School Link Africa
Give Your Child Quality Education
in Uganda in
A Conducive Environment where
Discipline is Highly Observed
School Link Africa
Education is For All
Introduction
School Link Africa aims to provide better opportunities for the growth and development of young people living in Europe.
Young people will enjoy the following benefits
The system of education in Uganda has a structure of 7 years of primary education, 6 years of secondary education (divided into 4 years of lower secondary (“O”Level and 2 years of upper secondary school( “A “ Level), and 3 to 5 years of post-secondary education.
A child has a choice of boarding or day school arrangement.
a) Boarding school is where a child studies and lives within the School premises for a term (3 months). In this arrangement Parents pay fees once each term.
Fees range from: i) Local School Tuition fees £120 - £500 per term or £360 - £1500 pa
ii) International School fees range from £1000 - £8000 per term or £3000- £24000 pa
iii) School requirements range from £150 - £300 per term or £450 - £1200 pa
- Medical insurance £200 per year.
- Visitation £450 per year
b) Day School is where a child lives in a home (Olivia’s home) and travels toschool daily. In this arrangement parents pay school fees each term.
i). Local Schools tuition fees range from £70 - £300 per term or £210 - £900 pa
ii). International Schools fees range from £700 - £2000 per term or £2100 - £6000pa
- School Requirements £50 - £200 per term or £150 - £600 pa
- Medical Insurance a year £200 per year
- Transport to School £400 per child per year
- Upkeep (accommodation/food) £200 /per month
(Please note that First terms costs for any students is high because parents buy everything but the subsequent terms are cheaper because of shorter list of school requirements)
HOLIDAY PROGRAMME
Parents and children have a choice to travel back to the UK every holiday or stay in Uganda.
If a child’s choice is to stay in Uganda, we organise holiday programme which includes the following activities:
(Please note: Parents cover children‘s cost according to choice of activities)
Register your child today
Please contact Mr. Duncan K. Kamanu, Mble No.+44 7960358795, to get the following forms:
5. Get your child a passport or travel document.
Contacts:
UK Co-ordinator Contact:
Duncan K. K. Kamanu; Tel: +44 (0) 7438392735; Mble: +44 (0) 7960358795; Email: dkagika@yahoo.co.uk
Uganda Contact:
Olivia Mirembe
Plot 216, Buye Kalinabiri, Kisasi Rd, Ntinda, P. O Box 2237, Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 (0) 784136565; Email: Mirembe.olivia@yahoo.co.uk; schoollinkafrica@yahoo.co.uk
(UK +44 (0) 7950462397)
Barack Obama has called on Col Muammar Gaddafi to step down for the first time, saying that the Libyan government must be held accountable for its brutal crackdown on dissenters.
Left picture, Gaddafi and Barack Obama and on the right, from left, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Russian President Dmitri Medvedev, US President Barack Obama, UN Secretary General Ban ki Moon, Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi during the G8 world leaders pose for a "family photo" on the third day of the G8 summit on July 10,
The US administration also announced new sanctions against Libya. The White House said that in a conversation with Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, the president stated "that when a leader's only means of staying in power is to use mass violence against his own people, he has lost the legitimacy to rule and needs to do what is right for his country by leaving now". Until Saturday, US officials had held back from openly throwing all their support behind the protest movement, insisting that it was for the Libyan people to determine how they want to be led and to determine whether or not Col Gaddafi should leave the country. The impact of Mr Obama's statement was still open to question however, as it lacked the force that a televised statement would have had. Explaining the change, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said Libyans "have made themselves clear" that they want Col Gaddafi out. "Gaddafi has lost the confidence of his people and he should go without further bloodshed and violence," she said in a statement.
The Obama administration also announced further sanctions against Libya. Mrs Clinton said the US was revoking visas for senior Libyan officials and their immediate family members. New travel applications from these individuals will be rejected, she said. The visa ban followed moves on Friday freeze all Libyan assets in the US that belong to Col Gaddafi, his government and four of his children. The US also closed its embassy in Libya and suspended the limited defense trade between the countries.
Children Are A Heritage
Mrs Gichuhi with the Sunday School children at The Remnant Christian Centre
'Children are a Heritage and they are a gift from God, and like everything good in life, they come from God and they belong to him. Parents are caretakers of the children God has given to them'. These Godly words, were said by Rev. Anthony Gichuhi of Remnant Christian Centre, Vicarage Lane, Stratford, during a well attended children's dedication service last Sunday, 20th February, 2011 at the Centre.
Left picture, Rev. Anthony Gichuhi, 2nd right, dedicating Mr & Mrs Thuo's four months old son, Fredrick Thuo while being assisted by his wife, Mrs. Gichuhi and on the right, presenting them with the child's Dedication Certificate.
Left picture, Rev. Anthony Gichuhi, 2nd right, dedicating Mr & Mrs Kihumba'sdaughter, Bernice Chiru while being assisted by his wife Mrs Gichuhi,and on the right, presenting them with the child's Dedication Certificate.
In his opening sermon, entitled, 'Struggle', which was based on 1 John 3:1 and Deutoronomy28:1-6, Pastor said that we struggle in life because we do not obey God. 'Ngai ndakumbire uikarage utaruki-irwo, na Jesu ambiruo muti iguru niguo uikarage na thayu na utonga wa ngoro', - God did not create you so that you can live in problems or stay in torn-clothes, (which the Pastor was wearing at this time), and His son, Jesus Christ, died for you so that you can live in peace and harmony in your heart. 'God wants you to prosper and He did not bring you from Kenya to come here to struggle but He brought you here so that you can prosper',
he emphasised. 'Uiru'-jealousy, will not make you prosper. Struggle is not only spiritual, it can also be a curse from what people say about you. After this, he tore the torn clothes he was wearing saying, ' In Jesus' name, no more struggle for all of us here', and he took-off the torn clothes he was wearing, tore them to pieces and threw them to the congregation, who in turn, shouted the same words, 'No more struggle in Jesus' name', and tore the pieces of clothes which had been thrown to them by the Pastor.
Rev. Anthony Gichuhi, left, preaching wearing a torn shirt and jeans trouser showing how a man in struggle/problems looks like, and on the right, taking-off the torn shirt and the trouser and tearing them-up into pieces in Jesus' name with the help from the congregation (see pictures here below) indicating that thats the end of the struggle to those who believe and obey God.
Sections of the congregation who helped the Pastor to tear-off into pieces the torn-shirt and trouser in Jesus' name indicating that that the end of their struggles in the Name of the Most High..
'God wants you to prosper and He did not bring you from Kenya to come here and struggle but He brought you here so that you can prosper'.he emphasised. 'Uiru'-jealousy, will not make you prosper. Struggle is not only spiritual, it can also be a curse from what people say about you. After this, he tore the torn clothes he was wearing saying, ' In Jesus' name, no more struggle for all of us here', and he took-off the torn clothes he was wearing, tore them to pieces and threw them to the congregation, who in turn, shouted the same words, 'No more struggle in Jesus' name', and tore the pieces of clothes which had been thrown to them by the Pastor.
The congregation was later invited, by the two families, for Lunch at East African Restaurant-Kuria's place, (former Dak Restaurant), at St. Georges Road, Forest Gate. There was plenty for all to eat, traditional Mukimo, Nduma, Ngwachi cia Gikuyu, 'Mahu no Nyama', Waru cia Mboiru, Chapati and Nyama Choma among other dishes.
Left picure, 'You', we are all looking at you, tell us more!, and on the right, this lady, with her beautiful young daughter, looks to be so exited!-all is well when it starts from the Church.
Left picture, 'thanks, we have eaten enough, well done, you have all our blessings', says, Baba Kevin, (An Elder), 1st right, Rev. Anthony Gichuhi, 2nd right, Mama Kevin, 3rd right and Aunt Wa Kagika, 4th right. The family on the right seems to have had enough, what next!
Left picture, yea, I'm ok here, I joinned the club the other day and I need to catch up very fast! On the right, Mrs Gichuhi looks to be really happy, 'all is well when God is in the steering wheel, His name be praised', she says.
Yes, it is time for Nyama Choma, lets taste it.
The children had, also, a very good enjoyable time as you can see from the pictures here below.
Left, "Let me show you how it is done". Master Solomon Kagika Kamanu Jr playing snooker/pool when he was 4yrs 9 months. He is now 10 yrs 11months. He is 1st left in the picture on the right-and his snooker/pools mates, who had a wonderful time at the East African Restaurant, are, from left, Ryan Waithaka, Michelle Nginyo, Orphah Gichuhi, Kimberlay Nginyo, another young good looking young master and Shaun Mutonga-with a cap.
