Iko Nini Bwana Seed?

WHAT UK NEWSPAPERS SAY

A KENYAN LAW FIRM IN UK - CAPITALfm RADIO fff - KAMEME RADIO IS BACK AGAIN

  LISTEN TO HODSIM RADIO OF BISHOP WARUI  - LONDON

London, Friday 18th December, 2009. Commuters are experiencing travel disruption as heavy snow falls across much of the UK, with south-east and east England worst affected. The Met Office has also issued severe snow warnings for London, the East Midlands and Yorkshire and Humber. Up to 20cm (8in) has already fallen in counties including Kent, Essex and Sussex and more is to come on Friday. About 200 drivers on the M20 and M2 in Kent were stuck in tailbacks overnight and flights have also been cancelled. Essex Police dealt with more than 180 weather-related incidents during the night, including more than 20 road collisions. Suffolk Police say it has been an "horrendous night". They have dealt with 230 incidents after up to 15cm (6in) of snow fell in the county, and dozens of drivers were forced to spend the night in their cars. Hertfordshire Police had more than 400 emergency calls through the night. Scores of jack-knifed lorries and abandoned cars litter the roads in the worst affected areas. Thousands of children are starting their Christmas holidays a day early as schools in many counties have been forced to close. Energy company EDF says electricity supplies have been cut off in parts of south-east and east England. The worst affected areas in the east include Cambridge, King's Lynn and Ipswich. In Norfolk, several thousand properties are without power, and EDF said its engineers' efforts to restore power were being hampered by the bad weather. Some 1,000 homes are also without power in Cumbria. EasyJet said it had cancelled about 50 flights at Gatwick, Stansted and Luton airports. Specific problems include:

• Gatwick airport was closed from 0015 until 0730 GMT. EasyJet cancelled all flights from there until 1130, with other delays and diversions continuing since it reopened

• Luton airport in Bedfordshire reopened at about 1115

• Heathrow and Stansted airports stayed open, but there were delays to flights there, as well as at Manchester airport. There are delays to the train and bus services in and out of Stansted

• More than 350 schools have shut in Kent, the same number in Hertfordshire and more than 200 in Suffolk. Norfolk and Cambridgeshire have each seen more than 100 close

• National Rail Enquiries has warned of disruption to train services on Friday, particularly in east and south-east England

• Sections of the M40 were closed during rush hour following accidents. Normal traffic conditions were expected to resume from 1030

• In Essex, more than 70 lorries got stuck in blizzards on the A120 near Harwich, and on the A12 near Colchester some drivers had to sleep in their vehicles until gritters and snowploughs arrived

• Roads in Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire were reported to be hazardous

• Other roads affected include the M2 and M20 in Kent, and the A168 in North Yorkshire - partly closed northbound due to a jack-knifed lorry

• Between 30 to 40 cars were trapped behind two lorries, stuck on the A166 in East Yorkshire

• National Hunt racing at Ascot on Friday and Saturday has been abandoned due to snow

Driving winds and sub-zero temperatures brought blizzard conditions to much of the UK late on Thursday and in the early hours of Friday. The Met Office said the heaviest snowfall overnight was in Norfolk, Bedford and Buckinghamshire.

Good morning with snow from London

Commuters are experiencing travel problems as heavy snow falls in parts of eastern England, with up to 20cm possible.

Extraordinary video has been obtained by scientists of the deepest undersea eruption ever recorded.  The footage was captured by the US Jason robotic submersible that descended over 1,100m into the Pacific Ocean to acquire the high-definition footage. It shows lava bursting into the water at the West Mata submarine volcano, which is sited about 200km south-west of the Samoas. - VIDEO

TALK OF SICK LEAVE: It comes comes in December when staffs want to take leave by force. Many companies and organizations are in short of staff because of many people calling in for sick leave. One department of an organization in UK is grounded after 18 staff out of 29 staffs calls in for a sick leave. Strange enough they are having the same message: "The doctor recommends that I take one month sick leave to avoid spreading the homa to other staff". Before you grow old, you will come through so many things.

UK police on Wednesday 16th December, 2009 charged a son of embattled London-based Kenyan preacher Gilbert Deya with the murder of his three-year-old boy and the attempted murder of his wife. Mr Paul Otieno Deya, 31, was subsequently detained under Section 2 of the Mental Heath Act.  Section 2 of the Act allows compulsory admission for assessment followed by medical treatment for a duration of up to 28 days. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said “A Magistrate’s Court appearance will be postponed until a future date”. Paul was arrested on November 24 after his son, Wilson, was found stabbed to death the previous day. Since his arrest, he has remained under 24 hours police guard at unidentified South London hospital. He underwent surgery for stab wounds to his neck and body.  Paul was suspected of having killed Wilson and stabbing the boy’s mother, Jacqueline Achieng Otieno, 28, in a ferocious knife attack at their home on Lynton Road, Southwark, South East London before turning the knife on himself.  The couple’s 17-month-old daughter, Valerie, was not harmed in the incident.  Mrs Otieno is believed to be staying with her adopted West Indies family in Peckham South London while Valerie is in custody of Southwark Social Services. Paul was adopted by Pastor Deya after his father, Wilson Deya, died in the 1970s. He arrived in the UK in the late 1990s along with Bishop Deya’s other children, Amos, Dan, Rebecca, Jane, David and Moses. Moses is now in the custody of social services after DNA paternity results proved he was not Pastor Deya’s son. Paul’s brother, Walter lives in Nairobi with his wife, Annete. Paul took media studies at Croydon College along with his cousin Dan in 2003. – Daily Nation.

Paul Deya and his bride cutting the cake at their wedding in London. Photo/Gakuru Macharia

A MAASAI PROVERB

Onu naitaasur tunani.

It is the eye which makes man suffer

MR. SEED MONEY TRANSFER TECHNICAL PROBLEM

Mr. Seed Money Transfer has a major technical problem in Nairobi and

we have suspended our Money Transfer system until it is rectified.

Tiger Wood Charged With Careless Driving. Golfer Tiger Woods will not face criminal charges over his early morning car crash. But the Florida Highway Patrol says he has been issued with a careless driving ticket and could be fined up to $164 and have four points docked from his licence.

The late Kiki's body laid to rest in Karatina, Nyeri

Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

The late Kariuki Munyota (Kiki) was buried in Karatina, Nyeri, Kenya on Thursday 17th December, 2009. The well attended ceremony  went on well. Many local people attended as well as from London and USA. The convoy left Kenyatta University College Mortuary at 7.00 a.m. arriving at Karatina at 9.30 a.m. Bishop Peter Gatimu the General Overseer of Apostolic Church, Kenya officiated the ceremony assisted by Bishop Samuel Muya of Elburgon. Over ten people from UK attended the ceremony. They kept time and by 3.00pm everything had been done. On left photo Mrs. Polly Munyota - Mama Kiki having the last look of her departed son and on right the late Kiki's brother Mwangi and sister Jeniffer laying their flower at the grave. - CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS

Heavy snow forecast for many parts of UK

Heavy snowfall is expected in parts of the UK, with south-east England expected to be worst affected. The Met Office has issued an early warning and said travel networks may be affected by snow on Friday. Up to 20cm (8in) of snow could fall in some parts of Kent, Sussex, Surrey, London and East Anglia, with gale-force winds causing drifts, forecasters say. Snow is also forecast in parts of central and northern England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. There have already been intermittent snow showers leaving a light covering of snow across north-east England, parts of East Anglia and the Midlands. Snow has also been falling in the Brecon area of mid Wales and in the Neath area of south Wales. The snowfall is expected to become heavier into Thursday evening with bands of snow spreading across south-east England, East Anglia and the London area, where forecasters say 10cm of snow could fall by midnight. John Hammond, of the BBC Weather Centre, said conditions would worsen through the early hours of Friday, with gale-force winds causing snow to drift, and some places seeing as much as 20cm of snow. Conditions are expected to be at their worst during the Friday morning rush hour. Conditions in the South East are expected to ease during Friday, with more cold and icy weather predicted for Saturday and Sunday. Further snow is predicted over the weekend, particularly across the north of the UK. However, the Met Office said it was too early to say whether there would be a white Christmas. A Met Office spokesman said: "Current indications show an ongoing battle between the colder air currently over the UK and milder air pushing in from the west. As a result the forecast for Christmas Day is still too close to call."

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'Honour killing' father given life for Tulay murder

A father has been jailed for life to serve a minimum tariff of 22 years for murdering his daughter, 15, in a so-called honour killing. Tulay Goren disappeared in 1999 after having a relationship with a man her family disapproved of. At the Old Bailey earlier, her father Mehmet, 49, was convicted of murder. His brothers Cuma Goren, 42, and Ali Goren, 55, were cleared of the charge. Tulay was last seen at her home in north London, in January 1999. The body of the schoolgirl - who told a friend she may have been pregnant just before she disappeared - has never been found. The court previously heard Mehmet Goren disapproved of Tulay's relationship with factory worker Halil Unal because of religious differences and the fact Mr Unal was 15 years older than Tulay. Goren and his brothers Cuma and Ali, both from Walthamstow, east London, were all cleared of conspiring to murder Mr Unal, between May 1998 and February 1999. The judge in the case, Mr Justice Bean, said Goren's attempts to appear a "thoroughly modern and enlightened family man failed to deceive the jury". "The reality is that your enigmatic smile conceals a violent and dominating personality," he told the killer. "Your wife Hanim has finally had the courage to break free of the domination and reveal what she knew of what you did in January 1999."

Goren disposed of the schoolgirl's body "with such ingenuity that it has never been found", the judge said. "There is nothing honourable about such a hideous practice or the people who carry it out," he added. Mr Justice Bean made clear Goren would not be eligible for parole until 2030, when he will be nearly 70. The court had heard that on 7 January 1999, the part-time fish and chip shop worker, told his son Tuncay to kiss Tulay goodbye at their home in Woodford Green, London, as he would never see his sister again. Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said he killed Tulay "to restore the so-called honour" of the family, who originate from Turkey. The term "honour" was an "appalling and inappropriate way" to "dignify" the offence, he added. The court heard Mr Unal was brought up as a Sunni Muslim while the Gorens were from the Alevi branch of the faith. Despite coming from places no more than 60 miles apart in Turkey, a relationship between the sects "would not have been tolerated", and Tulay was killed by Goren "to avoid further humiliation".

The court was also told Goren served three years in jail for a hatchet attack on Mr Unal, 13 days after the murder. But the attack and the disappearance were treated separately and it was two months before detectives began to suspect Tulay had been murdered. Mehmet Goren's wife Hanim, 45, is now living in fear after she named him as their daughter's killer, saying he had "swallowed" Tulay. He collapsed in the dock at the Old Bailey as she began giving evidence against him and she later screamed at her husband across the courtroom, demanding to know what he had done with the girl. Police said they were now better able to recognise "tell-tale signs" connected to honour violence. Jonathan Laidlaw QC, prosecuting, said that the Goren case was a "terrible reminder of what honour-based crime can involve" and a "wake-up call" to the existence of the problem in this country. Following the verdict, police and lawyers praised Mrs Goren and Tulay's sisters. Detective Inspector John Macdonald of the Homicide and Serious Crime Command said: "Although it has taken some time, there has finally been some justice for Tulay." Tulay's older sister Nuray Guler, 28, has called on her father to tell the family where she was buried. "For my father, I have only one request. I ask that he finally discloses the whereabouts of my sister," she said. "I wake up at night wondering where Tulay may be. In quiet moments during the day I ask myself if she suffered or knew what was in store for her." In a statement read outside court on behalf of Ali Goren, he said: "The case has caused so much suffering for the Goren family." Cuma Goren also thanked the jury and said he would like to go home to have time to spend with his family.

Caught at the burial of the late Kiki is Bishop Muya introducing his mother to Mama Kiki and on right is Pastor Kariuki the founder of Jubilee International Ministries in London before retiring back in Kenya

British Airways strike blocked by court

A strike by British Airways cabin crew planned for Christmas has been declared illegal in a High Court ruling. The judge agreed with BA that the cabin crew's union, Unite, had not correctly balloted its members on the strike action. The injunction means that the 12-day strike cannot now go ahead. Unite called it "a disgraceful day for democracy" and vowed to hold a fresh ballot of cabin crew if the dispute with BA was not resolved. "There is something wrong with the law," said Unite joint general secretary Derek Simpson. He admitted that while there would be "great euphoria" among the travelling public, the union would immediately put in place plans for a fresh ballot alongside its continuing negotiations with BA. "We'll see at the end of the day who wins this, we will see at the end of the day proper democracy, proper justice," added Mr Simpson. If Unite does go ahead with another ballot, industrial relations laws would mean that fresh industrial action could not be announced until well into the new year.

Samuel Isaboke sent his snap of a monkey turning to a tap for a drink in Mombasa, Kenya into the BBC's Focus On Africa Magazine.

Man sets son on fire over missing cash

Nairobi, Kenya, Dec 17 - A 10 year old boy is receiving treatment at the Nairobi Women’s Hospital after being allegedly set on fire by his father. The incident is reported to have taken place in Kawangware when the boy’s father came home drunk and accused him of stealing money. He then went ahead and doused the boy in paraffin before setting him ablaze. Neighbours who heard the boy’s cries rushed to the scene, rescued him and rushed him to the hospital where he has been receiving treatment since Monday. According to Doctor Omondi Wasuna, the boy sustained over 35 percent burns on his face and stomach with second to third degree burns and still requires close medical attention. “It takes time to get out of danger because the effects of no skin begin to set in. It (the skin) begins to lose water and salts within 24 to 48 hours the salts become deranged. Infections start setting in. When you get burnt some of the by-products of the burnt material are taken into the body. These materials are poisonous to the kidney and they begin to have their effects on it. So 48 hours later, what looked like a stable patient could just change,” he said. Dr Wasuna further explained that the hospital had so far administered water and salts necessary for healing the damaged skin and tissue as well as antibiotics to kill the germs and pain killers to relieve pain. “One can really dry out very quickly having been burnt on 35 percent of the body surface area so we have issued fluid replacement. We have also had to ensure that the salt environment of the body is right because the skin is also involved in regulating the different salts. A derangement in these salts could cause death,” he said.

Nûû ûratûrire ichungwa?

Associated Press - December 16, 2009 9:25 AM ET

HOUSTON (AP) - A Texas law that allows illegal immigrants to pay in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities is facing a legal challenge. David A. Rogers with the Immigration Reform Coalition of Texas says the lawsuit filed in Houston alleges the state is violating federal law and seeks an injunction to halt the practice. The lawsuit, filed Monday, names the University of Houston, Houston Community College and Lone Star College systems. A spokesman for UH declined comment Tuesday. HCC officials say their attorneys were reviewing the lawsuit. A Lone Star spokesman declined comment. UH law professor Michael A. Olivas, who helped draft the Texas statue, says federal law allows states to pass their own legislation regarding in-state residency for undocumented students. In-state tuition is generally cheaper than fees for out-of-state residents. Information from: Houston Chronicle, http://www.houstonchronicle.com

Problems come to us not to cause more problems but  for solutions.

Africa in photos

Zambia's leading sportswoman, Esther Phiri, 26, has amassed five boxing titles in only 13 professional fights. An impressive record for someone who grew up with few prospects in a Lusaka township. Her father died when she was young. There was no money to send her to school and by the time she was 15 she had a daughter. She sold chicken feet at the local market to support her child. Phiri started going to the gym to lose weight. "I was still selling in the market then. Life was tough. Just training and selling and trying to improve my life." Then a boxing scout recognised her potential.

12 Eritrean footballers granted asylum

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has granted the 12 members of the Eritrean national soccer team asylum. They were granted passes to allow them stay in Kenya as UNHCR works on their cases. The players were interviewed by the Ministry of Immigration officials on Wednesday night and later granted asylum after being cleared by UNHCR. After being given the stickers, which will last for three months, they were escorted to an undisclosed place in the city. "They are under the UNHCR and cannot be arrested," said an official at the UNHCR offices who sought anonymity. The players are said to have displayed affidavits they swore before departing Asmara, saying they would not go back because of harassment in their country. There was drama at the immigration offices as the players roughed up journalists who had camped there awaiting their arrival. They later apologised saying they thought the journalists were police planning to arrest them. The players resurfaced at the UNHCR offices in Nairobi days after they went missing to seek asylum status. They arrived at the UNHCR offices in Westlands, Nairobi, in a hired car and went into a meeting with officials before being referred to the refugee offices at the Ministry of Immigration headquarters at Nyayo House, where their case was heard. They made up nearly half the 25 players and coaches Eritrea sent to the soccer tournament for nations from East and central Africa.  Team organiser Nicholas Musonye alerted police when only 13 team members departed after the tournament ended on Sunday. Police said they launched investigation and learnt none of the 12 players had a visa to remain in Kenya. - The Standard.

Scientists discover Earth-like, water-rich planet: study

Astronomers have discovered a new Earth-like planet that is larger than our own and may be more than half covered with water, according to a study published Wednesday in the science journal Nature. The so-called "super Earth" is about 42 light years away in another solar system and has a radius nearly 2.7 times larger than that of our planet, according to the study by the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics. The discovery of the planet, called GJ 1214b, represents a "major step forward" in the search for worlds similar to the Earth, added the University of California's Geoffrey Marcy in a commentary also in Nature. The "newfound world" is too hot to sustain life as we know it, said the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre for Astrophysics in a statement. Its density suggests however it "is composed of about three-fourths water and other ices and one fourth-rock," it said. "There are also tantalising hints that the planet has a gaseous atmosphere." Its temperature is estimated at between 280 and 120 degrees Celsius (536 and 248 degrees Fahrenheit) with its host star about one-fifth the size of the Sun, according to the scientists.

"Despite its hot temperature, this appears to be a waterworld," says Zachory Berta, a graduate student who first spotted hints of the planet's presence. "It is much smaller, cooler and more Earthlike than any other known exoplanet," he said in the statement. An exoplanet is one outside of our solar system. Berta said some of the water would likely be in crystalline form that exists at pressures greater than 20,000 times Earth's sea-level atmosphere. Its temperature is much lower than that on the only similar discovery, called CoRoT-7b, which revolves around a star that is much hotter, the scientists say. The CoRoT-7b has a density close to that of the Earth (5.5 grammes per cubic centimetre) and seems to be rocky, while the new discovery appears to be much less dense (1.9 g/cm3). "To keep the planet's density that low requires that it contains large amounts of water," said Marcy. "It must contain a huge amount of water, roughly 50 percent by mass." The "wild card" is the make-up of the gases on the planet, he said. The planet orbits every 38 hours around a small, faint star that was first spotted by eight ground-based telescopes no larger than those used by amateur astronomers, the Harvard-Smithsonian Centre said. Its relative closeness makes its possible to study it to determine its atmosphere. "That will make it the first super Earth with a confirmed atmosphere -- even though that atmosphere probably won't be hospitable to life as we know it," said David Charbonneau who heads the research team.

The vanishing snow of Mount Kenya

The ultimate joy of a mountain climber is reaching the snow-covered peak. But those who have been scaling Mt Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain, have a reason to worry. Mountain glaciers are melting at an alarming rate and if this continues, the fun of climbing this mountain may vanish forever. About a century ago, there were over 18 glaciers (masses of moving snow at the peak of the mountain) on the mountain which stands at 1,599 metres above sea level. But today there are only 11 and four of them are a pale shadow of what they were 30 years ago, thanks to the effect of global warming and climate change. Mr Hiram Munuhe a veteran mountain guide says he has watched the glaciers disappear before his very eyes over the last 20 years. At first he could not understand what the cause was but not any more. He knows exactly what the problem is. “Today, I fully understand the effects of climate change on Mt Kenya’s biodiversity. Unfortunately, this is affecting my job and those of 600 others who derive their livelihood from guiding tourists to climb the highest peak on the mountain,” he explains. Every year, about 40,000 people climb the mountain according to records from the Kenya Wildlife Service. To a mountain climber, there is no joy when one has not reached the highest point, Batian, which has to be accessed by climbing through masses of ice. - Daily Nation

Snow due as cold snap continues

London, Thursday 17th December, 2009. Most of the UK will see some snow as the cold snap continues. Many areas will see just a dusting of flakes but East Anglia and south east England were warned to expect between 10 and 15cm. Paul Mott, forecaster from MeteoGroup UK, the weather arm of the Press Association, said it will be cold and wintry for the next week throughout the UK, but a white Christmas is more likely in the north. "There could be a return to slightly milder weather before Christmas," he said. "If there is any snow at Christmas it is looking more likely in northern areas. It will be milder in the South." Mr Mott said most areas of the UK will see some snow with Scotland, the North East of England and Yorkshire likely to see several centimetres. Snow is least likely in south west England and south west Wales, he said. "The heaviest of the snow showers are likely to be in East Anglia and south east England. The heaviest of the snow looks to be over Suffolk and Norfolk with 10 to 15cms overnight, a good blanket." London could see between two and 5cms, he added, with a strong wind making it feel bitterly cold. Less snow is expected in north and western parts but temperatures could fall as low as -5C (23F), he said. East Anglia and the south east are likely to see further snow showers on Friday. More snow is expected across the UK on Saturday. Bookmaker Ladbrokes cut its odds on London experiencing a white Christmas from 5/2 to 2/1. It is also offering odds of 2/1 for a white Christmas in Glasgow. Aberdeen has odds of 11/8 while Birmingham, Cardiff, Dublin and Manchester are all on 11/4.

Magara loses his parliamentary seat

South Mugirango Member of Parliament Omingo Magara has lost his seat.   Kisii High Court Judge Daniel Musinga Thursday 17th December, 2009  declared the election of the Trade assistant minister  null and void in an election petition filed against him by Manson Oyongo Nyamweya.   Justice Musinga said the returning and presiding officers had committed an election offense by failing to sign form 16A in several polling stations.  He said such an election offense overrides Magara's lead of 10,024 votes against Nyamweya's 5,334 votes in the recount exercise.  Magara becomes the second Member of Parliament in the current parliament to lose his seat after Joel Onyancha who lost the Bomachoge seat.

Democrats party in USA move to overhaul immigration. House Democrats Tuesday unveiled major legislation to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws, pegging its passage to the fulfillment of a campaign promise by President Barack Obama. Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.), who has shepherded the bill, enjoyed chants of “yes we can” from a horde of onlookers in a packed room in the Rayburn House Office Building. But the future of the bill is more uncertain. The Congressional Hispanic Caucus, including Chairwoman Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.) and its most senior member, Rep. Solomon Ortiz (D-Texas), lauded the bill, saying it’s long overdue and would help integrate undocumented immigrants into U.S. society. But with the nation’s unemployment in double-digits and massive health-care overhaul legislation slogging through the Senate, the timing and prospects of the legislation are in question. Still, Gutierrez indicated that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has given his word the measure would see time on the Senate floor. And Gutierrez said Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) have also agreed that the bill would be considered in the Senate before the House. Although Gutierrez has so far shepherded the bill, Ortiz will bring the bill to the House, where it’s unlikely to have much, if any, Republican support. The legislation seeks to incorporate undocumented immigrants into society by providing them a path to legalization, with requirements along the way such as learning English and registering with the federal government. Although some Democrats have been critical of the president’s sometimes arm-length approach to Congress, Gutierrez praised the administration on Tuesday, saying that Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has been helpful in discussions about implementing the bill.  “I’ve been a very harsh critic of the president, but I’m feeling very optimistic,” Gutierrez said of the potential for White House support.

Obama addresses immigration reform

Obama: Immigration bill this year

Dems face crucial immigration test

Grumbles over immigration meeting

Kenyan Couple In Arlington, Texas, USA Lose Their Little Angel

We are sad to announce the death of a little angel, Liyah Wanjiku Nyabaro. She passed away on Sunday night, December 13th, 2009. Little Liyah was 10 months old at the time of her passing . She was the daughter to Margaret Mukami Mukabi and Jim Nyabaro of Arlington, TX.   According to our sources close to the family, Alex Ndirangu and Wangechi Kimani, Liyah was found unresponsive by her father that fateful evening. Jim Nyabaro was at home with Liyah while his wife, Margaret, was working at the time. Mr Nyabaro who had been relaxing with her daughter went to warm her some milk at around 9pm. Liyah was left sleeping on the couch. When her dad came back to feed Liyah the milk, he could not get her to wake up. She was not responding at all and her body was limp. Mr. Nyabaro immediately called the paramedics who rushed to the home. The paramedics fruitlessly tried to resuscitate her.  She was then pronounced dead at the scene. Investigations into the death are being conducted and initial investigations results indicate that no foul play is suspected. Examiners from the Sheriff’s office visited the home again on Monday night to conduct routine investigations which include recreating the scene and unfolding of events leading to the time of Liyah’s death. A dummy doll was used to re-enact the position that Liyah was in at the time. Little Liyah’s burial is tentatively scheduled for this weekend pending arrival in the US of other family members from the UK who include Liyah’s grandmother, Jane Mukabi who is a business woman in London. Prayers and Meetings are being held at the Nyambaro residence at 2304 Windsprint Way #416, Arlington, TX 76014 from 6pm. - Jambonewspot.com

Bizarre creature born with features of man and goat

You have  seen them as mythical beasts in the Chronicles of Narnia - now a village has been left shellshocked after the birth of a bizarre faun-like creature with the combined features of a man and a goat.  Bild reports the goat, which died just a few hours after birth in Lower Gweru, Zimbabwe, had a huge head and face which resembled a human as well as goat legs and a tail. Villagers said the end product was so scary even dogs were afraid to go close to it. They burned the corpse fearing it was an evil sign. "This is indeed a miracle that has never been witnessed anywhere," elder Themba Moyo said. The goat's owner called police after the birth. "It’s the first time that my goat did this. I have 15 goats and it’s this goat that gave me birth to most of them. My goats often give birth to sets of twins," he said.

