Iko Nini Bwana Seed?

WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY - EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST THE POUND TODAY IS KSHS. 114.78

London, Monday 12th January, 2009. The body of a Somali pirate who reportedly drowned soon after receiving a huge ransom has washed ashore with $153,000 in cash, his uncle says. The man was one of a group of pirates who seized the Saudi supertanker Sirius Star in November. They reportedly received $3m (£1.95m) for freeing the tanker but five were said to have drowned after fleeing. A relative of the drowned pirate told the BBC the family was now trying to dry out the recovered money. The pirates' boat capsized when they were hit by rough seas as they were heading back to their homes in central Somalia, the leader of the pirates told AFP. The pirates disembarked the Sirius Star on Friday, after a small plane was seen apparently dropping the ransom by parachute on to the tanker. A negotiator for the pirates told the BBC's reporter in Mogadishu by telephone that a $3m ransom had been paid shortly after the ship was released. The ship's owner has refused to comment. The tanker had been held for nearly two months off the coast of Somalia, near the town of Harardhere. Eyewitnesses in the coastal town said five of the pirates had drowned while trying to make off with the loot. "One of them was discovered and they are still looking for the other ones," resident Omar Abdi Hassan told the BBC. The uncle of the pirate who washed ashore, Abukar Sheikh Hassan, told the BBC that the family had found $153,000 in a plastic bag in his pocket. He said some of the money was wet and the family was now trying to dry it out. Three pirates managed to survive, but lost their share of the ransom when swimming to shore, reports said. The drowned pirate was apparently the only one who managed to hold on to his share of the ransom. The Sirius Star was carrying $100m-worth of oil - a quarter of Saudi Arabia's daily output - when it was seized more than 450 nautical miles south-east of Kenya. There were more than 100 reported pirate attacks in the busy shipping lanes off eastern and northern Somalia in 2008.  An international force headed by the US is due to be established by the end of the month to tackle the problem. On Friday, Kenya's port authorities said a fishing vessel had been attacked and three Indian crew kidnapped, Reuters reported. Pirates are still holding a Ukrainian cargo ship, the MV Faina, which was seized in late September carrying 33 tanks and other weaponry.

A parachute apparently carrying a ransom floats down to the MV Sirius Star after being dropped by a small aircraft. Photo: David B. Hudson /U.S. Navy via Getty Images

WORST OF THE WEEK: "Mr. Seed, how come you never informed me that my dad passed away in Kenya?" - A Kenyan living in the UK - and its is true - through telephone conversation on 11th January, 2009

Six MPs who will travel to Washington, DC, will not witness the installation of US President-elect Barack Obama. The team, to be led by Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula, will be restricted only to side events, as they have no official invitation. Addressing the Press at his office on Monday, Wetangula said the MPs would only attend the African bash, organised by African diplomats in Washington. "At the official installation, the US State Department has invited the Kenyan envoy to Washington, Peter Rateng’ Ogego and his wife, that is the tradition, and we appreciate it," he said. Medical Service Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o, Sports Minister Helen Sambili and Tourism Minister Najib Balala are part of the Kenyan delegation. Others are Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim, and MPs Hassan Joho (Kisauni) and Eugene Wamalwa (Saboti).  Wetangula, however, said ministers trip would be funded by their ministries, while MPs would be funded by Parliament. Prof Nyong’o and Wetangula were due to leave the country on Sunday night 11th January, 2009  for another official trip in Cuba, before crossing to the US.

As the saying goes, "kuingia ni rahisi, kutoka ni matanga" lakini Bibi na Bwana Mbegu waliingia na wakatoka - walikuwa wameadamana na cousin wao Bwana George Kamau na Bibi yake Esther Mwirigi kutoka Kangari, Kigumo, Muranga, Kenya. Ilikua mara yao ya kwanza kwenda pwani - kwa hivyo walikua wanauliza Bwana Mbegu njia. The Seeds also visited their cousin in Kilifi - Dr. Njiiri and family (right) who owns a hospital in Kilifi. Our appreciation goes to Dr. Njiiri and his family for their hospitality during out visit to the coast last December.

In 1666, the British physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1643-1727) discovered gravity. He was quietly thinking when he witnessed an apple fall from a tree and consequently worked out three laws explaining the force of gravity on objects. These laws became the foundation of classical mechanics.

Maize imports: Raila and Ruto accused of shady deals

Written By:Kendagor Obadiah   , Posted: Mon, Jan 12, 2009
 

The maize importation saga intensified Monday 12th January, 2009 with the Parliamentary committee on Agriculture accusing the Ministry of agriculture and the office of the Prime Minister for engaging in dubious dealings in the importation of cereals. They say this has led to loss of millions of bags of maize hence insufficient food in the country.  In a press conference, the committee led by Kaloleni MP Kambi Kazungu now wants the president to appoint an independent body to oversee the importation of maize.  It is alleged that millions of maize bags imported by the government have disappeared in unclear circumstances.  Also close to 100,000 bags of maize have been reported unaccounted for in a transaction involving the National cereals and produce board and millers contracted by the government to process subsidized maize flour. The press conference attended by three committee members and three other MPs, accused the Prime Minister of blocking the introduction of a second container terminal at the Port of Mombasa to allegedly enable his acquaintance to  enjoy monopoly. This they claim has provided an avenue to lose over 70 % of imported grain. The committee is now calling on president Kibaki to appoint an independent body to undertake importation of grain. With 10 million Kenyans are currently facing starvation there has been an outcry that maize imported by the government to remedy the situation is insufficient to alleviate looming hunger.

A Kenyan man  passed away at at Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, UK - More details later

250,000 tickets have already been printed for the January inauguration of Barack Obama.  And getting a glimpse of the historic event has some people digging deep in their pockets. It's the hottest ticket in town - the 2009 Presidential Inauguration.  The tickets are supposed to be free, but huge demand has turned what's traditionally a giveaway into  big online business. Site after site on the internet promises a view of Barack Obama being sworn in as the next president, for up to $20,000. The problem is, the brokers who are selling them, don't even have the tickets.  "There are no tickets available now," said Howard Gantman, the senate staffer in charge of organizing the big event.  "The tickets will be distributed less than a week before the event." - VIDEO

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Kenyans achievers in the UK to be awarded

Ask any Kenyan their thoughts about the United Kingdom and the first thing they will talk about is the chilly weather. But being the tough cookies and driven by resilience and determination, they withstand the cold and achieve a lot in very difficult circumstances.

When they come out victorious in these conditions and fly the Kenyan flag high and in weather conditions only found at the peak of Mt. Kenya, they find that perhaps not many people from their own community are present to sing, dance and ululate with them. Not many either from kith and kin come to witness the tears of joy run down their cold chicks.

Why celebrate almost alone in a victory that lifts the name of Kenya high? Nothing personal, but in most cases brothers and sisters do not have a clue what’s happening and where. However, this will change because for the first time in our history in the land of cold, London2gether Ltd in conjunction with Kenya High Commission in London are presenting to you, UK-KENYAN ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2008/2009.

This will take place on 18th April 2009 at Holiday Inn Bloomsbury, Coram Street, London WC1N 1HT. London2gether and the Kenya High Commission is calling on Kenyans to nominate and vote for the Kenyans in the UK who have done so much for the community or who have excelled in their chosen careers. This means people whose activities make you and me say, “Najivunia kua Mkenya”. To nominate or vote for individuals in different profession, charities, businessmen or women, visit www.london2gether.com and click UK Kenyan achievers’ awards. Given that the dinner dance venue will hold 220 guests, just hurry up and get your ticket before they are all gone. Winners will be announced on 18th April 2009 during the event that will take place between 6pm –2 am.

There will be huge Kenyan style three course buffet, half a bottle of wine pp, live music by Kenyan artist, Kenyan comedian, fashion show by Kenyan designer and much more. You really don’t want to miss this event!!!!! Tickets cost £48 pp or £90 per couple.

Also present will be prominent people from both UK and Kenya. It will be a knight of entertainment, fun, networking and above all, A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER!!! Just be there. You can also nominate your candidate in the UK through ukaa@london2gether.com

KENYANS IN THE US – WHERE WE COME!

Similar event to take place for Kenyans in the USA to be held on 17th of October, 2009 in Dallas. You can start nominating your candidates in USA through admin@london2gether.com

A magazine covering the event and the winners will be on sale on that day. To book for an advertisement please contact 07949142013 or admin@london2gether.com

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Death announcement of the late Mwalimu Karanja (well known as Mwaga Shama) of Mununga Village, Kinyona, Murang'a, Kenya. He is son of William Mituki and Brother to Crest Kirigwi Mituki of USA. Mwalimi Karanja passed away after a long illness and he was buried on Saturday 3rd January, 2009 at Mununga, Kinyona, Muranga. Mwalimu Karanja was a teacher of Mr. Seed from 1967 to 1970.

Somewea is DC---Maryland, USA

Thousands of redundancies announced

London, Monday 12th January, 2009. Thousands of fresh redundancies have been announced as the Prime Minister hosted a jobs summit aimed at helping the growing army of unemployed. Gordon Brown pledged that people thrown out of work would not be "abandoned" by the Government.  He announced a series of measures, including a so-called "golden hello" of £2,500 for firms recruiting people unemployed for more than six months, extra apprenticeships and "intensive" support aimed at helping up to 500,000 people over the next two years. But the relentless toll of redundancies, which is cutting deeper into British industry by the day, continued with almost 700 job cuts at heavy machinery giant JCB, almost 1,000 at logistics firm Wincanton and almost 400 at troubled china and crystal maker Waterford Wedgwood. A further 420 jobs were under threat at Findus frozen food firm Newcastle Productions after the firm went into administration, while there were fears for the future of 1,000 jobs at furniture retailer Land of Leather after the company suspended its shares. Hull-based Honda dealership deVries, which employs 130 workers, said it had appointed receivers after being hit by a fall in sales. Meanwhile, leading auction house Christie's, which employs 2,100 staff around the world, announced a reorganisation expected to lead to job cuts. However, supermarket Morrisons gave a boost to Gordon Brown's jobs summit by flagging up plans to create 5,000 jobs this year. Rival Sainsbury's also said at its Christmas trading update last week that the group would create 4,000 jobs this year. And Iceland bought 51 stores from the administrators of collapsed retailer Woolworths last Friday with plans to create 2,500 jobs. The Prime Minister told an audience of 150 business, union and voluntary sector leaders at the jobs summit that the Government aimed to help 500,000 people into work or work-focused training over the next two years. "We will do everything we can to prevent the global recession turning into a global depression, prevent short-term unemployment turning into long-term unemployment, and to prevent losing your job meaning losing your home. My message is simple - we won't give up on you, but in turn you must not give up on work, on skills and on training."

Bishop John Gichiri of Victory Revival Christian Centre, UK has lost his brother back in Kenya the late beloved Brother in Christ Peter Gichimu, which occurred due to Road Accident at Nairobi, Kasarani in Kenya on Saturday 10th January, 2009. Peter Gichimu is the Son of the late Samuel Gichiri Nganag and Mary Waithira of Huriangu, Gatiiguru, Kibichoi, Githunguri Division. Husband to Tabitha Mukami, Father to Ruth, Mary , Rebeca and Rachel. Brother to Bishop John Gichiri, the General Overseer of Victory Revival Christian Centre (UK); Brother in law to Margaret Kingaru. Funeral/burial at home Huriangu Gatiiguru Village, Kibichoi  on Tuesday 20th January 2009  at 11:00 am Family and Friends are meeting daily for prayers at Apollo Hotel from Monday to Wednesday. 243-247 Hagley Road, Edgbaston - Birmingham at 5:45 p.m. to 8:00 pm. Contact: Pastor Margaret 07737076552 or Rev Francis Maina 07979911434 and on Heston Community Centre in our place of worship from Tuesday 6:30 to 9:00p.m. Daily. Vicarage Farm Road, Heston, Hounslow, London TW5 0EE. Contact: Pastor Francis Mwangi – 07782168074 or Daniel Wachira 07930314547. Contribution to assist with the funeral arrangements can be made through Nationwide Bank, Account number 74285426 Sort cod 07-00-30.

MR NELSON NJOROGE’S TREATMENT PROGRESS.

The Chairman and the Organising Committee of Mr Nelson Njoroge’s Medical Fund and the family of Mr & Mrs Nelson Njoroge, would like, once again, to thank all their friends and the well wishers who, in one way or another, have supported them so far towards their fund raising to facilitate Nelson’s treatment.

Mr Njoroge was scheduled to travel to Pune, India for private treatment and all the relevant arrangements had been done. However, the trip was abruptly cancelled due to the violence that erupted in India following the terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India. During this time he was still undergoing pain management treatment.

Alternative treatment arrangements were later made for Mr Njoroge to travel to Nairobi, Kenya and is scheduled to leave today, Monday, 12th January 2009.

The Committee and the family requests for prayers as they travel, and as Nelson start his treatment in Nairobi, Kenya.

For any follow up on treatment progress, please contact the Committee’s Chairman, Mr Joe Mwai on 07949920187 or Pastor Isaac on 07903160101. Nelson’s

E-mail: themnelsons@yahoo.com

God bless you all.

Chairman,

Nelson’s Medical Fund Organising Committee – 12th January, 2009.

Two watersports enthusiasts have seen off shark attacks by punching the mighty fish in their jaws, while a third escaped to shore with a deep gash in his leg. Steven Foggarty boxed clever after being attacked in a lake near Sydney, Australia, on Monday. 'I turned and started swinging. I think I got one on him,' he said. The 24-year-old suffered 40 wounds to his leg. Bleeding heavily, he flagged down a boat and was taken to hospital. On Sunday, a surfer hit a 5m-long (16ft) shark in the head to rescue his surfer cousin, who had been bitten on the leg and dragged under water off Tasmania. Syb Mundy, 20, put Hannah Mighall, 13, on his own board and paddled to shore. He said hitting the shark was like 'hitting a brick wall'. He added: 'It was the length of a car – a monster.' On the same day in the north, surfer Jono Beard, 31, survived a shark bite, paddling to shore with a 40cm (16in) gash on his leg. He had been watching dolphins. There have been just 60 fatal attacks in Australia in the past 50 years.

An ice-skating star's baby has been born two days after she collapsed and died from a brain haemorrhage, a hospital has confirmed. Doctors at Oxford's John Radcliffe hospital kept Jayne Soliman's heart beating until they had delivered her baby daughter Aya Jayne on Friday. Baby Aya was born prematurely at 25 weeks by Caesarean section. She is now being cared for by doctors at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. Although exceedingly rare, this is not the first time a baby has been kept alive in the womb of a dead mother. In 1999, a boy was born at Cabuenes hospital in Gijon, northern Spain, on New Year's Eve to a mother who had been clinically dead since mid-November. Ms Soliman, 41 and a former member of the Ice Dance and Figure Skating Club in Southampton, Hants, competed in numerous international galas before taking up free skating professionally. In 1989 she was both British champion and number seven in the world for professional free skating. The National Ice Skating Association website pays tribute to Jayne saying she was a long standing a very popular member of the Southampton Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club.

A leading British businessman today warned that the bank lending famine risks "irreparable damage" to the economy. In the bleakest assessment of prospects yet from a senior figure in industry, JCB boss Matthew Taylor said he was having to lay off almost 700 workers. This was as a direct result of the high street banks' failure to provide credit to his customers, he said. The head of one of Britain's biggest exporters warned that the Government's bank bail-out had made no difference to the "unprecedented situation". On a grim day for the economy when almost 4,000 workers learned their jobs face the axe, Mr Taylor said there was no sign of the recession bottoming out. Mr Taylor said that he had hoped for an upturn in orders because of Mr Brown's £37billion bank recapitalisation and increased public spending.

Washington, Monday 12th January, 2009.  (Reuters) - The incoming Obama administration sought from Congress the remaining $350 billion of the $700 billion financial industry bailout, promising more Americans would benefit directly and stricter limits would be imposed on companies getting government help. The pledges sought to address reservations by President-elect Barack Obama's fellow Democrats, who control both houses in Congress and have been critical of the Bush administration's handling of the funds so far. They have been reluctant to release the second half of the bailout package without those conditions. Earlier on Monday, Obama asked President George W. Bush to seek access to the remaining half of the financial bailout and Bush, who leaves office in eight days, agreed to do so, the White House said. Obama will direct his team to ensure that aid gets to smaller banks, businesses and municipalities as well as helping Americans buy a car or get a college loan, Lawrence Summers, Obama's incoming director of the White House National Economic Council, said in a letter to congressional leaders. "Those are changes the American people are demanding and those are the changes that President-elect Obama is committed to making happen," he told House and Senate Democratic and Republican leaders in the letter. Summers said Obama would also commit to a fuller accounting of the $700 billion program and place stricter limits on dividends issued by companies getting the aid, and compensation paid to chief executives. The massive bailout was approved last October to bolster the financial industry as it reeled under the stress of toxic mortgage-related assets and credit dried up, delivering a huge punch to the overall economy. The request for the release of the funds was made now because Obama wants to "hit the ground running on day one," an Obama official said. To get access to the remaining $350 billion, the president must tell lawmakers he intends to tap the funds and Congress would have 15 days to consider the disbursement. "We will continue our consultations with the president-elect's transition team, and with Congress, on how best to proceed in accordance with the requirements of the statute," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

Get ready for the in-law in chief. President-elect Barack Obama's mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, is moving into the White House at least temporarily to join Michelle Obama and the two children, transition officials said Friday. That's good news not just for late-night comics, but for 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha. During the campaign, Robinson retired from her job as a bank executive secretary to help care for her granddaughters. - VIDEO

It has been a Dark December 2008 for Kenyan Couple in  Sheffield, UK.  Looking frail but still managing to smile, Sophie George and James Munio are grieving parents, who three weeks on, are still waiting to bury their beloved son Ricardo Albert Munio (two and half year-old) who died under mysterious circumstances on the 11th of December 2008.  The body of Ricardo Munio is lying at the Sheffield children’s hospital in Yorkshire where Police took it for a post-mortem to verify the exact circumstances of his death. The grieving family who sat through Christmas and New Year festivities not knowing when the body will be released to them for burial told KLN that it has been a very trying time.  A tearful Sophie, mother to the deceased narrated her ordeal from the time she found her baby boy struggling to breathe following an apparent seizure, “My mind went blank, I grabbed the phone and called Emergency services and I was literally screaming down the line asking them to come and save my baby.”  At the time the father James Munio (popularly known by his mates as Crucial) was at work when it happened.  He rushed to the Hospital only to find his son had been pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. What followed sounds like an extract from a movie as the couple were consequently arrested and their home sealed-off as Police forensics combed the place to establish whether there had been any foul play in the death of boy.  They were later released but the body was transferred to the Sheffield Children’s hospital where it still lies under the charge of the Area Coroner.

Ricardo Albert Munio (two and half years) died on the 11th December 2008. Burial date still unknown on left and on right  Sophie George and James Munio , Dad, (popularly known as Krucial), devastated beyond words.

James told KLN; “We are not sure what is being done, or why it has taken so long to establish the circumstance s of our son’s death.  It is difficult for us, just sitting here and waiting not knowing when we shall be able to lay him to rest.  It is agony.” Apparently the body will only be released when the Police have concluded their investigations into the circumstance surrounding the boy’s death. Several people have been interviewed in connection with the death including Sophie’s elder son Shaquille George who is currently being taken care of by Social Services.  The Police interest in the case comes in the wake of headline cases involving parental abuse of children like that of Baby P in Hackney, London, and the stage managed abduction of Sharon Mathews in Yorkshire. Meanwhile James Munio and Sophie George have announced the untimely death of their beloved son Ricardo Albert Munto on the 11th December 2008.  He was brother to Shaquille George, grandson to Albert and Nancy Njoki Munto Kirutho of Limuru, Kenya. He was also grandson to Miriam Kwamboka of Kisii Kenya.  Nephew to Caroline Mweru, Elizabeth Njoki, Pamela, Samuel Gitau, Peter Wokabi, Kepta Nyarangi and Julius Mayaka. The Kenyan community in Leeds has rallied around the family and have called on the authorities to speed up their investigations so the family can be allowed to grieve. The residents have been meeting at James and Sophie’s house for prayers and moral support. The couple told KLN they will announce the burial date and place as soon as they get clearance from the authorities. - By topi lyambila

The Principal Counsel at the Kenya High Commission in London, recently retired from his position as Deputy High Commissioner was on Friday night put on a plane back to Nairobi after arriving back from a Christmas break at home. Knowledgeable Government sources revealed to KLN that Dr. Abel Kenyoru, who had officially retired at the end of October last year was still holding Office at Portland Place before visiting Kenya after Christmas. He was returning to the UK to sort out his matters before taking up his new role outside the Diplomatic Sector. The source told KLN that Dr. Kenyoru's Diplomatic status had been revoked on the advice of the Kenya Government. His successor, a Mr. Addison Chebukaka who has been in the UK since October but had yet to take up office, assumed duties on Monday 5th January 2009. Meanwhile Dr. Kenyoru arrived in Nairobi on Saturday morning breathing fire. He told our source that he feels the treatment he has received is not justified and intends to make an official complaint. There is a likelihood he may call a press conference to air his views.  It is still unclear why the former Deputy High Commissioner was treated that way, as it was expected he would be allowed a grace period to sort out his stuff. Dr. Kenyoru has family with children in school here in the UK.  - KLN News

A man who donated his kidney to his wife eight years ago now wants it back after she cheated on him and filed for divorce. Richard Batista from Long Island in New York, US, says he wants the organ back or £2.1mIllion ($1.5m).The surgeon gave his wife Dawnell the kidney in 2001 after two previous failed transplants.  Dr Batista told the New York Daily News there is "no value you can put on an organ when it saves someone's life. There is no greater feeling on this planet. "He says he is only suing Dawnell to get her to act reasonably in the divorce case, claiming she is restricting access to their children, aged eight,11 and 14. Their relationship had been suffering due to the strain of his wife's medical issues, said Dr Batista. "My first priority was to save her life," he said. "The second bonus was to turn the marriage around. "But it did not work and four years later she filed for divorce. Arthur Caplan from the University of Pennsylvania's Centre for Bioethics said the likelihood of Dr Batista getting either his kidney or the money was completely impossible. Medical ethicist Robert Veatch from Georgetown University said it was illegal for an organ to be exchanged for anything of value.  Organ donation is a gift which means you cannot legally get it back, he explained. "It's her kidney now and taking the kidney out would mean she would have to go on dialysis or it would kill her, "Mr Veatch said. He insisted no reputable surgeon would perform such a procedure and no court could compel someone to undergo an operation. - VIDEO

Dr. Richard Batista donated his kidney to his wife, Dawnell, in 2001.

Richard Batista can live with his broken heart. He just can't bear his cheating wife living with his healthy kidney.The Long Island doctor wants the one-time love of his life to pay $1.5 million for the organ he bestowed on her eight years ago in a gift meant to save her life and their foundering marriage. "There's no deeper pain you can ever express than to be betrayed by the person you devoted your life to," Batista told reporters in Garden City Wednesday. "I saved her life. But the pain is unbearable." Batista charged his wife, Dawnell, repaid his gesture by first sleeping with her physical therapist - and then denying him access to their three kids in an increasingly bitter divorce. Adding to his anguish, Batista insists his decision to donate his kidney in 2001 was in part a failed effort to rescue their troubled relationship. "My first priority was to save her life," the 49-year-old doctor said. "The second bonus was to turn our marriage around." Dawnell Batista survived. Their marriage lasted just another four years, with the wife filing for divorce in July 2005. The once-happy pair met two decades ago when he was a resident and she a training nurse at North Shore Hospital. They were married in August 1990, celebrating with a lavish Long Island reception, and were soon living in a $1 million Massapequa home. The couple shared the joy of three daughters, but Dawnell was battling kidney failure and the couple's relationship turned shaky. Her husband - a surgeon at Nassau University Medical Center - injected her three times a week with medication as part of her health care regime. Dawnell's health continued to deteriorate.

After two transplants failed, her husband volunteered to donate one of his kidneys - and discovered he was a match, a 1-in-700,000 shot. I was the first and only one to step to the plate," the doctor recalled. Without his donation, Dawnell faced a long wait: There are 6,748 people awaiting kidneys in New York State, the New York Organ Donor Network says. Successful surgery followed at a Minnesota hospital on June 28, 2001. Batista said he was looking forward to happier times with his now-healthy bride - but his hopes proved futile. "Nothing changed," he said. Dawnell Batista viewed the kidney as a new lease on life, too. She returned to school to earn a master's degree in nursing, and took up karate, her husband said. After an injury suffered while trying to earn her black belt, she began physical therapy - which evolved into an affair with her therapist, Batista said.  "It put a hole in my heart that still exists," Batista said of his wife's disloyalty. "To this day, I'm a man of pride. To be betrayed that way, humiliated - I can't even began to say."  Dawnell Batista was not at her home Wednesday. Her lawyer did not return a call for comment.  Batista said the ongoing ugliness began on day one of their divorce.  "She slapped me with divorce papers when I was in surgery trying to save another person's life," he fumed.  The case was apparently the first of its kind in New York State. Julia Rivera of the New York Organ Donor Network said she never heard of anything similar.  "This is extraordinary," the spokeswoman said.  Batista insisted his cash-for-kidney claim was a direct result of his wife's behavior. He said he hasn't seen his three daughters - ages 14, 11 and 8 - in months.  "This is my last resort," Batista said. "I didn't want to be in the public eye."  Despite the animosity, Batista insisted he would donate the kidney all over again to his hopefully soon-to-be-ex. He fondly recalls a visit to her room on the day after surgery.  "There was no greater feeling on this planet," he said. "As God is my witness, I felt as if I could put my arm around Jesus Christ. I was walking on a cloud."