British oil-industry employees disembark from an RAF C130 Hercules aircraft at Malta International Airport Photo: EPA Image 1 of 2 British oil-industry employees disembark from an RAF C130 Hercules aircraft at Malta International Airport Photo: EPA
Wii games may help in stroke recovery
Wii video games may help people recover from stroke by improving motor function, new research suggests. “This is the first randomized clinical study showing that virtual reality using Wii gaming technology is feasible and safe and is potentially effective in enhancing motor function following a stroke," said Dr Gustavo Saposnik, director of the Stroke Outcomes Research Unit at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto, who led the study. The small study concentrated on improving movements with survivors’ impaired arms to help both fine (small muscle) and gross (large muscle) motor function. To do this, twenty stroke survivors (average age 61) took part in playing either recreational games (cards or Jenga, a block stacking and balancing game) or Wii Tennis and Wii Cooking Mama, which uses arm movements that simulate cutting a potato, peeling an onion, slicing meat and shredding cheese. Both groups of patients took part in eight 60 minute sessions over a two week period about two months after a stroke. The researchers reported "significant motor improvement" in speed and extent of recovery in patients using the Wii technology."Basically, we found that patients in the Wii group achieved a better motor function, both fine and gross, manifested by improvement in speed and grip strength,” said Dr Saposnik.
He added that playing on a Wii uses the same type of repetitive, high-intensity tasks normally employed in traditional stroke rehabilitation and designed to activate special neurons involved in brain reorganisation. The results from the study now need to be confirmed in a major clinical trial, said the researchers. The findings were presented at a conference of the American Stroke Association in San Antonio, Texas.
Human Brain
A mini-stroke is a medical emergency and needs to be dealt with immediately, yet many of us have never heard of them. Mini-strokes, or transient ischaemic attacks (TIA), are caused by a temporary interruption of the blood flow to the brain, depriving it of oxygen. Most TIAs are usually caused by a blood clot in one of the arteries supplying blood to the brain. Symptoms of a TIA are the same as a full blown stroke, but the big difference is that they are temporary and only last for a short time, anything from a few minutes to a day. A TIA is the major warning sign that a full blown stroke may be on the way. Around one in five people who have a TIA go on to have a major stroke within four weeks. Yet, too many people carry on as usual without getting the treatment urgently needed to prevent a future stroke. One study by Oxford University found that TIA patients were less likely to visit a doctor if their symptoms didn't last for long or if they occurred on a Friday, during the weekend or on holiday. Each year around 65,000 people will have a TIA, according to a recent UK stroke audit. Stroke is the third biggest cause of death in the UK, after heart disease and cancer, and the leading cause of disability. A TIA should never be ignored, no matter how quickly you may recover from one. If you had problems breathing and/or chest pain, you wouldn't think twice about dialling 999; you should react in the same way if you experience any of the symptoms of a TIA.
Other symptoms of a TIA or stroke include:
Police are questioning 19 men after three others were stabbed following a mass brawl in one of the UK's best known tourist spots.
19 quizzed after Trafalgar brawl
The fight broke out in Trafalgar Square in central London at around 4pm on Thursday as shocked tourists looked on. Police are linking the stabbings and said those involved were believed to be from eastern Europe. The three injured men were being treated in hospital, police said. The first victim, 19, was found suffering from multiple stab wounds. He is in a stable condition. A short time later the emergency services found a second victim, aged 18, also suffering from multiple stab wounds. He is in a serious but stable condition. A third man, also 19, admitted himself to hospital with stab wounds and was in a serious but stable condition. A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "Officers were called to the scene to reports of a large fight and a man being stabbed. "Police have arrested 19 males in connection with the incidents and they are being held at various central London police stations."
Wintry weather is set to mark the beginning of February half-term with parts of north-east England and Scotland seeing as much as 20cm of snow.
Snow to return to parts of the UK this weekend
The north will feel the plunge the most with daytime temperatures rising to 2-3°C, while western parts of England remain mild and wet, forecasters have said. Following an unusually dry January, north-eastern regions and Scotland will see rain turning to snow - particularly over higher ground this weekend. Most places will see temperatures fall to around 5-6°C by the weekend - a significant drop from recent highs of 11-13°C. Temperatures could struggle to get above freezing in parts at night, according to the Met Office. Forecaster John Hammond said: "Any snow will mostly come at the end of the week and at the weekend in the north." "Blustery south-easterly winds will be felt on Friday, with temperatures only making about 4°C at the weekend in most areas. It will remain above freezing, but the wind will make it feel like it's colder. It's typical UK weather," The Daily Mail reports. A Met Office weather advisory warning for heavy snow has already been issued for some Scottish regions on Saturday. Forecasters said the rest of this week will be unsettled, with thunder and showers affecting western England today and into Thursday.
The latest UK cold spell comes as the rest of the world experiences some weather extremes.
Alpine ski resorts, which have recently suffered a month-long snow drought, saw half-a-metre of fresh snow falling again on Monday. The 49 US states battered by snow and ice in the last week - in one of the worst winter cold snaps in its history - are now expected to see a dramatic temperature rise of 100 Fahrenheit as warmer air pushes in across North America. However, Met Office spokeswoman Helen Chivers assured Yahoo! News today that the new cold snap will be nothing like the one the UK saw at the beginning of this winter.
Hosni Mubarak stepped down as Egypt's president on Friday, handing over to the army and ending three decades of autocratic rule, bowing to escalating pressure from the military and protesters demanding that he go.
Left, protesters at Tahir Square and on the right, opposition protesters celebrate in Tahrir Square after Hosni Mubarak stepped down
Vice President Omar Suleiman said a military council would run the affairs of the Arab world's most populous nation. A free and fair presidential election has been promised for September.
A speaker made the announcement in Cairo's Tahrir Square where hundreds of thousands broke down in tears, celebrated and hugged each other chanting: "The people have brought down the regime." Others shouted: "Allahu Akbar (God is great).
The 82-year-old Mubarak's downfall after 18 days of unprecedented mass protests was a momentous victory for people power and was sure to rock autocrats throughout the Arab world and beyond.
Egypt's powerful military gave guarantees earlier on Friday that promised democratic reforms would be carried out but angry protesters intensified an uprising against Mubarak, marching on the presidential palace and the state television tower.
It was an effort by the army to defuse the revolt but, in disregarding protesters' key demand for Mubarak's ouster now, it failed to calm the turmoil that has disrupted the economy and rattled the entire Middle East.
The military's intervention was not enough.
The tumult over Mubarak's refusal to resign had tested the loyalties of the armed forces, which had to choose whether to protect their supreme commander or ditch him.
The sharpening confrontation had raised fear of uncontrolled violence in the most populous Arab nation, a key U.S. ally in an oil-rich region where the chance of chaos spreading to other long stable but repressive states troubles the West.
Washington has called for a prompt democratic transition to restore stability in Egypt, a rare Arab state no longer hostile to Israel, guardian of the Suez Canal linking Europe and Asia and a major force against militant Islam in the region.
The army statement noted that Mubarak had handed powers to govern the country of 80 million people to his deputy the previous day -- perhaps signalling that this should satisfy demonstrators, reformists and opposition figures.
"This is not our demand," one protester said, after relaying the contents of the army statement to the crowd in Cairo's central Tahrir Square. "We have one demand, that Mubarak step down." He has said he will stay until September elections.
The Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist opposition group, urged protesters to keep up mass nationwide street protests, describing Mubarak's concessions as a trick to stay in power.
REFORMS TOO LITTLE TOO LATE
Hundreds of thousands of protesters rallied across Egypt, including in the industrial city of Suez, earlier the scene of some of the fiercest violence in the crisis, and the second city of Alexandria, as well as in Tanta and other Nile Delta centres.
The army also said it "confirms the lifting of the state of emergency as soon as the current circumstances end," a pledge that would remove a law imposed after Mubarak became president following Anwar Sadat's assassination in 1981 and that protesters say has long been used to stifle dissent.
It further promised to guarantee free and fair elections and other concessions made by Mubarak to protesters that would have been unthinkable before January 25, when the revolt began.
But none of this was enough for many hundreds of thousands of mistrustful protesters who rallied in cities across the Arab world's most populous and influential country on Friday, fed up with high unemployment, a corrupt elite and police repression.
Since the fall of Tunisia's long-time leader Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali, which triggered protests around the region, Egyptians have been demonstrating in huge numbers against rising prices, poverty, unemployment and their authoritarian regime.
EMERGENCY LAWS
World powers had increasingly pressured Mubarak to organise an orderly transition of power since the protests erupted on January 28 setting off an earthquake that has shaken Egypt sending shock waves around the Middle East.
Mubarak, 82, was thrust into office when Islamists gunned down his predecessor Anwar Sadat at a military parade in 1981.
The burly former air force commander has proved a far more durable leader than anyone imagined at the time, governing under emergency laws protesters say were used to crush dissent.
The president has long promoted peace abroad and more recently backed economic reforms at home led by his cabinet under Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif. But he always kept a tight lid on political opposition.
Mubarak resisted any significant political change even under pressure from the United States, which has poured billions of dollars of military and other aid into Egypt since it became the first Arab state to make peace with Israel, signing a treaty in 1979.
The Army is going to sack the Cabinet, suspend Upper, Lower Houses of Egyptian Parliament.
The government has reached an agreement with the largest UK banks on lending and bonuses.
Under Project Merlin, banks will lend about £190bn to businesses this year. Of that £76bn will go to small firms, starved of lending. The Bank of England will assess whether the loans targets are met met. Chancellor George Osborne formally ruled out imposing a bonus tax.
