 25:29 (Bible in Basic English)

Every accomplishment starts with a decision. Choice, not chance, determines your destiny. Jesus gave us the parable of a businessman who gave one employee ten talents to invest, and he doubled them. A second employee received five talents, and he doubled them too. A third employee got one talent, but he buried it. Afraid of losing it, he failed to take even a modest risk. 'The master was furious..."It's criminal to live cautiously like that...you knew I was after the best, why did you do less...?' ' (Matthew 25:26 TM) The Bible says ...we walk by [the eye of] faith, not by [natural] sight' (2 Corinthians 5:7 NJKV). Unless you're willing to take prayed-over, carefully-considered and well-advised risks, you're not operating in faith. And '...without faith it is impossible to please Him' (Hebrews 11:6). Jesus ended His parable saying, '...everyone who has will be given more...Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him.' Matthew 25:29 NIV Your goal should be to maximise the investment on everything you do. Ken Blanchard calls this getting the highest return on life. It means putting all your eggs in God's basket (don't worry, He won't drop them!). To get more, you must use what God's already given you. When you step out in faith, God moves, and extraordinary things happen. John Mason says: 'Not what we have but what we use, not what we see but what we choose-these are the things that mar or bless human happiness.' When you limit what you will do, you limit what you can do. Think: if you don't act now, what will it ultimately cost you?

WHAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED: A Kenyan man arrived in Saudi Arabia for a truck driver job early this week. When he reported in the office to start his job in the morning, he excused himself to go out for a cigarette. He has not been seen since then. The agent who are holding his passport has been to all police stations in vain.

A mid-summer monsoon caused flash flooding across southern Britain on Thursday 18th August, 2011 as a fortnight's worth of rain fell in just 30 minutes. At the beach in Bournemouth - which is normally crowded with sunseekers in August - water was flooding off the road, along the beach and into the sea. The town's pleasure gardens were turned into a lake after being flooded with barely a blade of grass visible. Flash floods caused chaos yesterday as a fortnight’s rain fell in just half an hour in some areas. Surges of waist-high water in Dorset forced shopkeepers to flee submerged stores and motorists to abandon their vehicles as towns were brought to a standstill for several hours. Huge cracks opened along main roads in Bournemouth and lifeguards had to run for cover as a torrent of water rushed through the town to the beach, which would normally be packed with tourists.Residents reported 3ft tides of water heading towards their homes.

Renewed jitters over Europe's debt crisis and a raft of weak U.S. economic data sparked a rout in global equities on Thursday while driving investors to the safety of gold and U.S. government bonds. Spot gold prices and the yield on the benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury note set fresh records as investors dumped stocks and other riskier assets to rush into safe-haven investments for their perceived security. The numbers spelled mayhem although U.S. stocks stayed above 2011 lows set last week and most asset prices pulled back from the brink in afternoon trading. "The market is in meltdown mode; the data continues to stink. I don't know that there's much more to be said. We continue to be in a soft patch," said Sal Catrini, managing director for equities at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co in New York. A drop in factory activity in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region to the lowest level since March 2009 particularly unnerved investors, as the data from the Philadelphia Federal Reserve Bank is viewed as a forward-looking indicator of national manufacturing. An unexpected fall in existing U.S. home sales in July and a greater-than-expected rise in new claims for jobless benefits in the latest week added to growing fears that the U.S. economic recovery could be derailed.

Aversion to risk swept financial markets. Corporate bonds, industrial commodities and higher-yielding currencies slid, and assets viewed as safe havens, such as gold, government bonds and the dollar, gained. European equities suffered their biggest daily slide in 2-1/2 years. The FTSEurofirst 300 index of leading European shares fell 4.8 percent to close at 925.19 points, its biggest one-day percentage drop since March 2009. "The market is beginning to price in a recession. The Philadelphia Fed number was an absolute abomination," said Michael Hewson, market analyst at CMC Markets in London. "Until we get some clear idea of how policy-makers are going to deal with euro-zone sovereign debt problems, it's not getting to get any better." On Wall Street, the three major U.S. stock indexes lost 4 percent to 5 percent. Global stocks, as measured by MSCI's all-country world equity index, tumbled 4.3 percent.

Stocks tumbled more than 4 percent on Thursday after data pointed to a stalled economy and as bank shares sank on a report regulators were scrutinizing the U.S. units of big European lenders. The decline was broad as well as steep, with just a small handful of the S&P 500's components in positive territory. The KBW bank index slid 5.5 percent, with Citigroup Inc off 9.6 percent at $27, and Morgan Stanley down 7.5 percent at $15.75. "The market is in meltdown mode," said Sal Catrini, managing director for equities at Cantor Fitzgerald & Co in New York. "The data continues to stink. We continue to be in a soft patch." The Dow Jones industrial average was down 479.53 points, or 4.20 percent, at 10,930.68. The Standard & Poor's 500 fell 52.77 points, or 4.42 percent, at 1,141.12. The Nasdaq Composite lost 120.57 points, or 4.80 percent, at 2,390.91. Still, at its session low, the S&P 500 was 3 percent above the year lows set early last week. Factory activity in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic region plummeted in August, falling to the lowest level since March 2009, while existing home sales unexpectedly dropped in July, tempering hopes for a revival of economic recovery. For details, see Concerned the European debt crisis might spread to U.S. banks, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York has asked for more information about whether the U.S. units of big European lenders have reliable access to funds needed to operate, the Wall Street Journal reported. Also denting the market, new jobless claims rose more than expected last week, while consumer prices rose faster than expected in July, separate government reports showed. Investors continued to worry that European policymakers were not doing enough to tackle the euro zone's debt crisis. European blue chips were down 5 percent, with banks down 5.5 percent.

The cabinet Thursday resolved that it was impossible to achieve the requirement for one third representation in Parliament by either gender. Consequently, the cabinet has decided to set up a task force to prepare a constitution amendment bill to deal with the issue. A cabinet brief from the Presidential Press Service said "With regard to the requirement for one third representation in Parliament by either gender, Cabinet decided to set up a task force to prepare a Constitution amendment bill to deal with this important requirement that is technically impossible to achieve under the current stipulation." The constitution stipulates that not more than two-thirds of the members of elective or appointive bodies shall be of the same gender.

Elections bill
The meeting held at State House, Nairobi, also approved for publication and tabling in Parliament the Elections Bill 2011. The Elections Bill will provide the legal framework for the conduct and management of elections and referenda at the county and national levels. It will provide for a mechanism for the realization of political rights and freedom of the citizens as enshrined in article 30 of the constitution. Enactment of the Elections bill also provides the framework for the electoral reform agenda in the country. This includes prescription of procedures for elections, registration of voters, conduct of elections, nomination of representatives of special interest groups at county and national level, recall of M.P.'s, resolution of electoral disputes and vacation of sits for members at county and national level.

