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JANUARY 2004 - PART ONE

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Bye bye Baby Isabel

During the burial ceremony of the late Baby Isabel Nyokabi Nginyo in London on Wednesday 11th February, 2004, the parents released a dove just before the coffin was lowered down. The bird which is supplied by the counsellor of the family was signifying the release of the spirit of the departed Baby Isabel.  It caught many guests by surprise as most of them did not understand what was going on. It is English traditional of comforting the parents. She was buried at Plaistow, East London Crematorium, Grange Road, London.

Mr&Mrs. Nginyo holding the dove just before releasing it

A closer view of the bird just before it is released

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Two-headed baby dies after op

A young baby has died hours after landmark surgery in the Dominican Republic to remove a live second head.  Doctors said the baby's blood refused to clot, leading to her death. Earlier surgeons had said baby Rebecca Martinez was doing well after a complex 11-hour operation carried out by a team of 18 people on Friday. Born with the head of an undeveloped conjoined twin fused to the top of her skull, she was thought to be the first such baby to survive beyond birth. In the delicate operation, surgeons had to cut off undeveloped tissue, clip the veins and arteries and close Rebeca's skull using a bone graft from another part of her body. "She was too little to resist the surgery," the baby's mother Maria Gisela Hiciano told the Associated Press news agency from the hospital in Santo Domingo where surgery took place. The team was led by Jorge Lazareff, who successfully separated Guatemalan conjoined twins in 2002.

'Parasitic twins'

A spokesman for the charity Cure International - which is meeting the estimated $100,000 cost of surgery - earlier said that as the surgeons came out of the theatre they had unanimously said the operation was a "great success". But one of the lead brain surgeons, Benjamin Rivera, told AP the infant had lost a lot of blood in the operation and had many transfusions, but that her blood would not clot. "In that case, you can't do anything. This is the worst complication that can happen in this kind of surgery," he said. Rebeca, who was born in mid-December, was only the eighth documented case in the world of a condition known as parasitic twins. The other seven all died before birth. Her second head had a partially-developed brain, ears, eyes and lips, and if it had continued to grow it would have prevented Rebeca's brain from developing. The features on the second head reportedly moved when Rebeca was being fed. Dr Lazareff, the director of Paediatric Neurosurgery at UCLA's Mattel Children's Hospital, said the head on top had been growing faster than the lower one.

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Promotion from consular in London to

Kenya's High Commissioner in Nigeria

Mr. Daniel Koikai still hangs around in London has he prepares himself to take the big job in Nigeria next month. A soft spoken and polite Mr. Koikai has been the consular at the Kenya High Commission in London and of late he has been acting as the Kenya's High Commissioner in the mission before the new Kenya Ambassador Mr. Joseph Muchemi arrived late last year. Mr. Koikai of Maasai origin has been promoted to be the new Kenya High Commissioner in Nigeria where he is expected to arrive in late March, 2004. Speaking to Mr. Seed at his office in London on Friday 6th February, 2004 Mr. Koikai thanked the Kenya community in the UK for the cooperation and support they have given him while in London. He appealed to the Kenya community to keep on supporting the new high commissioner for the benefit of the community. Taking on his duties is another soft spoken man Mr. Boru Gama who has been a first secretary in the office.

Mr. Daniel Koikai winding up in his office

Mr. Boru Gama is taking up the duties of Koikai

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Thousands trek to work as crackdown enter 2nd day

Thousands of Kenyans Monday trekked to their places of work as PSV crackdown entered its second day

Thousands of Kenyans Monday 02/02/04 morning walked to their places of work and various other destinations as the government’s crackdown on Public Service Vehicles that had not complied with the new safety requirements entered its second day. Kenyans in their hundreds among them school children trekked for kilometres along city roads as a result of few public transport vehicles to take them to their destinations. Only a few vehicles had already met the government road safety requirement of fitting in their vehicles safety belts and speed limiting gadgets (speed governors) before engaging in Public Service Vehicle - PSV business. Despite their weary after trekking long distances, many commuters interviewed fully supported the government stand on ensuring the return of sanity in the public transport sector. Charles Kibe who had trekked for about 18 kilometres to his city centre office said; “ we rather suffer for a while and have a safe and comfortable mode of transportation, we have suffered at the hands of these (PSV) operators for too long.” Another commuter expressed her optimism that the government is now serious about reducing highway carnage and organizing the public transport in this country. Although many trekked to their places of work, they said it was victory for Kenyans as far as public transport organization is concerned. The government has remained adamant that all public transport vehicles Buses and Mini Buses alike adhere to these regulations before engaging in the business. Some of the PSV operators have lamented that the government’s move to have them carry 14 passengers down from 18 for Mini buses will prompt to increase the fares. Reacting to this, Transport and Communication Minister John Michuki said, the earlier arrangement of carrying 18 passenger for Mini buses was illegal. He was firm that if they attempt to increase the fares, the government through the Transport Licensing Board-TLB will be obliged to control the fares in the industry. The new regulations also require that the Bus driver and conductors wear uniform, identification badges, have a certificate of good conduct from the police and be permanent employees of their employers.

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Welcome to ONE Kenya

ONE Kenya. That is the official car for the Kenya Commissioner in the UK, Mr. Joseph Muchemi. The official driver of the car is Mr. Mutinda but Mr. Chege Kihiko a member of the embassy is currently taking charge as Mr. Mutinda who arrived in London recently  learns to negotiate London roads. Mr. William Chege Kihiko is well accustomed with the London Streets as came in the UK in 1989.

A member of the Kenya High Commission staff Mr. Chege Kihiko posing the ONE Kenya

Chatting with the Kenya High Commissioner Mr. Joseph Muchemi (right) at  The Kenya Society dinner on Tuesday 27th January, 2004 is Mr. Kute the European region director of Kenya Airways

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