Demonstrations were held across Europe in protest against Israel's action in Gaza. Thousands gathered for Britain's biggest pro-Palestine protest in London and on right  protests also continued in the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and Asia.

London, Saturday 10th January, 2009. A 51-year-old man has been charged with murder after a burning body was found by the side of a motorway, police said. Irshad Wali, of Crofton Road, Plaistow, east London, was due to appear at Stratford Magistrates' Court. The Metropolitan Police took over the investigation from Warwickshire Police following the grisly discovery of the corpse on an embankment beside the M45 near Dunchurch, Rugby, Warwickshire, on December 30. The victim's identity will not be released until all next of kin have been informed, police said. Detectives believe the victim was from east London and he was murdered there, before his body was taken to Warwickshire by car. The body was then dumped on the eastbound embankment of the M45 and set on fire, the Met said. A post-mortem examination found he died of head and neck injuries. Five other men were arrested in connection with the murder at a number of addresses in east London on Thursday. Police said a 46-year-old man has been bailed to return to an east London police station on Tuesday. The remaining four were released without charge.

The UK economy shrank by 1.5% in the last three months of 2008, its worst performance in 28 years, a think tank has concluded. The National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) also warned the economic downturn was worsening. Its estimation comes two weeks ahead of the release of official statistics that will show if the UK is in recession. The think tank also said the government's estimates for growth this year and next were too optimistic. Official data showed the economy shrank 0.6% between July and September. The UK will formally be in recession if the figures released by the Office of National Statistics show this contraction continuing in the fourth quarter.

More than 80,000 bags of maize valued at Sh150 million have been allocated to briefcase millers and a defunct company in Nakuru at a time when the country is facing a serious shortage of maize, the Sunday Nation has established. Industry sources say that some of the maize, which was meant to cushion Kenyans against rising maize flour prices and a looming famine, may be on its way to Southern Sudan where it is being sold for US$80 (Sh6,000) for a 90 kg bag. The allocation operation is running parallel to government efforts to avert a looming famine facing some 10 million Kenyans. Last Friday President Kibaki chaired a Cabinet committee on food security which approved the importation of maize to head off a famine. A list of 10-day maize allocations to 46 millers that was signed on December 22, 2008 by the trustees of the Strategic Grain Reserve (SGR) includes Milling Corporation, a Nakuru business that closed down last August. - Sunday Nation.

Pirate Daud Nure said a boat with eight people on board overturned in a storm after dozens of hijackers left the Sirius Star. The super tanker, and its $100m cargo, had been held for two-months in the Gulf of Eden before a ransom - thought to be worth £1.98m - was paid. Mr Nure said only three people from the capsized boat reached the shore after swimming for several hours. Haradhere resident Jamal Abdulle confirmed that the boat sank. Haradhere is a Somali coastal town close to where the ship was anchored. Mr Abdulle said the eight's portion of the ransom money was lost. The cash had been shared between dozens of pirates. Reports of the deaths came as more pirates released an Iranian-chartered vessel which was seized off the coast of Yemen in November, Iranian media said. The Delight was hijacked on its way to Iran from Germany carrying 36,000 tonnes of wheat. The Iranian reports did not say whether any ransom had been paid but declared the 25-strong crew were all safe.
 A surge in piracy off Somalia worsened dramatically in 2008, as an Islamist insurgency fuelled chaos onshore.
 Piracy in the busy Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean shipping lanes has sent insurance prices soaring. The attacks have also made some owners choose to go round South Africa instead of through the Suez Canal and brought an unprecedented deployment of warships to the region.

The outgoing Kenya Deputy High Commissioner in the UK Mr. Abel Kinyoru has been deported back to Kenya. Mr. Kinyoru went back home in the new year to attend a family matter. He planed to return to the UK to wind up after three years in the UK. Sources say that immediately he left Nairobi a fax was faxed to the UK immigration not to allow him into the UK. He arrived at Heathrow Airport on Thursday morning 8th January, 2009 with Kenya Airways and he was informed the high authorities from the ministry of foreign affairs from Kenya has cancelled his documents and he cannot be allowed in. He spent the whole day night at their airport insisting that he need to pick up his belongings, wife and children. There was panic for the last two days at the high commission by staff trying to help their colleague in vain. Two days at the airport and at last he was deported. How can a fellow Kenyan treat the other Kenyan like this. What next?

Former Principle Counsellor and Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Abel Kinyoro on left and on right he seen with his wife welcoming a guests during Jamhuri Days celebrations in UK

Unconfirmed reports says that the UK and USA immigration data has been merged. That means if you had been deported from US or UK the systems reflects as Kenyans awaits to follow suit

US job losses hit record in 2008

More US workers lost jobs last year than in any year since World War II, with employers axing 2.6 million posts and 524,000 in December alone. The US jobless rate rose to 7.2% in December, the highest in 16 years. The official data came as plane-maker Boeing said it would cut 4,500 jobs this year at its commercial airline arm due to the global economic slowdown. US President-elect Barack Obama said that the economic situation is dire and action is urgently needed. "Clearly the situation is dire. It is deteriorating and it demands urgent and immediate action," he told a news conference. He added that he was making good progress on in talks with Congress on a new stimulus package - estimated to cost $800bn (£526bn). Shares fell on the news of the job losses, with the main Dow Jones index ending Friday trading down 143 points or 1.6% to 8,599. Oil prices slipped more than $1 a barrel to below $41 a barrel. The rise in unemployment raised fears of slackening demand for oil. The annual jobless total was higher than expected, partly because jobless figures in November and October were revised upwards. November's job losses were revised to 584,000 from 533,000 while October's losses were revised to 423,000 from 320,000. More than half of the job losses last year were in the last four months of the year. Analysts had forecast that 550,000 jobs would go in December. Most December job losses were in the service sector, which shed 273,000 jobs. Manufacturing jobs fell by 149,000 in December, while employment in construction fell by 101,000, with retailers cutting staff by 67,000. Some of those lucky enough not to lose their jobs, had their hours reduced.

The number of aggregate hours worked in December fell 0.2 hours to 33.3 hours, the lowest level since records began in 1964. "The drop in average hours worked in this employment report suggests that the first quarter is going to be very, very weak," said Cary Leahey, economist at Decision Economics. The number of people who worked part time - because their hours had been cut back or because they were unable to get full-time work - increased by 3.4 million to 8 million in the last 12 months. Boeing said its job cuts would affect staff at its factories in the Seattle area. It added that many of the reductions will be in roles not directly associated with aircraft manufacturing. The cuts are due to occur between April and June. Boeing says those affected will receive 60-day notices starting in late February. Its announcement comes after AT&T, the telecoms giant, said last month that it was reducing its workforce by 4% and cutting 12,000 positions. Anthony Conroy, head trader at Bny Convergex, said: "Well, the numbers look better than I think many were anticipating. I had heard anywhere from 500,000 to about a million, so it's definitely better than anticipated." Other analysts found little consolation in the figures. "No matter how you look at it, these are dismal numbers," said Matt Esteve, foreign exchange trader at Tempus Consulting. Added Richard Yamarone, chief economist of Argus Research: "The job situation is ugly and is going to get uglier. There's no reason to expect hiring anytime in the next three to six months. We are not going to see any hiring until the government steps in and acts."

Thousands of Muslims on Friday thronged the streets of Nairobi to protest against Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip. The procession started outside Jamia Mosque and headed to Muindi Mbingu Street then Valley Road, where it caused a heavy traffic jam. Men, women and children carried placards, shoes and Palestinian and Israeli flags and chanted slogans. They later reconvened at Jamia for prayers. Their attempts to march to the Israeli Embassy were thwarted when they were dispersed by anti-riot police using water and tear gas. Two people were reportedly injured, with a middle-aged woman being hit by a flying tear gas canister. “We feel for our brothers and sisters who are dying as the world is watching” said Mr Hassan Omar Hassan, the vice chairman of the Kenya National Human Rights Commission. “The world is keeping quiet as Israel continues to oppress innocent people in Gaza.” Mr Hassan called on President Kibaki to condemn the killings. He said that Kenya, as a country that values human rights, must condemn the killings.

Muslims demonstrating in Nairobi against the invasion of the Gaza strip by Israel's army - Daily Nation.

Frozen food retailer Iceland has bought 51 former Woolworths stores, and said it plans to create 2,500 new jobs. The announcement comes just three days after the final 200 Woolworths stores closed their doors for the last time. "We are confident we can help to support the local community in these towns who have lost a major High Street retailer in Woolworths," said Iceland. Woolworths went into administration in November, but was unable to find a buyer to take on the company.

Kenyans can now track their application of identification cards and passports through electronic service. The “e-service delivery” project allows one to query the issuance of IDs and passports by sending a text message (SMS) to tracking numbers 2031 and 2032 respectively. From the reply, the applicant will know what is needed to apply and also track the processing of the documents. Prime Minister Raila Odinga said while launching the project that the Government was embracing technology in governance as a way of improving service delivery to Kenyans. The PM noted that it was uneconomical and unhelpful for the public to keep travelling from all corners of the country to track progress of essential documents in Nairobi. “This service is therefore particularly beneficial to Kenyans living upcountry or far from central service points,” said Mr Odinga. To mark the launch, one million mobile phone users were sent text messages notifying them of the service. Mr Odinga said the e-Government initiative would in the near future be extended to cover other critical services such as pensions and land title deeds. The service, coordinated by the Public Sector Reforms and Performance Contracting at the Prime Minister’s Office and spearheaded by the Ministry of Information and Communications, is in line with the Vision 2030 to improve service delivery. Other ongoing projects through the e-Government office include the upgrade of the court registry and library management system that creates national repository of cases. But one obstacle to the implementation of such services is the norm by government departments of treating information it generates with secrecy.

Prime minister Raila Odinga (left) and Head of Public Service Muthaura chat during the official launch of the E-Service Delivery at the KICC on Friday. The new electronic service is expected to track the application of identification cards and passports within a shorter period of time.

Central Kenya families wait for relief after crops fail

Thousands of families from the endowed central Kenya region and its environs will have to rely on relief supplies for survival. Continued crop failure due to poor rains has left many residents at the risk of starvation. Severely affected areas are parts of Nyeri, North Murang’a, the larger Laikipia in Rift Valley and Mbeere and Tharaka Districts of Eastern Province. In Murang’a, residents have resorted to eating unripe fruits. Even Nyeri South District, which hardly experiences drought, has been affected after the short rains failed. Residents are seeking relief supplies for sustenance. Rivers from the Mt Kenya towers –– the source of many rivers that flow within the region –– are drying up and this has affected vegetable and fruit farming. Government officials could not give an exact figure but it is believed millions risk starvation. Central Provincial Crop Officer Alfred Mureithi said more than a million bags of maize were harvested in the province last season. This, he said, was a by 65 per cent drop. Murang’a South DC Christopher Musumbu said 109,000 people in the district require relief food.

The worst hit areas in the district are Kambiti and Maranjau, where hundreds have been going to bed on empty stomachs. From last year, enrolment in many primary schools in Makuyu division went down as many of the pupils moved out of school due to hunger. The situation is likely to worsen this year. In Kandara constituency, DO Alfred Manduku said Gaichanjiru, Kagunduini and Muruka are affected due to crop failure In Murang’a North District, 56,152 people require relief food. District Commissioner George Natembeya says the district requires 16,846 bags of maize and another 2,246 bags of beans to feed the needy in the next three months. Kiharu division has been listed as the worst hit with 18,680 persons being termed extremely needy. In Laikipia, County Council Chairman Joseph Ndiang’ui said more than 50,000 people are faced with starvation, most of them from Laikipia North, Lamuria division and Segera. The pastoralist areas of the trouble-torn Ol’Moran and Rumuruti divisions in Laikipia West District are also in need as their animals have started dying due to drought. Councillor Epuke Lobun said pastoralists have started moving their emaciated stock in search of greener pastures. Lobun said at least 20,000 residents of Muramati, Kimagandura, Kariunga, Mukima and Endana areas are faced with starvation.

The incoming Obama administration is prepared to abandon George Bush's ­doctrine of isolating Hamas by establishing a channel to the Islamist organisation, sources close to the transition team say. The move to open contacts with Hamas, which could be initiated through the US intelligence services, would represent a definitive break with the Bush ­presidency's ostracising of the group. The state department has designated Hamas a terrorist organisation, and in 2006 ­Congress passed a law banning US financial aid to the group.

Two Kenyan terror suspects die in Pakistan

Two Kenyans linked to the 1998 bombings of US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania have been killed in an American missile strike in Pakistan. Usama al-Kini, alias Fahid Mohammed Ally Msalam, described as al Qaeda’s chief of operations in Pakistan, and his Kenyan lieutenant, identified as Sheik Ahmed Salim Swedan were killed on January 1. Kini was 32 and had been a clothes vendor in Nairobi while Swedan was 40. Swedan managed a trucking business in Kenya and is accused of having bought the trucks that were used in the bombings. They fled Kenya immediately after the Nairobi bombing and a Sh350 million bounty was offered for their capture. Hellfire missiles fired from a remotely piloted Predator aircraft operated by the CIA killed the two. Both militants have been linked to suicide attacks in Pakistan in recent months, and were also on FBI’s most-wanted list for ties to the 1998 bombings of the United States embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which more than 200 people were killed. Kini, who had obtained Yemeni nationality, was at least the eighth senior al Qaeda leader killed in an increasingly aggressive CIA air campaign. Kenya’s counterterrorism officials confirmed that the air strikes in South Waziristan killed the two. Kini was active in training terrorists in Africa in the 1990s, and was indicted by a federal grand jury for his role as a central planner in the attacks on the embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. Kini is among the 10 highest-ranking terrorists the CIA has ever killed or captured, officials said. After the September 11 attacks, Kini became head of al Qaeda’s operations in Zabul Province, Afghanistan, anti-terrorism police said on Friday. Investigation showed he was behind the failed attempt to assassinate Benazir Bhutto, a former Pakistani prime minister, in Karachi in October 2007. - The Standard.

One in every three Kenyans is in danger of starvation due to crop failure and the Government plans to declare the food shortage a national emergency. The 10 million Kenyans who are suffering food shortages include 1.5 million children under the school feeding programme, 2.5 million people suffering from various diseases including HIV and Aids and orphans, and further 2.5 million poor people in towns. President Kibaki chaired a Cabinet committee meeting on food security at his Harambee House office on Friday, where it was decided that importation of five million bags of maize should start. The food shortage were partly caused by the post-election violence, which affected the country’s bread basket districts in Western, Nyanza and Rift Valley provinces, but is also due to drought in Eastern, parts of Central, Coast and North Eastern provinces. Maize harvested in Rift Valley, Western and Nyanza should be entering the national food chain from this month, but because of the disruption of ploughing, the burning of food in stores and the fact that people were prevented from planting during the violence early last year, has contributed to the shortage. Added to this, the crucial long rains were inadequate in most places and the short rains failed altogether in some districts. At Friday’s meeting, an inter-ministerial committee was set up to immediately start working out ways of executing the national emergency.

Many people find that coffee is a good source of fuel in the morning, but now that could literally become the case - as bio-diesel sourced from coffee beans could soon run our cars. And, some will be most pleased to note, the fuel maintains that pleasant coffee aroma. Researchers at the University of Nevada have found that ground coffee is 10-15 percent oil, which is easily extractable and turned into bio-diesel. What's more, it could be offered for as little as 60p per US gallon - that's around 16p per litre! Coffee is in abundant enough supply to provide hundreds of millions of gallons of fuel every year, and the oil can be extracted from leftover grounds - so we shouldn't find ourselves missing out on our morning coffee for the sake of fuel. And the find was stumbled across by accident, according to chief researcher Mano Misra, who said: "I had left my coffee out one night, and the next morning, I noticed that there was a kind of oil around the edge of the cup." Misra then collected used ground coffee from Starbucks and found extracting the oil was easy. There are over 7.2 million tonnes of coffee produced worldwide each year from which to extract fuel and it's also more stable than traditional bio-fuel because of coffee's high antioxidant content. A larger scale pilot scheme is now underway to see how viable coffee could be as a genuine fuel source.

The first British baby genetically-selected to be born without the gene which causes breast cancer is "doing very well" in hospital. Female relatives on the baby's paternal side have for many generations been blighted with breast cancer. It was this legacy that prompted her parents to decide that they did not want their child to be born with the breast cancer gene, which would have given the little girl a 50-85 per cent chance of developing the disease. In June the mother, then 27, told how she decided to undergo the screening process to select an embryo without the breast cancer gene. She said at the time: "We felt that, if there was a possibility of eliminating this for our children, then that was a route we had to go down."

Kenya Govt to declare current famine a national emergency

Written By:PPS   , Nairobi, Posted: Fri, Jan 09, 2009

The Government is to declare a National Emergency in regard to the prevailing drought and famine situation in the country that has rendered nearly ten million Kenyans food insecure. The ten million include 1.5 million children under the school feeding program, 2.5 million vulnerable Kenyans suffering from various diseases including HIV/AIDS and orphans and another 2.5 million persons under the category of urban poor. At a Food Security Committee meeting chaired by President Mwai Kibaki at Harambee House today, it was resolved that the country should begin the process of importing an additional 5 million bags of maize to cater for an expected national shortfall. An inter-ministerial committee has also been set up to immediately start working out the modalities of executing the National Emergency that will entail taking extra-ordinary measures to get food to the people. This will involve availing famine relief packages that will include foodstuffs including maize and beans. The Government through the Ministry of Livestock will avail an emergency loan of Kshs 500 million to the Kenya Meat Commission to enable the purchase of livestock from areas that have been hit hard by the drought. Quantities of hay are also to be availed to livestock herders in the most severely affected areas.  Measures are also to be taken to avail water in areas that are suffering an acute shortage. President Kibaki told the food security committee that the entire Government must focus on the urgency of providing food to all Kenyans after the failed rains in the last two seasons and reduced production due to last year's post-election challenges. Among the strategies adopted by the Government to ensure sufficient food in the country include importation of maize duty free up to the next major harvest. In this regard, the Cabinet has already authorized importation of five million bags of maize duty free to bridge the maize deficit in the country. In addition, the Government through the Ministry of Agriculture intends to boost maize production this year by increasing extension services and availability of fertilizers. The Ministry of Agriculture has already procured 15,000 metric tons of fertilizer which is being sold to farmers at a subsidized price.

The Ministry of Agriculture, through the National Cereals and Produce Board, has further ordered 40,000 metric tons of assorted fertilizers which will be available to farmers for the long rains. The ministry is also in the process of procuring another 73,000 metric tons of fertilizers for the long and short rains this year. In addition, the ministry will distribute about 6000 metric tons of fertilizer to poor farmers free of charge. On ensuring provision of low cost seed, the Ministry of Agriculture through the Kenya Seed Company has reduced the price of seed by Ksh 5 per 5 kg. In addition, the ministry will distribute about 25,000 metric tons of seed of orphan crop to farmers free of charge in arid and semi-arid areas. On land preparation, the Ministry of Agriculture has reviewed all its agricultural machinery services and procured a total of 90 new tractors with a view to providing mechanization services at affordable cost. These tractors, in addition to another 85 from the Agricultural Development Corporation, will be used to plough for farmers at affordable cost. More details on what the National Emergency will entail will be availed next week. Present were Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Cabinet Ministers William Ruto, Dr. Naomi Shaban, Charity Ngilu, Prof. George Saitoti and Dr. Mohammed Kuti, Assistant Minister Dr. Oburu Odinga who represented Acting Finance Minister John Michuki, and Head of Civil Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura among others.

UK manufacturing output fell at its fastest pace since 1981 in November, official figures showed, underlining the fragile state of the economy. Output fell 7.4% from a year earlier - the biggest drop since June 1981. On a monthly basis, the fall was 2.9%, the Office for National Statistics said. The news is likely to reinforce expectations that policymakers need to do more to stave off a deep recession. The Bank of England cut interest rates to 1.5% on Thursday, a 315-year low. James Knightley, an economist at ING said that the UK economy could shrink by around 3% this year. "Industrial output has now fallen for nine straight months, which is the worst run of data since 1980, so the pressure for further stimulus will continue," he said.

A Kenya Airways crew member has been charged with attempting to smuggle cocaine into the UK through Heathrow Airport. Mr Jack Onyango Gradus, 29, was arrested by officers from the UK Border Agency when he arrived on a flight from Kenya last Saturday 3rd January, 2009. He was accused of carrying seven and a half kilogrammes of cocaine worth £300,000 (Sh35.1 million) in his luggage. Mr Onyango appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates court on Wednesday and was remanded in custody. He is due to appear in court again on January 20. Kenyan police and Foreign Affairs ministry officials said they were not aware of the matter. In Kenya, a Nigerian held by police for being involved with drugs will not be deported. This follows a decision by High Court Judge Justice Benjamin Kubo to extend orders stopping the decision by the minister for Immigration and Registration, Mr Otieno Kajwang’ to deport Mr Ken Obina Amadu. The temporary orders were extended until January 14 to allow the man to respond to an affidavit filed by Immigration in reply to his case. - Daily Nation. - VIDEO

Which products originally came from Asia?

Many things that we today take for granted originally came from Asia: rice, tea, apricots, silk and many spices. In earlier times such goods were brought to Europe over the Silk Road by caravans

East African Community Welfare Association in conjunction with The Adult College in Barking  is offering exciting free cookery classes every Monday from  18:00hrs-21:00hrs.  The next course will be starting on Monday 12th January, 2009. Limited spaces available on a first come first served basis. Call now to book your space. Benefits are plenty including: Advice on Nutrition, Regular BMI monitoring, Losing and maintaining weight the healthy way, Improve your cooking skills, Good place to make friends and networking, Learn to make African and International cuisine, Food Budgeting, A certificate on completion of the course. Above photos on left is is Mr. Amos Ngugi who is catching up with the latest cookery and on right a group photo displaying their certificates after completing their course. Food and Hygiene course comes up 10th February, 2009. Contacts:  info@safarifoods.org, eastafrica-welfare@hotmail.com Tel:  02032882275, Teresia:  Mobile 07506695851, Joe: Mobile 07508018091 - Website: www.safarifoods.org

London, Thursday 8th January, 2009. The Bank of England has cut interest rates to 1.5%, the lowest level in its 315-year history, as it continues efforts to aid an economic recovery.  The half percentage point reduction brings interest rates below 2% for the first time since the Bank of England was founded in 1694.  Manufacturers' association EEF said the move was "too timid", and that the Bank should have cut rates further.  The Bank has now reduced rates four times from October's 5% level.  Explaining its decision, the Bank said the level of contraction in business activity had "increased during the fourth quarter of 2008, and that output is likely to continue to fall sharply during the first part of this year".  It added: "Surveys of retailers and reports from the Bank's regional agents imply that consumer spending has weakened."

1.5 per cent - lowest interest rate in history

Interest rates were cut to the lowest level in history today. The Bank of England ordered a further 0.5 per cent reduction from its base rate to an unprecedented 1.5 per cent.  It has never previously been below two per cent since the Bank was founded in 1694. But only half of borrowers will benefit and millions of savers will be hit by a further cut in the return on their investments.  The Bank's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee said in a statement it was making the move because "the world economy appears to be undergoing an unusually sharp and sychronised downturn". The pound strengthened against the euro after the noon announcement as some City traders had expected a one per cent cut.  Rates have now fallen by two thirds in two months since the severity of the economic storm became apparent in the autumn. There was immediate scepticism about the effectiveness of the move in boosting the economy.  Many experts said it would do little or nothing to stop the collapse in property values and would not encourage consumers to spend. Analysts said between 40 and 50 per cent of borrowers would benefit. The vast majority with tracker mortgages will get the full half point passed on. Many on standard variable rates will also benefit as major lenders Cheltenham & Gloucester, LloydsTSB, HSBC and Nationwide said they would pass it on in full.  Business leaders warned that the bigger problem threatening the economy was the lack of lending from banks rather than the cost of borrowing. Justin King, chief executive of Sainsbury's, told the Standard: "It is up to the Bank of England to do what they think is right, but what our suppliers are saying is that what they have to pay to borrow is not the issue, it is that there is no money being lent in the first place."