Food security
The ministers also approved the National Food Security and Nutrition Policy.
The policy identifies four key areas to improve food security and nutritional situation among the Kenyan people. The areas to be addressed include:
1.    Food availability and access.
2.    Improved nutrition and basic health
3.    Stability of food access through enough relief and safety nets.
4.    Improved food and nutrition information.
The Cabinet meeting also approved the divestiture from holdings held by the Kenya Tourist Development Corporation that is currently reviewing its investment portfolio. This includes:
1.    International Hotels Kenya Limited which owns the Nairobi Hilton Hotel. KTDC has a 40.7% shareholding.
2.    Kenya Hotel Properties which owns the Nairobi Intercontinental Hotel. KTDC has a 33.8% shareholding.
3.    Mountain Lodge Limited in which KTDC holds 39.11% shareholding.
Other decisions passed by the cabinet were;
1.    Approval for the hosting of the tripartite COMESA-EAC-SADC and IGAD infrastructure investment conference in Nairobi on the 28th-29th September 2011.The conference aims at providing high level support for the implementation of infrastructure projects across the region.
2.    Approval of the accreditation of the International Fertilizer Center in Kenya.
The Cabinet will meet for a third time this Saturday in order to deal with four other bills relating to the constitution to beat the August 27 deadline. This will ensure that Cabinet disposes of bills to Parliament and help in meeting the deadlines set out in the constitution implementation schedule.

After eight months of waiting, Kamukunji constituency finally has a Member of Parliament.PNU's Yusuf Hassan clinched the parliamentary seat after garnering 19,030 votes against his main challenger ODM's Ahmed Ibrahim who got 15,476 votes in a tightly contested by election. Narc-Kenya's Brian Weke came in third after polling 4,064 votes. Speaking at the Interim independent electoral commission's nerve centre at Laico Regency hotel Thursday evening, IIEC chair Isaack Hassan said voter turn-out was 30.79 per cent, the lowest in the history of the commission. Only 40,454 voters cast their votes out of the 128,526 registered voters. 708 votes were rejected while three were disputed. ODM through Assistant Minister Bishop Margaret Wanijru conceded defeat saying the election was free and fair. Hassan further decried the high cases of voter bribery and double registration saying the culprits with two voters' cards had been arrested. The allegations were traded between the two main parties ODM and PNU, with MPs allied to either side accusing the others of vote buying. There were no major ugly incidents reported during the exercise that kicked off Thursday morning as scheduled. Hassan however commended the candidates for demonstrating maturity during the campaigns. The Kamukunji seat fell vacant after the high court nullified the election of Simon Mbugua over election irregularities. The election was a supremacy battle between ODM and PNU .

Safaricom wants the Communications Commission of Kenya (CCK) to hold further consultations with players in the telecommunications industry before announcing measures to regulate competition. The CCK is currently holding a study about dominance within the telecommunication industry with a view of coming up with measures to ensure fair competition among players. The CCK is keen to enforce measures aimed at facilitating fair competition practices among telecommunication players with special emphasis on the interest of consumers. The communication regulator has been collecting views from stakeholders, which are aimed at coming up with dominant firms in the telecommunication sector based on different services. If a telecommunications company is declared dominant, the CCK will then look at how the operator prices its off-net tariffs as compared to tariffs within its network and if it is found that the charges prevent its subscribers from calling other networks, the regulator will enforce penalties which could include setting price ceilings. Safaricom and Telkom Kenya have in the past been touted as being dominant in the mobile and fixed voice services respectively. This implies that they have market power that in the view of the CCK could be used to the detriment of the consumer. The ongoing survey on dominant players is set to be completed on Friday next week. However, Safaricom is already crying foul. In a statement, the company's CEO Bob Collymore says; "We expect that CCK will carry out further consultations before any pronouncements are made. The indication in the Consultation Paper that the CCK may regulate Safaricom's retail mobile voice and SMS services is not an eventuality we believe will be implemented at the conclusion of this consultation process." "Even if CCK makes a finding of dominance against Safaricom it must demonstrate that Safaricom has abused such dominance before it can make any remedial interventions," he adds. Safaricom also wants the newly created Competition Authority engaged in the process.

A Kenyan man has passed away in Birmingham, Al, USA. The late Stephen Waithaka Kuria passed away on Sunday night 14th August, 2011. There will be Daily Prayer Meetings ( Tuesday thro' Friday) at afternoon at The Laborers In Christ Church. Memorial Service and fundraising event will be held on Sunday, August 21 at pm at Laborers in Christ Ministry, Birmingham AL. The Late Stephen is survived by his wife Lilian, children: Njoki, Njambi and Kuria. He is brother to Eliud Goko, Alice Wangui, Albert Gitau, Benard Mbugua, Samwel Kingara among others. An account has been opened with Wells Fargo, A/C # 3471675524 routing # 062000080. John Gachungi Nene 205-223-7702, John Njaaga Nganga 205-542-7382 or Rev. George Kiarie Nganga 205-862-490.

The Central Bank of Kenya overnight discount window Thursday rose five points higher than Wednesday's standing at 17.89. CBK tightened the overnight discount window for the fourth time in a week after raising it by 13.8% on Tuesday from 11.3 on Monday and 6.25 on Friday last week. As a result, the shilling and the Nairobi Stock Exchange that have been on a nose dive have stabilized and are now recording gains with the shilling trading at 93.13 against the dollar. The CBK's new strategy comes after weeks of bashing by the public and analyst blaming the institution for developing a wait and see attitude. Financial experts have accused the bank of by-standing as a weaker shilling fueled inflation due to high import bill. Commercial banks abused the discount window by borrowing at the discount rate and using the funds to speculate weakening the Kenyan currency further. And after three adjustments of the overnight window discount the shilling and the NSE have continued to register improvements with the shilling on Monday up by 3.50 shillings against the dollar compared to a record 95.10 to the dollar last week. The NSE 20-share index also edged up 34.27 points to close at 3,745.07 points. There are however fears that the tightening liquidity would translate to higher lending rates by commercial banks as they factor in the higher cost of funding to protect their profit margins. The overnight discount window formula is crafted in a manner that it carries heavy penalties on the inter-bank rate and the CBK rate or whichever is higher to ensure that banks only access the discount window while in serious distress. On Friday last week, the regulator issued new guidelines for banks to access the overnight discount window which will make it hard for commercial banks borrowing from the CBK's discount window to lend in the inter-bank market.

At least seven people have been killed in a series of attacks on vehicles in southern Israel, Israeli medics say. The attacks began when gunmen fired at an Israeli bus that was travelling near the Egyptian border. Officials said two other vehicles were hit - one by a rocket and one by an explosive device - and that several gunmen died in an ensuing firefight. It is the first major attack on Israel's border with Egypt for several years, the BBC's Paul Danahar reports. "This was a grave incident in which Israelis and Israeli sovereignty were harmed," said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. "Israel will respond accordingly." Israeli officials said the gunmen came from the Gaza Strip and had entered Israel through Egypt's Sinai desert. "The real source of the terror is in Gaza and we will act against them with full force and determination," said Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak. He also said that the "incident underscores the weak Egyptian hold on Sinai and the broadening of the activities of terrorists".