Bizarre ... the creature died just hours after birth

The Zimbabwe Guardian reports that Midlands Governor and Resident Minister Jason Machaya is adamant the creature is the result of a coupling between man and goat. "This incident is very shocking. It is my first time to see such an evil thing. It is really embarrassing," he stormed. "The head belongs to a man while the body is that of a goat. This is evident that an adult human being was responsible. Evil powers caused this person to lose self control  "We often hear cases of human beings who commit bestiality but this is the first time for such an act to produce a product with human features." Half-man, half-goat creatures like fauns and satyrs are popular in Greek and Roman mythology. James McAvoy played the famous faun Mr Tumnus in the recent big-screen adaptations of CS Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia series. - Source: The Daily Telegraph Source: The Daily Telegraph

Hand of God in girl’s kidnap tale

There was every reason to smile after two-year-old Jane Wangui was re-united with her mother Ann Wanjiku (left) and grandmother Jane Wangui after the girl spent eight months in the hands of kidnappers. The family reunion took place at their Kianoe farm in Subukia, Nakuru North District an the weekend.

With tears flowing down her cheeks, Ann Wanjiku, 19, clung to her two-year-old daughter, Jane. Hers were tears of joy; the overwhelming joy only a mother can feel at being re-united with a kidnapped baby. The joy at the family home in Kianoe Village of Subukia in Nakuru North District was infectious. Many in the crowd at the re-union discreetly wiped away tears. And when one voice rang out in a thanksgiving song Ngai wakwa ni munene — My God is great! — the rest needed no further prompting to join in. Jamhuri Day marked the end of agony for the young single mother, a matron at a private school in Gilgil. Ann had been told by a religious leader of the possible whereabouts of her daughter — having seen it all “in a vision”. So, accompanied by three policemen and the religious leader, they had set off in search of the two-year-old girl. The group ended up in a Nyahururu town estate where, as it turned out, the child was being hidden. “I heard a voice in the kitchen which resembled that of my daughter. At that time, nothing mattered,” she said. On entering the house, a woman said the girl had been left behind by a househelp who had disappeared. Police traced her and arrested her and is now locked up at the Nakuru Central police station to face abduction charges . Nakuru police officer Johnstone Ipara said during the eight months Jane was missing, “any tip we received was never taken for granted.” Mr Lucas Lingole, the officer commanding Subukia police station assigned three officers.

Said Ann: “The eight months were stressful. I lost weight and could not sleep. I kept wondering whether my child was alive, whether whoever kidnapped her was showing her love.” Her hands arched protectively around her daughter. Ann’s agony started on the morning of April 18, when she received a telephone call from her mother, Jane Wangui. Her mother tearfully informed her of the baby’s disappearance. “At first, I could not grasp what my mum was telling me. I started shivering and sweating,” recalls Ann. She immediately asked the school principal for emergency leave. After her efforts to trace the child proved futile, she placed announcements over FM radio stations, but all she received were fake leads. “I received many calls from as far as Eldoret, but most of the callers were pretenders. I spent a lot of money travelling from town to town.” Some “comforters” offered to take her to witch doctors but she turned down their offers and instead knelt down and prayed. “I told myself: ‘If God gave me this child, he has all the reasons to protect her.’” Last Thursday, her mother called to inform her that through prayer, a villager who is a religious leader, had had a vision and was shown where the child was. This villager led them to a house where they found Jane under the care of a 53 year-old-woman. “I’m planning a big homecoming party for my daughter this festive season to thank the Almighty God. “But I would not like to undergo such psychological torture in my life again. Those who specialise in kidnapping other people’s children should face the full force of the law,” were her parting shots. Her mother Wangui said: “God is great. I’ve been fasting for eight months. God has answered my prayers. This child was the first from my six children to call me cucu (grandmother)  - Daily Nation.

Lemon: Benefits &Uses

Fingernail Cleaner – The acidic properties of lemons are potent enough to remove the yellowish fingernail stains coming from cigarettes and coffee. Just rub the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon on your fingernail and the stains will eventually fade. You can even use the rind as a makeshift scrubber for faster results.

Sad news for a Kenyan family in the UK. Eight members of the same family died on Sunday evening 13th December, 2009 and three critical in hospital after an accident in Kenya. The accident happened along Ol Kalou Road and Miharati road on Sunday evening. The family had attended a family gathering at Miharati and they met the accident as they were being dropped by a family member with a Toyota Prado. They were being escorted to Al Kalou to connect public transport. Sources says that all the victims (16) were travelling in the same car when the accident happened and most of them were children who has been treated and discharged from hospital. It is said the vehicle lost control.  Some of the dead are from Elburgon, Londian and Nakuru.

Tragic End to Family Fete as Eight Perish

The remains of the family Toyota Prado (left) after the accident and on right is the how the Prado looks like before the accident

And special it was, bringing together his kinsmen: men, women and their children. The celebrations went on throughout Saturday night. The visitors stayed on till midday on Sunday and when it was time to depart, requested to be driven to Ol Kalou town to pick vehicles to their respective destinations, as few matatus ply the Njambini-Ol Kalou-Dundori road. Njoroge’s daughter, Carol, offered to drive them to Ol Kalou in her car. The vehicle took off after emotional farewells. For eight of these relatives – three of them children – this was to be their last farewell. Just 15 kilometres after the journey began, it came to a shattering end. The vehicle carrying 16 relatives rolled several times as the driver allegedly swerved to avoid hitting a herd of sheep that had suddenly run into the road ahead of her. Police reports later showed that Mr Njoroge’s nephew, James Ndung’u, 30, his wife, Naomi Njeri, 26, their daughter, Wangari Ndung’u, 5, and their son, James Mbiriri Ndung’u, died on the spot along with Monica Njoki, 40 and Joyce Ndegwa, 15.

Mr Njoroge’s sisters, Eunice Waithera and Agnes Waithera, died later at Ol Kalou Hospital, bringing the death toll to eight. Eight others in the car, including Carol, suffered varying degrees of injuries and were taken to Kijabe Mission Hospital where they are receiving treatment. On Monday, Mzee Njoroge, pain and sorrow evident in his eyes, talked of the last moments with his relatives and the devastating blow. “Ni pigo kubwa. Lakini ajali ikitokea unamwachia Mungu. (It is a big blow, but we leave it all to God),” he told the Nation, as his wife looked on pensively. Relatives and friends were on hand to condole with the family and start burial arrangements. But a bigger number of relatives had rushed to Kijabe Mission Hospital to check on the injured ones. Even as questions linger on whether or not the vehicle was overloaded, Mr Njoroge said the majority number in the vehicle were children who had to travel with their parents. “Most of the people in the vehicle were small children and not adults,” he said.

He instead blamed the accident on the poor workmanship of the road and poor visibility as there are bushes right up to the edge of the road. This, he reasoned, might have made it difficult for the driver to see the sheep in good time.  The road, said Mr Njoroge, was also narrow and slippery, making it difficult for motorists to manoeuvre in case of an emergency. Nyandarua Traffic Base Commander Patrick Manyasi said that the vehicle was carrying 16 people when the accident occurred at Gillette, seven kilometres from Ol Kalou Township.

Among the victims who sustained injuries were 60-year-old Jacinta Njeri and her granddaughter, 8-year-old Jacinta Njeri. Others were Monica Njoki, 11, Samuel Kibuchi, 9, Mary Gatua, 2, Mary Wangare, 33, Ms Ruth Wanjiru, 32, and Ms Carol Wambui, 31. Mr Manyasi said that the motor vehicle seemed to have been speeding when it attempted to negotiate a bend.  “It rolled several times thereby hurting everyone who was in the motor vehicle as they had not worn safety belts. Its left wheels burst on impact,” said Mr Manyasi. The nurse in charge of the hospital, Joseph Ndolo told the Nation that of those taken to the hospital, two children were treated and discharged as they had minor injuries. One man is admitted in the Intensive Care Unit. The motor vehicle, which was extensively damaged, was towed to Miharati Police Station. – Daily Nation.

Kiki's body arrives in Kenya and taken to Kenyatta University morgue

Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Nairobi, Wednesday 16th December, 2009. Virgin Atlantic arrived at 9.00 am among them the mother of Kiki Mrs. Polly Munyota, Mrs. Rose Mumbi Muhamed, Mrs. Jane Muita, Kiki’s brother Mwangi and Sister Jennifer Kimani. The body was then transported to Kenyatta university mortuary where it will be picked up for the burial at Karatina tomorrow Thursday 17th December, 2009.  Everything from the airport went smoothly all the way. Above left the body of Kiki on Thika Road near Roasters More on the burial later - CLICK HERE FOR MORE PHOTOS

Statement to the Committee of Experts (COE) by Kenyans in the Diaspora

Regarding the Harmonised Draft Constitution of Kenya

We, Kenyans and people of Kenyan descent in the Diaspora, meeting under the umbrella of Kenyans4kenya network, a group of Kenyans interested in a stable and secure motherland, met on the 12th of December 2009 in Harrow London, United Kingdom, to among other things study and provide inputs into the Harmonised Draft Kenyan Constitution,  prepared by the Committee of Experts (COE)  of Kenya.  In our delegations we mainly focused on chapter four (4) and wish to make  recommendations for considerations to the Committee as they work to produced the  final draft for enactment 

General Observations;
Having studied the Harmonised Draft Constitution of Kenya, conscious that the  new constitution should serve present and future generations; we hereby wish and  do make the following observations and recommendations;

I.  We commend the Committee of Experts (COE) for expeditiously providing a  harmonised draft that has provisions, which if enacted will provide an  environment for a stable and prosperous Kenya for today’s generations and those  to come.

II. We acknowledge the various inputs from various groups, and having studied  the draft, feel that it nearly captures the essence of what an ideal  constitution for our country should have.

III.    We support the harmonised draft and urge our leaders to come to  consensus on any outstanding issues so that momentum in giving Kenyans a new  constitution is not lost through narrow self interests.

Specific Diaspora inputs on Chapter Four – Citizenship

1.  Regarding Chapter 4; we make the following specific recommendations and  observations;

a)  We commend the COE for having a well defined chapter on Citizenship. We  consider clause 4.21 on dual nationality as a positive step that will ensure  that Kenyans in the Diaspora re-connect with their motherland for greater  investment and prosperity.

b)  Having looked at the whole of chapter 4, we suggest that the committee  critically looks at the use of language to avoid any ambiguity and hence  misinterpretation for any of the clauses;

c)  We propose that the committee carefully reads clause 15 of chapter 4 so that  its not seen to be discriminating some groups; In particular we propose that the  words “the same” be deleted so that it refers to all Kenyans;

d)  On clause 16.2 we suggest that the committees rewords the sentence and  strikes out the words “Immediately”;
 
e)  On clause 20, which is on Children found abandoned in Kenya, should have  riders in it to avoid a situation where foreigners dump children in Kenya and to  prevent child trafficking. We suggest that the committee includes a clause that  gives such a child the right to choose whether to remain a Kenyan citizen or not  on attaining the age of majority and should parents or close relatives be found;
 
f)  On clause 21:- We whole heartedly welcome this particular clause, which will  greatly benefit hundreds of thousands of Kenyans in the Diaspora, to re-connect  with their motherland. We however suggest that the title of this particular  clause be amended to read “Multi – Citizenship” to accommodate those Kenyans and  People of Kenyan descent who may already be holding more than one nationality.
 
g)  We also suggests the committee studies models of how other jurisdictions  have implemented the Multi-Citizenship clause to provide greater safeguards to  the Country and the Citizens. In particular, we suggest that the committee looks  at the Indian model.
 
h)  On Clause 24:- We strongly suggest that the rights and responsibilities of a  citizen are not defined under this chapter as there are already glaring  omissions. We feel that these are better addressed in the subsidiary  legislation.

2.  As part of our recommendations; we wish to urge the committee to consider  providing a schedule of all laws that will need to be reviewed to be consistent  with the revised Kenyan Constitution. The harmonisation should become an  immediate national exercise immediately after the new Kenyan Constitution has  been.

3.  It’s our opinion that if the suggested changes are made to the harmonised  draft constitution, it provides an excellent framework for building a better  Kenya.  We therefore strongly urge Kenyans to support its enactment during the  proposed referendum.

4.  We acknowledge that many of us currently residing outside the country may  not be able to fully participate in this exercise due to the current legal  framework that does not provide opportunities for voting outside the country.

 5.  We however urge the Committee of Experts (COE) to explore and urgently  consider including us in the referendum law, so that we can vote like other  Kenyans, even while resident outside Kenya.
 

6.  We appeal to our national leaders and all Kenyans to set aside their  differences for the posterity of our country and support the revised Harmonised  Draft so that it’s enacted as the new Constitution of Kenya.
 

Signed in London, UK on behalf of Kenyans4kenya Diaspora Network by;

i.  Julius Kaberere – Convenor, Kenyans4kenya Network;

ii. Dr. Rosa Rao - Member,  Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

iii.    Atul Shah - Member,  Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

iv. Gatheru Rwamba – Member Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

v.  Sam Ochieng  - Member, Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

vi. Charles Muli – Member, Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

vii.    Mr. Seed  – Member, Steering Committee, Kenyans4kenya Network

viii.   Clare Wanjohi – Member, Steering Committee, Kenyans4Kenya Network

Saturday 12th December, 2009.

Hardly a week after police in Kenya seized a huge cache of weapons in Narok, another arsenal was Tuesday found on a ship at the Kilindini port. Detectives at the port intercepted seven Somalis and a Tanzanian who were crew members of a Sierra Leone-flagged ship after two rocket propelled grenades and their charging system, a machine gun and 700 rounds of ammunition were discovered on board. According to a senior police officer who requested not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the case, the crew had failed to declare the weapons when they arrived at the port. He said the seven would be charged in court Wednesday.  Crew of ships that dock into any harbour worldwide are required to declare everything they are carrying immediately they dock. However, maritime regulations do not permit crew members to arm themselves unless under special circumstances. In the Narok case, businessman Munir Ishmael and his wife Nahid Tabasum and three other people have already been taken to court. In Nairobi, a businessman was Tuesday charged with possessing government stores suspected to have been stolen.

Mr Michael Musyoki was also accused of creating disturbance in a manner likely to cause a breach of peace. He denied three charges before the Kibera court. The prosecution applied for the accused to be remanded at Kilimani Police Station to enable police to complete investigations. But the defence objected to the application saying the court had no authority to remand Mr Musyoki in custody awaiting investigations by the police. The accused’s lawyer asked that he be freed on cash bail or bond. In its ruling the court allowed the police to complete their investigations, but ordered that they hold the accused for three days instead of the four they had asked. The case will be mentioned on Thursday. In the first count, the court heard that on December 14 at 4am at Cedars Restaurant along Lenana Road in Kilimani, Nairobi, Mr Musyoki blocked the main gate to the restaurant using his Mitsubish Pajero in a manner likely to cause a breach of the peace.  He was also accused of possessing 76 rounds of ammunition without a certificate. – Daily Nation

Nameless concluded his tour in Coventry

Nameless concluded his tour in the UK as Kenyans celebrates Jamhuri in Coventry on Sunday 13th December, 2009. A large number of dancers attended and it was great as Kenyan artist took to the floor. The man without name surprised many for his style of dancing and his combinations of rhythm.

Noisy sex woman admits Asbo breach

A woman who was given an anti-social behaviour order banning her from making loud noises during sex has admitted breaching the order. Caroline and Steve Cartwright's love-making was described as "murder" and "unnatural" at Newcastle Crown Court. Neighbours, the local postman and a woman taking her child to school complained about the noise. Cartwright, 48, from Washington on Wearside, pleaded guilty to three counts of breaching the Asbo. She will be sentenced on 18 January. At an earlier hearing, next door neighbour Rachel O'Connor told the court she was frequently late for work because she overslept having been awake most of the night because of the noise. She said: "The noise sounds like they are both in considerable pain. I cannot describe the noise. I have never ever heard anything like it." In November, Cartwright appealed against a noise abatement notice imposed in 2007, as well as the subsequent Asbo, which banned the couple from "shouting, screaming or vocalisation at such a level as to be a statutory nuisance". Her bid was rejected by Recorder Jeremy Freedman, who said: "It certainly was intrusive and constituted a statutory nuisance. "It was clearly of a very disturbing nature and it was also compounded by the duration - this was not a one-off, it went on for hours at a time. "It is further compounded by the frequency of the episode, virtually every night." Sunderland City Council told the court they had recorded noise levels of up to 47 decibels using equipment installed at Cartwright's neighbour's house. World Health Organisation guidelines state that 30 decibels is enough to cause sleep disturbance.

Boeing 787 Dreamliner takes off for first flight

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner has taken off on its first test flight - almost two and a half years late. It had been grounded by a series of hitches, including design problems, strikes and even a shortage of bolts. Boeing has pegged its hopes for the future on the plane, which promises to be one of the most fuel-efficient in the world. It has attracted some 840 orders from all over the globe, although some have been cancelled because of the delays. Its popularity is partly thanks to its lightweight design. Made of carbon and titanium, it should reduce fuel consumption as well as save on maintenance costs. The first test flight is due to last around four hours, as the two pilots examine how the Dreamliner operates. "They will essentially make sure that the airplane under normal circumstances flies the way it is supposed to," said Boeing spokesman Jim Proulx. - VIDEO

Changes to UK Border Agency policy on judicial reviews

Home Office, 15 December 2009

The UK Border Agency is changing the way it manages judicial review challenges from those being removed from the UK. From next month:

• We will seek to continue with removal in cases where a previous removal has failed within the last ten days because of a technical reason, such as a cancelled flight or disruptive behaviour.
• We will not automatically defer removal upon a threat of judicial review in cases certified on safe third country (TCU) grounds or those judged clearly unfounded under the Non Suspensive Appeal (NSA) process. In these cases, we will usually give at least five days' notice of removal rather than three.
• We will not automatically give 72 hours' notice of removal to those who are disruptive or pose a threat to others.

The policy changes will come into effect on 11 January 2010. Our rewritten guidance on judicial reviews can be downloaded from the right side of this page.

Put a dry lemon skin into plain water until it becomes bloated. After that, pour the lemon water together with the skin into the coffee-stained cup and leave it there for 3 hours. After that, use a damp cloth and clean the cup and the stains will be magically gone.

Proverbs 20:11: Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

Three things that are truly constant -  FATHER - SON - HOLY SPIRIT

EL-SHADDAI HOPE CENTRE FOR ORPHANS fundraising will take place on Saturday 6th March 2010 in London.  For more details please call either 07943043311 or 07536436061 or 07944701204. – For more information please visit - www.ehopecentre.org

New agreement will improve visa fraud detection in the Philippines

Home Office, 15 December 2009

The UK Border Agency is working with banks in the Philippines to develop an electronic verification system that will help to crack down on fraudulent visa applications. False banking documentation accounts for more than one-fifth of all fraud encountered in Philippine applications for permission to come to the UK. The new system, which will be managed by the Bankers Association of the Philippines (BAP), will enable bank documents to be checked more quickly, efficiently and accurately. On 7 December, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by British Ambassador Stephen Lillie, BAP operations committee chairman Ricardo Balbido Jr and Ed Mackie, UK Border Agency regional manager for north-east Asia and Australasia.

Stephen Lillie said:

'We welcome this landmark co-operation between the British Embassy and the BAP to continue the UK government's wider fight against visa fraud and forgery in the Philippines.'

Ed Mackie added:

'The UK Border Agency has already provided the BAP with the hardware [server and peripherals], and we are covering the software development costs. The BAP are covering the maintenance and running costs of the system.

'The new system will enable us to detect even more quickly those who seek to cheat our system by providing false banking documents.'

There should be housing for all under new law

The Kenya Government must be compelled through the new constitution to provide good housing. Participants at a public forum organised by Kituo Cha Sheria at Ufungamano House in Nairobi said the draft should declare evictions cannot be effected without a three-month notice and that the Government offers alternative homes to squatters. "We want to see all slum dwellers taken care of through the new constitution. Their health depends on the houses they occupy and it is upon the Government to provide that as per the new constitution," said lawyer Priscilla Nyokabi.  The Kenya National Human Rights Commission Vice-Chairman Hassan Omar said the new constitution must ensure good life is not a privilege to a selected few. Nyokabi, Omar and lawyer Paul Muite said there should be a slum upgrading policy and a rent regulation board to shield tenants from exploitation. The Director of the slum-upgrading programme in the Ministry of Housing Leah Muraguri said the Government was planning to construct about 150,000 houses a year in urban areas and another 300,000 in rural areas. The Committee of Experts chief executive Ekuru Aukot said the contents of the draft were well thought out and if implemented would transform the country to the levels Kenyans have yearned for since Independence. - The Standard.

Seventeen illegal workers arrested in Hayes

Home Office, 14 December 2009

A Hayes firm is facing a potential fine of up to £170,000, after 17 illegal workers were arrested during a UK Border Agency raid. Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work. Inspector Dick Stratton, UK Border Agency. Acting on intelligence, officers targeted the premises of Only 4U Ltd on Bullsbrook Road on the morning of Thursday 10 December. The operation was part of an ongoing clampdown on illegal working in the west London area, and coincides with a large-scale advertising campaign warning bosses of heavy fines if they are caught employing illegal foreign labour. The 17 men, all Indians and Sri Lankans aged between 22 and 49, were arrested for a variety of immigration offences. Ten were failed asylum seekers. The UK Border Agency will now seek to remove all of them from the country. The employers have been told they will face a fine unless they can prove that they carried out the correct right-to-work checks on staff. Inspector Dick Stratton of the UK Border Agency said:

'Illegal working has a serious impact on communities, taking jobs from those who are genuinely allowed to work. 'We are happy to work with businesses to ensure they know what checks have to be done on staff, but those who do break the law will face action. 'My officers will continue to target illegal working to reduce the attractiveness of the area to illegal immigrants, and more operations are planned in the future.'

Civil penalties for businesses that 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.

Nairobi, Tuesday 15th December, 2009. Poor service from the Kenya police has emerged as the issue most complained about by the public, according to the report released by the Public Complaints Standing Committee. The quarterly report also indicated that the number of complaints presented to the Ombudsman office has increased by a substantial 21 per cent in the year 2009. Poor service from the Kenya police has emerged as the issue most complained about by the public, while the number of complaints presented to the Ombudsman office has increased by a substantial 21 per cent in the year 2009. According to the report by the public complaints standing committee, Kenyans are most dissatisfied with delays in service delivery, followed by cases of injustice, misuse of office and unethical conduct. The top public institutions complained against from 1st July 2007 to date have been the Kenya police, which received the highest number of complaints at 16 per cent followed by the provincial administration at 14%. A further 12 percent of complaints was directed at the ministry of lands, while the ministry of labour, the judiciary and the state law office also had their efficiency questioned by the public. Out of the 2,372 complaints received by the Office of the Ombudsman, only 24% have been resolved, while 76 percent remain under inquiry. Simani however says the PCSC remains understaffed and in need of more resources to handle high rates of complaints. The committee is recommending the establishment of complaint handling desks in all public institutions, as well as the use of Information technology in the recording of and response to complaints made by the public.

