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WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY - EXCHANGE RATE AGAINST THE POUND TODAY IS KSHS. 124.41

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

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

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

Annan gives Kenya tribunal deadline

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

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

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

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1963 - Rika ria Uhuru - Freedom

Former champion boxer Mike Tyson has married for a third time

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

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

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

LUO PROVERB

Kik iluw jaluoro nyaka ei ode.

Don't chase a cowardly fellow to his house.

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

Royal Navy blows up pirate boat

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

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

PLOT AND LANDS FOR SALE IN KENYA

Kahawa Wendeni 40 x 80 Plot - Price KShs. 2 million.

Runda Mimosa - Half an Acre - Price KShs. 8 million

Karen 5 Acres - Price 30 million

Mombasa Road - 5 Acres - Price 75 million

Thika Ngoingwa - 50 x 90 - Price KShs. 600,000.

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

$1m mattress dumped by mistake

A woman mistakenly threw away a mattress containing her live savings worth almost $1million. Her awful moment of realisation set off a frantic search through Israeli landfill sites - with no joy so far. The woman in Tel Aviv said she bought her elderly mother a new mattress as a surprise present and threw out the old one. The next day, she said, she remembered that she had hidden her life savings inside the old mattress. The woman, who asked not to be identified, said: "I woke up in the morning screaming, when it hit me what happened." The mattress had already been hauled away by rubbish collectors, and searches at three different landfill sites were in vain. The woman said the money was in US dollars and Israeli shekels, though refused to say how she acquired such a large sum. "It was all my money in the world," she added. Yitzhak Borba, manager of one of the dumps, said his staff were helping the woman, saying she appeared "totally desperate". He said he increased security at the site to keep would-be treasure hunters away. The woman said the money had been stashed in a mattress because she had had "traumatic experiences with banks" in the past. She would not elaborate. She said she was trying to remain hopeful the money would be recovered, but she feared someone may already have found it. But she philosophically added: "People have to take everything in proportion, and thank God for the good and the bad."

London, Tuesday 9th June, 2009. Rising interest from potential buyers coupled with falling numbers of sellers is stabilising UK house prices, according to surveyors. New buyer inquiries increased for the seventh month in a row in May - at the fastest rate since 1999, said the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. But there were fewer sellers, continuing a trend of the last two years, the survey found. Two other surveys recently reported a rise in house prices in May. The Rics survey, which has been running since 1978, takes a snapshot of the degree of confidence in the market from surveyors and estate agents across the UK. They reported that average sales were at their highest level since August last year. However, at 11.8 properties sold per surveyor in the last three months, this remained 31% down on the same period a year earlier. Rics members again suggested a further increase in potential new buyers window shopping for property, most notably in Scotland, London and the south-east of England. Alongside this, there were fewer people asking agents to sell their homes in May, which was having a logical effect on house prices.

"On the face of it, the housing market does appear to be close to bottoming out with activity picking up in a material way and prices at last stabilising," said Rics spokesman Ian Perry. "However, it is important to remember that the lack of supply has been as important in underpinning prices as the rise in demand." Some 11% more surveyors were now expecting property prices to fall rather than rise, the survey found. In addition, 40% more were predicting sales to increase than fall. Yet, Mr Perry stressed that the troubled state of the economy could still constrain any housing market recovery. "With the economic backdrop still quite uncertain, unemployment is set to continue increasing sharply and finance for first time buyers is still in short supply, there are a number of significant obstacles for the market to overcome over the coming months," he said. Some surveyors pointed to the seasonal nature of property sales. "[There are] definite signs of early recovery but we are hoping the usual summer seasonal downturn does not now occur," said Ian Shaw, who operates in Lincolnshire. On 4 June, a survey by the Halifax said that UK house prices rose by 2.6% in May compared with April but activity remained low in the market. This came shortly after the Nationwide building society reported a 1.2% rise in prices in May compared with April - the second rise in three months.

Narc Kenya meetings in the UK

Martha Karua and Senior Narc Kenya Officials will be in the UK on 19th June and 20th June 2009. We are holding a Narc Kenya Members Dinners on Friday 19th June 2009 at the Thistle City Barbican hotel in London. Address is Thistle City Barbican, Central Street, Clerkenwell EC1V. There are very limited places. To book please call 07946833116. If you want to join Narc Kenya, call this number too. You can also join on the Dinner day.

You can also attend the dinner as a guest. The entry to the dinner is FREE. You will just pay for the food and drinks. For a 3 course meals, it is £40 all inclusive.

Public Meeting.

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

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

Martha Karua to visit the United States in June

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

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

Massachusetts: Candid Chat at Safari (6/18:6:00pm - 7:00pm)

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

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

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

Home Office, 10 June 2009

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

Gareth Redmond, the UK Border Agency's West London and South East England Area Director said:

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

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

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

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

Criminal gangs in UK target car buyers

Criminal gangs are duping car buyers out of millions of pounds each year by using adverts on reputable trade websites. The "virtual vehicle" scam also involves fake shipping websites that promise to safeguard the buyer's money. The Metropolitan Police say 21,000 fraudulent sites were shut down in the UK last year. The Met warn that unless buyers see the car for themselves, it is likely to be an offer that is too good to be true. According to BBC correspondent Fiona Trott, criminals will place an advert on a reputable website, like Auto Trader or E-Bay, but for a vehicle that does not belong to them. But the ad looks legitimate and the websites themselves are none the wiser. Then, the fraudsters direct you to another website that is supposed to look after your cash until the car is shipped to you. But this one is fake and the money goes straight into their bank accounts, our correspondent added.

Zimbabwe could be heading for a new wave of violence, a minister in the country's unity government has warned. Sekai Holland, a member of the former opposition MDC, told the BBC opponents of the power-sharing government were drawing up assassination lists. She said she believed the worst violence was being planned to coincide with the country's next election. Her comments echo earlier claims by PM Morgan Tsvangirai of ongoing political intimidation and abuses in Zimbabwe. Ms Holland, Zimbabwe's Minister for National Healing, Reconciliation and Integration, told the BBC that she and other members of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), including fellow ministers, were receiving threatening phone calls every day. They had been told that Zanu-PF hardliners are adding their names to a lengthening assassination list. "We are told that they do have a list of people that they will kill," she said. "No-one feels safe in Zimbabwe, no-one - and I mean no-one. We haven't reached a ceasefire. We are still at a point where people have their guns cocked." Ms Holland is a senior member of the MDC and was badly beaten by Zanu-PF supporters two years ago.

Mogadishu carnage devastates lives

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

Two found guilty of human trafficking offences

Home Office, Tuesday 9th June, 2009

A Mauritian-born couple have been found guilty of four counts of human trafficking and three counts of employing illegal workers. Shamila and Anbanaden Chellapermal of Queens Gate, London were accused of trafficking three women and a man into the United Kingdom last year. Yesterday, following a three-week trial, a jury returned a unanimous verdict against them. During the trial, the court heard that officers from Sussex police received information in June 2008 that a Mauritian woman working at a care home in Worthing was being exploited. This prompted an investigation by the joint UK Border Agency South East Region and Sussex Police immigration crime team. Officers found that three women and a man had been recruited in Mauritius by an employment agency promising work abroad. They had each been given an invitational letter to show to immigration officers in case they were asked about their reasons for coming to the United Kingdom - one letter said that the purpose of the visit was to visit the Chelsea Flower show, and another referred to Christmas shopping and sightseeing.

All four had been brought into the United Kingdom via Heathrow airport, where they had been met by either Mr or Mrs Chellapermal. Mr Chellapermal had driven two of the women to Glen Eden care home on Richmond Road, and Mrs Chellapermal had placed the other woman and the man on a train to Worthing, where a taxi had picked them up and taken them to the Carleton House care home on Lawrence Road. All the victims were working between 70 and 90 hours a week for only £450 per month. They did not receive pay slips or national insurance numbers, were not allowed to leave the addresses unescorted, and were prevented from seeing doctors or attending hospital for treatment. They received very little time off, often working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week. One of the female victims had been told, by Mrs Chellapermal, that she needed a French passport to work in the United Kingdom. Mrs Chellapermal had charged her £2,200 for it, deducting £100 per month from her wages. Mr and Mrs Chellapermal were charged in July 2008. Following their conviction yesterday, Detective Inspector Andy Cummins of the joint UK Border Agency and Sussex Police immigration crime team said:

'Human trafficking is an appalling crime where people are treated as commodities and traded for profit. It is a modern form of slavery. The joint immigration crime team's overall aim is to make the UK a hostile environment for trafficking and protect victims and potential victims from this abhorrent crime. 'In this case, the Chellapermals have not only knowingly and willingly exploited these people but have blatantly flouted the immigration laws of the UK. 'The UK Border Agency and Sussex Police will not tolerate this type of abuse and will work closely to prosecute those responsible.'

Roxy Boyce of the Care Quality Commission, which regulates care services for adults in England, said the residents of the care homes had been assessed and transferred to other homes. At present, both homes are empty. John Dixon, West Sussex County Council executive director for adults and children, said the prosecution had 'demonstrated exemplary partnership working between the agencies involved'. Sentencing of Mr and Mrs Chellapermal is expected on 17 July 2009 at the Inner London Crown Court. Mauritius is a 'non-visa' nation. This means that Mauritian nationals who want to visit the United Kingdom do not need to go to the British Embassy in Mauritius and apply for a travel visa. When they arrive at a United Kingdom airport, if they can satisfy the immigration officer on entry that their visit is for holiday or visiting friends or family, they will be given six months' entry clearance with no entitlement to work or to claim public funds.

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

Thanks for your support

The Seeds family would like to take this opportunity to thank families and friends of the Seeds who joined us at our Pre-Wedding ceremony on Saturday 6th June, 2009 in London. Your generous contributions helped us to raise enough money for the wedding and breaking the record of any other pre-wedding ever held in London within our community. Thanks once again to all the Guests of Honours and the Management of Memorial Community Church, former Memorial Baptist Church, Plaistow, for allowing us to use their Swift Centre Hall free of charge on that day and for their generous donation. We would also like to thank Mrs. Cecilia Muchemi the wife of the Kenya High Commissioner, Bishop Climate Irungu, Bishop Njuguna Warui and the Bishop Jeremiah from Naivasha. The same goes to the Pastors and all those who were present. Not forgetting the Nottingham and London Committee Members including the Oxford team. You are, really, true friends.

LUO PROVERB

Jarikni kata mirikni kideny.

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

An early bird catches the worm.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Maneno makali hayavunji mfupa.

Words alone wont break bones.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Although property disputes are a common fixture in the courts, children suing their living parents for a share of their wealth is a new phenomenon. Interviews with children of parents who acquired their wealth in the 1950s and 1960s reveal bitter discontent with what they say is the meanness of their fathers who are in their late 70s and 80s. But the men who are entering their sunset years say their offspring should work for their own wealth rather than merely wait in the wings to claim their fathers’ riches.

The most recent case involves former Starehe MP and city tycoon Gerishon Kirima and his 52-year-old son, Wanjau Kirima.

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

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

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

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

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

Kenya Airways posts Sh5.6 bn loss

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

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1911 - Rika ria Ûgimbi (Millet)

MALI'S TIE DYE

10 dead as another building collapses in Kisii

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

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

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

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

Gunmen kill Somali radio director

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

Nairobi bids Nzimbi farewell

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

Detectives are trying to trace a 33-year-old man after a woman's body was found in a wheelie bin in Surrey, UK on Sunday 7th June, 2009. Surrey Police were called to a house on Hamilton Avenue, Cobham, at 1520 BST on Saturday after a foot was seen sticking out of the green bin. The body of a white woman, believed to be in her 30s, was discovered surrounded by rubbish. Police are trying to trace Peter Wallner, who moved out of the house about three weeks ago.

Police in New York repeatedly ticketed an illegally parked minivan for weeks before noticing that its occupant was dead, the deceased man's daughter has claimed. The body of George Morales was discovered on Wednesday after a city marshal attempted to tow the vehicle away from underneath a flyover in the city's Queens district. Jennifer Morales told the New York Daily News that she last spoke to her 59-year-old father in early May. She believes that he may have died from a heart attack while sitting in the family's Chevrolet Ventura. When the vehicle was towed away a number of summonses were left on the windscreen. Ms Morales told the Daily News: 'The window was cracked open. I don't understand how no-one noticed him. They just gave him tickets.' The grieving daughter said she had contacted the authorities about her father's disappearance, but police say they have no report on record. NYPD said today they were looking into Ms Morales' allegations. A spokesman for the police department added: 'When we do a summons on a car we do not inspect its contents.'

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

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

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

Former Justice Minister Martha Wangari Karua coming to London

The immediate former Justice Minister Martha Karua is coming to London as from 18th June, 2009. The popular lady whose popularity is growing very fast will be having a dinner with Kenyans in London hotel on Friday 19th June, 2009 and a public rally on Saturday 20th June. Full information about the venue coming soon as the organisers have booked an advert with this website.

Rt. Rev. David Riitho Gathanju the moderator of the PCEA 19th General Assembly is in London. The moderator arrived in London on Thursday 4th June, 2009 from Scotland where he has been for the last two weeks. He will be the guest speaker at the PCEA Outreach Church in London on Sunday 7th June, 2009 as from 2.00 p.m. The venue is Brickfields Christian Centre, Welfare Road, Stratford, London E15 4HT which is located opposite Newham Collge, Stratford Campus. He strongly believes that the words of Hosea 4:6 are as relevant to the church in the 21st century as during the days of Hosea in the 8th century BC. He is a host of Rev. Kibathi of PCEA, London. He leaves for Nairobi on Monday. His contact while in the UK 07789418522 or 07946700301.

The PCEA moderator Rt. Rev. David Riitho Gathanju

London, Saturday 6th June, 2009. Conservative leader David Cameron has said his party's performance in the local elections shows it can win in "every part of the country". So far the Tories have taken councils from Labour and the Lib Dems including Derbyshire, run by Labour since 1981. The Lib Dems have won control in Bristol while Labour has lost control of all of its four councils. Labour deputy Harriet Harman admitted the results were "disappointing" but said the party would learn from them. The Conservatives have taken Staffordshire, Lancashire and Derbyshire from Labour - which had run all three since 1981 - as well as Devon and Somerset from the Lib Dems. They also took Warwickshire from no overall control and took power in the new Central Bedfordshire unitary authority, winning 54 seats on the council. The Lib Dems took 11, while Labour failed to win a seat. With results in from 33 out of 34 councils which held elections, the Tories had gained 230 councillors while Labour had lost 272 seats and the Lib Dems four. According to the BBC's estimated projected national vote share - the Conservatives are on 38%, Labour on 23% - a historic low - the Lib Dems on 28% and other parties on 11%.

Girl 'died after being starved'

A seven-year-old girl kept prisoner by her mother and mother's partner died after being starved for weeks or months, a court has heard. Khyra Ishaq died of an infection, Birmingham Crown Court was told. Prosecutors allege it was murder because the couple intended to cause Khyra serious harm. Khyra's mother Angela Gordon, 34, and Junaid Abuhamza, 30, both of Leyton Road, Handsworth, Birmingham, deny murdering Khyra on 17 May last year. Jurors have been told UK doctors had rarely seen such a severe case of malnutrition. Khyra's body mass index at the time of her death was so low that it did not register on available medical charts, the court was told. The court heard a lock had been fitted high up on the kitchen door to keep Khyra, and five other children in the care of the couple, away from the food in the home.

Nairobi, Friday 5th June, 2009. Powerful individuals alleged to have been behind pyramid schemes that swindled Kenyans an estimated 34 billion shillings have come out fighting. Former co-operatives and Development minister Njeru Ndwiga, the chairman of the boundaries review commission Andrew Ligale and the private secretary to the president Stanely Murage Friday vehemently denied any involvement in the operation of pyramid schemes. They dismissed claims that they ignored summons to appear before the task force investigating pyramid schemes. Ndwiga alleged that the task force is out to tarnish their names as he questioned his predecessor Joseph Nyaga's intention in launching investigations. He claims that he de-registered some of the pyramid schemes during his tenure as co-operatives minister. In a statement sent to media houses Stanley Murage challenged his accusers to table evidence incriminating him. He said he has never been a member of any pyramid scheme. On Thursday, Ikolomani MP Bonnie Khalwale told parliament that powerful individuals were involved the pyramid schemes. Some of the names mentioned include, Ndwiga, Murage, Ligale, trade minister Amos Kimunya's wife among others. Meanwhile, Cooperatives minister Joseph Nyagah promised to table the task force's report in parliament in 2 weeks time.

Obama’s Speech in Cairo

Obama’s Speech in Cairo on Thursday 4th Juhne, 2009

I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutions. For over a thousand years, Al-Azhar has stood as a beacon of Islamic learning, and for over a century, Cairo University has been a source of Egypt's advancement. Together, you represent the harmony between tradition and progress. I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of the people of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and a greeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum.

We meet at a time of tension between the United States and Muslims around the world – tension rooted in historical forces that go beyond any current policy debate. The relationship between Islam and the West includes centuries of co-existence and cooperation, but also conflict and religious wars. More recently, tension has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were too often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations. Moreover, the sweeping change brought by modernity and globalization led many Muslims to view the West as hostile to the traditions of Islam. - MORE

Extension for potential students awaiting GCSE results

Home Office, 05 June 2009

The UK Border Agency agreed a concession for this year only to allow students applying to study A-Levels in the United Kingdom to make a visa application based on a conditional offer from their education provider. This is in recognition of the fact that GCSE results are not released until the end of August whilst some courses begin in early September. This concession only applies to applications made overseas. We have agreed to extend this concession to cover all students waiting for GCSE results who are going on to study A-Level equivalent courses, such as Higher Diplomas, in the United Kingdom. The applicant will still be required to submit an unconditional offer as soon as it is received, and the visa will only be issued on this basis. Further information on applying for a visa is available on the visa services website. information on student visas can be found in the studying in the UK section.

KIKUYU PROVERB

Nguku ina tucui ndithiaga maini (mbura-ini)

A mother children hides when the rain starts as it fears that the young young ones might be taken by running water

ANIMAL SMILE COMPETITION CONTINUES

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President Mwai Kibaki, Her Royal Highness, Grand Duchess of Luxembourg, Maria Teresa (L) and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta arrive for the official opening of a conference on Micro Finance in Africa at Gigiri.

MAASAI PROVERB

Ore olayamishe na ilkipieu eeta mme oltau.

He who is married has lungs but no heart

The Maasai consider the lungs to be flexible, the heart impulsive; therefore, this proverb admonishes a man to be tolerant.

Controversy Surrounding Delta Airlines Nairobi Flights cancellation

Since the beginning it has all been about false starts. Delta Airlines has finally cancelled its plan to start direct flights between Kenya's Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi to its hub in Atlanta, USA. According to inside sources, Delta's anticipated virgin flight to Nairobi which was supposed to take place on June 3 got cancelled just within 24 hours before take off. Its said that US Department of Homeland Security gave direct instruction to Delta Airlines after it became apparently clear that the Somalia based Al-Shabaab Militant group may have planned to target the airlines flights by shooting them down or trying to plant bombs on them. This incident has taken the Kenyan government by surprise and the US Embassy in Nairobi because they have all been planning to welcome the flight at June 3rd on 4.00PM.Among those who have got a rude shock include Transport Minister Chirau Mwakwere who was expected to be in Delta plane expected at Nairobi and Hon. Prime Minister Raila Odinga who was supposed to be at the airport to welcome the flight. Am very sorry for the Delta Staff who had been recruited prior to this incident'.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1909 - Rika ria thigingi (Barbed wife)

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Extension for potential students awaiting GCSE results

Home Office, 05 June 2009

Husband 'Placed Online Ad For Wife's Rape'

A man is being held by US police after allegedly using classifieds website Craigslist to arrange for his wife to be raped at knifepoint. The 25-year-old from Kannapolis, North Carolina, is accused of using the site to hire another man to enter his house at night and force his wife to have sex. He was arrested on Wednesday and faces charges of first-degree rape, among other offences. Police are still hunting the man who carried out the rape but say they have a "strong lead". They have been sifting through computer and phone records with high-tech help from the FBI, a police spokesman said. He added: "I feel like we will eventually identify the perpetrator who came to the residence." Pressure is mounting on Craigslist to more carefully moderate postings after several crimes have allegedly been arranged using the service. Earlier in the year, a student from Boston dubbed "the Craigslist Killer" was charged with murdering a woman he met through a posting on the site. The company was also recently forced to remove its "erotic services" section following a string of complaints from several US states that it was facilitating prostitution.

Gordon Brown rocked as James Purnell quits Cabinet

Gordon Brown is fighting for his political life after the shock resignation of Work and Pensions Secretary James Purnell. Mr Purnell made has dramatical announcement as polls closed in the European and local council elections. In a resignation letter released to several newspapers, Mr Purnell called on Mr Brown to step aside for the good of the Labour Party, saying that his continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less, likely. The letter reads: "Dear Gordon, We both love the Labour Party. I have worked for it for twenty years and you for far longer. We know we owe it everything and it owes us nothing. "I owe it to our Party to say what I believe no matter how hard that may be. I now believe your continued leadership makes a Conservative victory more, not less likely. "That would be disastrous for our country. This moment calls for stronger regulation, an active state, better public services, an open democracy. It calls for a Government that measures itself by how it treats the poorest in society. Those are our values, not David Cameron's." Downing Street said in a statement that Mr Brown was "disappointed" by the resignation but added that he will continue to give his undivided attention to addressing the challenges facing Britain. The leading Blairite is the third member of the Cabinet and fifth minister to announce his resignation in just three days, and the most senior Labour figure to call for Mr Brown to go. Conservative Party leader David Cameron reacted to the news by saying: "In a deep recession and a political crisis, we need a strong united Government. Instead we have a Government falling apart in front of our eyes. "For the sake of the country, Gordon Brown must carry out the one final act of authority left open to him, go to the Palace and call the general election we have been demanding." But Labour ministers have been rallying around the Prime Minister. Defence Secretary John Hutton - another leading Cabinet Blairite - said: "I am sorry that my good friend James Purnell has decided to resign. "I think he has made the wrong decision because I firmly believe that Gordon Brown is the right man to lead our party and our country. "I urge everyone in the party to remain united behind his leadership." And Europe minister Caroline Flint - who some at Westminster had expected to be the next to quit - has given the PM her backing. She said: "I am staying in the Government. I have spent my entire ministerial career for six years now serving Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, and I am very proud to be in a Labour Government and very proud to be part of Gordon Brown's Government."

The Proclaimers Sanctuary ''Grays Essex'' Celebrates Open Day in Style

The Proclaimers Sanctuary "Grays Essex" Kiswahili Culture Group celebrated their Open day on Saturday, 30th May 2009, at the Grays Methodist Church, Hathaway Road, Essex.

The 'Kiswahili School' children perforrming in Swahili language during the Proclaimer's Sanctuary "Gray Essex" Kiswahili Culture Group Open Day. The Children, whose ages varies betwee 1yr 9month and 15yrs +, danced and sang in Swahili, left, and staged a cultural-fashion show, right. Their 'attires'-dresses etc., were made by the Agnes wa Karanja.

The Group's Open day Celebrations, which were supported by the Local Authority in Thurrock and made possible through a funding from Community Cohesion Board, (CIB), were attended by many people from all walks, including, the projects main funds-provider, T.R.U.S.T, Local Councillors, representatives of Community Cohesion Board, Corporation Diversity in Thurrock, parents and Men of God, among others. It was a colourful day which was full of fun and presentations of achievements from the children and adult Swahili Classes. MORE

London, Thursday 4th June, 2009. UK house prices rose by 2.6% in May compared with April but activity remains low in the market, according to the latest survey from the Halifax. The lender, now part of the Lloyds Banking Group, warned against placing too much weight on one month's figures. The rise came after three successive months of property price falls, it said. The annual rate of decline has now eased to 16.3% from 17.7% in April. The average UK home now costs £158,565, the figures showed. Prices in the last three months compared with the previous three months are generally regarded as a less volatile measure of the housing market. Between June 2008 and January 2009, this three-month figure showed consistent declines of between 5% and 6%. However, prices fell by 3.1% in the quarter to May compared with the previous three months. "There are some tentative indications of a possible stabilisation in activity, albeit at a low level," said Nitesh Patel, the group's housing economist. "It is always important not to place too much weight on any one month's figures. Historically, house prices have not moved in the same direction month after month even during a pronounced downturn." He pointed to the fall in house prices of 11% during 1991 and 1992, during which time there were still five monthly price rises. However, the monthly jump is the highest since October 2002 and echoes the increase in property prices reported in May by the Nationwide. The building society reported a 1.2% rise in prices in May compared with April - the second rise in three months. Both lenders suggested that a low supply of homes for sale was likely to have had an effect on average prices. "House sales remain substantially below their long-term average and market conditions are expected to remain difficult with housing activity continuing at low levels over the coming months," said Mr Patel.

The Bank of England reported earlier in the week that the number of new mortgages approved for home buyers in the UK had risen in April for the third month in a row. These are a good indicator of short-term trends and suggest sales may continue to rise. Completed sales have also jumped, but remain much lower than a year ago. Low interest rates have eased mortgage affordability for many. The Halifax index showed that the proportion of disposable income spent on mortgage repayments by a new borrowers dropped from a peak of 48% in the third quarter of 2007 to 31% in the first three months of this year. With house prices dropping year-on-year, of those people buying a home with a mortgage in March some 40% were first-time buyers. The actual number - 12,500 - was a third lower than a year ago, but this was the highest proportion of first-timers in the market since April 2005. Yet figures released to the BBC earlier this week from financial information service Moneyfacts found that mortgages were still being rationed, making the initial outlay for first-time buyers relatively expensive. Of the 1,623 mortgage deals currently on offer, two-thirds still require a deposit of at least 25%, with a quarter of all deals needing a down-payment from the borrower of at least 40%. Mortgage brokers have highlighted low activity in the housing market, but said there were some signs of optimism for them. "At the moment predicting monthly house prices figures is a little like predicting the weather and it would be foolhardy to talk about a recovery based on one set of data," said Ashley Brown, director of mortgage broker Moneysprite. "While activity in the property market remains low, there has been an increase in the number of mortgage approvals, which indicates growing confidence among buyers."

Woman shot dead in Nairobi battles

A woman was on Wednesday 4th June, 2009 shot dead as riot police engaged hawkers in running battles and lobbed teargas on people who were going home from work. The battle between the police and the hawkers, who one week ago returned to the central business district caused major transport hitches, which continued late into the night. During the confusion, traders were forced to close their shops over looting as pick pockets had a field day. Business came to a standstill around River Road, Tom Mboya Street, Latema street, Accra road, Luthuli avenue, Kirinyaga Road, Moi Avenue and far much into the city around Kimathi Street. Several people were arrested during the ensuing battle that prevailed for the better part of the evening. Riot police together with Nairobi City Council askaris (security guards) and Administration Police cordoned off all the roads as traffic police had a difficult time re-routing matatus and private vehicles to other safer routes.