Mr. Seed and his wife Pastor Jane Njiiri will be visiting the Republic of Ireland next week as from Thursday 25th August, 2011 to Wednesday 31st August, 2011. They will be in Dublin and Galway. During their visit they will attend several functions and they will also be meeting Kenyans in Ireland. For information and where to meet them in Dublin please contact Pastor Amos on 00353876929777 and for Galway contact Wangari on 00353877514895.

With only a day to go, preparations have begun in earnest for the eagerly awaited ordination service of Pastor Moffat and Jayne Kaaria of God's Love Mission Church in Chatham Kent. Here Prophetess Lydia of Uwezo Ministries International Nairobi is seen arriving at Heathrow ahead of Bishop Dr. Arthur Kitonga the founder of Redeemed Gospel Church Kenya who will be officiating. The ceremony will take place on Saturday 20th August as from 2.00 p.m. The revival meetings on Saturday and Sunday 20th and 21st August, 2011 at Hook Meadow Community Centre, King George Road, Chatham, Kent, ME5 0TZ as from 6.00 to 9.00 p.m. on both days. For more information contact 07852114894 or 07950218785.

A Kenyan recruited into the British Army has been found guilty of raping a woman. Kenyan-born Robert Kariuki was found guilty of attacking a woman in July last year. In testimony to the court, the defendant reportedly threatened to kill his victim and stopped her from leaving her room to even use the toilet during a ‘sustained’ series of seven rapes over several hours. The woman, a German, had invited Kariuki and another soldier to her flat for drinks in the army garrison town of Paderborn, Germany. She was estranged from her British army husband at the time. The court heard she ‘willingly’ had sex with the defendant’s comrade in her bedroom while he slept on her sofa. He is said to have attacked the woman in her bed, stuffing a teddy bear in her mouth and covering her face with a pillow after she had spent the night making love with his friend. But when his friend left the apartment at 7.00am the following morning he went into her room, woke her up and began his rapes. The court martial in Sennelager, Germany, heard how he was ‘jealous’ because she was not attracted to him, even though the woman considered him a friend. Kariuki claimed sex had been consensual and that he had not been aware of what had gone on earlier that morning in the victim’s bedroom. Kariuki, based in Germany with 35 Engineer Regiment, was imprisoned for 10 years after being found guilty at an earlier hearing on seven counts of rape, two counts of threats to kill, and one of false imprisonment.

Death has occured of Mzee Edwin Mungai Kibue, of Lower Kabete, Kiambu County on Tuesday 16th August, 2011. Husband to Mary Wanjiru Edwin and Diana Nyaguthii. Father to John Kibue, George Mbugua, Naomi Neri, Charles Mungai (Nottingham, U.K.) late Serah Wairimu, Joseph Kimani, Annie Wambui, Sammy Mungai Kibue, Joe Ngunjiri and Paul Nganga. Father-in-Law to Nancy, Veronicah, Susan (Jackie Sue, Nottingham, U.K.), Annie Kimani, Charity and Mary. Grandfather to 26 grandchildren. Relatives and friends are meeting daily at 26 Sargent Gardens, Marmion Road, Nottingham, NG3 2HU. For further information please contact 07838054910 or 07723821805.

Mr. Duncan K. Kamanu (left) escorting her daughter, Miriam Wanjiku Kamanu, during her wedding in Dallas, Texas recently, and on the right, Pastor Micheal Gamble of Covenant Church, Mckinney, Texas conducting the wedding between Kamanu's daughter and David Chege, both from Dallas, Texas.

A group photograph of the newly weds-Mr. & Mrs. David Chege (centre) and (from left), Mr. Duncan Ngari from London, Mr. & Mrs. D.K. Kamanu (bride's parents), Pastor Jane Njiiri (Aunt to the Bride), fromLondon, Evangelist Noel Mugo of Dallas, Texas and Mr. Chege (Uncle to the bride) from Maryland USA. Click here for more

Migingo Island, Lake Victoria. The Kenyan and Ugandan governments are embroiled in a tussle over the island's ownership. PHOTO/ ELISHA OTIENO

Ugandans living on the Migingo Islands are in panic following a heavy deployment of Kenyan administration officers near a contested island. Ugandans told Daily Monitor that Kenya sent over 50 officers on Monday to the island but they were blocked from docking on Migingo Islands by Uganda Police officers. The Kenyan offiers have now stationed at Ugingo Island. Mr Gerald Kamya, a Beach Management Unit officer, said the deployed has left them in fear since their Kenya fishers on the islands are organising themselves to take over. “The events are worrying us. Before the deployment, Kenyan authorities took fishers from the islands and chose BMUs among them yet we had earlier agreed to have a joint unit,” Mr Kamya said. Kenya’s Nyatike District Commissioner, Allan Machari confirmed the deployment of their officers to Kenyan media saying that it is part of the agreement of the two countries. Migingo and Ugingo islands are located in Lake Victoria at the border of the three East African countries. Kenya and Uganda are claiming ownership of the two islands but Uganda insists owns one. Both countries have agreed to have a joint survey to establish the country the island lays. Mr Kamya said Kenyans on the island have purchased Kenya national flag and that of police which they say will raise the moment their officers take control. Uganda Police Force has also reportedly beefed up security in the area but the Uganda Police spokesperson, Judith Nabakooba couldn’t confirm the strength in the deployment. Recently Uganda government sent the head of Mobile Police Patrol Unit Commissioner, Geoffrey Obache and Professional Standards Unit Senior Superintendent of Police, Samuel Ekoliot to the contested islands give tactical guidance to the officers deployed there. Daily Nation. VIDEO

Last week, Mr Francis Kimemia, permanent secretary in the ministry of Internal Security suspended all land transactions in Athi River in what it termed as a crackdown on fake dealers and threatened to repossess the land. Banks stand to make huge losses should the government reclaim land meant for public utilities in Athi River, experts say. They also warn of losses to individual owners, who brought the land which the government now says was for the expansion of the Export Processing Zone, East Africa Portland Cement, Numerical Machines and other public projects. The land has over the years been subdivided and turned to private use. “Should the reversal of ownership take place there will be losses all around, some being borne by banks that lend money to buyers of the lands. They will be left holding worthless papers,” said a banker who declined to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter. Last week, the government suspended all land transactions in Athi River in what it termed as a crackdown on fake dealers and threatened to repossess the land.