M-Pesa Agents in the UK - 2 minutes the money is in recipient mobile phone

A Kenyan has passed away in USA. The late John Njoroge Muturi of Chevy Chase Maryland, USA, passed away on Friday 11th December 2009 at Washington Adventist Hospital, Takoma Park, Maryland, USA, after a faith-filled battle with illness. He was the son of the late James Muturi and Eddah Muturi of Karura Kanyungu, Gikuni, Kikuyu. He was the husband to Mrs. Jane Waithira Njoroge and father to James Muturi, Evans Ndungu, both of Banana Hills, Kenya, and George Wainaina of USA. He was father-in-law to Grace Wanjiku Muturi.  He was brother to Jennifer Gatura, the late Karen Mugure, Rahab Njeri, George Wainaina, Mary Kamau, Nancy Munyua and Tom Thuo, all of Kenya. He was grandfather to John Njoroge Muturi. Son-in-law to the late Mr and Mrs John Ndungu Murimi and brother-in-law to Mrs. Rachel Wanjiku Gathu, Mrs Peris Njeri Karanja, Margaret Nyambura Nguyo, all of USA, Mrs. Njuhi Wangombe of Gatanga, Mrs. Lucy Mugure Gichuhi, Mrs. Nduta Kinyanjui and Wambui Ndungu, all of Nyathuna. His body will be laid to rest in Maryland, USA, on 26th December 2009. Family and friends are meeting every evening at 2811 Terrace DR, APT No. 115, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-3815.  Send your contributions to The Chairman of the Funeral Committee, Mr G. Nderitu or to Mrs. Jane Njoroge at 2811 Terace DR., APT No. 115, Chevy Chase, MD 20815-3815. Contact: Mrs. Jane Njoroge; 240-305-6734.

The late Mr. John Njoroge Muturi

Just jail me, only let me read

The ex-prisoner approached the prison gates with a peculiar request — to be re-admitted into prison. At first, Naivasha Maximum Security Prison authorities thought it was a sick joke, but the reality is finally dawning on them. They are now grappling with how to deal with the rare appeal from Joel Mwangi, 33. Mr Mwangi, with four other former inmates, are willing to walk back to jail — not to serve fresh terms, but to pursue studies, which they did not finish after completing their jail terms. Mr Mwangi had been sentenced to one-year by a Naivasha court for a minor offence in 2001. Immediately after conviction, he was thrown into a spin. “I thought all my dreams had hit a dead end, and I was depressed. But I decided to accept the inevitable,” he recalls. He was first taken to Annex Prison next to the main jail where he was assigned kitchen duties. “I was a sweeper, a task I found totally boring. Keeping the dining hall clean was eating into my confidence,” he said. Soon he, requested to be transferred to the Maximum Prison to pursue higher education, a plea that a senior officer willingly acceded to. He began by studying business calculations but before he could finish, Mr Mwangi was freed following a Presidential Amnesty after serving only six months. “By the time I was released, I was already booked for the exam,” he said. He returned and sat the exam, scoring impressive grades. For the former part-time secondary school teacher; the certificate was a big boost. They teamed up with another inmate, Bonaventure Mtalii, and helped to establish the secondary school section at the penal institution. “Few inmates were willing to take up studies, but we were determined,” says Mr Mwangi. The pioneer teacher taught mathematics. He was soon to realise the certificate he acquired was not enough to secure him a well-paying job. After more than eight years since leaving prison, Mr Mwangi found the going getting tough and could only secure contractual jobs. “My potential employers have been categorical that I must attain a diploma,” he says. - Daily Nation

Bye bye Kariuki Munyota (Kiki)

The memorial service of the late Mr. Kariuki Munyota (Kiki) took place on Monday 14th December, 2009 in London. The ceremony took place at Memorial Baptist Church, Barking, Road in East London where hundreds of Kenyans and friends attended. The body of Mr. Kariuki leaves for Kenya on Tuesday 15th December, 2009 with the family and the burial takes place on Thursday 17th December, 2009 in Karatina, Nyeri, Kenya. The sermon was officiated by Rev. Peter Wangaruro of IWRM. The family and several friends are accompanying the body. On right is the family posing with the coffin. Among the guests who attended the memorial was Mrs. Wamuyu Reynberg (right) who had flown all the way from Sweden for the service. Her contact is 073-6513320 or email kirigo40@yahoo.se - CLICK HERE ALL THE PHOTOS

Bishop Samuel Kamuri Muya of Talents Revival Ministries, Kenya would like to send his condolences to the family of the late Kariuki Munyota (Kiki) who passed away in London on Saturday 5th December, 2009. "Polly, Wangui and Mwai, poleni sana, I will join you at the burial ceremony in Kenya on Thursday 17th December, 2009." Bishop Muya concluded.

Evangelist Lucy Wangunjiri of Kameme Radio at Destiny Church London

Evangelist Lucy Wangunjiri of Kameme Radio was a guest speaker in London on Sunday 13th December, 2009. She was hosted by  Pastor Isaac Kamweru of Destiny Christian Ministry, Cunning Town, London. While preaching at the service, evangelist Wangunjiri who was on transit to Kenya from USA with her son urged the congregation to have intimacy with God. Her theme at the service was "have intimacy with God". When you have intimacy with God it affects everything around you including, your family, your children, your grandchildren, your friends and neighbours. Intimacy with God will change you destiny. Quoting the bible from the book of Exodus 33:7 Evangelist Wangunjiri advised husbands and wives to cultivate their relationship. Women should respect their husbands and husbands should love their wives. "It is all a matter of sacrifice. When I am outside there people call me a celebrity but when I am in the house I am not a celebrity - I am a housewife and I have to respect and obey my husband. If he say that I will  not go somewhere, I will not. He is the boss of the house." Evangelist explained. He explained that she had taken her 12-year-old son to America where he has been sponsored to do aviation a secondary school. (Full story to follow).  Her contact in Kenya is 733-533-310, 722-805-718 or email  info@pbbministries.com -  For more information please visit www.pbbministries.com

Octopus snatches coconut and runs

An octopus and its coconut-carrying antics have surprised scientists. Underwater footage reveals that the creatures scoop up halved coconut shells before scampering away with them so they can later use them as shelters. Writing in the journal Current Biology, the team says it is the first example of tool use in octopuses. One of the researchers, Dr Julian Finn from Australia's Museum Victoria, told BBC News: "I almost drowned laughing when I saw this the first time." He added: "I could tell it was going to do something, but I didn't expect this - I didn't expect it would pick up the shell and run away with it." - VIDEO

London, Sunday 13th December, 2009. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy is recovering in hospital after an assault left his face covered in blood following a rally in Milan. He suffered two broken teeth, a minor nose fracture and cuts to his lip after being struck by a man wielding a souvenir model of the city's cathedral. Mr Berlusconi, 73, tried to assure supporters afterwards he was OK. The alleged attacker, who has a history of mental illness, has been charged with throwing the souvenir. Massimo Tartaglia, 42, had no previous criminal record, police were quoted as saying. After the attack on Sunday evening the prime minister, looking dazed, was helped to his feet by aides and put in a car. He got out and tried to climb on the car to show he was all right, before being driven away. It was a typical show of defiance by a political fighter, says the BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome. Mr Berlusconi insisted he was well at the hospital. Mr Berlusconi had been greeting supporters in a square in Milan when the assault took place. There are said to have been scuffles between hecklers and security staff during the rally. At one point in his speech, Mr Berlusconi responded to his critics in Italy by declaring himself to be "good-looking" and "a decent chap". The Italian leader was apparently signing autographs when he was struck with the souvenir. Video of the assault shows Mr Berlusconi suddenly grimacing in pain. It is not clear from the footage what happened but the object appears to have been thrown at his face. Police charged Mr Tartaglia with aggravated assault for hurling the miniature replica at Mr Berlusconi. The replica of the cathedral, famous for its gothic spires, was initially said to be made of metal but later reports suggested it was plaster.

Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of Italy is recovering in hospital after an assault - VIDEO

Kenya is fast becoming a key hub for trafficking of drugs from Afghanistan

Kenya is fast becoming a key hub for trafficking of drugs from Afghanistan to the rest of the world. According to reports by the United Nations, "30 to 35 metric tonnes" of Afghan heroin pass through East Africa each year.  This is two-thirds the volume going through West Africa. The largest ever drug haul in Kenya, in December 2004, was 1.1 metric tonnes with a street value of over Sh13 billion. The proceeds from the drugs are used to finance terrorism activities in Northern Africa and some other sub-Saharan states. It is also suspected that the illicit drug trade supports the unending conflict in neighbouring Somalia. The Taliban, among whom the world’s most notorious terrorist Osama bin Laden hides, are reported to earn $100 million (Sh8 billion) a year from protecting the drug trade. Drug barons are rumoured to sit in Afghan government positions raking in billions more. The UN puts the potential export value of Afghan narcotics at about $3.4 billion (Sh270 billion) a year. So much is grown that destroying it all is impossible: With stockpiles of 10,000 metric tonnes awaiting export, the UN this year proposed creating a "flood of drugs" in the country to destroy the value of opium. Experts say the availability of drugs in Kenyan cities is fueling addiction and spread of HIV and Aids in towns like Mombasa and Nairobi.  The UN says that countries in East and West Africa, including Kenya, are no longer only consumers of drugs but are turning into processing hubs for hard drugs. Some states are "threatened" by the increasing clout of drug cartels. - The Standard.

Vein ID might replace fingerprints

Finger vein authentication, introduced widely by Japanese banks in the last two years, is claimed to be the fastest and most secure biometric method. Developed by Hitachi, it verifies a person's identity based on the lattice work of minute blood vessels under the skin. Easydentic Group, a European leader in the biometric industry based in France, has announced that it will be using Hitachi's finger vein security in a range of door access systems for the UK and European markets. In Japan, thousands of cash machines are operated by finger vein technology. Hitachi announced today that it will introduce 20,000 finger vein authentication systems at shops and kiosks belonging to two Japanese companies, which will use the devices to protect the privacy of customer information by requiring storeworkers to authenticate themselves before accessing the customer database. The pattern of blood vessels is captured by transmitting near-infrared light at different angles through the finger, usually the middle finger. This can be done in a small instrument attached to a wall or as part of an ATM machine. The light is partially absorbed by haemoglobin in the veins and the pattern is captured by a camera as a unique 3D finger vein profile. This is turned into a simple digital code which is then matched with a pre-registered profile to verify an individual's identity. Even twins are said to have different finger vein patterns.

Magugu's son weds on a Thursday

A colourful wedding took place on Thursday 11th December, 2009 between Mr. Gicho Magugu and Hannah. Mr. Gicho Magugu is a son of a former powerful Minister and MP for Githunguri Mr Arthur Magugu had his wedding at Paradise Gardens on Kiambu. The highly secured wedding was by invitation only and all visitors had to go through a security check and present the card before entry. The media was barred as well for the security of the invited guests as well not to photograph the ailing politician who has been unwell for sometime now. At the wedding was Mama Ngina Kenyatta, Former cabinet minister Hezron Maduku, Othaya Political activist Mary Wambui and her daughter Winnie, Jane Kiano among others. The bride and the groom arrived on a boat for the wedding from the other side of the small lake. At the reception which was a stone throw away. Food was served by Sarova Stanley. Asked why do a wedding on a Thursday, the answer was that the venue has been booked for all the weekends till April next year and Hannah insisted she wanted her wedding next to the lake! - MORE PHOTOS

Forget carrying cash and credit cards, a new machine in Japan shops recognises fingerprints and vains in your body and straight to your bank

Barely a day after The Hon Minister for Transport Mr Chirau Ali Mwakwere gave new rules for the boda boda taxi operators, a spot check proved that many had started to follow the rules even before the enforcement starts. The new rules require the rider to have a safety crash helmet and passenger as well, wear reflective jacket and carry only one passenger.

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SOME OF THE UK NEWSPAPERS ON MONDAY 14TH DECEMBER 2009

Greedy lenders are exploiting struggling families by offering Christmas loans with crippling interest rates, says the Daily Express and on right Joe also makes the front page of The Herald but the paper leads on nursing cuts, saying that Scotland's biggest health authority is planning "radical options" to save cash.

The giant management consultancy firm Accenture has ended its sponsorship of Tiger Woods, saying the golfer is "no longer the right representative". Woods has been engulfed in a media storm since a disturbance outside his house two weeks ago. He has since admitted being unfaithful to his wife. Woods is taking an indefinite break from golf to try to save his marriage. Accenture is the second sponsor to react to the news. Gillette has already said it would cut back Woods' role. "For the past six years, Accenture and Tiger Woods have had a very successful sponsorship arrangement and his achievements on the golf course have been a powerful metaphor for business success in Accenture's advertising," the company said in a statement. "However, given the circumstances of the last two weeks, after careful consideration and analysis, the company has determined that he is no longer the right representative for its advertising. Accenture said that "it wishes only the best for Tiger Woods and his family".

MISS EAST AFRICA SCHENGEN TO FEATURE ON SWEDEN TV

MISS EAST AFRICA SCHENGEN 2009 INTERVIEW WITH THE QUEEN MISS BELLA DANIELLA NZIGAMIYE FROM SWEDEN INCLUDING SOME PARTS OF THE FINALS HELD IN ROTTERDAM 28/11/2009 WILL BE BROADCASTED ON ROTTERDAM TV IN THREE PARTS, FIRST PART SAT.12/12 2nd PART SAT. 19/12 AND LAST PART SAT.02/01 BETWEEN 11:00PM AND 12:00PM. ENJOY YOURSELF!!

Top 10 scientific breakthroughs

Scientific discoveries are always fascinating and it is hard to choose the best of the bunch. But here is our top 10 countdown for 2009.

1.  Eye-tooth surgery

The most exciting scientific breakthrough in 2009 was something you can really get your teeth into. Englishman Martin Jones is finally able to see again after doctors took a piece of his aptly named eye-tooth, placed a man-made lens into its core and implanted it under his eyelid. By cutting a hole in the new cornea, light was able to pass through. The procedure, called Osteo-odonto-keratoprosthesis, has restored sight to over 600 people worldwide.

2.  Is there life out there?

Space was at last grabbing headlines again this year, with traces of water found on the moon and Mars, but our search for extraterrestrial life also became a little bit more serious. The huge Kepler space telescope is taking pictures of planets as they pass in front of their home stars. Scientists hope this will identify likely sites for life in other solar systems. NASA officials are confident by 2011 they will detect Earth-size planets.

3.  Adam and Eve: The first medical robot researchers

Scientists have given credit to a robot for a scientific discovery. Researchers at Aberystwyth and Cambridge universities got the robotic system, dubbed Adam, to carry out experiments to identify what are called orphan enzymes in baker's yeast. The team is also developing another robotic system called Eve. Eve will test drugs for malaria by hypothesising how drug molecules of various shapes would perform. Prof Ross King, who led the research at Aberystwyth University, said: "Ultimately we hope to have teams of human and robot scientists working together in laboratories."

4.  Concrete solution to pollution

A British start-up company has created cement that absorbs CO2 from the air. Conventional Portland cement already accounts for 5% of global CO2 emissions. Novacem, however, is produced using magnesium oxide, which does not need to be heated to the same temperatures, thus reducing carbon emission and, at the same time, absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere immediately after production.

5.  Mind mapping people's thoughts

Scientists at the University of California have modelled how images are represented in the brain by translating recorded patterns of neural activity into pictures. It is thought the research could someday lead to dream-readers and thought-controlled computers. "It's what you would actually use if you were going to build a functional brain-reading device," said neuroscientist Jack Gallant, one of the research leaders.

6.  Penis replacement

Here's one for the boys. Researchers at the Wake Forest University's Institute of Regenerative Medicine have managed to engineer a fully functional replacement penis using tissue grown in a laboratory. The organs were made for rabbits, but the researchers at the lab, which has already implanted lab-grown bladders grown from the patient's own tissue into seven men, said the technology has "considerable potential for patients requiring penile construction."

7.  Spray-on solar panels

The University of Texas hopes to bring us spray-on solar panels within the next three to five years. It is not a new idea but the team at Austin has developed a new process. Instead of using silicon, ‘inks' of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) have been developed. The sunlight-absorbing nanoparticles are 10,000 times thinner than a strand of hair. They could then be sprayed onto a substrate to make a panel and be on the market within three to five years.

8.  Teleportation

A research team at the Australian National University has developed a technology that could one day be used for teleportation. It hinges on a new way to transmit data with light. The team can generate quantum entanglement in beams of light using only two parts. The main aim is to develop super fast computers, but theoretically the scientists said the method could be used for teleportation as well; but quite some time in the future.

9. Dinosaur extinction

A team of scientists from Russia, Austria, South Africa and Germany claim to have found the cause of the extinction of the dinosaurs. The largest mass extinction in the history of the Earth could have been triggered by emissions from halogenated gases in salt lakes. Their theory is that the emissions could have changed the atmospheric composition so dramatically that vegetation was irretrievably damaged. As the plant eating dinosaurs died out, so too did the meat eaters.

10.  Luscious lashes for the ladies

And here's one for the girls. Women may soon be able to stop relying on mascara. Biologists at L'Oreal's research laboratories in Paris have spent the last three years studying eyelashes and have now developed a gel that they claim extends the length of time individual eyelashes grow for before they fall out. This apparently leads to longer, thicker eyelashes. L'Oreal plans to market the gel as an over-the-counter cosmetic. 

Keroche breweries introduces launches Super malt in Kenya

Keroche breweries last night launched a new product to hit the market for christmas. The summit malt was launched at club Galileo. The beer will cost only 100 bob in the local market.

A freak tumble by First Lady Lucy Kibaki was one of the few unfortunate incidents during Saturday’s Jamhuri Day celebrations at Nyayo National Stadium in Nairobi, an event that also exposed the deep divisions within the ODM party. The First Lady missed her step going down the stairs as the President’s party left the dais at the end of the celebrations as President Mwai Kibaki looked on.  Her aides rushed to help her and back on her feet again, a jovial Mrs Kibaki dusted herself off and proceeded to the waiting car with the President in tow. The 46th Jamhuri Day celebration on Saturday was one of the best-attended as thousands of Kenyans braved the December sun to listen to their leaders. A carnival atmosphere engulfed the stadium way before Mr Kibaki, the chief guest, arrived. Maroon Commandos, the army band, ensured the crowd that kept swelling by the minute stayed on the edge of their seats. Security men in the hundreds hovered inside and outside the stadium, some on horseback. President Kibaki arrived shortly before 11 a.m. and performed the traditional inspection of the guard of honour mounted by the armed forces. The unforgiving heat, however, claimed its first casualty when a member of the navy, who was part of the Armed Forces parade, fainted in the middle of a march past. He was caught by his colleagues in the nick of time before he collapsed. He was led away from the parade to receive medical attention.

First Lady Lucy Kibaki is helped on to her feet by aides after she missed a step at the end of the Jamhuri Day celebrations a the Nyayo Stadum Saturday.

Entertainment was provided by the children from SOS Children’s Villages who captured the attention of the dignitaries and the crowd with their song Sote Tupendane. Others who entertained the crowd were local comedy group Papa Shirandula and Bukembe dancers from Bungoma who performed a traditional Bukusu number. The heat was also rising on the political front as the divisions within ODM once again came to the fore during the celebrations. Prime Minister Raila Odinga arrived shortly after his rival, William Ruto.  The Agriculture minister had arrived earlier with his political friend and ODM pentagon member, Najib Balala, in tow. They headed straight to their seats in the back row on the main dais. When the PM arrived, he went straight to his seat in the front row without exchanging any pleasantries with Mr Ruto or Mr Balala. Unlike periods following the 2007 General Election when ODM members stood as a mark of respect for the PM, there was no sign of it Saturday. - Sunday Nation.

NAMELESS IN LUTON AND LONDON

Kenyan artist was the star artist at the Jamhuri celebrations in Luton on Friday and again in London Saturday 12th December, 2009 in London. He will be performing in Coventry on Sunday 13th December, 2009. The venue will be the Canley Sports and Social Club on Marler Road, Coventry CV4 8BU. Coventry charges will be £20 payable at the entrance.

The UK has issued a travel ban to more than 20 Kenyan citizens accused of corruption, the High Commissioner says. Rob Macaire said the ban was a last resort, pointing out that no senior official had ever been convicted of corruption by a Kenyan court. He was speaking at the launch of a new campaign aimed at tackling corruption. The names have not been made public but they are thought to include senior civil servants, politicians and businessmen. President Mwai Kibaki was first elected in 2002 on a pledge to end corruption but his government has since been accused of lacking the political will to tackle corruption. Mr Macaire pointed out that Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO) had dropped its investigations earlier this year into the "Anglo-Leasing" affair, in which contracts worth some $100m were awarded to firms which did not exist. The SFO said it was dropping the case because of a lack of co-operation from Kenyan agencies. In February, Kenya's attorney general blamed the delays on the country's judicial system. Mr Macaire acknowledged Kenya's progress in passing anti-corruption laws, but he argued that they are meaningless without the values to underpin them. The US has recently banned some Kenyan officials from travelling there, accusing them of blocking political reforms after deadly post-election violence in 2008.

Man of God Flying high in USA and Canada

Former homeless heroine addict, street mugger and eventual jailbird, Joseph Njuguna, now a fiery preacher known as the Man of God, preaching during a recent visit USA. Pastor Njuguna is back in Boston and will holding several conference in USA and Canada.  - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

A KIKUYU PROVERB

Mwîthînia ndathînûkaga, no mûthenio nî athînûkaga

He who is the cause of his own troubles comes to the end of them; but he who is troubled by others does.

Kenyans shifting weddings to weekdays

Kenyans are now shifting to have weddings on a weekday rather than the weekend. The few we have attended looks very classy with who is who as the guests. This wedding on Friday 11th December, 2009 was a top one with the usual Range Rover sports which are becoming very popular than the Benzes we have been used to. Diana and Charles had their reception at Limuru on the golf course. Several millions were spent here. Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Ex-President's Body Robbed From Grave. Grave-robbers have stolen the body of the former president of Cyprus, according to police. Officers believe Tassos Papadopoulos' grave was dug up and broken into overnight. One witness said the coffin had been opened and was empty. Police believe the body was taken either late Thursday night or early Friday morning, but the motive is unclear. Mr Papadopoulos was buried in the Deftera village cemetery in the Cypriot capital, Nicosia. His family have issued a statement saying that they were grieved and angered by the "sacrilegious act of the tomb raiders". President Demetris Christofias, who beat Mr Papadopoulos in elections in March 2008 said: "This is an unacceptable, unholy, unethical and condemnable act that damages our tradition, our culture and our respect toward the dead." Mr Papadopoulos died from lung cancer last year at the age of 74, and the anniversary of his death is on Saturday. He served as president from 2003 until March 2008.

Former president Tassos Papadopoulos

Sheffield sex trafficking gang jailed

Home Office, 11 December 2009

A Slovakian gang who falsely imprisoned a teenage girl and forced her into a life of prostitution has been jailed for a total of 50 years following an operation by the UK Border Agency and South Yorkshire police. The two men and one woman orchestrated the 15-year-old Slovakian's passage to the UK and then forced her to sell herself for sex on the streets of Sheffield. She was only rescued from her ordeal when a 'client' called the police believing she was being forced to have sex for money. Investigations by the UK Border Agency's joint police Immigration Crime Team revealed she may have made the gang £200-£300 by working for 12 hours each night. In court it was estimated she had been made to have sex with at least 40 men.

Magugu's son weds on a Thursday

Mr. Gicho Magugu is a son of a former powerful Minister and MP for Githunguri Mr Arthur Magugu had his wedding at Paradise Gardens on Kiambu on Thursday 10th December, 2009. Among the invited guests were from left Mrs. Mary Wambui wa Munene - Othaya political activist, Mama Ngina Kenyatta, Mrs. Jane Kiano and Wambui's daughter Miss Winnie Mwai. Full story to follow. Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Kibaki, Raila assure Kenyans on new law

NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 12- President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga have assured the country that the coalition government is committed in gaining consensus over contentious issues in the Harmonised Draft Constitution. Speaking during the 46th Jamhuri Day celebrations the President said once they agreed on a course of action as a Government, all efforts would be put to ensure its realisation. He said the priority of the new law was to provide foundations for highly accountable and effective government, a highly productive and competitive economy and a united cohesive nation. "We have waited for a new constitution for nearly twenty years, let us ensure that this time we conclude the matter, and give this generation and all future generations of Kenyans a new constitutional dispensation. I and the Right Honourable Prime Minister Raila Odinga are committed to finding consensus and common positions on matters of national importance,” he said.  - CapitalFM

President Kibaki speech on Jamhuri Day on Saturday 12th December, 2009

SPEECH BY H.E. HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA ON THE OCCASION OF JAMHURI DAY CELEBRATIONS, NYAYO STADIUM, 12TH DECEMBER, 2009.

Fellow Kenyans,

I wish to begin by saluting all Kenyans on this occasion in which we observe the 46th Jamhuri Day. On this day, forty six years ago, Kenyans watched with pride as the new flag of a fully independent Kenya was hoisted for the first time. - FULL SPEECH

President Mwai Kibaki said the government would rehabilitate the country’s road network to world class status. He was speaking during the ground breaking ceremony for the upgrading of the Nairobi – Thika Road .