Having a manageable level of debt can be an effective way of operating for a growing business. While some small business owners are proud never to have taken on debt, that is not always a realistic approach, says American Express, a firm that offers individuals online access to its card, financial, and travel services, including financial advice. “Growth often demands considerable capital, and getting that money may require you to seek a bank loan, a personal loan, a revolving line of credit, trade credit, or some other form of debt financing,” the firms says in its report Managing Debt. The thought of debt sends chills down the spines of many people because of nasty and sometimes devastating experiences they have gone through because of them, says Mr David Tanki, general manager at Lan-X Africa, a firm that advises businesses and individuals on financial management. “While it is true that many people have suffered and continue to suffer under debt, nobody under the sun becomes rich using his own money,” he says. “The concept of using other people’s money (OPM) remains the greatest leverage available for wealth builders today.” Ms Rebecca Uku, Zimele Asset Management Company research analyst, says debt should only be considered a good idea if the money is borrowed to finance a well managed business. Loans are designed to help potential entrepreneurs achieve their goals of running a viable business, she says. “Therefore, for an owner of a small business, taking a loan may make the difference between keeping the business operating and closing the doors before the business has had a chance of succeeding,” she adds. In Kenya, there are several sources of loan financing including your friends or relatives for small loans. Loans for small businesses are also available from commercial banks, saccos and micro-finance institutions. The advantage of debt-financing, she says, is that it allows the business owner to retain ownership and control of the company, which is in contrast to equity financing, where money is exchanged for part ownership of the company. Also, debt obligations are limited to the loan repayment period, meaning that the lender has no further claim on the business after the debt is fully repaid.

OBAMA'S TOUR

3 June: Saudi Arabia - talks with King Abdullah on Israel-Palestinian peace negotiations

4 June: Egypt - talks with President Hosni Mubarak, keynote speech at Cairo university

5 June: Germany - meets Chancellor Angela Merkel, visits to Dresden and to Buchenwald concentration camp

6 June: France - meets President Nicolas Sarkozy, attends D-Day events in Normandy

Barack Obama set for keynote Egypt speech

London, Thursday 4th June, 2009. US President Barack Obama has arrived in Egypt, where he will deliver a much-anticipated speech on the second leg of his tour of the Middle East and Europe. Correspondents say it will avoid specific proposals but instead focus on improving ties with the Islamic world. As Mr Obama arrived in Egypt, Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the US was still "deeply hated" in the Middle East. Earlier, Mr Obama held talks in Riyadh with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia. After landing in Cairo, Mr Obama headed in his motorcade to the Kuba palace along streets empty except for the soldiers lining the route. Mr Obama then held talks with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Mr Mubarak said the pair had a "candid and frank" discussion of "all problems in the region", including Iran. Mr Obama said: "We discussed the situation between Israel and the Palestinians. We discussed how we can move forward in a constructive way that brings about peace and prosperity for all people in the region." He said the US was committed to working in partnership with countries in the Middle East.

Mr Obama is now visiting the Sultan Hassan mosque ahead of his speech at Cairo University. Mr Obama's aides say the speech, to be broadcast to an audience of millions around the world, will be a "truth-telling" exercise. The BBC's Christian Fraser in Cairo says Barack Obama wants to give a message of respect to a region which has often felt ignored, misunderstood or patronised by the US. Our correspondent says conservative elements in Egypt have suggested they are prepared to listen to Mr Obama as long as there is substance behind the rhetoric. The president is expected to use the speech to discuss the current state of peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians and to set out how he views the conflict. He will not include any specific proposals, but will articulate what he believes both sides need to do to resolve the current stalemate, says our correspondent. White House officials have said that one speech alone will not heal divisions but could start a process to "re-energise the dialogue with the Muslim world". Presidential advisers said there would be a "forthright discussion" of democracy, human rights and nuclear non-proliferation. However, they denied Mr Obama had issued any ultimatum to Israel on the question of settlement building in the West Bank. Israel is resisting calls to freeze building activity in all settlements, but Palestinian leaders have said there can be no progress towards peace without a halt to such construction.

London, Wednesday 3rd June, 2009. Three people who ran an immigration consultancy business in west London have been jailed over what is said to be one of the UK's biggest visa scams. Rakhi Shahi, 31, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud, handling criminal property and immigration offences at Isleworth Crown Court. Jatinder Kumar Sharma, 44, her husband, admitted his part in the scam in March. Neelam Sharma, 38, also thought to be Sharma's wife, was found guilty of handling some of the cash in the scam. But she was cleared of conspiracy to defraud and immigration offences. Both women had denied the charges. All three lived in Clarence Street in Southall, from where they ran their consultancy Univisas. Shahi, an illegal immigrant, was jailed for eight years while Neelam Sharma was jailed for four years for money laundering. Jatinder Kumar Sharma was jailed for seven years. He admitted seeking or obtaining leave to enter or remain in the UK by deception, possession of identity document with intent, conspiracy to defraud, possessing criminal property and two counts of theft. The court heard he has been married to Neelam Sharma for about 20 years and recently also married Shahi. Both marriages took place in India. Sentencing Judge Richard McGregor-Johnson said the criticisms of the government agencies were "plainly well founded". "The checks were woefully inadequate and frequently non-existent. "You (the defendants) saw the weaknesses in those systems and dishonestly exploited them." The group created thousands of bogus documents including college degree certificates, tax and wage forms, references and academic records, to secure UK visas including student visas. The scam exploited the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, the International Graduate Scheme and other leave-to-remain visa applications.

It is thought Jatinder Kumar Sharma was married to both women involved and the fraudsters offered money-back guarantees to clients

Police suspect the company secured visas for at least 1,000 people, mostly from the Indian sub-continent, using a network of bogus colleges in London, Manchester, Bradford and Essex. Eight Pakistani terror suspects who were arrested earlier this year during raids in Manchester and Liverpool are also thought to have used a similar scam to gain UK visas. The UK Border Agency, the Home Office and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner (OISC) were criticised for a "shambolic" system which the fraudsters exploited. Prosecutor Francis Sheridan told the court the evidence against the trio presented a "damning indictment" of failures of the UK's border controls. The court heard Home office employees failed to spot discrepancies in employment certificates and wage slips and that some students appeared to have attended two full-time courses simultaneously. Several applicants gave the same address and in one case one person's sex changed in the middle of the immigration process. Last February the Metropolitan Police and the UK Border Agency raided Univisas' office and found 90,000 documents, including false university certificates and pay slips. Officers also found passports, 150 ink stamps and £22,500 in cash and seized 980 individual files. The court heard the fraudsters charged hundreds and thousands of pounds as fees and were confident enough to offer a money-back guarantee to clients. The scam garnered more than £1.5m in two years, of which police have so far been able to seize £420,000. Jatinder Sharma was caught when he offered to get an undercover newspaper reporter a post-graduate diploma in business administration and other papers for about £4,000. Following the verdict Tony Smith, the regional director of the UK Border Agency, said: "This was one of the largest joint investigations ever undertaken by the UK Border Agency and police. "We believe we have cracked a major international conspiracy to facilitate the entry of illegal immigrants into the UK. "Those behind it showed total disregard for the law, and their motives were purely financial."

Things are getting tough with the UK immigrations rules - if you are jailed for more than 12 months with criminal convictions your British Citizenship or Indefinite Leave to Remain in the UK can be revoked

"God is the original, master forgiver. Each time we grope our reluctant way through the minor miracle of forgiving, we are imitating his style. I am not at all sure that any of us would have had imagination enough to see the possibilities in this way to heal the wrongs of this life had he not done it first." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

A Kenyan in London - Dennis Mwakulua claims another Award

L-R: Countess of Wessex, Dennis Mwakulua and Nick Vadis, Chairman of the Craft Guild of Chefs

Compass Group UK & Ireland has again proven its place as part of the world’s largest contract caterer with the winning of a much-coveted award at the Craft Guild of Chefs Awards 2009. Dennis Mwakulua, Head Chef at the Fujitsu Services head office in Baker Street, picked up the title of Contract Catering Chef 2009. Dennis, who has worked with Compass Group UK & Ireland since 2005 and, through Eurest Services, has provided hospitality at Fujitsu Services for over three years, had to fulfil several criteria to impress the panel of judges. The award recognises excellence in food quality, innovation, training and development and is specifically for workplace caterers. The judging panel, comprising specialists from various areas of catering, previous winners and recognised industry professionals, commended Dennis for his “enthusiasm for his craft, his dedication and professionalism to food quality and his support for the food industry in general.”

Dennis said, “To be nominated by my peers and judged by the best in the industry reassures me that hard work, belief in yourself and pushing the boundaries pays off. I am very proud to have received such an important award.” Dennis was not the only Compass chef to be nominated this year. Robbie Robinson from ESS was shortlisted for the same category and Rob Kennedy from Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and Richard Bowden were in the running for Cost Sector Chef and Competition Chef respectively. This is the second year in which a Compass chef has scooped the title of Contract Caterer Chef award; in 2008 Andy Aston from Restaurant Associates was given the Craft Guild of Chefs dinner jacket for the same award.

Sources says that the flights to Ghana are fully booked as Africans fly to see US President Obama in Ghana in July 2009

Pound falls from seven-month high

The pound hit its highest level against the dollar in seven months before falling back as the greenback gained ground against a range of currencies. One pound was worth $1.6664 in morning trading but by mid-afternoon it had fallen to $1.6375. The dollar recovered after Asian monetary officials said they would keep buying US Treasuries even if the US credit rating were cut. Earlier, the pound had gained on hopes the UK recession may be easing. Sterling was also stronger against the euro and reached a seven-month high against the Japanese yen of 160.47 before falling back. A range of data on Wednesday indicated the UK recession could be abating and prospects improving. The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for the UK services sector rose to 51.7 in May from 48.7 the month before. A reading over 50 indicates expansion rather than contraction. The firm that compiles the PMI indexes, Markit, said its all-sector PMI reading, which combines those from the construction, services and manufacturing, rose to 50.4 in May. This is the first time it has been above 50 since March 2008. Separately, a Nationwide survey showed UK consumer confidence reached its highest in six months, with people more confident about the outlook for the economy. And a KPMG survey indicated that the pace of contraction in employment had eased in May. "Sterling has accelerated to the upside over the course of the last few days," said BNP Paribas currency strategist Ian Stannard. But he added that it was not so much a UK story, as a "global liquidity story, and as long as risk appetite continues to hold up, sterling will continue to benefit as a cyclical currency". During the height of the financial crisis, the dollar was boosted by a flight to safety, as investors fled other currencies.

'One more day here in Mogadishu and I'll die'

Abdullahi Mohamed Hassan is trapped in his home in Mogadishu, surrounded by gunfire and mortar shelling.The 25-year-old teacher of English is one of hundreds of thousands of Somali civilians caught up in fierce fighting between Islamist guerrillas and pro-government forces. Mr Hassan e-mailed the BBC News website to tell of his ordeal alone without food and water as gunmen and looters circle his home, after his wife and daughter fled the war zone.

Nairobi, Kenya, Jun 3 - Kenya will be the subject of discussion at the United Nations Human Rights Council sitting in Geneva on Wednesday to defend itself against allegations of torture and extra-judicial killings. UN’s Special Rapporteur on extra-judicial killings Prof Philip Alston will be tabling a damning report based on investigations he carried here in Kenya on police and military excesses. This includes arbitrary killings of suspects by a police ‘death squad’ code-named Kwekwe which, he says, is to blame for the killing of at least 500 suspected members of the outlawed gang-the Mungiki-in an offensive launched against it since 2006. The report released through the UN Human Rights Council last week recommends the immediate sacking of Police Commissioner Maj General Mohammed Hussein Ali and resignation of Attorney General Amos Wako who have been accused of poor leadership. In his report due to be tabled at the council on Wednesday, Prof Alston states that the number of those killed could be increasingly high, because some incidents may have gone unreported.

The Kenyan government is represented at the council by a high powered delegation led by Attorney General Amos Wako, Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, Lands Minister James Orengo and East African Community Minister Amason Kingi. The team comprises of representatives from both sides of the Coalition Government who have publicly and repeatedly taken different positions on the report. While Mr Wako, Prof Saitoti and Mr Kilonzo of the PNU side of government insists they are going to defend Kenya against the accusations, Mr Orengo and Mr Kingi have made it clear that they, “fully agree with Prof Alston and will be making that position known in Geneva.” “We in ODM fully support Prof Alston’s report and the reforms he has outlined in it,” Mr Orengo said. “ODM will have to send a representation to make that position known.” On the other hand, the Justice Minister spelt out what he termed the government position which largely criticises the report and its author. It is unlikely that the two parties will reach consensus and may be headed for a face-off at the council which may result to an embarrassment to the Kenyan government. “As much as we agree with Prof Alston on some of the issues, we take great exception with some part of it. We will be mounting defence in Geneva,” Mr Kilonzo said. - CapitalFM

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kivuli cha fimbo hakimfichi mtu jua.

Shadow of a stick cannot protect one from the sun.

WHAT THE UK PAPER SAYS ON THURSDAY 4TH JULY, 2009

LEFT: The Daily Express also finds space for Mrs Blears' now-infamous pin, while suggesting calls for Gordon Brown's removal may see Labour MPs protecting their own interest. CENTRE: A beleaguered-looking Mr Brown appears behind bars on the front cover of the Daily Mail. RIGHT: After yesterday's 'MeltBrown' The Daily Mirror continues its run of Prime Minister puns to tell the story.

Only that we don't know

It is only that we don't know. A Kenyan fuelling his car at a petrol station was hit by a lorry. Since he did not have an insurance and driving licence he run away. He was helped by friends and taken to Balinda Solicitors who are experts of Personal Injury. He did not pay a penny for the services and now the man has received more than £10,000 compensation. It is a win and win situation as you don't have to pay anything. If you happen to have an accident, fall somewhere, hit by a car - with papers or not - you have your right and you know there are many ways of killing a cat. In another case a Kenyan lady passed away in a UK hospital after the hospital carelessness of giving her too much oxygen and the family has a strong case here. Call Balinda Solicitors in London on 07908208710 or 0208 221 4541and they should be able to help you. I have fixed their advert on the website. In case of any problem please contact me on misterseed@yahoo.co.uk

When you feel like giving up, think of this man

Smuggling drugs by hiding them in luggage is a common tactic of the drug trade - but a woman arrested as she was about to fly from Chile to Spain took things a step further. According to polive, her suitcases were actually made from cocaine. Detective Leandro Morales at the Santiago airport said that the drug 'was not hidden in the luggage. This time the suitcases were the drug.' Morales told The Associated Press on Tuesday that the suitcases were made of a substance combining cocaine with resin and glass fiber - and that the suitcases were heavier than their contents. He added that a 'chemical process' could be used to separate out the drug. The 26-year-old Argentine woman carrying the cocaine-cases was arrested.

New contraceptive could prevent HIV

Written By: Margaret Kalekye/kna , Posted: Wed, Jun 03, 2009

A new contraceptive for women may also be effective in blocking the transmission of the HIV virus. Laboratory tests showed that the new vaginal ring prevented pregnancy and transmission of HIV infections. The London based Panos Institute (PI) says that the contraceptive which is not available in Kenya could provide women with a means of protecting themselves against unwanted pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases if further trials were successful. The device is a vaginal ring that releases multiple types of non-hormonal agents and microbicides, which can prevent conception as well as sexually transmitted HIV infection. According to the Institute's news bulletin the ring contains several anti viral drugs that are periodically released for upto 28 days. The combination of the antiviral drugs have proven to be potent agents that may block infection by the HIV virus. Noting that about 5,000,000 people were globally infected with HIV and that 3,000,000 million died annually from AIDS related infections, the Institute said that it was hoped that the contraceptive would be a new method to prevent sexually transmitted infections in the future. In a separate bulletin quoting UNICEF, PI says there were weaknesses in the care of expectant women infected with HIV. It says that 900 babies in the developing world were infected with HIV every day because of governments' failure to treat the women. UNICEF's regional advisor on mother to child transmission, Janet Kayita,is reported to have said, "Developing countries were failing in their efforts to test expectant women for HIV and provide necessary treatment for mother and child."

The Government ate humble pie and largely accepted the verdict on Kenya by the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Philip Alston on extrajudicial killings. In a quick change of heart, the Government withdrew its earlier version, which rubbished Prof Alston’s report and dismissed its recommendations and instead replaced it with a short version that was read before the 11th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland. - MORE

Banks set to shake up stock market

The Co-operative Bank has become the largest commercial bank to venture into stockbroking at the Nairobi Stock Exchange signalling what could be a major shake-up in the depressed market. With cash circulating between the bourse and the bank, liquidity is expected to improve greatly with the cost of doing business coming down. The brokerage will operate at its headquarters in Nairobi. Inevitably, stand-alone brokers face stiff competition as they are forced to keep up client payments with the rate of cash-rich banks. Equity Bank, although yet to secure an NSE seat, has already caused ripples while NIC and Chase banks have taken over brokerages. Shareholders of Co-op Bank on Friday last week gave the management the nod to pursue the acquisition of 60 per cent stake in troubled firm, Bob Mathews Stockbrokers Ltd. This was during the bank’s first annual general meeting as a listed entity. While this might be seen as mere product diversification by the financial institution, the value of business to be raked in by this move is enormous. According to the Sh14 billion capital bank’s managing director Gideon Muriuki, this strategic acquisition will see Co-op Bank earn its seat at the NSE board as well as slash the cost of managing its investments. “Last year alone, the bank paid about Sh50 million to various brokerage firms in town as services offered to take care of our investments. This is the kind of amount we intend to keep within the bank by engaging in stockbroking services,” Mr Muriuki told shareholders. At a cost of Sh150 million, the bank intends to buy Bob Mathews and re-brand it as Kingdom Securities Ltd. Part of the changes already lined up include a new management team as well as bringing its operations to the Co-operative House along Haile Sellaise Avenue, Nairobi. The foray by banks into the capital markets has elicited sharp reactions from traditional brokers.

Co-operative Bank managing director Gideon Muriuki briefs shareholders during the bank’s AGM in Nairobi. Co-op is the largest commercial bank to venture in stockbroking. Already, the Central Bank of Kenya is signalling its intention to pave the way through regulatory reforms for adoption of financial supermarket model for banks. Other smaller banks that have taken the brokerage route include NIC which has acquired a 55 per cent stake in stockbrokerage Solid Investment Securities and renamed it NIC Capital. ABC Bank aims to take the same route via Crossfield Securities through one of its subsidiaries, ABC Financial Services. The bank is said to have purchased a 51 per cent stake in the firm that, like its peers, was facing financial difficulties. Chase Bank has also entered into partnership with Genghis Capital to take advantage of the multibillion transactions at the bourse. Clearly, as brokers face the toughest times since 2001, banks are well positioned to snap up seats awaiting return of the market bull. Co-operative Bank’s acquisition is, therefore, very strategic and expected to leverage on its branch network for business. The bank intends to grow its arms to about 85 around the country as well as in Southern Sudan and Uganda. The Bank’s strong foundation in the co-operative movement around the country, needless to say, is also expected to anchor its stock market investment around the bank. “Once we complete this transaction, we shall start working on the modalities to ensure that co-operative movements can do some business on our behalf as we grow this arm of our business,” Mr Muriuki told shareholders at Kasarani during the AGM.

A swarm of around 10,000 bees apparently got bored of flying themselves - so they settled on the wing of a plane instead. The left wing of the plane, used for training at a flight school in Danvers, Massachusetts, became covered in the bees, forcing the owner of the flight centre to call the police. The police then called in a bee removal expert, who used a special bee-removing vacuum cleaner to suck all the bees off the wing. According to the bee remover, the bees may have found themselves on the plane's wing after the queen stopped to rest on it, and the other bees followed her to protect her.

Each year, hundreds of contestants gather to race giant pedal-powered sculptures on Californian beaches and on right the sculptures are usually made from recycled rubbish. Some designs contain many moving parts, including this entry 'Octomom'.

Girl, 8 defiled by uncle

Written By:Rose Kamau/KNA , Posted: Wed, Jun 03, 2009

A standard three girl is undergoing treatment at Masaba district hospital after she was allegedly defiled by her uncle who is a secondary school teacher. It was reported that the eight year-old girl had left her home on Saturday to play with her cousins at the uncle's home when she met the ordeal. Mrs Judith Mong'are, the minor's mother said she suspected something was wrong after noticing that her daughter had difficulties in walking. "When I questioned her, she told me that her uncle took her to a nearby maize plantation where he undressed her and committed the act," she said said. The girl told her mother that the uncle had interrupted the children as they were playing and sent his children to the shop and when the two were left alone he took her to the maize plantation where he defiled her. Masaba district hospital clinical officer who is also the acting Medical superintendent Joel Ongaro hinted that medical examination had indicated that the girl had been defiled. Nyamira OCPD Mwaura Njoroge said police are still hunting for the suspect who has since gone into hiding. Elsewhere a 27 year old man has been arrested for allegedly attempting to rape a woman in Aboyi Village Bondo District. Nyanza Provincial Police Officer Anthony Kibuchi said that the suspect Vincent Onyango had waylaid the woman in a maize plantation where he attempted to rape her. However the woman fought off her assailant and screamed for help.

Narok villagers accused of poisoning lions and vultures

Kenya Wildlife Service on Tuesday accused villagers in Narok District in Kenya's Rift Galley province of poisoning a lion and 36 vultures in revenge for loss of livestock. The Oloolaimutiak residents are said to have poisoned the eight-month-old lion and the birds after their cows were attacked and killed by a pride of lions. In a press statement, KWS said the pride of five lions reportedly killed four cattle before the area residents chased them away. The incident occurred in the Mara area about two kilometres from the Oloolaimutiak gate, which is within the game reserve. According to a senior scientist, Dr Dominic Mijele, the villagers slaughtered three of the cattle, took away the meat and laced the fourth one with a pinkish substance. They left the laced carcass on site. The same pride came later and fed on the laced carcass. Of these, a juvenile male lion aged about eight months died within 100 metres from the carcass while the rest of the pride left the site. A total of 36 vultures of different species (African white backed vultures, lappet-faced vultures and hooded vultures) also died after feeding on the carcass. Postmortems were carried out by the KWS veterinary doctor at Mara and samples collected for analysis. “The meat consumed by the dead vultures and lion had pinkish colouration,” said Dr Mijele. He added that the carcass had pinkish colouration on the bones, indicating a heavy dosage of the substance used. The samples were forwarded to the University of Nairobi and the Government Chemist for further analysis. Tests are underway to establish the poison used. The fate of the other four lions is not known but speculation was that they could have moved to another location.

A 12-year-old girl gave birth to a baby after being raped by a teenage boy when she was 11, a court has been told. The High Court in Glasgow heard that the girl became pregnant after being abused by Jason Middleton, from Grangemouth, who was looking after her. The girl, who cannot be named for legal reasons, decided to go ahead with the pregnancy. The court was told she is now trying to come to terms with having the child adopted. Middleton, 19, admitted raping the girl on one occasion at a house in West Lothian in September 2005. Prosecutor Jennifer Bain said: "This occurred while the accused was looking after the girl and they were alone together in a house. "She gave birth to a daughter in 2006. The child was conceived before her 12th birthday and she became a mother at the age of 12. "She has tried to commit suicide on a numbers of occasions." Ms Bain said that when first questioned by police, Middleton had initially denied having sexual contact with the girl. However, the court heard that DNA was taken from the accused and the child which confirmed that he was the father. Solicitor advocate Richard Goddard, defending Middleton, said: "My client was deprived of a normal upbringing. He had no moral framework. He had almost non-existent parental guidance." Temporary judge Rita Rae QC placed Middleton on the sex offenders register, but allowed him bail. She deferred sentence until next month for the preparation of social inquiry and community service reports.

London, Tuesday 2nd June, 2009. Jacqui Smith is to stand down as home secretary in the cabinet reshuffle, sources close to her have told the BBC. Prime Minister Gordon Brown is set to shake up his cabinet after Thursday's European and English local elections. The source said she was stepping down for her family, who had been "at the forefront" of a row over her expenses. Ms Smith, who wants to remain an MP, was criticised for listing her sister's London house as her main home - and her husband's claim for an adult movie. It is understood Ms Smith, the first woman home secretary, intends to defend her Redditch seat at the next election. Mr Brown confirmed to the BBC he is planning a reshuffle but refused to be drawn on individual ministers' roles. There has been much speculation that Chancellor Alistair Darling may also be moved - the Liberal Democrats have called for him to be sacked over his expenses claims. Earlier three other Labour MPs announced their intention to stand down at the next general election. The BBC understands that Ms Smith, 46, told Mr Brown during the Easter recess that she wanted to step down as home secretary. A source close to Ms Smith said she was quitting her cabinet job because it was the "right thing for her family" who had been at the "forefront of the row about her expenses". The source told the BBC that the row had put pressure on her school age children and her parents and while she regretted wrongly submitting a claim for the adult movie, she felt "vindicated" in her overall approach to claims, now those of other MPs had been published. Made home secretary when Mr Brown became prime minister in 2007, she initially won plaudits for her handling of the car bomb attack on Glasgow Airport.

Jacqui Smith has been home secretary since 2007

But she has since come under pressure over issues - including attempts to extend pre-charge detention limits for terrorist suspects, a pay row between the government and police and the Home Office leaks inquiry that led to the arrest of Tory MP Damian Green. And weeks before the Daily Telegraph began its revelations about MPs' expenses, Ms Smith's own claims came under question. She had designated her sister's home, where she stays when she is in London, as her main home - rather than her constituency home where her family live. Later she agreed to pay back allowances claimed for pay-per-view television services, which included two adult films apparently watched by her husband. Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman, interviewed on BBC Radio 4's World at One, said she could not confirm the "speculation" about Ms Smith. But she added: "I think she is an outstanding home secretary. And yes there has been controversy around her expenses and she's not alone in that. "On any side of the House there's been controversy but I don't think she's ever wavered from her commitment to her job as home secretary and indeed she's been in the cabinet carrying out her duties this morning." Ms Smith is not the only cabinet minister under fire over their expenses claims and facing questions about their future.

Chancellor Alistair Darling and Transport Secretary Geoff Hoon have both had to apologise and pay back some money claimed on their second homes. Both involved bills that had been paid in advance and covered a period when the properties were no longer their designated "second homes". Earlier BBC's political editor Nick Robinson asked the prime minister if both should remain in the cabinet. Mr Brown replied: "Look, we've had a number of people featured in the newspapers. We've got the newspapers' version of a lot of it. "We're doing a far more extensive examination of what's happened with expenses and everything else. If there's a reshuffle, that's a matter for me about people's competences, ministers as well. "Every MP, including Conservatives and Liberals and all that, are now going to be independently audited and investigated - if any mistakes have been made and if they were exposed - then people will have to accept the consequences". Asked whether resignations had been discussed at Tuesday's cabinet meeting, Mr Darling said the government had a long discussion about reforming the expenses system, as well as how to help people through the economic downturn. "That's what the government is totally focused on," he added.

Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has also faced widespread speculation that she will be axed as a result of controversy over her second home claims. Meanwhile Bury North Labour MP David Chaytor, who is accused of claiming for a mortgage that was already paid off, has announced that he will not stand at the next election. Also on Tuesday, former Health Secretary Patricia Hewitt said she would stand down as an MP at the next election, but said it had nothing to do with the expenses furore. Shortly afterwards children's minister Beverley Hughes became the latest to announce she would stand down, in her case due to "family circumstances". Conservative MP Ben Wallace, who reported Ms Smith to the Parliamentary Standards Commissioner over her expenses, told the BBC: "What I think is amazing is the total collapse of management of government, the fact that some people are jumping ship without even informing the prime minister, it seems. It is just falling apart." But Ms Harman said Ms Hughes and Ms Hewitt were going due to family reasons and rejected suggestions that the "wheels are falling off" the government. "You can't necessarily control the information agenda but it does not mean that this is anything other than a normal process," she said.

If you think you don't have many friends...

Adulterous couple jailed in Dubai

A mother-of-two from Merseyside who admitted committing adultery in the United Arab Emirates has been sentenced to two months in jail. Sally Antia, 44, originally from Liverpool, but who has been living in Dubai, was arrested following a police raid at a hotel on 2 May. Her husband called police to alert them to his wife's alleged infidelity. Her lover Mark Hawkins, who had previously denied the allegation, was also jailed for two months. Both have already served a month in custody and will face deportation. The Foreign Office said it was offering consular assistance.