Mr Francis Kimemia, permanent secretary in the ministry of Internal Security, issued the order and directed that those who had invaded public and private land had to leave. The government appointed a task force to find solutions to the land problem there, but experts have questioned its legality. Some of the people who brought land were issued with title deeds, which some claim were legally issued by government officers. On Monday 15th August, 2011 the Export Processing Zones Authority said it will place a caveat (buyer be ware) on its land to deter would-be buyers. The government is investing billions in modern transport systems to spur growth, but experts say the disputes could slow-down growth of the area seen as key to decongest Nairobi. Last week, land experts warned of disruption and delay in implementing projects in Nairobi’s metropolitan region, due to emerging disputes. The land problem has been compounded by unscrupulous brokers who sold land using fake title deeds, resulting in double registration and multiple title deeds. The task force is also meant to look into this, although experts say they may not achieve much. - Daily Nation

Deuteronomy 31:6 (Bible in Basic English)

6 Be strong and take heart, and have no fear of them: for it is the Lord your God who is going with you; he will not take away his help from you.

Your words and attitudes have a powerful effect on other people. The woman caught in adultery is a case in point (John 8 NIV). Observe how the Pharisees handled her: 'The Law [of] Moses commanded us to stone such women' (v. 5). How different Jesus' attitude was! Looking at her with compassion, He said, 'Neither do I condemn you... Go now and leave your life of sin' (v. 11). Lifted, redeemed, empowered - you can't help but believe she spent the rest of her days trying to live up to Christ's view of her. The mandate to 'encourage one another' and 'build each other up' is woven throughout the New Testament. All of us need reassurance and appreciation. So why do we sometimes pocket the praise we should pass on to others, or sidestep the practical help we could offer to open the way for them to succeed? Sometimes it's simply because we're lazy, or selfish, or we fall into the habit of taking people for granted. Sometimes it's just easier to find fault. We underestimate the impact our words and attitudes can have on another person, or we assume our approval is obvious. Are we afraid our praise might be a stumbling block, causing pride in them? Jesus didn't fear that when He hailed Nathanael, 'Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false' (John 1:47 NIV). What a compliment! The truth is, more people die of broken hearts than swelled heads. So ask God today for an opportunity to offer genuine praise to someone in your life. Ask Him to use you to come alongside them, and encourage them towards their goal.

A village in Nyeri is mourning the death of four family members, one of them, the suspected killer of the three. Angry villagers of Satima, in Kieni, killed a 25 year-old man who is said to have murdered his grandparents and his younger brother before secretly burying the bodies in one of the houses. Linda Ogutu reports. - VIDEO

The French and German leaders have called for "true economic governance" for the eurozone in response to the euro debt crisis. Speaking at a joint news conference, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy urged much closer economic and fiscal policy in the eurozone. Ms Merkel said that further integration would be a "step-by-step" process. They also advocated a tax on financial transactions to raise more revenues. The two leaders said they wanted bi-annual meetings of the 17 heads of the eurozone governments, chaired by Herman van Rompuy, the current president of the European Council. Markets reacted negatively to the conference, with some investors saying that they were expecting bigger announcements. In New York, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 1.3% during and after the press conference, which took place after the close of trading in Europe, but recovered later. Government bonds in the US and Germany - seen as safe havens in any economic downturn - rallied in reaction to the leaders' comments. Ms Merkel again played down the chances of introducing "eurobonds" - jointly guaranteed debts of the 17 eurozone governments - as a solution to the crisis. The idea has been advocated by the Italian finance minister, Giulio Tremonti, as well as billionaire investor George Soros as a way of providing cheap financing to struggling governments while also incentivising them to put their finances in order. But the German chancellor said she only saw such a move coming at the end of a long process of fiscal union.

It will take time before Kenyans understand about the Motor Way. Pedestrians should not cross the motorway. A view of Thika Road near Ruiru where there is a Pedestrian Bridge (right) but people are ignoring it and cross whenever (left)

Her name is Rachel Wokabi a patient at St. Mary Hospital, Paddington, London. She was found in a construction site in London two weeks ago by good Samaritans who took her to the hospital. The Kenyan lady who is 31 years is confused and her memory is gone. She is talking but she is not connecting. She can talk in Kikuyu and Swahili fluently. Fortunately she has an Italian passport and she has lived in Italy for more than 10 years before coming to the UK 4 years ago. She is thought to be a student in one of the London Universities studying Hotel Management. She is trying to remember that she is a former student at Loreto High School and has a cousin in London by the name Njoroge. She can remember that she has a mother in Kenya but cannot remember about the father. She is fair brown colour, about 5ft 6 inches and medium slim body. She has been in Kenya a few months ago where she was attacked by malaria which has affected her brain. The hospital is trying to trace her family in vain. If you have any information about this lady or her relatives, please contact Mr. Seed on 07951220695.

Rail commuters are facing ticket rises of around 8% next year, following the release of latest inflation figures. July's RPI inflation figure determines the rise in regulated fares, like season tickets. RPI inflation for July was unchanged at 5%, meaning the average season ticket will rise by around 8%, although some companies may charge more. Rail Minister Theresa Villiers said "difficult decisions" on fares had been taken due to the budget deficit. The rises are part of the government's agenda to reduce the cost to the taxpayer of running the rail network. For the last few years the formula for fare increases has generally been RPI inflation plus 1%, but for the next three years it is RPI plus 3%. The formula affects regulated fares, such as season tickets and long-distance off-peak tickets. Some fares will go up by far more than the 8% average, because train companies are allowed to increase fares by another 5% on top, as long as that is balanced with reductions elsewhere. Rail customer watchdog Passenger Focus said having some fares regulated was "clearly in passengers' interests", although the way that train companies are allowed to set prices on individual routes was "deeply unfair". Its director, David Sidebottom, said: "Some passengers, who may have seen no investment or improvements, can get hit year after year. We will forcefully advocate change to this system in the government's forthcoming fares review. "The government's commitment that the next three years should signal the end of inflation-plus-3% rises is welcome but in the meantime passengers will have to dig deep." Edward Welsh, corporate affairs director at the Association of Train Operating Companies (Atoc), said all the extra money raised will go to the government and not train companies.

Three men thought to be among the first in England to appear at crown court after last week's riots and looting have been jailed for up to two years. The men took part in the disorder in Manchester and Salford on 9 August. David Beswick, 31, Stephen Carter, 26, both from Salford, and Michael Gillespie-Doyle, 18, from Tameside, all pleaded guilty at earlier hearings. The sentencing judge said their crimes deserved longer sentences than if they had been isolated cases. Sitting at Manchester Crown Court, Judge Andrew Gilbart QC said: "I have no doubt at all that the principal purpose is that the courts should show that outbursts of criminal behaviour like this will be and must be met with sentences longer than they would be if the offences had been committed in isolation.

An exchange student from Japan is presumed dead after being swept over Niagara Falls on Sunday night, authorities say. The woman, in her 20s, who was studying in Toronto, climbed on to a pillar overlooking the Canadian side of the falls and slipped over, police said. She then fell into the Niagara River about 80ft (24m) up from the edge of the falls and was swept over. The Niagara Parks Police described the death as a tragic accident. As of Monday morning, the woman's body had not been recovered. Officials said they were working with the Japanese consulate to notify her family. "The public is reminded that climbing over this wall is clearly dangerous and is prohibited by the Niagara Parks Act and its regulations," Niagara Parks Police Chief Doug Kane warned. "Millions of visitors have viewed the scenic Niagara falls and the Niagara River gorge while respecting the safety wall without incident." - VIDEO

Just 15 minutes of exercise a day can increase your life expectancy by three years and reduce the risk of dying by 14 per cent, according to research. And every additional 15 minutes of daily exercise reduces the risk of death further, by four per cent, the study found. Past research has shown that regular exercise can lower risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, dementia, brittle bones and some cancers. Exercise can also help to reduce stress, boost mood and improve sleep.