But the chairmen of banks' remuneration committees say are cutting the amount provided for bonuses in 2010, after negotiations with ministers. HSBC, Barclays, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) and Lloyds Banking Group have signed up to Project Merlin, while Santander has agreed to the lending parts of the agreement. Santander UK chief executive Ana Botín said: “We are fully behind the government’s growth agenda and focus on supporting SMEs. Santander will continue to increase its lending to SMEs and its market share, as it has done for the past two years." Bob Diamond, chief executive of Barclays, said: "The UK has been our home for 320 years, and we are committed to play our part in enabling and supporting the recovery of the British economy. The plans set out in this announcement demonstrate our commitment to doing that."
Lloyds Banking Group said in a statement that it was reducing its chief executive Eric Daniels' bonus to £1.45m. “The Board took into account the current environment and desire for restraint. It is proposed that this award will be deferred into shares until at least March 2013, which exceeds FSA requirements," it said. Other pledges include providing £200bn of capital for David Cameron's Big Society Bank, which is supposed to finance community projects. Banks have also been urged to rein in bonus payments.
Call this justice? Teen thug who threw brick into a talented young athlete's face, leaving her with a fractured skull, is fined just £200
Scene: (left), Samantha was in the back seat when the 14-year-old boy hurled a brick through the window outside and the
blow left Miss Sadler with a fractured skull, broken nose and fractured eye socket - and she still has double vision eight months on (right).
A teenage yob who scarred a promising young athlete for life when he threw a brick through a car window into her face has been fined just £200. Heptathlete Samantha Sadler, 17, was returning home from training in the back seat of the Nissan Micra when the thug launched the missile from close range. Blinded by pain as blood poured from her face, Samantha's only thought was that her dreams of competing for England lay in shreds. The blow left Samantha, who was also a model until the attack, with a fractured skull, broken nose and fractured eye socket - and she still has double vision eight months on.
Her family has reacted with fury after the 14-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was handed a 12-month referral order and fined £200 by magistrates, in Runcorn, Cheshire, after admitting assault. Samantha's father Phillip, 49, said: 'It's no deterrent. He has got away with it. We are both appalled by the outcome. We think the case was poorly handled.
Samantha's father Phillip, 49, said: 'It's no deterrent. He has got away with it. We are both appalled by the outcome. We think the case was poorly handled.
Scarred: Samantha's face still bares testament to the unprovoked attack, left. She hasn't modelled since, right
'The police worked extremely hard. We would have preferred the Crown Court and a jury to decide but the charges were reduced so he would plead guilty. This boy intimidated my daughter, causing terrible injuries. She has been scarred for life.'
Samantha, from Runcorn, underwent extensive surgery for serious facial injuries, spent four weeks in hospital and had a ten-hour operation on her 17th birthday.
The A-level student relived the terrible moment her short athletics career flashed before her eyes, saying: 'I was petrified. My eyes shut straightaway. All I could see was blood. I thought I'd never be able to do my heptathlon again.
'I was screaming. It was very painful. I thought I was going to be blind. It was a centimetre away from killing me.'
Samantha was smothered in blood and shattered glass in the attack which happened outside a McDonald's, in nearby Widnes, at 9.30pm last June.
She added: 'I was in hospital for four weeks and missed a month of school and loads of important athletic competitions.
'I had a 10-hour operation the day before my 17th birthday. The surgeons have been amazing.
'I still have double vision and have to have another operation on my nose.'
Keen sportswoman Samantha represented Cheshire in athletics and was tipped to join the England squad. Yet, despite her injuries, she is running again. She said: 'Because of my eyesight, I can't do hurdles but I'm back to full fitness. I've been training since October. I've come back better than ever. 'I value life a lot more and am more determined to be successful. 'My family and friends and my boyfriend have been supporting me. 'My scars are physically noticeable but I have been lucky.'
Boy, 11, racks up £1,000 bill on mother's debit card playing XBox online
A desperate mother has condemned Microsoft after her 11-year-old son racked up a £1,000 debt on her debit card - through his Xbox. Brendan Jordan racked up a bill of £1,082.52 on his Xbox without realising all the purchases were being charged to his mum Dawn Matthews' card. The schoolboy made the payments to buy accessories and new games on his console after it saved the details of a previously registered card.
Single mum-of-two Dawn, 37, from Strood, Kent, has now complained to Microsoft but claims the computer giant is ignoring her. She said: 'When I put my card details in 18 months ago I thought it was just for his membership to play online with his friends. 'I work two jobs just to look after my family and pay the bills so I cannot afford all these extortionate charges.
'A thousand pounds isn't that much to people like Bill Gates, but for a single mum it is a lot of money that I don't have.
'The bank and Microsoft are blaming each other and no one is helping me. It has taken me ages to permanently get rid of my card details from the website. 'It was only when I made a complaint that they took all my details off.'
Dawn, who works as a sales executive and part-time singer, lives with Brendan and her 13-year-old daughter Abigail.
She entered her debit card details into the family X-Box to pay for Brendan's subscription to his favourite game. However, Brendan repeatedly clicked on additions and extensions - racking up a £1082.52 debt to her account over six months.
Microsoft say they offer parental control accounts so parents like Dawn can monitor what their children are spending. But Dawn wants her experience to be a lesson to other parents and blames Microsoft for making it 'too easy' for her son to spend the money.
She said: 'Brendan is 11 and knows his times tables but it was only when I explained to him that he realised how much money he had spent.
'When I showed him he burst into tears. He unplugged the Xbox and said he didn't want it anymore.
'I haven't punished him because he feels bad enough and I know he won't do it again.
'It is ridiculous to allow someone of his age to make payments without any checks being done.
'When he is in gaming mode he can't be thinking about the money. You can't put all that responsibility on a young boy.
'It is impossible to monitor everything your children do. These companies should take some responsibility. They take advantage of vulnerable people.'
A spokesman for Microsoft claimed that a parental control setting would have prevented Brendan from spending Dawn's money.
He said: 'With over 30M Xbox LIVE members across the world customer complaints of this nature are extremely rare.
'Microsoft's goal is to provide parents and caregivers with tools and resources to manage their children's gaming and entertainment experiences so that they can play in ways that are safer, healthy and more balanced.
'To accomplish this, we've built-in parental controls in every Xbox 360, work closely with retailers and recently launched the Play Smart, Play Safe website as an online resource for families.
'It should also be noted that LIVE accounts registered for children's use have online activity automatically defaulted to off, these can be enabled by the parent should they wish in the Family Settings section.'
FIVE people have gone on trial accused of committing more than £100,000 of benefit fraud by using a “multiplicity” of aliases to hide the fact they are related.
Three homes in Barnet were used by the group, including a brother and his two sisters, in what prosecutors described as a “systematic, well-planned and organised attack on the benefits system.”
Ricardo, Bianca and Cosima Guthrie are accused of six counts of conspiracy to defraud and one of transfering the proceeds of crime, alongside family friend Vanessa Williams and Bianca's ex-boyfriend Courtney Campbell.
Properties involved in the fraud, thought to total more than £112,000, are in Mays Lane and Golda Close, Barnet and Willow House in East Finchley, with others in Perivale and Chingford.
This morning a jury at Wood Green Crown Court heard how the mother of the siblings, Pauline Guthrie, had used aliases to buy a number of houses across London in the late 80s under the right to buy scheme.
Prosecutor Kevin Dent said the only reason Pauline, also known as Celine Joiner-Walker, was not on trial is she could not be found.
He told the court the family used many aliases in a bid to hide their relationship from the authorities and claim housing and council tax benefits for homes each other owned.
He said the ownership was “rotated” between family members who used the benefit cash as a “ready supply” to cover mortgage payments, while renting properties out to other non-related tenants.
He said: “In this case we can see this fraud was part and parcel of different family members seeking to establish a property portfolio through elicit means.
“It seems the establishing of the aliases and fraudulent benefit claims was closely associated to the various properties and in particular linked to properties of Ricardo Guthrie.
“In doing so it seems to have adopted some tried and tested methods adopted by his mother Celine Joiner-Walker.”
Officers discovered Ricardo's picture on driving licenses in three different names with different driver numbers, which could only have been obtained by taking three separate driving tests.
He added: “The mother has passed onto her offspring knowledge of how to create identities in the same way some mothers would pass on tried and tested recipes.”
He described some aliases were shared between Celine, Bianca and Cosima “in the same way you would share an old family car”.
He added: “One of the main things you will see in the course of this trial is the creation of different identities by family members.
“It is a prolific and systematic and close knit family working together using common methods in what must have been a closely bound family unit.
“It's impossible to avoid the conclusion, we say, that the family members we are considering here have almost something of a passion for creating new identities, almost like a family hobby.”
The trial is expected to last for three weeks.
Cuts to housing benefit backed by wrong figures
Claims of 750,000 affordable rental homes exaggerated
Welfare reform minister Lord Freud
A TORY peer quoted hugely exaggerated figures in comments justifying cutting housing benefits to thousands of low-income families, it has been revealed. Welfare reform minister Lord Freud said, despite introducing a cap on claims, there would still be 750,000 private rented homes in the capital affordable to people on benefits. But when quizzed in the House of Lords, he was forced to admit the error and that the number was actually a third of that – just 250,000. Lord Freud made the cock-up in a piece written for the South London Press last month. He was defending the Government’s proposal to cap housing benefit at £400 a week against claims it would price low-income families out of London. Describing the claims as “sensationalist myths”, he said: “In London, around 750,000 private rental homes will still be affordable.” But in a written answer in the House of Lords on January 25, he admitted the error in response to a question by Labour peer Lord Knight of Weymouth. Lord Freud said: “There are fewer than 700,000 private rented sector homes in total in London, and a conservative estimate is that about 250,000 of these will still be affordable after the housing benefit reforms have been implemented.”