Lemon: Benefits &Uses

Remove Yellow Stains in the Toilet Sink

Occasionally, there would be yellow spots in the toilet sink. However, by rubbing lemon skin on them, the spots would be gone

Deadly journey: Minneapolis to Mogadishu

LEFT: Burhan's mother believes he was murdered by militants in Somalia. CENTRE: Jamal's mother found out he was dead via a Somali website. RIGHT: Most Minneapolis mosques do not want to talk about al-Shabab

Minneapolis is very different from Mogadishu. Yet it is home to the largest group of Somali refugees in the country - more than 60,000 of them. It may seem like an odd place to settle if you are from the Horn of Africa. In autumn, Minnesota is cold and grey; in winter it is almost too cold to venture out. But unlike Somalia, there is no civil war here, no children walking around with guns, no warlords and none of the grinding poverty. So it seemed like a safe place for Zeinab Bihi to raise her son, Burhan, or so she thought. On 4 November 2008, the 17-year-old went missing from their Minneapolis apartment.  Zeinab describes the day: first Burhan's school called to say he had missed class; she phoned around to see if he was with friends, or at the mosque; then she checked his bedroom and found that his laptop, passport and clothes were missing. She contacted the police. Burhan had gone to Somalia. His mother was shocked. She still is. "He was a young kid, he doesn't know Somalia, he doesn't speak Somali. He didn't know anything that was going on over there!" And the news didn't get any better. Six months after leaving home, Burhan was dead. His mother believes he was murdered by militants as he tried to escape from their clutches. The same Islamic extremists who she believes had recruited him and others in Minneapolis.  Zeinab tells me that Burhan was shot because he refused to take part in a suicide mission. "They gave him the order to explode himself and he refused," she says. Sitting beside her is Abayte Ahmed, another mother who has lost her child. She found out her son Jamal was dead when her husband saw a picture of him on a Somali website. Jamal was lying dead on the ground and had been shot in the head. These teenagers probably knew more than they let on to their mothers about the situation in Somalia. At the time they left, Islamist militants were trying to wrest control of the country from government forces backed by the Ethiopian army, which had invaded Somalia with the tacit support of the US. And Burhan and Jamal were not alone. Over the past 18 months as many as 20 young Somali men have left the comfort of their new home in America to return to a war-torn Somalia.

As a result, the FBI has now launched "one of its most significant terrorism investigations since 9/11". But the investigation is not born out of a fear of what is happening in Somalia itself. It is more to do with the fear that young Somali men with American passports will return to the US to commit acts of terrorism. FBI agent EK Wilson admits "there's no credible, specific threat that their intent is to return to the US to carry out a terrorist attack on US soil", before adding "but we can't rule it out". Attention has focused on one group in particular: al-Shabab. In Arabic it means "the youth". Sounds innocuous enough, but it is a radical Islamist organisation with links to al-Qaeda and listed by the US state department as a terrorist group. Evidence of al-Shabab's activities on the ground are hard to find in Minneapolis. But, you can see its presence on the internet where it has posted videos. The propaganda carries a distinctly anti-American message, but it is also clearly designed to appeal to young Muslim men who have grown up in the West. Burhan's uncle, Abdirizak Bihi - who is also a Somali community organiser - says al-Shabab is working hard behind the scenes, recruiting and raising money for one-way trips to Somalia. Mr Bihi says that reports of 20 missing Somali men are just the "tip of the iceberg". Most mosques in Minneapolis do not want to talk to the media about al-Shabab. But some imams have taken a stand against the group's extreme views and co-operated with the authorities. There is, however, also a sense in the community that the problem has been exaggerated. One young Somali man at a mosque told me he thought the investigation was being pursued for domestic political reasons - to show that the authorities were treating any potential terrorist threat seriously. In his words, to give the impression that "things are under control". That is scant comfort to the families of the missing. They are still searching for answers. Why did young Somali men - who had grown up in America with a bright future before them - suddenly leave home? And why did they never come back?

Tiger Woods to take 'indefinite leave' from golf

Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite break from professional golf to tackle problems in his private life. In a statement on his website, he said he was aware of the disappointment "my infidelity" had caused to his family. The world's top golfer said he wanted to "try to repair the damage done" and asked for privacy. Woods' biggest sponsor, Nike, said it would continue to stand by him, but his agent said it was too early to discuss the impact on any other business deals. On his website, Woods said he was "profoundly sorry" and asked for forgiveness. "I would like to ask everyone, including my fans, the good people at my foundation, business partners, the PGA Tour, and my fellow competitors, for their understanding," the 33-year-old said. "What's most important now is that my family has the time, privacy, and safe haven we will need for personal healing. "After much soul searching, I have decided to take an indefinite break from professional golf. I need to focus my attention on being a better husband, father, and person."

"The Risen Christ proclaimed not that we 'have to forgive,' but rather, that at last we CAN forgive--and thereby free ourselves from consuming bitterness and the offender from our binding condemnation. This process requires genuine human anger and grief, plus--and here is the awful cost of such freedom--a humble willingness to see the offender as God sees that person, in all his or her terrible brokenness and need for God's saving power. I would never tell another, 'You have to forgive.' But my uncomfortable duty as a Christian is to confess the truth, so lethal to our self-centered human nature: 'Jesus, who suffered your sin unto his own death, calls you likewise to forgive, so that God's purposes may be accomplished in both you and your offender." - Lewis Smedes - Forgiveness: The Power To Change The Past (article, Christianity Today, January 7, 1983)

US woman of 98 accused of choking roommate aged 100

A Massachusetts jury has charged a woman of 98 with suffocating her 100-year-old nursing home roommate after complaining of too many visitors. Police in Dartmouth initially believed Elizabeth Barrow had committed suicide but eventually recommended a murder charge against Laura Lundquist. A judge ordered Ms Lundquist to be placed in a local hospital to assess her fitness to stand trial. The women had been sharing a room for about a year when the death occurred. Ms Barrow was found with a plastic bag tied around her head in her bed at the Brandon Woods nursing home on 24 September. "We're devastated," her son Scott Barrow told Boston's WCVB-TV . "I mean, my mother was well-loved. She loved everyone at the nursing home. She had a daily routine where she would go up and down the hallway and hug people who weren't as fortunate as she."

Religion seen an 'oddity' by ministers, Archbishop says

Government schemes de-normalised religion, Dr Williams said. The Archbishop of Canterbury has accused the government of treating religious faith as an "eccentricity" practised by "oddities". But Rowan Williams told the Daily Telegraph ministers were wrong to think it was no longer relevant to society. Political leaders should be more open about their beliefs, he added. Dr Williams also suggested a new "supermarket ombudsman" should be established to protect the interests of Britain's rural economy. "We need more care in holding together the environmental and conservation agenda with food protection in some areas," he said.

UK withholds funding to Kenya

Department for International Development DFID has frozen funding to the Ministry of Education over the disappearance of funds meant for the free primary education programme. The Head of DFID Alistair Fernie said on Friday that the government was yet to account  for Shs 100 million meant for the project.  He blamed the ministries of Education and Finance over the missing cash adding that funding would only resume once the funds are accounted for. He was speaking during the the official launch of a brochure by the Commission titled "Towards a better future, working with Kenya to tackle corruption", at a Nairobi Hotel. Speaking during the same function British High Commissioner to Kenya, Rob Macaire called on the Kenya government to put in place measures to fight corruption in the country. He the government was also urged to work closely with its development partners to end the vice saying aid to Kenya could be "significantly higher" each year if corruption and governance concerns were credibly addressed. Macaire said "corruption intensifies injustice and conflict, hurts the poor, erodes development, destroys investor confidence and increases crime and this affects the future prosperity, stability and growth of the country". He urged Kenyans to demand accountability from local officials, legislators, companies, the police and other institutions adding that the country should re-engineer itself by embracing good governance and shunning official corruption. He defended the visa bans imposed on certain Kenyan officials due to alleged corruption related practices saying that the action was Britain's official policy of discouraging corruption by the officials. "Kenyans should look up to the future and demand results from their leaders and those in responsibility," he said. The brochure highlights the cost of corruption and the threat of impunity on the economy and development of Kenya.

Kenyan artist Mr. Mathenge well known as Nameless arrived in London today in the morning Friday 11th December, 2009. He will be performing during the Jamhuri celebrations throughout this weekend in Luton, London and Coventry. Today the Kenyan Community in Luton will have a taste of what is to come at the Roman Way Pub, 93 Tomlinson Avenue, LU4 0QL starting at 8.00pm. Luton charges will be £20 payable at the entrance. Tomorrow Saturday 12th December, 2009 the climax of the Jamhuri Celebrations will be at Harrow Leisure Centre Assembly Hall, Christchurch Avenue, London HA3 5EB. (The nearest train station is Harrow & Wealdstone Station or Harrow on the Hill). Harrow ticket prices are Adults £40 and Child £20 payable at the entrance as from 7.00 p.m. A Lala Salama show in Coventry which will be his final show  in the UK will be held in Coventry on Sunday 13th December, 2009 starting from 4.00pm. The venue will be the Canley Sports and Social Club on Marler Road, Coventry CV4 8BU. Coventry charges will be £20 payable at the entrance. Asked why he is called nameless Mr. Mathenge replied: "There are two kinds of people in the world, those who have got names and those who are nameless." as he smiled. Visit www.Kenyans4kenya.co.ke for more information on Najivunia kua Mkenya Forum 2009 on 12th December.

Kenyan artist Nameless arriving at Heathrow Airport on today in the morning (11th Dec. 09). - Photo by Julius

A Kenyan has passed away in USA. Mr.  Allan Mukuba of Bellevue, Nebraska U.S.A passed away on Wednesday  9th December 2009 at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC).  Beloved son of Mary Mukuba & Ernest Mwangi.  Brother to Grace Githae (Bellevue, Nebraska).  Cousin to Dennis Warui (Bellevue, Nebraska), Peter Kahiu & Naomi Kigondu (Bellevue Nebraska), Muthoni Muli (Oakland, California) , Ben Kahiu (New Jersey), Catherine Mutugi (Oakland, California).  He courageously fought the illness with great support from his family and friends. Family and friends are meeting for prayers and arrangements at Grace Githae’s residence, 2528 Hancock St, Bellevue, NE 68005 everyday as from 6.00 p.m.  The family needs prayers and financial assistance to offset funeral expenses. Contributions may be brought to the meeting or deposited to: Name: Grace Githae, Bank:  American National Bank, Account #       2740354, Routing # 104000854. Details for the funeral will be communicated later, for further information please contact: Grace Githae 402-813-1780 githaegrace@yahoo.com, Davis Mwangi 402-740-6986, Apollo Gichema 402-490-0857, Cathy Gichema 443-848-7244, Dennis Warui – 402-990-8125 or Naomi Kigondu 402-612-6877.

The late Allan Mukuba

A suicide bomber who killed at least 22 people at a graduation in Somalia was brought up in Denmark, officials say. Somali Information Minister Dahir Gelle told the BBC that the bomber's parents, who live in Copenhagen, identified their son's body from photographs. Reports say he left Somalia when he was a child and spent 20 years in Denmark, before returning to Somalia last year. He reportedly joined the hard-line Islamist group al-Shabab - although they have previously denied the attack. Al-Shabab and other radical Islamist groups control much of the country.  The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) also says the bomber was from Denmark, according to local media. The Copenhagen Post quoted PET as saying the man was in his 20s and was "a Somali citizen who had residence in Denmark". "As PET has indicated numerous times in the past, there are people with ties to Denmark who have gone through militant Islamic training and radicalisation and who are involved in terror-related activities in several countries, including in Somalia," a PET statement said, according to the newspaper. The bombing took place at a graduation for medical students on 3 December in one of the few parts of the capital, Mogadishu, which is controlled by the government. The students had been graduating from Benadir University, which was set up in 2002 to train doctors to replace those who had fled overseas or been killed in the civil war. Three ministers were among the dead. Al-Shabab, which wants to enforce a strict version of Islamic law in Somalia, is accused of having links to al-Qaeda. It has previously carried out several suicide bombings on government targets - but it has usually claimed responsibility immediately. Somalia has had no effective government for almost 20 years.

The house of the Kenyan widow is half-way through

The Seeds family would like to thank everyone who has contributed in prayers and finance towards the construction of the above house in Nakuru, Kenya. The house belongs to a Kenyan widow who has been homeless for many years. Pastor Jane has just returned from Kenya where she has been overseeing the construction. Many people in UK and US has been sending their donations towards the construction. We need to do the plastering, ceiling and furnishing the house for her. We also need to connect ower and water to the house. Surprising enough the Kenya Power fixed the post behind the house on their way to connect the power somewhere else. The job is half-way done andyou can make your donation towards the project through. You can send your donation to Mr. Seed on 07951220695, through PAYPAL misterseed@hotmail.co.uk OR you can contact the lady overseeing the construction on 0710227033 (she is on M-Pesa), or the widow herself Mrs. Lucy Wanjiru Maina on 0727307672. The Seeds family dream is to construct and furnish the house for this lady. It is our intention to a make a difference to at least one widow in Kenya. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

In pictures: Mogadishu blast

A suicide bomber has attacked a university graduation ceremony at the Shamo Hotel in Mogadishu, killing at least 19 people and on right - in the ensuing carnage, more than 40 people were wounded.

Identity cards for foreign nationals will be

extended to skilled workers in January 2010

Home Office, 10 December 2009

From next month, skilled migrant workers and their dependants will receive an identity card for foreign nationals when they successfully apply to extend their stay in the UK under Tier 2 of the points-based system. Under regulations approved by Parliament yesterday, all Tier 2 applications made inside the UK on or after 6 January 2010 will involve the enrolment of the applicant's biometric information (fingerprints and photograph). Migrants in a number of other categories must already enrol their biometrics and obtain an identity card for foreign nationals when they apply to extend their stay in the UK. For more information, see the Identity cards section of this website. As the number of migrants required to enrol their biometrics increases, this year we have increased the range of options for them to do so:

• There are now 11 Home Office biometric enrolment centres around the UK - foreign nationals can book appointments at these centres through our new online booking service or by telephone.
• Postal applicants living within certain postcodes can now choose to enrol their biometrics at a limited number of Crown post offices nationwide. This is a trial walk-in service, with no need to book an appointment, but is currently available only to applicants who have been sent an invitation to use it. Applicants using this service will need to pay an additional fee of £8.00 to Post Office Ltd. Seventeen post offices will be taking part in the trial, with the locations published on our website as they come online.

For a premium fee, applicants can choose to apply in person and receive a same-day decision on their application at one of our seven public enquiry offices. Please note that appointments for this service at Croydon are often in high demand, but appointments are available at our regional offices in Belfast, Cardiff, Glasgow, Liverpool, Solihull and Sheffield.

Jamhuri Day Speech by High Commissioner

The Kenya High Commissioner speech at the Jamhuri Celebrations at Inter-Continental Hotel on Thursday 9th December, 2009. A sign board at the enterance of event hall at Inter-Continental Hotel (right photo). - CLICK HERE

This last year has been a remarkable one for technology, and particularly small pocket-sized gadgets: from web-surfing smartphones to miniscule music players and tiny laptops, we've seen many brilliant new products vying for your disposable income. Here's our selection of the very best 10 gadgets from 2009, hand picked by the experts at Computeractive magazine.

1.  Apple iPhone 3GS

Apple's iPhone 3G was a great smartphone but the 3GS, launched this year, is one of the best we've ever seen. Although it looks much the same as the 3G this latest version has a better camera, can record video clips and can be controlled by speaking into the microphone. And with more power inside it's also faster when surfing the web and better at playing 3D games.

2.  HTC Hero

2009 has been a year dominated by smartphones and the Hero, alongside Palm's Pre and Apple's iPhone 3GS, is one of the finest. It's not the first phone to use Google's Android operating system, but by packing it into a sleek case with a large touch-screen, HTC produced the first great Android phone. It's a great way to surf the web, download applications, play music or even make the odd call.

3.  Asus Eee PC 1005HA

This year saw tiny netbook computers move from gadgets for geeks to mainstream success. Asus started the trend with its original Eee PC, and its new 1005HA sums up everything that's great about the latest models. It's small and sleek with a fast wireless connection and a 10.1in LED backlit display, but most important is the battery: this little computer will run and run, lasting well over six hours on one charge.

4.  Flip Mino HD 8GB

When Apple announced that it was packing a video camera into its iPod Nano music player, video camera makers had to act quickly - and Flip Video was impressively fast to respond. Its newest, updated pocket camcorder has a large 2in screen, a brushed metal body, two hours of video storage and can connect to your TV via HDMI. And, just like the older model, it records high-definition 720p video.

5.  Sony X-Series Walkman

Sony's Walkman brand has had a tough time of late, with Apple's iPod dominating the portable music player market, but the X-Series marks a return to form. It has a 3in wide touch-screen but can also be controlled with buttons when in a pocket, can connect via WiFi to show websites or Youtube videos, and provides noise cancellation with any headphones. And, of course, it sounds great.

6.  Palm Pre

One of the most eagerly awaited gadgets of the year, Palm's newest phone is one of the few that can rival Apple's iPhone range. It's small and sleek but packs both a multi-touch screen and, unlike the iPhone, a slide-out keyboard. Its WebOS software is simple to use and can run several applications at once - a trick lacking from Apple's products.

7.  Sony Vaio X

Over the last few years we've seen quite a few thin laptops, from Apple's Macbook Air to the Dell Adamo, but the Sony Vaio X is the first to literally stop us in our tracks. This tiny computer packs an 11.1in LED-backlit screen into a case that's just over half an inch tall and weighs just 655 grams

8.  iPod Shuffle

Apple's first iPod Shuffle was, unusually for the company, slightly ugly. The second generation was far prettier, but this latest edition is remarkable. With all buttons now removed in favour of voice control the Shuffle is now so tiny you could probably swallow it, and its metal body with a handy clip feels very sturdy. The only downside is its headphones: with all controls on the headphone cable, replacement options are limited.

9.  Nikon Coolpix S1000PJ

At first glance the S1000PJ might look like just another pocket camera: it shoots 12.1-megapixel photos, has a 5x optical zoom lens and optical image stabilisation. Push the slider control on the top, though, and the extra lens on the front suddenly makes sense as the camera projects your photos up to 2m onto a wall or screen. You won't find any other camera in the world that can do this, and it works surprisingly well.

10.  Nvidia 3D Vision Kit

2009 has been a breakthrough year for 3D, with most manufacturers showing off plans for new 3D TV sets, but most won't arrive on the high street until next year at the earliest. If you have a PC, though, you can get a 3D gaming experience today. This kit includes the necessary glasses, transmitter and software, works with most recent Nvidia graphics cards and is far cheaper than a new 3D display.

GLOBAL WARMING - WHAT LONDON MIGHT LOOK ONE DAY

If global warming is not checked, London would look like this one day

Nairobi, Thursday 10th December, 2009. President, PM to share executive power. A major breakthrough appears to have been made by the coalition government management committee after they agreed on a hybrid system of government. Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo disclosed that committee agreed that the Prime minister and the President share executive power which will be clearly set out in the Constitution. The deal comes barely a week before the expiry of the period given for the public to read the draft constitution and submit their views to the committee of experts. According to Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, the new Executive structure will have both the president and the prime minister enjoying Executive power.  The instruments of power according to Mutula shall be clearly defined and outlined in the constitution.  The committee also agreed to submit amendments to article 163 of the draft constitution to allow presidential candidates to be nominated by parties.  The Prime Minister will come from the party with majority seats in parliament while the president will no longer be a member of parliament.  With slightly over a week to the expiry of the 30 day period given to the public to read the draft constitution and submit their views, the committee declined to push for an extension of the period even as several Kenyans complained of having not received copies of the draft law.  The Grand Coalition management committee has held several meetings to come up with a common position on the draft law on behalf of the government. The members in their earlier three meetings differed over the sharing executive power between the president and the prime minister.

"It is just time to start"

Mrs. Salome Gichura (centre) the education attaché and Mr. Abraham Mwaura the immigration attaché chatting before the Jamhuri celebrations at Inter-Continental Hotel on Wednesday 9th December, 2009 - "It is time to start" and on right photo is Ambassador of Sudan (right) and Mr. David Broom a director of Commonwealth parliamentary asssociation.

NAMELESS confirmed to perform in Harrow, London

on Saturday 12th December on Jamuhuri;

With a curtain raiser in Luton Town on Friday 11th

and final show in Coventry on Sunday 13th …

Nameless, all the way from Nairobi Kenya is now confirmed to perform at the Jamuhuri day dinner after “Najivunia Kua Mkenya 2009 Forum” being held in London UK on Saturday 12th December, 2009 as part of  the Kenya Diaspora Jamuhuri Celebrations.

"There are two kinds of people in the world, those who have got names and those who are nameless."

The dinner takes place at the Harrow Leisure Centre Assembly Hall, Christchurch Avenue, London HA3 5EB. (The nearest train station is Harrow & Wealdstone Station or Harrow on the Hill).

Harrow ticket prices are: Adults £40 and Child £20 payable at the entrance.

Dinner and shows starts at 7.00pm.

The curtain raiser

The Kenyan Community in Luton will have a taste of what is to come on Friday 11th at the Roman Way Pub, 93 Tomlinson Avenue, LU4 0QL starting at 8.00pm. Luton charges will be £20 payable at the entrance.

A “Lala Salama” show in Coventry

The final show by Nameless in the UK will be held in Coventry on Sunday 13th December, 2009 starting from 4.00pm.

The venue will be the Canley Sports and Social Club on Marler Road, Coventry CV4 8BU. Coventry charges will be £20 payable at the entrance.

Visit www.Kenyans4kenya.co.ke for more information on Najivunia kua Mkenya Forum 2009 on 12th December.

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Baada ya dhiki faraja.

After hardship comes relief

JKIA Airport resumes operations after power failure

Travellers are stranded at Jomo Kenyatta Airport last night on December 9, 2009 after the lighting system on the runway failed. Operations at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport Thursday returned to normal following interruption of a section of the runway lights on Wednesday night.  Flights at Kenyas biggest airport were diverted and delayed on Wednesday evening after a power failure.  The power failure shut down the runway of JKIA for about six hours forcing flights to be diverted to Moi International Airport, Mombasa as engineers from the Kenya Airports Authority worked to restore power.  The Kenya Airports Authority said the control system referred to as the Constant Current Regulator (CCR) had developed a technical problem, resulting in an interruption to a section of the runway lights.  The CCR maintains a constant electric current flow in circuits, leading to uniform brightness in runway lights said Mr Dominic Ngigi, KAAs Manager Corporate Affairs and Communication in a statement released on Thursday.  He said the KAA technical team responded immediately and worked tirelessly enabling operations to resume at 1.30 a.m this morning.  Operations were affected from 7.30p.m, on Wednesday he said the team is currently carrying out the root cause analysis of why the CCR developed the problem.  "KAA would like to re-assure all our air operators and customers that we remain committed to ensuring continuous operations at JKIA," said Mr Ngigi.  Four planes were diverted to Mombasa while aircraft that would have landed from Mombasa were delayed.  Flights that were diverted were two Kenya Airways flights from Paris and Amsterdam as well as a flight from London and a Fly540 flight from Juba, southern Sudan.  - Daily Nation.

The group behind ammunition

Businessman Ishmael Munir and his wife were Thursday arraigned in court over cache of illegal weapons seized in Narok. The government says it is investigating the source and destination of the weapons.

Couple in court over seized weapons

Businessman Ishmael Munir and his wife Nahid Tabasam Sumar were Thursday morning arraigned in court charged with being in possession of government stores contrary to section 324 of the penal code. The couple is charged alongside Administration Police Chief Armourer superintendent Joseph Maritim. They trio who appeared before chief magistrate Beatrice Thuranira denied the charges. Their efforts to have them released on a cash bail were futile after the prosecution applied for the suspects to be remanded for five days to assist with investigations. The prosecution argued the trio might interfere with investigations if released on bail. Investigating Officer Nathan Njoroge told the court that one more suspect was arrested Thursday morning in Nanyuki.  Njoroge told the court that SP Maritim is suspected to have allegedly sold the ammunitions to the businessman and that some of the firearms had been used in committing robbery. Lawyers representing the accused persons told the court that their client's fundamental rights had been breached arguing that they had been in custody for over 76 hours.  They were however remanded until Friday when the court will make a ruling on their application. Police on Tuesday seized the largest ever consignment of weapons in Kenyan history that included 100,000 bullets and six guns.    The arsenal was discovered on a Monday night during an operation by the Special Crime Prevention Unit, with regular and Administration Police officers.  A large assortment of military supplies were also seized from Munir's house in Narok and Nairobi. Detectives said they suspected that the bulk of the bullets came from the AP armoury and the foreign military base in Northern Kenya. Elsewhere, Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode has said six suspects have been arrested in connection with the illegal weapons.  While giving a ministerial statement in Parliament, Ojode said more suspects would be arrested.  The assistant minister was however put to task by legislators Bonny Khalwale, Olago Aluoch, Mithika Linturi  and Moses Lesonet to explain the source and destination of the weapons. He said the issue was sensitive and a security matter saying that investigations were still going on. " We have engaged ballistic experts and they will tell us whether the arms are from Kenya" he said "I will be updating Kenyans about the matter which is  serious and sensitive". He warned Kenyans in possession of illegal arms to surrender them or face the full force of the law. He said the government will launch a massive disarmament programme throughout the country to mop up all arms in wrong hands.