A 16-year-old boy has been charged with murdering a man during riots in London. Richard Mannington Bowes, 68, died three days after being attacked as he tried to stamp out a fire in Ealing, west London, on 8 August. The boy, who cannot be named, has also been charged with violent disorder and four counts of burglary. His mother has been charged with perverting the course of justice and both are due to appear in courts in Croydon on Tuesday. The boy will appear at Croydon Youth Court while his mother is due at the magistrates' court. A 22-year-old man arrested on suspicion of murdering Mr Bowes has been bailed.

Two men from Cheshire have been jailed for four years each for using Facebook to incite disorder during riots in England last week. Jordan Blackshaw, 21, of Vale Road, Marston and Perry Sutcliffe-Keenan, 22, of Richmond Avenue, Warrington, were jailed at Chester Crown Court. The Recorder of Chester, Judge Elgan Edwards praised the swift actions of Cheshire Police. He said he hoped the sentences would act as a deterrent to others. Both men pleaded guilty under sections 44 and 46 of the Serious Crime Act to intentionally encouraging another to assist the commission of an indictable offence. The Crown Prosecution Service said Blackshaw had created a Facebook event called "Smash d[o]wn in Northwich Town", intended for the receipt of the "Mob Hill Massive Northwich Lootin'". The page went on to specify a meeting time and place of 9 August, between 13:00 and 16:00 BST, "behind maccies" - thought to be the McDonald's restaurant in Northwich town centre.

In move to curb run-away inflation and give support to the battered shilling, the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) has for the second time in a month tightened the rules for banks borrowing from its overnight discount window. In a circular to bank executives, the CBK said the rate would be based on a formula that takes into account the central bank rate plus the previous day's average interbank rate, minus the central bank's rate of 6.25 percent and a penalty of three percentage points. This means that commercial banks tapping the overnight window would be charged at a higher rate starting today.The CBK has been deploying a range of short-term liquidity management tools since June to contain a steep decline in the shilling currency that has lost more that 15 percent against the dollar in this year. The new guidelines also stipulate that any bank lending in the interbank market would not be allowed to access funds through the discount overnight window on the same day. Any bank borrowing from the overnight window would not be able to lend in the interbank market that day or the following day. CBK said that due to the severe pressure the foreign exchange market has come under the link between interest rates and exchange rates requires further elaboration. Consequently, commercial banks were advised to consider increased use of the horizontal Repo which permits diverse tenors which are negotiated bilaterally between banks. The Kenyan currency has suffered its worst decline in its history oscillating between 95 and 93 shillings to dollar while inflation has climbed steeply to 15.5 percent in July. Since Kenya is a net importer the import bill has risen significantly making goods and services costly fuelling further inflation. The market regulator said it would consider a bank's foreign exchange behavior over the past four trading days when considering that bank's eligibility for accessing the overnight window.

Cases which usually would be dealt with by magistrates courts could now be referred to crown court for tougher sentences. Magistrates are being advised by the courts service to disregard normal sentencing guidelines when dealing with those convicted of offences committed in the context of last week's riots. The advice, given in open court by justices' clerks, will result in cases that would usually be disposed of in magistrates courts being referred to the crown court for more severe punishment. It may explain why some of those convicted have received punitive sentences for offences that might normally attract a far shorter term. In Manchester a mother of two, Ursula Nevin, was jailed for five months for receiving a pair of shorts given to her after they had been looted from a city centre store. In Brixton, south London, a 23-year-old student was jailed for six months for stealing £3.50 worth of water bottles from a supermarket.

London Mission Christian Centre invites you to worship together with us THIS COMING SUNDAY 21/08/2011 where Gospel Singer HELLENA KITHEKA (Below centre) will MINISTER THE WORD as well as SING! London will be witnessing the other story of Kitheka which is very PROPHETIC. LMCC meets at CASTLE GREEN,GALE STREET Dagenham Essex RM9 4UN at 2 p.m. sharp. This service has been prepared to meet your spiritual need. By coming I believe your life will never be the same again. For more information call 07930444974, 07956497986, 07723076569 or visit www.lmcc.in

Cheque clearance will now take 3 days nationwide following the commencement of electronic cheque clearing system. Cheque truncation, as it is referred to, will see electronic movement of cheque images as opposed to physical delivery to the clearing house, a process that had been blamed by the bankers for hefty fees as a result of courier services cost and a major avenue for fraud. Cheque truncation was expected to kick off on 1st July but was postponed to August 15th due to what bankers said was a delay on the cheque manufactures' side, who are security printers De La Rue, Punchline, and Paws to acquire enough stocks. The process that involves clearance of cheques electronically will see the number of days used in clearing of cheques reduced from 10 working days in rural Kenya to 3 working days countrywide, placing all regions in one zone. Already customers had been advised to visit their branches for new cheques as anyone who presents old cheques will have to face delays in clearing of up to 21 days on top of suffering heavy monetary penalties. As to how the technology works, it involves electronic linking of banks and the clearing house a service to be provided by Safaricom. Once a cheque is submitted to the bank, the teller will scan the cheque and the image sent to the clearing house.

If a cheque is dishonored, the customer will not receive back the original cheque but a printed image of the original or what is referred to as an Image Replicable Document (IRD). Among advantages that come with cheque truncation include reduced time in the clearing cycle, lower expenses for banks, reduced fraud cases as physical handling is eliminated and enhanced liquidity for banks. In the first phase the period is expected to reduce to just 3 days countrywide but once cheque truncation is fully rolled out the process will take just one day. Customers have also been advised to familiarize themselves with requirements on the new cheque usage such as the making of markings on the cheque which will render the cheque unusable. But even as the process kicks off, the Consumer Federation of Kenya (COFEK) has protested over what it terms as hefty fees to be borne by the consumer. The expected fees will cost up to 1,640 shillings for a 100 page cheque book, with COFEK saying its members were not contacted when the amount was decided. The organization has also said there was little consumer education on the cheque truncation process.

Eight years ago a small village in Nyeri County was stunned when a mother turned on her two children. When asked what could turn a loving mother into a killer, she says it was stress. Authorities however say the killings were intended. On case files tonight, a mother confesses to killing her two children, murders that earned her a life sentence. Here is KTN's Dennis Onsarigo on case files. - VIDEO

A member of Necessary Noize and East African Bashment Crew. Wyre is arguably the best solo R&B and Reggae artist Kenya has ever produced to age. His soothing mellow sound has gained him international recognition and has collaborated with Jamaican artist Cecile in the chart breaking song ‘She Say Dat. He's managed to bridge the old and new generation gap with songs like ‘Mwanake’ with JB Maina and Sina Makosa.Also on stage will be, Mwana FA from Tanzania who will be the curtain raiser with hits like 'Bado Nipo, Habari Ndio Hio and Nangoja Ageuke.'