DELTA Airlines indefinitely cancels inaugural direct flight from Atlanta, Georgia, USA to Nairobi on Tuesday 2nd June, 2009. It follows advice by the US Department of Homeland Security.

Nairobi, Tuesday 2nd June, 2009. Ndakaini dam which supplies water to Nairobi residents now risks closure following a sharp decline in the water levels as a result of poor rainfall. Residents are now faced with a crisis following water rationing programmes that have seen many go without water and incur hefty expenses buying the commodity from water vendors. Statistics show that the outflow of the dam supersedes its inflow six fold. The dam which has a capacity of 70 million cubic liters of water, has dropped to lows of 48 million cubic litres representing a paltry 39% of its capacity. According to Ndakaini dam environmental association chairman, Prof. Joe Kimuri, the dam risks closure if water level drops to 25%. Area mp Peter Kenneth has expressed concern over the downward trend and urged residents to plant more trees as a remedial measure to save the dam. The dam is supplied by rivers originating from the Aberdare's forests whose cover has been depleted Ndakaini dam which supplies water to Nairobi residents now risks closure following a sharp decline in the water levels as a result of poor rainfall. Residents are now faced with a crisis following water rationing programmes that have seen many go without water and incur hefty expenses buying the commodity from water vendors. Statistics show that the outflow of the dam supersedes its inflow six fold. The dam which has a capacity of 70 million cubic liters of water, has dropped to lows of 48 million cubic litres representing a paltry 39% of its capacity. According to Ndakaini dam environmental association chairman, Prof. Joe Kimuri, the dam risks closure if water level drops to 25%. Area MP Peter Kenneth has expressed concern over the downward trend and urged residents to plant more trees as a remedial measure to save the dam. The dam is supplied by rivers originating from the Aberdare's forests whose cover has been depleted.

The British pound appreciates to the highest of the year exchanging at KShs. 125.76 against Kenya shilling in London

President Mwai Kibaki, First Lady Mrs. Lucy Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are entertained during celebrations to mark Madaraka day at State House Gardens, Nairobi.

MPs to get Internet connections

Written By: Rose Kamau, Posted: Tue, Jun 02, 2009

Telkom Kenya has partnered with the parliament to provide Internet connections for Members of Parliament. The deal signed Tuesday by Telkom Kenya Chief Executive Officer Dominique Saint-Jean and the Speaker of the National Assembly Hon. Kenneth Marende will see all the 222 elected MPs get connected electronically. The agreement covers the provision of laptops and Internet Everywhere connection to MPs which allows them to access Internet anywhere on the Orange network using a USB modem and automatically selects the best available network ensuring that users have the best possible browsing experience wherever they are. The project will see the initial phase connect 16 members and eventually roll out to the rest of the MPs within the year. Speaker Kenneth Marende welcomed the move terming it a wonderful example of the value of public-private partnership.

"Hand in hand, public sector and private sector, we can deliver greater value to Kenyans, for today and for tomorrow, because whilst it will serve a public sector agenda, it is a business initiative, which means that it is sustainable financially," Marende said. "We know the monthly cost and we have built it into our budgets to ensure that by the end of the year, all Members of Parliament will be able to benefit from a more streamlined and cost effective communications solution to serve their constituents better," he added. Dominique Saint-Jean, Telkom Kenya CEO said the partnership was a landmark in Telkom Kenya's ongoing journey to deliver innovative and relevant solutions for Kenyan organisations in both the public and private sector. "This follows our recent launch of Orange Business Services and our lead role in the Connected Business Summit in April," he said. The Chairman of the Parliamentary Communications Committee Eng James Rege also welcomed the move. "The partnership we are announcing today is about more than laptops and Internet connections. Today we are kicking off a partnership that will transform the way that Members of Parliament work. We will be able to lead the way in demonstrating to the ordinary mwananchi the very real benefits of technology in enhancing productivity and therefore the development of our great nation," he said.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Bilisi wa mtu ni mtu.

The evil spirit of a man is a man.

Govt to negotiate with china over drug suspects

Written By:Margaret Kalekye , Posted: Tue, Jun 02, 2009

The government is set to negotiate with China to have Kenyan students jailed for drug trafficking serve their terms in the country. Giving a ministerial statement in Parliament, Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula Wetangula said they were working on a protocol for prison exchange to have the Kenyans serve their sentences here at home. He confirmed that five Kenyan female students had been sentenced to death and were awaiting execution. The minister said majority of the suspects were young women who had been lured to serve as drug couriers. "We also hope that China will agree to commute the death sentences to life imprisonment and have the suspects repatriated," Wetangula added. He said he would soon be leaving for China for further discussions. He revealed that majority of the Kenyans went to China for studies but did not register with the mission there adding that the government did not have their records and only got to learn of their fate after their arrests. None of the students or their families have made any request to the government for intervention. Asian countries have taken a bold step to stop drug trafficking by meting out stiff penalties which include hanging. Over 200 Kenyans are currently being held in various jails in China, India, Pakistan, UK and other Asian countries over drug-related offences. Some of those already serving jail terms were university students before they were lured to serve as drug couriers. Among those sentenced to death are Mr Peter Amisi Obonyo, 36, who was arrested in Shenzhen, China. Others are Ms Josephine Achieng Onim, 25, and Ms Grace Lucy Omondi, 57 both arrested in Guangzhou on different dates. Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Margaret Mudasia Engesia, 36; Ms Oliviah S. Munoko, 26; Ms Peris Mumbi, 39; Jemimah Wairimu Wangai, 43; Ms Catherine Wambui, 39; and Ms Jacinta Wambui Kuria, 44. Many of the traffickers were arrested in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing on diverse dates between 2007 and last month.

Mr. Ezra Kuria Njuguna graduated with degree in nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington, on 14th May, 2009. Seen at the graduation on the left photo is his father Mr. Elly Njuguna Kuria, Professor Solomon Waigwa, Mr. Seed and Bishop Samuel Muya. On the right photo is Ezra Kuria and his girlfriend Shiku.

Suspected Mungiki leader fails to take plea

Written By: Rose Kamau/KNA, Posted: Tue, Jun 02, 2009

The suspected leader of the outlawed Mungiki sect Maina Njenga Tuesday failed to take the plea in a case where he is facing 29 counts of murder. Njenga was appearing for the third time before High Court Judge Milton Makahadia accused with the murder of 29 people in Mathira after his defence lawyers filed another application before the court. Njenga who also goes by thename John Maina Kamunya arrived at the court at 8.00am under tight security. He is charged alongside three others Paul Muriuki, John Ngure and Patrick Mwangi that on the night of April 20 and 21 this year at Gathaithi village in Nyeri East District, Central province jointly with others not before the court they murdered the 29 residents of Gathaithi village. Maina was represented by lawyers Kibe Mungai, Robert Asembo and Mbiyu Kamau. Prosecution was led by provincial state counsel Fred Orinda. Judge Makahadia ordered the prosecution to supply the defence with witness statements before June 9. He also ordered the officer commanding Manyani G.K prison to supply the defence with the records regarding the movements of the accused person while in police custody. The hearing date was fixed for June 16.

20,000 Nyanza men brave the knife

KISUMU, Kenya, Jun 2 – More than 20,000 men have undergone voluntary circumscion in Nyanza province since last year as a means of preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. The Provincial Director of Public Health and Sanitation, Dr Jackson Kioko said on Tuesday that in order to achieve the public health impact, the ministry is targeting to circumcise at least 80 percent of uncircumcised men between the ages of 15-49 years in the province. Mr Kioko said circumcision services are performed by well-trained, properly equipped health personnel under hygienic conditions to ensure safety of all seeking the services. He said 124 sites were offering the services across the province noting that they are in dialogue with other health partners to assist in scaling it up. Mr Kioko said they are working with other healthcare providers and community leaders to ensure that the necessary systems and resources are in place to provide safe and reliable voluntary male circumcision. Speaking during a media roundtable breakfast meeting in Kisumu, Mr Kioko said they are ensuring that the public health measure is implemented in a culturally sensitive environment. He said that inadequate number of health providers is a challenge to effectively implement the program as they are faced with balancing the demand for circumcision with the limited number of health workers in the health facilities.

A 25-year-old Egyptian man cut off his own penis to spite his family after he was refused permission to marry a girl from a lower class family, police reported on Sunday. After unsuccessfully petitioning his father for two years to marry the girl, the man heated up a knife and sliced off his reproductive organ, said a police official. The young man came from a prominent family in the southern Egyptian province of Qena, one of Egypt's poorest and most conservative areas. The man was rushed to hospital, but doctors were unable to reattach the severed organ, the official added. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak with the press, added that the man was still recovering in the hospital.

"I have discovered that most people who tell me that they cannot forgive a person who wronged them are handicapped by a mistaken understanding of what forgiving is." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

LUO PROVERB

Bur achiel ok ike ji ariyo.

Two people are not buried in one grave.

No two people are totally similar

Five Kenyans to hang over drugs in China

Five Kenyans have been sentenced to death in China after they were found guilty of drug trafficking. Six others have been condemned to life imprisonment in Chinese jails for drug peddling, The Standard has established. And 20 others, majority of them young women, are serving a cumulative jail term of 150 years. Some of them may not even have known that they were carrying drugs. These are among more than 200 Kenyans currently being held in various jails in China, India, Pakistan, UK and other Asian countries over drug-related offences. Some of those already serving jail terms were university students before they were lured to serve as drug couriers. Among those sentenced to death are Mr Peter Amisi Obonyo, 36, who was arrested in Shenzhen, China. Others are Ms Josephine Achieng Onim, 25, and Ms Grace Lucy Omondi, 57 both arrested in Guangzhou on different dates. Ms Leah Muthoni Mweru Kimani and Ms Christine Nyabera Ongowo, 47, were also sentenced to death after being arrested with drugs in Guangzhou. Those sentenced to life imprisonment are Margaret Mudasia Engesia, 36; Ms Oliviah S. Munoko, 26; Ms Peris Mumbi, 39; Jemimah Wairimu Wangai, 43; Ms Catherine Wambui, 39; and Ms Jacinta Wambui Kuria, 44.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed the number but said the figure could be higher as more Kenyans had been arrested last month on drug-related offences and their particulars remained unclear. The acting Head of Press and Communications Unit at the Foreign Affairsministry, Mr Kiboi Waituru, however, clarified that none of those handed death sentences has been hanged yet. The Standard has also established that many other Kenyans are serving sentences in jails around the world for drug-related offences, but the Government is unaware because they used fake documents, or were not registered with Kenyan missions abroad. A number of them have died in foreign jails. It is unfortunate that some of our missions do not have records of Kenyans arrested or serving sentences on drug charges because many of them do not register with the embassies as required. Some only do so when seeking assistance when they encounter problems," said Waituru. Most of the convicts were caught carrying a kilo or less of the drugs, which range from cocaine to heroin and amphetamines. The traffickers are usually paid between Sh200, 000 and Sh300,000 on delivery of the drugs. Waituru said police in other countries contact the Kenyan missions to verify the nationality of suspects arrested while traveling on Kenyan passports.

The Government too assists the families of those in custody to travel abroad to visit their relatives. A list of names of the traffickers in Chinese jails alone, a copy of which was obtained by The Standard, show that some Kenyans were given death and life sentences after pleading "guilty" to the charges. Many of the traffickers were arrested in Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Beijing on diverse dates between 2007 and last month. "Some of them have had their sentences commuted to life imprisonment for good behaviour while in jail. They are hardly executed," Waituru said. A big number of the Kenyans in custody have allegedly confessed they had been recruited by a Nigerian drug kingpin — a Mr Ken Amadu Obina Okuoma — in Nairobi. Okuoma has since been deported. Okuoma had operated a drugs empire in Kenya for more than a decade until early this year when he was caught in a dramatic police operation. He was also linked to the arrest of former Miss Tourism and fashion model Ms Loise Ambasa, who was found with 4.2kg of cocaine valued at Sh21 million on arrival at Nairobi’s JKIA airport from Accra, Ghana, in 2005. She was released in November last year after police failed to produce a bag that they had earlier claimed contained the drugs. Police investigations show that drug barons operating from Nairobi have been recruiting couriers, especially young women, who are lured with the promise of large amounts of money and lavish lifestyles. Head of CID’s Anti-Narcotics Unit Ms Judy Auma said the number of Kenyans in custody over drug offences abroad could be higher because some of the cases go unreported. - The Standard.

THREE OF THE SEEDS IN FOR BAPTISM

It was day three of the Seeds joined others members of the Holy Trinity Church, Lenton, in Nottingham for an open day baptism. The ceremony was conducted by Rev. Martin Kirkbride assisted by Rev. Piety Kamuyu (far right). There ceremony was conducted outside the church. Before the ceremony the officiating minister explained to the candidates that they had been born a new, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God. (1 Peter 1:23). Sharon Njeri (who is the bride to be - (left) was followed by her twin sister Charmain Nyokabi and on right is Mr. Charles Kiruthi.

It was eat and take home nyama choma at Mr. Munyambu's birthday party in UK

It was one of the biggest nyama choma event seen in London in recent years. Young and old joined the feast to celebrate the birthday of Mr. Munyambu. Mr. Munyambu and his wife Mary Munyambu are members of CCBC Swahili Service in London. The couple had done their homework and had invited people from all walks of life, church members, friends and families. A nice backyard where they fixed a tent. It was eating and dancing (Ndia na mahoya) as they were joined by Mr. Elly Njuguna Kuria a member of Akurinu sector from Nakuru. The guests insisted that Mr. Elly to give a number. Young and old joined the feast. You eat and you take home. Notably was the experts who were roasting the meat. The hosts Mrs. Mary Munyambu is seen above feeding her husband Mr. Munyambu at the ceremony. - MORE PHOTOS

A Better Life Beckons in Africa
U.S. Downturn Drives Immigrant Professionals Back Home

By Stephanie McCrummen - Washington Post Foreign Service - May 2009

KISUMU, Kenya -- With the U.S. economy in turmoil, his job as a truck driver no longer secure and his upwardly mobile life in the Dallas suburbs in jeopardy, James Odhiambo decided it was time for a change. He wanted a healthier lifestyle for his family, less anxiety, fewer 14-hour days. So he recently traded his deluxe apartment, the pickup truck, the dishwasher and $4.99 McDonald's combos for life in a place he considers relatively better: sub-Saharan Africa. "Right now I'm no stress, no anxiety," said Odhiambo, 34, relaxing in his family home in this western Kenyan city along the shores of Lake Victoria. "Think of it this way: When I was in the U.S., I was close to 300 pounds. Now, I'm like 200. The biggest thing for me was quality of life."

While that may seem counterintuitive to Americans accustomed to bleaker images of Africa, recent studies have documented the flight of immigrant professionals from the United States to their home countries. Chinese and Indian workers increasingly say they see better opportunities and lifestyles at home. And diaspora associations of Nigerians, Ghanaians, Kenyans and other Africans say their members -- mostly from middle-class backgrounds -- are joining the exodus, choosing life in the land of slow Internet connections and power outages over the pressures of recession-era America.

"I personally know many people who are going back," said Erastus Mong'are, who works as a program manager for an insurance company in Delaware and heads an association of Kenyans living there. "The people I know here work two or three jobs just to make ends meet, while in Kenya -- despite its problems -- people seem more happy. They seem to be getting more time with family. More relaxed. Here, if my neighbor sees I've parked in his spot, he becomes so upset."

In a broad sense, the return migration to Africa is in line with studies suggesting that despite persistent poverty and civil unrest in places such as Congo, Somalia and Sudan, much of the continent has been buoyed in recent years by a sense of optimism driven by economic growth. Pew Research Center studies tracking global attitudes have found that people's level of satisfaction with their quality of life is rising across much of Africa, while it has stayed level or decreased in the United States. For Odhiambo, disillusionment with the American way of life grew more or less with his waistline.

As a lean young man, he moved to the United States to attend a community college in Upstate New York, an idea nurtured by images of American life he saw on television growing up in a middle-class family in Kenya: "Diff'rent Strokes," "The Six Million Dollar Man," "Beverly Hills, 90210." "You'd see all these manicured lawns, all this organization," he recalled on a recent day, while having a long lunch at an outdoor cafe without once looking at his watch. He arrived in the mid-1990s with a sense of possibility in a land promising immigrants a better life. After college, he moved to Texas and worked as a long-haul truck driver, crisscrossing the country delivering auto parts, televisions, soda bottles and big containers from China. He marveled at innovations such as the car cup holder; he was inspired by government efficiencies that made it possible to get a driver's license in one day. And as his pay improved, he and his wife moved into a luxury apartment complex outside Dallas called Sonoma Grande at the Legends.

"It was really nice," Odhiambo recalled, noting that it had a pool, a Jacuzzi, a gym and other treats unheard of in Kenya. But as his workdays grew longer, he hardly enjoyed any of those amenities. He worked 14-hour shifts trying to keep up with his $800 monthly rent, payments on a new Ford Ranger pickup, health insurance that did not cover a pair of tinted prescription glasses needed for long hours at the wheel, and bills driven by must-haves such as air conditioning. "I couldn't get any exercise at all, and I was restricted to truck stops for food," he said. "I'd go for the buffet -- meat with gravy, fried chicken -- or fast food. I didn't have time for my daughters. In the movies, they only show one side of America."

His daughters were approaching school age, and they would have attended a public school with metal detectors and gangs. He said the alarmingly regular reports of shootings at schools, churches or offices frightened his family more than the post-election violence sweeping parts of Kenya at the time. The recession only confirmed a decision he and his wife had been mulling for a while: It was time to go. Earlier this year, they packed up, explaining to their confused American friends that Congo's rebel fighting was thousands of miles from Kenya, and that no, Odhiambo is not a king back home. And so, on this day, Odhiambo tooled around Kisumu, a medium-size city full of government workers and small-business people, street hawkers selling newspapers and vendors selling tennis shoes dangling from tree limbs. He drove the modest Toyota Starlet he bought for $1,500 cash past a minor traffic jam of bicycle taxis and people pushing carts loaded with plastic jugs of water.

"This city has grown, but they still have the water system from the colonial days," he said, not seeming to care. He drove past a golf course and through an upscale neighborhood of bamboo hedges and pink bougainvillea, noting the few cars in driveways. "Here, if you have a car, you'll share it with four or five people," he said. "In the States, if there are five people in the house, they have five cars. There's a lot of 'this is mine.' " the money he saved in the States, Odhiambo figures he has a six-month cushion during which he plans to start his own business -- a kind of private coast guard for Lake Victoria, modeled on the community fire stations in the United States. But because of the famously slow Kenyan bureaucracy, his business registration is taking weeks, leaving Odhiambo with something he rarely had in America -- time.

He is farming some in his mother's village, where he has another family home, and getting back into his old ham radio hobby. He enjoys afternoons watching small planes buzz in for a landing above the rolling green sugar and tea farms around Kisumu. His family lives in his mother-in-law's tidy -- and paid for -- one-story, cinder-block house. There are no credit cards in Kenya, and mortgages are just catching on, so life mostly runs on cash. "Here, you really can live on about $5 a day," Odhiambo said. Instead of running a dishwasher, the Odhiambos wash their plates by hand. Instead of running an air conditioner, they open the windows. Instead of shopping for groceries at Wal-Mart, Odhiambo's wife heads to the local market and bargains for fresh tomatoes, onions and the Kenyan equivalent of collard greens, sukuma wiki. She has dropped four dress sizes.

"Here, you can't say 'Give me a number 4,' " he said, pulling into his neighborhood, where a few goats trotted along the dirt road, and some elementary-school children in gray uniforms shuffled home. "See that?" he said. "Think of that! In America, you'd never let kids walk home" alone. Odhiambo has noticed that his girls, who are 4 and 2 and will attend a private international school here, are becoming less leery of strangers and the outdoors in general, an attitude he says they learned in the United States. "When we first got here, people would say, 'Why don't they go outside and play?' " he said. "They were scared." Gradually, though, the family is relaxing. "Right now, I'm just waiting for my business registration," Odhiambo said, savoring a warm sunset breeze. "Here, the pace is a whole lot slower."

KIKUYÛ AGE GROUP

1958 - Rika ria Ruthario - Age of Rossary

A Kenyan running for California Governor - 2010

In following the footsteps of President Obama, a Kenyan and a resident of California has declared his candidature for the Governor of California. Here below is his statement and appeal for help and votes. My name is Dr. Joe Symmon and I am running for Governor of California. I am a moral voice of change, hope and destined for greatness. What is critical to human progress is vision — seeing a future that is achievable and worth attaining.“ Without a vision and sound judgment, people perish”. California’s political change is long overdue. And this is our moment to bring that change, to restore hope and reclaim our Golden state for ourselves and our emerging generations. When I am Governor, I will deal with issues affecting us today with high integrity, wisdom and leading boldly by example.

Our economy will thrive, our schools and teachers will excel, and our universal health care and environmental systems will work. Static and status quo style of leadership in Sacramento will go. It is time to break the cycle of failed policies and politics. I am a visionary endowed with freshness and new ideologies. The issues that unite us are far greater than issues that divide us. As Governor I will pursue and implement these issues:

1. Integrity – the Governor will lead by example. The way I carry myself in private will be how I will treat others. Asserting the Golden rule at all decision making process. The immediate result of following the Golden Rule is that I will be treating other people very, very well. "And as you wish that men would do to you, do so to them." I have personally practiced this rule since my debut into politics in 1979 and during my tenure as a Graduate student president in 1984.

2. Moral, virtue and family values – I am married to one wife for 33 years. We have raised three biological kids and are now raising almost 200 orphans with a full-time staff of over thirty. We provide them with a home, food, education, clothing, health care. By so doing, we have ignited an unstoppable hope and destiny. Giving them an opportunity for better and responsible citizenry. A Governor ought to rule his house well before he can aspire for public office, and this I have done. Solomon said “when the righteous rule, people rejoice and when the wicked are in authority, people mourn” This is our time to turn the page.

3. Economy – Ending economic instability requires a true break with the status quo. It will not happen in the course of “business as usual.” My plan is to unite the leaders in Sacramento so that we can have a simple majority rule to pass the budget. Partisanship politics will be a thing of the past. I have no intention to raise taxes. My giving back plan will be rolled out in my first 100 days. California will attract businesses that migrated in the past to return, and existing businesses shall perform better. This will boost the creation of new jobs.

4. Education – Our high institutions of learning should be well equipped to carry out research that will advance modern technological and social changes in every sector of learning. We’re experiencing cutbacks in almost every department and eventually affecting teaching profession and trickling down to students’ performance. As Governor, I will employ a team of technocrats and professionals to change the system. Teachers should be paid well and every effort made to motivate and retain them on the job. College students should have sufficient grants to keep them focused more in their studies rather than have them work two or three jobs. Many have snoozed and died on the wheel working multiple shifts.

5. Environment - We should harness the sun and the wind to produce sufficient energy to run our vehicles and industries. And we have plenty of both here in our golden state. We should reserve and recycle all that water that runs to the Pacific from rainfall and our snow-capped mountains and utilize it to run our technology. Southern California fire season can be a thing of the past if we can use this water to plant trees that will in turn bring rainfalls to change our dry landscape into forests and run arsonists out of business.

6. Health – every citizen should have access to affordable and reliable health care. I will guarantee affordable, accessible health care coverage for all Californians. More so for our senior citizens should enjoy their golden years in our golden state peacefully. I wholeheartedly support and would adopt Obama health-care plan.

7. Immigration - to solve the challenges we are facing in California on immigration issues, I will pursue genuine solutions daily. I will be committed to ensure that immigrants are accorded the same respect and legal status like every one who have come here to seek an opportunity to better their lives. And quoting President Obama “they have come here for the same reason that families have always come here--for the hope that in America, they could build a better life for themselves and their families.” Legal residency for all immigrants shall be my priority. My sincere Appeal: Your Prayers first, financial support, Your Vote, mobilizing others to vote for the moral voice of Change, a Voice of Hope - Our Destiny to Greatness. A win for Dr. Symmon is a win for us all. Thank you for your support. Dr. Joe Symmon, P.O. Box 390, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91739. www.drjoesymmon.com - By Diasporamessenger

If you think you are unhappy, look at them

www.misterseed.tv is increasingly becoming popular even before the official launching is expected soon. MORE

Kenya should legalise Dual Citizenship for its Diaspora.

By Alex Kamau Kamotho.

How unfortunate that it has taken the financial turmoil ravaging the US and the UK and much of the western world for Kenyan ministers and mandarins to appreciate the important role the Diaspora play in the Kenyan economy, and what more they could do were their potential utilised in a systematic manner. That this group of people remit nearly 50 billion shillings annually greatly underscores their role.

There is no justification as to why Kenya has yet to formulate a coherent policy to utilise the immense financial resources of Kenyans abroad almost fifty years after they started leaving for studies, work or settlement abroad.

But who are the Diaspora? Kenyans abroad are largely in five categories: Students, Professionals, those permanently settled through marriage or family, those in mid or lower jobs and the undocumented immigrants.

Irrespective of category, most Diaspora retain an irrevocable bond with Kenya and hope to return and lead a better life informed by greater financial resources and make a contribution to Kenya’s development. They continue to liberate their families and friends through financial support.

One is impressed by their sheer and singular determination wherever they are abroad and what they achieve relative to how much they earn- and the cost of living. The lessons they learnt in Kenya – of thrift, austerity and sacrifice help them save millions through blood and sweat.

I live and work in the UK and am humbled that the more than 150,000 Kenyans living here have been classed as one of the most economically active, productive and successful of all immigrant communities to the UK.

This is no mean feat in a country with immigrants from every country on earth and importantly because race and skin colour remain important factors in determining access to economic opportunities and progress.

What then can the Kenyan government and politicians do to help?

First there need to be a structured way of tapping the economic potential of this group. The Kenyan government could if it were more organised borrow money from the Diaspora instead of genuflecting every time at hostile donors. What about a Diaspora bond or treasury bills issued say in London, Montreal, Canberra or Washington and subscribed for in pounds or dollars-directly remitted to Kenya via our foreign missions? That Kenyan companies have in the past camped for weeks in major US and UK cities offering their products to the Diaspora shows this potential. The government should offer alternative investment opportunities and dissuade most Diasporas from investing primarily in real estates as this has, as evidence now suggest resulted in an over priced real asset bubble in the major Kenyan towns which may explode with serious consequences to ordinary Kenyans at home.

Secondly the Kenyan government should urgently pass legislation to legalise dual citizenship. It is painful to renounce Kenyan citizenship and most do so as a last resort. American or British citizenship may mean greater access to economic opportunity but does not make one less Kenyan! I belief once Kenyan always Kenyan irrespective of what Kenyan politicians would rather we think of ourselves.

The 150 world countries among them the richest and most progressive that allow dual citizenship appreciate the great benefits associated with efficient movement of labour and capital. Our blinkered ruling class appear oblivious to these benefits which is both a tragic and scandalous failure of leadership.

In an increasingly interconnected world, it is in Kenya’s best interests that native born citizens be knowledgeable about and involved in the world. It is notable that most of the Kenyan Diaspora is concentrated in the richest countries and Kenya would benefit two fold were it to allow dual citizenship.

Political loyalty is far different from nostalgia and the desires to make things better in the land of one’s birth are two emotions Kenya should not dissuade. There is clear historical precedent and hard evidence that affection for—and even service to—one’s homeland is not incompatible with Kenyans Diaspora taking up British, American or Canadian citizenship. The more than 10 million Jews living outside Israel but eternally welcome in Israel do not love Israel any less than their countries of domicile.

Dual citizenship does not weaken Kenyan loyalty; to the contrary, it strengthens Diasporas’ feeling that they are welcome by reassuring them that they will not be punished for loving their homeland. Many of the countries that allow duo citizenship do so because they understand that a great country would not want to make citizens out of those who do not care about the fate of the land of their birth.