Michuki gets Nairobi River clean-up award

Environment minister John Michuki at a news conference where he received an award for his efforts to redeem the Nairobi River. On his right is Bakari Kante, the UNEP director of law and governance. Environment minister John Michuki Wednesday received an international recognition for his efforts to redeem the Nairobi River.  The United Nations Environmental Programme presented the minister with a certificate recognising his efforts to clean the river, which had been rendered lifeless by human and industrial waste. He received the award in Basel, Switzerland, during a UNEP convention on the control of movement of toxic waste, which he attended last month. When he embarked on the rehabilitation of the Nairobi River in April, few believed that water would ever cascade through the meanders of the city's densely populated slums. Only months later, that is happening. The director for environmental and Conventions at UNEP, Mr Bakari Kante, praised his “leadership and commitment to global environment”, adding that no one had raised courage to face the Nairobi River issue. Presenting the certificate, he said: “Here is a man who looks beyond short-term ambitions, and acts for future generations; someone who is not driven by short-term interest, but by public interest.” Mr Michuki said that he the irony of Nairobi city, host of UNEP head offices, was chocking under massive pollution pushed his ministry to act. - Daily Nation.

KAMA UKO NA APPLICATION NYUMBA KUBWA AMA HUNA APPLICATION YEYOTE NA ULIKUJA HUKU OVER THREE YEARS AGO. KUNA MAMBO MAPYA HATA KAMA UKO NA 3, 5 OR 6 YEARS VISA/LEAVE ON DISCRETIONARY GROUNDS. PLEASE SEEK LEGAL ADVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:  MARTYNS & ROSE SOLICITORS ON 0208 538 1397, 0208 538 1398, 07931 116 124.

UK interest rate remains at 0.5%

The Bank of England has held UK interest rates at the record low of 0.5% in a widely-expected move. It also announced no changes to its programme of pumping newly-created money into the economy - so-called quantitative easing (QE). In November, the Bank of England said it would inject another £25bn, taking the total planned under QE to £200bn. The Bank cut interest rates to 0.5% in March in an attempt to boost the recession-hit economy. Under QE, the Bank of England prints money to buy assets from banks and other companies to stimulate the economy. The bank is expected to wait until the current QE programme runs out in January before considering whether it should be expanded.

Posing with a team from Scotland

The Kenya High Commissioner HE H.E. Ephraim Waweru Ngare (centre) posing with the Scotland team lead by Rev. Lukas Njenga who had come to join the Jamhuri Celebrations at Inter-Continental Hotel, London on Wednesday 9th December, 2009.

Girl, 12, dragged off the street and raped on way to school

London, Thursday 10th December, 2009. A 12-year-old girl was snatched from the street and raped in a random attack as she was on her way to school in east London.  She had just got off a bus when a man approached her from behind and began talking to her in Leytonstone at about 8.25am on Tuesday. He then grabbed the girl, dragged her into a front garden and raped her before riding off on a yellow bike. Detective Inspector Declan Williams said the victim was grabbed at the junction of Cann Hall Road and Worsley Road. He described her attacker as black, in his mid to late teens, with a tattoo on his right hand. The man used a zipped-up, dark jacket to partially conceal his face during the 10-minute assault on the victim, who is white. Mr Williams said: "This is a busy area at a busy time of day and we would appeal for anyone with information or who saw anything suspicious to please come forward." He said the victim remembered seeing a woman walking on the opposite side of the road shortly before the attack. Police are particularly keen to speak to that passer-by.

Kiki to be buried in Kenya

A Kenyan man has passed away in London. Mr. Kariuki Munyota well known as KIKI passed away in the early hours of this morning (Saturday, 5th December, 2009) at King George George Hospital, Essex, UK. Unconfirmed sources says that he was admitted at the hospital yesterday with chest infections. He is the son of Polly Munyota (well known as Mama Kiki) of Coventry, UK. Brother to Mrs. Jennifer Wangui Kimani and Mr. Samuel Mwangi(all of London). Family and friends are meeting in Coventry at 2 Lambeth Close, Manor Farm, CV2 1JE, Coventry every day as from 6.00 p.m. There will be another venue in London to be confirmed. Kiki is a good friend to the Seeds family. He attended the Seeds wedding in July this year and he insisted to sing at the reception. When asked by Mr. Seed which song he want to sing he replied: "If you are happy and you know it clap your hand..." before finishing and asking Mr. Seed to give high five. More information contact 07931488336.

Meeting in London is taking place at: Mumbi's house (Mama Gasper), 15 Fairfield Court, Fairfield Road, Woodford Green, IG8 9JL. For more on the London information contact details: 07908348445 Jennifer, 07930418040 Moses, 07903860909, Mumbi or 07903802758 Maureen. Those wishing to help can do so through Abbey bank:  Mrs Jennifer W. Kimani, Abbey bank, Sort code: 090127, Account no: 02352044 Or  Barclays Bank, Sort Code: 204422, Account number: 70871478, Account name: Mrs. J.W. Kimani.

The family is travelling home next week and the air tickets are expensive at this time of the year. There will be a fundraising event towards the body transport on Sunday 13th December, 2009 at Manor Park Community Centre, 524 High Street North, Eastham, London E12 6QN as from 5 p.m. The memorial service takes place on Monday 14th December, 2009 at Memorial Baptist Church, Barking Road, London E13 8AS as from 6.00 p.m. to 9.00 p.m. prompt. The funeral directors will bring the body as from 6.00 p.m. to 8.00 p.m. The body leaves UK for Kenya on Tuesday 15th December, 2009 with the family and the burial is expected to be on Thursday 17th December, 2009 in Karatina, Nyeri. Those in Kenya are meeting at KICC Cafeteria, Nairobi as from 5.00 p.m. Kenya contact 0723630522.

Foreign husbands can now get citizenship in Kenya. Kenyan women will be able to secure citizenship for their foreign husbands if the harmonised draft constitution is enacted. The draft says this includes those who are already married. The men will only secure citizenship if they have been married to their Kenyan wives for seven years.  “Citizenship is not lost through marriage or dissolution of marriage,” it says.  The current constitution specifies that only women who are married to Kenyans can apply for citizenship. It does not say whether she is deprived of her citizenship once the marriage is dissolved. The draft also makes it harder for a foreigner to be naturalised as a Kenyan despite dropping most of the conditions in the current constitution. A person seeking naturalisation will now be required to have been “lawfully resident for a continuous period of at least seven years”. Currently, one needs to prove that they have been in the country lawfully for a period of 12 months immediately preceding the application. An application is also considered if one’s stay totals not less than four years in a period of seven years. The draft has left out the requirement that only those over 21 and with knowledge of Swahili can be naturalised.

Meet the new Kenya High Commissioner in London and his wife

H.E. Ephraim Waweru Ngare is the new  Kenya's High Commissioner - UK and Ireland. Mr. Ngare and his wife Mrs. Jane Ngare (above) at the Jamhuri Celebrations which they hosted for diplomatic circles in London at Inter-Continental Hotel, Park Lane, London on Wednesday 9th December, 2009. The ceremony was well attended by diplomats and Kenyans to celebrate Kenya's national day. Several MPs from Kenya also attended. For all the years the event was being held at next door Hilton Hotel where the venue better than Inter-Continetal but the food at Inter-Continental was far much better at Inter-Continetal with African foods in the main menu. Full story and photos coming up.

Digital TV now a reality in Kenya

President Kibaki unveils a plaque during the launching of the Digital TV at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation in Nairobi, December 9th, 2009. He is with Assistant minister for Information George Khaniri. Kenya became the second African country to switch to digital television on Wednesday At exactly 12.08pm, President Kibaki led the country in migrating from the analogue to the digital terrestrial television broadcasting signal.  “We have now moved to another world,” said the President during the launch at the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation studios in Nairobi. As opposed to the analogue television signal, the digital signal provides for better picture and sound quality. It also offers multiple programming, through multi-casting, and provides for interactive capabilities. - Daily Nation.

 He comes the winner

Ms  Christine Ohito from Hundersfield, Leeds, UK was the winner of the a One Week Holiday in Mombasa ticket and accommodation paid for which was drawn on 7th November, 2009. The raffle was conducted by IWRM Church in London at their fundraising towards the buying of the church building. The ticket was presented by Pastor Mike Wanyoike of the pastors in the ministry.

Exploding Chewing Gum Blows Off Student's Jaw

A chemistry student has been found dead with his jaw blown off by what is believed to be exploding chewing gum, reports have said. The 25-year-old's disfigured remains were discovered at his parent's home in the northern Ukrainian city of Konotop, reports in the Eastern European country said. The young man, who studied at Kiev Polytechnic Institute, was working at a computer late on Saturday when the alleged explosion happened. "A loud pop was heard from the student's room," the ukranews.com website said, citing an aide to the city's police chief. "When his relatives entered the room, they saw that the lower part of the young man's face had been blown off." A forensic examination established that the chewing gum was covered with an unidentified chemical substance, thought to be some type of explosive material. The student apparently had a bizarre habit of chewing gum after dipping it into citric acid, Russian news agency Ria Novosti said. Officers found both citric acid packets and a similar-looking unidentified substance, believed to be some kind of explosive material, on a table near the body, the agency continued. Investigators suspect that the student simply confused the packets and put gum covered with explosive material into his mouth. Forensic experts were to travel from Kiev to investigate the substance, as local authorities feared it may explode if transported.

Send Christmas Gifts to Family and Friends in Kenya

through Mama Mike - CLICK THE LOGO

Three things that make a person

 1. Commitment
 2. Sincerity
 3. Hard work

SOME OF THE UK NEWSPAPERS ON THURSDAY 10TH DECEMBER, 2009

LEFT: The Daily Telegraph reports the middle classes will be hit with £7bn in new taxes. CENTRE: The Sun compares the Chancellor to golf star Tiger Woods. RIGHT: The Guardian says the Chancellor has hit everyone with his tax rises, and Labour now risks losing the support of key swing voters.

Registration opens for Najivunia Kuwa Mkenya 2009 Forum

www.kenyans4kenya.co.ke, the registration website for “Najivunia Kuwa Mkenya 2009 Forum”

on 12th December, in London UK is now live. Please go ahead and register as only a few spaces remaining.

The Forum will take place at the Harrow Leisure Centre Assembly Hall, Christchurch Avenue, London HA3 5EB. (The nearest underground & train stations are Harrow & Wealdstone or Harrow on the Hill underground and bus station) – please take bus no’s, 140, 182, 186 & 258 and alight at Wealdstone or H10 and H9 and alight at the venue). For directions please visit;

http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map.srf?x=515006&y=190078&z=0&sv=HA3+5EB&st=2&pc=HA3+5&ar=N&mapp=map.srf&searchp=ids.srf&sq=1&ppm=HA3+5

To register for the Forum please visit www.kenyans4kenya.co.ke

Lemon: Benefits &Uses

Lemon is especially appreciated for its vitamin C value. When Vasco da Gama made his voyage round the 'Cape of Good Hope' nearly two-thirds of his crew died of scurvy. But at present the recurrence of such a disaster is no longer possible owing to the widespread use of lemon. Innumerable boatmen moving in sea have saved their lives with the use of lemon.

New law could end land disputes

The cost of land has a big influence on the final price of a house with experts estimating it to contribute up to 40 per cent of the final cost of a finished house. The escalating cost of housing to levels beyond the reach of many Kenyans is, therefore, as a result of increased cost of land. However, in what many are billing as Kenya’s third liberation, the controversial question of land is aptly brought out in the Harmonised Daft Constitution and the Draft National Land Policy. - MORE

Pre-Budget report sees Darling raise National Insurance

National Insurance will go up by 0.5% more than previously planned from 2011 and public sector workers face a 1% pay cap, Alistair Darling has announced. In his final pre-Budget report before a general election, the chancellor also announced a bank bonus tax and a home boiler scrappage scheme.  He said he wanted to promote growth without "wrecking" recovery.  But the Conservatives accused him of putting off tough decisions on spending because of the coming election.  The party said there would be tax and interest rate rises if Labour won the election as a result.  But a senior Conservative source told the BBC they would not oppose the bank bonus tax - even though they believe there were serious questions about how easy it would be for banks to find ways of avoiding it.  He said the increase in National Insurance contributions - which is on top of existing plans for a 0.5% rise - was the announcement the Tories would work hardest to avoid because it was "a tax on the many and not the few".

Key points: The pre-Budget report at-a-glance

A summary of the key announcements in Alistair Darling's pre-Budget report in parliament on Wednesday 9th December, 2009.

• All national insurance rates to rise by a further 0.5% from April 2011, raising £3bn a year
• VAT to return to 17.5% from 15% from 1 January 2010. No other changes to VAT
• One-off 50% tax on bank bonuses of more than £25,000
• Stamp duty holiday on certain properties to end on 1 January 2010
• Bingo duty to be cut from 22% to 20%

• Economy forecast to shrink 4.75% in 2009, worse than 3.5% forecast in April
• Growth of 1%-1.5% expected in 2010 and 3.5% in 2011 and 2012

• 2009 forecast raised by £3bn to £178bn

• Estimated borrowing of £176bn in 2010 and £140bn in 2011, falling to £96bn in 2013
• Budget deficit to be halved by 2013
• Estimated public loss from bank bailouts reduced from £50bn to £10bn

• Total spending in 2010-11 to rise by £31bn.
• No spending review for period after that
• Current spending estimated to fall by 0.8% between 2011-2 and 2014-5

• Basic state pension will rise by 2.5% in April 2010
• Child and disability benefit to rise by 1.5% in 2010
• Contributions to public sector pensions to be cut by £1bn a year
• All public sector pay settlements to be capped at 1% for two years from 2011

• £160m investment in low-carbon and renewable projects
• £200m extra investment for Warm Front insulation scheme, helping 65,000 households
• Boiler scrappage scheme for 125,000 households
• Electric cars to be exempt from company car tax for five years
• Tax rebate for installation of wind turbines and solar panels

• Under-24s to be guaranteed work or training after six months out of work
• Training or education guarantee for 16 and 17-year-old to be extended to 2010

• New 50p tax on landline phones to pay for superfast broadband
• New 10% tax on income from patents to boost science development
• 1p increase in corporation tax for small firms to be deferred

FAMILIES

• Free school meals to an extra 500,000 low income families

"KENYA HAKUNA MATATA"

 The Jamhuri Celebrations at Inter-Continental Hotel London was well attended and some guests like Mr. Perminder Singh Tamana (right) a Kenyan came dressed for the occaison

The start of the applications process for next year's student loans for England is being delayed - following this year's widespread problems. The launch of the loans and grants service for students starting in September 2010 should have been at the beginning of this week. But the Student Loans Company says that this has now been postponed. A review of loan delays for students who began courses this autumn found "conspicuous failures". The delays in payments facing tens of thousands of students, which have dragged on for months after the start of term, have now caused a knock-on effect for next year.

Mr Muneer Ahmed an Asian origin businessman was arrested in Narok town on Monday night 7th December, 2009 together with his wife. They were found with stolen goods and cash. 4 rifles were found and Over 80,000 bullets and other assorted army stuff were caught by our police. Mathew Itere the police boss was on call to inspect the goods A few months ago BBC reported of some communities arming themselves in the Rift valley for 2012 but the report was trashed in the bin by our politicians. Time will tell where these army goods that would kill thousands of Kenyans were being taken to. This comes a day after the Picha Mtaani launch showcasing the post election killing photos by Bonface Mwangi on Moi avenue next to Hilton Hotel. - MORE

What is behind all this ammuniation?

Photo and story by Karuga wa Njuguna, 0710148193  wanjugunak@hotmail.com

Police boss viewing the assorted stolen goods and on right over 80,000 bullets both 9mm and 7.65mm.

4 rifles ,two with telescopes and on right over KShs. 700,000 was found

2 brand new pistols and on right army knives.

Couple arrested with 100,000 bullets

A couple was found with more than 100,000 bullets and military gear in their house at Narok town. Four rifles and two pistols were also found in Mr Munir Ahmed’s house. A seventh pistol was found on his waist when he was arrested in Embakasi, Nairobi, on Monday night. The seized bullets are usually used in sub-machine guns. Yesterday, police displayed two telescopic machines, five pairs of military boots, assorted British military uniforms, 20 army bags, 20 planes’ batteries, 12 tyres and 80 jerricans of a multi-purpose oil used to clean guns. Some Sh429,000 and military food rations were also found in the businessman’s house. Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere led senior officers in displaying the wares at CID headquarters in Nairobi. He said they are yet to establish Ahmed’s motive.  He said although some of the weapons are locally manufactured, they do not know how Ahmed obtained them. "It is an amazing cache, which is also shocking to us, but we will get to the bottom of this matter," he said. Ahmed sat in a guarded police car as the arms were displayed. A huge part of the caches, which police said could serve a battalion, was found in a store in Narok town and the rest was seized in Parklands. And last night, The Standard learnt the Administration Police Chief Armourer Joseph Maritim was arrested in connection with the seizure. Police sources said they anticipated getting more weapons, according to informers and it is possible some may have either been leased or sold. Another raid on his premises and those of his friends was planned for last night. Mr Iteere said they had counted up to 87,500 bullets and there was another big box.  Some ammunition showed they were manufactured at the Eldoret Ordinance Factory run by the military. Other boxes indicated they had come from the US, Britain and Nato. Investigators said the weapons showed Ahmed could be an arms dealer even as insiders claimed he supplies weapons to neighbouring countries.

But Iteere denied Ahmed sells or deals with the Government. The couple deals in oil products and run a popular petrol station in Narok besides other businesses in Nairobi. Iteere said the seizure followed an operation in Isiolo and Samburu where some 30 rifles and more than 2,000 bullets have been seized. Internal security PS Francis Kimemia said they are yet to know the origin of the weapons. Always armed Iteere said an informer tipped the police of a gun dealer in Narok, who could be behind the supply of weapons being used to kill and maim people in cattle rustling prone areas. A team from Special Crimes Prevention Unit was immediately composed and ordered to trace Ahmed. They tracked him to an auction in Embakasi on Monday. "The team was informed Ahmed is always armed and can fire at slight provocation, which made them take precautionary measures before striking," a source told The Standard. "He did not resist but seemed shocked when he was told he was under arrest and his gun grabbed, with at least five officers around him," said one of the officers. From Embakasi, the officers drove to Narok where they found the cache. Sources said the businessman tried to bribe the six officers with Sh3 million each, to let him go. But Ahmed’s lawyer Cliff Ombeta said his client had been framed. He said Ahmed is a licenced gun handler and did not know where police got the more than 100,000 bullets. His wife has been detained in Narok. Police said they are yet to decide charges against the man. - The Standard.

A Kenyan man charged over Oxford stabbing

Tuesday 8th December 2009

A 29-year-old man has been charged with a stabbing outside a house in Oxford.  Thomas Kanau, 29, of Pond Close, in Risinghurst, Oxford, is charged with grievous bodily harm with intent and is due to appear at Oxford Magistrates’ Court today.  Kanau was arrested after 23-year-old Teddy Harrison was stabbed outside a house in Iffley Road, at around 10pm on Sunday.  Mr Harrison suffered a single knife wound to the stomach and spent a night in intensive care at the John Radcliffe Hospital. His condition is now described as stable. - Oxford Mail.

NAMELESS confirmed to perform in Harrow, London on

Saturday 12th December on Jamuhuri;

With a curtain raiser in Luton Town on Friday 11th and final show in Coventry on Sunday 13th …

Nameless, all the way from Nairobi Kenya is now confirmed to perform at the Jamuhuri day dinner after “Najivunia Kua Mkenya 2009 Forum” being held in London UK on Saturday 12th December, 2009 as part of  the Kenya Diaspora Jamuhuri Celebrations.

"There are two kinds of people in the world, those who have got names and those who are nameless."

The dinner takes place at the Harrow Leisure Centre Assembly Hall, Christchurch Avenue, London HA3 5EB. (The nearest train station is Harrow & Wealdstone Station or Harrow on the Hill).

Harrow ticket prices are: Adults £40 and Child £20 payable at the entrance.

Dinner and shows starts at 7.00pm.

SOME OF THE UK NEWSPAPERS ON WEDNESDAY 9TH DECEMBER, 2009

LEFT: The Independent leads with a warning by the president of Barclays bank that a supertax on bonuses will lead to a mass exodus of talent. CENTRE: The Daily Express says Labour's immigration chief has caused anger by claiming desk-bound UK border officials are "putting their lives on the line". RIGHT: The lead in The Daily Telegraph is that more than one in 10 people living in Britain were born abroad.

Minister points to agency progress in response to Home Affairs Committee

Home Office, 08 December 2009

The government has responded to a report from the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee on the work of the UK Border Agency. The report focuses on many elements of the agency's work, including the processing of older asylum applications (known as 'legacy cases'), and addresses the payment of bonuses to senior managers. Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'The UK Border Agency has made considerable improvements over recent years and is now a world leader with the introduction of biometric visas, identity cards for foreign nationals, and a points-based system to control migration.  'The truth is that our border has never been stronger, as illustrated by the fall in asylum applications, the record numbers we are stopping at Calais, and the watch-list checks that are undertaken before people even step on a plane.  'The UK Border Agency is continuing to make progress in dealing with the legacy backlog of older asylum cases, and has already concluded more than 220,000 cases. We are now looking at whether we can clear the backlog earlier than summer 2011.  'With the creation of the UK Border Agency we assembled a management team from across Whitehall and beyond who are leading dynamic changes across the business. I believe that it is right to reward staff for outstanding work, and bonuses are only ever awarded to those who have performed to a high standard.'

Immigration swoop on Oxford restaurants and a shop

Tuesday 8th December 2009

IMMIGRATION officers swooped on two restaurants and a shop in the Oxford area today in their hunt for illegal workers. Eight officers from the UK Border Agency raided Cafe Opium, in George Street, Oxford, Ovisher Tandoori in Oxford Road, Kidlington, and Eastern & Continental Stores in Cowley Road, Oxford. Dressed in anti-stab vests and armed with handcuffs, they packed into two blue vans for the surprise visits. Employees were held on site until officers could prove whether they were working legally, quizzing them on their legal status, inspecting passports and, in some cases, checking fingerprints with a national database. Businesses must prove they have carried out the correct right-to-work checks or face fines of up to £10,000 for every illegal employee discovered. At 30-year-old man from Bangladesh was arrested for overstaying his visa by four years at a house above Ovisher Tandoori and was put on immigration bail. He faces deportation. Immigration inspector Dick Stratton said officers could not prove he had been working at the restaurant, but he was still in the UK illegally.

Immigration 'loophole' for IT workers - government response

Home Office, 08 December 2009

The government has responded to claims that the Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) category of the points-based system is providing a loophole for Indian IT companies to bring foreign workers into the UK. Under an intra-company transfer, an employer can fill vacancies in its UK operations by bringing across some of its existing foreign-based staff. It has been claimed that this enables jobs in the IT and other sectors to be taken by migrants who are paid less than resident workers, but this is not true - workers coming to the UK in the Tier 2 (Intra company transfer) category must be paid the going rate. From the beginning of next year, workers in this category will need to have 12 months' experience (instead of six months as at present) with their employer before they can be transferred to the UK, and the category will be closed as a route to permanent settlement in the UK.

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'Intra-company transfers are an important part of making the UK an attractive place in which to do business, and therefore keep industry and the economy moving.  'Workers that come in via this route must display the appropriate level of earnings and qualifications, and the numbers are strictly controlled by the points-based system - meaning only those the UK needs can come here.'