Death has occurred of the late Leah Njeri Rukungu (left) of Subukia Valley, Kabazi, Nakuru, Kenya. She is the wife of Fredrick Rukungu Mwarangu of Subukia Valley, Nakuru (Uncle to Mr. Seed). She passed away on Thursday 8th January, 2009 after a short illness. On Thursday morning while in their home she called her husband to explain that her journey has come to an end. She continued to say that she want to say good bye and requesting the husband to pray for the final journey. After the prayer she rested in peace. The couple attended Bishop Muya's consecration on 6th December, 2008 (right photo) together the Seeds. Bishop Muya has sent his condolences the the Seeds family and to Mzee Fredrick Rukungu's family in Kenya.

The family of the late ANNE W. MUNGAI  formerly of Ashton -Under -Lyne ,Manchester , UK  who was promoted to glory on Monday 29th December,2009, wishes to notify relatives, friends and all Kenyan well wishers  that a memorial service will be held  on Tuesday, 13th January,2009  at St  Anne's Social Centre, Burlington Street, Ashton-Under-Lyne, Manchester, 0L6 7DG from 6pm-8pm.

The body was repatriated back to Kenya  on Thursday, 8th January, 2009 and burial will take place on Tuesday, 13th January 2009 at her family home in Rugiri, Kikuyu.

BRAVELY BORN, REST IN PEACE,  MAMA TONY, AMEN.

Kibaki Boads KQ flight to Newyork - VIDEO

London, Thursday 8th January, 2009. Car manufacturer Nissan has announced it is to axe about a quarter of the workforce at its Sunderland plant. The company, which sent workers at the site home early before Christmas to cope with the economic downturn, said it will cut 1,200 jobs. The plant opened in 1986 and is a major employer in the North East with about 4,900 workers. The Unite union described the announcement as "devastating news for workers and their families". Those to lose their jobs include 400 staff on temporary contracts. Derek Simpson, joint general secretary of Unite, said: "Today's announcement shows just how serious Britain's economic difficulties are. "Unite will be doing everything possible to minimise compulsory redundancies and it is absolutely crucial that these workers' skills are not lost." Nissan sold 66,336 new cars in the UK in 2008 - only 0.14% fewer than in 2007. However, its sales for December 2008 fell 26.68% compared with the same month in 2007. This compared with an average decline across the industry of 21.2%. A spokesman for the company said: "Nissan has notified the Local Works Council and the Unite union of its intention to reduce overall production headcount by around 1,200. "The statutory consultation period will determine how best to adjust permanent headcount, but it is hoped that this can be managed on a voluntary basis."

Close to three million people are facing starvation as the country grapples with the dim forecasts of severe food shortages by mid-year. The shortage could get worse because of the poor harvests recorded last season, Special programmes permanent secretary Mohammed Ali warned. This could also push up the cost of basic food items. Among the hardest hit are Coast, arid and semi-arid areas as well as some parts of Eastern Province. Turkana, Mandera, Samburu, Baringo, Marsabit, Wajir, Moyale and Garissa districts are among those to be severely affected as will Isiolo, Laikipia, Ijara, Taita Taveta, Kitui, Mwingi, Makueni, Mbeere, Malindi, Kilifi, Kwale and Tana River districts. According to Mr Ali, the food security situation in these districts has reached “acute food and livelihood crisis level” and can reach emergency levels if the rains do not fall on time. - Daily Nation

Proteins are the primary component of numerous body tissues. They are the main component of muscle tissue. Protein helps muscle development, increases strength, and improves athletic performance. Proteins also make up the outer layers of hair, nails and skin. - MORE

Over 200,000 students to miss form one places

A total of 249,856 students who sat last year's Kenya Certificate of Primary Examinations (KCPE) will miss places in form one enrolment, the minister for education Prof. Sam Ongeri has said. Only 445,872 out of the slightly 695,728 pupils will be placed in both public and private secondary schools country wide.  While launching the form one selection exercise Thursday, Education Minister Sam Ongeri said the government is concerned with the transition from primary to secondary following the large number of KCPE candidates occasioned by the free primary education programme.  He said the government in partnership with stakeholders will expand secondary institutions to accommodate the additional number of students. He said the government has invested heavily on education to cater for poor students. Despite considerable increase in the transitional rate from primary to secondary education from 47% in 2002 to 70% in 2008, the high number of students missing places in secondary schools is still a major concern.

National schools have selected 3,331 students; Provincial schools 122, 365 students and district schools selected the highest number of students having taken 277,693 pupils. 42, 483 students will get placement in Private schools.   As part of the reforms to increase transitional rate, the Minister stated that his ministry has digitized form one curriculum, provided laboratory facilities and introduced ICT Information Communication facilities, adding that a total amount of Sh13 billion has been released to  address the affordability of secondary education aimed at benefiting over 1.34 student. The minister laid emphasis on the development of ICT in secondary schools as a facilitator of realization of vision 2030 in the education sector. Prof. Ongeri expressed concerns at the large numbers of candidates who are unable to proceed to secondary education, saying it was an impeding factor in achieving education for all children. "On this part the government continues to encourage establishment of more secondary schools while at the same time encouraging schools with extra facilities to ensure they increased their number of streams" said Prof. Ongeri. He warned heads of schools against increasing fees or impose levies, saying that any increase must be discussed by the board of governors (BOG) and approved for presentation at the parents' Annual General Meeting (AGM) for deliberation. On the impending teachers strike, Prof. Ongeri said the increase offered by the government is the best that the economy could afford. The selected students are expected to report to their respective schools between 2nd and 6th February this year.

The Kenya Tourism Board managing director Dr Achieng Ong’ong’a  has resigned. Dr Achieng Ong’ong’a submitted his resignation letter to the minister for Tourism Najib Balala. At the same time, the minister announced the appointment of Mrs Marianne Ndegwa Jordan as the interim managing director with immediate effect. She  was previously a treasurer at Kenya Tourism Development Corporation, a parastatal in the ministry. Mrs Jordan will hold the position in an acting capacity until the ministry of Tourism carries out a recruitment exercise. - Daily Nation.

The UK Bank Rate cut and you

The Bank of England has cut its official Bank Rate for the fourth month in a row. It now stands at 1.5% as the Bank strives to soften the impact of the world-wide economic recession. We look at how the latest cut will affect borrowers, savers and others.

Will my mortgage be cut quickly?

The government and lots of mortgage borrowers hope so, but all the recent evidence suggests that many lenders will take their time making up their minds, and any cuts may not match the latest 0.5% reduction.

Banks and building societies have been arguing strongly that any more cuts will be particularly bad for savers.

And they want to rebuild their profits and reserves - which means, in part, keeping a wide margin between the official Bank Rate and the rates they charge the public for their home loans.

Fixed-rate mortgages will, by definition, stay the same.

Existing tracker rates directly linked to Bank Rate should come down, though cuts may be limited for those deals which specify a floor below which they cannot fall.

Lenders will be reluctant to pass on the full 0.5% cut to people on standard variable rates.

"I won't expect too many announcements by lenders about what their mortgage or savers' rates will be," said Michael Coogan of the Council of Mortgage Lenders (CML).

"Some may wish to wait to see if there is a further 0.5% cut, others are going to see if they can keep their savers' rates up as high as possible and maybe not move at all, or by only a modest amount."

What is the problem?

There are several.

Banks and building societies would really like to charge much more for their mortgages, to help restore their finances.

In their view, that means hogging most or all the benefit of the Bank Rate cut for themselves and enjoying a fatter profit margin on their lending.

That has already happened for borrowers taking out new mortgage deals, for many businesses with variable rate overdrafts, and for credit card borrowers.

The banks would also like to charge current mortgage customers a wider margin on their deals, too, where they can.

What about savers?

There are a lot of them, many more than the UK's mortgage borrowers, and they are increasingly perceived to be getting a raw deal.

Typically, individual savers have much less tucked away in their accounts than the average home buyer has borrowed, but collectively, they have more than £1 trillion in savings, deposit, and cash ISA accounts.

In November, the average bank or building society instant access account rate was just 1.68% and will already have fallen further since then.

About 40% of accounts now pay 1% or less on deposits of £5,000, while about 7.5% of accounts now offer interest of just 0.1%.

Banks and building societies want to make sure there is still some sort of incentive to save and are worried customers may stop saving if interest rates on their accounts fall further.

For that reason, some institutions may chose not to cut rates at all this time around, for either borrowers or savers.

Will my business loan or overdraft be cheaper?

Possibly not, for the same reasons as above.

I am dead keen to buy a flat or house. This is all good news, surely?

The monthly repayments on your prospective home loan have been slashed dramatically in the past few months.

But whether or not you will benefit will depend on whether you have managed to get a loan at all - and that now means saving to put down a very large deposit.

In fact, 60% of all deals now require a deposit of at least 25%.

And 25% of all deals, those with the most attractive interest rates, now require a massive 40% down payment.

If you do not have that sort of cash to hand, you will simply not be given a loan, as lenders ration their scarce funds and protect themselves against potential losses due to the continued slump in house prices.

Manchester United forward Cristiano Ronaldo has written off his Ferrari in a crash near Manchester Airport.  The 23-year-old winger was driving the sports car through a tunnel beneath the runway when he smashed into a barrier. It is worth £120,000. (KShs. 14 million). -  CLICK HERE FOR VIDEO

Parliament will reconvene on Tuesday, January 20 to continue with the business of the Second Session of the Tenth Parliament. House Speaker Kenneth Marende has set the date in accordance with the Standing Order 7(1) of the National Assembly on the request of the Government. According to parliamentary officials, Members of Parliament had urged President Kibaki to recall the august House, so that they can pass legislation on issues of national importance, among them the constitution review process, the amendment of the contentious clauses in the Kenya communications act 2008.  The appointment of a new ECK team will also be top on the agenda.

Nairobi, Wednesday 7th January, 2009. An attempt by the Government to bury people killed in the Kiambaa Kenya Assembles of God church inferno aborted. A team led by Chief Government Pathologist Moses Njue and Eldoret Criminal Investigation Officer Munga Nyale arrived at Kiplombe Cemetery at 10.30am with 37 bodies ready for the burial. Under the direction of Dr Njue, 17 bodies had already been lowered into the mass grave before the process was stopped following a call from Rift Valley PC Hassan Noor Hassan. Relatives and friends who had gotten wind of the ongoing burial arrived at the cemetery in hired vehicles. They sobbed on seeing their relatives’ last journey and police officers had to restrain them from accessing the grave. "Kwa nini serikali inatufanya hivi? Sijashindwa kuzika mtoto wangu. Wanazika mtoto wangu ndani ya karatasi kwani siwezi kununua jeneza?" (Why is the Government mistreating us? I am not unable to bury my child. Why should they bury my child in a polythene bag? Does it mean I can not afford a coffin?" lamented Ms Alice Mumbi. Uasin Gishu DC Leonard Ngaluma arrived after the burial process was stopped. Njue, Munga, the DC and the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital deputy director Omar Ali consulted before agreeing to stop the burial. Speaking later, Njue explained that the Government was not burying the victims but preserving their bodies.  "The bodies have accrued a bill of over Sh8 million where they are being preserved. We are preserving them until DNA results are out," explained Njue. He added that the bodies had two tags each and had been treated with chemicals. The bodies can stay in the polythene bags for a period exceeding 20 years while in the same state. "The amount required for the DNA is over Sh22 million and we do not know how long it will take to identify the bodies that is why we resorted to this method," said Njue. Mr Ngaluma explained that the burial had been called off to facilitate a decent burial in future. The bodies were ferried back to the mortuary. - The Standard.

Alice Wamboi, whose daughter died when the Kenya Assemblies of God Church in Eldoret was set ablaze last year, is led away by policemen. On Wednesday, medical authorities attempted to bury bodies believed to be of those who died at the church. Relatives later stormed the venue to stop the exercise. Uasin Gishu District Commissioner Leonard Ngaluma intervened and the bodies were returned to the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital Mortuary.  Why would the government now want to bury the dead in a mass grave? These bodies have relatives, names and can be identified. Relatives are entitled to be given a chance to honour their loved ones with proper burial rites. What's up with these Medical people? - Daily Nation.

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THE KAMAU MWANGI MEETINGS IN UK

Following the death of the late  Peter Kamau Mwangi (Kamau wa Ndenderu) in Atlanta, USA on Thursday 1st January, 2009 those family and friends in the UK are meeting in Reading at Reobuck Pub, 37 Aukland Road, Reading, RG6 1NY - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

There will be a meeting on Saturday17th January, 2009 at the same venue as from 5.00 p.m.

Those who would like to give out their contribution can do so through Nationwide Bank, Account No. 21070271, Sort Code 074456 and Account name: Peter Munene. For more information please contact 07926099325.

Meetings are going on in USA at his residence at 2021 Gren House Patio, Kennesaw GA, 30144 from 7p.m. Contacts: Maina-404-319-4328 / Mwas-678-698-0314. -  CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

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Nairobi, Wednesday 7th January, 2009. There is confusion in Kenya over how to deal with bodies piled in the town of Eldoret's morgue for more than a year. The deceased died in a church burnt down by a mob during ethnic violence after elections in December 2007. Thirty-seven bodies were to have been buried on Wednesday but after the first 10 were interred they had to be dug up amid furious protests from relatives. Families want their loved ones laid to rest on ancestral lands but some bodies remain unidentified a year on. Eldoret, in the Rift Valley, was hardest hit by the clashes following the disputed presidential election, which left 1,500 people dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. The BBC's Wanyama Chebusiri in Eldoret says furious families, some wailing with grief, demonstrated at Kiplombe cemetery on the outskirts of the town on Wednesday. After a tense hour-long stand-off with armed police, the authorities agreed to disinter the bodies and take them back to the morgue. Our correspondent says some relatives are still awaiting DNA test results to positively identify their loves ones. Families have said the victims should be buried in a mass grave beside the church if they cannot be identified. Local community groups have objected and said the victims should be laid to rest on their own ancestral lands. But up to 10,000 internally displaced people remain in Eldoret, a year on from the post-election bloodshed, and many fear being attacked if they go home.

One of the grieving protesters at the graveyard told the BBC no official had made contact to inform them of the planned burials. "We got the shock of our lives this morning when we came to discover that bodies have been removed from the hospital mortuary," he said. The victims were among people from President Mwai Kibaki's Kikuyu ethnic group who were seeking shelter in Kiambaa Pentecostal church when the building was torched by a mob. Local district commissioner Leonard Ngaluma said they would consult with the families to ensure any decisions made "should confirm with our African traditions as Kenyans and also accord them the best burial agreed by all". Dr Moses Njue, at Eldoret's Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, said the hospital mortuary could hardly cope with the bodies. "The equipments are breaking down because our refrigerators can only keep a certain kind of load," he told the BBC. "Some of the bodies are burned and some of them are skeletonised... and once a body starts rotting it continues rotting no matter what you can do." Meanwhile, Kenya's coalition government - set up in the peace deal that brought an end to last year's disorder - is showing signs of strain. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has been holding crisis talks this week with members of his party amid complaints they are being sidelined by the president. President Kibaki has been accused of failing to consult the premier about decisions on electoral reform, a controversial media law and new ambassadors.

A Kenya lady has passed away in the UK. The late Mary well known as Mama Lillian passed away on Tuesday 6th January, 2009 at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough. She has been in the hospital for a long time battling with cancer.  Friends are currently meeting at 104 Canterbury Avenue, Slough, Berks, SL2 1EA to raise funds to transport the body back home. You can support them through: A/C. NO:85249668, SORT: 77-49-17, LLOYDS T.SB, A/C HOLDER: MR. JAMAAL FARAH. For more information please contact: : 07901961071 or 07949720125.

The late Mary well known as Mama Lillian

Fissures in the Grand coalition appeared to widen as ODM tabled fresh demands over the powers of the Prime minister, Vice-President and Head of Civil Service. The Orange party is now demanding that its leader Raila Odinga assumes the role of Leader of Government Business in Parliament. A meeting jointly chaired by deputy party leaders, Musalia Mudavadi and William Ruto at Orange House, also demanded the immediate retirement of public servants who have attained retirement age. "We are going to table proposals for the amendments of the new Parliamentary  Standing Orders, to have the office of the PM assuming the roles of the Leader of Government Business," ODM Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o told The Standard after the meeting. In the meeting, Ruto spoke of frustrations the PM was facing in Government, which he said was making his role as co-ordinator and supervisor of Government a nightmare. According to sources, Ruto said the role of the Vice-President, as Leader of Government Business in Parliament was a hindrance to the duties of the PM who is in charge of supervision and co-ordination of Government Business. Nyong’o said the party would seek the amendments once Parliament is reconvened. - The Standard.

MINUS 12C IN UK

The sea froze as Britain's shivering start to the year got even colder. Southern England, normally immune to the worst of the weather, was gripped by conditions colder than parts of Iceland and Greenland as temperatures fell close to minus 12C (10.4F). In Dorset, the sub-zero temperatures froze a half-mile stretch along the shoreline of Sandbanks, home to Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp. Local people said it was the first time in decades the sea had partially frozen since 1991. Across the country families ignored safety warnings and took to frozen flooded fields and lakes on ice skates. Police in Ebbw Vale, south Wales, warned teenagers they are risking their lives by cycling across the frozen Festival Park lake, which is more than 20ft deep in some parts. - MORE

"It does not matter what you know, what matters is who you Know". - George Mwaniki, Dubai

President Kibaki on Wednesday bowed to pressure and changed his stand on the anti-media law, which he signed last week. After consulting some members of the Cabinet, he directed Attorney General Amos Wako and Information minister Samuel Poghisio to prepare amendments that will restore press freedom. The President’s decision came after a series of meetings with senior members of his Cabinet who were concerned about the negative reputation the Government was getting because of the anti-media law. The main concern was that the President and his supporters, some of who hope to succeed him when he retires in 2012, were losing public support to their ODM rivals.

The water supply to around 6,000 homes and businesses in south Wales continues to be hit after freezing weather damaged pipes to a treatment works.  But Welsh Water hopes supplies in the Rhondda Fach will return to normal by late Wednesday evening.  Water bowsers have been sent to streets with water tankers refilling supplies since problems started on Tuesday.  The firm said water treatment works in the area was now operating normally after a frozen pipe was repaired.  In a statement, it said: "Water supplies to all customers will now begin to return to normal however some may notice temporary disruptions during this evening's peak demand period.  "We anticipate however that all supplies will have returned by late this evening. -  VIEW THE VIDEO

As soon as the chair of Ghana's Electoral Commission, Dr Kwadwo Afari-Gyan, had announced the final result a few parties began.  People danced outside the EC office with party flags, sounded car horns, pulled wheelies on mopeds and one man charged up and down the road on horseback. It was third time lucky for Professor John Atta Mills who had stood against John Kufuor in 2000 and 2004. After eight years of the New Patriotic Party in power, a wind of change has blown across Ghana just strong enough to push the opposition candidate over the line. From around nine million valid ballots cast the governing party's candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, lost by just 40,000 votes. After he was sworn in, Mr Atta Mills raised up the State Sword - representing government authority - to cheers from the crowd.

Eurostar has confirmed it will resume daily direct services between Ashford International in Kent, and Brussels. The high-speed passenger train operator said it would reinstate the route from 12 March. The service was due to have been reintroduced in December, but problems caused a fire in the Channel Tunnel on 11 September postponing the change.

The pound has risen to its highest level against the euro for three weeks

The pound has risen to its highest level against the euro for three weeks, ahead of the Bank of England's interest rates announcement on Thursday. The euro fell 0.5% against the pound to close at 90.1 pence, well below its recent high of 98.04 pence. "There's been a change in sentiment for sterling," said Neil Jones, at Mizuho Corporate Bank in London. UK rates are expected to be cut by 0.5 percentage points to 1.5%, their lowest in the Bank of England's history. The pound has weakened steadily against the euro ever since last October. This was because as the Bank of England cut UK interest rates to counter the effects of the economic slowdown, the pound - and sterling-denominated investments - became less attractive to foreign investors. Just after Christmas the pound almost fell to parity the euro, but since then it has been gaining back some of its lost ground.

Police in Nigeria have arrested scores of motorcycle taxi riders with dried fruit shells, paint pots or pieces of rubber tyre tied to their heads with string to avoid a new law requiring them to wear helmets. The regulations have caused chaos around Africa's most populous nation, with motorcyclists complaining helmets are too expensive and some passengers refusing to wear them fearing they will catch skin disease or be put under a black magic spell. The law, which came into force on January 1, pits two factions equally feared by the common motorist against one another: erratic motorcycle taxis known as "Okadas," whose owners are notorious for road-rage, and the bribe-hungry traffic police. Some bikers have used calabashes -- dried shells of pumpkin-sized fruit usually used as a bowl -- or pots and pans tied to their heads with string to try to dodge the rules.

"And To succeed, it is necessary to accept the world as it is and rise above it". - George Mwaniki, Dubai

The parents of a six-year-old boy in the US have been charged with neglect after the boy drove their car for 10km in an attempt to get to school on time. Police in Virginia said the boy, who was not named, took the keys to the car after he missed the school bus. He drove for six miles (10km) on major roads, weaving through traffic and overtaking slower cars, before losing control and going off the road. The boy told police he learned to drive by playing video games.

Hospitals in Gaza have been overwhelmed trying to treat about 3,000 people wounded in the Israeli operation. Doctors say they are running short of essential supplies and people are dying as a result and right Israel has continued its ground and air attacks in the Gaza Strip for a fifth day, after a week of bombing, in a bid to force Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into Israel.

London, Wednesday 7th January, 2009. Falling behind with council tax payments by only a few hundred pounds is increasingly tipping people towards bankruptcy as many town halls adopt a tougher approach to debts. With council tax bills doubling since Labour came to power, more homeowners are struggling to meet monthly payments and are falling into debt. Faced with a recession and budget squeezes, councils are increasingly using bailiffs and insolvency practitioners to get their money more quickly than by more conventional methods, The Times has learnt. Such moves can push struggling families deeper into debt as they are forced to pay back arrears plus thousands of pounds in debt-collectors’ costs. Once bankruptcy proceedings are initiated, people can face bills of up to £50,000 in insolvency and legal costs, even though their original debt might have been little over £750. Some are forced to sell their homes to meet the costs. Town halls are under huge pressure to meet targets set by the Government and the Audit Commission to raise the proportion of council tax they collect. Giles Hindle, an insolvency and corporate recovery partner with Beachcroft, the law firm, said: “What they have cottoned on to in recent years is that bankruptcy offers the most immediate prospect of recovering unpaid council tax. “They have found it the most effective tool for recovery.” Last year councils collected 97 per cent of the £20.6 billion tax due, a rate that has risen steadily in the past few years. Figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act requests by the Liberal Democrats have exposed how aggressive some councils have become in chasing their debts. Responses from 171 out of 370 councils show that 1,706 householders were the subject of bankruptcy proceedings last year for failing to pay council tax arrears.

The season of cattle crossings along the River Niger in Mali is under way. The first crossing for the cattle is at the town of Diafarabe, 350km (220 miles) north-east of the capital, Bamako. The tradition goes back many hundreds of years and has been recognised by the UN as a world cultural heritage event and on right crowds wait on the other side of the river to watch the spectacle. The cattle wait in small groups to swim across the river. When the time comes for a group to cross they often need some prompting as the water can be very cold. The herdsmen yell and beat the cattle with sticks to get them moving.  Keeping the cattle together is not an easy job. Some of the young boys swim across the river to make sure that the groups of cattle stay apart. In previous years cattle have drowned during the crossings as groups became mixed up together. The smallest calves are taken across by boat. A competition also takes place to choose the herdsmen who have the fattest cattle. There are prizes for the winners and they are the stars of the day. The herdsmen who are deemed to have done the worst job also get a prize – a single peanut.

Huang Guangyu, China's richest man wife is in problems. The net is tightening around China’s richest man with the detention of his wife amid a police investigation into possible financial offences by the businessman who founded the country’s biggest appliance chain. State media said Du Juan, 37, was now under police guard in Beijing and had been formally placed under “residential surveillance”. Ms Du had returned to Beijing from an unidentified location outside the city before Christmas. The police wanted to prevent her from leaving the country. She has long been a close business associate of her husband, running large parts of the company that Huang Guangyu built up from a streetside stall selling watches to a nationwide conglomerate over hundreds of stores. Mr Huang, 39, listed as China’s weathiest man on the Hurun Rich List this year with wealth estimated at £4 billion, disappeared in late November and was later revealed to be under investigation for alleged insider trading.

BANGALORE (Reuters) - The head of Indian outsourcing firm Satyam Computer Services resigned on Wednesday, disclosing that profits had been falsely inflated for years and sending its shares tumbling nearly 80 percent. India's biggest corporate scandal in memory threatens future foreign investment flows into Asia's third-largest economy and casts a cloud over growth in its once-booming outsourcing sector. The news sent Indian equity markets into a tailspin, with Bombay's main benchmark index tumbling 7.3 percent in a firmer session for world markets and the Indian rupee fell.