The medieval maxim that a man or woman should no more have two countries than two wives or husbands is based on a misleading allegory. The better comparison is between two different kinds of loyalties, to parent and spouse: An individual is bound to one by nature (birth), and to the other by choice (love or marriage). One can love both equally strongly, but in different ways.

I hope Hon Wetangula , Richard Onyanka and Otieno Kajwang –will be reading this and hope they will fast track into law, dual citizenship to correct this shameful position for a most valuable group of Kenyans.

The government they serve may be remembered by us lot for years to come.

The writer is a Kenyan working as a lecturer in Britain. - akkamotho@yahoo.co.uk

Nairobi districts to be increased

Written By:Rose Kamau/KNA , Posted: Mon, Jun 01, 2009

The number of functional districts in Nairobi province is set to increase from the current four to nine. Nairobi P.C James Waweru said in addition to the existing Nairobi West, Nairobi East, Nairobi North and Westlands districts additional districts will soon be set up to ease access to services for Nairobi residents. The anticipated five districts will be Kasarani, Embakasi, Langata, Kamukunji and Njiru. "I am optimistic that with the inception of these districts then many concerns will be effectively addressed," said the P.C. Mr. Waweru who was addressing the press at his office urged Nairobi residents to cooperate with the government particularly on the issue of location of headquarters for the new districts. He defended the creation of new districts saying statistics indicated that better services were achievable within smaller administrative units. "My expectations is that we shall experience better services, less insecurity threats which go unnoticed, few or unlicensed bars, noise pollution and the like," he added. He urged Nairobi residents to exercise patience as the government works on the modalities of setting up the new districts saying services by provincial administration will in the meantime continue being provided at the already activated districts and divisions. Waweru commended the government for its efforts in provision of jobs to citizens particularly the youths and women through several strategies. He said Nairobi province has benefited through such initiatives the latest being the Kazi Kwa Vijana (KKV) which has seen at least 1000 youths employed weekly in every division, courtesy of the Ministries of Environment and Natural Resources and Roads and Public Works.

PARIS (Reuters) - Sixty-one French citizens, 58 Brazilians and 26 Germans were among the 216 passengers on an Air France flight believed to have crashed in the Atlantic Ocean, the airline said Monday. The airline's head office in Paris gave out an official list of the passengers' nationalities but did not mention the crew. It said the list superceded a previous list given out by airline officials in Brazil. Passengers from 32 nationalities were on board in all, including nine Chinese, nine Italians, six Swiss, five Britons and five Lebanese.

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - General Motors filed for bankruptcy on Monday, forcing the 100-year-old automaker once seen as a symbol of American economic might and dynamism into a new and uncertain era of government ownership. The bankruptcy filing is the third-largest in U.S. history and the largest ever in U.S. manufacturing. The decision to push GM into a fast-track bankruptcy and provide $30 billion (18.2 billion pounds) of additional taxpayer funds to restructure the automaker is a huge gamble for the Obama administration. But in a sign of progress in the government's high-stakes effort, a bankruptcy judge approved the sale of substantially all of U.S. carmaker Chrysler's assets to a group led by Italy's Fiat in an opinion filed late on Sunday. Following the bankruptcy filing, GM shares were removed from the Dow Jones industrial average and delisted by the New York Stock Exchange as "no longer suitable for listing." Chrysler's bankruptcy, also financed by the U.S. Treasury, has been widely seen as a test run for the much bigger and more complex reorganization of GM. President Barack Obama said that concessions by labour and creditors achieved a viable and achievable plan for GM to complete its restructuring and have a chance to succeed.

"I am absolutely confident that if well-managed, a new GM will emerge that can ... out-compete automakers around the world and that can once again be an integral part of America's economic future," Obama said. The administration's ambitious plan for GM is for a quick sale process that would allow a much smaller company to emerge from court protection in as little as 60 to 90 days. In bankruptcy, GM will divide in two: a leaner "New GM" and "Old GM" -- which will include the parts of GM that will eventually be liquidated. GM said the split would be accomplished through what is called a Section 363 sale. The new GM assets would transfer to an entity owned by the U.S. and Canadian governments, the UAW and GM's unsecured creditors. GM said in court documents that the 363 sale has to be quick as the U.S. Treasury has made clear it will finance New GM only if the sale transaction is approved by July 10. "Now the hard part begins, which is making GM and Chrysler competitive. If they don't do that, then we'll be doing this all over again in a few years," said Christopher Richter, a car analyst at CLSA Asia-Pacific Markets in Tokyo. "The immediate implication is that the companies are going to get smaller and so market share is up for grabs, which means that rivals like Toyota, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai are going to gain share." Indeed, one of GM's major challenges will be to create a streamlined offering of vehicles that are affordable, stylish and fuel-efficient. "People forget that very high oil prices were one of the triggers for this recession," Daniel Yergin, chairman of Cambridge Energy Research Associates, said at the Reuters Global Energy Summit on Monday. "General Motors was thrown on its back by what happened at the gasoline pump."

Air France jet crashes into Atlantic with 228 aboard

PARIS (Reuters) - An Air France plane with 228 people on board was presumed to have crashed into the Atlantic Ocean on Monday after hitting stormy weather during a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris. The airline offered its condolences to the families of the passengers, making clear it did not expect any rescue. "It's a tragic accident. The chances of finding survivors are tiny," French President Nicolas Sarkozy said at Paris's Charles de Gaulle airport after meeting passenger relatives. The plane was packed with 216 passengers including seven children and one baby, Air France said. Most of them were French or Brazilian but they included around 20 Germans and several other nationalities. Twelve crew members were also on board. The full Airbus jet flew into storms and heavy turbulence four hours after take-off from Rio and 15 minutes later sent an automatic message reporting electrical faults, the airline said. There was no sign that the crew had sent a mayday message or any indication that signal-emitting emergency locators had activated on impact as is normally the case in crashes.

BE A BRAVE FIGHER - EVEN WHEN PROBLEM IS HUGE

Nairobi, Monday 1st June, 2009. A top level government delegation is set to leave the country Monday for Geneva to defend the government against accusations of extrajudicial killings and police impunity by UN Special Rapporteur Philip Alston. But as the team prepares to leave, ODM says it is not party to the Geneva mission and the delegation's stand on Alston's report is not that of the coalition government's since no consultations were carried out. The government delegations is led by Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo and Attorney General Amos Wako will lead the government's team to Geneva. ODM which has endorsed Alston's report says is not represented in the team adding that no consultations were made prior to the travel plans. Party Secretary General Anyang Ny'ong'o said they only learnt of the government's move to plead its case in Geneva through the press. He said the report should been tabled before the cabinet for discussion and before a final decision is taken. Elsewhere, COTU Secretary General Francis Atwoli said the recommendations of the Alston report cannot be implemented in the current political dispensation. His sentiments were also echoed by a section of central mps. Kenya's case will come before the UN Human Rights Council, the UN's top organ on human rights, on Wednesday. The Alston report relaesed last Tuesady accused top police officials of running death squads and describes Kenyan courts as "slow and corrupt". The report recommends that Police Commissioner Maj-Gen Hussein Ali be sacked and Attorney-General Amos Wako resign and police reforms be undertaken.

Bulls explode after power lines collapse

Seven bulls exploded and caught fire after power lines fell on a dairy farm in New Zealand. The incident happened north of Auckland at Wilks Road farm. Dave Taylor, who leases the farm, said he got a phone call from his father who was driving along the motorway, telling him his cows were exploding. 'I found seven dead and on fire in the paddock,' he said. Three bulls were electrocuted after the power lines fell and four were killed when they walked into the live area. A hedgehog was also killed.

The dust has now settled at the offices of the Kenya High Commissioner in London after the Kenya High Commissioner HE Joseph Muchemi held a meeting with staff on Friday 29th May, 2009 to clarify the position. He explained to the staff that he is still the boss and everyone in the commission should follow his instructions. Sources says that the commissioner got some communication from the State House that he is still in charge. The big question now remains - how long is the dust going to take to settle.

Anyone know what this terrible thing is?

She first noticed an odd black patch on her baby’s stomach when she held him for the first time. However, doctors assured Sylvia Atieno that it was a birth mark that would gradually disappear as baby Stanley grew older. Eight years later, Stanley’s body is a sea of moles and folds of dark skin threatening to cover every part of the body. Ms Atieno noticed that the ‘birth mark’ was growing when Stanley was still a toddler. She took him to hospital where he was given medicine, but the spots continued to spread to his hands, feet and face. From a spot, the dark blotch extended to cover the stomach, back and groin area. The growth has now formed folds around the young boys waist and back. This makes it difficult for him to bend or sit comfortably on a chair. Ms Atieno’s life has consisted of monthly visits to Kenyatta National Hospital. “Every time I go to hospital they give me pain killers and advice me to feed him well. Last month the doctors told me that it was a mole disease and that there is no cure,” she said. Born in 2001, Stanley is the first of three children born to Ms Atieno and her husband who works as a casual worker in Dandora. Unlike other boys his age, Stanley is quiet and withdrawn. While his classmates at Dandora Primary School play and run around, Stanley often watches from the sidelines. “Sometimes I play with my friends but when my body becomes too painful I stop,” murmured the shy boy. He has two friends who he loves to play football with, he said. In class, Stanley said he cannot sit for long hours because his body becomes sore.

During lessons he keeps shifting and standing to ease the pain. The itching causes extra discomfort. His class teacher, Ms Grace Mbaria, describes him as an average student. “Sometimes he goes out to play like the other children, but other times he stays back during physical education (PE) lessons,” she said. Stanley’s mother fears that it may not only be his education that suffers. “He does not sleep well and eats very little,” she says. Since sitting on the sofa can be painful, he spends most of the time on a carpet laid out especially for him. During one of the visits to hospital when the doctor was explaining that nothing could be done, young Stanley burst into tears. His mother recounts: “He asked me ‘Why is my body different from the other children?’” “I assure him that one day he will be better but he cried ‘But the doctor said I won’t get better’. I didn’t know what to tell him,” said the sad 24-year-old mother. It is such frustration that drove her to cross the border in search of a traditional medicine man. Accompanied by her sister, and the little boy, she packed her bags and headed to Tanzania. “The herbalist was visibly shocked when he saw Stanley,” she narrated. “He did not say what he though it was but gave me some syrup, ointment and soap which I was to wash him with.” The travelling and medicine cost a fortune for the young and struggling family. The three got stranded in Tanzania and had to ask a friend to send them money for transport back. For two months she diligently administered the syrup, spread the ointment and bathed her first-born in the herbs as instructed. There was no improvement. With the doctors and herbalists having failed her, an exasperated Ms Atieno has only one request: “I want to know if there is anyone out there who knows what this disease is.” She asks for specialists or even people who have the disease to tell her of what treatment to administer to her son. “All I give him now is painkillers like Brufen, which only stops the pain for a while,” she added. Her two other children are very healthy so she does not understand what went wrong.

Of her visits to Kenyatta, he says: “I wish they could refer me to someone else instead of always prescribing painkillers.” Finding help has now become a community effort with the primary school’s headteacher, community health workers and neighbours joining in. “We are all trying to get help for the child,” said Terry Wayua, the neighbour who alerted Nation to the boy’s plight. Efforts to reach dermatologists at KNH for comment were futile as one was out for the weekend and the other could be only seen by appointment. But a consultant physician, Prof S. Bhatt, who had a look at a photograph of Stanley could not hide his shock. “I have never seen something like this before,” exclaimed the veteran doctor. He said in his 30 years of service at the University of Nairobi and the national hospital, he had not come across any case as extensive and rare as Stanley’s. “If he has been coming to Kenyatta for the past eight years I am surprised no one has made any diagnosis”. Moles, he said, would have already been surgically removed. Although he could not give a diagnosis from a photograph and also because that was not his area of speciality, the spots to him indicated a skin disorder, probably cancerous because it keeps growing. A sample of the tumour would have to be taken for testing at their laboratories. He offered to forward it to the Dean, School of Health Sciences, as a possible research case. “The University would be interested to take up such a rare case. They have the facilities and specialists at their disposal,” he said. - Daily Nation.

ODM cries foul over Geneva team

Prime Minister Raila Odinga joins Numbi dancers shortly before he distributed relief food to residents of his Langata constituency at Kibera DO's office on 31 May 2009. More than 3000 people benefited. Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Sunday demanded the reconstitution of a team that is to defend the government over a UN report on extrajudicial killings. The team, comprising Attorney General Amos Wako, Justice minister Mutula Kilonzo and Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti should be “representative” of government, Mr Odinga said. Speaking in Kibera in his Lang’ata constituency, Mr Odinga ruled out ODM sending a parallel delegation to the 11th session of the UN Human Rights Council, but said the Alston report was a weighty issue that ought to be discussed by the coalition government to develop a common position. “I am personally opposed to human rights violations and want such atrocities stopped but the delegation that is to proceed to Geneva must bear the character of the coalition government,” he declared. He said three names were already proposed and assured Kenyans that the final list of the delegation will satisfy both sides of the political divide. - Daily Nation.

Robin Hood is an archetypal figure in English folklore, whose story originates from medieval times, but who remains significant in popular culture where he is known for "stealing from the rich and giving to the poor" and fighting against injustice and tyranny. His band includes a "three score" group of fellow outlawed yeomen – called his "Merry Men". He has been the subject of numerous films, television series, books, comics and plays. In the earliest sources, Robin Hood is a commoner, but he would often later be portrayed as the dispossessed Earl of Huntingdon. – CLICK HERE FOR THE VIDE

Nairobi, Monday 1st June, 2009. The eldest son of freedom fighter Dedan Kimathi is dead. Meshack Wachiuri Kimathi died at Kenyatta National Hospital, on Friday, where he had been hospitalised since December 14. Mr Daniel Macharia, the family spokesperson, told The Standard yesterday Wachiuri was hospitalised after fracturing his spinal cord. "Wachiuri slipped and fell near his home in Komarock Estate, last year. He injured his spinal cord, leaving him paralysed from the neck down," he said. Wachiuri, 60, was the eldest son of Mau Mau freedom fighter Kimathi and his wife Mukami. He is survived by his wife, Nancy Wachiuri and four children. Macharia said the burial date would be announced later after consultations with the Government and the Church. "Wachiuri was the son of a public figure and the date of his burial is subject to consultations among a number of people. Indeed throughout his hospitalisation the Government has been in touch with the family," said Macharia. - Daily Nation.

US abortion doctor is shot dead

A prominent US abortion doctor has been shot dead at a church in the city of Wichita, Kansas. Sixty-seven year-old George Tiller was killed just after 1000 (1500 GMT) at the Reformation Lutheran Church. The gunman, described as a white man, fled in a car, but officials say a suspect is now in custody. Dr Tiller, one of the few US doctors who performed so-called late-term abortions, had been vilified by anti-abortionists in the US. His clinic - called Women's Health Care Services - had often been the site of demonstrations, and he had been shot and wounded by an assailant 16 years ago.Dr Tiller's lawyer, Dan Monnat, said he was killed while serving as an usher during a morning church service. His wife was in the choir at the time. Dr Tiller's widow, four children and 10 grandchildren issued a statement calling his killing "an unspeakable tragedy". The statement said: "This is particularly heart-wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace." They said his death was a loss for Wichita and for women across America, saying he had dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care, despite frequent threats and violence.

The Government on Sunday 31st May, 2009 inched closer to talks with the outlawed Mungiki sect. Internal Security Minister George Saitoti said there are other ways of exploring and solving the problems other than by using the gun. In the clearest indication the Government would negotiate with the sect, the minister said use of force and killing sect members was not bearing fruit. "The youth are the greatest asset the country has and we cannot afford to lose them; we need them," said Prof Saitoti. The State has for long rejected overtures by Mungiki to negotiate saying it cannot dialogue with criminals. "We are ready to work with MPs, the clergy, and all the other groups to explore ways to end the menace. This is a big problem that we cannot solve without engaging each other," he said. Saitoti, who is leaving for Geneva over the Prof Philip Alston report on extra-judicial killings, has however, put criminals on notice. "We won’t accept anybody who is arming to kill. We shall deal with the person with the full force of law." - Daily Nation.

LEFT: A wonder pill harnessing the antioxidant qualities of tomatoes could help save hundreds of thousands of lives, says the Daily Express. RIGHT: Metro leads on the same story. The paper also pictures 13-year-old Diversity star Perri Kiely, fresh from the group's Britain's Got Talent success.

Pakistan city centre 'destroyed' . The scale of the war damage to the main city in the Swat valley has become clear, as fears are expressed about the humanitarian situation in the region. Taliban rebels were driven out of Mingora on Saturday by Pakistan government troops. The defence secretary says operations in the whole Swat valley region should end in the next few days, though military chiefs are more cautious. A BBC correspondent who went to Mingora has reported widespread damage. Rifatullah Orakzai, reporting for the BBC's Urdu Service, said that all the buildings and shops in the town square had been completely destroyed. However, local people have now been able to seek supplies in the town's market after the lifting of a curfew.

President Mwai Kibaki will Monday lead the nation in marking the 46th Madaraka Day Celebrations at the Nyayo Stadium.

‘NOW FOR UHURU, SAYS PREMIER’. That was the front-page headline of this newspaper — then called East African Standard — 46 years ago on Monday, June 3, 1963. The story captured Kenya’s first Madaraka Day. It, ideally, would have been published on Sunday, June 2 but then this paper did not have a Sunday edition and so events of the big celebration on Saturday were published on Monday, which was — by extension — a holiday. It is a historical newspaper. - MORE

A keeper killed by a tiger at the 'Lion Man TV show' zoo

A keeper killed by a tiger at the 'Lion Man TV show' zoo had previously prised the jaws of big cat from his workmate's leg, it has emerged. Dalu Mncube was the second person attacked this year by one of the white tigers at Zion Wildlife Park on New Zealand's North Island. The South African national was savaged in front of horrified tourists after he and a colleague entered the cage at to clean it. Reports said Mr Mncube saved fellow keeper Demetri Price after a white tiger mauled his leg in February. When the big cat bit Mr Price's knee, Mr Mncube reportedly dug his fingers between its teeth before using fire extinguisher to make the 260kg beast open its mouth. Mr Price praised his rescuer as a "very unique man", but criticised the park's management for endangering keepers, stuff.co.nz said. "I was no longer willing to take the risk involved with working there," he said. Mr Mncube died before help could reach him, after suffering serious wounds to his abdomen and lower legs. The animal - one of only 120 white tigers in the world - was shot dead by staff to recover the keeper's body. Park's manager Glen Holland said Mr Mncube was an experienced keeper and "fantastic with the cats". The facility has 42 rare lions and tigers - four of which are white tigers - in large wire-cage enclosures that include trees and grassy areas. Zion park features in the Lion Man television programme with Craig Busch, who was reportedly sacked for alleged serious misconduct in November. The attack has sparked investigations by police, the Labour Department, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and the coroner. Other zoos and keepers have spoken out against the park's intimate style of handling its animals. Zion has been closed until further notice.

NAIROBI, Kenya May 30 - Jailed Naivasha rancher Tom Cholmondeley has filed a notice of appeal to challenge his manslaughter conviction over the death of stonemason Robert Njoya. In a notice filed in the High Court registry on May 18, Mr Cholmondeley is challenging the verdict by the High Court judge Muga Apondi who found him guilty of killing Njoya. The farmer is currently serving an eight-month jail term at Kamiti Maximum Prison. The Attorney General had also indicated that he will seek the enhancement of the sentence but it is not clear whether that position has since changed. Lawyer Fred Ojimbo confirmed that they have filed the notice. “Yes, indeed we filed a notice of appeal against the conviction,” he said in a telephone interview. The notice as filed in court reads: “Take notice that that the accused person, Thomas G. Cholmondeley appeals to the Court of Appeal against the decision of Justice Muga Apondi where the appellant was found guilty and convicted of the offence of manslaughter.” While handing him the ‘light sentence’ Justice Apondi had said the sentence was meant to give Mr Cholmondeley time to reflect on his life. “He had no malice aforethought in killing the accused, he bore him no grudge and the shooting was not pre-mediated," Justice Apondi. "I will enforce a light sentence to give the accused person some time to reflect upon his life. The upshot of this is I hereby sentence him to eight months in prison." After the sentence the Director of Public Prosecution had told reporters that the sentence was too lenient for an offence that carries a maximum of life sentence. “We want to consult and very likely seek for enhancement of the sentence. We are not allowed to appeal directly against the conviction but we can seek for correction of the sentence. This we will do as early as next week,” he had said after the court verdict. “Although the judge was entitled to take into account the period the accused has been in remand, that still notwithstanding, the sentence still falls far below the just and fair sentence in this circumstances.” Across section of Kenyans had rejected the sentence terming it lenient and slap on the wrist.

Jailed Naivasha rancher Tom Cholmondeley

Thinking of how quickly things change, as I was in Dallas, Texas, I walked into Bank of America. It was a matter of minutes and I opened an account with the bank. It used to be the same in the UK but things have changed and you cannot now open a bank in the UK without papers and utility bill.

Cigarette manufacturers put on notice

Written By: Zipporah Njeri , Posted: May 30, 2009

Cigarette manufacturers risk prosecution if they do not adhere to the Tobacco Control Act that calls for pictorial warning messages on the cigarettes packs. The Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation says that the Act which obligates players to give both words and pictorial messages is in force. The Chairman of the Tobacco Control Board Prof Peter Odhiambo said the deadline or compliance with the new law has run out. "Pictorial messages will be more effective than just written words because we know that we have some cases in rural areas where some people cannot read. Tobacco health warnings are therefore strong defenses," he said. Cigarette manufacturing companies had last year requested for an extension of 9 months in order to implement the requirement of having pictorial warning messages on the packets. Kenya is among the countries that adopted and ratified guidelines to article 11 of the framework convention on tobacco control adopted in 2008 by the conference of parties to the international treaty. Cigarette smoking is reported to be a leading cause of diseases like cancer, respiratory and heart diseases among other illnesses according to World health organization. The WORLD NO TOBACCO Day created by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 1987 will be marked this Sunday. The theme of this year's day 'Tobacco Health Warning' is in line with what they call the tobacco crisis with studies indicating that Tobacco use is the second cause of death and is currently responsible for killing 1 in 10 adults worldwide.

Luo men are said to be the best lovers among Kenyan tribes. They can sing and praise the lady the whole day - hence winning her heart

Former president Daniel arap Moi on Friday opposed plans to split Rift Valley Province, saying the move would create more ethnic conflicts. He said the government should tread carefully when creating new administration boundaries to avert ethnic tensions that were witnessed last year during the post-election violence. “Rift Valley is one of the most cosmopolitan regions in the country and everyone wants to live in harmony but should it be subdivided, you shall witness the worst bloody conflicts,” said the retired president. He was addressing the fourth graduation ceremony at Rift Valley Institute of Science and Technology in Nakuru, where he was the chief guest. He is the patron and chairman of the institution’s board of trustees. He noted that the proposed subdivision of Rift Valley into four provinces was being done to favour individuals not originally settled in the region. “In Rift Valley, the majority are the Kalenjin, then Kikuyu and other small community members who have settled here and are enjoying the existing peaceful coexistence but if the region is subdivided, there would be a lot of chaos,” said Mr Moi. At the same time, the head of the Catholic Church in Kenya Cardinal John Njue opposed the creation of more districts. He said the move was not appropriate as the country was faced with a myriad problems, including hunger. In a speech read on his behalf by Nyeri Archbishop Peter Kairo, Cardinal Njue said the creation of more districts and plans to increase the number of provinces was divisive and the government had no resources to run them. The speech was delivered on Friday during a forum on the reform agenda held in Nanyuki. - Daily Nation.

Invitation to The Seeds Nyama Choma Party in Nottingham on Sat. 30th May, 2009

We would like to invite you to our goat eating party in support of our wedding to be held on Saturday 30th May 2009 as from 4.00 p.m. at Sycamore Millenium Centre, Hungerhill Road, Nottingham, NG3 4NB. Courtesy of Karanja (Seed) and Njeri (Twins). For more information please contact Jackson 07951220686 or Njeri 07960917279.

The pound jumps to its high this year exchanging at KShs. 122.17 against the Kenya shilling in London

Now things getting tough for over-stayers in UK - when going out of UK you have to show your visa if you are non-holder of European Union passport

Meet Professor Solomon Waigwa

The most learned man in the Akũrinũ religious sector

The man talks religious, drive religiously, wear religiously and teach religion. The man from Nyahururu who moved to the US several years ago is now settled in Dallas, US where he is the dean at Wiley University. Dr. Solomon Waigwa as he is officially known is the Associate Professor of Religion, Lead Professor, Department of Religion. The man likes his religion. "Nĩhĩndĩ mũroti oka gũkuoya Mr. Seed" - (The dreamer has arrived to pick up you Mr. Seed) the man explained to Mr. Seed. As we walked to his car I was quick to notice his car's registration number which read "MÛROTI" (DREAMER). Accompanied by Bishop Samuel Muya who is currently in the US we drove for about 200 kilometres to his home in Weco outside Dallas down town. When you enter his car, the music is well-selected and you cannot afford not to clap your hands as the music takes you back to Kenya a century ago. The professor took us to "The Other Country - The Life-giving Life of a Christian Community". A homestead farm where the owners live like the Garden of Aden. Several families living in a 2,000 acre farm, feeding and eating from the farm without outside interference - all food grown organic and the children do not go school but they are taught by their parents and community up the age of going to the university - as they Bible says. (Profile about this farm coming soon). Professor Waiga's family has done very well in the US - The father is a professor, his first son Mr. Waigwa has a PhD, first daughter Wangui is studying medicine and the last one now in the University. His contact is US 2542956225, 9039273347 or swaigwa@wileyc-edu. More later.

KIKUYU AGE GROUP

1898 - Rika ria Kienjeku (Shaved heads) - Senior Chief Njiiri wa Karanja was of this age group

Raila trip abroad official, government says

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 - The government has clarified that Prime Minister Raila Odinga`s recent trip to the United States and Iran was official. Spokesman Alfred Mutua on Thursday said Cabinet ministers who accompanied the PM were also given a go ahead by President Mwai Kibaki. “This clarification is made in lieu of the public interest on the Prime Minister’s travel,” Mr Mutua said a day after Parliament sought an explanation as to the nature of the trip and why only MPs from Mr Odinga’s party travelled in his entourage. The Premier was accompanied by Cabinet Ministers James Orengo, Dr Sally Kosgei to the US while Anyang Nyong'o, Fred Gumo, Ibrahim Elmi and Charity Ngilu joined him for the Iran trip. All the ministers are from the Premiers Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party. Ikolomani Member of Parliament Bonny Khalwale sought an explanation from the Foreign Affairs Ministry on whether the trips were official and how much it cost the Kenyan taxpayer. Mr Odinga left the country last Monday on a two-week trip to the United States and Iran. Mr Odinga`s itinerary did not indicate that he would visit the White House, neither did it have any visit to Washington raising speculation that he may have not been recognised as travelling in his official capacity. Dr Khalwale added: “I want the Minister to tell the House whether the US President Barack Obama snubbed the PM and if he was snubbed what the reason behind it was.” Dr Khalwale is also seeking details on areas of cooperation between Kenya and Iran and whether the composition of the PM’s delegation reflected these areas. Next Tuesday the Foreign Affairs Minister is expected to give a ministerial statement on the matter.

Chief Karuri wa Gakure was first chief in Kenya to promote a women to a status of a chief

Illegal immigration through Greece: UK Border Agency response

Home Office, 28 May 2009

The UK Border Agency has responded to television news reports on illegal migrants, mainly Afghan nationals, who are seeking to enter the United Kingdom through Greece.

A UK Border Agency spokesperson said:

'The UK has one of the strongest borders in the world. We work closely with our European partners to tackle illegal immigration through the use of the latest hi-tech border technology, joint sea and port operations and the continued exchange of intelligence. We are determined to shut down any routes traffickers try to exploit to bypass our border security.