Pastor George Benjamin of Word of God International Ministry 730 Barking Road, E13 passed away in his London home today Tuesday 8th December, 2009. Many would ask who is the Pastor George Benjamin. Those who arrived in the UK in 1993 to 1997 would remember the biggest Kenyan church by then was that of Pastor George Benjamin in Barking Road. Many Kenyans used to travel from far and wide to attend the church there. Later they broke away to form Huduma Church which was the only Kenyan church by then.

Alleged abuse of student visa system - government response

Home Office, 08 December 2009

The government has responded to allegations in The Sunday Telegraph that Tier 4 of the UK's points-based system for immigration is being widely abused by foreign nationals posing as students. All applications under the points-based system are closely scrutinised, and our frontline staff are trained in detecting forgery and fraud. Contrary to the newspaper's claim that anyone achieving the 40 points required under Tier 4 will have their application approved, we can still refuse anyone who submits false documents, has an adverse immigration history or has insufficient funds when they apply. We will also refuse anyone who applies under Tier 4 but is not intending to undertake a genuine course with a genuine education provider. We can and do ban people from applying for visas for 10 years if they use false documents or deception in a visa application. If a college is a licensed Tier 4 sponsor but knowingly accept migrants who do not intend to study there, we will revoke its licence quickly. If someone applies to study at one college but then wants to switch to another college, they will have to apply to us for permission to do so - and the new college must also be on a licensed Tier 4 sponsor. All licensed colleges must now report on student attendance, and we will take appropriate action if they fail to do so or if they have a high drop-out rate.

Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'While there will always be people who will try to abuse our immigration rules, we have robust systems in place to ensure that only those students who are genuinely coming to the UK to study can do so. 'The points-based system ensures that only those colleges and schools who provide quality education and take responsibility for their students are licensed to bring in foreign students. 'Schools and colleges are inspected by accreditation bodies and the UK Border Agency to ensure they are genuine. Before we tightened controls, around 4,000 UK institutions were bringing in international students - this currently stands at around 2,000. 'We continuously monitor our systems, and where improvements can be made we will make them.'

The Daily Mail quotes a report which apparently says British healthcare is little better than in some former Communist countries.

Foreigners who own property in Kenya will soon be

required to document what property they own

Nairobi, Kenya, December  8 - Foreigners who own property in Kenya will soon be required to document what property they own and how they acquired it. Internal Security Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia said they will work with the Ministry of Lands and the provincial administration to facilitate the process.  “There have been various representations by Kenyans that we should know who owns what property in this country. Very many foreigners have come and bought property in this country but we do not seem to know who they are. Our legal structure does not seem to have provisions where you are able to gauge the extent of the acquisition of say prime lands by foreigners,” he stated. He also added that the Ministry of Lands would give clear directions on how the exercise would be conducted and that the Internal Security ministry had already called on the Nairobi Provincial Commissioner to start working on a framework that would document property ownership issues. “Especially on issues of money laundering or people bringing in monies that are dirty and cleaning them through buying land and forming bogus companies in this country. I am told that some of the buyers do not even change names; they buy your land registered under the name of Lesirma (for example) but still retain the name,” he observed.

He added that the government was also carrying out operations that would flush out illegal immigrants in Kenya and that it had already started tightening the country’s borders to control the influx of illegal refugees. “We are still constructing the Sudan border post and we will begin constructing the Liboi border post any time from now. However, the issue of strengthening our borders is very important; especially our border with Somalia. Let them continue managing their internal affairs but we need to ensure that we do not get bogus or unjustified refugees,” he stated. “We have had operations in Eastleigh, Kangemi and Kitengela and will still move into other major towns. We are not targeting particular communities but we must ensure that Kenya is safe from people who are engaging in criminal acts,” he said. Mr Kimemia also pointed out that the government had collected over 200 firearms among them M16 rifles following the government’s third amnesty issued to pastoral communities in cattle rustling prone areas to encourage them give up their weapons. “We are so shocked that some of the firearms we recovered in a small town called Laikipia include five M16s. These are fairly powerful firearms and from the serial numbers we would like to know where these pastoralists got them from because they are very few in the market,” he said. He stated that the government had deployed more security forces to the highly volatile regions to facilitate the disarmament process set to reduce the incessant cattle rustlings.

“From Turkana all the way to Isiolo and Marsabit all those areas where cattle rustling have become prevalent, we are moving bigger numbers of security forces to engage in a massive disarmament exercise. We will also give briefs on how many arms have been recovered,” he said. He also cautioned those who engaged in the cattle rustling that it would no longer be treated as a cultural practice but as a crime. “Sometimes when we catch cattle rustlers we do not even charge them because it is treated as a cultural issue. We will now start charging these people either with murder, robbery with violence or both depending on the crimes that have been committed,” he said further directing that all pastoral communities go back to their original grazing zones. “All communities must go back to their grazing grounds and this is not tribalism. There is no reason why Samburus must move all the way to Meru region. If one community wants to move from their grazing area to another then the pasture management committees (which were created) must facilitate this so that if there are issues of insecurity one community will be responsible unlike now when we cannot tell which community is harassing which,” he said.  Mr Kimemia spoke during the commissioning of 24 District Commissioners some of whom would be sent to the cattle rustling prone regions. Of the 24 only two are female. - CapitalFM

Nairobi, Tuesday 8th December, 2009. House speaker Kenneth Marende has blamed widespread impunity on relaxed law enforcement systems in the country.  Speaking during the 4th National Integrity Review conference, Marende said the failure to investigate publicly made claims of corruption and bribery amongst members of parliament, as well as a laxity in enforcing the death penalty in the country are indicators that Kenyan systems are not performing their best in the fight against corruption. Marende blamed law enforcers for not taking action on claims of bribery in parliament saying those who make such claims should be asked to give evidence or face charges of spreading false information. Leaders at the 4th national integrity review conference acknowledged that although Kenya has excellent legal frameworks and institutions to fight corruption, the vice continues unabated as the country continues to disregard its own laws Marende however said various acts of parliament will be enacted to add impetus to the fight against corruption, as the country struggles to bring an end to the vice that is threatening development efforts and the fight against poverty. Claims that members of parliament receive bribes from powerful individuals in a bid to influence their vote in the house in the passing or rejection of motions, or to influence their stand on various debates, have for a long time plagued the August house.

Nameless arrives in London on Friday for Jamhuri celebrations

Kenyan Artist Mr. Mathenge well known as Nameless arrives in London on Friday morning 11th December, 2009 for Jamhuri celebrations in UK. He will be performing in Luton on Friday 11th December, 2009, London on Saturday 12th December, 2009 and Coventry on Sunday 13th December, 2009. Venue for Luton and Coventry to be confirmed tonight but the London venue is at Harrow Leisure Centre Assembly Hall, Christchurch Avenue,  London HA3 5EB. - MORE

Pastor George Benjamin of Word of God International Ministry 730 Barking Road, E13 passed away in his London home today Tuesday 8th December, 2009. More information later.
 

This year's Fete des Lumieres has 70 sites around the city - three times more than two decades ago. In the exotic garden at the Place Louis Pradel. on right is an accelerated vision of the changing seasons is played out in the Parc de la Tete d'Or, alongside the River Rhone. The visual display depicts a fairytale scene as snow begins to fall on the ground and trees and covers the entire landscape in seconds.

Three pimps negotiate to sell a trafficked woman as a sex slave in Oxford Street. The surveillance photo, captured by an undercover police officer, shows one Albanian gangster handing over £3,000 in cash to two other men outside Selfridges. The woman, a Lithuanian in her mid-twenties, can only stand by and watch the deal taking place. She was being guarded by a man standing a few feet to her left.  She was moments from being sold to work in a brothel where she would have been expected to have sex with up to 25 men in a day, earning her new boss up to £100,000 a year. In this case she was rescued when undercover officers from the Met's Clubs and Vice Unit pounced on the Albanian trafficking gang. Five men were later jailed for a total of 63 years. Scotland Yard released the image today to highlight fears of an increase in the trafficking of women in the three years until the 2012 Olympic Games. Police have set up a specialist unit to tackle trafficking gangs and vice barons in the run-up to the Games. They are visiting eastern European countries to warn girls about the dangers of being tricked into travelling to Britain.

Rescued: the Lithuanian woman would have been forced to have sex with up to 25 men every day by her traffickers. The Albanian gangster who tried to buy her can be seen handing over £3,000 in cash, circled.

Somalis rally against al-Shabab Islamists and bombing

Al-Shabab are notoriously violent and people rarely speak out against them

Hundreds of Somalis have taken to the streets of Mogadishu to protest against al-Shabab, the group held responsible for a deadly suicide attack last week. Protesters burned the group's flag in what analysts say is an unprecedented show of anger at the militants, who control large parts of the country. Although al-Shabab has been widely blamed for the atrocity, the group has issued a statement denying involvement. Three government ministers were among some 22 people killed in the attack. A suicide bomber disguised as a woman in a veil blew himself up at a graduation ceremony in the capital last Thursday. Most of those killed were medical students. More than 60 people were injured. Protesters marching through Mogadishu on Monday chanted slogans including "down with al-Shabab" and "we don't need violence". The marchers made a stop at Benadir University, where the students killed in the attack had graduated from. Analysts say the march is the first such public protest against al-Shabab in Mogadishu, where the group controls a large amount of territory and tolerates no dissent. "We cannot endure such indiscriminate killing, everybody must say no to violence from now on," one of the protesters, Muhubo Adan Kheyre, told the AFP news agency. Another protester, Yusuf Sahal, said the suicide attack had "sent a clear message to the whole country". "It showed that these violent people will spare nobody, so we have to start confronting them," he said. AFP reported that many of the demonstrators were relatives and friends of those who were killed. Al-Shabab is locked in a battle for control of the country with other militant groups and the forces from the transitional government. While militants control most of the country, the UN-backed government holds sway in only parts of Mogadishu.

A degree is now worth just £2,500 a year (before debt is paid)

The value of a degree has plummeted as more graduates enter the job market, official figures suggested on Monday 7th December, 2009.  Graduates can expect to earn just £100,000 more on average over their lifetimes than workers who quit education after taking their A-levels. Over 40 years that is £2,500 a year. Many with less sought-after degrees will earn significantly less than that. Five years ago, as ministers fought for top-up fee legislation, the Government suggested graduates earned £400,000 more than less-qualified workers. The apparent slump in the value of a degree emerged from a major official review of tuition fees chaired by former BP boss Lord Browne. The estimate, or "graduate earnings premium", could prove crucial in deciding the future of university funding. Lord Browne, who began taking evidence for the review today, said: "Graduates on average earn £100,000 more over their working life net of taxation than an individual whose highest qualification is two or more A-levels." The estimate takes account of tax but not student debt, which typically reaches £23,000. Graduates also currently face a struggle for jobs in the recession. Vice-chancellors are calling for the power to charge up to £7,000 a year, and some for no limit to fees. Lord Browne called for submissions on whether current £3,225-a-year fees were giving universities the money they need while encouraging students from all backgrounds to apply. The inquiry will hold public hearings next year. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said there were many ways to calculate the premium and there was "no evidence" it had reduced.

Bishop Annie Njeri launches her book in London

Bishop Annie Njeri has launched a book in London. The book entitled “THE ART OF STRATEGIC PRAYER AND SPIRITUAL WARFARE” book was launched on Saturday 5th December, 2009 at the Airport Church Revival centre, West London. Bishop Annie Njeri is the president and founder of the Airport Church Revival centre and the Brooks of Life Ministries International based in west London. The Art of Strategic Prayer and Spiritual Warfare is a backbone of successful life and ministry. The Art of Strategic Prayer will teach you various kinds of prayer to equip you to reign as a mighty warrior over the devil and his forces and to walk in absolute victory in every area of your life. The topics covered in this book includes: Prayer of agreement as intercessors, Prayer of commitment, Praying Prophetically God's word, The Art of a Skilful Warrior, Taking Dominion and The Believer and God's Kingdom. If you want to buy the book you can contact Bishop Annie Njeri on 07931703408 or email admin@brooksoflife.org.uk  - VIDEO

Church leaders threaten to reject draft law

The Kenya Christian Constitutional Forum Monday castigated the Committee of Experts for not including their views on the Harmonized Draft Constitution. The Christian forum accused the Committee of Experts of ignoring the views of Christians.  While issuing a joint statement at the Nairobi Pentecostal Church in Nairobi, the forum's Chairman Bishop Gerry Kibarabara, said that in their submissions they were opposed to the inclusion of Kadhis courts, and allowing same sex marriages in the Constitution. Bishop Kibarabara warned that if the Draft is not amended to address the contentious issues they will urge Christians to vote against it in the referendum. He said that the Draft should not legalize abortions since life begins at conception and ends in natural death. "The church is particularly angered by the inclusion of Kadhis courts in the Draft Constitution, allowing foreigners to own land and legalizing same sex unions and partnerships" said the Bishop. He added "We see a sinister motive and we are telling Kenyans to get ready to reject the harmonized Draft if the Kadhi courts are also not expunged from the Draft."

Bishop Kibarabara said the Christian forum supports dual citizenship for indigenous Kenyans whose both parents are indigenous. Elsewhere, Former Chairman of the Constitution of Kenya Review Commission Yash Pal Ghai has commended the harmonized draft constitution for embracing the country's dynamic social political nature.  He however said the draft was bulky saying it touched more on principles leaving little room for details.  Ghai was speaking at a forum seeking to establish the implications of the land policy document on the common mwananchi. Judy Kibaki, daughter of President Kibaki, has supported the Harmonized Draft Constitution saying it adequately addresses the plight of orphans, the disabled and the street children. Presenting her views to the Committee of Experts on Constitutional Review, Ms Kibaki said the Bill of Rights in the Harmonized Draft Constitution adequately provides for the rights of children regardless of their background. "The plight of orphans and children with disabilities should be addressed in order for them to enjoy their childhood just like any other child. Their right should be enshrined in the constitution," Judy said. The Draft Constitution provides that all children whether born within or outside wedlock are equal before the law and have equal rights under the Constitution.  It also states that it is the duty of parents, the family, society and the state to nurture, protect and educate children.

Father killed saving son from hyena

The mud and wattle hut stands wobbly, with stones piled to hold together the polythene sheets that serve as its roof. It seems solid enough to keep its dwellers out of harm’s way – at least from the vagaries of nature. But natural elements in Kajiado district include wild animals, which locals have learned to tolerate, in spite of their constant, and at times, threatening menace. - MORE

Tiger Woods ‘used me as sex toy’, claims 8th woman Mindy Lawton
 

An eighth woman has come forward claiming to have had an affair with Tiger Woods, describing him as ‘a selfish, heartless man’.

Cafe waitress Mindy Lawton claimed to have met the golf champion in 2006 and had a year-long affair, meaning he was seeing her while his wife, Elin Nordegren, was pregnant. Ms Lawton said she fell in love with Woods but alleged he was only interested in a physical relationship. ‘Tiger just used me as his sex toy. I thought I meant something to him but all he cared about was lust,’ the 33-year-old told a newspaper. The £5-an-hour waitress – who worked in Perkins diner near Woods’ Florida mansion – claimed she had sex with the golfer on the back seat of his Cadillac in a church car park. He refused to make love in the marital bedroom, she added. The alleged relationship may have overlapped with a reported affair with cocktail waitress Jaimee Grubbs, 24. The golfing star’s reputation has been left in tatters after a car crash outside his home last month triggered speculation that his wife had discovered he was cheating on her.

SOME CHRISTIAN CONCERNS OVER DRAFT CONSTITUTION

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

  I received this document from a group of Christian leaders in Nairobi today and we do well to play our part in shaping the future of our nation at this time. It is for your reading, reflection and informed action within the time limit set by the Committee of Experts (COE). Clauses relating to Kadhis courts are not contained here but also require your prayerful attention.
  May God guide you to take a stand on these matters. - CLICK HERE FOR THE DOCUMENT

A Kenyan Elected New Chairman for the Commonwealth

Secretariat Staff Association (CSSA) in London, UK.

Mr. Julius Kaberere, born in Kandara, Muranga South, in Kenya was on Friday 4th December, 2009 elected unanimously as the Chairperson of the Commonwealth Secretariat Staff Association (CSSA). In a meeting of all Commonwealth Secretariat staff in London UK, Julius received 72% of all votes casts. The Commonwealth Secretariat, which is the main intergovernmental agency for the Commonwealth has over 350 staff recruited from all 54 member countries. Rwanda was admitted as the 54th Member of the Commonwealth only one week ago, during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting attended by HE Hon. Mwai Kibaki, the President of Kenya among many other heads of Government.  For more information on Commonwealth secretariat please visit www.thecommonwealth.org .

In his new role, Julius will guide the CSSA in assisting the Commonwealth Secretary General in the implementation and realisation of the purposes for which the Secretariat was established. He will also represent the interest of all the staff with regard to terms and conditions of service in general policy matters affecting Commonwealth staff at all levels within the organisation. In addition, as the Chairperson of CSSA, Julius will preside over all meetings of the Association, Represent the Association if the need arises on special occasions, to ensure the proper overall running of the Association within the policy as laid down, and to prepare for delivery at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) a report outlining the activities of the Executive Committee during the year and the state of the Association. In his regular role for the Commonwealth Secretariat, Julius an Adviser, Technical Co-operation and Strategic Response, within the Governance and Institutional development Division (GIDD) of the Commonwealth Secretariat. Julius Also manages the Commonwealth Secretariat Disaster management programme. He has twenty (20) years experience in coordinating and managing development programs within national and international organizations specializing in capacity building & strategic planning; program formulation, monitoring & evaluation, child rights programming women and youth development. 

His previous postings included being An Advisor/Programme Coordinator on NGO capacity building project in the Pacific for UK based Voluntary Service Oversee (VSO), Executive Director for Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK), Deputy Director/Heads of Programmes for the Kenya Alliance for the Advancement of Children (KAACR), MED Officer/Programme Co-coordinator for PLAN International EMBU and Youth Programme Officer in Kenya’s Government Youth Department and Kenya Association of Youth Organisation. Julius has lived and worked in Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Vanuatu and the United Kingdom. He has also undertaken programme related activities and travels to nearly 50 countries all over the world, 34 of them prior to joining the Commonwealth Secretariat in January 2004.  Julius is married with four children.

Four reasons why house prices are headed for long-term decline

Last week's upbeat housing news was seized upon by property bulls as a further sign that the market has bottomed. It comes on top of the most recent unemployment figures, which showed that in the three months to September, the country's dole queues shortened slightly.  Employment data is one of the most important indicators of what's likely to happen to property prices. So if British job losses really are levelling out, that could really bolster the market. But the opposite would be very bad news.

1. Unemployment is going to rise for a while yet
And that's the problem - that September job statistic looks like a false dawn. Even Alistair Darling confessed recently that, "unfortunately, unemployment will continue to rise for a while".  With a general election looming next year, he wouldn't have been keen to admit this. But it looks like he's right. Last week a string of companies said they're shedding labour. Steelmaker Corus is slashing 1,700 jobs in Teesside. Defence giant BAE is cutting back its workforce by another 640 as its order book suffers. City law firms could cut as many as another 5,000 employees as demand for business services shrinks. Even the Greater Manchester police force is sacking 300 officers after overspending its budget.  In short, there's plenty more job loss pain to go round. The fewer people in work, the less cash around to buy houses and repay loans.

2. Home loan approvals are still low
The second reason is home loan availability or rather the lack of it. Housebuilder Bellway said last week that it expects half-year sales to be up 10% on last year. But the firm is still worried that potential home buyers can't get their hands on loan finance. Last week's Bank of England figures showed that home loan growth is running at an annualised rate of less than 1%. OK, October saw a modest uptick in home loan approvals. But approvals are still 40% lower than their long-term, pre-credit crunch average. What's more, says Seema Shah at Capital Economics, they're 30% lower than the monthly level which history suggests is required for sustained house price rises.
 
3. Low interest rates won't last
A third reason to be wary is interest rates. Today's record low levels are helping millions of homeowners with their loan repayments for now. But that's unlikely to last for too long.  As we discussed in the magazine last month, (Will the government bond market blow up?), rates are currently being kept down artificially. (If you're not already a subscriber, claim your first three issues free here.) Central banks are printing money and buying government bonds with it. That has pushed down yields on long-term bonds. This can't continue forever. When it stops, rates will rise again.

Special FREE report from MoneyWeek magazine:  When will house prices bottom out - and how will you know?

Why UK property prices are going to fall 50%

When it will be time to get back in and buy up half price property
 
Add this to the double whammy of rising job losses and lending curbs, and UK house prices could suffer a lot more damage. Why's that? Because when house prices were rising sharply, many homebuyers seriously overextended themselves. Their borrowings were much too high as a multiple of their incomes.  The only thing that's keeping them in their homes right now is the temporary reprieve granted by those record low rates. But as Jean-Pierre Husband at credit ratings agency Fitch notes, over two-thirds of UK borrowers are now on floating rate home loans (ones that change as underlying rates change, unlike fixed rates). That compares with under half in August 2008. "Their ability to service existing debt would be adversely affected by any hike in interest rates", he says. In other words, higher loan costs would mean a big rise in borrowers falling behind with their repayments. That in turn would cause a surge in repossessions. And an extra dose of cut-price properties would then hit the market and values, too. So far prices have only fallen by about 13% from their 2007 peak. But Fitch sees that drop extending by at least another 20%.

4. The supply of homes is set to surge

And finally, we come to the last big argument put up by housing bulls that there's a 'lack of supply' which is keeping prices climbing. Clearly, even if there aren't many buyers around, if almost no one's selling, prices must rise.  But that too could be about to change in a big way. And not just because of rising repossessions though that won't help. There's something on the horizon even more worrying for property bulls.  "There are big changes in the offing which could have a significant effect on the property market", says Lorna Bourke on Citywire. "The 'baby boomers' of the 1940s and 1950s are now reaching age 65 and coming up to retirement. Many intend to use their homes to subsidise this by selling up and downsizing".
 

Over 1.3m over-50s plan to cash in on their properties for retirement purposes, says new research from insurer LV=. This implies more than a million properties coming onto the market over the next few years. Many of these will be in upper price brackets where, supposedly, there's currently a shortage. So even if many of the 'downsizers' buy back into the market at cheaper price points, the amount of money about to be extracted from UK housing will be huge.  In a nutshell, this completely blows the 'lack of supply' case right out of the water.  Add this all up, and it's very hard to see how UK house prices can avoid falling into a long, and painful, decline.
 

UK ‘to drop out of top 10 economies’ by 2015

A leading City think tank today predicted that the UK will drop out of the world's top 10 economies by 2015. The Centre for Economics and Business Research said Britain (CEBR), currently the seventh-largest economy in the world, will be overtaken by Brazil, Russia, India and Canada by the middle of the next decade. It said even Australia could pass Britain by 2020. The grim warning came as Chancellor Alistair Darling put the finishing touches to the Pre-Budget Report (PBR) to be published on Wednesday. Business leaders and economists urged the Chancellor not to raise taxes and cut spending too soon for fear of snuffing out the recovery and driving the UK back into recession. The UK was the world's fourth-largest economy in 2005 but was overtaken by China in 2006, France in 2008 and Italy this year. Douglas McWilliams, chief executive of the CEBR, said: “In a decade, the UK could have dropped from being number four in the world to being outside the top 10.” The forecast will not make pleasant reading for the Chancellor ahead of the PBR. Darling will admit that borrowing this year will hit a record £180 billion, or more than 12% of gross domestic product, as tax receipts evaporate and spending soars. He will also repeat Labour's pledge to halve the deficit between 2010-11 and 2013-14 through higher taxes and spending cuts. Among the tax increases being considered are a supertax on bankers' bonuses and a 60% to 70% rate of income tax on those earning over £500,000. Darling will also outline some spending cuts, although he will resist publishing the full details until after the general election.

Within East Africa, Kenyans are renowned for being the worst dressed

Kenya's fashion designers are trying to step into the spotlight and overturn their somewhat dull reputation. Within East Africa, Kenyans are renowned for being the worst dressed. Practical and predictable would be the best description of Kenyans' fashion sensibilities. Jeans, T-shirts and suits - one size too big - make up many a wardrobe, with a colour palette of grey and brown. But now more and more Kenyans are embracing local fashion labels. Designers who have worked, showcased or studied abroad are injecting a badly needed new lease of life to the industry. Their collections are bold, bright and, for Kenya, daring.  "I think we have all decided to come back to our roots, we are using a lot of local materials and promoting a lot from our own country," said Rachel Maithya, who runs the fashion label, ki2. "I'm using a lot of fabric and I'm trying to make it in a modern and very fashionable way, to have also the young people wanting to wear that and want to be seen around with that."