A spokesman for the Department for Work and Pensions said the 750,000 figure had been used “in error”. Campbell Robb, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said: “Rather than accusing others of scaremongering, the Government should concentrate on accurately assessing the impact of these changes so that Londoners who will be affected have some clarity about what lies ahead.”
The Government’s further claim that private rents would be “driven down” as a result of the reforms has also been questioned by Shelter.
Lord Freud said the rental market should become cheaper because landlords would not be able to charge as much to families on benefits. Mr Robb said: “A recent survey of landlords who let to benefit claimants showed that 90 per cent would be less likely to continue to do so as a result of the cuts.” A Department for Work and Pensions spokesman said an independent review would be carried out into the reforms. Read more- www.slp-e-edition.co.uk
Head of Civil Servants Francis Muthaura (right) with Kennedy Kihara and Prof Nick Wanjohi when they appeared before the Parliamentary Select Committee at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on February 8th, 2011.
President Kibaki and Prime Minister jointly rejected the advice of their aides to advertise four key government positions that are the cause of the current storm in government, a parliamentary committee has heard.
A technical team composed of the two principals’ aides had made the recommendations that the posts be filled competitively.
The team comprised Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura, the President’s Private Secretary, Prof Nick Wanjohi, the Prime Minister’s permanent secretary, Mr Mohammed Isahakia and chief of staff Caroli Omondi.
Officials from the principals’ offices told Parliament’s Finance, Trade and Planning Committee the proposal was presented to the two principals on January 6 and rejected the same day.
Mr Muthaura and Mr Omondi appeared before the Chris Okemo-led team as the justice committee head by Ababu Namwamba debated whether it was sub judice to consider the matter, which is before a court.
Speaker Kenneth Marende will rule on the matter on Wednesday.
In the Okemo committee meeting, Mr Muthaura said a draft advertisement inviting applicants for the post of Chief Justice had been prepared by the Kenya Law Reform Commission, but was ignored when the two principals rejected the idea.
This was confirmed when the team from the Prime Minister’s office made their presentation to the committee later in the evening.
Mr Muthaura said it was then felt the recruitment of the Chief Justice, Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney-General would require the input of the Judicial Service Commission.
A panel would be set up to receive the applications after the advertisement, he said, shortlist them and finally send a list to the two principals, who would then nominate those to be vetted by Parliament.
According to Mr Muthaura, the principals’ rejection of the proposal to advertise was rejected on the basis of a legal opinion offered by a team led by the President’s adviser on legal matters, Prof Kivutha Kibwana.
Prof Kibwana told the Finance team that his opinion was based on provisions in Chapter 15 of the Constitution on Commissions and independent offices, whose recruitment would fall outside the work of the Public Service Commission.
“The committee that had suggested the advertisement was in conflict with the law,” said Prof Kibwana.
But according to Mr Omondi, the idea to advertise the jobs was based on the fact that a panel would be established to handle the applications.
It was to include members of the Judicial Service Commission, the Kenya Law Reform Commission, the Law Society of Kenya, the Public Service Commission and representatives from the offices of the two principals.
It was agreed that candidates would be identified through head-hunting or from the private sector, through advertising, Mr Omondi said.
“If we had gone through that route, the role of the President’s office and that of the Prime Minister would have been secretarial,” he added.
He said the principals felt that in earlier appointments, there had been confusion about whether Parliament or the Executive should interview the applicants.
The principals’ decision to ignore the advice to advertise drew criticism from Mr Okemo, who said it would have ensured participation of the public. “What would possibly harm the President if he advertised for the Controller of Budget? How would he be injured or how would that diminish his power?” asked the Nambale MP.
Nominated MP Musikari Kombo said the original advice was great, and the principals would have adhered to it had they been genuinely thinking about Kenya.
In their presentation earlier, Ms Priscilla Nyokabi and Mr Christopher Gitari of the International Commission of Jurists had said the positions should have been advertised. But Mr Muthaura argued that the two principals represented the public interest.
“There is nobody else, apart from the Parliament collectively, who represents the public interest more than the two principals. They have the numbers behind them,” the Head of Civil Service said.
Mr Okemo argued that with the committee having effectively handled the appointment of members of the Commission on Revenue Allocation, the same should have been allowed to happen with the office of the Controller of Budget.
Trouble appears to have begun when the two principals asked their aides to come up with the names, after which they would consult, reach a consensus and forward the nominees to Parliament.
On Tuesday, the teams tore into each other, with Mr Odinga’s legal adviser, Mr Miguna Miguna, even dismissing the legal opinion offered by his counterpart on the President’s side that is said to have formed the basis for the rejection of advertising.
“It is considered irresponsible to seek a legal opinion from anybody other than the government’s legal adviser, the Attorney-General. This legal opinion is not worth the paper it is written on,” said Mr Miguna.
The PM’s team that included lawyer Mugambi Imanyara, argued that there had been no consultation as outlined in the National Accord, and said some of the documents presented were fake.
Rift Valley MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto have vowed to ensure the removal of Prime Minister Raila Odinga through a vote of no confidence in Parliament due to what they term as ODM’s dwindling numerical strength.
However, legal experts say it would not be easy for the MPs as they are still in Parliament under ODM ticket with Mr Odinga as party leader.
The National Accord signed by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga says the PM should be a leader of the majority party in Parliament.
Former Kabete MP Paul Muite, a lawyer, says ODM MPs opposed to Mr Odinga should either use party machinery to remove him as ODM leader or resign and seek fresh mandate from the electorate.
“Only the party’s national governing bodies can stop Mr Odinga being head of the party. The MPs should thus meet as a party and remove him,” Mr Muite said.
Last Friday, the Rift Valley MPs allied to Mr Ruto, who were joined by a number from PNU and ODM-Kenya, said Mr Odinga lacked the numbers and thus, did not qualify to be the Prime Minister. (Read: Kosgei finally joins the pro-Ruto ODM faction)
They were speaking at Kaptumo grounds in Agriculture minister Sally Kosgei’s Aldai constituency before she jumped ship from Mr Odinga’s camp to Mr Ruto’s in ODM.
Emgwen MP Elijah Langat said the government should be led by one person to avoid the wrangles that have been witnessed in the recent past.
“We are facing all the problems because of the two centres of power that the country has. For any country to be governed well, there should be one centre of power,” said Mr Langat.
Medical assistant minister Kazungu Kambi said the marriage between President Kibaki and Mr Odinga would officially end on March 4 when PNU is expected to hold National Delegates Conference in Nairobi where it would be resolved that it walks out of the coalition.
“I want to believe that is the day when we shall officially end our relationship with the ODM wing of coalition,” said Mr Kambi.
Just before Speaker Kenneth Marende ruled on President Kibaki’s controversial nominations last Thursday, an ODM politician had an assurance for Eldoret North MP William Ruto. (Read: Speaker declines to make ruling over nominees- & see 'NTV VIDEO: The grand circus).
“Usijali mheshimiwa. Tutafanya kazi (Don’t worry sir. We’ll deal with it),” said Livestock assistant minister Aden Duale as he hurried into the chamber. The ODM politician is a close ally of Mr Ruto and deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
By that time, the seemingly excited PNU spin doctors had trooped to town, making frantic calls to journalists with the hope of shaping the political discourse after the Speaker’s ruling.
Like Mr Duale, their main target was Prime Minister Raila Odinga who had caused a stalemate in Government by rejecting President Kibaki’s nominees to the key positions of Chief Justice, Attorney-General, Director of Public Prosecution and Controller of Budget.
Apparently, the stalemate presented politicians with various individual and collective grievances against Mr Odinga with ammunition to fire at him.
It also brought to the fore intrigues touching on the Kibaki succession, with Mr Odinga’s opponents latching at any opportunity to prod him to war in a bid to reduce his stature and political fortunes.
“Despite the merits of his argument about the CJ’s appointment, Tinga (Mr Odinga) set himself up and gave his enemies fodder with which to fight him,” says Mutito MP Kiema Kilonzo.
According to Mr Kilonzo, the debate in Parliament turned out to be a political contest with Mr Odinga as the “common enemy”. He added: “Let us not be naïve. We are in a fresh political contest.”
Masinde Muliro University lecturer Egara Kabaji says the desire to “tame” Mr Odinga has overshadowed critical debates in government.
“His opponents are pre-occupied with coming up with new strategies on how to arrest this monster called Raila at the expense of articulating real issues,” he said.
Leading the onslaught against the Prime Minister in the House was Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Cabinet ministers Kiraitu Murungi (Energy) and Njeru Githae (Nairobi Metropolitan).
However, operatives around the PM described Mr Kenyatta and Head of Public Service Francis Muthaura as the “nerve centre” of the anti-Raila campaign.