'We have already created one of the toughest border crossings in the world at Calais. State-of-the-art technology - such as carbon dioxide and heartbeat detectors - and moving our border controls to France mean we can turn people away before they even step foot on British soil.

'Last year UK Border Agency staff worked tirelessly at our French and Belgium controls, not only searching more than one million lorries but also stopping 28,000 attempts to cross the Channel illegally.

'The number of would-be illegal migrants detected in Kent has fallen by nearly 90 per cent, from around 14,600 in 2001 to 1,800 in 2008.

'If someone is genuinely fleeing persecution, they should claim asylum in the first safe country they reach. If they are not in need of protection, we expect them to return home. It is not right that individuals attempt to use the asylum system as a cover for economic migration.'

MAASAI PROVERB

Eiu oltunani osuuji naa olenye

A man's son may be a coward but he is still his son.

UK house prices rose for the second time in three months, registering the largest one-month increase since late 2006, according to the Nationwide House Price Index. House prices jumped 1.2 per cent from April – just the latest evidence that consumers and businesses are becoming more optimistic about the economic outlook.

Nairobi, Friday 29th May, 2009. The intelligence apparatus of the country was on the spot on Thursday 28th May, 2009 in parliament over the killings that occurred in Mathira last month. Questions were raised of how the massacre of over 29 was executed without the knowledge of the national intelligence and the police. This followed a revelation by security minister George Saitoti of how the Mungiki sect set in motion a web of their extortion ring even taking over wives of the locals for the immoral deeds. Saitoti told parliament that the sect moved out of Nairobi late last year at the height of a massive crackdown by the police setting base in Kirinyaga. He said while in Kirinyaga the sect choreographed extortion in which anybody who owned a permanent house paid a shs 500 monthly fee while timber and mud houses attracted a fee of 200 and 50 shillings respectively. Saitoti said the sect even went further to levy a 5 per cent fee on bride price and defiled girls. The minister said the sect actions drew the wrath of the locals who resorted to revenge attacks. The sect members hit back by killing 26 people. He said the sect activities in the area had retarded education and economic development as primary and secondary boys were being recruited to the sect activities. Gichugu MP Martha Karua who had demanded the statement refuted the figures tabled by Saitoti claiming 46 people were killed in Kirinyaga central district alone in April. She accused police of sympathizing with the sect members. Saitoti accused the leaders from the region of protecting the mungiki members saying if an investigation report carried out by the government was to be tabled in the house they would be shocked. The matter was however referred to the parliamentary committee on national security for further investigations.

The big cat leapt at the biker as he drove along the road in Vyazemsk, Russia, but was hit in mid-air by a car. 'It just ran right in front of me - I hit it just as it was about to leap on the bike rider,' the driver of the car told local media. Vets say that the tiger had probably been driven to stalk populated areas after running out of food. Wildlife experts were able to sedate the cat run-over, which had sustained minor leg injuries, and have now taken it to a local zoo. Keepers estimate that the animal hadn't eaten for a month - possibly after becoming ill and being unable to catch its prey. However, they say that it is now recovering.

'Man Utd fan kills four in Nigeria'

Lagos, Friday 29th May, 2009. A Manchester United fan in Nigeria has allegedly killed four people when he drove into a crowd of Barcelona supporters after his team's Champions League defeat. Police said the crowd in the town of Ogbo were celebrating Barcelona's victory when the minibus drove into them. A police spokeswoman said ten people were injured and the driver was arrested. She said: "The driver had passed the crowd then made a U-turn and ran into them." Barcelona beat Manchester United 2-0 in what has been hailed as a "dream final" between two of Europe's best clubs. Both teams have large fan bases in Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation.

FAMINE RELIEF CHEQUE PRESENTATION CEREMONY – 23rd May 2009

From left is Mr Josh Kamau (Managing Director of BSS UK LTD and Organising Secretary,His Excellency the Kenyan High Commissioner in London Hon. Muchemi, The founder and senior Pastor of ECCI Rev Julius K Muiruri and the Chairman, The newly appointed the Mayor, Councillor Fred Pugh.

The committee of the Kenyan Famine Relief Appeal in Reading wishes to express their gratitude to all that attended the ceremony where the famine relief cheque was finally handed over to His Excellency the Kenyan High Commissioner in London Hon. Muchemi. The ceremony was also graced by His Worship the Mayor of Reading. The committee also wishes to thank all those who have contributed to this appeal, either by giving money or by being part of the organisation.

The presentation of the cheque was as a culmination of a series of committee meetings originating from one in which church leaders and other people were invited at the High Commissioner’s residence in London on 21st February 2009 when the famine in Kenya became unbearable and the government had to intervene. A cheque of £ 2337 was presented to the High Commissioner who thanked the organisation for a job well done. In his speech the High Commissioner reminded Kenyans that even though the long rains have since come in most parts of the country the famine situation still remains. He further praised the government’s efforts in containing the situation.

In January 2009 his Excellency President Mwai Kibaki of Kenya declared the famine a national emergency and directed all arms of government to mobilise resources and coordinate their efforts in responding adequately. Kenya has a population of 37,953,840 people out of which 10,000,000 face starvation due to massive food shortages meaning a 1/3 of the population of Kenya is hungry.

From left is Mrs Elizabeth Muigai, Dr,Rev Joyce Muirur-Press Secretary, Mr Peter Macharia Mwangi- Secretary General, The Mayoress. Ruth Nyambura , Sharon Gitau from Swindon, Mama Nancy and Mr Josh Kamau Organising Secretary. From right is the Founder and senior Pastor of Fountain of Love Church Rev Mansweetuas Macharia Muriithi- Treasurer, Mayor of Reading Councillor, Fred Pugh, HE Joseph Muchemi and Rev. Julius K. Muiruri- Chairman.

This famine is as a result of three factors:

Violence following the disputed Presidential elections in December 2007 which stalled maize production across Rift valley, Western and Nyanza provinces and which claimed 1,200 lives and displaced 350,000 people.
In the year 2008 there was a massive drought which struck large sections of Eastern province resulting to crop failure.
There has also been a general lack of overall food security plan for Kenya which has further exacerbated the situation
Inflation which has grown to 26.2% in 2008 as compared to 9.8% in 2007 resulting to high prices of food.

There is a serious need of emergency relief food with the government requiring 32 billion Kenya shillings out of which 30.2 billion is for emergency food requirements, 3.8 billion for the education sector, 1.3 billion for water, health and nutritional programmes and 2.6billion for agricultural and livestock interventions. The Kenyan government has set aside 5.2billion shillings of the 32billion required and is asking for 32billions which is a shortfall.

When this report reached this committee we all felt touched and decided to act quickly to avert this crisis and save lives. It is important to mention today that as we speak people are still hungry due to this famine while we have a moral obligation to help with whatever resources we have. The committee is therefore grateful to all those who were touched and decided to act. The hungry people in Kenya need men and women like you who when faced with such a huge challenge you will stand up to be counted. By responding together with us in this appeal you have become the guiding star to those who have been devastated by this famine and had been waiting for a voice from heaven. You are that voice. You have become a ray of hope to the many children who have run away from home and those who have left school and gone to seek refuge in search of food and water. We are happy that you have decided that doing nothing is not an option and did what you all belief in.

This committee wishes to inform Kenyans that our resolve of responding to any crisis in our country and within is growing stronger. It’s a group of men and one woman who have decided to choose hope when faced with despair. United we stand.

The Kenyan Famine Relief in Reading committee Members are;

Rev. Julius K. Muiruri – Chairman

Mr. Peter Macharia Mwangi – Secretary General

Pastor Mansweetuas Macharia Muriithi – Treasurer

Rev. Dr. Joyce Muiruri – Press Secretary

Mr. Josh Kamau – Organising Secretary

"One does not even know what is on the other side of the Mountain of life. Be ready to embrace the unexpected and unplanned. In wonderment of making changes, seeing new places, new faces…" - Joseph Ngugi, London

I could do this standing on my head

Wang Xiaoyu, 35, gives a model a haircut while standing on his head near his barbershop in Changsha, Hunan Province on May 22.Wang Xiaoyu, 35, gives a model a haircut while standing on his head near his barbershop in Changsha, Hunan Province on May 22. Wang, a barber of 15 years who has had 18 years of training in martial arts, is now trying to attract more customers by giving haircuts whilst adopting a headstand, local media reported. We cannot imagine what could possibly go wrong.

Public school Eton will close for a week after a pupil tested positive for swine flu, a school spokesman has said. The Berkshire boys school, which was attended by Princes William and Harry, was informed on Wednesday that a 13-year-old boy had tested positive. Health authorities advised the school to shut until 7 June. It comes after health officials announced a further 17 people in the UK were diagnosed with the virus, taking the total number of cases to 203. Fourteen of the new cases - 13 children and one adult - are part of an outbreak now totalling 64 cases linked to Welford Primary School in Birmingham.

WHAT SOME LONDON PAPER SAYS ON THURSDAY 28TH MAY, 2009

LEFT: The Daily Mail leads with the news that twelve MPs who have quit over the expenses row will qualify for end-of-service payments by staying in their roles until the General Election. CENTRE: The Times has a special report on the civilian loss of life during the Sri Lankan army's final battle against the Tamil Tigers. It pictures a refugee camp, with a circle locating a zone where bodies were reportedly buried. RIGHT: Gordon Brown is "facing an escalating crisis of confidence" as record numbers of his MPs apply to sit in the House of Lords after the next general election, the Guardian reports.

London, Friday 29th May, 2009. Senior Tory MP Bill Cash paid his daughter £15,000 in rent from Parliamentary expenses despite owning a flat closer to Parliament. Mr Cash named a London flat owned by his daughter Laetitia as his second home in 2004-5 and claimed for rental payments, the Daily Telegraph revealed. Mr Cash told the paper that "what is lawful is appropriate" but he would repay the money if required to. Three further MPs are standing down after criticism of their expenses. Conservative MPs Julie Kirkbride and Christopher Fraser and Labour's Margaret Moran said on Thursday they would not defend their seats at the next election although all insisted they had not done anything wrong. Mr Fraser said he was standing down for personal reasons to care for his ill wife. In its latest batch of disclosures about MPs' expenses, the Telegraph said Mr Cash rented a property from his daughter - an aspiring MP - in London despite owning a property closer to Westminster himself. It said he designated her flat as his second home and claimed more than £15,000 in rental payments given to her - equivalent to about £1,200 a month. Ms Cash - who herself stood as a Tory candidate at the last general election and hopes to do so at the next election - later sold the property for a £48,000 profit, the newspaper added.

The arch eurosceptic, who has been an MP for 25 years, told the BBC that he had shown the tenancy agreement to the Commons authorities and it had been approved. He also said that he had never claimed any allowances for his much larger principal residence in Shropshire, which would have cost the taxpayer much more. He also stressed that, while living with his daughter, he had not rented out his own London property. Before the rules were changed in July 2006, MPs were permitted to rent properties from family members. Mr Cash said he was happy for his arrangements to be examined by the Tories' internal scrutiny panel which is looking at all expenses claims made by MPs in the past four years. Tory leader David Cameron has said all his MPs must justify their expenses claims to their constituents as public anger over the issue led to some MPs to step down. Among further allegations made by the Telegraph, the newspaper said Labour MP Nigel Griffiths claimed £3,600 for a digital TV and radio set so that he could keep up with news developments in his constituency in Scotland. It said the Edinburgh MP's claim was rejected but that Mr Griffiths made other claims which were approved for decorating his second home, including one for £9,250 in 2004. Mr Griffiths said the Commons authorities had turned down the claim for a TV and radio and he had bought the items without spending any public money.

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"God is Good!" the man says with a sigh, then sips his drink with relish. "This is my first soda in 33 years," says Robert Masibai, 65, with child-like frankness. He is savouring the first few moments of freedom, having been locked up in Kamiti Maximum Prison for half his lifetime. For a man jailed on his own plea of guilty to a murder charge when he was only 32 years, it is a grizzled slight man slouching to old age that emerges when the steel doors creak open. "I’m now free!" exclaims Masibai, as he is still unable to believe his luck, then takes a sip of the soda before him. Indeed, Masibai is lucky to be alive, having been jailed for life for killing Osman Abdullahi in Kisumu after they quarreled over Sh2,000. "I was a businessman and I had given Osman the cash to deliver some goods to me. He instead decided to pocket the cash," he says. "I was armed with a knife and in a rage I drove it into his chest. He died two days later at the New Nyanza General Hospital," Masibai narrates with a tinge of regret. He was arrested and charged with murder at a Kisumu court and sentenced to hang on January 30, 1981. "The pace of conviction was based on the fact that I did not deny the charge," Masibai says before hastening to add: "I knifed Osman in broad daylight. There was no way I could have denied. I was so remorseful and ready to pay the price." He learnt to live one day a time, neither knowing the day nor the hour of his killing. "Fellow inmates would be taken away and when they did not return, we would worry they had met their fate." Masibai saw a miracle in 1982 when then President Moi commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment. And this month, after 33 years in jail, Masibai’s streak luck followed him to freedom, a Presidential amnesty securing his release back to the society. He elaborates: "The good news came yesterday when I was called to the office of the Officer in Charge. He declared me a free man."

Mr Robert Walukau Masibai, 65, one of the longest serving prisoners leaves Kamiti Maximum Prison, Nairobi, yesterday. He was released on amnesty by the President. Masibai served in the prison for 33 years after Kisumu High Court convicted him of murder on January 30, 1981.

But as he hugs his bag containing his worldly worth, three old pairs of trousers, two shirts and a pair of akala sandals, his worry is where he would start reconstructing his life. "I was married when I went in. I had three daughters and parents. They are all dead and it pains that let alone attending their burials, I have never seen their graves," he laments. Masibai says : "I will get myself a woman. You know...It has been long since I left my dear late wife, Chausiku Simiyu," he then peers through his clear glasses to gaze at the horizon. Clutched in his right hand is a Government-sealed letter written in black. It is signed by Kamiti Prison Boss J Y Maweu confirming that Masibai is now certified to be corrected by the Government and was leaving the facility a qualified tailor, carpenter, polisher, painter and a sign writer. In all the fields, Masibai attained a Grade I, save for sign writing where he attained Grade II. "I will become an evangelist since I embraced Jesus as my personal saviour while in prison," Masibai says. He was given Sh700 by prison authorities to facilitate his travel to his native Lwandanyi village in Bungoma. "I’ll pay bus fare and I will be broke. I don’t know what lies ahead," he says, the reality of the challenge ahead dawning on him. - The Standard

WHAT SOME LONDON PAPER SAYS ON THURSDAY 28TH MAY, 2009

RIGHT: The Daily Telegraph opens the Expenses Files Day 21 - and reveals that Tory MP Julie Kirkbride used taxpayers' money to fund a £50,000 extension to her constituency flat so that her brother could live in the property. RIGHT: Good news for tourists is the leading story in the Daily Express, which says holidaymakers will be enjoying a spending boost this summer thanks to a huge surge in the pound’s value against the euro and dollar.

Who is in control?

Who is in control? Confusion still hangs on at the Kenya High Commission offices in London as the newly appointed Deputy High Commissioner Mr. Chebukaka wrote a letter to the his boss the High Commissioner instructing him to vacate the office immediately. The letter which was written on Wednesday 27th May, 2009 was copied to the staff. The letter explained that the commissioner should hand over the office to him immediately. The terms and the contents of the letter has surprised the embassy staff because it has come from somebody who is junior than the commissioner. According to sources, there has been a lot of pressure from the ministry of Foreign Affairs Nairobi for the commissioner to quite. This follows a letter dated 19th of May, 2009 which was written by a junior officer in the ministry of foreign affairs in Nairobi instructing the High Commissioner Mr. Joseph Muchemi to hand over the office by 10th June, 2009 as he has been recalled back to Nairobi. Even before the date expires another letter follows. The most surprising thing is that when we try to verify the position of the high commissioner from the state house the spokesman from the state house explained that there has been no changes as far as they are concerned. This leaves the question - who is in control? While in London, the Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga gave the commissioner a cold shoulder and he was heard explaining to a friend that the high commissioner should be back to Nairobi by 10th June 2009. The most embarrassing issue is the rumour circulating in the inside and outside the embassy that Kshs. 2 million has already been given to somebody for the post.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kichango kuchangizana.

Everyone should contribute when collection is made.

Stronger pound rises above $1.60

The pound has risen above $1.60 for the first time since November, reflecting reduced fears over the outlook for the UK economy. One pound was worth $1.6016, up 0.3%, having traded at $1.6030 earlier. This reverses the trend which saw the pound fall to $1.36 in January, its lowest in more than two decades. Signs that the UK economy could be over the worst of the downturn have prompted investors to shift away from dollars, which are deemed a safer investment. Currency markets reflected a more optimistic tone from business organisation the CBI. It said although consumer services - a significant contributor to the UK economy - had contracted sharply, businesses were a lot less pessimistic than three months earlier. But there are concerns from some analysts that the UK economy still has unresolved problems that will prevent sterling from continually rising. A recent warning from rating agency Standard & Poor's that it might downgrade its outlook for the UK economy caused a fall in sterling's value. The warning came after data confirmed that new government borrowing has soared, to a record of almost £8.5bn in April. "Increasing government debt can only lead to higher taxes and a subdued economy for years to come, which does not make for a prosperous future," said Philip Manduca, head of investment at ECU group. But the dollar strengthened against the euro after economic figures revealed only a limited improvement in French business confidence. One euro dropped to $1.3965. Also sending the euro lower were comments from a European Central Bank policymaker indicating that it could cut interest rates further.

During my last visit to Dallas, Texas last week I attended several graduation ceremonies. Among one of those I attended was the graduation of young lady from Mr. Village, Kinyona, Muranga Caroline Wambui Kuria (Rogers wa Arthur) - on right. She has been studying at Collin County Community College in Plano, Texas. Seen above left eating the cake at the celebrations is Mrs. Grace Njeri Chege and her daughter.

Moi, Kulei enjoined in suit

Written By:Walter Dzuya/Margaret Kalekye , Posted: Wed, May 27, 2009

Retired president Daniel Arap Moi and his former private secretary Joshua Kulei were on Wednesday enjoined as defendants in a petition filed by parents of Sacho High School.The parents are challenging the changing of the school from a public to private institution. The parents through their lawyers argue that they were previous owners of the school but lost it through a compulsory acquisition by the new trustees who are yet to compensate them. Elsewhere the second witness to testify in the murder trail of a former Mp's son James Ng'ang'a was a head of security at Crooked Q bar. Issack Malenya told the court that at the scene of the shooting he saw blood stains. The court has however not been told why the two groups engaged in a fight. 20 more witnesses are expected to testify in the trial among them former Gatundu North Mp Patrick Muiruri. Ng'ang'a 29 was a University of Sheffield Law student and had just completed a PhD in International Law. He was shot dead on January 24th following an argument in a bar in Westlands, Nairobi. Police inspector Dickson Mwangi and businessman Alex Chepkong'a have been charged with the murder.

While in Dallas, Texas, I visited a team from my village who reside in Dallas. We gathered at the house of Grace Njeri Chege. The house is well decorated with tens of nice posters with beautiful messages. I managed to catch up with several of the messages. The above poster was in one of the rooms I slept.

Bomb threat causes panic

Written By:Nicholas Kigondu , Posted: Wed, May 27, 2009

There was panic and pandemonium at Lions Place building in Nairobi city's Westlands Estate Wednesday afternoon following a bomb threat. The scare was precipitated by an anonymous email addressed to the Norwegian embassy based at the building warning of an impending attack at the premises. The terror threat email was discovered by a staffer at the Norwegian embassy who alerted security guards manning the building. An alarm was raised, causing occupants to scamper for safety. The threat forced a major police security operation with experts from the Bomb Disposal Unit and the Scene of Crime Police arriving in full force to secure the building. Two specialized dogs accompanied by the officers moved into the building where a thorough search was conducted. However after a one hour search, the building was declared safe and its occupants allowed back in. According to Gigiri OCPD David Kerina, the note had warned of an attack on the premises which also houses the Swedish embassy and Radio Africa offices. Kerina said police have launched investigations into the source of the email terror threat. Conspicuously absent at the scene though were officers from the country's disaster preparedness units including ambulances and fire fighters, putting into question once again Kenya's readiness to deal with disasters.

Applying under European law – make sure your application is complete

Home Office, 22 May 2009

The UK Border Agency is changing the way that it processes applications by European nationals and their families for registration certificates, residence cards, family member residence stamps or confirmation of permanent residence in the United Kingdom. From 1 June 2009, we will check all applications as soon as we receive them. Unless you have completed the application form correctly and provided the necessary supporting evidence, we will not accept your application as valid under the Immigration (European Economic Area) Regulations 2006. Applications submitted from families will be rejected in their entirety unless the necessary supporting evidence has been provided for all of the named applicants. To make sure that your application is complete, you must:

submit your application on the current appropriate application form;
provide all the required photographs of yourself and any family members included in your application, as specified on the application form;
provide all the original documents specified on the application form - each application form has a section entitled 'Documents and photographs', which lists all the supporting evidence that you must provide;
complete all sections of the application form as required; and
sign and date the declaration on the application form.

If you do not make your application in this way, with the correct supporting documentation, we will reject your application and return your application form to you. If your passport is already with the Home Office, you must provide full details of this - including your Home Office reference number. If you do not provide these details, we will reject your application and return your application form to you as noted above. For more information about these types of application, see the Applying under European law page.

London, Tuesday 26th May, 2009. Mike Tyson's four-year-old daughter is on a life support machine after being found with a cable from an exercise treadmill wrapped around her neck. Exodus was found by her seven-year-old brother at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. The boy told the girl's mother, who was in another room. She helped Exodus out of the cable, called 911 and tried to revive her. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was in "extremely critical condition" and on life support, a police spokesman said. "Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there's a cord that hangs under the console - it's kind of a loop," he explained. "Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it." Former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson who was in Las Vegas promoting a new movie flew to Phoenix as soon as he heard about the accident. According to local media he arrived at St Jospeh's Hospital in a taxi and raced inside without comment.London, Tuesday 26th May, 2009. Mike Tyson's four-year-old daughter is on a life support machine after being found with a cable from an exercise treadmill wrapped around her neck. Exodus was found by her seven-year-old brother at their home in Phoenix, Arizona. The boy told the girl's mother, who was in another room. She helped Exodus out of the cable, called 911 and tried to revive her. She was rushed to a nearby hospital where she was in "extremely critical condition" and on life support, a police spokesman said. "Somehow she was playing on this treadmill, and there's a cord that hangs under the console - it's kind of a loop," he explained. "Either she slipped or put her head in the loop, but it acted like a noose, and she was obviously unable to get herself off of it." Former heavyweight boxing champion Tyson who was in Las Vegas promoting a new movie flew to Phoenix as soon as he heard about the accident. According to local media he arrived at St Jospeh's Hospital in a taxi and raced inside without comment.

Meet the woman with the biggest breasts in the world.. Norma Stitz (no kidding)

She can’t walk down steps unaided, she can’t sleep on her back and she can’t fit into a normal plane seat. But the woman with the biggest breasts in the world has vowed never to have them reduced. This is the 10th year running that mum of two Norma Stitz – that’s her stage name – has been in the Guinness Book of Records with her enormous Size 102ZZZ chest. And she has turned the boobs she once hated into a money-spinning asset. They have won her fame on TV and in movies around the world, earning enough to put her daughter through college. But having breasts which weigh nearly 3st each – equivalent to carrying around TWO cases of wine – is a heavy burden. Norma (real name Annie Hawkins-Turner) admits she was once so ashamed of them that she refused to leave her home and was too afraid to have sex. She has to have bras specially made and she can only wear stretchy clothes. She needs help on steps because she can’t see anything in front. She can’t sleep on her back because the weight might crush her airways. And she can only drive a 4x4 with extra room in the front because her breasts set off steering wheel horns on smaller cars. Norma, 50, started wearing a bra at the age of nine and as a teenager couldn’t walk down the street without strangers staring at her. “Even in primary school I had problems,” she says. “They had desks with the tops attached to the chairs and I couldn’t fit in them. I had to have a separate desk and chair. “Then when I got to secondary school I wasn’t allowed to do physical education. My PE teacher was great. She wouldn’t let me do anything that would hurt my boobs. I wasn’t allowed to do star jumps at all and with the other exercises, if the rest of the class were doing 10, I would only have to do three. “I couldn’t wear the leotard everyone else did – I had to wear shorts and a top and a different uniform.”

Norma said having good friends ensured she was never bullied, but she was short of admirers from the opposite sex “Boys were ashamed to be seen with me,” she says. “I became ashamed of my breasts and my body “Then I started to get attention from men on the street. Old men, complete strangers, would stop me and offer me sweets if I showed them my boobs. “Even in my early teens my breasts were 42DD. I was so self-conscious.” These days Norma weighs 25 stone and her bust – that 102ZZZ measurement means that her chest is 8ft 6ins around – simply swamps her 5ft 6ins frame. Her size made it tough to find a man who wanted her for the right reasons. She says: “I had my first boyfriend in college but we never had sex. I didn’t want to take my clothes off in front of him. We never had sex in the four years that we dated. “I then had another boyfriend who made me realise that I didn’t need to be ashamed of my body. When the time came for us to have sex, I turned off the lights and got under the covers before I took my clothes off. “He waited patiently while I did that. Then he came over to the bed and pulled me out of it. He put the lights back on and made me walk over to a mirror and made me look at myself in that mirror. “He told me I was beautiful just the way I was.” But Norma, of Virginia, USA, says it wasn’t until she met her husband Allen that she got over her poor body image. The couple met at a bus stop one day and it was love at first sight. “Allen turned me into a very sexual being,” she says. “He loved my boobs and made me see them in a different light. Every day he would tell me I was the sexiest woman alive.” Norma was 22 when she lost her virginity. But she says: “I can only have sex lying on my side.” When she had their two children she didn’t breastfeed as she couldn’t reach out far enough to put her babies on her nipple.

Norma says Allen – who died of cancer five years ago – always talked her out of having a breast reduction. “Every doctor I went to would try and talk me into getting a boob reduction,” she says. “Now and then I would come home with paperwork from the doctor about a reduction and Allen would tell me off. “One time he sulked and wouldn’t speak to me for two weeks. He loved my boobs and believed that I should embrace them and thank God for giving them to me. I have no regrets about not having a breast reduction because I’m healthy. If they were so big that I couldn’t breathe then that’s a totally different story.” Norma admits that her breasts may have got in the way of a traditional career, but Allen encouraged her to send pictures of herself to magazines and by 1997 she was making her own movies. “I run an adult production company and that is where I’ve made my money,” she says. “I’m paying to put my girl through college. She’s a smart girl.” Norma’s daughter Clara is 19 and her son Darius 22. “They think I am the coolest mum in the world,” says Norma. “They are very proud of me. But they do get embarrassed because I am all over the internet and on TV in the US. “My son gets offended when people stare at me. But I tell him don’t get upset – my breasts are what draws people to me.” And now she has a new boyfriend, Lee, who she met on the internet a year ago. “He had already heard of me so my breasts didn’t come as a shock. It’s wonderful – he loves me, not just my breasts.”

LEFT: An 83-year-old woman is believed to have kept her deceased mother in a freezer for two decades, says the Daily Mirror. RIGHT: Power to the People, trumpets The Independent, quoting all three major party leaders who have urged for an overhaul of Britain's discredited political system.