All are welcome on Friday 26th Aug at Tripple Em Food, Roman Way Pub, 93 Tomlinson Avenue; LU4 0QL-Luton from 6pm till 6am.Lets start booking our holidays as this is one concert not to be missed. Local dishes will be served through the night and Deejay Cymoh, Deejay Josh and other guest djs will entertain you with good sound. Damage £10 Only.

Parts of New Zealand are seeing their first snowfall in 80 years as a "once in a lifetime" polar blast spreads across the country. The capital city of Wellington ground to a halt as services across the country were disrupted by the heavy snow. Mail deliveries were cancelled along with many flights in the region. Main roads have also been closed. People took to the streets to play and take photos of the winter wonderland as for many it was the first time they had seen snow in the area. Wellington, which rarely gets snow, is witnessing its highest levels since the 70s. Further south, Auckland is experiencing its first snowfall for 80 years. Forecasters have described the massive change in weather as a "once in many decades event". The cold snap is predicted to last several days but for now most people seem to be enjoying their time in the snow.

Former military chief Gen (rtd) Jeremiah Kianga (left) and his successor Gen Julius Karangi aboard the official Land Rover as it was being towed out of DoD by senior officers on August 12, 2011 during the formal hand-over ceremony. When the hour of his retirement came, soldiers presented gifts to the retiring number one man in uniform. There was a massage chair, a solar hut, a portrait, animal feed mixer and photographs in appreciation to the general who defended his motherland for 40 years. “A massage chair and solar hut,” was the answer Gen Jeremiah Mutinda Kianga gave when asked for the nature of gift he would love to take home. “We thought of a dinner set, double-decker bed, sofa set and all kinds of presents. With 40 years of service, he must be having all these,” Gen Kianga’s successor, Gen J. W. Karangi, said, so a team from DoD approached Gen Kianga. “When we spoke to him, he said that he was no longer a young man, so he wanted something dear to him in retirement,” he added. For a man who served the military with dedication, a massage chair and solar hut wasn’t much to ask. “Today we present him with what he requested,” Gen Karangi said during the formal hand-over ceremony when he took the command of the forces from Gen Kianga last Friday. - Daily Nation.

It is with great sadness we announce the death of Mr Francis Mwangi Muthemba, promoted to Glory on 11/08/2011. Husband to Margaret Wairimu Mwangi. Father to Samuel Muchiri, Jane Wangui, Susan Njambi (Stevenage, UK), Moses Muthemba, John Chege and Mary Wanjiru. Brother in-law to Pastor Leonard Muchiri of London, and Pastor Moses of Coventry. Friends and family are meeting at 296 Ripon Road, Stevenage,SG1 4NG from 6pm.Your prayers, support and contributions will be highly appreciated.

For more information contact Susan 07557374769, 07541988830.If you are unable to attend and would like to make a donation, please do so through Susan Francis Lloyds Tsb a/c20977268 s-c 308477. May God rest him in peace.

London Mission Christian Centre invites you to worship together with us THIS COMING SUNDAY 21/08/2011 where Gospel Singer HELENA KITHEKA will MINISTER THE WORD as well as SING! London will be witnessing the other story of Kitheka which is very PROPHETIC. LMCC meets at CASTLE GREEN, GALE STREET Dagenham Essex RM9 4UN at 2PM sharp. This service has been prepared to meet your spiritual need. By coming I believe your life will never be the same again. For more information call 07930444974,07956497986,07723076569.www.lmcc.in

Hellenah Ken, formerly known as Hellenah Kitheka started singing at a tender age while in school. Since then by the grace of God she has risen to become one of the Kenya’s renowned gospel musicians. She’s a faithful member of [A.I.C.] African inland church of Kenya. Besides her singing she also works with Kenya Utalii College in Kenya. She has so far released seven albums mostly resent being, sitarudi kuwa vile. She has been to the United States of America three times visiting different states to minister through gospel music and the most recent one was singing at Kenya Christian Fellowship in America (K.C.F.A), united kingdom during their annual conference where she was their guest singer. She has also visited all East African countries and last year Jamuhuri Day celebrations; She was privileged to minister before the Head of state in State House. Mission and vision; Mark 16:15 – Go ye to the entire world and preach the Gospel to every creature. She’s married to Ken Kaloki, and are both blessed with a son (Prince Levi).

Quality of life for the over-50s has fallen for the ninth month in a row, thanks to rising inflation and unemployment. More than a fifth have had to cut back on essential items, while 68 per cent have decreased the amount they spend on non-essentials. Happiness levels for the age group have also dropped for the first time this year, according to over-50s campaigners Saga. Inflation and the rising cost of living were the biggest concern, its quarterly report found. Older people in the UK face inflation of around six per cent on most of the products and services they buy. A majority said this had led to them cutting back costs like hairdressing or eating out. Dr Ros Altmann, director general of Saga, said: “While many commentators blithely assume that the older generation are much better off than the young, this does not apply across the board.

The risk of a new U.S. recession has risen over the last couple of months, but an outright contraction will most likely be avoided, Atlanta Federal Reserve Bank President Dennis Lockhart said on Monday. Lockhart said there is plenty the central bank could do if the economy does deteriorate further, including ramping up asset purchases or shifting their composition. The bar is still very high for additional asset buys though, with Lockhart saying he would need to see renewed deflation risks or a spike in unemployment before he could support such a policy. But he indicated he was open to the notion of extending the maturities of bonds on the Fed's balance sheet, which already stands at a record $2.9 trillion, by reinvesting proceeds of maturing securities or even selling short-dated ones. "Among the options is a changing of the duration of the portfolio," he told reporters after a speech. Recent market volatility, driven in part by concerns of slowing economies both in the United States and Europe, threatens consumer confidence and could put a crimp on spending, Lockhart told a Rotary Club meeting.

Kenya’s 52 missions abroad are facing a serious financial crisis after losing nearly Sh1.4 billion of their current budget due to the weakening shilling. Acting Foreign Affairs minister George Saitoti said the embassies were losing close to a quarter of their annual budget because the government pegged the exchange rate at Sh74 per dollar, but the shilling had fallen to a low of Sh94 per dollar. This means that the missions are losing as much as Sh20 per dollar per transaction. “Right Honourable Prime Minister, I want to bring to your attention the fact that the exchange rate fluctuations have seriously affected the budgets of our missions abroad. This is because the government continues to peg its budget for foreign missions at Sh74 per dollar but as you are aware, the dollar is today trading at Sh94. As we look into ways of addressing this, I ask for patience from all of you here tonight,” Prof Saitoti said at the 16th biennial conference for Kenyan envoys on Friday. Similar concerns had been expressed by acting Foreign Affairs permanent secretary Patrick Wamoto, who asked the PM to raise the matter at the next Cabinet meeting. Prime Minister Raila Odinga assured the country’s ambassadors and high commissioners that the Cabinet will meet to find ways of ensuring that operations at Kenya’s missions abroad do not grind to a halt because of lack of funds, a situation caused by the depreciating value of the shilling against the US dollar. “I have taken note of the effects of the exchange rate and I want to say here that this will be a substantive agenda when the Cabinet meets. It will not be an AoB as Mr Wamoto had suggested earlier,” Mr Odinga said. The Parliamentary Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations asked the government to take urgent action to ensure that operations at the foreign missions are not hampered. - Daily Nation.