The other key participant is Mr Ruto who has fallen out with Mr Odinga over the International Criminal Court intervention in Kenya and restoration of the Mau water tower.
The three are among individuals who may be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court in connection with the post-election violence.
Mr Odinga’s allies say the campaign is mainly aimed at shielding the three from the ICC intervention and stop the PM from succeeding President Kibaki after next year’s elections.
Mr Musyoka has been at the centre of diplomatic efforts to persuade the world to support Kenya’s bid to defer the ICC case for a year while Mr Odinga supports the prosecutions.
The PNU strategy, according to the Raila camp, is to enable them to conduct a snap election that would probably see Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto seize power.
“The idea is driven by the notion that it would be difficult for the ICC to prosecute people occupying such high-level positions in government,” said a member of Mr Odinga’s inner circle.
He said that controversial nominations of individuals to the powerful position of Chief Justice and the extension of the term of the Director of Intelligence were part of a PNU strategy to seize control of key institutions likely to be involved in the next political transition, and ICC investigations.
Mr Musyoka is seen to be positioning himself to win sympathy from Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto’s Kikuyu and Kalenjin voting blocs if the two are indicted by the ICC.
Though the next election is more than a year away, Prof Chris Wanjala of the University of Nairobi says Mr Odinga’s opponents are spending a lot of time laying out strategies around him. “He is the dynamo around which our politics revolve and elicits both love and fear,” says the literature scholar.
“By virtue of his character and style, he determines our politics and our political discourses,” added Prof Kabaji. He identified strategy as Mr Odinga’s greatest asset.
“He is extremely strategic. His opponents always get things wrong because they have no strategy. He is also imprisoned by a specific ideology and is firmly in control of thinking processes of a given section of society.”
According to Prof Wanjala, Mr Odinga has the undaunted vision of ruling this country. He has a zeal which is unusual and a burning desire to be President in a manner that no other Kenyan politician does.
But Dr Ngari Githuku, an Odinga critic, argues that the PM has “recklessly stepped on many peoples’ toes” and made his presidential bid difficult. He also argues that Mr Odinga is “prone to miscalculations”.
“The worst political path taken by Raila in his chequered political path has been the one to Ivory Coast where it had been hoped that he would shine and showcase himself as the most viable candidate for the presidency but he blundered by being partisan and was rejected.”
Key opponents
Prof Kabaji identifies President Kibaki, Mr Musyoka, former President Daniel arap Moi, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua as Mr Odinga’s key opponents. Each of them has some grievance or an axe to grind with Mr Odinga in one way or the other.
For example, former President Moi has never forgiven Mr Odinga for scuttling his 2002 succession plan by refusing to support Mr Kenyatta, his hand-picked successor.
Mr Odinga’s dramatic pullout from Kanu in the run-up to the election, saw the party routed out of power, considerably injuring Mr Moi’s stature.
On the other hand, Mr Kenyatta blames Mr Odinga for blocking him from seizing the presidency in the 2002 polls. Likewise, Mr Musyoka once told the Sunday Nation that had Mr Odinga not “misled” the Kalenjin bloc in the last election, he (Mr Musyoka) would have been elected President.
And no doubt, Mr Odinga has been the greatest nightmare of the Kibaki presidency. He led the campaign against President Kibaki after the 2007 election when his ODM party rejected the results and refused to go to court.
They finally grudging hammered out a power-sharing deal. The post-election violence, which was partly blamed on President Kibaki, has been a disturbing blot on his legacy.
Then there is the small matter of the ICC intervention in Kenya which might lead to the prosecution of his key lieutenants such as Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthura for crimes against humanity.
Prof Kabaji says it is in Ms Karua political interest to oppose Mr Odinga, though her constituency –what he calls the critical thinking mass – is small.
Ms Karua, who has declared interest in the presidency, was one of President Kibaki’s strongest defenders against Mr Odinga in the last election.
Prof Wanjala thinks that Mr Odinga elicits fear among “establishment” politicians because of his parentage and ability to connect with the masses.
“He is a chip off the old block. He is the son of Jaramogi Oginga who scared the Kenyan settlers and the people who had been brought up on English liberalism to their skins.”
He argues that unlike his detractors who only worry about personality in politics, Mr Odinga “honestly and candidly deals with historical and contemporary questions that concern all of us without fear of losing votes”.
Mr Salim Lone, a friend and adviser of the Prime Minister, says the notion that Mr Odinga has created so many enemies is out of place.
“He has more friends than any Kenyan I know. If that were not the case, the opinion polls which show him leading would show something different.” Mr Lone said the opposition to Mr Odinga was “perfectly normal.”
“In any political competition, opponents will always unite to build a sufficient force against the front-runner and try to knock him down,” he said.
He pointed out that during President Moi’s tenure, leading politicians ganged up against him because he was the formidable force.
Assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria said the debate in Parliament over the controversial nominations, was about the two principals.
“PNU politicians wanted to prevent the President from being embarrassed or ridiculed by ensuring that his nominees pass through Parliament while the ODM group wanted to make sure the Prime minister is not undermined.”
An investigation by Sky News and Hillside Animal Sanctuary has uncovered evidence of free-range ducks being swung by their necks by farm workers.
Exclusicve: Farm staff caught abusing ducks in duck farm, Hall Farm, Hingham, Nolfolk
Secretly-filmed footage taken at Hall Farm in Hingham, Norfolk, shows the birds being herded onto crates to be taken away for slaughter. But some workers are seen picking ducks up by their necks and swinging them before throwing them back into the flock.
As well as sick and injured birds, we also discovered dead birds left to rot among the flock.
Those that had been removed were found decomposing in a skip instead of being safely put in bags to avoid contamination. After viewing the footage, the RSPCA told Sky News the pictures were "absolutely shocking". Farm animal welfare expert Dr Marc Cooper said: "Commercially reared meat ducks are flightless, heavy animals and handling them in this manner is likely to cause injury to their neck, legs and body. "Throwing live ducks is incredibly inhumane and would most certainly have caused suffering through pain or injury to the birds.
"The footage shows unacceptable levels of lameness and injury in the flock. Birds that are ill or injured should receive veterinary attention or be humanely culled without delay. "Dead birds in a state of decomposition that haven't been removed presents a risk of disease to the living birds and is indicative of a lack of even the most basic level of stockmanship duties." Hall Farm is contracted by producer Green Label, who hired the workers. The ducks are processed by Gressingham Foods then sold on the shelves of Waitrose as a high-welfare, free-range product. Consumers pay a premium for free-range products in the belief the animals have been well looked after. Waitrose told Sky News it was "appalled" by the footage and had suspended the farm from its list of suppliers while it investigates.
"As soon as we saw it we suspended the supplier and sent in a vet to ensure the welfare of the ducks remaining on the farm. "Following an immediate and detailed investigation, we have now ended our relationship with the supplier and they no longer supply Waitrose. "The behaviour seen on the film is totally unacceptable and completely goes against the high welfare standards Waitrose expects of its farmers. We are also reviewing our processes to make sure we do everything we can to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again." Hall Farm have launched their own inquiry, adding: "We take matters of animal health and welfare very seriously and are extremely concerned by the footage we have been shown." Green Label said they were upset by the film, have suspended the farm workers and are reviewing their procedures. Warning: viewers may find scenes of animal abuse in this video distressing. Video: Exclusive: Farm Staff Caught Abusing Ducks
Mr Kamlesh Pattni (centre, in cap) introduces Kenyan elders to Libyan president Muammar Gaddafi (left) before they presented their gifts to him in a tent near his palace in Tripoli.
It looks like Mr Kamlesh Pattni can never keep out of trouble. Shortly after the architect of the Goldenberg scandal led a delegation of elders to Libya, he is under investigation over the source of a leopard skin presented to President Muammar Gaddafi. The skin was one of the gifts given to Mr Gaddafi when more than 50 Kenyan elders visited his country. It is not yet known how Mr Pattni got hold of the leopard skin and took it to Libya. To export animal trophy outside Kenya, one would normally need permission from the Kenya Wildlife Service.
Representing communities
Ordinarily, Kenya Wildlife Services has to license either a wild animal or products made out of animal parts to leave the country, said the director Julius Kipng’etich. “Such a gift that involves wild animals or products from the same must be licensed by KWS before leaving the country,” he said. Mr Kipng’etich made it clear that if the consignment was from the country and wrongfully declared, those involved would be charged. “Even if it is from another country, we will liaise with our counterpart institution to establish its source through the rule of traceability,” said Mr Kipng’etich.
Mr Pattni has recently emerged as the unlikely leader of the House of Traditional Elders of Kenya, a group patronised by the oil-rich Gaddafi who is sponsoring similar initiatives across Africa.
The so-called House of Traditional Elders of Kenya, was registered on December 22, 2009, with Mr Pattni as chairman and elders claiming to represent major Kenyan communities holding the other offices. Other officials in the Registrar of Societies list are Riaga Ogallo (vice-chairman), Phares Ruteere (secretary-general), and Vincent Mwachiro (treasurer). Former Ol Kejuado County Council chairman Daniel ole Muyaa is the organising secretary, Haji Ahmed is the deputy secretary and Peter Mumia is the national coordinator. There is also Julius Nyarotso as deputy treasurer, Thuita Mwangi as deputy organising secretary and Sam Muumbi as deputy coordinator.