"When you give up vengeance, make sure you are not giving up on justice. The line between the two is faint, unsteady, and fine...Vengeance is our own pleasure of seeing someone who hurt us getting it back and then some. Justice, on the other hand, is secure when someone pays a fair penalty for wronging another even if the injured person takes no pleasure in the transaction. Vengeance is personal satisfaction. Justice is moral accounting...Human forgiveness does not do away with human justice." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Half of UK 'have no pension pot'

Half of UK adults aged between 20 and 60 are not putting aside any funds into a pension, a survey commissioned by the BBC suggests. The survey of 1,358 people by Gfk NOP indicated the situation was worst among under-30s, with only about one in three or 36% putting anything into a scheme. Affordability is the main barrier for young people, with many saying they are instead having to pay off debts. Among 41 to 60-year-olds, 45% are not currently paying into a pension fund. The report suggested a number of reasons for this, ranging from people who had been made redundant to women who had never joined a pension scheme because of leaving full-time work to have children. Tom Wainewright, 25, an architectural assistant living in east London, said starting a pension was way down his priority list. "I haven't given a pension any thought," he said. "At the moment I'm just trying to keep down a steady job. I was made redundant because of the recession and have had to take a pay cut." Other young people said they had not started a pension because they did not know how to, or else felt retirement was too far away to be worth planning for. Despite only 36% of respondents under 30 having a private pension, half of all those who took part in the survey said they were still confident they would be able to live a comfortable retirement. Ed Gardner, chief executive of UK retirement and savings at pension and insurance firm Metlife, said young people were wrong to assume this would inevitably be the case. He points to the fact that more generous final salary pension schemes are continuing to close to new members, and that instead, younger people will have to rely upon defined contribution pension schemes, which generally provide less of a return. "Unfortunately the tide has turned and younger people face even more challenges in saving for their retirement," said Mr Gardner.

California's Supreme Court has upheld a ban on same-sex marriage - the latest twist in a long-running saga. The judges rejected a challenge from gay-rights activists to overturn the result of a 2008 referendum which restricted marriage to heterosexuals. Prior to the vote, same-sex marriages were legal for six months, during which 18,000 couples were married. The judges said their ruling was not retroactive - meaning those couples will remain legally married. Tuesday's legal showdown was sparked by a 4 November vote in which Californians backed Proposition 8 - the proposal to restrict marriage to heterosexual couples - by 52.3% to 47.7%. The campaign over November's vote cost more than $80m (£51m) - the most expensive ballot measure on a social issue in US history. Activists challenged the result of the referendum, saying the measure violated the civil rights of gay couples. They argued that the ballot measure revised the state constitution's equal-protection clause so dramatically that it should have had legislature approval before being put to voters. But the seven-strong panel of judges rejected the appeal by a six-to-one majority. In their ruling, the judges said the campaigners were arguing that it was "just too easy" to amend the state constitution through the ballot process. "It is not a proper function of this court to curtail that process; we are constitutionally bound to uphold it," the ruling said.

The Treasury has been thrown into a spin weeks before the Budget presentation as officials are forced to defend themselves against persistent accusations of introducing errors. The confusion came as IMF officials were expected in Nairobi on Tuesday to start the country review. Some officials are having to work overnight even as they have to take time off to respond to claims of deliberately introducing errors in their reports. And in another development, detectives investigating how mistakes were introduced into the Supplementary Budget — brought to Parliament by Deputy PM and Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta before being withdrawn — have discovered that a Treasury official knew about the errors but did not alert his bosses. However, top Treasury officials last evening maintained that the Supplementary Budget figures were correct and accused the Mars Group of using the withdrawn erroneous figures to make in their calculations. They said that the Appropriation Bill figures passed in Parliament went unchanged because the Sh10.7 billion errors were confined to historical figures, which were not supposed to be debated or changed. - Daily Nation.

A Kenyan man has passed away in the UK. The Mr. Elijah Karimi Gatangi (Baba Gatheru) passed away in UK at St Ann Hostice in Stockport, Manchester on Saturday 23rd May, 2009 after a long illness. He is from Gitwe village, Kerugoya in Kirinyaga District. He is uncle to Mr. Maina Gatangi of Milton Keynes well known as Maina wa MEGA. He formerly worked with Royal Mail Oxford. He was the son of the late Peter Gatheru Gatangi and Sophia Wakiini (Kenya); husband to Florence Wangari Karimi formerly of Nuffield Hospital, Oxford and currently working at Stepping Hill Hospital, Stockport; father to Kevin Gatheru, Enid Wakiini and Cynthia Njoki; brother to the late Dan Gatangi, Edith Njoroge, Edna Keriri, the late Job Muriithi, George Githinji, Dr. Abraham Mbugo Gatangi, Isaac Njeege, Mercy Nyakio Mwangi, the late Alice Mwai Karani, Dr Andrew Kanyoni Gatangi and Margaret Wanjiru. He was uncle to James Maina Gatangi of Milton Keynes. Those wishing to help financially can do so through Lloyds TSB Bank, Account number 11063468, Sort Code 308045, Account name: F.W. Karami. Meetings are taking place at 6pm every night until further notice. In Stock port; 13 Ashway Close, Offerton, Stockport SK2 5NB and in Oxford; at 57 Brambling Way, Oxford OX4 6EH. For further information please contact Mrs. Florence Karimi 07525828804 and James Maina Gatangi 07896668543. The funeral arrangements will be announced later.

The late Elijah Karimi Gatangi

Kenya's political difference and corruption has now hit Kenya embassies abroad. There has been tension at the offices of the Kenya High Commission in London as suspicious letter has been sent to the Kenya High Commissioner in UK. The letter which is said to have been written by a junior staff at the ministry of foreign affairs in Nairobi is said to have been written to the High Commissioner Mr. Joseph Muchemi directing him to hand over the office of the High Commissioner to his deputy as he has been recalled back to Kenya with immediate effect. According to the Citizen TV bulletin 7 p.m. news in Kenya on Monday 25th May, 2009 the letter was written on 19th May, 2009. The letter also states that the high commissioner should be out of UK before the end of the month. What has made the letter suspicious is the language used on the letter and the source of the letter. The author of the letter sent copies of the letter to all the media stations in Nairobi before even sending the letter to the commissioner. The Daily Nation and the Standard newspapers were suspicious then they received the letter and they contact the State House where they were informed that the state house was not aware of the move - hence delaying the publication of the news. According to sources, the office of the High Commissioner in the UK has attracted a lot of interest with some people giving as much as KShs. 2 million for the post. The same source says that now the offices of the diplomats abroad has attracted a lot of corruption with some people paying a lot of money for the posts. This has resulted in some diplomats being sent abroad are not up to standards with some going to work while drunk.

Nairobi, Monday 25th May, 2009. All border control points currently situated away from the country's boundaries with its neighbours will be relocated. Immigration Minister Otieno Kajwang says the border control points will be moved to enhance security, curb illegal entry by aliens and to fast track border trade. Kajwang said the ministry has already embarked on construction of new immigration offices at Lunga Lunga and Taveta on the Kenya-Tanzania Border. Construction of the new offices will cost 40 million shillings and will replace those already in use because they were located five kilometers from the actual border point. Kajwang said the ministry will also move the immigration offices at Liboi on the border with war yorn Somalia to curb illegal entry of aliens into the country. The Minister who was speaking at Taveta when he laid the foundation stone for a new border control post at Holili said the Lokichoggio offices at the border with Sudan will also be moved to the actual boundary. "The ministry will enhance the security of our borders by placing immigration offices at all entry points to crack down on illegal immigrants," Kajwang said. Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaaban welcomed the move to relocate immigration offices away from the border entry points said it was a milestone which would check smuggling of goods and aliens into the country. Shabaan said the relocation of the Taveta border point to Holili would enable Kenya Revenue Authority to maximize tax collection and give immigration officers a chance to scrutinise all visitors entering and leaving the country. She said the Taveta airstrip would also be moved from its present site as it was situated in a residential area.

Kenya's Prime Minister Hon. Raila Odinga arrived in London this morning (Saturday 23rd May, 2009) on his way from US. He will be in London for two days before flying to Iran

Muita safe and well in Holland

Mr. Alex Muita is safe and well in custody in Holland. He has contacted his family to say he is safe. Rumours has been circulating that he has been arrested in Holland for drug related allegations. Confirmed sources says that he has been arrested in relations with documents. He is due to appear in court on Tuesday 26th May, 2009. The family of Alex Muita would like to thank family and friends for the support they have given them during this sad days and especially Midland Police who have been working tirelessly trying to trace Muita's whereabouts.

All the years you have waited for them to "make it up to you" and all the energy you expended trying to make them change (or make them pay) kept the old wounds from healing and gave pain from the past free rein to shape and even damage your life. And still they may not have changed. Nothing you have done has made them change. Indeed, they may never change. Inner peace is found by changing yourself, not the people who hurt you. And you change yourself for yourself, for the joy, serenity, peace of mind, understanding, compassion, laughter, and bright future that you get." - Lewis B. Smedes - The Art of Forgiving: When You Need To Forgive And Don't Know How

Report: 1.5m Kenyan men battered by wives

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 25 - A new report released on Sunday has brought a fresh twist to gender violence after revealing that about 60 percent of Kenyan women admit to battering their husbands. The report by the Maendeleo ya Wanaume Lobby group also indicated that 1.5 million men across the country were victims of domestic violence. "This is mainly to do with financial stability where the man is financially unstable and you will find that the woman is the breadwinner. The man is disrespected and abused but has no choice but to stay in the relationship," the organisations Chairman Njoka Nderitu said. The survey conducted in 40 districts across the country also showed that Central Province led the list of regions that had a majority of women battering their husbands with 72 percent of the men in the province admitting to being victims of domestic violence. Nairobi province followed with 60 percent, Nyanza, Rift Valley and North Eastern recorded 58, 40 and nine percent respectively. "Areas like the Coast, Western, Eastern and Central Rift Valley, the residents fear to talk although there are cases reported in police stations, few of the cases go beyond the police station and the clan members are the ones who handle such cases," Mr Njoka said.

The report also indicated that 39 percent of the current and former male politicians were found to have been battered by their wives. "The report also shows that 15 percent of women have private bedrooms where their husbands have no access," Mr Njoka said. The groups General Secretary Fredrick Wambugu Mwangi said: "Many of the men are afraid to speak up because the society will laugh at them and they don't want to be the laughing stock." The survey conducted between August 2008 and April 2009 also showed that out of every 100 cases of domestic violence reported, 48 of them involved men. The campaigns to protect the rights of women and the girl child have been blamed for the rise in domestic violence against men. "It has also been revealed that men have little say on issues that concern conjugal rights in their relationships. It is women who determine this," Mr Njoka said. However the General Secretary noted that some men have become subject to physical abuse by their wives because they have neglected their role as breadwinners in their family. "Other reasons include consumption of cheap and illegal liquor, bhang and other illegal drugs which weaken men, contribute to their impotence and inactiveness," Mr Mwangi said.

KIKUYU PROVERB

Ciathanaga ikigwa no ikiumbuka itiri ndugu

Birds always agree to land but when the danger comes they don't consult each other to fly away

Kazongo picked new NSSF boss

Alex Kazongo is the new National Social Security Fund managing trustee. The former Kenya Ports Authority financial controller was appointed on Monday by Labour Minister John Munyes after he emerged the best candidate. The minister picked him from a list of three finalists that included Albert Odero, who had been acting managing trustee, and William Kirwa, who is the Agricultural Development Corporation managing director. Addressing a press conference, Munyes said Kazongo beat the three applicants to emerge the best candidate. A committee of the NSSF Board had short-listed three candidates from a list of eight presented by a human resource consulting firm. The final interviews were conducted on May 20 when the board scaled down the list to three. Kazongo replaces Rachel Lumbasyo who was sent packing last year over alleged corruption.

President Barack Obama has signed into law extensive new restrictions on the ability of US credit card companies to charge fees or raise interest rates. "With this bill we are putting in place some common sense reforms designed to protect consumers," he said. The bill is designed to protect credit card users from unexpected fees or increases to their interest rates. Some of the major US banks have warned the changes may reduce the amount of credit available to some card holders. They say this is because the new rules will make it more difficult for them to set rates based on the risk customers pose. Americans currently owe nearly $1 trillion (£630bn) on their credit cards. "This cements a victory for every American consumer who has ever suffered at the hands of the credit card industry," said Senator Christopher Dodd, chairman of the Senate banking committee. The US government has been concerned to tighten its regulation of the banking system in the light of the credit crunch and banking crisis.

LUO PROVERB

Nyako ber gi ka wang'e to piere to owang'!

A girl has a beautiful face, but her buttocks are burnt.

Looks are deceitful, so peel of the cover (get to know a person better) to find out about its/her/his true nature

ANIMAL SMILE COMPETITION CONTINUES

London, Sunday 24th May, 2009. Pastor Wangaruro in partnership with his wife Jane, have published a pocket book entitled ‘7 Pillars of successful Marriage’. The book was launched on Sunday 24th May 2009 at IWRM, where he fellowships. The book is on circulation and it is recommended not only the married but also for those who have a desire to marry in future. The book will also be available with various pastors here in the UK. There will be other agents distributing the book on behalf of pastor Wangaruro. The cost of the book plus postage is £5.50 within the UK. Postage outside UK will vary depending on the country of destination. Please note you are free to purchase this booklet even higher if you want to sponsor family rebuild. All cheques to be in favor of Family Rebuild. To purchase one just call Pastor Wangaruro on 07940105578, You could also write an email to order familyrebuild@yahoo.co.uk, or ask your pastor whether he has the books. Request your orders by post to 9 Hampton close, Grays, Essex, Rm16 6LX. Pastor Wangaruro has been instrumental in giving counsel to families here in the UK especially from the Minority groups. He hosts a weekly TV program every Thursday at 7.30pm on Sky digital channel 593. He also write the Family rebuild column of mister seed website. He is also an educationist and has played a major role of educating foreign parents on the way the UK system of education works. To get more details please visit their family rebuild website www.familyrebuild.org.

Welcome to the Seven Pillars of a successful marriage

It was a joyous moment for Rev. Wangaruro as he was joined by other pastors to launch his new book entitled "7 Pillars of a successful marriage. From left is Pastor Jane Njiiri, Pastor Gad Muthaka, Pastor Mike Wanyoike, Pastor Boniface Mbugua, Mrs. Wangaruro, Rev. Wangaruro and Pastor Wanyoike from Kenya.

Buckingham Palace has suspended a chauffeur after undercover reporters claimed to have gained access to highly sensitive areas of the building. A palace spokeswoman told the BBC that an investigation would be carried out into allegations that Brian Sirjusingh was paid £1,000 to give them a tour. Two reporters from the News of the World newspaper are said to have been waved inside, without security checks. It is alleged one of them sat in the Queen's state Bentley car. BBC royal correspondent Peter Hunt said he understood Mr Sirjusingh was a pool chauffeur - one called when the dedicated royal chauffeurs are unavailable.

"The wife who understands the vision of the husband is able to apply her abilities on the wagon and pushes in the same direction as the husband." - 7 pillars of a successful marriage (above book).

The British National Party has dismissed an appeal by senior Anglican church leaders for voters to boycott the party at next month's elections. The archbishops of Canterbury and York are urging people not to let anger over the MPs' expenses scandal drive them to vote for the party. BNP leader Nick Griffin said it was time the church grew up and began talking to them about issues. He accused them of letting MPs "off the hook" and turning on his party. In a joint statement, on behalf of the Church of England House of Bishops, Dr Rowan Williams and Dr John Sentamu said the English local and UK-wide European elections on 4 June were coming "at a time of extraordinary turbulence in our democratic system". "The temptation to stay away or register a protest vote in order to send a negative signal to the parties represented at Westminster will be strong. "In our view, however, it would be tragic if the understandable sense of anger and disillusionment with some MPs over recent revelations led voters to shun the ballot box." Some parties, they said, would exploit the current political climate to foster "fear and division within communities, especially between people of different faiths or racial background". But the BNP said the church leaders did not represent the public's views. "The archbishops were trying to make themselves relevant in the modern world and the Church should stay out of politics," a party spokesman said.

Kenya’s healthcare is in a deep crisis. From fake drugs, professional negligence by medics to lack of facilities, the poor are the most affected as the cost of healthcare continues to skyrocket. In the three-part series, The Standard exposes the rot in the country’s healthcare system as consumer watchdog organisations brag about upping their skill, thousands of Kenyans are routinely risking their lives by taking unwholesome drugs with researchers warning that nearly half the drugs in Kenya are either fake or sub-standard. To compound the problem further, about 40 per cent of the population — accounting for about 15 million people — purchase medication over the counter without any form of medical advice. And the tragedy is that many of the counterfeit drugs and generics often contain cement, chalk, sawdust, paint and an array of other toxic or inert substances that cause more harm rather than restore the health of the sick. These are some of the findings in a new report by the International Policy Network released recently. Although most of the drugs are imported from Kenya’s key source markets for generic drugs in India and China, Africa bears the brunt as 700,000 deaths are reported on the continent resulting from ineffective treatment in malaria, tuberculosis and HIV and Aids. The situation has increasingly led to the emergence of drug resistant strains of the highly infectious diseases ranging from HIV/Aids, malaria to tuberculosis and a wide range of other respiratory infections. In Kenya, the report says, over 40 per cent of sampled drugs have been found to be outside recommended pharmaceutical standards. "Fake medicines seem to be prevalent across all classes of drugs, yet most cases of counterfeit drugs probably are not known to the Government since there is no systematic mechanism for discovering and disclosing them," the report says.

The liberalisation of the drug market has not helped since regulation is still a great challenge. Head of operations at Mission for Essential Drugs and Supplies (Meds), Dr Jane Masiga, a clinical pharmacist, told editors in a forum in Nairobi last week that the crisis of sub-standard drugs and fakes has hit the country in a big way. Masiga blamed the lack of a strong regulation regime for drug importation and quality checks, which she said leaves loopholes that rogue importers are using to flood the country with fakes. On the role of Meds, Dr Masiga said her organisation’s officials were shocked during a recent visit to China to find backstreet companies exhibiting fake drugs branded as those from well-known international pharmaceuticals. "We asked them if they knew the contacts of the original pharmaceuticals but they had no idea. The samples we took and tested were all sub-standard," she said. Pre-qualified by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Meds laboratory is a registered trust of the ecumenical partnership of the Kenya Episcopal Conference (KEC) and the Christian Health Association of Kenya (CHAK). Medical Services Permanent Secretary Prof James Ole Kiyiapi played down the crisis facing the drugs sector. Speaking from Geneva where he and Public Health Minister Beth Mugo have been meeting with the Global Fund managers, Kiyiapi dismissed as exaggerated claims that there was a fake drugs crisis in the country. He said it is true counterfeit drugs were entering the market but said the problem was not confined to Kenya only. Kiyiapi noted the issue of counterfeits was slotted for discussion in the World Health Assembly this year but it has been pushed forward to next year. He said the Government was working to appoint a new Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) board in order to bring efficiency in drug procurement. The previous board was disbanded by the Medical Services Minister Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o over gross mismanagement.

Currently, the acting chief executive officer Dr John Munyu has been steering the Agency that is mandated with the drug procurement and distribution of drugs to all Government hospitals and dispensaries. Kiyiapi said the Government had upgraded the National Quality and Control Laboratory to ensure all drugs are tested for safety. There were plans to computerise the drugs system in order to monitor the supplies from the procurement level to the point of consumption. He explained that, Kenya through the Pharmacy and Poisons Board is mapping out strategies to root out this problem. According to the chairman of Kenya Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (KAPI), Dr Moses Mwangi, between 30 to 40 per cent of the drugs are dispensed over the counter. On the other hand the Kenya Pharmaceutical Distributors Association chairman Dr Kamamia Murichu pegs self-prescription at as high as 60 per cent. But the Government plays down the figure with an estimate of about 3 million Kenyans who self-medicate. The Director of Public Health and Sanitation Dr Shahnaaz Sharif said about eight per cent of Kenyans buy drugs without seeking professional advice. "Some do not see the need of seeking medical care especially when having something like a flu," said Sharif. Still, the burden of diseases is weighing heavily on Kenyans amidst shrinking financial resources. What is worse is the fact that the poor are likely to shoulder a larger load of the disease burden than the rich, according to the Kenya Household Health Expenditure and Utilisation Survey report published in March this year. The study shows the number of annual rate of hospital admission has increased from 15 per 1,000 people in 2003 to 27 per 1,000 in 2007, and is projected to be increase this year. - The Standard.

LEFT: The Daily Mail claims to have new revelations about MPs' travel expenses. It claims one Labour MP claimed more than £5,000 for driving 15,000 miles - despite his constituency being just nine miles from Westminster. RIGHT: The Independent claims thousands of personal medical records have been lost in a series of security blunders by the NHS.

Four people have been killed in a motorway crash after a car travelled north on the southbound carriageway, emergency services said. The fatalities, all men, were travelling in two cars which collided on the southbound carriageway of the M6 motorway between junctions eight and seven. A spokesman for the Highways Agency said one of the cars involved had been travelling the wrong way. "One of the cars was travelling northbound on the southbound carriageway. We don't know how it happened, it is subject to a police investigation," he said. The motorway remains closed in both directions between junctions 8 and 7. A spokesman for West Midlands Fire Service said: "At 6am this morning two crews from Walsall were mobilised to a road traffic collision on the M6 southbound between junctions 8 and 7. "On arrival crews were confronted by two cars in collision involving four fatalities. Crews are remaining on site while police make further investigations." A fifth man injured in the crash was described by West Midlands Ambulance Service as "walking wounded". He was taken to Sandwell General Hospital. A WMAS spokesman said the collision involved one car carrying four men and another containing a lone male driver. The lone driver and three men from the other car were confirmed dead at the scene.

TRINITY CHURCH DALLAS - A KIKUYU VERNACULAR CHURCH

Trinity Kenyan Ministry is an outreach ministry of Trinity Church in Dallas, Texas, the only Church which preaches in ‘KIKUYU VERNACULAR' in whole of Texas State of USA. MORE

There is a rumours in Nairobi and London that the Kenya High Commissioner in London HE Joseph Muchemi has been recalled back to Kenya. This rumour was published by two newspapers in Nairobi. The official statement is that HE Joseph Muchemi is still in the offices and he has not received any official communication about his recalling. When contact in London on Saturday 23rd May, 2009 Mr. Muchemi explained that the rumour has been circulating for quite some time. "The office of the high commissioner is under the prerogative of the president and he has the right to fire and to appoint. If I am recalled I will thank God that he has given me a chance to serve Kenya in London." the high commissioner explained.

HE Joseph Muchemi the Kenya High Commissioner in the UK

Nairobi, Saturday 23rd May, 2009. Mr Scott James Edman, a man who has been languishing in prison for more than six years because his nationality is unknown will be freed, but he has to leave Kenya in 30 days. He is expected to name a country where he wants to be taken and the government should pay for his travel expenses, the High Court has ordered. Mr Justice Mohammed Warsame directed the Immigration Department to issue Mr Edman, who has adamantly refused to disclose his nationality, with a certificate of identification to speed up his travel out of Kenya. Mr Edman was first arrested in Kenya on April 2, 1996, and charged with various offences, among them being in the country illegally and holding a forged Australian passport. He went through a full trial after which he was found guilty and sentenced to six months’ imprisonment. However, after serving the sentence he could not be repatriated because he refused to disclose his true identity and country of origin. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees made the matter worse when it declined to give him protection and refugee status through a letter dated January 29, 1998. The Australian High Commission too declined to accept him, saying he was not an Australian.

Mr Scott James Edman (left), who claims to be an American citizen

Two years later, the government issued Mr Edman with a certificate of identification and directed him to leave the country but he refused. Consequently he was arrested and charged again on August 10, 2000, with being in Kenya unlawfully. He was again found guilty and fined Sh3,000 or three months’ imprisonment in default. Again the court issued an order to have him repatriated. But this order could not be obeyed because Mr Edman still refused to disclose his nationality. In November 2003, he was released from custody and issued with a prohibited immigrant’s notice after which he travelled to Dubai. He was declared inadmissible in Dubai because he did not have travel documents and he returned to Kenya. He then told the authorities that his country of origin was the United States, but he was born in Papua New Guinea and that his parents were Australians. Upon investigations the information he gave to the immigration authorities about his identity turned out to be false again forcing all parties involved to go back to the drawing board. The State law office has been in a dilemma on how to handle Mr Edman’s case since the country has not ratified the United Nations conventions on stateless people. Mr Justice Warsame, while issuing the order on Thursday, said that most circumstances such people find themselves in were either self-induced or created by State. - Daily Nation

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Hapana marefu yasio na mwisho.

They is no distance that has no end.

STILL NO OFFICIAL WORD FOR MISSING MUITA

A Kenyan man is missing. Mr. Alex Muita of Coventry UK has been missing since Sunday 10th May, 2009. He is the son of Pastor Jane Muiruri (Wamuita) and Pastor Kinuthia of Coventry. There has not been any official word from either police, family or friends. The surprising thing is that Muita's house is empty. If you have any information please contact 07931488336.

Kibaki assures military can handle external aggression

Written By:PPS , Posted: Fri, May 23, 2009

President Mwai Kibaki Friday expressed confidence in the Kenya Armed Forces' ability to defend the country against external aggression but said diplomacy will always be the first line of action. Noting that the main purpose of the armed forces is to secure the country's national borders, President Kibaki said Kenya will use every means to defend her national integrity and the welfare of her people. "As stated previously, our first line of action must always be diplomacy, as a means to advancing peace in our region and the world," President Kibaki said. The Head of State, however, said as a nation Kenya will continue to seek peaceful co-existence with her neighbours. President Kibaki was speaking on Friday at the Kenya Military Academy in Nakuru where he presided over the officer cadets commissioning parade. The President underscored the need for the country to remain vigilant in order to ensure the security of Kenyans, saying security threats in the modern world are varied and sophisticated. He observed that the situation in some of the neighbouring countries remains fluid and poses security challenges, particularly relating to the inflow of illicit arms into the country. "Moreover, vessels sailing along the Indian Ocean are under continuous threat from pirates. In the last one year several ships have been hijacked along the East African coast posing unprecedented threat to sea transport," the President said. At the regional level, President Kibaki said the Kenya Armed Forces have continued to be involved in the activities of the East African Standby Brigade with a view to building capacity in conflict pre-emption and management.

At the international level, the President said the armed forces have continued to take part in various peacekeeping initiatives. "In addition, our Armed Forces have continued to train security personnel from the region and other parts of the world on peacekeeping and humanitarian demining," the President said. Noting that Kenya's involvement in regional and international security efforts has earned the armed forces a proud reputation, President Kibaki urged the newly commissioned officer cadets to uphold and guard that reputation throughout their military career. The Head of State also commended the military for rendering civilian and humanitarian services to Kenyans whenever they are called to do so. The President cited the construction of roads and schools, provision of medical services and drilling of boreholes as some of the military's involvement in civilian activities. "Moreover, the Armed Forces have continued to participate in environmental conservation. I am happy to note that the Armed Forces planted over two million trees over the last two years and plan to plant over two million this year in collaboration with the Ministry of Environment and the Green Belt Movement," the President said. He, therefore, challenged the newly commissioned officer cadets to strengthen the tradition of civic and humanitarian services to the country and contribute towards the realization of the country's VISION 2030.