But the industry faces two major obstacles - second-hand clothes markets and cheap Chinese imports. Sunshine boutiques, as the markets are commonly known, are a shopaholic's paradise. Despite offering employment opportunities and choice for the consumer, they pose a major hurdle to the growth of the fashion industry. In the 1980s, the country's textile industry was the leading manufacturing sector. But the government has not helped much in trying to revive the industry. During this year's budget, import duties on second-hand clothes were lowered, making foreign-made clothes even cheaper. In the markets, wooden shacks are draped with a wide array of clothes. Whole outfits can be mixed and matched for less than $10 (£6). Cheap, cheerful and chic. In comparison, a single dress by a designer can cost upwards of $100. Critics of the industry argue that the prices of most outfits being made by the local designers are too expensive, exclusive and lack originality, borrowing heavily from the 'Wests' - Western countries or West Africa. But Kevin Mbugua, the style editor of Adam Magazine, points out that it is impossible for local designers to compete against a sector where an item like a shirt could cost less than $1. Designer John Kaveke boasts 10 years' experience in the industry with his label, Kaveke. He and his fellow designers defend their high prices, placing the blame on the high cost of production, the lack of affordable local produced textiles and the fact that their creations are one-of-a-kind. Though to him, these are secondary issues. He says the key problem facing the fashion industry is the lack of exposure for Kenyan designers.

David Ohingo, a Nairobi resident and creative, agrees: "There isn't enough marketing done to promote local designers. It's too costly for them to employ teams to sell their work. It is expensive for them to get the word out." Most designers sell directly from their workshops. There are only a few who have opened shops but a group of designers have got together and opened a store under a collective label. Names like Sura Zuri, Moo Cow, Kooroo, Rialto designs, Kiko Romeo, Monica Kanari and Spice may not yet make the fashion racks or the pages of international fashion magazines. But they are slowly getting noticed. Writer Judy Munyinyi notes: "The industry is growing, the people who helped start the industry have grown and have become more established and recognised. There is a lot more recognition for Kenyan designers. "A lot more Kenyans are willing to patronise the industry even if not that often. People are willing to invest in Kenyan designs and now can be heard name-dropping at functions." The demise of Kenya Fashion Week four years ago dealt a heavy blow to what had been hailed as a promising industry. But recent events like the Africa Fashion Fair and the Festival for African Fashion and Arts are showcasing Kenyan designers. It seems a heightened sense of national pride and the desire to outwardly display forms of patriotism are forcing the Kenyan fashion industry to finally step out of the shadows.

Zulu king wins South Africa bull-killing case

Animal sacrifice is a vital part of life for many South Africans. A bull-killing ritual can go ahead on Saturday after a court ruled against an animal rights group which tried to have the practice banned in South Africa. The bull is killed during the Ukushwama ritual, an annual thanksgiving event in Kwa-Zulu Natal, in which youngsters kill the animal using their hands. Animal Rights Africa took the Zulu king and the government to court over the manner in which the bull is killed. ARA says it will consult its lawyers on what do next. During his judgement the Pietermaritzburg High Court, Judge Nic van der Reyden said he was satisfied with the evidence of cultural expert Professor Jabulani Mapalala that the ARA's objection to the ritual was based on untrue information and hearsay, reports Sapa news agency.

An HIV-positive man has confessed to injecting his blood into his sleeping wife and infecting her with the virus that can cause Aids, reports have said It is believed the man wanted to give her the disease so she would start having sex with him again, New Zealand's Sunday Star-Times said. Court documents detailed how the man, 35, twice pricked his 33-year-old wife with a sewing needle laced with his infected blood. The husband discovered he was HIV-positive - but his partner and children were not - during health checks imposed on them when the family arrived in New Zealand in 2004. The woman had said she wanted to maintain the relationship for the sake of the children. But she refused to have sex with her husband for fear of contracting the disease. In the documents, the wife described how, in May, 2008, she found a sting-like mark on her left thigh and two days later awoke to a stinging feeling in her leg. She said: "I got up... and I flicked the blankets... I looked at (the husband) and he was wide awake." The wife asked him if he had pricked her and he said, 'No'. But she later found evidence of "blood sprinkles" on their duvet, which she said her husband tried to hide from her. During a routine check-up four months later, doctors revealed she was HIV-positive. The woman confronted her husband, who admitted dipping a needle in his blood and pricking her with it. "All he said (was) he was sorry. He said, 'I used needles on you because I wanted you to be the same as me so that you can live with me and you won't leave me'," she said. The husband has admitted wilfully infecting another with a disease and faces up to 14 years in jail when he is sentenced at Auckland High Court next year.

Don't make promises when you are in JOY. Don't reply when you are SAD.
Don't take decisions when you are ANGRY. Think twice, Act wise. BE happy.

SOME OF THE UK NEWSPAPERS ON MONDAY 7TH DECEMBER, 2009

LEFT: The Independent claims an exclusive, reporting that Britain’s middle classes and the rich are facing the biggest squeeze on their living standards in decades. CENTRE: The Times also focuses on the Chancellor's plans to tax bank bonuses but asks whether he may be breaching human rights. RIGHT: The "super tax" on bank bonuses leads the Daily Mail together with a picture of murder suspect Amanda Knox asking whether Hillary Clinton will fight for her freedom.

A MAASAI PROVERB

Ore oshi pee etadoikio olmotonyi enkop, enkoshoke naitadowuo.

The reason the bird landed on the ground was because of his stomach (hunger).

Newlywed death: Police arrest husband

Police have arrested a husband in connection with the murder of his wife three days after he vanished following the discovery of her body. Vicky Roberts, 25, was strangled and her body was dumped in a garage at their home in Runcorn, Cheshire, on Thursday night. Police issued an appeal to find the whereabouts of her husband Michael Roberts, 26. A Cheshire Police spokeswoman said: "Following police enquiries a 26-year-old man has been arrested in Wrexham and police appeals for Michael Roberts are now cancelled." He is due to be taken back to Cheshire where he will be quizzed by detectives.

"A river does not run straight because there was nobody to advise it." - The Wisdom of Africa, Malawi

Africa bears brunt of climate change

This is Mt Kenya, once the only snow-capped mountain on the equator, but, unlike in the past when it was covered by snow, the effects of global warming have left it bare. Photo/William Oeri. With their rugged glacier summits and heavily forested slopes, Mounts Kenya and Kilimanjaro stand tall as some of the most impressive land masses in Africa.  But not quite. The famous ice fields on the two mountains are shrinking fast, and could disappear altogether in the next two or three decades, offering dramatic testimony on the devastating effects of global warming.  In Mt Kenya, seven out of the 18 glaciers present 20 years ago have all but disappeared now. And, four of the remaining ones, Lewis, Tyndall, Gregory and Cesar glaciers, have also shrunk by about 60 and 92 per cent of the area they cover. Experts now warn that the ice on Mt Kenya will disappear by 2050 if urgent action is not taken to combat global warming, which is caused in part by carbon emissions by industrial giants like the US and China. The situation is just as bad in Tanzania’s imposing Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa. The total area covered by snow has decreased from 12 square kilometres in 1900 to two square kilometres in 2000. Researchers say that the glaciers atop Mt Kilimanjaro have lost 80 per cent of their area over the past century, and despite persisting for over 10,000 years, are likely to disappear completely by 2020. - Daily Nation.

Lemon: Benefits &Uses

Vitamin P in lemon strengthens the blood vessels and prevents internal haemorrhage. It is, therefore, extremely useful in high blood pressure, in which cerebro-vascular accidents commonly occur.

Former Mungiki leader baptised

Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga was Sunday baptised at the Jesus is Alive Ministries sanctuary in Nairobi by Bishop Margaret Wanjiru. He was given the name John. Former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga was Sunday baptised at the Jesus is Alive Ministries sanctuary in Nairobi by Bishop Margaret Wanjiru. He was given the name John. Maina Njenga was on Sunday baptised and given the name John at the Jesus Is Alive Ministries sanctuary in Nairobi. Hundreds of former Mungiki sect members also embraced Christianity during the service.  Bishop Margaret Wanjiru had a busy day ushering converts into the fold. Wearing a T-shirt that read, “Jesus my final answer”, Njenga admonished those who doubted his decision to convert after he was released from prison: “Those who gave me two days should see for themselves. They have been answered. I am going strong.” Thousands of faithful thronged the church on Haile Selassie Avenue.  When he went to the church on the day he was set free, Mr Njenga promised to bring along his followers. This was evident on Sunday as the church registered a huge number of his followers. “Some people want to be baptised together with me. I’m not alone,” Njenga said in remarks preceding his baptism. He said he had accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour. – Daily Nation.

"In all circumstances, listen to learn. In all futility, ask to understand" - Sanity, Grace Njeri, Oxford, gracenjeri77@yahoo.com

The Seeds sends condolences to Mama Kiki

The Seeds family would like to take this opportunity to send their condolences to Mrs. Polly Wanjiru Munyota (Mama Kiki of Coventry, UK) following the death of his son in London the late Mr. Kariuki Munyota well known as Kiki. All those who knew Kiki will agree that he was a man of clean heart. We will dearly miss him. Kiki rest in peace.

Nairobi, Sunday 6th December, 2009. Kenya on high alert over Al-Shaabab threats.  Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti has assured that the country's security forces are on high alert following threats by Somali's Al-Shaabab militia group. Speaking in Ngong, Saitoti said Kenya was ready to deal with any group intending to violate its borders.  The Minister was reacting to threats by the extremists to invade Kenya over her alleged support for the Somali Federal Transition Government. The hard-line Islamist militia linked to al-Qaeda, has also threatened to launch attacks in Tanzania and Uganda. On Thursday, four Somali ministers were killed in a suicide bomb attack during a graduation ceremony of medical students. Officials said Health Minister Qamar Aden Ali, Education Minister Ahmed Abdulahi Waayeel and Higher Education Minister Ibrahim Hassan Addow were all killed, while Sports Minister Saleban Olad Roble  succumbed to his injuries on Saturday at The Nairobi Aga Khan hospital where he was admitted. Information Minister Dahir Mohamud Gelle said the male bomber had been dressed in women's clothing, "complete with a veil and a female's shoes". At least two journalists were also among the dead but most of those killed were reported to have been students. More than 60 people were injured.  Somalia's President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has described the attack as a "national disaster". Somalia has had no effective government for almost 20 years.

Is it a city under the sun or under the light?

Nairobi the city under the sun is now turning to be a city under the light

Mungiki Leader Maina Njenga who converted to Christianity was on Sunday baptized by Bishop Margaret Wanjiru of Jesus Is Alive Ministries. Njenga will be known as Brother John.

A diocese in Los Angeles has elected only the second openly gay bishop in the global Anglican Church, reigniting an issue that has caused deep division. Rev Mary Glasspool, from Baltimore, was elected assistant bishop, although she needs a majority of national Episcopal Church heads to back her consecration. The election of the first openly gay bishop, Gene Robinson of New Hampshire, six years ago created a massive rift. Traditionalists have already expressed opposition to the latest election. Conservatives insist the Bible unequivocally outlaws homosexuality whereas liberals believe the Bible should be reinterpreted in the light of contemporary wisdom.

Diane Mills, Namibia: "Schooling for children is not a priority for the Ovahimba people in the north of Namibia. Girls especially are not priority. Children shown were happy to attend the Ovijere Mobile School." RIGHT: To mark Volunteer Day on 5 December, the international development charity VSO ran a photo competition for its volunteers from the UK on the theme Going Places. Here we present a selection, this one is by Agnieszka Kandzia in Mongolia.

A couple in a remote village in Nandi North District is basking in glory after a visit by one of the world’s richest men and philanthropist, Bill Gates. Laban Kipkemoi Talam and his wife Miriam Chepkemei are enjoying celebrity status of sorts after playing host to Gates and officials of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation who spent more than two hours in their home. The chairman and founder of world’s leading computer software firm, Microsoft Corporation, chatted up the family, witnessed artificial insemination of their dairy cow, drew water from a bore hole using a manual pulley and was fascinated by the design of the fireplace inside their grass-thatched kitchen. "For the two hours we played host, we did not know who the visitor was until the last minute," Talam and his wife told The Standard on Sunday, on Friday 4th December, 2009. He went on: "I was shocked when I handed him the visitors’ book and he wrote down his name with a green pen." Gates’ was the only entry in Talam’s visitors book that day (December 3).  Talam says the man scribbled ‘A very impressive farm. Great work. Thank you’ and signed it as Bill Gates, Gates Foundation, Seattle, Washington, US. The usually sleepy Kipchomber village in Kabiyet, Mosop constituency, has suddenly been thrust to international limelight following the Gates’ discreet tour. Security agents were in a spin on Thursday night after learning that the philanthropist had sneaked in and out. Almost everywhere he went, villagers did not know that the bespectacled man dressed in brown pullovers, a pair of white khaki trouser and a white-stripped long sleeved shirt was one of the most influential men in the world. The only thing villagers found intriguing and intimidating was the state-of-the-art four-wheel-drive vehicle he used, in the company of officials from the East African Dairies Development (EADD).

Mr Laban Talam and his wife Miriam Chepkemei (left) receive Bill Gates at their home in Nandi North and on right Gates signs the visitors’ book. He was Mr Talam’s unexpected guest.

Not informed

Talam, a primary school dropout, said some five foreigners had visited his home on Monday, with EADD officials but had no prior information about the philanthropist’s tour. "I delivered milk to the cooling plant in the morning in readiness to travel for a graduation in Nairobi, but I was informed some visitors might be coming to my home and that I should hang around," Talam said. Talam did not notice Gates being driven into the homestead as other visitors had arrived. "I was in the farm with other foreigners and locals who had arrived an hour earlier when I was called in to welcome a visitor whom I did not recognise," Talam said. The farmer conducted Gates around his farm as he asked about the farmer’s family and their dairy farming. "He also wanted to know my future plans, whether the project was profitable, and if the proceeds could comfortably sustain my family," said the farmer. He spent about 10 minutes at the grass-thatched kitchen as he admired the mud-walled house, the fireplace, and firewood rag. He also entered the bedroom and the hatchery. "We are so elated that such a powerful and rich man came visiting us despite our poverty," said Mrs Talam. The mother of three, who is a Form Two dropout, said, "Gates’ visit has emboldened our resolve to work hard and be role models in the society and be able to help others." The rare visit was a shocker to the whole of Kabiyet village. Ms Beatrice Jerotich, an attendant at Muguri Farmers Stores at the shopping centre said she did not also know it was Gates. He had spent also spent some time at her shop asking about veterinary drugs, animal feeds, and farm inputs.

A good listener

"He was keen to know which of our stock was fast moving," said Jerotich, 24. She adds, "He was cool, inquisitive, patient and a good listener. But his identity was kept secret until he had walked out of the shop." Gates also met Kabiyet Milk Plant manager, Belinda Chepkiyen, and the project’s manager Abraham Rugut. He also met the management committee and asked about their challenges. Talam is a farmer, a registered shareholder and a milk supplier of Kabiyet Dairies Company Limited in Nandi North. He said his involvement with EADD since August, last year, has changed his life and exposed him to rare opportunities such as meeting Gates. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funds EADD, and seeks to transform dairy farming families in rural areas. The project officials told The Standard on Sunday it targets a million farmers in East Africa. In Kenya, the EADD’s four-year pilot programme is being implemented in Bomet, Bureti, Keiyo, Kipkelion, Marakwet, Molo, Nandi North, Uasin Gishu and West Pokot districts. Other areas include Nyandarua and Nyeri in Central Province. Talam is an accredited EADD farm trainer on feeds and feed conservation. -  Sunday Standard.

KIKUYU PROVERB

Kûrî arûme na maiyurîa nda.

Some are males (useful people) and some can only fill the gourds (useless people)

Some good, some bad, as sheep come to the fold.

Kenya airport authority (KAA) signs a $26.7m deal with SITA

On Friday Kenya Airport Authority (KAA) under the Managing Director Mr. George Muhoho (right) signed a ten year agreement amounting to $26.7m with SITA for a complete upgrade of passenger processing at the Kenya's two international gateways, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and Moi International Airport Mombasa. This includes the installations of first ever self service check in kiosks like the ones found at Heathrow Airport Terminal five in London. The installation will start in June 2010 next year. SITA was represented by Sam Munda (left)  Sales Director, Sub Sahara Africa.

CELEBRATING CHRISTMAS EARLY

Christmas is this month where majority of Kenyans drink their heads off. This guy was sleeping on a busy road on the pavement at the middle of Race Course road Nairobi on Saturday 5th December, 2009 very drunk and seems like he had started his Christmas early. Just imagine if he had a sweet dream and rolled once towards the side with no barriers. It could have been fatal since a matatu could easily run over him - yet traffic police who are trained for health and safety just passed him. He later woke up and walked home staggering. Hope he got to his destination safely.  Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Man of God busy preaching in USA and Canada

Apostle Njuguna tells it all: Apostle Joseph Njuguna is clean of heroin, methadone and other drugs, in fact drugs of any kind. "I was in the last weeks of losing my life, I had lost contact with my family, I lost more than 8 friends most dead of heroin over dose, I couldn't walk anywhere without people pointing at me, looking, watching me. I was living in the street's and homeless shelters. My whole life, from getting up to going to sleep, was about finding a way to supply my heroin for the day. Police said I was one of the most prolific offenders in workshop because I had carried out so many burglaries, shoplifting, and theft. Looking back he describes how even store detectives recognised his face. " Apostle Njuguna explains "I couldn't walk down the town centre. The cameras used to watch me. I saw the security guards at the doors speaking into their walkie-talkies "he's coming down the street watch out. My life got that desperate I knew I had to do something. I tried killing my self but God had a particular purpose for my life that I didn't die. I took heroin overdose 3 times in one instant I was 96% dead they used electric shocks to save my life I always say 'I met the love of God before I met the God of love." -  www.manofgod.co.uk - MORE FOR FULL POSTERS

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New Director for Starehe Boys

On Friday 4th December, 2009 Starehe Boys Center got a new Director. Mr Mathew Kithyaka has been appointed through a very tough vetting at the centre. He comes a time the school is facing a few challenges which he feels will be sorted out. He takes over from the former Director Prof Jesse Mugambi who has been recalled back to The University of Nairobi.

Officials from the right, Njenga wa Ragu, Waheed Sheikh, Paul Mugo Principal, Mathew Kithyaka Director, Patrick Waithaka welfare, Joseph Gikubu amd Patrick Obath. CENTRE: Focused on achieving his goals. Mr Mathew Kithyaka, Director Starehe boys. RIGHT: Starehe boys Principal Mr Paul Mugo. - Photos by Karuga wa Njuguna, Nairobi, Kenya

Ruto: Why I skipped ODM meeting

Agriculture Minister William Ruto (right), Tourism Minister Najib Balalan and Information Minister Samuel Poghisio join Pokot dancers in a jig during a function at Makutano Stadium in West Pokot District on Saturday 5th December, 2009. Agriculture minister William Ruto skipped the ODM National Executive Council retreat and declared that he will not swallow his ambition for the presidency in 2012. Mr Ruto, who was accompanied by ministers Najib Balala, Samuel Poghisio and nine MPs. said the Kapenguria meeting was as important as that of Mombasa. The Agriculture minister said Mr Balala’s tour as the minister for Tourism in the North Rift tourism circuit was a government function and no one should intimidate them for accompanying him. “The Mombasa ODM National Executive Council meeting is important but the Kapenguria one is more important because we are trying to promote tourism and create employment,” Mr Ruto said. Speaking at Makutano stadium, he said the rally at the stadium was the culmination of Mr Balala’s two-day tour in the area which started from Mogotio in Koibatek and which took him all the way through the Kerio Valley. Mr Ruto said no one should intimidate them into dropping their ambitions, adding that they were leaders in their own right and could serve the country as president. - Sunday Nation.

Mombasa, Saturday 5th December, 2009. Party's retreat to end rift as Balala snubs meeting. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MPs retreat to Mombasa amid internal wrangles threatening to tear the party apart.  Rift Valley MPs allied to the party have been criticising Prime Minister Raila Odinga's over his handling of the conservation of the Mau Forest fuelling internal rifts and differences in the orange party. The party members who will arrive at the coastal town Friday evening will be holding a meeting on Saturday of some of its most important organs, the National Executive Council and the Parliamentary Group in an attempt to a seek common ground on issues dividing them, including the Harmonized Draft Constitution and the Mau evictions.  The retreat will conclude with a public rally at Tononoka Grounds in Mvita constituency on Saturday, to be addressed by the party's bigwigs led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga. However the squabbles seem to be deeply entrenched as Tourism Minister Najib Balala has snubbed the crucial meeting being held in his backyard.  In his place, Kisauni legislator Hassan Joho is leading the ODM brigade a move observers say is aimed at checking Balala's influence at the coast. It is not clear whether other ODM MPs who have been critical of the prime minister's handling of Mau evictions will attend the meeting. Meanwhile, a meeting of parliamentary parties slated for Naivasha in Kenya's Rift Valley Province Saturday to discuss the draft constitution has been rescheduled to Thursday next week.  The meeting has been put off to await the position taken by the Orange Democratic Movement on the draft Saturday during a retreat in Mombasa. On Tuesday, 11 political parties said they had agreed on a common stand on the divisive parts of the constitution such as the powers of the President and Prime Minister and devolution of power. The parties include: DP, Narc-Kenya, Safina, Ford Kenya, UDM, New Ford Kenya, Kaddu, ODM Kenya, PNU among others.

FOAM FIGHT IN SCOTLAND UNIVERSITY

First year students take part in a foam fight in the traditional Raisin Monday celebrations in St Andrews, Scotland and on right The raisins have been replaced with a bottle of wine...

METHALI YA KISWAHILI

Kitanda usicho kilala hujui kunguni wake.

You cannot know the bugs of a bed that you have not lain on

JAMHURI AND NEW YEARS CELEBRATIONS IN NOTTINGHAM

Jamhuri and New Year Celebrations programme in Nottingham, UK at Umoja Klub International - CLICK HERE FOR MORE

Media reports about UK education providers - UK Border Agency response

Home Office, 04 December 2009

The UK Border Agency has responded to claims in the media that some education providers may be prevented from enrolling foreign students. The claims were made following the publication today of a Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) report into Tier 1 of the points-based system. The Tier 1 (Post-study work) route enables migrants to stay and work here after they have completed a course of study at a specified level in the UK. The MAC has recommended that the government should review whether students on some UK education providers' courses should still be able to access the post-study work route - however, it did not suggest that these education providers, or the students taking their courses, are not genuine.

Under Tier 4 of the points-based system, which was launched earlier this year, only those educational establishments that are dedicated to providing quality education and taking responsibility for their students are licensed to sponsor foreign students. Tier 4 ensures that students can feel confident in the quality of the education they will receive in the UK, and minimises the risk of exploitation by 'bogus colleges'. Any education provider that is licensed as a Tier 4 sponsor will be able to continue enrolling foreign students. The government will now consider the MAC's recommendations regarding Tier 1, and will announce whether it accepts them in early 2010. The announcement will be published on this website.

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) posts lawyer’s details on the website. Rogue lawyers better be warned, Kenyans will now have access to your bio-data following the launch of the Law Society of Kenya's website that contains details of registered lawyers operating in the country. For the first time members of the public will by the touch of a button, access information on all practicing lawyers including those who have been struck of the register for malpractice. The website will expose names of suspended lawyers and those who have been struck off the membership register due to malpractice. The society's chairman Okong'o Mogeni says that they have beefed up their disciplinary mechanism on lawyers who do not follow ethics.  The reforms at LSK will also ensure apart from getting to know your lawyers status, you can report cases of complaints at the various regional offices to be opened countrywide. The image of Lawyers has over the years acquired a disrepute following cases of malpractices by rogue practitioners who have fleeced members of the public.

WASHING RAM FOR THE FESTIVAL

Senegalese boys are seen washing rams shortly after sunrise on Saturday, in preparation for the Muslim Eid al-Adha festival in Dakar's Yoff neighbourhood. RIGHT: A rainbow glows over and above Soweto's Soccer City Stadium on Monday. It is here that the opening match and the final of the 2010 World Cup will be played.

Women behind Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods came under fresh pressure today to “tell the truth” about his mysterious car crash. Fellow US golfer John Daly said the 33-year-old should end the speculation over the accident outside his Florida home. His comments came as Woods pulled out of his own golf tournament, the Chevron World Challenge, due to start this week. Daly said: “The thing that Tiger needs to look at is, whatever happened, just tell the truth.”  He added that by putting a stop to rumours, Woods could weather the storm a lot faster than if he remains silent. “He'll get over this. The family will get over it. They'll move on,” he said. In a statement on his website, Woods said: “I am extremely disappointed that I will not be at my tournament this week.” The golfer struck a fire hydrant and then careered into a tree as he drove out of his driveway in the early hours of Friday morning after an alleged row with his wife Elin. He suffered cuts to his face and blacked out.