WHAT ARE YOUR OUR BODIES MADE UP OF?: The smallest building block of our body is the cell. Our body is made up of, believe it or not, 100 billion cells - a number with 12 zeros. All of these 100 billion cells develop from one single egg cell as an individual person grows.

A COUNTRY WHERE PEOPLE DRIVES TO KILL OTHERS

While on holiday in Kenya we came across an accident where we could not believe our eyes. Driving to kill others. We left Nakuru town at about 7.00 p.m. on Monday 8th December, 2008 heading to Nairobi. On our way we saw four incidents of lorry drivers driving their vehicles without lights. The first incident happened about half an hour after leaving Nakuru just before Gilgil. We thought it was a mistake but wait until we arrived a few miles to Naivasha. We almost landed at the back of another lorry on the road without lights. We drove behind it slowly where I managed to take this photos. It was to our surprise that we came to a police road block - guess what? The lorry was allowed to proceed? After Naivasha we came across another vehicle on the road without lights. Again at soko mjinga near Kinari another lorry carrying vegetables was driving without lights. The big question remain - why do some drivers want to kill others. What is wrong with some of our traffic police. Bishop Peter Gatimu of Apostolic Faith Church in Kenya came across such a lorry last month along the same road and his car was completely damaged after colliding with a lorry without lights.

Several of my friends living in the UK went to Kenya for Christmas holidays, on their way back they were stopped at Heathrow Airport, the red book was taken away from them. One of them was told - "yes, the book is yours but the names are not yours"

UK Prime Minister Brown plans to print more money

London, Wednesday 7th January, 2008. The Government may resort to printing extra money if interest rates keep falling. It is being considered as a desperate measure if base rates fall so far that they cease to work as an economic lever. Base rates are set to plunge tomorrow to the lowest level since the Bank of England was founded in 1694, with another big cut of at least half a point to 1.5 per cent or even lower. Chancellor Alistair Darling and Bank of England governor Mervyn King are considering whether to embark on a new policy of expanding the money supply, or quantitative easing, sources today told the Evening Standard.  "We are looking at the issues," said a senior Treasury source. "No decisions have been taken."  It would mean a historic retreat from the economic housekeeping rules that have held sway since Margaret Thatcher wrested control of the money supply in the Eighties in her crusade to drive out inflation. Printing more money would release a flood of extra funds to buy assets, with the new cash filtering through to businesses and families. It is aimed at preventing a sharp shrinkage in the money supply, a move that could prolong the recession. However, a policy of printing more cash has never been openly practised in Britain. Economists see it as a potentially dangerous step that was unthinkable just a few months ago - recalling that unchecked money supply was at the root of hyper-inflation in Argentina in the Seventies and Germany in the Twenties. But they warned there may be no option.

Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat shadow chancellor, said: "It would be a very dangerous course of action and if it went wrong there could be high inflation afterwards.  "But if we get into the dire straits of deflation then governments have no choice but to take drastic measures. These are policies for truly knife-edge situations." The Bank of Japan resorted to printing money when its interest rates hit zero at the beginning of the decade and the US Federal Reserve is currently tempted to copy the policy.  But Investec chief economist Philip Shaw said: "We are sceptical that quantitative easing in the strict sense ... will give the real economy a significant push, especially as this did not appear to have a material effect in Japan earlier this decade."  Vicky Redwood of Capital Economics said: "The Bank is likely initially to tread cautiously into such new territory."  The Chancellor today warned that the recession is "far from through" and hinted that radical new policies to hasten recovery may be needed. He said the Treasury and the Bank would need to work "hand-in-hand" in future, casting a question mark over the Bank's independence. "In the current climate, no responsible finance minister could say that's the job done, far from it," he told the Financial Times. "We are far from through this." Figures today brought more bad news. New car sales slumped again last month, dragging the total for last year down 11.3 per cent. The boss of fashion retailer Next said the emergency VAT cut had failed to boost sales. Chief executive Simon Wolfson called it a "missed opportunity" and said tax cuts would have been better.

LEFT: The Mail claims there is a stampede to buy traditional lightbulbs as they are being phased out in favour of the low energy variety. CENTRE: According to the Daily Express, Brits are not letting the credit crunch stand in the way of their summer holidays. RIGHT: The Times says thousands of people have been bankrupted by local authorities for failing to pay their council tax.

US Budget deficit seen hitting $1.2 trillion

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Wednesday 7th January, 2009. The U.S. budget deficit will swell to a record $1.186 trillion in fiscal 2009, congressional forecasters plan to announce on Wednesday, presenting a daunting challenge to President-elect Barack Obama who has said tough choices will be necessary. The deficit will likely fall to $703 billion in the 2010 fiscal year, government sources said before the official release of the outlook by the Congressional Budget Office due out at 10:00 a.m. EST. The huge budget deficits are in contrast to the roughly $455 billion deficit recorded last year and do not account for an economic stimulus plan that Congress plans to consider over the next month, which could total $775 billion more over two years. Congress also is also expected to be called on in the coming months to approve tens of billions of dollars in additional funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Economists have said that the burgeoning deficits are a result of a steep falloff in tax revenue as the global recession saps the economy as well as huge government outlays to prop up the financial industry and U.S. automakers. This year's deficit also was worsened by an economic stimulus measure that Congress and President George W. Bush enacted a year ago that totaled $168 billion over two years. The Bush administration, which began with large budget surpluses in 2001, has loaned hundreds of billions of dollars to help ailing financial institutions recover after they made risky real estate investments that went sour. CBO, the non-partisan budget analyst for Congress, also will estimate deficits over the next five years will total $1.972 trillion. When Bush took office, the total U.S. debt was $5.7 trillion. It now stands at more than $10.6 trillion because of increased government spending coupled with lower tax revenues related to Bush's tax cuts and the slowing economy. Obama said on Tuesday he expects to inherit a deficit approaching $1 trillion and his administration would have to make tough budget choices. But economists agree now is not the time for the country to tighten its belt.

Over 10 Kenyan families living in the UK have returned home to settle during the month of December, 2008

President directs AG to study proposed amendments to Act

Nairobi, Wednesday 7th January, 2007; President Mwai Kibaki has Wednesday directed the Attorney General and the Minister for Information and Communication to study the amendments members of the media have proposed made to the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act, 2008 and the Kenya Communications Act 2008. In a statement, the President said he was responding to a letter from the Chairman of the Media Owners Association Mr. Linus Gitahi. In his response, the President said he had noted concerns by the media regarding the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Act 2008 and the Kenya Communications Act 2008 and asked the A.G. and the information and Communications Minister to study the proposed amendments and consult with the media representatives. The President further directed the Attorney General and Minister for Information and Communications to bring appropriate recommendations on the proposed amendments to the cabinet for consideration. On Tuesday, the Orange Democratic Movement -ODM- said parliament made a mistake in passing the Communications Ammendment Bill 2008 which they now say should be returned to the floor of parliament.

Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Lands Minister James Orengo while addressing the press in Nairobi said the ODM will call for the re-opening of the discussions during a full cabinet meeting, to address the issues that make the government appear retrogressive at the earliest time possible. "Although we represent people, decisions can sometimes be made that do not reflect the will of the people," Musalia told the news conference. "Parliament may have passed it (the bill), but its quite clear that it is not in conformity to the will of the people," he added. Musalia cited flaws in the law such as the opening of personal mail as affecting not only the media fraternity, but also ordinary citizens. He said the Act can be amended citing the unilateral repeal of section 2A of the constitution which had made Kenya a one party state, but which was repealed through pressure. Orengo said ODM had taken steps to draft amendments to the bill. "We have several options how to bring the bill, either as a parliamentary party or as part of government," said Orengo. He noted that the section dealing with broadcast should be repealed and the law referred to as the Media Act, and not Communications Amendment Act. The ODM party will meet on Tuesday next week to discuss proposals to be tabled before cabinet. The news conference was also attended by the members of the Media Owners Association

Members of a group dedicated to preserving traditional Japanese firefighting techniques perform acrobatics on bamboo ladders during the annual New Year's fire review in Tokyo. We will freely admit our ignorance here, and say that we're not sure if the balancing-on-a-pole thing is actually a traditional Japanese firefighting technique, or just something that Japanese firefighting technique preservers do in their free time.

Do you know that Kenya's immigration are taking your eye lids with a camera at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport?

Barclays to axe 400 IT jobs

London, Wednesday 7th January, 2009. Banking giant Barclays is to axe 400 jobs in its IT departments after a review of its operations, it was announced. The bank said it would try to mitigate compulsory redundancies by releasing contractors, closing vacancies and offering workers the chance to apply for other jobs. The Unite union said the job cuts were a "bitter blow", especially in the current economic uncertainty. Barclays said in a statement: "Barclays continually reviews its operations and resources so that it functions as efficiently as possible as business needs and customer requirements evolve. "As part of this process, we have identified some aspects of our technology operations where the organisational structure impedes performance, and roles and responsibilities for colleagues are unclear. In some cases, roles are obsolete or being duplicated elsewhere within the bank. "This will affect around 400 positions - 158 permanent staff and 250 contractors. All of the roles affected are UK-based, principally in Cheshire and London. None of the roles are being offshored." Derek Simpson, joint leader of Unite, said 410 jobs will be lost, describing the announcement as a bitter blow to the IT workforce across Barclays. "At this time of economic uncertainty, staff across the industry are working under immense pressure and there is a great deal of nervousness regarding their job security. "This loss of jobs, all of which are highly-skilled roles, is a serious loss to the UK's skill base. "Unite will be working with Barclays in order to avoid compulsory job losses and looking to explore all the opportunities for redeployment. Over the next few days Unite officials will be meeting with our members at all the sites impacted."

Big freeze worsens - to minus 12

Britain's cold snap plunged to shivering new lows as forecasters warned that freezing fog would bring chaos on the roads. Southern England, normally immune to the worst of the weather, was gripped by conditions colder than parts of Iceland and Greenland as temperatures fell close to minus 12C (10.4F). Milder weather was predicted but forecasters warned that driving conditions would be worse than ever. Benson in Oxfordshire and Chesham in Buckinghamshire were both close to minus 12C and the UK's coldest areas in the early hours of Wednesday, with other large parts of the South also recording minus 9C (15.8F) and minus 10C (14F). On Tuesday tens of thousands of motorists were left stranded in a record day for car breakdowns. The AA and RAC said the situation was worse than it had been since 2004, with an estimated 50,000 call-outs over the previous two days. Gareth Harvey, a forecaster for MeteoGroup UK, the weather division of the Press Association, said a combination of a front of freezing fog and black ice would make conditions for drivers even more perilous. He said: "Southern England will still be coldest tonight but temperatures are unlikely to fall lower than minus 5C (23F). Fog patches will be freezing and there will still be a lot of ice. This is a dangerous combination." People across England were greeted with a light dusting of snow as they woke up. Areas of Cumbria witnessed up to 3in (8cm) of snow. Icy road warnings were in force for north-west England, Yorkshire and Humber, and the East and West Midlands. Thanks to the cold snap, heating bill pay-outs to pensioners and the vulnerable have now topped £100 million as the Government stepped in to help.

The water supply to around 6,000 homes in the Rhondda continues to be hit by freezing conditions which have brought problems across Wales.

WORKSHOP FOR PARENTS

An Educational workshop/Seminar for parents to be held in London on Saturday 10th January 2009 at Memorial Baptist Church 387-395 Barking Road, E13. The time will be 3.00pm-6.00pm, we would be very delighted to start on time. This Seminar will handle UK Educational issues touching on curriculum, Exams and the challenges within the school system. A Parent is a main pillar which supports the education achievement of the child.

Please be available and inform another parent. Our children must perform or we will have ruined their generation. Children from Black communities have unique challenges, which the parents need to be aware of. The same seminars will be coming to other cities in the UK within the year.

Information is power, ignorance is no defence but the truth you know will set you free.

Family Rebuild, courtesy Pastor Wangaruro, has organized this seminar.

The number of new cars sold in the UK in 2008 fell by 11.3% from 2007 to 2,131,795, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The annual figure was the lowest since 1996, following eight consecutive monthly falls. Sales fell 21.2% in December, compared with the same month the previous year, to 108,691 vehicles. That figure is still a big improvement on November, when sales fell by 36.8%, which was the biggest drop since 1980

The US private sector shed 693,000 jobs in December, according to a closely watched survey of business employment published on Wednesday.The monthly ADP Employer Services survey, which tracks private non-farm payroll employment, was much worse than economists expected and a surprising increase from the 476,000 jobs lost in November. The decline was the worst in the history of the survey, which began reporting in 2001. If the results are matched by the official government labour report, due on Friday, it would be the biggest employment drop since the 1975 recession.

Hello Mr. Seed,

At the request of my friend Ms Mary Gatuna of Seattle Washington, could you please post this info about her cousin, a Kenyan man who is in hospital in New Castle, UK. His name is Mr. Anderson Kabugu Kamanga. He came to the UK about 4 months ago and has since been diagnosed with some throat cancer that is in advanced stages. He has no family or friends in the UK and I believe he would love some visitation from fellow countrymen even though they don't know him personally. He is admitted at Royal Victoria, New Castle.

Thanx a lot and God Bless you for the good work you do for His people.

PK Muigai
Seattle, WA

Kenya media seeks court action

Nairobi, Tuesday 6th January, 2008. The row between the Media and the government Tuesday took a new twist as an editors body threatened to go to court to stop the newly enacted communications law from becoming operational. Speaking to the press at a Nairobi hotel, the Editors Guild treasurer, David Makali, said the law gives a general blanket to the minister of information to interfere with programmes and political contents of news casts. He said that the body is already considering and exploring ways of going to court to have the law suspended. He added that Editors Guild has given Media Owners Association a go ahead to publicize mechanisms that are already in existence through which the Government can address problems to do with the media. He said that the body, civil society, friends of the Media and the public will draft specific amendments that should be made to the law and present them to the Attorney General and the Minister for Justice and constitutional matters. The body's chairman, Mr. Gaitho Macharia expressed disappointment with endless and fruitless meetings between stakeholders in the media industry and the Minister for information.  "The editors forum is considering taking this matter to court to ask for that act to be stayed or be suspended pending the determination of whether in fact is not constitutional as far as freedom of speech is concerned," said Macharia Gaitho, head of the country's Editors Guild.  He argued that the minister did not consider their views in the previous meetings that were meant to iron out contentious issues in the Bill. Macharia said that they are not opposed to regulation but called for self and right regulation that will not stifle the development of the media industry.

The president last week assented to the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill 2008, a move that has put the government and the press at loggerheads. On Monday, the Government called a stakeholders meeting next week on Monday to discuss the way forward on the implementation of the controversial Media Act. Information Minister Samuel Poghisio said there was need for the stake holders to get together with the Government and discuss how best to implement the law which came into force with the presidential assent last Friday. The minister said it was inconsequential for the local media to continue condemning the law since it was now fully enacted and called on the aggrieved parties to point out the offensive clauses to allow for amendment by parliament. Poghisio said the law was necessary noting that it was in line with media regulations among the Common Wealth countries. Formulation of the law, he stated, was even long overdue noting that through out Africa it was only in Kenya and Somalia where such a statute had been lacking. The Minister was addressing a press conference on the reactions against the new Act by the local media houses in his Teleposta office boardroom on Monday. He was flanked by the Director for Information and Public Communications Ezekiel Mutua.  He regretted that the professional journalists were being used by non-professional media owners to oppose a law that was meant to give them a level playing ground with their employers.

He stated that the Government had never been interested in gagging the media explaining that the law was necessary to bring order and sanity in the industry just like in any other sector of the economy. Poghisio said the opposing individuals were free to seek legal redress over enactment of the Act reminding them that the constitution grants every Kenyan a chance to fight for ones rights. The Kacheriba MP challenged the local media to be objective in their analysis of the Act and stop being biased by reporting only against it without giving the other side a chance to be heard. "Indeed, since the Bill went through Parliament, the media have decided to black out most of the views in favour of the Bill and focused on narrow vested interests." Poghisio claimed. He at the same time took issue with some politicians who he did not name accusing them of taking advantage of the confusing situation to gain some cheap political mileage. On the controversial section 88 of the Act, Poghisio challenged the opposing side to point out the specific offensive clauses and table it at the planned stakeholders' meeting for deliberations and the action to be taken. He however clarified that the section should be handled separately from the Media Act saying there was more time for its discussion to allow for its review along with the proposed review of the country's constitution.

The terrorist threat to the UK has been reduced after a series of successful prosecutions, MI5's chief has said. Jonathan Evans said the 86 prosecutions in the last two years had a "chilling effect on the enthusiasm of terror networks" who planned major attacks. But he said al-Qaeda remained determined to launch attacks in the UK. And he said the worldwide economic downturn could bring new threats to national security - as it would bring a "new alignment" in global affairs.

Judge seeks alternative charge in attempted murder case

Written By:Dzuya Walter   , Posted: Mon, Jan 05, 2009

High Court judge Justice G.B Kariuki on Monday appeared at the chief magistrate's court to seek an alternative charge in a case where he is charged with attempted murder. The High Court judges are currently on their annual vacation.  Justice Kariuki appeared before Chief Magistrate Gilbert Mutembei seeking to have an alternative charge in a case he is charged with attempted murder. Kariuki is accused of stabbing motorist Robert Karuri on the stomach after their vehicles were involved in a road accident. Lawyer Sirara Muturi representing Kariuki also put forward an application cautioning the media against offensive publications. The lawyer told the court that on the December 27 2008 a national newspaper published an article painting Justice Kariuki as a villain. The case will be heard on January 26 and 27. And as schools re-opened across the country on Monday, a man was charged with stealing six school textbooks worth over 2000 shillings. It is alleged that on January 2 he stole the books from M/S textbook centre along Kijabe Street in Nairobi. He pleaded guilty and in his defence he claimed that he was unwell at the time. He was remanded until he furnishes the court with his doctor's report to establish certainty over his claimed sickness.

Death as hunger bites

Posted: Tue, Jan 06, 2009

A young boy has died and three others were injured after a donkey cart fell on them as they queued for water which has become a rare commodity in the drought stricken Yatta area. According to eyewitnesses the boy who was a pupil at Kakongo Primary School died instantly after the heavy cart slipped and fell into the deep well. Area assistant chief Josphat Sila said the food situation in the area has deteriorated following the failure of both the long and short rains last year. Sila said the relief food availed by the government was not enough to cater for the families as each family was only entitled to one tin of maize per day. Yatta is one of the poorest constituencies in the country. The residents whose main economic activity is rope and brick making are now appealing to the government to urgently intervene and save them from imminent starvation. This is the second hunger related death reported in the country after one person was said to have died in Murang'a district where over 8,000 residents are threatened by starvation.  School going children preparing to return to school have not been spared either as they are forced to seek for cheap labour to buy food.  Murang'a south District Commissioner Christopher Musumbu is now calling on the government to intervene and provide relief food to the residents saying the situation is desperate.  The worst hit areas include Kambiti, Kamahuha, Maranjau and Makuyu. Elsewhere over 20,000 people in Nyeri are faced by starvation and are in dire need of relief supplies. 

A food and crop situation report for the month of December presented by the District Agricultural Officer George Mwai at a District Steering group meeting held Tuesday in Nyeri paints a grim picture of the food situation in the area due to adverse weather experienced in the last season. Among those in need of relief food are 14,800 residents, 8,000 squatters who were recently settled in Solio ranch in the neighbouring Nyeri North district and 1,700 Internally Displaced Persons.  The report indicates that the food situation in the area was worsening as a result of poor yields during the long rainy season coupled with high commodity prices in the market. The situation was likely to get even worse with the decline of precipitation of the short rains at critical stages of growth of most of the crops with the maize being the worst affected.  Further the district's food reserves have diminished as the local National Cereals and Produce Board depot at Kiganjo had no grain reserves while the stocks held by farmers stood at a paltry 1,734 bags of maize and 193 bags of beans. The report recommends that a total of 7,400 bags of maize, 3,700 bags of beans, 44.4 metric tonnes of cooking fat, 266.4 metric tonnes of powdered milk and 666 metric tonnes of rice be availed for the next six months to cater for the vulnerable groups affected by the famine.   The agriculture department had however taken several remedial measures in a bid to contain the situation including the improvement of the extension services through community groups to uplift the food situation. The department is also encouraging farmers to grow drought resistant and fast growing crop varieties that can withstand the unpredictable weather patterns. 

Marks and Spencer plans to close 25 of its small Simply Food stores and another two of its normal stores. The closures will mean the loss of 780 jobs. The retailer is also planning to cut 450 head office jobs. M&S also said UK like-for-like sales - which strip out the impact of new stores - fell 7.1% in the 13 weeks to 27 December. Total UK sales fell 3.4%. The firm warned that its profit margins would be lower this year as a result of discounting, especially in food. In the run-up to Christmas, the retailer held two sale days where it cut prices by 20%. M&S said that it had 15% less stock when it began its sale on 27 December than it had the previous year. It is the latest High Street chain to release an update on its Christmas trading. Other updates from the High Street have revealed the following:

• Clothing retailer Next's like-for-like sales at its stores dropped 7% in the six months to Christmas Eve

• Debenhams said its like-for-like sales in the past 12 weeks had fallen 3.3%

• Blacks Leisure issued a profits warning after saying like-for-like sales had fallen 3.9% in the 13 weeks to 8 January

• John Lewis sales rose 1.2% in the week to 27 December

• Waitrose sales jumped 41% in the week to 27 December

• Several retailers have called in administrators since Christmas, including music and film retailer Zavvi and childrenswear chain Adams

London, Tuesday 6th January, 2008. Arctic conditions have meant a miserable return to work for millions of shivering Britons.  Icy rain, sleet and snow moved down the UK, turning to ice in many places as temperatures dropped overnight. The Met Office issued a severe weather warning for London and east and south-east England with widespread icy roads and pavements. Meanwhile, people living in those areas could wake to one to two centimetres of snow. "It's going to be a bitterly cold morning," said forecaster Dan Adamson. "It's been a few years since it's been as cold as this." December 30 saw temperatures plummet to -13C in the Scottish Highlands, while on Saturday night Benson in Oxfordshire reached -9, he said. Though temperatures dropped below zero in most places last night, cloud cover meant it was not as cold as Saturday night. The current cold snap is set to continue until the weekend when milder weather may finally arrive. The chill prompted water company Severn Trent to appeal to its eight million customers across the Midlands and Wales to protect their water systems, after receiving reports that pipes were freezing even with heating on full blast. Health campaigners have warned that the return to work this week will prove "heavy going" for the NHS with many people laid low by the spread of the winter vomiting virus and flu. Businesses and schools will also be affected as people call in sick and those employees who do struggle in to work are more likely to spread bugs around offices and factories. Geoff Martin, from campaign group Health Emergency, said: "The period after Christmas and New Year is always heavy going for hospitals as the country gets back into gear but the return of the icy weather, along with the flu and the norovirus, is likely to pile on the pressure. "We know from front-line reports that services in many areas are dangerously short of capacity and are working on a knife edge. "In the north west, the service is paying a heavy price for the closure of Burnley's A&E department and bed reductions elsewhere have left the NHS dangerously exposed this winter."

MYSTERIES OF THE UNEXPLAINED: A man riding a moped was killed by a taxi in Bermuda in 1975, exactly a year after, his brother had been killed - on the same street, by the same taxi driver carrying the same passenger, and on the same moped. Source: Books of Wonders

A man accused of attempting to murder a nurse found locked in the boot of her own car has appeared in court. Justice Ngema, 35, appeared at Linlithgow Sheriff Court charged with the attempted murder of Magdeline Makola. The 38-year-old nurse, from Livingston in West Lothian, is recovering in hospital after being found on Boxing Day - 11 days after she went missing. Ngema, from South Africa but living in Airdrie, Lanarkshire, made no plea or declaration during the brief hearing and was remanded in custody. Ms Makola, also born in South Africa, had not been seen since she left work at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary on December 15. Concerns were initially raised when Ms Makola failed to turn up for her shift on December 18 and she was reported missing. An investigation was launched and Ms Makola was discovered by police in the red Vauxhall Astra in Airdrie on December 26. She is being treated in Monklands Hospital in Lanarkshire, where she is said to be in a stable condition. Last week Ms Makola's brother Refilwe flew from his home in South Africa to be with his sister, arriving in time to celebrate the New Year with her.