ANIMAL SMILE COMPETITION CONTINUES

"We forgive freely or we do not really forgive at all." - Lewis B. Smedes - Forgive & Forget: Healing the Hurts We Don't Deserve

Investors who lost money in the collapsed Nyaga Stockbrokers in Kenya would only be compensated up to a maximum of Sh50, 000 each regardless of the value of the lost investment. The ruling by the Capital Markets Authority (CMA) brings to rest the Nyaga Stockbrokers debacle, which collapsed with Sh1.3 billion worth of investor funds. Addressing a rare news conference on Friday, the CMA warned claimants against harbouring so much expectation from the authority adding that the Investor Compensation Fund (ICF) lacked sufficient cash to adequately pay off investors. "It is not right to raise much expectations because compensation will be limited to certain amount... and this one may be Sh50, 000," reckoned Mr Micah Cheserem, the authority’s newly appointed chairman. Cheserem regretted the magnitude of the mess that has engulfed the capital markets, but was hopeful the reforms being implemented would restore investor confidence. "I do not want to apologise that we would have done better," he said. A delay in sorting out the huge claims owed to investors from the collapsed Nyaga and Discount securities Ltd is happening when CMA has set up an anti-fraud unit. While it has brought on board 10 CID officers, little has happened in sealing loopholes in the backoffice systems of stockbrokerage firms.

"We have formed a back office committee and promise to move with speed in automating the operations of brokerage firms," said CMA Chief Executive Stella Kilonzo. Presently, CMA’S surveillance capability is limited due to the fact that stockbrokers are able to work offline and can delink from the trading floor or the central depository system, escaping the regulator’s watch. Disappointed investors are therefore yet to have their confidence restored even with the setting up of this anti-fraud unit. Among those worst hit by this small compensation kitty will be retirees, especially those who invested in shares as security in old age. Mr Wycliffe Shamiah of the CMA and the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), the Co-statutory managers for the troubled brokerage firm have been at a cross road in determining how to raise money and how to ascertain the most effective method of compensating investors. The managers who were installed to take charge of the troubled institution on March 5 submitted a proposal to the authority in November last year seeking direction on the matter. The statutory managers were reflecting on either a Government bailout, an auction of the troubled broker’s seat at the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE), tapping into the investor compensation fund or simply liquidating the broker’s assets to repay the debts. - The Standard.

MAASAI PROVERB

It was once said, "All friendships came to an end and the in-laws squeezed through."

(i.e. Once you marry, n-laws dominate your life.)

Being admitted to The Law Society of United Kingdom

It was a joyous moment for the Mrs. Rose Macharia for Rose Muigai and family when they joined hands at the admission ceremony at Chancery Lane, London on Friday 22nd May, 2009. Rose was admitted to the Law Society of the United Kingdom. The colourful ceremony was attended by the entire family - her father Mr. David Muigai, father-in-law Mr. Mungai, her husband Mr. Macharia, her two children, cousins and friends. Rose can now operate officially as solicitor in the UK. The journey started seven years ago when she joined Thames Valley University to study law. After three years of learning she joined Law Practice Course (LPC) for a year before going for a two-year practising with a law firm. Rose (left) seen being admitted into the Law Society and on right photo - Left-right: Mr. Mungai, Mr. David Muigai, Rose and her two sons and Godfrey Miring'u, Njoki and Mr. Macharia the husband of Rose. While addressing the ceremony the President of the Law society Mr. Paul Marsh told them that Integrity takes years to build but it takes seconds to destroy. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS

Rev. Peter Wangaruro will be launching his booklet this coming Sunday 24th May, 2009 at IWRMChurch, 524 High School North, ManorPark, London E12 as from 12.00 noon to 01.30 p.m. The booklet is entitled “7 Pillars of a Successful Marriage”. This is the beginning of reproducing the materials he has been teaching. For more information please contact 07940105578.

Pain of growing up with dual sexual identity

Daniel Kighala (left) with “his” mother. Daniel has both male and female organs that has left “him” traumatised and now needs medical help in correcting the anomaly

He is already a mature person at the age of 24, but for Daniel Kighala, life has been a nightmare because of a lifelong identity crisis. He has assumed a male identity, but to date is unsure of his real gender having since childhood lived with both male and female sexual organs. He has faced cruel taunts most of his life, and his mother and four siblings agonize over how to refer to him; as son or daughter; or brother or sister. “I break into a sweat whenever I hear the word ‘sex’ uttered because what do I tell people. I’m neither male nor female,” he says when he recently visited Mombasa looking for help. Kighala’s problem was spotted as soon as he was born in Taita, but at the time the medical staff advised his mother to wait until he was a little older for proper diagnosis. “Since then I have not taken him back to hospital, I have not had time because my husband left me and I had to concentrate on raising children,” said Mrs Vellentina Mkashambi. His father had by then insisted on a boy’s name, an identity Kighala assumed despite the doubts and confusion as he grew up. Tears roll down his cheeks as he recounts his lifelong ordeal.

“I really want to know my identity; this situation has left me asking myself why it had to happen to me,” he said. He was forced to abandon his education at Kighononyi Primary School in standard six because of being taunted by other pupils. “I could not withstand fellow pupils ridiculing and laughing at me as a result of my condition,” he went on, explaining how he even contemplated suicide. He does not even have a national identity card, he explains, because he is unable to fill the forms where one is supposed to indicate whether they are “male or female”. As he grew up with a male identity, he resorted to tightly strapping the breasts that started to protrude from his chest. Two big rubber bands strapped on his chest make the breasts hardly noticeable when he is in a shirt. The strapping is painful and has left black scars on his breasts. Kighala, who earns his living scooping sand at a nearby river in his home area of Taita, explains that both his sexual organs are “working”. He can get an erection but also gets monthly periods. He is now appealing to well wishers to assist him in any possible way to receive medical care for his condition. He would like the issue of his gender solved once and for all.

His distressed mother said Kighala’s breasts started developing when he reached adolescence. She’s desperate for help to have Kighala secure medical treatment so that the condition may be rectified. “I want to know whether my child is female or male,” said Ms Mkashambi, adding that she will accept her child in any gender. A teacher at a school where Kighala used to attend, Ms Honorinah Mwashighadi, said she got concerned when she heard the boy’s story from the villagers and at the school. “People in the village were making fun out of Kighala’s plight so I decided to help them secure assistance since they come from a poor family,” said Ms Mwashighadi. “I talked to my brother who agreed to accommodate them in Mombasa where medical help may be available,” said the teacher, who met transport costs for Kighala and his mother from Mtomogoti Sisera area in Taita district. According to medical experts, Kighala’s condition is rare but not uncommon. Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi has performed surgery on people, including adults, with two sets of sexual organs. The treatment involves first establishing which sexual identity is dominant or preferred by the patient, and them performing surgery to remove the unwanted organs. The treatment may also involve a regiment of drugs, hormone treatment, to help repress features of the unwanted identity, and enhance the required features, such as beards and deep voice for men and breasts for women. - Daily Nation.

KIKUYU PROVERB

Ng'ombe ngũrũ ndĩtihagĩra tũhũ

An old man never makes a question mark without a reason

The best of the Dedan Kimathi photo never seen before

Dedan Kimathi was a Mau Mau General in Kenya who was killed by colonial government. He is said to have been betrayed by a fellow Mau Mau because of punishing him for women involvement in the forest while Kimathi himself was violating the same law

RIGHT: News of a mother giving birth to six children in just five minutes at a UK hospital dominates the front of the Daily Mail. RIGHT: The Guardian features a poll revealing that two thirds of voters want an early general election in the wake of the expenses scandal.

Nairobi, Friday 22nd May, 2009. Controversy surrounds the mysterious disappearance of a middle aged man in Nairobi's Kayole Estate with the family blaming the police. While the family claims that a special police squad arrested James Maina Gathigo, the law enforcers maintain that the said person is not in their custody. Gathigo is said to have disappeared on Monday in what his relatives claim was an operation executed by members of a special police squad. According to them, the officers blocked his car along Kangundo Road before bundling him into their vehicle. This they say was the last time they communicated with him. They claim that police have been moving him from one police station to another and their search for him have yielded no fruits. Theirs is an allegation that contradicts Kayole CID boss Abdul Muyokah's assertion who denies knowledge of police involvement in the saga. According to Muyokah, the issue only came to their attention after they recovered the victim's car abandoned on the road. And even as the police deny knowledge of the suspect's whereabouts the family is demanding that they produce or charge their kinsman in a court of law. Controversy surrounds the mysterious disappearance of a middle aged man in Nairobi's Kayole Estate with the family blaming the police. While the family claims that a special police squad arrested James Maina Gathigo, the law enforcers maintain that the said person is not in their custody. Gathigo is said to have disappeared on Monday in what his relatives claim was an operation executed by members of a special police squad. According to them, the officers blocked his car along Kangundo Road before bundling him into their vehicle. This they say was the last time they communicated with him. They claim that police have been moving him from one police station to another and their search for him have yielded no fruits. Theirs is an allegation that contradicts Kayole CID boss Abdul Muyokah's assertion who denies knowledge of police involvement in the saga. According to Muyokah, the issue only came to their attention after they recovered the victim's car abandoned on the road. And even as the police deny knowledge of the suspect's whereabouts the family is demanding that they produce or charge their kinsman in a court of law.

There about 130,000 solicitors in the UK

Nairobi, Kenya, May 22 - Nurses at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) taking care of a patient with a severe type of Tuberculosis (TB) who has refused to take his medication, are now fearing for their lives due to the high risk of exposure from the patient. The man, who is suffering from Multi Drug Resistant TB, has refused to take his medication and instead turns violent on anyone who goes near him. A senior Nursing Officer said on Thursday that the patient had even resorted to deliberately smearing sputum on the wall and floor, frustrating the efforts of the health workers. “This becomes a bit too much and even the other staff who do the cleaning feel they are also exposed, despite the fact that we use disinfectant,” the senior official told Capital News. “If he was complying, we could have no issues taking care of him. But because of his behaviour, we feel that is quite a constraint on our part,” he further said. KNH Chief Executive Officer Dr Jotham Micheni said that the patient risked developing complications that could lead to death if he continued without medication. “Some tissues may rot and just simply become a cavity. When that happens it is likely that this cavity could erode into major organs - in the lungs, it could erode in the vessel, arteries and veins and he could cough to death,” Dr Micheni explained. “He could just bleed and die. He could get TB of the brain, we call it TB meningitis,” he added. Dr Micheni said that the hospital management was still consulting with the government to know what should be done with the patient, who is also a remandee. The patient, admitted at the referral hospital in October 2007, initially took his medication but later developed an aggression where he refused to swallow medicine even under supervision.

“In view of this the doctors in the ward felt that the patient could easily get into an XDR (extremely drug resistant TB) so we decided to withdraw the drugs completely so that we do another sputum culture,” the senior nursing official said. The nursing officer explained that the main reason the remandee patient was behaving that way was because he wanted to use it as a bargaining tool for the prison authorities to speed up his case. “He may be feeling he needs to be taken to court, sentenced so that he can know his fate. That was the initial reason. But so far nothing has been forthcoming from the prisons department because they say they don’t have an isolation facility.” He said that despite going through counselling sessions, the patient seemed not to understand the magnitude of the effects of his behaviour and the risk he exposed to other patients as well. “He belongs to the prison, not Kenyatta. Our part is to take care of his health that is if he is willing to have it, but if he is not we feel our hands are tied,” the hospital official said. The prison warders, who are also in fear, must also be involved when the patient needs to be served with food or given water to take a bath. The nurses and everyone who has to come into contact with the patient is using protective gear like the N95 masks, which have the capability to filter out some of the germs, gloves and other protective wear. “But this is not good enough because you are not sure how much you are protecting yourself,” said the nursing official. “You should try to minimise the exposure and if the hospital had the negative pressures, like the ultraviolet light which would kill some of these bacteria, the environment would be better and safer,” he added. Dr Micheni on the other hand said that the hospital was considering discharging him if the prison authorities refuse to take him back. “We have only two patients with MDR-TB but this country has way over 100 cases so where are the other 98 or so, they are in the society. Secondly we must educate society to understand not to stigmatise,” he said. - CapitalFM

The British pound is appreciating quickly as it hits KShs. 120.61 against Kenya Shilling in London

A muroti graduates in Dallas, USA

It was a great joy for family and friends in Dallas, Texas, USA as one of the Akurino Sector members Mr. Ezra Kuria Njuguna graduated with degree in nursing at The University of Texas at Arlington. He was joined at by family and friends. On left Ezera is seen being pinned his pin number by his father Mr. Elly Njuguna Kuria from Nakuru and on the left photo he is posing with friends - from left to right: Bishop Samuel Muya, the father of Ezara, Mr. Elly Njuguna Kuria, Mr. Ezra Kuria, Professor Solomon Waigwa and Mr. Seed. Mr. Ezra Njuguna Kuria is currently in UK for a week visit. His contact in UK is 07536201057.

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KIKUYU PROVERB

Gwigukia gutiri ngware i mbicho

A bird always rise up before sunrise

Nyahururu, Kenya, May 22 - Police said on Thursday that they will not negotiate with Mungiki sect leaders who have accused them of harassment in the ongoing crackdown on its members. An Assistant Commissioner of Police Henry Ondiek, who is based in Nyandarua District, told off sympathisers of the outlawed group and said that officers were under instructions to ‘deal ruthlessly with them’. “We will deal ruthlessly with the members of the outlawed sect and any other unlicensed groups, who are out to commit crimes in the country. We will not negotiate with them,” he said at the re-launch of the community policing project at the Ol Kalou trading centre. Mr Ondiek said leaders who were campaigning for dialogue with members of the sect were mistaken and should be investigated for trying to protect illegal gangs. “The leaders sympathising with them should declare their interest and they need to be investigated,” he said, while warning vigilante groups of dire consequences over their activities. “Vigilante groups should not assume the responsibility of the police. They should instead work with us and tell us who the criminals are, but not taking the law unto their hands,” he said. Lately, cases of suspected Mungiki sect members being lynched by vigilante groups has shot up particularly in Central Province.

Last month, up to 15 suspected Mungiki sect members were hacked or stoned to death by vigilante groups, raising tensions between the sect adherents and local residents. As a result, Mungiki sect members re-grouped and retaliated, killing 29 people, many of them vigilantes, police said. Up to 100 suspects, including Mungiki founder Maina Njenga have since been arrested and charged for the gruesome murders, according to officers. President Mwai Kibaki has repeatedly ordered the police to deal decisively with the gang members to help save the country from the escalating insecurity. Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti recently put on notice politicians and businessman thought to be financing Mungiki activities. “We will name and shame them and they will be prosecuted for their crimes,” he told a news conference two weeks ago, but little has been heard on the progress of his directive. A security meeting called by the Police chief Maj Gen Mohammed Hussein Ali at Vigilance House resolved that Provincial Police chiefs in affected regions should come up with unpredictable strategies to fight the gang. The meeting brought together John M’mbijiwe (Central), Njue Njagi (Nairobi) and Rift Valley’s Joseph Ashimala. Capital News reliably established that the meeting resolved to have special units formed to deal with the gang. “The unit is already in place gathering intelligence on the activities of the sect members. They are mainly following up on their leaders in divisions, districts and even in the villages,” a source said. - CapitalFM

London Friday 22nd May, 2009. Twenty-five per cent of babies born in Britain have a foreign parent, it was revealed on Thursday 21st May, 2009. The statistic is further proof that the number of immigrants coming to the UK has rocketed. It also reveals a gradual increase in the number of children born to immigrant parents over the past five years. In 2001, one in five babies had a foreign-born mother or father. In the 12 months to July 2006 there were 734,000 babies born in Britain. The statistics show that 183,500 of them had at least one foreign parent. An Office for National Statistics (ONS) spokesman said: “That reflects the cumulative effect of immigration over the last 40 years.” He said that there were no details as to whether children born to immigrant parents stayed in Britain. The total number of births in the UK increased by 10 per cent from 2002 to mid-2006. The ONS spokesman said several trends had contributed to the rise, including an increase in the number of births to UK-born mothers and foreign-born women. Improvements in general fertility had also had an effect. “All the evidence is that the figures will continue,” he said.

Below are some of the comments from the British society about the above story of immigrant babies

TALKING WON'T DO MUCH GOOD ITS TOO LATE

25.08.07, 12:15am

Here we go again, talking, moaning, neither of which will do a bit of good there is no reason why we should accept everything that is detrimental to the indigenous people of this country any longer, our tolerance is fast running out
ACTION is what is needed we need a strong leader to to put up a real fight for this old country, they will have the people behind them, its worth a try rather than wait until we are not prepared to take anymore and the people take to the streets as their only option to protect what is theirs and what many lives have been lost to protect it.

FAILED ASYLUM SEEKERS

24.08.07, 8:43am

take the p deport them they are criminals it has been decide they came here under false pretences, liars, cheats, no respect for our law and this ridiculous government wants to let them stay, NO1 for flip sake past enough it is too bloody much. failed asylum seekers show you have at least a bit of decency and leave by the cheapest means possible.

SHOULD WE NOT HAVE SEEN THIS COMING ?

23.08.07, 11:08pm

Babies on the NHS, family allowances plus other benefits and now we hear that they are considering amnesty for FAILED immigrants as it
would be against their Human Rights to deny them a family life,what a load of rubbish.
We demand our Human Rights to live our way of life in our own country, without being overwhelmed with people that do not belong here.

GENOCIDE

23.08.07, 6:31pm

Britons are being genocided! Vote BNP or face a third world future - it's a stark choice.

ONE IN FOUR BABIES HAS FOREIGN PARENT

23.08.07, 3:02pm

There is only ONE party to blame for Britains Multicultural Problems and we ALL know Who.

One thing however is for sure, the main architect and perpertrator has "cut and run" leaving the rest of us to deal with the consequences.

No wonder Indiginous Brits are Expatriating themselves at an unprecedented rate in order to secure a better life away from Britain and this inept Government and its policies.

CONQUEST BY OTHER MEANS

23.08.07, 11:13am

Native Britons will soon become a minority in their own country thanks to the policies implemented by British treacherous political elite.
It's time to act and support the British National Party, the only party willing to stop this.

LEFT: The Express reports that one in four children in the UK are now born to immigrants. It features a picture of actress Lucy Morgan who was found hanged in Paris. RIGHT: The crisis at Westminster deepens every day with front page revelations in the Daily Telegraph.The crisis at Westminster deepens every day with front page revelations in the Daily Telegraph.

After the horrendous violence that followed Kenya’s flawed general election in 2007, the mediation of Kofi Annan, a former secretary-general of the United Nations, was acclaimed for pushing the two main political parties into a coalition government. This at least stopped the bloodshed. Now, however, the deal is unravelling—fast. At a recent summit feuding government ministers could not even agree on what to discuss in order to find common ground. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) of the prime minister, Raila Odinga, stomped out before the meeting had even begun, accusing President Mwai Kibaki’s Party of National Unity (PNU) of blocking the agenda. Among the foreign diplomats looking on, optimists refer to the squabbling coalition as an “unconsummated marriage”. The less charitable say Kenya does not have a functioning executive at all, just an unholy alliance of fierce rivals. A schedule of constitutional, electoral, judicial, security, land and economic reforms was laid out in the original agreement between the two parties. A domestic tribunal to judge those responsible for the post-election mayhem was supposed to be set up and a truth commission established. Yet more than a year later the ODM and PNU have failed to agree on any of these issues. New corruption scandals, confined to no party, are regularly revealed by Kenya’s papers. With so many senior figures from the main parties co-opted into the government—which has 94 ministers and deputies, each earning over $15,000 a month—Kenya has become almost a one-party state. Ministers constantly squabble over pay, protocol, seniority and even who gets the best rooms at government get-togethers. The churches, NGOs and foreign diplomats are left to play the role of opposition, cajoling and threatening from the sidelines.

The infighting and bickering have also confounded hopes for measures to tackle the causes of the post-election violence, or even the country’s increasing gang violence. For example, Mr Odinga backed calls for the resignation of the soldier turned chief of the police, Major-General Hussein Ali, after he had been heavily criticised by human-rights groups and the UN over the activities of police death-squads. But Mr Kibaki, who appointed Mr Ali, has refused to let him go, despite an agreement to have a civilian head of the police. This week clashes in central Kenya between villagers and gang members of a criminal sect known as the Mungiki, who belong to the Kikuyu group, Kenya’s biggest, left another 40 or so people dead. Parliament reconvened this week. The next elections are not due until 2012, but so grave is the impasse that politicians are already attending to their political futures rather than present troubles. Martha Karua, who resigned as justice minister on April 6th in protest at Mr Kibaki’s decision to appoint judges without consulting her, has said she will run for president. She gives press interviews, addresses crowds and lambasts the government she so recently abandoned as if a national poll were due for next week. Ms Karua is popular because she gives voice to the disgust felt by ordinary Kenyans towards their politicians. Her resignation is seen as a rare display of principle. Unfortunately for Kenya, all that holds the coalition together now is mutual greed and pressure from abroad. Despite everything, foreign donor governments are nonetheless determined that the coalition should not collapse entirely. They believe any government is better than none, fearing yet more violence. Mr Annan may intervene again. Within a few months, unless the domestic courts deal with the matter properly, he promises to hand over to the International Criminal Court the names of ten people considered by a special Kenyan commission to be responsible for the post-election violence. The removal of these figures from Kenya’s politics, and even from the cabinet itself, might give a useful jolt to the country’s dysfunctional political system.

Mary Gachukia of Northampton has lost her sister back home. Well wishers are meeting at their house 51 Stockmead Road Northampton NN3 9TX from 7 pm to 9 pm. You may contact them on 07888734321 or 07903674946 for more details.

Kenya's census to cost Ksh 7.6bn

Written By:Graham Kirwa , Posted: Thu, May 22, 2009

The government will spend 7.6 billion shillings to conduct a national census in August this year. Planning minister Wycliffe Oparanya said the census would be conducted in 158 districts and will not consider newly created districts. He said the census would include administrative and political units. Oparanya said 128-thousand personnel would be involved in the exercise that will be conducted between the nights of August 24 and 25. District sub committees will be instituted to ensure that the exercise is free of graft and ensure that only locals from the respective regions are recruited. The minister said after the census a poverty index survey will be done next year which will assist the government in planning and distribution of resources. Oparanya however called on leaders to ensure boundary disputes are resolved before the exercise begins. He said after the census the devolved funds like CDF would be calculated and distributed based on the exact number of people as opposed the situation currently where the distribution is done in line with the 1999 population census.

Meat lovers beware. Half of the meat you buy from Nairobi butcheries is likely to come from uninspected wildlife. These gut-wrenching estimates are based on the rise of illegal game hunting in areas surrounding Nairobi, a phenomenon fuelled by the long drought which has affected areas that supply the city with mutton and beef. The estimates were based on findings from samples collected from 200 butcher shops two years ago which found that 47 per cent of the stock was bush meat. “The situation is much worse today, mainly because of the long drought which has depleted livestock in parts of Ngong, Namanga and Kajiado — the major meat suppliers for Nairobi,” Mr Steve Itela of the Youth for Conservation Group told a symposium in Nairobi on Wednesday. Ms Nancy Kabete of Kenya Wildlife Service said suspect animals that may have found their way into kitchens across the city include zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, antelopes and buffaloes. She said the trend was threatening the survival of some wild species while presenting human beings with the danger of contracting animal diseases. “One of the biggest challenges in fighting the crime is the lenient fines meted out by our courts. For killing an eland that can fetch Sh40,000 in a choice hotel, one is fined less than Sh3,000, which is hardly a deterrent,” she said. Naivasha has previously been the biggest source of game meat in the city, but a manager at the Soysambu Conservancy said this was likely to have changed. Mr Charles Muthui said traders in the area had diverted their illicit stocks to the numerous IDP camps in the area, and that public education initiatives against consumption of uninspected meat have helped eradicate the vice. - Daily Nation.

Mũkũrinũ Joyous visit in London

Mr. Elly Njuguna Kuria (right) is in London for a visit. During his visit he joined Mr. Seed and his wife Pastor Jane Njiiri (left) for a dinner in a restaurant in Docklands, London. Mr. Njuguna a friend of the Seeds who is a believer of the Akũrinũ sector in Kenya is on his way from Dallas, USA where he had gone for the graduation of his son Mr. Ezara Kuria Njuguna on 14th May, 2009. During his visit in Dallas he was joined at the ceremony by Mr. Seed who managed to attend several graduation ceremonies on his visit. Eli was a guest of the Professor Solomon Waigwa who is a dean in one of the Texas' university. Professor Waigwa is the most learned man among the Akũrino's sector in Kenya - Full story coming soon. Mr. Elly Njuguna's is a businessman in Nakuru, Kenya. His contact in UK is 07536201057.

Immigration and asylum statistics released

Home Office, 20 May 2009

A series of immigration statistics covering migration from Eastern Europe, asylum applications, removals and voluntary departures were published by the Home Office today. Work applications from the eight accession countries have fallen to their lowest level since they joined the European Union (EU) in 2004, according to the latest Accession Monitoring Report. In the first three months of 2009 there were 23,000 applications from workers in Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Estonia and the Czech Republic -down from 48,755 in the same period in 2008. The decrease is mainly explained by a drop in Polish applicants, which fell to 12,000 in the first quarter of 2009 from 32,000 in the same period in 2008. The statistics also show that the majority of workers coming from the A8 countries in the twelve months to March 2009 are young - 78 per cent were aged between 18 and 34 -and only eight per cent stated they had dependants living with them in the United Kingdom when they registered. In the same year 84 per cent of those registered were working for more than 35 hours per week. Although applications for jobseekers allowance from A8 nationals rose in Q1 2009, of the 5,561 individuals who made applications, only 1,671 were put forward for further consideration. The Bulgarian and Romanian Accession Statistics show that applications from these two countries have also fallen to the lowest level since they joined the EU in 2007. There were 610 applications for accession worker cards and 6,205 applications for registration certificates in the first quarter of 2009.

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'Today's figures show that immigration levels are balancing as more Eastern Europeans are now leaving the United Kingdom to return home. This suggests that increasing prosperity in post Soviet Eastern Europe in the long term can only be beneficial for the United Kingdom.

'In addition there are now, according to independent research, around 1.5 million British people working in other countries in the European Union. Nevertheless, the Government will continue to do everything it can to ensure that migration works for everyone.'

The Control of Immigration Statistics show that between January and March this year 15,840 people who had no right to be here were removed from the country or departed voluntarily. In the same period in 2008 16,760 people were removed or departed voluntarily. These statistics also show that the United Kingdom continues to receive fewer asylum applications per head of the population than many of its European counterparts. Applications for asylum have increased from 6,595 in the first quarter of 2008 to 8,380 in the same period this year, mainly driven by Zimbabwean applications. The number of initial decisions made on asylum applications was up 16 per cent from 4,435 in the first three months of 2008 to 5,145 in the same period this year.

Mr Woolas said:

'Our border has never been stronger. Last year we prevented over 28,000 individual attempts to cross the Channel illegally and the number of illegals found in Kent fell by nearly 90 per cent.

'We are making the United Kingdom a more hostile place for illegal immigrants through our tough civil penalties regime which has seen fines worth a potential £18 million issued to businesses that have employed people with no right to work.

'Our ability to return those who have no right to be here depends on detaining them and successfully repatriating them. That is why we continue to work closely with the police, build new removal detention centres and secure further agreements with key countries to take their nationals back.'

Asylum intake has remained broadly at the same level over the past four years and it is less than a third of the level when it peaked in 2002. At the end of December the Home Office met its target to conclude 60 per cent of new asylum cases within six months.

LUO PROVERB

Cham gi wadu.

Eat, share with your kinsmen/others

There is satisfaction, pleasure in sharing.