LEFT: Pleading for his marriage: Tiger Woods has had counselling sessions with his wife in an attempt to stop her walking out. CENTRE: Rumours: Tiger Woods with his wife Elin Nordegren. RIGHT: Tiger Woods and Elin Nordegren at the Open Championship in 2001

LEFT: Rachel Uchitel is said to have met on a secret date in Melbourne. CENTRE: Jaimee Grubbs claims to have had 20 sexual encounters during a 31-month fling with Woods. RIGHT: Kalika Moquin is the latest name to emerge.

Migration Advisory Committee endorses immigration

routes for highly skilled migrants

04 December 2009

The independent Migration Advisory Committee has completed its review of Tier 1 of the government's points-based system. Earlier this year, the government asked the MAC to consider whether the criteria for Tier 1 should be changed in 2010/11 to reflect changing economic circumstances. The MAC's report, published today, says that Tier 1 is generally operating well, but also recommends some changes.

Regarding the Tier 1 (General) route for highly skilled workers, the MAC's recommendations include:

• the salary multipliers, which are used to convert previous earnings outside the UK into a UK equivalent, should be rapidly and thoroughly reviewed;
• migrants with a bachelor's degree but no master's degree should be allowed to come to the UK under Tier 1 (General), if their previous earnings are high enough;
• professional qualifications (in law and accountancy, for example) should be considered as equal to a master's degree;
• the pay thresholds should be substantially increased, with no points for previous annual earnings below £24,000;
• migrants with previous annual earnings of at least £150,000 should not need to meet the educational qualification requirements;
• applicants should receive points for their age if they are 39 or under; and
• successful applicants should initially be allowed to come to the UK for two years, rather than three as at present, with a three-year extension later if they are in highly skilled employment.

The MAC says the Tier 1 (Post-study work) route - for migrants who want to work in the UK after completing a course of study here - should continue, as it brings economic benefits to the UK. But it recommends that the government should consider whether all courses and all institutions should continue to be treated the same. For more information about the MAC, and to download a copy of the report, see the Migration Advisory Committee section of this website.

In response to the report, Border and Immigration Minister Phil Woolas said:

'The MAC has delivered a robust and thorough report, and the government will consider it carefully over the coming weeks. 'The points-based system is a powerful and flexible tool which means that businesses can recruit the skilled foreign workers that the economy needs, but not at the expense of British workers, nor as a cheaper alternative to investing in the skills of the existing workforce. 'Our own research shows that more than eight in ten people who have used Tier 1 of the points-based system were satisfied with the process.'

The government will announce whether it accepts the recommendations in early 2010. The announcement will be published on this website.

PM protests Muthaura directive to civil servants

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has protested a move by the Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura to directly involve senior civil servants in the debate on constitution review. In a letter to the Grand Coalition Management Committee, Raila says civil servants should not be compelled to present their views on the Harmonised Draft Constitution. "I advise you take immediate action to prevent public servants from being compelled to present their views on the Harmonised Draft Constitution," Raila’s letter says in part. The offices of the Prime Minister and that of the President are also at variance over a meeting of the committee tasked to manage the affairs of the Grand Coalition called by Mr Muthaura today to reportedly get its approval on a bid to amend the Act to extend the public debate period.  In the letter seen by The Standard on Saturday, Raila emphasised the committee should particularly direct Muthaura not to force civil servants to present views.  "In my view, Mr Muthaura’s letter amounts to invitation to those senior public servants to participate in divisive political engagement," Raila warned. The PM was referring to Muthaura’s letter on December 2 to all permanent secretaries directing them to give views on the draft constitution. According to the letter, Muthaura met the PSs on December 1 at his Harambee House office where it was resolved they examine the draft constitution and give proposals in line with Vision 2030. - The Standard.

Conservationists at Congo's Virunga National Park are celebrating the successful relocation of their two baby orphan gorillas, Ndeze and Ndakasi, from captivity to a sanctuary in the wild. The gorillas' mothers were slaughtered by rebels in 2007.

Obese air passenger in economy seat has picture taken

The picture, posted on an aviation blog, was reportedly taken by a flight attendant to illustrate to airline managers the difficulty of dealing with passengers who cannot fit into seats. It is unclear if the man was aware his picture was being taken or whether the flight, on US carrier American Airlines, took off with the passenger spilling out of his seat

NCCK PRESS RELEASE

Here is the NCCK Press Statement Released on Thursday 3rd December, 2009 in Nairobi that you will do well to consider. It is informative and helps you engage better with some of the contentious issues at hand. - CLICK HERE

A Kenyan held as a slave in Germany

Karlsruhe, Germany - German authorities have freed a 24-year-old Kenyan man who was held slave-style at a German riding stables and was forced to hide if the police came snooping. Authorities in the southern city of Karlsruhe said the man worked seven days a week, doing menial work nine and a half hours daily for monthly pay of just 200 euros (300 dollars), which is barely one third of what Germans on welfare receive.  He arrived in Germany on an "au pair" visa in March.  The operator of the dude ranch somewhere in Baden-Wuerttemberg state is expected to face exploitation and fraud charges.  Members of a local Christian parish are accommodating the Kenyan, who complained at the church and the local authority about his work, prompting German customs agents to arrive and free him.  Customs officials said the employer withheld the man's passport, told him to hide in a horse trailer if police came past and claimed the Kenyan would be deported if he complained to authorities.

Ocampo’s ICC secret dossier

Details of what Luis Moreno-Ocampo presented to the three judges hearing Kenya’s case at The Hague can today be revealed. He says he believes the violence was planned well before the elections and fanned by politicians. In a 41-page document, the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor gives reasons why key suspects in the Waki Commission’s ‘secret envelope’ should be brought to account. Mr Moreno-Ocampo’s dossier shows that he has names of persons and groups that were involved, places of alleged commission of crimes and the time they were committed. The report is the clearest indication yet that the ICC prosecutor has a watertight case against the three suspects he is zeroing in on. He says the report will be provided to lawyers defending the suspects, legal representatives of the victims and legal representatives of the applicants. Details of the report came to light on a day the Chief Mediator Kofi Annan met Prime Minister Raila Odinga in Nairobi and advised that the Government seeks to set up a local mechanism to try suspects of the violence that almost brought Kenya to its knees. - FULL STORY

Nairobi, Thursday 3rd December, 2009. President Mwai Kibaki returned home Thursday morning from Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago where he attended the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). During the meeting, the Commonwealth leaders passed several key resolutions, among them the affirmation of their commitment to the Commonwealth Climate Change Action Plan and backed plans for the immediate launch of the Copenhagen Fund. The meeting was also of special significance to the East African Region as Rwanda was admitted as the 54th member of the Commonwealth having fulfilled the criteria and procedures agreed on during the 2007 Commonwealth meeting in Kampala, Uganda. Other issues discussed during the meeting included the world economic situation, the living standards of Commonwealth citizens and progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), especially in Least Developed Countries. The leaders emphasized the importance of promoting sustainable development with regard to environment, infrastructure, entrepreneurship and human resource development. On food security, the leaders underscored the need for increased investment in sustainable agriculture and rural development as a way of boosting agricultural production. On health, the Commonwealth Heads of Government reaffirmed their commitment to attaining the health related MDGs.

Kenya has continued to successfully implement the MDGs in all sectors having made significant progress in education and health sectors. In education, the Free Primary Education Programme which was implemented by President Kibaki immediately he came to office has accorded many school-age children the opportunity to receive education. Similarly, the subsidized secondary school fees have tremendously improved the transition rate at the two levels of education. With regard to health, the Government has established an immunization Programme which is free to all children under five years. Through this initiative, Kenya has managed to raise the coverage of immunization to almost 80 percent while almost 70 percent of children aged five years and below sleep under mosquito nets distributed free of charge by the Government. The Government is also providing free anti-retroviral drugs to patients and has established a large number of Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) Centres throughout the country to provide free services. The plane carrying President Kibaki and his entourage touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly before 7.00 a.m. and he was warmly received by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Internal Security Minister Prof. George Saitoti, the Chief of General Staff Gen. Jeremiah Kianga and the Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Amb. Francis Muthaura among other senior Government officials. At the airport, the President inspected a colourful guard of honour mounted by a detachment of the Kenya Army before he was entertained by choirs and groups of cultural dancers.

Lemon: Benefits, Uses

The body is well cleansed if lemon-juice mixed with cold water and honey is taken on an empty stomach early in the morning. Warm water may be used occasionally to get relieved of constipation.

W----rite your sad times in Sand; Write your Good times in Stone.

Former Masinga MP Kiluta dies

Nairobi, Thursday 3rd December, 2009. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka has sent a message of condolences to the family, friends and relatives following the death of former Masinga MP, the late Col (Rtd) Ronald Kiluta who passed away Wednesday night in a road accident along Langata road.  Speaking at the Lee Funeral Home, Nairobi where he joined other mourners in viewing the body of the late Kiluta, Mr. Musyoka said he had learnt of the death with deep shock and sorrow. The Vice President said the late Kiluta will be remembered as a fearless leader who worked tirelessly for Masinga constituents and the then ruling party, Kanu. Mr. Musyoka said he was privileged to work with the deceased closely when he was a parliamentarian adding that his death was a big blow to him personally, and the entire nation. He assured the bereaved family that he shares their grief during this difficult period of mourning and asked the family to look upon God for strength and fortitude.  Mr. Musyoka was received at the funeral Home by family members led by the widow, Josephine.

Nairobi, Thursday 3rd December, 2009. A blast at a graduation ceremony in the Somali capital Mogadishu has killed at least 18 people, including three government ministers. Officials say the blast was caused by a suicide bomber, during a graduation ceremony for 43 students from the local Banadir University. Witnesses said the attack appeared to have targeted government officials. Five government ministers were reported to have been in the hotel. Health Minister Qamar Aden Ali, Education Minister Ahmed Abdulahi Waayeel and Higher Education Minister Ibrahim Hassan Addow were all reported to have been killed. Two journalists were also among the dead. Islamists are fighting the UN-backed government, which controls small pockets of territory in the country. The Shamo hotel is often used by the few foreigners - aid workers, journalists and diplomats - who still visit Mogadishu. It is in one of the small parts of the city controlled by the government, just 1km from a base of the African Union peacekeeping force, Amisom, in Somalia. Security was light inside the ceremony; the ministers' bodyguards were all waiting outside the meeting hall, our correspondent says. No-one has yet claimed responsibility for the attack. The acting head of Amisom, Wafula Wamunyini, condemned the attack, saying it had been "intended to intimidate and blackmail" the UN-backed government. "We want to ensure everyone we are going to continue with our mission. We are going to continue providing our services," he told the AFP news agency.

'In Prosperity Our Friends Know Us. In Adversity We Know Our Friends.'

IN LIFE, IT IS SURVIVAL FOR THE FITTEST

Wild breast crossing Mara River in Maasai Mara as they return back to Tanzania - only the strong that makes it

Fake websites shut down by police

More than 1,200 websites that claim to sell cut-price designer goods have been shut down in the biggest police operation of its kind in the UK. The 1,219 sites, which advertise brands including Ugg boots, Tiffany jewellery and Links of London, were removed by the Metropolitan Police. Customers who buy from the sites either receive nothing, counterfeit goods, or have their credit card details stolen. Criminal gangs in Asia are believed to make millions of pounds from the fraud. Officers from the Met's central e-crime unit, working with the body responsible for domain names in the UK, Nominet, removed the websites, which included Australiaugg4shop.co.uk, hotlinksshop.co.uk and etiffany-shop.co.uk In the past 12 months, complaints about fake Ugg boots have tripled and customs officers have seized more than 20,000 pairs. More than 400 of the removed sites were  thought to be advertising the boots.

Oil tanker causes panic in Mombasa

Mombasa, Thursday 3rd December, 2009. There was panic at the Mombassa port Thursday morning as a Monrovian flagged oil tanker started sinking. The vessel, MV VOGE TRUST, which is docked at the Mbaraki wharf, started tilting dangerously on its side to the dismay of the crew and port workers.  Emergency crews and the Kenya navy have been at the scene frantically trying to find ways of saving the vessel. The ship was headed for the Kipevu Oil Terminal -KOT- to deposit oil. The tragedy poses an environmental disaster should the oil cargo leak into the ocean. Rapid response by the Kenya Navy and Kenya Ports Authority  averted an ecological disaster after stabilising an oil tanker that started listing dangerously at the Mombasa port. The 6.30am incident sent the Port of Mombasa into a state of panic after the Monrovian flagged vessel started listing at the Mbaraki wharf. Port Police boss Ayubu Gitonga told Capital News that the ship had been safely secured and had began discharging its cargo at the port. “There is no cause for alarm. The ship has already been secured and has already gone to the berth to discharge the fuel it was carrying,” Mr Gitonga said.  “Right now it is out of danger, there is no cause for alarm there has been no spillage and no injuries,” he added. He said the police are looking into what might have caused the incident. Mr Gitonga said the ship which was heading for the Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT) began drifting at sea after it experienced technical difficulties.

Three things in life that are never certain
1. Fortune
2. Success
3. Dreams

Navy retrieves 3 bodies from dam

Nairobi, Thursday 3rd December, 2009. The search for the bodies of the boat tragedy at Chinga dam in Nyeri yielded fruits Thursday morning with recovery of bodies of three victims.  The bodies were retrieved after the search by the Mombasa based Kenya navy divers.  One more body is yet to be recovered from the deep waters to complete the search.  Meanwhile activities at the recreational dam have been put to halt as the search continues.   The recovery has eased the anxiety of friends and relatives of the victims who have been camping at the dam since the tragedy struck on Wednesday. The four were among a group of mourners that had attended a friend's burial and they were on their way home when the tragedy struck. Chinga dam has been over the years a point of recreation for the locals. According to Raphael Muthigani a survivor of the tragedy, the group had decided to enjoy a boat ride before proceeding with their journey back home. "We boarded the boat seven of us despite caution from our friends that it was overloaded and was leaking" said the survivor. The driver of the Matatu they had hired also perished while Raphael and his colleague were rescued by a diver who was among the mourners "I managed to save two of them but for the others I was not successful" said the diver identified as Kariuki. Speaking at the scene, Central PC Kiplimo Rugut ordered all activities in the dam that is famous for boating and fishing stopped until appropriate safety measures were put in place.

Lemon skins are useless? think again!

Lemon skin can help a woman become beautiful, from head to toe. For example, skin whitening, slimming, reducing black spots, whitening teeth, giving them a good body shape along with beautiful hair and last but not least, remove wrinkles. However, besides all this, what other great uses does lemon have?

No man knows less than the man who knows it all.

A Kenyan has passed away in US. Miss Rhoda Maina passed away in Marietta, Atlanta Georgia on December 1, 2009. Rhoda was 26 years old, daughter to Ken and Rachel Maina of Dunwoody,  GA. She was suffering from autoimmune diseases known as Lupus/Scleroderma which caused her body to attack itself, targeting her digestive system. As per her wishes, her family will be accompanying her to Kenya on December 14, 2009 to lay her to rest. Because of the huge financial requirement, her family is now calling on relatives, friends and people of good will to support them in meeting these expenses. A memorial and fundraising event will take place on  Christ Harvester’s Church Int’l, Marietta, GA,  (CHMI – Apostle Karanja’s Church), 4341 Dallas Hwy, Marietta, GA 30064 on Sunday, December 06, 2009, as  from 2.00 p.m. Family and friends will be meeting daily at the Maina's home from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. at 113 Summer Crossing, Atlanta GA 30350. However, there will be a prayer service today December 2, 2009 and Friday December 4, 2009 at Christ Harvester's Church from 6:30pm to 9:00pm. You can make your donation through Ken Maina, Wachovia Bank, Atlanta GA, Account number:  1010258758504, Routing number: 061000227 or donations can be dropped off at anytime at the Maina's home.  For more information ccontact: Michael Karuu (404-395-6906), Leah Kamau (678-576-1416) or Ciru Mwangi (303-931-8381), Ken Maina (678-862-3140).

The late Miss Rhoda Maina

The above lady has passed away in Marietta, Atlanta, Georgia, USA of a disease called lupus. It is not a well known disease.

What is lupus?

So few have heard of it, yet worldwide it's seen as more common than leukaemia, multiple sclerosis & muscular dystrophy. Over 30,000 people have the disease in the UK of whom 90% are female. Men & young children can also be affected by lupus. The ratio of women to men(who are affected) being 9:1.  Lupus is an autoimmune disease, a type of self-allergy, whereby the patient's immune system creates antibodies which instead of protecting the body from bacteria & viruses attack the person's own body tissues. This causes symptoms of extreme fatigue, joint pain, muscle aches, anaemia, general malaise, & can result in the destruction of vital organs. It is a disease with many manifestations, & each person's profile or list of symptoms is different. Lupus can mimic other diseases, such as multiple sclerosis & rheumatoid arthritis, making it difficult to diagnose. Currently there is no single test that can definitely say whether a person has lupus or not. Only by comprehensive examination and consideration of symptoms and their history can a diagnosis be achieved. - FULL INFORMATION

Former High Commissioner in London HE Joseph Muchemi had a lunch with President Mwai Kibaki in a London hotel on Wednesday 2nd December, 2009 before the president left for airport.

We received this document from a group of Christian leaders in Nairobi today and we do well to play our part in shaping the future of our nation at this time. It is for your reading, reflection and informed action within the time limit set by the Committee of Experts (COE). Clauses relating to Kadhis courts are not contained here but also require your prayerful attention. - Church Leader -  CLICK HERE FOR THE ARTICLE

'Miracles' and claims of baby-snatching - why

is the Deya Ministry thriving in London?

When the news that Paul Otieno was being held on suspicion of killing his three-year-old son reached Archbishop Gilbert Deya's ministry last week, the congregation was shocked. Otieno, 31, is a pivotal player in the ministry, running its successful global television channel.  He is also the adopted son of the Kenyan Archbishop infamous for claiming he is able to make infertile women conceive through the power of his prayer. Gilbert Deya, 57, who has five children of his own, had brought up Otieno - actually his nephew - as his own son since his brother Wilson died when Otieno was a young boy.  Otieno, who came to the UK as an 18-year-old in 1996, is currently under police guard in hospital after his son, also called Wilson, was found stabbed to death last Monday at the family flat on the Lynton estate, Bermondsey. Otieno's wife Jackline sustained a knife wound to the neck, although their 17-month-old daughter was unharmed. Otieno suffered stab wounds to the neck, chest and stomach and remains seriously ill. The incident has left the church reeling, not least because it shines an unwelcome spotlight on the Deya Ministry, behind which lies an extraordinary story of fantasy, alleged fraud and child trafficking. Set in the heart of south London, it is a tale which involves players now under investigation by the police in both Nairobi and London. It is still unclear what happened at Otieno's flat last week, although there are rumours of marital tension. - FULL STORY

In happier times: Paul Otieno, his wife Jackline and their son Wilson, who was stabbed to death last week and on right influential connections: Gilbert Deya, centre, is introduced to the Queen and Prince Philip during the Queen’s 2002 Golden Jubilee

"You must give us a baby boy or else you go "

Culture can be cruel, as Dorcas Jebet, (centre) a pupil at Kapkei Primary School in Eldoret East District, her sister Naomi Jepchirchir (right) and their mother Eunice Tarus found out. Their houses were burnt down by relatives who accused Mrs Tarus of failure to give birth to a boy. A woman who gives birth to only daughters is as good as a barren one. That is what Mrs Eunice Kipkemoi Jerono Tarus and her family were told as her matrimonial home was destroyed by her in-laws. They want her family to leave because there is no son to inherit whatever was left behind by Mrs Tarus’s husband, Thomas Koskei Tarus. Science has however proved that the gender of a child a woman gives birth to is determined by the man, not the woman. Mrs Tarus talked to the Nation next to what was left of her three houses after they were burnt and pulled down.  - FULL STORY

CUSTOM HOMES HOLDINGS LIMITED

200 Plots (1 acre each) for sale in Ruai - Embakasi

One (1) Acres @ KShs. 950,000 until 15th November. Price increase to KShs. 1.4 million from 16thNovember, 2009 with 10% discount

Plots and houses with approved plan for sale in Ruai - Embakasi, Kenya.

The construction is controlled with Runda type of construction in mind.

Features: The land  is ideally located in a hub of economic activity, just 11 km from Jomo Kenyatta Airport and close to the new site of Wilson Airport and the new highway - the Eastern Bypass.  (15 minutes drive from airport through new Eastern Bypass).  

The Estate will benefit from social amenities which include:

• 3 commercial centres (Malls)

• Anglican University

• Hotel

• Hospital

• Primary school

• Police post,

• Own power station - enabling piped gas and electricity (Western Style).

• Communal park.  

The land consists of 1,600 acres but only 200 (one acre) plots are being sold.  The remainder is being developed by a UK developer for a CITY within CITY town. Nairobi Metropolitan City has been extended to Machakos and that means the land will be in the city centre in a few years time.

To reserve your plot, a deposit of KShs. 100,000 is payable with balance to be completed within 6 months. Conveyance fee is KShs. 20,000 to be paid at the offices of Nyiha, Mukoma & Co. Advocates while presenting your receipt.

To safeguard the interest of the Kenyans in the Diaspora and to avoid the land scandals, a reportable lawyer, Nyiha, Mukoma & Co. Advocates have been appointed.

IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR LAWYER - NYIHA, MUKOMA & CO. ADVOCATES TO SEE THAT EVERYONE GETS HIS OR HER TITLE DEEDS AFTER COMPLETING THE PAYMENTS:

WHERE TO PAY -  KENYA, UK OR USA

GBP ACCOUNT DETAILS - THOSE IN UK

Intermediary Bank Name: CITIBANK N.A,

CITIBANK HOUSE, 336 STRAND, LONDON, WC2R 1HB - ENGLAND.             

Swift:                                      CITIGB2L

Sort Code:                             18-50-08

GBP A/C No:                         10280984

Account with Institution:  Chase Bank (K) Ltd.

P.O Box 28987, Nairobi

                                                WABERA STREET.

A/C WITH INSTITUTION SWIFT CODE:            CKENKENA

Beneficiary Name:                               Nyiha Mukoma and Co Advocates   

Beneficiary Account:                          3384055               

US DOLLARS ACCOUNT DETAILS - THOSE IN THE USA

INTERMEDIARY BANK:   CITIBANK N.A,

                                                111 WALL STREET 19TH FLOOR ZONE 1,

                                                NEW YORK, NY 10043.                          

SWIFT:                                                   CITIUS33

ABA No:                                                 021000089

USD A/C NO:                                        36157333

ACCOUNT WITH INSTITUTION:        CHASE BANK (K) LTD.

A/C WITH INSTITUTION SWIFT CODE:            CKENKENA

BENEFICIARY NAME:             Nyiha Mukoma and Co Advocates   

BENEFICIARY ACCOUNT:    3384039               

For Kenya Shillings Deposits - THOSE IN KENYA

                                                                Chase Bank

Swift Code:              

Bank & Branch Code          :               030

Branch                                    :               001

Branch Name                        :               City Square

Account Name                      :               Nyiha, Mukoma & Company Advocates

A/c  Number                           :               0003384004

WHERE TO TAKE YOUR RECEIPT AND SELECTING YOUR PLOT:

Nyiha, Mukoma & Co. Advocates, 3rd Floor, Old Mutual Building, Kimathi Street

P.O Box 28491 Nairobi, 00200 Kenya, Tel: +254-020-249247/8

Fax: +254-020-249373, email: jnyiha@nyihamukoma.com

VIEWING THE LAND:

There is a free transport to view the land on TUESDAYS, THURSDAY AND SATURDAYS

To book an appointment to view the land contact 0722720436.

UK CONTACTS

Maggy Thuku - 07536497907 - email thukumeg@yahoo.co.uk

or

Mr. Seed on 07951220695 - email - misterseed@hotmail.co.uk

[1]

IKO NINI BWANA SEED ARCHIVE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? DECEMBER 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? NOVEMBER 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? NOVEMBER 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? OCTOBER 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? OCTOBER 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? OCTOBER 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? SEPTEMBER 2009 PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? SEPTEMBER 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? AUGUST 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? JULY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? JULY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? JUNE 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NIN BWANA SEED? JUNE 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? MAY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? APRIL 2009 - PART TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - MARCH 2009

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - PART ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? FEBRUARY 2009 - THREE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009 - ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - JANUARY 2009  - TWO

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER, 2008 ONE

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - DECEMBER TWO, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - NOVEMBER ONE, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - OCTOBER, 2008

IKO NINI BWANA SEED? - SEPTEMBER 2008