Two children tried to leave the cooler weather of Germany to elope to sunny Africa, but only got as far as the local train station. The pair aged six and seven were planning to get married in Africa and brought the girl's five-year-old sister along as a witness. They left their home in the city of Hanover, which they shared with the boy's father and the girls' mother, early on New Year's Day as their parents slept. Police spokesman Holger Jureczko said: "The children wanted to do something really special for the New Year. "They had it all planned out. They had three suitcases, filled with food, swimming costumes, a lilo and even sunglasses". Mr Jureczko said they took a tram to the central station and were about to board a train to the airport when police stopped them. "They said they wanted to go to Africa 'because it's so nice and warm there'," Mr Jureczko said. The boy had once been to Italy and convinced the girl that Africa would be even warmer, he said. The police told the trio that it would be difficult to get to Africa without money or tickets and instead gave them a tour of the police station before handing them over to their parents.

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) on Monday threatened to demand fresh negotiation of the coalition agreement with PNU, saying the party had been sidelined in major national decisions. The party also said it would demand that the head of the civil service, Mr Francis Muthaura, be placed under the Prime Minister’s office to fully implement the PM’s role as supervisor and coordinator of government ministries.

Kenyan-born Mayaka has made it big in Japan

Stephen Mayaka with his wife Sachiyo Moraa Mayaka daughter Yuri Jerusha Mayaka and son Chui Hiromu

Last year, an interesting incident was reported in Tokyo when, on a morning jog, a Kenyan athlete lost his way in the city’s concrete jungle and ended up taking refuge at a local police station awaiting help. And since he didn’t speak Japanese and the local police didn’t know any English either, efforts to trace the athlete’s residence were quite complicated. But when the athlete mentioned the name Stephen Mayaka, the Tokyo police officers finally got the clue they needed to help him out of his predicament. A call to Mayaka sorted out the issue and the athlete’s ordeal finally ended as he found his way back to his apartment, seven hours after he had set out on what he had expected to be a routine, incident-free, 30-minute morning jog. “In Tokyo, most of the buildings and streets look very much alike and for a visitor who doesn’t understand Japanese, getting lost is quite easy. This was the case with this unfortunate athlete,” Mayaka said in a recent interview with Lifestyle.  “Fortunately, the police in Tokyo knew me and had my number so they called me to pick up the athlete,” he explained. Mayaka is a household name in Japan, being the first foreign athletics coach in this Asian nation that adores marathon running. Born in Kisii and now holding a Japanese passport, Mayaka has been behind the success of many young Kenyan athletes in Japan and has recently been associated with the rise of Kenya’s Olympic marathon champion, Samuel Kamau Wanjiru.

He is currently also head track and field coach at the Sozo Gakuen University besides being the personal trainer and manager of many Kenyan and Japanese runners. Kenyan athlete Mayaka first landed in Japan as a Kenyan athlete on December 24, 1990, and immediately made an impact, winning a number of top road races and marathons, quickly becoming a household name in his new abode. As a fresh-faced student at Kisii’s Kiomiti Secondary School, he would have hardly imagined travelling to Japan, let alone taking up Japanese citizenship and becoming a sports celebrity. Some of his triumphs, as a member of the Yamanashi Gakuin University in Yamanashi Prefecture (province), came in the Japan National Championships, the Hakone Ekiden the All Japan Inter-University Championships (in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres races) and thrice in the Sapporo International Marathon. He subsequently represented Kenya at three editions of the World University Games in New York, Sicily and Fukuoka, winning silver medals in the latter two. He had personal best times of 13 minutes, 28.45 seconds in the 5,000m, 28:00.25 (10,000m) and 61 minutes and 15 seconds in the half marathon.

The 36-year-old Mayaka also won the prestigious Sapporo Half Marathon from 1995 to 1997, then running for various top clubs like the Team Daiei and Hitachi Cable. Mayaka eventually settled down with a Japanese girl, Sachiyo, and the couple finally tied the knot in 1998 with Sachiyo taking up the Kisii names, Moraa Mayaka. The couple has a daughter, Yuri Jerusha Mayaka, and son, Chui Hiromu Mayaka. “Both children take up the names of my parents who are both deceased,” Mayaka says. “Sachiyo is basically a housewife but sometimes she coaches some of my athletes in Japan when I’m out of the country. She used to be a marathon runner and represented Japan at the 1995 World Athletics Championships in Sweden and she is also an assistant coach of the Japan women’s athletics team.  “I took up my Japanese citizenship in 2005 because of my family and also because the future, as regards my career, looked brighter in Japan. After all, I had lived in Japan for a long time and knew a great deal about Japanese life and culture.” Mayaka is among the pioneers in the long list of top Kenyan runners who took up jobs in Japan during their running careers.  The list includes distance running greats, the late Joseph Otwori, Eric Wainaina, Thomas Osano, Douglas Wakiihuri and Daniel Njenga with Burundi’s Aloys Nizigama the other East African who made an impact in Tokyo. Otwori, like Mayaka, an alumnus of the Yamanashi Gakuin University, was Kenya’s first university student runner in Japan.  He was killed in a road accident three years ago near Kericho while back home on holiday, handing over the mantle of mentor of Kenyan runners in Japan to Mayaka. The athletics set-up in Japan is quite different from other parts of the world. Rather than run all over and survive purely on prize money and kitting contracts, the Kenyan athletes based in this Asian nation register with the top companies, many of which have sports clubs, like motor companies Toyota, Honda, Suzuki or electronics firms including Hitachi, Fuji and Panasonic.

Marathon running is among the most popular sports with the traditional Ekiden (relay marathon) the most lucrative. Mayaka was quick in learning Japanese, which is one of the conditions one has to meet before taking up athletics scholarships in the country. “I learnt Japanese at a language school in Tokyo after finishing my fourth form at the Kiomiti Secondary School and I also enrolled at Yamanashi High School and the Yamanashi Gakuin University.” Mayaka’s trip to Japan was facilitated by Shem Omasire, then a teacher at Kisii’s Cardinal Otunga High School and who had great contacts in Japan. “Former Kenyan Olympic gold medallist, Robert Ouko, Omasire and Misiocha Miyigo, who was the headmaster at Kiomiti, helped me a great deal in building my career.After a successful running career, Mayaka took up coaching in 2006 and became an athletes’ manager registered by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) the following year. “I have several Kenyan runners in my stable, including distance runners Philes Ongori and Job Mogusu, who are ranked in the top 30 on the world list by the IAAF, and many others outside the top 30. Mayaka has helped several top Kenyan athletes earn track scholarships and enrol for major Japanese athletics clubs, among them former national cross country champion Gideon Ngatuny and world junior 3,000 metres steeplechase champions Jonathan Muya and Christine Kambua Muyanga, Jefferson Siekei, Jelia Tinega and Winfrida Mochache. Besides being an athletics coach and manager, Mayaka mentors most of the Kenyan runners launching their careers in Japan, including the Olympic marathon champion Samuel Wanjiru. “Wanjiru has been a great friend from the time he landed in Japan,” said Mayaka who was born in Nyangiti sub-location of Gucha district and who schooled at the Nyagesa Primary School before joining Kiomiti Secondary School to race with him in the same club and I have since been advising him on various issues that he is familiar with in Japan like investment and training.  “He spends time in my house sometimes and his coach in Japan – Katsushi Fuchiki - was also my college mate at the Yamanashi Gakuin University. “Before the Beijing Olympics, I visited Mayaka at Ngong to see how he was preparing for the Games, and I also travelled to Beijing where we planned the race tactics with his coach on the day before he won the gold medal. We are great friends and we’re currently planning to support several sports projects in Kenya.”

Mayaka is seen as the leader of the Kenyan running community in Japan, helping the more than 100 athletes cope with life in the country.  He also offers translation and other assistance to visiting Kenyan trade delegations and the Kenyan embassy in Tokyo headed by ambassador Dennis Awori. He has also been involved in organising the “Kenya Night” in Japan each year. “I’m involved in various activities in Japan, other than sports, like promoting Kenyan tourism. On Many weekends I get invitations to schools and festivals to give talks on Kenyan runners, culture and wildlife. “Sometimes I’m invited to television stations to give commentary on athletics events and also talk about various issues regarding Kenya.” Japanese food and culture don’t seem to bother the former athlete who is quite comfortable using the chop sticks to devour his favourite dish, sushi (raw fish) and sea food. “When I’m relaxed, I enjoy Japanese beer, like Sapporo, Asahi and Kirin, very much. I also love the traditional brew they call sochu. “The Japanese people are very kind and generous, the buildings and streets are always clean and their cars and technological advancement fascinates me a lot,” says Mayaka who runs a part-time car export business in Tokyo. “Life in Japan is very expensive but what impresses me most is that it’s a very safe country with very few criminals. You can leave your car for many days unattended, without locking it, which is quite different from the case in Kenya and many other countries.” “I wish one day Kenya develops to the level of Japan. I want to use my contacts in Japan to help the poor children who want to go to school in Kenya to achieve their dreams to be doctors, teachers, etc, and help educate others in their villages. “I might be a Japanese citizen now, but my heart is always in Kenya and I normally make up to three visits in a year to Kenya just to catch up and develop my business interests,” he adds.

Life in Japan has not been all that smooth for Mayaka who has been called upon a few times to bail out errant Kenyan runners in Tokyo. Three months ago, he helped negotiate with the Japanese authorities the release of two Kenyan runners who were held in custody after their immigration documents expired. “My advice to Kenyans coming to study or settle in Japan is that they must learn the language and be familiar with the immigration laws and other regulations in the country to avoid such incidents.”Strangely enough, despite his celebrity status in Japan, Mayaka moves around Kenya unnoticed. Once, he was checking into a five-star hotel in Nairobi when staff at the front desk requested him to pave way for some foreigners who were in the queue. “Since I was speaking Kiswahili, they asked me allow the other guests to check in ahead of me but when I removed my Japanese passport, they were shocked and apologised saying they didn’t know I was also a foreigner.” Mayaka was then in Kenya with the Japanese team to the 2007 World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa.  Mayaka is scheduled to return to Kenya later this month to scout for more athletics talent and help various sports projects that he has started in the country. “I will also visit the families of the Japan-based runners just to appraise them on the performances and general status of the runners besides just catching up on many other issues.” – Daily Nation.

Scapegoating police does not explain post-election violence

Published on 05/01/2009

Fellow countrymen, greetings from one of your servants, a Kenya Police officer. I know it is wise to listen more and talk less but last year, we in the force listened too much. Everybody spent time addressing us: Politicians, Waki, pretenders to human rights, Mungiki (under various pseudonyms), the media and so on. It even became a measure of ‘good journalism’ to criticise the police spokesman when he was too practical. It is now my intention to make you listen to a policeman. I will start by introducing myself. I am a Kenyan, no less than the rest of you. I travel in matatus, listen to radio, watch television, read newspapers and occasionally engage in gossip. I, therefore, know your opinion regarding "Kenya Police". But do you know my opinion on "You Kenyans?" Let me start with the post-election violence: Justice Waki identified why, this time last year, people engaged in the most savage murders. He had "incontrovertible evidence" that it was purely "failure by the police". Kenyans are good, their police are bad.  This judgment was such a good tranquiliser, acres of newsprint have been exhausted analysing it. But this is not new. Whenever faced by serious internal threats, communities or nations identify an external one to mobilise against. This allows nations to forget internal differences and close ranks to deal with the "threats". Some ancient communities used to identify the cause of their problems at the end of the year. The identified person, object or institution would be heaped with societal blame and killed. The communities then achieved a catharsis. They, thus, ‘proved’ to themselves that they were not bad after all, it was the ‘devil’ who was to blame. In the build up to the 2007 General Election, you, Kenyans, regressed into ethnic blocks, preached politics of ethnicity and hatred. You regularly found it easy to criticise the police for not championing your narrow ethnic interests, few could readily abide by police direction on law and order. Human rights activists were heavily cited by the courts to set suspects free.

Nobody ever tried to demand RESPONSIBILITY by political activists. For several months, your bigoted savagery knew no bounds. But never mind that — Waki had a ‘eureka’ moment, finding devils to beat in the Kenya Police and Administration Police. These, he would have us believe, are the demons that made people burn churches, block roads, uproot railways, loot and murder.  To this day, nobody has suggested what police officers are supposed to do when whole communities go mad. When killings are executed by a community actively participating, cheering on or hiding the suspects. Blame the police if you like, but don’t forget the issues still remain. As a policeman, I know that it is absurd to talk about the post-election violence in past tense: The violence continues in our midst unabated. My next target is the lot calling themselves ‘courts’. These guys are so hypnotised by their temporary titles that they have forgotten they are villagers, just like the rest of us. It is, therefore, perfect for them to answer "questions of law" by contemptuously releasing rapists, murderers and violent robbers. My message to them is singular: You cannot have your cake and eat it. You either join the rest of the society in fighting crime and promoting law and order or you shut up about crime. You cannot be ‘popo’ for too long, you either want criminals in the society or you don’t. Whatever decision you take in that court, be prepared to live with it in your estates, families, villages and highways. Finally, for the Tenth Parliament: I know you ascended into sugar candy mountains one year ago, and that you have a well-paid Speaker who considers police constables who guard and drive him "sufficiently philanthropic" to pay taxes on a salary less than his sitting allowance for three hours. I know that you are in a hurry to sack entire institutions to reward your cronies, that you are the Parliament with the highest number of criminals who remain innocent until proved guilty. However, remember that it is unforgivable to water down the laws of the land due to hypocrisy and short-term benefits. You had better come down from your mountains while our patience lasts. If you wait until we fetch you from those heights, the descent might be a bit bumpy. - The writer is a police officer. - The Standard.

2009 is set to be one of five warmest years

Climate scientists have predicted that 2009 is set to be one of the five warmest years on record.  The average global temperature for 2009 is expected to be more than 0.4C above the long term average, the Met Office and University of East Anglia researchers said.The Met Office also predicted a rapid return to long-term warming for global temperatures and an increased probability of record temperatures after 2009. Currently the warmest year on record is 1998, which saw average temperatures of 14.52C - well above the 1961 to 1990 long-term average of 14C. Professor Phil Jones, director of the climate research unit at the University of East Anglia, said: "The fact that 2009, like 2008, will not break records does not mean that global warming has gone away. "What matters is the underlying rate of warming - the period 2001-2007, with an average of 14.44C, was 0.21C warmer than corresponding values for the period 1991-2000."

Detox products 'don't work'

For many people the start of January heralds a detox after weeks of festive fun, but a collection of scientists has now claimed the process is "meaningless" and many products do not work.  A number of manufacturers and retailers were asked about their detox products, including the Boots 5-Day Detox Plan and Garnier's Clean Detox Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel. The study said there was no single definition of "detox" and the word was being used to "promote everything from foot patches to hair straighteners". The report was complied by Voice of Young Science (VoYS), an organisation representing more than 300 PhD and post-doctorate students working in science, including physiologists, biochemists, doctors and pharmacists. One of the authors, biologist Harriet Ball, said: "Our investigation into detox products has convinced us that there is little or no proof that these products work, except to part people from their cash and downplay all the amazing ways in which our bodies can look after themselves." The study comes soon after the British Dietetic Association, which represents 6,000 dieticians across Britain, said there was no "potion or lotion" which could "magically" rid the body of chemicals. A spokeswoman for Boots said: "Boots recognises that people don't drink enough water. "The Boots 5-Day Detox Plan encourages people to drink water and includes a daily drink and tablet with ingredients that battle against toxins and help protect from the dangers of free radicals to leave you feeling revitalised and re-energised." A spokesman for Garnier, which makes the Clean Detox Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel, said: "Anti-Dullness Foaming Gel detoxifies the skin's surface by removing impurities such as dirt and grime that accumulate over the course of the day. Its price is in line with other mass market foaming gels. "All Garnier products undergo rigorous testing and evaluation to ensure that our claims are accurate and noticeable by our consumers. "Senior pathologist, Sir Colin Berry, said of the study: "It's easy to detox; just let you body use the great systems it has evolved over thousands of years to get rid of whatever is harming you. But if it's booze, drink less as well."

It is said that the Kenyan was chased and shot by police in

USA after he was caught stealing

Baltimore County police fatally shot a robbery suspect yesterday morning in Essex after the man led officers on a foot chase in a residential neighborhood, authorities said. The unidentified man died after he was taken to Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, police spokesman Bill Toohey said. Police say the incident unfolded about 8 a.m. when the man held up a Rite Aid pharmacy at 140 Back River Neck Road. Toohey said the man followed employees into the store as it was opening and demanded money. During the robbery, an employee fled and called 911, police said. Officers arrived and chased the suspect about two blocks to the 1500 block of Williams Ave., where a confrontation between the armed man and officers occurred, Toohey said. The man was shot in a backyard of a two-story brick rowhouse. Billy Bishop, a resident of the house, said he heard the gunfire. Bishop said he was in an upstairs room with his family when he heard two gunshots. He said he ran over to a window and could see the man's body and the officer standing over him. Bishop said he then went outside to see what was happening.

A Baltimore County police officer fatally shot a robbery suspect Wednesday morning after this Rite Aid pharmacy at 140 Back River Neck Road in Essex was held up, authorities said. (Baltimore Sun photo by Lloyd Fox / December 31, 2008) (See story below).

 
"There was blood all over the place," he said. "They tried to give the guy CPR and took him away in an ambulance. They yelled at me to go in. I got yelled at like four times." Tia Alexander, who lives two doors from the crime scene, said she was lying in bed when she heard a commotion and an officer yelling into a walkie-talkie. She awakened her husband, who went to the window and saw the officer shoot the victim, Alexander said. He was taken to police headquarters to give a statement. Alexander said she heard the officer yell "shots fired" over his police radio just before the shooting. Police did not release the identification of the officer. A weapon was recovered from the suspect, police said. Yesterday's incident was the second police-involved shooting in that neighborhood in two years. In January 2007, police fatally shot a man off Back River Neck Road after he led them on a chase, crashed his car and shot at pursuing officers.

Sun reporter Richard Irwin contributed to this article.
By Brent Jones

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A Kenyan has passed away in Maryland, USA. The late Fidel Saiteu Gikori. Fidel met his death on New Year's eve December 31, 2008 at around 8am in Essex, Maryland, USA under unclear circumstances in the hands of Baltimore Police. Family and Friends are meeting daily at his mother's, Margaret Gathoni Capen-Maggie house. Address:  34 West Orange Ct, Parkville, Md 21234. Prayers and worship will be at 7.00 p.m. daily. Contribution to assist with the funeral arrangements can be made through Fidel's bank account with Bank of America in the following account: Bank name: Bank of America, Account name: Magaret Capen, Routing number 052001633 and Account number 44601374747. Viewing and Service to be held on Friday January 9th (tentative date). Fund-raising will be held on Saturday January 10th from 4pm to 8 pm (venue to be announced). Burial will be held in Baltimore Maryland at Dulaney Valley Gardens (time of service and program to be announced). Please contact the following people if you have any questions. Martin Mwangi (Committee Chairman): 443-465-5732, Allan Kiguru (Committee Vice Chairman): 443 804 5907 or Michael Ngugi (Committee Support): 443-935-1142.

The late Fidel Saiteu Gikori

A memorial service will be held to celebrate Moses Mugo's life on Friday 9th January 2009 at EMMANUEL CELEBRATION CENTRE, WEEKES DRIVE, COMMUNITY CENTRE, TAMARISK WAY, CIPPENHAM, SLOUGH. SL1 2YN. The service will start at 7pm. For more information please contact Faith 07861659662 or Grace on 07956238431.

Mrs. Gladys Mwai of Dagenham, Essex, UK has lost her mum while undergoing kidney treatment in India. You can contact Mr & Mrs Mwai on 07958796173.

The Israeli ground operation is being supported by intensive aerial, land and naval bombardment of Gaza and UN officials say Palestinian hospitals are struggling to cope with the casualties and are short of vital medical supplies.

Nairobi, Sunday 4th January, 2008. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said there is room to amend the Communications Amendment bill which was signed into law on Friday.  The PM who reiterated his support for the freedom of the press said the signing into law of Bill 2008 should not spell doom for media freedom in the country. Mr Odinga said amendments can be introduced in Parliament to remove the offending part. The PM who was in South Coast urged the media fraternity not to despair saying a solution will be found to the satisfaction of all. Said the Premier, "The signing of the bill is not the end, we are consulting on the matter to ensure that a solution is found, where there is a will there is a way."   President Kibaki signed the ICT bill into law on Friday.  However it has elicited angry reactions from media stakeholders saying it will strip the media of its independence and plunge the country back to the dark era of restricted freedom of expression. On the disbanded Electoral Commission of Kenya, Mr. Odinga said the appointment of a team to oversee its transition must be done through consultation.  He reiterated that those from ECK involved in the mess should not be included in that team. Earlier, the Prime Minister told the youth that they had a critical role to play in the leadership of the country and should not shy away from taking this responsibility. He said the government was committed to addressing the issue of unemployment among the youth noting measures were being instituted to expand the economy to create more job opportunities. He was addressing beach boys at Tiwi Resort in South Coast.

Have ever heard of The Bermuda Triangle?

The "Bermuda Triangle" or "Devil's Triangle" is an imaginary area located off the southeastern Atlantic coast of the United States of America, which is noted for a supposedly high incidence of unexplained disappearances of ships and aircraft. The apexes of the triangle are generally believed to be Bermuda; Miami, Florida; and San Juan, Puerto Rico. The US Board of Geographic Names does not recognize the Bermuda Triangle as an official name. The US Navy does not believe the Bermuda Triangle exists. It is reported that Lloyd's of London, the world's leading market for specialist insurance, does not charge higher premiums for vessels transiting this heavily travelled area. - MORE

Brief History of Israel and the Jewish People

The people of Israel (also called the "Jewish People") trace their origin to Abraham, who established the belief that there is only one God, the creator of the universe (see Old Testament). Abraham, his son Yitshak (Isaac), and grandson Jacob (Israel), are referred to as the patriarchs of the Israelites. All three patriarchs lived in the Land of Canaan, that later came to be known as the Land of Israel. They and their wives are buried in the Ma'arat HaMachpela, the Tomb of the Patriarchs, in Hebron.

The name Israel derives from the name given to Jacob (see Old Testament). His 12 sons were the kernels of 12 tribes that later developed into the Jewish nation. The name Jew derives from Yehuda (Judah) one of the 12 sons of Jacob (Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Yisachar, Zevulun, Yosef, Binyamin). So, the names Israel, Israeli or Jewish refer to people of the same origin.

The descendants of Abraham crystallized into a nation at about 1300 BCE after their Exodus from Egypt under the leadership of Moses (Moshe in Hebrew). Soon after the Exodus, Moses transmitted to the people of this new emerging nation, the Torah, and the Ten Commandments. After 40 years in the Sinai desert, Moses led them to the Land of Israel, that is cited in The Bible as the land promised by G-d to the descendants of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.

The people of modern day Israel share the same language and culture shaped by the Jewish heritage and religion passed through generations starting with the founding father Abraham (ca. 1800 BCE). Thus, Jews have had continuous presence in the land of Israel for the past 3,300 years.

The rule of Israelites in the land of Israel starts with the conquests of Joshua (ca. 1250 BCE). The period from 1000-587 BCE is known as the "Period of the Kings". The most noteworthy kings were King David (1010-970 BCE), who made Jerusalem the Capital of Israel, and his son Solomon (Shlomo, 970-931 BCE), who built the first Temple in Jerusalem as prescribed in the Tanach (Old Testament).

In 587 BCE, Babylonian Nebuchadnezzar's army captured Jerusalem, destroyed the Temple, and exiled the Jews to Babylon (modern day Iraq).

The year 587 BCE marks a turning point in the history of the region. From this year onwards, the region was ruled or controlled by a succession of superpower empires of the time in the following order: Babylonian, Persian, Greek Hellenistic, Roman and Byzantine Empires, Islamic and Christian crusaders, Ottoman Empire, and the British Empire.

Following the sudden demise of  ANNE .W.MUNGAI of Manchester ,UK formerly of Kangemi Nairobi, Kenya who was promoted to glory on Monday 29/12/2008, the family wishes to notify relatives, friends and all Kenyan wellwishers  that there will be a public viewing of the body and prayers on Tuesday,6th January,2009 at J.R Barlow & Son Funeral Directors ,238 Station Rd, Pendlebury, Manchester M27 6BY, from 11am – 5pm.

The body leaves J.R Barlow & Son Funeral Directors, Manchester on Wednesday,7th January 2009 for Heathrow Airport ready for repatriation to Kenya where it expected to arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi on Friday,9th January,2009.The  body will be removed to Montezuma & Monilisa Funeral Home before burial which will take place on Tuesday,13th January 2009 at Rugiri, Kikuyu.

A memorial service will be held in Manchester on Tuesday, 13th January 2009 at venue to be announced later.

Family and friends are meeting at the following addresses from 6pm to 10pm.

15 GREENWOOD AVENUE, ASHTON -UNDER-LYNE
MANCHESTER, OL6 8RE - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP          

24 WESTERN AVENUE, DAGENHAM EAST

ESSEX, RM10 8XH - CLICK HERE FOR THE MAP

For more information please Contact 

              MUNGAI - 07960047161
              NYAMBU - 07949672524
              NONI      -   07949443089

Family and friends contributions can be deposited at HALIFAX, J. K. MUNGAI, ACC: 00 76 99 49, S/C : 11 01 30.