A month ago, elders from across the country visited Libya where they were granted audience by Mr Gaddafi and at which the leopard skin was presented. They used the opportunity to hold out the begging bowls for projects worth billions of shillings.
The mission left Jomo Kenyatta International Airport on January 3 on a jet sent from Tripoli and returned on January 9. It was the third time elders from Kenya were invited to Libya, receiving royal treatment this time round. A dinner with the Libyan strongman lasted more than four hours.
Details pieced together by the Nation show that Mr Gaddafi sent an Afriqiah Airlines (nicknamed Air Afric 990) to Kenya to ferry the elders. In Tripoli, they were received by armed presidential guards and driven to the five- star Corinthia Hotel in luxury buses that also took them for a tour of the city and a few tourist destinations in the outskirts of Tripoli. On the third day, they met Mr Gaddafi in a tented area near his palace. “We were awed by his simplicity and generosity. We sat with him and an official army vehicle brought two camels that were slaughtered in our presence. We were told it was a sign that we were valued visitors,” says Mr Daniel ole Muyaa.
Though the next election is more than a year away, Prof Chris Wanjala of the University of Nairobi says Mr Odinga’s opponents are spending a lot of time laying out strategies around him. “He is the dynamo around which our politics revolve and elicits both love and fear,” says the literature scholar.
“By virtue of his character and style, he determines our politics and our political discourses,” added Prof Kabaji. He identified strategy as Mr Odinga’s greatest asset.
“He is extremely strategic. His opponents always get things wrong because they have no strategy. He is also imprisoned by a specific ideology and is firmly in control of thinking processes of a given section of society.”
According to Prof Wanjala, Mr Odinga has the undaunted vision of ruling this country. He has a zeal which is unusual and a burning desire to be President in a manner that no other Kenyan politician does.
But Dr Ngari Githuku, an Odinga critic, argues that the PM has “recklessly stepped on many peoples’ toes” and made his presidential bid difficult. He also argues that Mr Odinga is “prone to miscalculations”.
“The worst political path taken by Raila in his chequered political path has been the one to Ivory Coast where it had been hoped that he would shine and showcase himself as the most viable candidate for the presidency but he blundered by being partisan and was rejected.”
Key opponents
Prof Kabaji identifies President Kibaki, Mr Musyoka, former President Daniel arap Moi, Mr Kenyatta, Mr Ruto and Narc Kenya chairperson Martha Karua as Mr Odinga’s key opponents. Each of them has some grievance or an axe to grind with Mr Odinga in one way or the other.
For example, former President Moi has never forgiven Mr Odinga for scuttling his 2002 succession plan by refusing to support Mr Kenyatta, his hand-picked successor.
Mr Odinga’s dramatic pullout from Kanu in the run-up to the election, saw the party routed out of power, considerably injuring Mr Moi’s stature.
On the other hand, Mr Kenyatta blames Mr Odinga for blocking him from seizing the presidency in the 2002 polls. Likewise, Mr Musyoka once told the Sunday Nation that had Mr Odinga not “misled” the Kalenjin bloc in the last election, he (Mr Musyoka) would have been elected President.
And no doubt, Mr Odinga has been the greatest nightmare of the Kibaki presidency. He led the campaign against President Kibaki after the 2007 election when his ODM party rejected the results and refused to go to court.
They finally grudging hammered out a power-sharing deal. The post-election violence, which was partly blamed on President Kibaki, has been a disturbing blot on his legacy.
Then there is the small matter of the ICC intervention in Kenya which might lead to the prosecution of his key lieutenants such as Mr Kenyatta and Mr Muthura for crimes against humanity.
Prof Kabaji says it is in Ms Karua political interest to oppose Mr Odinga, though her constituency –what he calls the critical thinking mass – is small.
Ms Karua, who has declared interest in the presidency, was one of President Kibaki’s strongest defenders against Mr Odinga in the last election.
Prof Wanjala thinks that Mr Odinga elicits fear among “establishment” politicians because of his parentage and ability to connect with the masses.
“He is a chip off the old block. He is the son of Jaramogi Oginga who scared the Kenyan settlers and the people who had been brought up on English liberalism to their skins.”
He argues that unlike his detractors who only worry about personality in politics, Mr Odinga “honestly and candidly deals with historical and contemporary questions that concern all of us without fear of losing votes”. Mr Salim Lone, a friend and adviser of the Prime Minister, says the notion that Mr Odinga has created so many enemies is out of place.
“He has more friends than any Kenyan I know. If that were not the case, the opinion polls which show him leading would show something different.” Mr Lone said the opposition to Mr Odinga was “perfectly normal.”
“In any political competition, opponents will always unite to build a sufficient force against the front-runner and try to knock him down,” he said.
He pointed out that during President Moi’s tenure, leading politicians ganged up against him because he was the formidable force.
Assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria said the debate in Parliament over the controversial nominations, was about the two principals.
“PNU politicians wanted to prevent the President from being embarrassed or ridiculed by ensuring that his nominees pass through Parliament while the ODM group wanted to make sure the Prime minister is not undermined.”
Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses a press conference at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport when he arrived from Ethiopia on January 29, 2011.
The coalition government was headed for a fresh crisis on Saturday after Prime Minister Raila Odinga rejected the President’s choice of the new Chief Justice and Attorney-General.
Mr Odinga, who returned to Nairobi from a visit to Ethiopia, contradicted President Kibaki’s position that the nominations had been done “in consultation with the Prime Minister”.
The PM protested that he had not been consulted and said that he would use “constitutional means” to block the nomination of Mr Justice Alanashir Visram to the office of CJ, Prof Githu Muigai to the office of Attorney-General, Mr Kioko Kilukumi to the office of Director of Public Prosecutions, and Mr William Kirwa to the office of Director of Budget.
The names of the nominees will be forwarded to Parliament in the coming days where they will be vetted by the Committee on Justice before they are laid before the House for a vote.
Mr Odinga kept the details of plans to block the appointments to himself but aides told the Sunday Nation they were mulling over a diplomatic approach to the President, failing which the dispute could head to the courts.
“We are taking measures to ensure that we preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of Kenya as by law established and to uphold the sovereignty, dignity and integrity of the people of Kenya,” Mr Odinga said on arrival at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Asked by journalists the exact measures that would be taken to block the nominations and whether they would be judicial or through Parliament, Mr Odinga said: “We will ensure the Constitution is not violated.”
The PM said he was shocked and dismayed by what he described as “purported” appointments.
Mr Odinga, who was accompanied by Cabinet ministers Mohamed Elmi, Dalmas Otieno, James Orengo and Paul Otuoma, said his office had written to the Office of the President stating that consultations on the judicial appointments be done after he and President Kibaki return from Ethiopia.
“I was, therefore, deeply shocked and dismayed when I was informed that the President had purportedly proceeded to appoint Chief Justice, the Attorney-General, the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Director of Budget, without adherence to the provisions and principles of the Constitution,” Mr Odinga said.
The dispute is the latest storm to hit the quarrelsome coalition government and appears to have been touched off by the naming of six suspects ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo blames for the 2008 post-election violence.
President Kibaki has dispatched Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka on an international mission to tell the world that the post-election violence case does not have to go to The Hague and can be handled in Kenya. On that basis, the President is seeking a one-year deferral of the case to enable the country to get its systems up and running.
On the other hand, Mr Odinga has complained that the VP’s mission was not a Cabinet decision.
Sources told the Sunday Nation that President Kibaki, who left for the AU Summit in Ethiopia on Saturday, was keen to demonstrate tangible efforts the government has made to establish local mechanisms to try the post-election violence suspects.
The PM listed five reasons why he thought the appointments were unprocedural and unlawful, first among them being failure by President Kibaki to consult him as stipulated in the Constitution.
“As Prime Minister, I was not consulted at all. The Constitution also requires that any appointment by the President in terms of Section 29 of the Transitional and Consequential Provisions (The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution) can only be made after consultations with the Prime Minister and with the approval of the National Assembly.
“The National Accord and Reconciliation Act, which has a constitutional status on the principles of partnership of the coalition government, states that there must be real power sharing, constant consultations, mutual trust and confidence,” Mr Odinga said.
Secondly, Section 23 (1) of the Transitional and Consequential Provisions of the Constitution requires that all judges and magistrates who were in office on the effective date can only continue to serve as such only after they have been vetted for suitability on the basis of mechanisms and procedures established by Parliament.
“It is instructive that even the Chief Justice in office immediately before the effective date can only continue to serve in the Court of Appeal after undergoing the process of vetting. This is not a personal issue or a judgment of the individuals who have been allegedly nominated. The fact is that no serving judge is qualified for appointment until they have been vetted,” the PM said.
He cited Section 24 (2) of the Sixth Schedule which provides that the new Chief Justice “shall be appointed by the President, subject to the National Accord and Reconciliation Act and after consultations with the Prime Minister and with the approval of the National Assembly.” NTV VIDEO: The grand circus
PNU members from left: Ferdinand Waititu, Johnstone Muthama, Beth Mugo, Jamlek Kamau and Ephraim Maina during a press conference in Nairobi on January 30, 2011.