Young people without identity cards have a reason to smile as they will soon be able to get the document. Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang launched the resumption of production of ID cards on Monday at the National Registration Bureau (NRB). In the last two weeks, 150,000 cards have been processed. The NRB had temporarily halted the registration and production of National IDs since July 2010 because of bottlenecks of the procurement of materials. But Monday's launch brings relief to up to 2 million Kenyans, mainly youth, who would have otherwise been locked out of voting in the coming Presidential polls. Kajwang said 650,000 applications for IDs from last year await processing, which he said will be cleared in about 4 months. Treasury allocated 183 million shillings for the process and has been requested to allocate more funds so as to produce 2 million ID cards this year. The money has already been disbursed to district registrars awaiting the processing task. Two more production machines have also been procured, in preparation of the third generation smart cards. Currently 25,000 cards are produced per day. Kajwanga revealed that second generation ID cards made of plastic will be issued, as the process of phasing out the current ones commences. The department is also set to launch the issuance of ID cards for Kenyans in the diaspora in Washington and London by the end of August. Without an ID card, one cannot transact business, get a job, travel outside the country, join college, access government office and entertainment spots or acquire other critical documents like passports.

Global food chain Kentucky Fried Chicken, one of the world’s most popular chicken restaurants, is set to open shop Friday in Nairobi. Popularly known as KFC, the restaurant chain plans to open three outlets in the city this year starting with new chicken shop at the Junction Shopping Mall as it races to expand its footprint in emerging markets. It will open two more outlets in Galleria Mall and on Kimathi Street to tap Kenya’s growing middle class, it said in a notice. KFC is a US-based company with a global footprint and is run by South African entrepreneur Simon Schaffer through a franchise. The world’s largest quick-service chicken restaurant chain has over 12,300 outlets in more than 80 countries. “There is an appetite for a brand like this in Kenya where a fast food culture is already growing,” said Mr Schaffer in an earlier interview with Business Daily in Nairobi. - Daily Nation. - VIDEO

A scientist found guilty of keeping a woman as a slave at her London home has been jailed for six months. HIV expert Rebecca Balira, 45, was convicted of keeping Methodia Mathias, 21, in servitude and assaulting her. Southwark Crown Court heard during a row Balira got so angry that she cut the younger woman's bra with a pair of scissors, injuring her. Balira, of Waterside Close, Thamesmead, south-east London, was also made to pay her victim £3,000 compensation. She was cleared of a charge of trafficking a person into the UK for exploitation and one other count of common assault. During the trial Ms Mathias said Balira brought her from her native Tanzania then kept her in servitude. The court heard Ms Mathias stayed with Balira's relatives in Tanzania and they paid for her UK visa applications, the third of which was successful, and a return flight to Britain. But she claimed when she arrived she was made to work as a slave in the flat. She had been in the UK for seven months when she made the allegations against Balira. It was then that a friend of Ms Mathias got her in touch with Kalayaan, a charity which represents migrant domestic workers, to get help, the court heard. Kate Roberts, from the charity, said: "We are obviously pleased in cases where there is justice for domestic workers. "But cases such as these do highlight our concerns that instances of such abuse will increase if the protections that are currently maintained within the migration domestic worker visa are removed."

Kenyan Gospel Artist Helena Ken (Kitheka) was the guest singer at CCBC Swahili Church on Sunday 14th August, 2011. Helena seen above performing at the service. She was escorted by her hosts from Luton among other guests. Helena will be performing at IWRM Church on Sunday 21st August, 2011, Revival House, 500 High Street North, Manor Park, London N12 as from 10.00 a.m. Her contact in UK is 07960635196. - HER VIDEO

Death announcement of the late Mzee Laban Ndirangu Karanja (Itumia) of Kinyona, Muranga on Saturday 13th August, 2011. Father to Muthoni and Wanjiru in London. More information call 07805626210.

US retail sales rose in July by the largest amount in four months, Commerce Department figures show, tempering fears that the US may be slipping back into recession. Sales rose 0.5% in July, the best since March's 0.8% increase. Figures for June were revised up to show a 0.3% rise. However, a separate survey suggested US consumer confidence has fallen sharply. Consumer spending is watched closely in the US as it accounts for two-thirds of the country's economic activity. Consumers spent more on furniture, cars and petrol in July, in part reflecting the higher cost of fuel. US consumers have been more careful about their spending in recent months, in part due to high unemployment and rising energy and food prices. The data suggests the US economy is not as weak as some had previously believed. "When you look at the overall data that's been coming out, it's really a mixed bag, and this shows that the economy is not falling off its wheels," said Rudy Narvas at Societe Generale in New York. This week, the Federal Reserve said it expects to keep interest rates unchanged until at least the middle of 2013 and gave a gloomy assessment of the US economy.

Ruth 1: 20 (Bible in Basic English)

20 “Don’t call me Naomi,[a]” she told them. “Call me Mara,[b] because the Almighty[c] has made my life very bitter.

Learn to build your life around your person, not your role, otherwise when your role changes you'll lose your sense of worth. Being a good mother is a noble calling. It's also a self-sacrificing job. But when your children leave home and those demands are over, it's easy to feel like Naomi did. Her name meant 'my joy' But after her two sons died she changed her name to Mara, which means 'bitterness'. Don't allow changing times to change who you are, or to make you stop dreaming and give up hope. God still had a lot for Naomi to do. In the future she would mentor Ruth, who would give birth to a son who was destined to grow up and become part of the lineage of King David and our blessed Lord. What an honour! When your role changes, remember that your life's not over. See your own worth as a person, discover your next assignment, gather up your assets and keep on living and giving. Don't develop a 'Mara mentality'. She allowed herself to become cynical when her circumstances changed; don't let that happen to you! Discouragement often comes when we feel like we've seen it all, heard it all, done it all, and most of it was bad. No matter how old you are, you can never say you've seen it all. God can do '...exceeding abundantly above all that [you] ask or think...' (Ephesians 3:20). You don't know what God will do with your life before it's over, but He has a way of saving the best for the last.