Food for thought - part 1

January 4 2009 at 4:09 AM

End-Time Bible Prophecy Study #7:
United States of America in Prophecy

Aim of this Study

The aim of this End-Time Bible Prophecy Study is to determine whether there are prophecies in Scripture that pertain to the United States of America, and if there are, what they denote.

Introductory Remarks
From the evidence provided in End-Time Bible Prophecy Study #1: From Shoemaker-Levi 9 to Blood Red Moons (The 1994-2015 Timeline) in which the validity of the 1994-2015 Timeline and its associated events were investigated, and in the light of the evidence presented from Scripture in End-Time Bible Prophecy Study #2: The Great Tribulation and the 1994-2015 Timeline, the following conclusions have been drawn:

Every seven years since 1994 something extraordinary occurred either in the heavens or on earth.

That something extraordinary will therefore occur in 2015.That the extraordinary events of 2015 will be the Solar Eclipses and Blood Red Moons calculated by the NASA scientists.

That the Solar Eclipses and Blood Red Moons of 2015 are related to what is described in Joel 3:3, The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the LORD comes. Should the foregoing conclusions be valid, then the most likely time for the Great Tribulation to occur will be during the 3 years that precede 2015.

If you haven't visited the two above-mentioned studies yet, I strongly recommend that you take time to do so at your earliest convenience. These studies hold the key to all the other Bible prophecy studies on this website. You will find the link to those pages on the End-Time Bible Prophecy 2009 Revelations Home Page.

To know that the 1994-2015 Timeline is based on the following four extraordinary events, each separated from the next by seven years, will suffice for this study.

1994: The comet Shoemaker-Levi 9 broke up and crashed into Jupiter with what was then described as 21 cosmic gun salutes.

2001: The September 11 (9/11) World Trade Centre & Pentagon terror attacks in America.

2008: The Global Financial Collapse with its epicentre in America, also described as the worst financial crisis of its kind in human history, hit the world on 15 September.

2015: Blood Red Moons Phenomenon of the years 2014-2015, the only time in this century when 4 consecutive full lunar eclipses, known as a tetrad, will coincide with the Jewish religious feasts of Passover and Feast of Tabernacles.

United States of America in Prophecy
Have you noted that two of the four extraordinary events on which the 1994-2015 Timeline is based, occurred in America? Have you also noted that those two earth-shaking events that transpired on American soil are precisely seven years apart? Coincidence? I believe this proves that America's fate is irrevocable tied to the 1994-2015 Timeline and closing events on this planet.

Over the past century America has distinguished itself as the wealthiest and mightiest nation in the history of this planet. On the other hand, America has also distinguished itself as the most corrupt and debased nation in the world. For instance, the current global financial debacle has proven once again how rotten the global free trade economic system underwritten by America is.

Do you now realize how absurd it is to think that Scripture wouldn't make reference to what is irrefutably the most influential nation in the end times?

Where in Scripture do we find the prophecies pertaining to America? In the main these are the prophecies in the Book of Revelation that concern Babylon the great of the last days. Many people have been conditioned in believing that these prophecies concern a fallen global religious system. Such fallen church systems are spoken of in Revelation 2 and 3. The "beast" referred to in later chapters of Revelation is a product of these fallen church systems. However, the prophecies pertaining to end-time Babylon fall in another category.

Though we find in the prophecies concerning the end-time Babylon some religious, moral and cultural nuances, the emphasis falls mainly on her economic influence globally. It is in that area where we shall witness her ultimate collapse unfold.

"For in a single hour all this wealth has been laid waste." And all shipmasters and seafaring men, sailors and all whose trade is on the sea, stood far off and cried out as they saw the smoke of her burning, "What city was like the great city?"

And they threw dust on their heads as they wept and mourned, crying out, "Alas, alas, for the great city where all who had ships at sea grew rich by her wealth! For in a single hour she has been laid waste." (Rev 18:17-19)

Just think for a moment. Almost half of Revelation 18 is dedicated to the merchants of the earth lamenting the end-time Babylons fall. If mystery Babylon in one way or another represents the false religions of the world, as many prominent exegetes of Scripture claim, why would the mighty traders of the world be so perplexed by its demise? Shouldn't the pastors and the priests be the ones doing the weeping and wailing?

In Revelation 18 the mighty traders of the world want to know what city was like this fallen city. Ask yourself, what nation in the history of this planet can be compared to America in prosperity, opulence, extravagancy and military might? There is none!

Some vigilant "watchmen on the wall" in America have correctly deciphered the prophecies in Scripture concerning their motherland. Here follows their views on who the mystery Babylon of the last days actually is.

"I wanted you to see this verse where Scripture clearly calls the Woman a city, not a church. It then proceeds on into Revelation 18 where she is described as being a huge worldwide merchandising and manufacturing entity that political figures, merchantmen, and transportation industries weep over at its destruction because they can no longer buy or sell its goods. This is not describing a church and its business, wealth, and fall, but a nation's business, wealth, and fall" - John W. Ritenbaugh of ccg.org.

ECONOMIC BABYLON OF REVELATION 18 MAY BE AMERICA - We believe this prophecy fits this country exactly, so precisely that it could refer to no other nation on the earth today The United States of America has led the world into this Satanic New World Order, both in terms of national political and economic leadership, but mostly in the leadership of values. People all over the world have yearned to be like America, as they have seen our wealth, success, and power. Such a position draws people to emulate, to allow themselves to be deceived This Babylon has become thoroughly inhabited by Satan and his demons.

Remember our earlier discussions of such disgusting, vile American sins, the very nature of which are filled with demons and their activity? These sins have become so pervasive that God is finally moved to physical judgment American businessmen still hold the predominate wealth in the world. What is the attitude on the part of Americans toward this wealth? They believe they need nothing else and that this good time will never end America's leadership in these sins has been instrumental in leading untold millions, perhaps billions, of precious souls into eternal Hell. Is it any wonder that God singles her out for "double" punishment? This destruction of this nation will evidently be of UNPARALLELED VIOLENCE, producing a destruction, the likes of which have NEVER been seen BEFORE in world history. - David Bay, Director of Old Paths Ministries / cuttingedge.org.

ECONOMIC BABYLON OF REVELATION 18 MAY BE AMERICA - We believe this prophecy fits this country exactly, so precisely that it could refer to no other nation on the earth today The United States of America has led the world into this Satanic New World Order, both in terms of national political and economic leadership, but mostly in the leadership of values.

People all over the world have yearned to be like America, as they have seen our wealth, success, and power. Such a position draws people to emulate, to allow themselves to be deceived This Babylon has become thoroughly inhabited by Satan and his demons. Remember our earlier discussions of such disgusting, vile American sins, the very nature of which are filled with demons and their activity? These sins have become so pervasive that God is finally moved to physical judgment

American businessmen still hold the predominate wealth in the world. What is the attitude on the part of Americans toward this wealth? They believe they need nothing else and that this good time will never end America's leadership in these sins has been instrumental in leading untold millions, perhaps billions, of precious souls into eternal Hell. Is it any wonder that God singles her out for "double" punishment? This destruction of this nation will evidently be of UNPARALLELED VIOLENCE, producing a destruction, the likes of which have NEVER been seen BEFORE in world history. - David Bay, Director of Old Paths Ministries / cuttingedge.org.

"IS AMERICA BABYLON? Does it not seem odd to you that America, the GREATEST NATION IN THE WORLD, the greatest evangelical nation; that took the Gospel of Christ to the four corners of the world; THE RICHEST NATION ON THE EARTH, who has given more aid to nations than any other; THE NATION TO HAVE WON TWO MAJOR WORLD WARS and many others; IS NOT EVEN MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE?" Mark Swatson of CIS Scanner, TruInsight / markswatson.com

"The United States of America Mystery Babylon? My belief of the likelihood that the US is the prostitute, based on all her actions, will likely get a lot of people very angry with me. Now remember, I'm not trying to prove anything, but I am pointing some things out. I'm almost convinced now that the United States of America is in fact the whore, Mystery Babylon. But, I recognize the reality that I could be wrong. However, I can easily and correctly say that no nation on this entire earth fits as well as the United States of America" - endofthisage.com

"America, The Babylon: America's Destiny Foretold in Biblical Prophecy. America has defeated the lands of ancient Babylon known as Iraq. This makes America the latest world power to conquer "Babylon" and from a prophetical standpoint, America holds title to Babylon and thus America inherits the "Mystery Babylon" title. But that's only the tip of the "Mystery Babylon" iceberg that includes DOZENS of other PROOFS from the scriptures that all points to and proves that America is the only answer as to who or what is Mystery Babylon" - R. A. Coombes of americathebabylon.com

According to Scripture all earthly empires are destined to fall. So also America, which underneath its evangelical garb, is nothing but an end-time, Babel-like melting pot of every profanity, obscenity and perversity conceivable. For most of its existence it has been playing both sides of the field - the pious side and the profane. But America's religious facade is speedily crumbling. Let's hear what America's own moral leaders have to say concerning their debased motherland.

Popular wisdom has it that our society is wildly hedonistic, with the collapse of family life, out of control immorality, and the world, led by the United States, in the throes of a sexual insurrection. The unrighteous humanistic adjudicators of America have seen fit to bless unions that the Almighty has forbidden in His Torah, the Blueprint for Life. Of all the current sexual fads, the one notable for its militancy is that of homosexuality. This refers male or female, along with other phenomena such as transvestism and transsexualism. - By Rabbi Levi bar Ido/Bnai Avraham; Rabbi Ed Nydle, Board of Rabbis Union Of Nazarene Yisraelite Congregations

Homosexual marriage and legalized sodomy have caused strong polarity within our country It seems that the sodomites within this country and Canada, which recently allowed same sex marriages, have convinced a large part of the population that their sin is acceptable. The terrible fact is that most churches don't teach any different out of fear of the majority, which sympathizes with the sodomites. A recent poll found that 51% of Americans sympathize with homosexuals desiring to get married. Sodomy is just one of the many sins of this society. - By Mike Blackburn and James Meyer, Paleo Times

"The pornography business in America is bigger than professional football, basketball and baseball combined! Should we then be shocked to discover that one military unit in Iraq had a pornographic ring in its midst complete with videotaped sex between U.S. soldiers and simulated sex involving Iraqi detainees? American soldiers have been raised in a sex-crazed culture where pornography has gone mainstream. Where do you suppose the soldiers at Abu Ghraib got the idea to film sadomasochistic acts?" - Gerald Flurry, Philadelphia Trumpet, June 2004, page 11).

Only America meets ALL the preconditions to be identified as the end-time Babylon of Revelation. I've already mentioned that almost half of Revelation 18 is dedicated to the merchants of the earth lamenting Babylons fall. Below, some of the trade agreements, trade initiatives, trade organizations and trade conventions America is retaining with the rest of the world.

ORGANISATIONS AND AGREEMENTS THROUGH WHICH AMERICA (BABYLON) ENRICHES THE MERCHANTS OF THE EARTH

1. The World Bank

2. The Group of 8, or G-8 (formerly G-7): a structure with the worlds 8 richest countries as members.

3. The World Trade Organisation (W.T.O); the arbitrator and policeman of the world free trade system or globalisation.

4. The Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, or the O.E.C.D.

5. The International Monetary Fund (I.M.F.); seated in Washington, not far from the White House. Is currently often in the news. A mysterious council consisting of 24 members controls it. No doubt the American government is at the helm of this organisation. In the early 90s it gave the shaky Russian economy an injection of $10,2 billion; in 1995 it gave the collapsing Mexican economy an injection of $18 billion, and not long after $10 billion to the crushed South Korean economy. Moreover, almost $20 billion went to Thailand. A similar rescue package for Indonesia was negotiated in the late 90s.

6. The General Agreement for Tariffs and Trade, or G.A.T.T.

7. The North America Free Trade Agreement, or N.A.F.T.A; brokered between the USA, Mexico and Canada.

8. The Multilateral Agreement on Investment, or (M.A.I); concluded by the 29 richest countries on earth.

9. The Asian Pacific Economic Conference, or A.P.E.C.; an initiative piloted by the USA to expand trade relations with countries of the Far East.
[Take note that America provides the largest percentage capital to keep these organisations and agreements operative, consequently having the most influence on their managing boards. Countries that have largely benefited will grieve most when America falls (Revelation 18 verses 3,9,11,15 & 23)].

Closing Remarks
Is it possible to determine roughly when America will fall?
The fall of America and the demise of the global free trade system constitute the same event. In final verses of Rev 16 we read that it is an unexpected and awkward turn of events during Armageddon (WW III) that will trigger the ultimate collapse of the global free trade system and therefore the fall of America.

MYSTERIES OF THE UNEXPLAINED: Identical twins boys, born in Ohio, USA some 40 years ago, were adopted by different families shortly after birth. In 1979, after 39 years apart, they were reunited. It was discovered that each had been named James; that each had had law-enforcement training; that each liked mechanical drawing and carpentry. Each married a woman named Linda, had a son – one named James Alan and the other James Alan – had divorced, and then married a second wife, named Betty. Both had had dogs named Toy. Also, both favoured the same St. Petersburg, Florida, vacation beach. Source: Reader’s Digest, January, 1980.

Media owners statement following signing of anti-media law

This is the full statement read on Saturday by Media Owners Association chairman Linus Gitahi in reaction to President Kibaki's signing of the Kenya Communications (Amendment) Bill, 2008. ‘By appending his signature on the Kenya communications bill, President Kibaki has now officially gagged the media in Kenya. With this bill, the President has taken away Mwananchi’s right to know, see and hear any issues that the Government may not want exposed. The Media owners association has always held the view that there cannot be development without complete media freedom in a thriving democracy such as ours. In his statement, the President referred to the Kenya Communications Act of 1998 where he pointed out that the Government has always reserved the right to seize communication equipment upon a declaration of a state of emergency. We would want to clarify that this right only existed in relation to telecommunication equipment.

With the new law, not only is broadcasting equipment now included but the law also gives sweeping powers to the Minister of Internal Security to seize broadcasting equipment as and when he feels public tranquillity is threatened.  It is wrong for one individual to determine what is public tranquillity and raid on the standard newspapers is a stark reminder of how this can be abused! As important is the question of content regulation where the CCK will determine what you should watch and when you should watch.  For instance CCK now have the right to preview the news before its delivered to Kenyans. We think that this is totally unacceptable particularly because CCK board is wholly appointed by the Government without any representation from the stake holders. The bill also gives the minister full control of the CCK which is thus subject to political directives in its regulatory responsibility over the broadcast media. Nothing is more dangerous to a free and independent press than legislation specifically created to provide for political control. Kenyans will recall that last year, media worked with the Government and created a statutory media council. This council, which has representation from various stake holders including the civil society has recently formed a statutory complaints commission sworn two months ago to deal with any complaints of malpractice by the media.

It is headed by a professional qualified enough to be appointed a judge of the high court. This new law usurps the powers of the media council and instead creates a wholly owned Government enterprise to control the media. The media owners are acutely aware, concerned and are fully committed to the elimination of pornography and hate speech within our media outlets. This is something that is aggressively being driven by the media council and with the complaints commission now in place, even the public will have a say and will be heard and their concerns addressed via this commission. We have also been working with the ministry of information and communications and the relevant parliamentary committee to strengthen the media council even more including stiffer penalties for arrant members. This is the right thing to do and the teams are busy working on this. In the interest of a free media, we ask that the broadcast sections in this law be looked at afresh We are not about to give up on this fight because free media is a fundamental human right that should never be compromised for any other partisan interest.’ - Sunday Nation.

Man charged in stabbing death of Kenyan at party in USA

By ALEXIS STEVENS

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, January 01, 2009

The Atlanta Kenyan Community has lost Peter Kamau Mwangi (Kamau wa Ndenderu). Kamau, a resident of Kennesaw Georgia was allegedly Stabbed to death per police.  Lillian Ngugi of Acworth had a party at her house New Year’s Eve to celebrate the holiday and her son’s eighth birthday. Just hours into the new year, her front yard became a crime scene. One of her neighbours, Kevin Martin, 35, has been charged with murder in the stabbing death of another man who attended the party. Police have not identified the victim but have said he is a native of Kenya. Ngugi said he a family friend who lives in Kennesaw. She knows him only by his middle name. “There was no cause for it,” Ngugi said Friday. Ngugi’s Elderberry Drive home is in McPherson Estates, off New McEver Road.

Martin, who lives across the street from Ngugi, wasn’t invited to the party, but came over with friends some time around 3 a.m. He argued with the victim, who asked him to close the front door to keep cold air out. “That was it,” Ngugi said. A little more than an hour later, as guests were leaving, the verbal sparring between the two continued outside. Martin reportedly got a knife from his car and stabbed the victim, who initially didn’t realize he had been stabbed, Ngugi said. “He opened his jacket and he was full of blood,” she said. Martin went home, but was later taken into custody by Acworth police. The victim died at WellStar Kennestone Hospital following surgery. Ngugi and her husband, John Ragui, are Kenyan natives who have lived in the U.S. for four years. Ngugi said she is still shocked that a crime could take place in her quiet neighbourhood. “I’m so scared for my children,” she said. “I don’t want them to go outside now.”

There are daily meetings going o at his residence at 2021 Gren House Patio, Kennesaw GA, 30144 from 7p.m. Contacts: Maina-404-319-4328 / Mwas-678-698-0314.

Opposition candidate John Atta Mills has won a tight presidential run-off in Ghana, electoral officials have said. The announcement came after results from the last constituency to vote showed him extending his lead over his rival, Nana Akufo-Addo. Mr Akufo-Addo's ruling party boycotted Friday's vote, in Tain constituency, citing security concerns there. Both sides have accused the other of misdeeds and the electoral commission has pledged to examine any evidence. The electoral commission said the results of the run-off showed Mr Atta Mills had won narrowly with 50.23% of the votes, against 49.77% for Mr Akufo-Addo. Outgoing President John Kufuor earlier urged both candidates to respect the final result. He appealed for calm and said any complaints of vote-rigging should be dealt with by the courts after the new president is expected to be sworn in on Wednesday. Mr Akufo-Addo won the first round in the national result but not by enough to avoid the run-off. Addressing jubilant supporters on the streets of Accra around the NDC headquarters, Mr Atta Mills, who had failed twice before to become president, said: "The time has come to work together to build a better Ghana. "I assure Ghanaians that I will be president for all." He also congratulated "all other contestants, especially Nana Akufo-Addo, for giving us a good fight." Mr Atta Mills, aged 64, is a former vice-president. He lost two previous elections to President Kufuor. Analysts says Ghana's poll could help salvage the tarnished image of constitutional democracy in Africa, after last year's flawed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe and military coups in Mauritania and Guinea. The stakes have been raised in these elections because Ghana has just found oil, which is expected to start generating revenue in 2010.

John Atta-Mills, 64, will be the next President of Ghana, the electoral commission declared Saturday as it announced the outcome of a presidential run-off in the West African nation. Ghanaians react to the announcement that the opposition leader John Atta Mills has won the closely contested second round to become the country's next president. Ghana was the first sub-Saharan country to achieve independence - in 1957 - encouraging others in their fight to cut their colonial ties.

A new wave of excitement has gripped Kogelo village in Siaya District as relatives of the US President-elect Barack Obama prepare to fly to America for his historic inauguration as America’s 44th President. Kogelo is alive once more, two months after the exhilaration that greeted his election as America’s first black president and the just concluded Christmas and New Year festivities. The President-elect’s grandmother, Sarah Obama, is set to lead the delegation to US and was in Nairobi just before Christmas. Sources say the US embassy has already given her a travel visa. Initial reports that Prime Minister Raila Odinga would lead the Kenyan delegation were refuted by an official in the PM’s office. He said Raila would travel to the US in February.  The Standard On Saturday learnt that the team comprising the president–elect’s relatives in Kenya will travel 10 days before the historic ceremony on 20th this month. Reports that Obama had personally paid for the airfare could not be confirmed.

The president-elect’s half-brother, Malik, said yesterday he would be part of the team that will jet to the US. "Of course I will be there but I will give you more details later," he said from Siaya town. Malik said the Obama family in Kenya is eager to see him being installed as the most powerful man in the world. Obama’s uncle, Said Obama, said the family was yet to receive air tickets.  Mama Sarah could not be reached for comment yesterday but a source confirmed she was already preparing for the trip. "There will be a family meeting next week to agree on those who will be travelling. The tentative travel date is January 10," he said. The cheapest return airfare to Washington DC is $1,441 (Sh110,957), exclusive of taxes. This will not be the first time for Malik, Said, Mama Sarah and Obama’s sister Auma to visit the president-elect in the US. In 1992, Malik travelled to represent the family when Obama wedded Michelle. The family members were back in the US again in 2005 to celebrate Obama’s inauguration as the Illinois Senator. The Obama family is scattered in Siaya and Karachuonyo. The Standard on Saturday has established that besides the Obama family, several other prominent personalities, including musicians and politicians, from Nyanza Province were preparing to travel to Washington DC for the big occasion. Most of those travelling are believed to have received invitation as well as sponsorship from friends living in the US or institutions in that country. – The Standard.

Almost 9,000 pupils who registered for last year’s Standard Eight exam will be forced to repeat.  Of this number, 6,605 did not turn up while 1,835 were implicated in malpractices.   On Friday, a Kenya National Examinations Council (Knec) official, Mr Francis Kyalo, confirmed that the candidates had to repeat but said that some of those who had a subject cancelled may be lucky to proceed to secondary school.  “But they need to have scored adequate marks, excluding the marks for the cancelled subject,” said Mr Kyalo. This year will see more Standard Eight repeaters as the number of absent candidates increased from 6,185 in 2007 to 6,605 while cases of exam irregularities increased from 1,728 in 2007 to 1,835.  While most of the candidates who failed to sit for the exam were from the Rift Valley Province, Nyanza had the highest incidence of withheld results.  And on Friday, Education minister Sam Ongeri said that Knec would decide the fate of the affected pupils.  He said teachers, invigilators and supervisors and parents were to blame and warned that disciplinary action would be taken against Government officers found guilty. Commenting on the strike threat by teachers, Prof Ongeri said the Government would spend more than Sh20 billion to meet their demands. “We are going to meet with Knut officials on Tuesday and I hope they will be reasonable and accept what they are offered and call off the strike,” he said.

Parents of St. Kevin Hill Academy schools in Mombasa protest due to the pended schools' Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) results by the Kenya National Examination Council (KNEC) which were released last week by the Minister of Education. The pupils and their parents have been camping at the Tudor school awaiting if the proprietor of the school would have last year's results given to him by the National Examination Council. The parents and their pupils said they would continue camping at the school until the results are released. Photo/ Gideon Maundu. 

Aspartame: Artificial Sweetener A Real Killer..

Aspartame is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals commonly used today, and   you will find it in drinks such as diet colas and the artificial sweeteners you find in supermarkets in the sugar section. Aspartame is more toxic than some narcotic drugs, yet it is legal. Aspartame is used in more than 9000 products yet it has been linked to asthma, cancer, multiple sclerosis symptoms, anxiety, impotence, Parkinson's disease, seizures, and more. In fact, it is linked to at least about 18 serious diseases or conditions and many other minor ones. More than 9,000 different foods and pharmaceuticals now contain aspartame and they do not even mention this on the label. The story of aspartame and its creation is very interesting in a twisted way. If you look on the Internet, you will find numerous articles and scientifically published papers that clearly show the dangers of aspartame. Today, the places where you find aspartame most commonly are in the diets drinks such as diets colas, and in artificial sweeteners such as NutraSweet and Canderel. The reason why aspartame raises so much concern and also causes so many problems and illnesses is because aspartame is actually, scientifically speaking, a member of a group of chemicals that are called excitotoxins and what this group of chemicals does is that it stimulates the neurons and nervous system and makes it fire excessively. When used in sufficient quantities, these chemicals fatigue and kill the nervous system by making it fire excessively. And that is why it is listed as such a dangerous chemical. Aspartame is actually composed of the ingredients a methyl ester, aspartic acid, and phenylalanine. Now listen to how dangerous these three ingredients are. Once it gets into the body, methanol is always converted to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is that chemical that you find in laboratories that is used to embalm and preserve dead bodies. Now when you split aspartic acid and phenylalanine, you get a neurotoxin. The phenylalanine itself also carries some damage that includes the depletion of serotonin, increased mood swings, and the lowering of the seizure threshold. When it breaks down, aspartame also releases a chemical that is a brain tumour promoter. Okay, time for a pop quiz. Which is one of the companies that’s involved in producing and marketing aspartame to the public? Monsanto.