This is after a section of PNU allied legislators vowed to use their numerical strength in the House to push through the nominees. As the 16 MPs were gearing for the battle in Parliament, their ODM counterparts urged National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende to reject the list of nominees unless Prime Minister Raila Odinga was consulted. The PNU legislators, who claimed to have 160 MPs on their side, even warned of moving a censure motion against Mr Odinga if he continued to “block reforms”. They are banking on the political camaraderie among PNU MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto and those from ODM Kenya.
Those who attended Sunday’s press conference at Panafric Hotel in Nairobi included Public Health Minister Beth Mugo, MPs Julius Kones, Benjamin Langat and acting PNU chief whip Johnstone Muthama. “The statement by the PM and some of his supporters alleging that the President did not consult him in the appointment of the CJ, AG, DPP and the Controller of Budget are totally misleading,” Mathira MP Ephraim Maina said in a statement. Mrs Mugo said it was the President who had the mandate from the people and MPs would use the floor of the House to support his nominees. Medical Services assistant minister Kazungu Kambi hinted they were considering moving a motion of no confidence in the PM.
The current storm was triggered by Friday’s decision by President Kibaki to nominate Appellate Judge Alnashir Visram as Chief Justice, lawyer Githui Muigai as Attorney-General, lawyer Kioko Kilukumi as Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr William Kirwa as Controller of Budget. (Read: Kibaki’s judiciary nominees spark new round of coalition clashes). However, Mr Odinga was supported in his stance by Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, MPs Martha Karua, Gitobu Imanyara, John Mbadi and John Pesa, who described the nominations as unconstitutional.
Mr Imanyara said he would vote against the motion. “By law, the motion cannot even come to the House. As long as the Prime Minister informs the Speaker formally that there was no compliance with the Constitution, numbers won’t matter,” he said.
AFRICAN CHURCH leaders in Ireland must not allow congregation members to sleep overnight at church premises, the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) has warned. Several African pastors met with Superintendent John O’Driscoll of the GNIB last week, following an incident in October when up to six immigration officers entered a north Dublin branch of a popular African-run Christian faith organisation, looking for people on deportation lists.
According to Pastor Amos Ngugi of Act of Compassion Ministries, it was underlined during the meeting that some people facing deportation are giving false addresses – or even supplying the address of their church.“If they are using it as a personal address it will be difficult [for Garda officers] not to go in,” said Pastor Ngugi, concerning the message put across during the meeting.
Pastor Ngugi, who attended the meeting with several other African pastors, also spoke of other immigration headaches that gardaí are encountering, including Irish-born babies’ passports being illegally used to bring in other young children.
A particularly extraordinary revelation at the meeting was that immigrant partygoers regularly ‘shop’ fellow immigrants who they know are undocumented – tipping gardaí off concerning parties where many of these people may congregate.
Pastor Thomas Sackey of Joy Christian Chapel International, who also attended the meeting, said such tip-offs might be inspired by jealously, citing the possibility that the undocumented fellow partygoer is wearing a better “outfit” than the informant.
Speaking generally on the obligations of immigrants, he underlined that the Bible calls on citizens of any land to obey those in authority.
No high-profile deportation raids have occurred since March 2005, when immigration gardaí entered schools in Athlone searching for Nigerian-born children to deport with their mothers.
Labour’s Costello calls for end to ‘direct provision’
The Labour Party’s spokesman for human rights says that Ireland’s long-term housing system for asylum seekers should be phased out as quickly as possible.
Joe Costello TD described ‘direct provision’ centres as a “prison for people”, and said asylum seekers should be allowed to work while they await the decision on their applications.
He also called for immigration authorities to process new applications submitted by asylum seekers within six months.
“It should be a mark of our civilisation, our country that we would ensure that people who come here seeking asylum be treated very fairly and very humanely and, at the present time, that’s not the case,” said Costello.
“Effectively, it ends up being a prison for people,” he said. “We can’t have a situation where people have been spending years in direct provision. We have to have a cut-off point. Anybody new going into the system should be coming out of it in a six- month period. That should be the norm.”
Costello has requested a Governmental review of the system, in which asylum seekers can live for years without the right to work while their applications are being processed.
However, the Government agency responsible for accommodating asylum seekers has responded that the system is equal to the best offered in the European Union and that no review is planned.
“The direct provision system delivers a high standard of service and value for money to the taxpayer through co-ordinated service delivery to asylum seekers,” said a spokesperson for the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA), a body under the aegis of the Department of Justice.
As of March, the RIA’s accommodation portfolio comprised 53 centres across 21 counties housing 6,358 people, representing 94 nationalities.
Costello pointed out that the number of people living in direct provision is nearly double Ireland’s prison population.
“We have to begin a proactive process of phasing out the process for the long term,” he said, adding that Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has taken a “hard-line approach” to the situation of asylum seekers, but that a “rational, humane approach” is also possible – and necessary.
“A harsh and inhumane approach is ultimately damaging,” he said.
In his written request for a review of the system, Costello referred to illnesses arising from the stress of living in the direct provision system.“Enforced idleness and dependence in regimented centres gives rise to mental and psychological problems and damages family life,” he wrote. “Also, people who don’t wish to be a burden on the State are forced by the State into just such a position. ” Costello maintained that asylum seekers should have access to all necessary medical treatments.“It should be a part of our policy that nobody should spend longer than six months” in the direct provision system, he stressed, adding that the centres are not “suitable for people to spend long periods in and are certainly not suitable for families to be there a long time”.
According to a study published in March by the African women’s network AkiDwA, 50 per cent of all direct provision residents are families. More than half of all residents have lived in the system for more than two years, and nearly a third for three years or more.
Adults living in the system receive a weekly welfare payment of €19.10 per week, while children receive €9.60.
Prior to 1999, asylum seekers in Ireland were privately accommodated and had access to employment.
Italy's Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi is under investigation in a prostitution case involving a 17-year-old girl.
Reports say the PM is being investigated over whether he exerted improper pressure on police officers to have the Moroccan girl released when she was held over theft allegations. An investigation source told Reuters that the probe included underage prostitution allegations. Corriere della Sera said in its online editions the 74-year-old is suspected of abusing his power in trying to cover up his alleged sexual encounters with the girl, known as Ruby Rubacuori. Italian prosecutors said in a statement they had issued a summons to Berlusconi and his lawyers in the case. Mr Berlusconi's lawyers dismissed the prostitution investigation as "absurd and groundless" and a "very serious interference in the private life" of the prime minister. The case hit the headlines several months ago when it emerged that Berlusconi had intervened to get the girl released from police custody following her arrest for shoplifting. Berlusconi said at the time that he had done nothing wrong.The girl also denied having sex with the premier.
While most people know that cakes and chocolate aren’t great for your health, there are other seemingly healthy foods whose dangerous properties slip under the radar. While it is unlikely moderate amounts of these foods will harm you, in large quantities – or in certain conditions – they may do more damage to your health than you think. Here are some of the most toxic common foods.
Mushrooms
While mushrooms available in most supermarkets should be pretty safe to eat, mushroom fans need to be careful about what species' they are consuming as many varieties can be highly dangerous and even fatal. Around 100 species of mushrooms are said to be dangerous to humans, with symptoms ranging from headaches to seizures or even death. In 2010 a small variety of mushroom called the Little White was blamed for an estimated 400 deaths in China.
Chillies
Chillies are renowned for their heat, which is what makes them so popular. However, it is actually the chemical that causes this spiciness (capsaicin) which can cause toxic effects such as stomach pain, itchy skin and, in extreme cases, death. For most people eating chillies will do little harm, however capsaicin is best eaten sparingly so make sure to take it easy and avoid any chilli eating challenges!
Rapeseed oil
There has been much controversy about this seemingly innocent natural oil, but the general consensus seems to be that it could have many negative implications on our health. Reports state that the rape plant - from which the oil is produced - is extremely toxic, and side effects of consuming its oil could include respiratory problems and blindness.
Rice
It is impossible to dispute that rice has many great health benefits. However, like with most things, it may be best eaten in moderation due to its reportedly unsafe levels of arsenic. One study has suggested that one in five packs of American long-grain rice contain potentially harmful levels of the toxic substance, while others have reported concern for the levels of arsenic in rice milk and baby rice. While there is relatively little risk of the odd bowl of rice causing any long lasting harm, the consumption of high levels of arsenic has been linked to cancer.
Nutmeg
Perhaps one of the most immediately dangerous foods on this list is also one of the most surprising, and that is the common store cupboard spice, nutmeg. Although, like many of the foods on the list, nutmeg does have reported health benefits, it can also be extremely dangerous when taken in large doses. Containing a toxic substance called myristicin, moderate proportions of nutmeg can cause hallucinations, while larger doses can cause convulsions, palpitations, nausea, dehydration and death.
Non-organic apples
Although it is advisable to buy as much organic fruit and veg as you can, in reality this is hard to do on most people's budgets. When making decisions over whether or not to go organic, it is important therefore to note that some foods have a higher concentration of pesticides than others, and apples are one of the fruits that top this list. Because apples are vulnerable to insect infestations and growths, growers are liable to coat the fruit in chemical pesticides and fungicides, some of which will absorb into its flesh. To minimise health risks, try to buy organic apples wherever possible, or at least remove the skin before eating.