Singing set to bring a community in Purley, London together

A mum of two who lives in an estate in Purley is determined to bring her neighbours together through a love of music. Lucy Leary grew up in Kenya, where singing played a big part of her life. And now the 32-year-old has decided to reignite her passion by setting up a community choir in the Croftleigh estate. She hopes it will bring young and old together, and would one day love to see the choir hold its own concerts. Lucy told the Advertiser: "There's not a lot for people to do around here, so I've set this up as a community choir. "I was in a choir throughout my childhood, but when I left school I left the choir. "I love singing, singing is in my blood." And she continued: "There are a lot of elderly people here, and there are a lot of young people as well. "This is something that will bring the ages together." Already 10 people have expressed an interest in the choir, which meets every Thursday at Old Lodge Lane Baptist Church. Lucy has been hard at work sending out leaflets promoting the group, which is called the Croftleigh Community Choir. She said: "My target is to get about 40 people. "My hope is that by next year we'll be a proper choir and we'll be doing our own concerts. "I want to do more things for the area." Lucy added that since starting the choir last month, she has already struck up conversations with people who live nearby who she had never spoken to before. The mum, whose children Coli, four, and Chrystal, one, have both shown an interest in singing, said: "I want my children to be musical. It's something I feel like I've lost over the years, and I don't want that to happen to them. "All people need to do is turn up. "We're not charging anything, but are asking for a £1 donation each week to cover the hall hire." - The choir meets at 7pm every Thursday.

It’s barely a week since the eagerly awaited sentencing of Tom Cholmondeley, but for the family of Robert Njoya nothing has changed. In their sleepy Kiungururia Village, a few kilometres from Nakuru town, the widow, Mrs Sarah Njoya, has resumed her daily struggle of providing for her three children. The family’s three-room mud house is not different from any other homestead in the village. Just like most rural households, there are several goats and chickens roaming the compound. When The Standard visited the home yesterday, Sarah had just taken a break from tending to her crops in a nearby farm. "Last year, we did not harvest anything as this area is usually very dry," she said of the farm. Life, according to the 31-year-old, has changed drastically since the fatal shooting of her husband three years ago by Cholmondeley. The scion of Lord Delamere was last week sentenced to eight months in prison for shooting and killing Njoya, a Gilgil mason, in May 2006. Since that shooting, which robbed the family of their sole breadwinner, Sarah says she has been thrust into a new chapter, which she was barely prepared for. "While he used to provide for the family, I have to struggle to eke out a living in whatever possible way," she adds nostalgically.

She rises up early and goes to the Nakuru retail market to sell yams (‘nduma’) to earn a living. The money she makes is barely enough to ensure her family lives a comfortable life. "I buy ‘ndumas’ from fellow villagers and then sell them at the Nakuru retail market," she says. The widow says last year was particularly difficult as farming, which is their mainstay, failed due to the dry spell. "We did not harvest anything and this year we are trying our luck as Kiungururia is usually very dry," she states as she works on the maize farm. When business at the market is bad and the situation becomes unbearable, she turns to casual work at her neighbours. Sarah is at loss over where to get the money to educate the three children. One is sitting the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education this year. She, however, says her neighbours and friends have been supportive during the trying moments. We found a neighbour, Mr Timothy Nderitu, at the home. He had a mathematics textbook to be used by Njoya’s eldest son, Gidraf Mwangi. "I have been trying everything including borrowing books from neighbours and friends to ensure he passes his exams," she says of her determination to educate the children. The ordinariness of the Njoyas’ life is evident although his shooting captivated local and international media for three years. At lunchtime, a hurriedly prepared meal of ugali and ‘sukuma wiki’ (kales) is all there is for the three children before they dash back to school. They attend the nearby Kiungururia Primary School. The eldest, Mwangi (12), is in Standard Eight, while Michael Kamau (10), is in Standard Four. The last born, John Karigi, who was only five years old when his father’s life was cut short, is in Standard Three. Sarah says unlike many other people, she has no problems with the eight-month sentence handed to Cholmondeley by High Court Judge Muga Apondi.

With gloom descending on her face, Sarah says she has left most of the unanswered questions to God. The widow said though Cholmondeley was found guilty of manslaughter and not murder, she believes the court did its best to dispense justice. She has since forgiven Cholmondeley and is now concentrating on the struggle to feed and educate her three children. "I would not like his family to undergo the pain that I went through when I lost my husband," Sarah adds. She, however, says she is disturbed that some of the children, who were too young to understand what happened to their father, have been pestering her for answers. But she has no ready or available explanations for them on what caused the shooting of their father. The children, she said, get answers from other sources due to the intense media coverage of their father’s death. Sarah says she welcomes any assistance that may be forthcoming from the Delamere family. "What I want is a better life for my children now that their father is dead," she says. In his mitigation through his lawyer Fred Ojiambo, Cholmondeley had indicated that he was willing to assist the deceased family materially and spiritually. "There have been no discussions to that end so far," she says. While sentencing Cholmondeley, Justice Apondi said he imposed the light sentence to allow the accused to reflect on his life and change to an appropriate direction. - The Standard.

LEFT: The Sun says Michael Jackson is set to have surgery on his skin cancer - hours after postponing this first four gigs in Britain. CENTRE: A so-called stealth tax on calls to mobile phones is the lead story in the Daily Express. - RIGHT: Thousands of Pakistanis from Taliban and al Qaeda heartlands have used a loophole in Britain's immigration system to get into the UK, claims The Times.

Nairobi, Wednesday 20th May, 2009. Coast PC Earnest Munyi Wednesday admitted that some police officers were protecting drug barons in Mombasa. The PC said the fight against drug abuse was being sabotaged by some police officers. He said already six police officers are currently facing disciplinary action and warned that those involved in the drug deals would be dealt with accordingly. The PC was speaking Tuesday at Jumuiya conference in Mombasa during the consultative forum of the coast interfaith council of clerics. Muslims in the province have in the recent past held protests against drugs and accused the police of laxity in dealing with the drug menace. During the meeting the council alleged that police were protecting the drug peddlers in the province and threatened to arrest and hand them over to police for further investigations. The council chairman S.Anyenda said they will remain stead fast in ensuring that the drug abuse menace is curbed adding that it will broaden its activities to reach out to the youth. The meeting turned stormy when the chairman of the Lamu community policing Sheikh Baskut, claimed that police in the area were directly working with the drug barons whom he accused of destroying court evidence hence letting the culprits off the hook. He said" so serious is the issue in Lamu that it has adversely affected tourism in the area with lesser visits by tourists for fear of attacks by the drug addicts" The anti-narcotics police unit has however intensified crackdown on drug traffickers . Three suspects were arrested last Saturday at Mariakani trading center ferrying 382 rolls of bhang. In March police seized an estimated 1,000 kilograms of bhang, the single largest haul to be netted in the province.

The moderator of PCEA 19th General Assembly The Rt. Rev. David Gathanju arrived in the UK today Wednesday 20th May, 2009 where he will be holding several meetings. MORE

Yes Ghana has beaten Kenya by having the First visit by President Obama to Africa. This says alot about the current crop of leaders who are taking Kenya to nowhere. President Obama by choosing Ghana as his first trip to Africa demonstrate his lack of confidence to coalition government who have failed to solve Kenya's short term and long term problem. In Ghana corruption is fought at every opportunity. President Obama will only favour good governance and democracy in Kenya.

ANIMAL SMILE COMPETITION CONTINUES

Dr Ombongi was plucked out of the lecturer hall at the University of Nairobi where he was a history lecturer and many critics argue he has little to do with management and knowledge of the hospitality industry to turn around the tattered institution. Last week, Mr Balala said he saw nothing wrong with appointing a friend because that was the practice now in government. On Monday, Dr Ombongi said he was qualified for the job and would get it “even if it was competitively sourced”. “There should be no question of me being a friend of the anyone since I am a Kenyan who is qualified for this job,” said Dr Ombongi, 40. Mr Balala said he appointed Dr Ombongi in an acting capacity following a report of a task force that recommended radical measures to restore the glory of the institution. Recently, the reappointment of George Muhoho as Kenya Airports Authority managing director brought to the fore the disrespect of government hiring rules.

Procedure Allows 'Blind' Man To Drive Again

Nigel Cook suffered from macular degeneration, a condition that obscured his central vision with a dark fog. He had to hand back his driving licence and quit his job with the police force. But after surgeons implanted two tiny plastic lenses in each of his eyes, he can now see. Although not a cure for the disease, it overcomes the defect on the retina that causes the blind spot. "It has changed my day-to-day life beyond recognition," he told Sky News. "It's so exciting. To be able to do routine things without struggling to work out who it is you are looking at, it's fantastic." Macular degeneration is caused by damage to an area at the back of the eye. Sufferers only have peripheral vision, so cannot see someone's face without looking at them out of the corner of their eye. But the new lenses act together like a telescope, magnifying the image in the eye. So while the dark central blind spot remains the same size, the image of what patients are looking at is bigger, so they can make out details previously hidden from them. Andrew Luff has helped to pioneer the technique at the Optegra Eye Hospital. A quarter of his patients have had a significant improvement to their vision - another half are helped to some degree. He said: "Patients who are struggling to carry out activities of daily living may suddenly find it easier to cook meals or find their way around the house. "I've also had good reports that patients are able to play golf rather better than they could before." But other surgeons are cautious about such a new technique. Not all patients see an improvement to their vision - yet they will have spent £6,000 on the operation, which is currently only available privately. President of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists Winfried Amoaku wants more research. "I understand why any patient would want treatment, because their sight is so valuable that they'll do anything to get it back," he said. "But at the same time we as clinicians should be able to prove that the treatment we are giving is beneficial before we roll it out." But Nigel has no doubts about the operation. He has just seen his daughter in a school play - and for the first time saw her performance clearly from the back of the room. To him, that means everything.

Kenyans are among the most economically active and successful of all the immigrant communities in the UK, says a new report. The Institute of Public Policy Research (IPPR) says that it estimates 123,600 people who were born in Kenya currently live and work in the UK. The Kenyan expatriate community is the 13th largest in Britain, ahead of Australians, Italians, Canadians and even, surprisingly, the French. But the community, said to be a mixture of African business people, white Kenyans, Kenyan Asians and asylum seekers, is one of the most productive of all immigrant communities to the UK. Kenyans in the UK earn on average £24,500 (Sh3.3 million) a year, behind seven other countries including Americans, Canadians, Australians, South Africans, the French and Ugandans who have an average per capita income of £27,400 (Sh3.7 million). But Kenyans are also the second biggest home owning immigrants in the UK, behind India, with 82 per cent of the community owning a house. They are also among the least likely of all the communities to be claiming benefit from Britain’s social welfare system with only one per cent doing so. Nearly 80 per cent of all Kenyans living in the UK are employed, with 19 per cent of them self employed. Average hourly pay for Kenyan immigrants is £12.50 (Sh1,704) per hour, among the top 10 earners of all immigrant communities to the UK and just behind Ugandans who earn £13.40 (Sh1,840) an hour. The detailed study into Britain’s biggest immigrant communities was conducted by the institute to try and dispel some of the myths that have made life difficult for some immigrants in the UK. The aim of the report was to tackle the fact that there is “very little information on the economic characteristics and contribution of Britain’s immigrants,” said the IPPR. “This is unfortunate because it means that policy-makers do not have the evidence base they need on which to base good policies.

I am back from the Dallas, USA. I enjoyed the trip. I met hundreds of Kenyans in Dallas. It is estimated that there are about 40,000 Kenyans in Dallas and 16 Kenyan churches. The weather here is good and this land of cowboys. I did enjoy better than I did in Washington. I met hundreds of Mr. Seeds fans down there. Back for business as usual. What did you see there Mr. Seed? More information later.

The first chief in Kenya - Chief Karuri of Tuthu, Murang'a Kenya was the first chief in Kenya to send his son to to study abroad - Mr. Daudi Gakure in 1915

Sources says that there are about 300,000 pending murder cases in high court and one case might take up to 8 years to conclude

LUO PROVERB

Chulo kuor ok ber

Revenge brings no luck.

It is advisable to forgive than to revenge.

The curious wildlife and human communities of the remote South Pacific islands. - MORE VIDEO

Profile of Kenyans in the US and What it Means for Kenya

By Kefa M. Otiso, Ph.D.

There is a lot of current national interest in the role of the diaspora in Kenya’s development. In this commentary, I’d like to shed some light on the Kenyan diaspora in the US and how to best to use it and the rest of the diaspora to develop Kenya. The US Census reports that there were 40,680 Kenyan immigrants in the US in 2000. This number is unrealistically low because it is based on sample data that only captures first generation Kenyan immigrants. Nevertheless, this census dataset contains an interesting profile of Kenyans in the US; and has important implications for the country’s development.

Gender and Age Distribution

Most Kenyans in the US are men and are in the economically active age groups. Specifically, 54% of the 40,680 Kenyans in the US in 2000 were male while 46% were female. Eighty-seven percent (i.e.,35,345) of them were 15 to 64 years old. Of these, 65% were in the 20 to 44 age bracket. At 32 years, their median age was 3 years lower than that of the general US population.

Income

On average, Kenyans in the US make more money than many African immigrant groups and Americans. Specifically, Kenyans in the US in 2000 had a per capita (personal) income of $28,000 (or nearly Kshs 2 million at current exchange rates). This income was higher than that of all other black African immigrants such as Nigerians ($27,000) and Ghanaians ($23,000) but less than that of the Egyptians ($33,000) and South Africans ($42,000) -- who are mostly white. Moreover, since the per capita income for the general US population was $21,587 in that year, the average Kenyan immigrant earned nearly $6,000 more than the average American. Similarly,the median family income for Kenyans was $55,000 or nearly $5,000 more than the general US population, $2,000 more than Nigerians (the next highest black African immigrant group), nearly equal with Egyptians ($57,000) but much less than the South Africans ($81,000) who topped all African immigrant groups.

One income measure that Kenyans fared poorly on is retirement income. At average income of $11,000 in retirement income, Kenyans were at par with Ghanaians but significantly less well of than Nigerians ($15,000), Egyptians ($19,000), and South Africans ($30,000). Although this low retirement income could be due to their relatively recent arrival in the United States, it might also be due to their low level of savings or investment in US retirement programs. It is also noteworthy that Kenyan men made nearly $10,000 more than their women counterparts in 2000. Overall,although Kenyans in the US generally make far more money than their brethren in Kenya, they also spend more because the cost of living in the US is very high.

Educational attainment,Employment and Vehicle Ownership

Most of the Kenyans in the US are well educated and have very good English language skills. Nearly 52% of Kenyans in the US in 2000 had a bachelor’s degree or higher compared to 28% for the general US population. And of the Kenyans with at least an undergraduate degree, 23% had a masters or professional degree (e.g., medical degrees). The only other African immigrant groups with more people with undergraduate degrees or higher in 2000 were South Africans (55%), Nigerians (59%), and Egyptians (60%). Although the US has significantly tightened its immigration laws since the September 2001 terrorist attacks,one of the ironic silver linings of this is that the new laws have made it harder for nonimmigrant Kenyans to drop out of school. As a result, many more Kenyans are staying in school and graduating at even more impressive rates.

The 2010 US census is likely to show a significant increase in the number of Kenyans in the US with undergraduate degrees or higher. The high educational attainment of Kenyans in the US is also due to the fact that Kenya has since the 1993-94 academic year (i.e., September 1993 – May 1994) led other African countries in the number of students in American colleges and universities. All things being equal, one would expect more populated countries like Nigeria, Ethiopia and Egypt to have more students than Kenya.

Because of their high educational qualifications, English language skills, and good work ethic, many of the Kenyans in the US are professionals working as educators, managers, business proprietors, clerks and health care attendants. According to the 2000 census, most of them are employed in the educational, medical (non-hospital), and miscellaneous business sectors of the economy. Their relatively high incomes have helped them (together with Nigerians, Egyptians, and South Africans) to rise to the top of other African immigrant groups in the US in the rate of personal vehicle ownership. Contrary to the widespread belief in Kenya, Kenyans in the US cannot do without reliable personal vehicles if they hope to go to school and make ends meet. This is because American cities are some of the most spread out in the world and have a generally poor public transport system. For example, the City of Houston, Texas, has an area of more than 600 square miles (1,600 km²) -- slightly more than twice the size of Nairobi City.

Home ownership

Most Kenyans in the US are renters rather than homeowners. In 2000, slightly over one-third of Kenyans in the US owned their homes while the rest were renters. According to census data, Egyptians and South Africans were the only African immigrant groups with more homeowners than renters. At a median home value of $180,000, Kenyan homes in the US in 2000 were, on average, worth $30,000 more than those of other black African immigrant groups including Ghanaians ($149,000) and Nigerians ($148,000). The median value of Kenyan homes was similar to that of the mostly “white” Moroccans ($180,000) but less than that of Egyptians ($210,000) and South Africans ($249,000) that are also mostly “white”. Given the 2000 to 2006 US real estate boom, it is reasonable to assume that a higher proportion of Kenyans in the US now own homes with even higher median home values.

This is a remarkable achievement considering the fact that most Kenyans (77%) migrated to the US between 1986 and 2000, long after the other African groups, especially Nigerians, Moroccans, and Egyptians, had started immigrating to the US in large numbers. In fact, 43% of the Kenyans in the US immigrated between 1996 and 2000 in pursuit of higher educational training and better economic prospects. Many others left for political reasons. Moreover, the period after 1986 has witnessed many US immigration law changes that have benefited many Kenyans. For example, between 1996 and 2005, 10,000 Kenyans immigrated to the US under the diversity lottery program while close to 2,700 skilled Kenyans did so using work visas. Nevertheless, only 25% of Kenyans in the US in 2000 were naturalized US citizens; making this one of the lowest naturalization levels of any major African immigrant groups in the US. Although the naturalization level of Kenyans in the US has increased since the September 2001 terrorist attacks, it is unlikely to be as high as that of Nigerians for instance. Hopefully, this high level of enduring loyalty to Kenya would reassure those sections of the Kenyan government that have been slow to enact dual-citizenship legislation.

Family matters

Fifty-three percent (or 19,040) of the 36,015 Kenyans aged 15 years and over in 2000 were married with children under 18 years of age. The rest were unmarried, divorced, separated or widowed. Prior to the introduction of the US diversity lottery in the mid-1990s, most Kenyans in the US were unmarried. But because the lottery enables winners to immigrate with their families, more Kenyans are now married than single.

Where in the US do they live?

Over eighty percent of the Kenyans in the US in 2000 were and still live in the states of Texas, California, New York, and New Jersey. The first three states are also some of America’s most populated and economically prosperous. In general, most Kenyans in America live in large cities like Houston (Texas), Los Angeles (California) and Atlanta (Georgia) because such cities tend to have many fellow Kenyans, colleges and universities, and job opportunities. Moreover, Houston, Los Angeles, and Atlanta are in a warm climate similar to that in most parts Kenya.

Development Lessons for Kenya and the Diaspora

The foregoing profile of Kenyans in the US has many implications for Kenya and its and its diaspora’s development. To start with, the 40,680 Kenyans captured by the 2000 US census had a combined income of slightly over $1 billion >or about Kshs 79 billion at current exchange rates. If you add the Kenyans who were not counted by the census plus the thousands that live in Canada, Europe, other African countries, the Middle East, Australia, and New Zealand; the substantial economic power of the global Kenyan diaspora becomes clear. This is why the diaspora has been able to remit or send back to Kenya an estimated Kshs 50 – 70 billion annually in each of the last few years. If this income were productively invested, it could go a long way in transforming Kenya into a real “African Lion”.

Unfortunately, much of the money that is sent back home is often put to unproductive uses such as buying food, consumer goods, and repaying family debts. Some of it is also used to pay for family and friends’ healthcare and education costs. As important as these needs are, they tend to be consumption- rather than production-oriented. The government can do a lot to help convert more of our diaspora remittances into productive investments by delivering more basic services e.g., healthcare to the country’s population. One also hopes that government officials will not seize on the beneficial economic impact of the diaspora’s remittances to fleece the country through scams like Goldenburg and Anglo leasing.

The government must also realize that remittances are neither a reliable nor long term source of foreign exchange because they tend to be highest among first generation immigrants and decline with substantially as the remitters spend more time abroad. Moreover, the remittances can only last as long as the economies of the US and other rich countries prosper or as long as these countries choose to permit such money transfers. In the event of a serious economic downturn in the more developed countries, their governments could choose to restrict the amount of money that can be remitted. They can also restrict remittances it they get to a level where they become an unacceptable economic drain on these countries.

This scary scenario is no idle speculation as sections of the US population have begun to call for a 10 -15% tax on immigrant remittances in order to plug holes in the social service budgets of local governments in southern border-states like Texas. Meanwhile, tougher immigration laws are already making it difficult for Kenyans to immigrate to the US and other rich countries thereby limiting the future pool of remitters. Given all this, Kenya should use its current remittance windfall to foster its long term economic growth. Kenyans in the diaspora should also help fellow Kenyans to keep the government honest otherwise their indirect taxes (i.e., remittances) could backfire and promote repressive governments that could ultimately cost the diaspora an arm and a leg by undermining the economic growth of their dependants. In the 1980s and 1990s, for example, diaspora remittances helped the KANU regime to maintain reasonable foreign currency reserves that not only helped in defy local and international pressure for reform, but also helped it to stay in power longer than would have been possible. And even when the regime’s reckless social and economic policies ultimately forced the diaspora to worker harder or borrow money to help cushion family and friends from the negative effects of its policies, the regime still benefited indirectly from the increased remittances because they somewhat depressed citizen demands for public services and greater political openness and accountability. Additionally, the diaspora had to endure the psychological pain of constantly agonizing over the wellbeing of family and friends in Kenya, not to mention the loss of time and money that could have been used more productively. Should the diaspora read this as an argument to stop supporting family and friends in Kenya? No. Rather, this is a call for members of the diaspora to be vigilant and to help promote responsible government in Kenya, failing which their hard earned remittances will do precious little for the Kenya in the long term.

It is also important for the government and the Kenyan diaspora to realize that diaspora investments can, in some cases, undermine the country’s social cohesion and economic development. As evidence from other parts of the world shows, immigrant investments in assets like land, can inflate its cost and make it unaffordable to those who really need it for survival. Besides, if the diaspora fails to use assets like land productively, this can undermine important national priorities such as food self sufficiency. Remittances from the diaspora can also worsen regional and local income inequalities and contribute to problems like crime. Areas with many people in the diaspora can also develop a “migration culture” that makes those left behind to prefer migration over local economic opportunities. This can undermine local economic development since most people will never be able to go overseas and must use locally available resources and opportunities to improve themselves socially and financially. Without awareness of the negative effects of remittances, the government will not be able to develop measures to minimize these effects. On its part, the diaspora should endeavor to minimize investments that hurt rather than help local communities. Examples of beneficial projects include micro-enterprises such as small agricultural processing plants that can enable family and friends in Kenya to be financially independent.

Given the high educational and professional achievements of Kenyans in the US (and most likely elsewhere in the Diaspora), it is difficult to understand why the government scarcely uses them as consultants in their respective areas of expertise. If government must use consultants from overseas, then it is advisable to make greater use consultants from the diaspora because they would not only save government tones of money, but would also use their native knowledge of Kenya to produce more socially relevant development projects that will take Kenya further than the white elephants that litter the countryside.

As the development role of the diaspora grows, members of this community should endeavor to avoid wasteful investments such as ostentatious rural retirement homes that they are unlikely to use. Granted that our culture puts a premium on such investments, they need not be palaces when modest/functional houses will suffice. As many urban Kenyans and members of the diaspora, are increasingly finding out, the journey “back home” to retirement is often in a casket. With such poor odds of actually getting to enjoy the rural palace, it is unwise for the diaspora to squander its hard earned cash on “dead capital” projects as rural palaces. Instead, the money spent on these showy projects should be productively invested in small businesses, urban rental houses, and the stock market. These investments can not only yield beneficial returns for individual members of the diaspora, but can also generate an income that can more sustainably support family and friends in Kenya besides growing the country’s “live capital” or capital that can be used to generate more capital. It is interesting to note that one key characteristic of poor countries like Kenya is their high ratio of dead to live capital while more prosperous countries like the US have the opposite condition. Hopefully, Kenyans in the diaspora will help to change some of the country’s outdated but expensive cultural practices such as the need for rural palaces.

To be more effective in aiding Kenya’s development, members of the diaspora should not neglect their financial well being in their new home countries. As noted earlier, Kenyans in the US had some of the lowest retirement incomes in 2000. Whereas one hopes that things are better now, it doesn’t take much analysis to see that it is the Kenyans that have succeeded in the US elsewhere that are in the best position to help Kenya. To borrow a leave from Christ, you need to remove the log in your eye before trying to remove the speck in another person’s eye. Moreover since many members of the diaspora are raising children abroad, they should seriously consider the educational and financial future of these children lest they underachieve and join the underclass in their new home countries. This the more reason for members of the diaspora to put their money in instruments like stocks or urban houses that can aid Kenya’s development now and still be used to finance the kids’ education later on in life. Besides, stocks and other easily convertible instruments can be passed on as inheritances to the next generation. In contrast, the rural palaces that members of the diaspora seldom spend a night in will in the future be of little or no value to their “American” or “British” kids.

A quick word of advice for our Kenyan sisters in the US and elsewhere in diaspora: prepare yourself financially for the very real possibility of spending the rest of your life without a husband, whether by design, divorce, sickness or death. Since lower educational levels are a major reason why Kenyan women in the US earn less than their male counterparts, female members of the diaspora should try to improve your educational qualifications in spite of the heavy domestic responsibilities that they often shoulder. Even happily married women need to invest in themselves for purposes of personal fulfillment, supplementing family incomes, or even being the primary bread winners of their families.

Finally, although Kenya continues to benefit from its large US diaspora, it is important to remember that this benefit derives, in part, from the ability of the US to attract talented individuals from allover the world and to provide them with conditions that allow them to maximize their individual potential. Kenya should similarly aspire to make the most of its citizens’ potential at home. It is not wise for any individual or country to rely on the charity of others. Isn’t there a Swahili proverb that says “Mtegemea cha nduguye hufa maskini” (Whoever depends on another dies poor)? My hope is that this proverb will not come true of Kenya. It need not be. Fortunately, Kenya seems to be waking up.

The writer is an associate professor of urban and economic Geography at Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, US, and can be reached at oyomose at hotmail dot com

The most expensive food in the world - Caviar

Caviar is an expensive delicacy consisting of the unfertilized eggs (roe) of sturgeon brined with a salt solution. Classic caviar comes primarily from Iran or Russia, harvested by commercial fishermen working in the Caspian Sea. A specific species of sturgeon called beluga provide what many consider to be the best caviar in the world. A female sturgeon's roe supply may constitute as much as 25% of her total body weight. Considering that mature sturgeons can weigh 300 pounds, each one can provide a substantial amount of caviar over a lifetime. In recent years, however, a combination of natural and man-made problems have seriously threatened the future of Caspian Sea caviar harvesting. Beluga sturgeon populations have been declining at an alarming rate. Other species of sturgeon and fish have become increasingly popular alternatives to Russian and Iranian caviar.

'Prepare for a heatwave' UK told

People need to make sure they have a fair weather friend they can call on for aid in the event of a heatwave this summer, officials have advised. The Department of Health's Heatwave Plan urges everyone to be aware of the health risks faced by elderly friends and relatives during a hot spell. It says homeowners can stay cool by painting their houses white and planting shrubs for shade. Forecasters say it is still too early to say if this summer will be hot. Other tips include identifying the coolest room in the house. For the very young and older people or those with serious illnesses, heat can be dangerous. In particular, it can make heart and respiratory problems worse. In extreme cases, excess heat can lead to heat stroke, which can be fatal. The Met Office says it is too early to tell whether it will be a very hot summer this year, but the signs so far are that it will be warmer than our last two summers and conditions could well trigger its heatwave warning system. In London, this would mean daytime temperatures had exceeded 32C and night-time temperatures were over 18C degrees. In the North West, it would be 30C and 15C, respectively. Wayne Elliott, Head of Health Forecasting at the Met Office, said: "Summer is nearly with us and it's a good time to prepare for the high temperatures that we can experience in this country."

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IKO NINI BWANA SEED? MAY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - MARCH 2009

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - THREE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009 - ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009 - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER, 2008 ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER TWO, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - OCTOBER, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - SEPTEMBER 2008