What else is Monsanto known for? Monsanto is one of the world's biggest producers of genetically modified foods, and it is a large producer of many other kinds of chemicals that go into foods and food production. What else is it known for? Pesticide production! Ok, which is one of the biggest soft drink markets in the world? Diet drinks. Diet drinks are one of the biggest revenue producers for food companies on this planet. And you cannot have diets colas without a sweetener. And so they mainly chose aspartame (and the labels usually don't say). It is such a multibillion dollar business that a lot of power and money are involved and yet again you see a reason why something that is otherwise insane has become so widespread and with very little information being passed on about it. The government actually protects the companies that produce these toxins. The FDA, based on questionable "evidence", approved it. Aspartame has actually been seen to contribute to the weight problem even though it is used in diets colas. Although it does not cause overweight issues in the same way that sugar does, it causes it by introducing very harmful toxins to the body. Excess toxins are often stored in the body in fat, and this is what contributes to the excess weight issues. There are millions of people drinking diets colas every day today and that still has not put a dent in their weight. Have you heard of the Gulf War syndrome?

Many of the veterans who went to fight in the Gulf War when Iraq invaded Kuwait in 1991 went back to America with various illnesses that were at first unaccounted for. At first, the theory was that there was some chemical agent in the air in Saddam's country that was causing these people to fall sick. However, they did not understand why some people got sick and others did not, and in fact, the majority did not. Upon further investigation, some researchers reached the following conclusion and they were supported by many of the people who fell sick. The aspartame was the actual cause and here is what happened. During the war, Diet Kool-Aid manufacturers sent Diet Kool-Aid free to the soldiers out there in the desert. You know, to keep them cool. Some of those soldiers’ drunk very large amounts of this Diet Kool- Aid since it was free. Now the problem is that aspartame breaks down at 86 degrees Fahrenheit. The temperature in the Arabian Desert is 120 degrees Fahrenheit. That Diet Kool-Aid sat in that desert for 8 weeks and was slowly turning into a mixture containing formaldehyde. By the time the soldiers were drinking it, it was a toxic cocktail that contained formaldehyde among other things. This is what was making them sick. Research has shown that the formaldehyde that is converted from aspartame accumulates in a person's cells.

It also damages the liver, hardens fluids in the joints and causes joint pains after prolonged use, damages the liver, damages the DNA, damages the cardiac system, damages the immune system, causes irregular heartbeat, and causes chronic fatigue. Quite often, it also results in Lou Gehrig's disease. The reason it does so is the extensive damage that it does to the central nervous system. Aspartame is also banned by major airlines for use by its pilots. Many major airlines do not allow their pilots to consume products that contain aspartame because it increases the risk of memory loss, vertigo, dizziness, and so on. Don't you find it strange that airlines will not allow their pilots to take it yet it is distributed to millions of consumers worldwide? It is also known to cause birth defects and even in low quantities is transferred to the foetus. Ever since its
introduction, the incidence of Alzheimer's disease has gone up dramatically and even people as young as 30 are being admitted with this disease due to aspartame consumption. Do you know where else you can find aspartame?

You can find it in some of the sugar-free chewing gums. Some, though not all, of these chewing gums contain aspartame. And even in such low quantities, it has been proven rather dangerous and there have been many instances of children and adults falling ill after just a few weeks of getting into the habit of eating these chewing gums. As you can see, the effects of aspartame a very varied and the way they manifest in a person very much depends on the person. However, regardless of who eats them, it is still toxic to some level. And prolonged use of it greatly increases the chances of a person getting degenerative diseases the more they use it. Since the 1950s, we have been following some very incorrect and unnatural guidelines regarding food, weight, and its link to health. Ever since then, we have become the only species on earth to have obesity problems and die of degenerative diseases. Paradoxically, we are also the only species that counts calories, is perpetually on a diet, and just can't seem to get lean and healthy. Why is that so? And why did it only start in the 1950s? Recently, the answers have been coming through and the truth is progressively being exposed. Have you ever asked yourself, "What if everything I know about food is wrong?" What would that mean to your life and your efforts?


Article written by David Cameron, CEO ImagesOfOne.com.

Nairobi, Saturday 3rd January, 2009. An elderly man was shot and his friend seriously wounded when gunmen opened fire on them at Nairobi's Mariakani estate in South B, Nairobi. The shooting sparked anger among the residents of the estate, accusing the city council of corruption in which part of the land has been grabbed for commercial use in the neighbouring Mariguini slums. Residents claim the crimes are committed by slum dwellers and accused police of not patrolling the area to maintain security. The 64 year old Singh had gone to the parking lot to meet his friend who had brought him medicine. Unknowingly, two gunmen, believed to be from the neighboring slum, lay in wait.  They shot at the two of them, grabbed the briefcase, which the medicine and a mobile phone then took off. Angry residents of Mariakani estate took to the streets Saturday waving placards and chanting slogans to protest the deterioration of security. But the problem runs deeper than the murder. The residents claim the city council has grabbed part of the land which was meant to be a playing ground for the children, and turned it into a public toilet for the slum dwellers. The council has also erected a church and a chief's office with is not operational. Residents threatened to cease paying rent until security is beefed up.

Folly is when we put others in charge of our lives

Dr Macharia writes on institutional reform, infrastructure and urban management - laila.macharia@gmail.com

December 31, 2008:  For such a spirited people, one remarkable thing about Kenyans is how often we put others in charge of our lives. From our politics to our churches and our families, we believe in patronage — some Big Man is going to take care of us.  In exchange, we will pander to his whims, all the while lamenting the fustian bargain we have made. Next year should bring a new ethos: the world does not owe me a living.

As long as I am an able-bodied adult, the only person to put food on my table is me. Nobody “owes” me — not the MP, not the government, not the church, not my spouse, not even my employer.  And nothing is free. To get something, I have to give something. Rewards increase with the value I offer, so I must imbue excellence and fidelity into every task, service and promise.  The implications of this new dispensation are far-reaching. First, it will liberate us from the shackles of entitlement. Large swathes of the nation are afflicted with this disease. In the early stages, the malady manifests itself in a constant plea for handouts. When more advanced, the infected spends an inordinate portion of his time waiting for “them” to exit so that he can take over their stuff.  At the family level, some wayward youths, rather than treasure tender moments with beloved parents, pace the porch waiting for their demise so that they can haggle for another 20 years with siblings over the residual property. But entire communities can also catch the disease, obsessing over wealthier “outsiders”.

In the collective fantasy, when the “outsiders” are ejected, the dispossessed will take over their property and, at least until the nouveau riche become the target, all will be well. The tragedy of the entitlement attitude is that I expect the mythical moment of redistribution to make my poverty and problems go away. Until then, I am idle and passive and bitter. I take no responsibility for myself or my future. Liberation comes when I stop focusing so much on other people and their stuff.  

Starting today, I reap only what I sow (and till, and fertilise, and tend, and prune).  On coming of age, I leave home to “seek my fortune” and take the responsibility of defining my own values rather than aping those on whom I have been so financially and psychologically dependent. Spontaneously, I will find myself speaking more truthfully to my former patrons, the Big Men, who I dared not challenge in the past. And I grasp the reins at last to make my own dreams come true.

"My certificates are better than yours," is an appropriate title for anyone intending to write about the degree disease in Kenya. The novel would describe the rapacious search of status in most African countries through acquisition of academic certificates.  - MORE

Mr. Moses Mugo left London for Nairobi on Thursday 1st January, 2009 arriving in Nairobi on Friday 2nd January, 2009. He fell sick after arrival and was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital where he passed away after meeting with his mother and brothers. He has been sick and the doctors in UK had given up on his treatment. He was living in Nottingham, before going to Liverpool. (See an article below which we carried last week). More information later.

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Moses Mugo Illness

Moses Mugo who is 28 years of age, from Embu district fell ill on the 24th of February 1998.  He was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour in April and had an operation in Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham to remove the tumour on 10th of April 2007.  After a successful operation, another unfortunate diagnosis was made…the tumour was cancerous and was followed by radiation to the brain and spinal cord in CityHospital, Nottingham.  In Dec, 2007, he suffered another blow when he was told the cancer had spread / metastasised to his pelvic bones and bone marrow.  Chemotherapy followed but did not do much good either and the tumours had grown bigger at the end of the treatment in Sept 2008.  He was then given the sad news that there was nothing more that could be done medically and his Oncologist referred him to palliative care.  He has been battling bravely with many hospitalisations but has unfortunately deteriorated rapidly within the last 2 weeks.  His family have therefore decided to have him back home where he will be surrounded by his beloved mother and brothers, other family and friends.  Also, where the Kenya Neem Society doctors intend to take over his treatment.  He hopes to travel back to Kenya on 1st of January 2009 on Business class as unable to sit up all the way, with an escort on board.  The tickets cost is £3,400 excluding other travel expenses.  Your prayers and support will be highly appreciated.  If you do wish to make a contribution, the account details are as below:

C. Hassan

Halifax plc

Slough Branch

Sort code:  11-07-08

Acc No:     01392479

Roll No:     D/46720857-9

For more information please contact 07939270896 or cmugoh@yahoo.co.uk

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Nairobi, Friday 2nd January, 2008. Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said Kenyans to expect a new constitution this year. The Prime Minister urged political players in the country to adopt a spirit of give and take in delivering the new constitution, noting previous attempts to re-write the document had been frustrated by intransigence on the part of some politicians. Said the Premier, "Kenyans have yearned for a new constitution for the last forty five years, we must therefore give them this instrument that will completely change the way of managing the country's affairs." The Prime Minister also noted it was imperative to have an overhaul of the Electoral Commission of Kenya (ECK)  by hiring new staff that will inject a sense of responsibility in the commission and redeem its tainted image. On the region, Mr. Odinga said there was need for African countries to forge peace on the continent, citing Darfur, Somalia and Zimbabwe as areas that needed urgent intervention by other African countries to bring sanity to their suffering people. Said the Premier, "We don't need coups in Africa, we want democratic change of governments on the continent. We hope the Guinea experiment will not succeed." He also called for an end to the conflict in the Middle East, saying peace must prevail in Palestine and other trouble spots in the world.

World's oldest person dies at 115. Maria de Jesus became the world's oldest person after an American woman, Edna Parker, died in November at the age of 115 years and 220 days, according to the Gerontology Research Group. A family member said Maria de Jesus died in an ambulance on her way to hospital. She was born on September 10, 1893 and reached 115 years and 114 days old.

Nairobi, Friday 2nd January, 2009. President Kibaki has signed the controversial Communications Amendment Bill, 2008, into law. Despite strong appeal by media stakeholders urging him not to assent to the draconian Bill, the President did finally put his ink on the law that many practitioners describe as threat to free press. "I have carefully considered the concerns that were raised by the media, which mainly relate to Section 88 of the Kenya Communications Act, 1998 which gives the government power to restrict media operations during a state of emergency," said Kibaki in a statement issued on Friday evening. He urged the aggrieved media stakeholders to address the contentious issue separately saying by refusing to assent to the Bill, he would not have addressed the main concern of the media. Last Jamhuri Day celebrations were marred by protests by both the civil society activists and journalists who engaged the government in protests over the controversial Communication Bill.  During the demonstrations, human rights activist Mwalimu Mati was arrested alongside his wife. Radio presenters Caroline Mutoko, Larry Asego and Walter Mong’are popularly known as Nyambane were either arrested or roughed up by presidential security guards and anti-riot police. The law that Kibaki assented to on Friday gives the government sweeping powers to regulate media and even conduct raids during a state of emergency.  The law gives the Information minister powers to control what can be broadcast, when and in what form.

During the debate in Parliament, Information and Communications minister Samuel Poghisio defended the passing of the Bill, saying that the Government had no intentions of raiding media houses and that the clause was only retained as a safety measure. "We do not raid media houses any more. This is only a measure that can be taken during emergencies," he said. But at the height of the chaotic, 2007 general election, the government deployed paramilitary personnel at KICC media centre who flushed out journalists, sealed off the facility then switched off live transmission facility. The government also banned live coverage of events immediately President Kibaki was sworn in late in the evening triggering of violent chaos across the country.  In March 2006, hooded goons raided the Standard Group offices at I&M Towers and Likoni Road, beating up employees, breaking doors, stealing employees’ mobile phones, removing CCTV cameras and carting away computers. The goons later took KTN TV off air for about 13 hours and disabled the printing plant in Likoni, before setting on fire thousands of copies of that day’s edition. The attack resulted in a loss of millions of shillings. In 2005, the First Lady Lucy Kibaki stormed the Nation Centre where she allegedly slapped a television cameraman and seized reporters' notebooks and tape recorders to protest at media’s treatment of the first family. – The Standard.

President Kibaki signs Communications Amendment bill into law

MYSTERIES OF THE UNEXPLAINED: A Rain of frogs. A downpour of frogs (or toads) "of all descriptions” fell on Leicester, Massachusetts, on September, 7, 1953. Paxton Avenue was alive with them, and children gathered them up by the bucketful with their bare hands. A great many were found on roofs and in gutters, thereby tending to discredit the explanation that they had hopped into the streets from an overflowing pond. (The Worcester Telegraph and Gazette carried the story).

London, Friday 2nd January, 2008. Britain’s biggest building society today ruled out further mortgage rate cuts for thousands of struggling homeowners. Nationwide said it would not pass on any more reductions to about 250,000 families struggling to survive the recession. Experts said other lenders were likely to follow suit — leaving millions afraid that they will not get the benefit from future rate cuts. The decision puts Nationwide on course for a confrontation with Chancellor Alistair Darling, who has told banks and building societies they have a duty to help suffering families. The Treasury made no attempt to hide its fury. A spokesman said: “The Chancellor has repeatedly made clear that he expects lenders to do their best to help their customers through these difficult times.” The Bank of England is widely expected to order another half-per-cent cut in loan rates as early as next week, when the Monetary Policy Committee holds the first meeting of 2009. Customers with tracker mortgages are affected by the Nationwide decision. The building society said it had to keep interest rates for savers at a level high enough to attract savings. “Savings rates are at a historic low and this move means we will not be forced into a position where we could have to cut savings rates more aggressively than we would otherwise like to,” a spokeswoman said. The Nationwide may be followed by more building societies. Its tracker mortgages contain a clause, known as a “collar”, which allows it to refuse to cut its rate in line with the Bank rate once that falls below a certain level. For most tracker customers, the level was set at 2.75 per cent. The Bank's base rate fell to two per cent last month. Analysts think it will be reduced further this year. Some 4.2 million borrowers are on tracker deals. Each half-point cut saves someone with a £150,000 mortgage about £50 a month. Most high-street lenders, including Lloyds TSB, Barclays and Royal Bank of Scotland, do not have collars on their tracker mortgages, which means their customers should get the full benefit of rate cuts. However, Darren Cook, from website Moneyfacts, said: “Nationwide might be the first but it won't be the only one of the banks and building societies to decide that it can't afford to drop its tracker mortgage rates any further.”

Voting has begun in a remote Ghana district that could decide the outcome of a knife-edge presidential election, despite a ruling party boycott.

House prices in UK fell by 16.2% in 2008

London, Friday 2nd January, 2008. House prices plunged by 16.2% during 2008 in the biggest drop for a calendar year on record, Halifax said. Last year's price plummet, which came after the average value of a property in the UK fell 2.2% in December, was the biggest year-on-year fall since the Halifax began recording data in 1983. Britain's biggest mortgage lender said the typical price of a property now stands at £159,896 - back to August 2004 levels. The drop in annual house price inflation measures prices in the previous three months compared with the same period a year ago. But if house prices in December are compared with prices in December 2007, the fall is even more dramatic at 18.9%. And Halifax warned that the property market will come under further pressure in 2009 as the financial crisis continues to restrict lending in the UK. Meanwhile, the number of mortgages approved for house purchase slumped to a new record low during November, figures showed. Just 27,000 loans were arranged for people buying a new property during the month, only a third of the number arranged in November 2007, according to the Bank of England. The figure was also 13% lower than in October, ending a four-month period during which mortgage approvals for house purchase had remained broadly stable at around 32,000. The number of new loans approved was below economists' expectations, and suggested that November's surprise 1.5% reduction in interest rates had failed to have an immediate impact on housing market activity.

President Kibaki signs Communications Amendment bill into law

Nairobi, Friday 2nd January, 2009. EU naval forces have forced back pirates raiding a Greek oil tanker off Somalia, the Greek government says. Pirates in speedboats abandoned efforts to board the tanker when a frigate, jet fighter and helicopter approached, the Greek merchant marine ministry reports. Earlier France's navy said one of its ships had seized two suspected pirate boats and was holding eight suspects. The International Maritime Bureau says increased naval patrols have sharply reduced the number of pirate attacks. The Greek-flagged Kriti Episkopi had been en route to Iran when it came under attack twice by pirates, officials say. The captain alerted the Greek ministry, which in turn contacted the headquarters of the EU naval mission operating in the area. "There were two failed attempts to board and the pirates fled after the crisis response group was activated with a fighter aircraft, a helicopter and a frigate sent to the area," a marine ministry official said. Only two ships were captured by pirates last month, according to the International Maritime Bureau. On Thursday the French navy said it had captured bandits trying to seize a Panamanian-registered cargo ship. And a Malaysian military helicopter saved an Indian oil tanker from attack by gunmen. But on the same day pirates still managed to hijack a cargo vessel with 28 Egyptian crew members on board. Somali pirates still hold about 15 ships with more than 200 crew members. There were more than 100 pirate attacks in 2008 in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean, in what is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes. The EU anti-piracy task force set up last month is the first such naval operation of its kind. India, Iran, the US and China are among other nations with naval forces off Somalia.

A Ugandan woman has given birth to a baby girl on board an international flight from Amsterdam to Boston after going into labour mid-flight.  The six-pound (2.7kg) baby named Sasha was delivered on New Year's Eve with the help of two doctors on the eight-hour-long Northwest Airlines flight.  Mother and baby were taken to a Boston hospital on landing and are doing well.  Sasha was deemed a Canadian citizen for customs' purposes because she was born over Canada's airspace.  Canada's immigration ministry has not yet commented.  The rare trans-Atlantic birth was greeted with cheers and applause from passengers on board flight 59, reports said.  The excitement began some six hours into the flight, when the Ugandan woman who was eight months pregnant went into heavy labour.  Flight crew located two doctors on board the plane, and the woman gave birth to Sasha at 0900 Boston time (1400 GMT) - some 90 minutes before touch down.  "Everybody was there to help," Dr Natarajan Raman, who helped deliver the child, told the Boston Globe.  "People offered baby food, people brought things, people vacated their seats...The spirit of America is alive," he added.  The mother's identity - as well as her reasons for travelling so late into her pregnancy - were not clear. She was said to be travelling with a toddler and a friend.

London's blue chip share index closed 2008 with the worst annual performance in its 24-year history.  A last-minute dose of post-Christmas cheer was not enough to prevent the FTSE 100 Index from notching up a record fall of 31%, closing at 4434.2. A disastrous 12 months for UK blue chips led the Footsie to shed 2022.7 points in a year that has seen stocks rocked by the credit crunch, housing market slump and banking crisis. Stock markets across the world have suffered this year, with Japan's Nikkei 225 Index also ending with a historic annual fall of 42%, while China's benchmark Shanghai Composite Index closed 2008 down 65%. Despite a rise of 41.5 points, the Footsie currently stands nearly two-thirds below its opening mark of 6456.9 for 2008. This dire performance even surpasses 2002's 25% decline in the midst of the dotcom crash. The fall is also the second biggest annual slide of all time, only overshadowed by the 55.3% fall for the FTSE All-Share seen in 1974. Stricken banks HBOS and Royal Bank of Scotland are among the year's worst performers. The two groups were forced to call on the taxpayer for a multi-billion pound rescue bailout after suffering in the aftermath of the credit crunch - a crisis which slashed HBOS shares by 90% and more than 80% for RBS. Lloyds, another to receive State support under the Government's part-nationalisation scheme, has also seen its shares plummet, down more than 70% in a sector-wide bloodbath that has already left the taxpayer nursing hefty losses on its stakes. Housebuilders, too, will look back on a torrid 12 months that have seen many suffer the ignominy of being kicked out of the FTSE 100. Taylor Wimpey and Persimmon were both ejected from the top flight in 2008, while Taylor Wimpey - Britain's biggest housebuilder - was even relegated out of the FTSE 250 in the last reshuffle earlier this month.

FIRST KENYAN  MAN AND WOMAN TO GET A DEGREE

Peter Mbiyu Koinange got his bachelors degree in Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University (Delaware), USA in 1935 becoming the first indigenous Kenyan to do so. His Masters in Arts from Virginia University was also a first. Agatha Nyange nee Nimrod was the first Kenyan woman to get a University degree when she graduated from Makerere University in 1959 with a BA. Edith Matiba followed closely in 1960. - Source Kenya book of records, 2007.

Have a look at one of the most marketable Diploma in the UK. You can go for it if possible. Diploma in HIV/AIDS - CLICK HERE

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HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009

The Seeds Team would like to take this opportunity to wish our

READERS, FANS, ADVERTISERS and STAFF a

Happy New Year 2009. May the New Year bring with it Abundant Joy,

Prosperity and unlimited blessings to you and your families.

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President Kibaki outlines Government's priorities for 2009

Written By:PPS   , Posted: Wed, Dec 31, 2008
 

Food provision, employment creation and transforming Kenya into a regional economic powerhouse will be the Government's priority in the New Year, President Mwai Kibaki has said. In his New Year message to Kenyans from State House Mombasa Wednesday , President Kibaki reassured that his Government is deeply concerned about the welfare of every Kenyan and will do everything possible to address their anxieties.   The President emphasized that the Government is determined to make the cost of food affordable and that is why it has began to offer maize flour at the more affordable price of 52 shillings for two kilogrammes. Said the Head of State: "This price is less than half what maize flour was costing about a month ago. As more of this flour becomes available, I expect the price of maize and maize flour to stabilize at affordable levels over the next few months."    For those in arid and semi-arid areas affected by crop failure and poor state of livestock due to inadequate rainfall, President Kibaki assured them that the Government is making adequate preparations to provide timely and sufficient relief supplies to all areas hit hardest by drought and famine in the coming weeks. The President said the Government is also keen on ensuring that the prices of other necessities come down to more affordable levels in line with global markets and emphasized that fuel prices must be reduced to reflect the global prices which have fallen by nearly two thirds since July last year to the current levels of less than 40 US dollars per barrel. "We expect oil companies to pass these price reductions to consumers, just as they did with the price increases a few months ago," President Kibaki said. On national unity, President Kibaki called on all Kenyans to commit themselves to the realization of a united nation, whose diverse communities are one people sharing a common destiny of building a prosperous, peaceful and equitable society. The President  expressed optimism that the New Year would be a much better year than the one that has just ended. "Indeed, if we all join hands and work together, have confidence and trust in one another, and use our ingenuity and resourcefulness to build this country, there is no challenge we cannot overcome," President Kibaki said. Noting that the very idea of Kenya as one nation and the Kenyan identity were put to their most severe test by post-election events, the President commended Kenyans for rising to the challenge and reaffirming that Kenya is one nation with one identity. "We showed the world that although we may come from different races, communities, religions, and regions, we are prepared to defend and protect the unity of Kenya and the sanctity of our Kenyan nationhood," the Head of State said.  To further solidify national cohesion, the President said the Grand Coalition Government that includes every key political party and represents every community was committed to defending and upholding the principles of unity and protecting the sanctity of the Kenyan nationhood. 

He added that together Kenyan leaders have resolved to uphold the nation's unity and to build a country and society that every Kenyan is proud to belong to. "I urge you, fellow Kenyans, to join hands in this effort," the Head of State appealed to wananchi. Noting that the global recession may affect some of the country's traditional markets for horticulture and floriculture exports as well as tourism, the President directed the concerned Ministries as well as the National Economic and Social Council to engage in urgent consultations with the business community in order to come up with new economic and employment creation strategies in light of the changing global economic and financial circumstances. President Kibaki emphasized that the strategies must deliver a clear framework for implementing Vision 2030 flagship projects in a timely manner. "They must also give Kenya a diversified and competitive business sector that integrates big, medium, and small enterprises as well as producer and savings cooperatives in an endeavour to create more job opportunities for our youth in the coming year," President Kibaki said. He said the Vision 2030 flagship projects are expected to create many jobs in different parts of the country, while the integrated business sector together with the youth and women enterprise funds will turn the country into a formidable economic powerhouse.  "We must be determined to turn Kenya's economy into a job creating and export-led powerhouse from this year onwards," the Head of State said.   Observing that there are thousands of Kenyans who have not resumed normal lives following the post-election violence, President Kibaki noted that  the situation is like a wound on the body of the nation that Kenyans must work together to heal. He urged all political leaders to prioritize the issue in the New Year and ensure that all Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) return to their homes. The President also called on all Kenyans to have the courage to do what is necessary to heal the nation from the traumas it has undergone. "Let this year be one of renewal, reconciliation, justice, and forgiveness.  Let it be the year that we finally put to rest impunity and institute a society governed by equal application of laws and justice for all," President Kibaki said. President Kibaki said the Government has already put in motion the establishment of a Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission that will deal with historic injustices, an Ethnic Relations Commission that will promote national cohesion, and a Special Tribunal to deal with post-election violence.  The President said the Government has also instituted measures to reform the country's electoral processes and passed laws that will bring about the realization of a new constitution this year, adding that the measures are aimed at defending and protecting the unity of Kenya and the sanctity of one Kenyan identity that includes every single person living in the country.