Farmed Salmon
We may be constantly urged to eat more oily fish, but research has suggested that consuming farmed salmon may not be the best way to do it. A study found that 13 different toxins - including PCBs, which have been classed as a probable human carcinogen by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - are at much higher levels in farm-raised salmon than in wild salmon. Due to the possible health dangers of consuming these toxins, it is advisable to either reduce your portions of farmed salmon (guidelines are for a half to two portions a month, depending on where the salmon is from) or switch to the wild variety.
Microwave popcorn
Although eating microwave popcorn is not believed to be particularly harmful, it has been found that butter flavoured versions of the snack contain a dangerous chemical (diacetyl) in the flavouring which releases toxic fumes when microwaved. While this has mainly affected factory workers so far - with many developing a lung condition dubbed "popcorn lung" - one consumer is now known to have also developed lung problems due to this toxin.
However, this is clearly a case of moderation being key, with the sufferer admitting to eating microwave popcorn at least twice a day for 10 to 12 years. Unless you are eating your popcorn in similar quantities, it is most likely safe to consume popcorn at home, just be careful to avoid the fumes when opening the bag.
Potatoes
Potatoes may look innocent enough, but did you know they actually come from the same family as poisonous plant the deadly nightshade? Although they are not quite as dangerous as this family member, potatoes do pose certain risks to our health due to them containing toxic compounds known as glycoalkaloids, the most worrying of which is solanine which affects the nervous and digestive systems, causing headaches, weakness, confusion, diarrhoea and vomiting amongst other things.
Poisoning from potatoes occurs very rarely but fans of the popular vegetable should take measures to protect themselves by avoiding potatoes with sprouts - which tend to have a higher concentration of glycoalkaloids - and those which have turned green. Although the green colour of the potatoes is harmless in itself, it does indicate that the potatoes have been exposed to light, which can also encourage solanine levels to rise over the safe level for consumption.
Peanuts
Not only are peanuts one of the most common food allergens, but the popular bar snack may also be dangerous to those who don't suffer from allergies. Peanuts are particularly best avoided by those with kidney or gallbladder problems as they contain oxalates which can crystallise and cause kidney and gallbladder stones.
However, even for the rest of us peanuts can be toxic due to their susceptibility to mould and the frequently occurring presence of aflatoxin - a highly toxic carcinogen - that is produced by a fungus called Aspergillus flavus invading the nuts. If you simply can't resist snacking on peanuts, try to purchase ones produced in arid areas - such as New Mexico -where the soil is dry and the risk of aflatoxins is lower.
Nairobi. Pumwani Maternity Hospital, in the impoverished Nairobi neighbourhood of Eastlands, is the site of a trial project using mobile phones to help HIV-positive mothers avoid passing the virus on to their children. Ms Juliet Wangari Njuguna is a research nurse with Kenya Aids Control Project. She works at the Pumwani clinic to assist HIV-positive mothers.
“We help with the enrolment, and as the patients are coming in they are sifted. We talk to the ones who happen to be HIV positive, and we find out how long they have known their status and if they have disclosed it to anyone.” They also find out if the women have a mobile phone.
In July, the Kenya Aids Control Project started using the Pumwani Hospital as a site to study the potential of following up with HIV positive patients using mobile phones.
The phone contact is intended to make sure that mothers are keeping up with taking their antiretroviral medicines and stay informed on what they need to do during their pregnancy to reduce the risk of passing the virus on to their child.
Mobile phones have become a popular means of communication in Kenya. The recent lowering of costs by the various service providers is encouraging even more people to embrace the mobile phone.
Pediatrician Frida Govedi, the chief executive officer of Pumwani Maternity Hospital, says, “through this telephony they are being empowered with information. How they should eat, when they should take their vitamins, when they should come for their CD4 counts, it is an interactive medium between the mother and the healthcare worker.”
Ms Njuguna and the other research nurses at Pumwani guide HIV-positive mothers at the clinic through a questionnaire to determine if they are candidates for the mobile phone programme. The questionnaire records details such as the woman’s age, her general health, how long she has known that she is HIV positive and if she is already on any medication. The mother also has to live within a reasonable distance of the hospital and be able to understand English or Kiswahili.
The questionnaire responses are entered into a database. All the women will receive antiretroviral therapy, but a randomly selected group will also receive SMS messages. All the women will be followed-up after they give birth to assess the success of the course of treatment. This is also aimed at measuring the effectiveness of the SMS prompts to the mothers receiving the messages against the results of a control group.
“The women start receiving one message per week reminding them to come for their antenatal care visit,” says Ms Njuguna. “Then in their last month of pregnancy, the message changes to remind them to take their drugs. “But we write, ‘Remember to take your vitamins.’ We don’t want to put ‘ARVs’ in a text message, because we don’t know who can come across their phones.” Ms Njuguna says stigma and the pressure to hide one’s HIV status are a major challenge for HIV positive women.
Extreme poverty is another challenge, with women sometimes missing appointments due to a lack of money for transport or at times not being able to make it as they struggle to make ends meet.
Literacy is yet another obstacle. “Another thing is that some of them understand English and Kiswahili, but they can’t read, so the text messages will not help them. So there are some who feel like we should do calls in the future.”
Dr Govedi worries that the potential advantages of the SMS notification system are also limited by the late enrolment into the programme of many of the women, who are far into their pregnancy by the time they first come to Pumwani. “We would have loved to have gotten them as early as 14 weeks, when we are able to institute their antiretroviral therapy for PMTCT. But you find most of the mothers are coming to us well after 20 weeks,” says Dr Govedi.
A day in the life of the health workers providing mobile support is busy. Njuguna must keep up with responding to various text messages and calls from the over 90 women enrolled in the programme, as well as ensuring crucial information is sent out at the right time. The routine messages are programmed into a computer and sent out automatically, but when that system is down, a health worker must send them out manually to the women who depend on the reminders. She feels it’s worth the extra work. “It feels good that you are doing something and they are grateful.
Then they tend to ask you all sorts of questions, which is better than being at home and assuming things. So you feel like you are having an impact in people’s lives.” The initiative is expected to end in mid-2013. Researchers hope to find positive results in empowering women living with HIV to protect their own health and that of their newborn children.
Parents donot want free schools
The National Unionof Teachers (NUT) has warned the Government to stop "playing with the education future of this country2 and scrap plans for 2free" schools. General secretary Christine Blower said the state-funded schools were "not wanted or needed" and parents had not been given enough say on the matter. The Department for Education (DfE) said it was disappointed the NUT continued to "blindly oppose" the moves. ree schools can be set up by charities, universities, businesses, educational groups, teachers and groups of parents, with the first 25 scheduled to open across 22 local authorities from September. An NUT-commissioned YouGov survey of 1,021 parents in the approved locations found 31 per cent were against setting one up in their area, while 26 per cent were in favour and 29 per cent were neither in favour nor against. Ms Blower said: "This survey clearly shows that parents are not clamouring to set up free schools, have no issue with schools being accountable to the community through democratically elected local authorities and absolutely reject the premise of their children's education being handed over to private companies."
The NUT accused the Government of lacking transparency after 76 per cent of parents said they were unaware a free school was planned in their area and 72 per cent said they had had no opportunity to have their say on the matter. A DfE spokesman said: "It's disappointing to see the NUT continuing to blindly oppose free schools before one has even opened its doors just as they are blindly opposed to academies - schools which have proved incredibly popular with parents and pupils and have turned around under performance in deprived areas."
New Flu Risk As Schools And Firms Reopen
Close contact between so many people is expected to push the crisis towards an epidemic.
One of the strains causing real concern amongst doctors is H1N1 - swine flu. Virologist Professor John Oxford at St Bartholomew's hospital in London has revealed the precautions he must take with it. "This virus, H1N1 is pretty special - it gets to the parts other flu viruses don't reach," he told Sky News. "I treat it with huge caution when I'm handling it in the laboratory, it does move down easily into the respiratory tree to cause problems quickly and it is targeting the younger age group." Since October, 39 people have died from different strains of flu and of those, only one was over 65 and 15 were previously "healthy". There have been 738 people requiring intensive care which is four times higher than at the peak of last year's pandemic and Professor Oxford fears more people will die from flu. "Unfortunately I do expect there to be more fatalities with it," he said. "We've got the vaccine; we've got the Tamiflu drugs, very powerful drugs, and we've got the knowledge of spread and how to break it with hygiene so no-one should die. "But the fact is some people don't bother getting the vaccine, some people leave it too late to get Tamiflu and some don't increase their hygiene. "So unfortunately, I think there will be extra people in hospital and unfortunately some of them may die," he said. Symptoms include a high fever, chesty cough, sore throat, aches, upset stomach, headache and runny nose. The most at risk groups are pregnant women, asthma sufferers and young children who are eligible for the flu vaccine jab, which also includes the H1N1 strain. If you are not in a high risk group and display symptoms of flu, Tamiflu tablets are available from GPs, according to experts. They can shorten the length of the disease and curtail it from spreading. Prevention is better than cure and the general advice is to take basic hygiene precautions, such as using tissues for coughs and sneezes, and washing hands regularly.