Higher Education minister William Ruto could finally be headed out of the Cabinet as Prime Minister Raila Odinga moves to punish ODM rebels in Cabinet changes expected this week. Also expected to face the axe are suspended Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey, East African Community minister Prof Hellen Sambili and Livestock assistant minister Aden Duale as Mr Odinga moves to clamp down on political rebellion on his side of the coalition. Highly placed sources within ODM confirmed that the PM had finally decided to use the opportunity afforded by the constitutional requirement to appoint a new AG to act decisively on rebel party MPs serving in the Cabinet. “If all goes according to plan, it will come next week. It will be about getting rebels and those with court cases out. The party top brass is working out the details,” said one of the Prime Minister’s advisers who cannot be named because, he said, it would be tantamount to pre-empting his boss. The changes are expected to come along with the constitutional obligation to replace long-serving Attorney-General Amos Wako by August 27. It is understood that the appointment should come in good time to enable Mr Wako to hand over to his successor. - Daily Nation.

They were destined to be cooked and eaten, but these suffering dogs luckily escaped their gruesome fate. Police in Thailand rescued more than 1,000 of the animals from tiny cages when they intercepted four trucks attempting to smuggle them out of the country. The dogs -stacked high in scores of crates - were being transported to Vietnam as officers swooped in two raids in Nathom and Si Songkhram districts near the border with Laos. Livestock officials in Nakhon Phanom confirmed 1,011 dogs were being looked after at a government shelter. Another 119 died from suffocation in the cramped cages or when they were thrown into the trucks as the fleeing traffickers tried to speed away. Two Thai men and a Vietnamese man have been charged with trafficking and the illegal transportation of animals. If convicted the accused face a maximum one-year jail sentence and a fine of up to 20,000 baht ($670). The dogs were to be taken across the Mekong river in Laos. Prices for stray dogs and pets in rural Thai villages can reach as much as $33 an animal.

Thirteen countries around the globe still eat dog meat.They are: China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Arctic and Antarctic

China: Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before.

Indonesia: Eating dog meat is usually associated with people from the Batak Toba culture, who cook a traditional dish named saksang that is like a dog-meat stew.

Mexico: Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the Aztecs. These dogs were called itzcuintlis, and were often pictured on pre-Columbian Mexican pottery.

Philippines: In the capital city of Manila,the law specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food except in certain circumstances including research and animal population control.

Polynesia: Dogs were historically eaten in Tahiti and other islands of Polynesia at the time of first European contact in 1769.

Taiwan: Dog meat in Taiwan is particularly eaten in the winter months, especially black dogs, which are believed to help retain body warmth.

Korea: Gaegogi literally means 'dog meat' in Korean. Gaegogi, however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made from dog meat, bosintang. The distaste felt by dog lovers, particularly from the West, has made this dish very controversial.

Switzerland: According to a Swiss newspaper report in 1996, the Swiss rural cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes.

Vietnam: Dog meat is eaten throughout Vietnam. To many Northerners, it is a popular, if relatively expensive, dinnertime restaurant meal.

Arctic and Antarctic: Dogs have historically been an emergency food source for various peoples in Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually maintained for pulling sleds, but occasionally are eaten when no other food is available.

This spooky photo in a document by the Ministry of Defence was released this week by the National Archives. In 2004, Intelligence defence experts were called to examine this photo of a ‘flying saucer’ taken outside Retford town hall in Nottinghamshire. Photographer Alex Birch didn’t notice anything suspicious at the time of the snap, but having ruled out aircraft and lens flares, he contacted the MoD to investigate the image. In right is what was China's highest chimney stack standing at 210m (689ft) tall was demolished on Wednesday. Along with the chimney at Jia Ling Power Plant in Sichuan Province, a 7-storey workshop and three 20m high coal warehouses were also dismantled on the same day.

Five people have been killed and another is in a critical condition after a stabbing incident in Jersey, police have said on Sunday 14th August, 2011. Police were called to a flat at Victoria Crescent, Upper Midvale Road, at 15:00 BST after reports of a multiple stabbing incident. A 30-year-old man is in police custody at Jersey Hospital where he is also recovering from surgery. The hospital's emergency department was closed, with visitors turned away. A number of witnesses have come forward and are currently being interviewed by police as officers make efforts to identify the vioctims. Forensic officers are at the scene, together with a number of uniformed officers and detectives.

BBC Jersey's Tim Pryor says police are at the scene, where an area has been cordoned off. States of Jersey Police head of crime services Stewart Gull, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Clearly this complex investigation is in its very early stages as we try to establish exactly what happened. "We are appealing to anyone who may have any information to contact us. "We are mindful, too, of the impact of any such serious and tragic incident on the local community, and we have police officers in the area to support the investigation and local people." A major incident room has been set up at and police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them. Eyewitness Andre Thorpe said he believed all the victims were members of the same family and it appeared a child was among them. Mr Thorpe said: "For Jersey it was a major incident. Two ambulances turned up first because it was within a quarter of mile of the ambulance station. "Then four or five police vehicles came, all blues and twos. "They were trying to access a private house in the crescent. It was an old Victorian terrace, a lot of them are split into flats." Mr Thorpe added that the area where the incident happened was quite secluded and not on a main road. "I was first aware something was happening when I saw people looking out for the ambulances as I walked up the road," he said.

Wang Dalin from China's Hunan Province stunned crowds by attempting to beat the world record for the most bees worn at any one time. Wang and his opponent Lu Kongjiang - dressed in just a pair of shorts and facial protection including goggles and nose-plugs - stood on a set of scales for an hour while using queen bees to attract swarms of the insects to their bodies. Unfortunately for Lu, after the allocated 60 minutes were up, he tasted the harsh sting of defeat as Wang was declared the winner having attracted an impressive 26.86kg worth of bees. But his attempt wasn't quite the bees knees as he fell short of the world record, which is still held by American animal trainer Mark Biancaniello, who attracted 39.5kg worth of bees on to his body in 1998.

At least five people have died after a stage collapsed at a concert in the US state of Indiana, officials say. The authorities said the stage came down during a storm at the Indiana State Fair in Indianapolis as the band Sugarland were about to perform. Police said another 45 people had been injured, some critically. A number of people were trapped under the wreckage. The Indianapolis Star newspaper said winds of up to 60mph (96 km/h) had been felt at the site. The collapse happened as some of the 12,000 concertgoers were being evacuated from the Hoosier Lottery Grandstand at around 2100 local time (0100 GMT), said the paper. Video footage posting online showed crowds screaming as strong winds brought the staging structure down in seconds. The official State Fair Twitter feed asked people to wait for more information on the tragedy. "Our prayers are with the families of all affected," it said. Four people were initially confirmed dead but another died of injuries overnight, Indiana police said. The victims have not been identified. Media reports said a number of children were among those taken to hospital. Capt Brad Weaver of Indiana State Police said he had just given a safety announcement on stage when the winds hit. He had taken cover behind a trailer and "saw the framework from the stage start to come over". Capt Weaver said security officials and members of the public immediately helped to lift the staging to free people trapped underneath. He told a press conference he did not believe there was anything else that could have been done to prevent to collapse. - VIDEO