"No New year celebrations in Dubai because of the Palestinian issue" - Dubui King says

Mixed-race parents Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner repeated the two-tone miracle after a seven-year gap

Their mixed-race parents Dean Durrant and Alison Spooner repeated the two-tone miracle after a seven-year gap.  Ebony and ivory ... Alison and Dean Durrant with two sets of twins - Hayleigh and Leah on left, and Lauren holding Miya. When the first set of twins arrived in 2001, the couple were astonished to see that Lauren took after her white mum, with blue eyes and red hair, while Hayleigh had black skin and hair like dad Dean. Then this year Alison, 27, found she was expecting again — and lightning struck twice. She had twin girls again. And little Miya was born with dark skin like her dad and Leah is white like former recruitment consultant Alison. Dean, 33, of Fleet, Hants, said: “The girls just love Miya and Leah to bits. “We didn’t think it was even possible when we had Lauren and Hayleigh — and it didn’t cross our minds that it could happen again. But we are just delighted that it has.”  Alison said: “I was shocked when I first found out I was pregnant with twins again — but I never thought for one second they would turn out the same as last time.  “After the babies were born they weren’t breathing properly, so they were taken to a special care unit.  “It wasn’t until about five days after they were born that we saw them side by side for the first time.  “And when they were together it was clear that one was darker than the other. It was unbelievable.” Staff at Frimley Park Hospital, in Surrey, decided to deliver the babies by Caesarean section after just 37 weeks of pregnancy, when scans revealed both were breach. Doctors took 30 minutes to deliver them on November 13, with Miya weighing 4lb lloz and Leah 5lb 10oz. Alison said: “Now the girls are back home with us and are very healthy. Lauren and Hayleigh think the new arrivals are fantastic.” Block paver Dean said: “It was a real shock to the system when I found out we were having twins again. I didn’t think the same thing would happen again. The odds must be millions to one against it.  “I was running around all over the place between Alison and the girls and when we finally got them all together it was the first time I noticed the difference.  “I could tell straight away that one was darker than the other. But it wasn’t as much of a shock as last time, as we had already been in this situation once.”  He went on: “Leah and Miya are so small they haven’t been out much yet — but some people have looked at us a little bit funny when we’re with Lauren and Hayleigh due to the colour difference. “Looking so different has never caused them any problems and I’m sure it won’t for Leah or Miya either. When people see Alison and I they tend to realise why our children are different.

Chances just 1 in 500,000

There is  a two in a million chance of a second set of twins like the Durrant girls.  She said: “It’s not that common to have a second set of twins, for a start.  “On average, non-identical twins share half their genes — sometimes it’s more, in which case they are quite similar, sometimes it’s much less.  “In this case they’ve not got the same number of genes from each parent.  “To have a second set of non-identical twins is unusual. It means the mum is very fertile.  “I think the first time this happened was in Germany in 1978, when a woman gave birth to one black baby and one white.  “I have met some mixed race twins and they have been different in colour.  “The white one has often had preferential treatment at school and the darker one felt very much in a second division. That’s incredibly sad and I hope this doesn’t happen.  “To have two sets of twins in a similar situation means they will feel much stronger.  “It will be interesting to see how the relationship between the four twins develops. I hope they grow up without prejudice.”

2 eggs so gene mix is altered

ONE twin can be born white and the other black when two separate eggs are fertilised by two sperm, an expert explained. This means the genes that define each child’s skin colour can be different, Jane Denton of the Multiple Births Foundation said. She added: “Differing characteristics in the parents can be passed on — different colour hair and skin. “But I cannot think of a family having had two sets — it really is remarkable.” The twinning rate has risen by 50 per cent in the last 20 years, with 11,165 sets born in 2006. But the chance of them being different colours is so slim statistics are not kept. Delyth Raffel, of multi-birth group Twins UK said: “Nobody records it. I’ve probably heard of two cases in the last two years.” Experts expect numbers to rise because of more inter-racial relationships. It can even happen when each parent is of mixed race. The woman’s eggs contain a mixture of genes coding for both black and white skin — as would the man’s sperm. When they meet, they produce a baby of mixed race, a white or black.

What a big tree. Mrs. Esther Mwirigi posing infront of a big tree near Likoni Ferry, Mombasa where she joined the Seeds for a Mombasa tour just before Christmas. Esther from Kangari, Muranga, Kenya is the mother of upcoming gospel preacher Mr. Daniel Kagundah of Milton Keynes, UK

London, Wednesday 31st December, 2008. Forecasters have warned temperatures will fall below zero in many places across the UK as revellers welcome the new year. The 100,000 party-goers in Edinburgh will need more than good cheer to keep warm with lows of minus 5C expected. In London 400,000 people are expected to attend a fireworks display, while Elton John is playing at the 02 Arena. A range of New Year events have been planned for Cardiff, Manchester and Birmingham among others. Sub-zero temperatures are also forecast for northern England and Wales, while many other areas could also see the mercury plunge. But revellers going to fireworks displays might not get a clear view, with mist and freezing fog forecast in some areas. Claire Austin, forecaster with MeteoGroup UK, said: "It is going to be quite cold in most places but the good news is that it is staying dry and winds are going to be generally light." But there is unlikely to be any let up in the cold weather for the first day of 2009. Ms Austin added: "There will be some mist and cloud around in the morning. "Central and eastern areas will see lots of cloud but western regions, such as Western Scotland and Wales will see the best of the bright sunny weather. "It will be a little bit milder in the east but still temperatures are unlikely to get above 4-5C anywhere. "It is still looking like it is going to stay pretty cold over the next couple of days with weekend temperatures of around 2-3C and minus figures overnight." The party in Edinburgh - the self-styled Hogmanay capital - has been under way for a number of days already to build up to the bringing in of the new year. Extreme lows have been forecast for the Scottish Highlands, with parts estimated to plummet to as cold as -15C. In Cardiff revellers will be able to sleep off their partying in an inflatable tent staffed by medics at the Millennium Stadium. The sleepover centre has been converted from an emergency chemical decontamination tent. And in London police are gearing up for one of the busiest nights of the year. The Met's Supt Brian Pearce urged people to plan their night in advance and to take extra care after consuming alcohol. He added: "Hundreds of thousands of people used to travel to central London when there was nothing for them to see or do. "Now with such a world-class fireworks display being staged the centre of town is more popular than ever before. "Sadly, not everyone sets out just for a fun night out. "There are those criminals who will use the cover of crowds to commit crime, so help yourself by keeping a close eye on all your belongings." Tube services will be running all night, but the authorities have warned people may need to queue to get into stations because the demand will be high. And on Thursday more than 400,000 people are expected to head into London for the New Year's Day Parade. Organisers said the traditional spectacle aimed to breathe fresh air into London by helping visitors beat the credit crunch and start the year healthily.

Edinburgh's Hogmanay party has been under way for days

London shares end year on a high

London shares ended a traumatic year on an optimistic note on Wednesday with investors hoping for a more prosperous 2009.The FTSE 100 index of leading shares closed up 0.94 percent at 4,434.17 points after a half-day trading. Little can be read into the end of year rally as trading was very light with most investors taking the day off to join in New Year celebrations. Vodafone was the most heavily-traded stock, seeing 54.4 million shares switch owners, followed by Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) which saw 18.5 million units change hands. First Group was the day's biggest gainer, adding 20.5 pence -- or 4.96 percent -- to close at 434, followed by Standard Charter, which added 41 pence -- or 4.92 percent -- to end at 875. Vedanta was the biggest blue chip casualty, down 47.5 pence -- or 7.21 percent -- to finish on 611.5, followed by Aviva, which shed 17.75 pence -- or 4.35 percent -- to 390.

'The first bomb was like being punched by a ghost ...' - Gaza City  resident, Sami Abdel-Shafi

3,900 knives seized by police in UK in stop and search operation in 2008. The weapons were recovered in a series of hard-hitting operations which included carrying out more than 180,000 stop and searches of young people on the streets in the last eight months. Senior officers say they believe they are using the right tactics, citing a 13 per cent fall in overall knife crime in the last 10 months. However, the figures come just days after it emerged that the total number of knife-related murders in London this year jumped to 86 - a rise of a quarter on the figure for 2007.

Nairobi, Wednesday 31st December, 2008. The National Oil has refuted claims that they are behind the current Oil shortage in the country to influence increase of prices. The reaction follows a warning from the Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Tuesday against faking the current fuel shortage to influence increase of prices. The Minister noted that the fuel shortage was a creation of a cartel of oil Companies to sabotage government's intervention in December that saw prices drastically reduce. The National Corporation Deputy Managing Director Mrs. Sumayya Athmani said her organization is largely incapacitated by a smaller market share compared to the multinationals that had bigger presence in the country. She says they are focusing on an aggressive expansion campaign in order to have a more influential position in the market and serve Kenyans better. At the same time, National Oil  Wednesday announced measures to curb the fuel shortage being experienced in the country. Athmani, said that National Oil was ensuring that it received daily pump-overs of fuel from Kenya Pipeline to the maximum capacity of the National Oil tanks at its depot and that the products are then immediately delivered to the National Oil stations.  Other measures include working at the depot over the holiday period, to ensure its Stations receive regular consignments. The Oil marketer further announced that they were doing everything possible to ensure no stock outs are recorded at its stations.  "as a result of our deliberate effort to maintain lower pump prices, we are pleased to note that other oil companies in the country have been forced to take the cue and drastically reduce their pump prices. We shall continue to offer quality products at competitive prices as well as ensure that our customers have excellent service"  "We are also pleased that we have won the December industry tender to supply the country with diesel. Kenyans should expect more cuts in pump prices come January as a result and as we continue with our expansion program."

"OH MY...? WHAT NEXT?"

Housebuilders fall 85% to be worst sector of year. Housebuilding shares today closed down 85% on the year, making it the worst 12 months in the sector's history. The miserable performance won them the unwanted title of the worst performing stocks in London, in a dire year for shares in which the FTSE 100 lost almost a third of its value. Taylor Wimpey, the heavily indebted group formed from the merger of George Wimpey and Taylor Woodrow last year, suffered most, seeing 93% wiped off the value of its equity during 2008. The company was booted out of the Footsie in March and from the FTSE 250 index in the most recent reshuffle.

Not even a global financial crisis has prevented the Premier League's transfer rumour mill going into overdrive as 1 January approaches. But despite the whirlwind of rumours, the harsh financial reality means this could be one of the quietest new year buying and selling periods on record as clubs opt to make do with the players they already have on their books. Several clubs could change all that in an instant though. Moneybags Manchester City could spark things into life with one big signing from a Premier League rival, while Portsmouth and West Ham may be forced to sell their more valuable assets simply to balance the books. - MORE

Housing market sees another fall

House prices fell by a further 1.9% in November as activity in the market dropped again, says the Land Registry. This pushed the annual drop in property prices in England and Wales to 12.2% - the 15th consecutive monthly decrease, the figures show. The price of an average home stood at £161,883 with prices falling in every region over the last year. The Registry also revealed that the number of sales dipped in the third quarter of the year. In the three months to end of September, the number of sales was less than half of the 115,697 of the same period the previous year, at 48,599. In September the number of properties sold for more than £1m fell by 54% to 354 compared with the same month a year earlier. The annual fall in prices recorded by the survey has been accelerating in recent months, as the housing market continues to stagnate. First-time buyers have not revived the market despite falling prices as they face demands for high deposits from lenders.  Meanwhile, those who may have moved homes have been staying put as prices reduce and the threat of redundancy looms for some during the impending recession.  However the dip comes after a major housing market boom in the last decade. Average house prices now stand at the same level as in February 2006, the survey shows.  Unlike lenders' surveys, the Land Registry data compares the price of properties sold now with the price paid when it was last sold.  However, properties sold - usually for a discount price - following repossessions or transferred following divorce proceedings are excluded from the survey.

The survey, which lags behind lenders' data, showed that terraced homes suffered the biggest fall in prices, down 13.5% in the 12 months to November taking the average price to £124,700. A regional breakdown shows that the East Midlands witnessed the biggest annual house price falls at 14.2%.  Wales has seen an annual fall of 11.7%, but the month-on-month figures show prices were unchanged between October and November.  At a more local level, prices in Hartlepool - which were at a relatively low base - fell the least over the last year, down by 2.1%.  The biggest drop was in South Gloucestershire, where the average property cost 13.6% less than it did a year ago.  The survey was published the day after Bank of England figures showed that homeowners were concentrating on repaying their mortgages, rather than spending by cashing in on equity.  Households in the UK put £5.7bn of equity back into homes between July and September , compared with withdrawing £11.1bn in the same period in 2007 to spend on big-ticket items such as cars. Some estate agents have suggested that anyone who wants to sell in the current market might have to accept prices would be 30% lower than at their peak.  Speaking on BBC Radio Four's You and Yours programme on Tuesday, Housing Minister Margaret Beckett rejected claims that the government had been slow off the mark in helping those facing trouble with repossession and falling values.  She said she "shared the regret" that some schemes were not up and running yet, but projects that helped people before they were repossessed took time to set up.  A survey by the Conservatives found that 44% of homeowners asked in the poll were concerned about meeting their mortgage repayments during the next 12 months.  "The government continues to release a series of poorly thought out announcements which are often contradictory and confusing to the public," said shadow housing minister Grant Shapps.

East Midlands: 14.2%

East: 14.1%

South East: 13.7%

South West: 12.8%

Wales: 11.7%

West Midlands: 11.6%

Yorkshire and Humber: 10.6%

North East: 10.3%

London: 10.2%

North West: 10.2%

Source: Land Registry

The National Civil Society congress has criticized attorney general Amos Wako and Police Commissioner Major General Hussein Ali for what they termed as poor performance and demanded their immediate resignation. The Congress has also taken issue with Parliament citing it as the main culprit in the suffering of Kenyans and lack of development. They claim the two have been performing inadequately in their respective dockets thus affecting the growth of the country. The National Civil Society also wants president Kibaki to recall Parliament before the end of January to discuss pressing issues such as the Waki report and the Constitution making. The Civil Society has in the same breath fired a salvo at Parliament, accusing it of underperformance while consumed by MPs' selfish ambitions.  They also blamed the government for problems facing the common mwananchi such as fuel shortage, high cost of living and insecurity.

COUNTRY'S PROFILE - VIETNAM

The Vietnamese trace the origins of their culture and nation to the fertile plains of the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. After centuries of developing a civilization and economy based on the cultivation of irrigated rice, in the tenth century the Vietnamese began expanding southward in search of new rice lands. Until the mid-nineteenth century, the Vietnamese gradually moved down the narrow coastal plain of the Indochina Peninsula, ultimately extending their reach into the broad Mekong River Delta. Vietnamese history is the story of the struggle to develop a sense of nationhood throughout this narrow, 1,500-kilometer stretch of land and to maintain it against internal and external pressures.  - MORE

A look back at the stories that proved the most popular of the year, from the serious to the quirky.  A few were momentous, some were tragic and many were uplifting, but all were read by thousands. - MORE

Ghana - a country for us Kenyans to learn from (see below).

The electoral commissioner of Ghana has delayed the final result of Sunday's presidential run-off until Friday 2nd December, 2008. Results in the Ashanti and Volta areas have been disputed, and the Tain region, where the poll was delayed, will now vote on Friday. Officials said the contest between the opposition's John Atta Mills and ruling party's Nana Akufo-Addo was so close one result could decide the outcome. New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate Mr Akufo-Addo gained the most votes in the first round earlier this month but did not pass the 50% threshold needed for outright victory. Electoral commission chairman Kwadwo Afari-Gyan said opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate Mr Atta Mills had won 50.13% of the vote, while Mr Akufo-Addo had taken 49.87%. This means just 23,055 votes divide the two candidates, out of a total cast of some 9m. "Results are so close that the result of the Tain constituency could affect the eventual winner," Mr Afari-Gyan said. He said the results covered all 230 constituencies, except Tain in the Brong Ahafo region, which was unable to vote on Sunday because of a problem with voting materials. According to the Daily Guide newspaper, the ruling party had accused electoral officials in Tain of stealing about 1,820 ballot papers, which they claimed were given to the opposition.

The district has some 53,000 registered voters. The privately-owned Joy FM radio station reported that during the first round of the vote in Tain earlier this month, 30,000 electors turned out and awarded a narrow victory to Mr Atta Mills. The commissioner, who has been stuck in behind-closed-doors wrangling with both parties in the capital Accra, said they would also use the delay to audit the disputed results. The electoral commission headquarters was besieged for much of Tuesday by thousands of NDC supporters demanding their candidate be declared the winner. Armed police and soldiers backed by water cannon trucks and an armoured personnel carrier kept the protesters behind barricades and at one point fired warning shots. Mr Atta Mills had earlier claimed victory, but the NPP said this was premature. Shops closed early on Tuesday, with businessmen fearing that there could be looting once the result is announced. The opposition has been disputing results awarded to the governing party from five constituencies in its stronghold of the Ashanti region. It is understood turnout in one area was recorded at 99% - said by election experts to be unheard of - while there were also complaints dead people, children and foreign nationals had been listed among voters. The NPP, meanwhile, said there had been widespread intimidation of its election agents in the Volta region and results from these areas would be challenged. International observers have given the poll a preliminary clean bill of health and urged both candidates to accept the results. Some 12.5 million people were eligible to vote in the election - the fifth since Ghana's return to democracy in 1992. President John Kufuor is standing down having served two consecutive terms. In the two previous elections he defeated Mr Atta Mills. Mr Atta Mills served as vice-president under former leader Jerry Rawlings. Monitors hope Ghana's poll can help salvage the tarnished image of constitutional democracy in Africa, after flawed elections in Kenya and Zimbabwe and military coups in Mauritania in August and in Guinea last week. The stakes have been raised in these elections because Ghana has just found oil, which is expected to start generating revenue in 2010.

YOUR BEST DAYS ARE AHEAD!

Today's Scripture: "No man has ever seen, heard or even imagined the wonderful things God has in store for those who love the Lord." (I Corinthians 2:9) No matter where you are in life right now, God has much more in store for you. God wants to increase you. He wants to give you more wisdom so you can make better decisions. He wants you to prosper so that you can be a blessing to others. Don't get stuck in that old rut where you just get up each day, do the same thing as yesterday, and then get up tomorrow and do it all again. That's not all there is to life. God has new Frontiers for you to explore and higher mountains to climb. But you must step out and take action.

Proverbs says, "The path of the righteous gets brighter and brighter and brighter." If you're going to start experiencing these new victories, you must do your part and start thinking the way God thinks. Think big! Think expansive! Think increase! Start expecting  the unexpected!

God created the heavens and the earth and breathed life into the universe—His plans for you are big! There is nothing you have accomplished that is as great as what He has in store for you. Believe there are great things to come.

MAY GOD BLESS YOU ALL AS YOU USHER IN 2009

Courtesy of Shiloh Afrique Foundation

Political parties registration in Kenya deadline expires

Written By:Joan Gathoni   , Posted: Wed, Dec 31, 2008
 

Wednesday marked the deadline for Political Parties to comply with the political parties' act that will introduce professional management of political parties.

24 parties had been cleared by Wednesday .

The last day  saw some parties continue to stream into the Registrar of Political Parties office for clearance.

The 180-day notice for political parties to comply with the Political Parties Act that came into force on 1st July this year expired.

In a move that will radically alter the country's political landscape, the hammer fell on hundreds of political parties that will now cease to exist.

The office of the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndungu was full of activity as some late comers made last minute frantic efforts to remain in existence.

The Orange Democratic Party ODM was finally cleared, with some representatives of parties like Nicholas Biwott's national vision Party still wallowing in confusion and controversies as they sought audience with the registrar to plead their case.

Some of those who could not make it cried foul.

Such was the case with Nazlin Umar's Workers Congress Party of Kenya who instead resorted to ridicule the act.

KANU and Party of National Unity acquired their registration certificates Tuesday.

Justice Minister Martha Karua's Narc Kenya was the first to get cleared followed by Haroun Mwau's PICK Labour Party of Kenya and DP

Once  registered parties will be expected to submit a declaration of assets and liabilities within 60 days.

The Act demands that a party must have at least 200 members - who are registered voters - in each of the 148 districts countrywide.

In addition, the party must have national headquarters and offices in every district.

They are also required to pay a Ksh500,000 registration fee besides having a national outlook with a third of officials being of an opposite gender.

A Kenyan in the UK has passed away. The late Mrs. Ann W. Mungai of Manchester UK formerly of Kangemi Nairobi, Kenya passed away on  Monday 29th December, 2008 after a short illness at Christies Hospital Manchester, UK.  She was the wife to J. K. MUNGAI, mum to ANTONY MUNGAI , WINNIE MUNGAI and JANE MUNGAI all of Manchester. Daughter to Mr & Mrs WAWERU both of Kangemi (Nairobi), Sister to Nyambu (Dagenham East, UK ) Maina, Peter, Mwangi, Rugano (All in Nairobi) Noni Mwangi of Manchester and Winnie Waweru of Dubai. She was the Daughter in-law to late Evan Mungai, Edith Wahu Mungai of Molo, Sister in law to Mwaura, Kariuki (K.B.C), Roland, S. Kamau, Njenga, Njoki (UK), Muthoni, Njeri and the late M Wambui and Ephraim Njau. Family and friends will be meeting at the following addresses from 6pm to 10pm - 15 GREENWOOD AVENUE, ASHTON -UNDER -LYNE,  MANCHESTER,  0L6  8RE and in London at 24 WESTERN AVENUE, DAGENHAM EAST, ESSEX, RM10 8XH. For more information please Contact MUNGAI - 07960047161, NYAMBU - 07949672524, NONI -  07949443089. Family and friends contributions can be deposited at HALIFAX, J. K. MUNGAI, ACC: 00 76 99 49, S/C : 11 01 30.
 

The late Mrs. Ann W. Mungai

Nairobi, Tuesday 30th December, 2008. The Government has released the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education examination 2008 results. Announcing the results, Education minister Prof Sam Ongeri said gender parity had almost been achieved. Mutinda Monica Wairimu was the top candidate scoring 460 marks out of a possible 500. She is from Coast province. The top boy-Mzera Martin- scored 454 marks and is also from the same province. Education minister Sam Ongeri warned of dire consequences for all schools and individuals involved in examination irregularities. He said they will be punished. A total of 1,835 cases of examination cheating were reported in 65 centres across the country. All the candidates will have their results cancelled. The cases of cheating increased by 105 candidates, even though the centres involved have reduced from 74 last year to 65 this year. The minister said that the trend showed a disturbing form of exam irregularities that could jeopardise the integrity of the country’s examination system. “We’ll not give anyone a chance to threaten the integrity of our education system.” “This is part of a process to bequeath integrity to national examination and the education system... we will continue until irregularities stop.” At the same time, Prof Ongeri revealed that almost half of the cases took place in only five refugee camps in the North Eastern province, where a total of 16 centres were affected. As a result, the ministry cancelled the results of all the 839 students --46 per cent of all cheating cases-- who sat for examinations in the affected centres in the largely arid and semi-arid province. He said that the candidates and the community in the five affected centres had made the administration of exams ungovernable.”  Prof Ongeri said the students refused to surrender their mobile phones and had gone ahead and engaged the security personnel manning the centres in running battles. They are also said to have scared the invigilators as they went ahead to cheat in the exams. Nyanza Province topped the list of exam malpractices with 19 centres affected. It was followed by North Eastern with 16, Eastern and Coast had eight each. The rest of the provinces had one exam centre each. The Government has posted the results on the website www.examscouncil.or.ke. Candidates can also get their scores through a short message service (SMS) by typing KCPE followed by their index number and sending the message to 2228. - Daily Nation.

GRADUATING WITH A PhD IN THEOLOGY

A good example to both young and old. You can study even at hold age. While in Kenya we attended a graduation ceremony of Mrs. Rosemary Nyambura Kilili who was graduating with a PhD from the University of Beacon, USA. The University has a branch in Nairobi. Rosemary was graduating in Docgtorate of Theology together with Masters of Divinity. The ceremony took place at the St. Stephen's Church, Jogoo Road, Nairobi on Saturday 13th December, 2008. Rosemary is the mother of Jacqueline Thuku, wife of Pastor Patrick Thuku of CCBC Swahili Service, London. On left is Rosemary at the graduation and on right is the Seeds and Jacqueline's sister together with one of the lecturers posing for the photo. You can congratulate Rosemary on rokilili@yahoo.co.uk

IKO NINI BWANA SEED - DECEMBER, 2008 ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED - DECEMBER TWO, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED - OCTOBER, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED - SEPTEMBER 2008